//------------------------------// // Ponies and Prophecies // Story: It's Got To Be My Destiny // by 1Bluefur //------------------------------// The kitchen was bustling with activity as three ponies started to prepare the upcoming meal. Pinkamena let the others know what she was thinking about for lunch before leaving to check in with her parents. It was fresh chicken eggs on homemade bread with a side of stir-fried vegetables. They also had a choice of homemade lavender soda or tea. Twilight, meanwhile, was far out of her element. She could make a mean daisy sandwich, but actual full meals? That was one thing she never bothered mastering. She felt like she was about to have lunch at some fancy Canterlot restaurant! Needless to say, trying to help prepare it seemed rather intimidating. “Hey Twilight, can you set up the back table?” Maud paused and turned to the unicorn. “It's just through the screen door. Should be fairly simple, flip the chairs over and clear the leaves, lunch won’t take too long so feel free to relax with your books. Thanks.” “Sure, I would love to!” Twilight said almost a little too quickly. “Yes! Finally a little alone time!” she mentally cheered as she trotted out the back door. The backyard was surprisingly quaint. There was a wooden deck with a fire pit and dining area. Just beyond that there was a small garden filled with various vegetables and herbs. The scents of the growing plants drifted pleasantly in the air. With a magenta burst of her magic, Twilight cleared the decaying leaves from the white table. She sighed contently as she shrugged off her saddle bags and sunk into one of the matching chairs. She had known she needed to rest, but by the feel of her muscles she needed it a lot more than she realized! The unicorn used her magic to open her bags, eager to resume her studying. She pulled her study material from it's storage and placed it neatly in front of her. She opened to the page where she left off, around three quarters of the way in. It was describing the legislature which made it so teachers had to undergo at least a year of understudy and provide evidence of advanced education before they were able to teach. But something was wrong. If there way anything Twilight loved, it was a good riveting legal battle. Yet the words in front of her seemed to convey no meaning. She scrunched her muzzle briefly in frustration, as she knew exactly why she couldn't pay attention to her work. She suddenly snapped the book shut with a huff and gave into her lackadaisical desires. Using her magic she placed her history book back into her bag, exchanging it for the book she actually wanted. “Predictions and Prophecies” she murmured, levitating the tome in front of her. She recalled Pinkamena’s strange declaration when they first met. “I heard that there was a prophecy that was going to take place this very year…. What a crraaazy prediction!” Twilight huffed and placed the book down in front of her. “It’s just some strange nonsense,” she reassured herself. “If I learnt anything today it’s that Pinkamena is a mare with a very strange sense of humor.” Regardless of her own thoughts, the mare started to flip through the pages of the book. She skimmed every entry for any mentions of a date. She knew she had to be looking for the thousandth year, the year that was coming up. One of the standouts included some kind of prophecy about harmony’s pillars, but the date was “over a thousand years”. Despite her skepticism Twilight made a mental note to return to the entry and do further research. Suddenly her breathe got caught in her throat and her eyes widened, there it was! “…the longest day of the thousandth year,” Twilight breathed. Her heart pumped at a faster pace as she began to read the entry from the beginning. “The Mare in the Moon, myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria, defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal…” “Whatcha readin’ Twilight?” a bright bubbly voice burst through the unicorns concentration. The purple mare let out a short whinny of surprise, flinging her book away from her. “Pinkamena!” she gasped. “Whoops! I’m sorry Twilight, I didn’t meant to startle you! Must have been pretty good if you were that immersed in it,” she said. “Was Twilight lost in a book again?” called a familiar voice. Applejack emerged from behind Pinkamena with a carefully balanced tray on her back. Twilight sighed as Pinkamena giggled, “Sure was!” “I was just doing some uh... Light reading. Nothing serious,” Twilight said, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “They’re going to think it’s ridiculous that I’m reading a bunch of old mare’s tales,” she thought anxiously. Maud and Rarity joined the group and began placing down plates of food. Applejack shrugged the drinks tray off her back. Meanwhile, Twilight's mind was focused on the book she just tossed away. The mare was rapidly weighing the pros and cons of retrieving it while they dined. “You know, Predictions and Prophecies” is such an interesting book!” Pinkamena piped up. “I think there are way more interesting stories than most ponies would think! My granny Pie would sometimes read us stories from it! My favorite was always the Mare in the Moon. You know, I just can’t think about her as being evil. I mean, she’s always watching over us every night right? That should account for something, I just feel like... Something good will happen when she returns.” While the pink mare spoke she wandered over to the discarded book and picked it up with a hoof. Twilight quickly relieved her of it, taking it from Pinkamena’s hoof with her magic. She murmured a thank you and decided to ignore the certainty with which the earth pony spoke about the myth; it gave her a very strange and unpleasant feeling. “Uh... yeah... It is a good book. I really only brought it for light reading though, not serious study,” Twilight explained, “I love learning but some books can get very dense, and it’s a lot easier to think if I can take a couple of breaks.” “Takin’ a break from reading a book by reading another book,” Applejack said, amusement evident in her tone. “Twilight Sparkle, you sure are an unusual one,” Twilight’s ears shifted back, though she tried hard not to completely flatten them. “This is it, the moment they all make fun of me for being nerdy or liking books too much or something,” “There’s nothing wrong with that of course, I like books too, maybe not as much though,” Maud said, gazing at Twilight. Her expression as as unreadable as ever. “We’re all pretty unusual honestly. I have a pet rock.” The gray earth pony reached inside her barrel pocket and produced a small smooth rock. “His name is Boulder.” Applejack chuckled at Twilight’s flabbergasted expression. “I would have thought a smart mare like you would’ve figured out why we like ya so much,” she said. “We’ve all got our quirks here, even Rarity, no matter how perfect she might seem,” “Oh Applejack, you are far too flattering,” the white unicorn responded. “Though, it is certainly true, I am not flawless,” The unicorn turned to meet Twilight’s gaze “Now, all that aside, I do believe we have something to discuss,” Twilight stared at her blankly; she was still trying to process what just happened. The reaction she got was the complete opposite of what she expected, how was she supposed to react? Was she supposed to say thank you? She didn’t even want any friends and yet… “Twilight?” Rarity’s puzzled tone brought Twilight back to reality. “S-Sorry! Just uh, lost in thought haha,” Twilight awkwardly smiled. “What did you say?” “Oh I was simply trying to remind you that we were going to discuss gem magic,” the mare responded, taking a delicate sip of her tea. “R-right! Uhm, okay let me just…” Twilight quickly snared her notebook and quill from the depths of her bags. “Okay! So uh… You said you combined two spells right?” “Correct, you see, it all began…” Twilight gave one last wave to Pinkamena and Maud as the train started to pull out from the station. Granted, it was mostly because it was polite, she was more than relieved to finally be heading back to the Apple farm. “Now let’s see, it’s about 2 o’ clock so…” Applejack began to think out loud. “I think it should be fine if I hop on over to the boutique for a quick meeting,” she said, smiling at Rarity. “That would be splendid! Oh, we have so much to catch up on!” Rarity gushed. Twilight suddenly felt like she was intruding on a private conversation. Thankfully the feeling didn’t last too long as Rarity then turned to her. “You’re more than welcome to come along dear, although, you do seem rather tired,” Twilight sighed. “That obvious huh?” she said. “I’m sorry, I just don’t think I can do anymore socialization today. I have a lot of studying to catch up on, and I really want to make sure my questions for Cheerliee tomorrow are well prepared. Not to mention I really need to get some good sleep,” “Perfectly understandable darling! We can always show you the boutique some other time, why, I’m certain we could find some nice outfits for you to try on,” Twilight wasn’t certain how to respond to that, “Uh… Thanks?” Rarity chuckled. “I promise it’s a lot more fun than it might seem!” “Do you know your way back to the farm? It’s fairly simple but if ya still need a hoof…” Applejack started. Twilight shook her head. “No, no, I can definitely get there on my own, thank you though!” “… I hope so anyways.” “Sure thing sugarcube! But if you do get turned around, just ask anypony for directions, most folks know right where the farm is!” the orange mare cheerfully reassured her. “Thank you… Uhm, is it okay if I read my history book now? I just… Want to get a head start.” “Of course darling! But don’t be afraid to leap into the conversation whenever you’d like to,” Rarity said. Feeling relieved from the burden of small talk, Twilight quickly resumed her place in the book. “Predictions and Prophecies” was far from her mind at last; the only thing that concerned her in that moment was learning about how the Security of Education Act. After saying goodbye to Applejack and Rarity in the town’s center, Twilight continued on towards Sweet Apple Acres. She remembered the way pretty easily, not that she had serious doubts but one could never be too certain. The unicorn quickly became lost in her thoughts, staying aware enough to keep going in the right direction (and avoid bumping into others). Most of them focused on her studies back in her room, but a couple of them drifted elsewhere. If somepony told her she would spend a good chunk of her second day in Ponyville having lunch with a group of ponies she barely knew, she would’ve thought they were crazy. Yet, here she was, with a belly full of delicious food and about three hours of non-study time gone. While she did agree to meet up with some of them again, she was hopeful that she wasn’t going to be dragged anywhere else within the next few days. “That is more than enough “friendship” for me,” she mentally declared. “Psst…” Twilight paused, her ears subtly flicked around. Did she just hear something? “Twilight!” Oh for pony’s sakes… Twilight let out a heavy sigh. “Don’t you have any other pony you could be harassing right now?” she said, her social exhaustion made a rapid return making her feel extra irritated by the interruption. “Uh, yeah, hi to you too,” Rainbow Dash fluttered down in front of her; she was strangely graceful for such a brash pony. “Look, I know you like, hate me, and to be honest, I don’t really like you either… You’re kinda… Weird,” her magenta eyes scanned Twilight up and down. The purple unicorn suddenly felt very hot under her coat, and not because she was flattered. “But I seriously need help and you’re the only pony who can, it’s just a small little thing. Please? I uh… I don’t really know what I can do for you in return but if there’s something you need a pegasus to do I guess I’m willing.” “No, absolutely not! You’re rude and terrible, just leave me alone!” “… Ugh what do you want?” Twilight’s mouth seemed to be doing exceptionally well at defying her brain as of late. “Can you ask Fluttershy to meet me at Sugarcube Corner? I would do it myself but uh… I’m sure you’ve noticed Applejack kinda hates me too and uh… As much as I love making a good scene, it makes Fluttershy really uncomforable.” “Well, I'm happy to inform you that Applejack isn’t currently at Sweet Apple Acres, so that won’t be necessary. You can go ahead and ask her yourself,” Twilight curtly responded. She pointed her muzzle up and deliberately started to stalk away. Rainbow Dash was suddenly in front of her again. Twilight angrily scrunched her muzzle in frustration. For a pony who supposedly didn't like her, she had a way of sticking around far longer than she needed to. “Wait! Uh… “ The words seemed to die in the other mare’s mouth. Twilight glared at her, as she awkwardly ruffled her feathers no longer looking at her. Twilight was probably burning a hole into the pegasus by the time she finally spoke. “I’m sorry about the water,” Twilight could barely hear the words as they were reluctantly mumbled. She couldn't have heard that right.. Right? But there was no mistaking the blue pegasus' remorseful, slightly embarrassed expression. There was an awkward pause as she contemplated a response. It was temping to either ignore her or snap something back at her. But Twilight found herself suddenly too tired to start an argument. She sighed and replied, “Uh... Thank you. I... Appreciate you realizing that was wrong.” “Well… You’re welcome! Cuz you’re not getting another apology outta me any time soon!” Rainbow’s voice rose as she proudly puffed herself back up. “I’m gonna go talk to Fluttershy now, smell ya later egghead!” Twilight’s mane fluttered as the pegasus shot up into the air and out of sight. The unicorn stood there for a moment, completely baffled. What was the deal with Rainbow Dash? Talk about the pot calling the kettle hot. “She’s way crazier than I am, at least I know not to go out of my way to talk to ponies I dislike,” she thought. "Though, she did make a genuine apology... I think? But why?! It just doesn't make any sense!" the rainbow maned pegasus continued to occupy her thoughts for the rest of her journey. By the time Twilight made it back to Sweet Apple Acres Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were long gone. She figured as such, but she found herself peering cautiously around the property anyways. She frowned when she made it to the door, noticing a singular sky blue feather laying on the ground. “Seriously, she barely even takes care of herself! What kind of self-respecting pegasus leaves feathers lying around?!” Still, pegasus feathers were useful in a variety of potions. While Twilight was no potions master, it wouldn’t hurt to keep it in case she needed to use it. She quickly slipped it into her saddlebags and continued over the threshold. When she entered the Apple home she was greeted by the sound of light snoring. Granny seemed to have fallen asleep in her rocking chair. Thankful for the opportunity to avoid conversation, the unicorn tried to silently make her way to her room. The staircase had other plans however, and let out a distressing creak as soon as she put any weight on it. Granny immediately woke up. “WEh! Wha-? Oh! Twilight! It’s good to see you dear, is Applejack with ya?” Twilight managed to smile despite desperately not wanting to waste anymore time talking with the older mare. “No, sorry uh… Mrs. Smith, Applejack is meeting with Rarity at her boutique.” Granny let out an almost feral sounding snort of a laugh. “Oh don’t ya mind callin’ me Granny Smith now! Mrs. Smith… hah! I haven’t been Mrs. Smith since Applejack’s father was just a lil’ colt.” she paused for a moment, her sunset eyes glazing over in memory. "Oh... Well okay, uh.. Granny Smith," Twilight awkwardly fumbled, trying to get through the conversation so she could leave. Granny Smith seemed to snap back to reality. "Oops! I jus' went an' spaced out on ya huh? Sorry 'bout that," the old pony smiled warmly "Well, I ain't gonna keep ya here with my stories. Run along dear, thank you fer letting me know where Applejack is… Darn filly always runnin’ off….” Granny continued muttering to herself as she rocked in her chair. Despite her eagerness to get going, Twilight found herself watching as Granny's words rapidly deteriorated into incomprehensible mumbles. The next thing she knew the old mare was back to snoring. Twilight shook her head and continued to her room. As soon as the door shut behind her, she collapsed onto her bed, not even bothering with her saddlebags. “Uuuugh,” she groaned into her pillow. “Hoo!” “I’m sorry Owlowliscious, I didn’t mean to wake you, it’s just been such a long day…” the unicorn paused and looked out the window. “And it’s barely even 3…. Maybe a nap would be a good idea…” The unicorn didn’t get much further along with her thoughts. She was interrupted by a massive yawn, she was asleep before her head could hit the bed.