The Gift

Chapters

The Summoning
The Unexpected
The Storm
The Offer
The Answer
The Party
Patchwork Needle pt. 1

The Summoning

The sun shone blindingly upon their heads, with all the strength if possessed just before going into hiding.

An unicorn and a pegasus trotted at a seemingly lackluster pace, compared to their friend, an earth pony advancing with hurried steps, her hooves raising a cloud of dust that set her friends in a coughing daze, a small dog running at her side, tongue happily clinging off her mouth.

“Wait, Applejack!” Twilight screamed, breathlessly, her horn emitting a purplish glow. With a white flash, she appeared in front of the charging pony, whose speed and strength pushed the hapless unicorn forward.

“Ain’t no time fer that, Twilight! We gotta’ round up them bulls now!”

“Yes, I know, but, look…” Twilight gasped as she saw no sign of Fluttershy behind them. The timid Pegasus had been left back five minutes ago, huffing as she struggled to catch up. She wasn’t in bad shape, despite not being very physical, but she had been moving around the whole day, attending some bunnies that had eaten a bunch of bad vegetables.

“Pinkie…” Fluttershy sighed, following two pairs of hooves that abruptly turned into one, much to her confusion.

Twilight teleported again, turning to run at Applejack’s side, as a huge dust cloud rose just before them, the stamping of hooves growing louder.

The work pony gestured at her partner to go the left, and left Winona at the back of the stampede, aligning herself at the right. The dog barked loudly and both ponies hushed the bulls from the sides, the charging animals protesting in earnest, Twilight saved from a raging bull once by a quick intervention of Applejack and her lasso.

Finally the herd was pushed back into the proper path for them to follow, rapidly disappearing into a dust cloud in the distance. Twilight collapsed right there, her chest going up and down. Applejack and Winona watched the bovines run into the horizon, Fluttershy catching with them soon after. She stopped to catch her breath, panting.

“Thanks… Celestia… this is… over” puffed the strained Pegasus.

“Yeah” answered Applejack, angrily. “That Pinkie Pie. How can she come across a raging bull stampede making that ruckus o’ her? Ah’ll be havin’ a word with her, that’s right.”

The three ponies returned to Ponyville, breaking ways at Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight returned to the library at a leisure pace, feeling she would never make it, but there it was. She let herself in, being received by Spike, who greeted her enthusiastically, as well as by Owloysius’s hoots. The baby dragon approached here

“Hey, Twilight, listen!”

The mare raised a hoof, interrupting “Not now, Spike”

“But,Twilight!”

The unicorn ignored him, climbing upstairs to her bedroom, falling asleep as soon as she made it into bed. It was around seven o’clock when she woke up. She rubbed her eyes, a big yawn escaping from her mouth, and left her bed, coming down the stairs. Spike was sleeping on a chair, his head upon the table, her pet owl watching over him. At his side, a sealed letter waited for her. She opened it and read

My faithful student, Twilight Sparkle

My sister, Princess Luna and I require your presence in Canterlot as soon as possible. Once you have read this letter, please send me your answer and we will send a carriage for you.

Princess Celestia

The unicorn blinked, unsure of what to think; she pondered what would give the Princesses such hurry. She read the letter again, and quickly wrote her own response. An angry woken up Spike and a sent letter later, Twilight sat beside the window, looking at the sun shining, partially obscured by some clouds. She wasn’t sure if it was meant to be a cloudy day, but neither the weather pegasi, nor her friend Rainbow Dash were anywhere to be seen.

She trotted away from the window, deciding to make breakfast for everyone, in an attempt to pass the time, finding very little success. She munched absent mindedly into a sunflower sandwich, and then sat down with a book.

The flap of wings heard outside finally awoke her from her thoughts as the white chariot pulled by equally white pegasi landed at her door. She left Spike in charge of the library and left for the castle.

As the vehicle rose in the air, heading for its destination, the purple unicorn found herself increasingly distraught, her mind unable to conjure just what could inspire that urgency. Every second that passed seemed to her like an hour, grains of sand falling with unbearable slowness through the hourglass small hole.

Finally they landed in front of the castle. She hurried to the doors, being greeted there by the guards who immediately allowed her inside. She was then showed the way by another of the guards who stood inside waiting for her, and took her to the Royal Hall, leaving her at the door. She opened it, entering the room. The Royal Princesses stood at the other side, Celestia’s apprentice approaching them

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, I am pleased to see you again.” the unicorn greeted the sisters as she came to a halt before them.

“It is good to see you, Twilight.” the Sun Princess smiled, hugging her pupil. Twilight smiled and turned to meet the Moon Princess.

“We are glad to meet thee again, Twilight Sparkle.”

“As am I, Princess. I would like to see you again in Ponyville sometime.”

“We will see to that. For now, we have other things to discuss.”

A shadow fell upon Twilight’s face, obscuring her eyes. Her gaze wandered worried from one alicorn to the other.

“Has something happened, Princesses?” asked the mare, a grave tone affecting her voice. Celestia came towards her, smiling

“Oh, no, no, there’s nothing for you to worry about, Twilight. You see, Luna and I just want to give you a gift.”

“A gift?” The worried expression was swayed away to be replaced by a perplexed one “For me? Why? It’s not even my birthday, it’s…” the unicorn began chattering nervously

“Hush, Twilight, be calm. We just want to give something special to Equestria’s most magically talented unicorn.”

“Something not just given to anypony.” added Luna, in a calm but regal way.

Celestia’s horn shone brightly and then Twilight saw it. A small bag came levitating towards her, landing between her hoofs.

Twilight gazed at the small golden-colored bag, tied with a black string that lay before her

“Go ahead, my student. Open it”

Her magic pulled the string, opening the bag and revealing its contents. Inside it were some feathers. The white and dark blue feathers levitated in front of her with a white glow. She cast her mentor an inquisitive glance. The elder alicorn nodded.

”These, Twilight, are alicorn feathers. Feathers than my sister and I give to you, to be precise. They contain a trace of our magic. We want you to keep them and study them properly. We want you to increase even more your magical prowess.”

Twilight just stood there, speechless, staring at the white princess.

“Pri.. pri… princess.” she stuttered, unable to speak any coherent words. Tears soon rolled down her cheeks. “I… -the unicorn sobbed quite loudly “I don’t deserve this. You both are so nice with me… I…”

“Twilight Sparkle--” Luna began to speak, being silenced by Celestia negating with her head.

“Hush now, Twilight.” repeated Celestia, comforting the crying unicorn, who slowly regained herself. She stared at her mentor again, her eyes slightly red.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I… Thank you… I accept it…”

“That is very important for us, Twilight. With this gift, we recognize you as a greatly talented unicorn. And we give them to you in complete confidence that you will use with wisely”

“O.. of course, Princess!” The unicorn nodded hurriedly, hurting her head. “Ouch… I will treasure it”

“That’s all that matters, then. Also, you will need this”

A black covered book floated towards her. She caught it in her hooves. Alicorn Magic read the title. It was her key to understanding the feathers’ powers. She thanked both sisters again, profusely, and fell silent then. They were so kind… She still could not believe this… She packed the feathers and the book in the bag she carried with herself.

She waved a hearty goodbye to the Royal Sisters and departed again, pressing the bag against herself with all her might. By the time she got back to the Library it was midnight. She hurried back to her room, closing the door behind her with a loud thump

Dear Celestia… what a night…

Her heart thumped even louder. She could not get to sleep for a long time, staring at the ceiling. Finally, she slipped into dreams.

The birds chirping woke her up. The sun was already high in the sky, and she immediately got off her bed. The bag was still by her side, next to the book, and inside of it the feathers. She smiled contently, remembering yesterday’s events. She felt light. She could fly, she could sing. She couldn’t believe it yet. It was the most wonderful gift. A voice called her from downstairs

“Twilight! Are you up yet? Breakfast’s ready!”

She trotted happily to the first floor, heading to the kitchen, where Spike received her with some pancakes and oats. She hugged the small dragon tightly, getting all the air out of him.

“Gee, Twilight. What’s with you today? What was that business with Princess Celestia?” asked Spike, separating himself from the excited unicorn.

“Oh, Spike, I have the most wonderful teacher anypony could wish!”

A huge grin appeared in her face. Spike waved a claw “Yeah, right. Just get your breakfast, ok?”

Twilight got out the bag with the feathers, and showed them to Spike, who was amazed by it. She remained in her room the whole day, occupied in the book’s study. It was a very complicated matter, and she was sure it would take several weeks before she managed to decipher it appropriately.

She asked Spike to summon all her friends there tonight, and sure enough, just half hour before Luna raised the moon, a knock on her door startled her.

“Sugarcube, it’s us. How’r ya doin’?” Applejack’s voice reached her as she scurried towards her door to open it. And sure enough, all her friends were there. She smiled widely and motioned for them to get inside. Her room would be a little crammed, but it would suffice.

Her friends listened to her story, showing them the beautiful feathers, eliciting cries from Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity. Rainbow Dash attempted to play with them, before being scolded by Twilight. Rarity let out a loud gasp, covering her mouth with her hoof

“My dear, that is just the most amazing gift you could have received. It is simply fantastic.” Rarity,always the histrionic mare, let herself fall upon her friend’s bed, a leg on her forehead. “How nice from the Princesses” She let out a prolonged sigh. Everypony else just chuckled, even Fluttershy.

“I’ve been studying all day. It’s a complex process. It will definitely take time for me to get all the potential from the feathers. But I know I can do it”

-That’s great, Twilight!” Fluttershy beamed warmly at her, embracing her. “I’m so happy for you!”

“Thanks, Fluttershy” the unicorn smiled broadly.

“We all are, sugarcube. It is really a very nice thing they did fer ya” affirmed Applejack, joining the embrace

Pinkie jumped excitedly on her hind legs. “Yes,Twilight! We can even throw a party, no, WE HAVE TO GET A PARTY NOW.” With that, the hyperactive Pink Pony disappeared, to nopony’s surprise.

“You better make well use of it, Twilight. I’m expecting you to be such an awesome magic pony as I’m the best flier in all of Equestria!” the rainbow-maned Pegasus gave her a pretty strong pat on the neck, almost sending her to the floor.

“Be gentle, Rainbow Dash,” said Fluttershy, helping Twilight to recover.

“Yeah, sorry, Twi, you know I get excited!” the other Pegasus grinned sheepishly.

“It’s all right, Dash. I promise you and everypony that I’ll do my best effort”

Soon enough Pinkie had organized a small night party for the six friends and the small dragon, who enjoyed themselves greatly.

The Unexpected

Twilight Sparkle softly rubbed her forehead with a hoof, seeking to alleviate the slight headache her study has given her.

For the last couple of weeks, she had had an exhausting routine; studying the feathers and taking care of the library has left her with few moments to share with her friends and relax.

She took her mind away from Alicorn Magic and let her gaze wander off by the window. The sky shone blue, but some clouds were travelling over the horizon, pushed by some pegasi.

Coming to think of it, there has been a high presence of clouds over Ponyville for the last days, but it hasn’t rained too much. I’ll have to ask Rainbow Dash about this when I see her

Twilight went over to the kitchen and pours herself a cup of coffee, drinking the hot beverage slowly, feeling it raising her conscience a little. Trotting back to the table, she sees Spike put over it a plate filled with cookies, smiling at her.

“Hey, Twilight, it was about time you took a break! Look, Pinkie just sent these over so that we can enjoy them. She also says that you can go over Sugarcube Corner later, you haven’t gone out for three days now.”

“That’s right, Spike, I’m feeling a fair bit of weight in my head right now. I’ll make sure to take that break.” She nodded, taking a bite from a cookie, and passed another page, immersing herself in the book again while Spike chuckled.

Time kept its steady course, while Twilight studied and Spike organized some books, the little owl fast asleep in his perch.

Suddenly, the clouded sky rumbled and rain began pouring down, slowly at first and then increasing, raindrops hammering against the window, breaking Twilight’s concentration.

She let out an exasperated sigh and went up to her room, looking for some candles. She came down again and put some in the tables, lighting them, illuminating the extremely darkened room. In that exact moment, a hurried knock was heard from the door. She jumped in surprise, looking over there. The knock was heard again, louder. She rushed to the door and opened it, finding the Cutie Mark Crusaders soaked in front of her.

“Hi, Twilight “Can we come in?” Apple Bloom smiled, before sneezing loudly. “Ah’m freezin’… atchoo!”

Just after the school bell rang, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle got out of class, excited to finally being out, but mostly, happy to get away from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Both arrogant fillies had been even more insufferable that morning. Scootaloo almost lost herself, being at the verge of exploding, before being calmed by Sweetie Belle, preventing her from disrupting the class and making everything worse.

They decided to go over to their clubhouse at Sweet Apple Acres and decide what would be their plan for the day. They put out several ideas, but dismissed them, being too similar to past endeavors.

They pondered for some time, until Sweetie Belle broke the silence. She remembered about a device her sister had told her about, that earth ponies used to find gems. She had been given a second hand one as a gift; she didn’t need it, but she kept it, finding it interesting.

Sweetie had figured they could use it in order to make finding gems their special talent, since her magic was still very weak, and she couldn’t pull it off. The other two fillies looked at her for a little, before exploding in joy.

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS, GEM FINDERS, YAY!”

The three fillies immediately left the tree-house, rushing in haste towards Ponyville, not noticing the clouds that became bigger and darker over their heads. As they made it to the entrance of Carousel Boutique, they crashed one on top of the other –Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle--, with a thump that prompted Rarity to head over there and open the door, being received with the sight of the Crusaders attempting to disentangle from each other.

“What happened, girls?!”

“Nothing much, sis, we were just a bit rushed.” Sweetie Belle jumped in front of her sister. “Oh, listen, sis! We need that gem-finding device you have! We’re gonna be Cutie Mark Crusaders Gem Finders!” The filly bounced excitedly.

“Well, of course, dear, but…” Rarity began, looking at the dark clouds up in the sky. Before she could continue, a white blur passed by her side, coming back almost immediately, carrying a strange disc-shaped apparatus on her back.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, sis!”

“Thanks, Rarity!” added a couple of very high pitched,excited voices.

Before the fashionista could say anything else, a stumped look plastered on her face, they were out in a rush. At that moment, the clouds were already on the verge of breaking. Slowly, rain began to pour over their heads, falling harder every second. They stopped. Apple Bloom checked where they were. In front of them stood the Ponyville library and the three ran to the door, Apple Bloom pounding on it. After some moments, the door opened and Twilight greeted them. The red-maned filly asked if they could come in.

“Of course, Apple Bloom. Come here, before you catch a cold.” The three stormed into the building, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom sneezing, all three shivering. Twilight went to the kitchen to make some tea and Spike went to look for dry towels. Scootaloo looked at the book beside the feathers and signaled the others to come by her side.

“Hey, look at this! ‘An alicorn feather is a powerful catalyst of magic. Every one of them is imbued with the natural magical energy of this race. There has been very little on the way of investigation for this special magic, due to the difficulty of acquiring them...’”

“Alicorn feathers?” asked Apple Bloom. “D’ya reckon these are them?” she pointed towards the white and black feathers in front of her.

The three of them came close to take a better look at the feathers

“I don’t know, Apple Bloom. To me they look like run of the mill Pegasus feathers…” Scotaloo frowned, taking one and looking at it closely.

Sweetie Belle also took one on her hooves, and brought it near her eyes. A sneeze came in that moment, resounding in the whole room. Sparks appeared from nowhere, gleaming in the poorly illuminated room. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom fell on their legs and the feathers levitated by themselves. A shriek could be heard, and a blinding light was cast on the room,

Sweetie Belle was raised from the floor and floated in midair. Twilight and Spike appeared at the same time

“Girls, what’s…” she was cut off by an incredible surge of magic that sent everybody flying. Sweetie’s screams grew louder and more intense, until finally the light grew dimmer and dimmer and finally disappeared. The little filly fell on the floor, and her friends rushed at her side and gasped.

A pair of small wings, a white on her left side, and a blue one on her right side, had appeared out of the blue in Sweetie Belle’s body.

The small filly, feeling a weird sensation on her body, turned her look back and let a high-pitched scream as soon as she saw them.

“WHAT!”

The Storm

After Twilight was dispatched from the Royal Palace, the biggest grin etched to her face, almost jumping with delight, the Royal Sisters stood in the middle of the room. Luna gazed upon her older sister, who was sitting there with an unreadable expression in her face, silently. After about one minute of waiting, the little sister approached her elder, gently touching her cheek

“Wake up. Celestia. You are worried about Twilight Sparkle, we know. But you know she is the most accomplished magician Equestria has seen in recent times, she will be up to the task. And if something does go wrong, she has the best mentor, and friend, that anypony could ask for”

Celestia stared into the void until she shook her head and nodded to her sister.

“You’re right, Luna. We can only hope for the better and trust her”

The elder mare left the room for her sister to begin Night Court, heading for her chambers to rest.

The library shook violently. Books and other objects flew around everywhere, forcing Scootaloo and Apple Bloom to duck and flee, the windows were opened and strong air currents filled the room, letting the water inside.

Spike appeared from a door. “What the hay is happening?” He attempted to come nearer, but the force of the wind kept him from advancing. Twilight appeared from another room.

“Girls, what’s all that…” She was cut off by the wind causing her mane to stand up. The rain coming inside caught her attention immediately. “Spike, close the windows right now!”

Before she could say or do anything else, another worry entered her mind as she looked into the main room, after hearing screams. She could see Sweetie Belle in the middle of all the chaos, floating somehow, sneezing strongly. Each sneeze carried magical energy that disrupted something.

“Sweetie Belle... what’s… what’s happening?!” Twilight had to scream to get her voice through the wind currents.

“I… I don’t know, Twilight. I’m scared…” The filly broke into sobs at that moment. Twilight began to advance slowly, battling the strong barrier to reach Sweetie Belle.

The white unicorn sobbed harder among sneezes, unable to control herself. Her mind carried all kind of thoughts

I don’t want to be here… I want to disappear now… Another sneeze was accompanied by a strong flash of light and after that, Sweetie Belle disappeared from the library. All the floating books fell to the floor, the wind stopped blowing and soon, everything came back to normal. Twilight looked around, but she couldn’t see Sweetie Belle anywhere.

“Sweetie…?”

The darkness was unbearable. Had she gone blind? How could that be? She sneezed again, and felt the currents that arose, though not as strongly as they had before, still made her shake with cold. She shook the water off her mane and hide. Her whole body ached, and she felt sickeningly warm. At that moment, she slowly opened her eyes, taking in the light from her surroundings. As she could finally appreciate where she was, she realized that she didn’t know where it was.

A long path unwound both in front of her and behind her, as long as her sight could reach, flanked by large trees at either side. She looked at some; they did not seem to bear any fruits. Her gaze turned back at the path. She trembled at this unknown sight. She didn’t know where she was, where to go or who to call. The sobs came again, with the sneezes, though thankfully nothing seemed to be happening now.

After some minutes had passed, Sweetie Belle calmed herself, stopping the tears and looking at the horizon. The worried look in her face gave way to a determined one, and she began trotting slowly along the path.

The inside of the Ponyville library was rustling with activity. Spike rushed around picking books up and putting everything in order. Twilight, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were at the kitchen, where the elder mare prepared some tea in order to calm herself as much as the trembling fillies beside her. Scootaloo sobbed strongly, whilst Apple Bloom used a wet towel to wash her face.

“What happened to Sweetie Belle, Twilight? We were looking at the feathers that were at that table and… and then she sneezed, and then she sprouted a pair of wings, that was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen, and then…”

“Calm down, Scootaloo. Come on, you two, drink this hot green tea. It will help you relax”

Both received the cups Twilight offered them and drank the warm infusion. Soon the trembling stopped. After finishing the drink, the three mares went back to the main library.

“So, you were looking at the feathers, and then Sweetie Belle sneezed and suddenly sprouted these white and blue wings, and disappeared,right?”

Apple Bloom nodded. Scootaloo was trotting around the library, an air of nervousness floating around her. Twilight looked around the library, still largely a mess.

“Spike, look for a parchment and report this to Princess Celestia. We need to find Sweetie Belle soon”

The baby dragon left some books on a nearby table and hurried off upstairs. Twilight walked around the tables, looking around them, Apple Bloom following her.

“What’re ya doin’, Twilight?” the youngest Apple asked with curiosity

“I’m looking for something that Sweetie Belle may have left, a hair, or a… feather, that may let me find her easily”

She continued scanning through the place, Apple Bloom and Scotaloo checking other places. Spike came down from the stairs, waving to them.

“The letter’s been sent, Twilight!”

“Thanks Spike. Now we’ve got to wait for the Princess’s answer”

Sweetie Belle stopped in her tracks. The air was beginning to get cold, her whole body could feel it, but there was a sensation she had never felt. In a flash, the sight of a pair of white and blue wings on her back came to her and she gasped, turning to look at her back. The small –though bigger than Scootaloo’s-, blue wing at her right side appeared before her eyes. She looked at them hard and long. Hanging at her sides, the new appendages did not cause her any weird feeling except for the sensation when they were touched by the wind.

She had never looked too much at Pegasi flying through the sky. It was not her department, though Scootaloo always pointed the cool things they could do, and never missed Rainbow Dash crossing fast and unbound. Scootaloo herself didn’t have much in the way of flight, using her scooter as a replacement to feel the adrenalin filling her small body. Oddly, Rarity recently scoffed at the idea of flying, despite the fact that she had looked up at the sky once or twice in the past, and declared envy for the Pegasi strolling in the sky, but had refused to tell her anything.

She attempted to flap her wings, but no movement came from them. A slight scowl appearing in her face, she pushed harder. A small flap came, followed by another and she rose some inches from the floor. Her mind was swept in a wave of ecstacy, despite the small distance. Her wings locked up and her body was sent crashing against the floor, increasing the pain in her body. She lifted herself, standing back in four legs. Sweetie Belle started to trot again, slowly, her head hung down.

My faithful student, Twilight Sparkle

I am currently occupied with very important business of the Kingdom, but I will be with you as soon as I am free to do it. Do not be anxious, my little pony

Princess Celestia

She sighed as she finished reading the answer Spike had given her. The small dragon had taken to retrieve books again. Fortunately, few books had been damaged by the water. The Princess would take some time to come back, and the rain had stopped finally, which left her with only one duty right now: to inform Rarity. With the other Crusaders on tow, she marched towards Carrousel Boutique

She wasn’t sure if she had picked the right way to Ponyville. She had seen some clouds in the distance, so she decided to head towards there. The path went straight, not branching anywhere, and for the little filly, seemingly eternal. Time passed, the sun was now low in the sky, and the colors of dusk tinted the sky. She loved those colors, often taking time to delight in time when she had an evening off from Crusader antics, but now they signaled worries.

She felt pain everywhere, her head ached sharply, the air was colder than ever and her stomach rumbled. She did not drop a single tear, however. She stopped in the middle of the path again and considered her situation. Nopony, not even a Pegasus, had passed by in the time she had been walking. She had no doubt than Rarity and her friends would assemble a searching party for her. But she doubted they could find her easily.

She sat on her haunches, front legs between her back legs, and looked to the sky up again. She liked to sing sometimes, to relieve herself from the stress that overwhelmed her. Closing her eyes, she sung; losing herself in the heart of melodies her sister had taught her, letting her voice carry away all the worries, lift her spirit, until she could not go on anymore. She stopped, opened her eyes, and got on her four legs again, with her spirits renewed, ignorant of the appearance of a mark in the shape of a musical notation in both of her flanks.

Twilight, Rarity, Spike, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo rushed back to the library after picking up the white unicorn and explaining her the situation. She had been uneasy since her sister had gone out and that rain had begun to fall, and now she was worse. Celestia had sent a letter indicating she would meet them in Twilight’s home. A few minutes after they arrived, the stress inside could be felt as soon as one got inside. Everybody sat still, until finally a white shine announced the Princess’ arrival. Inmediately they gathered around her, babbling and crying, and she had to raise a hoof to silence the group.

“Be calm, my little ponies. Spike explained everything to me in the letter, and I’m sure I can find her quickly and bring her home safe. Everything will be fine, Rarity. I can track her through the connection with my magic”

The nervous mare nodded, taking some breaths to compose herself. .Celestia lifted her head, raising her horn, which began to shine with a yellow light, and closing her eyes. After some moments, the shine disappeared, and she opened them again, smiling. Not saying a word to the ponies, she disappeared in her flash of white light.

Exhausted almost until the point of falling down, Sweetie Belle went by the road, thinking all the time of the ponies back at home, wondering if she would ever see them again. Night was almost total in the sky, only a feeble line of sunlight could be seen in the horizon. She sighed weakly.

You’ve done well, Sweetie Belle. Now everything will be fine

The small filly was taken aback by the sudden voice talking to her, and then the orb of light that appeared in front of her revealed Princess Celestia, her horn illuminating the dark road. Sweetie Belle let out a little scream of surprise and approached her.

“Princess, you’re here! I was beginning to think…” Sweetie stopped half sentence, beginning to sob again. Celestia covered her with a protective wing.

“I’m here now, my dear. And it’s time to come back home”

Sweetie Belle nodded silently, and they both disappeared.

The Offer

The strong smell of chemicals received her as she came back from deep slumber, finding herself in a small bed, covered by white sheets. Looking carefully around the room, her head and body still aching, she discovered this was a hospital room, white walls all around, a plastic hook suspended from one of them, an empty liquid bag hanging from it, and a little closet on the other side. She rolled uncomfortably on the bed, bothered by the feeling of the wings at her sides. Would she ever get accustomed to them? As it stood now, she severely doubted it. Thirst and hunger suddenly assaulted her, her stomach rumbling loudly, her throat dry and hurting.

There was nopony in the room. Getting up from the bed, she noted her dizziness. At the night table besides her bed there were a jug of water and a small glass, alongside a small brown bottle and a spoon. She reached for the glass, filling it and drinking the cold water with enthusiasm. She heard then the hoofsteps by the corridor, the familiar voices approaching and saw a couple of shadows at the other side of the door, which opened to let her sister in, followed by Twilight. Rarity beamed as she approached the bed and covered Sweetie Belle in a warm, sisterly embrace.

“You’re finally awake, Sweetie! Oh, how relieving… How do you feel? Do you need something?”

“It’s ok, Rarity, I already drank some water.” answered the younger sister, her voice a little weak. The other occupant of the

room then smiled at her

“Hello, Sweetie Belle.”

“Hello, Twilight, nice to see you. Rarity, I think could do with another glass, after all” Her throat’s sore came back almost instantly, talking seemed to strain her.

Rarity complied instantly, reaching her the refilled glass, as Sweetie sat at side of the bed looking at the two elder mares.

“Do you know what happened to me?”

“Princess Celestia has given us the basic notions, but she asked that we waited until you recovered completely so we could have the complete rundown, and she mentioned some other things.” said Twilight, her face contorted in a thoughtful expression. She rubbed her chin with her hoof. Sweetie chuckled a little; the studious unicorn was already getting lost in her own little world. Rarity put her hoof on her forehead, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

“Your fever has mostly subsided, though there is still some lingering. Here, drink this.”

The bottle and the spoon were covered by Rarity’s light blue shine, as she opened the bottle and poured some of its contents into the spoon. Sweetie received the spoonful, sticky reddish syrup. At least it was no bitter medicine; she drank it in a gulp. “Thank, sis.”

“You’re welcome, sis.” Rarity beamed at her, driving her to blush slightly. When was the last time they had passed some quality time since the Sisterhooves Social? She’ll have to talk to her.

“Ok, girls, I’m gonna bring the Princess here now that Sweetie Belle’s awake. Be right back.” She left the room, leaving the sisters alone. Rarity smiled complacently at her.

“So, how are you feeling now, dear?” She cast a glance at Sweetie’s sides, her smile disappearing briefly. “You know, if you were going to sprout wings all of a sudden you could have chosen a less mismatched appearance, they just simply break your wonderful symmetry!”

Sweetie Belle scowled at her. “It’s not like I wanted to sprout wings, Rarity.” Her snout formed a pout. Her sister looked at her again, her scowl replaced by a pained apologetic smile.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Sweetie. I just can’t assimilate all this yet. But you should feel happy, too!”

Sweetie’s scowl was swept away, replaced by a confused look on her face. “Why should I feel happy? Because I sprouted two inexplicable, mismatched and useless wings?” She felt her voice raising, hurting her throat, causing her a fit of cough. Rarity reached her another glass and then looked at her, in amazement.

“You mean you haven’t seen yet, Sweetie?“

“What in the hay are you talking about, Rarity?” She felt sicker now and her mood wasn’t helping things.

“Well, dear, just look.” Rarity pointed at her hips. She lowered her eyes, which came to stop at her flank, and there it was. Her white hide was adorned by a black mark, shaped in the form of a treble clef, covering almost half her flank.

A bubble burst inside of her at that moment, loud and enormous. Her anger, pain and tiredness were blown away by the revelation. The filly jumped from her bed and skipped around, oblivious to the gasps of her elder sister, who was thrown to the floor. “I’VE GOT A CUTIE MARK, I’VE GOT A CUTIE MARK!”

She bounced and jumped, loudness echoing in the walls, a distraught Rarity unsuccessfully trying to contain the white ball of happiness trouncing around. The room’s door opened again and Nurse Redheart, Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle came in. The pink-maned nurse, her jaw squared and her trot light, approached Sweetie Belle and looked into the filly’s eyes. The bouncing stopped.

“Miss Sweetie Belle, you as well as the other patients in this hospital are in need of quiet, tranquil repose, and I’d like to ask you to keep yourself contained. Do I make myself clear?” The mare’s tone was normal but firm, clearly marking her words as something that must be heard. Sweetie sat at her bed again, and looked at her newly discovered Cutie Mark.

The memory of that song she had performed for herself when she was walking the path came to her. She liked to sing sometimes, when nopony was near, to dispel away her worries or simply for fun, like when she accompanied Fluttershy in her lullaby. The pegasus hadn’t seem very receptive that time, though. She had never really put much into it, until that moment. In the verge of breaking, her song had helped her carry all her sadness and despair away, had given her new hope and the strength to carry on. Is that what it meant to find your Cutie Mark?

Sweetie lay in her bed, looking at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts. A head appeared in her field of vision, revealing Princess Celestia, her amicable smile directed at her. She hadn’t really taken notice of the ruler’s presence in her room, and sat straight on the bed’s corner, looking at the alicorn.

“Hello, Sweetie. Are you feeling better today?”

“Yes, Princess. Thank you. Thank you for saving me.” She bowed deeply, almost failing off the bed.

“You are very welcome, my little pony. Now, I’d like to ask you, your family and Twilight –and the other Elements, if they wish to come- to meet with me at the Royal Palace, as soon as you have recovered. Is that fine, Sweetie Belle, Rarity?” Sweetie looked at her sister, who nodded quietly, and then back at the Princess

“Of course, Princess. We’ll be there.”

Smiling broadly, Celestia turned her back, heading to the corridor. “Very well, then. Write me a notice when you’re ready, Twilight.”

“I’ll make sure of that, Princess!” Celestia vanished from the room.

“Very well, Sweetie Belle. Please lay down, so I can examine you.” Sweetie did as Redheart told her and let the nurse carry the examination. “There’s nothing serious here. You’ll only need a couple of days of rest and you’ll be fine with the fever drug” Redheart left the room, leaving Sweetie and her visitors in there.

“Mom and Dad will be here tomorrow, Sweetie. Truth is, everything had been arranged already, but the Princess wanted your confirmation. You’ve been sleeping for two days now.”

Sweetie said nothing, instead choosing to rest on the bed. She suddenly felt very tired again and soon dropped into peaceful slumber.

Her parents arrived next morning. A white earth pony with a brown mane, and a big mustache –Rarity and Sweetie had asked him tirelessly to get rid of it, to no avail-, and a pink unicorn with a purple mane, they often journeyed as much for pleasure as for business. His career as a professional football player had left him with a very generous amount of money, which her mother had the good sense to administrate. Their faces were alight with surprise as soon as they saw her daughter’s new features.

“There hasn’t been a winged pony in the family for generations, now. This is incredible!” Her father’s glee could not be more obvious. Her mother, meanwhile, complimented her on the gaining of her mark.

“It’s so sweet, dear! Rarity and I were worrying about you, especially her. You were driving your sister up the wall, sometimes.” The pink unicorn laughed heartedly. “We were wondering when would you realize it.”

She cast an inquisitive glance at her mother.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, please, Sweetie. We’ve heard you uncountable times, when you thought nopony paid attention to you. I told Rarity not to press you; the silly filly can be such a pain sometimes.” She smiled warmly at her daughter.

“You mean you knew all this time? This is all so embarrassing!” The white unicorn’s cheeks shone a deep crimson.

“Now, now, my little daughter…This is the gift that has been bestowed upon you. Don’t you think that it’s time to embrace it? Of course, a pony isn’t limited to her special talent, but it’s still a special talent for a reason.”

Sweetie Belle smiled softly. “Yes, mom, you’re right.” She sat up, and joined both her parents in a strong embrace.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo came later that evening, the earth pony carrying a basket full of apples, cakes and different apple based desserts, and a card from the Apple family; the pegasus bringing sunflower sandwiches her mother had sent.

“Cool wings, Sweetie!” declared Scootaloo upon entering the room and looking at her friend, depositing her basket in the night table. Sweetie began to munch on a sandwich. Apple Bloom hugged her. “Now we can bet races and we’ll be able to see the sky!”

Sweetie smiled at the excited filly. “I don’t know, Scoot. These are uncomfortable and I haven’t been able to use them for anything. Then again, I wasn’t born a pegasus.”

“Hey, don’t fret, girl! I’m a pegasus as well, and I know that even if don’t fly yet, I’ll do it soon and be as cool as Rainbow Dash! “ her wings flapped excitedly.

Apple Bloom interrupted then, her expression serious as she looked at her unicorn friend. “Well then, Sweetie, ya’ll have to tell us how ya gained yer Cutie Mark. And those wings!”

Scootaloo seconded the notion. “That’s right, Sweetie Belle. You gotta tell us, we also want ours!” Motioning for them to come nearer, she told them the whole story.

After some time of chatting and sharing the food they had brought, and Apple Bloom dissuaded Scootaloo of setting on their own journey, both fillies left her friend with the promise they’ll all meet at the trip to Canterlot.

Several carriages, pulled by pegasi from the Canterlot Royal Guard, arrived to the outskirts of Ponyville, near Sweet Apple Acres. Sweetie’s family, Twilight Sparkle and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were to be taken to palace by these vehicles. Applejack and the other ponies were occupied with their own business that day. Sweetie and Rarity climbed on one. The day was slightly clouded, though not scheduled for rain. The wind blew with a soft cool breeze that touched Sweetie’s and made her tremble a little. She covered herself with her wings, this much she had managed to learn by herself, as well as flapping them. Her sister noticed this, and pressed her side against Sweetie’s, smiling serenely. She closed her eyes as she felt the carriage elevating and the journey began.

Canterlot’s sky, unlike Ponyville’s, was completely sunny, the huge star shining just above them in the noon hours; they had been invited to lunch in the royal palace. Everywhere below them, the city moved with grace and flowed with life, much more bustling that the little town ever was. They began their descent and Sweetie could see the Royal Palace growing bigger. She loved that place, even if it brought memories of a certain statue she and her friends had found in the gardens… It was enormous and gave them so many opportunities to play and explore, in hopes of gaining their Cutie Marks.

A small contingent of guards awaited for them at the palace’s gates, helping everpony descend from their carriages and escorting them. The gates opened and they were led towards the throne room. As the doors to these opened, Celestia greeted them from her throne.

“Welcome, my little ponies. It is good to have you here, joining me for lunch. We have some things to talk about, but first we’re going to enjoy a delicious lunch in here.”

Following Celestia, the group arrived at the Dining Room, a large room with an equally large, and lavishly adorned table. Exquisite chandeliers with long perfumed candles, silver plates and utensils, and windows that bear sights of the Royal Gardens, as well as colored glass depicting important scenes of Equestrian history; it was a splendid place to partake in the refined meals served.

After the abundant and delicious meals, they came back to the Throne Room, the doors closing behind them. Celestia turned to address the small group.

“Now, everypony, we shall discuss just exactly why you were called here. “

They all bundled together to listen to her words more attentively.

“Some weeks ago, I, with my sister, gave my student Twilight Sparkle a very special gift for her studies. Twilight is one of the most accomplished magicians this land has seen since the days of Star Swirl. Luna and I decided to reward her dedication and magical achievements with a very special and rare kind of magic: our own.”

Celestia’s horn glowed with a bright yellowy shine, and an image of two feathers, a white one and a blue one, appeared in front of them. “

“Magic flows through every pony’s body. Every race has its own magic, helping them achieve tasks no other kind of pony can do. Earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns each keep their own characteristics, personal and static. However, Luna and I, possessing traits of every kind of pony, can give a little of our abilities to a pony if so we choose. And we did exactly that with Twilight Sparkle. It is a rare occurrence, given that we suffer a loss in our powers when we do this. Is slight, but it’s there.”

Celestia paused a brief time, and then continued her story. Everypony was hanging on her words.

“This present was intended to boost Twilight’s magical capabilities to an extent than any normal pony could only dream of. She would be even more powerful that she is now. But she needed to discover the way to release this raw power and harness it, thus why we didn’t give her any pointer, and she was too excited to even think about it”

The royal mare gave a slight wink to her apprentice, who blushed strongly.

“Alas, Twilight has been too much time enclosed with her academic studies; her memories of beginning magic are clouded by all the knowledge she has acquired. It is a very common mistake of talented individuals. When a unicorn is small and inexperienced, their bouts of magic are far stronger than that of learned practitioners, who have settled themselves to the square. They get so accustomed to their magic, than they forget to revel in it and be able to achieve greater results.

And then, there comes little Sweetie Belle, uninitiated on the fine arts of magic practice and lacking a Cutie Mark .A pony holding who knows how much untapped potential inside her. Her uneasy body, unable to control itself, oozes magic, like a faucet leaking water, and she’s able to resonate with the feathers, and release their abilities, merging with them and opening her gate to a level most ponies can’t even reach. As you are now, Sweetie Belle, your magic potential is as big as Twilight’s.”

Silence reigned through the room following the Princess’s words as they were all processing them. Fixated as they were on their thoughts, no one could notice a slight shine that appeared briefly in Twilight’s eyes, disappearing as suddenly as it came.

“And that’s why I would like to make you an offer, Sweetie Belle.”

All their attention gathered again into Celestia, the addressed filly looking very intently at her Princess.

“I would like you to enter the School for Gifted Unicorns, with Twilight Sparkle as your tutor if she consents on it. Also, you would receive flight and music classes. You would reside here in the Palace, if your answer is positive. I would like you to discuss this with your family, your friends, and Twilight, and then receive your answer. Classes at the school begin in three weeks’ time.”

The Answer

Four unicorn mares and an earth pony stallion occupied one room in the Royal Castle. The bedroom was quite wide; its walls bore a soft blue coloration. A huge bed made out of oak wood was placed against one of them; soft mattresses and cushions equipped it. Opposite the bed sat a polished glass desk at the left of the door and a ceiling-tall closet embedded into the wall at its right; above it, a window opened, flanked by crimson red curtains, offering the sight of the palace gardens that extended all over that side.

Sweetie Belle, Rarity and their parents basked into the magnificence of the sights, which the Element of Generosity hadn’t had the opportunity to appreciate properly; their visits were always brief, and the room in which she had stayed when she came to Canterlot didn’t offer such a memorable view, besides all that transpired in that moment.

Twilight elected to let them take in the landscapes for some minutes before taking a hoof to her mouth and coughing affectedly, which Rarity caught note of.

“Oh, excuse us, dear. We certainly have something important to discuss,” said the purple-maned unicorn, gesturing for her family to come around. They all complied, approaching Twilight. Once they were all reunited, she looked around at each one, while speaking.

“Princess Celestia has made a very generous offer. Entry in the School for Gifted Unicorns is usually a very complex process; many applicants come every curse but only a few of those are considered and accepted for enrolling. Getting an invitation offered by the Princess herself is a circumstance triggered only by very special cases,” said Twilight, her cheeks burning briefly. She directed her gaze at Sweetie Belle, her eyes serious and fixating; the little filly held back a gulp at the intensity with which she was being seen.

“Receiving this invitation is such a honor that I would not think twice if it was offered to me again. The choice is ultimately up to you, and you’d do good discussing it properly with your family. The Princess awaits us at dinner time, please considerate this and come to a conclusion. I know it is sudden and too fast, but as I said, they are special circumstances. I’d be happy to help you with your magic lessons, Sweetie, if you are so inclined.” Despite her words, there was a slight dryness present in Twilight’s voice that was not lost in any of the presents. She excused herself of their presence and left the room, closing the door behind her calm but firmly. Sweetie gawked at the closed door.

If any of the adults had noticed Twilight’s strange behavior, they didn’t give such a sign. Instead Rarity turned to her and beamed.

“Well, Sweetie, what do you think? Mother, father and I are sure this is a great opportunity for you and we’ll all be supportive.”

Her parents and sister looked at her expectantly; once again she suppressed a gulp. She cast a look at her two-colored wings, flapping them, and then lowered her eyes to her recently acquired cutie mark. It all seemed too unreal at this moment, perhaps she was dreaming a uncharacteristically long dream and she would soon wake up and find herself with her two friends on another spectacular escapade to gain their cutie marks. Lifting a hoof, she bit into it as strongly as she could. It was definitely no dream, she determined, shaking her pained limb. There would be no more crusading for her. A song echoed in her head.

We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders

On a quest to find out who we are

And we will never stop the journey

Not until we have our cutie marks

Her eyes went all the way again down her flank, observing the musical note that adorned it. She had come all the way up to this point. What was there now to follow?

She glanced at her family again, a resolute look on her face.

“I’m doing it.”

A grey-coated, black-maned earth pony guided Sweetie through the Castle. Rarity had asked the stallion to help her locate Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, who were being given a tour of the palace by a member of the staff; her sister and her parents would return to the Main Hall and they would reunite at dinner. It wasn’t too long before they caught up with the two loud fillies that were being led through a corridor filled with colored crystal panels. Upon reuniting her with her friends, her escort took off.

“Hey Sweetie, how did it go?!” both of her friends asked at the same time. The glass panels vibrated with the strength of their voices.

She relayed to them what had been spoken in the reunion, and her final decision. Both fillies fell silent, looking at her; both wore unreadable expression on their faces. There were some moments of silence, the tension in the air heavily weighting over them until Scootaloo broke the silence.

“You have to make us proud, ok? You’ve gone beyond us and now you have to keep going. Just don’t forget about us, right?”

“Ah wish you the best of lucks, Sweetie.” Apple Bloom caught her in a strong embrace, which, after some moments of hesitation, the orange pegasus joined.

“Thanks, girls. You’re the best friends a filly could wish for.”

Just after they separated, small smiles etched across all their faces, an unicorn mare approached them, a broader smile showing all over her face.

“You must be Sweetie Belle, right? Your friends have told me so much about you.” The newcomer lingered on Sweetie for a moment, looking at her, but her smile did not disappear and she saluted her. This unicorn was just a little bigger and older than the Crusaders, had a bright red hide, deep black eyes and a two colored mane and tail: dark red and green, her hair tied into multiple braids of each color, covered by a black bandanna. Her cutie mark was a silver needle with black thread flowing around. She gave the impression of an old, but well played with, filly’s doll. Somewhat, Sweetie felt a pinch of sympathy for the colorful mare before her. The red unicorn approached her and introduced herself.

“My name is Patchwork Needle. I’m one of the Castle’s maids, and I was tasked with showing you around here. Nice to meet you!”

The Crusaders and Patchwork Needle kept exploring the castle. Surprisingly, the older unicorn seemed to have a knack for keeping the rambunctious fillies on check, without having them go bored. She had plenty of stories to share with them; so much in fact, that when the time of going back to the Dinner Room, they were absolutely distraught with having to separate.

Only after Patchwork promised to share with them some stories when they came back to the castle did the young ponies separate from her and enter the room. All the adults were already present, including Princess Celestia. As they approached the table they were received by the alicorn’s warm, all-encompassing smile.

“Good evening, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle.”

The addressed unicorn could not help noticing that the Princess had lingered a little longer saying her name. Or was it all her imagination? The three fillies sat at the table. Celestia looked at Sweetie directly.

“I’ve understood that you’ve accepted my offer, Sweetie?”

She didn’t dare look at the Princess, instead fixating her eyes on the table and giving a subtle nod.

“I see. Those are very good news. Then, my dear, I’d like for you to come with me now for some moments. We’re going to proceed with the test.”

She lifted her head so fast that a sharp pain crossed it. Closing her eyes waiting for the pain to alleviate, she replayed Celestia’s words. Was the test to be performed right now? She trembled, opening her eyes and sweeping the table with her eyes. Everypony looked at her expectantly; her family and friends insisting at her to go, Twilight’s expression was unreadable. Celestia came around and lowered her head to push her side softly.

“Come on, Sweetie. Everything will be fine.”

Her body jumped from the seat and followed Celestia as if pulled by strings, despite the fact that the royal mare showed no signs of performing magic; right at that moment, Sweetie was over-conscious of herself. Her heart pumped fast and loud and could get out any moment now. She followed Celestia through a door at the back and found a room smaller than the bedroom she had been earlier in. and much simpler. Across a long black desk at the end of the room, sat three bored looking unicorn stallions clad in black robes with paper blocks and quills. Celestia sat at a side of the room. In the middle, there was a small stool in which a wooden cup had been put. The door shut itself behind her, causing her to look back and gasp.

One of the unicorns addressed her, his voice slow and boring.

“Miss Sweetie Belle, your test to access the School for Gifted Unicorns will be to have this wooden goblet disappear. You may begin now.”

It took some time for her to register the instructions she had just been given, and even then, her gaze only wandered, blank, between the goblet in front of her, Celestia and the examiners. She could’ve sworn the Princess had winked at her.

Concentrating in the small cup, she inclined her head, pointing her horn at it.

Disappear… Get lost… GO!

Despite closing her eyes and putting all her effort into having the test object vanish from the room, all she was achieving was exhausting herself and the beginning of a headache.

Once and again her horn shone briefly and weakly, shutting itself down before anything could be done. Sweat dripped down her forehead and followed through her cheeks. Opening her eyes, she saw the unicorns moving around on their seats, clearly hoping for this to be over. What a stupid idea she had had, believing that she could pass something that even a genius like Twilight had needed the Sonic Rainboom’s help to achieve. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. She looked down at the white linoleum floor, closing her eyes, musing quietly to herself.

“I don’t want to be here anymore.”

A library was being swept by strength winds, in the middle of which a small white unicorn filly floated, having just sprouted two chromatically mismatched wings. Terror filled the filly’s mind until she could not bear it anymore. ‘I don’t want to be here anymore’ had she thought; after that a bright white flash had taken her far from the place.

Suddenly, unannounced, the scene changed.

After having walking during quite some time, the exhausted unicorn filly paused and looked at the sky. Letting everything from her mind go, she erupted into a hearted song, which brought her calm and peace.

The shiny green eyes were opened once again. She focused her gaze on the small object in front of her and took a deep breath. Slowly, she emptied her mind, rejecting all the superfluous thoughts that wandered around. Reaching again into her head, she lowered her horn and pointed it to the test cup. A pink glow slowly began to cover both her horn and the goblet, until it vanished from sight with a “pop” sound. Sweetie let the magic disperse, and sighed, relaxing.

The three instructors scratched their notes quickly and talked in hushes between themselves. The same one that had addressed her earlier did so now.

“Congratulations, Miss Sweetie Belle. You have been accepted.”

Falling down to the floor, she felt a warm nuzzle in her cheek.

Cold water ran down her throat. She shook her head and looked around; it was the Dinner Room and smiling gazes were directed at her from everywhere.

“Congratulations, Sweetie!”

She glowed brightly on the inside. A smile crept again to her face, and she ran to embrace her parents and sister. The atmosphere was much more lighthearted and she was much happier than she’d ever been since before the incident. In fact, she wasn’t sure she couldn’t recall a time in which she had felt like this; besides finding out she had gained her mark.

Celestia’s voice flew over, returning them from her thoughts

“You can have one week free from today, to prepare yourself. In that day, Twilight and you will come and she will give you the basic pointers of magic for two weeks so that you can join the School without having too much trouble. After that, Twilight will come once every two weeks and check on your studies, also helping you with what you need. She’ll be a fine tutor, won’t you, Twilight?”

The lavender unicorn nodded, smiling to the Princess.

“I’ll do my best, Princess. I’m excited and nervous at the same time, having a pupil of my own!” the studious mare seemed the more spirited that Sweetie had seen her lately. Rarity poked at her side with a hoof, a ringing laughter leaving her lips.

“Be patient with my poor sister, will you, dear? I swear, you scare me silly sometimes.”

“I’ll try, Rarity, don’t worry.” Twilight blushed, looking at her empty plate.

Celestia smiled, clapping her hooves; the service ponies around hurried out of the room.

“Well, I think that settles it for now. Let us enjoy this delicious meal, shall we?”

Night was almost upon as the small group parted from the Royal Palace. As they climbed to the carriages that would take them back to Ponyville, Sweetie could feel the chilly wind that blew through Canterlot, and pressed herself against her sister, who looked at her with a warm smile.

“I’m going to have to design new clothes for you, dear…”

A soft chuckle came from the winged unicorn’s lips, and she prepared herself for what would come.

The Party

Sunlight gave Ponyville its blesses that morning, with nary a cloud perturbing the wide light blue canvas of the sky, where all sort of flying creatures graced the sight with their flight, from the majestic soaring of a hunting eagle to the rainbow streak left behind by a certain pegasus practicing maneuvers in the clear light of day.

Zooming down to the village below, ponies went out and around in their business, enjoying the glorious day. Ponyville was bursting with life. All across town, the different business carried around their activities; a penetrating, sweet smell of recently baked confectionaries escaped from a certain pastry-shaped building, attracting clients while a cheerful song could be heard from inside.

Close to this bakery, a library enclosed into a tree housed a lavender unicorn mare engaged in academic pursuit, her snout almost diving into the inside of the book she had open in front of her; her little assistant dragon walked around, dusting, organizing and re-shelving other books, humming contently to himself. Nothing more broke the silence in the depository of knowledge.

Abandoning the tree-house, another equally distinctive building, round in shape and featuring horse-shaped mannequins at its midsection. Carrousel Boutique is the name of this business, and inside of it, sewing tools flew around, impulse by a light blue shine covering them, said glow coming from the horn of an elegant purple-maned unicorn. The floating work elements came to rest in a table from which a measuring tape was selected, and directed towards a smaller unicorn resembling the first, save for her two colored pink and lighter purple mane.The tape flew around, stretching and reaching every little inch of the stoic, bored-looking filly, while at her side, her older sister frowned and mussed.

“This chromatic combination of yours is just so difficult, Sweetie Belle! But despair not, as Ponyville finest seamstress, I’ll find just the perfect combination to make you absolutely gorgeous dresses, you can count on me.”

The younger unicorn let a small sigh escape from her lips, but otherwise presented no sign of opposing her sister’s endeavors, as she was wont to do in a normal situation.

“It’s all fine now, my dear. Now, you can go along, I shall put hooves at work right now!”

The recent circumstances in Sweetie Belle’s life had given her the week off of school, as she was being transferred to Canterlot’s –and Equestria’s- most prestigious magical academy, Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Therefore, while her two friends, -and most fillies and colts in Ponyville- would be engaged at the school at this time of day, she’d be left all by herself. Fortunately, her friends did take her newfound talents in stride. It had been determined that the Cutie Mark Crusaders would go on as usual. Apple Bloom and Scotaloo would be On Duty members, whilst Sweetie Belle would be an honorary member.

She decided to pay a visit to her prospective mentor, the most talented unicorn in Equestria, Twilight Sparkle.

The winged unicorn left the boutique and set off. Her light trot soon put her at the library’s door. She approached the tree and spied through one of its windows, seeing Twilight with her muzzle down a book and Spike going around and organizing. It was a seemingly normal day for the library’s inhabitants, and after watching them for a while, she went to the door and knocked on it, with just the sufficient strength as to be heard.

She heard the scurried steps resounding through the library’s floor and the door being nosily opened, by a small dragon which looked at her from the other side.

“Oh, hey, Sweetie, nice to see you.Hey, Twilight, Sweetie Belle’s here!”

The lavender unicorn lifted her face from the book and gazed at the filly.

“Hi, Sweetie! Did you come to consult some book for the School? I could recommend you some good ones,” blurted out the mare, excited at the prospect of knowledge sharing, though Sweetie couldn’t shake off that small tone that could be heard in her voice.

“I… just came here to see if I could talk with you, Twilight. I don’t know anything about what’s coming, and I wanted to see if you could help me a little.” Spike ushered her into the room and closed behind them. Sweetie approached the elder unicorn, whose smile had vanished and now looked at her, frowning, though not seemingly bothered, rather thoughtful. She turned her back, gathering her books and marking the pages she was in. Calling out to her assistant, she instructed him to leave the research books on the table, to which he nodded. Twilight motioned for Sweetie to follow her and they went out of the library.

She was led to a small, cozy café two blocks away from Twilight’s home. A one story building, its terrace housed several round crystal tables covered by umbrellas, with metallic stools around and menus on top of them. Soft jazz music came from the inside of the café, soothing the senses. A light brown earth pony with a black mane, wearing a waiter’s uniform, came from inside to greet them.

“Good morning, Miss Twilight. It’s good to see you again. Will you have the usual?”

“Yes, please, that’s lovely.”

“Good, Miss Twilight. And the young lady?” inquired the waiter, turning his look at the small unicorn. She had checked the menu in a hurry while Twilight and the waiter spoke, and decided on a small chocolate. The earth pony nodded and went back inside for their orders.

“Aren’t you going to have anything else? Everything here is delicious. Not as good as Sugarcube Corner, but very good nonetheless,” said Twilight, smiling softly at her. Sweetie Belle shook her head, declining.

“Thanks, Twilight. I’m fine.”

Silence reigned among the two unicorns for a while, until Twilight broke it, coming back from her mind’s world. She cleared her throat with a small cough.

“Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns…” spoke Twilight, with the utmost reverence on her attitude, “… is the top educational institute for magical education that can be found in the wide land of Equestria.”

The waiter came back, pushing a tray loaded with plates and cups. Stopping at their table, he served Sweetie’s chocolate, the drink steaming, and another cup of chocolate for Twilight, accompanied with a simple, yet elaborated looking piece of cake, and a fork.

“Bon appetite, Mademoiselles,” said the elegant waiter, with a light bow, and pushed the tray to attend other tables. Twilight took a bite off the cake and savored it before continuing, as Sweetie sipped the hot beverage.

“The Princess herself has contributed many of the investigations and lessons that compose the School’s program, and she herself founded it, of course. But truth is that she rarely partakes on the educational endeavors of the teaching corp. Her royal duties do not leave much time free for such pursuits. The entry tests and subject’s education are carried by the school’s appointed Professors and staff; her intervention in such matters only happens on truly special cases, such as would be yours or mine.” The bright red of Twilight’s cheeks contrasted against the lavender coloration of her coat.

Sweetie took another sip of chocolate, her green eyes focused on the mare and her lecture. It was such her concentration that when a high pitched scream erupted at her side, she fell off her chair , gasping and turning her chocolate cup over, dyeing the immaculate white mantel laid over the table with a dirty brown spot.

“Hi!”

She lifted hear head to find Pinkie Pie, whom Twilight addressed with an exasperated, if not surprised, look on her face.

“Good morning, Pinkie. You’re here on behalf of a party, right?” asked the unicorn, as Sweetie Belle got on her feet and put the chair straight, and the ponies in the surrounding tables got over their surprise. The pink earth pony beamed and answered loudly.

“But of course, Twilight! I’m here to deliver the invitations to Sweetie Belle’s Farewell party, which is also a Do-well Party and We’ll-miss-you Party! Many parties in one!”

Suddenly, purple and pink colored cards appeared on every table of the café, with no explanation. Once opened, these read:

You’re invited to Sweetie Belle’s Farewell Party, to be held this Friday in Sweet Apple Acres at 5 p.m. Don’t miss it!

“Sweet Apple Acres? How come it’s not scheduled at Sugarcube Corner?”

“Oh, Apple Bloom insisted, and Applejack accepted, and it’s such a nice place, too! See you later, got to deliver all of these!” Thus Pinkie shot away, in a pink dust cloud, leaving Twilight rather nonplussed, Sweetie’s mouth widely open and the restaurant in an incredulous state.

The elder unicorn ate a bit of cake, followed by a sip to her chocolate, calming herself, her eyes closed with a regal expression framing her face.

“That’s alright. Now, where was I?”

“Excuse me, Miss Twilight, but I’d like to ask you to move to the table over there, as this one has suffered a rather unfortunate accident.”

“Oh, right! I’m sorry, we’ll get there.”

Once they were moved to the designated table, and Sweetie had got a replacement chocolate serving, the lecture continued.

“The school has several rooms in the Castle assigned for use, as well as access to the Royal Library for study material and research, as befitting of the royal educational program. Its educational methodologies are very flexible, despite being based on a fixed plan developed by the Equestrian Ministry of Education. The course planning and Magical Focus comprehensive training vary from subject to subject, according to their special talent and their leanings. The very small student group in each generation allows for such arrangements. Those are the basic on which this school operates. Have you understood?”

Sweetie nodded, replaying in her mind Twilight’s words. She looked at the older unicorn, emotions betrayed by her trembling voice.

“Will I do fine?”

Twilight bit her lip, looking at her across the table, for which to Sweetie Belle looked like several hours, as she waited for an answer. Finally, her lips broke apart, in a short but meaningful line.

“Yes, Sweetie Belle. I think you shall do just fine.”

The rest of the week passed quickly enough for Sweetie Belle, between modeling for Rarity’s dresses, evening escapades for the Crusaders, time with her family and all the little things, Friday presented itself in a whim. She marched with her family towards the Apple farm, jumping in the peak of enthusiasm, eliciting amused giggles from her mother and sister. The party would be held at the barn, which was decorated with multicolored balloons, streamers, and festive strings and hangers everywhere, as well as in the surrounding trees. Two big tables in the center of the barn held delicious food, drinks and sweets, from both Sugarcube Corner and the Apple family.

Above them, attached between two columns, a banner read in huge letters “CONGRATULATIONS, SWEETIE BELLE” with the celebrated unicorn’s face painted at the side. She blushed, looking at it, letting out a hardly heard “Thank you, everypony”.

The party went on without hitches, bringing wide and sincere smiles to Sweetie Belle’s face, she enjoyed the games, the food, the drinks, the jokes and everything that happened. As it wore thing, most ponies left, wishing her well, success and lamenting her departure. Once almost everypony had left, only her family, the Apple family, Scootaloo, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Spike remained in the barn. Rarity took the cue and spoke.

“Sweetie, dear, we’re all very proud and very happy for you. We hope you do great in your studies and excel in everything. But know that we love we, above everything else, and will be always here for you.”

The two sisters embraced tenderly, with the younger sister feeling the warmth that Rarity gave off. She closed her eyes and thanked Celestia for this moment. The two sisters broke off, and she opened her eyes.

“My little sister, we have some spectacular gifts for you. Allow me.”

With the glow of her horn, Rarity levitated towards her several objects, which Sweetie could distinguish once they were set on the table. Several high-cut dresses were laid one on top of the other, an astonishing mixture of shining jewelry, expert design, -with her new features in mind- and carefully selected fabrics, created with Rarity’s best hoofcraft. Besides the exquisite garments, a pair of white saddlebags, elegant but sturdy, presented itself to complement her sister’s gifts. A tear scurried down Sweetie’s cheek, as she hugged tightly her sister once again, smiling.

“Thanks, Rarity.”

Her parents followed, and presented her with a set of delicate top-quality writing quills, from several exotic Equestrian bird species, –all legally and amicably obtained, of course- including the phoenix. Needless to say, such a gift was incredibly expensive. Mother and daughter cried tenderly, -accompanied by the elder sister at their side- while in the father’s embrace.

Twilight Sparkle came forth. Her present was, obviously, a book. A huge tome, in hardback cover, that brought the little unicorn to the floor attempting to lift it. Celestia’s School: A Story. They looked at each other wordlessly, and Sweetie nodded in acknowledgment.

Apple Bloom presented her with a portrait of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, which she and Scootaloo had signed in the back, wishing her good luck. It was framed on polished applewood. The orange pegasus gave her a blue pegasus feather, with a grin on her face, while behind, Rainbow Dash caressed her wing, muttering and casting the filly several unkind looks. Sweetie thanked them both, and embraced them strongly, despite Scootaloo’s unwillingness.

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy came with no gift, but strong hugs, support words and faith in her, which the small filly treasured.

They partied some more into the night, until finally retiring and going back home. That had been her finest night since the incident.

The allotted time came upon them. Sweetie Belle said goodbye to her friends, crying in earnest. She parted with her family and her sister, as well as the Apples, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. She knew it was temporary until vacations, but she’d sorely miss everything that was her loved life in Ponyville. Still, she had chosen that path and would walk through it, beginning the next day.

A pegasi-drawn chariot was parked outside the Library, in which Sweetie’s belongings were accommodated. With one last goodbye and the promise to write, she and Twilight climbed into the vehicle that soared in the sky towards Canterlot.

Patchwork Needle pt. 1

Magic

The ability to bypass natural laws, bringing forth the desired results produced by the innate abilities of the caster. That is the broader definition of magic that has been used by scholars for centuries. The study of the arcane sciences has always been a delicate issue, pertaining to the research and development of new spells, and improvement of existent ones, a never-ending process. The standard syllabus for magic study in school only touches the most common, universally known theories on magic, from the most recognizable names, such as Star Swirl the bearded. This work strives to provide a meaningful introduction to the work of magical theorists across the ages as a starting point for deepening basic theories studies.

Basic Magical Theories Abridged

Azure Gleam

The load of books Twilight poured onto her was absolutely astounding. Sweetie couldn’t believe the table, which looked a little feeble, wasn’t coming down any moment with the weight it was supporting. Basic Magical Theories Abridged, Anatomy of Magic: Details of a unicorn’s magical structures, Compendium of the History of magic.

The small unicorn looked at her left, where her purple colored mentor bore a blissful expression on her face, her eyes looking at her apprentice gleefully. Twilight Sparkle was filled with expectancy. Sweetie Belle noted a pang of nervousness running through her body and gulped before addressing the elder mare.

“Um, Twilight?”

“Yes, Sweetie Belle?” Her voice was as high pitched as what Sweetie could conjure during her singing, peppered with barely contained joy.

“Where should we begin?”

“Oh, yes, yes, yes! Well, let’s see. There are many useful things around here and…” she paused as her gaze fell on the material that she had brought for them to begin with the lessons. For minutes, the only sound was that of other ponies walking around the zone, the wind rustling the tree’s leaf outside and the melodies of birds. Twilight lost herself looking at the books, not noticing at all when Sweetie waved a hoof in front of her face. Finally the small white unicorn resorted to calling out to her.

“Twilight? Can you hear me?”

The purple unicorn turned around with an unreadable expression on her face.

“Yes, Sweetie. Why don’t you go and take the rest of the day free? I’ll have some things to take care of first. Have fun!”

Something about her prospective mentor’s voice told the little unicorn it was better to retreat now, so she took the advice in stride.

“Ok, Twilight… I’ll go out now…”

The Royal Library was a really large building, possessing vast collections of books. Every academic study, thesis, and similar documents produced by Equestria’s bright minds in the different schools had a copy available in its shelves. As Sweetie Belle walked through the aisles, she looked at the different subjects magic, mathematics, biology, biographies, science, arts and many other topics that were available at the knowledge depository. She decided to come back later and do some reading.

Through the windows, thin sunlight came inside. The hallways seemed empty as she advanced. Her hooves took her to her room in the castle. The bedroom was twice as big as the one she had with her parents, or the one she used in the boutique. As she opened the room, she was surprised to find a pony inside, letting out a little gasp. The pony inside turned back to see her and beamed, trotting up to her.

“Hello, Sweetie Belle! It’s so good to see you!”

Recovered from her shock, Sweetie smiled broadly, going to nuzzle the elder unicorn.

“Patchwork, I love to see you too! I never expected to see you here!”

The addressed pony giggled, separating from Sweetie Belle. “Well, I was seemingly assigned to assist you in your stay in the castle. Apparently the Princess herself arranged it. I’m happy, though, to be able to see you, even if is just a little. Speaking of which, I assumed you’d be studying at this time.”

The little unicorn’s expression saddened slightly and she let out a little sigh.

“I was supposed to study with Twilight, but I don’t know what happened with her and she told me I could have the day free. But the castle is so big, I don’t know what to do, and I’m supposed to be studying.”

Patchwork trotted back to the other side of the room, and with the glow of her horn –a dark green one, such as half of her mane- a broom continued to sweep the floor.

“Twilight Sparkle? One would think there would be no better pony to teach one magic, as Princess Celestia’s personal protégé and the Element of Magic.”

A brief pause followed as Patchwork looked behind her at Sweetie. “Though I have heard certain rumors about her, I prefer not to give too much credit to such musings. They may turn out to be false and cause distraught to the involved pony and others around her. Sweetie approached her with curiosity.

“What kind of rumors are those?”

Patchwork looked at her, her lips strained. “I don’t think it’s very good to talk about if, but some say she’s somewhat unbalanced.” She turned back to her chores, as the white filly pondered on it; she flashed back at the Smarty Pants incident, as well as some things her sister had briefly mentioned when telling her about some adventures. She had been so glad the issue with the doll had been resolved that she had never given any thought to it, but it now occupied all her mind, as she pictured the purple unicorn on her head.

“Sweetie?”

She jerked herself out of her introspection to find a pair of deep dark eyes staring directly at her. She blinked, before remembering who was with her in the room.

“Sorry, I spaced out a little.“

“I can see that. Say, since you’re free right now, would you like accompanying me in the castle’s cleaning? We can go and talk while at it.”

“Sure, I’ll go with you.” The two ponies trotted out of the room, going down the corridor.

“