//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Effects of Magic // Story: A Unicorn's Requiem // by CaramelSwirls //------------------------------// Chapter 1: The Effects of Magic “Spike! I’m home!” I called to my best friend in the whole wide world as I walked into my house. Spike dropped the dish he was washing into the sink and ran up to greet me. “Hey Twi! I was just finishing up my list of chores,” Spike said enthusiastically. “Good, then afterwards you can help me with my research,” I smiled at the thought of researching with my dear friend. “Ooh! What are you researching today?” Spike inquired like the curious dragon he is. I debated whether to elongate his suspense or not, when I finally decided to tell him the exciting news. “Well, remember how I kept trying to turn apples into oranges but just kept getting distracted? Well, I finally got it!” I said joyously at my triumph. Spike’s face lit up in excitement and a grin forced its way onto his face, “Wow Twilight! That’s amazing! I told you you were the greatest pony at using magic!” His bright, cheerful face gave me such delight. I always loved seeing how happy my achievements make him. “So, I’ve decided now that I’ve mastered changing fruit, I’d try to work on changing ponies and animals. But, I would hate to hurt anypony using it; therefore, we need to research more about transformation spells involving ponies and animals. Can you please finish your chores soon, Spike, so we can get to researching?” “Of course I can Twi! Anything for you,” Spike exclaimed and ran off to finish the rest of his chores. I smiled at all the hope and energy in him and I rushed off upstairs to start my exciting new research. I walked up to the first of many massive rows of bookcases and began using my magic to quickly scan through several books before Spike trotted up the stairs, exclaiming that his chores were finished. After congratulating him on finishing so quickly, he began helping me look through my books. A few minutes later, I heard him start making noises to grab my attention. “Yes, Spike?” I asked. “Twi! Look what I found!” He jumped up and down excitedly pointing to a section in a book. I began reading the section to find it spoke of the transformation of ponies. Apparently, many great unicorns have been able to transform ponies into rabbits, apples, unicorns into earth ponies and vice versa. It was fascinating to see all the things these great unicorns could do. “See! If these unicorns can do it, I know you can Twi! You’re the best magic user in all of Equestria!” Spike, once again, acted as my cheerleader, boosting my confidence and being the great friend he always has been to me. “You really think so Spike?” I gave him a huge hug and encouraged him to follow me to Fluttershy’s house. We ran all the way to Fluttershy’s house hoping to borrow some of her woodland creatures for an experiment. We got to her house and knocked on the door a few times until Fluttershy appeared at the door. “Oh, hi Twilight. What brings you all the way out here?” The shy little pony asked. “I was wondering if any of your friends would let me try out my magic on them. I promise they will be okay and that no harm will come to them. I cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” I said and then stared her down with a huge, begging smile, hoping that she would say yes. “Well…O-Okay Twilight…I guess it’s fine…I mean as long as they are okay with it…Just don’t hurt them,” Fluttershy said uneasily. I would have felt badly for asking an uncomfortable question, but I knew they would be okay. We followed Fluttershy down the front steps and into the edge of a huge forest to find Fluttershy’s mini-friends. The birds were perched on their branches singing a tune, the squirrels were running and chasing each other as if they were playing tag, and the butterflies were flying towards the flowers that were sporadically placed along the edge of the forest. When Fluttershy, Spike, and I walked up towards them they all ran towards her in excitement. I could see they love they have for her radiating off their faces. With that in mind, it was no wonder all the animals jumped at a chance to help me when Fluttershy asked. I picked out one cute, little squirrel to help me and I asked him to stand ten feet away from me. “Now…Just be careful Twilight…Okay?” Fluttershy reminded me. “Don’t worry Fluttershy. Everything will be okay,” I reassured her. I got a firm stance on the ground and looked back to see Fluttershy crouching in fear with her eyes closed. I shook my head with a smile at her silliness. I squeezed my eyes shut and focused really intensely on my magic. My horn began glowing purple and squirrel became encompassed in the glow as well. His body starting moving around sporadically and finally, it transformed into a beautiful, brown horse. “I did it!” I yelled in glee. “Good job Twi! I knew you could do it!” Spike said. Fluttershy lifted her head and slowly turned over to see what happened. When she saw her friends were okay, she let out a huge sigh of relief. “G-Good job Twilight,” Fluttershy said meekly. “Now to change you back little squirrelly. Or should I say horsey?” I let out a small laugh and stood awkwardly for a moment because no one else found it funny. I got into position once more and concentrated all my magic onto the mouse. Pfft! “Huh?” I asked. My magic had shorted out. “I guess…I just didn’t do it right…I’ll try again. Don’t worry Fluttershy. I’ll fix him,” I reassured her. After one more failed attempt, I changed the horse back into a squirrel and sighed in relief. I was actually scared I wasn’t powerful enough to change him back. I figured I just needed more research so I thanked Fluttershy and her friends and Spike and I headed back towards my house. By the time we reached the front of my treelike house, we ran into Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. “Hey everypony! Guess what Twilight just did!” Spike screamed out. “Hey! What did Twilight just do?” Applejack asked. “Twilight just turned a mouse into a horse and back! It was the coolest thing ever!” He screamed out as I looked away modestly. “It wasn’t that big of a deal Spike…I mean, I did mess up a few times so I still need some more practice…” I meekly said wanting the praise to stop as I didn’t deserve it. “Oh Twilight, stop being so modest. I’m sure you did great,” Applejack said as everyone else nodded in agreement. “Yeah Twilight! You’re just so amazingly awesome at magic! I just know you did amazing! I wanna see! I wanna seeeee!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed while bouncing in circles. “I don’t know guys…” I uneasily said. I wasn’t sure I could do it again and I really didn’t want to take the risks. I would hate to hurt anypony. “Come on darling. I’m sure you’ll do just fine,” Rarity said. “Yeah Twi! I’ll even let you transform me! I’m that confident you will do fine!” Spike announced. “Are you sure that’s a good idea Spike…I mean you saw what happened…” I tried to sway him away from the idea but it clearly wasn’t working. “Yeah Twi. All that happened was you’re magic went pfft. If it doesn’t work, that’s all that would happen. But I know you and I doubt that would happen again! You’re just amazing at magic!” Spike tried being as persuasive as possible. “I…I guess I can…I mean if you’re really that confident in me…” I bit my lip trying to say. Spike stood in front of me, posing for his transformation, while rambling on about how he wants to be a big, muscular grown-up dragon. I took my stance and I felt my legs trembling. I kept telling myself to calm down and that I can’t mess up. Focus Twilight. You got this. Breathe in. Breathe out. Slowly. I concentrated all my magic on Spike. He glowed purple, and I could see his body making the same sporadic movements as the mouse. See Twilight you’re doing just fine. Relax. Everything will be okay. My peeked open my eye to see Spike moving a little more sporadic but I figured I was just seeing things. I looked at all my friends and saw their faces. They were in awe waiting for my magic. I couldn’t quit now and I couldn’t let them down. I closed my eye again and continued concentrating on Spike. Suddenly, I heard Spike grunting around, making odd noises. Keep concentrating Twilight. That’s probably just him transforming. “Twilight! Stop!” I heard Rarity scream. “Huh?” I lost all focus as my magic stopped and I opened my eyes. As soon as I opened them, I heard a loud popping noise, and covered my eyes from the spray of red liquid going everywhere. After the liquid stopped spraying, I opened my eyes and gasped in horror. My face grimaced and I could already feel my eyes getting wet. My heart raced rapidly as I sprinted up to Spike and began pumping his chest, hoping to keep his heart beating. I could feel the blood pumping through my body as the fear of reality began filling me to the core, robbing me of my breath. Applejack walked over and placed her hoof on my shoulder after noticing his stomach opened wide as if he exploded, "Twilight...I think he's..." "No!" I rudely cut her off as the tears welled up in my eyes, “No! No he isn’t! I can save him! I promise…” “Oh Twilight…” Applejack said, hugging me. Rarity and Pinkie Pie walked over and gave me huge hugs as well. My tears finally flooded my eyes and streamed down my face as I desperately tried to think of anything I could do to help him. My mind raced at a million miles a second trying to process the entire situation and racking my brain for a solution-any solution. I tried every spell in the book, and my heart shattered more with each failure. I could feel the stingy in my heart over him. The largest chunk of me was gone and the hole in my heart couldn't have been more painful. I tried holding back my tears yet every attempt ending in more crying. The tears wouldn't stop and I gasped loudly trying to breathe. Suddenly, I felt his pulse stop and my world shattered completely. All the colors in Ponyville seemed to melt away and turn into a dreary, lifeless, landscape. My world turned bleak and colorless. “No…No…This can’t be…I couldn’t have…This didn’t happen…” I began stammering and rambling on. I kept spitting out words and fragments of sentences. My brain just couldn't think of anything to say or do. “Sh…It’s okay Twilight. It’s not your fault. Accidents happen,” Applejack began soothing me, trying to calm the persistent waterfall of tears falling out of my eyes. I finally nuzzled the side of his neck, making a comfortable spot on his chest for me. I rested my head down on what was left of his chest and held him close as I did the only thing there was left to do--weep the tragic loss of my dearest friend until the world grew darker and I fell into the black abyss in my mind.