//------------------------------// // 14 The Seeker // Story: Errant Finale // by Doug Graves //------------------------------// February 23rd, 1001 Domina Solaria The two days after the Grand Galloping Gala passed quickly. Far too quickly, in Twilight Sparkle’s opinion. But, it’s like that every time she gets a new book, and wishes that she could just disappear under her covers and throw her cares and responsibilities out the window. More so when it’s a textbook, and she needs to make sure that she has a token understanding of everything inside the book, cover to cover. But it’s even worse when it’s a spell book. Especially one quilled by the illustrious Star Swirl the Bearded! Except there was work to do around the library. Of course. Turnout more than tripled, though one day can hardly be used to make a good baseline. Even if the trend is continuing as the second day comes to a close. And that is only counting the ponies who actually checked out a book, and a good number of those ponies picked up a book almost as an afterthought. But, even if it is just a mere excuse to get to chat with the mare who had defeated the chaos lord Discord - if only for a minute or so - she doesn’t mind, and enjoys the talks. Even though it cuts into her spell reading time. A lot of them boil down to reassuring everypony that things are under control and they don’t need to worry. The fact that Discord’s chaos had spread to Ponyville, and many other cities in Equestria, made her more than a little nervous. But with everything under control, and nopony else in the library, she can finally get back to what she wanted to do since she got back from Canterlot. On the bottom floor of the Golden Oak Library, Twilight props Star Swirl’s spell book on her desk. It is fascinating comparing the spells that Star Swirl created over a thousand years ago to the ones in use today. She recognizes nearly every one, though a couple she needed to double check that the spells actually are identical instead of just a derivation. She reverently opens it to the last page, smoothing out the parchment. There at the top, Star Swirl’s secret unfinished masterpiece. She snorts. Secret? Just because she has never come across  this particular spell before doesn’t make it secret. And masterpiece? It’s not even finished! It says so right in the title! How could that be a masterpiece?! Twilight’s hoof traces along as she reads through the words again. From one to another, another to one. A mark of one’s destiny singled out, fulfilled. She frowns. It doesn’t make any sense! Every other spell in here makes sense to her, conceptually at the bare minimum. She has cast more than half of them in the past! And the rest are either too esoteric (she doesn’t have a beard that needs to curl perfectly, sadly enough, though other spells exist that could fix that) or have been improved upon by unicorns in the thousand years these spells have been in use. This one, though? It doesn’t even rhyme! Twilight grits her teeth as she reads through the spell again. It feels like a puzzle, wrapped in an enigma, and shrouded in mystery. She can’t go to Celestia, Luna, or even Cadance for help. Well, she could, but that would ruin the challenge, the whole point of it! She knows they would want her to figure it out herself, even if they never gave her those instructions specifically. Doug hasn’t been much help either, and his restriction to not just cast the spell and figure it out chafes at her. Maybe she'll just ignore it; it's not like he holds supreme power over her, anyway, and it was really just a request. But, back to the spell, and what she can figure out just from the reading. On the surface, it has to do with cutie marks. Aside from half the name being referenced in the spell, the destiny part made the connection fairly obvious. But the last part? Singled out, fulfilled? Who fulfills their cutie mark? Or the first part? From one to another, another to one. Cutie marks couldn’t be transferred from one pony to another, could they? She taps her hoof to her chin a few times. Well, wait. Could they? Isn't that something that she saw happen months ago, with the Crusaders? She thought Starlight's spell was revolutionary. Genius, in that it sprung from nothing previously conceived. She sighs in frustration. “Remember, Twilight,” she says to herself, “this was written over a thousand years ago. You can’t use modern knowledge of cutie marks to solve it. What would Star Swirl have been thinking about when he quilled this?” A shuffling from upstairs is enough to distract her, especially as Spike sticks his head out the bedroom door. “You need anything, Twilight?” he asks, Sweetie Belle joining him in looking down. “No, just talking to myself,” Twilight replies. She glances around herself. “You got the box Celestia sent upstairs?” Spike rolls his eyes. “I did that hours ago, Twilight! You were just too engrossed in that book! It’s like it cast a spell on you!” “It did not!” Twilight exclaims. Although, if any book had some sort of enchantment to prevent the wrong pony from opening it, it would be this one. She frowns, though not at the spell book this time. “And keep that door open!” “It was!” Spike shouts back, huffing angrily. “Jeez, when are you going to stop treating me like I just hatched?” Twilight sighs to herself, shaking her head. Just as the library door opening distracts her yet again. “What is it this time?” she mutters to herself. Then frowns, shaking her head. “Come on, Twilight. It’s a public library. Just because you’re used to never having anypony come in here, they can still just waltz right in whenever they feel like it.” She turns a cheery smile to the door as a pink unicorn with a purple mane and aquamarine highlight practically waltzes in like she owns the place. “Hi, Starlight!” Twilight calls, noting the blue and purple swirl on Starlight’s flank. “Welcome! I didn’t know you’d be here so early!” “Thanks; it’s so nice to be here!” Starlight dumps her plain saddlebags onto the floor by the entrance, glancing around at all the books. “I like what you’ve done with the place. Very… it’s very similar to where I grew up.” “It’s been my foalhood dream to live in a library, too. I was always being reminded by my dam to not stay out too late, even though the Archives wasn’t that far a walk.” Twilight sighs happily as she recalls the fond memories. Even the ones waking up with her head in a book and realizing she was late. Starlight quickly locates the spell book in front of Twilight. “Ooh, that looks fun! What’cha working on? Is it difficult?” A turquoise aura surrounds the spell book, nearly lifting it up before Twilight pushes it back down with a hoof. “It’s just an old spell book. Lots of stuff you’ve probably seen before.” Starlight rolls her eyes, lifting Twilight’s hoof with her magic while sliding the book out. She glances through the first few spells as Twilight grumbles, pausing on a few to mouth the incantations. Sweetie Belle nearly tumbles down the stairs as she races to get to Starlight, Spike following not far behind. “Hi, Starlight Glimmer!” She, too, notices that Starlight has her real cutie mark displayed, not the bold equals sign. “Hello. Sweetie Belle, right?” Sweetie Belle nods. “You’re not going to try to talk me out of this again, are you?” “No, I mean, I will if you let me, but I actually was thinking of something else.” Sweetie Belle turns to Twilight. “Is it okay if I go and get Apple Bloom and Scootaloo?” Twilight looks outside. It’s nearly dark, but they’re young mares now. They should know how to cross the street by themselves. “Okay, but be quick. I guess I can pull out the spare bedding if they want to stay here, too.” “Okay! I’ll be quick!” Sweetie Belle turns, smiling at Spike, then rushes out the door, nearly running into Starlight’s saddlebags. “Spike, be a dear and get Starlight’s bags.” Twilight considers for a few seconds as Spike complies. “I’m assuming you are staying here for a while?” “Sure. I mean, I don’t really care where I bed down. I’d prefer staying here, but if there isn’t room then I suppose I can do with staying in a barn or something.” Starlight sighs, looking around at the various books, intrigued by their contents. Twilight nods, “Yeah, I’d much rather be in a library, too. Um, so, I’ve got a spare bed, but Spike and Sweetie Belle normally sleep in it, since they wouldn’t really fit in Spike’s bed. With Apple Bloom and Scootaloo coming - that is, if they’re sleeping over, and I’m guessing they will - they’ll all fit, barely. Or I can find cots for everypony, if you want the bed.” “I don’t mind a cot, or a couch,” Starlight says agreeably, “though I wouldn’t mind sharing your bed, either.” She winks at Twilight, suggestively licking her lips. “I’m right here, you know,” Spike says as he hoists the saddlebags, though they aren’t very heavy. “Exactly. Not in front of the young, very impressionable, very that’s definitely not the kind of role model he should be following dragon.” Twilight focuses on Spike, the dragon grunting. “You’ve reminded me enough, you know. Plus, Doug’s way worse when it comes to what he thinks I don’t see.” Spike starts up the stairs, yawning. “I’ll just put these next to the chest and let you sort it out. I’ll be in my room.” “Okay, Spike, thanks,” Twilight says absentmindedly as she turns back to Starlight, who is casually flipping through the pages like they are a pulp novel. “Careful with that!” “Who would even use half these spells, anyway?” Starlight says haughtily, shaking her head. “There are so many more useful ones that do twice as much with half the cost.” “Yes, but these spells are the foundation upon which those spells were built. Without these, we’d never be able to even conceive of half of the amazing things we do every day!” “Yeah, sure,” Starlight says distractedly, flipping to the last page. “From one to another, another to one. A mark of one’s destiny singled out, fulfilled.” She turns to Twilight. “What’s that one do?” “I don’t know, and until I know, it’s going to stay right there.” Twilight snatches the book back, replacing it on the table. She levitates a quill and parchment. “Now, how did you want this to go?” “Well, I’ve got a crystal bottle upstairs; it’ll hold my mark after you rip it off and replace it with the mark of equality. I wanted to get it done before I went into estrus. Otherwise, it might ruin the entire experiment, and I’d hate for that to mess with anything. Then, I figured I’d hang out with you all for a week until it happens, and you’d be able to monitor me and try to figure out some way of fixing this.” Starlight motions to the various books around them. “Hooves crossed, we figure out something that I, or really anypony, can do to get our bodies working right. I go back to Our Town, pregnant as proof of concept, hopefully in time to help anypony there who is likewise interested.” Twilight’s quill rests as she looks over the list. “Simple enough, I guess, at least in concept.” She grins. “I’m pretty sure I remember the spell. Are you ready?” Starlight takes a deep breath, then nods. “As I’ll ever be.” She follows Twilight upstairs, but can’t help herself from taking Star Swirl’s spell book with her.