Twilight Sparkle Week 2026

Of all the things it could have been, Twilight thought, it must have been the familiarity.

Her hoof gently trailed down the smooth crystal of the stair’s guard rail, and something about its cold sheen stung beyond just touch. Perfectly polished, she could trace her reflection in the crystal she touched, from the frog of her hoof to the tip of her tail. A sparkling, wide-eyed lavender unicorn stared back, and if she tried hard enough, she could almost ignore the wings that fluttered at her sides.

Almost.

Twilight hadn’t noticed when she began climbing the steps, but she’d gone without lifting her hoof from the guard rail. Though it made the climb much more tedious, a small part of her simply refused to pull away, fear gripping her about losing that something that had gripped her inside.

It was far from the first time she’d come to visit this place. She knew the layout like the back of her hoof, and if she wasn’t so captivated by this strange link she felt, Twilight could find her way with both eyes closed. It was familiar, too familiar, yet still strange, not unlike the castle she’d called home for years. It came from the same source, and was even made of crystal.

For just a moment, her eyes stung, and she shook her head to push away the feeling.

Losing the Golden Oak Library had been hard, possibly one of the most difficult things she’d gone through. Logically, it shouldn’t be; at this point, she’d lived in Ponyville without it longer than she’d lived with it. Her castle felt like a home now, and even if it wasn’t perfect, she’d still grown to love its glittering halls.

So why wasn’t it the same for this place?

Why did every room make her wings twitch, fighting back claustrophobia she’d never known in years prior?

Why did the sparkling crystal walls hide phantoms in the corner of her vision, not polished reflections of light and beauty?

Why did the fall of glittering petals feel like the death of someone she’d never known?

It must have been the familiarity.

A tree destroyed by a darkened heart, smoldering ash and broken glass left behind until six friends came together and made new life from the pieces. Her new home, a crystal palace to grow where leaves and branches once offered shelter and warmth.

A tree shattered under a shadowed wrath, shattered crystal and cracked hope until six young friends came together and brought new life to the remains. A crystal treehouse, a home away from home that offered respite and relief to students that once sought friendship and harmony.

The Treehouse of Harmony, they’d called it, and it was just as much for Twilight and her friends as it was for Yona and hers. They’d promised that – insisted upon it.

And yet.

And yet, other than their initial visit, none of her other friends had set hoof inside more than once. Fluttershy and Rarity thought it was pretty, but it was much too far to come by with their busy schedules. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie thought it was a perfect memorial for the Tree of Harmony, but they’d just as soon forgotten its existence in favor of staying in Ponyville. Applejack only insisted that no one tell her sister about it, or else the Cutie Mark Crusaders would be sneaking into the Everfree twice a week.

Even Starlight just remarked that it was a good thing for the students to have, and went back to preparing for the day she’d become headmare for the School of Friendship.

Twilight felt differently.

It must have been the familiarity.

The Castle of Friendship had grown on her after some time. Her friends and the memories they shared were what made that castle a home, and it had been three long months before she’d been able to sleep peacefully in the halls that represented her new life.

Almost a year ago, Sombra had returned from beyond the grave, and his rampage had nearly destroyed the heart of Equestria. He’d destroyed the Tree of Harmony, and in the end, Discord was the one to show Twilight that even without the Elements, her bonds of friendship were more powerful than any foe could hope to tear down.

The irony was not lost on her.

Eleven months now, the Tree of Harmony had been gone, the Elements a mere memory.

Eleven months now, her world turned on its head, a new duty and purpose weighing on her shoulders.

Eleven months now, and her sleep was finally restful again, no longer plagued by trees and shadows, princesses and thrones.

Twilight was outside now, standing on the highest balcony of the treehouse and looking out over the Everfree Forest. At the fresh air, her wings spread wide, eager to stretch the nerves that had clamped them shut at her sides.

The sun approached the horizon, daylight mingling with the softer shades of night to paint the sky in her namesake. Twilight took in a deep breath, hoof on her chest. When she exhaled, her hoof pushed away and she allowed herself a small smile.

Her horn sparked to life, and raspberry magic delved into the world, woven through clouds and trees, water and air. It reached through the forest, beyond Ponyville, beyond Canterlot and into the skies. It dove in and out of the air, the atmosphere, eventually finding its way to a friend she’d known all her life, but only recently truly met.

Unlike the first few times, her magic was gentle as it embraced the sun, its warmth mingling with her aura and causing a smile to spread on her face. She simply existed in that moment, eyes closed and wings spread, her mane and tail ever so softly billowing in place.

It was hard to believe she’d once struggled with the sun and moon, overwhelmed with the pressure of responsibility, the price of failure. Even with Celestia and Luna’s magic aiding her, she’d fought the sun, the moon and herself to try and end just one day, to bring just one night while the princesses took a well earned vacation.

Today, though? Today, something was different.

It must have been the familiarity.

Coaxing the sun to descend beyond the horizon was no easy task, to be sure. As an alicorn of Magic and Friendship, Twilight’s domain allowed her to understand and replicate magic that would normally be far beyond her regular scope. She would never be quite as attuned to the sun as Celestia, however, nor to the moon and stars as Luna would be.

But she could come close. She was lucky in that way, her own talents allowing her to adapt to the responsibilities that would soon be hers alone to bear. Celestia and Luna’s magic would help, but she would still need practice for the future. For now, though, it was enough.

Gently, the sun descended out of sight, the reds of twilight giving way to the purples and blues of Luna’s night sky. Her horn flickered, and soon the moon began its ascent, slowly, carefully climbing out of its hiding spot to grace Equestria with gentle light. The moon, too, had been a struggle, cool to the touch yet refusing to submit to a will that would push it out of the path it desired. The sun and moon were both easier to handle now.

It must have been the familiarity.

Wasn’t that how it was supposed to be? Time moves on, wounds heal, scars fade. Eventually, the pit in your chest stops aching, pain stops ripping the breath from your lungs the moment you set hoof into a monument to all you had lost.

Shouldn’t she be better by now?

Twilight released her magic, allowing the sun to rest while leaving only a trail to help guide the moon forward. Her smile was gone, the distraction had only been momentary, and that familiar ache returned, her mind at war with itself.

It had been destroyed.

It had been rebuilt.

It was her fault.

There was nothing she could have done.

She would never move on.

Tomorrow awaited her on open wings.

For all her failures, Twilight had never made anything so bad it couldn’t be fixed. But she had failed, and that was what stung more; failing when someone else depended on her.

And yet.

And yet, all she’d lost, she’d gained back tenfold over time. She lost the Golden Oak, but had saved her friends, her family. She’d almost turned her back on friendship, almost let the Storm King win, but her bonds with friends old and new were stronger than ever before. The future she’d planned for was gone, but her friends would be there with her every step of the way.

Wasn’t that lucky? Wasn’t she lucky?

Was it luck at all, or was it the fate they’d woven together?

Twilight took another deep breath, hooves raised and eyes shut, and on the exhale, brought her hooves down against the moonlit crystal. The sound echoed; a sharp, glittering clap resonated through the air, her ears flicked in momentary discomfort.

That’s all it should have been; momentary discomfort, fleeting pain that she’d move past one way or another. It never had been, however, and it never would be. At that moment, the realization struck.

It was the familiarity.

The shining halls of the treehouse would always remind her of the Tree of Harmony. Every branch and leaf would always remind her of the Elements, the bonds they represented.

It was the same with her castle, wasn’t it? A tree of crystal, boughs and branches wrapped around the structure to keep her safe and warm. A symbol of not only the friendships she’d won, but the bright future ahead. The Golden Oak had been the start of those friendships, the home that had shaped her life, sent her on the path to the mare she was today.

She’d never really moved on after all. Twilight had brought it with her, every step, every life changing moment, her friends and her home that would live in her heart as long as she did.

One day, she would hold this place in her heart just as she’d held the Tree of Harmony. It might be a long time to come, but she would look upon these walls with warmth and pride.

Twilight allowed herself to open her eyes once more. When she turned around, a glittering reflection greeted her, wide eyed and wearing a gentle smile. The stars themselves twinkled across her body, flickering in her coat, dancing through her mane and tail. Twilight stared at herself – this was more than just looking into a mirror. It was looking into her soul.

When the reflection nodded at her once, Twilight knew it was content with what it had seen.

One moment it stood before her, a peaceful expression on its face, as though something it had been waiting for had come to pass. The next, it disappeared in a burst of starlight, the shimmering remnants of its magic the only sign that it had been there at all.

That night, when she took flight and left the treehouse behind, the stars overhead seemed to shine just that much brighter.

Maybe it had been fate the whole time.

Twilight Sparkle loved checklists. This was an immutable fact, just as she loved books, magic, organizing, her friends, the other princesses, Ponyville, and a more recent addition; her new favorite niece, Flurry Heart.

Oh, how she adored Flurry Heart. Frankly, she loved foals in general, but especially Flurry Heart. Twilight had first hoof experience raising Spike, and that had helped warm her up to the daunting idea of taking care of her. She wouldn’t trade that experience for the world, and it had led to where she was today, checklist floating beside her as she trotted down the main stairway of the Castle of Friendship.

“Rooms one through three banners, check. Room four, drinks and snacks, check – safe for foals, of course,” Twilight remarked to herself with a smile, marking her list while she moved. “Room seven, blankets, pillows and storybooks, check. Rooms five and six, toys, games, entertainment, check and check. That leaves rooms eight, nine and ten, which Pinkie and Applejack should be taking care of. Now I just need to take care of one more thing.”

Rolling up the scroll, Twilight descended the last stairs and entered the foyer, a loud murmur of excited chatter filling the first floor of her castle. Though she wouldn’t call it a swarm, the crowd of creatures did make it difficult to find the pony she was looking for. Several creatures weaved between others with purpose, others discussed matters off to the side, and a scant few seemed to simply be waiting with nothing to do.

As if the universe sensed her plight, Starlight Glimmer pushed through the crowd at that moment, a clipboard levitated in her magic. Twilight grinned, bounding over to her student and calling out for her.

“Starlight! Is everything on track?” Starlight’s ears perked up, and when she turned to face Twilight, her smile looked only slightly nervous.

“Oh! Hey, Twilight! Yes, everything’s going on track! We did have just a couple last minute problems pop up, but Rainbow Dash took care of them. In fact, she should be back soon!”

Twilight unrolled her list to compare with Starlight’s, her quill hovering over one of the last three boxes. “And what about Applejack and Pinkie Pie?”

“Well, that was kind of the problem. B-but we fixed it, like I said! And Pinkie Pie-” Starlight’s quill hovered and quickly jabbed to point towards the direction of room eight “-is cleaning up the mess from her ‘Creamy Crumbly Confetti Cake Canon’ test run. Rainbow Dash went to get the replacement decorations.”

Twilight frowned, the back of her quill tapping at her chin after checking off two more boxes. “That’s strange. I was sure she’d managed to work out all the kinks with the C-5 model two. I’ll have to talk to her about it tomorrow.

“But first – have you seen Mayor Mare around? I have some last minute details to discuss with her about the guest list.”

“Mayor Mare? I’m pretty sure I saw her outside. She said she was waiting for something important and shooed me off.”

“Oh, I think I know what she’s waiting for. I’d better take care of that now. The guest of honor should be arriving in less than an hour, after all!”

“And I’ll go check on Pinkie Pie now. Good luck!” Starlight gave her a nervous smile before trotting away, disappearing into the crowd. Twilight took the opportunity to head towards the entrance, nodding at the stationed crystal guard ponies who opened the door for her.

Thankfully, Mayor Mare wasn’t far, having kept to the front of the castle. She paced in a long oval, looking out at the road every so often with a frown on her face, only stopping when she heard Twilight approach.

“I’m told the celebration in town is going well,” she began, and when Twilight said nothing, she continued, “and that we have more tourists visiting than we expected. Hopefully, this will be a good boost to the town’s coffers!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, earning a nervous cough in response as the mayor looked away, out towards the road again.

“Mayor Mare, I know you’re worried about letting him run the town’s first Crystalling celebration, but I wouldn’t have picked Cheese Sandwich without good reason. You put your trust in me, right?” Twilight waited for a moment, continuing when she received a nod in response, “so trust me when I say that everything will go fine. In fact, we only have one last thing to take care of for the real party. Do you have the guest list?”

Mayor Mare retrieved a scroll from her saddlebags, trading it with Twilight to go over her checklist. “Yes, I’ve triple checked with Sunburst that everyone who will be allowed in the castle today is on that list. The guards have their own copies as well.”

“Prefect! In that case” – Twilight levitated her quill over to the check list and ticked off the final box – “I think we’re ready to begin! Unless, of course, you still wanted to talk about the celebration?”

Mayor Mare furrowed her brows, thinking in silence. Twilight didn’t say anything else, offering the space if it was wanted, but refusing to push. It was up to her if she wanted to bring up her problems.

“No,” the silence was broken after several minutes, “I think it will be alright. I just have to let you take the lead.”

“It will be,” Twilight replied, giving her a smile, “I promise. And thank you for trusting me, Mayor Mare.”

A horn sounded off, and the two turned towards the road to see a small procession heading their way. At the front, a guard waved the flag of the Crystal Empire, and behind them, two familiar ponies followed, the other guards forming a loose shape around their rulers.

The two lists disappeared with a pop, and Twilight flapped her wings once, twice in preparation to meet them halfway.

“Let’s get this party started.”

“Happy birthday, Flurry Heart! With love and charity, your most fashionable aunt Rarity.”

Levitating an elegantly wrapped present in her magic, Princess Cadance read off the tag of an equally fancy birthday card with a smile. “You know she can’t read yet, right? A simple ‘to and from’ tag would have been fine.”

Throughout the Castle of Friendship, a party was held that had gone on for hours at this point. Foals laughed, played and ran, and several nobles and officials chatted about the newest princess of the Crystal Empire.

Away from all that hustle and bustle, in a room full of chairs and blankets, several ponies gathered to share gifts for the little filly.

“Yes, of course I know that – but she may want to look back upon these cards at some point! And what about you and Shining Armor? I’m certain you will want to keep them too, right?”

Shining Armor - currently playing host to an alicorn foal attempting to hide in his mane - rolled his eyes. “Sure we will, but you’re also not her aunt. That’s reserved for Twily.”

“And as her ‘Best Aunt Ever’, I’m not planning on giving up that title anytime soon. Sorry, Rarity,” Twilight said with a laugh when Rarity gave an indignant huff, folding her hooves across her chest.

“We love the gift, Rarity. Celestia knows she’s not going to stop growing until she’s taller than I am!” Cadance giggled, then leaned over to give the unicorn a small hug. “The clothes will last her at least a year or two.”

“Oooh! Me next, me next!” Pinkie Pie vibrated as she lay over the back of a couch, raising her hoof like a school filly wanting to get the teacher’s attention. “You gotta pick me next!”

Cadance and Shining Armor looked over to Twilight, each raising an eyebrow. When Twilight grinned and nodded, Shining Armor rolled his eyes as he pointed a hoof at Pinkie. “Alright, alright, you there in the back.”

“YES!” Tumbling over herself, Pinkie rolled off the couch, spinning several times before landing perfectly on her hooves in front of the couple, holding out a gift she hadn’t been holding before. “Open it!”

When Shining Armor opened the box, Flurry Heart crawled over the top of his head to peak in. Her eyes sparkled, and he didn’t even have time to lift Pinkie’s gift out before she’d done it herself, magic shakily pulling the ladybug toy out. As it shook in her aura, the toy began to rattle, and soon, Flurry Heart was clutching it to her chest, shaking it vigorously in front of her father’s face.

“Aww, it looks like she’s found her Whammy ‘two’!” Cadance said with a laugh, her magic lifting Flurry Heart off her grateful husband and into her embrace instead.

“I remembered that you told us she had a favorite toy, and that was her little snail Whammy! Well, I looked into it and I found out there was a whole set of garden critters like that! There were snails and slugs and ladybugs, and all sorts of other toys, and I thought it’d be the perfect gift! Maybe we can get her the whole set next year? Ooh – group present idea!”

As Pinkie Pie rambled on, Shining Armor scooted closer to Twilight and leaned over to whisper. “You know you didn’t have to set this all up, Twily. This party, the whole castle being used – it’s amazing, don’t get me wrong, but we would have been fine with a small get together with family and friends.”

An indignant gasp cut Pinkie Pie’s story short, and Shining was immediately face to face with an upset party pony. “No party?! Absolutely not! This is Flurry Heart’s first birthday, and it has to be super duper amazing! Imagine if she had a boring party, and she hated it! She’d think all parties are like that, and she’d never go out to one again, and she’d never make friends so she’d stay shut in all the time, and she’d grow up super alone and sad and angry, and then she’d become Nightmare Flurry Heart before she’s even made a single-”

“Pinkie!” Twilight’s magic lifted Pinkie Pie into the air, a frown on her face. “I think that was a bit much, don’t you?”

“But it could happen, Twilight! That’s why we gotta intervene early!” Pinkie Pie whimpered, her eyes wobbling with unshed tears, but Twilight was strong. With a roll of her eyes, she sat Pinkie in a chair opposite them, who harumphed and copied Rarity’s earlier pose.

“She’s not totally wrong, though,” Twilight began, lifting a hoof to cut off Shining Armor before he could interrupt, “at least partially. Flurry Heart’s birthday should be as amazing as we can possibly make it. That’s why I went all out on this, and why I got Pinkie Pie to help.”

“So, can I assume you saved your gift for last so it could be just as amazing, Twilight?” Cadance had that knowing look in her eyes, and Twilight could only give a bashful smile as she lifted her present. Cadance’s smile turned smug. “I thought as much.”

“Oh man, I wonder what could possibly be in this one!” Shining Armor took the rectangular gift in his magic, wrapped as neat as could be with a small bow across the front. “This size, this shape… do you think it could be… a book?”

He’d expected Twilight to stammer and object, but instead, she smiled wider. “It’s not just any book – it’s the book. The most important book I’ve ever owned. Go on – open it.”

Pulling the bow apart neatly, Shining Armor carefully pulled off the wrapping paper, side by side. It took him some time, but soon enough, he pulled off the last of the paper, squinting as he tried to figure out how he knew the familiar book in his hooves.

The book was worn, scuffs and marks that couldn’t be polished out all across its surface. In each corner, a small, ornate golden decoration, symbols that looked familiar but that he couldn’t recognize. The binding had two golden clasps, but the biggest detail was on the center of the cover. A golden unicorn head with an inlaid gem for its eye stared off to the side, lines and swirls detailing the creature. It looked regal and powerful, and it almost reminded him of princess Celestia.

“Isn’t this…?”

Twilight nodded. “It’s my old storybook, the one mom and dad got me for my eighth birthday.”

“You used to stay up all night, pretending you were asleep instead of reading it under the covers.” He smiled a nostalgic smile at the memory.

“And you pretended you didn’t know, so mom and dad wouldn’t get mad at me for it.” Twilight sighed, her own expression a bit more melancholy.

“I loved this book so much. I still do. In fact – and I’m not lying, you can test me for it – this book is the reason I’m here today with all of you. May I?”

Shining Armor levitated the book back over to Twilight, who caught it in her hooves instead of her magic. Sitting back, she gently rubbed one hoof over the cover, memories playing in her head.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, clearing her throat before speaking up. “Flurry Heart, would you like me to read you a story?”

When Flurry Heart began wiggling to escape Cadance’s embrace, she let go, and the filly eagerly, shakily flew herself over to sit herself down next to Twilight. Wrapping her wing around Flurry Heart, Twilight slid a hoof across the cover one last time before she opened it to the first page and clearing her throat.

Step, step, step, stop. Turn, breathe, exhale.

Step, step, step, stop.

Turn, breathe, exhale. Breathe, exhale, gasp, pant, breathe, exhale, step step step.

“Keep it together, buddy,” Spike mumbled between panicked breaths, his claws digging and boring repeated tracks into the dirt. “Gotta stay strong-” stop, turn, gasp, exhale “-for Twilight!”

How long had she been gone? How long could it take for Celestia to give Twilight a grade? Could it be… did she fail? No! No, no, no, Twilight could never fail. Never.

“Right?”

Spike turned from the door to Canterlot Castle, looking back at everyone who had gathered to support Twilight. Rainbow Dash flew in place, turned away from everyone else as if trying to seem unbothered – but the shaky foreleg brought up to her muzzle said otherwise, even from the ground. Pinkie Pie shook in place, biting her hooves as Applejack stroked her mane in an attempt to calm her.

It probably didn’t help she was shaking, too.

Rarity had fainted several minutes ago, and while at first Spike thought she was being just a little bit dramatic, it was Fluttershy who confirmed that this time, Rarity had actually lost consciousness for a brief few seconds. Now, she still laid on the ground, hoof draped over her face, but Fluttershy stood over her, worry etched deep into her expression.

“...What’s right?” Applejack spoke up first, clearing her throat.

“Twilight!” Spike replied, wringing his hands together as he fidgeted in place.

“Twilight’s right? R-right about what?” Pinkie, to her credit, tried to act cheerful, but the stammer in her voice and her furrowed brows made the attempt fall flat.

“Twilight wouldn’t fail! Never! Right? She’s -” Spike gulped, eyes flicking across each of his friends in turn “-she never failed a test before! Ever! There’s no way she’d fail today, r-right?”

Silence, four sets of eyes turned towards each other, and Rainbow drooped lower to the ground.

“Right? There’s just no way!” He began pacing again, step, turn, step, turn, speaking more for himself than the reassurance of the others, “She’s the reason I was able to get the Crystal Heart to Cadance anyway! I-I might be a hero, but we would have all failed if it wasn’t for her!”

“Right. Of course,” Fluttershy spoke up, her voice surprisingly trembling the least of them all. “Celestia would definitely take that into consideration, right?”

Rainbow Dash’s ears twitched, and she let out a low, gravelly noise from her throat.

“Right! She’d have to! She’s always been such a great teacher! She’d obviously know that what happened wasn’t her fault – she’d have to give her a passing grade, right?”

“Right,” Applejack replied, forcing her voice to be stern. “Twilight did the honest thing, and there ain’t no reason she should be punished for that, right?”

“Right-”

“Stop saying that!” In a blur of colors, Rainbow Dash was now in front of Spike, her hoof covering his mouth and her eyes drilling into his. “Are you trying to make yourself feel better, or stress us all out even more? Because if you are, then it’s working!”

“And you’ve been so helpful up to now?” Spike wrestled Rainbow’s foreleg away, glaring at her but thankful for the momentary distraction. “You haven’t said a word this whole time!”

“What’s talking going to do about it? Nothing! All we can do is wait until she’s out, then we can celebrate her passing the test!”

“...But what if she fails? What if she has to leave?”

Pinkie’s voice came out as a low squeak, and for a moment, Spike almost thought it had been Fluttershy who spoke. Her eyes were wide and wobbly, tears barely dripping from their corners. Her mane and tail looked like they had lost some of their bounce. It was Rainbow who spoke up next.

“That won’t happen. We won’t let it.” Rainbow turned and puffed out her chest, crossing her forelegs as if to punctuate the statement.

“What’re we gonna do, Rainbow? Go argue n’ yell at the princess?”

Spike frowned, looking from Rainbow Dash to Applejack, then to the door.

“W-well… yeah! We’ll march in there afterwards and… I’ll give her a piece of my mind!”

Give her a piece of my mind.

Step, step, step, stop.

“We can’t just tell the princess what to do,” Fluttershy spoke up with a nervous glance between the others. “We don’t know her nearly well enough! Who knows what could happen? We should just support Twilight however we can.”

You don’t know her well enough, Spike thought, staring up at the double doors leading into the castle. Reaching up, his claws gripped one handle gently, though his arm shook all the while.

He said nothing.

The handle clicked.

“We’re her friends. We’ll be there for her,” Rarity spoke up, finally bringing herself to a seated position. “No matter what happens, she won’t be alone in this, she cannot. I don’t want her to be alone.”

I don’t want her to be alone, the last thing he heard before the door shut quietly behind him.

---

Click, click, clack, stop.Turn, breathe, exhale.

Click, swing, step, click. Exhale, breathe, exhale.

Step, step, shuffle, stop, marble ran beneath red carpet. Turn, nod, breathe, exhale.

Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, stop. Breathe, exhale, turn the corner.

“Keep it together, buddy. Gotta stay strong, for Twilight.”

Marble pillars decorated the hallway in front of Spike, and the low echo of voices came from the other side. He kept to the carpet, hoping his shuffled steps would keep them quiet enough as he approached.

What would he say?

What would he do​?

“Doesn’t matter,” he mumbled under his breath, forcing away the thoughts before they could shake the conviction from his mind. The voices grew more distinct as he approached, and he knew both of them very well from years spent in the castle.

Spike quickened his pace, attempting to step lighter to offset any more noise. He was almost there, and his heart pounded in his chest, nearly overpowering the two voices as he approached a corner and peaked around.

He swallowed hard. There they were.

Across the walls, large stained glass windows detailed historic events that had changed Equestria. Several of them, Spike noted in his head, depicted Twilight and her friends – their friends – in moments of history they’d brought to life. Saving Luna from her time as Nightmare Moon, defeating Discord – and separately reforming him not six months later.

Even though the panel from Cadance’s wedding wasn’t theirs, it basically counted for all Twilight had done to help.

Between each panel of stained glass, tall windows reached to the ceiling. Princess Celestia sat in front of one such window, staring out at the northern lights. Nearby, Twilight stood, and her posture alone almost brought him to panic again.

She’d turned to the floor, ears nearly pinned back against her skull. Her tail dragged low against the ground, and she scuffed a hoof against the floor.

Not good, his eyes widened, wringing his hands together again, not good at all.

How could the princess do that to her? After all that Twilight had done for Equestria, for her, to simply fail her as though nothing she’d done mattered?

Spike hadn’t discovered the Crystal Heart’s existence, Twilight had!

Cadance didn’t brave Sombra’s dark magic to find it – Twilight did!

Spike wasn’t the one who found it’s location, who saved it from Sombra’s trap – Twilight was! All he’d done was catch the relic and fall off a building.

It wasn’t fair at all. And now she had to face the princess, who knew Twilight’s greatest fear was disappointing her, and the princess still had the audacity to fail her? Twilight should be recognized as a hero! Maybe even more!

After all she’d done for Equestria, maybe Twilight should be the new princess; but that thought was quickly interrupted.

“It’s beautiful,” and his breath caught in his throat, lungs refusing to pump in or out. Celestia’s voice was always so gentle; sometimes soft, sometimes powerful, imposing, but always gentle. Yet now, even as he saw the princess, all he could think of was the pony who was about to break his sister’s heart.

Twilight froze too – her hoof stopped its motions, no breath rose through her chest – but only for one moment.

Her voice cracked and wobbled, and she still couldn’t look to face Celestia, but she spoke. “I wish it had been me who ultimately made it so,” she began. The pit in Spike’s chest dug deeper with each word, but so too did the fire in his heart burn hotter. She was facing the princess alone. Alone.

I don’t want her to be alone.

“But it wasn’t.”

Like Tartarus it wasn’t.

His feet moved without asking his head, but he would have spurned them on anyway.

“Twilight-”

“But it was!” Spike’s voice echoed through the hallway, his claws pittered against the carpet as he ran between his sister and the princess. Celestia stopped, blinking with surprise, but no agitation in her expression. Twilight’s breath caught a second time, and she jumped up from her slumped posture when he did.

“Spike?! What are you doing?! You know I didn’t-”

“It was you, Twilight! All I did was-”

“Spike, stop-”

“No, Twilight!” Spike stamped his feet on the ground as he yelled, causing Twilight to flinch back. “… Sorry, Twi.”

“...Why are you here?” Her voice was almost a whisper, and his heart nearly shattered at how defeated she sounded.

“Why are you here, Spike?” Celestia’s voice was much more confident, though curiosity laced the edge of each word.

“...I don’t want you to be alone. I won’t let you face this alone.” The words tumbled out, and once they began, he couldn’t seem to stop. “You’re my sister, Twi, and – and you’re a hero! We couldn’t have saved the Crystal Empire without you, no matter what you think. I couldn’t have figured out that thing with Sombra’s throne, or that evil door, that was all you! We wouldn’t have even known about the Crystal Heart if you hadn’t set up the faire!”

“Though Spike, you do recall that Twilight’s test was that she, and she alone, should be the one to assist Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, yes?” Celestia spoke up again with that imposing voice, and he quickly remembered exactly what they were afraid of.

Stars above, he was terrified. Terrified. Any moment, he might turn around to find out what an angry Celestia looked like. Would he get jailed? Exiled? Banished to the moon? The sun?!

But if she banished him, then maybe…

He spun around to face the princess, brows furrowing as he pointed a claw at her, earning a gasp from Twilight. “Then maybe you shouldn’t have let anyone else go with her!”

Maybe she would leave Twilight alone.

Celestia opened her mouth to speak, brows raised, but Spike cut her off, riding the high of the adrenaline before it left him hanging. “I mean, come on. Think about it! Twilight loves her friends, and we all love her, too! There’s no way we’d let her do something like this alone, and if I hadn’t been there to help her out, then – heck, I don’t know, Rainbow Dash would have! Applejack, too! She gave me the Crystal Heart to make sure we could save the Crystal Empire, and if she hadn’t, we’d have lost anyway!

“You know how important her friends are to her, a-and how important she is to us. She chose to give up on your test to save them, because she had to! You basically -” a gasp, a stomp of his foot, then Spike snorted out a small puff of fire from his nose, indignant as he shoved a claw forward one last time “- you set her up to fail!”

A deafening silence followed, and Spike was certain he could’ve heard a pin drop from the city’s lower district. Celestia stared at him, through him; it felt like those eyes burrowed into his very soul. A bead of sweat began to roll down his forehead, his whole body trembled, but still, he stood in place, a guard between her and Twilight.

Celestia took one step forward.

Crack!

Raspberry light flashed in his vision, and suddenly, their roles were reversed. Twilight stood between Spike and the princess, but facing him this time. Tears filled her eyes, and before he knew what she was doing, her foreleg wrapped tight around him and pulled him against her chest.

“Don’t be mad at him, princess, please,” Twilight begged, even as she leaned down to nuzzle against him. “Just, please don’t do anything rash. Please.”

He frowned at that – wasn’t he the one doing this to protect her? But still, she continued, wiping her eyes as she turned to face the princess.

“I knew what it meant to give Spike the Heart. I made that choice, even if…” Her voice trailed off for a moment as she took a deep breath, likely forcing herself to continue, much as Spike had done the same. “Even if the odds weren’t in my favor.”

Even if you were set up to fail, he wanted to say, to call out, to protect her.

“I accepted that when I was stuck in the tower, Spike. When I told you to go, and you did, because it was the right thing to do. And I’ll stick by that, even if…”

“Even if it means you fail?”

Twilight couldn’t bring herself to respond verbally, so she simply nodded.

Celestia hummed in thought, her expression inscrutable, as it often was. Spike wrapped his arm around Twilight’s leg, tugging to get her attention.

He spoke when she looked back down at him, not the princess. “Whatever happens, Twi, I’m here with you, okay? You’re not alone.”

“Thank you, Spike,” she whispered out after a moment, and her forced smile became just a little more genuine.

“I believe I’ve made my decision,” Celestia called out, and the two snapped to attention. “But before I say anything further; Spike, would you please step forward?”

Though his grip tightened for a moment, he let go, stepping forward to face the princess and whatever punishment she’d give. Celestia stepped towards Spike, stopping just a few steps away before leaning down towards him.

“I want to ask you this, Spike, and answer me truthfully. Do you truly believe that, by giving you the Crystal Heart, by going against my direction, Twilight did what was asked of her? That following my instructions as the princess, as her teacher, would have been not just folly, but a grave mistake?

“Do you believe that Twilight made the correct choice?”

“I do,” and as Spike looked Celestia in the eyes with a smile, he was more sure than he’d ever been in his life. He’d been afraid before, but now? This was easy, the easiest choice he could make. This time, his breathing was calm, and he stared down the sun herself, unflinching as the silence dragged on for what felt like ages.

“Happy anniversary!”

Six voices in unison accompanied confetti, streamers and party horns as Twilight Sparkle stood in the doorway of the Golden Oak Library. She stayed still for a moment, blinking several times as she took in the sights and sounds in front of her. Spike and her friends all stood beaming under a banner that read ‘Happy Anniversary, Twilight!’. Rarity still stood beside her, a proud grin on her face, but between the noise and the lights, Twilight couldn’t bring herself to speak, or to move at all. Instead, she focused on the facts of the moment, facts that her mind attempted to compartmentalize to interpret and deal with her overstimulation.

First, Rarity had asked to see her at Carousel Boutique that morning for ‘tea and gossip’, though there hadn’t been enough of the former. After an hour, and without giving her the chance to even ask why, Rarity had blindfolded her and guided her back home, only replying with ‘trust me, darling, it will all make sense in a moment’.

Second, upon returning to her home, Twilight was finally allowed to remove her blindfold. When she’d done so, however, the entire library was dark. Her eyes had yet to adjust, being given only a precious few seconds before what was to come.

Third, she’d only been gone an hour and a half, but when light returned to the room and she was assaulted with party favors, Twilight thought for one brief moment that she’d stepped into the wrong tree library. Of course, there was only one tree library in Ponyville, let alone tree buildings, but that was a rabbit hole of semantics she did not want to fall into today of all days.

Pinkie Pie had transformed the main room of the Golden Oak Library into a hall of memories, rearranging shelves, tables and furniture to create a kind of party room she’d never seen before. On the back wall hung what must have been a hundred pictures, some of their friends all together, some with just two or three of them, but all featured Twilight herself.

Towards another side, several shelves had arranged to create a walkway around a set of tables, almost like a small museum exhibit. Atop each table were items she recognized immediately. On one, the hat from her Nightmare Night costume sat beside a pair of silver star earrings and the matching necklace she’d worn to the gala. The opposite table sported her Winter Wrap Up vest, two Daring Do books, and a small pile of scrolls, each marked with a broken wax seal bearing an image of the sun.

It was at this point, cheeks hot as she took in a party that seemed to revolve entirely around her, that she spoke up. “All of this is for me?”

Pinkie laughed, and her friends seemed to relax a bit. “Of course it is, silly! Who else would we be celebrating today? The princess?”

“Yes?” Twilight replied, only blushing more as her friends giggled at her confusion, despite the fact that her assertion was the only logical answer. “Why did you set all of this up, Pinkie Pie? What about the Summer Sun Celebration?”

“Oh, I didn’t set this up! It was Rarity,” Pinkie replied with bright eyes as she pronked over to the unicorn’s side, ignoring the second half of the question. “Well, okay, I set up all this stuff while you were gone, but Rarity’s the one who designed the floor plan, and what stuff we could use, and what kind of punch you’d like, and the photos, too! Rarity made this whole party happen, and I gotta say” – Pinkie wrapped a foreleg around Rarity’s back, pulling her close – “as the Ponyville Party Pony, I’m impressed!”

Rarity only fluttered her eyelashes when Twilight turned to look at her. “You did this for me? Why?”

“Oh, no, Twilight, this was a team effort! Everypony here was involved, and I couldn’t possibly take all the credit. I will, however, take credit for your gift,” Rarity remarked, leaning in closer than Twilight expected. “Which I’ll be taking you to see now, so follow me, if you please!”

When Rarity trotted toward the stairs, Twilight swallowed the remark that she’d been following Rarity all day, thank you very much. She did take her time, slowing down as she stepped through each space, regarding the various mementos and displays dedicated to herself with curiosity and confusion. Eventually, she forced herself to trot after Rarity again, regarding each of her friends as she passed them by with a happy greeting.

“I just don’t understand, Rarity. You’re celebrating me?”

“Well of course, Twilight! You are the most important of this special day. Today is yours, after all, and I simply couldn’t allow you to go unappreciated as you deserve!”

Twilight rolled her eyes, but smiled at Rarity’s theatrics. “I’m the reason today is important? What about, oh, I don’t know, the Summer Sun Celebration?”

“Oh, well, I suppose that is today as well, but that’s hardly what’s important now, is it?”

At this point, they reached Twilight’s room atop the stairs, and Rarity pointedly ignored Twilight’s stare as she opened the door. She was silent, but her eyes sparkled with anticipation. The lights were off here as well, and she gave Rarity a look, but she just shooed Twilight inside.

The door closed behind them, leaving her in darkness once more, the windows all covered with heavy curtains. Twilight lit her horn, willing the lights in her room to flicker to life. Once she could see again, she took in a breath of surprise, and she could feel Rarity’s smug satisfaction from behind her.

In the center of the room stood a tall, imposing figure, one she’d recognize in a heartbeat. Her mane and tail billowed in a non-existent breeze, and for once, Princess Celestia wasn’t wearing her crown. Her wings fluffed in place, and the smile the princess wore was one she recognized, an expression of satisfaction, pride and affection. Her horn was aglow with golden magic, and in her aura floated a scroll, wrapped tightly and marked with Celestia’s personal seal.

“Princess? What are you doing here?” Twilight fought the urge to bow before her, instead switching her gaze from the princess to Rarity, then back again. “Shouldn’t you be in Trottingham for the Summer Sun Celebration?”

“Did you not tell her, Rarity?” Princess Celestia grinned, and Twilight’s brow furrowed in response.

“Tell me what?” Twilight didn’t want to turn away from the princess, but Rarity clearly had some kind of answer she wasn’t seeing.

“Oh, I’d hoped you would have figured it out by now, but then again, you are our Twilight.” Rarity’s hoof touched Twilight’s chin, lifting it to look her directly in the eyes. “Today is the anniversary of the most important day in our lives, Twilight.”

“The day we came together and recovered the Elements of Harmony?” The moment the words came out, Twilight realized they fell flat, and clearly that wasn’t it.

Rarity only smiled, the same smile as the one Celestia wore. “Twilight, my dearest friend, you are a silly pony, aren’t you? Today marks the one year anniversary of the day you came into our lives.”

Her eyes grew wide, breath caught in her chest, because of course today was important, the most important day of her life. Of course she wouldn’t be alone in feeling that way. Her best friends had all come to celebrate her, just as she’d wanted to celebrate them.

It was then that she remembered the other pony in the room, and with a small stammer, she stood up straight to face her teacher. “You too, princess? Is that why you’re here?”

“Rarity wrote to tell me what was happening," she replied with a gentle laugh, "and what else would I do but come celebrate my most faithful student and friend?"

The scroll levitated to Twilight, and she simply stared at it for a moment before her mind caught up with her. Gold was replaced with her own raspberry magic, and Celestia gave her a nod of approval. She untied the ribbon, carefully breaking the seal as she did, and the scroll rolled out to reveal a letter penned in familiar, regal hornwriting.

Dear Twilight Sparkle, the letter began, today marks an incredibly important day in the lives of your friends, and in mine as well. Once, the Summer Sun Celebration was a time of sorrow, a reminder of the mistakes I had made and the loved one I had failed. Today, however, is the first time in a thousand years that I woke up on this holiday eager to celebrate, thanks to two of the most important ponies in my life.

Today, I celebrate the return of my sister, Luna. Today, I celebrate a new reason to see the sun set in the evening. Today, I celebrate having a reason to look forward to the beautiful night sky Luna paints for us all. Most of all, however, there is another I celebrate, the pony without whom my life would be as somber and lonely as it was for the past thousand years.

Today, we all celebrate you, Twilight. You, the pony who brought back my love for the night sky, who brought back the sister I’ve missed so much, who has forever changed the lives of myself and the ponies around you for the better. You may be my student, but you have taught me much over the years we have known each other, and I know that I still have plenty to learn from your example. I look forward to seeing you grow ever further.

Your teacher, student and friend,

Celestia.

Twilight read the letter again. She read it a third time, a fourth, again and again, until Rarity nudged against Twilight, breaking her from her own misty-eyed stupor. When she looked up, Celestia now stood before her, her eyes shining with a hint of unshed tears.

She didn’t need to be told. Twilight rushed forward into a hug, swiftly embraced by the hooves of her teacher, her princess.

Her friend.

“An adjective is a word or phrase that modifies a noun or pronoun, typically by ascribing a quality or distinguishing characteristic. Typically, an adjective prefaces the word they modify, though in the case of predicate adjectives, they follow after linking verbs.

“Opinion, size, age, shape, color, material,” Twilight Sparkle said quickly, the words becoming ink that flourished across a partially filled page of notes. They formed a path upon which she trotted, her hooves sinking just slightly into the ink of each letter, giving a small bounce to each step she took.

Her outline traced the curvy trails of ‘opinion’, quickly cantered across the smaller stage of ‘size’ before leaping over the fresh, dripping ink of ‘age’. Round and tall, ‘shape’ forced her to climb and twist around the letters, while she nearly lost her hooves among the black ink of ‘color’. It was only upon reaching the scratchy, wet finale that was ‘material’ that she slowed down. Before she could write another word, splashes of fiery ink sprayed from above, forcing her to dive inside an ‘a’ to avoid the onslaught.

“Twilight, maybe some help instead of going on a rant about grammar?” 

“Working on it, Spike,” Twilight shouted back through gritted teeth, ink outlining her horn. “I just need some breathing room!”

Her hooves drummed quickly against the page while ideas and plans rattled in her head. She couldn’t help Spike fight; maintaining Haycarte’s Method on three creatures was too intensive to do more than simple levitation on the side. All she could do at this point was keep the words flowing, extending the battleground so Spike could keep the beast engaged in her notebook.

Rambling, she’d found three pages ago, had increased her pace – and her lead – by at least sixteen percent.

Spike, meanwhile, was doing everything he could to slow down the creature that stalked after Twilight. At the end of each line, he’d catch the beast with a breath of fire-shaped ink as it curved to the next. Every time he struck, it hissed and screeched, responding with a swipe of its claws, a beat of its growing wings and a fiery retort of its own.

“How’d a bookworm get into the royal archives, anyway? I thought the princess had wards on everything in here!” With a yelp, Spike jumped out of the way of its claws, attempting to scorch the beast from above. Though it recoiled, he’d only slowed it down, and it trampled past him, letters and words devoured in its path of literary destruction.

“I have no idea! Nopony could have brought it from outside, so logically, it had to be here already. Maybe it was hibernating?” The bookworm descended another line, and her quill traced the words she spoke onto the page. This time, she leapt down, her previous methods ignored in favor of a drop to the new paragraph. She was running out of pages, and what would happen if they couldn’t contain or defeat it?

Her outline quivered for all those poor books.

“Come on, Twilight! We can’t keep up with this thing! Can’t we just-”

“We are not destroying my notes, Spike – you know midterms are coming up soon! Do you want me to flunk back into Magic Kindergarten?”

The more words she spoke, the more ink filled the page. The more ink on the page, the more bait to keep the bookworm from fleeing to the rest of the archives. The more the bookworm ate, the stronger it became.

Spike was right. They couldn’t keep this going much longer. Desperate for time, Twilight levitated her quill and scratched a thick line halfway through the page, separating herself from the action and hopefully delaying the inevitable for a few more seconds. A loud thud sounded from that spot, and a small splotch of ink dripped from the line, down past Twilight and off the page. It wasn’t the first time she’d used that trick, but it might end up being the last.

The words tumbled out of Twilight’s mouth unbidden, “Adjectives can re-contextualize nouns and phrases, limiting definitions but adding new or previously unrecognized qualities to previously recognized words.” This time, she flourished the letters further, embellishing each stroke while her mind raced to keep up. Spike was doing his best, but he was still a baby dragon, and the bookworm was almost fully grown at this point.

Another breath of fire, but the creature was ready this time, and its fire matched his own with the strength it gained from each line it fed upon. When he had to duck out of the way, the creature immediately turned to feast on the bounty below its claws.

“Maybe you could write down some adjectives that’ll help me keep this thing down, Twilight?” Sarcasm dripped from his words, ink dripped from the bookworm’s maw, but neither masked the tremble in his voice, the quickness of his breath.

“Adjectives,” she whispered to herself, eyes growing wide as she did so. “Spike! You’re a genius! Do you-”

A loud roar interrupted her, and the page almost shook in response. When she looked up, the bookworm had torn through her last line of defense, and black flame coursed down the page, nearly striking her as it did. Its focus had turned to Twilight now, having eaten enough to grow into a proper bookwyrm.

Quickly, Twilight took stock of the situation. Her inkwell had nearly run dry, and they only had two pages left. Spike was exhausted, and so was she.

Tracking down the beast would be impossible if it escaped. The archives had thousands upon thousands of books and pages, scrolls and spells it could hide within, uncountable knowledge that would be lost to its ravenous hunger. They had to catch the bookworm here.

The alternative was unthinkable.

“Spike,” Twilight shouted out with a glimmer of hope in her voice, “do you remember last week, when Shining Armor invited you to play that game with his friends?”

“Twilight, you said you wouldn’t – I mean – now’s not the time! We’re almost at the end of your notebook!” Spike jumped onto the bookwyrm’s tail, digging his claws in and belting out as much fire as he could manage. Its tail thrashed as it snarled, but it only cared about Twilight now, and all he could do was dig his claws into the page to slow it down.

“Trust me, Spike! What character did you play as? What were they like?”

It charged at Twilight now, ignoring the remaining words on the page. With a yelp, she dove between letters, scrambling to the next line and narrowly avoiding its fangs. “Now, Spike, please! And don’t leave out any details!”

The bookwyrm tore through her defending word, lunging for Twilight, but before it could devour her, it stopped short with a snap of its jaws. Above, Spike had wrapped himself – and its tail – between two letters, clinging for Twilight’s dear life.

“I-I… Fine, okay! I played Spike the Brave and Glorious, a paladin! They’re like royal guards, but even stronger, with a sword and shield, and-” Spike gasped, eyes wide and grinning as he connected the dots “-and I had fireproof obsidian armor! Shining Armor said my shield was enchanted to be unbreakable, too!”

The quill was already moving, ink forming the words the moment Spike said them aloud. Black magic surrounded each word, and though Twilight gasped at the strain of another spell, she clung to each word, the quill swiftly falling to the table in favor of casting Haycarte’s spell one final time. 

Roaring, the bookwyrm tore free from Spike’s grasp, the momentum sending it colliding with the bottom of the page. It spun around to find an exhausted Twilight, snarling before it let loose a sea of black flame to consume her and earn its freedom.

The flames never reached her. Sparkling shield intercepting the fire, a fully armored dragon stood between Twilight and the bookwyrm. No longer a baby dragon, Spike stood taller than both of them now, clad in armor of blackest ink and a sword gripped in his free hand.

The bookwyrm refused to relent, digging its claws into words above and below as flames continued to erupt from its maw. Spike was unfazed, and each step he took diverted the fire further from Twilight, each step saw his sword raised higher. The closer he approached, the more panicked the bookwyrm became, until finally, he was close enough to strike. Spike swung his shield against its head, interrupting the flow of flames, the beast scrambling back as its claws broke from their hold.

His eyes narrowed, his face turned into a grin, backing the bookwyrm into the bottom corner of the page, nowhere else to run. Towering over the beast, Spike brought down his sword with a war cry.

“For the princess!”

---

“For the princess? Really?”

Riding atop Twilight’s back, Spike groaned in frustration, burying his face into the back of her neck. “You promised you’d stop bringing it up-”

“For the princess, though. I’d think that was Shining Armor’s thing, or even mine! I didn’t know you cared about her so much,” Twilight giggled, earning more annoyed grumbles from Spike. 

“...wasn’t for her.”

“Hm?” Twilight tilted her head to one side, giving him a curious look. “It wasn’t for the princess? Then why’d you say it?”

“You’re just gonna be weird about it, Twilight.”

Twilight blinked, brows furrowing at the dismissive tone he took. With a tilt of her head, she lowered herself to the ground, letting him climb off. Normally, Spike kept up with her banter easily, but if this was bothering him, she’d take it seriously. After all, he had saved her life.

And every defenseless book in the Royal Archives. Maybe she’d ask her mom to help bake him a cake for that – extra gem dust on top.

“I won’t be weird about it, Spike. I promise – for real this time.”

He looked away for a moment, biting his lip.

“It was for you.”

Twilight blinked, surprise evident on her face, but she said nothing, so he continued. “I got to be a real paladin, or at least as real as you can get in a book. I figured if I was protecting someone, they had to be important, and, well. You’re the most important pony I know. You were the princess.”

“Spike…” Lighting her horn, Twilight wrapped Spike in her magic and pulled him close for a hug. His immediate response was to groan again, squirming but unable to break free from her grasp. The hug continued, and he gave up, rolling his eyes but returning the gesture.

“You really think I could be a princess?”

“Well, yeah. The princess of books, maybe,” Spike responded, grinning when Twilight laughed in response.

“Books are important, but…” Twilight’s voice trailed off, her eyes focused somewhere else for the moment.

“But?” Spike raised an eyebrow.