Equis

Celestia was pacing in her private chambers; she would return at the summer sun festival, the Nightmare had inherited L...her sisters flair for the dramatic and wouldn't be able to resist the statement.

The pang of worry returned, what if they didn't like Twilight? What if they were cruel to her and ostracised her like the snobby cows...she took a deep breath. No, Twilight must go, it was her coddling of her that had allowed the young woman to disappear up her own backside, she needed to climb down from her ivory tower, figuratively and literally, and take her place amongst her peers or they were sunk before they even got going.

She was fairly certain she had herded the six who were to come to her staging ground outside of Everfree, she had also placed several maybes just in case she was wrong. The bread crumbs had been laid and she was just waiting for Twilight's nose to come sniffing around the mystery so she could set her on the trail. The festival would be the perfect place for Twilight to meet Applejack, Pinkie-pie, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings and Carrot Top, the information about her objective had been put in the most obvious place imaginable.

It would work, everything would be fine, everything would be fine. L..Luna would come back and it would be even better that it ever was. Celestia slumped down on her bed with her head in her hands. They were doomed.

The soft click of heels on marble heralded the arrival of Cadence, there was a weary sigh "Allright aunty, what's wrong now?"

"In my rush to avoid the mistakes of the past I've just made all new ones; Twilight's a damned hermit, I've just excused her while she's grown increasingly neurotic and antisocial, she's just going to lock herself in the nearest library while the Nightmare freezes the world around her. Then what? I'll have to kill my...kill the last hope of my sister returning, who will stand with me then? For all your wiles you're no warrior. I've doomed us all".

Cadence slumped down next to the sulking God queen and prodded her in the ribs aggressively "Firstly, if you doubt my ability again I'll shoulder throw your giant ass over the battlements…" she dragged Celestia to her feet "...Second; have faith in Twilight, you asked me to bring her out of her shell but I couldn't make her a personable extrovert without breaking what was so special about her, beneath that waspish and frosty exterior is a caring, curious and beautiful person waiting to come out, she just needs to find some people that make her feel safe enough to let down her guard."

Cadence fixed her with a look of unshakable confidence "All will be well Aunty", the sun goddess huffed churlishly and hugged her own elbows "How can you be so certain?" The avatar of love laughed as if it were the most foolish question in the world "Because she loves you like a second mother and would do anything to see you happy"

***

I must figure this out, Princess Celestia will be so proud of me if I do.

Twilight had read that time outside was healthy for you, she had also read that over exposure to the sun damages the skin, so she had opted for the logical compromise of lurking in the shadows of trees in the park like a ghoul.

The effect was amplified due to when not getting her designated time lurking in the shadows, she was deep in vaults and laboratories, this granted her naturally the deathly pallor that chubby, rosy cheeked young women spend a lot of money on makeup trying to achieve to protest society's beauty standards. Twilight was the kind of rail thin that only doctors and fashion designers insist is a healthy weight but no one else buys it and animated with all the grace of a marionette controlled by an easily frustrated toddler. She had decided the notion that mages should be ostentatious was a waste of energy so assembled her dour black and eggplant arcane robes using designs for lab safety wear, army surplus and construction worker uniforms to grant her the maximum utility. Her hair was cut at the front using a spirit level to never block her vision but long enough at the back to flag her as feminine more for others convenience than any sort of personal vanity.

She was currently hunched behind a book whose age was only outweighed by it's tedium except for one section in the middle that contained an oddly incongruent account of the events surrounding the begin of Celestia's reign, everyone who didn't sleep through history class knew that Celestia and her sister overturned Discord before throwing down Sombra at the cost of losing the moon diarch with Celestia soldiering on to rule the country. This tome seemed to suggest the rising of a new threat that assumed the mantle of Moon Goddess leading a brief assault against the former capital and being defeated by some unheard of artefacts.

This was of course a demented flight of fantasy on behalf of some scholar but try as she might she could not find any records to contravene this story, her knowledge of this books existence niggled at her and seemed to want to connect some neurons together but whatever she had read that this account brushed against seemed forever out of reach. She was determined to get to the bottom of this as proof of her research acumen to her Princess and much thigh slapping could be had at the folly of old geezers.

Elements of Harmony, something about the name of these mysterious objects taunted her, maybe it was…

"Hey Twilight!"

Obnoxious cheerfulness derailed the thundering engine of her mental acuity as the information rising to the surface plunged down a ravine back into her subconscious. She peered over her book at the grimace of Lemon Drops, ugh, socialising.

Lemon flapped her gums as Twilight cursed internally at this girl's never ending crusade to include her, couldn't she just let her be an isolated academic like she wanted? The diatribe reached a conclusion and Twilight immediately activated her all purpose conversation ejector seat and started fiddling out a rune behind her back.

"Sorry girls, I've got a lot of studying to catch up on, maybe later…" before promptly imploding to forestall any further conversation, rematerializing round the corner she rolled her eyes and headed home wishing she could prognosticate conversations to better avoid them. Something clicked into place and she suddenly remembered where she had heard about the elements, going from a walk to a dead sprint before doubling over panting shortly after and setting off at a more sensible pace for an avid reader she returned to her ivory tower.

Her attempt to dramatically throw open the chamber doors into the circular space filled with dust and accumulating lore that was her home was blocked, quite literally by a heavy object that gave a perfunctory "ouch?"

Not that he was in pain physically because in order to hurt Spike with a door, Twilight would have had to jump off the roof and break it over his head. His taloned arms and legs were coated in thick purple scales up the knee and elbow where they met his purple cotton t-shirt and brown Corduroy three quarter lengths. Spike had experimented with shoes but anything less than a steel foot guard ended up with two obsidian claws sticking out the end. He had taken the time to fluff up his emerald green hair into an unruly pompadour, which Twilight conceded was better than the horrendous mohawk from last month, and his burning copper flame eyes flickered with resigned annoyance.

"Ah Spike, good, fetch me predictions and prophecies, I've had a breakthrough"

With blank faced irritation Spike exhaled a gout of green flame, out of which a book dropped into his waiting claw which he clicked open without a glance, not even bothering to look at the page he recited its contents with all the enthusiasm of someone that spent their whole Saturday night writing it "2:45 DS, break begins, 3:00 DS attend Moon Dancers party". Spike snapped the book shut raising a sardonic eyebrow, ‘damn him for trying to use my schedule against me’ the magus internally groused.

Twilight's sleep deprived and panda ringed eyes swivelled about as she performed the mental gymnastics to dodge between her obsessive scheduling and compulsive punctuality before finally relaxing into a justification. "We don't have time for a break right now, my side project might turn out to be an imminent catastrophe if what that book says is true, however if it turns out to be bunk we can still go to Moon Dancers if you insist, it should take no longer than 30 minutes to find out if immediate further study is warranted, it's our Civic duty to be sure."

There was a brief war of wills as Spike glared at her. "You're sure this is actually important, this thing you've been laughing at as nonsense? This isn't just you weaselling out of socialising, again?"

Twilight winced a bit but pushed on regardless "In the middle of a factual account written less than five moons after the events it describes an incongruent story of an attempted take over by hostile forces and warning of their return one thousand moons hence, this moon. An event I thought was unique to this book, but I believe I have read something that corroborates this story, if so we could be in deep trouble"

"Either this is the most elaborate scheme to avoid a party ever, you've gone further round the twist than ever or there's something to this…" Spike sighed and rubbed his face "...half an hour Twilight, then I'm dragging you there by force".

"Deal, now fetch predictions and prophecies"

Spike gave a mock salute and strolled across the grid of book shelves before scrabbling up a particular one, his talon biting into the scored wood that groaned in protest. Twilight wished he'd use the ladder but she couldn't fault his efficiency, the book was shoved into her field of view which she took up in her magic field to hover before her.

"E...E... Elements of Harmony: mystical objects from prehistory, sometimes referred to as physical objects, religious ideals or people, oblique references are made in the accounts of most pre-record battles or wars. See the legend of Nightmare Moon"

Spike frowned "You mean the fairy tale from nightmare night?..." Twilight blinked "...come on, everyone knows about Nightmare Moon who comes down to terrorise you unless you buy her off with candy…" Spike face palmed "... except of course you because you hate fun and public holidays." Twilights field snatched up the history tome, predictions and prophecies and added a fairytale book and glanced back and forth between them.

The books dropped to the floor as thoughts coalesced in Twilight's head "People didn't forget, they kept on passing down the warning to their children until they forgot what it was they were warning against…" she snapped up the historical tome and recited "...On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal."

A beat of silence passed before Spike exclaimed "Fuck me, that's ominous", Twilight whirled the book in her magic and beat Spike over the head with it. "Language! Now take a letter, we need to warn the Princess"

Spike winced as he scratched the back of his head "It's the summer sun celebration, she's going to be knee deep in dignitaries, cake and organising, plus she did the banishing so she is probably well aware of the situation". Twilight crossed her arms petulantly and gazed out the window up into the sky, every child thinks the moon has a face, but adults insist it's just random shadows the imagination blurs and twists, right now she could feel the white sphere glaring at her and daring her to make her move.

Twilight rotated on her heels "The princess, as perfect as she is, can not be expected to keep track of every event for the past millennia, she has never punished me for diligence and a silly festival could suddenly be demoted in priority once we jog her memory." Spike sighed, rolling his eyes, rolled out the parchment, rolled his wrist with a couple of clicks, dipped the quill in the ink and raised an eyebrow.

**

Dear Princess Celestia Glory Sol Invi No Skip t

I apologise for intruding at this inconvenient time, however that book you lent me had highlighted serious concerns regarding the entity known as Nightmare Moon and if the account is accurate suggest she may launch an attack this very night.

I have cross references if further information is required and I await your instruction.

Keepin it Reel Yours, your faithful student

T-Sparks and Scaly S. Twilight Sparkle

**

With a dull whumpf the rolled parchment was converted into pure energy and drifted like smoke out of the vent at the top of the observatory. An awkward silence descended on the room as Twilight stood expectantly, then slowly started to slump back down as the time stretched on “She’ll write back Spike, you’ll see, she’s never doubted me” Spike had crossed his arms and was glaring annoyed at his watch, they were now a full half hour late for the party “Ah, huh”.

“Loo-oauh-ach'' Spike vomited emerald flames mid word to produce a roll of parchment sealed with the sol invictus crest, he hacked a couple of times as he unrolled it “I hate it when that happens, ahem: Dear Twilight Sparkle, I must commend you on your dauntless vigilance and dedication to study…” Spike grinned as Twilighted puffed up like a smug balloon “...but you really must stop reading those dusty old books!”

Twilight physically stumbled as her internal record scratched, “Spike! Don’t mess about!” She snapped, snatching the parchment as her eyes darted back and forth before reaching the offending sentence, anger and shame warred across her face as she attempted to will the ink to move into a different configuration. As she stood there stuck while her world exploded like a window pane Spike gently slid the paper out of her hands.

“...There is much more to a young woman's life than cloistering herself away in a tower with a dry lore. On the great adventure of life you will need allies and confidants (not discounting the radical Spike of course), to this end I am sending you as my herald to the Town of Ponyville, As you know I am planning to make an appearance there but I am concerned about reports of local tensions between the lords and the townsfolk. I need you to negotiate peace in time for my visit and ensure everything is in order for the celebrations.

But more than that I command you for the love of the Celestial Throne: Make some friends!

Yours With Love, Princes Celestia
(Chillin’ Like a Villain, Big C)”

Twilight was jolted out of her crisis by an obsidian point jabbing into her ribcage, “If we hurry we can swing by Moondancers on our way up the palace and make our apologies…” Twilight flapped the words into silence, she heaved and sighed before marching smartly to her rolodex, spinning through she pulled out a card near the back “Ponyville Library, Class C, not bad for back water, specialims: Farming, Monstrous Creatures and Folklore. Normally useless bunk but considering the area of inquiry could be promising.”

Spike rotated in front of her growling, “Oh no you don’t, you're not running away to a different library to hide because you’ve been turfed out of this one, you have been ordered to get out of the house and make some friends and your doing that one way or the other.”

Twilight scoffed and rolled her eyes “Oh yeah, so vitally important, I’m getting rather bored of you and the princess butting into my personal affairs, If she wants to waste my time with busy work so be it, but I won't be ignored on this, I can feel in my bones that there is more to this and I won’t stand by and wait while this catastrophe continues to brew, see you at the palace….”

With a deep thrum and rush of air Twilight imploded pulling books from the shelf, Spike’s eyes flared green as he shouted into the empty air “Gyhaaa! I hate it when you do that!”

***

Celestia sat in the heavy darkness of her personal chambers as memories played across her mind as if they only happened yesterday.

In her mind's eye Iron boots thumped into heavy carpet as the queen of the night emerged from the shadows behind her throne; towering over mortals her porcelain skin was enwrapped in cruel iron teased into spines and blades like the chitin of vicious insect. Her head was crowned with a glittering star field as rich as a clear summer night sky that flows about her head like hair in water, for no crown is required to mark her sovereignty.

Her bright sapphire eyes scanned the room, shadows and illusions no obstacle to mistress of dreams, but mortal eyes are not required to sense her counterpart. Shining like a midsummer's day from her radiant mane of reds and pinks like the first blush of dawn carried on an ethereal breeze, taller even than the lady of the night, stands the sovereign of the day. The sun blessed burnt chestnut skin of her flesh swathed in flowing robes of purest silk and the reports of her commanders clutched in her shaking hand.

Princess Luna stared down from the pulpit between the thrones and Princess Celestia stared up from the doorway, the atmosphere was heavy as their wills danced and sparked between them and for the first time, the sun blinked.

Celestia exhaled “So it has come to this; Luna, you must lower the moon, it is your duty”.
The younger sister leaned forward menacingly “Of course, how can your subject’s frolic and play in your precious light with my ugly white rock hanging at the boundaries?”
“Our subjects, and that is not it, there must be balance Luna, you know this well”
The divine hands of the dark queen bit into the rail of the pulpit like roots into stone as her might effortlessly compressed the metal.
“Balance! You who sit in music and laughter filled halls as they dote and fawn on you, even as they glare in contempt upon my gift to them and slam shut their windows as I sit alone in silent darkness dare to lecture me about balance!.”
The solar monarch recoiled as if slapped, such is the force of the venom in her sister’s words and the sting of the rebuke.
“Luna, I…that isn’t true, please you are my sister, I love you!”
But it was too late, already like motes of moonlight the dream weavers power rose from her earthly body to grasp her charge and drag it inexorably across the heavens.
“I suffered for them, I bled for them and shielded them with my body. If they can love but one queen alone: Then it shall be me!”

In the sky above the moon slid before the sun plunging the world into darkness and illuminating the sky with a blood red corona. Back within the hall the windows imploded as the celestial winds blasted into the room scattering paper, swirling the blade like glass shards and ripping banners from their holders. Celestia, one hand clutching the masonry for stability, extended her other in pleading towards her sister who floated at the centre of the swirling storm of smog and flame. Luna’s pale face is painted with black ichor as tar black tears streamed down her face painting her an unnatural obsidian.

At last her lids snapped open as cold reptilian eyes focused through the storm, glowing with an eerie green corpse light, wreathed in stars grown harsh like midnight over the tundra. Her voice rang out, devoid of night’s gentle embrace, now hollow and cold like the depths of space from a fanged filled mouth.
“The day has ended, so begins night time eternal!”

The effect was ruined somewhat by a blast of searing flame that screams through the air inches from her face, causing her to dip left to avoid it. Stalking towards the throne her hair whipping and kindling into violent reds and yellows as a fire ignited behind her eyes came the custodian of the sun.

“I cannot let you do that, the world will freeze and our people will die, abandon this madness before I am forced to harm you!”
“What do I care for ingrates and fools, so lay on, you always wanted me gone anyway!”
“I love you Luna, but I cannot turn aside my duty!”
And so, the gods went to war. The sky flashed bright with the sun over blasted deserts and winked out with clouded nights over the poles, the colliding heat and cold clashed above the royal castle wracking the land with hurricanes and thunderstorms. The foundations of their keep shook with earthquakes and the aftershocks of their power, below in the bones of the earth the world was forever marked with the stains of their battle.

But the night had grown dark indeed and eventually the sun was eclipsed, dropping like a meteorite from the heavens. With clenched teeth and wrapped in solar fire Celestia smashed through the slate shingles of the throne room wearing a deep groove into stone paved floor, the gods flesh suffered no mark but the flame within her flickered and dimmed with injury.

Sprawling onto her belly and pushing up from the floor Celestia cried hoarsely “You give me no choice, I must use these” and extended a shaking hand towards the centre of the room. With a tectonic grind two slabs pull back revealing and complex orrery bearing six jewels, which rises from the floor. A sapphire, ruby, amethyst, pink tourmaline and an orange selenite rotate around a star shaped violet zircon as the arms spun in concentric circles before locking into place.

The gems shone with an inner power and stubbornly remained in place rotating, resisting her will as emotions played across Celestia’s face, finally and reluctantly the precious stones drifted off their stands and began to encircle the fallen Princess who was buoyed up by some unseen force. She drifted up towards the hole in the ceiling as her orbiting friends picked up speed forming bands of bright energy with the tails of light left in their wake and assuming a heliocentric orbit around her core, raising her up.

In the troubled sky Luna crowd to the lightning, completely engrossed in her revelry she does not notice at first, but all too soon her sensitive eyes were stabbed by lances of light. Rising like the sun Celestia shone like a star in the bleak and over shadowed sky as she soared into the heavens. With a frustrated roar Luna grasped at the darkness, cold and terror of the night and threw it like a javelin at her sister.

The moment hangs as tears of pure molten gold flow down the cheeks of the solar monarch while she converses with an unseen voice, before she closes her eyes sweeping her arms in a wide arc that forms the gems into a starburst before her, and pushes.

Like sunlight through a prism a scattering of coloured lights danced across the sky as a pure white beam surged through the darkness of the night queen striking her square in the chest, her body crumpled around the blow and was thrown back up into the stratosphere towards the moon that hung in the sky. There is a deep thrum of power and a scowling face was scrawled across the once flawless surface, then like the universe releasing a held breath the moon drifted on its way across the sky and the sun was slowly revealed at its zenith.

Celestia fell rending at her enchanted hair, plummeting from the sky, but even the rushing wind could not silence her anguished scream.

Tears of Liquid gold reflect the flickering firelight of her hearth, Celestia draws herself up and turns towards the door to make haste to the ruins of their former home.

***

Whistling through the air exactly the way that bricks don’t, painted stark white with golden filigree crawling all over it like a particularly pernicious strangling vine, a carriage hurtled down from the mountain top. At the yoke at the front were two lightly armoured guards that left a wake of white energy ribbons trailing behind them that buoyed and supported the vehicle as they exerted their will to defy gravity.

The two passengers sat as far away from each other as possible, Spike was done with Twilight's shit right now and was glaring out at the open sky while small puffs of smoke curled out of his nostrils belaying his simmering anger. Twilight was starting to feel a little guilty, Spike had only been looking out for her wellbeing and she had been a brat about it, also maybe he had wanted to go to that party.

“Spike I didn’t deliberately try to keep you away from that party, I admit I didn’t want to go but that shouldn’t stop you”

“I didn’t care about the party, they're supposed to be your friends not mine…” Spike turned to look at her “...This behaviour isn’t healthy and I’m breaking my back trying to rehabilitate you and all I get out of your is abuse, scorn and derision.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, I just have better things to do than fraternising and boondoggling, why does everyone keep hassling me to put my work on hold and waste it chin wagging with a bunch of gormsters. Can’t you all just leave me alone.”

There was a roar of flame and Spike was holding a book, “Effects of social isolation include loneliness, depression, a shortened life span, increased illness, hallucinations, and delusions...” he snapped it shut throwing it on the floor in front of her, it was entitled Mental Maladies “...is that what you want for yourself? To become some isolated crackpot up in your tower debating your own imagination over a bunch of esoteric garbage no one gives a shit about!” Spike paused, closing his fist and steadying his breathing waiting for the fire to die down before continuing.

Twilight gazed sullenly at her feet "It's not that bad, I'll...I'll prove it, I can engage people in genial conversation and still have time to get the information I need from the Library." However secretly she was rewinding through her memory for the last time she had enjoyed a conversation with someone that wasn't a teacher or family and so far was drawing a blank.

***

Ponyville was a rural backwater exceptional for two reasons; firstly for being the most wacky and socially accepting town in Equus and secondly for maintaining this whimsical bonhomie despite bordering on the edge of the most dangerous forest in the kingdom. Like radioactive waste seeping into the biosphere evil permeated the hunched and twisted woodland, malformed monstrosities stalked its shadows but thanks to the rangers rarely troubled the deliberately oblivious towns folk.

Under it's eves and radiating out like a throw quilt is a patchwork of rented farmsteads, the magically infused ground great for (sometimes literally) monster harvests and the cultivation of unusual produce such as zap apples, bizarro berries, doom melons, time travelling turnips and triffids.

The centre of town enriched by its trade of oddities to the nearby capital of Canterlot was formed in concentric rings around the town hall, a market stretched south of the town hall to the town boundary with a financial district of sorts made of shops, warehouses and offices. During the towns construction, the fashion has been buildings shaped like objects which is quaint for the business still relevantly trading within, surreal and confusing if the building has been repurposed. This sprawls northward until it hits the river on whose banks the town hall was built. Across the first river and inside the second is the solid mortar and brick of the two up and two down houses belonging to the working people, large enough to be considered a suburbia but still remaining non uniform enough to be small town, beyond the second river lay the vast sprawling estates of the rich land barons who presumably owned all the farmland as well as their commodity trading neighbours, their homes sporting the usual decadence that only the idle and bored rich have the inclination to indulge in.

Both Twilight and Spike were both educated enough to know a class warfare powderkeg when they see one, all it would take is one too greedy landowner or revolutionary farmer to upset the delicate equilibrium and plunge the town into an uprising. Twilight decided to slip in at the edge rather than descend on the town with Royal authority.

***

Spike stretched and bent as Twilight loaded herself up with her gear, thanked the guards as they lifted off and began running through a checklist she summoned as she looked about to get her bearings. However before they were properly able to orient themselves a strange noise faded in from the distance: Bom! Tsst! Bom! Tsst!

On the path into town from the base of mount canterhorn came a strange figure with a bass drum and high hat attached to her back that through some mechanism were struck in time with her foot falls. Around her shapely and limber body were wound various instruments from banjos to flugelhorns that clattered and jangled from her determined stride. She wore an old grey military uniform with gold braids and Aiguillettes on the jacket, at the peak was a kepi cap bearing a single golden sovereign instead of a regiment badge. Underneath its askew visor the rosie pink face sported a skull splitting smile with lively sapphire eyes framed by cascading bubblegum pink curls that spilled out from under her hat like a burst water main.

She lifted her clear and bright voice in a warbling show tune "Ooooooh! I am the music ma'am! I come from down your way, and I can pla-aye!...." She drew level to Twilight slowly grinding to a confused halt "Pian-Pian...Pian...No?", Twilight glanced awkwardly at Spike who eyebrowed at the stranger, time to show him her stuff "Hello, I am Twilight Sparkle".

What happened next was difficult to describe in the retelling despite the use of charts and slides; the woman doubled over then began sucking in air as if a black hole had opened within her while going straight as a board, levitating a clear foot from the ground and various bells ringing out from around her person. Her eyes spun in their sockets and with a blink she was half way back to town running at such a pace that, when later performances of this event were dramatised, a double kick pedal was required.

Twilight slapped herself in the face rolling her head from side to side, "Oh no, you're a real social butterfly, no need for me to worry" smirked Spike as he started loafing towards town.

As they traversed the mismatching and worn cobbles of the boulevard that lead to the centre of town Twilight grew increasingly annoyed at the impractical architecture, a brick or even a muffin was an acceptable shape for an office, how the hell you traversed the spoon shaped house and in what world it would be considered structurally sound and an effective use of space defied the rational mind. Her mood was not improved by the fact that the Streets were barren aside from the large jeering mob gathered around the town hall.

Atop the wooden platform were the nobility; with their gaudy over the top clothes, fashion victim aesthetic and aura of indignant self importance they were clearly new money. Lacking the self assured confidence of the hereditary rich, they jockeyed to hide behind each other while collectively cowering behind the bedraggled and worn out Mayor, dressed in a half ironed ruffed shirt and hastily donned beige chinos she ran her hand through her unwinding white hair.

"I am sorry Mr Sideways, but your homestead is not crown owned land, if your landlord wants to bring in mercenaries to search the place I can not stop him…"

This caused an explosion of angry voices, from the stage a yellow blancmange forced into a corset screeched down upon assembled citizenry, her face turning red as her beehive wig. The gammon features of a rustic returned fire as his gnarled and battered fist shook up at the assembled authority. As both masses heaved and shoved Spike pointed straight over Twilight's shoulder singling out an individual leavering up a cobblestone, this confrontation had gone on long enough and was starting to turn ugly, so she started hastily weaving a rune behind her back.

However, before she could finish, there was an ear splitting crack that caused a collective wince, like startled rodents the two mobs scurred apart revealing a heavy, iron headed battle axe with its blade shoulder deep in the front of the stage, its applewood handle sticking out like the prow of a ship. A voice tinged with local authority snapped through the square like a whip “Enough! There ‘ain't gonna be no riots in Ponyville!” With the crunch of steel on stone, heavy footfalls carried the rattling frame of the new player into the drama; dressed foot to shoulders in well maintained interlocking plates of shining steel, chain patches and a leather baldric, the armour’s upturned collar framed her head allowing just enough room on top for a battered and weather worn stetson to perch on her tightly braided flaxen locks.

Her sunburned and weather beaten face dappled with freckles displayed the stone neutrality of barely restrained rage: she was overall an imposing figure, not exceptionally tall but wide and solid as an oak tree, her emerald eyes scanned around freezing anyone who met them. “I’m try’n prep for the evening patrol and Filthy tells me troubles brewin’ an’ what do I find!? A bunch of respectable folk acting like animals!” A voice called out ‘they were invading our homes’, the figure spun around trying to single out the source “Their doin’ nothin’ of the sort! I spoke with Filthy an’ certain landlords' purses have been raided by bandits, they’ve got the fool idea that folks have been hidin’ gold about their farms. They got every right to just check an’ you should be accommodatin’ unless you got sommit ta’ hide!”

“That said, I can understand your grievance...” A gentleman in an expensive but understated suit stepped up behind the warrior, he had salt and pepper hair oiled back into a respectable quiff, he spun on his well heeled brogues to address the stage “...This is totally unbecoming behaviour for the landed gentry, both the threat of surprise raids and this fracas. I will admit my own bottom line remains mercifully unharmed which I attribute to my respectful and polite dealing with my employees, this sort of heavy handedness will only drive the miscreants to further acts of rebellion”.

There were some quieter but still discontented grumblings from both sides, the armoured figure slung her round shield bearing the device of an apple tree over her shoulder “Thank y’ Mr Ritch, y’all need to cool off! Pick three of yer’ each and I’m sure tha’ Mayor will be happy to help ya’ arrange a time tommora’ for inspections…” She glared meaningfully into the farm folk “...Hopeful the gold ‘all magically ‘turn up’ before then.” A young farm hand stepped forward “We ain’t got none of the money, I promise you AJ”, Mr Rich nodded “Then you have nothing to hide and hopefully it will put your landlords mind at ease and we can stop this bickering to search for the true culprits''.

Twilight decided here would be a good point to insert herself and shore up this arrangement, stepping out of background with Spike looming menacingly over her right shoulder she moved towards the centre “That sounds like a reasonable compromise, I also doubt anyone would be foolish enough to hide the gold they stole from someone on their own land but it doesn’t hurt to be thorough.”

The armoured woman turned crooking an eye brow in suspicion as she yanked the axe back out with a pained squeal of tortured wood, “An’ you would be?”, Twilight closed the distance and shoved a hand out slightly too aggressively and tried to drag her out of practice muscles into a friendly smile “I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s Attaché, I was sent here to get everything in order for her visit. This is my Research Assistant Spike''

“Ahm’ Applejack, glad to make you acquaintance” She crushed Twilight's hand in her metal gauntlet, Twilight's smile shifted into a pained grimace. Seeing as the circus was over and royal authority was being thrown about the crowd started to disperse with a small group being shooed into the bedraggled mayor's office, she was glancing between her office and Twilight with a conflicted expression, Spike slid over to have a quiet word and led her inside.

Twilight retrieved her hand and shook it off “So, it seems an inopportune time for a Royal Visit, the Princess did warn me”, Applejack grunted and started leading out of town “Wey’all these things flare up now an’ again, some nob’ gets it into their head to squeeze the farmers for cash and the locals start gettin’ creative to get even. This time is worse, some o’ the landlords have formed a little confederation to drive down wages through market pressure and their tenant’s ain’t happy, but somehow they are all meetin' rent. Meanwhile the extra cash is being swiped by ‘bandits’ to the point that their losing money on the venture, now they're having to hire mercenaries for security which'es more money down the pan, Filthy and old man Silver 'av been tryin' to get 'em to give up this fool idea but their darn' pride won't let 'em give in. Also if I'm bein' honest thievery ain't the honourable response from the common folk neither, legally the land ain't theirs and their under contract, everything that is happening, while cruel is perfectly legal so they got no excuse for banditry."

Twilight had been discreetly levitating a parchment and burning notes into it "So as the sheriff do you foresee this industrial dispute endangering the Princess?" Applejack stumbled and gave a double take "Sheriff!? Landsakes no, I'm just a Ranger, my family watches this frontier…" Twilight blushed and cursed internally "I am very sorry I just assumed with the armour…" Applejack laughed and slapped her back drawing a painted wheeze from the magus "I'm flattered and all, but we don't have watch' yer' call a constabulary here. Canterlot sends people if any real law is required, my kin just stop the beasties of the forest gettin' too bold. Though if you wanna know what's really going on in there you best speak to Fluttershy, lives out in the sticks and is kinda a hermit but she's got a powerful 'fluance over the wildlife..."

Like the sound of a kitchen falling down a mountain, dull thuds and jangles carried a lightly armoured wiry form of a girl round the corner of the country path, she had a red cloak emblazoned with an apple and a crossbow slung over her shoulder. Wearing a mismatch of offcut chainmail and battered second hand plates jury rigged into armour she too sported the freckled sun-beaten look with her garnet hair trussed up in a dutch braid. She jogged up and doubled over panting,

Applejack nodded towards the girl "This here is Applebloom probably callin' me for lunch" Applebloom wheezed out a hello and gave a faint wave, "Tell you whut, come back to my place for a bite, I'll fill you in on the rest and it 'a be nice to have a friend for dinner"

The F word rang alarm bells in Twilight's head and she was just about to bamph out of there before she got sucked into more time wasting, but across time and space she could feel the sardonic and condescending half grin of Spike mocking her and pointing at the letter. She clenched her fists; this isn't a waste of time, it was being efficient, she could have lunch, gather information and fulfil her required socialising obligation all in one go and as long as she kept her other stops to a minimum she would have plenty of time to research before the event.

Applebloom and Applejack looked at each other as the awkward silence stretched on, their potential lunch guest has shut her eyes and seemed to be having an intense internal debate before her eyes snapped open, darted about to regain her bearings and she put on a crooked smile "I do have a lot to do before the Princess arrives but I should have the time for a quick meal, I accept".

***

Twilight sat across from who she had been introduced to as 'Big Mac', he was a giant of a man nearly scraping the roof with his short thatch of fiery orange hair and a body that seemed to have been beaten out of bronze like a statue to the gods. His scarred and marked face was softened by his kindly verdant green eyes as he sat in his lovingly cared for full plate armour inspecting the massive dinged and nicked sledge hammer he carried about.

The home itself, located on the border of the farmland and within charging distance of the forest eves, was the same. Constructed out of blackened and ancient Applewood to be a garrison, with a watch tower, palisades and implements of death hung on every wall, the effect was somewhat ruined by the family photos, school art, knitted furnishings and tasteless knicknacks squeezed into the structure to the point of bursting.

The venerable Granny Smith, old and bent as a willow but still as tough and sharp as flint, had deposited a huge plate of fruit, vegetables and meats that Twilight was slowly excavating as she ate. Applejack has been talking at length at the goings on of the town pausing only to stuff food in and Twilight had constructed a list of people worth checking in with.

The aforementioned Fluttershy seemed to know the most about the goings on in Everfree and any potential sudden monster attacks, Pinkie Pie who had fled her earlier seemed to have a hand in most things socially, if apparently you were able to get a straight answer out of her. Twilight swallowed some brisket "Is there anywhere I could get arcane supplies? I may need to do some advanced casting while in town", Applejack chewed in thought for a moment relinquishing her bread roll "Ya' know, I don't think we have a shop that trades in that sort of area, that said you might want to try Rarity's boo-teak, she's inter' all that fancy magical stuff and might be willing to haggle."

At that moment with a flicker of emerald fire a scroll burned into existence in front of Twilight who caught it in her field, quickly scanning it's contents she dabbed her mouth with a cloth, "It's my assistant, he's finished with the Mayor, I better be getting back to it."Applejack got up to let her out "Ah' understand, duty calls, it's been swell and Ah' hope we get the chance again". At first Twilight was about to brush the sentiment off but the threat of nighttime eternal loomed and for a moment her professional detachment wavered.

As she cast her translocation rite she met Applejack's gaze with fear, sadness and the hint of longing, "I do too" she breathed, before vanishing with an inrush of air. Applejack's brow furrowed at the nature of her departure, Applebloom leaned back in her chair "Ah' like 'er".

***

Twilight slid into existence in the middle of the town as planned, what was not planned was colliding with a high speed object and being dragged by an aetheric undertow across the square before the prismatic aura flickered out and dumped her in the river. Twilight had spent many years studying and refining her craft, so naturally looked down her nose at people who brute forced theirs through sheer willpower. They were powerful but, as this situation showed, lacked control.

Twilight clambered up the bank, the enchantments on her robes causing the water to flow off like a duck's back, her hair however was not so lucky and hung stringy and waterlogged across her back. Like the sun striking a diamond there was a scatter of light as a woman in her prime launched out of the water like Athena rising from the ocean; her minimalistic skin suit exhibiting a lythe body honed to perfection, the burnished brass skin taught over her flowing muscles without and inch of fat anywhere. Her hair was a wild lion's mane sporting every colour of the rainbow held back by a pair of reflective goggles that sat above her rose eyes that flashed with awareness and adrenaline.

Held in her own field of shifting spectra she performed an impossible end over end flip in a wide arc leaving a wide rainbow arch, landing gently on the ground in a cool pose, right before the arc of water drawn after her slapped down on Twilight's head like a wet fish. The magus ducked into her shoulders with the impact, the expression of expended patience not shifting from her face.

The speedster winced "Oops! Sorry about that, you popped out of nowhere".

Twilight rolled her eyes "Yes, that tends to happen when you teleport" and started magically combing the water out of her hair, the girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other biting her lip, her short patience finally snapped and she started forwards "let me make it up to ya', stand still" Twilight opened her mouth to curtly remind this amateur that she knew many spells for drying hair and her help wouldn't be needed but it was too late, with a kaleidoscopic blast the water was thrown free of her hair slapping back into the river behind, the dark locks of the magus where blown strait and immediately snapped back, curling into a tangled rats nest. Twilight didn't need to see to know how bad it was, the stifled giggles from her assaulter was enough.

Twilight's shoulders dropped with a sigh "If your quiet finished? I have things to do", the girl lurched forward and gripped her shoulder "Don't go off like that man, tell ya' what, come with me to the barbers, I'll cover it, wonder bolts honour!" Twilight shrugged off her hand with a snort "As if such an elite strike team would take an unrefined clutz".

The woman crowed "Am too, recruit Rainbow Dash; I'm the fastest on record, a top speed of over mach one"
"Impossible…" Twilight exploded "...no one in living memory has broken the sound barrier or even got up to .8, so unless you can get from here to the gates of Canterlot and back by a ten count…"
There was a brilliant flash of light and Twilight instinctively started counting as a rainbow rocket vanished up into the infinite blue. Her eyes bugged out when she got to six and saw a twinkle in the sky, by the time she hit 8 a coloured meteor was fast approaching. Rainbow Dash slammed on the brakes just high enough to avoid property damage but low enough to flash Twilight with the backwash, she touched down and airily skidded to a halt right in front of her tossing a helmet into her chest.

Twilight huffed at the impact grabbing the object and spinning it around, it was a Canterlot Royal Guard helm, her jaw hung slack "It's not possible, no one is that fast!" Rainbow who had abandoned her hero pose was doubled over desperately heaving in air "Almost...Mach…One…" she took a deep breath as she straightened up trying to gain control of her breathing "....That’s how I can alway be there when I’m needed. So, to the barbers?" Twilight guppied in shock.

***

After some exasperating conversations with the terrified townsfolk, Spike managed to extract Twilights location on a promise he wouldn't eat them, as he walked into the salon he found her feverishly writing notes as her hair was entering the final stages of being teased strait, meanwhile a young athlete of some kind was walking about seemingly recounting a superhero comic, or so Spike assumed.

"...then bam! A massive explosion rocked the sky with huge Rainbow rings, I felt like I was going to be ripped to shreds by the G force as I crested over the city painting the sky! That was how I became a living legend."

Twilight scribbled the final touches and curled up the scroll tucking it away “Fascinating, have you ever been able to replicate it?”
Rainbow sighed and sat down in a chair “I’ve tried, sweet Celestia, have I tried, got real close couple a’ times, even seen the cone starting to form around my hands…” she seemed to shake off some imaginary flames “...but its like I hit a wall of rubber and just bounce the fuck off!” Twilight hummed, pulled out her notebook and started making some calculations and drawing various scientific arcana trying to puzzle her way through it “Have you tried…”

Spike broke in with an amused chuckle "Finally, busy friend making I see?" Twilight stiffened and jumped out of the chair "Friends!? Dammit, side tracked again!" She spun around "I'm very sorry Rainbow but I'm way behind and have so much to do, the story was fascinating and I wish I had time to ask questions but we've got to go!" She grabbed Spike by the lapel and promptly imploded leaving behind a swirl of brimstone. Rainbow blinked "...well, that wasn't very cash money of you".

***

Spike and Twilight phased into existence on the other side of the square, Twilight was muttering and cursing under her breath as she stomped towards Rarity's boutique "This is why I don't socialise, it's nearly mid afternoon and I haven't even gotten to the Library, please say you have had a more productive time!?". Spike strutted blase behind her with his hands in his pockets "You have petitioned Big C to hear both sides of the grievances after the ceremony tomorrow and her staff agreed a ten minute window, the townsfolk agreed so long as I didn't torch them, but the dent to my self esteem was a worthwhile sacrifice for peace in our time".

Twilight nodded "Sterling work, now I just want to get some divination supplies, hit up two locals for a sitrep and finally search the library for the information I need, so long as I don't get tangled up in anymore conversations we should still be fine". The boutique was one of the older buildings, apparently shaped in the likeness of a merry-go-round. Great effort had clearly been taken to try to bring some class to this infantile facade, that while better in its Royal purple and gold, did not disguise what it was. There was a filigreed sign that read 'Rarity's Artifice, Enchantment and Beguilement' above the door, there were numerous enchanted jewellery shops in Canterlot and to see magic used in such base ways always put a bad taste in Twilights mouth, but it was the only game in town so she swallowed her reservations.

As she reached to knock the door swung inwards, Twilight rolled her eyes; she clearly had a showman on her hands. Stepping inside the vast lobby it was sumptuously decorated with rich purple and violet hanging curtains, gold beading and nicknacks of the latest bedouin chic that was currently sweeping the upper classes were draped deliberately about the place giving it a boudoir feel. A far curtain parted and Spike nearly coughed up a fireball; as if painted by a master she was the ideal form of womanhood, firm but not bulky, soft but not squishy, all the right curves in all the right places and a dazzling face with enough makeup to make her sapphire eyes pop without looking unnatural.

She was dressed in something that was technically a business suit but implied both a ball gown and a cocktail dress, professional but alluring and fun, her hair was gathered above her head in a loose topknot with strands hanging suggestively over her face."Welcome to the Carousel Boutique where everything is chic, unique and magnifique", her voice could cut glass like diamonds and clearly had been tutored to highest standards, she sashayed over critically eyeing Twilight "Hmm yes, your in desperate need of a new appearance, it has been a while since I worked in cloth but a fashionista should keep her hand in all mediums yes?”

Twilight shook her head, “There is nothing wrong with my look, you see I heard you dealt in the arcane and lacking a proper supply shop. I was hoping to barter for supplies while I’m away from Canterlot.”
Rarity’s professional disinterest flicked off and her eyes came to life “Canterlot!”
“Erm, yes you see I am on business from the Princess and…”
“Princess! My dear, you must tell me everything! Who is this, a visiting dignitary?” She glanced at the mesmerised Spike who blushed and went all coy.
Twilight rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the side “This is Spike, My assistant, please excuse his lack of brain cells at the moment, Anyway I would love to talk but I am in the middle of several things and was hoping….” It was already too late, Rarity was dragging her to a pair of chaise longue and stretching her field towards the kitchen, with some quick thinking she tried to escape the conversation “...Actually could I use your bathroom!?”
This threw Rarity’s mind off its rails “Oh, why yes of course it's up the stairs there, first door.” Twilight slipped from her grasp as she settled in to grill Spike who dreamily gazed into her eyes rattling off state secrets like a man entranced. Twilight walked up to the landing and leant against the wall, she was half tempted to teleport out and leave Spike to keep her busy, it's not as if he would object. She did however need those supplies but that would mean a long tedious conversation as this small time flash-mancer latched onto her status like a limpet.
She rubbed her eyes and moaned in frustration to herself, it was so much easier at home where her reputation kept people from trying to befriend her. There was a slide of greased metal over metal and the click and whirl of complex gear work, a slightly tinny voice with a musical quality sounded out “What are you doing?”

Twilight opened her eyes to an exquisitely made simulacrum of a teenage girl, constructed out of platinum and silver it revealed that she had greatly underestimated Rarity’s skill, it had soft curls of purple and mauve that hung around its face, the eyes contained thousands of visible working parts forming an iris back lit with emerald light, its seamless and elegant design was contained in patterned purple summer dress. Twilight was too exasperated to get properly intrigued and waved her hand at it “Nothing, go back to your task servator”, the construct crossed its arms and its face transmogrified into an angry scowl, is voice took on a discordant quality “I am not a servant! How rude!” This took Twilight aback, she turned to face it and crooked her neck as she peered into its eyes, “You are oddly emotive and responsive for a golem, Rarity must really be a talent”

There was a metallic growl from the servator and thump of hurried footsteps with Rarity arriving on the scene coming up behind it and putting a protective arm around it, her charming mask replaced with venomous annoyance “This is Sweetie Bell, my sister, she had a nasty accident and extreme measures were required”. Twilight felt like a total heel and started grovelling immediately “I am so sorry! I have only read about complete body replacements I never seen one done before, the prosthesis is amazing”

Spike stuck his head up the stairs “Hey? Is everything O.K?”, Twilight gestured him over and took his scaled talon in her hand and led him over “Sweetie Belle, this is my brother Spike. He also underwent a drastic procedure as child and I know how much he hates it when people don't treat him like a person, I really am sorry"

Spike walked forward extending a talon "Cyborg? That's cool" Sweetie took Spike's talon in her metallic grip "So are you part dinosaur?" and shook his hand. Spike barked out a laugh and scratched the back of his head "Dragon actually, apparently there is a whole nation of other Drakîn over the mountains but they aren't very friendly so it's been just me".

Rarity relaxed "Well now that misunderstanding has been cleared up, let's go back to the receiving room" and gently guided the two chatting youths down the stairs, Twilight sidled up "I'll be straight, I've got zero time and I need to grab the supplies and dash, but I've got to know how you pulled off a total body removal, no one has pulled it off in an age!" Rarity rested her arm around her shoulder "Darling, you can raid my supply room anytime, but that story comes with a price, what is Celestia's favourite garment?"

***

Twilight had gone on ahead as Spike and Sweetie Bell finished up, it had been a sacrifice and the sun was starting to get dangerously close to the horizon but the account of the procedure was as monumental as it was a million to one luck that it worked, plus she had gathered some useful reagents so was making progress at last. Leaving the town behind she approached the last house on the edge of the village at the very border of Everfree.

It seemed from another time; Cobblestone walls with a wooden upper floor under a thatched roof that could have been picturesque if it didn't have a saggy, squatted look to it like a hunched creature hiding in the bog. The building lurked under the shadow of the cursed forest among the frogs it emulated; numerous bird cages protruding at odd angles, jury rigged ladders too small for anything larger than a cat criss crossed the exterior and perches hammered randomly into the structure made it look like a fairy tale witch's house.

Dismissing such childish nonsense, she hopped the stones across the river, strode up to the crooked and faded emerald door giving it three decisive raps to announce her presence. There was a silence punctuated by the burring of local toads. Twilight engaged plan B. "Hello! I am Twilight Sparkle; attaché to Princess Celestia! I was advised to consult with a Mrs Fluttershy!?" Still nothing, the curtains were tightly drawn granting no insight. She considered remote viewing but in truth she was just happy that this would be quick. Cutting her losses she picked her way down the lawn stopping just short of the stream hearing the foot falls of someone approaching.

Spike came chuffing up and smoking like a train, his internal furnace powering his endurance, his talons launched him clean over the stream with no effort landing directly in front of her "Caught you again, any luck?" Twilight shook her head “not a peep, it's like no one is here” Spike shrugged “That's a shame, oh well, move on to the last stop I…" There was a loud slam followed by a thin and melodic voice that startled the dosing birds into a flap "A Drakîn!" They both spun to see a cascade of soft pink hair flowing from an angelic buttermilk face down to a simple yellow Kirtle, she was fecund and motherly in figure but still youthful and doe eyed as a maiden. She sprinted down the lawn, snatched Spike’s arm and tugged him after her back into the house, Twilight started after her and followed silently inside.

The interior was an escher-like maze of cages, ladders, perches, feeding bowls, animal beds and ancient furniture. A menagerie of animals both rustic, exotic and mystical hurried about their business causing Twilight to dance a complicated tango across the room, a big brick fireplace filled with ash dominated the far corner. Next to it stood Fluttershy wringing her hands opposite a bemused looking Spike.

“...What I mean...if you don’t mind...is that Angel, my pet rabbit, brought me this phoenix egg, and I’ve been desperately trying to get the fire hot enough to hatch it. But wood won’t do it, so...if it wouldn’t be too much of a bother...I was wondering if you could give it a blast?”

Spike huffed some smoke “Sure I guess, in return we were wondering if you had heard any rumblings of stuff going on in Everfree?” Fluttershy mouthed ‘we’ and turned noticing Twilight, she jumped slightly and her hair fell over her face, she crossed her arms defensively and stared down mumbling “Oh, sorry. I don’t like strangers”. Twilight walked passed her over to Spike, squatting down to inspect the orange egg among the ashes “Don’t worry, I can relate. Tell you what; we’ll get this done and if you could tell us if there have been any disturbances, uprisings or awakenings in Everfree we’ll be out of your hair as soon as possible.” Standing up and staring at the ceiling she ran through everything she knew about phoenixes and did some estimations “Old Aganazzar's Scorcher should do the trick!”.

With a flourish Twilight quickly drew several runes in the air that glowed with a searing intensity, they formed a triangle that suddenly projected a focused stream of flames directly into the hearth that lit up the whole room, the sudden spike of heat causing the animals to duck for cover or flee the room as Twilight blasted the egg with arcane fire. “More power Spike!” she roared over the din, the Drakîn drew a deep breath and his eyes flared menacingly, with a snap of the neck a beam of emerald flames shot out striking the egg that turned from a heated amber to a blinding white, there was a chime like a temple bell and the radiant egg levitated up into the air, Twilight released her spell and snapped down her anti glare shades to watch as the ovum morphed into the shape of a bird that cooled into flickering fire. Like a hot coal it flew circles round the space until the flames spluttered out into bright orange feathers.

The hatchling landed next to Fluttershys face and rubbed cutely against it who giggled and chirruped back to it, she finally met Twilight's eyes “Thank you so much for taking the time to help an animal in need, I only wish I had more to tell. No strange news has reached my ears, at least, not stranger than usual…” She turned and walked to the window, half opening the curtain “...although the wolves have been restless, they claim something is wrong with the moon but that must just be foolishness”.

Spike leant forwards “What do they mean wrong with the moon?” Fluttershy peered her soulful eyes up at the silvery disk huffing gently as she tried to explain “Wolves, as much as animals understand the idea, hold the moon sacred. They still mourn Princess Luna the night mother and see the moon as her last gift to them, they claim it has been angry recently…” She snapped out of the trance and shook her head “I’m sorry, something just ...erm, don’t come across clearly between people and animals”.

“Right…” said Twilight's suddenly clipped voice. She was standing stock still like a statue of intensely controlled emotion “...thank you for your help, Spike we have to go now, we're fast losing daylight. Now Spike Move it!” and shoved him protesting out the door in restrained hurry, Fluttershy shrank at her raised voice but continued to stare at this odd change from the relaxed person that walked in. As Twilight turned away Fluttershy caught her neutral expression drop into soul rending terror, an expression she had seen on her own face many times.

She watched from her window as the brisk march turned into a hysterical charge back towards town in the settling dusk, confused Fluttershy wrung her hands "Was it something I said?"

***

"Twilight slow down!" Spike effortlessly turned and jogged backwards in front of her, Twilight redoubled her pace "Did you hear what she said! It's almost sunset! We have literal hours and we are still no closer to having even the outline of a plan to defeat Nightmare Moon because I've wasted the whole afternoon with frivolous friendmaking, dinner parties and nonsense!"

Spike grabbed her shoulders with a strength that could have torn her arms out of their sockets but instead gently stopped her "It was not frivolous, if you are right then allies will help you a thousand times more than a stack of books, you can't fight a war all by yourself for Celestia's sake", Twilight crumpled and her shoulders sagged, she looked up with tears dancing round the edge of her eyes "I am Celestia's personal student, the prodigy, everyone looks to me as the example of excellence and expects me to have all the answers, it's so much to keep ahead of and I look around and there's no one else that can take over. It is all up to me and if I can't pull through it's over!"

Spike let go and sighed "You're not alone, there may be no one ahead of you, but there's plenty of people behind you all the way, lean on us a bit? Go and finish your investigation with Pinkie Pie and I'll start combing through the Library for you, Ok?" Twilight silently nodded.

***

Sugar Cube Corner was a giant gingerbread house that revelled in the absurdity of its appearance, its giant magically illuminated sign flashed with glaring neon and every facet of its faux frosting and gumdrop decor was illuminated by flood lights in the settling dusk. The screaming saxophone of Baker Street blasted out as Twilight pushed into the establishment; numerous battered and stained tables filled the vast floor with miss matched painted jars clustered round the centre of each giving off flickering candle light. Various farm folk lounged in chairs or on couches round the room as they sipped their beers.

On the stage was a motley band; Pinkie still in her military garb was swaying, eyes closed and grin wide as she fought the sax through the song, in the back wearing a neck high black catsuit up to her purple and blue striped bun was a butch woman attacking a drum kit with an intense expression. On stage left was someone out of Dick Tracy novel, she had long black hair flowing out from her felt Stetson, a grey lounge suit and toothpick in her mouth as she sawed away at a cello, on stage right was an oddly familiar woman with cyan and white hair, she was wearing a baggy hoodie while sliding up and down the fretboard of a magic guitar.

The song reached a conclusion and there was a respectable amount of cheering and stomping, Pinkie exuded at the audience "Thank you! That's all for now but we'll be back after the ceremony!" She skipped happily across the stage over to the back of the establishment and met eyes with Twilight, jerked her head at a door and slipped inside with a giggle. Twilight sighed wearily and squeezing between chairs and patrons picked her way across the floor.

Pushing blindly inside she found that not only was there no light, but in short order the floor dropped away too. Twilight automatically went for a spell but the drop was short and her posterior bounced off a couch leaving her unsteadily on her feet. With a mechanical clunk brilliant light erupted somewhere in front of her silhouetting the presumed form of Pinkie Pie. "I knew it would come to this from the moment I saw you, I never thought someone would unravel my scheme" she explained with an affected noir voice, Twilight stopped shielding her eyes with her arms and engaged her anti glare filters, standing less awed and more peeved "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me titty sparkles! You're not very good at it" Pinkie gesticulated accusingly,
"My name is Twilight Sparkle. Also what scheme? Do you mean you're the culprit behind the thefts? Why?"
Pinkie stomped her foot "Not theft, saving the town!"
"From what?"
"The first law of thermodynamics of course"
"Energy can not be created or destroyed, only transformed…" Twilight recited "...what has that got to do with anything?"
Pinkie swayed to her other hip scratching her chin "Well technically I supposed it would be the first law of fiscal dynamics…"
Twilight's trained mind screamed in protest as she forced her mind to jump the track onto a parallel line "Erm...money can't be created or destroyed only…. transferred? I still don't get it? Also can we turn this light off?"
"No! It would ruin the ambiance! Notice anything about the cost of exotic fruit in Canterlot lately?"
"Not really"
"Exactly!"
Twilight looked totally lost, then something niggled her, she backed up her whole train of thought and looked sideways at the loopy roller coaster in front of her and spotted the missing section.
"Wait...does Ponyville sell to anywhere else?"
"Nope"
Twilight crooked an arm and rubbed her chin "So, if it's a closed system, and no new money is coming in, and the landlords raise the rent, the only place it can come from is the landlords themselves…."
Pinkie walked closer "...aaaaaand if the money flow isn't maintained and the landlords drive away all their farmers…"
"...no crops? But it isn't that simple is it! They have contracts to supply a certain amount of goods, if they can't fill the order they have to return the money…"
"...and create distrust amongst the flighty Canterlot nobility…"
"...a feedback loop? Them trying to raise rents to cover their losses, leading to less produce and falling demand…leading in turn to the collapse of the farming industry in the region, the main backbone of the local economy."
Pinkie beamed "Saving the Town!" There was an electrical short and the light winked out. Twilight gestured and a small glowing orb appeared illuminating them in the basement, "You could have just written to Celestia or something" Pinkie giggled and patted Twilight on the head mussing it up "Where's the fun in that? Besides she already unofficially knows, Bon-bon is a spy, probably sent to keep an eye on us but I think she's sweet on Lyra'' Twilight crooked an eyebrow "If her madgesty knows then why would she send me?"
Pinkie giggled like it was the most obvious thing in the world "Where's the fun in that? Also she knows unofficially, she sent you to investigate and officially discover the problem, better her student blunder across it than the nobles find out she's sneaking about listening in on their dirty little secrets."

Twilight rubbed her face and groaned "Great so this has all been a waste of time at my most critical hour!", Pinkie blinked confused "Didn't you have fun snooping round the town?" Twilights started weaving a rune "my enjoyment is not important, sinister forces are even as we speak conspiring to bring an end to all we love, now that this distraction is over I will dedicate what little time I have to researching a solution…" then vanished in a spark of purple light.

Pinkie stood in the dark for a second "She doesn't sound like she's gonna appreciate the party at the abandoned Library tonight. Hmm...trouble in Ponyville, sounds like it's time to get the band back together…"

***

At first Spike had assumed the building was built, like many of the structures, to resemble a tree, however more confusing was this was actually a tree with apples and everything. Clearly the tower of a hippy dippy magus at some point, the town seemed to have appropriated the structure and its contents, hence the depth of knowledge regarding plants and cool stories to tell while in an altered state of mind.

Sparing a few moments to ponder if this was the building that had kickstarted the ridiculous trend of architecture in this town, he had spent the past half hour using all his skills to filter through literature that seemingly had been organised by the “shove it in a space it fits” method, luckily after years of cleaning up Twilights study fugues he had gotten quite skilled at it.

He was just flicking through a book that looked promising when his ultra sensitive Drakîn sense of smell picked up a whiff of ozone, experience told him that this was the ionisation of the air that occurred before a teleport happened, so switching from his stooped reading posture to nonchalantly cupping the book with the other arm jauntily against his waist, he waited so he could airily turn as the teleport begun and utter a witticism when it finished, he rotated to see the shape of Twilight expand out from nothing and displace the air.

“Nice of you to drop in Twilight…” The magus didn’t even bother to pause as she strode past him towards the bookshelf grumbling about something or other under her breath “You said that one last Moonday, please tell me that you’ve made some progress”. Spike cursed internally about his slip up “I wouldn’t look at the shelves if I were you…” Twilight let out a yelp of bibliographical horror as Spike breeze onwards “...told you, the whole place is a shambles, but I’ve pulled some stuff worth reading”. Twilight took a moment to push all the air out of her lungs, then sucked in air through her nose and pushed aside all distracting thoughts “Right, we should have a good two hours before we need to think of heading to the ceremony, it's going to be tight but I think that so long as there are not further destrations we can pull this off”.

The universe giggled with schadenfreude as the door to the Library slammed open revealing a team of movers that marched in and started setting up tables and chairs, Spike began beating his head against the book he was holding as Twilight's eyes bugged out and she tried to grab onto the passing events to take control of her life again. “What are you all doing?” She demanded, one of the builders who was unfolding a chair called over his shoulder “Town hall’s full of stuff for the ceremony, no one uses this old place so the Mayor decided to host the party here” Twilight stomped her foot like an angry child “I am trying to use this old place! Has the Mayor no respect for…”

Twilight's indignation was drowned out by the whooping and cheering of a crowd that spilled into the space on a tide of food, booze and good cheer. The magus growled and started weaving angry, spikey red runes in the air that illuminated her scowling face in murderous blood red, realising she was about to do something drastic, Spike grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her out the door before she sublimated the would be revellers. Spike pulled her behind the tree house where she stopped, sagged and slumped down onto the floor and started morosely drawing spirals in the dirt, Spike squatted down next to her “Ok, so that's a problem, what's the plan?” Twilight didn’t look up and kept playing with the dirt, she murmured out in a dead voice “I don’t have very many people in my life but I love you alot little brother. When you begged mum and dad to let you come with me to assist my study under the Princess I was deeply touched…”

Spike stood up with a sick look on his face “Your giving up!? You, Twilight top of the heap Sparkle are just going to sit around and do nothing?”, Twilight muttered into her lap “...I’ve been been blocked at every turn Spike, dismissed by Celestia, piled up with busy work, oh, apparently Celestia already had all the information about the local issues Spike, bogged down by the townsfolk and now barred from my last chance by a stupid party. Unless you feel like chasing them all off there isn’t anything to do but wait and hope that I’m wrong.” Spike shifted from foot to foot as he considered his options, he always had a little voice telling him to crush, kill and destroy which he usually ignored, but for the first time it might be the correct course of action, the discomfort in his side reminded him he still had the book from earlier, pulling it out he smirked “I still have this book, it's called ‘Ele…’” Twilight without looking up, palmed it down and rested her hand on his shoulder “Let it go Spike, go enjoy the party, it might be your last chance, I need some time to myself”.

Spike walked a step “Look Twilight, it's been relieving seeing you make friends with people, I never thought you’d let your guard down around others to get so sucked into a conversation, come with me to this party, you might see them all again, they must be really special.” Twilight looked up at the moon as four stars slowly crawled towards it across the infinite void, an hour and a half to go, “Yeah, It surprised me too, I wish I had met them earlier, maybe I could have found something worth taking a break for after all. It's fine Spike, I don’t feel much like smiling right now”. Spike sighed and continued round the house.