Against the Current

by Boldish42

The Journal

This was one of the best moments of Twilight’s life. Top 5 for sure… probably, she’d have to check her list. Well whatever! This was still huge. The Canterlot Archives just went through their yearly inventory check, and they found a lost book! That alone would be something to celebrate, but this book was especially special! Star Swirl the Bearded’s personal journal! Oh but that was not all! No ma’am! This journal was enchanted in such a way that no one could read it! A logbook attached showed that ponies had been trying to open this book since Star Swirls disappearance up until about two hundred years ago when it was lost. Even Celestia and Luna had tried to open it without success! And now the mysterious book sat at Twilights hooves along with a letter from Celestia asking if ‘she would care to try to unlock it’.

As if she even had to ask.

Hundreds had tried, all had failed, and now Twilight prepared herself. She gathered her wits, amassed her powers, and made a check list. Consulting with her books, Twilight created The Ultimate Book Unlocker(Version1.00 Patent Pending), a spell made from every other known Key spell used to unlock such enchanted literature. There are quite a few too, as almost every serious spellcrafter uses such spells to protect their research. Twilight’s spell would cycle through them all, usually you wouldn’t do this because it would cause the enchantment to seal up further or even cast a return spell, but through some clever crafting, Twilight had bypassed that particular problem. It gets a bit complicated in the details so please just trust that she did.

No really she did. Look do you have an degree in Advanced Arcane Arts? No? That’s what I thought.

The enchantment was a lock waiting for a key. So the spell would basically work how Twilight thought lockpicks worked. Push the lock in certain ways, gauge the tension, and then move on in to the next section, recording all the data for her to study and refine. Eventually she should be able to fashion a workable key spell. This would be great! Like solving a puzzle, this would take time, patience, and an analytical mind. It could take quite some time to, Star Swirl was the genius of an age after all, and had already bested the princesses and hundreds of others. This could very well take years.

So imagine Twilights surprise when it unlocked on her first try.

“Oh come on!” Twilight vented as she examined the readings from her spell. ”Seriously? The first spell? Nopony tried a basic key spell!? Wait... what? But that’s.. this is impossible! Well I guess it’s possible, just stupidly insanely improbable!” So she checked again.

Yep, her UBU spell didn’t ‘force’ the lock. She didn’t get lucky on the first component. It just fit perfectly. All 343 component spells. In her specific order.

Twilight slowly looked from the read out to the book, as if she were afraid that it would run away or attack if she moved even her eyes to fast. This now seemed rather probable.

Slowly, very slowly, Twilight examined the book, then she scanned it, then she threw a few other books at it to see what would happen. This took over an hour. Finally she was satisfied that the book wasn’t going to kill her. However her scan did find something interesting, there were several enchantments on the journal, all the same kind too. Memory spells.

This wasn’t just Star Swirl’s notebook, it was made from his very memories! Well possibly,it could be memories from somewhere else but that was a bit unlikely.

Another hour later, Twilight was ready.

Alright, let’s do this.

She opened the book.

*****

“So did Twilight tell anypony why she called us all together?” Rainbow asked the group.

“Nothing useful darling.”

“Naw, she jus’ popped in, an popped out again.”

“Not really”

“No! She was talking so fast I almost couldn’t follow what she said!” Pinkie proclaimed.

The five friends all looked to the two princesses sharing the waiting room with them.

“Tis most perplexing.Twilight shared nothing in the letter to Celestia and myself. Any conjectures sister?”

Celestia sat off to the side staring at the door. Deep in thought it took Luna nudging her with her wing to shake her out of her trance.

“Are you well sister?” With a worried look on her face, Luna nuzzled up to Celestia.

“Yes, just concerned is all. I fear it may have something to do with Star Swirls journal, I just sent it to her this morning though…”

“Wait that old wizardy guy that Twi won’t stop talking about?” Rainbow hovered in the air folding her forelegs across her chest. “This better not be about, like his favorite recipes for cookies or something.”

Any response from the others was preempted by Twilight almost blasting the doors of her new castle off their hinges. Her eyes moved across the waiting group until they landed on Celestia, who was currently picking herself up from where her impact with the door had launched her.

“Celestia!” Twilight dashed over to where her fallen teacher lay, and surprised everypony when she not only didn’t help Celestia up, but shoved the now infamous journal into her face.

“Did you know about this? Did you?! Of course you did! How couldn’t you? You were friends, he must have said something!” The look Twilight had was difficult to pin down: pain, confusion, fear, and even some anger fought for face time. “Wait, first prove that what you saw real Twilight. Celestia read this book! Read it right now, then I need you to write a report on what you find so that I may compare it with my own notes. I’ll expect your report in a half hour! Must do more research!” With a flash and pop the erratic purple princess was gone.

Nopony moved. They all sat in shock, either blinking rapidly or staring open mouthed at what they were pretty sure they saw.

“Did.. Did Twilight just give the Princess an assignment?”

They all just sat there a moment thinking about that. Until spike came in.

“Oh good! You’re all here, have any of you seen Twilight?”

“Yes, we did. She came in, gave me homework, and then teleported off. Spike? What has gotten into her now?”

Looking at the bewildered Princess, Spike saw that she had the journal in her magical grasp. “Well, she read that book and froze in place, for like an hour, then she ran around yelling about how ‘this changes everything’ and something about ‘a history changing romance’. So I’d say Freak Out level 8: Panicky but collected, no maniacal actions.”

“Star Swirl was writing a romance novel?” Pinkie asked confused.

“I think he means Star Swirl was in love with somepony darling.”

“Twilight said the book had memories so you could see from Star Swirls perspective, or something.”

“Very well then, best get started so we can reel Twilight back in.” Celestia sat down at the table to get comfortable.

“Oh oh! Story time!” Pinkie jumped around excitedly. Finally settling next to Celestia, she pulled out some popcorn.

Celestia chuckled at the happy mare’s antics. “Well I suppose I can project the memories so we may all see.” Looking around the room, everyone gave their consent.

Celestia opened the book and began to read.

I have traveled long and far. I have seen things that so few will ever see. I have met ponies who will undoubtedly affect the very history of the world. They have been my friends, my companions, my enemies.

But only one has ever held my heart, my love.

I’ve written this so that she may, someday, know the entirety of my feelings for her.

Some background will help. My parents worked in a castle, my mother a maid, my father a guard. I spent my foalhood playing and working around the castle, I didn’t have many I would consider friends, but I did have one. As things go for most children, my life changed the day I got my Cutie Mark.

Celestia began to feel the pull of the memory, casting a projection spell everypony and dragon saw the memory begin.

+++++

Star Swirl dashed down the halls.

“Princess! Princess! I got it!”

Running recklessly through the castle, the young colt kept calling out at the top of his lungs all the way. On his haunches, brand new, sat the source of his excitement, and he was determined that the first pony he’d show it off to would be the princess.

The Princess.. she was so pretty, and tall, and her hair did that wavy thing. So pretty…

Crushing hard, Star nearly collided with two maids.

“Sorry!” He yelled back, turning forward just in time to smash through the doors to the Royal Bedchamber.

His head swam as Star tried to get up. Finally the world stopped spinning. There she was!

“Princess Twilight look! I got my Cutie Mark!” Star Swirl the scruffy chinned colt declared to the purple pony princess who was undoubtedly Twilight Sparkle.

“WHAT!?” Eight voices yelled at once.

Author's Note:

Hopefully I can finish this. I've got the idea and I plan on just a few chapters. Ideas are the easy part, sitting and writing is what's hard for me. I hope you enjoy it.

Comments

[Foxler]

Ooh, this is INTERESTING. I had an idea like this I wanted to make a fic of.

I also have many easy ideas :) and trouble writing... :|

Am I... you?

[Midnight Aurorus]

WHAT???!!!!