//------------------------------// // chapter four // Story: Famine // by rabidplushy //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle made her way to the princesses castle,filled with determination to seek out the knowledge within this book, no matter what the princess said. as she snuck into the castle, She moved quietly, trying to avoid being noticed by the guards, but it was a challenge to navigate the expansive, labyrinthine castle without alerting anyone. She stopped to catch her breath once she arrived at the library, taking a moment to scope out her surroundings. "Where is it..." she muttered to herself as she searched carefully through the shelves of ancient books. Twilight Sparkle snuck through the library, scanning the shelves of books for any sign of the legendary book she had come to find. She was careful to keep quiet as the thought of what she was doing weighed heavily on her mind. After searching high and low and looking through the old dusty books, Twilight was beginning to wonder if she would ever find the book. She felt frustrated and her heart beat quickly with anxiety. But just as she was about to give up, she noticed something. Twilight Sparkle finally spotted the ancient book in a locked cabinet behind a pair of hidden doors at the back of the library. She knew this must be the book she was searching for, the one that contained powerful spells and dark knowledge. She tried to open the doors, but they were locked tight. She began desperately searching around for a way into the cabinet, looking for any weak spots that she might be able to exploit. carefully scanning over every. She found a small latch on one of the hinges that looked like it could potentially be a weak spot, so she quickly grabbed a small tool from her pockets and began to work at it. With some effort, she managed to jimmy the latch and pull open one of the hidden doors on the cabinet. Twilight Sparkle opened the hidden doors and pulled the ancient book out of the cabinet, revealing it for the first time in centuries. She carefully took the book in her hooves, holding it gently as the power of it's dark knowledge flowed through her. The book looked even more intimidating in person, a towering, leather-covered text with several ancient seals and wards etched into its cover. As soon as she'd taken the book, a bright light shone around her, flooding the place with light so bright and intense that it made Twilight's eyes water. She quickly hide the book away in her satchel so as to not alert the guards of her presence. After a few moments of looking around the library , Twilight found herself alone. She was relieved that no one had noticed her presence, but the experience had shaken her to the core. Twilight Sparkles made her way out of the tower, sneaking from shadow to shadow to ensure that she wouldn't be spotted by any guards. As she made her way out of the tower, she began to piece together some of her thoughts. Her mission to find a cure for the famine was still very much alive in her memories. But the horrifying vision she'd seen and the sudden burst of light when she touched the book gave her pause for concerned. But at the same time, it only solidified her determination to use the book's contents to save everypony she knew and loved. As she made her way home and opened the book to study i’s contents she come across the spell she was looking for. It was an ancient spell, one that was used in the old days during famine and war, why was this spell locked away? she didnt care the situation was to urgent , she figured it had only been locked away becuase it was no longer needed right? And perhaps it was just some other spell in this old book that must have caused all the trouble. That must have been why the princess locked it away, she didn't care, no matter the risk the cure to this horrible situation was in her hands. "If there’s something wrong with this spell I'm sure I can fix it either way, I’ve fixed old spells before and if this is what I need to do then I'll do it, no matter the cost, and no matter what anyone else thinks.” This spell obviously had signs of dark magic attached to it, but nothing she couldn't handle. She knew she would have to find somebody to test the spell on, to see how it worked and to see what she would have to change in order to make the spell usable for everypony. Twilight knew she needed to share the news with her friends as soon as possible, she knew she may be able to find them all at the market where some ponies had been scrounging for food lately. Twilight Sparkle finds her friends gathered at a corner of the market. It looks like they're all hungry and desperate for any scraps they can find. Twilight takes a deep breath and announces her find, telling her friends of the ancient spell she had discovered in the Princesses Tower. She tells them of its powerful capabilities and its potential to help them all in their time of need. Twilight's friends all listen intently as she explains the spell and its potential to end the famine. Spike looks worried, questioning whether it's really necessary to use such a dark, ancient spell. Applejack seems to share his concerns, wary of the potential consequences that using such a powerful spell might cause. Rarity and Rainbow Dash also seem nervous, but Twilight reassures them that she knows what she's doing and that she will make sure to handle the spell with the utmost care. “I’m telling you girls this spell is exactly what we need, I’m certain it was used in the old pony days to help with cases just like this, My only problem is a need to find somebody willing to test it, But i have no idea who would possibly be willing to take the risk..” She said with worry on her face. A hush fell over the crowd of friends . The thought of risking something so uncertain and untested was a frightening one, but rarity was the first to volunteer. "I- I would be willing to do it, Twilight." She said softly, surprising both Twilight and her friends. "You... you would actually do that?" Twilight asked, taken aback by the generosity of her friend's sacrifice. "Are you crazy!?" Applejack cried out, incredulous at this suggestion. "Applejacks' right! surely there must be some other pony who could do this?." Rainbow Dash chimed in, siding with Applejack. Rarity looks at the group, a determined look on her face. She was willing to risk anything if it meant helping her friends find a solution to the famine. "It's sweet of you both to worry, but this is my choice, I've made up my mind " Rarity said bravely. "Are you sure, sugarcube? I mean that is a pretty big risk you're takin' there?" Applejack questioned, showing her concern for her friend's safety. "I do realize how dangerous of a risk this is, darling. But we have to do something. The famine is hurting our town, and it is hurting our friends. If there is any chance this spell could be the answer, then I must take it. This is a sacrifice I'm willing to make." Rarity said, showing a surprising amount of determination and bravery. Applejack looks stunned that Rarity is so serious about testing this spell. She's always known Rarity to be so careful and cautious. "B-b-but I mean... is that really necessary? Can't we think of something else?" Applejack asked, desperate for any other option than allowing rarity to be the guinea pig for this risky spell. Rarity seemed to notice the desperation in Applejack's tone, and could understand the feelings she was experiencing. “It’s alright darling, I have the utmost confidence in our friend Twilight, I'm sure she knows what she is doing, I trust everything will go fine.” Rarity said, trying to calm her friend's worries. Twilight Sparkle gives rarity a grateful smile and thanks her for being courageous enough to make this big sacrifice for the sake of saving everypony else. Rarity nods slowly, seemingly accepting her choice despite the fear that she still held inside her heart. She was ready.