It was late afternoon in Canterlot. The sky had been painted a lush blue, and was speckled with clouds here and there. The sun beamed down on the Canterlot gardens, basking everything it touched in a golden hue--scenery and ponies alike.
“Focus, Twilight Sparkle. For nearly everything in magic, and even life in general, you must focus. Relax your nerves, and don't think about messing up. Just use all of your concentration to lift that rock.”
It didn't take much to decipher that the young filly was nervous. If you couldn't figure it out by her trembling hooves, you could definitely see the panic etched over her face and the beads of sweat beginning to slide down her frizzy mane.
The rock lay there in the dirt, taunting her, pressuring her. The filly did a double take when she seemed to imagine it snickering at her. This rock was toast.
You're going down, rock. A rippling flow of magic emanated from her horn, and a bubble encased the mean rock. She kept her hopeful, owlish eyes on the mineral and waited for it to hover off of the ground. It just sat there...like a rock. Like a stupid, sitting-there-minding-its-own-business rock.
Her head hanging, Twilight Sparkle felt an insistent nudge against her cheek. She looked over to see Spike there, his chubby face drawn up in a worried pout.
“Don't fret, my student,” Celestia said gently. “Levitation magic is very difficult to learn, and most don't comprehend it at first. You will, in time.” She lightly patted the despondent filly's shoulder with a hoof.
Twilight knew well enough not to wallow in self pity, especially around her teacher. She merely turned to look at Celestia, her ears flopping mournfully against her head. “Thanks, Princess,” she said softly. “What's the next lesson?”
Celestia paused and appeared to be thinking. After a few moments, she smiled down at the young filly. “Nothing right now, Twilight. I have some letters to respond to. Why don't you take this time to relax and play? We will start lessons again in a half hour.”
Twilight Sparkle watched her teacher's retreating back until it disappeared into the palace, and beyond the large doors. She sighed and flopped onto her stomach, looking around. There was nothing to do. Rolling up onto her forehooves, the little mare tugged her saddle bag towards her and pushed it over.
A flood of books tumbled out of the leather bag, but none that took the interest of the sad filly. She scrambled them around with a hoof until one of them caught her eye. Rocks and Minerals...
With a shrug, Twilight flipped open the book, as Spike beside her began to roll around in the grass. “In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals.” Twilight cast a glare at that dumb rock sitting there on the hill...watching her.
She continued turning pages in the book and settled on another page. “Clay. Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter.” Twilight grunted at the feeling of milky, baby teeth clamped down on her tail. “Not now, Spike! I'm reading!”
The baby dragon whined and pointed his chubby claw over by a small creek, where there was a visible pot hole in the marshy land. He gestured to a picture of clay in Twilight Sparkle's book, and then back to the hole.
“Huh? There's clay over there?” With a shrug, Twilight Sparkle climbed to her hooves and gripped the spine of the book in her mouth. She followed Spike over to where the hole was, and leaned over. “I suppose I could try getting a small sample. I could show it to the—huh?” Only now did she realize her hooves were beginning to slip in the wet mud. With a scream, she went tumbling down into the hole.
“Eugh!” She withdrew a hoof from the slimy muck in disgust, and wiped some of the mud from her face. “I don't know, Spike. I don't really see any clay... All I see is-”
“Mud! Oh, Twilight!” Celestia stood at the top of the small drop, gawking at the messy duo. Barely a speck of purple could be seen through the mud smeared across their little bodies. All that was really recognizable were those sheepish, blinking eyes, and nervous grins.
A golden bubble engulfed her's and Spike's body, dragging them out of the mud. Celestia walked back to the palace with a huff, and the messy kids hovering by her side. She searched around for Twilight's nanny, but the halls were bare. Any servant that was around was engaged in a chore already.
Oh, that's right; Rain Drizzle is gone for the day visiting some relatives. The princess's eyes slid shut in dread when she realized she was on her own in this task. Alright, it was no big deal. She had handled worse than...two little children just covered from head to toe in dripping, foul mud, and smelling like the swamp.
With a shudder, Celestia pushed the kids further away from her in the air and walked into the bath chambers. She flicked the taps on with her magic, and steam immediately filled the bathroom. Twilight Sparkle squealed, as did Spike, as they were blasted with warm water from the shower head. The mud slid off of their small forms and trickled down the drain.
Repressing another shudder, Celestia waited for the tub to completely fill with water, and then she shut off the taps. A smattering of dirt stuck to the chldrens' skin here and there, but most of the mud had been washed away. “Now, you two wash up while I finish up some work in my study.”
Twilight Sparkle and Spike stared blankly at the door as it shut, and then looked back at each other. What were they supposed to do now? Twilight Sparkle needed her nanny to wash her! The little mare looked at the floating bar of soap, but there was no way she was going to pick that up in her mouth.
Spike babbled and paddled his infant arms in the water, cooing in delight at the ripples it made. He flapped his arm with a squeal.
Twilight Sparkle looked around the tub. There were shelves above her with shampoo and conditioner everywhere. She reached up a hoof and grasped the edge of the crate. With a few mighty tugs, the light crate tumbled down into the water with a gentle splash. The bottles of shampoo were scattered everywhere in the tub.
Spike eyed the bobbing crate in the water with great interest as the filly gathered up the bottles of shampoo in her hooves. With a few paddles, he pulled himself up onto the box, and gurgled out a few giggles as he bobbed around the tub.
“Spike!” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed. “We should be cleaning up right now! Not...” She stared, watching as the little dragon laughed and rolled around on the crate. With a grin, the little unicorn eagerly scrambled up onto the crate as well.
Spike squeaked from the sudden weight, and watched as the mare uncapped a couple of shampoo bottles. He blinked as she placed a cap over her eye and squinted to keep it there. Then she pushed one against his eye.
“Yarr! Ahoy, matey!” Twilight Sparkle growled at the little dragon. “I be...Captain Sparkle Pants, and ye shall be....hmm....first mate, Patchy the dragon!”
The baby dragon wrinkled his face up in discomfort and pawed at the bottle cap, but seeing Twilight Sparkle was still wearing hers, he decided to keep it there.
Twilight Sparkle reached over to another shelf and pulled a scrub brush off of its handle. She then peered through the handle, and to the other side of the tub. “Land ho, Patchy! There be treasure on that deserted island! Row me ship, Patchy!” She held the scrub brush handle out to the dragon.
Spike continued to stare blankly, up until Twilight snapped, “Spike, get to the other side of the tub!” into his ear. Hastily, the infant shoved the 'oar' in the water, and began rowing.
“Arrgg! We be getting closer to the treasure, matey! I can smell it with me own nose!” Twilight hopped carefully onto the rim of the tub, and Spike did the same. “We've reached land! Now dig, Patchy! Dig for me treasure!”
The infant gurgled in confusion, and looked at what his companion was pointing at: the soap. He latched his claws around the brush handle and balanced the soap on it.
“Well done, Patchy! Do ye know what ye have uncovered?” As he shook his head, Twilight Sparkle sighed. “Doubloons, Patchy! Real gold doubloons!” Spike crooned in wonderment. “Now, we must be headed back to me ship, before the other pirates try to steal me gold!”
She hopped back onto the wooden crate, and just before Spike did, the soap slipped out of his claws with a bubbling slosh, and fell back in the water at the other side of the tub.
“Arghh! Hurry Patchy! We must get back me gold before the other pirates do!” Spike hurriedly clambered back up onto the crate, as Twilight began paddling. “Row, Patchy! Row! Get back me treasure!”
The infant panicked and began rapidly paddling the oar in all sorts of directions, causing the crate to spin around in a dizzying circle, and water to go everywhere.
“Whoa! Patchy—Spike! Slow down! I'm gonna--!” Twilight Sparkle was cut off by her own shriek as she gave a disoriented stumble and tumbled back into the sudsy water. She rose to the surface, and spat out a mouthful of water. “Argg! The captain has tumbled into the briny sea!” She held out her hooves. “Quick, Patchy! Pull me up before a shark starts feasting on me flesh and bones!”
Spike crouched at the edge of the crate and blinked down at the filly. After a few moments, giving a devious smirk, he leaped into the water after her. The bath water was still for a few moments while Twilight looked for her companion. Then, the water rose with a dramatic splash as Spike sprung out of the water. His little fangs were playfully bared as he gave an adorable baby growl and outstretched his claws.
Twilight Sparkle squealed. “Eek! Oh no, it be a shark! Why, it's eaten me mate, Patchy, and now it be after me!” The filly squealed and started giggling as she darted around the tub, trying to escape Spike's ruthless, sea jaws.
With a hungry growl, Spike pounced. Twilight Sparkle screamed with laughter as the infant nibbled and gnawed mercilessly against her tummy and her back hooves. “O-ohh no! Ca-ca-haaahaha-ptain Sparkle Pants has been d—EEE, Spike!--d-defeated by the mighty shark!”
Her trembling hoof splashed desperately as she laughed. Reaching over, she grabbed one of the shampoo bottles, and thrust it lightly against Spike's chest. “Bam! Argg! I have harpooned ye, mighty shark!” As the infant tilted his head at her, she grinned and whispered, “Psst, Spike, that means you're dead!”
Spike's claws shot to his chest as he flopped dramatically onto his back, completely still.
Twilight felt around in the tub and held her hoof high in the air, holding onto the soap. “The captain has found his gold doubloons! Victory belongs to Captain Sparkle Pants!” She fell back in the water, giggling hysterically. Spike flipped right-side up and laughed along with her.
“Now what should we do?” A silver bottle caught the curious filly's eyes, but she deflated when she realized it was way out of her reach. Refusing to be discouraged, her horn flared up, and a bubble engulfed the bottle.
Twilight Sparkle shut her eyes in concentration, and when she opened them, she gasped happily at seeing the bottle hovering there in the air. “Spike, I did it! I did it!” She hopped around excitedly, and caused her focus to leave the spell. The heavy bottle slammed against the rim of the tub, broke the cap off, and rolled back into the water.
The children stared as the bath began to slowly fill up with bubbles. Spike squeaked and scrambled up on top of the crate for protection. Twilight, however, merely grinned and hopped to the front of the tub. She cupped her hooves over her mouth and began gesturing all around.
“Mares and gentlecolts, I would like to welcome you to the annual Great Flier competition! We will start our competition with a race.”
Spike blinked and sat down on 'the bleachers' as he watched the filly dart around the tub as the bubbles continued to build.
“And they're off! Oh, and it looks like Twilight Sparkle is in the lead! Have you ever seen any pegasus fly as fast?” Twilight shouted as she whizzed around the tub. “I certainly haven't,” she responded, imitating another voice. “That Twilight Sparkle certainly has talent!”
Spike stood up on his hind legs. By now it was very difficult to see anything other than the filly's horn as the tub brimmed over with bubbles and began flooding the bathroom.
“And oh my Celestia--Twilight has won the race! She's taken home the gold! Mares and gentle—huh?” Only now did the filly seem aware of the monstrous bubble bush that continued billowing around her's and Spike's small body. She stared at the infant's wide, green eyes, before he disappeared in a wall of bubbles. “Uh-oh...”
xxxxxxxx
“You're back early, Rain,” Celestia commented as she met up with her most loyal servant in the hallway. “I didn't expect to see you until sometime after Twilight went to bed.”
“Yes, well, the family gathering was over early,” Rain Drizzle sighed, “One of my cousins got drunk on too much cider and decided to 'oil up' the wires to the party speakers by moistening them with cider...”
“Oh my...”
“Besides...” The nanny shrugged with a small smile, “I've missed Twilight and Spike. How did they behave after lessons?”
Celestia sighed. “Oh, other than a small mud mishap, they were regular little angels, as always. They're still in the tub, matter-of-fact. Do you want to go see them? I was just on my way down to check on them.”
Rain Drizzle's eyes brightened happily. “I'd want nothing more.”
The two mares made their way down the dark corridors, to where a small light was spilling out from under one of the doors. Celestia walked up to the door and pressed her ear against it, frowning.
“What's wrong?”
“I...I'm not sure.” The princess narrowed her eyes in suspicion and focused on a few, perplexing sounds coming from the bathroom. “It sounds like water, and like...something is foaming.” At a loud splash, the princess immediately swung the door open with magic.
She and Rain Drizzle were immediately swept up in a tidal wave of bubbles, and carried haphazardly down the hall. At last, the bubbles washed the two dumbfounded mares up against the wall, where they stared, upside down, at a certain little filly and dragon.
“Wow, Nana!” Twilight exclaimed as she grinned at Rain Drizzle, both her and Spike covered head to toe in suds. “You should go out of town more often! We want Princess Celestia to bathe us every time!”
