Dropping the last bit on the counter, Twilight looks up to the clerk with a hefty smile. The metallic coin rings as it lands on the hardwood inside this small book store. Shelves upon shelves line the walls, displaying bookbindings and colorful covers for all to see. Small motes of dust float in the sunlight streaming into the building, showing how truly untouched this store really is. The mare counts out the currency before nodding and heading for the storage room behind her.

“Why are we here again?” Spike asks, his voice impatient. Twilight sighs before shaking her head.

“I told you before, Spike. I’ve finally saved enough money to buy a rare copy of Magically Delicious: A Unicorn Cookbook. There’s a recipe for butternut carrot muffins that I know the girls will love in it. Not only that, but there are only fifteen copies of this book in existence!” Twilight’s eyes light up as she loses focus of reality. “It has some of the greatest recipes in the world. To get your hooves on a copy is nearly impossible!”

As Twilight goes on about the book, not even noticing the clerk’s return. The mare clears her throat, hoping to get the young unicorn’s attention, but fails. Spike rolls his eyes before snapping his finger to grasp Twilight’s attention. Blushing heavily, Twilight turns back to the clerk, muttering a simple, “Thank you,” as she grabs the book and places it in her saddlebag before heading off.

The sun’s powerful rays really leave a warming sensation on the mare’s and dragon’s back as they head out into the open town.The colorful buildings and bright light force the two to squint their eyes, making it difficult to adjust to their surroundings. Ponies trot about, going on about their business as usual, performing their errands and daily routines. Ponyville gets rather busy this time of day.

“So, how much did that book cost exactly?” Spike questions, following alongside the mare.

“Three hundred and forty-five bits.”

“Three hundred and forty-five bits?! Do you realize how much ice cream that is?” Spike throws his tiny arms up in the air out of frustration, leaving Twilight to giggle at his charade. “I sometimes worry about you, Twilight. I think you have a problem.”

“There isn’t anything wrong with having a collection based on a hobby, Spike. Might I remind you about your lint collection beneath your bed?”

“That isn’t a hobby, Twilight. It’s just a collection. I would never pay three hundred bits for a book. That thing is too expensive to be reading.”

Twilight comes to halt and thinks. It was rather expensive. If she were to read it, she might crinkle a page! Or worse: What if she spills carrot juice on it like her copy of Blue Yeti: Fact or Fiction?

“You’re right, Spike.” Spike’s head tilts like a confused dog.

“Did you just say… I’m right?”

“Yes, I did. I can’t have anything happen to this book. Not only would it diminish such a great read, but its face value would drop dramatically!”

Spike bows his head in defeat. There was no working with this pony. “Fine, do whatever you want with the book. I’m going to Sugarcube Corner to get something to eat. I’m starving.”

Twilight begins to panic, eyeing every nook and cranny on the street as if it was immediate danger. Buckets of water are deadly, that one muddy stallion is a death sentence for sure, and don’t even get started on the two colts playing with those waterguns.

“It’s going to be alright, Twilight. Your book is going to be fine. There’s no way it’ll… get.. damag—”

With break-neck speed, Twilight gallops down the street, screeching like a banshee all the way to her abode. Slamming the door behind her, Twilight checks every corner for anything that could bring harm to her treasure. After a careful search, she unbuttons her saddlebag, making sure to be extra cautious as she lifts the book out with her magical aura. The cover’s emerald color stands out in the faint sunlight as she places it in a glass casing right beside her copy of Mare in the Moon.

“Hiya, Twilight!”

Twilight jumps in fright as the pink mare beside her cracks a smile, causing the glass case to fall to ground. Luckily for Twilight, she’s able to catch the fragile cover in time. Twilight throws Pinkie a glare before letting out a relieved sigh.

“Whatcha got there?” the pink mare asks, her curiosity peaqued.

“Just putting away my new book.” Twilight adjusts the latches on the casing, making sure they are secure.

“Magically Delicious: A Unicorn Cookbook? That sounds amazing!” Pinkie exclaims. “What are you going to make first? I can’t wait to try some of the things it has!”

“I’m not opening it, Pinkie.”

Pinkie’s eyes widen in surprise. “But that doesn’t make any sense! Didn’t you get it to make new recipes?”

“Yes, but it’s a very rare book. It cost over three hundred bits, so I don’t want to damage it. I’m putting it away for safe keeping.” The pink mare can’t seem to comprehend according to her confused expression.

“I don’t get it. Why buy a book if you don’t read it?”

“Imagine it like this, Pinkie. Remember that super ball that Rainbow Dash really wanted a while back? It was very expensive. What happened to it?”

“It got run over by a passing cart and wasn’t so bouncy any more,” Pinkie blurts. “But Dashie wasn’t mad. She said, ‘At least I got the most out of it.’ Don’t you want to get the most out of your book?”

Twilight shakes her head, disappointed by the mare’s naiviness. “It’s not like that at all, Pinkie. You wouldn’t understand.”

Pinkie shrugs. “Oh well. Anyway, we’re having a picnic today since it’s such a nice day. Wanna come?”

Twilight’s tummy emits a small rumble at the mention of food. “I-I guess that would be a good idea. Sure, I’ll go,” she giggles. Making her way towards the front door, her eyes never leave the book. Twilight stands in the doorway for a moment before finally leaving to accompany her friends.

That night, Twilight tosses and turns in her sleep. That book’s well being keeps spinning in her head, haunting all her dreams.

“Twilight…”

Not even covered by her sheets any more, Twilight continues to thrash about on her bed.

“Twilight.”

In her dream, she watches as the book gets dropped into a mixing bowl filled with cream and gets blended.

“Twilight!”

Darkness consumes the mare’s vision as her eyes shoot open. It takes a moment for them to adjust. Standing beside her bed is Pinkie Pie wearing a bedsheet that covers her entire body and mane.

“No, you’re just Pinkie Pie covered in a bedsheet.”

The mare rolls her eyes. “Can you just roll with it?” The ghost lifts up a whipped cream pie with her hoof, a look of complete and utter seriousness across her face. “I’m here to show you what will happen if you don’t read your book.”

With slight of hoof, the ghost throws the pie in Twilight’s face, completely blocking out her vision. Twilight cleans the cream from her eyes and looks around. She’s no longer in her room, but in a large shed of some sort. Four large figures sit alongside each other, covered with tarps. The ghost grabs one and rips it off the figure. Beneath it is a beautiful cart, crafted from mahogany and encrust with sapphires.

“Wow!” Twilight coos. “This is such a beautiful cart. Why have I never seen it before?”

The ghost shakes her head in disappointment. “Filthy Rich has had these carts for years. They’re his second most prized possession, aside from his daughter. But, because of their cost and collectability, he refuses to use them.”

“Oh my goodness!”

Filthy Rich rushes into the shed, his eyes wide and worried. Grabbing the tarp with his mouth, he covers the cart and rubs the side with care.

“My poor baby can’t get any dust on her! It’ll diminish the market value!”

Twilight turns to Pinkie who returns her a raised eyebrow.

“I’m not like that,” Twilight responds, bewilderedness in her voice.

“Suuuure,” the ghost replies with a hint of sarcasm. “Anyway, onto the next pony!”

The ghost smacks another pie into Twilight’s face, angering the mare. As she wipes the whipped cream from her face to scold the ghost, she notices the new room they’re in. It’s a small bedroom, filled with baskets upon baskets of candy. Each basket has a label with cities from across Equestria. Bonbon enters the room and places a basket labeled Hoofington and places it beside the others. She lets out a sigh as she peers over the collection of candies.

“All these candies look great. I want to try them, but they look so colorful. I can’t disturb them.” The ghost turns to Twilight, pointing at Bonbon.

“This mare has been collecting rare candies from all over the country and has yet to try any of them. Soon, they will all go bad and she won’t ever get to taste any of them.”

“Hey!” Twilight and the ghost jumps as Bonbon stares them down. “What are you two doing in my house?”

“Aren’t we supposed to be invisible?” Twilight asks. The ghost merely shrugs as Bonbon’s glare tones down.

“Hey! Aren’t you the ghost of sweets for tomorrow? Well, what’s it gonna be? Glazed donuts or sweet tarts?”

“Ixnay on the candy-ay!” The ghost looks around the room, worried her cover might be blown. She hurriedly pushes Twilight out of the room, but not before mutter, “Sweet tarts,” as she leaves.

“What was that all ab—” Before Twilight can finish her sentence, the ghost slaps another pie in her face. Getting all this whipped cream out of her fur later was going to be such a hassle.

It’s then Twilight realizes that she’s back in the library, but something is… different. Dust covers the entire room, almost as if someone hasn’t cleaned the place in years. The front door opens and an old, wrinkled version of Twilight emerges, slowly making her way towards the beloved book of hers.

“I suppose I should read this old book before my vision gets too bad to read,” the old mare tells herself. She opens the glass casing and lifts the book, only to have it crumble into dust before her. A single tear sheds from older Twilight’s eye as she the dust floats away with the sudden draft in the room, never to be read again.

“No!” Twilight screams. “I can’t let that happen! I’ll read the book! I’ll read the book!”

Twilight’s eyes shoot open, waking her from her torturous nightmare. She looks around the room, finding no signs of the ghost of neglected collectables. The only thing on the mare’s mind now is whether her book is safe. Galloping out the room and down the stairs, Twilight looks in the library. A single ray of sunlight shines in the room, giving off enough to see the book in its case. Without hesitation, she opens the case and looks over the book.

“Oh, thank goodness.” She eyes the cover and smiles. “I guess there’s only one thing left to do.”

Another beautiful day! And another beautiful day means another picnic! As the Mane Six unpack their lunches, Twilight grabs a large box from inside her basket. Opening it, she reveals seven carefully crafted muffins, each topped with an orange carrot frosting. Without hesitation, Pinkie scoops one up and shovels it down.

“Mmm! These are delicious, Twilight! Where’d you get them.”

“I made them,” Twilight boasts with a chipper smile.

“She finally opened that cookbook and made something,” Spike replies, rolling her eyes. Pinkie’s jaw drops, quickly replaced with a smile.

“What finally made you change your mind?”

“The ghost of neglected collectables..” Twilight takes a bite of her muffin as her friends stare at her in awe. “I learned that just because something is limited and expensive, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put it to use. Before long, that collectable might be worth nothing at all.”

The mares nod their heads in agreement before taking a muffin themselves and enjoying their picnic.

Author's Notes:

Gonna attempt to write something that isn't HiE. Welp, here goes nothing. That doesn't mean I'm dropping my other stuff.