It was quiet again.
Twilight Sparkle peered into an endless darkness that encased her vision; the horrid images of her most recent experience fading in and out of her memory.
Her body was at ease again, and her mind was her own once more. Her eyes peeled open, and the thin rays of the luminous moon awakened her further.
Her thoughts were numb.
She blankly stared at the wondrous white orb giving silent life to the starlit sky. With no will to control her thoughts, she allowed her mind to idly wonder, unhindered. Unrestricted.
"The Moon is so beautiful...", Twilight whispered to herself.
She knew not where she was, nor how long she had been there. What she did know, was that she did not wish to leave. With no energy to call her own, she lay sprawled on the soft grass that provided the thin warmth of Nature's embrace.
It was only a soft and welcoming voice that ended her dream-born muse.
"Twilight Sparkle."
Though she was indeed surprised, the lavender unicorn lacked energy to rise and search for the owner of the soothing voice. Somehow, she knew it all too well.
"Is that you, Princess Luna?", Twilight asked merely to confirm.
Her question was answered upon the midnight blue Goddess' entrance; descending from the Moon with grace and regalia. Luna's hooves touched the ground without so much and a shuffle from the grass. She gazed down upon the young unicorn, whom managed to summon enough energy rise to her hooves, and bow.
Luna couldn't help but smile.
"Rise, Young Heroine. There is no need for such formalities in this place.", the dark Goddess delightedly informed.
Confused, at first, Twilight lifted her head to her superior, then scoped her surroundings for the fist time since she had become aware. When she saw a fortress of mountain ranges adorning the horizon in every direction, Twilight knew she was dreaming.
The young mare chuckled despite herself. Though, she had to question.
"I see... But, how are you-"
"T'is part of my duties, Twilight Sparkle. Whereas my sister governs our Kingdom while they are awake, I tend to such as they dream.", Luna explained diligently.
Twilight's face lifted with realization as she recalled Princess Celestia's letter.
"Yes, of course. You're here to aid me with any findings from my little project.", the lavender unicorn confirmed.
Luna's smile dropped at Twilight's subtle change in demeanor.
"Something troubles you.", she astutely observed.
Twilight knew that pretending nothing was wrong in front of somepony who could enter dreams was a fool's errand. Without so much as a fake smile to reassure her Princess otherwise, Twilight affirmed Luna's suspicions.
"The artifact... There's something strange about it. More than I ever thought possible.", Twilight explained.
Luna's curiosity was instantly piqued. Had the young mare discovered something already? What could she had possibly uncovered in such a short time?
The Princess of the Night curled her forelegs to the ground and lied down comfortably. She collapsed her majestic dark wings and relaxed into her position.
"Enlighten me," she said.
As Twilight mimicked her gesture, she dutifully explained what had happened. As the purple eyed pony continued her explanation, Luna's interest grew more and more. And along with it, so grew caution.
Once the visions were told of, Luna became slightly confused.
"Strange creatures, you say? Crumbling buildings? What sort of madness...?"
Twilight shook her head hopelessly.
"Its all just a blur now. I'm not even sure of what I saw anymore. It was like... It was like a nightmare.", Twilight's head and ears drooped with shame, "I'm sorry I can't tell you more than that."
The young protege felt a strong hoof upon her chin, craning her head up to look up toward it's owner.
"You have said more than enough, Twilight Sparkle. You are truly a phenomenal student. Just as Celestia says.", Luna assured with a gracious smile.
Twilight felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment at such a compliment. It meant quite a lot coming from her mentor's sister.
Any tension that Twilight felt at that moment was beginning to fade away as she felt her Princess' hoof caress her mane.
"Now, my little pony. I need you to close your eyes. Relax.", Luna cooed.
Twilight willingly complied without question of any sort. As her Princess spoke, she listened.
"The Darkness is our sanctuary. As it is with all living creatures. A haven where life of all shapes, sizes and ideals meld together in perfect harmony."
Twilight could feel her body numbing with superb relaxation as the power of Luna's words sunk into her soul.
"There is no conflict. There is no strife. Only unity; a vessel that flows within it, the whole of the universe. It connects us. Heals us. And gathers our souls as a whole. We are one."
As Twilight felt Luna's caress, a new energy flowed within her. She could not explain nor comprehend it. All she knew, was that something amazing was about to happen. The dark alicorn lowered her horn to the young mare's, and they both glowed brightly.
"Now, Twilight Sparkle... Embrace Eternity!"
Upon uttering those words, Princess Luna's horn took on Twilight's purple glow. And with it, came the unicorn's visions.
Luna strained her keen observation upon the images that tore through her mind; steadily connecting them with Twilight's hazy descriptions. As the visions progressed, so did her amazement.
The foggy, distorted images that Twilight couldn't explain made themselves apparent to Luna's observations. And finally, as quickly as it began, it ended. The dark alicorn's attention was once again snapped back into Twilight's dream, where she saw the unicorn staring up at her with concern.
"Princess?"
Luna's shock was plenty and strong. The things that the Moon Goddess had seen, stitched into her memory, and she tried to piece them together.
"My word...", Luna whispered through a coarse breath, "Such horrific atrocities."
Twilight was now standing on all fours, almost unable to contain her curiosity and amazement.
"Princess! That was incredible! You saw my visions?", the young mare asked.
With a nod, Luna rose to her hooves as well. She gazed upon Twilight with a new found respect.
"Your visions...", Luna mumbled to herself, "The horrors you have seen... A lesser mind would have-..."
The dark Princess' words confounded Twilight a bit.
"I-I don't-"
"Twilight Sparkle.", Luna interrupted, causing her to stand at attention.
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty!", Twilight responded dutifully.
"This phenomena derived from the artifact?", Luna asked.
The nod that Luna received from the purple pony solidified her resolution. Her next decree, shocked Twilight further.
"In light of this new information, perhaps it is time to step deeper into this mystery.", the dark Goddess declared before mumbling, "It seems the answers we sought were right under our noses, as it were."
Twilight tilted her head, confused.
"What do you mean, Princess? Have we figured something out? What did my visions tell you?", she questioned persistently.
"Your questions will be answered in due time, my little pony. But for now..."
As the Moon Goddess' words trailed, her horn glowed. Upon just a few seconds, a wavy but recognizable vision appeared before both ponies.
Twilight's eyes widened at the image before her.
"Spike. Applejack. Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash and Rarity... They're all there.", she observed.
The lavender unicorn picked the information from the picture before her in a matter of seconds; quickly understanding what was happening in reality.
"They fear for you Twilight Sparkle.", Luna said, "They have been waiting for your awakening for some time."
Feeling that their time together was drawing to a close, Twilight faced her Princess; desperately trying to get any more info out of her as the world around them began to crumble and fade into the maws of her subconscious.
"Princess Luna! Please wait! I don't understand whats going on! What is it you want me to do?", Twilight pleaded.
As the wind suddenly picked up in strength, Luna's wings expanded, and she slowly floated to the air. Her voice dominated the howl of the wind.
"Your answers lie in Canterlot, Young Heroine! It is time you see a truth long forgotten!"
Twilight watched as Luna ascended to the Moon; flapping her beautiful wings and intensifying the wind.
"AWAKEN, TWILIGHT SPARKLE!", she called.
The echo of Luna's words hummed through Twilight's head as she steadily blinked herself into consciousness; adjusting to thin rays of the sun's golden glow.
With her dream as vivid as she could remember, she desperately willed herself to rise from the warm covers of her bed, only to be struck down by a numbing weakness. Said actions caught the attention of her very best friends.
"Oh my Gosh! Guys, she's awake! Twilight's awake!"
Twilight's grogginess muffled the voice, but she lifted her head to see a positively beaming Pinkie Pie inches from her face.
Had she not felt so weak, Twilight would've jumped to the ceiling, but her limbs betrayed her with such frailty.
"P-Pinkie Pie? What happened? Where's everypony el-"
"TWILIGHT!"
The bed-bound unicorn was startled within an inch of her life as she was tackled by a distraught baby dragon. Only Spike's heaving sobs shook Twilight out of her shock. She smiled at him weakly.
"Its okay, Spike.", she cooed; caressing her troubled assistant, "I'm alright, now."
Spike buried his head into Twilight's neck. He felt no relief from his friend's words.
"What do you mean, 'its okay'?! Its NOT okay! I was so worried!", he cried.
Though she was aware that she had no control over the situation that caused such an upset, the lavender mare felt a sting of guilt at what she had caused, all the same.
Twilight pulled her lamenting assistant into an affectionate embrace. She needed not say another word. She knew that Spike would be okay knowing that she was alive and well, in due time.
Her attention turned to the foot of the stairs near her bed, where the remaining gaggle of her friends huddled their way toward her in an undignified heap. They all skittered to her side and smothered her with relief.
The fear and unbound concern in each of their eyes nearly brought Twilight to tears.
Happy as she was to see them, the young unicorn inwardly prepared for the interrogation of a lifetime.
One by one, seemingly without end, her friends bombarded her with questions; 'What happened?!', Why were you passed out?!', Who done it?!' Why didn't you ask us for help?!', and my personal favorite, 'Whats a cuttlefish look like?!' (Pinkie).
"Whoa... E-Everypony calm down. I'm fine.", Twilight reassured as firmly as she could muster.
"Horse feathers, Twi!", Applejack brashly denied.
"Yeah! How can we believe that when you've been passed out for the last three days?!", Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
A sudden rush a nausea assaulted Twilight upon hearing such a thing, and put a hoof to her head.
"I don't-... Three da-... That's imposs-... I-I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around that.", Twilight stammered in disbelief.
Rarity approached her fellow unicorn.
"Twilight, Darling? Don't you remember anything?", she asked delicately.
Oh, she remembered. Now that she was wide awake, there wasn't a force on Heaven or Earth that could make Twilight un-remember the things she had seen. But she decided that her friends were worried enough as it was.
So she feigned amnesia.
"I... Its too blurry. The last thing I remember was studying my new project.", she said.
Rarity pursed her lips together in concern.
"Don't worry, Rarity. It'll come back to me.", Twilight reassured before addressing the rest of her friends, "You girls stayed here with me the whole time?"
"Of course we did, Twilight.", Fluttershy confirmed. Her usual timidity all but gone, "We came as soon as we heard."
Twilight could feel a strong surge of joy and appreciation well up in her heart, and looked down at the now sleeping baby Dragon cuddled snug into her forelegs. Her weak smile soon lifted into a full-fledged grin.
"Oh, Spike...", she thought as she oh-so gently placed her slumbering assistant beside her.
It was upon a terrible roar of her gastric extremities, did Twilight realize just what needed to happen; gripping her belly tight with a cringe of discomfort.
Applejack was the first to respond. The orange farm pony mad-dashed to the kitchen and back to Twilight's side in an instant.
"Here, Sugar-cube. Eat up.", she encouraged; setting a warm dish of precooked apple fritters upon Twilight's lap.
In that moment, the lavender mare's instincts substituted for her thoughts.
Her head craned down toward the pile of baked goods with her tongue hanging loosely from her mouth. She wolfed down the fritters ravenously. Desperately. She needed food.
Everypony in the room nearly gasped at Twilight's uncharacteristic feeding frenzy.
"Aow! You poor thing!", Rarity almost squealed, "You must be starving."
Twilight could only respond with an obnoxious, cross-eyed *belch* as she finished her much-needed meal. Her friends shared a good hearty laugh; a luxury that had been out of their reach for three agonizing days.
Twilight's laughter, however, was cut short by an uneasy remembrance, and her hooves shot to her face.
"Oh, Pinkie Pie! I totally missed your 'pre-Renaissance' party, didn't I?!", she realized.
As she saw her best friend's head drop in shame, Pinkie Pie pushed her hooves forward and popped it right back up.
"Don't be silly, Twilight! After what happened, I absolutely, positively, one-hundred and ten percently COULDN'T throw that party! So I rescheduled!", the bubbly earth pony chimed.
"Rescheduled? But isn't the Celebration tomorrow? How will you-"
"Well, duh! I'm gonna host the party during the Celebration! What better way to make up for all of those wasted expenses than with a pre-Cultural-Renaissiance party AT the Cultural Renaissance?! It's gonna be so fun! There's gonna be music, and dancing, and cake, and streamers, and fancy outfits, and-"
"Pretty much all of the things that would already be provided at the actual Celebration?", Twilight interrupted.
"EXACTLY! It'll be double the fun!", Pinkie Pie beamed.
"Uh, not to poke a hole in that there bubble o' yours, Pinkie, but will they even let'cha do that?", Applejack questioned knowingly.
The pink party pony blinked with a sudden frown of realization.
"They'd... BETTER!", she screeched.
Another burst of infectious laughter roared amongst the ponies, and they seemed to forget there troubles for a time.
It was only the ominous pulse of energy, that Twilight was all too familiar with, did the laughter abruptly cease. Everypony turned their attention to the first floor below them, and caught sight of Twilight's aforementioned 'project'.
"Whats with that over-sized soda can, anyway?", Rainbow Dash questioned with a scratch to her polychromatic mane.
If the previous events regarding said 'soda can' didn't transpire, Twilight would have dutifully scolded the cyan pegasus pony for insulting such an ancient masterpiece of primordial glory.
But she instinctively questioned the nature of the artifact herself. She wondered if Princess Celestia had experienced the same visions as well.
"Well, I did just get the thing. I'll let you know if I figure anything out.", Twilight said.
A small part of her felt a little strange keeping her visions a secret from her friends. But she decided it best for their state of mind. They must've been worried sick about her.
"But first,", the lavender unicorn began, "We've got a Celebration to prepare for."
Instead of the expected chime of agreement, Twilight was met with an incredulous stare from her beloved friends.
"Yes? No? Maybe?", she pried.
Applejack stepped forward, concern written all over her face.
"Twi. I reckon I ain't fond of the idea of you gettin' yourself riled up for this-here Celebration today.", she said sternly.
"Applejack is quite correct, Darling.", Rarity eagerly agreed, "You're in no condition for any preparing, and certainly not for any celebrating."
Twilight could already see where this was going when she saw Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie step forward as well; nodding with agreement.
"Girl's, listen. I've been resting for three days. I feel fine. Really.", she steadily insisted.
However, as Twilight peeled her night-sky blanket off of her, her friends were rearing to attack; glaring at her with determination. Rainbow Dash expanded her wings and hovered above the book-smart pony.
"You weren't resting, you were in a buckin' coma!", the pink eyed pegasus corrected.
Impatience took root as Twilight huffed in slight exasperation, and opted to pick herself up out of bed.
"Look girls. I know what you're all thinking, but there's something of grave importance that needs my immediate atten-"
The poor unicorn's words were muffled by a unanimous 'NO!', and her body was tackled and pinned unto her bed by all of her friends.
"Ugh! Girls! what are you doi-"
"We saw the way you was oglin' that funny-lookin' doo-hickey!", Applejack accused.
"If you thought, for even a moment, that we would just let you waltz right on out of bed without any more rest, then you were sadly mistaken, Twilight!", Rarity strongly declared.
"Whatever 'important experiment' you got going on, it can wait! You're gonna stay right here, and get your rest!", Rainbow Dash ordered.
"But I-"
"NO!", the five shouted again.
"What if you over-exert yourself, Twilight?!", Fluttershy suggested as sternly as she could.
"Or pass out, and don't wake up for a really, REALLY long time?!", Pinkie chimed in; worried like there was no tomorrow.
Twilight was getting a little flustered.
"From studying?! Are you girls out of your hoof pickin' minds?!", the purple mare demanded.
Quickly realizing that her would-be protectors wouldn't budge anytime soon, Twilight conceded.
"Urgh! Fine! Have it your way! I'll just prepare tomorrow, then!", she spat in defeat.
The five ponies constricting Twilight to her bed exchanged suspicious glances toward each other, then back to their captive.
"Sooo, you're not gonna go all crazy and try to book the next train to Canterlot?", Rainbow Dash questioned warily.
Twilight shook her head with an annoyed sigh.
"And you're not going to sneak out of the library as soon as our backs are turned?", Rarity asked with equal suspicion.
Twilight closed her eyes and shook her head again.
"Or yell at us for trying to stop you?", Fluttershy chimed in.
As Twilight silently answered their questions, her (over) protective friends slowly eased their grips from her. Soon enough, the lavender unicorn was unrestrained and crossing her forelegs with a disappointed pout.
"You have my word that I won't be going anywhere until tomorrow.", Twilight grudgingly stated.
After another glance toward one another, Twilight's friends uttered two words that made her lose any hope of actually going to Canterlot that day in good conscience.
"Pinkie Promise!"
Twilight's forelegs uncrossed and curled to her chest as she cringed. She felt almost as though they were reading her mind.
"My friends know me too well...", she thought hopelessly as she performed the infamous Pinkie Promise gesture.
"Well! I'm convinced!", Pinkie Pie announce with the return of her beaming smile.
Rarity took an edge of Twilight's blanket in her mouth and lifted it over her fellow unicorn. Applejack lifted her forelegs upon the edge of Twilight's bed and straightened out some of her friend's ruffled bangs with a tender hoof.
"Sorry we're bein' so tough on ya, Sugar-cube.", the green eyed farm pony cooed, "But y'all really gave us a scare when ya didn't wake up."
"Its true, Twilight.", Fluttershy quietly agreed, "It would really mean a lot to us if you stayed in bed and got your rest. You know, if you don't mind, that is..."
Before Twilight could respond, Pinkie Pie jumped in front of her with a happy, confident smile.
"Don't worry Fluttershy! Twilight knows better than to break a Pinkie Promise!", she proudly declared as she peered into said mare's purple eyes, "Right Twilight? *-eye twitch-*"
The suddenly frightened unicorn returned Pinkie's look with one of barely noticeable terror, and gulp hard.
"Y-Yeah! No Pinkie Promise breaking for me! No sir!", she chimed with fake enthusiasm and a crooked smile.
Although Rainbow Dash wasn't thoroughly convinced, she accepted Twilight's promise.
"Alright, Twilight. I don't like the idea of leaving, but I guess we can trust you.", she admitted uneasily.
Slowly but surely, everypony else eased into the idea of leaving Twilight to her rest. They each bid their blessings and farewells, and left the library.
Everypony except...
"Applejack?", Twilight stared at the hesitant farm pony.
Applejack trotted back to her articulate friend; needing to make a few more important details apparent.
"Listen, Twilight. Spike told us what happened with that weirdo whatcha-ma-whoes-its.", she informed with a furrowed brow.
Knowing instantly what her fellow mare was referring to, Twilight's defenses were obliterated. She gave Applejack a guilty stare, and attempted to say something, anything, to justify her secrecy. But her words came out empty and toneless.
"Just what in tarnation happened before that thing knocked you out, Twi?", the blonde earth pony was now glaring into Twilight's very soul.
Under Applejack's penetrating glare, the distraught unicorn trembled involuntarily.
"I... I... I'm sorry, Applejack. I just don't remember.", she managed to squeak out.
"Is that so...", the tough farmer was not convinced, "Red lights and screamin' don't ring any bells?"
"Applejack, please! I-I said I don't remember!", Twilight's voice was growing desperate; fearing that her resolve would snap like a twig at any moment.
Immediately upon hearing her friends despair, Applejack flinched back in resignation. Her inflated aggression was struck down by guilt and shame.
"Oh no! I-I'm sorry, Sugar-cube. I didn't mean to put ya on the spot like that. Its just that-... Twilight, I know that this-here project o' yours is important to ya, and what not, but I reckon its a mite too dangerous.", Applejack said.
As usual, the orange mare spoke the honest truth. Twilight could clearly see what Applejack was getting at in her assertions.
"Applejack. I know what you're going to say. But you have to understand. This project could uncover secrets that have confounded us for thousands of years. I can't abandon it before it begins.", Twilight tried to reason.
"I get that, Twi. But what if you bein' out for three days was just the start. What if you're gettin' yourself into somethin' that puts ya in harm's way?"
"Applejack..."
"I don't like it, Twilight. And I don't like you messin' with it, neither. Somethin' about that contraption gives me the willies."
When Applejack took another look at the bed-bound unicorn's deflated expression, she felt a little bullheaded.
She just couldn't understand what was so infatuating about Twilight's new project, that it would make her ignore the obvious risks. All the same, however, Applejack could see how much it meant to her.
"So... you want me to abandon my project?", Twilight asked quietly. Sadly.
"Oh, Sugar-cube. I want ya to push the gall-darn thing off a cliff. But I guess we're all makin' sacrifices today.", Applejack admitted reluctantly.
A bit of hope returned to Twilight's features.
"Twilight. Whatever happens, if anything happens, promise me that you'll let us know. Please?", Applejack half pleaded, half demanded.
"Applejack. You and the rest of the girls mean the world to me. You know that.", Twilight tenderly caressed her friends cheek, "You have my word that if things take a turn for the worse, you'll all know. I promise."
Somehow managing to feel a sense of relief, Applejack cracked a somewhat wise smile.
"Now y'all know that ain't good enough for me, Sugar-cube.", she chuckled, much to Twilight's delight.
"Hmhmhm. 'Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cup-cake in my eye.'"
That was more than enough for Applejack. She pulled Twilight into a strong embrace, and encouraged her to get some rest.
As the farm pony left the library and closed the door behind her, Twilight carefully willed herself out of bed. She cringed slightly at the tingling numbness that ate at her limbs as they touched the floor.
She turned toward the still slumbering Spike, who snuggled instinctively into the sheet covers. Twilight grinned with an almost motherly affection; tucking Spike into bed. She gently nuzzled against him.
"You must've stayed up for those three days, if you could sleep through all of that.", she whispered tentatively.
Leaving her assistant to his well-deserved slumber, Twilight steadily walked downstairs. It would seem that it'd take some time for her strength to return. But her resolve to accomplish her assignment took precedence over most of her thoughts.
As she glared again upon the, still, resonating enigma, a newly restored sense of determination filled her; fueling her curiosity all the more.
"What is your purpose? Why show me those visions?"
Unable to contain her urgency any longer, Twilight walked toward her front window, where she held a strangely spectacular view of Canterlot in the distance...
And rigorously weighed the pros and cons of breaking a Pinkie Promise.