//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: Day on the town 
// Story: Spero 
// by Piemaster128 
//------------------------------//

Twelve minutes twenty-three seconds later…


‘Ding…’
Blue eyes snapped open. 
“TO THE LIBRARY!!!”


Five minutes and forty-two seconds later…


The library had lapsed into silence for the most part. Twilight tried to give the few language books in front of her some attention, but her mind was still preoccupied with what Right Word had said. 
Come on, brain. Focus on the BOOKS! We aren’t going to figure out anything else from what we know so far! Sparrow was here when the attack happened, and keeps his army so large as a precaution so it doesn’t happen again. We have no way of know if the thing that attacked them is still out there or if he’s just being cautions, so stop wor—
BANG!
“GAH!” Twilight cried in shock, leaping to her hooves in shock despite the protest of her legs. The door to the library had been kicked in with a bang and a pink and purple blur immediately shot past, leaping over Spike, sliding under Twilight, and bouncing up to the second floor before Twilight could even blink. Both Sturdy Sprout and Soft Wind sighed. 
“Here we go,” they said together with headshakes and small smiles. 
“Yepyepyep,” a voice called out from above before the blur came dashing back down the stairs with a book on its, or rather HER, head. “Only got one minute and four-point-two-zero seconds left this round, so I need these books, a pillow, and a super-fast introduction. Gogogo!” she squealed, bouncing in place so fast even Pinkie might have had a hard time matching it before bouncing back up to the second floor. 
She’s almost as energetic as Pinkie…
I like her already.
Not the time, brain. Twilight thought as she tried to get her heart rate back under control. Though you are right. She does certainly seems to be as energetic as…Pinkie. At the thought of the pink, bubbly mare, happy emotions immediately began to rise to the surface of Twilight’s mind, dragging with them the feelings of loss she that still filled her mind.
Shaking her head, Twilight pushed down on the bittersweet emotions that threatened to flood her being and instead tried to focus on the rapid and seemingly random noises coming from the second floor.
Why did I just hear a trumpet?
“On it,” Soft Wind called out as she took the books behind the checkout desk at the end of the library. “Twilight, this is Speedy Diamond. She’s a dress maker.”
“One of the best,” Sturdy Sprout said as she ran to one of the doors along the side wall, opened it, and pulled out a fluffy blue pillow. Twilight blinked, then turned just in time to see Speedy Diamond bounce back down the stairs with two more books on her head. Trying to follow the bounding mare with her eyes, Twilight was able to see that she was a unicorn with a pink coat, a windswept purple mane, blue eyes, and a series of six colored gems in a circle as a cutie mark, all of them in the shape of stars. She wore a simple short golden dress with a pocket on the front. 
“The very best!” Speedy Diamond said, doing a backflip, grabbing the books, and dashing over to Twilight to give her a strong hoofshake that felt like one of Applejack’s. Which, strangely, did not seem to upset her leg in the slightest. “I’m sooooooo happy to meet you, and I’m sorry that I can’t spend more time to say hi but I only have twenty-point-three-six seconds left, so pleeeeeeeeease be here when I wake up. Ok? OK?” 
And with that, she dashed around the room again, grabbed the blue pillow, sat down on one of the cushions, and sat there, unmoving. 
What—
Then, there was a small ding from Speedy’s dress pocket, and she instantly passed out, dropping face-first onto the pillow before her. 
Uhhhhh…
Twilight just stared, before looking back at the other three ponies in confusion. She WOULD be concerned in any other case, but no pony else seemed to be worried and both Strong Sprout and Soft Wind seemed to be fully prepared for this to happen.
That being said, even Pinkie had never randomly fainted like that. The closest Pinkie had ever come TO fainting was when she just overworked herself and needed to take a nap somewhere impractical. Yet that didn't seem to be the case here.
Does anypony know what just happened?
“Speedy Diamond suffers from an extremely unique version of bipolar disorder,” Soft Wind said with a reassuring smile, as if reading Twilight’s mind. “Rather than have extreme mood swings between happiness and sadness, she experiences bouts of hyper-activity and narcolepsy, going from unconscious to fully awake and energetic to unconscious again.”
“No pony knows why it happens,” Sturdy Sprout said as she brought over a blanket and tucked it around the sleeping unicorn. “Not even Sparrow. The only thing we know is that it’s somehow linked to her magic and the magic that protects the island. But that’s it. The only other thing we know is that she can actually set her watch to follow the shifts between awake and asleep, and it’s why she’s so good at telling time. Though while she insists that they follow a predictable and continuous schedule, we…all think it’s completely random.”
Now why does THAT sound familiar?
Brain, shush! Twilight scolded, trying not to remember her own experience with the Pinkie Sense. She didn’t need to be reminded of how far away from home she was right now.
“Even more strange, it only happens on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays,” Right Word said with a shrug. “Every other day, she’s completely normal, with a normal schedule. She’s not even hyper on her off days. It makes no real sense at all, especially considering that she somehow knows when a pony needs a dress or suit, even before they do, and that said ability seems to work perfectly regardless of what day it is.”
“She sounds almost like Pinkie Pie, or maybe Rarity on a busy day,” Spike said, his eyes filling with small hearts at the mention of said unicorn, causing Twilight to playfully roll her eyes. It didn’t last long however, as when both of them turned to look at the unconscious mare again, they both realized realized that she had shifted her position so that she was now resting with her back hooves on the table and her head on the pillow she had just been sitting on. 
Meaning that she was now completely upside-down. 
It did NOT look comfortable. 
“How did she—” Spike began, only to be cut off.
“Don’t question Speedy,” Right Word, Soft Wind, and Sturdy Oak all said at once. 
“Definitely Pinkie then,” Spike said, nodding. “Twilight?”
Definitely Pinkie…no, focus. It’s ok, everything is ok…
“I’ll…take your advice on this one,” Twilight said, sighing. “I really don’t want a repeat of The Pinkie Sense Incident right now.” She shook her head to try and ignore the large pang of sadness that filled her chest upon remembering that particular adventure. Everything from the frog on her face, to the mud puddle, the two doors smashing into her and the one opening beneath her, the anvil…her acceptance of Pinkie just being Pinkie. The friendship l-letter she had w-written.
Breath Twilight. In, out…In, out…
It’s not working. 
“Weird, but kinda cool when ya think about it,” Spike said, not seeming to notice Twilight rapidly performing Cadence’s breathing technique. “Can you all tell us a bit more about her? Other than her…disorder?” 
“Sure,” Soft Wind said as she moved to sit down near Twilight. “Speedy is…unique, and can be a little much to handle at times, but she’s a very nice mare no matter where she is in her cycles and loves meeting new ponies. She’s also very generous. You’ll see her offering to assist around the city or to running errands for busy ponies if she doesn’t have a dress order she needs to fill.”
Just like Rarity…
No, no, focus on the here and now. Breath…
“She also helps set up school events and other community happenings like fairs and celebrations should they fall on her…hyper days, as she calls them,” Sturdy Sprout added. “Given her speed and precision on those days, she can set up and tables, chairs, booths, what-have-you far faster than anypony else. You just need to make sure she has room to work and that there is a pillow or bed nearby so she can go to it when she crashes.”
Just like Pinkie, setting up all those events and parties to help everyone smile…I-I need to focus…
“How long do these cycles last?” Twilight asked, finding her voice again and trying to keep the growing pain out of her voice. She tried to distract herself by looking at the sleeping mare that was now curled up on the table and clutching the blue pillow like a teddy bear. She tried thinking about her condition and the scientific explanation that may exist. She tried thinking about what it must be like to live with such an unpredictable, or maybe predictable for her at least, schedule. She even just tried to think about how peaceful she looked sleeping there, without a care in the world. 
But it wasn’t working. 
Not at all.
She almost missed the three other ponies shrugging.
“Again, she may find them predictable,” Right Word said, “But the rest of us sure don’t. It seems like a different amount of time passes for each cycle, yet she always somehow knows just how much time she has left. The longest round I have seen was about three hours of hyperactivity followed by four hours of sleep, and the shortest was only a few minutes each.”
“Yeah, you may sometimes see her sleeping randomly across town,” Sturdy Sprout said, chuckling. “Sometimes she just doesn’t have the time to get where to she was going, and ends up needing to sleep where she can.”
She can do that? Most cities in Equestria are pretty safe, but just falling asleep in a random spot could be pretty dangerous. Especially if she were to end up in a bad part of the city. Is this city really that safe? The only place I know that would be THAT safe most of the time would probably be…Ponyville.
“Has anyone tried to help her?” Spike asked, ignorant of Twilight wiping a single tear from her right eye. “I mean, that sounds like it would be pretty annoying, and possibly dangerous if she’s always falling asleep everywhere.”
“She’s seen every doctor on the island,” Right Word said. “Even Sparrow examined her, but her abnormality was so ingrained in her magic by the time he examined her that no pony could find anything a way to cure her. But despite all the problems it may cause her, Speedy has said she doesn’t really want it to be cured. She thinks it makes her unique.”
“Which it certainly does,” Soft Wind said, smiling at the snoring mare. “Besides, she’s happy, so no need to go changing things.”
It was wonderful that Soft Wind thought that, and that the other two ponies in the room were nodding along with her, but some part of that small sentence finally triggered something in Twilight that had her speaking before she could stop herself, a fiery edge in her voice.
“Any chance you could tell Sparrow that?”
That alicorn upended my entire life, and no amount of peaches is going to make up for that. And no matter how nice and wonderful everypony here on the island is, they can't replace my friends back home.
“Oh, ummm…” Soft Wind said, looking down.
And NOW I feel guilty because Soft Wind and the others don’t deserve to be on the bad end of this emotional roller coaster I’m trapped on! Ugh…Why now? They don’t deserve to be burdened with my problems.  
Twilight sighed and deflated. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, “I didn’t mean it like that, and I’m not angry at you or anything. Just…”
“Remembering your situation and inadvertently directing it in your attitude?” Right Word suggested.
Wow, he’s good.
She nodded. “Sounds about right. I mean, I was perfectly happy back home, but now I’m in a new place, with my friends and family who knows how far away, and everything just remained me of home and it’s just…why? Why did he do that? Why change everything?” Twilight whispered, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. She had done a pretty good job not thinking about this so far, but between Speedy and the library being so similar to Golden Oaks, there were just too many similarities for her NOT to think about home. 
And of everything she had lost.
And I was so happy just a little bit ago. Is this going to be a recurring theme? Happy one minute, depressed the next?
However, before anypony could respond to her questions, the purple pony felt a pair of hooves wrap around her. Blinking, she looked up and to her right, seeing that Speedy Diamond had apparently woken up while she was distracted and was now giving her a hug. Despite barely knowing the mare, the hug felt…nice. 
It felt even better when Soft Wind, Sturdy Sprout, Right Word, and Spike joined in.
Hugging a sad pony to try and cheer them up. Speedy really is like Pinkie, Twilight thought. Yet, the pain of her loss didn’t return, almost as if her new friends were protecting her from such negative feelings.
“Thank you,” she whispered, leaning into the embrace and wiping her tears away. 
Despite all the turmoil he had caused her so far, Sparrow had been right. There were plenty of ponies that wanted to befriend her. Even if she was currently separated from her Ponyville friends, there were others that were willing to try and help fill that empty feeling inside, even if they didn’t know they were doing so.
The idea of new friendships filled her with hope that she might not be nearly as lonely on this huge island as she had originally thought. 
“Everything will work out,” Speedy Diamond said, breaking the hug and picking up her books in a flash of yellow magic. “Now then, I know I asked you to wait for me to wake up, but that was because I knew you would need a hug and now I have a dress to make so I must be off, thankyoudon’tworryeverythingwillbefineBYE!” 
She went from normal speeds to bouncing in place until she was almost vibrating to dashing out the door so fast that Twilight could feel a heavy breeze for a movement before she disappeared. 
All in less than two seconds, if Twilight was any judge. 
She actually laughed out loud.
I wonder if that excitable unicorn could outrun Pinkie Pie. 




Seven hours later…




Twilight, Spike, and Right Word walked down the slightly less crowded street with Right Word carrying four books on his back. It was around dinnertime, and Twilight had decided that it was time to leave the library, mainly because she was hungry again, they were out of donuts, and she didn’t want to impose on Strong Sprout or Soft Wind, who had been planning to have a date night today. 
On the plus side, her energy was back up to a point where she no longer needed to sit down every hundred feet or so to rest and let her legs recover. 
They had spent most of the afternoon in the library, with Twilight starting on the book on the island’s native language and Spike reading one of the Equestrian comic books he found in the top level. Apparently some guards would bring them back after taking a trip to Equestria, and the two playful librarians had managed to acquire a few for themselves. 
Unfortunately for Twilight, she had never tried to learn a new language before and was having a significant amount of trouble so far. Even just trying to remember the basic vocabulary or how to ask simple questions like ‘what is your name?’ was proving to be difficult, though there was a chance that her exhaustion might be hampering her progress. 
Especially given her skill in memorizing vocab lists.
Either way, after three hours of trying to learn the basics, she had given up and asked Sturdy Sprout if any of the books written in Equestrian had information about the island. Thankfully, there was a small encyclopedia that fit the bill perfectly.
I do love a good encyclopedia. 
From the very beginning, it was much more enjoyable than the language one and even though she was only partway through, it had already taught her a lot. The island was estimated to be three-hundred thousand square miles, meaning that Sparrow’s guess of it being one-tenth the size of Equestria was quite accurate. 
There were nine other towns scattered across the island as well, each of them in surprising varied places and geographies. There was the cloud city, two coastal cities, a large forest city, one that was apparently split between the base and the peak of one of the mountains…they all sounded incredible.
So incredible in fact, Twilight had spent the last few hours flipping through the book to see all the pictures taken of the island, only stopping on occasion to read a paragraph or two before resuming her browsing. 
All of said pictures were amazing and did an incredible job of showing her the beauty of the island. There were even a few underwater pictures of a coral reef that was just off the coast of the eastern side of the island. Unfortunately, it located on the exact opposite side of the island as the capital, so chances are she wouldn’t be able to go see it anytime soon. Still, it might be worth the trip one day if she was going to stay here for the foreseeable future. 
In truth, she had been so captivated by the pictures that she had only fully read the first chapter, the intro, and had just begun the second chapter, which was dedicated to the Capital of Delubrum.
She had also learned that the capital was named Oasis, which was thankfully it’s name in both Equestrian and Labyrin, the island’s native language. Which was good, seeing as she didn’t think calling it ‘The City’ in conversations would be very helpful, and having a word she could actually pronounce made it significantly easier to remember.	
The book also told her a bit about what each part of the island produced, though she had only just started to dive into that part of the book when her stomach had made it clear that she needed food. 
Still, at least I have something to read tonight if I’m not too tired. 
So far, the main thing she had learned was that each town on the island had at least one thing that they were famous for. For example, the ocean town of Columpna was famous for their massive parties and the amusement park built on their largest pier, while Oasis was know for its famous peaches. Which was impressive, given how the book said that peaches were grown almost everywhere on the island.
Why peaches? There were so many foods that grew in tropical climates, but why were peaches so popular? Twilight didn’t know, but she couldn’t really complain given how DELICIOUS the peaches here were. 
GRUMBLE GRUMBLE!!!
Annnnnnd I’m making myself hungry again.
“Here comes a bird,” Right Word said, pulling Twilight from her thoughts. 
“A bird?” Spike asked. Twilight blinked and looked upwards.
I don't see any—
“Why, yes,” Right Word said with a nod. “A sparrow, in fact.” 
Twilight glanced down at them just in time to see Spike blink, look up, and faceclaw.
“That pun is horrible,” he said as Twilight turned her attention back to the sky. High above, Sparrow himself was gliding down into town, slowly circling the group like a bird of prey. 
Which, in fact, meant he WASN’T acting like a sparrow, seeing as they weren't birds of prey. 
At all.
How did I not notice him? Twilight thought. She found herself stiffening and took a deep breath to relax. She knew that he would return to her eventually, and given how long this day had been so far, she couldn’t really bring herself to stress about his sudden appearance. Her emotions had been on such a roller coaster today that she just didn’t have the strength to freak out, especially given how it had actually been rather good regardless of her homesickness.
I’m sure you’ll find the strength when he starts talking to you. And he DOES look to be the size of a sparrow right now, given how far away he is.
Not helping, brain. 
“Any chance he hasn’t seen us?” she asked Right Word hopefully.
“Nope,” Right Word said. “And I’m certain that he enchanted your ring so that he could always find you in case of an emergency.”
“Meaning she can never escape him,” Spike growled.
“Normally, I would agree with you,” Right Word said calmly. “And I’m not saying it isn’t a bit invasive, but Sparrow just wants to keep her safe. He won’t always be by her side to protect her, and given how weak Twilight is at the moment, it likely just gives him a little peace of mind. Plus, if the ring didn’t have that feature, then chances are Twilight could have been seriously hurt, or worse, a few days ago.”
At the mention of what had happened back in Canterlot, Twilight had to suppress a shudder. Just that FEELING of FEAR creeping through every inch of her body. 
Just…uuhuhuhuhuuhuh…she almost missed what he said next.
“What’s more, I can assure you that Sparrow can not only be trusted not to abuse this feature, but also that he will be willing to remove it once Twilight has her strength back.”
“How do you know that?” Spike asked, squinting suspiciously.
“Because Twilight is more than capable of defending herself in almost any situation she might get into on the island due to her skill with magic and years of training, her attacker from Canterlot can’t find us here which means she is as safe as she can be for the moment, and Sparrow want’s to make her comfortable, so all she would have to do is ask him to remove the locator spell once she is recovered and he would do so to make her feel better,” Right Word said, his voice confident and honest. 
As much as Twilight hated to admit it, he did have a point, both in regard to the ring and Sparrow’s likely actions. Having the ring keep her safe like it had back in Canterlot had absolutely been worth the loss of privacy, especially right now if it meant Sparrow didn't need to constantly hover over her or worry about her well-being twenty-four-seven. Thought she DID wish he had bothered to actually TELL her about that little feature beforehoof. 
As for Sparrow himself, he did genuinely seem to be trying to make her comfortable, though she would need to wait and see if this behavior of his was normal, or just a way to try and make it up to her for all the trouble he caused. And Right Word appeared to be rather trustworthy, regardless of his position with Sparrow, so she believe that he was telling the truth as best he knew it. 
Still, she wished he hadn’t mentioned that THING again. Even if it COULDN’T get her, just the THOUGHT of it sent another shiver down her spine as her breathing began to pick up, the memory of that attack bubbling back to the surface of her mind.
It may have actually been a small blessing that she had passed out upon arriving here. Without Celestia and Luna to help her, she was CERTAIN she would have been having nightmares about it for the last two days. Heck, she would probably have nightmares about it TONIGHT! And for who knows how many days after that! Just…THOSE EYES! Those pits of hatred and darkness, paralyzing her in place as it—
“Hello down there!” Sparrow called as he dipped a bit in the air, coming down slightly faster. “Enjoy the town?”
And just as quickly as it had come, the fear was gone. 
No eyes, no soul-consuming terror.
Just…a normal afternoon in the still-busy streets of the town. 
How did…why am I suddenly so calm? It’s like I was having a panic attack and now I’m just…perfectly fine. Like it never happened.
Maybe because he saved you from that shadow thing? So hearing him reminded you of how he fought to save your life when you needed him the most? At least if we have the ring on, that shadow THING can’t get us, especially if Sparrow KNOWS when we're under attack.
	Yeah… 
“She spent most of the day in the library, sir,” Right Word called back, pulling Twilight out of her thoughts. 
The large alicorn let out a hearty laugh. “I can’t say I'm surprised, given her exhaustion. Still, I’m glad to hear she found somewhere nice to spend the day,” he said as he came in for a landing, kicking up a small bit of dust as he flapped his wings. “But I do hope she takes the time to look around more once she is feeling better.” He gave a slight bow to Twilight before looking at the books on Right Word’s back. “Ah, already looking into our native language I see. Make much progress?”
“No,” Twilight said, a bit curtly, “It’s…more difficult than I imagined.”
“Learning a new language normally is,” Sparrow agreed. “Although I will admit ours may be more difficult than most. Should you need help, feel free to ask myself or Book Smart, as both of us have experience teaching others our language. Book Smart especially loves teaching no matter the subject.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Twilight said, silently deciding to seek out Book Smart for help. “I suppose you’re here to take us back?” Given his size, she wouldn’t be surprised if all three of them could fit on his back.
Actually, he was so big he might be able to carry her and her friends if he really tried. If they were here, at least…
No, bad Twilight. No moping. Focus.
“Not necessarily,” Sparrow said, causing her to blink. “I received a stipend to spend as I please, so I was wondering if I might treat you to dinner at a local restaurant. It would be the perfect chance to see more of the town and to meet a good friend of mine.”
“You get an ALLOWANCE?” Spike asked before Twilight could respond. Right Word covered his mouth to try and stifle his laughter. 
It actually makes sense if you think about it.
It does? But I only got paid for taking care of the Golden Oaks Library. I never got a stipend.
What about after it was destroyed? You had it set up so that any money you were paid would be deposited directly in the bank, and then would withdraw funds when you needed them. Why was your account still growing after you lost the library, and at a faster rate than before? 
I…don’t know, actually. I never really payed attention to it or how quickly it was growing.
I know. And then you need to consider how Celestia and Luna managed pay for things they want, like how Celestia will occasionally eat out in Canterlot for dinner. 
…I never actually thought about that either. And Celestia even used to buy me candy from the stores in Canterlot! How could I never think about where the money came from?!
Because Celestia and Luna don’t buy a lot of new things that aren't already in the castle somewhere, so probably never noticed the small differences between their personal items and the castle’s versions. Which is surprising, given how I think Celestia owns at LEAST fifty different tea sets.
Also, they probably didn’t have a whole lot to buy in the first place save for food given how much is already provided for them in the castle, and what they did buy with you was likely small enough that you just never noticed or thought on it. Especially given how much you used to read, even when spending time with Celestia.
“Yes, Spike,” Sparrow said, rolling his eyes yet unable to hide his smile as. “The royal funds are only to be used on important matters that benefit the island or assist in my and my advisers ability to rule. And unfortunately, date nights don’t count as important matters of the state.”
See? Perfectly logical.
Ok, ok, point to you brain. Or maybe four points in this case. Still, it’s nice to see he’s at least responsible enough not to waste all his country’s money. Though now I’m curious about what MY stipend…used to be…
NO MOPING! BAD TWILIGHT! FOCUS!
“Hey, wait! What about us?” Spike asked, gesturing to himself and Right Word. 
“I thought you two might like to try ‘The Crystal Cafe,’” Sparrow said, teleporting in a small bag that made a jingling sound just like bits. “Seeing as how all gems have a unique flavor, almost like spices, this restaurant enchants gems so that ponies can eat them. The original owner got the idea after researching dragons’ eating habits. It allows the restaurant to give all their food a unique taste that blends the natural taste of the gems with the food they bake. It would be my treat, of course.” He smiled as the young dragon began drooling. 
Actually, Right Word was drooling too! That must be one good restaurant.
Twilight knew that it was so rare for ponies to incorporate gems into food, so anything with gems in it was quite a treat for Spike. It’s why he had tried so hard to bake a gem cake, and why he was so devastated when he ate all the gems instinctively while preparing the batter.
Spike shook his head. “I, no. Twilight needs me. I…I can go later.” 
Twilight was touched that he was still trying to protect her from Sparrow, but his heartbroken look was just too much. He had already given up so much of his happiness by coming to the island, all to try and make her feel more comfortable and less homesick. He shouldn’t have to sacrifice anymore of his happiness for her. She wouldn’t allow it.
Besides, I need to face Sparrow alone sooner or later.
“You can go, Spike,” Twilight said, smiling as the dragon’s face lit up with excitement. “I’ll be ok. Plus, I don’t think he’ll try anything out in the open,” she added as a whisper. 
Spike’s smile got so wide it looked like it might fall off. 
It reminded her of Pinkie on her birthday…
What did I JUST say!? NO, bad Twilight! No! Moping! Be happy for him and focus on the NOW! 
Ok, ok brain. Sheesh. At least Sparrow’s nice enough to treat him to dinner. Celestia knows Spike deserves it after willingly leaving Equestria just to be with me. 
Spike hugged Twilight as best he could before grabbing the bag levitating near him and limping off. But after a few seconds, he stopped and came back.
“Um…Where is this place again?” he asked shyly. Twilight chuckled and shook her head while Right Word and Sparrow smiled.
“I’ll show you the way,” Right Word said, turning to lead Spike away. “Princess, I will bring these books to your room when I return,” he called back. Before long, the two of them were out of sight, lost in the crowd. 
“That was…nice of you,” Twilight said to Sparrow after a moment of hesitation. “Thank you for treating him like that.”
“You're welcome,” Sparrow said, smiling calmly, “He had refused to leave your side these last two days, so I thought I should reward him for his dedication. And given our situation, I thought this might be a good way for us to get to know one another a little better or for me to answer your questions about the island. I did tell Spike a little bit, but he was more focused on you than me whenever we spoke and he didn't ask many questions.”
“I never even said I wanted to go to the restaurant yet,” Twilight said, frowning up at him.
“You also didn't tell Spike that you didn’t want to go with me, or say that you would rather go with him, which tell me that you DO want to join me, even if only so I can answer your questions.” His smile suddenly faltered, and he shifted uncomfortably. “Am I…interpreting that correctly? If not, I apologize for making assumptions and overstepping my bounds.”
She hated him. 
He was right, he was being polite, and he was apologizing for possibly making assumptions, but she still hated him.
Stupid polite Sherlock-Hooves-acting jerk.
How can you be mad at him for being polite again?
I don’t know! But I am, so there! 
“Fine, yes. I want food now, and I want you to answer my questions so I stop having so many. Happy?” Twilight said, frowning harder. 
“A bit,” Sparrow said, looking concerned for a moment but he seemed to shake it off. “But that’s mainly because I think you will like the owner of the restaurant. Now then—” He flashed his horn and suddenly he was significantly smaller, only a few inches taller than Twilight “—Shall we be off?” 
He gave her a gentle smile before extending a hoof. Twilight reluctantly took it before he turned to lead her down the street, going slow enough for her weakened legs to keep up.
“What did you do?” Twilight asked, her curiosity about his magic getting the better of her. There was no way that was just a simple illusion spell. He had ACTUALLY changed his body to be smaller while simultaneously shrinking his crown, torc, and shoes to fit his new frame.
And he made it look EASY! 
“A compacting spell,” Sparrow said, glancing to his side to wink at her. “Being big has its advantages, but most buildings aren’t built with my size in mind. And I’m not sure if the restaurant we are going to will have any outdoor tables left. Furthermore, I…thought it would making walking to the restaurant more enjoyable since I won’t be towering over you the entire time, as well as making us a little more inconspicuous.”
“Not THAT inconspicuous,” Twilight said, raising an eyebrow. He WAS still the king, and SHE was still a female alicorn that had just appeared on the island a few days ago and hadn’t been seen outside until just a few hours ago. So unless there were more alicorns on the island, Twilight herself was bound to attract quite a bit of attention. 
“IT’S TIME FOR FASHION!”, a high-pitched voice suddenly rang out across the street.
Was that Speedy Diamond? Twilight thought, getting just enough time to see Sparrow’s eyes go wide and his response to her comment die in his throat before the pink unicorn suddenly appeared directly before the two of them with a mad look in her eyes. Sparrow’s body tensed as if he was about to turn tail and run, but he never got the chance as Speedy’s horn flashed. 
Twilight suddenly found herself in what she could only describe as a pink-and-yellow tornado! Everything was a blur, and she had no idea that was happening or which was way even UP as she was spun, flipped, and tossed every-which-way and in every possible direction! 
AaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaAAAAAA!!!
Is this what it’s like to be in a washing machine!?!? Twilight thought as she desperately tried to regain SOME kind of control of her body that was currently flopping uncontrollably through whatever-this-was.
Then, it was over. She blinked, trying to get her eyes to stop spinning in different directions.
OooOOOoooOOOooo…What the—
Don’tvomitdon'tvomitdon'tvomit...
“My work, it is done. What do you think?” 
Twilight blinked again and shook her head. 
What the heck did Speedy’s spell DO!?
And why did it fell like she was wea—
Twilight went wide-eyed as her vision finally cleared. In front of her was a large, full-body mirror. She was now wearing a dark purple dress covered in light purple star designs that matched her fur color. It also had a light pink see-through silk that attached to her shoulders and ran back below her folded wings and attached to the edges of her dress directly above her cutie mark. 
Lifting a hoof, she saw that she was also wearing dark purple shoes with star-shaped amethysts on the front of them. Her mane was done up in the same way it had been during her coronation, somehow, and it gave her an almost regal appearance. She also swore that she could smell the faint aroma of peach perfume, sweet but not overpowering.
All in all, she was completely stunned, unable to even focus on the memory of her coronation that her mane now invoked. 
You look beautiful…
Yeah…
Hearing Sparrow groan from her left, she finally pried her eyes away from the mirror to see that he had undergone a similar makeover. 
Sparrow was wearing a rather sharp-looking orange suit that was the perfect size for his smaller appearance. His mane was combed to the side and now had a bit of a shine, and his crown and torc now sat next to him in a small pile, but he still wore his shoes. Twilight had to admit that despite her negative feelings towards him, he did look rather handsome like that. 
It was also a bit funny to see the mighty and powerful alicorn’s eyes spin in different directions as he tried to remain standing, his face a slight shade of green.
Could this be karma for kidnapping us?
Maybe…
“Whyyyyy?” Sparrow groaned, shaking his head. “Why couldn't you just let me dress myself? Why did you need to use the Tornado of Fashion?” He looked at himself in the mirror, mouth agape and eyes wide open. “And how did you know my measurements? I changed the size of this spell only yesterday so I could be closer to Twilight’s height! And how did you know TWILIGHT’S measurements? Wait, don’t tell me. Speedy Sense?”
“Speedy Sense,” the unicorn nodded vigorously, sticking her tongue out at Sparrow playfully. Yep, she was this island’s Pinkie and Rarity all wrapped up into one, and this second encounter with her worked to further ease the homesickness Twilight still felt in her heart. 	“Soooooooooo…what do you thiiiiinnnnnkkkk?” she added, bouncing up and down so fast she was almost vibrating.
Is she about to pass out again?
Brain, shush. Focus on the dress.
“It’s…amazing,” Twilight said, looking back at her own reflection. “How much—”
“No charge,” Speedy said with a boing. “Just wear it and love it, and that’s all I need! Enjoy your date, and be sure to try the peach pie!” 
And with a flash of yellow magic, the bouncing mare and her mirror were gone, leaving behind a rather perplexed Twilight and an annoyed-looking Sparrow. 
No price for an exquisite masterpiece of a dress. How many times has Rarity done the same for me? The all-too-familiar heavy feeling filling her chest now that Speedy had left.
“I do wish she wouldn’t do that,” Sparrow said, shaking his head again as he teleported his crown and other accessories away. “I mean, she is wonderful, I love her outfits, and she made you look incredibly stunning, but the whole spinning and force-fitting…it’s a miracle I don’t vomit when she does that. I really wish she would just ask instead. Is that too much to ask?”
“Yes. Yes it is,” Twilight said, trying to ignore his compliment as she began walking in the direction Sparrow had been guiding her before Speedy interrupted. "Maybe she only had a minute left before she passed out again and wanted to make sure we were ready before then. Or maybe she had another order to fill out. Either way, it could have certainly been worse, and shouldn’t you be used to things like that?” It wasn’t until the end of her little speech that she realized that her voice had become rather hard, almost scolding in tone. 
And now my homesickness is making me irritable again. Sparrow does deserve it, but I'd rather I be in control of these stupid mood swings! And scold him because I want to, not just because I’m grumpy. 
Sparrow was silent for a moment as he moved to catch up with her, matching her stride. “You are correct, and bring up valid points. Though I will admit I have a very low tolerance for anything involving…spinning.” He paused for a moment before speaking more softly. “You’re still, understandably, mad at me, correct?”
“Yes,” Twilight said, taking a deep breath and letting it out, just like Cadence taught her.
Cadence…
FOCUS!
Ok, I needed that.
“And having every little thing around me remind me of Equestria in some way is making things worse, even when I know you’re trying to be nice by treating me and Spike to dinner with your own money rather than just taking us back to the castle for food.” She huffed, trying to find something to distract her.
While not nearly as busy as earlier in the day, the roads were still full of ponies moving all about. A father was chasing a small pegasus filly through the air, trying to catch her as she giggled happily. Two young earth pony stallions were assisting an old mare in moving a large box into a nearby store. Two unicorns were sitting on top of one of the houses, giving her and Sparrow a quick wave that they returned. 
Surprisingly, just seeing all these normal activities of the ponies around her worked wonders in soothing her temper.
“I don’t blame you, Twilight,” Sparrow said, giving a short sigh of his own. “And I can’t say I don't deserve any anger you want to give me. Believe me, our first meeting was in no way my first choice for methods of introducing myself, and frankly, had I the time, I would have tried another way. ANY other way.
“And for what it is worth, I’m sorry we had to meet the way we did, and for my action in Equestria. It may not make a difference, but I will apologize to you from now until the day I die if only to let you know how much I regret my actions, and how much I wish there had been another way.”
As he spoke, the two of them emerged into a small square with a rather decorative fountain in the middle. It was made of marble and had three ponies, one of each race, holding a jug that flowed with water. All around the fountain, ponies moved about. Some headed towards the multitude of restaurants that lined the square, some simply passed through, and a few others stopped to sit by the fountain and relax. 
Or, on occasion, kiss.
Twilight shook her head as she let Sparrow take the lead again, focusing on his response. 
“…I think you mean that, and I respect that you are so willing to admit that you regret your actions,” Twilight said. “Yet conquering Equestria was still the path you chose. Regret or not, you still did it, and you still forced me to make the choice of either marrying you or staying trapped in Canterlot with the rest of Equestria under your control. And I use the term ‘choice’ VERY lightly.” Her voice sounded tired, even to her. “And you still haven’t even told me why. Or why it had to be so suddenly.”
“I will…” Sparrow said, deflating slightly. “I always planned on telling you why. I promise it’s true. But for the moment, I feel like you have enough going on for me to burden you with more.”
“Have you considered that part of the burden is that I know almost nothing, about you OR the reason you want me as your wife?” Twilight asked softly, suppressing a shiver at the idea. “Knowing why I’m here might help me adjust.”
“You are here because, whether or not we like it, it’s where you need to be. And I brought you here the way I did because I had to. The other options were unacceptable, and this was the best I could do.” Sparrow said, his face neutral, but it seemed to Twilight, both through his posture, his voice, and his eyes that he was reassuring himself just as much as he was trying to reassure her. 
But why?
UGH! SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!
“Ah, we’re here,” Sparrow said as they rounded the fountain, breaking Twilight from her thoughts as she looked forward. In front of them was a wooden two-story building with a large balcony extending from the second floor. There were also a few tables out front, and a large sign over the front door that looked like it was made of twisting branches. It read ‘Garden Paradise’ and fit with the theme of the building, which was that of a tree despite not actually being a tree this time. The large windows on the sides of the building showed that the place was packed inside, but apparently still had a few open seats outside the building. 
A building that looks like a tree without being a tree. Who in Equestria came up with that ide—wait a minute. That table over there had my and Sparrow’s cutie marks on it!
True enough, there was sign on one of the tables with her and Sparrow’s cutie marks under the word ‘Reserved.’ She looked at Sparrow in shock, but he only shook his head. 
“I was too busy with an incident among my guards to make a reservation today,” he said. “And I didn’t tell the owner that I would be dropping by. It seems Speedy might have lent us a hoof in that regard.”
But how would she kno—
It’s Speedy. She’s basically Pinkie.
Point taken.
“Indeed she did,” a voice called out, prompting Twilight to look up. A pegasus with an orange coat, golden feathers and eyes, a red and orange mane, and a cutie mark of a slice of pie came gliding down from the upper balcony. She was a little bigger than the average pegasus, standing at roughly Twilight’s height, and looked like she could hold her own against a pony like Rainbow Dash. She was wearing an apron that read ‘Gotta Love Pie’ and had a rather warm smile on her face that Twilight couldn’t resist returning.
She seems friendly.
Something about her smile, and the mare in general, just made Twilight happy for some reason. But given how her day had been going, she really didn’t mind a bit of happiness right now.
“Speedy came by about four hours ago and said you needed a reservation, Oh Mighty Lord,” she added, drawling out the title and snickering. Quite a few of the other nearby ponies joined in, and even Twilight had to hide behind her hoof to try and avoid laughing. 
How did she do that? Just by meeting her it feels like my whole day just became twenty percent better.
“Twilight, meet Pie Crust,” Sparrow said, smiling himself and rolling his eyes at the same time. “A good friend of mine who simply loves to tease me to no end, and perhaps my favorite cook on the island…or at least in the capital.”
“Yer just saying that cause you like the moonshine brewers more than me, even if they DON’T TECHNICALLY make food” Pie Crust said, planting a hoof to her head dramatically. “Oh, woe is me, being outdone by alcohol.” She smirked playfully, earning another playful eye-roll from Sparrow and a laugh from Twilight, even if she wasn’t quite sure if ‘moonshine’ differed from regular alcohol. But when Pie Crust turned to Twilight, her smile was softer. “You must be Princess Twilight. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She extended her hoof, which Twilight accepted. 
“Just Twilight, please. And it’s nice to meet you too.”
“Thank you, and of course, Princess,” she said jokingly. Twilight couldn’t help but giggle a bit at that. Something about her carefree demeanor was just that infectious. “And might I say how FABULOUS you look tonight,” the pegasus added, making Twilight blush shyly. It didn’t help that absolutely NO ONE ELSE was dressed up NEARLY as fancy as she and Sparrow were.
“Now, why don’t you two take a seat and I’ll go get you some menus and breadsticks,” Pie Crust said, gesturing to the table. Twilight moved towards one of the seats, not really surprised when Sparrow pulled it out for her. And with a happy nod once they were seated, Pie Crust took off again, flying back up to the balcony and out of sight. 
I can’t explain why, but Pie Crust just seems to be the type of pony that can brighten anyones day, no matter how miserable. I might just need to come back here whenever I’m having a bad day, if I can get some money, at least.
I’m willing to bet Sparrow would give you some if you asked. 
True.
“So, Twilight,” Sparrow said, pulling her attention back down from the balcony, “is there anything else that you wanted to ask me? I know you have questions, so please let me do what I can to clarify them. Though, if it is all right with you, can we…move past our previous topic of discussion? If just for now?”
“Why? You still haven’t explained why you did what you did,” Twilight said, frowning.
“Because that issue is still the most raw rift between us, and I can see just talking about it makes you angry,” Sparrow said softly, and Twilight realized that he was right. “I promise I will tell you about it once we have both had time to come to terms with what happened, but if we could leave it for later, I would be grateful. And I will gladly answer anything else you want to know within reason.”
He sounded…truly genuine. Like he actually wanted to help her gain at least a bit more understanding. 
It did make her feel at least a little bit better, especially given how consistently he was trying to be kind and gentle. She was still mad at him, but at least it was a step in the right direction. 
“Ok, I’ll drop that discussion. For now,” she said, taking a moment to think. 
What's a good question to ask him? About his magic, maybe?
How about how much he knows about you? He knew you were in Canterlot, he knew your friends, and he knew how to take down the princesses without any effort. Chances are, her likely did quite a bit of research into who you were and what you would be doing at the time of his invasion.
Her brain was right. He DID know quite a bit about her before he showed up. Why else would he want to marry her if he thought she was just a random alicorn? He HAD to know more than he had let on as of yet. 
“How much do you know about me?” she asked, crossing her hooves in front of her chest. Part of her was a little uncomfortable about being in a public place, but her thirst for answers overrode that concern. “You knew my friends, you knew my relationship with the other princesses, heck, you probably knew that I was in Canterlot when you chose to invade! Maybe even planned it so I would be away from my friends at the time.”
“Easy question first, I see,” Sparrow said with a small sad smile, though Twilight could tell that he thought it was the exact opposite. “Very well. First, yes, I did know of your trip to Canterlot, and it is why I chose that time to launch my plan. I knew you would be away from your friends, but still with the ponies you trusted more than anyone.”
“Celestia and Luna,” Twilight said.
Sparrow nodded. “Your parents as well. I knew all of them would be there to comfort you through your time of stress. I also thought that Canterlot would be the safest place for you, though I am sorry that was not the case.” He paused for a moment, looking as if he were debating whether or not to continue, before he released a heavy sigh. “The truth is that I have been watching you for years. I have done my best to respect your privacy, but I did what I could to learn about you. Your hobbies, your relation to others, your accomplishments, all that I could gather from observing you in public.”
“So you were spying on me,” Twilight said, unable to keep the anger out of her voice or hide the shiver that ran down her spine. Part of her wanted to say ‘stalking’ but…that word didn’t seem appropriate, though she couldn’t explain why.  “Did you spy on me on your own, or did you have guards report on me?” 
“It varied,” he said, stopping to thank Pie Crust as she came back with menus and breadsticks. She didn't seem to be bothered by Twilight’s heated glare at Sparrow, though Twilight wasn’t sure if that was because the pegasus was purposefully acting ignorant. Regardless, she was happy that Pie Crust wasn’t calling any attention to their conversation.
After they placed their orders for drinks, Sparrow continued. “I will admit that I tried to go myself most of the time, if only so I could see you myself, but that wasn’t always possible. I am a king first and foremost, and my ponies come before my own interest.”
“Just not my interest,” Twilight muttered, soft enough for him not to hear. When he tilted his head in confusion, she moved on to a new question while looking over the menu. “Why did you have such an interest in me at all? How did you even know I existed? Even after my coronation I still wasn’t in the limelight that much…”
“I took an interest in you because the moment I saw you, I knew you had incredible potential,” Sparrow said, smiling softly. “Though if you want a more specific answer to when and why that was…those fall under our earlier conversation, I’m afraid. Again, I will explain my reasoning when the time is right, but if we could hold off on that for now…I would appreciate it.”
UGH! Is EVERYTHING going to fall under the ‘we’ll talk about it later’ category???
Maybe ask what his favorite flavor of pancake is. If he says ‘we’ll talk about it later,’ then the answer to your question is yes.
Oh, be quiet, brain.
“How does your magic work? Or the magic of this island?” Twilight asked, trying to move onto something else before she became too angry again. "Sometimes you use your horn and it appears to be normal spell casting, other times you just…” She paused and waved her right forehoof around for emphasis, “make things happen. You teleport without using your horn and just APPEAR somewhere new, you knock out Celestia and Luna without using a spell that I could see, and it seems like other ponies here can do similar things as well.”
“That is a very long and complicated answer, and it would be so much easier to show you rather than tell you,” Sparrow said, looking over his own menu. “Regardless, I will do my best to explain it. Our method of magic use does not rely solely on a pony’s internal magic. As you likely know, ponies usually pull on their internal, natural magic and direct it to either their horn, hooves, or wings in order to perform magic, and this can limit what they can do based on their race. Our magic…well, it pulls magic from the world around us, brings it deep into our bodies, and then expresses it using our entire being rather than just our horn or other limbs. This allows us to cast spells that would normally be outside our reach, and it also allows us to cast with far less effort.
“However, despite the fact that any pony can use it if they know how, using this type of power for too long can be damaging to a pony’s natural magic. Training with this worldly magic improves how long a pony can use it without harm, or how much magic they can use without experiencing the negative consequences, and there is, so far as our best scholars can tell, no known limit to how much you can train your magical abilities in this field. However, it takes time to master and understand this magic unless you’re an alicorn.”
Twilight blinked curiously and tilted her head to the side. “Unless you’re an alicorn?” she asked. “What does that have to do with it?”
“Alicorns are naturally closer to the source of this magic than a normal pony,” Sparrow said, “and as such, our bodies are more adaptive to it. As it is, I can cast for a near infinite amount of time without feeling the side effects, though whether that is due to my age or my training with the magic, I couldn’t say.”
“Wait, how old are you?”
“Just about a century over two thousand years,” Sparrow said, chuckling slightly as Twilight’s jaw dropped.
I’m engaged to a stallion who’s over TWO THOUSAND YEARS OLD!?!?!?
I wonder if that makes him older than Celestia and Luna.
NOT THE TIME, BRAIN!
What? It’s a legitimate question!
Because I’m trying to cope with the fact that he’s almost 100 times my age and don’t need more questions to distract me!
Twilight tried to get her brain back into gear for nearly three minutes so she could ask more questions, but by the time she recovered Pie Crust returned to take their orders. Twilight ordered a garden salad with peaches and five hayburgers while Sparrow ordered some mozzarella sticks, a bowl of pasta, and two salads. Given his normal size, Twilight was actually a bit surprised he had gotten so little.
Then again, the total amount of food did seem to match how much Celestia and Luna ate. He was also fully grown just like them, while according to Celestia she was still growing and need a lot more food than the average pony.  
“What…” Twilight began once their orders were placed, but she had to stop and take a deep breath to try and calm her nerves before her mouth could complete the question. “What was that shadow?” 
She tried to keep the tremor out of her voice as the memories of the attack tried to force their way to the front of her mind, but she was sure she wasn’t successful. 
Sparrow was silent for nearly a minute before answering. And when he did, he looked caught between rage, fear…and sorrow.
“Something…that I have been trying to destroy for more than two thousand years,” Sparrow said, his voice quivering slightly too. “It is perhaps…the only thing alive that is older than I am, and something that has far out stayed its welcome.” It was subtle, but Twilight could actually FEEL the magic around him increase as he spoke before he took a deep, calming breath.
“But what—”
“Twilight,” Sparrow said, and she was startled to see that he was full-out PLEADING. “Please. I know you want answers, but that…THING, it can’t reach you here. I promise. And I…I need time before I can speak about it. Just the though of it is…triggering.” 
I know the feeling…
It was clear the Sparrow’s emotions towards that creature were more…complicated than the pure fear Twilight had felt. He was all but slumping over the table setting and his eyes were growing misty as he stared at the table. Yet at the same time, there was something else deep inside them. Some sort of inner fire just waiting to be released. Both these conflicting signs made Twilight hesitate. She didn’t want to be outright MEAN, and she certainly understood not wanting to talk about something so terrifying, but she had to ask just one more thing.
Are you sure?
I…I need know. And…I can apologize if I go too far, but I hope I don’t.
“Is it…is it related to the attack on the island you mentioned?” she asked very, very cautiously.
Sparrow nodded slowly, his eyes never meeting Twilight’s. “Ok, that’s all I need to know right now. Everything else about that…THING, can wait for later,” she said. Sparrow relaxed slightly. 
“But…” she continued, prompting Sparrow’s ear to perk up. “Please…Please promise me that you will tell me about it one day. It’s…It’s more terrifying than anything I have ever experienced, but…I still need to know what it is. And why it w-wanted to k-k-kill me.” She stuttered as Sparrow flinched slightly, yet the sight of her trembling seemed to galvanize him into action. 
“I promise,” Sparrow said, his posture becoming straighter as he looked her in the eye, his hoof reaching across the table to gently touch her own in a sign of comfort. “I will explain it one day, and I promise that it shall never harm a hair on your head for so long as I live. And…thank you for understanding.” 
That was where the conversation ended for the moment as Pie Crust returned with their food. And it. Looked. DELICIOUS. 
The salad was huge, almost twice the size she was expecting! The lettuce, cucumber, scallions, cherry tomatoes, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheddar cheese all looked perfectly sliced and were perfectly colored. And, of course, it was absolutely COVERED in delicious peaches that made Twilight’s stomach rumble just by looking at them. 
The hayburgers looked just as good, arranged in a perfect circle on a large plate with a nice heaping of hay fries right in the middle, forming a cute yet delicious looking tower.
FOOOOOOOOOOOD…
Sparrow immediately dug into his pasta, but just as Twilight took her first bight of the salad, which was bliss on a fork, she noticed a quick flash of magic at the end of Sparrow’s fork, just as it entered his mouth. He didn’t seem to notice it, but behind him, Pie Crust winked. 
Twilight just blinked in confusion.
What did she—
Sparrow’s eyes went wide as his mouth compressed and his face suddenly became redder and redder.
“HHHHOOOOOOTTTTT!!!” he yelled as fire erupted from his mouth. Twilight ducked out of pure reflex, and Pie Crust fell over laughing as the alicorn made a mad dash for the fountain, his mouth still trailing smoke, and immediately plunged his head into the water with a burst of steam. 
However, what surprised Twilight the most wasn’t what had just happened, but how everypony else was reacting. 
They were all laughing! 
Their king had just been seen LITERALLY spitting fire, and they were all watching it as though it was just some kind of joke! Yet no one seemed concerned, and Pie Crust had winked, so was it a joke? Were there peppers or some other food that let you breath fire on this island?
I think we may have found the only thing worse than drinking hot sauce.
Not. The. Time.
After about half a minute, Sparrow’s head emerged from the water with a gasp as Pie Crust finally managed to stand again. 
“That NEVER gets old,” the cook laughed, whipping a tear from her eye. 
“Must you ALWAYS do that!?” Sparrow gasped, his face still red from whatever had been added to his food.
“I don’t ALWAYS do that,” Pie Crust defended. “Only about fifty percent of the time.” She stuck her tongue out at Sparrow playfully. Twilight, despite her EXTREME level of confusion, couldn’t help but giggle. Something about seeing such a powerful creature being laid low by a harmless Rainbow-style prank just made her want to laugh. 
Well, so long as the only harmful effect of a flaming mouth was a now soaking wet mane and suit. But given how Sparrow seemed to be talking without any trouble, it seemed safe to assume it was harmless.
“Remind me again why I come to this restaurant so often,” Sparrow said, releasing an loud, exaggerated sigh. “Because I am seriously considering making this my last dinner here.” 
Pie Crust just smirked. “But then how would you get your Cinnamon-Peach Pies? You know I’ve got the best recipe around, and without me, you would lose your favorite dessert. Plus, I’m just trying to keep your life a little interesting,” she said innocently, closing one eye and sticking her tongue out playfully. 
“In exchange for not having my mouth catch on fire, it might just be worth the loss,” Sparrow said with an eye roll and a very, very small smile, shaking his head and lighting his horn to dry his mane and suit.
“How did you do that?” Twilight whispered while Sparrow was distracted. 
“You just need to teleport some sun spice onto his food riiiggghhhhttt when he closes his mouth,” Pie Crust replied as she pulled out a small glass bottle and slipped it into a small pocket on Twilight’s dress. 
Wait. I have a POCKET in this dress? How did Pie Crust know about that? How did I not notice it before now!? 
“Here. I’ve got more inside, and given what happened in Equestria, you might want this.”
“Tha—wait. How do you—?”
“Sparrow told everypony on the island that you would be coming to the island for your own protection, and what he planned to do to make sure you would come as quickly as possible. Now, I don't really agree with his method of getting you here, but I DO trust him to do what is right, even in this case. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn't be able to blow off some steam should you so choose.” Pie Crust grinned wickedly and gave Twilight’s side a playful nudge with her elbow. 
He told the ENTIRE ISLAND!?!? WHY would Sparrow tell EVERYPONY how he made me come to the island? Wouldn't that destroy his public image? How would he possibly justify invading a foreign country at all!?
Maybe because everypony here knows more about that…THING that attacked you than we do, and knew you would only be safe here? After all, if it attacked them in the past, it would be part of their history.
I, that…ok, maybe that makes a bit of sense. But why would they be willing to go along with this just to bring one pony, ME, here to this island? What about everypony else back in Equestria that might be in danger? And WHY did he need to let EVERYPONY KNOW? Does this mean EVERYPONY knows I’m now ENGAGED TO HIM!? Oh Celestia, do they know about my  reaction right after he proposed!? 
It wasn’t that—
I screamed my head off, smashed every window in Canterlot, fainted in the middle of the street, and then had a panic attack the moment I woke up! YES IT WAS THAT BAD! I’m mortified just THINKING about it! And if everypony knows, how long before wedding gifts start arriving!? Or before Speedy starts insisting that she make me a WEDDING DRESS!?!?
Calm down, girl. Just breathe. It is embarrassing, but it’s not like the news of the wedding wouldn’t have spread like wildfire anyway once you got here. Plus, I doubt even Sparrow knows about your panic attack, and the other reactions were probably normal given the circumstances. Still a little embarrassing, but I doubt anyone will make a big deal about them.
As for Sparrow telling everyone, if he told them all about us before he came to Equestria, then chances are ponies have had time to calm down and think things through, given how it’s nearly been a week since he invaded. And if you need proof of that, Strong Sprout and Soft Wind never even mentioned the wedding, and neither did Speedy. 
And as for why…well, given the size of his army, the chances of him hiding what had happened were bound to be slim, so maybe he wanted to be open about what was happening to preserve the ponies’ trust? Above all else, that’s one thing that seems to be in no short supply. 
But does that mean ponies are willing to do whatever he says just because they trust him, even if they disagreed with his methods? How can they possibly trust him that much? What am I missing here?
“Don’t think too hard about it,” Pie Crust said, apparently seeing Twilight’s internal struggle. “If I know our Sparrow, he’ll explain things when it’s the right time. Trust me. Oh, and be sure to enjoy your meal. Desserts are free for first-time visitors.” She gave one last wink before turning around and walking back towards the inside of the restaurant. Twilight sighed before shaking her head. Why couldn’t she just get a straight answer in this place!?
“Ugh, my tongue is gonna feel weird for days,” Sparrow said as he sat back down at the table, suit dried and mane re-groomed. 
“Couldn’t you just make some sort of anti-spice spell with your island magic?” Twilight asked as she returned to her own culinary masterpiece. So goooooood. The peaches were just as fresh and juicy as the other ones she’d eaten that day and their tangy flavor was perfect in the salad. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed a salad this much.
“Not unless I want to eliminate my sense of taste for the duration of the meal,” Sparrow said with a headshake. “Plus, every time I prepare for her, nothing happens, and every time I don’t, she somehow gets the better of me. She truly is a master at pranking. And cooking. Ohhhh, her cooking…”
Is he drooling?
Yes. Yes he is.
“The food is worth the pain?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.
“Oh yes, especially her desserts,” Sparrow said, looking fondly at the window. “Perhaps they’re not TECHNICALLY the best on the island, but they certainly are the best in MY opinion. I can’t imagine my life without them.”
“Are ALL the best things in this city?” Twilight asked, her taste buds lighting up as a particularly good piece of peach made its way onto her tongue.
“Not exactly. As that encyclopedia you found will tell you, all the villages here have something they do better than any other, but many of them also have a variety of things that are really great as well. For example, we may have the best peaches, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad on the rest of the island. You can still enjoy them all, even if you prefer the ones from here. Plus, bear in mind that I live here most of the time, so naturally I will think everything here is better than elsewhere on the island.”
“Ok, I guess,” Twilight said, taking some time to eat while she thought of her next question. Of all the ones she could think of, one in particular leapt to mind. One that she wasn’t actually sure if she even wanted to ask. But, seeing how it would come up eventually, she decided to just get it over with.
“When…is the wedding?” Twilight asked, staring resolutely at her food. Sparrow was quiet for a few seconds before he responded. 
“Not for quite some time,” he said, his voice…actually, Twilight couldn’t identify what emotion it was. “While I know you agreed to marry me, I…understand that it is still a major step. As such, I am putting it off so that you can have some time to adjust, meet the ponies I rule, come to terms with your decision, and get to know me better. It will happen, but…when? That all depends on when you feel you are ready. If you want an estimate, I will say about a year, but I will delay it further if you are still having trouble adjusting.”
Or we could just co-habitate. That would make things WAAAAAY simpler. 
I doubt he’ll settle for that given all the trouble he went through to make me his fiancee. Still, at least I have time to think on this. 
“I…thank you,” Twilight said, sincerely. Her captor or not, that amount of time was enough for her to push the thoughts of the wedding out of her mind, at least for now. She just hoped she COULD adapt. Stressing like this for the rest of her life would never work, and the sooner she married him, the sooner she might be able to see her friends in person again. She just hoped she would be told the truth about his actions before the wedding, rather than after.