Twilight finds a Rubik's Cube

by subject pax

In which it is found.

“So, Why are we here again?” Spike questioned.

“Well, I remembered where 'Array's Atlas of Astral Bodies' was.” Twilight replied, walking through her old room in Canterlot. “Well, not quite, but I know for certain that it's in this room.”

“Then why am I here?” Spike demanded. “Because I know for certain that there is a feast going on downstairs and that we were invited. I'm probably missing out on some of the best ice cream right now!”

“Then you can go Spike,” Twilight stated as she looked from shelf to shelf, “After we find 'Array's Atlas of Astral Bodies'.”

“Ugh, fine.” Spike grumbled as he located the ladder and used it to read the names of the higher up books.

Twenty minutes later, Spike and Twilight were still looking for the Atlas of Astral Bodies.

“It's not here!” Spike exclaimed.

“You don't know that for sure.” Twilight responded.

“Yeah, but I've read the names of all these books three times now and none of them are your 'Array's Atlas of Whatever'” Spike jumped down from the ladder and stormed towards the door, “And I've probably missed out on that ice cream!” Spike almost made it out of the door, but he was encased in magic as soon a he was within a metre of the door.

“Aww!” Spike exclaimed, “What is it now, Twilight?”

“We still haven't checked the cupboards!” Twilight said with a glint in her eyes, “Check the cupboards, then you can go.”

“Fine.” Spike sighed. Twilight released Spike from her magic and Spike waddled slowly towards the cupboards and opening them to check inside.

When Spike opened the second cupboard there was a rustling sound and a small unicorn's toy fell from the dark corners of the cupboard onto the floor in front of him. Twilight was behind Spike almost instantly.

“Did you find something?” Twilight asked earnestly.

“Um,” Spike said, startled by Twilights sudden movements, he slowly pointed to the unicorn's toy, “This.”

“OH...” Twilight said venomously as she picked the toy up with magic, “I remember this, I hated this.”

If spike had been few years older and had hit the puberty age of any known sentient being, he would have known to use a certain kind of tact in the situation that he was presently in. But Spike wasn't so he said.

“So I can go to the feast now?” he asked hopefully.
Twilight took a few moments to respond.

“Yes, go and enjoy yourself.”

“Yes!” Spike jumped with joy and rushed out the door, leaving a smoke cloud and Twilight alone in her old room, surrounded by books and a toy.

In Ponyville, Three weeks later.

A *CLOSED* sign swung quietly on the door to Ponyville's only library. Few had seen any use of the door, which had only opened to let an undeniably baby dragon in and out when shopping for groceries, paper, ink and anything to do with continuing to live, etcetera. None had seen even a single hair of the Purple Unicorn Mare who resided in the Tree-slash-Library, save for a brief sighting of her trotting through Ponyville with a unicorn's toy and three parchments held around her head via telekinesis magic around midnight. Twilight had gone straight to her home and had locked herself inside, apparently never to see the world again.
Fast forward three weeks and some of twilight's friends were staring to get worried about her, just like they had when Pinkie had joyfully told them that Twilight looked 'Incredibly focused and probably won't be seen for three weeks' three weeks before.

“Why am I here?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Because Twilight's being Twilight silly.” Pinkie responded while bouncing on the spot, before stopping suddenly and saying in a creepy voice “And that's scary.”

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity exclaimed, “How could you not know that Twilight has locked herself in her house and hasn't left in three weeks?”

“Uh...” Rainbow Dash said, “I don't know?”

“Well!” Rarity huffed, “You obviously need to find a way to get any information through that very thick skull of yours. Honestly...”

“Yeah yeah yeah.” Rainbow Dash interjected “Where's Applejack and Fluttershy?”

“Applejack apparently has a rather large harvest scheduled for today.” Rarity stated.

“And I tried to get Fluttershy out of her house but Bearsy stepped on a splinter when I arrived.” Pinkie bounced.

“That doesn't explain to us why she's not here” Rarity said.

“Bearsy fell over.” Pinkie bounced.

“And?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Well a repair pony's coming tomorrow and so is the doctor pony and the therapist and the-” Pinkie explained.

“That's enough darling.” Rarity cut off.

“Okie-dokie-lokie!”

“So what's up with Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked rather awkwardly.

“That's what we're here to find out darling.” Rarity responded immediately.

“Uh-huh.” Rainbow Dash said, “So why are we in the Everfree?”
*dramatic sound effect*

“Well Twilight's definitely been doing a lot of magic stuff in her house and I'm not sure if she's cast a spell that lets her listen in on what everypony in the town is doing so I thought that we should meet in the Everfree 'cause the trees are able to like, eat magic like 'NOM-NOM-NOM-nom' and that wouldn't let her hear us and if she could hear us she would know and if she doesn't know we'd be able to show up like 'Hi Twilight, how are you, what's wrong? That's solved, let me hide for a few seconds, SURPRISE PARTY!' and that would be totally awesome.” Pinkie Pie said that.

“Wow.” Rainbow Dash said, slightly dazed, “You uh, put a lot of thought into that.”

“Yup!” Pinkie bounced, “Now lets go so that we can do [mentioned above]”

...

“I'm not even going to ask what happened there.” Rainbow Dash said.

“That would probably be best dear.” said Rarity.

And so the three ponies set off on a quest of sorts, to find out what had happened to make Twilight shut herself off from the world for three whole weeks. During the trek across Ponyville, Rarity caught sight of her own shop, the 'Carousal Boutique' and how that two of the windows appeared to have tomatoes splattered across them.

“My dresses!” Howled Rarity just before she galloped off towards her shop. A few short minutes later, screams and something that sounded suspiciously like a magical chainsaw could be heard as Rarity's anger grew out of control when she found out what three certain fillies had done.

“Looks like it's just you and me.” Pinkie stated gravely.

“...Yeah....” Rainbow Dash said.
*Insert transition*

“Well. Here we are.” Pinkie said gravely.

“Wait. Weren't we just in front of Rarity's shop?” Rainbow Dash asked with good reason. “And what was that sound?”

“That was a transition silly.” Pinkie explained while resuming her bouncing, she also thought up a new flavour for a variety of cupcakes, realised the meaning of life, thought up a way to go to the moon and invented a way for unicorns to teleport without a faint feeling of nausea.
...
Then she forgot.

“What is... Never mind.” Rainbow Dash sighed.

“Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie bounced as she bounced toward the door and knocked on it though a magnificent display of bouncing and breaking physics.

The door was opened around twelve seconds later by a very young Spike.

“Hi Spike!” Pinkie greeted bouncily.

“Hey guys.” Spike responded.

“Hey Spike.” Rainbow Dash replied. “Where's Twilight?”
Spike was silent for a few seconds, he then howled with laughter.

“You guys have to see this.” Spike laughed as he made way for Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. “It's worse than that time Twilight warned herself not to worry about that message.”
Rainbow Dash thought for a few seconds.

“You mean the time she tried to be completely still to stop a disaster?” Rainbow Dash Laughed, “And the time she paced a hole in the floor?”

“Yes.” Spike said, “Oh yeah, you should watch your step.”

“Why?” Pinkie asked as she bounced then fell down a circular hole that made a mote of sorts (minus the water) around the table in the main room of Twilight's house.

“Remember the time she paced a hole in the floor?” Spike shouted down to Pinkie, “That took a day and this time she's been pacing for three weeks.” The echoes confirmed what Spike had said. “This hole is a bit deep.”
A second or two later a thump sound was heard as Pinkie finally hit the ground.

“Got it Spike! Thanks!” Pinkies reply and echoes of the reply were heard a few seconds later. “I'll go look for twilight!”

“So how do we get down?” Rainbow Dash asked. Even she could see that the narrow hole was too narrow for anything but a fly to fly in.

There was a small tapping noise and before their eyes, Rainbow Dash and Spike witnessed a pink rope ladder with purple rungs fly from inside the hole and attach itself to the floor. On the first rung was written.
Courtesy of Pinkie Pie.

“Sweet.” Rainbow Dash said.
*Transition*

“I have no idea...” Rainbow Dash stated, “How we got here.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Spike said as he climbed down the ladder.

“It was another transition wasn't it?” Rainbow dash asked.

“Eh?”

“Never mind.” Rainbow dash sighed painfully.
*Twansition*

“Aaand we're at the bottom already.” Rainbow Dash said while rubbing an itch on her head.

“What are you talking about?” Spike asked. “You fell off the ladder fifteen minutes ago. Onto your head by the looks of it.”
Rainbow Dash gave Spike a blank look, then slowly lifted her hoof to inspect the itch in her head, she found a bump that was easily twice the original size of her head.

“Wait a second Spike.” Rainbow Dash said, she then began using her hooves to squeeze the bump back into her head. “Whew, I didn't think that would work”

“Why wouldn't it?” Spike asked.

“Well for a number of reasons,” Rainbow Dash said “Like... Uh... Yeah... I got nothing.”

Rainbow Dash was then interrupted by a Purple unicorn mare tripping over her.

“Sorry.” Twilight said absently as she picked herself up, levitating a small cube in front of her. The cube seemed to be constantly changing shape.

“Hey Twilight.” Spike called as Twilight started to walk away, “You should probably eat now.”

Twilight stopped walking, then said, “I'll eat when I've finished this Spike.”

“Of course.” Spike huffed, “Because you've totally eaten every meal for the past three weeks.” Twilight nodded then started walking on. Spike made a table flipping motion as Rainbow Dash picked herself up off the ground.

“That really is worse than that week.” Rainbow Dash said, “What's that cube she's got in front of her?”

“That's a unicorn toy.” Spike explained, “It's a puzzle that apparently is really really hard to solve and only one pony has ever solved it. I think it's called the Rubik's Cube”

“That's two ponies silly.” Pinkie interjected as she erupted from the wall, “The author of this story has solved it too.” She looked to the author, “Right?”
“Right.”

“This is getting ridiculous.” Rainbow Dash sighed.

“Anyway.” Pinkie bounced, “We should go find Twilight now.”

“Right.”
*fransifion*

“So you're about half-done?” Spike asked as Rainbow Dash suddenly looked up and around at the sudden change of scenery, before sighing heavily.

“Just...” “wow.” [Both of those were different sighs.]

“I think I'm half done.” Twilight said. “I have recorded thirty four quintillion, eight hundred and forty trillion, nine billion, seventy three million, two hundred and thirty one thousand four hundred and twenty different combinations so far.”

“And how long did that take?” Spike demanded.

“Uh.. two days?” Twilight asked hopefully.

“No silly.” Pinkie interjected, “It's been three weeks.”

“Oh...” Twilight realised, “Wow.”

“And why are you down here anyway?” Pinkie asked/bounced.

“Um.” Twilight said as she looked up. When she saw that she was in a really really deep crevasse, the shock that Twilight experienced caused her to drop the Rubik's cube in front of her and faint dramatically.

“Oopsie!” Pinkie bounced, “I think I broke her. And anyway, why would this simple thing keep Twilight in such a trance?” Pinkie reached down and broke physics as she picked up the Rubik's Cube, which appeared to fix itself as Pinkie picked it up.

“So that's what kept Twilight in here for three weeks?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yup!” Pinkie responded.

“And you solved it?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Just like that?”

“I suppose.” Pinkie thought, then asked the Author “Is that right?”
“Yep.”

“I guess I did then!” Pinkie bounced.
*Final Transition*
Twilight slept for three days straight after the ordeal with the Rubik's Cube. When she woke, Twilight was treated to a surprise party courtesy of Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie spent three days planning a surprise party for Twilight when she woke up, Pinkie spent five minutes minimum planning each streamer, cannon, cake, etcetera. Needless to say, Twilight was hospitalized.
Spike got a merry three days to devour tub after tub after tub of ice cream. Needless to say, Future Spike was hospitalized.
Rainbow Dash had a mental breakdown in her house three days after the Rubik's Cube ordeal. Rainbow Dash claims to have no memory of the past three days and claims to know nothing about an illegal unicorn toy known as the Rubik's Cube found in her house. Rainbow Dash has been admitted to an Insane Asylum with no estimated date of recovery, all of her friend are really worried about her.
Applejack and her brother Big Mac successfully harvested their apples and got on with life.
Fluttershy decided that it was time to move away from Ponyville after Pinkie Pie showed up with a chainsaw in hoof, scaring Bearsy through the house and into the Everfree, setting all of the animals into a frenzy and inadvertently starting an animal revolution against Fluttershy. She moves in two days.
Rarity has become the prime suspect in a murder case after the disappearance of three certain fillies and being found with blood on her horn, alongside reports of the sounds of a magical chainsaw from neighbours. Rarity plans to kill the detective that is leading the case, move to Cloudsdale and apply for a job in the Rainbow Factory.
Pinkie Pie befriended the mote in Twilight's house which became sentient enough to be capable of calculus. The first date is next week.
The CMC were only indirectly mentioned in this story so they won't have an accurate resolution. However, a doomed detective hypothesises that they are six feet under.
The Array's Atlas of Astral Bodies gave several troll faces to Twilight from under the floorboards throughout the story.
And now, with all those loose ends noosed, this story is finished.

Author's Note:

Because of the theme, I would like viewers to comment on their thoughts of the Rubik's cube.
Also, fell free to critique.

Comments

[Sharky]

The cube is evil EEEEVVVIIILLLLL IT NEARLY DESTROYED MY FAMILY MY TOWN MY COUNTRY IT HAD TO BE DESTROYED WE DIDNT HAVE A CHOICE BYOND FIRE ACID OR A CANNON! We went with the cannon as for the story mee it could have had a few lines showing twilight running into tipical cube problems and even the contemplation of cheating with celestia and Luna themed shoulder angle/devils

[Coda Crescendo]

Personally I thought you did a good idea with the theme. Can't wait for more stories

[AtomicMuffin]

I liked the way you wrote Pinkie Pie. The fourth wall breaking was a bit excessive, but that's admittedly part of the Random tag. The transitions cracked me up. I could have done without the resolutions at the end; however, that is a mark of personal preference and thus bears no reflection on my critique of the work. Overall, it was a decent story with several very funny moments.

As for my opinion of the cube:
Haters gonna hate, cube gonna cube.
#EatYourHeartOut (Please note that I do not condone the use of hashtags in any form)

[AppleDashofPie]

Well it was a nice story and the way you wrote Pinkie Pie cracked me up for the fact that Rainbow dash didnt know what was happening rarity is a murder twilight was discovering a Rubix cube for about 3 weeks applejack " moves on with life" and is free from her life chore for a while fluttershy moves out because she is practically scared of Pinkie Pie you did well and keep up the good work

[MoonlightSparklez]

nopony is probably ganna believe this, but i had to finish a rubik's cube for homework. never got it done. well it was extra credit

[subject pax]

3563089 Good to know.
btw i wish my homework was that easy.

[Tomo-Domo]

Awwww man!!!! Just when I was gonna write my own fic of Twilight finding a Rubik's cube, I discover this!!! Well there goes my plan of something original. Anyway, as old as this fic is, I like it. Nice job.

[KingYakko5991]

Well I guess that this means that Pinkie Pie is secretly Collin Burns? NOPE FELIKS ZEMDEGS WAS, IS, AND WILL BE THE BEST!!!!

[jkljty]

Pinkie Pie is Mats Valk!