//------------------------------// // A Surprise Guest // Story: Love is Magic // by Lux //------------------------------// Chapter 7 – A Surprise Guest After lunch, Twilight resumed teaching Mystic magic. For a pony that never did this before, she was a natural. He guessed it was due to her research skills, or because the fact that she remembered how Princess Celestia taught her. Of course, being adept in magic herself helped her to understand it. “So Twilight, I think I understand how to cast a spell, but I have a question.” “Yes, Mystic,” she said. “How does magic actually work? I’ve been meaning to ask Princess Luna this question, but since I’m here with you, and since you’re the Element of Magic, I figure I would ask you.” She put her one hoof to her chin in thought before speaking. “I’ve read lots of books on magic. Yet none of them say anything about where magic exactly comes from. But most say, and I tend to agree, is that magic is everywhere in nature. And not just unicorns can use it. Pegasus ponies are able to use the magic from the skies to manipulate weather. Earth ponies are attuned to nature and are typically great at growing or making things. Unicorns tap into more arcane energy. I’d like to think that magic also affects and is affected by other things in our lives like joy, sadness, and even love.” That last word hung in the air like a thick fog as Twilight paused, her mind deep in thought. Clearly she had love on her mind; otherwise she wouldn’t have stopped there. She then turned her back to Mystic, oblivious to the fact that she was still teaching him, or even to the fact that he was even there. Whatever was on her mind, it made everything else seem nonexistent. That was when the stallion heard it, a sound that he would remember for the rest of my life. She made a sniffing sound, not like the sound one would make smelling a flower or having a cold. It was a sound of a pony trying to hold back crying. She then brought up a hoof to her face; he believed to wipe away a tear from her eye. Mystic stood there helpless, unable to move or say anything to her. Part of him wanted to go to her, to give her a friendly hug and tell her that everything was alright. His conscious then kicked in making me think about how inappropriate that would be. He only knew Twilight for a few days after all, not enough to even say that he was even a friend to her. Finally he gathered up the courage to say something. “Um… Twilight? Are you ok?” She must have been shocked because she immediately turned around, as if trying to find the source of the voice. “Oh, Mystic I’m sorry. I guess I got lost in a fog there.” “Are you sure you’re ok?” “Um… yes I’m fine. Let’s continue then with your learning.” She then cracked a half smile as if to reassure me that she was ok, but he wasn’t convinced. She was obviously still holding something deep inside her, something she didn’t want to show, something secret in her heart. But Mystic didn’t want to push the matter, especially if it was relating to love. The only thing he could do was try to provide as much comfort as he could. Just when Twilight was about to start teaching again, the library door burst open and suddenly as rainbow manned Pegasus flew through, coming to a stop just before the two unicorns. “Sorry to barge in like that Twilight, but I just finished the book you gave me, Daring Do and the Quest for the Ruby Ring. I really, really want to know what happens in the next book and…” Rainbow Dash then looked at Mystic then Twilight then back to Mystic. “Heh, am I interrupting anything important,” the Pegasus said with a sly grin. “Well, I was just going to show him something and…” “Awww, come one Twilight! You don’t have to be all secretive with me. I know what’s going on here.” “And what exactly do you think is going on,” Twilight said as she stared at her friend with a questioning look. “You found a special somepony! Wow, Twilight I didn’t know that you had it in you.” Twilight’s eyes lit up in shock as she blushed. She wondered if somehow Rainbow Dash heard from Rarity about Twilight’s questions. Of course it was no secret among her friends that she was single. The second part however, did perplex her more than the rainbow manned mare’s claim. “Rainbow Dash, this isn’t my special somepony. And what was that about having it in me?” “Yeah, sure he isn’t,” Dash said with a laugh, “But you know what I mean, Twilight. I didn’t know that you were looking for somepony to love. You always looked content, you know, with your books. So who’s this pony anyway?” “I’m Mystic,” the unicorn said curtly seeing that Twilight was getting upset at Rainbow Dash’s comments, especially the last one. Twilight had now turned beet red and looked like at any minute she would burst into flames. Casually, Mystic tried to change the subject away from Twilight’s relationship status. “So, you’re Rainbow Dash?” “The one and only,” she said lounging back in a chair. Mystic thought that this was working. If he could talk to Rainbow Dash away from the previous conversation, then Twilight would calm down, and Rainbow Dash would forget asking about Twilight’s relationship status. “So how serious are you two? Did you go out on a date?” Twilight who was trying to preoccupy her with some notes for my magic lesson suddenly looked up with a look of surprise, embarrassment, and anger. “Heh, maybe I should get going. Can I have the book Twilight?” The purple unicorn pulled a book from the shelf using her telekinesis and almost threw it hard at the Pegasus. “Er..thanks Twilight. I’ll leave you two alone then. So… catch you later!” Rainbow Dash then quickly flew out of the library, knowing when to get going before things turned bad. “What a strange pony,” Mystic said, “You don’t think she’s going to tell others about this, will she Twilight?” Hearing no response, Mystic turned around and gasped at what he saw. Twiligh'st head was now low to the ground with her ears flattened against the side of her head. The most disturbing sight was that tears were now dripping from her eyes, creating a small but noticeable puddle on the wooden floor. “Oh Twilight,” he said as he trotted over to her, “please don’t cry. I’m sorry if me being here made your friend say those things.” “No,” Twilight said through the sobs, “it’s not you. You actually stood up for me. It’s just that I can’t believe that one of my best friends thinks that I’m somehow incapable or uninterested in love. Why? Is it because I’m an egghead that she thinks I don’t care about love.” Mystic was relieved that she wasn’t also upset with him. Nevertheless he was shocked that Twilight was thinking about love so much lately. For a moment, he thought that maybe he could say to her that he would be her special somepony. He quickly stifled that thought. It might upset her more if he did that, and if she said she wasn’t interested in him, it would make the time spent together very awkward. He didn’t know if he liked her like that. Sure she was cute and smart, but was she the one for him. More imporaantly, was he the love for her? “Twilight,” Mystic said as he put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder, “I know you’ll find your special somepony one day if you want. You’ve shown me how smart and funny and kind you are when you took me in and are teaching me magic. So please don’t be said at what your friends said. All that matters is what you believe.” “Thank you, Mystic,” Twilight said drying her eyes, “you’re a good friend.” Mystic was a little, no, more like really crushed. Even though at the time he wasn’t sure about dating her, it was sad to hear Twilight say she only wanted to be friends and nothing more with him. It was like a door was shut in his face, especially when seeing what was on the other side. “Is there anything else I can help you with,” Mystic said, unsure what else to say. “No, I think I’m ok,” Twilight said although clearly looking like she still wasn’t fine, “I think I need some time alone, if you don’t mind.” “Ok then,” Mystic said, trying to keep his spirits high, “I guess I’ll wander around the town a little. I’ll be back in a few hours.” Not hearing Twilight object and not wanting to belabor the point, Mystic left the library, leaving Twilight alone and with her thoughts. The purple unicorn walked over to a purple book on a slanted podium. With a heavy sigh she took a quill, dipped it in ink and began to write, as if the words were flowing directly from her mind to the paper. Soon a few sentences turned into paragraphs, echoing what she felt and thought.