FiC: Twilight's Devotion

Twilight's Devotion

Chapter 1

“Hey Twilight, got any of that stuff you used on Rarity once when she kept complaining about the dress sizes on Winona?”

“No, but Zecora might do.”

And that was all she said, she never said any more than that. Not since last year.

Applejack trotted away from Twilight's floating home quietly. Ever since she became a Princess Twilight ignored everypony. She moved her home away from the other ponies near to the edge of the Everfree, she doesn't come to Pinkie's parties, she never answers the door in person but gets Spike to do it, always. Other than that she replies shortly from her window, without taking her head out to see anypony.

Applejack sighed as she trotted back to the barn. Fixing Winona would be hard trouble, the Anniversary of Twilight's Princesshood was next week and Ponyville wanted to give her a big surprise, but Applejack especially. Everypony wanted to be in best shape, and their pets would be no different. Rainbow Dash made sure that not a single cloud was in the sky for last week, of course that brought problems with the water supply. She didn't want to miss a single one or the sky would look uneven.

Rainbow Dash had suddenly got a great gobble of OCD not long before now. She was obliged to help Rarity do some of her dresses as she had nothing else to do, even though it wasn't Rainbow Dash's thing. Soon after she developed the same kind of problem as Rarity. Everything had to be, must be perfect. Otherwise gone.

Pinkie was busy making decorations. She needed the materials which had ran short because Canterlot had a few collapsed building that needed repairing. Pinkie stayed in Sweetie Bell's room with her. Sweetie Bell was out with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom doing skydiving hoping again for their Cutie Marks leaving her room free for Pinkie to use whatever she wanted with all her space and not getting shouted at by Ms and Mr. Cake.

Fluttershy was practising a song with her birds (and some beavers).

“Canary, your tune is a lidlebit off. Now again from verse two. A one, a two, one, two, three, four...”

They were interrupted by a swift breeze.

“Oh I'm sorry.” Fluttershy said she calmed the fluttering birds down and back to their places on the stage tree.

There was a rattling in the trees around her, not a violent one, just the kind that came after the cold winds came by.

“Don't worry, I'm going to see what it is, I'll be back soon. You can practise while I'm gone... if you don't mind.”

Fluttershy stepped away and turned around, she walked down the path and heard trotting further up.

She was then greeted by Applejack materializing beside her.

“Howdy Fluttershy! I came to see if you knew where Zecora could be, I heard that she had some knock-some-sense-into-you potion or something and I need Rarity to give me something for Winona to wear. She looks downright muddy and it's starting to stick hard!”

Fluttershy took a small breath.

“Oh Applejack, I'm so sorry. I don't know where she is, but I'll be certain to tell you if I do see her right away.” She turned away from Applejack and continued down the path.

“Right, if I can't find Zecora, or get Rarity to help me make a good dress, then I'll just have to make one myself!”

“RARITY!!!! RARITY WHERE ARE THE RED RIBBONS! YOU TOLD ME TO LOOK IN THE THIRD DRAWER ON THE LEFT SIDE BUT I ONLY FOUND GREEN ONES!”

Rarity entered the room, frustrated.

“Sorry Pinkie but I can't focus with all your yelling right next to me. The red ribbons are in the fifth drawer.” She pointed at the fifth drawer on the left side of the room. Pinkie hopped over to them and opened it.

“Thanks Rarity!” And then she continued her string of ribbons.

“One little adjustment, pink and blue aren't really anniversary colours, try yellow and white.”

Rarity quickly left before Pinkie had time to reply.

She entered her room and continued making her dress.

“It has got to be flashy,” she said as she put sparkly silver glitter over her white dress.

“It must be big,” she said as she puffed it up from the bottom with an air-blower.

“And most of all... appealing!” She added a few stitches onto the head rim to lower the collar.

“Never use blanket stitches, they are for blankets.” She kept on reminding herself.

“RARITY, WHERE DID YOU SAY THAT THE PINS WHERE?!”

Rarity barged out of her room, she couldn't work peacefully with an animal in her house.

“Pinkie the pins are on the top shelf! I give you a chair to use to get up there!”

Pinkie looked around and spotted a chair.

“Sorry Rarity!” She said as she got the chair.

Rarity went back to making her dress.

“Rainbow Smash!” Rainbow Dash said as she busted another cloud, and another, and another. Even the split up clouds were getting busted by her. She really had a major problem. She started bursting white balloons because they looked like white clouds and she wouldn't allow that.

“A cloudless sky, a Pegasi record, not a single cloud in all of Equestria and beyond!”

She busted and bucked on cloud after cloud, until eventually she began to feel the drag of the wind. Her anatomy was built on being air-resistant, that was why she had such a pointed head.

She flew and kept on busting more clouds, even through her tiresomeness she could do it. In her ignorance she crashed straight into Twilight Sparkle’s flying home. It shook a little and Dash could hear some books fall down.

“Sorry Twilight!” She rushed and quickly began busting clouds above her home.

Busting clouds was more important than even Rainbow Dash's manners now. She still had them, but cloud clearing came first, they had an effect on his vision where if he saw one then he became fixated on it.

Rainbow Dash saw Fluttershy down below, luckily she had no clouds to distract her, so she flew down to meet her favourite flying buddy.

“Fluttershy, how nice to see you again! Seen any clouds lately, I bet not!”

“No I haven't.” She replied. “Right now I'm looking for something in the forest, it's disturbing my musical practice for Twilight's Anniversary.”

“What kind of thing is it?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I don't know, but it is very shaky.”

The trees shivered cold air around.

“Hey! This ain’t winter cut it out!”

“Hey Twilight, got any of that stuff you used on Rarity once when she kept complaining about the dress sizes on Winona?” Applejack shouted from the ground up at Twilight's floating home.

“No, but Zecora might do.” Twilight replied.

There she sat, she was sitting there for such a long time, possibly days. Spike entered her room.

“Was that Applejack? I heard she's been talking about you Twilight, says that you have been acting all lonely.”

Twilight got up, her face was angry-like and her tone was unbearable.

“Oh yeah?! And where did you find this out from?! How did you magically find a way to telepathically communicate with Applejack?! Hmm?! TELL ME!”

“She talks to you as says you are acting lonely. I only listen.”

Twilight sat back on her chair. The sun was setting, Celestia was beginning to rest and let Luna take her place. She stared out the window into the darkening sky.

“Spike, it's time to sleep now. I need to be alone.”

“Like the last week you've been saying the same things every night, Twilight what is going on? Why am I stuck up here with you? Why do you refuse to put the house down?” He had finally brought out the questions that needed answering, the ones that everypony in all of Ponyville wanted to know.

“Just leave Spike, it's night time and  need to sleep!”

Spike sighed, it was impossible arguing with a pony as stubborn as Twilight, and it has only gotten harder when her Princesshood too.

Spike left the room with his head down and closed the door behind him.

“Alright Luna, what is it that I need to do? You are the Princess of the Night, so why do I keep on getting these dreams?” Twilight sighed.

She took a book from her shelf, Starswirl's guide to Time and the Continuum.

She had read this on multiple occasions and found it one of the only books challenging for her.

She opened it to find on the first page a note slipped inside.

Twilight Sparkle, it has been long and I am afraid that if I leave this too late then the Ponyverse could become catastrophically obliterated.

“Obliterated?” Twilight thought.

The dreams Twilight, they are caused by a temporal fabric being distorted somewhere in the Ponyverse, where I am right now. But I can do nothing about it, you can.

“Someone from another star is writing a message, to me?” She said as she looked out the window.

She continued reading the message.

Use your knowledge, find me, find us. Don't be fooled by anything, anypony. Look out at the stars, they're disappearing.

Indeed they were, Twilight looked out and every few seconds a star vanished from the night sky.

It will not be long Twilight.

That was the end of the message. Twilight know nothing of what was happening, but the dreams kept on happening, she couldn't just ignore them. The same with the stars, that was not an illusion. And also how could anypony slip a note inside that book when she reads it every night and every day, and as almost constantly in the room? Something weird was happening, and Twilight had to sleep to find out what it was.

She rolled over and got under the blankets, a few of the stitched came off, she had been biting them out of nervousness. Twilight closed her eyes, and soon dreams came over to her.

“Applejack, look outside the sky's gone clear!” Apple Bloom nudged Applejack in her bed. “Applejack please!”

“Go to sleep sugar-cube.” Applejack said and rolled away from Apple Bloom.

“But Applejack!-”

Applejack sat up and wiped her eyes.

“What is it?”

“Look outside, the stars are going away!” Apple Bloom dragged Applejack out of her bed and to the window. Applejack looked outside and realised that her sister wasn't playing a joke.

“What in tarnation?!-” She questioned as she got up from the floor.

“I don't know sis, but I think that Twilight's got something to do with it.” Apple Bloom sadly put in.

“I wouldn't disagree with you there Apple Bloom.”

The next day Rainbow Dash was again going around busting balloons.

“Balloon burst!” She exclaimed as she bucked a cloud.

“Hey what do you think you're doing?” A dark grey coated and white haired Pegasi asked.

“Clearing the clouds.” Rainbow Dash quickly replied.

“I just put that there and we need it to rain over the cornfields, there hasn't been enough rain lately y'know!”

“Hey, there's only two days until Twilight's Anniversary, show some respect and clear the sky!”

The other pony ignored Rainbow Dash and flew away. He placed another cloud for it to be quickly destroyed by Rainbow Dash.

“You again! We need rain and if you keep on destroying these clouds then I'm going to have to get Pegasi accommodation to stop you!”

Rainbow Dash looked at the grey ponies' Cutie Mark, it was a strong breeze.

“And what are you going to do, blow me away?” Rainbow Dash laughed. The grey Pegasus got angry and then took a deep breath and, not ironically, blow Rainbow Dash away in a massive gust of wind, knocking him straight into Twilight's window.

“Sorry Twi-” Rainbow Dash looked around. “Twilight?”

Spike entered the room.

“Rainbow Dash, have you seen Twilight anywhere?”

“No, I thought she'd be here even if I wasn't.”

“She's gone! I can't believe it! She's gone...” Spike sat down and looked at the floor.

“At least she's out the house.” Rainbow Dash said.

“We've got to find her.” Spike said as he looked up.

Rainbow Dash zoomed down from the sky, straight at the Apples' Barn. She stopped in front and looked around.

“Ah! Applejack!” She shouted as she flew to Applejack.

“Rainbow Dash? How nice is it to see you around the farm.”

“Applejack, have you seen Twilight around lately?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I was just about to ask the same thing.” Applejack replied.

“Spike and I are asking everypony, she's not in her house.” Rainbow Dash informed.

“Not in her house? Why'd she do that for?” Applejack asked.

“I don't know. But we need to see if the others know where she is.”

Applejack breathed deeply.

“Where's Spike at?”

“He's going to Pinkie's bakery.” Rainbow Dash answered.

“Alright. I'll check Fluttershy and you can do Rarity.” Applejack planned.

Spike walked up to Sugarcube Corner. He took one deep breath and entered.

“Hi Mr. Cake! I was wondering if Pinkie was around, something important I need to speak to her about.”

Mr. Cake stared.

“Pinkie's upstairs.” He said.

“Thanks Mr. Cake.” Spike hurried up the stairs to Pinkie's upper floor room.

“Hello Pinkie!” Spike greeted as he entered the pink room full of decorations. Now it was overfull of decorations, probably due to the Anniversary.

“Hello Spike! I'm so happy to see you!” She didn't get up from sitting, she was making decorations out of ribbons.

“Um... Pinkie, have you seen Twilight anywhere?”

“Twiley? Oh no no... why Spike?”

“She's gone then... she must be...”

“TWILIGHT'S GONE?!!” She shouted as she jumped up. She shouted so hard that the building shook, and probably the whole of Ponyville with it.

Rainbow Dash landed outside of Rarity's Shop. He politely knocked on the door.

“WHO IS IT?!!” Rarity shouted from inside

“Um.. It's Rainbow Dash.”

The door opened.

“Oh, it's you. I thought that shouting machine Pinkie was here. I kicked her out from all that shouting, drives me crazy!”

“Yeah, have you seen Twilight?” Dash quickly changed subject.

“Twilight? I wished. Another Unicorn would've helped a lot.”

“Oh, sorry I wasted your time Rarity, gotta go now!”

Rainbow Dash zoomed into the sky.

Applejack knocked on Fluttershy's door. Fluttershy quietly opened it.

“Oh, it's just Applejack, carry on.” She said to the birds.

“Fluttershy, I see you've gotta nice musical going there haven't you.”

“Oh yes, they are doing so well.”

“Anyway to get straight to the point, have you seen Twilight anywhere?”

“Oh no, I'm so sorry.” Fluttershy apologized.

“Don't be sorry sugarcube. We've just been noticin' the star disappearin' and we think Twi is involved in it.”

Fluttershy gasped as she looked at the sky. There weren’t many stars as it was early day, but enough to see going away.

Rainbow Dash found Spike at Sugarcube Corner.

“I knew you'd still be here.”

She landed with a small puff of smoke.

“I heard that Twilight's disappeared, after so long making all these decorations!” Pinkie shouted.

“Yeah, but what about the sky? Haven't you noticed the stars going away?”

Pinkie thought for a moment.

“No, not really. I'm an Earth Pony, we don't really look at the stars. Or do we?”

Rarity trotted up to them.

“Rarity how'd you find us?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I find that a rather rude question.” She replied.

“Sorry Rarity.” Rainbow Dash apologized.

“I  followed your Rainbow trail, you must've been in a hurry to get here.” She said smartly.

Applejack and Fluttershy trotted up.

“Howdy you all!” Applejack said.

“Great, that's all of us.” Rainbow Dash said.

“So what's going on then about Twilight?” Pinkie asked.

“Well she's gone and Spike and I think it is relating to the star disappearance.” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Yes, I overheard her last night talking about a message from another world, I think she's finally going crazier than ever.” Spike said.

“Why didn't you say so in the first place Spike? You know Twilight goes crazy over those things.” Rainbow Dash said.

“I think we are overusing the word 'crazy' here darlings, Twilight has just got a lot of things on her mind, being an Alicorn doesn't take a year to get used to.”

“I think that she's gone to find Zecora, just a hunch.” Fluttershy quietly added.

“Why Fluttershy?” Pinkie asked.

“I don't know.” Fluttershy answered.

“Well Zecora ain't a star kinda zebra, I don't we're heading in the right direction.” Rainbow Dash said.

“Maybe we should check out Twilight's room, like hide and seek!” Pinkie cheerfully added.

Everypony stared at her, including Spike.

“For once I gotta admit, Pinkie actually gave a good suggestion!”

“Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, I don't think we'll be able to get up there. You don't mind a little carrying do you?” Rarity kindly asked.

They all entered Twilight's room through her window by the balcony. Pinkie used a ladder. Fluttershy took Rarity up, which took long. She regretted the decision of Pegasi taking her up and wished that she had taken the ladder. Rainbow Dash took Applejack up, which was quick.

Spike followed Pinkie up the ladder, he was used to that after all those years working with Twilight carrying books in the library and putting them on high shelves.

“I guess we should start digging!” Applejack said. She exited the room, flinging the door open.

Fluttershy and Spike stayed Twilight's room and the others exited.

“Hey Fluttershy, can you see on top of that shelf for me? I can't climb and my short ladder has disappeared.”

Fluttershy looked on top of the shelf.

“Nothing.” She flew back down.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie chucked piles of books down from the shelves trying to find secret levers or switches. Rarity spent most of her time not looking but cleaning up. Rainbow Dash couldn't help it but sometimes he had to help neaten the piles up.

“Why does Twi have to have so many books?” Rainbow Dash questioned everypony.

“Yeah, not like any of these are actually useful.” Applejack added as she picked up one of them.

Rarity accidentally toppled over one of the piles.

“Oh I'm sorry.”

“Spike, I found something...” Fluttershy whispered.

Spike descended from the drawer he was standing on.

“What is it?”

Fluttershy pointed under Twilight's bed. Spike looked under and heaved out a large chest made of bronze like metal.

“It's very cold.” Spike informed her.

Fluttershy left the room and asked the others to come and see what they found.

“Wow! I never knew Twilight kept a secret stash of candy under her bed!” Rainbow Dash said.

Applejack stepped forward. “Let's open it then, see what's in it.”

Everypony backed away. Applejack gave it one of the hardest bucks in the last decade right where the lock was. It didn't open.

“Silly ponies, this is a Unicorn's chest. Or an Alicorn, whatever. It can only be opened by careful observation and time.” Rarity stepped in front of the chest lock, took a hairpin from her hair and began playing around with the lock.

“Well then how about we clean up that library now? Show some respect to Twi when she gets back.” Applejack suggested.