//------------------------------// // Cohesion and Conflict // Story: The Element of Magic // by PlutoMilo //------------------------------// "Mom!" Twilight woke with a snuffled snort, lifting her head sleepily. She jerked back, her spines carving grooves into the wood floor, startled at Spike's proximity. She twisted to glance at the clock. Her night vision allowed her to see it clearly. It read four in the morning. The dragon wished to bury herself beneath her wings and continue her rest. But as all parents know, an awake child means sleep will not come anytime soon. So Twilight sighed, heaving herself to her feet and shaking out her pressed scales. "Yes, Spike? It's rather early. Is everything alright?" She bent down to sniff. She could smell his anxiety and the lingering scent of old paper. Spike read recently then. "What book did you have?" "I have evidence Nightmare Moon is coming back!" he announced in a tone more suited to declaring the gravest of news. Damn it all to Tartarus, he was still concerned about that silly tale? Exhaustion weighed heavily on her back. "And what evidence is that?" "It's said that ‘the Stars will aid in her escape.’" he ran to the window, pointing at the waning gibbous moon, "Look at the stars. Isn't that odd?" “Spike,” Twilight said as firmly as she could, “It’s a fable. No one is coming back.” “Just… Look at the stars? Please?” “Come on Spike. Back to bed with you,” Twilight coaxed her child, “I’ll come tuck you in.” “You don’t believe me?” Spike whined. “Books don’t hold the answers to everything,” she reminded him, “I’ll believe you if it happens, okay?” His ears folded back and there was a hint of a snarl on his face as he growled, “It’ll be too late by the time it happens.” Twilight stood silently by the door, unmoving. After a beat, Spike deflated and headed to his room. As promised, Twilight tucked him in, brushing her snout over his forehead. He turned to bury his face angrily into his pillow. She sighed as she made her way back to her room. The Celebration was only a few days away, and most preparations were nearing completion. She rubbed a tired claw across her face and tried not to cringe because she had yet to apologize to anyone for her actions. It was far too busy for her just to drop everything and seek out certain individuals to apologize, or at the very least, explain herself. She wanted to. Dear Tartarus, she wanted to. But embarrassment flooded her at the thought of going up to a teenager, nearly a decade her junior, and apologizing. Shame would always follow. She shouldn’t have to apologize because she should never have caused the need to do so in the first place. What was she thinking? Going up to a pony and deliberately scaring them? She’d been raised better than that. Fluttershy was so kind. She patiently explained things, brought her places, and was a solid presence that the other beings in Ponyville recognized. Being a hippogryph put her head and shoulders above most of the town occupants, yet no one seemed to care. Well, that wasn’t really the way to put it. Beings cared but didn’t seem bothered by it at all, like they were when Twilight appeared. Fluttershy even guided her to the Night Market in the Everfree. There, Twilight saw even more species, most of which she’d only ever read about. Manicores, cockatrices, thestrals, and more. There’d been a heartstopping moment when she’d bumped into a chimera and prepared to be ripped to pieces, except the being had profusely apologized and then started an argument with themself on which head had the fault. In that instance, Fluttershy had been tactful enough to hold back her giggles. It was there that Twilight realized what Rainbow Dash had been asking. The Night Market sold grilled meat that slowly cooked over fires, fried mushrooms that were a funny-looking color, raw fish that chilled over ice, and even skinned rabbits that Fluttershy wrinkled her beak at. In a nearby river, kelpies and beings that Fluttershy called Sea Ponies, lounged on purple rocks eating seagrass. The purple rocks turned out to be the coils of a massive sea serpent named Steven who waved enthusiastically at Fluttershy. Once Steven caught sight of Twilight, he accidentally knocked several dozen kelpies loose as he surged across the river to take a closer look. Her legs seized in fear as the serpent’s head loomed over her. For the first time in over two decades, Twilight felt small. “Oh. My. Gods. Did Donnie’s family come to visit? You’re so tiny! And cute! Stars Above. Fluttershy, my dear, why didn’t you tell me?!” Fluttershy laughed, “Oh no, this is Twilight Sparkle, the Canterlot Taskmaster.” “Oh, dearie me! Ever so sorry for the fright, Taskmaster. It’s good to finally meet you.” He lowered himself into the water again so he wasn’t hovering above her, “Liking Ponyville so far?” “It’s good,” Twilight managed to stutter sloppily. Twilight didn’t really remember the rest of the conversation. She was far too worried about her trembling back legs and the revelation of peaceful sea serpents than she was about being polite to said peaceful sea serpent. She finally met Lady Applejack the day after that fiasco. ‘Met’ was an arbitrary word considering the entire interaction consisted of the earth pony glowering and pounding a hoof to the dirt in a not-so-subtle threat and Twilight pretending nothing of note was happening.  That hadn’t been the smartest move since Lady Rarity made another snide comment about nobles not bothering to pay attention to peasants anyway as she showed Twilight around the decorated town hall. She’d almost lost her temper again. She wanted to growl and tell the angry unicorn that she wasn’t welcome in the noble circles of Canterlot, but the very idea of scaring another being made her dip her head in apology. For a shameful moment, the surprised look on Lady Rarity’s face amused her. Spike was taking well to the town, already having found himself some friends. He’d dragged the bravest of his companions to meet her. Namely, a being named Thorax that reminded Twilight of a twisted dead branch found in the depths of a muddy bog.  That wasn’t exactly the kindest description she could’ve come up with, but she was certain no one would be able to deny it was accurate. Later on, Thorax brought his guardian to meet Twilight to fulfill the requirement his caretaker had of knowing who he was staying with for sleepovers. Twilight expected another demented-looking thing to make an appearance, but instead, a shining being that stole Twilight’s breath away knocked on her door. The being glittered iridescently in the sun, nearly blinding the dragon. It was the bug-pony she had seen days ago at the market. The being introduced themselves as Proboscis the changeling, almost sending Twilight into a fit when she realized what exactly Spike had made friends with. She wasn’t sure how well she managed to mask her reaction, but the moment the changeling and its spawn were out of sight, Twilight banned Spike from bringing them back again. She hadn’t expected Spike to growl back, furious at her request. She barely managed to get a word in edge-wise before Spike was gone. He hadn’t come home that night. It wasn’t the first time he had done such a thing, but it was the first time he had done it in an unfamiliar place. She sat in the middle of the library the entire night, waiting, praying to any and all Gods that would listen that her son was safe. She knew from experience that if Spike didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t. So she unlocked the door and waited. When the sun finally rose, there was a knock at the door. Swallowing, Twilight went to open it. Proboscis stood on the doormat with a stern expression, Thorax cowering behind them. Spike sulked, pushing past Twilight and stomping up to his room. “Your kid quite the spunky one for a seven-year-old,” the changeling began, “Didn’t know he ran away ‘til I heard the kids whispering about it this mornin’. I’m sorry. I would’ve returned him sooner if I’d known.” “No,” Twilight sighed, “No, I raised him to think for himself. I upset him yesterday. Thank you.” “No worries,” the changeling said easily, before side-eyeing their charge. Thorax had the grace to look embarrassed. “Kids are tough ‘lil things. Don’t worry too much ‘bout it. ‘Sides, nothing can hurt ‘em much here in Ponyville.” There was a double meaning there and the ever-present shame bubbled up again. “Thank you. You and Thorax are welcome here anytime.” As she closed the door, she heard Spike softly close his room door as well. He’d heard then. She silently went into the small kitchenette to make herself some tea. Her hips were stiff from sitting in the same position all night and they crackled slightly as she moved about. She slumped down with a relieved sigh at the table to nurse her freshly boiled tea. Before long, Spike wandered into the kitchen, ears down and tail drooping. “I’m sorry for my actions, Spike. They were uncalled for and inappropriate.” After a moment, Spike mumbled, “People are calling you xenophobic and racist. I didn’t believe it at first, not until…” “Not until yesterday,” Twilight finished for him, “I will not patronize you and tell you you’re wrong. I’m trying. I am aware my knee-jerk reactions have consequences. Old habits die hard,” she added wryly. “I’m very glad you have made friends here. Continue to do so if you so wish it, alright?” Spike scuffed his hoof on the ground before walking up to curl up against her side. She smiled, brushing her chin over his mane. That’d been three days ago. Presently, she was standing in her room at four in the morning, exhausted. She stretched and lay back down on the floor, catching sight of the moon as she did so. There were four prominent stars near the huge orb. But Twilight was tired. It was probably her imagination, especially since the idea was already implanted in her mind. She curled up, intent on getting a few more hours of rest. Twilight had a bad feeling about the day when she woke up. At first, she thought it was simple nerves from the Celebration happening in a scant two days, but nerves didn’t usually result in headaches. It wasn’t long until she was able to identify the familiar headache faintly pounding away behind her eyes. There was more Magic in the air than usual.  Now, if Ponyville had a Leyline, Twilight wouldn’t have been concerned. Leylines often dumped excess Magic into the environment around them. This was not the case. The only Leyline that was nearby laid in the depths of the Everfree, long since dead and dull. The only other explanation was an uptick in the number of Magic Users in the town casting their spells. After nearly a week without the regular headaches that resulted from living in Canterlot, it was hard to pretend everything was alright as Twilight went about her newly established daily routine. She winced when Spike put his water glass down too hard on the table and again, when in her split inattention, cracked her shoulder against the countertop. “Ponies are beginning to enter the town. I want you to be especially careful with your friends from now on Spike.” Her child nodded sagely, “Thorax and Bill already moved into the Everfree and I’m meeting them there later. We’ll stay out of trouble.” Twilight arched her eye ridges playfully and Spike giggled before amending, “Mostly out of trouble.” “Stay safe,” she urged Spike. After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help from any adult in the town, alright?” Spike nodded again, for once not cracking a joke or making light of the situation. After he left in search of his friends, Twilight gathered her bits to go shopping as usual. She made another weak attempt to convince herself to apologize to Pinkie Pie on the way, but she was too much of a coward. Guilt sat like a stone in her chest. As she shopped for apples, there was a commotion further up the market stalls. There was a unicorn with a Canterlot accent yelling and a country Ponyville accent yelling back. Twilight raised her neck above the minotaur that had also stopped to stare. That blindingly white coat was recognizable anywhere. She withheld the urge to groan as she spotted Prince Blueblood making a fool of himself in front of the carrot stall. Lady Applejack towered over the spoilt prince, hollering obscenities back into his face as he blustered and threatened. Twilight cringed when the Prince shouted that Ponyville was nothing more than a dirt hovel. The dragon made an aborted movement to step in and de-escalate the situation when the Prince leveled a front kick at Lady Applejack. The kick bounced off of the earth pony’s well-muscled chest rather harmlessly. Blueblood only had time to blink in astonishment before Lady Applejack laid him out on the ground in a single devastating blow. The surrounding citizens laughed and jeered and Twilight couldn’t blame them, not when such a pathetic display happened in front of their faces. Blueblood struggled to his hooves before fleeing, shouting something about lawsuits over his injured shoulder. No one paid him any mind. Lady Applejack’s eyes locked onto hers and Twilight automatically stiffened. The earth pony stalked right up to Twilight’s claws, craning her neck to keep eye contact. Beings parted before her as if she were royalty. “That there is what happens to the folk that don’t treat my town nice, ya hear? Ah don’ care who you tell ‘bout what you see here in Ponyville.” Lady Applejack dared her to respond, so she did. “And I’ve seen nothing of note, Lady Applejack. There’s nothing to tell when nothing has happened.” Twilight almost stuttered, choking slightly on nothing. She shifted uncomfortably as she continued, “Self-defence is common. Over a dozen witnesses would say so if asked.” Lady Applejack squinted with suspicion at her, but nodded resolutely, “‘Course. Carry on ever’one. Nothin’ to see here.” She dispersed the crowd with practiced efficiency and was gone, disappearing through the bustling market like a wisp. Twilight swallowed past her dry throat, noticing for the first time that day that most of the more obscure beings of the town were nowhere to be found. The marketplace, usually filled with Timberwolves underfoot and zebras selling their strange wares were not here. Prince Blueblood would only be the first of many. Phantom stones struck her scales and the cruel ghostly taunts of children long-grown-up rang in her ears as she finished shopping.  Everyone in this town was like her. Different, unwanted in a world built for ponies, and seen as monsters. She thought about the majority of town occupants moving out of their homes and seeking shelter at Sweet Apple Acres, all for the comfort of visitors who would in all likelihood never visit again. That was a sobering thought. The next day, all of the minotaurs, donkeys, and mules were gone. There wasn’t much of a crowd as Twilight finished up the last of the preparations. Only a few ponies and even fewer griffons went about their day in a subdued manner. Tourists stood out starkly in their elegant gowns and fancy hats. They gawked, much like Twilight when she’d first arrived. She ended up startling more than a few ponies as she made her rounds. One pegasus screamed so loudly they attracted the attention of the patrolling Aerie Pride, who swooped down looking for danger. That unfortunately only worsened the situation, causing the pegasus to collapse in a faint. The griffons snickered amongst themselves before draping the unconscious pony over their backs and walking them back to town. When she made her way back to the library, intent on calling it a productive day and going to bed, an unwelcome surprise beckoned her over. Shining Armor, clad in his official Canterlot Royal Guard uniform, stood stoically next to her parents in the shadow of the great trunk. “Mother, Father, Brother.” Twilight Velvet’s eyes sharped dangerously at her pronounced slur, one that the dragon hastened to correct, “What can I assist you all with? Are you lost by chance?” “Of course not dear!” Her father exclaimed jovially, “We were hoping to join you for a night’s rest. Perhaps you could give us a tour tomorrow before the Celebration?” Her mood plunged as a smile faker than her father’s perfect blue wig emerged on her face, “Not a problem. Please come in. I’d be delighted to give you a tour.” Twilight pushed the door open, only to freeze in horror. Spike waved from within the circle of beings that crowded together in the center of the library. She saw Thorax, a griffon cub, a mule foal, a Gem Stray pup, and a filly. Spike scowled at her horrified face, only for it to morph into a facsimile of hers when Twilight Velvet asked from outside, “Is there something wrong, darling?” “N-Not at all, Mother. It- it’s just terribly messy,” the dragon said faintly, “I’ll be right back, excuse me.” Twilight slipped inside the tree, slamming the door shut with her back foot, shaking the topmost leaves of the building. She kept her foot pressed against the door in case her parents decided to waltz in. (It wasn’t paranoia if it’d happened before.) Adrenaline made her head spin. “Alright children,” Twilight hoarsely called out, “How about you all go into Spike’s room? Some Canterlot ponies are outside. The balcony doors should be unlocked.” The kids sprang up as if Twilight threatened them with stale hay pancakes. They all fled on silent feet up the stairs. The moment Spike’s door latched softly, Twilight eased the pressure against the door. It burst open with a wave of Magic that made her dizziness multiply two-fold. “Honestly! We’re your parents, Twilight. A messy room isn’t something we haven’t seen before.” Her laugh hurt her ears, “Sorry Mother, Father. You taught me to be presentable. I want to live up to that expectation.” Her mother’s eyebrows disappeared into her mane, “I’m glad our lessons finally have an impact,” she said slowly, eyes roving through the books for some hidden secret, “Where is Young Spike?” Wildly, she almost blurted out he was staying with a friend, except there was a thump in his room that made Twilight frantically swallow back the words, nearly gagging in her haste. “He must be in his room! Spike! Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle are here. Come greet them please!” “Mind your slur,” Shining Armor muttered beside her shoulder. For a fantastical moment, she imagined telling her brother to stuff it and to get out of her house. She managed not to. Barely. Spike stuck his head out from his room, his mane disheveled and sticking up in odd directions. His vest was missing. “Grandmother! Grandfather! Hi Uncle!” In true Sparkle fashion, Spike missed the first step on the stairs. Twilight wanted to scream hysterically as she watched it happen in slow motion. She staved off the urge as she hurried forward to catch her frazzled child. “Woah! Thanks, Mom! Oh boy, I’m so tired I missed the stairs. Can you believe that?” he giggled sharply, and then whispered frantically, “Why are they here?” “How in Tartarus would I know?” Twilight hissed back, before loudly clearing her throat and setting Spike on his hooves, “Be more careful in the future, Spike. Say your hellos and then you can go to bed.” Spike greeted her parents so stiffly, Twilight was surprised that he didn’t fall over like a wooden board when he shook Shining Armor’s hoof. Her child retreated as fast as possible without running, slipping into his room without a backward glance. Twilight Velvet arched her sculpted eyebrows in Twilight’s direction. The dragon pretended to be too busy fussing with the kettle and the luggage to notice. “Mother, Father. My room is open for your use, I can room with Spike for the night. Brother, you’re free to whatever room strikes your fancy. Hot water before bed?” she offered. Despite her initial panic, it was still amusing to see the rest of her family wrinkle their noses at simple hot water. Her parents disappeared into her room, leaving only Shining Armor sitting at the table with her. “You’re really selfish, I hope you know,” Shining Armor said mildly, “You’re lucky to have parents like Mum and Dad.” “I have a child, Brother. I need to be selfish for his sake.” Twilight sighed, tired. “Spike isn’t yours.” It had been over a decade since Twilight had an emotion-induced Magic Surge. Her muscles twisted on themselves, burning and stripping as her claw darted across the table to grab Shining Armor by the horn. The lights dimmed when her wings unfurled slowly, moving like they were stuck in molasses. She was absolutely sure her eyes glowed magenta as her Magic fought to escape its suddenly too-small container. “Say that again,” she whispered, yanking his face close to hers, “Say it again and I promise you’d beg me for mercy.” She heard her brother swallow past the roaring of her ears. Little splinters of Magic broke away from her scales, sparking as they bled off their excess energy. Shining Armor wrenched his horn from her grip, leaving her arm awkwardly stuck in the air. She didn’t care. Her eyes followed him as he backed away. “Duly noted, Scion Sparkle. Have a good evening.” A smile filled with too many teeth was his answer. He backed up the stairs, keeping her in his line of sight until he joined their parents in her room. The door closed and the lock slid home with a click. As quietly as possible, Twilight lay down in the middle of the kitchen and acknowledged the liquid fire in her veins. A long time ago, as a filly, Twilight burned her hoof on the Manor stove. As a dragon, the only time she felt that sensation was during a Surge. Her jaw slackened as she kept her cries of agony silent. Her legs and arms kicked out and contorted in strange positions. She would not be sleeping tonight. Twilight winced at the residual soreness as she shifted anxiously behind the balcony curtain. The Queen was late. Normally, Twilight wouldn’t have cared. A queen wasn’t late, everyone else was simply early. A queen showed up and they would be on time because that’s when they wanted to appear. Queen Celestia had her own way of counting time so who was her lowly student to judge? But the Queen wasn’t here to show up. There was no hint nor hide of the alicorn even as dawn crept closer. The crowd of ponies shuffled, whispering amongst themselves. Twilight fought the impulse to fidget. Her son’s words rang in her ears, “I have evidence Nightmare Moon is coming back! The Stars will aid in her escape!” It was just the nerves talking. That whole idea was impossible. Spike was down there somewhere with her parents and Shining Armor. She wanted to poke her head out from behind the curtain and see him for herself, if only to reassure her. He was probably sulking since he couldn’t spend time with his new friends. Either that or he’d snuck away to the refreshments table. Five more minutes until dawn. Above her, Twilight could hear the clink of armor. For once, the Canterlot Royal Guards were not under the command of her older brother. They were under the command of Buckler, Shining Armor’s Executive Officer and an older earth pony that treated her and Spike well. She wanted to go and greet him. Many months had gone without her seeing him. But there were only three more minutes until the Celebration was to be underway. Her checklist crumpled a little in her grip as she shifted again. If the Queen was any later, she might have to accompany the alicorn onto the balcony to relay all of the proper information. She really hoped she didn’t have to. Crowds were not her thing. One more minute. A swooping dread made her stomach fall from her body. What in Equestria would she even say to the crowd? “My deepest apologies, the Queen is indisposed. Please wait a moment”? She cringed just thinking about delivering that with her speech impediment. Before she could enter full panic mode, hoofbeats sounded at the stairs and Twilight sighed in relief. She got to her feet just as the door swung open, a severe, “Where in all of Equestria have you been, my Queen?” on the tip of her tongue. The dark alicorn standing in the doorway, blinking in shock, was definitely not Queen Celestia.