"Excuse me, ma'am? Is this the Thaumic Science class?"
Ms. Flask looked up from her desk at the head of the classroom. A lavender-coated, blue-maned unicorn filly had just trotted in through the door. "Yes it is, dear. How may I help you?"
"My name's Twilight," the filly replied. "Twilight Sparkle."
"Why, yes!" Ms. Flask nodded. "Very nice to meet you, Twilight. Princess Celestia mentioned you'd be joining us today."
"And this is Spike." Twilight nodded to the small purple dragon standing beside her. "He's, well... sort of my assistant."
"Of course. Her Highness told us to expect you too, Spike. Our Honorary Ambassador from the Dragonlands, I believe is how she put it."
"Gosh! Did she really?" Spike's cat-like eyes blinked in astonishment. Then he drew himself up and bowed formally. "Ahem! An honor to make your acquaintance, m'lady."
Several of the students giggled at that. Even Ms. Flask found it hard not to smile.
"What?" Spike looked around, puzzled. "Did I say it wrong?"
"Not at all, Spike," said Ms. Flask. "You spoke very well. It so happens I'm not actually a Lady of the Court, but the courtesy is appreciated. Take note, class," she added, "when you're meeting somepony for the first time, and you're uncertain of their social station, it doesn't always hurt to err upwards. They're unlikely to take offense and may even feel flattered, even as they correct you."
"So, then..." Twilight asked, "it's okay if Spike comes to class with me?"
"Why wouldn't it be, dear?"
"Oh. Um." Twilight glanced around. "Where should I sit, ma'am?"
"Where would you like to sit, Twilight?"
"Hmmm..."
As Twilight peered around the classroom at the student tables, each with its complement of fillies and colts, Ms. Flask found herself recalling an earlier conversation... one in which she'd stood in knock-kneed terror, facing the imposing glory of Princess Celestia herself...
The Solar Princess had been quite pleasant actually, as she'd calmly informed Ms. Flask that the Princess's personal student would be beginning her formal studies in Flask's classroom.
"Twilight has an unusual aptitude for magic," Celestia said. "Plus an interest in the scientific method, which I feel we should encourage. She'll be in private lessons with me in the afternoons, but I'd like her to have the experience of classroom instruction as well. She's insular by nature, so she should have the opportunity to mingle with other students. But don't pressure her to socialize, Florence. Let her find her own way."
"Of course, Highness." Ms. Flask struggled to raise her voice above a whisper. "Ah... at what level are we thinking of starting her?"
"Whatever the other students her age are working on," Celestia said. "I've no doubt Twilight can catch up quickly. She's very well-read." The Princess smiled. "Almost too well-read. The specific lessons aren't as important as the exposure to everyday classroom learning. And don't coddle her," Celestia added firmly. "If she's not paying attention, if she's not turning in the assigned work, or misbehaving or misusing her magic, by all means discipline her just as you would any other student. But knowing Twilight as I do, I very much doubt that you'll have to. She's quite diligent, and almost frighteningly organized."
"Of course, Princess." Ms. Flask added a quick bob just to be on the safe side. "Um. Anything else, Your Highness?"
"Yes, just one more thing." Celestia paused, thoughtfully. "As much as possible, Florence, I'd like you to allow her a free hoof. Let her find her own way, set her own rules, make her own choices. She's very responsible and quite determined. We should encourage that. And I'll be very interested to see what choices she does make, given the freedom to make them."
"Just as you say, Highness..."
Ms. Flask was forcefully brought back to the present by Twilight pointing a hoof across the room, towards an empty student table by the windows. "I think I'd like to sit there, ma'am."
"Of course, Twilight," Ms. Flask nodded. "If that suits you, go right ahead."
Twilight blinked in surprise, but then trotted over to seat herself at the table. She set her carryall on the floor beside her and used her magic to collect one of the readers stacked on the tabletop, setting it neatly in place in front of her.
Spike had followed along beside her, and he stared at the edge of the table, which was just above eye-height for him.
"Oh! Sorry, Spike." Looking around, Twilight found a spare seat. With her magic she brought it over and stacked a couple of the readers on it.
"Aw, I hate booster seats," Spike complained, as he clambered up and sat down. "Why can't I just sit on the table like usual? Then I can see what's going on. And I'd be right there if you need anything."
"Do you see anypony else here sitting on tables?" Twilight whispered back. "This is a classroom, Spike."
"Then why aren't we sitting with the other students?" he replied. "There's plenty of empty places."
"Princess Celestia assigned me to classes to study, Spike. I'll need to focus if I'm going to catch up with everypony else. And too, I don't want to be a distraction my very first day, what with ponies asking me all kinds of questions about the Princess."
"I guess that makes sense..."
Spike fell silent as Ms. Flask tapped her hoof on the desk for attention.
"All right, class! Let's open our readers to page 128, and read through Chapter Nine, on forms and states of matter. And then," she added for Twilight's benefit, "we'll have recitation and discussion after the mid-morning recess."
As if she'd been given the word to turn her paper over, Twilight snapped open the book with her magic, riffled through its pages, and set to work. Her snout was inches from the page, her eyes tracked back and forth with machine-like precision. She was utterly focused...
... until she felt Spike gently poking her shoulder with a claw. "Need any help, Twi? Can I take notes for ya?"
"Not now, Spike," she said, not even looking up. "Let me read through this first, get the gist of it. Then we can work on topics, and maybe do some flashcards."
"Um... okay."
Now Twilight glanced up at him, concerned. "Why don't you read one of your comics for a while?"
"Aw, I dunno. I'd feel a little weird, reading them in class."
"Why? It's how you learn best. Like you said, you know how to use words instinctively. But you need to learn how to associate them with pictures. The comics help, right?"
"Sure, but..." Spike glanced around at the other students. "Ponies see me reading comics, they think I'm just a dumb little kid." He thumped the table with a fist. "And I'm not! I'm a dragon!"
"Shh!" Twilight glanced around worriedly. Then she looked back to Spike. "Well then, how about numbering the index cards for me? That way when we fill them in, we'll be able to keep them in order."
"Sure, you got it!" Spike quickly dug into the carryall and came up with a stack of index cards, plus a quill. Setting the cards on the table he got to work, quill scratching busily.
Relieved, Twilight returned to her reading. And found herself quickly lost in detail, as she mentally outlined and categorized. Overwhelmed by terms and concepts, she struggled to fit them all together as she read along. Maybe Spike was right, she thought. If I wait 'till the end, I'll never keep this all straight. We really should do flashcards as we go, and...
She suddenly became aware that Spike wasn't sitting next to her any more. Looking around, she finally spotted him: across the room, talking to the students at one of the other tables.
"Hi. My name's Spike," he said to the beige-coated, red-and-blue maned filly sitting nearest him. "Nice to meet ya."
"Heyyyy, Spike!" called the blue filly seated across the table. "How are ya? I'm Minuette! And this is Twinkleshine, and Lemon Hearts. And that's Moondancer, shaking hooves with ya."
The beige pony winced, then smiled sheepishly. "Moondancer, yeah. That's me. Uh... how long have you been Twilight's assistant, Spike?"
"Ever since she hatched me." Spike suddenly looked puzzled, and scratched his head. "Wait, did that come out right? I mean, ever since she busted me outta my egg with her magic."
"Oh, yeah," said Lemon Hearts. "We heard about that -- at her entrance exam."
"We heard it was quite the sight," Twinkleshine added. "Wish I could've been there."
"Yeah!" Minuette laughed. "It was all anypony could talk about for days."
"Moondancer, huh?" Spike peered up at the beige pony. "Oh right! I shoulda guessed from your cutie-mark."
Moondancer cringed, trying to hide the mark with a hoof. "It's... nothing at all, really."
"What're you talking about?" Spike said. "I think it's cool!"
"You do?" Moondancer stared at him in disbelief. "Really?"
"Yeah! It's the Moon-and-Stars, right? I saw it one of Twilight's old spell-books. It's the Mark of --"
Moondancer jammed a hoof against his mouth, shaking her head urgently. Spike got the message, and when she took her hoof away, he mimed zipping his lips. "So, uh... right," he went on uncomfortably, looking around at the others. "About Twilight. She's really into books. And I mean really into books. She reads a lot -- and I mean a lot lot!"
"I bet she has to," said Twinkleshine enviously, "being the Princess's student and all."
"Yeah. That must mean a ton of studying," Lemon Hearts added.
"Oh, you gals have no idea." Spike shook his head. "She's a reading tornado! Some days I think all I do is pick up the books she leaves lying around."
Across the room, Twilight facehoofed. Resisting the impulse to shout across the class, she cleared her throat, then spoke in a polite, prim tone. "Ah, Spike? I need your help over here. It's important."
"Oops! Gotta go." Spike hooked a thumb in her direction. "Duty calls. See you 'round, gals."
"See ya, Spike!" Minuette replied cheerily. "Nice talkin' to ya!"
Spike trotted back to Twilight's table. And found her glaring at him. "Spike, what are you doing?" she demanded -- though as quietly as she could manage.
"Well," Spike said as he scrambled back onto his seat, "I figured while you were busy reading I could wander round and say Hi to everypony, learn their names. Then at break time I could introduce ya to them."
"Spike, we're trying not be a distraction, remember?"
"Oh, geez. I'm sorry, Twi." Spike put his elbows on the table, his chin on his claws, and looked downcast. Twilight eyed him, both exasperated and reluctantly sympathetic.
"Look, it was thoughtful of you. But right now we need to focus on studying. And you were right, I do need you to take notes for me. So let's work on this together, okay?"
"You mean it?" He pumped a claw. "Awesome!" Then, seeing her warning look, he quickly clammed up. He pulled over the stack of cards he'd numbered and sat, quill at the ready, taking down topic sentences as she read them off.
The two of them worked through the reader, quietly and busily, with Twilight turning pages as fast as she could skim them, and occasionally pausing to shuffle through the cards with a hoof, sorting them into a better order. And Spike scribbled madly, doing his best to keep up with her quietly whispered dictations. The sheer industry on display made it impossible for anypony else to focus. It was like watching the reader be dissected, minutely, with swift, analytical precision. The entire class wound up eyeing Twilight's table, uneasily.
"Wow, I guess Spike wasn't kidding, huh?" Minuette marveled. "Twilight does read fast."
"I'll say." Lemon Hearts stared uncomfortably at her own reader. "I feel like I'm doing it wrong now."
"I'd say she's just showing off," Twinkleshine muttered sourly. "If I didn't wish I had that kind of focus myself."
Moondancer said nothing. She just stared in amazement at the one pony in the room who seemed to like studying even more than she did.
Finally, with a satisfied sigh, Twilight flipped the book shut and gave the cards one last sortation, just to be sure. Then she stared round the room at the other ponies, all suddenly hunched over their readers.
And felt distinctly uncomfortable.
"What is it, Twilight?" Spike asked.
"Looks like we've finished way ahead of time. Everypony else is still busy reading. I'm... not sure what we should do now."
Spike looked around as well. Then he turned to look out through the windows behind them. "Maybe we can go outside early?"
"Are you crazy? No!"
"Why not?"
"I don't want anypony thinking I'm not taking classwork seriously."
"Huh? How can they, if you're doin' the work?"
"Spike!"
"I'm just saying, there's no reason we have to sit here doing nothing. If we're done with the lesson, maybe we can move onto whatever's next? Isn't that how class is supposed to work? Didn't you say students study at their own pace?"
"Who's running this classroom, Spike? You or Ms. Flask?"
"But Twilight..."
"Ahem... is everything all right, Miss Sparkle?"
Twilight faced front quickly, embarrassed. "Uh, yes ma'am. No problems here."
Then she felt Spike nudging her.
"Go on, Twi. It can't hurt to ask, right?"
Twilight eyed him furiously. Then realizing he was right, she cleared her throat. "Um, Ms. Flask? I've finished the assigned reading. Is it all right if Spike and I go outside for mid-morning recess a little early?"
"You've finished the whole chapter, dear?" Ms. Flask asked.
"Actually... I finished the rest of the book."
"What?" Ms. Flask's eyes went wide. "The whole thing?"
"Eeeyeah." Twilight gently shrugged. "Once I get on a roll..."
"She's like that." Spike nodded proudly. "And we've got all her notes, ready to go." He patted the stack of annotated cards.
"Well, then..." Ms. Flask said, nonplussed. "I... don't see why not, dear."
Surprised, Twilight nevertheless hopped down from her seat, followed closely by Spike. Then as if remembering, Twilight turned back to her carryall and with her magic drew from it a large tome, at least twice the size of the school reader. With Spike and the book accompanying her, Twilight trotted out through the door to the recreation area outside.
And Ms. Flask watched in amazement as the lavender filly completely ignored the playground equipment, trotting instead over to a convenient shade tree. She plunked down, opened the book to a bookmark midway through, and went right on reading. Meanwhile Spike scurried around, chasing butterflies and looking for creeping insects in the grass.
Ms. Flask shook her head.
Who's running this class is right, she thought to herself in awe.
That evening, following Twilight's usual session with the Princess, and supper in the School's cafeteria, Twilight returned to her private room in the dorm wing. The small, windowless room was snug and convenient to both the Palace and the Library, so up to now Twilight had barely noticed it.
But after seeing Spike comfortably tucked up in his basket, and tucking herself into the stiff but practical bed, Twilight lay awake for a while in the darkened room, glancing around unhappily.
Spike's voice called up from below. "You still awake, Twi?"
"Yeah, I am." she replied. "How'd you know?"
"Well, you kinda mutter stuff under your breath once you're asleep."
"I do?"
"Hey, I don't mind! It's kinda reassuring. It helps me get to sleep too. But I've always wondered, who the hay is Iroy G. Bivu? And what are Pemdas? And Lififrcomacsmocker? You do that one a lot."
"The colors of the spectrum," Twilight replied automatically, "the operator precedence order in arithmetic, and the twelve basic forms of structured magic. Um, do I really say that one a lot in my sleep?"
"Not all the time," Spike said. "Mostly when you've been studying hard for one of Celestia's tests."
"Oh."
"What's wrong, Twi?"
Twilight sighed. "I don't know, Spike. I think... I think I miss living in the Royal Palace. I miss the room we had there. It was really high up, with a wonderful view of everything. And the room itself was just... so... nice."
"Yeah, and we had Princess Cadance looking after us," Spike said. "She'd tuck us in at night, tell us bedtime stories." He sighed. "Cadance always seemed to know just what we needed, at the end of a long day."
"Cadance is a great foal-sitter." Twilight agreed. She smiled, remembering. "She made me feel really special. That is, if being the Princess's personal student isn't special enough. But she made me feel really important, almost like a Princess myself. And now..." She looked around the small, garret-like dorm room. "Now I'm just another student, in school, like anypony else."
"But it's Celestia's School," Spike reminded her. "And you're still the Princess's personal student. Not many ponies can say that, right?"
Twilight didn't answer.
Spike waited a bit, then went on. "Well, if you miss our old room that much, what about asking Princess Celestia if we could move back there? I mean, it's not that much more of a walk to the School, right?"
"No, Spike. The Princess wanted me to study at her School with all the other students for a reason. I need to trust her and be grown-up about this. After all, I'm not a little filly any more."
"Hey, if I can still reach your nose, you're not that grown-up yet."
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah, sure. Well, if it helps at all, Twilight, I still think you're important. And I wanna help, any way I can. Don't forget that."
Twilight nodded. "Thanks, Spike. You're a wise little dragon. I can always rely on you to help set me straight."
"Hey, it's all part of the job. I'm your assistant, remember?"
"My Number One Assistant," she reminded him.
"Darn straight! Well, g'night, Twi."
"See you in the morning, Spike." Twilight lay back, shutting her eyes and trying to relax.
Then she opened one eye. "Lififrcomacsmocker," she muttered mischievously.
"Huh. I can totally tell when you're faking it."
Twilight snickered. Then she fell silent, staring at the ceiling. It was great having a friend like Spike to help sort things out. But it still felt like something was missing here...
"Buuuurp!"
The classroom fell silent in shock, then broke into gales of laughter, as Spike thumped his chest and then waved away the remnants of green flame fading in the air. "Ah, excuse me!" he called to the class. "Just testing!"
"Spike."
"Sorry, Twi. I try to get the ordinary burps out of the way before class, but well..."
"Ahem. As I was saying," Twilight went on. "The rigid crystalline lattice of water molecules in the form of ice takes up 9% more space. So a given volume of ice literally contains less matter than the same volume of liquid water. Hence, ice is less dense, and floats in water."
"Uh, very good, Twilight," Ms. Flask said. "That was quite... detailed. Ah, Redhaven, can you name another of the forms of matter?"
As the peach-colored filly frantically paged through her reader looking for a hint, Ms. Flask looked back at Twilight's table.
"Twilight, is Spike feeling all right?"
Spike was looking decidedly nauseous, his cheeks bulging, his jaw gritted.
"Spike," Twilight said worriedly. "Don't hold it in. You'll just hurt yourself --"
"BRAAACCK!" A puff of green flame blasted into the air over Twilight's table. It swirled, then condensed into a gilt-sealed scroll, which landed on the tabletop.
Rubbing his snout with a claw, Spike clambered up onto the table to grab it. "Thought so -- scrolls from Celestia always come up harder."
Ms. Flask stared. "Is that really a message from Her Highness?"
"Uh... yes, ma'am," Twilight said sheepishly.
"Well, then! Class, let's all sit up nice and straight, and pay attention to the wise words our Princess has deigned to send us."
Spike glanced around at the suddenly attentive classroom.
"Huh. No pressure."
Coughing importantly, he adopted an appropriately lofty pose, unrolled the scroll, and read from it: "My Faithful Student Twilight: affairs of state will unfortunately keep me occupied for the next day or so. Therefore you should continue with your current research assignment, given you'll have additional time to pursue it." Spike snickered as he read on ahead. "And in answer to your query yesterday, a pedant is one who goes on in great detail about trivial subjects, hoping to gain approval thereby. Kindest regards, Princess Celestia."
Twilight's cheeks burned, as the entire class burst out laughing. The students were quickly shushed by Ms. Flask but that didn't matter. Twilight stared down at her reader, mortified.
Spike glanced worriedly at her as he climbed down to his seat again. "Sorry, Twilight. Um, ya do know Celestia was talking about Star Swirl, right?"
"I know that, Spike. And you know that." Twilight glanced around the room, ashamed. "But they don't know that..."
Twilight remained quietly pensive after lunch, sitting under the tree outside. She'd brought along a thesaurus to read, but it sat beside her, unopened. Spike sat next to her, tapping his claws together. He wanted to help, but wasn't sure how.
"Twilight? You're not still hung up about Celestia's letter are you?"
"Spike, I'm the Princess's personal student. That's a big deal. I have to do my best, be my best all the time. Show I'm worthy of her taking time like this. And if it looks like she doesn't approve of me..."
"But that's not what she meant at all!" Spike objected. "Look, it's my fault and I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about how it would sound. But look at it this way, I don't think anypony took it seriously..."
"Well, just look who we have here!" a loftily snide voice said. "Little Miss Perfection herself, Twilight Bookface... and her tame iguana."
"Dragon!" Spike shot back. "And what do you want, Silver Bowl?"
"It's Silver Plate, actually." The silver-coated filly sniffed archly. "And it so happens I am a Lady of the Court -- or I will be one day. So you'd better address me properly, snake-eyes."
Spike fumed, his claws balled into fists. But Silver Plate had already turned her lofty gaze back to Twilight.
"You were quite the laughingstock in class today, Twilight. Guess you're not as perfect and all-knowing as you'd like us to think, huh? Maybe you'd better step aside and let some other, more deserving student be the Princess's favorite, eh?" She smugly fluffed her ice-blonde mane.
"Hey! You leave Twilight alone!" Spike demanded. "She can run rings around you, any day. She's twice the student you are! Right, Twi?"
But Twilight said nothing. She just got up, collected her book and her carryall in her magic, and trotted off.
"What's the matter, Bookface?" Silver Plate sneered after her. "Can't take a little criticism? Or are you too used to being the teacher's pet? That's it, isn't it? Oh, you want a table to yourself, dear? Go right ahead, Twilight. Oh, you wanna go out and play a little early, that sounds perfectly all right, dear." Silver Plate laughed sarcastically. "Teacher's pet! Teacher's pet!"
Twilight didn't look back. She just kept walking, away from the playground, away from the School.
Spike hurried to keep up with her. "Twilight, where are you going?"
"I don't know, Spike. Someplace else. Anyplace else."
"Yah, yah. Run away, Twilight!" Silver Plate yelled after her. "I'm still right, you know." With a dismissive snort, the filly finally turned away, looking for someone else to be unpleasant at.
"Twi," Spike insisted, "you can't let her treat you like that. Why didn't you stand up to her?"
Twilight came to a halt and sighed.
"Because we both know where that would end, Spike. I can't out-nasty someone like her. She has too much practice. And I'm the Princess's personal student. I'm here to study. Not get in fights with other students."
"But she started it!"
"Doesn't matter. You know who they'll reprimand. Me -- because I'm the responsible one. Because I should've known better." She started moving again, trudging sadly.
"Aw," Spike grumbled, "why does Silver Plate have to be so mean all the time anyways? That's what I'd like to know."
"Some ponies are like that, Spike. They just haven't grown up yet. Haven't learned how to behave yet."
"But Twilight, she's older than you."
"Don't remind me."
"Huh!" Spike trotted alongside her, muttering crossly. "It's a pity you can't just hit her with a spell or two. Nothing harmful," he quickly added, seeing her frown. "But just, I don't know, turn her coat plaid or something. Make her tongue-tied for a day. Heh! That'd be sweet justice!"
"No, Spike!" Twilight insisted crossly. "Aside from it being against the rules, remember what Princess Celestia said. My magic is way over-powered. I don't dare use it on other ponies, not until I have better control."
"Ugh!" Spike made a fist and pounded his other claw with it. "Why do we always have to be the nice guys? When do we get a bit of our own back?"
"Spike."
"It's not right, Twilight! And I wish I could do something about it."
Twilight looked at him uncomfortably. "There is one thing you can do."
"Anything, Twilight! You name it."
Twilight shut her eyes, and shook her head. "Help me remember not to be like her. Not to grow up to be somepony like her." She looked at him sadly. "Promise me, Spike? Promise me you'll help me remember?"
Spike looked up at her. Then he reached up to touch her shoulder with a claw.
"I promise, Twilight. On my honor... according to the Dragon Code of Honor!" With a flourish, he produced the crayoned membership card he'd made for himself.
Twilight managed a smile. "Thanks, Spike. That means a lot."
"Hey, no problem. So, uh, where are we headed now?" he asked as they mounted the steps to the Library Annex building.
"Where else? Like Princess Celestia said, let's keep going on that research assignment, studying ancient legends. There's nothing like chasing down a reference or two to brighten your day, right?"
"Nothing except maybe a bowl of rubies. Hint, hint!"
Twilight smirked. "C'mon, chow-hound!" she said, and pushed through the doors.
"Are you sure, Twilight? All the way up there?"
Together Twilight and Spike stared up at the white marble tower, standing adjacent to the quad on the far side of the Library Annex building. A spiral staircase led upwards round the outside of it, leading to a large tulip-shaped golden spire at the very top.
"Well, the librarian did say many of the older reference works would be in the mythology overflow stacks."
"Which just our luck is probably at the very, very top."
"C'mon, Spike. If we start at the top, it'll be all downhill from there."
"Eh, if you say so." Spike gamely followed along as Twilight steadily mounted the stairs, one after the other, up and around the tower. It actually turned out to be a shorter climb than it looked, so they were soon pushing through the doors of the topmost room.
"Woah..." Spike said. "Looks like nopony's been in here in ages."
"It is a little dusty," Twilight agreed.
The tower room was split into two levels. The lower part near the door was a reading lounge, with couches and open-air balconies. A curving staircase led to the upper level, and when they climbed it, Twilight's eyes went wide. The room was almost a small research laboratory. There was a telescope, a thaumograph, an entire desk devoted to alchemical equipment and supplies. And there were books: shelves and shelves of books, in bookcases around the room, plus a small library section near the back.
The room was a little dusty and cobwebby, clearly disused. But Twilight wandered around it, entranced.
"Just look at this place, Spike!"
"Yeah. You were right, Twi. If it ain't up here, this place has got nothin'."
Then Twilight happened to trot over to the end wall of the room, where there was a floor-to-ceiling, multi-paned window wall. And she stopped. And stared.
"Wow..." she breathed. "I can see the Royal Palace from here. And the School building. And I think -- yes, Spike! I can even see my parents' house from here! I can see everything!"
"Not quite like the view from the room at the Palace," Spike said, wandering over to join her. "But yeah, it works for me too."
"And I bet there's tons of old reference works in those shelves. Let's get to work, Spike!" Turning, she dashed off and vanished amongst the shelves.
"You really weren't gonna wait for me, were ya?" Shrugging, Spike followed along, pulling out a quill and a scroll to take notes. He had a feeling he'd be needing them shortly.
Even with a speed-reader like Twilight it took time. She kept coming across old grimoires and journals that she wanted to browse at length, seated on the floor and turning pages in rapt fascination. And she kept finding cross-references that sent her hunting around amongst the shelves. Spike had never seen her so happy, her earlier discomfort totally forgotten.
When afternoon turned to evening, they took a short break to head down to the School cafeteria for dinner. But then they came right back, so Twilight could continue browsing. Finally, late in the evening, Twilight sighed, shut the book she was reading, and brought it over to the worktable in the middle of the room, with her horn glowing softly to light her way.
"This is the best general reference, I think. Predictions and Prophecies. It has almost every legend known to ponydom. We can put together a great summary based on this."
"That's good," Spike said. "'Cause it's getting kinda late."
"Oh. Right." Twilight looked up at the window wall, through which the stars were already twinkling in the deep purple night sky. "Guess I lost track of time. I suppose we should be going, but..."
"But what, Twi?"
"There's just so many good books here, Spike! It's a reading gold mine. I can't believe nopony comes up here."
"We can come back tomorrow, right?" Spike said. "After morning classes. Or maybe after Celestia's lesson?"
"Sure, uh..." Twilight trotted over to the window wall, and peered out through it. "It's just... I dunno, Spike. I just feel really comfortable here. This place has everything: books, research equipment, a really nice view..."
"Well, geez." Spike shrugged. "Maybe we should just stay here tonight."
"Seriously?" Twilight eyed him. "In a library?"
"Why not? The area downstairs has some comfy couches. And it's not like this place has a closing time, right?"
"Noooo, but..." Twilight considered it. "You think we'd get in trouble if we don't show up back at the dorm? The ponies running the School might worry, and come looking for us."
"Hey, it's not like anypony counts noses as it is." Spike waved a claw. "C'mon! Let's see what looks good."
Twilight didn't need much persuading. She followed him down the curving interior staircase. And while it did take a bit of dusting and scrounging, they soon had one of the reading lounges in relatively good condition, with a wall-hanging for Twilight to use as a cover. And Spike dragged over a small hoof-stool with a soft cushion to use himself.
Twilight settled herself comfortably. She found herself smiling, in delighted mischief.
"Even if we do get in trouble for it, it's kind of fun bending the rules like this. Good idea, Spike!"
"That's what I'm here for," he said, yawning. "G'night, Twilight."
"'Night, Spike."
Twilight shut her eyes. And in short order, she was fast asleep.
"Lififrcomacsmocker..." she mumbled softly.
"Yeah." Spike nodded. "Now that's the real deal."
Curling up on his cushion, he quickly dropped off himself.
In the morning, in the Audience Hall of the Royal Palace, Princess Celestia reacted with bemusement as the Guard Captain made his report.
"Did I hear correctly? She slept in the library?"
"Yes, Highness." The Captain bowed respectfully before the Golden Throne. "The old Annex tower. It's mostly used for storage now, though there are some rare manuscripts kept there."
"She was there all night."
"Correct as always, Your Highness."
"Interesting." Celestia's expression showed no emotion. Yet there was a hint of astonishment in her tone as she shook her head. "It's so unlike her. She's been so quiet and proper of late. And yet..."
"What would you like us to do about it, Your Highness?"
Celestia looked surprised. "Why, nothing! Nothing at all. Oh, do continue to keep watch from a distance, make certain she's never in real danger. But otherwise... just let her be."
"Highness?"
"My student knows her own mind. And if this is what works best for her in her researches, then we will indulge her requirements. Am I quite clear on that point, Captain?"
The edge of steel in the Princess's tone didn't go unnoticed. "Just as you say, Highness."
"Dismissed."
The Captain backed respectfully away. Then he turned and trotted briskly from the Audience Hall.
And Celestia once again looked thoughtful. "Whatever put that idea in your head, Twilight?" she whispered.
Then she summoned the Chief Steward, to direct a few additional orders to the appropriate ponies...
"C'mon, Spike! Up and at 'em. Time for school."
"Aw, five more minutes, Twi? And why are you so chipper?"
"I got up early to write up an outline for my research report." Twilight grinned. "Now there's just enough time to head down for breakfast, and then classes. Yay!" Twilight dashed away, up the stairs to the main room.
Rubbing his eyes and shaking his head to clear it, Spike stumped up the stairs after her. And blinked at the scattered scrolls and paper and books, littered across the worktable.
"Uh, how early was early?"
"I dunno." Twilight shrugged. "I think the sun was already up." Levitating her carryall onto her back, she stamped a hoof. "Let's get out there and seize the day, Spike!"
"Wow." Spike scratched his spines uncertainly. "This is a side of you I haven't seen in a while. But hey, I like it!"
"Then let's get going!"
"Uh, hang on a sec, Twi. I just had an idea. This place could use some work, getting it straightened out and all. What if I stayed here and worked on that, cleaning up the place? You know, dusting things, putting books back on the shelves, getting all those notes you took in order..."
"Really? Wouldn't you find that boring?"
Spike shrugged. "I'm not really that much use when you're busy in class. And you don't normally need me while you're studying with Celestia, either. It'd give me something to do. That way, I'm not in your mane while you're trying to focus."
"Uhh... I don't know." Twilight looked worried. "I am supposed to look after you. What if something happened? What if you got hurt?"
"I'll be careful. And look, even if anything did happen -- which it won't..." Spike trotted over to a nearby window, and pointed down through it. "You see that guard down there? The one who's always following us?"
"He does?" Twilight asked in surprise, peering down at the gold-armored Royal Guard soldier, standing on the steps leading into the Library Annex building.
"Well, not him specifically. But there's usually a Royal Guard hanging around somewhere close by, wherever we are. If something happens or I need help or anything, I'll just go talk to him. That's what the guards are for, right?"
Twilight bit her lip, clearly not entirely convinced. Spike gave her a wistful look.
"Please, Twi? I can do this. Really, I can!"
She looked for a moment like she might say no. But then she smiled at him. "Princess Celestia always says she trusts me to be responsible and do the right thing, even when nopony else is around. So maybe I need to do the same with you. All right, Spike. But if anything does happen, you call for help, 'kay? Don't try to fix things by yourself."
"Ya mean it? Thanks, Twi!"
"Just... don't set the place on fire," she warned, as she turned to head down the stairs. "Remember, there's a lot of old paper in here."
"Got it." Spike nodded. "I'll remember. See you after lunch?"
"You bet, Number One Assistant." Squaring her shoulders, Twilight marched down the stairs. The main doors thumped shut behind her.
And Spike turned, eyeing the room craftily. "Okay, Spike," he whispered. "Your master plan is goin' great so far. Heh, heh! Now let's see what we got here."
He trotted around the room, searching, although he wasn't sure what for yet. Then after trotting through the book stacks at the back of the room, he found a door leading to a small storage closet. There were crates of old equipment and boxes of unshelved books, and scrolls, and other artifacts. And a window as well, dusty and cobwebby, through which the morning sun shone with a pale, antique light.
Spike nodded, looking around at the small room. Almost like a dragon den, complete with a treasure-hoard already installed.
"Yeah..." he whispered to himself. "This'll do perfectly..."
The thump of the main doors below made him jump in surprise. Hurrying out into the workroom, he found an elderly, gray-coated pony in a housekeeping frock trotting up the stairs.
"Uh, hi!" Spike put on his most winningest, who-me-I'm-not-up-to-anything-shady smile. "My name's Spike. Uh... Twilight Sparkle's assistant?"
"Oh, yes," the housekeeper smiled. "We've all heard about Miss Sparkle around here." She eyed the papers scattered over the worktable. "Is this her office? I know lots of them big-wig degree students have offices to work in."
"Uh... yes! Yes it is! She, uh... left me here to get things organized. She's got a lot of really important research work to finish up for Princess Celestia."
"My, that does sound important. Well, we really ought get this place properly spruced up. I mean, if the Princess's personal student works here. Do you need any help with that, deary?"
Spike considered it. "You... wouldn't happen to know anypony who does windows, would ya?"
After lunch, Twilight hurried back to the tower and up its spiral staircase. Shoving through the main doors, she called up to the upper room.
"Spike? Spike!"
"Up here, Twi. C'mon up and take a look."
Twilight trotted up the staircase, and then stopped in amazement. The room was spotless, dusted and de-cobwebbed. The bookcases were neatly organized. The metal fittings of the telescope shone. The glass window wall gleamed like new. The midday sun cascading through it revealed not a speck of dust anywhere.
And Spike stood in the middle of it all, looking cheekily smug.
"Well? Whaddaya think? Nice job, huh?"
"You did all this? It's amazing."
"Well..." Spike looked sheepish. "I did have some help from the cleaning ponies at the Library. But it wasn't hard to convince 'em. I just mentioned your name and they pitched right in."
"Seriously?" Twilight set her carryall on the floor. "Just like that?"
"Well, you are the Princess's student. That makes you kind of a big shot around here." While Twilight took that in, he waved excitedly. "C'mon! I wanna show ya the best part. And this bit, it's all me."
He led the way through the stacks to the storage room, and ushered her grandly through the door.
"See? I asked them to clear out some of the old junk that was being kept in here. And then I got to work. I grabbed one of the cushions from the couches downstairs, and put it on those boxes by the window. Then I found blankets and sheets and stuff and made up a bed for ya. We can go get my basket and put it on the floor like usual. And this'll be kind of like a dorm room for you. I figured, if anypony does show up wanting to use the library outside, you'll still have your own space up here, all your own."
Twilight said nothing, her mouth hanging open. She trotted over to the makeshift bed, and hopped up to try it out. She leaned on the small windowsill, staring out through the freshly-polished window at the quad down below.
Spike climbed up and sat down next to her. He looked up at her, worriedly. "Well? Whaddaya think, Twilight?"
Twilight turned to look at him, momentarily lost for words. Then she hugged him tightly.
"I think it's great, Spike! Thanks! There's a reason you're my Number One Assistant."
"Aw." He blushed. "I just saw how much you liked the place, how comfortable you are here. I figured we could try hanging out here, see if anypony even notices. Finders keepers, and all that."
"Assuming nopony comes along to chase us out," Twilight agreed. Then she smirked. "But you know, if they do... then I'll just remind them I'm Princess Celestia's student. And this is her School. And if I want to live here while I'm at the School then... that's up to me and nopony else, right?"
"There ya go!" Spike pumped a fist. "That's the Twilight I know. Show 'em who's boss!"
"Mm-hmm! Spike, take a letter to the Princess."
He blinked. "You're gonna tell Celestia you're moving in here now?"
"Are you crazy? No! We'll kind of... break it to her later. Once we've established squatters rights, or whatever it is. No, I just wanted to let her know I'll have that research report ready for her tomorrow."
"You sure, Twi? You haven't even started it yet."
"I have an outline. And I have the best place in the School to study, with all the references I need, all in one place. And I have the best research assistant anypony could ask for. What more do I need?"
"Huh. This really is a different side to you. And ya know what? I still like it!"
Twilight smiled back at him. Then she dictated, while Spike scribbled on the scroll he'd readied.
Mid-morning break the next day found Twilight sitting outside under her favorite reading tree on the School's play area, her snout buried in a thick volume. Spike was beside her, folding and flying paper airplanes.
"Oh. My. Gosh," sneered Silver Plate, trotting over with her nose in the air. "What kind of pony reads the thesaurus, for Celestia's sake? Still trying to impress us with how smart you think you are, Twilight Bookface?"
"Come on! Give it a rest, Silver Plate," Spike growled. "Why don't you go pick on somepony else for a change?"
"Why don't you make me, lizard-breath? What are you? Twilight's little hobgoblin? Teaching her how to be rude and crude like you? You're not fit company for ladies -- like moi!" She tossed her head. Even her mane managed to flounce snootily. "If Twilight's the teacher's pet, then what does that make you?"
The book shut. Twilight glared at her.
"You leave Spike alone," she said. Not heatedly, not angrily. In a flat monotone that was somehow more menacing than either.
"Or what, Bookface? You'll run off again? Afraid to face a real noble-pony?"
Twilight got up, and stood nose to nose with her. "How's this? Like I said, leave him alone."
"Like to see you make me."
Twilight sighed, in resigned exasperation.
"Silver Plate, up to now I've been patient. But there is a limit, and you've reached it."
"Oh really? What are you gonna do, huh? Use your magic on me, and get you and your pet dragon expelled? What are you going to do, Twilight?"
"Nothing," Twilight said. "I'm not gonna do a single thing."
"Hmph! Thought so!"
"But Princess Celestia might."
For once, Silver Plate looked nervous. "What do you mean?"
"I'm the Princess's personal student," Twilight said -- flatly, as fact, as if she was talking about how the sky was up. "And Spike here isn't my pet, he's my research assistant. And the Princess has given us both an important assignment to work on. And do you know what Princess Celestia would do," Twilight added in a forbidding tone, "to anypony who dares interfere with her student's work? Remember, we're talking about a pony with the power to move the Sun. And you want to talk nobility? She's the pony in charge of it."
Something in Twilight's tone, the look in her eye, the determined, fully confident manner in which she stood facing Silver Plate, finally got past the gray-coated filly's defensive wall of bluster --
-- and found nothing on the other side.
"Ah. Er. Well..." Silver Plate gritted her teeth. "I was only teasing, that's all. You don't have to bring it up with the Princess... right? You don't think she'd, uh..."
"I don't know what she'd do," Twilight said, "exactly. But I don't think we want to find out. Do you?"
"Hum. Right. Well, uh, I'll... just be going now." And Silver Plate turned tail and ran, back to the safety of ponies that she could boss around the way she was used to. Ponies who weren't the personal student of the most powerful pony in the land.
And Twilight leaned back against the tree, letting out a relieved gasp.
"Way to go, Twi!" Spike said. "You really showed her!" Then he eyed her uncomfortably. "Uh, you do know that's not how Celestia does things, right?"
Twilight smirked, "Sure, Spike. I know that. And you know that..."
She looked across the playground at Silver Plate, already back to lording it over the other fillies and colts in the class.
"... but they don't know that."
"Very interesting," Princess Celestia said that evening, as the Chief Steward relayed the report of the guard ponies observing Twilight and Spike. "I did notice the same during her magic lesson. A confidence, an assurance, that she was lacking before. It's a good sign. She's making real progress."
"Indeed, Highness," the Chief Steward said smoothly. "Should we have the Annex tower officially reserved for Miss Sparkle's studies?"
Celestia considered it, then smiled. "I think we'll leave that up to Twilight herself. She seems to know what she needs. And she knows how to make the right choices. We should encourage that. The more she is able to think for herself, make her own decisions, stand up for herself, the better..."
"As you say, Highness. If there's nothing further, I'll just get these latest decrees filed."
"Nothing further, thank you."
The Steward bustled off, his aides loaded down with scrolls and other official documents.
And the Princess of Equestria, the most powerful pony in the land, turned to gaze up through the one clear window in the Audience Hall.
Framed in it was the Moon, with its sinister Mare shadow.
"After all," Celestia whispered to herself sadly, "she's going to need that confidence, one day..."
The End
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, its characters and indicia are the property of Hasbro.
No infringement is intended. This story is a work of fan fiction, written by fans for fans of the series.
