//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Ponyville // Story: Shadows of Love // by StarlightisVERYcute //------------------------------// Shadowlock stepped onto the train. It was unchanged from yesterday morning, and yet it seemed completely different. Princess Twilight followed perhaps two paces behind him. A few ponies looked at him with mild interest, and at Twilight with much more. He took a seat in a mostly empty car. It was cushioned and soft, wonderfully so. He reclined against the back. As he was adjusting his position, Twilight sat down next to him. It took him a good five seconds to realize the implications of that. He looked over to her, understanding dawning. She returned his unsteady gaze, and slipped a comforting wing around his back. He leaned into her warm, streamlined body, and returned her fluffy, tender embrace. Her heart beat strongly against his chest. Were improved health and physical condition two more boons of alicornification? He wouldn’t be surprised. A mare was watching them in a sort of aghast awe. Shadowlock felt suddenly a bit uncomfortable, but didn’t move. Being beside Twilight was too wonderful for somepony’s judgment to get him down. “All aboard!” the conductor shouted. He looked out the window at the Crystal Empire one last time. Just as they started to move, a light rain began to fall from patchwork clouds. Twilight snuggled up under Shadowlock’s cloak. It was strange to sit next to a pony taller than her. But it wasn’t the bad kind of strange; rather, it was one of the many unforeseen and unforeseeable pleasures of life. And speaking of pleasure, she was enjoying a rather sweet one. The well-defined line of his snout was deliciously angled, and asymmetrically bisected by that memorable scar of his. She leaned closer against him, her horn just coming to the crown of his head. His horn extended quite a bit further beyond that. It was long, straight, pointy, spiral-bore, and to be blunt, hot. She couldn’t help but wonder what his horn would feel like pressed against hers. She closed her eyes, and let herself drift off to sleep beside him. A feeling of being pushed forward, and a rattling, were the first two omens of their final approach towards Ponyville. Shadowlock looked up from his book at the trees and hills speeding by. He gently shook Twilight. “Mmmm... no Celestia, I turned my homework in on time...” she mumbled. He shook a little harder. Her eyes flickered open. “Huh?” “We’re coming into Ponyville,” he stated. “Oh, okay.” She smiled. “Thanks for waking me up.” She stretched, flexing her taut, bow-like body, and shook out her wings. “There we go. It’s going to be good to be home again.” He nodded a little, trying his hardest to keep a level face. “And I look forward to meeting your friends properly.” “They’re all amazing,” she thought aloud. “I think you’ll get along quite well with them.” The train came to a stop. “Ponyville!” the conductor shouted from the front. “Next stop, Appleloosa!” Shadowlock and Twilight left the train with the rest of the ponies. To his relief, she wasn’t mobbed by a swarm of cultist-fans this time. As Twilight took her first step onto the platform, she winced. “I probably have a backlog of important princess duties to get through,” she said apologetically. “I should be free again in an hour, maybe sooner. Feel free to go ahead and meet my friends; anypony in town can tell you where to find them.” “Sounds good to me.” He gave her a quick hug, and trotted towards the center of town. He would go see Rarity first. Rarity carefully threaded the needle through the rich, shimmering fabric. Cross, pull, dart, pull, cross. A loud but not rude knock came from the front of the boutique. Sweetie Belle wouldn’t knock, and she wasn’t expecting any of her friends over today. So it was most likely a customer! “Coming!” she called down. “Just a moment, need to finish this stitch!” She threaded four more loops, and stepped away from her loom. “I’ll be right there!” She rushed downstairs, getting quite a few hairs out of place. She quickly set them right, and opened the door. “How can I help you?” A handsome, grey-coated, and cloaked stallion stood at her door. She recognized him from an escapade she’d gone on with her friends. He was named Shadowlock, and he had trapped her with an angry Cleopatra. But he and Twilight had talked it out, and he’d left to try and fix the damage he’d caused. “Really, I just wanted to say hi. You’re one of Twilight’s friends. I wanted to get to know you a little better, and give you the chance to do the same about me.” Something tickled the back of Rarity’s brain, but she couldn’t place it. “Of course, of course! Come on in, and take a seat. I’ll get you some biscuits.” She led him to her tea-table. “Now, tell me a bit about yourself!” she requested. “I didn’t get to talk much with you the last time we met.” She said the last bit airily but cautiously, in such a way that he could have no doubt what she was referring to, but wouldn’t take it as an attack. “Heh, sorry about that. That was another part of it, I guess - I wanted to clear up any remaining ill feelings. Don’t want one of Twilight’s friends hating me.” It tickled again. And the pieces slowly fell into place... “What?” she gasped. “It’s you?” “Huh?” he asked, face contorted in confusion. “Y-you’re Twilight’s coltfriend!” She still had trouble believing that Twilight had finally found somepony. He crossed his hoof awkwardly, but nodded. “It’s true, I am.” “Oh, sweet Celestia! I read about Twilight’s date with a tall, dark stallion, but thought it was just gossip. You simply must tell me everything about your dates so far!” “Well, it started two nights ago in Canterlot...” Shadowlock downed a glass of water, and took a deep breath. “Well, there you have it. That’s the entirety of our relationship so far.” Rarity smiled coyly. She was confident there was more than just that. “Are you sure there are no... scandalous details you are leaving out, Mr. Lock?” He blushed hard. It fit his mane. “No! Really, there aren’t! We haven’t even gone past kissing!” “Alright, if you say so I’ll take your word.” She got the feeling he was lying, but decided not to press the issue. If he was, he’d probably confess his secret in a bit and ask for advice, and if he wasn’t he’d ask for other help. She told him a brief summary of herself, her interests, and her goals. The two of them made small talk for a few more minutes, and then he stood to leave. “Oh, before you go!” Rarity began. “Please do leave your cloak here. I’d like to fix it up a bit.” After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “For free - as a personal favor.” “Are you sure?” he asked. “Of course,” she reassured him. “It’s a gift to my friend’s beloved.” He unclasped his cloak and set it down on his chair. “Thank you,” he said, and departed. Up, 36, down. Rainbow Dash was almost done with her wingpower drill. Up 37, down. After that, it was cardio, and then getting the evening rain set up. Up, 38, down. But she’d have some free time between cardio and the weather directing. Up, 39, down. She’d seen Twilight walking along towards her castle. Up, 40, down. Maybe she’d hang out with her today. With a sigh of satisfied relief, she wiped her forehead, and took several deep breaths. She stretched, flexed her body, and shot forward through a heavy raincloud. The moisture flash-washed her, like taking an instant shower. She flew out the other side, and looped around, coming to perch on top of the cloud. From her cloudtop perch, she could see almost everyone in Ponyville. Applejack was delivering a crop of apples to Filthy Rich, Thunderlane was flirting with Clear Skies, Fluttershy was deliberating over carrot selection, Shadowlock was trotting through the streets... She snapped back to that last one, and narrowed her eyes. It really was him! He was the evil egghead who’d destroyed all those books. Sure, he’d “““changed”””, but she knew that she still shouldn’t trust him. Twilight let him leave in peace, supposedly to fix the damage he’d caused, but he definitely wasn’t supposed to come back! She darted downward and landed right in front of him. “Hello, Shadowlock,” she said suspiciously, but not aggressively. “What are you doing here?” “I’m on a research mission with Twilight,” he answered. “I’ve been looking for a way to undo my book-erasing spell.” Hmm. “Alright, but I’ve got my eye on you. Don’t try any funny business.” She got the feeling he was telling the truth, but you couldn’t be too careful. She’d been burned by the Flim Flam Brothers too many times for that. “Don’t worry, I won’t. It’s actually been really fun. You can ask Twilight about how it’s been going if you’re curious.” “I think I will. I was just going over there.” She dashed away, a few questions already condensing into her mind. Twilight replied to yet another bit of fan mail. Unlike Rainbow Dash, she didn’t particularly enjoy answering eager fans, but it did need doing. Ponies across Equestria needed to know that she wasn’t a Canterlotian high horse; she was just an ordinary, book-loving pony who’d trained hard enough to become a princess. A THUD against the window signalled the arrival of that pony she’d just been thinking of. Twilight opened the window in question, and Rainbow Dash flew into the castle scriptorium, almost knocking over a stack of papers. Only Twilight’s reflexive telekinesis saved them from spilling across the floor. “Shadowlock’s back,” Rainbow reported impatiently, “and he says he’s working on egghead stuff with you. Is that true?” “He is,” Twilight verified. “We’re going to get back to hitting the books once I finish all this princess duty stuff.” “Eh, alright,” Rainbow said with a shrug. “I’ve got a rainstorm scheduled tonight, but I’m free for the next couple hours. If you get bored of staring at books with Shadowlock, you know where to find me.” “I don’t think I could get bored around Shadowlock,” Twilight said wistfully. “O...kay? That doesn’t sound like you.” Fear and concern seized Rainbow’s features. “He didn’t mind control you like Starlight did to me, did he?” she demanded. Mind control? Only of the chemical reaction kind, and he was suffering from it just as she was. “Of course not!” Twilight said, chuckling. “He’s realized the error of his ways, and he’s actually really nice.” Rainbow shrugged again. “Have fun with your books then. I’ll tell the others that he’s not a threat.” She dashed back out the window. Twilight closed the window after the pegasus. In the restored peace and quiet, she resumed her epistolary work. Shadowlock knocked on the great front door of the castle. It quickly swung open. “Hello!” Spike said cheerfully. “Twilight’s still answering letters and signing papers, but she said you’re welcome to wait inside.” “Sounds good to me,” Shadowlock said with a faint smile. “I hear you’re an O&O fan?” “Yeah! Are you one too?” Spike asked eagerly. “I am,” he verified. “Been into it ever since I got the Monstrous Manual... eleven years ago?” “Tell you what,” Spike said. “You tell me about all the tabletop stuff you know, and I’ll make you cookies. How’s that sound?” “Works for me.” He followed Spike into the kitchen, and launched into an exposé of everything he knew about Ogres and Oubliettes. As Spike loaded the cookie batch into the oven, he turned back to Shadowlock. “Actually, how’d you like to play a quick two-player game? Chess or checkers, maybe?” “I’d be up for chess. I’m not very good though, so don’t laugh too hard if I make a terrible move.” “Don’t worry, I won’t,” Spike guaranteed. “I’ll go get the board set up!” “Checkmate!” Spike declared with a grin. “Good game.” “Good game indeed,” Shadowlock shook his head. “Did Twilight teach you to play?” “She did!” Spike stood up from the board. “The cookies should be almost done. Want to go check them out?” “Alright.” He followed the little dragon back downstairs into the kitchen. The cookies were delicious. Twilight set down the quill, and leaned back with a sigh. Her hangover’s aftershocks had finally ended, but all that writing had left her with a sore horn. She would go see if Shadowlock had arrived yet. With a quick flap of her wings, she left her study-chair, and headed for the door. If he had already arrived, he was almost certainly with Spike. If not, there was a good chance that he was with one of her friends. She started mentally compiling a list of likelihoods to be talking with right now as she opened the door. The scent of cookies drifted through the castle. Spike was baking again. She hurried towards the kitchen. Sure enough, Spike and Shadowlock were watching a tray of chocolate chip slowly cool. “Twilight!” Spike’s cheerful, young voice exclaimed. “You finished with your paperwork?” “Yep! Now we can start researching again!” She trotted over to Shadowlock, slipped a wing around him, and gave a light kiss on his cheek. He blushed adorably. “I’m looking forward to it.” Spike’s jaw dropped. “Y-y-y-y-you’re in love with him?” he asked her in disbelief. “Honestly, Twilight, I didn’t think you even had the emotion of love.” “I guess I do,” she said with a little smile. “It’s all happened so fast, but it just... feels right, if you know what I mean.” It felt a little weird to say that out loud, but it was also relieving. “Come on Twilight, of course I know what you mean,” Spike chuckled. “I’ve had a crush on HER for years.” Shadowlock looked quizzically at Spike. “’Her’?” “It’s a secret,” Spike replied. “All you need to know is that she’s the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria.” “I’m not sure of that,” Shadowlock shot back good-naturedly, and Twilight had to suppress a blush of her own. Spike shrugged. “Eh, whatever. Anyway, have fun, you two lovebirds.” He strolled out. Shadowlock looked to her with an unsaid question in his eyes. She answered, “Let’s get to work.” The books were strewn all across the library floor, grouped into tentative piles of “irrelevant”, “possible”, and “likely”. There wasn’t a “definitely” pile yet. Twilight was curled up against the irrelevant pile with a likely book in hoof. It described the miraculous book-salvation work of a Grand Archivist, and seemed to fit the description Sunburst had given her. She stuck a sticky note in for later, and took note on their running list of references. Shadowlock was snuggled up beside her, nestled in between her wing and her torso. It was a silly, juvenile feeling, but she was proud of her healthy wingspan. The lovely sensation of that cute stallion resting against her side filled her body with an intoxicating brew of emotions. First and foremost of these was loving affection, but just behind it was the burning fire of raw passion. She entertained a thought that set her cheeks aflame like nothing since Fourier transforms. This lewdest of thoughts was her them taking a break from the research to indulge herself in his body. She imagined the sweet taste of his lips, the crackle of his telekinesis’s unique electric signature, and his powerful thighs against hers... That last thought snapped Twilight out of her daydream, and back into her book. She felt her wings sticking straight out, and Shadowlock surely had to feel the same. He was looking at her curiously. “Is something wrong?” “Nothing at all,” she reassured him. “Nothing’s wrong. I just drifted off for a bit.” “I can’t blame you,” he reasoned. “We have been studying for a while.” A memory resurfaced. “Well, Pinkie said I should come over to Sugarcube Corner at four, and it’s three-thirty. We could go do that.” “That works. Everypony needs a break from studying now and then, even a Princess.” He said the last word lightly and playfully. Shadowlock watched Twilight replace the books from the irrelevant pile back on the shelves. He told her, “I just want to check a few more things. I’ll be there soon.” She smiled her assent. “Don’t take too long!” He flicked through the next few pages, cogs turning in his brain. Something caught his eye: a direct mention of that book-restorer. He carefully but eagerly read through the previous couple sentences... and felt blood running to his head. The text read, It is said that the Unsated Chronicler was never able to find closure on his most important mission, the recovery of Wispfire’s Bibliotheurge. But this is a lie. The Chronicler did indeed find it, deep within the nest of the Thousand-Eyed Watchers. He took it back to the Castle on the Spike, and set it as the centerpiece of his Throne of Stars. He charged the Stallions of Copper to guard it. He oversaw the installation of a legion of traps, so that thieves, defilers, and jealous librarians would not steal the Castle’s greatest treasure. A week ago that’d have been meaningless gibberish. But over the past few days, they’d put together enough clues for the book’s writing to be understandable. The traps and automatons would be a difficulty, but they were a difficulty he and Twilight could definitely surpass together. But, he realized, we won’t be able to go together. She had too many important duties to attend to here, and while this was a major breakthrough, it would still most likely take a couple weeks to figure everything out and mount the expedition. She wouldn’t want to say it, but it’d be true. And he couldn’t ask Equestria to lose their Princess for that long, even for a goal like this. He’d go on this without her, maybe with the help of an archaeologist or two. He didn’t have the strength to tell her face-to-face either. Shadowlock slid the last book into its slot, and wiped his brow. It took a lot more telekinesis than he was accustomed to using, and he felt suddenly hungry. “Guess it’s good I’m going to a place called Sugarcube Corner then,” he chuckled dryly to himself, and trotted downstairs. Twilight wasn’t at the bottom of the stairs, but Starlight was. “All done?” Starlight inquired. “Twilight told me what you two have been working on. It sounds interesting. “Yeah, I’m all done.” Starlight was fairly pretty in a modern sort of way. But compared with Twilight, she was a candle to the sun. “I got some good ideas, but need to let them stew in my brain.” “I know what you mean,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll read a bunch of books and then take a break to give it time to all settle down.” After a brief pause, she added, “Sooooo... you’re Twilight’s coltfriend?” “Seems like it,” he said with a half-smirk. “It’s happened so fast, but it’s the most fun I’ve ever had.” She looked oddly wistful. “Well, I certainly hope you two stay together, or at least part on good terms. I’d hate to see what a Princess with a broken heart would do.” She gave him a peculiar expression halfway between a wince and a wink. “Heh, I hope so too.” He wasn’t really sure how to respond meaningfully to what she had said, so he changed the topic. “Where is Twilight, actually?” “She told me she wanted to take a quick bath. I expect she’ll be done shortly.” With a shrug and a nod, Shadowlock sat down on the couch and waited. Twilight splashed in the bathtub. After all the craziness of the past 24 hours, it felt so good to wash all her uncertainty and tiredness down the drain. She relaxed her tense muscles and rested her horn in the warm water. A bit of soap later, and some quick mane-washing, and she came out feeling sparkly fresh. The dirt and grime and sweat were gone, and what was left were her smooth coat and dripping mane. She focused, and cast a simple repulsion spell, hurling the droplets of water away from her in a cascade of rainbows. She opened the door, and headed downstairs. Shadowlock and Starlight were discussing some of the finer points of book magic. She interrupted with a question towards him, “Ready to go?” “Yes!” he said with excitement tinting his voice. “And you look amazing! I feel all grimy now.” He chuckled self-deprecatingly. “It shouldn’t take too long.” A rather funny realization hit her. “And actually, I’m getting all clean just to get dirty again. It’d have been better to just have waited for my bath anyway.” He shrugged in a painfully cute way. “Well, I guess that’ll be what I do first after getting back. But let’s get going; it’s not polite to be late.” She felt a sort of confident leadership feeling. It had been coming more and more over the past two years. “Follow me,” she requested of him, and he obliged her. She led him straight to Sugarcube Corner. At least here in Ponyville, she didn’t have to worry about being mobbed by overeager fans. A giant gingerbread house stood apart from the relatively normal Ponyville houses. “That’s Sugarcube Corner!” Twilight pointed out needlessly. “And we’re just in time!” He watched her knock, standing behind her as usual. And for once, his eyes weren’t on her gorgeous body. A bubblegum pink earth pony he recognized as Pinkie dropped down from the roof a few inches from his face. Before he had a chance to process that, she started talking faster than he’d ever heard. “Hi Shadowlock! I know you used to be a meanie but only because your ancestor was a bigger meanie and then you stopped because Twilight told you you didn’t have to be a meanie because you can find friends to help you with scary and difficult things so now you’re not a meanie anymore so I put together a party for you and Twilight!” She said that whole rant in under 10 seconds. He blinked, momentarily stunned. “Yeah, that’s... that’s what happened. Good summary. Thanks for the party.” She slipped on a very coy, even seductive look that made beads of perspiration condense on his forehead. “But that’s not why you’re here, is it, Locky?” He felt sweat dripping down his forehead. “Ummmm, I-I don’t know! You’re the one who scheduled this party.” He saw Twilight looking back at them with a bit of confusion. “You know what I’m talking about,” Pinkie said with a wink. She bounced up and down over the door, and opened it with a flourish. Rainbow Dash and two ponies he remembered as Applejack and Fluttershy were already inside. “Can one of you two explain what this all is about?” Applejack asked of Twilight. “Pinkie’s refused to tell us anything at all, until you got here, just that it was ‘super duper important.’” “Yeah Twilight. Spill the beans!” Rainbow Dash added. “Hold on a lickity-split second,” Pinkie insisted. “We need to wait for Rarity to arrive!” Twilight shrugged. “Alright.” Shadowlock stayed silent, both because he had nothing to add and because Rainbow Dash was staring at him suspiciously. Less than a minute later, the white unicorn in question entered the room. “Pinkie, please do explain what in the wide world of Equestria is going on he--” She saw him standing beside Twilight, and suddenly got a very sly, knowing expression on her face. “Oouhouhouhou.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “There, Rarity’s here. Can you tell us what’s going on now Pinkie?” Pinkie took a very deep breath, and started to sing. “This is your first date ditty, I hope that you find it sweet, You hug and kiss and love each other, think it’s really neat! Princess and Lone Journeyer, you met at counter-ways, But now you’ve worked it and you’re together for these days! Happiness and laughter will find you both tonight, We’re all here to wish you luck and show the future’s bright, Now the party’s starting and friends once far are near, So let’s break out the cupcakes and show Shadowlock our cheer!” Shadowlock felt a silly grin and a concurrent blush creeping over his face. Pinkie shoved a cupcake into his mouth, and he took a bite. It was absurdly delicious, but before he could finish swallowing, it seemed everypony had something to say. “Congratulations, Twilight,” Fluttershy said softly with a tiny smile. “Well how about that! Ah was starting to think ya just didn’t feel love, Twilight.” Applejack gave Shadowlock’s hoof a rough shake. “He told me earlier today,” Rarity said primly. “I was just waiting to tell you all!” A sort of warm comfort radiated throughout him. They didn’t hate him, and they’d forgiven him for being evil. Maybe this would work out after all. “Ahahahaha. That’s great, Pinkie!” Rainbow laughed heartily. “You almost had me for a second!” Pinkie said cheerfully, “I’m totally serious, Dashie! We’ve got two new lovebirds in Ponyville! Well, only one’s got wings, but I bet they both always feel like they’re flying.” Rainbow Dash’s laughter quickly dried up. “Wait, you’re serious? She’s dating him?” “Yeah, I am!” Twilight insisted. “And there’s nothing wrong with that!” “Nothing wrong?” Rainbow repeated skeptically. “How about the fact that he’s a bad guy? Even if he isn’t bad now, how do you think it looks to Equestria for someone who almost erased all of Equestria’s history to be smooching a Princess?” Shadowlock winced. “I’ve changed, Rainbow!” he almost pleaded. “I’m not the stallion I used to be!” “Whatever,” she snorted. “Don’t come crying to me when he leaves you brokenhearted and bookless,” she said to Twilight. She then coldly told him, “And if you hurt Twilight at all...” She let the threat stand, and flew out the window. Pinkie looked sad and hurt for just a second, but then her hair poofed out again. “So, uh, anyway, let’s get the party started! I baked cupcakes for everypony!” Shadowlock tried to remember where the pony was. He opened his eyes - pointless with a blindfold on, but it still felt good to do - and stumbled forward a few steps. After decades of holding things with his magic, doing it with his mouth felt strange. He bumped into the wall horn-first. and with a surge of determination, stuck the tail onto what he had to hope was the pony. A bout of laughter rang out, and he had a sudden feeling that he hadn’t placed it right. He pulled the blindfold off, and admired his handiwork. The tail was stuck out of the pony’s eye. Twilight gave him a comforting pat. “It’s okay. You did better than I did last time.” She giggled. “I tacked it to the door!” Pinkie exclaimed, “Alright, Twilight and Shadowlock! It’s a party, and you know what that means. Time for you two to shake your hooves out and start dancing!” Shadowlock gulped. “Er, Pinkie, I’ve never danced before.” “C’mon, it’s not that hard!” she insisted. “Just move your hooves with the groove!” “Trust me,” Twilight assured him, “No matter how bad you are, I’m worse.” Shadowlock sighed. “Alright, I’ll give it a try. Just don’t expect much.” “Expect nothing, hope for everything!” Pinkie said axiomatically, loading a record onto the phonograph. An upbeat, cheery song started to play. He uncertainly started to move his hooves. Beside him, Twilight was enthusiastically flailing about. It reminded him of a fish he’d once seen stuck on the lake’s shore from a particularly big wave, flopping back and forth on the cold dirt. But despite its total ungracefulness, there was something captivatingly adorkable about it. He decided to just move around like she was. Pinkie’s insane bounce, Fluttershy’s gentle swaying, Applejack’s solo square dancing - none of it mattered. All that mattered was that he was dancing with Twilight. This sweet, harmless fun continued a little bit longer, at which point the upbeat song faded away. Taking its place was a slow, romantic song. Pinkie’s coy grin left no doubt about whether that was planned. The flailing dance no longer seemed fitting, and he searched in vain for a good one to take its place. Twilight didn’t seem to know what to do either. Pinkie, once again, provided a salvation from the crisis of her own design. Pinkie borrowed Fluttershy for a prop. “Just do what I do!” the quite possibly insane pink mare instructed, and began to dance slowly with Fluttershy. Pinkie took a few steps forward, a few back, spun her around, and slid her down. “Now you try!” she happily ordered Shadowlock and Twilight. Shadowlock hesitantly offered a hoof to Twilight, who took it with a heart-melting smile. He took a few cautious steps forward. She matched him step by step. It wasn’t even close to accurate, but it was sincere and it made him smile. Shadowlock tried the next stage of the dance, and here she helped him. He leaned forward, and she leaned backwards. His heart was beating loudly as she flexed to match his movements, her perfectly built body sending tingles down his spine. He leaned back again, and let go of her almost altogether, so she could do a spin. She pirouetted brilliantly... Until a stray hoof swept his legs out from under him, and he fell down right on top of her. The first thing he noticed was that his lips were right above hers, and his thigh was a few inches from hers. He had a sudden, almost overpowering impulse to just give into the passionate urge telling him to kiss her, to snuggle her, to make love to her... His next impulse was to get off of her and profusely apologize, and that impulse was even stronger. He stood up quickly, and helped her up. “S-sorry,” he said abashedly. “Don’t worry, it was my fault,” she reassured him. “No harm done.” Rarity was watching the two of them with a supremely sly smile. Rainbow Dash put the next storm cloud into position for the evening showers. She gave it a rough kick to test its water density, and was greeted with a grumble of thunder. Fitting both for a thundercloud, and for her current mood. She thought back to the party she’d left an hour ago. Twilight was dating Shadowlock. The thought really ground her gears. Twilight was a smart, kind, reliable, all-around awesome egghead, and she deserved somepony as awesome as she was. Not some creep like Shadowlock. Her first impulse had been to pin him to the wall and demand him to tell her what he’d done to Twilight. But she’d gotten better at controlling those impulses, and had left without getting into a fight. As much as it hurt her pride to admit it, Twilight probably wasn’t being mind controlled. She’d just fallen in love with a total jerk, and that love was making her blind to what was totally obvious. The question, then, was why had the rest of her friends forgiven him so easily? Were her friends really THAT gullible, even after all these years? She firmly shoved the next cloud into place. Their big thunderstorm-blanket was starting to form. She imagined Shadowlock drenched and cold with a smirk, but the thought of Twilight lovingly warming him up wiped it off. Twilight had never struck her as the romantic type in the first place. That was something she thought they’d had in common. Love was too mushy for Rainbow, and too illogical for Twilight. But along came this stallion and suddenly Twilight’s brain got rewritten to be full of mushy love. She shook her head in a mix of anger and confusion, and got back to work. Goodbyes and well-wishes exchanged, and Shadowlock and Twilight left the party. She sighed contendedly. “That was fun. Thanks for coming, Shadowlock.” She said his name in a strange tone, and sighed. “Can I call you Locky?” The way she said that last word made his whole body tingle with anticipation. “Of course.” When Pinkie had called him by that name, he’d felt uncomfortable; but in Twilight’s sweet voice was the finest music. He smirked. “But I need a shorter name for you too.” She was silent for a moment, and then asked, a bit nervously, “How does Twi sound?” Twi. Simple but elegant. “I love it.” They walked and talked through town. An unasked question hovered at the top of his throat, begging to come out. But no matter how he tried to bring it out, he couldn’t word it in a way that was both not extremely embarrassing and not potentially creepy, so he let it stew. At last they arrived at her castle. It was as imposing as ever, and it blew his mind to think that his fillyfriend owned it all. He winced a little. How would Twilight react to him leaving her to go on his personal expedition? He couldn’t ask her to come with, but he couldn’t say it to her face either or she’d feel obliged. If he only left a note she’s probably be very hurt... but that seemed to be the best way to ensure he could get away alone. He made a decision then. If tonight would be the last time he’d see Twilight for weeks, he wanted it to be memorable for both of them. A treasure to hold close to his chest and savor, and remember when they were apart. But he shouldn’t ask now. He should wait until Twilight had had a bit of rest and relaxation, and was in a more comfortable mood. And it was a bit early to tuck in. “I’ll take the rest of the evening off and just read some fun books,” Twilight said. “Feel free to help yourself to anything that strikes your fancy.” He watched her walk away. What really struck his fancy were Twilight’s perfect body, analytical tone, and beautiful eyes. Shadowlock trotted towards the library. He had an inkling of a plan now, but there was still so much to be arranged. Most importantly, he had a book to read and a trait to cultivate. He knew roughly where the book was, but he wasn’t totally sure and didn’t want to risk Twilight helping. As discreetly as he could, he slipped the book and the two around it out, forming a nice book sandwich. He quickly left the room, but not so quickly as to be suspicious. Back in his room, he beheld his catch: The Gentlecolt’s Guide to Seduction. After closing, locking, and barricading the door, he started reading. He wanted to be done within two hours. Two minutes and thirty seconds after Shadowlock’s hoofsteps had receded to silence, Twilight sprung into action. She quickly but quietly cantered up to her immense bedroom, double-checked that she was alone, and slunk inside. She closed and locked the door behind her. It was time to access one of the very few secrets she kept even from Spike. She didn’t like doing so, but some things just weren’t proper for a baby dragon to know. She trotted over to a specific section of wall and sparked her horn alight. She’d glamoured it to look normal, just in case somepony snooped around her room. With several telekinetic twists, the invisible locks’ tumblers slid into place, and the special compartment she’d had installed slid open. The sheaf of papers within were all important personal documents. Each and every one would let a gossipmongerer retire early, but the one she was interested in now was a simple questionnaire. It was near the bottom, as she’d expected. She pulled it out and looked it over. The title was so blunt as to make her blush, even though she’d written it herself: Checklist for Determining if it is Time to Lose My Virginity. She lifted up her favorite quill, and set to work answering. Have you known them for at least two months? Are they attractive? Do you love them? Do they love you back? Do you consider them a good friend as well as a lover? She confidently checked all those boxes, but the next one gave her pause. Will sleeping with them not run the risk of grievously upsetting one of your friends, and/or cause a major scandal? Rainbow Dash had been really upset... and if the news found out, it’d be everywhere... Celestia would be disappointed... she might get stripped of princesshood... But, she reasoned, what no one knew would hurt no one. Spike wouldn’t understand anyway, and Starlight wouldn’t tell anyone if she figured it out. Twilight decided to check that box. Twilight breezed through most of the checkboxes - she was sober, not under any magical compulsion, not being manipulated, above an 8 on the Shining-Twilight-Spike scale of personality match, not currently under legal investigation, and so on. A few others, such as Are you completely confident that they have never been evil; or, if they were once evil, have fully reformed?, left her hesitant, but she ultimately decided to check those as well. Only the last one really made her think. Are they so supremely wonderful you are willing to give up something you can never get back for them? You may live five thousand years; do you want them to be forever stuck as your first time? Twilight thought about it. Shadowlock was wonderful... but it was such a huge thing to do. Would Future Twilight look back on her as a fool for deciding at the young age of twenty-four? If she would, then damn Future Twilight. That pony didn’t even exist yet; Current Twilight was constantly creating her with her actions. And this in question was one action she realized she was already set on. She checked the last mark so hard it nearly punctured the paper. With the form filled out, she placed it back into the drawer, closed, and relocked it. She had a reformed bibliomancer to seduce. Shadowlock poured over The Gentlecolt’s Guide to Seduction. He read as quickly he was confident he could comprehend, committing it all to memory. This was one thing he didn’t want to mess up. He glanced up to the clock. He’d just passed an hour, and he was almost done. A few more minutes, and he closed the book. Eight-fifteen. He covered it between the two other books he’d taken, and went back downstairs to the library. Twilight was waiting there, reclined along a couch, her muzzle deep in a book. One wing were draped over the couch, while the other brushed against the floor. She looked truly beautiful, and he positively ached with longing. She stood up, and examined him with a seductive gaze. “I can tell you’re made of copper and tellurium,” she said matter-of-factly. His memory scrambled for those elements and what they were used for, even as he blinked in confusion. “Copper and tellurium?” he repeated in confusion. “Cute! Cu-Te!” She sighed in dejection. “That was supposed to be a suave line.” He took the chance to offer one of his own. “But you are like a black hole!” “I warp spacetime?” she asked curiously. “Well, you probably can,” he admitted, “but I meant that I feel an immense attraction to you.” He wiggled his eyebrows in what he hoped was a very enticing way. Twilight giggled at that. “I guess that makes you a really good book.” “You find me irresistible?” he dared to ask. Twilight answered, blushing furiously, “Well, yes, but... you’ll keep me up all night.” Shadowlock felt his heart racing at that line. “Are you--I mean--will we--?” She kissed him full on the lips, long and slow. His heart burned with the hottest fire as he matched her passion piece for piece. After a brief eternity, they broke apart. “Yes,” she said simply, and he understood. Not a word more needed to be said. Shadowlock woke up early. He carefully got out of bed, and jotted down a short note. Every word felt like he was writing in his own blood, but he pushed on anyway. After what seemed to be ages, but couldn’t have been more than 5 minutes, he looked over the letter one last time, and set it down at the bedside table. With a sudden surge of emotion, Shadowlock gave Twilight a kiss on her forehead, just below her horn. She mumbled something happily, and he winced a little. He realized that if he didn’t leave now, he never would. So he opened the unlocked door and headed downstairs. The castle was quiet this early in the morning, and it felt strange to hear nothing but his own hoofsteps echoing off the vaunted great hallways. He left the castle, and headed for Ponyville proper. He still needed one more thing for his adventure to really begin. He stopped in front of Rarity’s house, and knocked. A young filly he didn’t recognize answered the door. “Who are you?” the filly asked. “My name’s Shadowlock. Rarity was working on my cloak. I’m curious if she’s done yet.” “RARITY!” the filly yelled. “A stallion is asking about his cloak!” Rarity came to the door. “Yes, it’s finished. Right this way.” As she noticed his ruffled mane, she slipped into a coy smile. “I’d ask you about the details of your relationship, but there are some things Sweetie shouldn’t hear.” She levitated him his cloak. It was fully repaired, and felt wonderfully soft. “This is perfect,” he said with a big grin. “Thank you.” “Of course, dear!” Rarity insisted. “I couldn’t let T--well, you know.” “Wait,” Sweetie asked suspiciously, and then gasped. “Is he Trixie’s coltfriend?” Rarity chuckled. “It’s not polite to pry into the romantic lives of others. I’m sure he’ll tell you all he’s comfortable with.” “I’ll... err... tell you the next time I see you,” he told Sweetie. With an awkward smiled, he departed. Twilight woke up cold. Something was back to normal about the bed - and different in this normality. She decided to ignore the thought and draped a wing around... empty space. She blinked her eyes open. Shadowlock was not lying beside her. He’d probably already gotten up and was downstairs. She decided to stay in bed a bit longer. It wouldn’t hurt to rest a bit longer. After all, it wasn’t like he was going somewhere without her. At last, Twilight felt properly rested. She stretched her wings, yawned, and rolled out of the bed. A reflexive flap of her wings and she landed solidly. She blinked away the sleep in her eyes, and looked around. Something was different this time. A new piece of paper rested on the bedside table. She trotted over, and picked it up. My dearest Twilight, By the time you read this, I will be long gone. I’ve gone to finish what I started, and find that artifact. I am so sorry that you have to find out this way. I didn’t have the courage to tell you face to face, and I was worried that you would insist on going. We both know you’re needed here, but I thought you’d feel like you had to come. This was all my fault in the first place. I should be the one to fix it. If you hate me for only telling you like this, I don’t blame you. I might hate myself in your horseshoes too. But know this: I love you. I hope to see you again soon. With love, Shadowlock Twilight blinked out the tears, letting them run down her face. Shadowlock - gone? After last night... after... Loss, anger, and sadness mixed into a vile brew. She threw the note into the wall, and ran into her grand bathroom. Acting as much on instinct as on thought, she got into the bathtub. She turned on the shower, closed her eyes, and thrust her head into the stream. She let the tears mingle with the water streaming down. The soothing, cleansing water washed away the tears and the sweat and the cold and the pain, leaving only peace. Twilight opened her eyes again. She was still upset, still hurt, still sad, but it had gone from agonizing to a dull ache. She turned the water to cold, and let the chill fill her body. Its cold brought clarity, and she managed a little smile. There was still a good chance things would turn out okay. Spike poured some gems into his bowl, and munched down. The fiery, sweet, slightly spicy flavor of ruby filled his mouth. He heard Twilight clip-clopping down the stairs. “Hey Twilight,” he said with a friendly smile. “Sleep well?” Twilight blushed for some reason. She also looked a little sad. “Y-yes. Great!” Spike raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Great, huh?” Twilight winced, and swallowed. “Alright, not really great. Shadowlock’s gone off on a quest without me!” “Seriously?” Spike asked. “Didn’t the two of you just go on an adventure for the past few days?” “Research mission,” she corrected him automatically. “And yes, but this is a much more dangerous one. He could...” She shook her head, like she wanted to shake the thought out. “So are you going after him?” Spike tried to rile up Twilight’s fire. “If you really love him that much, isn’t he worth the danger?” “He is, but...” Twilight wavered. “No matter what I might want to do, I’m a Princess now, and that means dealing with responsibilities. Equestria needs me, and spending that much time away - even to protect the stallion I love - would be a breach of trust.” She sighed. “He did the right thing, even if it hurt.” Spike tapped his chin in thought. “Well, he managed to elude or outfight the seven of us the first time around. I think he’ll be able to handle whatever he’s up against.” Twilight sat down, and took a bite out of the pancakes he’d already baked. “You’re probably right, Spike. Thanks.” “No problem,” he reassured her. “That’s what I’m here for.” Rainbow Dash knocked on Twilight’s castle door. She had to see Twilight, see if she was okay. Who knew what evil things Shadowlock could have already done to her? Maybe he’d crept up on her while she was sleeping and cast some mind control spell! She shook her head. As much as it felt good to believe that he was pure evil, she had to remember that he probably wasn’t. And Twilight would be mad if she acted like he was. So she’d just keep a very suspicious eye on him... Spike opened the door. “Hi Rainbow! What’s up?” “Oh, you know. Just wanted to see how Twilight was doing. Making sure my friends are okay, that kind of thing.” Spike tapped his chin in thought. “She’s alright, but I’m not sure if she’s good. I think she could use a friend.” Alarm bells went off in her brain. “Where is she?” she demanded, already dashing inside. “She’s in the dining room!” he yelled after her. She angled her body, wings beating furiously. If Shadowlock had touched a single hair in her mane, so help him! Dash screeched to a halt. Twilight was having breakfast, but Shadowlock was nowhere to be seen. “What happened here?” she asked. No point in beating around the bush. Twilight looked up from the food she’d been moving around but not eating. “He’s gone,” she said simply. A few years ago, Rainbow would have cheered and done a loop at him being gone. But though she’d never ever admit it, she’d grown a bit more restrained over the years. “I’m... sorry.” The word tasted like old radishes, but she managed to force it out. When she saw Twilight’s surprised expression, she quickly added, “I’m sorry to hear that, I mean. I didn’t like him, but I know he meant a lot to you. And it was a jerkish thing to do to leave you.” “He had a good reason to,” Twilight said, looking out the window. The morning sun’s rays clawed across Sweet Apple Acres. “He needs to go find something important, and he knew if he told me about it I’d have to go too.” Twilight sighed. “I just hope he’s alright. I can stand to be away for him for a couple weeks if I have to. It hurts, but I’ll get better. But if something happens to him...” She waved a hoof indicatively. “I don’t know what I’d do.” Rainbow Dash forced all her angry and bitterness down, and just gave Twilight a comforting hug with a wing. “Hey, he’s pretty hard to catch, and a decent fighter too with his army of annoying book monsters. He’ll be okay.” She switched to her blunt and practical tone. “Besides, worse comes to worst, he’ll just be held for ransom. A princess’s coltfriend is worth way more alive.” Twilight nodded slowly. “I think you’re right.” “Of course I am,” Rainbow said with a cheeky grin. “I’m Rainbow Dash!” Shadowlock looked back over his shoulder at the little town of Ponyville, and the great castle sticking out of it like a spear. Twilight was probably up by now, and probably had already read his letter. What would she think? Would she understand? Would she be furious at him? Would she never want to see him again? Only the singing birds in the trees answered him. It was a warm day, and the bright sun glinted beautifully off of the mountains. It was, by all metrics, a wonderful day. He wished he could have spent it with Twilight. But he had a duty to fix what he had broken, and she had a duty to Equestria. If he went back now, he would have hurt her for nothing. So he would just have to cherish the memory of last night, and keep it close to his heart. And he would cherish all the other memories he and Twilight had created in these few days together. With a newfound strength blazing inside, he turned back to the path ahead. It was time to set things right.