Twilight bolted upright with a loud gasp as her heart pounded rapidly against her chest. Her hooves pressed into the sheets of a soft bed, and her eyes quickly flitted over the surroundings, taking in what appeared to be a small, cozy cottage, dimly lit in the early hours of a new morning. The calm atmosphere was a stark contrast to the storm of panic racing through her.
She quickly patted a hoof against her chest before dragging it through her fur and letting out a trembling sigh. Her body felt sore and stiff, as if she had run a marathon without pacing herself, but the ache helped to reassure her that she obviously hadn’t turned into seafoam.
Twilight managed to croak out a soft laugh before bending over from a fit of coughing. Her dry throat persuaded her to find some water, so she crawled to the edge of the bed and tried to climb down carefully, only to end up misstepping and falling to the floor with a heavy thud.
Groaning in pain and cradling her head, Twilight didn't even notice the front door swing open until her ears perked at the sound of her name. She lifted her gaze to see a familiar shape standing in the doorway, his dark form outlined in the bright sunlight from outside.
“Spi… ke?” Twilight wheezed, struggling to sit up as he immediately sprinted across the room and dove into her outstretched legs. Spike pulled himself against her, and Twilight cried out with a choked sob while wrapping him in a tight embrace.
Neither of them said a word as they simply held one another, comforted by the fact that they were both there, and taking solace in each other’s presence.
After some time had passed, Twilight finally lifted her head with an unsteady breath and coughed again. “Spike,” she rasped. “I’m really glad to see you… but my throat hurts—”
“Oh!” Spike took a step back with a start before she could finish and rubbed his arm quickly across his eyes. “I saw a faucet outside. Wait here!” And with that, he hopped up and rushed out the door. There was a series of loud bangs and thumps from out front before she heard the steady squeak of what could only be the motions of a pump. Moments later, Spike waded through the entrance with a bucket in his arms.
“I ah… couldn’t find any cups.” He smiled sheepishly, but Twilight didn’t let that deter her. When he laid the bucket in front of her, she leaned over it and gulped down most of the water before lifting her head with a satisfied sigh.
“Thanks, Spike. I needed that.”
“How are you feeling, Twilight?” Spike stepped beside her and gently lifted one of her wings to inspect it. “I mean… you look okay. Does that mean the kiss worked?”
“I-I think…” Twilight rubbed her front legs together, feeling a slight tremble run through her. The kiss itself had been a moment of magic… until everything completely fell apart. She found herself being sucked into the terrifying memory until a soft touch against her leg brought her back. Twilight’s gaze lifted, and she saw that it was only Spike, his brow furrowing in worry.
Taking in a deep, calming breath, Twilight wrapped him in another hug. “I’m so sorry you had to see that, Spike.”
Spike let out a grunt, but returned the embrace with a light squeeze. “I’m fine, really! I’m just glad you’re okay, Twilight.” After a brief pause, he pulled away to look up at her. “So, uh… do you know where we are?”
“Hmm…” Twilight glanced around the room, but nothing stood out in the ordinary surroundings. It looked like an everyday home that would have melded into the background of any fairy tale. “Maybe something outside will tell us.”
“Okay...” Spike started with a hesitant tone. “But it’s weird out there. Everypony I met wasn’t making any sense.”
“How so?” Twilight asked, watching as he moved to the door.
Spike scratched his head. “Well, they keep repeating this word… uh… Bone-jer?”
“Bone… jer?” Twilight said while Spike just shrugged. She blinked momentarily before perking her ears. “Wait, I think I know this one…” Picking herself up gently, she shuffled to the door and stepped outside when Spike held it open for her. She was immediately greeted by the pleasant sight of a clear blue sky and quaint buildings lining a cobbled street.
A pony walking past noticed her and nodded with a tip of his cap. “Bonjour, Mademoiselle!”
“Oh!” Twilight smiled with a laugh. “Bonjour!” she chirped back while Spike stepped out beside her.
“What’s it mean, Twilight?” Spike gave her a questioning look.
“They're saying hello!” Twilight giggled, looking around at the charming little town. “Spike! I know which story we’re in. It’s Beauty and the Beast!”
“Beast!?” Spike exclaimed, suddenly wrapping his arms around her leg. “Shouldn't we be worried about that!?”
Twilight reassured him with a quick squeeze and nuzzled his cheek. “It’s okay. The Beast isn’t close by… and he’s not a threat.” She pulled away and moved back inside to gather some things. She had seen a belt for a harness hanging by the door, as well as a trunk that they could use to pack necessities and travel gear.
When Spike waddled in after her, he found her failing to push the chest over the floor. “Uhh, Twilight, what are you doing?”
“Eugh… I’m trying… to get this in the cart outside,” she grunted, only managing to slide the trunk a few inches before draping herself over the lid and huffing. “This has… a few things I could use on the road.”
“I got this.” Spike strode over and grabbed one of the iron handles. Even though he was much smaller, he managed to pull it easily along the floor. “But uh, where are we going?”
“I’m going to the castle.” Twilight started to follow him, but Spike stopped and blocked the doorway while his head popped over the other side of the trunk.
“Nuh uh. Wherever you’re going, I’m coming too.” Spike jerked his thumb at his chest with a stern look. “There’s no way I’m letting you go through another fairy tale alone.”
With a soft giggle, Twilight trailed after him when he started moving again. “Alright, as long as the storybook won't try and stop us. It would definitely be safer for you to come along anyway, considering the last act this story usually follows.”
“Great!” Spike grinned and shoved the chest up a short ramp leading to the cart. “Do you think Sombra and Flurry Heart are somewhere in the castle?”
Twilight’s ears flattened. “Maybe? I mean… there is one other character that Sombra might be…” Her voice faded with uncertainty. After getting to know him a little, she couldn’t quite picture him as the character she had in mind… even if she was eager to meet up with him sooner...
“Well.” Spike shoved the chest the last few inches into the cart and slapped his claws together. “Let's go find out.”
“Is that really safe?” Spike pointed out, watching Twilight with a skeptical gaze while she pulled the cart behind her and levitated a book right beneath her nose.
“I can see perfectly fine, Spike.” Twilight didn't even look up as she trotted down the road, trying to ignore all the curious stares she drew from the passing villagers. She didn't mind the attention, so long as she could distract herself with the book she was reading.
Because… she was reading it!
Twilight sighed with relief as her eyes moved over the familiar words of one of her favorite books, which had just so happened to be sitting on the little shelf inside her cottage. She could read again! Oh, how good it felt to understand that carefully scripted flow of text!
“Are you sure you don’t want me to pull the cart instead?” Spike offered. “You can read while you rest in the back!”
“It’s better for me to move around,” Twilight said without even taking her eyes off the page. “I feel worse when I’m just sitting still.”
“Alrigh—aah! Look out, Twilight!”
Spike’s warning came too late, as Twilight lost her footing—and more annoyingly, her place—when the book smashed into her snout. She stumbled and nearly toppled over, but a strong leg suddenly caught her mid-fall and stood her up to face the stallion that had stepped in her way.
“Twilight!” Blueblood’s eyes swept across her figure while he shot her a confident grin. “You're looking lovely, as always.”
“Prince Blueblood!?” Twilight exclaimed with a muffled voice while she rubbed her sore nose. From the cart, Spike let out a dramatic gagging sound.
“Prince?” Blueblood chuckled and ran his hoof along his well-groomed mane. “Well now, I know I’m dashing, but I haven’t quite earned that title.” He then leaned closer and whispered right into her ear, “Not yet...”
His breath tickled against her fur, and Twilight pulled away with a frown. “Umm... right.” She took a few wide steps back, her ears flattening when he only closed the gap. “Just keep up that mindset and you’ll get there… maybe. Now... can you move? I have to go—”
“What’s the rush?” Blueblood grinned and stepped around her, still rudely blocking her path. “I’ve hardly gotten a chance to admire your beauty.”
Twilight wrinkled her nose at the compliment. Coming from Blueblood—as the character she knew him to be playing—it only felt like a gaudy pick-up line. “If that’s all you wanted to say—”
“Well, that wasn’t everything,” Blueblood said, lifting his hoof to reach for her own, but Twilight pulled her leg out of his grasp. “I wanted to make a bold declaration of my affection, but you were too engrossed in that grungy book to pay attention to me.”
“Your point?” Twilight frowned with a flat stare.
“My point is,” Blueblood continued, waving his hoof between the two of them, “that you should marry me, Twilight.”
“Marry!?” Spike exclaimed with a disgusted look and slapped his forehead. “Why do all these fairy tales keep going back to marriage!”
Blueblood appeared to ignore Spike’s outburst and only pressed closer while Twilight gaped at him. She tried to step away again, but the belt tightened around her middle and the poles caught against her flank.
“Can’t you picture it?” Blueblood said with a dreamy expression while putting his leg around her neck and dragging her closer, causing Twilight’s insides to squirm. “Your servant giving my hooves a proper manicure after a hard day's work, while my gorgeous wife prepares dinner fit for a strapping stallion like myself.”
“T-that sounds... umm...” Twilight stammered hesitantly with a horrified expression, but Blueblood continued on as if he hadn't heard her.
“We are thoroughbreds amidst a town of average ponies, my dear! It’s only natural that a stunning mare like you would wed a handsome stallion like myself. Not to mention that marrying me would make all your dreams come true.” Blueblood leaned against her with a grin. “What do you say, Twilight?”
“I don’t—” Twilight started in a stern tone until she spotted Spike creeping around behind Blueblood “—think... it’s an impossibility.” She sweetened her voice and lifted a hoof to Blueblood’s chest, directing his full attention on her. “And… I wouldn’t need to distract myself with books…” She swirled her leg around the fur of his chest. “Not with a big, strong stallion by my side.”
Blueblood gave a bemused smile and chuckled. “Hmm, hmm. Yes?”
Spike gave her a thumbs up from behind Blueblood, restrained licks of flame flickering from his mouth.
“But I'll have to pass.” Twilight gave Blueblood a quick push and—still lost in his fantasizing—he stepped into Spike’s path, who breathed out a puff of fire that caught on the tip of Blueblood’s tail. Twilight twisted around and sprinted away before Blueblood was even aware, and by the time he started to move after her, he immediately stopped and gave the air a sniff.
“What is that—?” He turned his head and spotted the smoke rising from behind his flanks. “Yaaaah!”
While Blueblood tried to put his tail out, Spike hopped back into the cart, and Twilight broke into a gallop, making her way down the road and ignoring Blueblood’s shouting as she ran straight for the forest at the edge of town.
The soft rattle of the wooden spokes and the grind of dry snow beneath the wheels were loud against the silence of the woods. It had been some time since they had left town, and Spike sat in the cart with a blanket over himself to keep away the cold.
The chill pierced right through the scarf and cloak that Twilight had wrapped tightly around her, dug out from the chest they had brought along. The boots she’d found did little to help with the temperature, as a frigid cloud swirled around her hooves with every step, and each breath was a puff of mist before her muzzle. It was nothing like the cold she had experienced in The Snow Queen, but it was still enough to wish she had something more to warm herself. She could only continue forward and hope she would see the castle soon.
But her pace was slow as she moved along nervously, unable to help but feel a bit apprehensive about what to expect from the woods. Beauty and the Beast didn’t have plot twists as worrying as The Little Mermare, but different versions gave her a few concerns. She knew that they wouldn’t come to any harm… but that still didn’t help the feeling of dread instilled in her by the quiet surroundings.
“Are we almost there?” Spike asked from beneath the blanket. “This place is so cold, I can’t even light a spark.” He demonstrated this by gasping out a raspy breath, and a plume of dark smoke drifted away in the chill.
Twilight paused to look up, trying to see if she could spot any tall spires in the distant skyline. “It's hard to tell,” she replied. “I tried to use a navigation spell that might help, but it looks like my magic is still recovering…”
“Or it didn’t work because this storybook is a make-believe place,” Spike offered, frowning and pulling the blanket tighter around him.
“I could fly up and take a look,” Twilight said, shrugging off the harness and unfurling her wings, but before she could even lift herself, her ears swiveled toward a loud sound as it echoed around the woods. She paused in her crouch, listening as the breeze picked up, blowing through the branches and causing them to shift and groan, almost as if they were moaning...
Her breath caught in her throat, and she quickly re-hitched the belt, pulling the cart behind her with a jerk as her hooves crunched loudly over the frozen ground from her panicked steps.
“Wh-hey!” Spike rolled off of the seat and into the back of the cart, quickly popping up with an irritated glare. “What was that for, Twilight?”
“I just…” She turned her head up, but only saw the endless stretch of bleak, grey sky. “I thought I heard something…” Maybe it was just the stillness in the air that was freaking her out… but… the wind had sounded oddly like voices.
“I don’t hear anything,” Spike grumbled, climbing back into the front and fixing the blanket around him again.
The bare branches continued to squeak and shiver against one another, and Twilight grit her teeth while increasing her pace. The fur along her neck stood straight up in fear as the chill in the air seemed to drop even further. She tried to move as quietly as possible, but the freezing temperature only worked her harder as she trotted along, trying to navigate her way towards a castle that she didn’t know the location of.
With a sudden gust, the wind blasted her with frozen air, causing Spike to cry out and Twilight to stop in her tracks with a yelp. The moaning in the trees became shrill, a sound that sent a shiver along her spine. She no longer believed they were alone in the woods.
A shriek from above caused her to turn, and Twilight ducked when something dove toward her. It flew past, leaving a trail of white, misty frost that floated to the ground. She followed the wispy form with her eyes only for a second before bolting between the trees, spurred on by the wailing shrieks of the creatures as they gave chase.
“Windigo!” Spike cried out unnecessarily in his panic, drawing her attention back to them as they gave chase behind the cart. One of the spiraling forms shot through the air toward her, and she let out a shocked cry and tried to dive away, but only wound up getting jerked back by the harness. The windigo missed her and shot through one of the wooden poles, splintering it into shards and throwing Twilight into a confusing tumble as the cart toppled on its side with Spike still inside.
The pole she was still attached to pulled her into a heavy snowbank, but she scrambled up while tearing frantically at the twisted belt in her attempt to escape. The howling winds around her grew louder while her fur frosted over from the frigid air.
Pausing only for a moment to work the buckle with her magic, the strap finally opened and fell away, and Twilight dashed to the cart to scoop a disoriented Spike onto her back. Twilight sprinted over the snow and ran into the trees, losing her way entirely as she blindly tried to escape.
The wind howled in her ears as she galloped on and kept her eyes ahead, too afraid to look back. Why the windigo were chasing them, Twilight couldn’t fathom. They were normally drawn to hatred and anger… unless in a forest where no pony dwelled, fear was just as good a meal as any.
Her face was numb as she wove through the trees, slipping on the snow-covered carpet of dead leaves and twigs. She could only see bare branches reaching into the sky around her no matter where she turned. Everything blurred together and looked exactly the—
“Twilight!” Spike’s voice shouted in her ear, and she felt a tug when he pulled on her mane to force her gaze up. Her eyes widened at the shape of something dark towering above the trees, and she veered in that direction, the windigo howling as they swarmed behind her.
It wasn’t long until she saw the rusted gates, nearly hidden and overgrown with twisted and dead vines. One of them leaned at a warped angle, creating a gap that Twilight gunned for once she spotted it. Her breath escaped in panicked gasps as the cold air burned in her lungs. She was so close to the entrance when the windigo swooped past her.
Twilight cried out as pain shot through her hind leg, and a numbness in her hoof caused her footing to slip. Even with her limping gait, she kept up her determined gallop, spurred on by the towering sight of the Beast’s castle.
But at the last moment, she slipped and stumbled to the ground, rolling into a ball before slamming against the heavy gates. The rusted metal shrieked in complaint from her impact, and she felt Spike’s claws tugging at her wings to pull her up. It only took a shake of her head to regain her senses, and with a leap through the small gap, Twilight finally tumbled to a heap against a snow-covered walkway. She collapsed against the ground with her eyes screwed shut.
“Twilight,” Spike said while shaking her shoulder softly. “It’s okay, they’re gone!”
Twilight slowly cracked open her eyelids and turned her head to look back at the gate. Spike was right, but she was still shocked to find nothing there… the windigo appeared to have given up in their pursuit.
“Where did they go?” Twilight gasped softly.
Spike shrugged, turning with an apprehensive look toward the castle before them. “They just flew off… and I can kind of see why.” He pointed to the dark walls that towered above them. “I think the forest looks more inviting than that place.”
“We have to go in.” Twilight frowned, wincing when she stood up and tapped her frozen hoof against the stones to crack through the thin ice that covered it. Shivering and trembling from cold and fatigue, Twilight trudged toward the large wooden doors with Spike by her side.
Her heavy breathing was loud in the quiet of the courtyard, and when she lifted her hoof to pound the iron knocker against the wood, she could hear the deep echo from inside the castle.
“H-hello?” Twilight called out, not certain what she was meant to say. She was too exhausted to think straight. “We lost our way in the woods… and we were chased by windigo. Can we—” Twilight didn’t finish her sentence when she heard a loud click, followed by the terrible squeal of ancient hinges as the door slowly swung open, just wide enough for her and Spike to enter. They exchanged a nervous glance before shuffling inside.
The cold of the ice and snow immediately begin to thaw. While there was still a chill to the air, it was not the freezing temperature of what waited outside.
“Hello?” Twilight called again as she stepped further in, moving her head in an arc to view the enormous entryway. With the cascading staircase that met in the center, faded crimson rugs lining the floor and portraits of noble ponies adorning the walls… it almost reminded her of a gloomier Canterlot Castle.
Her ear twitched at the sound of whispering from somewhere within, but a quick sweep with her eyes revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Of course, she hadn’t expected it to be obvious. The residents of the castle had all been enchanted.
The door gave a shrill squeal as it swung shut with a noisy bang. Yelping loudly, Twilight jumped and spun around, but her eyes only landed on Spike.
“Spike!” she hissed softly.
“Aah… sorry.” He grinned apologetically. “The cold was getting in.”
Shaking her head with a sigh, Twilight stepped into the center of the foyer and tried to search for signs of life… but she couldn’t tell the difference between the magical furniture and normal objects. Nothing moved or even breathed as she stepped quietly by. She eventually just walked over to a lone table and whispered timidly, “H-hello?”
“What ‘cha doing?”
“YAAAAHH!!!” Twilight sprang several feet into the air, landing with her wings flared and her back arched. Her eyes scoured the area for whoever—or whatever—had spoken.
“Down here!” a voice cheerfully sang from below, and Twilight looked down to see an old clock with wood paneling that was dyed pink. Colorful balloons were etched into the face and hands, and she blinked at the strange familiarity of it. As she stared, the clock suddenly hopped of its own accord. “Hiya!”
“GAH!” Twilight scrambled backward, stumbling right into another object that gave off a startled squeak.
“Oh, excuse me…” a pale coat rack with butterfly patterns stammered softly, and Twilight backed away, only to bump right into Spike, who was staring with wide eyes at the moving objects.
“Hey!” The clock that had first greeted her bounced closer. “Are you here to break the spell?”
“Of course not, Pinkie!” A candlestick with flames aglow in multiple colors slid down the banister on the stairs and soared through the air in a practiced arc before it hit the floor, landing perfectly next to the clock in front of Twilight. “She just wandered in out of the cold!”
“Oh dear, she must be—” The Fluttershy-turned-coat-rack had started to mumble when Pinkie interjected.
“That’s right! You must be freezing!”
“Umm… yes. We got lost in the snow…” Twilight explained. “And chased by windigo…”
“Then hurry up and get warm by the fire!” Pinkie bounced around behind her and started pushing at her leg. “According to my face, it’s time for a celebration! That means there’s cake!”
“Your face is broken…” The Rainbow Dash candlestick hopped along after them, followed by the slow shuffling of Fluttershy. “It’s always party time to you!”
“Umm… are you sure that’s safe?” Fluttershy whispered. “I don’t think the master will like it.”
“But we can’t just kick them out!” Pinkie hopped ahead, already leading them up the stairs. “If they leave cold and hungry, the windigo will just chase them back anyway!”
“Oh! I guess you’re right…” Fluttershy seemed satisfied by that answer, and Twilight watched with interest as her altered form moved up the stairs before following after them.
Pinkie steered them in the direction of a large den. With a grand fireplace set into the wall already well stoked, the chill from outside was only a fading memory as Twilight defrosted in the glow.
“Sit here! It’s nice and toasty!” Pinkie jumped up onto a chair near the fire, and the springy cushion flung her into the air. She would have shot right up to the ceiling if she hadn’t been caught by the spindly arms of Fluttershy.
Twilight settled hesitantly into the seat while Spike plopped down on the footrest and flopped onto his stomach, sighing as the warmth of the fireplace washed over him.
“If you want… I can take your clothes?” Fluttershy hesitantly reached out with a wooden peg. “They look awfully cold and wet.”
“Thank you.” Twilight unwound the scarf from her neck and pulled her boots off, wrapping them all in her cloak before giving them to Fluttershy. As she disappeared around the back of the chair, a metal tea cart suddenly bounced into view, and the kettle sitting on top of it hopped up with a loud whoop.
“Would you like somethin’ to warm ya up on the inside, sugarcube?” she asked in an unmistakable drawl that Twilight instantly recognized. “I got some cider fresh outta the pot.” The kettle then leaned over and poured the steaming liquid into a giggling teacup, one that jumped over the tray and bounced into Twilight’s lap, babbling excitedly.
“Flurry Heart!?” Twilight scooped up the teacup that spilled hot cider over her, but she didn’t care. She carefully pressed Flurry against her cheek and felt a tingling warmth as she received what must have been an enchanted object’s version of a kiss.
“Okay…” Spike chuckled as Flurry wriggled out of Twilight’s hug and jumped onto his open palm. “That’s way weirder than a dolphin…”
The others didn’t appear to notice their strange reunion, and continued serving their guests without concern. Fluttershy returned with a pair of warm blankets, while Pinkie dished out a fluffy strawberry cake. Just as Twilight was about to enjoy it, however, the doors to the den burst open, and a strong draft caused the fireplace to sputter and extinguish. All of her enchanted friends froze, and Twilight gulped quietly.
She had nearly forgotten about the arrival of the beast.
Outlined by the stronger light spilling in from the entrance, a shadow swept across the room, and Twilight caught a brief glimpse of a large, hulking form as the heavy hoofsteps stomped her way. She didn't even have time to prepare herself before he appeared around the chair.
Two large, clawed appendages reached out and gripped the delicate fabric of the arms, and her eyes widened as she leaned back to take in the sight of Sombra towering above her. He stood on his hind legs like a minotaur, and his mane extended into a shaggy ruff that ran beneath a ragged cloak. Though he appeared more beastly from his transformation, she could still see a familiar resemblance in his face and horn.
“You're safe?” His thick eyebrows were furrowed with concern, although it was difficult to read his expression with the way his enlarged fangs protruded over his lip.
Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but the words immediately died in her throat when he lifted a paw to her cheek and delicately touched her face. Her gaze moved up in surprise while Sombra’s mouth curled down in an angry frown.
“Why didn't you tell me that kiss was so important?” He leaned over her with a growl.
“I… I didn't know,” Twilight stammered. “Not until it was too late.”
Sombra wrinkled his nose with a look of disgust. “I thought something was wrong, I just... didn't expect that. When I saw you in pain...” His voice faltered, and a strange look crossed his face. “I thought the kiss might help you... since it worked when that bug did it.”
It took her a moment to actually recall the final events from The Snow Queen. Her thoughts were too distracted by the feeling of Sombra’s palm still touching her cheek. With her heart pounding slightly, she reached up to touch his arm and felt him tense beneath her hooves. “I’m sorry. By the time I realized, the storybook wouldn’t let me warn you.”
Sombra pulled his claws away with a gruff snort. “Well, these stories do seem to be wound in an endless string of possibilities. At least... the kiss appears to have worked.”
“Thank you,” Twilight said, looking up at him with a warm smile. Sombra grunted, scratching at his rough beard and looking like he wanted to say something more, but Spike’s voice broke through the quiet before he could speak.
“So uh, what do we do now?”
“Oooh!” Pinkie bounced up on the footrest next to him. “I bet she’s the one that can break the spell!”
Twilight blinked at Pinkie before lifting her gaze to stare at the rest of her enchanted friends. Her face grew warm when she became aware of the fact that they had been quietly watching the entire time.
“You,” Sombra growled, pointing a wicked claw at Spike, “go back to town.”
“What!? No way! I’m not leaving Twilight—wha—hey!” Spike shouted and kicked as Sombra effortlessly picked him up by his tail and turned toward the doorway with a surprising speed.
“Sombra!?” Twilight yelled, carefully setting Flurry Heart down on Applejack’s cart before jumping over the side of the chair to charge after them. “What are you doing? Put him down!”
“Sire!” Applejack called to him from the top of her cart. “They didn’t mean anything against you! They were only lookin’ for shelter from the cold!”
Sombra let out a frustrated growl and stomped out into the hall. “I don’t care about this nonsense! He is not supposed to be here!”
“What do you mean!?” Twilight paused only briefly when the realization hit, but quickly sprinted after Sombra before he could disappear down the stairs. “You’ve... read this story?”
“I am familiar with it—GRAH!” Sombra lifted Spike, who was growling and chomping down on Sombra’s fist. With his other hand, he grabbed Spike by the nape of his neck and held him at a safe distance. “I can only assume that you are the beauty that remains here at the castle… alone.”
Twilight nearly tripped down the steps while Sombra quickly descended with his longer gait. She couldn’t decide which to be more surprised by: that he appeared to have read this story, or that he had referred to her as 'the beauty.'
The loud squeal of the heavy front doors broke her from her daze when Sombra pulled them open and disappeared beneath the archway. With a start, Twilight sprang into the air and fluttered to the landing before diving through the doorway and out into the courtyard.
By the time she made it outside, Sombra was already tossing Spike into the carriage. He slammed the door shut, and the rickety wheels creaked to life, rolling the cart forward and slowly moving toward the entrance gates of its own accord.
“Spike!” Twilight soared past Sombra, but didn’t make it very far when his claws closed around her middle. She grunted and kicked her legs as he easily carried her back, and Twilight had to twist carefully in his grip to watch while the carriage passed through the gates, which opened with a rusty squeal before clanging shut.
She rounded on him when he trudged back inside. “I can’t believe you did that!”
“He will be fine. This is the way the story is supposed to go,” Sombra grumbled, lumbering up the steps of the foyer with her still in his grip.
“But you didn’t have to send him away!” Twilight shouted, her loud voice echoing through the castle hallways. “He was only worried about me!”
Sombra swung her up to face him and shouted, “And you think I’m not!?” His snout twisted in a scowl. “I just…” he rumbled, his fierce expression faltering while he dragged his free claw down the side of his face. “I don’t want anything to go wrong,” he muttered softly.
Twilight stared back in wide-eyed silence, her lips forming a small 'o' while Sombra averted his gaze. Lowering her ears, Twilight moved her hooves to gently touch his arm. “We’ll be okay this time, I promise,” she reassured him, but at her words, Sombra’s mouth set into a determined frown, and he turned to stomp back up the stairs without releasing her.
“Uhm… Sire? If you just—” Fluttershy’s spindly form peeked around a corner, and she merely squeaked and hopped away when Sombra snorted in her direction.
“These servants are very persistent,” Sombra grumbled as he stomped away. “I don’t remember them being this annoying from the story…”
Twilight craned her neck to see her enchanted friends following after them, trying to get his attention. While the Beast in the story had at least been willing to listen, Sombra was more content to simply ignore them, but it reminded her of the burning question she’d had earlier.
“I thought you said you didn’t bother with fairy tales?” Twilight asked.
“I liked the sound of this one,” Sombra simply said with a frown, turning back to snarl at her friends and causing them to halt in their tracks. Only the quiet tap of Flurry Heart jumping along the floor followed after them as he lumbered down the hallway and moved up a spiraling staircase.
Twilight watched Flurry Heart with a curious expression as she carefully hopped up the steps behind them. “You’re not putting me in the dungeon?”
“I am a beast—” Sombra smirked at her surprise when she recognized the line from the original tale “—not a monster.” He eventually climbed onto the landing and set her outside a large door that led to what was intended to be her room. “Besides, this is how the story goes.”
“Technically, we meet in the dungeon first—” Twilight’s voice turned into a surprised squeak when Sombra opened the door and pushed her inside with a growl.
“Stay here.” He pointed to the floor before tapping his claws together, suddenly appearing nervous. “And… maybe, if you... feel up to it...” Sombra started, and Twilight turned around to face him while Flurry hopped into the room with a giggle. “I was thinking—that is... since we will eventually get there anyway—so it’s not as if I have a choice, but…” Sombra scratched at the bridge of his nose with his gaze turned to the wall, as if it were more interesting than looking at her directly. “I was hoping you could... perhaps… join me for dinner?”
Twilight’s ears flattened, and she remained silent while she lowered her gaze. She took so long to reply that Sombra eventually turned to face her. “Your answer?”
“I don’t want to,” Twilight grumbled.
Sombra wrinkled his snout, "You're... not upset about your dragon, are you?"
Twilight swung her head up. "His name is Spike! And why shouldn't I be?"
Sombra’s face contorted, looking like he was ready to bite off somepony’s head. “You—” he hissed quietly. “Because I was helping!”
“By sending him away!?” Twilight glared at him, and Sombra scowled back just as fiercely.
“You know that’s how the story is written!” Sombra yelled.
“And you should know this is how the script goes!” Twilight shouted back. “So I WON’T be having dinner with you!”
Sombra’s jaw worked in a silent, furious snarl, his claws flexing as he moved them to his mane and pulled at it in frustration. “FINE!!!” He finally shouted with a roar, stomping out into the hallway. “I don’t care if you STARVE!!!”
“We both know I can’t starve anyway!” Twilight yelled, wincing when he slammed the door, causing the walls to shudder. From the sound of his fading hoofsteps, he was already well on his way down the staircase.
With a huff, Twilight stomped toward the door, then lifted her hoof to try the knob. When it remained shut tight, she tried pulling on it, but it only jittered in place.
“That—! What—!?” Twilight sputtered and backed away in disbelief. “He locked me in!”
She whipped around and angrily bucked the door, hitting it a few times for good measure, even though it showed no signs of buckling. Her frenzied banging quickly faded into half-hearted kicks, and with a soft growl, she sauntered over to the bed, climbing up and flopping over the sheets with an exasperated sigh.
Flurry’s small form clinked when she bounced across the floor, jumping up to land safely on the bed with her. She moved quietly to Twilight’s side and snuggled beneath her wing as comfortably as a teacup could.
Twilight picked her head up and nuzzled the small cup, smiling sadly at her enchanted niece. “I’m glad you’re here, Flurry. I’m just sorry you have to be stuck like that.”
Flurry Heart wiggled about with a soft giggle, not seeming to be disturbed or disheartened by her situation at all.
Twilight felt a small wave of relief, thankful that her niece was safe… and largely unaffected by the events of the last fairy tale. Since she had been elsewhere, Flurry had been spared the horror of watching Twilight’s near-transformation into seafoam. Her mind was still young, and seeing something like that might have had adverse effects. Not that it hadn’t disturbed Twilight herself or even Spike...
Twilight’s ears perked at a sudden thought.
Could that explain why Sombra seemed to be acting… overprotective? While Twilight had been around to reassure Spike and vice-versa, Sombra had started in the castle alone to stew over what he’d witnessed. Although—despite his concerns—that didn’t give him an excuse to send Spike off the way he did.
She just had to talk some sense into him and somehow assure him that this fairy tale would be different. They couldn’t just avoid the rest of the story out of fear of what might happen. She had no doubt that they could reconcile without more arguing... and the story might see it as progress between the two of them as characters! If she just agreed to the dinner…
Twilight smacked herself in the forehead, suddenly aggravated that she’d been too blinded by her anger to see the sensible solution. There might have been another way, and she’d just passed it up.
She needed to find Sombra and apologize… if they went through with the dinner scene, then the rest of the story might go on without a hitch.
“Alright…” Twilight stood up with a determined frown, before blinking down at Flurry Heart when she whined. Even though she was a teacup, she appeared to shiver from the loss of Twilight’s warmth against her. As Twilight picked up the blankets to fold them over her cold niece, she had another thought and peered intensely at the comforter. “This isn’t a magically changed pony too, is it?”
“Oh, heavens no!” a tired voice yawned from nearby, as if somepony were just waking up.
Twilight’s head whipped around to the source of the voice and found a tall vanity against the wall. She stared with wide eyes until the furnishing moved the large, central mirror in a way that could have been a bow or a nod. “Linens and clothing are one hundred percent unenchanted. Thank goodness for that too, otherwise, formal affairs would be incredibly awkward.”
Twilight carefully shifted away from Flurry Heart after tucking her beneath the blanket and slid off the bed, cautiously stepping closer to Rarity. It was hard not to notice the design of her cutie mark bordering the mirror’s frame. “Are all the furniture in the castle enchanted ponies?” Twilight spared a glance back at the bed.
“Not everything used to be a pony, darling. Some of it is just regular furniture. When all of the staff were enchanted along with the master, we combined with objects associated with the roles of our jobs here in the castle.” The smaller mirrors moved to cradle the larger one. “We’ve been trapped this way for so long, it’s absolutely dreadful.” There was a pause as the Rarity-Vanity’s mirror swiveled as if looking around before giving a forlorn sigh. “If only I still had my fainting couch. Though with the way I am, I suppose Davenport wouldn’t appreciate me squashing him flat.”
“Is there any way to break the spell?” Twilight asked, even though she was certain she already knew the answer.
Rarity sighed. “The master must find somepony who will truly love him; only then will the curse be broken.” Her voice turned gruff. “So we have all just about given up on returning to our former selves. As much as we might support him, we know him too well to expect he might be able to find somepony special that will look past that rash, uncouth manner; not to mention all the skulking—”
Twilight cleared her throat and Rarity jumped with a heavy thud that shook the floor. “Terribly sorry,” she said. “He would just look so much nicer if he let me pick something out for him. Speaking of…” Rarity moved with a surprising grace for a piece of furniture and pulled a dress from one of her large drawers. “Do please allow me to find an ensemble for you to wear? Perhaps a nice dinner gown?”
“Umm...” Twilight backed up a step, knowing how Rarity could get when it came to her fashion visions. “Maybe later… If I can’t get out of here, then there’s not going to be any dinner.”
“You want to leave? So soon?” Rarity gasped, sounding disappointed.
“I don’t want to leave.” Twilight shook her head. “I just need to get out of this room.”
Before she could even start looking for possible escape routes, her ears perked at a loud click, and the door to her room softly creaked open. Through the narrow gap, Pinkie suddenly fell inside with a clatter, but bounced up while happily shouting, “Surprise!”
“Pinkie?” Twilight trotted up to her friend. “How did you get the door open?”
“I used my hands!” Pinkie jumped around her hooves while Twilight stared at her in surprise. She wasn’t really sure Pinkie knew what those were… but that still didn’t explain how she’d opened the lock.
“We figured you could use a bite to eat.” Applejack hopped into the room, followed by Rainbow Dash and a hesitant Fluttershy as she only peeked inside.
She wasn’t actually hungry, but Twilight needed to find Sombra; and to do that, she just had to slip away from her friends. “I am a bit hungry,” Twilight lied, knowing full well the dinner would turn into a complete song and dance—a perfect distraction for her escape.
“Great!” Pinkie jumped up with excitement. “We can throw you a welcome party in the dining room!”
“Pinkie Pie, do try to keep it under control,” Rarity pleaded while Flurry Heart popped up from the covers at the mention of a party. “If the master hears, there will be no telling what he’ll do.”
“Of course!” Pinkie began hopping towards the doorway, followed closely by an excited Flurry Heart. Twilight scooped her up before she could bounce past them. “We’ll make it a secret party! And the master is secretly invited!” She stopped in the doorway. “You too, Rarity!”
“Then I secretly accept.” Rarity sighed, waving a mirror as Twilight followed her group of enchanted friends to the dining room. Though the castle appeared huge, it didn’t feel so big when moving with a group that knew their way around. When they arrived, the place was dark, but as rows of candles lit along the walls, the gloominess faded away to reveal an elegant table with a sparkling chandelier hanging from the tall ceiling.
“My lady.” Rainbow Dash pulled out a chair and bowed to Twilight. She set Flurry atop the table and stepped up onto the soft cushion. Twilight had only settled in for a second before a loud explosion rocked her off the seat, her nerves rattling as little bits of confetti floated over her.
“Surprise!” Pinkie yelled while bouncing up and down on a large blue canon. “Did that surprise you? Huh? Did it?”
“Y-yes…” Twilight stammered from the floor.
“Pinkie!” Applejack yelled. “It was supposed to be quiet! And it ain’t much of a surprise if you blast her in the face.”
“I know! But she didn’t know it was a surprise, and that’s the surprise!” Pinkie giggled with delight while bouncing around. “The cake cannon doesn’t have to be a surprise, though! Let me get it!”
“NO!” the others all shouted in unison and charged after her before Pinkie could get away.