Prologue: Books and Diagrams
Twilight Sparkle laid on the ground, the hardwood floor beneath warm with her body heat. Her eyes glance over the page, studying diagrams and charts that lay splayed across the page. Magically flipping the page, she is shocked to see a small note, scrawled in the top corner of the page.
"Canterlot Royal Library. Restricted Section. Row four, shelf seven. Flight Secrets," she concludes, then lifts a scroll from the desk behind her, accompanied by ink and a quill surrounded by sparkling magenta. Quickly scrawling down the message, she reads the page, her eyes widening with each word and diagram until she slowly shuts the book. "That can't be right," she muttered, carefully peeking at the page again where the tip of her hoof had remained tucked.
"What can't be right?" asked a childish voice behind her, and Twilight jumped up, clutching the book tightly to her chest.
"Oh, nothing Spike. Can you please take a letter?" Her voice is oddly high, almost hysterical sounding, and she clears her throat, attempting to make it seem like it was an accident.
"Sure," said Spike, his voice betraying his confusion if his eyes hadn't already. He lifts a scroll and quill, dipping the tip of the feather into the inkpot to his side.
"Dear Princess Celestia," began Twilight, looking down at her piece of parchment. "I'd like to request a book for my library, as well as for my personal studies. If you could send Flight Secrets up here as soon as possible, I'd be in great debt to you. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle."
Spike nods, wrapping the scroll with practiced claws in a red ribbon, securing it with a gold metal sticker with Twilight's cutie mark emblazoned on it. He takes a deep breath, and exhales, a green puff of fire emerging from his mouth. The scroll vanishes in a small spurt of smoke and he smiles, wiping his claws on his chest proudly.
"Thanks Spike," smiles Twilight, then begins heading out the door.
"Where're you going?" inquires her assistant, and Twilight stops, tilting her head quizzically.
"I'm not quite sure," she replies mysteriously. "But if I'm not back by tonight, you can stay at Rarity's. I'm sure she won't mind," she adds, crossing her hooves underneath her. Spike nods, and she smiles tightly before shutting the door behind her in a small flash of magenta. Spike bends over to the book she dropped on the ground, then lets out a smoke-filled sigh.
"Can't you ever pick up after yourself?" he asks, sliding it onto a shelf and stomping to the kitchen.
