//------------------------------// // 214. Pathognomy by Honey Mead // Story: The Sun and the Stars: A Twilestia Prompt Collab // by Fuzzyfurvert //------------------------------// by Honey Mead *** It stood before her, an edifice of might and power. Solid and durable, it was a testament to the mare who lived beyond. A work of art, it was covered in shining gilt that should have faded long ago but for the many runes that covered its surface. The magic that flowed from it weighed heavy, even on the most insensitive of beings, pushing against the back of the mind in warning against any attempt to past it without permission. She studied it as though she’d never laid eyes upon it before. There was something different now, though her exacting examination had turned up no measurable change. In all the years she’d been in its presence, never once had she ever felt the intimidation it exuded. The guards at either side gave her a weary glance every few seconds, but otherwise made no motions. Confounded, she sat. The door had not changed. Of that she was now certain. That left a few possibilities. Lists were a wonderful thing. First possibility: she had changed. She considered this. It was fully possible. Ponies change regularly. Every day is filled with new experiences and even she was not immune to their effects. But… no, that was not it. She had used the door not six hours prior, and she had not changed so drastically as that. Second possibility: the room beyond had changed. No. If it had she was unaware of it, which gave that hypothesis a null value. She was stalling, loath as she was to admit it. The reason for her changed perception was not some hidden secret that need discover, for she already knew what it was. The why of it, now that was an interesting question. Not unlike the right word in the right place at the right time, its magnitude was belied by its infinitesimal size. Such a subtle shift, many would never notice it (though others had already assumed it). For them, it meant nothing. But for her… That did not explain the door! Why had it changed the door? The connection was tenuous at best. Indeed, the only connection was... One of the guards began to speak, but before even the barest utterance could escape his lips, an isolation spell cut her off from all sound. She needed to think. ‘If you don’t like the answer, change the question.’ If the change was purely perceptional, the proper question was, ‘What did the door mean before, and what does it mean now?’ What did the door mean to her? What did it represent? That was simple enough. It was her door, that led to her room, her private sanctuary. Had that changed? Her chest constricted, and she gasped. The true magnitude of it all finally made itself known. Somehow, she had managed to blind herself to it. Whether willfully or unconsciously, it mattered not. How had she missed this?! How many hours had she spent contemplating… everything, only to miss this?! There would be no more her there would only their. Their door. Their room. Their private sanctuary. Their castle. Their country. Their life. She forced herself to breathe, to calm, but it was no good. The oversight was on a scale she could scarce comprehend. Was there anything which she could call her own? The door opened, and she was staring into those beautiful, intelligent, shining eyes that whispered, ‘I love you.’ with every glance. And those lips, curled into a small special smile that was saved only for her, that said, ‘I love you.’ with every with every word that passed between them. And that muzzle that screamed, ‘I love you.’ with every embrace they shared. In that moment, that single instance, it all melted away like so much ice beneath the summer sun. The uncertainty and, yes, fear, was gone and only a warm glow remained. Because she was her world, and nothing else mattered.