Starlight levitated a couple bags on her bed. It had been a full week she spent time with her grandparents. As awkward as the first day was, the rest of the week went off rather well. Some time at the ice cream parlor, a trip to the biggest library in Canterlot, and a trip to Nightlight’s friend’s restaurant.
Admittedly, they all hated the bland food they served. Nightlight claimed all the restaurants on Restaurant Row were like that. How any of them stayed in business, let alone have a three hoof rating was beyond Starlight.
“Starlight! Are you almost done?” Twilight called.
“Almost, just a few more book and I’ll be down,” Starlight replied.
She pulled several books off the shelf and placed them neatly in her bag.
“The train’s leaving in four minutes!” Twilight yelled.
“I’m coming!” Starlight shouted as she flew out the bedroom with her bag tossed over her back.
Downstairs was Spike saying goodbye to Nightlight and Velvet. He had a firm grip on a baggie of gemstones. Starlight jumped down and gave her grandparents a hug. They said their fair-wells, with Velvet giving Starlight a baggie of fresh baked cookies. Twilight told Spike and Starlight not to eat anything until they got on the train. Starlight couldn’t help but try to steal a bite.
Unfortunate for her, her mother was an alicorn and alicorns have a peculiar six sense that enables them to be aware of any sweets within a 400 mile radius.
“Try it and you’re not getting dinner,” Twilight threatened.
Starlight immediately sealed her baggie.
At the train station, the family got their tickets for their next stop. The Crystal Empire!
“I’m so excited to see uncle Shiny and aunt Cadence!” Starlight squeed, “Have you told them about me yet?”
Twilight set her book down, “I was going to make it a surprise but… Shiny doesn’t do well with surprises…”
Years ago, when Twilight was a filly.
“Alright, alright, how’d it go?” Shining Armor asked, “Did you learn anything from Magic school yet?”
“I learned how to do this super cool spell the biology teacher taught us!” Filly Twilight galloped with glee.
“Ok, let’s see it.”
Filly Twilight activated the spell. A violet aura enveloped her. Her coat became transparent, as well as the rest of her… except her bones.
Shining Armor’s eyes shrank as he watched his little sister turn from a cute filly into a spooky skeleton.
“I think this could make a great Nightmare Night costume,” Filly Twilight clacked.
Shining Armor ran out the room crying.
“Wow… That’s uh… that’s kind of funny,” Starlight tried not to laugh.
“I can understand why he’d do that,” Spike mused, “He’s pretty protective of Twilight. Seeing her skin melt off would probably freak me out too.”
“You were in the room…” Twilight smirked, “But you were just a little baby dragon with the chubbiest cheeks I’d ever seen.” She placed her hooves on Spike’s face while making her voice squeaky.
Spike blushed a little embarrassed.
Starlight giggled lightly, “So Shiny and Cadence know? I was hoping to surprise them like Grandma and Grandpa.”
“All aboard for Crystal Empire!” The Conductor called. Coincidently, the Conductor’s name was Glossy Mail which is another way to say Shiny Armor.
“That’s us,” Twilight got up and presented her tickets.
“Car number 4 ma’am,” Glossy directed.
The family made their way to their car. It was a relatively average train car. Seats arranged to face each other, table between them, windows held scratches and residue of some kind on both the inside and outside. Everything was as normal as always. Even the buzzing from Twilight’s bag didn’t turn any heads.
“Uh, Mom, I think your bag is buzzing,” Starlight raised an eyebrow.
Twilight looked down, “Oh! I forgot about this,” she unzipped her bag and took out a vibration book. “This journal acts as a two way messaging system for me and Sunset Shimmer.”
“Who’s Sunset Shimmer?”
“Another one of Celestia’s students that went crazy,” Spike yawned, leaning back to take a nap.
“I have a feeling this story is going to be familiar,” Starlight stared at the spastic book.
A security official walked by and noticed the violently shaking book, “Hey! No violent magic in the train car!”
Twilight dropped the book, “It’s not violent magic! The book just won’t stop vibrating!”
“Well, can you make it stop?”
Twilight paused for a while, “I don’t know… I never tried it before.”
“Well if you can’t make it stop, I’m going to have to kick you off the train.”
“But it’s not hurting anyone,” Starlight coughed.
“Sorry, but that’s the rules.”
“Ok, let me try something,” Twilight lit her horn. Arcane energy wrapped around the shivering book. The sound of a beep chimed through the car. The book stopped shaking but something worst started.
The book began blaring the song “You Gotta Share, You Gotta Care,” by Pinkie Pie. It irritated everyone in the car. Everyone angrily berated Twilight for starting such a ruckus. Spike fell out of his seat, feeling rudely interrupted. Starlight wished she knew a way to take her ears off without spilling blood on the seats. The security person ducked outside for a few seconds.
“Hey, Shiny!” He called for the conductor, “This sort of sounds like the music you listen to!”
Glossy sighed and shook his head, “My name is Glossy! Glossy Mail! Why does everyone think I’m Shining Armor? I look nothing like a Shining Armor.”
“Heh heh,” He climbed back into the cart, “But seriously, shut that thing off.”
Twilight re-did the spell she performed. The book went silent but started buzzing again.
“Ok, look,” The security person whispered, “I’m going to pretend I never saw that thing as long as you never, and I mean NEVER, make it play that music ever again.”
Twilight nodded.
The security person walked away, shaking his head.
Spike grumbled as he climbed into his chair, “Why don’t you just answer it?”
Starlight and Twilight looked at each other, then to Spike, then the book.
“It has been going off for quite some time,” Twilight muttered.
Starlight tilted her head, “How long has it been doing this?”
“Over the past week.”
“The past week?!” Starlight flinched, “And you didn’t stop to think it was something important?”
Twilight gave her daughter puppy eyes, “But we were having so much fun with your grandparents.”
“Still, it’s a bit irresponsible to ignore Sunset like this,” Starlight growled as the book kept vibrating.
“It’s probably another lesson she learned in the human world. She gives me one every week,” Twilight dismissed Starlight’s worries. She felt a cold shiver run up her spine as if there was something she should have realized with that statement.
“I’ll answer it,” Spike picked up the book and opened it.
The book finally stopped vibrating, much to the pleasure of everyone present. Twilight blinked as Spike gave the book to her.
“Thanks, Spike,” she said bashfully.
Twilight began reading on the train ride. Sunset had written long winded paragraphs with what can be explained as very angry rants filled with cuss words and various comparisons between Twilight and Celestia. There were various chapters Twilight elected to skip for how salty the words got. There was something very important Twilight was missing. The jumbled lettering and ink blots didn’t help her find out what it was she was suppose to help with. She noted that her name appeared numerous times along with Shadowbolts and Cinch.
Twilight came to the conclusion that Sunset Shimmer needed help defeating the Shadowbolts and some new villain named Cinch. Whoever this Cinch was, she sounded like a grinch. Twilight imagined a wicked human like creature stealing presents from foals. Judging by Sunset’s writing, this Cinch might actually be among the worst villains she has ever faced. Maybe even more terrifying than Tirek, Chrysalis, and Discord combined!
“Well it looks like I’m going to have to take a side trip when we get to the Crystal Empire,” Twilight sighed.