It was late evening, when Twilight Sparkle was returning from Canterlot shop district with books she found missing in her library. She hated it when silly authors made references to something she didn't have. She was returning only because it was too dark already, and she went out of magic energy trying to read them all immediately. If only she could raise the sun again for some time, or change time to make the sun rise... If only she didn't have to use her healing spell so many times on the way. She had so much to learn. That's why she needed to come to the library as soon as possible and read more. She carefully made her way along the direct line leading to her home, evading ponies, carriages and houses hindering her progress.
She approached the tall tower that was her destination, out of magical power, blaming herself of being too ineffective. Suddenly a pony came out from the nook behind the bridge, that she didn't expect to be there.
"Here you are, Twilight, finally! We couldn't catch you for hours! We promised Moondancer to tell you that she needs you to attend her party, tomorrow, at five in the morning, zero minutes. Would you come? She has..." - the pony started.
"Stop! Moondancer - who is Moondancer, is it a pony? I forgot to bring the reference!" - Sparkle responded, "it's too heavy! I'm sorry! Tell me who it is, I want to know..." - she shouted, gasping, "is it in Manehattan? Is it dangerous, should I find a book about it? Answer me."
"She is a pony who lives in that house, second window from the left on sixth floor, from the bottom" - pink pony spoke with hurry, covering her ears, "nevermind who she is, remember about the party, it's tommorow exactly at 5 AM, you just need to be there at that time" - she explained.
"I've just sold my watch, how will I know?" - Twilight cried, stomping against the grass hard, "another problem, and it isn't tomorrow yet! I need to read!" - she ran to the bridge, knocking the pony down.
Then she saw another pony, descending from the building. She carried some books in her bags. Twilight got angry! "Are you taking books from me? Give them back! Who are you!" - her horn erupted some steam when the valve triggered.
"I'm Lyra Har.."
"Why are you going this way? You'd get down faster if you fell over the railing. I'm in a hurry now. Bye!!" - she roared into her face. Evaluating the effects carefully, she ran around the green unicorn without hitting her, trying to get into the library faster, while Lyra muttered something like "no, thanks" and started to go down the stairs. When Twilight came to the door after tripping on stairs several times, knowing the clumsy caretaker dragon servant, she used her magic to pull the door the other way, breaking one handle down.
"Hi Twilight..."
"You're standing in the doorway again. Why! Answer me, reptile!"- purple unicorn yelled.
"You're back! *hiccup* I promise I didn't try to escape, I only..."
"Did you sort the books at least! Or else, you know!" - the unicorn did swinging gesture with her hoof.
"I did," - Spike fell. "Wait!"
"Give me that" - librarian levitated the dragon along the fifth row of books. "Ponies of Canterlot, latest, volume twenty one."
"Stop, here it is" - Spike said, "no, too fast! I'm dizzy! Eleven books to the left!" - he quietly echoed from up there.
"Ready? Drop!" - Twilight commanded, cancelling the field in specific way to send the book accelerating down first. "Thank goodness if I can read it before any other stupid-"
Spike fell on the floor, spewing two scrolls simultaneously.
"Eats the letr from pwincss Shellestya", - he managed to say before going to emergency repair stasis.
"It's a command from Princess Celestia," - the student thought, checking the seal, whispering "command me! I'll be there" simultaneously. "Let's decrypt this. I'll need a scroll. Spike?" - she turned her head slowly left, then right, checking where he was. "Here you are. Rise, faithful dragon!" - she said, lowering the voice menacingly, preparing the healing spell, while also lying down, defeated by overwhelming amount of tasks. She fainted.
"Hooray, I've got extra five minutes at least" - Spike muttered. "Got to delay this as much as possible," - he thought, "it won't end while Twilight's in command."
Spike tried to fetch chips from the chest, and almost got it. Mechanical noise from behind made him shiver. He.. got the chips. It was too late. Twilight rose quickly. Luckily Spike already took care of deciphering the scroll.
"Oh, thank you, Spike. Now, what does it say. 'It's late, I forgot about her! Twilight, quickly move to Ponyville! She's already here and it's too late, I didn't prepare, oh what I'm going to do'? Celestia is... scared? I don't get it." - she read aloud. "..Ponyville. How do I get to Ponyville? I've never been set that far. Spike, be the second thinking thread, think now! Going to Ponyville! How!" - she went around the shelves, "this book says there are trains somewhere. But where, and how fast are they? ...Can't take chances. Need the map. Got to teleport... here is the map. Three thousand meters? It's too far!" - she jumped in fear, flipping back with four hooves slowly flailing above her. "This is serious! I've wasted enough time!" - she crawled on the floor, looking like a crafty clueless spider, "but I'm just too heavy! And I'll need these books!" - she climbed on top of a shelf marked 'emergency', opening drawers from bottom to top, then crawled down, levitating books and closing drawers from top to bottom. "I go." She cast something, and then, holding her breath, cast something else.
It was a peaceful landscape lit by lights of eternal night's Ponyville. There were some fireflies flying between buildings, in rhythm with sounds of different crickets and owls, providing a careful transition from library theme to whatever music that was coming next. They were all like cymbals, maracas, and vibrating drums. Town streets were empty, and then there was a flash and loud whistling sound announcing that Twilight's head appeared in the street, and two dozens of books afterwards. The insects interrupted their songs for a moment, but it was just a tempo breakdown before another, faster song started.
"What was that?" - a pink filly wearing earrings, golden collar with diamongs, and a silver crown-like accessory, awoke and began to slowly drift to the window to assess the confusion. She had to shift two sets of transparent curtains, which took moderately long.
"I'm out of magic... wait, just wait," - Twilight quietly assured herself, feeling uncomfortable now that she was in dark space beneath the books that fell on her. "Time to think of what to do next. Wait, did Celestia forget to instruct me?" - She became worried at this, if not from strange feeling coming to her then, "or did I miss a scroll? No, that's not possible." - with that, she began gathering magic, but failed. "Why am I this... not... effective..." - she thought, almost starting to cry, "magic! Come please, I need you..."
Then, the books were spotted by one pony. And then, they were seen from the window by the other. That pony thought that books were boring, and slowly went back to sleep. But the first didn't. The old stallion with beard came closer, then closer still... and lifted the book.
The book mountain dropped book avalanche on the side, and Twilight's head became visible. And the stallion's head became visible to the head.
"Hello unknown citizen of Po... nyville..." - she said quietly as he screamed and ran away hiding behind a house.
"Something's amiss... but it's alright... once I can link myself to the power and... lift myself... I didn't just make a mistake, I'm just ineffective..." - she thought while trying to move, managing to roll slightly. "And read... But it's dark... I need light..." She tried to start the spell again. It worked. She lifted herself slightly off the ground, making the mountain of books collapse entirely, while also lighting herself up, ...oops - no! - she didn't.. light up the nearest book on fire!.. It happened because she tried to be effective and overdid it.
She rolled away from the fire like she never rolled before, leaving a trail of liquid behind her. "Oh no..." She was lucky and the fire didn't follow her. But while she rested from exhaustion, it summoned some fireponies, teleporting in with creepy masks.
"What is this, did someone burn books?" - one of them said, lifting a stray page. "Is it inquision times?"
"Sure looks so. There's blood!" - the other exclaimed. "Those cultists again, call the police!"
"Don't!" - came the voice from behind. "It's just me!"
They turned, but didn't see anyone. Then they saw a pony's head floating above them in a halo of light. One firepony tried to hide behind the other, who looked back at him angrily - but quickly turned his head again, afraid.
"I'm Twilight Sparkle! I was sent here by the princess, and I don't know what's going on!"
"I don't either," - one unicorn squeaked, still hiding.
"You're causing havoc in our city, go away!" - the other tried to explain, shielding himself from the only light, with fire already exhausted. "Terrible monsterlings like you - sorry, didn't want to offend you, the point is - I don't want to see you here no more!"
"Me too," - the second unicorn muttered confidently behind him.
"What's wrong then? Just close your eyes" - Twilight shouted coldly.
No one saw the second firepony, Rumbling Tide, facehoof with optimal timing.
That's when they suddenly decided to retreat, by command of the front one, Flame Tamer. They ran in different directions.
Twilight's head fell to the ground once again, tired, and went asleep.
In the morning, she was awakened by a yellow pony poking her cheek. Twilight opened her eyes, and saw the sun rising above the barns.
"Do you need help?" - Golden Harvest said, "Flower ponies were panicking, and I decided to fix that. I moved you to my garden. They were saying that you're from Everfree and from Western Hatten and from Aardvark Rocks, so where are you from? I'm curious-"
"You want to send me... please no! I can't go there! Especially not by mail! I've failed! The Princess will find me.." - she shook and fell from the bench. "Please..."
"Canterlot? All right" - yellow pony said with fake excitement, raising her back, "now just to wait for Rainbow's weather round, and she'll.."
"No no no no no!" - purple head panicked.
"Celestia knows. She'll come here in person when she decides to come out of the bunker or whatever she used to hide from the Mare in the Moon. But that scare yesterday was just an eclipse, so it was a false alarm. Which is good for my garden. But Celestia needs to stop doing these things every week, it's not fun enough lately. Do you need some water?" - she pointed to the sprinkler.
"Yes. Please, a bit," - Twilight smiled, "I need to think of something to say to her. Yes, right. I've never thought before of how useful legs are. Now I do. Or something." Water started raining on Twilight slightly, and she calmed down further. "And books are useless!" - she shivered. "I just didn't realize how much I hate them! Or do I? I don't know... This is..." - she tried to concentrate, "such good place! Gardening. I just need some books about... aargh." She became sad. "I know Celestia won't give me a vacation, that does not happen."
She waited. A blue pegasus pony was making loops in the sky flying among the rainclouds, looking like a shooting star of hope for the future. For when she would arrive to Canterlot, fix herself, and ask the Princess for a spare exile ticket.
