//------------------------------// // Chapter 42 // Story: Raindrops' Wrap Up // by Arkensaw Pinkerton //------------------------------// Twilight said she'd be right back, and you figure she knows what she's talking about. All you've got to do is stay put. You take a deep breath and look around- you haven't actually got that many eyes on you. Most ponies are off already doing their part for the wrap up and hey, how complicated can magic be? You bet Twilight'll have this pony out of you in no time. Wait, what was that? You ruffle your index feathers uncomfortably as the boss glides over for a quick word. The sooner this is dealt with, the better. "Hey, Raindrops! I heard you got some weird magic thing going on. Are you okay?" Good news travels fast, it seems. "I'm alright- I'm just stuck carrying myself around until Twilight sorts things out with Rarity. Do you think it'll take long? I really want to get out cataloguing with the weather team." You smile reassuringly at Rainbow Dash, but she just looks puzzled. "Er, sure. I bet Twilight'll get you sorted before you know it- she knows her stuff. I gotta get back to the teams, but you take it easy, okay? I don't want you exhausting yourself if you're not feeling up to scratch." "Not a problem, boss. You know me- it'll take more than some weird book mojo to keep me out of the restricted section." Wow, she really does look confused. You make a mental note to use simpler words the next time you speak to her. "Good to hear it, I guess. Hey, here's Twilight! Catch you later, Raindrops!" With that she's off, and Twilight reappears without her vest. "Okay Raindrops, Amniomorphics, let's get back to the library! It's cold out here and I didn't feel right wearing my all-team co-ordinators vest now I'm not co-ordinating all the teams." She sets off at a brisk trot and you follow her in silence to the library. It's not a long walk, but it's a pleasant one, and you take every opportunity to enjoy the sights and gentle sounds of winter. It's peculiarly beautiful today; you feel like you're seeing winter with fresh eyes. By the time you arrive at the library and Twilight ushers you inside, you're feeling more peaceful than you have all morning. "Spike!" Twilight shouts as she enters the library, and a little purple dragon sticks his head out from what you assume is the kitchen. He's wearing a pink apron and has the telltale aura of those dragons who've needed magical assistance in their hatching; he's still paying off that magical effort, stunting his growth while he absorbs it. You reckon he's only another fifty years away from his next proper growth spurt. Is it weird you know that? It feels weird that you know that. Maybe this is the sort of thing you ought to mention to Twilight. While you've been observing aura trails, she seems to have organised her assistant into getting a couple of plates of hay fries ready for you, and he's bustling around the kitchen while Twilight scans you with her horn. "Huh," she mumbles to herself. That's ominous. "What was the 'huh' for, Twilight?" you ask cautiously. "Well, I think I know what's happened. Somepony's cast a spell that's bound your soul to the book's spirit, for want of a better term. I'm not sure exactly how they did it. I think they used a spell you know, I'd need to reference you fairly thoroughly to find out what, but even without that I think I can break it." "W-well that's out of the question!" you stammer, appalled at her brazen solicitation. "Twilight Sparkle, I barely know you! I'm sure you're a very- a very studious pony, you certainly seem like one, and I have no objection to the idea of being referenced in general but to even suggest such a thing at this point in our studies-" you're blushing horribly now, and Twilight doesn't seem to grasp the intimate nature of her suggestion. "Are you okay?" she asks, tilting her head on one side. "As I was saying- I can understand the spell well enough to break it right now, and put Amniomorphics back in the book and Raindrops back in the pony. I think. Or I could just try and jam everything into one or the other, but that seems like a really bad idea. Or... never mind." "Never mind what?" you ask, curious despite yourself. "Well, I could interview you before we separate you both out! You're practically a living book- I'm sure you have all sorts of fascinating insights into the Amniomorphic spells, they're threaded right through you. We might be able to work out how you got onto your doorstep this morning, too- Raindrops, you'll be able to contextualise Amniomorphics' experiences." She's getting the hang of this situation distressingly quickly and apart from a worrying tendency not to know when she's hitting on somebook way too hard- which, you get the feeling, is a problem she probably has with ponies too- she's been nothing but polite. You think you can probably trust her whatever you decide to do. What's the best way to proceed with this? Please put requests for Raindrops' actions in the comments below! To go back a step, Click here for Chapter 18.