Scootaloo's Return

by RebelNarrator45

7 New Research Begins

It did not take long to settle Dark Magic into a room in the castle. Once he had put a few of his things there, he was escorted to the library by Spike. Twilight was already set up to do some reading. The writings of Dark Magic's ancestors filled four good sized boxes, which sat waiting to be opened.

"Ready to get to work?" Twilight asked.

"Of course." He replied.

"Great!" Twilight said enthusiastically. "Because I can't wait to get to these writings! May I?"

She was already eagerly opening a box before he could reply. He simply sighed in acceptance and opened another box. Twilight had lifted out a black book with a red spine and was reading it, eyes moving rapidly back and forth as she scanned what was written.

"So what exactly are you hoping to find?" Dark Magic asked, selecting a book of his own and opening it.

"Any possible link that will allow us to reverse what you did and heal Apple Bloom at the same time." Twilight answered, looking up briefly. "These writings are the first new things I have had a chance to study in seven years. It's quite possible your ancestors may have possessed some form of magic that might be what we're looking for."

He frowned. "So in other words, you are searching for a magic form that perhaps only one of my ancestors knew?" He queried.

"Exactly!" Twilight replied, before focusing on her reading again...though she didn't fail to position both herself and the book so she could keep Dark Magic in sight as she read.
In reality, she needn't have bothered, because Spike had settled himself near the library door with a stack of comic books, having made up his mind that the magician needed to be watched very carefully.

These things were not lost on Dark Magic. He noticed their careful observation of him, but made no comment. It wasn't like he could tell them to stop, no matter how uncomfortable it made him. He was, after all, responsible for the switch that had been made between the two young mares that the entire group at the bakery seemed to care so much about. If their roles were reversed, he would probably be mistrusting, too.

"Hey, Twilight!" called Dash as she burst in, flinging the door wide, straight into Spike, and narrowly avoiding crashing into her egghead friend.

Spike let out a yell ... along with a blast of fire that scorched a hole through his comic book. He stared at it sadly and sighed before turning to glare accusingly at Dash.

"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked the cyan mare, though she had a pretty good idea.

"I just thought I'd come over and hang out, you know; help you with your reading."
Dash replied, before throwing a rather dark look at the room's other pony occupant.

"I see." Twilight said. "Well, grab a book from one of those two boxes then."

Dash looked briefly astonished by that, but shook it off and did as she was told, selecting a faded green book that was trying to fall apart at the seams. She settled down on the floor near Spike and started reading.
For a long time, the only sound in the room was the soft turning of pages and an occasional mutter of "Fascinating!" or something similar from Twilight. Hours of reading yielding nothing on healing spells or anything related to it.

"Are we done yet?" Dash asked, rubbing her eyes. "I'm getting blurry eyed from all this reading."

"We've only read our way through two full boxes and half another." Twilight said. "We've still got a ways to go. But, we have been at it a long time. We should take a break and eat something, and Dash, you should go home and sleep."

"Yeah." Dash yawned. "But will you be fine here?"
She threw a wary look at Dark Magic. Twilight grinned a little and nodded.

"Yes."

"Ok. Then I'll go home and get some sleep." Dash said, rising and preparing to go.

Just a split second after she opened the library door, she let out a startled yell. And for good reason. She had come face to face with Applejack.

"Let me guess, you came to help me read, too?" Twilight asked.

"Partly." Applejack replied.

She cast a stern look in Dark Magic's direction. Twilight sighed and shook her head. She would definitely not lack guards for her guest.

"I'm leaving now." Dash said. "See ya tomorrow."

She left, and Applejack settled down and accepted an offer to eat a quick bite. Twilight then offered her a book and they all settled in to read. It soon became evident that everypony was not going to stay awake all night. Spike set up camp right by the door, just in case anypony decided to try and leave in the night, and fell asleep first. He was soon followed by Dark Magic, who nodded off in his chair. Applejack, in an effort to stay awake, got up and walked over to Twilight, who was rubbing her tired eyes.

"Anythin' useful?" She asked softly.

"Not yet." Twilight answered. "I keep feeling like I'm missing something, though. Something from the research I have been doing the last few days. Something obvious. But I can't put my hoof on it."

Applejack yawned. "Sorry."

"Its ok. You're tired. Why don't you get some rest?"

"Suppose he wakes up an' vanishes?"

It was a fair question. Twilight eyed the sleeping magician skeptically.

"I think I can fix that." She answered. Her horn lit up, and a violet glow surrounded the stallion briefly before dissipating.
"That should do it."

"What?"

"A double spell. One is a boundary spell that will let me know the second he leaves the confines of the castle; the other is a tracking spell, so I can find him if he disappears."

Applejack yawned again. "Well, then Ah reckon Ah could take a little nap."

She made her way back over to where her saddlebags were and dropped onto the floor. Resting her head on the bags, she pulled her Stetson over her eyes and gave another yawn. It was only a couple of minutes before her soft snores told Twilight her friend had fallen asleep. With a quiet chuckle, she went back to her reading, all the while something nagging at the back of her brain.

What was she missing?

In spite of her effort not to, she too soon succumbed to sleep, her head dropping onto the desk as a quiet snore escaped her.
***********************************
The rays of Celestia's sun had barely shone throughout the castle library when an exultant yell awoke three of its four occupants.

"I think I've got it!" Twilight shouted.

Applejack, Spike, and Dark Magic all sat up and rubbed their sleepy eyes before gazing blearily at Twilight.

"Got what, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked, with a yawn.

"I think I may have figured out part of what we need to fix the girls!" Twilight squealed happily.

Instantaneously, all three of her companions were wide awake and completely alert, standing and focusing intently on her.

"You have?" Dark Magic exclaimed. "Are you saying my ancestors did know something to help?!"

"Well, no." Twilight replied. "Not that I've discovered yet, anyhow. No, this is something I should have realised while doing my research on it the last several days. I can't believe I missed it! It was right there! So obvious!"

"Well, what?!" Spike asked.

Twilight's eyes gleamed. "Spike." She said. "Make a big breakfast! Applejack, can you gather everypony here? Including the Crusaders?"

"Ah'm on it." Applejack trotted hastily from the room.

"One big haycake breakfast!" Twilight said to Spike, grinning.

The baby dragon saluted and ran from the room. Dark Magic looked at Twilight, who was busy bringing out a chalkboard and its accompanying chalk.

"What was your discovery, Princess?" He enquired.

She simply gave a grin as mysterious as his own had been the last couple of days.

"You'll have to wait until everypony is here to find out."