//------------------------------//
// The Inexplicable Nature of the Ponyville Library 
// Story: Indigo Glow 
// by Lost Deep 
//------------------------------//

	“What?” Twilight said. “What? How-wait. It’s all because of that spell. When the spell circle began to warp, I asked Rarity to try and stabilize it. The mix of magic being used, the spell circle going wrong, and Rarity’s efforts to keep it from going wrong must have resulted in the unique magical pulse that gave this effect. However, due to the fact that Rarity’s magic was interacting with the circle, it also got mixed into the effect. This may be why my magic is blocked: there’s a magic that isn’t mine inhabiting my horn, preventing me from using it as a focus. This would also explain why it arced to Rarity’s horn; it recognized her as the other half of it!”
Twilight had begun pacing, but didn’t notice. “But why was I infested when Rarity was not? Wait… it must have been because I was casting the spell that went wrong, while Rarity was simply interacting with my magic! Does that make sense?” She asked the princesses.
Luna blinked. “Well… seeing as you have a theory, and I don’t, I would say it makes the most sense of anything we’ve thought of so far.”
Celestia nodded. “I don’t see how to remove it safely. Trying to would probably either directly affect your horn, or cause damage to your magic potential. Either way, if the affliction will somehow progress to a more stable stage, it would be better to wait until then.”
“Progress?” Twilight asked. “What do you mean, progress?”
“Well,” Celestia said, “You were in quarantine for three days, in which time you did not have any of the magical arcing you have noted in the last two days. It stands to reason that it’s progressing, slowly changing over time. It might become more stable in the future.”
“It could also become less stable, or turn you into a living explosive,” Luna added. This garnered a disapproving glance from Celestia. 
“What’s important is that it’s changing over time,” Celestia said, “And we need to observe it over time in order to understand it.”
“Well,” Twilight said, “What do we do? Am I going to need to come up again soon? I don’t mind, but I can’t use teleportation and the train fare can get expensive.”
“No,” Celestia said hesitantly, “I think it would be better for you to stay here.”
“How long?” Twilight asked, worried about what the answer might be. 
Celestia thought for a moment. “If I remember my virology classes right, it’s been a while so I might not, two weeks should be long enough.”
“Why would you be using virology class experience for this?” Twilight asked.
Luna raised an eyebrow. “What, no objection to staying here for two weeks?”
“The definition of disease is wide enough that this counts as a disease,” Celestia explained, “And therefore virology training is relevant.”
“All right,” Twilight said, “but I do have an objection for staying here for two weeks. I have things to do at home, and my friends are all there, and I do have a job there.”
“Oh?” Celestia said, “You got a job? Doing what?”
Twilight blinked. “I’m the librarian. I run the library. I live at the library. What else would I do?”
“The librarian?” Celestia blinked. “As in, you’re the only one? Wasn’t there a librarian there when you got there?”
Twilight shook her head. 
“But… then… how did the library run?” Celestia asked.
“I don’t know,” Twilight said, “I’ve been getting money on a regular basis due to the late fees from the other ponies. I assume that’s how it’s worked for a while, but I don’t actually know if there were any librarians before I got there.”
“The inexplicable nature of the Ponyville library aside,” Luna cut in, “You can arrange around any plans you have, yes? You did say in your letters that you were worried for your friends’ safety.”
“In addition,” Celestia said, “you can still maintain written correspondence with your Ponyville friends. Discord has been Fluttershy’s penpal since she reformed him.”
“And Rainbow Dash could probably fly between Ponyville and Canterlot faster than the Pony Express,” Luna added. 
Twilight sighed. “Okay. Princess Celestia, if I wrote a letter to spike, would you send it for me?” 
“Of course,” Celestia answered.

Rarity found herself giggling. It was all going so magnificently! The way the stitches fell into place perfectly, the way the ruffles played into each other, the way that the pieces of fabric fused almost seamlessly, it was almost too perfect.
“It’s done!” She cried, and took a step back. Indeed, it was done. This one was going into the window, for sure.
Sweetie Belle and Spike, who had been helping, looked it in wonder and befuddlement. “It’s like you took rainbow dash’s mane,” Sweetie Belle said, “And turned it into a layered cake… and then turned that into a dress.”
“And, it’s somehow still beautiful,” Spike said. 
“Thank you!” Rarity said, with a partial bow. “Not quite the reaction I was going for, but that is the basic feel of the dress.”
Spike then exhaled a tongue of flame that solidified into a scroll. This startled Sweetie Belle, making her jump to the side. Spike unrolled the scroll, and both Rarity and Sweetie Belle leaned in to look over his shoulder.
“Why is the scroll covered in scribbles?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Is it a map?” Rarity asked. “This looks like Fluttershy’s house, and that’s sugar cube corner, or…”
“It’s a letter from Twilight,” Spike explained, “She’s so used to writing with her magic that her actual hoofwriting is, well, bad.”
“It reminds me of abstract art,” Rarity muttered to herself. “What’s it say?” 
“Um… Twilight met with the princesses… something about an ‘Ur-Table’… uh… your magic is involved in the glow on her horn somehow… and she’s going to be staying in Canterlot for at least two weeks.”
“What?” Rarity said, “Two weeks? And how is my magic involved in the magic in her horn?”
“I don’t know,” Spike admitted, “I’m only an assistant. I once gave a sample of Twilight’s hoofwriting to a team of forensic analysts and it took them eight days to figure out what it said.”
“I don’t know what’s going on at all,” Sweetie Belle sighed.