//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Arrival // Story: Spero // by Piemaster128 //------------------------------// “You ruined the moment, Rainbow.” Sparrow closed his eyes, groaned, and shook his head, his hoof between his eyes. Less than three seconds after Twilight had put on the ring, Rainbow had charged Sparrow, only to be stopped in midair by her leg band. “Still, I am glad to see you have accepted my proposal Twilight,” he said, opening his eyes again. “I promise, you will not regret this.” His eyes met hers, and Twilight could see relief and a good amount of excitement in those orange orbs. It was actually a bit disconcerting to be able to read his emotions so easily. Celestia and Luna usually hid their's so well. He was so open with them that she actually felt uncomfortable and broke eye contact, instead turning towards her friends. Despite Sparrow’s obvious happiness, comforting tone, and gentle smile, Twilight still felt the weight of her decision in the looks her friends gave her. Rainbow looked furious, but more at Sparrow than at Twilight, and was trying to hold back tears. Applejack had her hat pulled down, hiding her expression from view. Rarity looked like she was trying REALLY HARD not to faint again. Fluttershy looked sad, but also understanding, and was doing her best to grin. And Pinkie…Pinkie was smiling a sad smile as she cried, as if she knew this would be the outcome, but was also relieved in some way. “I have one condition,” Twilight said, trying to keep her voice from trembling. “I…I need to say goodbye to my friends before I go.” Sparrow nodded. “A very reasonable condition.” As though on cue, Rainbow Dash returned to the ground. “I will give you some time while I order the withdrawal.” He stepped to the side, allowing the girls a direct path to Twilight. They wasted no time in charging her and tackling her in a hug. Over the tangle of multi-colored manes and forelegs covering her face, Twilight saw Sparrow smile, almost sweetly, and call Right Word to his side. “Celestia damn it, Twilight,” Rainbow half-yelled, half-cried as she squeezed the purple alicorn. “Why!? Why are you going with him!?” “I need to,” Twilight said, her own eyes watering as she relished in the hug they were giving her, the feeling of their forelegs around her… “I need to know why he’s doing this, and there’s no other way to free Equestria. I…I wish there was, but we can’t beat him. You know we can’t.” She tapped Rainbow’s leg band. Rainbow just hugged her tighter. “It’s very selfless of you, Twilight,” Fluttershy whispered. “Please be careful…” “Don’t let that barbarian lay a hoof on you! Aim below the belt if you need to!” Rarity said, her makeup running. “We’ll miss you,” Applejack said, her voice quivering. “You’ll be ok,” Pinkie whispered. “I’ll see you all again,” Twilight whispered. “I know I will…” No more words were spoken between the girls. No more words needed to be spoken. They just sat there on the ground, hugging until they heard Sparrow speak up again. “My ponies are retreating. I am afraid that…it is time to go.” He sounded genuinely apologetic, but that didn’t make letting go any less painful. Regardless, Twilight focused on giving her friends one last big hug. She wished she had gotten a chance to do this with Shining, Cadence, Flurry Heart, Starlight…but they were still hours away at the Crystal Empire. At least she had been able to spend an hour that morning saying goodbye to her parents and the princesses. With one final goodbye, she stood up, and slowly left the comfort of her friends’ grasp. She didn’t look back towards Canterlot, towards her mentors or her parents, or even towards her friends as she approached Sparrow, afraid that if she looked back, she might just collapse from sadness. Sparrow stood nearby, ready and waiting as his soldiers vanished in flashes of orange and blue magic until only he was left. Twilight knew she wasn’t ready, but she had a deal to uphol— “TWIIIILIIIIGHT!” Twilight’s head whipped around so fast her mane was flung into her face. But even that couldn’t distract her from the voice she had just heard. Just down the road and LIMPING towards her was— “SPIKE!” Twilight yelled in surprise and horror. If he was limping, then he was HURT! For the first time in days, the deal, the goodbye, everything left her mind as she made a mad dash for the small dragon, his safety her only concern. As she approached, her panic doubled as he got closer and his injuries became more apparent. Spike looked HORRIBLE! His leg was in some sort of brace made of tree bark and vines, and his arm was in a sling made of a dirty piece of cloth. He was covered in bruises, he had a black circle over his left eye, and he looked like he was missing a few patches of scales. Twilight barely remembered to stop and not crush him in a hug. “What HAPPENED!?” she cried as she came to a skidding halt in front of him, grabbing him in her magic and starting to assess the damage. “Did the soldiers do this to you?! Did you get in a fight with a manticore?! How are you even HERE!?” “Twilight, relax,” Spike said, giving her a lopsided smile. “I’m ok—” “You broke your ARM and your LEG! And you were just WALKING ON THE BROKEN LEG! THAT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AS BEING OK!!!!!” “Twilight, I don’t believe holding him upside down is going to help,” Sparrow called out. She turned to see him coming up behind her. Celestia, Luna, her parents, and her friends were running to catch up, not far behind him. Twilight blinked, looked back at Spike, then flushed as she realized that she was in fact levitating Spike upside down. Quickly, yet gently, she righted him, but didn’t let him go. “Though I also wish to know what happened,” Sparrow continued. “If my soldiers were responsible, I need to know so I may reprimand whoever was behind this.” “Huh? No, no, it wasn’t a pony that was behind this…well, not intentionally, at least…” Spike chuckled awkwardly. Then he blinked. “Wait, your soldiers? What—” “Not INTENTIONALLY!?” Twilight cried in shock, cutting the dragon off and moving her face right next to his. “How does somepony NOT INTENTIONALLY BREAK A BABY DRAGON’S LEG!?!?!?” Twilight knew her right eye was twitching, but she didn’t care. “It was my idea!” Spike exclaimed, waving his healthy arm frantically. “I had Starlight and Sunburst teleport me to Canterlot, but they…missed.” “Define ‘missed,’” Sparrow said with a raised eyebrow as he arrived followed shorty by the rest of Twilight’s family. “Also, I will explain what I mean by 'my soldiers’ once I hear what happened to you." “Um, ok, I guess. I…well, I appeared five feet from the edge of Canterlot, fell into the waterfall, and…kinda took a fast trip down the side of the mountain. I spent the last two days walking, er, limping, back up here. I was hoping there might be a passing pony that I could get a ride from, but the road was deserted.” Twilight looked at Sparrow, who swallowed and bowed his head towards her. “I had no idea that he would be coming, and the fact that your student and her friend managed to teleport him such a distance without aid from my magic was quite impressive. Had I known, I would have sent one of my soldiers to pick him up. I apologize for making him walk back up the side of the mountain, especially given his injuries.” Spike raised an eyebrow at his response. “Um, not to be rude, but, who are you? And, wait, you’re an alicorn!” He exclaimed in surprise. “Yes. Yes I am. My name is Credence Sparrow,” the alicorn said with a small bow. “I am the king of the distant island of Delubrum. The soldiers who were temporarily stationed in Equestria were my own, and, as I promised Twilight, they have now withdrawn so that we may return to my home. Also, Twilight…will be accompanying me as well.” Twilight felt the sadness that had filled her just a few minutes before come flooding back, nearly threatening to overwhelm her. She had to leave Equestria, and now Spike was here just as she was about to be taken away. She would only get a few more minutes to see him before she was forced to leave him behind… An incredible sense of guilt washed over her, making the terrible feeling inside her even worse. For three days, she had fretted over this decision, and she had been so caught up in her fears and worries that she had barely even thought of Spike. She hadn’t even left a letter for him, hadn’t even written a simple apology for not giving him one last goodbye. She hadn’t even requested Sparrow to have his soldiers deliver a letter to him! Even if he had said no, she could have at least TRIED! But no, she hadn’t done that. And now, he had arrived just in time to see her off. Oh Celestia, how am I supposed to explain that I am now WILLINGLY ENGAGED to Sparrow!? Tears began to flow as she let her head hang, trying in some small way to hide the pain from those around her. The sadness spiraled out of control so much that she almost missed Spike’s next words as he continued to speak to Sparrow. “No, seriously, who are you?” Twilight looked up just in time to see Sparrow looking taken aback, and then utterly confused. “Ummmmm…the comedic relief?” he said uncertainly, shrugging. Pinkie and Rainbow both snorted and Spike raised his eyebrow as far as his bruised face would let it go. “Isn’t that Pinkie’s job? Or Cheese Sandwich’s?” Sparrow scratched the back of his head in a level of embarrassment Twilight hadn’t thought was possible for him to achieve. “Perhaps…But I was never very good at improvisation. Despite how crazy it might sound, I was telling the truth. I am the one in change of the soldiers, and Twilight has agreed to come with me in exchange for their withdrawal.” “That’s impossible,” Spike said confidently. “Twilight wouldn’t just leave Equestria to go with some pony she could have only known for a few days. Right, Twilight?” Twilight couldn’t answer him. How could she, when her mouth refused to even squeak? When her only thoughts were on how much it would hurt him he realized Sparrow was telling the truth? When she was forced to leave him behind as she traveled to a new and unknown land? She couldn’t make the words come out, and the deafening silence let her know that nopony else could either. Spike turned to look at her with his good eye, mouth open like he was ready to ask what was wrong, but as the silence stretched longer, Twilight could almost see the words die on his lips. He turned, looking at the rest of the assembled ponies, but no one could meet his eyes as tears began to flow for them just as they had for Twilight. “We…had an agreement…” Sparrow answered at last. His voice was gentle, caring, but marked with sadness and regret as well. But said regret did nothing to ease the pain in Twilight’s heart. “Twilight has accepted my engagement ring in exchange for me pulling my troops from Equestria. I am sorry you had to find out this way…” Snapping his head back to Twilight, Spike’s gaze traveled up to her horn, his eyes widening in shock as he spotted the ring at last. Twilight let her head fall, unable to watch the realization sink in. For almost a minute, there was complete and utter silence. And then- “Oh, HELL NO!” “Spike, language!” Velvet exclaimed nearby before immediately covering her mouth with a hoof. Twilight knew saying that was her default reaction whenever she heard a child use such language. Regardless, she was promptly ignored by the small dragon. “You’re not taking her!” Spike yelled, managing to limp between Twilight and Sparrow. Twilight tried to tell him to stop, that he might aggregate his injuries, but her mouth still refused to form words. “She has already agreed,” Sparrow said calmly. “And I plan to gift her friends and family with a device that will allow you to see her and speak to her as often as you like. I know that will not be the same, and that you will likely hate me either way, but know that I Pinkie Promise you will see her again, and that I shall protect her so long as I draw breath.” "And no pony breaks a Pinkie Promise,” Pinkie said with a firm nod. “Even I know better than to risk that,” Sparrow agreed. Yet despite the strength of such a promise, Spike remained unmoved, simply growling at Sparrow. “I-I need to go with him…” Twilight whispered, her voice returning as nothing more than a soft whisper. “I-I’m sorry.” She gently wrapped her wings around the injured dragon. Spike let her pull him to her chest, looking between her and Sparrow as she held him for what she hoped wouldn’t be the final time. “If she’s going, then so am I!” Spike exclaimed. A series of gasps rang out around the farewell party and Twilight’s head shot up in shock. “Spike…you can’t,” Twilight said, her eyes watering harder now as she instinctively hugged him tighter. “I-I’m the only one that can go.” This was so much worse than saying goodbye to her friends. And that was already horrible beyond belief, Twilight thought, instinctively nuzzling the top of Spike’s head. “What…What is Spike to you, Twilight?” Sparrow asked. His face was conflicted, full of several different emotions that Twilight couldn’t read. “What is your relationship with him? I know that for years he has been a part of your family and has spent quite a few of those years as your assistant, but please tell me what he is to you. I cannot read your mind. I’m sorry — I know it is an odd question, but please help me understand your bond with him.” It was an odd question, and one that made her feel even worse as all of her happiest memories with Spike immediately came rushing to the surface of her mind. She closed her eyes, unable to look at him or Spike. “It’s…hard to say. H-He IS my assistant, technically, but that is only a small part of what he is to me. I…actually can’t think of any one way to d-describe it. He’s just…someone who's always been there for me. Ever since I got my cutie mark, he’s been there for me. Even as a hatchling, he was a reminder that I could do anything I put my mind to. That no spell, no challenge, was beyond my ability. I casted a spell that most adults could only ever dream of as a foal…and he…” The tears were flowing strongly now, and she couldn’t hide them anymore. “He gives me hope that I can overcome anything…even when I don’t have hope in m-myself…” It was quiet when she finished. All she could hear was sniffling, from herself and her friends and family nearby. But she didn’t want to look. She didn’t want another reminder that she and Spike were so special to everypony around them, not when she had to leave him and her other loved ones behind forever. “If that is how you view him…I can make an exception and allow him to accompany you, should he so choose,” Sparrow said gently. “WHAT!?” Twilight wasn’t sure what made her jump more — his declaration, or everypony’s response to it. Her eyes immediately scanned every inch of his face, searching for any small sigh that he was lying. But she found none. He was being genuine, and that realization relit some small spark of hope in her chest that perhaps her time away wouldn’t be so horrible after all. “OH, COME ON!” Rainbow yelled. “WHAT ABOUT US!?!?!” “Taking you would be removing all of Equestria’s best-known heroes in a single night, which would likely lead to a full-scale panic.” Sparrow said matter of factly. “There will already be enough panic when I leave with Twilight, regardless of my Pinkie Promise that you will all see her again one day. Spike, on the other hand, will not draw nearly as much panic should he choose to come. Make no mistake, all of you share incredibly amazing bonds with Twilight, but Spike and her share a special connection all their own. Frankly, I should have offered both him and Twilight this option from the start.” He bowed his head towards the purple alicorn. “For that, I do apologize.” “Seriously!? All this trouble and now I can go just like that?” Spike asked, glaring at Sparrow as Twilight tried to find her voice for what seemed like the fifth time in under ten minutes. “Just like that,” Sparrow said with a nod and a slight smile. “Plus, now that you are here, I can imagine you would try to smuggle yourself to my island even if I refused to take you. Better to just cut out the middle-mare, wouldn't you say?” He said with a wink. Did…Sparrow just make a joke? “If I’m allowed to go, then I’m going,” Spike said, his tone brokering no argument. “But you can’t!” Twilight protested, her new worry for Spike jump-starting her brain. “We don’t even know where I’m going! What if the island is dangerous, or the ponies have a habit of fighting dragons! Or, or…” “So it’s ok for YOU to go, then?” Spike countered. “If it’s so dangerous there, then I need to come so I can help protect you! Especially so I can make sure HE doesn’t try anything!” He pointed a sharp claw at Sparrow. “You tell him, Spike!” Rarity cheered, giving the large alicorn a glare as dangerously sharp as the gems on her flank. “How noble of you,” Sparrow said, smiling at the dragon with what almost seemed to be pride. “Truly, I am impressed that you would be so willing to leave your home behind so that you may continue to help Twilight. There are many creatures in this world that could learn quite a lot from your example. Other dragons, especially.” “Quiet, you,” Spike growled, seemingly ignoring the compliment. “I don’t know what your deal is, but if you’re taking Twilight, then I’m coming, end of discussion.” “But what about Ponyville? Our friends? Our family?” Twilight begged, crying harder now as she recalled everything she was about to leave. “You’ll lose them all…both of us shouldn't have to suffer the cost of this…” “That’s just all the more reason to come,” Spike said, pressing himself into Twilight’s embrace again. “You need me, and if you’re gonna lose all that, then you shouldn’t have to lose it alone. Besides, I’ll have you, and as long as we’re together, we’ll be ok!” He squeezed Twilight as tight as his damaged body would allow. Twilight sniffled, but hugged him back. She hated the idea of Spike suffering the same fate as herself, possibly even more so than the idea of leaving him behind, but it was his decision, and it would probably just hurt him more if she refused him. “Ok,” she whispered. “Just please don’t do anything crazy once we leave. You've been hurt enough already.” “How do you think I feel?” His laugh sounded pained. “I’m gone for less than a week, and look at the mess you’ve got yourself into! I’ll need to keep a close eye on you once we get there just to make sure you stay out of trouble.” “Oh, hush. I’m not the one with a broken arm AND leg. The first thing we need to do when we get there is find you a doctor.” “I’ll have a medic waiting,” Sparrow said, pulling out a piece of parchment and quickly scribbling something down. It vanished with a poof once he added the last period. “I’ll be certain that he receives the best medical care our island has to offer.” “Oh…thank you,” Twilight said reluctantly, moving to lift Spike to her back. Regardless of his kindness, most of her mind didn’t like the idea of thanking him for anything right now. Sparrow held out a wing to stop her. “Allow me to carry him, if you would. The teleportation magic I use is…jarring upon first exposure. Not so much for small distances, like last night, but for larger ones it can lead to severe disorientation. You both may fall over upon reaching my kingdom, and while I will do my best to steady you when we arrive, it will be safer for me to hold him so he isn’t accidentally dropped or jolted.” And with that said, he knelt down. It was...strange to see him like that. The ruler of a distant island who could defeat Celestia and Luna with a single spell kneeling before her, his massive wings splayed out to the sides and his head perfectly level with her own. Twilight also noticed for the first time that his orange and red striped mane and tail didn’t magically flow in the wind. They just sat there like a normal mane and tail. All of that together made him look almost normal. Not some imposing figure capable of summoning an orange sword and cleaving a creature made of pure fear in half. Not a king in control of a vast army. Just a pony kneeling before his princess. It was like he was trying to be humbled by her presence. Yet it felt familiar as well… Twilight shook her head to clear it. She didn't like the idea of having Sparrow hold Spike, especially as injured as he was, but she knew so little about the teleportation magic that she knew it would be better to be safe than sorry. Reluctantly, she helped Spike position himself onto the alicorn’s large back. Once he was secured, Sparrow stood up walked over to Twilight and wrapped his wing around her, pulling her close. They turned to face the rest of the gathered ponies. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Celestia, Luna, Mom, Dad…Twilight gave every pony around her one last loving look. So this was it… “I-I love you all. I-I’ll miss you,” she said quietly, earning one last nod of agreement from everyone around her. “Oh, before I forget,” Sparrow said, lighting his horn. The glass communication orb floated out of Pinkie’s mane, rose into the air, and split into eight identical balls. Each of the girls got one, as did Celestia, Luna, and Twilight’s parents. As the orbs settled into the girls’ hooves, the metal bands on their legs vanished. Rainbow immediately flared her wings, but a quick chomp on her tail from Applejack held her back as Sparrow spoke. “Now we must be off, but I have a feeling that we will meet again.” And with that, he, Twilight, and Spike were gone. ?????? Curse him, curse him, CURSE HIM! So close, SO CLOSE! Hope was within their grasp, and then that ACCURSED SPAWN OF TRUST APPEARED! Not even the daughters of the sun and moon knew they were here, and yet HE DID!? Worse yet, they had FELT Hope’s magic inside the ring, protecting her and buying time for him to appear. HOW DID SHE DO THAT!? How could she have had access to such power when she had been so firmly entrapped in their gaze!? And yet, it was not a total loss. They had felt Trust’s fear. Oh that WONDROUS FEAR! So much of it, so strong, so filling… Perhaps they should try a new approach… One that might allow it to feed on his FEAR for as long as they desired! That was SO MUCH BETTER.
 But it was too soon. They were still too weak, especially with hope still tainting their food supply. Yet they were patient. They had waited two thousand years for their revenge. What was a few more months? Yes. just a few more months. Trust’s love would grow and develop and deepen and flourish for his little Hope until he cared more about her than he did HIMSELF! THEN they would strike! Fear born from love was the strongest fear in existence! And it was SO EASY to HARVEST! Yes, this was PERFECT! Pitiful insects. Love was a useless emotion that only served to weaken those beneath them! Their fear would restore them to their rightful strength, their rightful place! Soon, this world would know their true ruler once again… An unknown location, possibly somewhere over the rainbow… Colors. So many colors. They flowed and twisted in all patterns and directions. They touched her, filled her, embraced her. She could hear a voice calling out to her, whispering sweet reassurances as the colors swirled and danced. She would be ok. She would be safe. She would understand. But then, all at once, the colors vanished, leaving her alone and strangely cold. She fell, where or why, she didn't know. Her eyes couldn’t make sense of the scene before her. But then, she stopped. There was a slight ‘poomf’ as she landed on something…soft. So very soft. Softer than a cloud. It held her, cradled her, and let her sink into it at just the right amount. It was so comfy, she didn't even try to move. Why would she need to? A gentle murmur reached her ears. Was somepony speaking? Silly pony, the Princess of Friendshipping wasn't here right now. She was drifting away on a luxurious bundle of fluffy not-a-cloud. She giggled, her eyes still refusing to make pictures correctly. Or was it just that there was nothing to see now that the rainbow had left? The murmur reached her ears again, and something WARM covered her body. She sighed. She was resting on something soft and warm and fluffy, covered in something soft and warm and fluffy. So much fluff. She was in a fluffy sandwich! What a wonderful feeling. So wonderful in fact, she might just go to sleep right now. Yes, that seemed like a great idea. Her eyes were getting so heavy, and her thoughts were becoming so slow, but that was ok. She was in a warm fluffy place, a place where she would be safe. The quiet murmuring voice said so. With a small yawn, she closed her eyes, and drifted into a peaceful slumber, the worries of the waking world far behind her. Sparrow smiled as he looked down at the sleeping form of Twilight Sparkle. They had appeared right in the middle of the medical ward in his castle home, and Twilight had immediately collapsed. He had known this would happen, which is why he also teleported a mattress with them to catch her, but she appeared to be taking her first experience with the island’s magic better than he had hoped. She would still need to adapt to it, but the fact that she had managed to stay awake at all where as almost everypony else in Equestria would have immediately passed out was indeed very promising. “What in the name of Celestia…?” Spike groaned. Looking back, Sparrow could see that Spike’s eyes were spinning in different directions and his face looked a rather unsettling color of green. “Remember how I said the magic I use was jarring? That was an understatement, especially across such a distance. But don’t worry, you should be fine in a few hours. Your innate magical resistance is very high, even for a dragon, so that will help you reorient yourself. I assume Twilight’s method of hatching you is the reason for that.” “T-Twilight,” Spike murmured, trying to climb down and move towards his friend, but Sparrow levitated the dragon off his back and towards a waiting nurse instead. “She is more sensitive to my magic than you, so she may be asleep for a day or two. But rest assured, she will be fine. Once you have you have been given an examination and a real cast, you may see her for as long as you’d like.” He nodded to the nurse and she wheeled Spike away on a hospital bed. When they were out of view, Sparrow turned back to the very comfortable looking Twilight. She muttered something unintelligible and snuggled deeper into the blanket covered in peach tree images, smiling as she slept peacefully. Smiling himself, Sparrow levitated the mattress off the ground and made his way out of the medical ward, dodging nurses and the occasional bed with ease. Once outside, he turned left and began walking through the cobblestone castle. His hooves thumped softly as he walked, stopping now and again to greet passing ponies or to answer a question from one of his staff. Most of the ponies in the castle knew of the situation involving Twilight and were aware she would be arriving today, but at least half of the questions Sparrow fielded were from workers who were struggling to keep from staring. Whenever he passed a pony gaping open-mouthed at him, he couldn’t help but chuckle. Knowing they’d have a new resident is one matter, but seeing his new fiancé unconscious on a floating mattress certainly had to be an unusual sight, even for this island. He tried to explain as patiently as he could. Perhaps he’d have to make a formal announcement later to make sure all his staff knew of the situation. But presently, word of mouth would have to do. Eventually, he and the slumbering Twilight reached the upper level of the castle and the royal sleeping chambers. Sparrow stepped past his own room and continued down the hall, closing his eyes as he passed the next room at the middle of the hall. Even after all this time, he just couldn’t bring himself to look at the beautiful hoof-crafted doors. They still brought back too many memories. Taking a deep breath, Sparrow came to a stop at a set of large blue and gold doors, his magic reaching out and unlocking the door for the first time in centuries. Directly above the door stood an image of a constellation, golden lines connecting the stars until they created an image of two foals staring up at the North Star, signifying the hope every child felt when they gazed upon the stars for the first time. Even after all these years, Sparrow could never forget the meaning of that image. Nor could he escape the pain that flared in his heart upon seeing it. Shaking his head and bracing himself, he opened the door to the room that had been left unused for almost as long as he could remember, Twilight not far behind. The light blue paint on the cobblestone walls had barely faded, and the high ceiling, painted to look like the night sky, almost looked new. The glass door that led to the balcony had its curtain pulled back, allowing sunlight to flood the room. Beams of light fell on the well-stocked bookcase, the desk, the dresser, and the large bed covered with fluffy pillows, all of which had been meticulously kept dust-free over the years by his enchantments. The orange-pink color of the peach wood furniture and the closet and bathroom doors seemed to glow. It was just how she left it, down to the still-open spelunking book on the nearby table. Sparrow took several more deep breaths as he struggled to compose himself. This room always brought back memories, many good, but always overshadowed by those that still haunted his nightmares. In fact, this was the first time in centuries that the room did not reduce him to tears upon entering. Could it be because he knew that it would finally be used after all this time? No longer left empty and frozen in time, but filled with life and energy, a home to the pony he loved? The pony he loved who was currently murmuring something about pineapples and ancient runes in her sleep on the mattress behind him. Sparrow chuckled and finally managed to shake off his paralysis. He levitated the mattress to the bed, lowering it onto the mattress already on the bed frame to keep from disturbing Twilight. The purple princess muttered, unintelligibly this time, and rolled over, clutching the peach tree blanket to her chest tightly. Sparrow smiled as Twilight burrowed her nose in the fabric. Could she smell the fragrance that lingered in the cloth after all these years? The sweet fruity fragrance that Star had loved so much? He hoped so. That wondrous blend of peaches had always helped keep his nightmares at bay. Perhaps Twilight would come to love it just as much as he and Star had. Lighting his horn, Sparrow placed a few detection wards and protection spells around his sleeping fiancee. He could think of absolutely no reason why she would be in danger right now, but he wanted to be absolutely sure. After what had happened in Canterlot, he was willing to take no risk whatsoever in protecting her. He leaned down and gently placed a kiss on Twilight’s forehead, just below her horn, earning a happy murmur from the sleeping mare. “I promise,” he whispered, “when this is all over, I will make this up to you, somehow. Sleep well, my little star.” He turned away, leaving the peaceful mare to her dreams. Some time later, back in Canterlot… “Well, that explains a lot,” Discord said, frowning in contemplation. A rare sight indeed. He was with the princesses, the bearers, and Twilight’s parents in one of the castle’s sitting rooms. He had been released from his bubble prison just a short time ago, and had immediately teleported to Canterlot to try and figure out what in Chaos’s name was going on. Although he hadn't even been able to utter a single word before being tackled by a crying Fluttershy. That was never a good sign. And it was made worse by a straight-maned Pinkie crying nearby. And THEN it got even WORSE once he realized that they were short one nerdy princess, and that EVERYPONY was crying, even Celestia. In truth, there were very few times Discord had seen the monarch of the sun cry, so things must be serious indeed. The only answer he was able to get was that Twilight was gone, engaged to the alicorn stallion who had conquered Equestria. That had been enough to shock Discord into silence until they returned to the castle for a more detailed explanation. Well, that and have some tea to help them all calm down. Granted it WAS peanut-butter-and-chocolate tea conjured up with a snap of his talons, but it still got the job done. Yes, he was surprised he had that much patience too. But then again, seeing a crying Fluttershy can do a lot to you, and it was clear she would need some time before being ready to talk. Actually, everypony looked like they needed time, so he was glad they were willing to go that extra mile to actually tell him as much as they had already. As it was, Fluttershy was currently sleeping and clutching him like a giant teddy bear, wearing a pair of fuzzy earmuffs that Discord had poofed onto her head so he could get some more details without waking her up. Waking her would have just been mean. “What do you mean, Discord?” Celestia asked, her eyes still shining with tears. “Well, I was ambushed by a few of those guards you mentioned while I was on vacation, and they had this weird magic bubble thing that they used to hold me.” He summoned a miniature island with a tiny him on it relaxing, before the copy was suddenly trapped in a little bubble. “It was really quite annoying, especially considering the fact that the guards had the IQ of potatoes, so I may just be a liiiiitttttttllllllle bit more crazy than when I left. I swear, when I find that alicorn that sent them after me, I am going to encase him in a block asparagus flavored jello before tossing him to the moon! Or maybe into that pit full of stone heads that all scream at you for no reason. “Unless of course he turns out to be my parol officer…” Discord continued, scratching his chin in thought. “Your parol officer?” Luna blinked in surprise. “And what do you mean by that?” Waving the little island out of existence, Discord summarized his conversations with the strange figure that had threatened him after his reformation and had spoken with him again after the Tirek incident. “And you didn’t tell somepony about this BECAUSE WHY?” Velvet growled. “Because chances are that I wouldn't have been able to without being turned into a statue again!” Discord defended. “YOU spend a THOUSAND YEARS as a statue, with your nose itching after only FORTY-TWO YEARS, THEN try and tell me that you wouldn't do ANYTHING to avoid that fate again!” He would have kept going, but he caught a whiff of burning hair and realized his eyebrows were starting to smoke. Even if Fluttershy couldn’t hear his yelling, those earmuffs wouldn’t keep her from noticing if he spontaneously burst into flames. He sighed in frustration and blew puffs of air at his eyes until the smoke cleared off. Time to change the subject. “Plus, I had never even seen the guy, so even if I DID mention him to anypony, what could I say about him other than he was powerful?” “Hmm, I don’t know, that you knew he had an interest in Twilight?!” Night Light said, glaring. “I knew he planned on meeting her one day, but THIS was NOT what I thought he meant! There’s no way I could have seen this coming!” “I’m…kinda with Discord on this on,” Rainbow agreed. “What would he have told Twilight anyway? ‘Hey, there’s this power figure that can turn me to stone and he wants to say hi?’ That would have probably caused her to panic…assuming she took him seriously given all the pranks he pulls…” “And assuming I even got that far into the sentence,” Discord said. “Yea, that too,” Rainbow agreed. “What I want to know is why he's so interested in her,” Rarity said. “And just how long has he been watching her anyway?” “And why not just come forward?” Applejack asked. “If he wanted to meet her, what was stopping him? Yeah, she might be a little nervous at first, but she would probably try to befriend him once she calmed down. This IS Twilight we’re talking about.” “Unless he was waiting for her to be old enough to marry,” Luna said, scowling. “But then why not come until now?” Celestia asked. “Twilight has been over the legal age of marriage for more than five years, and she’s been an alicorn for more than three. Why wait until now, and why go through such extreme measures just so she would say yes?” “I’m the lord of chaos, and even I’m confused,” Discord said, shrugging. “Maybe he’s just crazy? You know what they say: absolute power makes the monkey go bananas.” “No pony says that,” Applejack deadpanned, even as a banana hat replaced her stenson, complete with a monkey wearing a crown on top. The monkey, realizing it was now in a completely new spot without any warning, joined Applejack in glaring at Discord until he undid his spell. “He’s not crazy,” Pinkie whispered at last. Her voice was very, very bland, flat enough to give Discord the chills since it was THAT far from the norm of the bubbly pink mare. But none of the other ponies reacted, which told him that she must have been like this for a few days at least. Jeez, this REALLY was bad. “He just…goes a bit overboard at times…” For a few seconds, Discord could swear he heard a coo-coo clock going off in his head before it spontaneously burst into tiny pieces as he tried to understand the deeper meaning behind Pinkie’s words. Oh sweet exploding chocolate milk, did she KNOW this loony toon?! Did she have past experiences with him?! “Wait a moment,” Discord said, pulling out a blue stop sign with neon yellow letters with his tail. “You know this Sparrow fella?” He wouldn’t put it past the party mare, given how even HE couldn't understand how her mind worked, but it was STILL a huge shock. Pinkie was silent for about twenty seconds, and Discord could almost see her mind sorting through the all the words in her vocabulary and picking out the right ones. “Yes, but…not through experience. I met him the same day as everypony else. But…I know of him…and I can’t tell you how…” Her eyes filled with tears again. “But surely just a little hint won’t hurt,” Discord said, reaching out to try and comfort Pinkie, only to jerk his eagle claw back as a small yet bright burst of rainbow light shone through her mane. Every pony present jumped, and Rainbow took it a step further and leapt onto the back of the couch, poised for a fight. Discord, on the other talon, had been blasted enough times to recognize that type of magic. And despite the fact that literally ANYTHING could be pulled from Pinkie’s mane, rainbow-friendship-lazer-magic was NOT something he expected in the slightest. Or even thought POSSIBLE! EVEN for Pinkie. “Oh dear, I guess not…” Was all he could mutter as he tried to get his heart out of his ears and back into his chest where it belonged. “Pinkie? What was that?” Rainbow asked, her eyes wide. “Harmony magic,” Discord said, not taking his eyes off the pink mare. “It seems our favorite tree is playing with current events…” “Not playing,” Pinkie said. “Just making sure things aren't ruined before they begin…” Later that night… Sparrow chuckled as he watched Twilight drift off to sleep once again. With her body still adjusting to the magic of his island, Twilight was VERY disconnected from reality and had only been able to wake up for a few minutes before drifting back into the land of dreams. In fact, even just opening her eyelids seemed to make her giggle. It was actually quite adorable. But it was actually good that she had managed to open her eyes as this meant that she was awake, which in turn meant that he could now assist with her recovery in a more meaningful way. Using his magic, he had levitated the still very sleepy and loopy Twilight Sparkle into a sitting position before presenting her with two plates of pancakes, and a glass of peach juice. Adapting to the island’s magic took a lot of energy, and ensuring that the person adapting was well fed was one way to speed up their recovery. Thankfully, Twilight was plenty hungry and had devoured all the food laid before her, though Sparrow did question why she was giggling so hard when she began to eat the pancakes covered in orange slices. Either way, the food had quickly vanished, and Sparrow could tell it was having the desired effect as her eyes began to focus more once she had finished. Unfortunately, she was still far too delirious to actually form words, something that actually seemed to frustrate her as her mouth flopped uselessly like a goldfish. However, a quick pat on the head seemed to mollify her, and once he had laid her back down, she was asleep again almost instantly. With a bit of luck, she should be up and moving by tomorrow if Sparrow was guessing correctly. The following day for sure. But for now, Sparrow turned to his newest companion. Spike, now without a swollen eye and with two magically-created casts, was standing nearby on a pair of crutches. He had a few bandages around his chest and head, both glowing faintly with magic as they worked to heal his cracked rib and the last few bruises he had. Thankfully, his dragon scales had helped him weather most of the fall, and what scales had been shed due to damage were were already beginning to regrow. He had, as Sparrow expected, insisted on coming to see Twilight the moment he was cleared from the medical ward, and while he wasn’t exactly happy to see Twilight in such a state, he did seem to believe Sparrow when he had told him that she would recover as long as she rested. Small steps. “You know you could have mentioned that this would happen before we left,” Spike said, glaring up at Sparrow. “I thought she would already have enough on her mind, and this was unavoidable anyway. The magic protecting the island is…let’s say incomplete. It provides the protection we need, but negatively affects anypony that has not yet experienced it. Plus, I thought that she could use the rest, especially after the last few days.” Twilight grinned in her sleep and rolled over, muttering sweet nothings to nopony. It made Sparrow smile. “You could have just not taken her here in the first place, or done any of this, you know,” Spike grumbled. “Then she wouldn’t BE stressed.” “Maybe not,” Sparrow said. “But unfortunately, that wasn’t an option.” “But there must have been SOME other option, right? I mean, I don’t know you at all, but you at least SOUND like you don’t want her to hate you. So why do all this? Why be such a jerk?” “Ponies often do crazy things for those they love. You’ll understand that one day…” Later… Sunlight played annoyingly on Twilight’s eyelids, making her groan in annoyance. Her body felt heavy, but she managed to move her head enough so that the light was no longer shining in her face. But unfortunately, the sun had done its job splendidly and she was now awake. The soft sounds of birds and the ever-so-faint murmur of city noise reached her ears as well and was enough to rouse her to the point where trying to return to sleep would be an uphill battle that she just didn’t think she could win. Grumbling to herself, Twilight yawned as she attempted to sit up, which was much harder than usual due to the fact that her body felt unusually weak. But why? She felt like she had been asleep for quite a while. Was it stress, or recovering from exhaustion? Pushing down her concern until she was more awake, Twilight focused on opening her eyes as she finally came to an upright position. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the light. The room came into focus, only to see something that shocked her to full alertness in speeds that would impress even Rainbow Dash. “Good morning,” Sparrow said, standing in the doorway as he levitated a tray next to him. He was wearing an orange torc and crown, both covered in sapphires, and a set of orange metal shoes with one large sapphire in the front of each. The sight of him, and the brief glance she got of the unfamiliar cobblestone room was enough to remind Twilight of her situation. Yet instead of fear, sadness, or even concern, the only emotion that began to fill her chest was rage. He had done it. She was here, with him, on his stupid island, miles and miles away from almost everyone she cared about, and he was just standing there like everything was right with the world. It made her grind her teeth in anger. She had just gone through three of the most stressful days of her life, so no matter what he did or said, by Celestia she was going to let him have it! “YOUooooOOoOOo…” she tried to yell as she leapt to her hooves, only to stumble drunkenly. Am I on a boat? she asked herself woozily, because it seemed like the entire room was tilting side to side. Her legs were so weak and the sloping was so bad that she quickly collapsed, but Sparrow caught her with his magic. The orange glow around her felt…soothing. In fact, it actually seemed to help stop the room tilting, allowing her to see him clearly once again. Which was both nice of him, and something that just served to make her madder. I’m still mad at you, Sparrow! Stop being nice to me and making it harder for me to hate you until I have the strength to yell at you, dammit! You can be nice once I scold worse than Fluttershy scold’s Angel and you apologize for dragging me here in the first place! She yelled in her head, her mouth having trouble forming the words as the room continued to tilt. Thankfully, the room stabilized further as he placed her back on the bed, covered her lower half with the blanket, and plumped the pillows behind her so that she was sitting up. “Yes, me,” he said. “I know you have a lot to say, and probably a lot to yell at me for…” Gee, ya THINK!? she yelled in her brain as he continued. “…but I must insist that you wait until you have recovered before you do so. Unless you would rather pass out again, at which point I still suggest at least eating first. You’ve been unconscious for quite some time due to the magic of my island and your body is still adapting to it.” As he spoke, he levitated the tray over to her. “Here. I may not be the best cook, but I believe I have performed said skill decently enough for you enjoy. And food will help with the weakness you are experiencing.” “Why…” Twilight began, only for Sparrow to shush her. “Eat now, talk after. Trust me.” Yes, trust the stallion that forced me to take a deal and leave my home behind and who couldn’t be bothered to tell me that I was going to pass out when I came here. Riiiiiiiiggggggghhhhht. Not now, brain. Twilight grumbled, but given how her vision only just straightened out, she conceded. Scolding could come later. She watched as he placed the tray on her lap, slowly, as though he thought she’d bite him if he moved too quickly. It was covered with a large plate of pancakes covered in syrup, a bowl of peaches, a large glass of orange juice, and some slices of toast with some honey and jam on the side. It was…rather nice. She expected food, but this seemed more like something a husband would make his wife, rather than a simple meal for a guest. Though given their engagement, she supposed that did make sense, especially if he was trying to make a better impression now that he had her out of Equestria. That still didn't mean she liked him though, or was any less furious at him, but she did acknowledge the effort. Less thinking, more eating, her stomach demanded. Twilight agreed, and for the moment pushed all thought out of her head and reached for her magic, only for Sparrow to speak up at the last moment. “I would recommend not using magic for the time being. You are still recovering, so trying to use your magic will likely end up giving you a headache.” Dang it. Her stomach protested even louder, so Twilight decided to buck it and just shoved her face into the food, starting with the pancakes. Her cheeks felt warm as she realized Sparrow apparently planned to stand and watch her, but after the first bite, her hunger fully awoke and she didn’t give her embarrassment another thought. There were sweet pockets of juiciness scattered throughout the fluffy goodness that surprised her. Were those peaches? Peaches were actually really rare in Equestria, so she had only ever had them a few times as a filly, but if this is what they tasted like, she dearly wished she had sought them out more, regardless of price. She scarfed down the pancakes in record time and immediately went to work on eating the sliced peaches in a similar manner, stopping momentarily to try and use her hooves to slather a piece of toast in honey. She failed, her hooves struggling to grasp the knife and jar correctly, but soon Sparrow took over, allowing her to return her attention to the peaches. The moment the sweet fruit hit her tongue, she knew that yes, those WERE peaches in the pancakes, and somehow they were even better when eaten alone! They were juicy, her mouth flooding with sweetness with every chomp, the fruit offering little resistance to her excited near-frantic eating. These were even better than Applejack’s apples! She then spent time alternating between the peaches, the toast, and grabbing a long drink from the glass of orange juice until the tray was empty. Everything was DELICIOUS! Grrrr…If Sparrow DID make this all himself, then I need to thank him. Apparently, her brain did NOT like that idea. No, be nice, Brain. If he’s a good cook, then it’s ok to tell him. You’re not saying you like him, you’re just acknowledging his skill in the culinary arts. He can still be a jerk, it’s just that now he’ll be a jerk that can cook. Also, he might give me more! Oh, that would be nice, even if he isn’t. When there was nothing left but empty dishes and a single peach slice half-stuck in Twilight’s mouth, he levitated all but a napkin away from her and teleported it away in a flash, likely to the kitchen of the castle. “Did you enjoy it?” Sparrow asked politely. Twilight nodded reluctantly, inhaling the rest of the peach with a slurp. He smiled widely. “Glad to hear. It’s been a while since I’ve personally cooked for anypony, so I’m happy to hear that my skills haven’t completely rusted yet.” Twilight rolled her eyes as she wiped her mouth off with the napkin before another need suddenly made itself present. One much more serious than hunger. She attempted to stand again. The world didn’t start spinning this time, but her legs still wouldn’t support her and she had to sit down. Oh dear… “Twilight? Is everything ok?” Sparrow asked, his head tilted in concern. By Celestia, this is going to be awkward. “Please tell me that this…castle? has indoor plumbing.” Twilight asked quickly. Sparrow blinked in confusion. “Of course. But wh—oh.” His eyes widened. “Ah, yes. I suppose that makes sense. Allow me to assist, please.” His horn lit up, quickly enveloping Twilight and levitating her off the bed. He then quickly turned to the door located on the wall opposite of her bed, opening it to reveal a rather massive bathroom. But there was only one thing Twilight could see for the moment. The toilet. “Just yell if you need anything,” Sparrow said as he placed Twilight in the middle of the spacious bathroom, directly in front of object of her desire, and closed the door. Twilight wasted no time using what strength she had to move and do what she needed to. Ahhhh… Once that major distraction was out of the way, she took a minute to look around the bathroom in greater detail. By Celestia, this place was HUGE! The room itself was almost three times as large as her bathroom back in the Crystal Castle, and that room had already been pretty massive. Everything from the pure silver sink to the gold towel rack was polished to perfection, and appeared to be slightly higher than she was used to, as if the room had been designed for someone taller than Twilight. The room was very extravagant as well, much more than Twilight would expect of a bathroom. The sink and towel rack were only a small part of it. The walls, despite being made of cobblestone, were incredibly smooth and had varying shades of grey, tan, brown, blue, white, and even the occasional light pink rock that formed abstract patterns along the walls. It was strangely beautiful, yet a little bit distracting as well. The silver sink sat atop a large set of white marble cabinets, the marble similar to the pillars that lined Canterlot Castle only far more shiny. Canterlot… Twilight shook her head. She could miss Canterlot when she had a better sense of just where the heck she was. Focus on your surroundings now. Worry about feeling homesick later. She thought. Above the sink and cabinets sat a large mirror surrounded by emeralds, sapphires, diamonds, topaz, amethyst, and so many more types of gems, each surrounded by a small circle of pearls. It almost looked like her new ring in a sense, and while pretty, it was also a bit…much. Seriously, that had to be the most expensive mirror in existence, and even Rarity might think they went overboard with the gemstones. And that was saying something. The circular rug that covered most of the floor was a deep red with gold thread creating the image of a young tree in the center. There was even a small chandelier hanging in the room to provide light! Why the HECK is there a CHANDELIER in a BATHROOM!? However, what really drew her attention was the bathtub. Actually, no, it was far more akin to a small pool than a tub based on the sheer size and splendor of the dang thing. It was even full of gently rippling water, which was really impressive because it took up half the giant room for Celestia’s sake! Rather than filled with tiles, the inside of the pool was filled with smooth purple stones. It was sunken deep into the floor, with a few steps leading up to its edge. At the far side of the pool was a large pile of smooth grey rocks, water cascading down from the top and pooling in various small coves above the pool before flowing down into the tub below via a few small waterfalls. It actually gave the appearance of being a natural outdoor spring rather than a pool in a massive castle. In fact, even just hearing the water gently splash down the rocks into the various pools was actually fairly calming. When she finished, Twilight dropped back the floor, only to almost fall as her legs nearly gave out. She grunted and caught herself on the water tank. Why was she so tired anyway? How long had she been out for, anyway? Given by the fact that Sparrow had brought her breakfast, it had to have been at least one day since she arrived, but why had she been asleep for so long? And what happened to Spike? She felt a sharp twinge of worry, but even still, she found it unlikely that Sparrow would harm or restrict him given how willing he was to allow Spike to accompany her. “Sparrow,” Twilight called out, hoping he was still nearby. “Yes?” he replied through the door. “Where’s Spike?” “In the village. He wanted to go get something for you for when you woke up. Don’t worry, I sent two guards with him in case he needed help bringing anything back and to make sure he doesn’t strain any of his injuries. They also have a tracking crystal so I can find them easily.” “How is he? Is he healing ok?” “He is as good as can be expected. The injuries have been treated, and thanks to the doctors I have at the castle, his recovery is progressing as well as we could have hoped. I also made sure that my most trusted guard was with him and that he had an emergency medical alert crystal in case anything were to happen. Would you like to go see him, or wait for him to come back?” Twilight thought on that for a minute. Even with Sparrow’s assurances, she was still worried about Spike’s health. But at the same time, she believed that Sparrow was telling the truth. Sure, she still wanted to scold him to no end and maybe smack him silly, but so far he hadn’t outright lied to her. Plus, it sounded as though he had put quite a few precautions in place to protect Spike just in case anything happened, possibly to help ease her worry. If Spike had already seen a doctor and gotten treated for his injuries, then chances were that she couldn’t really do much to help him save for showing him that she was ok as well. And that could likely wait for a few minutes anyway because if she had been asleep for an extended period of time, than she REALLY needed a bath, especially since she hadn’t taken one since before…THAT attack. Shaking off the terrifying memory of that shadow monster, Twilight spoke. “Let me take a bath first, then I’ll let you know.” Maybe it would even help her get her strength back. “The pool has multiple levels. The steps are located every few feet in each direction, and the edge near the waterfalls is about nine feet deep. Towels are on the left when you get out. On the side right of the pool near the stairs there is a ruby and a sapphire with a gold casing holding them in place. Push them to make the pool hotter or colder, respectively. There is also an emerald on the opposite side of the steps. Push that when you are done to activate the cleaning spells to remove and replace the dirty water.” Did he have the bathroom memorized or something? Or was his the exact same, assuming this wasn’t his room she had been sleeping in. Was it his room? She would have to ask later, though she hoped it wasn’t, because it was still WAY too early to be sharing a bed with him, engaged or not. Also, this was now officially the most advanced bathtub in the world, and Twilight was tempted to ask how the complex the spells holding it all together worked and if she could study them. Again, later. Bath first. And she might have to wait until she wasn’t as likely to yell at Sparrow and could actually listen to what he said before asking how the tub worked. She had to scoot her way along the floor to reach the tub, but getting in was relatively easy given the steps that led up to the edge. Upon reaching said edge, she could see that there was a series of blue lights inside the bath giving the water a gentle blue glow, something she had failed to notice before she was sitting on the edge of the pool. It was actually rather pretty. Focus, Twilight. She tested the water with her hind hooves. It was actually rather warm, so Twilight dipped a bit further in until the water came up to her chest. Yep, definitely warm, yet also…tingly? Why was it tingly? Hmmm, and maybe it was a bit too warm? Looking back at the steps, Twilight spotted the sapphire and the ruby Sparrow had mentioned, set into the rim of the tub. Leaning over, she pushed the sapphire and— “GAH! COLDCOLDCOLDCOLD!” she yelped as she scrambled out of the tub and nearly fell off the outer edge. She had expected the waterfalls to start pouring colder water, not for all the water in the pool to suddenly drop five degrees instantaneously! And it was still getting colder if the water around her back hooves was any indication! Twilight pushed the sapphire again, hoping it would stop the cooling, but it just dropped the temperature faster! Twilight yanked her hooves out of the water fully as it became ice-water and glared at the sapphire. She wedged her hoof underneath the gem to pull it up, and that finally seemed to halt the temperature change. The water was now somewhere between REALLY COLD and POPSICLE, but it was at least stable. Though it was cold enough that she really, really didn’t want to go in anymore. “Twilight? Are you alright?” Sparrow called in, sounding concerned. “Yes! Perfectly fine!” Twilight called back, trying to focus on the problem at hoof and not scream at Sparrow. Ok, these gems are really sensitive, and somehow cool and heat the entire pool at once. Good to know. No thanks to Sparrow. Not now, brain, she thought, before looking at the ruby. Forget too warm, after that rush of cold water she wanted a HOT bath now, like back at the Ponyville Spa. Poking the ruby far more gently than the sapphire, Twilight heard a small click then watched the water. On the bottom of the pool, Twilight saw a magic rune begin to glow ever so faintly as the temperature of the pool began to steadily rise. She would love to study how such a small rune could heat such a large amount of water so quickly, but she would worry about that once she didn't feel like a pony popsicle. After about twenty seconds, the water began to steam. Satisfied, Twilight pried the ruby back up and gingerly placed her back hooves back in the wa— Ohhhhhhhhh… The water was PERFECT now. Caution aside, she quickly entered the bath, descending down the steps until all but her head was covered. Once she was mostly submerged, she lay back and began to float. Oh, this is so NICE. It was like a hot tub, though without the bubbles. DID it have bubbles? She wanted it to have bubbles. And boy, was this wondrous for her weak body. Normally, after a hot bath, she would feel relaxed and rather sleepy afterwards, but this warm bath seemed to have the opposite effect, easing the pain in her weak muscles and restore her strength. But that was just what she needed now. She spread her wings in the water, letting them be warmed and cleaned without restriction. “Twilight, are you ok?” Sparrows voice called out. "It's been nearly half an hour.” Really? It only felt like a few minutes to her, and the pool didn't even feel any colder. But oh, what a great few minutes they were! Alas, she still had things to do, such as actually getting clean. Sitting up and working her way back up the the upper levels, she glanced around and saw a bar of soap and various shampoos and wing-care products located on a small shelf of orange-pink wood, right in range of her hooves. She didn’t even need to leave the pool. “I’m fine, just enjoying the bath,” she called before she grabbed a random shampoo and began to wash. As she worked to actually clean herself, she began to think. She had been out for at least half a day more than likely, which meant that her friends and family were likely worried even if Sparrow had let Spike talk to them. She needed to get in contact with them at some point today, no matter what. That way she could at least tell them how she was coping. And how AM I coping? Twilight furrowed her eyebrows. She had been asleep for her entire time here so far, which felt a bit concerning to her, but Sparrow seemed to think it was normal. She was in a new place with no idea where anything was, had trouble with the freaking tub/pool, and she had no idea how she was going to be treated. Was she going to be forced to stay in this room, only allowed out when Sparrow said so? Would he force her to go to galas and balls as his date? Would she be allowed to go anywhere without an escort, whether it be Sparrow himself or his guards? She had been so worried about the choice that she never actually asked or even thought about how she would be living on Sparrow’s island. The only bit of info she had was Sparrow asking her if she wanted to see Spike, which implied she would at least be let outside. And he HAD brought her a rather fancy breakfast and let her use this GLORIOUS bath, which implied he at least wanted her to be comfortable. That, combined with his behavior back in Equestria, suggested that he wasn't a cruel tyrant that would abuse her or Spike. That at least helped stomp down her impulse to panic. But she still needed more information about him before she could create a better picture of him in her head. And she still had to yell at him at least once for everything he had done to get her here in the first place. Can’t forget that. Definitely no reason to truly panic just yet. Twilight thought, giving herself a mini pep talk. Slight anxiety over not knowing what your life will be like for the immediate future, definitely, but no panic or fear. It’s just like moving to Ponyville all over again. Maybe a BIT more extreme, but you can adapt. Sure you can. It’s not like there was less input on your part than when Celestia sent you off and that a crazy alicorn will be watching your every move and want’s you to marry him. Nope, it’s just another trip to a new Ponyville. At least he’s not trying to bring about eternal night or drop me off the side of a cliff, Twilight countered, remembering her first night in Ponyville. That made her brain shut up. She shook her head. She could get some answers once she was done. Twilight dunked her head underwater to clear the shampoo, finished rinsing her wings, and, reluctantly, climbed out of the wonderful pool. She pushed the emerald on her way out, causing the water to glow a faint green as all the soap and shampoo was sucked down towards the bottom of the pool via a series of small whirlpools. Huh, neat. She would have to ask him about that too. The towels on the left were so big they were more like blankets, yet were far enough away that she couldn't reach them from the stairs of the tub. This bathroom was definitely designed for someone taller than her. At least the bath had restored enough of her strength that she could now walk enough to reach them rather than having to resort to more scooting. After drying off, she wobbled her way to the sink, where she found a nice blue comb inside one of the drawers. Had Sparrow stocked this room for her while she was unconscious? It made sense given how she hadn't thought to pack anything in the aftermath of the attack. After sitting down to ease the pressure on her legs, she picked up the comb and ran it through her mane and tail until they were both presentable, looking around for a toothbrush as she did so. She could see toothpaste, but strangely, no toothbrushes. She would need to remember to ask for one. After another short trip that ended with her sitting on the rug in front of the door, she opened the door back into her…her new room, she supposed, and took a look around now that she was awake enough to take it in. The cobblestone room was painted a light blue, several shades lighter than Rainbow Dash’s coat. The ceiling was painted to look like the night sky, every star so perfectly in place Twilight was sure she would have mistaken it for the real thing had it been presented side-by-side with the night sky. They were even brighter or dimmer depending on the star, just like the real sky! She would need to study it in more detail after she found Spike. To her left was a glass door surrounded by dark blue curtains, which had been pulled back to allow the warm morning sunlight to flood the room. This in turn caused the orange-pink wood of the dresser, nightstands, desk, bed frame, three doors, and the fully-stocked bookshelf to almost glow with a pleasantly calming light. YAY! BOOKS! Twilight thought excitedly on impulse. If nothing else, at least she might be able to expand her knowledge while here. Maybe they even had some long lost books on magic! Or books that explained how Sparrow’s magic worked! Or— Focus… her brain scolded. Right. Right. Sorry. The books will still be here later. The next thing that caught her attention was the bed. As with everything, it was massive, probably big enough for Celestia, and was covered with bright orange sheets. It was a four-poster canopy bed with orange-pink carved poles that supported the blue overhang. There were a series of thin blue cloths tied to each pole that could be pulled around the boarder of the bed, offering her some privacy should she so choose. It was also was covered in a rainbow of at least twenty pillows. Each pillow had the design of a village on it, yet the destination and size of said village seemed to vary greatly. Some were set on top of a mountain with or without snow, some on the coast, a few in the open rolling plains like Ponyville, and a few others set in a deep forest. The largest one in the center depicted a castle, the large grey structure captured with such detail that Twilight had to wonder how long it must have taken to stitch. What confused her, however, was why there was a second, far smaller mattress with a blanket covered in peach trees sitting on top of the bright orange bed sheets of the main bed. And why was it half buried in the pillows? Had Sparrow put her on the smaller mattress and then just forgotten to put her on the real bed? And why hadn’t she noticed that when she had woken up!? Speaking of said pony, Sparrow was sitting just off to the left of the glass door, going through a bunch of papers with a quill and inkwell floating next to him. After writing something down, the top paper would vanish and he would move onto the next. As if realizing he was being watched, he looked up and smiled kindly at her. “I trust everything is to your liking, my dear?” His voice was smooth, yet genuine. “I think I need a toothbrush,” Twilight replied, to which Sparrow chuckled. “Yes, I suppose you do. My apologies, but the last few days were a little busy with all the work I needed to catch up on. I promise one will be waiting here for you when we return.” As he spoke, the quill wrote something down, and the paper vanished without him even looking. “How long was I out for?” Twilight asked. “And can we go find Spike since he isn’t back yet? Even if I’m still having trouble walking?” “Yes, we can go find Spike soon and I can carry you if need be, though I can see you are looking far more steady than you were an hour ago, which is good. As for time, you were out for roughly two full days. This is currently your third day on the island.” “Two days!?” Twilight cried in shock, stumbling as her legs almost gave out again. Sparrow’s warm magic caught her before she fell. “I was out for that long!? But my friends—” “Have been informed of this,” Sparrow reassured her. “I gave Spike his own orb to speak with them, and he has kept them up to date on how you have been faring, seeing as they most likely would not trust me.” “Can’t imagine why,” Twilight said before she could stop herself, and panic instantly began to bubble in her stomach. What was she thinking? What if she— But Sparrow only chuckled. “Yes, I suppose it’s the mystery of the century,” he replied, shrugging helplessly. Twilight stared at him, baffled. He actually went along like it was just a joke? Did he not notice she had spoken rather hostilely, or was he just willing to overlook it? Did he think her sarcasm was justified based on all he had put her through, or was he just being cheeky? COULD an ancient alicorn more powerful than Celestia and Luna be cheeky? Unable to hear her internal thoughts or confusion, Sparrow continued. “But that can be addressed later. Right now, I want to show you something. Please close your eyes.” Twilight raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Whyyyy?” she asked uncertainly. If he tried to kiss her, he was getting bucked in the face, alicorn or not. Assuming she could actually make contact. Though it wasn’t like she was in any shape to stop him, which just made her more nervous. “I just want to show you something,” Sparrow said gently, possibly picking up on her fear. “I promise I won’t do anything other than lead you somewhere close by, and if you are truly uncomfortable, I can show you it normally. It’s completely your decision, and I won’t force you to do anything.” He sounded genuine at least. And like her dream version of him had said a few nights ago, he had yet to actually lie to her. But was that just because he wanted to gain her trust, or was he truly genuine? He didn’t seem to be good at hiding his emotions from what she had seen, and if he wanted to kiss her without her permission, it wasn’t like anything was stopping him even with her eyes open. And there was some part of her, some unexplained voice that said she could trust him, at least for now. “Fine,” Twilight said, closing her eyes. “But DON’T try anything!” she added, pointing a hoof in his direction and managing to not fall over. “I Pinkie Promise I will not,” Sparrow said, his hoof gently touching her shoulder. Slowly, he led her forward. She heard the door open, and felt the warm wind wash over her. It…actually relaxed her. After a few more steps, he stopped her and she felt him reposition himself behind her. “Welcome…to Delubrum…” Twilight opened her eyes, and was amazed. TO BE CONTINUED… BONUS DELETED SCENE (Authors note: The following scene was originally placed after the section told from Discord’s POV, but was deemed to be too similar to the later section of Twilight having breakfast after waking up. It is also something that Twilight does not, and will not, remember anyway, so it is mostly just filler and does not affect the main story in any way. However, it is rather silly and entertaining filler! So rather than just cut it entirely, I now present it to you as a small bonus section. Enjoy if you so choose, and gain a deeper insight into how Twilight was thinking when Sparrow and Spike first came to bring her food) Somewhere, sometime later… The world was dark. So very, very dark. Why was it dark? Oh, my eyes were closed. That would do it. Silly brain, she giggled to herself. Slowly, Twilight managed to force her eyes open. There was light, but…it didn’t really help her. Everything was blurry, and the sounds she could hear were…muffled and distorted. Slowly, she tried to sit up, but her body wasn't cooperating. She could feel it moving, but there was something heavy covering her that she couldn’t seem to lift off. It was warm though, and if it weren't for the fact that her stomach had chosen that particular moment to growl loudly, she would have probably just gone back to sleep. Can’t sleep. Need foooooooooood. Tummy says so. However, rather than continue to struggle, Twilight saw a new light enter her vision. It was bright, but different than the other light. But why…oh. It was a different color. That’s why. The first light was normal light, but this light was ORANGE light. Silly brain, you knew that. Were you still sleeping? You know what Celestia used to say. Um…wait. What was the saying again? Bad brain! How could you forget that…saying…thing. Oh, this new light seemed to be lifting the heavy thing off of her, and she felt herself beginning to move. The light was warm, grasping her body softly without restraining her like the heavy thing as it moved her. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! I’m flying! Sorta! I think? She was being lifted upward, and up and up until she was sitting straight up. The blob that was her vision shifted and swirled and move in ways that made her feel queasy and even more disoriented. The light didn’t let her go once she was upright, which she was grateful for because she felt like she would have fallen otherwise. However, all of this was quickly forgotten as her nose, the one thing that seemed to be working half decently, picked up a wonderful smell. She knew that smell, knew it so well… Pancakes. Wonderful, fluffy pancakes! Something floated into her view, hovering in the light that was holding her. Something that smelled of the wonderful food of champions! The moment it was within rage of her teeth, Twilight buried her muzzle in the source of the smell, immediately being rewarded with the wondrous taste she craved. It was different than she remembered, sweeter and full of solid morsels, but she was too hungry and tired to care. She ate and ate until there was no more food, and this made her sad. But then MORE came! Oh, thank you, Mister Light. Thank you for filling my belly. This bunch taste sweet too, but it’s slightly different than the last, this time with more…orange? Yes, it tasted like orange. But it was GOOD orange. Wait. Color doesn’t have taste! No wait…Oranges! Yes, it tasted like ORANGES, not orange. Twilight giggled. Silly brain, food doesn’t taste like a color. Unless you ate colored chalk, but this was WAY to juicy to be chalk. Unless it was a really tasty marker… She finished far, far too soon, and then the light came again and removed the empty…plate? Yes, that was a plate. Now that she had eaten, she could see a little more clearly. As the plate was taken away, the light brought something clear over. Something…glass. Why would it bring her glass? Oh. It is a glass. The light is giving me a drink. Thank you mister light! That sure was nice of it. Opening her mouth in preparation, Twilight felt a small bit of plastic rest upon her tongue. A straw. Immediately she began to suck, and was rewarded with something sweet and cold. It filled her mouth and washed away the remains of the pancakes, quenching the thirst she didn’t realize she had. But soon that was gone too, and then a soft thing came and gently wiped her mouth. A napkin, maybe? Grateful for the light’s help, Twilight tried to thank it, but while her mouth seemed to function enough for eating, speaking still required too much effort. Even so, she felt a light pat on her head and she realized the light understood what she was trying to say. Yay, the light can read my mind. Are you a magic light? Oh, she was going backwards now, back down to the soft and fluffy thing again as the heavy warm thing came down on top of her and enveloped her in its embrace.That was probably a good idea, seeing as she was feeling so tired. So very, very…very… She passed back into the realm of dreams without even realizing it.