//------------------------------//
// Prologue: Stolen Intimacy 
// Story: If I Could Love Again... 
// by Petalled 
//------------------------------//

Two knocks occurred on the door instead of three as it was the hour of Tartarus, and Twilight was up in the middle of the treacherous Everfree Forest until she reached a halt to Zecora's hut. The door had slowly creaked open, revealing a weary zebra in her pajamas as well as her buzzcut mane in a mess.

She glanced from both directions and then turned to Twilight, rubbing at her eyes to see if she wasn't imagining things because why would someone come to her hut so late at night?

''Princess Twilight?'' she called out, repressing a yawn. ''What are you doing here in the middle of the night?''

A few weeks ago, she had been ascended into an alicorn princess for completing a spell that had never been done before, not even a great unicorn bearded wizard could be able to accomplish.

''Zecora, I... I'm sorry if I interrupted you from your slumber,'' Twilight apologized, peering inside the hut. ''Do you mind if I can come inside for a while for us to talk?''

''Of course,'' she allowed, stepping back inside as the other entered in. ''Tell me what's troubling you, little horse.''

Twilight's ears pinned back as she watched the zebra walk over towards her counter and open a cabinet as she got out two mugs. She poured in the special kind of tea that she usually likes to make and placed the two cups on a table as the alicorn seated herself on the opposite end of the table as the zebra began to do the same.

''So, tell me, your highness,'' Zecora began, ''why were you out there in the darkness?''

''I had a dream,'' Twilight replied, fidgeting with her cup in her grasp. ''I couldn't sleep after that.''

Zecora nodded. ''Could you please elaborate? Analysis would be great. When you have a nightmare, it's always better to speak it out of your hair.''

''Right. So,'' she continued, ''let me start off to where it all happened. When I was small, I had this foal sitter. Cadence, I think you know her?''

''Ah. The Princess of Love,'' the zebra pointed out, nodding. ''What of?''

''Well, you see, it took me some years to make me realize that I was in love with her ever since that one Hearts and Hooves Day which got me to celebrate it on my own. I began to think it was a stupid holiday just because of one heartbreak.''

''I see,'' Zecora said, drinking from her mug. ''And did she bring you glee?''

''Of course!'' Twilight replied almost too quickly. ''That was practically the reason why I fell in love with her. She was just so beautiful, so kind, positive, and perfect like Celestia. But I didn't know what I was thinking when I thought I could have a chance with her. I mean she's my brother's age so obviously, she would—''

''It's good to get this off your mind,'' Zecora interrupted. ''But do you know the old saying: love is blind?''

Twilight stretched her eyelids. ''About a hundred times, yes.''

Zecora hummed as she was seemingly deep in thought before speaking up again. ''Now I recall you telling me of Spike's crush on our friend Rarity,'' she pointed out. ''While it's absurd, love is full of sincerity. So, what is this nightmare you are having, dear?''

''I... Well, it's kind of stupid if you ask me,'' Twilight responded as she let go of a breath she had been holding when speaking. ''I was dreaming how Cadence was suddenly captured again but this time I wasn't going to ever see her again and the worst part was, my brother was part of the capturing. I know it sounds silly, but the other part was that I didn't seem to care — that I had somepony else far better than her since she didn't choose me.''

''And Princess Luna didn't talk to you about this?'' the zebra asked. ''She can't have this be dismissed.''

''That's what I was saying to myself,'' said the alicorn, gulping down the last of her tea before the zebra offered her if she wanted more she kindly declined. ''Where was Luna when I was having that dream? Isn't she supposed to guide ponies through their nightmares?''

Zecora placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder as she let her tears stream down her cheeks.

''I've promised myself all these years to forget about her,'' Twilight murmured through shaky breaths. ''Celestia knew. Spike knew. I wouldn't even be surprised if Shining and Cadence knew too.''

''These sort of things happen all the time,'' Zecora assured her. ''Sometimes, it's tough to climb. You try to focus on the things you find happiness in, even if it keeps coming back to you like a bowling pin. It's hard, but eventually, you'll get rid of the negative card.''

Finally, Twilight wiped at her tears and let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding for that long.

''Thanks, Zecora,'' she said softly. ''I owe you one. And hey, you don't mind if you give me a recipe for this tea here, do you? It actually tastes delicious.''

Zecora laughed goodnaturedly. ''A friend of mine, you can have it anytime.''

When the zebra stood up from her seat, she escorted the alicorn princess to the door and opened it to reveal the murkiness of the forest's trees as well as the gloomy nighttime sky above. 

''Again, thanks for the talk,'' Twilight said as she was being draped with a cloak. ''You're pretty good.''

''Come any time,'' Zecora said, waving as the alicorn started trotting away from the hut. ''Good luck to your first-ever royal summit, avoid grime!''

As Twilight continued to trot deeper and deeper, when she was seen but a speck in the distance, Zecora closed the door behind her and chuckled while also mumbling something to herself.

''It's fillies like these who often get to feel the breeze quite lately, oblivious to know the partner that they've been searching for comes from the most unexpected places after a couple of embraces.''