Ponyville was a small and relatively peaceful town in Equestria, far from most of the major population centers. In a matter of irony, however, it played a far more major role in the land's wellbeing, with it's tendency to attract ancient myths, ancient mad gods, strange (and sometimes ancient) events and accidents at a rate far greater then city's more then thrice it's size.
With Princess Celestia's personal student living there and having a tendency of her own to get involved with said myths, mad gods, events and accidents, it led to the rest of Equestria hearing a great deal more about the small town on the edge of the everfree then any place else in it's borders.
Many found what they heard hard to believe, and often disregarded it in favor of more gossipy articles in their papers. Within Ponyville itself, however, it wasn't really news, seeing as they had lived through the odd happenings, and had long since gotten used to the oddest and most unexpected occurrences.
Such as the current morning, when most of Ponyville woke up to thick clouds of dust erupting out of every one of the library's windows and the sound of harsh coughing filling the air. Twilight Sparkle, the student of Celestia and current library caretaker, was cleaning the library.
As the rest of Ponyville knew too well, she was known to put her all into anything and everything she did. Cleaning was no exception.
X
Spike let out a sigh as the dust once built up within hundreds of books and other places was blown out of the building. The baby dragon peeked a look at Twilight, who was coughing heavily by a window as several fans powered by her magic the last of the dust out.
“Maybe next time you should hold your breath?”
That's what he had done, before the terrible dust had been unleashed, and he was perfectly content with that decision.
Twilight, however, had gotten a face full as it rushed out. Fortunately, she didn't need much time to recover, and was able to peer around the dust free interior almost immediately, something Spike himself did as well.
Books were everywhere, Scattered across the floor, hovering in the air; absolutely everywhere. The only place there was without them were the shelves themselves.
Twilight smiled as she took it in, and said,“Alright Spike, the dusting is done. What's next on the checklist?”
The baby dragon looked up from the checklist with a raised eyebrow. “I don't see why you have to keep asking. You know this checklist better then I do”
“Just read it, Spike”
“Fine, Fine”, he grumbled, lifting a fist to cover his mouth as he cleared his throat, “Reorganize books by title, and place on shelves. Really Twilight, it's pretty much the only thing on this list we can do with this mess”
Twilight looked around the room, seeing countless books, scrolls and papers covering the floor, leaving the shelves empty, and shrugged, giving Spike a look. “And what else, Spike?”
Another grumble, followed by a reluctant, “Dusting...check”
“Now then”, smiled the unicorn, “Let's get started”
With that, the unrepentant bookworm started lifting books by their dozens with her magic, shelving them in a way she could hopefully use to find what she was looking for at another time. She had yet to have much luck with it, but she was more then willing to experiment.
“Lovesong of J. Alfred Pruhoof under L....Winslow's guide to Magic Pollution under W....Another W, An A...A number? That's not a letter! How am I going to organize this?”
Spike ignored his caretaker's confusion as he set to work, stacking books by the first letter's of their title's, several at a time. Most other dragon's his age would probably be out playing or something, but it wasn't something he held against Twilight.
After all, without her he would have never met...Rarity...Spike took a moment to shake the thought off. That could wait until after today's big job was done. Then he could go to her boutique, and admire her from up close.
There was then a knock on the door, one that the inhabitants of the Library knew well. It was a very specific knock, each pound sounding like a different body part flailing into the wood, telling them just who it was.
Spike winced. There went his hopes of seeing Rarity before lunch.
The baby dragon jumped when Twilight dropped, quite literally, everything she had been doing, before hurrying to open the door, revealing the only Mailpony they really knew, a blond maned gray Pegasus named Ditzy Doo, who had once again tripped over her own hooves while trying to knock.
“Special Delivery”, smiled the googly-eyed mare, holding up a slightly damaged letter as she lay on the ground.
“Thank you, Ditzy”, said Twilight as she accepted the letter from Ditzy's hoof. “Do you need any help?”
The clumsy mare shook her head as she tried to get back on her hooves, struggling and failing for a few seconds before she sighed, “Yes...”Given permission, Twilight's magic quickly lifted the mailmare to her feet, and placed her gently on her hooves.
“You know Ditzy, maybe next time you come to knock you should close your bad eye. It might save you a tumble”, offered Twilight, knowing that Ditzy didn't mind her issue being pointed out...so long as it wasn't pointed out in an insult.
The mail mare froze at the suggestion, turning wide, shocked eyes, only one looking directly forward, slowly towards Twilight. “N-No Way! This calls for a Muffin-ation!”
Closing an eye, Ditzy promptly tripped again.
“That was your good eye, Ditzy”
“I'll try to remember that”
Spike just sighed and got back to work, stacking books, and clearing the floor for a final sweep and mop. Maybe...just maybe he'd get to see Rarity before the end of the day.
The letter was placed on a desk, and soon out of mind after Twilight managed to see Ditzy off, as both Unicorn and Assistant moved to finish the day's big chore. Fortunately, due to magic, and most of the books being organized already, it was a easy task.
“And...done!”, cheered Twilight, her magic shoving the last book into place. “What does the check list say we need to do next?”
Spike looked up from the bottom of the checklist. “Actually, we're done. I took care of the floor while you were taking care of the books”
The dragon was nearly pulled over when a reddish glow tore the list away from him. Used to his caretaker's impatient habit of not waiting, Spike managed to keep to his feet while She looked at the list herself.
“Hmmm. I guess you are right. I declare this chore officially done!”
The scroll flew through the air, depositing itself into a drawer that shut behind it. “And Spike? Make sure you finish cleaning up before you leave”
“What? But, weren't we done cleaning anything that could be cleaned?”
A single hoof pointed to a spot behind him, a spot the dragon only now realized he had left the bucket and mop he had been using. “Oh...”
Hastily, Spike grabbed the offending items and rushed to the cleaning closet, pausing only to dump the water out a window. Water was water after all, and Twilight would just make him do it again anyway if he didn't dump it out.
Shutting the door behind the cleaning tools, Spike let out a quick, “I'll see you later”, before he headed out the door.
It was a wonderful day, the sky covered in gray clouds as the Pegasi prepared for a storm in a few days, and he already had plans to spend time with...Rarity.
Letting out a love struck sigh, Spike spent the rest of the walk thinking about his not so secret crush. She loved Gems almost as much as he did, even if it was for clothing...it was for that reason he'd given her that gem on his birthday.
The Kiss had been more then enough for it, even if it did get washed of- “Ow”
The baby dragon rubbed his nose as he stood, looking up at the pony he had walked into. She only looked back at him for a moment before turning her attention back to something deeper in a crowd made up of most of Ponyville.
“Huh? What's going on?”
According to Twilight, Ponyville wasn't due for a festival for a week or so, at least. Unfortunately, the mare didn't hear his question, and Spike was regrettably too short to see over the crowd he didn't want to chance wading through.
And then Rarity found him. “There you are Spike”, she voiced as she nuzzled him, “I've been looking for you and Twilight everywhere in this crowd. You won't believe who just came to town!”
Not even waiting for the question to be asked, she answered, “Forgebreaker showed up just a half hour ago!”
“No way!”, breathed Spike. Forgebreaker was his hero. Noble of birth, he had gone on to become a Celebrity jack of all trades. He couldn't begin to describe all that he had done.
Rarity sighed. “I suppose Twilight is staying behind in her library again. I had wanted her to see a pony who knows there is more to magic then just knowledge”
Spike bit his lip, something the Unicorn noted curiously. “Besides, I think it would be a good experience for her to meet a celebrity such as Forgebreaker”
“Why?”
Rarity looked at the dragon in confusion. “Why, experience's? There is more to life then her books, you know”
Rarity was taken aback by him shaking his head. “Not that. Why would you need to make her meet Forge? They were classmates. She already knows him. Didn't she mention it?”
The fashion designer froze, the information slowly being processed. “No...she hadn't”
X
Twilight had been glad to have some time to study by herself, and had been looking through the books to find a subject to study, an unfortunate process that left her wanting to reorganize already, this time by author.
“Yes. That's exactly what I'll do”, she declared thoughtfully, her magic grasping the first book she planned to re-shelve.
Rarity then burst into the library, a look of pure glee in her eye's as she grabbed the studious mare and started dragging her to the door. “Twilight! Why didn't you tell me you knew Forgebreaker!”
The name froze the purple unicorn in place, something her fashion designer friend took full advantage of as they headed towards the town market place, leaving a single book laying on the floor.
“I would never have expected that you would be acquainted with one such as him. I mean, I knew he was from Canterlot but I had no idea of your connection until Spike told me when Forgebreaker arrived just a little while ago. You will have to introduce us!”
Twilight only half heard her, feeling only a kind of numb horror. Forgebreaker, here? There wasn't a pony she wanted to see less then her old classmate.
“From what I heard about him...he's a true gentlecolt, truly the finest example of nobility, and...Twilight? Are you listening to me?”
Forcing herself to get over the shock, Twilight opened her mouth to make an excuse, any at all that would give her friend a reason to let her go so she could escape. That's when the rest of her friends swarmed her.
“What's this here about Forgebreaker being in Ponyville? Perhaps he could...”
“I heard he stopped a Hydra's Rampage just by talking to it! Maybe..”
“He's my favorite Hero just behind the Wonderbolts! I mean, for a Unicorn he...”
“Any party he goes to is guaranteed to be entertaining! I mean, my party's are guaranteed as well, but we could exchange tips or something and...”
“I bet he makes the best muffins!”
Twilight mentally made a note to give Ditzy an extra large muffin when her comment stopped the questions for her other friends to stop and just stare at the mail mare.
Ditzy looked back, puzzled. “What? It would be pretty awesome if he did, wouldn't it?”
“Alright, just why is this featherbrain here? I'm surprised she even knows who Forge is”
Twilight frowned, momentarily forgetting her predicament. “Rainbow Dash! That's not very nice”, she admonished her friend firmly, and more then a bit loudly.
“So? That doesn't mean it's not...” The rainbow maned pegasus trailed off into half gibberish sounds, staring at something just behind Celestia's most faithful student.
That was when the purple unicorn realized that she was surrounded by a crowd of awestruck ponies, looking at the exact same spot. Maybe she had been a bit too loud.
“So there you are, my old classmate”, said the last voice, just before Discord actually, that she wanted to hear. It spoke again, this time addressing the murmuring crowd. “For those curious”, it announced, automatically making everypony curious, “Twilight has been my classmate since Magic Kindergarten”
Twilight couldn't suppress a shudder from the forbidden words, causing Rarity to turn a curious glance at her, though whether it was about the reflexive response or the information, she had no idea.
“Though it has been over a year since we last met, Twilight has graciously accepted to show me around Ponyville for the duration of my stay”
An outright lie, but if she refused it everypony would say she was at fault.
“I have written her the details of my stay, so feel free to ask her. Thank you for this much deserved welcome. Now, Twilight, It's time for my tour to begin”
Wait, what? He'd written her a letter? She just received it...Twilight hid her despair as she turned to face her Celebrity classmate.
He a bit large, for a unicorn at least, with gray coat and a fiery orange mane and tail, the colors on those gradually darkening from the ends. What he wore was a fancy necklace with an extremely rare Gem of some type on it, and a white cloak, the bottom edge carrying an elaborate design. His special talent took the form of an exploding anvil, and represented...something to do with magic. And his orange eyes met her Violet ones, waiting.
There was no choice was for her. He had her cornered. Even if she refused, she knew her friends would end up dragging her off to meet him again. It didn't help that Spike absolutely idolized him, and Forge knew it.
After all, he had become a skilled duelist, detective, problem solver and more. He had become famous.
“...F-fine...”, she stated, defeated.
She could do this. She could spend the day with the one that had caused her so many years of loneliness. The one who had caused the years of bullying. The one who had ruined her first chance of friendship, and prevented any other until Ponyville.
Twilight could only hope that she would still have her friends by the time he left.
