Twilight's Library

by Late_To_The_Party

Storytime

I stared slack-jawed at the book Twilight was levitating in front of me.

"T-Twilight... Is that?" I pointed with a trembling claw. Twilight swallowed and nodded.

"Yes, it is," she whispered. She set the book very gently on the floor and buried her face in her hooves, whimpering.

"What do I do now?"

"Um, ask Celestia for help?"

"What? No!" Twilight shrieked, standing bolt upright.

"Why not? She can help, right?"

"No! I cast a spell from the book she told me not to cast a spell from! Do you have any idea how much trouble I'll be in?"

"But you did it to save Rainbow's life; Celestia has to be okay with that, right?"

"She said not to cast them under any circumstances, Spike! Under any circumstances! Don't you know what this means?"

"Banished and imprisoned?" I asked flatly.

"On the moon!" Twilight screamed as her eye twitched. "At best! Maybe she'll even turn me into stone before banishing and imprisoning me on the moon!"

"Okay, okay, I get it, we don't ask Celestia for help. Can't you turn her back?"

"I don't know how!"

"That book you got told you how to do it, does it tell you how to undo it?" Twilight froze and her eyes widened.

"Twilight?" Twilight grabbed me with her forehooves and stood on her hind legs, spinning around.

"Of course! It has to say somewhere! How did I not think of that? Thank you, Spike!" She stopped spinning and set me down. My eyes kept spinning while Twilight picked up both books involved and ran to her room.

"I'll be studying the book in my room! Take care of anypony who comes to see me; I need to not be interrupted!" I stayed downstairs for a few minutes, but I couldn’t focus on my work, so I followed Twilight and watched quietly while she read. It felt like an eternity. Like standing in the waiting room in the hospital, too worried to even sit down, with no idea what kind of news you were going to get. I tried not to look at the bookshelves where Twilight had set Rai- the other book. Eventually Twilight closed the book with a heavy sigh and closed her eyes.

That can’t be a good sign.

"Twilight? Did you find anything?" I was afraid to get an answer, but I couldn’t keep waiting for one.

"No, Spike," Twilight said sadly, not opening her eyes. "The book says how to turn ponies into books, but not how to turn them back."

"Does the other book say anything?" I asked nervously. Twilight looked up at me, confused.

"The other book? What other book?"

"You know... the..." I gestured to the bookshelves. "Other book."

"Spike," Twilight said slowly. "Are you suggesting that I read Rainbow Dash?" I shifted my weight uncomfortably before answering.

"Well, I just thought, since that one didn't say anything, maybe the book you made has instructions on how to, I dunno, unmake it."

"Maybe. I guess it can't hurt to take a look," Twilight said hesitantly. She magically picked up the other book and brought it over to the bed. She obviously wasn’t comfortable with the idea, but she opened the book to the first page and started reading. After several seconds, I spoke.

"Does it say anything helpful?" Twilight shook her head and looked up.

"Not yet, it looks like the story of her life." She flipped most of the way through the book and started reading again. She quickly shut the book, a blush spreading across her face.

"What's wrong?"

"I didn't expect so much detail," Twilight mumbled.

"Oh," I said, trying not to wonder what it was Twilight had just read. "Maybe the last page says something that'll help."

"I hope so," Twilight said. She opened the book to the last page. The corners of her mouth turned down as she read out loud about the tricks Rainbow had performed. She had been trying harder than ever simply because Twilight was there. Twilight read how she was upset that Twilight hadn't been paying attention. She read how Rainbow had started her final trick. How she noticed Twilight was reading again. How she tried to get Twilight's attention. How she saw Twilight start to cast a spell.

"That's it," Twilight said softly. "This book tells the story of her life, then the story just... stops."

"But, does that mean, I mean, is she...?"

"No! I can get her back. I will get her back. Somehow."

"But, how?"

"I don't know," Twilight said, burying her face in her hooves again. I opened my mouth to speak, then thought better and shut it again. I had an idea, but if I just came out and said it, Twilight would dismiss me out of hoof.

"Are there any other books like the one you got the spell from? Maybe one of them has the answer." Twilight looked up and rolled her eyes at me.

"But I had to ask Celestia to even get this book! I'd have to ask her for the others and then she'd want to know why and I'd have to tell her I cast one of the spells even though she told me not to and she'd turn me into stone and banish me and imprison me on the moon!"

"What if you just told her you were interested in the spells and wanted to learn more about them? You don't even have to mention the one that you cast. You just want to learn more; Celestia will believe that!" A smile spread across Twilight’s face as I explained my plan.

"You're right, she will believe that! That's exactly the kind of the thing I'd do! Take a letter, please." I readied a scroll and quill.

Dear Princess Celestia,

The book you sent me has so many interesting spells in it that I could hardly stop reading. Are there any more books about those spells or ones like them that you could send me? There is so much research to be done!

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

I wrote everything down and sent the letter. Barely had the letter disappeared when there was a knock at the door. I was surprised by the late visitor until I realized I could also hear birds chirping outside, and the sun was already rising. We had been up all night, and it was time for Twilight to go to the spa with her friends.

Author's Note:

Anybody reading this who hasn't already seen it, go back to chapter 1 and check out the picture at the end. I fixed my mistake and it shows up now!

Comments

[Musleblast]

>>Late_To_The_Party

Okay, I'll be patient for the sake of the plot. Just keep on writing, man. This story is excellent so far.

By the way, since you didn't put in an "Alternate Universe" tag, are you going to make this canon? When would you say that this story took place? Also, while Dash is a book, is there any way that she has some sort of awareness whenever she is read?

[Late_To_The_Party]

2083503 Glad to hear you're still enjoying it.

I decided, upon further consideration, to include the "Alternate Universe" tag after all. This is due in large part to the season 3 finale coming up. Everything that happens and all the character responses I do have reasons for which would work in canon, but to be on the safe side... So essentially, this story starts as though canon shortly before the season 3 finale, but then diverges on its own path from there.

And no, Dash has no awareness of anything that takes place after her transformation into a book. So she has no idea that Twilight now knows about... whatever that was.

[Timstro59]

I've been turned into a book? Well, isn't that the story of my life..................

[Late_To_The_Party]

2083602 ...Looks like Twilight already anticipated my response...

[Timstro59]

2083656 I'm sorry, but it had to be done

[Late_To_The_Party]

2083770 Oh, I'm not denying that.

[MarshmallowSundae]

If I were Spike, I would write that letter anyway. But in a way that lets Celestia know Twilight reacted without thinking and was trying to save Rainbow Dash. He should say something like, "You know what would make her even more upset? Making a mistake and not getting her help to fix it."

[Late_To_The_Party]

2088977 Yes, to think of all the trouble that could be avoided if only he were to send the letter despite Twilight telling him not to. To be fair, at the moment he thinks they've reached a reasonable compromise; they are asking for help, after all.