Twilight groaned as she pushed open the heavy door to the bathroom. The wooden portal was made for an alicorn, and her burnt and bandage-clad forelegs could hardly open the damn thing. If it wasn't for the fact that her magic was on the fritz, this would be easy, as she could have just pushed the dang thing open that way. Not even her psychic abilities seemed to have recovered yet either, meaning she was stuck doing everything the earth pony way. Something made even more difficult by the injuries on her chest and shoulder which thankfully didn't reopen.
Which was a way of doing things that the young unicorn had not had to experience since that one time when she was seven and suffered magical burnout practicing spells in the backyard. This was worse than even then though, as it felt like her everything had been used to the point of exhaustion and then some. Her horn ached, her hooves still felt warm due to the sheer number of second degree burns she had accumulated, and her head pounded, all despite the numerous healing spells used on her over the last few days.
Turning the tap on the sink, Twilight stuck her head underneath and gulped down mouthful after mouthful of the stuff. Sure she could have gotten a glass, and gotten something out of the fridge, but Celestia’s kitchen was similarly alicorn sized, meaning it was a struggle to even get a drink. This was just easier and meant that she didn't have to try and use her horn, or psychic powers, which were both temporarily off limits anyway.
Having gotten her fill, Twilight turned off the tap and trotted back out of the room, muttering “ouch” with every step she took. The bandages were thick, the gauze turning her already bulky legs so cumbersome that it made walking slightly difficult. Not like Twilight was about to complain though, as the young mare knew how lucky she had gotten.
Her second flare was something nopony had seen coming and was not something anyone had even deemed possible, until now. Her first flare had been half fluke, half the effect of whatever had infected her. The result had been an explosion of magic that opened up her magical pathways to the point that they were nearly exploding with mana. Whatever had happened in the training room felt familiar, and much, much different at the same time.
She wasn't sure why her horn also ached if she had been using psychic energy for the most part, but Twilight tried not to think of that right now, as she had enough things to worry about at the moment.
Grunting, the unicorn pushed the bathroom door closed behind her and began the long trek back to her temporary room. Around her were tall countertops, a table, and everything one might expect to see in a kitchen designed for an alicorn. Just about everything was out of Twilight’s reach, despite the fact that she was taller than the average full-grown unicorn mare, despite her relatively young age.
The sight alone was enough to remind Twilight that despite looking like them, Celestia was still an entirely different type of pony, one that grew far taller than the average mare could ever dream of. Though this realization would normally make Twilight ponder why this would happen, now it only made her slightly irritated. “Stupid alicorn and her stupid tall stuff,” she muttered to herself as she crossed the kitchen and made her way towards a long hall on the other side of the room.
She passed by the small dining area and flicked on the light to the hall, despite the fact that it was hardly needed, given that it was only two in the afternoon and sunlight filled the apartment. Regardless of the necessity, Twilight did so anyway, the unicorn stopping and scanning the hall for a second. What little shadows that had existed were now banished by the light, and Twilight breathed easier, having found that it was the same empty hall that was always there.
“Relax, Twilight. This is Celestia’s apartment. Nopony can get in or out without express permission from the princess herself,” she muttered under her breath as she made her way over to the door leading to her room.
Pushing it open, Twilight peeked inside and found her assistant asleep on her bed, his body curled into a ball as he snored loudly. The dragon had been quiet since the attack and more reserved than normal, spending most of his time sleeping or reading. It was enough to make Twilight begin to worry about him, even though he had not been injured in the fight.
The unicorn sighed and silently hoped that her new overcoat came in soon, as walking around with nothing more than gauze and bandages covering her made the pony feel naked and vulnerable. The black leather had done little to stop her attacker, that much was true, but that was something which would hopefully be addressed with this latest coat. Her old gryphon gaming partner had been insistent that the destruction of the coat was an acceptable loss, and that he had something better coming, though he wouldn't elaborate much in that regard.
It was enough to make Twilight’s mind wander as she considered just what he meant. It was obvious that he was going to make her some manner of new coat, but how could it protect her if it was just a coat? She put those thoughts away for now and plunked down at her desk, sighing heavily before grabbing a book which she had set aside.
It wasn't exactly the most stimulating of books, given that it was little more than a great collection of riddles, but she felt oddly drawn to it. It felt nostalgic for some reason, and she eagerly flipped back to the spot she had left off at and began to read once more.
With nothing but the sound of snoring, and the occasional gust of wind against her window, the unicorn was quickly whisked off to a world where there were only her thoughts and the riddles she read. Time flew by relatively quickly, unnoticed by the oddly entranced unicorn, that was until she heard the door to the apartment open. Shooting out of her chair, Twilight put the book back down and sprinted over to the door, which she pressed her ear against.
She could hear the distinct clip clop of Princess Celestia’s heavier, yet also daintier hooves, but also a second pair of hooves which were shorter and even heavier still. Hearing those hooves approach her temporary residence, Twilight opened the door and beheld a surprised Celestia who smiled down at her.
“Ahh, Twilight. Good, you are awake,” Celestia exclaimed. “How goes your studying?”
“Not bad…” Twilight muttered, glancing to the left, and finding no one else there. “Did you come alone?”
“I did not,” proclaimed the alicorn, who shook her head. “But that can wait. Please wake Spike and bring him and yourself to the sitting room.”
“Why?” Twilight replied hastily.
Celestia smiled cryptically. “It's a surprise. One you will like. I assure you.”
Twilight eyed her carefully before nodding. “Alright, give me a minute.”
Celestia nodded. “Thank you.” With that being said she turned away and trotted down the hall, leaving Twilight to ponder what the alicorn had planned for her.
The unicorn sighed and looked over to where Spike was still curled in a ball, though he had stopped snoring at least. “Hey, Spike. Celestia is back, she wants to talk to us,” she exclaimed while walking over to the bed and giving him a poke in the side.
The dragon grunted and slowly uncoiled, scowling as he did so. “Did she say what it was about?” he asked sleepily.
Twilight shook her head. “I’m afraid not. There was someone else that came with her though.”
“Hmm.” He shrugged. “We better get moving then. Are you going to be alright to walk all the way there?”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “It's only across the apartment, it's not like I’m going for a run or anything.”
Spike sighed. “Sorry. This whole thing is just… weird.”
“I know what you mean, Spike,” Twilight agreed.
The young drake hopped off the bed and together the pair made their way over to the other side of the apartment, where the sliding door to the sitting room was closed, and Celestia stood before it. The alicorn wore a bemused expression on her face, and shook her head as the duo approached her.
“You know, I overheard a maid who assumed you were actually my lover,” Celestia announced out of nowhere, making Twilight stop and blink in shock.
“Uh r-really?” Twilight muttered, looking away as she blushed profusely, her brain already struggling to imagine such a strange idea.
The thought itself wasn't wholly unpleasant, but felt a lot like having a crush on your cousin, distant or not, that was just too weird for Twilight’s taste. Celestia merely chuckled, not noticing how hard Twilight was blushing. “Oh yes, they were whispering about it quite a bit as I walked past.” She paused and pursed her lips. “I really should hint that I can hear them one of these times.”
“But then you wouldn't get all the latest gossip,” Spike added with a smirk.
“True,” Celestia admitted, a gentle smile crossing her face. “So, are you ready to meet the pony I trust to guard your person when you are out of my sight?”
Instantly Twilight’s blush was gone and she looked up in confusion. “I thought you said there wasn't anyone that you trusted for the job.”
“I said there wasn't anyone currently in my employ that I trusted to do such an important job,” Celestia corrected, her smile growing a little cheeky.
“Err, what's the difference?” Spike asked while scratching his cheek.
“It means that I had to dig back through my archives in search of someone who used to work for me whom I could trust with this.” Celestia took a step back and reached towards the sliding door. “And I think I found the perfect pony to handle something so important.”
Twilight was about to ask a question when the alicorn pulled the sliding door back and revealed Celestia’s cherished sitting room. All the usual things were there, including the roaring fire, the large bay windows that opened up onto a small balcony which oversaw Canterlot. The large, suitably alicorn sized couches sat against two of the walls, the final wall being completely dominated by a floor to ceiling bookcase. All the usual seemingly random nick nacks, ancient banners, and flags whose importance had been all but lost to history were all there, but there was something else there as well, something new.
“Silver Bulwark?” Twilight muttered, her jaw hanging open.
The older mare chuckled as she got off one of the couches, the furniture squeaking as she moved. “Did I surprise ya? Celestia wouldn't let me put on the helmet and make you guess who I was, but I thought that would've been more fun.”
“Oh my gosh you are back!” Spike shouted, the dragon leaping towards the pony and wrapping his arms about her.
Silver Bulwark chuckled as she hugged the dragon back, though she winced slightly as she did so. “Whoa there, big guy. I ain't as young as I used to be, you know.”
“You are not even forty yet,” Twilight deadpanned.
“Hey, that’s older,” replied the other unicorn, who flashed Twilight a wide, genuine smile. “So, what has my favorite little rugrat been doing these days?”
“Not being a rugrat, for one,” Twilight shot back, a smile of her own threatening to build at the edge of her face, though she stifled that urge for the moment.
Summoning what little psychic powers she had left, the infested unicorn reached out and touched the other pony’s mind. Though not enough to get anything more than even the simplest of snapshots, it was enough to tell Twilight that Silver Bulwark had none of the emptiness she had feared. The older pony’s mind was as vibrant and expressive as ever, with no trace of the great houses’ influence.
Breathing a little easier, Twilight no longer resisted the urge to smile and wrapped her hooves around Silver Bulwark, who had just escaped Spike’s scaled limbs a second earlier. “Oof, you are bigger than I remember. What have you been feeding her, Celestia?” Silver Bulwark asked jokingly.
“Just the usual, a mix of growth hormones and animal feed,” Celestia replied smugly.
Silver Bulwark blinked and was caught off guard for a second before erupting with laughter. “I forgot how good your poker face can be!”
Twilight took a step back and eyed the older pony carefully, noting that despite her slight increase in age, she was as in shape as ever. Though she had apparently been out of the guard for several months she didn't seem to have gained much, if any. Though her mane had gone from a bright silver to a slightly duller, more grey color, her fur remained a stark white. Her eyes still held all the same kindness and intelligence that Twilight had come to expect from the pony.
Twilight also noticed that her armor looked very different from the suit she wore as a guard, and Twilight took a step back in order to figure just what about the golden plate that made her realize that. “Wait, is that from…” Twilight half muttered, half asked as she turned to Celestia.
“It is indeed,” replied Celestia. “Behold, the Corvus pattern full plate armor.”
“I even got the nifty helmet. See?” Bulwark added, reaching behind the couch and producing the slightly angular, beaklike helmet and displaying it for all to see.
“That's so cool,” muttered Spike, who took the helmet in his hands and began to turn it this way and that, inspecting it closely.
“I even added a few enchantments of my own design,” Celestia offered. “Ones I hope to teach you one day, Twilight. Though that won't be for quite a while.”
Twilight blinked and turned to the armor, stopping herself a second before she tried to light her horn. Cursing her poor luck, she grumbled quietly to herself, bemoaning the circumstances that left her unable to inspect another one of Celestia’s legendary enchantments. The alicorn was a master of the art, and it was said that Celestia herself had pioneered the entire field of enchanting. It was also said that the alicorn kept all her greatest discoveries to herself, something that was only partially true.
“Why does it look like it was made for a gryphon?” asked Spike, who poked the beaklike portion of the helmet that jutted from the front of the helmet.
“It’s to allow enough space for a mechanism I enchanted, which cleans the air of whomever is wearing the helmet,” Celestia replied, turning the helmet upside down and pointing to the spot the magic was located. “See?”
“Woah,” Spike muttered again.
Meanwhile, Twilight simply looked on, conflicting emotions rising in her chest, ones which made her feel quite uneasy. On the one hoof she liked the familiar sight, but it also meant that Silver Bulwark was at risk now too, and the possibility of losing not only herself, but Silver Bulwark made the infested unicorn uneasy. Furthermore, there were several other questions which made Twilight wonder about the finer details of their arrangement, questions she decided to open up about now.
“So is she my bodyguard then or what? Because something tells me the guard isn't just going to let her back in,” Twilight half asked, half stated.
Celestia nodded. “She is a private contractor hired by myself. Her contract is for the next five years, but if you wish to break that contract for any reason, you may.”
Twilight paused and considered the alicorn’s words for a moment. It was obvious that this would only happen if Twilight wanted it to, but the alicorn was also all but telling the young unicorn to go along with her plan.
“That makes sense,” Twilight muttered while tapping her chin. “So would you be under my command then?”
Silver Bulwark snorted and pulled the other unicorn into a sidelong hug, giving the mare’s neck a light squeeze. “Why? Are you thinking about making me do your laundry or something? ‘Cause I’m telling you right now, that was not what I signed up for.”
Celestia chuckled lightly, her laughter as gentle and kind as ever. “We can discuss the finer details of her contract and how exactly it would work a little later. Suffice it to say she would be with you pretty much twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.”
“No matter where you go, I’ll be watching you,” Silver Bulwark added, while wiggling her hooves at the unicorn and making spooky noises.
Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I’m not sure about this. What if that zealot comes back?”
“Then you will be better protected next time. I will also teach you some methods to break the illusions of others so you will not be caught unaware,” Celestia replied quickly.
“Didn't you say you wanted someone who could watch your back who you could trust?” offered Spike.
Twilight sighed. “I did. It's just... I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me.”
Silver Bulwark snorted and squeezed the pony a little tighter. “Don't you worry about me none there, young lass. Both my husband and my wife left me for caring too much about the guard. So it ain't like I’m going to be having kids anytime soon, meaning I gotta look after other pony’s rugrats.”
Twilight paused when she was just about to say something, and merely chuckled instead. “I missed you and your Bullisms.”
“Bullisms?” Celestia asked.
Spike smirked. “Bull has an interesting way of saying things sometimes.”
The older unicorn scoffed and released the hold she had on Twilight. “What they mean to say is I’m a font of wisdom which they struggle to understand!”
“Sure. It's definitely not that you are just plain hard to understand sometimes,” Twilight shot back.
“Pffft whatever. I like my explanation better,” replied Silver Bulwark with an indignant snort.
“So what do you say, Twilight?” Celestia interrupted.
Twilight paused and looked to Spike, who was nodding eagerly. “I suppose it couldn't hurt to have someone else watching my back. I want to take a short trip downtown though.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow, but quickly caught the subtext and frowned. “Are you sure that's the best idea, Twilight?”
“I need to test something, and the sooner I do that, the better,” Twilight replied.
Silver Bulwark looked from Celestia to Twilight and finally to Spike. “What the hay are they talking about?”
“Twilight has a secret lab in Canterlot,” Spike replied.
Twilight nodded. “And if you are going to become my bodyguard, I need to check something.”
Silver Bulwark shrugged. “I don't see the big deal. What do you say, Princess?”
The alicorn sighed. “Fine, but you are going to also visit your father and take a taxi most of the way down. It won't be the best cover, but it's better than nothing, and I’m sure he's still worried about you despite his frequent visits.”
The infested mare sighed. “I suppose that works.”
“Um, do you mind if I ask something as well?” Spike requested with a hint of nervousness.
Silver Bulwark grinned. “Of course ya can, big guy!”
The dragon stood a little straighter. “I want you to train me. If that's okay with you.”
The older unicorn blinked and seemed shocked for a moment before grinning like a mad pony. “Oh, this is going to be good,” she exclaimed.
Celestia sighed and planted a hoof against her forehead. “I feared you were going to say something like that.”
“What's the big deal?” Twilight interjected. “You’ve been training me for a while. Why can't Spike learn a thing or two as well?”
The alicorn shook her head. “It's not that I don't want him to learn how to defend himself, but rather I worry what Silver Bulwark will do to him.”
“I never told you this, but I used to be a drill sergeant back in the day,” Silver Bulwark added with a smirk. “It's actually where I got my nickname, kinda.”
“Kind of?” Spike asked.
The older unicorn puffed out her chest, making her armor clink. “They used to call me the Silver Bull.”
“On account of her being tough and as stubborn as a bull made of silver,” Celestia added.
Spike shrugged. “How bad could it be?”
Silver Bulwark smirked and shook her head. “Oh my sweet summer child. You will see.”
Twilight chuckled. “Just remember, Spike, you asked for this.”
Spike laughed nervously. “It can't be that bad, right… right?”
Twilight paced back and forth, her hooves squelching against the organic floor of her secret hideout. Already her psychic energy was nearly full once more, the presence of the creep easing the worst of her aches and making her feel complete once more. She also felt far more secure now that she was here, the familiar room, and strange healing properties of the organic floor assisting that feeling.
The hideout itself had recently been reinforced by several alicorn-level enchantments given to her by Celestia in the form of scrolls which could only be used once. Originally, Twilight had wanted to put them on her tower, but by now everything in it had been transferred to Celestia’s royal apartment, and it felt like a waste to use it on the tower. Even if she mourned the loss of her privacy, she also silently rejoiced being so close to Celestia.
Sighing, the mare pushed down those thoughts for now and focused on what she had in mind for her newest bodyguard. Which wasn't much other than a vague desire to help her in some manner, though she knew not how that would happen.
She mentally pinged Spike’s location and found him just above the room, still repeating the same drills that he had been doing the last time she had pinged him. Though it put the unicorn’s worries to rest, it made her wonder just how deep their connection was after her psychic flare. Which was something she hadn't thought about a lot since her powers began to wane after she had erected her mental wall all those years ago.
The unicorn had been content being able to tell what someone was feeling, and do light, non magical telekinesis if it meant being able to keep out their influence. Now though, now she could tell that those powers were beginning to grow more powerful by the day, while her mental wall remained as strong as ever. She wondered how long it would take until she was as strong as she used to be, and how great her new powers would become now that she was intent on training them.
Setting her jaw, she focused on the connection she shared with Spike, noting that the dragon felt like an extension of herself. It was strong and stable and Twilight knew that if she focused even more, she could control his body, though she vowed to never do that. The dragon himself seemed only barely aware of her, and Twilight could very easily mask her presence if she wanted.
She quickly pushed away from the dragon’s mind, already feeling uneasy upon hearing his thoughts in her head and choosing to focus on something else entirely.
Namely, Silver Bulwark, and how different their connection was. Twilight could hear her surface thoughts, feel her most outward emotions, but that was just about it. Pushing against that connection could yield something, but she knew the pony’s mind would resist her attempts and that was not something she wanted to try just yet. Silver Bulwark’s mind also felt… different for the lack of a better word.
It was like hers and Spike’s existed on the same wavelength, and were able to communicate clearly while Silver Bulwark’s was just a little bit off. They could still communicate, but it was difficult, like a radio that was only a single tick away from the right frequency. Twilight knew that this meant something, but the true significance of this difference was lost on her for the moment.
Either way, Twilight wouldn't be able to aid the pony in the same way she could mentally guide Spike or change his body structure like she did her own. With a snort of irritation the pony continued her pacing, wracking her mind for something that could make her bodyguard stronger. Twilight knew it was an arrogant thought, as the unicorn was already decked out in some of the best armor Celestia had ever made, and had received extensive training.
Still, Twilight knew she had something that Celestia did not, and she was determined to put her unique skill set to the test and come up with some sort of way to aid the older mare.
Twilight stopped and looked down at the ground, an idea suddenly coming to her. If she couldn't aid her bodyguard directly, perhaps she could create a second bodyguard. She knew the creep was capable of shape shifting to a lesser degree. It could also grow in strange ways, but she had never tried to create something out of it, until now that was.
Focusing, Twilight tried to imagine growing a small doglike creature from the creep, her newly enhanced senses telling her that the creep had more than enough stored nutrients for the job. Closing her eyes, Twilight pushed hard, shoving as much of her psychic power into the creep as she dared. Almost immediately the ground began to bubble and contort, a small pustule the size of an ostrich egg emerging from the creep.
It took a considerable amount of power to push the egg into growing faster, but Twilight got the feeling that if she let it grow more naturally that it wouldn't take more than a day or two. Still, she wanted to see the fruits of her labor now, and so it grew faster and faster, the thin, snakelike creature within twisting and contorting as it grew.
Unbeknownst to the unicorn, her burns and other injuries were also rapidly healing, her bandages falling away to reveal new, undamaged flesh just beneath. When finally it felt like her job was done, and her energy was nearing depletion, Twilight stopped and nearly collapsed, surprised by just how hard that was.
“That was intense,” she muttered, gazing down at the now slightly larger egg-like pustule. “You aren't much to look at, are you?”
Twilight frowned as the thing within continued to twist and writhe, its form only barely visible due to the low light coming from a few glowing spots on the creep. Looking down, Twilight only then noticed that her burns were gone and her legs looked brand new, as did her chest and shoulder. Lifting a foreleg, the unicorn inspected herself thoroughly, a sense of wonder filling her.
Even the best healing magic around couldn't do that, she thought to herself, noting how complete the regeneration was, even though it had left behind some uncomfortable-looking scars.
A resounding crack drew the unicorn’s attention back to the egg which had begun to shake visibly. Inside, the creature pulled back, and rammed the side of the egg again and again, before a chunk flew off. With an opening secured, the thing shot out of its egg, and emerged into the light, squirming and twitching as it did.
“What the fuck is that,” Twilight muttered, hastily backpedaling at the sight of the creature.
It was about a foot long, and resembled a snake, only with many legs and a diamond like head. It had no mouth to speak of, and its eyes were small and beady, looking around the room curiously. The mere sight of the creature made Twilight’s stomach churn for a reason she couldn't quite explain. The creature itself didn't seem overly bothered by this and gazed up at Twilight, as if expecting an order of some kind.
Disturbed and slightly panicked, Twilight made a shooing motion with her hoof. “Go to sleep or something,” she hastily commanded.
The snake creature nodded, and curled into a tight circle, its body shrinking to the size of a tennis ball before losing its purple and green coloration and becoming slightly grey. It felt oddly inert, like it was asleep, yet more than that at the same time. Hesitantly, Twilight approached the ball and prodded it, only for it to roll over and not react one bit.
“What the hay?” muttered the unicorn. “How would this thing help me?”
She looked up and idly noted that the creep was rapidly absorbing the egg, but left the creature alone. Though it was uncomfortable to look at, and made Twilight nauseous for some reason, the unicorn still gently lifted the ball in her magic and tucked it into a pocket dimension. “You can stay there, you creepy parasite thing,” Twilight whispered, only to stop and blink. “Wait, how did I know what that thing even was?”
Twilight placed a hoof on her chest, and closed her eyes, her mind already churning with possibilities. This thing could make someone into whatever Spike and I are, she realized, before looking down at her burnt legs. And I can rapidly heal whatever we are.
Being able to rapidly recover from wounds was quite a boon, but the thought of giving a parasite to Silver Bulwark made her incredibly uncomfortable. Shivering in disgust, Twilight began to trot towards the door, intent on gathering up Silver and Spike and heading to her father’s place as soon as possible.
Let’s hope I never have to use that creepy thing.