No sunlight pierced the darkness of the basement in which the scholar sat, hunched over a weighty tome written in a language long forgotten by all but the Hinnydu priests, chanting while surrounded by golden idols in their temples. The scholar paused at a particular difficult word and used her magic to lift a white glass filled with water to her lips. The cool liquid tickled as she opened her mouth and the liquid traveled down her throat and quenched her thirst. She set it back down and returned to the tome.

Depictions of Ponies in varying intimate positions filled the pages, surrounded by the intricate, flowing scrawl of the language of the Hinnydo priests. Four blue candles sat on the corners of her mahogany brown desk and illuminated the book. A lantern also hung from the ceiling, sending its light down to fill the room. She would take the tome up to the library, but it was so ancient she feared that any air contact would cause it to disintegrate. She turned a page and coughed as a cloud of dust sprung up. She shook her violet mane, banishing the dust. The book had divested to her the last of its useful information. Her cheeks burned scarlet at one particular image. She knew at this point that they were only symbolic representations of sacred union, but still they were rather racy.

There was more to tantra than just sex magic, though. She slid the book into a plastic bag and picked up another book, floating it off the stacks of book. She carefully slid it out of a plastic bag. The binder was flaking and parts of it had dissolved altogether. She opened the book and found an inscription praising the "eternal rule" of a "world-honored king" she had never heard of. After staring at the inscription, she realized that this was written in the time of Ramahara I, who had lived seven centuries before and had expanded Hinnydia all throughout the Southern Sea, bringing in the peoples of the islands.

She immediately saw the island influence. On the first page, a necklace of skulls greeted her. She bit her lip. The whole goal of this exercise was to find the common link. She glanced at her notes on the runes, Kabbalah and tarot. Where did Tantra fit in? It was an odd, even grotesque, system. A dark-skinned goddess danced upon the body of a prone god. Shiva, she recognized. The goddess held a necklace of decapitated heads, blood dripping down the disembodied head's lips. There was something she was missing. What was she missing?

Her hoof found her forehead, rubbing a circle beneath her horn. The symbols made no sense to her. The symbolism made less sense. Decapitation. The loss of ego in the all-consuming unity of Brahman. Yet, every other magical system she knew of spoke of deification of self, the sacrifice of self to...a...higher self.

Oh. Oh!

Of course. Different symbols. Odin had offered himself to himself upon Yggdrasil's branches. The Creator of Kabbalah had poured Itself into the act of creation. Bhraman had done the same. The cutting off of the head meant not the loss of the self, but that same sacrifice. The loss of self to the higher self.

She leaned back in her chair. That was just theory though. There was something else going on. She felt as if she were on the trail of the source of all magic. What source of power was she about to stumble upon? She eagerly scanned the pages, flipping through them with her magic. The symbols were different, the meaning the same.

For some strange reason, her stomach hurt. She touched it and an audible grumble sounded. She ignored it and returned to scanning the volume of knowledge before her.The grumbling from her stomach was insistent. She picked up her cup of water and drank deeply from it. The coolness soothed the emptiness inside of her gut if it did not make it go away entirely. She glanced up at her candles and realized one of them had burned out.

How long had she been down here? It didn't matter. She snuffed out the candle with a stray spell, pushed it aside and lifted up a new candle from a basket next to her desk. The flame flared into existence, casting an extra light onto the page she was reading. Her stomach growled, continuing to remind her of that most bothersome bodily function. She groaned. She was so close to a breakthrough!

The text described ancient sages who could fly though they were neither Pegasii nor Unicorns. They could levitate and transform objects, bind the elements and turn their bodies into steel or other substances. One sage lived for nine-hundred years. They could have been just fanciful legends, but Twilight wasn't sure.

Her tribe's legends spoke often of Unicorn sages who had powers far beyond any Unicorn who lived today. Unicorns whose abilities sounded suspiciously similar to the abilities of the Hinnydu sages. It had long been speculated that the universe was pervaded by an energy field from which all magical beings drew their power.

Others dismissed these ideas entirely. The most common theory now was that magic existed in DNA, a gene that allowed magical creatures to interact with the quantum level of reality. Her discovery of thaumatons had rapidly changed that idea and now the pendulum was swinging back to talk of magical fields.

What was the nature of that magical field? That was the question. Where did it come from? How did some beings manage to access it?

Could these books have the answer that ten-thousand generations of scholars sought? Twilight picked up a notebook and began to scribble, drawing a line between correspondences which the runes shared with Kabbalah and Kabbalah shared with the Tantras.

Common ideas. Shared symbols seen through a veil of cultural differences. Tales of power which the sages of old had wielded. A dull ache pounded against the inside of her head. Her now empty stomach made known its complaint against her. She rose from the table. "Oh fine. I guess I'll take a break then."

She rose from the chair, stretching out her stiff legs and rolling her back. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips and she trotted up the stairs. She blinked when she got to the entrance out of the basement, the sunlight hurting her eyes. Spike was standing on a stool, wiping a shelf on the bookcase with a purple cloth. He hopped down when he saw Twilight and rushed to her side. "Supper is on the table."

She patted his spines. "You're a good assistant, Spike."

Just as Spike had told her, there was a daisy sandwich on the table, set on a white plate. She lifted it up in her magic and, holding it aloft, trotted back down to the gloom of the basement. That out of the way, she set the sandwich aside and returned to her book. Her stomach reminded her of why she had gone upstairs in the first place and she took a bite out of the sandwich. The daisies were fresh, probably freshly plucked. They were sweet, enticing her taste buds. A few crumbs spilled onto the table. She brushed them aside and gobbled down the treat. After a few bites, it was all gone.

At last, she could study entirely in peace without any troublesome bodily functions. She washed down the meal with the last of her water. This was the part of studying she loved, when all the clues and pieces came together. It was like putting together a puzzle, another activity she enjoyed. In her mind, she could see the information weaving together, disparate strands of data weaving together into a coherent whole. And she alone would be the one to put the great puzzle together.

A cough broke from her lips. Unfortunately, she had run out of water. Sighing again, she stood up and once more trekked back into the main room of the library. Spike didn't even look up from his task. "The water's on the table. You might want to take it with you next time."

"Thanks, Spike." She grabbed the water and hurried down to the basement.

"I'm billing the sandwich and water as separate items!" Spike called after her.

Twilight paused at the entrance of the stairs. "I'll buy you a new comic book."

"Supermare?"

"Sure."

"Deal."

Pesky dragon assistants and her bodily functions cared for, Twilight returned to her studies. The tome beckoned, calling to her with promises of ancient mysteries unknown for centuries. The lure of lost knowledge pushed her to carefully examine each page, whispering the strange syllables of the pleasant, sensuous tongue.

The vowels and consonants of the half-forgotten foreign language did not easily roll off her tongue, starting and stopping with strange, unnatural pauses. She pushed through, teasing out the meanings and writing down words she didn't know the meaning of, but seemed important nonetheless.

The scratching of her quill against paper and the crackling of the candles were the only sounds that could be heard as the scholar continued pouring over the pages. The farther into the book she got, the more notes she took. More words that she couldn't discern the meaning of. Some of the words seemed to have been borrowed from other languages altogether.

With a frustrated sigh, she put the book aside and wrapped it up in the plastic bag she had gotten it from and reached for another book. Her ears flickered and she turned around. Nopony else was in the room with her.

She shrugged. "Huh. Could have sworn I heard something."

She reached for another book. A fine layer of dust had settled over this one which flew up in a cloud around her head and sparked a coughing fit. A swish of water dealt with that problem and allowed her to get back to reading.

The stairs creaked as she read. She ignored it. Turning from her book to her notes, she noticed more of those mysterious words. There was a pattern to the words. Often, the words came in pairs. Clearly, they had meaning in conjunction with each other. The headache she'd been trying to ignore was only getting stronger, transforming from a dull ache into a feeling similar to Applejack doing apple bucking inside of her skull.

She raised both of her forelegs to her head, rubbing circles in her temples and softly groaning. Even the soft light of the candles was unbearably bright. She shut her eyes against the flames, taking refuge in the darkness. The soft scent of feverfew tea tickled her nostrils. Her eyes widened.

A pink teacup seated on a silver plate was set on her table. Spike must have brought it in when she had her eyes closed. Making a note to raise his allowance, she lifted the cup to her lips. The calming aroma gently enticed her senses and started the work of loosening the knots throbbing in her head.

She set the cup down after taking a few gentle sips. At this point, she felt she had enough information to start a decent thesis. She set the book and its confusing-if strangely sensual sounding-lexicon aside. The taste of the tea which lingered on her lips was well-brewed. The flavors were balanced just right.

She took another sip. Feverfew. There was something familiar about this particular flavor of tea. It brought to mind memories of late night study sessions when the Princess would slip into her room and give her a cup of tea to ward off her all too frequent migraines.

Twilight whirled around and two white wings softly enfolded her. Each feather caressed her withers and Twilight wondered how she had missed the tall, elegant alicorn in the room. She stood and greeted her with a kiss. Celestia kissed back, pressing into her lips, crushing them against hers like she was hungry for the taste of her.

Twilight responded in turn, leaning deep into the kiss, exploring the roof of Celestia's mouth even as Celestia explored her own. Finally they broke apart, both panting and short of breath.

Celestia pouted. "I've been missing you."

Twilight frowned. "I've missed you too. How long have you been standing there?"

"About ten minutes. Wonder what would have happened if I'd been a dangerous assassin?"

Twilight shivered. She was the bearer of the Element of Magic and royal consort. That wasn't a merely hypothetical scenario. "Huh. I need to be more careful." She embraced Celestia and cuddled into her chest. "Do you think Jormugandr or Hel would try to hurt me?"

Celestia's wing was like a shield as she tightened her grip over Twilight. Her mouth was set into a thin line. "They wouldn't dare attempt to come into my domain and harm the one that I love."

Twilight soaked in the warmth of Celestia's presence. "I'll take your word for it."

"Trust me. I will protect you." Celestia ran a hoof through Twilight's mane. "So, what were you working on?"

Twilight broke away, reluctantly, from Celestia's embrace. "I'm studying the Tantras." She took another sip of the tea and sat down. Celestia sat beside her.

Twilight showed her her notebook. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know what language this is, would you?"

Celestia examined it. "It has been a very long time since I've seen this language."

Twilight clapped her forehooves together. "Yay! So, you can read it?"

"Of course."

"You'll help me with it?"

"Beloved, you only need to ask. How did you get all this anyway?"

"I've been saving from my guild stipend. I need to publish something soon, though."

Celestia scanned Twilight's notes. "I see."

Twilight imbibed from the hot beverage she held aloft in her magic. "By the way, thanks for the tea."

"You are very welcome."

Celestia scooted closer to her as they looked over the text. Celestia mumbled to herself as she deciphered the terms Twilight had jotted down. "Lila, love play of the Gods who maintain the universe through their sacred union."

"I see." Twilight inched closer to Celestia. Their fur brushed together. "That's a fairly common theme throughout these books."

"Noticed that, hmm? Yes, but there's a deeper meaning."

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you. But, there's a price for knowledge."

Twilight nuzzled underneath her chin. "I'll give you anything you want. Anything."

Celestia brushed her muzzle against Twilight's horn. "Isn't it obvious? What I want is you...and me to go out. We haven't been on a date in a month."

Twilight's shoulders slouched. "Yeah, I know. You've probably been real busy with running everything, though."

"I wasn't the only one that was busy-and I do understand. A great scholar like you is bound to get caught up in her work."

"You get caught up in your work too, though. Starting to become jealous of the nobles."

Celestia laughed, a mirthless, bitter sound. "Dearest, I assure you, I would much prefer your company to any of them. I, however, have become jealous of books."

"Wasn't it books that brought us together? Remember Solid Shield's work?"

Celestia's hoof was gentle as it ran through Twilight's mane. "I remember. That book has a place of honor on my shelf."

"It's been a long time since we've read it. You want to?"

"I can teleport you, there."

"Please."

There was a flash of magic and they were off.

...
Twilight stumbled as they landed in Celestia's bedroom. It took a few seconds for her to find her hooving as the appendages sank into the thick, red carpet. Celestia steadied her with a wing and Twilight nestled against her side as they went to the bed. Celestia's magic guided the book of poems to rest on the covers between them.

Twilight stroked the cover which was free of cracks or dust. The title gleamed in golden letters. "How did you restore it like this?" Her magic flipped through the pages until she was certain that it was indeed the book she'd found in the Crystal Empire's library all those months ago (it felt like a lifetime.)

"A powerful enchantment using time magic."

Twilight traced the book's perfect, pristine pages. "I've never known of any time magic that could do this."

"It's too complex for ordinary mages."

Twilight shot her a glance. "Is that a challenge?"

"No. No it most certainly is not."

"Hmm...wish I'd brought the tea with me."

Celestia's horn glowed and it appeared on the bedside table.

Twilight picked it up and took a sip."Still warm. How far does your magic extend?"

"I can manipulate a celestial orb from 149.6 billion meters away."

"Huh. So pretty far."

Celestia noogied her. "You could say that, yes."

"So, what? Could you teleport all Canterlot?"

"I've never tried it, but probably."

"All the planets?"

"Now a planet is a different matter. I'm not sure."

"What's different?"

"The movement of a planet is guided by another being whom I would not want to test myself against."

"I see."

Twilight settled into Celestia's side and Celestia blanketed her with her wing. The warmth of the tea filled her even as the affection of the princess did. Celestia opened a page of the book. "This poem reminds me of you. I think you'll see why."

Moonlight filled the room joining with the soft light of the chandelier hanging from the ceiling as Celestia lifted her voice in song.

"You are my special flower,
unfurling your petals to the sun,
giving the gift of your beauty to all who pass by.
Your laughter is the dew
that nourishes my soul,
your touch
the sweet scent of the rose,
lifting my heart."

As she sang, she trailed Twilight's face with a feather.

Twilight kissed her cheek. "This one reminds me of you." She flipped through the pages of the books and sang in Crystallish, knowing that Celestia would understand it.

"Come oh Beloved,
come like the Sun,
I long for you,
like the earth
longs for the warmth of
the sun.
Touch me
and your warmth
brings me at once to life,
like the sun
revives all things
after the long winter."

Celestia looked to the side and sniffled. Twilight jolted up from the book. "Tia? Did you not like it? Tia?"

The princess was trying to hold back tears, but they ended up escaping. "That...that one was written about me."

Twilight pulled a tissue from a box and wiped away Celestia's tears. "You and Solid Shield?"

"There was a time when we were lovers. I never told you..."

"You thought I'd be jealous?" She wrapped her forelegs around Celestia's barrel and held her as sobs shook her barrel. They tapered off after a while.

"Thank you, Twilight. The reason I value this book so much is not because of Solid Shield having been my lover before he went back to Bella-she was the better choice for him-it's because you brought me the book."

"I suspected you were lovers. Some of those poems remind me of you."

"That was a different me."

"Not so different." Twilight stroked her cheek. "I read them and recognize you in them." She paused. "I've learned a lot about you, lately. Is there anything you want to know about me? Anything embarrassing or secret, I'll tell you."

"Who was your first kiss?"

Twilight snuggled her. "His name was Blazing Star."

"Lieutenant Blazing Star?"

"He joined the guard thinking it'd impress me. And then there was Moondancer. Things didn't end well there."

"I have long suspected that. It was at that Hearth's Warming party, wasn't it?"

Twilight's jaw dropped. "How did you know?"

"Your grades started dropping and so did hers. That means one of two things. A student is dealing with a crisis or they're in love."

"Yep. We broke up because I didn't want to sacrifice my grades." She sighed. "Now I look back and wonder if it was the right choice."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not."

A worrisome thought wormed itself into her brain. "What if...what if that happens again? I got so wrapped up in studying I haven't seen you in a month."

"Nor have I. Sometimes, Ponies get busy. Nothing to worry about."

Twilight lifted up. "But it is!" She hopped off the bed and started pacing.

"Twi."

Twilight didn't respond. "It's just like with Moondancer. I got into researching something and neglected you." She glared accusingly at Celestia. "Although, you could have sent me a letter."

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Nothing stopped you from sending me a letter."

"What if we're drifting apart? What if we drift apart?"

"Twilight."

"I mean, it could happen. I don't want that to happen!"

"Twilight Sparkle!"

Twilight stopped. Celestia sauntered over to her and grasped her hoof. "I understand your worry. Why don't we schedule a weekly date night? And nothing short of an outbreak of war or the collapse of the economy will stop us from going on a date that night? Lots of couples do that. Shining and Cadence do that."

Twilight nodded. She liked scheduling. "Alright. Every Friday sound good?"

"Sure."

"Why didn't we do this before?"

"I don't know."

They returned to the bed and the room was filled with the chanting of love poems as they read to each other.