“So, you’re Silvia’s siblings?” Twilight asked from her spot in the sitting room of the library, sipping from the cup of tea that hovered in front of her.
“That’s correct,” Wander confirmed, his forelegs resting on the coffee table with his hooves steepled.
“Older siblings?” Twilight asked, eyes wandering to the corner where Moon sat with Spike, his comic collection laid out in front of them.
“In age at least, yes,” Wander chuckled, glancing at his sister, “even if some of us may not act it.”
The two fell into silence, a rather common occurrence in the three days that Wander and Moon had been in Ponyville. The whispered conversation of Spike and Moon, barely loud enough to be audible, was the only sound that could be heard through the library. Just as the hush was beginning to become awkward, however, the sound of the front door being open cut through the quiet and drew the attention of Twilight. Standing from her seat, she set her cup down on the table and moved to greet her guest.
“Welcome to Golden Oaks Library,” Twilight said, “how can I… Oh, hi girls.”
Standing in the entryway to the library, the door closing behind them in a cloak of blue magic, stood Applejack and Rarity.
“Howdy, Twilight,” Applejack said, tipping her hat.
“Afternoon, darling,” Rarity greeted. “I hope you’ve been doing alright.”
“I’ve been doing well, thank you,” Twilight responded with a smile. “Reorganized the science-fiction section this morning, then spent the afternoon so far getting to know Wander.”
“Oh, Wander is here?” Rarity asked, perking up slightly. “We had been looking for him before we came here. Applejack was surprised when he shut his stand down early.”
“Right over here,” Wander said, having abandoned his own cup for the moment to join the conversation. “Moon was talking about heading over here to hang out with Spike, and I figured there was no harm in coming with so I can get to know my sister’s roommate better.
“Besides,” Wander shot Applejack a smirk and nudged her playfully. “Thanks to a certain somepony letting her customers know I was ok to do business with, I’ve about sold out of my wares. Or at least, what I had available to sell.”
“Glad to hear I could help, partner.” Applejack responded, returning the nudge.
Motioning for her new guests to follow her, Twilight led them back into the sitting room.
“We had just actually sat down to talk over a cup of tea,” Twilight explained. Her horn became encased in a soft lavender glow, and moments later a teapot and a pair of teacups floated out of the kitchen. Setting the teacups down in front of Rarity and Applejack, she carefully poured them each a cup before placing the pot in the middle of the table.
“Thank you,” Rarity said, nodding her head to Twilight before turning to look at Wander. “I’ll have you know Applejack wasn’t the only one sending ponies your way. I’ve had my fair share of customers as well the past few days, and I’ve made sure to tell them all about the luxurious fabrics you were kind enough to part with.”
“So that’s why I had so many requests for fabrics,” Wander said, rubbing his chin with a foreleg. “If I can make this many sales every time I come through town, I might just have to make Ponyville a regular stop.”
“Keep getting those lovely fabrics you sold me, and you’ll have at least one regular,” Rarity tittered.
“Them seeds ya sold us were pretty good, too,” Applejack said. “Ah have a feelin’ them’ll take real nice next plantin’ season.”
“I told you,” Wander smirked. “I only trade the best.”
“Speaking of trading,” Twilight asked, perking up, “would you happen to have any foreign books you’d be willing to trade or sell? Your sister showed me some of her history books, and it got me interested in the history of other nations, and how they portray ours.”
“Well, books aren’t a normal commodity of mine,” Wander said, resting a forehoof over his muzzle as he scrunched his face in thought, “however, I may have some laying around. I tend to bring a few with me, trade them out every now and then. Makes the trips a little more bearable.”
“If you do find any, you’re more than welcome to trade them out for most anything in my private collection,” Twilight offered.
“Your private collection, darling?” Rarity asked. “You’re really going to trade your own books away?”
“The way I see it, he more than likely has some books that I’d normally never be able to get my hooves on,” Twilight explained. “I’m more than happy to give up a few books I could replace with a quick trip to Canterlot.”
“A most gracious offer,” Wander said, bowing his head slightly, “one that I’ll be more than happy to take you up on.”
Standing in her seat, Twilight danced on the tips of her hooves momentarily and squeed in delight before catching herself, quickly sitting back down, and taking a long sip from her tea to try and cover her embarrassment.
“So, um, when would you like to do this?” Twilight asked self-consciously. “Going by the timeline that Silvia gave Spike, she should be back either today or tomorrow.”
“Speakin’ a’ Silvia,” Applejack cut in, looking straight at Wander, “any word from her yet?”
“I can go and get my books once we finish up here,” Wander answered Twilight, before turning to address Applejack. “Not yet, no. But I’m not really worried.”
“Whyever not?” Rarity asked. “You do know just what forest it is that she’s decided to go camping in, correct?”
“I’ve been made familiar with its reputation, yeah,” Wander said, “but I’m more than confident that Silvia can take care of herself.”
“Ya wouldn’t be wrong,” Applejack said. “She’s been takin’ trips inta tha forest fer years now, ‘n ain’t nothin happened to her yet.”
“Of course I’m not wrong, I am the one that helped train her to defend herself, so I know exactly what she’s capable of,” Wander said with a smirk. “She was pretty good, too. Not as good as father —though I doubt any of us could be as good as him— but still pretty good.”
“Silvia didn't talk much ‘bout her pops when she was livin’ here before,” Applejack said, “but I coulda swore she said he was a painter. You sayin’ he was a guard, too?”
“Something like that, yeah,” Wander said. Finishing his tea in one long swig he stood from his seat and walked to the closest bookshelf, his eyes darting from spine to spine as he browsed the books.
“We didn’t exactly grow up inside of the city,” Wander explained. “In fact, we actually grew up quite a ways outside of the city. You see, we lived pretty far out in the outskirts of Saddle Arabia. Our family wasn’t exactly… welcome in most towns.”
“Whyever not?” Rarity asked
“A few different reasons,” Wander responded, “but one of the big ones was the fact that dad was an Equestrian pony.”
Ignoring the gasps of shock and disgust, Wander pulled a book from the shelves and began flipping through it. Finding the page he was looking for, he sat back at the table and laid it out in the center to reveal a map.
“Although relations have gotten a lot better between our nations in the past few decades,” Wander said, refilling his teacup as the girls looked over the map, “relationships between the horses of Saddle Arabia and the ponies of Equestria are still treated with disdain.”
“So what does tha map have ta do with anything?” Applejack asked.
“It’s a map of Saddle Arabia,” Twilight answered.
“That’s correct,” Wander said. Leaning over the table, he pointed with a hoof to the westernmost section of the map. “So to escape the bigotry of the cities, my family ended up moving to a small village all the way out here.”
“That far out?” Twilight asked, rotating the book to better see the map. “That’s all the way out by the unmapped sections of Equus. From what I’ve heard that area is full of…”
“Bandits,” Moon interjected from behind Twilight, causing her to jump. “Ya see, dad isn’t technically a guard, but he’s about as close to being one as you can be.”
“Exactly,” Wander said. “When bandits or any of the other creepy crawlies out there decide to come and mess with our little village, dad’s one of the ponies responsible for chasing them off.”
“Excuse me if I’m not understanding,” Rarity said, “but wouldn’t that make him a guard?”
“It would if he got paid for it,” Moon responded. “If you were to ask him, he’d tell you he’s an artist. Says he’s always loved painting.”
“Ah, yes. As Applejack said, Silvia did say that her dad was an artist,” Rarity nodded. “I assume that means the paintings you had are his?”
“You’d be correct,” Wander said. “Most all of the paintings I sell are his, excluding the occasional piece of art I pick up in a trade.”
“So that lovely painting of the Arabian sun setting over the sand dunes that you sold me, your father painted that?” Rarity asked.
“That he did,” Wander confirmed.
“So, where does an artist pick up combat experience?” Spike asked, abandoning his comics in the corner to join the conversation. “Is he some kind of undercover secret agent?”
Hopping up on the table, Spike crouched down in a mock-combat pose.
“I can see it now,” Spike continued. “World-renowned painter by day, crime fighter by night.”
Giggling at Spike, Moon joined him on the table. Striking her own pose, she threw a few playful punches at him before allowing him to land a ‘fatal’ blow. With exaggerated motions, she coughed and sputtered before falling sideways off of the table and onto one of the cushions.
“While I don’t share his enthusiasm,” Twilight said, rolling her eyes, “Spike does have a point. Where does an artist learn to fight?”
“He was a military brat,” Moon said, hopping back up from where she lay and cutting her brother off before he could even start.
“A what now?” Applejack asked.
“His parents were both in the military,” Wander clarified.
“So, yer grandparents,” Applejack stated.
“Were they worthy of that title, yes,” Wander said, a slight edge in his voice. “They raised him to follow in their hoofsteps. Physical conditioning and combat training when he should have been out having fun with his friends. When he graduated from primary school, he made the decision to become his own stallion and attend a secondary school for art. His parents didn’t like that, so they kicked him out.”
“Why that’s simply awful,” Rarity gasped.
“Sounds like some of the Canterlot families,” Twilight commented, “is that where they’re from?”
“Baltimare, actually,” Wander corrected. “They’re both officers of the EUP branch based out of there.”
“So I take it you’ve met them, then?” Twilight asked.
“Just once,” Wander growled. “They were more worried about the effect having freak grandchildren from their disappointment of a son would have on their reputations then they were about making conversation.”
“Why, that is downright despicable of them,” Rarity spat. “I’m tempted to ask their names, so I know never to do business with them.”
“Their names are…” Moon started before being cut off by her brother.
“Not important,” Wander snapped, glaring at his sister. “They decided they wanted nothing to do with us, so we’re going to have nothing to do with them.”
“Ah just can’ believe ponies would treat their own kin that way,” Applejack said, snorting in frustration. “It jus' ain’t right. If ya can’t trust yer family, then who can ya trust?”
“There’s an oft-misused saying that comes to mind when I think of them,” Wander said. “‘The blood of the coven is thicker than the water of the womb.’”
“What, exactly, is that supposed ta mean?” Applejack asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“It means the bonds we choose to forge are stronger than the ones we’re born with,” Moon responded. “It means that the ponies we meet and form bonds of friendship with will often become closer to us than ponies who are only around because we share a relative.”
“You writing that one down, Twilight?” Spike asked with a smirk. “That right there is prime ‘friendship report’ material.”
“‘Wait, so you write reports… about friendship?” Wander asked, tilting his head in confusion.
“Yes, I do,” Twilight said, huffing in annoyance, “my mentor did task me with studying the magic of friendship. Is there a problem with that?”
“No, it’s not that, it’s just…” Wander glanced between the three ponies and single dragon in the room, “friendship?”
“Yes, friendship,” Twilight replied haughtily. “It’s one of the most powerful forces known to ponykind. Since the princess sent me here to study it, we’ve defeated Nightmare Moon, fought off a Chaos Lord, and repelled a changeling invasion.”
Both Moon and Wander visibly flinched at the mention of Luna’s darker self, the latter rocking back in his seat with wide eyes.
“The Nightmother has returned?” Wander gulped.
“The Nightmother?” Rarity asked, tilting her head in confusion.
“One of the names they used to refer to Luna after she became corrupted,” Twilight said, “or at least, that’s what the books Silvia lent me said.”
Turning to face Wander, Twilight gave him a comforting smile.
“As I said, though, we defeated her,” Twilight said. “We purified her, and returned her to her former glory.”
“Purified her?” Moon asked.
“That’s right,” Applejack said. “Twilight here led us straight ta the Elements of Harmony, n’ we used ‘em ta cleanse the darkness right from tha princess.”
“The Elements of Harmony?” Wander asked. “What are those?”
“Magical artifacts representative of the ideals that Equestria was founded on,” Twilight explained. “Only the ponies that most exemplify those five special traits can wield the Elements to their fullest.”
Standing from her seat, Twilight walked around the table and draped a foreleg over Rarity and Applejack.
“And it just so happened that the crazy ponies I met in this town were just the friends I needed to make them work,” Twilight said.
Moon and Wander shared a look before the latter spoke up.
“You mentioned that your mentor tasked you with study friendship…” Wander said.
“That’s right,” Twilight nodded.
“You also said that the princess sent you to study here…” Wander said.
“That’s right,” Twilight confirmed. “She is my mentor, after all.”
“The princess?” Moon asked. “As in, Princess Celestia?”
“That is correct,” Twilight said.
“Does… does Silvia know this?” Moon asked, sharing a quick look with Wander.
“I’m… not really sure,” Twilight said, “I know she’s asked, but I don’t think she ever got an answer.”
“Does it really matter, darling?” Rarity asked.
“Well, no,” Wander said, “I just thought that would be something important to know, you know? I mean, she’s best friends with national heroes, and living with the personal student of the nation's ruler.”
Twilight opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the sound of the front door being kicked open.
“Twilight, Spike?” Silvia’s voice called out. “I’m back.”
“Oh, she’s here!” Moon said, hopping in place.
Everypony stood and faced the entryway, conversation forgotten in the excitement.
“We’re in the sitting room!” Twilight called out, motioning for everypony to stay quiet.
“Oh, is that tea I smell?” Silvia asked, her voice getting louder as she approached the room. “You wouldn’t happen to have any biscuits or cakes to go with that, would you? You would not believe how hungry I am.”
Stepping through the door as she finished her question both sides remained silent for a moment, Silvia in surprise of who was in the room and everypony else in shock of how different she looked from when she left.
When she had left Silvia’s coat had been dull and muted, with her fur constantly matted and patchy in places. Now, however, her coat was silky smooth and had a shine to it that only the healthiest of ponies could achieve. The light yellow patch of fur on her chest, which was previously faded and, in places, barely distinguishable from the rest of her coat now stood out vibrantly against the rest of her fur.
“Are you sure you spent the last few days in the Everfree, and not at the spa?” Rarity asked, eyeing the now healthy looking patch of skin on Silvia’s back. “I must say, you look simply divine.”
“Who cares?!” Cheered Moon. Climbing on top of the table, she dove off and into Silvia’s forelegs. “She’s finally home! It’s about time!”
“Moon?” Silvia sputtered, looking at the small mare attempting to embed herself in her chest. “Wander? What are you two doing here?”
“It’s good to see you, too,” Wander said, rolling his eyes.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Silvia stammered. “I just wasn’t expecting you to be here, is all.”
“No, I understand,” Wander chuckled. Standing from the table, he walked around and joined Moon in hugging their younger sister. “It’s great to see you, little sis.”
Pulling out of the hug, Wander turned and motioned to the rest of the gathered ponies.
“We’ve just been getting to know a few of your friends here,” Wander said. “Quite the friendly little town you're living in. I’m glad you took my suggestion to check this place out.”
“Wait, yer the one that told ‘er ta come here?” Applejack asked.
“That I am,” Wander confirmed. “I remember when I was first starting out, I came down this way once. Met a lovely couple by the names of Bright and Pear. Really helped me out, gave me some good advice. It’s a shame I haven’t seen them around town at all, I was really hoping to thank them.”
“Ya knew mah parents?” Applejack asked, focusing all her attention on Wander.
“So they are your parents then,” Wander said. “I had thought they were, but I didn’t want to ask without being sure. How have they been?”
“They passed away a few years back,” Applejack said softly. “Ma died givin’ birth tah Apple Bloom, ‘n Pa wandered a little too close ta tha Everfree one night. Granny says he was outta his mind with grief n’ just stopped carin’.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Wander gasped, holding a hoof to his mouth. “I didn’t know, or else I would never have…”
“It’s fine,” Applejack said, giving him a small smile. “Happened years ago, doesn’t hurt so much ta talk about anymore. Besides, thanks ta yer sister bein’ here, we don’t gotta worry too much ‘bout it happenin’ ta nopony else.”
“Why not?” Spike asked.
“Spike!” Twilight scolded him.
“What?” Spike asked, cringing at the look Twilight was giving him. “I just wanted to know how Silvia being here would keep the Everfree from being a problem.”
“While your timing could have been just a little better,” Twilight said, intensifying her glare, “he does have a point.”
Softening her gaze Twilight turned to Applejack.
“What did you mean by that?” Twilight asked.
“Well, believe it or not, Silvia here has quite tha talent when it comes ta dealin’ with some a’ tha critters that like ta wander outta tha forest.” Walking around the table, Applejack slung an arm over Silvia’s shoulder and pulled her into a friendly sideways hug. “Before Silvia here showed up, we had timberwolves prowlin’ tha edge a’ tha forest on a daily basis. Then Silvia rolls on inta town and notices our problem, and a few trips inta tha forest later n’ there ain’t even an ominous set a’ eyes hidin’ in tha treeline.”
“So you’re saying that Silvia scared them away?” Twilight asked, glancing back and forth between Applejack and Silvia.
“Maybe not scare them, but whatever she did convinced them to find somewhere else to hunt,” Rarity said.
“And nopony was suspicious about a pony managing to convince a pack of timberwolves to leave?” Twilight asked.
“I’m sure more than a few of us were a little curious as to how she did it, myself included,” Rarity said, “But most of us were just happy they were gone.”
“We all just chalked it up ta it bein’ her special talent,” Applejack said. “Kinda like Fluttershy, but with tha Everfree critters. Kinda surprised she hasn’t gotten a cutie mark fer it, now that Ah think about it.”
“I told you, I don’t think I can even get a cutie mark,” Silvia said. “Nopony else in my family has one.”
“It’s true,” said Wander, turning angling his body to show off his blank flank. “Moon and I are the eldest, and even we haven’t gotten ours.”
“So… nopony in your family has a cutie mark?” Twilight asked.
“Nope, just our dad,” Moon responded.
“And there aren’t really many ponies like us outside our family,” Silvia added. “Or, at least none that we know, so as far as we know we aren’t able to get them.”
Opening her mouth to say something, Twilight’s eyes darted between Silvia and her siblings before she changed her mind and quietly closed her mouth. Noticing this, as well as the suspicious looks she was giving them, Silvia swallowed nervously before attempting to change the subject.
“So Moon, Wander, you never told me why you were here,” Silvia said, looking between the two of them. “Not that it isn’t great to see you, but we’re an awfully long way from home.”
“Well, some of my normal trading stops weren’t getting much in the way of business, so I decided I’d head a bit farther south this time,” Wander explained. Reaching out with a foreleg, he pulled Moon to his side and patted the top of her head. “When little Moon here found out I was going to be passing by Ponyville she would not let me leave until I agreed to both take her with, and stop by to visit.”
“You say that as if you weren’t already planning to stop,” Moon grumbled, giving Wander a swift kick in the cannon before fixing her mane. “Besides, you and Silvia aren’t the only ones that wanted to experience the world outside of our home. Visiting our little sister just gave me a good reason to.”
“Whatever the reason, it was still very sweet of you two,” Rarity tittered. “I can’t speak for anypony else, but after hearing about your family from your sister it was simply marvelous to finally meet a few of you.”
“‘N from the looks a’ things,” Applejack chuckled, motioning to the mare that had squeezed her way in between Moon and Wander, “Silvia’s awful glad ta see y’all, too.”
“Well, yeah,” Silvia said, snaking a foreleg around her siblings and pulling them into a hug. “I don’t get to see them nearly enough anymore, and I never would have expected to come home and find them waiting for me.”
“Well, if someone hadn’t decided to settle down in a town that’s three weeks away on hoof, then maybe we’d visit more often,” Wander teased.
“Hey, you’re the one that suggested Ponyville,” Silvia shot back. “And it’s not like I didn’t try anywhere closer, Ponyville is just the only town where I felt like I fit in at all.”
“Somethin’ ta be glad fer,” Applejack said, raising her now cooled tea as if to toast before downing it in one gulp. “Ponyville wouldn’t be tha same if ya hadn’t shown up.”
“Not to say I’m glad you didn’t fit in anywhere else,” Rarity said, glancing at Applejack out of the corner of her eye, “But I have to agree with Applejack. I for one would be missing a very dear friend, had we never met.”
“Now don’t go puttin’ words in mah mouth, Rares,” Applejack said, glaring at Rarity. “That wasn’t what Ah was tryin’ ta say, an’ you know it.”
“No, it’s fine. I understood what you meant,” Silvia reassured Applejack. “You girls all mean a lot to me, too. Honestly, if Ponyville hadn’t worked out, I had been planning to head back home.”
“Well, shucks. Glad to hear ya think so highly of us,” Applejack said with a smile. Standing from her seat, she adjusted her hat on her head before turning to face everypony. “Well, now that Ah know yer back home safe ‘n all, Ah’m gonna head on out. Ah’m sure Granny n’ Mac are gonna be gettin’ dinner on the table soon enough, n’ Granny’ll have mah hide if Ah’m late fer dinner.”
“Yes, I suppose I should get going as well,” Rarity said, joining Applejack. “Celestia knows I have plenty I could be doing at the boutique, and I would hate to interrupt anymore of your time with your siblings. From the way Wander has been talking, I doubt they’ll be staying much longer.”
“Aww, really?” Silvia whined, giving her brother her best puppy dog eyes. “But you just got here… do you really have to leave already?”
“Unfortunately,” Wander sighed. “I’ve already been here for going on four days, and that’s longer than I usually stick around anywhere. Plus, I’m almost out of stuff to trade. Besides a few stops to pick up stuff we need back home, I’ll be heading straight back from here.”
“We don’t have to leave now, do we?” Moon asked, joining Silvia in giving their brother puppy dog eyes.
“I wasn’t planning to, no,” Wander responded, glancing between his two moping sisters. “By the time we got packed up and started moving, we’d barely make it out of town before the sun started setting. I figured we could spend the rest of the day with Silvia, and then leave first thing in the morning.”
Satisfied with the plan, both Moon and Silvia instantly brightened up and pulled their brother into a tight hug.
“Sounds like y’all have a plan then, so why don’t we get outta yer manes,” Applejack said, turning and heading for the door. “I know y’all don’t got a whole lotta time together before they gotta leave, but if ya do have the time y’all are more’n welcome ta stop by fer dinner. Ah’m sure tha rest a’ tha family would love ta meet y’all in a less business-like settin’.”
“Indeed,” Rarity said, following Applejack towards the door. “We’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of your afternoon however you see fit. Should you have a few spare minutes, though, I’d very much appreciate it if you could stop by my boutique before you left. I’ve already had a chance to repair your sister’s cloak, and I’d like to repair yours before you leave as well.”
“We’ll make sure to make time for both of you,” Silvia promised.
“Indeed,” Wander nodded. “After hearing so much about your family in Silvia’s letter, I’d be honored to join them for dinner, Applejack. And while I hate to feel like I’m taking advantage of your generosity, Rarity, my cloak is in desperate need of more than a few patches. The cold just cuts right through it when I have to pass through the northern territories.”
“Oh, you aren’t taking advantage of anything, darling,” Rarity assured Wander. “I simply could not call myself a friend of Silvia’s if I let her brother wander about without looking his best.”
Seeing that Wander was about to argue with her, Rarity cut him off before he could start speaking.
“Of course, if you must insist on some type of payment for it, just think of it as an incentive to bring me more of that Neighgyptian cotton,” Rarity said. “That cloth is so incredibly soft, and wonderful to work with as well.”
“Then I suppose I’ll have to stock up before my next trip out here,” Wander chuckled.
Saying one final goodbye to everypony present, Rarity and Applejack soon departed, leaving Twilight and Spike with Silvia and her siblings.
“So what’s your plans for the evening, Silvia?” Spike asked. “Got anywhere specific you wanted to show Moon and Wander?”
“Well, the library was one of the big ones, but it seems they got that one out of the way already,” Silvia said, separating herself from her brother and sister, “and both Rarity and Applejack invited us over, so that crosses the farm and the boutique off the list as well.”
“Plus Moon and I already did our fair share of exploring while we were waiting,” Wander pointed out.
“Bro’s got a point,” Moon said, glancing at Silvia, “and honestly, I don’t really care where we go, as long as we go together.”
“Well, then why don’t you guys just go for a walk, maybe see if anything catches your interest?” Spike suggested. “Between the three of you, I’m sure you can figure something out.”
“No doubt about that,” Silvia giggled. “Well, just give me a few minutes to bring my bags up and put them away, and then we can get going.”
“I can get your bags, if you’d like,” Twilight offered, finally breaking her silence. “I was about to head up to my room to do some studying anyways.”
“Oh, uh... yeah, sure,” Silvia said, giving Twilight a questioning look. “You sure you don’t mind?”
“Oh, not at all,” Twilight said. Standing from her seat, she picked up all of the used teacups and floated them into the kitchen. “Your brother and sister came a long way to see you, you go ahead and have fun.”
“Ok, thanks!” Silvia said, giving Twilight a friendly smile before turning to her siblings. “Since Twilight is nice enough to handle my bags for me, why don’t we head out then?”
“Sounds good to me!” Moon cheered. Jumping from her seat, she turned and galloped towards the door. “Last one to Sugarcube Corner has to pay!”
“Again with the sweets?” Wander chuckled, standing to follow Moon. “If you eat any more cupcakes I may just have to roll you home.”
Giggling, Silvia turned and trotted a few steps after her siblings before stopping.
“Thanks, by the way, for helping keep them entertained,” Silvia said, turning to smile at Twilight. “You’re a true friend, Twilight.”
Not waiting for a response Silvia turned and trotted out of the library, stopping only to grab her bit bag from her bag. Following Silvia to the door, Twilight stood in the doorway and watched as the mare disappeared into town before closing the door behind her. Lost in her thoughts, she stood staring at the closed door before abruptly turning to face the empty room.
“Hey, Spike?” Twilight called out. “Can you come here a minute?”
“Yeah, sure thing,” Spike called out, the clicking of his claws against the floor signaling his approach. “What’s up, got something ya need me to do?”
“No, the opposite, actually,” Twilight responded. Lighting her horn up, a small brown bag appeared in her magic with a bright flash. “You’ve been such a wonderful help lately, to both Silvia and me. Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off, go and have some fun? Maybe the Crusaders will be interested in playing?”
“Oh, uh, sure?” Spike said, hesitantly eying the bag Twilight floated to him. “Are you sure, though? I mean, we did just have a bunch of ponies over for tea and snacks, so there are still dishes that need to be washed. Plus, it’s getting close to dinner time, and I haven’t even started it yet.”
“Just pick up something for yourself while you’re out,” Twilight replied. Picking up Silvia’s bags in her magic, she trotted into the room and to the stairs. “I had a few too many biscuits with my tea, so I’m not really that hungry.”
“But that still leaves the dishes…” Spike said, slowly turning his head to follow Twilight.
“Don’t worry about it, Spike, I’ll take care of them,” Twilight responded, turning to give Spike a bright smile. “Just go on and enjoy yourself, you’ve earned it.”
No longer wanting to argue over his free afternoon, Spike shrugged before hanging the bag of bits around his neck and heading for the door.
“Alright, if you insist,” Spike said. “Have fun with your studying, then. I’ve got a buttercream sapphire cupcake with my name on it.”
“Just make sure you eat some real food, too,” Twilight called after him, shaking her head.
Giving a thumbs up in acknowledgment Spike quickly scampered out the door before Twilight could change her mind, leaving the purple unicorn alone at last. Giving one last smile in her assistant's direction she turned and climbed the stairs, Silvia’s bags floating close behind her. Reaching the door to her Silvia’s room, Twilight began floating the bags into the room before hesitating as her smile morphed into a frown. Slowly the bags floated back over to her as she stepped into the room and looked around.
’I know she asked me to put these away, but…’ Twilight thought, her brow scrunching in concentration as she scrutinized Silvia’s bags. ’Something isn’t adding up. Both she and her siblings seem like they’re leaving key details out whenever they talk about home. And the way she was looking at me earlier… it was almost like she was nervous I’d discovered something.’
Rotating the bags so the opening was facing her, Twilight’s magic intensified over the flap as she slowly lifted it up. Getting the flap halfway open, she froze as she realized what she was doing.
’But she also trusts me… she said I was a “true friend”,’ Twilight thought, flinching as the words seemed to echo through her mind.
Sighing, Twilight closed the bag and secured the clasp that Silvia had left open.
’Maybe the girls are right…’ Twilight thought, crossing the room and setting the bags gently on Silvia’s bed. ’Maybe I am just looking for reasons not to trust her.’
Making sure the bags were securely on the bed and wouldn’t fall off by accident at any point Twilight turned to exit the room, but paused and looked back when she noticed something strange sticking out from behind one of the bags.
“Uh oh, I hope that isn’t a tear,” Twilight mumbled quietly to herself.
Grabbing the bag in her magic again, she spun it to get a closer look and dropped the bag with a squeak when she saw what was stuck to it. Backpedaling to the corner of the room Twilight’s eyes locked on the large piece of grey material stuck to the inside of Silvia’s bag, not even noticing the sound of glass banging violently together.
“S-snakeskin,” Twilight stuttered, slowly creeping forward to get a closer look. “Not like any snakeskin I’ve ever seen, though... whatever shed this must have been massive!”
Using her magic to pluck the skin off of the bag, Twilight floated it over to herself and held it a forelegs length away, doing her best to inspect it without getting to close.
“P-pony size at least, i-if not bigger,” Twilight stammered, swallowing hard as she attempted to control her fear. “Too small to be a basilisk, but too large to be any other species of snake I know of.”
Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she floated the skin to the side and grabbed the bag she had dropped in her magic once more, the flap coming open as she floated it to herself. Folding the flap back, Twilight had to resist the urge to drop the bag when she peered inside and saw a large, carefully folded sheaf of snake skin under the flasks in the bag.
“And an even larger piece in her bag,” Twilight muttered to herself. Using her magic to carefully remove the large piece of skin from the bag, she had to suppress a shudder when she gently unfolded it and saw how large it was. “Definitely doesn’t belong to any species of snake I’ve read about… but where’s the rest of it? From the size of what’s here, it looks like half of the skin is missing at least.”
Carefully sticking the loose piece of skin in the bag, she gently closed it back up and set it on the bed with the rest of the bags. Double checking to make sure everything was back where she had found it, Twilight backed out of the room, gently pulled the door closed behind her, and continued on to her room. Trotting through the doorway, her door was pulled closed behind her as she began pacing.
“There just has to be something else going on here,” Twilight mumbled to herself, “there just has to be. I mean, where would a pony even find a snake that large, much less its skin?”
Pausing, Twilight shuddered at the mental image of a pony-sized snake before continuing her pacing.
“And the fangs, the eyes… the skin on their backs.” Twilight continued her muttering, pausing in her pacing to sit and rub her chin with a forehoof. “That bit of shed skin had the same pattern along the back! Just replace their hind legs with a tail and it would fit just about perfectly!”
“But that makes no sense,” Twilight groaned, snorting in annoyance as she stood and continued her pacing. “They clearly aren’t hiding a giant snake’s tail, unless they’re shapeshifters…”
As she reached the far side of her room, she broke off from her pacing and took a seat at her desk. With a flicker from her horn a quill, an inkwell, and a fresh roll of parchment soon joined her at the desk.
“I didn’t want to bother the princess with this, but… I need advice,” Twilight said to herself. Unrolling the parchment, she dipped the quill in the inkwell and prepared to put it to paper. “Everypony likes her, and I want to too, but… there’s just too many coincidences… too much that isn’t adding up. I can’t just look the other way anymore.”
Convinced that her course of action was the proper one, Twilight hunched over her desk as the scratching of quill against paper filled the room.
Dear Princess Celestia…