Eight – Bibliophiles Wanted
Gray clouds parted, allowing the sun’s rays to light the chariot’s path as Twilight’s entourage rode up to the royal archives. Weather pegasi ripped the clouds apart; their wings created a gentle slicing noise that Twilight found soothing. At least, it was soothing ever since she’d become an alicorn. Her wings twitched in memory of soaring through the air alongside Rainbow Dash—much better than being cradled by Fluttershy.
The two guards near the front door saluted as Twilight entered, with her friends and family close behind. She may have been a filly in blue pajamas, but she was still going to walk on her own hooves and act like a true princess. Luna and Celestia would vouch for her if anyone doubted.
When they reached the Star-Swirl the Bearded Wing, the air was thick with tension. When she looked back, she saw everypony giving her confident smiles. Everypony except for Pinkie Pie, who never stopped smiling and never stopped bouncing up and down in place.
“Your Highness!” Twilight turned and bowed her head at the scholar in the cerulean robes. She was an older green unicorn; her mane was completely white and she peered at her visitors through a pair of reading glasses. “It is an honor to serve you. I am Public Record, the chief archivist.”
“Good morning,” said Twilight. “I trust you received my list of reading material?”
“Indeed, Princess. I must say, I’ve rarely had a visitor who was so well-prepared!”
Twilight couldn’t resist a grin. She felt like she was back at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, delivering another term paper on the properties of magic.
She was almost tempted—almost being the key word—to sneak into the School as a student and see if the coursework was any different. But Twilight knew better than to try. It wouldn’t do for a princess to cause so much trouble, and she had a far more important assignment at hand.
Meanwhile, Time Turner had pulled out his pocket watch and was showing it to Public Record. The unicorn’s eyes sparkled when she saw it and eagerly shook hooves with Time Turner. A question was on the tip of Twilight’s tongue when she saw this, but she guessed the meaning soon enough.
If Public Record was an authority on time and age spells, then she probably belonged to the Royal Society of Chronometry, too.
“Now then,” Time Turner declared, “let’s start with Star-Swirl’s journals and work our way from there.”
Twilight stamped her hooves in excitement. After all this time, she was finally in the archives! Doing actual research, too, instead of sneaking in like last time!
After a drawn-out yawn, Twilight trotted out from behind her pile of books. “Guys…?”
Everypony was slumped over tables of books and scrolls. The sun had almost set, bathing her parents in a quiet orange glow as they gazed out the window. Behind them, Spike was snoring facedown in an open book on the floor. Fluttershy was perched on a stool like one of her birds, taking a quick nap, while Time Turner continued to pour through a dusty old tome with unnatural speed.
Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be seen.
“Has anyone seen Pinkie Pie?” Twilight rose on her hind legs and waved her hooves in the air. “You guys… hello?”
No one stirred.
“Um, I’m wet and need to be changed. A-and I’m hungry, too!”
Still no response. Just the sound of Spike’s snoring and Time Turner flipping through pages.
Twilight sighed. She didn’t want to have to do this, but as a filly, she had no choice. With a deep breath, she leapt and let out a prolonged, “Waaah!”
Her parents were immediately at her side, consoling her with hugs and kisses. Fluttershy jumped into the air and hovered anxiously over Twilight. Spike sat up and looked around in confusion. Time Turner didn’t even bother looking up from his book.
“Sorry, dear!” said Velvet. “Are you all right?”
“Just fine, Mom.” Twilight nuzzled her and Nightlight. “I think we could all use a break.”
“Ha! No need!” Time Turner slammed his hoof onto the table and looked up with a delirious grin. “I’ve found the Rite of Rapid Maturity!”
“Awesome!” Pinkie Pie shouted, suddenly appearing from underneath Twilight. She grabbed the filly and twirled her around. “Now that the research party’s done, we can have an experiment party!”
Spike waddled across the tabletop and glanced down at Time Turner’s book. “What does it say we have to do?”
The timekeeper cleared his throat and read out the passage in his best imitation of an Old Equestrian accent:
“Year by year goes day by day—
The foal’s path must never stray.
Celebrate each day as a year come and gone,
And the foal will be full-grown before long.”
Twilight waited for her father to use his magic to levitate her. Once she was up in the air, she landed on the table next to Spike and looked down at the passage. Below it was a diagram showing a filly turning into a pony over the course of several days. In each instance, she was accompanied by smiling friends and a birthday cake.
“That’s gonna be a lot of birthdays,” Spike commented.
The table shook as Pinkie Pie landed in front of him. She grabbed the dragon and shook him anxiously. “Birthdays? How many? How many birthdays? Tell me, tell me, tell me, please tell me!”
“If my calculations are correct,” Time Turner interrupted, “it’ll be fourteen birthdays altogether.”
Pinkie Pie went completely still and quiet. Probably for the first time in her entire life, Twilight imagined.
When she smiled, everypony else found themselves smiling back against their will.
“Two! Whole! Weeks!” she exclaimed, dancing up and down on the table. “This is the best news ever!”
“Miss, please be careful!” Public Record raced toward her with pleading gray eyes. “These books are so delicate! They’re irreplaceable!”
“Okey-dokey!” Pinkie Pie cartwheeled right off the table without disturbing a single page and continued her dance on the floor.
“Goodness, we haven’t celebrated your birthday in quite a while,” said Twilight Velvet. When she looked at her daughter, she had to wipe a tear away with his hoof. “I can’t imagine anything I’d rather do than give you and your friends a really good party.”
Twilight smiled and hugged her mother. “Thanks, Mom, but you don’t have to. That’ll be Pinkie Pie’s job. I wouldn’t want to take you away from your writing schedule.”
“That can always wait,” Nightlight interrupted, “when it’s our little filly’s birthday.”
“How wonderful!” Fluttershy exclaimed and picked up Twilight for a hug. “We should go back home and start planning!”
Twilight squirmed in her friend’s grip. “Well, first, I really need to get changed. Then we can go home and get to work.”