> Finding My Light > by RuneSeek > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter One > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The graceful writing in the book flowed over the pages under her eyes as the lights only cast her shadow over the gold leaf print. Eyes moving in the flow of the spell calling the light of the setting sun to be captured and held in a fire ruby while the full light moon was to be in a white diamond as it rose from the east. It was one of the older types of spells calling for many things and small steps in using items to get the end result. Mostly it was the kind of detail magic she loved in trying out and research in the pull of being a student and study back as she been in the capture of just making magic! Sunburst had sent her back some books from his personal library a few weeks ago in the mail after they had once more become friends and having known Starlight Glimmer as a filly, knew the type of detailed magic and love of Alchemy. Biting her cheek, and looking at the cloak in timing the sunset was a must to get the right light and it was only 30 minutes away! Spike had said he would be back by now from hunting down the gems for the unicorn mare by now, hadn't he? Yes, she was a bit worried but Spike had never once let her down even on her day one of making Twilight's castle into something of a home. Hades, he had been one of the first in her memory just to offer friendship without thinking in the moment of what she had done in her past. The spell was to be an illusion of the light sort, remaking the gentle dancing northern lights for a party planned by one Pinkie Pie. It was for one of the bat-pony families that moved to Ponyvillie and their first little filly was turning six and wished to see the northern lights of all things! Twilight could have done it in a flash of her gifted magic but was now in the Crystal Empire to help her sister in law and brother in ruling so they had more time for filly Flurry Heart and a bit of needed break from duties of the crown. Hearing the heavy door move, the knowing sound of claws on the crystal floor that made up the castle. Taking the moment to breathe in adding in the last drop sunflower oil to the brew, Starlight smiled in the sounds of welcome and a break. "Hey Starlight, sorry I took so long! I ran into Rarity while just on my way here and had to nearly hide to keep her away from these gems!" Spike's cheerfully boyish voice bounced off the walls yet also the caught weariness of his meeting. Shaking her mane, the unicorn only rolled her eyes into much knowing, "Least you got away in the nick of time Spike! The sun's about to set in moments and the timing has to be right! Also thanks for doing this Spike! I don't think I could do all this on my own!" Smiling in some way that made him seem older and a shrug of knowing in looking at and pulling out the gems to sit on the oak table next to the spell books. "No worries Star! You know I like helping and given you said you would help me in my fire magic makes us even!" Glimmer only held that knowing smiling she had come to share with the youthful dragon! Spike had become a good and loyal friend to her, making her feel she had nothing to hide from his bright but knowing eyes that many seemed to miss. He was an old soul if any she had come to call friend yet youthful and edger also at the same time. She had found it strange in how the other ponies he called friend mostly treated as if a colt finding his legs! Yes, Spike looked young but dragons aged differently than ponies did and his events in his life in staying by Twilight's side had grown his soul older than his body showed for now. Clawed digits reached out, pouring the two friends a cold drink in the heat of the summer building around them. The castle was cool most the time yet this room was full of light and things would grow room even in adding the heat of magic in using light and fire and other needed things for the spell to work out. Smiling, Glimmer reached out her magic as the emerald aura capture the glass of cold water. Yet it felt more strained in some ways, not thinking in too much in lifting the simple weight of water and glass to bring close to her lips to sip in a needed break of the moment from the spell weaving. Then, her magic just seemed to sip from her mental grasp as it went to slip in the pull of earth! Clawed hands reached in an immediate speed as the young drake grab the glass in mid-air as the magic just faded away in moments. Emerald eyes looked to the unicorn mare as something of a shock crossed her face for the moment in seeing her magic just go poof in a moment. Spike also was a bit shocked to see Starlights magic just fade away as if nothing. Star blinked as a blush covered her cheeks, "Thanks, Spike, sorry about that! He smiled, having seen when even Twilight had pushed herself to the point her magic just flickered out. "I think you just wore yourself out Star. So no worries and I think a break is called in for a bit." Spike seemed to have a natural understanding of things given his long time with Twilight, but it was a personal embarrassment for a unicorn of any normal skill to lose their magic control just as she had. Only youths new to magic would do that and even more for her being a student to a princess. "But I need too....." Holding up a claw to silence his friend, he only smiled in coming over and reading the spell book with keen eyes of knowing. "Look, I can the sun and moon thing for you! Its just simple placement, a few words, and boom!" Smiling, a faint glow of happiness and love lingered in her soul of Spike just well, Spike. He just seemed to do things and understand many things others missed in his age. Hell, some ponies who claimed to be adult always missed the tiny things leading to the bigger picture sadly, even Princess Twilight. Yet her worry had been the loss of her magic given it was not the last time such a thing had to happen.... Last few weeks, Starlight had lost control in the simplest use of Telekinesis magic, well as like the glass, her magic just slipped away! At first, the mare had thought it was just pressure or being worn out or just her nerves in getting used to this new place in life after everything just built up! It made sense psychology her mind and nerves had reached a point of breaking! Which would affect her control of her magic but, it was happening to many times for the mare to feel uneasy in herself. Casting a look, Spike saw his friend bite her cheek in her eyes full of worry she had not shared a word to any pony or him at all. Notably, the drake never pushed some pony too much but he had seen Starlight have this look before. She always seemed now to push herself in helping her new found friends and Twilight as much as it seemed to stress and tax her and it worried Spike more than he had said. Yes, Starlight was full on the grown mare who could take care but a lot of things had changed in her world very fast. "Hey Star....." Dragged from her thoughts, she looked at Spike with a tight smile, "Yeah Spike?" Smiling in a tilt to his head, he shrugged, "You ever need to talk, I'm always here kay?" Simple, she just walked over and hugged him with a leg around the drake's shoulders in no words. He only learned in for the moment of her warm hug and lightly returned it as they both took in the moment of being friends. She left Spike, trusting in his abilities to finish up the spell and gems. Starlight made her way to her room in the soft light of sun fading away and the night coming in. The bed was a bit unmade given she just tend to roll out and in some strange hours of sleeping. > Chapter Two > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- He only waited, hearing the clopping sounds of the hooves on the crystal floor before picking up the book and reading the spell. It was a light spell with illusions mixed with some needed steps and things to get the setup. Musing, the male drake rubbed his chin in looking over the whole layout with a smile of the details. The unicorn had changed a lot in the generations and such steps nowadays might even be seen as primitive to some magic users. Yet, this type of magic step by step and detail was all a Twilight and much as a thought in musing, a Starlight Glimmer thing as well. Spike only read the book, biting his inner left cheek in the memorizing of the words and rolled his shoulders in the thoughts spinning for the spell work. "I hope Pinkie Pie does a huge thank you to Star for this one." He thought, eyeing the sunlight and timing and holding onto the ruby in his claws, "She is really going all out to for this thing...." That was his worry hidden in his mind as his thoughts slipped by in the moment to churn. Seeing Starlight lose her magic like that had been a bit of his surprise in keeping it hidden in just brushing it off and easing her to take a break. Hades, by now he was a Pro at after living and dealing with Twilight for so long! Which was the point, Starlight had been pushing herself so hard and it seemed to lose her magic in random moments like the glass just moments ago. Looking around, he had a bit of conversation with Twilight Sparkle a few days ago about his concerns for his newest friend and castle mate in this room looking back. "Twilight, I'm worried a little about Starlight. She may look like she's all fine and calm and happy, but I think some things are going on under the hood to the speech of." Spike had lightly cornered his friend and sister figure in the library. Shaking her lavender shaded mane, the princess only smiled in thinking of what books to pack for her trip as the glow of her magic softly pulled them from the shelves," I know your worry Spike but Starlight can handle these things. Yes, I know this is a big change in her life and it might have shaken her up a little. She just needs a little time to get used to things and the new idea of friendships in her life." "Yah and also the fear of not living up to your trust and being your student and also holding up also to having these new friends and those fears all at once. Than also finding herself living in a huge castle in a town she's never been too and having to make new friends and learn those lessons." Spike dry tone was crispy in his green eyes narrowing and crossing his arms with a known deadpan look. Nail on the head much? Twilight looked at Spike with a bit of a strange mix of shock he just used that tone on her and a bit of knowledge he was growing up at his own pace. "Ok Spike, I'll talk to her when I get back from the Empire." Turning to roll his eyes and hunk his shoulders as his alicorn went back to her book list in a hum. Sometimes even as a Princess of Friendship, she missed the obsessive points in life still which had not changed even when coming to Ponyville. You would think having gone through these same things in life in being a student of a Princess of the Sun and learning these lessons and etc such as Glimmer. Twilight would have a better grasp of what the other mare was going through all the more. "Some lessons still needed to be learned even if you are a princess now Twi..."Spike muttered, walking away to start dinner for the mares and him. Shaking from the memories of the past days, he only recalled some other things in narrowing his eyes when it came to his friend's problem that seemed to be growing in small steps of the loss of her magic. Starlight Glimmer off the had been the first pony to expect Spike as a full-on drake in his eating habits. Such as his guilty pleasure of eating fish now and then. Whenever he ate the fish, he did it not around Twilight given she felt uneasy in seeing her friend act on his predatory instincts even if it was cooked. Did he feel guilty for having those urges in being what he was? Yes. Spike was a dragon and dragons hunted and ate meat in a wild setting. He covered those urgers in fish which overall was better for the growing youth. It had been one summer evening in the kitchen that Spike was browning up some trout he had bought for himself when Starlight had walked into the kitchen. Seeing the pony, him cooking the flesh of a once living thing had brought on the guilt in mutters of sorry and he could wait. "You know, you might add some Italian dressing a bit to get some nice spice of flavor Spike. My grandmother cooked it for me like that, but I also like some good salmon when I can get some." Glimmer had smiled, taking the scents with a smile. Jaw nearly hitting the floor of this little bit of info made his mind reel in the grasp, "You eat fish and you're a pony!" She had laughed. One of those true gut laughs that was checking in seeing the drake's reaction all the more, "Yes its a bit of the shock to find a pony in all of Equestria who will part take of fish huh? I might have been raised in Canterlot, but my summers were spent with my grandmother Twinkle-star who lived in the Emerald Isles." "So the Star in your name comes from her?" Smiling all the more, his sharp mind snapping in place was always a pleasure to her, "Yep, her talent was healing magic and herd lore. She got trained in the Old Ways by her parents but learn a lot of magic in Canterlot at the College, which is where she met the husband in a class. My grandfather passed away after my mother was born and my grandmother chooses to raise her back in the Isles till she could also come to Canterlot and well, met my dad and that's the sum of that. My mother never forgot her roots and would when I got old a nuff, sent me to spend my summers with my Grandmother Twinkle. She taught so much Spike...." Smiling, seeing the tears of happiness and missing, he only padded her shoulder, "So then how do you eat fish or come to eating fish?" Pausing, she blinked at him still in her memories to explain. "Many of Isles are very rough and wild and not the best for growing crops minus a few hardy ones. So the ponies there live what can catch out of the sea like fish to supply their diet. It's normal for them to eat fish and things they caught. Some of the bigger Isles, they can grow crops and transport them for trade but storms make rough and the winters harsh. Many a pony think its nuts to live in such places but it's also magical in the Old ways and wild!" Flipping over his meal, he grinned having learned something new about his castle-mate in thinking, "You want to join me for dinner Starlight?" "Oh yes! I've missed some good fish cooking! Next time I'll cook for dinner!" He smiled in the memory all the more in his need to help his friend in some way or the other! Placing the fire ruby in the window at the time the spell called for to capture the light of the setting sun. Gentle warmth filled his face as Celestia let the sun slip so the moon of her younger sister would grace the sky and paint the night in stars a glow. Spike put the diamond in the place for the time for the moonlight and took to finding a good book to wait. Finding a book of tales from the Emerald Isle's Glimmer had pointed out, the drake fell into his favorite beat up chair and flickered open the book as soon sleep took the young dragon to Luna's release of good dreams for the night.