//------------------------------// // The Calm // Story: Predictions and Prophecies // by WaferThin //------------------------------// Spike took another, more careful look, but there was no change; the book in his hand was still missing from the list of titles Twilight had ordered. It was pretty rare that the Canterlot Archives would make a mistake—in fact, it was almost unheard of—so he did what Twilight herself would do; he checked a third time. With the book still absent on his sheet, he treated it to a cautious squint. “So what are you, then?” Spike asked the book. “Did they throw you in as a freebie or something?” The book said nothing. Curious, Spike flicked through the first few pages. He found nothing but archaic language and words he was pretty sure no longer existed—which, coincidentally, was probably the kind of thing Twilight would love. He quickly got bored of trying to decipher the text, and closed the book without reading any further. “I guess I’ll leave you for Twilight to deal with, then!” With that decided, he climbed the stairs up to Twilight's room. placing the book on her desk, he grabbed a nearby quill and quickly write out a note to leave with it as an explanation. “Good luck,” Spike called to the book as he left the room. “Celestia knows what Twilight’ll put you through.” The book remained resolutely silent. Spike made it all the way downstairs before he realised he had been talking to a piece of literature like it was a living creature. He shook his head in despair. “Honestly, sometimes I think Twilight’s crazy is infectious.” With a weary sigh, he retrieved the order list and took a look at the stacks of dusty tomes, all piled up and waiting for him. Staring down his grimy adversaries, Spike narrowed his eyes dangerously. “I’m gonna need an apron…” *** “…And so I said, ‘oatmeal? That makes perfect sense!’” Pinkie Pie finished, striking a flamboyant pose. Four of the other ponies present laughed uproariously, bringing an enormous grin to Pinkie’s face. Rarity, in contrast, spluttered indignantly. “Well!” she exclaimed, her face reddening. “You may all laugh at it, but those stains were a nightmare to get out of the dresses! Honestly, that is the last time I let Sweetie Belle near my kitchen—or you, for that matter, Pinkie!” Pinkie Pie took on an expression of mock incredulity. “What? How was it my fault? All I did was lend her my party cannon!” She sniffed haughtily. “Some ponies just don’t have the right sense of humour.” "Well, as long as you don't send her over to the library instead, Rarity!" Twilight giggled. "I’m still finding burn marks from the last time you suggested she come for a visit with her friends." Rarity rolled her eyes. "It wasn't like I had a better option!" She explained. "They really were seeking help with their homework, I was too busy to assist them, and... Ahem... Given the choices available, I felt you to be most suitable." She looked around the group as she said this, apparently to indicate her point. Rainbow Dash noticed this and leapt to her hooves, feathers ruffled. "Hey, you saying we're all too dumb to do some little filly’s homework?" She accused, voice cracking in anger. Applejack glanced up at the enraged pegasus from her reclined position. "Settle down, Rainbow," she drawled, before squinting at Twilight with a playful sneer. "Ah reckon all she meant was that Twi here would actually enjoy it, 'stead of just doin' it to help them girls." The group laughed, and it was Twilight’s turn to blush. It was true; she had derived a certain amount of enjoyment from tutoring the three eager fillies.   Well, up until they found her chemistry set, anyway. At that point, she was more concerned with damage control than anything else. "'Sides, some of us really can’t help them girls out with their math homework," Applejack continued gruffly once the other girls had settled down. "Don’t be silly, AJ," Twilight said firmly. "I’m sure you’d be able to help your sister!" The farmer snorted, lying back and resting her hat over her eyes. "Sure, whatever y'all say." There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds, before it was—to the surprise of nopony present—broken by Pinkie Pie. "Sooo, speaking of the library..." She began. "We were?" Rainbow interjected, confused. "I thought we were talking about AJ being thi—" she was cut off by a hoof in the side from Rarity, who gave the pegasus a warning glare. "...It's a real shame you can't come with us to Canterlot," Pinkie finished, ignoring the bickering between Rarity and Rainbow to her left, and giving Twilight a puppy-dog look. Twilight glanced away; she didn't want to risk her resolve crumbling under the weight of pink adorableness. "Sorry Pinkie," she apologized, carefully keeping her gaze on the blanket below her. "I just can't make it. I know how much you want me to be there for your competition, and for Rainbow’s routine... But I’m afraid I just can’t possibly leave the library right now.” “Oh for the love of Celestia, Twilight, why not?” Rarity blurted out, apparently in the middle of her own argument by Rainbow’s startled expression. “I understand that your library is important to you, but we’re all leaving our jobs for this week, too!” The fashionista paused so that she could execute a dramatic swoon, falling back into Fluttershy’s quickly-outstretched hooves. “Oh, how will my boutique ever survive without me? Maybe this wasn’t such a… No!” She straightened up once more with a determined glare, shocking Fluttershy at the sudden movement and change in attitude. “This week is too important to my friends! Pinkie’s first personal entry into an Equestria-wide baking competition, and Rainbow’s first public Wonderbolts trial, both in the same week? Missing it would be simply unforgivable!” The unicorn stuck a dramatic pose to emphasise her point, before not-so-subtly sneaking a glance over towards Twilight to see if her performance had inspired a sudden change of heart. To absolutely nopony’s surprise—but Rarity’s disappointment—it hadn’t. Before Twilight could speak, however, Rainbow Dash piped up. “And let’s not forget the personal gain you get from having us all wear your swanky clothes to the events and being walking adverts for you, yeah?” Rarity slumped, completely ruining her dramatic pose, and glared across at Rainbow for a moment. “Well, yes, there is that as well,” she conceded reluctantly, retreating back to Fluttershy’s side. “I’m sorry girls, I really am,” Twilight said earnestly. “I just can’t afford to leave the library again so soon! The organisation schedule really has been torn apart this past year, what with a rampaging greedy dragon and that time travel nonsense, and I really do have a lot of things that need to be done—especially with that large shipment I got today!” She turned to Rainbow Dash at this point, clearly begging her to back up her claim. Rainbow sat up slightly, pushing her sunglasses up onto her forehead as she apparently considered her memory of the vast pile of books she had seen earlier. “That’s a lot of books,” she eventually confirmed. “See?” Twilight gestured at Rainbow with a hoof, very nearly poking her eye out were it not for the hastily re-equipped shades. “Besides, I’ve used up all my schedules holidays!” She raised both her forehooves out in front of her. “Following Spike all the way out to the dragon lands,” she began, counting off her first hoof, “and travelling to Canterlot so we could meet up with Rarity for my birthday party!” Twilight then fell back, sticking her hind legs into the air for extra counting utensils. “Then there was the Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant, and chasing down Applejack after her rodeo!” Realising she had run out of hooves, Twilight leapt back up, searching for another option. She settled on levitating over a willing and giggling volunteer—namely, Pinkie Pie—and revolved her over in midair to use her hooves as a counting measure, continuing with her list. “The last trip to a bakery competition, for the Cake’s entry! Travelling to the Crystal Kingdom! And of course, who could forget, my own brother’s wedding!” Having reached the end of her list, Twilight unceremoniously dumped Pinkie onto the picnic blanket. Apparently upset that one of her hind hooves had been left out, Pinkie grabbed hold of it and stuck it into the air, crying, “And this little filly went ‘wheeeeeee!’, all the way home!” Between Twilight’s outburst and Pinkie Pie’s randomness, no-one could really think of anything to say. Finally, Applejack spoke up. “Well, when ya put it like that,” she admitted, “Ah s’pose ah can see where yer coming from. Shucks, if all that wackiness had happened during Applebuck Season… why, we’d be stuck behind more than Big Mac in English class!” She chuckled at her own joke for a brief moment, before continuing. “And ah suppose libraries don’t really have proper ‘seasons’ like Sweet Apple Acres does, so y’all gotta work the same all year round. With all them interruptions, ah’m not surprised you’re itchin’ to set things right.” As the other girls reluctantly conceded the point, Twilight smiled at the farmer. “Thanks, for understanding, AJ. I know it’s hard, and believe me, I’d rather be going with you than doing anything else.” She looked down at the cloth, scraping at it with one hoof. “I just… Can’t. There’s so much to do, and I’ve used up all of the holidays I’m permitted. I just can’t stay away from the library this time.” She glanced back up at the group and smiled a little. “I know you understand, and I just hope you can still find a way to have fun without me.” The girls nodded, smiling back at her. Pinkie leapt back onto her hooves to give Twilight a mock salute. “Don’t you worry, Miss Sparkle, sir!” she barked. “I promise to keep the troops smiling and laughing at all times, sir!” Her serious façade cracked for a moment, and she gave Twilight a conspiratorial wink. “And I promise to bring you back lots of treats from my competition, sir!” Twilight giggled at the drastic contrast between Pinkie’s serious and usual attitudes, before replying to her mock salute with one of her own. “Yeah, and I’ll totally give you a private performance when I get back!” Rainbow Dash promised, sidling up to Twilight casually. “I mean, you’ve already seen my awesome moves today, but next time, you might just be watching them being performed by the newest—and best—Wonderbolt recruit in Equestria!” She rubbed a hoof on her chest nonchalantly. “I might even give you an autograph, if you’re lucky.” Twilight pushed Rainbow away playfully, laughing along with her friends at the fake display of egotism. “Thanks, girls,” she said. “I’m sure you’ll both do great without me—especially with the others there to give you all the support you need.” She stopped for a moment, suddenly remembering Spike’s request. “And I need to give you a letter for the Princess, Pinkie—there’s something else I’d like you to bring back for me…” *** Closing the library’s door behind her, Twilight sighed contentedly. Her friends had all returned to their own homes. They were preparing to leave for Canterlot in the next few hours, whilst she was stuck in Ponyville. Alone. Well, not quite alone. Owloysius would come to the library at sundown, as per usual; when the Playdate had ended, he had returned to the Everfree Forest, to hunt or sleep as he felt necessary. She knew that, come nightfall, he would be there to keep her company. Then, of course, there was Spike. She always enjoyed spending time with him, even if he could be incredibly snarky at times. Still, he had been by her side for so much of her life, and she couldn’t help thinking of him more as a brother than anything else—no matter what Rainbow Dash had to say about their relationship. She knew that he would be happy to spend his time with her, if she asked him to. Not that she had to impose herself on Spike; there were still the other ponies around town, after all. The six friends she shared so much with were by no means her only friends, just the ones she felt the strongest connection to; whether this was due to their shared experiences, the Elements of Harmony, or just pure chance, Twilight didn’t know—and, for once, didn’t have the drive to find out, lest she spoil the wonderful balance they had.   She could always go to the spa with Cheerilee, or pass the time by talking science with that Mr. Hooves, who always seemed in a rush. Maybe if she was lucky, she could actually slow him down long enough to explain in further details the exact way in which ‘her method of time travel was completely invalid and impossible in any rational universe’, as he had once put it? Twilight was spoiled for choice, really; if she needed a break from the library, there were many ponies around town that she could easily see herself spending some time with over the next few days. The realisation that she actually had more choices in friends to spend time with than she had actual time was a surprisingly pleasant one. After all the years she had spent in self-imposed isolation, Twilight had somehow stumbled into a world of social interaction and constant pleasantry—and she felt so happy about it. Maybe there’s something I could do; the investigation of comparative happiness, Twilight mused absently as she headed upstairs to check on Spike’s progress with the re-shelving of her own personal collection. If only I could devise a standardised measurement of joy, I could perhaps analyse and record the levels experienced through various social and ‘anti-social’ events; winning a party game versus finishing a book, for example… Her inner monologue stopped momentarily when she reached her room. She found no Spike; instead, there was a single book and a note upon her desk. Curious, Twilight levitated the note over as she trotted up to the table, reading it to herself. Twilight, This book doesn’t seem to be on our lists—and yes, I triple checked. Maybe they threw in a freebie, or got mixed up? Or maybe—Celestia forbid—maybe you made a mistake?! That was a joke. Please don’t go on a town-wide rampage, or turn me into a frog or something. Twilight found herself chuckling, almost against her will, at her assistant’s humour. She took a moment to laugh at herself—she could see his point, after all—before continuing to read. Anyway, I’ve left the book here for you to deal with. If nothing else, you’ve got even more to read! Then, on a second piece of parchment that Spike appeared to have tried to attach to the bottom of the first page by using his own saliva: (P.S. I’ve finished up organising the new arrivals, and yes they’re all correct, but I’m sure you’re gonna check my work anyway. I’ve gone out for some lunch so that I don’t get in your way or get angry when I find you doubting everything I do. If you need me to buy anything, you can make a shopping list for when I get home.  I’ll be back soon enough!) Sometimes, Twilight thought her assistant knew her too well. She had been fully planning to check Spike’s work, after all—if only because the speed at which he’d apparently finished it was suspicious at best. Setting aside the slightly sodden letter, she focused her attention on the book. “So, what are you?” She mused. A quick glance at the cover told her everything she needed to know. A gold-coloured decorative trim surrounded a large black symbol emblazoned in the centre, of a stylised eye held within a triangle. It was a common enough symbol, often associated with the psychic and the paranormal.   Of course, the title was much more revealing. Predictions and Prophecies.   Looking back, she could just about remember seeing this before; it was the very book she had used as a reference in Canterlot, when investigating the return of Nightmare Moon. Oddly enough, she had never seen the book again since arriving in Ponyville—despite the often common availability of such texts, and the library’s own surprising depth of content. This looks to be a far more complete version, she deduced from the comparative bulk of the tome. There’s also that symbol on the front, which certainly wasn’t on my copy.  Maybe this is a full compendium, instead of just a reference guide as the other edition seemed to be? Giddy with the thought of new literary discoveries, Twilight sat herself down at the desk. Checking Spike’s handiwork could wait; she had a brand new world of writing to explore! Note to self: definitely develop ideas on comparing happiness derived from books compared to that derived from social interaction. She genuinely couldn’t tell if this was more enjoyable to her than the earlier meet-up with her friends. With an eagerness she had felt all too often before, and knowing full well she wasn’t going to stop before she knew all it had to offer, Twilight creaked open the book and began to read.