Starlight Glimmer sat at one of the library tables, her focus lost in a spell book until Twilight’s shadow darkened the pages. She glanced up, her face briefly showing irritation at this interruption, then she smiled. “Welcome back, Twilight. I didn’t even hear you come in.” Starlight turned her attention to a new pony in the room behind Twilight. “Who’s this?”
“Starlight, this is Pearl Blush. Pearl, this is Starlight Glimmer.” Twilight wove her hoof between the two as she made the introductions.
Starlight stood up, smiled at Pearl and offered her a hoof by way of greeting. “Nice to meet you, Pearl.”
“Li-” Pearl yawned and touched her hoof to Starlight’s, but there was no strength behind her shake. “Likewise.”
Spike, who had been sitting on the couch and reading a comic book, smiled at the new arrival and jumped up to greet her. “Hi, Pearl. I’m Spike!”
Pearl responded with a half-hearted wave.
Starlight looked over her shoulder to give Twilight a questioning shrug, mouthing to her, “what’s going on?”
“Yeah, who is she, Twilight?” Spike asked.
Twilight looked to Spike and Starlight. Pearl didn’t seem to catch the name Twilight. “I’m not sure, I only just met her. Pearl says she has trouble controlling her magic. I figured a couple of experienced magic users like Starlight and I could help.”
Starlight put a hoof on her chest in pride. “Magic is my specialty. What seems to be the problem?”
“I can’t control… how much power I use.” Pearl’s head sunk. She quickly shook it off and peered back up with those dark, saggy eyes.
Wincing, Spike stepped closer to Pearl for a better look at her. “Wow, you look awful. Are you okay?”
“I’ve been up…” Pearl said as she rubbed her eyes, “for five days straight.”
“What? That’s crazy!” Starlight shouted. “Why have you gone that long without any sleep? Do you have insomnia or something?”
“I’ve been waking… surrounded by destruction. Magic’s too strong, all spells at full power. Bad things happen when I fall asl–” Pearl’s knees buckled and her head hung low, her voice losing coherence. “Please, Masked Matterhorn,” she began, and paused to yawn again. “If you value your life… put me in a protective bubble. I can’t answer for what happens when... I’m...”
Starlight shut her eyes, gathering a spark of magic in her horn. She aimed the spell at Pearl, fired and the spark vanished within Pearl’s body, outlining her frame in a brief golden glow.
Pearl’s eyes suddenly flew open and she straightened up with newfound energy. “Huh? Where am I? What was that? What did you do to me?”
“Invigorictus,” Starlight explained. “A simple spell, really. It’s no substitute for a good night’s sleep, but it’ll do for now.”
Spike looked Pearl over once more. Before, she could barely keep her head up. Now she was rigid and alert. “Woah. You’re good, Starlight. Real good.”
Starlight gave him a quick bow. “Why thank you, Spike.”
Pearl got a good look at Spike for the first time, drew a sharp gasp and jumped back. “A-a baby dragon?!”
“What?” Spike asked, folding his arms proudly across his chest. “Never heard of Spike the Brave and Glorious?”
“I can’t say I have. Sorry, you just surprised me. It’s not every day you see a baby dragon with ponies. Or any dragon, really.”
Twilight looked at Starlight for a moment, then to Pearl and her sudden perk, then back to Starlight. “We’ve talked about this. You know, using your magic on other ponies?”
Starlight shrugged. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but I didn’t know what else to do.”
Pearl’s eyes widened, her mind finally catching up. “Twilight Sparkle? The Princess of Friendship?! But I thought you were... oh, my gosh. I’m so sorry, Your Highness!” She knelt down in front of Twilight and bowed her head. “I was so tired I didn’t even know where I was! Must have made quite the foal out of myself, eh?”
Twilight chuckled. "Maybe a little, but strangely enough I was the Masked Matterhorn once, in a way."
Pearl stared back, grinning like an excited filly. "Really? That's so cool! Tell me all about it."
Twilight noticed Pearl had a slight accent from the North; she pronounced “about” like “a boat.” Probably from Vanhoover or Whinnypeg. Twilight briefly recounted the Mane Six's adventure in Spike's enchanted comic, Pearl drinking it up. "It was pretty fun, in hindsight. Anyway, we may not be a super-powered team, but we're still glad to help you. In fact, I’d like to get down to business. You say your spells come out at full power. I want you to show me."
Pearl’s eyes widened at the thought and she shook her head, giving no time to contemplate the matter. “No. You’re going to get hurt.”
“Trust me,” Twilight said. “I can handle whatever you throw at me.”
Pearl took a step back, hesitating as she stared at Twilight. “You’re nuts! If you knew what I’m capable of —”
“Show me,” Twilight repeated, more insistently.
Violet energy swirled around Twilight’s horn and a translucent protective dome surrounded her. For a moment, Pearl’s eyes darted as she silently thought it over. Her focus broke when Starlight put a hoof on her shoulder.
“Trust me,” Starlight said, “Twilight can take quite a bit. I know from experience.”
“Okay, I guess I can’t refuse an order from a princess,” Pearl sighed, “but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She anchored herself and aimed her horn at Twilight. Deafening noise filled the library as a beam of energy three times Pearl's height and width blasted from her horn, pounding against Twilight’s shield for several seconds. Spike dove for cover underneath a table. Pearl’s cloak flapped behind her like a flag caught in a thunderstorm, kicked up by the force of the spell as it continued against Twilight’s shield. A ripple spread across the protective dome, eliciting a gasp from Twilight. She squeezed her eyes shut and anchored herself, applying more focus to strengthen her barrier.
As soon as the beam stopped, Pearl dropped to her belly, rubbing her head with a forehoof. Twilight let her shield vanish and she fell to her haunches from the sudden release.
“What happened?” Starlight asked Pearl. “Are you okay?”
Pearl rubbed her forehead and moaned in pain. “Just a headache. It happens every time. Give it a few seconds, it’ll pass.”
“You weren’t lying about your magic! That powerful of a spell will do it, especially if you’re not a practiced mage,” Starlight said.
“How did you? With how tired you are?” Twilight, still sitting, shot a glare at Starlight. “How much energy did you give her?!”
Starlight gave a nervous chuckle, tapping her forehooves together. “Just enough to keep her from dozing off?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow and hardened her glare in hopes that this would convince Starlight to be frank, if she was in fact lying. Now that the danger had cleared, Spike crawled out from his temporary shelter.
“Honest!” Starlight protested, raising her forehooves in defense. “She said bad things happen when she falls asleep. What did you want me to do?”
Pearl shook the pain out of her head and stood up. “I warned you how powerful my magic is. Starlight’s spell had nothing to do with it, but she did the right thing. If I’d fallen asleep I might have blown up this castle. Maybe the whole town. Are you okay, Twilight?”
At that, Spike stepped closer to Twilight. “Blow up the whole town?” he whispered to her. “Are you sure it was a good idea inviting her in here?”
Twilight gave Spike a quick shove and a disapproving glare. “I’m fine. I just wasn’t expecting to have to use a level five barrier. I have to admit, Pearl, that was impressive.”
Pearl scowled at the floor, as if the comment had touched a sensitive nerve. “Maybe, but I’d give it up in a second if I knew how.”
“Wait,” Starlight said, scratching her head as she gave Pearl an incredulous look. “You did that using as little mana as possible? That’s incredible!”
“It doesn’t matter how little or how much I try to use. My spells always come out the same. I told you, I’m too dangerous to have around! I appreciate your help, but I’d rather get out of here before I wind up destroying Ponyville. If I fall asleep, there’s no telling what could happen.”
“Well, don’t let us stop you,” Spike said. “You better get someplace safe, if you know what I mean.” Spike looked over his shoulder to see Twilight and Starlight silently staring daggers at him. “Um, hello? She’s talking about blowing up Ponyville! I don’t wanna be around when that happens.”
“Spike!” Twilight snapped.
Spike sighed heavily and turned for the door. “Alright, you guys do what you gotta do. I’m just gonna, you know, run.” He started off in a sprint, only for Twilight to teleport him back to her side. Another spell kept a firm grip on him.
“Don’t mind him, Pearl. You’re not the only one who’s short on sleep. Spike here’s been on late-night comic binges and his lack of shuteye has made him a very cranky little dragon.” Through clenched teeth, Twilight added, “hasn’t it, Spike?”
“If you say so,” the dragon mumbled.
Pearl rubbed a foreleg. “It’s okay. If I were him, I’d probably run from me, too.”
“We can’t just leave her like this, Spike,” Starlight said as she studied the sorrowful gleam in Pearl’s eyes. “If it’s as bad as she says, she’s really in trouble. There’s got to be something we can do.”
Twilight rubbed her chin in thought and an idea came to mind. “Starlight, you know that experiment we never got around to?”
“Which one?” Starlight asked with a shrug. She watched Twilight point to her horn and smiled. “Oh, that one! Good idea, Twilight. Let’s do it!”
Eyes darting in her head, Pearl regarded the two unicorns for a moment, then took a step back at their responding gaze, knowing whatever they had in mind involved her. “Um, I’m not sure what you two are talking about,” There's that “a boat” again... “but I get the feeling it has something to do with me, so the third pony in this party would like to cast her vote...”
“Don’t worry,” Starlight said, “we’re just going to see if our enchantment to suppress magic works. All we need is something to enchant, something you can wear. You know, like a piece of jewelry. How about that necklace of yours?”
At the word necklace, Pearl put a protective hoof over the pearl hanging around her neck. “No way. This is my most treasured possession. I don’t want anypony messing with it.”
“Why? What’s so special about it?” Twilight asked.
“My parents gave it to me the day I left home. It has a lot of sentimental value.”
“Okay,” Twilight continued, undeterred. She had plenty of other options. “How about a ring you can wear around your horn?”
“That could work, I guess,” Pearl answered, looking up at her horn.
Twilight opened up a small drawer on one of the bookshelves and pulled out a ring beset with an amethyst jewel. She guided the ring onto Pearl’s horn, testing its fit before lifting it off and positioning it between herself and Starlight.
“Okay. Ready, Starlight?”
“Ready!” Starlight replied.
The two closed their eyes, concentrating. Purple and blue wisps of magic emerged from their horns, twirling together and coalescing upon the ring, which glittered in the magical light. There wasn’t any visible change in the ring once the sparkling stopped.
“Did it work?” Pearl asked.
“We’re about to find out,” Twilight said. She placed the ring on Pearl’s horn once more and waited. Pearl didn’t move, didn’t flinch. “How do you feel?”
“I don’t feel any different,” Pearl answered, looking up at the ring on her horn.
Violet energy again swirled around Twilight’s horn as she summoned another protective dome. “Okay, my barrier’s at full strength this time. I want you to try that beam spell again.”
“Again? Are you sure?”
Once more, Pearl’s accent became apparent. She pronounced “again” with a long “ay” sound.
“Yes. We need to be sure that ring works,” Twilight answered.
Pearl nodded in silent understanding and aimed her horn at Twilight. This time, a beam no wider than a pencil fired towards Twilight, fizzling out harmlessly before it even touched the barrier. Pearl gave a gasp that transformed into a smile and fired another tiny beam, and another.
“It works! I don’t believe it!” She fired off a gatling volley of beams like an excited little filly who’d just learned how to use magic for the first time.
“Okay, I think we get the idea,” Starlight said. “Let’s give Twilight a break.”
As Pearl ceased her assault and turned to Starlight, Twilight let her shield down.
“Sorry about that,” Pearl said. “It’s just that this is the first time I’ve ever been able to use magic that isn’t incredibly destructive, like a normal unicorn!”
Spike’s face peeked out from behind the bookshelf. “Is it safe?”
Starlight giggled. “Yes, ‘Spike the Brave and Glorious’, we’ve got everything under control.”
The little dragon stepped away from his shelter and approached Pearl. Spike twirled his thumbs and hung his head, cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Gosh, I’m sorry for freaking out like that, Pearl. I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings or anything.”
Pearl smiled down at him. “No worries, eh?”
Definitely Whinnypeg or Vanhoover. With Pearl’s magic suppressed for the moment and Spike on better terms with her, Twilight smiled as well. “Okay, that’s one problem solved for now. Let’s move on. I’m interested in finding out why your magic is the way it is. I mean, if you’re comfortable sharing your story with us.”
“Wow,” Pearl said. “No one’s really offered to help me like this before. When most ponies see my magic, they run away in fear. I guess I can talk with you for a while if you think it’ll help.”
“Great!” Twilight turned to Spike. “Spike, could you get some tea for us?”
“Sure thing!” Spike replied, then walked out of the library, leaving the threesome alone.
Twilight turned to Pearl. “Okay, let’s start with the basics. Do you think you could take off that cloak? I want to see your cutie mark. It might give me a clue as to why you can’t control your magic.”
Pearl wordlessly did as instructed and slipped off her cloak, letting it drop to the floor and reveal her beige fur. Twilight and Starlight frowned when they saw the strange runic display on Pearl’s flank.
“Sorry,” Twilight sighed after studying Pearl’s cutie mark for a moment, “I don’t recognize those markings.” But the opportunity to learn what it means is tempting enough by itself.
“I don’t recognize it, either,” Starlight added. “How did you get it?”
Pearl turned her gaze to the ground, rubbing her foreleg. “Well, I got it when I kind of… blew up my mom’s greenhouse.”
Flattening her ears, Twilight took a step back. “Not on purpose, I hope.”
“What?” Pearl looked back up at them. “No, of course not! I’d never do anything like that. My magic’s always been berserk from the first time I used it. Sometimes I wonder if destructive magic is my special talent.”
Twilight opened her mouth to offer an apology if she’d seemed accusing, but her words were cut off by Spike’s voice shouting, “Here’s your tea!”
Spike set a tray with four steaming teacups down on a round table. The foursome each took a seat.
“Let’s move on,” Twilight said. “Where are you from, Pearl?”
“Well, I grew up in the mountains near Whinnypeg.”
Twilight smiled. “I figured.”
Pearl gazed at Twilight like she’d just read her mind. “How did you know?”
“It’s your accent. Slight, but it’s there.”
“Accent, huh?” Pearl blushed and chuckled.
Over the next few minutes, Pearl told her story, pausing only when Twilight or Starlight had a question. She told them how a young prospector named Gold Nugget found her washed up on the bank of a river in the mountains when she was just a little filly, and how he and his wife, a botanist named Emerald Foliage, raised her. Pearl had no memory of her past before then, but the two brought her up as their own, even though her magic had been terribly destructive to the point where she resolved never to use it again. Still, she lived a happy fillyhood with them. But now that she was grown, she'd resolved to find her birth parents and learn what really happened the morning Gold found her... and why her magic was so powerful.
“It wasn’t too bad, really,” Pearl replied. “Gold and Emerald raised me with so much love and compassion that I might as well have been their real daughter. They’re the ones who gave me this necklace. I haven’t the slightest clue who my real parents are. I don’t know what they look like or where they’re from. I don’t even know their names.”
“Which is going to make it hard to find them,” Starlight said.
Pearl gave a quick nod. “Exactly.”
“Gee, that’s rough,” Starlight said, her ears drooped in sympathy. “And you’ve come this far all alone? You didn’t have any friends who were willing to help?”
Pearl scoffed, her reflection in her tea showing a quick hint of resentment. “As if anypony would want to be friends with a freak like me. I’ve already searched some in Baltimare, Manehattan and —”
“Fillydelphia?” Twilight offered, with a half-worried look.
“Eh? How did you know?”
“Uh, let’s just say it was deduction at this point. But you’re not a freak, Pearl. Cause without control doesn’t equal responsibility. If you were a freak, you wouldn’t feel so bad about it.”
“How else do you explain my power?” Pearl asked.
“I don’t know,” Twilight answered, “but there is an explanation. There has to be.”
“Other than maybe my special talent being destructive magic?”
Twilight shook her head. “A destructive magic cutie mark? That can’t be it. A side effect, maybe, but those runes have to mean something. I’m interested in finding out what.”
“My mom and I checked a lot of books at the Whinnypeg library but we couldn’t find anything on it.”
Twilight chuckled at that. “Oh, I’ve got books.”
Pearl glanced around the library for a moment, a hint of a smile crossing her face. “I can see that.”
“You’re free to read them anytime you like. As long as you’re willing to stay here, you’re a welcome guest.”
“You mean it?” Pearl asked, the smile growing.
Twilight nodded. “Yes, Pearl. Spike, Starlight and I all want to help you.”
Pearl’s smile vanished the more she thought about it. As much as she’d liked to have taken Twilight on her offer, there were more important things to take care of. “I’m sorry, I just can’t. I’m very grateful for your help, but I have to continue my search.”
“In your condition?” Twilight asked. “Do you want to spend another five days without any sleep?”
Pearl shook her head. “No, I don’t. That’s why I have to press on. My parents are the only ones who can tell me what’s wrong with me.”
“And how are you going to find them?” Starlight asked. “You don’t even know who they are!”
“I’ll find a way.”
“What if they can’t help you?” Twilight asked. “Worse, what if they’re not even alive?”
That question hit Pearl bluntly, nearly jarring her resolve. “Look, I CAN’T stay here. Even with this ring you gave me, I’m still a walking disaster. This isn’t your problem, it’s mine. I’m not going to bring you into it.”
“Twilight’s the Princess of Friendship. It’s what she does,” Spike said. “And the occasional ‘save Equestria’ type stuff.”
That gave Pearl pause. Her eyes darted as she silently considered the offer, then heaved a sigh. “You all are heroes. Like the ones I always read about in my comics. You even were the Power Ponies once. Ever since I was a filly, I’ve dreamed of meeting ponies with extraordinary abilities like mine. I guess now I have that chance, eh?” She closed her eyes and nodded respectfully to Twilight, then offered her a hoof. “We’ve got a deal. But if my magic starts going nuts, I’m out.”
Twilight grinned and shook Pearl’s hoof. “Great! We’ll do everything we can to help you find your answers. It’s getting a bit late now, but Starlight and I will start our research tomorrow. We’ll also ask Celestia and Luna if they might know anything.”
Pearl bowed politely to them. “Now I see why you’re the Princess of Friendship. I’m very grateful.” She covered up a big yawn. Her eyes grew unfocused and distant. It was clear to Twilight that, while the lights were on, nopony was home. “I’m also very tired. I should get some sleep.”
“I understand,” Twilight said. “Let’s get you settled into one of the guest rooms.”
Pearl paused for a moment as Twilight started to lead her out of the library. “Um, just one thing.”
Twilight stopped and turned back around. “Yes?”
“Would you mind… watching over me for a bit while I sleep, just to make sure nothing happens? Even with the ring, I’d rather not take any chances.”
Twilight smiled back at her. “Sure, that won’t be a problem. Follow me, I’ll show you to your room.”
***
It took Pearl very little time to fall asleep. Once Twilight was sure all was well, she returned to Spike and Starlight.
“Spike, take a letter,” Twilight ordered.
When Spike was ready, she started. “‘Dear Princess Celestia and Luna –We have found the Destroyer, but it’s not what many believe it to be. She is a pony under a strange affliction, who experiences startling surges of power. Starlight and I have subdued her magic at her request, and we will attempt to ascertain the reason for her problems –Your faithful subject, Twilight Sparkle.’”
The response letter took a couple minutes and Spike read it aloud. “Dear Twilight – given the reported destructive power of this pony, I ask that you keep her within the environs of Ponyville for now. I will speak with Luna in the morning, as she is about to arise for her duties. Keep us updated – Celestia.”
“How are you going to help?” Spike asked.
“I think I know a way,” Twilight said. “First, I’ll need you to send five copies of the letter I’m about to write to our friends. They’ll need to know what we know about Pearl, and I’ll need them to help make this work.”
Quickly, Twilight dictated a letter then used her magic to duplicate it. Once Spike delivered them, Twilight headed for her room and Spike turned to Starlight.
“I’m worried. Do you really think keeping Pearl here is a good idea?” Spike asked Starlight.
Without hesitation, Starlight nodded. “I trust Twilight more than I trust anypony.”
“What about that talk about Pearl’s power surges? What if she goes wild and attacks Ponyville?”
“We’ve got it under control for now, but even if she does attack, from what I’ve seen that’s not her fault. We can’t just condemn someone who’s asking for our help.”
“So you’re sticking with Twilight on this one?”
Starlight thought back to how Pearl looked before she cast the invigorictus spell on her — the dark and sunken eyes, loose posture, barely able to keep her head up. “Didn’t you see how exhausted she was when she came in? Forcing herself to stay awake for days at a time out of fear isn’t going to do her any favors. I would know. After Sunburst left when I was a filly, I lost a lot of sleep myself. I wouldn’t wish it on anypony.”