"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together. Do so with all your heart." -Marcus Aurelius
It was early evening, and though the last rays of the sun filtered through the tall, stained-glass windows of the central dining hall at Princess Celestia's Academy for Gifted Spellcasters, the room was still well-lit. The assistant instructors and some of the older students had already finished magically lighting the many candles and sconces set into the walls. It was also study hour, meaning that the normally boisterous hall was filled with scores of silent young students, their faces turned downwards as they prepared themselves for another day of classes.
Second-year student Twilight Sparkle was no exception. The young woman pushed several strands of her long, dark blue hair - broken only by a thin, two-toned purple and pink stripe - back behind her ear as she focused on the open spellbook in front of her; her violet eyes sweeping line after line as she committed the contents of every page to memory.
Or rather, that's what Twilight wished she was doing. Try as she might, the incessant whispering of her fellow students kept breaking her concentration.
"Did you hear?" Moondancer, a second-year student like Twilight said to her friends as she sat down at the table immediately behind her. The crimson-haired girl took care to smooth any wrinkles from the pristine white and gold robe she was wearing; the same uniform all the Academy students wore. "There's a rumor going around that someone broke into the Academy earlier today and stole something from the archives!"
"Really? I had heard it was some of the Princess' personal stuff, and they took them right from her bedchambers," a girl with shoulder-length mint green hair and golden yellow eyes replied, drawing a short laugh from the third person at the table.
"Oh, come on Lyra! Do you really think somebody broke in just to steal Celestia's slippers?" Amethyst Star taunted as she idly played with a strand of her long purple hair.
Lyra scowled back at her. "Well what do you think it was then?" Amethyst only shrugged.
"I dunno. The instructors wouldn't let anyone into the east wing for afternoon classes though; I betcha ten bits that was where it happened."
"Hm," Moondancer chimed back in, "there isn't anything valuable in the east wing though, it's just classrooms and practice chambers."
"No, that's not true."
The three friends turned to look at Twilight.
"The east wing is where most of the rare artifacts for arcane history classes are kept when they're not on display for an actual class," she explained matter-of-factly, twisting around in her seat a bit so she could face the girls better. "There's also a room for rare spell components. Anyone with a basic knowledge of history or magic could find at least something worth stealing."
"What do you think they could've taken, Twilight?" Amethyst asked. Twilight tapped a finger on her chin for a moment.
"Don't bother; this is one question you don't know the answer to, Twilight Sparkle," a new voice chided. Twilight rolled her eyes, not even bothering to turn around to face the newcomer.
"Hello, Trixie."
"That's 'The Great and Powerful Trixie' to you," the slender, silvery-blue haired mage corrected as she stepped up onto the table, standing directly over Twilight with her feet planted firmly shoulder-width apart and her arms crossed over her chest. She looked down at the seated girl with violet eyes much like Twilight's own and smirked. "Still, your knowledge of the east wing is impressive; Trixie would expect nothing less from her rival."
"Ugh, we're not rivals!" Twilight complained, finally turning back around to scowl up at the other girl.
"Well, the two of you are kinda the best students in the whole Academy," Lyra offered up. "None of the other second-years can keep up with you, and your exam scores are higher than most of the third-years at this point."
Trixie beamed at the praise. "You see Twilight Sparkle? Listen to the commoner; she obviously knows true majesty when she sees it!" Twilight only rolled her eyes again, and it was Lyra's turn to scowl. "Besides, your rivalry with The Great and Powerful Trixie has earned you the right to some... secret information." Her eyes darted left and right before she leaned forward and beckoned the three girls at the opposite table to come nearer. "You see... Trixie knows what was stolen from the east wing," she whispered.
"Really?!" Amethyst asked loudly before being shushed by her friends. "Sorry... how did you find out?"
"Please!" Trixie replied with a laugh, suddenly not seeming to care who else heard her. "The Great and Powerful Trixie knows all! There is no secret within these walls that Trixie cannot uncover; no act that goes unseen!"
"You overheard some of the instructors talking in the bathroom again, didn't you?" Twilight deadpanned, her chin now resting in her hand. Trixie sputtered.
"Y-you... what... The Great and Powerful Trixie sees no reason to reveal the secrets of her information gathering network! It doesn't matter how Trixie obtained this knowledge, only that she has it!" she blurted out as the three girls behind Twilight giggled softly.
"So what was it?" Lyra asked excitedly. "What was stolen? Tell us!" Trixie smirked again and made a great show of kneeling down and beckoning the others even closer.
"The Heartstone."
"WHAT?!" Twilight shouted, nearly knocking over the stool as she leaped to her feet and stared at Trixie, her mouth agape and eyes wide.
"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Trixie urged her as she glanced about, noticing that nearly every head in the grand hall had turned toward them. Suddenly self-conscious, Twilight quickly settled back into her seat.
"Sorry, sorry... but what you're saying doesn't make any sense!" she continued in a harsh and hurried whisper. "The Heartstone is the crown jewel of Equestria; it has been for hundreds of years. It's a priceless royal treasure that stays sealed in the deepest level of the vault in Canterlot Tower and hasn't even been seen by any living person aside from the Princess herself! What would it be doing in the east wing?"
"You've heard the same rumors Trixie has, haven't you?" the other girl asked as she sat down on the tabletop, her legs hanging over the side. "They say that the Heartstone is magical, but even Celestia doesn't know what it does. What better place to study it than here at the Academy where the greatest wizards in all of Equestria are?" Twilight looked away as her would-be rival spoke, her head slowly starting to nod.
"The Princess could have brought it here in secret," she mused aloud. "She travels between the palace and the Academy frequently enough it would have been easy... but someone found out and took advantage of the weaker security to steal it."
Moondancer squealed with delight. "Ooh, Gemstone strikes again!"
"Who?" Lyra asked, drawing a disapproving frown from Amethyst.
"Don't you read the news? Gemstone is the name the papers are giving to the thief who's been pulling off all the high-end robberies in the past six months. They say that he only steals the rarest, most expensive jewels."
"The Heartstone certainly falls into that category," Twilight agreed. "Well, it doesn't matter who took it; I'm sure Princess Celestia has already hired half-a-dozen Adventuring Guilds to track down the thief and get it back."
"No, she hasn't, and she isn't going to need to either," Trixie said, drawing blank stares from the others as she leaped to her feet and stood atop the table once more, "because the Great and Powerful Trixie is going to recover the Heartstone and return it to Princess Celestia herself, thus proving once and for all that she is the most magically gifted wizard in the whole Academy - no, in all of Equestria!" She ended her tirade with a cackling laughter that drew the attention of everyone around them.
"What? Are you crazy?" Twilight asked. "You have no idea who took the Heartstone or where to even start looking! It could be dangerous!"
"Say what you will," Trixie leaned forward, her face inches from her rival's, "and you would say something like that wouldn't you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Miss Twilight Sparkle; the Academy's perfect little poster girl," Trixie chided, "never breaking any rules, always obeying every instructor's command. You do everything by the book; never think outside the orderly little world you've built. Are you even capable of thinking for yourself or doing anything on your own without asking for permission first?"
"I..." Twilight's gaze fell to the surface of the table, unable to match Trixie's stare. "Now you're just being mean."
"Maybe Trixie is, but she's also right," she said definitively. "Oh well. Don't worry about it; the Great and Powerful Trixie won't forget you when she becomes the most famous wizard in all the world." She smirked. "Maybe Celestia will be so enthralled by Trixie's skills and bravery that she'll take Trixie on as her personal protege." Twilight's head snapped up.
"But.. th-that's my..." she stammered, her cheeks reddening. "How did you...?"
"You talk in your sleep," Trixie explained. "When we were all still first-years and living in the dorms instead of having our own rooms Trixie's bunk was only two rows away from yours, or didn't you notice?"
"Of course I noticed; you snore like you're sawing down a tree!" an exasperated Twilight proclaimed. This time it was Trixie's turn to blush.
"That's not true! Anyway, you're never going to fulfill that silly little dream of yours. Celestia only chooses the most exemplary wizards to be her personal students, and Trixie is going to prove just how exemplary she is! What do you have to say to that, Twilight Sparkle?"
The dark-haired girl just sat there for a moment, her hands clenching at the folds of her robe. Moondancer, Lyra and Amethyst looked back and forth between the two in silence.
"No," Twilight said in little more than a whisper.
"What was that?" Trixie taunted again, cupping her hand to her ear dramatically. "Trixie can't hear you over the sound of how amazing she is!"
"I said NO!" Twilight shouted as she stood, this time knocking over her stool entirely. "I'm... I'm going to get back the Heartstone myself, and I'm going to become Celestia's personal student!"
Trixie started to smile, but then her eyes focused on something over Twilight's shoulder and suddenly went wide. Her mouth fell open but no sound came forth.
"Well, that's certainly a lofty goal, my little mageling."
Twilight's breath caught in her throat. She spun around and tried to kneel, only to smack her leg painfully against the overturned stool from a moment ago. Biting her lip to keep from crying out, she pushed the offending object aside and sank down to the floor.
"Princess Celestia!" she blurted out. She heard the collective gasp of Moondancer and her friends as they and everyone else in the great hall followed Twilight's example; even Trixie, who had somehow made it down onto the floor next to her faster than she would have thought possible.
"Please stand, everyone," the Princess said with a small laugh, "within these walls I am your headmistress and your teacher, not your sovereign."
Twilight obeyed, rising to her feet silently as did the rest of the room, though she kept her head bowed as much out of reverence as out of embarrassment.
"You needn't avert your eyes, young Twilight Sparkle."
The dark-haired girl swallowed, failing to get rid of the lump in her throat, as she looked up. There in all her glory stood Princess Celestia. Taller than most men by at least a hand and with long, voluminous flowing hair that danced with an array of iridescent pastels as it billowed in an otherwise nonexistent breeze, Celestia gave off a palpable otherworldly air, but it made her no less beautiful. From her lavender eyes, graceful figure, and alabaster skin that at times seemed only a few shades darker than the pure white and gold sleeveless gown she often wore, it was easy to forget that she was well over a thousand years old. The sight of her was something that always took Twilight's breath away, and this time was no exception.
It wasn't until Trixie elbowed her in the ribs that she even realized that the Princess had asked her a question.
"Oh! I'm so sorry Princess... um, what did you...?"
"I asked if you truly intend to try and recover the Heartstone."
"Well... yes. Yes, I do," Twilight said, finally finding her resolve. "It's a national treasure of Equestria, and more than that if it really is as magical as they say then it must be studied. It belongs here."
Celestia appeared to consider the young mage's words for a moment before turning her eyes to Trixie. "And you?"
"The Great and - I mean, yes Headmistress."
"I see," Celestia said. She looked them over for another few seconds, though under the weight of her ageless gaze it felt like hours. Just for an instant Celestia's eyes flicked to one of the nearby stained-glass windows. "I must take my leave to attend to the setting of the Sun. I would like the two of you to meet me in my chambers here at the Academy; one hour from now." She turned just enough to nod and address the room in a general sense. "Please carry on, everyone."
With that she was gone, moving with long, smooth strides as she made her way to the double doors at the end of the hall and slipped between them. It was then that Twilight was startled by a sudden gasp as Amethyst released a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! A personal meeting with Princess Celestia!" she exclaimed. "You two are really something else; you know that?"
"Well... well of course!" Trixie confirmed after a moment of stunned silence. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has always known that Celestia would one day recognize her spectacularness!"
"It's a good thing she didn't recognize you for your vocabulary, 'cause I'm pretty sure that's not a word," Lyra quipped, though if Trixie had heard her she gave no outward sign.
"Congratulations Twilight!" Moondancer said as she stepped over and hugged the shorter girl. "It's what you always wanted. This could be your big break!"
"Y-yeah," Twilight answered, her tone distant and her gaze unfocused, "thanks Moondancer."
As the gossip spread like wildfire across the students - mostly thanks to Trixie jumping up onto another nearby table to sing her own praises - part of Twilight Sparkle wanted to literally dance with joy.
The rest of her couldn't decide if she wanted to pass out or have a nervous breakdown.
Exactly fifty-nine minutes later, Twilight Sparkle and Trixie met at the end of a short hallway that led to Princess Celestia's personal chambers. The monarch had fully finished lowering the sun now, leaving only magical torchlight to brighten the Academy's corridors.
"What are you doing?" Twilight asked. "Hurry up or we're going to be late! The Princess said to meet her in one hour, and we've only got forty-five seconds left!" The other wizard rolled her eyes.
"Ugh; please do Trixie a favor and spare her your usual obsessive-compulsive details, would you Sparkle?" Nevertheless, Trixie did not resist when Twilight took her by the wrist and led her hurriedly down the hall to the ornate doors at the end, flanked by a pair of burly armored guards wielding long spears. They eyed the pair of students as they approached but said nothing.
"Um... good evening, Sirs," Twilight addressed the guards. "I'm Twilight Sparkle and this is Trixie-"
"The Great and Powerful Trixie!" the silver-haired girl tried to correct in a harsh whisper.
"... Trixie Lulamoon" Twilight finished with emphasis as she shot a sidelong glare at her fellow student. "We were asked to report to the Headmistress."
"The Princess has been expecting you," the guard on the left said as he and his partner both reached over and pulled the doors open. "You may enter." Twilight took a deep breath.
"Well, here we- hey!" she cut herself off as Trixie confidently strode past her and into the room. She mumbled a quick 'thank you' to the guards as she darted inside after the other girl.
Inside the Princess' room was a large bed and accompanying nightstand set opposite a wide, open doorway through which Twilight could see part of a balcony railing and the evening sky beyond. A large desk covered in scrolls and parchment was set off to one side, flanked by a number of comfortable looking chairs. An ornate armoire and a full-length mirror occupied the remaining wall. All of the furnishings were of the highest quality, with graceful wooden scrollwork adorning nearly every surface and painted with the Princess' signature gold-on-white color scheme. It looked pretty much exactly like Twilight had imagined it would; in fact there was only one thing missing.
"Where the heck is the Princess?" Trixie asked as she and Twilight looked around the otherwise unoccupied room. The dark-haired mage pursed her lips.
"Maybe she had to run to the restroom?"
Trixie scoffed and was about to reply when she suddenly stopped and cocked her head to one side. "Do you hear that?" She took a few steps toward the middle of the room with Twilight following right behind her.
"It sounds like... singing?" Twilight offered up. Trixie pointed toward the open door and the two crept forward to peer outside, their supple slippers making little noise against the cold stone floor. As they approached, the soft singing became loud enough for them to make out.
Lullay moon princess, goodnight sister mine
Rest now in moonlight's embrace
Bear up my lullaby, winds of the earth
Through cloud, and through sky, and through space
Princess Celestia stood on the balcony before the two girls, her back to them and her face upturned to the shining moon that was still hanging low in the sky. Hypnotized by the soft and melodic voice, Twilight felt a strange weight fill her heart; as if the sadness in the Princess' words had suddenly become her own.
Carry the peace and the coolness of night
And carry my sorrow in kind
Luna, you're loved so much more than you know
Forgive me for being so blind
Celestia paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, but instead of continuing to sing she abruptly turned to face them.
"Oh... my apologies girls; I must have lost track of the time."
"We're sorry Princess," Twilight spoke as she quickly wiped away a single tear that has escaped her eye. Trixie did much the same, the song obviously having affected her as well. "We didn't mean to intrude on your... on your privacy."
"Not at all, my students," Celestia assured them as stepped towards them and motioned for them to return inside. "Can I offer you some tea?" she asked, and with a wave of her hand levitated a teapot and a trio of fine porcelain cups off of the nightstand, each encased in a glowing yellow light. Next came three of the chairs, floating swiftly and easily over to each of them and settling to the floor with barely a sound. Still somewhat stunned by the entire experience, the girls merely nodded politely as the Ruler of Equestria casually served them a drink, even going so far as the heat the kettle a bit more by way of a magical flame she conjured into existence below it. Twilight marveled at the ease with which the Princess manipulated so many objects with such grace and precision; as if she had been holding them all with her own hands.
"Now then," Celestia finally spoke after taking a sip, "I asked you both to come here because I wanted to make something very clear. As you both now know, the Heartstone was stolen. It is a great loss to Equestria's and my own personal pride that it was taken, and there is a very real chance that whoever did so may be hoping to unravel its secrets in an attempt to use its magic for evil purposes. However, be that as it may I do not want either of you to entertain any thoughts of going after the culprit."
"But why?" Trixie asked. "Trixie overheard the instructors saying that you ordered them not to investigate either, and you forbade them from even mentioning the matter to anyone!"
"Which it sounds like they're doing a wonderful job of," the Princess quipped as she took another sip of her tea. "I feel the instructors' time is best spent doing what they do best: teaching. Likewise, the Royal Guard is currently spread too thin to spare the soldiers needed for such a task."
"Then does that mean you're planning on hiring a Guild to retrieve the stone, Princess?" Twilight asked. Celestia shook her head.
"I would much rather keep this matter a secret. The news that someone was able to steal such a closely-guarded treasure could do far more damage to Equestria's reputation than the loss of of the Heartstone itself."
"Then... then why not let us get it back for you?" Twilight pleaded. "Please allow us to go after the thief your highness! It's true, sending the instructors or the Royal Guard, or hiring an Adventurers' Guild would draw attention, but the Academy students come and go from the city all the time. If we knew the Heartstone's magical signature we could track it and-"
"I have no doubts that you would find the culprit, my little mageling," Celestia interrupted. "Professor Spellbinder has mentioned you both by name on several occasions, and I am well aware that you are the very best the Academy has to offer. It is precisely for this reason that you must not undertake this task. I'll not risk the lives of such promising young wizards on something so trivial."
"But it's not trivial at all! You said yourself the very honor of Equestria is at stake!"
"I'm afraid the danger is too great," the Princess replied with a slight shake of her head.
"Nonsense! Trixie laughs in the face of danger!" the boisterous young mage exclaimed. "Allow Trixie the honor of proving herself to you, Princess!"
"No."
Twilight started to stand. "But Princess-!"
"No!" The force of the Princess' sudden shout literally knocked Twilight back into her chair and stunned both girls into silence. Celestia, her eyes closed and her expression as serene as ever, took another sip of her tea, waiting to make sure that her point had been made before continuing.
"Twilight Sparkle and Trixie Lulamoon, I commend you both on your bravery and loyalty to Equestria. However, as Ruler of Equestria this matter will be dealt with as I see fit, even if that means that it will not be dealt with at all. By Royal Order, I forbid either of you from looking into the theft of the Heartstone any further, and you will speak no more of this to anyone." At last the Princess opened her eyes, looking directly at Twilight. The young wizard thought she might actually start shaking from the chill that gaze sent down her spine. "Have I made myself perfectly clear, my subjects?"
"Yes, Princess Celestia," both girls answered in tandem. A warm smile returned to Celestia's face.
"Excellent. Now, I wouldn't dream of sending the two of you away before you've had a chance to finish your tea. I already hear all about your studies from the instructors, so why don't you tell me a little about yourselves?"
The rest of the girls' time with Celestia felt like a blur to Twilight, and it wasn't until they were back in the corridor on their way to their rooms in the south wing that either of them gathered the courage to speak.
"Well, that's certainly the end of that," Trixie announced.
"It can't be," Twilight shook her head. "We can't just let someone steal the Heartstone and get away with it."
"You heard Celestia! Regardless of how easy this task would be for the Great and Powerful Trixie, disobeying the Princess is treason," Trixie whispered sharply, "and as if that wasn't enough, she actually used the Royal Canterlot Voice! She never uses the Voice unless she's addressing an audience in Victory Square! Trixie didn't even know Celestia could do angry!"
"I know; I know!" Twilight grimaced, coming to a stop in the middle of the hallway and closing her eyes. "There just has to be something we can do..." A short silence passed before Trixie shook her head and stood facing the other girl.
"Look Sparkle, Trixie... Trixie knows how much you want to be Celestia's apprentice someday. If you don't drop this right now, you'd better kiss that dream goodbye." She cautiously reached out and put a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "Now isn't the time for you to suddenly grow a backbone."
Twilight said nothing, her head hanging down just enough that her bangs obscured Trixie's view of her eyes. After another silent moment Trixie sighed and then turned with a flourish, a great smile spreading across her face.
"Trixie is going to turn in for the night; she requires her Great and Powerful beauty sleep." She strutted off down the hall, calling back over her shoulder. "Trixie is looking forward to another day of putting your meager talents to shame, Twilight Sparkle!"
With that she was gone, leaving Twilight alone in an otherwise empty corridor. Another minute passed before she finally lifted her head, took a deep breath, and opened her eyes.
"I know what I have to do," she whispered before starting off down the hall at a brisk pace.
"I still don't get why you'd want to disobey the Princess, Twilight! Isn't she gonna be mad?"
"Spike, I told you how important the Heartstone is already," the violet-eyed mage said to her familiar. Spike, a small purple and green wingless pseudo-dragon about the size of a common house cat, listened with concern as his master continued to flit about her dorm room stuffing various scrolls, books, and other items into a large leather traveling pack. "I can't in good conscience let such a priceless magical artifact end up in the hands of some petty crook."
"But why do you have to do it?" Spike continued. "If Princess Celestia told you not to go, shouldn't you just let someone else take care of it?"
Twilight hesitated, setting the book she was holding back onto the pile in front of her. "No... no, I can't just sit back and let others take the lead anymore."
"...Twilight?" Spike looked on curiously as she turned to face him and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Trixie said something to me earlier," she started, causing her familiar to roll his eyes.
"Ugh, that loudmouth again? Don't listen to her Twilight; she's just jealous that you have a cool familiar like me and she doesn't. Remember that time she cast a charm spell on me, painted me white and tried to convince everyone I belonged to her instead?"
"But she's right this time," Twilight insisted. "She said that I always play it safe and I never take any chances; that I would never become Celestia's pupil unless I stood out, and... and I think she's right." She was silent for a moment as she stared down at the traveling pack still in her hands. "When I met with Princess Celestia earlier, she looked at me - right after she ordered us to not get involved - she looked at me and it was kind of terrifying... but on some level it felt like she was daring me to go; like she was testing my resolve. Isn't that the kind of thing that a great wizard like Starswirl the Bearded would do to his potential apprentices in the old historical accounts? Give them a test without their realizing it in order to judge what kind of person they are?"
Spike cautiously shook his head. "I dunno Twilight. I mean yeah, that's how the stories went-"
"She said that she was sure we could catch the thief," Twilight continued. "If that's true then why would she tell us not to go?" She paused for a moment, her gaze fixed once again on the traveling pack. "I've made up my mind Spike," she said as she got back to her feet and resumed stuffing items into the bag. "I've never failed a single test, and I'm not about to fail this one! I'm going to get the Heartstone back and prove to Celestia that I'm worthy of being her protege! Now, are you going to help me or-?" She turned to find that the pseudo-dragon was no longer seated on the floor where he had been a moment ago. Before she could call for him she felt his small claw tug on her sleeve. From his new place standing on the bed next to her, Spike was holding out a small leather pouch that contained her favorite set of writing quills.
"I'm your familiar; I kinda don't have a choice," he offered with a thin smile, "but I'm also your friend, and I'll help however I can."
Twilight grinned and leaned forward to give him a hug.
"Thank you, Spike."
"And I think I'll start by suggesting that you rethink your packing job," he said over her shoulder, pointing at the now-bulging leather bag that struggled to contain the small library Twilight had somehow squished inside.
Twilight gave a short, awkward laugh and grinned sheepishly as she waved her hand, magically upended the bag and dumping its contents back onto the bed as the wingless dragon went to work sorting it all out.
Twenty minutes and an argument about the importance of always carrying a copy of Magus Magichand's Guide to Abstract Magical Forces later, Twilight was striding across the Academy's main courtyard toward the front gate. She had forgone her uniform in favor of more commonplace attire, donning a simple brown tunic and similarly colored breeches tucked into a pair of old but admittedly rarely-used traveling boots. A simple hooded cloak draped over her shoulders and the leather traveling pack - still looking somewhat full - adorned her back. The stout and somewhat gnarled staff she carried was lightly enchanted to aid her in casting spells, as nearly all wizards' staves were. It was not her usual manner of dress, even for going about town as she occasionally did, but she hoped that it would draw less attention once she was outside the Academy itself.
"Are you sure the guards are just going to let you leave?" Spike whispered from his perch on his master's shoulder.
"Don't worry Spike, I've got it all figured out, just let me do the talking."
"Aww, you always say that," the dragon pouted, and Twilight responded by reaching up and briefly scratching the pseudo-dragon under his chin as they neared the gate. To her surprise only a single guard stood watch over the entryway, almost identical to the ones she had seen outside Celestia's chambers earlier. She knew the similarity was not a coincidence; the Royal Guard wore regalia enchanted with minor illusions to make them all appear like a perfectly matched set.
"'Allo, Miss Sparkle; what brings you to the gate at this hour?" he asked in a chipper voice. "You ain't usually one for midnight strolls." His Trottingham accent was one Twilight had heard many times before.
"Good evening Brass Hinge," she replied with a smile. "Just going into town to pick up some writing supplies. I'm running a little low and I have a report on the alchemical properties of plants native to the Everfree forest due in the morning." The guard nodded slowly.
"Now that sounds like our little bookworm, all right, but uh... that bag you got looks a touch full already," he said, motioning to the bulging pack, "you sure you got room to carry anything else?"
"Oh." Twilight said, glancing over her shoulder. "I um... I'm just swinging by the Canterlot Archives on the way to the stationery store; I have some books that are due back as well." She laughed a little and smiled again. "You know me and my books. Always reading, always forgetting to return them when I'm done!"
Brass Hinge nodded. "Ok, so long as you ain't gonna be luggin' that whole mess around wit you all night... hang on a tick; don't the Archive close at sundown like all government offices do?"
"Oh, well I... er, that's right," Twilight said as she felt her pulse quicken. "The truth is though I... uh-"
"She has an Academy pass!" Spike interjected, causing Twilight to cringe. "She can use the Archives whenever she wants, twenty-four hours a day!"
"I ain't never heard of that before," Brass Hinge said as he looked idly up at the night sky and rubbed his chin, "must be somethin' new that they ain't bothered to tell ol' Hinge about. Ain't that always how it goes, though? I never get told nothin'." He leaned in a bit and smiled at Spike. "Your wizard here must really be special to have earned somethin' like that, eh little guy?"
"Yeah! She's special all right!"
"Yup, that's me," Twilight added quickly. "Super-duper special; so can we go now?"
Brass Hinge let out a laugh as he took out a large ring of keys and unlocked the door. "Right then; off you go you special little thing. I know I don't have to tell you to be careful walkin' the city at night, yeah?" Twilight nodded and offered the guard another smile as she stepped past him and out onto the streets of Canterlot.
"Of course; I will be. Thank you Mr. Hinge!" A moment later the tall wooden door closed again heavily, and Twilight could hear the large locking mechanism clack back into place. She practically gasped as she took a deep breath.
"Whew, that was close!" Spike said as he shifted to her other shoulder. Twilight scowled at him.
"You'd better hope he doesn't bring up that 'Academy pass' horse manure to anyone else before we get back."
"Twilight, relax! It got us outside didn't it?"
The young mage sighed. "Yes, you're right it did, and with any luck we'll be back with the Heartstone before the guards' next shift change at midnight," Twilight declared as she started off down the street. "Spike; checklist please."
The tiny dragon grinned and plunged his head and upper torso into Twilight's backpack, emerging a moment later with an unfurled scroll and a special enchanted writing quill that didn't require ink.
"Step one," he read aloud, "get out of the Academy and into Canterlot City. Check!"
"Excellent!" Twilight beamed. "What's next?"
"Um... 'find the Heartstone'. Ok, so where do we start looking?" Spike asked.
Twilight stopped dead in her tracks.
"...I have no idea."