Books and Branches Library

Magical Mystery Cure, part 7

Fri, 23 May 2014 22:09:17 GMT

The Great Hall of Canterlot Castle has been the site of a variety of significant events and celebrations. It was where Shining Armor and Princess Cadance were married. It's the site of the annual Grand Galloping Gala. Twilight Sparkle even managed to pull some strings and celebrate her nineteenth birthday here a couple of years ago.

But today she, her friends, her family, a host of well-wishers, and the three crowned Princesses of Equestria are here for a very different reason.

"We are gathered here today in celebration of a momentous occasion," Princess Celestia begins. "My most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, has done many extraordinary things since she's lived in Ponyville. She even helped reunite me with my sister, Princess Luna." She gives Luna a fond smile before she continues. "But today, Twilight Sparkle did something extraordinary. She created new magic, proving without a doubt that she is ready to be crowned Equestria's newest princess. Fillies and gentlecolts, may I present for the very first time, Princess Twilight Sparkle!"

"Say something, Princess," murmurs Celestia, giving Twilight a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Oh. Um..." Twilight clears her throat, steps forward so she can better see the throngs of ponies in the plaza below, and begins. "A little while ago, my teacher and mentor, Princess Celestia, sent me to live in Ponyville. She sent me to study friendship, which is something I didn't really care much about. But now..."

She looks back over her shoulder toward the five ponies watching from the doorway.

"...on a day like today, I can honestly say I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the friendships I've made with all of you." She beckons them out onto the balcony with her. "Each one of you taught me something about friendship, and for that, I will always be grateful. Today, I consider myself the luckiest pony in Equestria. Thank you, friends. Thank you, everypony!"

The crowd erupts into cheers once again.

"Twilight!" Shining Armor breaks free of the crowd in the Great Hall and gallops up to his little sister. "I'm so proud of you!"

Twilight reaches out to hug him, but hesitates when she sees the expression on his face. "...are you crying??" she says, suppressing a giggle.

"Of course not," says Shining Armor, hastily dabbing at his eyes. "It's--it's liquid pride. Totally different thing." Then they both burst into giggles as they give each other a proper hug.

"Way to go, Princess!" cheers Apple Jack.

"Best coronation day ever!" whoops Pinkie Pie.

"We love you, Twilight," says Fluttershy, before she and the rest of the Ponyville ponies grab Twilight up in the biggest group hug they can manage.

Now Twilight's the one blinking back tears--sorry, 'liquid pride.' "I love you too, girls."

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Magical Mystery Cure, part 6

Wed, 21 May 2014 03:11:25 GMT

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Magical Mystery Cure, part 5

Tue, 20 May 2014 02:59:13 GMT

A mark of one's destiny, singled out alone, fulfilled...

Twilight gasps and pulls out of her friends' embrace. "Wait a second, that's it! I understand now. I know how to fix the spell!"

She doesn't bother trying to explain. She just gallops back to the library, with five very confused ponies following in her wake. She picks up Star Swirl the Bearded's notebook from where she left it on the table, summons a quill pen, and starts writing:

From all of us together, together we are friends.
With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end.
As she writes the final glyph, she can already feel power building. The Element stone on her tiara flares with a brilliant light, sending a pulse of magical energy through the room. The other Elements flare in response, each sending a beam of magic back toward Twilight. The sheer force of it leaves the ponies powerless to move--all they can do is stare in shock and confusion.

Twilight, surrounded by an increasingly powerful aura of magic, is likewise paralyzed and shocked--but only for a moment. It's okay, says a wordless voice inside her. This is meant to be. She closes her eyes, and waits for whatever is coming next.

The light increases to a blinding flash.

Then, abruptly, it's gone.

And so is Twilight.

===>

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Magical Mystery Cure, part 4

Tue, 20 May 2014 01:43:56 GMT

Twilight has been lying on her bed staring out the window for... well, Spike's not sure how long it's been. Too long, is what it's been. He has to do something to cheer her up.

"Come on, Twilight. You'll figure out a way to fix this." He gently lays a claw on the unicorn's shoulder. "These are your friends."

Twilight is silent for a long moment before she responds.

"You're right, Spike." She slides off of the bed and trots over to the mantelpiece, where an old photograph of Twilight and her six pony friends stands. "They mean more to me than anything. My friends..."

My friends...

Just thinking about them--everything they've done for her, everything they've done for each other--gives her a warm feeling inside. One that spreads through her whole body, radiating out of her like light, like magic...

"Twilight? Are you all right?" asks Spike, but Twilight barely hears him.

Everything they've done for me. Everything they've done for each other.

"I've got it!" Twilight's head snaps up. "I know what to do!"

"You do?"

Twilight grabs a jeweled chest off of a nearby shelf--the same jeweled chest that the Elements of Harmony were stored in back in Canterlot. "I may not be able to remind them of who they are," she says as she gallops down the stairs, "but I can show them what they mean to each other." She tosses five of the Elements into the chest and settles the tiara of the Element of Magic onto her own head. "They'll find the part of themselves that's been lost so they can help the friends they care about so much! Come on, Spike!"

Armed with magical artifacts and a newfound sense of hope, the unicorn and the dragon set out into the rainy afternoon.

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Magical Mystery Cure, part 3

Tue, 20 May 2014 01:20:01 GMT

Twilight bursts back through the doors of the library. "This is bad, this is very very bad--" She has a hunch she knows what's the cause of all this, and if she's right...

Spike is close behind her. "What's goin' on? Why is this happening??"

"Last night, when you were taking one of your seven-hour bubble baths, I got a special delivery from the Princess," Twilight explains. "It was an old spellbook belonging to Star Swirl the Bearded--"

"That crazy grandpa pony you dressed up for on Nightmare Night?"

"--the famous unicorn wizard, yes," says Twilight, gritting her teeth. "There was an incomplete spell in the back of the book that Princess Celestia wanted me to finish. I cast the spell so I could find out what it was, but nothing seemed to happen... but now I know something did happen!"

She gestures toward the display case containing the Elements of Harmony. Something is different. The colors of five of the six gems--all except for Twilight's own--have somehow been mixed up. "The spell has changed the Elements of Harmony! That must be why their cutie marks are all wrong!"

"So just cast a counterspell to switch 'em back," suggests Spike.

Twilight flips through the notebook frantically, but-- "There is no counterspell!"

"Why don't you just use that memory spell you used to fix everypony when Discord was here?"

Twilight shakes her head. "It's not their memories, Spike. It's their true selves that have been altered."

"Zecora's cure for the cutie pox?"

"That won't work either!" Twilight wails. She shoves the notebook into Spike's claws and walks away, frustrated and defeated.

"...maybe it won't be so bad," offers Spike. "Maybe your friends will grow to like their new lives."

Twilight sighs. "No, Spike. They're not who they were meant to be anymore. Their destinies are now changed... and it's all my fault."

===>

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Magical Mystery Cure, part 2

Sat, 19 Apr 2014 04:07:40 GMT

===>

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Magical Mystery Cure, part 1

Sat, 19 Apr 2014 02:28:32 GMT

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight snaps, shaking water out of her mane. "That's not funny!"

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Magical Mystery Cure, prologue

Sat, 19 Apr 2014 02:14:03 GMT

It's extremely rare for Twilight to get a knock on the door this late in the evening. When it does happen, it's usually Apple Bloom and her friends asking for help with their homework, or Pinkie inviting her to one social event or another.

Tonight, it's neither. It's a courier with a package for Twilight... from Canterlot Castle.

Twilight grabs the parcel away and slams the door so abruptly that she almost cracks the courier in the snout. It's not that she means to be rude; she's just stunned and intensely curious. What could Princess Celestia possibly be sending that she doesn't trust to be delivered by Spike's magic fire? (The fact that Spike is in the middle of a bath upstairs is beside the point. Twilight knows from experience that the Princess won't hesitate to interrupt Spike's bathtime if there's an urgent message to be sent.)

The package contains a single sheet of parchment and an old spiral-bound notebook. The parchment reads:

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

The spell contained on the last page of this book is Star Swirl the Bearded's secret unfinished masterpiece. He was never able to get it right, and thus abandoned it. I believe you are the only pony who can understand and rewrite it.

Princess Celestia

Twilight can't believe what she's reading. A spell from Star Swirl the Bearded? The Star Swirl the Bearded?? One of the greatest and most influential unicorn mages in the history of Equestria? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A once-in-several-lifetimes opportunity. Even though it's getting late, Twilight can't resist having a look at the spell right this second.

The pages of the notebook are faded and yellow with age, but still legible. The final spell appears to be a verbal incantation--something that would have been common in Star Swirl's day, but is rarely used in modern Equestria. Magic words may be powerful, but they just aren't practical for day-to-day spellwork. Twilight frowns in concentration as she translates the Old Equestrian glyphs and sounds out the words:

"From one to another, another to one.
A mark of one's destiny, singled out alone, fulfilled."
...and that's it.

"It doesn't make any sense," says Twilight to herself. "It doesn't even rhyme." Aren't all incantations supposed to rhyme? What does Princess Celestia expect her to do with this mish-mash?

Well, there's no point in puzzling over it now. She's got a clear schedule tomorrow (mostly); she can worry about it then. With a yawn, Twilight sets the notebook down on the table and trots back up the stairs to her bed. Maybe the incantation will make more sense once she's slept on it.

She never thinks to turn around and see the flickering lights emanating from the Elements of Harmony in their glass case.

===>

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Keep Calm and Flutter On, part 7

Mon, 10 Feb 2014 03:24:25 GMT

Despite her misgivings, Twilight passed on Fluttershy's invitation to the rest of her pony friends. At six o'clock that evening, she, Spike, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie are all gathered on Fluttershy's front lawn.

"I can't believe we're having a dinner party with Discord," says Rainbow Dash.

"This evening is sure to be a disaster," agrees Rarity. She looks over her rhinestone-trimmed taffeta gown. "Glad I didn't bother wearing my fanciest outfit."

"Fluttershy thinks this is the way to reform Discord, and asked us to give it a chance," Twilight reminds them gently. Here's hoping she doesn't regret this.

...oh, who is she kidding? She knows she's going to regret this.

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Keep Calm and Flutter On, part 5

Sun, 09 Feb 2014 00:53:33 GMT

"She's really alright with him staying there?" remarks Rarity after Twilight comes out of the cottage.

"That's what she said," replies Twilight with a shrug. Not that she entirely believes it, but she's not about to second-guess Fluttershy's judgment... yet.

"Personally," says Rainbow Dash, "I think we should come up with a backup plan, in case this whole 'befriending' business doesn't work out."

"Rainbow Dash is right," says Rarity. "This is Discord we're talking about, girls. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have another trick up our sleeves."

Twilight smiles. "And I think I know just the trick..."

...well, Twilight wasn't lying. She thought she knew just the right spell to use on Discord as a backup plan. But finding it is proving to be harder than she anticipated.

"That's weird," she remarks to no one in particular as she pages through The Magic of Moods: Better Living Through Mind-Changing Spells. "The spell I had in mind isn't in here. Spike, where are the other books I asked you to pull?"

"Right here, Twilight." Spike is staggering under the weight of a stack of books twice his height.

Twilight levitates the stack out of Spike's hands and lifts them up in a circle around her, flipping through each one in rapid succession. "I really want to have a reforming spell up and running pronto."

"But what if he makes the Elements of Harmony disappear like he did last time?"

"Princess Celestia cast a spell protecting them, remember?" No reforming spell in Arcana Mens Mentis, none in 1,001 Extremely Useful Enchantments, none in Extremely Advanced Magic for Eggheads. Twilight swears she saw a reforming spell in that book just last week, but--

Wait a second.

Twilight drops all the books in alarm. "Uh oh..."

"What's wrong?" asks Spike.

"Princess Celestia didn't cast a spell protecting our books! Everywhere I thought I'd find the reforming spell..." Twilight picks up Extremely Advanced Magic for Eggheads again and fans out the pages. Sure enough, someone has torn a page out of the book.

And it doesn't take an egghead to figure out who.

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Keep Calm and Flutter On, part 1

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 03:43:58 GMT

Yesterday morning, a letter arrived from Princess Celestia saying that she would be coming to Ponyville to see Twilight and her friends on an urgent matter. Exactly what that urgent matter was, the letter didn't specify, but Twilight and her friends have assembled at the appointed time nonetheless. Twilight and Spike pace in nervous circles on the turf; Rarity primps and preens; Rainbow Dash hovers impatiently; and Pinkie... well, is Pinkie.

"I love it when Princess Celestia comes to Ponyville! I got my hooves shined just like Rarity for the occasion!" Pinkie Pie holds up one gleaming hoof for Rarity to see." You like?"

"I certainly do," says Rarity, admiring her own reflection in the polished surface.

"I'm surprised she's not here yet," Twilight remarks, scanning the skies for the twentieth time in the past ten minutes. It's not like the Princess to be late for anything.

"I wonder what's taking so long?" says Spike.

"And where are Apple Jack and Fluttershy?"

"Fluttershy's detained helping Apple Jack with a mishap at Sweet Apple Acres," says Rarity, still using Pinkie's hoof as a mirror while she primps. "They'll be along."

"I still don't get why the Princess would be so late!" says Spike.

"She's bringing an important visitor," Twilight offers. "That could be part of it."

"A visitor who's important and slow," says Rainbow Dash, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe," suggests Rarity, "it's somepony so terribly important, she still had many more terribly important things to do before she got here."

"Or," says Spike with sudden alarm, "maybe the visitor has a deer antler, a goat leg, a bat wing, and a snake tail?"

Twilight rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right. That's Discord."

Rarity giggles. "Why in the wide, wide world of Equestria would Princess Celestia bring along somepony like that?"

"M-m-maybe you should ask her." Spike points at the royal chariot coming in to land a few yards away. Actually, the two royal chariots. One is occupied by Princess Celestia, as one would expect. The other...

The other is carrying a statue. A statue with a deer antler, a goat leg, a bat wing, a snake tail, and a horrified expression on its all-too-familiar face.

For a long moment, all the assembled ponies can do is stare in shock. Twilight is the first one to speak up. "With all due respect, Princess Celestia..." her voice raises to a shout: "How could you bring Discord HERE?! --your Majesty."

Celestia is unmoved. "I'm fully aware that the last time Discord was here, he created serious havoc."

"If by 'serious havoc,'" says Rainbow Dash, "you mean turning Ponyville into the chaos capital of the world."

"And tricking us all into being the opposite of our true selves," adds Rarity.

"And making yummy delicious chocolate milk rain all over the place without a single dollop of whipped cream to go with it anywhere in sight!" cries Pinkie. "NOT A SINGLE DOLLOP!"

"Yes, I understand," says the Princess gently. "But I have use for Discord's magic if it can be reformed to serve good instead of evil. This is why I've brought Discord here, because I believe that you are the ponies who can help him do just that."

"This will never work!" shrieks Spike. "This is a disaster! How will we ever control him?! We're doomed!"

Celestia smiles reassuringly. "Need I remind you that you are the ponies who turned him back into stone like this in the first place?"

"I suppose we can just use the Elements of Harmony against him again if it gets out of hand," says Twilight, hesitantly. She doesn't want to question Celestia's judgment, but... really? Reforming the spirit of chaos itself? That's a tall order for anypony.

Spike, on the other hand, is already actively backing away from the statue. "Uh, w-w-we probably need a volunteer to run away from here right away to get them. I'll do it!"

"No need, Spike." Princess Celstia nods toward a gilded chest being carried out of her chariot by the guardsponies. "I have them right here, and I've cast a spell so Discord can't take them and hide them again. Now where is Fluttershy? I believe she may know best how to begin reforming Discord..."

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Fri, 18 Oct 2013 03:13:16 GMT

She's got nothing.

Twilight has gone through every single book in the Milliways library about unicorn magic. Then she went through every book on time magic in general. Then she went through every other book about magic she could find that was in a language she could read. And still, she's got nothing.

What is she going to do? What can she do? It would be bad enough if it was just her and Trixie, but there are dozens of people affected by this. Dozens of people who can't go home, or who can't even remember their homes anymore.

She's miscast spells before, but this may be the worst thing she's ever done.

Slowly, staring disconsolately at her hooves, Twilight shuffles out across the Milliways grounds and into the waiting forest. She only has one pony left to turn to, but her hopes aren't exactly high.

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Magic Duel, part 5

Fri, 09 Aug 2013 03:12:22 GMT

The day of the Saddle Arabian ambassadors' visit has come and gone. Now, in the early evening hours, Twilight's showing off her magical skills for the entertainment of their foreign visitors. As she makes Fluttershy's animal friends dance in the air, she's vaguely aware of the two ambassadors murmuring to each other in awe. Twilight doesn't speak a word of Saddle Arabian, but they sound like they're impressed.

Time for the big finale. She draws the animals back up into their final formation. The woodland creatures are silhouetted brilliantly against the fireworks exploding in the sky.

...wait a second. Fireworks? Fireworks aren't part of the routine. Where'd they come from?

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Magic Duel, part 4

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 20:31:02 GMT

Sneaking Fluttershy back into Ponyville was, fortunately, a lot easier than getting her out. After that, Twilight and Zecora spent the rest of the night fine-tuning the unicorn's plan, while their friends on the other side of the wall carried out the instructions sent with Fluttershy.

It's nearly noon when Twilight and Zecora walk up to the borders of Ponyville. She has to squint, but Twilight can just barely see the strip of red cloth tied to the peak of the Carousel Boutique--the agreed-upon signal that the plan is ready for execution. She looks back at Zecora, briefly, and the zebra gives her an encouraging nod.

Nix your magic. Use the six.

Twilight walks up to the edge of the forcefield and raps her hoof sharply on the wall. Rings of blood-red light ripple out from the point of contact. That ought to get Trixie's attention.

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Magic Duel, part 2

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 00:15:41 GMT

So.

The Great and Powerful Trixie is back in town, with a few new tricks up her sleeve. Enough new tricks to get Twilight banished from Ponyville and set up a magical forcefield to keep anypony else from getting in or out.

And on top of that, the forest path Twilight usually takes to Milliways appears to have chosen the worst possible time to go missing. She won't be getting any extradimensional backup on this one.

For lack of anything else to do, Twilight is pacing restlessly at the borders of the Everfree Forest, practicing the age spell on random plants she passes by. It's not going well. She almost got a daisy to close back into a bud, but she lost her concentration and it sprung back into bloom instantly.

"Augh! It's impossible!" Twilight shouts at the empty air. "How could Trixie know such advanced magic? Without Spike, I can't get a message to the Princess in Saddle Arabia, so who else do I know who understands strange and powerful magic?"

The moment the words have left her lips, she hesitates. Huh. Maybe there is somepony she can turn to.

Or rather, somezebra.

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Magic Duel, part 1

Sun, 21 Jul 2013 01:54:37 GMT

The date of the Saddle Arabian ambassadors' arrival is fast approaching. Twilight thinks she has her magic routine all figured out, but she has yet to practice it with the other participants yet. Which is why she's visiting Fluttershy today.

"Don't be scared, little friends," Fluttershy reassures the dozen or so mice, bunnies, squirrels, raccoons, and beavers sitting in a half-circle in front of her. "Twilight is wonderful with magic." She turns to give Twilight a threatening look. "Anything happens to them, Twilight, so help me--"

"Aww, don't worry, Fluttershy," interjects Spike, gently pushing the pegasus back. "Twilight's magic has gotten a lot better since she accidentally crushed me and Applejack with a giant snowball."

Twilight cringes a little. You're not helping, Spike.

"Of course she's good with magic. Twilight's great with magic. I guess I just don't want my little friends to be scared--ohhh, look how scared they are!"

(That would be "not scared at all." They all look eager to get started, while Fluttershy is trembling and sweating through her pelt.)

Twilight lays a reassuring hoof on her friend's shoulder. "I promise, Fluttershy, nothing bad will happen to them."

"I know," Fluttershy squeaks through clenched teeth.

"Your magic has really improved since we came to Ponyville, Twilight," remarks Spike. "Princess Celestia's gonna love it!"

"Thanks, Spike. I have to be at my best when she arrives with the delegates from Saddle Arabia. I can't believe she's trusting me with the entertainment!"

Before Spike can respond, he's interrupted by Rainbow Dash arriving in her usual manner: at lightning speed and crashing into someone. Specifically, Twilight.

"Twilight! Come quick! It's an emergency!"

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Too Many Pinkie Pies, part 1

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:27:27 GMT

The milokedromorphic spell is considered to be a keystone for any unicorn who aspires to master the art of transfiguration. If one can transform an apple into an orange completely and consistently, then one is ready to move up to more complex transformations of living creatures.

This spell is the entirety of Twilight's coursework for the week, and as far as she's concerned it's more than enough. She's been studying the theory behind it for three days, and trying to put it into practice all morning, without success. She almost had it half an hour ago, but Pinkie's surprise hug threw her aim off and she ended up transfiguring a blue jay in a nearby tree instead. (The jay should turn back to normal tomorrow morning. Probably.)

She feels good about this time, though. Twilight takes a deep breath and takes careful aim at the apple on the table in front of her.

"One...two..."

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The Crystal Empire, part 4

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:30:16 GMT

The last train station on the northern line barely even counts as a station. It's just a platform with a path leading to a tiny Royal Guard outpost in the frozen wastes.

At least, it was until two days ago. Now it has a rather more significant purpose. Which is why Twilight and her friends are here, after all.

The doors open and, as one, they all cringe against the sudden rush of cold winter air. Well, almost as one. "Hah! And you all made fun of me for packing so many scarves," says Rarity smugly as she trails behind the rest of the group.

"I didn't say a word," grunts Spike, staggering under the weight of Rarity's luggage.

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The Crystal Empire, part 3.5 - an Interlude on Skyropes

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:17:46 GMT

crepuscularScintillation [CS] started horsing around with splendorousSecurity [SS]

( Open Ponylog )

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The Crystal Empire, part 3

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:15:24 GMT

"Ah! Twilight! That was fast!" Spike hops up off the stairs to greet Twilight as she exits the castle. "Lemmie guess: you got a perfect score!"

Twilight says nothing, just trudges past him with a glum look on her face.

"...A-minus?" offers Spike. "B-plus?"

No response.

"Uh... prepared for what, exactly?"

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The Crystal Empire, part 1

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 20:24:02 GMT

"Where are all my quills?!"

Twilight gallops frantically from one shelf to another, grabbing up whatever supplies she can reach. Spike is on saddlebag-holding duty, and he jumps to grab the quills that Twilight telekinetically flings in his general direction.

The rest of Twilight's friends, meanwhile, are watching from the doorway, nonplussed. Sure, getting a surprise summons from Celestia is a big deal, but isn't Twilight going just a little overboard?

"No, no, no, no--ugh! I need the Magical Compendium volumes 1 through 36! Where is it?!" Twilight yanks books off a high shelf until she finds what she's looking for buried behind them--a massive tome that Spike can barely lift.

Check that. A tome that Spike can't lift.

"Flashcards! I should make some flashcards." Twilight opens a drawer full of blank index cards and empties its contents into her assistant's arms. "Spike, I'm going to need you to quiz me. On everything. Everything I've ever learned. Ever." A beat. "That isn't going to be enough cards."

"Twilight," says Spike when he can get a word in edgewise, "calm down. It's just a test."

"Just a test? JUST A TEST?!" Twilight shrieks in Spike's ear. "Princess Celestia wants to give me some kind of exam and you're trying to tell me to calm down because it's 'JUST A TEST'??!!"

Spike cringes. "Uh...yes?"

"I'd say she's handlin' things pretty well, considerin'," remarks Apple Jack just before Twilight lets out a burst of energy that rattles the library to its very roots.

Handling it well, indeed.

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A Canterlot Wedding, part 6

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 03:32:05 GMT

Darkness. Nothing but darkness all around her. There's a chill in the air and bare stone under her belly. Twilight casts a light spell, but the glow from her horn barely penetrates the gloom.

"Hello?"

Her voice echoes for quite a long time. Wherever she is, it's both enclosed and absolutely massive.

"Is anyone there?" Hesitantly, she stands and trots forward, only to bump face-first into the smooth surface of a giant cave crystal. Her own reflection, fragmented and multiplied in the crystal's many facets, stares back at her.

She could swear she hears mocking laughter echoing from somewhere in the far distance. "Where am I?" Twilight murmurs to the empty air.

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A Canterlot Wedding, part 3

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 20:04:07 GMT

So. It turns out Shining Armor had a good excuse not to break the news about his wedding in person. And his bride-to-be is someone Twilight actually knows.

...no, not knows. Knew. She's not convinced she knows Cadance anymore.

How could she not remember me, after all the time we spent together as fillies? And what was with that look she gave me? It doesn't make sense...

It's nagging at the back of her mind even as she and Apple Jack go down the checklist for the catering.

"Cake, check. Ice sculpture, check. Best darn bite-sized apple fritter you ever tasted..." Apple Jack shoves one of the fritters into Twilight's mouth without any prompting.

"Mmm, check!" Twilight brightens a little. Nothing like one of Apple Jack's treats to cheer a pony up.

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Meme: What D&D Character Am I?

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 21:32:23 GMT

I Am A: Lawful Good Elf Wizard (3rd Level)

Ability Scores:
Strength-9
Dexterity-10
Constitution-10
Intelligence-19
Wisdom-12
Charisma-14

Alignment:
Lawful Good A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.

Race:
Elves are known for their poetry, song, and magical arts, but when danger threatens they show great skill with weapons and strategy. Elves can live to be over 700 years old and, by human standards, are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. Elves are slim and stand 4.5 to 5.5 feet tall. They have no facial or body hair, prefer comfortable clothes, and possess unearthly grace. Many others races find them hauntingly beautiful.

Class:
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

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A Canterlot Wedding, part 2

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:40:04 GMT

The trip to Canterlot isn't a hardship, at least; Princess Celestia was thoughtful enough to reserve a private train car for the seven of them. The six ponies and one dragon are free to talk back and forth without disturbing anypony else.

"A sonic rainboom? At a wedding?" Rainbow Dash beams. "Can you say 'best wedding ever'?"

"Best wedding ever!" whoops Pinkie Pie.

Spike looks smug. "So you all get to help with the big fancy wedding, but I'm the one who gets to host the bachelor party!" A beat. "I have just one question. What's a bachelor party?"

One pony, however, isn't participating in the discussion. Twilight Sparkle is sitting at the far end of the car, looking mournfully at the landscape as it passes by.

Eventually, Apple Jack breaks off from the rest of the group to go see her. "Why the long face, sugarcube?"

"I'm just thinking about Shining Armor," Twilight replies, not looking away from the window. "Ever since I moved to Ponyville, we've been seeing each other less and less. And now that he's starting a new family with this Princess Mi Amore Cal-whatshername, we'll probably never see each other."

"Come on, now. You're his sister," reassures Apple Jack. "He'll always make time for you."

Twilight sulks harder. "Couldn't seem to make time to tell me he was getting married."

"We're here, we're here!" Pinkie Pie bounces up and down in her seat as the train approaches the outskirts of Canterlot. Twilight doesn't even acknowledge her.

What she does acknowledge, however, is the ripple of magical energy that passes over the whole train and everyone in it. Looking out the window, she realizes it's a protection spell, one that covers the entire city. What in the world would they need a force field like that for? And why did it feel so familiar as it passed over?

The train pulls up to the platform, which is flanked by a dozen armored stallions. "Whoa, what's with all the guards?" remarks Rainbow Dash as she pokes her head out the door.

"I'm sure they're just taking the necessary precautions," says Rarity with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "Royal weddings do bring out the strangest ponies." (As if to drive the point home, Pinkie sneezes confetti onto the platform.) "Now let's get going, we've got work to do!"

"And you've got a big brother to go congratulate," says Apple Jack with a knowing nod toward Twilight.

"Yeah, 'congratulate,'" Twilight mutters sourly. "And then give him a piece of my mind."

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