Rainbow Dash, ever the speedy pegasus, found Twilight before nightfall. The thunderstorm was isolated only to Ponyville, she said. The relief was immediate, and Twilight slept easy. When morning came, she abandoned her recent habit of lazing about in bed and she awakened Spike with an abundance of apologies. And the promise of a big breakfast as soon as their work was done.
There was much to do before they were bombarded with rain and thunder. Even though the sun had yet to fully emerge beyond the horizon, the pegasi were already herding in the moisture-bloated black clouds. Their time was limited.
Together, they checked the library for loose branches, set up the lightning rod, and made sure every window was closed. They weren't the only ones, of course. While they didn't stray far from the library, they saw plenty of activity around them. Twilight caught bits and pieces of information from passing ponies, like how both the market and schoolhouse were closed for the day. Most businesses would be closed, she surmised. Nopony with a straight head on their shoulders would dare brave the oncoming storm.
When the first drops of rain fell from the darkened sky, Twilight ushered her assistant back inside. She huffed, wiping her hooves clean on the rug. Her ear flicked at the ominous rumble of thunder. “I think we timed that perfectly,” she commented with a smile.
Spike yawned. “Looks like it.”
“C'mon, breakfast is on me this morning.”
His eyes lit up. “Pancakes?”
“Sure!”
“With hot chocolate?”
Her smile grew as she nearly leaped towards the kitchen. “That sounds like a wonderful idea, Spike!”
Despite what anypony thought, she wasn't completely inept when it came to cooking. Her assistant had his fair share of chores, but he wasn't in charge of every meal. Like any scientific concoction, it was a matter of paying close attention to the recipe and the directions. Unlike her experiments, and like most foods, pancakes and hot chocolate were easy.
Spike watched her every move while he took care of their beverages. She pretended, of course, not to notice while she toiled at the stove. As such, he didn't notice when she rolled her eyes.
Soon enough, she flipped the final hot cake onto the stack in the center of the table. “Ah-ha!” she cried triumphantly. “Breakfast is served!”
Smirking, the baby dragon clapped slowly. “Congrats,” he snickered. “You managed not to burn anything!”
She shot him a playful glare as she placed two of the pancakes on his plate. “Hey, now, when was the last time that actually happened?”
He paused, then shrugged and drove a fork into his breakfast. “Alright, fair 'nough.”
She passed him the syrup bottle. “That's what I thought.”
He swallowed a mouthful, then chased it with a gulp from his hot chocolate. “So, what are we going to do today?”
Twilight mulled over the question for a few seconds. “Well, we can't do much,” she mused aloud. The storm was meant to last well into the night. “When's the last time we cleaned?”
“Saturday.”
“So, that's out.” Not much grime could accumulate in three days, so she moved it to the bottom of her mental list. “We could test out some of those new spells Princess Celestia sent me before... you know?”
He raised a brow. “What kind of spells?”
“I'm... not quite sure. Illusory spells, I think?”
Before Spike could ask, she immediately added, “Nothing that will give you a permanent mustache!”
His shoulders slumped. “Dang...”
Twilight chuckled softly. She then relished the calm, comforting silence as they ate, with the heavy rain and thunder in the background. When a frantic knocking suddenly disturbed the peace they, understandably, jumped out of their seats.
“What in the world?” gasped Twilight. In a flash, she teleported to the door and opened it. She was bewildered to see Flash Sentry on the other side—clad in a simple police uniform and soaking wet. “Flash? What are you doing out in the rain?!”
The stallion opened his mouth to answer, but it came out as a yelp as Twilight dragged him inside with her magic. “Whoa!” he exclaimed. “Hold on, I was just—”
“Hold that thought.”
Another spell later, Flash was dry. He looked over himself in wonder. “Hey, thanks!”
“No problem! Now, again, why were you outside? In case you haven't noticed, there's a storm.”
Adjusting his hat, he grimaced. “Yeah, well, being the new guy on the force...” He coughed. “Chief wants to see what I'm really made of, so I'm on checkup duty. I'm going around to make sure folks are all right, then I'll have some time to myself before I make another round this evening.”
“That's terrible!”
“Well, no offense, but I've been through worse. Besides, you and your dragon are the last ones on my list.”
Twilight smiled. “Well, in that case, would you like to stay for breakfast? I made pancakes. Spike made hot chocolate.”
Flash looked down at the floor. “Ah, thank you for the offer, but I don't want to impose.”
“Nonsense! Spike and I are just fine, which means your duty is done for now, right?”
A hopeful gleam twinkled in his eyes. “I did say that, didn't I?”
“C'mon, then!” She led him into the kitchen. Fortunately, Spike already set up an extra chair and plate at the table for their guest.
“This place is nice,” said Flash as he took a seat. Twilight and Spike followed suit, and the former levitated a few flapjacks onto his plate. “I've never met somepony who lived in a library before.”
“It was originally a last-minute, temporary arrangement,” Twilight explained. She took a moment to eat a little more of her food. “It was for the Summer Sun Celebration two years ago. The last librarian retired and left town. So, with the local inn completely booked, this was the next best thing.”
“Then Nightmare Moon happened,” added Spike.
“I met the girls, recovered the Elements of Harmony, and I just couldn't leave Ponyville—leave them—behind. I didn't have any friends—”
Spike cleared his throat.
“—other than Spike, before I met them. Princess Celestia encouraged me to stay here, to study the magic of friendship, and Mayor Mare was generous to let us live here in the library, as long as we took on the role of Ponyville's librarians.”
Pouring syrup over his meal, the pegasus whistled. “That's really something!” he exclaimed. “Other than playing librarian, though, what else do you do? Or, rather, what do you like to do?”
Twilight blinked. “Huh?”
“Surely, you're not always out and about saving Equestria. Didn't you say you liked to read?”
“Uh, yes.” When did I say that?
Odd. Still, she divulged her love of literature: science, history, magic. It was a subject not meant to last, however, since Flash himself wasn't much of a reader. “Just didn't have the time for it as a Royal Guard,” he said. Twilight felt a little dejected, until her guest moved the conversation forward by asking about her cutie mark. She didn't see a reason not to tell the story.
She was rewarded, in turn, with the story behind his. He was watching over some of his young cousins at a family reunion in Cloudsdale. He was only a colt, but he was the oldest, and he apparently had many young ones to supervise. He didn't notice one of them was missing until he heard her cries for help. When he rushed to investigate, he discovered his cousin in the grips of a crazed and disheveled old mare. He acted on instinct and charged the stranger—freeing his cousin when he tackled her to the ground. The commotion attracted the attention of his parents and the other adults.
After all was said and done, the bizarre mare (who was, sadly, senile and believed the little filly to be her granddaughter) was returned to the home from which she escaped and Flash was free to proudly show off his cutie mark to his elated family. His talent for protecting others was what put him on the path to becoming a Royal Guard.
Twilight somewhat wished it ended there, yet the stallion continued to bombard her with personal questions. He was eager and he seemed to want to know everything, like her favorite color, favorite food, if she liked music, etc. They were things she never contemplated before that moment. She tried her best to answer them. It was almost overwhelming.
Thankfully, Spike noticed her distress. “Oh, wow, Twilight,” he said, his voice loud with a false sense of alarm, “look at the time!” He pointed at the clock, to which both ponies looked. It was almost eleven o'clock. “Don't you have some new spells to practice for the Princess?”
Hiding a smile, Twilight joined him in feigning dismay. “Goodness gracious, you're absolutely right!”
Flash's ears flattened. “Uh-oh... Should I leave? I don't want to get in the way.”
“I'm so sorry about this, but I think it's for the best. I should have been paying attention to the time.”
“No, no, no!” He stood. “I'm sorry! I should have been back at the station hours ago!” He stretched his wings. “Thank you for the breakfast, though, it was delicious.”
Twilight waved him off. “It was no problem at all!” She glanced at the nearest window. The rain continued to come down. “Before you go, though...” She got up from her seat and made her way into the main library. In the corner was a wooden bucket, which was home to a few spare umbrellas. She picked one out at random. “Take this,” she said, handing it to Flash. “The last thing you need is a cold.”
He tipped his hat. “Thank you kindly.”
“Stay safe out there.” She opened the door for him. As he trotted out of the library, they exchanged quick farewells and Twilight had to stop herself from shutting the door as soon as his tail crossed the threshold. She instead pushed it closed. Then, sighing, she leaned against it. “Wow,” she groaned.
“He's a talker, isn't he?” grumbled Spike.
“No kidding! I thought he'd never leave.”
The baby dragon crossed his arms. “I thought he was asking way too many questions about you.”
“Yeah, that was... uncomfortable.” She glanced at the door. “He seems to have Pinkie Pie's level of friendliness.” At least, that was her rationalization, though Pinkie Pie would have known the answers to his questions without even asking—such were the party pony's mysterious abilities.
Again, she sighed, before she smiled at her assistant. “Let's get the kitchen cleaned up, shall we?”
He grinned and stuck up his thumb. “Sounds good to me!”