Dear Princess Celestia,

Spike has fallen ill. I am at a loss for what to do. None of my books are helping, except for one that mentions brewing my own antidote. However, I lack the skills and knowledge of alchemy to do so. It would also help if I had a recipe to follow. I need anything you may have in the Canterlot Archives that may help with dragon illnesses.

Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle

Twilight crossed the last t and dotted the final i. She was sure she would have no problem getting the books. Being the student of the Princess was very rewarding and as of late, it had been relatively easy. Not to say that she hadn’t had her fair share of work, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

“Spike, could you please send this letter? I want to get started on making the antidote as soon as possible.”

Looking up from a cup of water, Spike nodded and grabbed the scroll floating in front of him. Without a word, he sent the letter with a puff of flame.

Twilight trotted out of the kitchen, through the main library, and down into the basement where her lab was set up. Poor Spike, he’s been so sick lately.

The reason she had decided to pick up alchemy was for that very reason. Spike was coming down with Seringel, a dragon only sickness similar to Strep Throat. The only difference between the two was the fact that Seringel made it nearly impossible for a dragon to breath fire. She was just glad that she was able to get her last letter sent before Spike was completely sick.

A hacking cough came from top of the stairs. “Twi? You down there? I...”  Spike coughed again, “... you got a reply from the Princess.”

“Spike.” Twilight looked up at her assistant with a look of concern. “That cough is starting to sound really dry. I appreciate you coming down here, but I think you should go drink some water and lie down now.” She levitated the scroll down the spiral stairs and set it on her workbench.

Spike coughed some more before replying. “Twi, why can’t you just take me to the vet’s office or get something from Zecora? I’m sure either on—” He wobbled a bit, looking as if he wanted to finish the sentence, but couldn’t. A second later, he collapsed.

Twilight’s expression changed from concern to one of fear. “Spike!” She galloped up the stairs, coming to a skidding halt right in front of the unconscious dragon. Leaning close, she placed her ear on his chest. She could hear his heart beating at a regular pace.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she picked him up gently and trotted back into the main library. She proceeded to go upstairs to their shared room. Once there, she floated him over to his bed. Just before she turned to go back downstairs, she felt his forehead. It was burning with fever. And for a dragon, even a baby dragon, that was hot. Twilight had to quickly pull her hoof back to avoid being burned.

As she set her hoof on the first step down, she turned back one last time to look at the pale form of Spike in the basket. “Hang in there Spike. As soon as the Princess gets me those books, I’ll mix something up for you.” She shook her head. “I wish Zecora could help you. If only she weren’t back in Zebrica visiting family.”

As she passed by a window, she looked out sadly. In the distance, she could see both the hospital and the vet’s office outlined in shadows cast by the late afternoon sun. Neither one was equipped to deal with dragon diseases given how rare they were. She looked away from the window and opened the door to the basement, trudging inside. Her only hope was that the Princess would have something in the library that could help.

Remembering the letter, Twilight perked up and ran the rest of the way to her work place and picked up the letter. She opened it and quickly scanned it’s contents.

My Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle,

I am truly sorry to hear about Spike. I hope that you are able to find and quickly make a cure. However, as dragon’s themselves are rare, we don’t have very much on them. However, we do have two books that may help. One is on general alchemy, the other is a  book of obscure sicknesses written by zebras.

Her Majesty,
Princess Celestia

P.S. The books were too big to send via Spike, but I have sent them by express mailmare. They should arrive no more than an hour after this letter.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. She had searched her library multiple times, but had found only reference to Seringel. From what it looked like, there was no cure except time. However, she hadn’t given up hope. She was praying that it was just so obscure that the authors of the various books hadn’t been able to find it. It felt good to finally have a possible lead on a cure.

Shuffling through the books on her workbench, she found the one she was looking for, General Alchemy, and opened it up. She would have to take a crash course in alchemy before she would feel safe mixing anything. Anyways, she had just under an hour before the books from the Princess arrived.

---

The knock seemed to resonate through the the library and down into the basement, bouncing off the circular wall until it faded into nothingness. Twilight’s head shot up and the book she was reading fell with a slight thump onto the table. The books! 

In a single instant, she disappeared in a white flash and appeared at the library front door with a sharp crack. Trying to appear calm, she opened the door, and found herself staring directly into the eyes of Derpy Hooves.

“Good morning Miss Sparkle!”

“Derpy!” Twilight jumped back, startled, to which Derpy jumped back in equal surprise. “Don’t lean that close to the door! You scared me!”

Derpy looked down at the ground and shuffled her hooves. “Gee, I’m sorry Miss Sparkle. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to deliver this package. It’s priority mail from Canterlot.” As soon as she pulled the books out, she was back to her normal, smiling self.

“Thank you very much, Derpy. I didn’t mean to sound angry, I just have a lot on my mind right now.” Twilight went to close the door, but Derpy just stood there. She stared, as if waiting for one final thing. Twilight stared back, holding the door partially open. Then, she gave a small gasp. “Oh, I’m sorry. I nearly forgot.” From a bag behind the door, she levitated out several bits. “Here you go.” She gave an embarrassed chuckle. “You know, things to do, stuff to study. Sometimes my mind seems to just wander off on its own.”

Derpy grabbed the bits out the the air and placed them in her saddle bag. “Yup, I know the feeling. Well, see you later.” She leaped into the air, disappearing behind the branches that made up the library tree. A second later, she appeared in the sky, heading towards Sugarcube Corner.

Twilight watched as Derpy disappeared before closing the door and trotting over to her desk. That mare, she has the best of intentions at heart, but... The thought trailed off, she didn’t want to finish it. She, and everypony else in Ponyville, loved Derpy with all their hearts, but the couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking sometimes.

Shaking her head, Twilight refocused back on the task at hoof. She ripped the brown parcel paper off to reveal the books. Both were there, just like the Princess had promised. One was a book she already had, but the other, Alchemy’s Secrets, she had never heard of, much less seen.

Shoving aside the other book on general alchemy, she opened up Alchemy’s Secrets, and started rapidly flipping through the pages, looking for any sign of a section on Seringel.

“Ah ha!” Twilight slammed the book shut, she turned and galloped into the basement, the book trailing just behind her. She had found what she needed, and it looked like it was a simple brew. “I can’t believe it. How is this not in any other books when it’s so simple? I mean, it’s very similar to a cure used for several other things.”

Placing the book on a reading stand by her work bench, Twilight prepared to make a list of things that she would need. It only took a few minutes to compile.

1 Poison Joke leaf
1 Heart’s Desire petal

She penned in an item of her own.

1 Alchemy kit

Looking at the list, she frowned. Could this really be it? It does seem too simple to cure something as complex as Seringel. Twilight shrugged. But then again, the cure for a Poison Joke infection was a simple. She placed the scroll in a saddle bag and with a flash bang, disappeared from the basement.

She appeared just outside of the Ponyville apothecary. She shook her mane to get rid of excess static from the teleport and trotted into the building. It was dark inside and reminded Twilight of Zecora’s hut, a bit. Herbs hung from the walls in long, dried strands. Flasks, vials, and small cauldrons lined walls. Some glowed brightly while bubbling, some just simply... bubbled slowly.

“Welcome to Mortar and Pestle’s Apothecary. May we help you?”

Twilight had to suppress the urge to jump in surprise. The voice had come without warning from the shadows to her left. A second later, two rust coloured unicorn stallions brushed past some dried flowers that were hanging low and came to a stop in front of Twilight.

“Actually, yes. I have a sick baby dragon at home and I’ve had to resort to making my own cure. You see, the doctor—” Twilight was cut off by the stallion with a pestle cutie mark.

“We are aware of how rare dragon diseases are. It’s no wonder that you would have to brew your own medicine.” He stopped speaking and his companion, who Twilight took to be Mortar, took over.

“Please, feel free to ask us for anything you might need for whatever you’re making.” Mortar paused for a second and looked around the shop. “Though if this is your first time, you’ll probably need a starter’s set.” He looked around store front, tapping his chin in a gesture of curiousness. “Hmm... that would me... no...”

Pestle sighed and facehoofed. “We have a set already prepared in the back room, remember?” He moved back into the shadows mumbling something about getting old.

Mortar turned back to Twilight from watching his brother disappear into the back. “So, I’d be willing to bet that the supplies you need for making your own medicine won’t come in a starters kit.” He leaned back against the counter. “In fact, you look like you’re going to try your hoof at more complex stuff later on.” He pushed himself up off the counter and leaned close. “They always do.”

Twilight leaned back uncomfortably, her eyes darting back and forth. “Err... probably. I suppose I just can’t stop studying a subject once I start on it.” She backed up quickly and pulled out the list she had made earlier and levitated it over to Mortar.

He scanned the list and snorted. “Brewing some CC? Heh, I suppose that is something easy to begin with. Though, I doubt it’ll cure a dragon illness.” He looked around the shop for a second. His eyes seemed to light up as he seemed to find what he was looking for. Some dried Poison Joke and some flower petals floated down from the ceiling and into a bag that had appeared on the counter. “And a little extra, just in case you make a mistake.”

“CC?” Twilight cocked an eyebrow.

“Cold Cure.” Pestle walked back into the light, a box floating just behind him. The sound of ceramics bumping around could be heard from inside. “It’s one the simplest things to make, yet no pony except an alchemist would guess that something as bothersome as the Poison Joke could do so much good. All novices should start off with this or something similar.

Twilight rubbed the back of her head and looked away. “Umm... yeah. I’m brewing something similar. Say, how much do I owe you?”

“A dozen bits for the lot.”

After trading the bits for the box and bag of herbs, Twilight levitated the starter’s kit and bag into her saddlebag and turned to leave. As she pushed out the door, one of the brothers called out.

“Just a word of caution. Follow the directions exactly. While alchemy can be quite beneficial, one small error and the consequences could be... disastrous. A double-edged sword if you will.”

Twilight shot a curious look back at the two brothers. “Thanks. I’ll... umm... remember that.” Not wanting to risk damaging her new alchemy kit, she trotted back towards the library as quickly as she dared.

As she trotted, she silently prayed that Spike hadn’t gotten any worse since she had last checked.

---

Gently crush the dried Poison Joke until it reaches a fine powder. Add to a pot of lightly boiling water and let set for ten minutes. The water should turn silvery blue.

Please note that while Poison Joke can cause comical effects when fresh, it is harmless once it’s been dried out.

Twilight read the directions silently, crushing the said herb at the same time. When it reached a fine powder, she shuffled it into the pot of water she had over the small alcohol burner that had come with the starter’s kit.

Twilight squinted as she leaned close to read the next set of directions off the page. She was having a slightly hard time concentrating. She had come home and found that Spike had turned a bit paler and each breath was a ragged struggle. She had quickly galloped to her workshop to start making the cure after that.

Cut the Heart’s Desire into thin strips with a quill. The ink from the quill will strengthen the effect of the potion and provide quicker relief than if you used a regular alchemist’s knife.

Once the Poison Joke has boiled for the ten minutes, add the Heart’s Desire and stir clockwise until you can smell it. Note: The smell varies from zebra to zebra. Due to the Heart’s Desire, the potion smells like whatever you like best.

Twilight furrowed her eyebrows in concentration and nodded. A quill levitated over and began cutting. It took less than a minute and she had a small row of Heart’s Desire in front of her.

Ten minutes later, she examined the contents of the pot. The water had turned a silvery blue. She smiled as she added the strips of Heart’s Desire. Everything looked like it was going just as the recipe said it would. However, her smile turned to one disgust as the potion quickly turned a mud brown. Nevertheless, she picked up the stir-rod and put it into the water. Then she set it to stir on its own.

Looking at the book, Twilight read the recipe again to make sure she hadn’t missed a step. She found her answer at the very end.

Do not worry if adding the Heart’s Desire turns the potion an odd colour. The stirring should turn it to a light green hue.

Once done, let the potion sit for five minutes before giving one full cup to the dragon affected with Seringel.

Shelf life: keep no longer than two years.

Suddenly, something fragrant drifted into Twilight’s nose. It reminded her of the smell that came with opening a brand new book. She closed her eyes and smiled, leaning close to the pot of water to take a big whiff. Sighing in contentment, she took it off the alcohol burner, snuffed out the flame and trotted up the stairs, the potion following after.

On her way to her room, she grabbed a cup from the kitchen. Once she reached the bedroom, she set everything down and waited a few minutes before poking Spike. “Come on, I made some medicine. It should help you get better.”

Spike groaned weakly and tried to turn over. “Go away. Leave me to suffer in peace.” He violently coughed.

Twilight grimaced. The cough sounded so dry that she could almost feel it herself. “No, you should really take this. It’s a soothing tea.” The lie rolled off her tongue easily. She had no idea what it would taste like, but she was willing to bet that like most herbal remedies, it tasted nasty.

“Fine,” grumbled Spike. He tried to sit up, but fell back. “Ugh... can you just pass me the cup or something?”

Twilight started forward with a start. “Sure, I can do that.” She poured a cup of the potion and gently placed it against Spike’s lips. Tipping it up slowly, she made sure that he drank it all without complaint. Seconds later, he was snoring lightly. All ready his breathing sounded like it was coming a bit easier.

Sighing in relief, Twilight set the cup aside and went to the window. And then she shook her head in amazement. The sun had already sinking below the horizon and the moon was starting to come up. Surely I wasn’t working for that long. Just an hour for the books, a half hour to get supplies, half an hour to make... The thought trailed off. It had been about four in the afternoon and as it was late fall, it was getting darker earlier.

Shaking her head again, she turned back to Spike. Feeling his forehead, she found that it was still burning up with fever, but not as fiercely as when she had first felt it. She smiled at his sleeping form before heading downstairs to make herself a light dinner.

I’ll check again on him in the morning.

---

“Twilight.”

The single word was accompanied with a series of pokes. Twilight tried to ignore them. She had kept waking up in the middle of the night to check on Spike. Now, she was suffering the consequences.

“Twilight! Get up!”

The prodding became more insistent and she was now awake enough to recognize the voice as Spike’s. “What?! What could be so...” She stopped speaking and bolted up, sending Spike flying off the bed. “Your voice!” Shoving the sheets aside, Twilight swung her hooves over the edge and then stood up and trotted over to Spike.

Feeling his forehead, she found that he no longer had a fever. Did the cure really work that fast? Was it really that simple? Twilight began to slowly smile.

“It worked! It was easy and it worked!” She began to hop around Spike, grinning like a fool.

Spike just looked on, confused. “What worked, Twi?”

Twilight grabbed Spike in a tight hug. “The potion. I followed an alchemy recipe to make a cure for your Seringel.” She suddenly stopped and furrowed her eyes in determination. “But that was easy, very easy. I just had to follow a recipe exactly and then you got better.” She tapped her chin, pondering the possibilities.

“I wonder... if I could make something that worked this quickly... could I make something to help my friends.” She let go of Spike and slowly trotted downstairs. “But who would I help first? I know! Fluttershy! She always has a sick animal or something that could use a good does of medicine.” Her eyes drifted to the book on general alchemy. “And there’s probably a recipe for Cure All in there.” She grabbed it and made her way to the basement door.

Spike appeared at the top of the stairs. “Umm... Twilight, it’s great and all that you made something for my sickness, but are you sure you should be making medicine for other ponies? It sounds complex if you ask me.”

Twilight, who was in just about to head to her workshop, called over her shoulder. “I don’t think so, Spike. Mortar and Pestle said that as long as I followed the directions, I should be fine.” She slammed the door shut and trotted down the stairs to her bench. She lit the alcohol burner and grabbed the extra herbs. Lastly, she trotted back upstairs and returned with a pot of water, which she placed over the flame.

“I just need half an hour. Then, all of Fluttershy’s problems will be cured.” Twilight laughed at the little joke and set to work.

---

Twilight trotted up the walk way to Fluttershy’s cottage. At the door, she patted her saddlebag just to feel the flask of Cure All. She was satisfied with the results. Then, she lightly tapped on the door.

“Just a moment.” Fluttershy’s voice drifted from somewhere behind the cottage. Seconds later, she appeared from around the corner. “Oh, Twilight. How are you today?” She glanced back, a worried expression on her face. “I’m sorry, but could you come back later? I’m trying to help a sick animal get better.”

Twilight brightened up. “Ah! That’s exactly why I came!”

“You did? How did you—”

Twilight picked Fluttershy up and trotted through the grass towards the backyard. “I didn’t, but I’ve recently taken up alchemy. I’m working on a cure all and I couldn’t help but think of you and all the animals you care for.”

Floating helpless behind Twilight, Fluttershy tried to right herself. “Shouldn’t you start with something simpler? You know, something that wouldn’t make a difference between life and death?” Using her wings, she finally managed to break free from the kinesis and lightly landed back on the ground. “I’ve gotten things from Zecora and she says that alchemy can be incredibly dangerous. A single mistake and... well...” Fluttershy let the word hang in the air, the rest of the thought unsaid.

“I know, I know. The two stallions that I got my starter kit from pretty much said the same thing. But, I’ve already made one cure, for Spike, and that turned out just fine. Spike is doing well.” As Twilight rounded the corner, the animal came into view. It was a very sickly looking bear. Without hesitation, she walked up, took the flask of potion out of her saddlebag. “Anyways, the this was simpler to make then the other medicine I made.”

As Twilight was about to levitate the flask to the bear’s mouth, Fluttershy stopped her. “Wait, fine, I trust you, but I think you’d better let me give him that. I mean... if that’s okay.” When Twilight nodded, Fluttershy grabbed the flask in her mouth and slowly approached the bear. “If you’ll just take this please. My friend made it and it’ll help you get better.”

The bear, who had been pacing restlessly stopped and drank the potion and then slowly sank down. His eyes blinked rapidly and then closed. A soft rumbling snore came from the now sleeping bear.

Fluttershy examined him and then gave a satisfied grunt. “I can already see improvement.”

“Really, it’s working that fast?” Twilight blinked in surprise.

Shuffling her hooves, Fluttershy blushed. “Well, no. He still looks sick as ever, but up until now, he hasn’t been sleeping. I think your potion just made him tired.” Looking at back at the bear one last time, she headed into the cottage. Twilight followed.

“I’ll just leave this here.” Twilight set the flask on the nearest available surface in the cluttered living room. “If you need more, I’m sure I can buy more materials and whip up another batch.” No longer burdened by the delicate flask, she disappeared with a flash bang. She appeared outside Mortar and Pestle’s Apothecary and trotted inside. She just had this feeling that alchemy was her calling, but to continue, she would need to buy some of everything.

---

Three light taps at the basement door caused Twilight to look up. Who could be knocking at the door? The only one that knows I’m here is Spike and he just comes in. Her curiosity piqued, she trotted up the stairs and opened the door.

Fluttershy stopped mid knock. “Oh, there you are Twilight. Spike tole me I could find you here.” When Twilight only cocked her eyebrow, Fluttershy continued. “I... um... just wanted to tell you that the bear is already doing much better thanks to your potion.”

“That quickly? You only gave it the cure three hours ago.”

“And I’ve used up the rest of the flask.”

Twilight blinked in surprise. She opened her mouth to speak, but a voice came from the main library before she could.

“Flask? Potion? Twilight, what is Fluttershy talking about?” Just beyond the door stood Rainbow Dash.

For the second time in a few minutes, Twilight blinked in surprise. “Umm... alchemy. What are you doing here Dash?

Shrugging, Rainbow Dash pulled a book out her saddlebag and placed it on a shelf. “I’m just returning the last Daring Do book I checked out. And I’m going to get the next one in the series.”

Twilight nodded and turned her attention back to Fluttershy. “So, was there something you needed?”

“Actually, I was wondering if you could make some more Cure All. That is, if you have the time.”

“Of course, I’m just working on a simple pain suppressant. As soon as it’s done, I’ll get started on another batch of Cure all. It shouldn’t take more than an hour.” Twilight smiled brightly and turned to go back into the basement.

However, before she could close the door, Rainbow Dash stopped her. “Pain suppressant? You mean something that would allow me to push me even further than normal?”

Twilight looked around nervously. “Well, if it’s pain that’s stopping you, then I suppose it would.” She continued walking down the stairs, praying that Rainbow Dash wouldn’t follow her. The pain suppressant was a little more complex than the Cure All or the Seringel potion. She wasn’t quite sure what it would do.

“Do you have any done yet? Or close to done?” Both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy followed after before the door could close all the way. “Whoa, how long have you been down here?”

The basement was well lit. In the center of the floor was a circular bench covered in dried herbs and various tools. A pestle and mortar sat at one end, at the other end, there was the alcohol burner. On the burner, a pot of water bubbled, an odd, redish smoke coming from it.

Twilight went to the pot of water and stirred it. “Yes, it’s almost done. As for how long I’ve been down here. I dunno, maybe two or three hours at most?”

“Umm... maybe you should go get some fresh air.” Fluttershy wrinkled her nose. “I’ve only been down here for a few minutes and I’m already feeling a little woozy.” She backed up the stairs and then quickly turned to leave. “If you could just come to my cottage again when you have more Cure All, that would be great. Thanks!” With that, she galloped the rest of the way up the stairs and disappeared out the door.

Twilight stared after Fluttershy. “Well, I guess alchemy isn’t for everypony.” The pot began to bubble furiously, and her attention was drawn to it as she took it off the flame and then poured it into a flask. “Anyways, I guess you could take some, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow Dash was beginning to also wrinkle her nose. “Thanks Twi, but I’m starting to agree with Fluttershy. I don’t know how you can stand it for this long.” Taking the flask that was magically floating in front of her, she quickly flew out.

Twilight sighed and turned back to her bench. She trotted upstairs to the kitchen to wash out the pot. When she returned with some fresh water, she levitated the ingredients for Cure All in front of her and began working.

Like I said before. Alchemy isn’t for everypony.

---

Twilight was returning from delivering the Cure All to Fluttershy when she noticed the crowd outside her library. Surely they can’t all want books! She began galloping towards the group, but couldn’t shove her way into the door. So, she disappeared with a flash bang and appeared in the center of the main room.

Rainbow Dash gave a yelp of surprise. “Twi! There you are!”

“Dash, who are all these ponies? Why are they all here? The library is never this busy!”

“Oh, them. I was flying way better than usual in the park and Lyra saw me. I may have told her about the pain suppressant. When she asked where I got it, I may have also told her about you starting alchemy.” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck and grinned nervously at Twilight. “Sorry about that. They all want something.”

Twilight sighed and facehoofed. “It’s okay. If I can get another alchemy set or two, I should be able to make something for all of them.” She stepped up onto her desk and yelled into the crowd. “Okay, listen up everypony. If you could, I need your name and what you want made. If it isn’t too complex, I’ll make some for you.” She levitated out a quill and paper, then gave it to the nearest pony. “I’ll get started as soon as I can find a second mortar and pestle, another alcohol burner, and some more pots of water.”

She was about to teleport away, when out of the crowd of ponies came exactly what she needed. She shrugged and sat down to wait for the list to make it’s way around the room.

As soon as the list was in her magical grasp, Twilight shooed the whole crowd away, telling them to return in a few hours. As the last of the ponies dispersed, she walked into her basement and closed the door behind her. She had a feeling that she was going to be down there.

---

Four hours later and three cups of coffee later, Twilight groaned and slumped over her bench. The last potion that had been requested emptied out of the pot into a flask. All she had to do now was to make sure that each flask made it to the right pony.

Sure enough, a minute later, she could hear the group of ponies talking excitedly upstairs. Sighing, she grabbed all the flasks and dragged them through the air as she made her way up to the main library room.

“All right everypony. I have everything that you guys requested. They’re all marked with your name.” Setting the flasks down on the desk, Twilight didn’t look back as she made her way to her room. However, just as she mounted the stairs, Pinkie Pie appeared from seemingly nowhere.

“Wait, wait! I wasn’t here when you took orders and I want something! I need something to enhance the flavor of my latest cupcake recipe. Could you make something real quick? Pretty please with sugar on top?”

Twilight sighed and turned around to head back to the basement. “There may be something in the general alchemy book. I think I have enough ingredients to whip something up.” Rubbing her eyes, she closed the door to the basement and headed to her bench. Pinkie Pie followed.

Flipping through the book on general alchemy, Twilight finally found what she was looking for. It was a potion simply titled Flavor Enhancer. “I suppose this’ll do. Let’s see, what does it need?” She read the ingredients out loud and Pinkie Pie shoved them in front of her.

1 Mint leaf
1 Ginger root
2 Heart’s Desire petals

Take and crush all ingredients together. Stir into boiling water for five minutes. Let cool for an additional five minutes.

Twilight shrugged and began crushing the mint leaf. “Well, it’s simple, so I’ll be able to get out of here quickly. You wouldn’t believe it, but alchemy can be tiring.” She quickly finished and dumped everything into the pot of boiling water. Then she sat down to wait.

Five minutes of Pinkie Pie counting later, Twilight got up and removed the pot from the flame. She poured it in a flask. Then she handed it to Pinkie Pie. “Just be sure to let it cool for five minutes.

“Okay, thanks, bye!” With that, Pinkie Pie was already up the stairs and out the door.

Twilight shook her head and followed after. Except, instead of heading outside, she went to her room to take a nap.

---

“Umm... Twilight?”

Groaning, Twilight opened her eyes and found herself nearly face to face with a very green looking Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie!” She jumped back in surprise, but then raised an eyebrow curiously. “What’s up? You don’t look so well?”

“I think the potion you gave to me...” Her words trailed off as she collapsed.

Jumping out of bed, Twilight leaned close to Pinkie Pie’s chest. A look of deep concern crossed Twilight’s face.  She could hear Pinkies heart beating faintly. Her own was beating rapidly in fear of what may have happened.

“Don’t bother. She’s been poisoned.”

Twilight looked up in surprise. Her eyes narrowed. Both Mortar and Pestle stood at the top of the stairs. “What are you two doing here? Who let you in? Who poisoned Pinkie?”

Pestle shook his friend. “I’m afraid you did. We’ve just been down at the hospital brewing antidotes. It turns out that some of your potions were a bit sour. A few others have been poisoned as well.”

Mortar shook his head, obviously disappointed. “I think we need to talk about alchemy and it’s dangers. I suspect that you skimmed over the section on technique in the book on general alchemy. It’s more important than the actual recipes, you know.”

Twilight looked at the stallions in disbelief. “But I followed the recipes exactly. Just like you said to.”

“That’s only part of what you’re supposed to do. I guess we were a little presumptuous that you read the beginning of General Alchemy thoroughly, and that’s our fault. We should have told you.”

“Then why aren’t the rest of the ponies sick or something?” Twilight questioned.

Pestle waved his hoof dismissively. “Beginners luck. Now, lets get your friend there some antidote.” He walked over and bent down. A small flask drifted out of a saddlebag on his brother’s back. It tipped itself into Pinkie Pie’s mouth. She coughed and sputtered, but finally swallowed the potion.

Mortar picked up where his brother had left off. “Now, if you’d like to continue learning about alchemy, we’d be happy to give you lessons.”

Twilight looked up and shook her head. “I don’t think I could afford lessons.”

“Oh no, they’re on us. We’re always happy to help out a fellow alchemist. Anyways, we grow and pick our own herbs, so running the store is dirt cheap compared to other apothecaries.” Mortar chuckled as he turned to go back out of the library. Pestle followed.

“We’ll be expecting you at two in the afternoon, next week. Deal?”

Twilight nodded and smiled. “Deal. I’m very interested in learning more. But right now? I think I have a letter to the Princess to write.”

She gently levitated Pinkie Pie into her bed and smiled as Pinkie snuggled down into the sheets. Already she was looking slightly better.

Twilight then gathered up a quill and some paper from a nearby night stand and began writing.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Over the last day or so, I decided to learn about alchemy. I was successful in brewing a cure for Spike and he is doing well now. I may have let it get to my head just a bit. Okay, I let it get to me a big bit. I took it as a natural knack for the art and I tried to make more potions without fully understanding some of the techniques that the books talked about. As a result, several of my potions turned out bad. They poisoned some ponies. Luckily, two local alchemists knew what to do and were able to fix the problem. They offered to teach me the art of alchemy and I decided to take them up on it. I guess I learned that some things should be left to experts or left until you reach an expert level.

Sincerely,
Your Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle.