The rest of the day was a bit…ok, VERY stressful for Twilight, though that was more Sparrow’s fault than anypony else's.
Scratch that. This was DEFINITELY all his fault.
After getting some food, Twilight spent some time with Celestia and Luna in one of the castle’s many sitting rooms. Mostly, they just had tea and trying to recover from that morning’s ordeals. Other than Luna making a small comment about not wanting Twilight to take the deal, both of the other princesses had respected her wishes to avoid talking about Sparrow.
Afterward, Twilight took time to walk in the garden, hoping that it would clear her head. She would have asked Celestia or Luna to come with her, but not only were they busy trying to deal with the fallout of Sparrow’s actions that morning – more specifically, trying to calm the now very restless public. It didn’t matter much. Twilight hadn’t been alone since waking up and decided having some personal time might be best. Though she loved Celestia and Luna, seeing them just reminded her of the fact that she might soon be forced to leave them.
Unfortunately, her plan did NOT work as every time she tried to think about something else, ANYTHING else, her mind just focused on the fact that this might be the last time she was able to walk through this garden, cataloging all the trees and seeing what new creation Luna had planted, for a very long time.
Maybe even forever.
The fact that the ring continued to follow her even if she tried to get away from it made things even worse. She couldn’t even ignore it because the box had a habit of opening all on its own, allowing the ring to gleam beautifully in the sunlight. Eventually, she gave up and went back to her room to try and read, but even that proved to be too difficult for her distracted mind. Even just standing in one spot and trying to take a step back from this whole situation using Cadence’s breathing technique proved to be useless. She just couldn’t focus.
It wasn’t until dinnertime when she finally was forced once again to confront the issue of Sparrow’s proposal. And the reason for that came in the form of two ponies she knew very well.
“MY BABY!” Twilight Velvet yelled, throwing open Twilight’s door with such force that it may have dented the wall. Twilight, who had been pacing (again), jumped into the air in shock. Of course, she was only able to hover for about two seconds before being pulled back down to earth and into the death grip of her mother.
“We heard you shout this morning and by Celestia did it make us jump! I was so worried about what would make you do that and then Celestia wouldn't let us see you because you had passed out and she didn't want to overwhelm you and I was so afraid something horrible had happened and—”
“Velvet, honey,” Night Light said, walking into the room behind his frantic wife. “Please remember to let Twilight breathe. I think she’s becoming a little too blue.”
“Oops, sorry, sweetie,” Velvet said, lightening her grip to allow her daughter to start breathing normally. “But seriously, Twilight, what happened? Is it serious? The only time I ever even came close to yelling that loudly was when I was in labor, so this must have been even more serious than that.”
“Honey, you weren’t even CLOSE to being that loud,” Night Light said, but his wife and daughter ignored him.
“Ugh, too much information, Mom,” Twilight groaned, and then she sighed. “And, yes, this is…serious. I just…ugh, how do I even begin to try and tell you what’s happening?”
“Just start at the beginning, dear,” Night Light said. “Take your time and tell us what’s wrong. Surely it can’t be that bad right?” Twilight facefloored. “Ok, maybe it is that bad, but you’ll still feel better if you get it out in the open.”
Twilight knew he was right. While she had been dwelling on the deal for hours, she hadn’t actually told anypony about it in detail and how it was affecting her. Sure, she had spoken to her friends and the princess a little bit on the subject and gotten their opinions, but she hadn’t actually explained the events of the day to them because they had all been there. Venting to her parents, all thoughts of duty off the table, probably would help her clear her thoughts, at least a little bit.
So she told them. She began with what had happened at the gate with Celestia’s and Luna’s defeat. She told them about Sparrow’s offer, and her obvious reaction. Her parents’ jaws drop squarely open in shock, but they didn’t interrupt her, which was good because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop now that she’d started. Soon, she was ranting.
“How is this even a deal at all?!” she cried as she paced in front of her flabbergasted parents. “I mean, do I even have a real choice in the matter? Either I say yes and free Equestria, or he keeps his hold on my friends, my home for the last five years, my country…heck, I probably wouldn’t even be able to VISIT anypony outside of Canterlot, and everypony else will just be stuck wherever they are because of me!
“And this whole thing just seems so off to begin with! Why conquer Equestria? Why not just approach me and ask me out? Yes, I might be so surprised and stressed that I might faint, but IT STILL MAKES MORE SENSE THAN THIS!!! And WHY ME!? Celestia, Luna, Cadence…All of them are more beautiful and talented and envied and sought after, so why go for the nerdy pony who spent YEARS living in a LIBRARY and who just learned about friendship FIVE YEARS AGO!?
“At first I thought this might be a political thing, but we didn’t even know he EXISTED until he invaded! What POSSIBLE political motive would he have? A foreign hostile country we have a bad history with I could understand, if there were any, but some random pony from a far off kingdom we’ve never even heard of? It just doesn’t MAKE ANY SENSE! And even if I do say yes, what then? Do I spend the rest of my life in a tower or some castle locked away unless he says otherwise?
“And why did he go for my friends? I would probably still be forced to say yes even if a SINGLE TOWN was captured, even if my friend were completely unaffected, so why did he capture EVERY SINGLE TOWN AND CITY AND DRAG MY FRIENDS ALL THE WAY TO CANTERLOT!? AND — mumph!”
A grey hoof covered Twilight’s mouth, bringing an abrupt end to her rant.
“You are an amazing pony, Twilight,” Velvet said, her tone brokering no argument, “And any stallion would give their left hoof for you. Even if there are ponies that are more worthy than you, that does NOT mean you are not still a fantastic, beautiful mare that has accomplished incredible feats these last few years. Don’t you EVER think otherwise.” Twilight fidgeted, but nodded, looking down. “Now, do you want to know what I think?” Her daughter nodded again. “I thought so.
“Well first, I think this stallion needs a good kick to the face. Alicorn or not, this is putting far too much stress on you, and it isn't fair for him to force this kind of decision onto a pony he’s never even met, regardless of reason.”
“I agree,” Night Light said, smiling. “And I am sure Shining would agree to if he were here in Canterlot.”
“Second, don’t ever give up hope. Given how your little rant didn't include any solutions, am I correct in assuming that you are stumped?” Twilight nodded once again. “I thought so. But even though I myself am at a loss of what to do right now, that doesn't mean we should give up entirely. We have some time, and I promise that both of us won't stop thinking and thinking of any possible solution that might help you. Even if…there is no other choice but to go with him, it doesn't mean we can't still try and find a way out.”
“I-I know,” Twilight whispered as Velvet removed her hoof, her head hanging. “B-But that just makes it even worse. A choice is supposed to have two options, but the second option is so selfish and horrible that I can’t even consider making it. H-How can I say no if that means the rest of Equestria pays the price? I’m a princess, but even if I wasn’t, what kind of pony would trade the happiness of so many ponies for their own?” She sniffed. Her eyes beginning to water.
“Not a pony like you,” Night Light said, pulling Twilight and Velvet into a hug. “You’re a kind, loving pony, and even if it took you some time to learn about friendship, no pony has done a better job at it than you. I mean, that IS what turned you into an alicorn after all,” Twilight smiled as she remembered how proud they had been of her that day. How proud she had felt of herself. “I know this is hard for you, but I also know that you will make the right decision, even if it isn’t the one you prefer. And we will understand and support your decision, because we will trust you to do what’s best for everypony.”
“But what about you?” Twilight whispered, tears starting to fall from her eyes. “What about my friends? The princesses? Shining and Cadence? Starlight and S-Spike? I’ll be l-leaving all of you, a-abandoning you. E-Even if he told Pinkie the truth that I-I would get to see everypony again, h-how long will it be, a-and how long could I even stay?” She choked back a sob, and the tears started coming faster. “I-I don’t want to g-go…”
“I know, sweetie, I know,” Velvet whispered, hugging her daughter even tighter. “But sometimes, you just need to have hope. Hope that, no matter how bad things seem, that everything will be ok in the end. It’s not an excuse to be idle and just let things happen, but hope can give you the willpower you need to push on. No matter what happens, or what he does to you, never, EVER, give up hope. I feel hope every time I look at you, and I know so many others do too.”
“We will see you again, no matter what choice you make. I promise you that.” Night Light said, giving both of them a loving squeeze. Twilight didn’t let go. She needed them now more than ever.
And her parents were right. Even if the worst came true and she had to leave, she would see them again. She just had to hold on to that hope.
Later that night, 54 hours remain…
There was an uneasy calm hanging over the city of Canterlot. By now, many ponies had heard, through one means or another, what had occurred that day. There was talk of the mysterious stallion, talk of his outlandish offer to Princess Twilight, talk if she would agree or not, and talk if the stallion would even uphold his deal at all if she complied.
It was this night that two things occurred. The first was a light blue flash just outside the city of Canterlot, over its famous waterfall. There was a panicked scream that was lost to the noise of the falling water.
The second, was the faint outline of a thin, black creature, weaving its way through the water of the Canterlot lake, looking for something.
Or rather, someone…
The next day, 48 hours remaining…
The night before hadn’t granted Twilight the sleep she had wanted. She had spent the rest of yesterday with her parents before turning in early (by her standards, at least). Given the mental exhaustion of the day, it had been a wise move, and she was out the moment her head hit the pillow.
Unfortunately, her dreams, while not nightmares, had caused her to wake up so many times that she eventually just gave up on sleep all together. She saw herself reliving the events of the day, or standing before the majestic gates of Canterlot at the end of her allotment, her brain whirling with ideas on what to do as Sparrow watched her, patiently.
In her last dream, she had accepted his proposal, and had been swept into an elaborate, stunning wedding gown to be married right on the spot. THAT had shocked her so bad she had literally jumped out of bed and clung to the wooden frame above her head, her wings absolutely refusing to cooperate for a full five minutes.
Suffice to say, her mind was spinning way too fast after that, and nothing seemed to be able to slow it down.
Her day really didn’t improve after that. After lying in bed for at least an hour, she got out of bed just in time to watch Celestia raise the sun. It felt wonderful for about twenty seconds, but then became bittersweet as she realized that it might be one of the last times she watched a Canterlot sunrise. Sure, she could watch the sun rise from anywhere on Equis, but there was always something special about the ones in Canterlot.
And the ones in Ponyville.
Maybe if that stupid ring hadn't come floating after her onto the balcony and reflected the morning sunlight, she could have actually enjoyed the view.
After that sad little reminder of her predicament, Twilight made her way to the dining room and somehow managed to have a good breakfast, one made a fair amount better by her parents joining them at Celestia’s invitation. Despite being bittersweet as well, it was still rather nice, and managed to make her smile for real. She was even able to ignore the ring for the most part.
After breakfast, her parents departed to the royal library, saying they were going to try and see if they could come up with some sort of solution to Twilight's problem. Twilight would have loved to help them, but her mother had insisted she let them handle the books, knowing Twilight had already read them all anyway.
Celestia agreed, and made sure to keep Twilight company for the rest of the morning. Luna would have joined them, but she had overworked herself the previous night trying to contain all the nightmares and was going to try and sleep. It almost made Twilight feel like she was Celestia’s student again, something that made her smile far more than she had the previous day.
Even Celestia teasing her playfully about giving her a pop-quiz made her smile happily.
But despite Celestia’s assurances that things would work out, Twilight just couldn’t stop thinking about the ring and Sparrow. The former because it kept catching her attention almost every time she managed to forget about it, and the latter for making such a stupid ring box in the first place!!!!
And she really, REALLY wanted to forget about both of them. Especially if these were going to be her last days in the castle. She wanted them to be memorable, and not because she spent all her time thinking about a stupid stallion and a stupid ring box.
After lunch, Twilight left for the gardens to talk with her friends. Sparrow had also enchanted the glass orb to be tethered to her, but instead of following her around like his annoying engagement ring, it would just…appear when she thought she needed it. Very convenient, if still confusing.
Their conversation started off almost…normal, or normal enough, until Rarity and Rainbow swerved off topic within the first two minutes and made it clear that they still opposed her accepting Sparrow’s proposal, even for their freedom. This of course led Fluttershy and Pinkie to once again voice their support for her accepting the deal, and Applejack announcing that she was still unsure. The only slight difference was that Pinkie promised Twilight that she would make the right choice when the time came, something that Twilight found to be strangely reassuring.
Thankfully, she was able to change the subject and ask them how they were doing, and to her surprise, they were actually getting along with Sparrow’s soldiers, for the most part. Rainbow had been restrained in the mess tent after she nearly drained an entire cider barrel, although Sparrow had apparently brought a few extra kegs just in case.
Applejack had spent some time talking to the soldiers, and from what she could gather, most of these ponies actually seemed pretty decent. A few had even apologized for what was happening. They did make it clear, however, that they trusted Sparrow enough to follow his orders even though they didn’t know what his full plan was, something that Twilight found to be very similar to the Canterlot royal guards. Also, Applejack had apparently managed to best quite a few of the guards at both hoof-wrestling and a cider-drinking contest, both of which she was quite proud of.
Rarity had managed to get her hooves on some spare cloth and needles from the soldiers’ supplies and had been ‘stress-sewing,’ as she put it. Her first creation had been a orange and gold vest that had impressed some of the soldiers so much that Rarity had actually gotten a few requests for more items. Something that did not surprise Twilight in the slighest given how good Rarity was at sewing.
Fluttershy had probably the most interesting news of all. According to a smug Rainbow and Rarity, she had a CRUSH on one of the guards. Specifically, a unicorn stallion named Right Word. As the story went, Right Word had found an injured young fox that had gotten tangled up in some of their camping supplies. Knowing Fluttershy's expertise in animal care, he had requested her help. Once the kit had been taken care of, he had then given her a tour around their campsite’s perimeter, showing her the locations of the animals that had made their home nearby.
Fluttershy did speak rather fondly of him, but said that it was only because him showing her the animals’ homes had greatly reduced her anxiety, which had been horribly high ever since they had been forced to leave Ponyville. Right Word had given her a few new friends to talk with, including some birds, three mice, a couple of bunnies, and even a few frogs.
She also INSISTED that it was NOT a crush, but the way she was blushing and trying to hide behind her mane and wings didn’t do much to convince Twilight. She was happy to see Fluttershy so excited and animated when she talked about him. Plus, Applejack said she had met him when Fluttershy came back and had talked with him just enough to know that he was a decent stallion.
Twilight hadn’t expected to hear much from Pinkie, given her saddened state, but to her surprise, the party pony had actually spent the last day baking enough pies for everypony in the camp.
Actually, that wasn't completely true. She had made one for everypony in the camp, but she had made two for Sparrow: one to eat, and one to throw at him once she was done handing out the rest of the pastries. Surprisingly, her bracelet let her get away with throwing a pie right in his face. As hilarious as it was, Twilight found this to be a bit odd, even for Pinkie. She had been so sad and lackluster lately that Twilight just had to ask why she did that.
Pinkie responded by telling her that most of Sparrow’s soldiers had hid smiles, while a few of them had outright roared with laughter, and Sparrow even chuckled and made a show of licking as much of his face clean as he could. To Pinkie, it wasn’t about hitting him, or even just trying to go back to being her old self. It was her job to make ponies smile, even if she was having a hard time doing that herself.
It was such a Pinkie answer, and Twilight had to admit that she giggled at the thought of the huge, imposing alicorn covered in banana cream filling.
The girls ended the conversation shortly before dinner, allowing Twilight to spend the night with her parents. Unfortunately, their search for a way to help Twilight had been fruitless, but Twilight still appreciated the effort more than she could accurately articulate. After laying out on her balcony with them and watching the moon rise, she bid her parents goodnight and tried to get to sleep that wasn’t full of odd dreams.
She wasn’t entirely successful, but this time, she had a visitor.
That night: 32 hours remaining…
“Princess Luna,” Twilight sighed happily as the Princess of the Night came into view. She had just been watching Sparrow juggle her friends before they turned into pies and proceeded to chase him around the room, which was a fairly obvious sign that not only was she still stuck on thinking about that stupid stallion, but now Pinkie’s pie story was also firmly implanted in her brain.
At least it made it pretty easy to identify that she was dreaming.
“Hello, Twilight,” Luna said, greeting her with a short hug. “I came to check up on you. I did my best to do so last night, but due to the short length of your dreams and the amount of nightmares Sparrow’s invasion has caused, I was unable to contact you directly, or even establish a link to see what your dreams were about. I apologize. If only that stallion realized just how much of a mess he was making,” She growled.
“Does the mess involve pie?” the dream Sparrow asked as he was hit by another pastry over Luna’s shoulder. He flashed them a playful grin through the blueberry filling, to which Luna responded with a deadpan glare and a flash of her horn, which turned the crazy dream into a tranquil, grass-covered field with a small hill, a few puffy clouds, and a single oak tree. However, the dream Sparrow didn’t go away. Instead, he flopped onto his back to watch the clouds pass overhead. “I will say this is MUCH more relaxing,” he said as he licked a spot of fruit off his nose.
“It seems your mind is still quite stubbornly thinking about him,” Luna noted, her expression conveying the fact that she wasn’t shocked to see the dream Sparrow still present, but was no less annoyed that he was.
“Is that really a surprise?” Twilight asked, looking at dream Sparrow, who smiled and waved at her before returning to watch the clouds. “He’s been stuck in my mind so much that I could barely sleep last night, just like you said.”
“I noticed,” Luna said. “That is what I have come to talk to you about. Due to my sleep schedule and my increased workload since this whole mess began, we have yet to have a one-on-one conversation. Not that I blame you,” she added as Twilight opened her mouth to apologize. “Things are still hectic right now, and our lack of communication is no fault of your own.”
“Still, I’m sorry I didn’t come to you earlier,” Twilight said, bowing slightly. “Your opinion is just as important as anypony else’s.”
“Thank you,” Luna said, smiling reassuringly. “In truth, I was going to speak to you yesterday, but your parents beat me to it. I figured that they should be able to spend time with their daughter in regards to such an important issue. Besides, we have the time now, and I would very much like to say my piece.”
“That sounds fine,” Twilight said, sitting down on the grassy field and motioning for Luna to join her. “Since I’ve asked everypony else, what do you think I should do?”
“Turn him down,” Luna said flatly as she sat. “Alicorn or not, this is a blatant misuse of his power, and you should not be forced to marry him just because his ego demands he show off. If he were a real stallion, he would court you in an honorable way, not like some deranged barbarian flaunting his conquest.”
“Owwwwww, my pride,” the dream Sparrow moaned, earning a glare from Luna.
“I don’t think he’s doing this to brag,” Twilight said, looking off into the distance and trying to ignore the flailing figment of her imagination behind her and Luna. “From everything I’ve heard and seen, I don’t know what to think. But bragging just seems…off. If he was going to brag, why stop at just Equestria, and why not just come in and take me? I feel like ‘claiming’ me after a battle would give him more bragging rights than forcing me to make a deal.”
“Even if it forces you to be humble and surrender yourself to him?”
“I’ve never even cared about reputation. If something is the right thing to do, you do it, whether it gives you ‘bragging rights’ or not. And if he knew anything about me, he would know I think that way. And I KNOW he knows more about me than just my title. He knew my friends, where I would be this week, my connection to you and Celestia…”
“It is quite the question. As much as I think he is still misusing his powers and influence, there is still something else going on. Some alternate motive. But that just makes me think you should say no even more. We don’t know what this stallion is capable of, and in truth, I fear what he might do to you if he were to get a hold of you.” Luna shook her head. “He says he will allow us to keep contact with you, and your friend Pinkie claims that he said that we will all be able to see you again at some point in the future, but would he try to change you in the time you are gone? Make you love your new life and keep you from ever returning on your own…?”
“You worry too much,” dream Sparrow said. “I wouldn’t harm a hair on her head.” He smirked, only to be punted across the dreamscape by Luna’s magic.
“You’re perception of him is not quite what I expected,” Luna said, looking off as Sparrow bounced off a cloud and then proceeded to bounce around the sky in an impossible manner. It almost reminded Twilight of Discord, in a way.
“Maybe I’m just hoping for the best,” Twilight sighed. “Maybe I’m just hoping that there’s some other side to him, some side I can actually like if, or when, I take his deal.”
“Even trapped in the Nightmare, aware of my surroundings but powerless to do anything to stop myself, I had always hoped something would be able to stop me, or perhaps even free me one day. I had nearly given up hope, until I saw you awaken the Element of Magic. No matter the situation, hope is important,” Luna agreed.
“Everypony keeps saying that. Saying that I bring them hope. But I’m not even that special.” Twilight said, looking down towards the ground. “But hearing all these ponies talk about me like that, how I’m some sort of beacon of hope is just...I don't know. It’s so hard to comprehend.”
“I think you are humble to a fault, though that is not necessarily a bad thing,” Luna said, wrapping a wing around Twilight as Sparrow went flying overhead, singing some random song about coconuts. “Never underestimate yourself, Twilight. You have accomplished so much already, and even if Sparrow does take you away, he can’t stop you from doing amazing things.”
Twilight chuckled. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll find a way to escape, or convince him to let me go…”
“He shouldn’t be trying to imprison you in the first place. But if anypony can find a solution, it is you, Twilight.”
“But what if he doesn’t imprison me?”
“A cage can be very large, Twilight Sparkle. Even if he gives you access to his whole island, so long as he stops you from leaving, it is still a prison.”
“If you love something, set it freeeeeeeeeeee,” Sparrow cheered as he tumbled overhead, spinning in circles as he fell and bouncing off a cloud with a ‘honk’.
“I don’t remember your head being this…confusing,” Luna said as she watched dream Sparrow with a raised eyebrow.
“Might be sleep deprivation,” Twilight said. “Or all this thinking is making me go crazy. It wouldn’t be the first time…”
“Then I will leave you for tonight, Twilight.” Luna giving Twilight one final hug. “It was a pleasure to speak with you as always.”
“Thanks for talking with me, Luna,” Twilight said, returning the hug.
Luna smiled as she stood up. “I will leave you to your rest. Come speak to me if you need anything, and I do mean anything. You are our top priority right now, I assure you.”
“I know. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Sleep well, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna said as she lit her horn, created a doorway in the dreamscape, and exited.
“I’M FREEEEEEEE! FREEEEEE FALLLLLLIN!” dream Sparrow said as he dropped from the sky again. This time, he hit the ground before bouncing back into the sky and singing in reverse.
“Luna’s right. My mind is confusing,” Twilight said as she lay down and tried to ignore the stallion bouncing around in her head in more ways than one.
The next day: 24 hours remain…
Twilight awoke just as the sun began to work its way over the horizon, the first bits of light reflecting off Sparrow’s ring as the sun began to peak in through the window.
This might be her last day in Canterlot, and yet, to her surprise, she felt strangely calm despite the bittersweet sentiment of this sunrise. Tomorrow, she would need to make her choice, a choice that might result in her leaving her friends for years to come.
But whatever happens, happens. She might not like it, she might not think it was much of a choice at all, but no matter what, she could not lose hope. Even if she said yes, even if she had to become Sparrow’s wife, she just had to accept the outcome, and hope that things worked out for the best.
That evening, 12 hours remain…
Twilight squeezed her parents as hard as she dared, holding them in her wings and hooves as they both squeezed her with all their might. “I'll see you both tomorrow right?”
“Of course, sweetie,” Night Light said. “We’ll be waiting for you at the gate, no matter what.”
“Not even that crazy stallion could keep us away,” Velvet agreed, squeezing Twilight tighter. “I’m just sorry we couldn’t help you find a solution.”
“You did your best,” Twilight said, finally starting to release her hug. “And that's all that matters to me. I love you both, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
"We'll see you tomorrow, little star,” Night Light said, giving his daughter one final kiss below the horn. Her mother gave her one final quick hug before Twilight walked them to the door. With one final wave goodbye, Twilight closed the door and let out a sigh. It had once again been a very, very long day of thinking, but it had been far less stressful than the last two.
Turning away from the door, Twilight went out to her room’s balcony to look at the stars and the city of Canterlot. The sky was beautiful, the stars twinkling and the moon casting the land in its calming light. At the late hour, the brightness of the city was reduced to a gentle glow. The sight made her sigh in relaxation. Despite what tomorrow might bring, for the moment, she felt…at ease.
She knew she would have to make a choice, and soon, but for the moment, the stress of that choice was out to dinner, leaving her a few minutes of peace.
She wasn’t sure how long the peace lasted, or how long she sat there staring out at the stars, but eventually, she heard hoofsteps outside her bedroom door.
Twilight’s ear twitched as she heard her bedroom door open and close. The slight clinking of armor told her that it was just one of the guards. It was a little unusual for him to enter her room without prompting, but it wasn’t anything too out of the ordinary. “Princess?” the guard called out. Turning from the moonlit view, Twilight walked back inside.
“Yes? Is ther—”
Twilight froze over the threshold, her eyes locked on the guard standing there.
To her naked eye, he just looked like a guard. A normal unicorn guard. But there was something off about him. She didn’t know what it was, but she could FEEL his magic, and what she felt made her fur stand on end.
Normally she couldn’t feel magic unless she focused directly on the pony in question, but with this guard, she could feel it without even trying. It lacked any kind of warmth or life, instead feeling cold and downright SLIMY. Even Changeling magic didn’t feel this disturbing, and she had plenty of experience with that after her kidnapping…
“Princess? Is there something wrong?” the guard asked, tilting his head to the side. His voice sounded genuinely concerned.
But his eyes and smile told a very different story. They had an unfriendly gleam to them, as though he was a predator, and she was his prey.
It…wasn’t natural. Not in the slightest.
“What are you?” Twilight asked, lowering herself into a defensive position.
“I…don’t follow,” the guard said, taking a step forward. “I’m sure whatever the problem is—”
“Stay back,” Twilight commanded, lighting her horn as she took a step back towards the balcony. For that split second he had gotten closer, his magic had felt SO much worse, and her horn just amplified the sickening feeling of…of pure WRONG.
Her mind was racing, wondering what could have happened to this unicorn, looking for escape routes…teleporting away or flying out the window were her primary options, but she probably could overpower him if necessary. Maybe she could find out what was wro—
Twilight gasped as the breath was stolen from her lungs. Her body trembled and shook as she tried to remain standing as a paralyzing wave of FEAR washed over her. Her magic died out and her legs refused to move. She tried to breathe, even just a single inhale, but the feeling of FEAR was just too overwhelming.
All because of the soldiers eyes.
For a second, he looked at her out of normal blue orbs…and then they flickered until they turned pure black and green.
Dark magic began to leak from the sides of his face. The solder chuckled an unworldly chuckle as the evil energy began to manifest around his body. Twilight felt the surge of power like a stab in her horn and a wave of nausea rolled through her stomach...
The lights in the room dimmed as black tar emerged, winding around the guard like snakes until his fur became pitch black.
She screamed at her body to move. To close her eyes. To cast a spell. To DO ANYTHING!
But she couldn’t move.
Couldn’t think.
Couldn’t act.
Those eyes…that magic…it held her, imprisoned her, silenced her desperate commands to her limbs…She was drowning in an ocean of fear, her body had broken down, leaving her mind trapped in a hollow shell that refused to obey her commands, merely shaking and gasping as that horrifying gaze held her captive…
“It’s ok,” the guards whispered softly, with all the venom of a hissing serpent. “It will all be over soon…”
A portion of the solidified magic began moving once again, snaking around his body until it solidified into a sharp foot-long blade and lashed out.
Aimed directly for Twilight’s heart.
Time seemed to slow as it approached. She couldn’t dodge, couldn’t scream. She couldn't even fall to the ground.
She was paralyzed.
I…I’m going to die…
In a blast of blue light, the ring Sparrow had given her teleported in front of the attack and lit up like a sun, obliterating the tar blade and making the guard stagger back, covering his blinded eyes with a howl. With his gaze broken, the spell of fear was lifted just enough that control returned to her limbs, and Twilight finally had the capacity to do one thing.
RUN!
She spun around and dashed for the balcony, not daring to see if the unicorn was following her. But before she could reach the railing and jump for freedom, another guard, a bat pony, swooped up from below the ledge and blocked her path.
“Leaving so soon?” she hissed in the same awful tone as the unicorn. Twilight caught a quick flash of green in the Night Guard’s eyes and diverted her gaze, jumping to the side to avoid the paralyzing stare. But she knew this left her trapped with the bat pony on the balcony and the guard at the door. And if she was caught in their gaze again…
There was another bright flash, and Twilight looked up to see Sparrow’s ring in front of her again, placing itself between her and the attackers. The bat pony was slowly stalking in from the balcony, and the unicorn guard had recovered and was now approaching with his body between her and the door. The inky magic was now pouring out of their eyes in greater waves, allowing them to see even with the bright light the ring provided.
And yet, despite the continued presence of fear running through every cell in Twilight’s body, the bright blow of the ring seemed to hold it off. She still felt as if she was being pulled down into an ocean of fear, but now she had a life preserver fighting to keep her afloat. She could move again. She could react.
And she could think.
I need to get out of here! Twilight desperately thought as she backed away from the two guards, trying to reach out for her magic again. But teleportation spell fizzled out as another wave of fear washed over her, nearly dragging her back into the paralyzing abyss. She was backing up into a corner, running out of time! But again and again the teleportation failed, the ocean of fear trying to swallow her every time she reached for her magic, destroying her concentration and causing her body to tremble even worse than it already was! She had to do something, anything!
Maybe another spell might work! She reached out for one of her nightstands with a levitation spell hoping she might be able to throw them at her attackers, only for the spell falling to pieces not even halfway through completion. She tried a simple shield spell, only for the barrier to never form. She tried a prank spell that would summon a wooden doorway and slam the door in the guards’ faces, yet it never appeared. Every spell, even the ones she could perform instinctively after hours upon hours of practice, failed her.
Why isn’t my magic working!
All the while, she continued to back into the furthest corner of her room, trying to buy herself as much time as she could. The ring followed her, continuing to impose itself between her and the guards. Yet her attackers didn’t rush, and both still looked rather confident as their magic expanded. Almost half the room was consumed with writhing black energy, the darkness consuming all light in the room save for that coming from Sparrow’s ring.
Even with the ring protecting her, the fear was still too much for Twilight to do anything! She couldn’t even work up the voice to scream for help!
Someone, ANYONE! Please! I need help! she cried in her head, trying to make the words come out. Only strangled sobs escaped her mouth as she tripped over her own legs, falling on her flank as she continued to back up. She was trapped, she was crying, and she couldn't fight back.
Nothing could have prepared her for this.
“You will not survive, not this time,” the guards hissed as one. They were now standing side by side, and the dark magic of their bodies seemed to join together, forming a single mass of black energy that attempted to smother the ring’s light. The new mass of shadow almost seemed to taunt her, forming multiple snake-like blades that whipped around the two grinning guards.
I-I never even got the chance to say goodbye, Twilight sobbed, retreating until her back hit the wall behind her, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. Any hope the ring had given her had vanished, even as said ring continued to defiantly stand between her and the new mass of horrible magic. Three days of anxiety and fear, and I don't even get one final goodbye.
She tried to push magic into her horn, ALL OF IT, hoping that something, ANYTHING would happen. And yet all she got was a few small sparks of energy.
Mom, Dad, Celestia, Luna, Shining, Cadance, girls, everyone…I’m sorry…
The mass of nearly twenty shadow blades lashed out, aiming to impale the young alicorn.
The ring refused to back down. The magic around it surged, and suddenly a bright blue shield appeared in front of it, just big enough to cover Twilight. When the first knife hit, Twilight screamed and cowered, but the knife seemed to disintegrate upon contact. The two guards growled in anger.
For a moment, Twilight felt hope return, hope that maybe, just maybe, she would make it out of this alive.
But then the shield began to crack.
It’s going to fail!
“DIE!” the guards roared, their combined magic lashing out one final time, ready to smash the shield and kill the ring’s charge.
“NO!” a deep voice growled, directly in front of the ring’s shield.
Sparrow, the stallion that had caused Twilight a world of grief, who had conquered her home, who had confused her to no end and was currently her only suitor, appeared out of thin air, his entire body covered in orange and blue armor. No flash of teleportation, no indication of how he knew she was in trouble, how he had managed to find her, or even why he looked ready to take on an army—
He was just THERE!
And right in the path of the attack!
The blades of shadow struck him dead in the chest, but instead of hurting him, both guards hissed as a massive blast of orange magic erupted from the armor, obliterating the attack and slicing the mass of shadow back into two individual entities, light returning to the room as the mass of shadow was blasted.
What!? How!? Twilight gasped, though in shock or relief she couldn’t tell. Then, before she could even begin to comprehend what had just happened, two of Sparrow’s soldiers, a pegasus and an earth pony, appeared out of thin air, both dressed for battle as well. The pegasus darted forward with glowing orange blades attached to her wings, and the earth pony leapt with a strange set of shoes that sparked with orange lightning.
T-They know how to fight this thing!?
How was this even possible?
The shadow guards were not prepared for the assault and cried out in pain as the weapons struck home, cutting through the shadows the way a knife cuts through butter.
But that wasn’t all. Twilight watched in shock and horror as the two guards began pulling on the shadows with their glowing orange hooves. As they pulled, Twilight could SEE the guards’ normal appearances underneath the blackness.
WhatthebuckwhatthebuckWHATTHEBUCK! WHAT THE ABSOLUTE BUCK IS THIS THING!?”
They were REAL guards, but they were POSSESSED! By some sort of BLACK MAGIC TAR THING! A BLACK MAGIC TAR THING THAT SPARROW KNOWS HOW TO FIGHT! Oh Celestia, WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING!?!?
Sparrow lit his horn and quickly ended the struggle between the ponies and the shadows, ripping the latter from their host. The two freed guards collapsed, unconscious, while Sparrow teleported a long orange sword into his magic and sliced the two writhing bundles of shadows. The darkness let out a wailing scream that made Twilight cover her ears and cower again as the shadows were burned into nothingness.
And then, it was over. The room was silent save for the shaky and tear-filled gasp that still escaped Twilight as she tried to gain control of her still pounding heart. It was…jarring.
“Nothus,” Sparrow growled, making his sword vanish with a flash of orange magic and extinguishing the glow on the ring. It and its box fell softly into Twilight’s hooves as though nothing had happened, and Twilight couldn’t help but clutch it tightly to her chest. Annoying or not, it had saved her life. She had no idea how to feel about that. “Check her guards outside. Make sure they are all right, and use the sana if necessary.”
The two guards saluted and moved towards the door as Sparrow teleported in two sets of bandages. He deftly wrapped them around the guards’ heads, and they began to glow light blue with magic.
Twilight didn’t know how she knew, but she could sense that those were more than just bandages. They were removing any of that dark magic that remained in the guards, clearing away the cold and slimy magic that still permeated their beings and replacing it with the normal warm glow of a pony’s natural magic…somehow.
It made her breathe a little easier, yet still her heart continued to hammer away inside her chest.
But…how could she know something like that without knowing HOW she knew it?
Was it an alicorn instinct? Like her being able to sense that something was wrong with the guards? Or was it something else? She had never read anything about this, nor had she heard Celestia and Luna mention it to her as part of being an alicorn, so how did she know?
“Twilight,” Sparrow said, and when she blinked, he was right in front of her, kneeling so he could look into her eyes. She flinched, but Sparrow did not seem to notice or care. “Are you all right? Are you hurt in any way?” His face was calm, yet showed genuine concern for her as his eyes and his magic gently scanned her for any injuries, flowing over her body warmly and soothingly.
And yet, his eyes told her a different story. She couldn’t make out all of the emotions that they conveyed to her, but one thing was certainly obvious.
He was afraid.
Twilight tried to speak, but between the near-death experience, the confusion at his appearance and actions, and just…EVERYTHING, her mouth didn’t seem to want to move correctly. Was it just shock, or was it because he was here, with her, looking at her as though both of them had just awoken from some terrible nightmare?
She couldn’t tell. She nodded and ducked away from his gaze. She needed time to process what the hay had just happened, and this stallion wasn’t helping. Especially since she still had no idea how he had even known she was in trouble.
“Sir,” one of the soldiers said as he came back into the room. “Her guards are incapacitated, but we were able to apply the sana before the magic took hold of them completely. What should we do with them?”
Sparrow seemed reluctant to look away. “Bring them in,” Sparrow said, nodding to them. “I think it’s best if we take all of them to Celestia and Luna for the time being. They need to be informed of this attack, and I believe it would be best if Twilight were to spend the rest of the night with them.”
The guard saluted and left again. Sparrow returned his gaze to Twilight and offered her a hoof. Twilight, reluctantly, began levitating the ring box close to her head and took his hoof as he helped her to stand. He was incredibly gentle with her, a stark contrast to both the pain and stress he had caused her all week, and the brutal way in which he had just fought those two possessed guards.
Once she was standing, albeit very shakily, he gently draped a wing over her and led/assisted her over to the two downed guards while his soldiers brought in two more. They looked normal, but Twilight could tell the dark magic was still being eradicated from their bodies.
She also couldn’t help but notice that despite their sharp appearance, Sparrows wings were actually rather soft.
Then, they were all in the throne room. Twilight didn’t even feel the normal tingle of teleportation as they moved. They just…moved.
How did he DO that?
“Twilight!?” Celestia called out.
She was sitting in her throne, looking completely shocked and a bit terrified. Twilight vaguely realized that there were several guards in the room with them, both Celestia’s and Sparrow’s, but she was so relieved at seeing Celestia, at being ALIVE to see her again, that she couldn’t bring herself to pay attention to them.
“She was attacked,” Sparrow said, his voice strong and forceful. “Her guards were possessed. Do not remove the bandages until they stop glowing. And I would suggest she remain with you for the time being.”
And then, without so much as a goodbye, he vanished.
Celestia stared in horror at where he had been standing before swallowing hard and turning to Twilight. Twilight could tell that she was seeking conformation, and she nodded.
“He…He saved me,” she whispered as her legs gave out and she sat on the floor, shakily grabbing the ring box out of mid-air and pulling it to her chest.
She didn’t know why, but it just…made her feel safe right now.
Back at the camp, 11 hours remain…
The girls all jumped as Sparrow reappeared in their midst. He had been talking to them again before his emergency had come up. Yet the conversation seemed so distant now. He had wanted to return directly to his tent, to retreat from view so that he might be able to try and process what had nearly happened to Twilight, but he wasn’t able to focus his mind enough to create a new teleportation path. So he had to use the old one.
That image of her, cowering in terror against the wall and crying uncontrollably…it had almost been too much for him. At that moment, he had wanted nothing more than to grab her, hug her, tell her that everything would be all right. That he would never let that dark presence hurt her.
But he knew he could not, especially not with how much stress he had caused her over the previous week.
He sagged, his armor returning from whence it came. His breathing was heavy, his heart was racing, and nothing in his body felt normal.
“Sir?” one soldier asked. She sounded concerned, and she had good reason to be. This wasn't the first time in recent years that Sparrow had been pushed so close to his limit. Even now, he could feel his control slipping.
But he couldn’t lose control.
Not yet.
“Send Right Word to my tent, and triple the guards around The Bearers. We can’t risk their safety. And initiate code ‘Umbra.’” He refused to have any more incidents that night, and if there was any trace of Akumu left in Canterlot, his soldiers would find it and eliminate it.
The soldier saluted before dashing out of the tent. Sparrow turned to follow, but Applejack’s voice stopped him.
“Now wait just a second! What do y’all mean ‘you can’t risk our safety?”’ Sparrow didn’t have time for this.
“Ask Twilight,” he grumbled, walking out of the tent as he tried desperately not to snap at her or the other Bearers. They had every right to be concerned, but he was not in the state of mind to deal with that concern.
Already his soldiers were moving about with purpose. Good to see their training paid off. But he wouldn't let that distract him. His officers knew what to do in event of a code ‘Umbra’. Moving as fast as he could without running, he arrived at his own tent, reached out with his magic and activated the built-in silencing wards. Only those inside would be able to hear what was going on.
“Sir, you requested me?” Right Word asked, already waiting inside the magically enchanted tent. His tone of voice said that he knew what was coming.
Punctual as always.
“I need a moment…” Sparrow said, using his magic to make a blue and yellow door appear on the nearby wall. Upon opening, it revealed a large, open room contained in a separate pocket dimension, one designed specifically so that no amount of magic could cause it any damage.
Sparrow shut the door and waited the long, agonizing seconds until the protection wards full engaged.
Then, he let go.
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
His magic exploded into a deep shade of red as he screamed, the waves slamming against the walls like roaring fire. When his voice died, he screamed again, and again and again and AGAIN—
All his rage, all his anger, all of it at seeing that accursed parasite again, at having it TRY TO TOUCH HER! Twilight’s fear, her tears, the sight of such a beautiful and kind creature cowering in the corner of her room, her eyes looking as though she had seen death itself! These images ensnared his mind and drove his rage even further!
He could almost see what could have been. Her room soaked in blood, splattered across the walls and floors as her crumpled body lay in a pool of it, her soft blue coat stained red and black by the work of that…that DEMON! Her cutie mark, violated beyond recognition by his unrelenting bloodlust!
Why? WHY? WHY?
Why?
No. Twilight’s coat is purple…It…It didn’t happen. I saved her…
I saved her…
His rage burned out as streams of tears began to fall, another feeling, one that was buried deep beneath the writhing mass of anger, rose to the surface once again.
Fear.
He staggered out of the door, back to where Right Word was waiting with the one thing he needed now more than anything. He was shaking, both from magical exertion and mental exhaustion as his legs gave out, causing him to fall right in the middle of the floor. Right Word said nothing as he unfolded the weighted blanket in his hooves and threw it over the shivering form of his king.
Sparrow pulled it in as close as he could, breathing in deeply, allowing the scent of peaches to fill his nose. Oh, how he missed this smell, how he wished its owner was still there with him…
Slowly, his shaking began to cease and his breathing became steadier. His mind was still a raging mess, and he knew that perfectly well.
“How could I let this happen?” he whispered when the weighted blanket had eased his shaking enough to keep his voice steady. “How did it even get so close to her?”
“Sir, it’s ok,” Right Word said, gently rubbing the back of the much larger alicorn. “Your protection spell worked. You got there in time. She’s still ok, isn't she?”
Sparrow nodded half-heartedly.
“But she…she almost died…I-I almost lost her!”
“But she’s alive because of YOU!” Right Word said forcefully. “You SAVED her. And that’s all that matters.”
Sparrow sighed, but his shivering slowed significantly. His lieutenant was right. He was always right.
“I-I thought I would have more time. He…He just went for her less than a week ago. Why would he risk attacking her again? If…If I hadn’t given her the ring…”
“Sir, we BOTH know that we can’t understand how or why that thing does what it does. All that we can do is make sure it doesn’t claim any more victims. We’re already starting to sweep the city and the surrounding area, doubling our number of undercover agents, and our ponies in the crystal caverns say there hasn't been any movement or magical activity. And by this time tomorrow, she will be in the one place it can’t find her. It won’t get that close to her again, we promise.”
Sparrow took one last deep breath of the peachy perfume and he finally started to truly relax. “Thank you, Right Word. What would I ever do without you?”
“Go crazy?” Right Word suggested, smirking as Sparrow laughed.
“Yeah, that sounds about right. Are we all ready for tomorrow?”
“Yes, sir, all our ponies are ready and waiting. They just need your word to retreat from Equestria.”
“Good, good,” Sparrow said, standing up and pulling the blanket close to his body. “Let’s just hope Twilight makes the right choice.”
“I am certain she will, sir…”
Back in Canterlot Castle, 10 Hours and 59 minutes remain…
“TWILIGHT!”
Rainbow’s panicked voice exploded through the orb that had just appeared in Twilight’s lap. Twilight screamed and jumped upwards, latching onto Celestia. The ring box in her hooves and the glass orb went flying, but Velvet caught both in her magic before they hit the floor, her, Night Light, and Luna all having just ran into the room in a panic.
“Rainbow, don’t DO THAT!” Twilight yelled, her mane standing out in all directions. “I’ve already had a panic attack tonight, and I DON’T NEED ANOTHER ONE!” She gasped as she tried to bring her recently calmed heart rate back to normal levels for the second time that night.
“Oh, uh, sorry. But Sparrow was acting weird, and he just told us to ask you what happened.”
“And given how his entire camp is acting like a hornet’s nest that’s just been kicked, we reckoned it must have been important,” Applejack added. She and the rest of the girls were all huddling around the glass orb – Twilight could just see everypony’s worried eyes. “I swear, the fella looked fine one minute, then terrified the next just before he vanished right in front of us. Did something happen?”
“We were just about to ask,” Luna said, helping Twilight down from her perch on Celestia’s neck. “All we know is that Sparrow appeared with her in the throne room and said she was attacked.”
“WHAT!?!”
There was a loud clunk and the image in the orb blurred until it settled on five sets of panicking hooves, all of them immediately trying to grab the orb as a flurry of question were shouted at the orb.
It took a few tries to get their attention again, but once they quieted down to listen, Twilight explained what had happened in her bedroom that night. Going through everything that had just happened was…hard. There were multiple points where she broke down, her parents, Celestia, and Luna wrapping their forelegs around her the first time until she could calm down and then refusing to let go until her tale was completed.
She just wished she could feel her friends hugging her too.
When she finished, everypony was just staring at her with wide eyes and open mouths.
“I-I can’t believe this,” Velvet said in shock. “What kind of monster can POSSESS ponies!?”
“Not that we have ever seen,” Celestia said. “The only thing close to this was the sirens sowing chaos or Discord turning ponies into the opposites of themselves. Never have we seen something take direct control of a pony in this way. And yet…”
“The shadow Twilight mentioned sounds strangely similar to King Sombra, only without the crystals,” Luna finished for her. “But even he had never managed to directly control ponies. When our army marched for the Crystal Empire a thousand years ago, there were rumors from a few escaped Crystal Ponies that he was creating some form of magical technology to make them complacent, but never something like this.”
“I just wanna know how Sparrow knew Twilight was in trouble,” Applejack said. “He seemed to be perfectly fine for the entire conversation, then he just froze and whispered something…I think it was Twilight’s name, before yelling ‘Code Umbra’ to the guards outside our tent and rushing off. He looked pretty panicked.”
“And that’s when things became hectic?” Celestia asked.
“Indeed they did,” Rarity said. “And then, without warning, Sparrow was wearing that armor of his. I swear, I blinked once and it was there. He then told the two soldiers outside to prepare for teleport, and then he was gone.”
“Could it have been the ring?” Night Light asked. “Twilight said it reacted to protect her, or at least held that shadow…thing…off long enough for him to appear, so maybe it had some sort of alarm spell on it?”
“Perhaps,” Luna agreed, engulfing the ring with her magic and frowning. “But unfortunately, the ring has so many enchantments on, many of which appear to be so tightly woven that I can’t pick out each one individually and determine for sure if that is true. However, based on what Twilight and her friends have told us, that is the most likely the case, as the only other option I can see doesn’t seem to fit in this instance.”
“And…what’s the other case?” Rainbow asked.
“That this was a set up,” Luna said. “What better way to get her to say yes to his proposal than to act as the hero that saved her from an unknowable assassin? But again, this seems highly unlikely.”
“He would need to be one heck of an actor,” Rarity said. “I swear, he looked like he had seen a ghost when he came back.”
“He also looked exhausted,” Fluttershy said. “But not in the physical way. It was more like…I really can’t explain it…”
“It was real,” Pinkie whispered.
“How do you…was it your Pinkie Sense?” Twilight asked, her eyes widening as Rainbow moved to hug the party pony comfortingly.
“I…I felt the warning when Sparrow did. M-My Pinkie sense said Twilight was in danger…in danger of…of…”
She trailed off, turning to look out of the tent. The rest of the girls in the tent moved to join the hug. They all knew how accurate Pinkie’s senses were, so if they had told her that Twilight was about to die…no wonder it was taking a big toll on her.
“What do we do now?” Twilight asked. “Even with the ring, that…thing…might still be out there. W-What if it has more ponies possessed?”
“I may have an idea,” Luna said, looking at the downed guards. They had been moved onto stretchers while Twilight had talked, but Luna had asked for them to be left in the room for the moment while the doctors performed their checks. “The magic in those bandages is said to remove the…let’s call it ‘the shadow’ for now. If they do in fact manage to remove it, then perhaps we may be able to create a spell that mimics said magic. I don’t know if we can DO that, given the unusual nature of Sparrow’s magic up until this point, but if we can, it may allow us to remove the shadow from any more corrupted ponies. Perhaps we might even find a way to use it as a weapon against the shadow.”
“It would certainly be better than waiting for it to strike again,” Celestia nodded. “Should you need help, simply call on me for assistance, sister. And I believe that I can keep an eye on Twilight and her parents tonight.” She nuzzled the top of Twilight’s head. “If this…shadow…produces a wave of fear, then Luna and I are the least likely to be affected by it.”
“Why’s that?” Rainbow asked.
“Because Luna works every night to fight off the nightmares of the world, and I myself have seen things in my long life far more terrifying than you could possibly imaging,” Celestia said, smiling. “Fear may be powerful, but it will NOT stop me from protecting those I hold dear. That shadow is dangerous and should be avoided, make no mistake, but it will take more than magic eyes to stop me. No offense, Twilight.”
“None taken,” Twilight said. “Just, please be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I promise,” Celestia said, nuzzling her student again. “This foe has proven to be both elusive and dangerous, and I will not underestimate them.”
“Indeed,” Luna said. “But now I think it is time for all of us to get some rest. Seeing as Sparrow has not mentioned any kind of extension on the time he has given Twilight, we must assume that she will still be forced to make her choice tomorrow morning. Something that we should all be well rested for, especially after tonight. I will begin studying the magic and shall remain nearby should you need me, sister.”
“And I will take Twilight and her parents to my room. We should be safe there once I create a few more protective wards.”
“How many are already there?” Nightlight asked curiously.
“At least a hundred, all of them added over the course of the last thousand years to insure I had someplace safe to truly let me guard down. It is the most secure room in the entire castle, even if a good fifteen of the wards were put in place to stop Luna from pranking me when she returned,” Celestia teased.
Luna stuck her tongue out playfully with a loud ‘Nahhh,’ and Twilight giggled for the first time all night. There was just something about such a casual sibling interaction that made things feel a little bit more normal. It certainly helped lighten the mood, even if only slightly. Twilight would take anything at this point.
“What about us?” Rainbow asked. “What if that…thing, comes here?”
“Given Sparrow’s and his soldier’s affinity in fighting the shadow, I would think you would be safe,” Luna said. “Attacking the source of your weakness isn't a strong idea if those involved can fight back.”
“He did triple our guards,” Fluttershy reminded them. “I think we’ll be ok…I hope.”
“We will,” Pinkie said. “The shadow won’t come here. It knows better.”
And with that, the conversation was mostly over. The girls said their goodbyes, taking turns to hug the orb before it went dark. Despite her uncertainty, Twilight followed Celestia to her room. Her parents did need to help her walk for a while because her legs were still a bit unsteady, but their physical closeness was soothing. When they arrived at Celestia’s room, the princess of the sun quickly ushered them into her bed and laid down next to them. Her horn lit with a brilliant gold as she casted more wards throughout the room.
Snuggled between her parents with the large, warm wing of her mentor draped over her back, Twilight was able to quickly fall asleep, the comfort and warmth of her family driving away what remained of the fear that had filled her not so long ago.
Later that night: 8 hours remain…
“You seem conflicted, my dear.”
The voice of dream version of Sparrow made Twilight facemap on the dream version of her crystal map in her castle. She was sitting across from him in the throne room, in her own throne, while he sat in one that appeared to be made for him, given that his cutie mark on the back.
“Why are you HERE?” Twilight yelled. “Can’t I just have a bit of time to think in peace without any distractions? I need to make my decision tomorrow, and having a constant reminder of my problem ISN’T! HELPING!”
“But maybe it could,” dream Sparrow said, smiling at her in the same mysterious, knowing way Celestia always did.
“And how could a figment of my imagination POSSIBLY help me right now?” Twilight groaned, looking up and resting her chin on the table between them, which was now covered in an assortment of breakfast foods.
“Why, I can help you debate, of course,” dream Sparrow said as he helped himself to the fruit in front of him. “You want to make a decision, yet you constantly bounce between the positive and negative aspects of the deal, never just examining it from one point of view.” He tossed a peach into his mouth. “But like this, I can be the positives of the deal, you can be the negatives. And as such, we can debate.”
“So I’ll be debating against my own head?” Twilight asked annoyedly.
“You do so every time you make a decision,” dream Sparrow said, shrugging. “You weigh the positives and negatives, the risk and rewards, every time you choose one way or another. This way just allows you to focus on one side of things while I present the counterarguments. Less stress for your conscious mind, but more gets done.”
“How do you know all this?”
“How should I know? It’s YOUR brain that’s making me talk to you at all,” dream Sparrow said, tossing the peach core over his shoulder, where it turned into a small butterfly that looked like Princess Celestia. Somehow.
Eh, dreams.
Twilight sighed. “It’s not like I have any other ideas. Fine, let’s start with the obvious then. I will be forced to leave my friends, my family, and everything I have ever know to go with a stallion I have never met and whose best idea in courting me is to conquer my home and give me an impossible deal that will affect my life forever.”
“When Celestia sent you to Ponyville, you felt the same way, without the whole marriage thing. But you DID think that making friends was impossible and not worth your time, yet in the end, your life was changed for the better. You discovered the magic of friendship, became a princess, and have had more fun these past few years than you ever had in your entire life.”
“But now I am about to LOSE all that I got from that last choice to some random stallion!”
“How so? So long as your friends keep the orb, you can still see them, talk with them, and hear about their lives. It might not be as great as being able to interact with them, but it’s not like you will be away from them forever, especially if he keeps his promise to let you visit.”
“But what if he DOESN’T!?”
“To quote almost everypony you know, you just need to have hope. Plus, he hasn’t actually broken any of his promises yet. Even when he entered the city, it was to protect you, and that itself was him upholding his promise to Pinkie to protect you with his life.”
Twilight was silent for a moment. She knew he was right on that…or SHE was right because this was her own dream, but it did bring up another question. “Why would that need to be a promise at all? What was that creature, and why did it seem like he KNEW what it was and how to fight it? His soldiers were even able to start freeing the possessed ponies before he gave any instructions. So why are they all equipped to fight this…shadow, or whatever it is.”
“I don’t know. But the fact of the matter is that he still was willing to jump in front of what very well could have been a lethal attack for you. Even if he knew he could survive the blow, he was still protecting you without hesitation, AND upholding his promise to Pinkie that he would protect you even if he knew it would kill him. Admit it, some part deep inside you knows he would have done the same thing, even if he didn’t have his armor on.”
That brought a sudden rush of tears to Twilight’s eyes, and she struggled to keep from sobbing over imaginary pastries and pancakes.
“But why?” she cried. “Why be willing to do so much for me? Why come for me at all? Who even IS Sparrow? All I know is his name, his kingdom, the fact that he uses magic I can’t even begin to explain, and…that he saved my life. But that’s it…”
“I know only as much as you do,” dream Sparrow said, standing up and walking around the table. “But let’s be real. Despite the lack of information, despite the fact that he saved you, and despite the fact that he has your friends and all of Equestria under hoof, your answer was always going to be yes. Right?”
Twilight opened her mouth, maybe to deny it, maybe to agree with it, but in the end she just shut it and nodded as her tears began to spill over.
“But WHY are you going to say yes?” dream Sparrow asked, lifting her chin gently with a hoof. “You and I both know that you would say yes just to save a single town, because it would be the right thing to do, but there’s more to it, isn’t there? So what are those reasons? Why do you actually WANT to go?”
“I…” Twilight tried to speak, but her tongue just wouldn’t make the words come out. But she realized her was right. She DID want to go, to leave everything behind, to travel with him to whatever island he called home.
That realization, that insight, hurt. It felt as if something inside her was aching worse than anything she had ever experienced before. And yet, it was a necessary pain. It finally gave her back her voice, and let her express the truth that she had refused to accept these past three days.
“Because…Because I want to know why.” Twilight whispered. “I want to know why he did this, why he’s so interested in me. Why the world’s only male alicorn decided that I was worth revealing himself to the world for. I want to know who he is, how his magic works, what his island is really like. There’s just…so much I don’t know, so much I NEED to know, and…”
“And?”
“And…I trust him to keep his promises. I don’t know why I do, but…I do. I know he will let me come home one day even if just to visit, that I can still see my friends while I wait. And…I know that if I go with him…I’ll be able to learn why he did all this, for me…”
“But it still hurts, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. It really does. But…I just need to have hope…and trust that everything will work out…somehow.”
Dream Sparrow smiled, just as the vision came to an end.
At the main gate: 0 hours remain…
Sparrow was waiting there, just outside the gate, exactly where he had been standing three days before. Behind him, Twilight’s friends stood, all of them in an anxious huddle, their eyes locked on her. In front of the gate, standing before the Princesses and her parents, all of whom had been hugged farewell, stood Princess Twilight Sparkle. The box with the diamond ring hovered in her magic.
“Have you made a decision?” Sparrow asked, his voice strangely gentle against the silence.
Twilight nodded, looking at the ring. Its gems shone in the morning light with all the colors of the rainbow, making it shine in a way that was unforgettable.
Even if I don’t really have a choice, this is my decision, she thought as she levitated the ring out of its velvet lining. I need to know. There’s no other way…
Girls, Princesses, Mom, Dad, Shiny, Cadence, Spike, Starlight…everypony, please forgive me. I promise I will see you all again, no matter how long it takes…
With this final thought, Twilight slid the diamond ring over her horn, and it fit perfectly, as though it had been made for her. Her answer was yes, and she would accept whatever came next…