Friendship is Magic, but so is love

by Dark0592

C.5 Ponyville, huh?

“There is nothing left for the two of you in the school for gifted unicorns. It is solely up to you whether or not you wish to stay.” Celestia said on Sunday, before the two left back for the school.

“What would we do then?” Twilight asked.

“There is a town named Ponyville that is in Desperate need of a Librarian.” Luna said, using a sarcastic tone on the Desperate. “Though I know not what interests you.” Luna said to Nightshade.

“Well you will have time to think about it. The next two weeks you will be learning about Assistants, and some old friends will find their way back. After that the choice is yours. Leave the school or no, and stay in Canterlot or no.” Celestia said.

When they arrived back at the school on time, albeit missing breakfast, they were surprised to find a room full of baby dragons with the other kids. There were two dragons that were alone, but quickly perked up and ran towards them. The First was the Purple and Green Dragon that came out of Twilight's egg while the other was light blue and dark blue.

“Hey there.” Twilight said with a giggle.

“Ah, there you are. I will have to give you the shortened version but, these are your Dragon Assistants. They will serve you, but they are not slaves. Treat them as you would an obedient Foal.” Brushin said them. “Oh, and they will only respond to a name the one who hatched them gave them...quite tedious really.” he put in, implying they should name them.

“Spike.” Twilight said with a grin.

“Sapphire.” Nightshade said.

The two dragons grinned and started making noises that sounded like their names. They received the lessons on how they could eat anything, but preferred gemstones, and will be able to send letters to any unicorn that had established a dragon mail link. The next two weeks they learned everything about their Dragon assistants, and they even began to start speaking coherently. Pretty soon Spike became as natural to Twilight as a younger brother, and Sapphire was like a little sister to Nighshade.

“So...it is up for the two of you to decide.” Celestia said after the two week mark.

“We both have learned all we can from the School.” Twilight said.

“What will you do?” Luna asked.

“I want to go to this ponyville...I want to know what it's like to live in a village town. I'll be back every weekend if I can of course.” Twilight said.

“I think I'd rather live in Canterlot. I just got a mother, I don't want ot be separated.” Nightshade said. Celestia grinned at that.

“Ahw Nightshade...now you make me guilty I'm leaving Luna...” Twilight said lowly.

“Don't Worry Twilight Sparkle. This will not change our relationship. I may even visit often if time permits.” Luna reasurred.

“Alright. I will have the Carriage prepared immediately.” Celestia said.

“Actually um...I want to fly there with the sun, I've been practicing.” Twilight said.

“Oh?...very well, Gray Bolt would you accompany her just in case?” Celestia said.

“Of course.” the Captain replied.

“Now. I know that you know much about friendship, but I want you to study it and learn as much of it as you can from other ponies that Aren't in the same situation as you like Nightshade. Spike, how are you adapting to the Magical Aging?” Celestia asked, she had used her magic to age spike to be old enough to send and receive letters.

“I'm good, I still need to sleep a lot but other than that I think it was a good idea.” the purple dragon replied. Celestia nodded and turned to Luna and said something Twilight couldn't catch. She nodded with slightly pink cheeks and stepped up to Twilight.

“Try your best to return regularly, I miss you enough when you're a short walk away...” Luna said lowly and kissed Twilight. Twilight's face lit up and she didn't trust herself to speak so she just nodded. “Fly safely, Gray Bolt if you let anything happen to her...wait...never mind, you wouldn't.” Luna continued. The Captain nodded and the two took off.

“I want to land just on the outskirts...I don't want ponies bowing to me, thinking I'm a princess...” Twilight called over the wind as her voice went up a pitch or two. Gray looked over and found that Twilight was roughly the size of a young Mare. They landed just out of range of the town of Ponyville.

“See you Captain, I'll be back in Canterlot this weekend.” Twilight said. The Captain nodded and took off. Twilight wasn't worried that her illusion faltered when she hid her wings, it had become second nature for her.

“That was the scariest thing I've ever experienced!” Spike exclaimed, he was too freaked out to let go of her mane that was back to normal.

“You get used to it. Besides, in a few years you'll be flying too.” Twilight reassured the purple dragon. She trotted towards the city, reaching it quickly. As she walked through she met a few ponies and they all greeted her. She met a weird pink pony that jumped in to the air while gasping and dashed off as fast as she could.

The rest of the walk was relatively uneventful. She met the mayor, introduced herself and was given directions to the library, which was to be her house as well. The second she opened the door she was startled so much her illusion faltered for half a second, but she regained it before the mass of confetti that was obscuring her revealed her again.

“I saw you and I didn't know you so you must be new because I knew everypony so I thought 'if she's new then she must be lonely so I'll throw her a Party!' so that's why I went super epic pinkie pie gasp and ran as fast I could to set this up and I talked to the mayor and found out you were living here so here I am with everypony else!” the Pink pony from before said so fast she could barely understand it.

“u-um...” was all Twilight could say.

“Don' worry 'bout it Sugarcube Pinkie's always like that.” a voice with a southern accent said. She looked and saw an orange pony with three apples as her cutie mark and a western hat. “Name's Applejack, Ah run the Apple farm.” she said and held a hoof out. As she shook she remembered the name, the chefs at the school and the palace both loved using the apple from Ponyville.

“and I am Rarity Darling, I run the Carrousel Boutique, if you need anything stylish I'm the mare to call on.” a very prim and perfect, rather canterlot-ish, looking unicorn said. They shook hooves and a multicolored blur appeared before her.

“I'm Rainbow Dash. The coolest Pegasus in Equestria!” the energetic Pegasus exclaimed.

“M-my name's...um...fluttershy...” a shy pegasus said.

“And I'm Pinkie Pie! Or Pinkamina Diane Pie but only my daddy calls me that! I'm the #1 party pony!” the pink pony exclaimed, somehow appearing in her vision upside down. The sight slightly discombobulated the Lavender Pony, but she went with it.

“U-um nice to meet all of you...” Twilight said sheepishly, a bit intimidated by the over friendly nature.

“C'mon Sugarcube, it's alright.” Applejack said with a smile.

“Ugh...what's all the noise?” Spike called, being awoken from his nap on Twilight's back.

“omigosh is that a baby dragon?!” Fluttershy softly exclaimed.

After a while the other ponies left, leaving just the six. They talked for a bit until they too left. Pinkie was the last one, and random body parts started twitching.

“Whoa! My Pinkie sense is telling me two things!” she exclaimed. “First a Princess is going to be here soon Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed. “And second!...ooohhhhhhhhh....ther'es a really big secret and it's a doozy!” she exclaimed. “Do you have a really big secret that's a doozy?” Pinkie asked, instantly looking at Twilight with an intense stare.

“...”

“Oh ok! I guess if it's a secret you don't want to tell just yet!” Pinkie said.

“If you wait, and if that...pinkie sense, is correct and a princess is coming you might find out.” Twilight said.

“Okie Dokie Lokie!” Pinkie exclaimed and literally bounced out.

“That pony is on something...” Spike mumbled.

“Spike!” Twilight yelled.

“Sorry, sorry...she's just...really random!” he corrected.

“Well get used to it. I have a feeling we're going to be seeing them a lot.” Twilight said. Twilight's premonition was correct it seemed, the five ponies gave them a tour of the entire town the next day.

“So what's got a fancy canterlot unicorn all thuh way down here?” Applejack asked as Mr. and Mrs. cake treated the group to cupcakes on the house at Sugarcube corner.

“Well the Princess said I didn't need to stay in the school for gifted unicorns anymore and I decided a country life would be interesting.” Twilight said.

“Yuh know the Princess?” Applejack asked.

“Well...I'm her Protege.” Twilight said.

“But she just got her first Protege in years this year and she was a filly just enterin' that fancy magic school.” Applejack said.

“Oops...” Twilight said lowly, realizing she had revealed a secret. “How are you so well informed?” Twilight asked.

“I go to Canterlot every chance I get Darling, and I just love Gossip.” Rarity said with a grin.

“Oh...well...um...I'm technically only seven...but Princess Celestia tells me I should be as old as I look now...but what you see is just an Illusion.” Twilight said. She looked around and made sure nopony else was watching. “I trust you guys...for some reason...promise me you won't think any differently of me...I just want to be the average Unicorn friend.” Twilight said.

“Of course not Sugarcube.” Applejack said for everypony.

“O-ok...” Twilight said. “but you might not say that once you see me.” She said, her voice gaining it's mature tone. She let her Illusion drop and everypony gasped as Twilight grew tall, Albeit not as tall as the princesses, and her wings sprouted and her mane began flowing.

“Y-you're a Princess?!” Rarity asked, going straight for the cliché.

“No! I'm just Twilight Sparkle. Some accidents with magic in the past changed me that's it. I was barely even able to fly here from Canterlot and I still trip over my own hooves sometimes...I'm just a normal Unicorn that's a victim of Circumstance.” Twilight said sadly.

“That is totally cool! That means you can totally join me when I fly!” Rainbow exclaimed.

That broke the ice and the other assured they were still friends. After a few moments and a million questions later, Twilight put the illusion back up.

“Huh that's weird...my Pinkie sense keeps saying that a Princess is coming...and this time it says she's going to be here like now!” Pinkie exclaimed after a series of twitches.