The train chugged up from the south, puffs of smoke billowing behind it. It screeched to a halt in front of the station. Twilight spotted a gaggle of fans covered in Twilight memorabilia.
“There’s Princess Twilight!” a teenage colt wearing a clip-on Twilight tail cried, and they rushed forward as one.
“Please give me your autograph!”
“Can I be your magical apprentice?”
“Sign my forehead!”
“Come to our school!”
“Twilight, I want to marry you!”
Twilight gave the filly who’d said that last comment a surprised and confused look. “Er, well, um, while I would love to stay and talk, I have very important princess duties to attend to. Saving the world and that kind of thing. Gotta go!”
She teleported onto the train. Shadowlock hurried after her.
“All aboard!” the conductor yelled from the front, and the train began to move.
Shadowlock took a seat opposite Twilight. Looking for a way to start the conversation that wasn’t too awkward, he offered, “You have some enthusiastic fans.”
“Heh, yeah, I do. Started with the whole ‘princess’ thing.” She ran a hoof over her wing. “It can be kinda awkward, but they mean well. Might cause some difficulties when we’re travelling...”
In a flash of inspiration, Shadowlock got an idea. “You could borrow my cloak. It’s comfortable and lightweight, and it hides you pretty well.”
“You sure you want to do that?” Twilight asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without it.”
“Yeah. It’ll make it easier for us to move around quietly.”
He carefully removed it, and passed it to her. She took it with her telekinesis, and donned it. She adjusted it so that the cloak hugged her close. “Ooh, it’s warm. I can see why you like it!”
It kind of felt like he was hugging her too.
A pony called out, “Get your snacks here!” He rolled a cart down the aisle.
“I’d like two packs of pretzels please,” Twilight requested.
“Two bits, miss. Anything for your friend?”
Twilight levitated him a couple bits. “Well, Shadowlock?” she asked warmly. “Can I get you anything?”
“Hmmm... how about some dark chocolate?”
“Sure thing! A bar’s three bits.”
Shadowlock reached for his bag, but Twilight held his hoof still with some gentle telekinesis. “I’ve got it covered. Really. You just gave me your cloak, I can afford to pay for some chocolate.”
She gave the salespony three more bits, and offered Shadowlock his chocolate. “Thanks.”
Twilight neatly sliced open the pretzel bag, and took a bite. Her eyes bugged out. “Mmm, these are good! You should try one!”
Before he could respond, she’d thrust it into his mouth. “Mmmm!” It was indeed absolutely delicious.
“You like em?” Twilight asked with a big smile.
Despite himself, he exclaimed, “Yes! They’re so crunchy!”
She smiled even wider at that. “There was a reason I bought two bags,” she said, and handed him one.
A pang of admiration came over him, and for a brief moment he fantasized about hugging her. But then that vanished in the iron grip of cold logic. He couldn’t be too forward with her, or else he’d risk alienating her.
Perhaps he’d reply in kind, then.
“Well, I didn’t buy two - but I did buy something that could be split in half.” He cracked the chocolate bar in half, and gave her the larger piece.
“No, I can’t. You should have it.”
“I insist!” Shadowlock insisted. “I gave yours a try; you have to give mine a try.”
“Well, alright.” He thought she blushed a little, but her coat was so pink he couldn’t know for sure. He probably just imagined it anyway.
The two of them enjoyed their snacks together the rest of the ride.
Shadowlock stepped off the train and into Canterlot. The soaring spires and fat bulbs shone beautifully in the morning light.
“Which way now?” he asked Twilight.
“Follow me,” she replied, and set off at a brisk trot.
They weaved their way through the crowds, staying close together. He’d never liked large crowds, and here in the nerve center of Equestria, the bustle and noise was almost overwhelming.
At least his cloak served well. Not a single pony recognized Twilight under it.
After fifteen agonizing minutes, they made it to the Canterlot Archives. “Well, here we are,” Twilight began. “Let’s get to work.”
A pair of bored-looking royal guards stood outside the massive building. She trotted up to the guard. “Identification?” one of the guards asked.
Twilight leaned back, and let the hood fall to her shoulders.
“Oh, Princess! Welcome. Let us know if you need anything.”
“He’s with me,” she said, gesturing to Shadowlock. With simultaneous nods, the two stallions ushered them inside.
The air inside the Canterlot Archives was cool, dry, and still. It tasted a bit different than the outside air too. It also seemed to swallow up sound, like they were covered a blanket of snow.
Shadowlock asked, “Why does the air taste like that? And why doesn’t sound travel?”
“The whole place is under a bunch of abjurations to preserve the books and minimize distractions. Some of these books are older than the city itself.”
Older than the city itself? He shook his head, grappling with the idea.
“Follow me,” Twilight instructed. “We’re going to the advanced magic section!” She hurried forward, making sure to always keep him in sight.
After a few minutes, they arrived. Four more guards stood at attention at the door. “Identification, please,” one requested.
Twilight lowered her hood.
“Please remain still. I will test if you are a changeling, or otherwise disguised by magic.”
The stallion cast a spell that flashed brightly, and enveloped Twilight in green light. “She’s clean.”
He then turned to Shadowlock. “You too. Don’t worry, this won’t hurt.”
He felt like he’d just been photographed all over his body. It didn’t hurt, but it was a very uncomfortable, invasive feeling. “Okay, you’re good. Welcome to the Starswirl wing.”
The guards opened the door, and he gasped.
It was breathtaking. The room stretched floor to ceiling with ancient, well-cared for tomes, as well as more recent and dangerous ones. With only a cursory glance, he spotted a Black Scroll of Ahm, the Necronomicon, Advanced Mindbending, High Spells of War, and Lichdom: An Archmage’s Guide. With a shudder, he turned his eyes forward.
Four steps ahead, Twilight walked with mathematical precision. It was almost entrancing seeing every step striking with the regularity of a clock. With each step, her supple body flexed alluringly. There was a peculiar symmetry about her features that only amplified her beauty.
She plopped her saddlebags down on the central table. “Alright. Let’s get looking. I’ll take these rows, you take those, and we meet back here for anything interesting we find?”
“That’s a good plan,” he replied, meeting her gaze. “Here’s hoping we find something.”
He trotted over to the place they’d come in. Truename Magic looked like as good a place to start as any. He flipped to the index, and started reading.
Shadowlock sat among the remains of four hours of research, pouring over yet another tome.
Truename magic was useless without knowing the truename of the book in question, and that could take months of research for every one of the hundreds of books he’d erased.
A greater text-restoring spell copied the information from another edition somewhere in the world, but these books didn’t have the slightest hint of text to start a search from.
For what had to be the hundredth time, guilt swept over him. Twilight was taking time out of her important princess duties to try to help him clean up the mess he had made. He risked a look over at her. At least she seemed to be enjoying herself, surrounded by books stretching five feet into the air.
He trotted over to her. She was immersed in a book titled Secrets of the Final Gate. “Find anything useful?”
“Euh, not really. I found a lot of techniques that might be helpful, but all of them require something we don’t have or aren’t quite right for what we need done. I should have brought Starlight along, she’s really good at tweaking and customizing spells. Better than anypony I’ve ever seen.”
“She sure is powerful,” Shadowlock agreed. “Listen, Twilight. I have something I need to say.”
“Sure,” Twilight said, uncertainty darting across her face. “What’s wrong?”
He let the words tumble out. “I... I really messed up with erasing those books. It was a huge mistake, and now you have to pay the price - and maybe Equestria too, if we aren’t successful.”
Twilight gave him a deep, sympathetic look. “I know, Shadowlock, but it’s okay. You made a mistake, but you’re making up for it. That’s what matters.”
“Thanks, Twilight,” he said quietly. “I guess, even if you forgave me, I can’t forgive myself.”
Suddenly, he saw a blur of purple, and felt a mild impact and warmth spreading across his chest. Twilight hugged him tight. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you, and no one else does either. I might have done the same in your horseshoes.”
Shadowlock could feel Twilight’s powerful heart beating inches away as she wrapped her forelegs around him. The sweet scent of lavender filled him as her mane swept around his face. He gently returned the hug, a forehoof slipping around Twilight’s shoulder. How long he’d waited for a moment like this!
Their hug lasted a brief eternity. When Twilight finally pulled away, he felt the bliss lingering. It felt like Celestia’s light blazed brilliantly all across his body. “Thank you. I needed that,” he said softly.
She smiled wide. “I meant it. You really have changed, and that’s what’s important. Lots of ponies have done bad things.” She giggled. “Once, Starlight rewrote history and ended up causing a planetary extinction!”
Shadowlock watched the world spin. “A planetary extinction? And she’s your STUDENT now?” he forced out, not even trying to disguise the disbelief in his voice.
“Well, we did end up undoing it and fixing history again. But like I said, lots of ponies have done bad things. She changed, and you have too.”
Shadowlock smiled back. “I guess you’re right. Again, thank you.” With nothing more to say, he went back over to his side of the wing.
He picked up Book of Books, and started reading. Deep in research as he was, it’s perfectly understandable that he didn’t see Twilight about to say something, then bite her tongue and sigh silently.
Several more hours passed, with an occasional insight swiftly quashed upon further examination. Shadowlock was deep enough in a text on arcane linguistics he didn’t look up, so Twilight studied him discreetly.
He looked very different without his cloak. Happier, less obsessed, and, though she had to hold down giggles when she realized it, cuter. The late-afternoon sun bathed his face in warm, orange light, outlining his rugged but kind features.
Did she have a crush on him?
She really wasn’t sure. He was good-looking, sure, but half her friends were, and she’d never felt love’s siren call from them. And he was likeable, but again, her friends were. The hug might be an indicator... or it might just be her comforting a pained, troubled friend.
She needed time alone to think this through, time she could focus exclusively on this problem. And she didn’t want to look like she was drifting off.
“I need to fill up my water bottle,” Twilight truthfully said, holding the empty bottle aloft. “It might take a bit, so don’t worry if I’m not back for a few minutes.”
“Alright,” he said, avoiding her gaze. “I’ll keep reading.”
She casually trotted out. The four guards saluted her as she passed them.
Twilight walked slowly, deep in thought. She certainly had a slight attraction to Shadowlock, but those came and went like the Everfree’s weather. Did she see more in him than a good face and body?
An unbidden memory rose up in anecdotal response, shifting the golden-orange light of sunset to the pale yellow of candles...
The two of them stood in a dimly lit museum room. Shadowlock’s eyes seemed heavy with the weight of a world upon his back. Bleary shadows under them hinted he hadn’t slept for days. And when he spoke, it was slowly and painfully.
“So I’m not paranoid. You really are out to get me. But if you really cared about Equestria, you would just let me finish this.”
Twilight looked him in the eye. “Equestria is more than ponies. It’s our history, our lessons, our relationships! You may think you’re protecting us--but you’re erasing a past and memories that make Equestria what it is.”
Sensing she was near a breakthrough, she pressed on. “If there is some great darkness, then tell me! Let me help you!” When she looked into his pained, exhausted eyes, that was what came to her - a desire to help him. “A weight is always easier to carry when you don’t do it alone.”
Shadowlock sighed. “So... either I explain, or else you’re going to keep popping up like this?”
“Well... yeah, pretty much,” Twilight answered. “Plus, my friends might swoop in and kick your haunches if you try anything funny again.”
Shadowlock smiled, which looked very weird on him. “Hah. Fine, let’s talk.”
He started to explain just what had happened. He was descended from a horrible monster that nearly destroyed all of Equestria. He feared the darkness that consumed his ancestor would swallow him up, and it did seem to be following and chasing him. He studied word magic, so he could figure out how to forget.
He made it his responsibility to find every mention of that evil being, and erase it. But it made holes in his memory too. Seeing his driven, grim expression touched something deep inside her - she wanted to help him.
He should have someone to help him fight against the darkness.
He shouldn’t have to be alone.
“Shadowlock, I can tell you really want to protect yourself, and all of us, from whatever you think is out there.” She looked deep into his eyes. “But believe me, erasing history is not the way to keep it safe!”
Please, please, please believe me, she thought desperately.
“What if somepony wants to cause harm?!” His voice was rising now, a hint of panic to the stew of emotions. “What if reading those scrolls will inspire them to bring it back?!”
Twilight gave him the most sincere, honest look she could. “There will always be danger. And yes, there will be another pony, eventually, looking for power.” His face fell in a mix of pain and hopelessness, so she pressed on. “But that’s exactly why we need to learn from the past!”
“Do you know why I love history? Why I love museums like this?” He silently shook his head, so she continued. She was sure they were getting somewhere now. “We can see HOW things went in the past! It can teach us to spot those same troubles now--before we make the same mistakes!”
“Or, when a problem does again, it reminds us that we’re not alone! And we can learn how ponies before us handled the same situation!”
Shadowlock just kept listening silently, taking her words in.
“This... evil ancestor of yours is a perfect example! He isn’t ruling Equestria today--so how did somepony stop him?”
But Shadowlock had erased his own memory of how that evil ancestor was defeated in the first place!
Her friends showed up, and they talked everything out. Shortly thereafter, Shadowlock had departed, trying to find any remaining information on his ancestor.
Twilight shook her head. She was in the fading light of the Canterlot Archives again, and her water bottle was still empty. With a tired sigh, she flew over to the water fountain.
As she filled up her bottle, she ran over the facts again, and they all pointed to one conclusion: she probably had a crush on him.
Now, she had to decide what to do about it.
She could always just do nothing, keep him squarely in the friendzone, and wait for it to pass. That’s what she had done for her previous crushes. It was a secure, tested, reliable, and thus attractive option.
If she wanted to win him over, she had a lot of options. She could wait for a good time, and then reveal it to him. She could try and be coy, hinting more than saying, inviting him in. Or she could honestly and sincerely tell him how she felt, and hope he wasn’t alienated. She could show off her power, and hope that impressed him. If it worked, she’d finally have a real lover - but if it didn’t, it might creep him out and ruin their friendship.
Why does romance have to be so much more complicated than friendship?
The trickle of water down her hoof snapped Twilight out of her trance. She looked down to see the sink overflowing with water.
“Aaah!” she cried, and concentrated. With careful, gentle precision, she lifted the water up and back into the sink. She gently capped her water bottle, and flew back towards the Starswirl wing.
Twilight landed just in front of the guards. Same as last time, one of the guards did a magical security scan. “Sorry, Princess. We need to be sure.”
“It’s fine,” Twilight reassured them. Recalling a phrase her brother would often say, she added, “At ease.”
The soldiers relaxed infinitesimally. “Thank you, Princess.”
Rolling her eyes at their stiff procedure, she proceeded inside. Shadowlock was still deep in the same book.
“Hi Twilight,” he said, not looking up. “You weren’t exaggerating about it taking a while.”
“Yeah, I did a lot of thinking while I was gone,” she answered honestly, trying not to stare at him. “And I’m curious. Where did you get your scar from?”
Shadowlock looked up from his book. “Why would you want to know that?” he asked, all curiosity. Although there wasn’t a drop of anger in his voice, Twilight still felt a little hurt.
“I just wanted to know what happened. There’s still dried blood in it. Shouldn’t it have healed by now?” His cloak felt suddenly uncomfortable on her back.
He shrugged neutrally. “Sure, I’ll tell you.” Twilight sat down beside him, and listened.
“I was exploring an old building that seemed to have a connection to my ancestor. It was creepy, especially at 1 in the morning.” He winced. “I had to break in.”
“I went down to the basement, where they’d be likely to have boxes of the oldest stuff. After that, I was going to check the attic.” He looked past her.
“I trotted downstairs by hornlight. Every step creaked, and a few had already broken. Shadows darted around me, just out of view. I wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, or real.”
Twilight glanced behind the bookshelf opposite her. Was it a trick of the light, or had the shadows gathered here too to listen to his story?
“I got to the bottom of that rickety staircase, and started digging through the old boxes. It was the middle of summer at night, but it was dead silent. I didn’t hear anything besides myself.”
“The shadows seemed to grow larger the longer I worked. Finally, something moved out of the corner of my eye that couldn’t be a figment of the imagination - and the creature emerged into the open.”
“It looked like an emaciated, bipedal bear, but no bear had claws like ten-inch-long knives and three burning red eyes, or a body of made pitch oil that dripped to the floor and ran back to rejoin it. It stared me down hungrily, like a lion watching its prey.”
“But I wasn’t the helpless little colt who’d first found out about his ancestor. I knew magic, and had come prepared. Striking a defensive pose, I warned it, ‘Take another step towards me and you will be destroyed.’”
Twilight listened attentively, every sentence invoking a look of surprise or a gasp.
“’Alllright,’ it hissed in a dreadful voice. ‘Let’ss talllk, Sshhadowson.’”
“’What do you want, monster?’ I demanded. ‘What foul hell have you crawled from?’”
“’What do I waaaant?’ it chuckled horribly. ‘Nothing horrrrible lllike the deaaaaths of innnnocent ponies or the conquessst of Equessstria. No, I am a ssshhadowcreature of ssssimple things. A delllicccious mealll, a book read by the fiiiiire, and a nice bodyyy to bind with. Yourrrs is perrrrfect.’”
“’Bind with?’ I asked, the rage of a cornered animal rising in me. ‘What are you talking about? And you didn’t answer where you came from!’”
“Thatttt’s not haaaard. I coooome from the ouuuterr daaark. The Ssshhadowed Lllock.’ It laughed maniacally at its own joke, like a demonic hyena. ‘And by binnnnding, I meaaaan, of courrrrse, fusssing to yyyyou to helllp yyyou embbbrace yourrrr dessstiny.’”
“I grabbed one of my best combat books - a Warhoof 40,000 codex - and flipped to a bookmarked page. ‘I will give you one chance, voidspawn,’ I warned it. ‘Flee and do not trouble me again, or you will die.’”
Twilight gave him a look somewhere between amusement and disbelief. “You used a tabletop game’s book as ammunition for your summoning spell? And you said THAT to a monster of darkness?”
“It’s full of vicious monsters, perfect for summoning,” he answered. “I had it labeled Lethal - Last Resort. I never would have used it against a pony. But I was scared and angry, and I was ready to kill this monster. So, continuing,”
“’Gooood,’ it replied almost happily. ‘You uuuuse fear to getttt what you waaaant. Unfortuuunately, I don’t feeeel that emotttion.’”
“It lunged at me faster than anything I’d ever seen. I dove aside, but it clipped me by the snout. The wound burned like acid, and blood trickled down it. It landed lightly on the floor, and turned towards me again - right as I finished my spell.” He said the last bit proudly.
“The shadow-creature was suddenly grappled by another beast. This creature was huge, and covered in hard chitin and blades. It pummeled the shadow-creature with its massive claws, and I...”
A hint of shame entered his voice. “I ran for my life. I heard a horrible shriek behind me, and felt something liquid rushing past my feet. I risked a glance down, and saw the three-eyed face staring back up at me.”
“’Youuu can’t essscappe,’ it hissed. ‘Even if yyou killll meee, the darrrkness knows you. You WIIILL fulllfill your destiiiny!’”
“Before my eyes, it shriveled up and withered away to nothing. I dismissed the creature I’d summoned, and lay down and cried.” Shadowlock looked to Twilight. “Does that answer your question?”
Twilight patted his back soothing. “It does. Thank you for telling me all this. But I did have another one.”
He relaxed as she patted him. “Ask away.”
“What’s your ancestor’s name?”
Shadowlock answered instantly. “It’s St... Starlight?” He wavered. “Stellar? Spike? Soulless?”
His eyes widened in horror. “Oh no. No, no, no! The spell I used to erase information must have done more damage to my memory than I thought!”
Twilight felt crushing despair press in. She forced it down and focused on him.
“I... I’m so sorry, Twilight,” Shadowlock said, tears beading up in his eyes. “This is all my fault.”
Twilight tried to think of something to say that would sound sincere. The problem was, he had a point. She decided to just hug him gently, one wing stroking his back. “It’ll be okay,” she told him quietly.
“No it won’t,” he answered sadly. “We have no leads here, and now I don’t even know his name. This is really, really bad.”
“We do have leads!” Twilight insisted, as much to herself as to him. “We have at least 10 books that are close. Sunburst will be able to help us pick the best one to alter, and then Starlight can help us tweak it!” She looked deep into his eyes. “Don’t give up.”
Shadowlock returned her gaze. It was like looking at a galaxy through a telescope, and filled him with the same wonder. “I... I guess you’re right. I’ll follow your lead, Twilight.”
“But we also need to cure your degrading memory. It’s getting worse--you remembered your ancestor’s name when we met a couple months ago.” She smiled. “And I think I have a clue!”
“You do?” he asked, a candle of hope flickering in his soul. “What is it?”
She trotted over to her corner of the room, and held up a work titled Curing Afflictions and Ailments. She said happily, “This book has a spell to stop memory decay. I’m not sure if it’ll be enough to counteract whatever you’re suffering, but it might help.”
“Wait,” Shadowlock requested dubiously. “Why’s a book on curing diseases in the most secure wing of the library?”
Twilight giggled uncertainly. “Well, probably because they categorize death as an ailment, and provide quite a few ways to ‘cure’ it.”
“That would explain it.” He took a deep breath. “Alright, go ahead and try.”
Twilight stood up, and bent her head, touching her horn to his forehead. Reading from the page, she started casting the spell. “Now try and empty your mind,” she instructed. “Think about nothingness.
He did so, envisioning a black, silent airless void He felt a viscous, frigid fluid flowing into his ears and chilling his brain. For the first time in months, his mind felt... clear. Pristine. Sharp. He also had some pretty bad brain freeze.
The liquid evaporated, but the chill remained. Shivering, he said, “T-that seems t-to have w-worked.”
“Oh! Sorry, I forgot.” She cast another spell, and the chill shifted to dampness, like dew on the grass in the morning. “There. Is that better?”
“Much.” He smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”
Twilight looked over to the window. “It’s getting late. Let’s go have dinner,” she suggested.
He froze. Had he heard right? Was she actually taking him on a date?
“We’re all out of snacks,” she continued. “We can take a break, get a bite to eat, and then come back.”
“S... sure, that sounds good,” he said faintly, shaking his head in shock.
Twilight gathered up her things. Shadowlock woozily stood up, and took his own.
They went back out to the main library, and from there to the street. He followed along, trying not to hit anything as he buried himself in thought.
Twilight led him from the elite upper ring of Canterlot down to the commercial district. His frayed cloak made it easy to follow her, even in the busy traffic.
She led him to a rather simple but still elegant restaurant. “This is my favorite place to eat here. I hope you like it too.”
She stepped inside. “One table for two, please.”
The host greeted her warmly. “What’ll the mood be? Cheerful? Serene?” He coyly eyed them. “Romantic?”
“No! No, no, that’s fine,” she giggled nervously. “How about... um... cheerful! We have good news to celebrate!”
“Sure.” He cast a spell, and the table gained bright secondary colors. “Please, have a seat!”
Twilight sat down on the far side, so Shadowlock took the close side. The cushioned benches were wonderfully comfortable. A pretty waitress trotted up. “What can I get you two?”
“I’ll have a small cheese pizza!” Twilight said, licking her lips in anticipation.
“I’ll just have a hay sandwich,” Shadowlock said. “And a glass of apple juice, please.”
“Oh come on Shadowlock, lighten up!” Twilight said, telekinetically pushing him gently. “You should be celebrating!” She turned to the mare. “Make that a medium pizza and two glasses of apple juice!”
“Is that right, sir?” the waitress asked Shadowlock.
He hesitated. Maybe it really was time to lighten up and have some fun... and Twilight’s eyes were making a very, very good case...
“Sure, that sounds good. A medium pizza it is!”
Twilight grinned. “That’s the spirit!”
“It should be ready in fifteen minutes.”
Right after she left, another pony placed down glasses of water, butter, and a breadbasket. Shadowlock tried a little biscuit. It was delicious!
A waiter brought them their already-sliced pizza and apple juice. “Here you go. Enjoy!”
Shadowlock picked up a slice with his telekinesis, and chomped down. The delicious, milky cheese stretched and contorted in his mouth, as the crunchy crust ground beneath his teeth. He washed it down with a good drink of apple juice.
Across from him, Twilight seemed to be enjoying just as much. “Hohw are you enjohying youhr pizza?”
Shadowlock swallowed, and answered, “It’s delicious! This was a great idea, Twilight.”
She blushed a little. “Heh, thanks.” Tapping her hooves together uncertainly, she asked, “Sooooo... what do you want to do after we finish dinner?”
Were there even any real options to consider? “Well, we were going to go back and continue our research, right?”
“That was the plan, but honestly...” Twilight sighed. “I think we won’t make any more progress tonight. I’m feeling tired, and I could use a good break. We’ll be more productive tomorrow morning.”
Shadowlock considered what she was saying. It didn’t seem much like Twilight to argue against studying. “If you have an alternative, I’m open to hearing it,” he answered. “What’s on your mind?”
“How about practicing magic? I want to get to see what your spells can do without being on the receiving end, and maybe teach you some too.”
Magic lessons with Princess Twilight? He could barely believe it. “That sounds like a lot of fun. Sure.”
“Grrreat! Then it’s settled. After dinner, we’ll study magic together, and see if we can both learn some new things!”
Twilight looked so cute in the warm light. His eyes were drawn like magnets to hers, but darted away as soon as she met his gaze. Her ears flicked back adorably when their eyes met. Almost every action she did made his chest feel warm and cozy, like he was curled up beside the fire.
He had to think of a good conversation topic that would lead somewhere closer to being able to tell her without it sounding weird. “So Twilight,” Shadowlock asked hesitantly. “How do you feel about... all of this, I guess?”
“Sorry,” Twilight replied a little sadly. “I wish I could have met you sooner, so I could have helped you figure it out sooner. You’re not a bad pony Shadowlock. You wanted to save the world, you just made a mistake in how. But we’re fixing that now.” She added, with a sly grin, “Plus, we get to read a bunch of obscure magical books together!”
Relief radiated through him. So she really didn’t blame him. He said sincerely, “Thanks, Twilight. I’m glad you can help me now.”
Twilight blushed a little bit, and shrunk back into the cloak a little. “Well, what can I say? Helping ponies, spreading friendship, that’s kind of my job.” She fluffed out a wing indicatively. Shadowlock didn’t know where to find it funny or creepy that the first thing he noticed was how luxuriously soft and fluffy it looked, and how he longed for that wing around him.
Shadowlock chuckled a little, awkwardly. “Heh, I guess it is. Speaking of: What’s it like being a princess?”
She inclined her head to one side thoughtfully. “My body feels all different, and I’m taller now. I can feel my whole body thrumming with a vast reservoir of magic. It’s like... it’s like there’s a little sun burning in my chest and stomach. And I don’t ever really run out of magic anymore.
“Flight is really amazing. It’s the most free, exhilarating feeling ever. And I’m stronger too now, physically.” With a slight giggle, she added, “It really is like being all three kinds of ponies in one body.”
“That must be amazing,” Shadowlock said a little wistfully.
“It’s not all fun,” Twilight replied a bit sadly. “I have a lot more responsibility now. I can’t take off much time to spend with family or just having fun. Even this trip was a big investment for me.”
She continued, “And if I mess up, it’ll be all over the tabloids. Everypony looks to me for guidance on what to do. And sometimes... I miss just being Princess Celestia’s student.”
Shadowlock gave her a sympathetic look. He had no idea princesshood was so stressful. “At least you’re getting some time off to study with me, like you would have back then,” he offered halfheartedly.
“You’re right,” she said, a little happier. “And honestly, it’s really really fun. I’m so glad you invited me to come along.” She thought for a moment. “Lending me your cloak was a really kind thing too. It’s a rare thing for me to get to travel without ponies mobbing me for autographs and advice.”
All of her words of praise made him feel all tingly and happy. It was a weird experience, and one he had never felt before he met her, but it was a wonderful one he wanted to keep going.
“Isn’t that what friends do?” he asked, a playful smirk crossing his snout.
She blushed a little more. “Yeah. It is.”
They finished their meal in companionable quiet, the only noise the crunching of crust and the faint music playing overhead.
“That’ll be thirty-four bits,” the waiter requested.
“I can pay for the bill,” Twilight reassured Shadowlock.
“You already paid for the snacks on the train.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Really, it’s fine. I have plenty.”
The waitress giggled.
“Twilight,” he said. “It’s okay. I want to do this.”
Twilight shrugged. “Well, if you want to. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to.”
Shadowlock handed the waiter the bits. She smiled. “I hope you two had a good time here.”
“It was wonderful,” he said. And it really was. He had enjoyed every minute there. The little pointless arguments over nothing were really fun. The food was absolutely amazing. Not to mention the fact that the whole thing was arguably a date!
The beautiful stars were shining bright tonight, and Luna’s moon glowed with extraordinary brilliance. The two of them stood upon a small grassy hill just outside Canterlot - somewhere they could practice without risking damaging anything.
Twilight struck a defensive pose. “Okay, here’s a spell Starlight taught me. I think you know the basic magic beam?”
“Yeah, of course.” He aimed at a rock, and tapped into the ether swirling around him. With a deep breath, he unleashed a pale pinkish beam. The laser struck the rock and singed a large mark into it..
“That’s pretty good! Now, watch this.” Twilight narrowed her eyes, and fired a very thin beam of crackling purple energy. It slammed into the rock and completely annihilated it.
Shadowlock took a closer look. Not even dust remained. “What on Equestria was THAT?” he asked, shocked.
“Disintegration spell,” she said breathlessly. “It takes up a lot of energy even for me. If you cast it, we’d probably have to take a break.”
A slow dread crept over him, and his spine went cold. “Could that be done... to a pony?”
Twilight nodded gravely. “Yes. Someone once tried to cast it on me. I’m not sure if it would kill me outright anymore - alicorns are much harder to kill than ponies - but it would definitely really, really hurt, so I’m not keen to try it out.” A bit more cheerfully, she added, “Would you like to learn it?”
Shadowlock uncertainly asked, “Would there be a point? You just said if I cast it, it’d drain me enough I couldn’t do magic for a bit.”
Twilight replied soothingly, “Right, but it has many applications outside combat. If you need to get through a cave-in, it’ll help a lot, for example.”
He cracked a smile. “Then sure. Where do we start?”
Shadowlock focused. He felt a raging fire of magic burning in his chest. Twilight watched him from the side. “Good. You’re summoning enough power. Now compress it. Concentrate all that energy into a single pinprick of pure destruction.”
He tried to push it together, to concentrate. And it worked. The fire shrunk, but grew hotter. “That’s it. Just keep focusing and concentrating.”
He did so. The fire continued to compress, and now changed quality - shifting from a ball of burning heat to a crackling orb of lightning. “Good, good,” she murmured, examining him like a laboratory specimen. He probably would have found it hot if he weren’t so focused on keeping the hot energy under control. “Now be careful. You aren’t dealing with enough to kill you, but I don’t want you to have to spend a week in the hospital either.”
Cold sweat ran down his forehead. “Um, I’m not sure about this. What if I just released the energy now?”
“You’d get a nice lightning bolt. If you don’t feel comfortable, you can release it now.”
“Alright.” He angled his horn up to the sky, and a thin bolt of lightning shot up to join the stars. He stumbled to the ground, panting. Even just a lightning bolt like that was tiring.
“Good job!” she said with a big smile. “That’s way better than my first lightning bolt.”
He nervously adjusted his hooves. “Heh, well, I had a great teacher.”
She blushed. “Heh, er, well... want to try shields?”
“Sure. Knowing how to survive my enemies’ bolts is as handy as casting them myself.”
“Alright, So first, you imagine a wall. This wall is impenetrable. Lightning, fire, lasers, disintegration, even the sun will be repelled by it. It is completely indestructible.”
Shadowlock imagined a pink-white dome of shimmering energy enveloping him and Twilight.
“Now, push your magic out into the ground and then call it back up where you want the wall.”
Again, Shadowlock did as she asked.
“Excellent! Now, I’ll test it. Keep concentrating!”
He heard a few bzzts and wooshes, and then a crack. He felt his concentration fail, and opened his eyes. The wall was down.
“What was that?” he asked. “I mean, how did you break through?”
“Teleportation. I teleported myself partly into the wall.” She coyly smirked. “I didn’t think you wanted to hurt me, and therefore the spell would end if I were in danger from it.”
“T-that’s cheating!” Shadowlock whined. “If you were one of my enemies, it wouldn’t have worked!”
“Unless one of them were a changeling, and they shapeshifted into me. Or if a wizard cast an illusion to look like me. Or if I were mind-controlled into attacking you.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “Your enemies won’t go easy on you. They won’t play fair. I’m just trying to prepare you for that.”
“I understand,” he acknowledged. “Again?”
“Again,” she confirmed.
Once more, he raised his shield. This time, he tweaked it - anyone teleporting into it would be harmlessly shunted to the nearest available space.
On his second try, it took 10 spells for Twilight to break through. “How did you do it this time?”
“Resonance spell. I caused it to shake itself apart.”
“So you really know a ton of magic,” he commented with a smile.
She rubbed the back of her head, clearly embarrassed. “Heh, well, I’ve spent fifteen years studying it. It’s also my special talent.” She pointed to her cutie mark. “What about you?”
Shadowlock followed her pointing. He sure wasn’t going to complain about a chance to admire Twilight’s haunches. After a healthy eyeful, he said, “I think my special talent is book magic, but that’s not my destiny. I think my destiny is to seal away the evil of my ancestor forever.” Half dramatic and half joking, he added, “I am the lock on the shadows.”
Twilight gave him a look that was difficult to read. “So if you are the lock, who’s the key?”
“My ancestor, maybe?” he wondered aloud. “The forces of darkness?” A slyer, seductive response welled up, begging to be said, but he kept it in check. He wasn’t about to say “you” at such a tenuous time.
Twilight replied, “Maybe... or maybe... nah, it’s too crazy.”
His curiosity was piqued. “What’s that?”
She answered a little too quickly, “Nevermind! Besides, it was silly anyway.”
“Come on, Twilight,” he pried. “I’ve told you a lot about myself today. What’s on your mind?”
She cringed, but answered, “Well... I’m not sure about what the key to the shadows is, but the key to you? I have an idea there.”
A tingle started to burn in his chest. Was this leading... could it be...? “What’s the key to me?”
“I think... well... maybe...” Every word was loaded with hesitation and uncertainty.
Shadowlock could barely believe it. Just a day after they reunited and Twilight was already confessing her feelings to him? A shocked smile encompassed his face.
“Maybe... it’s friendship.”
Oh.
That was what she was talking about.
“Y-yeah, friendship is great,” he said, trying to hide the hollowness.
“I know! It’s thanks to friendship that we’re here today, studying magic together. Isn’t it wonderful?”
“Yeah. Wonderful.” He wanted to say something, to cry out his feelings, but the words wouldn’t come. “I... I need to think for a bit. I’ll be back here in a few minutes.”
She looked at him with concern, but her eyes glimmered with a hint of understanding. “Alright. I’ll just wait here.”
Shadowlock trotted down the chilly, damp hill. He shivered in the cold. But in a way, he was glad for it. It fit his thoughts.
Is that really all Twilight thinks of me? Just a friend?
He looked back up the hill. She was stargazing now. As he watched her, his heart ached with longing. How deeply he desired to sit beside her, his hoof around her and her wing around him. If he’d been braver five minutes ago, they’d be enjoying the stars together right now.
He thought back to when he’d realized he had a crush on her. To be fair, he’d found her attractive from the start, but who in Equestria didn’t? His real crush - something more than base attraction - probably started in the library a few months ago, where she’d convinced him that erasing the past was the wrong solution. Since then, he’d been pining for her.
He closed his eyes, his ears folding flat against his head. Why had he been so stupid? He was seven words away from finally telling Twilight how he felt, but the words got stuck in his throat.
So deep was he in his own unhappiness he didn’t hear the patter of hooves on smooth grass. But he did feel a warm, fluffy wing cradle his back. Hesitantly, not daring to believe it, he turned to the side - and saw Twilight sitting there.
“Do you want to talk?” she asked gently.
“I... yes. I think so.”
“Okay,” Twilight said. She looked at him, staring deep into his eyes. Hers were like pools of sparkling water. “Do you have anything to tell me?”
Shadowlock opened his mouth, thought better of it, opened it again, and then left it partly open. A few seconds later, he replied, “I’m not sure. But I think so.”
She smiled. “Go on.”
This was it. He had to do it perfectly, or else she’d just laugh at him. “I... oh, Celestia, how do I say this? I... I think...” He swallowed, hard. “I... I have a crush on you, Twilight.”
“Really?” she asked. “How big of one?”
He felt very small now, despite the fact he was several inches taller than her. “Big.”
Twilight’s smile gained a hint of nervousness. She said, even more uncertain than he been, “I have something to say too.”
“What’s that?” he asked, trying to keep his enthusiasm down. But despite himself, he felt it rising up again.
“I... kind of feel the same way?”
What?
Princess Twilight Sparkle has a crush on me?
He felt his jaw drop, and struggled to find words. “I...”
“I don’t really understand the whole ‘love’ thing,” Twilight admitted. “I don’t really know what I’m doing. So I apologize in advance if I--”
He kissed her, full on the lips.
After a moment of shock, she returned the kiss, evenly matching him in passion. They stayed together for a few seconds, or a few minutes, or possibly a few consecutive nights, before finally breaking apart.
Twilight opened her mouth, then closed it, and just hugged him tight. He returned the hug, and they embraced by the brilliant moonlight.
Shadowlock’s entire body burned with inner fire. He’d finally kissed her. He’d actually, finally kissed her! He broke into a huge, happy smile.
After a long hug, they released each other. She unclasped his cloak and spread it out below them. He lay down beside her, and she snuggled up against him. She fired a very narrow, almost pointlike beam of light from her horn. “That’s Alphard, crown of the Hydra. And over there, that’s the Horsehead Nebula.”
He looked up. Stargazing had never really interested him, but the way Twilight told it had him enraptured.
“If you look over there, you’ll see the Fish Hook.” She pointed out each constellation or star as she mentioned it, the thin rod of light not splitting at all.
He snuggled closer beside her, enjoying the wonderful atmosphere. She said softly, “Tonight was wonderful. I had so much fun.”
“It was just as wonderful for me,” he replied. “Thank you so much. I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy.”
She smiled back, and wiped something from her eyes. “We should get some sleep. It’s late.”
“Alright. Where’s our hotel room?”
She giggled. “Hotel room? I’m a Princess. I’ll just ask Celestia for two rooms.”
That wasn’t a surprise. They had only just kissed, after all. But he had still secretly hoped she would say “for a room”.
He stretched his forelegs, and stood up. “You’ll lead the way, then?”
She flew up, levitated the cloak back onto herself, and pulled the hood. “Yep! Follow me.”
The streets had mostly cleared, and it was easy for the two of them to get to the castle. “Good evening,” she greeted the guards. “I’ll need two rooms tonight.”
“Certainly, Princess. Right this way.” The guard walked them through magnificent hall after magnificent hall, finally arriving at a hall full of doors. “These’ll be your rooms.”
Shadowlock looked inside. It was well-decorated and comfortable-looking, with a nice big bed. “Thank you,” he said, to both the guard and Twilight.
He lay down on the bed, and tucked himself in. The very soft blankets lulled him to sleep quickly.
The sweet taste of Twilight’s lips still lingered on his.
Twilight floated in a dark, eerie place. Spooks and shadows darted around just out of sight. Empty books floated by, flipping through their own pages. Vague shapes hovered in the fog. She saw Shadowlock, fear in his eyes, surrounded by swirling darkness.
“Shadowlock!” she cried out, and flew towards him. But the darkness engulfed him, and something horrific emerged.
A searing beam of blue-white light shot down from above her, striking the thing that had been Shadowlock. It writhed in the beam. “No!” Twilight half-sobbed, and closed her eyes to block out the sight.
“It’s alright. I’m okay,” she heard Shadowlock said.
She opened her eyes, Shadowlock was back, unharmed. The darkness surrounding him was gone.
Princess Luna fluttered down. She said to Twilight, “You take a hard path in picking him as your lover. The shadows hunger for him, just as they did for me.”
“He’s not my lover!” Twilight insisted.
“You kissed him just half an hour ago or so,” Luna replied with a smirk.
“Y-you were spying on me?” Twilight asked indignantly.
“Spying? No, of course not. I went out to raise the moon, and spotted you on a nearby hill. I looked through my telescope, and there you were, kissing him.”
Twilight felt a blush blooming on her cheeks. “Well...”
“You chose a partner I would not have expected. He didn’t seem like your type,” Luna said. “But... I hope the two of you are happy together.”
Together...
They were together now?
Luna vanished into blue smoke, leaving a very confused and uncertain Twilight to her thoughts.
Twilight woke up gradually. A warm body she was not unfamiliar with was snuggled up beside her.
His coat was soft and smooth. She ran a hoof over his coat, and snuggled closer.
She opened her eyes to meet his gaze. But there was only a pillow opposite her.
She blinked, sighed, and got out of bed. Her morning grooming went by quickly enough, but Twilight realized she hadn’t mentioned a meeting place for herself and Shadowlock. If he was still asleep, she could just wait outside his door... but if he was awake, she’d be sitting there for nothing.
“What to do, what to do?” she asked herself. Something about the hallway gave her a hint of an idea, and when she chased it, it led her down a familiar path.
Princess Celestia would probably know what to do!
With a new lead, she trotted over to the castle’s breakfast room. There, Celestia and Luna were already enjoying pancakes.
“Oh hello, Twilight!” Celestia said kindly. “Good morning. I hope you slept well.”
“Great”, she shot back a smile. “Do you know where Shadowlock is?”
Luna winked at Twilight behind Celestia.
“The pony who you brought here last night? No, I haven’t seen him since last night. Why did you bring him here anyway?” Celestia asked.
Luna was smirking really hard, but Celestia didn’t notice.
Twilight hesitated. How much should she say without his permission? “He approached me for help in research into some of Equestria’s history, specifically an area which he has a very... personal connection to it. I think we’re making real progress. And we needed a place to stay for the night so we could wrap up what we were doing here and then head to the Crystal Empire.”
Luna tried but failed to keep a giggle in. As soon as it slipped out, rip-roarious laughter followed. Celestia turned to her sister. “What’s so funny, Luna?” the Princess of the Sun asked.
Still forcing back laughter, Luna exclaimed, “Hhhhh, he’s her coltfriend! Twilight Sparkle has a coltfriend!”
Twilight felt a blush rising on her cheeks. “N-no he’s...” Was he? They had kissed, it was true, but only once. Did that mean he was? Or were they not coltfriend and fillyfriend until they had agreed upon it? Were there other requirements? Finally, she settled on saying, a bit irritably, “He’s probably not my coltfriend.”
Celestia giggled lightly. “I must say, I’ve been wondering when somepony would finally catch your eye. I was beginning to think it’d never happen.” She smiled. “I’m glad you get to taste the wonder of love.”
Twilight uncertainly brushed her hair back. “It’s a unique feeling, one I’ve not really experienced before. I mean, there were a few ponies I admired from a distance, but never anything like this.”
“Love is a dangerous quarry,” Luna said sagely. “You try to hide from it, but it will pounce at the moment you least expect it.”
Twilight asked Celestia, “Did you know? Before Luna told you, I mean.”
“I had my suspicions, but wasn’t sure. But I have a feeling Luna did. Did you, sister?”
Luna smiled playfully. “When a beautiful young mare shows up late with a handsome young stallion, well, it doesn’t take a thousand years of experience to get the hint. Especially when you saw them kissing atop a grassy hill.” She put a hoof to her head in mock thought. “I wonder if they progressed to the next step after I finished raising the moon...”
Twilight felt searing embarrassment flow to her cheeks. She indignantly stated, “No, no! It wasn’t like that at all! We kissed, and that was it!”
Celestia gave Luna a look, who stuck her tongue out back at her. To Twilight, Celestia said, “I hope you and him have a happy time together. But you should try and catch up to him. Maybe one of the guards saw which way he went?”
Twilight nodded. “I’ll look for him. Goodbye!” She headed out, still a bit embarrassed, but relieved that nopony besides Celestia and Luna had heard.
She bumped into one of the guards. “Sorry,” she apologized. “Can you help me with something?”
“Hopefully, Princess. What’s the problem?”
“I need help figuring out where a friend of mine is. His name’s Shadowlock. Unicorn, tall, dark grey coat, cutie mark of a book, scar on his nose?”
“You’re in luck! I saw him half an hour ago. Hurried past me, said something about a library.”
Twilight grinned. “Thank you so much!” She stopped by her bedroom for his cloak, and sped out the door.
The Canterlot Archives loomed ahead of her. Even after fifteen years, they didn’t failed to impress her. Their bold, simultaneously primitive and futuristic design stood out starkly against the swooping bulbs and piercing spires.
She asked the guards at attention outside, “Do you know where Shadowlock is?”
“Is that the pony you were with yesterday?” one asked back.
“Yes!” she exclaimed.
“He’s inside. Was going towards the Starswirl wing.”
“Thank you.” That was what she’d suspected. He probably wanted to get a jump start on their research.
She headed for the Starswirl wing, his cloak flapping behind her.
The four guardsponies outside the Starswirl wing saluted Twilight. “Just a quick scan, Princess.” They cast the deception-revealing spell, and sure enough, she was all clean. Twilight thanked them, and entered.
The flipping of pages indicated she had indeed caught her mark. She trotted up beside him. “What’s the rush?” she asked.
Shadowlock looked almost a little guilty. “I wanted to have the rest of the research done before you were awake, so we could just head to the Crystal Empire right away. But I’m not quite done.”
“Well, I’ll take a crack at it,” she offered. “Two brains are better than one.”
“Sure.” He offered her a thick book. “I’ve got a feeling that we’re sort of on the wrong track. What if we need a magical artifact, not a spell?”
Twilight started reading as Shadowlock tided up, carefully replacing books on the shelves and gathering their notes and other personal effects. A few minutes later, and she was done.
“That’s probably everything we can glean from these books. You ready to go?”
“Yes. All ready.” He’d packed their stuff messily but workably in their saddlebags. As much as she wanted to repack for mathematically optimized space right now, she knew she’d have plenty of time on the train ride. Levitating her bags onto her back, she trotted out, and heard his hooffalls behind her.
It was a short trip to the train station, and boarding was very easy when she didn’t have to worry about anypony recognizing her.