Chapters The days passed rather quick with all the events that happened in the past year alone. Twilight and her friends fought through many hardships, but they were all nothing six best friends couldn't handle together. That was the magic of friendship. However, the other half of Twilight's studies didn't fare as well. The one thing that was what made Twilight who she is. The one thing that defined Twilight Sparkle. The one thing that she was always eager to learn as much of as she can. Magic.
Over the course of the years she lived since she earned her cutie mark, Twilight had made it her obligation to learn as much magic as she could. With all of the studying she had done in as much time as a year, she could learn more than 5 spells a month, and at least one of these spells would be an advanced spell; something which a high level of magic was required to perform. Twilight already had the level of magic necessary to perform these types of spells, and it showed immensely.
But she wanted to test her magical output even further, so she searched through her library. Each and every day, book after book, scroll after scroll flew from the bookshelves. Piles of them sat around her as she looked through each one. Although there were many different subjects of magic to browse through, almost all of it covered subjects she already knew. Time and time again, Spike had attempted to convince her to take breaks. She did sometimes, but most of the time, she excused herself by being "too busy" to take a break.
And yet again, it happened as the small purple dragon came inside her bedroom, carrying a cup of coffee in his hand.
"Twilight, it's been a whole year already. When will you relax? Here, this should help a little." He held out the cup towards Twilight. It glowed a deep fuchsia hue as it levitated over to her, and she took a small sip.
"Thanks Spike, but I still have yet to find anything. I can't stop until I do. It's nice of you to think of me like this, but now's not the time." She set down the cup on the table next to her before her mind toggled back to the book laying in front of her.
"Twilight, will you just look at yourself? Your mane is frazzled, your tail is ruffled, you look like you haven't showered in days... you look worse than you did when you freaked out about being late for a friendship report. You need to get off your flank and do something that doesn't involve books."
"Sorry Spike, but this is important to me. Have you ever stopped to consider that me learning more magic can be something that could save Equestria in the future or something? What if I needed a certain spell sometime, and I didn't have said spell? Then all of Equestria would be doomed!" More books flew off shelves, hovering around Twilight as their pages were shown to her.
"Ugh, now you're just being overdramatic. I'm sure whatever magic spell you would ever need in the future, you would have already known by now. Just relax. Take a deep breath. Spend some free time doing something that, once again, doesn't involve books. Take a walk. Hang out with Pinkie Pie. Visit Fluttershy. Anything that isn't this. Also, a shower wouldn't kill you." Spike pointed at Twilight's messed-up mane. Never had he seen it so unnatural.
"Ok, you have a point on the shower. I'll get to that eventually."
"Does eventually mean a few days from now?" Spike rolled his eyes, giving Twilight a disapproving look afterward. Twilight just ignored his comment, and focused back to her books.
"What would Princess Celestia think of seeing you like this?" Now Spike only crossed his arms as his gaze met Twilight's. That's when a spark clicked in the unicorn's head, and a grin formed in her face. Before Spike could question her sudden happiness, she disappeared, and teleported behind him, staring down at his small body with that same grin.
"That's a great idea, Spike. I'll write a letter to her!"
"It... it is? I mean, of course it is! Yup, a great idea I came up with myself. Me, myself and I... I think?" Spike shrugged, and pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment from seemingly out of nowhere. "Whenever you're ready, Twi!"
The halls of Canterlot Castle were almost always quiet. The only sounds that would pierce the quietness of them would be the audible clopping of hooves from the Royal Guards, or one of the princesses themselves.Towards one end of a hallway were the Royal Guard Barracks, a hall where the guards would report for duty, as well as taking small breaks in the lounge area. The other end of the hallway lead to the royal library, where hundreds of thousands of books, scrolls, and almost anything informational were stored. Between those two hallways were a third hallway, and the end of that led to the Throne Room, where Princess Celestia tended to her duty as the ruler of all of Equestria.
Every once in a while, the Princess would receive a friendship report from her faithful student Twilight, as well as her many friends in Ponyville. Every time she read these reports, a smile formed on her face, as the magic of friendship was something she always cherished. Looking ahead, she noticed yet another swirl of magical energy materialize into a scroll. She gladly unfurled the parchment, and began to read over it.
Dear Princess Celestia,
There is something I would like you to take into consideration. My time as your student has been nothing short of the best years of my life, and I am grateful for all the years you have spent teaching me magic.
However, in the past year, I have noticed that, while my magical input has increased immensely, there really hasn't been much to improve on. What I mean is, I am trying to learn as much magic as I can, but I feel as though I'm close, if not already there, to reaching my limit.
I know there are higher existing degrees of magic, but I couldn't find any answers in any of the books in my library. Perhaps you, or anypony else you know, has an answer? Please, I'm desperate to increase my magic potential.
Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle
As she finished the letter, Celestia took a moment to think to herself. Twilight, the one pony who was perhaps the most powerful unicorn in Equestria, one with the highest potential, and the Element of Magic herself, suddenly has less potential of her magic? This didn't sit well with the Princess. But, if she had been telling the truth about this, what was Celestia to do about it? She thought about that second last sentence in the letter.
Perhaps you, or anypony else you know, has an answer?
Right there was when Celestia thought, Maybe there is an answer, but... it is an option I didn't think I would ever take. Twilight means a lot to me, and whatever choices she makes, I can only support and guide her through. I am just not sure about this decision of hers. However, if Twilight wishes to take her magical studies further, I believe there is nothing more I can do, but to enlist the help of somepony else.
Celestia turned to one of the guards standing beside her in front of the throne. "Fetch my sister, and call her to my chambers."
The guard, without a questioning word, went off to find the other princess that ruled Equestria. Celestia rose up from her place, and proceeded to exit the grand room.
It hadn't been long before Equestria's younger co-ruler, Princess Luna, arrived in Celestia's chambers. "You called, sister?"
Celestia turned her head from the balcony towards Luna. "Yes. Come here, Luna. There is a matter of importance I must discuss with you."
"Really? What in Equestria can be so important that you seek my assistance for?" Luna had a brow raised, wondering why she would be needed.
"It's about Twilight. Something tells me she is having trouble in her studies. In fact, she is that something, and it worries me. You know very much how dedicated she is in learning magic, do you?" Celestia had a tinge of worry in her voice.
"But of course. She is very adept in magic, but that does not explain what exactly troubles her. What would be the reason, if I may ask?"
With her horn glowing, the letter from Twilight appeared in front of Celestia. She levitated it over to Luna, who grasped it with her own magic, and began to read it.
"Mmmhmm... nothing short of the best years of my life... all the years you have spent..." When she read on, her eyes narrowed a bit.
"Hasn't been much to improve on... trying to learn as much magic... close, if not already there, to reaching my limit... higher existing degrees of magic... couldn't find any answers... desperate to increase my magic potential." Luna stared long and hard at the letter, trying to comprehend what she had just read.
"Her limit? But I do not understand. I have always had the feeling she possessed incredible magic potential. Suddenly, it falters?" The look on her face showed nothing more than confusion.
"That is what I am not sure about, and for the first time in years, I am not sure about what the answer to her problem is. Perhaps you could help me come up with one?"
Luna shifted her eyes upwards, and placed a hoof on her chin, as if to ponder in thought. "Hmm... I may have the answer, and it exists in an ancient tome I discovered not too long ago. Do you remember back when Star Swirl started developing certain spells?"
"Luna, you don't mean... those spells, do you?"
She looked back at her older sister. "The very same he used with myself. But, those spells may be the answer to Twilight Sparkle's dilemma, as well as be a variable for something bigger we should take a look at. It lies in said tome."
Celestia looked off into the distance from the balcony they were standing on. Her face show a glint of worry. "I am not so sure about this. Twilight is my faithful student, and I don't want to risk anything."
"Do you not trust me, sister? She is asking for this, and besides, it would be wise of you to consider the options. At least take the time to look at the book I had been referring to."
Celestia stayed silent for a moment. She really wasn't sure if she wanted to put Twilight through even more studies of magic, even if she wanted to. Before first arriving in Ponyville, Twilight had been obsessed with studying, intent on increasing her knowledge and magical ability. Since then, she had been learning the study of friendship, if there was even a such thing as the study of friendship. She still did study, but took time of to have fun with her many friends in Ponyville.
In this case though, Luna had been proposing something different. She had been willing to give Celestia a chance to present Twilight with yet another opportunity of a lifetime. She knew Luna meant well. She then turned to face her. "Alright, Luna. I will see what it is you have to show me."
"You shall not be disappointed, sister."
Chapter 2: Just Another Day
As Twilight trotted out of her library, Spike riding on her back as usual, she looked around the lively streets of Ponyville. Every one of the ponies she saw were looking as happy as can be. Off in the distance, she could see her fast-flying speedster friend Rainbow Dash, resting atop a cloud like she usually liked to do from time to time. Of course, that didn't matter to her. She just wanted to enjoy the day as best as she could.
"So Spike, since this was your idea, what would you propose we do first?" Twilight looked down at her #1 assistant, hoping to get some answer from him. She always knew he was smart, even if he didn't show it most of the time.
"Well, let's see... there are many choices out there to choose from. You could hang out with Pinkie Pie, have a relaxing tea session with Rarity, visit Fluttershy, help Rarity with her dresses, see if Applejack needs help on Sweet Apple Acres, relax at the spa with Rarity..."
"Spike, you mentioned Rarity three times."
"I-I did? Heh, I didn't notice..." Spike shifted his eyes around embarassingly. He tried many a time not to show his crush on the white fashionista, but he couldn't help it.
"I suppose the relaxing tea session is a good start, but we're not going over there so you can fawn over her. Remember Spike, this is a day meant for me to just relax, keep calm, and not think about work or studying in any way possible." Twilight inhaled as she put a hoof to her chest, and let go as she exhaled a relieving sigh.
Just as they were about to head over to Carousel Boutique, the designer shop of Ponyville, as well as home to Rarity, Pinkie Pie crossed their paths carrying a rather pained Apple Bloom on her back. Twilight and Spike could only stare in confusion.
"Pinkie, why are you carrying Apple Bloom on your back, and what happened to her? She looks like she's hurt." Apple Bloom was clutching onto one of her hind hooves with both of her forehooves, her disgruntled face clearly showing she was in pain.
"Oh, hey there Twilight! Hiya, Spike! See, I was just trotting along through the park, minding my own business, when all of a sudden, I saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders, so I stopped by to say hi, only to notice poor Apple Bloom here sprained a hoof." Pinkie looked back at the yellow filly worriedly.
"Are you ok, Apple Bloom?" Spike walked up next to Pinkie Pie, also looking at Apple Bloom who was staring back at him.
"No, not really... my hoof, it hurts sooooo bad. Ah hope it's not broken. Ah wouldn't be able to do any crusadin' without it!" Her face had been full of worry while she rubbed her injured limb.
"Don't worry, Apple Bloom. I'll take you to Applejack, and she'll fix you right up in a jiffy! Sorry I can't stick around Twilight and Spike, but I have an apple orchard to go to! Here, have a souvenir, to dedicate our meeting today!" From out of seemingly nowhere, Pinkie pulled out a cupcake. It had cool blue-colored icing on top with sprinkles. She threw it up before hopping away towards Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom hanging on for dear life.
The cupcake fell down towards Spike, who caught it with his reptilian-like tongue before he rolled it into his mouth and snacked on it. Twilight giggled at the sight while she levitated him onto her back. She was used to his silly behavior by now, but sometimes she actually enjoyed it.
"Alright Spike, that was enough of a distraction. You know how Pinkie Pie can be, even if she's caring enough to help out a filly in need of attention. Let's just get back to doing what we were going to do before. I'm going to have a relaxing day, and I wont have any other distractions getting in the way of me from enjoying it!"
"Well, don't make it your job. You're doing this to stay away from work, not create more of it." Spike spoke in a deadpan tone that sounded almost sarcastic in the way he spoke it. Twilight shook the thought out of her mind as she continued towards her destination.
Inside the designer shop known as Carousel Boutique, Rarity, the shop's proprietor, had been drawing up designs for her next big line. A fashion representative from Fillydelphia was to come over and look at basic designs, and the fashionista needed to be punctual on her dates. Papers were lined up on the desk she was sitting in, and her horn was busy levitating the pencil to draw out more sketches.
The point had been making a stroke on the paper when Rarity heard a knock on the door. She grunted as she set the pencil down on the desk. "Ugh, who could possibly interrupt me in the middle of work? I am making fashion here, and I wish to design in peace!"
She averted herself away from the table, trotting hoof in front of hoof towards the front door. She hadn't expected a visit from anypony this early in the morning. In a few hours, maybe. Now though, was a time she didn't really consider to be good timing. She made her way to the door and used the magic glow of her horn to open it.
Her annoyed expression turned to one of delight when she saw who had been standing at the door. "Oh, Twilight dear! And little Spikey-Wikey! To what do I have the pleasure of having a visit from you two this early in the morning, if I may ask?"
"Rarity, I should explain a bit. If you hadn't noticed already, It's been a pretty long time since we've done anything together as, you know, close friends. Lately, I've been getting caught up in my magic studies that I forgot to leave time for me to just relax, and take a break. I feel like I can make a nice start today by maybe joining you for a tea session, if you don't mind."
"Why yes, of course! I mean, it wasn't like I was busy with designing or anything..." Her eyes darted about in a shifty way. Twilight looked to Spike, who only shrugged in confusion.
"So, may we come in?"
"Oh yes, come on in, Twilight and Spike. You two are always welcome in my boutique." She stepped aside, waving a hoof inside as to gesture them into the building, which they happily obliged to. Once they stepped inside, Rarity closed the door, and made her way into the kitchen. While Twilight and Spike waited, they looked around at the main room. Mannequins stood on one side of the room. Some were bare with not one trace of clothing on them, and others, had beautifully designed dresses and outfits on.
Spike walked up to the table Rarity had been working on earlier. On it was a stack of paper, and a single sheet with a pencil. It may have have been the one she was using to create another one of her fabulous designs. However, on one spot of the paper, there was a messed up streak. A mistake, perhaps.
In another spot of the room, Twilight was closely observing various clothes worn by some of the pony mannequins. One had a very dazzling pink design with blue highlights in certain areas. Another had a nice yellow color with a nice brown accent to go along with it. She smiled as she went along looking through them. Not soon afterwards, Rarity returns with the tea cups and kettle.
"Twilight, do be a dear and bring over that table here, please." She nudged her horn towards one point of the room, which Twilight took a glance at. When her horn glowed. the table resting there lifted upwards, and floated itself over to the center of the room, along with three cushions. Once she placed the objects in their rightful spots, all three of them sat down on the cushions while Rarity used her magic to pour the tea into each of their cups.
"Twilight, I do wonder what had kept you so busy for such a long while. It's like we hardly ever do anything together anymore, and I do miss that, to be quite honest."
"Oh... I'm sorry Rarity. I had been so caught up with my studies trying to learn more magic that I had completely forgotten about the outside world for a long moment. I didn't know what came over me."
Rarity waved a hoof, as if to shove off the excuse. "Oh, it's no trouble at all! I can certainly say I've had troubles like that in the past concerning my own passion for fashion. You wouldn't believe the longest time I had been concerning myself over the tiniest details about the dresses, outfits and ensembles I was making. Oh, it was simply horrible... dreadful... distasteful! And, other words of that nature."
Rarity passed over two of the tea cups towards Twilight and Spike. Spike held his with his claws while Twilight held hers with her magic. They both took a small sip, and breathed a relaxing sigh. At least, Twilight did. Spike, on the other hand, drank a bit too much of the hot liquid and burned his tongue. His eyes widened as he spit it out onto the table, and the two mares simply stared at him, Rarity in particular with a puzzled look.
"Spike, that tea is hot. You cannot simply gulp it down. And besides, tea is a nice, soothing drink which you take small, relaxing sips, like so." Rarity demonstrated by levitating the cup to her mouth in an orderly fashion, which the young dragon took note of. He tried again, and corrected himself.
She nodded afterwards, and took another sip. "Twilight, I do realize we had not spent much time now talking, and I would always love to have a nice talk with you, but I am busy with something at the moment."
Twilight looked at Rarity as she got up from her cushion, and trotted over to the small table housing the paper and pencil. She raised an eyebrow in wonder. "You're busy? Busy with what?"
"Why, with making fashion , of course! You see, a fashion representative from Fillydelphia had heard of my work, and is coming to visit Carousel Boutique to check out a few designs of mine! Just imagine, if my designs were out there in Fillydelphia..." She slowly waved a hoof through the air in front of her as if to picture the scenario directly in front of her, and she squealed at the thought.
"Yeah, alright. But, wouldn't it be good to relax a bit?"
"Well, I do suppose rest is important, but I must get these designs done as soon as possible. Who knows how much work I'll have to do."
Twilight stared over at Rarity, suddenly deep in thought. This had occurred when she uttered the word work. This lead Twilight to think back on her own studies. She really did want to go back to her studying, but she also wanted to relax, as she thought of that as kind of a promise. Should she go back to what she was doing yesterday, or take her load off? Seeing Rarity at work may have been distracting her from doing the latter option too much.
"Yeah, I think I have something else to do anyway. It was a bit nice talking with you Rarity, but I should be going." As she said this, she stepped up from her seat, and slowly walked backwards towards the door. Not wanting to get left behind, Spike joined her as she exited the building. Rarity did not pay them any attention as they left.
Sometime later, Twilight trotted into Sugarcube Corner, hoping that some sweet treats would make her forget about this whole work/study/whatever thing. As the bell hanging from the overhead of the door made its sound as the unicorn opened it, Pinkie Pie popped her head up from behind the counter, and immediately smiled. "Hiya, Twilight and Spike again!"
Twilight was surprised. Wasn't Pinkie busy sending Apple Bloom to Sweet Apple Acres? Dear Celestia, she hoped this wasn't another clone from the mirror pool. "Pinkie, how did you..."
"Ooh ooh, let me guess: you're wondering how I'm back so quickly! Well, it didn't really take that long. Applejack was already out in the apple orchard bucking apples from the trees and came over to me as soon as she saw me and Apple Bloom. She just took her, and I left. It's as simple as that!" She made a creepy-looking grin at Twilight and Spike. "Anyway, why are you two here?"
Twilight took a moment to regain her senses before speaking. "Well, after meeting with Rarity, I decided it was time I had a good bite to eat."
"Then step right up, step right up! Anything in particular? We have-" Anticipating the response, Twilight stuck a hoof in Pinkie's mouth before she could make a whole list of everything the bakery had to offer. It would have been for the best anyway, since Sugarcube Corner had a lot of baked goods.
"No need for the complete list, Pinkie. I'll just have a plain cupcake. A plain, simple snack. And for Spike here..." Twilight noticed Spike had a hungry look in his eyes She knew exactly what he wanted. "Same as mine, but with emeralds."
Pinkie nodded, and hopped away into the kitchen without notice. Twilight breathed a heavy sigh as she looked down at Spike. "Spike, despite me trying to calm down about this whole thing, I just can't stop thinking about the letter I sent to Princess Celestia. She hasn't answered back yet. usually, she always answers back to my letters. But she didn't, which is why I'm beginning to worry myself about this. What if she doesn't have an answer? What if she doesn't know anypony else that doesn't have an answer? I'll be stuck with this problem forever!"
Twilight had that crazed look in her eye. Spike stared at her with dismay when he felt a strange feeling within him. It started off in his stomach, and it grumbled. Twilight looked back at him with a face of uncertainty. "I know you're hungry Spike, but try to control your-"
Before Twilight could finish her sentence with that last word, Spike belched, and out came a swirling vortex of magical energy, which materialized itself into a scroll. Finally, a response from the Princess. Twilight was waiting for this. She unfurled the rolled-up parchment, and held it up with levitation, reading the contents within.
Dear Twilight, my most faithful student,
I received your letter from yesterday, and was surprised to see you behaving like this. This isn't something you should concern yourself over too much. Remember, while you can't help wanting to learn as much magic as you can, that doesn't mean it has to be your only focus. It was one of the reasons why I sent you here to Ponyville in the first place.
However, I will support you in any endeavor you wish to partake in. I have found some discoveries concerning your issue, and I must speak with you personally about this. I would like you to come to Canterlot the next available time you can. I will help you then.
Princess Celestia
"I can't believe it... she found an answer?" Twilight was now grinning a happy grin. At least, this was from hope, not of certainty, but hope nonetheless. Without warning, Twilight grabbed Spike with her magic, pulled him straight onto her back, and dashed right out the door. Spike hung on for dear life, much like how Apple Bloom was while on Pinkie earlier.
"Wait! Twilight! Aren't you forgetting something?!"
Indeed, they were forgetting something. Pinkie hopped back out from the kitchen with the requested treats for Twilight and Spike. "Ok, order's up! Two delicious cupcakes, a plain one for Twilight, and a plain with emeralds for..." She stopped when she noticed they were nowhere to be seen. Pinkie gave a questioning expression, wondering what happened to them.
"They forgot their cupcakes. Oh well, more for me!" She tossed them up, and both of them landed on her tongue, one on top of the other, and she rolled them into her mouth happily. What made no sense was that she was also eating the emeralds from Spike's cupcake, but that was a matter not worth questioning. Pinkie Pie was a pony of a thousand, or even more, questions.
Chapter 3: Of Notes and Hearts
The crisp air of the outside filled Pinkie Pie's nostrils. She trotted along as happy as can be through the streets of Ponyville without a care in the world. No questioning as to what she was doing, being so cheery and all. Of course, this was how she mostly, if not always, acted on an everyday basis, so none of this was new. All the ponies who saw her noticed she was headed towards Twilight's library, for whatever reason. They all either ignored her, or just shrugged it off. They all knew it was for the best, with Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie.
It was the day after the day Pinkie found Sugarcube Corner empty after preparing two cupcakes for Twilight and Spike, two of her best friends. Earlier in the morning, she thought to make two more of those sweets, carrying them on her back as she made her way there. Or at least, one of them was on her back. The one with the gems in it was perched on top of her head.
Applejack, who was in the Ponyville market managing her apple stand, noticed Pinkie when she trotted past the stand, taking note of the locations of the delicious treats on the pink mare. She wondered why the one on her head was filled with small gemstones, but she shook her head and shrugged it off.
She had finally made it to the large tree on the east side of Ponyville, which housed Ponyville's library. Luckily for her, the cupcakes never fell off her during the short journey. Then again, this is Pinkie Pie, and with Pinkie Pie, almost anything is possible. Then again, ponies had a knack for carrying things on their head. It was probably a normal thing.
She raised a hoof after she approached the door, and knocked on it three times. “Hellooooo? Twilight? Spike? Owlowiscious? Anypony?” She waited for a few seconds, but no response came.
She knocked again, but harder. Instead of a hard knock as expected, the door suddenly opened, as if it wasn't closed all the way. That was pretty suspicious, even for Pinkie. She knew Twilight wasn't the kind of pony to just be leaving her door open like that. Perhaps it was Spike who left it open? No, even Spike had the decency to always close the door. She made her way inside, looking around.
It was dark inside, though that was because the lights were off. It was pretty early in the morning, but Pinkie also knew Twilight was also sort of an early bird, so she at least expected the lights to be on. “Hellooooo? Twilight? Spike? Owlowiscious? Anypony?” She repeated her words, but yet again, no response. She did remember where the light switch was, and as soon as she found it, she flicked it up to the “on” position.
The room lit up instantly. Pinkie took note of everything in the main room of the library. One thing she noticed seem different, like something that was normally not there. On a stand where Twilight would normally make notes, or read books while conducting studies, was a letter. Pinkie trotted over to it, and began reading its words. While reading it, she gave it a few facial expressions. By the time she was finished, she gasped, her hoof instantaneously covering her mouth. Without another word said, she rushed out of the library in a speed that could almost rival Rainbow Dash.
About a minute later, the door from upstairs opened up with Spike walking down just afterward. He gave a yawn, outstretching his limbs before he took a peek down the stairs. “Hello? Twilight, was that you?” He made his way downstairs to where Pinkie had been, but only saw nothing but the paper she read. After walking towards it, he picked up the piece of parchment, looking over it.
Just like Pinkie, he also gasped in shock, dropping the paper. He knew Twilight was leaving, but to leave this?
Just about a few minutes later, all of the rest of the ponies sans Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were situated in Twilight's library. All of them read or heard the letter, and were either shocked or confused, depending on the pony.
“Ah don't get it. We get the point why Twilight left. We don't got a clue why she didn't say goodbye, though.”
“Perhaps she was busy. I know I tend to forget things when I'm busy with my clothing work. I can't begin to tell you how many times caring for Opalescence had slipped my mind when I-”
Before Rarity could get another word in, Rainbow Dash cut her off. “Yeah, yeah, boring story. The point is, Twilight's gone, and she didn't even say why!”
Applejack stared at her in disbelief. “Uh, sugarcube? She did say why she left. Read it again. It's in plain words right there.”
Before Rainbow could pick up the letter to read it again, Fluttershy came crashing through the door, slamming into one of the bookshelves. When she fell to the floor, her eyes spun in circles, indicating her dizziness. Pinkie emerged from the door, with everypony else giving her odd looks.
“Sorry for throwing you, Fluttershy! My tail was twitching, and something was about to hit you in the head. Luckily for you, Pinkie Pie was here to save the day!” For some odd reason, she stood upright in a heroic fashion. The others disregarded her action, and turned to Fluttershy.
“Darling, are you alright?” Rarity held a hoof near the yellow Pegasus, who took a moment to regain her ground.
“Y-Yes, I'm fine. It kinda hurt, though...” She rubbed her head where it came into contact with the bookcase. Applejack shot Pinkie with an intimidating glare.
“What? I said I was sorry. Sheesh!”
Applejack shook her head, and turned back to Fluttershy. “Anyway, the reason we're all here is because Twilight left here a note explainin' that she's departin' from Ponyville to head on over to Canterlot.”
“Oh, really? Why?”
As to answer Fluttershy's question, Rarity used the magic emanating from her horn to levitate the paper over to her. And she started to read it aloud.
Dear Spike, and all of my friends,
Princess Celestia had sent me a letter inviting me to Canterlot for a chance to study more magic! Yes, I understand all of your thoughts. I already know a lot of magic. Why would I want to try and study more?
Well, since my special talent revolves around magic, I yearn to learn as much magic as I can. However, as of recently, I have been lacking in it. Not magic itself, but finding more magic to increase my magical potential. It sounds very confusing from a certain standpoint, but I won't delve much into that.
The point is, Princess Celestia has found a way to give me more of what I wanted, and I don't really get a chance like this much! Well... ok, maybe I do, but for something like this? Why wouldn't I accept? I wish I could've told all of you before, but I had to make preparations. I wanted to leave as soon as possible. I'm so sorry I didn't get to say goodbye to all of you, but I will make it up to all of you when I get back. I'll even have the Princess send letters to all of you through Spike, so you'll know how I'm doing. In fact, I'll send you one right after I get situated in Canterlot.
I hope you all understand what I'm about to do up here. I also hope you all can be proud of me when, and if, this all helps me in the end. So for now, goodbye to all of you.
Twilight Sparkle
This left a puzzled look on Fluttershy's face, the same look that everypony else had when they read it. Everypony but Pinkie Pie, anyway. She was a bit too surprised. This left many questions haunting around the ponies' minds. Even though they understood why Twilight was going to Canterlot, especially considering her love for the magical arts, it didn't much excuse her from taking her time with her departure. They all thought about what she could be doing now.
In fact, at that moment, she was in the train station. It was only about three minutes before the train left for Canterlot, the capital city of Equestria. Twilight was already in the train, and under the seat she was sitting in was a bag filled to the brim with many supplies she thought she needed during her stay with the Princess. Books, papers, quills and bottles of ink, scrolls, and basically anything an aspiring magic Unicorn needed to learn magic, or so she thought.
While she waited for the train to depart the station, she looked around the train car she was in. There weren't many ponies going along for the ride, though there were still a couple of them. Most of them were notably Unicorns like her, and there were a few she could make out, though others were unknown to her.
One in particular was a pink mare sitting next to her. Like Twilight, she was also a Unicorn, with a long, lime green mane that draped down her head and neck, with a tail that was only a bit shorter than that. The hair also had lighter green highlights, as to make it brighter. Her eyes were a deep blue, much like Rarity's eyes, but a bit more defined. What interested Twilight about her the most was her cutie mark: a simple flame with three shades of blue. The outer layer was about the same shade of blue as her eyes. The middle layer was a pale blue, and the inner layer was a sky blue. Twilight had seen her a couple of times in Ponyville, though she had never met her.
Just then, the train's whistle made its sound, and the wheels of the train started to move. The train started to move, and Twilight let out a relieved sigh. When she looked out the window, the last things she thought she saw was Pinkie Pie standing at the train station, a sad look in her eyes. This sight struck a chord in Twilight, and she did not like the feeling. She knew she had to make it up to Pinkie, as well as her other friends, when she returns. Perhaps a souvenir, like a book from the library in Canterlot? Maybe not. She would have to think of something, but later. What she was focused on now was heading to Canterlot.
Twilight figured there was nothing to do during the ride. She didn't bring along anything to keep her occupied. Perhaps she can write that letter she said she was going to write to send to her friends when she gets to Canterlot. But wait, she was going to write about how it was going after spending a bit of time there. She just left the station. Looks like that will have to wait.
“Looks like this is going to take a long while. I know I've made train rides to Canterlot before, but those were with my friends. Now, I'm just alone. Spike's not even with me. It feels... oddly different.” She looked out the window. The fields adorned the view, as well as the trees in the background. The high mountains out in the distance decorated the view quite nicely, with the tallest one she saw housing the capital city of Equestria. Even though the beautiful view made her smile a bit, she was still feeling lonely. “I should've expected this. But it's just a ride to Canterlot. I don't really need any friends to keep me company... do I? No, I don't. I'm perfectly fine.”
“You know, it doesn't really hurt to make more friends, right?”
Twilight turned her head to the source of the voice. It was that same pink mare from earlier. “Excuse me?”
“You said something about not needing your friends. But, having friends is a good thing! If you don't have your friends with you, there's no problem in making more, is there?” The mare gave Twilight a heart warming smile.
“Well, no, I guess there isn't. Wait, are you suggesting we become friends? I've seen you around Ponyville sometimes, but we've never actually met.”
“Well, of course not. But that doesn't stop us from meeting now while we're here.” The mare extended a hoof towards Twilight. “My name is Ember Spark, but you can just call me Ember. What's your name?”
That felt weird to Twilight. She would've thought almost everypony in Ponyville knew who she was by now. Key word: almost. Apparently, Ember wasn't one of those ponies. She held out her own hoof, and shook Ember's. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. You may have heard of me, or maybe you haven't.”
“Hmm... can't say I have, sorry. But hey, you've never heard of me either, so it's alright!” Ember let go of Twilight's hoof. At least she wasn't going to be bored on this trip after all. “So, why are you going to Canterlot anyway? I'm going because, well, I go every so often to visit my relatives up there. You see, I was born up in Canterlot. Don't get me wrong though, we're not all really snobby, stuck up ponies. That's just an insult to us, and we hate whenever a pony thinks that.”
Twilight saw that Ember wasn't too delighted with that fact. But she knew where Ember was coming from. “It's alright, Ember. I, too, come from Canterlot. Though, I can't say I met many ponies that say things about Unicorns from up there like that.”
“Trust me Twilight, I've seen plenty. It just riles me up to hear such blatant remarks. The nerve of such individuals! Do we ridicule them for their misdeeds? It is highly improbable.”
Now Twilight just stared at Ember with a look of confusion, bewilderment, and... more confusion. Ember noticed this, and giggled a bit. “Sorry, was I acting like one of those stuck-up ponies? I don't really like speaking like that. It's one of the reasons why my brother and I left Canterlot in the first place. We moved to Ponyville, where we could meet some nicer ponies. Although... it wasn't long before we were greeted by another pink pony out of nowhere, who for some reason threw us a small party just for a welcome into the town. Can you believe that?”
“Oh, that's just Pinkie Pie. She likes to throw new ponies welcome parties when they arrive in Ponyville. It's not out of the ordinary. Well, for her, that is. You'll get used to it after a while.”
“No kidding.”
A small moment of silence passed. There wasn't really much else to talk about. Twilight turned her focus back to Ember's flank, and noted her cutie mark. “I noticed your cutie mark. Exactly what does it symbolize?”
Ember blinked her eyes, and looked to her flank. “My cutie mark? It's nothing special, really. It's just a blue flame, which means I'm pretty good at using fire spells. Don't get me wrong, though. Fire spells are nothing to laugh at or play with. Fire magic is advanced magic. I only learned it easily, but most who try to learn it have difficulties with doing so. You have to be really careful when performing it, even with the basics.”
“Trust me, I know all too well about fire spells. I've even tried some myself. They're... kinda hard to do, yes. But I got it down with a bit of practice. I understand where you're coming from, but I don't know that much about it. I'm sure you know a lot more than I do, given it's your special talent and all.”
“It's a lot more complicated than that, but I'm satisfied with what I know now. Are there other kinds of magic you ever wanted to know?”
“Actually, there is.” Twilight looked back out the window. The first and only thing she set her eyes on was the tall mountain that Canterlot stood atop. “It's the reason I'm going to Canterlot in the first place. I received a letter from Princess Celestia asking me to go there because she has an idea of how to help me with my magical studies.”
“You learn things from the Princess? That's pretty amazing.” It was a normal response from Ember, though one would expect a bigger response. Ember didn't want to sound too surprised either way.
“I mean, it's nothing to brag about.” Twilight turned back to Ember. “It's just the same thing I've been doing for years now, ever since I was a filly. Ever since I received my cutie mark, I've wanted to learn as much magic as I possibly could. Given the circumstances, I think it's possible for my level of magic to reach really high up. I just need time.”
“Well, good luck in whatever you do, Twilight. Maybe we'll meet again sometime while we're both up in Canterlot.”
Twilight nodded in agreement. “If I ever have time, I'd like that.”
Twilight smiled the rest of the way to Canterlot. She was glad to know she wasn't alone on the train ride like she originally thought. A new friend was exactly what she needed to pass the time. She didn't know what to expect when she arrived, but given that it's Princess Celestia, she knew she wouldn't have anything to worry about, as the Princess always assured her that things would always turn out alright. While she waited, Twilight and Ember just held casual conversation, talking about their hobbies, their other friends, and a couple of other random subjects.
Before she even noticed, Twilight heard the screeching of the wheels of the train as they slowly halted to a stop. As she looked out the window again, she noticed that they were now in the train station of Canterlot. As the doors opened, all of the ponies stepped outside the cars, with Twilight and Ember being the last two of their car to exit.
Before she headed off, Twilight turned back to the pink mare. “Well, I guess this is goodbye, for now. It was nice meeting you, Ember. Hope we can meet again while I'm here.”
“It was nice to meet you, too. I have to go see my cousins now. See you some other time!”
With that, Ember took off towards the streets of Canterlot. As for Twilight, she looked to her left, and noted the large castle standing before her. She inhaled deeply, and exhaled a deep breath before trotting towards it. She knew she had some big days ahead of her, and now was the time to start.
Princess Celestia's meeting, which held mayors, officials, and other highly regarded members of societies from the various cities of Equestria, came to an end as all of the ponies exited the room. Celestia was waiting for this moment. As much as the importance of Equestria and its cities were a great deal to her, she found the meetings rather dull and boring. They weren't redundant, as they were much needed. However, it was one of the many royal duties one would have to go through being a ruler of a great land which she did not like much.
She exited the room, two of her more personal guards escorting her. It was an obligation of hers that she always have guards with her, even in the confines of her own home within the castle. Not only did she think it necessary, but she was used to it. There were times where she would wander the halls without them, but she felt a bit more secure in their company.
Even during the meeting, Celestia thought back to her student, Twilight. She now had her proposal to her, which was then settled, but she still held doubts. She was good at hiding her emotions, so if the guards were to look at her face, they wouldn't see a hint of emotion in it. Bad emotions, anyway. It looked more calm than anything. Celestia used this trick to remind herself to keep calm when she was unsure of things, and it helped almost all the time.
She went a little ways away from the Meeting Room before she came to a stop. "Take a break. I need some time alone to discuss things with Princess Luna."
The guards nodded their heads in unison, and walked away from the white alicorn. Celestia breathed a heavy sigh. As she turned towards another direction, she walked into another hallway towards her sister's side of the castle, where her tower stood tall. Along the way, she looked ahead as she passed the various stained-glass windows to her left and right. The tower wasn't that far away from where the Meeting Room was located, so it would not take that long to walk there. The castle was large, and in fact the largest building in all of Equestria, but Celestia knew all of it like the back of her hoof.
Princess Luna was in her chambers, gazing out at the vast view of Equestria on her balcony. She enjoyed looking out at it, because it gave her a sense of calmness, serenity, and a deeper meaning of the outer limits of the world beyond her.
Next to her on the floor of the balcony was a rather large book with a peculiar dark gray cover. Surprisingly, the book had a cover made of some sort of leather instead of the plain plastic most books had, and greatly resembled the appearance of an ancient tome, such as an old spell book of some sort. Luna knew this spell book well, as it was something she had used long ago. Occasionally, she liked to practice her spells to make sure they were still as useful as they had been before her millennium-long imprisonment.
She smiled to nopony in particular but herself as the moment of peace filled her senses with comfort. She did not often get to enjoy moments like this, so she was savoring every second of it. That is, until a knock on her door interrupted her calm peace, and her smile faded. She turned her head towards the source of the noise, and walked towards it. Without haste, she opened the door with the glow of her magic, and on the other side, standing tall was her elder sister Celestia.
“I am here now, Luna. I believe it is time we discussed this matter further.”
Luna raised her eyebrow, and turned to walk back towards the balcony. “Still holding doubts, I see. I assure you, you need not worry about this. With my assistance, you can be certain Twilight Sparkle will get what she desires. You do wish for her happiness, right?”
Celestia took a deep breath, and sighed. She hesitantly spoke up afterward. “Of course I do. But, she has been my student for many years. It was ever since she was a filly, and her parents were putting her through the entrance exam in my School for Gifted Unicorns. It wasn't until her magic erupted that I had noticed how much of a potential she had for it. While I have had many students during the years of your absence...”
The last few words filled Luna with a brief period of slight dread, but she chose to ignore it as she let Celestia continue. “Twilight had to have had the most powerful magic of any filly I had witnessed. I realized she was more than just special. I also thought she would've been the perfect candidate to control and figure out the power of the Elements of Harmony when she grew up. It was after she received her cutie mark that I knew she was the one. And that leads up to today.”
Luna took in all of these words. It filled her mind like how words filled books. She stood in deep thought for a moment, which seemed to have lasted for only about twenty seconds. At the time, her eyes were closed as if to focus on nothing on her thoughts. When she opened her eyes, she turned to face Celestia once more. “I understand, sister. I realize now how much Twilight Sparkle means to you. I suppose you cared for her as if she were your own?”
Celestia stared at her younger sibling, pondering the question. “In a way, yes, I have. But she means more to me than just that.”
“I understand. You need not explain further. I am certain to learn your meaning, and shall take these reasonings into consideration. I can ask her to give you her opinion on the matter when she feels the need to, so you will feel more calm about it.”
Celestia felt a bit insulted by the comment. She felt she was already being calm about the matter at hoof, but given her thoughts on the subject earlier, she figured, maybe Luna was right. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Luna was being more mature about the situation than she was. "Maybe you are right. I could be thinking too much about this. I'm sorry."
"There is no need to apologize. You do have a reason to hold concern, and I place no blame on you for that. I figured you would feel this way, which is why I am assuring you that no matter what, I have my best interests in her, and you."
Before Celestia could get another word in, one of the royal guards walked into the room. "Excuse my interruption, your highnesses. Twilight Sparkle has arrived, and is awaiting orders."
Both Princesses looked at each other. Luna smiled, but Celestia kept the same emotion on her face. They both then turned back to the guard. "Bring her to the royal library. Our meeting will take place there."
The guard nodded, and took his leave from the room. Celestia turned back to her younger sister with just a tiny hint of doubt, one that Luna immediately noticed. "Everything will be fine. Now let us meet Twilight Sparkle."
Luna started to walk away from Celestia and out the door. Celestia stood there for a few seconds, trying to anticipate how the meeting would go. It was just a short meeting, nothing too big. That's what she was trying to tell herself. She had trust in her sister.
"Celestia, are you coming?"
This snapped the alabaster alicorn out of her thoughts. She was a bit distracted. Just feel calm. There is nothing to worry about. Everything will be fine. She took a deep breath before exiting the room.
Twilight, who was currently waiting inside of the castle entrance, was starting to get annoyed. She already knew what she came here for, and had a pretty good idea where she needed to go, so did she have to wait for a guard to escort her, just to get confirmation from the Princess beforehand? It was pretty obvious why she was in Canterlot in the first place. She wouldn't have a reason to be there unless it was on royal business, or if Equestria was in danger by some sort of severe threat.
But this time, it wasn't either case. She came to resume her magic studies, but taking a different approach to it than before.
She was constantly tapping her front right hoof on the floor when she saw the guard approaching her, and gave a sigh of relief that she didn't have to wait any longer. "Finally! What did she say?"
"I am to escort you to the royal library."
"That's alright. I already know where that is."
"I am to escort you regardless. Follow me." The guard turned around, and proceeded to lead Twilight to her destination. Twilight just sighed heavily, knowing there was no point in arguing. Either way, she was going where she needed to go, and that was all that mattered. It was obvious to her this was a new guard, so it was not surprising that he did not know who Twilight was.
All the while, Twilight was thinking about what was awaiting her in the library. It could be anything. Was it a new spell book she hasn't found in her library? That's just about the only thing she could think of. Then again, Celestia did also mention her getting help from somepony else, but who? Her brother Shining Armor? Her past foalsitter Princess Cadence? Somepony she hasn't met yet? The anticipation was killing her. She had to know now, and if it wasn't for the guard escorting her, she would've made a mad dash towards the royal library.
It took some time, but they finally made it to the royal library. The guard watched as Twilight made her way inside, and went back to his post elsewhere within the castle.
When she entered, she immediately saw Princess Celestia standing near one of the tables to the right. She happily trotted her way towards her with a smile. “Hello, Princess!”
“It is good to see you again, Twilight. I am sure you know why I called you here. I am so sorry I had to pull you away from your personal life, but with what you were going through, I had to make sure I could help you in any way.”
“Oh, it's no problem at all. I'm actually glad you found out a way as fast as you did. I just didn't expect it to be that fast. Then again, this is Princess Celestia I'm talking about! You can do anything!”
Celestia just laughed at the thought. “Oh Twilight, I can't exactly do anything... but you can say I'm able to do a lot of things. But enough about that. Let's just get to why I invited you here in the first place.”
“Oh yes, of course Princess.” Twilight was already excited, despite not knowing how her teacher was going to help her yet. “So, what do you have for me? Is it another spell book, perhaps one by Star Swirl the Bearded? Or maybe-”
Celestia cut her off by placing a hoof in front of her. “This will be something different. In fact, it's something I thought I'd never do, but if you're willing to go on with your studies in magic, then I am sure she will be of great help to you.”
“Oh, I can't wait to...” Twilight suddenly paused when she noticed something Celestia said. Was it a mistaken word she heard? She had to ask. “Princess, did I hear you correctly? You said 'she'. Who is she?”
Twilight was very much confused now. Of course, she may have been too busy anticipating all of this that she had already forgotten that Celestia had gotten help from somepony else. Now she was just wondering who. It may have been somepony she already met, or even somepony she had never seen before. She was about to find out, as when she looked at the ground, she noticed a rather large shadow of a mare approaching from behind. She could already tell who it was by a noticeable feature that wasn't normal about just anypony: the mane was just as free-flowing as Celestia's.
When she turned around, she was surprised to find Celestia's younger sister before her, standing tall and staring down at Twilight. Even though the identity of the mare was no surprise, why she was here at the library with them was. “Princess Luna? Are you...”
“Indeed, Twilight Sparkle. I understand what you are lacking in, as my sister has informed me of it. I am inclined to assist her in any way I can, and most importantly, assist you.” As she said the last word, she poked a hoof at Twilight's chest. She looked down at the Night Princess' hoof as she did this before she retracted it.
Now Twilight was really confused. She turned her head back towards the older of both rulers. “But Princess, what does this all mean? Princess Luna just said she'll help me, but I thought...”
Celestia just lowered her head as she closed her eyes. Twilight stared at her for about three seconds, but to her, it felt longer than that. Celestia then reopened her eyes, which were now looking back at the confused unicorn. “My sister, Princess Luna, will be your new teacher.”
If Twilight was confused before, this sudden news was something she would not comprehend at all. All of her life, or at least most of it, she had studied under Celestia's tutelage. She always looked up to the ruler of Equestria for as long as she could, and that lasted many, many years. She considered her as sort of a second mother, and if it wasn't for her, Twilight would never be where she was now in her life, and she could not be more grateful.
But now that she heard this from the same pony, she could not help but wonder why. She thought that if anypony could help her in any magical field, it was her, Princess Celestia. But now, she's passing on her role as a teacher to her younger sister, Princess Luna. Twilight wasn't sure how to feel about this, almost just as much as Celestia had felt.
All of a sudden, the lavender unicorn wasn't feeling very well, and this concerned Celestia. "Twilight, are you alright?"
Without warning, and without having time to give a response, Twilight fainted, surprising the pony standing over her. "Twilight?!"
"Hold on, sister. Do not assume the worst. This may be too much for her to take at once. I believe it would be best if you let her rest for a few hours. It shall take a while for her to take this all in. Once she has awakened again, you may go further with the truth." With that said, Luna made her way out of the library, leaving Celestia and the unconscious Twilight alone inside.
In a way, Celestia knew this would happen. It wasn't just an impulse; it felt like something deeper, but she couldn't put her hoof on it. It just felt like something within her. She wanted to figure out what it was she was feeling, but that would have to wait. With the glow of her horn, a similar yellow glow emanated around Twilight, and she floated directly onto Celestia's back. She breathed a deep sigh as she exited the royal library.
Some of the guards directed their attention towards her as she passed through the various hallways, but kept their attention on the lavender unicorn laying across her back, some of them with a raised brow. When she passed, they disregarded the sight, assuming it was just nothing.
Author's Note
I'm not really sure why I took so long to write this chapter. despite it being less than 3000 words. But I finally did.
Of course, I'm having a lot of trouble here, between worrying about whether or not my story's any good, to trying to find a suitable proofreader to help me out with this story, as well as reading another story I will be making a review of in the future once it is finished.
The more serious issue here is just finding help with this. I realize I may be asking too much of this, but now that the story has reached up to this point, I need ideas to bounce off of. I'll get to it eventually, but I have a lot on my plate right now. It might be a little while longer until Chapter 5 is written out, depending on the circumstances.
Oh, and I apologize for the slow pacing of the story. Things will start to pick up after this chapter, I assure you.
Chapter 5: A Special Treat
Later in the day, Celestia's sun had lowered beyond the horizon to make way for the coming night brought forth by Luna. At this point, everypony would be heading inside their homes, ready for a good night's sleep.
However, in Ponyville, more specifically Twilight's library, Spike wouldn't have a good night's sleep. Even though he had slept by himself a few times before in his life, this time, things would be different. He knew Twilight was going to be gone for a while. Thinking about how long she was studying under Celestia's tutelage made him worry that she may not come back for days. Possibly weeks, or months, or even years would pass before she came back.
Spike was pacing back and forth on the floor of the main room, deeply thinking about this. Nothing could help him at this moment. He wasn't sure if this was fortunate or not, but Pinkie Pie decided to stay with him for a couple of nights. At least he would be in the comfort of a friend. Of course, this friend was a hyperactive pony who loved having parties for almost anything. Then again, this same pony also had a knack for bringing smiles to everypony's faces.
He wasn't sure whether or not the party mare could help him calm his nerves, but he knew no matter what, she would try anything. The first thing that came to mind: a slumber party.
Perhaps Spike just needed a few treats to settle himself down just a bit, and Pinkie had the answer for that. Somewhere in the corner of the room, a large pile of Pinkie's belongings sat together in a heap. Normally, or at least as normal as it could get for Pinkie Pie, she would use these things for her parties. This was just a slumber party, so she packed light. However, her definition of light was anything but.
To say Pinkie was fully prepared was an understatement. She brought enough things that would last about ten slumber parties. Anything that was too big for the main room, she stuffed down in the basement for other nights. No doubt, Spike was going to be tired of slumber parties after this.
Pinkie walked up to Spike carrying two sticks in her hoof, along with a bag of fluffy white marshmallows. "So Spike, what would you say to some roasted marshmallows? No matter what, I'm going to make sure you're happy, and I think this should be a good start."
Spike stared at the bag, and figured a snack or two wouldn't hurt. "Yeah, sure. Why not? I could go for something to eat right now." Spike held out a claw and grabbed one of the sticks. He walked over to the fireplace with Pinkie following close behind. Once he got close enough, he release a puff of green fire towards it. It gave out a small flare before it sparked a beautiful flame.
Spike and Pinkie both sat next to each other near the fire, holding out the sticks with marshmallows on one end. Spike never understood how ponies could hold things with their hooves, not even Pinkie Pie. He always thought not to question it, because either way, things like that should never be questioned. They held the soft, white candy pillows of fluff over the fire, slowly burning it to the point of deliciousness. While doing so, Pinkie turned to Spike with the most curious of faces.
"So Spike, what do you think Twilight's doing right now? I bet she's learning all sorts of new magic spells even as we speak!"
Spike just stared into the fire and the burning marshmallows. His mind was filled with memories of Twilight and himself.
"Spike?"
His fondest memories appeared in his mind, and those were back when he was a really young baby dragon, and Twilight was just a filly. While Twilight took care of him most of the time, Princess Celestia had to help out sometimes, and even Twilight's parents.
"Spike, are you there?"
Then the memories of the later years came. Twilight looked to be pretty older, though Spike was just starting to learn how to talk. He was always so curious, and Twilight's family even cherished his company, and how cute he was at the time. Twilight was, however, more like a mother to him.
"Equestria to Spike..."
And then there was now. Though Twilight still acted motherly towards him, she was also like his older sister; an older sister that was a pony instead of a dragon, but a sister nonetheless. Now that she was possibly gone, at least that's what Spike thought, he was starting to miss her.
"SPIKE!"
At that moment, Spike snapped out of his thoughts, and turned to Pinkie, who was now holding a few chocolate bars and graham crackers in one of her hooves. "Oh, I'm sorry Pinkie. I was lost in thought there."
"Maybe you'll want to be lost in thought later. Your marshmallow's getting very, very burnt." Pinkie pointed a hoof towards the fire, and when Spike directed his attention at it, he noticed how dark it looked. He quickly retracted it,and looked at it. It was a deep coal black color from how long it had been in the fire.
"Eh, it's still good."
"Well sure, if you like your marshmallows burnt to a crisp. Anyway, do you want some smores? I got chocolate and crackers right here!" Pinkie held out the delicous treats to Spike, who grabbed them with his claws. He placed a piece of the chocolate bar on top of one of the crackers and slid the marshmallow off the stick. He carefully placed it on top of the chocolate, then put the other cracker on top to make a complete smore.
"This sure does look delicious."
"Well, you won't know until you try it out!" Pinkie then went on to make her own smore. Spike bit into the marshmallow-chocolate sandwich with a satisfied smile on his face.
"Mmm, this stuff is good!" He ate the rest of the smore with one big bite.
"Really, even with the burnt marshmallow? Hmm, must be a dragon thing. Burnt things must taste good to you. Oh well." Pinkie shrugged as she took a bite of her own treat with her own satisfied smile. "So what were you thinking about earlier when you were busy burning your marshmallow?"
"Oh, that? Well, uh..." Spike lowered his ears as he loooked down at the floor with a sad expression, which Pinkie immediately saw.
"Spike, what's wrong? Are you still thinking about Twilight?"
The young dragon wasn't sure if she was guessing, or if she could actually read his mind. Either way, she was right. "Yeah... I just miss her. I know it hasn't even been a whole day yet, but it feels like she's going to be gone for a while. Is it bad that I didn't want her to go?"
The usually upbeat mare couldn't stand to see a friend in such a sad state. She scooted closer to him, and put a hoof on his back as if to reassure him. "No Spike, it's not a bad thing. I didn't want Twilight to go either. Things were more fun around here with her around. But we can't be all mopey just because she wanted to leave us for a chance to be better in magic. All we can do is be happy for her that she has this chance. We have to be there for her when she needs us."
Spike lifted his head up to look at Pinkie, who was now giving him a reassuring smile.
"There's a lesson to be learned here: we all have our selfish desires, and in this case, it's Twilight staying here in Ponyville and never wanting to leave. But we can't let that get in the way of her wanting to do what she wants to do. If she's happy with what she's doing, then we should be happy too."
Those words got to Spike, and he started to smile. He felt much better about the situation now that he was calmed down by a friend. "Thanks, Pinkie. I really needed to hear that."
He then turned his attention to the fireplace, looking straight into the burning flame. "I wonder what Twilight's doing now..."
All was black for Twilight. She could feel nothing but softness all around her body. It felt calming, relaxing, and nice. The same feeling was also placed behind her head, yet felt softer. She did not know what they were until her eyes fluttered open in a slow manner.
She came to in a waking daze. When her vision cleared, she found herself looking up at the ceiling, laying on her back. She shifted her eyes downward to see a white blanket covering her body. When she looked to her left, she noticed that her head was resting on a really soft pillow. She liked the feelings, but that was beside the point.
What she wondered, was why she was resting in a bed in the first place. She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, deep in thought. When no answers entered her mind, she closed her eyes to try to concentrate a bit more. Then she remembered something. The last thing she remembered hearing when she was last conscious.
My sister, Princess Luna, will be your new teacher.
She couldn't tell if Princess Celestia was being serious when she said that. Then again, when Twilight grew up studying magic under her wing, she had figured her teacher to make a few jokes every now and then.
But that would be logically impossible, given why Twilight was in Canterlot in the first place. She asked for Celestia's help. Celestia asked her to go to Canterlot. There'd be no reason for Twilight to go if it was just a joke. Perhaps she wasn't joking after all.
Or maybe this was all just a dream. That had to be the only possibility. She was sleeping in a bed, after all. She may have just woken up from it. There wasn't even a chance that Celestia would ask her younger sister to tutor her in magic.
She moved her hooves under the blanket, and tossed it up and forward. After hearing the sound of the ruffling blanket, a voice called out to her from a few feet away.
“It's about time you woke up, Twilight.”
Twilight automatically knew who that voice belonged to. It was none other than Princess Celestia, who was laying down a few feet away from the foot of Twilight's bed. She rose up to her hooves while Twilight sat up to look at her.
“Princess Celestia? W-What happened? The last thing I remembered was being in the library. You were there, and so was Princess Luna. And, you told me something very unbelievable. But thank goodness it was all just a dream.”
Twilight had a content smile on her face. Celestia, however, did not. It was one full of doubt, knowing that the unicorn didn't know what was in stake for her. Twilight noticed it, and shared the same doubtful look. “Princess... tell me that was just a dream.”
“I'm afraid not, Twilight. What happened in the library was as true as you remember. I did ask Luna if she could come up with a solution, and she did. She was willing to make an offer that would be able to help you, as you wanted. Please, allow me to explain.”
“Wait, Princess.” Twilight held out a hoof to stop Celestia from speaking, and surprisingly, she did. “Before you tell me, how long was I out?”
“Twilight, you simply fainted. You weren't out for any longer than an hour. I brought you here afterward.”
Twilight blinked her eyes at Celestia's words, and then looked around. She was quite surprised at what she saw. It was the same exact room she stayed in when she studied under Celestia's teachings from her fillyhood to her young adulthood.
"My old room? So I am in Canterlot, and this isn't a dream after all. Does that mean it is nighttime?"
"Look out the window, and you can see for yourself."
Twilight climbed out of her bed, and walked over to the window. What she saw was the bright, dull gray moon out in the sky, lighting up the night with its moonlight accompanied by the many stars. The sky was as beautiful as the Night Goddess herself, and a few stars seemed to twinkle as Twilight looked at them.
She looked back Celestia with a curious face. "Then why are you still up?"
Celestia then gave a heartfelt laugh in response. "Twilight, I may be the Princess that resides over the day, but that doesn't mean that I'm not just like everypony else. I don't have to rest as soon as the moon rises, just as my sister doesn't have to rest as soon as I raise the sun. Are you really that optimistic about things?"
Twilight would've responded, but she didn't really have any rebuttal to what the other mare said. She looked down at the floor in embarrassment, as if it got to her a bit to say something like that to the one pony she looked up to the most.
As if to reassure her, Celestia walked over to where Twilight stood, and placed one of her wings on the unicorn's back. "Don't worry about it, Twilight. I suppose it wasn't clear at first. That isn't important right now. What is important now is what you will be going for in the future. It all depends on what you want."
"What I want..."
"What exactly is it you want, Twilight? If you want to succeed, you must set up a goal first. What was the reason you asked for my help in the first place?"
Twilight had to think long and hard about this. She had an answer, but she wasn't sure if it was quite clear what she exactly wanted out of this. It didn't take long for her to come up with the words to explain herself. "I want to learn more about magic as I can. I know you've taught me almost everything I could learn from you. I just don't see how I can go further than where I am now."
"And?"
She sighed before continuing. "And from what I saw, Princess Luna does apparently know something that can help that you don't. Is that why you're passing on your role as my teacher to her?"
The alicorn nodded her head in response. "Yes. We talked about it, and it is certain she knows a lot of things about magic that I don't. Or at least, I do know, but she has more control over it than I do. There are even spells she knows that I don't. I do have an idea as to what kind of magic she might be teaching you."
Much to Celestia's dismay, Twilight grinned in anticipation and curiosity. "Really? What do you think it is?"
She locked eyes with the white alicorn. Celestia's eyes were filled with a bit of doubt, while Twilight's eyes were filled with wonder. Finally, she gave her answer. "Dark magic."
Then the lavender unicorn showed an expression filled with even more curiosity. "I've heard of dark magic before, but wasn't sure what to think about it. I've read a bit about it. Unlike regular magic, dark magic was used on a much different scale. Usually, it would be something ponies of the past used to pull pranks on each other. Then things became more serious when they were used to either accidentally, or intentionally, harm another pony. It wasn't shown to be a reckless force until your sister transformed into Nightmare Moon. That's all I understand on the subject. Is there more to it than that?" She looked back up to Celestia's face, and she returned her gaze with an uncertain expression.
"There is more, but it is nothing I can answer. For that, you will have to go to Luna. In fact, I would advise you go to her now. I don't have any more answers to your questions at the moment. For now, you'll want to get them from her. I believe she is waiting for you in her bedchambers."
"Why does she want me to go there? Couldn't she just come here?"
"I must admit, she can be lazy at times, especially not too long after she wakes up from her sleep, though she's been up for a few hours now." Celestia looked out the window to gaze at her younger sister's moon. "Either way, if you want your questions answered before you go to sleep tonight, you should go to her. I will be heading off to sleep now."
Celestia started to walk away from Twilight to the exit. After a few steps, the smaller mare caught up to her. "Where is her bedchambers, exactly?"
"Oh, right. I shall have a guard escort you there."
As they exited the room, they walked down the hallway together. After about a minute, they approached a guard that was busy patrolling the hallways.
"Twilight Sparkle here needs to be escorted to Luna's bedchambers. Ensure that she gets there."
The guard stood upright, and nodded his head. "Yes, your Highness."
Celestia turned back to Twilight with a smile on her face. "Goodnight, my little pony. I hope you find the answers you seek in my sister." With that, she walked away from sight. Twilight turned back the the guard, who was now escorting her to Luna's room.
While Twilight was making her way to Luna's bedchambers, the Night Princess herself sat at the balcony of her tower, looking off into the distance. It was no secret that the blue alicorn loved her nights. Every night, she would gaze up at her creation, her masterpiece, her inspiration. She would do this for about a few minutes to soak in the fragility, calmness, and serenity of the moonlight upon her beautiful figure. Her mane and tail twinkled more brightly during the night, and that made her happier, as the night was her element.
As that went on, next to her was the book from earlier. It was shown to be ominous with the image it gave off. Clearly written across the cover were the words that spelled the title of the book.
The Dark Arts: Secrets of the Arcane Knowledge of Dark Magic .
Princess Luna knew this book well. It was a book she used a lot, and always kept it around as a reference guide whenever she needed to practice such spells. There was more in depth to dark magic than just the spells, which she would have to explain to Twilight later.
She figured that was enough time spent enjoying the beauty of the night. She stood up from her spot, and used her magic to pick up the book from the balcony floor, and set it on her bed. As soon as she made sure that everything was set for her private meeting with her new student, she made her way to the door, and levitated it open. When she did, she could already see Twilight and the guard approaching her. Luna smiled a bit from the anticipation.
When the guard saw that they made it, he stopped in his tracks, allowing Twilight to step ahead of him. She happily acquiesced, trotting up to the taller mare. "Hello again, Princess Luna. It's so nice to see you again after some time."
Luna only raised an eyebrow at her statement. "By some time, are you referring to about an hour and a half ago, when you fainted before my sister and I in the royal library?"
Now Twilight felt embarrassed again from Luna's remark. She tried her best to hide it, but unfortunately for her, the Princess could sense it all too well. She had to move this on. "Yes, well... let's move on, shall we?"
"Indeed. Come inside, Twilight Sparkle."
And that she did. Luna stepped aside for the unicorn to enter, and she was well surprised by what she saw. "This is your room?"
"It is. Why do you ask?"
"It's just... so amazing! It isn't anything like I imagined at all!"
Luna had her suspicions from Twilight's words. "I assure you, what you had thought is nowhere near close to what it actually appears to be. It is not that dark."
Twilight felt embarrassed yet again. What, are they mind readers, or something?
"Ahem... anyway, what am I here for?"
"Oh yes, the purpose of your arrival." As Luna turned her head towards her bed, her horn glowed a light blue color, and the book glowed in a similar fashion. It floated from it towards Twilight, and it levitated in front of her for her to read.
"Dark Arts: Secrets of the Arcane Knowledge of Dark Magic? Is this what I will be learning from?" She shifted her attention from the book to Luna.
"There is more to it than that. This book is the very same that I have used to learn and practice spells with. They are quite difficult to work with, and its levels go far above normal advanced spells. Only unicorns around your level of magical ability are capable of understanding and controlling this type of magic. You shall not be doing this alone, though. I will guide you as my sister has done in the past."
Twilight took a moment to soak it all in. She was going to learn something she thought was never going to learn, yet here she is. One part of her was excited that she was going to learn about dark magic, but another part was a bit nervous about the whole ordeal. Yet another part was curious as to what learning and performing dark magic would be like.
"Thank you, Princess."
Luna laughed afterward. "Please, call me Luna. Formalities shall not be required between us."
Twilight just smiled, and nodded in respect to her words. "Thank you, Luna."
"I shall first teach you what dark magic is about after I see your current progression of magical ability. That will wait until tomorrow night, just after the moon has risen." With her horn still glowing, the book was placed back where it rested before on Luna's bed. After she did so, she walked back towards the balcony. Twilight started to follow her, only to suddenly be stopped by her voice.
"To your room, you shall return. Dark magic, you will learn. I'll examine you tomorrow night. Farewell, Twilight."
When she finished, her glorious wings spread out and wide, extending about a great length of feet in wingspan. She knelt down, and pushed off the floor of the balcony into the cool air of the night. Twilight watched as her new teacher looked smaller and smaller until she appeared to be almost nonexistent in the far distance.
After that, Twilight obeyed her order, and left the room. The same guard from before waited for her out there until she exited, and guided her back to her room. Twilight did not expect this at all. To learn dark magic from Princess Luna? She didn't know how to feel about it. She figured a good night's rest would do her some good.
