The Crown of Twilight: War of Night and Day

Twilight

From the desk, Twilight Sparkle rose a hefty tome. Its advice was sage, eldest of all the tomes she was able to rent from the library. “To cast a spell, one must know it by heart.” Twilight said. She had little patience for the old words, words taught first to children learning to cast. But that was another staple of magic, one she hated repeating even more. With patience, comes spells. The words lurked in her head like a nagging old bird that croons every morning. She rose her hand and repeated the language of the book. Each book of spells had its own language from which each spell on each page came from. A magic maker spoke in tongues until a language that commanded magic came. Twilight knew the words. By heart, she knew them.

The words flowed. A true mage speaks his spell to the last word, even if a mace whacks them in the cheek, her teachers all taught her. Mages and wizards were often called fast tongues, speakers of death, or just simply Spell Tongues. Those who did not speak their spells cast them by wand, and to Twilight that was pointless. The wand would determine your strength, not your horn. A Unicorn horn can grow with the owner. Twilight felt the lightning trickle up her horn. A bolt shot from her horn and struck the apples arranged on the shelf across from her. “Good shot, Twi!” Spike said, running over to gather the singed apples.

Spike was an oddity. He was a squire and assistant from The Dragon Lands. He was a young boy, nearly more dragon than child. His feet and arms were scaly and purple, still they dressed by his preference. A fair pair of pants and whatever shirt they could find dressed him. His tail swished excitedly as he passed by. His eyes were slit like a dragon’s as well, and shimmered like emeralds. Maesters say he might grow to be full dragon one day, or his humanity would remain. It was hard to say, but experts predicted it either way. His ears stretched out like fins, and spikes grew along his head down to his tail. His hair was topped with curly brown hair. He brought the apples back for Twilight to examine.

“Hmm.” She set to thinking over the nearly singed state of each apple. “Still not enough energy I would wager. This spell is supposed to leave things a bit more burnt than singed.”

“So…?”

“Fetch more apples, Spike.” Spike nodded and went off down the steps from Twilight’s study to get more apples. Meanwhile, Twilight made sure not to have a lazy moment. Idle hands were the fool’s workshop. She fetched an old odd book and set back to deciphering it. Twilight was a hopeful spell forge, and thus was dedicated to learning the way books worked. The best tool for learning how to make spells well was to look to common examples, and uncommon ones. The things you were expected to learn, and the things no one knew.

The book’s title was plain and clear, Spells of Rage and Housework by Foggy Noon. A spell book often proclaimed what categories it contained. The book Twilight read from to burn apples was called A Book of Burns and Lightning. You often knew if you had an impossible book to decipher if the words to describe the spells were hideously mismatched. Weather Manipulation and Sheep Herding, Advanced Levitation and Tier III Smell Removal, and of course, Rage and Housework. These books were considered impossible to learn from, so it took master work to decipher them. Twilight read not for spells, but for knowledge.

The characters of the book followed a pronunciation sheet provided by most mage guilds, so it was at least built from basic building blocks. The hard part was often enunciation, were often hints and clues on how to say it were insufficient. An easy guide was often phrases such as, “With anger”, or, “Determined.” A sign the spell you fished for was worthless was when the enunciation guide said something like Twilight’s tome said; “Felt in toes while spoken.”

“Your apples, Twilight.” Spike returned with a basket of apples.

“Spike, have you ever said something so… err, loud or angry that you felt it in your toes?”

“Um.” Spike stared, confused. He stared down at his clawed feet, too massive to stick in any shoe. “Can’t say I have.” Spike shrugged.

“Same here.” Twilight sighed and shut the book with a slap of a spell. She was prone to magic for simple tasks.

“I leave you for a second and you go and open another book?” Spike smirked, although he was well aware of Twilight’s habits, it never heard to prod. Twilight was never amused by his jests. She knew full well what she was doing.

“I’d hate to waste time.” She replied, opening up her previous tome, the easier to read one.

“Perhaps I should get to fetching apples faster?” Spike said.

“And close that window of time for me to turn my attentions to more perplexing manners? I’ve only been peering in that book whenever you’re off getting something.”

“Oh?” Spike was shocked by that, Twilight could tell. “I thought you would set aside time to focus on those books too? At least bigger than the minute I’m gone for.”

“Then I would have less time to focus on the other books. Think, Spike!” Twilight raised her tome and set off as if ready to cast a spell. Spike panicked and set another set of apples upon the shelf. Twilight spoke the words and cast another bolt of magic. The apples were singed, nearly black of skin. Spike ran over and peered them over.

“A little more burnt than last time.” Spike said. Twilight urged him over. He brought the apple to her and let her investigate.

“Still not burnt nearly enough.” She split it open with a spell, purple fingers tugging it apart. “See? The core isn’t even touched.” She showed him the seedy interior, all safe and wet.

“Ah.” Spike spoke with so little realization he could never fool Twilight. “Well, we’re all out of apples. What food should we next empty from our shelves?”

“Potatoes might work. Anything that can be burned to a thick core.”

“I was kidding, Twi. You really should invest in some targets you can reuse or something. Maybe go outside and find a tree no one would miss…”

“Eh, outside is overrated. Books hate it out there, ugh, especially in the wind.” Twilight adjusted her sweater and skirt. Her purple hair swayed, her pink streak highlighting her straight bangs well. “Do I look like an outside girl to you?”

“…Now that you mention it.” Spike groaned in his boyish voice. “Alright, I’ll go grab the potatoes- Hurkk!” Twilight blinked.

“Are you choking on something?”

“No, no! It’s- I-It’s-“Before Spike could finish, he belched out a green fire that dissipated into a letter. “A-a letter.” Spike had his uses. Dragon fire was known for its magic, and served as the fastest letter delivery service Twilight could get. Twilight lifted the letter and appraised the mail. “What’s it say?” Spike asked, curious what he belched out.

“Ahem.” Twilight cleared her throat. “Dear my faithful student Twilight, I’ve noticed you’ve been quite busy with your studies. As I have personally selected you as my pupil, this is befitting. However, I have my concerns. A little ways off from Canterlot, a small village known as Ponyville prepares for the Summer Sun Festival. Now they may need some help preparing for the holiday. As you know, these times are those of marvelous festivals, and fruitful harvests of summer crops and wine. It is a tradition for students to be released during this time, and thus, I wish to suggest you should take a break from your studies.” Twilight shuddered. “A break?!”

“You have been working pretty hard.” Spike said.

“Hey now, not so hard that I’d have to stop! Celestia must know my studies are important to me.” Twilight returned her eyes to the letter. “…I know your studies are important to you; word reached me you missed Moon Dancer’s party she was holding in honor of the festivities. She was pretty broken up that you didn’t attend. Guards say you hassle your assistant in the streets, and you rarely raise your nose out of your book at the libraries. I am concerned, and would wish to see you take a break.”

“Sounds pretty serious…” Spike said nervously. Had she truly been so hard on him? She had only urged him to run a little faster at times. They had to make it home in time to get back to studying!

Twilight continued, “If word reaches me that you haven’t gone on vacation, well I’ll just have to make of it what I will.” Twilight’s tail twitched. “Now, get your nose out of one of those dusty tomes, and get yourself out there! Your Humble Teacher, Queen Celestia” Twilight shuddered and dropped the letter for Spike. “Oh no. Oh no no no!”

“What’s the matter, Twi? You got sent on a vaction!”

“To some… Backwater!” Twilight had never been much further than Canterlot, not even to the neighbor city of Ponyville. But she knew what it was. A humbler city, a town without many conveniences Canterlot knew so well. More importantly, it wasn’t a big city. Twilight shook her head. “Spike, fetch me a coffee!” Twilight said, walking out the door and down the steps to her kitchen. Twilight ran to catch up with her.

“Are you okay?” Spike asked, struggling to keep up with Twilight as she went down the steps.

“Me, okay? No! I just got told to dump my studies and head to some country town to watch their festival or something.” Twilight groaned, moving down the ornate wooden steps fast. “What is Celestia thinking? I’ve still so much research to do, and stopping for some holiday is pointless.”

“Well, it is her holiday…” Spike cleared his throat. “She probably… Y’know, wants to see her own student observe it.” Twilight groaned. That was a pretty vain explanation. Twilight wanted to think the reasoning was a bit deeper than that. Celestia had to have something planned.

“I guess so.” Twilight said, anyways. “I’ll at least do her the honor.” The festival celebrated the coming of summer. It was the solstice, a time when the sun hung over the sky so clear and powerful, and for the longest time too. According to Celestia’s observant tally, this would be the thousandth time it has happened. Twilight found it so hard to believe in a world with a solstice, but Celestia did control the bodies in the sky. She could raise the moon and the sun and set them all the same. She probably one day decided it was time to mix things up and have one of them stay up longer to celebrate it being their time to shine. Summer was the time of sun, after all.

“So, right, coffee!” Spike sprinted forward to the kitchen. It was a meager kitchen that connected to the library and the living room. Spike hastened for crushed beans and a filter and a kettle of boiled water. There were stools all over for him to easily get to whatever he was working on. Twilight felt a bit bad setting a kid to work, but Spike really did like it, and he was often happy with the calm moments. Besides, hard work taught kids good things… She couldn’t believe how old that thought made her feel. How old was she, eighteen now? She shouldn’t be thinking so old.

She sat back in the kitchen stool. She had a library smaller than the kitchen to the left, most of the books were kept upstairs where she slept in the small abode. All that remained unseen was the bathroom, and Twilight saw so little of it she couldn’t recall it.

There was a book on the table. Being Twilight, she decided to read it. It was a book of folklore, sent to her by the library as recommended reading for the time of year. The tome was insanely dry, and lacked any of the charm it had when her parents had told her it in her bed. It was an old myth, that once long ago, Celestia had a sister who controlled the moon. She had sought to take the day and fill it with night, and banish Celestia. Celestia defeated her attempts at an eternal night, and banished her to the moon. It was said the largest crater in the moon was from Luna crashing into it.

Twilight smirked and shut the book. She couldn’t help but notice the dust shoot out from the pages. See? She thought to herself, another old dusty book. Exactly what Celestia warned her of? Perhaps there was merit to her letter. A break from these books would clear her head. She was too caught up in the parchment and authors and unsolvable spells. Spike delivered her coffee at last. Coffee was a drink reserved for students, called the potion of scholars. It sped up thinking, increased alertness. Sure, if one drank too much, they would stutter, but a mage that could talk faster casted spells faster.

The drink was bitter save for the cream and sugar the lurked behind the dark flavor. Twilight swallowed and sighed. “Thank you, Spike.” Twilight grinned at her dragon, who happily bowed.

“It’s fun to make that stuff anyways. Cough-y. It looks kinda gross, but the beans smell amazing.”

“I’m happy you like it, Spike.” She sipped at it a few more times. The afternoon was all the more content. The sun was high and broke through her windows in perfect beams of light. It was warm inside, comfortable. A perfect morning really. She sipped at her coffee, thinking idly. How soon was the festival anyways? She had some time to relax. She heard Spike cough up another bout of flames. Another delivery? She turned to Spike who held two tickets aloft.

“T-These tickets are for half an hour from now!!!” They had to get moving. Twilight spilled her coffee.