//------------------------------// // Part 6: Conclusion // Story: Bound in a Book // by Halogenmyst //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle sat alone in one of the booths of Sugarcube Corner, staring into the chocolate milkshake in front of her as though it was a crystal ball. Her saddlebags containing the book Fluttershy had read and all of the notes Twilight had made laid on the floor beside her. She never intended to stop at Sugarcube Corner, she only intended to not head straight home. The Cake's sweetshop had released a powerful aroma, cinnamons and caramels leading Twilight by the nose until she found herself inside. Pinkie Pie was on the other end of the booth with no warning. "Hi Twilight how are you today? Did you not get enough sleep again because I'm pretty sure you're supposed to drink milkshakes not hold staring contests with them I have won a staring contest against a cupcake but I think your blinky eyes won't be able to keep up even with an amateur like this chocolate speaking of chocolate I heard something happened to Spike is that true? I worry about him ooh! maybe I could throw him a P-" Twilight pressed her hoof against Pinkie's mouth. She not only wanted to try to actually speak with the overly hyper mare, but the Cake's had only just installed new windows, and Twilight wanted them to celebrate month old windows at least once this year. "Hi Pinkie, I'm fine, I got a full night's sleep, I'm not having a staring contest, and what does Spike have to do with chocolate?" Twilight released Pinkie's mouth, sure to leave her with a question so she wouldn't have the ability to jabber on much longer. Pinkie's smile practically covered her face. "Why because he's so sweet of course!" Twilight looked back to her milkshake. "Don't I know it?" Pinkie gasped dramatically. "What? You mean you didn't know? Oh, I have so much to tell you about Spike! He-" Pinkie caught herself as she saw Twilight preparing to press her hoof to her once again. "Sorry." Pinkie relented with a guilty grin. Twilight's eyes narrowed as she retracted her hoof slowly. "I know Spike is the sweetest dragon in all the world, but I don't know how to get him to know I know..." Twilight sighed as her shoulders dropped. "And with all this book business, I can't find the time anyway." Twilight motioned to her saddlebags. Pinkie's head dove into the bags before Twilight could even finish her sentence. Pinkie reached her hooves into the bag and dove deeper, and dove even deeper, until only her tail barely poked out of the bag's flaps. "Pinkie?" Twilight's voice was spiced with worry as she closely watched her friend fall into her bags. "What?" Pinkie was sitting again on the other end of the booth, with Twilight's book and notes on the table in front of her. Twilight's mind reeled at Pinkie's uncanny ability to ignore sense and trying to hold the pieces of her brain together, she simply accepted it. "That book business." Twilight decided to just continue where she left off before explaining the scenario to Pinkie Pie. "And that's how Equestria was made." Twilight dryly finished her explanations as well as her milkshake. She expected for Pinkie Pie to respond at least from the last sentence, but during the entire explanation, Pinkie was glued to Twilight's notes, inspecting and even what looked like cross-referencing. Pinkie's eyes were serious, she gave an affirmative nod and mumbled. "The Empty Bouquet, Eyes of the Moon, A Mother's Memoirs, Streets Stained Lavender, and Vitriol Rosaries..." Pinkie released her serious look and her usual smile was back in place. "Okay, you've got five books written in a form of D'ni and you're trying to make a report on it. That sounds like a lot of fun! How can I help?" Twilight's brain would have experienced a critical failure had she not gone through rigorous personal training to let faith take control around Pinkie Pie. Being blindsided by revelation however left Twilight silent for a minute as she tried to regain her composure. An agonizing minute as far as Pinkie was concerned. "Twilight? You're okay right? I know it took me a while to figure out the titles but I promise I'll do better to help you on your report unless you don't want me to help in which case I could help by staying out of the way like I do with the Cakes I'm really good at helping like that but I do wan-" Pinkie stopped as Twilight's hoof landed on her shoulder.Twilight Sparkle's eyes lost focus, and left practically blind she had waved her hoof toward the talking until it found it's mark. "Tell. Me." Twilight said eerily calmly. Her eyes snapped to focus on Pinkie's. "Everything." Twilight hurried to find each of her friends. New information had always excited her, but today she had practical information and a plan, and could not wait to put both to use. First, she would have to find Rainbow Dash. Twilight rushed through the streets of Ponyville with her head aimed upwards. While not being the safest way to travel, Rainbow wasn't going to be spotted at ground level, especially after her recent reading experience. Luckily, Rainbow was predictably spinning and looping between the clouds, and Twilight called out to talk to her. - "D'ni is an ancient, magical language that when performed properly, could take anypony to another world." Pinkie explained. "The art was passed along through families but between those who had no interest in it and those who couldn't handle the responsibility, it became scarcer each generation until it was practically a dead language and a lost art. "Another world? Like these ones?" Twilight asked, pointing toward the book. "Oh no, silly. The real D'ni language would actually take you to another actual world." Pinkie said with a smile. - "Got it, Twi. You can count on me, I'll be ready in ten seconds flat." Rainbow gave a quick salute before bolting into the sky. One down, three to go. Twilight needed to get Applejack next. Apple Bloom practically announced where to find Applejack as the mare had her little sister in a tight hug, and the filly wasn't nearly as excited about it. "Let go o' me AJ! Ah gots crusadin' to do!"Apple Bloom protested. Twilight thought she would call for help, but after seeing her, a devious smile crept along Bloom's face. "Twilight's here to see ya sis!" Applejack loosened her grip just long enough for Bloom to make a quick escape. "Ah told ya what the next words Ah hear had better be. Don't disappoint me, Twi." Applejack said. "I've got even better words, Applejack. If you'll help me." Twilight responded confidently. - "I'm pretty sure the language in here is a refined form of D'ni." Pinkie postulated as she perused the pages. "When just starting to learn how to write, you won't want to put too much power in a student's hooves. Only hardcore creationists would still study it later. It makes sense that the safest way to practice would be to transfer only the perspective of the pony into the world rather than the whole pony. That makes it kind of exclusive though." "What do you mean?" Asked Twilight. "Since it was written to transport a perspective, any pony's writing wouldn't be readable by anything other than a pony with a similar perspective, or a pony at least. Griffons wouldn't be able to make out a single word." Pinkie explained. "That must be why Spike can't read it. He's a dragon!" Twilight realized. Pinkie smiled softly as she looked through the book. "I'm surprised he can see any words at all, there's more pony in him than we give him credit for." - "Well Ah'll say. That does sound like a mighty fine idea, Twi." Applejack turned toward her home. "So, you'll help?" Twilight asked. Applejack turned to look at Twilight over her shoulder. She gave a tip of her hat and answered. "That's what friends do, after all." Rarity wasn't going to be hard to find, she was supposed to be at the library right now. The problem was going to come from getting her help without crossing Spike's path. Twilight figured a teleportation spell would have to be employed so she wouldn't disturb the door, but as she was readying herself to infiltrate her own home, she saw Rarity leaving the library. Twilight deflated a little, realizing she was genuinely excited to try and be sneaky. She wondered if she should blame Pinkie pie for the nonsense of it or Rainbow Dash for making it seem like an unanswered challenge. - "How do you even know about this Pinkie?" Twilight asked. "My Nana Pinkie was a writer. Remember she told me about the Mirror Pool? I'm pretty sure she knew every secret of Equestria and its history. She tried to teach me, but I simply didn't have the patience for it, I only learned some basics of how to read and maintain the books. I remember some of the adventures we'd have in her books." Pinkie sighed. "good times." "You mean you've been in the magical books?" Twilight's jaw almost hit the floor. "Well of course silly filly, that's what books are for!" Pinkie felt confused that the town librarian wouldn't understand the value of books. - "Challenge accepted." Rarity said with a determined look on her face. Twilight wondered if this was even Rarity. "Um, okay?" "Oh darling, I am so very excited, just let me run to my boutique to get ready!" Rarity practically squealed as she rushed off to her boutique.That felt more like the Rarity Twilight knew. Fluttershy was the last one to get in on Twilight's plan. Moving slower than usual, Fluttershy answered the nervous tapping at her door. "Oh! Twilight, did you forget something?" Fluttershy asked. "You bet I did." Twilight pointed her hoof at Fluttershy. "You." - "Pinkie, do you still have your Nana's books?" Twilight asked. "Of course, did you think I stored all my balloons and streamers in my studio apartment? Geez Twilight, I might be special but I'm not magic. Though since I'm an Element of Harmony, maybe I am?" Pinkie's train of thought was derailing, though Twilight wondered if she ever placed rails to begin with. "I have an idea. Pinkie? Would you help me set up a... party?" Twilight almost whispered the last word as she prepared herself. "WOULD I!" Pinkie yelled. Twilight could see that the gears turning in Pinkie's head were causing her to start vibrating while she thought of every facet of the party that needed to be arranged. Twilight smiled. "I'm just going to need it in a certain location." - "T-today?" Fluttershy stuttered as she received her invitation. "It would be a great help, Fluttershy. If you need to, we could postpone until-" Twilight was cut off by Fluttershy. "we should have done this days ago. "Fluttershy said as she prepared herself. "Maybe we still could?" Fluttershy's hoof caught her mouth in a cute giggle. "Magic." Spike had just finished arranging the books in the 'K' shelves when he heard the door to the library open and shut. "Please don't be Twilight." Spike mumbled. "Just not-" "Spike!" A familiar unicorn's voice called. "Where are you?" "Now..." Spike finished as he fought up the courage to answer his call. Spike walked into the main room of the library to find Twilight coldly dropping a book at his feet. "What is this?" Spike asked as he picked it up, not wanting to discuss much with Twilight at the present time. He had just had some personal time with Rarity and was getting back into the groove of his chores. Dealing with the emotional rift that had appeared between him and Twilight was just not something he could handle right now. "It's a book. Somepony returned it to me on the street today so I need you to put it back in its place." Twilight basically commanded Spike. She wasn't normally this cold about anything, but then again, Spike had never normally made an outburst at her either. The book had no title on its cover or binding, but before Spike could think to ask, Twilight was already gone. "I suppose the only way to find out is to open it up." Spike opened the book and began to read. The sky was dark, illuminated by countless stars arranged in beautiful waves, mirroring the waves of the ocean in every direction. Short grass covered the small island, making a soft pillow to pair with the sheets of salty foam rolling over the seas as far as the eye can see. Spike was confused. He could see the stars, touch the grass, smell the sea. Was this what his friends had experienced when reading those books? Perhaps he was just dreaming. All his confusion peaked once he felt a hoof on his shoulder though. Spike wheeled around and saw the hoof on his shoulder was attached to Twilight Sparkle. Spike had to be dreaming. "Spike. I wanted to say I'm sorry for not treating you like the close friend you are to me." Twilight said somberly. Definitely dreaming. Spike looked past Twilight to see Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and even Pinkie Pie looking toward him. "Us too." They all said in unison. "Okay, what the hay is going on?" Spike demanded. After receiving a rather hard to swallow explanation from Twilight about D'ni and what she had learned (interspersed with harder to swallow details from Pinkie Pie.) he looked to the grassy island and back to Twilight. Spike gave her a big hug. "I'm sorry too, Twilight. I know you all care, I just get scared." Spike said as he tried to hide his tears. This time not out of anger, but out of happiness. "I know Spike, that's why to make it up to you, we set up a party just for you." Twilight announced as she showed Spike what they had prepared. Rainbow had set up fireworks in the distance, Rarity had made a beautiful purple picnic blanket which held Applejack's best apple fritters and cider, and nearby was a fancy looking camera with butterfly stickers on it, obviously Fluttershy's. "Pinkie provided the island, and I'm afraid all I could do was provide them." Twilight admitted sheepishly, motioning to the other ponies. Spike hugged Twilight again. "Thank you, all of you. I couldn't ask for anything more." Twilight turned to Applejack over Spike's head and mouthed out the words: "We're better now." Dear Princess Celestia: I've learned an important lesson these last few days. Friendship is powerful, but all power has to be handled with care. You can't expect your friends to never make mistakes, just like you can't avoid mistakes yourself. Forgiveness is an essential tool to bring friends together, and grudges will only bring you apart. I've also learned that writing holds power too. I've watched my close friends grow from seeing the world through another pony's eyes. Empathy, appreciation, love, dedication, and alliance increased through the power of ink and quill. Forgetting to never step outside your own eyes makes it easy to feel cheated. I love all my friends, and I know they love me. I think you'll find the book report you assigned Twilight is going to be fantastic. That is, as soon as everypony actually finishes reading the things. Your faithful servant: -Spike- Attached to the letter, a picture of seven best friends smiling as brightly as the fireworks behind them.