Twilight yawned as she slid out of bed, blinking as her eyes adjusted. She glanced back at the bed, frowning at the flat sheet. “Tempest?” she mumbled, looking around the room.
Assuming the unicorn had left last night for some reason or another, Twilight opened the door to her bedroom and wandered down the hall to the kitchen to make herself breakfast.
She went to get a bowl, too tired to do anything more than pour herself a bowl of cereal, but the bowls were missing from the cabinets. She glanced around and realized that all the utensils, pots, and cutlery were missing. “What the…” Twilight asked. “Spike! Pinkie! Rainbow! Is this some kind of prank?”
No one responded. Muttering about mischievous dragons, Twilight walked into the dining room. Sitting on the table was a huge spread of her favorite breakfast foods. Her mouth hung open for a second. “Am I dreaming?” she asked, walking towards it in awe. All the food looked cooked expertly and delicious.
“Surprise!” a voice called from behind her. She shrieked and spun around to see Tempest staring at her guiltily. “Sorry,” the unicorn apologized, “didn’t mean to scare you.”
Twilight let out a huge sigh. “It’s just you. What’s this? Did Spike make it?”
“Oh, uh, Spike’s been teaching me to cook,” Tempest responded.
“When were you planning on telling me? Is this some kind of secret?”
Tempest blushed. “I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well, you certainly succeeded,” Twilight said wryly. Tempest laughed nervously. “What’s the matter? You seem on edge?”
“Nothing!” Tempest said, far too quickly to be believable. “Really, it’s nothing.”
Twilight walked to the unicorn and pecked her on the cheek. “Well, it’s a wonderful surprise.”
Tempest smiled softly. “I’m glad you like it.”
The two dug into the food. “Mmm,” Twilight said, “these strawberries are excellent.”
“I know how much you love them. I ordered them from San Poné,” Tempest responded nonchalantly.
Twilight set down her fork and stared at Tempest, “San Poné strawberries cost a fortune.”
Tempest grinned sheepishly. “More.”
Twilight opened her mouth to respond, then closed it. She tilted her head, staring at Tempest suspiciously. “Alright, what’s the catch?”
“Nothing,” Tempest responded. “I figured so long as I was going to surprise you with a nice breakfast, I might as well get high-end ingredients.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Alright.”
When they were done eating, Tempest side-eyed Twilight. “You know, I heard that there’s something happening in the town square.”
Twilight stared at the unicorn. “Do you… know what that something is?”
“Why don’t you see for yourself?”
Twilight rolled her eyes but walked to the front door and descended the step, Tempest close behind. The princess squinted at a new structure right next to the town hall. “Is that a wagon?” she asked, walking closer. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she gasped. “Is that the traveling book trader’s wagon?”
Tempest walked beside her, laughing softly. Twilight squealed. “I’ve always wanted to see her collection! Ponies say she has texts not even the Canterlot library has!”
Her eyes wandered to Tempest. “Wait a minute. Did you have something to do with this?”
“I, um, might have pulled a few strings,” Tempest responded.
Twilight smirked at the unicorn. “What is it? I know you’re buttering me up for some huge favor.”
“Can’t I do something nice for my marefriend?” Tempest asked innocently.
Twilight shrugged. “Fine, keep your secret. I won’t turn down a bit of pampering.”
Then she galloped down the street, looking to all the world like a filly on their way to a candy store. Tempest laughed and followed her.
As they got closer, the wagon came into view. It was a calm green and made of fine wood, delicately carved. Or at least, that’s what it might’ve looked like once. Instead, the cart had been patched with all sorts of different woods, probably from all over Equestria, but the chaos only added to its atmosphere. Outside the wagon were a few folding tables piled with dozens and dozens of books.
The side of the wagon was open, with a pegasus overseeing the book trading and negotiating over more valuable tomes.
Twilight’s face lit up when she saw the books. “Is that really The Chronicles of Zevar? I thought the only copy burned in the Griffonstone fire moons ago! Oh my gosh, the diary of Letha the Bright? But I thought she was just a myth!”
“Want me to go get some books for you to trade with?” Tempest asked.
“Oh, none of my books would be valuable enough to trade for those.”
“What? Come on! You’re practically the princess of books. You’ve got some awesome ones. Besides, haggle a little bit! Use that charm of yours. Those books would certainly go to better use in your library than with her.”
“Ivory Quill is a revered literary expert and sorta my hero! I can’t cheat her out of a book that I’m certain she’d like to hang on to! She wouldn’t even be impressed with me anyways.”
Tempest rolled her eyes. “Oh, go talk to her already.”
“But what if she doesn’t like me?” Twilight asked.
“Oh my gosh.” Tempest grumbled, walking up to the wagon.
“Oh, hi, Tempest, how’s the plan going-” the pony in the wagon began.
Tempest shook her head quickly, her eyes flicking to Twilight. “Um, Ivory Quill, I have someone who really wants to talk to you.”
Ivory Quill leaned out of the wagon and looked at Twilight. “Ohmygosh hi! You’re Twilight Sparkle!” The pegasus was as white as snow, with a matching mane, with dark blotches patterning her coat and.
Twilight smiled nervously and walked over. “Um. Hi.”
“So good to- oh, what am I doing.” The pegasus ducked back into her wagon and emerged from a door in the side. “So, you’re like… basically my idol. You’re a princess, which is awesome, but most importantly, you live in a library! Well, lived. Sorry about that. You have a library in that castle, right? You know, Celestia and Luna can raise the sun and the moon, but you read books, and as I always say, knowledge is power, which means you must be the most powerful princess. Not that you’re not powerful anyways. Did I mention how much I love your mane? It’s bright but also subtle. Such a cool gradient. Did you dye it?” Suddenly Ivory Quill snapped her mouth shut. “Um. Sorry. Sometimes I just start talking and can’t stop. Writing habit, you know? Just get into the groove and- ah! I’m doing it again. Hi. I’m Ivory Quill. You already knew that, though.”
“Um. Hi,” Twilight responded.
Ivory Quill giggled. “Sorry, I’ve been told I can be overwhelming.” The pegasus seemed totally sure of herself, but she ruffled her wings nervously. “I’m sorry if I came off as, um, annoying, or, like, kind of insane, I haven’t taken my meds for today, and that was probably too much information so I’m gonna shut up now.”
Twilight smiled. “I think you and Pinkie Pie would get along great.”
Ivory Quill smiled shyly. “You want to. Um. Look at books?”
“That would be awesome!” Twilight responded excitedly.
The white pegasus led them over to the table. On it lay a cornucopia of literature from across Equestria and beyond. “That book is a griffon history textbook. It was being thrown out for being outdated, but I took it as a preservation of old ways of thought. You should see some of the things written in there. Can you believe they thought there was a breed of ponies with bat wings?”
Ivory continued to walk along the table, pointing out interesting tomes and scrolls. “There’s a scroll on changeling battle tactics, a dragon manual on how to fly, and a novel written entirely in Abyssinian.”
“Wow,” Twilight murmured. “You’ve got quite a collection.”
Ivory smirked. “Wait until you come inside.”
She led them into her trailer. In a sealed, waterproof compartment lay five different texts. Each was ancient and weathered. Ivory pulled on gloves and reached for one of the books gently. She placed it down carefully and opened it gingerly.
“This is the complete history of the lost hippogriff kingdom. Apparently they split at one point, but the other kingdom died out and was forgotten. I got this from an old hippogriff living alone. It had been passed down from generation to generation, but since she was the last of her line, she entrusted it to me.”
Twilight stared at the book in awe. “That’s… that’s incredible.”
Ivory turned to the princess. “I was planning to give it to the library in Canterlot when I returned there, but I think you should have it.”
“Me?” Twilight squeaked.
Ivory nodded. “I know you’ll take good care of it.”
“I can’t- I’m no historian! This belongs in a museum, o-o-or the archives!” Twilight protested.
Ivory shrugged. “It’s a lost kingdom. The information in it, while valuable, won’t change much. Plus, you can always allow historians to come study it.”
Twilight hesitated. “Are you sure you don’t want it? Or to give it to the Canterlot library and take credit for the discovery?”
Ivory Quill waved her off with one wing. “I’ve brought enough books there. Consider this an investment for the future. When you get the most impressive library in the world, you can say that I was the one who started it,” the pegasus explained, grinning mischievously.
Twilight nodded slowly. “Alright. But this is a book trade. I need to give you something in return.”
Ivory shrugged. “If you want. I’m not gonna haggle. I want you to have this.”
“I’m going to make sure you get a good deal for it,” Twilight responded stubbornly. Suddenly, her face lit up and she vanished in a flash of light. A moment later, she reappeared, a book floating next to her head. It was purple with a horseshoe symbol on the front inlaid with six colorful gems.
Ivory Quill gasped. “Is that the original friendship journal?” Her eyes shone in excitement. “That would be… the most valuable book that I’ve ever had!” Then she snapped out of her awe. “But that means a lot to you and your friends. I can’t take that from you.”
Twilight shook her head. “We never look at it. It’s just ink on a page. I want you to have it, so that an original record of us can endure.”
Ivory Quill smiled. “Thank you so much,” she replied.
“Thank you,” Twilight responded.
The two talked for hours about books and literature while Tempest facilitated the book trade, occasionally asking the bookworms a question. By the time Ivory had to leave to get to her next location, the sun was low in the sky.
“It was wonderful to meet you,” Twilight said.
“Meeting you was the experience of a lifetime. Celestia and Luna are great, but there’s no doubt in my mind that you’re the best princess,” Ivory grinned.
Twilight smiled from ear to ear at the compliment. “What you do is amazing. You help connect the culture, ideas, and history of Equestria and the nations around it. That’s more important than anything my friends and I have been able to accomplish.”
“Not that I don’t appreciate the sentiment, but I have to say I think stopping the god of chaos from turning the world upside-down might be a little more important than handing out some books,” Ivory deadpanned. The pegasus glanced at Tempest. “Good luck tonight,” she called before trotting down the road, her wagon rolling behind her.
Twilight’s brow furrowed. “‘Good luck’?” she asked, turning to Tempest. “What does that mean?”
Tempest looked at her carefully. “Want to take a walk?”
Suddenly, Twilight grew nervous. Tempest had been acting weird all day. What if she was about to break up with Twilight?
“Alright,” Twilight responded, failing to keep her anxiety out of her tone.
The two wandered through the streets of Ponyville. Twilight watched as ponies saw the two and began to talk quietly. Soon, they were outside the village, walking through a field.
The sun glowed as it touched the horizon, casting rays across the grass, a last gasp of beauty before its fading.
Possibly not unlike Twilight and Tempest’s relationship right now.
Tempest turned to Twilight. The princess’s pulse skyrocketed. “Twilight,” Tempest began. “You have changed my life forever. You saved me from myself and gave me a second chance despite everything I’d done. Time and time again, I have found reason after reason to love you.”
“Just get it over with already!” Twilight blurted. “If you’re going to break up with me, I understand, but I’d rather just know now.”
Tempest raised her eyebrows, then laughed. She looked at Twilight’s incredulous face and continued to laugh. Twilight stammered, hurt, as Tempest pulled herself together. “You’re so cute when you worry.”
Twilight stamped a hoof. “This is serious, Tempest!”
The unicorn composed herself. “As I was planning to say, you mean more to me than anything else in the world. You are funny, smart, and kind to everyone around you, no matter who they are or what they’ve done. Every moment I’m with you is better than a moment without you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight gasped. Tempest slipped a ring out of her cloak. Twilight sobbed. Tempest looked right at her, admiration and love filling her eyes. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” the alicorn cried, tackling Tempest in a hug. “Of course I will.”
Tempest nuzzled Twilight’s chest affectionately. “I’m not sure what I would’ve done if you’d said no.”
“Especially after setting all of that up today,” Twilight responded wryly.
“I suppose you could consider a proposal a favor,” Tempest answered.
Twilight laughed softly. “So who knew?”
Tempest rolled her eyes. “I meant to keep it within our little circle, but then I had to reel in Pinkie Pie when she didn’t understand that, and by then there was no controlling it.”
“I love you, Tempest,” Twilight whispered. “Thank you for the best day ever.”