It is not possible. The thought kept rolling around in Twilight’s head as she ran from station to station in her basement/lab. The tests, however, told a different story altogether. From gas analysis to temperature controls, what she had in a magical sphere held above her research table, was, indeed, a star.
It was small. Only the size of a hoofball, but, it burned with the intensity of the sun itself, and the only thing shielding Twilight’s eyes was a pair of nearly-opaque glasses and the magical shield which dimmed some of the light emitting from the orb.
“It is not. Physically. POSSIBLE!” Twilight yelled in frustration and thumped her head upon the desk multiple times, until Spike opened the door, forcing her to look up. A piece of paper drifted down from where it was stuck to her forehead and rested back on the table where it belonged.
“Everything alright? I heard angry-Twilight noises.” He said, and walked down the many stairs to where Twilight now looked at the contained star in a mixed gaze of wonder and anger.
“I’ve run every test I can think of, Spike.” She said, motioning with a hoof to the sphere contained in her magical field. Her horn sparked and she shook her head.
“And?” He asked, and she sighed, stepping closer and levitating the burning orb in front of her face.
“It’s a star.” She said decisively, and a little bit dejectedly. She was hoping it would have been a burning meteorite or something to that effect, but here was a star, burning brightly inside the magical barrier. “I’ve taken samples - which was not easy - measured its UV emissions, but every test has come back with the same results; it IS a scaled-down star.” Indeed, as Spike looked at it, he couldn’t see that much difference, besides size, between that and Celestia’s sun. It was a burning ball of helium and hydrogen gasses, it even erupted every now and then with bursts of plasma.
She twirled the ball of gases, slight radiation and plasma around and around, looking for any sign, anything that would disprove it for what it was. She scrutinized every inch, every single inch of the sphere’s surface, but found nothing. Only more and more gas. Seemingly in spite of her efforts, the small star popped out another solar flare, washing over her and forcing her to pull away her head as the heat slid over her fur, singing it slightly.
She groaned angrily, casting the star away, letting her magic fall from around it. It hit the floor and in an instant, it exploded and she and spike were sent careening away as though it were bigger than its actual size.
Twilight was thrown into a bookcase, Spike was cast away back up the stairs, and all the (expensive) equipment was hurtled this way and that. Twilight groaned in pain, pushing a piece of wood off of her and looking straight at the now-sizzling crater where the star was.
She sighed heavily and let her head fall back to the ground with a thud.
Spike groaned and sat up, shaking his head roughly and looking at the ashen crater. “Great, I’m gonna have to clean that up, you know...” he was, however, cut off from his ramblings by Twilight, who spoke as if she didn't hear him.
“Oh Spike, that star...” She shook her head, placing her hoof up to her forehead in exasperation. “As unicorns go, I’m pretty smart, but that star may have disproved everything I know.” She shook her head slightly, and Spike managed to get his claws on a broom and had begun sweeping up the mess the exploding mini-sun had created.
“How? It’s just a small star that somehow managed to fall to Equestria.” Spike casually said as he swept up broken glass, ash and metal. He whistled gently as though undisturbed by everything, and Twilight lifted her head once more, regarding him with an expression that Spike had only seen once before during the time Twilight’s friendship report was late.
“Spike, my life was dedicated to science, and that star, that Celestia-damned star, is an affront to nearly everything I have learnt about science!” She levitated him with her magic and held on tightly to his cheeks as she spoke. Spike’s claws went to her hooves as he tried to speak.
“Doesn’t that mean there are some things that you just don’t know?” he asked and she sighed, dropping him to the ground. He yelped and stood up, brushing off of him the ash that he had landed in.
“This isn’t the first star to fall to Equestria though, if you believe the news. There are reports as far as Stalliongrad about this sort of thing happening.” She picked up a few papers and a quill, beginning to jot down notes. Spike, calm as ever, carried on sweeping. He was used to Twilight’s hissy-fits by now, whenever she felt something was not possible she went out of her way to prove it, like with the Zecora and Pinkie sense incidents.
“Twilight, you’re clearly stressed, i think you need to take a break...” No sooner had he said this, there was a sharp knock on the front door. He cast his eyes up through the basement doorway, as if irate about being interrupted in such a way, and sighed. He dropped the broom and walked back up the stairs as Twilight continued to jot down note after note.
She was idly aware of some talking, but did not listen to it, until Spike’s voice, laced ever so slightly with panic came from the upstairs room.
“Uh, Twilight! You should come up here! There’s someone here to see you!” He yelled, and Twilight yelled back;
“I’m busy Spike, tell whoever it is to come back later! I need to....”
“Actually,” A voice interrupted, causing her to drop her quill. “You need to hear what I have to say.”
Twilight turned towards the source of the authoritative voice and, sure enough, standing at the top of the stairs, looking down upon the messy rooms was Princess Luna, guardians of the stars herself.
“I hear from the townsfolk, and your assistant that you had something that belonged to me....” She floated down to the floor, part using her wings, part her magic, and kicked at some of the ash on the ground.
“Though, I see that had is the operative word here.” she flashed Twilight a playful smile. Playful, but nonetheless intimidating.
“Princess.... uh, what are you-”
“All questions shall be answered in due time, my friend.” Luna interrupted with a raised hoof, turning back to the stairs and holding out the same hoof, beckoning for Twilight to follow.
“Come, we have much to do, and desperately little time to do it.”
Twilight walked up next to Luna. The Princess still had a few hooves height on Twilight, but since her change Twilight had grown a good bit. The Princess dropped her hooves and began walking up the stairs.
“We must collect your friends, for they will be needed in the days ahead.” Luna spoke calmly, yet there was an edge to her voice, something Twilight could not place, and her brow furrowed in worry at Luna’s words.
“What do you mean? Why will I need my friends?” She asked quietly, fearing the answer, which came as one word, dripping with remorse and sadness;
“Comfort.”
