THE TEACHER, THE SORCERESS, AND THE WONDERBOLT

Chapter 9: Showdown in the Forest

Trixie slowly awoke from the most beautiful dream about her and Twilight taking a walk in a rose garden on a warm summer day. The odd thing that struck her upon regaining consciousness, was that she felt the same warmth, and smelled the same roses, all making her think that she was still asleep. The stagemare opened her eyes, looking for the lavender unicorn, but could only see a wall of alabaster fur. Glancing up, she found herself staring into Celestia's face, who was regarding her with a serious expression.

“I think we need to have a talk about you and Twilight.”

The Princess's words formed a drop of liquid helium in Trixie's chest, causing her to swallow audibly. “Wuh- whatever do you mean, your Highness?”

Celestia's demeanor did not change. “Let us drop the formalities for now, shall we Trixie? I have heard of you, not just from Twilight, and I have to say that your reputation concerns me.” The blue unicorn gave another audible gulp. “You are self-centered, narcissistic, and that's not even counting that mess you helped to create with the Ursa.”

“That's hardly fair! Trixie did not bring the Ursa here, nor did she ask or tell anypony to do so!” she retorted hotly.

If anything, Celestia's mien became even more stern at the interruption. “You cannot deny that you had a hoof in it being here. Were it not for you, those two colts would likely never have thought of luring it to the town for you to defeat.” Trixie shrank back at her logic. “However, that is, as they say, water under the bridge. I am willing to ignore that, as well as all the similar situations in which you left other towns. For Twilight's sake.”

Trixie's sigh of relief was short lived. “However, this is predicated on several conditions. The first being that you never cause that sort of mischief again. I doubt I have much to worry about when you're here with my student, but this condition remains in effect should you leave her presence,” the Princess added.

Trixie sadly nodded. “Trixie knows that... that trouble dogs her steps. It is not something she can easily help. Trixie will try to prevent further... incidents, but sometimes things go beyond her control.”

Celestia nodded in acceptance. “Agreed. Now the second condition is that you explain to me your intentions towards Twilight, and how serious you are about her.”

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“Look in the mirror, see what I saw. Take the saw, and cut the table in half. Put the halves together. Two halves make a whole. Climb out the hole.” Twilight grinned in triumph at the tiny sphinx cub. They had been walking in the forest for several minutes now, Twilight's head bent in deep thought, Nyx trotting alongside her.

Nyx smiled up at her. “Correct! Now you tell me some secret about magic, and I'll give you another riddle. Sound fair, Magic?”

Twilight smirked down at the cub. “I keep telling you, my name is Twilight Sparkle, not Magic. You may call me just Twilight, however.”

“Sorry, Ma- er, Twilight. It's kinda hard to remember that, you being what you are.” Nyx apologized.

The librarian bent down to nuzzle the sphinx's furless cheek, who purred as she leaned into the gesture. “It's alright. Just remember that Twilight is my name. It would be like if I went around calling you Riddle. Wouldn't like that, huh?”

“No, I guess not,” she replied.

“So, I believe it was a secret for a riddle, right?” Twilight asked, getting a nod in return. “That riddle better be a doozy for a secret about magic. Let's see...” she trailed off in thought for a moment. “Ah! How about this: Unicorns and alicorns aren't the only creatures that can use magic in Equestria. Every intelligent creature has some sort of magic whether or not they can consciously control it.”

“Even earth ponies?” Nyx asked, wide-eyed.

“Even earth ponies,” Twilight answered. “Their magic is innate, meaning they have no real conscious control over it. For most of them, it focuses inward, making them tougher, or stronger, or more agile, or even in some cases, more creative. Sometimes, it will do more than one of those things.” She stopped and put a hoof to her chin in thought. “Of course, there are exceptions to the norm. For instance, my friend Applejack has a strong connection to the earth, making her talent for farming truly extraordinary. And Pinkie-Pie... well, the jury is still out on her. She does use her innate magic, but it's so... unusual, that it almost defies description.”

How do you mean?” the sphinx asked.

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but stopped herself. “Ah, ah, aaahhh.” she wagged a hoof in front of Nyx. “One secret, one riddle. That's the deal. My thoughts on Pinkie are something else entirely.”

Nyx looked down in disappointment,but couldn't hold it in. She looked up at her with a sly grin. “Can't blame me for trying, right?” She was met with silence, and so thought for a moment, before entering her “riddle-trance” as she called it.

“I've never seen your face,
yet I kiss it everyday.
You can see me all around you,
and in the treetops where I play.”

Twilight started walking again as she pondered the riddle. “It can be one of several things, but I'm going to go with wind.”

Nyx looked at her in wide-eyed admiration. “Wow, you are good! I'm going to have to step up my game if I'm going to stump you.”

The unicorn just smiled down at her. Spitfire and Fluttershy who had been following them for a while now shook their heads in amazement. “They're really two of a kind, aren't they?” the Wonderbolt said.

Fluttershy, who had been glancing around nervously ever since they entered the forest, absently nodded her agreement.

“Okay, magic secret, let's see...” Twilight's metronome-like tail kept drawing Spitfire's eyes. “Got one! When crafting magical items, it's more efficient to use something that is hoofmade, and is as extravagant as possible. The reason for this is-”

Spitfire tuned out the rest of the conversation, and lost herself in a daydream concerning what she'd like to do to that lovely rear end swaying in front of her. Does she know that her gait becomes more sultry when she talks about magic? I mean, look at that! She practically begging me to jump her and take her to the heights of heaven. She inhaled deeply, catching a somewhat familiar scent; one that reminded her of the library, which in turn opened her floodgates of arousal.

The timid pegasus next to her glanced at her companion, noticing the goofy grin on her face, and just where she was looking. Inwardly, she was dancing with glee, but brought herself under control. We should be nearing the spot. Yes, I think-

Further thought was halted when the bushes ahead exploded in a shower of leaves. From this flurry of motion, a tall, ursine figure plodded forward, giving out a terrifying shriek that sounded like a cross between the guttural growl of a bear, and the nails on a chalkboard-like screech of an bird, ten-times too large. The creature's red rimmed, maddened eyes rolled independently of each other in its owlish head which craned sideways at an impossible angle for a bear, and the feathers that covered much of its body made plain what the group was facing.

“OWLBEAR!” Twilight's shout pulled everypony from their shock, and she saw Fluttershy and Nyx dash off into the bushes, running for their lives.

Spitfire, however, grabbed the unicorn under her forelegs,and flew backwards into a tree and set her down on a branch thirty hooves from the ground. “Stay here and peg it with your magic. I'll distract it so it doesn't go after the others.”

Twilight nodded and she flew off. The yellow pegasus buzzed around the large creature, immediately gaining its attention. It tried swatting at her, but the mare was just too fast for it to land any blows. Both the pegasus and the owlbear were caught by surprise when a sheet of flame erupted from the ground, separating them, and cutting off the avenue of escape that would lead towards Fluttershy and Nyx.

Unfortunately, the owlbear had been swinging a trunk-like arm when the flames went up, distracting the yellow mare long enough to get nicked by it. But even a nick by an owlbear is no laughing matter, and it sent her crashing to the ground. The wild creature, faced with flames, made a quick retreat further into the forest, screeching the whole way.

Seeing that the owlbear was indeed gone, Twilight dismissed the illusion, and jumped down to the ground, using magic to cushion her fall. She ran up to her friend shouting, “Spitfire!” She reached her side, examining her with a critical eye.

Spitfire looked up at her. “Just a scratch, hon. I've had worse.” She hissed in pain however, and looked over at her shoulder, seeing an ugly bruise forming over much of it. The three-inch long scratches were mere decoration in comparison, and only bled a little.

“Don't you give me that 'tis but a scratch' nonsense, missy! I've studied pegasus anatomy enough to know that you can't walk or fly like that.” Twilight's tone surprised Spitfire, causing her head to rear back, setting off a whole series of painful twitches in her shoulder. “Now just rest there while I try to heal it a little.”

Twilight's horn glowed in the familiar plum aura, with a similar glow surrounding the wound. Beads of sweat formed on her face, and a vein bulged dangerously on her temple as the auras grew. Almost immediately, Spitfire felt the pain lessen, and the angry purple spot shrunk to about half it's original size. The glows disappeared, and Twilight dropped to the ground with a gasp.

Spitfire made a move towards her, but was waved off. “It's fine. Just exhausted,” she panted out. She sounded like she had just sprinted a mile as she gulped down a few more deep breaths. “Not used to healing magic. Not really my forte.”

A few moments were enough for her to catch her breath. She looked over and asked, “How does it feel?”

Spitfire flexed her wing and foreleg. There was a noticeable twinge and stiffness, but she found that she could walk at least. “I should be okay to walk. Flying's going to have to wait for more extensive healing.”

Twilight nodded. “Good. We need to get going and find-” All speech was stopped when she tried to rise, but her wobbly legs proved to be too unsteady. She collapsed again with an audible “oof” “Maybe after a bit of rest first,” she qualified.

Nodding, Spitfire made herself more comfortable on the grass. She pawed at the ground before coming to a decision. “T- Twilight? T- there's something... I need to tell you.”

The nervous quaver in her voice worried the unicorn. “What is it, Spitfire?”

“I... you see...” She growled at her own frustration. “You remember those books I brought to you from the Canterlot library?”

Twilight shot her a confused look. “What about them? Do they need them back sooner than usual?”

A sigh of reluctance escaped from the pegasus. “No, it's just... on the way back, I stopped for a rest, and looked through them out of curiosity.” She got a nod of understanding from her audience. “One of those books... was your... itwasyourprivatejournalandIreaditI'msorry!”

It took the librarian a moment to process what was said, and when it was, she grew very still. “Small book? Worn, red pleather cover?” she asked in a small, nervous voice. A nod from the pegasus drained some of the color from her face. “I see,” she said after a moment.

As the silence stretched on, Spitfire twiddled her hooves, and sneaked glances at the very quiet mare. It appeared she was trying to say something but nothing was coming out. It took a few tries to get anything other than a dry croak past her lips. “How... how much did you read?”

Spitfire didn't like the way Twilight was deliberately looking away from her. “Um. F- four entries.”

Twilight's lips kept twitching, trying to form the next words, so it was only after several tries did she manage her next question. “W-w-w-which four?”

Spitfire felt as if her chest were about to cave in from her anxiety. “The... the first two...” A wince and a nod from Twilight. “The last entry.” Another wince, this time not as big, followed by another nod to continue. “And... um...” Twilight was really sweating, making Spitfire nervous to continue. Should I lie to her? No, she'll know if I do. She wrote those entries after all. Okay, time to fess up and face the music. She gulped as she said, “One was a... a dream you had about... me” The last word was almost inaudibly delivered.

What little of Twilight's face that Spitfire could see was so pale, it could be mistaken for an ashen gray. They sat there, not saying a word, the only sound being the occasional buzz of an insect or the chirping warble of a wild bird. Unable to face her anymore, the Wonderbolt watched a ladybug as it crawled across a flower, hunting down aphids with the kind of abandon that you can only find in a creature getting in its last hurrah before winter sets in.

“Why?”

The sudden question shattered the peaceful quiet of the forest. She could hear the pain of betrayal in her voice, and it cut right to the bone. “I...” Spitfire began. “I'm so sorry Twilight. I never wanted to hurt you-”

“Why?”

This time, the hushed question was accompanied by tears as they traced their way down Twilight's cheeks. Spitfire's voice cracked as she fought to explain herself. “I swear to you, Twilight, I just-

“WHY?”

The unicorn's magically amplified voice carried far into the forest like thunder, scattering the birds who had only just resettled into the nearby branches. The clamorous yell hurt her ears, but Spitfire's heart was rent asunder by the pain in Twilight's face when she finally turned to her. Unable to hold back her own tears, she laid her head down in the grass and covered her face with her hooves. “Because I'm an idiot!” she cried out. “Because I don't deserve a friend as wonderful as you! I'm a scummy, worthless pony that isn't fit to kiss the ground you walk on!” Her scratchy voice gave out, leaving it inadequate to do anything but wail in misery.

She was shocked when she felt a hoof being gently laid on her withers, instead of being viciously pounded into her skull. She uncovered one eye enough to see the purple mare looming over her. Grief was still tattooed on her face, but instead of the anger that had every right to be in her eyes, was sadness.

“I forgive you.”

Three little words were enough to reduce this mare, this powerful, admired, influential, desired, talented, physically-fit mare into a puddle of sorrow. Just three words. Not even the three she most wanted to hear from her most desired mare, her Goddess, but they were the three she needed to hear most.

The two of them fell into an embrace, each supporting the other as they cried. It was several long minutes before either of them had enough control to say anything. Wiping her runny nose on her foreleg, Spitfire ventured a timid question. “So... are we still...”

Twilight rubbed her red eyes with the backs of her hooves, nodding. “Yes, we're still friends.” She paused for a thought before adding, “Though I suppose this changes things a bit.”

“I'll say,” the pegasus returned.

“What say we forget the book ever existed?”

Spitfire was brought up short by this. “But...”

Twilight shook her head, but kept her hooves conspicuously to herself. “I don't want this to ruin our friendship. And let's face it, nothing changes a friendship faster than throwing romance into the mix. I saw it happen with Applejack and Rarity.” She shuddered involuntarily. “For a while there, they stopped speaking to each other after a particularly nasty fight. Something about crops, I think. Never did get the whole story. Besides...”

The Wonderbolt could almost swear she heard a mumble along the lines of “I never had a shot anyway”, but could not be sure of it. She was about to ask for clarification when Fluttershy and Nyx stumbled into the trail. Both had leaves and brambles stuck to their manes and coats, not to mention scratches covering most of them. They were breathing heavy and looked extremely worried.

“Are you okay? We heard yelling while we were trying to find our way back, and were worried something terrible had happened,” Fluttershy gasped out.

Twilight shook her head and smiled. “We're fine. Spitfire here was a little hurt when the owlbear managed to land a blow, but she'll be okay to travel until we can get her treated.”

Fluttershy was at her side even before Twilight could finish explaining what had happened and was examining the wound for herself. “Oh! Oh, my. It looks bad, but you should be able to walk. Will you be okay? Let me see you stand now.” Her gentle bedside manner belied the strength of her hooves as she helped her to stand.

Spitfire smiled at her fussing. “I'm fine, really, Fluttershy. I'll be able to make it to our destination, then see what we can do from there, okay?” To prove her point, she took a few tentative steps. “See?”

The shy mare somehow managed to look worried, but happy sort of way. “A- alright then. We better get going before it gets any later.”

“Would you mind going ahead for a bit? I need to ask Twilight something private,” the brash flier asked.

The other two nodded. “Alright, we'll be just around this bend in the path,” Nyx said.

Spitfire waited for them to be out of sight before quietly asking Twilight, “Why did you forgive me so easily? Not that I mind of course, but if it were me, I'm not sure I could have done that.”

Twilight leaned in close and whispered back, “It's when we think we deserve friends the least, that we need them the most.”

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Ruins always fascinated Twilight. Even when she and her friends were hunting down the elements of harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon, she had wanted to study the ruins in which they had found them. Indeed, had it not been for Celestia expressly forbidding her, she would have returned to those ruins. Luckily, she had made no mention of not exploring other ruins that could be found in the Everfree forest.

Said ruins appeared to predate modern pony culture by a long stretch. The gray, moss-covered stone were decorated with mysterious runes and bas-relief that were so worn and faded as to be almost invisible. But if one were to look at them just right, a vague, bipedal outline could be made out here and there, along with a rune tucked away in a corner, out of the elements.

The quartet had been wandering among them, Fluttershy and Nyx looking for the home of the sphinx's mother. Twilight was enthralled by the ruins, trying to piece them together, and just what kind of beings lived there once. Spitfire was enthralled watching Twilight, looking at her as if she had just been saved by her from drowning.

“I wish I could find out what kind of folk lived here!” Twilight exclaimed for the fourth time. Spitfire gave her another grunt of agreement, not even paying attention to what was said. The unicorn lifted a rusted, metal rod with a strange handle on one end in her magic and examined it. “This handle is obviously not made for hooves. I mean, just look at it!” There was an undeniable “unhoofedness” about it, what with the strange, metal tang on it, that almost looked like a strip of the handle had peeled off. However, closer appraisal revealed that it was designed this way, and could even be worked back and forth independent of the handle and rod. “I mean, I don't even have a clue as to what this is!”

Nyx came up to her. “Shh! We're close now, and mommy doesn't like intruders on her land. Only those she invites are allowed here.” She looked at the rod floating in front of her. “Besides, that's just there to distract treasure-hunters. Mommy's real wealth is better hidden than this junk. She's real clever like that,” she beamed.

Twilight reluctantly set the rod back down again with a sigh. They continued further into the ruins until Nyx stopped in front of a small hill, choked with grasses and weeds. “Here it is,” she whispered. “Mommy always uses the same entrance to her home. See the plinth archway?”

Now that it was pointed out to them, they could make out a moss covered stone square archway inset with an equally moss covered stone door. The tiny cub approached it and scratched at the door, knocking some of the moss clear. Gems hidden by the moss glowed a golden hue, and the door became transparent. The view beyond the ghostly door was made from some sort of black, speckled marble, giving it the effect of walking among the stars. Globes suspended midair shed a soft white light.

Nyx walked through fearlessly shouting at the top of her tiny lungs, “Mommy! I'm home!”

The other followed her in, their hooves clicking on the polished marble flagstones. The three ponies walked in awe of the craftsmanship of the hallway, noting that as the passed, the glare from the globes made it appear as if a shooting star had gone past. Ahead in the hallway, they could see Nyx running now out into an open room. They followed at a more sedate pace, blinking owlishly at the sudden change in light when they came into a very large room.

They appeared to be in an atrium of an extremely large building, much larger than should have been possible judging by the outside. There were multiple levels going up farther than the eye could see, supported by massive marble columns. The roof was lost to darkness, but what immediately grabbed Twilight's attention were the bookshelves. On every level, bookshelves as tall as five ponies standing on each other's shoulders, stood in perfect rows like soldiers awaiting their commander's review. Her jaw dropped and a small droplet of drool hung from her lips as she tried to drink it all in.

However, that isn't what held the attentions of her pegasus companions. Sitting at an enormous circular desk was a very, very large black dragon. He was sorting through a stack of books, and looked up as the tiny bundle of energy jumped the desk and tackled him around the neck. “Onyx! I missed you!” she shrieked. The little cub couldn't even reach around him, and so she settled for using her claws to dig into his scales in order to maintain her position.

He appeared quite surprised at the cub, taking a moment to find his voice. “Why, young Miss Nyx! Your mother was quite concerned when you wandered off. You're quite lucky Kindness was able to find and care for you, or we'd all be in trouble right now.”

Nyx playfully batted at the dragon's throat causing her to drop onto the desk. “Oh, get with the times, Onyx! Even I know that her name is Miss Fluttershy!” Conveniently forgotten, was her trouble remembering Twilight's name.

The dragon dipped his head in mock gravity. “My apologies, Young Miss.” He looked over and noted the stunned ponies, all of whom were staring at him slack-jawed by now. He brought his head close and whispered, “I take it these were your escorts today?”

“Uh, huh! That's Twilight Sparkle, Spitfire, and Fluttershy,” she said, pointing to each in turn.

Onyx sighed and whispered, “I better fetch your, ah, mother.” Without a words to the ponies, he left the desk and walked up to an ornate, partially open brass door. He knocked and whispered something through the crack, then stood aside.

The door opened and if the three ponies thought that the dragon was impressive, he was totally eclipsed by the majesty of the sphinx that walked out. Slightly smaller than the dragon, she easily stood more than twice as tall as Princess Celestia. Her regal bearing commanded respect, and the rippling play of her muscles under her fur let all know that this was no simple librarian. In all respects, she looked like an older version of Nyx.

She paused as the little cub ran up to her and nuzzled her paw, the only part of her she could reach. She bent down and sniffed her child before giving her a swipe with her tongue, leaving her with an enormous cowlick on one entire side of her head. This of course, set off Nyx's giggling. The larger mother came before the ponies and shrank down to a more manageable alicorn size. “So, I have you to thank for returning my wayward child?” she purred.

Not sure what protocol demanded, all three ponies decided that bowing could not hurt and did so. “Yes, Ma'am, though Fluttershy here was the one who found and cared for her until we could escort them here,” Twilight answered for them. Spitfire was amazed and impressed at the lack of fear in her voice.

The large sphinx nodded to them, signaling for them to rise. “Then I thank you all for the care you have shown us. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Nyx.” She noted their confusion and added, “It is common among our kind that all cubs be named after one of the parents until such time as they take on a name of their own.”

She thought for a moment then looked at Spitfire. “It seems you were wounded while escorting my child. Allow me to help with that.” With a paw the size of a dinner plate, she gently swiped across the bruise, leaving her coat unblemished, not even scars remained. "As thanks for your selfless devotion to her safety and well-being, I shall grant you three access to my library whenever you wish. You need only knock on the door to gain access.”

Twilight looked like she was about to faint from glee, a permanent grin affixed to her face. A nearby granddam clock rang out the hour, startling them all. “Oh, dear. It appears that the hour has grown late, and I must leave you. It is almost noon at your home, would you like me to teleport you there?”

Silence and wide-eyed stares greeted her question. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, she teleported them one by one, starting with Twilight, then Spitfire, but paused at Fluttershy. Nyx the Larger's form shifted until it shifted down to resemble a certain Princess of the Moon. She clopped her hooves in front of her to gain her attention. “Dear Fluttershy, art thou feeling well? We hope that our performance was sufficient, especially after we hath wronged Twilight and the good captain so.”

Fluttershy shook her head, then looked up at the alicorn happily. “Oh my, yes. I think Twilight will be very happy to be able to come back here again. That is, if it really is alright with you Nyx?” she asked the cub who was coming up to them, growing as she walked.

“Are you kidding me? Twilight was a hoot! And as smart as you two kept saying. Why, I think she's a serious about learning as I am. I can't wait to have her back again.” She finished growing to her normal size which was as big as Luna was when pretending to be her. “Though, I am going to need to visit her and Spitfire in their dreams tonight so I can mark them as regular patrons. Which reminds me...” She pressed her paw to the pegasus' forehead, and a warm, soothing sensation suffused her body. A happy grin spread across her face, and when the sphinx removed her paw, a rune glowed there instantaneously before fading to nothing.

The sphinx sat back on her haunches. “There. Now not only can you find and operate the door on your own, but a simple ward has been placed on you so that you won't be bothered within my territory. Just be careful whom you bring with you, okay?” Fluttershy nodded. “Good. I better send you back now before they get too suspicious about where you are.” With a wave of her paw, she sent the pegasus to a clearing near the entrance to the Everfree Forest.

She turned to the alicorn beside her. “So, does this square us now? No more hard feelings?”

Luna rested a hoof on the sphinx's paw. “Nyx, e'er sith sweet Twilight freed us from... that is, freed us, we hath ne'er once hated thou, but rather, what actions were made necessary.”

Nyx smiled down at the small alicorn. “Thank you old friend. It is good to have you back again.”

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Twilight and Spitfire were starting to get worried when Fluttershy appeared, a bit shell-shocked, but alive and well. She ran up to the butter-yellow pegasus asking, “Are you alright, Fluttershy? What happened?”

Fluttershy looked startled for a moment. “Huh? Oh, Twilight. N- Nyx just wanted to warn me that there was a parasprite swarm in the western edge of the forest. She wanted me to stay away from it just in case.”

The lavender mare breathed a sight of relief. “I thought something might have happened. Would you and Luna like to come back to the library with us for lunch? I'm sure we can squeeze in a couple more at the table.”

“Oh, um, thank you Twilight, but Luna said she wanted to have a quiet lunch at my place,” Fluttershy answered. “She said it's been a while since she had any time to herself since returning to the palace.”

Twilight looked a little disappointed, but relented. “Alright then. Would you remind her that my class starts at two o'clock?” The pegasus nodded and waved to them as they walked off. “See you later, Fluttershy,” she called back.

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Arriving at the library, the two could see that in addition to the two unicorn guards, Spike was pacing in front of the tree. Twilight trotted up to him and asked, “Spike? What's wrong?”

“Twilight! You've got to do something! They're... they're...”

“What is it, Spike? Are they fighting?”

He shook his head. “Worse!”

Twilight threw open the door with her magic and saw... Celestia and Trixie laughing over a cup of tea. Spike looked in and shuddered. “They're bonding.”

Author's Notes:

Woo! Getting to the meat of the story now! What will happen next? Only the Shadow knows! Okay, I know too, sorta, but I swear that he knows much more than I do! Really! Thankfully this one came out with no difficulty, my muse seems to have returned to her senses. The usual disclaimers here, I own nothing here except Nyx and her wonderful library, all else is Hasbro's and Lauren Faust's.