Chapter 17 – Trust it, it makes sense
A faint sigh comes from the light purple mare as she floats her two bags to the bed, the day has moved a little faster then most...But it's common for days to be a little more short when Luna has to control them.
Although the idea of today coming to an end soon doesn't really affect Violet, sure it means that her new book report is due sooner but it also means she can go back to Ponyville over the break if she wants to...Which she has already started packing for as she turns her head to the desk she now wraps her magic to.
She's not really sure if she will get the same room or not so out of precaution she's decided to just pack everything...Even though she can only stay in Ponyville for one day.
The blue magical hold brings her papers, quills, various ink wells she's had to buy and a few books up from the desk. Her eyes trace the magically lofting items to the first bag as she starts to fill it whole with only just these items.
To the already stuffed bag she squints her eyes and taps her hoof to her mouth, but her thoughts end fast as she just scoots the bag closer to her and begins to cram the stuff down a little bit. Her horn sparks back up as she moves the items that she won't need in the morning into the side pockets of the bag.
As her horn's motion continues a knock to the door flicks her ear, but she doesn't even turn around to open it as her magic just brings the door to the room ajar. As Violet finishes cramming everything she could into her bags she turns around with a smile as she watches the orange stallion close the door behind him.
But the friendly smile she held only last a few moments as she takes a hoof forward and begins to stare to the light bruising that has formed over his wing. Her hooves come up as she stares to him.
"Oh..." Sparky shrugs her fast comment off as he waves his hoof, "It's no big deal, I just got my wing caught on a door today."
Violet blinks unamused to the words as she sparks her hooves up.
But her contestation of his comment brings a slightly annoyed response from Sparky as he speaks up, "What you don't believe me? It happens all the time."
Violet's a little taken back by the stallion's tone as she squints to him, and brings her hooves up again.
The stallion's slightly tightened face loosens to her as he nods his head and takes to the change in conversation, "Ya...That's it...I have to retake my test."
Sparky's response rolls Violet’s eyes as she taps her hoof to her now smiling mouth and then points it to him. A faint grin comes over Sparky as he nods, "Ya...You told me I should have studied more."
A faint wheezing laugh comes from Violet as she turns back to the empty bag still on her bed as she sparks her horn to open the drawers where her unused winter stuff starts to float out of.
Sparky holds his wing to his side a little more as he trots over to the part of the bed that's free of Violet's things, "So...Are we going to practice that dream spell again? I know you want to make it perfect for your parents."
Violet gives a silent laugh to the comment as she waves her hoof to him and then taps her hoof to her mouth as she gives a faked yawn.
"You don't want to be tired for what?" Sparky holds a slight bit of confusion as he waits for the mare's response.
The low chime of her magic stops as she moves the two bags off the bed and then speaks her hooves up.
It's at this point Sparky remembers what tomorrow is, "Oh...Ya, I forgot you're leaving tomorrow." His tone holds a slightly sadder feel as he lowers his head.
Which Violet picks up on as she squints her eyes to him and glows her horn to bring her friends chin up to face her.
Sparky immediately waves his hoof to her as he gives a smile, "I guess i'm just a little jealous that you get to go home on your break."
The words puff Violet's chest out as she trots over towards the one book she didn't put away, as she nears it she moves her hoof over it as she smiles to the stallion.
But he doesn't immediately pick up on the book as he just stares to it, "What?"
Violet rolls her eyes as she sparks her hooves and ears up to trace out her words.
"So what if Celestia is gone?" Sparky squints to the mare as he tries to follow along to her words. Violet's hooves comes a little slower as she takes on a more sheepish smile as the last part of her request ends.
The mare's words turn Sparky's eyes a little more wide as he speaks up, "You want me to break into Celestia's room for a piece of mane?!"
Violet holds a smile as she sets the book back down to the desk.
A new found laugh comes up from Sparky as he rolls his hoof to her, "Come on Violet, How would I even get to her part of the castle? I'm not even really supposed to be here..." He nods to his wings as he speaks up, "Pegasus in the Unicorn student's makeshift dorm?"
Violet nods her head as she trots over towards the window, but as Sparky watches her trot he loses his laughey tone as his wings tighten a little, "I-I can't really fly to good right now Violet."
The words turn Violet's smile to more of a smirk as she just wiggles her hoof at her friend as she continues a short motion.
Sparky nods his head as he speaks up, "No I was telling the truth this morning, my wings did feel ok-..."
Violet loses her smile as she takes a better look to his right wing, but as she stares to it her expression turns a little more serious as she looks to her friend and quickly sparks her hooves up.
The light orange stallion's ability to hold the truth back starts to fumble like his now stuttering voice as he tries to puff his chest out, "What! N-no, I didn't even see those guys today."
Violet's eyes tighten to her friend as she takes a step towards him for a better look of his wing, as she nears the bed she sparks her horn up as she turns Sparky's head. A quiet gasp comes up from Violet as she looks over the now heavily swollen area that now pushes his mane up to define the knot.
Sparky jerks his head away from her magic as he steps from the bed, "I'm fine Violet really."
His words don't turn the mare's face as she moves her gaze to the door and starts to trot towards it, from her expression Sparky steps in front of her.
"Violet, i'm fine." Sparky's hoof comes up to the light purple mare's chest as he tries to give a smile, but the embarrassment that a mare was going to go and finish his fight starts to set in along with the regret he's held all day for not doing anything about it himself.
The stallion's words only pause the mare for a moment as she steps aside from him and continues her trot towards the door, however again Sparky steps in front of her as he speaks up, "I'm telling the truth, nothing happened today."
Violet holds her blue eyes to her friend for a moment as she tries to pick his words apart for a weakness. But before she can Sparky starts up in a light laugh, "Come on, why would I lie to you?"
Her stare holds for a few more moments before she gives a simple nod and begins to lighten her eyes.
To his slight victory Sparky trots over towards the book she set down, "So Celestia is gone right?"
Violet doesn't jump back to the conversation as she brings her hooves up in a slightly unsure motion.
Sparky swallows to the question as he just blinks to her, "N-no I can't stay again tonight...I would get in trouble and so would you."
It takes a moment for Violet to nod her head as she gives another silent sigh...But with the sigh she brings her trot back up as she brings her hooves up to answer Sparky's earlier question.
"Alright good so Celestia's out...How do I get her mane then? Am I picking it from her brush?" A light chuckle comes over Sparky as he waits for Violet to join in.
However Violet doesn't as she just nods her head.
"Oh...ya, that makes sense." A dumb smile comes over his face as Violet starts her trot to the table next to the window, on the small white wood table sit three small clear jars that Violet got from breakfast this morning.
Sparky follows after her as he speaks up, "I guess you need a feather also right?"
Violet replies fast as she shakes her head and points her hoof to the to table Sparky stands in front of.
The stallion looks over the slightly bent dull orange feather as he tries to figure out when she could have pulled it off from him. But his mind is cut from it's thought as he now tries to follow after the mare's hoof motions.
But to her motions Sparky arrogantly puffs his chest out as he tries to impress her, "What no...I said I couldn't fly earlier because I was uh...A little tired that's all." A false smile comes over him as he spreads his wings slowly.
Violet looks over her friend as she opens the window to the cool fall breeze that comes from the sun setting world.
Sparky holds his mind steady as he brings himself outside of the window as he calls back to Violet, "Alright...Where is Celestia's room."
The light purple mare sparks her hooves up fast as she floats a jar to his hoof. As he takes the jar in hoof he turns his gaze to the tall white tower that stands above the castle, "A-are you sure it's the highest one?" Violet nods to his words as she starts to close the window, "...W-wait, how do I know I won't be caught?"
A smile comes over Violet's face as she hooves out her answer.
Sparky blinks to her words as he adjust the jar in his hoof, "So my job is to break into Princess Celestia's bedroom and all you have to do is stand in front of it and distract a pony or two?"
The comment rolls Violet's eyes as she hooves out another motion, but Sparky is quick to laugh to it as he speaks up, "If you're allowed to do it why don't we just ask Luna for some mane?"
Violet blows to the comment as she speaks her hooves up.
With a faint sigh Sparky nods his head, "Ya...I guess it wouldn't be a surprise...Wish me luck." As his words end he flaps his hurt wing a little hard to bring him up more to the air.
To her friend's absent figure Violet starts her trot towards the door as she goes to bring her part of the elaborate and unnecessary plan into action.
- - -
Violet's trot has brought her through the corridors of the castle as she sets her mind to the throne room. The students of the school were never told they weren't allowed to wander the castle, but it does kind of feel wrong too the young mare as she finds herself avoiding eye contact with anypony she passes.
However her trot comes to an end as the large double doors of the throne room come in to view. The throne room has taken on a low orangey red with a hint of green from the vast stained glass windows that sit to each side of the room.
Luna does not sit in the throne room and from what Violet sees there is no pony in the area as she takes her first steps inside as she quickens her trot to the spiral staircase that sits to the small hallway indent behind the large and elegant throne.
Violet stops her trot as she just waits in front of the opening ready to stop anypony that might come towards it.
- - -
Sparky's flight has already brought him to the highest point of the castle as he takes his three hooves to the large outdoor balcony of Celestia's room all the while still balancing the glass jar in his hold. He was a little surprised no pony actually saw his flight path, but it's understandable seeing as how he hugged the towers wall for the most part. Also the fact that Celestia's side of the castle is towards the castle's garden is good, no guard pony regularly walks the garden so there really was no chance of anypony seeing him.
Sparky brings his trot up a little faster as he quietly opens one of the double arch shaped glass doors to the room. Celestia's room is filled with white and gold furniture that match the large bed's color scheme of silk white, bright gold and deep silver pillows. To one side of the room sits what looks like some kind of study fully outfitted with a collection of unique looking books and a elegant fireplace placed behind a large couch like seat that's next to a hoof wood crafted end table that holds a few capped inkwells to it.
However Sparky's interest in that side of the room's furnishing is cut for a moment as he looks over a large golden birdcage...His eyes widen as he thinks any moment the sound of a bird's squawking is going to rub through the castle. But as the silent moment trails on he notices there's nothing in the cage, and a faint sigh of relief comes over him as he turns his eyes back to the room.
This time his eyes turn and hold to the large vanity mirror that sits by a white elegantly carved table and stool. Sparky's three hoof trot comes up as he looks to the items on the table's surface.
Sure enough sitting on the counter on the right side there's a silver brush with the bristles facing up to the ceiling. Sparky quietly moves his hooves towards it's sight, as he nears it he places the jar to the table and slowly brings his hoof over the brush.
As he rubs his hoof over the brush a few strands of multicolored mane flares up from it, a slightly disgusted face comes over him as he pulls a few strands from the brush and then moves it to the jar, "Alright Violet...I hope this mane helps you impress them." His low voice ends as he recaps the jar and takes it to his hoof.
The room's orange glow from the windows around it hold as he starts to trot towards the balcony doors...
However a very uneasy feeling comes over the stallion as he finds his trot stopped as he stares to Celestia's study, as he looks over the shelves that line the cove of the corner of the room he finds his eyes locked to a few what looks like display cases that sit in the bookshelves.
His trot starts to shift from the doors and instead towards where his eyes have locked as he finds himself being slightly pulled towards something.
With in only a few hooves his ear's bring a very familiar sound...But the noise only peaks his interest as he listens to the low chiming magic.
On the second to last shelf of the study there sits a standing display, and with every hoof closer Sparky's eyes stare to the low green glowing shimmer that now has come over the glass of it.
It only takes a few moments for the stallion's pace to bring him to the display case as he looks inside of it, there sits a long regal red cloth that has been folded neatly inside, however it's not the simple colorful cloth that has stolen the young stallion's gaze it's a long curved reddish horn that looks to be shattered at the base.
Around the horn's long length a faint shimmer of greenish black magic has formed, and it's now that the low chiming magic has a slightly different more organic like ring to it.
Sparky's mind screams for the stallion to just leave the room, but his right hoof betrays his mind as he extends it towards the glass top. As his hoof comes to rest on it the horn's magic goes silent and the stallion is left just blinking to the dull horn as he starts to question if he heard and saw anything at all.
He takes his hoof from the glass as he shakes his head with a little laugh, "Well Violet I think this has made m-..." His voice is cut off as a spark of magic zaps the length of the disembodied horn and shoots towards where Sparky stands.
The bright flash of light causes Sparky to lose his grip in the jar as it falls to the ground, it doesn't break but the sound still rings through the room. But the jar is the least of his worries as his coat takes on a bright green glow that slightly burns around his body. Sparky's wings spark up in a quick flare as he darts towards the door in an attempt at fleeing from the magic that has burrowed itself to his coat. The bright magic to his coat still rings with a bubbly magical chime as Sparky darts from the balcony and into the air.
Which was a decision the stallion quickly regrets as his wings lock up and he starts to fall from the sky with a dead weight feel...The stomach churning fear of hitting the ground sparks his wings up for a moment as the garden of Canterlot's castle rapidly approaches him, but the feeble attempt at starting his wings up only acts as a parachute as he still falls to the ground with a heavy and hard thud.
End of chapter 17