Books, Friendship, and Magic
Twilight Hermione Sparkle Granger sat reading on a grassy, green hill. She rubbed her chin, mildly perplexed, as she considered why she had been assigned this book. Princess Celestia had handed it over with a look of solemnity that she almost never saw on her almost permanently smiling teacher's face. This was extremely important in it's emotional significance to her teacher.
The answer was plain. This book of old pony tales was true. The Princess of the Day was clearly Celestia herself. There was a Princess of the Night somewhere, and the stars would aid in bringing about her escape very soon... Wait! Nighttime Eternal?!
She rushed for the Palace. She had to talk to Princess Celestia. She would be busy today, which meant, it would be better to send her a message through Spike.
"Dear Princess Celestia," the letter said. "I read the assigned book. According to my mathematics, the portion of the book that seems most likely to be historical fact warns us of swiftly approaching disaster. Please tell me that Night time Eternal is a mistranslation. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
The reply came quickly. "My dearest, most faithful student, as usual, you have hit the nail on the head of the matter. Night time is considered to be a hallmark and symbol of my sister, Luna. As immortal Alicorns, we are considered eternal by some. I don't know how true that is, but when friendship reigns over the dark heart of Nightmare Moon, it may be that my sister will be back with me for good.
Now, I'm sending you to Ponyville on a matter of some importance to the day ahead. I need you to set things up for the royal arrival. Go, meet with the local party planner, Pinkie Pie. She'll tell you who best to arrange to supply the food, the decor, the weather, and the music. Also, remember: in our darkest hours, ponies have traditionally leaned on our friends for the strength not only to defeat our foes, but also to redeem them. Yours truly, Princess Celestia.
Ps: the chariot is already waiting for you. Go on, my little Archmage.
Twilight and Spike got off the chariot in Ponyville, looking around for any sign of Pinkie Pie. Ironically, she was the first one they saw.
She gasped excitedly, then bolted. Twilight galloped after her, but was rapidly losing up. She fired up her horn, teleporting, and shouting, "Wait!"
Pinkie Pie skidded to a stop. "Hey! Who are you? My name's Pinkie Pie! I can tell you're new because I don't recognize you! Is there anything I can do for you? Huh, huh, huh?!"
Either this is a smaller town than it seems, or she has a prodigious long term memory.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, and Princess Celestia asked me to be in charge of planning for the Summer Sun Celebration. She also told me to consult with you on that."
Pinkie Pie started dancing in elation, turning a side flip, and shouting, "Woohoo!"
"Let's get down to celebration business!" She clamored excitedly. "The food from Sugarcube Corner won't be enough! Nope! There's only one bunch that may be able to supply food for all the ponies that'll be coming to the Summer Sun Celebration!"
Twilight teleported down the winding, dirt path, closely following the pronking Pinkie. Twilight didn't know what to make of the strange young mare, and felt rather at odds about her. Princess Celestia said to make friends, and Twilight wanted friends, but was Pinkie the right sort of person to be her friend? 'Don't be silly, Twilight. You know if you only had Hermione's life, you'd be desperate to accept her.' Well, that was true.
"You're awfully quiet, Twilight," Pinkie smiled, not really knowing when to stop. "I bet you're an introvert, right?"
Twilight smiled back at Pinkie Pie. "I guess that's true. I have three ponies to whom I'm really close. My big brother, my teacher, and my old foalsitter." The smile turned wry.
"And, I bet I'm the weirdest person you've met, right!" she kept right on pronking.
"Oh, a-absolutely," Twilight stuttered, uncertain of what to say next.
"Can we be friends, anyway?"
There was a flash of empathy that rose in Hermione. She knew that feeling. She'd faced it herself, albeit, not in this life. Pinkie Pie had also been rejected. Hmm. This called for drastic measures.
"You should meet the Princess," Twilight chuckled. "I'm pretty sure she's far less tame than what's accredited to her."
"Hahahaha! I like you, Twilight Hermione Granger Sparkle!"
Twilight fell over in shock. "How on earth do you know that name!"
Pinkie had vanished, seemingly teleporting, which left Twilight pondering exactly how that could have happened. It was bewildering, she thought, rubbing her chin. She could secretly be a unicorn with a really short horn, she thought, but the thought of someone that pink having a short implement of magic reminded her of someone disgusting. She could be a unicorn with an innie, she pondered, and that might explain the insanity. Hmm... Oh, well, this thinking could wait, Twilight thought as she looked up. She had made it to Sweet Apple Acres.
A cowfilly trotted up, a welcoming grin on her face. "How- DEE!" she greeted the still perplexed Twilight Sparkle in a fair imitation of Cousin Minnie Pearl. "Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres, I'm Applejack, and you must be here to check up on the food for the Celebration."
"Hello, and yes," Twilight answered, trying to iron the bemused look off her face. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is Spike. Princess Celestia put me in charge of organizing for the upcoming festivities. Are you ready to cater for the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow morning?"
"Yes-siree bob!" Applejack answered, then added. "Y'all should sample some of it! See if it's up to snuff! Wait! Can Spike eat pony food?"
"I sure can," Spike answered, suddenly spotting a dog running around. "I choose to be a vegetarian for as long as I can, but Dragons are extreme omnivores."
"Well, it's a pleasure to have y'all! Come on in, and eat a bite."
Twilight followed slowly after with Applejack beside her.
"You alright, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked her.
Twilight gave an awkward laugh. "I'm an introvert who's just been introduced to Pinkie Pie. Not that I don't, well, like her as much as I can, but..."
"She can be a bit much, am I right?"
Twilight nodded tiredly.
"Well, don't worry your little hooves about that! Eat a bite, have your pre-Summer Sun Siesta here, and I'll take over escortin' y'all around to whoever else is on your list!"
"Okay. Thanks a lot. Pinkie Pie had me wondering if all the ponies in this town were a bit on the nuts side. Now I'm wondering, is everypony in Ponyville so welcoming?"
"We sure as sugar are!" Applejack answered. "You won't find a friendlier place in all of Equestria."
Twilight stumbled past the celebrating Apple family into the main house. Applejack seated her at the table, plopping down a big plate of Apple cobbler a la mode right in front of her.
"It's so nice of you to do all of this," Spike said, drooling at Twilight's apple cobbler.
"And here you are," Applejack said, putting a plate in front of the little dragon.
"Thanks! Twilight and I appreciate all you're doing for us!" Spike and Twilight dug in.
Twilight woke hours later in the early evening. Meanwhile, a far more energetic pony had bounced all over town, organizing something she thought was just as important as the Celebration: Twilight Sparkle's welcome party.
"I figger, you want decor, music, weather, and what else?"
"That's it, and a trip to the library," Twilight pronounced.
Applejack looked irritated as she said, "Might as well get the decor out of the way first. Rarity's a good mare, classy, friendly, sweet as a sugarcube and generous, but, she sure ain't a farm filly."
On the way over, they looked at the early evening summer sky. It was clear and beautiful, ready for nightfall and then the sunrise.
"Good thing y'all didn't leave early," Applejack said. "Rainbow Dash is a top notch weather mare, but, seein' as how she can clear the sky over the town in a matter of moments, she tends to spend most of her day practicing to try out for the Wonderbolts or lazin'. Matter of fact, we probably left her snoozin' in the orchard."
"Maybe we should go back and talk to her?" Twilight asked.
"Maybe," Applejack answered. "But she already got the sky clear. Look!"
There wasn't a cloud in sight.
"Well, I guess there isn't any use if we can check her work right here."
They came to the Carousel Boutique and walked in.
"Hey, Rarity, you in here?" Applejack called out.
"Just a minute, Applejack!" A voice responded.
Twilight raised her eyebrows at the strange accent. Half Manehattan, half Trottingham. Transatlantic, in the parlance of her other half. Hmm, she wouldn't have expected the sort of person someone with that affectation in Ponyville.
When the mare, Rarity, walked out, Twilight was surprised to find she recognized her from a magazine cover. Not being one to peruse such fashionable works, Twilight had not given it a second glance.
"Didn't I see you on a magazine cover in Canterlot?"
"I suppose you did, dearie!" Rarity smiled brightly, walking up to Twilight and nodding slightly. "My name is Rarity Belle, a dressmaker of some repute in the greater Canterhorn area, and I would suppose you're here about the decorations for the festival!"
"Quite right," Twilight answered, hopefully looking a whole lot less nervous than she actually was. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I am the premier student of magic in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns."
She nodded in what she hoped was a graceful fashion. Rarity practically swooned.
"You're not just that," Rarity exclaimed. "You're that reclusive, lesser noble student of Princess Celestia, aren't you?"
Twilight's head drooped. "I'd hoped that wouldn't come up," she said. "Yes. That would be why the Princess sent me to check up on the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration."
"Hold on a second," Applejack said, bewildered. "Why wouldn't you tell me that you were the Princess' student?"
"I usually try to avoid recognization. I'm not some pretentious wannabe upper ranked noble, I'm a mage student who happens to be seeking her mastery under the highest ranked mage in Equestria, Princess Celestia. It used to be a bit nerve wracking to be honest."
Rarity prepared to get royally offended early on, but she gave herself a moment, as another had advised. Twilight Sparkle's dreams and goals were quite different from her own, and if she had been raised under the same circumstances Twilight had, she might feel similar. 'She's a contrast to me,' Rarity realized. 'Not a social pony, but one who is rather highly ranked. I should protect her,' she decided.
"Pretentious is the last thing I would want to be, darling," Rarity said with a winning smile. "If you need any help with all the nonsense of the upper ranked nobility, you come to me."
Spike was having an experience. From the moment he had heard Rarity's voice, hearts started floating out of his ears, and when he saw her.... The preteen aged dragon was overwhelmed with crush feelings. The white and purple unicorn was the most gorgeous lady he'd ever met, and Princess Celestia had practically raised him!
After they had checked out the decor at city hall, Applejack turned to Rarity and Twilight with a friendly smile. "Well, I'm 'on' skedaddle, y'all take care of yourselves."
"I'll take you on to see about the music, dearie," Rarity said.
They arrived at Fluttershy's place.
"This is where my friend Fluttershy lives with her creatures," Rarity told Twilight. "Including the birds who will be ushering in the Dawn. Be careful with her, now. She's a bit shy."
"I understand that," Twilight chuckled awkwardly.
A bear waved at them in the gathering gloom. Twilight flinched a bit. The darkness made even this obviously tame creature spooky.
"That's just Harry, my dear. Come on now."
Once inside, Twilight and Fluttershy bonded over the awkward silence that arose. Then, Fluttershy, recognizing the horror of the awkwardness, led Twilight and Rarity upstairs.
"S-sorry, everypony." She uttered, before offering Twilight an estrogen overdose in the form of an Owlet.
Twilight's eyes, already large, nearly popped right out of her head. She quietly awwed over the small creature, stroking it, and enjoying it's soft down.
"I'll leave you two to discuss the music." Rarity whispered. "Perhaps I should take Spike?"
"Go ahead," Twilight answered.
Shortly after that, everything was done. All Twilight had to do was get to the library to do her research.
She opened the door and turned on the light.
"Surprise!" Six exclaimed loudly; Twilight recognized most of them.
There was Spike, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy. The rainbow maned teenager must be Rainbow Dash. This seemed like a remarkably interconnected group despite their highly diverse interests.
"I hope you like it! There wasn't quite enough time to get the lighting just right, because I had to help Rarity do the town hall, but you like libraries, right?" Pinkie Pie exploded.
Twilight gasped slightly, her eyes widening. "Well, yeah! I guess I'll handle the lighting!"
She channeled magic through her horn, firing it off in a dense burst at the ceiling. The ceiling transformed into a replication of Luna's Starry Night by Victor of Gogh.
"That work was dense, wasn't it, darling." Rarity asked, clearly impressed.
"Umm, it wasn't so hard," Twilight said. "Celestial Battlemages are expected to have at least twice the magical output as I put in that spell. My brother is a Battlemage."
"So, you're like, siblings with this powerful Battlemage, and you're also Princess Celestia's mage student? That is cool, and radical! I can't wait to game with you!" Rainbow Dash pronounced. "I'm Rainbow Dash, by the way! I'm gonna be a Wonderbolt!"
"Game?" Twilight's ears perked up. "The same Rainbow Dash who did the Sonic Rainboom when I became Princess Celestia's student?"
"Yeah! We heard how big of a nerd you are, so we brought some Ogres and Obliettes stuff!"
"Ogres and Obliettes!" Five voices sounded cheerfully.
It looked like Twilight Sparkle had gained five more friends.