//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: That Fateful Day // Story: Twilight's Soul Floats Ever Deeper Into Space // by Rain_Flick3r //------------------------------// Twilight looked toward her newfound piece of mind when she saw her protector. Her gaze was inquisitive but cautious when she stared. Her mind was ticking over countless questions, assumptions, and affirmations. Some of which concerned her with the recent happening around her. ‘How have you come across this very spot? Have you spied on me with your cunning silence?’ She asked. ‘Well, I had this feeling. It was ever so strange. It felt as if I were to be pulled to this place, by a force not really known to myself. Is that why you are here as well?’ He replied while he offered a hoof to her. Twilight's eyes slowly grew as she realised that she was no longer the only pony to experience this odd feeling. ‘I thought I was the only one. I asked ponies around me and they waved it off, but you. You also felt them, I am really happy to hear that.’ She exclaimed. The lavender pony chuckled slightly at her outburst. ‘As am I… Say, may I ask the name of the lovely lavender mare?’ Twilight blushed softly ‘Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. Princess of Friendship, here in this land of Equestria.’ He bowed slowly ‘Please, forgive my tardiness, Princess. I am not from around these parts of the world. I did not guess you to be royalty.’ Twilight giggled softly ‘It is quite all right. I am still quite new to this title. So there is no need to forgive, for you have not done anything wrong… May I gather your name?’ He nodded ‘It’s ፪ቹዪልፕⶴ.’ Twilight shook her head from the tingling feeling his name gave her. ‘I must apologise. Would you be able to repeat that one more time?’ He chuckled softly as he nodded ‘It is ፪ቹዪልፕⶴ, Princess.’ Confused and dizzy, Twilight looked up at her savior as he smiled warmly down at her. ‘I will call you my protector. It will have to do for now. The reason why I have given you this name is because my ears are not able to hear your name, for some reason.' The lavender unicorn bowed again but slower. ‘Then I shall humbly accept the title you gave me, Princess. Even if my actions this day, have been quite minuscule.’ Twilight placed a hoof on to his crown ‘Your actions today, have surmounted my fear. Thus saving me from paralysis.’ She let go as he recovered from bowing. He nodded then stood to her side and gestured “please” with an extended foreleg, pointing out back toward Canterlot. ‘Shall we, Princess?’ Twilight breathed deeply as she coupled her thoughts together ‘We shall. Please, lead the way.’ They both started the trek back toward the city of Canterlot, but the two ponies felt something strange deep into their core. It felt as if something were to be amiss in their very souls. It felt like something had dug through their center and kept drilling. It made them feel empty and very hungry to fill that hole… They did not disclose this to each other vocally, but they did find, that they did not need to affirm it to each other. The green meadows slowly began to change to a dull grey stone colour, as they reached the city limits to Canterlot. Twilight stopped as she saw the entrance to Canterlot, she saw guards posted at the gate. ‘Why are there guards here?’ She asked under her breath. ‘I do not know, Princess. However, I dislike the feeling I have about this situation. Please stay behind me!’ He commanded. ‘But they are solar guards from the castle. They know me. I am sure all of this is just a bit of confusion. I’ll talk to them.’ A hoof stopped her in her tracks ‘Princess, Please look a bit more forward. They have their spears drawn and their magic ready for conjuring spells.’  Twilight squinted her eyes a little more and found that he was right ‘How can this be? I am the Princess of Friendship, The Element of Magic!’ She exclaimed. A solar guard made his way toward them both but kept his distance from them. ‘By the royal decree, you both have been ordered by the princesses, to be held in the castle jail cells. Where you will be sequestered until sentencing can commence!’ Twilight slowly trotted back behind her protector out of fear from the announcement. ‘Princess, what do you suggest we do?’ he asked. Twilight was quiet for a moment ‘We offer ourselves up. If we show them we have not done any wrongdoing, then maybe we can have our sentencing omitted. If we fight them, then that would prove to them that we have done something wrong.’ She pondered. ‘Princess, I will obey your command but I will defy it if it means your safety is at risk, and I do believe that it is indeed at risk.’ He looked at Twilight with concern in his eyes. She trotted passed him with a warm smile ‘I am a Princess here. They will know that I am good of heart. Nothing will happen against me… If your will bends to my command, then I command you to stay here, Till my return from talking to that guard.’ He begrudgingly nodded at her decree. ‘As you wish Princess.’ Twilight nodded before she made her way to the solar guard waiting for her to arrive. ‘I have come to dispute the claims made on myself and my new friend behind me.’ The guard smiled as a glowing gold sigil appeared below the both of them. ‘There will be no disputes over these matters.’ The guard spat out obscenely. A golden square began to shackle Twilight as it encompassed them both in its bubble. Panicking, her guard grabbed his sword with his magic and charged toward the bubble, but before he could touch it with his sword. The bubble vanished from the air around them. ‘What!?’ He snarled. His mind was boiling over with rage from the sleight of hand the guard had displayed. Twilight’s protector looked over to where the other solar guards stood. They were blurry from the globe of golden magic that protected the entire city from the outside, from him. Exasperated and fearful, he lunged towards the globe with his sword drawn. He was desperate to get Twilight back from the clutches of these royal ponies… Once his blade made contact with the globe, it bounced off the magic. There was laughter from the other side of the magical wall. The laughter made his anger grow in intensity. He swang again with his sword, it connected and made itself stuck in the wall. ‘Give her back to me, NOW!’ He commanded. His sword was slowly secreting a burning fluid that was starting to help the blade melt through its defense. The guards panicked as they noticed the stream of smoke coming from the puncture of the wall. They screamed out for help. For any powerful mage to help fortify the now-wasting magic wall. A mage did indeed come and save them. She was tall, and had a coat of pure white snow, her mane and tail flowed like water. There was an image of the celestial body of the sun. She looked onward at the animalistic unicorn with pity in her eyes. ‘You shall not get through my magic.’ Her horn glowed a pale yellow as she began to strengthen her globe of gold. The new surge of power managed to push out the acid-slick sword from its hole in the wall. ‘NO! Give her back to me.’ He shouted. He swung the sword again but before it made contact. He felt a painful feeling hit his left shoulder blade. He looked down to see what had hit him, he noticed a golden pillar of light from a small golden sigil underneath him. A scream of pain filled the air as another pillar of light impaled his other shoulder. ‘You will not have her. You have corrupted her with your foul magic, I know it.’ the mage said accusingly. More screams filled the air on the other side as the mage lifted him off the ground. ‘What have you done to Princess Twilight?’ She asked. He looked at her confused ‘What do you mean, I? I have done no such thing. I found her standing frozen.’ He calmed down from his outburst. ‘What do you mean by this? Was it not you who changed her being?’ The mage asked curiously. He shook his head ‘No. I had this very odd feeling deep within my stomach, it felt like it was being pulled in a direction outside of my control. My legs moved on their own as they followed whatever was pulling my Stomach. That is where I found Princess Twilight.’ She pondered for a moment ‘Hmm, I shall take what you have told me and give it careful consideration. For now, rest.’ She placed a spell over the trapped unicorn. It managed to calm his mind and help him ease off into restful slumber. When he awoke, he found himself in a spire floating in space with Twilight entombed in her iron casket.