The Enchanted Library: The Secret Chapters

by garatheauthor

Chapter 6 - Twilight is a little out of touch with the modern world

Twilight opened her eyes, looked up at her hoof, and her heart skipped a beat.

Wait! Her heart just skipped a beat.

She inhaled sharply and felt her lungs expand, her chest rising and falling at an excitable pace. Oh, how strange of a sensation that was.

Everything was real. She could feel. Again! She could feel the touch of the wood against her back. She could feel the grit of the dust. She could feel… sticky?

She looked down at herself, seeing the splotches of black now coating her body. Likely, the result of the shattered ink well that remained at her side.

“I’m alive,” Twilight whispered before stumbling to her hooves.

Oh, how funny gravity felt after being denied it for so many centuries.

She took a tentative step, and then another. Each felt strange, sending a million sensations firing all at once. It almost bordered on the realm of overstimulation.

If walking felt strange, what would it feel like when she was finally able to be with Rarity?

Rarity?

The memory of that name made a bead of sweat form on her brow. It also triggered an explosion of foreign sensations, as the mere figment of a memory was enough to excite so many parts of her psyche and physical form. She wiped her brow and winced as she accidently got ink all over her complexion, but paid it no additional attention.

Twilight needed to find Rarity. She had to.

Was the curse broken?

Twilight cautiously approached the edge of her library, her eyes widening as she looked down the tunnel. All along the edges were papers, drawing, and notes from past companions she had enjoyed and loved.

There were hundreds? How long had her hiatus lasted?

She didn’t bother reading or examining any of them closely as she instead sprinted forward. The barrier did not stop her and for the first time ever she was free.

Almost immediately, she felt a familiar burn smolder in her chest as she puffed for breath.

Ah, just as out of shape as ever.

And yet, being reminded of that was exciting. She was mortal again, with a mortal’s stamina and resilience.

Still, she pressed herself, pushing harder than she had ever pushed herself before. Harder than when Shining had tried to train her, harder than when she had first tried to adapt to wings. She sprinted and sprinted, not slowing as she dove through the forest and approached the settlement on its edge.

She slowed to a canter but still burst into town, breathing in the richness of urban life. Oh, how she missed that smell, and the ability to smell in general. It was all so exciting!

The ponies she passed all stared at her in a mixture of shock, awe, and oddly even a few who seemed disgusted. Maybe they thought of her as an imposter, or a freak who somehow had both wings and a horn.

Thankfully, she spotted a pony she knew in the market square, sliding to a halt in front of Applejack’s fruit stand.

The farmer beamed at the sight of her. “Twilight!” She froze. “Er… what’s that on your face?”

Twilight stopped and cocked a brow before touching her cheek. As she withdrew it, she saw a nice amount of black now tarnishing her hoof.

“Oh yeah, sorry,” she said. “I spilled ink all over myself when I woke up. Must’ve been a little clumsy with my new hooves.” She waved one. “But look! I escaped.”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah… yeah, that’s great and all but like Twi…”

“Yes?”

“It’s literally all over your face.”

“What do you mean?”

Applejack sighed and scrubbed the brass plaque on her wagon to a shine, allowing Twilight to lean in and see that her face was totally covered in black ink.

Before either of them spoke, a panicked gasp hit from the side. “Twilight!”

Twilight turned and beamed again. “Oh, hey Fluttershy!”

When she saw the pegasus, it was not the kindly mare she remembered but a sneering ball of pink and yellow.

Twilight winced. “Fluttershy?”

“You have a lot of nerve walking into town looking like that! I know that you haven’t been around too many ponies for like a thousand years, but it’s the year 1020, and ponies don’t go around doing blackface anymore.”

Twilight blinked. “What?”

Applejack nodded sadly. “She’s right, Sugarcube. What would Zecora say if she saw you like this?”

A deep chuckle rolled in from the side and the zebra herself appeared.

“It is obviously a misunderstanding,” Zecora said. “She’s very sure Twilight didn’t mean to be offending.”

Fluttershy whipped around and shushed her. “Zecora, hun, the woke ponies are trying to defend you.”

Zecora blinked. “I do not need defense, for Twilight meant no offense.”

Applejack shook her head. “Leave her be Fluttershy, she doesn’t understand the intricacies of modern identity politics.”

“What’s… going on?” Twilight asked.

Zecora shrugged.

“Twilight!” A new voice called. A very familiar voice. One which she had longed to hear with her real ears.

She turned and smiled. “Rarity!”

She saw horror in Rarity’s face, as the unicorn skidded to a halt.

“Oh, no,” Rarity murmured.

Twilight frowned. “Oh, no?”

“I can’t believe this,” Rarity whispered before dramatically placing the back of her hoof to her forehead. “I waited all this time, only to discover that you’re problematic. I’m sorry dearest but…” She turned away in disgust. “I must now cancel you.”

Author's Note:

I couldn't let this series languish forever.

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Comments

[Monochromatic]

this is so much better than the actual story god bless

[SigmasonicX]

Thought this chapter was going to go in a different direction with Twilight's reaction to thinking of Rarity and her being sticky. Good absurd chapter, especially since Zecora's fur isn't even particularly dark.

[Spell Craft]

They can't all be winners, kid.

[garatheauthor]

10047152
Twilight is Problematic - A Mono Approved Headcanon

10047156
Don't you go trying to explain away Twilight's truly offensive behavior, SMDH.

[Jagafeh]

“I can’t believe this,” Rarity whispered before dramatically placing the back of her hoof to her forehead. “I waited all this time, only to discover that you’re problematic. I’m sorry dearest but…” She turned away in disgust. “I must now cancel you.”

“Hey Rarity! Don’t be so hard on Twilight.” Pinkie said, appearing behind Rarity.

Beaming, Pinkie turns to Twilight, “Welcome back Twi. Join me in the Mare’s Rights Association. We have cupcakes.”