//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Shrinking Lavender // by Yinglung //------------------------------// I blinked to push away my dazedness. Before me was a blurry purple image. I rubbed my eyes again, and a shocking sight entered my eyes. The purple mare that I had been acting as for so long appeared before me with an inscrutable expression. I hurriedly looked down. Dragon claws, dragon belly, dragon tail. Oh heck. I knew it. I knew there would be a day that I had to face this. Shouldn’t I be happy? After all, I left Ponyville just to find a way of returning the true Twilight to her rightful place. I took a deep breath and said. “I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry.” I widened my eyes, and the purple mare opposite me did the same. Our simultaneous voices still reverberated through this strangely empty space. What was happening? We both started to walk towards each other. Her movements seemed to mirror mine, up to the smallest tremble. I gulped and tried not to think too much about it. As we finally met up in the middle, almost snout touching snout, I raised my claw and attempted to touch her face. I was surprised that she no longer mirrored my action this time, but rather, she stood firm with a patient look. As my claw slowly swept her face, something unexpected happened. To my terror, her visage began to wobble and fizzle. My claw simply passed through her cheek as if it was thin air. “T- Twilight, Twilight!” I cried out, but she did not respond. Instead, she smiled. It was one of the gentlest smiles she gave me in my memory. Ever since I grew up and could be expected to handle some responsibilities, she seldom showed me this kind of patient and tolerant smile again. How I missed and savored this, I selfishly thought. A faint murmur rang in my ears. It sounded like a… farewell? Horror filled my mind immediately. Tears immediately welled up in my eyes. This couldn’t be happening. “Wait, wait- No! Twilight, don’t go!” As she began to disappear in front of my very own eyes, I clawed at her image futilely, but it changed nothing. I kept yelling her name, until my throat became dry and scratchy. At last, I dropped to my knee, sobbing at my inability to bring back my dear adopted family. Before the last vestige of her presence went out of my sight completely, I heard another fainter voice. “A… He…” “Wait, what did you say? Twilight! Twilight!” ************ “Madam, madam, are you alright?” I shot up like I was on fire. Gasping for air and heart-racing like having been chased by a manticore, I looked up to find a concerned but unfamiliar face in the dim cabin. He was a uniformed pegasus with light brown coat and deep brown mane. “Madam, I’m the service attendant of this train. I’ve noticed that you’ve been rolling over in distress. Are you feeling unwell?” “I- I- I…” “Deep breath, madam, deep breath.” I followed his instruction, and soon my breath slowed down to a level at which I could hold a conversation. “I’m f- fine, thank you sir…” “You’re welcome, madam. Here, a handkerchief.” “H- huh?” He didn’t reply directly. He only made a gesture to his own cheek, and pointed his hoof to me. I then touched my cheeks, and then the corner of my eyes. They were wet with tears. I hurriedly thanked the stallion and took the handkerchief with my magic, drying off myself. “I- I’m really sorry. I must’ve made a scene.” He smiled, but with a sad tinge. “Not at all, madam. Look around you.” I listened to him and observed the cabin. To my surprise, it was empty save me alone. “Don’t worry, madam, you’re not riding on a ghost train.” I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. The attendant looked encouraged by my mirth and continued. “Usually, very few ponies would ride the overnight train to Trottingham, except for nightly commuters from Ville de Platine1. Ponies love light, and the lack of light when the train is on the bridge above the misty sea unsettles them. Since today is the Platinum Festival in the Ville, not even the usual commuters boarded this train, so you, I and the conductor are the only three ponies on this train.” “I see…” In the silence that followed, I had some time to think of the dream that I just had. Was it real? Was it indicative of anything substantial? Surely it couldn’t mean… I shook my head, despite worries settling in. My mind drifted all over the place, even suspecting and worrying about the possibility that Princess Luna was covertly gazing my dream, therefore breeding suspicion about my identity. “You know, madam, I actually love this view outside.” My thoughts stopped, as I widened my eyes and turned my head towards the train window. It was pitch dark outside at first. But as my eyes got used to the darkness, I began to see more. A thick layer of mist hung over the cold sea. The train track on the long bridge seemed to extend into nothing. Even stars and moon were obscured by the ground-hugging vapor, leaving only a uniform film of violet and purple before my eyes. The horizon was blurred, mending the sky and the sea together. It was confusing at first, but after a while, it was strangely comforting to see the whole scene as one unending canvas, stretching from one end to another. The stallion said gently. “Doesn’t it look like we’re elevating in the middle of the air in front of a big purple cloth? I always find it fascinating.” I gingerly nodded. “Of course, ponies get disoriented, and I would not envy somepony who have to row a boat down under. But just purely as an audience, this view is worth a thousand paintings in the Canterlot museum, at least to me.” I turned back and smiled at the stallion. Although he was strangely verbose for a train attendant, his words certainly calmed me down a lot. “… Thank you, I already feel a lot better.” “You’re welcome, madam. We have a few hours till sunrise, and shortly afterwards we’d see land and arrive at the outskirts of Trottingham. Take a good rest and most importantly, have a good dream as well.” The stallion then turned around and began to walk away. I raised my voice and asked. “Wait, mister!” He turned back and smiled. “Hmm, what’s the matter, madam? Is there anything that I can get for you?” “No, I- I just remember that I haven’t got your name yet. I’d certainly write to express my appreciation of your care and attention to your supervisor.” “Oh, madam, you don’t have to-” “I insist, sir. Your gracious words help calm me down a lot.” The stallion put up another smile, this time more helpless-looking. “If you say so, madam. I’m Night Tide. Pleased to have helped.” “Mister Tide, I’m Twilight Sparkle. I sincerely hope that we’d meet again in the future.” The stallion nodded with a grin. “Madam Sparkle, I’d hope so too.”