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// 57 - Collective Research 
// Story: Sunburst to the Rescue 
// by David Silver 
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Soon a new drawing appeared, scribed faithfully in Twilight's magic. It resembled her own horn, in variety and precision, with no spurs of maladies in sight. It was the horn of a pony that could perform great spells, with the proper training and will.

Sunburst stroked along his beard as he studied it. "With a horn like that, why aren't you using it more often?"

Moon darkened, a blush growing rapidly. "I like studying..."

Twilight shook her head as she turned to face the large tome. "And you're very good at it, and we're about to do that, but you like casting spells too. You don't fool me."

"I like new ones," mumbled the mare on the spot. "So... shall we begin?"

Her horn-picture was added to the others and they all gathered around the book to resume reading. With a dramatic turning to the next page, eyes began to sweep over it. "Mmm... This is dense," agreed Moon. "I see what you mean, but far from impossible..."

"Not impossible," agreed Sun. "We've made it this far, it just takes time."

Later, Spike peeked his head into the room to see the three unicorns squished up against one another, all three reading from the same book in quiet. He vanished for a time, returning with a kettle of tea, cups, and a small collection of cookies that he set down beside them.

They didn't even notice until the scents penetrated their occupied minds. Perhaps least used to the scent of a Spike cookie, Moon was the first to stir. "Mm? Oh, hello, Spike."

"Hey, don't forget to drink something." He poured out a cup and held it out towards her on a saucer. She took it even as the others began to stir. Soon all three of them were sipping and dipping their cookies, taking a needed break from their studies.

Moon pointed at Sun's horn suddenly. "As fascinating as deciphering this is, why have we not attempted to actually discover the solution instead of hoping somepony did it before us?"

Sun covered his horn ineffectively with a hoof, glancing about. Twilight shook her head. "There is no risk in reading a book. If we try to fix Sunburst, things could go wrong. Then again, Mister Impatient there did try doing it the fast way once."

He laughed nervously at that. "Yeah... The table stopped us."

"Table? Ah, you mentioned that." She clopped her forehooves together. "That is in this castle too, isn't it? I'd like to see that, when we're done here."

Sunburst set his cup aside, mostly drained. "I still don't know how a table can do that, but magic can be a bit crazy sometimes. Shall we resume?"

As they reached the end of each page, the debate began, with Moon playing the middle ground between the two extremes offered by the book. They began to progress with an almost joy of discovery and shared work.

With another solid tenth of the book burned through, they sat back, tired and a bit hungry. Twilight wobbled a hoof. "Her theories on why the malady came about are charmingly out of date. I think it's safe to ignore that part of things."

Moon and Sun both nodded in easy agreement. Ponies had a better grasp on how traits were passed on from parent to foal then they had back then. Moon tapped lightly at the open page. "On the other hoof, I really want to finish this section. Using the moon as a focus? Is that possible for any pony save perhaps Luna?"

Sun shook his head. "I couldn't say, but I am just as curious." He stood up and began to stretch. "But that's for tomorrow. For now, let's get something to eat."

Unknown to them, they had not stirred themselves from studying on their own. When they descended, the smell of food became stronger, beckoning their hungry bodies to the table where Spike's prepared feast awaited them.

Starlight was already there, talking with him with a smile. "--gonna bring the new pony there, maybe tomorrow?"

"Nah, give it a week at least," argued Spike with a dismissive wave of a hand.

Starlight noticed the others joining and her eyes went to Moon. "So, visiting, I hear?"

Moon quirked an ear. "I hadn't--"

Starlight pointed past the new mare. "You left your bags in the entry hall, we connected the dots."

"Oh." She glanced back where the bag had been, but appeared to no longer be. Climbing up onto a seat, she peered across at Starlight. "Where is it now?"

"In your room, of course." Starlight smirked faintly. "You are just precious. So what's your name?"

"That's Moon Dancer," helpfully provided Spike, hiking a thumb at her.

"Moon Dancer, how lovely." Starlight leaned forward, head touching her hooves. "But Twilight and Sun went to spread the news, not gather recruits. How did they end up with you?"

Twilight tensed with a nervous laugh. "Well, you see, she's also an expert in magical research."

"She's already been helping," added Sunburst.

"And that has almost nothing to do with it," flatly countered Starlight with a cocked brow. "You three look dangerously nervous, so spare me the drama and just tell me the drama. I'd rather not stumble over it."

Moon glanced at the others before letting out a soft breath. "Alright, I'll say. These two--" She gestured a hoof at Twilight and Sunburst. "--have become romantically involved. I hav--had feelings for them both and was... somewhat... shamefully poor at hiding that fact. Now I'm here because they feel bad for me."

Spike put up his hands. "Enjoy dinner." He hopped down and flapped away, rather than staying for that particular conversation.

Starlight had a brow raised at Moon, studying her quietly a moment. "And you feel... exactly how?"

"Like I'm the third wheel on a perfectly good bicycle." Moon sagged a bit in place. "But I'm enjoying my visit. and wish to complete our work."

Starlight rolled her hooves slowly. "Very good. We're getting somewhere here. So what is it you want to do?"

"Um..." Moon glanced at the other two that were staring at her. "Well... I would like to find the answer to Sunburst's problem, as a friend, to them both." She licked over her lips. "And maybe when this is over, I'll go up to some ponies I thought about and... tell them how I feel."

A new cup floated over, with chocolate inside, hot and steaming, a bit of marshmallow floating in it. "Very good! I had a feeling you knew what needed to be done."

Twilight blinked owlishly at the exchange. "Did you... just fix that?"

"You made me the school counselor," she retorted in a dry snap. "I learned a thing or two." Her smile returned, bright and cheerful. "Now, you two. No hard feelings?"

"No! No... I would be delighted to have you with us while we finish this." Sunburst bobbed his head. "And I hope you find a pony at least half as amazing as you are."

Twilight shook a hoof quickly. "No objections here. Moon Dancer, as a friend, you will always have me. I apologize, again, for being such a lousy one before."

Moon Dancer suddenly thumped Twilight on the head. "You were more than that," she hissed before sighing. "But that's in the past, I get that. I do... Let's solve this thing, for his sake, and so many others. Then I'll just have to... go say hello to ponies in a new way."

Starlight pointed across at Twilight. "She has a literal book on romance. She used it to hitch up with Sunburst."

Twilight went red rapidly, but did not argue the fact.

"Would you be willing to lend it?" Moon turned in her seat to face Twilight fully. "After reading that, I imagine I would be far more confident."

Twilight put a hoof behind her head, laughing nervously. "Starlight knows a great book copying spell, we could both have a copy without a problem."

"That sounds like permission," sang Starlight, vanishing.

Sunburst laughed softly. "That's our Starlight, um... Are you actually feeling better?"

"No! I mean, not entirely..." She worried her hooves together. "But the way you talk. The way you walk... It's really kind of obvious. I've read enough romance novels to know where I would fit in, at best as the awkward friend." She raised a hoof to her chest. "I'd... rather be a real one that you don't groan when she walks into the room."

"That doesn't change our promise." Twilight set a hoof on her shoulder. "We're here for you, as friends, and as coworkers. We have a mystery to solve."

"Yes!" Moon extended a hoof and soon two others came in to tap against it. They were unified behind their purpose. They would solve that disease, one way or another.

Food was devoured eagerly and they climbed back to the study room. With thoughts of romance dispelled for the moment, the tension that had been there was lifted, allowing them to focus on the work in front of them and press even further into the tome.

Moon tapped at the book. "Why not use the elements?" That section was arguing the merits of even trying to use such rare and potentially untrue artifacts. "I know you have them."

"I used to." Twilight pointed off towards the Everfree. "The Tree of Harmony has them back, and I don't have the right to go taking it back."

"A shame..." The reading continued, that idea tossed aside.

When study time was over, they dispersed, but twilight set a hoof on Sun's shoulder. "One moment." She looked around, making sure they were alone. "I want you to come with me."

"Are we star gazing?" He followed Twilight curiously, but they didn't go up to where the telescope was. They went to Twilight's room. "What can we study here?"

"The breeding habits of the average unicorn," stated Twilight in dry analytical tones. "It's quite the challenging series, I hear. Care to study it together?"

Sun began to turn bright colors. "O-oh! I mean... I would be delighted?" With a false smile of nervousness, he followed her into her room, and they applied equal rigor to determining the nuance of that new friend of knowledge.