The delicate silence that filled the castle library was shattered with one excited cry.
"Spike! Spike! Come quickly; I have finally succeeded!"
Twilight's grin stretched almost ear to ear as she sat, admiring her work. Spike tottered in moments later looking a little irked at the interruption.
"Twilight? Aw, you said I could finish reading my comic bo...” he was cut off by his own bewilderment, “wha... what is all of this?”
The little dragon stood just inside the room, taking stock of the surroundings. Huge chalkboards, covered in mathematical formulae, lined one side of the room while along the other were neatly stacked books and scrolls. In the centre, looking a little sleep-deprived but no less excited, sat Twilight; her gaze now firmly locked on to a large scroll as a magically levitated quill scribbled over it. Without even looking up she surrounded Spike with a magical aura and he was suddenly dragged over to her side.
"I have done it Spike! Its taken me,” she raised her head and blinked curiously, “actually, what time is it?” She didn't give him time to answer. “On second thoughts, never mind. This formula, once completed, will allow me to predict everything."
"Umm, I think you might want to have a nap, Twilight; did you even go to bed last night?"
"Ohh Spike, honestly I'm fine,” the alicorn triumphantly snatched up the scroll as the intense scribbling stopped, “and this is it."
Spike simply stared blankly, mystified at the strange symbols in front if him.
"See Spike, by simply applying this easy formula and a few spell elements, I can now predict anything!” She smiled broadly at the thought. “The idea came to me while pondering Pinkie's special sense. After a lot of careful study I found the threads that join every action to its reaction. So by applying this," she pressed the scroll a little closer to Spike's still confusion-struck face, "I can foresee the outcome and guide them. Let me demonstrate."
Spike's look finally changed to one of apprehension and he gave a half-nervous laugh. "Twilight, you know you can't,” his speech slowed as he realised Twilight was saying the exact same words along with him, “predict... the future. Hmm ok,” his confusion gave a little ground to determination, “hay fries, umm, Maredowell grass frosty goat wood cakes."
His eyes grew saucer-sized in disbelief, mouth agape, as Twilight once again matched him word for word. He slumped backwards on to the library's tiled floor just as a pillow appeared under him.
"See; I predicted you would be so amazed you would do that," she gave a giggle before rolling up the scroll. "Now for the real test and there can be only one way to truly do that,” she looked aloft, her voiced raised as she called out a name, “Discord!"
There was a flash of light and a wind whipped up the scrolls and books. Above them a mass of clouds gathered and through them the huge disembodied head of Discord emerged, his eyes glowing brightly.
"Who summons chaos to their door?" His voice boomed over a rumble of thunder which rolled around the library walls, sending Spike skittering behind Twilight's flank.
"Oh, its only you, Twilight," he let out a sigh as the clouds instantly disappeared and he materialised in his normal form next to her.
"What do you think of the theatrics? I was working on my entrance. I was talking to that musical pony with the glasses. What was her name? You know her don't you? Anyway she was telling me how an entrance is as important as an exit. So what can I do for you today; some great catastrophe that needs thwarting perchance?"
He snapped his fingers and appeared coated in armour, a banner with his face emblazoned across it fluttering overhead. He was now sat upon Spike's back, who suddenly sported a set of reins. Spike gave a small snort of annoyance and stepped out from under him, leaving him floating in mid-air.
"No, Discord, I want you to try to catch me out with your chaos magic," she stated in a very matter-of-fact way.
"Something chaotic? Oh well, my dear, you've come to the right person. You're sure I'm allowed to do anything I like to you?” He asked with a sly smile exposing more if his snaggle tooth. Twilight nodded and smiled in return to his question. "Very well I shall give it my best shot"
His appearance shifting to that of a stage magician, complete with top hat, cape and wand. With a flick of said wand a hole opened above the princes and a torrent of rabbits cascaded down. instead of falling all over her they landed in a net she had already conjured up the moment he had made his move.
“Well now, this is new,” he mused, “how very intriguing.”
He snapped his fingers once again and a bolt of magic shot straight towards her. This time a glow of magic surrounded her as soon as it appeared, bouncing it right back at him. His own spell struck him squarely and huge drooping moustache appeared hanging from his top lip. This, coupled with the rare look of shock on Discord's face, was all too amusing for Spike, who failed to stifle a laugh.
"How,” he stammered, exasperated; a scene the others had rarely witnessed, “how did you know that I was going to do that!? I am the king of chaos, the very epitome and living embodiment of mayhem! I will not be out-guessed, even by a princess!"
What happened next could only be described as a temper tantrum from Discord. Random acts of the bizarre occurred as Discord sought to out do Twilight. From talking flowers to ten thousand miniature Fluttershys filling the room; each was stopped and foiled instantly by Twilight.
"Enough!” Discord's voice echoed through the whole crystal library. "I grow weary of this game and I..."
"Have somewhere very important to be?" The princess piped up, looking more than proud, as she predicted his outburst. "Only you don't. I know you're just mad because, thanks to my equation, I can predict everything,” she paused with a smug look, “even you," she sat back on her haunches, an eyebrow raised triumphantly.
"Is that so?" He smirked again.
Before Twilight could revel any further there was an almighty crash from above. Hurtling through one of the high windows came the figure of a certain calamity-struck mail pony. A moment later the large box she was carrying slipped from her hooves and plummeted straight onto Twilight's shocked, upturned face. It burst open to reveal a cake bearing the word “gotcha!” in green frosting. It landed with a wet thud, covering her from head to tail.
The clumsy Pegasus floated down to the now cake-covered Alicorn; "Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to drop it or break the window. Sorry Mr Discord, I can go get another one," she said as her ears drooped in embarrassment.
"No need, my dear, you did your job perfectly," he said with a knowing smile.
"Yay, thank you!" She gave bright smile before dashing back up to the window. "Oh, hey princess, hello Spike. Sorry I can't stay; lots of mail to deliver today."
With a wave of her hoof she was gone, leaving Spike desperately trying to stifle another laugh. Twilight, meanwhile, had gone in to somewhat of an internal meltdown. Her eye twitched as she ran everything over and over in her head, cake still dripping from her mane and wings.
"I was wrong!" Is all she could say before getting up and slowly, in a half dazed state, walking silently to the bathroom with the look of shock still firmly on her face.
"Ahh Twili, Twili, Twili; you can't out-predict the chaos I predict," Discord chuckled, stepping over to the huge mess of box and cake covering the library floor as the now-released rabbits hopped to and fro. He dipped a finger in to the icing and lapped it clean.
"Wait a moment; chocolate? That's impossible; I... I predicted mint!" Discord's face scrunched up in disbelief equal to Twilight's just moments before. "No, no, this won't do at all. I must investigate."
With this last statement, a flash, a downpour of gum drops and a faint smell of sour milk, Discord vanished.
Spike, now alone in the library, sighed as he looked at the mess. He walked over to the corner of the library and pulled a cloth off a pile of cleaning supplies he'd stashed there earlier.
"I just knew I'd need these today," As he starts to brush up the gum drops. He giggled to himself as he pictured both Twilight and Discord's faces. After a brief moment's pause he got back to the job at hand. "I just knew I'd have to clean up everything."
Author's Note
Edited and proof read by Dodj