Elements of Harmony: Black Ops

Chapters

A Problem Awakens
Looking for Advice...
Let the Studying Begin!

A Problem Awakens

I looked up from my books as a snore resounded from upstairs. A small smile crept onto my lips and I sighed. Spike was up in his bed, sound asleep as I studied. I had taken it upon myself to study time spells of all kinds, vaguely remembering the day I had been visited by my future self. I stifled a laugh so as not to wake Spike up, but oh how funny that had been!

I held in a yawn, to no avail, as I turned the page of the ancient book before me. Its pages were turning yellow with age and there were small tears along the edges. I was using my magic cautiously, knowing that if I laid a hoof on a page it may crumble. As my eyes scanned the pages eagerly, they grew heavy. Another yawn managed to escape and I felt my eyes closing despite my resistance. "Alright, it's time for bed." I mumbled.

I closed the book and gently set it atop the nearest mountain of others I had yet to read. I stood and stretched out my wings before folding them against my sides once more. I had received them only a few months before after rewriting a spell created by Star Swirl the Bearded. When I had cast the spell, the Elements of Harmony had been altered, changing my friends' destinies as well. Thankfully, friendship is more powerful than even unicorn magic.

I slowly climbed the stairs to my bedroom, lifting my crown from my head as I did. Why I insisted on wearing it late at night while studying, I had no idea. Maybe it was to prove to me that these last few months were not just some crazy dream? I shrugged it off and placed the crown on my bookshelf before collapsing into bed with another loud yawn, causing Spike to stir.

"It's alright, Spike." I mumbled.

I pulled the covers over me, my wings tucked closely to my body so I didn't damage them as I slept. I yawned as my eyes slowly closed. Immediately, I was transported into a world of rest and relaxation, far from my studies for the remainder of the night. Odds are I would rise with the sun if not sooner tomorrow, but for now my thoughts were clouded with sleep and my mind was a thick, gray haze of unconsciousness. I mumbled something unintelligible before descending the final few steps into dreamland.

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

I groaned as sunlight streamed through my window. Wait, sunlight. No, no, no, no, no! I should already be up by now! I thought, jumping out of bed. I stood quickly and grabbed my crown, placing it atop my head. I poked Spike with a hoof frantically. "Spike! Spike, wake up!"

The purple dragon grumbled and opened his eyes just enough that he could see me. Apparently what he saw was enough to scare him, because he bolted upright and stared at me. "Twilight, are you alright?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"No, I'm not alright! I'm late!" I said, pacing around my bedroom nervously.

"Late for what?"

"Late for the sunrise! I should have been up an hour ago studying! Oh, this is not good. Now I'm going to be behind in my study schedule, which will throw off my day. And then I'll be up even later than I was last night, throwing me off even more!" I continued to pace, each step falling sooner than the last.

"Twilight, just calm down. Please?"

I stopped my pacing and turned to look at Spike. His emerald eyes had a sorrow-like shine to them that forced me to calm down. Maybe it was just a motherly instinct taking over to care for the dragon I had practically raised, but something inside made me stop and go over to him. I knelt in front of him and wrapped a wing gently around him. "What's wrong, Spike?" I asked softly.

"I don't like seeing you like this. Plus, didn't you learn anything with the whole smarty-pants debacle?"

A smile inched its way to my lips at the memory, teasing the corners of my mouth into a small grin. "Is that all, my little dragon?" I asked, straightening.

"No, what about breakfast?" asked Spike with a huge grin on his face.

I laughed and picked up the young dragon in my raspberry magic, setting him on my back between my wings. Spike now perched on my back, I trotted down the stairs to the kitchen. "And what does the little dragon want this morning?"

"Well, what do we have?"

"How about a bowl of emeralds and rubies with a cup of tea?" I said, still smiling.

"Mmm. Yes, please."

Spike hopped down from my back and put the kettle on the stove for the tea. I pulled down two bowls and two teacups from the cupboard before retrieving the dragon's favorite gems. After filling Spike's bowl with gems I filled my own with a puffed hay cereal. I set the bowls on the table and got out two pouches of mint tea, placing them in the bottom of the teacups as the kettle whistled. "Why don't you sit down and start eating, Spike? We are a little behind this morning." I said, pouring the hot water with my magic.

"Yes, Twilight."

I watched Spike as he ran over to his seat and started eating gems before he was even sitting down. Stifling a laugh, I sat down across from him and brought the tea over to the table as I started to eat my cereal. Half of Spike's gems were already gone before I even made a noticeable dent in my own breakfast. "You can slow down, Spike. Were not in that much of a hurry, you silly dragon." I said, taking another bite.

"Fyessh, Twilipht." he mumbled through a mouthful of rubies.

I simply rolled my eyes and continued to eat my puffed hay slowly. My gaze drifted to the small mirror on the wall and I straightened my crooked crown with a sigh. I placed my spoon on my napkin and used my magic to cool down my steaming tea before taking a sip, the mint awakening my senses. "What's wrong, Twilight?" asked Spike, pulling me from wherever I was.

"What do you mean, Spike?"

"Well, you seem more distracted than normal. I mean, I'm used to you staring into space while you eat breakfast or something, but you're just sitting there. So, what are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing, Spike. Just something I read last night while half-asleep. I think that's where I'll start with my studies this morning after I go see Rarity. Do you want to come with me?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I want to come! Let's go." said Spike, abandoning his half-eaten breakfast.

"Spike." I called.

"What, Twilight?"

"Finish your breakfast first. She's probably not even up yet."

"Fine." he grumbled.

He sat heavily on the chair and picked up a ruby, flicking it onto his tongue like he could care less. I just rolled my eyes and turned back to my cereal. I ate quickly, now suddenly hungrier than I had been moments before. My cereal was gone in about seven minutes flat and I sat sipping my tea as I waited for Spike to finish. He had gobbled down the remainder of his gems and was starting on his still-steaming tea, heating it to a boil with his dragon flame. He gulped down the burning liquid like it was nothing, which it truly was for a creature who breathes fire.

"All done?" I asked, polishing off my own tea.

"Yep. Can we go see Rarity now?"

"You have some chores to do first, young man. I want the windows to shine before we leave. Is that understood?"

"Sure, Twilight. They'll be spotless in no time." he replied eagerly, jumping down from his chair.

I stifled yet another burst of laughter as I watched the little purple dragon running around the library and quickly washing every window. Somehow, despite his hurried pace, he still managed to make each window shine like I had asked. He came over to me out of breath. "I'm... all... done." he panted.

"I can see that. Come on, then. If you're that eager to see Rarity we had better be off. I wouldn't want to keep a dragon waiting any longer than I have to."

"Of course you wouldn't. You may be a princess but I could still easily turn you to ash." he joked.

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

I bolted up in bed as an acrid smell hit my nose. Not again! I thought frantically. I lifted my face mask and checked my reflection in my bedroom mirror. My mane was a mess, but that would have to wait for a few moments. I raced down the stairs, knowing full well what was going on. "Sweetie Belle!" I screeched, coming to a halt just outside the kitchen door.

The ivory filly in question just stood at the counter, trying to clean up some gray goop that had covered it's formerly shining surface as of last night. "Yeah, sis?" she mumbled.

"Why do you continually try to make me breakfast? You know it always ends in disaster."

I had calmed down enough to control the anger in my voice, but I was still fuming. If Sweetie Belle had turned around she would have seen smoke rising from my nostrils, I was that mad. "But I'm getting better, sis." the filly protested. "At least this time it's only the counters that got covered in goop. Plus, I didn't set off the smoke alarm."

That's because I shut them off when I heard you were staying with me for a few days. I thought with a sigh. I would never say such a thing to Sweetie Belle, of course. I would never want to hurt my little sister's feelings. "True, but you did give me a terrible fright. Please, just clean this up quickly. Twilight will be coming over soon."

And she's probably bringing Spike with her. I added to myself. At this notion, my heart fluttered slightly in my chest as it did every time I thought of my little Spikey-wikey. I turned and was about to head upstairs when I heard an excited squeal from behind me.

"Why didn't you tell me Twilight was coming over? I have to hurry! I want to look presentable when the princess gets here!"

"Not before you clean up this 'toast' young lady."

I scrunched up my nose in disgust at my sister's behavior and headed upstairs. She did have a point, though. If Twilight was coming over I needed to make myself at least look presentable. I had been up late last night trying to clean up the boutique and had missed out on valuable beauty sleep.

I trotted into my bedroom and took a long look at myself in the mirror. My mane was a horrible mess and my tail was nearly as bad. I don't think I had ever looked worse, except maybe when Trixie turned my mane seaweed green, or when that Poison Joke made me look like a sheepdog. But this was just as bad. This was the worst bad mane day ever. This was "THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING." I cried.

As if on cue, Sweetie Belle rushed into my room, looking for something terrible. Then she saw my mane. "Oh, Rarity! We can't have you looking like this when Twilight comes!"

I smiled down at my younger sister with watery eyes. She was probably the only other pony in the whole world who understood just how terrible this was for me. "We've got to get this fixed, or you'll have to cancel. And you wouldn't want to cancel on a princess, even if she is one of your bestest friends."

"Come then, Sweetie. We'll get ready together."

"Alright, sis!"

I smiled as my younger sister slowly worked her emerald magic to levitate a hairbrush. She jumped up onto my bed and gestured for me to come over. I sat on the floor in front of her and let her brush out my mane, enjoying this quality sister time we rarely got to have. As she slowly brushed out my mane, I could tell it was growing smoother. Boy, could she work wonders. It would have taken me forever to brush out my mane and it definitely would have tested my patience.

When she was finished brushing the tangles out of my mane, I turned back to the mirror. My mane would need to be fluffed and curled, but at least it didn't look quite as bad as before. "Thank you, Sweetie. Now it's my turn."

I laid down on my bed and my sister curled up next to me, handing me the brush. I grabbed it with my sapphire magic and started to brush out my sister's two-toned mane. Her lavender and rosy locks were separated in perfectly equal portions and they had a natural curl that I envied so. "Sis, don't forget we have to brush out your tail and curl your mane when you're done brushing my mane."

I smiled down at Sweetie Belle. She always knew exactly what needed to be done to make one's self presentable for royalty. "Of course, dear. And I might just have a special project for you to do while I curl my mane."

My thoughts flashed to the bejeweled jewelry box that held the one gem more precious to me than even the Element of Generosity. If Spike was coming, I should wear it. Even if he wasn't, it would help me look better for a visit from Twilight. "Oooh. What is it?" my sister asked expectantly.

"You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

"But si-is."

"A lady does not whine. Now, hold still."

I gently pulled the brush through a knot I had found in my sister's mane, causing her to whimper slightly despite my care. I set the brush down on a side table and looked at the little filly."Are you okay, Sweetie?"

"Mhmm. But we need to get you ready for Twilight's visit, and you still need to tell me what you want me to do while you curl your mane."

"Well, it involves something extremely precious to me that is also very fragile. I'm not sure I sh-"

"Please, sis? I'll be reeeeally careful. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

I giggled slightly at the use of a Pinkie Promise. Sometimes Pinkie came up with the strangest ideas. But, sometimes they made sense. I recalled the parasprite infestation that had caused everyone but Pinkie Pie to go crazy. Well, go into a crazy panic that is. Pinkie ended up running all over town for various instruments until she was a one-mare band. "If you're that serious about it, I guess you can. After I brush out my tail."

I picked up the brush again and ran it through my tail, gently brushing out the tangles. Thankfully, it was not as tangled as I had initially thought. I was finished in a few minutes and got ready to curl my mane, also getting everything Sweetie Belle needed for the task I was about to assign her. The bejeweled jewelry box was lifted in my sapphire magic and I set it down carefully on my small worktable. "Now, Sweetie Belle, I want you to be very careful with this. Do you understand?"

My sister nodded and I sighed, opening the box and setting down my favorite piece of jewelry. She looked at it, wondering what was so special about it. "What do you want me to do with this? It's just a necklace."

"It's not just a necklace! The gem was a gift from a very special somepony. Please polish it carefully. I want it to sparkle."

"Okay. Just curl your mane and don't worry about your necklace."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sweetie Belle roll her eyes before she looked down at the fire ruby. I sighed and picked up a curling iron, starting the long process that was styling my mane. I carefully placed a section of my mane around the hot styling tool and rolled it with my magic. After letting it sit for a few seconds, I released the clip and the small perfectly curled portion of my mane fell against my face, warming my cheek.

I continued with the long process, constantly watching my sister out of the corner of my eye. She had a polishing cloth suspended from her emerald magic and she was examining the gem for any spots she might have missed. Spotting one, she moved the cloth over to it and gently rubbed it until it was clean. The slight glow from her horn caused the gem to sparkle for a few moments as she finished examining the gem.

"Done!" she called out as the last section of my mane fell from the curling iron.

"Perfect timing, Sweetie. Now, why don't you go see if Applebloom and Scootaloo are up yet? I'm sure they've got a long day of crusading planned."

"Okay, Rarity. I'm sure Applebloom could use some help with her chores." she sighed.

I watched as my sister walked slowly out of my room before looking at the necklace she had polished ever so carefully. It shone in the light streaming in from my window and I remembered the day Spike had given it to me. I lifted the necklace and clasped it around my neck, hoping Spike would be coming with Twilight.

Looking for Advice...

I lifted a hoof and was about to knock on the door to Rarity's boutique when it opened. An ivory unicorn filly stood in the doorway in front of me. "Hello, Sweetie Belle."

The filly looked up at me. "Hi, Twilight. I'll just let Rarity know you're here. Be right back."

Sweetie Belle raced up the stairs to retrieve her sister. A few moments later, Rarity appeared with the filly right behind her. Spike was staring at Rarity with hearts in his eyes. I rolled my eyes as Rarity descended the stairs to the doorway. "Hello, Twilight. I see my sister forgot to invite you in."

The unicorn glared at her sister before continuing. "Well, come in. You know you're always welcome here."

"Thank you, Rarity. Come on, Spike."

I walked past Rarity into the main room of the boutique, Spike still in the doorway. My horn lit up as I pulled him in by his tail. "Spike, it's not polite to stare. How many times do I have to tell you that?" I reprimanded quietly.

"Sorry, Twilight." Spike mumbled.

There was whispering behind me for a few moments before the door closed. Seconds later, Rarity entered the room without her younger sister following her. She probably sent her to Sweet Apple Acres. I thought. "So, how are you this morning?" Rarity asked

"Okay. My studies are going well. In fact, I think I've stumbled upon a spell that will allow us to travel into the future."

"Really? Does it work? If it did, I could see what future ponies are wearing and start a fashion trend before everypony else!"

I squinted and leaned back slightly against my friends excited squeals. "I-I'm not sure if it works or not. I haven't tried it. Anyways, how are you doing? You seem a little... excitable this morning."

"Whatever do you mean, Twilight? I'm perfectly fine. But the thought of being ahead of everypony in the fashion world! Oh, it's just so exciting!"

"Uh-huh."

"And how are you Spike?" Rarity asked, seemingly ignoring me.

"I-I'm good, Rarity." my assistant said quietly.

I glanced down at the purple dragon. All of our friends knew he had a crush on Rarity at this point, even the unicorn herself. Not once had the dragon shown any signs of giving up in his pursuit of the platinum mare. In fact, sometimes it seemed to me like she was starting to fall for him. My wings tightened at the thought, but I wasn't exactly unhappy for him. It was more like I was a little nervous at the thought of one of my friends falling for the young dragon.

"Hey, is that the fire ruby I gave you?" A voice broke into my thoughts.

"Yes it is, Spike. I'm surprised you noticed."

"Why wouldn't I?"

I looked at the necklace around Rarity's neck. How had I not noticed it before now? The gem had recently been polished and sparkled elegantly in the sunlight streaming in through the boutique's windows. It's carefully shaped surface formed a heart, each corner prominent yet delicate. The platinum unicorn simply smiled and turned back to me.

"Now, what exactly was it you wanted to see me about?"

"Well, you see..."

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

The sound of paper rustling could be heard as a cloud of raspberry magic turned yet another page in the magically suspended tome. The scratching of a quill on parchment echoed throughout the utterly silent library, scribbling down notes. The writing, though by magic, was barely readable at best and was hurried. The notes created by the writing were unorganized and hardly intelligible.

A set of violet eyes carefully read the pages of the tome in front of them, the quill flying over a fresh sheet of parchment that had been pulled from the bottom of the pile of notes. Stars shone outside the nearby window, the moon high in the sky. It was well into the night, much later than anypony should have been up. The moonlight streaming in the open window, accompanied by the glow from the alicorn's horn, was just barely enough light to read by.

Owlowiscious's amber eyes blinked open and a soft 'hoo' escaped his beak almost as a yawn. The lavender alicorn lifted her head, her eyes flicking from the pages to the owl perched on the nearby desk. As her pet spread his wings, so did she stretch out her own. A quiet sigh escaped her lips as she turned back to her studies. Quiet, nearly silent wingbeats followed soon after she averted her gaze back to the tome. The owl had just gone out for his midnight hunt.

With her pet out of the way for the time being, Twilight levitated a second book over to the desk that housed the owl's perch. She moved the wooden perch aside and laid out another ancient tome filled with knowledge. Opening the large book to a random page, she switched back and forth between the two tomes. Her quill scribbled away furiously across the floating parchment.

The glow of her magic slowly intensified as she looked between the two books before her. Both were on time travel spells, a recent interest of the newest princess. Of course, she was so engrossed in her studies that the steady brightening of her horn went completely unnoticed. Well, almost completely unnoticed. By the time it was noticed, however, there was little the alicorn could do to stop the last tendrils of magic from completing the spell.

Her near-sleepless nights of studying had been taking their toll on the alicorn. Just because she was now a princess didn't mean she could stay up day in and day out. It had never stopped her before, so she didn't think it could stop her now. But with her being beyond exhausted and simply running on threads of magic energy, it was only a matter of time before she slipped up and cast a spell she hadn't wanted to. And that's exactly what happened.

Appearing before Twilight's eyes was a swirling vortex of lavender, a surprising color since her magic was raspberry. That wasn't all, though. Her pupils became pinpricks as the center of the hypnotic swirl slowly separated to reveal a small view of a dismal looking town similar to the likes of Ponyville. Before she could get a closer look, the vortex snapped shut and disappeared in a flash of blinding raspberry tinted light.

"A-at least nothing came through there. I hope." said Twilight softly.

She stood stock-still for a few moments, debating whether or not to continue her studies or get some rest. With what had just happened, it seemed like the best choice would be to get some sleep. Cautiously, she used her magic to replace the tomes and perch to their rightful spots before trudging up the stairs to her second-floor bedroom. Her wings were folded tightly at her sides as Twilight collapsed into bed, falling asleep seconds before her head hit the soft pillows.

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

"I can't help but think that what I caught a glimpse of is what could be in store for Equestria in the near or distant future. I'm not positive about which time frame, since I was practically asleep when I cast the spell, but I need a second opinion as to what I should do."

"I'm not sure how well you can trust my advice on the situation, Twilight. If you were looking for a new way to style your mane or maybe a new gown I wouldn't have a problem helping you. But this! I simply don't know what you thought I could help you with."

My wings twitched slightly in annoyance at Rarity's remark, though it did ring with truth. I wasn't seeking fashion advice or anything remotely close to it. "I needed the advice of a fellow unicorn, the advice of a friend." I replied softly, mindlessly scraping my hoof against the floor.

The platinum mare stood before me in complete silence for a few moments before finally speaking. "You are no longer a unicorn, Twilight. You are an alicorn. You are more powerful than anypony dares to dream they could be. I'm still not entirely sure I'm the best pony to give you advice on something like this, but I can see why you'd come to me instead of going to Applejack or Rainbow."

After this there was a long pause, as if Rarity was purposely letting the silence drag on and create a veil over the boutique. I became immersed in thought, wondering what I might do if Rarity offered no help. A sigh resounded through the room, shredding the veil of silence and pulling me from my thoughts.

"In my opinion, Twilight, the best thing to do would be to try and figure out what time frame the portal opened to. Once you've done that, the six of us and Spike should meet to decide what to do next. Personally I think it would be best for us to just stay here and go on with our lives, but it is up to you, Princess."

"I guess you're right. We have to at least find out when that portal opened to, and possibly where if that can be determined. Hopefully by then I'll have decided whether or not we should head through the portal itself. Thanks, Rarity. Now, I must be going. I have research to do and a certain little dragon has some chores as well."

I turned and headed towards the door with Spike trailing behind slowly. "Goodbye, Rarity. See ya later?"

"We'll see, Spikey-wikey. And you're quite welcome, Twilight."

I barely heard Rarity as I exited the boutique and headed towards the library at a full gallop, forgetting about both my wings and Spike.

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

I looked up as Sweetie Belle entered the orchards. I often saw her headed towards the tree house to visit with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom for countless crusades, but this was the earliest I had ever seen her here at the farm. Plus, she wasn't headed towards the Crusaders' clubhouse. She was making her way through the orchards slowly as she headed towards the barn, no doubt looking for my younger sister.

"Hey, Sweetie Belle!" I called as I trotted over to her, startling the filly slightly.

"Oh, hey Applejack."

"What's up? You're never here this early."

"Twilight came over to the boutique this morning..."

"Let me guess: ya forgot to invite her in before you got your sister, so Rarity sent ya here to play with Apple Bloom and keep ya out of her hair."

"Yep, like always. You'd think she'd give me a break. It's still super early in the morning and I'm just a filly, of course I'm going to forget some things."

"Well of course ya are! I bet ya ain't even had breakfast this mornin', have ya?"

The ivory unicorn shook her head slightly. "Come on, then. Apple Bloom should be just 'bout finished with her chores, so it's breakfast time for us anyways. I'm sure we can find ya a little something."

As if on cue, Apple Bloom came trotting out of the barn with a pail between her teeth. She spotted Sweetie Belle walking beside me and instantly dropped the empty bucket. In mere seconds she was at her friend's side and was talking a mile a minute. Now, I might be used to my sister with having to raise her and all, but that didn't mean I could understand every word that came out of her mouth in the two minutes it took us to walk to the farmhouse.

"Apple Bloom, can you slow down so I can understand you?" whined Sweetie. No, not whined. Complained. There was a distinct lack of her high-pitched moaning that was typical for their family when whining and a prominent annoyance at the rapid pace of my sister's tongue. Although for once I did have to agree with the complaining unicorn, my sister was just plain being annoying.

"Now, Apple Bloom. Ya know I can't understand a word you're sayin' when ya talk like that. And if I can't understand ya, nopony else can, ya hear?"

"Sure, sis. I hear ya. So anyways..."

I rolled my eyes as my sister launched into yet another string of rambling at the speed of sound. It was all I could do not to clamp her mouth shut and tie it with a rope. But that was demeaning to any creature, so I let her be after a short internal argument. Thankfully, my sister shut her mouth once we were sitting at the table. Sweetie had covered her ears against the babbling and carefully moved her hooves once she saw that Apple Bloom had stopped talking.

"So Sweetie Belle, what brings ya here this early in the morning? Usually you and Rarity ain't never up this early unless you've got school or something." asked Apple Bloom, her mouth half-full of pancakes.

After a few seconds of silence as Sweetie Belle finished her own mouthful, the filly earned her reply. It was no longer than the answer I had received, or really, supplied. "Twilight came to visit this morning and I forgot to invite her in before I went upstairs to fetch my sister, so she sent me here to help out with your chores."

The words were slurred together, but I could understand them better than I could my own sister most days. "So what yer tellin' me is that ya'll were sent here ta help Apple Bloom with her chores as a punishment for forgettin' your manners for a few measly seconds."

"Yep. But I knew that if I walked really slowly Apple Bloom would be done with her chores by the time I got here and then we could start crusading once Scootaloo showed up at about 1 o'clock."

I forced myself to stifle the laughter that was building up in my throat. "Now Sweetie Belle, was that very honest of you to tell your sister that you were comin' here to help with chores and then making sure you didn't get here in time?" I asked, my prominent southern accent seeming to fade into non-existence for a short while.

"I guess not. But you won't tell, will you Applejack? I don't want her to be mad at me. It's already bad enough that every time I try to cook her breakfast I end up making a mess."

"I guess I don' have ta tell her, but ya gotta promise me you and Apple Bloom will stay here at the farm for a bit longer and help me out with a couple of my chores. Maybe one of ya will even earn their cutie mark..." I said, knowing that last little bit had all but sealed the deal.

"Done!"

Author's Note

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I was hit with a bout of Writer's Block and ended up having to force a few minor pieces of this chapter.

Again, I'm sorry for the wait.

Let the Studying Begin!

I threw the door open with my magic, leaving Spike far behind in my haste to get to the library. Seconds after rocketing through the doorway, I was beside my desk with the two tomes from nearly a week ago suspended before me. I pulled out the copies I had made of the notes from that night. Thank Celestia I had decided to rewrite the notes a few nights ago! If I had tried to use what I had written when deprived of sleep it would have been a disaster. As it was it had taken me an entire day just to figure out what the notes said.

The small pile of parchment suspended before me was the second copy I had made of my notes. These ones were far more organized than the originals and were much easier to read and understand as well. The reason these were the second copy? Well, the first copy had been as unorganized as the original notes; merely a way for me to read what I had written without difficulty. No, this second copy was much easier to understand.

Opening the tomes to roughly the same pages they had been on when the portal had opened, I sat down beside my desk and went straight to work. The note-filled parchment was floating around me in clouds of my raspberry magic, the two tomes and a quill floating alongside it. Comparing the open tomes to the notes around me, I flipped a few pages in each until I was at the exact places I had been that one night. My eyes drifted across the pages quickly as I read and re-read everything I had before the portal opened.

I went from page to page, comparing the valuable information stored in the tomes with my personal notes. As I re-read a page for about the tenth time that morning, Spike came through the door out of breath. The sound of claws scratching against the wooden floor grasped my attention and I turned my head away from my research to look at my assistant. "Was... studying... really... that..... important?" he asked, gasping for breath in between words.

"Oh, Spike. I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" I asked, lowering the tomes and notes to the table in the center of the library.

"I'll be... fine."

After inhaling another gulp of air, Spike finally caught his breath and came over to stand beside me. A burst of emerald flame erupted from his mouth with a burp. As the flames dissipated, a scroll appeared with a small shower of sparks. I grasped the scroll with my magic and unrolled it, wondering what Princess Celestia wished to speak to me about now. Spike stood beside me patiently, waiting for me to read the letter aloud like I always did. I took a deep breath and started to read the princess' delicate writing.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

My most faithful student, it has been quite a while since I've heard from you and I'm beginning to wonder how your studies are going. I am also wondering if you knew anything about a strange burst of magical energy about a week or so ago either in or near Ponyville. As I'm writing this however, I get a feeling you know exactly what I'm talking about and are studying it right now. I should probably also tell you that if you and your friends plan to go anywhere in the near or somewhat distant future you must have your Elements on at all times.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Your fellow Princess,

Princess Celestia

I place the letter on the table beside the open tomes and just look at a shelf on the other side of the library. A veil of silence has fallen over the library, with Spike standing next to me in shock and confusion as I stare. I feel as if I'm in another world, lost in time and space. How had she known about the, as she put it, 'burst of magical energy'? It was better not to question Celestia, a fact anyone knew if they had spent a fraction of the time with her that I had, but I couldn't help it. It was almost as if she was in my head, trying her best to read my cryptic thoughts like a book.

"Twilight?" Spike's voice seemed distant, a lone point in another world that I could barely reach. "Twilight, what's going on?"

I shook my head to get rid of the distant feeling and to clear away my wandering thoughts. I blinked and turned to Spike. "It's nothing you need to worry about, Spike."

Spike picked up the letter and read it over again and again until he got the basic idea behind it. "Does this have anything to do with what you went to see Rarity about?"

I sigh and turn back to the tomes. "Yes, it does, but it doesn't matter. Just, promise me you won't tell anyone about this."

"Of course, Twilight. What you and the princess discuss is between the two of you, nopony else."

"Thanks."

"No problem. So, do you want me to re-shelve the library while you study?"

"That would be great, Spike."

As Spike climbed the ladder laid against one of the many shelves, I levitated one of the open tomes from the table. I read through a few pages over and over again, trying to pull up any information I might have missed. With a quick glance from the pages I noticed Spike had pulled down nearly half of the library's stock of books. He was getting faster and faster at re-shelving, now that we were in a smaller library and I asked him to re-shelve the library at least twice a month. I swear he's devised a system so that as he pulls down the books they get organized either by genre or by title in one way or another. Most ponies just don't realize how smart that little dragon is.

Placing the one tome one the table, I picked up the second with my magic. There had to be something I was missing, there just had to. I repeated the process of reading and re-reading from the two tomes so many times, I lost complete track of time. When I looked up from my work again Spike was standing next to me with a daisy sandwich and a glass of apple cider. "I thought you might be hungry, so I made you lunch."

He smiled and my stomach rumbled at the smell of food. "Thanks, Spike. Without you around, I'd study like a maniac." I said, grasping both the cider and sandwich in my magic.

"You still do, sometimes, but your welcome."

He turned and walked off back to the kitchen, either to make his lunch or clean up from it. I set down the tome I still held in my magic and took a bite of my sandwich. It was delicious, like always. The daisy petals were delicate, but flavorful and the bread was lightly toasted to give it a slight crispiness.

As I swallowed that first bite, my eyes drifted to where the letter lay on the table. I had set it aside so as not to be distracted by it while studying, but I felt that maybe I should at least reply to it. It felt weird not answering a letter from the princess, almost like I was ignoring her. I took another bite of my lunch and picked up the letter to read it again.

One sentence stuck out and practically implanted itself in my mind. 'I am also wondering if you knew anything about a strange burst of magical energy about a week or so ago either in or near Ponyville.' The fact that the princess had felt the pulse of magic a week ago was not uncommon. These things happened often when I had been a filly learning from her, and I was certain that was the reason she showed up at my entrance exam. That and the fact that Spike had grown so tall from my 'outburst' that he had blown a hole in the roof.

It's just, the way it was written. It was unnerving to think that I had done something that required enough magic a princess in Canterlot could feel it. She had said it was strange. Did that mean she had never felt a burst of magic like that, even during the sonic rainboom that caused me to lose control? That's what it had to mean, yet I couldn't believe it. What happened a week ago was far less powerful than other things I had done thus far, so either it hadn't been done in a very long time, or it had only been a theory that I had just proven.

The mental overload was too much to bear. The thought of me proving something that was quite possibly never even considered possible sent my brain into overdrive and I all but shut down. My heart rate increased slightly and my breathing became slightly ragged, almost as if it was difficult to take any air into my lungs. The effect was similar to a panic attack. My wings stiffened against my sides as my breathing became heavier and more ragged with every intake of oxygen and my pupils became pinpricks in a sea of violet.

My right eye was twitching nervously, as were my ears. Every sound ensued a frightened twitch from my entire being, and by the time Spike emerged from the kitchen I was shaking. The claw he placed on my shoulder did little to help calm me. It was barely enough to stop the shaking and help me gain a tiny bit of control over my breathing. "Twilight, you need to calm down. I'm sure everything is going to be fine, you just need to relax and maybe take a day off from studying. You've been working really hard lately and I think a break would be good for you."

"A break? A break!" My voice was sharp and full of panic and pent-up stress. "I can't take a break, not when I might have proven something deemed impossible by every scholar, every magical prodigy before me. You want me to take a break? How can you expect me to take a break?!?"

Spike lifted his claw off my shoulder and I heard his retreating footsteps. "I-I'll be back in just a little bit, Twilight. I've just got to... um... get some uh... parchment. Yeah, that's it. I need to run out and get some more parchment. We're almost out, and I uh, want to make sure we have enough for your weekly schedule."

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

I ran as fast as I could towards Fluttershy's cottage. Twilight needed someone who could calm her down, and I couldn't think of anypony better than Fluttershy at the moment. My mind was in a jumble. Twilight had gone from calm and relaxed to full-out panic in less than ten minutes and it was weird. Sure, she could launch herself into a panic over something as simple as not writing a letter she had promised to write, but there was always a reason for her panic, not matter how inane it seemed to everypony else.

Distracted, I almost ran right into the door. I skidded to a stop right on her doorstep and struggled to catch my breath from my sprint here. I knocked on the door while still trying to catch my breath, knowing that if Twilight wasn't calmed down soon enough it could mean trouble. And I had just re-shelved the entire library.

"Coming." said a soft voice from inside, no doubt belonging to Fluttershy.

The door opened to reveal the buttercream mare with a small white bunny beside her. Her long pink mane almost hid the bunny from view, with only about half of him visible from where I was standing."Hi... Fluttershy. Hi... Angel." I said between breaths, lifting a claw to wave at the hidden pet.

"Hello, Spike. Is something wrong? I wasn't expecting to see you today."

"Twilight... panic... ran from... library." I took another deep, gasping breath and slowly gained control over my breathing once again.

"Well, um, do you want to come in and explain it a little more? You look tired."

"Thanks, Fluttershy."

The pegasus stepped aside and I walked into the living room of the cottage. Birdhouses and feeders hung from the ceiling and the birds perched at them chirped in greeting as I made my way to the couch. I sat down and took a couple more deep breaths before my breathing returned to normal.

"So, what's this about Twilight and a panic?" asked Fluttershy, coming over to sit in front of me on the floor.

"I took Twilight her lunch and then went back into the kitchen to eat my own. When I came out, Twilight was breathing heavily and her wings were clamped against her sides. Her eyes were wild-looking, almost like she was scared, and her pupils had pretty much vanished they were so small. When I told her she needed to calm down an relax, she said something about proving the impossible. What she was referring to, I have no idea. I figured if anypony could help me get her to relax, it would be you, so I ran here from the library. Can you help?"

We both sat silent for a couple of minutes, me waiting for an answer and Fluttershy thinking. I folded my claws in my lap and waited patiently for the shy mare to speak, hoping she would at least come and try to calm Twilight down. If we didn't hurry, though, the library could be in a state of chaos by the time we reached it.

"I'll go with you to try and calm Twilight down, but I'm not sure how much I'll be able to help." She finally replied, her voice soft.

"Thanks. Now, let's go."

Author's Note

Sorry again for the wait. This chapter went in a completely different direction than I had planned, but I think it works better this way. This chapter shows the panicking student that still resides in Twilight, whereas I was just going to have her studying originally. Next chapter: will she figure out how to recreate the spell and intentionally open the portal, or will she be trapped in a never-ending cycle of confusion?