Half Hour Horses: Legacy Prompts

by HoofAndQuill

LP75: Overloaded [Slice of Life]

The prompt:

Overloaded.

"Of course, Rarity! I don't mind doing that for you." Princess Twilight Sparkle smiled as she scribbled down a few notes on the research Rarity had asked for.

Rarity smiled, pretty as usual. "Are you quite certain, Twilight? I know you have a simply enormous number of letters to answer."

Twilight shook her head quickly, setting the note aside for later. "I don't mind. It's only a few letters, and I'm sure I can find the information you need on pre-classical robes quickly enough."

Spike's head poked out from an upper shelf, where he had been working to reshelve a number of reference books. "Don't forget the classroom textbooks for Miss Cheerilee!"

"Huh? Oh, right, that too. But that's okay, Rarity. I'll have this by tomorrow."

---

"I sure am glad you don't mind workin' through me an' Big Mac's math, Twilight. I know it's a lot of addin' and subtractin', but I just can't have the books be off again this year." Applejack doffed her hat, and smiled at Twilight before setting it on her head again.

Twilight smiled, flipping idly through the farm ledger. "Oh, it's no problem, Applejack. I'm sure I can fit this in somewhere."

"Things sure are lookin' busy in here, Twilight. Why do y'all have books all over the floor an' everywhere else?"

"I was looking up answers for Pinkie Pie's question about historical parties. She asked about 'history parties' and I thought... well, it turned out that she just meant parties for studying history. But it was still interesting learning about all of that, even if she didn't really need it."

Spike grumbled as he collected book after heavy book in his arms. "Yeah, and you pulled down half of a shelf just to figure it out..."

---

"Um, I'm sorry, I know you... already have a lot of books. But I thought... a few more books about animals might be... nice." Fluttershy smiled, and nudged the books across the crowded table, toward Twilight.

Twilight smiled, and brushed her slightly mussed mane out of her eyes. "I'm sure we can find space. Are you sure..." She paused, blinked, and then shook her head quickly to clear it. "Are you sure you don't need them anymore?"

"I um, already know all of it. I've been caring for my animal friends so long, I just know how to spot all the problems without reading these again." Fluttershy pulled back her own mane without thinking about it. "Are you... okay?"

Spike picked up the stack of books from the table, and started sorting through them. "She's okay, it's just been a busy day. Don't worry Fluttershy, we're fine!"

---

"Spike? Spike! Where's that book on pre-classical looms? I've got way too much to do, and I can't seem to find it!" Twilight pulled volume after volume from the shelves, her horn glowing and her eyes slightly too wide as she scanned each title in turn.

Spike called out from a nearby ladder. "It's over here, Twilight, in the trade book section. You really need to take a break, Twilight."

"A break? I can't take a break! My friends are all counting on me, and that's not even counting all the ponies that wrote in for advice!"

"But you're getting too stress-urp!"

Spike burped and coughed as the scroll appeared in the middle of a gout of flame, and then dropped to the table.

Princess Twilight stared at the scroll, and the royal seal gracing it. She lifted it in her magic, and unrolled it. Her eyes moved left and right over the text, and her eyebrow twitched in a very familiar way that set all of Spike's spines on edge.

---

The castle sounded strangely quiet to Twilight, after the past few minutes. Her breathing had calmed again, and here, under her bedcovers, it was warm and safe and dark.

She felt more than a little foalish. It was just another minor question from Princess Celestia, and it wouldn't have taken too long to answer, not really.

Twilight sighed under her covers.

The creaking of the big crystal door to her bedroom made the fur along her back stand on end for a few seconds, until she realized that it could really only be Spike. "... Hi, Spike."

Spike's voice was quiet and almost apologetic. "Hey, Twilight. I answered Princess Celestia's letter, it didn't take too long."

The patter of his padded feet was almost loud in her silent bedroom, as he walked over toward the bed. Twilight nodded, even if he couldn't see her under the covers. "Thanks, Spike. I'm... sorry about making a mess of the library."

"It's okay, Twilight." Spike burrowed under her blankets, and cuddled up against Twilight's chest. He hugged her around the barrel, and Twilight couldn't' help but smile.

Twilight gave her number one assistant a squeeze, and then sighed. "Okay, from now on, I'll listen when you suggest a break, okay? All that stuff will still be there tomorrow, let's just rest."