The Riddle

In the midst of the alley stood a black spiral tower.

“What,” Twilight murmured, her voice halfway between a spoken word and a whisper. “What,” she repeated, as if voicing her shock would provide an explanation.

“What...”

What...!!!

“Hm?”

Twilight turned her head. With one look, she knew that the pegasus wasn’t seeing it.

“There is a black tower standing in the midst of the alley,” she said calmly.

“Uhm.” Fluttershy made a face, signaling that she thought to be missing a joke.

“There is a black tower standing in the midst of the alley,” Twilight repeated, “right there.” She pointed towards it.

“You are serious?”

Twilight nodded. “A spiral tower. It’s, like, two yards wide, circular, and all black. Maybe twenty yards tall. And gets thinner near the top.”

“And it’s right here?”

“Yeah.” Twilight pressed her eyelids together, counting to five before reopening them. The tower was still there.

“I’ve been to this alley a dozen times,” she murmured, “no, more than that.”

“So have I.”

Twilight nodded. “Right. And it hasn’t been there before.”

“Or you haven’t seen it before.”

“Yeah.”

There was a black spiral tower standing in the midst of the alley.

Just a few yards in front of them.

It looked utterly out of place. This was not something ponies would build; not in Ponyville, not ever. It was without decoration, without apparent purpose, just black and still. It looked... menacing, yet at the same time, Twilight felt no sensation of threat. She wasn’t afraid, she was just...

Just...

“What do we do?”

... disturbed.

Twilight didn’t answer immediately. In trance, she kept staring at the tower...

As the words got through to her, she realized just how easy of a question it was.

“We have to tell the princess.”

“Okay.”

“You want to come with me?”

“Uhm, sure... EEP!” Both of the pegasus’ wings burst outward as they suddenly changed location, reappearing on the bottom floor of the library.

“Yeesh, Twilight! Don’t do that! Give me a warning first!”

“Sorry,” Twilight shouted, already dashing towards the stairs, only to return ten seconds later, quill and paper in her grasp.

“Dear Princess Celestia,” she read aloud while writing, “Fluttershy and I have just encountered an apparent impossibility: a black tower appearing in an alley on the south-east side of Ponyville, near Town Hall. Only I was-”

She stopped as Fluttershy gave her a firm poke at the shoulder. Her gaze detached itself from the letter, finding not Fluttershy but the phoenix, who she now realized must have followed her from upstairs. It was unusual, the way he was focused on her, and as her heart began to beat faster, he slowly shook his head.