Apocrypha

by Somepony New

Chapter 5

“Whad’ya mean disappeared?” The orange pony yawned as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. Her blonde mane was matted from the pillow that she so desperately wished to return to. It was still very early in the morning; Princess Celestia wouldn’t be raising the sun for well over an hour. “Ponies don’t just up and vanish into thin air, Spike.”

Spike’s brow was furrowed with worry. “I’m telling you, Applejack, she’s gone. She was there when I went to bed, and when I woke, she was gone.” The distraught dragon grew louder as he went on. “She didn’t leave a note or anything! Twilight always leaves a note!”

“Simmer down, Spike. I’m sure there’s a mighty good reason she left without telling you. Maybe she didn’t want to wake you, being you were plumb tuckered and all.”

Spike frowned and shook his head. He had to make sure Applejack understood his dilemma. If she didn’t, nopony would. “Have you ever known Twilight to leave without having told somepony, or at least leaving a note? The very same Twilight Sparkle who has a check on a checklist for making a checklist?”

She seemed to think about it a moment as she scratched her head with a hoof. “You may be right. Twi’ sure likes everything planned out... almost too much.” She yawned again, struggling against her desire to return to her bed. “Have you asked the others if they’ve seen her?”

He shook his head. “No, you were the first I came to see. I thought she might come here if she absolutely needed something this early in the morning.”

Applejack needed no reminder as to what time it was. “Here? Why here? Sweet Apple Acres is the farthest place from the library, not counting Fluttershy’s or Zecora’s. What makes you think she would come here if she needed something?

“Well, Fluttershy is afraid of the dark. Twilight wouldn’t risk the result of waking Rarity without a really good reason; she needs her beauty rest and you know how she gets without it.” Spike shuddered at the very notion and even Applejack seemed to cringe a bit. “She would have better luck waking a rock than Rainbow Dash; that pony can sleep through just about anything. Not to mention that her house has a tendency to drift about.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Applejack nodded in agreement with Spike’s assessment.

“And Pinkie Pie... is just Pinkie Pie. That leaves you. Besides, everypony knows you are the most dependable pony in Ponyville.”

Applejack felt her face flush, and a slight smile graced her freckled face. “Oh hush now, Spike. There’s no need to butter me up. I’ll help you find Twi’.”

“But it’s true.”

She coughed and looked away from the little dragon before attempting to get him back on topic. “So, where was the last place ya seen her?”

“It’s like I said before; when I last saw her, she was studying a book. You know how she is.” He paused to wait for her acknowledgement, but continued when it didn’t come. “I was exhausted from a long day of being her assistant: picking up books, making lists, collecting supplies, making her meals, washing–”

“I get it, Spike,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

“Oh, right.” He scratched his head as if trying to remember where he left off. “After that, I went to bed. When I woke up, she was gone.”

“Well then, I guess that’s where we should start looking. Let’s go.” Applejack took one step out the door before stopping. “One sec.” She rushed back inside, returning a few seconds later with her trademark brown cowpony hat. She never went anywhere without it.

Applejack appeared to make her way through the night with ease. From her years of late night chores on the orchard, she was practiced in more than a few tricks to aid her in seeing in the dark. Spike, being a dragon, could see just as well in the dark as he could in the light. Neither of them talked much as they made their way through the empty streets of Ponyville. The slight chill of the late autumn wind urged them both onward.

When they passed by Sugarcube Corner, the sound of a bell rang out in the distance. Before it finished its toll, it sounded again. Three more times the bell chimed before finally fading away into dark night once more. Spike thought he heard Applejack muttering something about the time, but he imagined it best to just leave it be. Besides, there were more pressing concerns.

As they rounded the corner, the gargantuan golden oak which housed the Ponyville library came into view. The building was intricately carved by master craftsponies over four decades ago. Hoof-cut glass panes lined each of the windows, each strategically placed in order to take the most advantage of the natural light. From when the sun rose at dawn until it set at dusk, this library was almost completely illuminated by sunlight. When they had almost made their way to the library, Applejack and Spike could see that the door was left open a crack.

“Twilight would be furious with me if she knew I left the door open!” Spike clutched his tail like a child would a protective blanket.

Applejack couldn’t help but smirk as she pretended not to notice. She pulled the door open the rest of the way and strode into the great library.

“HIYA!” erupted a rambunctious, yet familiar voice which echoed throughout the room. A pink pony, who had seemingly been waiting in ambush stood before the two of them. Her playful blue eyes radiated with the warmth of a summer day. Her untamed mane was a darker pink, full of curls that all seemed to come together in organized chaos.

“Pinkie Pie!?” Both Spike and Applejack said simultaneously in a volume that matched her own.

Applejack let out a small snort of umbrage; it was far too early to have to deal with Pinkie’s over-the-top antics. “Now what in tarnation are you doin’ here at this hour? Don’t ya know what time it is?”

“Nope. Do you know what time it is?”

“I... uh... it’s... early.” Applejack closed her eyes and let out a sigh. There was no point in fighting it. “Too early to be so gosh darn cheery.”

Spike looked at the pink pony with concern. “Pinkie, have you seen Twilight?”

“Uh uh.” She shook her head. “Why? Is she hiding? Are you playing hide and seek? I love hide and seek!” She bounced up and down excitedly.

Applejack clasped a hoof to her face and shook her head. “We’re not playing hide and seek, Pinkie. If you aren’t with Twi’, then what’re ya doin’ here so early?”

“Well, I woke up when my Pinkie Sense started acting up.”

“Pinkie Sense!?” Applejack and Spike both exclaimed together once again as they looked around nervously.

Sweat began to bead on Spike’s forehead. “What was it? Did something bad happen? Is Twilight in trouble!?”

“No, silly,” she giggled. “This was an ear flop, knee twitch, back shudder, tail swipe; and you know what that means.”

Confused, they glanced at each other and then back at Pinkie Pie. “We do?”

“Mm-hmm. It means that something is going to pop up, AND it’s going to happen right here at Twilight’s! Isn’t this exciting!?” She beamed with pride.

Spike was still confused. “Pop up? But Twilight is missing. What could that possibly mean?” A sudden look of horror overtook him. “Maybe she’s been ponynapped and a ransom is going to show up!”

“Horsefeathers.” Applejack frowned at the increasingly distressed dragon. “I highly doubt that Twi’s been ponynapped.”

“But it could be the Diamond Dogs again,” he continued, ignoring her and getting swept up by his overactive imagination. “They could’ve found out that she knew how to find gems, like Rarity. Maybe they figured out a way to control her. Maybe a dragon took her. Maybe–” He started to hyperventilate, unable to control his increasingly panicked breaths.

Applejack shook the small dragon by his shoulder to get his attention. “Maybe you should calm down and work with what we know, instead of worrying up these crazy things to fret about? I’m sure Twi’s just fine and when we find her, she will tell you so herself.”

---

“Okay, I'll admit it: it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.” Twilight let out a relieved sigh. “But I’m still not too enthused by the whole idea of it.”

Alex only smiled at her. She was far braver than he was. He knew for a fact that he could never get on the chariots that she had rode around in, but she hardly hesitated before stepping onto the bus. The amount of faith she had in him after so little time surprised him. The bus was slowing down at a stop in preparation to pick up another passenger. There were currently only two other passengers, sitting in the front: two older women who seemed preoccupied with discussions about the weather or something equally as boring.

“I’m impressed with how much courage you have, Twilight.”

“What do you mean?”

“Even though you were,” he paused momentarily, searching for the appropriate word, “unsettled... by this ‘hungry’ bus, as you put it, you still got on it with me. Most aren’t that able to overcome a fear, just like that.”

“You have been completely honest with me since I appeared before you, not to mention exceptionally kind. I had no reason to disbelieve your word.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that. How exactly did you get here anyway?”

Her face flushed a bit. “Oh, well, I had a minor mishap while studying an ancient book and accidentally cast the spell that brought me here.”

“Is that a frequent occurrence? Mishaps when dealing with spells, I mean.”

Twilight shook her head. “Not particularly. When reading and learning spells, they are drawn with diagrams and instructions. They are clearly labeled as so the focus or foci and activator are never used simultaneously without intent. It’s a safeguard that has been used for over a thousand years.”

“Right.” He nodded his head agreeably a few times. “I have no idea what you mean by that.”

“I’ll activate your focus, honey.”

Both Alex and Twilight turned their attention to the voice that erupted from behind them. A teenager garbed in all black grinned back at them, his eyes scanning Twilight up and down. The black paint on his fingernails was fading and blonde roots were clearly visible through his dyed black hair. Stylized words that read: ‘Bullet For My Valentine’, were written on his shirt.

Alex rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to Twilight. She was completely fixated on the boy.

“You can do that? I didn’t think it was possible for somepony to activate the focus of another.”

Alex had to cough to stifle a laugh from escaping. It appeared she had taken the child at his word, not seeing the actual intent behind his words. Something about that just struck him as hilarious.

“Somepony?” He frowned. “Don’t tell me you are one of those brony people.”

Twilight looked confused and turned to Alex. “What’s a brony?”

“I’ll explain later,” he said under his breath. “She is; we are. What of it?”

He scoffed at Alex. “I wasn’t speaking to you, dickhole. I was talking with cutie over here.”

Alex could feel his fist start to clench. Twilight must have noticed because she placed her hand over his tensing arm and tapped it softly a few times, calming him.

The teen leaned forward, placing his arm on the back of the seat. “So, what’s your sign, babe?”

“My sign?” She blushed at his question. “No one has ever really asked me about my sign before. Why, it’s a six pointed magenta star, representing myself and the potential that I have, surrounded by five smaller white stars that represent my friends. Together, we can accomplish anything. Apart, we are incomplete.”

He remained silent as he stared at Twilight, attempting to process the information she just gave him. She didn’t give him the chance.

“You know, you are kinda cute. You remind me of my last boyfriend. Daddy didn’t like him much, but he managed to get away with just a few broken limbs; nothing too serious.” She started playing with her hair, twirling it around her finger. “But don’t worry, I am sure he won’t be as hard on you as he was with him. After all, you only look like him. It’s not like he would get confused or anything.”

The teenager’s brow wrinkled as sweat began to bead. “I... umm...”

“And that’s not the half of it. I’m sure you could easily survive any beating that he would deal out, even if he used to be a soldier.” She turned to Alex. “I mean, it was only an accident that he killed that guy, right?”

Alex, playing along, nodded his head in agreement.

“Of course, once you meet daddy, we could get married and then have children. You would get a job and I would stay at home and watch the kids.” She suddenly frowned. “I don’t really know how to cook, but I guess I could try and learn. I only burnt the kitchen down twice and it wasn’t my fault the second time.”

The children remark had been enough. “Uh, sorry, but this is my stop. Gotta go!” He reached up and frantically pulled the cord to inform the driver to stop. He quickly got up and moved toward the door. Before they had fully opened he forced his way off the bus, in effort to get away from the predicament he had placed himself in.

As the doors closed, Twilight turned back to Alex beaming with a smile of satisfaction at a job well done.

Alex was thoroughly impressed. “Twilight, that was amazing! How did you know how to get rid of him like that?”

“It’s simple really. I just gave him too much to think about at once.”

“I don’t follow you...”

She raised her hand with one finger extended. “Well, first I answered his question about what my sign was with something I figured he wouldn’t understand; describing my cutie mark instead of telling him that I’m a Virgo.” She raised another finger. “Then, before he managed to process what I’d told him, I proceeded to place the thought in his head that I was interested in him.”

Alex nodded his head as she continued.

“Third, I gave him the worry of an over-obsessive, overprotective parent, with a penchant for violence. To top it all off, I threw in the thought that I am an accident prone, overbearing control freak. It was just too much for him to handle at once.”

He was almost speechless. “That... that was amazing. Where’d you learn to do something like that?”

She shook her head, adjusting her hair. “A mare has to fend for herself. It’s not all that easy being the protege of the princess. More than a fair share of colts thought they would swoop in and sweep me off my hooves, in efforts to advance their social position within Canterlot.”

Alex was dumbstruck. He had never thought about Twilight Sparkle as someone who was constantly harassed by the opposite sex. The show never really demonstrated it and she had never mentioned it, so the thought never crossed his mind. In fact, the only mention of a pony being beautiful had been when Spike was talking or dreaming about Rarity. However, if Twilight’s current form was any indication of her appeal as a pony, then it was no wonder she had been assaulted by suitors.

“What exactly is a brony?”

“I’m sorry?” Alex blinked as he was pulled back from his thoughts.

“What’s a brony? The thing that guy said I was.”

He scratched his head. “Oh, well, it is an adult fan of the ‘My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’ television show.”

“I am not a fan of the show,” she said flatly. Her smile had been replaced with a disapproving frown.

“I know that, Twilight, but it was the easiest way to pass off your knowledge of Equestria, and the occasional grammar slip. Though, I think telling him you were Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic, a unicorn from Equestria, might have had a similar effect to what you did. But the danger involved in doing that wouldn’t be worth it.” Alex smiled at her. “Just know that I had the best intentions when I said that. I didn’t mean to offend you, and I am sorry if I did.”

She sighed. “I understand. Sorry for jumping to conclusions.” She looked back out the window. “So, how much longer until we arrive at the library?”

Alex took a look at the buildings they were passing by, trying to recognize their location. “We’re probably something like three miles from the library; maybe five or so more minutes. Then you can have a look at all the books you can get your hands on.”

Her smile returned, her spirits renewed by this information. “Great! This is going to be so exciting! I can’t wait!”

Seeing her so excited made him smile all the more. There was something about it he couldn’t put his finger on. He couldn’t wait to get her there either. He needed to get her there.

Author's Note:

Pre-read by: NotSoSubtle
Edited by: FrontSevens

Comments

[Somepony New]

2819207 I believe I know what you are speaking about.

This chapter had a HUGE amount of exposition that I decided to deep six. That left the framework for the scene that I had that I had to rework entirely.

The part about Twilight being to sweet here is actually ironic (at least to me). The original version had her being much more direct and dismissive of the teen, but it felt out of character completely for her and my prereader agreed with me. I guess I may have taken it a bit too far in the other direction, but I assumed Twilight would be more than capable of putting up a front when dealing with a mild irritant.

Alex isn't so much questioning Twilight's intelligence, per se, but her ability to be savvy. I have personally found that most individuals that are highly intelligent seem to lack street smarts. Perhaps I used improper descriptions when setting up the scene though. I forced myself to rush this out a bit faster than I would have liked because I have been tied up with school work for the past two months.

I will give it a more thorough examination in the passing weeks and possible edit a few lines to better portray the events to fit in character, but it will not change the actual events that occur.