//------------------------------// // Ch. 1 - Triumphant Return // Story: Legacies of Friendship // by PonIver //------------------------------// The black smoke that had been billowing out for the duration of the journey was slowly turning into a faint fog. The interim between whistles grew shorter and shorter still, and the cooling breeze that had been rushing in through the small opening in the cracked window of the cabin was waning. Somepony was wandering the walkways outside the cabin, tapping on each door with a firm knock declaring “Next stop: Ponyville!” Twilight Sparkle arose from the seat and dog-eared the page in the current text she was enthralled with; frustrated that she hadn’t finished it before her arrival. It couldn’t be helped though. She was too distracted by the task at hand, and for once, no amount of organization or planning was going to be enough for her to be ready for what was waiting for her. The fog was becoming a mist. The whistle blasts grew longer and echoed through the passenger cars. The locomotive came to that inevitable screeching halt. No amount of eased braking could ever stop something so massive from jerking backwards upon stopping. The jostling startled Twilight a bit, as the weight of her suitcase had shifted her center of gravity, and she stumbled horn over hooves into the door to her cabin. “That’s going to leave a mark,” she uttered to nopony in particular as she gently rubbed her horn. All these years and she still found herself speaking aloud as though Spike was at her side to giggle at her slight misfortunes and offer condolences. In many ways, parting with Spike had been the hardest of all for Twilight. Her bond with each of the residents of Ponyville had grown strong over the years, but her and Spike had been together since his beginning. What they had was more of a companionship than a friendship, and while the companionship had come to a close, their friendship never did. The bond between them remained strong despite the challenges of growing distance and lapses in time between letters. Spike was still, at heart, a messenger, and there were the occasions they kept in touch, but it had by this point been at least half a decade since they corresponded. The last letters she recalled from him spoke about his new post running the Ponyville Post Office, and how occupied he was between there and being curator of the Hall of Records, which had been backlogged with entries from Twilight’s journeys of youth. Once she had regained her composure, Twilight reached into her suitcase to find the scroll that had been tormenting her for the past three days. For the last few months she had barely slept, and now this had just added to her burden. With a furrowed brow she perused the decree from Princess Celestia one final time. *** By the Royal Order of Her Highness Princess Celestia To My Faithful and Loyal Friend Twilight Sparkle: Twilight, your aid over the past fifteen years has been an invaluable asset to the Kingdom of Equestria, and neither I, nor my loyal subjects, could never thank you enough for your efforts. As the Royal Hoof, you have spent more time guiding myself and the kingdom than I ever did mentoring you. Equestria has since entered a long period of prosperity, and all of us have at last found the joy of peace. All of us that is, except yourself. Ever the studious one, you have tirelessly tasked yourself with preparations for the next possible disaster, as if possessed by the fear that something could go wrong. While I understand that such is, and has always been, your nature, should something ever go wrong, you would not be able to aid us in the state of panic you are in. It pains me to watch you toil endlessly over the kingdom, and that is why I must issue this order: Take a vacation! More specifically, I hereby banish you from the city of Canterlot for a period of no less than a fortnight. During this time, you will relocate to your defunct friendship research station in Ponyville, and, I hope, reunite with your old companions. Arrangements have been made for your departure and your stay. Report to Stallion Station this Friday at Noon. I hope that you can find some inner peace during your journey, and I am eager to hear every detail upon your return. H.R.M. Princess Celestia P.S. Sorry for the harsh language. Luna insisted on it to get the point across. You’ll be back before you know it, so please try to have some fun! *** Reading the note again frustrated Twilight even further, but knowing it was too late to turn back forced her to let out a sigh of relief and accept her fate. Celestia had never steered her wrong before, and perhaps she was right that this is what she needed. At the very least, she’d get to spend some time back at the Ponyville Library where she can review some texts not found in the Canterlot Archives. Twilight knew she had been working her hooves to the grindstone endlessly as of late, and perhaps the kingdom could do without her for the time being, especially in the capable hooves of Celestia and her sister.          Twilight departed her cabin and made her way to the exit of the train. As she approached the doorway she felt the sun shining, heard the birds singing, smelt some delicious cakes and apple pies baking off in the distance, and saw several ponies stylishly trotting about the town square. The town seemed just as quaint and happy as when she left it.          The few passengers on the train quickly found their ways and went about while Twilight was still gathering her bags together. Somehow she had more luggage than anyone on the train, but most of her belongings consisted of boxes filled with books she wished to donate to the local library. As the small crowd of arrivals dispersed she could see one small figure emerge, and approach to greet her. Seemingly unchanged as when she had left, Spike nervously mustered up a greeting.          “It’s so good to see you again Twilight. I’ve been expecting you. I hope the ride was pleasant. May I help with those?”          Twilight however was less able to contain her joy at seeing the young dragon again. She picked him up and hugged him tight, barely able to keep from squealing with joy, “Spike! You haven’t changed at all! I’m so happy you came to see me in.”          Spike began laughing as well while he struggled to breathe. “I’m glad you didn’t forget about me Twilight.”          “How could I ever do such a thing? You’ve been by my side for half my life and you’ve hardly grown at all.”          “Did you forget I’m a dragon? I’m not even old enough by dragon standards to begin sprouting wings, and besides there aren’t enough gemstones in this town for me to snack on anyhow.”          “Either way it’s great to see you again.” She finally let him go and Spike grabbed a couple of the smaller bags that he could handle.          “You sure brought a lot more with you than I expected. Unfortunately, your arrangements for the month won’t be ready for…”          “Did you say a month?” Twilight interjected harshly. She was taken aback and hoped there was some mistake. Twilight should have spent the last night packing, but instead she squandered the hours crafting an alibi for her visit. Being the proud and powerful figure she had become, it was simply too embarrassing to admit the truth to everypony. The finalized plan she spent the night developing was to claim she was there to perform a census and evaluate the performance of the new magic-driven farms that were providing the kingdom with sustenance. The foundation of her story was quickly crumbling before she even had the chance to implement phase one of her devious back-story. She crossed her hooves and tried to milk more information out of Spike, “That won’t be necessary. I’m simply here to perform my duties to Her Majesty in the precinct and then return to my post at Canterlot. I scheduled ahead extensively and should be gone in a couple weeks.” Twilight feared what Spike would say next. Does Spike know something I don’t? How much had Celestia told him about the situation? Does everypony already know? What will happen to Equestria if I’m stuck here an entire month? Her heart was quickly sinking into the pit of her stomach as her mind raced with the possibilities and the unknowns. “Well I hope you can stay longer than that. I was shocked when my gut started rumbling and for the first time in years I spat out a letter from Celestia. I was so happy to hear that you were coming back to catch up with your old friends, although I found it odd that I heard about it from Celestia instead of you.” “Great,”  Twilight thought, “he probably knows everything, and between his blabbermouth and running the post office, everypony must have heard as well.” “Anyway, it was such short notice that I barely made it here to see you arrive. I’m lucky the trains don’t run on magic yet and still show up late now and again.” Twilight’s anxiety quickly dissipated, but she looked at Spike with a puzzled look on her face. “I’ve known about this trip for three days and planned every detail. It’s not like Celestia to give a last-minute notice.” “Well,” Spike began to blush and rubbed the back of the scales on his head while softly chuckling “I haven’t really been ‘expecting’ you. It’s been years since I received any notes in that method. All the mail I oversee now travels by pegasus. When my gut started rumbling I thought it was some antique gemstones I found in Rarity’s boutique upsetting my stomach. I didn’t want her to know what was going on and she would flip if I wasn’t a gentledragon around her, so instead of doing anything about it I was just feeling more and more sick. Then about an hour ago it occurred to me that the feeling was actually somehow familiar, and before I knew it the letter came out. Guess over the years I forgot what it felt like when a letter arrived from the princess.” With her worries now gone, Twilight began to laugh at her former companion, “That’s just like you Spike. Always worried about what Rarity thinks of you and forgetting who you are.” Spike began laughing with her and dropped one the bags in his claws. “So because of the time constraints, your arrangements won’t be ready for a couple hours. I was hoping there was an errand you wanted to run in town before you settle in for your stay.” Twilight already found herself letting her guard down from the ease of being around Spike again, and the urgent air she carried around herself began to fade. “Actually, there is. Most of these boxes contain some worn and older books that we replaced in the Canterlot Archives. I found them collecting dust in the lower catacombs and thought maybe they could find a home in the Ponyville Li…” This time is was Spike who found himself shockingly interrupting his former companion, “NO!” He quickly tried to regain his composure and hide his embarrassment from yelling at Twilight. “I mean…it’s not ready yet.” He stopped and shuffled his feet while correcting himself again, “Actually, that’s where I made arrangements for you to stay while you’re here. I’m sure the townsponies will love the books you brought, but perhaps we can go somewhere else in the meantime until your space is ready?” Twilight was curious about the sudden changes in tone from Spike. He had never tried to hide anything from her in all their time together, so it was obvious to her that something was up. Before she could play the accuser however, her stomach did the talking instead. A ghastly growl arose from inside her and suddenly it was Twilight doing the blushing. “Either I’ve started receiving letters from Celestia or the rush to make my train this morning left me without time for a proper breakfast,” uttered the embarrassed mare, as she continued to let her guard down. A smile slowly crept across Spike’s face and he proudly declared, “Lunch it is then!” Spike and Twilight gathered the luggage and meandered towards the nearest café. Ponyville was still the same unchanging earth pony town that Twilight remembered. A few new buildings here and there, but it didn’t appear that any homes she remembered had been torn down. *** Spike approached an outdoor table and beckoned towards the hostess, “Two menus please.” Spike used one of the suitcases he was carrying to prop up the seat of the chair and hopped on. “So what do you think? Is Ponyville still the same place you remember?” “Well not much has changed it seems, but it has been many years so maybe my memory isn’t clear right now.” Twilight glanced over the menu. Compared to what she had become accustomed to during her travels across Equestria and beyond, the food out here was that special combination of primitive and nourishing. The smell of baking had been caught in her nostrils since she got off the train so her craving got the best of her. “Can I please have some coffee and a slice of pie?” “Absolutely dearie,” the hostess turned her muzzle towards Spike, “and for you?” Spike grimaced at the menu. He still had a sweet tooth but being the only dragon in town meant nobody around served any gemstones. He dropped the menu on the table and made his request, “Cheesecake please.” The hostess took the menus away and Spike turned his attention back towards the hungry unicorn, “Coffee? You always hated coffee. I used to be amazed how you would stay up all night without it.” Twilight giggled “Yeah it was never really my thing until a couple years ago. I went to some far off land on a trade mission for Celestia. It was all they drank there, and when I returned home I found myself craving it all the time.” “I’m sure being the Royal Hoof has sent you lots of interesting places. I know it’s been a while since our last letters, but most of what I knew about your goings on in Canterlot I read through the papers since you were too busy. We have a lot of catching up to do.” For the next forty-five minutes Twilight went on and on about all the wonderful places she had been and the things she had seen and tasted around the world. She didn’t even notice the hostess return with her order. By the time she paused to think about what to tell Spike about next she noticed the ice cream on her pie had melted into a sticky white pool slowly drowning her tasty pastry. She took a bite and as soon as it hit her tongue, all these memories flooded into her at once. The food in Canterlot was elegant, but it was the equivalent of dressing up a pig, since most of the resources were grown with unicorn magic. The earth ponies out here in the sticks knew that hard work led to greater rewards and richer dividends. “Twilight? Hello? Anybody home?” Spike beckoned for her attention. Spike realized the food had entranced her. He snapped his fingers in front of her and suddenly she came back to reality. “I guess all the food in Canterlot doesn’t compare, eh? You look like you’re right at home.” Twilight was beginning to accept the fact that spending a few weeks, or maybe more, out here wasn’t going to be half as torturous as she feared. Do some reading, eat some glorious food, spend some time with old friends; it was everything she would have in a vacation if she ever had the time to plan one. She addressed the diminutive dragon who was clamoring for her attention, “Oh Spike I forgot what it’s like to have old-fashioned cooking. I don’t even have a kitchen in Canterlot, much less fresh food to prepare.” Spike chortled towards her, “You sound like Rarity when she returns from one of her fashion debuts. She still puts on this air of elegance and formality, but she can’t deny that this is the kind of place she belongs in.” There was a dazed twinkle in his eyes as he spoke of his beloved. It was the one trait about the immature lizard that never ceased to amaze Twilight. His obsession and loyalty towards the fanciest unicorn in town was still a hilarious blend of adorable and disturbing. In her head, Twilight recalled all the letters Spike had sent so many years ago. He was indeed quite proud of himself and the accomplishments he had made, but Rarity was still the most frequent subject of his letters. His love was still unrequited after all this time, but as time went on, that had become okay with Spike. He grew accustomed to always caring for her from afar and being the dependable friend who would be there for Rarity when she was in her darkest hour, which still seemed to happen on a regular basis on account of her being an unchanging pessimist and perfectionist. As the conversation continued, Spike rambled about the object of his affection, and Twilight continued to wonder to herself about how Rarity felt about all the attention she received from her not-so-secret admirer. She imagined Rarity still feigning an oblivious attitude towards his attention, or that perhaps her career kept her distracted for all this time. As much as Twilight was enjoying the time with her closest companion, she was becoming all the more curious about what her friends had been up to and eagerly awaiting a chance to speak with all of them. In the distance, the bellowing ring of the clock tower began echoing through the streets. When the sound of the fourth chime reached them, Spike looked like he had seen a ghost and leapt out of his chair. With a panic in his voice he rushed the unicorn sitting across the table, “Oh no, they’re going to kill me! We gotta go Twilight. We’re gonna be late!” Spike began gathering Twilight’s belongings together while Twilight trotted inside the café to pay the tab. The café looked deserted. Chairs were on top of tables and there wasn’t anypony to be seen. As Twilight was about to call out she saw a note by the front counter next to a box. Twilight didn’t want to intrude but as she approached the counter she saw the note was addressed to her: ***         Twilight: What a pleasure to see you again darlin! Sorry I couldn’t stay, there was something urgent calling me away from the bakery. You looked like you hadn’t had a pie like that in ages. I hope they’ve been feeding you during your travels. Please take the rest of the pie with you. I’m sure I’ll see you before you leave, but come back if you want more! See you soon! Apple Bloom P.S. Tell Spike it’s on the house and thanks for the help! ***         Twilight opened the box and inside was an apple pie missing a single slice. A big smile swept across her face as the smell hit her again. Despite the instructions on the note, Twilight tossed eight bits onto the counter before picking up the gift and heading towards the door.          Before leaving, Twilight paused by the door. A frame hanging on the wall caught her eye. Inside was a panoramic picture taken from outside the café. In the foreground stood a proud mare holding a fresh pie with steam rising from the holes in the crust. The yellow earth pony had a proud smile on her face. On her flank was the image of a caramel apple coated in sprinkles. Twilight’s eyes began to water as she looked at the photo and the generosity of the now grown crusader touched her heart.          Outside, Spike was rearing to go. He smiled as he saw Twilight carrying a box as she exited the building. “That’s just like Apple Bloom,” he chuckled. “I don’t know how she stays in business when she keeps giving these treats away. She’s become a great chef, but she’s still a lousy businesspony.”          Twilight carefully placed the pie atop the pile before the two headed off through town. Spike was in quite the rush, and Twilight was having trouble keeping up the pace since Spike could barely carry anything and had left her to carry the rest with her magic. A tree was rising in the horizon, and Twilight instantly recognized the hollowed out home of her youth. It had grown immensely since Twilight’s departure many years ago, and she recalled the magic fertilizer experiment she had left in the soil before leaving. Too busy rushing from Spike’s frenzy, she let out in internal sigh. On the ride here she was worried there wouldn’t be enough space in the library for all the books she had brought with.          “We’re here!” Spike proudly declared while trying to catch his breath. He set down the bags so he could help Twilight with her load. Somehow Twilight thought to herself that Spike wasn’t speaking to her, and grew ever more suspicious of his behavior.          Spike seemed nervous as he approached the door, as if fearful of what lurked on the other side. He hoped they weren’t too late and that the library was prepared for Twilight’s stay. The door creaked open, and light crept into the seemingly abandoned library. A soft hush flew by on the wind and Twilight and Spike entered the dimly lit entryway. Inside the library was empty and still.          It was quiet.          Too quiet.