Time Enough for Everything at Last

by Jay Watson

Ch.7 Treasure in Opaline's Library

Starlight has been here for fifty-four days now and has brought her chosen students up to a point where she believed they could cast her spell correctly and powerfully enough. Her reasoning, it would take these twelve unicorns combined to produce a comparable amount of magical energy she, Twilight, Sunburst, and Moondancer had in creating the original energy field.

She, Izzy, and Alphabiddle had found a quiet and secluded clearing just outside of town where they could set up and make a first attempt. If something went wrong, Starlight didn't want the magic energy released to destroy Alphabiddle's business. As soon as her students had arrived for the evening's lesson, Starlight led them straight away to the clearing. Sunny, Hitch, and the two princesses were here with them, eager to see if they were successful after Starlight's training, and wanting to be there for support. The friends were impressed with Izzy's newly developed magic skills, doing more than simple levitation.

Starlight and Sunny chatted while Starlight was handing out the spell scrolls to her students, having the students stand in a circle, facing towards one another. Starlight had promised to help Sunny with the issue of her alicorn transformation previously and after tonight's attempt, she would. When Sunny quizzed Starlight repeatedly about the potential danger of harnessing so much magic energy; what would happen to the unicorn Unity Crystal? What if the energy field suddenly went out of control?

“Oh, Sunny, don’t go off ‘Twilighting’ on me now. I need you to stay focused and overthink it so much.” Starlight cracked a joke, more to herself than to her companion but Sunny didn't get the joke or the reference.

Starlight began the first attempt, magically holding the unicorn crystal aloft in the center of the circle with a simple levitation spell. She had the students read the spell scroll and then cast an energy beam at the crystal. As it should, the combined energy of the twelve unicorns held the crystal up while Starlight released it from her magical hold. She had them increase the energy input they were sending, which, as it should per her spell, caused the crystal to emit a blue light, washing over the twelve students; the beginnings of an energy field.

It was exciting for Sunny and her friends to watch, witnessing magic being cast on a grand scale. Misty, keeping herself out of sight, watched with wide eyes too at the magical power being harnessed. It was as thrilling to see as it was intimidating, wondering if at any moment, the spell would fail and there would be ponies hurt.

Just as Starlight was instructing her students to increase the power yet more, Opaline made contact with Misty, ordering her back to the castle: there was information she needed verified and Misty could answer if she was following the right line of thinking. Misty meekly protested, saying she should stay longer to keep observing this unicorn mare. But Opaline did not brook back talk or defying her orders and then threatened Misty with harm if she did not return to the castle at once. Reluctantly, Misty did as she was ordered and left her hiding spot near the clearing, heading into the woods and away from the town.

For the next few hours, Starlight tested their magical limits, seeing how far she could push them to create the energy field she needed for her time traveling spell to work. It was very demanding for the majority of students to keep up with the spell, finding they were only partially successful at creating the energy field Starlight needed. After more than three hours of training and retrying the same spells, they could do no more, their energy was spent.

Starlight was frustrated by their slow progress and lashed out at her students for not having the stamina and strength to cast the spell she needed them to cast. She caught herself yelling at them and quickly apologized, becoming upset with herself for being impatient. Seeing and hearing Starlight's exhaustion and frustration, Izzy and Alphabiddle brought the session to a close and dismissed the students. As the students departed, they all told Starlight they'd work that much harder at their spell craft and be ready for her.

Alone with her friends, Starlight confessed she was afraid there was not enough time to get them ready. In four days, she will have been here two months and she needed to make an attempt of getting them to successfully create the energy field. Not only that but they needed to maintain it long enough for her to cast her time travel spell and then pass through the portal. She wondered if she'd ever get home.

But her friends countered her disappointment, offering a solution. “Starlight,” Izzy quietly began to broach the subject she did want to try to talk with Starlight about, “would it be so terrible for you to stay here in Bridlewood with us?”

Starlight, despite not wanting to become attached to these ponies, found them to be good ponies to lean on and she'd been doing that more regularly lately. But she knew this was not her time or place, there was a life waiting for her back when she came from and she did not belong here.

Secretly, her new friends did not want to see her risk her life with this magical experiment. Izzy, especially, did not want Starlight to go, so eager was she to show Starlight she had the discipline to do great magic. Whether Starlight realized it or not, she had done more for her kind than any pony could have by reintroducing Equestrian magic to them. All of them, her new friends and students, thought very highly of her. Some harbored the thought of asking her not to leave; confused why she would risk her life if she could remain here in Bridlewood.

There really was not much more prep work for Starlight to do at this point. Her students each had a copy of the spell they needed to cast and she had her final copy of the time travel spell completed. In just a hoof-full of days, she was going to have to try for real. Worrying she might suffer burn out from the extensive stress she was putting herself under, Zipp and Pipp offered to take Starlight to Zephyr Heights for a few days, to show her more of their Equestria and explore someplace new. With this, Izzy and Alphabiddle were in agreement with the sisters. They promised to keep up the practice and be ready at Starlight's return.

It was hard for Starlight to say yes to the sisters' kind offer, fearing loss of time and opportunity to be ready. But she agreed, aware that just grinding away at her students like some cruel taskmaster was only going to make her more anxious and frustrated.

“We promise you, Starlight, when you return you will be impressed by our progress before out next session.” Alphabiddle gave his word, wanting to show her that the unicorns of Bridlewood took this duty seriously.

The following morning, Starlight left with Sunny and the sisters for Zephyr Heights while Hitch had to return to Maretime Bay. Starlight gave Hitch a real thrill by casting a teleportation spell on him that zapped him back to town in the blink of an eye. He reappeared right outside the door to the station. His sudden appearance out of thin air with a small burst of magical energy startled a few ponies that were passing close by. Hitch was impressed to know end at the magical power Starlight wielded. With such power, he had a hunch that she would be successful with her plans.

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Misty arrived back at the castle in Darkwood Forest, finding her mistress deep in her study of books in the library. Opaline seemed pleased to see her ward here and awaited Misty's briefing. It was something to listen to, making Opaline concerned but also intrigued. She had spent some time researching what Misty had told her, finding some fragments of history that indicated some pony in Equestria's past had attempted such a magical feat as that.

As Misty assisted with looking through the various books on the shelf of the library, she could sense which books had a magical aura on them, indicating there was something special about those books. Just what, she wasn't sure. Misty had the spell scroll Starlight had given her and one of the spells written out for her was a spell that would allow her to translate from the ancient magical language of old Ponish into a form she understood.

When Opaline was too busy with what she was working on, Misty cast the spell from the scroll onto the books nearest to where she was standing. Three of them began to emit a soft blue light that only she could see. She waited until later on that night, after Opaline gave up and went off to bed to slip silently down to the library to remove the books from where they had sat for untold moons.

Nervously, with great care and reverence, Misty laid the first book on the table in front of her, trying to stay calm all the while. She put a forehoof on the night blue cover with its strange and ornate silver embossing of very intricate design. She closed her eyes, letting herself relax and tap into the magic energy that was inside all unicorns, just as Starlight had written on the spell scroll. When she did, the silver embossing began to move and change its appearance, transforming into what looked like a silver moon surrounded by twinkling stars in a night sky. But more amazing was the title of the book, embossed in large print along the top of the cover. She did not know who this Princess Luna was, but this book apparently was a spell book, volume number nine in its linage, which was on the topic of moon magic and the properties of Lunar Based Magical Energy.

She did the same to the other two books she'd taken off the shelf, the subject of each revealed to her, one being another volume from the same collection as the first book, while the second was a collection of various spells written by a Princess Flurry Heart, whoever that was. Either way, she knew these were important magical books and she would do well to keep them secret, away from her mistress. Or better yet, bring them to Bridlewood and give them to Starlight, she'd know what to do to keep them safe.

Moving soft and silent, like a shadow along the castle’s interior walls, Misty slunk back to her room to retrieve a large carry bag, big enough to hold the three books within. She returned to the library, carefully slipping the three books inside and hiding the bag somewhere in the castle convenient to pick up on her way out the next time she had to leave. She hoped to be sent back to Bridlewood soon, wanting to continue with her magic studying. With her magic treasure safely hidden, she retired to her bedroom, locking the door behind her. For a few more minutes before going to bed, Misty practiced her levitation skills, pleased with herself that it was becoming easier for her to tap into her magic. She could not wait to show Starlight when she got back.

Comments

[Phetiamwantip]

So far, so good on this new chapter, I enjoyed it! Can't wait to see what happens next. Dreams do come true if you keep believing in yourself. Anything is possible.

Here's a song that will make you do whatever it takes. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/HcNcOnIkQQU