//------------------------------// // 23 - Summer in Canterlot // Story: Ponies on Ponies // by Ravenmane //------------------------------// Twilight’s Private Library, Canterlot The lavender unicorn groaned at the book in front of her. “There’s nothing in here either!” There was an alarmingly large pile of books on either side of her. “I swear there has to be something in here I can use.” She had been ranting about the same thing since she returned to Equestria. She knew there was an answer somewhere. It would drive her up the walls until she had an answer to her problem. If Princess Celestia found a way then so can I, she thought while ignoring the fact that she knew she wasn’t the teacher she held in such high regard. “Let’s see,” she mumbled as she examined a slew of freshly summoned books. “This one seems promising.” The book in question was a worn, jewel-encrusted tome titled Here and There: Advanced Incantations for the Needy. “Let’s see, gateway, gateway, come here gateway…” “I do not understand Twilight Sparkle,” called a voice from the other side of the room. Even more books and several equation-laden chalkboards obscured the source of this other voice. “Why are you even pursuing this course of action?” As soon as the question finished there was the sound clack of a bead colliding with a second one. Twilight groaned in frustration. “Because I need to know what he felt. I have to ask him to be perfectly honest with me.” The sound of another bead clacking caused her to jump to her hooves. “Princess Luna, I thought you were helping me! Is this nothing more than something for you to do all night to stave off boredom?” “TWILIGHT SPARKLE,” boomed the Royal Canterlot Voice from the obscured lunar princess. “YOU ARE PUSHING YOUR LUCK AND I SHALL NOT ACCEPT YOUR INSOLENCE!” Twilight retreated from her book piles at the sudden fury of her only assistance. However, her meek reaction was short lived as her face contorted into angry scowl. “I thought you had a heart! Can’t you understand why I have to do this?” Twilight’s horn ignited as she forced all obstructions out of the way, ensuring her fury was known to the lunar princess. To Twilight’s surprise, Princess Luna was trying to use her abacus as a shield while she covered her head with her hooves. “I am sorry Twilight Sparkle,” she replied nervously, “please forgive my anger!” The color drained from Twilight’s face. Seeing one of the rulers of Equestria, the only willing assistance she had in this undertaking, cowering like a foal caught sneaking a cookie before dinner by their parents. What sort of monster is this making me, she wondered. Was I ever really like this before? How could I ever possibly scare somepony as powerful as her? “Have you ever been in love Princess Luna?” Luna chanced to glance at Twilight. Seeing the unicorn calmer was far more reassuring than anything else. “Several times and I do share your sympathies but this endeavor of yours is very, very illegal. If we are caught, you will be lucky to serve prison time and I have no doubt that my sister shall return me to the moon.” “I. Don’t. Care.” Twilight accented each word with a jab of her hoof towards the princess. “I have to do this. Nopony will stop me,” she gulped, knowing exactly what she was about to say sounded absolutely crazy. “Not even Princess Celestia can scare me away from this.” Princess Luna sighed and returned to a thick log she had set aside so she could do some calculations. “I will examine more materials after I finish correcting my sister’s flimsy economic standards.” Despite her assistance to Twilight she still had royal duties to perform. “Even in one thousand years ‘Tia still cannot do proper math,” the lunar princess added tersely. She needs a tutor before she ever handles the finances of Equestria again, she added silently. Even Luna knew she could only mouth off behind her sister’s back for so long. ***** “Twilight, I think I found it,” exclaimed the lunar diarch over breakfast a week later. A stunned silence was all that greeted this revelation. “It isn’t just one spell, like you thought, but several; scrying, teleportation, the works, tis a work of art!” “Oh, and what is such a work of art Luna,” asked her elder sister pleasantly. “Um… nothing sister,” the lunar diarch quickly replied, “nothing at all.” “She weaseled it out of me while I was on my way down Luna,” commented Twilight with a sigh. “And now that you’re both here I would like to say that I am very disappointed that you both went behind my back in your attempt to contact another world.” “But sister we-” “Will no longer discuss this topic,” finished Celestia. We're doing it anyway, thought Twilight.