Twilight: The Bookless Mare

It's a peaceful day in Ponyville. As always everypony is enjoying mid-summer's afternoon outdoors. Well, almost everypony. Twilight, oh sweet Twilight. Confining herself to her room with those crazy books of hers. Nopony sees how she can just shut out the world like she does. So much studying and not much comes out of it.

Golden Oaks Library

"Twilight," Spike calls up the stairs. "Princess Celestia is coming to Ponyville to visit you today!" He begins climbing the stairs talking the entire way up.

"She says that she wants to spend some time with you and see how you've been-" He stops and shakes his head as he reaches her open doorway and realizes she wasn't paying one bit of attention to anything he had just said. "Oh brother, why do I even bother with it?"

He grins and walks over to her. "Hey Twilight." She doesn't even look up from her book. "So, seeing as you aren't really paying attention you wouldn't mind if I were to burn one of your books would you?"

"What?! Don't you dare Spike!" She reels around and stares at him incredulously. "Why in the name of Luna would I let you do that?"

"Good, now that I have your attention. As I was saying Princess Celestia is coming to visit you today."

"She is? Why?" Twilight begins to panic. "She isn't making me take a test is she? Oh man, I haven't been studying hard enough. What if she has something on there that I can't answer? What if she wants an immediate friendship report? What if-" Spike cuts her off by shoving his claw into her mouth.

"Calm down Twilight. Sheesh, she isn't making you take a test. She just wants to visit you and see how you been. Is that so illegal?"

Twilight sighs, "No, I guess you're right. I really do need to stop freaking out. I just don't normally get visits like that from Princess Celestia. When did you say she's coming again?"

Spike facepalms and sighs, "She's coming today as in this afternoon." He looks to the clock. "Well, I guess that means you have about three hours before she shows up."

Twilight immediately runs off into the bathroom to begin getting ready. "What is up with her today...No Spike it's just Twilight being Twilight." With that he heads back down the stairs and decides to see what Rarity is up to.

Carousel Botique

Spike calmly pushes open the door to the Botique and hears the little bell ring letting Rarity know that somepony, some dragon in this case, was there.

"Just one moment Deary. I'll be right with you," he hears from somewhere off in the other room. It wasn't but a few minutes later that Rarity walked out of the room with her mane somewhat a mess and her red glasses a bit askew upon her nose. "Hello Spike. What brings you here today?"

"I needed to get out of the library and away from Twilight for a bit. I don't know what's up with her nowadays...She seems to not wanna do anything, but study. I mean seriously. It took me telling her that I was gonna set one of her books on fire just to get her attention."

"Oh my, seems like she really is getting out of hoof about the studying. Well, there isn't really anything we can do about it, is there? I mean she lives in a library. She's always surrounded by them. We can't just take them away from her."

"Yeah, actually I think we could," Spike says with a grin.

"What do you mean," Rarity asks cautiously.

"Well, what if Princess Celestia took them away from her for a while. Maybe she could forbid her from books for like a week or so."

"I don't know Spike. You remember what it was like with Pinkie Pie when we put her on a diet. What if Twilight goes just as crazy or worse?"

"Honestly you have a point, but I just can't take it. I mean I'm getting tired of having to repeat myself every two seconds because she was paying attention to a book instead of something as important as the Princess or her friends. I understand being prepared for things. I like a good book just as much as the next pony, but I can't take it anymore."

"I see your point. Well, I guess we can try, but I really don't think this is going to work."

"Oh it'll work my dear Rarity, it will work." Spike chuckles a bit. "We just have to do a bit of extreme planning."

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you Spike." Rarity sighs for what seems to be the fiftieth time that day and follows the baby dragon back outside after inspecting herself in the mirror and making herself presentable.

Golden Oaks Library

Twilight desperately searches through her closet trying to find her saddlebags. "Oh, where's Spike when I need him? He almost always knows where all my stuff is." She digs and throws eveything out into a pile until she finally gives up and goes downstairs into the kitchen for some tea. "Well at least I don't look like a nightmare right now." Moments later she hears a knock on her door.

"Oh man. I hope that isn't the Princess yet." She hurriedly finishes her tea and puts her cup in the sink before walking over and opening the door. Just as she gets it fully open she is tackled by a cyan and orange blur. "AH!" She yells out before she looks around to see Rainbow Dash and Applejack both clutching at their sides with hysteria.

"You two scared the hay outta me! What is wrong with you two?" Twilight seethes at them.

"Oh Twilight, you should've saw the look on your face. Priceless," Rainbow says between fits of laughter.

"Ooohwee Twilight, y'all sure do know how to flip on us. I don't think I've seen ya that scared in a long time," Applejack says still laughing as well.

"Sometimes I don't even know how I can put up with you two. Everytime I turn around you two are doing something to me," Twilight says a bit more forceful than she had intended.

"Well, if you didn't make it so easy to do we might not do it as often," Rainbow Dash points out waving a hoof in the air for emphasis.

"Uh-huh, right. Well, if you two don't have anything important to discuss I suggest you leave so I can finish getting ready to spend the day with the Princess."

"Sheesh, Twilight. It was just a little fun. No need to be so mean about it." Rainbow rolls her eyes as she says this and turns to walk out the door.

"I'm sorry, no please just go."

"Alright," Rainbow and Applejack both say at the same time. "Later." With that they both walk out the door and off to enjoy the summer day.

"Grrr...why can't they just let me be for once," Twilight says to herself as she continues getting everything ready to go. "Oh, there it is!" She smiles and grabs her saddlebags that had been hanging on the rack just inside the doorway, grabs the few things she needs and decides to sit out on the bench with a book while she waits for Princess Celestia.

Ponyville Town Square

Rarity and Spike both are sitting upon a bench as Rainbow Dash and Applejack shove each other back in forth as they pass through. Normally Rarity wouldn't say a word to them seeing as they always seem to be either challenging each other or just goofing off in general. Spike on the other hoof, claw in this case, can't help but call to them.

"What's up Applejack? How's it hangin' Rainbow Dash?" He begins to walk towards them.

"Oh, it's hangin' alright," Rainbow Dash says as she scoops him up with a wing and dangles him in the air with her tail wrapped around his left foot.

"Really Rainbow Dash, can't ya just leave the poor feller alone fer once," Applejack asks trying not to laugh.

"I could, but then I wouldn't be having any fun."

Spike proceeds to try and grab at Rainbow's tail, but can't seem to lift himself high enough to do so. Instead he does the next best thing. "Hey Rainbow Dash, if you let me down from here I won't tell Twilight about your little secret." He chuckles and then falls painfully to the ground.

"You wouldn't dare tell her about that! Would you?" She leans down and whispers the last part.

"Oh yes I would. If you don't stop with your hanging of the dragon here I wouldn't have to resort to being so low."

"And just what little secret would ya be speakin' of Rainbow Dash? It idn't the one I'm thinkin' is it," Applejack asks coming up close to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow only proceeds to drop her head and blush.

"Ah always knew ya had a thing for Twilight," Applejack teases her.

"No I don't! Why would I care about that when it comes to an egghead like Twilight," Rainbow Dash responds loudly.

"Cause ya wanner flank that's why," Applejack continues.

"No I don't. Even if I did what business of yours would it be?" Rainbow Dash jumps in the air as she says this and flies off to pout in a nearby tree.

"We can still see you Rainbow Dash," Spike calls out chuckling a bit.

"That's all good and everything, but if you can't tell I don't care." She turns away from them and stares off into the sky.

"Well, I guess you wouldn't want to know what I have planned for Twilight then," Spike says with a devious grin. Just as easy as that Rainbow Dash makes her way over to them again at Pinkie Speed.

"What was that about a plan for Twilight?"

"Ya kinda got me in'erested as well," Applejack says cracking her neck.

"Well, me and Rarity actually were talking about it before we came over here," Spike begins. "We kinda were wanting to talk to Princess Celestia and see if we can get her to get Twilight away from her books for a while. I'm talking like a week when I say a while."

They both look at him as if he is insane. "What?!" The two of them ask at the same time, looking like the eyes in their skulls are about to pop right out from surprise.

"Have ya lost yer mind," Applejack asks after she regains her ability to speak again.

"Yeah, really Spike. Don't you remember when we put Pinkie on that crazy diet," Rainbow Dash agrees.

"Well, of course I remember that, but I doubt Twilight can be as bad as Pinkie without her daily dose of sugar," Spike says trying to reassure them.

"I told you it was a bad idea Spike," Rarity says finally getting off the bench and walking over to them to stand between Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

"Yeah, yeah. Even still I wanna try it," he responds waving a claw dismissively. Speaking of the Princess, here she comes now."