Slowly, I opened my eyes. I didn’t even have to survey my surroundings to know where I was. I was in the Golden Oak Library, Twilight’s place. “Twilight! I know you’re up by now! Where are you?” I called.
“I’m up here!” I heard Twilight call from upstairs. So, obviously, I made my way up there. For a living space in a library, it looked surprisingly normal and comforting at the same time: a bed, night stand, bathroom, nice view from the window, even a bookshelf. I found Twilight standing next to a big basket that appeared to be a makeshift bed. “Come on Spike, wake up,” she pleaded into the basket
“Mmmmmmph” grumbled whatever creature was within.
“Here, let me.” I said as I approached the bed, so see Spike, the drake laying inside. Don’t ask me how I did this hoofs, I found it better not to think about it. I went for the back of Spike’s neck and squeezed.
He shot straight up complaining. “Okay, okay. I’m up. Why did you do that?”
“Sorry Spike, but do you honestly think that Twilight deserves to go through this often?” Spike got up by now and was looking down at his feet. Fuck, mabe too harsh? “I believe you don’t think that, but if I had to pay for a roof over my head, pay for food,and keep up with school, I would like all the help I could get. Now that Celestia has ordered me to live here, I am going to feel like shit if I don’t earn my keep or help in some way. Even more so since I chose her specifically for magic lessons, causing her to take time out of her day with me when she could be doing something more important than myself. I don’t mean to load you with all this to make you feel bad, but to help you understand.” I decided to end it there before it looked like I was trying to parent him. I didn’t think Twilight would appreciate that.
“I do, thanks. Never thought of it like that,” Spike replied with sincerity in his voice.
“Happy to help,” I replied courteously.
“Wow,” Twilight began. “That was deep. Even I learned something from that. Spike, let’s have that be the lesson we give to Celestia today. I’m sure she would like it.”
“Sure thing!” Spike got enthusiastic rather quickly.
“Wait. For school, you just have to report life lessons when earned?” I deadpanned.
“Almost correct. Lessons on friendship to be exact.” Twilight responded, straight to the point.
“Not going to ask.” I paused, remembering Spike. “Didn’t you need our little drake friend here for something?”
“Oh, that’s right. Spike, I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear that other than cleaning and cooking, the only thing I need you to do is inventory.” Twilight announced. “Then you have the rest of the day to yourself.”
“Sweet! I’ll get started.” Spike was almost out of the room before I could get his attention.
“Spike, can you do me a small favor and make me some tea real quick? I don’t know how to use magic yet so I can’t do it myself.”
“Sure thing dude. Anything for you Twilight?” Spike offered.
“I’ll have the same please.”
“Sure thing!” and with that, Spike left for the kitchen.
“Twilight, how about we head downstairs,” I proposed
“Sure.” I took the lead as we went downstairs into the library. We took chairs opposite of each other at the table there. Spike came in a few minutes later with our tea.
“Thanks little guy.” I made sure to have appreciation in my voice.
“Thanks.” Said Twilight.
“No problem,” Spike said, heading off to do his chores.
“So, I’m ready for lessons whenever you are. To be honest, I’m pretty excited.” I said, following it up with a sip of tea. It’s only almost as good as the Silent Tea Cafe.
“We’ll start with the basics and work our way up. Before you attempt magic, you have to have an understanding of how it works. You will know when this is done by a glow of your horn. Usually, this understanding is achieved through study, sometimes experience, and rarely through dreams. The basic level spells are levitation, heating, cooling, and eventually short distance teleportation. Any other spell would require study the field of it’s magic type, like fire for example.” Twilight explained, followed by her sipping her tea.
“So, I’m off to hit the books?”
“Yep, the reason you need to understand before trying anything is to reduce the risk of messing up. If you don’t understand the spell or lose concentration when trying to cast, you could teleport yourself in a wall, explode, or set yourself on fire.”
“Then I’ll get studying,” a said, excitedly.
“Great! I’ll have Spike get you the books you need,.” Twilight said as she started to leave the library.
“Just tell me the books and I’ll get them from him. I want to talk to him real quick anyway.”
“Okay, sure, here’s a written list.” Twilight said, levitating a rolled up paper. I slightly gripped it with my muzzle. I made my way to Spike, while Twilight left the Library to do I don’t know what.
It didn’t take long to find desired drake. I gave him the list from Twilight. “Twilight told me to get the books on this list from you.”
“Sure thing.”
“Also, can you do me another favor?”
“What would that be?”
“I need a letter sent to Luna.”
“What do you need it to say?” Spike got an empty parchment paper and a quill, ready to write.
“Just tell her I would like her to meet me in the dreamscape tonight. That’s all. Thanks little guy.”
“No problem.” Then he burned the paper to ashes.
“That’s how mail is sent in Equestria?”
“Rarely. Ponies have a system for it to be hoof delivered, but us dragons can use our fire to magicly send things with our fire,” he explained.
“Interesting. I guess one can view it as an exclusive magic only dragons can use right?”
“I guess you can.” He brought the books I needed to the table where I’m going to study.
I studied for the the rest of the time afterward. Infact, up until the point I fell asleep. Now, to meet Luna. I thought.
The dreamscape always gives me an odd sensation once a dream solidifies, but Luna says I’ll get used to it after enough experience. Speaking of Luna, here she comes. Her figure emerged from the distance.
“Thee wanted to see us?” Luna began.
“Luna, I know you might be busy and I like getting straight to the point, but I believe we both would feel better with a ‘hello’ first. Anyway, yes. Even though Twilight had given me books and I’ve done the research, I thought it would help if you told me your understanding on how magic works.” I explained.
“Oh yes, understanding magic. We, to put it simply, believe it’s like manifesting our will into a physical form to control and bend to our will. That’s the best we have to offer.” Luna deadpanned. I thought about that for a minute. “We think that worked more than enough.” As she said this, white sparks entered my vision from above and rained down to the ground.
“Why didn’t I notice this? Doesn’t magic have a feel to it?”
“Yes. It’s different for each pony. Thee doesn’t feel it in sleep. Not yet anyway. We must go now.” And just like that, I woke up.
My horn is on the fritz it seems. My magic felt like…..I didn’t even know what to compare it to. I can only describe it as pleasant and relaxing. Some magic sizzles into view, it being a presine white makes the sparks look like snow. But there’s just one problem. It’s not stopping. Remember what you’ve read, along with what Twilight and Luna told you. I thought. But it turned out to be easier than I thought. To channel my concentration into commands for my magic, if you will, I basically just used my imagination. Sweet! I thought. Twilight’s going to be impressed alright. Then I went back to sleep on the couch.
I woke up to both Twilight and Spike shaking me, yelling “Wake up.” But my instincts kicked in and tackled on the closest one onto the floor, that being Twilight, and growled. Only to stop when the situation and those involved resigured in my head. “Please stop, Spirit.” Twilight whined. I got off her, releasing her.
“I’m sorry, I….I don’t know why I-” I paused. “I’m sorry.” I sighed “I just acted on instinct.”
“You mean like that time with me?” Spike asked.
“Yes.” I replied frankly.
“Don’t worry,” Twilight began, slowly approaching me. “I forgive you.”
“Nice to hear. So, was there something you needed to make you shake me awake?” I asked.
“Yes, your horn was acting crazy!” Spike exclaimed.
“Yes, it was, but it seems to have calmed down to just a glow now that you woke up. Just how did you manage achieve that overnight I wonder?” Twilight asked as she followed me back tothe couch on which I awoke.
“I asked Luna for a little help on the subject and she told me her understanding on how magic works.” I explained.
“Really? Usually that doesn’t work.” Twilight sounded pretty disappointed. “Don’t mind telling me what she told you.” So I did. “What she told you wasn’t how she understands magic, but how she uses it. Bizarre chance of being able to activate it with only knowing that.” she said expressionless.
I didn’t even notice Spike leave earlier, but he came back with some tea. “Drinks?” Spike asked, placing the platter of teacups on the table.
“Thanks bud,” I said.
“Thank you, Spike,” followed Twilight.
She took a sip of her tea. “So, what Spell do you think is most important to learn first? Levitation?”
“Agreed,” I confirmed.
“Should be the easiest. I don’t have to give much instruction if you keep in mind what Princess Luna told you.” She hesitated before continuing: “Try it on you teacup. If you feel confident enough, try just picking it up by the handle alone.”
I got to practicing. By lunch I was able to pick things up, only after completely surrounding said object in magic. What surprised Twilight was the fact that I had completely mastered levitation later that night. I got her approval by levitating Spike for ten minutes without break, while changing grip location without setting him down.
“Thanks for not dropping me, bro.” said Spike.
“Doubted me, wouldn’t blame ya. Would have been scared myself.”
“Spike, it’s time to go to bed,” said Twilight, sounding almost like a mother. Interesting.
“Alright. Goodnight,” said Spike, heading upstairs to bed.
After Spike disappeared from sight I asked Twilight “How close are you to him. You almost seem like a mother or an older sister to him.”
“You could say that. See, when I was a filly when he hatched. It was during my entrance exam for the School for Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot. I was a nervous wreck. My tune came up and I was called into the room. When I entered the room I noticed two things. Three judges and an egg. They told me that I had to hatch the egg by channeling my magic into it. I had a nervous breakdown, my magic went wild and yes the egg hatched, but what came out wasn’t a newborn but a full grown dragon. Celestia showed up rather quickly and quelled the chaos, returned Spike to a newborn, and took me under her wing. So, three things happened that day. I got Spike, I became Celestia's personal student, and I got my cutie-mark.” Twilight finished. During her story, I noticed she did get emotional. I can see, at this second, a tear coming down her muzzle.
“Twilight, are you okay? Your crying.” Worry was present in my voice.
“Yes, yes I’m alright,” she replied, wiping the tear from face. “Thank you Spirit.”
“Okay Twilight, if you say so. If you ever need, and Spike too, can come to me whenever you need me.” I promised.
“Thanks. Goodnight Spirit.”
“Goodnight, Twi…..” She paused.
“What?” she asked.
“Oh, sorry. I guess I’m not allowed to call you that.”
“No, no it’s alright. I just wasn’t expecting it was all.” And with that I went into bed.
When she disappeared, I laid down on the couch. I fell asleep, but even then by thoughts continued. Being asleep just added imagery to my thought. Spike. I thought, and there he was. Well, his image that is. I thought of how much of a little sibling he is for Twilight. Twilight. I thought, and here image appeared. I thought of how much of big sister she is to Spike. I also thought of how it is that she has Celestia. Celestia. I thought, and now her image appeared next to Twilight’s and Spike’s images. I thought about how much of a mother she is towards Twilight, in more ways than just her voice too. A mother? Do I have a mother? Mom? Mom. MOM! I woke up. “Mom.” I mumbled, shifting into a sitting position.
“Spirit, what’s wrong?” I didn’t notice till she said something, but Twilight is now sitting in front of me. Embracing me?
“Twilight, why are you back? Shouldn’t you be back in your bed?” I asked
“I was in bed, but I woke up to get some water. I was passing through to get to the kitchen and I heard you talking in your sleep. I came closer to hear what about because you sounded sad. Do you…” She paused. “ Do miss your mother?”
“Nevermind. Forget I said anything. Let’s just go to bed for now. I think I’ll feel better in the morning.” Twilight, thankfully, granted my request.
“Alright, see you in the morning.” And with that, we went back to out respectful sleeping places.