Twilight was facing a conundrum. She stood in the doorway of her study and looked out at what could have politely been called a disaster. The sheets of her bed were twisted and tangled. Books, both popular fiction and leather bound tomes of knowledge, were scattered all around the floor. Dust covered much of the room.
She stepped inside and drew back. The milkshake she had left out on the dresser had somehow fermented. The offensive odor wafted in stinky waves all throughout the small space. Celestia stood behind her, that gentle frown on her face. Twilight looked back. "I didn't realize it was this bad." Her ears slid back. "Didn't the cleaning staff-"
A very unhappy harrumph from her mentor cut that line of thought off immediately. "I ordered them to leave it exactly as it was."
Twilight scratched the ground with her hoof, pouting slightly. "Well, Spike would have, but, y'know, he's had scale flu. I'm really worried about the little guy."
"Spike loves to help you, but that is not something you should take advantage of, young filly."
Twilight stared at the ground and blinked. Was that mold? She poked the slimy, green something. Alfalfa smoothie, among her favorite study snacks. "I got really busy studying and,um, Spike was sick and...and..." It sounded awful, even to her ears. "I'm sorry."
Celestia brought a hoof up to her forehead and began to slowly massage the area. "How did it even manage to get this bad? Twilight, eye contact."
Twilight turned and tried to look Celestia in the eye, but she looked back down at the floor. Specifically, the crumpled up paper balls on the floor which had overflowed from the wastebasket.
Celestia lifted her chin. "You're a filly and I understand that you can be messy. But if I went to your room at home and looked at it, would it be this bad?"
Twilight chewed on her lip. "Mommy wouldn't let me not clean up."
"Yes, and unfortunately, I don't have enough time to constantly keep an eye on you. But, though you are no longer living here full time, this is still your study room. It's your responsibility to keep it clean. Understand?"
Twilight nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."
"I expect this room to be spotless by the time I get back. Then, we will do our lessons for the day."
Twilight glanced at the clock. Her other lessons in class were done. That gave her only four hours with the Princess, assuming cleaning this room took her an hour! "But Princess, that won't be enough time for a lesson!"
Celestia patted her head. "Oh, but this is a lesson, my faithful student. A lesson in cleaning up one's own messes. Understand?"
Twilight jutted her lips out. "Can't I do it later?"
"No. No, you may not. It's become a public safety hazard." She cast a wary look at the floor. "Is that mold?"
Twilight blushed. "Alfalfa smoothie."
Celestia sighed deeply. "The same alfalfa smoothie on your bookshelf?"
Twilight mumbled something.
"I'm serious Twilight. I'll be back in an hour and this room had better be clean."
Twilight nodded. "Alright."
Celestia turned and strode from the room, gently closing the door behind her. Twilight grumbled as she stared at the room. It hadn't been this messy when she'd left yesterday. Or maybe it had been. It had all accumulated over a week of sloth. She wondered if Spike was feeling any better.
That thought stirred immediate remorse. Briefly, she pondered if she was a bad filly. Bad fillies were lazy, right? She laid on her belly, her legs sprawled out. Yep. She was a bad filly. She rested her head in her forelegs. She was a bad filly because her teacher had told her to clean up her room and what was she doing?
Laying here on her belly, thinking about what a bad filly she was. She sniffled and then hopped up. There was still time to mend her naughty ways! She'd have this room cleaned up in no time. The mess on the other side of her lowered horn towered over her like one giant monster made of scattered books, spilled alfalfa and too many crumpled up paper balls.
First, she would start with the books. That should be easy. First, she levitated up the smoothie on her bookshelf and tossed it into the wastebasket. The contents of the wastebasket exploded spilling papers and milkshake onto the floor. Twilight grumbled a few choice words that her mentor would have washed her mouth out for saying and hurriedly started cramming the contents of the trash back into the basket. They wouldn't all fit in so she gave up.
She levitated up the paper balls and half-thought about setting fire to them. That would get rid of them right? She dismissed the thought and put them back down. The books. Definitely the books first. With a spark of magic, the books floated into the air, held aloft in a violet glow. They trembled in her magic and clattered down to the ground.
After a string of interesting words her dad said when he tripped over something, she flopped back down to her belly to study on the problem. It was Celestia's fault for not giving her trash bags! Although, she could just go get trash bags. Her eyes narrowed at the books and she lifted one of the softer books, one of her Daring Do books, the first in the series. She triumphantly slid the book onto the top shelf.
Alright. That was one book off the floor. Good. She surveyed her study. There were only...twenty to go. Which she'd need to stack one-by-one as her magic was too weak to pick them all up. Her tongue stuck out of her mouth as she managed to lift three books and quickly slide them onto the shelf before starting to pant as her magic gave out.
She cast a wary glance up at her horn. "Too powerful when you shouldn't be and not enough power when I need it. What do you have to say for yourself?"
The appendage didn't respond. Twilight gently stroked it. "I'm sorry, you know I didn't mean it."
Three more books floated from the floor, then two from the bed. She hopped and slid the books onto the shelf. Feeling confident, tendrils of her magic lifted one more book. A pressure bore down on her horn. She dropped them. "This is going to take forever!" She drummed her hooves on the carpet. "And I'll never be ready for today's lesson with the Princess! It's not fair!"
She shot out the room, knocking the door open and stopped a maid. The white-coated, grey-maned service pony gave her a wary look. "I'm sorry, Miss Sparkle, I know what you're going to ask and the answer is no."
Twilight cocked her head. "No trash bags?"
The maid's eyes widened. "Oh! I thought you were going to ask if I could clean your room! Of course you can have trash bags, Sweetie." She pulled a box of trash bags off the grey cart behind her and hoofed it to Twilight who took it in her magic. Twilight ran back to her room, galloped inside, then cantered over to the trash can where she started flinging papers inside of the bag which she held with her magic. When the can was empty, she tossed all the paper balls inside and then the accursed remains of the alfalfa smoothie.
She set aside the trash bag and smiled. Her floor was now clean, with the exception of the scattered books and the green stain. What was she supposed to do about that?
That was a question for later. Now, it was time to deal with those pesky books. A grimace crossed her face. It would probably be a good idea if she started putting books back on the shelf when she was done reading them.
There had to be an easier way to do this. She stuck her tongue out as she thought it over. There was one thing she could do. It was a spell. She closed her eyes and focused on the runes she would need, seeing them in her mind. Celestia had given her a stern warning to never do these sorts of spells without supervision, but she'd never know.
Magic flowed up from her core, a wave of energy which built in intensity and brought her nerves to life with fire. The waves of magic shot from her horn, energy blanketing the room as her eyes turned white. When the spell passed the books were all glowing with ethereal light.
They sprang up as one. Twilight giggled. "Go on! Onto the shelves where you belong!"
The books hovered in the air.
"G-go on!"
The books hurtled towards her as one. Twilight screamed like she was two years younger and teleported away. When she re- materialized, she was woozy and barely dodged when the books came at her again. She zoomed towards the door, the books on her tail-literally. One chomped down on her tail which she quickly drew away, darting straight for the stairs.
The astonished maid drew back and screamed when the three books crashed towards her. She reared back and just barely avoided them. The books sailed over her head and struck her cart. The cart was enveloped in the same ethereal aura that covered the books. Twilight watched in horrified fascination as the cart rolled back of its own accord and then-Twilight would have sworn to it in court-jumped and hurtled into the air.
Twilight ran down the stairs. The books turned in midair and pursued her. She galloped at the fastest speed she could muster, leaping over a guard's head. The guard gasped. "I told them! I told them their were magical bug ponies that could turn into anything! And they said I was mad! HALT CRIMINAL SCUM!"
He thrust towards the tomes. One spun and smacked him hard making him drop like a sack of potatoes. Several more guards rushed out, trying to strike at the books.
"No, don't hurt them!" Twilight shouted. They all turned to her. Suddenly, the books turned and charged her. Twilight turned tail and ran.
"Twily? What is going on?" Lieutenant Shining Armor ran up to her side, did an assessment of the situation. He bucked behind him and sent a book flying. The book's companion rushed him and bounced against the shield Shining conjured.
The books beat against the shield.
Twilight looked over her shoulder. "Why are they attacking me?"
The long forgotten cart whirled around a corner and smashed against the shield.
"Technically, you're at school right now so you figure it out!"
Twilight stuck out her tongue. Shining stuck out his own. "Where are we running?"
"You're the guard!"
Shining paused. The cart spun in circles around them, picking up speed with every rotation. Suddenly, two mops lifted up, floated in the air and rocketed towards them. Shining grabbed her and teleported. The cleaning implements splintered against the stone wall. Shining kept his shield up and teleported once more to avoid the cart. The cart almost smashed into the wall, but turned at the last minute to hurtle towards them.
The book soared from another angle. One book struck a blue vase. Rather than shattering, the vase lifted into the air.
Shining stared. "Twilight, did you remember to adjust the harmonic frequency?"
"Did I do what to what?"
"Did you finish reading the book before you cast?"
Twilight blushed. "I read most of it."
"...Kiddo, I'd advise running away to Mexicolt for a while."
With a clatter, the books, the vase and the cart smashed against the mystic barrier. The vase shattered, but the books and the cart continued pounding onto the shield.
"Why do these books hate me?"
Shining touched the shield with his horn to pour more power into it. "They don't hate you."
"Are you sure? Really, really sure?"
"Like I said, figure it out."
"Why are you being so mean?!" Her face scrunched up. "You hate me!"
Shining shook his head. "I do not and you know it."
The eleven year old hunched up close to him. "I'm scared."
"I know, Sweetie, I know. Your big brother will keep you safe." He squeezed her. She summoned some energy of her own and pressed her horn to the shield. It wasn't much, but still. It was the least she could do.
The formerly cyan shield took on a magenta hue. The books slamming picked up force. Shining grunted. "How much power did you put in this spell?"
"Um...a lot?"
Shining rolled his eyes. "You're in really big trouble, you know that?"
Twilight sniffled.
Shining toussled her mane. "Ah, c'mon. Don't cry. Everypony messes up sometimes."
"Even you?"
Shining snorted. "You have no idea."
A crack appeared where the cart banged into Shining's force field. He repaired it.
"What is going on here?"
Celestia marched down the halls. She sent out a flash of light from her horn. The books fell. The cart stilled. Celestia re-knit the shattered pieces of the vase. Shining saluted and mouthed, "sorry, Kiddo."
Twilight refused to meet her mentor's disappointed-if still somehow compassionate-gaze.
Celestia set the vase back on the table. "Lieutenant Armor, thank you for protecting my student. Your service is noted."
Shining bowed. "Thank you, Your Highness, but she's my baby sister. I wasn't going to let her get hurt."
A wistful smile crossed her face. "I understand." She blinked. "Me and Twilight need to talk."
Shining pat Twilight's head. "See you at dinner time."
"Bye, Shiny."
Celestia tugged Twilight's ear in her magic. "Come along, Twilight."
Twilight didn't look up as she was led along, only letting out the occasional pitiable whimper. They arrived at Celestia's private office far quicker than Twilight would have preferred. Celestia cut off the flow of magic restraining Twilight's ear. "I want you to know I'm not mad."
"You always say that when you're mad."
"I'm really not. So, tell me, did I or did I not tell you that you mustn't try any new spell without proper, adult supervsion?"
Twilight mumbled yes.
"Where did you even learn this spell?"
"That big book of spells you gave me. The one you said we'd study today."
Celestia's gentle frown never wavered. "Oh, yes. The one I told you explicitly to not cast any spells from."
"Then why'd you give it to me?" She gulped. "Y-Your Highness."
Celestia's eyes narrowed. "Twilight, I gave it to you because I trusted you to study it only. So you could be prepared when I taught you. Perhaps my trust was misplaced."
Twilight bit her lip. "I'm sorry."
"I know you are."
Twilight trudged over to the desk and bent over it."Just get it over with."
Celestia opened a drawer and levitated out a wooden paddle. "If you insist. I was planning on lecturing you for a bit, but alright. I see you know the punishment for unauthorized spell casting."
"Disciplinary Code, Section Five, Subsection Eight."
"...Impressive. Yet, you still did it."
"Because I'm not as smart as Ponies think, alright?!"
Celestia stroked her mane. "Twilight don't say that about yourself."
"It's true." She rested her head on the cool wood of the table.
"You did something foolish, but you're not foolish. I know that sounds hard to understand, but you'll understand one day." She tapped the paddle on Twilight's bottom. "Alright. This is going to hurt Twilight. It has to. Ready?"
"Ready."
Celestia drew back the paddle and landed a firm slap across Twilight's backside. Twilight cried out and Celestia landed a second and then a third slap on Twilight's bottom which now had a bright pink mark. The paddle bounced across her behind in quick, rapid succession.
A quick barrage of stinging spanks fell upon her rump. Twilight drummed her hooves on the table, wincing and yelping with each slap of the paddle that fell onto her upturned bottom. Celestia gave her student a one-second breather between each spank, a quick, sharp cadence to the spanks.
Twilight buried her head on the cool desk, which was no comfort to her. Tears rolled down her face as the relentless paddle popped again and again across her behind. Celestia was strangely silent as the paddle painted Twilight's behind pink. Twilight now drummed her backlegs with each whack of the paddle onto her bottom.
Celestia continued the spanking, keeping count in her mind while Twilight cried and blubbered apologies and self-recrimnations. Celestia kept up the cadence of the rump warming with a practiced patience. She stopped with five swats and laid the paddle aside.
Twilight danced around the room onto her back legs, rubbing at her bottom. Celestia set aside the paddle and pulled her student into a gentle cuddle, enveloping her with one great white wing. She snuggled into Celestia fur, drying her tears onto Celestia's chest. Celestia held her and stroked her mane. "Twilight, listen very closely. The rules exist to protect you."
Twilight sniffled and burrowed deeper into Celestia's embrace. "I know."
"You were frustrated about needing to clean your room. The frustration seeped into your magic and the objects reacted, charged by negative energy."
Twilight sniffled. "I'm sorry that I broke your trust."
Celestia drew her wing across Twilight's cheeks, wiping away the last of her tears and ran her hoof through Twilight's mane. "That you accepted your punishment without complaint has helped me to regain my trust in you...somewhat."
Twilight's ears drooped even as she took comfort in Celestia's warm embrace. "I'll work hard to regain your trust."
Celestia squeezed her. "I know you will, my faithful student."
She beamed at the table. "I still have to clean my room, don't I?"
"Absolutely. I do still have to give you your lesson. I'll give you the lesson while you clean your room. Sound fair?"
"Yes!"
Twilight bounced away. Celestia followed her.