Twilight awoke to a warmth that gently touched upon her face. An accompanying gleam pressed through the mare's eyelids, waking her from the dark mist surrounding her world of dreams. The gleam only caused the unicorn's eyes to stir into closing tighter than they already were, but even then the light shone through stubbornly. It didn’t take long for the mare to understand it was the morning’s first light.

Normally she would have delighted in the drop of sunlight that signaled a new day; this time, however, the night did not seem to have lasted its typical span. With a groan Twilight rolled to her side, hiding her face from the incoming luminescence. The beams then covered her violet neck and dark mane with a heat too strong to ignore in the winter. Reluctant, the mare crawled out from her bed and stood on all fours.

Though she swayed upon first touching the ground, she managed to balance herself. The throbbing in her head had not disappeared. To Twilight's delight, though, the ringing had ceased. She could hear the morning birds in their usual song as well as the echoes of the sea off a ways. Her ears picked up sounds of hoofsteps and conversation coming from outside her room.

Oh! I need to say goodbye to Lyra and Lemon Hearts before they go!

Though tired, Twilight still felt she had some energy to hurry to at least find out her friends. As she opened the door to the suite, however, her brief burst came to a halt. No pony was inside the suite, but rather crossing by in the corridor. There was something awaiting her, however, on the ground just outside her room.

Laid on the carpeting were two white envelopes with Twilight’s name written on their covers. On the reverse sides were the words 'Read First' and 'Read Second' written in fine cursive, the former of which also had a note attached to it. Obeying the directions, Twilight held the first paper package and its attached message up to her weary purple eyes.

On the note, in less careful hoofwriting, read:

“Twilight,

Guess that concert must have taken its toll on you! I WARNED YOU! See you in a week, and don't get into any more trouble!

~Lyra”

Twilight felt as though her heart had tripped and fallen on its face. The first emotion to strike her was despair; somehow she had missed Lyra’s departure. Shortly after despair was wonder, specifically concerning why Lyra did not wake her up for any form of farewell. And finally, as though the two sentiments were somehow not enough, a sense of anxiety regarding the two unopened letters struck Twilight enough to place the sadness and confusion from earlier quickly aside.

Without much hesitation Twilight tore open the first envelope and unfolded the paper inside. Not much of the sheet was filled with ink; in fact, with the small writing as it was, Twilight started wondering if some were tiny accidental ink blots rather than actual words. The style was similar to that in which the ‘Read First’ and ‘Read Second’ instructions had been written.

When her eyes managed to adjust to the tiny quill-strokes she read aloud to herself:

“Dear Twilight,

You should hear yourself snoring as I write this! I saw that you were tired last night, but not that tired. Although I would love to say farewell and such, that would involve waking you up, and at this point I feel as intimidated by this as I would if I were trying to wake a hibernating Ursa Minor. (Yes, I heard about that story!)

Lyra tried to wake you with a number of things before I got back from breakfast, or so she told me. When she fabricated a tape recorder and told me there was some of Vinyl Scratch's music on it, I felt the need to stop her. I understand goodbyes are nice, but we'll all be back in a week, right? Time will fly by quickly enough.

Try not to get into any more trouble!

Sincerely,

Lemon Hearts

P.S. I saw a letter in our suite's mailbox and thought I would save you the effort of having to get it yourself!”

Twilight let out a whimper. “So they all left already.”

She looked over Lemon Hearts's note again and let a weary smile flash for a second.

It is just one week, I guess.

In an attempt to brush off the sadness Twilight shook her head and held up the second envelope. Its size was similar to the first, only the unopened letter appeared a bit bulkier. On the front right corner was a stamp of the Equestrian Postal Service, and to middle was her name written with a magenta crayon. Twilight immediately recognized the calligraphy.

She gasped and quickly ripped the top off the second envelope, and a tiny explosion of confetti burst from the opening. As the colorful bits of paper floated through the air a happy tune started to play. Twilight giggled at the surprise that had ruffled her mane and nearly made her jump back through her bedroom door. Without further delay the mare pulled out the note inside and closed the envelope, turning off the musical jingle and leaving the suite to fall silent once more.

As excitement swept over Twilight she began reading the letter aloud again, this time with more energy:

“Dear Twilight,

Hello from Ponyville! Spike here taking a letter for all your best friends (they were fighting over who would write until I stepped in). How is everything going at the Winter Magic Academy? Are you making lots of new friends? Everypony misses having you around!

We would have written you sooner, but somepony forgot to tell us all the news earlier that you weren't coming back for Hearth's Warming Eve (I won't tell you who because I have a crush on her). We were hoping you would come back so we could go to the Hearth's Warming Eve performance we were in last winter! Although Celestia didn't offer us parts this year, she did give us tickets for the show. It won’t be the same without you!

You still have a second break, though, right? Applejack says to write back and tell us about when it is so we can plan your returning party. Rarity says you should try not to get into any more trouble. Fluttershy wants to know if there are cute creatures on the island. I think Rainbow Dash is talking about the Wonderbolts... and Pinkie Pie wants to know if they serve cupcakes there. At this point everypony's getting distracted, but know that we all are thinking about you every day!

Hope to see you soon!

Your Truly,

Spike, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy”

Twilight felt her eyes watering up. With all of the homework and other things to do at the academy she had lost track of writing her personal letters to each one of her best friends. She couldn't even remember how many of them she had finished, or if she had actually completed any, for that matter. The guilt made her head go dizzy, bringing Twilight out of her bliss and back to reality where her head ached as though a stacked bookshelf had fallen on top of her.

The feeling of homesickness did not help with the pain as the spinning only got worse. The dizziness did not shortly go away, either, as soon Twilight found herself backing into her room, shutting the door, and laying down on her bed with a groan. The strange and sudden illness was something the mare had not experienced so strongly before.

Twilight knew exactly what it was: she had never left Ponyville for extended periods of time, especially not without her best friends. With her two closest companions – Lyra and Lemon Hearts – gone for an entire week, Twilight felt a deep loneliness that hit her gut harder than the music at Vinyl’s concert the night before.

For a while Twilight wallowed in the sensation, unsure of what to do. Usually she knew whom she could go to for help, but this time all that stood at the forefront of Twilight's mind was a veil of utter uncertainty. The insecurity shook Twilight like a rag doll in its powerful grip until the mare pushed herself to find a way out of its grasp.

To battle the feeling Twilight began searching for some kind of escape within her room. There was not much that caught Twilight’s eye at first; at first all she could see was the furniture. But atop one structure – her desk in the corner – she suddenly spotted her stack of books that glowed gold like a holy grail.

“Maybe some reading will get my mind off of things,” Twilight murmured to herself as she stumbled onto her hoofs and over to the stack of books.

Without even examining the titles Twilight snatched a book with her magic and headed straight for her door. The moment her head was through the wooden frame, though, Twilight’s hoofs felt suddenly glued to the floor.

Her eyes knew just what her subconscious was thinking; they inched back to gaze at the sight of the letters sitting on her bed. With tears still forming at the mere sight of it Twilight tried to push through the invisible barrier before her and leave the letter from her friends behind. No matter how hard she tried, though, Twilight could feel something deep inside pulling her back, never allowing her to set hoof outside the door.

“Ugh, fine,” Twilight muttered, though unsure of who she herself was addressing.

She took the note from her friends, placed it in the thick book she carried, and headed through her bedroom door with no problem.

I’ll get over this homesickness... somehow.

---

With the first winter break's arrival came decorations of cut-out fireplaces and fir trees. The lines of paper shapes strung across arches and wrapped around columns. Accompanying reds and greens squeezed their way into the originally blue and violet halls as every square inch of the academy was decorated for the upcoming holiday.

The decorations, however, were on display for very few to behold. Most of the students that were able left the academy for the week, leaving the select few who chose or were ordered to stay on the island a staggering minority. The quietude in every room of the hall left Twilight feeling as though she were inside an abandoned castle. She expected to find somepony she knew wandering about, but after an hour of exploring the main hall not a soul seemed to be around. The chilly feel of the emptiness only multiplied the cold that lingered in every room.

The only comfort Twilight managed to find was by the fireplace within the dormitory commons room. Located near the back of the building, the chamber was a cozy location with a perfect view of the southern span of the island. Hills covered in pine rolled until peaking into mountains in the distance. Snow covered the span of scenery and sparkled in the sunlight that gleamed throughout the late morning hours.

Within the room itself was a roaring fireplace that kept the furniture-filled chamber warm and well-lit. Twilight situated herself near the toasty fire with a blanket draped over her to add to the cozy sensation. The scent of burning lumber lingered about with the fragrances of holly, while the only sound the unicorn could make out was the popping and flickering of the flames.

Peace and quiet... a perfect place to lose myself in some reading.

The book Twilight had snatched, 'History of the Speak-No-Evil Spell', turned out to be a perfect page-turner. She had never even heard of the spell. However, even after hours of burying her muzzle in the worn pages of the tome, the mare could not completely distract her from the melancholy she hoped to forget. Each time she caught of glimpse of the note – which she used as a bookmark – a recurring sadness put a brief pause to her reading.

Every so often when diving into the pages Twilight would picture what she might have doing if she were back in Ponyville instead. She had been looking forward to doing all of the winter activities she had discussed over the past year with her friends. Pinkie Pie had told her she would give her skating lessons. Rainbow Dash said she would clear the skies to allow a few sunny days in. Rarity had even planned an appointment for designing some school winter accessories to replace Twilight's older things.

But with Twilight and the others' punishment, none of it was to happen that week. Rather than bouncing from place to place back home, the mare found herself sitting in silence. Reading to pass the time became less and less of an enthralling task the more Twilight thought about a snow-filled Ponyville.

A disruptive call shook the unicorn from her pity, “Twilight! What's up?”

The mare wiped her eyes and turned her head to peer over the couch on which she read. Standing in the doorway were Vinyl Scratch, donning a pair of large headphones and her signature tinted glasses, and Quirky Q, wearing a strange white saddle with abstract symbols of basic colors sewn into the fabric. Each wore content smiles and bore a pair of curious eyes as they wandered on into the warm room.

“Hey guys,” Twilight said. “What are you two up to this early in the morning?”

“Early?” Vinyl asked, taken aback. “You do know it's noon, right?”

Twilight glanced up at the grandfather clock beside the entryway. Both hands pointed directly upward.

Twilight laughed. “Oh dear. I guess time really does fly when you're having fun.”

Vinyl smirked, “Which is exactly why these past two days have been the fastest in all of pony history.”

“You really seemed in your element last night, Vinyl,” Twilight said as she rubbed her own ears and squinted. She glanced at her other present friend, which turned into a prolonged stare. “Quirky Q... may I ask why you're dressed like that?”

Quirky looked over the modern-like attire she wore. With a bounce she giggled, “Just practicing for a part in a play I'll be auditioning for once I get back to Ponyville.”

“I didn't know they planned shows this far in advance,” Twilight said. “Which show is it?”

“Bridle of Show. Are you familiar with the comedy?” Quirky said.

“Never heard of it before,” Twilight said. “What part are you trying out for?”

“The piece of paper. Isn't that what I look like?”

Twilight skimmed over the strange saddle again and shrugged her shoulders. “Well, sure, I suppose.”

“What's the matter, Twi?” Vinyl asked as she walked over and warmed up by the fire. “Got somethin’ on your mind?”

Twilight closed her book and hid the letters inside of it. She laid her head on her hoofs and mumbled, “Nothing.”

Vinyl clicked her teeth as she stared Twilight in the eye. The red irises accentuated through the glasses with the fire glistening off to the side. “You sound as heart-broken as a sappy string concerto. Come on, you can tell us.”

“Yes, do tell!” Quirky demanded.

Twilight stood from her spot on the couch and approached the fireplace, its warmth failing to reach her shivering heart. “If you really wanna know... I really miss my best friends back in Ponyville. I thought getting a letter from them was the best thing ever, but now that I’ve read what they had to say, all I can think about is home.”

“Oh, you miss them,” Quirky said with sympathy. “That’s understandable. It’s not unnatural, Twilight, there’s no need to be ashamed.”

“I just wish I could do something about it,” Twilight uttered. “Instead I’m here on the island for the next week with nothing to do but read.”

“Wouldn't be that way if we hadn't snuck out,” Vinyl said. “And don’t you like reading?”

“I love reading, but doing it for a whole week would probably get old. I really regret sneaking out and everything else that happened a few weeks ago,” Twilight confessed. “At the time I thought either I would make it out just fine, or else I would get caught and sent back to Ponyville. In either case I figured I would see my friends over the break, though I wasn't exactly thinking about that at the time.”

“And now you're stuck here,” Vinyl said.

“Well, yeah,” Twilight muttered. “Now I can't get my mind off of Ponyville and everything that's probably going on there.”

“Not even your books can save you from that,” Quirky stated. “But I think there’s something that we can do to help!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow in doubt, though also with a hint of interest.

Quirky continued, “The only way to get your mind off of something like this is to keep yourself busy.” Twilight glanced at her book, then back at a most enthusiastic Quirky Q. “So let's do something!”

“Like what?” Twilight asked as dejection remained in her voice.

“Well, for starters, I’ve still got to go eat,” Vinyl mentioned. “Wanna join?”

“I... I guess,” said Twilight with a sigh. She picked up her book and joined the other two as they made their way over to the main hall.

Twilight followed with her head held low as the other two trotted ahead content as could be. As she looked around the grounds felt utterly abandoned as the trio made their way through the glass corridor and to the grand dining hall. Not a soul was in sight as the three passed through except for a couple of guards on duty.

The dining hall did not change the feeling of vacancy in the slightest. Compared to the vast number of occupied tables and the noise of daily chatter that sounded from them, the mere two tables that were taken seemed about as lively as a cornfield in the winter.

Twilight looked at the table nearest the entrance. She didn't recognize the three that were silently eating at the half-occupied table, and so passed by simply staring. The group seemed quite content with their grazing as they sat with their eyes closed or otherwise resting on the sights of their own plates. Once in a while they mumbled a word or two, but on the whole they seemed rather unsociable.

The choice to sit elsewhere was made easier as Windchaser occupied the second table all by himself. Though he didn't appear much more energetic than the other table, he at least was a familiar character. As a result the Ponyville trio that entered in for lunch went to join him immediately.

“How's it goin', Windy?” Vinyl asked as she plopped herself in the cushion right beside him.

He watched as Quirky and Twilight sat on the opposite side of the table and then looked back down at his food, a plate full of cooked vegetables and a bowl of soup.

“Good,” he replied softly.

“Any plans for today?” Quirky inquired in a merry mood. “Everypony else seems to have some.”

“Practice some spells,” Windchaser replied. “What about you three?”

Vinyl patted her stomach and smiled. “Well, first we gotta eat. Then we'll be distracting Twilight for the rest of the day.”

“Distracting?” queried Windchaser.

“Yeah, Twi's got the blues like a jazz singer,” Vinyl said as she waved her hoof about slowly. “We're lookin' to spice things up a bit. You got any ideas?”

Windchaser looked down at his steaming soup and stared at his reflection in the bowl. He stirred the mixture with a silver spoon and took a sip before replying, “Explore the island.”

“Ha ha, Windy. Where the hay are we supposed to go?” Vinyl asked as she leaned her elbows on the table. “And don't you tell me you're thinking about that cave Colgate took us to a couple of weeks ago-”

“The woods!” Twilight shrieked, then suddenly covered her mouth.

The others stared for a moment while Twilight recovered from her own shock of the outcry. The mare released her hoofs from in front of her mouth and revealed her tightly shut mouth. Her eyes jumped back and forth around the dining hall, until finally excited mare waved for the others to lean in over the table.

“I think I saw something out in the forest last night,” Twilight whispered.

The others looked at one another and blinked.

Twilight continued, “When I got back to my room from the concert, I think I saw something moving out in the Western Woods. What do you guys think it could be?”

“What did it look like?” Quirky asked.

“It looked really big, even as tall as the trees! And I think it had a black color to it.”

“Just a black color?” Vinyl chipped in.

Twilight shook her head slowly and closed her eyes. “I... I think so. I don't remember anything else besides it looking like a moving shadow. Everything around it was moving. What do you guys think could it be?”

“A figment of your imagination,” Windchaser answered.

“No, I really think I saw something!” Twilight exclaimed, suddenly raising her voice again. “Lemon Hearts said the same thing, but now that I think about it all the image was too clear. I know my eyes wouldn't deceive me, even after a blinding light show. No offense, Vinyl.”

“Eh, none taken,” replied the DJ with a smirk.

“So, you really think you saw something,” Quirky reiterated. “Do you want to go check it out? I guess that would distract you enough for today, right?”

“Assuming we find something,” Twilight said. “But I don't want to go alone. Would any of you be interested in going with me to check things out?”

Twilight looked to the three that joined her at the table, each of their faces seemingly blank. The looks her friends' held were like those that could change into approval or disapproval in a simple stomp of a hoof.

Vinyl went first, “I don't think I'm game, Twi. I'm bushed from doing the concert and all yesterday.”

Twilight's ears drooped. “I understand.”

“I'll go!” Quirky declared suddenly, raising a hoof in her usual dramatic fashion. “If you're absolutely sure that you saw something, then I'll see to it that you find whatever’s out there. But wait!” Quirky gasped and quickly turned away, then turned back around to reveal a thoughtful gaze. “Are the woods still off-limits by order of Princess Luna?”

“Not anymore,” Windchaser said.

Twilight and Quirky's faces lit up. “Really!?”

“I asked the headmare if I could explore the Western Woods,” Windchaser stated. “Supposedly they’re beautiful this time of year - or so I heard one of the professors say. As long as there’s daylight and ponies travel in groups, Princess Luna said she had no issues.”

Twilight felt her hopes and spirit rising. “Perfect! We have a few hours still, and I won't be going alone! Just out of curiosity, Windchaser, did you really ask her yourself?”

“Yeah,” Windchaser answered hesitantly. “Why?”

“Just... wondering,” Twilight replied. “Anyway, are you interested in going too?”

Windchaser nodded.

“It's settled!” Quirky yelped and she leaped out from her seat. “Let me go change real quick and we can be on our way. Hurry up and eat Twilight, today we have a thing to find!”

Next Chapter: Chapter 18 (Episode 5): Twists and Turns Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 35 Minutes