Friendship is Magic Part 1
A small tingling of excitement grew inside the young colt as he stood outside two large, golden doors. The architecture was some of the most magnificent he'd ever seen in all of Equestria. He was a resident of Canterlot to boot, so he'd seen his fair share. Knowing what lay beyond those doors, Steel Feet pranced around the entrance like a foal on Hearth's Warming Eve. He was going to see an old classmate: Twilight Sparkle.
The two of them went up the ranks studying inside Equestria's best magic school. A school in which Princess Celestia herself was head mare. The two did everything together. While Twilight wasn't known as being a pony to open up to others (even close friends), Steel Feet had a -rather late- housewarming gift to perk the unicorn's interest. A fresh new addition of Predictions and Prophecies hot off the presses. He knew how much she was into those crazy (though not to her) conspiracy theories. Especially the ones about Nightmare Moon. He had a running bet with a mutual friend he would be slammed with facts relating to the old pony's tale the minute he stepped inside.
"Twilight? I have a late housewarming gift for you!" Steel Feet called out in a friendly tone. He frowned after getting no response. She usually stampeded her guests by now. That or Spike was there to greet him. No such luck. Maybe she was enamored in a book. Wouldn't have been the first time. Steel Feet chuckled to himself. Didn't she have any fun? He didn't have to answer the hypothetical question. He already knew.
It had been six long months since graduation. Steel Feet was a bit in shock Twilight still lived inside the castle. Walking through the endless rows of book shelves, he could catch a glimpse as to why she wouldn't leave. The amount of knowledge hidden among them would be enough to last most ponies a single lifetime. For Twilight, it was just another Tuesday.
"Spike, where are you?" An oblivious Twilight called out. Not noticing the gray colt standing right behind her, she bumped into her old friend.
"Ow, my horn." Steel Feet said in a mock dramatic fashion. He picked up the now semi-used limited edition of Predictions and Prophecies.
"Oh, sorry Steel Feet!" She bowed her head as a further apology. "I was just looking for Spike."
Steel Feet awkwardly shifted away from Twilight. "I heard. Getting ready for the Summer Sunset Celebration?" He asked.
Twilight rapidly shook her head. Something was off, but Steel Feet couldn't exactly figure out what. He needed to push further. Was Nightmare Moon returning after all? If anything he'd win some money out of it all. It was worth a shot.
Twilight brushed her hoof. "I'm not in the mood for festivals. I'm looking for a very important book right now that could save all of Equestria!" She exclaimed confidently.
Steel Feet braced himself for winning yet another bet. Betting on Twilight was the easiest money he'd ever make. He was ready to internally jump for joy. Ten buck well earned.
"I've found out the exact date when Nightmare Moon will descend from her prison and bring about an endless night which will terrorize the entire world!" Twilight said with each word becoming more frantic than the last. She raced around in circles. Random strands of hair becoming every so slightly undone the more she loosened her sanity. Her temper tantrum finally ended with a dramatic collapse on a random pile of books and a muffled scream.
Using magic, Steel Feet helped levitate the books to help give the lavender unicorn some space to breathe. Steel Feet managed a silent yay at the realization he was ten dollars richer. He winced as he thought Twilight had heard him. But she seemed indifferent. Trying to straighten herself out, she gave a long, drawn out sigh.
"Are you okay Twi?" Steel Feet asked, putting a warm, friendly hoof on her shoulder. He gave her the most positive look he could muster. Twilight was not known for easily shaking off bouts of insanity like most ponies. She desperately needed any support she could find. Even from a small breakdown.
"Yeah, yeah I think I'm fine," Twilight responded out of breath. She took a few more breathes to fully calm down. Then one more full heave before rapidly shaking her head and striating herself out. “Now I think I’m good.” She said half heartedly.
Steel Feet gave her a look which said I doubt it.. They both took turns looking down at the ground and rubbing their hoofs before Twilight finally broke the silence.
“So anyway, I thought you were going to show up later like you said,” Twilight said elongating each word while trying to wrap her head around what to say next. Maybe Steel Feet should have said he was showing up earlier. He knew she didn’t like surprises.
“I kind of overestimated the amount of time I would need. Sorry,” he responded sheepishly. “I’ll send a letter to Spike next time as a warning,” Steel Feet said with a sly wink.
Twilight gave a weak smile and chuckled. Slightly bending her head in a mock bow. “I accept your apology oh Steel Foot the Errand One. Teach me your ways of the Kingdom of Half Assery.”
Steel Foot let out a hardy laugh. “You already know why I’m here early. I’m impressed young pupil. Maybe someday you’ll be good enough to be my personal student.”
The two shared a laughter only shared by good friends. Truth be told, Steel Feet wasn’t exactly the happiest colt when it came to errands. Twilight knew well enough. He had a laundry list of chores to do at home before the Celebration. He could not be bothered to do. At least not at one-hundred percent effort. They had a maid. Why did he have to do any important work. It was a holiday anyway. No pony was doing much of anything which could be considered as work. He liked it that way.
“I accept your invitation to learn your ways Oh Wise One. What is your first task?” Asked Twilight.
“You’re first task is to open this gift,” Steel Foot levitated his new copy of Predictions and Prophecies over towards her. The red package wasn’t shaped like a book. He did so intentionally. He wanted this to be a surprise Twilight was fond of. The moment she opened it and discovered it was a book she would be ecstatic.
Twilight ripped up the gift like a young filly on her birthday. Squeeing giddily, she tackled Steel Feet and both their flanks landed on a stray pile of books. Steel Feet swore they hurt more than usual. Must have been Ancient Equestrian Weaponry. Fifth edition..
“Yes yes yes yes!” Twilight said still bouncing with excitement. “How were you able to find this copy? They weren’t releasing this volume until next week!”
“When you’re a member of the most powerful noble families in all of Equestria, you can bend the rules a little,” he gloated.
“This should have just enough evidence to convince the Princess that Nightmare Moon’s return is imminent! We need to find Spike right away to send a letter!” She quickly and intensely swiveled her head in every direction. No sign of the baby dragon.
There was a slow, but burning desire for Twilight to find him. Steel Feet could tell by her movements. While she normally walked stiff and deliberate, here her steps were much more erratic. Unorganized. Twilight normally acted this way under extreme amounts of stress. Looking for a not so lost dragon in this library (which might as well have been Twi’s second home), wouldn't induce stress. Steel Feet was sure something else was at play.
Maybe Nightmare Moon was real after all.
"Hey, Twi before you and Spike go on your little adventure, is everything truly okay?" Steel Feet asked. "I mean this Nightmare Moon stuff seems to be really getting under your skin. Are you sure you want to go to Celestia in this mental state?"
Twilight did not say a single word. Steel Feet grimaced as he felt hey may have offended her for some reason. He slowly crept up next to her in some strange hope she would respond to him. A small nervous energy began to tingle throughout his entire body. Steel Feet begin to breathe heavily, but concealed it to avoid any reaction from Twilight. What was this feeling? The start of a panic attack? He hadn't experience one in years. Not since...
After breaking from his trance, Steel Feet used a light water spell to help Twilight snap out from her own. It worked, but only in making Twilight scowl. Her eyes shown a faint fire in them. Steel Feet moved back several paces. He knew what was about to happen. His own anxieties shifted quietly onto the mare.
Twilight blinked for a moment, then began to slowly turn white. The fire in her eyes ever expanding the whiter she turned. The heat radiating off the unicorn was so hot, Steel Feet felt like he was back in one of the many iron forages his parents owned. Except a million times hotter. He thought this is probably the closest any pony would ever be to touching the surface of the sun. Soon enough, her white light was too bright for any pony (or dragon to look at directly. Else they be permanently blinded. Steel Feet concocted a simple, but brilliant protective shield he had invented after stumbling across the restricted section of the Canterlot library one day (which he was punished for immensely by Celestia).
The light soon began to break apart from Twilight's skin. Almost like how a snake sheds its skin. Except it seemed infinity more painful. With each tear, Twilight yelled out in a sharp pain. Like she had been shot with magic from a very powerful unicorn. It was soon becoming unbearable for even Steel Feet to look at his friend. Not only was her pain too much for him, she was beginning her end stage. Like a supernova in it's dying stages. An intense mixture of heat and pressure with a hint of magic.
BOOM.
The earth shattering shock-wave echoed throughout the library, and probably all of Canterlot. Steel Feet would have to double check earthquake charts from the afternoon just to make sure. As the explosion happened, he ducked and covered his face. Even with his protective shield, the blast would still sear most of his mane if he weren't careful. After making sure his beautiful coat was in tact, Steel Feet ran over to check on his friend.
What came from the blast was a large, ever growing pool of tears. Twilight just couldn't take the stress and pressure of the certainty of Nightmare Moon's return. A loud thud could be heard in the distance after several grueling seconds of naked silence.
"Spike, where are you sweetie?" Twilight weakly called out. Mustering every ounce of strength she could. Feeling the fire from her heart drain with each word. She didn't know what, or why her panic attack happened. Heck, Twilight could barely even keep herself together. Her eyes fluttering as if she had drank a sleeping potion. Speaking of potions, Twilight was sure there was something to cure her anxiety. She would have to find out after Nightmare Moon was defeated.
A sudden push, and she was back on her feet. Steel Feet had lifted her up with his own head. No magic required. She must have really startled him if he didn't levitate her after something bad happened. She had no energy left to smile, so she subtly nodded towards his direction as her show of thanks. He smiled widely, nodding in support of Twilight.
"Spike, oh Spike I hope you didn't get caught in the blast," Twilight said with a tad more energy. Her legs sprang up with the enthusiasm of a nervous mother looking for a lost foal. She ran in between isles without care if they got knocked over. She was the caretaker of the library. It'd be fixed eventually. After all, she was the only one who used it.
Coming into a fork in the road, she debated on which section Spike was most likely in. Before Steel Feet gave her the new edition, Spike could be in either isle. Now if only her brain wasn't still rattled, she could remember which part of Star Swirl's decimal system contained Predictions and Prophecies. While working out calculations of ancient library sorting systems, she failed to see Spike standing right in the middle of the isle.
"Hey Twilight, I found that copy of Predictions and-" Spike failed to finish his sentence as Twilight slammed into him. As he fell on his flank, Spike gave a loud yelp and tumbled into a wayward pile of books causing an already increasing mess to get bigger.
"Oh, there you are Spike," Twilight apologized sheepishly. She levitated the baby dragon out from underneath the pile. "I hope you weren't affected too much by the explosion."
"Nah, don't worry about it Twilight. A large pile of books actually helps protects against explosions!" Spike said as he straightened himself out. "Now, about that copy of Predictions and Prophecies." Spike held up the book. It's worn out cover stalkings had Twilight feeling grateful for Steel Feet's untimely entrance.
"I appreciate the effort, Spike," Twilight lovingly rubbed her hoof on the baby dragon's head. "But Steel Feet went ahead and gave me the newest volume!" Twilight smiled as wide as her face allowed her to. All of her stress was now being slowly replaced by excitement. She had been itching to devour the contents of the volume ever since it was announced. While reading the current version one-hundred times was still exhilarating, there was no purer joy in the world than the opening of a new book.
"Does it have some of the missing evidence you've been searching for?" Spike asked. "You've been mentioning that a lot lately."
"I've been reading their newsletters and they have irrefutable evidence of Nightmare Moon's return!" Twilight said emphatically. "I didn't want to start reading it without Steel Feet's reaction." She smiled. Ever since they were little, Twilight had always gotten a kick whenever he rolled his eyes.
Speaking of Steel Feet, Twilight poked her head out from the isle. No sign. Twilight pitifully shook her head. Maybe he lost track of time and went somewhere else? He did get bored quite often and would often wonder wherever his mind took him. Twilight put Spike on her hide and in cartoonish speed launched herself towards the front of the room.
Turning her head every which way she couldn't spot him. He was planning to pull something. Twilight was sure of it. Charging her horn just in chase, Twilight's vision narrowed. Her heartbeat slowed down just enough before it turned fatal. She would finally catch Steel Feet in the process of committing a prank.
Steel Feet was always very secretive about his shenanigans. Twilight was determined to locate him within the maze of endless rows of bookshelves. Unicorn's have an exceptional ability which few can master: echo location. Much like a bat, but amplified due to magic. The more powerful the unicorn, the more powerful the sonar. It should be easy to pull off. Even for a first time user. While Twilight never used the ability before, she's read up enough on it to know how it works. The one thing she did forget about was the headaches.
Twilight could feel a sharp pain radiate from her horn, and slowly spread out across her entire body as if it were a blanket. To Twilight, it was the most uncomfortable blanket she ever slept with. Still, she focused only on the task at hand. It would be wise of her to let her mine wander to ease the pain. Celestia always said as much. Twilight was worried with worse concentration her ability to locate the would be prankster was doomed. She just needed to deal with the pain. Their battle would be over shortly.
As if on cue, an amplified maniac laughter could be heard throughout the entire room. Clever. Twilight could not tell the direction of the laughs. She launched a basic fireworks spell to quell the laughter. However, just as quickly as the laughter permeated her mind, it subsided. Twilight blinked in confusion. She did catch a glimpse of where the spell originated. It was a gamble, and Twilight was impressed with the gall of Steel Feet. It must have been a trap. Still, if she would catch him in a prank, Twilight would have never ending bragging rights for the rest of her life. It was worth falling for the bait.
Twilight teleported to the spell's launch point. Her radar was screeching so loud she was sure it would break glass. Twilight focused up, and went on high alert. Time slowed down, and even the slightest pin drop would force Twilight's eyes in it's direction. She was getting in the zone. Good. It was time to enact her plan.
Manifesting a simple duplication spell, Twilight sent out Fake Spike on the mission of 'walking back and forth until something happened.' Twilight cursed under her breath, as the spell needed some tweaking. His walking wasn't natural. Steel Feet wasn't a stupid pony. He'd suspect an amateur duplication spell. Fake Spike walked more like a baby foal first learning how to walk.
It wasn't long before Fake Spike was vaporized. Twilight flinched a little. She knew Fake Spike wasn't real, but couldn't help but think about her own Spike's death for a brief moment. Focusing her mind back on the fight, the unicorn shot a warning bolt towards where she figured Steel Feet was. A small zap could be seen from the corner of her eye. Twilight investigated the area.
The spell left a tiny scorch mark on the floor. Twilight winced. Whenever she returns back to Canterlot, the cleaning staff is going to have her hide if she doesn't clean up. Brushing her 'clean freakness' aside, Twilight ran into the isle. Her tunnel vision was still in play. Steel Feet was close by. Her radar was going crazy. Maybe in the next isle over?
Sure enough, her perpetrator was right where she predicted. Doing a quick scan, Twilight was confident he was real. Still a little shock to his flank wouldn't hurt too much. One zap was all it took to shake the prankster into submission. Twilight raised a brow. Maybe he wasn't being so serious with this one after all.
"Ow Twi, what was that for?" He said half-serious with a smirk. "I guess you got me."
"Really?" Twilight asked surprised. "Did you get bored already?"
"Kinda, but also we really should be getting ready to go to Ponyville," Steel Feet tilted his head towards the sun.
"Oh, right." Twilight said bluntly. "First, help me clean up the place so the cleaning crew doesn't have my hide."