A Friendship is a Kind of Magic

The next ten paragraphs is stuff you already know. Or should know. If you are unfamiliar with the reference material, what are you even doing here?

Twilight Sparkle is at this point in time and space, a young mare. She is what one might call a prodigy, always has had talent in magic and all things academic. She could read before kindergarten and cast her first compound spell before middle school.

At the tender age of five, she was accepted into the Canterlot Academy for Gifted Unicorns. She was taken into consideration for this prestigious learning facility because of a misadventure involving an ill-gotten dragon egg, stark overconfidence and atmospheric magical interference of unknown origin.

This misadventure incidentally brought her under the attention of Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia, and brought into this world a dragon whelp whom to this day is her friend and companion.

When Twilight was ten years old, her Royal Highness Celestia took her as a student — mostly out of the regular instructors at Academy being unable to manage the filly.

Her older brother — Shining Armor — was similarly prodigious, and similarly attended the Academy for Gifted Unicorns. To this day they are the image of loving and caring siblings.

Incidentally, he is today a strapping stallion, rising quickly in the ranks of the Royal Spellguard. Shining is also in love with and loved reciprocally by the Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza — alicorn extraordinaire — is another personal student of Celestia’s, and long time friend of the family. She is older than both of Twilight and Shining’s parents — Night Light and Twilight Velvet — but is of a childish disposition and personality.

In short, Twilight Sparkle has it easy: Genius intellect, loving and protective big brother, good looks and many regal connections.

Or does she? It is the lament of the intelligent that one often alienates one’s peers. A very intelligent pony will thus often be alienated in turn, turning reclusive in their youth, having underdeveloped social skills as a result.

There are exceptions to this pattern, and most grow out of this trap once they reach the college age — Twilight is no exception, but more about that later —  but at this point in time and space, she hasn’t gotten there.

Twilight is sixteen years old — mature for her age, yes — but young and inexperienced. Today is an ordinary Tuesday in the summer, a few short weeks after the Summer Sun Celebration — held this year in Cloudsdale — and she is holding a quite terrifying letter.

It reads:

My faithful student Twilight Sparkle.

It is my opinion as your mentor and friend, that you need to develop your social skills and gain some experience with the world outside of the Academy.

To this end I have arranged for you to take an internship as Assistant Librarian in the town of Ponyville, lodging included. Do not despair, we shall still keep contact by means of dragon-fire.

You shall be leaving at your convenience sometime next week, your parent’s have already given their consent. Ask Raven if you need anything specific or require further information.

Sincerely, your friend and mentor, Princess Celestia.

Not to be taken aback by new developments, Twilight neither hyperventilates nor panics.

Okay, let’s turn it on it’s head.

I am living in small town equestria, I have correspondence courses with the Princess, a steady job in a Library — and presumably access to it’s contents at my leisure — and let’s imagine I have lots of friends.

Would I abandon that for top-notch teachers, the royal library — which I do not have access to at my leisure — having the Princess as my mentor whom I have to meet in person — and dress accordingly — all while being at the mercy of my parents?

I’ve never really had any friends, if we discount Spike.

I could work with this.

Grabbing quill and ink, Twilight composes a brief response:

Dear Princess Celestia

Thank you for getting me this internship, I am looking very much forward to it.

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight stands on the zeppelin dock. Even though Ponyville is neither far away nor that she is in anyway inhibited from contact, just about everyone near and dear to Twilight is there too.

Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Cadence, Shining Armor, Raven...

Raven is one of the many, many, many personal aides to HRH Celestia. She is the one charged with Twilight Sparkle in the princess’ absence — which is most of the time. Any administrative, planning or monetary errands for which the Twilight–Celestia relation is in need, the white unicorn takes care of.

Incidentally, Raven has also been a teacher to Twilight Sparkle. In what little Law and Accounting lessons Twilight has taken interest in, Raven has been there to teach her.

It is also her professional opinion that without her guidance, Twilight Sparkle might have been even more of a neurotic wreck than she is today. Oftentimes she has been a barrier between the Princess’ oddball challenges and tests, and her young and impressionable charge. Add to that many lessons in planning and prioritizing.

Twilight still uses anti-anxiety medical spells despite of it, but she is improving and has been for most of her teenage years.

The scene on the dock is sentimental as one might expect:

“Oh my little filly, do take care of yourself,” Mr. Light coos, holding his daughter close.

“I will, dad. Besides, I’m sixteen already — It’s not like I can’t take care of myself.

“You said the same thing when I went away to stay at the academy. I did all right there, and that was when I was ten —” she stops herself before she invariably says something unbecoming to her own father “— what I am trying to say is I’ll be all right, dad, don’t worry.”

“Oh I know you will, Spark, I know you will.”

Twilight Velvet is next to take her daughter for an embrace. “My big girl, going out to hold a job of her own. I am so proud —” she wipes a tear with a levitated kerchief “— do find yourself some friends and all that, and remember to eat well, and take your medication, and —” twilight stops her gently with a nuzzle.

“I will, mom.”

Shining Armor is not one to embarrass his sister. “Have fun, my Super Snarky Sweet Little Sister.” Okay, maybe he does a bit, but she knows how to reciprocate: “You too, Big Brother Best Friend Forever.”

In the time when Twilight was a little filly, Cadence had a nursery rhyme to entertain Twilight and a dance that went with it. Twilight grew out of it, but — Cadence holds out a hoof and says “Ladybugs?” Twilight hoofbumps her, “ladybugs!”

Raven is professional as ever. “Have a good trip, Ms. Sparkle. Do write if you need anything.”

“I will, Raven.

“Goodbye everypony,” Twilight says and glances up the gangplank at an impatient dragon whelp. She boards unceremoniously with the rest of her luggage, and a steward pulls in the gangplank. Behind her the crowd disbands to each their errands.

Ponyville is a small town. It has about three to five thousand inhabitants, and is mostly a farming community. It is the closest population center to the sprawling reaches of the Everfree Forest, and thus the ponies there are no strangers to strange occurrences.

Some century and three quarters past, a small settlement was founded there by what later became the semi-famous Apple Family. With time it grew on crop export and being a short-stop on the trade route between Canterlot and Hoofston.

This much Twilight is familiar with from her preparatory reading. What she is not familiar with is the true nature of small-town Equestria. Twilight is at heart a big-city filly, used to big-city things like bustling traffic, demographic variety and general availability of pretty much any commodity.

Ponyville has light traffic — certainly devoid of heavy vehicles, pretty much is a monoculture of ponies, with a large overweight of equis — as they are properly called, ‘Earth Pony’ is technically a discriminating term — and a clear unicorn minority.

While the trading post status gives it a larger variety than other similarly sized towns, Twilight doubts that she will be able to get her usual blend of coffee here.

Twilight aimlessly walks down the street from the Zeppelin port. In other circumstances she would have brought a map, but today she has allowed herself time to dawdle, and fortuitously, Spike has fallen asleep on her back.

Most of the buildings are only two stories tall, compared to Canterlot’s five or even seven. It really is a different world altogether.

Let’s make an effort out of this.

Twilight cautiously approaches a pink, friendly-seeming equus mare walking by.

“Good day ms., I am trying to find the library, could you point me in the right direction?”

To her mild horror, the mare responds not with politesse, but with enthusiam. Speaking blazingly fast with a very light soprano, entirely comparable to twilight’s own rambles.

“Oh hi, yeah, you know what, I can totally walk you there. I guess since you are asking about you are neither a tourist — because tourists always carry maps — nor a resident – because honestly, this town is too small to get lost in — so you must be new here. I seem to recall hearing somewhere in the local rumour mill that the head librarian has accepted an intern from Canterlot, who is either some heiress to a noble family, or some ridiculous prodigy or some other equivalent; who has supposedly done something terrible, but because of her status she can’t just be disciplined. So instead she is sent to serve some sort of ‘community service.’ I’m Pinkamena, but call me Pinkie. Who might you be?”

“Oh, um I’m Twilight.”

“Walk with me, Twilight?”

“Okay, I guess.”

“Where are you from, Twilight? Mind if I call you Twily?”

“No, not at all, and I’m from Canterlot.”

“Oooooh reeeeally. Do you have an internship at the library by any chance?”

“Yes, I do in fact have an internship at the library, and before you ask, no I am not heiress of a noble family. I have been called a prodigy and it is not a punishment, but a learning experience.”

“Oooooh. Reeeeally.”

“Yes, really.”

“This is kinda exciting, are you excited? ’Cause I am excited. This is literally the first time I have ever met someone about whom the rumours were actually true! Are you really a prodigy? And if so in what?”

“Magic.”

“Cool. How did you get an internship in the library if you belong in a thaumic research institution?”

“My mentor though it would be a good idea.”

“Who’s your mentor?”

This is the moment Twilight has been waiting for. She puts on the most nonchalant grin, and in the most persuasively not-a-big-deal tone she says: “Oh, just Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia of Equestria.”

“Cool. So where are you staying?”

Twilight is not a condemning mare. She takes care to be open minded, and accepting of ponies with disabilities. At this point in time and space, her thoughts might be accurately summarized as:

Is she crazy or just plain stupid?

“Oh, Twilight you silly one, stupid is what stupid does!”

Twilight, already emotionally bumped by not being recognized for having — in her own words — the coolest mentor evar, is staring at her companion in full on abject terror, with a side of world-shattering confusion.

“I am so, so sorry, did I just say that out loud?”

“Say what out loud?”

The pink mare is walking along beside Twilight with the same spring in her step that she has had for the last few minutes.

“Nothing, never mind,” Twilight says meekly.

“Aaaaaaanyway, here’s the library. Have a good day, Twily.”

Pinkamena trots off merrily, leaving Twilight to make of the conversation what she wills.