Life of a Queen

Twilight counted each tick from the clock sitting on her bedside table. They seemed to sync perfectly with the silent beating of her heart. She spent nearly an hour staring a hole into the canopy over her bed, listening to the patter of rain as the drops trickled through the leaves above her castle. Somewhere in the distance, the quiet rumble of thunder brought a strange feeling of serenity to her.

The soft din of the storm brought memories of the nights in her youth when they used to terrify her. Looking back now, it wasn’t fear she remembered all these years later.

As though in a dream, she saw herself as a young foal again, knocking on her parents’ door as the lightning flashed outside. She recalled the tired smile on her mothers’ face when she opened the door to let Twilight inside. Together, the two of them would build a bed from whatever sheets and pillows were available and ride out the storm together in blissful quiet.

Back in the present, she summoned her magic. She wrapped the heavy wool blanket tightly around herself to ward off the cold chill that plagued her. But no matter how cozy she made her little cocoon, she couldn’t shake the feelings welling up in her chest.

When it finally dawned on her that she wouldn’t be returning to her dreams, she kicked the covers to the foot of her bed and sat up. With a yawn, she stretched her wings. She eased herself off the bed, landing as softly as her creaky floorboards would allow and crossed the room slowly.

She opened the bedroom door just wide enough to slip through. She kept the handle depressed as she closed the passage, allowing the door to slide shut silently. Spike’s audible snoring told her she was successful. Now free to roam her castle, she continued down the hall and through the central chamber. The crystal chimes on the chandelier swayed slightly, filling the hall with their high-pitched peal.

Through the opposite hall, she found herself outside the kitchen. She hadn’t intended on taking a snack with her but reasoned that doing so would mean she could hold off coming down for breakfast just a little longer. Keeping that thought foremost in her mind, she trudged inside and pulled open the refrigerator. It held little more than leftovers from over the course of the last few days. Wilting salads, brown-spotted vegetables, and a small collection of blood-red rubies. Every option did little more than turn her stomach.

Eventually, she settled for an apple from the bowl of fruit sitting on the counter. Most everything in the bowl had already lost its luster; even the apple she held with her magic had faded to a dull red and seemed somewhat spongy. She took a timid bite, just enough to puncture the skin. A dull bitterness rocketed through her taste buds, though a tart sweetness came as an aftertaste.

Deeming her snack sufficient, she left the kitchen. She ignored the spiral staircase, instead relying on her wings to carry her up to the next story, and to the entrance of the library.

Shelves lined the inside wall, stretching nearly to the ceiling. All but the highest shelves were filled with books of varying color and sizes. The rest of the room had been split into three sections. The first contained a selection of tables still stained with ink from late nights of notetaking. The second section consisted of a trio of couches pushed up against the wall. Lastly, a rug and pile of pillows were stashed in the corner, forming a neat little cubby to lie in. Just beyond that, a metal and glass door led out onto a stone balcony.

As she strolled across the room, Twilight ran her hoof along the book spines. She could feel the subtle shifts in texture as she moved book to book. At the same time, she levitated her apple alongside her, taking an occasional bite as she searched. A grin crept across her lips as she finally found what she was looking for.

She scanned the shelf for a moment before choosing a book from the center. The cover depicted a dark gold pegasus, clinging tightly to a vine as she swung away from an jungle-infested pyramid. With the novel in her grasp, she went to the couch, snuggling into the cushions and cracking open the book to the bookmarked page.

For the next hour, she descended into the story. Alongside the titular pegasus, Twilight solved puzzles, avoided traps, and explored the labyrinthine pyramid. She slipped back into reality just long enough to munch her apple. Unfortunately, that was all it took for a concerning detail to catch her eye.

Twilight stood on the couch for a better look at the scene outside. Past the table and chairs, amidst several pots of greenery, she spotted a pink puff. Biting her bottom lip, she glanced down at the book, then back up to the door. With a tired sigh, she stepped down and made her way outside, throwing up a shield overhead. “What are you doing?”

Twilight jumped back as Fluttershy screamed.

The panicking pony tumbled over, knocking over the plants. As soon as she regained control over herself, she shot back up, nearly knocking her camouflage umbrella hat off her head. A pair of binoculars hung around her neck.

“Oh. Good morning, Twilight!” Fluttershy blushed.

“Is everything all right out here?”

“Yeah. You just scared me. I didn’t think you’d be up yet.” The pegasus’ eyes widened. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

Twilight shook her head.

“I was just doing some light morning reading and happened to spot you out here. On my balcony. In the middle of a storm.” Twilight blinked rapidly. “So, what are you doing out here?”

“Well, you see, a little birdie told me that a pair of Crystal Finches were seen nesting around here. They’re exceptionally rare, so I’ve never had the privilege of seeing them before. They’re supposed to be beautiful.”

Twilight tapped Fluttershy’s hat.

“And the camo?”

“That’s so I can hide,” Fluttershy said, as though that explained everything.

“Right. What exactly are you hiding from, though?”

“From the Crystal Finches. They’re really shy and timid, even by bird standards. I’ve tried to talk to them, but they fly away before I can get close enough to say anything. I figured the next best option was to take a stealthier approach.”

“I guess that makes sense. Any luck so far?”

“Lots.” Fluttershy bounded over to the railing, gesturing for Twilight to look out toward a lonely tree a short distance from her castle. “They’re up there, in the branches near the top.”

As Twilight stepped close, Fluttershy held out the binoculars. Sure enough, in the upper sections of the tree, a pair of birds were arranging sticks into the shape of a nest. Rather than the rustic brown and red hues of most birds Twilight had seen, these two were sky blue. As they moved around, the darker spots on their feathers sparkled like gems.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Twilight mused.

“I know. Aren’t they beautiful? I bet the chicks will be adorable, too!” Fluttershy squealed.

Twilight stepped back from the binoculars, allowing Fluttershy to continue her work.

“I guess I’ll leave you to it, then. If you get hungry or want to dry off, you can come inside. I’ll leave the door unlocked for you.”

“Thanks. I probably won’t be here too long, though. All my little friends will be waking up soon, and I always like to be there to greet them in the mornings.” Fluttershy emphasized her gratitude with a kind smile.

With a content smirk, Twilight went back inside. As promised, she left the bolt unlocked.

She snuggled into the couch cushions, retrieving her book and picking up where she left off. Two chapters later, though, she was forced to put it down again as the library door opened.

Spike shuffled inside, his tail dragging and eyes half closed. By now, both the storm clouds and Fluttershy had vanished.

“Good morning, Spike,” Twilight greeted him.

“Hey.” The dragon yawned. “I’d say something about how obvious it would be to find you in the library, but I’m way too tired for that.”

Twilight chuckled as her assistant collapsed onto the couch beside her.

“If you’re still tired, then why didn’t you go back to sleep?” she asked.

“I thought you were gathering some things for Applebloom’s lesson. I was going to help. But you’re not, so I guess I just got up for nothing, then.” He yawned again, though it felt like he was dragging it out unnecessarily long.

“Well, I suppose we could get started on that. If we get done early, you can go back to sleep. After all, you’ll have the rest of the day off once I’m out the door.”

“I suppose that doesn’t sound like such a bad plan. Did you finish making the list?”

“I did.”

Twilight set the novel aside and walked toward the shelves. Spike hobbled after her.

“According to Applejack, she really needs help with math. That will be our subject for today. Are you ready, Spike? I’ll need The Basics of Mathematics, Advanced Mathematics, and Beginner’s Calculus.”

“Calculus?” Spike sputtered.

“Beginner’s Calculus,” she clarified. “Just in case we have extra time.”

“If you say so.”

Spike stood straight, his scales clicking as he stretched. He retrieved the rolling ladder from the end of the shelf and started gathering the specified books. Twilight started at the other end and the two met in the middle with two of the necessary books.

“Are you sure we have a calculus textbook?” Spike asked.

Twilight set the two they found on the nearest table.

“I could have sworn we did.”

“Did you lend it out?”

“I don’t think so. Who would even want a calculus book? Hold on.” Twilight compiled the list in her head. “Rainbow Dash has the new Daring Do book. Pinkie Pie borrowed that theoretical physics textbook. Starlight has the magic manual. Can you think of anyone else?”

Spike frowned.

“Was it one of the ones you lent to Blue?”

Spike’s question jammed into the gears in Twilight’s head.

“Blue? I didn’t lend anything to Blue.”

“You sure?” Spike furrowed his brow. “He said you did. He was reading one of them last night when we were waiting for you to finish at the Castle of the Two Sisters.”

“That’s definitely odd,” Twilight growled. “What did this book look like?”

Spike shook his head.

“It’s not the one you’re looking for. He said it was a beginner magic guide, I think. Red cover. I think it had a unicorn filly on the cover? I didn’t get too good a look at it.”

Twilight’s mental gears started up again.

“A picture of a unicorn filly?” she questioned.

“Like I said, I didn’t get too good of a look at it, but I think that’s what I saw.”

With a foalish hop, Twilight took to the air. Her wings carried her upward while her eyes scanned every spine she passed.

“What are you doing?” Spike asked.

Twilight ignored him. She continued her ascent. Each flap of her wings created a cloud of choking dirt as she scanned older tomes. The sting of disappointment she felt for allowing such disrespect for her books far outweighed the burning sensation in her sinuses. She pulled a book from the shelf and levitated it into her hooves. Wiping the cover clean, she returned to Spike.

“Is this the book he had?” she asked, showing him a cover identical to the one he described. The wild energy in her eyes caused the dragon to back away nervously.

“I don’t know. It kind of looked something like that. But I don’t think that book has been touched since we moved it here. Besides, weren't we looking for a math book?”

“That can wait.” Twilight turned the book back toward her. “This is a backup copy that I acquired later. Is this the book he had with him, Spike? Please, I need you to remember,” she pleaded.

“I think it is,” Spike admitted.

Twilight stumbled as the world around her started to spin.

“Twilight? Are you okay?”

“Spike, I need you to do me one more favor. Then you can go back to sleep, okay?”

The young assistant hesitated. Though he couldn’t put a claw on it, something had changed in Twilight. In the pit of his stomach, he felt his nerves bubble.

“What do you need me to do?”

“Take a message to Blue for me.”

“Are you mad at him? I don’t think I can—”

“I’m not mad, Spike.” Twilight couldn’t tear her gaze from the book. “I want you to wake him. Tell him that I’m requesting his presence today. He’s coming to Applejack’s farm with me. Can you do that for me?”

“I can.”

“Thank you, Spike. This means a lot to me.”

Spike hurried off back into the castle to see to his task.

Twilight tightened her grip on the tome, pressing it to her chest. She squeezed it hard enough that the librarian in her worried it might break in two. She ignored it, though. Instead, she thought of the one question left floating around her mind.

“Could it really be her?”