The Gift

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.