Twilight's journey

by Skarsnik

Chapter 2 - Secrets

Today was another beautiful day of spring, the sun was bright, but the evening would not have the oppressing warmth of summer. Still, the sunshine was barely here, but that was enough to wake the green coated occupant of one room.

Stretching his legs, pulling away the plain blanket that kept him warmth for the night, he hopped off his bed. It was a plain bed, comfy enough to sleep, but a far cry from what he had in Canterlot. Here his room had very little furniture: a simple wooden chair, a functional desk with ink and quills, a small wardrobe with just enough space to put some clothes and other personal stuff, in his case a few books. Simple, plain and functional was all that mattered anyway.

He took a look at the clock on the wall. “Hu...already? breakfast” talking to himself, he was out of bed, but still not fully awake. He reached the door and opened it to enter the living-room / kitchen / dining-room. Small town. He noticed the sound of someone in the room.

“‘Morning, Spike,” he said before heading to the fridge. When he finally reach the fridge he started to search for something to eat.

“Good morning, Emerald,” replied Spike.

“‘Mor...morning,” said a surprised shy voice.

Now more awake because of the light of the fridge and the need to put a bit of focus to find something, Emerald tried to think of the second voice, it sounded like a mare.

“I didn’t know you liked mares.” the stallion said while turning his head. This time, he tried to pay more attention to his surroundings and the source of the voice.

It was a mare, a purple unicorn, her dark blue mane looked like it hadn’t been taken care for long, there was some touch of purple and pink, but after an hour in the bathroom, Emerald thought she would probably look nice. Her violet eyes were fully open, showing her surprise, probably expecting Spike to live alone. He couldn’t see her back because a blanket was covering her. Wait, no, the blanket was now falling from her because something was pushing it away, revealing... wait-.

“What?” Staring at the mare, it was all he was able to say.

Spike was looking at him and sighed “I think we need to have a little conversation, please come.”

Before leaving Spike turned his head to the mare “Twilight, can you finish alone?”

The purple mare gave him a small nod.

---

Spike’s room was the same as his room with the same plain, simple, functional feeling, but now Emerald didn’t really care about the house he was living in. He had followed Spike to his room, it was not a long walk but that seemed like an eternity for him, trying to make sense of who this mare was and why she was here. She was a unicorn, he couldn’t miss the horn, no she was not a unicorn, she had wings, so a pegasus, no idiot, she has a horn...

“Emerald Scroll!”, Spike shouted with a gentle but firm enough tone to make Emerald escape his thoughts.

“Hu? Sorry Spike.”

“Listen, I don’t really know how to start, but, what do you know about my past?”

“I don’t see- “

“Please, just answer that for now,” Spike interrupted.

“Ok, I guess you have been studying magic in Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns, which makes little sense since you are a dragon, but” seeing the look of disapproval in Spike’s eyes, Emerald stopped, it was probably not what Spike wanted to hear.

“Ok, not your student past? So your family? I have no idea, probably a nice dragon couple in Canterlot, but I thought dragons lived in herds” Spike was still wearing his disapproval face.

Emerald gave up on trying to imagine Spike’s past life “I… don’t know, I thought I knew you, but obviously not.”

“Exactly” Spike switched to a more serious face.

“Now listen, I will tell you things you have to promise me to tell no pony, but I know you will keep that promise. First, because I trust you, and also because you don’t want to see an angry dragon.”

Spike waited for Emerald’s answer, to which he only replied with a nod, but the stallion was still confused.

Spike tried another angle “Do you remember the stupid last test the poor foals have to pass to enter Celestia’s school?”

Emerald had resigned himself to stop making sense of Spike’s questions. He settled to just answer whatever question Spike had for him.

“Ho, I remember, it wasn’t a pleasant memory, you have to try to hatch a dragon’s egg, but you can’t, it’s designed to fail. It’s to teach you that… wait, is that how you were born?” Emerald’s eyes opened wide.

“Yes, I know it’s hard to believe but-”

“But how? No... who?” It was Spike’s turn to get cut this time, but seeing his assistant’s face he knew it was better to let him finish figuring out the puzzle.

“Wait, there was a rumor about somepony who passed this test, so it’s true? He must be very powerful but-”, something was missing for Emerald.

“But I still don’t get it!” He nearly shouted to calm himself.

“You are close, you asked the good questions. It was a filly and you just met her.”

“Her? Her? Wait. Ho, so your... mother” yeah this was probably the word, ”is paying you a visit and you don’t want anypony knowing she is a pony?” That sound weird, but that could explain why he wanted to keep it secret, still that doesn’t-

“No” Spike cut off Emerald again.

“I mean, no, yes. Rah sometimes it’s hard to remember what everypony really knows,” Spike was a bit angry, but he continued.

“Ok, in a sense you are right, it’s my mother and I don’t want ponies knowing that, but not because she is a pony. Didn’t you recognize her?”

Emerald was confused again, recognize her? how are you supposed to recognize a mare you only saw for, like five seconds? Wait. Think, she hatched a bucking dragon egg when she was a filly, she must be a powerful unicorn. Unicorn? But she has... no, focus on what you are sure of : school for gifted unicorns, so unicorn, a purple powerful unicorn and Spike had called her...

“You called her Twilight? It can’t be... you are saying Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic, the... savior of Equestria is your mother, and she is here, but she is-”. Emerald’s voice raised in volume as the realization struck him.

“Stop it!” Spike put a claw on the mouth of the stallion, then showed him the door, the door that leads to the main room of the house, where a lavender mare was eating. Spike slowly removed his hand seeing the comprehension on Emerald’s eyes.

“Dead, yeah. She is supposed to be dead.”

The two of them remained silent. Something was missing for Emerald, so he broke the silence.

“So, Twilight Sparkle is not dead, and she has... wings, yes I saw them. Is that something you were hiding from all Equestria? Or you are messing with me in the morning? Or am I still dreaming? Or...” Emerald was shaking as anger and panic started to appear in his voice.

“What? No, on the first part I am as lost as you, she... teleported in front of me yesterday evening...” Spike stopped and opened his drawer to pick up a rolled scroll with a broken seal on it.

“I guess I should show you this letter”

Spike proffered the scroll to the unicorn, Emerald grabbed it with his magic. He looked at the seal first, it was a crystal heart with a crown around it, the Crystal Empire royal sigil Emerald thought.

“Go ahead, read it”

“Ok” Dear Spike, Professor of the University of Canterlot and Savior of the Crystal Empire Emerald paused for a moment then said “What?”

“Please, just read” Spike sighed, as he had anticipated the reaction.

“Ok” Emerald started again, reading the whole letter without stopping this time.

Dear Spike, Professor of the University of Canterlot and Savior of the Crystal Empire

So she chose you, we suppose that makes sense.
But first thing, Yes it’s really Twilight Sparkle that appeared to you tonight, it’s maybe not the same unicorn you remember, but we can ensure you that she is who she is.

Her body is now as one of an alicorn, she is surely very tired and hungry but do not fear, she will live. However we can’t ensure the whole integrity of her mind, we think that only her memory is affected so it’s for the best that she reconstruct and remember herself. We understand it will be hard, especially for you.

It is also very important you don’t tell anypony she is alive, especially Celestia, yes, Princess Celestia, Diarch of Equestria, our own sister and aunt. She must not know.

Also, don’t let Twilight use her magic around others, you will be the sole judge as to when you will let that happen.

We are deeply sorry that we can’t explain the whole situation to you, but we trust you

Sincerely,

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, ruler of the Crystal Empire & Princess Luna, Diarch of Equestria and Protector of the night

Post Scriptum : Twilight, we are certain you will find this letter, please don’t give up.

“Horseapples” was all Emerald was able to say after finishing the letter.

Another pause, another endless silence for the two of them lost in their thought. Rattling sounds could be heard from the living room, but something else finally broke the silence in Spike’s room.

DING DONG

“What now?” Emerald nearly jumped out of surprise “Oh it’s just the clock.”

“Hm, the clock? Wait, what time is it?” Spike became worried as he looked at his own clock on the wall.

“It’s already seven and a half! I didn’t realize that, I was so busy-”

“Hiding more things from me?” Spike was cut by the sharp words from Emerald.

“What? Err, can we discuss that later? There are some young unicorns waiting for you” saying these words, a small spark of anger made its way in the drake’s eyes.

Emerald only had paid attention to Spike’s face, he knew this face, it meant “There is a job to do, and you will listen to me”. It was a part of being Spike’s assistant that he didn’t like, Spike was very serious about his job, dead serious. Emerald understood why Spike felt this way toward his job, and although he didn’t really want to cope with Spike bringing their job to cut off further discussion because he was, in truth, afraid of knowing what an angry dragon looked like. He still he couldn’t accept it given the situation.

“Spike, you really want to leave her to do your job?” this time it was Emerald showing some sign of anger.

“That is why I said, you will go while I stay here,” Spike simply replied.

Me teaching to foals alone? I can’t do it, no I don’t want to, well not now. Ok Spike you want to play the “job” card, I can do it too.

“You think I can do it alone, really?” What is that sound in the kitchen?

“We already discussed this, I trust you for this”

Shoot!, I didn’t expect that, he trusts me? Hm…

What about “No, what I mean is: do you think I can focus on teaching now after what you just told me?”

“Ah.” Spike stopped for a little to think, he is right, being the first time alone will be stressful enough, but if you add that, it will stress the fillies too, no wait-

Finally, the recurring sound in the living room stopped and was replaced by a loud metallic crash.

Emerald was the first to leave Spike’s room to check on the main room. He probably could have laughed at the scene in front of him: a lavender alicorn lying on the floor in front of the fridge, her head still in the bottom of the fridge. Her horn was stuck in one of the refrigerator grates. He could have laughed too at the celery branch that managed to get stuck behind one of her ears. But he didn’t laugh.

It was the first time he had a full view of her body. He had only previously seen her head, the rest of her being hidden behind the table and the blanket. Obviously, he had seen her wings, but now he had a full view of the mare’s state: she was very thin, very very thin and the part of the letter that said she would be very hungry was not an understatement. Her wings were folded, but the feathers were dry and not neatly lined up. Worst of all, she didn’t seem awake. He had half expected her to rise on her hooves and say something like “ouch”.

Spike joined Emerald before the unicorn had the time to panic.

“What happened here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Help me clean this mess and put her on the couch.”

There was no time to wonder what the alicorn was doing in the fridge. Emerald was levitating away the grates of the fridge that had landed on her body and the floor, while Spike was slowly removing the grate stuck on Twilight’s horn. When that was done, Spike started to gently put his claws under her belly and her hind legs.

“Can you lift her head?” the drake asked.

Emerald made one attempt to levitate Twilight’s head but instead felt a weird sensation, he shook his head and tried again

“I can’t” it was just a statement, there was no anger neither confusion in Emerald voice.

“What? Nevermind, you have hooves?”

Carefully Emerald used his front legs to lift and hold the alicorn’s head, one hoof holding her head, the other one holding her neck. Spike was holding the rest of her body, lifting most of her light weight. While they were on the way to the couch, Emerald used his magic to finish removing the various vegetables and content of the fridge that were still on her body. Both were focused on their respective tasks while saying nothing.

Having her head close to him, Emerald could now feel the slow breath of the alicorn on his fur. He spoke, more to himself than to start a conversation.

“I think... she is sleeping”

This simple statement seemed to ease both Spike and Emerald. Spike put Twilight on the couch and before hurrying to his room, he said; “I will bring a pillow for her head, hold still!”

Spike was soon back with his own pillow, he put it on the edge of the couch and Emerald carefully removed his hooves to let her head lay on the soft pillow. When it was done, both looked at the alicorn for a while, her breath was steady, her muzzle was making a soft sound at each inspiration she took, her face was peaceful, showing no sign of pain.

Spike broke the silence and let out a breath of relief “I think you are right, she is back to sleep again.”

“Again?” Emerald rump felt on the floor after the stress of the situation had caught on with him.

“I don’t know if you heard me, I found her yesterday evening,” Spike paused to grab a chair and sat on it, “She passed out in front of me so I brought her here. She woke up once in the night, she was thirsty but she fell asleep before finishing the glass of water I brought her,” he paused again to make sure Emerald could follow.

“Then she woke up this morning, she said she wanted to eat, she managed to reach the living room when I was making her something. I helped her sit to eat, then you saw her.”

“I am... lost”, Emerald said looking at the floor, the blanket that he had previously seen on the mare was here “Oh”, he picked up the blanket with his magic and put it on the alicorn, that was a welcoming small distraction for his mind.

Spike was watching Emerald put the blanket, letting him take his time to adjust the blanket around the mare body. When Emerald was done Spike finally spoke.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

“I mean thank you for ...” Spike was staring at the sleeping alicorn not finishing his phrase. I had to trust him. “You know what? You are right.”

“Hu?” Emerald was staring at Spike more confused than ever. Spike had left his chair and was picking up his bag of school supplies.

“I will tend to my class, and you will stay here to watch her”, On these words Spike went to the sleeping alicorn, slipped one claw on her dry mane and lowered his head toward her ears.

“Don’t worry Twilight, I am not leaving you.”

Emerald was slowly recovering while watching Spike rush toward the door and leaving the house, Emerald saw something on Spike’s face he hadn’t seen in all this crazy morning. He had seen Spike a bit angry and annoyed at him when he was trying to explain this nonsense, he had seen him try to stay calm when noticing Twilight in the fridge but still sharing the same concern and relief Emerald had felt when noticing the alicorn was only sleeping. This time, he saw Spike wearing a sad face, his eyes watching a nonexistent point on the floor, slowly getting wet, is that tears?

“I am an asshole,” he muttered to himself, but Spike was already out.

Author's Note:

Thanks to Celestial Pony for editing this chapter

Comments

[Anzel]

More hints about Twilight's state! And evidently Luna never told Celestia about what she'd done. Interesting!

[Scorch215]

my theory about a slow teleport seems to be holding as her body would still function during it but at a much slower rate and shed be awake for all of it.

though I could be wrong, will read on.