//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: The Time Before You 
// by Fat1thatyoulove 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 2 – Nightly

"Twilight, please don't stay up too late."

The lavender filly's ear flicks to the mares voice as she continues up the stairs followed by her low chiming magic that brings the doll to follow after her, but her voice comes back to  her as she leaves  she calls back, "Ok mom."

As her words become a breath in the air the filly quickly and happily picks her trot up into a slight gallop as she darts into her open door. Once she passes through her door her horn sparks up a little brighter as she focuses a little, but her horn's glow comes down a little as the sound of the door closing comes to her ears, but the door also brings a different motion as she floats the doll towards the bed, "Ms. Smarty Pants, did you hide the book?"

No answer comes from the silent doll as it slumps to the pillow it comes to lay next to, but the lack of words doesn't stop the filly as she moves onto the bed and towards the pillow, "You did! Great!"

Twilight's horn gets a low purple glow as the doll moves from the pillow revealing a book with a few black stained pages that can be seen from where it's closed.

As the book comes to lay in the fillies hooves she scoots herself back towards the doll that now lays on its side, "What do you think Ms. Smarty Pants, should we try to wash it again?" Twilight's eyes drift back to the open book that host the smudged ink stain that covers  most of the two pages words and pictures.

But before an answer can come to her the closed door to her room comes open to the blue stallion with a low blue chiming horn. Twilight's eyes shrink a little as she freezes with the book still in her grasp.

The stallion's eyes look over the book resting in her hooves but he doesn't lose the slight smile as he trots into the room. Twilight on the other hoof speaks up as she slightly hangs her head down, "I think I broke the book." Her ears point a little down as she looks to the stallion.

To the words the stallion shrugs as he takes the book from her hooves as he sits to the bed, "Well...I wouldn't say that, I think I know something that can get this ink out."

Twilight blinks to the words as she watches the stallion closing the book and moves it aside, but the stallion's voice comes back to the filly as the reason for his glowing horn comes clear. A small rectangle wrapped present comes in front of the blue stallion as he lowers his voice to a whisper, "I don't think Mommy would like me giving you something early..." He looks back towards the door for a moment as he pauses, but his eyes come back to the filly as he continues, "...But I don't think she'll know right?"

To the words Twilight gets a smile as she shakes her head, the present floats towards her hooves but it doesn't stay to the stallion's magic for long as she grabs it, "What is it?"

A slight laugh comes from him as he shrugs, "Something I know you'll like."

No time is wasted as the filly moves her hooves to the paper wrapping as she tears into it, in only a few seconds the wrapping comes off as the filly holds the new hard cover book in front of her, "OOH..."

To the wide eyed filly the stallion speaks up in a slight chuckle as he brushes her mane a little, "Its called Magic for Fillies, I thought you might like something that's more about ma-..."

"Thank you daddy!" The stallion's words are cut off as the book comes to float in front of Twilight as her front hooves come to the stallion.

After a few seconds the embrace becomes broken as he stands from the bed, "Alright Twilight, but this doesn't mean you can stay up all night."

Twilight nods her head as the stallion starts towards the door, but his trot is stopped as he turns back around and brings his hoof up, "And yes it counts if I find you down stairs still up late."

"Ok." Another nod comes form the filly as she watches the door close, but as it closes her smile comes back to her as she pulls the toy pony closer to her, "Look Ms.Smarty Pants I got a new book."

The doll's button eyes still hold to the bed's blankets as its head leans to one side from where it was pulled towards Twilight.

But even with the lack of input from the doll the little filly holds her smile as she sets the book down in front of her as she opens its it. The slightly large hardcover book is a little smaller than the other few books she's read and the book definitely has a lot more color, but as she looks over the first page the colorful pictures start to intrigue the little filly.

However her purple eyes don't stay to the pictures for long as she starts to read the book's text out loud to the stuffed doll beside her. "Magic for Fillies..." Her head bobs a little to her words as she continues to read even the small text towards the bottom of the page, "...A Magic for Derpys pro-duc-tion written by Preston A, all your favorite spells made easier to learn...Oooh..."

The smile holds to Twilight as she flips the page, "Chapter one, Magic." Her voice holds her excitement as she gets a little more comfortable, determined to finish the book before her bedtime. "...Magic is in everypony, but its better controlled by unicorns."

Her eyes drift to the large picture towards the bottom of the book as she looks it over, the drawings of the three ponies is a little childish with smiles that are almost half the size of the ponies bodys, but shes able to tell the difference in the three ponies as she looks back to the text.

"Magic is created by feelings and thoughts, but for young fouls magic is different." Her hoof comes back to the page as she turns it over, "Magic for colts is better used at night, and magic for fillies is better used in the morning."

Twilight squints to the words for a moment as she turns her eyes to the doll beside her, "Ms. Smarty Pants, that must be why Mommy doesn't want me staying up too late." The doll's button eyes stare to the filly as Twilight nods her head, "Thats what I thought."

Her eyes come back to the book with a new found interest in the simpler foul made book.

- - -

The night sky that's held outside from Twilight's window has taken on a dark night that's only lit from a few stars and the large moon that hangs above the city. But the filly has not noticed the time as she continues to hang to every word she reads. Sure this book is a little more childish than the others she's read since she found her love of reading, but the fact that the book is based completely about magic and not as hard to read as the other books has completely stolen the filly's attention.

Her voice has become more absent from the room but every so often it comes back to the doll that's now fallen over a little to the bed, "Ms.Smarty Pants what does this mean?"

The filly turns the last page towards the doll as she holds it to it. The end of the book has been met but Twilights new goal has taken over her as she now tries to understand every single word...even the last page that consist the small text giving credit to every pony that worked on it.

Twilight brings the book back to rest on the bed as she shakes her head to it, "You're right Ms.Smarty Pants I should make a list-..."

Her words are lost as her ear brings the sound of the door opening, Twilight's eyes quickly snap to the white mare as she pokes her head in, "Twilight?"

"Hi Mommy..." Twilight quickly blinks her eyes as she turns her head back towards the window, its now she notices how late it really is.

But her sight of the window is lost as she looks back to the white mare that comes a little closer, "You should be a sleep dear."

Twilight nods her head as she watches the mare's horn take hold of the book and floats it towards the desk, but her magic comes back to the bed as she pulls it back for the lavender filly that starts to move into it.

The white mare gives a slight smile as she waits for the filly to bring the stuffed toy into the bed next to her as she tries to perfectly place its head to the pillow. But as Twilight's motions stop the white mare rubs her hoof to her head as her low voice runs to the room, "You know Cadence is going to watch you for a little tomorrow right?"

A nod of the head comes from the filly as the white mare holds her smile, "Alright, well then get some sleep sweetie, you don't want to be tired for your own birthday do you?"

Twilight nods her head to the comment as the white mare kisses her forehead, "Good night."

The filly repeats the mares words as she watches her trotting towards the door, but as the door closes and the room becomes a little dark from the turned off lights Twilight looks to the stuffed doll, "Are you tired Ms.Smarty Pants?"

The doll doesn't answer as Twilight's low glowing horn comes over it, "You're not?" A smile comes to her face as she sits up to the bed and floats the doll towards the chair at the desk, "Then can you start on that list of words?"

After a few more chimes of magic the doll comes to sit in the chair as Twilight holds her up position, "I'll stay up too that way you're not lonely."

End of Chapter 2