//------------------------------// // Discovery and Rediscovery // Story: The Eternal Pursuit of Academia // by artimus //------------------------------// It was on the eighth that I made my discovery. A new, revolutionary spell which would…er, revolutionize the way I study. Ever since I first picked up a book I encountered the problem. No mage or scholar had ever crafted the solution. That is until I, Twilight Sparkle found that spell to solve the world’s oldest problem: How can I read two books at the same time? It was an incredible discovery! World-changing! Every pony would celebrate this achievement and read multiple biographies of my research into the subject. All read simultaneously, of course! However, before I reported this finding to the press, I knew I had to release it to one very important pony. The one I owed my skill to and the one who would appreciate it the most. It was because of this that I called Spike to come to my side, quill and paper in hand, to write of the new spell to my mentor Princess Celestia. “Ready!” Spike announced, lifting his quill in emphasis. “Excellent!” I cleared my throat, albeit a bit smugly. “Dear Princess Celestia, it is with great joy and pride that I write to you of my most recent and, in my humble opinion, greatest accomplishment yet: I have found the means to grant ponies the ability to read up to two separate items simultaneously. You may expect a full report in pony as soon as possible! Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.” “Twilight…Sparkle…Got it!” Spike announced as he held the scroll to his face, breathing his impressively green fire on it. The letter vaporized as the resulting smoke floated quickly through the window toward Canterlot. “Good job, Spike! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to work on my report.” “Sure. I'll tell you when the Princess wants to see you for it!” “See me? Don’t be ridiculous, Spike, I’m going to send it through dragon mail like always.” Spike eyed me confoundedly. “Um, Twilight. Unless you plan to have me send you through dragon mail, I don’t think that’s going to happen. “What are you on about?” I asked, annoyed at being held back from my writing. “Well, you promised it in pony.” I froze. “I…what? No, I didn’t…” But I did! In my excitement, I foolishly promised the Princess a full report to be delivered myself. “Oh, no! I can’t possibly…but I haven’t done that in years!” “What about your friendship reports? You deliver those in pony occasionally.” “Oh c’mon, Spike, those are small time. Sure, they’re important, but they’re hardly about some huge, world-inspiring innovation!” “Hmph! I think you’re just—“Spike was cut off as he grasped at his throat, eyes wide as if being strangled by an invisible predator. Suddenly and with a loud belch, Spike spat green fire as a scroll landed on the ground in front of him. “Ugh, I hate being cut off like that!” “Oh, no! It’s the Princess! I know she’s going to be upset that I’m wasting her time! Or she’s going to be mad that I still want her guidance!” Or worse, I thought, she would reject my offer. Spike picked up the scroll and began to read. “My faithful student, Twilight Sparkle. It appears congratulations are in order! I must express my excitement in this new advancement in academia. If there was any pony to solve this problem, though I didn’t realize it was one, it would have to have been you! I look forward greatly to seeing you deliver your report. I hope tomorrow morning would be a good time for you to come? I’ll have a carriage sent first thing in the morning. And, speaking as your teacher and friend, I must express how proud I am of you. You never fail to impress me, Twilight Sparkle. Your mentor and friend, Princess Celestia. See, Twilight? No reason to…Twi?” Spike tried to get my attention, but I could hardly notice him. I had stopped fully processing what he was telling me at ‘I look forward greatly to seeing you.’ All I could think was that the Princess wanted to see me. Me! No matter how many times it happened I was always astounded that Princess Celestia wanted to talk to me. “Wheneversgreatseeyouthenyourfaithfulstudenttwilightsparkle!” I shouted incoherently at no one in particular. Spike saw my rambling as his cue and recorded my message. I hoped once I realized that he had sent the scroll that he edited my words just a bit. Or at least punctuated them. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ I can still remember the first time I arrived at Canterlot Castle. I was a little filly then, nervous but excited to begin my studies. When I left the carriage, I craned my neck up to take in as much of the massive castle as I could. This is my new home? My eyes drifted to a particular tower on the west side of the castle. One of the driver pegasi had told me on the way that it would be my room. The thought of living so high up gave me a sense of vertigo upon seeing how far the room was from the ground. “Twilight Sparkle!” I heard an exuberant voice called from the direction of the castle door. It had been swung open and from inside the castle trotted a tall, thin, marble-white pony, sporting a massive horn and two beautiful, long wings. Adorning her flank was a bright yellow cutie mark depicting the sun. She carried a kind smile as she looked at me. “How wonderful to see you again, my new student!” I felt flush, overcome by the sheer authority of the imposing figure, yet strangely comfortable. I quickly bowed, casting my eyes directly toward the ground. “Hello, Princess Celestia! It’s an incredible honor to…to be here. Thank you so, so, so, so…” I continued rambling until I heard close hoof steps approach. Opening my eyes, I looked up to see the Princess standing directly in front of me, maintaining her gentle gaze. “It’s no trouble at all, really Twilight. Actually, it’s my honor!” My eyes widened at that. “You see, it’s been hundreds of years since I had a student with so much potential.” “You mean, you’ve taught other ponies, too, Princess?” “In fact, you just might have heard of him. When I met him, he had a great deal of power and discipline. His talents led to incredible discoveries and even his own title: Star Swirl the Bearded!” I stared blankly at the Princess. How I didn't know about Starswirl even then is beyond me! “He created the anmiomorphic spell?” My confounded gaze persisted. The Princess chuckled. “Fair enough. I have more than enough books on the subject of ancient unicorn history you can peruse to your heart’s content. Until then, I believe a tour of the castle may be in order?” I nodded enthusiastically, looking behind her to the castle with a renewed sense of excitement. That excitement was a bit tempered, however, when I felt my stomach growl. The Princess, without missing a beat, spoke plainly “I think we should begin in the royal dining hall, do you not?” I let slip a bashful grin and nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Princess.” \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ “Twilight Sparkle!” I heard the Princess call my name the moment I stepped out of the carriage, my saddlebag hanging loosely from my body. Spotting her trotting through the door of the castle, I shouted back, running toward her in excitement. She leaned her head down to nuzzle mine. “It’s a grand occasion, my faithful student! But besides that, it’s always wonderful to see you.” I couldn’t help but feel bashful at the greeting. “Thank you, Princess.” “Oh, don’t worry about being so formal. Please, just Celestia.” She smiled at me, repeating the same request she made upon every visit I make to Canterlot. I returned an uneasy smile of my own. “I’m sorry, Princess, it’s just weird calling my teacher by her first name.” As she had every time before, the Princess nodded understandingly and changed the subject. “Well, tell me how have your studies on the magic of friendship been progressing?” At her question, I felt a bit of guilt strike my heart as I averted my eyes in shame. “I’m afraid that I haven’t been as…attentive a friend as I should be. I haven’t actually seen my friends in a while. I’ve been so busy with this spell!” The Princess maintained her smile, but I could detect a hint of disappointment in her features. “Well, I can understand. Just make sure you don’t ignore them for too long, Twilight. Otherwise you might find yourself without their support when you need it or worse, losing them altogether.” “I understand. Thanks, Princess.” I grinned up at her apologetically. “Well, no reason to stall any longer, I suppose.” Princess Celestia announced as she turned back toward the castle. She began her walk toward the door as I followed. After only two seconds, I felt a light pain in my stomach and heard a loud, obtrusive grumbling noise. I jumped a bit at the noise, embarrassed by my body’s interruption. “Actually, I’m feeling a bit peckish. How about we have that report in the dining hall. After a light meal, of course.” I grinned at my teacher gratefully. “That sounds great, Princess,” I said as I followed her into the castle. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ We sat in the dining hall that day as we did all those years ago. The first time I saw the great hall, I was impressed. The gigantic room was ornately decorated with gold lining the top of the walls. The massive room was filled with the succulent scents of several foodstuffs, all laid out on a large low-sitting table filling a good twenty percent of the room. Along the table where dozens of pillows, making seats for nearly any amount of guests the Princess would desire. It seemed like overkill for this occasion, but I didn't take notice at the time. There were plates full of daisy sandwiches, numerous trays full of different flowers, hay fries and more. I had never seen so much food at one time even on the biggest holidays before that day. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I gave my chefs free reign. I’ll admit maybe they took it a bit too far,” she chuckled. The Princess was at the edge of the table while four pillows away, I sat in amazement. I looked over the spread hungrily. I had been famished since arriving. I looked over to my new mentor who sat, watching me expectantly with kind, gentle, unreadable eyes. I was so hungry! But I didn't want Princess Celestia thinking I was some kind of pig! Finally, I set my eyes on a plate of sandwiches next to me. Just a small sandwich, that should be enough. I reached for the plate with my hooves, but caught The Princess in the corner of my eye. I know! I’ll show the Princess some of my magic. Maybe she’ll be impressed! With that thought, I closed my eyes and focused my mind on the sandwich sitting on top of the plate. I felt my horn become warm as I concentrated all of my thoughts on the sandwich. Curious if it was working, I peeked a single eye open and looked at the target. Alas, a faint, blinking aura had wrapped around it. I did it! Now, I just…”Ack!” I exclaimed as a wave of magic came over my mind, overwhelming it, causing a short, intense burst of pain. The pain was intense, but it was forgotten as I recovered to see the entire plate engulfed in the aura. I watched in horror as the plate began to float and shake, as if two forces were pulling on it in opposite directions. Oh no! No, no, no! This is all wrong! The Princess is going to think I can’t handle performing magic and she won’t want to teach me! As my thoughts turned to the alicorn sitting at the edge of the table, the plate began to move quickly, launching toward her. In retrospect, a huge rookie mistake. No! I can’t stop it! Not when it’s going this fast! The plate closed the 25 foot gap in a second, spinning and sending its contents hurling in all directions. I couldn't watch! I shut my eyes before impact, expecting a ‘splat’ and a scream. When after a few seconds I heard neither, I opened my eyes toward the Princess and gasped at the image before me. The plate and its contents had stopped instantaneously in front of the Princess, who still maintained her gentle demeanor. A white glow surrounded the items as they moved toward each other. She promptly reassembled the sandwiches, placed them back on the plate and took one for herself, putting the plate back on the table. “Thank you for passing the sandwiches, Twilight. I was just about to ask for one,” she said with a genuinely grateful tone. Another sandwich became engulfed in the magic as it floated over to me as I stared in amazement. After a few seconds, I felt my eyes tear up. I was a failure! Unable to even eat with the Princess without screwing it up somehow! I finally spoke up after several more seconds of silence. “Princess, I’m so, so, sorr—“ “That was an impressive display of power, Twilight Sparkle. Not many ponecan throw something so heavy at such a high speed so easily! However, we will have to focus on controlling that talent, won’t we? Until then, let’s focus on eating!” With that, my teacher grinned at the sandwich, picking it up with her hooves. Thankful for the Princess’ understanding, I did likewise, blinking away my tears and biting into the food. At the moment, the sandwich was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ The nostalgic taste of fresh daisies from the Princess’ personal kitchen stimulated my taste buds. The sandwich tasted exactly how I had remembered. I grinned stupidly at the first bite as I was brought back in time, the sharp, crisp flavor of the lettuce intermingling with the sweet taste of the daisies, spread generously between the tangy bread. Reinvigorated by the filling meal and my own nostalgia, i felt satisfied with my expertly-crafted lunch. I was vaguely aware that outside of my recollections my beloved mentor watched me with an amused grin. Had I not been so enamored with my memories, I would’ve felt embarrassed at how I must have looked, though in retrospect I must admit I prefer the Princess when she let her usual professional demeanor give way to something more informal. The Princess finally snapped me out of my reverie, her voice echoing in the halls and loud from her close distance to me as she sat at the table’s edge. I had chosen to sit a bit further from the Princess than I would’ve liked: about two places away. It’s not that I’m unaccustomed to sitting so close to her, but the butterflies in my stomach became increasingly aggravated the closer I sat to her. I have my reasons why, but I’d just as soon keep them to myself. “I must say, Twilight, I was surprised to hear that you wanted to deliver this report in pony.” My stomach, which I don’t mind saying was only temporarily quelled from its constant leaps by the sandwich, kicked back into overdrive at the prospect of the task that lay ahead of me. It was a surprise to me too, believe me, I thought as I swallowed what I was chewing and cleared my throat to respond. “Yes, well, I just thought…Well, I mean, you know…It’s just so important so, I thought…Hey, why not!” I stammered out. Having only been given a day to work on my report, let alone rehearse it, my confidence wasn't as high as it could have been. I mean, this was way bigger than a friendship report! The Princess nodded understandingly, ignoring my clearly nervous behavior. “Indeed! It’s been so long since you’ve delivered a report in pony outside of your friendship studies. I imagine it will be just like old times! Oh, when was the last time you delivered a good, thorough report orally, my dear student?” How was I supposed to remember so far back? “Oh, I don’t know…I think about 2 years, 3 months, 7 days?” Oh, yeah, that’s how. The Princess blinked at my recollection but a graceful smile returned to her face quickly. “Oh, of course! That was your impressive account on the magic of Starswirl the Bearded, if I’m correct?” Once again, I was brought back in time. “Yes! I rather enjoyed creating that one.” And I did! I remember spending so much time in the library that the staff knew exactly what books I needed out and even provided coffee for my more hardcore study sessions. “I can’t imagine that must have been all that interesting for you, hearing about somepony you knew so well. After all, who knows better about a great unicorn than the Princess who taught him everything he knew?” “Oh, Twilight, I always love hearing about all of my little ponies, especially hearing my student’s thoughts on such important figures. In fact, Starswirl is a pony I have every student research so I might hear their perspectives on his work. Besides that, his work went far beyond what I taught him, wouldn’t you agree? Such a fascinating life…” I noticed the Princess’ voice drifting off. I couldn’t help but recognize it as the same effect my voice took when I would talk about her. She quickly recovered. “Well, all of this reminiscing has me more excited than ever to hear about your new discoveries! And to hear how you’ve grown in your speech craft. If it’s alright, I would like to hear it now.” I swallowed again, mustering my courage. This was it! I stood, pulling the scroll containing my report out of my saddlebag, cleared my throat, and began. “Our world is about to enter a new age of duality…”