The kitchen was dead silent for a moment, save for the reverberating beat of the bass in the other room, as Rarity's words began to sink in amongst the other three ponies listening to her.
“Oh,” Twilight said, nodding in understanding as she rapped a hoof in thought by the counter. “That would make sens- wait, what?!” she suddenly exclaimed as the information sunk in all the way.
“I had a feeling that would be your reaction.” Rarity sighed, staring at the kitchen table from her seat.
Tilting Windmills looked amongst the mares gathered in the kitchen, nearly spinning in his chair as he did so to view all of them. “I do not understand.”
Twilight ignored him. “I just can't believe you're a writer! That's amazing!”
“I'm a designer first and foremost, darling. Writing is a means to-”
“This is so phenomenal! I have all your books! Of course, you knew that already, but, wow! Can I get your autograph? I mean, your pen name autograph, I have your actual, actual autograph on some receipts and everything, and, I, wow!” Twilight gushed with a laugh, her babbling interrupting Rarity.
Applejack lowered her hat, covering her eyes briefly as she leaned against the wall by the kitchen's entryway. “I'm jus' glad Rainbow Dash ain't privy to this info. We'd never hear the end of it.” She said under her breath, before clearing her throat, silencing Twilight as she continued to ramble to the white unicorn. “I know it's a neat thing, learnin' that we got ourselves a fancy writin' friend, but we're kinda back at square one.”
“Square one?” Tilting Windmills repeated. “Jack, would thou care to oblige a fellow Knight? What in the heavens are you speaking of?” he demanded.
The three mares fell silent once more; after a beat, Applejack gave a slight shake of her head.
“Tiltin',” she addressed. “The reason I had cold hooves 'bout ya'll tellin' stories tonight is cause me an' these two,” AJ gestured to Twilight and Rarity, “Had a plan fer ya.”
The Knight narrowed his eyes, and Applejack quickly elaborated.
“Wasn't nothin' bad. We were tryin ta help ya.” She glanced over to the other mares, silently begging them to help her out with the explanation. Rarity coughed, drawing Tilting's attention.
“You are not who you think you are,” the white unicorn bluntly stated, to the shock of Applejack.
The yellow stallion flinched as if struck, rising from his seat.
“The audacity!” he growled, stomping a hoof onto the floor. “After all I've done for this land, thou has the temerity to suggest I am less than my parts?” He stopped, taking a breath to calm himself. After a second, Tilting turned to Applejack. “Are thou of the same view?”
The farmpony gave consideration to it, averting her gaze. “There ain't a real yes or no ta that, sugarcube.” She collected her thoughts as the Knight's expression became crestfallen. “Ya imagine things that ain't real. Yer wearin' work duds, and ya think it's armor. Not only that, but almost everythin' ya told us so far has been from one Darin' Doo book or another- add that ta the fact ya said Discord's the one that turned ya into stone, an, well...” she trailed off, unsure on how to finish her sentence.
“I- I see,” he quietly answered, lowering his head. “If even you are suggesting that I am nothing but a liar, I suppose it would be best if I take my leave.” So saying, he turned and took a step towards the kitchen door.
“Wait a second, I ain't done,” AJ quickly spoke, grabbing a strap of his overalls to stop him.
He turned. “Thou are not?” Tilting questioned, unsure.
“Naw,” she calmly replied. “Even if ya didn't do everythin' ya bragged 'bout ta me, that don't matter.”
“But Applejack, a Knight without honest tales about himself is-”
“A pony with no reggae band, I know, ya told me earlier.” She nodded somberly.
Tilting put a hoof to his forehead, repressing a groan of disbelief.
She smiled kindly. “Tiltin', you've shown me yer a good pony, and stories an the like ain't gonna change that.” AJ glanced up, thinking. “Besides, we ain't done yet.”
“Come again?” he replied.
“Well, even if ya copied all of Darin' Doo's books- not intentionally, mind ya,” she quickly corrected before getting a verbal rebuke. “That still leaves a few mysteries ta solve. For starters; after Twi managed to bring ya back from stone, ya spoke in some weird sorta fancy that Twilight an' Zecora both couldn't really understand, an they're the smartest ponies I know. On top a that, ya said Discord was attackin' Steedhelm.” She glanced over at Rarity. “Steedhelm's a town in the Darin' Doo books, right?”
“Right, Applejack.” The white unicorn confirmed. “I told you that just the other day, I can't believe you already-”
“So it's a town, but that thing was never attacked by Discord, I woulda remembered that, at least,” Applejack said, interrupting Rarity's scolding. “An now we got one more piece of evidence that's sayin' ya are more than jus' crazy. The story ya was tellin' us 'bout a second ago? The one with the Princess helpin' ya?” She paused, before pointing a hoof towards the stallion. “If Rarity ain't even finished writin' it, how would ya know 'bout the artifact in the story?” She crossed one hoof over the other, resting against the counter top. “I ain't got a clue how all a this is comin' about, but I'm starting to think...”
Applejack paused, scrunching her face up as her well of knowledge went bone dry. “Horsefeathers, I don't know. Twi,” she called. “What am I startin' ta think?”
The lavender pony shot an exasperated stare towards the farmer. “How should I know?” After a beat, she shrugged. “Granted, I suppose I could use my magic to read your mind, but I don't usually do that.”
“'Usually?'” Rarity repeated in a deadpan tone.
Twilight looked a bit uncomfortable at the question. “Well, you see, Pinkie Pie-”
AJ laughed gruffly. “Say no more. I ain't gonna judge ya for that one if it involves that pony,” she drawled, waving her hoof.
Twilight moved over towards Tilting and stared at him.
Finally, she broke the silence. “I have a hypothesis,” the scholarly pony said, before tersely adding, “It's going to sound crazy, but I'm only suggesting it due to Applejack believing what he's said is the truth in a few areas. I trust her completely when it comes to reading ponies, and if she thinks it, well...” Twilight trailed off, groaning after a beat. “But it's still going to sound stupid.”
“We won't know that until we hear it,” Rarity stated, putting her hooves on the table and staring down at them. “Besides, from everything we've done as a collective whole, I doubt you could throw us for too much of a loop.”
“Ok.” Twilight swallowed. “Well, you remember a few months back, that week where I went through time?”
“Eyup.” AJ nodded easily.
“But of course, dear,” Rarity casually commented.
“Hold it!” Tilting called out in shock. “Did I hear you correctly, Lady Twilight? Did thou honestly suggest you were capable of traveling through time?”
She blinked. “Well, yeah. Why?”
“I, I have never heard of such a thing, a spell that allowed something so powerful to occur, let alone a unicorn able to carry through, if such a spell existed.”
“That's Twilight fer ya!” Applejack proudly announced, stepping away from the counter, and giving Twilight a friendly pat on the back. “She's somethin' special. Why, I bet ya she's only beat by the Princesses in her magic.”
“You're embarrassing me.” Twilight laughed nervously, blushing at the complement.
“I know of one unicorn that would be her equal in a few of the more combative mystical arts.” Tilting grinned. “When I return home, I shall introduce him to you.”
Twilight frowned. “We're getting off track. Where I was going with my talk about traveling through time is this: once I successfully cast the spell, I wanted to know how it worked.” She closed her eyes, staring upward. “I drew information from the library, and came across a theory. That theory, written by Heavin' Stocking, suggested that the world was part of a multiverse.”
Applejack raised her foreleg above her head, a confused expression etched into her face.
“Yes?” Twilight questioned.
“What the heck is a multiverse?”
“How to explain it...” Twilight pondered. “Ah. Ok. Applejack, what did you eat for breakfast?”
“I didn't. I slept in a bit instead.”
“What would have happened if you had ate?” Twilight pressed.
The orange pony scratched her chin with a hoof. “I, uh, reckon I wouldn't have ate lunch. Was kinda weird. Not that it tasted bad or nothin'.” Applejack shrugged.
“Uh huh. Well, with the multiverse theory, the possibility of you eating breakfast would cause a split in this universe, creating a parallel universe where you did eat breakfast. Every action with a possibility for success or failure would generate a whole new universe, with a whole new set of possibilities inside it.”
Applejack glanced over at Tilting as Twilight finished her explanation. “Ya understand any of that?”
“Neigh.” He paused. “Did you?”
“Nope. Glad I ain't the only one.”
Twilight groaned, putting a hoof to her temple and rubbing it in thought.
“What I'm trying to say is this: Tilting Windmills is potentially from an alternative universe. A universe where Steedhelm is not only a town, but the capital. A world where Daring Doo books are legitimate fact, not fictional tales. And world where Discord is free, and is currently laying waste.”
“Hold it,” AJ drawled. “If that's the case, then couldn't ponies from there use the Elements of Harmony ta stop Discord?”
“Theoretically, yes.” Twilight nodded seriously. “Unless something happened in their time line that caused the Elements to never have been created, or the bearers were never born, or Discord resisted their power, or a myriad of other possibilities.” She frowned, wanting a cup of coffee to recharge her quickly draining batteries. “It's a complete crapshot, AJ. There's no way I can say yes or no running on just a theory- a theory that has no real way to be proven in conventional means.”
Tilting rolled his neck, popping it. “I have not a clue regarding thine scientific speech, Lady Twilight. However, you can
rest assured, the nine Element carriers rest secured in the comfort and safety of Castle Steedhelm's bosom.”
“Nine? Fascinating. We only have six Elements here.” Twilight blinked.
“Indeed? How bizarre. Does Luna still carry hers in this land?” he asked.
“Luna is an Element of Harmony?”
“Element of Virtue, Lady Twilight.” He corrected. “Of course, they are more or less the same, if I understand your words correctly.” Tilting shrugged, adjusting a strap on his overalls.
“What Element is she? I bet it's Generosity,” Rarity said with a smile, finally joining in the conversation again.
“Generosity? Neigh. We have not one called that.” Tilting paused for a beat. “Unless thou means the Element of Altruism? 'Tis the closest one I can think of.” He looked Rarity over. “And the carrier reminds me of you in a way, Lady Rarity, rather than the princess.” The Knight smiled.
“She has a fantastic fashion sense?” The white unicorn beamed.
“Neigh. She goes out of her way to protect her friends.” He nodded towards the Rolodex. “Like thou were doing in regards to me.”
“Yes, well.” Rarity coughed. “There are quite a few unmentionables in the world. I wanted to make sure you were not one of them, before you got closer to everypony.”
“Thou art forgiven,” he said.
Applejack looked over to Twilight. “Well, now that ya'll know he's from a different place, ya can jus' zap 'em back, right?”
“It's not that simple, AJ,” Twilight replied defensively.
“Why not? Ya just gotta zap him back to that other Equestra if he's from there. Ya zap ponies left an' right all the time.”
“It's teleportation magic. Not 'zap' magic. And remember, we're dealing with a theory. I have nothing to solidly back up my claims- it's nothing more than a glorified hypothesis I made to answer all the questions we currently can't answer.” She frowned. “Even if it's true, we are talking about teleporting somepony to an entirely different universe. That's quite a distance, one I doubt I could do,” Twilight replied, moving over to the cabinets once more, and opening a drawer. She levitated out a coffee maker, and plugged it into a wall outlet.
“There's gotta be somethin' we can do,” Applejack argued from her end of the counter.
“I'm not going to give up, AJ,” Twilight said, preparing water and beans for her drink as Tilting watched from a few feet away, curiosity evident on his face. “Tonight, I'm going to research everything I can regarding the multiverse theory, to see if there's some documentation about somepony crossing over to a different dimension.”
“And I'll help.” Rarity tersely smiled, rising from the table to join Twilight's side. “With Spikey Wikey sick, you'll need an aide, correct?”
“That would be great. Thanks, Rarity.” Twilight nodded, setting the coffee machine to start. “Although, as soon as Spike recovers, I'll probably write a letter to Celestia. I'm sure she'll know how to take care of this.”
Tilting's eyes widened. “Thou can speak directly to Celestia? 'Tis fortunate news!” He laughed. “Tell her that while I was here, I captured a dragon, slayed a wendigo, and felled several carnivorous plants in the untamed fields of Applejack's family estate! The Princess has always loved hearing of my tales of honor!”
The three mares shared one more glance to one another.
“Ok. So he's still a bit... um, eccentric,” Rarity quietly whispered to Twilight. “But I'm sure you're onto something with your idea.”
“I hope so, I can't think of any other way he'd know what he does.” Twilight replied. She turned to Tilting Windmills and Applejack. “You two go ahead and return to the party. Rarity and I will be out after we finish our drinks.”
Both ponies nodded, departing the room.
“I didn't expect this talk to turn out quite like it did,” Rarity though out loud.
“Seriously,” Twilight agreed. “I thought we would have proven to Applejack that he was lying, or something to that effect. I didn't expect us to become convinced something bigger was occurring.”
“Mmm,” Rarity softly hummed in agreement.
The coffee maker beeped, letting the ponies know their beverage was finished. Twilight called mugs out from her cupboard, and gently tipped the coffee pot, filling the two cups and placing them before her and Rarity.
“I've got to know,” Twilight started, blowing on her drink in an attempt to cool it. “Where did you get your ideas for writing? With Tilting Windmills seeming to have been through several of them, I figure now would be a fantastic time to ask.” Twilight smiled. “That, and I'm curious. I can say I've never talked to a writer before.”
“We talk all the time, dear.”
“You know what I mean,” the lavender pony countered, taking a sip of her drink.
Rarity sighed. “I suppose you won't let this drop?”
“Sorry, Rarity.”
The dressmaker looked into her cup. “Ever since I was a filly, I've occasionally had these nightmares.” She frowned. “Well, I wouldn't even say nightmares, they were more intense than any dream. Almost visions. In them, I saw exotic locations, strange creatures, and hundreds of magical artifacts. My father suggested that writing them down might help me cope with them.” She took a sip of her drink. “And it does. It does, uh, help.” She nodded to herself. “Eventually, I was able to write a novel. I changed some of the setting to be a bit more contemporary, based her character off of a certain pegasus we both know, and changed her outfit, but after that, Daring Doo was born, and with the proceeds from the series, I was able to buy my own shop here in Ponyville.”
“That's fascinating,” Twilight exclaimed. She then took a deep drink of her coffee. “However, the ideas for Daring Doo coming to you in dreams intrigues me.” The scholarly pony pondered on it briefly. “I wonder if your dreams are establishing some sort of connection between our world and theirs.”
“Gracious, Twilight. Is that even possible?” Rarity asked, taken aback.
“Only way I can even come close to a logical answer for how Tilting knows what he does.” Twilight paused mid drink. “Unless, of course, he broke into your home and read an uncompleted script?” She secretly hoped.
Rarity shook her head. “I haven't even put a quill to paper regarding the dagger of Mambrino, darling. Even if I did, I know enough about magic to preform an anti intruder spell over my home when I'm out.”
“It can't ever be the easy answer, can it?” Twilight sighed. “Very well. Get ready, Rarity. Tonight's going to be a long one.”
000
The party at Twilight's died down at ten o clock, with only the most carefree and energetic ponies still fighting for superiority at the dance floor and the various games Pinkie Pie had set up. Applejack and Tilting Windmills both stumbled out of the front door of the library, weary from the events a few hours earlier, where Twilight had suggested that Tilting Windmills was from a different Equestria than he was standing in right now.
Applejack shook her head in near disbelief as the two slowly walked through the center of town, heading towards the outskirts of Ponyville.
“So, ya think Twilight's right 'bout all a this?” she drawled.
“'Tis the only answer I can consider reasonably at the moment. It fits all the puzzle pieces together, anyway. Wouldn't thou agree?”
“Even though I only followed a little bit of it.” Applejack nodded.
They walked in companionable silence for a few moments longer, before AJ decided she needed to speak. “So, tell me 'bout yer family.”
“My family?”
“Eyup,” she stated. “Weird things like dimensions, an' theories, an' the like I don't get. Family I do. They're a glue for me. I just wanted ta talk 'bout something we both knew of, I guess.”
“I understand,” he curtly answered. “Well, as I mentioned before, my extended family is quite massive, however, I typically stay at my estate with my brother, Alexcanter.”
Applejack mulled over that. “Ya'll close?”
He offered a small smile, kicking a pebble he noticed on the ground. “As close as a unicorn and earth pony can be, I suppose. I love him as a brother, friend, and fellow Knight. But we have different opinions on things.”
“He's a Knight too?” AJ asked incredulously.
“Indeed. And the best practitioner of spellwork that I know.” He paused after that, giving a glance over his shoulder toward the slowly shrinking library. “Well, I suppose the second best, if Lady Sparkle's claim of traveling through time's river is accurate.”
“It is,” Applejack nodded. “She ain't the kind ta boast or nothin'.”
Tilting grunted in thought as they passed the school.
The two soon came to Ponyville's city limit, and they stepped foot on the dirt road that lead to Sweet Apple acres.
“Alright, got another one for ya, since we're still walkin' a ways,” AJ said. “Ya got nine Elements where ya'll are from, right?”
“True,”
“Well, we only got six here, I was jus' wonderin' what the other three were.”
“I was, admittedly, curious about which of the elements thou were lacking. Let us discover what is missing,” Tilting readily agreed. “Regale me of what elements thine world has.”
“Uh, sure,” Applejack said, gazing at the open fields as they both slowly walked the lonely road. “There's Generosity. Ya said that's like yer Alutra... thing.”
“Altruism, yes,” he answered.
'Then we got Magic.”
“As do we. 'Tis carried by my brother.”
“How 'bout Laughter?”
Tilting pondered on that briefly. “Well... there is Argent Light- she carries the Element of Fellowship, which helps improve the guards' morale. Do you suppose that is close enough?”
“I'd reckon so.” Applejack nodded. She drew another name from the elements. “Loyalty.”
“Easy to identify from the word thou has given me. That is an exact replica of our Element of Devotion, Ser Lancatrot- the best friend I've ever had.”
“Our Element of Loyalty is pretty much the same.”
“Thou knows the Elements personally?” Tilting asked, surprised evident on his voice.
“Something like that,” Applejack elusively replied, a bit uncomfortable at coming right out and saying that she and her friends were the wielders of the Elements. She gave a sideways glance toward the Knight. “How's about Honesty?”
“Purity,” he corrected automatically.
Applejack gave a shake of her head. “I ain't so sure Purity an' Honesty go together, pardner.”
“Neigh, Jack. Thou are not looking at it correctly,” the overall clad stallion promptly said. “Honesty is what?”
“Uh...” she trailed off, surprised at the sudden question. “Speakin' what ya are really feelin', I guess.”
“Speaking the truth, even if thine voice shakes.” He nodded.
She walked silently for a moment in thought. “More or less,” the mare finally answered. “But it's more than that.”
Ahead, on the southern horizon, they could see the faded sign of Sweet Apple Acres in the distance. It was welcoming sight, after the strenuous night.
“It's more 'bout bein' true to yerself an what ya think's right, mostly, rather than always tellin' the truth,” Applejack said. “Sometimes, in order ta help somepony else, ya gotta stretch the truth a bit. Not that lying is a good thing, but...” she trailed off, unsure where her sudden inspiration of words came from. It probably had something to do with being related to Big Macintosh and Braeburn- those ponies were actually pretty decent at speeches and the like, when they were forced into them. Granted, it took quite a bit of arm pulling for Macintosh to talk, but still.
Tilting Windmills gently smiled as the wind briefly kissed their manes. “Thou has described the Element of Purity in the exact way as I would.”
“I, uh, did?”
“Indeed. The Element of Purity always has the best intentions at the heart of the matter. Come what may, they are a pony thou can look up to. Remember that lesson, Jack, if thou is ever fortunate to cross paths with Purity.”
“I'll keep that in mind,” AJ answered.
He paused for a moment, before smiling wide enough to show the faintest sign of crows feet at the corner of his amber eyes. “Thou reminds me of our own Element of Purity.”
“Wh-what makes ya say that?” She stammered.
“Thou stood with me against Lady Rarity and Lady Twilight earlier, but let me know upfront that thou had disagreements with the validity of some of my many heroic claims. Thine unwillingness to compromise thine morals to fully join forces with either side shows a friend one can trust, no matter how bleak the situation.”
She blushed slightly at the complement, but hid it well, lowering her hat on her face and kicking the dirt near the property line of her home. “Thanks,” the farmpony quietly stated.
“Neigh, thank you, Jack.” he answered.
“Now, where were we?” She quickly asked, wanting to change the subject. “Ah. Our last one's Kindness.”
“Kindness, thou sayith?” Tilting asked, chewing a lip in thought. He leaned against one of the poles supporting the welcome sign to Applejack's home. “Our other elements all embody Kindness in a way. We have Mercy, Forgiveness, Patience, and Love. I wonder, do you suppose it's possible that your Element of Kindness is a combination of our four?”
“I dunno. I mean, how would ya figure out somethin' like that?”
“Well, do you know the bearer of Kindness?”
“Eyup,” she easily said, giving up her aloof responses earlier, if for a brief moment.
“Would thou say she's the strongest out of all the carriers you know?”
Applejack moved over to the fence by the long road leading to her house, and reached out, touching a leaf on an apple tree. AJ thought of her timid, fragile friend- a pony who had the potential to burst into tears at the slightest loud noise. A pony that couldn't look anypony in the eye when she first met them due to crippling shyness. A pony that went out of the way to help anything sick or hurt. And a pony that willingly stood with Twilight to face Discord, Nightmare Moon, and Queen Chrysalis.
“Pardner,” Applejack replied, turning and staring holes through Tilting with her conviction. “That mare is the strongest pony I've ever had the pleasure of knowin'.”
Tilting rose from his relaxed state, moving over to stand at the fence by Applejack. “Then I am to assume she carries power of the rest of our Elements. I am pleased to hear of her strength, as she holds a piece of Luna within her.”
“So Luna's the Element of what, Mercy?” Applejack guessed, staring out at the fields of apple trees swimming in the breeze.
“Forgiveness,” Tilting replied. “In my lands, she holds the court of the night; the court that deals with criminal actions, lost ponies, and other aspects of Equestria best hidden during the day." He stole a glance upward, taking in Luna's majesty. “Many ponies appeal to her to acquire pardons for their transgressions. With very few exceptions, she grants them.”
“Jus' like that?” Applejack questioned.
“Indeed. Her mercy is as swift as the trail of a star upon a journey across the heavens.”
Applejack frowned, the slightest heat of irritation creeping into her voice. “So she jus' tosses criminals back onto the street?”
Tilting seemed unaware of his companions darkening mood; rather, he continued to stare at the rows of trees. “Everypony deserves a second chance, Jack. Neigh,” He corrected, “Everybody deserves an attempt to change for the better. Dragons, Gryphons, Ponies- we all want to help one another. 'Tis our nature.”
“The world ain't like that, Tiltin',” Applejack drawled out.
The Knight lowered his head in acceptance. “But it should be,” he sincerely answered, his voice barely a whisper.
Applejack felt a stinging urge to put a comforting hoof on the naive pony's shoulder, but she ignored it. Instead, she chose to follow her gut through this conversation, and it wanted no stone unturned. “So, yer tellin' me that Luna puts murderers back onto the street, and yer alright with this?” she bluntly asked.
“I said 'anybody,' not 'anybeast,'” Tilting Windmills curtly replied, his eyes narrowing. “A murderer is an unnatural being, fueled by hatred and intolerance. He does not carry what makes us special, what makes us higher than mere creatures.”
“What's that?” she asked, curiosity putting the argument briefly on hold.
Tilting wordlessly pointed to her chest.
“My... heart?” Applejack guessed.
Tilting considered that briefly. “Thou art close. I speak of the soul, Jack.” He gazed deeply into her green eyes. “Thine soul holds what thou are- a creature free and beautiful, one of infinite possibilities.” He nodded, as if confirming this fact.
Applejack crooked her head. “Did ya jus' call me pretty?”
“I called your soul that,” he replied.
The farm pony was taken aback for a moment, before she smirked, turning her head back towards the fields. “Ya kinda remind me of Mac and Braeburn, they love sayin' stuff like that.”
“Stuff like what?”
“That talk 'bout hearts an' souls, an'...” she trailed off, pushing herself upright off the fence. “Know what? Forget 'bout it,” The mare easily said, before she pointed her chin towards the house. “Let's get goin'. Mac's likely ta have a heart attack if I don't get in soon.”
He nodded. Together, they walked.
000
As the midnight hour came upon Ponyville, the last guest left the party, rubbing a tired pink hoof to her eyes and stifling a content yawn. As she began to walk down the stone paths of the town, Twilight shut the front door and breathed a sigh of relief at the quiet, and the nearly spotless study room. She shook her head in bemusement.
“I'm glad Pinkie cleaned up before heading out; it would have been absolutely dreadful doing that later on,” Rarity stated, yawning as she emerged from the kitchen clad in a white bathrobe and levitating a cup of coffee in her magical aura.
“It was indeed a kind gesture. Such a shame it's going to get messy again.” Twilight frowned. “We've got our work cut out for us tonight- you sure you're up for it?”
Rarity smiled. “I've done my share of late nights in the world of fashion.”
“Then let's get started!” Twilight exclaimed, a determined smile stretching across her face.
000
Six hours later, as the dawn of another day began to grace the lands, Twilight continued to pace across the library floor, stepping over several books that littered the ground. She glanced blearily over to Rarity; she was asleep in a chair, snoring lightly as she smuggled tightly to an open book, a thin line of droll coating one of the pages.
“Thirty one books,” the lavender unicorn spoke to herself, gazing at the mess of books tossed all along the floor, table, and any other free surface to help separate them. “Thirty one books in this library that mention Stocking's theory.”
She felt her eye twitch slightly. “Out of those, only five actually go into detail about multidimensional theory.” The mare's anger continued to bubble over as she slammed her front hooves hard into the ground. “Out of those, NOT A SINGLE CELESTIA DAMNED ONE HAS ANYTHING OTHER THAN CONJECTURE!” she screamed in frustration. Suddenly, the volume and gravity of what she said caught up to her, and she put two hooves to her mouth, blushing red in embarrassment at the harsh language. Through a miracle, Rarity continued to sleep blissfully, unaware of the other mare's outburst.
Twilight relaxed, calming down and putting her hooves back to ground. The soft pattering of feet coming down the stairs informed her she wasn't alone. She turned just as Spike landed on the ground floor, an ice bag carefully balanced on top of his head. Wordlessly, the baby dragon handed Twilight a bar of soap. She nodded, putting it in her mouth.
“What was that about?” Spike asked. “I was in such a nice dream too...”
Twilight briefly pulled the soap out of her mouth, and ran her tongue under her teeth in an attempt to get rid of the terrible flavor. “Sorry, Spike. I was just looking for something to help a friend with, and I haven't found a single concrete fact.” She scowled, before putting the bar of soap back in her mouth.
“If you can't find it, then I doubt it exists. I mean, research is kind of your thing.”
Twilight spat out the soap once more. “That's the problem; I don't know if it exists- I just don't know what else it could be.” She ran a hoof through her mane. “I'm really at a loss.”
As an afterthought, she put the soap back in her mouth.
The purple scaled creature raised a brow, weakly coughing. “Celestia's just a letter away.”
“Spike, you're sick. I don't expect you to send a message in your condition.”
“Come on. Lay it on me, I'll be fine. In fact, I bet I can even guess your first three words to her.”
“I don't know.”
“You know you want to say them.”
“But I-”
“Say them,” He coaxed, leaning forward.
She gave an annoyed scoff, but opened her mouth regardless. “Fine, Spike. 'Dear Princess Celes-'”
“On second thought, you should wait a bit longer. Say, five minutes?” Spike said, staring with purpose towards the bar of soap levitating a few inches in front of her.
With a world weary sigh, Twilight put the soap once more into her mouth.