Just How Many More Times?

Twilight woke up, as usual, at 6 a.m. Her entire body ached, her head wasn’t in its best shape either, and her mood was lousy, as it usually was when she had all reasons to be happy. She didn’t recognize at once the blue ceiling above, so unusually high above, and at first she thought that she had spent the night in the Crystal Palace belonging to her brother and sister-in-law, and it’s just some room she had never seen, but then, suddenly, remembered everything.

Squirming from a pain that was almost physical in its intensity, when with her mental eye she saw again her half-ruined, burning library, she ordered herself not to submit to tears. The books that hadn’t been completely burned she could try and restore with a few recently learned spells; Owlowiscious was alive, and she had a roof, so what else do you want, silly, she asked herself, but her mood got even worse.

At any rate, she didn’t feel like singing that song about everything being fine in Ponyville and the sun shining. Not that Twilight ever felt like singing that ridiculous improvisation in the morning; she understood the first time around that it was a bad idea and a bad sign. It was, no doubt, Discord, who put her up to it the first time, judging by what happened immediately afterwards.

Having started remembering, Twilight couldn’t stop. Her mind was flooded with memories of the adventures she had been through with her friends, the evil creatures they had encountered and triumphs of their multiple victories. ‘Where do these horrible creatures all wanting to rule Equestria come from and why after a thousand years of sitting quietly they all had to come to light now, in the years of my youth? Why me? I also want to enjoy life, the same as any young pony; I want to date a young stallion and laugh hard with him under the moon! That guard in Cadance’s palace is really very cute…’

Having got lost in her thoughts, Twilight didn’t notice at once that she was still lying in bed, which wasn’t like her at all. She made herself get up, but decided not to wake Spike for once. She remembered that the little one had received his fair share of hardships the day before.

She needed to survey her new living quarters, then to see the ashes of her old home and see what could be salvaged. While moving from room to room she found an exact copy of her burned library – both stories and even the cellar. All books were in their places and even the bookmarks put there by Twilight herself were preserved. ‘It seems I’ve underestimated our little chest,’ thought Twilight. ‘Well, that’s one problem gone!’

Owlowiscious slept peacefully in his usual place. Having walked to the spot where the library had been – it wasn’t at all far – Twilight couldn’t find even a trace of the burnt-out tree. The chest, apparently, didn’t want to upset the good citizens of Ponyville with such an unseemly sight.

The chest itself was easily found too, in the throne-room in a small alcove behind the curtain. Twilight scanned its aura and found several protective spells created by all three older Princesses to shield the chest – but not, of course, from her. Spells bearing Discord’s signature she couldn’t find – apparently, there was not enough trust placed in him yet, after his recent treachery. Twilight quickly added a couple of her own spells and sat upon her new throne. Her agreement with her friends was as follows: they all live where they always lived doing their own work, but the throne-room would become the place where they all gather to make important decisions. In case there’s danger Twilight gave all her friends small silver bells. ‘I put a spell on them – simple, but effective,’ she said. ‘As soon as one of them rings, all others will, too, no matter how far away from each other they happen to be. They’ll ring to let you know that you should abandon whatever you are doing and rush here – Equestria is in danger!’

‘Awesome!’ cried Rainbow Dash, as usual, and Pinkie Pie, of course, immediately tested hers. Twilight remembered how easily she could have lost her friends just a few hours before, so she didn’t get angry and just reminded them once again not to use the bells unless there was really an emergency.

To the Princesses she gave similar bells, but golden, in case she and her friends got really stuck. Discord and Spike received bronze ones – to be honest, Twilight did that just to prevent them from getting offended. She didn’t plan to use those.

Meanwhile the day went by, apparently taking its normal course. By the time lunch arrived Twilight’s gloomy mood was gone, and she was habitually reading her books. Her friends were doing their normal work also, but in the evening they planned a picnic on the edge of the Everfree Forest, and Applejack even had promised to bring her best cider.