Raise the Sun

Slowly, Twilight pulled herself into consciousness, the coming day shining through her window of the Golden Oaks Library bade her rise from her bed and down to her study; not caring to freshen for the day ahead, nor to cook breakfast. At least not yet, she reasoned with a glance to the wall clock. Six o'clock in the morning, not nearly time for it yet anyway, and Spike had been surprisingly helpful in preparing meals for the past few weeks. If only he knew what she had been engaging in for that time and longer, he would know why she had been so solitary lately.

Magically undoing the lock on the chest in her back room, she levitated the top book of its contents, "The Necromancer's Guide to Divination". However tentatively she had thought to delve into the subject of the dark arts, Twilight's discovery of its raw power had brought on a curiosity to a great many things. Her own affinity with magic, her unhinged episodes of wild magic, even such things as the Pinkie Sense she began to accommodate for in her studies.

The sun tilted slightly higher in through the window, reminding her that indeed the early hours of the morning would not last forever. With renewed vigor, she tore into the book again and read through more and more of the book itself. Four chapters later the burning sphere's light shone dazzling through the window, bringing the purple mare to raise a fetlock to her face to shield from its intense brightness but a tingling in her horn caught her alerted to the presense of an immense power behind her. Lowering the book, she turned about to face the majestic figure of her teacher, Princess Celestia. "Princess!" she exclaimed, overjoyed as she returned the book to its proper holding place and snapping the chest shut. "What a surprise!"

"Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student..." Celestia smiled, watching as the young mare grappled onto and embraced her at her foreleg for lack of height to reach her full frame. "I am afraid there are matters that need tending to."

"Is this about the Summer Sun Celebration?" Twilight asked, telekinetically pulling her calendar marking the day to her side. "I heard it was in Ponyville again this year; is there anything I can do to-"

The princess raised a hoof as she sat down, her eyes closed and face saddened. Twilight immediately silenced out of respect for her wishes of peace.

"You have been studying some quite exotic material these past few months, Twilight Sparkle." Celestia noted, her eyes flickering to the chest containing just such books of study. "Your friends worry for your safety; these arts were forbidden by Equestrian law ages ago."

Twilight sputtered for a moment, her jaw agape. "Is there something wrong?" She asked, genuinely innocent in her curiosity.

"Necromancy is a field of magic reserved only for the most heightened of unicorns to study, Twilight. Even Princess Luna and I are cautious when we use it. I must ask you to relinquish your material."

"But I haven't cast a thing!" Twilight protested, "I couldn't possibly-"

Celestia's raised eyebrow stopped her cold. Reluctantly, she unlocked her chest again and emptied its contents onto the floor at the princess' hooves, leaving the empty box ajar beside them. With only a spark igniting along Celestia's horn, the pile of books vanished into thin air. "Thank you, Twilight." Celestia said somberly as she rose to her hooves, "I have worried for your safety ever since I learned of your activities. You look as though you have been very negligent of your day-to-day life as well. I will see you on the coming morn at the festival?"

Twilight nodded with a smile. "You got it, princess."

Electing to take the mundane route back from where she had come, Celestia turned and stepped through Twilight's doorway as she opened it with her magic. As soon as she had gone, Twilight turned to a small hatch towards the side of her back room, where the originals of each book had been stored away. Change of plans, she decided. 'Recopy the books' now lay atop her list of things to do.

"Twilight?" She heard a familiar cowcolt accent at her door with a knock. "Twi?"

Reluctantly the unicorn answered the door, opening it to see her closest friend and confidant peering in curiously. "Hey Applejack." she greeted her mildly, opening the door wider for her to step in. "What's up?"

"Ah was thinkin', ya know since we all met all those years ago at Pinkie Pie's party before the Summer Sun Celebration, we'd all do another one this year since it's here in Ponyville again!" Applejack announced as she came in and stood beside Twilight's pedestal which she had usually used for her letters to the princess... back in the day when she actively studied friendship. These days the protoge of the princess kept to her home so tightly it nearly barred access to her from her friends. Still the ever-true Applejack didn't ask what had kept the unicorn so busy, instead focused on brighter subjects. "So what do ya think?"

"I guess!" Twilight beamed, "It's been forever since we all got together, and you know how Pinkie is with her parties."

"Darn tootin'!" Applejack reared on her hind hooves, her forelegs flailing about excitedly, "Alright then, Ah got some preppin' t'do back at the farm, we'll meet back here in two hours!"

Twilight opened her mouth to agree, but already the orange pony had darted through her door. "Alright then!" she chuckled, turning to the hatch with an inflective sigh. "It has been forever..."