//------------------------------// // Chapter Six - A Dip into the Unknown // Story: Gift of the Goddess // by Medievalman //------------------------------// The light of the mid-day sun was barely able to pierce its way down to the forest floor below, where a pair of tall, plainly cloaked mares walked along the ever winding paths of the Everfree Forest. Trees rustled all around the two travelers as wild winds crashed against the dense wooden palisades, yet only the faintest of breezes could be felt along the path, shifting fallen leaves ever so slightly as they continued on their way. The sounds of untamed creatures echoed in the distance, sending a shiver down Cadance’s spine. “A-are you sure this is the right place?” “Positive,” Luna stated. “Twilight is very meticulous when it comes to describing her friends.” “It’s just kinda weird, living in the Everfree Forest like this,” Cadance said, keeping a careful eye on her footing. “Why doesn’t she live in Ponyville? It’s only half a day's hike from here.” “From what I have gathered, it has something to do with issues regarding a difference of cultures,” Luna said, brushing aside a spider’s web with a flick of magic. “Besides that, I have a feeling she prefers the isolation.” “Why do you think that?” Luna stopped and turned to face Cadance, stretching out a hoof in front of her. “Imagine for a moment you were an accomplished alchemist, who could wield power on par with the greatest magicians with only the sip of a potent mixture of your own design, benign or malicious.” She grabbed hold of Cadance with her wing and drew her in close, flaring up her horn and enveloping her outstretched hoof in increasingly wild magic. “Now imagine that... along with the addition of the general pony population.” The volatile ball of energy rattled all over her hoof. Luna cocked an eyebrow. “What is the worst that may happen?” The ball burst into harmless little sparks. “Alright, alright. Point taken,” Cadance said with a sigh. Luna gave Cadance a satisfied nod and the two mares continued their trek. Another howl in the distance caused Cadance to shudder again. Gnarled roots and sizable boulders dotted the path, and the overgrowth of plant life tried its best to obscure the way forward. Yet, even then, fallen logs had been moved aside and recently filled pot-holes were a common sight. “What was her name again?” Cadance asked. “I believe she was called ‘Zecora’,” Luna replied. “How did Twilight meet her?” “It is an interesting tale,” Luna said, smiling wide as her trot picked up steam. “Twilight and her friends had thought that she had cursed them all and hidden away a sibling foal. What had actually transpired, however, was that they had instead all been afflicted by a sub-species of the poison joke plant and the ponynapping was all just a misunderstanding.” She let out a short chuckle, kicking a stone off the pathway. “Amusing to say the least.” “I guess living out here really is a good idea,” Cadance said. They continued along the path in silence for a little while longer. “Look!” Luna said, pointing toward a faint light source over a small hill. “I believe we are now close.” The two shrouded mares quickly ascended the earthen obstacle and stood at its peak, looking over a small bog with a simple hut at its center. “The Zebra’s hovel,” Luna said. “Pretty modest place for a master artisan,” Cadance quipped. Luna gave Cadance an annoyed look, but merely rolled her eyes. “Let us go.” Careful to avoid the swamp water, Luna and Cadance hurried over to the the sod built hut. A bright light shone through the open hole that served as a window and the faint sounds of boiling liquid echoed from within. Cadance clutched at her cloak as the two mares approached, but Luna stood up tall and rapped her hoof against the front door. A slight rustle came from inside. “A visitor knocks at an unexpected hour, a stranger to this forest who did not cower. Speak out you who has traversed this way, why have you made this journey today?” “We wish to speak to Zecora. It is urgent,” Luna answered. After a brief moment, the door to the hut opened. Zecora stuck her head outside and flashed a look of surprise as she caught sight of her visitor’s faces. “Do my eyes yet lie about what they see, or is it true that two princesses stand before me? Do please come inside and tell why you’ve come, before the dangers of the woods you succumb.” Luna and Cadance followed Zecora into the hut. The walls were filled with exotic decorations from a far off land, yet at the same time, the floors and workspaces within were kept simple and utilitarian. Tribal charms were hung from the ceiling and ancient masks were prominently displayed among an assortment of large foliage. At the center of the hut was a large cauldron, still bubbling with its latest mixture. Luna eyed the extensive alchemy desk off to the side, perusing the ingredients and tonics that were neatly stored there. “We have heard that your knowledge of alchemy is quite vast. Is this true?” Zecora let out a chuckle. “From whomever you have heard knows me well. I could point out a potion from the faintest smell.” “Then perhaps you may indeed be able to aid us,” Luna said. “Cadance?” Cadance tore her attention away from the cauldron and cleared her throat. “We have a really big problem.” She pawed at the ground for a moment before pulling out the alchemy textbook from under her cloak. “There’s this potion... a love potion, like the ones in the old stories. It was a bit more potent than that, b-but with no real sustaining ingredient. It was supposed to burn out fairly quickly and dissipate when the… erm… affected slept, but… one of the inflicted ponies had an... unexpected reaction.” Zecora found a nearby seat and leaned back against the wall, pressing her hooves together and resting her chin on them. “Your problem, it seems, is simple to guess. I would venture to say the effects were in excess?” Cadance sighed. “Basically. We just don’t know why this is happening to Celestia—” Luna gave Cadance a sharp jab in her ribs and she winced in pain. Cadance turned to her attacker and bit down on her lip. Luna only returned a cross stare. Zecora merely smiled. “Ah, so the plot thickens to a whole new degree. It’s no wonder you are here with such a great plea.” “Please, do not speak of this to anypony,” Luna said. Zecora placed a hoof on her chest. “Princess of the Moon, of this you can be sure, this tale, with me, shall be secure.” She leaned back in her seat again, this time with her forelegs crossed. “Yet this problem of yours is sure to astound, please tell me where this potion may be found.” Luna pulled out a half-filled golden vial from her cloak and passed it to Zecora. “Here.” Zecora studied the vial as she held it. She uncorked it and took a whiff, pursing her lips as she descended into deep thought. Her study was cut short when the aroma hit her, causing her to recoil as if she had eaten something extremely sour. Turning to the cauldron, she poured a single tiny drop into the boiling liquid. “Now we shall see what—” A golden explosion erupted from the pot, billowing a cloud of golden vapors into the room. The three mares inside coughed and tried in vain to wave away the smoke. Zecora grabbed hold of a large leaf fan and purged the vapors away, waving it into the open windows to the forest beyond. When she finished, she snatched the textbook from Cadance and quickly leafed to the bookmarked section. Cadance reached out to stop her, but was far too late. Zecora took note of the photograph inside. “This story is more nuanced than it first did appear. The mistakes of the matter are becoming quite clear.” Her eyes scanned through all the notes and additions to the text. “A brew to infuse passion as if it a game. A potion misused that would bring great shame!” She slammed a forehoof into her forehead. “A sly way of love for one to force out. A scheme concocted by fools no doubt.” Cadance’s posture shrunk. “I… I didn’t…” Zecora slammed the book shut and pointed a hoof straight at the two princesses. “Of anyone else I’d expect less, for this crazy plan to wholeheartedly bless. It is unthinkable you two would not know. I’m genuinely shocked you would stoop so low!” “Enough!” Luna cried, slamming a hoof into the ground. “We know! We…” She lowered her head and sighed. “We made a mistake.” A moment passed in silence. Zecora let her face soften and grew a warm smile. “Yet, there is still good news to be had, for this grave mistake may not stay so bad. These harmful effects can indeed be quelled, thoroughly purged and forever dispelled.” Cadance perked up, but still raised an eyebrow. “How? There isn’t an antidote...” “Such toxins are made to cut the cost, for the alternative method is quick to exhaust.” Zecora stepped over to the alchemy desk. “When indeed no antidote is found, a counter-potion can instead be propound.” “How do we make one of those?” Luna asked. Zecora retrieved a book from the shelf above the desk and cracked it open. “As with any product of alchemy, there isn’t much needed for this remedy. The heart of the cure is in amenity, to ruin the potion’s identity. For each ingredient that you had once brewed, its exact opposite is what must be accrued.” Cadance took hold of the book with her magic and held it up for the two princesses to read. Inside was a reference guide, pointing out various alchemical substances along with their neutralizing agent. She let out a sigh. “This is going to be tough…” “We will find a way, niece,” Luna said. Zecora moved over to her alchemy bench and fished around inside the drawers. “One last thing before you leave, or else your goal you won’t achieve. While the tonic itself is made to oppose, there is still more you must compose. The method itself must too be reversed, or else the effects will not be dispersed.” She turned back to the two princesses and held out a small round canister in front of her. Cadance raised an eyebrow. “What is…?” “A smoke bomb?” Luna asked. Zecora nodded at them. “Your sister needs only to breath real deep, and at that moment will fall asleep. After some time, no matter the cause, your sibling will return to the way she once was.” Luna took the contraption from Zecora at stuffed it into her cloak. With a smile and a nod, she motioned for Cadance to follow her to the doorway. Before they left, she turned back to face Zecora. “Thank you so much, Zecora.” “We are in your debt,” Cadance added. Zecora bowed down low. “I’m honored to have you both as my guest, and I wish you luck on your troublesome quest.” Outside, the two princesses started their long trek back out of the forest. Cadance breathed a long sigh. “Well, that was enlightening.” “At the very least, we now know what we must do,” Luna said. Cadance kicked a stray rock off the path. “So, what do we need to get?” Luna fished out the reference guide from her cloak and tossed it to Cadance. “Nothing too difficult to find.” While leafing through the book, Cadance couldn’t help but frown. “Thundercloud… Cockatrace feather… monochromatic ichor? Are you sure about that?” Luna snatched the book back with her magic and gave Cadance a firm look. “It matters not if we need to acquire even a pink sequin saddle!” She looked up towards the midday sun and frowned. “We will gather what we must.” “Yeah…” Cadance replied. She turned her eyes back toward the long, winding path. “Well, we better get going if we want to get back to Canterlot before dark.” “We are not going back to Canterlot.” “What?” “It is like you have said, Cadance,” Luna said as she stuffed the book back into her cloak. “It will take far too long to return. We do not have the time to waste.” Cadance brought a hoof up to her forehead. “Okaaay… where are we going, then?” Luna smiled. “South. To Ponyville.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Birds chirped and leaves rustled in the wind right outside the bounds of Canterlot city as Princess Celestia and Twilight journeyed up a winding forest path. The heat of the midday sun didn’t hit the forest floor in all its intensity, but it was enough to bake on the soggy remains of the cake massacre into the two pony’s coats. Celestia trotted along the path with carefree grace, seeming not to notice the horrible mess that covered her. Twilight trudged along after her, hanging her head low to avoid the sun’s rays. With each step, she tried in vain to shake off any excess cake from her body, but all she accomplished was tiring herself out and becoming more uncomfortable. The cake between Twilight’s legs was starting to chafe. “Princess…” she called out in between labored breaths. “...please, can you at least tell me where we’re going?” “It’s not much further, my lovely little Twilight,” Celestia called back to Twilight, still happily trotting along. “That’s what you said a mile back…” Twilight groaned, looking back at the trail behind her that wound down a steep mountain back toward Canterlot below. “Before we started going uphill…” “Just a little bit further, I promise,” Celestia replied, giving her a wink. Twilight whimpered under her breath but commanded her legs to keep moving. She tried her best to ignore the confection being scraped against her legs with each step and took in the fresh air when she could. The path was narrowing ahead and the forest was becoming thinner and thinner, eventually opening out to the edge of a shear cliff into a great valley. The two mares continued on, ascending a staircase carved into the face of the cliffside. Twilight hugged the safer side of the steps, being sure to follow Celestia as close as possible lest she fall. Celestia, however, trotted along at the same graceful pace. A roaring sensation grew louder and louder as the pair rounded the mountain pass into a small open tunnel. At the other side, a raging waterfall poured out from the side of the mountain, out towards a serene lake surrounded by forests and rolling plains thousands of feet below. Celestia stood proudly near the edge of the cave, looking out toward the vista before them, the waterfall mere feet away. Twilight plopped down on the cold stone beside her. “Here we are!” Celestia exclaimed. Twilight’s eye twitched. “You… dragged me… all the way up here… for this?!” Celestia smiled at her. “A gorgeous view isn’t it?” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yeah, lovely…” She sighed and lifted herself back onto her hooves, looking back toward the path they had just entered from. “Can we go back now? I could really use a bath right about now.” “Indeed, you do.” Celestia said, eyeing Twilight up and down. “As do I, in fact.” Celestia turned toward the waterfall and shifted in place. She popped off a golden horseshoe and balanced it aloft from one of her forelegs. Twilight raised an eyebrow, but before she could say anything, Celestia flicked it into the waterfall. Twilight’s jaw dropped. “W-wait, what are you doing?” “Can’t exactly leave these up here,” Celestia responded, tossing the rest of her horseshoes into the waterfall and unhooking her golden breastplate. “They’d get lost.” “Lost? How would they…?” Twilight’s eyes shifted from the waterfall, to the lake below and finally to Celestia herself. She paused for a moment, fitting the pieces together in her mind. Her eyes went wide. “Whoa, whoa, hold on. You aren’t… seriously going to…” Celestia giggled. “Why not? Have you ever tried?” “Jump down a waterfall?!” Twilight’s body shook uncontrollably. “No, I really, really, really can’t say I have!” Celestia leaned in close and spoke in a hushed tone. “Are you… scared?” Twilight gave her an exasperated look. “Y-yeah, just a little.” “Oh, my lovely little Twilight, you have nothing to be afraid of. I’ll be right here with you.” “I… I don’t know.” “What’s the matter, my lovely little Twilight?” Celestia’s face formed a pout. “Don’t you… believe me?” Twilight scratched the back of her head and rubbed the back of her cake encrusted legs. “O-of course. It’s just… I just… I-I’m not really sure I’m ready f-for...” “Twilight,” Celestia interrupted, placing a hoof on Twilight's shoulder and wrapping her wings around her, pulling her into a warm, comforting embrace. “I’ll be right there with you the whole time. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. It’ll be fun. I promise.” “O-okay,” Twilight replied with a nervous smile. Celestia smiled back at her. “That’s my lovely little Twilight!” Twilight crept over to the edge of the cliff and snuck a peak. The lake at the bottom of the valley below was fairly large, even from where she was standing. It was also a good few thousand feet of a drop. She gulped down hard. “So, uh, what’s uhm... w-what’s the best way to do this?” “It’s quite simple really,” Celestia said, tossing her crown over the edge. “The water below will be thoroughly churned when we enter, so there is not much needed in the way of technique. Just ensure you land bottom first.” Twilight took in a deep breath. Then another and another. Finally she positioned herself right next to the edge. “Okay... okay,” she said, her voice nearly cracking. “On three?” Celestia parked herself right next to her. “Whenever you’re ready.” “O-one…” Twilight began. What am I doing?! This is crazy!! “Two...” she stammered. I can’t do this! It’s too high up! Not for the first time! Why is she doing this to me?! I can’t! I can’t! I just…! “Thr—!” A strange feeling of weightlessness and the subtle touch of feathers jolted through Twilight’s mind as she found her hooves no longer planted on solid ground. The horizon before her tipped up beyond her vision. A look of shock flashed across her face. Ready she was not, and yet here she was, in empty space at the mercy of gravitational forces. A cold rush shot through her spine as her body instinctively reached out for a solid surface. Sadly, all she could find was empty air. The wind roared in her ears. The air rushed past her face. The mist of the waterfall surrounded her. Her eyes went wide. The valley drew closer at an exceptional rate. She had already hit maximum velocity. At this rate of fall, there was only sixteen, no, fourteen seconds of airtime at most. With her current trajectory, she would land straight into the churning water, perhaps a few feet under water. She would need at least a half minute of air to reach the surface. A full lung’s capacity of air just to be safe. Unfortunately, her body wasn’t exactly heading her mind. Her legs flailed uselessly. Her lungs evacuated all her available breath into a terrified scream. Her body tumbled and flipped in the air. She wasn’t prepared. White wings wrapped themselves around her. Twilight tore away her attention from the approaching lake to a very excited Celestia, who pulled her tight to her chest. She was laughing, hollering, clearly enjoying the experience. It’s no surprise that someone like her would find this fun, she did have wings after all. Even so, Twilight couldn’t help but feel puzzled by that fact. Having the ability to fly is one thing, but the sensation of plummeting down to the ground wouldn’t necessarily come as natural a thrill as— Displaced water towered high above as the pair splashed into the lake. Whirling waters pushed and shoved. All sound was muffled out, only replaced by the low hum of the never ending cascade. Despite her terrified screaming, Twilight found that she had a surprising amount of air still left in her lungs. Even so, her mind focused on her immediate goal of breaching the surface of the lake. She opened her eyes to get a better sense of her surroundings. The water was crystal clear, the light of afternoon sun dancing at the bottom of the near white stone of the lake bed. Twilight glanced toward the surface, only a short swim to reach it. Yet, even as her body plundered her limited supply of air, she couldn’t bring herself to swim. Her mind told her to move. Her eyes commanded that she stay. Twilight’s complete attention was grabbed by the display before her. With majestic grace, Celestia glided up from the depths, her pastel mane flowing all around her. The waters forbade the hair to blow in their ethereal wind, and yet in response they glimmered and sparkled along each and every stand in the refracting sunlight. All of Celestia’s golden ornaments found themselves freely floating all around her, heralding her beauty and dancing to her praises. She smiled at Twilight. Twilight stared at her, a single bubble escaping her snout. Celestia snatched Twilight up into her hooves and bolted for the surface. Twilight took in a fresh breath. Her lungs were already at their breaking point, and with such sweet release, they failed her momentarily. Her head sunk under the water before once again surfacing, her ragged breathing accompanied now by a slight cough. After a moment to regain her composure, she searched for the royal culprit who had pushed her over the edge. She found her princess only a few feet away, giggling and pointing at her. It took a moment before Twilight realized the source of her amusement. Not until the heavy water seeped out from her mane did Twilight notice what was on her head. It was her tiara. Celestia’s tiara. Slightly off-kilter but otherwise planted firmly in between drenched layers of mane. It was also a bit too big for her. The tiara sank down over Twilight’s eyes. Celestia could no longer suppress her laughter. As she laughed, Twilight found her own mouth curling from a frown into a smile and then into laughter of her own. A hearty laugh, from deep down in her lungs, the belly wrenching kind where you simply cannot stop. Their laughter gradually died down. “See?” Celestia said. “I told you it would be fun.” Twilight bit her lip, but still smiled. “Alright, I admit it.” She lifted the tiara from her head and floated it over to Celestia. “Can we do it again?” Celestia took hold of the tiara within her own magic and collected up the rest of her ornaments. “Another time, my lovely little Twilight. For now, we must clean this matted fur.” In a splash of water, Celestia dove under the surface. Twilight took in a deep breath and followed her under, doing her best to keep her eyes open under the cool water. She spotted Celestia gliding towards the coastline, her wings giving off an incandescent trail of sparkles in her wake. Twilight did her best to paddle after Celestia. Spoiled confection released its grip on Twilight’s coat as she swam and the runes still etched on her body gave off their own shine under the water. Twilight broke through the watery surface and strode onto dry land where Celestia was waiting for her. The princess observed her student, pouring over her form for any hint of fouling material. Twilight chuckled with a nervous smile, her coat completely soaked and soping into the sand. After a diligent search, she gave Twilight an approving nod. “That should suffice.” She turned toward the forest wall, her ornaments following her in a cloud of magic. “Now come, follow me.” Twilight tilted her head to one side, cautiously following her. “Where are we going?” “To a little secret of mine,” Celestia replied. “Nothing scary this time. I promise.” Twilight eyed her for a second, but she relaxed her posture. With a heavy sigh and a shrug, Twilight followed after Celestia into the forest. It was unlikely to hide any further waterfalls. The two mares walked only a short hike before the forest grew thick around them. Celestia continued to trek into the wilderness, far beyond any trail that Twilight could see. Thorned bushes and low hanging tree branches obscured the way forward, presenting an impassable barrier to any normal sized creature. Celestia brushed it all aside, confident in her sense of direction. As they treked deeper and deeper, Twilight found herself lost within the unfamiliar terrain. She clung closer and closer to Celestia, desperate not to be separated among the foliage. Celestia halted her advance, Twilight nearly bumping into her. Before them sat a literal wall of trees, vines, leaves and all manner of dense foliage. With a tap of her hoof, another rune lock jutted out from the wall. After a swift gesture, the glyph faded from view and the living wall softened in response. Celestia dug her hoof into the foliage and gave Twilight a wink. “In here…” The first thing she noticed was fog. A deep, thick fog. No, not fog. Shifting a whole cloud layer into such a small space would be either impossible to naturally generate, or take far too much work to maintain artificially. It was also warm. Humid. More like steam. Which only made sense as she noticed the pool of water dominating the center of the space. Thick wafts of steam rose from its surface, filling her nostrils. Geothermal activity. It was so obvious. A hot springs, surrounded by trees, enclosed within a sanctuary of nature. But that alone could not explain the scent that lingered in her snout. The familiar scent of lavender and rose, of sweet elyssum and wisteria, of lily and jasmine. Flanked on all sides of the sanctuary were those bright bushels of flowers, radiating color in the dim light of the fireflies hovering about, giving off vibrant reds, soft whites, and deep purples. Thin shafts of sunlight poked through the dense canopy above, yet faint shadow dominated the misty room. Twilight’s eyes went wide as she stepped inside. “Wow…” “Do like it, my lovely little Twilight?” Celestia asked, closing off the wilderness behind them. “It’s so beautiful…” The warm mist enveloped her. The soft chirping of the fireflies tickled her ears. The pool captured her attention. “So perfect…” Celestia giggled. “Well, not yet.” Spreading her wings wide, Celestia descended into the pool. Twilight watched her, completely enthralled, stock still. The runes still covering Celestia flared up in glowing contentment. “Come on in, my lovely little Twilight.” She beckoned her with a hoof. “The water is simply perfect.” “O-okay,” Twilight replied, approaching the edge of the pool and testing the heat with her hoof. The water was warm, as expected, yet experienced no fluctuations in temperature. Twilight soon found out why, as convection currents snaked around her legs under the surface. As she delved into the water, her own runes started to glow. A smile curled onto her lips as she let out a breathy sigh. “Feels so good…” “Doesn’t it?” Celestia said, craning her neck back and soaking her hair in the warm water. “Free time is always a luxury for a princess, but whenever I spend it here, it’s always worth it.” “I never knew this was here…” Celestia stretched a waterlogged wing into the air, allowing the water to dribble off her feathers back into the pool. “We all have our secrets,” she said with a wink. Twilight averted her eyes, a frown forming on her face. “Y-yeah…” Silence hung inside the sanctuary. “My lovely little Twilight?” “Yes?” Celestia turned her back and splayed out one of her wings. “You wouldn’t mind helping me preen these feathers, would you?” “P-preen?” Twilight stammered. “I, uhm…” “Pretty please?” Celestia asked with a pout. Twilight bit down on her lip, eyeing the princess carefully. “Uhm… s-sure, no problem.” She took a few hesitant steps toward Celestia’s wing. The long remiges were free of spoiled cake and seemed to be immaculate. Upon closer inspection, however, it was clear that some of her feathers hid haphazardly disorganized underneath the surface. Twilight took in a deep breath and went to work. The key was to apply enough pressure to the feather whilst not pulling or tearing, using her incisors to realign the barbs with the rachis on each feather. The next step would be to readjust the feather itself into place along the wing. That part was the most difficult. Only the slightest of twists from her neck would be necessary, too much and the feather would be plucked right out. The motion itself could be done well with practice, but without wings of her own, she could not hope to be so skilled. Complicating matters was also the fact that broken and useless feathers among the mix had to be extracted using the reverse process. One misstep could lead to pain, possibly even crippling flight. Not to mention the pain associated with sloppy preen work. Or at least, that was what she remembered. Twilight reached the end of Celestia’s wing and looked back at her work. A contented moan and a quick examination from Celestia was all Twilight needed to know. “Yes…” Celestia said, shaking off slight jitters. “You’re… pretty good.” “T-thanks…” Twilight replied, sheepishly scratching the back of her head. “I uhm… I read a book about it a while ago.” “A useful skill to have, my lovely little Twilight.” Celestia smiled at her. Twilight smiled back. A ray of light passed over Celestia’s head from the canopy above, striking an unblinking eye as the room grew darker. “Never enough time…” Celestia said with a sigh. She made for the water’s edge, beckoning Twilight to follow. “We should head back. There’s a nice cozy fire waiting for us.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...The greeting bell above the entrance to the shop sang its welcome ring. Evening Shine shot a glance at the clock above the counter: 5:56 pm. She groaned at the prospect of helping another customer instead of heading home. Although business had become a lot slower during winter months, she just didn’t want to deal with anypony else. Spike shoveled a clawful of lesser precious stones into his mouth. “Oh, c’mon. She can barely afford the shop as it is and she needs every sale you can get. Why’s she acting like this?” His eyes shifted back and forth, absorbing the prose of the novel. While he skipped over some of the more flowery prose, one could hardly say he was merely scanning through it. ...to Sunny Flowers, where all your floral needs are simple and easy. Unfortunately, we’re closing down after a very long day and cannot assist you at this time.” The intruder shuffled in place for a moment. “Not even for me?” He yawned. “Perfect timing there, Ranch. Nothing like pestering your crush right when she gets off work. Totally romantic and not annoying at all.” ...whirled around in place. Standing in the doorway was that green earth pony mare she knew all too well. Her deep green eyes met with Evening’s own... Evening Shine felt her heart skip a beat. “Ranch?! W-what are you doing here?” Spike rolled his eyes. “What’s with the stammering? What, can she suddenly not speak when her crush is around? Did the author even research this before she started?” Ranch took a step forward, her coat glistening in the sunset. “I... I wanted to see you.” “B-but your father, he said...” ...Ranch stomped on the tiled floor, cracking it slightly. “I don’t care what he says! I’m not going to marry that stallion! I want to choose for myself who I want to be with. I want you.” “Yeah, let’s try and escape the clutches of a diamond mogul, who most likely would have not only the means but the time to track you both down. Excellent plan there genius. For crying out loud...” ...turned back toward the counter, her cheeks beginning to heat up. Tears began to well up at the corners of her eyes, struggling to cascade down her magenta coat. Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! She actually wants... wants... “Wants what? She’s tripping over so many ellipses that she can’t even—” A knock at the front door jostled Spike from his reading. He leaned over from his chair and looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost ten o'clock. “Who could that be?” Another series of knock pounded on the door. Spike groaned and set his reading material aside. “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming, jeez.” He shuffled out from his desk and sauntered over to the front door, his bowl of snack gems under his arm. He opened the door. “You realize what time it—!?” Two cloaked princesses stood before him. “Greetings, Spike.” Spike nearly dropped his bowl. “P-princess… es?! What are you two doing here?” Luna and Cadance exchanged shifting glances. “We’re… uh...” Cadance began. Luna bit her lip. “We are here to… uh...” “To help Twilight!” Cadance exclaimed, nodding at Luna. A sharp glare from quickly killed her enthusiasm. “Uh… yes, help w-with… s-something…” “Yes, indeed…” Luna replied in a restrained tone, digging a hoof into her forehead. “So here we are.” Spike gave them an inquisitive look. “Wait, what? What’s wrong? Is Twilight okay? ” “Nothing is wrong,” Luna said. “Nothing at all. She merely forgot to… pack a few items before she left for Canterlot.” “She did? What’d she forget?” Spike asked, scratching his head as he tried to recall what he packed. “It is a secret. We promised not to tell anypony.” Luna said in a hushed tone. Spike cocked an eyebrow. “Seriously?” “You know how she gets.” Cadance replied, nodding knowingly. “Yeah…” Spike said, scratching the back of his head. Silence hung for a moment. Luna cleared her throat. “May we come in?” “Huh?” Spike asked. “Oh yeah! Come in, come in. Make yourselves at home.” Spike opened the door wide, bowing low as the two princesses entered into the library. Luna swiftly searched the room. “There is nopony else here, correct?” “No… just me,” Spike replied. “Excellent,” Luna said, lowering the hood on her cloak and letting her flowing, starry mane hang in the ethereal wind. “We will require lodging here in order to complete our task.” Spike cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, you’re staying here?” Luna examined the vast library atrium, scanning the contents of the bookshelves until finally settling on the doorway to the basement laboratory. She smiled. “Indeed. The items that Twilight requires are in located within town. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to acquire them today.” “Well, uh, I’ll set up the guest bedroom for you two. I know it’s not exactly a palace here but…” “These accommodations will be fine, Spike. Thank you.” Cadance said with a smile. Upon seeing her smile, Spike skipped off toward the stairs. “I’ll get to work then! I’ll send a message to Twilight that you’ve arrived.” “Oh, no-no!” Luna yelled, jumping in front of Spike and blocking his path. “No! T-that will not be necessary. Her current studies are… entangling her at the moment. A simple status update will only distract her.” “Um, okay…” Spike replied, somewhat deflated. “I guess…” Luna smiled and patted him on the head. “Do not worry about Twilight. She is fully aware of our mission here.” Spike shrugged. “Well, can I get you two anything? A refreshment or two? You both must be starving after such a long trip.” Cadance brought a hoof to her chin. “Come to think of it, I am kinda—” “No, no!” Luna interrupted, pushing Cadance toward the doorway down to the laboratory. “We will be quite fine. Just nevermind our presence here. We will be down in the basement for the time being. Goodnight Spike.” The door to the basement slammed shut, leaving Spike all alone again. He walked over to the door, cupping his claws to his mouth. “Okay, just call if you need anything!” He took another gem from his bowl and munched on it. He took his time milling through the stone, churning his thoughts at the same time. Huh… that was kinda weird… Spike wandered back to his desk and sat back down, opening his reading material up. Wonder why they’re here. Must be really important if both princesses are here on behalf of Twilight. He flipped the pages of the novel back and forth, not really paying the printed words any mind. A claw scratched at his chin. Luna rarely travels away from Canterlot... and isn’t Cadance supposed to be on her honeymoon? Spike looked over at the door to the basement. I wonder… As quietly as he could, Spike crept across the atrium and eased the basement door open. Once he had enough space, he squeezed through the doorway. The tunneled stairway snaked around the corner to the lab below, the doorway separating the lab and the stairway still open, with light shining through. Spike gingerly tested every step along the wooden staircase, searching for stress points that would give away his position. His journey down the stairway was arduous and slow, but he eventually made it to a point where he could hear voices from below. He perked his ears. “...wouldn’t you tell him? He could’ve helped us out.” “We must keep any knowledge of what has transpired at the palace to an absolute minimum! Nopony can find out before we have everything ready.” “What? You think he would tell everypony else?” “I am convinced of it. Put yourself in his position. Would you not spread such terrible news if you found out such a horrible thing happened to Twilight and Celestia?” Spike’s eyes went wide and he leaned in closer. Horrible thing?! “Well, I personally wouldn’t overreact like that.” “Perhaps, but all the more reason to keep it a secret from him. It is unthinkable what he would do should he learn what occurred.” Shuffling could be heard as lab equipment was moved about. Spike moved to the edge of the doorway and snuck a peek into the lab. Not find out? Find out what?! “Well... maybe you’re right.” Cadance said, moving some of Twilight’s lab equipment onto a nearby desk. “But can we at least ask him to point us in the right direction? Some of this stuff might be hard to find.” Luna gave her an indignant look and lifted the alchemy guide into view. “Do you jest? Have you not seen this list? Do you not think that it would raise questions?” A list…? “We don’t have to tell him exactly what is it,” Cadance said. Luna stuffed the guide back into her cloak. “I do not think it is a good idea. The less he knows, the better.” Spike backed away from the doorway, clutching at his chest. Oh my gosh… What’s going on here? What are they talking about? What happened to Twilight?! Is that why they didn’t want me to send a message? He stole one last look at the two princesses, studying them carefully before pulling back into the stairway. He bit down on his claws. T-this isn’t like them at all! Why would they hurt Twilight and Celestia?! H-how could they even—?! Unless… His eyes went wide. He clutched his head. His jaw dropped. Unless they’re really Nightmare Moon and Queen Chyrsalis in disguise!! Absolute silence hung as the horrifying revelation sunk in. Spike blinked himself out of his ramblings. He shook his head, frowning at himself more than anything. What? What am I saying? That’s ridiculous! There’s no way. Essh, Spike, you’ve been reading too many of those thriller novels. I mean, c'mon, really? Really?? He waved a dismissive claw and proceeded back up the stairs to the atrium. Ahh hahahaha… Queen Chyrsalis and Nightmare Moon… psssh no, nooooo… hehehe… Like, why would that even…? How could that even happen? As Spike hopped over the last step and closed the door behind him, he chuckled to himself. I mean, that’s just about the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever thought of. He walked back to his desk and sat down, searching for his place again on the open novel in front of him. His eyes wandered to the quill and parchment. Maybe… maybe it wouldn’t hurt to send just one message… Yeah, yeah. I’m sure everything is just fine in Canterlot. With a quick grab and a flick of his wrist, Spike went to work on a new letter. Juuuuuust fiiiine...