“I sure hope this works,” a light purple colored unicorn readied a daisy near the test area. She positioned it on a table just so so that the spotlight provided her colleague with a clear shot. “We can’t afford any more mistakes. I don’t think you’re aware of just how complex Descartes’ Time Magic Theorem really is.”

“Starlight you know as well as I do that I’ve cast more powerful spells than this.”

There was a time when Starlight very nearly erased the order of time’s flow and sent Equestria spiraling towards everlasting doom. She and Twilight blasted each other with magic for what seemed like eternity.

“Heh, yeah–- well just be careful, Twilight. These spells require a lot of stamina and I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”

Twilight eyed her student curiously as if what she just heard could have deterred her somehow.

But no such luck. Twilight Sparkle had that determined look in her eyes again. The same look she had when she stepped up to take Celestia’s entrance exam.

And can you blame her?

What if you had suddenly became an alicorn princess? What if after becoming that same princess you were tasked with spreading friendship across the entire nation? Say you no longer had as much time to yourself to do the things you loved doing? Or even see the ponies you liked seeing?

What if these responsibilities meant outliving your most dearest friends?

Twilight wiped the sweat off of her brow from previous attempts at the age spell. This time was going to be different. She could feel it.

“I’m pretty sure if I recite Descartes in conjunction with Star Swirl’s Time Delineation Formula I’ll have enough energy to reverse the plant’s time polarity.”

“Say what now?” The pitter patter of tiny dragon’s feet could be heard scuffling up from behind where the plant was staged.

“Spike,” the purple alicorn said surprised.. “Didn’t I tuck you in already? Assistants shouldn’t be up past their bedtime.” Twilight gave Spike a stern look.

“I couldn’t sleep.” Spike let out a wild yawn. “I kept hearing weird noises so I came here.”

Twilight frowned. “Sorry Spike, we didn’t mean to wake you. We’re almost done.” Twilight was usually so adamant about her baby dragon getting enough sleep. This time was her fault however.

“What are you two even doing anyways?” Spike asked.

He looked at the plant, then to Starlight, then back at the plant. “Wait– are you guys trying that age spell again?”

Starlight began idly whistling, pretending not to know anything.

“Well er–” Twilight stumbled over her words. She knew how Spike felt about this. But she was a horrible liar.

“Twilight you know I don’t like it when you try these dangerous spells. What if you get hurt again?” Spike leaned in to put his arms around his caretaker. “Remember what happened last time?”

...

Twilight remembered, but she didn’t like thinking about it.

She was muzzle deep in a collection of her own papers pouring every ounce of energy she had in memorizing seemingly limitless lines of magic. It required all of her brain power, willpower, and stamina. The moon was high in the sky but Twilight wasn’t about to give up. She closed her eyes firmly and concentrated as well as she could. She just had to get this right!

Her horn began to glow a whole host of radiant hues. The room became encircled in shrouds of wind and magic.

She was doing it! The spell was accumulating its magical aura and all she had to do was focus her energy, shoot it at the flower, and hopefully turn it into a seedling.

But then something went wrong.

Twilight’s knees buckled. She was slowly losing consciousness. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she had all but fainted up to this point. She fell on the floor with a crash and poor Spike had no idea what was going on…

It wasn’t until waking up in the hospital bed with her baby dragon clinging to her chest that she realized she didn’t want Spike to see her like that ever again.

…

“Spike, I won’t let that happen,” she said and freed herself from his hug. “This time is different. I have Starlight helping me and she’s a very capable student.”

Starlight smiled at the compliment.

“Spike,” Starlight said. “Let’s get you back to bed. Twilight and I are just running some tests. It’s nothing too serious.” She tried levitating Spike up onto her back.

Spike however dug his claws into the floorboards.

“No!”

Starlight let go.

“Not without Twilight. Please, I don’t want her to get hurt.”

Starlight gave Twilight a worried glance. Twilight returned a defeated one right back at her.

She sighed. “Ok, Spike. You can stay. But please promise me you will stay back. You don’t want me getting hurt just as badly as I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Spike gulped. “Yes, ma’am.”

This was it.

Spike took a couple steps back closer to where Starlight was watching. He grabbed onto her forehoof and half hid himself behind it.

It really scared Spike the last time Twilight tried an age spell. He woke up to find her passed out in the study with a severe nosebleed. The only pony Spike knew to contact at the time was Princess Celestia. He sent for her almost immediately breathing fire through a fit of tears.

It didn’t take long for the emergency response ponies to show up either. They were under Celestia’s orders after all. And poor Spike, what could he do? He had cleaned his caretaker up, he had given her his favorite baby blue blanket to keep her warm, and he even remembered Twilight’s smarty pants doll. Because well maybe it would make her feel better.

The whole time his tears just kept welling up over and over. His tummy hurt and his little heart pumped feverishly. One of his biggest fears becoming a reality.

Spike just assumed the worst. He had never seen Twilight sleep like that before so what did he know? When they took her away to the hospital without him and left him all alone in that big empty room of theirs Spike could honestly say that that was the most frightened he’s ever been before.

Spike wasn’t a huge fan of age spells anymore. And he definitely wasn’t big on Twilight trying them again. Still he understood why she was doing this.

Spike just continued to clutch Starlight’s forehoof and keep his distance. Starlight cast a sympathetic look down upon the drake. She understood how important Twilight was to him. And Starlight didn’t want to see Twilight faint from magic exhaustion either. She knew how taxing performing Star Swirl and Descartes can be on a spellcaster. And there was a reason she agreed to play “the assistant”.

It was now or never. Twilight had enough energy for one last try.

She took a spell casting stance by planting all four hooves evenly and firmly on the ground beneath her. She began reciting the magic in her head as from memory and closed her eyes to concentrate on the task at hoof. It was in nopony else’s hooves but hers now.

She started the spell from its anacrusis and the room became deathly still for a moment.

The same winds as before encircled the room. Twilight’s horn glowed impatiently with that same radiant energy. The room swirled in pinks, purples, and violets.

Spike began to bite his claws. This was starting to look and sound awfully familiar to him.

The alicorn reared and reared. She flung her head around wildly as the magic began to illuminate her irises. The spell looked right but then why wasn’t she releasing it? She should’ve shot the daisy by now. Something wasn’t right. Was Twilight stuck on it somehow?

“Has she ever done this before?” Spike shouted above the whirlwind of noise and chaos around them.

“Not exactly,” was all Starlight could manage as the room’s energy started flying wildly out of stasis. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a spell get away from her this fast!”

Spike’s heart skipped a beat. From where they were standing Twilight appeared to be losing control. She was levitating off of the ground and the wind just swept in all directions all around her. She looked possessed like the Maneiac from Spike's comics.

Spike called out again, “Twilight!”

Twilight who remained incomprehensibly fixed towards the plant didn’t show any signs of volition. She exhibited intense amounts of magical energy, now pooling up over her horn the same color as her eyes. It was that beautiful deep shade of purple. Whatever spell Twilight was summoning, it was completely overtaking her.

“Twilight! You have to snap out of it! Wake up and snap out of it!” Spike fought the wind to try and grab her hoof.

Bullied by all of the intense light and noise, Starlight had lost track of Spike. She could hardly tell what was going on anymore. All she could do was shield herself from projectiles, panic's pangs sweeping over her.

Spike trudged on towards his friend. His friend who was now completely and utterly transfixed by age old reality bending spells.

There has to be a way to snap her out of this! Spike continued to stem the flow of light from his eyes.

He grabbed onto one of Twilight’s legs and pulled himself onto her back miraculously. Maybe if he could just reach her ear and shout at her she would be able to abort the spell?

Spike climbed his way up Twilight’s back while the room’s books were flailing all around them in random patterns and trajectories. One of them flew a mere inches away from connecting with Spike’s face.

“Twilight! Twilight! Please, you have to snap out of it!”

No response. Just the same illuminated trance as before.

Spike was having a hard time simply holding onto Twilight. He wasn’t a super heavy or strong individual. Quite to the contrary. He was light and not very wind resistant either. All of this gale force magic was throwing him around effortlessly. It took the digging of Spike’s claws into Twilight’s coat for him to keep hold of her. He hoped he wasn’t hurting her but he also wasn’t letting go anytime soon.

He called out to her again. “Twilight! It’s me Spike. You’re friend? Come on I know you can hear me!”

Getting closer to Twilight’s face Spike realized she was in pain. This terrified him more than anything. He could hear her stifled cries become more audible the moment his ears were within earshot of her voice. Twilight wasn’t safe. Spike had to think up something fast or Twilight might not have the privilege of making it to the hospital this time.

Spike hatched an idea.

Disturbing a unicorn’s horn could sometimes prevent the spell from manifesting itself physically, thereby diffusing the energy into thin air.

It was worth a shot.

Spike balanced on Twilight’s wavering shoulders.

“Almost got it...”

He jumped and grabbed Twilight’s horn. The room’s lighting dimmed. But if only just for a second.

“Uh–oh...” Spike could sense he was in trouble.

Seamlessly and violently the energy from Twilight’s horn released in one loud abrupt blast of light and magic.

In an instant the resulting shockwave knocked everypony back against the walls. Spike in one direction, Twilight in the other, and Starlight in between them. Twilight’s study was once more deathly silent.

Spike was right about one thing: smothering all that energy brought an end to Twilight’s predicament.

He was wrong however about where it would all end up…

Author's Note

Hiya everypony!

So my good friend Lemon_Thyme (http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Lemon_Thyme) and I have been collaborating a lot lately and this story is uniquely ours. She helps me edit, write, and even draws the lovely art! Oh won't you please say hello!^^

This chapter is only one of more to come. I can see this story as being at least 7 or 8 chapters long. The only problem being school is nearing the end of its quarter for me. And on top of moving into my new house and going to work I don't have much time for the fun things I like to do. But! This will be finished. Oh ho ho! Rest assured. I intend to finish this one here!!!
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