I just looked up at the moon. Twilight wanted to do some last minute experiments on the whole Fairy/Bug/Dragon Type thing, so she pretty much dragged Carina to her personal study that was still set up in Canterlot. That meant, by extension, that I got dragged into her study because I still needed to have a personal conversation with Carina. So now I stood on her balcony, next to a telescope, staring at the night sky as Carina and Spike were subjected to Twilight Sparkle's mad science. I could hear them making a mess from here.

"Spike, do you have any loose scales?"

"Uh, I think my elbow has some..."

Meanwhile, as Twilight tried to figure out the secrets of Types, I tried my damndest to figure out what the hell to do with myself. My main goal, the only one I wanted to accomplish, was to just live my life. I was very lucky to have a partner I seemed to connect with in a way I still couldn't describe, I had friends who were willing to help when I had problems (and some of them came with royalty perks), and I had as much power as I think I would ever need. I only had three obstacles:

My powers responded too easily to my feelings, which were admittedly sensitive at times, and I kept getting involved in crazy shit.

If I needed to help Rainbow Dash perfect some flight technique, sure! I was happy to help. Rarity wants some inspiration? Of course, I can stand pretty still. Twilight wants to study portals? No problem, portals are my specialty. They're friends. If I was unwilling to help them when they needed it I would be a pretty unreliable guy.

The problem comes in when I do shit like root out an entire species of shapeshifters, spy on them with Meta Knights, and then send another agent of my own to capture a changeling princess who didn't know how to keep in her... pants?

Chrysalis broke through into the Gala and hurt Carina, that was the only point I feel I was justified in my actions. I regret not realizing she was pregnant until I was moments away from killing her, but she was right there and I had the ability to at least remove her from the castle and my friends that she was being a danger towards. Everything before that? I should've just let Celestia and Luna know.

'Hey Luna, you might have a spy infestation to worry about.'

'Hey Celestia, Beta Knight got injured on that mission to capture Chrysalis you didn't tell me about before you sent My Knight!'

... The point was, they were the immortal leaders of the land with literal decades worth of experience. As mature as I was, Applejack's little sister had more experience than me. As creative as my solutions may be, as strong in combat as Luna might claim I am, those were not my problems to take on...

Which pissed me off, because I couldn't for the life of me agree with my own damn self.

Carina's injuries weren't my fault, but Chrysalis would never have been that strong had I not-

But Aurum would still be hungry if I didn't.

I didn't tell Chrysalis to run from home but maybe had I not made the Meta Knights-

But then I would have no Knights, no Squeak Squad, and there would be no Aurum, period.

There was the third problem. Things turned out fine. We have a Professor willing and able to help us with biological problems in the future, Canterlot was getting a whole airship, and little Aurum was born as healthy as could be. It was really hard to give myself shit when I was able to say to myself 'hey, see? Everything turned out okay in the end.'

Like I had any clue Aurum's healthy form was on the line. Like I had any clue Celestia would take some personal interest in Doc's technology. Like I had any clue we needed the opinion of a scientist from a whole other world to discover some secret about our own world.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I jumped before I noticed Luna in the air above me. I scooted over to the side to give her space to land.

"... I'm still waiting for Celestia to get back to me about what a penny is." She smiled as her hooves hit the ground.

"You will be waiting for awhile yet. I caught her trying to find the origins of the word. Her study had never been more disorganized." I just grunted, not really having anything to say to that. "I doubt that was what was truly on your mind just now. What troubles you? Your dream is usually full of your antics by now."

"No really, pennies haunt my every thought. I can never rest until I know their secrets."

"Elfilis..."

"I was trying to lighten the mood Luna. Give me a break." She had the decency to look apologetic at least, while I massaged my forehead. "Its the same crap as usual that I still haven't gotten over. Taking responsibility for everything, being reckless, being scared of myself. Take your pick. Hell, write some issues on a board, throw a dart, chances are you'll hit something that's pissing me off."

"I think you are-"

"Being too hard on myself. I know. I get it. But I'm still... something. Feeling something that's making me restless and uneasy." Thankfully my interuption didn't seem to tick her off.

"Do you have any place that you feel at ease?" Being the petulant creature I was, my first thought was 'no' but I didn't say it out loud.

"...When me and you are just talking, in the dream. When I'm at home, with Carina and Swaddle-Dee hiding somewhere. When I'm in Ponyville, just trying to find something to do or someplace to go."

"Then it sounds like you have plenty more important things to be thinking about other than the few mistakes you've made since your arrival." She smiled and leaned in, like she was going to tell me a secret. "And for the record, for all your worrying about ending the world or some such nonsense with your powers, you haven't had a single incident the whole time you've been here."

"Galacta Knight?"

"Twilight burned a hole in the wall when Chrysalis attacked. If she gets off with a warning of caution, then you should be forgiven for your actions done in defense of your Knights."

"... Alright, that makes me feel a little better."

"Good. Now, what I was thinking about was-" Adolescent dragon screams and over-excited changeling war cries interupted us.

"Twlight! This test isn't fun anymore!"

"Come on! I sat there while you breathed dragon fire on me, it's my turn! Take it like a man!"

"I am not a man! I am an innocent baby! Stop trying to hurt the baby!" I just shook my head and turned back toward the sky.

"You were saying?"

Twilight ignored the battle for the ages taking place behind her while she tried to make sense of the notes in front of her. Professor Oak had been willing to share everything he knew about Type energy, but even with everything right in front of her it was hard to make heads or tails of. She looked at her own little experiments. Shed carapace from her time studying Carina's anatomy alongside several dragon scales, all of them sanded down to size.

Twilight had been skeptical of Oaks claim that these energies were real attributes that could effect the world, but seeing a dragon hurt it's own claws on Carina dispelled some of that doubt. Still, she thought, that was a dragon from outside Equestria, so maybe its claws are softer than expected. So she chose to do some tests of her own. Results were... confusing. She knew Spikes scales were individually tougher and harder than Carina's carapace. The changeling had once cracked it while getting too rough in bed. Spike casually tanked falling bookshelves when he was a toddler.

So how did Carina's old spent shell wear down Spikes freshly shed scales? Clearly, there was some merit to this Type energy idea. But Twilight couldn't figure out why it worked. Under a microscope, nothing of note. Spell analysis on the structures of the materials in use, nothing of note.

Unless... Twilight wondered if she was getting too distracted by the physical reactions to see the source.

The unicorn carefully pulled a small amount of magic to her horn and prepared a spell to put over her eyes. This spell was normally used to spot injuries to a unicorns horn, specifically injuries to the magic channels inside. She had first learned this spell when Shining Armor was practicing for the guard. For weeks he had complained about headaches when casting spells but refused to get medical help because 'it was good practice for when I'm out on the field.' Twilight found around five broken channels from where her brother had clearly kept up a spell for far longer than he should have.

She didn't use that spell though, she took that spell and took it apart in her mind.

The energy layer under the target layer under the focus all contained in a bubble of discipline. She poked a hole in that bubble, and took hold of that focus.

A quarter turn this direction resulted in monochrome vision.

A half turn this way made heat visible.

Turned exactly fourty-seven point two degrees, Twilight was able to see through her own fur.

Deciding to say 'fuck it' and bending the focus inwards created... Wait was that it?

Twilight almost missed it, but Spike's scales were glowing a dark blue color under her modified spell, and Carina's hot pink shedding glowed a much lighter pink. She put the bubble back over the spell and picked up one of the scales in her hoof before slowly bringing it to the chitin. She watched very carefully as they touched, and she smiled triumphantly as she saw the pink energy glow bright as the blue energy dimmed. It might have been a little early to celebrate, but she dared to say she got it.

Daroach was just a little uncomfortable with the situation. Getting praised for his bravery was not exactly how he spent most of his nights.

"Thank you Daroach, and you as well Storo, for your actions at the Gala." And he was pretty sure Celestia knew it, because of the teasing smirk on her face. "It lightens my heart to know that I can rely on you to keep my ponies safe in times of need."

"Aw shucks princess, you're gonna make me blush." No really, stop it. "We were only doing our civil duties you know. Sides, I was already crashing the party. Place was too full with two of us in it." Daroach would've elbowed Storo as he laughed, but he knew the big mouse wouldn't even notice.

"Of course. All the same, I would like to reward you for your heroics." He perked up as Celestia levitated a small chest out from behind her throne. Maybe he could get used to the whole hero thing. He tried not to look too eager as he plucked it out of the air and opened. It wasn't full of gold, but the rolled up parchment could be an old treasure map, or a deed to some land. He unfurled it to see his prize.

"... I, Princess Celestia of the Sun, Co-Ruler of Equestria, hearby pardon the Squeak Squad of all crimes prior to the events of the Grand Galloping Gala..."

Octavia was tired. Her partners mother was a psychopath, it was putting strain on their relationship, and the Gala she performed at was attacked by another one of Vinyl's estranged family members. There were upsides though. She was compensated for the danger she was in, as well as for the minor damages to her person, on top of her payment for playing at the Gala. So whatever they needed to do to get Vinyl's surgery done, Octavia was sure they had enough bits stored up to afford it without dipping too hard into their savings.

"Vinyl? I'm home. I don't know how fast news traveled, but the Gala was a tad more exciting this year." She didn't get any answers, but she wasn't really expecting any. It was very late, or perhaps too early, so Vinyl was more than likely asleep already. Octavia softly put down her scuffed cello and made her way to their room. She quietly opened the door to see Vinyl passed out on the bed, a book open over her muzzle with several others surrounding her on the floor. "If only you were so studious back in school."

Octavia was going to just remove the book and then crawl into bed with her, but she couldn't help but notice the book as picked it up.

'Pony Anatomy: What's What and Where They Go'

It was certainly an odd read, but it wasn't the strangest thing Vinyl had ever brought home. Still, curiosity buzzing in the back of her mind, Octavia began to look at the other books scattered across the floor.

'Unicorn Magic for Foals: Learning to Shape a Spell'

'Big Staff's Guide to Tantric Magic'

'A Mare's Rod, a True Story'

'Pre-emptive Couples Therapy: Is Forgiveness Truly Better than Permission?'

'Help! My Husband Doesn't Want Foals!'

'25 Tips: Phalluses of the World'

'Advanced Magic Composition: How to Change a Spell to Fit Your Needs' This one in particular had about five warning labels on the front cover alone.

Octavia didn't know what to do with this information.

And all of this was rather exciting! New magic being discovered? Tia playing pranks on criminal rodents? A mare walking in on her partner studying spells for the hot and bothered? This is chaos! And so natural too, my brand of chaos is admittedly quite artificial. But this! This is amazing! Which is why it's such a shame that the catalyst of all this Discord is so reluctant to use his gifts. You have great power, not just over the world but over those around you. Flex those abilities a bit for goodness sake, relax a bit and stretch out your legs. Live a little!

Oh who am I kidding. You would never let loose if you ever had the choice.

So I guess I just won't give you that choice.

Don't worry, I'll keep Equestria company while you're off on vacation. And time passes quickly when you're having fun.

It

Will

Be

Over

In

A

SNAP

Author's Note

Anyone else have that problem, where they want to describe very scene in excruciating detail? And by the end you realize you've written a chapters worth of scenery? I've done that. And then I scrap all of it and I worry that I don't have enough detail. OCD is real.