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// A Less Than Rude Awakening 
// Story: The Rotation 
// by Zeppo 
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		Twilight Sparkle, local princess of Ponyville and prized student of Celestia, was asleep at eleven in the morning. Her head rested on her desk, a quill still magically poised over the paper she was writing and, if one looked close enough, was ever so slightly lowering over time. A blanket covered her, put there by Spike who was now making a brunch of oats and honey. 
Spike heard the door knock, and recognized the near thrumming sound as the kind Rainbow Dash would make. He set the pan to the side and ran to the door. When he opened the door, he was pleasantly surprised to see Rarity– along with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. He smoothed out his apron which read, "kiss the chef".
"Hey Spike," Rainbow Dash said, "do you know where Twili– Spike! Over here." Rainbow Dash tapped her hoof on the ground, "Yoo hoo."
Spike was too busy watching Rarity comb out her wet mane, but then noticed Rainbow Dash talking. "Twilight's sleeping on her desk," he said automatically, which was fortunately the correct thing to say. The four went upstairs to where Twilight was still sleeping. She was in the same position that she was five minutes earlier, but was now drooling.
Twilight heard something like a camera shutter and snapped awake to find three of her friends and Spike standing there. She looked at them for a few seconds while her tired brain processed the scene in front of her. "Oh, girls," she said drowsily with her eyes half-closed. She stretched and gave out a drawn-out yawn. "What are you doing here so early?"
"It's about eleven-ten dear," said Rarity.
Twilight's eyes widened and she quickly stood up. "Oh wow, was I up that late?" She looked to Spike. "Spike, how late was I up?"
Spike shrugged. "I went to bed at my usual bedtime when you said you'll only work a few more minutes."
Twilight sheepishly smiled and rubbed the back of her head. "Oh, right, a few more minutes. Heh. So girls, would you like to hear about my paper on–"
Rarity interrupted, "I'm afraid we're here on an urgent matter, Twilight. You see, Pinkie found this device of sorts" -she pulled out the object- "that enveloped us in some sort of magical field. And by what we've heard on our way here, it's affected most everyone in Ponyville as well."
Twilight took the object in a telekinetic aura. "And what did it do, exactly?"
Rarity frowned and observed Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, who did the same. "We're not exactly sure actually," Rarity said, "but it must have done something." She 	had a thought. "Didn't you feel anything?"
Twilight tapped her chin. "No, I must have been sleeping pretty deeply when it happened." She turned to Spike, "Spike, did you notice anything?"
Spike shrugged. "I didn't see anything."
Twilight rubbed her forehead with her hooves. "Alright, I can't think right now. I need breakfast first."
Spike put a claw in the air. "That should be done by now." He ran downstairs ahead of the rest to make sure he didn't burn anything.
Twilight continued to scrutinize the object as they proceeded down the stairs to the kitchen. "I'll see what I can find about this after breakfast." Before entering the kitchen, she turned to her friends. "Can you girls go out and see if anything has developed yet?"
"I'll check with the pegasi on the weather team. I'm going to be late." Rainbow Dash turned to leave. As she left, she inadvertently shifted her wings uncomfortably. 
"We will see what we can do," said Rarity. She and Pinkie Pie left.



Twilight had spent all day trying to figure out what the mysterious object was, with practically no success. Her mane was disheveled and her eyes were a little red from staring at the object and books all day. She got up and heard her spine audibly pop, even causing Spike nearby to wince. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was approaching ten at night.
"Alright Spike, if I didn't know any better from last night, I'd stay up until three in the morning," Twilight said as she looked over her scattered books and papers.
Rainbow Dash flew in through the window. "Hey Twilight, I checked in with the weather team while I was out, and no one noticed anything different." She rubbed her back. "Well, a few did complain of back pain, and I'm having some as well. Now that I think of it, the magic did hit me right between the wings, which is probably why it hurts."
Twilight's eyebrows furrowed. "Maybe."
"Well," said Rainbow Dash as she stretched out her wings, but then she seemed to space out for a second. "...I'm going home now. Gotta be rested for Wonderbolts training tomorrow!" She heavily trotted down the stairs and left through the front door, but not before pausing again at the door.
Twilight watched Rainbow Dash leave with a bit of uncertainty and pulled on a light jacket. "I'm going to go ask Rarity and Pinkie Pie if they have found anything out. You don't have to wait for me, Spike."
"Night," Spike said as he climbed in bed.



Twilight was glad she brought a jacket against the cool and damp of the light drizzle from the day's earlier rain. Her hoofsteps made light plish noises, which was the only sound that could be heard for a few minutes. Eventually, she heard laughter in the distance from Sugarcube Corner's "night life" crowd, as they were jokingly referred to, for they were barely a crowd and even less so a night life. Nonetheless, one could hear the clink of glasses and occasional cheering with the sense of camaraderie that only can often be attained at this hour.
BoingPlish, BoingPlish, BoingPlish, went a familiar sound. Twilight looked to the right, then the left, then back right to find Pinkie Pie hopping beside her. This caused Twilight's head to jerk back, for one can never quite get used to Pinkie's surprise appearances. "Hi Twilight!" squeaked Pinkie, "coming to see the night time revelry?"
Twilight giggled quietly. "It's tempting Pinkie, really, but I have to ask you what you found out and then go to Rarity to ask her."
Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing. "Found out?" she said. "Oh yeah! Nope! Not a thing, though I have been feeling a bit dizzy, but that might be this cider!" she cheered as she thrust the mug into the air, causing the cider to fly out and land perfectly back into the mug.
Twilight laughed again. “Alright Pinkie, I’m glad to see that everything is all right. I’ll go check with Rarity.”
“Okie dokie lokie!” said Pinkie as she hopped away.
Twilight proceeded to Rarity’s house to find that all the lights were off, and berated herself for not realizing that most ponies don’t stay up after ten at night. She was trying to think of a way to get Rarity’s attention when she heard a moaning from the second story window.
“Ohhhhh!” went Rarity. “Sweetie Bell, can you get me another wet rag? I am positively burning up in here.”
“Coming!” yelled Sweetie Belle, accompanied by scampering hoofsteps. “Oops!” A wet smack could be heard.
“Ah!– Thank you Sweetie Bell. You can go back to bed now.”
“Hope you get better!” More scampering.
Twilight frowned at her friend’s unfortunate condition, and so decided to not bother Rarity and instead return home. She got home and went to bed, frustrated that the only thing the object seemed to do was to make everypony sick.