//------------------------------// // Book Two: Chapter One // Story: Wishing Well // by Nobrains //------------------------------// Book Two: Chapter One “Are you sure you want to go through with this?” “I'm sure.” “Darling, you're putting yourself at great risk, and just after such dire events!” “I need to do this, Rarity. I need to know if he's okay.... or if I'm just going to be finding a body.” Rarity sighed and trotted out of the room, defeated. There was little she could do against Twilight when she was this stubborn. You watched her leave and scratched your head, giving Twilight a worried glance. “I really hope you know what you're getting into.” Twilight smiled at you and blushed, the moment of affection between you two still fresh in her mind. “I don't really. I guess that's why you're coming.” You weren't particularly fond of jumping right back into the heap of pain and regret that had caused your near death so forwardly. You were kind of hoping you, Twilight and the others could have just waited it all out here in the estate. “Are you sure you don't want them all tagging along?” You looked over at the closed door where the rest of the mane six remained, waiting for you both to emerge. “Look,” she frowned, thinking of an answer, “I'd prefer if it was just us, you understand, don't you?” “Of-of course!” You quickly answered. She smiled again and nodded, satisfied. “Good.” “Are we heading out then?” You asked. “After we say goodbye to everypony, then we can head up to Canterlot castle.” Twilight suddenly started making her way to the door. You quickly followed after her out the door and you both were shocked to see only Applejack waiting for you on the other side. “Oh, uhmm... howdy.” The hardworking pony gave a halfhearted attempt at a smile before letting her expression grow fretful. “Where is everypony else?” Twilight asked, looking over the earth pony's shoulder. “Rarity stomped out, and the others are looking after her for the time being, making sure she doesn't wander in any part of town that isn't secure.” “Oh..” Twilight seemed slightly disappointed to hear this. She was most likely wanting to say goodbye's to the others before you both headed off. “I know you wanted to them to see you both off, but I think this might be a bit better. Less dramatic, ya know.” Applejack patted Twilight on the back gruffly. “Yeah, you're probably right.” She huffed out and backed away from Applejack, instead leaning gently against your standing figure. Applejack gave you a sly look and winked knowingly. There was nothing getting passed her. You just shrugged shyly. You weren't one for being all sly. “Why don't I see you two off?” Applejack suggested hopefully. “Sure, we would like that.” She looked up at you expectantly. “Right?” “Yes, of course.” You scratched your head awkwardly, looking around suddenly. “Well alright, I'll lead ya both out.” The earth pony stretched her hooves and began to walk ahead of you two, keeping silent for there was an air of dejection all throughout the estate still, and it would probably always remain there, a grim reminder of what had all taken place in such a short span of time. Down the stairs you went and back out the front. Static and his associates seemed to have made their leave while you were inside the estate. Bummer, you were hoping to talk to him again. There was something... reassuring about the unicorn captain. “Hey! There he is!” Your friend, the doctor who's name you never learned rushed up to you, happy to see and happy to be free of the work he had only just returned to after leaving you with the others. He gave you a quick glance and then one to Twilight, smirking. “Knew you'd get the damsel, you're just too damn likeable, I swear.” “I wouldn't agree, but thanks.” You brought a hand up to your face and coughed. Such praise was unaccustomed for you. You never really got it from anywhere in your old life, but you guessed it was going to change here. “Too modest as well!” The doctor gave a hoot. “I agree completely.” Twilight gave you an astral glance, nearly turning you to mush inside. You weren't sure if you liked feeling this way or not. Only time would tell, however. “You've done great things, my friend. Don't you forget that now.” The doctor's face soon switched from a hearty cheer, to one of perplexity. “Where exactly are you two going? Surely you didn't back down to the streets to talk to little old me.” “We're actually going to be... going back to the castle.” You admitted, unsure of how the doctor would react to you putting yourself at risk once again. “I see.” He tapped his chin lightly. “And you're expecting me to patch you up after getting roughed up again, huh? I may be your friend, but I don't see why I should waste precious time and materials on some masochistic human.” You frowned, and the doctor suddenly broke out laughing, nearly being brought to the floor from your reaction. Twilight looked at him and then back at you with a confused look. You shrugged in answer, waiting for the doctor to recover. He wiped a tear from his eye with a hoof and exhaled. “I'm sorry... I can be so facetious sometimes, even in such dark times as these. If you're really going to go right back into the thick of it, I can't really stop you. There's still a lot missing and since nopony else seems like they're going to step anywhere near the castle, this might turn out to be quite fruitful for everypony.” “That's one way to look at it, I suppose.” That was quite less the protest you were expecting from the doctor who had nursed you back to health twice now. “I wish I could give you a first aid kit or something just in case, but I'm so stretched right now as it is.” He gave a glum huff and looked back at all the ponies that still remained in comatose on their makeshift beds. “We appreciate your concern, but we'll be just fine.” Twilight gave the doctor a look of assurance. “You don't know how many times I've heard that in my days as a doctor.” He looked at you sadly and averted his gaze soon after, walking away slightly before stopping. “Then go. Just be careful, and if you see anypony in there still breathing, please, get word back to here. I don't care how, just as long as we know.” “We will.” Twilight pushed by you and you quickly said your goodbyes to the doctor before being pulled away lightly by her magic. You picked up the pace with her and swung your arms about, in a subpar attempt at trying to test your body after pushing it as hard as you did back in the very castle you were just about to return to. The walk through Canterlot remained fairly silent as you wove your way towards the castle. Quite surprising considering all that you two had been through, but she seemed rather content to share the silence, until softly speaking up to you as you were nearly towards the steps up to your destination. “I really hope Rarity isn't mad at me for doing this.” She kept her gaze to the ground as you both began to climb the stairs. It was time for some words of comfort it seemed. “She's just worried; we all are. I'm worried, partly because you're dragging me along with you.” She laughed lightly and seemed to cheer up slightly from here gloomy visage. “You can't help it, can you?” “Can't help what?” You nearly missed a step, nearly causing the unicorn to giggle again. “Making me smile.” “Oh, well... it's not intentional, most of the time.” You were all over the place with this kind of talk. You weren't sure if you had said the right thing or not. You might have just been offensive for all you knew. “Oh, right of course.” Twilight said sarcastically with a crooked grin. “You're just plagued with the ability to put a smile on my face whenever you talk.” “Well I wouldn't go as far as that.” Seemed like you were going to just fine dancing around with your words. “Say what you like, but I know you better than that.” “Oh really? I haven't been here for too long, you know.” You countered, thinking that you had the upper hand here. “The stuff we've been through... what we've done together, I feel like I know you just as well as I know myself.” She quickly realized what she said and started to panic. “I-I mean, even though you've only been here for such a short time and I really was just trying to say that-” “It's okay.” You reminded her, half laughing, half scared out of your mind. “I'm just shocked it was me that did all this to you.” “I'm not.” She quipped. “Really? You're not? Me? A human?” You were truly astonished at Twilight's devoutness regarding the subject you were chatting about. “Celestia always told me that it never mattered where the love came from... only that it was sincere love. Of course, I didn't think those words would amount to anything... until... well, you know...” “I do actually, believe it or not.” “There you go again.” She snickered. “Okay, I can't help it.” It seemed like you couldn't go wrong at this point. She loved you too much to react any different now. Perhaps it was to a fault? You finally got to the castle after what felt like an eternity chatting with her about your intricacies. You couldn't be more grateful to be free of that and just be on your way, though the subject would come back, it always would, now that you and her were legitimately intimate. It wasn't as hard as you thought it would be to come back so soon. It was almost like a completely different place after all you had been through. It seemed so lifeless and dormant now, strange considering that it was no longer plagued by the overlapping darkness that had once surrounded all of Canterlot. You inhaled heavily, everything around you fading away for just a second as you stepped forward into the courtyard where you had slain the architect of the great invasion. The body was gone. Strange. You were sure no one had been up here since you had been, but they did have to get you back, so they could have disposed of the sickly body when they had retrieved you. You soon began to contemplate. You, a simple little human, was able to kill such a being with nothing but the will to reprimand and protect. This was the stuff that you only heard stories about growing up. Did that make you a hero among these ponies? You were already considered eccentric enough among them, so you doubted you'd really be ushered into a really positive light. But when had you ever gotten that expression from any of the ponies? If at all, you could barely remember, and warm faces had greeted you since your foray into this world. Perhaps you could really be something admired here? You already were the object of several other's adulation, you didn't see why not anymore. “Hey...” You broke from your introspective to find Twilight trying to get your attention. She seemed a bit flustered, and you were quick to apologize, but she was even quicker to dismiss it as nothing. “I was just telling you about my brother, Shining Armor. I think you would like him.” She seemed to slump slightly as melancholy soon filled the conversation. “I bet I would.” You said to yourself more than her. You hoped that her brother really was alive, you weren't sure what would happen to Twilight otherwise if he wasn't. You might be cast out of her life just as quickly as you had entered it. Emotional trauma was an awful thing indeed. “He was so great at his job... oh and Cadence... I hope she's okay too.” She went on. “Seems like another reason we're heading back in there.” You thumbed up ahead to the huge doors that lead back into the castle. “I suppose. I hadn't even thought of her. I actually feel bad because of it.” She slumped a bit further. You made her stop and tried your best to keep her positive as long as you could. “With as much that was going on, I'm surprised you didn't forget about me, so don't be so hard on yourself.” “Like I could forget about you.” She shook her head and pushed by you. So much for that. “You can't be so hard on yourself.” You reminded her, finally stopping in front of the closed doors leading to the desecrated throne room. “Well I can't be happy with myself right now. Not while my brother is still missing. Not while there's still so many ponies yet you be found. We've got to take care of th-” You quickly knelt down and hugged her, forcing her to stop talking. “You're going to stress yourself out even more if you keep this up. I thought we were past this.” “We can't be. Not until we're done here.” She whispered into your ear. “Not until we're done.” You released her as goosebumps went through your whole body. How long until you could actually keep your composure around such actions with her? Probably never. “We should probably be heading in.” She pronounced. “..Yeah..” You choked out, a bit rattled after her words. You pushed the doors leading into the throne room silently, entering the halls of a castle that was as quiet as death itself. The stone figures of the hellspawn were still in their previous positions, where Twilight had worked her magic on them. You imagined that they had to have died by now if not when the spell had initially happened. Nothing could last that long without food or water, at least you hoped that was true with these things. The dark essence that had slithered about the throne had receded and was gone, but that did little to dampen the feeling that you were in a place that was forever darkened from the acts committed here. You wondered if Celestia would ever come back to this place, or forever condemn it and create a new seat for herself and Luna in a different area of the land. The only thing you knew was that you didn't want to be here. It was like a graveyard and if you were the ruler, you'd have built your castle very far out of the way of this brooding necropolis. You swore you could hear the faint screaming of those that had been encased in stone, which made you shiver. This was even worse than when this was occupied. You hoped there would be some sort of sign that Shining Armor was here, both to bring your hopes up and to get you out of this place quicker. “There's so much to this place. I'm not particularly sure where to begin.” Twilight was studying the encased hellspawn, and seemed to be having just as bad of a time as you were. “I got a place we can start, I suppose.” Your mind went back to when you had escaped the abandoned wing of the castle with the grizzly Static Ward by your side. The hellspawn had to have been more over there than just housing their leader far beneath. “Where would that be?” She ran between the stone hellspawn as she met back up with you. You told her of the place you had emerged from when you had escaped from the architect. Her eyes grew wide and in between sentences, she scolded you for not telling her about this sooner. You yourself couldn't believe you had overlooked your own aggravations to focus on comforting Twilight. Eventually you were able to remember which way you had went when escaping, (you doubt you ever would, as it was burned into your mind at this point) and you left the throne room, and those ungodly stone hellspawn to themselves and the ghosts once more. The entire castle was just as bad as the throne room, maybe even worse. You could feel a draft from unseen broken windows and almost everything that laid strewn out upon the floors of the halls gave a sense that you didn't want to disturb anything further. “Are you sure you know where you're going?” Twilight asked worryingly after stopping to examine the books that laid at the foot of a damaged bookshelf. “I'm pretty sure this is the way.” You didn't sound too confident anymore, nor were you feeling confident in yourself. Just when you felt like you were lost, you came across a hallway leading off from the main circling path that the castle halls followed. This had to be it. Without even thinking, you suddenly ran forward, Twilight quietly bickering at you for changing direction so suddenly when she was busy examining a torn pages from a book that was no longer there with its excess. Now you were back in the cobwebbed wing. Everything about it remained shrouded in mystery. Why had it been abandoned in the first place? Bright light from the reinvigorated sky fell upon old carpeted floors, even brighter than you remembered it being. “I can't believe you knew this even was here...” Twilight trotted over to a bit of decorative furniture, lain below a clear window, looking at it with fascination and contempt. “I didn't even know about this place...” “What I want to know is how the hellspawn knew about it.” You threw yourself onto the small couch, stirring up dust in a huge puff that caught Twilight in the face. She hacked and coughed, backing away from you. “Pleh! Gross!” You quickly got up attempted to remedy the result of your thoughtlessness. Twilight graciously took your help even enjoyed your touch as you cleared the dust from her mane and eyes. “I'm an idiot, I'm sorry-” “Stop, it's nothing. You didn't mean to do it.” She blew a puff of air upward into your face, signaling that everything was fine. She blew another puff, slightly disturbing her mane. “There's nothing you can do that can make me mad.” “Don't be so sure, I can get pretty irate.” You joked, blowing air back. “Whatever, I know myself, and I know that I-” She stopped in mid-sentence, a shuffling and a muffled voice suddenly becoming audible. You looked at each other and nodded, moving slowly to see where the source of the sound was coming. With careful and precise steps, your journeyed down the hall quietly, eventually able to narrow down the source of sounds to be coming from a small storage room in the break of the hall where certain cleaning materials were stored. You peeked into the room, and quickly retreated when seeing a wardrobe erupt with sound and bashing, a quiet but frantic voice calling out from within it. “Somepony's in there, we should get them out!” Twilight whispered hastily to you, on the verge of rushing into the small room. “I don't think we should be so quick to act.” You counseled, giving another look at the the wardrobe. “I know, I know, but we can't just leave them in there!” “Alright. Let me go in by myself, though. Okay?” You weren't about to put her in immediate danger if you could help it. “We'll go in together. Like it should be.” She declared with finality. There was no arguing at this point. You gave a glum sigh, nodding. Twilight smiled lovingly and waited for your action before heading in. You quickly rounded into the room and closed the door behind you, again stirring particles of filth and neglect into the air. You forced yourself to breathe sparsely and turned back to Twilight who was waiting for your cue to force the wardrobe open. It had grown awfully quiet within, likely whatever inside was either anticipating in dread or joy to see who would set them free. You went to opposite sides of the large wardrobe and silently lipped a count to one another. “One...” “Two...” “Three...”