Twilight stared into the center of the Element of Magic. She still felt the same draw to it, even after not having held it for years, even having used it only a few times. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She could almost feel the power of the Element coursing through her veins as it had so many years ago. She opened her eyes and sighed. "Am I going to have to find a new bearer for you?" she asked aloud. The thought was almost painful. The Element of magic was her Element, not anypony else's.
The Element didn't react in any way. Silence filled the air, broken only by the rushing water as it fell over the waterfall. She lowered the Element of Magic and looked out across the forest. Her gaze was directed towards the clearing Rainbow Dash and Zenith occupied. "If I have to find new bearers for you, I will. Celestia alone couldn't access your full power. I know I'm not Celestia... I'm not as..." she trailed off. She wanted to say 'perfect,' but Celestia hadn't been perfect. She had tried to be perfect, or at least she tried to be the best she could be for Equestria. She looked down at the Element and trailed over its sharp outline. "I have issues. Perhaps I could wield all of you to your full potential. Or maybe I could only wield part of your power, and just one time like Celestia had? Or maybe I cannot wield a single Element now?"
She knew the Element of Magic wasn't sentient, but she felt better talking to it. It just reminded her of Princess Celestia. Celestia had once wielded three of the Elements of Harmony, including the Element of Magic. The thought turned bitter. "I miss them," she said simply. She stood up and carefully walked away from the rocky outcropping. She teleported the other five Elements to herself and held them in her magic. She wanted so badly to use them. To bring the Inquisitor to her, and then to slay him.
The Elements were far more powerful than her, and that scared her. That fear kept her from trying. As comforting as the Elements were to her, she still had Luna's memories. Luna had been on the receiving end of the Elements twice. She understood why Luna never talked about what it felt like. She shifted her weight and held the Element of Magic close to her, then tentatively attempted to access the gem's power. She closed her eyes.
She could feel it in there, just waiting for her- or somepony- to take it and use it. It was almost overwhelming. The last time she used the Elements she was an alicorn, but she didn't know what she now knew. She still couldn't tell if the Element's power was infinite. It scared her, not knowing how much power the Elements actually had. As much as the Elements could be tools for her, if somepony was able to use them against her, it would be over. Just like that. She knew she couldn't defend against the Elements even with all of her power. She didn't understand how Discord wasn't afraid at least a little when he faced them the second time. Even if he knew that it wouldn't work, she thought he should have been afraid. He must not have known how powerful they truly were, or perhaps he did but didn't care. She could outmatch Discord now, and the Elements outmatched her.
She pushed the thought aside. She was in control. Complete control. She wasn't going to attempt to use the Elements, just analyze them. She focused on scanning the Element of Magic. Her own Element had been the obvious choice, and she liked to think she understood it better than anypony, with the exception of Princess Celestia. She found herself wondering if she actually knew more about the Elements than Celestia.
It wouldn't have surprised her.
She pushed the thought aside and refocused on her task.
Twilight glided through the air until she gently landed on the ground. Rainbow Dash and Zenith approached her, happy to see her again. "I see you're finally back!" Zenith chirped.
Twilight nodded. "I figured out the spell," she said simply.
"That quickly?" Rainbow asked, surprised. She knew Twilight was a quick learner, and that Twilight was one of the smartest ponies alive. It still surprised her, Twilight herself said it might take her a while to recreate the spell.
Twilight nodded, "It was simpler than I anticipated... Now I'm left with the decision... Do I use it now, or do I wait to recover?"
Zenith and Rainbow exchanged a glance. "Maybe you should wait?" Rainbow suggested. Zenith vigorously nodded in agreement.
Twilight mulled over her predicament. "The longer I wait, the more I will recover, but the greater chance of something bad happening... Teleporting him here will take him by surprise, and I should be able to kill him before he realizes what's happening..."
"Assuming the Inquisitor is actually Discord," Rainbow reminded.
Twilight looked at her evenly but nodded in agreement. After a few seconds, she looked away, "Honestly, I'm surprised I was able to get the Elements at all. I expected the Inquisitor to have them..." she shook her head. "Arrogance... But... I suppose I'm arrogant also." She shook her head and pushed the question away.
"So what's the plan, then?" Zenith asked eagerly.
Twilight mulled over the question for a few seconds. "There is no chance that he knows I will be able to teleport him to myself. Because of this, I need to prepare for him waiting on me to teleport him to my location."
Rainbow and Zenith looked at her with frowns. Rainbow slowly shook her head, "That doesn't..."
"Make sense?" Twilight asked. Rainbow tentatively nodded. "Of course not. We're talking about Discord. I do not believe he would ignore the possibility of me figuring out how to teleport him to my location, which means he probably has a plan in case that happens." Twilight paused to think. Over the next few seconds, she found her gaze drawn to the grass beneath her hooves. "Perhaps it would be best if both of you were a very long ways away from me when I teleport him." She looked up and looked at both of them in turn. "It will be safer for you, especially if I decide... or am forced... to use my full force of my magic."
"No," Rainbow said firmly. "I'm not leaving you to fight him alone." She walked over to Twilight and faced her with as much determination as she could. "I owe it to you to stay with you."
Twilight grimaced, "Rainbow Dash, with the manipulation your mind has undergone-"
"I won't betray you."
Twilight clenched her jaw, "Rainbow Dash, you cannot know that."
Rainbow groaned and flared out her wings before letting them hang loosely at her sides. "You need to trust me, Twilight. I am sorry that I betrayed you. I am sorry that I swore to protect the Inquisitor and Equestria from you. I am sorry that you were alone for three years. Let me make it up to you!" Twilight thought it over but didn't reply. "Please, Twilight. Trust me, I promise I will not hurt you, ever again."
"If you don't trust us, or if you don't want our help, why do you keep us around?" Zenith asked as she walked over to her.
Twilight blinked and looked at Zenith. She had a point. She kept them around to help her. To both protect her and so she could protect them. Both of them were important, not just to her, but she still felt Rainbow was important to Equestria. She knew she would need them after Equestria was hers. Having ponies she could trust-
She did trust them. As much as she tried to convince herself she didn't, she did trust them. She swallowed, knowing it could come back to bite her in the flank. She took a deep breath and then exhaled. She didn't care. She wanted to protect them. She also needed them to protect her. The whole reason the Royal Guard existed under Princess Celestia's rule was because not all threats were visible. Alicorns, while very powerful and possessing unrivaled magic and strength, could still be easily taken down if the attacker had the element of surprise. She still wondered why Princess Celestia and Luna let the Inquisitor have them killed. They could have prevented it, but they didn't. She shook the thought aside. She went through the emotions she felt, wondering if any of them were influencing her decision. She felt calm, at ease, like she was safe. She smiled, "I trust you," she said.
Rainbow closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt relief, hearing Twilight say she trusted her. She wasn't going to break that trust ever again. She promised Twilight and herself not to break it. "Let us help you," she said.
Twilight slowly nodded. "I have enough magic and physical strength to destroy entire nations, but I'm not..." she pursed her lips, unsure of the best way to put it. "I can only do so much at a time, I'm still a pony. I cannot be everywhere at once, I cannot defend myself all the time, I cannot see every threat every second of every day." She paused before summarizing, "I still have vulnerabilities and I can still be killed. Granted, it would be very hard, but it can be done. Right now, for example, because my regeneration is... diminished... it would be easier than say... in another three years. I'm still growing, perhaps not physically, but my magic is continuing to increase. Even then, I'll still be vulnerable."
Twilight took a deep breath, "I do need you, even if it's just to protect me. I will admit, however, I do desire to protect both of you too. I do not wish harm to come to either of you." Her head fell to the side in thought, "I think that's Celestia's influence..."
"I think it's just you," Zenith said as she walked over to Twilight and hugged her. It felt awkward because of how tall the alicorn was, but Twilight quickly bent down and returned the hug with a nuzzle. Zenith's neck tingled at the sensation, feeling her teacher's soft fur rub along her neck. It was comforting, it made her think of the kind of nuzzle a mother would give their foal. She pushed the thought aside, it was silly, Twilight wasn't a mother, and they weren't related.
After a few seconds, Twilight pulled back, followed shortly by Zenith. Twilight looked to Rainbow Dash, "I do trust you, and... I should..." she sighed. "Last night, you said that I wasn't the most stable of ponies, you're right. I have issues, outside of trust issues. I have not been completely honest with both of you." She looked between them and took a deep breath. "I have told you that I have their power, their magic, and... their talents. But I have more than that, and it has led to... some... interesting... consequences..." She frowned at the memories. "I also possess their memories. Not all of them. But as I grow, I can access more of their memories."
"Wait, you have their memories?" Zenith asked. Rainbow's brow furrowed in thought.
Twilight nodded, "I am carrying six separate sets of memories, some less... potent... than others. My niece... for example..." she swallowed. "She wasn't very old, so she didn't have a lot of memories... Princess Celestia, on the other hoof... She lived for thousands of years. I'm only twenty-three, and when I was given their magic and memories, I was twenty. I was not prepared for that in the slightest, not physically nor mentally, nor emotionally. It's taken a toll on me. On a related note, I also possess Princess Luna's memories. That in itself is..." she bobbed her head. "Well," she snorted, "you know what happened to her."
Rainbow and Zenith both shivered. "You... carry her memories from her time as Nightmare Moon?" Rainbow Dash asked. She felt a tinge of fear at that. She couldn't imagine having to deal with what Twilight had to deal with for three years, and that was without carrying six sets of memories. And one of those sets of memories was corrupted.
Twilight nodded gravely. "It is... not something I wish to talk about. And I ask you say nothing about my carrying six sets of memories to anypony..." she tilted her head away from them, "Promise you will never say anything of this to anypony. If you do, it could put my life at greater risk than before... And... it could put you both at greater risk. If anypony finds out how much I actually care about you, they could use you against me."
Rainbow ruffled her wings, "Twilight, neither of us will say a word of this to anypony. I promise." Zenith nodded vigorously in agreement.
Twilight nodded gravely, "Thank you... I... needed to say that." She felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest. After a few seconds, she frowned, "And as you can see, I seem to have some mental disorder. Just look at my behavior or mood swings..." she trailed off. She looked at Rainbow Dash thoughtfully, "Tomorrow I'll probably wake up and be back to wanting to kill you," she mused.
Rainbow laughed nervously, "I uh... You're... not going to do that... right?"
Twilight nodded absently and sighed sadly. "I do not want that," she replied in a sad and soft voice. "For all I know, the Inquisitor's spell is affecting my mood. I would not be surprised if it was, but even if it is, I do not wish harm to come to either of you."
Zenith frowned, "Isn't there a way that you could check if it is or isn't affecting your mood?"
Twilight internally winced, then nodded exaggeratedly, "Ah. Yes. Well. There is... I... forgot."
"You... forgot?" Rainbow asked incredulously. "How can you-"
Twilight sighed, "Rainbow Dash... You have to remember what I've been through and what I'm still dealing with," she said quickly. Rainbow sighed and looked away from her. Twilight hesitated briefly before walking over to her and hugging her. "I should probably check to see if it is affecting my mind," she said as she pulled back. Rainbow stepped back as she lit her horn, and her body was enveloped in a lavender aura. After a few seconds, the aura and glow surrounding her horn died.
Both Zenith and Rainbow looked at her expectantly. Twilight's eyes darted left and right as she went over the results. Rainbow opened her mouth to speak, but Twilight cut her off. "I'm just that unstable," she answered evenly.
"Twilight, anypony dealing with what you are would be unstable. But, I think you're holding it together better than most ponies would," Rainbow said with a smile. Twilight smiled back at her briefly. "Just remember, we're here for you." Twilight looked away from her and sighed. She let her eyes wander over the tree line across the river.
Twilight looked out across the storm-ravaged valley. Night had fallen, and the dark clouds obscured the light from her moon, blanketing the world in darkness. The crack of thunder from high above echoed through the valley. "What a splendid storm," she commented. She was glad she had a barrier around herself, Zenith, and Rainbow. It would be very unpleasant and dangerous without it, standing as close to the cliff as the three of them were. Zenith was in the most danger, being unable to fly. If she slipped and fell, she would catch her. She still didn't want to risk it. She turned around and walked along the river bank. Zenith and Rainbow started walking beside her.
The stream was swelling from the torrential downpour, and Twilight found herself surprised at how much she enjoyed listening to the rushing river and rain. It was almost relaxing. "So... are you going to tell us why you brought us up here?" Zenith asked.
Twilight paused and looked back at her, "I will," she said simply. She looked forwards again and started walking. A few seconds later, Twilight came to a stop again, then released her barrier. Immediately they were buffeted by wind and rain. "It's amazing how quickly the wild weather can change..." she mused. "When I was up here this morning, it was a beautiful day. Now? Not so much."
Rainbow closed her eyes as the rain fell from the clouds and drenched her body. It had been far too long since she last enjoyed a good rainstorm, and she had forgotten how nice it felt. She was in her element in the sky, even more so when it was storming. The darkness, on the other hoof... It was almost blinding. As much as she hated to admit it, her eyesight wasn't as good as it had been years ago. It seemed even more pronounced recently, which felt odd, wrong even. She didn't like the idea of being so close to the edge of the cliff in a storm when it was night. One wrong step, and if she were to hit her head, it could knock her unconscious. She trusted Twilight, though. She trusted her with her life. Besides, they were walking away from the cliff.
Zenith fought back a shiver. She never did like the cold, nor the rain. Being a light scout meant she had dealt with some bad weather before, but it wasn't often. And she hadn't had the rigorous discipline of the Equestrian Army for a few weeks. It showed. It still felt colder than normal storms, though, and the cold rain bit into her coat. "It's freezing..."
Twilight looked at Zenith and nodded. She wasn't feeling the effects of the cold storm. At least not yet, but she was sure she would before the night was over. "It's an intense system," she explained, "no pegasi made it, therefore it is uncontrolled. Altitude also contributes to the cold, along with it being night."
Zenith stepped closer to Twilight, seeking shelter. Twilight smiled, it reminded her a little of herself and Princess Celestia. She let the memory run its course before continuing. "Tonight. You two will attempt to defeat me."
"What!?" they both exclaimed at the same time.
Twilight slid her wing across Zenith's back as she stepped forwards and then turned to face them. She smiled genuinely, "I want to see what you're capable of. I need you two to be capable of working together. Go all out on me, do not hold back."
Zenith and Rainbow exchanged a weary look. "Uh... Twilight... You do realize we're not going to be able to... You know... win... Right?"
Twilight bobbed her head, "That is beside the point, I want to see how well you two work together. However, I will handicap myself so you have a chance. Do you want to face me as a unicorn, pegasus, or an earth pony?" She paused before adding, "I won't use any of my alicorn attributes. No alicorn magic, no alicorn agility, no alicorn strength."
"Uh..." Rainbow looked at Zenith. "What do you think? I mean... the obvious choice is earth pony but..."
Zenith frowned, "She is physically weaker right now, but alicorns are still really strong... And even if she doesn't use her alicorn strength..."
Rainbow shifted her weight and shook water from her wings. She had the feeling she was going to end up using her wings a lot, no matter what race they chose. "Um... pegasus?" she asked Zenith.
Zenith mulled it over in her mind. Rainbow could practically see her thinking about the scenario and how it went. "I don't know... With the storm as potent as it is, she could use that to her advantage..."
"I could probably outfly her and catch her if she were a pegasus..." Rainbow trailed off. Could she actually do that? She knew she was fast. Although, she wasn't sure if she was as fast as she was three years ago. She was twenty-seven now. She was still technically in her prime, but she didn't have the same youth on her side as back when Twilight first ascended. Twilight wasn't a natural born pegasus or alicorn, so Rainbow Dash had the advantage there.
"Unicorn?" Zenith suggested. Both of them shivered at that thought. Leaving Twilight as a unicorn, regardless of whether or not she actually used her alicorn magic, was a scary thought to both of them. "Maybe that's not such a good idea..."
"Yeah..." Rainbow agreed. Both of them thought for a few seconds, "So... pegasus or earth pony..?"
Zenith took a deep breath. The cold air was almost refreshing. "If she's a pegasus, she can fly. If she flies into the storm, I can't help you with her then, and if she beats you, well..."
Rainbow grimaced at that. She wasn't sure exactly what Twilight would do to Zenith or herself to win, but it didn't sound pleasant. She wouldn't hurt them too bad, though, she trusted her. "Earth pony then?"
Zenith mulled it over briefly. She grimaced and tentatively nodded, "I think that's all we can really handle..." she said gravely.
Rainbow nodded uneasily and turned to face Twilight, who was waiting patiently. She was smiling. Rainbow knew the smile wasn't meant to be unnerving, but from where she stood, it unnerved her. Once more, she couldn't help but see her as a predator. "Earth... pony?"
Twilight nodded her head, "Very well," she said. "I will use neither my wings, nor my magic, nor superior strength." Her horn glowed brighter, and then there was a flash of light. Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hoof, to keep any dirt of rocks on her hooves from coming into contact with her eyes. When her vision righted itself, Twilight stood where she was standing before, but she looked more familiar. She looked three years younger, but she was still an alicorn. She lacked the growth she had experienced in the previous three years.
Twilight looked at the two of them in turn. Her gaze settled on Rainbow Dash, who she assumed would likely rush her. She knew she needed to be careful, not just on the defensive, but on the offensive as well. She did not wish to injure either of them. She might not be using her magic or her ability to fly, but she was still stronger than both of them combined. "Ready?" she asked.
Rainbow and Zenith exchanged a worried look, then looked back to Twilight and hesitantly nodded. Twilight braced herself. To her surprise, neither of them immediately engaged her. She couldn't blame them, they knew what she was capable of, but that fear caused her a pang of guilt, and it would hamper their ability to fight her. "Don't be afraid," she said, attempting to comfort them. They looked at each other wryly before looking back at Twilight.
Rainbow spread her wings out and watched Twilight intently, searching for any signs of impending attack.
Zenith lit her horn and lowered it to point at Twilight. Twilight smiled and nodded. Zenith bit her lip and launched her spell towards Twilight.
Twilight jumped to the left, dodging the spell. Rainbow jumped at Twilight. Zenith prepared another spell and locked on to Twilight again. Twilight braced herself for Rainbow's impact. Rainbow grunted as she almost tackled Twilight to the ground. Twilight was surprised by the force in the tackle, but the lack of follow through disappointed her. Zenith released her spell. Twilight reached a hoof around Rainbow's neck and then pulled her closer to herself and pushed her into the path of the spell. Rainbow bit her lip as a familiar tingling sensation spread throughout her chest.
Zenith winced, "Sorry!"
Twilight sighed and sat down on her haunches, letting Rainbow rest against her. Twilight frowned at her, "Almost," she said. "Put your heart into it. You have to mean it. Remember to follow through."
"I don't want to hurt you," Rainbow replied with a sheepish smile.
"Don't worry about that," Twilight said, "I can heal myself." She stood back up and cast a spell to remove the numbness from Rainbow. Rainbow tentatively wiggled her wing and legs to make sure they were fine, then she walked back over to Zenith. "Let's try this again, I will start farther back from you, giving you a greater advantage."
Twilight came to a stop about twice as far away from them as she had been the first time, then turned around. Zenith once more lit her horn and Rainbow readied her wings.
Zenith fired her spell. Twilight jumped to the right. Rainbow took off into the air. Zenith prepared another spell and locked on to Twilight again. Twilight charged at Zenith. Zenith lost focus. Rainbow flew towards Twilight, hooves outstretched. Zenith jumped out of the way from Twilight, who slid to a stop. Rainbow hit Twilight and pinned her to the ground.
For all of one second. Twilight jumped up, easily throwing Rainbow off of her. The pegasus didn't have time to right herself, and she found herself pinned to the ground by Twilight, who had a hoof painfully pressed against her wing. Zenith stood back up and blinked in surprise. Rainbow struggled for a few seconds until Twilight put more force on her wing. Twilight turned her attention to Zenith, "Your hesitation just cost her life," she said blankly. She put a little more pressure into her hoof and then let Rainbow go. Twilight helped Rainbow up, "And you..." She sighed.
"I can understand Zenith not being very good at this, but Rainbow... That's just..." she shook her head. "You're supposed to be the most talented flier in Equestria, a living legend." Rainbow met Twilight's gaze with a half-glare as she massaged her wing. Twilight sighed and touched her horn to Rainbow's wing and cast a spell. The pain immediately left, and Rainbow tentatively lowered her hoof back to the ground.
"You two need to work together. If you had pinned me and Zenith used her spell against me, you would have had me," Twilight said.
Rainbow mumbled something under her breath and walked back over to Zenith. They stood with the stream directly behind them and facing the forest. Rainbow met Twilight's gaze and waited.
Zenith powered up her horn and prepared a spell. Twilight glanced at Zenith. Rainbow took off towards her. Twilight spared Rainbow a glance and jumped forwards before charging at Zenith. Zenith's heart beat faster. She released her spell, Twilight jumped over it. Zenith walked to the right and prepared another spell as Twilight ran through the area she previously stood.
Twilight found herself stumbling into the raging river, and losing speed. She turned around and dived under the water to avoid Zenith's spell. She broke the surface and fought the violent water until she stepped onto the bank. She charged at Zenith, dodging a spell in the process.
Rainbow Dash hit her left side, throwing her off course. They tumbled onto the bank of the river, Rainbow smugly staring down at Twilight. "So-"
With one swift move, Twilight switched positions with Rainbow and had her hooves pinned against her chest, and her arm pressed against her throat. Rainbow squeaked in surprise and smiled nervously. Twilight turned to look at Zenith. She frowned, she wasn't there. She quickly rolled to her left, releasing Rainbow in the process, avoiding Zenith's stun spell. "Not bad," Twilight commented as she stood up. She extended a wing to help Rainbow up. Rainbow brushed herself off with her wings, but only managed in smearing dirt and mud over her back. Twilight looked around and gauged their position, "We should head back to the starting point... I do not want you to fall off the cliff, Zenith." Zenith shifted her weight at that.
The trio made their way back towards the point where they started and then separated again. Twilight met Zenith's gaze, with a predatory smile, unnerving the unicorn. She forced the unease away and prepared her spell. She glanced at Rainbow Dash, who was staring down Twilight, and then looked back at Twilight and launched her spell.
Twilight slid to her left and then charged at her. Rainbow once more took to the sky. Twilight split her focus, partially watching Rainbow Dash and partially watching Zenith. Zenith jumped out of her way, and Rainbow flew towards her from behind her. She spun around and met Rainbow head on, catching her by surprise. Rainbow found herself pinned on the ground by Twilight before she knew what happened. She had the feeling she was going to be sore in the morning. Twilight stood up and helped her up again.
Two hours later all three of them were sore, tired, and cold. Twilight wrapped her wings around the two mares sitting next to her and expanded her barrier to encompass a much larger area, then tied the barrier to the spot where she was and put enough magic into it to last a few days. She intently focused her magic to a point in the air and created a barrier around a larger area of the air. She compressed it and heated it until it was barely the size of her head. She poured more magic into the air as she heated it and compressed it. Eventually, the orb glowed brightly and radiated soothing warmth, helping to banish the chill from their bodies.
Twilight suppressed a yawn. "I think it would be beneficial to take a bath tonight, rather than sleeping like this all night," she said.
Neither Zenith nor Rainbow objected to the idea, but neither of them wanted to submerse themselves in the freezing water of the stream. "Not with it being this cold," Zenith said sharply.
Twilight giggled and tentatively retracted her wings from around the two ponies sheltered beneath them, drawing shivers from both of them as the cold air hit their coats. Both of them looked at her pleadingly. "I will heat it up," she said. She stood up and calmly walked over to the section of the river that was inside of her barrier. A few quick spells later, and the water was warm, almost oppressively so. Rainbow stood up, followed shortly by Zenith. They walked over to Twilight as she slid into the water, her ethereal mane and tail almost appearing to become one with the dark water. The sight was almost mesmerizing. Twilight closed her eyes and let herself sink below the water.
Rainbow tentatively put a hoof in the water and sighed contently, then quickly made her way further into the stream. Each time she stepped further in, more of the warm water covered her coat. The heat seeped into her muscles and relaxed them, it felt wonderful to her. She could tolerate the cold, but she didn't like it. She missed the days when she could just nap in the warmth of the sun. She sighed at that, knowing those days were gone, forever banished to years prior when they didn't constantly worry about the next day.
Zenith strode into the water and cooed in delight as she felt the tension melt away. her mind went blank and she sank below the water. A few seconds later, she lifted her head back above the water and looked at Twilight. She had her eyes closed, and she looked relaxed. There was a hint of a smile on her face. She just looked content, not tense, but at ease.
They soaked in the warm water for half an hour before eventually leaving. Twilight dried the water off of all of them with her magic and then teleported a blanket to cover the ground, which had mostly dried from the orb's heat, then laid down in the center, beneath the warm orb hovering in the air. Zenith quickly made her way to Twilight's right side and laid down beside her, laying her head on her hooves. Twilight looked at her and laid her wing on top of her, then pulled her close. "Goodnight, my little pony," she softly whispered into Zenith's ear. Zenith barely heard it, and the only sign that she was still awake was her lips curling up into a smile. In the morning, she wouldn't remember it, but it would comfort her in her dreams.
Rainbow hesitated a few seconds, watching both of them, then joined them. She hated to admit it, but she was exhausted. Whatever the reason was, Twilight, for the most part, focused on taking her down. She figured it was because Zenith had the advantage of being able to engage from a distance, while she had to be in hoof-to-hoof range of Twilight since she was a pegasus. Sometimes Twilight's blows hurt worse than others, and despite Twilight's constant healing, she still felt some dull aches from it. She wasn't going to complain about it, though. Twilight laid a wing across her back and she laid her head down on her hooves. Rainbow turned to Twilight, "Twilight, if you ever need to talk again... just say so, alright?"
Twilight pulled her close with her wing and held her against her firmly for a second before loosening her grip, "I will," she said. "I wish thee well in thy dreams tonight," she said with a smile.
Rainbow smiled and nudged her side, "Hey, I mean it. We're here for you..." Twilight nodded in acknowledgment. Rainbow rested her head against the blanket and closed her eyes, "Goodnight..." she said. In a few minutes, she was fast asleep.
Twilight tilted her head to the right and then to the left, watching both of them as they fell asleep. Years ago, she never would have pictured herself in the position she was now. Her height, as tall as Princess Celestia. Her mane, gracefully flowing, as if it was a cloud of magic. Her large wings, easily able to cover the two sleeping mares beside her. As natural as it felt, a part of her mind still refused to accept it. Years ago she wouldn't be sleeping outside, during a storm, on a plateau, protected only by her own magic. Years ago, she would not have been protecting two of her friends' lives and literally sheltering them beneath her wings. Even just a few months ago, she wouldn't have been able to picture herself in the position she was in. 'Time changes ponies...' She remembered saying that to Rainbow Dash.
Years ago she didn't have the feeling of needing to protect them like she did now. She mulled the feeling over in her mind and let her thoughts freely wonder. No matter how much she pondered it, she couldn't place when she started feeling that way. The obvious answer was a few weeks ago once she wasn't alone, but that didn't account for other feelings she had acquired in the previous three years. Normally she would have brushed it off as just the influence of Princess Celestia, her magic, or her memories, but Zenith's words repeated in her mind, 'I think it's just you.'
She still didn't buy all of the feelings being natural. Both Rainbow and Zenith trusted her, so she would trust them. She would keep a close eye on both of them, to protect them and make sure they would not betray her. She did not want to be betrayed again. If she was, she wasn't sure how she would handle it, or if she would even care. She didn't have a lot left to lose. Two friends, a former friend and a new student. And her former friend's mind was a mess. After the Inquisitor was dead, she would fix Rainbow's mind and deal with the consequences. It would be a good way to put her promises and loyalty to the test.
She pushed the thoughts aside and laid her head down. She would deal with one problem at a time, and for the moment, nothing demanded her immediate attention more than sleep.