Dusk: The Beginning of Twilight

Dusk: The Beginning of Twilight Sparkle

Chapter 1: Hurry

BronyInDenial

The Cutie Mark Crusaders have amazingly still failed to earn their cutie marks, even after 143 different attempts. On this day, however, they had decided it would be a good idea to try and become 'Cutie Mark Crusaders Barbers.'

Needless to say, this was exactly the reason Pinkie Pie was going to the library. Her mane was short and jagged, and with her tail appearing to be nearly torn off, she was barely recognizable as herself.

The trip from Sugarcube Corner to the library took Pinkie just under forty-five minutes. Her Pinkie-sense told her if she was going to be seen by anypony, but, being Pinkie Pie, she became paranoid halfway through. She kept backtracking, managing to pass even Sweet Apple Acres before finally ending up at Twilight's house.

Flattening herself out, Pinkie slipped under the door and right into Twilight's hooves, who was about to flip the open sign in the library window.

"Um, Pinkie, you do realize that the door opens, right?", Twilight said.

Pinkie sprung up off the ground as she replied, "I know, but I didn't want anypony to see me."

"I can definitely see why," Twilight said, looking the pink mare up and down. "So what--?"

"Longstorycanyouhelpmebeforesomeponydecidestoreturnabookorsomething?"

"I guess...," Twilight said, already searching for a book on appearance spells.

"Ok, thanks Twilight. If anypony saw me like this, I would probably die of embarrassment."

"Hold still, Pinkie," Twilight said.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie replied.

"I can't do this if you keep bouncing, Twilight said, facehoofing.

"What? You silly filly, I'm not-- oh. Ok," Pinkie said as she stopped vibrating for the first time in several years.

Envisioning the party pony's mane in its usual form, Twilight's horn glowed as Pinkie's hair lengthened and expanded back to normal.

Pinkie let out a huge breath as the purple glow surrounding her dissipated. "Whoah! I can't believe how hard it is to stand still for that long. Thanks, Twi!"

Twilight rolled her eyes while Pinkie bounced out the door. Turning around, she called out. "Spike, where are you?"

A muffled voice came from the main room of the library. "In here. I found this new book called 'Daring Do and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Spike showed the cover to twilight as he came down the stairs. "It's really weird though. The dialogue just doesn't fit the characters. It's as if the author just took another book and just changed all of the characters names."

"Okay...," Twilight said walking into the kitchen. "Anyway, we're out of gems, so you're going to have to suck it up and eat a dandelion sandwich."

"Urgh. Fin- BURP!"

Twilight ran into the main room asking, "Spike, what was that? Did you eat too much ice cream again? I don't want you puk--"

"No, Twilight, it's actually a letter from Princess Celestia," Spike said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, that only happened once."

"Well, what does it say," Twilight said, approaching Spike.

"Uh, 'Dear Twilight Sparkle, a matter of great importance has a-rise-n--'"

"Arisen"

"Right. A matter of great importance has arisen and it is imperative that you come to Canterlot immediately so I can discuss it with you and Luna--.' Twilight, do you think that Discord is back."

"You can't pronounce 'arisen,' but you can pronounce 'imperative'? Really? Spike, do you really think that Princess Celestia would just forget to mention something that important?", Twilight asked, facehoofing again.

"Um, no," Spike said, turning red.

"Besides," Twilight said, her face softening as she glanced out the window, "it's not raining chocolate milk."

"Yeah...," Spike said. "Oh- it also says, 'I have sent a carriage to Ponyville to pick you up. Come alone. Love, H.R.H, Princess Celestia.'"

"Okay then. Spike, you can stay with Rarity while I'm gone. Maybe you can help dig for gems. I'm going to make a list of everything I need to pack."

As he was walking towards the door, Spike turned around to face Twilight. "I don't know, Twilight. It seemed pretty important--"

The was a screech out side and a knocking on the door. A glance out the window by Twilight confirmed the carriage was already here.

"And besides, it doesn't look like you have time, anyway," Spike said, handing Twilight the letter before walking out the door.

Twilight was quick to follow, but stopped when she saw the carriage. It was pulled by six armored pegasi. Approaching the nearest pony, she asked, "Sir, what's with so many stallions for only one carriage?"

"We have orders from Princess Celestia to get you to Canterlot as quickly as possible. I suggest you get in so we can leave soon," he replied in a rough voice.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Apologizing, Twilight climbed up onto the floor of the carriage.

Turning around, the pegasi said, "I suggest you hold onto something, Miss Sparkle," before opening his wings with the rest of the team to pull the carriage along the street.

When the carriage reached flying speed, it kept accelerating until Twilight had to use her magic to steady herself. The carriage was launched into the air, and when Ponyville was receding into the horizon, she pulled out the letter from Celestia and flattened it against the floor with her fore hooves. 'It is imperative that you come to Canterlot immediately so I can discuss it with you and Luna...' Usually it was 'Luna and I need to talk to you." This time, however, Princess Luna knew as much as Twilight did. What is Princess Celestia hiding from us? And- and, she signed the letter 'Love.' She's never done that before. Why would she start now?

Luna could just barely make out a speck in the sky from her sister's balcony, assuming it was Twilight's carriage, she turned to Celestia. "Why do you need your student so badly all of a sudden?"

"It pains me to keep secrets from you, Lulu, but you will find out soon enough," the elder alicorn replied.

"Why can't you tell me now though?", Luna whined, moping about like she used to as a filly.

"It would be... best that Twilight is here when I explain. It will take some time. And," Celestia added, "it concerns her."

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