//------------------------------// // Chapter 54 // Story: Raindrops' Wrap Up // by Arkensaw Pinkerton //------------------------------// "I'm not-" you swallow hard. You've got to keep it together, you don't want to cry in public. You take a deep breath and try again. "Can I come back with you to the library?" Your voice comes out all squeaky and quiet. Twilight raises an eyebrow at you. "Er, sure. If you like. I mean, if you've not got any other job you have to do then we can work out where you can do the best good after you've explained this book to me a little bit. Does that sound okay?" She smiles at you, but only with her mouth; her eyes are creased into a frown. You nod- you don't really trust yourself to speak at the moment. Twilight nods back and the two of you proceed through the park, walking through the snow. After a few minutes, Twilight speaks up without warning. "I miss this, you know. In spring, I mean. I love the wrap up but I like the snow." You don't feel like saying anything. "Do, uh, do you like the snow, Raindrops?" Twilight asks, dropping back a little to walk level with you. "Yes," you whisper, and oh, Celestia, here it comes. You blink back the first couple of tears but it's not enough, and as a drop falls from your nose onto the snow and you try to breathe in it comes as a great, shuddering gasp. Twilight stops and turns to you with panic in her eyes and before she can say anything you start to burble everything. "I got f-fired!" you wail at the stricken unicorn. "I missed the start of the wrap up because of this book and the boss fired me and now I don't even have a job and I'm missing everything!" "Wait," Twilight says, the panic suddenly gone from her face. "Rainbow Dash fired you because you were late this one time?" You sniffle and nod. "Well that's not right. She'd normally let something like that slide and just put you on a bad duty or something. I'll talk to her. You'll get your job back, I promise. She'll listen to me." She looks so sure of herself that you can't help but trust her. "Okay," you say, lifting your head up. "Okay," you repeat, and this time it doesn't sound like you're mumbling to yourself. "Great!" Twilight beams at you, and the two of you carry on towards the library. By the time you get there your tears have dried and you're almost feeling optimistic- Twilight's right, it's not like Rainbow Dash to fire someone over a single incident. Cloud Kicker must have just ruffled her feathers about you and as soon as Twilight sorts it out you'll get your job back. "Hi, Twilight!" Spike shouts as you both enter the library. "Raindrops, your cocoa got cold so I've just started up a new batch. it'll be ready in just a second!" "Thanks Spike!" you shout, and Twilight smiles at you. "So, we've got a book to look at, and- is this it? This is it, isn't it? Oh wow!" Twilight levitates the book and her eyes widen as she reads the title. She flips open the first page and reads the inscription. "Raindrops, this is a first edition copy of 'Amniomorphics'! Do you have any idea how rare this is? To just find one- huh." Her face falls and she puts the book carefully on the desk. "Raindrops, have you written in this?" "No," you say, moving up to look at the book. "Why, what does it say?" "Amniomorphics," Twilight reads aloud. "By Starswirl the Bearded and Raindrops. A compendium of spells designed to manipulate and create auras, especially those which create life. Hi there." You both stare at the page for a moment. "Twilight?" you ask quietly. "Yes?" "Why is my name in the book?" Before she can answer, writing starts to appear in the book, scrawling across the page in a delicate, cursive flow. Your name is in the book because you have contributed so much to it, reads the writing. You are as responsible as Starswirl was for my content. Thanks! "Eee!" Twilight squeals. "It's a living book! That's amazing, Raindrops, this is magic like I read about!" Twilight keeps talking to the book while you start to worry. How in Equestria can you be responsible for the content of this book? It's so old! You start pacing around and you're about to start chewing your hooves, which is a habit you thought you'd kicked back in kindergarten. You feel a little lost. To freak out about having a magic foal book until Twilight explains what the feather is going on, Click here for chapter 55. To run away with the book before Twilight takes over completely, Click here for chapter 56. To slam the book closed and pretend this isn't happening, Click here for chapter 57. Requests closed for this chapter! To go back a step, Click here for Chapter 26.