The Magic Question

by Manaphy

From One Question to Another

Twilight's latest project was different than the norm.

Unlike previous instances of research or organization, Twilight was working alongside Starlight Glimmer part of the time instead of by herself. The rest of Twilight's close friends were scheduled to visit later in the day, lunch and other delightful activities awaiting them. Spike had agreed to meet up with them at the front door, though exactly when they'd arrive was anypony's guess.

As Twilight gazed at the sheets of paper atop the crystalline table, she cracked a smile and sat down, satisfied with her work. Her theories regarding the world behind the mirror still had some questions to be answered; they ranged from whether the artifact had some relationship with the school on the other side to why she transformed, both of which she planned on addressing in separate studies. Such questions required more than just studying how the mirror worked, something that Twilight knew would require another trip to that world in the future. Unfortunately, finding the perfect time for that wasn't going to be straightforward. There was usually something coming up.

Twilight sat down, spreading her forelegs out and taking a deep breath. She gazed at the ceiling, the light bouncing off the walls and spreading apart into a series of stunning colors. And as Twilight brought her sights back to her research, she wondered how Sunset Shimmer would react if it all went well. It felt like ages since she last stepped through the mirror and mingled with her.

"How's everything going, Twilight?" a soft voice asked. "Find what you're looking for?"

Twilight raised her head, Starlight Glimmer standing nearby with a slight smile across her face. While her pupil sometimes got carried away in mentioning her past, her growth into a kinder mare in such a short time warmed Twilight's heart. There were still lessons to be learned, but there was always something new to discover.

"Everything's all set," said Twilight. She gently waved at Starlight; her friend trotted over to the table and placed her hooves atop it. "I've figured out the kind of magic that allows ponies to cross between the two universes. It runs off of magic similar to those time travel spells we used, though the differences are noticeable." Pausing, Twilight noticed Starlight's cheeks flushing. The two chuckled together. "So while I understand how that mirror works, I'm curious about one last thing."

Starlight cocked her head. "What would that be?"

"This is probably going to sound weird." Another series of giggles left Twilight's lips. "Believe it or not, ponies who go through the portal end up looking completely different in the other universe. We become bipedal, have hands, and even have clothes and accessories with us the moment we cross!"

"Seriously?" Stepping back, Starlight's eyes widened as if a ghost flew past. "I didn't even know a mirror could change what you look like. I always thought it required a spell meant specifically for that. Maybe that's part of the mirror's powers." She paused, rolling her shoulders and wearing a puzzled expression. "Have you tried looking into that?"

"That's what the mirror's magic suggests." Twilight stood up, gently swishing her tail as she marched around the table. "I've studied spells related to transformation in the past, some more complex than others, but there's one problem." When she was inches away from Starlight, Twilight then leaned against one of the thrones. Its smooth texture sent chills down her spine at the touch. "I've never seen or heard about what I transformed into."

"Maybe what you became once lived here? Then again, you'd have probably figured that out if that was true." Starlight tapped the floor with her hoof, clacks echoing throughout the room. "But is that the only parallel universe there is? If there are more, does your appearance also change in those universes?"

"I've heard rumors about one similar to ours." With a sheepish grin, Twilight nudged away from the throne. "Princess Celestia said she trekked there once, not changing at all when she stepped through the mirror. However, that mirror was lost a few hundred years ago. Who knows what was on the other side?"

As the two stared at each other, Twilight then noticed a group of ponies and a small dragon approaching them from one of the hallways. All six wore grins brighter than the sun. Five of them skipped toward her and Starlight while the light blue pegasus merely flew alongside them. They were all Twilight's closest friends: Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Spike. And given their plans for the day, Twilight couldn't help herself from adopting an expression just like theirs.

"Looks like we got here at the perfect time," said Spike as a matter of fact. Marching up to Twilight, he crossed his arms upon reaching her. "Everypony loved my jokes, Twilight, especially the one about the three ponies in the bar. I told you they were great!" Spike cracked a cocky grin, then glanced back at the other ponies. "Isn't that right?"

"I don't remember that happening," Applejack admitted. She snickered, adjusting her hat and playfully tapping Spike's shoulder. "We liked a few of 'em, but that fell flat." Applejack then assumed eye contact with Twilight. "Anyway, how's the project going? We heard you were close to findin' out how that ol' mirror worked."

"Well, I've figured out the important parts," said Twilight. "I know the magical properties used to get a pony from one universe to the other, but I'm also hoping to find out why my appearance changes into something unfamiliar." Pausing, Twilight rubbed the top of her head. "Finding a related spell won't be easy."

"When is the stuff you do ever easy?" Rainbow asked, shrugging. "I mean, even your most awesome spells make little to no sense. I just—" she performed a small loop in the air "—go with the flow. Besides, if it's coming from you, chances are that it's right. You do know your stuff."

"And going with the flow doesn't always work for the Weather Team, eh?" Spike quipped.

Rainbow blushed, smiling sheepishly. "Okay, maybe Cloudchaser had a point when it came to clearing the skies, but it usually works. She is the egghead of the group, after all." Rainbow landed back on her hooves, forcing a chuckle from her mouth. "Well, at least you have things under control."

Pinkie stretched her foreleg toward the sky, the rest of her body barely able to keep still. "I have a question!" she bellowed, hopping over to Twilight and shaking her tail seconds later. "It's not related to the mirror thingy, but it's something I sometimes ask myself. So do you mind if I ask you this teeny question?"

Twilight bobbed her head. "Go right ahead."

"Well, ever since we attended Flurry Heart's Crystalling, I can't help but wonder why she's so powerful." Pinkie rubbed her muzzle, humming a catchy tune for a few seconds. "I know that she's an alicorn, but her spells were already looking just like yours, Twilight! And she broke the Crystal Heart by crying! How did she do that?"

"Remember when you first looked after Pound and Pumpkin Cake?" Fluttershy added. She made her way over to Pinkie. "You said that Pound flew around and Pumpkin used magic spells, which sounds a lot like Flurry Heart. So if anything was behind her spurts of magic, it was probably the same thing."

"You do have a point." Shrugging, Pinkie nudged away from Fluttershy. "And I remember what happened with little Pound and Pumpkin Cake. It's just that Flurry Heart was much, much harder to control than they were. I mean, the stuff she did was unbelievable! What made her magic that amazing?"

"You already answered your question," said Twilight. "She's an—" As she thought about it, Pinkie had a point when it came to Flurry's magical strength. Flurry's powers were eventually limited by Sunburst's spell, but prior to that, some of her spells rivaled ones used by highly skilled ponies. And while infants often had heightened abilities a few days after birth, they weren't overly problematic and wore off quickly. Flurry was different, not because of her being an alicorn, but due to her magical surges being much more erratic than even the most troublesome of foals.

Then there was also the question of Starlight's magical talents, her friend nearly as talented as she was when it came to casting certain spells. Yet at the same time, Starlight lagged far behind on some spells Twilight had mastered. Even the truth of how all living beings had their own magic captured Twilight's attention. If they weren't casting spells, yet depended on magic to survive, how was magic impacting them aside from what was already known? Each question churned out another question, Twilight pacing back and forth unconsciously as she thought about each one.

Bringing her gaze back to Pinkie, Twilight sighed and uttered her least favorite phrase, "I don't know."

"Perhaps this is your next research project, dear," said Rarity. She leaned over to Twilight, pressing a hoof against one of the thrones. "We might know about how unicorns can cast spells and how magic is all around us, but there are still plenty of mysteries to be solved. I think you might discover something marvelous if you did enough research."

"If I found something, it'd be a major breakthrough in the study of magic," said Twilight. Her tail swung back and forth like a pendulum. "However, there's the problem of where I'd start. We all have magic, but what do we do with it? Why is it that some exhibit more magical expertise than others?"

Starlight raised her hoof. "I can help find out!" she shouted. Her cheeks flushed immediately after, nervously chuckling as everypony stared at her. Inching closer to Twilight, Starlight puffed her chest out and exhaled. "After all, working together on that magical mirror went well. Maybe it'll be more fun with two ponies instead of just one."

"You're more than welcome to join me." Twilight glanced back at where her earlier research for the day sat, quickly bringing her focus back to Starlight. While finding out the last mysteries of her most recent project would've been exciting, there was just something tempting about tackling Pinkie's question. Finding out exactly how the mirror worked could wait; there was no need to rush. "Everypony can help out if they want. Just let me know if you're interested."

"We'd be delighted to lend a helping hoof, dear," Rarity said as she twirled her mane. "But how might we be able to assist you? I'd loathe to get in the way or make things needlessly complicated. Still, I'd do almost anything to help my friend with a project." Nodding, Rarity then turned to where some of her friends stood. "All of you agree, right?"

Rainbow flapped her wings and hovered just above the floor, her confident smile standing out. "Of course we'd love to help out!" she shouted. "Besides, I try out dresses for Rarity or tend to Fluttershy's garden for a reason. Isn't helping out what friends are for?"

"Rainbow's right," said Applejack. "And Rarity brings up a good point, too. We're all here if you need us, but I think it'll probably be for little things." She chuckled, a cheeky grin on her face. "Even I gotta admit that I don't know anything about spells."

"No need to worry," said Twilight. She approached the group, ruffling her wings as she briefly made eye contact with each of her friends. "I understand why you might be concerned about how to help." Taking a quick breath, Twilight touched her chest. "To be honest, I'm also a bit worried. But I'm not going to let anxiety get the better of me."

"Same here," Starlight added, wiping her forehead. "Though given how I kinda-sorta messed with Big Macintosh's speech patterns for a day, I'm still nervous about how it'll all go." She chuckled nervously, eyes swiveling over to Applejack as the latter merely arched an eyebrow. "I'll try to keep my magic under control."

"We'll work out the finer details," said Twilight. She gently nudged Starlight, her pupil replying with her own smirk. "For now, let's focus on having an enjoyable lunch together." Twilight rubbed the top of her head, nostrils picking up a burnt scent as she recalled the last time she attempted cooking. Luckily, there were other ways of contributing. "What do you have in mind, everypony?"

"I can bring some sandwiches," said Starlight. "Simple, but I know how to make them." She crossed her forelegs, gently kicking the air and softly smiling. "Making food was never one of my specialties, but sandwiches are things anypony can make. I can add some variety if you want."

Pinkie arched an eyebrow, her expression incredulous. "But what about the time you made that amazing—"

"I'll just bring sandwiches!"

"Then I'll bring desserts!" Pinkie sprung into the air. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake make the tastiest desserts in Equestria! I'll see if they have anything special that I can bring for lunch!" She paused, eyes widening to the size of saucers. "And maybe I can bring some pastries, too! They're so good, you'll be wanting more and more!"

Applejack placed a hoof to her chest. "You know me, I'll bring some apple-related dishes. I've got plenty of delicious treats in the kitchen, though I've got more than just apples." She adjusted her hat and a sheepish grin adorned her face. "Aunt and Uncle Orange also make some great food, so I'll bring those as well."

"Well, I guess everything is under control," said Fluttershy. She glanced around the room for a moment, almost as if she was looking for something. "Does anypony have something else they'd like to bring? I don't have much outside of salads, so I hope that's okay."

"Y'all can bring whatever you want." Applejack wrapped a foreleg around Fluttershy. "If you think we might like it, bring it over."

Nodding, Fluttershy cracked a smile. "Okay, I'll bring a salad all of you might like."

"Alright, let's get our food and meet up by the dining hall when we're done," said Twilight. Feeling warmth bundled in her chest, she instinctively grinned and pressed her hooves together. "I'll organize everything while you're out getting what you need. Since there's eight of us, be sure to bring plenty of food. And I'll get some drinks, all of them ones I know you'll like!"

"Sounds like Twilight's found her role," Starlight quipped.

The eight laughed in unison, smiles on their faces as they split up and embarked on their missions. Twilight skipped across the floor, the different drinks tailored to her friends' tastes dominating her thoughts. Based on what she knew of her friends, Twilight knew her ideas were guaranteed successes; those always were causes for celebrations. And with Spike tagging alongside her, everything would go quickly and smoothly, just as long as Spike wasn't messing around with the silverware this time around. How he hadn't hurt himself was a minor miracle.

However, Twilight felt as though something pinched her nerves. It was definitely out of place, everything around her about as blissful and spotless as it could've possibly been. And she knew it wasn't related to her next project. Twilight took a deep breath, touching her chest and then extending her foreleg. She couldn't help herself from wondering if something ominous had happened.

Maybe it was just her thoughts running wild again.

While anxiety sometimes persisted, a few tasks were excellent at washing it away, and organizing was just the activity for Twilight.

Nopony understood the joys of organizing as far as Twilight was concerned. There was just something about moving things into place that calmed her down, regardless of what the context might've been. While Twilight readily admitted that the few times she reorganized bookshelves for fun was unusual, all that mattered to her was having that tingling sensation in her chest, the same kind that she got from reading a fantastic novel.

Eight chairs surrounded a rectangular table, Twilight nudging the white cloth atop the latter until everything lined up perfectly. She checked the plates and silverware one more time, all of them sitting just before each chair with the forks and knives to the plate's left and spoons to the right. Pacing around the table for a moment, Twilight's smile widened a tad. She nodded, focusing on the empty space in the middle.

Twilight picked up a vase with her magic, flowers poking out of it and highlighted by an intricate pattern of blue and white swirls. The vase slowly approached the table as though it was given life, Twilight lowering her head with the vase softly landing on the table's exact center a second later.

At last, everything looked perfect.

Briefly clapping her hooves together, Twilight turned toward Spike, noticing the small dragon sweeping the floor with a broom. She couldn't help herself from patting Spike on the head, everything beneath them sparkling like a gemstone. "Thanks for helping out," Twilight said, admiring the room's appearance. "I couldn't have done this without your help."

Inching away from Twilight's hoof, chuckles left Spike's mouth. "Hey, no problem," he said. With his head raised, Spike donned a proud grin. "And how's the table coming along?" He leaned to the left of Twilight, eyes moving up and down. "Looks pretty good, but I don't know if we'll need the flowers."

Twilight shrugged. "How come? I thought they'd look great in the dining hall." She peeked back at where the flowers resided. They were among the best flowers Roseluck had to offer at the time, and Twilight would've kicked herself if she had nowhere to put them. "Should I get something else?"

"Not at all!" Spike quickly shook his head. A brief moment later, he hopped onto one of the seats and pointed at the vase. "The flowers look amazing, but I'm wondering if they'll even fit with the food. You've got most of your friends bringing food, and you know how Pinkie is with desserts."

Twilight's cheeks warmed up. She snickered. "Yeah, that's Pinkie for you, but I'll see if I need to move the flowers once the food gets here." Twilight stared over at one of the doors, the room she and her friends were at earlier in the day right behind it. Soon enough, ponies would start trotting in with their treats, Twilight yearning to have everything in place prior to their arrival. Anything less might've spoiled the lunch.

"If you're worried about the flowers, why not just move them somewhere else? My room's looking kind of boring, so maybe it'd look much better with them." Spike placed his hands behind his back.

"It'll be fine, but I'll move them to your room after lunch." Twilight approached one of the chairs and sat down, muscles loosening a bit upon touching the cushions. "We should still consider adding a few decorations, maybe something Rarity might like." Spreading her forelegs, Twilight raised her head and stared at the decorate ceiling above.

"Yeah, and maybe—" Spike cut himself off, cheeks puffing up like a balloon. And before Twilight had a chance to respond, Spike burped out a letter, sparks and tiny flames appearing in the blink of an eye and vanishing just as quickly. Spike looked down at the scroll, picking it up and focusing on the ribbon.

The gold-colored stamp featuring a pair of wings and a horn caught Twilight's attention most of all. Her throat tightened as if somepony was strangling her. That symbol was definitely the one Princess Celestia used when sending letters. And while Princess Luna also sent scrolls, they were few and far between.

"What's going on with Princess Celestia?" Twilight muttered. Touching her chest, she felt her heart thumping faster and louder. "It's not like her to just send a letter without warning." With a deep breath, she leaned closer to Spike. "What does the letter say?"

Removing the ribbon, Spike slowly unfurled the scroll. "I hope it's nothing awful." He cleared his throat, eyes shifting from left to right. Yet after a minute or so, his cheeks became pale, Spike lifting the letter toward Twilight. "Um, you might want to read this for yourself. It's serious."

Biting her lip, Twilight took the letter and flipped it around, eyes focused on the cursive writing. The intricate style removed any doubts; Celestia was definitely the one who sent her the letter. With another deep breath, her wings twitching uncontrollably, Twilight began reading the scroll's message.

Placing the scroll on the table, Twilight clenched her teeth. The last time Celestia had a prophetic vision, the damage was nearly catastrophic, what resided in that crystal box the only reason why the consequences were instantly fixed. Twilight's veins froze. Perhaps it was just an oddity and nothing to worry about. Then again, a truly heinous foe might've been making its way to Equestria. But as Celestia wasn't given much in the way of specifics for her vision, Twilight couldn't help herself from wondering why that was the case. The fact that Celestia and Luna knew it was a prophetic vision also pricked her nerves the more she pondered it.

Twilight wasn't certain of how her friends would take the news, especially with an afternoon of relaxation just ahead of them. The fate of Equestria was of the utmost importance, such incidents warranting a change in plans. Twilight couldn't help herself from donning a frown and ruffling her brow.

"What should we do?" asked Spike. He twiddled his fingers, cheeks tautened. "Princess Celestia could be in danger." His pupils dilated; a gasp left his lips. "If she doesn't return, how are we going to know exactly where she went?"

Twilight swallowed a lump. "I wish I knew," she muttered under her breath. She stood up, rubbing her head as the sounds of heartbeats polluted the air. "Whatever happens, we'll need to prepare for the worst just in case. I'll break the news to everypony when they arrive. Afterwards, we'll need to agree on a plan."

Spike's face turned pale. "Um, I guess that works."

Suddenly, the door opened up, Twilight noticing Starlight making her way inside. Hovering around her and wrapped by a bluish aura were two platters, a gleaming lid covering what was inside. The fact that her friend wore a smile drove needles into Twilight's heart, aware that it and the ones her friends were likely wearing would vanish in an instant. Yet Starlight assumed an emotionless expression when she turned to her. Twinkles appeared in the mare's eyes, looking as if she peered into Twilight's soul.

"What's wrong?" Starlight asked. She placed the platters on the table, inching her way closer to Twilight. "Something serious is happening, isn't it?" Her body shook as if a blizzard raged past her, the expression on her face grim. "Please tell me it's something that can be easily fixed."

"I'll explain once everypony's here," said Twilight. A sigh left her lips. "But yes, something serious is happening, but the details are scarce."

While her friends have all braved frightening obstacles and enemies before, Twilight just hoped that the news wouldn't put too much of a sour mood on the day. But knowing Celestia, she would've wanted everypony to have a good lunch together, even if she was dealing with something problematic.

As Twilight heard thousands of times before, when were problems ever straightforward?

There was something surreal about having both anxiety and excitement at the same time, yet Twilight knew she was experiencing just that.

Maybe it was the mouthwatering food her friends brought, all of them displayed like trophies atop the dining table and beckoning somepony to take a bite. The sandwiches Starlight made were sublime, the tomatoes in particular, and the treats Applejack brought made stomachs growl just by gawking at them. Furthermore, the desserts from Sugarcube Corner were guaranteed to be sweet and moreish, the chocolates truly fantastic. Maybe lunch was the perfect recipe for calming down after the announcement.

Perhaps having a close group of friends was what brightened the mood. Everypony brought something to the table that guaranteed smiles and laughs, something Twilight wished she could've preserved. However, she recognized that hiding the news from her friends was impossible, mentioning and then rereading the letter's contents just as everypony was seated.

The vacant stares she received upon recounting Celestia's message were expected. It never mattered that Equestria had braved similar situations, some of which involved Celestia being incapacitated. Widened eyes and stressed visages were often the result whenever such announcements or events came.

Nopony spoke up for a few seconds, Pinkie breaking the silence by saying, "Now what?"

"We go on another adventure," Rainbow said. She placed her hooves behind her head, though her cheeks were still pale. "I hope it's an awesome one, too. And if we can beat Tirek, nothing can stand in our way." Pausing, Rainbow forced a smug smirk across her face. "It's just a matter of where to go."

"I don't know 'bout that," said Applejack. She took one of the tarts from a nearby tray, placing it on the plate before her. "Some adventures might be exciting, but a few are truly frightening. Goin' back to your example, Tirek nearly killed us all, and it took Twilight finding the last key to stop him."

Raising her brow, Rainbow then gave Applejack an accusatory glare. "Hey, I never said it'd be easy." She adjusted her seating posture and then swiped one of Pinkie's treats in a flash. "And I know how scary they can be. I mean, it's not like I'm charging into some evil lair while gushing about feeling awesome. I'm talking about seeing new, exciting places!"

"Fair enough." Applejack crossed her forelegs. "I just don't want you doin' anything stupid."

"But Princess Celestia should be okay, right?" asked Fluttershy, hoof slightly raised. "I know she's faced threats stronger than her recently, but she knows what she's doing. We can't just go there and disturb her." She twiddled her mane. "Shouldn't we follow her instructions? Three days, right?"

Twilight nodded. "That's right, and we visit the uncharted territories down south if she doesn't report by then."

"And have you written back to Princess Luna?" Rarity added. "I only ask because it seems bizarre for Princess Celestia to go out by herself. For horrendous problems, doesn't she go with her sister or send Discord nowadays?" She froze for a second, blushing afterwards. "Oh, right. Discord had the thing with—maybe we can ask him for help if things are dire."

"Discord is learning more about friendship," Fluttershy stated as a matter of fact. She donned a sheepish smile and tapped her hooves together. Soft clacks filled the room. "I know he's still a troublemaker at heart, but the Discord from when he joined up with Tirek is a thing of the past." Her eyes locked onto Twilight's. "That reminds me, what do you think those magic pillars might be?"

"Nobody knows at this point," Twilight murmured. "Besides, even Princess Celestia wasn't entirely sure what was going on. All I know is from what she wrote, which is that these pillars of light are exuding a strange, magical energy." Twilight gently pressed her hoof against her cheek. Already, she brought her thoughts back to the research question she had earlier, the number of mysteries growing by the minute.

"Maybe it's one of those advanced spells," said Starlight. With her magic, she took one of the sandwiches, then turned to Twilight. "Revising Star Swirl's spell about time travel was one of the trickiest things I've ever done, so maybe it's kind of like that. Maybe this is a spell that nopony has tried before."

"That's definitely possible." Twilight rubbed her muzzle. "But why would Princess Celestia then get a prophetic vision about it? It just doesn't add up."

"Lots of things don't add up," Pinkie replied, shrugging. "Whether it's why some foods have strange ingredients or magic stuff, a lot of things seem odd when you think about it. Like, there was this one time where I was helping my family on the rock farm, and I really, really, wanted to give them a party afterwards. That's why I came up with a rock-themed party!" She stood up, face beaming with excitement. "Totally sounds weird, but trust me, it rocked!"

Starlight rolled her eyes, groaning as though somepony punched her in the stomach. "Let's save the puns for later."

"But you know where I'm getting at, right?"

Everypony in the room nodded in unison.

"Great! Now we just have to figure out what to do!"

"I have an idea," said Applejack. Pausing, her lips briefly moved without uttering an audible word. She then exhaled. "Since we don't know if Princess Celestia is coming back after three days, we should get ready to head out in case things go wrong. We'll gather supplies, figure out a route, and figure out where she might be. Aside from that, we continue business as usual."

"That sounds like it could work," said Twilight. "However, we should inform Princess Luna if we're taking action. Everypony involved should be up to date with what's going on, and we may need her help if all of us journey southward." She caught her breath. "Does that sound good?"

As before, all of the ponies bobbed their heads.

"Excellent." Twilight's sights turned to the food before her. While focusing on a leisurely activity at the moment seemed rather unusual, she figured that relieving some stress would be worth it in the end. She and her friends had things under control, and they'd definitely be prepared if they were asked to rescue Celestia earlier than planned. However, the purring stomachs needed addressing first. "Well, let's have some lunch. We wouldn't want to waste all this food, right?"

"Of course!" Spike added, quickly gobbling up and swallowing a pastry. "Besides, I'm hopeful that things will go well. Princess Celestia has faced all kinds of troubles before, so I wouldn't worry so much about her." He twiddled his claws. "For now, let's just try relaxing. Worrying all the time won't help us or Celestia."

As the group all nibbled on the treats, their lunch also coupled with various stories and bursts of laughter, Twilight still couldn't shake off all the anxiety bundled in her chest. With Celestia's struggles against Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek fresh in her memories, she wondered if being sent to the uncharted lands was inevitable. But at the same time, Celestia had prevailed against previous threats in the past. There was just no predicting the future.

One thing was certain. Twilight needed as many answers about magic as possible. Celestia's letters plus her thoughts following Pinkie's innocent question had to be answered. Where she'd start was an entirely different problem, but she figured that somepony who became a princess was perfect for the job.

Even in times of worry, a little optimism might've been what Twilight needed most of all.