Maybe it was because she was simply feeling under the weather, but Twilight was in a dull mood.
She sighed as she walked through the dusty corridor. The sound of her hoof steps echoed through the barren halls before fading away into the patches of shadows that seemed to be all too common inside the crystal castle. What this place really needs is a little light, Twilight thought, as she continued towards the great doorway that stood at the end of the hallway. Those windows barely let any sunlight through as it is, and it surely couldn't hurt to have a few candles here and there to lighten the place up, could it?
Twilight placed a hoof against the door and gave it a slight push. It swung inwards with a creak, revealing the gleaming crystal thrones that she and her friends had sat in, maybe... a couple of months ago? Had it really been that long since they defeated Tirek?
Everything had been so much brighter back then. There had been parties that lasted for days - a feat possible only with the help of a certain Pinkie Pie - and a special celebratory meteor shower, courtesy of Princess Luna. Everypony in Ponyville had been as happy as Twilight had ever seen them, and her brand-new castle had been open for all to explore and enjoy. Now that the novelty had worn off, however, hardly anypony felt the need to visit her... residence.
She really wished she didn't have to call it that, but 'home' just didn't feel quite right. That was a word reserved for the one, special place that made you feel warm and safe, and she felt anything but that inside her castle. When her friends were around, the place lit up in a dazzling show of radiance and beauty, but without them? It was utterly lifeless.
To some extent, she reasoned, whilst crossing the huge star emblazoned across the floor of the throne room, her feelings were likely due to the loss of the library. That had been her special place; at least until Tirek had destroyed it. Her loss was still as raw and harrowing as it had been back in that fateful moment. She could picture the rampant ball of flame hurtling closer and closer, the deafening explosion, the charred, smoking, irreparable remains of -
No!
Stop.
Twilight shook her head, determined not to dwell on the subject. No need to make it any more painful than it already was.
Upon reaching her throne, she let herself slowly unwind and sink into it. Or tried to, in any case. Crystal wasn't exactly the most comfortable material in Equestria. How did Cadence do it on her crystal throne? Was there some sort of royal sitting position for this kind of thing? Hmm. Maybe a little research wouldn't go amiss. Perhaps the Castle of the Two Sisters had a book with a spell for turning crystal into pillows.
Twilight tapped a hoof against the arm of the seat erraticly as she struggled to recline. What was with her today? She was getting all stressed for absolutely no reason - although, she reluctantly admitted to herself, it wouldn't be the first time that had happened.
Finally, she let her head fall against the icy throne head-rest. The coldness was comforting in a way. Twilight let it wash over her as a veil of drowsiness clouded her vision, taking her deeper into an all-consuming desire to sleep. Her conciousness gradually slipped away as -
"HEY, Twilight!"
"Gah!"
Twilight snapped out of her stupor in shock, only to find a pair of rose coloured eyes hovering just in front of her face. She released a relieved breath and rolled her eyes. "Rainbow Dash. I should've known. Really, do you have to surprise me like that?"
"Oh man, every time! Priceless!" Rainbow snorted, casually doing a back flip in mid-air.
"Is there something you want to ask, or are you here because you have nothing better to do?"
"As a matter of fact, Twi, there is something," Rainbow said, apparently oblivious to Twilight's somewhat cutting tone. "You know how A.K. Yearling - or Daring Do, I guess - released her new book last week? Daring Do and the Hunt for the Fire Ruby? Yeah, well I reaaally need to borrow your copy since my first edition one isn't gonna arrive for, like, four days and -"
"Rainbow, I don't have the new Daring Do book." Twilight said bluntly. Please tell me she hasn't forgotten that...
"What? But, you always get the latest Daring Do books right away! Always!"
"That was before my library was blown up, if you'll recall. Remember that, Rainbow?"
Rainbow winced. As a rather sceptical pony, she was very familiar with sarcasm; Twilight's voice was positively dripping with it. "Oh, yeah... Sorry to bring that up. Forgot..."
Twilight stamped her hoof in annoyance and turned away. Some ponies had the irritating habit of speaking before thinking, and Rainbow Dash was at the top of that list. Ugh. For the first time in recent memory, she actually wanted to be alone!
Rainbow peered at the back of Twilight's head concernedly. Even if she had been getting on Twilight's nerves a bit, it was weird for her to be this sharp with anypony, least of all her friends. Then again, this was Twilight. She could sometimes be a little grumpy, often after a long night of studying. Rainbow shuddered; she was sure that she'd rather live in Tartarus than regularly do that kind of thing. Better check, anyway.
"Uh, Twilight? You haven't been studying too much recently, have you?" she asked tentatively.
Twilight slowly turned back to face Rainbow.
Oh.
Another wince. Stupid, stupid Dash. Twilight had just reminded her the library was gone.
"Sorry, sorry, I - you seem a bit off, Twi, that's all. Is everything OK?"
The icy glare Twilight had directed at Rainbow melted away as her whole body sagged a little. She sighed heavily. Rainbow was right: she was out of sorts. Snapping like that was usually unheard of for her, even if Rainbow had been getting on her nerves a bit. It was this Celestia-forsaken castle that was making her feel this way! It was a little ironic, considering that the place was supposed to symbolise friendship.
"Ah, you're right. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so harsh," Twilight said with an apologetic glance in Rainbow's direction.
"Nah, it's OK. Everyone has that feeling now and again," Rainbow replied, waving a dismissive hoof. Really, she was just glad that Twilight seemed to be okay. Ish. "So, what's gotcha down, anyway?"
"I... have a problem that needs addressing."
"Hey, I'm your friend, Twilight! You can share it with me, right? Unless it's some icky romance problem, Rarity would probably be better for that kind of thing."
"No, no, nothing like that," Twilight said, clambering off her throne and beginning to pace. The feelings she thought she had supressed were convulsing in her stomach again. "It's more of a... well, maybe I'm being silly, but, I... um... well..."
There was a groan of frustration from up in the air. "Spit it out already!"
"I, it's...! I...!
"ARGHH! It's this castle, Rainbow Dash!" She couldn't take it anymore. Her pent-up feelings had finally reached their limits, creating an verbal overspill of frustration, sadness and confusion.
"It's just so dark and dreary in here! There are those glowing crystals hanging from the roof, I suppose, but it's not enough! Those windows are so rough and thick that light can't get in that way either, but I can't start investing time in getting a better lighting method or anything because I'm supposed to be doing my princess duties, or studying with the few books I do have!
"Except, of course, there isn't even anything to study from! How can I learn with basically no books? Nopony wants to visit me any more either since I'm not running the library so I don't get to see anypony from Ponyville except you guys, and I'm supposed to be the Princess of Friendship, for Celestia's sake!
"Plus, it's too dull all the time! The walls and rooms are so bare, it doesn't feel like a place to live at all! And do I get to enjoy myself? I'm not saying I thought it would be constantly fun and games, but I had hoped for a little more than... this! I liked how things used to be back in the library, but it... it's... gone."
Tears began to gather in the corners of Twilight's eyes she saw Rainbow Dash staring at her with a half open mouth. Her problems felt pathetic, now that she had said everything she wanted to say, as if they she was simply nit-picking. But she couldn't, simply couldn't go on living with them. The little absences in her life were almost unbearable.
She suddenly heard a rush of air and a rustling of feathers as Rainbow swooped down beside her. A comforting wing draped itself over her shoulder, and with a sniffle Twilight looked up in mild surprise. Rainbow's expression was fierce, determined, and yet at the same time gently reassuring.
"Twilight Sparkle, listen up. I, I'm not good with words, I know that, but hear me out.
It's OK to be upset, you know? Any pony would be upset if they lost their home, it's natural, I guess. Don't sweat it over that, or this place. This castle feels weird and wrong because you're not used to it yet, alright? Look, when I first moved to Ponyville, I was... a little - just a little - nervous, since it was a new town, new house, everything was unfamiliar. It takes time for this stuff to sink in.
"And hey, what you said about everypony not visiting? You still go out from time to time to see them, right?"
Twilight began to nod, but then stopped. Now that Rainbow mentioned it, had she been visiting anyone except her best friends recently? She certainly couldn't remember the last time she had been to see Zecora, and that lunch with Cheerilee seemed a lifetime ago.
"W-well, actually, I suppose I haven't really. I've been so busy ever since I moved in."
"Yeah, see? As soon as your schedule clears up, you'll see everypony, no worries!"
"You... you could be right there."
"You know I'm right! It'll be fine!"
For the first time that day, a small smile graced Twilight's lips. Rainbow Dash truly could be a loyal friend - she had rarely appreciated it as much as she did now.
"Thanks, Rainbow Dash. You really helped," she murmured softly, nuzzling her head deeper into Rainbow's embrace.
"Huh, well, that's what friends are for," Rainbow said with a slight touch of embarrassment. Snuggling was totally not her style, although she guessed she could make an exception for a friend.
The two friends sat there, neither saying a word. Both knew it wasn't necessary - they sat, enjoying the simple tranquility of companionship.
She didn't know how long it had been, but for once the all-punctilious Twilight didn't care. She was content, laying by Rainbow's side, watching the slowly pulsating jewels up above. It was a nice feeling, contentedness. She hadn't felt it in quite a while.
Eventually, Rainbow stretched her legs and looked over at Twilight.
"Oh, I also had an idea about that whole 'it's-way-too-dull' thing you were worried about."
"Oh? What's that?" Twilight enquired, withdrawing her head from underneath Rainbow's wing.
"You could ask someone to help you decorate this place a bit!"
"Rainbow," Twilight began with a hint of exasperation, her mind already starting to formulate a list of issues with the suggestion, "I can't just go and... I mean, I'd... I..." She faltered.
"What?" Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hmm.
Come to think of it, there weren't any actual complications.
"What's wrong with that? It's a great plan!" Rainbow exclaimed, once again taking off into the air.
"Uh, there might be one or two things I'd need to consider, but I actually think I agree with you. It is a pretty good plan!"
"Ha, I knew it! Awesome!"
"I'll have to find somepony to help me refurbish, though."
This point calmed Rainbow's excitable chattering, and she took on a more thoughtful demeanor. "True. Maybe Applejack? She paints that ol' barn often enough, a castle isn't that much different."
Twilight wrinkled her nose as she got up. "It's not about the colour scheme, Rainbow, it's about making it feel more homely. And come on, Applejack? She'll be busy on the farm. This is most likely going to be a long term project, you know."
Rainbow grinned sheepishly and ran a hoof through her mane. "Fine, I didn't really think that one through. Okay then, how about Rarity?"
There was a pause as Twilight considered the idea. Rarity was, of course, more than capable of transforming any ordinary object or concept into something incredibly 'fabulous', but was it really fabulousity she wanted? Not particularly. The castle already had a certain amount of pizzazz - which was admittedly impressive at times - but right now that wasn't very important.
There was also the nagging suspicion that Rarity would totally go overboard. The shaping of an entire castle was way too much of a temptation for her.
Twilight bit her lip. "Rarity is... qualified, yes, but I'm sure she'd prefer something a little more ambitious than this. Besides, I'd like to keep this, er, low-key."
"I'll be sure to let her know that you think she's too imposing, then," Rainbow said, hiding her smirk behind her hoof.
"What? No, I didn't say -" Twilight blurted, but her rising panic was instantly quelled by the sounds of Rainbow sniggering. "Oh, haha. Very funny."
"Hehe! You worry too much, Twilight. Element of Loyalty, duh. I wouldn't do something like that."
"So you claim."
"Okay, at least not to my friends. Anyway, if you want 'low-key', then the perfect pony for that is Fl-"
"Fluttershy!"
The two mares swivelled their heads towards the source of the noise, a small purple dragon who was currently running across the room as fast as his short legs would allow.
Spike reached them and bent down, breathing heavily. "Saw, Fluttershy, just now," he panted, fighting for air.
"What's wrong? Spike, tell me!" Twilight spoke urgently, certain that something was amiss.
"She was, running past, Quills and Sofas, crying, her eyes out. Was, worried, came here."
Before he had even finished, Rainbow had crouched down low and spread her wings. Her face was contorted in fear, tinged with white. "I gotta get to her, now!"
"No," Twilight said firmly, grasping her by the shoulder. Rainbow's expression darkened and she opened her mouth, but Twilight swiftly cut her off.
"I'm faster. Say here with Spike."
With that, an ethereal glow formed and swirled around Twilight's horn. There was a blinding flash of white light. Rainbow screwed her eyes shut, but as quickly as it began it ended. She opened her eyes.
Twilight had vanished.
Rainbow glanced at Spike, who was still catching his breath, then moved her gaze upwards. The ceiling was nothing but a haze of inky blackness.
"Fluttershy..."