//------------------------------// // Bittersweet Homecoming // Story: Little Keys // by Skijarama //------------------------------// In the month since Princess Luna decided to lessen Twilight’s punishment, things have been quiet. Midnight’s biting words still haunt the back of Twilight’s mind, never far from her thoughts, but with the support of her friends, her spirits have slowly but surely been lifting. However, the time has come. With the dawn of a new month, the way to Canterlot is at last open to the young alicorn, and she is not going to let this opportunity pass her by… “Honestly, darling, you need to stop fidgeting,” Rarity gently scolded from her place across Twilight in their booth aboard the Friendship Express. “Honestly, if you keep fretting like this, you’re going to pop a gasket.” Twilight didn’t pay Rarity much mind, her gaze remaining firmly locked on Canterlot through the train window. The city was bathed from below in the fiery orange glow of the early morning sun, and a thin mist that hung around the city in the mountains allowed its shadow to be cast up and through the air. It was an incredibly rare sight, one that Twilight had only seen once or twice in all her life. Her view of it this morning was afforded solely due to the fact that the group had departed from Ponyville incredibly early. “Leave her alone, Rares,” Rainbow quipped from Twilight’s side. “Telling Twi to stop worrying is just gonna make her worry more, you know that, right?” Rarity pouted indignantly. “I’m just trying to help, Dash. She’s hardly held still since we sat down.” “Can you blame her?” Spike asked carefully, prompting Twilight to look back at him. He was staring back at her with a small, encouraging smile on his face. Twilight offered up a small smile to him in return before turning to Rarity. They were seated in a private booth, secured by Rainbow when they had come aboard. A small luxury that Twilight was very thankful for. She didn’t want anypony she didn’t know seeing just how anxious she was. Rarity hesitated for a moment before heaving a heavy sigh. “I… no, I suppose I can’t. I’m terribly sorry, Twilight. If I’m being a bother at all...” Twilight shook her head dismissively. “No, no, it’s fine, Rarity. You’re probably right, honestly,” she said, returning her gaze to Canterlot. “It’s Canterlot. It’s my home… How bad could it be?” There was a momentary pause before Spike offered up a response. “Are you sure you want me to answer that?” Twilight shot him a disapproving frown. “Spike.” He held up his claws defensively. “Hey, I’m just saying it how it is.” “Ever hear of tact, Spike?” Rainbow asked with a deadpan glare. “You say that as if you’re one to speak on the subject,” Rarity commented with a raised eyebrow. “Better than this lummox,” Rainbow snipped, pulling Spike against her side with a hoof and proceeding to give him the mother of all noogies. “Wha- hey!” Spike protested, flailing uselessly against the powerful pegasus’ iron grip. “Lemme go! Not cool, Dash!” “Nah,” Rainbow smirked, leaning casually back against her seat without releasing her hold on the squirming baby dragon.  Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at the exchange before turning to look back at Rarity. The unicorn was covering up her muzzle with a hoof to hide away her own amused titters at Spike’s expense. She caught Twilight looking her way, and her smile softened considerably. She lowered her hoof and leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Never you mind them, Twilight. You’re right. Canterlot is your home. You have absolutely nothing to worry about—nothing worth worrying about, at least. And even if something does go wrong, we’ll all be here to support you.” Twilight smiled, finally managing to relax. Whether or not Rarity was right that Twilight had nothing to worry about, she was right that Twilight had a pretty good support network traveling with her.  “Thanks, Rarity. And thanks for agreeing to let us come with you on this trip of yours,” Twilight said, leaning back in her seat. “I’m not sure I would have worked up the nerve if you hadn’t invited me.” “Think nothing of it, darling. It was the least I could do,” Rarity dismissed with a wave of her hoof. “Besides, it has been far too long since you’ve been in Canterlot.” Twilight’s smile faltered, and she returned her attention to the city, her heart twisting with anxiety in her chest yet again. She took a deep breath to quell that unsettling sensation, but it lingered in the back of her mind, like a panther quietly waiting for the right moment to pounce and tear her limb from limb. Her thoughts drifted back to the last time she had been in the city. A chill ran down her spine as she recalled the echoing screams of the ponies she had ensnared in her magic. None had gotten away. None could have gotten away. She cringed as she remembered how much she had been enjoying herself, how much she relished the feeling as she tore their memories out of their heads and took them into herself. She screwed her eyes shut as she remembered the sadistic joy she had felt at watching them cower before her. “No. Not me,” she finally managed to think, forcing the macabre thoughts aside. She opened her eyes and focused on Canterlot. “That was Midnight.” “Tsk tsk tsk,” the expected voice of her inner demon came from behind her, sounding both amused and disappointed. “Again with the denial.” Twilight ignored her. Midnight did not press the matter, thankfully. But Twilight knew she was still there; listening in on her thoughts, waiting for something to attack. “...You okay?” Twilight blinked and turned around. Rainbow had released her hold on Spike and was now looking at her with a worried frown. Twilight offered her a reassuring smile. “I’m okay. Midnight was bothering me, that’s all,” she said without hesitation. Rainbow’s expression soured. “Again? Ugh, can’t that stupid delusion take a hint?” she asked in exasperation. “I don’t think it’s that simple…” Twilight said before looking out the window again. She gave a quiet sigh, one which rapidly turned into a large and unattractive yawn, much to her surprise. A knowing hum came from Rarity at the sight. “Oh, my my, darling. Tired, are we?” she asked carefully. Twilight nodded, her ears lowering slightly. “A little, yeah. We left pretty early…” “Well of course we did,” Rarity replied, tossing her mane slightly. “If I want to make the most of this little business trip of mine, then I need to be punctual. Sapphire Shores runs a tight schedule, you know.” “I know, I know,” Twilight said dismissively, waving Rarity off. “I guess I’m just not used to being up this early.” In truth, she simply hadn’t slept well the previous night, even after going to bed at an early hour in preparation for this little trip. Her thoughts kept returning to those dark places she wished it wouldn’t about the last time she had been here, and it more often than not led to her waking up prematurely. She yawned again, then her muzzle scrunched up in annoyance at the involuntary action. “Oh, for the love of…” Spike leaned past Rainbow to get a better look at Twilight. “Why don’t you go ahead and take a little nap?” he suggested with a helpful smile. “We’re still a ways out.” Twilight pondered the suggestion for a moment, then gave a little nod. A nap sounded good right about now. “Okay, I guess. Wake me when we’re getting close, okay?” she asked, lowering herself to get comfortable on the cushions. With one more powerful yawn, she closed her eyes, and in mere moments, the perpetual rumbling of the train lulled her to sleep. “We are now arriving at Canterlot Station. This is our final stop. All passengers must disembark the train. Thank you for riding with the Friendship Express!” a friendly mare’s voice said over the intercom sometime later, snapping Twilight back into the waking world. She blinked and looked back to Rainbow and the others as they got up, with Rarity using her magic to pass around the group’s assorted luggage. Rainbow turned to Twilight as she got her saddlebags fastened to her back. She smiled. “Hey, sleepyhead. How you feeling?” she asked, gently chucking Twilight’s bags onto the cushion next to her. Twilight blinked in confusion as she sat up. She looked back out the window, and indeed, they were pulling into Canterlot station. Twilight frowned and looked back to the others in confusion. “Why didn’t anypony wake me?” she asked while slipping her bags on. “Thought you needed the rest,” Rainbow replied with a shrug. “Besides, you’re cute when you’re asleep.” Twilight gave the unrepentant pegasus a death glare. “Aaawww,” Rarity cooed at the display, much to Twilight’s growing embarrassment. “Has anypony told you two just how adorable you are when you banter?” “A few times,” Twilight remarked dryly. Rarity tittered behind her hoof once again before slipping out of their compartment. “Well, I have told you again! Now come along! We have places to be, business deals to finalize, and parents to visit!” “After you, Rarity!” Spike declared while hopping from his seat to land on Rainbow’s back. The pegasus rolled her eyes at him and went for the door. Twilight hesitated. She turned to look back out the window. The train slid to its final stop with a low groan of metal and a barely audible hiss of steam. Even in this early hour, Twilight could make out a small sea of ponies waiting for their turn to board the train and be on their way. Some looked to be business ponies from out of town, but many carried the unmistakable look of locals. Twilight’s heart began to beat faster and faster in her chest. What would they do if they recognized her? How could they not recognize her? It wasn’t like there was any other alicorn who looked like her! Her breathing was getting heavy. She could already imagine those ponies out there scowling at her, cursing her name. Or worse, paling in terror before turning and running from her in a blind panic, warning others of her coming. Something tapped Twilight on the shoulder. She jumped in surprise with a yelp and spun to face the pony that had snuck up on her. She came face to face with a startled Rainbow Dash, recoiling from the ferocity of the reaction. “Woah. Easy there,” Rainbow said, holding her hoof up placatingly. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. You okay?” Twilight swallowed heavily before looking over her shoulder out the window again. “...I’m fine,” she said weakly. “Just a little nervous.” Rainbow nodded. Without a word, she gave Twilight a hug, took her hoof, and guided her out of the train. Twilight kept herself close to Rainbow the whole way, her eyes flicking this way and that. They rejoined with Rarity in the central corridor, the unicorn having decided to wait for them to catch up. She didn’t say a word either, no doubt sensing the tension surrounding them. She merely gave a reassuring smile, and a curt nod, and led the way off of the train. The first thing Twilight noticed when she stepped off the train was the mountain air. She was struck by a sense of nostalgia, and even with the smell of the train right there, she had to pause and take a deep breath. The mountainous air of Canterlot had always smelled so pure and fresh, crisp and cool even during the hottest months of summer. It was the smell of home, and it did wonders to set her mind at ease. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of several ponies giving their group little looks, usually to offer up respectful nods to Rainbow. A few pairs of eyes lingered on Rarity, but it was those that locked onto Twilight that made her almost freeze in place. She felt her chest constricting with anxiety and guilt. “You are pathetic,” Midnight sneered. “Come on,” Rainbow said in a hushed voice, draping a wing over Twilight’s back and guiding her off of the platform. Nopony said anything as they passed, and it was impossible for Twilight to gauge the emotions of those who were looking at her, but to her surprise, remarkably few ponies actually bothered to look her way. Most were just going about their business. Before long, they were out of the train station and stepping onto the streets. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “Ugh. When we go back to Ponyville, I say we fly back,” she said with a shake of her head. “Oh, don’t pay them any mind, Twilight,” Rarity softly encouraged. She stepped in front of Twilight and lifted her chin with a hoof. She wore a warm smile, and it was reflected in her eyes. “You’re here to reunite with your family and relax in your home city. Don’t let the stares of a few locals sour that.” “But Rarity,” Twilight protested, standing up a little. “What I did to them… I don’t know if-” Twilight’s eyes crossed as a white hoof suddenly pressed itself against her lips, silencing her. She blinked and pouted at Rarity, her cheeks puffing up. Rarity just smiled back at her. “Twilight, dear, you’re letting your nerves get the better of you again. Whatever you did before does not define you now. You’re getting better, step by step, which is why you’re here this week.” “Yeah, no sweat,” Rainbow agreed, giving Twilight a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry about them. Let’s just go see your folks, yeah?” “Yeah, maybe Velvet can take us down memory lane,” Spike said with a knowing grin. He turned to Rarity, a devilish spark in his eye. “Hey, Rarity, you ever seen Twilight Velvet’s foal photo album?” Rarity blinked before an equally evil smirk crossed her muzzle. “Why no, I do not believe I have.” Rainbow turned to Spike with the most hideous of glares. “Spike! You traitor! I am gonna get you back for that!” she snapped. With a single twitch of her waist, she sent Spike careening off of her with a yelp of surprise. Twilight managed to smile at that before looking back at Rarity. “It’s not as bad as they make it sound. Rainbow just likes to play it up for comedic effect.” “I DO NOT!” Rainbow snapped back, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Don’t you lie to her! This is serious business, Twilight!” Rarity rolled her eyes at the two. “Well, I shall have to be the judge of that,” she said before turning around to look back at the city. She took a deep breath. “But alas, it will have to wait for now. You two go on ahead to Twilight’s demanse. I’ll catch up with you later. Ta!” “Yeah yeah,” Rainbow snorted, waving with a wing as Rarity went frolicking off into the crowded city. Once she was out of sight, she turned back to Twilight. “You good?” Twilight took a second to center herself and took another deep breath, just like Cadance and Rainbow taught her. After a few repetitions of the old ritual, she nodded. “I think so.” Rainbow scooped Spike off the ground and set him down on Twilight’s back. “Alright. Let’s fly, then,” she said with an eager grin. Twilight liked that idea, actually. She looked up at the sky, spotting a few stray clouds drifting through the air. Then, with a nod, she spread her wings and took to the air. The chilly mountain wind that met her as she rose shocked her still-groggy mind into total alertness, and she relished the feeling. Had it not been for Spike on her back, she might have done a little twirl to express herself a bit. That, and she was confident that she would lose control and plummet like a stone if she tried anything too dramatic. Despite all of the flight training she had gotten, she wasn’t even half the stuntmare Rainbow was. Speaking of whom, Rainbow came flying up and joined her in the air a second later. There was a glint in her eye, one that Twilight had seen plenty of times before. “Say, we missed out on our morning run today,” Rainbow pointed out with a waggle of her eyebrows. “Wanna make up for it with a race to your folks?” Twilight considered it for a moment. On the one hoof, she was here to relax, and while fun, a race was anything but relaxing—and she wasn’t sure she wanted to step into her family home for the first time in months smelling of sweat and mountain moisture. But, then again, she could use a good distraction, and there were few things more distracting than seeing Rainbow in her element. When those red eyes of hers shined in the rush of a close race, Twilight could get lost in them for ages, as she had during the running of the leaves, and so many times afterward. After a few seconds of deliberation, she gave a cocky grin. “Last one there has to go through the foal photos with mom!” she declared before shooting off as fast as she could. She heard the beginnings of an indignant protest from Rainbow, but the words were lost in the wind rushing past Twilight’s ears. She lost herself in that wind. Though she tried to be mindful of Spike on her back, she was quickly able to put her problems behind her, at least for the moment. As the familiar buildings of her hometown sped by beneath her, she didn’t even have time to see if anypony down there looked up, much less if they recognized her. She didn’t even really notice as Rainbow pulled ahead of her with minimal difficulty. All she knew was that she was finally home, and she was going to make the most of her time there.