Redheart looked up at the aged tree that was Ponyville Library as she neared, and came to a slow stop before it, momentarily unwilling to approach further. Looking at the library, what had started as confidence when she’d left her home, which had slowly been replaced by a growing nervousness as she went, finished its transformation into mild fear as she came to stand before the living structure. She was then aware that she was near a dangerous precipice; that once she stepped inside, and did what she planned, there would be no turning back. But she had no real choice:
This was her last hope.
What she intended wouldn’t be easy, she knew. Nopony at her work had connected the dots she had, refused to even begin to listen to her, all unwilling to hear her out. When she’d managed to secure a meeting with Mayor Mare, she’d got to speak a little and then somehow bullied out of the office by the old mare herself with an angry referral to the guard that had likely been more a threat than anything else. The guard had half listened and then warned her about ‘wasting official time’ and ‘medical legalities’ as if she was some simple farm mare that knew nothing about her own profession.
Unlike Redheart’s colleges and apparently those in office, however, Twilight Sparkle was known to be a logical mare. A unicorn known for her intellect, a pony that bore a lot more respect than she, Nurse Redheart, head nurse of Ponyville General, did. If anypony could see and understand what she had seen and understood for the past week, it would be Twilight, and if she got Twilight’s help, then ponies would surely listen then.
If only there wasn’t the very worrisome possibility that Twilight would notice what she was sort of doing wrong, or worse, hear her out and then become extremely mad at her. Redheart could even imagine having to leave town if it went poorly enough, find someplace else to live and work; her sister’s farm maybe, because the chance of keeping her license if things did go wrong were poor at best. Worst case, she’d get stabled for this, just like the guard had warned her she might.
But this was her last hope.
Her last hope that justice would prevail.
Focusing on that, she took a deep breath, checked her bags to make sure she had everything, and ran through the thing in her head to make sure that she knew what and how she was going to do what she planned. Feeling ready as she ever might, she firmed herself, told herself that surely, the sun shone on good and burnt evil, prayed for the sun to smile on her, and stepped forwards.
Entering the library had her pause, however, as Redheart found it surprisingly different than she recalled it. She remembered hearing that the library had been closed, but her work, official and otherwise, had precluded reasons why. At first glance, she guessed refurbishment; a lot of it.
The interior had that certain smell of fresh wood and polish, the floor shiny and sparkling, clearly freshly installed. The stair’s banister and stairs themselves seemed the same way, with a new, yet traditional, design, akin to the old but seeming that touch different. However, it was just as clear that refurbishment wasn’t the only thing going on.
The shelves were almost gone, leaving just three of them in place, of which one appeared brand new as well. Those three shelves only had a scattered number of books, far from the full shelves the library had once had. The normal furniture once present was all missing, and all that was left were a few fold-up chairs, the sort that claimed to be so useful and easy to use, but never really were, a pair of folding tables near them, and smaller one which stood just by the stairs.
Spike sat behind it, the drakling setting down a small tome and standing up on a stool behind the table near the stairs as she entered. “Hello Miss Redheart.” He greeted, picking up a small quill and pulling a different small tome that laid open on the table to him. “We apologize for the inconvenience, but most of the collection is currently unavailable for borrowing, however, the records are still available and complete; I can sign you in and get the keys if you want.”
“Oh, I wasn’t here for that, Spike.” Redheart told him, heading to him; the book before him appeared like a sign-in book, but closer examination revealed that it was just a plain diary, repurposed. She vaguely hoped that the semi-historic sign-in book hadn’t of had anything happen to it as she told the drakling, “I was actually wanting to meet with Twilight Sparkle, privately, if possible. Is she available?”
“She’s really, really busy getting books back together,” Spike said, hopping off the stool, “but I can go check if she can make time for you.”
Redheart nodded as Spike headed up the stairs, and looked around the library again. Other things stood out to her then: the small alcove beneath the stairs seemed to have been damaged somehow, some cloth set up to hide something, surely. That the floor and banister had changed had to be more than Twilight deciding to have a new look; the sudden lack of shelves and books also implied something, though what that was, or why Twilight was ‘really, really busy putting books back together’, seemed impossible to guess.
“She’s available.” snapped her out of her wondering, and she shook herself, refocusing, spotting Spike coming back down. “Just head up the stairs and into the study; third door on your right.” He told her, climbing back onto the stool behind the desk. “I’ll write you in myself.”
“Thank you, Spike.” Redheart said, throwing any thinking about the library, and focusing on what shew as there for. Determined, but unable to not feel a little worried, even a tad fearful, as she climbed, she ran through what she intended in her head, determined to get it just right. Then those thoughts and Redheart herself paused at the top, finding a very strange opening in the wall in the right wall at the top of the stairs, a rather powerful magical light in the back of it.
It took her several moments for her to realize that she was looking at an entirely empty and bare closet that lacked a door and had a bright light in it for some reason. Just why that was there baffled her, but after a moment, she dismissed it and the rest of her wonder, focusing on her plans as she went to the third door on the right, and knocked.
“Come in.”
Redheart did so, taking a moment to take a breath, and almost losing focus again as she beheld the inside of the study. She’d never really been inside before, but she was very certain that it was not normally filled with books. Piles and piles of damaged books, seeming as if some madpony had attacked them with a sword or something, some lightly scarred, others sliced into pieces. The room was illuminated not by the hanging chandelier, but instead by magical lights, multiple of which floated over two desks that formed ‘walls’ against the hoard of damaged books beyond. A couch formed the third, leaving enough space for a few ponies to comfortably stand in the room.
Redheart stood stunned for a moment, looking around at the piles of what had once been books with wide eyes before looking at Twilight, who, not looking at her, levitated two halves of a tome up and very slowly brought them together, reconnecting the spine with a bright glow of magic. She then eyed it and faintly groaned, pulling the tome apart again and putting the parts aside with a mildly frustrated sigh before turning to Redheart. “…Nurse Redheart, right?” she asked. “You’re a semi-common visitor to Ponyville Library, or well, you were before we closed.”
“Y, yes, but I have to ask:” Redheart told her, unable to not anymore, “What is all this? What happened to all the books, and does it have anything to do with the renovations downstairs?”
Twilight paused and then asked, “I take it that you hadn’t heard that the library had been mostly destroyed?”
“I, I heard it had been closed.” Redheart responded, blinking.
“That too, but mostly destroyed.” Twilight sighed. “We’re getting back on our hooves here, but we’re still waiting on some repairs to the structure, the new furniture and shelves, and most of the collection was damaged. I am currently the best mare to restore them, and that’s what I’ve been doing for longer than I care to think about. It would be so much easier if the how to repair books book hadn’t of been one of the casualties.” She finished in a mildly upset mutter, glancing to where less a pile of books and more a pile of assorted scraps were piled in a box.
“I do hope that I’m not interrupting,”
“No, no, I’ve been doing this for a few days now and I could use a distraction.” Twilight interrupted, waving a hoof. “Have a seat if you’d like and tell me why you wanted to meet with me, Nurse.”
“Thank you, but it’s just Redheart when I’m not on duty.” Redheart told Twilight, recognizing that Twilight appeared a little worn, the cause blatantly obvious. It did concern her a little, as Twilight’s patience would obviously be lessor than normal, but she forged ahead, telling Twilight, “I am afraid that it’s a… rather sensitive subject. Can we be overheard here, Miss Sparkle?”
“Just Twilight, please.” Twilight answered, glancing at the large window and door. Her horn lit for a few moments, during which the curtains pulled shut, and as her horn dimmed, Twilight told Redheart, “That spell should make sure that we can’t be heard through the door or window; you have my guarantee of privacy.”
“Thank you, Twilight.” Redheart said, moving to deposit her saddlebags on the less occupied desk. “For your consideration and your time.” She added, pondering just how she wanted to begin.
“It’s nothing.” Twilight dismissed. “Now, what is this ‘sensitive subject’ you wanted to talk to me about?”
“It concerns a patient that Ponyville General received just about three weeks ago.” Redheart told her, fishing a few documents from a bag and spreading them on the nearby desk. “Our most noteworthy case ever.”
“Oh?” Twilight asked, watching and curious as Redheart organized. “How so?”
“Well, amongst the reasons,” Redheart said, taking a few documents in particular as she turned to face Twilight, papers held against her chest, “the chief was that her injuries were quite severe, to the extent that we were deeply concerned for her life.”
“That is… noteworthy.” Twilight said, uncertain before quickly asking, “She is alright, though?”
“She is.” Redheart confirmed, Twilight relaxing with a small sigh of relief. “I have her charts right here with me, detailing her physical state a few minutes after her arrival.”
“Wai, wait, her charts?” Twilight asked, frowning a little and eyeing what Redheart held close to her chest. “What about doctor-patient confidentiality; are you even allowed to have those outside of the medical facility?”
Having known that she was going to be asked that, Redheart was quick to explain, “There charts were made before any such consideration was made, Twilight; the patient was first classified as an unknown foal, and lacking all family and in need of immediate medical attention, her chart is not as protected as would be anypony else’s.”
While that was sort of true, it wasn’t true enough for Redheart not to worry, but Twilight didn’t remark on the technical legality of it, instead looking away slightly, and murmuring, “Unknown foal, admitted to Ponyville General about three weeks… Gentle Flowers.” she said.
“You know her?” Redheart asked, surprised.
“Not firsthoof, but yes, I know her.” Twilight said, and Redheart wondered a little bit as to the odd look of apathetic frustration on Twilight’s face. “Mostly through paperwork.” Twilight added, looking at the papers Redheart had spread onto the desk with a worn and tired expression that yet seemed upset and worried.
After a moment, Twilight asked, “Was she really Ponyville General’s most noteworthy case? And are these actually really alright for you to have and for me to see?”
“She was, and their time of make is very clear; Gentle Flowers is in possession of new ones that were created after she was classified as an independent mare despite her youth.” Redheart told Twilight, feigning confidence as best she could. “These are effectively defunct and cannot be considered her actual medical charts.” She said, confident that they couldn’t be: they could be her records, which would equally make her having and showing them like this wrong, but she didn’t say that.
Twilight looked between Redheart and the papers several times, Redheart doing her best to maintain an expression of confidence and silently begging Princess Celestia that Twilight would just accept her technically legal arguments.
Then Twilight said, “Let me see them.”, Redheart relaxing as she offered the charts to Twilight, who magically took them and began scanning them.
“I can help explain anything that you need me to, if you’d like.” Redheart offered with a small smile, feeling very much better for having safely navigated the first real danger she was aware of.
“I shouldn’t need you too; I got an A in medical studies before and after Rainbow broke her wing I got acquainted with medical diagnosis.” Twilight told her. “However, this makes you the seventh pony to bring up Gentle Flowers in the last three weeks and the fourth in just the last one.”
“Really?” Redheart asked, surprised to hear that.
Twilight lowered the charts as she sighed, and seemed tired as she told Redheart, “All my friends have had something for me to see or something to explain to them about her, and Mayor Mare came by not three days ago so I could help her understand the legalities of Gentle’s rather abnormal case; the whole her legally being an adult mare despite not even having a cutie mark yet.”
“This might be presumptuous of me, but would you happen to have any insight into just how,?”
“The whole tangle basically hinges on the interpretation of two laws that technically relate to one another, but were never considered together.” Twilight began, Redheart going silent. “The first law is about inheritance, and it basically covers cases when an heir is too young to legally own or operate part of or all of their inheritance. In simple terms, they are recognized as their own representative and are given direction to obtain professional guidance. In simple terms, this makes Gentle her own guardian because she’s too young to ‘inherit’ the rights given to an adult pony.”
“That doesn’t sound right at all.” Redheart remarked, frowning.
“Because it isn’t, and it could easily be struck down if not for the use of the second law.” Twilight told her. “You are likely aware of it, as it covers foal rights. The important part of it, though, is the foal’s right of choice when no proper guardian can be identified, basically protecting vulnerable foals by making sure that they have some say over themselves. In Gentle’s case, this is interpreted a little differently than normal, and the whole thing breaks down something like this:”
“Gentle is her own guardian because she can’t inherit due to her young age, and because her age is less than fifteen, Gentle is given right of choice, which makes her able to effectively tell ponies trying to correctly legally identify her ‘no’ and they can’t do anything about it because she’s her own guardian. This then leads us down a rabbit hole of laws and rulings dating back multiple hundreds of years and it effectively ends at the foot of the celestial court itself, which will require that Princess Celestia herself sit in attendance because of the importance of these two laws. The court meets once per year, and while notable, Gentle’s case is very minor considering their normal course-load, and its more than possible that Gentle’s case won’t be considered until she’s actually a mare and it doesn’t matter anymore, the result nothing more than making sure that it won’t happen twice.”
“I see…” Redheart said, considering it all and feeling rather surprised to find that she rather well understood everything Twilight said. “You’re rather well versed in law, Twilight.” She remarked. “That was simple and easy to understand, and from my own experience, it’s normally the opposite.”
“I spent an entire day with Mayor Mare digging through the library records, and then town hall’s records, and then had to explain it to her, and then had to explain it to Rainbow Dash, and then to Applejack, and you heard the version she heard, which was made after I put Rainbow to sleep with the modified version from the one I gave Mayor Mare.” Twilight huffed, returning to looking at the charts. “I used to think that I’d never get tired of books and study, but I’m almost starting to understand Rainbow Dash now and... and… And Gentle was hurt this badly?” she asked, blinking as she looked at Redheart briefly before returning to her charts. “Multiple breaks in left hind leg, multiple broken ribs, heavy internal hemorrhaging, internal damage.”
“We feared for her life for many hours, Twilight.”
“This is so much worse than what Applejack told me, and…”
Redheart waited as Twilight trailed off, staring at the charts. Then Redheart blinked as Twilight looked at her, her eyes seeming a little empty. “…Twilight?” she gently encouraged, unsure.
“…H, her horn… her horn was… torn off?” Twilight weakly asked, whispering the last.
“…Yes, it was.” Redheart confirmed, watching Twilight carefully, recognizing the signs of fainting in the unicorn, readying herself in case she had to catch Twilight unexpectedly.
“But… but that… that’s not… survivable.” Twilight said, slowly recovering, losing the empty look, confusion replacing it.
“Gentle’s case proves otherwise, Twilight.” Redheart told her.
“But… H, how?” she asked, lowering the charts and focusing on Redheart. “Just how?”
“I asked that same question myself, and posed it to a number of specialists in unicorn physiology and horn injury in Canterlot.” Redheart answered, turning to take a few letters from her prepared material. She barely got to hold them out before Twilight took them, placing the chart on the other desk as she read those. “Suffice to say that unicorn horn physiology is equally a magical subject as it is a physical one, but I believe I understood their responses fairly well.”
“Forgive me if I am oversimplifying,” Redheart began, thinking, “but from what I understood, a unicorn’s horn grows alongside the unicorn themselves; I like to think of it as a unicorn foal having a horn that’s like a new sprout, if you will; it doesn’t have deep roots yet.”
Twilight mutely nodded as she flicked a letter aside, seeming determined and less faint to Redheart’s mild relief. She continued as Twilight did, “While this lighter physical connection does not allow for such an event to occur without death due to trauma and multiple contributing factors, impairment of a foal’s consciousness can dull the shock enough that, with proper aftercare, it’s feasibly possible for them to survive such an injury. I find it important to note,” she added, “that an earth pony or pegasus would find this aftercare impossible, due to the magical instability that results from such a wound being the primary danger to the victim’s life.”
Twilight finished the letters, and glared at Redheart. “…You’re making a case.” She identified, surprising Redheart. “A, against who? Who do you think would ever do this to a filly?” she angrily asked, almost aggressively glaring at Redheart.
Redheart remained stoic in the face of anger, however; she’d anticipated Twilight figuring her goal out before she stated it, and Twilight wasn’t screaming at her already, which was a great sign in her mind. “I only ask a little more time before I tell you that, Twilight.” She said, and then took Twilight not responding as a sign of acceptance.
“First, are you aware that there is no record of Gentle Flowers anywhere?” she asked, turning back to her materials, both to search for her next requirements and to stop having to face Twilight’s glare. “She appears to have just suddenly appeared at Ponyville Elementary, causing the ‘school incident’ as it’s come to be known. Apparently, she lied about her parents and place of residence; Cheerilee was very willing to speak to me about it.”
“I know that.” Twilight angrily told her, coming to stand beside Redheart, focusing on the mare as she shuffled papers. Redheart just noted that Twilight seemed less angry, but withheld any premature celebration; she hadn’t succeeded yet.
“She’s also a good match for Ponyville’s ‘Little Thief’, who will likely go down in history as Ponyville’s most proficient and greedy thief ever, rounding out a shocking day of thievery with a few assaults.”
“Gentle Flowers is not proven to be Ponyville’s Little Thief.” Twilight responded.
“That is true,” Redheart began, “However, Gentle Flowers was notably near Sweetie in the days before her disappearance.” Twilight paused, and Redheart continued, “Diamond Tiara herself is the pony responsible for making the report on Ponyville’s Little Thief and curiously, claimed that Sweetie Belle and two unnamed others acted in tandem with them, though that claim seems to have been dismissed. Multiple ponies saw her wandering town days before the ‘school incident’ and even after Ponyville Little Thief; I find it notable that when she was talking to ponies, it was almost always because she was looking for Sweetie Belle. Otherwise, her past is completely unknown, and we can only guess,”
“What does Gentle’s past matter, Redheart?” Twilight asked, mad. “You’re making a case that somepony, that somepony almost killed her, and it couldn’t have been the Horn Hunter, because she was dead two weeks before Gentle’s admittance! Are you just trying to upset me, or do you have a suspect in mind!” Twilight snapped.
Redheart recognized that she was at the end of Twilight’s patience, but still took hope, because when other ponies reached this point, they were already decrying her. She had a real chance now, there was no turning back, but she had to have exactly the right thing or else Twilight would likely get too angry and turn against her. Fortunately, she had just the thing for a logical mare that wanted a clear, determined answer:
“I’ve a final thing for you to read.” Redheart said, pulling a single note free of her packs.
“Just answer me!” Twilight demanded.
“I feel that this letter will do just that.” Redheart said, holding the letter out, thanking the sun that she could remain calm in the face of Twilight’s anger and the threat of failure, startling only a little with how aggressively Twilight snatched the letter from her.
With a firm glare that promised trouble, Twilight read the letter.
And all at once, her anger fled. It briefly returned after a moment of shocked staring, as if Twilight was trying to angrily defy what she’d just read, but that too faded away in almost blank staring as she read the letter again, and again, and again. Redheart’s concerns rose as Twilight began to lightly shake, looking more and more faint as she did so.
“Twilight?” Redheart gently asked, moving just a bit closer.
Twilight swallowed, and put the letter back calmly and carefully despite her shaky stance, her eyes staring at nothing in particular. Then she spoke, her voice weak and trembling, quoting the letter, “Gentle Flowers was in good health when she arrived at Carousel Boutique, where Rarity met her at the door and then levitated her inside.”
“Before later leaving, coincidently with new arrivals, bearing Gentle Flowers on her back, possibly fainted.” Redheart finished for her, moving closer to support the shaky Twilight. “Orange Bloom and her sister, Lemon Flower, swore on the sun that they witnessed this and are willing to say so in official capacity if called upon.”
“If, if this is, is some sort of sick joke,” Twilight began, struggling to pull herself to rage.
Redheart interrupted her before she could even truly begin, calmly and confidently stating, “I am confident that Rarity Gems, in a fit of temporary insanity, took Gentle Flowers into her home where she assaulted her to the edge of death, before coming to her senses, giving her capable first aid, and then rushing her to Ponyville General, to then take immediate steps to ensure that nopony could attempt to take Gentle into their care.”
Twilight stared at Redheart with wide, shocked eyes, but remained silent even as Redheart encourage the limp unicorn to move to the couch. Wanting to make her case good as possible, she continued, helping Twilight lie down, “Gentle told us her name; Rarity didn’t. She also refused to tell us how she was so badly hurt; abused fillies often feel deeply ashamed of their injuries and life, and keep it secret. The moment that Gentle realized that she could say no and we had to listen, she laughed for several minutes and spent the remainder of her time with us smiling; evidence of her having been helpless before.”
“She was last seen when Rarity brought Emptiness to light, and Orange Bloom said that she saw her following Rarity back to Rarity’s home, staying close, head down, nervous or even fearful; possibly because she’d been caught by her abuser, and despite her newfound freedom, she’s only a filly and didn’t have the will to defy somepony that hurt her before. She hasn’t been seen since, and I fear that Rarity may have ensured that nopony will ever learn what really happened to Gentle Flowers.”
“No, no, no this, this can’t… it can’t be right.” Twilight groaned, mostly limp on the couch. “It can’t, it just… can’t be right…”
Twilight wanted to deny it. She wanted to be enraged that Redheart would even suggest such a thing to her. To say that nopony would ever do something like it save for Emptiness herself. She wanted it to be wrong, or mistaken, or have some flaw or mistake that would make it false, something, anything, that would let her refute it.
But there wasn’t. It all made sense. The only defense Twilight could make was that Rarity would never and that rang hollow in her own thoughts long before it could do so from her lips. It was easy to imagine:
Rarity, already driven past her breaking by Sweetie’s then inexplicable behavior, falling into a terrifying depression that saw her enrage if anypony reminded her of Sweetie after her disappearance, finding Gentle Flowers, the strange filly that had appeared at the start of it all, on her doorstep.
Suddenly, a chance for answers, a chance to get Sweetie back; she caught Gentle, took her inside, and would surely have demanded those answers. Who was Gentle, what had she given Sweetie the day of the school incident, what had happened to and where was her little sister?
It didn’t matter if Gentle had been honest, because an honest answer, that Sweetie was gone, having sacrificed herself to end Emptiness, would never have been accepted. Rarity, unable to get the answers she wanted to hear, would quickly snap; and she’d kick Gentle or throw Gentle, some series of actions that led to Gentle’s varies injuries, screaming in rage, demanding that Gentle tell her something that would make it all right, and Gentle would be nothing but honest and Rarity would think she was nothing but the worst kind of liar. Until, driven to sanity’s end, Rarity would grab Gentle, and she’d threaten the single worst thing she could think to threaten, and when Gentle, badly hurt, did not, could not, give her what she wanted…
It was possible it was accidental. Possibly she’d only meant to terrify Gentle to either giving her what she wanted or fainting, but… it had happened. Rarity, even if by complete accident, tore Gentle’s horn off and the hurt and traumatized filly endured the shock and trauma because she was already so very hurt and terrified that it must have all blurred together into nothing but fear and pain.
The resultant wound would have shocked Rarity back to her senses, and Rarity had to have been swift to save Gentle’s life. Almost as swift to clean the mess up and get Gentle so presentable that her friends, surprising her outside her door, failed to recognize just how hurt Gentle truly was as Rarity rushed her to Ponyville General. And while they were busy trying to make sure she was alright, Rarity moved to make sure that nopony would ever learn exactly what happened that day in Carousel Boutique, tricking Mayor Mare to sign documents she wasn’t well acquainted with hurriedly to ‘help a poor filly in desperate need’. The sole thing she may have missed would be Gentle Flowers herself.
Last seen following her back to Carousel Boutique, and not seen since.
There was no specific proof, but Redheart’s evidence and Twilight’s own intellect made it impossible to deny, impossible to refute. She tried, but she just couldn’t, and in the chaos of her thoughts then, there were but a few questions that stood clear and strong:
Where had Gentle Flowers come from, where was she now, and why had she knocked on Rarity’s door in the first place?
If Redheart’s fears were correct, then none of the questions truly mattered.
There was just one thing to do now:
“I, I need to talk to Rarity.” Twilight breathed, calming, pulling herself back together. “And tell her to tell me that she didn’t hurt Gentle Flowers.”
“Twilight, that is invitation to,”
“And she’ll be honest with me!” Twilight yelled, pushing herself off the couch, Redheart leaping back. “I’ll ask, and she’ll tell me that she didn’t hurt Gentle! That, that some horrible accident happened, something, anything not her tearing a filly’s horn off!” she screamed, Redheart wincing. After, Twilight breathed hard, and then, calmer, told Redheart, “She’ll be honest, and tell me. And she’ll tell you too.”
“M, me?”
“We are going to Carousel Boutique, together, right now.” Twilight said, heading to the door.
“J, just let me get my things back toge…” Redheart began, only to hesitate as her materials all levitated up, swiftly organized, and then neatly fit back into her saddlebag before those lifted up, Redheart reacting fast enough to catch and settle them rather than having them dumped on her. “Thank…” she tried, only to spot Twilight’s tail as she left, Redheart pausing before hurrying to catch up with her.
“Spike, watch the library for me.”
“Twilight, what, what’s wrong, why do you look so,”
“Just watch the library for me, Spike!”
Redheart was fast enough to spot Spike startle from the outburst, Twilight making her way to the door. She kept following, but slowed as stopped by Spike, seeing his wide, shocked eyes watching Twilight. “Don’t take it to heart.” She tried to comfort, “She’s just very stressed right now.”
“Redheart!”
“Coming, coming!” Redheart answered, spotting Twilight angrily glaring at her outside the open door. She barely got outside as Twilight slammed the door shut, Spike jumping at the slam and slowly relaxing as silence descended upon the library once again.
Spike swallowed, his gaze wandering the mostly empty, brightly lit, silent library before it focused on the tip of his tail, flicking to his side. He yanked his gaze away, but it was soon drawn back. He reached for it, hesitated again, and then grabbed it, pulling it up in front of him and twiddling with the tip with both hands, looking around the library and constantly twiddling with his tail more and more until he focused on it again.
Then, with a faint whimper, he shut his eyes, curled on the stool, stuck his tail tip into his mouth, and startled suckling on it.
Redheart, meanwhile, was feeling out of breath as she followed Twilight’s quick, determined gait, but felt spirited and even excited anyway. She’d cleared the hurdles she’d foreseen, very nearly had Twilight on her side, and this meeting with Rarity would surely find Rarity unable to answer Twilight’s questions, Redheart more than able to ensure that Rarity couldn’t trick or distract Twilight from the truth!
A final gallop, a final hurdle, then she would have Twilight Sparkle’s, the bearer of magic, protégé of the Princess Celestia herself, support, and finally, finally, the truth would be known and Gentle Flowers given the justice she deserved!