What is This Feeling?by RoahvitaChaptersOutburstContactOriginOutburstElphaba scribbled a few scattered thoughts onto a spare piece of paper, inexplicably less than thrilled with the class so far. Doctor Dillamond had not yet shown up, and the rest of the students took this as a sign to simply sit about and waste air. “Elphaba, really now,” A high voice spoke from beside the jade girl, “What in Oz’ name could you be writing about in that hideoteous notebook of yours?” “Oh, just my will.” She answered Galinda plainly, earning a harsh scoff in reply. “I’ve left Nessarose most of my worldly possessions and Father a piece of tissue paper I found in my satchel this morning.” “What then, nothing for your best friend?” Galinda asked with mock surprise. “You’re not going to leave me any savings or mementos of the vivid girl I knew so dearly in my days here at dear old Shiz?” “Oh, yes, of course.” Elphaba revised a few lead scratchings with a sweep of her eraser. “I’ll be sure to leave you that stylish black hat you gave to me with the intention of humiliating me.” “Feel free to leave that to Biq instead!” “You mean Boq?” “Oh, whatever!” Galinda seemingly waved their conversation off as she turned away from Elphaba, opting instead to resume making flirtatious waves towards Fiyero at the other end of the room. “I’d just like to know what’s preventing Doctor Dillamond from showing up on time.” Elphaba noted with a dull annoyance. “Well I’m sure I don’t know, Elphie!” Galinda’s head didn’t even turn as she answered half-heartedly. “I hardly speak to the old Goat outside of class as is!” Elphaba had to hand it to Galinda on that account. Ever since Doctor Dillamond had read the first role call with the pronunciation of Galinda’s name as "Glinda," the blonde had formed something of a personal grudge and vendetta against the History teacher. The buzz of voices in the room halted as the room’s sole door opened, Doctor Dillamond rushing in as fast as his two hooves would let him, seemingly in hurry and more than slightly panicked. “Settle down class, I’ve something to say and very little time to say it!” The gray-haired Goat placed a small suitcase to the side as he stole a glance at the door, alarmed by whatever it was that had him running. “My dear students, this will be my last day here at Shiz. I am no longer permitted to teach.” Another buzz of several voices erupted in the room, shocked and questioning of this decision. Doctor Dillamond had been a perfectly passable professor up to this point! He may have had the odd ramble here and there, but it would always relate back to the main lesson! Doctor Dillamond could boast one of the lowest failure rates in the entire school just for this class. However, Elphaba was less inclined to simply ponder this oddity. She instead rose to her feet as fast as humanly possible, face painted with a painful expression of grief and fury. “What?!” This same combination was carried in her voice. Having such bright green skin was anything but easy, but with Doctor Dillamond, Elphaba felt more at home, as if she was less of a spectacle when she was among company that was as different as she was. “Miss Elphaba, please.” Doctor Dillamond ushered the outraged girl back into her seat as he addressed the class once more. “I want to thank you all for sharing with me your enthusiasm, your essays, however feebly structured, and even, on some occasions, your lunch.” Doctor Dillamond smiled in the direction of Elphaba at the mention of the word “lunch.” It had been a simple occasion where Elphaba had offered to spend a moment eating her sandwich with him. His Goat instincts made him a bit more interested in chewing the paper said sandwich was wrapped in, but it was an occasion where teacher and student felt they had truly bonded. It was on that note that Madame Morrible, head mistress of the university, chose to sweep into the room, several men in comically large trench coats and bowler hats pouring in behind her. “Oh, Doctor, I’m so terribly sorry!” The elderly woman crossed the room to place a frail hand onto the shoulder of the Goat’s tweed jacket. “I simply couldn’t delay their approach any longer!” “Madame, please!” Elphaba rose once more, incredulous with the situation. “You can’t allow this!” The young woman was interrupted by a heavy hoof being placed on her shoulder. “Miss Elphaba, don’t worry about me! They may take away my job, but I shall continue speaking out!” It was not long before both of Doctor Dillamond’s Hooves were grabbed by the men who had followed n after Madame Morrible, dragging the Animal into the hallway. “Come on, Goat.” The largest of the men spoke considerably unsympathetically as he led the struggling professor out of the room. “You’re not being told the whole story class!” The students heard the last of Doctor Dillamond’s echoing protestations from outside the classroom. “Remember that!” “Doctor Dillamond!” Elphaba was the only one who attempted to rush after him, though she found her path outside the door blocked by one of the trench coated men. She turned to face her peers. “Well are we all just going to sit here?! In silence?” “Miss Elphaba, I’m afraid there’s nothing else we can do.” Madame Morrible spoke comfortingly as she attempted to lead the livid girl back to her seat. “But Madame-“ Elphaba felt a tug from Galinda’s hand pull her back down to her seat next to the blonde, who had been just as desperate for Elphaba to sit down as everyone else. Madame Morrible pulled at the train of her red robes as she stepped aside from the front of the classroom, yet another trench coated man stepped towards the center of the room, pulling a cart covered by a gray sheet along with him. “Good afternoon, students!” The peculiar man’s greeting was returned in a manner that was just as vapid. “Today, I’d like to take to chance to introduce you to a procedure that will soon be taking the Animals of Oz by storm!” As he spoke these words, the man pulled the sheet from atop the cart, revealing a grand cage concealing three individual forms inside of it. They each seemed to be some foreign creature, something too grand to see even in Oz! They looked enough like any animal, but they were plastered with bright colors. “Are those Horses?” Fiyero asked from the back of the room. “Right you are young man!” The new instructor pulled a small tray from beneath the cage, an assortment of syringes, scalpels, and needles laid out upon it. “What in Lurline’s name are those for?” Elphaba’s voice went up an octave at the sight of the sharp tools. If not for her severe verdigris, she would have likely been red in the face. “These, my dear, are a remarkable innovations designed for the purpose of ensuring that Animal advocacy is halted as soon as possible!” The glee in the man’s voice did little to calm the fury in Elphaba’s expression. “Are you mad? You can’t possibly just silence an Animal like that, it’s not right!” Elphaba balled her fists as she stared the new instructor dead on. “Really now my dear, it’s for their own good.” The man picked up one of the syringes as he did his best to ignore Elphaba’s protests to stop. “Gather around then students, you’ll see in this procedure what can be expected for the Oz of tomorrow!” “Galinda, we’ve got to do something!” Elphaba grabbed ahold of the blonde’s hand as she walked forward with the others. “We can’t let him do this to those defenseless creatures!” “Ugh, Elphaba!” Galinda attempted to pull her hand out of her friend’s grasp. “I don’t like him prodding those poor things with those needles any more than you do, but what can we possibly do?” “Well can you possibly imagine a world where Animals never speak and are locked in cages?!” Elphaba’s voice had risen above the rest of the clamor by this point, but the room’s focus remained on the man and his cage o bizarre Animals. She threw her arms out fiercely on either side of her. “Somebody has to do something!” And with that screech, something happened indeed. The small platform upon which the cage rested released a formidable gust of wind and cloud of smoke. The man and students were pushed away from the cage by an unseen force. “What happened?!” Galinda attempted to scream over the commotion occurring amongst the others. “What did you do!?” “I don’t know!” Elphaba shouted in reply. “I just god mad and I-“ She had no time to respond as the lighting of the room dimmed, grim lines of pale green dancing along the walls, floor, and even ceiling. The multiple students began to go into convulsions as they cried and shouted in their odd trance-like state. Galinda found herself bumped backwards into the crowd by a lose hand. “Elphie!” The petite girl cried out as she found herself being pushed closer to the center of the chaos. “Galinda!” Elphaba cupped her hands as she shouted to her friend. “Reach the cage! Unhook the clasp!” “Oh, for Oz’ sake!” Galinda muttered to herself as she bent her back forward, straining to get a grip on the iron cage. She pulled on the iron handle sitting to the left of the cage, releasing an opening at the back of the cage. The door fell back, knocking down against the lightest colored of the three bodies in the cage, stirring it slightly. “Oh heavens, what’s happened?” A groggy feminine voice came faintly from the cage, a purple mane of curls poking out. “Twilight, Rainbow Dash, are you two alright?” A student passing the cage knocked it over in his induced haste, sending it to the ground with a loud clatter. The previous voice now began squeaking and squealing at the various feet pounding against the iron bars of the cage. “Sweet Celestia! What is this mess?” The voice became more frantic as the purple mane whipped around in confusion and panic. “These outfits are hideous! They’re not symmetrical at all! Really now people, blue and white stripes are not slimming!” Soon after this remark, a pair of green hands hefted the cage off of the ground, leading it away from the mass of writhing students. “Hurry, we’ve got to get you out of here!” Elphaba frantically attempted to help the Animals out of the cage, desperate to get them far away before whatever was afflicting the room wore off. The three Animals that piled out of the cage were definitely Horses, which became evident as each one stepped out. The one who had spoken previously though, had a small horn the same color as its coat coming from the center of its forehead. The other two, who had seemingly come to not long after the first one, were also fairly odd, one having a similar horn, and the other with a pair of feathery-blue wings lying on its sides to match the sky blue color of its coat. “Come on!” Elphaba called to the three behind her, already retreating out of the room. “There’s an exit just nearby!” The three Animals exchanged worried looks between the three of them before one stepped forward, a purple coat complimented by a darker mane with a pink streak running through it. “I don’t have any real idea of what’s going on here, but we don’t have much of a choice!” She addressed the other two in a voice that seemed to impose a sense of authority. “Let’s just do it girls!” The remaining two shared a nod before the Horse sporting a rainbow mane spread its wings, taking to a few feet into the air, looking intently at the green girl. “Lead the way, captain!” ContactLeaves crunched under light boots as Elphaba trudged forward, pushing aside a few stray branches every now and again as she ventured deeper into the woods she was currently leading the three Horses through. “We’re almost through, there should be a clearing coming up in just a few minutes.” Elphaba called behind her, ducking underneath another low hanging vine. The sound of light trotting behind her was confirmation that the trio had not stopped following her yet. “Hey, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash’s called in a hushed tone as she lowered herself down to her companion’s level, placing her hooves firmly on the ground. “Are you really so sure we should be following her around? I don’t have a good feeling about this.” “Well, speaking honestly, I’m not so sure there’s much else for us to do.” Twilight admitted as she averted her gaze to the ground in front of her. “I just remember coming to in that cage, and there was all that insanity, those guys were chanting and jumping in every direction, like some creepy ritual!” She gestured to the girl a few feet ahead of them with her horn. “She seemed like our only hope at the time!” “Besides, if not her sanity, then her sense of fashion certainly puts her above those other hooligans.” Rarity spoke warmly as she admired Elphaba’s light jacket. “She executes that blue and white color scheme a touch nicer than the rest of them!” “Well that’s another thing; Her color!” Rainbow glared her eyes in suspicions. “Whatever those things were, they weren’t ponies! But almost all of them had that same general color! Didn’t either of you notice that in the entire room, she was the only green one?” “Okay, it’s true that whoever she is, this girl isn’t exactly like the others in that room.” Twilight stepped over a small groove in the dirt. “But anything was better than just running off and hoping we chose a good direction when we chanced it!” “Even if she does turn out to be some form of a threat, we can defend ourselves, Rainbow.” Rarity piped up, contributing her own two cents into the conversation. “We’re not totally helpless, now.” “This is it!” Elphaba’s voice came clear to the three as she stepped through a break in the trees. The small area was refreshingly clear of thick vegetation, a bare dirt ground with the graying sky clearly visible overhead. A damp log sat at the edge of the clearing, a few insects crawling under a few spaces in the aging wood. “Is this place safe?” Twilight openly questioned, stepping in with Rarity and Rainbow Dash keeping close. “Safer than you were back there.” Elphaba smiled. “This area is fairly secluded, I don’t think anyone’s instinct will be to come searching for any of us here.” “Elphie!” The jade girl winced at the shrill call of her detested nickname. “Except of course for her.” Elphaba grumbled as she turned her head, gazing into the entrance to the small space. Galinda appeared moments later, tripping through the trees, nearly falling straight onto her face. Leaves clung to her hair and dirt caked her shoes, indicating to Elphaba that she had ran the entire distance between here and Shiz. “Elphie!” The blonde gasped as she leaned against a tree, wheezing heavily as she struggled to catch her breath. “Oh, Galinda.” Elphaba moved briskly to her friend, gripping the other’s gentle hands in her green ones. “What in Oz’ name are you doing here? Why did you come after me? Is the class alright? Did anyone come after you?” “Oh goodness, Elphie.” Galinda waved the questions off, leaning further down on the tree. “I couldn’t let you run off and do this alone! I know you have this inability to keep calm!” “Who’s this?” Twilight asked from behind the two, wary of the small young woman. “She’s suspicious!” Rainbow’s wings fanned out as the pegasus assumed an offensive stance. “She’s my friend!” Elphaba stood in front of her companion, attempting to stare the blue Horse down. “She’s fabulous!” Rarity eyed Galinda’s white petticoat skirt with an intense interest in her eyes. “She would very much like to know what’s going on her and just who you are!” Galinda’s shout surprised everyone present as she moved from behind Elphaba, walking straight up to Rainbow Dash with menace in her blue eyes. Rainbow, Twilight, and Rarity exchanged glances among themselves, caught off-guard by Galinda’s outburst. Rainbow Dash was the first to step forward, flying up to eye level with the perky blonde. “We could ask you the same thing!” Galinda did not back down from the glaring pegasi a few inches away from her face. “What happened back there, and what did you have to do with it?” “We don’t know what happened back there!” Elphaba stepped between the two of them, spreading her arms and ushering them back. “Look, the point is, it isn’t safe for you at Shiz! We had to get you out!” “Not safe?” Rarity questioned, tilting her head. “What ever do you mean?” “It’s the Animal Adverse Laws!” Elphaba scoffed, spitting the name, as if it left a bitter taste on her tongue. “Those atrocities have been plaguing Oz for quite some time now!” “What laws are these?” Twilight asked, eyebrows raised. “The Animal Adverse Laws,” Galinda spoke before Elphaba had the chance to do. “Are preventative measures being taken by Ozian Officials, rumored to be openly discriminating against, and even silencing, sentient Animals!” “What do you mean, sentient?” Twilight stepped closer, yearning to hear more about this. “Are there non-sentient ponies here?” “Well, of course there are!” Galinda answered with a roll of her eyes. “There’s been both sentient Animals and mindless animals both living in Oz since the the Time Dragon Clock began ticking!” “Pardon me!” Twilight interrupted once more, stepping even closer. “What did you say this land was called?” “It’s Oz, ma’am.” Elphaba finally pushed Galinda aside as she took the opportunity to answer. “Are you not from these parts? Where did you come from?” “You don’t hail from Quox, do you?” Galinda asked with dismay. “It’s madness, the thought of even trying to cross Oz’ bordering desert.” “What? No, no!” Twilight shook her head, hardly understanding. “We three, we’re all from Equestria!” “Equestria?” Galinda raised an eyebrow. “Why, I’ve never heard of such a place.” “I don’t know anything about it either.” Elphaba admitted sheepishly. “If it does exist, it must not be very widely recognized by Ozian cartographers.” “Oh heavens!” Rarity rushed to Twilight’s side. “If people here haven’t even heard of Equestria, then that spell you found must have been more powerful than we could have suspected.” “A spell?!” Galinda was livid at the notion. “Preposterous! What domestic sorcery could transcend such a distance if we don’t even know of such a land! There’s no way!” “There is a way.” Elphaba’s eyes shot open. “What?!” Galinda’s shout echoed in the forest. “There just might be a way...” Elphaba’s words trailed off as she addressed the three ponies. “I need to know something, but first off, I’d appreciate knowing your names.” “Oh, of course darling!” Rarity smiled as she extended a hoof. “I go by Rarity!” “I’m Twilight Sparkle!” Twilight smiled as she introduced herself. “Rainbow Dash.” The pegasus slapped a fore-leg against he chest as she told the two women her name. “Pleased to make your acquaintance.” Elphaba made a feeble attempt to shake Rarity’s pampered hoof. “My name is Elphaba Thropp.” “Galinda Arduenna Upland.” The petite blonde curtseyed with a sincere smile. “Of the Upper-Uplands!” “Well then, if we’re all through with any disrespectation,” Elphaba shot an accusing glance at her friend. “I’d like to ask you just how it is you came here, from your Equestria.” The three ponies shared uneasy glances. “It was a pretty complicated process...” Twilight looked off too the side, a tad unwilling to recall the entire turn of events. “Oh, please, you must tell me!” Elphaba lowered herself to her knees to look Twilight in the eyes, letting her blue skirt touch the grass. “If I’m correct about what I’m assuming, this is something that could be very crucial to Oz’ welfare as a whole!” Shocked by the desperation in Elphaba’s voice, Twilight sighed, ears falling down against her head as she closed her eyes, forcing herself to remember. “It was back home, in Ponyville...” Twilight began, voice a tad hesitant and shaky. “I keep a hot air balloon, it’s something I’ve used occasionally for transport.” “Ooh, a hot air balloon!” Galinda smiled at the thought. “That’s how Oz’ great and powerful Wizard came across this land! How grand it must be!” “Yes yes, it’s very nice.” Twilight smiled despite herself. “I was going out to look for a certain someone, to see if maybe he had scampered off there as a last resort hiding place.” Twilight sighed once more at the memory, images of Spike filling her mind. “Oh Spike, I hope he’s doing alright...” Rarity placed a comforting hoof on her fellow unicorn’s back. “Please, continue.” Elphaba didn’t mean to come off as rude, but her hunch was coming more and more into place. “Yes, right, sorry.” Twilight shook her head for a moment. “Yes, the balloon. I had gone out there to search. I didn’t find who I was looking for, but I noticed something odd in the crafting of the balloon basket.” The purple unicorn lifted her head, eyes wide. “There was a small patch over one small section of the basket interior, so old it looked like it was ready to peel off any second. I removed it, overwhelmed with curiosity! Behind the patch, there was something there! Something solid in the lining of the basket! It wasn’t normal, it was this odd bizarre green color!” Twilight halted in her story, an expression of hesitance coming over her face. “No offense intended!” “None taken.” Elphaba answered bluntly, not particularly happy with another thrilling reminder that she was as green as an over-steamed artichoke. “But yes, in the lining of the basket!” Twilight squinted her eyes as she redirected her train of thought back to her retelling. “I didn’t know just what was in there, so I improvised a little magic,” Twilight complemented this explanation with a faint pink glow from her horn. “And just kind of popped it out! I saw that it was a book, and an old one at that! The binding was a fading leather, rich with creases and cracks, barely keeping the yellow pages from pouring out onto the ground! I took a look instantly, but inside the pages all had this silver writing on them in a language that I just couldn’t decipher.” Twilight then pressed a hoof against her head, as if getting a sudden headache. “When I tried to look closer, the words, just, started moving! It was horrible!” With this explanation, it took all of ten seconds before Galinda gasped and jumped back, placing a hand in front of her gaping mouth. “Elphie!” The young woman cried as she sprang forward, placing her hands on her green friend’s shoulders. “Do you think it really is?!” “Yes Galinda!” Elphaba parctically shouted with excitement as she stood and turned to face her friend. “It is.” Green fingers snaked around Galinda’s thin arms as a radiant smile illuminated Elphaba’s face. “It’s a Grimmerie!” OriginGuess who updated her horrible story Hint the answer is me Galinda placed her fair hands onto her friend’s bony shoulders, keeping her from whirling right back around to Twilight. “Elphie, please, think about this for a moment!” The small young woman placed a hand on her forehead as she spoke steadily. “This is just too far-fetched to believe. The Grimmerie being real is one thing, but being from some other, what, dimension? Elphaba it just can’t be!” She turned on her heel as she looked up at the sky, noticing a few storm clouds rolling in. “Besides, rumors are always abounding about the idea that if there is a Grimmerie, it’s most certainly somewhere in the Emerald Palace, under possession of the great and powerful Oz!” “Oh but that’s just it Galinda!” Excitement painted Elphaba’s face as she clasped her thin hands together. “It’s not even really ‘the’ Grimmerie, it’s just ‘a’ Grimmerie!” “Oh goodness, just what are you on about?” Galinda’s tone was desperate, shoulders slumped against her small frame. “That’s a common misconception!” Elphaba nodded her head knowingly, recalling her studies into a few more intricate texts. “A Grimmerie is really one of the several powerful spell books, those created by all sorts of Ozian ancients, Arjiki and Animal alike!” “There’s more than one?!” Galinda was stupefied by the revelation. “Oh who, knows, there could be hundreds out there!” Elphaba threw her arms up in a wide gesture, a broad smile coming across her face. “There just hasn’t been any known discoverations of them, but they’re out there!” Elphaba turned back to Twilight, curiosity and amazement catching her attention once more. “Please continue, what did you do with the book?" The unicorn was a bit surprised to be called on once more, but continued after a moment. “Well, you see, I adore books, and am fairly familiar with several types of literature.” Twilight smiled, memories of her expansive library in mind. “Seeing as this book was obviously something odd, being hidden in a balloon and all, I decided to look deeper into it, outside just the vague scribblings.” She sighed as she lowered her flanks to the ground, seating herself before speaking once more. “It was a tough nut to crack. I examined that thing for nearly 2 months, and hardly made any headway! It took another month before I could truly read any of it!” “How did you manage such a formidable decipheration?” Galinda asked, skepticism in her voice. “It wasn’t easy, but with the assistance of some complex language spells, I could finally make out at least a few words on a page here and there.” Twilight rubbed her chin in thought, as if she had forgotten something. “I seem to remember that the first page I could read at all had something to do with winter and water, I couldn’t manage an entire translation.” “But did you manage anything else in terms of reading it?” Elphaba’s voice was stern. Twilight nodded vigorously. “Oh yes, of course. It wasn’t long after we recently brought summer into Ponyville that I actually got an entire page to cooperate with me.” Twilight’s horn glowed with a faint purple aura as her eyes contorted into a severe concentration, eyes running across the page, beads of sweat compiling on her forehead. In her attempts to translate the book’s monstrosities of text, she had managed to find certain translation spells to aid her. However, these spells were fairly taxing on one’s endurance, and took a highly-trained unicorn to cast. Even Twilight was challenged to hold the spell long enough to translate a few sentences. Spike stood rapt at her side, quill and blank scroll in hand, completely fascinated by Twilight’s literary endeavor. “To return to an origin...” Twilight grunted out the phrase with some effort, focus staying on the page. At her words, Spike’s hand quickly moved, quill moving across the paper. He deftly recorded what she had said, looking back to her afterwards. Her violet eyes had moved further down the page, the aura around her horn growing brighter with every passing second. “There’s an incantation here, be ready.” Spike would have saluted, had his scaly hands not been busy with the paper and quill. The words on the page shone a pale violet at Twilight’s eyes closed, face contorting into a strained concentration. “Traversa...” Twilight began in a pinched whisper, seemingly forcing the words from her mouth. Spike quickly recorded the word. “Psammyad...” “No wonder this language was lost.” Spike grumbled as he wrote the next word. “These words just sound way too bizarre!” Twilight was blissfully ignorant of the dragon’s complaints as the book’s writing continued to illuminate, revealing everything to Twilight that it could. “Unicular, trautica...” Twilight spoke once more as the purple light began to approach the bottom of the page. Twilight’s pained expression gradually softened along with the magic eminating from her horn as she stepped back from the book, a final word escaping her. “Trauticasta.” Spike dipped the quill into the nearby ink fountain, flashing Twilight a small thumbs up after jotting down the final section of the spell. “Got it!” Spike smiled as his eyes fell to the paper. “To Return to an Origin. Incantation; Traversa psammyad unicular trautica trauticasta.” “Sounds about right!” With the aid of magic, Twilight lifted the scroll, walking towards the door. “Grab a few more scrolls, we’ve got some field work to do with this!” Rarity trotted through the grass casually, pampered mane blowing slightly in the light breeze. She was only a few minutes outside Ponyville, heading towards a nearby open field. Business had been slow at the carousel all day, and she was free at the moment. As she continued on, she spotted somepony in the distance. As she came closer, Rarity’s suspicions were confirmed. Twilight stood there in the open space, Spike at her side with a few scrolls and books with her. She hadn’t seemed to have noticed her approach. “Oh Twilight, dear!” Rarity called with a wave of her hoof, catching the purple unicorn’s attention. “Lucky you, I found the time to come down today.” Twilight approached with a smile. “Heh, thanks so much for coming! I was hoping you’d be able to help me with something today.” “Of course, I’m always willing to lend a little assistance.” Rarity eyed the scrolls with a curious glint in her eye. “So then,” She began, “Tell me what we’re doing here.” Twilight’s horn illuminated in a purple light as a scroll lifted towards Rarity’s eyes. “I was hoping you could help me with a spell today!” The paper unfurled in front of Rarity, revealing an incantation for the magic Twilight had mentioned. Something about returning to an origin it seemed. “A spell you couldn’t manage to cast?” Rarity chuckled to herself, recalling her friend’s previous magical feats. “I didn’t know such magic even existed nowadays.” “Well, these methods of sorcery certainly requires a pretty hefty amount of magic!” Twilight brought a book into Rarity’s field of vision. “This tome of spells is fascinating, but I just can’t quite manage to get any reaction when chanting the incantation alone.” Rarity inspected the spell, silently memorizing the words. “What language is this?” Confusion spelled on Rarity’s face as her eyes drew closer to the paper. “It’s certainly nothing like what I’ve ever seen.” The pages of the book opened at Rarity’s query. The written word inside bent and jumbled on the pages, still unwilling to reveal itself to the naked eye. “That’s just the thing.” Twilight’s ears dropped in frustration. “This language is so cryptic, I had to dig for days before I could find any info on translation spells relevant to these words.” The book closed once more as Twilight stepped closer. I could only manage to decipher one, and that’s the one I showed you.” Twilight gestured her horn to the scroll Rarity had read. “That’s the spell I’d like your help with!” “Well you know I’m more than happy to help Twilight, but just what do you plan to use this spell on?” Rarity read over the incantation once more. “Are you going to cast it blindly on some rock or tree?” “Actually, no.” Twilight stated matter-of-factually as she lifted her hoof to the sky. “That’s what she’s for.” As Rarity’s neck craned up to the sky, she at last noticed the rainbow form whizzing quickly through the sky, the unmistakable mane of Rainbow Dash. “You’re going to cast the spell on Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asked, slightly taken aback. “Of course!” Twilight smiled. “I figured it would be best to try it on a pegasus, considering I don’t really know what origin this spell might be referring to.” She looked to the sky as she continued. “If she ends up somewhere in the sky, she’ll land on the clouds, instead of plummeting to the ground. And if she ends up in some patch of open air, then she’ll just be able to fly.” “Well, I do suppose that make sense, I’ll feel safe helping you with this at the very least.” Rarity cleared her throat as she set the scroll aside at last. “You’ve really thought this through quite thoroughly, haven’t you?” “I’m really curious about this book.” Twilight’s violet eyes glimmered with the reckless abandon and glee of a filly. “I just have to know what this thing is capable of!” Rarity laughed off her friend’s over-excitement as she stepped past, raising her head up to look towards the sky. “Rainbow!” She called out. Said pegasus stopped at the call of her name, pausing in the air to peer down at her fashionable friend. “I do believe we’re quite ready to begin with this nonsense!” This confirmation was reaffirming to Rainbow Dash as she swooped down in a sharp arc, plating her hooves in the grass as she landed. “Well, at least you made it, Rarity!” Rainbow Dash lifted herself a foot or two off of the ground, wings beating as she hovered in the air. “You ready to go Twilight?” “As I’ll ever be.” Twilight turned around to face Spike, addressing him directly. “Make sure you get everything down, we’re going to be doing plenty of analysis later.” “Don’t worry Twilight, I’ll observe it carefully.” Spike reassured Twilight as she turned back to Rarity. “Do you think you have the incantation memorized?” Rarity’s eyes closed solemnly as she recited the chant, repeating it exactly from memory. “Perfect, let’s try it!” Rainbow’s anticipation grew slightly, curiosity getting the best of her. Twilight and Rarity stood beside one another, eyes focusing on Rainbow dash. As their horns began to glow, a small aura of magic enveloped the pegasus, a brilliant cross of purple and blue. Each unicorn began to dictate the spell closely and carefully as the magic emanating from their horns grew stronger with every word. Spike pulled his tail around himself as a small breeze drew up, directing itself to Rainbow Dash. The grass shifted beneath Rarity and Twilight’s hooves, air distorting as they vocalized the last section of the incantation. For a moment afterwards, nothing seemed to have occurred. The breeze died down and everything was as it was. However, before Spike could even write this, a brilliant white light enveloped the three ponies, various shapes of several different colors dancing in the growing illumination. Spike stepped back the growing white form, nearly tripping over his own feet before the light stopped spreading, halting before seemingly withdrawing into itself, collapsing into a ball that grew smaller and smaller until it ceased to exist, closing off and leaving behind no evidence that it had ever been these in the first place. Even the books and scrolls Twilight had brought with them were gone, absorbed into the light with the other three. A small breeze picked up once more and died as quickly as it began. Spike sat dumbstruck by the turn of events, struggling to find his own voice. “Twilight?”
OutburstElphaba scribbled a few scattered thoughts onto a spare piece of paper, inexplicably less than thrilled with the class so far. Doctor Dillamond had not yet shown up, and the rest of the students took this as a sign to simply sit about and waste air. “Elphaba, really now,” A high voice spoke from beside the jade girl, “What in Oz’ name could you be writing about in that hideoteous notebook of yours?” “Oh, just my will.” She answered Galinda plainly, earning a harsh scoff in reply. “I’ve left Nessarose most of my worldly possessions and Father a piece of tissue paper I found in my satchel this morning.” “What then, nothing for your best friend?” Galinda asked with mock surprise. “You’re not going to leave me any savings or mementos of the vivid girl I knew so dearly in my days here at dear old Shiz?” “Oh, yes, of course.” Elphaba revised a few lead scratchings with a sweep of her eraser. “I’ll be sure to leave you that stylish black hat you gave to me with the intention of humiliating me.” “Feel free to leave that to Biq instead!” “You mean Boq?” “Oh, whatever!” Galinda seemingly waved their conversation off as she turned away from Elphaba, opting instead to resume making flirtatious waves towards Fiyero at the other end of the room. “I’d just like to know what’s preventing Doctor Dillamond from showing up on time.” Elphaba noted with a dull annoyance. “Well I’m sure I don’t know, Elphie!” Galinda’s head didn’t even turn as she answered half-heartedly. “I hardly speak to the old Goat outside of class as is!” Elphaba had to hand it to Galinda on that account. Ever since Doctor Dillamond had read the first role call with the pronunciation of Galinda’s name as "Glinda," the blonde had formed something of a personal grudge and vendetta against the History teacher. The buzz of voices in the room halted as the room’s sole door opened, Doctor Dillamond rushing in as fast as his two hooves would let him, seemingly in hurry and more than slightly panicked. “Settle down class, I’ve something to say and very little time to say it!” The gray-haired Goat placed a small suitcase to the side as he stole a glance at the door, alarmed by whatever it was that had him running. “My dear students, this will be my last day here at Shiz. I am no longer permitted to teach.” Another buzz of several voices erupted in the room, shocked and questioning of this decision. Doctor Dillamond had been a perfectly passable professor up to this point! He may have had the odd ramble here and there, but it would always relate back to the main lesson! Doctor Dillamond could boast one of the lowest failure rates in the entire school just for this class. However, Elphaba was less inclined to simply ponder this oddity. She instead rose to her feet as fast as humanly possible, face painted with a painful expression of grief and fury. “What?!” This same combination was carried in her voice. Having such bright green skin was anything but easy, but with Doctor Dillamond, Elphaba felt more at home, as if she was less of a spectacle when she was among company that was as different as she was. “Miss Elphaba, please.” Doctor Dillamond ushered the outraged girl back into her seat as he addressed the class once more. “I want to thank you all for sharing with me your enthusiasm, your essays, however feebly structured, and even, on some occasions, your lunch.” Doctor Dillamond smiled in the direction of Elphaba at the mention of the word “lunch.” It had been a simple occasion where Elphaba had offered to spend a moment eating her sandwich with him. His Goat instincts made him a bit more interested in chewing the paper said sandwich was wrapped in, but it was an occasion where teacher and student felt they had truly bonded. It was on that note that Madame Morrible, head mistress of the university, chose to sweep into the room, several men in comically large trench coats and bowler hats pouring in behind her. “Oh, Doctor, I’m so terribly sorry!” The elderly woman crossed the room to place a frail hand onto the shoulder of the Goat’s tweed jacket. “I simply couldn’t delay their approach any longer!” “Madame, please!” Elphaba rose once more, incredulous with the situation. “You can’t allow this!” The young woman was interrupted by a heavy hoof being placed on her shoulder. “Miss Elphaba, don’t worry about me! They may take away my job, but I shall continue speaking out!” It was not long before both of Doctor Dillamond’s Hooves were grabbed by the men who had followed n after Madame Morrible, dragging the Animal into the hallway. “Come on, Goat.” The largest of the men spoke considerably unsympathetically as he led the struggling professor out of the room. “You’re not being told the whole story class!” The students heard the last of Doctor Dillamond’s echoing protestations from outside the classroom. “Remember that!” “Doctor Dillamond!” Elphaba was the only one who attempted to rush after him, though she found her path outside the door blocked by one of the trench coated men. She turned to face her peers. “Well are we all just going to sit here?! In silence?” “Miss Elphaba, I’m afraid there’s nothing else we can do.” Madame Morrible spoke comfortingly as she attempted to lead the livid girl back to her seat. “But Madame-“ Elphaba felt a tug from Galinda’s hand pull her back down to her seat next to the blonde, who had been just as desperate for Elphaba to sit down as everyone else. Madame Morrible pulled at the train of her red robes as she stepped aside from the front of the classroom, yet another trench coated man stepped towards the center of the room, pulling a cart covered by a gray sheet along with him. “Good afternoon, students!” The peculiar man’s greeting was returned in a manner that was just as vapid. “Today, I’d like to take to chance to introduce you to a procedure that will soon be taking the Animals of Oz by storm!” As he spoke these words, the man pulled the sheet from atop the cart, revealing a grand cage concealing three individual forms inside of it. They each seemed to be some foreign creature, something too grand to see even in Oz! They looked enough like any animal, but they were plastered with bright colors. “Are those Horses?” Fiyero asked from the back of the room. “Right you are young man!” The new instructor pulled a small tray from beneath the cage, an assortment of syringes, scalpels, and needles laid out upon it. “What in Lurline’s name are those for?” Elphaba’s voice went up an octave at the sight of the sharp tools. If not for her severe verdigris, she would have likely been red in the face. “These, my dear, are a remarkable innovations designed for the purpose of ensuring that Animal advocacy is halted as soon as possible!” The glee in the man’s voice did little to calm the fury in Elphaba’s expression. “Are you mad? You can’t possibly just silence an Animal like that, it’s not right!” Elphaba balled her fists as she stared the new instructor dead on. “Really now my dear, it’s for their own good.” The man picked up one of the syringes as he did his best to ignore Elphaba’s protests to stop. “Gather around then students, you’ll see in this procedure what can be expected for the Oz of tomorrow!” “Galinda, we’ve got to do something!” Elphaba grabbed ahold of the blonde’s hand as she walked forward with the others. “We can’t let him do this to those defenseless creatures!” “Ugh, Elphaba!” Galinda attempted to pull her hand out of her friend’s grasp. “I don’t like him prodding those poor things with those needles any more than you do, but what can we possibly do?” “Well can you possibly imagine a world where Animals never speak and are locked in cages?!” Elphaba’s voice had risen above the rest of the clamor by this point, but the room’s focus remained on the man and his cage o bizarre Animals. She threw her arms out fiercely on either side of her. “Somebody has to do something!” And with that screech, something happened indeed. The small platform upon which the cage rested released a formidable gust of wind and cloud of smoke. The man and students were pushed away from the cage by an unseen force. “What happened?!” Galinda attempted to scream over the commotion occurring amongst the others. “What did you do!?” “I don’t know!” Elphaba shouted in reply. “I just god mad and I-“ She had no time to respond as the lighting of the room dimmed, grim lines of pale green dancing along the walls, floor, and even ceiling. The multiple students began to go into convulsions as they cried and shouted in their odd trance-like state. Galinda found herself bumped backwards into the crowd by a lose hand. “Elphie!” The petite girl cried out as she found herself being pushed closer to the center of the chaos. “Galinda!” Elphaba cupped her hands as she shouted to her friend. “Reach the cage! Unhook the clasp!” “Oh, for Oz’ sake!” Galinda muttered to herself as she bent her back forward, straining to get a grip on the iron cage. She pulled on the iron handle sitting to the left of the cage, releasing an opening at the back of the cage. The door fell back, knocking down against the lightest colored of the three bodies in the cage, stirring it slightly. “Oh heavens, what’s happened?” A groggy feminine voice came faintly from the cage, a purple mane of curls poking out. “Twilight, Rainbow Dash, are you two alright?” A student passing the cage knocked it over in his induced haste, sending it to the ground with a loud clatter. The previous voice now began squeaking and squealing at the various feet pounding against the iron bars of the cage. “Sweet Celestia! What is this mess?” The voice became more frantic as the purple mane whipped around in confusion and panic. “These outfits are hideous! They’re not symmetrical at all! Really now people, blue and white stripes are not slimming!” Soon after this remark, a pair of green hands hefted the cage off of the ground, leading it away from the mass of writhing students. “Hurry, we’ve got to get you out of here!” Elphaba frantically attempted to help the Animals out of the cage, desperate to get them far away before whatever was afflicting the room wore off. The three Animals that piled out of the cage were definitely Horses, which became evident as each one stepped out. The one who had spoken previously though, had a small horn the same color as its coat coming from the center of its forehead. The other two, who had seemingly come to not long after the first one, were also fairly odd, one having a similar horn, and the other with a pair of feathery-blue wings lying on its sides to match the sky blue color of its coat. “Come on!” Elphaba called to the three behind her, already retreating out of the room. “There’s an exit just nearby!” The three Animals exchanged worried looks between the three of them before one stepped forward, a purple coat complimented by a darker mane with a pink streak running through it. “I don’t have any real idea of what’s going on here, but we don’t have much of a choice!” She addressed the other two in a voice that seemed to impose a sense of authority. “Let’s just do it girls!” The remaining two shared a nod before the Horse sporting a rainbow mane spread its wings, taking to a few feet into the air, looking intently at the green girl. “Lead the way, captain!”
ContactLeaves crunched under light boots as Elphaba trudged forward, pushing aside a few stray branches every now and again as she ventured deeper into the woods she was currently leading the three Horses through. “We’re almost through, there should be a clearing coming up in just a few minutes.” Elphaba called behind her, ducking underneath another low hanging vine. The sound of light trotting behind her was confirmation that the trio had not stopped following her yet. “Hey, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash’s called in a hushed tone as she lowered herself down to her companion’s level, placing her hooves firmly on the ground. “Are you really so sure we should be following her around? I don’t have a good feeling about this.” “Well, speaking honestly, I’m not so sure there’s much else for us to do.” Twilight admitted as she averted her gaze to the ground in front of her. “I just remember coming to in that cage, and there was all that insanity, those guys were chanting and jumping in every direction, like some creepy ritual!” She gestured to the girl a few feet ahead of them with her horn. “She seemed like our only hope at the time!” “Besides, if not her sanity, then her sense of fashion certainly puts her above those other hooligans.” Rarity spoke warmly as she admired Elphaba’s light jacket. “She executes that blue and white color scheme a touch nicer than the rest of them!” “Well that’s another thing; Her color!” Rainbow glared her eyes in suspicions. “Whatever those things were, they weren’t ponies! But almost all of them had that same general color! Didn’t either of you notice that in the entire room, she was the only green one?” “Okay, it’s true that whoever she is, this girl isn’t exactly like the others in that room.” Twilight stepped over a small groove in the dirt. “But anything was better than just running off and hoping we chose a good direction when we chanced it!” “Even if she does turn out to be some form of a threat, we can defend ourselves, Rainbow.” Rarity piped up, contributing her own two cents into the conversation. “We’re not totally helpless, now.” “This is it!” Elphaba’s voice came clear to the three as she stepped through a break in the trees. The small area was refreshingly clear of thick vegetation, a bare dirt ground with the graying sky clearly visible overhead. A damp log sat at the edge of the clearing, a few insects crawling under a few spaces in the aging wood. “Is this place safe?” Twilight openly questioned, stepping in with Rarity and Rainbow Dash keeping close. “Safer than you were back there.” Elphaba smiled. “This area is fairly secluded, I don’t think anyone’s instinct will be to come searching for any of us here.” “Elphie!” The jade girl winced at the shrill call of her detested nickname. “Except of course for her.” Elphaba grumbled as she turned her head, gazing into the entrance to the small space. Galinda appeared moments later, tripping through the trees, nearly falling straight onto her face. Leaves clung to her hair and dirt caked her shoes, indicating to Elphaba that she had ran the entire distance between here and Shiz. “Elphie!” The blonde gasped as she leaned against a tree, wheezing heavily as she struggled to catch her breath. “Oh, Galinda.” Elphaba moved briskly to her friend, gripping the other’s gentle hands in her green ones. “What in Oz’ name are you doing here? Why did you come after me? Is the class alright? Did anyone come after you?” “Oh goodness, Elphie.” Galinda waved the questions off, leaning further down on the tree. “I couldn’t let you run off and do this alone! I know you have this inability to keep calm!” “Who’s this?” Twilight asked from behind the two, wary of the small young woman. “She’s suspicious!” Rainbow’s wings fanned out as the pegasus assumed an offensive stance. “She’s my friend!” Elphaba stood in front of her companion, attempting to stare the blue Horse down. “She’s fabulous!” Rarity eyed Galinda’s white petticoat skirt with an intense interest in her eyes. “She would very much like to know what’s going on her and just who you are!” Galinda’s shout surprised everyone present as she moved from behind Elphaba, walking straight up to Rainbow Dash with menace in her blue eyes. Rainbow, Twilight, and Rarity exchanged glances among themselves, caught off-guard by Galinda’s outburst. Rainbow Dash was the first to step forward, flying up to eye level with the perky blonde. “We could ask you the same thing!” Galinda did not back down from the glaring pegasi a few inches away from her face. “What happened back there, and what did you have to do with it?” “We don’t know what happened back there!” Elphaba stepped between the two of them, spreading her arms and ushering them back. “Look, the point is, it isn’t safe for you at Shiz! We had to get you out!” “Not safe?” Rarity questioned, tilting her head. “What ever do you mean?” “It’s the Animal Adverse Laws!” Elphaba scoffed, spitting the name, as if it left a bitter taste on her tongue. “Those atrocities have been plaguing Oz for quite some time now!” “What laws are these?” Twilight asked, eyebrows raised. “The Animal Adverse Laws,” Galinda spoke before Elphaba had the chance to do. “Are preventative measures being taken by Ozian Officials, rumored to be openly discriminating against, and even silencing, sentient Animals!” “What do you mean, sentient?” Twilight stepped closer, yearning to hear more about this. “Are there non-sentient ponies here?” “Well, of course there are!” Galinda answered with a roll of her eyes. “There’s been both sentient Animals and mindless animals both living in Oz since the the Time Dragon Clock began ticking!” “Pardon me!” Twilight interrupted once more, stepping even closer. “What did you say this land was called?” “It’s Oz, ma’am.” Elphaba finally pushed Galinda aside as she took the opportunity to answer. “Are you not from these parts? Where did you come from?” “You don’t hail from Quox, do you?” Galinda asked with dismay. “It’s madness, the thought of even trying to cross Oz’ bordering desert.” “What? No, no!” Twilight shook her head, hardly understanding. “We three, we’re all from Equestria!” “Equestria?” Galinda raised an eyebrow. “Why, I’ve never heard of such a place.” “I don’t know anything about it either.” Elphaba admitted sheepishly. “If it does exist, it must not be very widely recognized by Ozian cartographers.” “Oh heavens!” Rarity rushed to Twilight’s side. “If people here haven’t even heard of Equestria, then that spell you found must have been more powerful than we could have suspected.” “A spell?!” Galinda was livid at the notion. “Preposterous! What domestic sorcery could transcend such a distance if we don’t even know of such a land! There’s no way!” “There is a way.” Elphaba’s eyes shot open. “What?!” Galinda’s shout echoed in the forest. “There just might be a way...” Elphaba’s words trailed off as she addressed the three ponies. “I need to know something, but first off, I’d appreciate knowing your names.” “Oh, of course darling!” Rarity smiled as she extended a hoof. “I go by Rarity!” “I’m Twilight Sparkle!” Twilight smiled as she introduced herself. “Rainbow Dash.” The pegasus slapped a fore-leg against he chest as she told the two women her name. “Pleased to make your acquaintance.” Elphaba made a feeble attempt to shake Rarity’s pampered hoof. “My name is Elphaba Thropp.” “Galinda Arduenna Upland.” The petite blonde curtseyed with a sincere smile. “Of the Upper-Uplands!” “Well then, if we’re all through with any disrespectation,” Elphaba shot an accusing glance at her friend. “I’d like to ask you just how it is you came here, from your Equestria.” The three ponies shared uneasy glances. “It was a pretty complicated process...” Twilight looked off too the side, a tad unwilling to recall the entire turn of events. “Oh, please, you must tell me!” Elphaba lowered herself to her knees to look Twilight in the eyes, letting her blue skirt touch the grass. “If I’m correct about what I’m assuming, this is something that could be very crucial to Oz’ welfare as a whole!” Shocked by the desperation in Elphaba’s voice, Twilight sighed, ears falling down against her head as she closed her eyes, forcing herself to remember. “It was back home, in Ponyville...” Twilight began, voice a tad hesitant and shaky. “I keep a hot air balloon, it’s something I’ve used occasionally for transport.” “Ooh, a hot air balloon!” Galinda smiled at the thought. “That’s how Oz’ great and powerful Wizard came across this land! How grand it must be!” “Yes yes, it’s very nice.” Twilight smiled despite herself. “I was going out to look for a certain someone, to see if maybe he had scampered off there as a last resort hiding place.” Twilight sighed once more at the memory, images of Spike filling her mind. “Oh Spike, I hope he’s doing alright...” Rarity placed a comforting hoof on her fellow unicorn’s back. “Please, continue.” Elphaba didn’t mean to come off as rude, but her hunch was coming more and more into place. “Yes, right, sorry.” Twilight shook her head for a moment. “Yes, the balloon. I had gone out there to search. I didn’t find who I was looking for, but I noticed something odd in the crafting of the balloon basket.” The purple unicorn lifted her head, eyes wide. “There was a small patch over one small section of the basket interior, so old it looked like it was ready to peel off any second. I removed it, overwhelmed with curiosity! Behind the patch, there was something there! Something solid in the lining of the basket! It wasn’t normal, it was this odd bizarre green color!” Twilight halted in her story, an expression of hesitance coming over her face. “No offense intended!” “None taken.” Elphaba answered bluntly, not particularly happy with another thrilling reminder that she was as green as an over-steamed artichoke. “But yes, in the lining of the basket!” Twilight squinted her eyes as she redirected her train of thought back to her retelling. “I didn’t know just what was in there, so I improvised a little magic,” Twilight complemented this explanation with a faint pink glow from her horn. “And just kind of popped it out! I saw that it was a book, and an old one at that! The binding was a fading leather, rich with creases and cracks, barely keeping the yellow pages from pouring out onto the ground! I took a look instantly, but inside the pages all had this silver writing on them in a language that I just couldn’t decipher.” Twilight then pressed a hoof against her head, as if getting a sudden headache. “When I tried to look closer, the words, just, started moving! It was horrible!” With this explanation, it took all of ten seconds before Galinda gasped and jumped back, placing a hand in front of her gaping mouth. “Elphie!” The young woman cried as she sprang forward, placing her hands on her green friend’s shoulders. “Do you think it really is?!” “Yes Galinda!” Elphaba parctically shouted with excitement as she stood and turned to face her friend. “It is.” Green fingers snaked around Galinda’s thin arms as a radiant smile illuminated Elphaba’s face. “It’s a Grimmerie!”
OriginGuess who updated her horrible story Hint the answer is me Galinda placed her fair hands onto her friend’s bony shoulders, keeping her from whirling right back around to Twilight. “Elphie, please, think about this for a moment!” The small young woman placed a hand on her forehead as she spoke steadily. “This is just too far-fetched to believe. The Grimmerie being real is one thing, but being from some other, what, dimension? Elphaba it just can’t be!” She turned on her heel as she looked up at the sky, noticing a few storm clouds rolling in. “Besides, rumors are always abounding about the idea that if there is a Grimmerie, it’s most certainly somewhere in the Emerald Palace, under possession of the great and powerful Oz!” “Oh but that’s just it Galinda!” Excitement painted Elphaba’s face as she clasped her thin hands together. “It’s not even really ‘the’ Grimmerie, it’s just ‘a’ Grimmerie!” “Oh goodness, just what are you on about?” Galinda’s tone was desperate, shoulders slumped against her small frame. “That’s a common misconception!” Elphaba nodded her head knowingly, recalling her studies into a few more intricate texts. “A Grimmerie is really one of the several powerful spell books, those created by all sorts of Ozian ancients, Arjiki and Animal alike!” “There’s more than one?!” Galinda was stupefied by the revelation. “Oh who, knows, there could be hundreds out there!” Elphaba threw her arms up in a wide gesture, a broad smile coming across her face. “There just hasn’t been any known discoverations of them, but they’re out there!” Elphaba turned back to Twilight, curiosity and amazement catching her attention once more. “Please continue, what did you do with the book?" The unicorn was a bit surprised to be called on once more, but continued after a moment. “Well, you see, I adore books, and am fairly familiar with several types of literature.” Twilight smiled, memories of her expansive library in mind. “Seeing as this book was obviously something odd, being hidden in a balloon and all, I decided to look deeper into it, outside just the vague scribblings.” She sighed as she lowered her flanks to the ground, seating herself before speaking once more. “It was a tough nut to crack. I examined that thing for nearly 2 months, and hardly made any headway! It took another month before I could truly read any of it!” “How did you manage such a formidable decipheration?” Galinda asked, skepticism in her voice. “It wasn’t easy, but with the assistance of some complex language spells, I could finally make out at least a few words on a page here and there.” Twilight rubbed her chin in thought, as if she had forgotten something. “I seem to remember that the first page I could read at all had something to do with winter and water, I couldn’t manage an entire translation.” “But did you manage anything else in terms of reading it?” Elphaba’s voice was stern. Twilight nodded vigorously. “Oh yes, of course. It wasn’t long after we recently brought summer into Ponyville that I actually got an entire page to cooperate with me.” Twilight’s horn glowed with a faint purple aura as her eyes contorted into a severe concentration, eyes running across the page, beads of sweat compiling on her forehead. In her attempts to translate the book’s monstrosities of text, she had managed to find certain translation spells to aid her. However, these spells were fairly taxing on one’s endurance, and took a highly-trained unicorn to cast. Even Twilight was challenged to hold the spell long enough to translate a few sentences. Spike stood rapt at her side, quill and blank scroll in hand, completely fascinated by Twilight’s literary endeavor. “To return to an origin...” Twilight grunted out the phrase with some effort, focus staying on the page. At her words, Spike’s hand quickly moved, quill moving across the paper. He deftly recorded what she had said, looking back to her afterwards. Her violet eyes had moved further down the page, the aura around her horn growing brighter with every passing second. “There’s an incantation here, be ready.” Spike would have saluted, had his scaly hands not been busy with the paper and quill. The words on the page shone a pale violet at Twilight’s eyes closed, face contorting into a strained concentration. “Traversa...” Twilight began in a pinched whisper, seemingly forcing the words from her mouth. Spike quickly recorded the word. “Psammyad...” “No wonder this language was lost.” Spike grumbled as he wrote the next word. “These words just sound way too bizarre!” Twilight was blissfully ignorant of the dragon’s complaints as the book’s writing continued to illuminate, revealing everything to Twilight that it could. “Unicular, trautica...” Twilight spoke once more as the purple light began to approach the bottom of the page. Twilight’s pained expression gradually softened along with the magic eminating from her horn as she stepped back from the book, a final word escaping her. “Trauticasta.” Spike dipped the quill into the nearby ink fountain, flashing Twilight a small thumbs up after jotting down the final section of the spell. “Got it!” Spike smiled as his eyes fell to the paper. “To Return to an Origin. Incantation; Traversa psammyad unicular trautica trauticasta.” “Sounds about right!” With the aid of magic, Twilight lifted the scroll, walking towards the door. “Grab a few more scrolls, we’ve got some field work to do with this!” Rarity trotted through the grass casually, pampered mane blowing slightly in the light breeze. She was only a few minutes outside Ponyville, heading towards a nearby open field. Business had been slow at the carousel all day, and she was free at the moment. As she continued on, she spotted somepony in the distance. As she came closer, Rarity’s suspicions were confirmed. Twilight stood there in the open space, Spike at her side with a few scrolls and books with her. She hadn’t seemed to have noticed her approach. “Oh Twilight, dear!” Rarity called with a wave of her hoof, catching the purple unicorn’s attention. “Lucky you, I found the time to come down today.” Twilight approached with a smile. “Heh, thanks so much for coming! I was hoping you’d be able to help me with something today.” “Of course, I’m always willing to lend a little assistance.” Rarity eyed the scrolls with a curious glint in her eye. “So then,” She began, “Tell me what we’re doing here.” Twilight’s horn illuminated in a purple light as a scroll lifted towards Rarity’s eyes. “I was hoping you could help me with a spell today!” The paper unfurled in front of Rarity, revealing an incantation for the magic Twilight had mentioned. Something about returning to an origin it seemed. “A spell you couldn’t manage to cast?” Rarity chuckled to herself, recalling her friend’s previous magical feats. “I didn’t know such magic even existed nowadays.” “Well, these methods of sorcery certainly requires a pretty hefty amount of magic!” Twilight brought a book into Rarity’s field of vision. “This tome of spells is fascinating, but I just can’t quite manage to get any reaction when chanting the incantation alone.” Rarity inspected the spell, silently memorizing the words. “What language is this?” Confusion spelled on Rarity’s face as her eyes drew closer to the paper. “It’s certainly nothing like what I’ve ever seen.” The pages of the book opened at Rarity’s query. The written word inside bent and jumbled on the pages, still unwilling to reveal itself to the naked eye. “That’s just the thing.” Twilight’s ears dropped in frustration. “This language is so cryptic, I had to dig for days before I could find any info on translation spells relevant to these words.” The book closed once more as Twilight stepped closer. I could only manage to decipher one, and that’s the one I showed you.” Twilight gestured her horn to the scroll Rarity had read. “That’s the spell I’d like your help with!” “Well you know I’m more than happy to help Twilight, but just what do you plan to use this spell on?” Rarity read over the incantation once more. “Are you going to cast it blindly on some rock or tree?” “Actually, no.” Twilight stated matter-of-factually as she lifted her hoof to the sky. “That’s what she’s for.” As Rarity’s neck craned up to the sky, she at last noticed the rainbow form whizzing quickly through the sky, the unmistakable mane of Rainbow Dash. “You’re going to cast the spell on Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asked, slightly taken aback. “Of course!” Twilight smiled. “I figured it would be best to try it on a pegasus, considering I don’t really know what origin this spell might be referring to.” She looked to the sky as she continued. “If she ends up somewhere in the sky, she’ll land on the clouds, instead of plummeting to the ground. And if she ends up in some patch of open air, then she’ll just be able to fly.” “Well, I do suppose that make sense, I’ll feel safe helping you with this at the very least.” Rarity cleared her throat as she set the scroll aside at last. “You’ve really thought this through quite thoroughly, haven’t you?” “I’m really curious about this book.” Twilight’s violet eyes glimmered with the reckless abandon and glee of a filly. “I just have to know what this thing is capable of!” Rarity laughed off her friend’s over-excitement as she stepped past, raising her head up to look towards the sky. “Rainbow!” She called out. Said pegasus stopped at the call of her name, pausing in the air to peer down at her fashionable friend. “I do believe we’re quite ready to begin with this nonsense!” This confirmation was reaffirming to Rainbow Dash as she swooped down in a sharp arc, plating her hooves in the grass as she landed. “Well, at least you made it, Rarity!” Rainbow Dash lifted herself a foot or two off of the ground, wings beating as she hovered in the air. “You ready to go Twilight?” “As I’ll ever be.” Twilight turned around to face Spike, addressing him directly. “Make sure you get everything down, we’re going to be doing plenty of analysis later.” “Don’t worry Twilight, I’ll observe it carefully.” Spike reassured Twilight as she turned back to Rarity. “Do you think you have the incantation memorized?” Rarity’s eyes closed solemnly as she recited the chant, repeating it exactly from memory. “Perfect, let’s try it!” Rainbow’s anticipation grew slightly, curiosity getting the best of her. Twilight and Rarity stood beside one another, eyes focusing on Rainbow dash. As their horns began to glow, a small aura of magic enveloped the pegasus, a brilliant cross of purple and blue. Each unicorn began to dictate the spell closely and carefully as the magic emanating from their horns grew stronger with every word. Spike pulled his tail around himself as a small breeze drew up, directing itself to Rainbow Dash. The grass shifted beneath Rarity and Twilight’s hooves, air distorting as they vocalized the last section of the incantation. For a moment afterwards, nothing seemed to have occurred. The breeze died down and everything was as it was. However, before Spike could even write this, a brilliant white light enveloped the three ponies, various shapes of several different colors dancing in the growing illumination. Spike stepped back the growing white form, nearly tripping over his own feet before the light stopped spreading, halting before seemingly withdrawing into itself, collapsing into a ball that grew smaller and smaller until it ceased to exist, closing off and leaving behind no evidence that it had ever been these in the first place. Even the books and scrolls Twilight had brought with them were gone, absorbed into the light with the other three. A small breeze picked up once more and died as quickly as it began. Spike sat dumbstruck by the turn of events, struggling to find his own voice. “Twilight?”
