Twilight Sparkle: Friendship Expert

Twilight walked into the donut shop with a skip in her step. It was still early in the morning and only a few ponies were up and about. The air out in the streets was crisp, and Twilight was looking forward to her day.

She was going to meet with Entropy once again.

The stallion made a habit of hanging out at the donut shop in the early mornings, and was more than happy to chat with her from time to time. She tried not to overdo it, but he knew at least a little bit about any subject she cared to ask. A tempting last resort if nothing else.

At least he hadn't ever told her to go away or leave him alone. He seemed almost ecstatic to share what he knew, actually.

She quickly walked up to the store, ordering a few chocolate glazed donuts from the counter before looking around eagerly. There he was, tucked into a corner at the back. He had cut up a number of different donuts and fixed them together in strange shapes and patterns. Twilight shook her head with a chuckle. Entropy was a nice pony, but undeniably strange at times.

As she got closer she could make out the notes he was taking, the ink looked black but as soon as it touched the paper it started coming out in a rainbow of colors. Twilight's head hurt a little just trying to read it, and not just because it was written in multiple languages mishmashed together. She recognized a little Griffin and Minotaur in there at least.

She was startled out of her snooping by a cleared throat. "Hello there Twilight, getting an early start to the day once again I see."

She blushed. "Ah, sorry, just wondering what you were writing. Good morning Mr Entropy."

He waved her off. "Nothing wrong with being curious my dear. And none of the Mr stuff, Entropy has always been good enough for me."

Twilight took a seat beside him, levitating her donuts onto the table in front of her. "How are you this morning, Entropy?" She squirmed a little at being so casual, but if that's what Entropy wanted then it would be unfair of her to stick to formalities.

"I'm doing simply marvelous," said Entropy with a wave at his table. "Unlocking the secrets of the universe and all that wonderful stuff. You know, the usual."

Twilight just smiled at the cocky tone, she wouldn't be surprised if that was what he was doing.

"And how about you my dear? Your little pink friend doing alright? And your brother?"

"Pinkie's doing fine, I think she's finally starting to get over what happened, my brothers also recovering nicely and should be discharged from the hospital soon." She sighed. "I'm more worried about how he's taking what happened though, he's been so down lately."

"Mmm," Entropy hummed. "That's a tricky one, guards can be so uptight in my experience." He chuckled. "I'm sure it will pass soon enough, just don't push him. He'll work it out for himself soon enough."

Twilight nodded, closing her eyes in bliss as she bit into one of her donuts. They sat in silence for a while after that. It wasn't uncomfortable, merely contemplative. Entropy jotted down a few more notes before pushing them to the side.

He turned to face her. "So, what do you know about conjuring food?" His grin had her a little worried, but she smiled back anyway, eager to learn something new.

Pinkie Pie was on a roll today. She peeked out over the hedge bordering Celestia’s house, seeing the Principal staring directly back at her. She looked closer at the hedge she was hiding behind… It would probably be more effective if it was higher than her knees.

She stretched out casually, before walking up to the front door and knocking enthusiastically.

She bounced on the balls of her feet as she waited for the door to open. It was a really nice house, small but cozy. She couldn't have a big party here, but there was plenty of room for all of Sunset's closest friends.

“Hello Miss Pie,” said a bemused Celestia as the door swung open. “I see you’re up early today.”

Pinkie grinned. "Of course! Sunset's birthday is tomorrow. I couldn't let something silly like a little sleep get in the way of making one of my best friends parties perfect could I?"

Celestia just chuckled and ushered her inside. "Well I think I'll defer to the expert on that one, but I hope you're being responsible. We wouldn't want you falling asleep in class now would we?"

Pinkie hopped behind her, pulling out a bag of party supplies Celestia could have sworn she hadn't had at the door. "You don't have to worry about that Miss Principal Celestia! Maud always makes sure I get enough sleep."

Celestia shook her head in bemusement. "Just Celestia or Miss Celestia will do outside of school. Please make yourself at home." She waved towards the living room as Pinkie got to work, examining every nook and cranny and measuring things with a bright pink ruler.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Celestia called out from the kitchen.

"No, but I'm good, parties sustain me."

“Alright dear, but if you change your mind I’m making a little extra.”

Celestia walked into a room absolutely covered in confetti. "Someone's been busy." She could just make out Luna sitting on the couch, either that or a Luna shaped mound of confetti.

Pinkie meanwhile was looking pretty proud of herself.

"Pretty good huh?" Pinkie twirled around, gesturing to the balloons, bright streamers, and banners up on the wall. "It's not the biggest party I've ever held, but I'm sure Sunset will love it!"

Celestia could see a few tables set out, one of them was covered in presents. "I'm sure she will. Need any help?"

Pinkie waved her off. "Nah, Bon Bon and Vinyl should be coming over to finish things up later though."

Celestia smiled warmly. "I'll keep an ear out."

"Alright girls, this is where the source of equestrian magic came from. At least according to this device anyway."

"A sweet shop, really?"

"Well, I doubt it was going to be anything obvious."

"I don't know, ponies like candy don't they?"

"Urgh."

Trixie sat, quietly humming along to the soft music echoing through the store. She was slowly etching a complicated series of runes into the smooth stone tablet in front of her. A set of tools also lay on the counter, a few hovering in her magical grip.

Trixie often spent her free time commandeering her parents shop. It was usually peaceful, as most of their work came from big orders. Only a few ponies came in to buy anything specific, and they had most common requests on hoof.

She also had access to all the rune crafting supplies she might want. Highest quality.

The towering shelves hugging the walls of the shop were filled to the brim with small devices made from a variety of materials. All engraved with delicate runes that glowed with a magical light. Some hummed with passive power while others awaited activation.

She looked up at the sound of the bell ringing above the door. A stallion in golden armor strode forward, wearing a stoic expression. "Evening miss, could you direct me to the owners of this establishment?"

Trixie hummed thoughtfully, nonplussed at his monotone voice. "They're currently putting on a show out of town. Trixie can take a message if you like?"

The stallion shook his head. "This is a rather urgent matter for the Royal Guard, is there any way to reach them faster?"

Trixie nodded. "Trixie can send out a message, though the Royal Guard usually contacts us by different means."

Trixie took note of the stallion. She couldn't make heads or tails of what he was thinking, not a single hint of his thoughts showing in his movements.

She was far from well versed in the armor worn by the Royal Guard, but she could spot custom work easily enough. Some of those runes were heavily restricted, so he was likely of high rank or had friends in high places. Somepony to pay attention to.

"This is more of a personally funded request." He slips a letter out from a hidden pocket in his armor. "This should have all the information required along with payment details. The sooner this is handled the better."

Trixie takes the letter in hoof, pulling out a small drawer from underneath the counter. "Trixie will send it post haste." She slips the letter inside the drawer and closes it, there is a bright flash of light and a thumping sound like that of a heavy book hitting a table.

The stallion raises an eyebrow.

Trixie shrugs. "Our store specializes in runes, we have methods for quickly getting messages out there. And before you ask, it's not efficient enough for large scale use just yet. We are working on it though."

The stallion nods stiffly. "Thank you for your time miss." He makes his way out of the door without another word.

Trixie returns to her work after a moment. "Trixie wonders what her most faithful assistant is up to…" She sighs wistfully, chipping away at the tablet she was working on. "Hopefully Trixie will be finished soon, Twilight will be most impressed."

She let out a giggle at that thought, getting back to work with renewed energy.

"Are you sure about this Vinyl?" Octavia asked. "Considering everything that has been happening of late, I'm not sure an outing would be advisable."

Vinyl raised an eyebrow and looked at her with a cocky smirk.

Octavia sighed. "I don't know where this nightmare may care attitude came from, but I am certain you did not get it from me."

Vinyl smiled and went back to tapping at the keyboard, she occasionally wrote down a few notes and allowed Octavia to look over what she was working on. Despite their different interests they were rather good as a team. Perhaps they might have been overly critical of each other's genre of choice, but they were both musicians at heart.

"I was thinking of inviting Twilight along actually, if this is something we plan to do. That filly could stand to learn a little more about what music is really like."

Vinyl cocked her head to the side without looking up.

"I might be a classical mare at heart, but I do believe it is worthwhile to expand one's interests once in awhile. She does seem to like your compositions, and she has such a serene look whenever she listens to my Cello."

Vinyl played something a little more upbeat.

"Mmm, I'm glad you agree. It might be difficult to convince her after her last outing went so sour though. With things as they are, you would think they would have set things up a little earlier. Do they not realize the potential dangers?"

Vinyl lifts a hoof, gesturing in a so-so motion.

"True, I suppose those aware of all the dangers are few in number. It can be hard to remember sometimes, it's not like there's anypony to hide it from."

Vinyl looked back with a wry smile.

"Well, it's not like we would need to tell either of our mothers about this. They are quite cautious enough as it is." Octavia paused for a moment.

"I wouldn't bother my father with this either," said Octavia with a sigh. "Not like he would listen to me anyway."

Vinyl pressed against her side comfortingly as Octavia fell into silence.

Twilight crept into the room quietly. Spike was napping nearby, tired from a full morning of playing around. It would be a while yet before he would grow any resistance to the siren call of sleep, and even longer before his dragon heritage took over. She knew that one day he would find himself slumbering far longer than any mortal pony would live.

Twilight tried not to think about that sort of thing when she could help it. She would be there for him as long as she could, and when the time came she could only hope that he would be okay out there on his own. She wasn't ready herself, but she would do her best by him.

She had been thinking a lot about these things lately. He had called her 'momma' a few days ago, and it had made her feel warm inside. But she worried she wouldn't be up to the task. She even thought she might do better as a sister figure.

She would talk to her friends about this before making a decision. She knew she would just keep putting it off otherwise.

She quietly made her way around the room, attaching a carved crystal to the top of each corner. They gently hummed with magic before winking out of sight, invisible against the cool stone walls.

She hummed to herself under her breath as her horn sparked with magic. Soon enough, each crystal was linked together in a dual warning and protection spell. An alarm would go off in the back of her mind at the slightest sign of danger, and a shield would be erected around Spike if a hostile presence got close enough to him.

She had gained permission from Celestia to hook it into the castles warding system after much begging during her previous lesson. This served the dual purpose of charging the ward regularly, and keeping up a smokescreen.

Only Celestia and a select few powerful mages were allowed access. Those checking the connection would likely assume Spike was under the direct protection of a very powerful magic user. Maybe even Celestia.

She knew it might not be enough to get her there in time, and the shield wasn't as strong as a professional could make it. But it might work as a deterrent, which was all Twilight could do at the moment. Even this much would have been beyond her without Entropy's help.

She finally moved over to the crib, the sound of her hooves muffled by the soft red carpet. She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the forehead.

She smiled warmly as Spike shifted in his sleep. "Sleep well Spike. Mother, sister, or just a friend, I'll always be on your side." She quietly whispered.

With one last glance, she crept out of the room, reshuffling her saddlebags and making her way back to the library.

Twilight looked around nervously, tugging at the collar of her dress.

The restaurant was packed with ponies wearing the finest clothing, and holding themselves with the kind of poise one only earns through rigorous practice. The sound of idle chatter filled the air, and Twilight had been assaulted by so many different perfumes on her way in that she felt dizzy.

While the sight of so many ponies had left her flustered, Fancy Pants had maneuvered through the thoroughfare with an enviable grace. She had quickly lost count of the number of ponies that had called out to him with friendly greetings.

She was currently seated at a table on the second floor. A chandelier hung from the ceiling directly over a hole in the center of the room. She would have felt really nervous without the guardrail keeping everypony from falling over the side.

She could just make out the stage below, facing opposite the entrance. There was a string quartet as well as a piano. They were playing soothing classical music with a skill Twilight was sure Octavia would have appreciated more.

"So, how do you like things so far?" Asked Fancy with a grin. "Quite overwhelming for your first foray I'm sure, but you'll find it gets much easier from here."

"There sure are a lot of ponies around, but this place does look lovely." Truthfully, it was all a bit much for her, but she didn't want to be rude.

Fancy just chuckled. "No need to be polite for my sake dear, there's a reason Fleur and I regularly visit more humble establishments."

Twilight blushed at having been caught out. "The greenery is lovely, and the crystal sculptures look like a lot of work has been put into them…"

"But you're worried you'll make a wrong move and break something?"

Twilight nodded sheepishly.

"Not to worry my dear, they've spent just as much on enchantments and runes to toughen the place up. The chances of you actually breaking something are slim to none. I've been told the rune work put into place was actually done by the Lulamoon family, though I haven't had that confirmed."

That peaked Twilight's interest. Trixie did like to brag about her family being the best in the business.

Before she could inquire further though, Fleur arrived breathless at the table. "Terribly sorry, you would not believe the crowd I had to get through."

"I didtell you this would happen. You didn't have to rush on our account," said Fancy. "We both know your modeling career can be very demanding."

Twilight nodded, Fleur always seemed to be called away at a moment's notice. Her modeling agency seemed to need her urgently at the strangest of times.

"And miss a dinner date with little Twilight here?" Fleur scoffed. "I think not." She leaned over the table and ruffled Twilight's mane with a smile.

Twilight had ordered a Prench dish with an unpronounceable name on Fleur's recommendation. She was actually quite enjoying it, though the portion sizes left something to be desired. She hadn't touched any of the wine, while she likely could have argued for a glass it really wasn't her style.

The topics had been kept mostly light to start off with. A round of asking how each of them had been doing, and a bit of prodding on the projects they were working on.

Twilight demonstrated a few minor transmutation spells with some parchment she had on hoof. Fleur talked about a new up and coming designer she was taking a chance on, and Fancy went into some detail about some of the latest laws that the nobles were trying to put into place.

There was a bit of a worrying trend with some of the new laws. Nopony could prove anything, but some of them favoured the loyalists a bit too much to be a coincidence. Few had actually gone through, but it was enough to put certain ponies in the know on edge. Combined with the current occupation in Manehatten there was now talk of a serious rebellion in the works.

"There are actually a few more rumours I've been hearing that are even more worrying," said Fancy Pants with a frown. "Some nobles have been taking extended trips out of the city, a few of them haven't returned. But the ones who have? They've been acting very strangely, selling off a lot of their holdings and hiring quite the number of new staff members."

Fleur frowned as well. "That's rather strange, while the nobles like to throw their money around on occasion, most tend to keep a pretty strict hold on that kind of thing." She tapped a hoof on the table thoughtfully. "You would also think they would need less staff if they've been selling off property."

Twilight felt uneasy. It might just be paranoia, but she had a bad feeling that this was something that would come back to haunt her later.

"There have been whispers about it being a loyalist plot. But…" Fancy shrugs. "As far as we can tell this sort of thing wouldn't help them too much. It's not like the nobles are allowed their own servants in the castle in any great number. The ponies hired also seem to have a clean history."

"All of them?" Fleur asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Indeed." Fancy leaned forward. "Not even a small hint of foul play, to be honest with you, it makes me more suspicious rather than less. I don't actually have the authority to look into it any deeper however."

Twilight finally spoke up. "Isn't a clean history a good thing?"

Fleur chuckled. "Usually, but it sounds like a rather large number of ponies. Most wouldn't get in trouble at all, but you would expect a few to have at least something minor. Whether the follies of youth or a bad decision made in a moment of weakness, I have yet to meet a truly perfect pony."

Twilight nodded. This would require more thought. If a lack of suspicious activity could be suspicious then she really needed to up her game.

She sighed quietly to herself as the conversation picked up again. She wasn't cut out to be a detective, she much preferred to look for her answers in books. After all, why wade through rumours and speculation when all you needed to know could be found in ink on parchment?

The rest of the night went much better in contrast. Fancy even had both Fleur and Twilight laughing at a few of the more amusing faux pas perpetrated by the nobles. For all their etiquette, some of them could be surprisingly sheltered socially.

It was nice to have friends.