"Any historian well versed in Obscure Unicorn history will most definitely claim that the Classical Era was one of great importance to the development of magical techniques, for thousands of spells were invented during this time. However, the Pre-Classical Era cannot go without mention. It is well known that Starswirl the Bearded was a primary character of this era and one of the most important figures in Unicorn history."
Twilight pulled the quill away as she dotted the period and scanned over the introduction. "Hmm," she pondered. "No.... this is too unstructured. And maybe a bit misleading too..." Dipping the scarlet feather into the inkwell she quickly scratched out the words and began a new paragraph below it.
"It is widely known by Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth ponies alike that basic spells such as telekinesis along with countless other spells that are used today were created during the Classical Era. Therefor this era is commonly referred to as the most important in Unicorn history. Surprisingly few ponies, however, are unaware of the importance of the Pre-Classical Era, specifically the life and works of Starswirl the Bearded...."
She pulled the quill away again and surveyed the words skeptically. "No, No." She scratched it out, disappointed. She thought for a moment, tickling her chin with the tip of the feather. She set the quill to the parchment once more and began a third time.
"Starswirl the Bearded was without a doubt the most important conjurers of the Pre-Classical Era, a fact that shockingly many ponies are ignorant of- Ugh!"
With a huff of frustration Twilight scribbled out the last sentence, set the quill back in its well, crumpled up the paper, and tossed it in the rubbish bin beside her, all without lifting a hoof. Twilight knew that Starswirl was the on everypony had to thank for the levitation and, by extension, the telekinesis spell, all that she had to do was prove it in a simple essay. She never thought it would take more than a few minutes, but for some reason she couldn't get the wording right.
"Maybe it's just because I've been working on other things all day and I'm just burnt out," she said. "What do you think, Owlowiscious?"
She looked up at her feathered friend as he perched in the open window. It was a warm night and there was barely any breeze to disturb her parchment.
Owlowiscious stared back with big, clueless eyes. "Whoooo!," he called.
Twilight giggled at him, then sighed. "What time is it anyway?" She turned to look for the clock, and found it where it always was: by one of the bookshelves, and boasting a silent, heavy 1:00. "Oh jeeze," Twilight said. "1:00 AM?" She yawned, suddenly aware just how tired she was. "I guess I'd better get to sleep, don't you think, Owlowiscious?"
"Hoo."
"Yes, Yes, I'm going." Quickly cleaning the quill and capping the inkwell Twilight blew out the candle lighting her writing space and proceeded to her bed.
"Goodnight, Owlowiscious," she called softly. Behind her she heard a quiet "Hoo" in response. She climbed the steps to her bed, careful not to wake Spike as she passed his little basket. Starting to feel exhaustion weigh down her limbs, Twilight ducked under the covers and laid her head on the plush pillow. It wasn't long until her eyes slid shut and she began to sink into a peaceful night's rest.
All of a sudden, a cool draft disturbed her as she was just starting to fall into a dream. She'd left the window open and it seemed to be getting colder outside. Barely aware that she was awake, Twilight rolled over in bed and wrapped herself in her warm sheets. If it got too cold she'd wake up and close the window. She was just too tired at the moment to deal with it.
"EEEEE-" BANG!
Twilight shot up in her bed. Was that a scream? Just a dream, maybe? "Owlowiscious?" She called, panic starting to rise in her chest. "What's going on?"
She hopped from her bed and peered down. Owlowiscious wasn't on his perch. He must have flown outside.
"I could have sworn I heard....."
Twilight trotted down the steps and to the window. Sticking her head out as much as she could over the desk, she gazed down at the town.
Nothing.
Everything was peaceful in Ponyville that night. Everypony was sleeping soundly in their beds and having sweet dreams. The air was as still and warm as ever.
"Just a dream I guess.....but..." She glanced over at Spike, still sleeping soundly, and smiled. "No, no. Of course it was a dream. Spike would have woken up too. Just a dream, that's all."
She turned from the windowsill and started toward her bed again. She paused, thought for a moment, and returned to the window, closing it tight against the night.
It was silly, Twilight knew, to be afraid of the night. She wasn't, in any case, but it just felt right to close the window that night. Perhaps it was just her startling dream that made her wary.
Maybe it was a hidden instinct deep in her heart that told her evil was lurking in the shadows that night.
---
"Hey, Twilight. Are you gonna eat that?"
"Huh?" Twilight looked up from her book to find a hungry Spike licking his lips at her daisy sandwich. "You're still hungry? You just had three orders of hay fries and two sunflower sandwiches!"
"I know." Spike replied.
He stared at her hopefully, and after a moment of silence Twilight smiled and levitated the sandwich to his plate where he ate in three quick bites. Twilight raised an eyebrow at him, and he replied with a sheepish grin.
"I suppose a growing dragon needs to eat. Maybe you're so hungry because you haven't had any gems in a while." Spike leaned back in his chair and gazed off wistfully.
"Aw yeah. I can fill up on hay and flowers just fine, but nothing beats a nice ruby."
"Well, maybe we can stop by Rarity's to see if she has any to spare."
Spike shot up excitedly. "Really?! When?"
Twilight giggled at him. "We can go after I pay the bill. I need to ask Rarity about a spell anyway."
Twilight glanced around the courtyard. It was a beautiful day, but the cafe wasn't nearly as busy as it normally was at lunchtime. There were a total of three other ponies sitting outside for lunch, and no one else was inside.
"I wonder where everypony is," She said. She remembered for a moment the startle she had last night, but quickly shook it off.
"Dunno," Spike replied. "Maybe everyone is just busy with work today."
"Maybe." Twilight said, unconvinced. "Let's get going."
Twilight beckoned the waiter and paid the bill, marking her place in her book and placing it in her bag. The two left the cafe for Rarity's store, cutting through the main square to get to the end of the shopping area where it stood. Twilight spotted a group of three ponies talking hurriedly as she passed the town hall. They seemed worried about something, but Twilight moved on. Spike didn't seem to notice.
Further down the street Twilight spotted the mayor facing a small group of ponies. She was blocking them from one of the houses lining the road. As Twilight neared she was able to hear what the mayor was saying.
"Please everypony, go about your business. This will all be sorted out, there's nothing to worry about."
One of the ponies, a pink mare, stepped forward. "If there's nothing to worry about," she challenged, "Why is Bonnie missing?"
This made Twilight stop in her tracks.
"Please, please," the mayor said, "I'm sure there's an explanation. I'm sure Bonnie is fine, but I can't do my job and find out if you all keep distracting me. Now, please. I will let you all know when I get to the bottom of this. For now, though, please go home. "
The ponies looked at each other, hesitating. Finally one of them said, "The moment you know, Mayor-"
"Yes, yes, of course. And please, don't spread this around. I don't want to cause a panic."
"Okay... Thanks Mayor Mare." The ponies dispersed, and Twilight waited for them to be out of earshot before approaching.
"What's going on?" Spike whispered to Twilight.
"I don't know," she replied. Spike climbed up on her back and they approached the Mayor.
"Oh, Twilight," she said as she approached, putting on a smiling, carefree face. "Good day to you! Um, I'm afraid Bonnie isn't home, if you're looking for her. She's-um-gone to the country to visit her family and-won't be back for...about...a few days-"
"Mayor, I heard you. Bonnie is missing?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down," The Mayor glanced up and down the street. "Twilight...I don't know if I can say officially if she's missing or not. She didn't show up to work this morning and when Lyra came to check on her to see if she was alright, she was gone. She was nowhere to be found in town. So Lyra came to me for help. Perhaps you can help me, Twilight. Did you see Bonnie at all yesterday? Last night, maybe?"
Suddenly the sound of that short, cut off scream came to Twilight's mind, but she quickly shoved it back down. That was just a dream. Bonnie was probably fine.
"No, I haven't seen her at all. I don't have any idea where she could have gotten to."
Mayor sighed helplessly. "Ponyville doesn't have any kind of police force so I came out myself. We've never needed one, until now."
"Hold on, there, Mayor," Twilight said. "It's still too early to think the worst. What about inside her house? There may be some clues."
"I've already checked. Nothing. No missing clothing or suitcases, no broken objects or messes. It like she just vanished into thin air."
Twilight thought for a moment. That scream just kept pushing itself back up in her memory, like it was yelling at her for attention, trying to tell her something.
"Don't start worrying just yet, Mayor. It's only been half a day so far. It's possible she went to pick up a package in the next town over or something. But I'll keep an eye out for you, Mayor. I'll get to the bottom of this."
"Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. And, if you could-"
"Of course. I won't say a word of this to anypony."
"Thank you, Twilight. I must be getting back to town hall. I have an awful lot of things to do. If this gets worse, I should have a letter ready for the Princess."
"No, no." Twilight said. "Don't worry about that, Mayor. I'll take care of everything. Just put this whole ordeal out of your mind for now."
"Thank you again, Twilight. And good luck." The Mayor departed down the road toward Town Hall, leaving Twilight and Spike standing there.
"What could possibly have happened to her?" Spike asked.
"Probably nothing, like I said," Twilight replied. "Some ponies skip out on work occasionally and go mess around in the city or go on shopping trips or whatever. Still, something about all of this makes me uneasy."
"Why not ask the Princess for help?"
"This is a local matter, Spike. The Princess is busy with other things right now. Calling for royal assistance would be a little overkill. And, as I said, it's probably nothing."
"I guess you're right."
They were silent for a moment, then Twilight remembered where they were headed. "Come on, Spike. Let's see if we can get you some gems."
"Oh! Okay. I almost forgot." Twilight tried to push away any worries as the two continued down the road towards Rarity's boutique.
The door to Carousel Boutique swung open with a wistful jingle, and Twilight and Spike stepped inside. It was just as beautiful as always in the store, and Twilight spotted a couple of customers browsing Rarity's designs. Rarity herself was neatly packing one of her newest dresses into a gift box for a young mare, folding it delicately amongst shimmering tissue paper. The pony waiting before her drew a small coin purse from her bag as Rarity finished off the box with a graceful bow.
"There you are dear," Rarity said. They exchanged items, Rarity placing the box on the pony's back and setting to coin purse in a small chest fastened with a little lock. "Thank you for shopping at Carousel Boutique. I hope your friend likes the dress."
"Are you kidding?" The pony said. "She's been a fan of your work for ages, and this dress in particular has been on her radar for months. She'll love it, I'm sure, thank you."
"Not at all. And if it doesn't quite sit right, come in and I'll fit it for her."
"Thanks, miss Rarity." The pony turned to leave.
"Come again," Rarity called after her. Spotting Twilight and Spike by the door she lit up with a joyful smile. "Twilight!" She chimed. "And Spike! What brings you? Need a dress for something?"
Twilight trotted over towards the counter and Rarity stepped out to meet her. Pulling the book out of her bag, Twilight said, "Actually, I was hoping you could-"
"Do you have any gems to spare, Rarity?" Spike blurted. Twilight glared at him and he replied with another sheepish grin.
Rarity giggled, "Feeling a bit peckish, Spike? Well let's see." She wandered over to her gem case concealed behind a curtain and opened it. Inside was a multitude of glittering gemstones, and Spike's mouth watered just looking at it.
Rarity turned her head to face them. "Now, I can't just give you gems all the time Spike, I hope you realize that."
"Oh yeah, yeah. Of course." He said.
"Just this once, okay?" Out of the case levitated a shimmering purple gem, floating right to Spike's hands. "It just so happens I have a bit of a surplus of Amethyst. This one is yours, Spike." He licked his lips greedily.
"It looks great Rarity! Thank you!" He bit down on the stone, savoring each bite. Twilight shook her head, smiling.
"Twilight, dear, you were saying something before Spike interrupted you?" At this he paused and blushed a little bit.
Twilight opened the book to it's proper page and showed it to Rarity. "I have a question regarding that gem-finding spell you taught me," Twilight said. "I was reading about magic that concerns gems and I'm afraid I don't quite understand it. This part in particular."
She indicated a section on the page and Rarity skimmed it over. "Hmm...." Her brow furrowed in thought for a moment, then she looked up from the book and said, "To be honest Twilight I'm not sure what to tell you."
"But your special talent allows you access all kinds of gem-related spells."
"That's true, but I don't know any kind of theory or philosophy behind it all."
Twilight flipped the book and skimmed over the words. "Then how did you learn it?," she asked.
"Your special talent, Twilight, is magic. Therefore, you can learn any spell you wish through study and practice. I didn't learn the gem finding spell through books or scrolls or lessons. It just sort of...came to me, I guess you could say. Unicorn magic is a mysterious thing, Twilight. It seems to have a mind of its own sometimes."
"Amazing," Twilight breathed, intrigued. She got a scroll and quill out from her bag and quickly jotted down a few notes. Rarity smiled at her studious friend. "Is the gem finding spell the only one you learned without study? What about enchanting?"
"Well I've never really had a use for-"
"Excuse me," Twilight jumped at the new voice. She hadn't noticed anypony approaching. A handsome young stallion was standing next to them. "I don't mean to interrupt." Smiling, he glanced over Twilight and her floating book and scroll and said, "Pardon me, miss," and turned to Rarity. "Miss Rarity, I was passing by and just couldn't resist stopping in to see your pretty face."
Rarity blushed and tossed her mane a bit. "Oh Marlin, you're too kind."
"I mean it, really. Everypony knows you're the prettiest pony in all of Ponyville."
"I don't know about that...Oh! I just remembered. Here," Rarity's horn lit up with a bluish aura and a small jewelry case came from behind the counter. As the lid was lifted away, a simple yet beautiful emerald necklace was revealed.
"I couldn't really make anything for you, but I remembered you telling me that your sister was looking for an emerald necklace but everything she could find was too ornate. I made this as a thank you for helping me deliver that shipment of fur-trimmed capes to Trottingham."
"Oh, no that's not necessary. It's my job, after all."
"That's not true. Joe's Shipping Service here in Ponville ships only between Canterlot and Manehatten. You went out of your way to set up a special delivery to Trottingham and I am very grateful. Please," the lid was replaced on the box and tied neatly with a ribbon. "I insist."
Marlin smiled and gratefully took the package onto his back. "Thank you miss Rarity. Lily will love it."
"I do hope so. I know how precious she is to you."
"She is...Miss Rarity, I was wondering," he paused.
"Yes, Marlin?"
"Would you like to accompany me to the Whitetail Cafe?"
At this Rarity blushed and smiled, saying, "Oh well...Perhaps another time, Marlin. Twilight and I are currently - Twilight?"
Rarity glanced around the store, but her friend was gone.
Head hanging a little lower than usual, Twilight wandered away from the Boutique.
"Twilight?" Spike said. "You okay?"
"Hm? Oh, yes. Of course." She forced her head back up but her ears were less abiding, still drooping a bit. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"We didn't have to leave. Rarity's friend seemed nice."
"Yes we did. He wanted to talk to Rarity, not me. I'll talk to her later. For now let's leave her to her colts"
"...Huh?" Spike didn't understand what she was saying.
"I'll tell you when you're older."