(Chapter 5)
It wasn't long before Princess Luna found her way back to her sister’s royal bedchambers, and as the younger Alicorn drew closer to a large oakwood door, the long empty hallway she left behind began to fill with soft echoes as steel covered hooves lightly met the polished white marble lining the floor.
Just as one of those hooves reached out for a looping bronze handle, a crack of light caught her emerald blue eye; one that couldn’t help but make the Alicorn freeze for a second before the faintest of grins began to pull at the side of her muzzle.
Now, Princess Luna was many things. She was an Alicorn, a princess and equal ruler of Equestria, and so, the basis that all her subjects strive to be. But, despite being all of those things, the small sliver of light also proved that, in her heart, Princess Luna was still just a younger sister…
Softening her hoof steps, the royal Alicorn couldn’t help but arch her back as she began to creep with a catlike prowl towards her sister’s door. All the while she made doubly sure to avoid a small gored hole in the door-frame. The gored hole served as a testament to the last time the impulse drove her to try and peek into her sisters room…. though the less she’d ever have to say about that day the better.
Craning her neck, she pressed the side of her face to the crack of light, hoping to peek inside the room before her presence was betrayed. She moved her head slowly, and as she did her eye found a vacant interest in a few things that it passed over in search for her older sibling; a table covered in various parchments and disposed quills, the floor which was littered with discarded snack wrappers, and her sister’s bed- which was, as usual, all but covered with discarded clothing.
The state of the bed made Luna release a silent scoff. In all the time since her return she’d never seen Celestia wear anything but that same old, tired, tiara and golden necklace that she had worn when they both first assumed Equestrian’s throne. And yet, despite this fact, Celestia’s bed always seemed to be covered in discarded clothing.
‘Surely, she couldn’t possibly have worn the same thing every day for the last thousand years, could she?’
Shifting her head one last time, Luna caught the glint of what she was searching for; a quill held in the air by a soft golden glow… Followed by a large pink eye staring right back at her…
“Hello sister.” a soft called from inside the room, and once again with a small thump Princess Luna found herself pulling her horn from a new hole in the door-frame.
The wood gave a soft, groaning crack as the horn was pulled free, and Luna gently pushed the door open and stepped inside with a nod and as much dignity as she could muster.
“Sister”
The older alicorn just gave her younger sister a knowing smile as she adjusted her perch on a large silk cushion; a cup of tea was settled on a table next to her, and as she moved the cup to her lips a small a small wisp of smoke left with a flash of gold and left the room.
Luna’s muzzle twitched back as the wisp of smoke twirled lazily in the air and past her chin before heading out through the window, leaving the younger Alicorn to stare at her sister with a puzzled expression.
Celestia seemed to ignore the glance. Instead she lowered her now empty teacup and let a knowing smirk spread across her own muzzle “Thank you for not destroying this door LuLu,” she said, her voice holding a slight mirth to it, “The staff ponies did a magnificent job on it, and in such a short time too… How long do you suppose it would take them to replace the wardrobe if I were to… drop it?”
With that last question Luna could almost hear the nerve twang in her head and she covered her older sister in a cold glare.
“Sister!” She snapped “How can you sit there so calm? Doom could be clawing at our door as we speak and you’re sat there making jokes!”
Luna kept her sister held within the cold glare, but as she looked on the anger she felt slowly faded away into confusion when she only found her older sister looking back at her with the same calm expression she always wore. And that confusion only grew when the white Alicorn looked straight into her eye and spoke a single word.
“Strawberries”
“Excuse me?” was really all Luna could offer as a reply
Celestia let out another long sigh and took another sip of tea. “I have been playing this game for over a thousand years, sister… and in that time I have learnt that if you can only look at these things with the utmost seriousness it will drive you to eat your own mane… incidentally mine tastes like strawberries.”
Luna stared into her sisters deep, pink, eyes and when she couldn’t find any ounce of sarcasm, or mirth, in Celestial’s voice she scrunched her muzzle and covered her older sister in a contemplating frown.
“How long?”
“Twenty seven years” was Celestia's instantaneous reply “And I had to wear a wig for three years afterwards.”
Celestia let the seriousness fall from her face, and gave her sister a gentle smile. But, Instead of finding a look of amusement, or even a look annoyance like she was expecting, her mirthful glace was returned by one that seemed almost grave.
“So” Luna started, her tone matching her glare “Now I learn the true pain of my banishment” a sad twinge filled her voice “I never got to see you in such a state during the years I was gone.”
“Now Luna, I’ve already apologised for that five hundred times” Celestia shot in, a twinge of panic seeping into her own throat.
“I remember no such apologies” Luna chided as she turned her head away in an overly dramatic fashion “All I remember is the day you were convinced that you were destined for a cutie mark in mane styling… and the school day that followed after you tried earning it.”
Luna gave a soft shudder, one that couldn’t help but make her older sister let out a soft giggle.
“Well,” Celestia interrupted with a soft, cooing tone “it seems you have at least learned to lighten up a little…” then she offered her sister another warm smile before it twisted, once again, into a sly smirk “Now shoo please, I have more letters to write.”
Luna scrunched her nose again “I see no letters,” She announced with a haughty, if not confused air in her voice “All I saw was you playing with smoke.”
“No LuLu,” Celestia shook her head softly “I have written over seven letters and sent them on their way with a spell. You caught me sending letter number eight.” She paused so she could cast her sister another smirk “I, for one, prefer a subtle and light touch…While you have undoubtedly been busy scrambling every pony in your night guard.”
“I like to scramble the ponies…”Luna mumbled with a flushed face. One she quickly tried to distract from with another question “but tell me, what it this spell you spoke of earlier?”
“Just something I picked up from having young Spike around.” Celestia answered, and once again Luna found an eyebrow drawn towards her mane.
“Young Spike?”
Celestia’s paused as her eyes filled with a glint of nostalgia, “You know? My faithful students little dragon assistant…”
For a moment Luna raised an eyebrow again, before her own eyes filled with realization. “Oh yes… Pray tell, how did she manage to tame a dragon? I wished to ask her before, but I felt it would be an inappropriate question to ask.” This time her tone was genuinely curious, which made it all the more annoying to her when Celestia just shrugged the question off.
“That’s another story, but the short version is; when she was a foal my student had to hatch a dragon egg as an entrance exam to the school for gifted unicorns.”
“That sounds a little strange…” Luna commented, hoping her narrowed eyes would be seen as a sign of curiosity rather than annoyance.
“That it was.” Celetia agreed with a swift nod “I didn’t know it at the time but the school board did not care for young Twilight’s, as you would say ‘Commoner background’ so they set up a task they thought Impossible as her entrance exam.”
Strangely Luna couldn't help notice an almost sour tone seep into her sister voice as she told her tale. And the presence of that uncharacteristic tone ensured that what Luna though was a jab at her went unacknowledged. Instead the younger alicorn raised a hoof to her chin and let out a thoughtful hum.
“And hatching the egg earned her a place there?” Luna asked with half-hearted curiosity.
“No” Celestia replied sharply, “When she hatched the egg she earned the annoyance of the school board. When the dragon suddenly grew to adult size and she inadvertently turned those stuck up snobs into potted plants I took her as my personal student”
A genuine smile spread across Celestia's face, but just as soon as it came the smile was replaced by a solemn frown
“Then I learned the truth so I dismissed the board and let Twilight take Spike under her care.”
When she heard that, Luna narrowed her eyes at her older sister. “And you thought that was wise?” she asked in a tone that all but left a bitter taste on her tongue “To leave a dragon of all things in the care of a filly?”
“No, I didn’t” Celestia admitted then met her sister’s narrowed eyes with her own “but I also couldn’t bear to simply cast the baby dragon aside. Not merely because of their kinds’ reputation alone… and seeing as Twilight would have to move into the castle with me anyway I permitted her to keep him.”
When she finished her tale Celestia couldn’t help the warm smile that spread across her face, and it was a smile that Luna couldn’t help but wear as well.
“And the entertainment that having a young dragon in the castle would bring had absolutely nothing to do with it I trust?” The younger sister asked with a roll of her eyes.
“That was merely a bonus,” Celestia admitted as her smiled widened a little “But it was never even close to the true reason. And in all the time he was here I was never sorry I let him stay.” Celestia’s words died and one of her hooves move to rub a suspicious looking spot on her left forelimb, “Admittedly there were… difficulties that had to be overcome… but overcome they were and he and Twilight are almost like siblings now…”
“Difficulties like his latest birthday?” Luna asked, before she shrank back when her sister shot her a look.
“And how would you know about that?” Celestia asked with a slow… but falsely dangerous tone.
“It is no fault of mine that you journal just happened to fall open to a page which mentioned Spikes latest birthday.” Luna offered Celestia her best innocent smile. Though the slight undertone of smugness it held seemed to be something Celestia could pick up on so Luna quickly added “Is it really true that the mayor wishes to take certain ‘precautions’ on the date of his next birthday.”
“It is.” Celestia confirmed as a slight glint Luna couldn’t place touched her eye. “Though I’ve already stated that such things would not be necessary
“But, to answer your earlier question, sister; Young Spike’s ability to send and receive letters developed with my aid. When he was a little older I enchanted his dragon flame so that I could send messages to Twilight…” Celestia turned her eyes away with a quiet grumble “and when he suffered his first cold I discovered that the spell worked both ways”
Luna smiled “Let me guess- you got a face full of boiling soup?”
“Lukewarm soup” Celestia corrected as her lips held the ghost of a smile “Dragons wallow in molten rock to groom themselves, yet for some reason Twilight always blew on his food before she gave it to him…”
Luna smiled again, “And would you care to share some of these stories with me?”
“Of course,” Celestia all but sang as she gestured for her younger sister to sit next to her. “I can do that while I write young Twilight her letter.”
……….. (A few minutes later)
“And when he discovered his taste for gems he started chasing the nobles around the castle…”Celestia laughed, pausing her story only so she could take in a small gasp of air and wipe away a tear from her eye “I still can’t help but smile whenever I picture him plodding after that one poor mare, shouting ‘Num nums’…”
Luna couldn't help but feel a smile tug at her own lips, but soon enough something clicked in her mind, “Num nums?”She dared to repeat.
“It was Spikes first word” Celestia clarified with a dismissive wave of a hoof “You see his forked tongue meant that it took longer than it would for a foal to learn to speak and ‘num num’ was his word for food.” Her smile grew a little wider “The mare probably thought he meant he wanted to eat her. The look on her face when he caught up to her but took and ate her broach was priceless! Poor thing didn't know if she should be relieved or enraged. ”
Now Luna couldn't help but become infected with the mirth that now all but held her sister, and she was almost fighting back tears while she tried to utter her next question
“So you just send these letters through his dragon flame and he passes them onto Twilight?” Luna asked when the laughter finally subsided, which earned another nod from Celestia. “And you don’t think it is a little early to send him such letters seeing as you will meet them at noon?”
“Are you kidding LuLu? Young Spike is always delighted to help his ‘big sister’”
…
…
(Chapter 6)
Under the silvery glint of a thin sliver of moonlight a small purple and green dragon let out a groan as a claw began to haphazardly scrape at a thin layer of sleep that clung to his eyes. When he was finally able to pry them open, the tired orbs found themselves aimed straight at the nearest window, and the sight they found only made him let out another groan.
“Ohhh, come on, the sun’s not even up! She could have waited until I have to be up anyway but noooo.”
As it happens, Celestia wasn't the only one who was blessed with pleasant dreams that night. And nor was hers the only dream that was interrupted just as the best bit was about to roll around. And, as he tried to shake the fog out of his head, the little dragon could only shoot a defiant look at the letter that dared interrupt his sleep, as he idly considering simply throwing it away and burying his head back under his warm blanket.
He made a point to fix the offending piece of parchment with harsh eyes as he pictured it flying through the air. It wasn’t early enough for him to forget it was a wasted gesture, but it made him feel better and that’s what counts.
But, in the end, Spike knew Celestia never sent a frivolous letter- at least not this early in the morning anyway- so he gave the offending scroll one last lingering glare and a murmured warning.
“Fine, I’ll read you myself, but if you aren't important then you’re going in the desk drawer”
He found a strange solace in raking a claw through the wax seal and the satisfying rip it gave off, and then, with practised ease, Spike flicked the letter open with the other claw and gave a lazy sniff as he began to take in the words written on it.
It only took a second of reading for Spike to conclude that opening it was the right choice and his tired eyes gave the scroll one last defiant glare… and one last murmured warning.
“OK, you win this round, but don’t get cocky”
With the piece of parchment duly warned, Spike set to work on freeing himself from the warmth of his bed, but not before he muttered a silent prayer that the glare he could have sworn the scroll gave him back was only his tired mind playing a trick on him.
Unfortunately, when he set to freeing himself from the warmth of his blankets Spike found that the task soon proved to be something easier said than done. You see, all dragons have a natural aversion to the cold, and in this moment the night air might as well have been ice raking across his scales and after struggling futility against his blanket, Spike wanted nothing more than to curl up and go back to sleep.
But, on the other claw, no amount of blankets and cozy warmth could silence the little voice in his head that promised nothing but bad things if he did so Spike did the only thing that came to his mind.
“Twilight?… Twilight!?”
The call came out as nothing but a faint whisper. Truthfully, despite waking Twilight being the very idea, a small subconscious fear of waking his ‘older sister’ smothered the volume just a little bit. Spike more than knew that Twilight wasn’t technically his ‘older sister’ but the memory of what happened the last time he woke her up too early had more than convinced him that the same brother sister rules applied… suffice to say, it didn’t end well.
Eventually though, Spike’s annoyance squashed this inhibition and he called out again, and this time it came out a little louder and was punctuated with a sharp tug of Twilights overhanging bed sheet.
He let a moment pass then repeated the action but all that he got from both attempts was the same still silence.
Deep In the smallest, and darkest, space at the back of his mind something told Spike to just set the bed on fire and take it from there…and something else in there almost wanted to listen. But, in the end, the love of his older sister won out- Helped more than a little by the fact he didn't want to find out if and where she would bury him if he did- she’d threatened it once, admittedly in an indirect way, but at this moment in time he was too tired to remember if it was a joke or not and like always when it came to Twilight it was always best to play it safe.
In the end though, the answer seemed to just pop into his head and Spike slowly fumbled his way out of the basket with his blanket wrapped around himself like it was a protective shield between him and the cold; though he did find himself letting out a sharp, snake like hiss when the scales on the soles of his feet met the cold floor.
His eyes slowly creaked open again and he let them drift up the side of Twilight's bed. And when he did Spike couldn't help but let out another hiss like sigh. “It’s too early for this.”
Mustering what little strength his body would allow, Spike began his grand journey up the side of Twilight’s bed… well climbing up the side of Twilight's bed felt like a grand journey at this time in the morning and he’d dare anyone to try it without calling it something similar. But after a minute of climbing, and muttered words Twilight would probably not like to hear him say, the brave little climber peered over the top the mattress… only to find the bed was completely empty.
‘Urgh it’s going to be one of those days’.
…
A few minutes later Spike peered down the lonely hallway at the end of the library, and as he did his previous fears had all but turned into an unwanted promise.
At the very bottom of long hallways the dull glow of a burnt out lam spread out across the bare wood leading down into the libraries basement, and as soon as he spotted the orange glow, the little dragon spotted something all too familiar.
With a little more urgent spring in his step, Spike quickly trudged back up the stairs and pushed the princess’s scroll under his pillow before heading back down into the murky hallway.
As he sank deeper into the murk, Spike idly rolled his forked tongue over his teeth in a futile attempt to remove a bitter taste of damp that always seemed to hang in the air at this hour. It was one of the many quirks that made him silently question the whole ‘making a library out of a living tree’ thing. Sure it was a cool thing that it could be done at all. But, after the novelty wore off, and all the oohing and awing ponies had gone home, he was the one who had to deal with the little differences the building had because of it.
Just like he expected, Spike found a patch of purple held within the orange glow that filled the basement walls. She was sat at a small desk in the murky darkness, with nothing but a small oil lamp seeping a faint yellow glow outward to catch her eyes and the edge of her horn. And the longer he stared at the scene the louder a number of warning bells chimed within Spikes scaled head.
The first bell started ringing when his eyes spotted the papers which all but covered the floor. The second bell was the steadily growing pool of ink oozing from the ink vial lying on its side. But the loudest bell sounded when he caught a glimpse of Twilight herself.
A craggy and unkempt mane hung limply over a sunken face. Her fur was matted and bloodshot eyes sat under heavy purple bags that almost seemed to hang down over her cheeks. The bloodshot orbs shone with a dim, almost manic edge when they caught and eerie glow given off by her horn.
At first, Spike just stood there like a cornered rabbit as he took in the scene. Then silently he wondered if he should just turn around and go back to bed or if he dared to ‘poke the sleeping dragon’ as it were. The irony of it made him let out a soft chuckle.
Unfortunately, instead of venting some of his growing nervousness, all the weak chuckle did was betray Spike’s presence, and the dragon almost choked on his breath as the two bloodshot eyes darted his way and bored straight into his own.
Despite himself, Spike couldn’t help but shrink a little under the fierce gaze, which was made even worse by the shrill yell that followed immediately after the book Twilight ‘held’ within a purple glow swung around with her glare and collided with one of the many towers of books squatting on her desk.
“Spike!!!” the mare shrieked “You just ruined everything! What are you doing up at this hour?”
Said dragon flinched at the words, Twilights tone was just as rough as she looked, not that he would dare say that, instead he rubbed one last piece of sleep from his eye and crossed his arms.
“Err…” Spike murmured in deadpan way “you woke me up with whatever you are doing… Just what you are doing?”
It was a lie, yes, but Spike thought it would be better to wait a moment before he dropped the letter on his ‘older sister’. You know, because of the manic eyes?
Said manic eyes continue to bore into the dragons deep, slit, purples, even If her face did soften a little- in fact the mare looked at him as if he’d just asked the most obvious question in the world.
“My Studies Spike,” Twilight asserted while matching the same deadpan tone “What do you think I’m doing?”
“Well from the noise you were making it sounded like you’re trying to fight the books not read them” Spike paused for just a second to silently appreciate what he thought was ‘witty comedic gold’ before something in his head clicked. “Wait, Twilight, you’re still studying?”
“Of course I am Spike” the unicorn was quick to shoot back “I can’t stop when I’m so close to learning something”
‘Yep, definitely a good thing I didn’t just jump in’ Spike mentally confirmed with a quiet shudder.
“But you did get some sleep right?” he asked in a hopeful, if not deeply sceptical tone; a hope that died completely when Twilight's hoof met the back of her head and she rubbed sheepishly at her fur.
“Well…”
All the dragon could do was let out a long suffering groan, before he tried to muster his best ‘lecturing’ tone- something born from all the times he had been on the receiving end of one.
“You have to stop this Twilight. I can let the odd all-nighter slide but I’m not convinced you have moved from that desk in two days”
Spike’s grievance with the unicorn was a legitimate one. She had planted herself in that spot two days ago in the hopes of categorizing her friendship reports in order of ‘how important the lesson was’ and, needless to say, trying to categories an abstract and all around relative thing like ‘friendship’ would have given her trouble even if she hadn't then gotten the idea it would mean playing favourites between her friends.
But, much to Spike’s annoyance, Instead of the guilty expression he was hoping for a bemused grin spread across Twilight's face, and what she said next only served to make his previous irritation return with gusto.
“I think you’re forgetting who the baby of the house is, my little assistant”
Unlike his own attempt, Twilight's little jab got the reaction she was aiming for and she donned a smug grin when her assistant gave a pout, one complete with a tiny speck of smoke that left his nostrils- something that she’d always thought was adorable’
“Hey I may be a baby dragon” Spike snapped back with ‘pure draconic fury’ “but I’m only six years younger than you, remember?” and his words were followed by another pout as he stamped one of his small clawed feet on the floor… making nothing but a soft thud was given for his trouble.
When she saw the reaction she wanted, Twilight's bemused grin twisted into a malevolent one as she couldn't help but push a little more “Aw is little Spiky getting all cranky, does baby needs his beddy-by? I promise not to disturb him again”.
Her ‘baby voice’ hit its mark and she had to hold back a giggle when he shot her a look of pure venom and hissed in a tone he hoped the unicorn couldn't hear then he pointed to a nearby mirror
“I’m not the one who looks like they need ‘beddy-by’” the dragon hissed again in the most condescending tone he could muster.
Twilights bloodshot eyes followed Spikes claw towards the mirror, and when they did it took a moment for the mare to recognize the pony staring back at her; not that she wanted too. Even when she blinked twice, the strange unicorn refused to remove itself from her reflection and her eyes moved back to the dragon that was now standing with his arms folded, his face still holding a look of pure venom.
“Point taken” she offered in a deadpanned tone “OK, ok, don’t get your scales in a bunch, Spike. As soon as I finish up I will go to sleep.”
“Oh no you don’t” the dragon shot back raising a claw, and before he finished the dragon began to walk around towards the table.
Twilight watched intently as the dragon stopped at the desk and began to rummage through the littered pile of scrolls.
“Spike what you are doing? I’d just started sorting those again” Twilight snorted, but the dragon continued his rummaging though he spoke without even looking up at her.
“Twilight, you remember what happened the last time you let yourself get worked up like this.” The dragon answered. It was more a statement then a question and it caused her hooves to wave dismissively while she shook her head.
Twilight’s eyes shot open as she realized where he was going with this. “Its fine Spike… I’m fine, see?” she stuttered while gesturing to herself with a hoof.
The gesture proved to be an impotent one, and Spike plucked a single scroll from the jumble, and as he did, Twilights face changed to hold a look of confusion as her assistant gave a shrug and threw the scroll over his shoulder before looking through a loose group of them that lay on the floor.
For just a moment, Twilights anxiety melted into an annoyed scowl “Spike!” she said in a scolding tone “what are you doing, and what have I told you about making a mess?”
Spike slowly pulled a quill and sheet of parchment from the assorted, and yet strangely organized, pile.
“First,” he quipped in a hardened tone “I’m the dragon who has to clean it up” then his tone softened “But I’m skipping ahead Twilight. I remember what happened last time you got like this so I’m going to give the princess a heads up in case you do something crazy.”
The dragons’ words made the unicorn’s ear twitch and Spike had only half a second to jump to the side as a purple blur leaped towards him.
He couldn't help but cringe as his ‘older sister’ bounced off the nearby bookshelf and straight into the wall behind him, but the collision didn't seem to slow her down at all seeing as she bounced back onto her hooves almost like her head was made of rubber.
As soon as she was on her hooves again, the mare turned back to her assistant with an almost desperate tone, and her plea to not send it would have been followed by another leap, but she stopped when she saw Spike rolling up the now finished scroll.
The dragon’s slit pupils locked with panicked ones but Instead of leaping at him again, the mare started to creep forwards with a posture like that of a prowling cat.
As she crept further towards him, Spike moved his feet slightly apart in a way that he hoped mimicked the way Rainbowdash did if she was about to confront some huge dragon. Again the irony wasn’t lost on him…, and as the purple mare approached, the dragon let the parchment sway slightly from left to right in an almost taunting manner.
Twilight’s eyes followed the scroll diligently as it swayed from left to right and she crept ever closer and she was just about to pounce Spike inhaled deeply and held the scroll in front of his mouth and the mare froze on the spot.
“Spike” she warned “just put the scroll down and everything will be ok”
Admittedly, her words might have actually worked if she hadn't raked them out of her throat... or been moving closer when she said it. But she did and instead of lowering the scroll even an inch, Spike inhaled once more and brought it closer to his mouth, his eyes silently daring Twilight to take another step.
“Spike, I promise, I’m fine… “Twilight asserted one last time. To emphasise her point she waved a hoof in front of herself again. The limb passed in front of a pair of bloodshot eyes, unkempt mane and strained, crooked grin. “See, fine”
The mouth of the dragon slowly closed, but the scroll didn’t move an inch from his face “That’s what you said last time Twilight” he said cautiously.
“Yes but this time I am ok” Twilight asserted again as she took another step forward.
Spike flinched and sucked in another deep, warning, breath.
“Spike,” Twilight warned in return with a harsher tone “the princess won’t thank you if you disturb her royal duties for no good reason.”
Spike scoffed “better than her being annoyed at me for letting you brainwash half the town again, Twilight”
“Spike I won’t ask again. Please. Give. Me. th….”
“No Twilight” Spike snapped suddenly, the force of it made Twilight flinch back “I know there’s something wrong with you, because you’ve forgotten that you could have just taken this” he paused to wave the scroll in front of Twilight’s face “with your magic after throwing me aside like a sack of…”
Spike didn't get to finish what he was saying. Instead the dragon was only able to let out a startled yelp as his limbs snapped rigidly to his sides, leaving him, and the parchment, to float stock still in the air. And when he tried to say something but also found that his teeth were stuck together, Spike did the only thing he could think to do and glared at the unicorn who smiled manically at the scroll suspended in front of her face.
A moment passed and a bloodshot eye twitched over to his, giving both of them meeting for a fraction of a second. But that fraction seemed to be more than enough as the smile Twilight held slowly fell away and Spike gave another yelp as the glow around him went away with a loud pop.
Letting out another grown Spike rubbed an aching spot on his tail before climbing back to his feet.
“Maybe you’re right Spike” he heard Twilight confess with a sigh, “… but first let me just take care of this!”
Spike looked back up to see that the creepy smile on Twilights face had grown all the way to her ears as she took hold off the scroll with her teeth and began to rip it up like a dog, leaving little shreds to float through the air before settling on the floor.
Spike just kept staring, and a moment later Twilight’s eyes flicked back to his. They stayed locked there for a second before they broke away and lingered on the scraps of paper that littered the floor.
“OK Spike, you win,” Twilight said with an embarrassed sigh “Just let me just help clean up this mess then I’ll go to bed”
“Its fine Twilight” Spike answered “I can handle it, you go to sleep”
Spike never was one to be humble in victory ‘not against Twilight anyway’ so when she gave a nod of agreement and started plodding her way towards the stairs he felt like he was on a roll so he couldn't help but slip one last comment in
“I don’t even know why you let yourself get worked up like this, Twilight. The princess already said you only have to write her a report about friendship when you learn something new”
Unfortunate, the feeling that he was on a roll all but fell away and a chill shot up his spines as Twilight stopped dead in her tracks and flicked her head around suddenly as her eyes filled with a pleading twinkle.
“But that’s just it Spike” she said in a tone that matched the pleading look she was giving him “if I leave it to long the princess might think I’m not looking hard enough and that I’m not worthy to be her student and…”
Spike’s claw met his face hard enough to loosen a couple scales “I’m not even going to bother Twilight” the claw left his brow and moved to point at the unicorn’s bed once more. “Please, just go sleep now you can freak out in the morning.”
As Twilight disappeared up the stairs, the warm feeling of victory returned to the dragon, and Spike couldn't help but let yet one more comment slip just before he snapped his claws over his mouth “You should be happy Twilight you only ever seem to learn a lesson about friendship when some big disaster is about to happen...or has already happened”
Spikes eyes snapped closed as he waited for Twilight to come barrelling down the stairs to offer a retort, but fortunately it seemed Spike had been blessed with his first bit of good luck that morning when no sound at all came from the hallway.
Maybe Twilight didn't hear him, or maybe she just ignored the comment, either way Spike didn’t really care. And, instead of pushing his luck any further, the dragon simply turned away and started walking toward his own bed while wearing a sly grin on his face.
Taking a final step towards the covers, he stopped to twirl a small roll of parchment in one of his claws, the same one Twilight thought she shredded’ and as he did his triumphant grin almost reaching his Spines.
He gave it one last triumphant twirl before it disappeared in a puff of green flame.
“And that’s why they call us the wisest of all creatures.”
…
(Chapter 7)
Back within the cold gloom of a shallow cave, Zuko leant towards the edge of a small, flickering fire pit. The dying flames offered a welcome touch of warmth that stretched over his face like a blanket and served as a much needed shield against the damp cold that bit at the back of his neck as tired eyes continued to bore down at the Air-benders tome nesting awkwardly in his lap.
At first, the weight of the journal had offered Zuko an odd sense of comfort, but as the night droned on and one hour had bled into another the hope of finding even the single glimpse of a clue within its pages had begun to fade and die. Now that hope was no brighter than the last of the embers that lingered in the fire pit, and his tired eyes only offered him a final dull sting as the cold gloom of the cave was slowly peeled away by the mornings light.
Letting out a tired sigh, Zuko brought a hand from the book and towards his face, hoping he could at least rub the ache away from the weary orbs, but the limb didn't even make it past his nose before it quickly snapped back down again as a sudden gust of wind seemed to take hold of the tome and threatened to rip it from his lap like the clawed hand of an angry specter.
With a soft, fading moan, the winds icy fingers seemed to fall away from the tomes old, dry pages and began to snake their way further into the cave. Tired eyes couldn’t help but follow a group of dimly glowing embers as they were carried into the air by its icy grasp and were left to float and dance within the caves lingering gloom.
One of the embers gave a final, defiant twirl as it slowly began drifting its way back to the floor… and when it wandered into a glassy stare and touched the surface of a milky white eye, Zuko felt a cold shudder rise within him as Toph let out a shudder snore and rubbed lazily at the offending spec.
Peeling his attention away, Zuko settled his own eyes back down and began glaring at the old dry parchment, hoping he could at least glean a few words though the layer of dirt that stained the lettering. Unfortunately though, the action only confirmed that nothing more than a handful of them were at all legible, and Zuko brought the books covers together again with a tired sigh.
For a moment he just let his gaze rest on the tomes cover and ran a finger over the cracked, dry animal hide as idle thought made him wonder why an Air nomad would own such a thing. But then that moment passed and he pulled back the cover again, though this time it was the rear one.
He didn’t know if it was a product of his tired mind, or just blind hope, but he figured that if the diary was in that room in the first place then the writer had to have made it back at some point, and if he had any amount of luck at all then she would have written about how she did it. Sadly though, that hopeful thought had soon withered along with the rest, and after flipping back the twenty fourth page, Zuko was all but ready to throw the thing in the fire pit.
A hand pulled back, and just as he was about to shoot forward, Zuko felt something brush against the back of his collar. In the moment his tired mind brought about images of an intruder and his eyes snapped around after them, but when he did the aching orbs found only the same empty gloom as before.
Slowly, annoyance gave way to curiosity and Zuko let his eyes wander around the cave. They reached out from one cave wall to the other before something in Zuko’s his mind twigged and he lowered them to the floor, and as soon as he did all the anger they held seemed to all but fade away.
Lying on the ground just behind him was a loosely folded piece of parchment… and when his hand reached out and opened it the anger that was once in his eyes gave way to a soft twinkle.
It was a map… admittedly It was crude to the point of appearing like it was drawn by someone with a broken hand, but Zuko couldn’t help but almost feel his lips curl back into a faint smile. The page it sat on seemed to be barely marred at all by dust, and despite its obvious crudeness, it looked like it had been touched up periodically, and each time with an ever more steady hand as details were added layer after layer while several other parts were scratched out.
Instantly, Zuko felt his eyes drawn to the most detailed part of the illustration, and when he did he couldn’t help but let his cracked lips curl back into the ghost of a weak smile. The words, ‘way home’ were scratched above a small X and desperate the small part of him that tried to crush the new embers of hope, the crude little drawing gave Zuko one thing at least, another addition to his list of short term goals.
When he was traveling on his own, Zuko had learned a phrase that had served him very well. That phrase was ‘you can last three minutes without air, three days without water, and three weeks without food, and a wise man never reaches out for one so far that they lose their grasp on the others.’
Based on this, Zuko’s current lists of goals were- one, find water. Two, find food, and now, thanks to this little scratching, find a map that he can compare to the one in this book…
With a cautious hand, Zuko pulled a loose piece of parchment free of the leather bag, folded it, and placed it over the page that held the map. It wasn't much, but it was a path to follow at least, and as he stared into the caves last lingering patch of darkness he was already thinking about something that just mightn’t fulfil all of those goals.
At one point in the night, the weight of Zuko’s eyelids had pushed him out into the cold night air, hoping the cold would lighten them even if it was a little bit. And while that hope proved to be a hollow one, a small collection of lights, dotting across the desert sands, had almost made him smile when he first saw them, because, like a light in the darkness, they offered the promise of something to follow.
There was a town down there, and the sooner he found it the sooner he would find out where he was and the sooner he could get back.
Rising to his feet and with a sudden lightness to his heels, Zuko began walking towards the mouth of the cave. But just as his shoe met the dirt in its third step the cave’s gloom rang with a deep snore. The sound of it made him freeze and, with a sudden twitch, his eyes flicked around to meet a familiar glassy stare that reached out to him from a pair of milky white eyes.
With a tired sigh, Zuko let himself fall back against the cave wall as another snore filled the cave. For a second he’d almost forgot the Earth-bender was even there, and with another tired sigh he let his eyes drift back into the last lingering patch of darkness that clung to the caves deepest wall.
If he was being completely honest, Zuko would have to admit that, in that moment at least, the thought of waking her with a sharp ‘tap’ in the ribs had crossed his mind, but in the end he decided against it- if only for the difference of what he would call a tap, and the ‘tap’ she would probably give in return.
So, after resigning himself to wait, Zuko let his mind wander as the dank cold began to seep back into his eyes. Just like the night before, the loose moss which littered the cave wall seemed to take on shapes and forms as they were sculpted by his tired mind. And despite how random the images always seemed to start as, once again Zuko found himself looking at an image he couldn’t bare think about for long; Aang standing in front of the Firelord… his father.
Letting out a sigh Zuko lowered his eyes away from the cave wall. Honestly, in more than one of his quietist moments since joining Aang he’s wondered if it was the right thing to do. Every time he thought about it, he couldn’t help but scoff at the eerie familiarity of it all and worse, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of worry whenever he pictured what would happen when that kid stands in front of his father… just like he had and more than once he couldn’t help but let out a silent scoff at the bitter irony of it all.
The final, driving thing that steered him into to joining the avatar and his group was the memory of his father forcing him, a thirteen year old child, to fight a fire duel, and how he’d coldly defended the action when he’d been questioned on it…. Yet, Zuko had to wonder if that wasn’t exactly what the world, and him by extension, were expecting Aang too do.
Ever since the day he was banished the look in his father’s face was forever burned into Zuko’s left eye, and every time the thought crossed his mind, he couldn’t help but picture Aang having a similar moment’s hesitation, one brought on by all that ‘goodie, goodie propaganda’ the monks force-fed him… and a moment is all it would take….
Zuko let out another sigh as a hand found itself rubbing at a different ache that dwelled behind his eyes. In that moment the cold morning wind seemed to carry Ozi’s voice as the memory of the ellipse passed through his mind yet again. The tone it held as he decried the fact his own son wasn’t going to kill him, himself…
Despite the fact it was always unwelcome, the thought always made Zuko utter something with an airless, silent murmur…‘He almost sounded disappointed…’ And In the quiet and the gloom Zuko couldn’t help but wonder if he made the right choice on the day of the eclipse or if should have finished the Firelord off himself and been done with it….
It seemed so simple to him back then, and the same thought process that had been going through his mind as he walked away passed through his mind again. Taking down his father would have only opened up a power vacuum that would rip the fire nation apart as every possible heir to the throne fought among themselves… or allow his sister to just swoop in and snatch the throne for herself… he honestly didn't know which would be worse.
But now that he thought about it from the other side, Zuko couldn’t help but wonder if that would have been the better option than praying that some twelve year old kid had it in him to do what he had the chance to do so easily but didn’t. Just like a coward would. … Just like what his father accused him of being.
Zuko let his hand fall away as he pushed the thoughts away. In the end, no matter what happened he at least had to try, even if it was only so he could throw himself at his uncle’s feet and beg for his forgiveness. And that thought alone was enough to make him stand up and gather the book and scrolls back into the bag.
Giving a quick glance over his shoulder at Toph, Zuko began wondering what best way he could wake the girl up. The same thought of a gentle tap crossed his mind again, and was quickly pushed aside for the same reason as before.
Instead, Zuko did the next best thing that he could think of… and he picked up a handful of pebbles and began flicking them at the earthbender one by one.
The first two pebbles didn't do anything but bring out a deeper snort from the girl, and the third bounced of her shoulder and caused a hand to flick into the air lazily before it lowered itself to scratch her stomach in a rather undignified way.
Zuko’s face soured at the sight and his hand flicked around suddenly, the remaining pebbles were flung into the air all at once and the whole lot of them found their mark and bounced off the girls head and he flinched back as a hand twitched up towards her nose and instead found a glassy grey eye.
Toph let out a hiss as she jolted up into a wilted sitting position. “Sokka?” she hissed again, half-heartedly as she continued to rub at her face.
Zuko didn’t offer answer; instead he turned away and moved towards the pile of effects he’d stacked along the cave wall.
“Zuko?” Toph called to him as she lowered herself back on her side. “Urgh, what time is it?”
“Suns just come up” Zuko answered, matter of fact “and we have to get moving”
Zuko reached out to where his swords leaned up against the cave wall and placed them within in the leather bag so the handles were left just sticking out the end. With that done he turned on a heel and began walking towards the sunlight.
As he passed Toph let out a tired murmur as she pushed herself back into a wilted sitting position, “Yea, Yea, fire lord, I got you…” she muttered again.
“No…” was all Zuko said in the same cold matter of fact. And he let the word hang in the air.
“Oh?” Toph answered with a surprised voice, then her expression sank as something seemed to click “Oh…so, the thing with the fountain really happened?”
Zuko could help but notice that was more of a statement then a question, so he replied with a simple and solemn “Yes…But there is some good news.” He continued with a slightly lighter tone “I was looking outside last night and I think there’s a town out there somewhere.”
“Is that it?” Toph asked with a hard, but almost fragile voce.
“No” Zuko continued, “I think I’m on to something. I just need to find a map and we can get out of here.”
“Yea” Toph replied with a weak scoff, which then turned into a weak laugh “and it will be as simple as walking down there to find it invaded by flying shrimp.”
Zuko went quiet as the words seemed to strike a nerve, but what Toph thought was his reaction to something he didn’t understand was in fact brought on by a memory. A memory of what the air bender had wrote.
“Sorry,” Toph interrupted obliviously, “I just thought I should say something Sokka would say”
Zuko slowly raised his only eyebrow and he couldn't help but ask the question- even if he didn't really care about the answer. “That’s something Sokka would say?”
Toph let out another weak laugh, “Actually, he said ‘killer shrimp’. When we got into Ba-Sing-Se he said that it was too easy. To be fair he was kind of right. But, you know, there were no shrimp. Just brainwashing, evil Earthbenders… and your sister…”
“Yea, well,” Zuko replied without thinking “whatever is in that town can’t be worse than that, right?”
For his inattention, or his attempt at humour, Zuko suddenly found himself rubbing a new sore spot on his arm as Toph let out a snort.
“You just had to say that didn't you?”
…
A few moments later, Toph and Zuko stepped the suns light, only to step back again when a sharp and bitter wind seemed to cut down into to their bones. And a moment seemed to pass before they let out a tired hiss and both stepped out, with gritted teeth, back into the sunlight.
As she left the cave Toph felt a sudden, and odd, urge to scrunch her blind eyes closed as a warm glow met her face, but the action was something that went unknown to Zuko as he continued outwards into the sun before he stopped at a sharp drop just at the mountains face to glare at the valley below.
After a moment, Zuko dragged his eyes up and over the horizon, stopping at a faint speck on the distance “Towns that way I think…” he said with a distant tone.
“You think?” ‘Toph asked bitterly.
“Fine…”Zuko scoffed “The town’s that way” he repeated with a pointed finger before he paused and looked back down into the valley “But the first problem is, how we are going to get down?”
Toph let a moment pass before she let out an amused huff of air and knocked Zuko to the side. Lifting her hands above her head she slammed them down to her sides while her knees bent halfway. When she did the ground below let out a loud groan as the side of the mountain crumbled away into the head of a long, snaking, staircase.
Toph wore a sly smile as she turned around and crossed her arms mockingly, silently waiting for a sarcastic remark. None came; instead Zuko simply walked passed her and the sound of his feet hitting the stone steps almost spoke to her as loudly as the silence.
The others really weren't there, she wasn't ignoring it until now, in truth she didn’t have too because up until this moment it just didn’t seem real to her and when that fact finally sank in Zuko noticed that Toph had started walking with a hand over her eyes, though he merely thought the wind was getting in them….
Silence seemed to hang over them as they made their way down the steps and when they finally reached the bottom of the mountain the coarse sand they found got different reactions from Toph and Zuko.
While Zuko was almost enjoying the loss of the wind and added glare of the sun, Toph could only trudge on as memories of the first time she was lost in a desert drifted through her mind-none of them pleasant ones. Worse still was the fact she didn't even have the others with her this time.
Zuko meanwhile wasn't ignorant to his partners change of demeanour; in fact a part of his mind kept chastising him for not saying anything to help, but really what could he say? And if there was something he could offer as comfort, it was doing a damn good job eluding him.
Their silent trudge continued, and the almost deathly weight of it left them with only their own thoughts for company, but, as if to provide the final touch to their misery, just as they reached the crest of one of the barren dunes Zuko spotted something he was dreading, the glint of waves and sound of water…
‘The river’ he thought
Taking a long moment to look out across the much larger expanse of water, Zuko couldn’t help but wonder just how he was going to get across. Then he had an idea; well it was a hope more than anything and he put a foot onto the water… and ended up knee deep in the river.
‘So much for that…’ he thought bitterly.
After pulling his foot back onto the sand, Zuko let out a sigh as he shook off the icy damp that soaked down to his bone. After let out another sigh he took a quick glance back over his shoulder at Toph.
The Earthbender was sat at the water’s edge, her knees were up against her chest as her head leant into her arms.
For a long moment Zuko fought with himself to say something, but in the end “We've got to cross.” was all he could manage.
As he tried to ponder her reaction, or lack there off in this case, Zuko couldn't help but ponder something. Was Toph’s seemingly complete lack of body language because she was born blind, or was it because she is just that kind of person? If she really could ‘see’ with earthbending did she just chose not to use body language herself, or did he just not know what she meant by ‘see’?
For a brief second, he wondered if it would be like him trying to explain to her what colour was… but after that second passed that question moved aside in wake of another one….If Toph was born blind then how and why does she do that sly smile? And how did she even know to smile at all?
After a short while Zuko’s mind began to wander again, this time though he couldn’t help but wonder what would be different if he’d been stuck with one of the others… and when he did his thoughts slowly grew more and more bitter…
As Zuko glared out over the water, he didn’t notice as Toph moved from her seat and stood silently at the water’s edge… at least until a small earthquake knocked him onto the sand.
With a barked yell, Zuko’s head shot around in time to see Toph lift her foot off the sand before it came down again. Where it struck a wave of sand began to roll forward like a wave before solidifying across the service like a bridge which Toph stepped onto without a word.
With a silent scowl Zuko rose to his feet and began towards the land bridge, and after a few moments they both seemed to settle into a silent rhythm where they would take a few steps and pause as Toph made the bridge stretch out a little further with a stomp of her foot.
When they finally reached the other side, Zuko heard a faint sigh come from Toph, and he paused for a second to watch as she curled her toes in the new stretch of dry cracked dirt and let out a contented sigh as she did.
With a shake of his head Zuko took a glance back at the bridge, just in time to see it be worn away by the rivers current and the sight couldn’t help but make him blink.
...
…
(Chapter 8)
It was a new morning in ponyville, and just like every other morning before it, the glowing warmth of Celestia’s morning light washed over the very tips of its buildings and made each one gleam like a candle as Luna’s night gradually made way for the start of a brand new day.
Slowly, the town began to bloom under its light like the petals of a flower, and the market soon filled with the cheerful banter of ponies as each one stopped at their doorways to give a quick stretch and bask in the warm glow before they stepped out into the crisp morning air.
Like always, the morning hours slowly wound away with a leisurely ease, and each building began to stir until only one was left draped in the same stillness it held the night before.
Ever pony that passed the plate-like windows held within the bark of a tall tree passed by a set of closed, golden curtains and this remained so even as Celestia’s sun began to near its highest point in the sky. But, soon the sun rose high enough to find a crack in those curtains and its light began to seep into the stillness within it.
Still held within the warmth of her cosy bed, a small, purple unicorn began to stir weakly as a single stream of golden light washed over her face. She stirred again as a strange, shrill whine filled her ear and made it twitch, but the disturbance was soon washed away by her dreams as she tried to savour what felt like the best night sleep in a long, long time.
Suddenly a sharp pain shot through her forehead and ripped through whatever veil sleep still held over her, and Twilight’s deep purple eyes shot open- only to be snapped shut again when they met the stream of sunlight.
With a grown, aching hoofs moved to shield her eyes…but strangely their owner found a sharper ache rush through them as they pushed against something and fell back limply against the mattress.
She tried again, but her effort met the same resistance and a twinge of tired frustration causing her eyes to snap open, and this time she grit her teeth while they adjust to the light.
The second the orbs stopped burning as if they were filled with glass, Twilight shifted her eyes and let them scan for anything strange, but all she found was a the long woollen blanket laid over her.
She tried to move her hooves again and the limbs filled with another shooting ache as they strained under the sheets, but still the cloth refused to give way, and when she grew tired of struggling within in her mock straightjacket, Twilight let out a sharp groan and began to reach for her magic.
The magic began to flow through her horn but her concentration was ripped from her as another sharp pain shot through it… And just as she was about to lose her composure a voice filled her ears.
“Ah Twilight, you’re awake…” it said with a strange, almost reserved cheeriness.
Twilight cringed under the sound of the voice, it was distorted by her weariness but it still held a painful familiarity, and, after snapping her head to look off to the side, Twilight found a wide grin stretched across the face of her dragon assistant who was standing just off to the side of her bed.
With a sigh Twilight let her building frustration fade away, “Hello Spike.” She greeted evenly before her eyes slowly narrowed at the little dragon “Did you just flick my horn?”
“Maybe…”was all Spike offered as a sheepish reply, one he seemed to try covering up as he quickly pointed across the bed “Breakfast is on the table, it’s your favourite, pancakes.”
“Oh thank you” Twilight said with a warm smile and she tried to get up again, only to remember a particular annoyance and the lingering twinge in her horn didn’t feel like it was going away anytime soon. So, swallowing her pride she let out a sigh and readied herself to ask her assistant for assistance, but when she looked up at him with a shy, gaze Twilight found an almost proud look on his face, a look the unicorn had seen more than once before.
“Spike…” Twilight asked in a slow, warning tone “what have you done?”
At her question, Spike seemed to give a slight flinch, one he tried and failed to cover up, and Twilight was just about to speak again when the dragon let out a very slow and weak murmur.
“What was that?” Twilight repeated with a scolding tone
“I might’ve… sewed your blanket to the mattress…”Spike admitted with another weak mutter, all the while becoming very interested in his toes. But to the dragon’s surprise, his answer didn’t get any real reaction from Twilight, apart from a slow nod.
“Oh you did? Well that’s good to know… Did anything in particular possess you to do that?” Twilight asked with a type of eerie calm that made the dragon flinch again.
“Err”’ he murmured in a way that seemed to be stalling for time “The… Tea you got from Zacora…”
“What about it?” Twilight asked as she couldn’t help but notice a single bead of sweat run down the purple scales on Spikes neck.
“Didn't you listen to what Zecora said? It can cause sleep walking- and last night I found you trying to dissect your own raincoat…. Plus you were kind of muttering about dragon heart string and I got kind of nervous, so…here you are…”
As soon as he’d finished speaking, Spike seemed to shrink under Twilights calculating gaze, but, strangely, the flinch wasn’t born out of the discomfort that comes with telling an obvious lie. The really interesting part about the dragons story was only the bit about the Tea itself was actually a lie, and even though Twilight didn’t know this, the dragon couldn’t help but mentally pat himself on the back for having the forethought to ask Zecora if the sleeping powder he got from her had any side effects, as well as chastise himself for not sewing Twilight in her bed straight away… Honestly that would have honestly saved him a lot of hassle- and a trip down to the market later for a new jar of mustard, but the less said about that the better.
Twilight glared at her assistant as she tried to find any tells that he was lying, but little did she know that hours of faking interest in his sisters rambling had given Spike a poker face that could rival princess Celestia’s, and, when she found no other emotion on his face but embarrassment, she just gave a nod with one final warning.
“I’ll be sure to check that with her later.”
“Ok Twilight, do you want your pancakes now?” Spike asked as his voice regained it’s usually cheer, and Twilight couldn't help but smile as she looked over to the pile of food which sat waiting for her on the desk.
She stared at them longingly for another second before the smile fell from her face and she looked back towards her assistant,
“You want to let me up?” she asked with a mirthful jab
Spike offered a smile and a quick nod before jumping off the bed. Several twangs followed and the blanket began to slacken.
With a sigh of relief Twilight sat up and began to stretch the aches from her forelimbs- all the while silently noting that, in a strange way, if it wasn’t for the ache she would have thought it comfortable in an odd way.
Turning back around, Twilight found her assistant standing there with the pancakes in his claws and as she began to eat, the unicorn couldn’t help but feel her announce be washed away by the savoury sweet taste of the pancakes.
“You better not have ruined my bed Spike” she warned with a mouth still half full “How do you know how to sew anyway?”
Spike merely shrugged at the question “With all the time I spend around Rarity I was bound to pick something up”
“Right of course.”
With that said Twilight went back to her breakfast. Normally she might have given it more thought but... they were really good pancakes.
As Twilight was enjoying her food, Spike decided this would be as good a time as any to say what he needed to and he jumped off from the bed, “Oh Twilight, I almost forgot” he chirped as he walked over to his basket and Twilight’s eyes followed the young dragon as he grabbed a scroll and got back onto the bed.
“The reason I woke you up is because you got this”
With a flicker of magic the letter opened and was held in front of her eyes… before giving way for another piece of pancake. And while Twilight's eyes were fixed on the parchment, Spike lazily began to pick at a piece of thread trapped under his claws.
He worked on it for a few seconds before his patience gave way and he opted to simply chew the thread out, but when he opened his mouth he suddenly found a taste of pancakes and a twinge of pain in his snout and when his mind caught up with him he realized he was now laying on his back with a mouthful of mostly uneaten pancakes.
Letting out a pained groan, Spike clawed away the plate which was lying over his face, and when he did the dragon righted himself and was just about to say something when he found himself under a pair of all too familiar purple eyes that were, once again, lit by the same manic edge.
“What?” he asked dumbly “I didn't even sneeze on them once this time…”
His ignorance only seemed to make Twilight's stare intensify.
“What were you thinking?” the mare snapped and the sudden shout broke Spikes curious thought of how much sharper Twilight's teeth seemed to be than usual.
“So the pancakes aren't the problem?” Spike murmured as he moved his claws over his eyes to shield them from any more spit.
For just a moment the sharpness left Twilight's eyes and her voice gained a softer hum as she murmured “Actually you outdid yourself on those…” but he didn't have time to smile at the compliment because the edge was soon back “But why didn't you tell me about the letter from the princess!?”
“Err…I just did?” Spike offered dumbly as he began to back away, in that second he could swear Twilight growled at him.
“Ok then, let me rephrase that question. Why are you only telling me now after making breakfast, when the princess will be in Ponyville in just an hour to see me and my friends about something important?”
Ok that was a growl. “Because…” Spike offered quickly “you hadn’t slept in two days and when I finally… persuaded you to sleep you started sleep walking. I remember you telling me about sleepwalking once… About how you aren't supposed to wake them so I had to wait for you to stop before I could wake you… Err you know, because of the tea?”
Twilight looked like she was about the growl again, but instead she paused. She did remember telling him that and the fact her assistant remembered something she taught him almost made her annoyance melt away, almost.
Spike realized he still hadn't made the sale and was quick to continue “Don’t worry about it Twilight, I gave the others a heads up already, they should be here in about half an hour and then it’s another half an hour until the princess gets here. You still have plenty of time.” And not so quietly he added “And you have no idea how hard it is to find Pinkie pie when you actually need her for something.”
That seemed to do the trick, and when her mood simmered down Twilight couldn't help but look at the ruined pancakes with a mournful expression. This expression shifted back to Spike and she held it on her assistant for a moment.
Spike seemed to pick up on the meaning behind the look, and decided on a little payback and summoned a voice as sweet as he could muster “Sorry Twilight, no time for that now you have to get yourself ready, remember?”
From the next face Twilight pulled, Spike concluded that the mare caught onto his tone. And that suspicion was confirmed when Twilight looked up at him and said “How about a hay sandwich and I won’t tell Rarity about you misusing a needle and thread” so, after a moment of thought, he just gave a half smile that seemed to say ‘Deal’
…
One hay sandwich and one frantic morning routine later, Twilight found herself pacing near the library door, anxiously waiting for her friends.
As she passed back and forth Spikes eyes followed her short path, all the while periodically flashing back to a piece of parchment in his claws.
“So, one more time please, Spike” Twilight said as she passed the dragon one more time.
“Making the beds?”
“Check”
“Food cleared and dishes done?”
“Check”
“Table washed down?”
Spike just rolled his eyes “You did that, so, check”
“Books cleared?”
“Again you, so check”
Twilights tone grew a little meeker “Mess in the library cleared up?”
“Check, now all we have to do is waiting for the others to get here…” Spike finished and turned his eyes up from the parchment and over to the doorway.
About twelve seconds passed and Spike began tapping his foot on the porch step “Any time now…” he murmured and a few more seconds passed and he began jutting a claw up towards the porch. “And now… now… Oh come on what’s keeping them?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow at the dragon. “What?” she chimed in with an amused smile “you expect them to arrive on cue or something?”
Spike scowled up at her before throwing his hands up in the air “Fine, but I’ve done my bit so I’m going back to bed.”
Twilight gave a thankful nod to the passing dragon and continued to pace for a few minutes after he’d left. After a few more minutes passed, she went back into the library herself and reached out for a small kettle with her magic.
Just as the metal bottom of the kettle left the counter, three loud thuds from the door nearly made her lose her grip on the handle, and she was just about to yell over her shoulder when she remembered her assistant announce that he was going to bed.
Setting the kettle down, Twilight turned towards the door, but a half-hearted “on it” interrupted her and she caught the site of a scaled tale plodding towards the door.
When the door opened, Twilight found of tired magenta eyes flicked down to bore into the dragon before their owner pushed their way into the library.
“So, short scales, care to tell me why Pinkie was jumping on my bed while shouting about some big meeting Spike said everyone has to go to? What’s so important to make me get up so early?”
Spike seemed to murmur something under his breath about it being almost noon before he placed the Princesses letter on the end rainbow dashes muzzle and blew a huff of smoke in her face before simply turning on his heel and walking away, and Twilight chose that moment to enter the library just in time to see rainbow standing there, the scroll still perched atop her nose and a thin layer of soot slightly obscuring a vacantly surprised expression.
“Oh hello rainbow dash” Twilight greeted obliviously, before she noticed the letter still sitting on the end of her nose and with a flicker of purple light she brought it into the air and gestured for rainbow dash to follow her into the library.
“What’s with Spike?” Rainbow asked.
Twilight’s eyes shifted to the dragon, just as he passed through the doorway, and she turned back to her friend with a slight smirk “Oh, his night sleep was interrupted… more than once actually and he IS a dragon after all…”
“So I’m not the only one?” Rainbow mumbled quietly.
“No, Rainbow” Twilight replied “Spike sent for all six of us to be here… didn’t he tell you that?”
That caught Rainbows attention and even if it was for only a brief moment her face softened and Twilight took the change of expression as her cue.
“The princess will be in ponyville in about half an hour” Twilight said matter of fact and not a second after saying it the mare could already see the questions seeding themselves in her friends mind- plus the fact her normally outspoken friend was just looking at her meant something was stirring.
“No, Rainbow,” Twilight said, deciding to answer one of them before it was asked “I don’t know why she’s coming. But she wouldn't send a red lined message if it was just a casual visit…” Honestly, Twilight thought her reply was a little sharper than it could have been, but that was done purposefully in the hopes of catching the burst of questions she expected to come flooding out of her friends mouth. But, unfortunately, she found her attempt only seemed to add another spade full of earth to the hole she’d dug herself into and she realized her mistake a second too late.
Twilight just folded her ears to her head, which proved to be the right choice in the end as the promised verbal assault started. And while she couldn't hear what Rainbow dash was saying, the fact she could ‘feel’ the words on her face was enough reason for her to praise that decision.
Seeing that she had a little time to waste, the purple mare let her friend ramble and she found she only had to close her eyes twice to protect them from the mare spraying her words ‘a much lower number than usual’ Twilight noted. Rainbow dash must have taken past criticism to heart.
The thought left her mind just as her friend finished her ramblings and she found her staring at her with the same expectant expression as before.
“Sorry Rainbow Dash, I still don’t know why she is coming, but she said she could only talk about it with the six of us so it must be very important.”
For a moment Twilight worried that she’d only added more hay to the fire but the expression on Rainbow Dash’s face didn’t change, much to Twilight’s gratitude.
She was just about to ask her friend to grab something from the kitchen when Twilight’s words were cut off by a blast of wind left by Rainbow dash suddenly speeding off.
It took Twilight about five seconds to conclude what Rainbow was doing; those five seconds spent staring at the empty the Pegasus had left behind, and she almost allowed herself a slight smile as she backed herself into the library.
Making her way back towards the kettle, Twilight grabbed a cloth packet of herbal tea; one that was ‘a great cure for headaches’ according to the zebra she got it from, and something told her she will need it.’
As the dried tea leaves fell into the water, Twilight's attention was pulled away from the kettle and towards doorway, where her dragon assistant now stood, and when she saw the look on his face she couldn't help herself but say something…
“I thought you were going to bed, Spike?”
The glare the dragon offered almost made Twilight take a step back, and the dragon let out another huff of smoke as he turned away “Do you honestly think I’m going to get any sleep at all today?”
The fact the question was all but spat at her made Twilight blink; in fact there was a time doing something like that would have earned him a talking too, but in-between that time and now she had learned a dragon will always be at least a little grumpy when they are tired. It was just a simple matter of biology.
So, based on this little fact, all Twilight said in reply was a simple, if not still sympathetic “no” and she went back to the kettle as she continued to talk “The other girls will be here in a few minutes; that is if I’m right about why Rainbow Dash flew off. I think I better clear my schedule while I have the chance. What day is it today?”
“Tuesday…” was the dragons reply and Twilight couldn't help but shake her head as she poured herself a cup of herbal tea.
“Of course it had to be a Tuesday…”
(Chapter 9)
Toph let out a sigh, and kicked at one of the loose stones that sat within the cracked ground at her feet. Almost five hours had passed since Zuko started their little trek, and by the time the second hour had rolled by any hope she’d held of finding the town had dissolved into a fleeting one. Now, the only real thing that drove her forward was the simple fact that Zuko kept going forward, and all she could do was blindly follow whatever fleeting hope he still held.
Stopping for a second, she let out a hiss like breath through her nose and kicked at another loose stone. A heavy silence hung in the air, and while it was first started by Zuko’s cautious insistence, after the fourth hour had rolled around that small seed had grown into a vast, choking canopy that all but threatened to smother them both. She’d considered simply breaking it, but most of the time had been spent of thinking of something she could say. At first she wanted to ask how long Zuko planned to drag her through this stupid desert, but there was something that stop the comment from coming out.
The longer she followed him the more Toph noticed that something seemed off about Zuko. Every step he took was sudden and seemed to carry an odd tension too it, like the strain she could sense in metal just before it snapped, and honestly she didn’t want to risk it being herself that causes the boy to snap… after all, if he did and she had to knock him all the way back to the fire nation then he wouldn’t be able to lead her back there…
With a final kick at a loose stone, Toph set off again, and was left with only her own thought to keep her occupied. She took another few steps and each one brought the same, grating sound of parched soil being ground up between her toes. At first the fact her feet had found something other than loose sand on the other side of the river had given Toph a slight, but much needed, reprieve, but, as time wore on she found that she had only exchanged one annoyance for another.
Toph let out another breath and began to shift her toes as the biting wind moving across the tops of her feet. That annoyance had already cost the girl her fire nation shoes, but even if the action proved to serve no purpose than to add yet one more annoyance to grate at her nerves, it had at least given Zuko a moment’s pause as a sudden cry of rage had torn him from his own thoughts and he turned around just in time to see a pair of shoes take to the air and fly off into places unknown.
But footwear aside, Toph had long since regained a certain appreciation for her fire nation disguise. Apart from the loose whisper that still hung around her feet, the bitter winds didn’t follow them down the mountainside, only the blistering sunshine had and the thought of how much more she could be suffering if she’d been stuck out here while wearing her usual clothes was almost enough to make her thankful for the… ‘Mishap’ that had forced her to change in the first place- well at least when compared to how much more she would be cursing the idleness that drove her to grab for the older clothes in the first place.
But, in the end, any grievances the elements offered Toph paled in comparison to what her own mind was doing to torment her, and after five hours, even on her numbing nerves it was starting taking its toll.
Questions of what her friends where doing swirled in the girls head, or more specifically, what the fire-lord could be doing to them- and as the myriad of unwanted thoughts bounced of every side of her skull, Toph couldn’t stop one nagging thought from returning to her mind.
The Fire-lord’s son was walking not too far in front of her, and between the heat of the sun and her own frustrations her mind couldn’t help but keep returning to that point.
In her more childish moments, she even wondered if he could have gotten them stuck out here on purpose, and as she’d wandered down the line of thought, she even wondered if Zuko actually had something to do with Aang’s disappearance, and he was going to pick off the rest of them, one by one, starting with her.
Honestly, a simple glance at Zuko’s face would have quelled these thoughts in Toph’s mind. But her lack of sight robbed her of the chance to look at the scar on his face, and what that scar meant, so the errant thoughts had festered in her mind for a long while.
In the end though, these thoughts didn’t really lead to much, they almost served to cushion the girl from the one thought that plagued her the most, the one thought she wouldn’t even think about not thinking about- that this whole mess was probably her fault. Just the possibility of that alone made a boulder drop in her stomach and every step only made it grind painfully against her ribs.
Meanwhile, Zuko was safe from such thoughts- In fact, not one thought of home had passed through his mind for the better part of an hour… Not to say that it really had a chance to because something else was stealing his attention away.
About half way through their trek, Zuko had used his firebending to scare away some small lizard like thing from his path, and ever since then Zuko had become more than aware of a strange feeling, like a pressure, in the very back of his mind.
At first, Zuko had thought it was a symptom of the dire situation he found himself in- but that thought had died when he’d passed under a stretch of shade given by the overhanging branch of a cactus. Now he knew the cause of that feeling, and knowing it only seemed to make it worse.
The sun felt wrong, and every moment he spent in its light made that thought repeat in his head.
Being a firebender grants a person a natural connection with the sun, and simply being within its glow empowers them. But the glow he was now under almost felt alien to Zuko and Instead of the constant warmth that would wash through him as he was used to, this one was directional, focused, if not somewhat weaker as a whole. It was like the difference between being submerged in warm water and having drops of boiling water fall on you one at a time.
But, really, the strangest part was how it seemed to affect his firebending itself. Instead of being a steady glow that he could feel rise and fall in his chest, now he found it flickering wildly like a candle that was caught in the wind, brightening and dimming with an almost random air.
At first he’d thought it was simply that being dragged out here had made his old anger return…but, that thought that had been quelled when he left the suns light for the shade and he found the strange feeling had died almost instantly and had brought him back to that same thought... The sun just felt wrong.
After a while, and with a lot of concentration, he’d managed to suppress the unwanted burning by focusing on the glow he received from ‘the masters’, but the whole experience couldn’t help yet one more lingering unease taking root in his mind that served as one more thing to weigh it down…
Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko gave a quick glance back to the girl that trailed just a few paces behind him. The more the previous night had worn on the more he couldn’t help but see her face whenever he wanted to picture anything he could blame for whole mess. He was sure that kept those thought to himself though, but at the same time, for all Zuko knew, Sokka wasn’t lying the time he said the girl’s earthbending was so good she could read minds.
With a shake of his head, Zuko pushed that train of thought away and brought his eyes back up to the horizon. He panned them slowly to his right and stopped at the protruding form of a dead tree.
‘Ok,’ he thought with a determined air ‘now, all we have to do is go to the top of that ridge and follow it down there… or was it that ride over there?
Zuko slapped a hand over his face and let out a tired hiss. But, fortunately for the both of them, just as he began walking towards the tree he’d frankly picked at random, he found himself stumbling across a much needed lifeline… Meaning, he found himself spitting out a mouth full of dirt.
With a silent curse, and after regaining his footing, Zuko turned to glare at what it was he tripped over. Lying on the dirt was a thick bar of metal. It held a dark grey colour and had a twin running parallel to itself with a small space in-between that held short planks of wood which were laying perpendicular under the bars and created a steady pattern that stretched out further then he could see.
With a snarl, Zuko pulled back his foot and it collided against the closest bar a deep clang… followed then by a low cringe of pain.
Zuko pulled back his foot again with a deeper snarl, when the sound of Toph’s voice cut in behind him.
“Well, that’s weird.” She muttered in a thoughtful tone.
The thought made Zuko flick his head around to face the girl, “What do you mean weird? That there’s a useless piece of metal just laid out in the middle of nowhere?”
“No, not that” Toph replied as she leaned down to touch the metal with the tips of her fingers, and after a moment she lifted her hand and let her knuckle rap across the same spot causing a higher ping then when Zuko ‘hit it’
“It’s metal, obviously, but it’s really long, I mean really long.” Toph said absently as she starched a hand out as if to emphasise the point.
After letting his anger simmer down again, Zuko slowly knelt down and seemed to study the strange metal bars. In reality the boy was nursing his sore foot, but didn’t want to admit that and the second it stopped aching he looked back to Toph “What is it?” he asked.
“How should I know?” Toph shoot back as she threw her arms up in a shrug, “but it looks like there are two of them and they go of further then I can feel, that’s all I got.”
Zuko let his eyes followed the metal line as it stretched past where the elevation of the ground obscured it from him, and a glint in the distance confirmed his suspicions and he looked back to Toph “It might have something to do with the town… I say we follow it.”
“Sure, why not?” Toph moaned as her arms fell back to her sides “We’re lost anyway so why not just follow the strange metal lines and see where they go?”
As Toph set off to follow the line of metal Zuko paused for a moment as her comment confirmed another one of his suspicions in regard to his firebending, and he had to choke back an angry lick of flame that tried to escape his throat before he stood up, coughed out a weak huff of smoke and began to follow.
As they followed the metal line Zuko couldn’t stop his mind from towards what their purpose might be. It started as silent appreciation of once again having a straight ‘path’ to follow, despite not knowing where it was leading him, and ended when he wondered about who actually put them there.
They reminded Zuko of the stone slides in Ba Sing Se that the trains would slide across, and that thought sparked a quiet hope that they were going in the right direction to finally find that town.
At first Zuko found his eyes almost fixed on the bars, it was almost as if he expected them to disappear if he pulled his eyes away, but eventually the need to see if Toph was still around grew too much to bare and he flicked his eyes up and caught the girl still walking a few paces in front of him.
Zuko was just about to flick his eyes back down when he stopped dead in his tracks. Something strange seemed to catch the very corner of his left one. When he tried to focus on It, Zuko had to strain slightly as his normal and scarred eyes gave him slightly different pictures, but he definitely saw a small thread of black which snaked into the air…
‘Smoke’
‘It was smoke…’
He didn’t believe it at first, but there it was and even if it lasted only a moment Zuko felt his lost hope spark, and grow, inside him and he quickly readied himself to shout after Toph.
The words were just about to leave his throat when the girl suddenly turned around to face him, and even though a sour dominion seemed to radiate from the girl her voice suddenly took on a strange lightness to it, “You see something?”
The sudden question made Zuko pause, at least for long enough for the time Sokka tried to convince him that Toph could read minds to pass by his mind again and the sudden intrusion of the memory made Zuko all but forget about the smoke in favour of a single question… “How did you know?”
Toph just waved a hand dismissively “You stopped dead for a second, then your heart sped up, so did you see anything?”
“Err… yea I think I found the Town.” Zuko stuttered for a second as he tried to put meaning to what Toph said, “And what did you mean when said ‘your heart sped up’?”
Toph just gave another dismissive wave of her hand and clicking her tongue before saying “Earthbending” as if the word would answer the question all on its own.
Zuko’s eyebrow slowly began to drift towards his hairline, but he didn’t comment on it. Instead he turned towards the smoke and set of walking again.
Toph shared the moment’s pause as she waited for an answer, and when none came she let out a scoff, cracked her limbs and began to follow.
As the two continued on, Zuko’s pace grew increasingly slow; Toph assumed he was subtly trying to lessen the gap so he could say something and a momentary impulse almost drove her to slow down as well in petty revenge for the lack of an answer before- but her curiosity soon squashed that impulse flat.
“So,” Zuko said with a weak murmur “seeing as we are stuck here… for the time being at least, I was wondering about your earth bending… You know, Uncle said I need to think things through more, so if any problems are going to come up it would be better to know about them now.”
Toph let out another scoff, if it had been any other day she probably would have poked Zuko about that, especially with the way he seemed to be dancing around with his words, but the memory of the last five hours of crushing silence didn’t make the jab seem worth the possibility of inviting it again. So, she let side of her mouth slip back into her usual grin, “Well I was born blind, and my parents always treated me like I was helpless. So…”
“Sorry” Zuko suddenly interrupted “But I asked about your bending not your life story…”
Toph let out an indignant huff of air “Fine. Aang wanted an earthbending teacher and he got the world’s greatest earth bender” she finished with a matter of fact tone.
At the girls response Zuko couldn’t help but scoff silently ‘he should have asked for the world’s most humble one’ he thought, but he could at least keep it to himself and Zuko found his own thoughts were soon drowned out as Toph seemed to have slipped back into her monologue.
“… and then I met the badger moles, they don’t talk, but they are really good teachers.” The girl rattled on, and on, and on…
“I’ve never met one…” Zuko interrupted again “I just need to know the basics of your earth bending, for starters how does the whole ‘being blind’ thing work into it?”
“Well” Toph gave a slight pause to gather her thoughts “I kind of ‘see’ with my feet in that I sense the vibrations in the ground and it lets me know where everything is.”
Zuko suddenly cut in with a half curious, half accusatory tone. “If you were born blind how you can say it’s like ‘seeing’ if you’ve never actually seen anything to begin with?”
Toph scrunched her nose at the question. “Well, you’ve never ‘seen’ with earth bending before so how do you know it isn’t?”
Zuko found himself recoiling at the barked reply, but after the surprise wore off he let out a groan and softly rubbed his forehead “That’s not what I meant. I’m trying to find any problems before they come up. So, is there anything everyone else can do and you can’t that tends to causes problems?”
“I can’t see” Toph asserted lazily, and Zuko’s palm met his face again, this time a lot more forcefully.
Zuko suppressed another hiss and his next question was asked through clenched teeth, “No, I mean the difference between your way of ‘seeing’ and everyone else’s way of seeing. Are there any times its caused problems?”
“Oh, well, I can’t read, but that doesn’t cause many ‘problems’”
“I already knew that, but we’re getting somewhere” Zuko said with a softer tone, and then it grew thoughtful “What about things in the air, can you ‘see’ them?”
“Nope” was Toph’s simple reply “and I don’t really do Ice, sand, wood- or anything other than earth… But sand’s not as bad as it used to be”
‘Finally’ Zuko thought to himself and he tried to categorize his other questions into some form of order. “I’ve seen other earthbenders move rock without actually having to touch it, can’t you do that?”
“No… how am I earth-bend when I can’t sense the earth?” Toph asked as if she was talking to a slow person, and Zuko just gave a nod and thought about his next question.
“Ok, how about you start talking?” Toph asked suddenly, and Zuko couldn’t help but give an instinctive question as a quick reply.
“Well, about how much firebending stinks” the girl clarified with that sly smile “I’ve whooped enough firebenders to give you a list myself, but I want to hear you say it.”
Honestly, Zuko couldn’t tell if the question was serious, or if just another of her attempt to bait him. But he did know one thing that mightn’t satisfy her as a reply,
“Defence” Zuko said simply “the only thing firebending can really defend against is other firebending. Its why fire nation soldiers wear armour, and why I carry duel swords.”
“Question,” Toph interrupted “Why do firebenders usually stand still like idiots when they’re finished attacking?”
Zuko stepped over a plank of wood in the strange path they both were following, “Fire-bending comes from the breath” he recited from memory “and because they have no real defence, the main idea in firebending is to strike as hard and fast as possible. To take out your opponent before they have a chance to strike back. If they were just standing there it probably meant that they ran out of breath or were trying to control it. It also allows them a chance to steady themselves for a second attack if they need one...”
Zuko let his answer fall away into the open air as he began to shuffle some of his own around in his head. “Is there anything you can do that the others have found really useful?”
Toph paused in thought for a moment, “Well I can tell if someone isn’t telling the truth. You see, when people lie there’s a physical reaction, and I can usually pick up on that, except when that person is your sister.”
Toph had given the answer in the same matter of fact tone, and to be honest, that didn’t really surprise Zuko…The part about his sister anyway, and even though he wasn’t really convinced that Toph was telling the truth, but he figured that, if she was, then Azula of all people would probably be immune to it….
“Anything else?” Zuko asked.
Toph put her hand to her chin and clicked her tongue before another grin marked her face.
“Metal bending” she said suddenly as a swell of pride filled her voice.
“Metal bending…?” Zuko repeated with a deadpan tone.
“Yep;” Toph answered with a swift nod “invented it myself. Like I said…worlds. greatest. earth. bender.”
Suddenly Toph’s mood seemed to take a turn and she stopped walking and crossed her arms over her chest…“Wait, haven’t you seen it yet?”
“No I haven’t…” Zuko replied “what about this lying thing, how does that work?”
“You don’t believe I can do it, do you?” Toph asked as the pride all but seeped out of her tone, only to be replaced with a sly one.
“I’m not saying that. I’m…” Zuko tried to reason and Toph clicked her tongue at him
“I can tell you’re lying…" she said with a rising tone "but if you’re not convinced then hows’ about a demonstration?”
Coming to a sudden stop, Toph stood with her arms crossed and she spread her feet slightly apart as the smug grin spread even wider across her face.
“What happened between you and Katara back in Ba sing Se?” she asked in an oily tone.
Much to Toph’s amusement Zuko reacted to the sudden question by choking on the air in his lungs
“Nothing” he sputtered out
Toph began to shake her head slowly, “Nope, you’re lying Zuko” she announced “From the story’s the others pass around when they get all introspective and junk, it seemed you always seemed to capture Katara first. Why is that, Zuko?”
Zuko managed to catch the bark of denial that he nearly released on impulse, he only concluded that letting it out would have only encouraged the girl, “I think we’re getting distracted.”
Toph’s amused grin all but dissolved as Zuko turned around and began to walk away. And when she started to follow, she couldn’t help but feel that her shoulders were heavier, which caused them to slump at her sides.
Toph shook her head as she continued walking, and after a few steps a faint buzzing filled her ear. The strange sound made her twitch slightly, and she couldn’t really make it out, or even settle on the direction it was coming from, but it was still there.
She rushed to catch up to Zuko and in her moment of pondering, she hadn’t noticed that he’d all but stopped dead in his own tracks as soon as he’d reached the very top of a long sloping ridge.
“Zuko…” she called out as she continued walking over, but Zuko didn’t move so started to move a little faster.
“Zuko!” she all but screamed his name this time, but the boy doesn't even flinch.
Just like that, what was left of her frail nerve gave way, and Toph rushed over and grabbed hold of Zuko’s arm.
She was about to pull it back but she noticed something else that made her anger twist into worry.
“Zuko… your heart is about to jump out your head, what do you see?”
Once again he didn’t respond and the next sound Toph herd was the clang of metal as Zuko’s swords felt to the ground.
“Come on Zuko you’re weirding me out!” she tried again, but Zuko still move, even as she yanks on his wrist.
“Zuko!” this time, finally, it works and Zuko let out a shuddering breath before his head slowly turned to face the girl.
“You ok hothead? You kind of zoned out there for a while” Toph said with the same annoyance seeping into her voice…
“I’m fine” Zuko said half-heartedly “I’ve seen the town but I thought I saw something…” he let out another breath, “Come one, it’s probably just the sun getting to me… ”
As she followed Zuko down the slope, Toph could swear she heard him murmur ‘at least I hope it is’ at the end of it…. But more than anything, she knew he was lying.
Now all she had to do was figure out just what the boy was lying about…
…
(Chapter 10)
Twilight Sparkle found herself staring into a cup filled with lukewarm tea. The glistening image of her own reflection shuddered randomly as it’s seemed to be trying her best not to pass out…
The last time they’d met, Princess Celestia had made it a point to suggest that her student may have a small problem with anxiety… So… after Twilight had once again regained consciousness, her mentor had- after the assurances she wouldn’t be ‘holding her back a grade’ passed on some of the breathing exercises that had served her well over the many years of pretending interest in the rambling of the Canterlot nobles.
When she’d returned from Canterlot, Twilight couldn’t help but feel ridiculous about the whole thing, so she decided to take matters into her own hooves, so to speak, and wound up hearing about this particular tea blend Zecora liked to make.
Strangely enough, while on the way back to the library, she’d also noticed that Spike was trying, and failing, to hide a small blue vial from her attention, but she didn’t give it much thought at the time, she had been far too busy readying herself for any ‘surprise test’ that mightn’t have been coming and while she never did learn what that vial was, what she did walk away with, though, was a very special blend of calming tea, which was good because, not even a few hours ago, Princess Celestia had sent a red ribbon letter right from out of the blue.
For just a second, her eyes flicked back up to the clock hanging on the wall, and they narrowed as her ears took in the constant droning ticks that diligently and annoyingly informed her of every single second that passed as the memory crept steadily onward. She sucked in another five long, exaggerated, breaths and the corners of her vision began to dim slightly as continued to stare at the clocks face. The princess would be here any minute and she was still sitting in the wake of Rainbow dash storming off. And now she was starting to wonder if the mare had just gone back to bed…
Giving her third cup one last stir, Twilight let herself become lost in the pleasing aroma, before it finally drove her pull the cup to her lips, and of course the window chose that moment to fly open with a loud crash.
Narrowly avoiding a face full of the scalding hot liquid, Twilight glared over to the window and spotted a familiar rainbow coloured blur overhead. And after casting one last pitying glance at her tea, and with one glare back at the trail, she let out a pained sigh, narrowed her eyes and downed the tea in one stubborn gulp.
With heavy, but relieved, hoovesteps, Twilight began to make her way toward the public part of the library. As her head poked through the doorway she found each of her four other friends giving the fifth a death glare as the recipient of it calmly sprawled herself on the nearby couch with her legs crossed and blue forelimbs behind her rainbow coloured mane.
Twilight smiled as she continued into the room, a smile which faltered slightly when her friend’s glares turned towards her.
Nervously, she tried to soften her smile even more and tried to recall what she had planned to say…
“elo ery ony” She tried speaking, but paused when her friends glares immediately turned into concerned frowns.
Twilight frowned; suddenly the impulse to down her entire cup of scolding hot tea in one gulp didn’t seem like such a smart thing to do. But at least now she also learned that it held some other medicinal properties because it didn’t feel at all like it had been burned.
Twilight looked back up to her friend with a timid smile, but, despite this obvious setback, it appeared that her effort still served its original intention, because the harsh expression on her friend’s faces had disappeared at least. Well, except for one.
“Twilight dear, you haven’t been rushing your tea again have you?” asked the other unicorn of the group.
The only answer Twilight could give was a slight nod of her head as she shot a timid look off to the side. She brought her eyes back up and was about to try speaking again when she was suddenly interrupted by a different, shrill, voice which made everyone who heard it grit their teeth.
“OH, OH, what type, what type!!!?”
Pinkie waved her hoof in the air for attention, and as the question hung for a moment the other ponies in the room passed nervous glances between them, each silently begging the others to not utter the obvious question that mightn’t follow.
“Well what difference does it make?”… But it turned out one didn’t share that glance…and they all gave a silent, and sarcastic, thanks to rainbow dash. Before quickly, flattening their ears against their heads when they heard Pinkie take in a sudden gasp of breath.
“Well duh,” she started in a surprisingly quiet voice. “If she did that with some types of tea we would be rushing her straight to the doctor.”
Everypony paused as their ears sprang back up, ‘Hmm Pinkie making sense, that’s a new one’ was a thought they all seemed to share, but then, Twilight’s own thought was shaken when two big blue eyes fixed on her,
“Was it green, or was it glowing? Or both, oh we don’t have much time…” their owner chirped as she started to pull Twilight towards the door.
‘Well that was nice while it lasted’ Twilight thought sarcastically before she shook a certain ‘pink’ ache from her head and pulled herself away.
“No Pinkie, we don’t have time for this” was what Twilight tried to say…and to her annoyance pinkie's smile grew
“e on’t?” she asked in that sing song voice, purposefully mushing her own words.
“No! We don’t!” Twilight shouted, but she didn’t bother trying to say anymore. The attempt only seemed to make the annoying smile grow even further across her pink fur and really it was to early in the afternoon for this.
With one last annoyed growl Twilight turned to her assistant, the glare she gave him getting his attention straight away. “Sarw em”
The poor dragon didn’t even dare moan. He knew what she meant despite how much he didn’t want too. So as Twilight walked out of the library room all Spike could do was give a weak smile as he suddenly found himself under the harsh eyes of four ponies.
“So, err… How did everyone sleep?”
…
One soothing, and cold, drink courtesy of a certain zebra, along with the thought of how they got on in the past without said zebra, later, Twilight walked back into the room just in time to save her dragon assistant… who was juggling for some strange reason that was lost to her.
She approached the large sump like table in the centre of the room and tapped her hoof against the smooth wood before clearing her throat. “Sorry about that everypony”
“What is this about, Twilight?” one of her friends cut in, and while she expected such a question when Twilight turned to try and answer it she stuttered for a second when she found it had actually come from fluttershy.
“Err… well, yes, you are probably wondering why I called you all here and the truth is, I don’t know.”
Instinctually Twilight folded her ears to her skull, and this turned out to be a reaction she didn’t regret as her friends seemed to launch into a tirade of angry shouting.
With another meek smile she held up a hoof to quiet them and began to speak again. “What I mean to say” she clarified “is the reason you are all here is the princess asked me to gather you all here. But before you ask, sorry, no, I don’t know why but the princess will be here in a few minutes so we will all find out.”
“And just how long will this take Twilight?” came a sharp question wrapped in a Southern drawl “I’m apposed’ to help with the farm today, not only that but Applebloom offered to help in my place, do you know what could happen?”
That thought made everyone in the room cringe, but as usual Twilight was the first to have an explanation.
“The princess has her own business to take care of as well, Applejack. She wouldn’t be coming here if it wasn’t important.”
Applejack opened her mouth to say something before a pink hoof was suddenly stuffed inside it.
“Well, why don’t you ask her” a sing song voice announced followed by another pink hoof that pointed over Applejack and into the air.
Seven pairs of eyes darted up to stare through a nearby window to find a golden chariot gliding slowly to the ground. The glint from its golden shimmer was joined by five smaller ones, as five ponies in golden suits of armour caught the sunlight as they passed by the town’s clock tower.
Behind the golden one, a chariot comprised of pure black and purple touched down while surrounded by a myriad of night guard that were clad in their own, darker, more aggressive version of the royal guard’s armor.
When both chariots touched down the princesses sitting within them stepped onto the dirt. They gave each other a quick glance before they started towards the library while some of the day guard broke off to disperse a slowly gathering crowd.
As the element bearers looked on, a blue elbow met Applejacks ribs lightly and a whisper filled her ear “looks like it is important, the princesses never brought the whole shebang with them before.”
After she said that, Rainbow paused. Although it was said partially as a joke she couldn’t help but form a little knot in there stomach, one the others shared. It was true, the princess never thought to bring the guard with her, well not this many night guard, and never night guard in the day. Something must be wrong.
If Twilight noticed the guard she did a very good job of hiding it as she ran out of the library and over to her mentor. Luckily, the guards knew who she was and apart from a few twitches of the younger members they offered no resistance.
Reaching the coaches Twilight lowered herself into her usual, low, bow. Then she quickly did it again when she noticed Princess Luna standing at her side.
As her chin was on the floor, Twilight felt a hoof ruffle through her hair and she looked up to see her brother holding a smug grin on his face.
“Shining Armor?!” Twilight asked with a startled yelp “What are you doing here?”
Shining Armor only raised an eyebrow at the question, before his expression shifted into a look of faux hurt. “Well it’s good to see you too, Twily” he said with as much faux hurt he could muster.
“Not what I meant.” Twilight said errantly “aren’t you supposed to be ruling the Crystal Empire with Cadance?”
The smile on shining armor's face shrank slightly, but it didn’t disappear, instead the ridge of his brow became slightly harder as he nodded “Yes, but I convinced the princess to push back my… reassignment from captain of the Royal Guard.”
“To prince of the Crystal Empire?” Twilight interrupted and when Shining Armor's smile grew again the action only made the worry on Twilights face grow.
“Yes” Shining smiled oblivious to the change in mood “Does that mean I get a bow too?”
For a second, Twilight couldn’t help but let a smirk grow across her mouth despite her worry “That depends,” she said “ are you still the older brother I always caught singing into a mane brush when he thought no one was around?”
Shining armors eyes shot open and he glared at his younger sister in false anger, “Oh, if we’re going to play ‘who has the most embarrassing family story’ I think you know who would win Twilly. Remember the whole mess with the cat from next door?”
Twilight's own eyes opened to the size of dinner plates “We promised never to speak of that again.” she shrieked.
“That we did” Shining armor chuckled before his expression suddenly became curious“…Did you ever give mom her favourite mane brush back?”
“No, I burned it, and bought her a replacement” Twilight said looking away.
Shining armour nodded “And how, exactly, did the mustard fit into it?” he asked and Twilight glared at him “Or the push mower?”
“This counts as speaking about it” Twilight snarled and her brother held up a hoof in defence.
“Ok, ok. But, to answer your question, I was just about to head off to the empire when I got word about this whole thing and I asked to postpone my reassignment until it’s sorted.”
“Then this is really bad...” Twilight murmured quietly and she noticed the same look of worry spread to his face.
“No not bad, just risky.” Shining interrupted “We’ll explain everything in the library; I just hope you or your friends don’t have anything planned for today. Because it looks like they will be disappointed.”
With that said Shining armour took hold of his sister’s head and began rubbing a hoof in her mane.
Twilight let out a laugh before pushing her brother away “Ok, but you can tell Applejack.”
“Why, will I get an ear full?” he asked
Twilight chuckled “No, you’ll probably get Two”
…
To Twilight’s credit, It only took five minutes to get her friends to just sit in the library and wait for everything to be explained. Well it was one minute for everyone else and four minutes to get pinkie pie to sit still, which was still admittedly a record seeing it usually takes much a much longer time and in some cases rope, to do the same thing.
A couple guards were sent to Applejack’s farm to help out with her being absent; strangely they actually drew straws to decide who would go. Applejack took offence too this initially but then they explained the reason behind it. Apparently ‘Granny’ smith Apple had a bit of a reputation for ‘going after’ guards when ponyville had been founded, and the reputation hadn’t waned even after all this time and when she actually thought about it from there perspective she couldn’t blame them anymore, or dare think about it at all for that matter.
So here they are, sat in the library, waiting to find out why the elements. Both of the Princesses, Twilight and her friends and three squads of royal guards all shifted uncomfortably within the cramped space of the library’s main room.
Needless to say Twilight's stomach was doing back flips.
At a nod from Celestia, one of the day guards stood in front of the group. He was a pegasus just like the others Celestia brought with her, except he held a pointed stick in one of his folded wings and had a strange mark on his helmet. The guard nodded to another guard at the end of the room and a small projection screen was lowered before the lights went out leaving only the screen illuminated with a faint glow spreading outward.
“Now to business,” the guard said in a gruff but strangely young voice, I sounded almost like he was putting it on a bit. “This will act as a refresher course for the guards here. But I have also have been asked to bring the element bearers up to speed.”
The guard pony nodded in the direction of Twilight and her friends, and Twilight watched as the guard began altering the length of his stick he held in his wing.
Suddenly Twilight frowned and leaned over to her brother “Why couldn’t the princess just tell us what’s going on herself, like she did with Discord?”
“Because the royal guard wasn’t involved with Discord; that was a matter for the elements.” Shining said in a displeased tone, it was almost as if he was reading from a script he didn’t like “This however is a matter for the guard so it follows guard protocol” he smiled again “Besides these briefings are kind of his thing you know? And the princesses don’t want any guard’s talents to feel neglected.”
Twilight nodded slowly, and her attention drifted back to the lecture as the slide was replaced with a map.
“… Had made contact with the dream here.” The guard pony’s lecture drifted back into focus as he pointed to an X on the projected map “The dream itself has led her to become concerned… the least of which is the fact no such being has been encountered in known records.”
Suddenly a blue coloured hoof shot into the air “Wait, Wait, Wait” it owner interrupted and every pair of eyes in the room turned towards it source.
Rainbow dash lowered her hoof and let out a sharp sinker “So… you’re telling me we are all here because Luna stumbled across some strange dream, of what, some alien?”
The guard glared at Rainbow dash, not liking the fact he was interrupted, but then let out a breath through his nose and answered the question
“From what I know miss, that description seems accurate.” He said matter of fact and Rainbow Dash sat back down with a dull thud…
“Now...” the guard didn’t get to continue as a pink hoof shot into the air. “Err, yes?”
“Chocolate or vanilla?” the owner of the pink hoof asked with almost childlike glee
“Excuse me?” the guard asked with a deadpan tone
Without losing even a speck of energy, the cotton candy pony jumped up onto her seat and threw her front hooves in the air. “For the welcome party of course” Pinkie explained matter of fact “Do aliens like chocolate or vanilla cake better? Or would they prefer cupcakes?
The guard stuttered something unintelligible before he took a short step back and looked over to the princess in a search for guidance. When he found only her usual motherly smile, he turned his attention back to the pink pony in front of him. “No pony has been called here for a welcome party.”
The pink pony let out a disappointed sigh before she was taken by a soft blue glow and sat back down next to the white unicorn projecting it.
“Then why have we been called here, pray tell?” the white unicorn asked in a way that seemed to be her outwardly trying her best to frame the question as politely as possible while still pressing it.
“If I could just continue?” the guard asked absently as he looked around the room “Thank you, now from what he have learned, we can make several weak conclusions. One; the term ‘alien’ isn’t suitable based on all the baggage the word has so we will be using the term ‘visitor’ for the moment. Two: it is the princess’s intentions to make contact with the ‘visitor’ before it encounters any pony settlements. Three: while its dreams have created some concern, the ‘visitor’ seems to be traveling here alone, which would not be prudent for any hostile intentions unless it is extremely powerful, which is why the elements bearers are present. They will not be making direct contact with the visitor. Instead they will be present only as a last measure should the creature prove hostile and should it also prove too powerful for the princess and their guard to handle.” The guard paused to take in a breath “And, Four, this is all only contingent on the ‘Visitor’ traveling further into Equestria it may very well turn around and walk the other way. Should that happen and the visitor pass into another nation, then we’ll have to pull back and wait for the international counsel.”
Once again a pink hoof jutted into the air, but a purple one moved in front of it and the guard let out another sigh. “This is not school, but, yes?”
Twilight lowered her hoof and turned to a yellow Pegasus in the group who gave her a wanting nod
“How do you know this ‘visitor’ will be hostile enough to warrant using the elements on them?” she asked, trying to word the question as evenly as she could.
The guard clicked his tongue “We don’t, not necessarily, which is why the princess hopes to make contact first. But, based on Princesses Luna’s testimony, and Equestria’s past history, we are merely taking precautions.”
“Past history?” Spike asked while holding up a claw.
The guard opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted.
“Well there is a ‘theory’ that the changeling species are not actually native to Equestria,” Twilight said in a way that sounded like she was reading from a textbook “but are, in fact, what’s left of a society of ponies from an alternate Equestria which suffered some sort of catastrophe. But it’s not even a hypothesis really.”
The guard twitched as if he’d been slapped. “That theory is supposed to be classified, how do you know about it?”
Twilight smiled nervously “I err... I helped create the changing detection spell after the wedding.”
The guard just rolled his eyes. He turned back to the board and opened his mouth again, but stopped when he noticed the pink hoof in the air once more.
“Yes?”
“So it is a welcome party” Pinkie asserted cheerfully “You’re trying it to welcome it here, right? You know? Hello Mr. Alien visitor, welcome to Equestria, please don’t eat our brains.”
The guard blinked again and looked over to the princess for guidance, but again, he only found her looking back at him while wearing an amused smile.
“As I was saying” the guard sighed and shook his head “Should the visitor leave Equestrian borders then we will still be able to make contact as long as it stays within neutral territory, but that means we may have to compete with any other groups who know about it and wish to make contact first…”
The guard stopped and pressed something on the stick held within his wing, making it retract into itself with a sharp click, “Now are there any questions?” he finished and looked around at the forest of steadfast eyes.
He glanced around until he spotted a claw in the air, and the dragon it belonged to waving it, hoping to gain his attention.
“Yes?” the guard asked as one of his eyebrows disappeared under the ridge of his helmet.
“Can I come?” Spike asked in a chipper tone and one of the guard’s eyebrows almost knocked the helmet off his head. Once again he looked over to Celestia for guidance and as usual she just held her normal smile, but this time she seemed to take in a soft breath to speak.
“Sorry spike” Twilight cut in to what Celestia was about to say “this will be far too dangerous”.
Spike twitched, and looked like he wanted to say something in reply, but the number of eyes staring down at him froze the words before they even made it past his teeth. Instead he just got up from his seat and ‘casually’ pulled Twilight into the kitchen.
“But Twilight” Spike whined with a hushed but pleading whine “a chance to meet a real life alien” he said the word with begging eyes which he fixed squarely on Twilight making her sigh.
A snort from outside gave him a moment’s pause and he peeked out too see the guard glaring at him “Visitor” Spike was quick to correct. “A chance to meet the visitor, please can I come?!?”
“Spike weren’t you paying attention? We won’t be the ones who are meeting it, the guard and the princess’ are. The elements are just to be there in case they are needed. And if they are need then it will be too dangerous. ” Twilight said with a drone, but her warning did little to wane the dragons pleading eyes.
“But come on, you leave me in the library all the time, the only time I tag along was when you went to the crystal empire.” Spike argued, as his tone suddenly shifted from pleading to annoyed.
Twilight’s own expression followed and her face donned an annoyed scowl “And look how dangerous that trip turned out to be”
“Yes and look who saved the day that time? You could need my help.” Spike chided as his expression shifted from annoyed to triumphant.
Twilight’s eye twitched “But didn’t you say that you like to sleep in, and I can’t help but remember you spending this whole morning being cranky from being woken up?” admittedly she was trying to shift the arguments track seeing as the last one led her to a wall.
“And you are really bad at picking up on sarcasm.” Spike droned back before his expression shifted into a smug one. “But I guess you’re right. I’ll just tell the princess I can’t come along because I’m too dizzy from when you threw that plate of pancakes at my head.”
Twilight's eyes shot open just like the little dragon wanted. His ‘I’ll tell the princess on you’ was a tactic he’d threatened to use many times back when they both lived in Canterlot, but when he used it before It was always a desperate last ditch effort that ultimately fell through. This time though, it seemed he had her.
“I already said I was sorry Spike…” Twilight tried to cool her assistant but all it earned was a puzzled, if not offended, glance from the dragon.
“No you didn’t” he replied with a snippet tone “You asked me to make you some more pancakes…”
Twilight’s ear twitched again and she let out a soft rumble, “Fine, you can come, but you don’t take so much as a single step off my back.” She conceded with the same unhappy grumble.
Spike’s eyes lit up “You mean I get to go! Thanks Twilight!” the dragon cheered and he rushes back into the library leaving the unicorn blinking dumbly as he left.
Even though her face held a blank expression, inside her head Twilight was shouting. She knew he just played her and more so he knew rushing over to Celestia meant she couldn’t say anything else on the matter.
But on the other hoof, as she snarled inside her head, a small part of her couldn’t help but feel at least a little twinge of pride towards her assistant. She had often left open little holes in her own arguments in the past, just to see if Spike would ever pick up on them. She couldn’t help it. And now here she was after he found one on his very own and used it against her. Her ‘little assistant was learning’. But on the other, other hoof that feeling of pride was the smallest part of her mind, the rest was screaming at her to not mess it up next time.
After taking a deep calming breath, Twilight ventured back into the library. And as she passed through the doorway, she couldn’t help but feel the weight of everyone’s eyes on her skin as she silently concluded that the kitchen wasn’t as private a place as Spike would have thought… though, maybe that was the point.
Immediately, she whipped her head around to Celestia, silently praying that her mentor hadn’t heard the whole thing, and she was more than relieved to see her seat empty. When she looked back across the room she noticed some of the guards had sly grins, they were probably some of the ones who’d seen Twilight and Spike’s past arguments in the castle, in fact she even saw one of them grumpily pass on a small sack of bits to the other.
The guard who held the sack of coins smiled at her almost thankfully as Twilight used whatever dignity she had left to push her chin into the air as she walked passed him… only to grit her teeth as she walked right into the table.
After the room settled down somewhat, the guard holding the wooden stick let out a sigh at the sceptical before he stood back up straight.
“Ok, refresher course is over; we’ll be departing in five minutes.”
…
…