//------------------------------// // The Letter(s) // Story: The Element of Magic // by PlutoMilo //------------------------------// “Are you sure this is a good idea, Spike?” Pinkie Pie asked nervously. “No.” Thorax turned an alarming ashy-looking gray and Spike winced at his bluntness, “But it’s the only idea I got.” “Well, better one idea than none,” Pinkie Pie replied. Her stiff feathers gave away her anxiety. Thorax whimpered, buzzing his wings. The changeling took a deep breath and concentrated. It took a moment, but his green fiery Magic enveloped him, turning into a young pony that, for all intents and purposes, could look like Pinkie Pie’s sibling. “Poof the mane a little. Your tail is a different color,” Pinkie Pie kindly pointed out, “Or you can keep it like that, it looks funny. It fits.” Thorax screwed up his face, making Pinkie Pie snort back her giggles again. The changeling smiled a bit too when his tail only turned a brighter pink than before. Spike sighed nervously, repositioning his Guard’s pin on his vest for the hundredth time. The library door opened soundlessly and Spike marched in with his head held high. Almost immediately, his grandmother descended upon him like a vulture. “Spike Sparkle! Where have you been? We have been worried sick! Running off like that! I cannot believe you! Young colt, you will be learning your manners and etiquette for as long as you live!” Spike pushed himself away, lifting his chin even as everything in him wailed in horror. “I’m just here for a book, Grandmother. I’m staying with friends.” He took a step back, walking into Pinkie Pie’s downy chest when his grandmother’s expression darkened. Spike could hear the forced smile on Pinkie Pie’s face when she spoke up, “Don’t worry Missus Sparkle, he’ll be safe.” “The correct form of address would be Madam Sparkle,” his grandmother said with clear distaste, “Not that I expected much from common ponies like you lot.” A wing fell upon him in comfort when he quaked where he stood. “Apologies, Madam Sparkle. Spike’s in good hand… hooves.” “I refuse to have a mere filly tell me what’s good for my grandson.” His grandmother’s nose flared and her horn sparked. Spike shrank back further. It took a great deal for a pony as composed as Twilight Velvet to lose control of her Magic. As if by a blessing from the Sun, Grandfather appeared, “Now, now, dear. Let us not be hasty. This pegasus brought him back to say hello, did she not? Are you well, Young Spike?” “Of course, Grandfather! I like my new friends very much. They’re very nice. I want to take a book I left here. It- it has lovely pictures and I want to show everypony, like Thorax here.” Thorax smiled with far too many teeth and scuffed his new hoof against the floor, “Suh-Spike’s real excited to show me, ma’am. If- if it won’t be any trouble…” His feathery wings still buzzed when he flicked them anxiously. It put Spike’s teeth on edge. Spike’s grandmother’s expression eased somewhat, “I am glad you have friends, Young Spike. However, it would be best to stay with family, especially after such a fright.” Spike barely managed to stop his mouth from dropping open. Grandmother was afraid. For him. Grandmother was never afraid. “Then, may my friends stay over for a little bit, so I can show them the book?” “They may,” Grandmother said with a whip-like crack to her voice, “However, we would like a recount of your previous actions within the next two hours. Do I make myself clear?” Spike nodded so quickly he accidentally hit the top of his head into Pinkie Pie’s shoulder, “Crystal, Grandmother.” He led his friends up to his room, herding Thorax in when he tripped on the top step. The changeling shuddered and returned to his normal form, shaking himself. Pinkie Pie gaped at all of the papers and books. It looked like a hurricane had torn through his room, much like how he left it on the Eve of the Celebration. The clock on the wall read midday, but the stars still twinkled outside. “Your granny is terrifying,” Thorax said, “Almost lost control when she looked at me.” “She’s only like that when she’s mad,” Spike assured his friends. “We don’t have much time,” Pinkie Pie reminded them. Spike peeled the covers on his bed back, revealing the books he stashed there. He showed them the most important one first: The Elements of Harmony, A Reference Guide. Then, he pulled out the letter Queen Celestia sent Twilight two weeks ago. “I think the Queen lost the Elements. Look here at the bottom. She is the Bearer or something. She had them up until two weeks ago, but now they’re gone. Nightmare Moon might’ve taken them into the Everfree Castle. But I think that’s unlikely. She was talking about ‘fixing the Leyline’ or something when I stayed with her. She wouldn’t need to if she had the Elements of Harmony.” “A what now?” “You know, Leyline, use Magic from it, grows under big cities?” Pinkie Pie blinked and Spike could almost see the invisible question mark floating above the pegasus’ head. Thorax looked even more hopelessly confused than the older being. “Never mind, it takes too bloody long to explain. Take the book-” he opened the book to a random page and stuffed the letter inside, “and bring it to Lady Applejack or something. I reckon she probably knows the Everfree better. Or Sir Don. He knows a lot too.” Pinkie Pie tucked the book under her wing before nuzzling Spike, “You’re a smarty McSmarty Pants, Spike! I’ll go now. Do you want to stay or go, Thorax?” “I-I’ll stay a little longer, just in case.” “Okie Dokie!” There was a sound like a crack of lightning and Pinkie Pie was gone. Only a few drifting pink feathers told the two young beings she’d been there at all. Spike exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Thorax, who simply shrugged, “It’s Pinkie Pie. Everyone knows not to ask.” “But- What? How?” Spike waved a hoof around the space the pegasus used to occupy, “That’s not in any books I read!” “Well, I don’t bloody know!” Thorax cried in a faux Canterlot accent, “You ought to know!” “I do not talk like that!” Spike responded, trying to stifle his giggles, “You sound awful.” “I’ll make you a proper Ponyvillian eventually!” Twilight pinned the Dream Eater against the ground. Shackles of stone exploded from the rocks around them to keep it in place. Water dripped in a nearby cave, echoing throughout the numerous branching ravines in the Canterlot Crystal Caves. The Dream Eater struggled and flailed. Despite not having a visible mouth, it squealed like a captured rat. A striking comparison since that’s exactly what it was. Twilight growled, low and threatening, buzzing in her throat and chest, a sound she wouldn’t have dared make while she was awake and lucid. But she was dreaming, and here, she was limitless. Magic did not hurt and she could cast as much as she wanted to. Some giddy part of her was still sighing in contentment at the complete ease she’d brought Canterlot City down. The Dream Eater stilled. “Don’t you know what happens when you play with fire?” Twilight hissed, letting a hint of flame escape her jaws. “You get burnt.” The Dream Eater shrieked like a dying cat when dragon fire engulfed it, burning it to cinders in a moment. At once, the heavy burden on her back lifted and Twilight could breathe easier. She scraped a hand through the ashes, grimacing when it stuck to her claws. The ashes blew around even though there wasn’t any wind. The dragon wasted no time incinerating the ash into nothing. She was not chancing some miracle resurrection. She was nearing wakefulness. It stirred at the edges of her consciousness, scratching like an itch she couldn’t get to. She picked her way further down the Crystal Caves, approaching the dreamscape’s Leyline. The cave she walked into was pitch dark. She couldn’t have seen her own snout if she wanted to. Physically, Twilight knew it was dark. Magically, on the other hand… If the dragon didn’t know she was dreaming, she would have thought the Leyline in front of her was the real deal. It made her squint against the dark. Electricity raced up her scales as she dared to lift a claw and gently place it on the rippling surface. She nearly stumbled forward when her claw passed through it. So this was the thing that absorbed the excess Magic and made the foundations of Canterlot rattle when she was upset. It was such a large part of her daily life and lo and behold, it wasn’t actually tangible. Twilight didn’t know what she expected in the first place. It was beautiful like a distant mountain, wholly out of her reach, but here she was. “Alright, old friend. I don’t want to hurt the real you, but I really wonder what would happen if something gave you more Magic than you could handle…” Yes, Twilight was definitely going mad if she was considering doing something like this. Who knew what would happen? No work had been published and no one dared to do such a risky experiment. Her actions brought to mind a too-small door and the three beings that grew it larger. She really needed to apologize to Pinkie Pie. Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath and stepped into the Leyline, shivering as Magic caressed her gently. Well, only one way to find out. It started slowly, only a few trickles escaping every now and again, her fine-tuned control warring with the instruction to let loose. She relaxed, breathing deeply, and soon the leak flowed steadily. It grew hot, hot enough for her scales to steam. Reaching into herself, she pulled forth more and more until she was panting with the effort. It wasn’t enough, not yet, even as the Caves trembled and shook along with her bones. Let go. Let it all out. More. More! MORE! And the Leyline exploded. Twilight clawed her way out of the dream, blinking open her blurry eyes to see angled moonlight shining down into an elaborate but broken throne room. Her ears rang shrilly. Nightmare Moon looked at her, blinking in disorientation. The alicorn probably got caught in the dream-like backlash. Not enough to hurt but enough to shock the dream holder. Twilight groaned. It was like a piano fell on her head and she’d been flattened by a passing carriage after the fact. It reminded her that she still wasn’t fully recovered from the Magic Surge. Sharp pain bloomed to life like a poisonous flower as her muscles cramped. She hissed through her teeth when she jostled her injuries from the ravine incident. Her head pounded like a second heartbeat. She had simultaneously lived for a thousand years and nothing but a second at the same time. “Thee hast woken quicker than we bethought.” “Being a Magic dragon has its downsides,” Twilight croaked, cringing at the way her tongue caught against the roof of her mouth and curled incorrectly to make the sounds she wanted. After a moment of considering silence, the alicorn spoke once more, “Thou art nay fooleth, apologies for mine own earlier words. Cometh if 't be true thee shall not catch but a wink.” Twilight let out a hoarse cry when the alicorn tried to steady her with a simple levitation spell. Immediately, the spell retreated. “No Magic, please. I can’t handle it.” Nightmare Moon observed her, a mixture of bewilderment and awe sparkling in her eyes. Her mane wasn’t so ethereal anymore. It lay flat along the alicorn’s head in a frizzy tangle that feebly twitched every so often. “We art a fair Queen. Tis counter-productive to injureth mine own servants. Doth not feareth. The Sun hast hath raised cowards and weaklings. The children of this world art broken and afraid. Thou art nay exception. A beast thou art, but thee can speaketh. Stout enow to killeth a dreameth, but weak to spells. How queer.” Twilight had no response to that. Instead, she said, “...Thank you for not hurting Spike.” Nightmare Moon drew back sharply, eyes dilating into slits, “Who ist wouldst dareth harmeth a knave?” “Dunno, just a mother’s worry I guess.” Twilight lay her head back down onto the stones, too tired to keep it up and looking at the threat. The metal on the alicorn’s horseshoes clashed awfully against the floor when she approached, “Thee hast very stout Magic. Where didst thee learneth?” “I am Twilight Sparkle, Student of the Sun,” Twilight mumbled, “I can’t control it very well.” “Stoutness and controleth art two different things. Wherefore hast the traveling lamp hath sent thee here?” “Assignment. It was a simple one.” Her words blended together and she had to repeat herself to make herself understood. Nightmare Moon settled herself nearby, much like Donnie had when he watched over her sickbed. In spite of her better judgment, Twilight let her eyes close fully. “Mine own daughter hast been stolen from us. Doth not be-est so quick to trusteth thy traveling lamp. We art willing to alloweth day returneth if't be true Nova is released. The stars hast did dim.” “Do you want to send a letter?” Twilight mumbled, peeling her eyes open again, “Write something and I can send it. Dragon Magic.” Distantly, Twilight wondered what she would say to herself if she were to look upon the situation she was in two weeks ago. Laughed and called the entire thing a delusion of the mind, probably. Her eyes swam in and out of focus. She let her mind drift. She hoped Spike was okay. Nightmare Moon’s warning echoed in her brain. Why would the Queen even want Spike? It wasn’t like her son was planning a coup or committing a similar crime. If the Queen took Spike, well, not even the law would protect the ruler of Equestria. If Twilight didn’t declare a House feud, Twilight Velvet definitely would. For all the faults her mother had, the unicorn valued family. A lesser mare would’ve thrown Twilight out onto the streets the moment the news spread that the Scion of any House turned into a dragon. Twilight Velvet wasn’t the nicest pony to be around, and the dragon hated her lectures with a passion, but she cared where it mattered. If Twilight were to declare herself jobless and in a negative relationship with the Queen, House Sparkle would always welcome her back, no matter how begrudgingly. A scroll rolled to a stop in front of Twilight’s snout, jerking her back to the painful present. Expectant sky-blue eyes waited patiently. Her back teeth clicked together to create a shower of sparks that ignited the rush of air she expelled from her fire chamber. Green flames bathed the scroll in a burst of light and the ash spiraled away toward the Queen. “Catch but a wink, Drakon.” “No more dreams,” Twilight half-joked. “Nay,” the alicorn agreed quietly. Pegasi could fly. They had wings and manipulated the weather across Equestria from Cloudsdale. Most pegasi, born in the clouds or not, ended up there. It made sense. There weren’t very many job opportunities on the ground for ponies like them. Manual labor was fulfilled by earth ponies, and everything else was done by Magic from the unicorns. And in a world that favored Magic over everything else, well, there was always a shortage of hooves in the other tribes. Pinkie Pie was born on the ground, the youngest of four, the only pegasi for miles around, and a pink one at that. It baffled her family as much as it did her. Life on a rock farm did not do her any favors growing up. She broke her hooves more times than she could count. So, she grew stronger, she had to. Soon, she was able to break rocks open almost as easily as the rest of her siblings. She just needed to be a little more careful. Maud, the oldest sibling, was kind to her, and the only one that argued back against their parents. Maud could do anything. Maud could break open all of her rocks before lunch and then go on to help everyone else. She hardly smiled, but if the siblings needed a shoulder to cry on, Maud would be there. She was angrier than even Pinkie Pie when her wings got clipped at the tender age of four summers. Back then, Pinkie hadn’t known what wing clipping entailed. She never had to worry about using her wings in a family of earth ponies. But Maud understood, and now at sixteen summers, Pinkie Pie understood too. She would never be able to fly and her hooves would never touch a cloud with her own power. Pinkie might’ve folded like a house of cards in despair if it hadn’t been for the rest of her siblings.  They kept her laughing and smiling as they bandaged her legs and came up with new ways to break open rocks that didn’t require so much force. Lime made snarky comments and Marble told stories. Maud watched over them all, breaking open rocks faster and mastering Earth Magic to help her siblings do the same. Pinkie Pie still remembers how the earth trembled with every step Maud took. It was Marble who wondered aloud: if earth ponies could break bedrock and pegasi built the air, then what could a pony who was both do? And like all children, they thought about different ways to earn their cutie marks. So, Pinkie Pie learned to run, learned to trust her instincts, and learned to run on lightning. That didn’t end up being her cutie mark, causing Lime to owe Marble several helpings of dessert when she lost the bet. Her cutie mark came later when she witnessed a ring of fire expand across the sky in a dazzling show. It reminded the pegasus of candles and fireworks. The irony wasn’t lost on her. She learned her talent was throwing parties in the middle of a rock farm. Currently though, Pinkie Pie was zipping across the roads and paths into the forest, a book tightly held under her wing. The world blurred and warped, the light bending as Pinkie flashed passed without so much as a whisper. She may never fly, but this was just as good. The wind in her mane and the subtle burn in her legs. She popped to a stop next to Rainbow Dash. The griffon squawked in shock and dropped their sandwich. “Hiya Dashie! Know where Applejack is?” The griffon glared, dusting her sandwich off and gesturing irritably with it, “Over there somewhere. Scared the feathers off of me!” “Okie dokie-lokie!” “Stop doing that, kid!” the griffon’s fading voice snapped fondly when Pinkie Pie started her run again. She giggled, skidding to a halt at her destination. Applejack jumped at her sudden appearance and Donnie’s eye glittered with amusement. Donnie was as scuffed as ever, scars stark white against his dirty brown scales and his missing clumps of white fur. The pegasus almost snapped a wing up in a mock salute, but she remembered at the last moment she was still holding the book. It resulted in her fumbling it and a sheepish giggle. “Got the book! Now what?” she asked, hoofing the book over to the bigger earth pony. “Oh yeah, Spike also put a letter or something in the book. Said it was important.” “Shucks, yer askin’ the wrong pony here Pinkie.” “And that is why I’m here. Oh, dear. I miss the days when everyone used scrolls. So much more accessible. Let’s see this book then, child. Flip the pages for me, will you?” Donnie’s eyes crinkled when Pinkie Pie immediately flipped the pages precisely. “Can Thorax stay?” Grandmother looked over him, frowning just a little bit, “Are you implying you already know the answer, Young Spike?” Spike gulped. Be brave. He could be brave. He was a dragon. “Y-yes, Grandmother. He makes me feel safe.” “Very well, Young Thorax may stay.” She raised her voice, “Young Thorax, I will be in the sitting room having a small discussion with my grandson. Please do not hesitate to nourish yourself in the kitchen. Young Spike will be rejoining you in a moment.” “Nuh-No problem Madam. I don’t mind!” Came Thorax’s voice from Spike’s room. Spike seated himself gingerly on the wooden chair. He braced himself for the lecture of the century when Grandmother finally stopped fussing with her mane. “To begin,” the mare said in a tired voice, “I am incredibly relieved you are home safe. Your disappearance caused some stress. Secondly, while I am most definitely not pleased with how you went about it, I am… proud of you for standing up for yourself. House Sparkle prides itself on showing bravery, dedication, and loyalty, all of which you displayed last night. In our future lessons, I will go over the art of subtly, as that is something you are sorely lacking. Your mother may think otherwise, but you are the future of House Sparkle.” Spike could only gape in a rather unflattering manner. What in Celestia’s name? Grandmother proud of him? Grandmother wasn’t really ever proud of, well, anything really. Hearing her say that… “Third of all,” his grandmother’s voice fell like a whip crack, causing him to abruptly snap his mouth shut, “For the Love of the Sun. What in Equestria were you thinking? I do not want excuses. There is a fault in your thinking process that must be corrected immediately. You must be aware of the future, Young Spike. There will be no future without you. Your actions have consequences.” Suitably chastised, Spike shifted in his seat, ears pinned back. He almost mumbled before remembering himself and clearing his throat. “I don’t have Magic, Grandmother. What else can I do except face it all head-on?” Grandmother remained silent, prompting Spike to rush out, “And an earth pony can’t run a House anyway.” “You are the future of House Sparkle,” Grandmother repeated steadily, “Shining Armor will not be in a position to sire children for House Sparkle. If Twilight were to obtain more children, the responsibility would still fall on you as her firstborn. My daughter can adopt all she wants with or without a stallion and they will be part of House Sparkle.” Grandmother hesitated a little at his gobsmacked expression, “You are my Heir, Young Spike. You are my daughter’s son. I have given Twilight all I can. She is still Scion.” “I- May- I would… like some time to think?” Spike sputtered. Grandmother nodded, “Very well. I am aware of how much information this is. If you have further questions, your grandfather should be able to answer them adequately. Shining Armor will be dropping by at a later time to bring news. Any questions regarding your mother shall be directed toward him.” Spike nodded vigorously, slipping ungracefully from his chair to wobble upstairs. His breath escaped him in a giant woosh when he finally latched his room door. He slid to the floor, trembling. Thorax hovered, dropping his shift to cast a small spell. Instantly, a cool breeze filtered into the room, making it less suffocating. “You’re okay. You’re okay,” Thorax murmured quietly, “Do you want some water? A snack? I can-” Spike whimpered and Thorax fell silent. After a few moments, Thorax moved again, but not in the direction Spike expected. With a grunt of effort, Thorax lifted Spike using a combination of his Magic and physical self. Little by little, the smaller changeling managed to heft Spike onto his bed. “By the Pits of Tartarus,” Thorax gasped, completely winded, “I need to work on that.” Spike let out a breathless kind of giggle, something that hovered between hysterical and genuine. Thorax curled up on top of the blankets with him, buzzing his wings in a nervous tick that somehow soothed him. “It’ll be okay. Sir Don has the book and Lady Applejack can do the rest. Your mom is strong, right? She’ll be back before you know it.” “...Thanks, Thorax.” “Anytime.”