Twilight awoke and took in her surroundings, she saw the bookcases and realised she had once more fallen asleep on her sofa, it wasn’t her first time and likely wasn’t her last. The thing that was different about this time was the blue mare resting on her shoulder, mane tickling her neck. Twilight smiled at the sleeping princess and stifled a sneeze that Luna’s mane had caused as it snaked up to Twilight’s face. Twilight pulled a hoof out from under the blanket, and wiped Luna’s light blue mane out of her eyes to look out the window. Judging by the light levels Twilight guessed that it almost mid-morning, her regular waking time after sleeping late. She gently eased herself out from under Luna’s head, laying her down gently so as not to wake her. Repositioning the blanket to cover Luna’s body in full, Twilight walked to the kitchen to prepare something to eat. Spike was nowhere to be found, after searching around the library she decided that he must have gone out for some reason. She was about to do a spell that would show her where he was when she remembered Luna’s words from the previous day, about how she shouldn’t pry into Spike’s personal life too much, he was growing up, and needed his space and privacy.

Twilight gave a sigh and went back to the kitchen, returning to her previous task. She fried two eggs in a pan, placing them onto two plates and bringing them out into the main living area. The smell of Twilight's cooking woke Luna, she initially struggled, unsure of her whereabouts but soon realised that she was in Twilight’s library and calmed down, removing the blanket from around her body she saw the cause of the smell in front of her on the table. Twilight was sitting opposite her on a chair and was already digging into her egg. Luna rubbed her eyes.
“Good morning Twilight.” Luna mumbled, still half asleep.
“’Morning.” Twilight replied, ‘for the Princess of the Night she certainly falls asleep early.’ Twilight thought to herself, finishing up her eggs. Luna stretched and began to eat her food, Twilight cleared her plate away while she waited. When she walked back into the room Luna was looking at her.
“Say, where’s Spike?” Luna asked, having finished her egg. Twilight gave a shrug and put Luna’s empty plate into the sink in silence. Luna was slightly concerned at her student's/friend's/something more’s silence but put it down to concern for her assistant, she thought that the sooner she started her lesson the better, at least it would distract her.

“So, I was thinking about starting our lesson now, what would you like to learn?” Luna said as Twilight sat down opposite her once more. Twilight perked up, remembering the book she was reading the night before.
“Oh yeah! I was interested in that elemental magic you mentioned, and I was looking for some reference to it yesterday, when we fell asleep reading on the sofa, I found something in one of the books that I think you should have a look at.” Twilight said in a rush, standing up, picking up the book from the floor and sitting herself back down next to Luna, in one fluid movement. Luna shuffled along the sofa slightly to get a better look at the book, and also slightly because she wanted to be closer to Twilight. Twilight opened the book and flipped through pages until she got to a diagram that took up the entire page, it was a black and white pen drawing, it was extremely intricate and they could tell that whoever had drawn it had an excellent eye for detail. It detailed a circle, split into four sections, each with a background of one of the four elements of fire, water, earth and wind. Each circle had a small piece of text, and upon closer inspection Luna saw that the text, whilst still being readable, seemed to be written in some older form of Equestrian. Taking a read she discovered that each text pertained to a location, though she couldn’t work out what the location was.

“Have you worked out what each text pertains to?” Luna asked after re-reading each section.
“No... I kinda I fell asleep.” Twilight replied sheepishly.
“Not a problem, now I know what our lesson will be focussed around.” Luna replied, setting the book down on the table in front of them.
“Can you get some parchment and a quill so we can write down possible locations? I think they’re very important, I’ve never seen this book before though, can I ask where you got it from?” Luna asked.
Twilight replied whilst walking over to her desk and retrieving the materials. “Well, I had found reference to a cave where a sorcerer, from back before the time of Discord, had hidden his unpublished works from the destruction that Discord wrought with his coming in another book. The book was brought in by a pony, who I suppose was a descendent of the sorcerer, and had recently found the book in his basement along with several other old artefacts. I trekked to the cave where I thought it was, and discovered it was blocked off by spell which was actually pretty easy to disable. This book here was in the chamber that was there, I brought it back and attempted to read it, but that was around the time when I was going to the Grand Galloping Gala, and I didn't get any time to read it, or have any incentive to until yesterday. I was just skimming through it and found this diagram, but then I fell asleep.” Twilight replied, setting the quill and parchment down next to the book on the table.

“I see...” Luna said, processing the backstory that she hadn’t expected. When Twilight once more sat beside her she began.
“Ok, I’m not sure how long this will take, I think it would be best if we did one first, and investigated it, before moving onto the others.” Luna said, Twilight agreed. They both looked down at the text in front of them, the one over the fire background. ‘Where water flows over uneven earth, steep will be the path, clouds may block your way in their independent dance across the sky, cave shelters the path of fire where stone shows face.’ They read, and re-read. Twilight had the quill poised above the parchment, ready to write out possible locations.
“Any ideas?” Luna said, from her tone Twilight guessed that she too had some ideas about where it may be but was doing that thing that teachers always do when they want to see what their pupils can come up with on their own.
“A couple...” Twilight said, not sure where to start.
“Ok, talk me through them.” Luna asked, settling comfortably into her teacher role once more.
“Well, it says that the clouds doing an independent dance, so I‘m guessing that it’s in the Everfree Forest, and then it says the way will be steep, so I’m guessing it is going to be on the side of a mountain, and the only mountain where the clouds are lower than the peak is the very mountain I had climbed with my friends to stop the dragon, however I think it is in a different cave, the only thing I can’t work out is ‘where stone shows face’.” Twilight replied.
“My thoughts exactly, I think that particular sentence though may be referring to an actual face, perhaps a carving?” Luna pondered. Twilight nodded.

The two spent the entirety of the morning working out more specific places for the cave to be on a map of the Everfree Forest that Twilight had got from the top shelf of one of the bookcases. They had managed to pinpoint three different locations where the first of the four locations could be.
“Hang on, before we do anything about this I have to ask, are you feeling up to it?” Twilight asked, turning to the mare next to her.
“I appreciate the concern,” Luna replied smiling back at Twilight, “but I think that I am mostly physically healed, it is my magic that I must recuperate, and besides, I have you to help me, don’t I?” Luna replied, smile turning to a sly smirk that Twilight couldn’t help but smile back at, even if she was slightly peeved at Luna’s disregard for her own safety.
“Ok, I trust your judgement. We should probably leave as quick as possible, though it would be nice to prepare some more, the pegasi have a storm on the way, the faster we get into the forest the better. I bet Rarity could help us.” Twilight said, standing up and pulling Luna up too.
“If you say so.” Luna said, she pulled in Twilight for a quick, awkward hug before releasing her with a blush. Twilight didn’t resist and returned the blush.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist...” Luna said, Twilight grinned at her.
“It’s okay, it was nice.” Twilight replied, they stood in silence for a few moments more, unsure as to what they should do now. Eventually, as the silence wore on, they both unconsciously decided they should get going.

The walk to Rarity’s shop took slightly longer than if Twilight were alone as the two spent the entire walk talking in hushed tones, about what they hoped to find there and what sort of protections there may be. They almost walked straight by the door, distracted as they were in their conversation. It was obvious to Twilight by now, that Luna definitely knew her stuff when it came to magic, able to tell her how to disable every spell she could come up with, as well as telling her a few she had never even heard of. Twilight stopped abruptly, having realised they were at the shop, Luna took a few steps past the door before realising her companion had ceased movement and turned back to face the door.
Twilight rapped sharply on the white wooden door in front of her and almost immediately a voice called out in reply, “Come i~in!” Came the voice from somewhere within the boutique. Twilight opened the door with her hoof and stepped inside, Luna right behind her, Rarity walked out from a back room.
“Ah Twilight and... Moonlight was it? You know you don’t have to knock to come in! I’m always open to customers, not that I only think of you as customers of course!” Rarity said, setting down the fabric she was holding and giving Twilight a quick hug, it was a different hug than the one she had just shared with Luna, Rarity’s hug was just a friendly greeting, Luna’s was something... more.
“Thanks Rarity, we came here for... Wait, how did you know about Moonlight?” Twilight stopped, confused with Rarity’s knowledge, Rarity let out a slight giggle before replying.
“Oh you know gossip travels fast around here, and a new pony is big gossip, especially when she bears a strange resemblance to a certain princess, don’t worry though, your secret is safe with me.” Rarity replied. Twilight’s confused expression was replaced by one of gratitude and mirth.
“Thanks, Rarity.” Twilight replied.

“The reason we came here was about a sort of expedition Luna and I have planned, to help with my tutelage.” Twilight asked. Rarity nodded, knowing immediately what it was that Twilight was asking for.
“So what sort of conditions do you expect darling? Nothing too dangerous, I hope?” Rarity replied.
“Nothing too bad, but we need some stuff, like a tent for one thing.” Twilight asked, slightly guilty at having to ask Rarity so much.
“I did create a sort of outdoors wear a couple of years ago, including a tent, unfortunately most ponies don’t stray far from Ponyville so it wasn’t exactly successful. I’ve kept it just in case though, and you’re welcome to take it, I know I certainly won’t be using them.” Rarity said with a light titter. Twilight smiled at her, glad that she didn’t have to get Rarity to make everything from scratch.
“I’ll just bring them out for you two.” Rarity added, turning and walking back to the room she had just emerged from. Twilight glanced over at Luna and smiled, Luna returned the smile and was about to say something when Rarity walked back in, piles of material held aloft by her magic. She set them down in front of the two mares and then packed them into the saddlebags which she passed to Twilight and Luna.
“Thanks Rarity.” Twilight repeated once more.
“Think nothing of it darling, I’m always willing to help a friend in need.” Rarity replied, Luna thought that she too should express her gratitude.
“I too must thank you, Miss Rarity.” Luna said quietly, not used to speaking to other ponies much. Rarity waved a hoof dismissively.
“I did say I would be honoured to help royalty.” Rarity said with a smile, Luna returned it timidly.

“Ok, well we best be off now, we need to get a few more things before we leave and then we’ll be gone. I don’t suppose you could tell the others where we’ve gone?” Twilight asked.
“Certainly, but it's a bit difficult to tell them where you're going, when I don't know that myself, dear.” Rarity replied with another slight titter. Twilight blushed guiltily.
“Oh yeah, we’re going to the Everfree Forest, we may be a few days.” Twilight told her.
“I see, well take care you two, I couldn’t bear to see anything bad happen to you. And remember, your secret is safe with me, but the truth can’t be hidden for long.” Rarity said, walking back to a blueprint she had on the desk.
“Bye.” Twilight said, Luna nodded in farewell and the two left, Twilight thinking about Rarity seemed to be talking about more than Luna being a secret princess. Also, Rarity is exceptional at hiding her feelings when she needs to, but as a long time friend Twilight could tell that Rarity seemed nervous, she wondered whether it was concern for her or for Luna's condition, or both.
“Just the food and drink to pack, and we can get going.” Luna said as they walked back to Twilight’s tree house, interrupting her train of thought.
“Yeah...” Twilight said distractedly, thinking about what her friends reactions would be to the two of them.