A light breeze played across the hills and rooftops of Ponyville that day, causing flags to wave proudly and trees to seemingly twist and dance. It was firm, but gentle, sweeping up the clouds that had been trickling rain for the past couple of days and sending them on to the next town over. Summer was but halfway through and, while foals were still out of school for a precious few weeks before returning in the fall, there was one pony that saw no end in sight to her studies, and she relished this challenge.
Twilight Sparkle had always been a mare of quiet intellect; it was not uncommon for her to spend days at a time in her tree-library home in rapt study. However, that was usually just for recreation. As of late, the studious pony had become unusually distracted and distant from everypony, be they library patrons or even close friends. Therefore, it was to the surprise of all the ponies on the block when the purple mare opened the door of her home for the first time in several weeks.
Twilight sighed as she stepped out into the fresh air. Today was a big day and, busy or not, she was not going to miss it. She shut the door to the library and locked it up tight before taking her first steps out in the world, genuinely enjoying the feeling of soft sunshine upon her somewhat dusty and dirty coat. I really need to schedule a quick bath in for this evening, she thought as she summoned a scroll of paper and quill. Making a quick note to do exactly that, she continued on her way out, at a leisurely pace.
She had cooped herself up in her library for far too long, which was saying something if she was the one who felt the need to get out and stretch her legs. Usually, Spike would have been after her long before things had gotten to this point, but… well, he was not here. Twilight sighed quietly as the thought of her assistant passed her mind. Three months prior, he had left with the dragon Astrale (mother of all dragons and Goddess of Stars) in order to find out more about his heritage than Twilight herself could have ever hoped to do before she died.
It had not been easy without her number one assistant and oldest friend by her side. Most of her usually untouched stipend had gone into eating out, and she had put on at least a few pounds around her gut as a result. She had tried to save money and cook for herself but, well…even her magical misfires never created anything as vile or tasteless, though she would never admit that to anypony, least of all to herself. So, perhaps, this walk was good for more than just catching some fresh air after all.
She did find herself wishing that ponies would not look at her in such a strange way as she passed. Some had looks of shock on their faces; a couple even fled at the sight of her. Checking her reflection in a passing window, she could not see what all the commotion was about. Sure, her mane was a little messy and frayed, but she did not look like some kind of maniac or something. Unless, during her voluntary internment, somepony had started an unfounded rumor or two. Considering the town’s small size and a dearth of interesting news or gossip, she suspected the latter.
Twilight frowned as another pony seemed to stare at her when they met on the street. Fine then, she thought acidly, I may as well use this time constructively since no pony wants to talk. She magically summoned the book she had poured so much of her time and thought into for the past couple of months and cracked it open. Calling upon her collegiate ability to read and walk at the same time, she easily navigated the streets of Ponyville with her nose wedged between the pages and did not collide with a single object.
Truthfully, Twilight did not actually feel like being social today. Yes, she was on her way to Sugarcube Corner for some snacks for tonight and to say hello to Pinkie Pie, but beyond that, she found she was a little more irritable as of late. Perhaps it was caused by Spike not being there to keep her grounded? Perhaps it was because, even months later, she was still shaken by that dream and constantly questioning reality? Ultimately, those two factors and this topic of study had combined to cause a touch of regression in her friendship progress.
As she walked through the town square, she made a quick mental note to make it up to her friends for being so reclusive. Thankfully, she could begin that task tonight, as she had already planned a fun once-in-a-lifetime evening for them already. They had been so patient and understanding with her this past while, what with Spike gone and her research. She genuinely felt bad about leaving them out of it thus far, but a promise was a promise.
The smell of gently cooling baked goods wafted across Twilight’s muzzle as she drew closer to that haven of confectionary cuisine. Looking up from her book, she was surprised to find herself already upon the doorstep of Sugarcube Corner. It seemed that her hooves were more eager for this day out than she had thought, so she decided to go in, even if she was here earlier than she had anticipated with her schedule.
“… has ta be tonight! She can’t stay cooped up in there with them dusty old… what are y’all starin’ at?” Applejack asked as Twilight stepped into the bakery. Like most other ponies she had seen that day, they all stared at her like she had something on her muzzle (that was not a book). For, sitting at the table, huddled together like they were conspiring, were Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
“Most likely me,” Twilight replied drily. “I’ve been getting looks like that all day.”
Applejack spun around in her seat like a nervous top. “T-Twilight!” she stammered. “Ah… we didn’t expect to see you here today’s all.”
“Apparently so,” the librarian said as she strode over to their table.
“Good heavens, darling, you look positively afright!” Rarity gasped. “When was the last time you brushed your mane? Or did Spike take care of that for you?”
“No, Rarity,” she said curtly before taking a seat at the table, placing the book before her. “I just decided to get a bit of fresh air for a while. I didn’t think my mane was in that bad of a shape.”
“Well, I’m sorry, but it is,” the white unicorn replied, pulling a mane brush out of her saddlebags. “Good thing I came prepared!”
Twilight took a look around the table and smiled a little as the brush started working its way through her tangled and messy mane. “I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess you were preparing an intervention,” she said. “I know you care about my well-being, but I assure you all, I am fine.”
“As if!” Rainbow said, “You’ve been holed up in your library ever since Spike left! Maybe that would have been fine, like, five years ago when you were new here, but give us a break, Twilight! You’re the be-all-end-all of friendship and you’ve been hiding? That doesn’t seem right to us, right girls?”
There was a general nod of consensus from the group and several looks at the book sitting right in front of her. “And when we do visit you, Twilight, you always have that same old book in front of you. It’s… really worrying,” Fluttershy said quietly.
“What’s in this thing anyway?” Applejack said, suddenly reaching for it with her hoof.
“Wait, don’t!” Twilight called out, but was tackled by Rainbow, as if they had rehearsed this.
“What in Celestia’s green Earth is this gobble-de-gook?” the farmer puzzled after opening the covers.
“If you’d get… nggh… off of me, I’ll… explain!” Twilight grunted, eventually using her magic to lift the brash pegasus off of her. “It’s encoded, obviously, to keep its dangerous secrets away from any laypony, not that I am insulting any of you or anything, so they won't read and use something they can't handle!”
“Dangerous!?” the group exclaimed. Twilight belatedly realized she should have used ‘advanced’ instead of ‘dangerous,’ and now she caused them to panic.
“Oooh! It’s a good thing I have my evil book-burning acid upstairs!” Pinkie said, quickly getting up from her seat. Before she could stop her, Twilight could feel the weight of her friend upon her again, pinning her into the seat.
“Hurry! I don’t know how long I can hold her!” Rainbow shouted.
Have any of them realized that I am not struggling yet? Twilight mused as her rainbow-maned friend kept pressing their bodies together in increasingly embarrassing ways. I guess not. Meanwhile, the others were doing their best to wrap the book up in something, but it was hard to see as Rainbow’s fruity-smelling mane kept being jammed in her face.
“ENOUGH!” The mage shouted, casting a spell that made them all (and a few innocent patrons who were watching the spectacle through the window) freeze in place, allowing her to shrug off her friend effortlessly. “Now, listen he-” A loud series of crashes filled the store as a sloshing metal drum bashed its way down the steps leading from the lofts above, eventually crashing into an end table at the bottom of the stairs. Nopony moved a muscle or spoke, mostly because Twilight still held them.
“As I was saying…” she said, “If you MUST know, Princess Celestia sent me that book as an ASSIGNMENT! I am supposed to read its contents and decipher them! In fact, she told me quite explicitly that I am being TESTED on how well I can convey the contents to her in a report. Now can you all stop trying to destroy my HOMEWORK!?”
With her point made, Twilight released them from their spell. Still, no one moved or made a sound for a moment, save Pinkie Pie who slid down the bannister on her rump, looking a little surprised to say the least. “That one always tingles,” she said after a little giggle.
“Twilight, darling, you didn’t need to explode at us like that,” Rarity said.
“You were all being irrational with worry and… I’m sorry,” she replied. “I haven’t been feeling like myself lately: what with Spike leaving and those weird dreams I've been having, I'm thrown for a loop.” She sighed and sat down in her chair again, now that Rainbow was back in hers.
“Only ‘cause we care about ya, sugarcube. Sorry fer jumpin’ to conclusions like that.”
“We thought something awful had happened to you. Like there was some sort of spell on that book.”
“Yeah, basically what Fluttershy said,” Pinkie replied, nodding her head before joining them at the table.
“May we ask what sort of test this… book is for?” Rarity asked.
“Well, the Princess said she wanted to give me some new responsibilities and wanted to make sure I was capable of handling them. Like how that unfinished spell by Starswirl the Bearded was a test to see if I was ready for a position on the Leaflock Magical Council,” Twilight answered.
The Magical Council of Equestria, named after its founder Leaflock Shine, was the administrative body of everything to do with magic in the land of Equestria. From setting curriculums for foals to creating magical law, the Leaflock Council (as it was informally known) was responsible for it all. To sit on the council was one of the highest honours a unicorn could ever receive in their lifetime, and one of the highest government offices in the nation.
“You’re not on any council, Twilight,” Dash chuckled. “I’d have pulled a prank on you if you made it!”
Twilight side eyed her friend, slightly irked by her cavalier attitude. “It’s a for-life position, Rainbow. I’m not on it yet because there are no vacancies.”
“Oh,” she replied sheepishly. Well, sheepishly for Rainbow Dash, at least. “Sorry.”
“Well,” Rarity said. “If it’s a test from the princess and NOT some kind of magical book that has a curse making you obsess over it until you are a withered husk (as was our working theory), then I suppose everything is all sorted out?” There was a murmur of affirmation from the rest of the group. “However, we are still a little concerned that you are studying so hard, darling.”
“Well, if you’re that worried about it,” Twilight said, sliding the book over to Applejack, “You can hold on to it for now. I’ve pretty much deciphered all of it. I just have to refine my notes for the report. Is that okay with you?”
“Sure,” Applejack answered. “If yer willin’ ta part with it, it can’t be all bad now, can it?”
“So… um…” Fluttershy started at last, checking to make sure no pony had any objections to her change of topic.,“The… The Millennial Star Shower is tonight. Did any of you… um… have any plans for it?”
“Is that tonight?” Rarity asked. “Oh dear, we’ve been so busy planning this intervention that it’s completely slipped my mind!”
Pinkie gasped, “But it only happens once every thousand years! How could you forget! Thankfully, I’ve… got nothing.” She frowned slightly. “I CAN come up with something by tonight though!”
“Don’t worry, girls. I’ve been preparing for it for months now,” Twilight said. “I even looked into how it’s been traditionally celebrated so that we can emulate it to the best of our modern ability! In fact, a part of my excursion outside today was to get the materials needed for a traditional Millennial Star Shower Celebration!”
“Awesome! Twilight Sparkle: saving the day… or night… as always!” Rainbow said with a hoof pump of excitement. “Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I have a nap to catch if I wanna be up all night to watch it!” With that, the rainbow-maned athlete was up and out the door, unceremoniously bringing their gathering to an end.
~*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*~
In no time at all, Celestia’s sun had been replaced by Luna’s moon as the astral dance between the cosmic bodies continued. All that afternoon and into the evening, Twilight Sparkle had gathered everything she needed to make a memorable and traditionally accurate Star Shower party. It was not as easy as she hoped it would be to get everything together on her own, but she had managed it somehow. Still, even after checking and re-checking her checklists, she could not shake the feeling that something was missing as she loaded up a wagon and tugged it towards the door.
She had packed the wood blocks, the fine china and silverware, nine bits, her telescope, a stone pot, tinder, wood, and even the beverages. Yet it still did not feel like she had everything, even though she had everything from her list. As she opened up the door, Twilight realized what she was missing… but there was no way it would be coming with her. A sigh crossed her lips as she ventured out into the cool night air.
After locking the door to the library, she began her walk through the quiet night time streets of Ponyville, up towards the tallest hill just outside the boundary of the town. Her hoofsteps echoed off the cobbles with every step, bringing just a hint of primordial unease despite how safe she knew her hometown to be. Using her horn, she conjured up a little light… just to see better, and not because she was a little bit scared being alone at night. That would just make her a big frightened filly now, would it not?
Finally, cobblestone yielded to the grass, still warm under hoof even long after the sun set below the horizon. The forest of houses thinned to naught but the stray dwelling here or there and the hill she sought began to gently rise from the floor of the valley. Eventually, she could make out the silhouette of her friends against the starry night; a smile crossed her lips as she suddenly felt more at ease. “Hey girls!” she called out to them.
They all replied back, but the one that most caught her ear came from Applejack. “Howdy, Twilight!” she called over the greetings of the others.
It was a little bit of work cresting the steepest part of the hill all on her own, but Twilight refused any help from her friends due to the aforementioned, though very slight, weight gain. The thought of Spike chiding her for eating improperly during his absence crossed her mind, making her feel slightly guilty for some unknown reason.
“That’s quite the assortment of items you have there, darling,” Rarity said, interrupting the train of thought. Using her magic, the fellow unicorn helped her unload the wagon. “I uh… look forward to seeing what we have to do with thi- IS THAT CHAMPAGNE!?” Suddenly, with all the speed of Rainbow Dash and the excitement of Pinkie Pie, Rarity scooped up the bottles from the cart in her own hooves
“As well as an assortment of other alcoholic beverages, yes,” Twilight added, barely containing a snigger. “What’s the matter, girls? Timberwolves caught your tongue?”
“Since when have YOU, Twilight Sparkle, drunk rum?” Applejack asked, somewhat bewildered.
“Well, we’re all sharing, so I figured I would get a little bit of something for everypony,” she explained as Pinkie pulled out the blanket for them to sit on.
“I um… I don’t really… drink, Twilight,” Fluttershy said with a blush.
“Nor do I, but it’s tradition on the night of the Millennial Star Shower for observers to drink a toast to those in their family unable to be there, living or dead, and to toast to the next one thousand years to come. It’s not like I plan to drink more than that,” the scholar explained. “I just didn’t know what you all liked and was… embarrassed to ask.”
“Well… normally I don’t drink anything so the foals watching us don’t get any ideas, but since this is rated for more mature audiences, I can all tell you that I personally prefer rum!” Pinkie giggled, pulling some out of the wagon and popping the cork of a jug. “Thanks for bringing lots, Twi!”
Long ago, Twilight had stopped trying to figure out Pinkie Pie for her own sanity. She was almost tempted to write the asylum a pre-emptive greeting card right there and then before she realized it would have all been in vain. “Er… you’re uh… welcome, Pinkie.”
“What about the CMC?” Fluttershy asked, pointing out the obvious three fillies with their older sisters and older almost-sister.
“Can ah have some, Applejack?”
“What’s rum?”
“Please let me try some, Rainbow? Please, please, please!?”
Twilight tried to offer an awkward smile of apology to her three besieged friends. She should have known the Cutie Mark Crusaders would be present, but she was so caught up in making sure they all followed the Millennia-old tradition that the idea completely escaped her. As they each tried to explain or distract the fillies, Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie set up the rest of the things needed for the evening together. It was when the older siblings of the group shot her looks that screamed for help that she decided she should intervene.
“Sorry girls, but the drinks are for the adults only,” Twilight said bluntly.
“Aww,” the three fillies pouted.
“However… there is a task that ONLY you three can do, as it’s for children only!”
“What is it? Whatever it is, we’ll totally kick it’s flank!” Scootaloo said, little wings buzzing with excitement.
“When the shower starts, you three have to take these blocks and clap them together!” She smiled, putting on her best poker face.
“Isn’t that just busy work?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Not really. It’s important because, well… musical instruments weren’t all invented the last time the shower happened so… so we need you three to help us when it comes to singing songs!” She kept smiling, making things up at this point. None of the rules said that they could not make up their own traditions since they would all be dead by the time the next one came along.
“Ooooh, we can do the Apples Together song!” Applebloom grinned, took a couple of blocks and tapped out a tune. “We’re Apples together, Apples forever, we’re family and so much moooo-ooore…” The fillies then started talking amongst each other excitedly.
“Thanks fer the save, Twilight. Even if it were kinda yer fault,” Applejack said as they walked back to the blanket with the others.
“No need to thank me for fixing a mistake I made, AJ. I should have remembered they would be here.”
“So… What’s all this stuff for anyway, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked as she reviewed the odd assortment of items remaining in the wagon.
“Well…” Twilight trailed off lingeringly, having not had the excuse to give a good lecture for a while. The others realized what Rainbow had done too, judging from the looks upon their faces, but it was too late. She had been bursting to give this lecture to someone for a while now.
“The wooden blocks the Crusaders are playing with were traditionally used to scare away any predators from the group, or, failing that, to warn the ponies witnessing the shower that they were in danger. Of course, in our modern times, we do not normally require such protection, so I gave them to the girls so they can make music and feel involved in the proceedings. Singing has been a tradition for many of the showers now, since the first recorded one in Equestria to be precise, so it has precedent.
“The china and the silverware are self-explanatory, I feel. It’s a nice night out and we don’t exactly want to be dining on paper plates, so I bought some of these out for the night for something a little sturdier to eat our snacks on. My telescope also has an obvious function, despite not being a part of the tradition itself. The most interesting part of what I brought, however, is the remainder of the items! Apparently, it’s traditional to bring a gold item to the shower, and everyone in the group puts theirs into a stone pot, which is then used to melt the gold down into a single solid mass. Once the shower is over and the gold has cooled, it is buried in the ground as a representation of unity and shared experience between all the parties involved! That’s why some of the older pony settlements have little bits of gold buried underground!”
“Um…” Applejack said. “And the uh… alcohol?”
“Well, as previously stated, it’s to make a commemorative toast to our relatives unable to be at the ceremony and for the fortunes of ourselves and those of our bloodline until the next shower!” Twilight answered. “That and I think alcohol was the only reliable way to have non-polluted liquids available to rehydrate from all the singing, dancing and just general observation of the night, since the shower goes on for HOURS once it starts.”
“Okay, it all makes sense now,” Rarity said. “Did you bring any games, Pinkie?”
“Is the capital of Vinland Hellsingsfour?” Pinkie replied.
“It… is?” Rarity ventured, a little confused and impressed by her question.
The pink mare giggled. “Silly Rarity, it means ‘duh I have games’! Hehehe,” she said, pulling out a board game from her mane. “I have Shanghese Checkers, Connect Six, Battleboatz… How did this Ouija board get in here?”
Twilight and her friends, plus the Cutie Mark Crusaders, settled on top of the blanket at the top of the hill. As time went on, the purple unicorn observed many other ponies coming up to join them. Others still journeyed up adjacent hills to watch the shower from. A strong sense of community filled her as she recognized many of the ponies: Derpy and her daughters, the Rich Family, her old friend Lyra Heartstrings and her marefriend Bon Bon… Sure, many more ponies were probably gathering outside of Canterlot right now, her parents likely among them, but here she felt she was surrounded by friends and friendly acquaintances, even if she was missing one.
“I wonder if Spike will be watching the shower too,” Rarity said during a lull in the conversation as they all played a game of ‘Bit Domination’. Everypony else seemed to wince as the subject was brought up, and Twilight looked down at the grass for a little bit as she felt a pang of sadness. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she apologized after quickly realizing her mistake. “I didn’t mean to-”
“I’m sure he is,” Twilight replied, looking up into the sky with a weary smile. “Wherever he is.” Her thoughts scarcely had any time to imagine Spike on some distant hill or mountain, watching the same sky together when, all of a sudden, a streak ripped across the black velvet of the night sky. “It’s starting, everypony!” she said, sitting up with genuine excitement. Secretly, in the back of her mind, she wished upon that first shooting star that Spike would return to her soon.
Although it was slow at first, the number and volume of shooting stars picked up exponentially from there. Within as little as an hour, the sky was blanketed with streaks of light over the gentle embers of the stars. Never in her life had Twilight seen such majesty and beauty in the night sky. Even the Centennial Meteor Shower just a few years ago had nothing on the astral symphony taking place right over her head. She remembered that night well: it was when she first met her pet and faithful night assistant Owlowiscious… and it had also been the night when Rarity gave Spike that gem-studded bowtie, currently tucked under his now vacant basket.
Even if she did not turn her head away from the shower, her mind was off elsewhere in the midst of nostalgia. A lot had happened since those early nights in Ponyville. Some of it she remembered quite well… and others, well, she remembered them like they were real, but they may as well have been dreams for all she knew. She took a deep breath and let the anxiety out. It was no good to have another existential crisis here and now and ruin a once-in-many-lifetimes evening.
So, she smiled. She smiled despite the sadness and yearning in her heart for her oldest friend. She smiled despite the mess in her head and sometimes not being sure what was real and what was fantasy. She smiled for the moment, to enjoy it to its fullest and not worry about the past or future for a couple of hours. As suddenly as they had entered her mind, just smiling and forgetting her worries helped vacate them from the recesses of her consciousness. Twilight’s mind wandered as the ground and the ponies around her seemed to melt away, wondering what the ponies of Equestria felt the last time these shooting stars were witnessed. Could one of her ancestors have witnessed these stars and wondered the same things as her?
Sadly, her musings were cut short as she noticed something… odd. “Hey girls,” she spoke. “Is it just me, or is one of them not really shooting and more… growing?” Looking around, she pointed her friends in the right direction so that they too could look at this odd star.
“Tarnation, I think it is, now that ya mention it,” Applejack said.
“It… it looks like it’s… it’s coming right at us!” Fluttershy squeaked in mild panic.
Sure enough, as she said those words, the star got larger and larger, and the sky glowed brighter with a very faint rumbling sound filling the air. Several other ponies now noticed as well, many of them deciding to flee right then and there. However, by the rate of growth, Twilight knew it was too late, so all she could do was throw up her shield spell around herself and her friends (though she was doubtful of its ability to stop a ton of rock going thrice the speed of sound) and duck!
She welded her eyes shut as the hunk of space rock burned towards them at speeds faster than even Rainbow Dash could hope to achieve. Before she knew it, her eyes burned red from the bright light and her ears roared with the howling of the atmosphere creating immense friction on the rock as it hurtled into the ground. But as soon as the deafening sound came, it was gone and replaced by the thundering of the ground as it impacted. Twilight quickly took inventory of her body and her surroundings, and, assuming she was still alive, stood up.
The ponies on the other hills were gone, likely already fled to safety from the falling star, and a warm orange glow covered the grass with its source behind them. The rock had passed only a couple hundred meters above their head, or so she estimated, before harmlessly falling into the woods behind them, for when she turned she could see the small fire it caused and a hole cut through the trees.
“Oh my goodness!” the yellow Pegasus shouted as she immediately flew over to the scene. “Don’t worry, little squirrels, Fluttershy is coming!”
“Rainbow, can you-” Twilight started.
“One rain cloud, coming up!” the chromatic Pegasus finished before taking off.
“Girls, stay here,” Twilight added to the fillies before she and the others joined the hoof full of other curious ponies going closer to the crash site.
Pushing past the debris caused by the felled and charred trees, Twilight and her friends cleared the way for others towards the clearing where the stellar rock fell. The crackle of flames echoed all around them and the grass turned into hardened dirt the closer they drew to ground zero. Fluttershy went from tree to tree, braving fire and scared raccoons as she scooped up every little critter she could, too worried for their safety for her to be scared.
When the group finally made its way into the clearing, now a sizable crater, there was a sight nopony had ever nor would ever see again waiting for them. Standing at the bottom of the crater were two figures, one tall and one short. Even in the dark, Twilight could immediately tell who the smaller of the two was, causing her eyes to well up instantly.
However, the taller of the two… she had never seen before. It was a deer, or a stag to be specific, who stood as tall as Princess Celestia, or so she made out through the smoke. His coat was a soft brown that, unless her eyes deceived her, grew streaks of white that would suddenly appear and vanish randomly all over his body. Two large antlers sparkled with magic, creating a sphere around them that soon died out, taking the sparkle of his horn with it.
“Jeez, Comet!” Spike said, rubbing his backside. “I asked to be taken in close, not to nearly take their heads off!”
“Er… Sorry about that. I suppose I brought us in a little closer than I intended,” the stranger replied with a sheepish smile.
“Spike!” Twilight cried, ignoring the patches of flame and jumping into the crater, grabbing him and holding him tightly. “I missed you so much! Are you okay? What did you learn? Did Astrale treat you okay? Have you been brushing your teeth and polishing your scales?”
“Twilight, stop it! You’re doing that mothering thing again!” Spike whined. There was silence for a moment before he spoke again, knowing she would not let go without answers. “Yes, lots, yes and double yes. Can you let me go now? You’re embarrassing me in front of Rarity,” he muttered at the end.
Reluctantly, she acquiesced to his request, blushing slightly still from when he said she was ‘mothering’ him. “So… uh… who’s this?” she asked, looking to the deer.
“Oh, this is my friend, Comet Australius! He’s Astrale’s assistant. Comet, this is Twilight Sparkle.”
“We are well met, Miss Sparkle,” Comet said, taking her hoof in his and gently kissing it. “Spike has told me a lot about you during his stay with my Mistress and myself. I assure you, it was a most pleasant education. And greetings to the rest of you as well!” he continued, calling over to the girls still on the rim of the crater. “I apologize for the… theatrical entrance, but Spike wished to come home as soon as possible with his education completed, and this was the most… efficient way I could think of.”
“Ridin’ on down on a shootin’ star is the first thing that pops into yer noggin!?” Applejack questioned. “Ya ain’t normal, are ya?”
“Well observed. You must be Applejack, and you are quite correct,” Comet answered, climbing nimbly out of the crater. Twilight and Spike followed suit with less refinement. “I am the Marquis of Shooting Stars. As such, I would be remiss if my entrance robbed you of the unique joy of watching the Millennial Shower. Perhaps we could return to the hill and, upon its conclusion, discuss this further? I so rarely get to enjoy my work from this angle.”
“I… suppose we can, sure. After we clean up this mess,” Twilight said, gesturing to the fallen and burning trees and panicked animals.
“Of course, if you will allow me to assist in the clean up,” he said demurely. “And I apologize further for disturbing your animals, Miss Fluttershy,” he added to the busy Pegasus.
“As long as you’re sorry… Oh, Mr. Chipmunk, we don’t use branches like that!”
And so, the six mares, now joined by the young dragon and demigod deer, cleaned up the burning trees and calmed the panicked animals before returning to the hilltop and sharing the story with the three fillies. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief and held her number one assistant, her oldest friend and closest confidant, close to her and smiled wider than she had in months. Her wish had been granted.
~*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*~
Hours later, the door to the Books and Branches Library opened with a soft magenta aura, swinging gently and silently on its hinges. Twilight Sparkle, with Spike upon her back for the first time in months, stepped inside followed by her friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders (all fast asleep on the backs of their respective sibling or honorary sibling), and the deer known as Comet Australius.
It was a weird feeling she had, being simultaneously exhausted by the long day and yet energized by the return of her number one assistant. Even as the night faded and her namesake started to take hold, Twilight had a million questions buzzing around in her skull, and each was jockeying to be asked first. While unendingly curious to learn more from Spike and Australius, she had restrained herself during the entire night, but that patience was quickly running out.
“So tell us, Spike,” Rarity said, beating her to the punch. “Where did you go? What did you learn? We’re all dying to find out!”
Twilight smiled as Spike climbed off her back and she caught a glance of his love-smitten expression. Normally, it would have annoyed her, but she was too overjoyed to care. “Well… not much to tell,” he replied. “I mean that literally too. Astrale said to keep the uh… particulars to myself since non-dragons aren’t allowed to know.”
“Aww phooey,” Applejack said, softly due to the filly on her back. “You mean you can’t tell us anything?”
“Wait a minute,” Twilight spoke, trying not to raise her volume despite her encroaching anger. “Astrale told you that there are some things ponies aren’t allowed to know… after having given me the third degree for not knowing EVERYTHING that I should teach you!?”
“Lady Astrale can be a little… contrary,” Comet spoke for the first time since they came back from watching the shower. “However, as you may have observed, she has not much more than contempt for lesser creatures, unless they prove that they are worthy of being taken into consideration. Not out of malice but more out of… well, when one lives for tens of thousands of years, one tends to dismiss mortals rather easily.”
“She’s not bad or anything, Twilight,” Spike defended. “Really, she’s pretty nice when you get to know her. She just, um… thinks most ponies make better food then friends? Not that she’s eaten a pony in a long, long time though.”
Twilight sighed. “It’s okay, just tell us what you can, okay? I understand,” she replied. But that doesn’t mean I need to like it either, she continued in her head.
“Okay, well, uh… It was an island: nice, warm, and tropical, but it was in the middle of this strange sea. There were a lot of gems on it too. In fact,” he said with a little bit of a grin. “She let me bring one back.” Like magic, he produced a jet black gem, speckled with many twinkling points of light and swirling clouds of blue, purple, and green. “It’s a Nebula Gem,” he explained, smiling as he handed it to Rarity. “It’s not magical or anything important, but… it reminded me of you since, even on that island, the only place it grows, it’s a rarity.”
“Oh, Spike,” Rarity said, taking the unearthly gemstone from him. “That’s so sweet!” She planted a quick kiss on his cheek, sending the little dragon instantly into the stratosphere. In fact, he literally took off a few feet into the air!
“Can you tell us anything you learned, Spike?” Twilight asked.
“Huh? Oh, well…” he replied, considering. “Pulling things out of thin air was one of them. Kind of like your holding dimension, actually! I learned a whole lot about how dragons grow and that greed stuff, and I even learned that I will get wings, just not for a couple hundred years, so… that’s something I guess? Still, it’s really weird to be here right now, you know?”
“No, we don’t, Spike,” Fluttershy said, doing her best not to sound exhausted.
“Oh well… Um… How do I explain it? Uh…” he waffled.
“I believe Spike means that he expected you all to be a little older than you actually are,” Comet offered. “Astrale’s island has temporal enchantments upon it, speeding up the flow of time compared to here. The three months here felt more akin to… perhaps a year and a half or two in there.”
“Yeah! Like that,” the dragon smiled, yawning slightly.
“Well, I can’t keep quiet any longer!” Pinkie shouted and jumped, but instantly deflated when she saw the looks on the big sisters of the group. “Sorry, but I can’t contain my excitement any more! I need to throw a party to celebrate Spike’s homecoming! Can we do it now? Can we, can we, can we!?”
“Pinkie,” Twilight said. “It’s five in the morning. We’ve been up all night and I think I speak for everypony when I say that we’re all a little tired. We can have the party tomorrow… er, rather later on in the day, okay? Preferably, I’d like to see us have this party in the evening after we’ve all recovered from tonight, alright?” As if to punctuate her point, Twilight stifled a yawn that had been creeping up on her for a while.
“Sadly, regardless of when you decide to throw your soirée,” Comet spoke. “I will be unable to attend. Lady Astrale made it quite clear that I am expected back by the time the sun rises.”
“Do you really have to go, Comet?” Spike asked, looking a little sad to see his friend go.
“I am afraid so, Spike,” he answered. “It was most pleasurable to make your acquaintances. Alas, this will have to be au revoir. I cannot tell if we'll ever meet again, but I hope I, at least, will see you again, Spike. Now, if you will all excuse me, farewell.” With a casual wave of his strange magic, the deer quietly stepped out of the library and shut the door. The windows beyond flashed for a quick second, signalling that he had returned to whence he had come.
Seeing Spike stifle a yawn, Twilight walked over and put a hoof on his shoulder. “I think it’s time that we went to bed, girls. It’s late, even for me,” she said with a hint of a giggle. “It certainly was a memorable night!”
With that, the mares said their good nights, leaving Twilight and Spike alone in the library as the last stars in the night sky began to wane. Together they walked up the stairs to her room and, after making their beds, Twilight and Spike slipped under their covers. “I missed you, Twilight,” Spike admitted as Twilight drew the curtains and turned out the light.
“I missed you too, Spike. Good night.”
~*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*~
Deep in the cold darkness of the underground, a pony clothed in robes of crimson opened a pair of heavy wooden doors. Inside was a very Spartan chamber; containing nothing more than six white candles spread out equally on the circumference of a fair-sized runic circle. From the vaulted ceiling, a small candelabra hung no more than two pony heights high off the cold and cracked floors. The walls wept with groundwater, chilling the air slightly in contrast to the warm welcoming room the pony had just left behind.
“Galwaf ar y pŵer o hanner nos dywyll. Dangoswch y un a fydd yn lladd y sêr i mi!” the pony droned, in a mystical language.
The circle before him glowed with blue energy, snuffing out the candles and the light they brought as the spell activated. The movement of mana and air caused his robes to whip around as if caught in a whirlwind. But the pony himself did not flinch, for though he dreaded making this call, he had a debt that must be repaid. Finally, a shape, obscured by the spell’s design, took form in the center of the circle, though he knew to whom he spoke and bowed.
“It is ready, your eminence,” he spoke to the figure. “I have fulfilled my oath to you and plead that my debt be considered repaid in full.”
The room was quiet for a torturous moment. “Good,” the figure spoke. “Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen. Alas, my faithful servant, there is just one more task that needs to be done.”
The pony’s eyes widened. “S-surely, your grace, you cannot mean that you wish me to-”
“I do indeed.”
“Bu-but how? When!? I don’t think I’ll be alive the next time she-”
The figure held up a vague appendage, and the pony held his tongue. “You will act when the announcement is made, my servant. She shall be there and vulnerable enough for you to complete the task. I have foreseen your success.”
“But if I am caught…” the pony trailed off, not daring to say more.
“It is not likely that you will be, if you are careful. And if you are caught… you know the penalty.”
The pony gulped, steeling his resolve as he struggled to keep on his hooves before the figure. He had come this far, and now he was tasked with completing something millennia in the making? And if he said it was unlikely for him to be caught, he would not be caught. He had not been steered wrong before. “I am honoured to complete your work, your eminence. I shall not fail you.”
“I know you shall not,” the figure said before the spell deactivated, leaving the pony in the darkness with naught but his thoughts… and the terrified pumping of his heart in his chest.