//------------------------------// // The Story. // Story: The Secret of Motherhood. // by EclipseSight //------------------------------// "You're a mother?" Twilight's yelp caused Starlight to flinch backwards, her ears folding back against her head as she tried to make herself as small as possible. The princess continued to stare in dumb shock, even as her student refused to look at her and continued staring blankly at the nearby wall. Twilight's brain wrestled with the very idea of it all, struggling to even begin processing such a startling revelation. Starlight's murky past had been something of a quandary for her, there was still much that the lilac mare had yet to reveal about herself. That something of this magnitude had remained unsaid during her time at the castle... A shudder ran the entire length of Twilight's spine. When a small, almost imperceptible nod answered her question, another tumbled from her lips. It was all she could do to reign in her shock to avoid startling Starlight any further and crushing her already wilting frame into a crumpled heap. "When? How...I mean...what?" She clapped a hoof to her mouth to stop the stream of babbling before it overwhelmed her. Finally, Starlight was able to summon the courage to angle her body towards her two friends, if only a fraction. Her eyes still gazed at nothing, glazing over as she tried to quickly run the gauntlet of her timeline. A small gasp rippled up from deep within her core. "E-leven years..." How was that possible? If so much time had passed, how could her soul still bear such a crippling scar that would paralyze her like this? She looked up, even as her shoulders remained hunched. "Eleven years...roughly anyway..." she croaked again, straining through the solid lump in her throat to make her words carry themselves to Twilight. Twilight's heart skipped several beats, momentarily turning her blood to ice. Eleven years...that was a long time to keep such a weighted secret locked away. Faint tingling sensations ran up and down the length of her horn. The remnants of several powerful spells were peeling away from Starlight, before disintegrating back into the soft arcane hum that permeated through all of Equestria and beyond. Her heart begged her to reach out and hold Starlight close, as she had done previously. She forced herself to keep perfectly still, even as curiosity burned within her. She had to know what would drive a pony to go to such lengths to purge their memory with such brutal conviction. The only memory that had ever come close to tempting her into such a reprehensible act was of her, Spike and Starlight standing in the remains of Equestria, dead and barren from a cause too terrible for them to imagine. "I'm sorry..." The broken little whimper tugged Twilight back to the situation she had yet to deal with. The one with all the answers was Starlight, which left the lavender alicorn torn in two. If she was going to heal such a horrific wound then she was going to need answers. Her studious brain had already begun to piece together the sparse details but her picture was only marginally better than a blank canvas. Disgust boiled within her gut like a pitch black pit of putrid tar. Regrettably, the quickest approach was to coax one of her dearest friends to willingly bleed herself dry. Hesitation rotted Twilight's resolve, rending the strength from her now quaking limbs. She would not do it. Starlight knew that well. It was not in Twilight's nature to be so cruel. Eventually, the inner struggle waging war within her would fade and she would bend to Starlight's whim. No matter how much it threatened to tear her asunder, Twilight would respect any decision her student made and honour it until the very end. Starlight wondered briefly if it was knowing her teacher so well that spurred her onwards. "You don't have to ask Twilight...actually I'd prefer you didn't. I'm going to tell you I just..." She swallowed past the painful lump still wedged in her throat. "I just...need a minute." "Of course." Dipping her head, Twilight finally allowed herself to break her vigil of stillness. She rose quietly and turned to the sofa. Her hooves began obsessively plumping every cushion they could find. Some movement caught her eye. For a moment she thought it was Starlight but her eyes adjusted quickly. Using silent hand motions, Spike signalled that he was on his way to prepare food, or possibly tea. Either way, she mouthed her gratitude to the little dragon. After a moment, she and Starlight were alone in the most comfortable room in the castle. Starlight knew what Twilight wanted. She dragged herself to her hooves. It hurt to move. An emotional break stabbed at her with real, physical pain. She should have been terrified of such a twisted occurrence but compared to the grief leaking from her throbbing heart, it was nothing. Leaden limbs made the feeble attempt to drag her onto the sofa. The inanimate furniture seemed to rebuff her, sucking at her hooves and dragging her downwards, as if it could not bear to hold the weight of her grief. It was not yet as heavy as it had been that day but she could feel it growing within the confines of her chest. A warm pressure enveloped her, momentarily strengthening her against the coming tide of emotion. Familiar, friendly magenta magic glistened around her hooves and presumably her whole body. It was comforting and yet it was only a question. She managed another nod, tears burning in her eyes. The brief flash of memory had broken her so thoroughly that even Twilight was afraid to touch her, in case she caused more harm. The worst part was, Starlight could do nothing to assure her, or indeed herself, otherwise. As Twilight's beautiful magic pulled her onto the sofa, Starlight took the moment of weightless freedom to try and pull herself together. All too quickly, the comforting grip vanished and she had to remain upright under her own power. A brief, selfish part of her wanted to ask Twilight to maintain her hold. She resisted, if this was going to be done, then it would be under her own power. Exhaling softly, she straightened her shoulders as best as she could. Her own magic dislodged the towel and threw it to the floor, allowing her silky mane to tumble down and around her shoulders. She curled her tail around her hooves, creating a small circle of projected safety. The open end of her barrier faced Twilight. "Thanks..." she murmured, realising that she had not offered gratitude for the alicorn's aid. It was unnecessary, she knew that. Her dry mouth just needed practice for the ordeal to come. There was no ordained time for starting a story like this, there simply could not be. One breath passed, then a second and a third. By the time Starlight was on her sixth, she knew that it was now or never. "Everything is...flooding back to me... All of it isn't clear yet. I don't remember names...and I think that was intentional." She let out a weary sigh. "I erased them separately...to ensure that I never went after them. Considering what I tried to do to you...that was probably a good call." "You aren't that pony anymore," Twilight said quietly. "Don't forget that." All Starlight could offer for the encouragement was a weak, watery smile. Engaging in any sort of conversation would only lengthen the agonising process into something beyond her capabilities. Twilight understood that and expected no other response. She tightened her lips and extended one of her wings. She made sure not to touch Starlight, her goal was to reinforce the blanket of security. This was an absolutely safe space and nothing was going to interrupt. "Okay...I guess it would have been twelve years ago...that's still hard to believe...anyway. The moment I was old enough to strike out on my own I went to Canterlot to find Sunburst. My equalisation spell was ready but...I wanted to give friendship with him a chance. You can already guess how it turned out. I had no idea where to start, with a whole city to search. My planning also wasn't the best back then. I just wanted...out. So...since I'm so bad at planning my first night in Canterlot was spent exhausted and fundless in the middle of winter. I managed to bundle myself up in an alley, keeping myself kicking with a Warming Spell but..." She let herself snicker at her own idiocy, it was the only way she could keep herself from sobbing. A miserable, cold night she had dealt with many a time, but the memories that pulsed within her would not let this be just a cold night brought about by her own impulse. It had to be portrayed as the worse night of her life, even if that came later. An electric pulse twitched Twilight's extended wing. She pulled it back into herself, having come a hair's breadth from breaking her vow of abstinence. The image of a much younger Starlight, barely out of her nest, curled up alone between cold unyielding brick as black grasping shadows closed in on her shivering form. While she wished it were not so, she knew personally what such a mare's reception would have been from the Canterlot Elite. Frosty indifference would quickly turn to cutting jibes and jeers of contempt if she even attempted to push her ironclad boundaries. She pulled herself away from the image before hot anger could suffuse her innards. The story was only going to get worse. "I tried again the next day. Stubborn I guess..." Starlight's voice retained the echo of her humourless laugh. Hating herself somehow made this a little easier. If that was what it took, then she would take what she could get. "I didn't want to give up at that moment, but life had other plans. I collapsed in the street. I don't know how long I was out but when I woke up it was nighttime. I was warm and dry inside a house. I freaked out a bit but I was..." The acrid venom that she had long since buried beneath the layers of time rose to the surface. "...inside his house." Grinding her teeth together helped force back the surging hatred. It had been years ago, and the pony in front of her was not the one who deserved her rage. "All I'm able to remember is that he was a pegasus, and a complete gentlecolt, just helping the young mare who had collapsed in the street. We got...closer than we should have in the few days I stayed in his house." She faltered, suddenly feeling as if she had just washed with cold, slimy mud. The grime dug itself deeper than her still flawless, recently bathed skin, settling in a place where it could never be scrubbed away. "Ugh...Twilight can you fill in the gaps yourself here? I don't want to have to spell it out." "I got it, don't worry," Twilight assured her quickly. Starlight's glowing red cheeks paled slightly as the sigh of relief whooshed from her lungs. "It was stupid, I was at fault for it and I'm not even going to make excuses for it. I left immediately after it sunk in, to prevent any more incidents. I couldn't leave the city yet but the few days respite had allowed me to find work at a restaurant. The name isn't coming back to me... Maybe it's a side effect of my other spells I don't know. They were understaffed and the manager made manticores look cuddly. Apparently, he took something of a shine to me, since my magic allowed me to set up the restaurant in under ten minutes on a good day. The money allowed me to stay in the city for a while." "Wait...you didn't go home?" Twilight asked, silently wondering just how many layers this twisted tale could contain. A short, mirthless laugh burst from Starlight and she shook her head as if bemused by the very idea. "No, not at all. My bad planning and impulsive recklessness were not my only reasons for leaving as soon as I was able. They just helped me along. My parents and I...didn't get along, though I guess hindsight is always perfect. Anyway... everything got complicated really quickly when I started feeling sick every morning. I ignored it for a time but eventually, a quick trip to the hospital told me why." “You'd fallen pregnant,” Twilight surmised, unable to truly fathom how terrifying that must have been. To be alone in a city that cared nothing for you while being struck with the revelation that your life would never be the same again... "Yup, you got it in one. As you would imagine, that put something of a wrench in whatever plan I'd been going for. I assume Sunburst was already in the Crystal Empire by that point so that was a bust. I didn't tell him...the father I mean. I blamed myself and I mostly still do... I also didn't think I could face him. You saw how I was with Sunburst...well, Spike did mostly. It was that but...much much worse." A small nod told her that Twilight understood. She reached up and began to gently rub her temples, closing her eyes to try and stem the flood of images cascading through her. Her barriers had all broken at once and now her brain was simply trying to catch up. That day played out in her mind again and again, with such detail that it may as well have been happening at that moment. She wanted to stop, to just let the memories run their course, just so that she could get away from them for even a second. Her student's obvious distress plucked Twilight's heartstrings. She had to do it. Reaching up, she carefully rested her hoof on Starlight's shoulder. "You can take a break if you need to. I'll wait." Almost as if to reassure her teacher that such a thing was okay, Starlight leaned into the touch. She shook her head, dismissing the notion before it could tempt her. If she stopped now, she was going to break and then starting again would be exponentially more difficult. "I know you would but no... I can skip to the end here basically. The months passed pretty quickly. I could still use my magic so everything was fine with my work. I'd saved up a fair amount when the time actually came. I was going to make the trip back home. I never got along with my parents but...it would have been fine, I know that. Well...I guess life had other plans." A low growl vibrated deep in her chest. Small sparks of teal arced around her horn as all of the anger she had kept locked away cascaded out into the open. Had she not purged the names from her mind, then she would have done far worse than altering the timelines of all involved. "The father and his family found out I was pregnant. I don't know how but I wasn't exactly careful. They...they made their own arrangements and the hospital bowed to them. I guess they were an influential family, just my luck." The surge of anger that provided her strength began to ebb away, her voice weakening to barely a whisper. "They could just...do what they wanted and I had no way of stopping it. I'd never felt so helpless before. I'd held my foal for three days, just long enough I guess... Then...when I was asleep they...they..." The floodgates finally opened and tears streamed openly down her cheeks. Everything was starting to collapse. She coughed to try and hold herself together. Her throat was almost closed, breathing was a chore. All she had to do was hold out a little longer. "I get it...I really do. An entire family of rich, well-adapted ponies versus a young single mother just...isn't a contest. I know that. Its just...they took it from me. They took my foal and just left me to deal with it..." She trailed off, trying to steady herself with a breath but only causing a cough that drained her remaining strength. Just as she was about to crumble, she uttered the final words. "They left Canterlot. I looked for weeks but no one would help me. Canterlot didn't care, Princess Celestia was unreachable and I just...had to give in. All I could do was erase the memory from existence and hope that the foal was happy and safe..somewhere." She tried to say more, her memories were still burning behind her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to force herself, nothing but empty air and shuddering sobs would emerge from her throat. She slumped against Twilight, soaking the alicorn's chest with her grief. She felt herself being bundled into a tight hug, one which her trembling, aching body gladly sunk into. Warmth and protection enveloped her but both were powerless against the never-ending stream of tears. No matter how much she clenched her eyes shut, the ghosts of her past would not fade. They were making up for eleven years of festering hurt and would not rest until she had expelled all of it. Twilight felt completely helpless. She had forced her student to bleed and now she could do nothing to stop the flow except hold her as close as possible. Time was meaningless, four days could have passed and she would have stayed in this very spot until Starlight was finished. The river of tears finally slowed down to a trickle and then dried entirely. Starlight allowed herself to stay pressed into the comforting embrace for a few more moments, reluctant to emerge back into the cold, hurtful world. It would not wait forever. She pushed herself upright, looking anywhere but the alicorn sitting next to her. "Are you okay?" she heard Twilight ask. It was a completely useless question, they both knew that. Twilight just had to ask something...anything. "I...I guess..." She was far from okay, but she was better. That would have to do. "I'm sorry...I...I can't say anymore right now." "Don't apologise. You've said enough." Starlight could only grimace. Dismounting from the sofa, she fell heavily on her jelly-like limbs. They were just able to support her weight. "I...I need to be alone for a bit...And I think you do too..." "Okay," Twilight replied, remaining seated for the moment. "I'll bring food when it's ready." The long walk to her room was too daunting a task. As risky as it was in her current emotional state, Starlight flared her horn. A loud pop shattered through the crushing silence, carrying her to her room. As soon as she was gone, Twilight launched herself to the ground. Her hooves immediately fell into her old rhythm, she paced back and forth across the floor. Several sparks had been ignited within her and now they needed to burst. Equestria was far from perfect, she had slowly begun to realise that ever since exiting her bubble under Celestia's wing. Her eyes had opened to the injustices and evil lurking just below the surface. She had remained optimistic, for every dark shadow there were a thousand loving flames just waiting to lend their warmth to a friend or stranger. Revulsion built up within her. Her home city of Canterlot had done this to one of her friends. This was far beyond an adherence to an archaic and flawed class system, this was nothing less than despicable. Seething, Twilight was oblivious to Spike entering the room. For a while, he simply watched her pace and mutter to herself. She needed this, her thoughts needed to straighten themselves out, away from distraction. After several minutes, he set the heavy platter of food down on a table. He could bear this no longer. Stepping into the path of Twilight's relentless pacing, he raised a hand and planted it firmly on her chest. The young dragon's claw froze Twilight in place. Her rage dissipated at the sight of Spike's worried expression staring up at her. She settled herself down and pulled him against her. He allowed her to hold him without complaint. "That bad huh?" he asked, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry Spike... I just...that such a thing happened. How could any pony do that? It doesn't make sense." She placed a hoof on her chest, inhaling deeply. As she exhaled she extended her hoof, casting her distress into the winds. Cadance's breathing technique was effective but it was only a temporary measure. "They took her foal...while she slept and abandoned her in Canterlot." “Seriously?” Spike spat, his claws clenching into fists. The tendons popped and smarted but he did not care. "Who?" “I don't know...” Twilight admitted softly, blinking back the moisture lurking the corners of her eyes. “She erased the names from her memory, with stronger spells than I want to imagine. She didn't want to lash out against them." "That's more than they deserve," Spike snorted. Smoke spurted from his nostrils as he came perilously close to spouting fire. Almost immediately afterwards, he deflated under the weight of his rash words. "Sorry. I shouldn't stay stuff like that... That's just, wrong." “I know...” was the only response the princess was able to give. Her heart yearned to hold on to the belief that no pony would be capable of an act so heinous. She wanted to continue believing that such things were reserved for beings like Tirek or perhaps Sombra. That was a childish hope, one that she squashed quickly. She trusted Starlight, her account had been far too real. The poison of evil could manifest in anyone. One did not have to be an all-powerful demon to shatter someone's life as if it were a fragile pane of glass. She turned her attention to the tea and food resting on the platter. After setting aside portions for both herself and Spike, she lifted the silver tray into the air with magic. She could wallow in her own despair later. Of them all, Starlight was in by far the worst shape. "I'll be back," she said softly, making for the door. Spike's small, uncertain voice came from behind her and she paused mid-step. "What are we going to do about this?" She sighed and looked away. He expected her to know the answer, she always did. However, this time it was not her answer to give. "I don't know yet... That's up to Starlight." She walked away, leaving him to this thoughts as she had been left to hers. As she had expected, she found Starlight's door closed. She raised her hoof to knock, or even push it open, but managed to hold herself off. Instead, she simply laid the platter in the hallway, then called gently through the dark wooden door. "I'm leaving food at the door for when you're ready." There was no reply, not that she had expected any. Wrenching herself away, the alicorn trotted back to Spike. She found him sitting on the couch, the photo album in his lap. She cursed her own ineptitude. Of course, he was blaming himself, he had inadvertently brought the whole thing up. She tugged the book away from him, breaking the dragon from his thoughts. She smiled warmly at him, which he was able to weakly return. "You shouldn't blame yourself, Spike. It isn't your fault." He opened his mouth, ready to vehemently protest her claim. She stopped him by touching her hoof to his snout, holding it closed. "No buts Spike. There is absolutely no way you could have known. Please, don't let yourself think like that." She was right, he knew that much. Starlight would say the same. He reached out and grabbed a sandwich, shoving it into his mouth and taking a hefty bite in the same motion. While he chewed, Twilight picked up a sandwich of her own, eating a little more eloquently than her assistant. "How is it?" The heavy silence in the air was unbearable, Spike had to break it somehow. Twilight smiled and craned her neck downwards, nuzzling his head briefly. "Perfect, as always." Warmth blossomed in the young dragon's chest, which puffed up a little with the praise. "Thanks. I do my best." For the next few hours, they stayed together, finding solace in each others company. To distract Spike from his lingering guilt, Twilight made the suggestion that he retrieve a comic for them both to read. The photo album lay tucked out of sight under the sofa. She would deal with it later. Excited to share his passion with Twilight while he had her attention, Spike rushed to comply. Racked with indecision over which comic to share this rare moment with, he brought an entire stack instead. The colourful pages were absorbing, Twilight found herself far more engrossed than she had expected to be. Even so, they both worried silently. Neither could predict what was going to happen next, how well Starlight would be able to deal with what had been dredged back to the surface. Twilight's ears twitched as the faint sound of hooves shuffling in the doorway. She looked up to see Starlight hovering nervously at the edge of the room. Framed in the large doorway, she appeared even smaller and more fragile than she had before. Her mane was brushed to perfection and her face was washed, but the red puffiness in her eyes betrayed her, telling Twilight that she had been crying for most of her absence. Spike noticed Twilight's shift in attention and looked up. With both pairs of eyes now focused on her, Starlight could linger no longer. Slowly, painfully, she walked into the room. "I...I didn't want to be alone any longer..." she murmured, her admission of weakness causing her to flinch. She had burdened them both with so much already, throughout her entire time spent in the Friendship Castle, and yet she was once again pleading with them for help. Twilight nodded and patted the space next to her. Taking the invitation, Starlight climbed next to the pair. At least she had the strength to do so unaided this time. She maintained a slight distance, which neither of her friends attempted to breach. "Did you eat?" Twilight asked, wanting to keep tabs on the mare's health. Starlight bit her lip, chewing on it several times before finally admitting, "A little... N-not much. Sorry, Spike." "It's fine," he assured her firmly. "I'll just make some more later if you want it." Twilight sighed, leaning back a little. It was not ideal but it was about what she would have expected. She did not press the issue at the current moment, there would be time for that if it continued. Colourful pages caught Starlight's dull eyes, briefly igniting them. She looked at Twilight and the comics several times. The alicorn noticed immediately, chuckling sheepishly as Starlight raised an eyebrow. "Comics? That's unlike you Twilight." She picked one up and idly began to flick through its contents. Watching her, Spike found an old curiosity burning within him. He hoped to sate it, and simultaneously draw Starlight into the bubble he and Twilight had created. "Can you really read that fast? You and Twilight do the same thing, speed through a book in about a minute. Even the really big ones." With a shake of her head, Starlight set down the comic. "It isn't really reading." Talking hurt but she found herself wanting to all the same. It kept her memories at bay. "It's skimming at best. Speaking for both of us, as long as we know what we're looking for we can scan a book for keywords and phrases until we find what we're looking for. Then we read that part without having to bother with the rest." “Oh." Spike looked to Twilight, who confirmed Starlight's explanation with a nod. "That makes more sense.” "No pony can read that fast..." Starlight continued, her voice strengthening a little as her throat loosened. "Unless there's magic involved. I was just sort of flicking through the pages. Still..." She picked up another comic, the zany costumes worn by the ponies on the cover promised an amusing tale with none of the trappings of reality. "Shall we?" Spike plucked the flexible book from her grasp, opening it to the front. Starlight let herself sag against the sofa as he read. He provided fun, utterly ridiculous voices for every character. Starlight never made it into a full smile, but by the end of the comic, she felt a little lighter. As the pages came to a close, the lateness of the hour swiftly caught up with the youngest member of the trio. He punctuated the last line with a loud yawn. His eyelids drooped as another yawn forced its way out of his tired body. Twilight gently picked him up in her magic, placing the fading drake onto her back. “I'll be back shortly. I think it's past Spike's bedtime.” He grumbled, squirming against Twilight's grip in protest. He sat up on her back, rubbing his eyes in a feeble effort to rouse himself into wakefulness. The attempt proved fruitless and he slumped against Twilight's neck. In a final bid of defiance, he groaned out, "I'm fine. Honestly, I can stay up." Starlight stood up and walked over to him. She knew what he was trying to do, why he was so defiantly resisting the bed that he refused to leave every morning. With slow, gentle movements, she stroked his head frills. "It's okay Spike..." she soothed, even as her voice cracked slightly. His eyelids drooped lower as her faint touch melded with her lulling whisper. "I'll be okay. Rest up and I'll talk to you tomorrow. Thanks for everything." “Okay...” he mumbled tiredly, all fight washing out of him. Starlight pulled away, allowing Twilight to carry him out of the room. With both of her companions gone for the moment, Starlight dropped her composure and flopped backwards, sprawling herself across the length of the sofa. Her stomach churned, threatening to dislodge the meagre scraps she had picked at earlier. What was she supposed to do now? What could she do now? Where did this leave her? She could not answer any of it right now. She groaned, pressing her head into the arm of the sofa to muffle the half scream of frustration the sound evolved into. "I'm back," Twilight announced, closing the door behind her with a soft thud. Starlight rolled over, expecting Twilight to join her again. She squeaked, scrabbling upright when she realised just how little room she had left for anyone else to actually sit down. "Sorry!" She waited until Twilight had gotten herself comfortable, then laid herself down in the available space. She wanted as much support as possible, lacking any confidence in her ability to hold herself for much longer. "Is he asleep?" Twilight made no comment when Starlight's head sagged against her side. She carefully lifted a hoof and began to stroke the back of her student's neck. "Yeah, he went out like a light. He always does when he tries to be stubborn. Thanks for that." "I...I wasn't going to have him try anything silly..." The lump in Starlight's throat had returned, more intrusive than ever. Talking was no longer a release, it was an effort. Her bottom lip quivered, breaking every breath into a series of stutters."I don't know what to do with all of this...I don't know what I'm going to do..." Her mournful lament echoed in Twilight's ears. Right now, Starlight was just as lost as she had been during her first night in the castle. Her strong, amazing student had been regressed back into a scared filly and it was up to Twilight set her right once more. "You don't have to know...not tonight," she cooed, continuing to run her hoof along Starlight's neck. "Maybe you should try and get some rest." She winced when Starlight tensed against her, curling her hooves into her chest. Silently berating herself, Twilight realised she should have expected such a thing. Nightmares were a terrible affliction that she feared would never leave the lilac unicorn. The waking world did not hold a candle to the horrors that could be inflicted when one's inner-self was allowed to run amok. "I'll stay with you." Twilight's stroking changed to smooth circles at the very base of Starlight's neck so that she did not have to break contact with her student for even an instant. "For as long as it takes." The calm silence stretched between the two long into the night. Even with Twilight's promise, Starlight's trepidation stayed sleep's gentle embrace. Twilight remained rooted to the spot, maintaining her silent vigil until she felt Starlight slip a little lower against her flank. The unicorn's breathing slowed from ragged, strained whimpers to a slow, rhythmic crawl. When she was absolutely sure that Starlight had dozed off, Twilight carefully draped a light, woollen purple blanket over her sleeping form. "Sleep well..." she murmured, nuzzling her friend's forehead gently. Then, as quietly as possible, she slipped out of the room. The night would not be wasted, she wanted to be far better prepared by the time Starlight awoke. Thankfully, she found Starlight to still be fast asleep upon her return. Being absolutely sure not to disturb her, Twilight placed the huge stack of books she had gathered next to the table. It was still littered with Spike's comics, which Twilight found to her delight made excellent bookmarks. Carefully manoeuvring herself back into the same position she had just left, Twilight settled in to toil the night away. Pinkie Pie had stashed quills, ink and parchment all over the castle, in case of checklist emergencies. Dimming the lights to ensure Starlight the best chance of sleeping through until morning, Twilight Sparkle got to work.