As the sun began to part with the horizon, the looming shadow of shelves in the Canterlot Archives cloaked a purple pony with darkness. The pony was slumped against the wall, a book, still open on her chest, which was rising and falling with the rhythms of sleep. Suddenly, a beam of light fluttered over her eyelids, and they opened to reveal purple eyes.
Not again,Twilight thought to herself. This wasn't the first time in her visit to Canterlot that her studies had turned into an overnight stay. She got to her hooves and stretched her wings, which had been wedged awkwardly under her body all night. The sunlight began to illuminate the Starswirl the Bearded wing. Twilight sighed. Just the musty smell of the ancient spellbooks, the thought of opening th e worn leather cover and delving into the handwritten journals, made Twilight want to never leave the archives.
Twilight used her magic to pick up the book that had fallen to the floor and return it to its shelf. She had spent all week looking for Starswirl's hidden spell and still no lck. She cursed herself again for falling asleep; those 8 hours could have been spent searching, not dozing off.
It was her last day on her visit to Canterlot and she had to make it count.
"Good morning, Princess Twilight," said a voice from behind her.
"Spike, since when have you called me 'Princess Twilight?'"
The little dragon shrugged. "Just thought you'd need some good luck. Last day." he remarked.
The whole visit had been very last-minute. It had started when Twilight came across something quite intriguing in a book about Starswirl the Bearded. It said that Starswirl had written a secret, undiscovered spell and had hidden it in the hopes that some bright young unicorn could find it and unlock its secret powers. Powers that could control dimensions, powers no pony has ever had before. Twilight knew exactly what pony was going to find that book. However her own library only had a select number of books on the subject, and what better place to look for Starswirl's secret than in his own secret journals? She ended up catching the next train to Canterlot and booking a week-long stay.
"Right. If I'm going to find Starswirl's spell, I have to get down to business." Twilight was determined. She wanted to be remember for something. Something beside being a princess. She wanted to be that pony who cast Starswirl's secret spell.
"Well, I brought you breakfast." Spike said sullenly. "Take it or leave it."
"Thanks, Spike, but I have to start looking right now. No time for distractions like eating!"
Spike carried the tray over to the door, muttering under his breath what sounded like "unappreciated"
It all happened very quickly. Spike was carrying the tray of eggs, rolls, toast jam and tea. His foot slipped on a page of Twilight's notes. The tray flipped out of his hand and fell onto the wood floor with a deafening crash.
"Spike!" she scolded. The tray was shattered to pieces, the tea spilled in a growing brown puddle and the toast had landed jam-side-down. But Spike was too distracted to notice.
"Twilight, look." Twilight followed his gaze. On the spot where the tray had fallen, a wooden floorboard had popped out of the floor's design, reveal a shallow compartment with only one item in it: a book.
Twilight grasped it with a burst of magenta emitting g from her horn. It was an old journal with a crimson color, stamped with gold letters spelling "Uncover the Secret." the old parchment was so yellowed and brittle, it looked like it might crumble.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of it? Of course Starswirl would have hiddent it! Oh, Spike, do you know how long this book has been missing?" Twilight was talking very quickly.
" you may have mentioned it once or twice," Spike grumbled under his breath "a minute."
"This book has been missing for centuries! And I just found it! Do you know how exciting this is, Rarity?"
Spike looked behind him. No Rarity. "You could open it." Spike suggested.
"Of course! Thanks, Pinkie Pie, you are a genius!"
"I try." said Pinkie Pie joyfully. Spike was very confused.
Twilight flipped through the book vigorously. It had to be in there somewhere. What better place to hide a top-secret than in a top secret journal hidden in a top secret compartment in the Cantrlot Archives?
She wondered if 'uncover the Secret was supposed to mean something.
"I can't find it anywhere! But that's impossible! It has to be in here somewhere! Starswirl--" Twilight broke off. Inside the front cover was a small hidden pouch. She held her breath and shook the book. From inside the pouch, an ancient scrap of folded parchment fell and flitted to the ground, landing silently at Twilight's hooves.