//------------------------------//
// Morning In Ponyville 
// Story: Magical 
// by bigbear 
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Magical

By bigbear

Twilight Sparkle loved magic. Magic was her special talent. Her starburst cutie mark was testament to her connection to the arcane. Twilight could express herself with the magic from her horn, in ways she could not with her hooves or wings. The study of magic was her life’s work, first as personal student to the Princess of the Sun, and alumnus of her School for gifted Unicorns, then ultimately with the merging of magic and friendship that led to her ascension as a Princess. 

So it bugged Twilight when her friends seemed to distrust magic. Nopony was allowed to use magic during Winter Wrap Up in Ponyville. Applejack initially didn’t want Twilight’s magical help with the apple harvest. (To be fair, Applejack initially didn’t want anypony’s help with the harvest.) Rainbow Dash always talked about studying magic as something only ‘eggheads’ did.

This seemed crazy to Twilight; magic was in the ponies all around her. Applejack could place three baskets under a tree, give it a buck, and have every apple on the tree fall into one of the baskets. Maud Pie could hammer her way through yards of rock in less than a minute. And Pinkie Pie could… well... better not to dwell too closely on all the things Pinkie could do. That way lie madness and getting hit on the head by falling anchors. Regardless, all these earth ponies seemed pretty magical to her.

And after what she had seen fighting the evil centaur, Tirek, Twilight just wanted everypony to be able to see how magical they really were. And when Twilight had a problem, she solved it with magic, or with friendship, or hopefully with both. 

It was time to play ‘egghead’.





After an all night bout of magical research and creativity, Twilight exited her castle and shut the great doors behind her. Her eyes were closed, and her breath was shallow. “I’m too nervous. This is no way to test new magic,” the lavender alicorn thought. She raised a hoof to her chest and took a series of calming breaths. “Think like a scientist.” Twilight ruffled her wings, then folded them comfortably to her sides. She opened her eyes and stepped onto the busy streets of Ponyville.

The spring morning was mild, with just a hint of a warm wind. Celestia’s sun played hide and seek with a few fluffy white clouds. On again, off again, sunlight glistened off the Ponyville River, the fountain in the market square, and Twilight’s own crystalline castle. The rest of the brightly painted buildings in town contributed their own riot of color to the tableau.

Colorful ponies filled the town with activity. Pastel earth ponies and unicorns trotted the streets to and from the market square. Equally resplendent pegasi darting purposefully across the skies. Twilight focused her interest on the ponies. "First field test," she said to herself, cast her new spell, and scanned the busy streets. With all all the ponies about, the setting should be a perfect test.

Twilight’s eyes darted from pony to pony. There was so much going on it was hard to focus. Her view of Ponyville was overwhelming. Not the town, so much as the ponies. The town looked normal. But to Twilight’s bespelled eyes, the ponies were glowing with shimmering light, rippling around them with every move. Overwhelmed, Twilight walked haltingly down the street toward the market square, her mouth hung slightly open. 

Twilight wished she could share this experience with her friends. But Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike were in Canterlot at Rarity’s satellite boutique. Applejack was helping her family in Appaloosa. And Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were on a friendship mission for the magic map in her castle. Twilight was on her own.

"Hello there, Princess." 

Twilight started and jerked her head toward the sound. There was a colorful earth pony mare drawing a cart standing in her path. Rainbow lights glittered across the pony's body, exploding from her shoulders and haunches, and pulsed out from her hooves into the ground every time she shifted position. Twilight looked closely to try and identify the pony in question. But the shimmering lights made immediate identification impossible.

"Are you okay, Princess?"

Twilight leaned in close and scanned her eyes over the mare in front of her. She should know who this is. But the pony looked so strange, bathed in shimmering lights, that Twilight couldn’t identify her. “If I can’t tell by sight, I’ll have to listen more closely,” Twilight thought.

Other ponies on the street stopped to watch and listen as well. During her time in Ponyville, a lot of odd things happened around Twilight Sparkle. Sometimes things turned lyrical. Other times things turned dangerous. The residents of Ponyville found it useful to check odd things out from a respectful distance when they seemed to be happening around their resident princess. 

"Your horn is glowing and your stare is starting to freak me out a little bit, Princess. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Unable to immediately identify the mare by voice, Twilight looked into the cart the pony was pulling. It was full of carrots, fresh from the farm. "Carrot Top?"

“That’s me.” The mare smiled and sighed. “Is everything okay?”

"My apologies, I didn't mean to stare.” Twilight let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “I mean I was staring because I'm trying out this new spell and it makes ponies look a little odd. I couldn’t tell it was you by sight, because the spell lets me see things ponies can't normally see."

Carrot Top thought about this for a few moments. She didn’t have much experience with spells beyond her unicorn friends using their levitation. “Does this spell show you secret things?”

Twilight considered this. It was a good question. "I suppose they could be considered secret, since no pony’s ever seen them before.”

There was a murmur of concern from the ponies who had collected around Twilight and Carrot Top. Twilight looked around and realized all the ponies nearby sounded uneasy.

“Some things are secret for a reason,” somepony in the crowd called. Twilight tried to follow the voice, but she couldn’t identify the speaker among the glittering bodies. A few ponies began backing away.

“What secrets do you see, Princess?” somepony else asked. “Don’t look this way,” another called. “I didn’t do it and I’ll never do it again!” a third yelled as they fled down the street.

Twilight realized the situation was quickly getting out of hoof. She shook her head and released the spell. Her horn lost its glow. Twilight scanned the crowd. Everypony had stopped glittering, but many of them looked scared.

"Pardon me, pardon me, please let me through!" Mayor Mare, a brown earth pony with a silver mane, trotted forward. The crowd parted and the mayor moved through them like water. "Princess Twilight, Carrot Top, what's this I hear about secrets?"

"Princess Twilight was using a spell to see pony’s secrets," Carrot Top said.

"My secrets are my business," came a voice from the crowd.

"What's going on here?" came another voice.

"Princess Twilight’s spying out people's secrets!" came the reply. “Tell everypony!” Most of the onlookers backed away; several bolted to tell the story to others.

Twilight flapped her wings once, and raised up on her hind legs. "I'm not doing anything of the sort!" Twilight cried. “I’m happy to explain the theory of thaumaturgic anomalies involved in the spell.”

But no one was listening. Down the street, ponies in the market square were already turning and pointing at Twilight. The rumors had started. And the only thing faster than a rainboom were rumors spreading in Ponyville.

"I'm afraid we have a problem, Princess." Mayor Mare looked sadly at Twilight. “And while I am sure ‘thaumaturgic anomalies’ is technically correct, I don’t think an explanation of magical theory will help dispel rumors or quiet fears.” 

Twilight landed back on her fore hooves. Her wings drooped, and her head hung low. "What can I do? I'm not trying to spy on ponies. I’m just testing a new spell."

"Maybe you can explain what’s going on to everypony," Carrot Top stepped up to Twilight. ”I’d sure like to know what you saw.”

"Transparency is a very good idea, Carrot Top," Mayor Mare straightened up. "We can have a meeting tonight at Town Hall. Princess Twilight can tell everypony what's going on all at once.”

"Wouldn't it be better to try and explain now?" Twilight pleaded. She hated that so many ponies were looking at her accusingly and pointing. She wished her friends were here. They would have given her a chance to explain.

"I'm afraid an incomplete explanation would just start more rumors," the Mayor said. “I think it's better if you take the rest of the day to come up with an explanation everypony can understand. Then you can dispel the rumors once and for all."

Twilight sighed."Okay Mayor Mare, I'll come to Town Hall an hour after sunset.” She dropped her head again.

"Thank you, Princess. I'm sure we'll get this all straightened out."

The Mayor walked Twilight back to her castle. Along the way Twilight could hear ponies muttering and looking in her direction. Some of them stared at her. Twilight felt very uncomfortable and alone.