Twilight Sparkle stared intently at the daisy that lay on the wooden table. It had been picked earlier that day, just as the thirty two others before it had been. The surface of the table around the flower was blackened and scorched. She sighed at the reminder of earlier attempts at this project. A soft, purple glow emanated from her horn as she straightened a pair of lab goggles over her eyes.
Twilight glanced over at the young green and purple dragon in the corner. Her self-proclaimed "head-assistant," had adorned himself with pillows and hoofball equipment. A common practice of his when they were conducting one of Twilight's "experiments."
"Ready Spike?" Twilight asked, mustering any enthusiasm she had left.
"Just a sec," Spike replied as he dove behind an overturned desk. "Ready! Logging experiment attempt number thirty three!"
Twilight quickly consolidated her notes on a nearby podium before firmly bracing her hooves on the ground.
"Here we go," she mumbled to herself as she began to concentrate.
A brilliant stream of magic flowed from her horn and surrounded the daisy in a brilliant glare. Twilight had to squint her eyes as she put all of her focus on the flower. Beads of sweat were now forming on her brow and her teeth began to grind together. She could feel the thoughts of disappointment skittering in the back of her mind as the flower seemed unresponsive to the power engulfing it.
Suddenly, the daisy's stem began to grow longer, cells being born from nothing. Slowly, the roots followed, stretching out in a search for sustenance. After awhile, the flower was fully restored. The magic surrounding it quickly dissipated.
As Twilight slumped to her knees, panting rapidly, Spike hurriedly ran over to the table to investigate, taking notes as he observed the plant.
"You did it Twilight," Spike cheered. "We rep- I mean, you produced a successful regeneration spell!"
"And only after a few dozen tries too." Twilight let out an exasperated huff, placing the live flower in a nearby jar of water. "We were almost out of test subjects."
She looked to the clock on the library wall. Both hands were pointed skyward.
"Just in time for lunch as well."
"I'll go get some sandwiches from the kitchen," Spike said with a smile as he removed his protective gear. "Would you like hay with daffodil or -hic-... daffodil or -hic-... DAFFODIL OR -hic-"
That final hic was accompanied by a loud belch of green fire from his mouth. A letter bound with the royal Canterlot seal rolled onto the floor.
"Why does that always happen at the worst times," grumbled Spike, rubbing his throat.
Twilight trotted over to inspect the letter, unrolling it with her magic and placing her safety goggles on the table.
"What does it say," Spike asked as he resumed his quest for food.
"It's a letter from Princess Celestia. It says here she requires my immediate assistance in Canterlot," Twilight exclaimed.
The clutter of utensils could be heard from the next room. "Does it say why she wants you to go?" Spike called out from the kitchen.
"If I had to guess." Twilight looked to the ceiling, rubbing her chin. "It would be to help out with preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration."
Her thoughts traveled back to the same event that taken place just a year earlier. The Summer Sun Celebration had been an anniversary of the defeat of Nightmare Moon, the fallen moon goddess who sought to bring eternal night. Though, after her "rehabilitation" by Twilight and her friends on the very same day, the celebration now marked the return of Celestia's sister, Princess Luna, who once again presided over the dark hours.
"Well, whatever the reason." Spike walked out with a brown paper sack. "You'd better eat something on the way there. Wouldn't want you to go hungry."
Twilight levitated her saddle bag, which was always at the ready, onto her back, smiling as Spike handed her the sack.
"Thanks Spike," she said as she placed her lunch into the bag's side pouch. "You okay with taking care of the library while I'm away?"
"No problem." Spike's arm shot to his forehead in a salute. "You can count on me Twilight!"
Twilight laughed as she opened the library door. "I'll be back soon."
With farewells attended to, Twilight began her walk to the train station, wondering what tasks may lie before her.
"Next stop, Canterlot Palace," she said said to herself, oblivious to the dark shadow that had been mingling with the bushes a few yards away.