Me, Myself, and Twi

Episode III

---

Have you ever had a conversation with a friend in need? Perhaps a friend that's going through something that you've been through beforehand? Maybe something similar? Well, let me tell you about how my conversation with Twilight went about a fight she and Spike had not too long ago...

---

I just finish filling two small mugs up with tea when my watch's alarm begins to beep. Shortly following this, I hear the crackling of the portal underneath my bed.

"Justin? Are you there?" she asks quietly.

"Yeah... I got some tea made, as well. Still couldn't find any daisies, though." I reply.

She giggles at that. "Thanks... and don't worry. I don't think daisies are even in during this season, what with it being October, and all that."

"Yeah... well actually, that depends on the location. Some places still have daisies growing... but not up here."

"Oh... really? Strange, it's different here in Equestria. Normally we have flower shops around every corner, as well as several wild flowers growing in the plains. Daisies, however, are among the most commonplace, and can be found pretty much anywhere."

"Huh... that's nifty. Though I'm guessing with ponies being vegetarian in nature, I can see it being a common thing out there."

We pause for a moment, before I clear my throat, my hands gripping the mugs carefully.

"Anyways, you planning on crossing the portal this time, or would you just like this one to be an average conversation?"

She hums before quickly sticking her head through the portal. She smiles weakly at me before replying, "Um... I was actually wondering if this could be a casual meeting this time? Just a simple conversation through the portal?"

Understandingly, I nod my head and return her smile. "Sure, Twi. Just like the first time, then."

I offer her the second mug of tea, which she levitates through the portal, before returning her head into her own world.

"Thanks, Justin... the tea smells delicious!"

I chuckle and scratch the back of my hair. "Eh, it's nothing special, really... just some ordinary cold-brew tea. Can't even trust myself near a stove."

She takes a sip and smacks her lips silently. "Oh, don't sell yourself short, Justin... I doubt if it could be as bad as my stories around an oven!"

"Twilight, I burnt tea before."

"Like... it evaporated on you?"

I shake my head. "No, Twilight... like, it turned into a black gunk INSIDE the water... and no, the bags were still intact."

Silence fills the air for a moment, before I hear her choking up from her held laughter.

"Wait... seriously?! How in the hoof do you even do that?! That sounds more like magical interference than anything else... but since your world doesn't even have magic..." she begins, followed by a Twilight-style commentary on how it seems scientifically impossible for a liquid like tea to just spontaneously combust into flames.

I quickly resort to just telling her, "Twi, Twi, Twi... if you ever saw me in a kitchen, then you'd understand a bit more."

We share a good laugh again, before silence fills the area once more.

Finally, she catches her breath once again, steadying her breathing pace, and then breaks the silence.

"Thanks, Justin... I needed that."

I smile and nod my head, despite her not physically being there to see me. "Any time, Twilight... laughter is a good cure for depression... but now, I guess it's time we cut to the chase. That is, if you still want to talk about it. If not, I could always throw in a bit more jokes for you... maybe tell you about the time how I woke myself up by my own snoring."

She chuckles again.

"Yeah... as tempting as it sounds, I'm afraid I have to pass on your offer. After all, I did say that I would tell you."

I shrug. "Just remember, I'm not forcing you to talk. If you need more time, I can wait as long as you need to get comfortable with."

"Thanks, Justin... but you're right. I need get this off my chest now, so that my own anxiety doesn't get worse over time... and believe me, just holding it in isn't making me get any more comfortable about it."

"Of course." I clear my throat, then begin. "So, Twilight... what's wrong, exactly? What happened between you and Spike?"

She sighs. "Well... where do I even start?"

"Well the idea would be to start at the beginning, wouldn't it?" I comment with a smirk.

I can already sense her rolling her eyes at me. "Yeah, I know that one, Smartypants!" She snickers, though, clarifying that she's amused deep down, regardless of her expression.

I shrug. "What? It's true, isn't it?"

She playfully blows a raspberry, to which I respond to equally. Then, she clears her throat, and begins her tale.

"Well, anyways... it all started like this..."

And so, she begins telling me of how most of it began, from a rough summary of her beginning, up to today...

Within Equestria's Past...

My name is Twilight Sparkle. For twelve years now, I've been the student of Princess Celestia.

According to the Equestrian Mage's Chart, or ECM for short, my level of potential is that of an "Anomaly". As Princess Celestia explained, I wasn't even supposed to pass in my final test... the same test I took when I was only four.

I was told to hatch the egg of a long-extinct subspecies of a Dragon.

What was the results of, what I'd later learn to be, the Sonic Rainboom performed by one of my best friends, Rainbow Dash, my family gained a new member... Spike.

Ever since that day, I helped mom take care of him. As soon as he could talk, he spoke with me the most. In the end, he was less of a child, and more of a brother to me, despite it being me who hatched his egg to begin with.

That, plus my mom wasn't open to being a grandmother at the age of 28.

Skipping ahead in time, I was tasked with going to Ponyville at the age of 16. I was fresh out of my Senior Class. Due to me already knowing everything within the library, I was given my final test early... I would be in charge of preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration.

Little did I know that, from that moment on, my destiny would be tied in with my five new friends; Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy.

Together, we are the Spirits of Harmony.

In short, we became fabled heroes. We would become the talk of Ponyville! We would be known as the heroes that saved the world!

...

Just kidding!

Though the thought did come across several of my friends' minds, in the end we decided to keep it all a secret. Princess Celestia requested that she be the one who reintroduces her sister to the public... and that, we could all agree, would be for the best.

Especially since 1,000 years worth of changes is bound to lead to a culture shock at some point!

But I digress.

Despite us hiding our heroic deeds from public eyes, we were still called for help from the locals. Simple tasks, and what-not.

Well, simple in comparison to the heroic side of things. I'm not going to return to those thoughts on how hard it was to try to help during the Winter Wrap-Up situation...

Anyways, moving on.

With my focus always being on the lessons I've learned in Friendship, I never even once noticed the one thing that was missing in my life. We would always be there for each other in our times of great need... all six of us.

And that was where my eyes were opened. All along, I was focusing on my new friends, that I was quickly drifting away from my family.

Spike was always there long before they were. He would help me in tasks that I didn't even need help with, simply because he cared. Because to him, I was his older sister - his Role Model!

And I neglected him.

I step inside the library, exhausted from the long day. Planning for the Summer Sun Celebration is one thing... saving the world is another!

I look upstairs and hold back my laughter at Spike, who's clad in pillow armor with a wooden bucket as a helmet.

However, upon seeing the tears in his eyes, my laughter never comes, and I'm left looking confused at him.

"Hey, Spike! I'm back!"

He says no more, before rushing up to me and wrapping his arms around my neck in a hug.

"T-Twilight! You're... you're alive!"

I sigh, close my eyes, and return his hug. "Of course I am, Spike... why wouldn't I be?"

He sniffles again, before looking me in the eyes. "W-when the mayor said that you went into the Everfree Forest... I thought that... I thought that you wouldn't..."

He breaks down again, before hugging me once more. I, however, am shocked. Was he really that worried about me?

I feel the tears begin to fall from my eyes, as the true weight of my actions begin to fall upon me. I might've just saved Equestria, but... in doing so, I caused my little brother great panic!

And knowing how close he is with everypony else in my family... I wouldn't be surprised if I have a few letters from my parents and my older brother waiting for me.

"Oh, Spike... I'm so sorry... I didn't know I worried you so much! I thought you'd be asleep during the whole ordeal!"

"I was... and I had nothing but nightmares! When the mayor woke me up to inform me of what's happened, I... I couldn't even go back to sleep!"

"Shh... it's okay, Spike..."

We both just sat there quietly for a while. I eventually cheered him up when I told him that Princess Celestia told us we could stay here.

"- But with all that responsibility, I'm going to need an assistant to help out. Now who could I count on more than my most trustworthy little brother? Nopony, that's who!"

And like that, the flames are rekindled. He cheers up quickly and begins to tidy the library up, giving it our own personal Canterlotian touches here and there, while still keeping it traditional Ponyvillian in color scheme.

After all, this place is my... no... our new home.

He wants to set an example to all potential assistants I would need, so that he could protect his rights as my "Number 1 Assistant"... even though I don't even plan on looking for another assistant at all! As for me, though?

I have a bed calling my name... and it's getting louder by the second.

It all seemed so nice... that things would get better for us.

...

Oh, if only I knew just how wrong I was...

I slowly trot inside the house. Once our Gala Tickets were exchanged for official VIP Passes, I was, as Applejack would say, "Plum-Tuckered Out"... and now I am, as I would say, "Exhausted".

Spike is already asleep on my back. I gently float him into his basket and tuck him in, before heading to bed. I look at him once before smiling at his sleeping form.

Still a little baby dragon... my little brother, and Number 1 Assistant.

What would I do without you?

I trot inside, covered in sweat, dirt, and scratches. Repairing Ponyville after the Parasprite infestation would take all week!

And it looks like Spike had to postpone his cleanup duties today so that he could separate the ruined books from the ones still intact. (We lost so many important books that day...)

I decide that it's alright, though. Spike's been busy today while my friends and I had to put up with the parasprites and Pinkie Pie's shenanigans.

I mean, sure it's important to listen to your friends' opinions and perspectives when trying to solve a problem... but as the day went on, I began to question that lesson I learned.

What if she told us before, instead of trotting off to find a trombone? And... what even caused the parasprites to follow the music? Is there some kind of gene within them that allows for echolocation through the...

No. That's not important right now... and I shouldn't blame Pinkie Pie. We're all a little at fault here, I guess.

I decide to head to bed early... maybe the extra rest could help me wake up earlier tomorrow to help tidy up the place some more.

"Hey, Twilight! How was your-"

"Fine." I tell Spike, interrupting him as I step inside. It was, of course, far from fine, though.

I was held up in the marketplace for over an hour, and the ponies within it were nothing but huge jerks! Honestly, what was the deal with that?! Is it some kind of Ponyville Holiday that I wasn't informed about?!

I grumble and mutter my anger out silently to no one in particular as I trot up the stairs and into my room, slamming the door shut, and locking it. I then levitate the nearest book towards me, and I begin reading.

Before long, this kind of reaction became a routine. Eventually, I stopped talking to Spike for more than just a few seconds daily... until that fateful night, when Lyra came up to me...

Lyra Heartstrings and I are sitting at a small cafe, where a hay burger rests on each of our plates. We've decided that, because it's been more than two months since we've truly been able to hang out (what with us both moving out of Canterlot so far in-between,) we should catch up on things.

However, my mind is set on my meal and our original plans to catch up, while hers is the same as it was since she claimed to have received a vision from one... who-man? Pew-can? No, wait... human! That's what it was... a human!

"So let me get this straight... you think the stars are aligned perfectly every Tuesday, allowing us to get a glimpse into another world? And more specifically, a world inhabited by... humans?" I ask her, deadpanning at our local anthropologist's usual antics.

She nods happily and motions towards the sky. "That's right, Twilight! And with the help of this spell, I just know that you'll be able to see it, too!"

I look at the scroll that she, somehow, was carrying without me noticing, then shoot her a confused look. "Um... okay? And have you even tested this spell, yet?"

She scratches the back of her hair. "Well... not exactly, no."

I deadpan at her, before sighing. "Then why even bring it up? I thought we were going over how things were going since we've moved from Canterlot together?"

"I was getting to that! But, uh... well, I kinda-sorta wanted to ask you for a quick little favor... if that's okay, that is?"

"... And that would be?"

She shifts around uneasily. "I figured that, since you're Princess Celestia's student, you could possibly go over the spell for me? Maybe give it a quick test, and fix any problems that it might have?"

I sigh and shake my head. "I'm sorry, Lyra. Even if I could figure out the spell's functions and dynamics, I would be dealing with the unknown on a much larger scale than I'm legally allowed to work with!"

Lyra frowns at me and sighs. "Oh... well..."

I raise a hoof her way to stop her from continuing. "Listen, Lyra... I'm not even sure where you got that scroll, but... I don't think it would be wise if you kept it for yourself. I'll be happy to take it off of your hooves, though. I'm sure the guards wouldn't suspect me of all ponies carrying something like that around, due to my status, and what-not."

Lyra's ears perk up at that. "Oh, uh... sure! But... can you please just look into it for me? Please?"

I sigh. "Lyra-"

"Pleeeeeeease!"

"Lyra, I can't just-"

"PRETTY please?! With a cherry on top?!"

"Lyra, the physical presence of the pretty and the cherry wouldn't make a difference. My answer's 'no', and that's final!"

She silences after that. I then return to my burger, but pause when I hear her sniffling.

Finally, I roll my eyes and look at the rolled up scroll on the table.

"Okay, then... b-but... I thought you'd be interested in learning more about the unknown... before somepony else does."

"..."

And now, my stomach starts to churn, as an uneasy feeling begins to build up in me. What if this scroll really does contain knowledge that nopony else knows about? What if, deep inside it, there's a spell that even Princess Celestia doesn't know about?!

Regardless of whether its contents are a threat or not, whoever gave Lyra that scroll could be a potential threat... but in order to be sure, I would have to see the contents of the scroll, itself!

"Tell me something, Lyra... have you even read the scroll, yet?"

She nods her head. "Y-yeah... it... it's similar to a portal spell, but with a few adjustments added to it... l-like the location, and... w-well... a few other things, as well..."

"Hmm... so it isn't an enchanted scroll, then?"

Lyra shakes her head. "Not to my knowledge, no."

I look at the scroll again.

"Well... I..."

I let out a long, tired sigh.

"Fine, then... I'll give the spell a look."

Lyra's expression quickly turns back into a huge smile. She pulls me in for a hug similar to Pinkie Pie's (which is very painful, I must admit), and repeatedly thanks me.

"Alright, alright!" I finally manage to squeeze out of her hug, then finally get to resume my burger consumption. "But don't think that this means I'm bringing a human into Equestria if it does work! This is strictly for research purposes, and only that!"

"Understood!" She gives me a salute, only for me to pull her hoof down.

"And please, please don't let anypony find out about this... under any circumstances! Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!"

...

"And don't call me 'ma'am'! I'm only sixteen years old!"

She recoils at my voice, then smiles sheepishly at me. "Sorry..."

With that out of the way, I tuck the scroll into my saddlebag and the two of us continue talking about normal things.

"So do you have any stories about humans in your library?" she asks.

I slam my forehead on the table and groan as a response to her version of "normal".

"So what happened after that?"

... I let my curiosity get the better of me. I shut myself out for a week, studying the spell. After that, Spike came into my room, while I was having trouble with a particular part of it.

"... Do you need me to get you a tissue, or a paper towel?"

... Yes, please.

...

"There ya go... now please, continue... unless you'd like to call it a night here?"

*Giggle* Don't worry... I'll be fine.

My mane is a mess, now. I haven't even slept for days, as I continue to stare at the scroll, transcribing its contents into a separate one, and making corrections where necessary.

I'm currently in my room... as I have been for longer than I care to know.

I suddenly hear the feint creak of my bedroom door, but pay it no mind.

"Twilight? You've been in here for days, now... are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Spike." I reply, keeping my eyes glued on the scroll.

...

"Are you sure you're alright?"

I sigh and nod my head. "Yes, Spike... I'm sure I'm fine! Now please, just let me concentrate!"

...

I hear him shift closer to me, though.

"Well, then... since you're feeling fine, I was wondering if you wanted to help me with something right quick?"

"Not right now, Spike... maybe later."

"You sure? Because it's pretty important to me... I'm trying to put this book back in its place, but I just can't reach it... I could use your help reaching it."

"Not right now, Spike... maybe later." I repeat.

"Hmm... well, could you at least make my arms longer, then? Just temporarily so that I could-"

I stomp my hoof on the ground and glare at him.

"NOT. RIGHT. NOW. SPIKE! CARE FOR ME TO REPEAT MYSELF ANY MORE, OR HAVE YOU FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT?!"

He recoils back, and trips over his own tail. I immediately notice the tears in his frightened eyes.

Then I turn back to the scroll, and continue to read through it. My ears twitch as I hear Spike scamper back up and rush outside my room, slamming the door behind him.

"Hmm... so far, this whole thing sounds one-sided... like, he didn't have any fault in the matter, aside from being concerned about you."

I haven't gotten to that part... there's more that soon followed.

"Such as?"

The following day, I finally finished the spell, and was able to figure out the part that I was stuck on. As such, my mood was a lot brighter... but Spike, on the other hoof, was still hurt from the day prior.

And yet, I still dismissed him when I was getting the preparations for a temporary version of the spell. Needless to say, THAT was when he got his point across.

I hum and continue making the adjustments to the spell's runes.

"Hmm... if my calculations are correct, the portal should appear on Tuesdays... but with this adjustment here, I can alter it to enable the portal again any time willingly... while this one here can grant me the powers to remove the portal from both sides, closing the connection, should things get hairy!"

I rub my chin, before continuing to speak with myself.

"Ah... though I should probably make the portal only allow nonliving organisms to pass through... or, no, maybe I should just make it a sound portal? Yeah... just in case I end up opening it in the middle of the planet's core, or something. Heh... wouldn't want that leaking in the middle of my room, now, would I?"

I then examine the spell on the scroll.

"And then this one would make the time-based adjustments link together, allowing the passage of time for the portal's appearance on the other side to be equivalent to the amount of time passed in this world, thus normalizing the passage of time in that world to be the equivalent of the passage of time in this one. Don't want our weeks to end up being their months, after all...

"And then, the amount of mass around that one should at least be on the top of the surface... but theoretically. I'm still not quite sure about the differences of the gravitational pulls in their world... might need to make a few more adjustments in the portal's lift, just in case the portal sinks too low into the ground there... or maybe I could just adjust it once I've got it opened? As long as I'm keeping it from absorbing any matter, it shouldn't be a problem... it should just phase through the objects, after all..."

"Twilight?" I barely even hear Spike's voice behind me as I continue to mutter my readings and research to myself.

"Uh-huh..."

"Listen, Twilight. I was wondering if we could go to the store? We're running low on groceries, and they won't let me buy anything without you being there."

"Not right now, Spike... maybe later, okay?"

He goes silent once again.

"That's what you said yesterday, you know?"

"Uh huh." I say, though mostly to my thoughts on the particular part of the spell I'm looking at.

"Are you... gonna keep ignoring me?"

"Ugh, Spike! I'm this close to finishing this spell! Can you please just let me concentrate for just a bit longer? Please?!"

...

"No."

My eyes widen as my concentration is suddenly broken. I turn around and stare at my glaring drake assistant/brother, who approaches me with his claws balled up.

"What? Spike, what do you mean 'No'?! Why can't you just let me finish with my research and-"

He quickly places his claws on my cheeks and leans his head closer to mine. Then, in as loud a voice as he could muster up, he shouts, "I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR STUPID RESEARCH!"

I almost hear the sound of glass shattering at this point. Something snaps inside me, as I magically push his claws from my face. A glare now forms on my own face, as an unknown sense of rage begins to take control over me.

"Stupid... research?! STUPID RESEARCH?!" I stomp my forehooves on the ground, causing the wood below them to crack. I then lean closer to Spike, who doesn't even flinch from my own raised volume.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS SO-CALLED 'STUPID RESEARCH' IS?!"

He rolls his eyes. "AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DO! YOU'VE ONLY MUTTERED ABOUT IT ALL WEEK! DO YOU EVEN REALIZE THAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING YOU'VE BEEN TOLD?! HONESTLY, DO YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR STUDIES MORE THAN YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR OWN FAMILY?! YOUR FRIENDS?! EVERYPONY ELSE THAT'S BEEN WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU?!"

"YOU KNOW THAT ISN'T TRUE, SPIKE! STOP TRYING TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE I'M THE BAD PONY HERE!"

"I WILL ONCE YOU START ACTING LIKE A GOOD PONY AGAIN!"

We both are breathing heavily, teeth clenched, as the metaphorical sparks begin zapping between our eyes.

"I. Have. Been. Busy. Spike!" I mutter through my teeth.

He rolls his eyes once more. "And there it is again, with you being 'too busy' to care about anypony besides yourself!"

"Again, that's not TRUE, Spike!"

...

"You know what?! That's it, this ends now!" he proclaims before running behind me and pulling the scroll from my desk.

"SPIKE! WHAT THE HAY ARE YOU DOING?!" I begin to panic as he looks back at me with a scolding frown.

"What I should've done before! It's for your own good that this stupid thing gets destroyed!"

He takes a deep breath, preparing to either burn the scroll, or worse... send it directly to Princess Celestia!

As such, my instincts kick in and I teleport the spell from his grip, where it returns behind me once again. However, what I don't take into account is my magic surging around me, causing a quick burst of energy to blow the objects around me away, and shoving Spike two feet back, tripping him in the process.

My mind doesn't register this yet, though, as I shout, "DON'T DO THAT!"

I rub my head as a small headache occurs from the sudden surge. Spike, however, doesn't even show physical pain as he stands back up and brushes the dust off of him.

"Twilight... I'm not going to stand here and watch you continue to hurt yourself over that stupid spell! You're not making this easy for me!"

My glare intensifies. I take a deep breath and, lifting my forehooves up, I shout once more, and stomp hard enough to shake a few books off of the shelves, and crack the floor even more.

"THEN LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Again, my magic surges, forcing him back onto the ground. This time, however, he recoils; his anger now replaced with shock, followed by a shocked gasp.

My anger, however, doesn't let up, as I continue hovering over him, breathing heavily.

"..."

He continues to stare at me in shock, while I turn back around and adjust my scroll back onto my desk.

"...

"Fine... if that's what you really want... I'll just leave." he finally says.

I continue to read my scroll, now blinded by my anger. It takes me a few seconds to register the sound of the door softly closing... and a few minutes later, I hear the sound of another door closing.

And then... everything hits me suddenly.

I gasp as my attention quickly goes to my bedroom door.

"... Oh, no... Spike!"

I quickly stand back up, only to trip on a pile of fallen books that were knocked from my shelf. Landing directly on my snout, I yelp in pain and grip my nostrils, before checking my hooves.

I'm bleeding, now... but the adrenaline makes me ignore the pain as I stand back up and rush to the door.

Forcing it open, I hurry down the stairs, and look around.

Sure enough, Spike is no longer there.

"Owlowiscious! Quick! I need you to-"

I turn towards Owlowiscious's perch, and gasp when I see it unoccupied.

"Owlowiscious? Spike?"

Soon my worry escalates into a state of panic as I gallop through the library, searching high and low for any signs of where Spike might've left.

Finally, with no other options left, I rush to the front door. Immediately, a note taped on said door catches my attention.

Dear Twilight,

---

Owlowiscious and I went to Rarity's for the night. You... no... we need to cool our heads off, before one of us does something they might regret.

I know you didn't mean what you said, but... it still hurts that you'd even think of saying something like that. We're all worried about you, Twi... ALL of us!

I didn't tell you this before, because I thought it would hinder your work, but... even LYRA is starting to worry about you. When we told her about how you've become somewhat of a recluse... well... she feels guilty about this whole thing.

We love you, Twilight. We want what's best for you... but right now, what I think you need is some time to think about what you've done... while I spend some time thinking about how I could've approached you without being confruconf
without arguing with you.

I'd advise you keep your distance from Rarity tonight, and tomorrow morning. You know how she can be when it comes to dramatic things like this.

Love, Spike.
Your #1 Assistant.
PS: I didn't tell anypony about what you were doing. To them, we just got into an argument. However, you can't keep it a secret forever. Sooner or later, you're gonna have to tell them.

"So then what happened?"

I couldn't think straight after that. I was overwhelmed by a mix of sorrow and anger; both aimed towards myself, and my actions.

"You let your studies get the better of you... then you lashed out at him for interrupting you from said studies."

Yeah... go ahead, berate me... it's what everypony else did then, anyways. I probably heard it all at this point.

"Twilight... I don't berate people for their past actions, ESPECIALLY when they've already been forgiven for that. Heck, if anything, I'm just surprised that it's only something as simple as an argument."

... What do you mean, simple?! I almost lost my brother there! And my friends!

"No, Twilight. From what I've seen in those crystals and in person, your friends and family ALL love you. Plus you and Spike are siblings... it's normal for siblings to fight! Heck, my own brothers and I fought a whole lot... and many times, it even got physical!"

Really? But... you don't seem like the type that gets into fights, though!

"That's mostly because I've grown past that stage... but even still, old habits can return from time to time. Unfortunately, it's just another one of those problems in life that we may never truly be able to get rid of completely."

Huh... so it's... normal? Not just a problem that Spike and I have alone?

"Of course not, Twilight! Why, don't you have any other siblings? Another brother, or maybe a sister?"

I have an older brother... but we've never actually fought before, though.

"Never? Not even over a toy or something?"

No... if anything, he was the overprotective brother of mine... but he was, and forever will be, my B-B-B-F-F.

"Your... what?"

Big-Brother-Best-Friend-Forever.

"Ah... well anyways, you got sad and angry... did you chase after Spike and Owluh... Owwa... who?"

*Giggle* Owlowiscious... and no. I... well, I know it might sound a little melodramatic, but...

"... You ran back into your room and cried, didn't you?"

*Sigh* Yeah...

"Don't worry. Again, that's a normal thing."

I'm lying in my bed, with my face planted in my soaking pillow, muffling my screaming and crying. Soon, however, my eyes turn to the desk, where mere moments ago, I balled up the scroll and threw it under my bed.

Due to my emotional distress, my magic surged during that time. My guess is that the scroll burnt underneath, as a brief flash sparked underneath, and all that I saw where it landed was nothing more than a large burnt pile of dust.

I then decide to stand back up and walk over to my desk, where several scrolls, books, and quills rest.

"Okay, then... time to face the music," I murmur. Levitating a quill and straightening out a blank scroll, I take a deep breath and start to write, speaking as I do.

"Dear Princess Celestia..."

I pause as a strange chill builds up across my spine. My fur begins to raise as an unusual presence starts to appear behind me. Though I face the letter, I can tell something's looking right at me... and almost instinctively, I gulp and slowly turn around.

I see nothing at first. Below my bed, however, I notice that it's gotten a lot darker than usual. Curious, I look closer at it, before I slide off of the seat and tip-hoof towards the shadow.

As soon as I'm mere inches away from the bed, however, two glowing red eyes open... followed by an equally red fanged smile.

Before I even have time to react, it lunges directly into my face, covering my sight in red.

And then, I scream and pull my head from my pillow.

I turn towards my desk, only to find that it hasn't changed a bit. It's still covered in papers, books, and quills of varying colors.

With a sigh, I trot up to it, and notice that, while I've dreamed up the letter part, I didn't dream of my outburst, where I balled up the scroll and threw it under my bed.

I sigh, wishing that this whole entire thing was just a bad dream.

"Spike was right..."

My eyes drift to the desk. I grasp an empty inkwell and glare at it. My magic shakes it up, before I let out an angered growl.

"This whole entire spell idea was just. Plain. STUPID!"

With that, I throw the inkwell towards the opposite wall, where it flies underneath my bed and into the shadow.

*Clunk!* "Oww! What the hell?!"

As Twilight concludes her story, she returns the empty tea cup to my end of the portal.

"And just like that, we met... I'm sure you remember the rest."

I nod, accepting the cup from her magical grasp.

"I see... well, I can definitely relate to quite a few things you've mentioned... however," I raise my finger, "I can also say that, while his approach wasn't the only way, it seemed like the only thing available for Spike to do at the time... y'know, the whole 'Attempting to burn the scroll' thing."

She sighs. "So... I was the one who was wrong. I had a feeling... my friends told me that the following day, after all."

"So why'd you need me to tell you that?"

I hear her hoof brushing up against the floor. "I don't know... an outside opinion, I guess... maybe some closure?"

"Ah... well, if it helps, I'm actually glad you went a little mad there."

"What? Why?!"

"Well, you gotta look at it in the long run... like I said, had you not obsessed over the spell, would we have met?"

"I..." She pauses, then giggles. "I... guess we wouldn't have, huh?"

I nod. "Exactly! And I'm gonna guess that, since you and Spike are getting along pretty well once again, they've all forgiven you?"

"Yeah... but even still, I shouldn't have-"

I cut her off. "Don't even stress about it, Twilight."

"But... the pain that I've caused! If I didn't get so caught up on that spell, then-"

"-Then we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, and you would be short one friend."

...

"But... are you absolutely sure that they've really forgiven me, though? After shutting myself away like that?"

I smile and crawl up to the portal. Then I stick my head over it.

"Twilight... look at me."

She peeks up (Or is it down? Freakin' world looks upside-down on her end!) at me. I can see the worry in her eyes.

I also see the tear strings, and quickly lift another tissue from the box. Then I reach across the portal and wipe the tears from her eyes, causing her to smile softly.

"What you have is beyond special, Twilight! If what those crystals showed me is true, then I can guarantee that you've been forgiven long ago."

She sighs and looks away. "Yeah... but... Idunno... I would still like to know what to do... you know... to make sure that I don't fall back into those old habits, again."

I rub my chin in thought, before looking at the calendar on my wall. "Hmm... well... is there a holiday in October that y'all celebrate?"

"Well, there's Nightmare Night... but I haven't really celebrated it, though."

I ponder the name curiously. "Nightmare Night... does it involve children, costumes, and candy?"

She nods. "Yeah... but I usually found it to be just a waste of time... and plus, the candy wouldn't last long with Spike around. He would get out of control, and eat until his stomach gets hurt!"

I snicker. "Well, then... looks like he'll have to muscle through it this year, because I have an idea!"

...

"Wait... are you suggesting that I... celebrate Nightmare Night with Spike?!"

I nod. "Well, yeah! You need to get out more anyways... why not use that to ki... err... take care of two birds with one stone?"

"Umm... not sure about that analogy, but... absolutely NOT!"

...

"Kay, then... why not, exactly? Are you afraid of it, or something?"

"Wha?! No I'm not afraid of it! It's just that... well... not only is its main subject Nightmare Moon, but there's also the fact that I would bring candy into the library, and would need to find a hiding spot for it! Plus, it's just a bunch of random nonsense about myths that aren't even true about her!"

I smirk and reply, "You and your friends defeated Nightmare Moon, the sugars in candy can be quite helpful when you have low blood sugar, making it a good treat for the occasional visitor with problems like that, and the spares can easily be disposed of in the portal conveniently placed underneath your bed. And lastly, I happen to be an expert on random nonsense, so... I could easily make it seem like normal! You're a smart mare, so I'm sure you can adapt, since you're friends with, not only me, but also that pink pony!"

She remains speechless... this means she's either surprised that I countered her worries, or she's thinking about something... and knowing her, it's probably both.

I chuckle and cross my arms. "So, got any more excuses or worries that I can shoot down for ya?"

...

"Um... Twilight?" And now, I'm starting to worry.

And not because of her safety. Rather, because she's actually in deep thought... which means she might be dragging me into some sort of plan of hers without my consent.

Then finally, she gasps. "Hey! I just got an idea!"

Well, crap...

"Okay... and should I be worried about it?"

"Justin... are you free next Monday?"

I scratch my head in confusion. Okay... what are you planning?

"Uh... yeah, I should be. Why?"

She claps her hooves giddily and pokes her head out of the portal.

"Because I was wondering if you could come with us?"

I unfold my arms and recoil at her question, even having to catch myself from falling on my back. "Wait, WHAT?!"

"You could keep an eye on the candy, while I try to find fun festivities that I can help Spike with!"

I roll my eyes as my palm, once more, meets my face. "Okay, Twilight... not only is that idea ridiculous, but... well... it's very ridiculous!"

She tilts her head confusedly. "What do you mean?"

I sigh and drag my palm below my face, briefly pulling my eyelids. "Well, let's see... if not only for the fact that it's technically illegal for us to be communicating in the first place, how exactly do you plan on sneaking a colorless six-foot-tall human through a town full of colorful, two-foot-tall ponies?!"

She rolls her eyes and chuckles. "Oh... that? Trust me... I already have a plan for that!"

... "Of course you do..."

I shake my head and smile at her sheepishly. "Come on, Twilight... seriously, what's your plan? I mean, it's not like you can just turn me into a pony in the blink of an eye!"

"Well... you're right. I can't do that. Transformation spells of that level aren't possible... at least for me to cast... but that doesn't mean you can't turn yourself into a pony!"

... I deadpan.

"Um... even though I can't use magic?"

She nods. "Exactly! Or rather, there's a way you can disguise yourself as one of us, at least!"

...

"Okay... now I'm confused and concerned. Are... you on some kind of medication? I can't just go around town dressed like a pony! I don't walk on four legs, and crawling around town would just hurt my knees!"

She's sighs and opens her mouth again. She's about to respond, but my watch beeps, and the portal briefly flickers, pushing her back into her side of the portal mere seconds beforehand.

(Apparently it's a safety feature she put in it to keep the portal from cutting us in half during the closing time... a trick which I'm quite thankful for, to say the least.)

She quickly levitates a green book across the portal and, to my bemusement, pulls a single strand of hair from my head and draws it through the portal as it quickly shrinks. "Here, just read up on this. Don't worry, I'll explain-"

And then, the portal closes completely.

I sigh and pinch my nose in mild irritation.

"Twilight... just what in the heck are you planning?! And why can't you just ask one of your friends up there?!"

Then I ponder her idea. "Hmm... well, Halloween's on a Monday, and it's celebrated at night. While opening the portal drains a lot out of her, it would just naturally open itself back up in a few hours, anyways... so returning home won't be a problem."

...

"So why the heck am I getting a bad feeling about this?!"

My attention turns to the book she threw my way. I pick it up, and examine the cover.

The art in question looks like some sort of bug-like pony with a black chitinous body that bears holes in its legs and mane. Across it, there's a green lightning-shaped slash that divides the image with a black coated pony wearing a triangular necklace. Below the picture, the title reads "Changelings and Charms: A Guide to Manipulating the Manipulators"...?

Curiosity gets the better of me. Before long, I find myself engrossed in the strange book, while Twilight, as far as I can tell, begins working on... whatever the heck she's planning.