//------------------------------// // Neurosis // Story: The Switch // by theblankbrony //------------------------------// Chapter 2 - Neurosis Twilight Sparkle collapsed in frustration. A whole night's worth of effort had gone unrewarded. No, more than that. She had spent all of her free time over the past four days working on this spell and had nothing to show for it! Twilight wasn't so arrogant as to think that she should be powerful enough to rewrite the very laws of nature whenever she pleased, but she mastered the time travel spell on her very first attempt! It literally took ten seconds! Pushing herself up, she headed to the bathroom to go through her morning routine before she headed to breakfast. A few later, the dejected princess walked down the stairs to wake her assistant. "Spike! It's time to get - " but his bed was conspicuously empty. "Huh, I guess he's up already. Weird." That improbable occurrence aside, the purple alicorn exited her room and headed down to the dining hall. As she approached the bottom of the observatory's staircase, she heard someone coming up. That someone happened to be her number one assistant, bearing a plate of toast and orange juice. "Twilight? What're you doing down here?" the young dragon inquired, "I said I'd get you breakfast." "What? When? I haven't spoken to you at all this morning!" "Yes, you have!" Spike protested, "You woke me up a few minutes ago and asked to bring you some breakfast because you skipped dinner last night!" "I remember the part about skipping dinner," Twilight responded, "but I don't recall asking you to bring me breakfast." "You really didn't get any sleep last night did you?" "No, I didn't," Twilight sighed, "You can eat that Spike. I'll just go to the dining hall." "Okay, thanks." Spike said, taking a bite of toast as he ascended the staircase. "See you this afternoon!" Twilight, finally arriving at the dining hall, took her usual seat next to her mentor. "Good morning Twilight!" Princess Celestia greeted her, "How was your evening? Oh," she said, noting her student's haggard expression, "Rough night?" "You have no idea," the younger princess replied, "I literally spent all night working just to move myself forward two inches! The only thing that happened was that I was facing the window instead of the door." She buttered a piece of toast and took a bite. "I didn't actually think I'd be able to make all the way to the city on my first go, but I expected more than that!" "Don't be so hard on yourself, princess," Celestia consoled her, "You have done so many amazing things already. You shouldn't push yourself so hard. Besides," she continued, sipping her tea, "wasn't the point of this to help you relax in between you lessons?" "Yes, but as I started making more progress, I got so excited." Twilight said, "But the worst thing is, the spell did work!" "How is that a bad thing?" "If it had just failed, that would've been one thing. But it worked, and all I did was move a few inches. That's the best I could manage!" "That's probably just because you were so exhausted," Celestia advised, "Get a good night's sleep tonight and maybe you'll have more success tomorrow." "You're probably right. I should at go over my notecards though, just in case I missed any - what's funny?" Twilight asked as her teacher choked on her tea from laughing too hard. "I'm sorry," she answered, "but you haven't used note cards since your first year at my school! It reminded me of how obsessive you were over your studies back then!" Twilight stared at her teacher in pure disbelief. "What're you talking about princess? I make note cards for everything! I always have!" Celestia paused at this statement, "Are you feeling well, Twilight?" "I'm fine. I should be asking you that question, princess." 'Something is definitely wrong here," the sun monarch thought, 'She's been calling me "Celestia" this whole week. And I'm positive she hasn't used notecards for anything in years.' "Twilight, may I see your notecards please?" Celestia asked. "I suppose," Twilight answered curiously, "Give me a moment." And with that, the young mare teleported up to her room. A moment later, an earsplitting scream echoed through the castle halls. Celestia quickly teleported to Twilight's room and was promptly hit in the head by an airborne copy of Hotfoot's Guide to Fire Magic. Twilight Sparkle was telekinetically throwing everything, literally everything, in her room in all directions. "Wherearethey? Wherearethey? Wherearethey?" the purple princess frantically cried, "Where are they!?!?!" "Princess Celestia!" Spike called from under the bed, "What the holy hayseed is going on?" "I'm trying to find out, Spike." she responded, walking over to her manic pupil, who was currently searching through a box containing old photo albums. "Twilight," she whispered softly as she placed a hoof on her pupil's shoulder, "why don't come with me to the hospital. There's a neurologist there named Dr. Edlemane who I think should have a look at you." "I think that may be a good idea, princess," Twilight said, "something's definitely not right here."