The Time Before You

by Fat1thatyoulove

Rating: everyone
Tags: Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Other, Comedy
Length: 5098

It's been about a week since Twilight saw Celestia's Summer Sun Celebration, an event that changed her life, but how much has it really impacted the little filly?

It's been about a week since Twilight saw Celestia's Summer Sun Celebration, an event that changed her life, but how much has it really impacted the little filly?

This is my first attempt at doing a short story, which for those that know me is not something I do. Even so chronologically this story comes after The Land Before Us, but is NOT needed to understand this story.

Published 2013-08-05 20:20:03 UTC
Last updated 2013-08-05 20:20:03 UTC

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Filly steps

The city of Canterlot is calm as the Celestia's bright sun starts its descent from the tall white marble buildings, but for one filly the setting sun doesn't mean the day has ended. As the small lavender filly closes another book with a wide smile, the book comes to a new stack of about ten or so other books as the filly precisely moves it to sit perfectly on the other few books.

Her purple eyes squint to the stack that now has become a decent sized tower on the desk as she taps her hoof to her mouth, "Hmm...What do you think Ms.Smarty Pants one more?"

A wide eyed smile comes to the lavender filly as she turns her head to the small gray doll; that slightly leans against the table of the desk as the quill attracted to its right hoof slightly keeps it up as the ink dipped tip stands to a piece of paper with a little writing neatly hoof printed to it. But no answer comes from the blue eyed button doll as the filly scoots her chair over towards it, "Great! Me too!"

Her hooves come around the small doll as her tongue comes out a little as she stares pass the doll's side and towards the table as she manipulates the right quilled hoof a little as the filly traces her words out on it as she follows it with her voice, "We....have...read...Twenty...Twoo."

The filly's eyes squint to the paper as she looks over the words for a moment before a slight gasp comes from her, "Huh! MS.Smarty Pants! You spelled two wrong!"

The doll's head slightly leans a little to the right as it's right hoof again comes to it's pony puppet master as an X comes through the word in question. As the last line comes over the word a child like giggle comes from the filly as she moves the hoof of the doll from the paper, "There now the paper is..." The happy and sure voice comes in a little shaky as the filly pushes through her chosen word, "X-quizz-it." The happy smile comes back to her face as she nods to her sounding out, "...Exquisite."

But the filly's moment of triumph is cut short as she turns her head to the opening door of her room.

A sweet low voice comes from the door as it opens to a white mare with white and purple mane, "Twilight, it's time for dinn-..."

The mare's words stop as she looks over the room, even though the piles of books have been neatly stacked the shear volume of the books slightly catches her off guard. That and the slightly ink covered doll that Twilight's other chair seats. But her voice comes back as her eyes move to the smiling filly with a slight laugh, "W-well you have been a busy filly?"

Twilight nods her head as she turns around in her seat with a proud smile, "Yep." Her eyes close as she poked her head a little up, "...I read Twenty...two books and only have four stacks left."

Another slight laugh comes from the white mare, "I hope you don't plan to read all these books today sweetie, you would be tired for tomorrow."

Twilight shakes her head to the comment as she speaks up, "No I won't mommy, I read that-that ponies only need eight hours of sleep."

"Oh really?" The mare holds a playful stare to the little filly as she continues, "Yep, so I can read all the books!" A wide eyed smile comes from the lavender filly as she stares to the mare at the door.

Velvet holds a faint smile as she looks over the room, but she doesn't stay quiet for long as she speaks up, "Well sweetie, I think a little filly shouldn't rush herself through every book in the house." At the end of the words her horn sparks up in a faint blue chime of magic as a few stacks of books start to float towards the white mare.

To the motion Twilight wiggles her right front hoof as she speaks up, "Awww..." But her sad tone doesn't last long as she watches the mare's magic wrap to another pile of books, "Oh oH oh!" Velvet stops her spell for a moment as she looks to the failing front leg of the filly now standing to her seat, "Look what I learned how to do!"

Twilight's tongue pokes a little from her mouth as she squints her eyes to the stack of books to her left still sitting on the desk, her horn sparks up in a light purple as the stack floats from the table after a few seconds. The filly's happy voice comes up as the white mare watches with a smile, "I learned how to control more than one book." A wide smile comes from her as she stares to the white mare in the door.

But before Velvet can speak up the sound of a stallion's voice comes next to her as a blue unicorn stallion comes to the door, "Hey is anypony coming dow-...that's a lot of books..."

Twilight's eyes shift to the stallion's voice as she floats the book tower in her hold a little higher, "Dad look what I can do!" But as the filly's excitement grows to the stallion's smile her hold of the books becomes lapsed as they break through the hold and coat the floor with a thump and whoosh of opening pages.

"oops."

Velvet gives a slight sigh to the new mess but the stallion to her left just gives a slight chuckle as he nods to the little filly, "Get ready for dinner Twilight."

The little filly moves from the seat as her horn sparks up in a light purple glow, "Come on Ms.Smarty Pants, you need to get cleaned up. You can't eat with dirty hooves." Velvet moves into the room as the stallion at the door watches the lavender filly trotting past him and down the hallway, but he holds a smile to the filly as he watches her slightly dragging the doll to the floor with her magic that slightly looks like the doll is walking.

Twilight's trot comes to the closed bathroom door as she looks to the door, shes not too small to open the door but she still pauses as she looks to the door handle. But her ears is what she has stoped for as the muffled and low stallion's voice from behind the door comes to her, "...S-so Cadence...w-would you like to go to the Summer Sun Dan-..."

With a wide smile Twilight's horn glows a little brighter as she opens the door to the slightly shocked eyed young stallion standing in front of the mirror, "Twilight?! The door was locked you know."

The little filly nods her head as she floats the doll towards her brother, "I know, but I learned how to do a lock spell-...Could you clean Ms.Smarty Pants? She didn't watch her hooves."

Shining blinks to the words as he loses a little of his surprised face as he takes the doll from the little filly's grasp as he talks, "Did you spill ink in a book?"

Twilight shifts a little as she gives an innocent smile, "Um...I no I didn't."

The stallion moves a little towards the door as he looks to the empty hallway for a moment, after a few seconds of scanning the area he looks down to the little filly as he whispers, "I won't tell mom or dad if you don't tell Cadance about...about what you heard."

The little filly quickly nods her head as she taps her hoof to her mouth, "B.B.B.F.F secret."

Shining smiles to the words as he moves back towards the sink with the doll floating next to him, "Alright, lets clean this Ms.Inky Pants up."

End of chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Nightly

"Twilight, please don't stay up too late."

The lavender filly's ear flicks to the mares voice as she continues up the stairs followed by her low chiming magic that brings the doll to follow after her, but her voice comes back to her as she leaves she calls back, "Ok mom."

As her words become a breath in the air the filly quickly and happily picks her trot up into a slight gallop as she darts into her open door. Once she passes through her door her horn sparks up a little brighter as she focuses a little, but her horn's glow comes down a little as the sound of the door closing comes to her ears, but the door also brings a different motion as she floats the doll towards the bed, "Ms. Smarty Pants, did you hide the book?"

No answer comes from the silent doll as it slumps to the pillow it comes to lay next to, but the lack of words doesn't stop the filly as she moves onto the bed and towards the pillow, "You did! Great!"

Twilight's horn gets a low purple glow as the doll moves from the pillow revealing a book with a few black stained pages that can be seen from where it's closed.

As the book comes to lay in the fillies hooves she scoots herself back towards the doll that now lays on its side, "What do you think Ms. Smarty Pants, should we try to wash it again?" Twilight's eyes drift back to the open book that host the smudged ink stain that covers most of the two pages words and pictures.

But before an answer can come to her the closed door to her room comes open to the blue stallion with a low blue chiming horn. Twilight's eyes shrink a little as she freezes with the book still in her grasp.

The stallion's eyes look over the book resting in her hooves but he doesn't lose the slight smile as he trots into the room. Twilight on the other hoof speaks up as she slightly hangs her head down, "I think I broke the book." Her ears point a little down as she looks to the stallion.

To the words the stallion shrugs as he takes the book from her hooves as he sits to the bed, "Well...I wouldn't say that, I think I know something that can get this ink out."

Twilight blinks to the words as she watches the stallion closing the book and moves it aside, but the stallion's voice comes back to the filly as the reason for his glowing horn comes clear. A small rectangle wrapped present comes in front of the blue stallion as he lowers his voice to a whisper, "I don't think Mommy would like me giving you something early..." He looks back towards the door for a moment as he pauses, but his eyes come back to the filly as he continues, "...But I don't think she'll know right?"

To the words Twilight gets a smile as she shakes her head, the present floats towards her hooves but it doesn't stay to the stallion's magic for long as she grabs it, "What is it?"

A slight laugh comes from him as he shrugs, "Something I know you'll like."

No time is wasted as the filly moves her hooves to the paper wrapping as she tears into it, in only a few seconds the wrapping comes off as the filly holds the new hard cover book in front of her, "OOH..."

To the wide eyed filly the stallion speaks up in a slight chuckle as he brushes her mane a little, "Its called Magic for Fillies, I thought you might like something that's more about ma-..."

"Thank you daddy!" The stallion's words are cut off as the book comes to float in front of Twilight as her front hooves come to the stallion.

After a few seconds the embrace becomes broken as he stands from the bed, "Alright Twilight, but this doesn't mean you can stay up all night."

Twilight nods her head as the stallion starts towards the door, but his trot is stopped as he turns back around and brings his hoof up, "And yes it counts if I find you down stairs still up late."

"Ok." Another nod comes form the filly as she watches the door close, but as it closes her smile comes back to her as she pulls the toy pony closer to her, "Look Ms.Smarty Pants I got a new book."

The doll's button eyes still hold to the bed's blankets as its head leans to one side from where it was pulled towards Twilight.

But even with the lack of input from the doll the little filly holds her smile as she sets the book down in front of her as she opens its it. The slightly large hardcover book is a little smaller than the other few books she's read and the book definitely has a lot more color, but as she looks over the first page the colorful pictures start to intrigue the little filly.

However her purple eyes don't stay to the pictures for long as she starts to read the book's text out loud to the stuffed doll beside her. "Magic for Fillies..." Her head bobs a little to her words as she continues to read even the small text towards the bottom of the page, "...A Magic for Derpys pro-duc-tion written by Preston A, all your favorite spells made easier to learn...Oooh..."

The smile holds to Twilight as she flips the page, "Chapter one, Magic." Her voice holds her excitement as she gets a little more comfortable, determined to finish the book before her bedtime. "...Magic is in everypony, but its better controlled by unicorns."

Her eyes drift to the large picture towards the bottom of the book as she looks it over, the drawings of the three ponies is a little childish with smiles that are almost half the size of the ponies bodys, but shes able to tell the difference in the three ponies as she looks back to the text.

"Magic is created by feelings and thoughts, but for young fouls magic is different." Her hoof comes back to the page as she turns it over, "Magic for colts is better used at night, and magic for fillies is better used in the morning."

Twilight squints to the words for a moment as she turns her eyes to the doll beside her, "Ms. Smarty Pants, that must be why Mommy doesn't want me staying up too late." The doll's button eyes stare to the filly as Twilight nods her head, "Thats what I thought."

Her eyes come back to the book with a new found interest in the simpler foul made book.

The night sky that's held outside from Twilight's window has taken on a dark night that's only lit from a few stars and the large moon that hangs above the city. But the filly has not noticed the time as she continues to hang to every word she reads. Sure this book is a little more childish than the others she's read since she found her love of reading, but the fact that the book is based completely about magic and not as hard to read as the other books has completely stolen the filly's attention.

Her voice has become more absent from the room but every so often it comes back to the doll that's now fallen over a little to the bed, "Ms.Smarty Pants what does this mean?"

The filly turns the last page towards the doll as she holds it to it. The end of the book has been met but Twilights new goal has taken over her as she now tries to understand every single word...even the last page that consist the small text giving credit to every pony that worked on it.

Twilight brings the book back to rest on the bed as she shakes her head to it, "You're right Ms.Smarty Pants I should make a list-..."

Her words are lost as her ear brings the sound of the door opening, Twilight's eyes quickly snap to the white mare as she pokes her head in, "Twilight?"

"Hi Mommy..." Twilight quickly blinks her eyes as she turns her head back towards the window, its now she notices how late it really is.

But her sight of the window is lost as she looks back to the white mare that comes a little closer, "You should be a sleep dear."

Twilight nods her head as she watches the mare's horn take hold of the book and floats it towards the desk, but her magic comes back to the bed as she pulls it back for the lavender filly that starts to move into it.

The white mare gives a slight smile as she waits for the filly to bring the stuffed toy into the bed next to her as she tries to perfectly place its head to the pillow. But as Twilight's motions stop the white mare rubs her hoof to her head as her low voice runs to the room, "You know Cadence is going to watch you for a little tomorrow right?"

A nod of the head comes from the filly as the white mare holds her smile, "Alright, well then get some sleep sweetie, you don't want to be tired for your own birthday do you?"

Twilight nods her head to the comment as the white mare kisses her forehead, "Good night."

The filly repeats the mares words as she watches her trotting towards the door, but as the door closes and the room becomes a little dark from the turned off lights Twilight looks to the stuffed doll, "Are you tired Ms.Smarty Pants?"

The doll doesn't answer as Twilight's low glowing horn comes over it, "You're not?" A smile comes to her face as she sits up to the bed and floats the doll towards the chair at the desk, "Then can you start on that list of words?"

After a few more chimes of magic the doll comes to sit in the chair as Twilight holds her up position, "I'll stay up too that way you're not lonely."

End of Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Realization

Twilight's head lays quietly to the pillow as her front hooves sprawl out in front of her aimlessly to the empty bed besides her. The late morning sun has started to pour into the room as the day begins it start, usually the lavender filly wakes up with the first peak of the sun but today shes slept through it.

But her sleep slowly starts to come less of a hold over her as she begins to blink her eyes a little to the sun drenched bed she lays in.

However the sight her eyes bring in is bittersweet as she quickly sits up in the bed, "Awww, I slept in..." Her head swivels to the empty chair at the desk, but the missing stuffed doll is quickly brought to her sight as she looks to the toy thats fallen from the seat over the night.

The filly moves from the bed as she holds a slight smile to the toy, "Ms. Smarty Pants why did you jump from the seat?"

No answer comes from the toy as the sound of Twilight's hooves comes to the room, "Did you finish the list?"

Her purple eyes come to the mostly blank page as she studies the writing that she did before she fell asleep, "Awww Ms. Smarty Pants, you didn't do anything."

The toy takes up a purple glow as it floats to the table, but as it comes to sit on the desk Twilight blinks to it, "Hey...That was easier." She squints to the doll as she quickly shifts her eyes to the book Velvet floated to the desk, "...Do you think I could try those spells Ms.Smarty Pants?"

Twilight stares to the toy for a moment as the stitching of its button eyes slightly stare off into the room. A smile comes to the filly's face as she nods, "Ok, one spell and then we'll eat breakfast."

Her happy eyes go to the closed book as she pulls it close to her and begins to search for the few pages that showed easier spells. As she turns to the chapter she re-reads it out loud as she traces her hoof to the words, "Before doing a spell make sure to first do the bond book spell..." She squints to the rest of the sentence as she thinks over the next few words, "...This way the book will become...Hm, I should write that down."

The filly moves from the book as she takes the mostly empty piece of paper from in front of the doll as she begins to copy the word.

But her hoof moves fast as she pushes the two items away and looks back to the book, "...Any spell will work as long as this page is the target. " Twilight nods her head as her horn glows a faint purple that takes hold of the page. However as the low chime of her magic takes hold of the page a pop of magic comes from the book as it burst into flames.

Twilight blinks to the new pile of ash as she stares to it, but as her surprise begins to fade away she bites to her bottom lip as she looks over the burnt remains of the book with a slight whine as her eyes starts to flutter a little.

On the table the outline of the book that just burst into flames has been slightly sketched into it as Twilight stares to it still holding her confused whine, but her slight cry doesn't last long as the book pops back to the sketch marks with a faint resignation of purple magic.

Again Twilight blinks to the book, but her slight whine stops as she looks to the new page, her voice is a little shaky but she reads it aloud to the doll next to her as she speaks, "T-this spell will make this book the best practice tool for young fouls created by Magic for Derpys...This spell is a bonding spell that will make this book fill any one open bookshelf owned by the cast-tor."

The words don't really register in the filly as she pops her hoof to the page, but as she feels the page to her hoof a new smile comes to her as she pushes past her previous emotion with the kind of speed only a child could generate, "Ms.Smarty Pants...This book is really magic!"

A slight giggle comes from her as she continues to poke to the page, but she stops as her ear flicks to a slight feminine laugh coming from downstairs. As the laugh begins to place in her mind the filly turns to the stuffed pony, "Ms. Smarty Pants, Cadence is already here!"

The doll doesn't change its lifeless stare as Twilight happily moves from her seat as she starts towards the door, but her trot stops fast as she quickly comes back to the list she created. "I'll be back in a minute Ms. Smarty Pants!"

As her words end the lavender filly comes to the hallway as she holds a bright smile to the voices that start to get a little louder as she starts down the stairs.

"...So Cadence I wanted to ask you-..."

"Cadence!" Twilight's voice comes over her brothers as she rounds the corner of the stairs and sets her eyes to the two ponies sitting on the couch.

To the lavender filly that now picks up in speed the pink alicorn stands from her seat as she smiles, but her smile slightly fades as Twilight runs through her normal greeting, "Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake..." The alicorn follows the little game as she claps her hooves to the filly, "...Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

Twilight completes her little game with a little giggle but the pink alicorn doesn't follow the last bit as she giggles with the filly, but it goes unnoticed as Twilight floats the paper towards her, "Can you help me with this."

To the words Shining gives a shifty smile, "Um Twilight i'll help you in a minute."

"No thats ok." A bright smile comes over Twilight's face as the paper comes to Cadence's magic, "Did you say yes to the dance?"

Shining freezes wide eyed as Cadence squints to the filly with a smile, "What dance?"

Twilight quickly continues as her excitement grows a little, "Shining asked you to the Summer Sun dance right?" From the words Cadence cocks her eyes to the frozen and stunned stallion as the filly continues as she taps her hoof to her mouth, "But i'm not supposed to tell you what he was doing in the bathroom because-..."

Shining quickly grabs the filly from the ground as he stands from the seat and floats the paper from Cadence's hoof with a nervous laugh, "Ha ha, so Twilight what do you want help with?"

The pink mare's horn sparks back up as she pulls to Shining's tail a little, he stops again as he holds his eyes from the pony that takes Twilight from his hooves and set her to the ground. But she gives him a sly smile as she takes the paper from his magical grasp, "So is this a list of words you need help with?"

Twilight blinks to Shining's slightly sad expression as she nods her head, "Um...Did I say something wrong?"

Cadence shakes her head as she turns the paper towards Twilight, "Well this word means that it can't break, and this one means that something’s simple..."

The pink mare happily traces her hoof down the list as Shining holds his gaze to the ground as he tries to slowly move from the room. But his trot is brought to a halt as Twilight starts to gallop up towards the stairs with the paper floating beside her, "Cadence do you want to see something I learned?"

A slight giggle comes from the pony as she nods and calls back to the filly that hasn't stopped her gallop, "I'll be right there Twilight." As the filly moves from the room she turns her gaze to the white stallion as her voice comes back in a slight tease, "So, what did you want to ask me?"

Shining quickly brings his slightly drooping head back up as he talks, "I-I didn't tell her to do that."

Cadence holds her smile as she cocks her head, "Do what?"

The young stallion blinks to her clueless smile as she continues to hold it, to her stare he stutters a little as he straightens his posture, "Um, would you like to go to the Summer Sun dance with me?"

She holds a smile as she trots towards the stairs with her head up high, but to her silence Shining follows her trot as the world around him slightly pauses.

Her silent torture that only lasted a few seconds to her ends as she nods to him, "Maybe, if you promise you won't be so shy about dancing."

A smile comes over Shinings face as he follows the pink mare towards the stairs.

The sun has moved a little past its height as the day continues to roll on, but even though the height of the day is over Cadence and Shining still hold their eyes to the excited filly as her happy face brought on from the simple spells she creates starts to become contagious.

"...See, I told you I could write with my magic now." The paper that floats in front of her face comes to face the two older ponies as Cadence speaks up a little as she looks over the slightly messy writing, "Maybe you should practice against something first, writing magical is a little harder."

Twilight nods her head as she starts to think for another spell, but her thoughts come to a halt as the sound of hooves come to the hallway. A face to the sound comes to the door as Twilight smiles to her mom's voice, "Thank you for stopping by so sudden Cadence, I don't know why Shinning can't just watch Twilight." The white mare holds her eye to the stallion for a moment.

But Cadence quickly waves her hoof to the comment as she smiles, "No trouble at all Mrs.Sparkle."

As her voice ends a deep stallion's voice comes to the room as the blue stallion comes next to the white mare at the door with a rolled up piece of paper in his left hoof. Velvet's horn sparks up in a low glow as she turns a smile to the filly as she speaks up, "Twilight, I think you're going to like your present."

The filly blinks to the comment as she watches the small rolled up paper floating over towards her, but she takes it to her hooves as she unrolls it. Her eyes blink to the gold and white text as she looks it over, but a wide smile comes over her face as she looks to a large stamped hoof on the bottom of the page, "I-is this?"

The two younger ponies poke their head towards the filly's stuttering as they try to look to the letter but there voices don't come up as the white mare nods her head, "Twilight, you've been accepted into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and you go next week for an entrance exam."

The last part of the sentence doesn't come to the filly as she holds a wide smile to the words, but her excitement doesn't keep her silent and motionless for long as she starts to aimlessly jump around as she happily rushes through her words, "Yes yes yes yes !" Her jumping doesn't stop as she continues in her small circle but her voice changes as she speaks up in her bouncing voice, "I'm going to become the best student in Celestia's school ever!"

The ponies around the room give a slight loving laugh to the filly's happy nonsense as they watch her excited hops trailing on.

End

Author's Note

Chronologically this story comes after The Land Before Us and is proceeded by The MAybe Series. For those that follow the other stories.