How The Mane 6 Got Into Books

Chapters

Prologue: The Plan
Book One: Part One
Book One: Part Three
A Brief Interlude
Book One: Part Four
Book One: Part Two

Prologue: The Plan

Twilight sighed contentedly as she lounged on the deck of her library. It was another peaceful day in Ponyville- the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, Discord was laughing maniacally, the bees-

Wait, what?

She did a quick 180, looking back at the spot where she could’ve sworn she had seen Discord, taking an upside-down stroll through the park, laughing like a madmare.

Well, there’s nothing there. I should really cut down on the Piña Coltadas. Oh look, Discord-

“Hello, Twilight!”

“Ahh!” gasped Twilight, tilting back in her lawn chair. She landed in an unceremonious lump on the porch as her chair crashed to the floor, her tail sticking in the air like a purple bookmark. She opened her eyes to view Discord, sipping her Piña Coltada, or more accurately, sipping the straw. When it was finished, he threw the glass behind him, the drink doing several flips before turning into a bird and flying away.

“What… I don’t even… how did you get free?” She decided, going for the obvious instead of figuring out just how Discord had somehow managed to turn a glass into a bird that was currently doing the moonwalk through the air, humming house music.

“Simple, Twilight- teenage angst. What I’m trying to say is, I feed off of Disharmony- I can’t get enough of the stuff! When a bunch of prissy high school fillies came by, bullying and backstabbing each other, I got the final push I needed!” he explained, excitedly. “And before you ask, no, the hair is all natural.”

“That wasn’t what I was going to ask at all!” she exclaimed, frustrated. Discord had a way of getting to a pony, that was sure.

“You will, in time,” he said, sagely.

“What I really wanted to say was what else set you free? Besides those girls?” she asked, part curiosity, part stalling for time.

“Well, Luna’s been acting up lately, a few of the guards have been stealing from the royal kitchen, this one bird is apparently very annoying and won’t shut up… oh, and a few ponies are planning a revolt,” he finished, counting off a fourth claw.
“What?!”

“I know, right! Birds are such a pain in the-“

“Discord!”

“What? You think you can stall long enough for your friends to get here?”

That gave Twilight pause. She lowered her hoof, looking into Discord’s eyes- a hard task given her position on the floor.

“What did you do to them?”

“I didn’t do anything, Twilight- your friends got up and came here, then tied each other up! Simple as pi! Oh, except the 4567th digit, I always forget that one-“

“Discord!”

“What is it now, Ms. Sparkle?”

“What are you planning? And why do you think you’re going to get away with it this time?”

“Ah ah ah, my little pony- you’ll find out most of it soon enough, and the rest you don’t need to know. Oh, isn’t that infuriating? You, the pony who needs to know everything- left out of the loop! It’s glorious!”

Twilight had had enough. Her horn glowed a dangerous purple, flinging the lawn chair off the roof and into the sunset, where it caught fire and melted. She knew it was another trick of Discord’s, that the sun could be so close, but it still amazed her- even sparked her curiosity.

Heh. Here I am, stopping the one thing that could destroy Equestria, and I’m curious about him.

The ironic part of Twilight’s brain shut down, however, and she focused on generating a large enough blast to stun Discord- after that, she didn’t know, but she could make plans quickly; future Twilight would think of something.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Discord raised an eyebrow at Twilight, expecting some sort of magical blast. However, the mare had thrown her chair and then stood in the same place for about half a minute, perhaps formulating a plan.

He hovered over, plucking the purple pony up and placing her precariously on the precipice of the porch. He loved alliteration. She sat there, on the edge of her hanging deck, eyes bulging at the two story drop below her. She turned her head to Discord, who chuckled.

“Now Twilight, why don’t you just come with me downstairs and we’ll have a chat with your friends?” he said, politely and handsomely. Man, he was good.

“No!” she shouted, brattily, letting loose a powerful blast of magic at his devilishly good looking face. He flicked his fingers, yawning, and the magic beam turned into water. Twilight looked up at her horn, which had quickly become a water fountain, and turned off the flow of magic.

“How did you-“

“Acquire such good looks? Years of intense study and practice! Oh, wait, nope! I was born with them!”

Well, he could add clever to his growing list of words to describe himself. And funny, too.

Turning his head to remove the purple annoyance from his vision, he contemplated his plans- first, a spot of payback for the malicious ponies that imprisoned him yet again in stone; second, a return to the castle for some good-natured havoc-wreaking; and finally, world domination.
Perfect.

One thing bothered him, though- it sounded like a fly buzzing close to his ear, so he swatted, hoping to catch the little fiend. However, he realized that it was simply that magenta mare, opening and closing her mouth in time with the buzzing. He snapped it shut with his paw, and magicked on some tape around the muzzle.

It was funny to see her struggle against the bindings, though admittedly it was funnier when Pinkie had. Now there was a mare who liked to talk. He gently floated her up, sending her down through the door and down the circular stairs. He made sure to bump her head each time they descended a stair, whistling contentedly.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow.

Every bump on the stairs sent a jolt of pain through her forehead, making her eyebrows crease in anger and her flailing hooves flail faster. The last step was the worst, and she was sure there would be a bump there the next day.

If there is a next day, the darker side of her brain thought. There will be a next day! I’ll stop Discord, get the Elements, and save the day! It’ll be perfect!

When she looked at the scene before her, though, the cheering voice in her head blushed and hopped off the podium.

Her five friends were tied up in a circle on the floor of her library, around the statue of that pony she could never remember the name of. All were asleep except Pinkie, who seemed to be gnawing through the ropes.

“No no no,” condescended Discord, sending a little bolt of energy at the pink pony. She fell asleep instantly, rope still in her mouth as her head fell upon Applejack’s shoulder. Twilight was horrified- would he do that to her next? She had to get out, get help, anything!

But then Discord turned the paw on her, and the last thing she saw was Discord whispering something to her, something so quiet and out of reach it made her giggle before she shut her eyes.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sweet silence, thought Discord. The best sound in the world. Except, perhaps, his own voice, but he had plenty of recordings of that, and none of this- this beautiful, stunning silence.

And then Pinkie snorted in her sleep, and Discord growled. They would be quiet again, soon enough. He drifted over to the bookshelf, grabbing three books and spreading them out on the table.

One, an over-hyped Daring-Do book, a personal favorite of Rainbow and Twilight.

The second, a glossily covered romance novel, read by the ever-annoying Rarity and the one who had a heart attack upon seeing him out her window… Fluttershy! Yes, that was the name.

And the third? A worn out copy of an old children’s book, read to two little fillies in their younger years- an impressionable Applejack, and the most intriguing of the six- Pinkamena Diane Pie.

Oh, he was going to have fun with these books. But which to choose first?

Which indeed...

Book One: Part One

Twilight woke to the sound of a world being built.

Her eyes opened to witness a spectacle like none described in the books she’d read or the stories she’d been told. A world of pure white stretching infinitely in all directions, save for in front of her. Ahead, the sound of life sprang forth, and birds of all species she could name flied about, cawing and chirping. The white ground sunk down to form great canyons, valleys and gorges; the ground shot up to form a volcano, rolling hills and jungle trees. It all sounded like a fast wind blowing past Twilight’s ears, mixed with the muted sounds of the animals which had been loud before, but were now hidden by the jungle before her. And soon, the white ground she stood upon changed to grey, cutting into even bricks; the ground surrounding her morphed into a hallway, torches springing out from the corridor and crackling to life. The white sky, quickly changing to a pure blue, was covered by the white, then grey substance.

Twilight’s eyes shifted to the ground under her hooves as it turned to stone. Moss grew over the cobble, and more small details came into focus- spiders on cobwebs in the corners and a scuttling insect across the floor. The experience left the unicorn slack-jawed, wondering if that was how Equestria was made…

Rainbow, of course, was having none of that, passed out on the floor; even that was still changing minutely under her. The stones beneath her gained a few cracks and specks of dirt as she walked to the sleeping speedster. She shook the mare’s shoulder, hoping to wake her before the changes stopped.

She couldn’t help but look at the expansive hallway around them- it seemed to stretch out infinitely in one direction, while the other side had an intersection. That side, coincidentally, had been where she could view the valleys and jungle. That would probably be the smarter choice, if Rainbow would go to the trouble of waking up already.

“Rainbow!” she finally called out, her silent attempts having failed.

How heavy a sleeper is she?

“Huh? What? Twilight? Where are we?” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes with a cyan hoof. “Are we underground?”

“I don’t know, Rainbow, but I don’t think we’re in Ponyville anymore,” she said, indicating the stone walls with an impatient hoof. “You know, this place almost seems like something out of a-“

“-Daring-Do novel! I knew this reminded me of something!” Rainbow exclaimed, sitting up. Funny, now she was awake and alert; at the mention of Daring-Do, she would always snap-to. Twilight joked that she had a crush on the pony in the book, but honestly Twilight thought she might’ve been on to something.

“Well, why would Discord make a world like Daring-Do’s? That’s practically your biggest dream, besides the Wonderbolts!” reminded Twilight, looking up as if talking to Discord. What was he planning?

“Well, the books are always filled with danger, right? So, maybe he wants us to get smooshed by that gigantic boulder coming at us!”

“That makes sense- wait what?!”

Rainbow was telling the truth- a boulder was careening towards the pair, bouncing back and forth from each side of the hallway, though never stopping on its way to the two vulnerable ponies. Twilight grabbed Rainbow with a hoof, pulling her to a standing position. Rainbow revved up her wings with a confident smirk, motioning for Twilight to grab on. Of course, she wasn’t sure exactly where she would grab onto Rainbow, but the boulder rolling towards them gave her less time to think than she’d like. So, she reached her hoofs around Rainbow’s barrel, hoping it would be enough to not be thrown around by her speed. Rainbow looked forwards, determination in her eyes.

And they were off.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

How did these things always happen to them?

Here she was, in some sort of fantasy world, a giant boulder chasing after them, her friend clinging to her back, and she hadn’t been awake for more than two minutes!

And she loved it.

She would bet a hundred bits no other pony got to feel this rush out of the blue, got to feel somepony depending on you just to stay alive- she wouldn’t live her life any other way. It was her element, after all. And, well, maybe she liked the rush too. Her whole life she had spent going faster and faster, reaching the next high- and realizing, when it was gone, she would have to do something even more extreme to get her hit.

But when she met these new friends, their practically daily adventures culled the need for her more insane stunts. You couldn’t get more adrenaline than running from a bunch of teenaged dragons, kicking a full grown one in the head, or saving a pony from falling off a cliff- no trick could match that, or none she would try.

Of course, the mare clinging to her shoulders wasn’t the only one depending on somepony else. The dependence was mutual.

“Twilight, left or right?”

She was fast approaching the intersection, and she still didn’t know which way to turn. She looked at the pony grasping her, making it more difficult to fly straight. She wasn’t exactly pulling her weight, was she? The slight irritation lessened the grin she had sported from the surge of energy, and the mare’s response wasn’t exactly speedy.

“Umm… right! Go right!”

Ah, there it was. A guiding hoof and then- all of her speed could be focused on whatever target the unicorn chose. She sped past the corner, breezing past the obstacle with ease. She was feeling good, there- she closed her eyes to let it all sink in.

And so it was Twilight that had to point out the dead end in front of her.

“Rainbow, stop!”

And she stopped. Why wouldn’t she?

She opened her eyes and saw the dead end, taunting her with its… deadness? She wasn’t one for poetry, even if she was reading more. She turned in the air, prepping to go through the left passage. But then that boulder, that stupid boulder, rolled right into their little passage. Just like in the book.

Well, if the boulder followed them like in the book, then why shouldn’t the rest of the world be like the book then?
Rainbow dropped to the cold floor, shaking off Twilight. She looked up at Rainbow, confused and angry.

“Rainbow, what are you doing?”

“I got this Twilight! Trust me!”

"The boulder!”

“Got it!”

“Ahhhhhh!”

A moment of silence. Both mares opened their eyes to see a large hole in the floor and no boulder in sight. Inwardly, Rainbow cheered- she hadn’t known whether she’d be right or not, but it had all paid off. On the outside, of course, she just looked cool, crossing her forehooves, keeping her balance with outstretched wings.

“What did you do, Rainbow? How’d you make that hole in the floor?”

“Easy! I just pushed the right brick in the wall.”

"How did you possibly know which one to push? There must be hundreds of bricks on these walls!”

“Well, Twilight, I’m kinda surprised you didn’t figure it out before I did: we’re in a book!”

And then Twilight gave her the weirdest look, a cross between confusion and disbelief. It was like her face didn’t know what to do with itself, so it just scrunched itself up and squinted its eyes.

“You do realize what you just said, right?”

“Yep!”

“Do you have any proof?”

“Well, if I’m right we’re in the second Daring-Do book! And in that one, Daring-Do is chased by a boulder to a dead end hallway, but she hits a brick and the floor opens up! Doesn’t that sound familiar, Twilight?”

Twilight looked at the hole, the pushed-in brick, and Rainbow; there was still apprehension, but with the application of some evidence, she was more easily swayed.

“Well, if that was true, it’s a good thing you remembered so much about the book!”

“Yep!” she agreed, leaning back against the mossy wall. There was an ominous click of a brick being pushed into space.

Suddenly, the floor beneath the two mares fell out.

Their screams echoed up the cold tunnels, stopping with the sound of the floor clicking back into place.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Why did it have to be snakes?

That was the only thought that coursed through Twilight’s mind as she opened her eyes. All around her, covering the steps she lay on, were wriggling, writhing snakes, and they were going to eat her!

She didn’t move- maybe they only saw you if you moved? It seemed to be working anyways, as no snakes were on her. Maybe if she used some sort of blasting spell to knock away the snakes, she could get out, no harm done!
Of course, that just had to be when Rainbow woke up.

“Twili-augh! What the heck?!” she screamed, scrambling up the steps, slipping on the various vermin lounging on the platforms. Her eyes were wide with fright for a second, the second she forgot she could fly- then she was soaring above the serpents, taunting them with a raspberry.

“Dumb snakes! Ha!”

“Rainbow!” hissed Twilight, from her position in the sea of writhing reptiles. Rainbow turned and seemed surprised, like she had forgotten Twilight was there in the wake of her victory over the snakes. She got back fast, though, diving for the bit of purple in a sea of scaly green. Rainbow grabbed her extended hoof, using all her might to pull the mare out from under the seething things. Twilight was finally lifted from the floor, shaking off a snake still clinging to her hoof.

“Thanks, Rainbow,” she said, looking the pegasus in the face.

The pegasus turned away, surveying the surroundings.

“Don’t thank me yet, Twilight. The only light is around this pyramid-thingie, and it’s basically just snakes. I mean, where do we go?” she grunted, probably straining from holding her again after such a short time.

“Well, I may not be able to hold myself up, but I can do light!” she proclaimed, charging up her horn. It glowed brightly and shot out a pulsating purple orb that radiated violet light. The snakes recoiled from the beacon and slid off the pyramid.

“Alright Rainbow, set us down!” she commanded.

Rainbow obliged, lowering her to the top of the stone edifice. Twilight summoned her orb, bringing its shine to the top of the structure. Her eyes bulged as she figured out what the structure was made of:

Gold.

“Rainbow, are you seeing this? This whole pyramid is made of gold!” she cheered, clapping her hooves together in child-like excitement. Rainbow flew in to investigate as Twilight did a little happy dance. Twilight saw Rainbow’s eyes bulge, as hers had, and laughed when Rainbow’s jaw flopped open. “Can you believe this? I mean, think of how much this could be worth! Just the top slab alone could buy half the Wonderbolts, and-“

Her rant was stopped by a hoof in her mouth. Rainbow’s eyes were wide, shimmering with untold dreams of the Wonderbolts. Twilight could guess at what they entailed- having them perform privately for her, call her ‘coach’, hang out with her during work hours… the possibilities for such a fan were countless. Of course, Twilight’s dreams for the gold were different, more to the tune of fixing up the library, adding a new wing and buying every book ever printed… she was practically drooling.

“Uhh, Twilight? You’re drooling.”

Twilight smacked herself with a hoof, wiping the saliva off her snout. She blushed, embarrassed- but what could she say? That many books, all ready and calling to her, the crisp pages coming to life in her hooves-

“Twilight!”

“Augh!”

More spittle speckled the golden steps they stood on. She had to stop doing that.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rainbow hit her forehead as Twilight magicked away the spit, leaving a polished golden mirror for her to look in. She did so, winking; Rainbow winked back. Smiling, she turned away to see what was going on in the world of the unicorn. Twilight was observing the gold, tapping it with a hoof.

Her horn flared as she sent a little purple orb, smaller and darker than the first, into the gold. When it came back, her eyebrows shot up.

“What is it Twi? Something wrong?”

“Well… yes and no. That spell was one I learned in Canterlot- it lets me find the element of whatever I hit with the orb. But this… it came up blank. No element.”

“And?”

“Well, that means this slab of gold isn’t gold. In fact, it shouldn’t exist- it’s not made up of atoms of any element. It doesn’t make any sense,” she mumbled to herself, peering in at the faux-gold monument.

Rainbow churned that little bit of info in her head. So, the gold wasn’t gold- simple enough. But it wasn’t anything? That was a bit harder to swallow. There wasn’t anything about that in the Daring-Do books… in fact, all she could remember about this part was Daring Do leaving the pyramid room and escaping the temple. The writing was a bit skimpy there.

“Well, it’s not like we coulda carried it anyways. I say, we go the way Daring Do went- out of this room and out of this temple,” Rainbow suggested. She thought her argument was pretty convincing, but Twilight wasn’t exactly leaping off to the ground and out to the jungle, was she?

When she looked back at the stationary pony, she saw the mare open her eyes wide. She could practically see the gears turning in her head. Twilight slowly tilted her head up and turned her horn on Rainbow, whose eyebrows shot up in surprise. Her horn ignited a radiant magenta as her brow furrowed.

Rainbow dived out of the way as the purple orb flew to where she had just been. She hovered in place above the pyramid, panting.

“Twilight, what the heck!” she shouted, bewildered.

“I need to see if you’re made up of the right elements, Rainbow! I don’t know if you’re you!” she confessed, her voice cracking.

Rainbow wavered, wings fluttering in short bursts. Twilight was so… worried.

“Why did you just shoot it at me without warning me, then?” she persisted, pointing a hoof at the sphere gently bobbing where she had rested a short while ago. Twilight looked down sheepishly at the golden steps.

“Well, if you weren’t you, then you would’ve said no, but I would’ve had to check, and if you were really you and you said no it would be wrong to ignore your choice, but then I would never know if you actually were you or just-“

Rainbow’s hoof silenced Twilight’s rant. If she let her go on like this, she’d never stop- almost like another one of her friends, one she wouldn’t otherwise compare to if not for the never ending stream of words they both seemed to have behind a thin screen of public decency.

“Go, ahead Twilight; if you really care that much, I’ll let you check. I know I’m me, but if you wanna make extra sure… well, hit me with your orb or whatever. I’m ready,” she affirmed, putting a hoof to her chest as she floated next to her lavender friend.

Twilight looked at Rainbow with something akin to pride. Her orb flew back to her horn, shrinking and dissipating into the thin air.

The magenta light from Twilight’s first orb illuminated the face of Rainbow, at a loss again of what to think of this pony.

“Why didn’t you-“

“I know you’re who you say you are,” she interrupted. “If you were just some phantom Rainbow, you would’ve never let me hit you with the orb. That’s all the proof I need,” she expressed, grabbing in Rainbow for a hug. The pegasus struggled against it- it was totally not cool to get all mushy like this. But then she realized none of her friends were here to see her embracing her friend, no Wonderbolts scout seeing if she was made of tougher stuff, none of the stuff mares who hugged had.

So, she decided- for a few moments, anyhow- that she would stop trying to wriggle out of the clasp of Twilight’s forehooves, and just appreciate what her actions had given her.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

*A/N I had originally planned for a chapter a book, around 4000 words, but there's too much to write to force it like that. So, I think there will be three Parts for each of the the three books, and an epilogue(probably). A/N*

Book One: Part Three

*Musical Enhancement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8vJ_lMxQI&feature=related*

Twilight’s mind went into overdrive, trying to process hundreds of bits of information at once. Voices raged in her mind, vying for attention and control over her body.
Get the poison out of her, use your mouth, it’s the only way-
Use magic, it probably won’t harm her-
She’s going to bleed out before the poison even affects her! You’ve got to-
Quickly, just-
No, you need to-
SHUTUP!
The voices, so loud before, crumbled under the sheer might of her word.
Finally, her mind was so wonderfully, blissfully clear. She could actually think for once.
Quickly, though, the poison will surely kill her-
Surely the lacerations would render her lifeless far before the poison-
Maybe a spell that seeks out poison? Does a spell like that exist-
I said it once, I’ll say it again- SHUTUP!
The voices petered out, once again meek in the face of Twilight’s wrath. However, their argument hadn’t been completely pointless- it had given her an idea on how to save Rainbow. She sat on her haunches next to Rainbow, who lie still on the floor, hardly breathing.
She located the dart on her right flank, just above her cutie mark. Purple light enveloped the projectile, gently easing it out of Rainbow’s body and onto the floor. Upon closer inspection of the dart, Twilight had her prediction proven correct; some of the poison leaked out of the dart’s tip, a bright green tinged purple from her illuminative orb that still floated above her, bobbing about.
She levitated a tiny blob, the size of a raindrop, separating it from the dart and the rest of the poison. She would have to test this very fast. She channeled energy through her horn and the magic covering the small green drop grew brighter. The toxic goo on the dart started to gently float towards the rest of the poison, ignoring gravity for the time to join the rest of itself.
She dropped all but the tiniest bit of the substance and somewhat unsurely inserted her miniscule drop, still ensconced in her magic, into Rainbow’s bloodstream.
She let the natural currents of blood move her magic around, but she had no idea of it was working or not. All she could do was hold onto her bit and hope.
She noticed something was off though when she stopped feeling the motion of her blob. She felt a sudden shock, eyes shooting open to their widest.
Rainbow’s blood stopped pumping-
Should’ve moved faster-
Your fault-
Quick, restart her heart, it’s the only-
Could cause irreparable damage to her cardiovascular system-
Maybe if you-
Try to-
Wait-
...
...
Twilight Sparkle’s struggle to shut down the vocal parts of her mind had worked. She simply opened her eyes and looked upon the prone figure of Rainbow Dash.
Her chest still moved, and blood still trickled out of a small wound on her side.
Twilight let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. She walked around Rainbow to see if she could spot her glob- and there it was. It had been squeezed out of her system, slipping through one of her wounds. But it was noticeably bigger; more poison than she had thought was inside Rainbow was collected here, and Twilight was sure she had only gone through half of her veins. She threw most of the venom away and re-inserted the drop of death into Rainbow’s body. She made sure it didn’t slip out again, having it circle what she estimated about three times through Rainbow’s systems. She finally pulled it out where it had slipped out the first time. There was a collection of the poison there, converging upon the tiny speck that had been there before. She flung it violently at the wall.
Of course, Rainbow wasn’t in the clear yet. Twilight moved closer to Rainbow, searching for a heartbeat. It was slow, too slow to be healthy. She knew that Rainbow had lost blood, but this...
She worked quickly, stretching skin and using bits of her mane, solidified, to make hasty stitches on her sides. She smeared blood off her coat and dealt with larger holes. She winced, but it was the only thing she could do. She had no materials to make a bandage or anything of the sort, and if she did nothing Rainbow was sure to die.
She finally slipped the last piece of her mane through the loop, sealing the final gash on her back. Rainbow didn’t jump up, though, ready to take on another adventure. She lay still, her breathing coming more and more shallow as Twilight stood, tears brimming in her eyes.
She laid her head on Rainbow’s, closing her eyes as tears fell from her face into Rainbow’s multi-colored mane.
She whispered four words, silently, fervently, in Rainbow’s ear. She then closed her eyes and clocked out, the exhaustion, adrenaline loss and shock finally shutting down her body.
Silence filled the corridor, and finally, its user unconscious, the purple orb winked out of existence.
All that was left was a dark expanse that swallowed the two ponies that lay on the cold floor.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

*Musical Enhancement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWVij6r4QBw&feature=BFa&list=FL79UdXjbuQufp4MADnPgkXw*

Rainbow looked up from her book. She had forgotten to do something, but she wasn’t sure what…
The room around her was fuzzy, almost like the outlines of the walls of the library were nonexistent. The furniture around her seemed to meld together, losing its defining shape.
Weird.
The books on the bookshelf shifted colors, the letters on their spines shifting rapidly from one title to another. She felt warmth in her hooves and glanced down. The book she had been reading had shifted too, from blue to black and red. She hadn’t remembered what it was called before, but now it was entitled The Great Escape. She searched for an author, but the letters evaded her eyes, sliding around the cover like slippery little noodles.
She shrugged, her rainbow mane doing a bit of a flip on her shoulders. She opened the book, turning to the first page. It was devoid of any writing. But there was activity in the corner so she leaned close, squinting her eyes.
The page was being written on as she watched, words filling the previously blank space; but they danced around, unwilling to form sentences or paragraphs. Rainbow could catch a word or two among the moving jumble of letters; she had seen look, out, and side.
Rainbow’s eyes narrowed and she turned to where she thought the window was. It was a wall, adorned with fuzzy pictures of ponies she didn’t recognize. Again, before her eyes, the pictures were shunted to the side, nearly flying off their hinges. A door dropped into the space the paintings had left behind, and a window was carved out of the wall shortly after.
Rainbow shifted uneasily from one hoof to another, deciding on what to do. She shook her head, remembering that she was Rainbow Dash, and trotted up to the window with what looked like confidence.
Inside was a different story; she was uncharacteristically uncertain. The words had seemingly talked to her, and something wasn’t right about this whole scene.
She sidled up to the window, peering out through the windowpane. What she saw was not what she had been expecting in the slightest.
Outside the floating haven of the library, there was a vast, darkened space. She couldn’t see anything else in the expanse that seemed to consume the small light emitted by the sanctuary she resided in. There was nothing but black, empty space, for miles and miles and miles...
She became lost, looking into the void. She only recovered when she felt eyes on her- like the void had been staring back at her. She gave an involuntary shudder, lowering the curtains and turning from the haunting sight outside.
She began trotting back to the center of the main lobby, wanting to return to the book. Maybe it had more words she could see... and a way to get out of whatever this place was.
She stopped, halfway back to the table and chairs. How had she even gotten here? She didn’t remember flying to the library, or her customary crashes into one of its sides. Her nervousness increased as she found her mind blank, unable to remember much of anything. Her memory felt… empty.
Her eyes swept the room. Nothing seemed right- the chairs were too close together, and the fireplace had never been that big. As she recognized these things, they subtly shifted into place, the fireplace shrinking, the chairs separating. Rainbow started at this.
I can… change this room?
She tried again, picturing a Wonderbolt costume laid out on the floor in front of her.
The floor remained tauntingly blank, save for the polka-dotted carpet.
Polka dots?
The carpet swirled, shifting to stripes.
There we go.
Rainbow walked around the room, changing the room from her memories of the tree house turned library. The books stopped shifting places, hurrying into alphabetical order as she trotted past the many bookshelves. A skylight above her disappeared, and a telescope took the place of a steel grill embedded into the floor.
There was still something profoundly off about the whole thing, but the library was starting to look more and more like that Twilight’s actual home.
Twilight...
Twilight!
Rainbow spun around the room, looking for the studious mare. A sickening feeling of guilt and regret welched in her gut, making Rainbow feel nauseous. She had done something bad, something stupid… Twilight was in trouble.
Her ears twitched at a sound growing stronger; it sounded like a wind, picking up in speed and intensity. Rainbow ignored it and struggled to remember more, trying to picture Twilight as she had been when she had fallen… yes, she had definitely fallen…
The wind howled, seemingly angry at her for summoning those thoughts that had been before so lost. Rainbow extracted more and more thoughts, recalling the darkened tunnel. She was close, she could feel it... more images trickled into her mind, of spears, darts and arrows, sharp and deadly.
What had she gotten herself into?
She felt memories locking into place- a giant boulder, hundreds of snakes, and Twilight, laying on the ground, her shield fizzling into nothingness.
She remembered everything, a flash of brilliant light in her brain, the final puzzle pieces clicking together.
The wind gave one last shuddering, painful shriek- and stopped. The room and, by extension, the space around it, was completely and utterly silent save for Rainbow’s short breaths.
Was Twilight... dead?
Was she dead?
Rainbow collapsed to the floor, her face a mess of worry and grief. Her eyes refused to shut. It was that crucial refusal from her body that saved her. She noticed something, something she wouldn’t have noticed from the ground- books, dozens of them, were piled under the couches and chairs, out of view from a standing position. Rainbow knew, in the back of her head, that Twilight would never leave books on the floor.
And, like magic, the books slid out from under the furniture, joining their brethren on the bookshelves.
Another flashing light, this time in her face, blinding her momentarily. When she could force her eyes open again, she finally noticed what had seemed so off about the whole room.
It had completely lacked color, being simply black and white before Rainbow had made the final adjustment to the almost-real library until it matched the one in her memories.
Rainbow heard muffled hoofsteps and swiveled in the direction of the noise. It was emanating from the steps, and Rainbow was entranced by the figure walking down them.
It was Twilight, dressed in her Gala dress, makeup applied with finesse and skill. She descended the stairs with grace, locking eyes with Rainbow from across the room.
She closed the gap between them, standing above the pegasus who had been so previously without hope. She leaned in, close, close enough to touch Rainbow’s ear and send shivers down the mare’s spine.
“Rainbow...”
Rainbow could feel heat rising to her cheeks, sitting stock-still, inches from the mare who had rendered her silent.
“Please...”
Anything, Rainbow thought, unable to move her tongue or lips to form the words.
“Wake up...”
Rainbow’s eyes widened in sudden realization as the room around her slowly disappeared, like sand being blown away by the wind.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A Brief Interlude

Discord sat, sipping gently at his cold chocolate as he held aloft a green book, its cover so worn by time it was unrecognizable.
It was, of course, upside down- just how he liked it.
He drained his cups to the dregs and placed his book gingerly on the ceiling where he had been sitting cross-legged. He smoothly floated to the floor, flipping himself over while singing an old Earth pony tune. He stopping humming and gave a dramatic yawn, strolling over to the table where he was keeping his captives.
He leaned in to one- the letters flew about, forming pictures of the ponies he had magically trapped inside them. The first, the adventure- if you could call it that- book, showed a pony flying from a boulder, by the looks of it, with the other on her back. Easy enough,,, maybe he’d send a present their way at some point, just to spice things up.
The second- oh, exciting! Fluttershy was sprinting down the hall, a knife embedded in the door behind her!
The mare chasing her looks furious!
And the third... hmph. Boring. It was just the two Earth ponies walking on a shabby little dirt road- not nearly as interesting as the others.
Well, he would do his part to ensure that this world would be as full of chaos as the one he was dreaming of soon. He focused intently on the book, moving his hands and shifting his eyes rapidly, changing the very foundation of the book itself.
Sure, it’s making the binding unstable...
But what’s the fun in being stable?

*-*-*-*-*-*

Spike’s eye retreated from the keyhole, having captured all it needed to know.
He knew this was his chance- while Discord was distracted, he’d bust out of the closet and escape, getting the help of the rest of the town to get rid of Discord!
Of course, he’d been telling himself that ever since Discord was distracted by reading, or locking up Owloysius in a cage and dressing him in a bunny suit, or curling his eyebrows. Each time, though, he’d backed down.
Mainly because he’d seemingly made Twilight and her friends disappear completely, and after seeing them bound and gagged like that... well, Spike felt sick to his stomach.
He knew he had to be brave, but... it was too dangerous to be brave. He found himself thinking, yet again, of a heroic rescue by one of the princesses, or Big Macintosh, or even Applebloom! Anypony to get Discord out of the Library and back into stone.
Of course, sitting and wishing for somepony to help wasn’t going to do much for his friends...
He had to do it! For real, or he might never see his friends again!
He had to do it, soon! In maybe a minute! Or a few!
He slid against the keyhole again, debating the pros and cons of opening the door. Meanwhile, Discord was enjoying himself, swapping titles from book to book to aggravate the librarian if she were to return from her journey into literature.

Book One: Part Four

Well, if I wasn’t dead before, I am now, Rainbow mused. She could feel her muscles shifting her eyelids up and down, but there was no change in light from closed to open. She tried turning her head, but stopped as a jolt of pain struck in her neck.
OK, so, maybe I’m alive.
Rainbow opened her eyes again, a sudden bout of clarity giving her something to focus on again. She had seen light from farther back in the tunnel, and if they were still there, than the light should still be there.
She slowly turned her head, ignoring the pain that begged for her attention. She couldn’t tell if it was more sparks in her eyes, or if she was seeing light... but if it was light, she was alive.
Which meant Twilight was still here. And she needed Rainbow’s help.
She made to get to her hooves and look for Twilight, but she realized there was a heavy weight blocking her from getting up. She looked down, squinting with all her might to try and make out a form from the darkness that threatened to take her if she forgot that light was still there.
It didn’t work.
She went to plan B- she lifted a hoof unladen with the weight, and placed it on the form that lay across her. She could feel something soft, warm, and shifting, ever so slightly. Her hoof glided along the surface- it was fur, she could feel it. Her hoof hit a horn- Twilight’s, by no doubt.
She recalled her hoof, unsure if it was acceptable to be touching a unicorn’s horn... especially when they were asleep. It brought a little red to her face, even if she couldn’t see the color.
Her mind’s gears churned, though- had Twilight fallen asleep on her? From what she had seen, Twilight was so weak she couldn’t even hold up her shield. They were both in a rough state then; Rainbow had flown through all those spears, arrows, darts, and she was sure Twilight was passed out from trying to keep going the whole time. The unicorn had never worked out all that often, something she probably regretted now.
Of course, Rainbow mused, it could be worse.
She rather liked the rhythmic sound of Twilight’s breathing- now that she could identify the quiet noise- coupled with her comforting presence by her side. Maybe it was because she was light headed from taking so many hits, but Rainbow actually felt ok, sitting here with Twilight splayed across her hooves.
It could be worse.
Definitely.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Twilight was roused by a snore, which was, needless to say, unexpected for Twilight. It also provided her with the knowledge that her friend was at least ok enough to sleep, and snore. A wave of relief flooded through her- she had saved her friend, somehow. A smile played across her features.
You did a good job, kid-
Saved her life-
Snoring, best sound all week-
Twilight groaned.
Please, not now.
...
Alright.
But don’t forget about us!
We’re useful in a pinch.
More like I am-
Sure, ‘use your mouth’-
Coming from ‘your fault’ over here-
It was stressful!
I asked nicely... please don’t make me get angry again.
Got it.
Adíos.
See ya next time someone almost dies.
...
...
Twilight was finally free from those voices. Maybe she was crazy, but the loudest one was right- in a pinch, it was like having four ponies working on a problem at once. Sure, they’d fight like any other pony, but they were still on her side.
She thought back to the first time she had heard them, after her victory over Nightmare Moon...

*-*-*-*-*-*

Twilight lay on her bed, satisfied with her current state of affairs. She had five great new friends, nothing to keep her from taking a well-deserved rest, and even Spike was being more compliant than usual. She was almost into the dream world when she thought she heard somepony- or ponies.
Well, she seems to fit the bill for a new Bearer-
How long’s it been since it’s been a mare? Maybe four, five-
Skills might even rival Celestia, for her sake-
“Hello? Who’s there?”
Oh, I don’t think she realizes we’re in here-
Sure was traumatizing for me the first time-
We should break it to her easy, I think-
“Who are you ponies? Burglars?”
You don’t have to speak out loud, dear-
We can hear you just fine if you think-
Always worked for me-
Think?
That’s it. No need to wake up others-
Best to keep this a bit of a secret-
They might think you’re insane, otherwise-
Oh Celestia, I’m going crazy.
Not quite, my lady. Really-
I think I might be better at explaining it-
Both of you hush, I’ve got this one-
Who’s been here longer? You, or-
I have, actually-
Please! Even if I’m not crazy, all of you talking at once are going to make me so!
Ok, ok, sorry. Look guys, just let me talk-
Ok-
Alright-
Ok, dear, listen up- you are the new Element of Magic. You are truly a pony of great magical skill. And, being the Bearer, you get a few... uh-
Surprises-
Yeah, that’ll do. You see, each Bearer of the Element of Magic makes a small copy of him or herself and puts it in the Tiara. The Tiara grows in power, and the next Bearer can get helpful advice from the past Bearers, such as myself-
Or me-
Or I-
But only the past four or so. You only hear three because four Bearers back, the Bearer didn’t put a copy of himself in, selfish rug-
Back on topic, Mae, only in a pinch will we show, or when we need to tell you something important. We won’t be in here all the time- trust me, I know how annoying that would be. Why, when I was a bearer they were in there for hours at a time-
It was bloody fun too-
Didn’t let you sleep sometimes-
But I thought the Elements were only used by the Princesses up until Luna, well, you know.
One might think that, surely, but Celestia calls upon new Bearers whenever a crisis arises. And boy, do crises ever arise in Equestria-
Remember when the giant bear almost destroyed half of Canterlot? You were crying in my head I swear-
Or that ‘cosmic jellyfish’-
Cosmic Jellyfish?
Maybe another time. dear-
Yeah, you should sleep-
If you ever need us though, or want to talk, just call our names-
Though we’ll usually be there before you ask-
True, but just think of Maelin-
Bartimaeus-
And Jarrin-
...
How odd the silence seemed, after having pretty much a get together in her head. She wasn’t sure if she was crazy or not, but her bed was calling to her.
Best to listen to that inanimate object, rather than the Tiara.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

She shook her head, pulling herself out of her memories and focusing on the more important thing- Rainbow.
She lifted her head off a surprisingly comfortable and warm stone floor -how unexpected- and channeled a tiny spark of magic to bring back her orb and light up the corridor.
When the light hit her eyes, she found herself snout-to-snout with a sleeping Rainbow.
She immediately jerked her head back, a bit of a shock rousing her from her sleepy state completely. She hadn’t been expecting that, either. Had what she thought was the floor been-
A yawn interrupted her thoughts. Rainbow opened her eyes, a glint of magenta showing from behind her half-closed lids.
“So, you’re finally awake.”
Twilight’s rational mind thought of a witty comeback, perhaps something about how Rainbow was just snoring a second ago. But her body acted on impulse- this was a friend she thought dead, up until she had just woke up.
So, she grabbed Rainbow in a big, glomping hug.
“Woah, woah, Twilight! It’s good to see you too!”
Twilight’s rational mind was still demanding the spotlight, but she held on the hug for a second longer.
“I thought I’d lost you...”
Rainbow pulled back from the embrace, confusion clear on her features.
“Lost me? What do you mean, lost me?
“Well, after I pulled the poison from you, you still weren’t waking up, and-”
“Poison?! There was poison in me?”
“Well, yeah! I had to get it out of you! From the dart that stuck itself in your flank!”
“Ohh...” Rainbow whispered. “Maybe that’s why I passed out. But weren’t you collapsed on the ground when I came to save you?”
“What? No, I was resting for a second. I got too tired to run after you, once you left me behind in the tunnel.”
“Oh yeah... about that...”
“Yeah?”
“Sorry.”
“You almost got both of us killed! And I only barely saved your life!”
“I didn’t remember there were spears! And I don’t think there were poisonous darts in the book, either.”
“Well, we are up against Discord.”
“Yeah...”
Twilight took a moment, still resting against Rainbow’s prone form. But she knew what had to be done, and she forced herself to get up and get to work.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Twilight lifted herself off Rainbow, and the mare could finally let out a little sigh. Sure, Twilight had been kind of nice on her hooves and stomach for a bit, but they were really starting to feel the pressure.
Again, the thought that Twilight didn’t exercise regularly came to mind.
And it was just a quickly ejected from her mind when she noticed Twilight, whose eyes were roaming all over Rainbow’s body, tracing the curves of her flanks and belly.
“Um, Twilight?” she squeaked, heat returning to her cheeks. “What are you doing?”
“Oh,” she said, obliviously, “I’m just checking your bandages. I wasn’t exactly tip top shape when I did these.”
“Oh... ‘k.” Rainbow accepted, cursing her mind for going off like that again. Why would Twilight, of all ponies, try to catch a look at her flanks?
Especially so obviously.
“Roll over, please.”
Rainbow complied, presenting her back to Twilight and her purple light. Her ruminations continued, however.
Why was she getting all blushy- faced around Twilight all the sudden? Was it because of that dream?
Its vivid experiences all came rushing back- from that empty void, the howling shriek... and Twilight, in her finery, close enough to kiss...
Kiss? Ok, I’m going crazy.
What in Equestria made that word come to mind? I could’ve said a hundred other words, but I choose kiss?
And all the sudden, unbidden, an image came to her mind- Rainbow and Twilight, nestled under a tree, mouths perilously close to each other’s-
She put a stop to that mental trainwreck before it went any further.
“Rainbow? Are you ok? Your face looks hot. You might have a fever from the poison, let me feel it.”
She mentally facehoofed, the heat deciding to take up a permanent residence on her face.
“I’m fine Twilight, really-”
“No. You almost died, Rainbow. If this is something serious, I don’t want to leave it to chance.”
Her assertive tone made it clear she wasn’t going to take no as an answer, and Rainbow wanted to be up as soon as possible. So, she relented, and let Twilight put her purple hoof against her forehead.
Rainbow eyed Twilight’s reaction; it reminded her of when Twilight was trying to figure out just how much they would each have to pay if they split the bill 5 ways, or when she had to figure out how many books she had in her library while standing directly outside it.
“Well, you don’t seem to have a fever... and look, the red’s going away! Odd... probably just some of Discord’s magic at work again,” she decided, standing up.
“Yeah, Discord. Definitely,” she murmured, again trying to rise to her hooves. This time, she wasn’t stopped by her friend, and gave a much-needed stretch. It felt good to move again, and stretch her wings, and all of the other little intricacies only an athlete could understand.
She finally finished her warm ups and gravitated back to Twilight, who was contemplating the walls around them.
“Rainbow, some things aren’t adding up.”
“Really? I mean, we are dealing with Discord here. Second time I’ve had to remind you of that, Twi. I think you’re slipping.”
“Hush, Rainbow. I mean given what we’ve been given- a book.”
“So you agree with me then?” Rainbow interrupted, happy she’d won that little dispute.
“I agree that he’s placed us somewhere that is so familiar to that book in the series- whether or not we’re inside a real, paper book is still up to debate.”
“I don’t like to debate things, though.”
“Ugh... listen Rainbow, what I was trying to say was that a book is a very linear experience. Things happen, and you turn the page. But when you went backwards in this tunnel, it was like you were turning the pages backwards. The events happened again- the arrows and darts, for instance.”
Rainbow mused over that. There could be infinite darts, bucketloads of the stuff that had completely shut her down. It wasn’t exactly reassuring.
“And my theory is, the more that happens, the less stable the book becomes. Look,” Twilight commanded, bringing her attention to a segment of the wall. It was the usual drab gray of the rest of the tunnel, but the area around the hole where the dart came from looked... off.
“What is that, around the hole?”
Twilight didn’t lean in too closely, though- she apparently had already formulated a response while Rainbow was off, stretching.
“I think it’s the evidence for my theory. Look- it’s like static, on one of the televisions they’re coming out with.”
While Rainbow wasn’t too familiar with the concept, she knew what it meant really from the radio. Static on that meant not everything was getting through, so not everything from the book was getting through, either. She leaned in close to examine it- it was white that seemed to vibrate and buzz against the listless gray walls that surrounded them.
“Have you touched it yet?”
Twilight turned and gave Rainbow a confused look.
“Why would I touch it?”
“Well, what else is there to do but look at it and guess? If you touch it, you’d know what it really does.”
Twilight sat with a hoof to her chin- she looked like she was contemplating Rainbow’s ideal of ‘just doin’ it’.
“Well, it could be dangerous, Rainbow. Did you consider that?”
“I’m one step ahead of ya, Twi.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Twilight was pleasantly surprised with Rainbow. She had already formulated a plan to figure out what to do with the static on the walls, and was implementing it while Twilight watched. Even if she was happy Rainbow was making her own plans, she was still watching her friend somewhat anxiously.
She had asked Twilight to cut off a snippet of her hair, with which Rainbow planned to touch the static. Twilight had complied, snipping off a bit of her purple locks for use in the experiment. She still had her doubts, however- it was clear just by her face she wasn’t exactly confident in this little plan.
“Rainbow?” she asked, her friend flinching. She had been slowly lining up the hairs with the static, and had been completely focused on that alone.
“What, Twi? I thought we already agreed this would be better than sticking our hooves in it or something like that.”
“I understand, Rainbow. I was just thinking- what if it’s like an electric current, and it goes through the hair into you?” she prompted, waiting for an answer from her chromatic friend.
“Twi, I think you’re worrying waay too much over this. Can we just-”
“I’d feel safer if you did though-”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine-”
“Rainbow, please-”
But her words fell on deaf ears as Rainbow lined up the hairs and pushed. They seemed to hit the wall for a second or two, bending in the middle, before disappearing into the white. Rainbow pulled back her hoof.
“Where’d the hairs go?”
“I... don’t know.”
Both ponies stared at the hole in the wall. Twilight thought it looked bigger, but decided not to voice her opinion to Rainbow, who was a little freaked that her hoof had gotten close to the wall that had sucked up the hairs.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Discord was busily swapping floor tiles with various terrains when he heard a soft popping noise. He turned, feet shifting in the sand, to the table where the books lay. There was something on top of the book- how odd. He waltzed over to the novels, swaying to some imaginary music in his head. He reached his destination and turned his imaginary boombox to low.
His eye captured a few purple hairs, and it took him a second to register it. It was Twilight’s hair.
All music was gone from his head. He had a task now- to figure out just how Twilight had broken out of the book.
Or, part of her, anyway.

Book One: Part Two

[A/N] Sorry for the long wait. I've been procasterbating and/or sick for a while, but here it is. Also, I feed on comments- so if you read this, leave a comment. Even if it's just a :D, or a :(. It's better to know how it's going even if it's a miniscule comment, and then I don't feel like I'm writing to room full of crickets. I've had my say- now read. [/A/N]

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Twilight walked in silence, her purple orb floating beside her. It emitted a constant glow and warmth that was opposites with the walls that surrounded them, their grey forms soundless and uncaring of their journey. The torches in this corridor had gone out, it seemed, so Twilight had been forced to keep up her light spell. It required little effort, but it was just another distraction on the pile. Twilight was really trying to formulate a plan to deal with the situation, but her light, hunger, and Rainbow Dash all contributed their bit to keep her unfocused.
In fact, Rainbow was really starting to get on Twilight’s nerves.
“Rainbow, do you have to keep flying all around of me? Why can’t you just fly at an even pace? Or walk with me?” she finally snapped, bringing Rainbow to a halt.
“Ugh… look, Twilight. I am so freakin’ bored. There’s nothing to do in here besides look at the walls or you. I can’t fly up and look around because of this stupid roof,” she pointed out, indicating the ceiling above her, “and it’s pretty much impossible for me to fly that slow. I can’t help it, Twi.”
Twilight rolled her eyes with a sigh, realizing it was impossible to deal with this speedster of a pegasus in a claustrophobic state. However, her sighs contradicted what she felt inside; she was highly motivated to get out of this tunnel and into the jungle, or wherever it led, just so she wouldn’t have to keep hearing the buzz of Rainbow’s wings shoot past her.
Her train of thought went to more desperate measures, such as putting Rainbow in a sort of stasis and floating the mare above her. However, she soon realized she could create a sort of bubble around her ears, creating a soundproof barrier. It’s the perfect plan, she thought. Now, I’ve just got to think of the rest of it.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

She couldn’t take it anymore. She had to do something, or she would explode. Doing laps to get her energy out was doing nothing for her, and she had been turned on mute by that purple unicorn, who seemed to be bopping along to some song in her head.
Rainbow landed impatiently on the ground, wings folding to her sides. She stood in front of the unicorn, who was busy jazzily trotting along, her orb swaying in time with her bobbing mane. Her eyes were closed and a small smile was glued to her face.
She bumped right into Rainbow, her eyes shooting open and their musical jaunt coming to an end. Her eyebrows creased in annoyance at the cyan pony blocking her way. She tried moving to the right, but Rainbow simply blocked her.
Finally, Twilight dissipated the bubble around her head, irate at the pony who wouldn’t budge in the claustrophobic space.
“What? What is it, Rainbow? I am trying to think of a plan to beat Discord and get back to Equestria,” the purple mare impatiently inquired.
“Well, that’s just fine and dandy Twilight, but I can’t take another second in this tunnel unless I’m shooting towards the end of it. Let me scout ahead,” Rainbow suggested, trying to make it sound more appealing to Twilight. “I could see where this tunnel ends, how far we’ve still got to go.”
“You just want to fly fast, don’t you Rainbow?”
Rainbow sighed, looking down.
“Yeah.”
Rainbow raised her head back at Twilight, who seemed to be weighing her options.
“As much as I’d like to stop hearing you buzz around, I can’t let you do it. You’d see basically nothing in the tunnel without my light, and if something happens to you up there I’d be too far back to ever help. “
“Twilight, you don’t get it! If I stay like this, I’m gonna explode! I gotta let these babies be free!” she begged, unfurling her wings. It was Twilight’s turn to sigh now, shaking her head softly.
“It’s too dangerous, Rainbow,” she implored.
“Danger is my middle name! There’s probably nothing up there anyways- I don’t remember Daring-Do being attacked by anything outta this cave, anyways,” Rainbow added. She started revving up her wings, but she could feel that magical tug on her tail again. She snorted, turning to face her captor.
“Just let me go, Twiligh-“
“Listen, Rainbow! Don’t go! We stick together, alright? If we don’t, we’re playing into Discord’s claws!” she explained. “You’re the element of Loyalty, for Celestia’s sake!”
Rainbow faltered. Her wings dropped to her sides reluctantly.
“Well, I…”
She paused. Twilight had a point, she guessed.
“Alright. Let’s just go,” she submitted, trudging to the edge of the circle of light provided by Twilight.
“Excellent!” clapped Twilight. She looked extremely pleased with herself.
This was gonna be a long tunnel.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Twilight was extremely pleased with herself. She had defused a potentially friendship-ruining moment, and she had some time and quiet to think of a plan. She went over what she knew, or thought she knew;
Rainbow was Rainbow, there was no doubt about that. She was herself, of course, and she didn’t feel any of the effects that she had felt the first time Discord had appeared before them. Neither did Rainbow as far as she could tell. She knew that the gold from that pyramid had no elements, and she hypothesized that the rest of the world, made of the same white stuff she had seen when she awoke, was likely the same.
Wherever they were, in a dream or, as Rainbow had suggested, a book, it certainly wasn’t a place that followed the guidelines of reality. That boulder chase had gone down with chilling accuracy from the book, but it was simply impossible to be in a book. She went with a much easier solution- Discord was recreating it, using chaos magic, after reading the book. Eventually it would show through. She simply could not believe that Discord somehow had the power to put ponies into books.
One last thought flickered through her mind, struggling to catch up with the train of thought, which had already left the station. If they were in a book or a startling recreation of one, then at the end would be Ahuizotl. Then, they would have to act the part of Daring-Do, and-
“Twilight, look! The end of the tunnel!”
Twilight ended her mind’s little presentation and glanced up, searching for the light promised by her friend. And lo and behold, the light shineth!
“That’s great, Rainbow. It doesn’t look too far away-“
“Great!” interrupted Rainbow, speeding off farther into the tunnel.
“Wait, Rainbow!” called Twilight, waving a hoof. It was pointless, however- she was up to her top speed without falling in a few seconds, now just a rainbow speck in her vision. She sighed, quietly. Rainbow could really be a piece of work sometimes. What if there was something outside that tunnel? She didn’t remember anything from the book, but Discord didn’t necessarily play by the rules, did he?
She realized that the distance was an illusion- she was much farther away from the entrance than it looked. She supposed it was from the light being the only thing shining in the gloom of the tunnel, which was only briefly illuminated as Twilight passed by. Twilight wouldn’t be able to help Rainbow if she got in trouble, and if something from the tunnel came at her…
She started sprinting.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rainbow let a smile slip onto her face as she gained speed. She was flying though the air, faster than anything that could come at her. She cut through the air like a multi-colored knife, leaving stunned bricks in her wake.
Of course, Rainbow knew the bricks couldn’t be stunned, really, but they were the only audience she had.
Rainbow thought back to her mind’s strong memories, sifting through numerous parties and adventures to find Daring-Do’s second escapade. She remembered sitting in the library, right by the fire, book laid out in front of her as she struggled to stay awake. She hadn’t felt that need to go fast; Daring-Do provided enough excitement without having to break any bones. Although her back had been killing her, she recalled with a quick laugh.
More importantly, she extracted the memory of the book itself. Most of the words came back with ease, but some parts remained shaky. She flipped past the first hundred pages or so until she hit her mental target. In the tunnel, Daring-Do had walked a long way to get near the end. Then, she had to dodge all of those spears that came out of the walls.
Something buzzed Rainbow’s side. She looked back, only to see a part of her coat was missing. Her head swiveled to the walls around her, checking to see what the disturbance was.
A spear flew over her head, causing Rainbow to flinch and duck in surprise. Part of her mane went with the deadly weapon. Rainbow battened down the hatches and made herself as small a target as possible. All around her, spears, then arrows, then even what she guessed were poisonous darts shot around her. Some weren’t even close; some missed by inches or removed even more of her coat, mane or tail.
Finally, she seemed to be through the trap section of the corridor. She paused to take a breath, gently floating in the air and checking for wounds.
She recoiled a bit from the sight of her own blood- one of the arrows and nicked her knee, causing a small rivulet of blood to trickle. It wasn’t anything major, and it was something Twilight could probably handle.
Again, Rainbow stopped. She realized with a start that she had left Twilight behind in the tunnel after flying off to the light. She looked forwards, seeing that the outside world was close, maybe a half minute of flying if she went fast. She turned back to the dark tunnel, seeing nothing but darkness. The floor was conspicuously empty off all the arrows, spears and darts that had been thrown at her.
Where are all the fallen arrows? And darts? And where’s Twi’s light?
She waited another ten seconds, but her mind was made up. She flew towards where she had came, preparing for the worst.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Twilight ran through the tunnel, deadly spears and poisonous darts bouncing harmlessly off her violet shield. Twilight thought and ran, which admittedly required skill as to not bump into something or pony while formulating a plan to defeat a chaotic creature that would gladly see her hit by one of the projectiles fired at her.
Hopefully, Discord had assumed they were smart enough to avoid that, but her opinion on Discord was slipping. The first time he’d come through town, he’d nearly destroyed their friendship and taken over. This time, though… he could’ve killed her, or Rainbow. That thought made her increase speed, shortening her shield size to reduce the energy she needed to keep it up.
Her frantic pace was tiring her out, however, and soon she was reduced to a jog. She tried to remember what that running book had told her the year before, on how to pace one’s self, but if Rainbow was in trouble she didn’t have time to pace herself. She tried to pick up speed, but collapsed into a panting mess on the floor of the passageway.
Twilight looked up to the sound of a fizzing shield. Her purple bubble of protection was fizzing out, her lack of energy making it impossible to keep it up. She shouldn’t have pushed herself so hard, she realized. Luckily she had stopped moving; it seemed the walls only had one shot at her. She allowed herself to rest, controlling her breathing and shutting her eyes.
So it was that she heard Rainbow, rather than saw her, come through the tunnel.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rainbow could feel tears at the edge of her vision, but she sped on. The cuts and nicks were more frequent, slowing her down as she tried to dodge the bolts shot at lethal speeds from the walls. She could sense her speed dropping, so she pushed herself. She thought she saw something purple ahead, but then it flickered and went out.
That was Twilight. And her shield just gave out.
Rainbow had never gone so fast without first diving as she did then. The arrows and spears were no match for her, left in the wake of her rainbow colored streak. Her vision narrowed to that section of the tunnel, where she could see a pony lying on the floor, barely moving.
Rainbow felt a sting in her side.
She crashed to the ground by the fallen pony and became still.
Silence once again filled the corridor, until a horrified shout echoed through the darkened space.
“Rainbow!”