I spent a couple of hours doing research on memory loss. Since the missing day isn't the result of injury (external or internal), it must be magical, psychological, or pathogenic in nature. I doubt the vampony infection would randomly cause retrograde amnesia. That leaves psychological trauma or magic, and both seem plausible given the circumstances.

There are only two magical spells I know which can cause memory loss. The first is a permanent memory wipe which removes roughly ninety minutes of memories, but I've only tried it once (on myself) because it is proscribed by law, for obvious reasons. If I'm missing an entire day, it's not that one. The second spell temporarily locks away one specific memory or fact until a particular event occurs. As before, it's too limited to block out a day's worth of memories, or even the entirety of a single lucid dream experience.

Since I'm not currently showing any signs of post-traumatic stress (well, any new signs, at least), my current theory is that some other form of magic is involved here. It seems likely that Princess Luna has fallen to the Order. My leading hypothesis is that she used her oneiromancy to keep me asleep for a day, in the hopes that the vampony infection would run its course and turn me into Creepy Twilight the Hornless Fatherbucking Brotherfucker. It's reasonable to assume Luna could prevent me from remembering my dreams. However, it's still not clear to me why she would want to prevent me from remembering them.

Either way, detection spells suggest I am not currently ensorceled. In order to return my memories, I'll need to rely on mundane techniques like hypnosis, or possibly magic-infused alchemy. I can teach Spike hypnosis relatively quickly, but the procedure would take a long time to perform properly as it won't be enough to perform a single induction (even with a magic assist). I really need to come up with a faster method.

While in the middle of my research, Spike happened to be peeking through the blinds at just the right time.

"Twilight!" Spike called. "Somepony just delivered an express letter to our mailbox! It's probably important," he said.

I thought for a moment. It wouldn't be Princess Celestia, of course, unless for some bizarre reason she had no access to scrolls. But it could still be very important. I crouched down beside my assistant, looking out at the mailbox. It was a cloudy afternoon, but still light out.

"I'd rather not wait until nightfall if we can grab it now. There aren't many ponies about. If we can do this quickly enough, even if anypony sees anything, they probably won't connect the dots. Can you handle a couple of rapid teleportations?" I asked him.

"Ugh. That distance is when they start to make me queasy," he said. "And to be completely honest, I'm pretty sure ponies know I'm here by now. I tried to hide as much as possible initially, but I've been out to the mailbox a couple of times before."

"Wait, now all of a sudden you're not concerned about stealth?" I asked. It almost felt like Spike was hiding something from me, but I'm sure it was nerves. "We should assume we still have the element of surprise, lest we lose it."

Spike sighed deeply. "Never mind. Let's do this," said Spike, prematurely wincing.

"Okay. Stand with your back to the wall," I said. "That way I don't have to reorient you when I drop you in front of the mailbox, so any nausea effect should be lessened. Imagine the mailbox a few inches away from your face, because that's where it will be. I need you to quickly open it, grab the letter, and shut it. If it isn't shut then ponies will get suspicious."

"Can't you just use your telekinesis?" he asked.

"It's hard from this distance, especially not being able to see the letter, but I could probably do it. The problem is it would be too obvious with a letter floating through the air. I can't teleport it directly because teleportation is much harder on nonliving objects, and even more so with my view blocked. I don't even know exactly what it looks like," I said.

Spike stood in place, back to the wall beside me so I barely had him in my peripheral and the mailbox was also in view. His knees were slightly bent for action. "Ready when you are, Twilight."

"Alright, I'll say 'go' a second or two before I send you. Don't try to grab it too quickly, though, just be careful that you go through the motions properly. Waiting for that pony to walk by... Looks pretty clear now... And, go!" I said. Spike tensed in place, and I teleported him right in front of the mailbox. He paused for one second without moving, then very rapidly opened the box, grabbed the scroll, and closed the box. I teleported him right back. He had been exposed to the outside world for less than three seconds: a nearly perfect execution.

"Ooog. I need to sit down," said Spike, and he plopped down on the couch. I walked over to a nearby chair and sat with him as I opened the letter.

"Waiting that second was an intelligent use of your time," I said. "Planning time is more important than trying to fix mistakes in action as you go." Spike blushed and smiled wanly. I've never known why long-range teleportation affects him like that. I guess he's extremely lucky (as am I) that he had the fortitude to glide me down after the Twiliport Loop execution and hold off on emesis until he landed me.

I unfolded the letter (it was very long), and upon seeing the signatures at the bottom, my jaw dropped (figuratively). This was quite literally the last living pony I ever expected to see correspondence from.

"Twilight?" asked Spike, his voice filled with worry.

"You're not going to believe this, Spike..."

Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle:

It is I, The Great and Powerful Trixie! Trixie apologizes for interrupting your important work, but something has come up which Trixie believes you must become aware of.

As Trixie's reputation remains tarnished, Trixie has traveled to Appleloosa and begged forgiveness from its citizens for the opportunity to perform menial labor. Fortunately, these simple ponies are both generous and forgiving, and harvesting apples is foal's play for a mage of my caliber, unlike breaking rocks (no offense intended to the pink one and her family, of course). These ponies and their simple ways remind Trixie of you and your friends. Someday, Trixie hopes to master such friendship herself.

And now, Trixie may have even made a real friend for the first time, which she hopes pleases you. He is Braeburn, Applejack's cousin, and you likely recall him. He is as generous as he is handsome, though he wishes Trixie to say he did not ask her to write that about him (and Trixie is not attempting to treat him as "that kind" of friend; just to have someone willing to help is more than sufficient for Trixie's need to feel well about herself—but please, take that in confidence). Trixie has asked him to sign this letter with her to attest to its authenticity.

Pleasantries are concluded. Our situation is dire, and urgent action is needed. For most of today, Trixie and Braeburn have been speaking with the natives in this area about all of the unusual goings-on that the two of us have witnessed. Their theories are unusual and deal in myths and legends, but we are desperate enough at this point to listen to anything which might bear fruit in the long-term. Initially, Trixie was the only witness to the madness, and nopony would believe her, but Braeburn was willing to trust Trixie long enough to acquire the evidence to convince him. He has been a most loyal friend, and Trixie is deeply grateful.

Here is the initial observation. Late one evening, Trixie witnessed a pegasus-like creature bearing wings like a bat and a feral hissing voice. It tried to attack her, but Trixie easily deflected it with a magic barrier. It appeared to have a cutie mark, but Trixie did not get a close look. It also appeared to have something shiny encircling its neck, like a collar.

Then Trixie noticed something most curious. This creature very closely matched the appearance of a pegasus pony who had recently arrived in town, and she also wears a pair of bit-like earrings which appear to be iron or steel, and an odd steel collar with a ring on its front. The collar seems a highly unusual fashion choice for this locale. The mare calls herself "Gala Apple" and has a coat and mane similar in color to Applejack's brother, though perhaps a shade lighter for both (according to Braeburn). However, neither of us believe she is a close relative of any true Apple kin. In the first place, it is rare for an Apple to be a pegasus due to their highly-selective earth pony lineage and the slight degree of earth pony inbreeding among their kinship. Additionally, the mare claims to be a farmer, but even Trixie can tell she has never set hoof on a farm before. Even more suspiciously, she wears leather chaps on her haunches which completely hide her cutie mark. Finally, she came into town with saddlebags filled with something that clinked like metal, but her bags were empty not long after arriving.

Silverstar (the local sheriff) did not believe Trixie's story about the creature, but at least he thought she was "confused" rather than outright telling a falsehood. After pleading with Braeburn for assistance, Trixie took him to the location of our sighting in the orchard. Braeburn's keen eye noticed that a few apples on the branches of nearby trees appeared desiccated, and upon closer inspection (once removed from the tree) it became obvious that these apples had been drained of almost all of their juices through a couple of bite-like punctures. Initially, Braeburn suspected that some of what Applejack described as "vampire fruit bats" had migrated to this arid climate, as unlikely as that seemed. But Trixie noticed that the two puncture marks were too large and too far apart to have come from a small mammal. As perhaps you might have already induced, the distance matches the average width of a mare's cuspid teeth.

Around the middle of the day after our sighting, another pegasus arrived. His name is Eff Stop, and he is a photographer or journalist (we have not inquired further). He asks questions which suggests he is looking for something, but does not wish to reveal what he seeks. Silverstar has been keeping a close eye on him.

That evening, Braeburn and Trixie confronted the mare together, but she ran from us and somehow escaped down an alleyway. There aren't many places in Appleloosa in which one can easily hide, as the buildings are few. We searched the town and orchard throughout the evening, but by Princess Celestia's glorious dawn, it became clear she was no longer in town.

Trixie slept in Braeburn's house (not in Braeburn's bed, of course) from dawn until noon, while Braeburn also slept. Sheriff Silverstar rudely awakened Trixie and told her that she had been sighted stealing a large quantity of apples (this is, of course, one-hundred percent preposterous goat droppings, although Trixie feels compelled to add that no offense toward goats is intended by this) and told Trixie that she must either leave town forever, or head to a jail cell in order to await a fair trial. He suggested that somepony was likely imagining things "just as I had" (ha! I say) in reference to the creature, and if Trixie would only stay for a couple of nights in custody (during which she would be fed and given comfortable sleeping arrangements) the charges would likely be dropped before a trial even became necessary. It was not obvious how he would have such an expectation without access to any evidence. He would not reveal who had supposedly sighted me committing petty theft, and said only that the pony would testify if the matter went to trial. Of course, Trixie currently trusts Silverstar as far as she can throw him without use of magic, and he is an earth pony while Trixie is a unicorn. Trixie believes the implication is quite clear.

Braeburn came downstairs during our heated discussion, and confronted the Sheriff. He provided an alibi for Trixie since she was with him constantly during the time in which this witness supposedly occurred, which saved Trixie from being arrested. Sheriff Silverstar has been acting very strangely since then, and Braeburn no longer trusts him.

Now, the purpose of this piece of correspondence. Twilight, if Trixie may be so bold as to call you by that name alone, there is something very unusual going on in Appleloosa. Braeburn is very concerned. He would like you to notify Applejack's family of this matter. Trixie does not expect either of you to have the time to come assist us, but a visit from anypony with a bit of horse sense in them would not be unwelcome. At this time, Silverstar is no longer the only pony resident of Appleloosa who has begun acting strangely.

We suspect that there is danger ahoof, and we further suspect that this danger extends well beyond Appleloosa. We also suspect you may already be aware of the problem. There are rumors that Canterlot is taking unusual security measures, perhaps to protect against the threat this entity and its assumed conspirators may pose to ponykind. There are also rumors that something strange is taking place in Manehattan, though these rumors are more vague.

Trixie very much hopes you are well and safe, despite the repeated injustices your actions have brought upon her in the past. Trixie appreciates any friendship you may see fit to offer her, if only in spirit. Please take great care, Twilight Sparkle. If anypony can be counted upon, apart from Trixie, of course, that pony is you... Princess.

Intended in sincerest friendship,

The friendliest and most daring-in-the-face-of-the-unknown of all ponies,

The Great and Powerful Trixie!

and

Braeburn (Apple)

I paused for a moment as we both took in the implications of the letter.

"Spike, do you realize what this means?" I asked.

Spike chuckled. "Somepony is even more long-winded than you?" he said, using his claws in a vain attempt to hide his grin.

I was about to roll my eyes and sigh loudly, but I thought of Pinkie Pie, and wondered how she would react. A smile crept across my muzzle.

"Yes, exactly," I replied with a giggle, then looked back down at the letter, pretending to reread it.

It took a while for Spike to figure out I was trying to make a joke. "Heh, not too bad," he said. "You need to work on making it more deadpan, though."

"That's really hard to do, Spike! Before meeting Pinkie Pie, I never realized how difficult it is to make ponies laugh," I said. Just then, however, I remembered that I often inadvertently make ponies laugh by saying or doing something that wasn't intended to be humorous. "Make them laugh intentionally, I mean," I clarified.

Of course, Spike laughed at that.

"Okay, fun time is over. I need one of those scrolls," I said, levitating a quill pen.

"Wait, can I take the letter?" Spike asked. "You could use a little rest."

He was right. So I let him write on one of the three blank scrolls Princess Celestia sent me. I dictated the following letter.

Dear The Great and Powerful Trixie,

Thank you for sending your letter. You most certainly have my friendship and support, Trixie (if I may be so bold as to call you by that name alone, as well).

You and Braeburn have stumbled upon something that currently threatens all of Equestria and the Crystal Kingdom. Due to (presumably temporary) orders from Princess Celestia, I can't share much information about the threat itself, but I can at least tell you that you're not crazy, and both of you need to be very careful. Canterlot, the Crystal Kingdom, and Ponyville are all unsafe at the moment, and several ponies are going to a lot of trouble to make me sound crazy to keep me from disrupting this conspiracy. This includes, very sadly, several of my closest friends. They are still my friends, but have become insane and believe they are "helping" me by doing this.

I really wish I could tell you more, Trixie. The moment I hear back from Princess Celestia that I am able to speak to you, I'll tell you everything I know. For the time being, here is a bulleted list of points you should be aware of.

* You cannot trust friends and acquaintances unless you have been around them consistently.

* Anypony who wears a collar or earrings like you have described probably cannot be trusted. (I unfortunately have a pair of the earrings on, and they cannot easily be removed, but I am an exception.)

* If you receive what seems to be a large, itchy bite (especially but not always in a delicate area), you should be extremely concerned. To avoid this possibility, don't sleep outside, and don't sleep near other ponies unless you are certain they are safe. Lock your doors. Ponies who are bitten will realize something is wrong shortly afterwards, but after a few days they cannot be trusted anymore. If Braeburn is bitten, I suspect he will warn you himself. Other ponies would likely be too shy to mention anything about the bite until it is too late.

* Beware anypony who acts in an unusually sexually-aggressive manner.

* There is a spell that can reverse the effects of the bite, if cast within about a day of receiving the bite. I have included a copy of the spell with this scroll. It is very tricky to cast properly, but I believe you will be able to do it. Practice it until you get it exactly right.

* Unfortunately, this spell only works on the caster. I'm trying to adapt it to work on other ponies, but I haven't had the time as our situation is extremely dire at the moment. So Braeburn needs to be very careful.

* Don't confront anypony else about what you know, especially not in public view. I'm awaiting orders from Princess Celestia on that front, and until I hear back from her, she has suggested that any such confrontation will more likely harm you than help you.

Please be strong, Trixie. We're in this together, I promise you. Below I have written the spell. If you need to contact me back, completely blot out your name at the top of this scroll, write your message on the back of the scroll, and title it as you did before (Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle). You will need to use dragonfire to burn the scroll (other fire may work but it's not guaranteed). I have also included details on how to cast a dragonfire spell. Due to space limitations, both spells are in fine print (as fine as Spike can write, anyway).

Good luck to you, The Great and Powerful Trixie. I'm counting on you guys, just as I'm sure you're counting on me.

In friendship,

Princess Twilight Sparkle

Spike printed the details for both spells at the bottom of the scroll, and then breathed fire to send it on its way. Under the presumption that there is only one The Great and Powerful Trixie out there, this should get right to her.

For the record, I think that's a pretty safe presumption. There's only one TG&PT, thank goodness. In fact, I think one Trixie is precisely the right number, just like Pinkie Pie. (I still feel pretty guilty for what she's been through.)

I paused to write this entry, then returned to my studies. I was in the middle of reading up on altered states of consciousness when someone whispered right into my ear.

"Pssssssst!" the voice said.

"AAAAAAAAA!!!" I screamed. (Or however you're supposed to write a scream, I don't really know. Every author of fiction seems to do it differently, so I guess anything goes? But this is nonfiction. Anyway, I actually did scream.) I also fell out of my chair and flailed wildly with all four hooves.

"Oopsie! Sorry Twilight, it's just me!" said Pinkie Pie. She was covered from head to toe in black, and hung upside down from a rope tied to the branchwork at the top of the room. "But shhhh, or Spike will hear us!" she added, making no effort to talk any quieter.

"Um, yeah," said Spike, walking in from the kitchen, "I'm pretty sure Spike knows you're here." Pinkie Pie giggled in response.

"Give me a minute, guys," I said, then quickly wrote these last few lines here.

Of course, I'm really eager to talk to Pinkie Pie. I'm going to make a separate entry for that, to immediately follow this one. I don't think I need to leave space after this entry, even though the only blank portion of the journal right now is that empty half-page between the entries of Day 2 and Day 10. What we're about to discuss is extremely important, and I'll leave plenty of space after the next entry (once I've transcribed what we've learned). Be right back!