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// 86 - Astral Encounter 
// Story: A Dangerous Sparkle 
// by David Silver 
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Twilight started awake with a powerful shudder. All around her hovered small motes of light. It all felt familiar... She felt a ground beneath her hooves though she couldn't see any. She began to walk forward slowly, looking around for other features beside the endless field of stars.

"Hello?"

"Is anypony there?"

The ephemera before her coalesced rapidly into a large form. Celestia stood before her, snout already stained with prior tears. "My most treasured student. You were not supposed to be here again so soon."

Twilight bounded forward to embrace Celestia, but Celestia backed away a step, "This is serious, Twilight."

Twilight glanced around and back at Celestia, "Alright... what happened?"

Celestia raised her delicate brows, "There is no gentle way to put this, darling Twilight. You died."

Twilight frowned, "But the last time I was here, you sent me back, with wings!" She stomped a hoof on the unseen ground, "Why can't you do that again?"

Celestia leaned forward, brushing the tip of her snout against Twilight's, "You have not ascended, Twilight. I... cannot turn the wheel back, only send it forward. Your last entry here was very special. This time... merely violent." With a wave of her hoof, the screens appeared hovering in the air, showing Twilight's many battles through Everglow. "I blame myself. I allowed you to remain in such a dangerous place, learning dangerous things. Violent living leads to a violent end."

Twilight frowned, swatting at the closest mirror, "What else would we have done? We had to protect Equestria! Did we do it? Is Manehattan safe?"

A wing extended, Celestia pointing at a rapidly approaching screen that showed Manehattan, not burning. "Why..." asked Twilight, "Are so many buildings collapsed? It wasn't like that when we flew over it."

With a soft wave, a new screen took its place, showing the mountain of shards of metal Rainbow had been buried in, though then scattered about by a wave of elementals. "The bolts that held them together," spoke Celestia. "Buildings can be repaired. You died a noble death, Twilight Sparkle. I will miss you."

Twilight shook her head violently, "Don't talk like that! We're here, right now, talking. We can get past this, like anything else!"

Celestia's head hung slightly, "I have had this discussion with far too many of my dearest friends, young Twilight Sparkle. You cannot know the pain." Celestia raised a hoof and set it on Twilight's shoulder. "It is time for you to go. Forever."

Twilight threw herself back, leaping away from Celestia, "No! I won't give up! You can't give up..." Tears stung at her eyes as she stomped in place, hooves failing to make an impression on the unseen floor. "You told me to believe, in the magic of friendship. Don't give up on that now."

Celestia took a slow inhale before she extended a wing to Twilight, gently pulling her closer. "Maybe you can surprise me, but I cannot hold that... faith. I have seen so many friends here. Most beg for me to help, some scream endlessly. A few attack me, assured I am responsible for their end. A few have that hopeful look in your eye." She leaned in, brushing her snout against Twilight's, "Hoping someone will save them. But they all faded away, and then I was alone, again."

Twilight jumped as something dropped on her and she glanced up, seeing fresh tears falling from her mentor. "Celestia, please... My friends. They won't give up. We traveled between worlds just to set things right. They will move mountains if it takes it. I believe in them, all of them. You must too." She buried her face against Celestia's warm barrel. "Believe in all of us."

Celestia gave a slow nod, "Perhaps they will do what I could not. Your life has been one full of surprises, Twilight Sparkle. Perhaps your death will continue it." She drew in a quiet breath before a look of determination returned to her, "I will delay speaking of your... passing... for now. While you remain here, I will... try to hope. The people of Equestria do not need to know until all hope is gone."

Celestia began to fade and Twilight leaped forward, passing through her fading form. "Wait, don't leave me here!" she called, but Celestia was already gone. Twilight sunk to her haunches, looking around the star field that had returned to normal, all the screens gone.





The Returners of the Dawn, plus Rarity and Fluttershy, were gathered around the fallen form of their friend. Long Road broke the awkward silence that had built, "The queen."

The eyes turned to look at him. "Princess, I mean," he corrected, "Celestia. She has the measure of a god. Can't she revive Lady Sparkle?"

Those who had come from Equestria looked doubtful. "I don't mean to throw doubt on the princess," said Rarity, "But I've never heard her doing that before."

Soft Mane crossed her arms, "Then we get her to someone who can."

Rainbow thrust a hoof up into the air in a pump, "Yea! I like the sound of that. No way a little thing like this is going to stop us."

Fluttershy flicked her ears back, doubt growing more intense. "I've... seen..." She shrank on herself, "My little friends, they don't live forever. They die so quickly. Then they are gone." She sank to her belly, "I have to accept that. Our lives are precious... That... that...." she swallowed heavily, tears flowing, "That's why I have to take care of them! You don't get to bring them back." She fell to quiet tears, burying her snout in a fetlock.

Pinkie Pie stomped a hoof, "No! Bad Fluttershy." Fluttershy looked up at Pinkie, baffled. "We are Twilight's bestest friends. I'm not quitting until I get to throw a 'Welcome back from the dark place' party!" She spun in place, facing the bridge out of the city, blocks away though it may be. "Long, get Twilight. We have a job to do." Though Pinkie's words were full of fiery conviction, her mane lost its bounce as she trotted away, slowly falling flat as she turned her head away from her companions to cry privately.

Long moved towards Twilight's prone form, but Spike thrust a claw out in front of him with a snarl. "I got this." He hefted up Twilight gingerly, cradled in his arms before he moved to follow Pinkie, quiet other than those three words.

Soon the party moved as one, weaving through the damaged cities. Words were few between the lot of them with heavy emotions dragging on any fledgling conversation, choking it to death before it had a chance. The train was where they left it. As they approached it, the conductor burst out of the train and began clopping his forehooves in between eager ground stomps. "You did it! Manehattan stopped burning!"

He grew confused when the returning heroes didn't return his jubilance, but that turned to horror when he saw Twilight hanging limply in Spike's arms. "Uh... oh... is... is she?"

Pinkie shouted at him, "She's just sleeping!" Her voice lowered instantly, looking away, "Just sleeping...."

"Right..." said the conductor, looking increasingly uncomfortable. Not prying further, he turned away to enter the engine car. When the others had filed into the car, the train began rolling backwards, making its way back to the capital with barely the noise of the chugging engine to interrupt the party.

The ride back was long and morose. This seemed to agitate Rainbow further and further. "Come on, guys. We're heroes! I mean, yea, Twilight got a little hurt, but we can fix that. We can fix anything! Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, even that Sombra thing. We're not going to let some creepy alicorn with a pain fetish mean anything! Besides, we--"

"Rainbow," said Rarity firmly.

"What?" she replied, tilting her head.

"Be quiet, darling, please," said Rarity.

Rainbow sank back onto her seat with a scowl, forelegs crossing as a full pout developed. Her seat jostled as Soft Mane parked beside her. Rainbow squawked with surprise as the half-human began hugging her softly. "Hey, what?"

Soft Mane whispered in a cyan ear, "I know how you feel. We did good, but give everyone a chance to... cope."

Rainbow huffed angrily, but did not refuse the hug. She whispered tightly, "We'll get her back."

The train eventually arrived at Canterlot, pulling into place smoothly. A great riot of stomping hooves started and Spike cringed. "We can't just carry her out past them all," he said in a strained voice.

Pinkie suddenly hurried forward, grabbing the limp form of Twilight in her fetlocks, "Meet me at the castle." She vanished promptly from sight, leaving the others to exit.

They emerged into the crowd of eager celebrants, all cheering and clopping their hooves on the ground. As each member disembarked, the noise only grew louder. They seemed oblivious to the subdued energy returned to them. Rainbow rushed up above the crowd, "Hey thanks everypony! We're, uh, glad to help, but boy saving Equestria sure is tiring," she said, lying poorly through her teeth, "So we're going to catch some Zs and report to Celestia. You all go spread the word." She gestured with her hooves in a shooing motion, "Tell everypony how awesome it was and how everything's OK!"

Fortunately, Equestrian ponies can be very trusting souls, and the crowd was soon dispersed, allowing the party to proceed to the castle at a sedate trot. When they arrived, the guards waved them in silently. Any stragglers were turned away at the gate and the castle had a strange feel about it that well matched the mood of most of the party.

They arrived in the throne room to find Celestia seated before an ornate coffin that held Twilight. Pinkie was there as well, frowning deeply. When they came into sight, she hurried over to them, "The Princess won't let me move Twilight!"

Fluttershy and Rarity looked away, both flustered and sad, unable to formulate a reply. Rainbow had no such reservations and zipped up towards Celestia. "Hey! We're not done with her."

Celestia looked up at Rainbow with a witheringly hostile glare. Rainbow had never seen the Celestia so furious and she fell from the sky as if frozen. Landing in a heap she scampered away, heart beating rapidly, escaping the furious monarch.

Luna emerged from behind her throne, "She is in grieving. It would be wise to allow her some time." She gestured with a wing at the coffin, "A day. Return tomorrow and perhaps sister will be able to speak."