Author's Notes:

This begins 3 weeks after the end of Don't Pass Me By. While that story does not feed directly into this one, in terms of chronology, this takes place after those events. The 4th book in the series will begin the process of tying everything together.

I started everything with this story. It is like my baby and I have a very special love for it. Much of it was not planned, (knife) it just came from the ponies and out of my fingers. But it proved critical later on. (You'll find out If you make it to book 4).

The ponies can't write here but I feel like I can tell their stories, so I get to read them as a reader. It's like being in a band and when you're playing you start listening to yourselves. It's nice but if it's emotional it can screw up your singing. there are parts of this that i just bawl my eyes out when i read. I hate them and I put them off but they are the ponies stories and they must be told. (Seriously, when driving I sit in the car and ask AJ or Twi what happens next and things begin to sort of come together for each of them, depending who I ask. Can't explain, can only write.

“So you’re sure you’re going to be OK, right Twilight – it’s going to be 3 weeks.”

“Now that you mention it Spike, maybe you should wait until the next time Rarity has a fashion tour, it’s just that with this certification test coming up, I could really use your help. You haven’t finished packing yet have you?”

Spike stood there just inside the open door of the Golden Oak Library blinking. “Uh, well…”

“Is that a problem? I know that you’ve been planning this for a couple of months and the idea of spending three full weeks with the mare of your dreams sounds like fun…” she grinned, wondering how long it would take him to clue in.

“Oh-ho – you had me going there for a minute, I so owe you Twilight. I won’t forget that. When I get back you’ll never see it coming,” Spike said, the color returning to his face.

She gave him a nudge to the ribs “Gotcha! Of course you can go Spike, are you kidding? I don't think she can do this without you. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. It’s not really a big deal, just another test.”

The Golden Oak Library stood as an enormous irony. Hollowed out of an ancient oak tree it served as both the center of information within the hamlet of Ponyville and home for Twilight Sparkle and Spike. It had been designed by a team of alicorn’s who recognized the whimsy of a tree who’s primary function was to house what, in all likelihood, that which had been hewn from its core, pulverized, pressed and dried, written upon, stitched and bound and finally shelved within its now eviscerated innards. They had the foresight to ensure that the outer bark would be protected with a spell so that it would perpetually supply the tree with all the necessary nutrients.

The inside was essentially a large piece of furniture – shelves were carved into the walls and the center bench and table were carved from the center of the trunk. Years of life within had seasoned the fragrance of the wood to a sweet warm aroma. It was a rich and vibrant environment and Twilight loved living there.

Spike surveyed the devastation surrounding him and smiled.

“Killer Bon Voyage party TS! It really rocked. Tell Vinyl again thanks for the great tunes. Did you see Rainbow Dash? I can’t believe she downed that entire trophy full of Apple Beer! I think it made her at least 20% drunker. And that jewel cake that Pinky made – best cake ever. I could never make one myself, but not for lack of trying. You know Rarity and I can wait until the train after this one- I hate to leave you with the place looking like such a disaster.”

“I’m sure Rarity would love to miss that train. Give me fair warning before you hit her with that one- I want to be far far away.”

“Point taken, anyway, thanks Twi, and you’re sure you’re OK with this test? I worry about you when it comes to those…, well, you know how you get…”

Ever the faithful assistant and friend, his offer was made out of genuine concern, he knew all too well how the stress induced by this latest test would most likely manifest itself:

She’d begin by wandering the library -“Spike? Front and center, I need to start dictating all of the requirements that must be met in order to create a list of tasks to be completed so that I can assemble and coordinate the necessary resources that will have to be bought into play thereby enabling me to begin the work of preparing for the certification. (Rapid inhalation of air) Got that?”

“My brain hurts,” would be his usual honest reply.

Next would be the endlessly long day’s nights full of Derpy’s muffins, strong coffee, endless studying, note taking, and magic practice. Before it was over Twilight’s weight would increase 10 pounds and she would spend an obscene amount of time shuffling around the library amidst piles of books and notes. She’d be adorned in a gray hooded sweatshirt and slippers, her mane having gone all to hay. With bags around her bloodshot eyes and her general demeanor vacillating between a wounded wolverine and a crazy version of Pinky Pie, she wasn’t exactly good company. The degree to which the metaphors were figurative was unfortunately somewhat minimal.

Now, he looked up at her beautiful radiant face and it looked back at him with sweet benevolence, oblivious to the demented world she would construct around herself over the next 2 weeks. His expression revealed his thoughts.

“Don’t worry Spike, I’ll be okay”

His stare did not waver.

“Really,” she insisted

A silent pause, neither breaking their gaze.

“What?!” She demanded, with a chuckle.

“I am not leaving until you promise me that you will get out of this place and go to Sweet Apple Acres every day, if only for an hour.” He stood firm.

Twilight glanced at the note sitting on the mail table from Canterlot. It stated that the date for her magic exam had been moved up by two weeks. Telling Spike was out of the question. All that was left was for her to retain her composure in front of him until he left. This was no easy task. Twilight by nature was incapable of guile, her cloistered life had left her relatively protected from the daily deceits that that necessarily greased the interchanges between ponies, even among most the intimately connected.

Inside she was terrified. In preparation for the test, she had organized all her activities as though they were soldiers in a firing squad, each of their rifles trained at precisely the same point in time. Now that point was two weeks closer and all the precision she’d engineered was wasted. Last minute adjustments always resulted in many a stray shot. She did her damnedest to stay calm.

“Spiiike! Stop looking at me like that! You act like I turn into some kind of psycho monster when I study for my tests. Aren’t you over-exaggerating just a little bit?” She said with a smile and a weak laugh.

His expression changed to one of deadly earnest.

“The knife” he said in a dead flat voice...

It had been 9 days of descent into studying for a final and she was as tight as a tourniquet, right on schedule. It was a comprehensive exam that would test her knowledge of the history of Equestria as well as the development and application of magic. The exam would last for 3 days and involve both a written component as well as complex labs where broken spells had been applied to subjects and the student had a set time to determine the spell, the nature of the break and then develop the correcting spell.

Day one of study and prep was always the same, our sweet little Twilight up early, and a quick shower followed by a short period of deep breathing and mediation. Shortly thereafter you would find her bright eyed, smelling and looking sweet, sitting at a table in her silk kimono – a birthday gift from Princess Celestia, perusing some notes. She’d be enjoying a fresh apple or maybe carrot from the farm or sipping an herbal tea.

Three to four days later “morning” became whenever she woke the hay up. Sometimes 10am sometimes 10pm. As strange as it seems, more often than not it would be 35 or 34 minutes after 3 in the morning, or as she liked to put it “…somewhere around 25 or 6 to 4.”

It’d be nice to say she rolled out of her bed, but as often as not she’d wake up somewhere else in the library. Sometimes face down at the kitchen table, sometimes on the library floor. A couple of times in the bathtub full of water that had cooled to room temperature, which wasn’t so bad considering that bathing, by that point, pretty much consisted of her wiping under her armpits and leg pits with a damp towel. Her wardrobe choice was simple- the hooded sweatshirt, with the hood pulled up thus sparing her the sight of her hair, which looked like someone had thrown it at her and pink fuzzy bunny slippers, which never failed to earn reproachful looks from Fluttershy. Not even her tail escaped unscathed. If napkins were not within arm’s reach, her tail would always serve and more than once she’d absentmindedly wiped the grease and ketchup off her muzzle with it. Needless to say by that point fruits and veggies had given way to hayburgers with fries, hence a muzzle covered with grease and ketchup.

Remnants of both current and completed experiments were found throughout the building, the detritus consisting of crazy looking plants, bizarre crystals and geodes. The murmur of bubbling flasks provided a white noise that Twilight found soothing. Test tubes with horrible and wonderful smells that mixed throughout the library could be found everywhere. Most ponies would find navigating the paths between the piles of books quite a challenge, Actually, just finding the floor was quite a challenge though Twilight could accomplish both even while reading one book and searching for another.

By late in the 4th day her steady consumption of hayburgers and fries would be replaced by a diet of cuffin. It was her own invention – break a muffin into a bowl, pour black coffee over it and mush it all together – real time saver. The great thing about it was that if time was running short you could pour even more coffee in it and thin it out enough to suck through a straw. This could be enjoyed with a side of dark chocolate covered espresso beans and a straightjacket.

During the preparation for this particular final – the “knife episode,” they had run out of coffee (big surprise) and wuffin, (water having been the coffee understudy) just wasn’t cutting it. (Another big surprise). This meant Spike would have to leave her alone at the library, which meant he would have to return to a great unknown. The scenes he’d walked in on in the past had run screaming past the gamut of his imagination. Celestia had provided him with some tea and therapy that had erased some from his memory and suppressed others

The test would begin in two days. Upon his return this time, Spike had discovered her on the first floor of the library in a corner on the floor, the hood of her jacket pulled up over her head. There beside her on the floor, lay a large knife. She seemed oblivious and was intently reading. He spoke and in return received only a grunt. Then a strange dance began - he would approach her and as he drew near, she continued to read but her hoof would move toward the knife. He’d step back, and her hoof would move away from the handle. He repeated the motion and she responded as before. He began to continuously repeat the motion, back and forth, just to see her hoof move toward and away from the knife. It was like a pull toy with an invisible string.

“Spike?” she asked her eyes never straying from the book.

“Yes Twilight?”

“Are you a boy dragon or a girl dragon… right now I mean?”

“Uhhh got it. Would you like something?

“Yes –quiet.”

He backed away.

After the 3rd hour of silence, other than the occasional sound of a page turning, he left for Sweet Apple Acres. “The scariest part” he later relayed to Applejack after having run at full speed to her farm “is that there aren’t any corners in the library - it’s round, but she was sure sitting in one and I, for one, was not going to ask.”

Applejack had raced with him on her back at full speed to the Golden Oak Library. Pinky Pie and Rarity stood just inside the entrance, both of them in tears. Twilight hadn’t moved.

“She said the most dreadful hurtful things to us,” cried Rarity, “It’s like she’s possessed! She called Pinky and me all kinds of horrible cruel things and threatened us with that knife. I’m so worried about her. We need to contact Celestia! ”

“That’s the last thing you want to do,” warned Spike, “believe me. If she thought Celestia were on her way here for any reason, it would do more damage than you can imagine.”

Applejack, panting heavily from the run, stood there, trying to catch her breath. “It’s ok Rarity. She’s just real tuckered out and stressed. It’s not her.”

“Fuck you, you pathetic ignorant hillpony,” Twilight snarled, never lifting her head from her book. “Everypony get the fuck out of my library before we find out just how many of you I can take out of this world with my knife before somepony takes me out.”

This bought a fresh round of hysterical tears from Pinky Pie and a sharp gasp of pain from Rarity.

“Y’all better listen” Applejack advised.

“That goes for you too, you useless fucking backwoods orphan.”

Applejack’s head recoiled slightly as though struck by a blow. Pinkie Pie and Rarity froze, unable to comprehend what had just been said. They were afraid to look at Applejack, as if by avoiding her gaze they might not be present, might not be witness to this; might be able to detach themselves from this room, from this time. But they loved her far too much and so didn’t flinch. In the flash of a moment before looking toward her, each prepared themselves for the profound pain they would surely see there in her green eyes. They could not know and so were unprepared for the depth of shame they found and that was when they came to learn of a level of cruelty they hadn’t known could be.

Spike looked at her face and a rage took hold of him. He stared at the knife and then at Twilight with such malevolence that it was clear what he would do, given the opportunity. She had crossed over a line.

All in the room stood in stunned silence as Applejack approached Twilight. As before Twilight motioned her hoof toward the knife, its handle starting to glow.

“Please give me the knife,” Applejack asked

“Take it,” Twilight challenged, her voice a low growl, her head still down.

Applejack stepped up to her, her hoofs inches from Twilight’s. Suddenly the knife skidded a few inches across the floor, its handle meeting with Twilight's hoof with such force that there was an audible snap.

Applejack lowered her head and as her tears fell and landed on the oaken floor they were taken up into its wood. . She put her nuzzle under the hood of Twilight's sweatshirt, her mouth inches from her ear. She whispered.

“You gonna try to hurt me worse with that? You can’t. Nothing can.”

A moment passed. As Twilight looked up her hood fell back revealing her face. Reflected there was an intense mix of anguish and pain so profound that Pinky, Rarity and Spike gasped. Twilight's chin trembled and she looked into Applejack's eyes with "more sorrow and regret than anypony should ever have to bear", Rarity would later tell the others. Suddenly, as if she’d been struck hard, Twilight's body convulsed and a sound primal and raw came from her mouth as she collapsed on her side, sobbing hysterically.

Applejack quickly placed her hoof on the dropped knife. She gave it a shove and it scattered across the floor toward Pinky Pie who stomped down and trapped it under her hoof. Suddenly Twilight’s face grimaced, her teeth gritted, her eyes clenched, squeezing out tears and her horn began to glow. Applejack turned around just in time to see the knife, now also glowing purple, jerk out from under Pinky’s hoof. She could only watch as it shot across the floor, straight into Twilight's chest.

Rarity’s scream echoed throughout the library. Just as the first inch of the blade pierced the skin, Applejack bought her hoof up, and slammed the knife to the ground, crying out as the blade of the knife sliced across her leg, severing her ankle tendon. The knife clattered to the ground and Applejack stomped her bloody hoof on it, wincing in pain as she shifted her weight to bear down on the blade. The knife glowed fiercely and struggled to free itself from under Applejack's’ full weight. As she looked at it she could see some of Twilight’s blood staining the front of the blade

Twilight lay there curled up into the fetal position in a state of rage, shaking and sobbing, Her horn glowed an angry shade of purple. “No, no, Applejack please let go of it,” she managed to say through gritted teeth. She gasped for air and sobbed, “I will never be able to look at you again after the things I said, I love you so much and after what I said...please.” Her voice just a raw cry of agony, “please just let it go.”

Applejack shifted all her weight to her injured leg, gritting her teeth in pain and holding her breath as she pressed down hard on the struggling knife. She watched her blood spread across the knife, touch the edge of Twilight's blood and then mix with it. As the two bloods ran together, Twilight’s horn stopped glowing. She was suddenly quiet, all the strain left her body, her eyes rolled back into her head. She lay there panting, barely conscious. The glow was gone from the knife and Spike ran over as fast as he could; He grabbed it out from under Applejack’s hoof and ran with it out of the library.

Applejack fell to the floor, and lifted Twilight's head, cradling it. She spoke quietly and haltingly through tiny sobs she tried to hide. Rarity looked at this scene, unable to speak and unsure of what to do other than hold Pinky Pie, and try to calm her.

Suddenly Princess Celestia walked through the library’s entrance, gasping at what was before her. She quickly regained her composure and looked around, carefully and accurately sensing and surmising all that had occurred. The situation was still a fragile one and Celestia knew she had to step lightly.

“Oh Princess, it’s horrible, I’m so glad you’re here!” exclaimed Rarity. A dark red puddle had begun to seep out from under Twilight's body. It mixed with the blood that had been pulsing from the gash in Applejack's leg.

“Applejack, are you okay?” asked the Princess, her voice trembling. It was evident that she was exercising a monumental effort to restrain the emotion that threatened to unleash itself. The sound of it coming from their brave and strong Princess, unnerved everypony. Applejack lifted her head and looked over at the Princess and gave her a slight nod.

“How is she? Is she hurt badly?” The Princess asked.

Applejack looked at her helplessly. The expression on the face of the Princess revealed such a profound love and respect for the brave, sweet, rust colored pony that Rarity felt almost like an intruder. She nudged Pinkie, motioned toward the entrance and led her out.

Celestia walked up to Applejack and caressed her cheek, finally cupping her chin in her hoof. “Oh dear sweet Applejack, how many times can one pony’s heart be broken,” the Princess said, her voice breaking. “Some ponies are born into nobility” she paused looking deep into the young filly’s green eyes, “others are born with it. No parent could ask for a greater legacy. You do them and every pony such honor, especially me. You have saved the life of the single most precious thing in my life, and now you have given me another.” A tear fell from the Princess’ eye and she smiled, “Twilight is so blessed to have you in her life, as am I. I hope that her friendship and love help to make your life a little better.”

Applejack nodded and turned away, burying her face in Twilight’s side and finally breaking down, sobbing wretchedly and silently as a little filly had once done, night upon night after the death of her parents.

The bond that linked the Elements of Harmony – the Mane Six, transcended conscious awareness and this transcendence awoke the knowledge in both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy that something was horribly wrong.

Rainbow and Tank were visiting Fluttershy at her cottage. The two Pegasus pony’s looked up at each other with frightened pale expressions and without a word flew as fast as they could to the library, not quite sure why. They arrived just as the medical unit of the Royal Guards entered the library. Once inside they saw Princess Celestia as she transported Pinkie Pie and Rarity to Canterlot in a flash of light. Nopony else was around.

“It’s okay girls, I’m going to send you to Canterlot now,” the princess spoke softly, “we can send for your things later. When we get up there, I’ll explain.” In a flash of light, the two ponies found themselves in the Princess’s private living room in the Canterlot castle.

The five that had been in the library underwent various treatments based on ancient therapies and gradually their memories of the events began to fade. During the days that followed, as Twilight remained in a catatonic state, all the ponies continued to stay with her when they were not getting therapy or resting, but Applejack refused to leave her bedside.

The magic was old and powerful. By the end of their time in Canterlot, recollections had become vague and distant. Negative associations had been expunged and most crucially the neurological web that linked the moments of their lives during those hours had been irreparably torn. It is that fabric that creates memories by constructing a web of connecting synapses from individual moments that exist as separate isolated instances of thought. Celestia would not permit her court physicians to administer the treatments due to the extremely personal nature of the procedure.

With the application of the spell, memories, thoughts, feelings and impressions of anypony undergoing the treatment were open to her. There was nothing that she could not see, feel, experience of anypony she helped- nothing could be hidden. It was something beyond stark naked – it was their essence. Celestia was extremely careful not to venture too far beyond the events of that day. Her objective was to sever the bonds of the web that held those moments together. There was no other treatment.

Twilight was the first and while it was extremely painful for Celestia to experience first hoof what it was to be Twilight during those moments, Twilight's recollection of the events was so ragged and disjointed that the work was partially done for her.

Next was Applejack.

Princess Celestia was not prepared for what she encountered. The trauma of losing her parents while she was so young had left a profound imprint on Applejack. She had been ill-equipped to handle the wrenching emotional turmoil that had suddenly exploded in the middle of her foalhood. In a moment she was thrust into a scary, lonely world where there was no choice but to work with her brother Big Macintosh to keep the farm going. Her grandmother had aged perceptibly after the loss of her son and daughter in-law and her sister was still an infant.

That year the Pegasi had predicted an exceptionally short harvest season due to a global weather anomaly.

A tide of relatives rushed in to assist with the harvest, cooking, mending and winter preparation. That whirl of events into which the young filly was drawn surrounded her as would a hurricane. Virtually bouncing and caroming from one relative to the next, she eventually careened into its eye where she found herself isolated and alone. There in the silence she watched the eye wall spin around her as her relations precisely and efficiently worked in a blur to stem the effects of losing the farms caretakers as well as Apple Bloom's, Applejack's and Big Macintosh's parents..

Through the efforts of the Apple clan, all the needs of the farm in preparation for the winter were finally met. Repairs completed, painting finished, stalls cleaned and straightened. The earth had been bountiful and the apples and grapes were lush and healthy, corn and beans were hearty and the harvest was laden with abundance. The larder would want for nothing until early summer, especially now with two less mouths to feed…

Then, as quickly as it had risen, the tide fell. Their own harvests were in need of the scythe and so with great regrets and many tears the visiting Apple family relatives headed home. Offers were extended from every corner to come and stay with them, but none had enough to board all 4, as they needed all their room to house the hired hands bought on for the harvest. One or two at the most, but that was all. What remained of the Apple family at Sweet Apple Acres refused to be separated from one another. It was evident to anypony looking at them that no other outcome could be considered.

So the eye wall quietly vanished. Harvest home was prepared. Granny Smith settled into a routine of simple cooking and laundry. She spoke little in the ensuing months. Big Macintosh had grieved through his work with cousins and uncles during the harvest. He was 5 years older than Applejack and had known loss when his dog Ramble had died, though certainly this was, by no means, any less a time of agony for him.

He worried for Applejack who had withdrawn, though he never gave up trying to reach her. The efforts left his soul aching without resolve. He would hold her and rock her endlessly, wishing he knew something more to do. There was nothing for it, nothing to calm the frightened little foal in a blind panic trying to understand what had become of her world of love and happiness, where it had gone. He couldn’t bear to watch as she desperately sought answers. Where would she find the warm and loving place that she’d known only while nestled in the cradle of her mother’s arms? Where would she go to find the protection and security she’d found only while snuggled in the lap of her father, her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his beating heart?

Big Macintosh had no answers for her, but he did everything he could and that helped them both.

As she worked the ancient therapy on the honey blonde pony, Celestia wept, experiencing the pain Applejack had endured when just a filly. There was so little that she could do for Applejack. The pride she would feel, should Twilight grow to the leader of Equestria, would not match the pride and gratitude she felt for having in some way bought love and light to this amazing little pony who despite that early tragedy had taken on the responsibility of running the farm with her brother. She had to learn how to manage the finances, calculate fertilizer needs for the crops, sales, spoilage, when to harvest, how many to hire for the harvest, and maintain the grounds. Then there was caring for the livestock, feeding them and making sure they were healthy. Finally she had to raise her little sister, Apple Bloom.

In the days immediately after she treated Applejack, Celestia found she was unable to continue treating the ponies. She became intensely melancholy and found herself crying a great deal of the time. Her sister Luna became her rock during those days, often reminding her older sister of the words she'd spoken to Applejack in the library, and how much they had healed and comforted the little pony. Celestia still wished that she could do something more to ease the pain. Luna spent time with Applejack and found an instant bond between them. They spent a good amount of time talking and laughing.

The months following the even often found Celestia and Luna quietly visiting Sweet Apple Acres to share laughter and love..

After she'd recovered from the pain of treating Applejack, Celestia turned her attention to caring for the other ponies. Memories became vague and words forgotten- such was the desired outcome of the treatment. They resurfaced only on occasion as frightening and disturbing nightmares. There was no magic that could take those away. When that happened, the Mane 6 and Spike would meet, attempting to piece together what had occurred on that terrible day - against Princess Celestia’s wishes.

The incongruous fragments resisted fitting together into any cohesive picture. Twilight couldn’t remember how she’d gotten the scar on her chest nor could Applejack recall how the scar on her ankle came to be, but of course they all knew it was related to the knife.

The only thing that they all recalled from these nightmares was the image of Twilight sitting in a corner somewhere with the knife by her side. Beyond that it was all very vague feelings of horror. Those impressions had been deliberately left behind to serve as a warning as to what could happen unless each of them exercised restraint and judgment at times of great stress. There was one exception. Applejack clearly recalled Celestia looking at her with profound love and saying the words that would forever be written on the young pony's heart.

Twilight would use any excuse she could contrive to get herself, Celestia, and Applejack together if only to share in the ephemeral bond between them. When lonely or depressed, just recalling that feeling was always a step towards the light.

While they were all staying at the palace and recovering, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy often had lunch with the Princess. Both pegusi suffered horrible nightmares of vague images and violence and one or the other often woke up screaming. They shared a suite but ended up sharing a bed so as to be there for the other. The Princess talked about it with them, never revealing what had actually happened, but letting the two of them express their anxieties and fears. Several screams from their room on one night prompted a guard to alert the Princess. Upon entering the room she was touched to see the usually brash, tough Rainbow Dash holding a very upset and trembling Fluttershy and comforting her after a particularly disturbing nightmare. Rainbow gave her a brief shake of her head and Celestia quietly withdrew.

There was another night that revealed the terror these experiences produced. Celestia opened the door to find the cocky, strong, brave cyan pony curled up on her bed in near hysterics and being comforted by Fluttershy, who had taken her in her arms, stroked her rainbow colored mane and held her until she stopped shaking and fell asleep.

Eventually it all became a vague but disturbing memory that if nothing else, made them even closer as friends than before.

“Oh, right...” the color drained from Twilight's face, “…the knife. I’d almost forgotten,” Twilight suddenly became quiet. “It’s getting cold but seeing Applejack everyday wouldn’t exactly be the worst thing in the world." she said with a smile, “ She’s been giving me cooking lessons, she has some crazy idea that I can’t cook." Twilight said, rolling her eyes. “So it’s a promise, in fact it’s a Pinky Promise" she said holding up her hoof and closing her eyes, "I Twilight Sparkle will spend at least an hour or two a day with AJ. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

The Pinky Pie Promise was as sacred a vow as existed in Equestria and the deal was simple. You break it, Pinky breaks you...with extreme prejudice.

“Hi Twilight,” said Rarity, sauntering into the library.

“Rarity!” Twilight exclaimed, running over and giving her a big hug. The sight of her right after being reminded of the “Knife” incident suddenly bought out all the feelings of love she had for her friend.

“Well! Whatever did I do to deserve this?” Rarity smiled returning the hug. Feeling her wings being pressed against her sides was still an odd sensation for Twilight, but in this case welcome. “I really must make a point of coming here more often and visiting you Twilight, it’s certainly worth the walk for a hug like that.” As they separated they looked at each other and both smiled.

“Just remember I'll be waiting,” Twilight said with a smile. The two stood looking at each other, the emotion keenly evident, and something beneath the surface passed between them from that day long ago.

Rarity spoke softly, all pretense having vanished. “I mean it Twilight; I really do miss you sometimes, even when we don’t see each other for a couple of days.”

As they separated Rarity sniffed and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, “Damn you Twilight Sparkle, you’ve ruined my makeup!” She chuckled. Then she turned to Spike, “Well my darling little dragon, the train will be here in 15 minutes. I trust you’re ready.”

“All set Rarity!” He ran over and hugged Twilight and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Neither let go.

“I’m really gonna miss my number one assistant” Twilight barely got the words out.

“If I start to tell you how I feel right now, I won’t go”

Finally though, they both did let go.

“Hey, you’ll be back before you know it, with lots of great stories. I expect to hear every detail and make sure you take good care of Rarity,” she said sniffing.

“Will do m’am,” replied the little dragon, wiping an eye with the heel of his hand.

“Don’t worry Twilight, if he takes half as good a care of me as he takes of you then I’ll be fine. Thank you dear.” Rarity and Twilight hugged again “Before things get any more sappy,” said Rarity, “I think it’s time we take our leave. Come now Spike we don’t want to miss our train,”

Twilight watched them get into the carriage that would take them and their luggage to the depot. The other two carriages full of Rarity’s dresses were already there.

“Dear Diary,
Well Spike and Rarity have hit the rails. I guess I am a little jealous, but I’m happy for them too. Spike has never been away from me this long. It’s only a few hours and I miss him already. I’ve started cleaning up from the wild party last night. It reminded me of my first night in Ponyville, except that I spent that party in my bed loft whining.
Hopefully Fluttershy and Pinky will arrive soon. I really need get some studying done but I feel like writing down my feelings now. Oh hay, it’s already 3:43pm and I haven’t gotten any work done. I gotta go – Back soon.
Luv Twi.
P.S. I really want to keep writing this though, it’s fun. OK, this time for real.”