//------------------------------// // A bright and sunny morning // Story: The Principles of Magic // by Starlight_Flight //------------------------------// The Principles of Magic By Starlight Flight Chapter One: A bright and sunny morning It was a beautiful morning, and the sun was rising gently over the eastern hills. Ponyville was coming alive with the sounds of ponies getting to work in their gardens and market stalls. Twilight's alarm clock rang out, and she sat up to reach out her hoof, pressing its top and shutting off the rattling bells, then bringing the clock over to look at the time. With a roll and a smile, the violet unicorn leapt out of bed. "Hey, Spike! Wake up! Today's the day I'm going to teach all the fillies and colts at the schoolhouse about magic." "That's nice," said Spike, waving a hand at her. "I'm going to stay here and sleep in." Twilight lifted the blanket off of Spike's basket with her magic. "Now, Spike, what would a lecture on magic be without my Number One magical assistant?" When he continued to lie there trying to snooze, she lifted him as well, and set him upright on the floor. "Why don't you get a little breakfast started while I check my things?" Spike stood there rubbing his eyes until Twilight gave him a nudge with her muzzle. "All right, all right! I'm going." And he headed downstairs to the kitchen. Once Spike was moving, out came the checklist, followed by getting things done. "Wake Spike: Check! Brush mane:" She gave her mane and tail a handful of strokes with her brush. "Check! Notes and saddlebag: Check and check! Breakfast..." Twilight leaned over the railing and called downstairs, "Spike! How's breakfast coming?" "Doing just fine, Twilight!" came his reply. The pony nodded to herself and trotted down the stairs, eager to finish her breakfast and head off to the schoolhouse. Spike emerged from the kitchen with a chef's hat on his head and a big stack of pancakes balanced on a platter in his hands. He walked proudly to the table and laid out two plates and some silverware, then pulled up a stool and tossed his hat aside. The dragon grabbed a pair of flapjacks and laid some butter on them, then poured syrup all over. "I hope you're hungry, Twilight. I know I'm starving!" "Thank you, Spike. These smell wonderful." Twilight placed two pancakes on her plate, then topped them with a two-bit-thick pat of butter and an eighth of a cup of syrup. As she was eating, there was a knock at the door. She set down her fork. "That must be Cheerilee! I'll answer the door, and you clean up, okay?" As soon as Twilight's back was turned, Spike scarfed the other three pancakes on the platter. "Whatever you say, Twilight. Man, I'm a good cook!" It was indeed Cheerilee at the door. "Good morning, Twilight! I came by to see if you were awake. I know you stay up late some nights." More like most nights, but perhaps she was too polite to mention it. "Good morning, Cheerilee! I made sure to get plenty of sleep last night, and I set my alarm extra-early before I went to bed, so I should be just fine." "That's good. I hope you're ready for your guest lecture. I know it's a big subject, but I hope you kept things as simple as possible for our schoolfoals." In her mind's eye, Cheerilee was seeing the huge stack of notes at the last speech Twilight gave. "I did my best. I read a book on teaching before I started, and it reminded me to keep my audience in mind when I write something. I know they aren't all professors of alchemy or thaumaturgy, and this was supposed to be just about the basics." "I'm glad to hear it. I'm going to head up to the schoolhouse now, and let the students in. We'll be ready for you in about a half-hour or so, after I've taken attendance and read the day's announcements. I'll introduce you, and then you'll have the floor. If you need help, I'll be grading some papers in the corner." "All right, Cheerilee, I'll keep that in mind. See you then!" And with that, Cheerilee walked off and Twilight shut the door. "A half-hour, good. That means I have time to finish my break--" The purple pony's eyes got rather big as she saw the empty table where she'd been eating just a few minutes ago. "Spike!" A purple and red-finned head leaned out of the kitchen doorway, a few soap bubbles floating by. "What is it, Twilight? I'm cleaning up like you asked me to." Twilight planted her hoof on her face. "Of course."