The amber liquid within the beaker began to fizzle after Moondancer had added the final ingredient. She watched it closely, the surface of the effervescing fluid blooming into a thick froth until a dark yellow vapor began to seep from the top. Finally, after so many attempts, it was the exact reaction she was looking for. Moondancer smiled and removed her goggles. "Ha!" she cheered. "I told you my forty three thousand two hundred and twentieth try would be the lucky one!"
"It's not going to explode again, is it?" came Minuette's muffled voice from behind a blast shield she had improvised from a turned over desk in the corner of the lab. The lenses of her gasmask reflected the concoction when she dared to steal a peak from behind her makeshift barrier.
"Not this time," replied Moondancer reassuringly. "I've applied an element that reacts to the compound's thermal acceleration. It will turn red before producing a volatile reaction. Besides, I'm almost positive that I have worked out the kinks concerning the stability issue." Moondancer dabbed a quill in an ink well and wasted no time in recording her progress in the thick tome of notes that she lovingly referred to as her 'magnum opus.'
Minuette unclasped and removed her gas mask. "I'd rather you be positive that you're positive."
Moondancer paid the statement no mind. "Synthetic magic," she soliloquized. "It's like real magic, only drawn from a tangible source. Now, if only there was a way to conduct it through a catalyst. A sort of... Wand."
"We're both unicorns," Minuette replied. "Don't we kind of have those? You know, on our heads?"
Moondancer furrowed her brow. "That would completely defeat the purpose for why I am carrying out this experiment. Our horns are naturally capable of conducting magic. I'm trying to see if I can produce magic through other means."
"And why are you doing this again?"
Moondancer dawned her specs and said, "Simply to see if it can be done. Magic is the arcane element that can be controlled, but it has never been produced or synthesized. The most brilliant minds in history have failed to completely grasp its nature beyond that its simply 'a thing unicorns can do.' This study may very well bring us one step closer to understanding it."
"Huh." Minuette cocked her head to the side uncomprehendingly. "Yeah, that'd certainly be a thing, wouldn't it?"
Moondancer glanced up at her from her thick composition of notes. "I'm sorry if I'm boring you."
Minuette smiled in a rather whimsical manner and said, "Oh, It's okay, I forgive you."
Moondancer's eye twitched, but just before she could vocalize her irritation a sudden knock on her front door caught her attention. The two mares exchanged curious glances. "Who is it?" Moondancer called out.
"Royal messenger," announced the voice behind the door. "I have an important letter for you from Princess Twilight Sparkle."
"From Twilight?" Moondancer skirted around the large table at the center of the room, which was scattered with her notes and well-used alchemy equipment. The clean cut mail carrier was standing there when she opened the door, adorned with the golden vest emblazoned with the Hermes' wings and sandals patch of Celestia's royal messenger. The Pegasus looked as if he was built specifically for his job: Tall, lean, athletic, and, Moondancer wouldn't say it out loud, but perhaps a little easy on the eyes as well. He relinquished the letter without a word and stood as still as a statue, watching her. "Was there anything else?" she asked, feeling a tad uncomfortable under the stallion's silent gaze.
"I was instructed to make sure you read the letter the moment it came into your possession, ma'am."
"It's that important?" Moondancer inspected the wax seal on the envelope. She had never received a letter bound with a wax seal before. She didn't even know that was still a thing. The messenger cleared his throat in a very loud and impatient manner. "I'm opening it, I'm opening it!" Moondancer snapped as she fumbled with the seal. "And here I was thinking you were kinda cute," she added under her breath.
"What's it say?" Inquired Minuette, approaching.
"It's private," replied the messenger and Moondancer in unison.
The nosy mare held her hooves up defensively and backed away. "Okay, okay, sheesh."
Moondancer squinted her eyes and adjusted her glasses.
Moondancer
Something terrible has happened! I know this is short notice, but I need you to come meet me at the Crystal Empire ASAP! I have enclosed in this letter a first class train ticket, and I have arranged for a carriage to pick you up at the station once you have arrived. Don't wait until tomorrow to depart. Please, come tonight, if you can. I don't have time to fill you in on all the details now, but I am in dire need. All the arrangements have been made to ensure that you can get here as quick as possible.
-Twilight Sparkle-
"She doesn't need to beg me for my help. Not Twilight." Moondancer's eyes disappeared behind the glare of her glasses, and she crushed the letter in her hoof. The messenger gave her a quizzical look. "Our princess of friendship is rather silly, isn't she?" She waited a moment for the messenger to respond, but he only remained silent. "If she needs my help, she need only ask."