Hey Twi,

I know you’re probably still busy with your trip for your lecture, but when you get a moment, I…have updates and I need to impose on you again for research materials.

Updates first, so you have a better sense of why I have the requests I do.

The girls are continuing to practice with their magic—so far everyone but Pinkie has seemed to manifest some kind of ability. They haven’t changed at all from what I reported earlier—speed for Dash, strength for AJ, shapeshifting for Fluttershy (which is something they don’t get as being as phenomenal as it is, because human folklore is rife with shapeshifting beings of different kinds…)—so I’m fairly comfortable with saying that the powers they have acquired are unlikely to change type, though they may further evolve in strength and versatility as the girls get used to them and grow more confident. It’s Rarity’s new power that really surprised me, and has tremendous potential for some very creative application. She conjures energy projections but they’re solid like magical shields. It…seems almost to combine aspects of conjuration and abjuration all at once…

At this point, I’m watching Pinkie, but she just doesn’t ever seem to get into a situation where she’s on an emotional edge enough to trigger anything. I suppose I should be grateful—knowing my luck, her power is to make cupcakes explode or something. It’s bad enough that I can now apparently create fire on a whim. Could you imagine what kind of DISASTER something like Pinkie being able to make explosions would be? I’m really hoping that whatever ability Pinkie ends up with is fairly non-destructive and benign. She’s my friend, but some beings should never be given that kind of power. It’d be like somepony dyed Discord pink and let him out again.

Speaking of Pinkie…does the pony Pinkie Pie ever mention something called ‘Pinkie Sense’ or somehow know things she shouldn’t with no explanation as to how? Because the human one does and it…I’m afraid to look too much into it. Something tells me that ‘that way lies madness.’ Are we sure Pinkie didn’t have an ancestor that had a rowdy night with Discord?

Anyway. I’m getting off-topic, but you’ll have to forgive me. Things have been…pretty busy and kind of insane here. I’ve delegated what I can, but at the end of the day, I’m the only board certified Magus and the only one capable of reading the various languages of Equestria to take down notes. On top of practicing their powers, we’re also taking down readings and running regular tests on magic. The levels here at CHS are only growing, and the affect its had on the flora in and around the school has persisted, but without any ill effects, although the repeated waves of magic and exposure to the Rainbow don’t seem to have had any affects on students other than the girls—Flash, Lyra, and Bon-bon have graciously been my volunteer test subjects for that.

All of what we’re doing has also motivated the school…which is weird, in a way. The students are trying to find ways to defend themselves from magic, and I’m pretty impressed with some of the ideas these humans have come up with to disrupt a spellcaster’s magic. I just really hope they never have to use them…

We both know I’m not that lucky.

Especially because I’ve picked up on dark magic again. Very dark magic, the kind that the Ethics Board would weigh in on and then put on the list of banned magics—the kind of stuff Darkblossom and Quietus the Blackhearted got condemned to Tartarus for.

I wont bore you with the human details that require complicated explanations, but my other friend? The one the girls don’t know about? She goes to another school, and several times now I’ve had to…burn off…purge…dark magic from her and her family. (It’s another of those complicated things I can’t explain how it works yet or why, but I think it’s tied into whatever power makes me Pony-Up.) The dark magic…it makes them angry and aggressive and not themselves, that keeps coming back, and that seems to be invisible until it’s triggered. And the thing that seems to trigger it most? Things related to her school. I can’t prove it, but the school seems the only common denominator, especially since Lyra had another friend who goes to this other school, and that friend is…also acting pretty hostile and aggressive lately when they’ve talked. It’s enough to make me extremely suspicious…and very worried.

The worst part is that there’s a special competition coming up between that school and Canterlot High, hosted at CHS. If theres a being or person or artifact causing this…I’m extremely concerned about it trying to either tamper with the portal, or worse, go after the ambient magic present in the school and the students.

Which is why I need information on dark magic that might fit this. It’s not Equestrian magic, but it reminds me of some things I do remember from researching in the past. And it’s not like mind altering magics are super common as a subject… I’m hoping it might give me a starting point to combat it proactively, rather than being forced to react to it all the time.

I’ve also acquired a book…I think I’ve mentioned it before—the journal of a human chasing after a wife taken by unknown creatures? Anyway, I’ve confirmed that its legitimately magical, and very heavily spelled, which lends credence to it, and in it…I’ve discovered a bestiary of sorts, full of magical creatures, some of which I know are Equestrian, some of which I’ve never heard of, and some that are so much more expansive than anything I’ve ever read on some of the worst things rotting in Tartarus. Which brings me to my second request, which may be pushing boundaries all things considered, but there’s something I can’t shake about it.

I need to know what our people have on demons and demon-like creatures, anything that falls under the Nightmares, Fearlings, and old Dream-Eaters stories, and anything else that can attack the mind or traverse the place between awake and asleep. I can’t bring myself to trust this information one hundred percent by itself. I need other sources, and Equestria is where I can find them.

Ive been having nightmares, Twi, and you’ll understand when I say ‘they don’t just feel like dreams.’ …and somehow, I have powers of my own, without being an Element…and I don’t know where its coming from.

I need answers, and I need your help.

Please—I need to protect her.

Sunset Shimmer

Sunset,

Applejack here—er, the pony one, obviously. Twi and Spike are both out of town. Some big high faluting thing in Canterlot or something. She been heading there a lot lately—Princess Luna’s been getting her help, I think.

Anywho. Read through your letter, in case it was an emergency, and while I cant help much with the magic stuff, the nightmares thing…look, we Apples have had a few ponies in the family over the years that were Moondreamers, and so Granny always taught us that if your dreams don’t feel like just dreams, listen to that. Its a good chance that feeling is right. And we cant really get any restricted stuff, but I’ll have Rarity and Pinkie help me look through whats here to find what Twi’s library has. Would it be okay for one of us to deliver it to you or your friends through the mirror? I can make sure its either me or Rarity—I’m not sure letting Pinkie loose on another world where theres already a Pinkie is a good ide—

Terribly sorry about the abrupt end of Applejack’s message, darling, but Pinkie appears to have caused a minor explosion in the castle kitchen. She is right about us searching the library, though I cannot guarantee we will find overmuch. Would you like us to send Princess Luna a message with your questions? Perhaps her role as the Dreamwalker might mean she has the answers you need.

This dark magic you mention sounds positively dreadful…I am no expert like Twilight, but have you considered using some of the gems to create a protective accessory? I’ve done that before for clients who needed the added defense. I understand humans don’t have tails, but based on Twilight’s description, it sounds like they have other types of accessories. You could either carve the array into the accessory itself, or if size and concealment is a factor, perhaps the use of sympathetic magic instead, by creating a smaller and more understated piece from parent stones and then keeping the parent array somewhere where it will be both safe and easily charged?

I will sketch in some of the arrays I’m familiar with—perhaps your Rarity can assist you in the craft…or, if you think it could be done with runes embroidered into fabric, I would be more than happy to do some of the enchanting legwork for you and send some of my special thread and fabric across. We may not be Twilight, darling, but we are happy to help somepony in need.

Let me know? I have a slow few weeks—no major client orders are due at the moment, so I have time so long as Sweetie Belle does not disassemble my loom for parts again.

Sincerely Yours,

Rarity of Ponyville

Proprietor and Seamstress of Carousel Boutique

[Smudges of glitter and excess hot pink ink dot the page]

Hiiiiiii Sunset! Pinkie here! Of course I have Pinkie Sense, silly filly! All Pinkies do—its part of THE PINK inside of a Pinkie! Thats how I knew you were talking about me! See, I got this twitchy feeling in my tail and then my nose itched and my front left hoof taped the ground six times two fast and three slow and one hard, and I just knew someone was asking about Pinkie Sense in a magic letter. And then I accidentally had another twitch and knocked a thing of flour onto the fire and BOOM! Applejack had to help me air out the kitchens cause the flour made it super smoky! Oh, and she mentioned your letter!

Also, you don’t have to worry about the other Pinkie blowing stuff up. Thats a DIFFERENT Pinkie who gets to do that! Though I suppose your Pinkie might borrow her sometimes…

Since we’re sending stuff through, I’ll make sure to send you a batch of my fizzleberry muffins! They’re good for chasing away the sad with smiles!

Poor Sunset.