III
Sonic Magiboom
“This is crazy!” Twilight whispered.
“Well...you’re the one who wanted to do this,” Rarity said quietly in return.
“I know...I just...”
Rarity, Twilight, and Spike were crouched in the foliage within the immediate surroundings of the castle. Getting to Canterlot had not been easy. Rarity had struggled to teleport them all one-at-a-time, and could only get them to a very specific location. It had taken some careful planning to determine the best route with which to worm their way up to the castle without being noticed.
Approaching the main gate directly was simply not an option. They may as well simply turn themselves in. However, Rarity had learned of other, much smaller entrances surrounding the castle, which Twilight had forgotten about since she had last lived here. The one they were at now, according to Rarity, was the one that was closest to the royal’s personal library.
A moat surrounded the entire castle, carved into the marble floor of the city. It was widest at the central gate, but varied greatly as it wormed its way around the castle. At this particular entrance, it wasn’t more than a few feet in diameter. However, it still required a small wooden drawbridge to be extended, which Rarity explained was opened from the inside.
Two royal Pegasus guards stood at the ready at the bridge’s entry point, adorned with the usual bronze armor and blue crest. Twilight and the others could easily see the two guards from the side from their vantage point. Neither of them moved. Neither of them blinked. Neither of them even looked alive!
“That’s the thing about the royal guards,” Rarity whisper next to Twilight. “They’re not allowed to move except in very strict ways.”
Rarity tilted her head slightly towards a brown delivery stallion who approached the gate down the gleaming marble path.
“Keep a close eye on the guard on the right,” she said.
As the pony approached, both guards blocked him as their wings clanged outwards.
“HALT!” they said.
Rarity hinted at Twilight with her eyes.
“See?” Rarity pointed out. “The bridge isn’t even down! So why would they even need to block him with their wings?” Rarity smiled slyly. “That’s one of the traditions I’m talking about. They have to follow very strict rules, even if they don’t always make sense.”
Twilight continued to watch as the delivery pony explained his purpose. The guards seemed to be considering him as they lowered their wings. Neither guard even-so-much-as blinked throughout the entire explanation. The poor delivery pony seemed to have become used to putting up with this nonsensical system by now, as Twilight could only imagine the number of packages he had delivered to this very gate by this time in his career.
“Now...watch carefully,” Rarity whispered.
Twilight strained to watch as the conversation came to a close. The delivery pony gave a small sigh of relief as he thanked the guards.
“There!” Rarity burst out quietly.
Twilight tried to see where she was pointing, but the only thing she saw next was the drawbridge being extended, followed by the stallion walking casually through the entrance as it closed swiftly behind him.
“How...how did they know?” Twilight whispered.
“Did you not see it?” Rarity said. “There was a signal!”
Twilight looked over at her in confusion.
“The one on the right there...he gave a small gesture with his wings!”
Twilight watched as another group approached the gate. These were much more upscale ponies. Guests, in fact! Each of the three mares were dressed as formally as they had for the Gala, and Twilight even recognized one of the dresses as one of Rarity's own designs. Rarity must have noticed, giving a small shudder of excitement next to Twilight.
Once again Twilight watched as the guards swung out their wings to stop them. Two of the mares giggled as the guards gave their usual shout. The third one was in front, holding her hoof out as she approached one of the guards. Staring as close as she could, Twilight watched as the guards swept their eyes across the note being held out in front of them. And then...
“I...I think I saw it!” Twilight said.
It was very subtle. Just the tiniest flutter as the guard on the right lifted his wings. It couldn't have been more than an inch.
Rarity pointed at the wall next to the drawbridge. “There’s a small peephole on that wall,” she said. “The gatekeepers use it to keep an eye on the guards to make sure no pony messes with them or tries to abuse the system. However, it has a very limited field of view, and they can’t always see exactly what’s going on. That should make just enough difference to give us the upper hand.”
“How many gatekeepers are there?” Twilight whispered.
“Usually only one,” Rarity explained. “They never really need any more than that.”
Twilight watched as the group marched across the bridge and into the castle, the gate closing quickly behind them.
“If all goes well, you should be able to sneak inside very quickly.” She turned to the dragon sitting nervously on the ground next to them. “How are you doing, Spike? Are you ready?”
Spike hadn't said a word since their arrival, his eyes turning every which way. Judging from his demeanor as they had journeyed to the castle, you might have thought the city was undergoing some kind of zombie apocalypse.
“I think so...” he said shakily. “I just...you’re sure I won’t get in trouble for this?”
“Probably not, Spike,” Rarity explained. “They like to pretend to be strict, but they tend to make exceptions for those who are too young to understand.”
“You remember your signal?” Twilight asked Spike.
“As soon as the drawbridge is down,” Spike recited.
“And yours?” Rarity looked at Twilight.
Twilight blushed slightly, remembering her signal.
“Yeah...I remember, Rarity.”
“Good. Now, I’ll go out first. I’ve only dated a Pegasus once, but I learned a thing or two during that time. Watch and learn, you two!”
Rarity left the comfort of their hiding spot, being careful not to dishevel herself too much. She was dressed in her Gala outfit, and had maintained an impressively tidy appearance, despite being hidden amongst leaves and branches. There were a few small scorch marks here and there, but for the most part she had hidden them well. Twilight could only stare in amazement at how well Rarity was able to present herself, even under such pressure.
Twilight couldn’t hear all that well from her current position, but she could tell Rarity was approaching the guards in the same way as the previous group had. There was a playfulness about it – an art, which Twilight had never been taught. She watched carefully, fascinated with what her plan was.
As Twilight looked closely, she noticed Rarity starting to change things up now. A lot. Rarity was getting very close to the guards, changing her poise to a more relaxed state, and was making...flirtatious gestures. Twilight looked around, hoping she wasn’t drawing too much attention, but realized luckily that no one was around who could see.
“What’s she doing, Twilight?” Spike said to her right. “I can’t see...”
Twilight kept an eye on Rarity now, who was so close to one of the guards they were almost touching. It looked as though she was whispering something to him.
And then...
“Oh my-!”
Twilight had to stifle a gasp. Rarity, from what she could see, had leaned in and was locking lips with the guard on the right, who was powerless to resist. She couldn’t quite read his expression, but she guessed it would have been surprised satisfaction. He certainly seemed to be liking it.
And liking it a little too much!
Twilight watched as his wings shuddered slightly, and then started to lift up. Rarity seemed to notice this too as she quickly pulled back, returning to her stately pose. His partner didn't seem to notice anything, and Twilight guessed that Rarity hadn't been entirely visible to the gatekeeper. The guard stood there staring at her in suppressed shock, his wings returning to their sides as he struggled to maintain his stock-still pose.
And then...
“It’s opening!” Twilight said. “The gate, Spike! It’s open!”
Spike jumped up.
“Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh-” he quavered.
“Don’t think, Spike! Just go!”
Spike jumped out of the brush and towards the bridge, stumbling as fast as his two feet could carry him.
“AH!” Rarity screamed. “Little Billy! What are you doing!”
Twilight giggled as Rarity’s voice carried easily to Twilight’s hiding place now, the situation quickly heating up. Spike was running across the drawbridge as the guards signaled for it to be closed.
“NO!” Rarity shouted, putting on a show of distress and panic. “Not little Billy! You’ve GOT to open the gate! He’s run in there!”
Twilight knew where this was going, but could only stare in amazement as it unfurled before her.
Within seconds, the gate had opened again, but not because the guards had given a signal. The opening bridge slowly revealed the gatekeeper, who was running frantically out of the castle entrance, screaming wildly. Spike was clinging on his back for dear life, a large set of flames licking dangerously close. The gatekeeper's mane was on fire.
“AAAAIIIIIIEEEEEE!!!!” he screamed as the flames licked around his head. Dashing quickly onto the half-opened bridge, he leaped spectacularly off the side, splashing spectacularly in the moat. The bridge continued to drop the rest of the way under its own weight. Immediately one of the guards turned, leaving his armor behind as he leaped after the flailing gatekeeper.
Just before Rarity ran off, Twilight saw her give a small flick of her tail. Twilight's heart fluttered as a shot of adrenaline race through her body. THE SIGNAL!
Twilight waited until the second guard had chased Rarity down the road a ways before getting up. She was painfully aware of how exposed she was now. However, with the gatekeeper underwater and the guards distracted, there was no pony left to notice her as she walked silently across the bridge, through the gate, and out of sight.
She was in!
-----------------------------------
Twilight bolted down the ornate hallway, adorned with blue carpet and marble walls. Sconces and tapestries lined the walls between the wooden doors, giving a dark flickering look in the windowless corridors as she raced towards the library.
It was amazing how little of the castle was actually used. Most of the royals and celebrities that visited the castle spent their time in very specific chambers, leaving the rest of the castle vacant. This proved most advantageous to Twilight, who wanted least of all to be seen by passersby.
Every so often, Twilight would pass by a door through which conversations could be heard. Most of these were too political or business-oriented to garner any interest. However, one conversation struck her interest very harshly.
“...with what’s happening in Ponyville!” the first person finished, making Twilight stopped short.
“What's this? Ponyville, you say!” came a second voice in response.
Twilight went very quiet, her heart thudding loudly as she backed up against the door and leaned in to listen.
“Well, I heard that the place has been having some...er...difficulties.”
“Oh, please. That small place? What could possibly be of interest in such a rural town.”
“You haven’t heard anything?”
Twilight heard shuffling as one of the ponies leaned in to speak quieter. Twilight pressed her head a bit harder against the surface of the door.
“Well, apparently it has to do with the incident a few days back. You remember. The one Princess Celestia had to attend to? Well, everyone thought it was just a fluke! A small prank or something gone terribly wrong. But now, you see, it’s starting to look like something different!”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not just the ones involved on the hill, apparently. It’s the whole town! Everypony down there is starting to lose their minds! The ambassadors for the town are completely driven mad by it. They say they can’t even speak to the Mayor!”
A quiet gasp came through the door as Twilight leaned in closer, placing her hooves up onto the surface now.
“What happened?!”
“Well, nopony really knows...but from what I gather from the sporadic conversations I’ve overheard, it’s some kind of love spell!”
“You mean...”
There was a silence as Twilight leaned so hard against the door she threatened to collapse right through it.
“Why doesn’t the Princess do something about it?!”
“Well, that’s the question, isn’t it? I mean, it wasn’t too bad earlier today. But by now we could be looking at chaos! Pretty soon she’ll have to get involved!”
“And...and she didn’t foresee...?!”
Twilight could tell by her inflection that she was entering a somewhat taboo subject area.
“Dear, don’t even think about it. The things the Princess foresees are beyond what we can comprehend. There’s no doubt she knew what that spell was the moment it went off on that hill.”
“And she didn’t think to do anything...”
There was a small silence, followed by the clang of china on wood.
“Dear, you say that as if the Princess has nothing better to do than attend to a small town! She has much bigger things to worry about than fixing spells that go wrong. I’m just worried that things have now escalated beyond what the town can deal with on its own! The Princess won’t be happy at all if she has to go down there a second time.”
“So she really thought the town could fix something this big?!”
“The Princess puts her trust in us!”
Twilight could tell she was started to get irritated.
“She only fixes problems herself when she absolutely has to. Otherwise, nopony would ever learn! That’s the way it works. She hates having to take matters into her own hooves.”
“So...if this situation doesn't fix itself pretty fast...”
Twilight had heard enough. She pulled her head away from the door, regaining her balance. Her head was swimming from adrenaline, as the words from the conversation bounced around in her brain.
Oh this isn’t good...this isn’t good at all...
Twilight stumbled a bit, regaining her composure before darting down the hallway. She was close now. She could feel it. Rarity’s description led her to believe it was just around the corner.
Twilight let out an audible sigh of relief when the large ornate set of double-doors to the library finally came into sight on the left-hand wall. Rarity had been a godsend so far. She never could have found this place without her.
The right-hand door was slightly ajar, but Twilight didn’t dare bolt straight through. Tiptoeing as lightly as she could, she put her ear up to to door.
Nothing... she thought, listening intensely.
Slowly, being careful not to make any noise, she pushed the door wider, placing her head slightly through so she didn’t open it more than she had to. A relatively small room presented itself, not much larger than the downstairs of her own library. It was somewhat darker than hers, the blue carpet giving way to a dark marble tiling. The books were lined on a set of rosewood shelves all placed against the walls, allowing the rest of the room to be open. Stepping in a bit further, she noticed an elaborate chandelier hanging from the tall ceiling above, providing the only light in the room.
She slipped further through the door, until she was practically all the way in the room before looking the rest of the way around. She caught a glimpse of some chairs in the corner, as well as a small black sofa with a-
Twilight stopped dead, a wave of feelings washing over her. It was like being slapped in the face, kicked in the stomach, and knocked upside the head all at the same time.
Her first feeling was fear. Fear of having been caught. For the library was already occupied. A single pony lay on her stomach, a large book in front of her, her head bolted up to stare at Twilight like a deer in the headlights.
Her second feeling was extreme heat. Her body had lit up like a furnace, her heart speeding to a frenzy. This was accompanied by a sudden urge to grab something and hold it close to her, to comfort her.
Her third feeling disturbed her the most. It was the same feeling she had last night, just after Rarity had approached her in such a seductive way. The tightening was so bad now, she wasn't sure she would be able to move.
The last feeling was pure shock and realization. She recognized the pony sitting on the couch. She had only met her once before, but that hardly mattered. She would recognize her anywhere. For that special pony sitting in the corner was nonother than the alicorn responsible for all of nighttime in Equestria, the giver of light through the moon, Princess Celestia's sister:
Princess Luna! she thought, trying but failing to back out of the room.
A deathly silence encompassed the room as Twilight fought her sudden feelings of infatuation. There was a physical rope hooked into her heart, tugging her mercilessly towards the alicorn in the corner. The fire under her flank was unbearable.
Remember why you're here, Twilight she told herself. Remember the book!
But however much she tried to think of something else, thoughts of her and Luna crept back, invading her mind. Uncomfortable thoughts. Looking at Luna's eyes was like staring at some entrancing pit. Twilight couldn't look away from them. The only thing worse was the sound of her voice, now stuttering in that dark room.
"Wha...is it...Twilight?"
Luna most certainly had to look confused right now. But all Twilight could see was the gleam in her eyes. She was blind to Luna's true expression.
"Twilight! What are you doing here! Princess Celestia didn't say anything about you being here! What a pleasant surprise!"
Twilight wanted to say something, opening her mouth as she accidentally let a large roll of drool dribble onto the floor. She quickly closed her mouth as the fire spread up into he face.
"Is...is something wrong, Twilight? You aren't...ill...are you?"
Twilight closed her eyes tight, trying to force the image of Luna out of her mind. Slowly, painfully, Twilight turned away from her, groaning at the intense feelings her hind legs produced as she moved.
"I...book!" she said, trying and failing to form a complete sentence. "Need...book. Spell! Ponyville!"
"I...I don't understand, Twilight. Is something wrong?"
With Luna's eyes now out of view, it was her voice that entranced Twilight. She couldn't listen to Luna without feeling lightheaded with ecstasy.
"Spell!" she said again. "Curse!"
"Twilight, I-"
"NOOOO!" Twilight said, forcing the sound of Luna's voice out of her mind. Twilight let out a loud groan as her elbows buckled and she collapsed onto her stomach on the floor.
"TWILIGHT!" Luna yelled. "We have to get you to-"
"NO!" Twilight yelled out. "DON'T....TALK! LISTEN!"
Twilight bowed her head to the floor and let out another moan. Using every last ounce of will power she had, she forced all the words together she could.
"Ponyville...Ponyville is in trouble! Ponyville is cursed! A spell! Went terribly wrong! Need...book...need...uuurrrrg...need counter curse!"
Luna was now breathing very fast, which wasn't helping Twilight at all.
"You're talking about the accident on the hill, right? The one Celestia saved you from!"
Luna's voice hit Twilight like a brick, making her blood boil. Twilight nodded vigorously in response to Luna.
"What spell?! What book?!" Luna said frantically.
"It's..."
Twilight couldn't take another second of this. The adrenaline pouring into her was making her sweat. She needed to move. She needed to do something.
“It’s...” she started, suddenly forcing herself off the ground and turning with a burst of energy to look at Luna.
"IT'S LOVE!" Twilight screamed, giving in and charging headstrong into Luna, pressing against the back of the couch, eyes wide with fear – or surprise – or...oh, Twilight didn’t care anymore!
"LUNA! YOU HAVE TO HELP ME! IT'S TAKEN ME!"
Luna's eyes widened, her lips trembling from her open mouth as Twilight's hooves grasped her soft hide. She hardly noticed the heat coming off Luna's body, the glistening of those lips, the fast fluttering of the Princess's heart.
"W-w-what" Luna stammered, the shadow of a smile passing over her face. "I - I don't even know what spell it is! What do you want me to do?!"
Luna seemed to give a slightly inviting gesture and Twilight took it, jumping out of control onto the couch and tackling Luna onto her back. She gripped Luna in a bear hug and heard Luna gasp, grasping Twilight equally as strong before letting out a soft moan. Twilight screamed out just before she felt her lips lock against Luna’s.
"LOOOOOOOOOVE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
-----------------------------------
Twilight exited the castle from a different gate that was devoid of any gatekeeper. None of the guards were present just on the other side of the moat either, now all gathered around the gate that had been broken into a few yards down. It had taken a while for her to regroup with the others and still manage to stay hidden. Twilight had finally spotted a hoof waving at her from behind a small wall only a couple feet high, looking around quickly before leaping over to join the others.
"There you are!" said Rarity. "Did you get the book?"
Twilight nodded, trying not to be sick.
"What happened, darling?" she said, smoothing her mane out with her hoof. "You were taking so long, and...are you feeling all right?”
Twilight was completely disheveled, her mane mostly standing on end with her eyes bugged. She was breathing like she had just run a marathon.
"I don't wanna talk about it," she said, shaking her head as she brushed Rarity's hoof off her neck. "Let's just concentrate on getting back to Ponyville."
Twilight didn't want to think about what Celestia would do to her if she found out she had violated her sister, however much Luna seemed to enjoy herself. Wait...enjoy? Had Luna really been as enthusiastic as she had seemed? Twilight shook her head trying not to think about it.
"But you...you found what you were looking for?" Rarity said, shaking slightly.
Twilight nodded, swallowing hard.
“The guards have already caught on to what we did. They'll be sending out a search party soon. We need to get out of here, and fast!”
She turned towards Rarity, resting a hoof on her shoulder.
“I need you to teleport us to the Ponyville Town Square. Can you do that?”
“I...” Rarity's mouth opened and closed silently a few times. “I can try...yes! Yes, I don’t think that should be a problem.”
“Good,” Twilight said. “Take me first. I’ll be waiting on the other side for when Spike gets there.”
“Of...of course!” she said. “But...Twilight...”
Rarity looked absolutely horrified by something. Twilight wasn’t quite sure what was going through her mind, but it was almost as if Rarity knew what had happened inside the castle.
“Twilight...whatever is wrong...I just want you to know...”
Rarity leaned in, placing her nose less than an inch away from Twilight’s.
“I just want you to know,” she whispered, “that I’m there for you. You know that, right?”
“Rarity, it’s fine! Just...just teleport me there and I’ll-MMMH!”
Rarity had pressed her lips against hers, wrapping her hoof tightly around Twilight's neck. A soothing sensation overtook her, and for a moment the entire castle disappeared, leaving nothing but her and Rarity floating amid a cloud. Their lips parted, Twilight breathing heavily through her mouth now.
“It’s all right, Twilight,” she smiled lightly. “Remember. We’re together on this. No matter what happens...”
Twilight stared into Rarity's eyes to see the same thing she had seen in her eyes back at the Ponyville library. There was a glow to them, a twinkle. Was it hopefulness? Encouragement? Love? Twilight still couldn't put her hoof on what it was.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Rarity said, a bright glow wafting from the tip of her horn.
The glow grew, expanding into a corona that engulfed Twilight, dissolving the ground beneath her feet. She watched as the castle walls melted, the sky grew white, and the two companions before her disappeared into the mist. The last thing she saw were Rarity's eyes before everything was completely swallowed by the spell.
Her hooves struck the ground, her knees buckling slightly as her eyes went to the ground, stinging horribly. Looking up, her eyes slowly adjusting, the first thing she saw was a yellow pony with flaming hair busily attacking something on the ground. She recognized the pony as Spitfire, one of the ponies she had seen with Rainbow Dash at the Gala. They had never been formally introduced, but she guessed that now probably wasn't the best time.
The item Spitfire was attacking just so happened to be Mr. Breezy, who looked zoned out in ecstasy on the lawn near the central pavilion. Twilight cringed, turning away from this lewd sight only to recoil in horror.
Every – last – pony in Ponyville apparently had decided to announce their love in public display. Pegasi kissed in midair, unicorns enveloped themselves in magical glows, earth ponies wrestled on the ground. Some of the ponies were chasing others that looked less-than-thrilled to have been chosen by the chaser. All the buildings were closed now, the entire town looking dead except for the thick crowd of lascivious activity filling the fields around the pavilion.
A moment later, a pop announced the arrival of Spike, who immediately looked around for Twilight, still catching his balance from the transport.
“Whoa," he said wobbling. "I’m not sure I like teleporting that mu-HEY!”
Spike yelled out as Twilight grabbed him around his head, hiding his eyes as she pulled him in close.
“WHAT-THE-”
“It’s me, Spike! Just...close your eyes!”
“What’s going on!”
Another pop as Rarity arrived, looking around wide-eyed. She moved right up beside Twilight, placing her flank against hers.
"Oh my!" said Rarity, rubbing up against Twilight with a tiny smile. “What is...is this some sort of holiday?!” she continued, observing the lovemaking around her with great interest. “I didn’t remember there being something this extravagant planned the last I checked my calender!”
Spike was struggling against Twilight's hooves, curious to know what they didn't want him to see. Twilight's eyes glanced nervously around, very aware of every last form of prurient activity in their vicinity, though thankfully there wasn't that much. She inclined her head towards Rarity, whispering something into her ear as she glanced down at Spike.
Rarity's ears perked as she shuddered. "Oh, right! Of course! Uh...let the see..." Her horn lit up, and a moment later there was a flash just around Spike's head. Twilight felt her hooves give way under the spark of the spell as Spike let out a small cry, holding his eyes.
"Ah! What the-"
Rarity leaned over to whisper to Twilight as Spike rubbed his eyes, blinking madly. "That should last for the next few hours," she said, giving Twilight a subtle wink. Twilight wondered why she might have learned something like that, but then she remembered Sweetie Bell. Perhaps it was best not to ask.
As Spike's eyes finally adjusted, he looked around at the mostly-innocent scene around him, gaping at the exorbitant amount of affection and infatuation around every turn. He stared back at Twilight and Rarity, both of them looking around to study the situation at hand.
“What are we going to do!?” Spike said. “Your horn’s damaged!”
Twilight stuttered as she looked back at Spike for an answer. She had only partially thought this through.
“Well...I was kinda hoping Rarity...”
She turned towards Rarity, who was busy observing a Pegasus couple making out on a picnic table as if trying to judge whether they were doing it right.
“Rarity!” Twilight yelled out.
Rarity turn to face her, looking jubilant. “Isn’t it wonderful?!” she said. “So much love in this town! I can definitely see why you wanted to come here, dear! This almost makes up for our lost time in Canterlot!”
“Rarity, I need one more favor.”
Rarity and rubbed her cheek lovingly against Twilight's. “What is it, dear?”
Twilight was glad that most of the acts occurring around her were quiet. There was still some noise around them, like the occasional crashes and ruckus when a couple got too aggressive, but for the most part Twilight was having no trouble communicating. “I need you to cast a spell for me. You see...my horn’s damaged. I can’t do it myself. I was hoping you-”
“But of course, dear! What spell do you need help with?”
Twilight looked around, quite aware of the book just out of reach in her saddlebags. She couldn't quite remember it happening, but she assumed Luna must have placed it in there for her.
“SPIKE!” she yelled out. “Spike, help me get the book out!”
Spike came bounding back from around the pavilion, walking around to where Twilight was pointing before opening up the bag with the book in it.
“Did you see those unicorns on the pavilion steps?!” he said as he searched for the book. “One of them looked like they might have been chewing on the other, but I couldn't see all that well. There was some kind of strange black box floating around. Do you remember that being part of the spell?”
Twilight glanced over at Rarity, who gave a tiny wink and a smile. Twilight smiled back as she reached back to rub Spike affectionately on the head. She felt her bags suddenly lighten as Spike pulled out what he was looking for.
“You got it!" Spike said excitedly, holding the book out in front of him to read the title. "Volume 2!”
He held it in front of Twilight revealing another thick black book, this time with a blue design embroidered on the front. Twilight nearly reared on her hind hooves in excitement.
“Great!" she said. "Now put it on the ground open to page 42!”
Spike did as she asked as Twilight approached Rarity, indicating the book now showing a similar elaborate cursive with strange symbols.
“Rarity! Can you do this?” she asked. “Can you cast this for me?”
Rarity came out of her trance, shaking her head a few times before following Twilight's hoof to the open book on the grass, walking curiously to peer at the strange calligraphy inscribed on the thick page.
"Oh my!" she cried out, getting right up close to the page. "Twilight, dear! This spell is...well, it's terribly difficult! Whatever does it do!"
"I can't tell you that, Rarity. I just need you to do your best at casting it! And do it now!"
"Twilight! I...you know I'm not you, right? I can't...you actually expect me to...something this advanced?!" Her eyes wavered as they met Twilight's.
"You have to try, Rarity." She walked up to her. "This is very, very important to me. Just..." She sighed. "Please, Rarity. Just try it. For me."
Rarity didn't even say a word. She put her head down, turning to read the words on the page, a glimpse of worry creasing her face. A moment of apprehension passed.
A small spark formed at the tip of her horn as her face scrunched up. Seconds passed as the spark grew into a wavy pink bubble the size of her head. A few cones of light shot out in all directions, and for a moment Twilight could have sworn all the ponies were holding back a bit from their partners. As Rarity continued, Twilight found herself digging her hooves into the ground in anticipation, watching the spell continue to grow.
However, Rarity seemed to be slipping now. Her face relaxed, growing concerned as she took a few steps back from the book. The spell continued to grow without her, feeding off her as the original spell had fed off Twilight. Rarity was shaking her head now, taking a few more steps back.
“You’re doing great, Rarity!" Twilight said. "Just...”
But Rarity wasn’t even trying anymore. She was backing away from the book entirely, a look of surprise on her face as she slowly looked up at Twilight. Large tears welled up in her eyes as her face scrunched up, just as it had that morning.
"Twilight!" Rarity said, the spell still swirling around her menacingly as she lost her composure. However, instead of collapsing on the ground in a tantrum, her face lit up in a storm of agitation. The tears only added to the effect of addled irritation, quickly sprouting into outrage.
“Twilight!” she screamed out, stomping her hooves on the ground before thrusting one of them at the book. “This is an anti-love spell!”
Twilight backed up a bit, watching the magic continue to swirl around her.
“You’re not...” Rarity said, scrunching her tear-stricken face as her voice disintegrated into a high-pitched squeal. “You’re not...breaking – up – with – me!”
Before Twilight could say anything, the magic floating around Rarity condensed as wave upon wave flew into her, enveloping her body just as Twilight's spell on the hill had enveloped her. Twilight watched in horror as Rarity was picked up, thrashing through the air and screaming. As the spell reached critical mass, Rarity was violently thrown across the lawn with a loud snap, sliding to a halt a few yards away.
“RARITY!” Twilight yelled out, racing across the lawn.
Rarity’s unconscious body was piled in a heap on the ground. Twilight bent down fighting back the sudden lump in her throat that had appeared as she stared at the body of the mare.
"Rarity!“ she said again quietly, her knees buckling as she lay down on the grass. “Rarity, I’m...I...”
Spike caught up to her a moment later and stared at the white heap on the ground too. Twilight tried to say something to him, but no words came out. Spike, too, was unable to speak, both of them unable to think of anything except to stare at the pitiful body on the ground. The lump in Twilight’s throat pressed against the bottom of her mouth, threatening to leak out through her eyes as the chaos continued around them.
Twilight brought her head down and rested it against the side of the mare, feeling her chin sink into her hide. She closed her eyes as a tear slid freely down her face, soaking into Rarity's white coat.
“I’m sorry...” she croaked. “I didn’t mean for any of this...”
Twilight closed her eyes tighter, trying to form a barrier for her tears that failed miserably. She lifted her head up, letting in a stifled gasp as she realized how shallow her breathing had been. Her face was soaked just beneath her lids, wrinkling the hide. She looked around before wiping them with her hooves so she could see. Spike was no longer in sight. He must have run off while her eyes were closed.
“Oh, Princess Celestia!” she said to herself, stifling horribly as she struggled to take a deep breath. “What am I supposed to do!”
She leaned her head down, closing her eyes as more tears slid down to the white coat.
“What am I supposed to..." she said, opening her eyes again. "I can’t perform the spell myself! I just can’t!”
The scene before her brightened, shining like an over-exposed photograph. Above her, the sun radiated in a blinding white. Time slowed as a great fear overtook her, as well as an equally great hope. She brought her head up, her ears perked as a voice floated down to her from overhead.
"Twilight Sparkle!" the voice echoed, drifting down upon her. "My most faithful student!"
The voice echoed through Twilight mind, accompanied by a divine set of god-rays from the sky. Looking up, she felt her jaw drop as she saw the magnificent form of Princess Celestia descending quickly upon her. Twilight gasped and cringed, wanting more than anything not to have to look at that face. Not today.
Princess Celestia landed just in front of Twilight, glowing magnificently as always.
“Princess Celestia!” Twilight croaked, standing up on shaky hooves. "Princess! I'm sorry! I really didn't want any of this to-"
Princess Celestia put a hoof up, silencing Twilight at once. Looking up, Celestia turned her head to take in every last couple around her, every Pegasi in the air, every unicorn rubbing horns, every pony rolling on the grass, every couple chasing each other around, and finally, down at Twilight...
...and smiled.
“Twilight Sparkle!” she said, sounding amazingly calm, almost sprightly. “I have to say, I like what you’ve done with the place!”
Twilight's continuation of her apology came to a halt at this words. She looked up in total confusion, a few tears still sliding silently down her cheeks.
“Wha...what?” she said.
Princess Celestia looked around, smiling even wider.
“Well,” she continued, “it’s not exactly what I would have done. But it certainly livens up the mood!”
Twilight was now too shocked to keep crying. She just gaped at the Princess, who looked back at her with that wide smile.
“Don’t feel so bad, Twilight,” she said. “Worse mistakes have been made. For example, one of the guards told me on my way over here that somepony broke into the castle!”
Twilight felt the lump in her throat forced down into her chest as she sputtered.
“You...you don’t say...” Twilight croaked out.
Princess Celestia let out a laugh. It spread out over the entire town square. And it was contagious. Twilight sputtered as her body convulsed in a chuckle against her will. As the laugh died down, Princess Celestia lit her horn as Twilight watched the book she had stolen fly across the lawn, landing just in front of her.
“You know,” Celestia said above her, Twilight's eyes now on the inscription of the spell Rarity had attempted, “you could have just asked!”
Twilight continued to stare at the book, feeling dumber every second. Her mouth opened and closed soundlessly in her bafflement.
“I thought...” she said, looking up to meet Celestia in the eyes, “I thought it was banned!”
“It is, Twilight” the Princess said, smiling. “And for good reason, too! I don’t have to tell you.”
Twilight felt the last of her tears dry against her cheeks as she looked up hopefully at the Princess.
“Can you fix this?” Twilight asked.
The Princess looked down, her smile faltering a bit as she leaned her head down.
"Actually..." she said, sounding a bit more solemn, "I think I'll let you perform this spell, Twilight."
Twilight backed up a few steps. She obviously didn't heard right. This must have been some sort of playful joke Celestia was pulling. She felt another goofy smile crest over her face as she let out a strange giggle.
"Hee-hee...good one, Princess!" she said, half-hopeful, half-fearful as she brought her eyes up to meet hers. “You...you really had me going there for a minute!”
"Actually" Celestia cut in, "this time I am serious," she said, her smile fading away entirely.
Twilight's heart ran cold as the eyes of the Princess bore down upon her. She felt her knees weaken as her body slouched a bit, a faint spell coming over her as the world flickered.
"But...b-b-b--but Princess! My horn! You said yourself you don't want me using it!"
"Of course I did, Twilight!" Celestia said, stepping up to the now-cowering Twilight. "And under normal circumstances, that would be the case!"
She glanced around as time stood still. When she looked back, a smile was laden upon her again, kind and understanding.
"But now, I am with you. And I give you full permission to use your horn."
She bowed as she said this, presenting her own horn towards Twilight as she granted this sanction as though it was a privilege. Twilight thought she was about to faint. How could she expect her to use her horn? Was this her punishment? Did Celestia want to see Twilight blasted unconscious like Rarity?
"But...but Princess!" Twilight said, now completely in shock.
"Don't worry, Twilight," Celestia said, lifting her head slightly and placing it right next to Twilight's, as if sharing something just between herself and her student. "Just...try..."
Celestia's last word resonated through Twilight as the Princess raised her head and gazed down at her most prized student. Something seemed to stabilize in Twilight's mind. The lump in her throat was gone, and her thoughts were more focused.
"Okay Princess...” she said with a deep breath, “I'll try..."
Twilight put her head down and lit her horn, feeling a sharp pain flow through her body, which she tried hard to ignore.
Seconds passed as Twilight trudged through one difficult step after another. Pain seared through her as her horn lit up a volcanic migraine, making her break out in a sweat, occasionally having to stop and cry out. But she never lost her focus.
Halfway through, she thought, her whole head throbbing uncontrollably.
The bonfire exploded from her head and spread out as Twilight neared the end of the spell, a massive pink cloud swirling inward and condensing just around her horn.
Almost...almost there...just...
As Twilight performed the penultimate step, a lightening-bolt of agony shot threw her as she lost her train of thought. All she could do was scream out as the pain blinded her from feeling anything else. Once again, the magic overtook her, wafting through her...
This time, however, it didn't magnify. She wasn't blasted through the air either. Instead, the magic simply condensed inside her, lighting her body on fire as it acted as a container, rather than a catalyst. A split second later, the magic burst all over Ponyville as Twilight collapsed, panting, finally relieved that the pain was gone. Looking up, she stared in awe at the incredible ring of magic spreading out. Did that really come from her?!
"Did...did I do it...?" Twilight said, still lying her on stomach with her hooves spread-eagle, her head looking hopefully up at Celestia. The Princess was facing away from her now, her mane and tail wafting in the wind.
"We'll see..." was all she said.
Twilight looked around her. None of the ponies were moving. They seemed stunned. Even the Pegasi simply flapped their wings, looking blankly at their partners.
"Is...is that it?" Twilight said. "Is it over?"
Twilight's question answered itself as every last pony suddenly turned away from her, apparently entranced with something she couldn't see. Then, with a rumble that shook the earth, every pony stampeded away, clouding the entire Square in dust. Twilight watched as pony after pony ran past her, the Princess stepping over her to ensure she wasn't trampled. As the dust faded and the Princess stepped away to gaze into the distance, Twilight hoisted herself back onto her hooves.
"Wha...where are they going?" Twilight asked,
Her eyes followed the Princess's gaze, pointing off in the direction of the hill from which the original spell had been cast. She noticed a blue speck moving amid the blue sky, growing larger each second, followed by an audible scream just as she noticed the colorful tail of the comet streaking overhead.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-"
"WHOOOOOOOSH!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH..."
"RAINBOW DASH!" Twilight yelled.
A moment later, a rumbling shook every building in the Town Square as the stampede crashed back through the field, knocking Twilight over. Again, the Princess stood over her to protect her as the horde of ponies galloped noisily past her. She caught bits and pieces of what they were yelling out as they passed.
"Did you see her?!"
"She went that way!"
"I can't wait-"
"-grab her tail and-"
"-gonna play with her wings-"
"-heard she tastes like cupcakes!"
As the last of the ponies shot past her and faded away, she looked into the distance at the wild crowd chasing a rainbow trail getting smaller with each passing second. Twilight's breath was taken away as she once again stumbled to her hooves.
"Oh no!" Twilight said, turning towards Celestia, shaking her head. "Princess! I'm so sorry! I couldn't! I just couldn't!"
Princess Celestia continued staring into the distance, the wind still blowing her colorful mane through the air. Twilight could have sworn she saw another glint of the smile crest her face, but a moment later it was gone.
"Princess...I..." Twilight held back her tears as they threatened to break through again. She bowed her head, awaiting the Princess's reprimand.
"My dear Twilight..." Celestia said, her hint of a smile finally breaking through into a wide grin as she turned towards her. "Believe it or not, you actually did even better than I expected!" she said.
Twilight blinked, unable to form a baffled expression anymore. This was all so strange to her.
"I think it's now time,” the Princess whispered, moving right up next to Twilight, “to let you in on a little secret,"
Twilight looked up at her, producing a barely audible "huh?" as her brain twisted and turned around everything that had just happened.
"There's something you should know about the magic of Equestria," she said, leaning over and putting her mouth right next to Twilight's ear.
The next five words repeated themselves in her mind, as if magic was placing them into the deep resources of her memory.
"You don't need your horn."
...
A silence ensued, as if something profound had just been revealed. Twilight couldn’t understand quite what it meant, but knew it was something she would remember for a long time...
"But...Princess..."
Celestia brought her head back up.
"My dear student,” she continued, as if she was in a classroom giving a typical lecture. “Magic is not something you make! It's all around us! Even Earth-Ponies can use it! Any pony is free to use magic at their will!" she said. "All they have to do is tap into it!"
Twilight stared, trying to make sense of this.
"I...I still don't understand..."
"The magic of Equestria," Celestia continued, now stepping back as she faced her student proper, "is older even than I am! Even I had to learn this very lesson myself! Magic is something that's all around us, all the time!" she said. "The material on a unicorn's horn is simply the most sensitive to it! But it's not required to tell it's there!"
Twilight took a deep breath, starting to see where this was going.
"And so, Twilight," Celestia finished, standing up tall in her most majestic pose, "my dearest, most faithful student, here is your final task for today! Close your eyes. Forget what you know about magic. Forget that your horn is damaged. Forget about your handicap. And feel for the magic that you already know! Reach for that feeling you’ve had all your life! You know the spell. You know the steps. Now...cast it!"
Twilight looked at Celestia to be sure she was finished. The town was still ironically filled with frivolous activity, despite Celestia’s enlightening speech, which still waved in the air around her.
Twilight wanted to say something – to announce that she was starting, but nothing came to mind. So instead, Twilight closed her eyes, and let her body become calm, letting her thoughts become blank, and becoming very aware of everything she felt around her.
At first, she could feel only the wind and the grass against her skin, making her feel very silly just standing there. But then she remembered what Celestia had said, and imagined the feeling of her horn when she cast magic, back before she was injured. And before she knew entirely what it was, Twilight felt it. A small, faintly noticeable ripple through her body.
She had felt it before, but had only dismissed it as her nerves acting up. Now, however, she was beginning to recognize it as the same rippling she felt so strongly in her horn as she performed her spells.
Slowly, carefully, Twilight willed it to move...
And the waves of magic shifted inside her.
I can control it! she thought.
Remembering the steps in the book, she used her thoughts and feelings to mold the waves and ripples, as the notes of an instrument are shaped as one learned to play. With each step, the rippling became more focused and dense. And what was even stranger was that the magic seemed to be helping her. Each step of the spell seemed to be handed to her through the song.
With each step, the rippling magnified, like a series of waves magnifying in the wind. They became denser, too, piling onto one another in a cacophony that played all around her.
As the final steps were performed, Twilight could feel something grand coming together. The cacophony condensed into unity as the waves turned to pure song. Twilight felt her body leaving the ground. It was as if she was being hoisted onto a pedestal, and crowned with power and respect. She was the master of this song. She decided what it did.
With a commanding sense of control, Twilight pulled in every last inch of magic into herself, condensing it into a ball of light inside herself that washed over the entire town. And with a single powerful stroke, she released it into the wild.
What followed was something Twilight could never fully describe. All of Ponyville, and possibly even Equestria, was bathed in a blinding white light. The light spread, condensing into golden seeds that fell lightly on every inch of Equestrian ground. It seemed to last for ages, but eventually it faded. And as it did, she could see off in the distance a large mass of ponies, all rubbing their heads confusedly as they tried to work out what had just happened.
Twilight descended onto the ground and looked up at Celestia, who was beaming brighter than Twilight had ever seen her.
"My Dear Twilight Sparkle!" she said.
Twilight hadn't seen her this happy since she got her cutie mark!
"You know you have done something very special just now, but perhaps you do not know how special!" she said. "You see, the magic you have just performed has only ever been used five times since I first raised the sun."
Twilight couldn’t quite take this in. She just stared at Celestia as the edges of her face were pulled into a smile.
"In fact..." Celestia continued, looking a bit more solemn, "it was this very magic that my sister Luna used in her transformation...so long ago..."
Twilight watched as the Princess bowed her head in remembrance, Twilight following suite out of respect. However, the thought of Princess Luna brought forth another uncomfortable memory that Twilight couldn't bear to hold back anymore.
"Princess Celestia" she said, "I think there's something you should know about Princess Luna."
“Hmmm?” Celestia said, pulling her head back up and turning her attention back to her favorite student. Twilight stuttered a bit as she worked out how to say this.
“I sorta...well...”
After opening and closing her mouth a few times, she finally gave up, determining there was no easy way to explain this.
“When I went to get the book from the castle library, Princess Luna was there and I sorta...jumped on her...” she said. Twilight grimaced, hoping the Princess knew what she meant by this. Heat invaded her face as she imagined having to describe it in any more detail.
Princess Celestia's face was simply blank, a pair of eyes looking at her unseeing. Twilight could tell there was something else going on behind the scenes that she didn't know. However, the Princess did eventually speak, prompting a bit more information.
"These actions," she said. "Were they a result of the spell?"
Twilight thought back and remembered how suddenly everything had occurred. There really was no other explanation.
"Yeah," she said, keeping her head down as she spoke.
Again, a completely blank expression as the next question came.
"How far did it go?"
Twilight pawed at the ground, hoping she wouldn't have to admit this. Her words were barely more than a whisper, but the Princess caught them clearly in the silence of the Town Square.
"All the way," she said.
Celestia continued to stared at her, expressionless. Twilight could only imagine the utter detest she must have felt towards Twilight, expecting any moment to be banished somewhere horrible, cast away from learning magic forever. However, as she let these words simmer, a smile formed on Celestia's face, almost against her will.
The smile grew.
And then grew some more.
Until at last the Princess burst out in fits of laughter, shaking the ground beneath her. The laughter spread out like an avalanche as Celestia struck the ground with her hooves, her body shaking and convulsing as she leaned forward. Twilight had backed up quite a few feet in shock as she listened to this strangely jovial reaction. It was quite a few minutes before the laughter died down enough for her to speak, getting back up chuckling between words.
"Ooooh! Oh my!" she said, having trouble taking gasping breaths between laughs. "Twilight!"
Twilight looked at her concerned.
"What's so funny, Princess?"
Celestia turned towards Twilight, shaking her head as she suppressed another fit of laughter.
"Oh...oh Twilight! I guess I should have told her about the love spell. She must have been - Oh, my! I thought she looked particularly happy just before I left! Ooooh...how do I put this..."
Celestia shook her head, still giggling before pulling it back with her eyes rolled up in contemplation.
"Luna...well...Luna hasn’t really had much...affection since I banished her to the moon,” she said, trying to keep a straight face as she looked Twilight in the eye. “In fact, she’s been so tied up in recovering and reestablishing herself that she hasn’t even tried moving forward in that direction! She'll never admit it, but I guarantee you she enjoyed it every bit as much as you did."
Twilight had no idea what to make of this as Celestia burst out into more laughter, again shaking the ground around her. As her laughter died down, many of the ponies of Ponyville could be seen returning to the Town Square. Many were dragging their feet and holding their heads.
"That was not the reception I was expecting." Rainbow Dash said, walking up to where Twilight and Celestia were, holding her sore body at an odd angle. One of her hooves was reaching back near her flank. "I mean, I know I'm the most awesome pony in this town and everything, but did everypony have to go that crazy just because I was gone for a few days?!"
Twilight smiled weakly. "I'm glad you're okay, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said, looking around to make sure there wasn't any lasting damage. "You are okay, right?"
Dash brought her head up as her hoof dug into one of her glutes. "Yeah," she said, "Luckily none of the ponies actually did anything official, but I'm still steering clear of of any of the games they were playing. I think one of them actually chewed on my cutie mark!" she said, Twilight now catching a glimpse at some marks on her side. "Nothing that won't heal up in a couple days, though. Who knew Ponyville ponies liked it that rough!"
Twilight chuckled as she turned back to Celestia, Rainbow Dash suddenly blushing horribly as she noticed the Princess standing just in front of her. She immediately removed her hoof from her flank and bowed low.
“Well, Princess!" Twilight said, "It looks like everything’s returning back to normal now! I can only imagine where we’d be if you hadn’t shown up!”
“Oh, don’t mention it,” Celestia said. “I just got your note and came here as soon as I could!”
Twilight’s smile faltered slightly.
“Note?”
“Why yes!” Celestia continued. “Didn’t you write to me?”
Twilight glanced around the crowd quickly for Spike, but he was nowhere in sight. She thought back, trying to remember if she had ever written anything, but recalled that there was no way she could write anything without her horn.
“But...but I thought Spike had just...”
Thinking back to where Spike had been last, a memory flashed before her of the body of a white mare, lying unconscious on the grass just a short distance from where the Princess had landed.
“Rarity!” she said. “Is she all right?! Where is she!”
Twilight dashed around the crowd, finally spotting the white body on the ground. Twilight heaved a sigh of relief as she noticed the mare working her way back onto her hooves.
“Rarity!” Twilight yelled out, racing up to her. “Rarity! You’re all right!”
Rarity was also rubbing her head with one hoof, trying to get her balance with her others. The other ponies around her were all busy conversing as they tried to work out what had happened.
“Twi-Twilight!” she stuttered. “What happened? Is everything...why are all these ponies here? Did I...”
“I’ll explain later,” Twilight said with a sigh of relief, reaching a leg up and embracing her tightly. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
She walked back to Celestia, positively beaming at finally having her friend back to normal again.
“Thank you so much, Princess!” she said again.
Celestia smiled in return.
“It wasn’t me who saved Ponyville from the spell,” she said, bringing a hoof up and lightly brushing it against Twilight's cheek. Twilight brought a hoof to her mouth and giggled. “And speaking of spells,” Celestia added, “I believe there’s still the matter of the book...”
Twilight was blank for a bit before remembering "Enchantments of Amore Volume II" still lying on the grass.
“Oh, right!” she said, running over to return it to Celestia.
At first, she tried picking it up with her horn only to find that it was still damaged. She considered trying out Celestia’s advice again, but decided it would be overkill and ended up simply kicking the book over to her instead, some of the pages collecting pieces of grass and dirt as it rolled along.
“Thank you, Twilight Sparkle,” she said, magicking the book clean as she lifted it. “I’ll be returning this to the library in the castle where it belongs. Oh! And I believe there’s one more!”
She looked down at Twilight, who glanced back in the direction of the library. “Oh...um...right. I’ll be sure to get that to you...you know...soon...”
“And I trust you to do it,” Celestia said. “Farewell, my faithful student.”
As Celestia spread her wings, Twilight called out. "Wait! Princess, one more thing"
Celestia's wings stayed open, but dropped slightly. "What is it, Twilight?"
"The spell. I don't understand. Why...why Luna? Why would the spell choose her?"
Celestia's eyes perked, surprised at her student's curiosity. She thought for a moment before giving a slight smile, trying to explain the best she could. "Funny you should ask that question, Twilight Sparkle. Love spells are a strange business sometimes, especially when they go wrong. Had the spell been performed properly, I would imagine you would have been completely unaffected. That's the way all love spells work...usually, at least." Her head glanced to the side momentarily before she continued. "However, strange things happen when a spell goes wrong, and many times you can get some...er... bizarre effects. I wasn't there on the hill with you when it happened, so I couldn't give you a straight-up answer. However, if I was to take a guess, I would say it was some kind of reinterpretation of the powerful connection you already share with my sister."
Twilight thought for a moment. "Powerful connection? You don't mean...the Elements?"
Celestia gave a slight nod. "Again, it's only conjecture. All magic is connected in some way, and the Elements are the most powerful magic in this realm. It would not be surprising to find that the love spell somehow tapped into that same magic from before. Perhaps you might be interested in writing a thesis on it at some point! It would fit nicely with the other lectures in our Annual Magic Seminar. I'd look forward to hearing your own theory."
Twilight blushed as another quirky smile crossed her face. Celestia smiled upon her one last time. "Farewell, Twilight Sparkle", she said, spreading her wings before flying off towards Canterlot.
Twilight turned around to see a glimmer of purple and green fighting its way through the crowd.
“Spike!” Twilight said, picking up her hooves and racing through the crowd of ponies. She crouched, almost sliding on the ground as she wrapped her hooves around him, almost suffocating him.
“GEEZ...TWILIGHT!” he coughed. “YOU CAN...LET GO NOW...”
Twilight relaxed her hooves a little but kept them wrapped around him, placing her chin on the top of his head as she took a deep breath.
“You did it!" she said, backing up to look at him properly. "You sent a letter to the Princess!”
Spike blushed, looking down at the ground. His foot scraped back and forth across the grass as Twilight continued.
“I thought you said you didn’t want to send her a letter!”
“Well...you know...” Spike said, still studying the grass at his feet. “I saw Rarity there and...well...I don’t know what got over me!" he said, looking up. "I guess...I guess I decided there are simply some things worth getting in trouble for,” he finally said.
Twilight beamed at him before grabbing him in another not-so-tight hug. “You did what I couldn’t, Spike,” she said, pride emanating from her eyes.
“Well, I kinda had the letter with me the whole time,” he admitted, trying to worm his way out of her embrace. “You know...just in case”
Twilight let go again, keeping a hoof on his shoulder.
"I never should have gotten upset with you about Rarity," she said. "You're young! You should enjoy the time you have with Rarity now! Don't worry about the future just yet!"
Spike’s smile dropped as he looked over Twilight’s shoulder. Twilight didn't notice.
"Besides. Who knows! She may come to like you in that way once you're a bit older. And anyway, who am I to say you two couldn't-"
"Uh, Twilight!" Spike said, now tapping his claw against her fore-leg.
Twilight saw where his eyes were pointed and got back up on all fours, turning around to see Rarity standing behind them. Twilight blushed as she saw the awkward look on her face.
“Oh, Twilight,” she said, glancing around at Spike before turning back to her. “Um...listen...can I talk to you for a moment?”
She indicated with her head towards somewhere away from the crowd. Twilight turned back to Spike, who shrugged.
“Oh...okay,” Twilight said, turning back to Rarity. She led Twilight away from the crowds to a park bench at the outskirts of the Town Square, well out of earshot and sight of the rest of the ponies. She turned around, shaking her mane out as she got up close to Twilight, speaking quietly as if some pony might be eavesdropping from behind the bench.
“Uh, listen Twilight. I just found out that...well...I found out this town was under a bit of a love spell, and-”
“That’s all taken care of now!” Twilight blurted out. Rarity gave a weak smile, but still didn't look satisfied.
“Actually, that’s not really what I meant,” she continued. “You see, I was kinda wondering if I...well...you know...did anything with...” Rarity swirled with her hoof a bit, finally squinting at Twilight before the unicorn picked up on what she was asking.
“Oh! Right! Um...you were with me the whole time,” Twilight answered, backing up as one of her crazy smiles started to creep up on her again.
“Oh! Good! Great!" she said, sounding relieved. "And of course, I’m assuming that by “with me” you mean...”
“Yeah,” Twilight said, picking up on this question much quicker than the last.
“Oh, okay,” she said simply.
For a moment, they stood there awkwardly, each one a few paces from the other now. Twilight was reminded of her first encounter with Fluttershy as they both looked away from each other dangling one of their hooves like a pendulum. Finally, Rarity turned towards her again, a shade of pink cresting her cheeks.
“Did I..." she started awkwardly, "did I happen to do anything...you know...intimate...during that time...?”
Twilight looked at her completely blank. Then, lowering her head slowly to the ground, she gave the tiniest of nods.
“Yeah,” she said very quietly.
More silence. Twilight heard Rarity's hooves crunch against the grass as she moved up to Twilight again. In fact, she kept walking up to her, prompting Twilight to lift her head to see her now just a foot in front of her, swallowing hard just before she whispered awkwardly.
“Was it...was it good?”
Twilight was so taken aback by this question she actually stepped a few paces away from Rarity.
“Oh!” Rarity said, lifting a hoof, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...”
“No, that’s all right, I just...”
Taking a deep breath, Twilight smiled at Rarity, bringing back those sweet feelings of satisfaction from last night.
“It was fantastic!” she said, closing her eyes with a shake of her head, feeling most unlike her usual Twilight self.
Rarity gave a weak smile, approaching Twilight until she was just inches apart from her. Twilight's excitement level wasn't anywhere near what it was when Rarity approached her on the library stairs. However, she still felt an uncomfortable feeling from Rarity being so close again.
“Don’t...” Rarity said, turning her head to glance all around them, “...don’t tell anyone about this, okay?”
“Rarity, you have my word. I won’t tell any-MMM!”
The familiar feeling of Rarity’s lips brushed around hers. For a moment she was in total shock as Rarity sank into her again. Twilight closed her eyes and tried to find a way to enjoy this, but the awkwardness was just too great.
Finally, Rarity pulled away, leaving Twilight standing with her mouth still open. Rarity’s eyes were phased out and looking up at the sky as she pondered something, smacking her lips quietly as if she had just tasted a small glass of wine.
Finally, she let out a long sigh as a huge smile crossed her face. Turning towards Twilight again, she bounced a few times on her hooves.
“Nope!” she said. "Not into mares!"
And with that, she waltzed back into the crowd, leaving Twilight standing there completely perplexed.
-----------------------------------
Epilogue
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learned that it's always a good idea to talk things through with your friends when they're upset. Many times, a grudge does nothing but escalate when left alone. We all just need to be open about our problems, and allow our friends to help us find solutions we might not have considered.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle
“Send it, Spike!” Twilight said, handing Spike the magic book to send with it. With a deep breath, Spike released the green fire, engulfing the letter and book and sending them away from the library.
“Well!” Twilight said, turning away from the desk. “That takes care of that!”
Spike ran over to her, holding his arms out. "But what about Trixie and Zecora?" he asked. "Aren't they still turned to stone?"
Twilight thought a bit. "I...gosh, Spike, I guess you're right! We need to help Zecora somehow, don't we" She brought a hoof to her chin. "Hmmm. I guess I could always talk to Fluttershy tomorrow. After all, she's the one who managed to get me back to normal. If anyone can help with that, I'm sure she could."
Twilight trotted over to the balcony again, noticing the mail still sitting out there since yesterday. Spike followed her outside as she glanced down at the dried up golden envelopes.
“You know" she said, "I never really got a chance to see what all these letters were. I wonder...”
She indicated her head down towards them, letting Spike peel each one apart from the other, opening them in turn. Spike let out a gasp by the third one.
“Twilight!” he said, holding up one of the letters so she could see. “These are all wedding invitations!”
Twilight stared at the cursive writing, reading the formal invitation, polished to the point that Rarity would have approved.
“Wow...” she said. “And here I thought Rarity was crazy!”
“Hey, I’m just glad she’s back to normal!" Spike interrupted. "All those decoration's of Rarity's took forever to take down!”
“Yeah, Spike. And you're probably happy to have your favorite Rarity all to yourself again now! Plus at this point, there's only one wedding we need to attend. And that's not for another two weeks.”
Twilight walked up to the edge of the balcony as Spike finished ripping apart the envelopes. She peered out at the view of Ponyville, now devoid of the copious amounts of affection there had been just 24 hours prior.
“Yep!" she said to herself, turning back to Spike. "No more love spell! No more problems! Just me...you...and-”
Spike let out a loud hiccough.
“You all right Spike?”
Spike looked like he was about to hurl. A few moments later, he let out an enormous belch as a letter popped out in front of him.
“Oh! That must be from the Princess!” Twilight said, walking up to read it.
“Actually...” Spike said, opening it so Twilight could see, “it’s from Princess Luna!”
Twilight jumped back, trotting up quickly to see for herself.
“Luna? Really?!”
Spike held the letter up so Twilight could read it.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I thoroughly enjoyed your visit here in Canterlot, and was wondering if perhaps you would care to join me back in the castle some time. You certainly seemed to enjoy yourself, and didn't even seem all that inexperienced.
Anyway, just let me know if you'd like to get together sometime.
Your Hopeful Lover,
Princess Luna