Three days had passed since Applejack’s birthday party, but Spike still remembered the events like it was yesterday. Applejack had found Twilight in the barn shortly after the Discord incident, reading that book again. Twilight explained that she just needed a breather from the party, despite only spending two minutes there.

Everypony accepted the explanation and Twilight rejoined shortly after. Everything seemed fine for the most part afterwards, Twilight took part in the games, songs, and the cake, save for her book that always hovered within her sight. The only notably odd thing that happened was when Applejack opened her presents.

She got a statue made of clouds from Rainbow Dash, an encyclopedia from Twilight, a poem written from Spike, a golden hoe in the shape of Discord, from Discord, a bat-shaped dog toy from Fluttershy, an overly stylized hat from Rarity, and a whole song and dance routine from Pinkie Pie.

When each of those presents was revealed, Twilight looked a bit confused, as if something was wrong. When asked about it privately, Twilight told Spike to not mind it and, quite rudely, to mind his own business. It was something extremely outside of Twilight’s character to do that, and Spike wanted to know why.

As the morning sun rose outside the castle windows, Spike entered Twilight’s bedroom to investigate. Spike opened the door ajar a peeked through the crack, not wanting to disturb her. He saw Twilight, sleeping in her bed with the book covering her face. The book gently moved in rhythm with her snoring.

At least she’s alive, Spike joked to himself.

He opened the door all the way and crept up to the side of her bed. With great meticulousness, he gently removed the book, and was shocked at what he saw.

Twilight’s face was dry and thin, her lips were crispy and tough, and her mane was matted to a point where it felt like thick skin. She looked as if she hadn’t had a thing to eat or drink in ages.

Spike’s mind quickly raced. How did Twilight end up like this?! I mean, I know I’ve been busy throughout the last days, outside the castle and all, but I’ve seen her… in her bedroom… just reading, and sleeping. I haven’t really paid much attention to Twilight actually, just let her read.

Spike then lifted the covers from Twilight’s body, jumping back upon seeing it. It was thin to the bones, to the point where the ribs, pelvis, and spinal bones could be seen through the fur.

“Twilight!” Spike screeched.

Twilight instantly jerked up.

Her voice sounded and felt like claws on a chalkboard, “Wha-what is it?!”

“Your body.”

Twilight slowly glanced down at her body. Her eyes bulged at the sight of herself.

“What the-” Twilight exclaimed.

“We need to get you to a hospital! You need help!” Spike yelped as he ran out of the room.

Twilight attempted to get out of bed, only to slide off and land headfirst onto the cold floor. Her legs felt like twigs as she tried to get up. Eventually, she did and slowly headed to the door. Spike quickly returned though, and assisted her to the local hospital.

The doctors there were quick to diagnose her. Twilight had suffered from adequate dehydration and starvation, much to Spike’s expectations. If it weren’t for the cake, her condition could’ve been a lot worse.

Twilight rested in a hospital bed for several hours since then, being occasionally fed small rations of food in order for her system to return to normal. She couldn’t believe how messed up her body gotten, all for a book.

The book…

Twilight saw it in the corner of her eye, resting on a nightstand. She didn’t recall taking it with her to the hospital. Then again, she was extremely tired and sick, so she may have forgotten. Seeing as how she was going to be stuck in the hospital for a while longer, Twilight naturally came to the conclusion to pass the time by reading.

She opened the book to where she last left off, midway through the third chapter, and read.

“The coronation is tomorrow!” Ace squealed with joy. “Are you excited Ebony?”

“Oh yeah, I sure am.” Ebony replied, though not as enthusiastic as her friend.

Ebony could never really get involved with any large-scale celebrations due to her being a bat-pony. She’d usually watch from afar while the other ponies took part in the fun, wishing she was with them. But regardless, Ebony enjoyed them.

Ace and Ebony walked out from the bar and began to make their way home. The rich sun bathed the land as they walked through the town, bringing life into everything it touched.

“If this place looks as beautiful as it does during summer,” Ebony said, noting her surroundings. “Imagine what the capital will look like.”

“Have you ever been there?”

“Never, but I’ve heard much from travelers. They say that the roads are made of quartz, its many stores are ten metres tall, and its stallions are so handsome.”

Ace nodded, “Yeah. Maybe when I become a knight, I’ll live there. I’ll have a mansion, made of the finest materials, with a pond at its center, and even your own room or two.”

“Thanks. It’s certainly better than under your bed.”

A small figured appeared in the distance ahead of the two mares. Upon closer inspection, it was a pegasus stallion, running right towards them. He was yelling something, as if in a panic, but was too far at the moment to be heard.

As he drew close however, his voice became clearer. Ace and Ebony traded banter back and forth, figuring out his words.

“Fantastic yum rings?” Ace suggested.

“Fanatic ummings?” Ebony asked.

“Than Adic’s yearning?”

“Thanat’s invading?”

“What’s that?”

“No idea.”

Finally, they heard him scream out, “Thanatus is coming!”

“…Who?” The two asked each other.

The stallion shouted once more. “Lord Thanatus, the Terrible of Terribles, the Monster of Wisteria, the King of Nightmares he’s coming!”

“Hey!” Ace shouted at the approaching stallion. “Who that?”

The stallion was now only dozens of metres away. At that moment, the two realized something was gravely wrong with the pony. Several thin sticks were points out of his back and his wings.

Arrows, he had been shot.

A thin trail of red colour followed the light blue pony as well. He was seriously wounded.

Jumping to action, Ace and Ebony ran up to the stallion’s side and held him at his sides.

“Are you alright?” Ace yelled at the stallion.

“Lord Thanatus, is coming…” He panted.

Ebony asked, “Who’s he?”

“A madpony… Has immense power… He wants to conquer us… Must warn the king, the queen, the princess… Damascariot has fallen…”

The two mares nearly dropped him on the spot.

“Damascariot, has fallen?!” Ace exclaimed.

“Hasn’t that place been Centura’s biggest enemy for decades?” Ebony asked.

“It was!” Ace replied.

The stallion continued, “Forces marching… In one month, he will arrive… Must stop him…”

Ebony glanced at Ace, whose face had turned from that of dread to determination.

“Wanna go on an adventure?” Ace asked.

Ebony’s face also toughened.

She replied, “Sure.”

“Let’s save a kingdom.”

“…”

“…After taking this stallion to a medic.”

“Right.”

“Princess Sparkle.” A doctor called out to her.

Twilight looked above her book and saw a pair of doctors alongside Spike, standing at the end of her bed.

The same doctor spoke, “You appear to be in healthy enough condition to resume your daily business.”

“Just remember to eat and drink constantly.” The other doctor, a nurse more specifically, declared. “We would also recommend lots of rest and exercise.”

“Alright.” Twilight nodded.

Quietly, the two doctors left, leaving Spike and Twilight to talk and leave at their own accord.

Spike saw the book shoved into Twilight’s face as soon as he walked in. He felt almost disgusted by its presence for some reason, a reason he wanted to find out.

Spike asked in a very stern voice, “Twilight, how did you not eat, drink, or even exercise for three days?”

Twilight felt insulted by the tone of Spike’s voice, like she was being berated by her dad.

“I was distracted.” Twilight answered, trying to keep her cool.

“You mean with that book in front of your face?”

“So? It’s a good book.”

“Really?” Spike railed on. “’It’s a good book?’ Are you sure it’s not an ‘special’ book?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I think you need to spend some time away from this book, to make sure if it’s safe for you to read.” Spike replied, this time trying a more caring voice.

Twilight quickly barked back, “Look, I’ve learned from my mistake. It wasn’t the book’s fault or anything supernatural.”

“But just to be safe-”

“Let me get this through to you, this book is not possessed, I just really like it. It is not driving me to suicide, I just want to read it in peace. There is no subtext to it, it’s just a simple fairy tale.”

“But-”

Twilight had to put her hoof down. Although Spike did concern for her safety, this was taking it too far for comfort.

“Enough!” She snapped, stamping her hoof into the bed rail.

A moment of silence broke out between the two. They stared at each other, eye to eye.

Spike knew Twilight wouldn’t break without seriously injuring her feelings, so he decided to simply end it. He broke eye contact and walked out of the hospital. Twilight eventually followed, but kept her distance and held the book close to her.

Of all the ridiculous things Spike could’ve blamed my mere starvation on, it just had to be the book. Twilight thought to herself, conversing. From the breeze, to the cold, to just my laziness, his mind could’ve deduced it was any one of those factors, but no, it’s the book. I mean, look at this thing, does it look evil? No spikes, no engravings, no symbols, just a plain hard-cover book, and that’s all it is. Why is it you that is the only thing that isn’t a pain in my back nowadays?

Ace and Ebony returned home and geared up for their grand adventure.

Ace put on her green cloth tunic, white stockings, and brown leather boots. She grabbed her sword and shield from her shed. Her sword, a thick longsword a custom hilt made by herself, was tucked into a scabbard and strapped around her shoulder. She then attached her home-carved steel-trim wooden shield to the scabbard, leaving the hilt and pommel exposed.

Ebony pulled out a pair of small, metal shoes from under Ace’s bed. Before putting them on, she flicked the shoes, causing a dagger to spring down from each shoe. She giggled before flicking them once more, causing the daggers to spring back into a sheath of the shoes. Ebony put on the shoes, put on her circlet, and tucked in her cloak before zipping outside and meeting with Ace.

Before the two set off however, Ace’s aunt and uncle walk out of the house.

“Oh, hello,” Ace smiled.

“You sounded like you were in a hurry,” her uncle said.

“Oh, just going on an adventure with my friend, Ebony.”

Ebony waved carefully to not to expose herself.

“Looks like you two are ready to go on a camping trip.” Ace’s aunt noted.

“Yeah,” Ace nodded. “We’ll be gone for a while.”

“Well, you two better be safe.” Her aunt replied.

Ace nodded once more, “Alright, Aunt Maroon, I will. Goodbye Uncle Orange.”

“Farewell.” Both her aunt and uncle shouted.

With now everything taken care of, Ace and Ebony set off on their quest, to save the kingdom of Centura, as well as all of Wisteria.

Spike stared up at Twilight’s room through the window of the castle. She was there once more, reading her book. Before leaving earlier, Spike made sure that a sandwich and a glass of water were on the nightstand next to her bed, but could only hope now that she would eat them when she needed them.

It had been a day since Ace and Ebony had seen their town, and were now deep in the forest. They were heading South, straight for Damascariot.

“So…” Ebony asked Ace. “What’s do we do now? What’s the first step?”

“…” Ace hesitated, having never really considered that herself.

“…Ace?”

“I don’t know.”

“…” Ebony’s face quickly turned into a scowl.

“…Ebony?”

“YOU REALLY DIDN’T THINK AHEAD?!”

“I was thinking more about the action…” Ace weakly smiled whilst saying that.

“Actually, now that I think about it, how the hay are we, two mares, going to take down an army that took out Damascariot in a few days or something?”

“Still haven’t figured that out yet.”

“No figure.”

“Hey, you should’ve asked those questions earlier when we were in town.”

Ebony hesitated before replying, “…Touché. So now what do we do?”

“That, is an excellent question.” Ace replied.

The two stopped walking and thought. During which, a low, growling sound could be heard coming from one of them.

“Oh, that was me.” Ebony explained.

“I see.” Ace nodded.

“Can I get some food?”

“Oh, su-” She suddenly stopped speaking, her eyes going wide.

Ebony moaned. “Ugh, don’t tell me…”

“I didn’t bring food.”

“…”

“Or water… Or a map.”

“Worst. Heroes. Ever.”

“The old stories never said anything about packing food and water!” Ace retorted. “They just jumped to the heroes finding the treasure and saving the day!”

“Son of a-fine, fine. I’ve lasted twelve years before I met you, I know how to survive.”

“Good, good, like true knights.”

“We just need to find a wandering merchant.”

“Ebony!”

“To buy food from, not to rob,” Ebony explained herself.

“Oh…”

“Depends on the situation,”

“Why I outta-”

“-Wait!” Ebony interrupted. “Do you hear that?”

The two stopped arguing and held their ears high. Deep within the forest ahead of them was the sound of something, musical. They followed the sound as they travelled, now able to hear words being sung and the instrument being played. They eventually reached a dirt road, where on the other side, under a tree, sat a wandering bard.

He was a pegasus stallion of an age similar to Ebony. He had a white coat of fur and a messy, silver mane and tail. His eyes were a sharp blue, a more energetic shade than Ace’s. On his flank and what he wielded was a guitar. On his head, he wore a pair of flight goggles and on his body was a black cloak, similar to Ebony’s. A bow and a pair of saddlebags lay beside the tree.

As if he had not noticed the two mares on the other side, the stallion continued to strum his guitar and sung, “…oh of what became of Ruber? Well some say to this day, that he is now pressed, upon the buttocks, of an ogre…”

Ebony remarked, “Easy money.”