I had sent Spike to the library to pick up a Classical language dictionary. Letting my intense curiosity get the better of my tendency to be methodical while reading a book, I skipped ahead to the fourth chapter, the one that wasn’t translated. The translator’s note at the beginning of the chapter only served to whet my desire to read it in full. It was only a paragraph long, but it read thusly:

“The infamous chapter four of “Mirror of the Mind, Volume XII” is presented in its original form. Starswirl the Bearded originally transcribed this final chapter while in prison for defiance towards the unicorn council. His protégé, Clover the Clever, claims to have visited him in his cell the night before he was to be executed, where he gave her this volume and her now-popular moniker, “Clover the Clever”. According to Xenopone, the most reliable historian active at the time, Starswirl the Bearded refused the help of his followers to escape, but nonetheless vanished before the morning. Legal records verify his disappearance. In the opinion of most contemporary historians, Starswirl probably did escape from prison, and Xenopone concealed this fact to shield the perpetrators.

According to Clover, Starswirl claimed that this chapter revealed a “spell, the most powerful and dangerous spell ever devised by ponykind”. Due to its claimed dangers, he wrote the spell in code so that only the wisest of ponies could attempt such a spell. He claimed that this spell reveals to its caster the Meaning of Life.

“To date, nopony has successfully translated this chapter.

“Εάν είσαι σοφός, πεθαίνουν άγνοια…”

To say that I was excited would have been an insultingly primitive description of my ecstasy—there were no words that were adequate. I shook with anticipation in my chair even after reading this simple description for the dozenth time. I would get around to finishing the first three chapters, the rest of my studies be damned. I was so close to the secret of the Meaning of Life. The very utterance of some combination of the Classical letters written in front of me was all it would take. The sheer proximity to such an expansive and conclusive solution left me giggling.

I didn’t forget the plans I had with Lyra that night, but they were far from the fore of my thoughts. It was six o’clock, and I had hours to try to work out this code. Already my brain was overloading itself with possible ways that Starswirl could have codified it. It probably wasn’t simple substitution, or somepony would have figured it out by now. It would have to be in a manner that anypony, in any time period, could determine. That it stayed a mystery for so long testified either to his genius, or his madness.

While waiting for Spike to return, I let my mind wander to all the possibilities that this spell might contain. Would it be something that makes its caster wiser? After mulling over that possibility, I dismissed it. If it allowed somepony to simply understand the Meaning of Life, then that pony could communicate its secrets to others. Starswirl was very adamant that the Meaning of Life was something that could not be taught. If it couldn’t be taught, then how would one learn it? Perhaps it allowed a pony to think at a plane of cognizance that normal ponies can’t fathom. I fantasized about such a level of wisdom.

Twilight Sparkle, the unicorn master of knowledge. Ponies would look back at my life hundreds of years from now and marvel at the incredible level of thinking that I would do here one day. Of all of Princess Celestia’s students over the years, I would be the one that rose above the petty ideas of academic understanding through friendship. It would be Twilight Sparkle the Sagacious that led Equestria to a new period of understanding, a new golden age of science and intelligence. Those pupils preceding and following would be relegated to the history books, a meaningless name in an appendix. Forgotten.

As I could very well be.

I sighed. The truth was that I was not special in any way. I may study. I may learn and memorize and recite more than most other ponies now, but I wasn’t the best. I was simply the one that caught the princess’s eye through a sheer act of luck. After I was gone, I might be remembered fondly by those ponies I knew, until they themselves died. Then the only mark I would have on the world is a fleeting memory in an alicorn’s mind, to be replaced in affection by a student who proved themselves greater and more noteworthy.

Does the Meaning of Life not have something to do with lasting through the ages? Such a universal theory of life seems pointless if it leaves one pondering on death and the eternal. To understand the underlying fabric of the universe, even if the idea is nontransferable, would single me out among all ponies save for Starswirl, and would undoubtedly lead to comprehension and acclaim. After all, he is remembered thousands of years after his death as the greatest unicorn mind to have ever lived. I dream of such an honor, of such a legacy. If it took the rest of my life, I would decode this goddess-forsaken spell!

“Hey Twilight. Here’s the book you wanted,” Spike said as he returned from the library. I spun around in my chair to eagerly take the dictionary from his outstretched claw. “What’re you reading?”

In panic, I attempted to quickly shove the four hundred year old book under a pile of parchment, but in my haste it fell off my desk entirely. “Heh, heh. Nothing. Just a stupid fiction novel.” I smiled at him, a smile I was too late to realize was exceedingly manic. I tried to laugh to lower suspicion, but the laugh came out strange and guilty.

He raised his eyebrow, but didn’t pursue the subject. “Uhm, okay then. It’s dinnertime. You coming?”

I shot an uninterested glance at the clock. “No, I need to do some research. You go ahead. In fact, go ahead and take the rest of the day off.”

“Are you sure? You haven’t had anything since we went to Joe’s.”

“It’s fine, Spike; I’m not hungry.”

With a shrug, he left to go to the dining hall and I had the rest of the evening in silence to try and decode the book. I gingerly lifted Volume XII off the floor. With a grimace, I realized that I had bent one of the pages. Great job, you idiot. A one of a kind book, by Starswirl the Bearded no less, and you had to go and desecrate it. Not that it was perfect as it was; it was perfectly clear from its condition that it was a very old book. I laid it on the desk with reverence and meticulously tried to flatten out the page I had damaged. With rising panic, I quickly came to realize it was a fruitless endeavor. Trying very hard to enact the breathing exercises the princess had taught me, I shut the book and pushed it aside. I pulled open the Classical dictionary Spike had brought and tried very hard to push the bent page out of my mind.

Might as well learn about the basics of the language if I’m to try to decode a phrase written in it. I pushed my mind to study the “Introduction” chapter. There are 24 letters in the Classical alphabet, which the Equestrian language borrows from. These letters are α, β, γ, δ, ε, ζ, η, θ, ι, κ, λ, μ, ν, ξ, π, ρ, σ, τ, υ, φ, χ, ψ, and ω. Alpha to omega, beginning to end. Each of these letters were borrowed and modified to form the Old Equestrian language, which was the language used when Princess Celestia was born. As Old Equestrian slowly morphed into the New Equestrian language over the course of hundreds of years, it brought those traditions with it, forming the basis of all current thoughts.

The number system, however, was fairly primitive compared to the modern one. While we use the ten numerals that were invented by the Saddle-Arabians, the Classical numbers were the same as their letters. In fact, any word could also be a number. For example, if I saw μου, it could mean the word “me”, or it could be the letters added together. That is, μ+ο+υ, or 40+70+400, or 510. Yes, the numbers could be multiplied by powers of ten depending on their place in the alphabet. What a horribly complex language to make a code out of! I could see why the spell had remained undeciphered for so long.

I spent the next several hours studying the language as thoroughly as I could, ensuring I took detailed notes and adjusted my future schedules to accommodate these sessions. Of course, I wasn’t putting off decoding the chapter. The two tasks would have to be accomplished simultaneously. I had waited years for the Meaning of Life; I didn’t want to wait any more than I had to.

With these thoughts in mind, I did what I do best—studied.

And studied.

And studied.

In a matter of a few hours, I had learned about Classical syntax, a few vocabulary words, some idioms and mythological references. It was harder than I had studied in a long time, but this was different from my usual work. It was towards a goal, a goal that was infinitely more important than my usual study of math, or science, or magic. It was about philosophy, about life itself. I dipped my quill back into my quickly-depleting ink jar in preparation for further notes.

“Twilight, do you know what time it is?”

Groaning slightly at being interrupted, I glanced over toward the door, where Spike had just entered with his arms crossed. I looked at the clock to reply. “It’s eight thirty-five. Why?”

“Yeah, eight thirty-five on a Sunday. Don’t you have a lesson with Princess Celestia?”

His words took two seconds to register with my brain. And then it exploded.

“Oh dear Celestia, NO! Spike, I haven’t even studied! Quick, go tell Celestia I’m coming. I have to get my quills, and my parchment, and…Spike! Where did I put the books I had sitting out for the lesson?”

“I think we reshelved them.”

“Oh no. No no no no no no no! Spike, find the books. I’ve got to get to the princess!”

Throwing a quill, some parchment and my open bottle of ink into my saddlebag, I rushed out my door without even bothering to put it on. I shoved past a maid, knocking her to the floor. I didn’t care—she wasn’t at risk of being sent to the moon for being late. She wasn’t the only casualty, either. Maids, guards, nobles and diplomats all either moved aside or found themselves sprawled upon the ground. For the second time in two days, I found myself barreling through the princess’s bedroom chamber, trying to swallow just one substantial breath.

“Prin….pr…I…uh.” I collapsed, my saddlebag that I had been floating beside me dropped to the marble floor, spilling its contents of ink soaked quills and paper.

Princess Celestia merely set down her cup of tea and looked toward me with concern. With an effortless burst of magic, she had cleaned the ink and rubbish off the floor and teleported my saddlebag away. She picked up my exhausted body and laid me, panting, on a cushion opposite her. It was incredibly ornate, filled with pegasus feathers and covered with indigo velvet and gold threading. And I was sweating all over it. I didn’t have the strength to protest either way.

“Twilight, I’m very concerned about you. You’ve never been late to a lesson before this week.”

I tried to slow my breathing so I could respond. “Princess, I’m sorry. I lost track of the time.”

“That is understandable. Even I lose track of time on occasion. That isn’t my only concern, however. Spike told me during dinner that you’ve spent all your time reading since our last lesson. Have you not practiced the teleportation spells as we discussed?”

“No, your highness.” I hung my head in shame.

“He also told me that you’ve been very reclusive and have barely talked to him the past several days. Twilight, if there’s something wrong, I would wish for you to tell me. If I can do anything to help, I will.”

As her lilac eyes gazed into mine, I could see nothing but concern and love in them. I couldn’t stand it; I looked away. Truth be told, I almost confessed everything to her. About the book, about my obsession, about Lyra and everything. My old nature started to get to me. Heh. My old nature—trying to please the princess, trying to learn everything she thought important, trying to stay on a set schedule. Everything had been so orderly throughout my entire life. It was like an old friend trying to welcome me back.

But even as my mind began to travel down the path of unbosoming and familiarity, I allowed myself to follow through on the thought. What would happen then? I would have to give the book back. Princess Celestia would probably lock it away. I would be chastised, and the princess would be disappointed with me, at best. I don’t know if anything would happen to Lyra, but she definitely wouldn’t be allowed back on palace grounds. Nopony would ever get the chance to hear Starswirl’s final words, and his dissertation on the Meaning of Life would be lost.

The Meaning of Life. Was such a thing worth risking my lifestyle on? Was a master philosophical answer on that which ties all living things together worth betraying my mentor’s trust?

“I’m sorry, princess. I haven’t been feeling well lately, so I haven’t really been up for practicing new spells. I’ve been trying to read instead.”

She raised an eyebrow at me, an eyebrow that told me that she completely saw through my lie. It probably wasn’t that hard—lying to a pony you idolize above all others for the first time is something that even the skilled cannot easily accomplish. And I was far from a skilled liar. After the fact, I was painfully aware that I avoided eye contact and shifted nervously on my damp pillow.

“Very well. There will be no lesson today. I hope you feel better, my faithful student.”

“Thank you, Princess.”

“Is there anything you’d like to talk to me about instead?”

I was about to answer in the negative, eager to get away from her suspicion and back to my study. However, earlier thoughts had hardened into a concrete desire for an answer. “Princess, how did you become immortal?”

She raised her eyebrows. “And where did that question come from?”

“I was just curious.”

“Well, I will start off with the fact that I am not actually immortal. Nothing lasts forever, Twilight, and I am no exception. It is true that my lifespan is longer than that of many ponies combined, but I am not invincible. Of that, I am sure.”

“So you’re going to die?”

“Yes, although I don’t know when. It could be centuries or millennia from now. It may even be longer. Why do you ask, Twilight?”

“I don’t know… I guess I was just curious about it. You never answered my question, though.”

“I suppose I didn’t. The truth is, I’m not entirely sure how I came to be what I am now. I have some ideas, of course, but I prefer not to encourage idle speculation. In the end, it doesn’t matter, so long as I am here to care for my little ponies.”

I stared down at my hooves, not willing to look at the princess while I addressed an issue that had been bothering me for a long time. “Will you remember me?”

The princess looked shocked. “Remember you? Of course I will, Twilight!”

“But you’ve had so many students over the years, experienced so many things, met so many ponies…”

I heard the sparkle of my mentor’s magic, and I looked up. At first, I couldn’t figure out what spell she was performing, but after a moment, I saw a very old book being levitated down from her bookshelf. It landed in front of me, and flipped open to a charcoal drawing of a unicorn stallion.

“This is Saint Equinas,” she explained, “My very first student. I found him, living as an altar boy, before I had even come to be princess. He was very invested in learning, and spent every waking minute studying the works of the classical philosophers. In a way, his dedication to learning was much like yours. After his studies under me were complete, he went on to become a very influential figure, even becoming a saint after his death.”

“If he was so influential, why haven’t I heard of him?”

The princess sighed. “While his work in philosophy were very remarkable and influential at the time, they have since been superseded by other ideas. His ideas have faded over the course of history, but his legacy as a diligent worker and a good friend remain.”

My eyes opened wide in horror. What a terrible fate for someone whose forte is knowledge! To strive for perfection, for greater meaning, only to have that work to later be declared out of date… Such uselessness is worse than death.

Not noticing my dismay, she flipped through the pages of the book, each with a drawing of a pony. “All of these ponies were my students, and they all have a special place in my heart.”

She turned to somewhere in the middle of the book. The right page was blank, but on the left was a color drawing. It was a drawing of a photograph, one that was very familiar to me. It was a photograph of myself and the princess, the first one taken of us after I had become her student. I had a beaming smile upon my face, incredibly proud of what was my recent appointment, while the princess gave her usual warm smile, her wing wrapped around me, as it was now.

“I drew this picture, like all the others in this book. Not all of my students have gone on to accomplish great things, but all of them held a special place in the hearts of those around them. So will you, Twilight, for the rest of my life.”

Despite all of the apprehension surrounding the events of the last few days, such tenderness from my mentor melted my heart. I jumped off my cushion and hugged her. With a foreleg, she pulled me into her soft, white fur.

“I will always be here for you, Twilight. If you ever need help, all you have to do is ask.”

“Thank you for being there.”

"I'm always here, Twilight."

We stayed like that for several minutes and for once, I didn’t mind wasting time. Simply having somepony that cared for you, no matter what, was so absolutely calming for those moments spent close to her, For those few minutes, I forgot about the desire to discover the secrets of the world.

However, the curse of an active mind is that when it is not constantly put to use, it will find something to think about. At first, my thoughts dwelled on love and belonging, but as I laid next to Princess Celestia, they slowly shifted to concentrate on that which bothered me earlier. Was Equinas a parallel of my possible fate? Would I think that I had discovered the Meaning of Life, only to have ponies hundreds of years in the future find an answer that fit better? Was all of this just a fruitless pursuit to a pointless victory?

No, I reassured myself. Starswirl also got a lot of things wrong, but ponies still remember him. I still have many years left, time enough to perfect my discovery, so long as I decode the book in a punctual fashion. I couldn’t allow time to slip away in the empty pursuit of social catharsis, like Equinas had.

“Thank you for making me feel better, princess, but I think I’m going to go back to my room.”

“Very well, Twilight. Remember that my door is always open."

I pushed myself up on very sore legs and turned around to exit the room. Before I had even reached the door, I heard the princess call after me.

“Twilight, what’s your schedule like in the near future?”

“Tonight I’m going to be watching for Hoofley’s comet. Besides that, just studying. Why do you ask?”

"Cadance will be talking to you, probably in a week's time or so, about the upcoming diplomatic visit. I wanted to make sure that you had no other pressing concerns. By the way, the Canterlot weather team has cleared away all the clouds for stargazers tonight, so you should be able to see it clearly. And…you don’t have to see me only at our lessons. We can still spend time as friends.”

I smiled. “Of course.”

“I hope you feel better, my faithful student.”

“Thank you, Princess.”

I exited her room, my conscience continuing to scream at me for my deception.

Hoofley’s comet is a pretty interesting phenomenon, not only for its regularity, but for the philosophical ramifications it has. For example, this will be the first time I’m seeing this particular piece of rock, and I won’t see it again until I’m very old and wrinkly. I could write a schedule for the day that it will appear, seventy-five years from now. It underlines the issue of the predictability of our lives, and I can think of no other event that is quite so fit for this. What else can I be sure of when that time comes, on that day? I know the princess will still be doing what she has been doing for a thousand years. I know that my parents will be dead, and probably my brother, too. Fate is a funny thing, such a funny thing.

For the first time that day, my train of thought was not dominated by Volume XII, though the impact of the Meaning of Life on something as simple as Hoofley’s comet did register some academic thought, I suppose. I spent the rest of the evening after the non-lesson studying the Classical language. It was a simple task, and that can be relaxing on a hectic mind in itself. When the clock rolled around, I placed two portable telescopes into my saddlebag that the princess had teleported back into my room earlier. I also stuffed a star map, a dissertation on the comet, and after a moment’s thought, some snacks. Magically hoisting the bag onto my back, I made my way out of the castle.

The passages were surprisingly empty for a night as important as this. I had assumed that everypony from the princess to the lowest maid would be out watching the comet, whether or not they had telescopes. Perhaps they had simply egressed to the garden before me? The cynical part of my mind quickly dismissed such a possibility. The truth was that most ponies simply did not value the aspects of wonder in our world. They preferred to work themselves to death, if indirectly. For what other way could one put it, that a pony would work to receive meager pay to enable them to live another day so they could work once again? Sure, they had dreams, or so I would imagine, but how long ago had most of these ponies abandoned them? Or did they cling to them, certain that tomorrow would hold the key to their happiness? Is that why they did everything to struggle to the next sunrise?

I opened the doors to the palace gardens and made my way towards their exit to Canterlot proper. I saw a pair of ponies, (advisors to the Prime Minister, if my memory served), sitting on a bench staring toward the heavens. Well, at least somepony had their priorities straight. They smiled and waved at me as I passed. With a twinge of nervousness, I trotted past them. I didn’t even know those ponies; why would they wave at me? I attributed their actions to probable drunkenness. Yes, that made sense.

As the gate came into view beyond the flower bushes, I could hear the raised voices of two ponies. As much as I wanted to avoid becoming involved in any such thing, I would find myself late if I dawdled, so I walked up to the gate while trying to remain inconspicuous. I was still curious, however, so I perked my ears up to try to hear what the ponies were arguing about. There was a stallion and a mare, the latter of whose voice was quickly recognizable to me.

“I’m telling you the truth!” Lyra shouted.

“Yeah, sure you are,” scoffed the stallion. “Twilight Sparkle and you?”

“That’s right!”

“It’ll be a cold day in Tartarus when Twilight Sparkle goes out with anypony. Hey, aren’t you the crazy mare who got caught sneaking into the castle a few days ago?” This pony, whom I identified as one of the guards, spoke with a sarcastic tone.

“Yeah. So?”

“So you’re probably just another of Ms. Sparkle’s stalkers. I had to turn away another earlier today. Some crazy stallion who said he had a date…”

Lyra stomped her hoof. “That guy? No, he really was obsessed! I had to chase him away earlier today.”

I stepped out into clear view. As mildly entertaining as it was to hear this argument, whatever it was about, Hoofley’s comet wasn’t going to wait for it.

“Are you ready to go, Lyra?”

The guard who had been arguing with her stared at me, eyes wide. “So she was telling the truth? You’re really going out with her tonight?”

“Yeah,” I replied apathetically, “We’re going out to watch Hoofley’s comet. Are you ready, Lyra?”

“Yep!” She smiled at me.

“I just…wow.” The guard continued to stare at us. “So the rumors were true. I never would have guessed.”

“What rumors?”

“Come on, Twilight,” Lyra said to me before the guard answered, “I want to go somewhere specific for this.”

I shrugged my shoulders and followed her, leaving the dumbstruck guard at the gate. To my slight surprise, she led us away from the city. I had assumed that she would try to take us back to a club and stargaze from the roof or something. I fell into step beside her and asked about the curious conversation of which I had caught the tail-end.

“So what were you arguing with that guard about?”

She shrugged. “He didn’t believe that we were going out. I guess I can understand his position; apparently there’ve been lots of ponies claiming to know you over the years.”

“I don’t understand. I go out lots of times.”

“No, I mean go out go out.”

“I still don’t understand.”

Lyra giggled. “Twilight, you are so adorably naïve sometimes. Don’t ever change.”

“Hmpf.”

“Oh don’t be like that. I meant that in a good way.”

“‘Naïve: a lack of experience, wisdom or judgment’,” I quoted, “How can that possibly be construed positively?”

“‘Naïve: unaffected or innocent’,” she replied. “There’s nothing negative about being unaffected.”

My jaw dropped at her recitation. I had never met another pony who could so effortlessly quote the Equestrian dictionary like I could.

“Don’t be too impressed,” she said, taking notice of my expression, “By coincidence, I just looked at the definition the other day.”

“Why were you looking at the dictionary?”

“I had to look up spelling for an article I was submitting to ‘Cryptoanthropology Monthly’.”

Damn it, Lyra. Just when you start to seem cool…

We trudged up a dirt path, away from civilization. There was only one place in the direction we were heading—Canterlot Summit, the highest point on the mountain, and an amazing place for stargazing. Princess Celestia herself showed me this spot when I was a filly, and it held a special place in my heart. To say I would be impressed with Lyra’s choice, if it was indeed where she had in mind, was an understatement. I wasn’t even aware that other ponies, besides the princess, knew about this spot.

As if in response to my mental inquiries, she said, “We’re going to the highest point of Canterlot Peak. It’s away from the city lights, so it should do us great.”

I smiled. “Actually, I was kind of hoping you’d be going there. To be honest, I would have just set up my telescope in the castle garden, but this is a much better idea.”

“Thanks!”

We hiked up the path to the summit of the mountain. It was relatively small, only about fifty feet in any direction, and the only way to get to it was a steep, winding path that went back down to the rest of Canterlot. A single tree stood in this spot—an incredibly old tree that the princess had said that she had seen the first time she came here. I had lost track of the number of times the two of us had sat under that tree, discussing magic or simply enjoying the view. In all the years I had been coming here, I had never seen another pony; the path coming up was simply too treacherous for anypony who didn’t already know it. The fact that Lyra had chosen this spot seemed almost like destiny, if I believed in such a thing.

Lyra trotted to the tree and sat herself down underneath it, patting the ground next to her. It was a little too close to her for my tastes, so I left two ponies worth of room between us. She looked at me curiously but shrugged her shoulders. In confusion, I returned the gesture before taking the two telescopes out of my saddlebags and placing them between us. Judging by the position of the stars, it would be about half an hour until the comet would start to pass. I sighed. An entire half-hour with Lyra Heartstrings. Can’t wait to hear about all the humans.

She picked up the telescope I had placed next to her and inspected it. “You know, I’ve never actually been able to afford a telescope before. This will be a first for me.”

“It’s really pretty simple. You just extend the tripod, then stretch the barrel until the gears meet and focus it.”

She turned it around several times in her magic before stretching the barrel as I had instructed. She took a cursory glance through the eyepiece and frowned. “Twilight, I don’t think it’s working.”

I huffed. “Of course it’s working. It’s a very simple mechanism and isn’t likely to be broken.”

“I can’t see anything, though.”

I jerked it out of her aura and held it up for what I was sure would be a rapid repair. I gazed through it as she had done. Nothing but blackness. Huh. I turned in the other direction, toward the city, and tried to focus on the lights there. Nothing.

“Huh.”

“Told you,” Lyra smirked.

I loosened the wing-nuts that kept the two halves of the telescope tube together. As I separated them, several drops of black liquid leaked out onto the ground. What in the… I leaned in to sniff the liquid.

Ink.

“Damn it all!” I screamed.

“What? What is it?”

“I forgot to clean the ink out of my saddlebag from this afternoon! It’s ruined!”

“Oh no! How did ink get into your saddlebag?”

I ignored the question and cradled my fallen angel. It was the first actual, adult telescope I had ever gotten, and a gift from my parents. With reverence, I laid its body against the tree. I sighed and leaned my head back against the trunk. That certainly put a damper on the evening.

“I’m real sorry about that, Twilight. Can you wash the ink off?”

“No,” I deadpanned, “Scrubbing off the ink would ruin some of the smaller parts inside.”

“That’s too bad. I guess we can just watch the comet without one, unless you’d rather go home.”

“No, I don’t want to go home. I actually brought another telescope, but it’s probably ruined, too.”

“Why don’t you check?”

Reaching into my bag, although without much hope, I pulled out the second telescope. This one was newer that the one that was ruined, and was one of the first things I purchased after being the princess’s student. I carefully went over it, scanning both the inside and outside. After setting it up on its tripod and gazing through it, I turned to Lyra with a smile.

“I think this one’s okay.”

“Sweet!” she exclaimed, bounding over to my side with a leap. Even as I opened my mouth to protest at her proximity, I realized that it would be a pointless argument. With only one telescope, we would have to be in close proximity to use it, anyway. I allowed her to look through it, and she eagerly turned it to and fro while happily scanning Celestia’s stars.

“I didn’t realize that you enjoyed astronomy so much,” I noted.

“I enjoy all kinds of things,” she replied without looking away from the sky, “Life’s too short to limit yourself.”

“Most ponies don’t think that way. They just cruise through life without even bothering to wonder about why they’re living it.”

She turned toward me with a mildly bemused look. “Always the philosopher, Twilight.”

I waved my hoof dismissively. “It’s not like I’m anything great. Honestly, it’s kind of a more recent hobby for me. Hopefully one day I can actually think of something somepony will consider worthwhile…”

“Stop undervaluing yourself! I’ve never met anypony as clever as you, and I’m sure that someday you’ll discover something really important.”

“Well, I’m hoping to. Now that I have that book you gave me, I’m closer than ever to the Meaning of Life.”

“You keep talking about the 'Meaning of Life’ as if it’s the end all, be all of philosophy. I’m not saying you’re wrong, but what is it?”

“Hmm…” I leaned back against the tree once again and rubbed my chin. “I guess that’s a legitimate question, but there’s no one way to answer it. I suppose it’s best summed up by Starswirl the Bearded—‘The Meaning of Life is the purest distillation of the question: “Why?”’ It’s the reason we do anything, the reason we exist. In advanced magical theory, there’s variables that some scholars think all link to the Meaning of Life. If somepony could discover it, there would be a magical revolution, a new enlightenment.”

“What did Clover think the Meaning of Life is?”

“Um, Clover actually thought that the question of the Meaning of Life was unanswerable. She though that Starswirl’s assertion that he had discovered it was just his madness.”

“So she doesn’t believe in the Meaning of Life?”

I shook my head. “No, you’re not getting it. The Meaning of Life isn’t something that you can believe in or not. It simply is. It’s like if I asked you if you believed in questions. You can answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but even if you answer no you’re indirectly affirming the existence of questions by answering one.”

She paused. “Those are some pretty crazy thoughts there, Twilight. It took me a second to follow you. So what will figuring out the Meaning of Life do?”

“Do? What do you mean, ‘do’?”

“You just said that there’s some magic stuff that uses the Meaning of Life. How do you think it will it help you? How will it make your life better?”

I sighed. She just wasn’t getting it. “It doesn’t make your life better. Thinking that finding the answer will do anything for you is completely missing the point of the question. I know I said that there’s practical applications, but it’s just speculation. Like Starswirl said, gaining knowledge in order to be more powerful is a quest for power, not knowledge, and you will fail.”

Lyra shrugged. “Well, I don’t understand it, but as long as you do, then I guess I can’t complain. So is the book I got for you helping?”

“It sure is!” I answered happily, “In fact, Starswirl said he created the spell that when it's cast, it allows you to know the Meaning of Life.”

“Then why haven’t you done it?”

“It’s in code, and in the Classical language, no less. Apparently nopony’s been able to figure out the code yet, but I’m optimistic.”

“Maybe there’s a hint somewhere else in the book? You mentioned some sort of story about a cave that he wrote…”

“Yeah, I guess I did promise that I’d talk about it earlier. You see…”

I told the entire parable of the cave, almost word for word. To her credit, Lyra was a very good listener. She looked at me with rapt attention, nodding occasionally and asking intelligent questions. I had never met another pony, besides the princess, of course, who had such an appreciation for knowledge, for knowledge’s sake. I found my social anxiety that I had previously felt around her to be melting away. I couldn’t remember the last time I had enjoyed myself so much around a pony that I hadn’t known since a young age, if I ever have.

“Okay, so let me see if you have the same idea about the story as I do,” she said when I had finished. “The ponies in the cave represent ponies who’ve only seen the world in one way and refuse to look at it any different. The pony who leaves the cave represents an enlightened pony. And when the enlightened pony is killed by the ignorant ponies, he’s saying that knowledge has its costs.”

“That’s pretty much what I got out if it, too.” I smiled. “You know, Lyra, you’re really easy to talk to sometimes. I like you.”

“I really like you too, Twilight,” she responded softly, leaning in close to me. Uncomfortably close. Within my bubble close.

“Uhm…” I said in confusion. I could feel her breath on my muzzle. It smelled like spearmint. I could feel a blush rising on my cheeks once again, and I leaned away. She quickly pulled back and turned her head.

“Sorry,” she mumbled with embarrassment, “I thought we were, like, having a moment. I don’t know. Sorry.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, I know I surprised you last time, but I was hoping that after you said ‘yes’ when I asked you out on this date…”

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa!” I said, my voice rising, “This is not a date!”

“What? I thought it was.” Her eyes glistened with tears, and she turned from me. “Oh.” I could hear the distinct sound of a sob as she covered her face with her hooves.

“Lyra?”

“Don’t… I’m stupid. I just... It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”

The desperate, weak sound of her voice, which wavered with the unmistakable sound of a pony trying not to cry, made me feel horrible. Normally the emotions of other ponies was not something I paid a lot of attention to, but for whatever reason, Lyra’s pained voice really hurt me.

“I’m sorry, Lyra. I do like you. I’m just not very comfortable with this whole friendship thing. Or dating. Especially dating. I’ve never really had a friend before.”

“It’s okay,” she stuttered, “I just need a little time. I never meant to make you uncomfortable. I’ll—I’ll see you later, Twilight. If you want.”

She stood up on shaky hooves and started shuffling off, back down toward the city. It was the most pathetic thing I’d ever seen, and it was unbearable to watch. I opened my mouth and closed it several times, trying to form words. I couldn’t let this stand.

“Lyra,” I choked out eventually, “I want you to stay.”

She turned around, tears matting the fur under her eyes. “What?”

“I—I want to watch the sky with you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

The smallest smile appeared on her face. “I was just being dumb.”

“No… Look, I really don’t know about any of this, honestly. If—If I accept your, uhm, date… We don’t have to kiss, do we? I don’t know if I can do that.”

“No, of course not. We can just hang out like we have been.”

“And it can stay just between us? No parading around where ponies can see us?”

“If that’ll make you comfortable, then I suppose we can do that.”

“We’re just going to be watching the comet, together, right? I don’t really know how this all works, and I don’t have any poetry ready to recite or anything…”

She walked up to me and placed a reassuring hoof on my shoulder, even as a tear dripped from her eye. “Look, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. But if you do, it’ll be just like when we hang out any other time. That’s all a date is. If you’re ever uncomfortable, just tell me and we can stop.”

Unnoticed by the other mare, I was doing my breathing exercises. This was the scariest thing I could ever remember doing. “Okay.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Yeah. I guess.”

I was immediately launched backwards as a sonic green hug blasted me off my hooves. The mare snuggled me as her tear streaked face got my chest wet.

“Uhm, Lyra…”

She jumped off me and looked away with embarrassment. “Right, sorry.”

I sighed. “It’s okay. Come on, before we miss the comet.”

That night, we watched Hoofley’s comet streak across the sky together, our bodies touching slightly as we both tried to use the same telescope.

I didn’t really mind that much.

Author's Notes:

And thus concludes the first act.

This is actually the last chapter I already had pre-written. I suppose I could continue writing, if there's interest, but it probably wouldn't be updated as frequently as it had been.

Are you still interested?