Cross Words

by Alaborn

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Mayor Mare, Cheerilee, Princess Celestia
Length: 5438

Becoming an alicorn isn’t a reason to give up on friendly get-togethers. But what happens when bonding over the Sunday Manehattan Times crossword puzzle turns into a lesson on the magic of alicorns?

Becoming an alicorn isn’t a reason to give up on friendly get-togethers. Brunch and a competition to solve the Manehattan Times crossword puzzle is a Sunday tradition for Twilight Sparkle, Cheerilee, and Mayor Mare. As the newest alicorn studies her developing magic, she will learn an unexpected lesson about the power of words.

Published 2013-11-18 22:00:04 UTC
Last updated 2013-11-18 22:00:04 UTC

Words Crossed

Cross Words

By Alaborn

Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.

Two earth ponies and an alicorn walked into a bar.

True, it was both a restaurant and a bar, but the owner could be found behind the bar most days. And rather than commenting “Is this a joke?”, he gave a friendly greeting to the customers. They had been coming here almost every Sunday morning, though up until a few weeks ago, the group had consisted of two earth ponies and a unicorn.

Twilight Sparkle, Mayor Mare, and Cheerilee took a seat at their favorite table by the window. The waiter brought out a basket of pastries, and while he held menus in his magical aura, he didn’t set them on the table. “The usual?” he asked. The three mares nodded.

Sunday brunch was a chance for the three mares to reconnect, chat, and indulge. Plates of scrambled eggs and hay bacon, hash browns and grilled vegetables, quiche, pancakes, and pastries were shared and slowly emptied as they talked. Cheerilee talked about the latest trouble her students had managed to find. Mayor Mare complained about the unending demands for her time, throwing in some not-so-subtle hints that a certain new princess could handle these ceremonial ribbon cuttings just as well. And Twilight Sparkle talked about the mishaps of her latest flight lessons and her continuing research into the magic of friendship.

The plates were cleared, leaving only Twilight Sparkle’s tea, Cheerilee’s coffee, and Mayor Mare’s mimosa. Twilight Sparkle concentrated, and moved three copies of the Sunday Manehattan Times onto the table. Each of the mares went straight to one part of the newspaper, spreading out the famous Sunday crossword puzzle in front of them.

Cheerilee and Mayor Mare took pencils in their mouths, while Twilight Sparkle boldly placed an ink pot and quill in front of her. Her two companions were not fazed by her bravado, though. They smiled and looked at her in anticipation.

“Ready? Go!” Twilight Sparkle said.

The table grew silent save for the scratching of pencils and quill, and the occasional slurp from a cup, as the three mares raced to complete the crossword puzzle. And finishing it was crucial. The loser would pay for the winner’s meal.

Twilight Sparkle started as she normally did, going through the first horizontal clues in order, looking for the gimmes. “Jai ____” read one. ALAI. Few ponies could tell you how the fast-paced minotaur sport of jai alai was played, but every crossword puzzle aficionado recognized the clue. Sometimes, you just needed a four letter word with three vowels, and ones ending in I are few and far between.

“Lofty nest.” She knew this five letter word had two spellings, but in a crossword puzzle, it was always AERIE.

“Some are wise.” That was one of Twilight Sparkle’s favorite clues. She had used it before as a tricky way to define CRACKERS.

With several easy horizontal clues filled in, she turned to the vertical clues. Here, the approach was similar, but with an extra step. Read the clue, figure her first impression for the answer, and then check the grid, to see if any of the letters had already been filled in. It was a good check to make, because a good crossword puzzle clue could define multiple words.

Twilight Sparkle examined the puzzle. With four words filled in the upper left corner, she concentrated on filling in the remaining clues. Her agile mind cycled through letters, filling in the blanks in the partially completed four letter words, until she found words that matched the clues.

That gave her the first four letters of four down, REDT. One of the longer words in the puzzle grid, it most likely formed a theme with the three other ten letter words and the eleven letter one in the center. “Whirlwind over Ironheart?” The question mark indicated a clue that wasn’t literal.

Connections rapidly formed in Twilight Sparkle’s mind. Ironheart could mean many things, but the first one brought to mind was the stadium in Stalliongrad. Their hoofball team was known as the Reds, which would explain RED. And then, T would be TORNADO.

Red Tornado was also the name of one of the relatively small number of mortal alicorns born since the reign of Celestia began. Princess Cadance was the seventeenth. Twilight Sparkle wasn’t sure if she should count as the eighteenth, due to being born a unicorn, but now was not the time to worry about such details. There was a crossword puzzle to finish!

The likely theme deduced, Twilight Sparkle checked the remaining long clues. Each referenced a sports team, each contained two literal definitions, and each answer in total was the name of a historical alicorn. FLINT SPARK. YELLOW ROSE. GREENFIELD. And BLUE DIAMOND.

It was one of those funny coincidences that Twilight Sparkle had noticed in the past. In fact, she had once put them into....

Twilight Sparkle looked at the puzzle, and pushed it away. “I’m sorry. I can’t fairly compete with you today.”

“What’s wrong?” Mayor Mare asked.

“This puzzle is a repeat,” she replied.

The two earth ponies glanced at each other. “If it is, then it must be old enough that you can’t remember that much about it,” Mayor Mare said.

“No. I wrote this crossword puzzle.”

Cheerilee raised an eyebrow. “Now that’s a story you need to tell us,” she said. “Right after I finish crushing Madame Mayor.”

And with the challenge made, Cheerilee and Mayor Mare put pencil to puzzle again.

“Done!” Mayor Mare announced, dropping her pencil. Undeterred, Cheerilee focused on filling in the last corner of her puzzle. A few minutes later, Cheerilee finished as well.

“Now let’s see if you’re right,” Twilight Sparkle said. Each incorrect letter was worth a penalty of one minute to one’s time. Normally, the three mares discussed any letters they disagreed on, since the completed grid didn’t appear until the next day’s newspaper. This time, they had something just as good as an answer key.

Twilight Sparkle had finished filling in the grid while the others work, a task that was trivial once she remembered that she wrote the puzzle. She placed her newspaper between her friends’, and scanned the grids.

“I’m sorry, Mayor, but there was never a diamond dog chieftain named Farg,” Twilight Sparkle said.

The mayor smacked her forehead. “Fang! Of course!”

“But that’s the only error in either of your puzzles, and that’s not enough to let Cheerilee catch up.

“I’ll take the victory, but I do believe you have something to talk about,” Mayor Mare said. “First of all... ‘Dusk Shine’?”

Twilight Sparkle grinned sheepishly. “I got it in my head that I didn’t want to get my crossword puzzles published because I was Princess Celestia’s student. So I came up with a pen name, though not a very creative one. And on top of that, I’m sure I didn’t fool anypony, since my letters were mailed from the castle, and all the paperwork had to be signed by my mother, as I was a minor.”

“How old were you when you created these puzzles?” Cheerilee asked.

“I sold my first puzzle when I was twelve,” Twilight Sparkle replied.

“That’s quite an accomplishment,” Mayor Mare said. “So start from the beginning. What got you into crossword puzzles?”

“As you know, I was attending Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and was also receiving special tutoring as her personal student. I spent most of my remaining waking hours in the library, studying. There was one day where I had expressed confusion as Princess Celestia discussed current events. I neither recognized the name of the current griffin king, nor realized he had just spent a week in Canterlot on a diplomatic mission. Princess Celestia just shook her head, and told me to read the newspaper.

“I read the articles, finding some of mild interest, but then I found the crossword puzzle. It looked like so much fun! I figured out how they worked, and then I solved as many crossword puzzles as I could find. Soon I was back in the library, reading all about the history of puzzles.

“Eventually, I thought, I could make my own crossword puzzles! So I did. And then I read that the Manehattan Times paid twenty bits per crossword puzzle, and another fifty if they published it in a puzzle book. Trust me, that was a big deal for a filly with a five bit a week allowance.

“After I got my mother to sign the paperwork, I mailed off five crossword puzzles. I received an enthusiastic response from the editor. I still had a lot to learn, of course, mostly about word selection and consistency of the difficulty level in the puzzle’s clues. But soon, I had my first sale, and for a year, I made puzzles like crazy!”

“So you gave it up?” Cheerilee asked.

“Yes. It was fun at the start, but eventually, making puzzles became a tedious process. I was frustrated, but I didn’t want to disappoint my editor. Then Princess Celestia started teaching me two new courses, and I realized I couldn’t keep up with both my studies and making puzzles. So I wrote my editor—we had met by then, and she knew who I was—and told her my studies wouldn’t allow me to keep making crossword puzzles.”

“That was very wise of Princess Celestia,” Mayor Mare said. “It’s almost as if she knew you wanted to give up your hobby, but you needed a reason to quit.”

“I’ve never thought of it that way,” Twilight Sparkle said. “But I think you’re right.”

“So what did you spend all that money on?” Cheerilee asked.

“Books,” Twilight Sparkle replied, blushing.

“Well, I think it’s wonderful that you published so many crossword puzzles, and I’m glad you still enjoy working them with us,” Mayor Mare said.

Twilight Sparkle nodded. “It’s fun. I might enjoy trying my hoof at writing puzzles again, but I just don’t have the time. And speaking of that, it’s time for me to get back to my research.” She levitated a small stack of bits onto the table. “I’ll see you both next week, and hopefully, the crossword puzzle won’t be a repeat of one of mine.”

True to her word, Twilight Sparkle did spend the rest of the day working. Her recent alicorn apotheosis, something nopony in recorded history had ever done, provided her with the opportunity to study the changing magic in her. She had been analyzing the thaumic energy coursing through her being every day, comparing it to her own history and the energy of other control subjects, seeing just how her new pegasus and earth pony magic combined with and changed her original unicorn magic.

She could feel the changes, but a few hours flying with Rainbow Dash or working the orchard with Applejack told her that even becoming an alicorn didn’t allow her to equal the magic of her friends. Perhaps that would change with time. Would a few decades as an alicorn increase her magic to the level of Princess Cadance? It was an entirely new field of study, and Twilight Sparkle hoped she could publish the results of her research someday.

And when she did, it wouldn’t be under the name Dusk Shine.

The sound of the basement door opening, and the click of claws on the stone steps, interrupted Twilight Sparkle’s work. She looked to see Spike bringing down lunch. The dragon frowned at her before staring at an untouched plate of food. No, Spike was bringing down dinner, and she had forgotten all about the lunch he had brought hours ago.

“Twilight, you can’t keep doing this! You need to eat,” he admonished her.

“I know, Spike. It’s just that this research is so exciting, that sometimes I forget how much time has passed.”

“Promise me you won’t work all night.”

“I promise, Spike,” Twilight Sparkle said. She lifted the daisy sandwich from her lunch to her mouth. The bread had dried out, and the flowers had wilted. But the taste of her meal was ignored as she continued her research.

Spike was already asleep by the time Twilight Sparkle headed to bed. She tiphoofed into her room, hoping not to wake her dedicated assistant. The young alicorn settled into her bed and closed her eyes. She had accomplished a lot, and was eager to continue her research tomorrow, but she had promised Spike that she would not neglect her sleep. She would sleep until she was fully recovered and ready to work tomorrow. Or, rather, today, she thought after seeing her clock.

After a dreamless sleep, Twilight Sparkle awoke, feeling fully refreshed. Strangely, it was still dark. Even stranger, the clock read 3:08 A.M. She closed her eyes, trying to fall back asleep. A half an hour of tossing and turning later, she admitted defeat and returned to the laboratory. Best not to waste these hours of wakefulness!

Although she normally took a thaumic energy reading in the morning, she decided to do an extra one, filing the results for later analysis. In the meantime, she continued her analysis of her magical energy in comparison to her friends.

Some time later, Spike entered the basement. “Geez, Twilight, were you working all night again?” he asked.

“No, I went to bed at a reasonable hour,” Twilight Sparkle replied. In response to the look he gave her, she amended her statement. “Fine, I went to bed at one o’clock. I just woke up very early, and didn’t feel tired at all. I didn’t even need coffee this morning!”

Spike sniffed the air. “You’re right, I don’t smell coffee. But please, Twilight, don’t overdo it!”

“If I feel tired later, I promise to take a nap.”

The week progressed uneventfully. Tending to the library, research, gatherings with friends, and studying the laws relating to being an alicorn all continued, and she had forgotten all about her strangely restful night. On Sunday, she was happy to have brunch with Cheerilee and Mayor Mare, but disappointed to find today’s newspaper featured another “Dusk Shine” rerun.

“The editor must be on vacation,” Twilight Sparkle said.

“But I think it’s fun to do your puzzles!” Cheerilee said. “It’s a rare glimpse into the mind of the young Twilight Sparkle.”

“You’re right. I think I’m going to enjoy doing this puzzle. I wonder what I’ll remember about the time I put it together,” Twilight Sparkle said.

Seeing the flower subtheme in the clues reminded Twilight Sparkle of a lesson she received at the hooves of Princess Celestia, wandering the Canterlot gardens. She also remembered plenty of independent study in the library afterward. Flowers were a favorite topic for Cheerilee, so Twilight Sparkle was not surprised that she beat Mayor Mare at finishing today’s puzzle.

At Spike’s urging, Twilight Sparkle stayed out of the basement that evening. With thoughts of her fillyhood fresh in her mind, she chose to spend her evening with a cup of hot chocolate, a roaring fire, and a copy of The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers of Northern Equestria.

Twilight Sparkle was snug in bed by 11 o’clock. And two hours later, she was wide awake.

“Once is chance. For this to happen twice, there must be a reason,” Twilight Sparkle said to herself as she returned to her laboratory. Again, she checked her thaumic energy levels. Both this Monday morning and last, she registered spikes on the tau scale, one of several poorly understood magical energies that manifested primarily in heavenly bodies, alicorns, and uncontrolled wilderness areas like the Everfree Forest.

Perhaps her mentor could shed some light on the subject.

Twice a month, Twilight Sparkle traveled to Canterlot, seeking the counsel of Princesses Celestia and Luna. The young alicorn had much to learn about her new life, and Equestria’s diarchs were generous with their time.

Day Court had ended for the day, and Celestia and Twilight Sparkle relaxed in the princess’ chamber. “I can see that something’s bothering you,” Celestia said in between sips of tea.

“Princess, have you ever had problems with sleep? It’s not insomnia, it’s more like, not needing sleep.”

“My dear Twilight, as an alicorn, I do not truly need sleep,” Celestia said.

“But I do!” Twilight Sparkle protested. “I mean, I learned my lesson when I stayed up for twenty-eight hours working on each of the exercises in Lightfeather’s Basic Guide to Flight Instruction.”

“Did anything special happen those nights?” Celestia asked.

“Nothing at night. But there was something during the day. Do you remember when I made crossword puzzles?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

Princess Celestia chuckled. “I do remember a certain obsessed little filly. One of that filly’s many obsessions, in fact.”

Twilight Sparkle blushed. “It turns out that on both days, last Sunday and the Sunday before, the Manehattan Times printed one of my old crossword puzzles. And I had fun reliving the past as I filled in the grids.” She paused. “Would that have anything to do with thaumic energy on the tau scale?”

“Perhaps a demonstration is order,” Celestia said. She faced the door. “Silver Shield, I seek your presence. You have my permission to enter,” she called.

The door opened, admitting a gray unicorn guardspony. He bowed, and then greeted the princess. “How may I serve you, Princess Celestia?”

“Tell me, Sergeant. Do you still enjoy crossword puzzles?”

If the sergeant was surprised by Princess Celestia’s question, he hid it well behind his stoic demeanor. “I do, Your Highness,” he replied tersely.

“Then please take a thirty minute break. One of the castle servants will bring you the Sunday Manehattan Times crossword. Please spend your break working through it.”

“To be honest, Princess, the Sunday Manehattan Times crossword is a bit advanced,” Silver Shield replied.

Princess Celestia smiled warmly. “Just do your best, soldier. Dismissed.”

Silver Shield bowed and departed the room. “Now, let us meditate, Twilight Sparkle. Feel the harmony. Embrace the magic around you.”

Twilight Sparkle practiced the breathing exercises she had learned as an anxious filly. She was ashamed to admit that even when she had problems, like worrying about a tardy letter, doing something had always seemed to be more important than relaxing. Sitting here, hearing only her own breathing and the soft crackle from the fireplace, left her feeling calm. She felt her worries drift away.

Then she heard it.

Quite the challenge.

Ah! TERN. What wonderful wordplay in that clue!

That one must be ROSE.

Ugh, I don’t know any of those.

Another flower clue.

I wonder if my wife would like some fresh flowers for dinner?

DAISY.

Daisies would be nice.

I wonder if that certain flower mare is in the market today?

The market will be closed before I get off duty today.

WREN. That makes the down clue WRAP. I don’t want to buy wrapped flowers. I hate that off taste.

“Is something wrong, Twilight Sparkle?”

The young alicorn heard her mentor’s voice. She opened her eyes, and realized she had placed her hooves over her ears, an action that proved to be useless in drowning out the thoughts she now heard. “Why won’t it stop?” she exclaimed.

Princess Celestia rested a wing over Twilight Sparkle comfortingly. “What you are experiencing is a sensation unique to us alicorns. The magic of friendship and the harmony of Equestria affect us in different ways. We are sustained by the feelings and emotions of our little ponies. Each thank you for a beautiful sunrise, each wish for peaceful dreams, each embrace in the bonds of love flows through us. You are sharing in the emotions of Silver Shield as he experiences the puzzle you created. It is not much, but it is a connection you have forged with the ponies of Equestria.”

“But this is so distracting!” Twilight Sparkle said.

“Come back to the world. Focus on what is real, and the connection will lessen.”

She looked around, focusing on the sights of the room, and no longer heard Silver Shield’s thoughts. “Does that mean it’s still there?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“Yes, my faithful student. It will always be there, sustaining you,” Celestia said. “When you are alone, I want you to practice using this connection.”

“And is that why you and Princess Luna are immortal and unaging?”

Princess Celestia nodded.

“Then what happened to the other alicorns?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“This connection can be severed,” Celestia explained. “But once chosen, this decision may not be undone. All before you and Princess Cadance ultimately chose a mortal life.”

Princess Celestia embraced her young protégé. “You were bound to learn of this special connection shortly, as you would feel it the next time you and your friends helped the citizens of Ponyville. Do not concern yourself with your ultimate decision. Instead, enjoy your life, just as you had before.”

“Tell me, Princess, is that what caused my earlier restlessness?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“I suspect it was. You are not yet used to processing these feelings, and they translated to rejuvenating you in the same manner as a good night’s sleep. And I don’t suppose you’ll object to a few more hours in the day.”

Twilight Sparkle smiled. “You’re right!”

“You’ll have time to learn to control this magic. The occasional crossword puzzle solver shouldn’t bother you excessively.” Princess Celestia rose. “Now come. It is time for dinner, and I have invited some special guests.

Twilight Sparkle walked alongside Princess Celestia as they headed for the familiar royal dining room. Guards opened the door, and Twilight Sparkle’s face lit as she saw two particular ponies waiting for her.

“Mom! Dad!” Twilight Sparkle shouted. She bounded into the forelegs of her mother, finding the feeling comforting and yet worrisome. Would she grow too large to hug her parents comfortably?

“It is so nice to see you, Twilight,” Twilight Velvet said.

“Don’t you have a hug for your old man?” Night Light said.

“Of course, Father,” Twilight Sparkle replied, embracing her father.

“Oh, Princess!” Twilight Velvet said, spotting Princess Celestia watching their reunion.

Princess Celestia smiled warmly. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to be more specific from now on, my little pony. Now, let us be seated.”

As soon as they were seated, waiters brought bread, soup, and flower appetizers. The delectable aroma of the soup reminded Twilight Sparkle of just how long it had been since lunch. Few words were exchanged as the ponies consumed their first course.

Before the salad could be brought out, Princess Celestia rose. “I am afraid my duties prevent me from enjoying the rest of dinner. Please feel free to stay as long as you like, Twilight Sparkle. Chambers have been prepared for you this evening.”

“As always, thank you for the generous gift of your time,” Twilight Sparkle replied.

With the princess gone, dinner felt like an old family dinner. Twilight Sparkle talked with her parents about her brother, about goings-on in Canterlot, and about their own work. She related her own studies and her misadventures in flying. It was not until she yawned that she realized how late it had gotten.

“It’s been so nice talking with you, Mom and Dad. But I’m afraid bed calls,” Twilight Sparkle said. “I have a meeting with Princess Luna at the conclusion of Night Court, and I shouldn’t neglect my rest.”

“Of course, dear. Don’t be afraid to visit!” Night Light said.

“And I always look forward to receiving your letters,” Twilight Velvet said. Twilight Sparkle winced; she hadn’t written to her parents since before her apotheosis.

“I promise to write. Love you both,” Twilight Sparkle said.

Twilight Sparkle returned to her quarters, enjoying a relaxing bath before turning in for the night. As she lay under the covers, she again reached out to her new connection to the magic of Equestria, letting it flow through her in a regular manner. It wouldn’t do for her to wake up too early again!

Twilight Sparkle awoke when she had intended to, two hours before dawn. She brushed her teeth and tamed her mane before walking to the upper level of the castle. Two thestral guards protected her destination. Silent as always, the guards nodded and opened the doors.

Luna’s chambers were unoccupied, but the alicorn of the night could be seen on the balcony beyond, observing the heavens through her telescope. Twilight Sparkle approached quietly.

“Welcome, dear Twilight Sparkle,” Luna intoned, still gazing through the telescope.

“Thank you for inviting me to your private sanctum, Princess,” she replied.

“Nay, it is I who should thank you, for allowing me to share the heavens with you,” Luna continued.

“I’ve studied the stars all my life,” Twilight Sparkle stated.

“But only as an alicorn can you sense them, reach out to them, make them understand you. And that is what I wish to share with you,” Luna said. She touched her horn to Twilight Sparkle. “Feel the moon, Twilight.”

Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes, and extended her senses. She muted her common senses, sight and hearing, taste and smell, touch and magic. She was left with two senses, one that connected her to the land, the other calling to the sky. The latter was a new sensation, one full of hope and promise.

“It’s beautiful,” Twilight Sparkle whispered.

“One of my greatest joys was sharing this connection with Tia for the first time. And one of my greatest regrets from the time I spent banished to the moon is knowing there were alicorns with whom I never had a chance to share this feeling.”

Twilight Sparkle exhaled slowly, letting the cosmic magic align with her own. “Does this mean I get to control the sky?”

Princess Luna chuckled. “Perhaps one day, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight Sparkle remained with Luna until Celestia raised the sun. The lunar princess then headed to her chambers. And with her next meeting with Princess Celestia not until lunch, that left Twilight Sparkle’s morning free.

She hadn’t seen Canterlot in a while, save for official business and occasionally saving the world. A chance to walk the avenues, see the sights, and do a little shopping couldn’t be ignored.

After exiting the castle, Twilight Sparkle ran into somepony she wasn’t expecting to see again. “Mom! What a pleasant surprise!” she said.

“Hello again, dear,” Twilight Velvet said. “You’ll have to forget this old mare’s forgetfulness. There’s something I forgot to bring to dinner last night.”

“What’s that?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“Just a bit of mail,” her mother replied.

Twilight Sparkle was a bit surprised. It had been three years since she left Canterlot, and even before that, she was getting mail sent to her in care of the castle. So who would be trying to reach her at her parents’ address? She looked up and saw a letter, floating in her mother’s magical aura. She retrieved it and opened it. “A check?”

“Yes, dear, this came for you at our address about a month ago,” her mother replied.

Twilight Sparkle opened the letter. Her eyes shot open when she saw what was inside. “Wow, this is... not what I expected,” she said. “Thanks for bringing it by.”

“Of course, dear. Don’t spend it all in one place! Now, I’m afraid I must be going.”

“Bye, Mother,” Twilight Sparkle said.

The alicorn looked at the envelope again. Receiving a check for 1300 bits was an unexpected but wonderful surprise, but Twilight Sparkle wanted to know why. The accompanying letter indicated, in the roundabout manner of legalese, that the payment was in consideration for rights tendered in regard to such and such contract.

Then she looked at the address.

The Manehattan Times Corporation.

She read the letter again. Now it made sense. She was getting this money because her crossword puzzles were being published in a puzzle book.

Thirteen hundred bits. Fifty bits per puzzle. That meant....

Uh oh.

Twilight Sparkle looked around the streets of Canterlot. Over at that cafe, an older mare was putting pencil to puzzle. Down the street, a unicorn stallion was flipping through a crossword puzzle book while waiting for the trolley. And in the bookstore on the corner, ponies were gathered around a window display of new books.

She ran to the bookstore, pressing her muzzle against the window. Ponies were rapidly depleting the store’s supply of The Best of the Manehattan Times Crosswords.

And then the voices came.

Her new connection to the land and its ponies connected her to the thoughts of who knows how many fans of crossword puzzles. Thoughts. Feelings. Emotions.

Four letters for a kind of plant. I need more.

That can’t be right. That would make that word end in Q. But what could it be otherwise?

Stupid pencil, breaking.

Rose Red was quiet over breakfast. Is she mad about something?

Why are there all these feather clues? I shouldn’t have slept through that pegasus biology lesson.

Those foals the next table over need to sit quietly. What is wrong with parents these days?

Twilight Sparkle ran away. Away from the bookstore, away from the cafe, away from puzzle-solving ponies. The crowds thinned as Twilight Sparkle ran to one of Canterlot’s quiet parks. Underneath the canopy of oak boughs, she would often find respite from the bustle of the castle and court. She sat on a park bench, pulling her hind legs under her and folding her wings at her side. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.

Quiet.

Is that mole on my rump getting bigger? I think it is. I better talk to the doctor about it.

“I REALLY DIDN’T NEED TO KNOW THAT!” Twilight Sparkle shouted.

Down the path, an elderly unicorn mare lowered her puzzle book and looked at Twilight Sparkle over the top of her reading glasses. She shook her head slowly before raising the book again.

Twilight Sparkle stood up, spread her wings, and took off. She soared in a tight loop, gaining altitude, as she sought solace in the skies above Canterlot. She flew until she reached the highest level of clouds placed by the Canterlot weather team, setting down gently on a latent storm cloud so as not to discharge it.

“That’s it. I’ll study to keep my mind off of this,” she said to herself. Twilight Sparkle recalled Thunder Strike’s seminal Principles of Storm Management and started reciting the formulas in her mind. “The storm potential of a thunderhead can be described the water capacity Cw multiplied by the coefficient of pressure ρ, plus the electrical energy E....”

Upon saying the letter E, Twilight Sparkle’s consciousness was flooded by E words.

ETC

ETA

EEK

EMU

EON

EEL

EGO

EWE

EAR

These were all words she had written into crossword puzzles many time over. And now that the words had wiggled into her consciousness, like some Pinkie Pie song that you can’t get out of your head, the feelings followed. The surface feelings, the frustration and doubt and accomplishment of those working on the puzzles. The underlying feelings, the joy and sadness and worry that filled the gaps between solving clues. The active thoughts, the little bit of the souls of everypony solving a crossword puzzle at this very moment.

“How does anypony live like this?” Twilight Sparkle moaned. How do Celestia and Luna survive....

Luna. That’s it.

Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and focused on the magic she studied with Princess Luna, her connection to the heavens. She drew herself into it, pulling her soul, until she answered the ancient magic of the heavens.

Silence.

Blessed silence.

Twilight Sparkle heard nopony. She didn’t hear the rustling of leaves or even the wind. But most importantly, she was finally free of the voices in her mind.

She sat, embracing the silence, for several minutes. All remained quiet. Tentatively, she reached for her connection to the land and its ponies. She could feel its presence, but she was finally far enough away to be free from those intrusions.

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes.

“Equestria sure is beautiful when seen from the surface of the moon,” she observed.

The powdery surface of Luna’s moon and the vision of the distant planet were the only sensations left for Twilight Sparkle. That, and the thoughts in her own mind, a thought process that quickly reached a definite conclusion.

It sure is boring here.

That thought was soon followed up by another.

I sure wish I had a crossword puzzle to work on.