Why? Why should I be found wanting? To flicker and wane like a candle before the gust of wind? No! I will be the master of my own fate. I will create wonders never before seen by equine eyes! I will elevate magic to levels unheard off! Cities will soar in the skies, the very earth will bend to my will and I will bring hope where there was none! If mortal flesh cannot escape death, I will renounce it myself! Give me your best. I am prepared.
It was a chilly November evening in Ponyville. All the ponies carefully trotted along the street while finishing their errands before the night set. Little foals were prancing in the snow without a care in the world, building snow ponies, hiding behind the hastily built castles while throwing snowballs at each other, That is to say, until a call from said foals mothers and fathers came, and the little fillies and colts slowly began the walk home, a little stiff but otherwise happy.
As the moon gradually rose in the night sky, every light started fading and soon they were no more. Except for the little spark of flame that could be seen in the in the far distance. To ponies outside of this little town it would have been odd to see a fire inside a tree. Or to see a tree being used like a home, Or to see the soft dancing lights which that radiated from every nook and cranny of the same tree. But there were no ponies outside in the cold weather, and the phantasm passed into the night unnoticed.
Inside the basement/laboratory Twilight Sparkle was hard at work with her newest project. Notes were strewn across the room in a manner that to the untrained eye seemed like a hurricane passed by, but for Twilight it was organised chaos ( the only kind of chaos she was willing to adhere to). The particular matter that she was busy with at that moment was converging the arcane energies located in her horn into the little mechanical doll strewn across her table. To say that the experiment was going as planned would be exquisite. Except that it wasn't.
"Note to self, current level of arcane energies is below the sufficient amount needed to provide locomotion." She fidgeted around in the sofa while the pen on top of her desk kept writing down her observations.
"Increasing power by 10 %" With baited breath she observed the little toy for any sign of movement, only to be slightly annoyed when none came.
"Increasing power by additional 10 %,"she said as she looked into the apparatus on her right,"and monitoring the spike in the energy readings." As she settled down for another disappointment, something moved in the corner of her eye. Turning her head she noticed a slight jerk of the hoof from the toy.
"Eureka!" she yelled out in joy, only to scorn herself moments later for the lack of tact. She may have been on a verge of scientific breakthrough, but that didn't mean she could disturb her younger brother's rest upstairs. While scratching the notebook furiously with her pen the sound of doors opening went unnoticed. Engrossed in her discovery, she failed to notice a shadow lurking behind her menacingly, ready to pounce the unsuspecting pony. Soon it was too late.
"Aren't you too old to be playing with your Smarty Pants doll Twilight? I mean-" Spike said while the target of his verbal assault skyrocketed into the ceiling-"if you want i can get you the matching dresses and then you can make a tea party."
"Spike! What did i tell you about sneaking up on me when i'm experimenting!" Twilight glared daggers at the young drake as she hung from the book shelf nearby"You know what happened last time you did that."
"Oh, yeah-"said the young drake with a smirk on his lips-"it took us entire morning to catch those mice and turn them back into chairs again."
"Laugh it up scale ball, but you are still grounded for this for a week-" Twilight said while Spike face clawed"-and don't give me any of that, you know you deserve it."
"Fine, fine -" said the yawning dragon while looking smugly to his sister- "it's not like i was sleeping peacefully, when all of a sudden a long squeal woke me up from a most wonderful dream filled with diamonds and marshmallows..."
"Point taken, grounding punishment is canceled," she said with a defeated sigh. "But you are still helping me clean up this mess you caused."
"I wouldn't have it any other way Twi. What were you working on anyway?" he asked while picking up the stray notes around the room, "And please don't tell me it was another `Want it Need it` spell."
"No way Spike, i learned my lesson before. I am working on a spell that allows magic and machine to fuse together and i think i am on the verge of sucess. That is to say i was-" she said while looking at the troublemaker drake with narrowed eyes-"before i got interrupted."
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry about that. It will never happen again, i Pinkie promise." the disgruntled assistant replied.
"Good. Now as i was saying earlier, i managed to make Smarty Pants move using nothing but raw arcane power-"and with a flash of her horn a zipper appeared on Spike's mouth, as if she had known what he would say"-and no. It isn't telekinesis that i am using to make it move, it is the arcane energy itself that is powering it up. It was only one leg that moved though, and now i will make the entire doll move, so stand back please until i finish casting the spell."
Not needed to be told twice about his safety around Twilight conducting the experiments, Spike moved back behind the unicorn and watched in awe as she began pouring more and more power into the toy. Little sparks appeared on the top of her horn as she steadily made the toy move on it's own. And soon it was parading around like a little soldier, salutes and all.
"First Smarty Pants."Twilight started softly while she built up her momentum,"Next: whole of Equestria!"
The glorious future filled with marvels faded quickly when the doll suddenly blew up in an inferno of molten plastic and copper wires.
"Baby steps Twilight,"young drake said sagely while patting her on what was left of her mane. "Baby steps..."
As the night slowly passed and the sun rose in the sky, a lone rooster could be heard in the distance signaling the beginning of a new day.
"Ugh no Pinkie, i don't think sugar counts as an ingredient to make a fully functioning summoning circle... "she murmured in her sleep.
All of a sudden a series of strong knocks could be heard at the door of the library. "Magic doesn't work that way!" she shouted from the top of her lungs, while she regained her composure, "Oh thank Celestia, it was only a dream."
Suppressing the urge to blast the doors and the person knocking behind them into the Nether for waking her up this early, Twilight groggily walked down the stairs to see who it was that disturbed her rest this early in the morning.
"Whoever you are, you better have some coffee with you otherwise i don't guarantee your safety." she half-threateningly muttered under her breath.
After opening the doors she was met by the familiar face of her dear friend Applejack, who had a troubled expression written all over. Upon closer inspection, Twilight realized that she looked more rugged then usual, and decided that she would help her out with the best of her ability. After her morning coffee that is.
"Shucks Twi, ah'm sorry for waking you up this early in the morning, but this is an emergency!" Applejack spoke with great alarm in her voice, "Mah sister and the rest of the CMC are gone, and we can't seem to find them anywhere," by then her eyes started watering a little as she embraced Twilight," you must have a magic spell or two to help us find them!"
"Don't worry Applejack, we will find them before they get in any real trouble, come on inside while i look for a way to track them down." she gestured the orange farm pony inside as she closed the door behind them,
"Ah knew i could count on you Twi, i just hope that Applebloom is alright," she said while sitting down the kitchen table" so that ah can tan her hide for pulling a stunt like this when she gets back home."
"I am sure everything will be all right, now sit down for a moment until i grab the book from the shelf." After a moment of thinking though, she came with a different solution.
"Spike get down here we have visitors, stop lazying around!" as she called for her number one assistant she started preparing her morning drink and offered Applejack some as well.
The voice of her assistant could be heard as he scurried down the stairs,"Alright already i'm coming, no need to yell. Oh hello AJ," he waved with his claw in the air upon seeing the orange pony,"what brings you here so early?"
As Applejack was about to respond to the dragon about her problems she was cut by the unicorn who started barking instructions to her younger brother.
"No time for pleasantries Spike, we have a major situation on our hooves. The CMC are lost and we need a spell to find them. Can you please fetch me that new tome from the library?"
"Sure thing Twilight, which one do you need?" upon reaching the living room he climbed up the stairs and started circling around the treasure trove of knowledge deposited there.
A voice from the other room replied to him "Starswirl's Secret to Scientific Surveillance should be around there somewhere Spike, it just arrived from Canterlot a week ago, and i believe it will be helpful."
"Sure thing Twi." he spoke as he began rotating around the room on the ladder until reaching the S section," Secret Sauces, no not that one. Surreal sounds, definitely not that one. Oh there we go, found it Twilight!"
"Bring it over here Spike and let's see what we can do. Trust me Applejack, we will get to the bottom of this soon enough."
"Thanks again Twilight, ah'm not sure what we would do without ya. Big Mac and Granny Smith are besides themselves, Rarity is still searching around the town, Rainbow Dash is scouring the skies above Everfree forest, Fluttershy has been talking to her animal friends, but still no luck.Pinkie Pie is asking everypony for help,"she said while tipping the edge of her Stetson hat over her eyes,"and ah'm feeling mighty useless".
As Spike entered the kitchen he found the two ponies locked in a tight hug. After placing the book on the kitchen table, he approached them and hugged both of them in kind.
"Don't worry Applejack, Twilight is the most magically inclined and socially awkward unicorn in the whole of Equestria. If anyone can find the crusaders it's her." he said while leaving the hug and passing the book to Twilight.
"Well gee Spike" Applejack replied with a sly watery smile on her face," you always know what to say to make the situation feel better don't ya."
"Yes it would seem so." added the magenta unicorn while giving Spike the make me the morning coffee or it is dragon hunting time look.
With the wisdom and instinct of his ancestors past flowing through his veins he quickly dashed over to the kitchen counter to start preparing the morning coffee, before the fury of the frowning librarian who was trying to become one with the book could end his existence.
"Book don't disappoint me now, somewhere in you is the key to finding them, and by Celestia i will make it so." she vowed out loud, mostly to encourage all of them in the room, but also as a personal motivational tool.
Moments later a steaming cup of coffee was presented in front of her snout and wiggled around while her eyes followed it like it was a hypnotists watch. With a simple flick of her horn she took the cup and sipped in the liquid goodness.
Immediately afterwards she was met with a rush of energy, and started zooming through the book pages with renewed vigor.
As the room fell quiet, Spike started cleaning up the mess caused in the kitchen while casting occasional glances to his two friends sitting at the table.
"Eureka!" Twilight exclaimed while the other two occupants of the same room jumped from their seats because of the sudden yell." I knew this book wouldn't let me down. There is a spell in here that allows to pinpoint an exact location of the subject, provided that we have something that personally belonged to the pony in question. Applejack do you perhaps have something of Applebloom's on you?"
"As a matter of fact ah do," she immediately replied as the good news sunk in," she left her bow behind her. Think it will be enough sugarcube?"
"It will be more then enough Applejack. Now let me concentrate on the spell, it is different from the arcane spells i usually cast.It's divine magic and cannot be disturbed."
Placing the necklace on the kitchen floor, she drew the magical runes around it and began chanting. As she began casting the spell, she got lifted into the air while being surrounded by the aura of magic, and for a moment her eyes flashed a deep blue color. As the magic began dying down, she slowly levitated down to the ground, and quickly regained her composure. Their next steps would be critical and she needed to be sure how to proceed.
"Gather the rest of the girls Applejack, and meet me near Fluttershy's cottage in fifteen minutes. We must go with haste before the dark falls if we want to get them back safe and sound." her tone was serious and it left no room for doubt from her friend as she galloped out of the library.
"Spike," she addressed her brother, and he looked at her with attention,"prepare the supplies for venturing into the forest. We will need blankets for the cold, plenty of firewood in case we need to light a fire, and enough food and water for six ponies to last a couple of days in the..."
"Don't you mean food and water for seven Twilight," he spoke suddenly while his sister gave him an incredulous look," you know that you are terrible at being outdoors. You won't last ten minutes without me, and they are also my friends. You can't make me stay here and worry about all of you in that forest alone. You simply can't!"
A fierce storm was brewing in the unicorns head right now. On one side her guardian instincts told her to simply tell NO to the drake and keep him safe in the library while they looked for the missing foals. On the other hoof she thought about the logical statements he posed regarding their survival in the forest, and how he would be of use to the search. Just as she was about to order him to stay behind and wait for their return she looked at the dragon's determined face, and she came to the conclusion she had feared would come one day. Her little brother is starting to grow up, and she wouldn't be the one to keep him down.
"Fine. But i want you to be close to me at any given moment of time. I don't want to see you putting yourself in compromising situations, and you will follow any single order that i give you. Is that understood?" she drew his head to hers as they locked their eyes.
"I promise Twi. Cross my heart, hope to fly, put a cupcake in my eye. You can always count on me to help our friends!" and off he went to grab supplies for the upcoming trip ahead of them.
Upon his return, he noticed that Twilight has been gazing through the window into the forest that loomed into the distance. Placing his claw on her shoulder, he signaled her that they were ready to go.
"Remember when we first came into Ponyville, when i said that the future of Equestria doesn't depend from me making friends?" she turned slowly to her brother while taking the supplies and throwing them onto the saddle backs.
"Yeah i remember. What about it?" he looked at her as they started moving out of the tree into the cold.
"I have never been more happy to be wrong in my life. Let's go save our friends Spike."