//------------------------------// // A Terrible Mistake // Story: The Price of a Dream // by fic Write Off //------------------------------// “Read it... finished... done... completed...” Twilight shuffled the books around the library as she looked at the covers. Being a voracious reader, she quickly devoured all of the knowledge that the library had left to offer her. She tried to pick through the remnants once more time in an attempt to find a book she had missed, but it was turning futile. She triple-checked, but she was sure that she had read each and every book in the library already. Expelling a breath of frustration, she threw her hooves up into the air. “Guess I’ll have to find books from somewhere else.” She tilted her head and stared at the ceiling. Suddenly, a thought came to her. The Canterlot Archives at the Palace! She gathered a few snacks and levitated them into a bag. Flinging it over her shoulder, she called out, “Spike! I’m going out. Take care of the library while I’m gone, okay?” “Will do, Twilight!” Without another word, she flung open the front door and stepped out. After being granted access by Celestia’s guards, she quickly made her way through the library. Most of the books were the same, but it had a bigger variety that the tiny library couldn’t hold. Tossing a few books into her bag, Twilight made her way down the library. A dusty corner of the library caught her eye, causing her to stop. In the center was a thick black book on a mantle. Placing a hoof under it, she lifted it into the air. She took a deep breath and blew on the cover, scattering dust amongst the air. Several coughs later, she tried to read the title but found that it was blank. Her curiosity peaked, she flipped open the first page. What she found were spells of various incantations. Things she couldn’t even dream of. A couple of the pages were faded and worn; some even had a foreign, unrecognizable writing drawled within them. With a scratch of her chin, she decided to take the book home and study it later. After checking out the book some more, Twilight discovered a spell that might prove useful in a later battle against evil. Its purpose was to give the castee super strength. She decided to try it out on her friend, Rainbow Dash. “Alright now. Stay still...” Twilight hooked a few gadgets onto Rainbow’s legs, all of which would monitor her for any changes. “Are you sure about this, Twilight?” “Of course! We must try out this spell... in the name of magic!” “If you say so...” Twilight flipped the switch on her machine. It rumbled to life, all of the cursors and meters coming to life. She checked the book one last time to make sure she was performing the spell correctly. “Here goes!” She closed her eyes and concentrated. "What have I done?!" Twilight scurried around her lab, checking all of the read-outs spurting from her machines. Smoke billowed through the room, covering everything with a blinding fog. "It wasn't supposed to turn out like this. This was a mistake. A huge mistake." She coughed several times. "Why did this have to happen?" She walked over to a nearby desk and levitated out a book. Quickly flipping through the pages, she tried to steady her hooves. Her hair was frazzled; she took in deep breathes as she tried to calm herself. "I don't understand! I triple-checked everything. The calculations were perfect. What went wrong?" Next to her on the metallic podium was a writhing mass of flesh, where her friend used to be. She flipped switches and pressed buttons, but nothing could reverse the process. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll make it better. I promise..." She thought back to what had happened. As far as she knew, the spell worked perfectly at first. Rainbow was able to easily lift a nearby couch. Then, Twilight decided to add extra oomph to the spell. As the magic mixed with the previous spell, Rainbow slumped over. Suddenly, Rainbow started swelling up like a balloon until she popped. Twilight slapped herself with a hoof. “Why did I think that would be a good idea? Stupid, stupid, stupid.” Thinking hard, she remembered her time-travel spell. If she was to fix this grievous mistake, she’d have to act fast. Closing her eyes, she let her magic surround her. It built up, filling her insides like a cup, until finally she poofed from existence.