Shade looks up from over the top of her book to observe the sleeping gray pegasus. She takes a long sip of tea and levitates the cup with her magic as her softly glowing eyes watch over her friend. She returns to reading, flipping through the ancient vellum tome of spells, planning her experiments for Rainbow Dash. A hum vibrates her lips as a peculiar spell pops up. Groaning pulls her nose out of the book. She places the book and tea cup down on the side table and gets up from her sitting chair to cross the room to reach the bedside.

"Aaahh!" Ditzy shrieks. "I can't see!"

"Relax!" Shade grabs the flailing mare's withers. "Relax. I just covered your eyes just to be safe."

Ditzy stops squirming and breaths a sigh of relief, "O-oh. . ."

"Keep your eyes closed," Shade instructs as she begins to unwrap the white blindfold from Ditzy's head. She sets the fabric aside and holds Ditzy's muzzle in her hooves. "Slowly open your eyes."

The gray pegasus swallows and places her trembling hooves on her friend. She carefully opens her eyes. Right in front of her, she sees Shade, a faint light breaking through the drawn curtains illuminates her smiling, ivory face and her glowing yellow orbs. Tears well in Ditzy's eyes and she wraps her hooves around Shade's neck.

"Ohmigosh, Shade!" Ditzy cries.

Shade returns Ditzy's nuzzling and rubs her back. "Was there any doubt?"

Ditzy pushes Shade back and smiles, "Never."

"I'm glad. The sp-" Lips locking onto hers keep her from speaking.

Alarm bells ring in Shade's mind. What does she do? She can not just shove her away. . . Shade quietly accepts the mare's gratitude and warmth; her warm body, her hot breath, her warm tongue. . . Tongue?! Suddenly, she finds herself on her back staring up at Muffins.

Shade gulps. "Is this how prey feels?" she thinks.

Ditzy giggles. "Thank you, Shade."

"Y-Yeah. No proble-em, Muffins," Shade's voice cracks.

Ditzy smiles and nuzzles Shade. She leans in to kiss, but a hoof to her chest stops her. Shade teleports out from under Ditzy to the side of the bed.

"Muffins, I. . . once was enough for me today. I need time to think. Okay?" Shade asks uncertainly and rubs the back of her neck.

"Oh. I'm sorry for jumping on you. I was just excited and really happy," Ditzy chuckles softly.

"I have to go. I promised AJ I would help her with Rainbow's practice." Shade quickly teleports away.

Ditzy's mouth hangs open, and she sighs, not able to say what she wants to Shade.

Shade turns away from looking at her house across the square to meet up with Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

Applejack nudges Rainbow Dash in the ribs. The cyan pegasus yawns and rubs her eyes.

"Do you see anything wrong?" Applejack asks as she points a hoof at Shade walking toward them.

Rainbow Dash lazily follows the apricot leg. "Uh. . . no? Am I supposed to?"

"Look closer," Applejack replies.

"What? She just has her head down," Rainbow comments. The flat look from Applejack sparks Rainbow Dash's brain. "Whoa! That is weird."

"Everything alright, sugarcube?" Applejack inquires when Shade stops in front of them with a sigh.

Shade walks past them and inspects the beams of wood on the ground. "What are we making?"

Rainbow Dash flies over to Shade with a beaming grin. "I'm glad you asked! We are going to build a catapult that will help me reach the high speeds, so I can do my new trick!" Rainbow Dash lowers her arms and frowns at Shade. "I can't tell what you're thinking when you're wearing your goggles."

Shade turns around and conjures up a giant cannon a few feet away. Rainbow Dash falls to the ground gawking at the cannon. Applejack whistles in awe.

"Catapults are so last century, my prismatic friend," Shade smirks.

Rainbow Dash hugs and squeezes Shade. "I. Love! It!"

Shade instantly teleports out of Rainbow's grasp and lands on top of the cannon. She receives strange looks from both her friends. "We done? Alright. Good job team."

"Something is totally up with her," Rainbow Dash remarks after the ivory tricorn teleports away.

"You can say that again," Applejack nods.

"Something is totally up with her," Rainbow Dash snickers.

Applejack rolls her eyes in good humor.

Shade finds herself inside Golden Oaks Library. Just the place to get her mind off of things. She reaches for a book when a voice stops her.

"Ahem," Twilight clears her throat.

"Not now, Twilight," Shade groans.

"How did you fix Der- uh- Ditzy's eyes?" Twilight corrects herself as she walks over to the tricorn.

"Magic."

"But what spell?"

Shade sighs. "A very dangerous spell that came with a price. I paid the price so that Ditzy would not have to."

Twilight gasps. "You are talking about a curse!"

"Hex," Shade corrects Twilight.

"Why did you do it?"

"The other methods would take too long and use up too much of my power," Shade idly replies as she flips through a book.

Twilight walks up beside the tricorn. "What was the price?"

Shade snaps the book closed which makes Twilight step back. Shade grins and turns to Twilight. "If you do me a huge favor, I will not only tell you, but I will even let you borrow some of my spell tomes."

Twilight is ready to agree but stops herself. She knew Shade's collection of books is nothing but forbidden spells and knowledge Princess Celestia had told Twilight not to read. If Shade was willing to share knowledge, she must be desperate. Twilight wants to ask more question but pressing Shade further tends to end up with Shade mad.

"I dislike you," Shade says and interrupts Twilight's thoughts. "However," Shade begins and removes her goggles, "I respect you and your potential. If you do this for me, I will be ever indebted to you, Twilight."

Twilight can see what almost looks like desperation in Shade's eyes and her words. "Wh-what is it?"

"I need you to hold on to something for safe keeping."

"Okay?" Twilight replies uncertainly.

"Great. I will return momentarily!" Shade says before teleporting away, leaving crimson sparkles behind.

Twilight drinks her second cup of tea. Glancing at the clock tells her that Shade had left over two hours ago. She huffs and continues to wait ever so patiently.

Pop!

She gets up from her chair and rushes over to the ivory tricorn in the middle of the room. A stack of books appears in front of Twilight. Twilight pushes them aside to get a better look at the chest beside Shade's hooves. Shade's aura feels off.

"Twilight," Shade speaks with a crisp tone. Shade lifts up the small, wooden chest in a hoof. "In here is something precious to me. Hide it. Keep it hidden from me. Do not speak of it. In fact," Shade's horns flash, "I placed a mind wiping spell on the box that will take effect once you and I remove it from our grasp."

Twilight swallows audibly. What was in the box? Shade extends her hoof with the box to Twilight. Twilight holds out her hoof and Shade places the box on Twilight's hoof. Shade teleports away. Twilight is left standing in the middle of the library with a chest in her hoof. She sits and stares at the chest. Curiosity gets the best of her.

"Well, she did not say I could not open it. . ." Twilight whispers to herself. She cautiously lifts the latches and opens the chest. Her eyes grow wide as the red glow grows brighter as she opens the lid. "Sweet Celestia!"

A crash startles Twilight, and she drops the box.

The box lands on the floor and shuts close.

"Hey, Twilight," Spike greets the lavender pony. He closes the door behind him with his foot and sets all the books in his arms on the ground. He walks over to Twilight with a cocked brow, "Uh, Twilight? Why are you staring at that chest?"

Twilight shakes her head. She smiles at Spike, "Hey, Spike! When did you get back?"

"Just now. . ."

"Good. Now we can get started adding those books to the library." Twilight stands up and kicks something on the ground. She picks up the small, wooden chest with her magic. "What's this, Spike?"

The dragon shrugs his shoulder, "I dunno. You were staring at it when I came in."

"Hm?" Twilight rubs her chin and casually opens the chest.

"Is that a ruby?!" Spike licks his lips.

"Yes. I wonder what it could be. . ."

"A present for me for being such a well behaved assistant, maybe?" Spike grins.

Twilight laughs and pets Spike's head. "That should be coming in tomorrow. No. This is something different." Twilight stares at the, literal, heart-shaped ruby. It looks so real. . . She shrugs her shoulders and closes the chest. She puts it on top of some shelves and returns to Spike. "Let's get started, Spike."

Spike groans and heads back to the stack of books by the door. Before he can take a step, the books begin to levitate. He turns back and smiles at Twilight.