//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: An empty Dream // Story: Twilight's Element // by Lorhelei //------------------------------// A broken shriek of despair traveled through the crowded halls of the library, perturbing the ears and mind of every creature inside of it. Emerald’s cry was loud and sharp as it echoed through the room, making Spike’s face change from worry to actual fear at the sudden cry that came along with a burst of tears from the unknown green mare in front of him. “W-what’s happening? Are you okay!?” said Spike to Emerald, getting no response from her. “Does some creature knows this mare!?” he yelled, taking the mare in a soft embrace, “do not worry, little one. Everything is going to be fine, do you hear me? I’m here,” he whispered on Emerald’s ear “I’m here...” The touch of Spike´s scales on Emerald skin broke Twilight’s mind even more. That simple contact did nothing but bring her back to other times, to memories she didn’t want to see, not now, not here. She saw that mighty dragon in front of her, protecting Emerald, and alluring other creatures towards him in seek of knowledge and a soothing presence. They all looked up at him the way she looked up at Celestia, like a creature above time itself, a creature of unmeasurable wisdom and kind, totally above the commonness of simple mortals. Emerald felt inside of her a sudden emptiness in her chest the moment Twilight realized how much time did pass without her. The same moment she understood that she will never see the Spike she knew anymore. This Spike was confident, powerful. He had a solemn aura that she had only seen in her former mentor before. She feared that she couldn’t see his little assistant anymore, that he might have resentment towards her, that he might hate her, that he might had forgot her. Every doubt Twilight had, every newly formed tear that fell down her cheeks and every single thought that crossed her troubled mind, they were all assaulting Emerald’s heart fiercely as the green mare fought the urge to scream. said Twilight, her voice full of bitterness that Emerald had never heard before, her broken voice the only thing Emerald could hear echoing in her mind, while her loudful cries drowned the room. she said, she repeated, she cried. Twilight didn’t stop, she couldn’t, not now, not after seeing him, so great, so full of the scars of time, she paused, only for a second, “T-T-T… wi—Light—“ Emerald tried to speak through her tears and clenched teeth. Twilight’s mind and heart were crushed in an instant. She thought that nothing could hurt her after seeing that her and her friends’ lessons did endure over time, after seeing the Journal of Friendship in hoofs and claws of so many creatures. She thought that she did accomplished something after all. That was what she thought until she saw him, and what she did miss with him, all those days, all those celebrations, the gifts she had planned for each birthday and each party, all those books she wanted to gift him, the time she has lost, the life she would never get back. “W-W-Why ar- you do-ing t-this— …” Emerald stuttered , helpless. Unable to speak due her own uncontrollable breathing. , Twilight continued, every word she spoke felt like a thousand nails piercing through Emerald’s heart, striking again and again while she could only try to endure whatever Twilight was sending to her. And that was the last nail. Emerald’s cry became almost impossible to bear from anyone who had the misfortune of being nearby. That moment Twilight Sparkle fell into a pit of despair, and took Emerald with her. The whole scene perturbed the heart of any creature who hear her desperate cry. Some of the presents thought she was having a breakdown, other whispered that she might be crazy, while all that Spike could do was think of a way to help the mare. The scene kept its course, Spike didn’t leave Emerald’s side, not even for a second, even if it was hurting for his ears and heart, he stood there with her, embracing her, repeating that “everything will be fine,” until from the hallway a sharp voice came along with an extremely fast buzzing. “I do know her! I do!” cried a little changeling on its way inside the crowded room and between the confused crowd, wasting no time in greetings or manners before standing at the mare’s side as fast as her body allowed her. Spike took a step aside, leaving the little creature and the mare alone, not knowing  what to do or who they were. Uncertain, he just tried to give them space, gesturing every creature in the room to give the two friends some space. “Emmy!? What happened? Are you okay!?” asked the changeling desperately, hearing no answer from the mare. Emerald’s voice was hostage of Twilight’s feelings, leaving the changeling in the uncertainty, only able to watch her friend suffering from an unknown ailment. “Please! Say something!” she cried, as Emerald used every inch of will power she had just to keep her body breathing. Twilight sorrow was oppressive, overwhelming. Unending. “T-T…” Emerald was trying so hard to speak, so hard to breath, but Twilight’s guilt kept her away of the break she desperately cried for. “What are you trying to say!?” asked Tia. “T-Tw-Tw-Twi… P-P-Please…” stuttered Emerald between shaking breaths. “TWILIGHT STOP!“ A deep silence suddenly took over the room. Spike felt a chill coursing through his spine as the mare outrageously shouted a very familiar name. It wasn’t just the name the pony yelled, it was the way she screamed it, the way she spoke, as if she wasn’t talking about her or for her, but to her. For much he wanted to talk with her, he knew better than just step in between two friends. And with that in mind, he waited, while the two girls were talking with each other. “She is fine everyone, please return to your own affairs,” he said, hiding his own worries, prompting every other creature to return to their eyes to the books in front of them, “she is in good care,” he continued while watching how strong was the changeling’s embrace. That bond was something special, something else, something that could only be shared between those whose friendship could last through the ages, whose destinies were entangled together, whose paths were now the same. They could speak a world without saying a single word, and they did it. That simple, yet powerful gesture, brought him memories of him, of her, of better times. Spike did wait until the two of them were ready, a few whispers were shared by the pegasi and the pinkish changeling that he couldn’t understand, neither that he tried. Instead, his mind drifted to the infinite possibilities for the mare to shout that name.   The reasons behind the mare’s to know that name weren’t few. It was the way in which she shouted it what made him all the more anxious, causing his mind to drift to the infinite possibilities for the mare to spoke that particular name among any other in everything he had studied and learned across many years around the globe. Did she know her by the books? he thought, the idea didn’t last long since he had never seen that pony on the library before. Is there another creature called Twilight? Possibly, but why would she scream her name like that? From the dozens and dozens of possibilities he thought, none of them seemed to make sense, until a soft voice, a weak one, but unmistakable spoke to him. “Y-You said you were Spike, right?” asked Emerald, her voice barely audible and her eyes bloodshot. The changeling did help her friend to stand up, receiving a simple gesture afterwards that prompted her to step aside, answering the nod with one of her own. “Yes,” answered Spike, his eyes fixed on the mare while keeping his solemn pose, “why do you ask? And most importantly… Who are you?” “I-I have something to tell you, but she i-insist that I tell you about h-her first,” Emerald was having problems to control her breath, but she continued, “sh-she… she wanted to tell you ‘It’s me, Spike’, whatever it means… But by her… reaction, I think you two know each other, right?” she said, never looking at Spike at his eyes. Spike stood dumbfounded for a second, his mind trying to deny that it was Twilight the one whom the mare was talking about, dismissing it as a simple joke or a coincidence. But he couldn’t, Twilight would not allow him to not investigate something like that. He will not allow that. Spike got on his knees, and lowered his face to see the mare eyes to eyes and stood there for a second, “Are you…" "" he mumbled mostly for himself before attending to the mare by his side again, " are you talking about Twilight? Twilight Sparkle?”, the dragon asked. Spike got on his knees, and lowered his face to see the mare eyes to eyes, “Are you…” he paused, and scratched his temple and groaned, “good Celestia... This can't be happening... Not like this...” he mumbled mostly for himself before attending to the mare by his side again. "Are you talking about Twilight? Twilight Sparkle?” the dragon gulped, waiting for the answer of a question he wished was just a joke. “Y-yes… sh-she wants to… to...—“ the mare did hit her head with her hoof while raising her voice, “I know! I know! Just… Just give me a second, Twilight. Can you? Please…” Emerald took deep breaths while closing her eyes, and began to move her wings in circles, stretching them. “Are you… All right?” he asked at the obviously troubled pony. “No, I’m not. But, I’ll survive, I guess,” she replied with a sigh, “look. I… I’ll make the story short for you, and you will not believe me, but I swear by her name” —she raised her hoof to Tia, who in response pointed herself, confused— “that everything I’m going to tell you is the honest true. Is that fine to you?” Spike did look at the little changeling and just nodded afterward. “F-fine… Long story short. I don’t know who is Twilight Sparkle, but obviously you do, and I don’t know who you are, but obviously she do,“ —Spike rose a brow— “ the point is… She is in my mind, and I can feel everything she feels and so she does with what I feel, she wants to know what happened to her, why, how, and who so she can get out of me -in a good way- or something like that…” she said, raising a brow and with her hoof on her chin while taking a deep breath. “And~ that’s it; actually… It wasn’t that long I suppose.” Emerald looked Spike right into his green eyes, only to turn her gaze to the floor a moment after. Her face and eyes full of sorrow. “I—… I’m sorry, Twilight. But that thing you did… It was too much. I was fine with you feeling bad in the entrance, I was fine with that overwhelming melancholy in the stairs, but that right there, that was too much, even for me…” Emerald stood in silence for a second, looking to the crystal floor of the castle and seeing her own reflection on it, doubting of who she was in it, “I-… I thought I was going to die, Twilight… I really thought so… and I… I don’t want to die…” her voice turning heavier and quiet, "and..." she breathed in, her eyes lost in her own reflection, as if she could see Twilight in her own eyes, "you do not deserve any of this... All this... trapped-in-somepony-else-mind thing..." Spike stood dumbfold for a couple of seconds at how the green mare were talking with herself, and for what she said, he could infer that she was talking with Twilight. It is impossible in so many ways, he thought, “I’m sorry, little one… But, I think you are mistaking something… Twilight… She—“ “I know!” yelled Emerald, , causing Spike to interrupt his words, the mare’s eyes fixed on the ground and her head down, “I know, Twilight, I know you didn’t meant that, don’t blame yourself like that… But please… Please promise me something… Don’t do that again… Do you promise?” Spike just rested in silence before looking at the little changeling with an brow raised, receiving only a shrug from her afterwards. “I don’t know what kind of promise it was, but I’ll take it. Thanks, Twilight…” she said, a weak smile painted on her face, weak, but a smile nonetheless. “I’m sorry if I did hurt you, I didn’t meant that… I was just—“ Spike was craving to talk with the mare, yet he didn’t know how to interrupt someone that was talking to herself, “Listen, little one… I—“ The mare chuckled, interrupting the dragon once again while covering her mouth with her hoof, “He really did that?” continued, almost laughing, “I know you won’t believe me, but, as a proof that Twilight is in fact in my head, she said that you used to read something called ‘Power Ponies’. And~ that you used to play with girl’s dolls, specifically, her dolls,” she said while trying hard to contain her laugh, and utterly failing, her smile contrasting with the bloodshot color in her eyes, and the damped face she had. Spike’s cheeks turned red while Emerald finished her sentence. “Those where action figures!” he answered by pure instinct, realizing in an instant the nature of his reply, “you… How do you know that?!… The only one who knew were...” “Twilight, and her friends… Apparently,” finished Emerald. “B-but, how is that possible? Did you found her memories? Or did you found her notes?!” asked the dragon, “why did she left that in a note? … “What else did she left in notes?!” “I told you. She is in my head. Entirely, not only her mind or memories,” Emerald stood in silence looking from side to side, while her ears twitched now and then, “She said that even her body is there, and that is weird if you ask me,” said the mare with a gesture of her hoof, unamused. “How… How can it be…” Spike said, “when did this happened?!” “Today morning?” “How did that happen?!” “I don’t know.” “Why did it happen?!” “I don’t know.” “Who did it happen?!” “That makes no sense, you know?” “Neither does this! My Celestia! …” he got closer to Emerald, slowly, and look at her into her eyes, “What is this…” he then took out from his robes a necklace. In between a golden frame and a golden chain, there was a heart shaped ruby with a letter “R” carved on it. “What are—“ “Answer…” “…Fine…” for a second, the only thing that could be hear was Emerald gulp as her ears twitched and her eyes drifted from Spike’s, Spike could see how Emerald cleaned her eyes now and then, wondering what was happening inside her head. Several seconds passed, more than one time Spike did look at Tia, wondering why Emerald was taking so long, and noticing just then that the changeling had now a pencil and a notebook on her hooves", “It was a gift… For Rarity…” said Emerald, with a heavy voice, and glistering eyes, “Twilight… she… she told me everything. That you loved her. How you were about to lose yourself to your greed, and that in the end, she saved you, she saved everyone. You kept a picture of hers and the fire ruby you gave her always at your bed’s side so you would never forget what you did that day, for the good and for the bad. It’s the same ruby, isn’t?” asked Emerald, tears were clouding her eyes, but she refuse to wipe them. Those were not Twilight’s tears, not this time, “she told me that you had nightmares... every single night... they were always about that day... And lasted for weeks..." she said while rubbing her shoulder with her wings. “She even told me that often you sat on your bed and watched the picture all day long, just sighing… She always wondered what were you thinking about. I guess you never told her…” Emerald paused for a second. She did look directly to Spike's eyes. His voice was gone, stole by the sudden realization. Emerald got closer to him, and then continued. “She asks if you sent her all those letters and poems she helped you with…” At first, there was silence. A long and uncomfortable silence that only was threatened by the murmurs of the other creatures in the room. Emerald lifted her arm and wiped her tears, this time, slower. Spike did the same. "Well... That's what she said... I... I think it's your turn now," a single tear rolled through Emerald face, a weak smile painted on her face while she looked up at Spike's eyes." A faint laugh broke the silence left by Emerald’s last words . It was Spike’s laugh, it was heavy, and slow, her eyes glistening while he tried to dry the tears with his robes. The drake's wings spreaded wide, embracing Emerald as hard as a pony could endure while the complains of the now groaning mare did only made the dragon happier. Tia stood up, only to take a step back afterwards. “Yes… Yes I did…” he paused, “and it was the best day of my life… I can’t believe it’s you…” he said, “after all these years… It’s really you…” he tightened his hug on Emerald, as strong as he could without hurting her. His cry was not audible, but it was there, it was real. Still, his breath was calm, and his voice was still solemn. He was even happy. A few seconds passed, but he never let Emerald away, “I-I missed you so, s-so m-much…” Spike’s voice stuttered while his new tears became more and more evident, “I-I-I’m sorry! I-I couldn’t save you! I should have seen it but I didn’t! I-I disappointed you… I was your a-assistant… A-and I failed you, Twilight…”, He noticed how his voice was broken, “we all failed you that night…” he sat on the floor, with Emerald on his arms, his grasp now weak as guilt took over his strength, "I... we all tried our best but..." he breathed in, his embrace slowly tightening as his voice became heavier. "I froze... Everything was so fast—" he gasped slightly, as distant memories coursed through his mind, "I'm so, so sorry... I'm sorry Twilight... I'm sorry..." “S-spike, I…” interrupted Emerald, trying to control Twilight’s feelings and her owns, it wasn’t sadness, no, but pure joy and melancholy, “c-can I call you Spike, right?” Spike looked at her with his misty eyes and nodded, “I will take that like a ‘yes’. Spike, we …” she sighed, “we need to talk …” A few minutes passed until they both stood in calm once again. Emerald did help Twilight to calm with breathing exercise she learnt from Tia while Spike just sat down, his legs crossed, carefully looking at Emerald and how she was talking with Twilight. “So… What do you want to talk? It was a long, long time after all, Twilight.” Emerald was finishing her exercises, her eyes closed, and her ears draw back. “First of all, I need to talk with you. Second, I’ll tell you everything she want to ask you. Third, my name is Emerald. And last one, can you please tell me what in Equestria is happening? If you don’t mind. And, well, I think there’s no use in whispering, but what kind of relation do you two have?” “Let him speak, I’ll not believe in ‘we are just friends’, Twilight. Not after that,“ she replied, eyes closed, while breathing slowly. Spike chuckled as he only could see Emerald fighting with herself, but he knew that Twilight was on the other side, that thought give him a weak smile. He remembered Twilight and imagined the kind of things she would be telling to Emerald. Spike’s robe’s neck was damped, his image was now the one of a child that found his parents at the market, there was no imposing dragon anymore, and he couldn’t care less. He smiled at the question, and remembered all kind of things that had happened between him and Twilight. “Well,” he sighed, “it’s… complicated…” his face with a little shade of red, just like his eyes. “We should speak in private. I… I know a room. I think you do too,” he said. “Actually, I don’t. I don’t know what Twilight’s know. But I think she will remember which is the room we are heading to, and then she will remember something about her life, and then she will feel sad, and I will feel sad, and all those images will come to me again and—“ “Why, yes. When we first got into that room with the books and the crystal table on the center, I saw a couple of unknown ponies of many colors around the table. Then, when he shows up, I saw a very small purple dragon. It has the same colors that him though,” she said while pointing to Spike with her hoof, “but like a fraction of him, and without scars, and silly, and he wasn’t as h—… it was the young Spike, wasn’t it? …” “Yes. I was.” answered Spike. “But… But… He was so… Adorable and small! And now he is so… What happened!?” she yelled with her cheeks turning more red with each passing second. Spike only rose a brow before speaking again. “Yeah, it took me some time to get this shape you know? Many exercise, many explorations in ancient caverns to uncover ancient spells of all kind with the only objective of bringing back the d—… Never mind. It was a very hard work out, you know?” he said with a smirk, “we should head up to the room then, we can speak freely there… I…” Spike moved his eyes from side to side, looking for something, or someone, “the walls have ears,” he said. “The wha—?” “What are you two t—“ “There’s no time to explain. Follow me,” interrupted Spike. Aurantia did only listen to the scene, noticing their faces, their movements, writing everything they said, and everything that was happening. As soon as Spike stood up, she closed her notebook and shoved it between the chitin and her wings. She then walked at Emerald side without saying a single word, her eyes occasionally drifting to Spike. “So, Twilight, I think you are going to tell me anyway, but where are we going? And what was that reaction?” Spike heard Emerald talk but he didn’t say a word, he walked through the room, adamant, simulating what he was going to say to Twilight first, and wondering how she will take it. A few seconds passed until they reached an apparently wooden door. The three of them crossed it, Spike gave at the changeling a worried look as the door crossed behind them while Emerald just head it to the nearest chair. A series of security mechanism activated behind them, two magic seals, three combination lock, a dampen barrier, and least but not last, a door knob lock. He turned back and looked at the two mares at their eyes. “We should be able to speak freely here. I have taken a fairly amount of measures against peepers and unrequested guests over the time to made sure to not lift any flags.” “Wait, you don’t know?!” “Then you know nothing, Twilight Snow,” “I know what I said,” Every other creature in the room except for Twilight laughed, leaving Twilight even more confused. The little changeling took out her notebook and pencil, while Emerald just sat on the floor at the lack of chairs. Spike did just sat on the side of the perfectly arranged bed, he then fidgeted with his claws, anxious. “What is it?” “We can ask him: Spike, did you use the bed, or, well, this room at all? after you know, whatever happened to Twilight?” “No…” he smiled, “I never dared to change a thing that were not the door or the windows. This… This was her room after all...” “No, no, no, Twilight. You promised it,” interrupted Emerald while giving a disapproving gesture along with a dismissing hoof chuckled Twilight, she remembered how her old student use to be that direct with her, of how she always told her what she thought was wrong, and how much she missed her, “I will ask that: Spike, she—“ “Before anything… Let me introduce myself. My name is Spike. Former assistant of who was and will always be ‘The Princess of Friendship’ and the ‘Embodiment of the Element of Magic’.” “He is also the one who united the Changelings, Dragons, and Ponies. He is one of the few dragons that can use magic flames, and he traveled all around the world looking for new species to teach them about the magic of friendship!” interrupted Aurantia, her wings buzzing fast enough to make her hover a few centimeters from the ground, “I—… sorry,” she chuckled. “Well, everything is true though, Thanks. What was your name again?” replied Spike, his face red as he tried to maintain his solemn pose, “Aurantia. Aurantia Argiope, Sir, my friends call me Tia. Well… Only Emerald call me that way though,” she said, her head down. “Oh, I see, the lesser sister of the Argiope family if I’m not mistaken,” said Spike calmly. “I heard that you have a brilliant future, little one, but I’ll get on that later, Tia,” the gesture didn’t pass unseen by the little changeling as her eyes became shinier. “Emerald, I think Twilight didn’t told you who she really is, and I will not tell you either, it is up her to do it,” Spike walked to the furniture where Twilight had her mirror, and from behind, he took a big box with a purple Star along with seven smaller white stars around it. He put his necklace on the top and it shone in a green light before unlocking itself with green flames. He took several papers with Shining Armor’s and Cadence’s sign on Crystal Empire unique paper and arranged them on the floor. Many of the notes had the marks of Celestia and Luna, other papers had names on them. The acronym ‘S.M.I.L.E’ underlined in red across all of them along with pictures and blueprints of devices that Twilight had never seen before. After that, he focused on Aurantia’s and Emerald’s eyes, and with a solemn voice, he declared: “We need to talk.”