Regularly Scheduled Friendship

The glow of the moon filtered down through the windows of the library, illuminating the podium where Twilight Sparkle stood writing on a sheaf of parchment. The scratching of the quill formed a subtle chord with the sound of her voice as she muttered, “Coral beds are actually the left-over exoskeletal remains of millions of tiny creatures. These creatures, called polyps, are largely a mystery to ponykind, and warrant additional research.”

With a sigh, Twilight lowered the quill, and the glow from her horn ceased, plunging the already dim room into nearly total darkness. “Wow, I can't believe it’s gotten so late. I guess the time just slipped away from me,” she said to herself. “Oh Spike, could you get the lights for—oh, never mind.”

“Hmm, what was that Twilight?” Spike mumbled. He tried to push himself up from the table where he'd fallen asleep, but ended up letting his head settle back down on the wood, where he resumed snoring softly.

“Poor Spike,” whispered Twilight, “just because I've fallen behind on my summer studies doesn't mean you need to fall behind on your sleeping.” She lifted him gently with her magic and floated him to his bed. “Now, where did I leave Summary of Seashells? I wish Owloysius wasn't away for the summer and could help me find it.”

Lighting a few candles, Twilight scanned the shelves for the book. A recent reorganization effort had all the old tomes in unfamiliar locations, and she was having trouble locating the things she needed. As always, Spike had already seemed to have memorized the new placements of the books, but as he was passed out and Twilight was unwilling to rouse him from his slumber—he was still a baby dragon after all—it fell to her to find where she had put it.

“Let's see here...U for underwater or I for invertebrates?” A quick check and she ruled out those two sections, then something clicked in her mind and she remembered where she’d put it. “Ah, here it is, under V for ‘volumed editions.’ Atlas Aquatica: Volume IV, Summary of Seashells.” Pulling the heavy book from the shelf, Twilight carried it to the table and set it down with a quiet thud, flipping open the massive text to the first page.

Only a quarter of the way through, the first beams of sunlight lanced in through the window. Twilight squinted, “Morning already?” She stifled a yawn, “Goodness, I can't believe I spent the entire night studying.” She glanced out the window, confirming that it was indeed morning, then back down at her book. “Time certainly does seem to have a habit of getting away from me while I’m working. I really should keep reading but—” she tried to hold back another yawn, but couldn't stop it; the yawn won out. “Maybe just a little nap, then I can get back to work.” Taking a step towards her bed, Twilight promptly fell asleep.

* * * * *

“Twilight! Hey, Twilight! Wake up sleepy head!”

“Huh, what?” Twilight cracked open her heavy eyelids and was greeted by the sight of two enormous blue eyes in front of her. “Pinkie Pie, what are you doing here?” asked Twilight, now attempting to blink away her fatigue.

“What am I doing here? What are you doing here!” It was more an accusation than a question. “Last week you said you'd come sample the new pies at Sugar Cube Corner today, so when you didn't show up, I came to find you, and here you, are sleeping in the middle of the room in the middle of the day!”

Pinkie said all this so fast that Twilight, still trying to rub the sleep from her eyes, took a few moments to comprehend everything. “Oh gosh, Pinkie Pie, I completely forgot. I've just been so wrapped up in catching up on my summer studies that—ah!” she let out of squeak. “My studies! I wanted to finish my report on shells today, and I'm not even halfway through the book!” Twilight sighed in dismay, “Spike, why didn't you wake me up? You know how important these studies are to me!”

“Sorry Twi,” Spike replied, poking his head through the railing above, “but you've been working so hard, I thought catching up on some sleep would be good for you.”

“I don't have time for sleep! I need to catch up on my studies!” she admonished, ignoring the hypocrisy of the statement, considering she’d allowed Spike to continue sleeping for very similar reasons only a few hours before.

“Oh Twilight,” said Pinkie with a giggle, dashing over and throwing a leg around Twilight's shoulder, “you have the whole summer ahead of you for studying, and you've already worn yourself out!”

Twilight couldn’t tell if Pinkie was genuinely concerned, or just looking for a reason to throw a party. She decided it was probably both. “I can rest once I've finished my detailed analysis of all things marine, but until then, I have a lot of books to read, research to do, and reports to write,” she replied, shrugging off Pinkie and taking a step towards her book.

“Well you know what I think?” Twilight had a pretty good idea what Pinkie was thinking, but let her continue. “I think you need to get out of this dusty old library and have some fun! You need a party!” Count on Pinkie Pie to suggest a party for any situation. Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but Pinkie immediately cut her off, “No buts! If anypony ever needed a party, you do!”

Twilight opened her mouth again to object, but all she managed to get out was a massive yawn before Pinkie Pie again interrupted, “You know, you're right. You don't need a party.”

“What? Really?” said Twilight, surprised that Pinkie Pie would ever consider a party as a non-necessity. “Well, thank you for being so understanding. Now, if I could just get back to...”

“You're much too tired for a summer party. What you need instead is a summer vacation,” proclaimed Pinkie with a massive grin.

A voice drifted in from outside, “Did somepony say vacation?” A flash a blue tore through the window; it was Rainbow Dash, stopping herself just inches before she crashed into Twilight.

“No, no, no! No vacations!” shouted Twilight, now thoroughly exasperated.

“Aw, c'mon Twilight, you totally look like you could use one,” said Rainbow, looking her up and down, no doubt noticing her askew mane and the bags under her eyes.

“I really can't afford to distract myself from my work, and if the two of you don't mind, I'd like to get back to it now. Don't you have some clouds you need to clear anyway?”

“Nope, summer is a pretty laid back time for us Pegasus. I actually came by to see if I could borrow a book, but now that Pinkie Pie mentioned a vacation, all I can think about is having a relaxing glide over the beach.” Normally, Twilight would be thrilled to spend time helping Rainbow select a new book to read, but between her lack of sleep and the enormous workload she’d created for herself, stress was beginning to gnaw at her, quickly deteriorating her mood.

“Well I'm sorry to have to rain on your parade, but—” Twilight cut herself off. She didn’t want Pinkie getting any ideas for a parade, but then a thought occurred to her. “The beach as in, seashells and seaweed and tide pools? Caves and crabs and fish? That sort of beach?”

“Well duh, what other kinds of beach are there?” replied Rainbow, rolling her eyes. “It's got sand and waves too if you're still not convinced.”

“Yeah,” piped up Pinkie Pie, “it's the sandiest, waviest, most waterific beach in all of Equestria!”

“Hmm, well, a trip to the coast would provide an excellent opportunity to study oceanic phenomena firsthand. Count me in.”

“Yippee!” shouted Pinkie, “I'll go start packing my things!” Her face grew suddenly serious, “You know vacations aren’t meant for doing work, right?”

“Don’t worry Pinkie. Just because I’ve never actually been on a vacation doesn’t mean I don’t know what they’re all about,” said Twilight reassuringly.

Pinkie Pie sprung into the air and gasped, “What do you mean you’ve never been on vacation? How is that possible? Didn’t you ever take breaks from school?” Rainbow Dash looked equally stunned.

“Well, no, I haven’t,” answered Twilight hesitantly, glancing from one awestruck face to the other. “I’ve always just continued my studies when other ponies went on vacations.”

“Well that settles it,” said Pinkie, clapping her hooves together in determination, “this is going to be the very best first vacation you’ve ever been on.”

“I'm going to go let everyone else know. This is going to be so awesome,” said Rainbow, already flapping her way towards the window.

After seeing Pinkie Pie out, Twilight rushed back to the table. Now filled with anticipation for her first ever vacation, she retrieved a fresh sheet of parchment and set to work planning the perfect trip. By the time she finished, the moon had risen. Yawning, Twilight managed to make it to her bed before drifting off to sleep.

* * * * *

The next day, the ponies all gathered in front of Fluttershy's house, and prepared to leave for the beach. Each pony’s saddlebags were stuffed with a different assortment of supplies: Rarity had various bottles of sunscreen, a collection of stylish sunglasses, and wore a magnificent wide-brimmed sunhat that Twilight assumed she had created herself; Rainbow Dash was wearing her favorite pair of sunglasses, and was busy bouncing a beach ball on her back; Fluttershy looked to have packed several different types of shovels and multiple sizes of buckets; always practical, Applejack’s bags were filled with food and towels, while Twilight carried with her a choice collection of books, along with plenty of quills, parchment, and ink; Pinkie would no doubt be taking along as many balloons as she could carry. Finally, they each carried their own special tent, fashioned by Rarity, which were capable of being folded up to neatly fit inside a saddlebag without taking up too much space.

Seeing that everyone was properly packed and ready to go, Twilight Sparkle assembled them around her in preparation to deliver her customary pre-event speech.

“As you know, we will be vacationing for the next three days at the Sunbeam Beach. To maximize our fun and enjoyment, I’ve taken the liberty of drawing up a schedule to keep us on track. If all goes as planned, this will be a perfect vacation. As you also know, this will be my very first vacation, and I am determined to make it a success. As long as we stick to the schedule, that should be no problem.”

The gathered ponies eyed each other, looks of consternation on their faces. “Um, Twilight?” said Fluttershy softly. “Excuse me, but I, um, I don’t think that’s how vacations are supposed to work.”

“Oh nonsense Fluttershy. I read all about it yesterday in Leisure Lifestyle. Vacations are meant for friends and family to relax and have fun together. My schedule is designed specifically to maximize both relaxation and fun.

“But how are ya supposed to relax and have fun if you’re busy workin’ Twilight?”

“Oh Applejack,” replied Twilight with a little chuckle, “don’t you know me? I love research and learning! Why, I could probably consider myself on vacation any time I’m writing a report or reading an article.”

Looks of concern again passed between the other ponies. It was just like Twilight to over-complicate things, and it was already seeming as though her idea of a vacation could lead to more anxiety.

“Twilight, darling,” ventured Rarity, hesitantly, “why not leave the schedules and lists at home. Focus on enjoying yourself and the delightful scenery. It will be simply stunning this time of year, and quite frankly, I think you may find it difficult to fully appreciate if you’re tied to your time line.”

For a moment, Twilight seriously considered heeding Rarity’s suggestion. As she thought, Pinkie Pie chimed in, “C’mon Twilight, let’s go have fun! You can’t plan fun!” Twilight thought that seemed a bit ironic coming from Pinkie Pie, someone constantly planning parties. She realized that if parties needed planning, vacations must too. She would keep the schedule.

“Girls, I appreciate your concern, but I am confident that these schedules will assure a smooth and successful vacation. I’ve taken everything into consideration, and the schedules stay.” The ponies shared a third round of anxious looks and reluctant grimaces, but it was clear that Twilight was determined to stick with her planned agenda. Oblivious to their trepidation, Twilight continued, “Now, the beach is approximately a half-day’s journey from here, and as it’s nearly midday already, we should arrive just at dusk. Let’s get a move on girls!”

The ponies made good time, and as they chatted with each other, enjoying the countryside, the schedule fell to the back of everyone’s minds. Everyone except Twilight. She remained silent, only speaking to reply to a direct question, all her thoughts preoccupied with making it to the beach by sundown in order to keep on track. Just as the sun’s lower rim touched the horizon and Twilight began to fear they would fall behind schedule, the vibrant meadows and lush woodland gave way to sparse patches of grass amongst sandy ground. Ahead was the edge of steep cliff side . As the ponies approached, their friendly chatter ceased, replaced by a collective “Ah,” of amazement. Sprawling below them along the base of the cliff was the beach, its pristine white sand appeared flawless from their height, and the ocean, reflecting orange and gold from the last light of the sun, blazed like fire. The breeze carried the smell of salt, and it rustled through Twilight’s mane, cooling her after their hike.

“I—I’m always amazed by this view,” stammered Fluttershy.

“It really is an extraordinary sight, is it not?” asked Rarity.

“It’s beautiful,” replied Fluttershy, smiling.

Stepping as close to the edge of the cliff as she dared, Twilight took in the view. “None of the books I’ve read ever described the ocean quite like this.” The rhythmic pulse of the tide was mesmerizing, and all thoughts of plans and timetables fled Twilight’s mind.

They stood in silence as the sun dipped lower, until, when it was nearly out of sight, Rainbow Dash flew out beyond the edge of the cliff. “So are we going to sit up here with our mouths open the rest of the night, or are we going to find a camp site?” Without waiting for a response, the pegasus folded her wings and dove towards the beach below, her shouts of delight fading fast as she plummeted towards the sand.

Stepping away from the group, Applejack said “Come on y’all. I reckon we’d better be getting after her.” She motioned for Twilight and the rest to follow her, “There’s a path down over here. It’s a might steep, so watch your step.”

Twilight gasped, realizing they were now late. “Oh no! It’s nearly sundown! We should have already made camp by now! Hurry everyone!” She galloped past Applejack and started down the narrow trail.

“No, wait Twi!” called out Applejack, but it was too late; Twilight was making her way down as fast as she could. “That filly is always getting herself into a heap o’ trouble,” she muttered, and charged after her.

As Twilight neared the first bend in the trail, she began trying to slow herself, but found the sandy ground wouldn’t hold under her hooves, and she began to slip. The edge was quickly drawing near, but try as she might, she couldn’t manage to plant her hooves to stop herself. The sand was too loose to provide adequate purchase.

She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes in anticipation of the fall, but just before toppling over the side, there came a sharp yank from behind. Twilight’s eyes popped open and she spun her head around.

“I gotcha sugar cube,” said Applejack through a mouthful of Twilight’s tail.

Twilight let out a sigh of relief. “Oh my goodness, thank you AJ. I thought I was a goner.”

“I tried to tell you to slow down, but you were in such a rush to catch up to your schedule, you didn’t hear. It’s dangerous to go stampeding down this here cliff, especially if you’re not used to the sand.”

“I’m sorry Applejack. I should have listened to you. I’ll be more careful.”

The others had caught up, and Fluttershy, concerned, asked, “Are you both alright? We saw you nearly fall.”

“Yes, I’m fine, thanks to Applejack.”

“Good! You wouldn’t want to get hurt on a vacation!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie, bounding over them all.

“Wait, Pinkie! Be careful!” called Applejack, chasing after her. “Didn’t you learn your lesson after what just happened with Twilight?”

The others followed as quickly as they could without slipping, but they needn’t have worried; Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to have any trouble at all skipping and jumping her way down the path, a smile glued to her face all the while.

They reached the bottom without further incident, and Twilight marveled at Pinkie’s seeming immunity from the laws of nature. She didn’t dwell on it too long however—Pinkie would be Pinkie, after all. Applejack seemed none too pleased about the disregard for safety though, and the pinched expression on her face got Twilight thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to take Applejack’s mind off the whole thing. Luckily, Rainbow Dash was just making her way back, and let them know she had found a suitable campsite.

“Perfect timing,” said Twilight, her thoughts back on the schedule. They had run into a few minor setbacks, but in the end, they’d managed to stay relatively on track. She smiled; the next item on the list would be sure to take everyone’s minds off her near-tumble off the cliff. “Listen up everypony,” announced Twilight once they’d reached the campsite Rainbow had selected, “according to the agenda, it’s time for s’mores!”

“Uh, Twilight, don’t you think we should get the tents set up and all our things unpacked while we’ve still got a little sunlight left?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Not to mention we’ve got to get a fire started before we can roast up any treats,” added Applejack.

“Of course! Silly me, I can’t believe I left pitching tents and starting the fire off the list of things to do. Let me just rearrange the schedule a bit to account for the change of plan.”

“Uh, sure, you go ahead and do that while we get the campsite all set up,” replied Rainbow, but Twilight was already engrossed by the modifications she was making to the schedule.

Because of the implications involved with adding camp preparations in before s’mores time, the remainder of the schedule also required alterations, and while her friends toiled away unpacking supplies, setting up tents, and gathering wood for the fire, Twilight was dutifully making tweaks to the timetable. Twilight was still working on it as she made her way over to one of the driftwood logs that had been set up as a seat around the great bonfire they’d started. At the touch of a hoof on her shoulder, she jumped, startled.

“Hey, Twilight? Aren’t you finished fixing the schedule yet?” It was Pinkie Pie, a look of concern on her face.

“Oh, it’s you Pinkie; you scared me. I’ll just be a few more minutes. You all go ahead and start making the s’mores. I’ll be sure to let you know when it’s time for bed.”

Pinkie gave a little smile to hide her disappointment, “Sure thing Twilight.”

The ponies assembled their s’mores and placed them near the fire to melt the marshmallow and chocolate. Rainbow Dash, who had piled hers high with extra helpings of both marshmallow and chocolate, was the last to take hers from the fire. Licking her lips in preparation for the first delicious bite, she opened her mouth wide, but just before she could chomp down, Twilight stood and snatched away everyone’s s’mores with magic.

“Sorry everypony, but it’s time for bed. I’ve had to cut a significant amount of time from s’mores-eating in order to make up for lost time.” Her mouth still hanging open, a mixture of disappointment and frustration was etched across Rainbow’s face.

“Rainbow Dash,” whispered Pinkie Pie, “remember, this is Twilight’s first vacation. Try and humor her, okay?”

Rainbow snapped her mouth closed and grunted as she ground her teeth, “Alright, but you owe me some s’mores.”

Twilight was oblivious to their exchange, her attention once again turned towards her schedule as she made her way into her tent.

* * * * *

Twilight slept late, allowing herself some much-needed rest. She woke slowly, gradually stretching, enjoying how good it felt to get a good night’s sleep for once. She continued to lay in her tent, daydreaming about how nice it would be to have her bed replaced with nice soft sand, when she realized with horror what she was doing. Her timetable! It was being completely thrown off by her lack of diligence! Jumping up, Twilight rushed out into the sunlight, where she encountered a scene straight out of a nightmare. Fluttershy sat in front of a half-completed sandcastle, carefully scratching ornate details into the ramparts while Applejack, sitting beside her, worked on strengthening the walls. Beyond them, Rarity appeared to be scanning the sand for shells. Rainbow Dash was flying out over the ocean, just behind an incoming wave. At the last moment before it broke, she sped up, passing through the wave and splashing Rarity. For a moment, Rarity glared at Rainbow, before they both burst out laughing. Meanwhile, Pinkie was going from tent to tent, adorning each with a multitude of colorful balloons and streamers.

Twilight stared aghast. None of this was according to plan! Building sandcastles wasn’t supposed to start for another two hours, and shell-collecting wasn’t meant to being until the next day! She’d slept through what should have been splashing through the waves time, and she hadn’t allotted any time at all to tent decorating.

“Um, Twilight, is something wrong?” asked Fluttershy, noticing her. “You don’t look so good.”

Twilight just blinked and stamped her hooves into the sand, then, finding her voice, shouted, “What in the world is going on here? Has everypony gone crazy?” They all stared at her in confusion, so she elaborated, “I thought it was clear that we would all follow the schedule. I know I overslept, but that shouldn’t have stopped all of you from following it!” She exhaled heavily. “We’re supposed to be visiting the tide pools right now, but instead, we’ve all fallen way, way behind schedule! You’re all going to have to go ahead without me while I stay behind to try and sort this out.” The vacation wasn’t going at all as she had planned.

None of the ponies spoke up, until Pinkie began gesturing crazily from behind Twilight. While none of them understood exactly what she was saying through her signaling, the general message made it across: this was Twilight’s first vacation. Humor her.

“I’m sorry Twilight,” said Fluttershy. “We didn’t realize how much staying on schedule meant to you. We’re sorry; please come to the tide pools with us.”

Twilight could see that they truly did feel badly for ignoring her agenda. “Alright, I’ll come along. But I really do need to try and get this vacation back on track.”

As they made their way to the tide pools, the other ponies’ attempts at conversation with Twilight were met with distracted grunts and mumbles—she walked with several pieces of parchment floating out in front of her, scribbling notes and drawing arrows from one note to another. Twilight continued to ignore her friends, even when Fluttershy started explaining the best way to safely handle a sea urchin, and the differences between a sea cucumber and a sea slug.

“Very interesting,” were the only words they could get out of Twilight, and her tone betrayed how very uninterested she was.

“You know she doesn’t mean it Fluttershy,” consoled Rarity in a hushed tone. “Twilight is just a little…overwhelmed, at the moment, by the, er, excitement of her first vacation.”

As the sun began to fall, and the other ponies began to grow restless, Twilight looked up from her jumble of papers and announced, “It’s time to roast marshmallows.”

“Thank Celestia!” cried Rainbow Dash, “I’m starving!”

They made their way back to camp and got the fire started up again just as the moon was beginning to rise, but Twilight was sitting well outside the glow of the firelight.

The other ponies tried calling her over, but Twilight was oblivious to everything but the schedule, working in the darkness by the light of her horn. When Pinkie Pie spoke from directly behind her, she let out a squeak and jumped up, but continued to stare at the parchment before her.

“Please put away the schedule Twilight. Come sit with us by the fire.” When Twilight didn’t respond, Pinkie’s eyebrows furrowed with worry. “Did I frighten you again? You know, Rainbow Dash is about to tell us a ghost story—now that will be scary!”

Twilight spun around to face Pinkie, “Ghost stories? Now?” Her voice was strained with distress, “But I don’t have ghost stories planned for another few hours! Now I’m going to have to swap in truth or dare, and move toasting marshmallows up an hour, and then maybe move this here…” her voice trailed off as she turned back to the ever-growing stack of parchment to continue editing.

Downcast, Pinkie returned to the bonfire to let the other ponies know Twilight probably wouldn’t be joining them for awhile. Rainbow Dash sighed, “I had a feeling something like this might happen. Twilight really loves her lists.”

“She’s a right organized one she is,” agreed Applejack.

“A little too organized sometimes,” said Fluttershy, glancing down the beach, toward the dim purple glow of Twilight’s horn in the distance.

“Well we simply can’t just leave her all alone in the cold,” said Rarity. “The sea breeze might be lovely during the day, but at night it’s terribly chilly. Come on, let’s go fetch her back to the camp.”

With murmurs of assent, the group rose and trotted down to where Twilight sat, surrounded by parchment, scribbling furiously on a sheet already covered in too many arrows, time lines, and scratched out activities for any of them to make sense of.

“Er, looks like you’re making good progress there,” said Applejack. “Why don’t you gather up all your things and come back to camp with us; you wouldn’t want to catch a cold out here.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Come on Twi, don’t you think you might be overdoing the whole schedule thing?” asked Rainbow Dash, flying over her.

“Mhmm.”

Fluttershy flapped forward to try and talk some sense into Twilight, but just then a gust of wind scattered Twilight’s jumble of parchment.

“Ah, my schedule!” shrieked Twilight. She began galloping around, trying desperately to collect each piece of paper.

“Let’s head back to camp y’all,” said Applejack sadly, “I don’t think Twi’s going to have time for ghost stories tonight.”

Disappointed and worried about their friend, the ponies slowly made their way back to camp. The fire had died down, and only a low glow emanated from the embers, creating the perfect atmosphere for ghost stories, but as they huddled close around the dying fire, Rainbow Dash huffed and backed away.

“I’m sorry you guys, but I’m too worried about Twilight. I just don’t think I could manage a good ghost story knowing she’s out there alone in the cold.”

“I know Rainbow,” consoled Applejack, “I feel the same way, but I don’t know what we can do. Maybe we should get some shuteye, and talk to her in the mornin’.”

There were general sounds of agreement, and each pony headed into their respective tents. All except Pinkie Pie, who remained at the edge of the fire’s glow, staring out into the darkness. “Oh Twilight, this is your vacation too. Why aren’t you here enjoying it with your friends?” More than a little depressed, and shivering from the cold, Pinkie at last entered her tent to go to sleep.

Dawn broke, and the ponies awoke expecting to find Twilight asleep in her tent, but it didn’t look like she had returned last night.

“I’m really worried about Twilight you guys,” said Pinkie Pie, “we shouldn’t have left her out there last night.”

“Yes, remember what happened last time we didn’t take Twilight’s problems seriously?” agreed Rarity. “I propose we split up and search for her.”

Rainbow Dash nodded her head enthusiastically, “Good idea Rarity. Fluttershy and I will head up the beach toward the tide pools. Maybe she felt bad about yesterday and went back there to see the sea creatures.”

“I’ll stay in camp just in case she comes back,” said Applejack. “We don’t want her seeing a bunch of empty tents and thinking we up an’ left.”

“Then Pinkie Pie and I shall head down the beach toward the caves. If no one finds her, we’ll meet back here in an hour and decide on how to proceed,” concluded Rarity.

* * * * *

Twilight stumbled along the dark passage, a jumble of crumpled parchment and bent quills poking haphazardly from her saddlebags. “The formation of caves along ocean cliffs is an indication of missed deadlines and disrupted time lines,” she said, her voice wavering erratically. “A buildup of moisture due to faulty scheduling seems to have resulted in what could best be described as slime coating the cavern walls.”

Her mane was disheveled, and her eyes darted back and forth between the darkness of the cave and the unfurled scroll held before her with magic. She’d struggled to create the perfect schedule for most of the night, but regardless of how many amendments she made, it never quite came out perfectly, with gaps and overlaps inevitable. Frustrated, she kept at it, losing track of time until the sun rose and she suddenly realized that she’d originally scheduled an investigative foray for the morning. In a desperate attempt to gain some manner of control of the situation, Twilight had gathered together her half-finished plans and run down the beach to the caves. However, still exhausted from her summer studies back in Ponyville, and sleep-deprived by her night on the beach, her mind was hazy, with sentences not fully formed combining with other random bits of thought to create nonsensical verses that she jotted down in quaking letters on the parchment. She didn’t know how long she’d wandered, aimless, through the cave; only fragmented imaginings of adhering to the schedule propelled her onwards.

Just as Twilight began to take out a fresh piece of paper to describe a curious bit of moss, a voice echoed down the tunnel, “Hey Twilight, you in here?” It was Pinkie Pie.

The sound of her voice focused Twilight’s mind. “I’m here Pinkie!”

It wasn’t long before the tell-tale sound of Pinkie’s bouncing could be heard, and her silhouette could be seen by the glow of Twilight’s horn. “Twilight, thank goodness you’re alright. We’ve all been worried sick about you!”

“I’m sorry Pinkie; I didn’t mean to worry you. I just got so caught up in trying to make this the best vacation it could be. I’ve never really taken a vacation before, and didn’t want to disappoint you all.”

“I’ve been trying to tell you that we don’t need to plan to have a good time. Vacations are meant for getting away from schedules, forgetting about your worries, and enjoying your time together with friends! You’ve been so busy with your timetables, it’s like you haven’t even been here,” she paused for a moment before continuing, “and we’ve missed you Twilight.”

“Oh my gosh, Pinkie Pie, you’re right! I’ve been so busy trying to make this the perfect vacation that I haven’t been able to enjoy it at all, and as a result, I’ve been ruining everyone else’s experiences too.”

“Come on, let’s get back to the camp. The others should be getting back soon, and they’ll want to know you’re alright.” Pinkie paused, then called out, “I’ve found her Rarity! She’s alright!”

Rarity appeared a few moments later from a side passage, smiling with relief. “Thank goodness you’re already dear. Let’s get you out of this horrid cave and back to the fire so we can dry off.”

Twilight noticed for the first time the shallow layer of water covering the floor of the cave, how cold she was, and above all, how very sleepy she felt. “Yes please. I think I’m finally ready to let myself enjoy this vacation.”

Back at their campsite, Twilight apologized to everyone once they’d returned.

“Aw, we know you had our best interests at heart hon,” said Applejack compassionately. “You just got a bit carried away is all; it happens to the best of us.”

“Not to me,” said Rainbow Dash smugly.

“Uh, Rainbow, no offense, but I think you can get carried away more often than any of us,” replied Applejack.

Rainbow blushed, and everyone began to laugh. She eventually joined in, realizing how ridiculous her claim had been.

“You know,” said Fluttershy as the laughter died down, “we’ve still got awhile before it’s time to start heading home. Would you all like to play some volleyball?

The ponies cheered in response, and Pinkie Pie shouted excitedly, “Let’s get this vacation started girls!”

* * * * *

The sun had passed its zenith, and everypony was busy packing up. Twilight, however, had once again put quill to parchment, though this time, it was to write a letter.

“Dear Princess Celestia,

Over the past few days, I’ve come to know the importance of setting aside time to enjoy with your friends. I took a break from my studies to take a vacation with my friends, but I made the mistake of trying to structure every moment of this time, alienating my friends and making the time we should have been enjoying together a stressful experience for everyone.

We all need time away from our work, but when we turn spending time with friends into a chore to be completed methodically, it defeats the purpose of taking a break in the first place. Just being with your friends is enough, because no matter how your time together is spent, it will always be magical.

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Hey, Twilight, you’re not making another checklist are you?” called Rainbow Dash from the bottom of the cliff path.

“Nope, just finishing a message to Celestia.” She gave a small smile and tucked the letter away. “You know, maybe we could try this whole vacation thing again in a few weeks.”

Pinkie Pie looked about ready to explode with joy.