//------------------------------// // Act Three Chapter One // Story: Burnt Offerings // by Spike the Scribe //------------------------------// Act Three: Small Town Heroes Sandpoint, 2 of Rova (Presumably 25 of September 1000 SR), Morning Pain. That was the first thing my groggy mind registered after I finally came to. A dull pressure filled my skull, banishing any form of coherent thought out of my mind, leaving only the bare minimum most call instincts. Surrendering to them, I sought solace beneath my pillow, hoping that the pain wouldn't last much longer. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. I let out a muffled groan in a vain attempt to alleviate my headache. This was seriously the last thing I wanted to deal with right now, especially after the night I just had. Rolling to my side and curling into a ball, I tried to remember the details of that crazy dream. No, not dream. Nightmare. With all the blood, pain, and death it could only be a nightmare, and a bad one at that. With me and the girls transformed into creatures of legend, Applejack being almost burned to a crisp, and Pinkie being, well, Pinkie, it was easily the worst night terror I have ever had… wait, why can't I feel my tail? Confusion and dread overrode my pain and within seconds I unburied myself from my covers, frantically looking myself over. At once I realized that I was still in the same form I was in my dream, only now I wasn't that sure it was a dream to begin with. With my now pinkish and scaleless claws hands I frantically checked myself in vain hope that it was only an illusion my aching brain has concocted, but alas, I was proven wrong. Realization slowly started to down on me: that wasn't a dream. That wasn't a dream! I cursed under my breath, a shiver running down my spine. Everything that happened yesterday was coming back to me, every grim, bloody detail of it, and I slowly felt myself grow sick. Every life I saw being taken, every life I took myself… I saw it all before my mind's eye, playing out in the macabre, grotesque spectacle that was the goblin raid. Feeling my stomach begin to twist and churn I shook my head and tried to distract myself from those thoughts. It wouldn't do me any good if I threw up now. Taking a few calming breaths I slowly glanced around, trying to take stock of my situation. The first thing I noticed was that I was in a bed. Yeah, I know, expert observation skills right there. In my defense: I just woke up, I had a constant pressure pressing against my brain, and just realized that what I took for a nightmare really happened. Either way, the bed I was resting in was fairly large, definitely… what were they called… ah yes, human! Well, the bed was human-sized, with an off-white, goose down duvet acting as a cover and similar pillows as headrests. All in all, a comfy thing, even if a bit too warm… okay, that's a first. Never would've thought I'd say something was too warm for me. I miss being a dragon. Shaking my head (and wincing, as my headache reminded me of itself) I looked further than just the bed. I found myself in a rather small room, consisting mostly of the bed itself, a small nightstand to its right, and a simple desk a few hoofs down the room, with Twilight diligently sitting behind it and reading something. On the furthest wall there was a simple door leading to what I assume is the hall, and on the wall opposite it, just over the nightstand is a window, and judging from the steel-gray sky I gathered the day's weather was expected to be overcast, maybe even rainy. Come to think of it, it's actually quite clever; a good downpour would be great in getting rid of whatever blood still stains the streets, and… Wait a moment. Did I say Twilight? My eyes snapped back to the desk, and sure enough Twilight's form was there, sitting in a chair, her full, undivided attention focused on some kind of book. Glad there are some universal constants; as expected, she too was in her human-ish form, with those two pointy, oversized ears poking from beneath her purple hair. What really made this an odd site however was that Twilight, the same mare that couldn't function properly in the morning without her fix of green tea was already up and about. With a few exceptions Twi never was up before I was. Then again, she was in the middle of some sort of book, so it may very well be that she didn't go to sleep in the first place. After a moment of consideration, I hoped she didn't go to sleep. Why? Three words: only one bed. Now, I'll be the first to admit that there were times Twilight and I shared the same bed, it'd be silly to claim otherwise. But for Faust's sake, back when that was a thing Twi was about ten and I wasn't old enough to even begin to comprehend the implications of sleeping with a mare. Besides, Twilight's like a sister, it's weird and wrong to even think about it. So let me say it right here: back then it was mostly me acting as a live teddy bear (I'm surprisingly good to cuddle to despite my scales, or so they say), no strings attached, and it stopped when Twi hit puberty. Well, it stopped more or less… Point is, if Twilight and I really did sleep together, I would be so weirded out it wouldn't even be funny. Trying to back out of weird-zone and simultaneously fighting off the awkward feeling creeping on me I looked at Twilight again. As expected, she was too engrossed in whatever it was she was reading to notice I was up. Taking a deep breath, already knowing this was going to be a royal pain, I tried to get Twi's attention. "Hey, Twilight?" Of course, I could just as well try to get the attention of the chair she was sitting on. Twi ignored me completely, as if I didn't say a word. Sighing and massaging my temples, knowing my headache was only going to get worse before I get a response from her I tried again. "Twilight! Twilight!" Nope, still nothing. I swear, even walls are more responsive when she gets like this. I really didn't feel like doing this, so I pulled out the game breaker already. Noticing a few odds and ends neatly organized on the nightstand, probably sorted by Twilight herself, I quickly formed a plan. Leaning from the bed, I pushed a glass of water half an inch to my left and waited for Twi's OCD to kick in. And I didn't have to wait long. As if waking up from a trance Twilight stirred and blinked rapidly. Looking around, her eyes quickly zeroed out on the misplaced glass of water, its content still slightly sloshing inside of it. And from there it wasn't far to my own handsome mug. Twi must've caught up to my deadpan expression, because she smiled sheepishly and blushed. "I did it again, haven't I?" She asked, to which I nodded, ignoring the fact it felt like if my brain just rattled inside my braincase. "Sorry. It's just that this book is so interesting and… No matter. It's good to see you awake." She added, her smile turning sincere, and she stood up from her chair and switched to the edge of the bed. Before I knew what was going on I found myself wrapped in a hug. "Em… Not that I'm complaining or anything, but is there some sort of occasion for this, or did you just feel like giving me a hug?" I asked, slightly confused by the sudden embrace. Twi pulled out of the hug a moment later and looked at me, or rather looked me over if her scrupulous gaze was anything to go by. After a moment of scrutinizing me, she finally answered with a question of her own. "Do you remember what happened yesterday?" I cocked my eyebrow at that. "Well, yeah. I mean it's rather hard to forget something like having to fight for your life against a bunch of green midgets with fudge for brains. Why do you ask?" "So do you remember that you blacked out not too long after the fight was over?" She quarried. "I don't remember getting here, wherever here is, so I guess you could say that." I replied, confusion starting to kick in. "This is serious Spike. Do you remember why you blacked out? Tell me what you remember." The seriousness of Twi's voice made me really think about what I was about to say. "Well… I remember that goblin dog exploding and AJ getting the brunt of the explosion. Then we, that is Rainbow and I, talked with some guy, I think he was a town guard, and he patched up RD's thigh and sent her to Father Zantus. Then Rarity asked me to help bring Pinkie from her hanging spot on the roof and… I think that's it. I don't remember anything past that point." I answered to the best of my ability, though I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something more, something that just eluded my memory, but at the same time was really, really important. Maybe it was just the headache messing with my mind? "Why is it so important that I remember all that?" Twilight didn't answer right away. She stood from the bed, starting to pace, her hand stroking her chin. It lasted for about ten seconds before Twi stopped and looked at me, her wide, dark eyes staring at me intently. "Rarity told me what happened. When she asked you for help, you seemed to zone out, staring at Pinkie for some reason. You were unresponsive for about half a minute, completely ignoring Rarity's attempts to gain your attention, and then you collapsed like a puppet with its stings severed. Rarity had to carry you to the cathedral so that Father Zantus or any other 'healer' could check what was wrong." Well, there goes my image. And I was hoping to impress Rarity with how I was handling all this too. "After Priest Naffer took a look at you he said you were completely fine, only exhausted, so we didn't think much of it at the time. But after we brought you here you started to rave, mumbling incoherently and thrashing about in your sleep. We… I didn't know what to do, I never saw anypony act like that, and as it was you it made it even worse. I did what I could, tried to calm you down, but you just kept at it, like if you were trapped in a nightmare and couldn't wake up. And you were repeating the same thing time and again; 'keep the light away from me', and 'I don't want to die', and 'I'm safe in the dark'. I was… I was terrified!" By that time Twi was close to breaking down, tears slowly forming in the corners of her eyes. Seeing Twilight tear up like that and hearing the fear in her voice I couldn't help but feel ashamed. I know she can be overprotective at times, and make no mistake, it drives me mad most of the time, but right now, hearing all this from Twi, hearing and seeing how scared for me she was I couldn't help but feel like it was my fault. So, feeling I should somehow calm her down I hopped off the bed and tried my best to give her a comforting hug. "Hey, it's okay. I'm alright now, see? No need to worry." I did my best to console her while wrapping my arms around her leg and admittedly awkwardly patting it. That quickly changed when she kneeled before me and wrapped me in another hug of her own. We stayed that way for a minute or two, me whispering comforting words to Twilight and she just keeping me in her arms as if afraid I would disappear if she let go, until she broke the embrace, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Sorry Spike, didn't mean to get so emotional." She apologized, making an effort to sound casual and failing miserably. "It's just that… It's just that all that happened in the last twenty four hours finally caught up to me. Us being stranded here, unable to reach Princess Celestia, and all the carnage the goblin attack did, Applejack's state, and then you…" She let out a shaky sigh and looked at me again with those wide, sad eyes of hers. "It's no problem, really." I assured, giving her the biggest smile I could muster. "Heck, I'd probably be a nervous wreck if the situation was reversed. Compared to me, you're holding up like a champ." This brought a chuckle out of Twilight, signaling I was on the right track. Stepping away from her and taking in her features better I already had the next comment ready. "Seriously though, you look better than yesterday. I think your magical exhaustion is wearing off." "Yes, I think it is." She nodded, sitting back on her chair. "While I was trying to calm you down I must've dozed off and caught a wink of sleep. That probably helped a lot." I nodded, figuring as much. Twilight was looking no worse for wear, a sure sign that she replenished most of her magical reserves. And I'll just leave the question of where she slept unanswered, better I not know. "So… where are we anyway? And, well, how're the girls holding up?" Twilight lightened up a bit at the change of subject and launched into an explanation. "The girls are doing well, all things considered. Most didn't get too injured during the fight, just scrapes and bruises, and Rainbow's thigh as you already know. Father Zantus managed to patch most of us up within seconds… still, that healing magic is unbelievable, nothing like the simple things from back home. I really hope I'll get to learn how it works exactly. It'd catapult medicine in Equestria by decades, if not centuries altogether. Think of how many lives could be saved if…" "Twilight." I interrupted before she went on a tangent. Blushing, she apologized and went back on track. "As I said, most of us were ready to go a few minutes after we got to the cathedral, except for Applejack. Fluttershy and Ameiko were able to stabilize her enough for transport, but Father Zantus said that it would take some time before she was fully healed. I think he said something about burns being a pain in the neck to deal with, and that his work wasn't going to be pretty, but he assured she's going to be fine, and I'm inclined to believe him. As for Pinkie… well, she's okay, believe it or not. Apparently the flash that launched her on the roof only knocked her out. I haven't seen Rarity so relieved in my life." I smiled, relieved at that too, but there was something nagging at my thoughts. I still couldn't place it, probably thanks to the headache I tried valiantly to ignore, but it was there. Just what was it? I didn't have time to ponder it much longer, Twilight continuing her tale. "After we took care of our wounds and left Applejack in Father Zantus' hoo… sorry, hands, we were invited by Ameiko to stay the night at her inn. She said that in a way of showing thanks for helping out in town she was willing to give us a place to sleep for the week, and seeing as we don't exactly have much choice in the matter we agreed. Fluttershy stayed in the cathedral though, she said that she wanted to make sure AJ was going to be alright and help out if she could. Which reminds me: how did you know Fluttershy can use healing magic?" Twilight looked at me suspiciously, not that I blame her. Shrugging, I answered lightheartedly. "Saw her heal Rynshinn after she got shot by a goblin. I just figured she could and rolled with it. Besides, it's not even the strangest thing that happened yesterday so…" "I suppose you're right." Twi nodded slowly, although she didn't look exactly convinced. "With all the weird stuff that's happening lately finding Fluttershy using magic isn't all that shocking. Especially considering you can too." She added as an afterthought, shooting me a calculative glance. For a second I was afraid she was going to try to coax information on magic out of me, even though I didn't even know how I did it, but fortunately that didn't happen and she continued on with the story. "So to answer your first question: we're in the Rusty Dragon Inn, Ameiko's tavern, more specifically in one of the rooms she gave us. It's… nice enough I think. I didn't get to look around much yesterday with you starting to rave. Only downside is there isn't enough rooms for all of us; Ameiko still needs to make money, and she already has a few guests, so most of us are forced to share. I hope you don't mind sleeping in the same bed, at least for some time." Twilight smiled uneasily, probably feeling as embarrassed about this turn of events as I was. For my part, I shook my head no, trying to once again ignore the growing awkwardness. Keep it together buddy, she's your sister and you slept in the same room as her for years now. Think of it like the good ol' days. I have no idea where all those dirty thoughts are coming from. Trying desperately to redirect my thoughts from the weird-zone again I searched the room for something to change the subject to. Momentarily my eyes were drawn to the open book laying on the desk. Yes, that would do… "What's that book you were reading?" I asked, nodding in its direction. Twilight, never one to shy away from the subject of literature of any kind immediately caught on, an incredibly wide, radiant smile appearing on her face. Either that's a spellbook of some kind, or she found the long lost diary of Starswirl the Bearded. "Oh, Spike! You wouldn't believe what a treasure this book is! It's the single most interesting read I have had in years!" Calling it now: spellbook. "I mean I read hundreds of books on the subject, but to read one written by a completely different species, and one that theoretically shouldn't have any knowledge on its subject in the first place?! It's almost like finding the personal notes of the Archmages of ancient Unicornia!" "So are you gonna tell me what's in the book today or do I have to come back in a week?" I was rewarded by a quick glare from Twilight, though it lasted maybe half a second before it changed back into an excited grin. "This, Spike, is a multi-purpose spell compendium, doubling as a research log for young, aspiring spellcasters. It has everything anypony interested in working magic would ever want: from an introductory chapter dedicated to the absolute basics of human magic, with tips concerning human spellcasting and recommendations of other titles for more advanced studies, all the way to analyses of simple spells, with a breakdown of their intended uses and diagrams showcasing their expected potency dependant on outside conditions. For example, it presents an intricate system of measuring spellforce, utilizing a set of units similar in form to the ones used in the Unified Scientific Equestrian Measuring System. They have their own version of the Starswirl Constant, an adaptation of the Swiftspell Temporal Dilation Equation, but they also have formulas and units describing magical phenomena still unrecorded by unicorn scholars! They have something called the Wilfux-Haarakin System, used in describing levels of magical imbuement of enchanted items, a method of utilizing non-Euclidean geometry in forming advanced spell glyphs through the use of the Minkov Equation, and the Arya Formula, used to describe the flux of arcane powers in natural conditions, something the scientists in the University of Canterlot were trying to develop for over three hundred years! Three hundred years! And a working formula is here! And it's listed as a basic one at that! Of course it’s all in base ten instead of the quaternary system from back home, but it's only a minor setback, easy enough to overcome. Aside from that though the book also goes in-depth with the methodology of spellcasting without the use of a concentrator, in my case my horn, substituting them with precise hand- and finger-gestures and proper intonation of verbal spell components, leading to creating specified magical phenomena in numbers that could be potentially staggering. It's truly astonishing that a race that theoretically shouldn't be able to use magic is capable of utilizing it to such an extent that they're hardly any different from unicorns in this regard, especially considering the advances they already made in this field already seem to place them above us. I can safely state that they utilize a really high-end methodology of working raw magical power into useful, diverse spells, at least judging by what I was able to gather from this one book. Think of what else could there be in other, more advanced ones!" So… spellbook. Like she couldn't just say that up front. Figuring this was going to take awhile I climbed back on the bed and tried to get comfortable, all the while listening to Twilight list off the more interesting fragments of the book too me. Sitting like that and listening to her enthusiastic voice, to her rambling about the exciting prospects this new magic presented to her, I couldn't help but smile. This really brought back memories. But by the time Twilight started to tell me about something that I vaguely recall she called 'a surprisingly well thought out spell classification' or some such I realized something. Just as she was about to tell me about the specifics of her latest discovery I interrupted her. "I'm happy that you found something interesting to do, really, but… where did you get that book exactly?" I asked, looking at the said volume curiously. For a second Twilight looked confused by my question, but that was quickly replaced by realization on her part. "True, I didn't tell you how I got it." She started, a bit less giddy than moments before but still quite happy. "It's actually a bit of a mystery. You see, after we brought you here I stayed the whole time with you, trying to… well, you know that part already. Either way, before I fell asleep I'm pretty sure there wasn't any book in this room, but after I awoke a few hour later there it was, resting on the desk as if it was there all along." I raised an eyebrow at that. "So the book just appeared when you were asleep?" I asked, eyeing the tome suspiciously. "Don't be silly Spike, book's don't just appear out of thin air." Twi replied with a giggle. I had half the mind to point out I could burp up a scroll, which technically is the same thing, but instead I asked: "If it didn't appear out of nowhere, then how did it get here?" "Someone left it here of course." Was Twilight's response. I'll admit, my brain must've frozen at that moment, because it took me awhile to comprehend what just happened. "Someone… left it here?" I echoed confused, looking at Twi intently. All I got in response was a swift nod from her, as if she wasn't perturbed by what happened in the slightest. "You mean to tell me that someone was here, in this room, while we both were asleep?" Another nod. I felt my headache come back with a vengeance. "Twilight, please tell me that you find it at least a little bit creepy." "Oh, believe me, I did at first, and not only because of that." She replied casually, making it hard for me to believe she was serious. As if sensing my doubt though Twilight reached for the book, snapping it shut, and presented its cover to me. I momentarily realized what she meant. There, at the front cover of this leather-bound tome, pressed in the expensive material was a symbol I knew all too well. Twilight's cutie mark. It wasn't even a cheap rendering of it too; the symbol was precise, the starburst having exactly the same number of arms as the original, and the surrounding stars were placed in precisely the same order they appeared on Twi's flank. Looking from the magical tome back at Twilight I noticed her smile at me knowingly. Judging by the look she was giving me I gathered she too was completely slack-jawed when she first saw that. Closing my mouth I tried for a moment to say something, but my mind was in such disarray that I couldn't even remember my own name. Fortunately Twi took pity on me and explained before I even asked. "Yes, Spike, that book indeed has my cutie mark on its cover. And yes, I was freaked out the moment I saw it." "Then why did you keep it!?" I blurred out, hardly controlling myself. "There is like some kind of creepy stalker thing going on here! I don't like it one bit." "Calm down Spike. There's nothing to worry about." Twilight tried to calm me down, but that wasn't going to happen. "Calm down?! Calm down?! Some guy just waltzed into the room you're sleeping in, left a book with your own cutie mark on its cover, and you tell me to calm down?! Are you nuts?!" "This is getting nowhere." I faintly heard Twilight mutter under her breath before she produced a sizable piece of parchment I didn't notice earlier from the desk. "Before you start jumping to conclusions maybe you should read this. It'll let you understand what I have to say later better." Begrudgingly I took the paper and trying to remain as calm and level-headed as I could in this situation I looked over its content. Covered in a strange, blocky script I at first didn't recognize I was about to hand it over to Twilight, but just as I was about to I realized that my lack of familiarity with the language was really a non-issue. Just like with the girls being able to speak a language none of them could possibly have known before, I too was able to understand the meaning behind the strange symbols, just as if I knew them all my life. Pushing this sudden revelation to the back of my mind I began to read. Do not throw this book away! Forgive me m'Lady for starting this message in such an uncivil manner, but trust my words: it is imperative that you do not throw away this tome. I realize that a word of a complete stranger means nothing, even more so of one that snuck into the bedchamber of a fair maiden such as yourself, yet I implore you to heed my warning. Within this tome contained is the knowledge of the arcane arts that you oh so desperately crave for, m'Lady, written down in an approachable way for ease of understanding and bound to you by ancient magick, manifesting in the form of the symbol adorning its cover, Your symbol. I realize this may appear suspicious, and rightly so, for only a fool does not find the manner in which this message was delivered and its contents as questionable, and a fool you are not. Nay, I know for a fact that your intellect is rivaled by few, I have realized that from the very beginning. And it is to that intelligence that I implore that you keep this book and view it as a gift from a friend who too knows what it means to be lost in a strange land. For indeed, you have a friend in me, one that very much wants you to succeed and wishes not to see you harmed. Yet again I realize that my words mean nothing to you, m'Lady, and that without proof you shall never accept this gift as true and sincere. To this however a remedy is sure, and it is with my great hope that you will accept it as such. Within this tome, among the slew of other lesser cantrips there is a certain spell, one that forever shall vanquish any doubt you may have in my words. It is one of an ocular kind, one that broadens the perception of the sense of sight. With this spell you shall be able to see with your own very eyes the workings of magick itself, and hopefully you shall be able to see that what I have said about the symbol on the cover being the working of the arcane and not of a nefarious nature is true. For indeed, I have naught but best intentions towards you, m'Lady, and may the gods strike me down if ever I bring harm upon you, willingly or otherwise. Let me hence implore to you once more, m'Lady, that you throw not this book away, and accept it as a gift and show of good will. May it serve you well, as a guide and as a repository for knowledge of the arcane that you shall no doubt acquire, for better and for worse. Know, that I shall pray for you, so that the gods may look favorably upon your actions, and have good fortune shine upon all of your endeavors. Sincerely A Friend I reread the letter at least three times, trying to fully comprehend what was written on this piece of parchment. I haven't seen such proper grammar since Princess Celestia sent Twilight a letter that was meant for the griffin ambassador by mistake. And the strange way magic was spelled… What was this guy, stuck in the sixth century or something? Of course, that didn't diminish the fact that whoever it was that brought this here was still a creep, no sir. If anything, it only reinforced that image. I looked at Twilight from the letter, eying her carefully. I couldn't understand how she could be so calm in a situation like this. The letter didn't shed any light on who might've brought the book here, and the constant claims that he was a 'friend' and that he 'did not mean any harm' didn't convince me in the slightest, yet Twi seemed to take it at face value. I just couldn't understand why, though! This didn't make any sense! "So I take it you read it?" I was brought out of my musings by Twilight's voice. I didn't even notice she was looking at me intently, not much differently from how I was looking at her. "Yeah, though I still don't get how you can be so calm." I replied bluntly. "This thing doesn't just prove that this guy's a stalker, it practically spells out that he's also a creep." "Now that's going a bit far don't you think?" Twilight immediately retorted, looking slightly perturbed at my words. "I agree, whoever left this book could at the very least take the time to deliver it to me when I'm not asleep, and that all this is a bit creepy, but I can't in good conscience say that his intentions weren't pure." "Pure intentions? Are you for real?" "Yes, I am in fact." She nodded sharply, cutting off whatever comment I had prepared next. Then, before I had the chance to recover she launched into an explanation. "When I first read that message I was in a flurry of emotion, make no mistake. The simple thought that someone was in the room while I was out like a candle didn't sit right with me. But I gave whoever it was the benefit of the doubt and checked his story." "You mean you studied that spell he mentioned in the letter?" I asked, quickly connecting the dots. "And managed to cast it on myself." Twi added proudly. "And I have to say –it really is a marvel. It never even occurred to me that there might be a spell that may allow one to see magic itself, or at least active magical effects. I mean it's easy enough to see magic at work when it comes to unicorn magic, but most enchanted items don't produce a visible aura unless activated. This spell however allows just that, and… I'm getting off track again, aren't I?" "Kinda, yeah." I nodded. "So let me guess: the cutie mark on the book is enchanted?" "Actually, the whole book is." Twilight corrected, picking the book up once again. "I can't say exactly what kind of magic it is, most of it is different from anything I ever studied, but one thing did stand out." "And that was…?" "My cutie mark." Why am I not surprised? "I'll be honest with you Spike, I don't have the slightest idea what it was about that part of the book, but whatever it was it felt… right." Okay, that's new. "What do you mean by that?" "I'm… not exactly sure. It just felt like it should be there, like it fit." Twilight was for once struggling to find the right words, though considering the situation that was to be expected. "It's… hard to describe. You would have to see it for yourself to understand. All I can say is that whatever magic was at work there, it felt right, it felt familiar, like a piece of my own magic was bound to the book." "A piece of your own… wait, isn't that a bad thing?" I was immediately alarmed. Twilight description wasn't exactly inspiring confidence. "Relax Spike, nothing happened." She assured, placing a calming hand on my shoulder. "Remember what the fellow from the note wrote? That the book was bound to me?" I nodded, letting her know I did. "My theory is that whatever 'ancient magick' was at work there reacted to my passive magical field and adjusted accordingly, both taking on the shape of my cutie mark and assuming characteristics of my magic. Hence the claim that the book was 'bound' to me." "Okay, well, that's all fine and dandy but that still doesn't explain why the guy decided to creep into your… our room." I pressed on, still not convinced. Hearing that however Twilight let out an exasperated sigh. "This really isn't getting us anywhere. Look Spike: whoever wrote that note claimed that the book was bound to me and that I would realize that after I cast that spell, and it proved to be true. Who's than to say that he wasn't telling the truth with the rest? Maybe he really is someone that wants to help us, and decided that giving this book to me was the best way to do that?" "And that's why he had to give you this in your sleep?" I challenged, only to receive another exasperated sight from Twi, this time with a roll of her eyes. "Maybe he doesn't want to draw attention to himself? Or maybe he's like Fluttershy and doesn't handle direct interaction very well, haven't you thought of that? You can't just assume everyone has bad intentions towards us. Innocent until proven guilty Spike, innocent until proven guilty." Normally I would agree with Twilight on that, but in the situation we're in it's better to just forget about that rule and assume everyone is out for us. Makes things a hay lot easier. But alright, if she wants I can stop acting as the prosecutor in this little lawsuit. At least for now. "Okay, okay, I get your point!" I started, rising my claws hands in defeat. "I'll stop pestering you about the book. Doesn't mean I'm okay with it though…" At the sight of the look Twi gave me I could help but let out a few awkward chuckles. "Spike…" "Okay, okay! I'll drop the issue, alright? Just… just promise me that you'll be locking our door from now on. The guy that been here last night might've been harmless enough, but who's to say others will be like that. This place isn't exactly Equestria and you've seen yesterday how hectic things can get, and I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. I just… I'm worried about you." I finished lamely, or so I thought. Twilight's face, until moments ago a picture of annoyance softened considerably, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I promise I'll take care." She answered softly, I guess touched by my concern if the quiver in her voice was anything to go by. Silence fell between the two of us, neither knowing what to say to the other. I still couldn't help but think about that book and the mysterious man behind it, wondering what sort of trouble it would bring upon us. On the plus side –my headache was almost gone. Now, from a constant pressure against my brain it morphed into a barely noticeable discomfort at the back of my head. In the meantime Twilight shifted in her seat, opening the offending book again and scanning its pages quickly, like if she was searching for something. After a moment or so of leafing through its content she found what she was looking for and began to quickly read through it. Moments later she stopped, her eyes glued to a passage, scanning it intently like she hoped it would yield her its secrets if she looked hard enough. That wasn't about to happen however and after about a minute she let out a frustrated groan, startling me from my thoughts. Looking at her questionably I asked: "Something wrong?" Twilight started to shake her head no, but stopped mid shake and looked more closely at me, or to be precise, at my claws hands. "Say, Spike. You have fingers from the day you hatched, right?" I blinked owlish. What sort of question was that? "Yeah, I do." "Then you should be familiar with the nomenclature regarding anything finger-related, right?" Seriously, what the hay was that about? "Is that a trick question?" "Spike, this is serious! Do you know what it means to 'snap one's fingers'?" I stared at her, my mind drawing a complete blank. This question was Pinkie-levels of absurd, and it just escaped Twilight's lips. Shaking my head slightly I figured I might as well humor her, and instead of answering verbally I just snapped my fingers a couple of times as presentation. I have never seen Twilight stare so intently at something as mundane as that in my entire life. Her dark, iris-dominated eyes scanned every move of my fingers, dedicating them to memory to the best of her ability. After the eighth or ninth repeat I noticed she was trying to replicate the movements with her own free hand, first slowly, than more quickly. Finally, after about half a minute she sped up enough to actually produce a sound with her fingers, bringing forth the widest smile I have seen on her new face to date. Confused, I stared as Twilight went to work. Refocusing on the book in her hoof hand and yet still snapping her fingers with the other, she began to study the text. It took her a moment to reread the passage that was of the most importance to her, but once she did she set her face in determination, the snapping of her fingers (still sounds weird to say that) ceasing for a moment. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes in concentration she focused, as if preparing to cast a spell, and… wait, cast a spell? Dear merciful Celestia, did I just provide Twilight with the last component of a spell she was trying to cast? Well, seeing as Twi's eyes snapped open and judging from her determined face, I was about to find out. Twilight, her eyes focused in attention at the tips of the fingers of her right hand, with the utmost attention one can give to such thing snapped her fingers. I was expecting something spectacular to happen, like a moustache to appear on my lips or a glass of chocolate milk to materialize or something, but no, nothing happened, and Twi knew it. Furrowing her brow in confusion she consulted her book again. After a moment she attempted it again, to the same, disappointing effect, prompting her to check the book again. It took her around fifteen or sixteen tried before she finally figured out what was wrong, and finally, snapping her fingers as energetically as she possibly could she produced what she was aiming for. A single, bright-with spark flew from her fingers, like a spark produced by a blacksmith hammering away at a red-hot piece of metal, connecting with the wooden floor and leaving a small scorch mark where it hit. That’s all. Well, that was anticlimactic. It didn't seem to deter Twilight though. In fact, judging by the triumphant 'yes!' that escaped her lips, it was precisely what she was aiming for. Guess Twi is methodical in her approach, like always, and tries to work her way up to the actually impressive spells. That, or the book was filled with Trixie-level parlor tricks. The moment in which Twilight allowed herself to celebrate her small victory was drawing short, and with it gone came her usual thoroughness. Clearing her throat and composing herself, she looked at me and smiled in a way I knew all too well. "Spike, take a note." Just like old times.