Chapter Sixty Five
"Ulquiorra? Do you have a moment before you leave?"
With the spell effectively split to include himself -a fact that had been proven by a test scroll being incinerated by Spike's flame breath, only to instantly rematerialize right in front of him- they had all concluded that the best course of action available was to call it a night, go their separate ways, and reunite in the morning for the discussion of various theories related to everything that had happened today.
After exiting the library he had prepared to travel to Sweet Apple Acres, and spend the better part of the night in the orchards, looking for whatever clues could be found. But he had been stopped upon Princess Celestia speaking up, and asking him for his time. Slowly, he turned to face her where she stood, waiting to see what she had to say to him.
"I can't help but be curious about cutting the discussion short tonight. Normally you have no problem going into detail about various matters, even if they're truly disturbing in nature. But this just seems... out of character, and it caught me off guard," she explained. "I don't mean to pry, as I'm sure you have good reason for such. But... was it really because Twilight and the others were getting tired, and wouldn't be able to properly understand what they would be told? Or... was it because the subject matter is more disturbing than usual?" she asked.
After giving a monetary pause, Ulquiorra responded.
"To an extent it's both. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Spike, were all beginning to show the preliminary signs of fatigue, indicating the onset of exhaustion; both of the physical, and the mental variety. Regardless of how well I could explain the situation, it would do little good if they're fully unable to properly comprehend what they have to hear. And what they have to hear has the potential to be significant," he explained.
"If you don't mind the inquiry, I'd like to know what that matter might actually be," Celestia stated. She knew she could compel him to explain himself. But she wasn't entirely certain that was the best course of action to take; at least not at this point in time.
But Ulquiorra was so far saying nothing. He was just glancing from side to side, before looking up toward the sky. At first she didn't get what he meant, until she stopped and thought about it, and then it dawned her. With a nod of understanding, she extended her wings outward and gave a strong downward flap, lifting herself up off the ground as she ascended up into the air, until she was high above Ponyville.
Ulquiorra's ascension was far simpler than her own, making him look as if he'd simply taken an elevator, as he merely stood in place with his hands tucked into his pockets, as he came up to eye level with her.
"I trust this is far enough to avoid any prying ears?" she asked him.
"Far enough that even I wouldn't be able to hear the conversation from ground level," Ulquiorra replied. He knew that this exchange could've easily been done through the mind, just as it had been done once before. But it was a technique he didn't particularly care for. "When I reported that Fluttershy's animals had no useful information, it was accurate. But that didn't mean there was no information whatsoever to be shared. According to Fluttershy, her animal charges are reporting a greater deal of agitation than usual, even after factoring in, and allowing for, the warmer weather of the summer season. According to Fluttershy, they're aware that something isn't right, but they're unable to articulate just what that something is. On top of this, there is a growing sense of fear regarding the close proximity of the Everfree Forest. Her charges are reluctant to set foot anywhere near it, with some even expressing a desire to move closer to Ponyville, for a greater measure of distance being afforded to them."
To him it was a most unusual meeting that had been experienced. Despite lacking even a basic level of sapience, the animals in Fluttershy's care had managed to convey to her a sense of fear and agitation, and it had absolutely nothing to do with his presence. Perhaps the most striking aspect of it all, was how a number of her furry charges had failed to flee from his presence when he'd arrived. It was almost like they'd become aware of something significantly more terrifying than himself.
But that left him with a question he had no answer for. Just what was scaring the animals worse than even himself, that they were aware of, yet he himself couldn't detect? Who or what exactly was out there right now? And precisely where was it?
That was another reason he didn't want to have this conversation on the ground level; it was far too easy to be observed from down there, and potentially sensitive information being leaked to the wrong parties. But a mile above the ground was significantly harder to eavesdrop on.
"I'll admit, that does have a somewhat disturbing element about it. But was it truly disturbing enough, to the point that the information had to be kept from Twilight and her friends for the night?" Celestia asked as she gently beat her wings to maintain her current altitude.
"I can't say for certain, but I believed it best to err on the side of caution for the time being. If they were to engage in random, unguided speculation fueled by fear, fatigue, and caffeine, they could eventually reach the conclusion that there's something far worse in this world than myself. And if they arrive at that conclusion, there's no telling what the end results would be," Ulquiorra explained. He could've elaborated further on how there wasn't sufficient time to spend the night serving as a babysitter to two hysterical ponies, and one hysterical dragon, who had concluded that he was no longer the top predator in their world. But ultimately he decided against such, as, if it should become necessary to do just that, then he would do it.
But he would prefer not going down that particular path if it could be avoided. Not yet anyway.
"Point taken," Celestia acknowledged. The depths of Ulquiorra's true nature were terrifying for her to experience the first time around. And the idea of there being something even worse than him in this world to consider, was definitely not a thought she wanted to consider. She really didn't want to think about what could be worse than him, after seeing what she had about him. That was all too disturbing to even think about. "What about the sadism angle you mentioned earlier? What was that about?" she asked, hoping to change the subject to something slightly less disturbing.
"Little more than pure speculation regarding what Applejack went through, compared to what Rainbow Dash reported experiencing. But going by what they both experienced would certainly suggest a sadistic mindset is in play. It might even suggest that these attacks were deliberately planned out, to the point of being specifically tailored towards each of their personalities, in an effort to generate the most pain and suffering from each of them," Ulquiorra replied. He already knew that there were going to be questions as to what he meant in his explanation, so he chose to cut her off at the pass.
"Rainbow Dash sees herself as a strong, independent, capable mare who can handle her own problems without the help of others, while simultaneously being loyal to those she associates with, even if their own loyalty is questionable. Her attack consisted of being bound and rendered completely helpless, while those she considered her friends maintained total situational control, deliberately chose to victimize, and brutalize her, greatly compromising her sense of loyalty in the process, and leaving her unable to trust the others. In Applejack's case, she sees herself as a dependable pony that others can count on when in need, and who maintains a great deal of personal integrity about what she believes. She was -presumably- left free to move about, able to object to what she was put through, and only relenting once she was forced to do so under significant duress. She was lead to believe that the choices made were her own, rather than a symptom of her mind being manipulated like it was a marionette. And by her own admission, her own view of herself has now been compromised, leaving her uncertain if she's truly as dependable as she first thought."
He paused in his detailed explanation of everything in order to better observe Princess Celestia's reaction. At the moment she appeared to simply be paying attention, and contemplating what he'd been saying. There was no sense overloading her mind with endless amounts of details in a short amount of time, as he may end up needing her assistance in the near future.
"There are a number of possible theories and options available to us. But at the moment, I believe it's fairly safe to conclude that this wasn't the act of some random stranger, but rather someone with an intimate working knowledge of their personalities. Someone who possesses a familiarity with the character attributes that makes them who they are. Someone who could exploit this knowledge in an effort to inflict the most harm possible, by directly targeting their weaknesses," he continued.
"My word!" Celestia gasped and brought her hoof up to her mouth in shock. These were details she hadn't considered before. And a part of her was really wishing that it had stayed that way. She was really starting to wish that she'd just let him go onto Sweet Apple Acres, rather than stopping him for questioning. "Who... who could be responsible for such?" she asked, morbid curiosity reaching the point where she really didn't think she could stop even if she wanted to.
"At present time I don't know the answer. whoever it is, we know that it has to be someone of considerable strength and talent, to be able to attack them directly, while still eluding my detection. And we can safely conclude the one responsible is an enemy to Equestria; that much goes without saying. But that leaves us with the question of whom is the one responsible, as it would have to be someone that's cropped up as recently as three years ago, when they became the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. And the number of significant villains available to us to choose from is incredibly limited. Nightmare Moon, dead. Chrysalis, dead. Sombra, dead. Leaving us with-"
"Discord..." Celestia replied in a hushed tone, sounding as if she'd been out of breath when she spoke. "You... you believe that Discord is responsible for all of this?" she asked him.
Much to Ulquiorra's surprise, there was a very intense... desire... within him to answer the question in the affirmative. There was a part of him that wanted to say yes, that he suspected Discord of being responsible for everything that had happened up to this point. A strong and unexplainable desire to lay blame squarely at the mismatched feet of the draconequus. In all of his research, Discord was the only being that possessed the means, motive, opportunity, and capability to launch such an attack. It wouldn't even be a stretch to imagine such, seeing as he'd already altered their minds once before, when he forced their negative personality traits to the surface the first time around.
There was only one shortcoming with that theory. And that was his own presence here. If Discord was truly behind these attacks, then why had he brought him here in the first place? What was the endgame goal of it all? Had Discord brought him to this world, simply so he could go up against an intellectual to make things more interesting to him? Was he here so he could play the Sherlock Holmes to Discord's Moriarty? Did even Discord know what he himself was doing at this point?
And if it was Discord, what did he have to do with what Fluttershy's animals were sensing from the Everfree Forest? What was the connection between the two?
The uncertainty of these, and many other questions, was enough to give even him a headache. And it was beginning to throb underneath the remains of his Hollow mask.
"As I said, it is mere speculation. The evidence would certainly suggest his involvement, and give reason for his unexplained absence. But it's purely circumstantial in nature, and inconclusive. We have a theory, and we have facts. But unless we proceed with caution, we may wind up twisting what few facts we have, in order to suit our theory, rather than adjusting our theory to suit the facts that we have. If we allow ourselves to become impatient, we'll end up looking for a scapegoat to assign the blame, and allow ourselves to become distracted. At the moment all we can do is exercise situational awareness of our surroundings, and continue to handle matters as best we can, if we're to have any hope of helping the others," he explained. For the time being he wouldn't pursue the matter of Discord being the one responsible for everything that had happened up to this point.
Not unless he could actually find evidence that was more concrete, and more properly able to tie him to what had been going on.
"I should've just kept my questions to myself," Celestia mumbled as she pinched the bridge of her muzzle with her front hooves. She could understand just why Ulquiorra didn't elaborate on this matter inside the library. "So come tomorrow, just what exactly do we tell them?" she asked as she looked back up at him. Surely he wouldn't be unloading all of this on them... would he?
"What we tell them tomorrow, will be contingent upon what questions they choose to ask, and whatever I might find at Sweet Apple Acres tonight," Ulquiorra explained. He understood the need to safeguard certain sensitive information from general dissemination. But at the same time, he wasn't entirely willing to leave the others in the dark. The only reason he'd done so at the moment, was due to recognizing the potential for misinterpretation.
"And what is it you hope to uncover in your investigation?" Celestia asked.
"Maintaining the optimistic belief that things will work out in a positive manner, is not something that I engage in. I do not waste time hoping for the desired outcome to occur," Ulquiorra explained. And then a pause. "But if I were to engage in such a practice, then I would hope to uncover something that would point to a party other than Discord being involved. Some trace of foreign reiatsu amongst the apple trees, that could potentially help us identify who we're facing. Some shred of evidence that would help lead us to who is responsible, and where they can be found," he admitted. Simply because he chose not to actively engage in a useless exercise, didn't mean he couldn't theorize about what might happen if he ever were to engage in such, unlikely as it might be.
"Are there any other matters to cover? Or has this discussion concluded for the evening?" he asked pointedly. The longer they remained here, with her questioning him, and him making her squirm in response with disturbing answers and theories, the less chance they had of uncovering anything on this night. If there were any clues to be discovered, it was entirely possible that a trail also existed. Where that potential trail would take him, he didn't yet know. But he would find the answer to that question, when he found the evidence to support its existence.
"No, no. I think that I've heard more than enough for one evening. Had I known just where this conversation would lead, I never would've asked," Celestia shook her head and groaned. She really should've just let Ulquiorra proceed as he'd intended, rather than prying on this matter. "You've given me far more to think about than I ever wanted to; including the possibility that none of this would've occurred, if I'd just left Discord imprisoned in stone, rather than believing he could be reformed," she stated.
"I merely answered the questions that were presented to me, nothing more," Ulquiorra replied, unfazed by the possibility that he was being blamed for anything. If Princess Celestia didn't wish to know such details, then she shouldn't have asked for them in the first place. It was entirely her own fault in this case. "Regardless of who is to blame, it changes nothing. We all have our parts to play in this game, if that's what this is. And if this is truly a game of Discord's that's currently afoot, then he has erred grievously when he assigned you your playing pieces."
With nothing left to say, and no real urge to elaborate further on what was said, Ulquiorra took his leave in a flash of sonido, rather than waiting to be dismissed. He'd already wasted two minutes with pointless conversation. He really didn't feel like spending anymore time talking, when there were potentially clues to uncover at Sweet Apple Acres.
Celestia blinked in confusion at Ulquiorra's sudden abruptness of departure. She had... almost expected the Espada to berate her over the possibility that it was she who had set everything into motion, by extending some measure of trust to Discord in believing that he could be reformed from his wicked, utterly chaotic ways. But he hadn't done such. He had ignored the opportunity outright, and simply chosen to depart of his own volition.
There were a lot of uncertainties buzzing about her mind right now as well. This wasn't exactly the first time Ulquiorra had mentioned the concept of this being some sort of game. But she still didn't know what the full extent of it meant. If this really was a game of Discord's, then why had he gone and introduced Ulquiorra into the equation? It's true that the Espada left much to be desired in character traits. But his analytical skills were sharp like a scalpel. And since Discord brought Ulquiorra into everything, he would be putting himself at risk of exposure if he was truly behind this whole mess.
She didn't know what to think right now. This whole thing, in a way, absolutely reeked of Discord. And yet, at the exact same time, it didn't seem at all like him. Right now all she knew for certain was that she wanted to rip her mane out by its roots in frustration. She desperately wanted to find Discord, and demand that he start to answer up. But she knew that, even if Discord did heed her summoning spell voluntarily -and so far he hadn't, despite her best efforts- there was no way of ensuring that what he said would be the actual truth. This left her in the unfortunate position of being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
All she could do right now was wait. Wait and hope that some development was soon to occur, that would make sense of it all.
The library was, momentarily, silent after the departure of both Celestia and Ulquiorra. None of the three really knew just what to say after everything that had happened. There was a lot of information to try and process, and no real way for just how to go about actually doing that.
"Well, so much fer gettin' any sleep tonight," Applejack commented as she finally spoke up. As if she didn't have enough disturbing thoughts in her head already.
"Speak for yourself. I'm gonna go lay down," Spike grumbled as he slowly made his way to the stairs. Unlike the others, he had been the one who had to undergo the process of having his fire adjusted to include a new member of an ever-growing correspondence network. He'd been the one who had to have Ulquiorra's specific signature tied to him, so he could get word to the Espada in case of an emergency. He was the one that had to deal with the feeling of a bruised esophagus right now.
Sleep might elude the others. But it certainly wasn't going to elude him if he had anything to say about it. He was going to crash in his basket, and absolutely nopony was going to stand in his way for anything. They didn't have to deal with everything involved with being a combination mailbox and rolodex.
"Worst Saturday yet..."
Applejack watched in silence as Spike ascended the stairs, unsure of just what to say. But him deciding to turn in right now really wasn't sitting well with her. If both he and Twilight were around and active, it would be easier for her to be the same. But now that it was down to just her and Twilight, it was only a matter of time before said unicorn decided to turn in as well. She had to try and head that off before it could come to pass.
"So wha' do we do now, Twilight?" she asked, hoping that there would be something complicated in mind.
"Well for starters, I'm going downstairs to bring the guest bed up. You might not feel like sleeping right now, Applejack, but when you do, I don't think the couch or a sleeping bag will be all that appropriate," Twilight explained as she turned towards the part of the library that held the basement door, and turned her attention on the spell that kept it out of view.
"Ah'll help," Applejack announced, not even waiting for the question to be presented.
"It's alright, Applejack, I've got this," Twilight replied as she disabled the spell that kept the door hidden. "But I appreciate the offer regardless."
"A'right, ah guess," Applejack replied, disappointed at the turn down of the offer to make herself useful. "So wha' happens afterwards?"
"Well I really didn't have any plans for tonight. I was just reading some research notes before you showed up," Twilight replied as she paused before entering the basement. Something... something seemed off. She didn't have a clue just what it was, but the feeling was there all of the sudden; like a sudden but subtle change in air temperature. "Was there something you felt like doing?" she asked as she turned to face her.
"Well ah was jus' thinkin', maybe go fer a cup o' coffee, er maybe some stargazin' an' ya could point out the diff'rent constellations. Or wha' abou' some reading? Ya know RD was always goin' on abou' that "Darin' Do" series bein' so great, an' ah jus' thought now'd be a good time ta see fer mahself," Applejack suggested.
Twilight's mind was abuzz with thoughts right now. Coffee? Stargazing? Reading? This was all very unusual right now. All the more confirmation that something new was wrong. Maybe it was time to go with a direct confrontation.
"Applejack, tell me what's wrong," she said as she stepped closer. "And I don't mean in general, we already know that. What's wrong right now, specifically?"
"Er..." Applejack paused, "if ah tell ya, do ya promise ya won' be beratin' me er nothin'?" she asked uneasily.
"Berate you? Applejack, I'd never do that to you. Whatever gave you such an idea?" Twilight asked, caught off guard that she'd be presented with such a question.
"... Because it's what ah've been doin' ta mahself..." Applejack reluctantly admitted and hung her head. "Ah know that none o' wha' happened really happened. Ah know it was jus' a hallucination an' nopony was in any danger. But tha' don' change the fact that ah was the one experiencin' it, an' it was real ta me!"
Twilight remained silent as Applejack explained things, letting her speak uninterrupted. Trying to interject her opinion right now really wasn't called for, and even she recognized it as being such.
"Ah'm scared, Twi', really scared. Ah'm scared that if ah lay down an' close mah eyes, ah'm gonna have ta see it all over again. Ah'm scared 'cause ah know ah'm gonna dream about it, an' ah don' want that. If ah couldn' tell it wasn' real when ah was wide awake, there ain' no way o' knowin' when ah'm asleep," she admitted.
Twilight didn't know how to immediately respond to what Applejack had to say. She understood exactly what she was saying, and such a response was very common from one who had undergone a particularly traumatizing event; she'd read about that in the wake of Rainbow Dash's own experiences. But that didn't mean she knew what the proper response was.
But that didn't mean she couldn't improvise her response, and hope for the best.
"Like I said, Applejack, I'd never berate you. Especially not when it concerns something like this," she said as she approached and threw a foreleg round the back of her neck. The gesture was soon returned. "I guess we don't really have to turn in yet. We'll stay up for another hour or so. Then let me take care of going to bed, alright?" she asked.
"A'right, Twi', ah trust ya," Applejack agreed and nodded, rubbing her chin against Twilight's back in the process.
"Good. Now if you really do want to get started on the "Daring Do" series, I know just the place to start..."
Twilight had been mildly surprised. When Applejack had expressed a desire to get into more extensive reading, she had been certain it was an excuse to stay awake longer, in an effort to ward off the nightmares she feared would be coming once she turned in for the night.
But so far, for the last hour or so, it had been anything but.
They had settled down together, side by side on her favorite reading pillow, an old kerosene lantern serving as illumination while the main lights in the library were off, a mildly worn copy of "Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone" propped up in front of them as they read it together.
Or rather as Applejack read it, while Twilight just skimmed the pages while keeping the earth pony company. This was a book she'd read herself before, with the exploits of the pegasus archeologist still fresh enough in her memory, that she didn't feel the need for a refresh reading. Instead, her attention had been on Applejack as she read.
There were times Twilight found herself feeling like she was scientifically examining Applejack, as she watched her reading with actual intent. Occasionally she'd observe the twitch as Applejack would actually move her lips while she read along, as if she was trying to sound out a particular word. It was all kind of cute to watch.
"Hey Twi'?"
"Yes?" Twilight asked, broken out of her silent trance by Applejack's voice. Had she wound up forgetting to turn the page again?
"Archeology's supposed ta be the study o' lost civilizations an' whatnot, right?" Applejack asked.
"More or less," Twilight replied, even though that was a very simplistic explanation of what the field of archeology actually entailed. But she knew better than to launch into the true in-depth details at the moment.
"So if the civilizations are lost, how'd Darin' Do know abou' the sapphire statue in the first place?" Applejack asked.
Twilight paused in thought. It was certainly a fair question to ask.
"Well just because a civilization is lost or gone, doesn't mean the knowledge held by other civilizations meets the same fate. There's almost always some record to be found if one just knows where to look," she explained, doing her best to both keep it simple, and simultaneously informative.
And apparently it worked. Applejack didn't ask any further questions on the matter, and instead just gave a nod, and turned her attention back to the book to continue her reading. And with that resolved, Twilight returned her attention to where she'd left off, reading next to Applejack.
"Hey Twi'?"
At least until Applejack spoke up again.
"Yes?" she asked again.
"Archeologists are like scientists, right? They go on these digs an' stuff for the furtherin' o' science an' knowledge an' whatnot, right?" Applejack asked.
"Basically yes. It's a very involved field of science, and historical research, and it sheds a great deal of light on how ponies used to live," Twilight explained.
"Well wha' Darin' Do is doin', isn' it more like treasure huntin'? Or... even grave robbin'?" Applejack asked.
Once again, Twilight paused. But this time it was a pause due to discomfort rather than thought, not expecting Applejack to ask just such a question. But the very fact that she had asked such a question, had just gone to reinforce her belief that Applejack was far more intelligent than she let on.
It was quite true that, compared to the traditional field of archeology, the exploits of Daring Do were a highly romanticized interpretation of the concept, and dealt more with gathering treasure, escaping numerous death traps in creative ways, eluding villains, and riding off into the sunset with the riches in tow, rather than the extensive investigative work that went into researching a long forgotten tribe of ponies or some other species. From a scientific perspective, there was far more that could be discovered in a garbage dump, than in a deserted temple that housed numerous priceless artifacts.
"It... could be interpreted that way, I guess," she hesitantly replied.
"Oh..." Applejack replied and paused. It turned into a long, awkward pause. "If it's a'right with ya, Twilight, ah don' think ah wanna do anymore readin' 'bout where the hero is somepony goin' 'round, stealin' from the dead..."
"It's okay, Applejack," Twilight replied and closed the book, before gently levitating it back over to its resting place on the shelf. She certainly didn't want to make her friend anymore uncomfortable than she already was. "It's not a series meant for everyone."
Applejack simply nodded in response. Twilight tried not to frown, while trying to think of what she could say next. But try as she might, nothing was coming to mind. She considered suggesting something else that they could read, like the latest acquisition of a series of three novels written up by a well-respected philologist, who had been born close to Zecora's own homeland. She had spent many a sleepless night pouring over those works with much excitement.
But that idea was squashed when she paid better attention to Applejack's current posture. She could see that she was doing her best to not look tired, while at the same time failing miserably at doing just that. The farmer was currently engaged in a battle of wills with her own eyelids, as she struggled to keep them open, and failing miserably at it. Twilight just couldn't bring herself to suggest heavy reading at a time like this.
"Maybe we should turn in now," she suggested, while mentally bracing herself for whatever resistance Applejack might offer up.
"Do we have to?" Applejack asked, visibly not liking the idea.
Twilight was underwhelmed by the question. She'd been expecting a lot more opposition to the idea of going to sleep. But she only faltered for a moment, before readjusting her plans.
"No, I guess we don't really have to," she replied and shook her head. "If you don't want to go to bed, Applejack, that's alright. If you want, I'll stay up to help you stay awake. I'll put on a pot of Spike's special brew of coffee, recommend a regimen of cold showers, and walks around Ponyville to get the adrenaline flowing. But eventually you're going to need to sleep. And regardless of when that happens, there's always the potential for nightmares to come. I'm sorry, Applejack, but it's just one of those things that has to be done," she explained calmly.
"Really? Ya'd actually set up wit' me all night if ah asked ya to?" Applejack asked. She'd rather focus on that, more than the fact that she'd eventually have to turn in, and face whatever was coming for her.
"If that's what it takes," Twilight replied and nodded. "Is that what you want?" she asked.
Applejack thought about the offer for a minute, before simply shaking her head.
"Ah appreciate the offer more than ah can tell ya righ' now, Twi', but ah jus' can' accept. Ah can't ask ya ta stay up all night, jus' cuz ah'm scared ta sleep," Applejack replied. She really, really did want to accept Twilight's offer right now. But even she could realize that it was a losing battle to try and ward off sleep. Knowing herself as well as she did, in her current condition, she'd only be able to muster a few hours of consciousness, before eventually succumbing. And even though she desperately wanted those few extra hours consciousness, there was only so much that could actually be done.
She really didn't want to think about maybe falling asleep outside, in the dark as they walked along, and possibly leaving Twilight to drag her back to the relative safety of the library. Or even worse, the both of them dropping at the same time, and leaving them separated from Spike.
"Ah'm a might bit curious about wha' ya got in mind ta help me sleep though," she reluctantly admitted.
"Well then just follow me," was all Twilight said in response as she levitated the lantern off the floor, stood up from the pillow, and moved towards the stairs.
With the lantern perched on the nightstand, and Spike's uninterrupted snoring in the background, Applejack watched as Twilight was -literally- working her magic on her bed, and slowly but surely making it grow in width. Not only the bed, but also the covers themselves, being stretched wider and wider, until it was easily double its original size.
It was interesting to watch and all, but Applejack was still lost as to what Twilight was up to. How was this supposed to help her?
"There. That should do it," Twilight stated with a satisfied sigh, as she levitated another pillow over from the bedroom closet, and deposited it onto the bed right next to the other one.
"That should do wha'?" Applejack asked. What was she not getting about all of this? What was Twilight planning?
"Several months ago, I had a conversation with Fluttershy about the subject of proper pet care, and one of the points that came up dealt with care for canines. When somepony gets a puppy, especially a very young puppy, it's recommended that they put the puppy in a box with a blanket, and an alarm clock, to help them adjust. The blanket provides warmth, comfort and simulates the litter environment, while the tick of the alarm clock simulates the mother's heartbeat, and gives them a sense of security," Twilight explained, pausing to pull the covers on the bed back. "So I don't see why the same can't be done here."
"Uh... come again?" Applejack asked, more confused than before.
"Alright. Let me put it this way. With what you went through, Applejack, I don't think you should spend the night by yourself. Waking up alone in the middle of the night, doesn't strike me as being very conductive of making a proper recovery. So we're not going to do that tonight. Instead of that, tonight you're going to be sharing my bed, to see if the close proximity of another warm body, combined with the rhythmic beat of a heart, can ease whatever you're going through," Twilight elaborated as simply as she could.
"An' ya think that'll work?" Applejack asked. From what she was hearing, the idea sounded a lot like the number of times Apple Bloom had come to her in the middle of the night, haunted by a nightmare, and afraid to go back to sleep in her own bed. And if she was being honest with herself, it sounded a lot like what she'd done when she was around Apple Bloom's age, and snuck into Big Macintosh's room for the same purposes. But could something so simple really work with something like this?
"I'm optimistically hopeful that it will. And I really don't have any other ideas right now, so this is all I've got," Twilight replied and shrugged. She had absolutely no idea if this was going to do any good or not. But at this point she was willing to try just about anything."Do you want to do this?" she asked.
"Well... ya already went through the trouble o' makin' the bed bigger an' everythin'. It'd be rude not ta try," Applejack replied. She was pretty much willing to try anything right now.
Twilight nodded and climbed up into the bed first, nestling down comfortably on what was unofficially her half for the evening. Applejack climbed up next, and settled in and best she could.
It was just a matter of pure coincidence, that a matter of long established habit, developed muscle memory when getting ready for bed, and simply not giving anything so much as a second thought, had dictated where she'd been facing when she laid down. In this case, that direction was facing Twilight, who was looking back at her.
"This... this isn' gonna be awkward, is it?" she asked.
"I don't think so. No more awkward than dinner with Ulquiorra was," Twilight replied, although she wasn't entirely sure of her own assessment right now. Right now it was just a lot of playing things by ear, and hoping for the best. "Can you scoot a little closer?"
Applejack wasn't sure what it was about, but right now she really didn't feel like engaging in any debate. So without a word to the contrary, she inched her way closer to Twilight's position. She was slow in her movements, uncertain just how close Twilight wanted her, until they were practically touching noses.
"I-is this close enough?" she asked.
"I think it'll work," Twilight replied, before reaching out with her forelegs, and gently pulling Applejack and her pillow closer to her, until her face was practically resting against her chest.
At first Applejack really didn't know what to make of what Twilight was doing. Even by Canterlotian unicorn standards, it just struck her as being really odd behavior. Her face was so close, she could feel Twilight's chest fur rubbing against her nose and her own fur. She was close enough to easily detect the faded scent of lilacs that went with her friend's usual bathing products. And she was close enough that she could actually feel the rhythmic beat of Twilight's heart, accompanying each rise and fall of her chest with every breath she took, no matter how subtle it might've seemed otherwise.
Twilight's earlier words were starting to come back to Applejack now. Now it was all starting to make sense, and ease her mind. Twilight was using her own body to try and provide that sense of security she was talking about. And she really couldn't find it in herself to object right now. She had to admit that it was a rather comfortable position to be in at the moment. Twilight was a soft pony to be curled up with, she'd admit that. And she was warm, without it being uncomfortably so in the summer heat. And there was something that just seemed so primal, so natural, and so right, about that beating heart of hers being so close right now.
"Is this alright? Can you breathe?" Twilight asked as she rested her chin on top of Applejack's head.
"Ah can breathe jus' fine, Twilight. Gotta say though, this seemed a might bit strange at first. But now that ah'm here, it seems mighty cozy an' all," Applejack replied as she settled in and made herself comfortable. Maybe this really would work out.
"That's good. Just... just try not to snore, alright? I'm really ticklish," Twilight replied, causing Applejack to laugh. It was the first time she'd heard her laugh in a long while, which in turn made her smile. A laugh was a good sign right now.
"Ah'll try, although ah can' really guarantee anythin'," Applejack replied and closed her eyes. "Hey, Twilight? Do ya think we could leave the lantern lit? Jus' a little?" she asked.
Twilight wanted to point out that when it came to lanterns, it was either lit or it wasn't, and that there was no in between on the matter. But she decided not to do such, and simply nodded, her chin rubbing against Applejack's head in the process.
"Sure thing, Applejack, anything you want," she replied, magically adjusting the knob to lower the wick height to its lowest sustainable level, leaving the two with just enough illumination to see each other by. "Just try to sleep now, Applejack, I'll be here in case you need anything," she assured her.
"Ah appreciate that, Twilight, ah really do," Applejack replied, before finally succumbing to her own tiredness, and letting out a yawn that she'd been trying her best to suppress up until that point. But now that she was actually comfortable, suppression no longer seemed viable. Or even necessary for that matter.
With that matter now addressed, Twilight settled herself in to get comfortable for the night, reaching out with her magic to pull the sheets over them.
It went without saying that this situation was far from perfect. But then again so were most other situations that they found themselves in. As far as she could remember, things had been far from perfect ever since Ulquiorra laid out his theory about some mysterious force attacking, and trying to kill them. All they could really do right now was pull together, and try to make the best of it.
"G'night, Twilight," Applejack said around a yawn.
"Goodnight," Applejack," Twilight responded.