Twilight's journey

by Skarsnik

Chapter 12 - Hidding

Twilight entered the house first, she slammed her hood and the belt holding her wings on the floors “I am tired of this! Three times today!”

Spike entered and let down his bags near the door, “I had some idea for the next town, we could talk about over dinner.”

The alicorn shouted, “I am taking a shower, you better have a solution!”

“Wow, she is really mad today,” Emerald said to Spike after Twilight disappeared upstairs.

“Can you blame her?” sighed Spike.

“Not really, some stallions are reals jerks, but today was a close call, an unicorn started lifting her cloak.”

“What did you do?”

Emerald chuckled “I hope he doesn’t expect to get laid anytime soon”

“Remember to don’t get on your bad side.”

“Say the dragon that can probably remove me one leg with one claw sweep.”

“Or worse,” Spike said pointing at the rear of Emerald.

Emerald crossed his forelegs instincly. After calming himself, he said, “But seriously, you have some ideas?”

“Yeah but sadly most of them are unpractical.”

Spike went on the kitchen and Emerald went on his room. He chose to lay on his bed until Spike called for dinner. He was pretty tired. Today, Twilight had asked him to show her how to teleport. Emerald didn’t like it, teleporting is pretty taxing and the dazzling sensation after teleporting was something he was still no used. He also reminded him the hours of boring theoretical things to learn before teleporting safety. He had only teleported three times before Twilight understood or remember, Emerald had still had no idea how she learned magic by just watching him, it’s magical genius for you I guess. The three teleports had been exhausting for him, but it was worth the view of an alicorn teleporting happily everywhere while he was resting.

But what Emerald preferred was watching Twilight fly, or trying to fly, it was something very relaxing, beautiful and sometimes funny when she lost control of her flight. It was also the most stressful part of the day, Emerald had to get the weather control planning to have an idea where the local pegasus in charge of the weather would be for the day to avoid them, but that didn’t exclude the risk of wandering pegasus.

“Ok dinner's ready” called Spike.

Spike took three plates and served dinner. He sat on his seat and started to speak when Emerald and Twilight were seated too.

“I will be direct Twilight, there is no immediate solution.”

She looked at him and asked, “What do you mean?”

“No magic ways will not work, wearing a hat to hide your horn show already too much, not to mention your wings are bigger than those of pegasus.” Spike paused, “We can dye your fur and mane on top of that, but you will have to not do any magic at all, and most dye doesn’t last long”

Levitating her silverwares to make a point she answered “I prefer if I can use my magic.”

Spike added “I don’t propose something like a dress to hide you wings, I don’t think you want to restrain them anymore”

Twilight fluttered her wings on her back “No, it’s really awful.”

“So remain magic ways. Illusionary spells powerful enough to hide you and last a day can only be found on restricted area of the Canterlot Royal Library, which Emerald can probably have access but not let out any book.”

Emerald nodded but corrected “Actually, even if my dad runs the library, I am not allowed in every area.”

“So that remain only two ponies that can really help, the first one is Cadance, and the second one… her old apprentice. Well no, she can’t really help. There is probably Princess Luna but I have no idea what she can do in magic.”

Emerald took a bit of his salad and said, “I didn’t know Princess Cadance has knowledge on illusion.”

Spike served Twilight “Yes, her private library is probably the most complete on the subject.”

Twilight thanked Spike “So why did you wait to write her a letter?”

Spike agreed “Well that my conclusion, but if you have any other idea.”

“What the issue about hiding the wings under a dress, you don’t need to restrain them?” inquired Emerald.

Spike answered, “I think you don’t understand the willpower needed to not move them an entire day. Even if you can, will you want to control your emotion all the time?”

Emerald shook his head “Err, no, but, I was thinking. Spike, you can hide you wings?”

Spike smiled “Yes, but it’s more a biological function that magic, and I have to sleep an entire day hide or show them”

Twilight released her fork and her ears perked on her head “How you do that exactly? How that work? how much sleep exactly?”

Spike watched his spoon “How to explain this. How did you learn to walk, Twilight?”

Twilight followed Spike spoon with her eyes “By… trying when I was a foal, but I guess there are books on the subject!”

“Yes, but for me there was no book, I don’t have many details, but I can show you my note when we are back home.”

“Thank, Spike”

Emerald wiped the corner of his mouth that was full of dressing with a napkin “So the letter? You want me to make another story again?”

“Hum not really, I can just say you want to learn more about Illusion, Cadance will understand why. Twilight do want me to add something for Cadance?”

“Just tell her...I am...fine, I am...fine,” replied Twilight, she brought her silverware on her plate and finished her glass of water “Thank for the dinner Spike” Twilight went outside.

Watching the alicorn crossed the door, Spike asked Emerald “Gone flying again?”

Emerald was levitating the empty plate of Twilight to the sink “Yes, she doesn’t have to worry at this time. It’s too dark for most pony and she told me she had no trouble seeing in the dark.”

Spike sighed, his smile faded “She doesn’t talk to me much. Should I worry?”

Emerald picked up a yogurt from the fridge “I am not sure. Maybe because you know a lot about her?”

Spike for his part, picked up a big green gem “Make sense. and you, how are you doing?”

“It’s not easy, since the more I learn, the more I make some connection”

Spike took a bit of his -ironically- emerald “Like what?”

“Who are some of their friends, like Lady Blueblood.” he replied.

Spike frowned “Oh, please don’t talk about her.”

A grin formed on Emerald face “Hm, what are you hiding?”

Spike said sheepishly “I...had a crush on her.”

The grin on Emerald morphed on a small smile “On her? Well, I can’t blame you, she look good for her age.”

Spike smiled too “I should be offended by your remark, but you are young.”

Emerald stuck his snoot in the air, while passing a hoof in his mane “A Lady must always look at her best to face the day.”

Spike chuckled “You talk like her.”

Emerald laughed “Haha. Well my dad try to find me some noble mare after my break up, some of them talk like that.”

Spike gulped the rest of his emerald in one go “He didn’t force you? since you told me commoner and noble don’t wed often.”

Emerald shrugged “My dad is strict on family value, but not for this, as long I don’t go for stallions.”

“Let me guess, he just want an heir to carry the name?”

“Yes”

Spike gather his plate and his silverware to put them in the sink “Haha, Ok I have a letter to send and some research to do. So I guess it’s good night.”

Emerald raised an eyebrow “Research?”

Spike moved to the bottom of the stair “Yeah something I should have done a long time ago.”

“Good night, Spike.” said Emerald when Spike starts climbing the stair.

He moved to the kitchen to do the dish. When he finished drying them, he heard hear the sound of Twilight landing on the roof. Emerald remarked that she was doing that since she started feeling confident enough about flying. She stayed on the roof and watched the sky.

He get in his room to retrieve a book and exited the house “Twilight, over there.”

The alicorn brought her head over the edge of the roof “Oh Emerald. What do you want?”

Emerald raised his head to talk to her “Sorry I have a book for you. I see you staring at the stars for quite some night and I think you maybe want this”

Twilight eyed the book quickly and she slowly glided from the roof to land near Emerald. She walked toward the stallion and read the cover “Cartography of the night sky.”

Emerald borrowed a recent edition from the small library in the town hall. But instead of a smile on Twilight’s face, all he could see was confusion “Hm, you don’t like it?”

“Hm? Oh no, it’s not that” Twilight pointed at the stars “I just watch the night sky because it’s relaxing. It apease me.”

Emerald followed her hoof and looked at the sky “I don’t know, I never really spend time stargazing”

The alicorn beamed “I can teach you!”

Emerald shrugged “Sure.”

Twilight grabbed the book in her magic and open it at a specific page. Then she started explaining: “First you have to search for a major star or constellation easy to find.” she put her hoof in one page and pointed at the sky “You see in this area near the moon, it’s Ursa Major. Try to find a big bright star with four around forming a square, you can imagine it’s a bear head with the nose.”

Emerald looked the book and the area Twilight was pointing and after few seconds he find the stars in question. “Oh, I see, yes. I have to admit when you know what to search it’s not that hard, so what next?”

Twilight turned a page “Once you get a starting point, you look the references on the book and try to find an adjacent constellation.”

Emerald frowned at the uninviting text on the page and said, “Hm that sound tedious, can you just show me?”

Twilight looked at the stallion with curiosity “You don’t like books?”

Emerald smiled “It’s just since you are here, It rather watch the night sky than a book.”

Twilight invited the stallion to sit on a wooden bench that was behind the house, she put the book on her lap “Ok, so if you follow the line of star at the bottom of Ursa major you can find a small triangle of stars. It’s Ursa minor”

Emerald followed the instruction and after yawning he said, “Hm, that doesn’t look like a bear.”

“Well, I have to admit, sometime you need a lot of imagination” Twilight giggled.

Twilight kept leading the stallion to different stars and constellations, sharing stories when she remembered one. Emerald just followed her instruction mainly remaining silent and occasionally yawning more.

“And this one is… Emerald?” Twilight was interrupted by the head of a stallion resting on her shoulder, she listened to him sleeping but was embarrassed

She poked the stallion to wake him “Emerald?”

Emerald slowly opened his eyes and mumbled “Hu. Oh sorry, I felt asleep?”

Worried, the alicorn asked, “Did I talk too much?”

“What? Oh, sorry” Emerald shook his head “Teleporting taxed me a lot. It just like you said, looking at the night sky is relaxing.”

He rise up from the bench and dusted himself “I am going to bed. Good night, Twilight.”

Author's Note:

I decided to cut this chapter in two. I was over 3000 words after the first draft.
Next chapter will probably be shorted.

I still in need of an editor, but I don't need like a super grammar nazi one. Just make the whole thing looking less than random English x) So If you are interested feel free to PM me.

EDIT: How you can picture Spike in this story : http://metalmane.deviantart.com/art/Teen-Spike-573880445