It was an ordinary day at the school of friendship. Starlight Glimmer was carrying a cup of cocoa in her magic, making her way to Twilight’s office. She was planning on cross referencing some files related to her counselling duties with the permanent records kept in there. Knocking gently she waited for the familiar voice of her mentor turned sister best friend to answer. Silence permeated the hallway. She knocked again, this time a bit harder and waited. Again no answer.
“Twilight, you in there?” Starlight spoke to the closed door. Placing her cocoa down on the floor she directed her magic to the handle and tried to turn it. Locked. She considered using her magic to unlock it. Starlight had lots of lock picking spells she acquired during her darker years, and it would be an interesting exercise to see how secure Twilight’s office really was.
It was unlike the studious and punctual Princess of Friendship to be late for school on a Monday. Starlight had been out with Trixie all weekend and therefore had not a clue what was up. This worried her. Maybe she is inside and needs help? Maybe she is still at the castle and very sick? Her mind began to blossom with worry, and just when Starlight had decided to do away with the lock entirely her ear’s perked up. The sound of clacking claws could be heard on the hard hallway floor. Turning her head she saw the small figure of a young dragon running down a deserted hallway toward her.
“Starlight!” Spike called out urgently.
“Spike?” Starlight squinted towards the end of the hall.
“Starlight! you have to come quick!” he yelled louder. This snapped the mare into action and she ran to meet Spike halfway down the hall.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s Twilight, she’s in trouble, she’s at the castle.”
Starlight stood taller and looked out a hallway window towards the castle, “Alright, lead the way.”
Spike left the ground and began to fly as fast as he could through the halls, Starlight followed beside him galloping to keep pace.
“What’s happened?” Starlight asked between panting breaths.
“Twilight found this book in the library. Well, she started reading it Friday night and she hasn’t stopped.”
“This doesn’t sound like an emergency Spike, Twilight does that all the time. She disappears for a few days to finish a book or to write a paper,” Starlight replied skeptically.
“You don’t understand, she is never going to finish, the book keeps growing! Every time she finishes a page the book gets a page longer. I’ve tried to get her to stop, but she keeps saying she has to finish it.” Spike sounded exhausted and scared.
The two burst through the massive doors of the Castle of Friendship at full pace heading for the reading room. Upon entering the room Starlight saw the strangest thing she’d ever seen. Twilight was perched on the pages of a massive book - even open it reached to half the room's full height. The bottom of the book was glowing a faint greenish colour. Starlight cast her flying spell and lifted herself up to see Twilight. She was engrossed in the book, muzzle buried inches from the letters. Her mane was frazzled and her eyes were unfocused. Starlight saw the page number and cringed;10345. She also noticed the title of the book written in fine script beside it, “The Too Many Words of Ponypedia.”
“Twilight? You ok there?” Starlight asked in a gentle tone.
“MMhumm,” Twilight responded, but it was clear she didn’t really hear what was being said to her.
“Twi? I think that is enough reading for now. Maybe it’s time to take a break?” Starlight tried again.
Twilight snapped upward from the page as if she just noticed Starlight's presence. “Oh no, I can’t stop here I have to finish the book. I can’t start a book without finishing it. I mean come on that’s just crazy!” Her voice was strained and had a brittleness to it. Her head lowered back to the page. Starlight looked at some of the words written on them; they seemed verbose, nonsensical, bordering on the absurd.
“But Twilight, the book is not even making sense anymore? Why continue to read something that no longer says anything to you?”
“I have to finish it, Starlight. If I don’t I can’t say I’ve really read the book can I? And I have to finish every book I read,” she said this as if it was a Celestia given fact.
Starlight floated herself around and landed in front of her, both of them resting on the massive page. She reached out and hoof and lifted Twilights muzzle. Their eyes met - Starlight’s gaze kind and concerned, and Twilight’s exhausted and wide with panic.
“Listen to me, Twilight. No pony will think less of you if you don’t finish a book. Especially if that book no longer seems interesting. Books and stories are supposed to be things that give us something, if the book or story stops giving and only begins taking, well there is no point in reading it anymore. Twilight you don’t have to finish every book you read. It is perfectly ok to stop. Reading half a book is still an accomplishment.”
Twilight had tears brimming in her eyes. “Starlight I….. I’ve never not finished a book before.”
Interestingly enough this did not surprise Starlight in the least, in fact it made perfect sense. With every book she finished it would become more and more important to finish the next as if her book pony friend were check marking boxes as complete. That is until she found a magical book that would not end. No check mark there.
“It’s ok, lets just get off the book for a moment.” Starlight reached out a hoof and Twilight took it and they both flew to the floor. The book still towered over the whole room and Twilight was looking at it longingly. “Spike?” The dragon came over from the corner of the room quickly. “Why don’t you take Twilight to her bed.” Spike nodded his head, landing and grabbing her foreleg gently.
“What about the book! What about the school, I need to get to the school!” Twilight exclaimed in panic, suddenly realizing where she was and what she needed to do.
Starlight walked up to her friend placing a hoof on her withers. “I will take care of the school today and I will deal with this book, trust me. You go and get some sleep.” Twilight looked at her friend with love and exhaustion, then she nodded her head permissively.
The door closed as Twilight and Spike both left the room. Turning towards the glowing massive tower of a book, Starlight began to formulate a plan. Luckily Starlight Glimmer had no fanatical adoration of books, especially ones like “The Many Words of Ponypedia.” She lifted herself up to the top of the room looking down at the book. She charged her horn channelling all her anger over what it did to her friend till the whole room was on fire with light. Firing right into it, the book it began to disintegrate.
She heard the echoes of yells, the voice sounding like that of an old stallion. “No. No, listen to my words……..I’m prestigious, I’m pedagogical,… I’m a prodigy of the new paradigm….. You can’t destroy me, I have lots to say. You don’t understand my greatness, my grand……. works……..I’m remembered…….pay…… attention……..to…..m…..e.” The book vanished in the magic beam.
Starlight landed, chuckled to herself, and blew upward to cool her horn. She spoke aloud to nopony in the room. “The new paradigm, huh? Well been there done that. Get over yourself, Ponypedia.” The mare walked out of the reading room heading for Twilight's office, she had a lock to pick and a school to run.
Author's Note
This idea entered my brain this morning, someone might have done it before. Lord knows there is so much stuff I this site, I wouldn't even know.
