//------------------------------// // Mare on a Mission // Story: In the Hour of Twilight // by Blue Dragon //------------------------------// “Spike? Why are you crying?” Twilight galloped to his basket. The purple dragon turned away from her and continued to sob. “G-Go away, Twilight…” He’d never sounded worse. The unicorn felt her own eyes water from this display. Spike never cried without a good reason. “Please, Spike, tell me what’s wrong. I can’t just leave you alone like this…” Twilight watched patiently, hoping he would oblige. The lavender mare saw him stiffen and could barely hear him speak. “I-I…” He sniffled, “I confessed to Rarity…” The silence was unbearable. Twilight’s eyes widened and she didn’t know what to say. There was a reason she discouraged the action. The unicorn thought that the other mare would let him down easily, but apparently that was not so. “What happened? You’re my number one assistant, Spike…You can tell me.” The dragon shivered before sitting up. He turned towards the unicorn with a defeated expression that killed her inside. He shouldn’t ever feel like that. “Everypony told me that I should do it, so I went to her house. At first we were just talking, and then I finally worked up the courage to say it…B-But she said she didn’t have feelings for me!” He crumpled and began crying anew. Twilight felt anger well up within her. Rarity should’ve known that he would react like this and should have come up with a better plan of action. She could’ve introduced him to somepony else, or maybe even given him a chance! What kind of friend makes you cry? Certainly not a generous one. The unicorn spoke with a level of calm that even scared her. “I’ll be right back, Spike.” “N-No, Twi, d-don’t go to Rarity’s…!” The dragon looked into her eyes desperately. “I’m not going to the Carousel Boutique.” She lied, “You probably need some time alone. Get some sleep.” The assistant looked like he wanted to protest, but he laid back down, silent tears still flowing from his eyes. Obviously, he couldn’t think straight. Twilight took a minute to cast a spell on him to make sure his sleep would be peaceful and dreamless. It was the least she could do. The unicorn walked out of the room quietly, deciding not to use a teleportation spell. It would be much too loud. She was going to get an explanation from that marshmallow pony whether she wanted to give one or not. She stormed out of the library and made her way to the Carousel Boutique. Strangely, none of her best friends were around. Other ponies watched sympathetically—Twilight guessed that they had seen Spike earlier. It was no matter, however. The Carousel Boutique had a closed sign on the outside. Twilight looked through the window and could actually see Rarity. The fashionista was bent over on the floor and seemed to be crying. Confused, the unicorn raised an ear to see if she could hear anything through the door. “I am such a MONSTER…This is the worst possible outcome…!” She sobbed some more, “I couldn’t even give Spike the reason…But I couldn’t tell him who I was in love with…no…he would have been devastated…” More than a little stunned, and feeling bad for her friend, Twilight took a few steps back. She walked away and tried to put her thoughts in order, but the situation was becoming more and more complicated. “What the hay am I supposed to do now…?” The unicorn mumbled to herself, feeling completely and utterly lost. It’s too bad that Twilight had to go back to the library, Fluttershy thought as she fed the chickens in the coop. I wonder how Spike is doing… She laid the bag of food aside and continued to let her thoughts wander. I hope he’s alright. I’m sure Rarity wasn’t too hard on him. But still…What if I did the wrong thing? What if he’s crying right now because I told him he should confess? Fluttershy’s eyes widened. Would he ever forgive me? What about Twilight? “Hey! Stupid bunny! Where’s Fluttershy?” Somepony spoke loudly. The yellow pegasus recognized the voice and walked out of the coop, forgetting her troublesome thoughts. “Angel Bunny! What are you doing out of bed?” She fluttered over to the rabbit, who was now using crutches. He glared at the cyan mare in front of him. “Don’t look at me like that!” Rainbow Dash glowered upon him, “I found Fluttershy in the Everfree just like I said I would!” Confused, the yellow pony looked over at her long-time friend. “Speaking of which,” RD turned to Fluttershy with a cheeky smile, “I didn’t know you and Twilight were going out! What you did in the Everfree took some real guts. I’m surprised that you would even do something like that!” She clicked her tongue, “Tsk, tsk, you should’ve told me sooner. So, how far have you two gone yet?” Fluttershy felt her face get hot. “Y-You saw that?” Rainbow nodded over-enthusiastically. “I was coming over to make sure you and the bunny were still okay, and he,” RD spat venomously, pointing a hoof directly at Angel, “wouldn’t tell me where you went. I had to make him a carrot cake to get him to cooperate! A carrot cake! And even then he told me I’d never be able to find you guys.” “U-Um…Angel spoke?” The yellow pegasus questioned, glancing uneasily between her pet and her friend. “Well, no,” Rainbow shrugged, “He pointed at me, pointed at the forest, and then moved his arm across his neck like I was going to die or something. So anyway, I went in, figuring you were going to Zecora’s, but I saw you with Twilight. I was going to come out and say something, but then you both started kissing and stuff. Haha, not too bad—but I accidentally made some noise in the bush I was hiding in, so you two hurried out. It took me a minute to remember which way the exit was.” Beyond mortified, Fluttershy’s entire face turned red. Rainbow seemed to acknowledge this with amusement, as she only continued talking. “Wow, you sure looked like you were enjoying it, too! You had a pretty epic wingboner. I’m surprised that Twilight didn’t notice!” She chuckled and the other mare only sank lower into the ground. Fluttershy covered her face with her hooves in an attempt to escape the embarrassment. “And then you were…Ouch!” Rainbow exclaimed, causing the other pegasus to look up. Angel Bunny had thrown one of his crutches at RD, and it had gotten her square in the muzzle. He was frowning in a way that suggested he disapproved of the mare’s actions. “Why you…” Rainbow glared at the offending rabbit, but he only smirked challengingly. Fluttershy hurriedly picked up the crutch in her mouth and hoofed it over to the bunny. “That wasn’t very nice of you, Angel,” She scolded quietly, “You shouldn’t throw things at Rainbow Dash.” The rabbit took the crutch from her, but did not look apologetic in the least. “He shouldn’t even be out of bed, if you ask me!” Rainbow said with a hoof held up threateningly. “Why don’t we put him to sleep?” Angel feinted throwing a crutch at Rainbow, seeming to show how much he wanted to follow through. It was a wonder why he didn’t do so. Looking reluctant, he walked back inside of his own accord, slamming the door as we went. Fluttershy felt very proud of him at that moment. She’d have never gotten him to cooperate on her own. Rainbow Dash looked very smug. “Heh, that’s what I thought, ya little menace.” Fluttershy felt the need to protect her pet’s reputation; surely Rainbow had only gotten a bad impression on poor Angel. “Oh, you must be mistaken Rainbow. Angel’s a very good bunny. He’s just a little too mischievous sometimes.” “What?! Didn’t you see how he was acting? He needs a good beating, if you ask me! Fluttershy, you can’t let him walk over you like that!” The cyan pegasus’s wings beat hard despite her being on the ground; a clear sign of her aggression. Fluttershy gasped in horror. Animals being beaten? What a terrible thought! “Oh no, I couldn’t possibly do something like that…” Rainbow sighed and changed the subject, seeming like she was bored of the current topic already. “Whatever, Flutters. You just remember that I told you. Anyway, can we talk?” Fluttershy examined her hooves nervously. No good conversation started like that. “U-Um…Sure…” Rainbow was straining her ears to hear properly, and apparently she had made out what she had said. “Cool!” The blue mare took to the air, waiting for her fellow pegasus. Fluttershy glanced back at her house, mentally going over the animals to make sure she had already taken care of them. She dismissed herself with the reminder that she’d be back momentarily. This wouldn’t take long. The yellow pegasus caught up to her friend with an anxious smile. Rainbow nodded in approval (for what, Fluttershy could not name) before setting a rather slow pace, considering her normal speed. It seemed like they were headed back to the Everfree. “So, uh, Fluttershy…” Rainbow started slowly, “This is going to sound really weird. Especially coming from me, but you’re the only one I can talk to about this. But first, you gotta Laughter Promise not to say anything.” She looked pleadingly at the other pegasus. Fluttershy gulped at the seriousness of this topic, but did the gestures. She guessed that by laughter she meant Pinkie Pie. “You can um, tell me anything, Rainbow.” She said, hoping that she could actually help her friend with whatever it was she needed. “Good, ‘cause this is important. How do you think she feels about me?” Fluttershy felt Rainbow staring at her, and thus got a little anxious. “W-Who?” “Who else? I can’t say her name out loud, but you know who she is. She’s the…” Rainbow glanced down as if checking to make sure somepony wasn’t following them on hoof. “Element of Laughter. D-Don’t say it!” A hoof was pressed onto Fluttershy’s muzzle just as she was about to say the name as an afterthought. “S-Sworry,” Fluttershy apologized as best she could with a hoof in her face, but RD pulled it back. She sighed. “I’m not very good at this, is what I’m trying to say. Remember what happened with AJ? I can’t afford to do that again.” Sadness dripped from her voice, but she quickly recovered, “Since you’re so obviously in love and know what to do with yourself, could you give another player some pointers? I don’t want to hurt Pin—I mean, Laughter like I did to Applejack.” Fluttershy frowned thoughtfully. She remembered what had happened vividly. It was a very personal matter between those two mares, but Rainbow had trusted her enough to tell her. It was the only time she’d ever seen Rainbow cry. “I understand, Rainbow. You um, want advice?” This is…familiar… Fluttershy thought with dread. She didn’t like giving out romantic instructions. Why did it seem like everypony thought she was great at this stuff? Not that she wasn’t happy to help, or anything. Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, well, kind of. More like a nudge in the right direction. I don’t know how she feels, and considering my relations with AJ right now…” She coughed, “I don’t want to act too quickly like I did before. And since Laughter is random all the time, I have no idea as to how she would react. What do you think I should do?” Poor Rainbow…She’s afraid to go after love again… Fluttershy felt a pang of sympathy for her fellow pegasus, but she really wasn’t sure what to advise. “…You should always follow your heart, Rainbow. Applejack and Pink—Laughter are two very different ponies. All you can do is to learn from your mistakes. I-I’m not saying that Applejack was a mistake! Oh no, I just meant that anything you thought you did wrong—“Rainbow held up a hoof, signaling the rambling pony to stop. “I guess you have a point, Flutters. But my heart? Couldn’t you have worded that…I don’t know, cooler?” Rainbow smirked, but it was a rhetorical question. “Whatever. I think it’s telling me to act. But then again, it’s always telling me that.” The two mares both chuckled at this. “It’s been awhile since we last talked to actually talk. Guess I’m too busy with my tricks and you’re too busy with your Twilight. Hahaha,” Rainbow laughed at her own joke, “Seriously, how did that even happen? The egghead?” Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment. “It’s kind of a long story…” Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner? Of course a letter to Princess Celestia would be a good idea at this point. Twilight hadn’t sent one in a few days, so now would be a prime time to ‘check in.’ Twilight hurriedly pulled out parchment and a quill from her saddlebag to begin writing. She read it aloud to herself, as nopony was around her anyway. “Dear Princess Celestia…It’s been a few days since I last contacted you, but I’m afraid that this letter will not be a very happy one. I am sending this to you to ask for assistance. You see, Princess, a lot of weird things have been happening lately. Some kind of monster seems to have made its residence in the Everfree Forest, and it is harming Fluttershy’s animals…” Twilight considered telling her mentor about her new relationship with Fluttershy, but decided against it. It wouldn’t be right to make a decision like that without the other mare’s consent. “…But that’s not what’s really bothering me. Spike confessed his love to Rarity today. I didn’t know that he went to the Carousel Boutique to do so, but apparently somepony encouraged him. My friend Rarity told him that she didn’t have any feelings for him, and he ended up running to the library crying. When I found out, I made my way to Rarity’s to ask her what happened. But I heard something strange…” Twilight stopped talking, as somepony just passed by. The blue-green unicorn gave her a weird look, but she didn’t pay attention. Instead, Twilight continued to go over the words in her head. She was crying and calling herself names. Also…Rarity said that she was in love with somepony else. I’m not sure what I should do, Princess. Would you mind giving me some advice? I don’t want to be a bother, but if I make one mistake…a friendship could be at stake. Your faithful student… “Twilight Sparkle…” The unicorn mumbled before re-reading the letter. It seemed to be in order. She scavenged through her saddlebags and hoped that she had a ribbon to tie it. Twilight got lucky and found a red one. She rolled the parchment up and prepped herself for that spell. She’d only done it once before. Princess Celestia had warned her not to rely on it to deliver mail, but in situations where Spike was unable to send anything it was necessary. Twilight closed her eyes and focused on Princess Celestia’s personal chambers in Canterlot. All of her magic started to gather in her horn; emitting a strange crackling noise. She could feel her limbs numbing from the draining of this spell, but she was determined to get this letter through. It was much too important. Just as the magic was becoming overwhelming, Twilight released it and heard an audible ‘pop!’ Panting, she allowed herself a few minutes to recover. The unicorn couldn’t feel her hooves. Twilight wasn’t sure how much time passed before she heard another crackle. She opened an eye and was surprised to see two different letters bearing the royal insignia. In formal cursive, one said For Spike. Curiously, Twilight glanced at the other to see her name written similarly. She opened the one addressed to her and began to read. My most faithful student, I am sorry to hear about Spike. Enclosed is a letter specifically for him to read, and I need you to deliver it to him immediately. I advise you to talk to your friend Rarity soon, and not to do anything rash. She is most likely in as much distress as Spike. As for the Everfree Forest dilemma, I hereby ask the unicorn Twilight Sparkle and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony to investigate. You will solve this problem efficiently and report to me your findings. You must be careful. I trust you, my most faithful student, and I am sure that you will succeed. I can’t explain it, but there is danger for you in the near future. Signed, Princess Celestia Twilight went over the letter twice to make sure she hadn’t skipped over anything. The unicorn pondered over the last bit and hoped that she would be able to live up to her mentor’s standards. She got up and decided to do her first order of business: give Spike his letter. The trot back to the library didn’t take very long, and it gave her some time to think. Obviously both Rarity and Spike were hurt deeply. Even if she didn’t have feelings for the dragon, Rarity cared for him. That much Twilight was able to figure out. But who was it that Rarity pined for? And what did Princess Celestia write to Spike? Twilight walked up the stairs of the library and opened the door to her room quietly. She heard thumping on the wall and looked over. Spike was turned away from her and was hitting his head on the wall lightly. He wasn’t doing it hard enough to hurt, but it seemed like he was doing it so he wasn’t just sitting there. Twilight knew that repetitious acts such as this could help when you were really upset. “Spike…?” The purple dragon stopped and glanced towards her. He gave her a questioning look, but didn’t say anything. “Princess Celestia wrote a letter and wants you to read it immediately.” Twilight dug in her saddlebags and pulled out the parchment addressed to Spike. He grabbed it gingerly and unraveled it. He still hadn’t said anything, and read silently. The unicorn could tell he’d been crying for a while after she left, but it seemed like he stopped recently. The dragon’s brow furrowed and his eyes darted across the page faster. He pulled the letter closer to his face. This display caused Twilight to grow anxious. Just what was written in that letter? Spike looked up from the parchment with a confused expression. “I’m…I’m going to Canterlot.”