Facets of the Equestrian Sky

by Cirrus Sky

Chapter Four: Split in the Spectrum

Split in the Spectrum
~
Time in the Sky ~ Letters ~ Further Study

Earlier that day…

Somepony was pacing on a wooden floor. “Wait, don’t you live in a cloud house?” Daring asked before disappearing.

“Darn it.” Rainbow moaned, rubbing sleep from her eyes. The wooden surrounding reminded her she was in Twilight’s Library. “I guess Twi’ is up then.” She jumped out of bed and made her way to the main room.

“What’s the panic Twi’?” Rainbow said with a lazy smile, flying to the ground floor. It was quite clear that something was wrong with her lavender friend. The look Twilight gave her then spoke volumes. In turn they wrote volumes in her own heart. ‘She looks really cute like that, especially with the morning sunlight on her…’ “Hope you didn’t mind the blanket, I thought you’d need one last night.” Rainbow said to break the tension in her head and the all too comfortable silence that had surrounded the pair of them. Figuring Twilight must have been up for a while to work herself into such a tizzy Rainbow trotted towards the kitchen. “Breakfast?” She asked her friend.

*

Breakfast had passed quickly, Rainbow was feeling on edge about her feelings. She was never one for emotions and last time she had blurted out some to a friend, well, they were still great friends but it had been weird for a while. She didn’t want to scare Twilight off, the bookish unicorn would probably be shocked.

But it had carried on affecting her. Sure, she’d cleared the clouds in no time flat and even managed a quick power nap before practice. Practice was where the problem was. The session had gone great, a few Filly Flips, a Fastball Special and a Cumulus Cartwheel all performed to perfection. All felt like something was missing though. Sure, what she needed was the cheers and calls of adoring fans but usually in her practice sessions her imagination took care of that. No, this time only one pony was missing, only one pony she wanted, no needed to be there. Twilight Sparkle. To hear her cheer and clap from the hillside, to land ready for a rundown on anything technical missed in the execution. Just to see Twilight’s eyes follow her through the sky, even when Rainbow herself could by no means see them herself, just to know, with the heart’s vision that somepony she cared deeply for was there admiring her.

Flying high above the library the pegasus decided to head for a nap above Sweet Apple Acres, maybe a bit of sleep would clear her head.

*

Presently...

Back in the library Twilight had decided to put away her study for now. Determining her types of love had gone so much deeper than before; several other tomes were spread about the desk, Equestotle’s Corpus, Precise Definition’s Deeper Equestrian Dictionary and even Hearts Compass companion book Lists of Love: Words D’amour Defined. They had both helped and hindered. Maybe she should have stuck to Love/Lust until she had completed it and then made her deeper research into the subject later? Twilight had never been one to learn the basics first, well, not since she was a filly anyway. Gathering her notes, not letting one scrap stray, she locked them in a drawer of the desk with the slim book. The great reference works were returned to their shelves. Stopping to think, she placed Lists of Love with its sister volume and sealed the drawer once more.

No sooner had her magical lock fallen into place than the library door flew open. Parading in were the Cutie Mark Crusaders singing their song led by Pinkie Pie who was slightly muffled in her enthusiastic caterwauling by a mouthful of letters. Spike trailed behind, a big floppy sunhat on his head, sheepishly shutting the door behind him. “Hiiiiiii Twilight! We finished at the lake and thought it would be awesome to go and do something else but Spike started tummy rumbling and we thought it would be a great time for lunch but he remembered he left his lunch here at the library so we came to fetch it!” She managed this all in one breath. As soon as she had finished her teeth clamped down on the letter again. “Sorry Twilight, we did leave unexpectedly” Spike muttered from behind the giggling crusaders.

“It’s alright Spike, there’s a lunchbox in the kitchen.” The little dragon rushed away to fetch it, the rumbling of his stomach certainly audible. “So Pinkie? Those letters, are they my mail?” The pink earth pony nodded and surrendered them to Twilight’s magic.

“I saw you had mail and I knew you’d be all caught up studying and one of these might be an important plot point so I had to make sure you read them before the chapter ends!!” Free from a mouthful of letters Pinkie went on one of her random tangents. Twilight let it run its course, flicking through the letters and flyers.

“Thank you Pinkie, I’ll read these when I have some peace and quiet.” She said through gritted teeth. On cue, Spike ran out of the kitchen, sans hat and lunchbox in hand.

“Come on guys! We still have loads of my day off left. Let’s get goin’!” He ran through with a “Bye mo… Twilight.” And the CMC followed him. Pinkie sharpened her look at whatever Spike had said but was soon bouncing off after them.

“Well, that was odd.” Twilight said to the now empty tree, taking her letters and sitting once more at the desk. Alongside her regular subscriptions and the odd letter from her alma mater and her parent’s regular communiqué was a unfamiliar handwriting on an unusual envelope. The dark blue paper was dappled with silver stars and a stamp at the bottom proclaimed it was sent from The Canterlot Royal Observatory. The silver ink of the address was in an elegant form proclaiming the writer to also be an alumni of her old school. Setting it aside for further consideration Twilight’s eye caught sight of the manuscript from Proof. “I think I shall ‘study’ this book for a while.”

*

Later in the afternoon Twilight turned the page that marked the middle of the book. It was a restive moment in the plot and as good a place as any to stop. ‘Besides,’ Twilight thought to herself, ‘I have started to really study the book and not purely enjoy it’. Straying to the letters Twilight remembered the unusual envelope and marking her page, slit the flap and removed her letter.

“Dear Twilight Sparkle” the letter began. “While unsure if you recall me from our school days my Patron assures me you will not be displeased by this correspondence. I have been informed that your current residence of Ponyville has an unrivalled view of the night sky, undisrupted by the many artificial lights of more populated centres. As it is the intention of the fine institution I belong to build a satellite facility in an area of clearer skies it was suggested we construct an observatory and research facility within the area of your fair town. Having been informed of your still held passion for astronomy I respectfully request a brief meeting and visit to establish suitable potential sites for this project.” Twilights eyes shone, and actual proper astronomy facility here in Ponyville! Stamping down on her urge to do her Yes Dance she carried on reading. “Regards and fond memories, Doctor Andromeda Star, PhD. Canterlot Royal Observatory. P.S. I do hope you don’t mind if I may stay a few days with yourself, it would be enjoyable to catch up!”

Twilight smiled at the name, it conjured up a unicorn filly a little older than herself. Her deep blue coat mussing, her stark silver mane strayed here and there as she eagerly explained some facet of astronomy. Her life’s purpose as displayed by the swirl of tiny white stars on her flank. It would be nice to see someone from school. To prove to herself that she had changed for the better in the eyes of her peers and to maybe make up for all those disregarded offers of friendship.

Comments

[zombie-kitty]

awww spike (almost) called twi mom

[Kagitaar]

Cue the Rainbow jealousy.

[Cirrus Sky]

If you like that zombie-kitty, you are going to love my mother's day special

Kagitaar, you guessed! Have a muffin.

[Reader Wolf]

"Bye mo--Twilight."
Yeah, I remember when I first watched the Winter Wrap-up episode.
"Huh? Mommy?"
"Winter Wrap-up!"
(rolls over) "You're not Mommy."
I paused the video and said to myself, "Actually...she kind of is."

An old friend of Twilight's? This should be interesting...

[King of Kings]

a Fastball Special

I know what a Fastball Special in X-Men is (and for those of you out there that don't know what it is in X-Men, here is a convenient link explaining it) but I have no idea what it means in this context. Would someone please explain? Thanks.