A Study In Nonsense

by Professor Piggy

Heroes

Prompt: Magic has disappeared from Equestria.

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“Twilight?”

The voice, so familiar, echoed around the dark halls of the library and hung in the air, the only sound to be heard above the soft whisper of rustling pages. A distraction – and not a welcome one. She had already failed once, and she could feel the consequences in every inch of her body – an aching, hollow feeling unlike anything she had ever felt before.

“Twilight, I know you’re in there. Can I come in?”

She blocked it out, willing herself to focus on the tear stained pages before her, searching. There was an answer, there had to be – there was always an answer and she could always find it, and there was no reason for this to be different. Everything that happened happened for a reason, and all of it had happened before – long ago, before the name Twilight Sparkle had been on every pair of lips in Canterlot.

Failure. Traitor. Bad Student.

Unworthy.

“Twilight?” The voice wasn’t outside her door this time – it was right in her ear and she jumped back away from it on reflex, spinning as she did so. And as yet more proof that the world hated her, wanted her – specifically – to pay for what she had done or not done, she struck the table and sent the candle she had been using tumbling onto its side, igniting the book she had been pouring over in an instant. And there was nothing she could do.

She watched the flames slowly consume the book, panic seeping through her. It was burning – and she had no idea what to do. The prize student of Princess Celestia, and all she could do was stand there and stare as her home burned. She had to do something. She couldn’t let the library burn. The books, Spike, her research, and her visitor – they had to be saved. All of them. She couldn’t fail them, too - so she did the only thing she could think to do.

She planted her hooves and focused, trying desperately to find that…that power, that spark that had been there all her life. To touch it, ignite it and bend it to her will as she had been able to do just days before. As she had always been able to do. But it didn’t come – all that came, all that would ever come now, was the splitting, blinding agony. It tore through her in an instant, spreading from her head outward and sending her body into twitching spasms. As she collapsed to the ground, staring helplessly at the still spreading flames, Twilight Sparkle could hear herself screaming.

She watched in slow motion as her visitor tore from the kitchen faster than Twilight had ever seen her moving, an enormous pot of water clutched between her jaws. And in an instant, just as quickly as it had started, the fire was out and Pinkie stood over her, muzzle pressed to hers and breath hot on her lips. “Twilight! Twilight are you okay?”

Twilight couldn’t answer for a moment. She just lay there, staring up at her friend – or what she could see of her, in the pitch dark that now consumed her home. Her friend. Her saviour. Pinkie hadn’t panicked. Pinkie had acted, and she had saved both their lives. As Twilight opened her mouth to speak, another spasm rocked her and she cried out in pain, vision blurring as she fought back tears.

And then Pinkie was holding her, running a hoof through her mane and singing softly. In the darkness she couldn’t see her hero, but as the words washed over her and she felt the pink pony’s tears fall on her face, Twilight closed her eyes. She tried to calm herself, tried to fight the desperate need to do something. She knew why this was happening – her body was desperately trying to do exactly what she had asked it to – to call up the magic deep within her – and as long as she was in the state she was it would continue. It was instinct.

She didn’t fight, didn’t struggle to get free and continue her work. She just snuggled closer, doing her best to focus on the rhythmic sound of Pinkie’s heart and letting the warmth of her friend’s embrace chase away the panic from her veins. She didn’t know how long they lay there. She didn’t care. She had already failed to save the world – fixing it could wait a little while longer.

When at last the music stopped and she opened her eyes, she found that sunlight had begun to seep into the library through the wide open curtains. It danced off Pinkie’s face, and illuminated the sad, tired smile the earth pony was giving her. It also highlighted just how ragged she looked – her mane, usually so wild and untamed, had lost much of its life and now simply looked a mess. Her eyes didn’t sparkle in the quite the way they usually did. She looked exhausted.
“Pinkie,” She managed, her own voice hoarse and tired, “You look awful.”

Her friend frowned, and a flash of hurt appeared in her eyes before she forced it away – normally, Twilight wouldn’t have noticed. Wouldn’t have had time to notice. Now was different. As Pinkie forced a smile back on her face and opened her mouth to speak, Twilight continued. “It’s alright. You’re still beautiful.”

Both of them froze, eyes wide, and stared at each other uncertainly. The panic Twilight had so easily fought off before began to build back up in full force, and she regretted ever opening her mouth – she hadn’t meant to. It had just slipped out.

“Thanks.” The pink pony interrupted her thoughts, stealing them all away with her next words. “So do you. Even if you look like you haven’t slept at all again.”

She hadn’t, of course, but she didn’t plan to actually tell Pinkie that. “My research?” She asked instead, and Pinkie shook her head slowly. “Sorry, Twilight. I…I tried to save it, but I wasn’t fast enough.”

“No!” Indignation flared up inside her, and she forced herself up to stare directly into Pinkie’s eyes. “You did everything you could – you reacted, and I just stood there. You saved both our lives, Pinkie! You saved Spike’s life!”

Her friend looked away, biting her lip gently. “So what you’re saying is…even though I can’t fix everything, I did all I could and that’s enough?”

“Exactly! You might not have saved my research, but you saved our lives! Isn’t that what’s really important?”

“I think so.” Came the whispered reply, before the pony before her shot her a little grin. “Soooo…what you’re saying is that you should forgive yourself?”

Oh, that devious little – “No. That’s not what I’m saying. The two situations are entirely different! What I did killed magic. Not just for me; for everypony in Equestria – that’s not the same thing as burning some research documents, Pinkie!”

“But if you hadn’t done it, there wouldn’t be an Equestria left. And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather live in a world that still has all my friends in it – still has you in it – than a world with some dumb magic. We can make do. And we can make it right. I’ll help you, even.”

Twilight didn’t say a word, for a long moment. When she did she was amazed by how frightened her voice sounded. “So….you don’t hate me?”

“Nope. Nopony hates you, Twilight. But me? I extra super duper don’t hate you. I promise.” After a moments hesitation, she added. “And the girls feel the same, too. You’re their hero, Twilight. You’re my hero. You saved us all. And…well, we kinda miss you.”

“Miss me?”

“You’ve been cooped up in here for days now. That’s why I’m here. You’re gonna stop all this, you’re going to take a day off, and you’re gonna come have a picnic with us. Okie dokie lokie?”

“Pinkie, that’s sweet of you. But I can’t – I have to fix this, I have to –“

“And you will. We will. But not today. Today you’re gonna stop beating yourself up for not saving the world properly and remember that you saved the world. Again.”

“I…”

“There’s a lot of ponies who love you, Twilight. And they’d like to see you. Will you come with me? Just this once?” Pinkie’s voice turned wheedling, “I made you a pie. And some more pies. And a cake. And some other stuff too.”

“But –“

“Do you trust me, Twilight?”

“Of course I do, Pinkie.” That she even had to ask the question was absurd.

“Then say it with me, just this once: Okie dokie lokie, Pinkie Pie.”

“…”

“Hmmmmmmmm?”

“…Okie dokie lokie, Pinkie Pie.”

And then she was back in Pinkie’s clutches – not a gentle embrace this time, but a grip like a vice that reminded her, beyond any doubt, that she wasn’t alone. That she never would be.

“Pinkie?” She forced out.

“Yeah?”

“…Thank you.”

The smile on the party pony’s face – wide and bright and gleaming – was the only answer she gave.

Comments

[Resda]

Whoa. What on earth could have KILLED MAGIC?

Great prompt, great execution.

[Professor Piggy]

887619 Why thank you. It was a lot of fun.

[Donnys Boy]

Allll of my loooooove ...

[DeirKun]

I remember reading this in Thirty Minute Pony Stories. I really liked it.

[Professor Piggy]

1687470 Hey, thanks. Glad you like it.