//------------------------------//
// 89 - We Should Go 
// Story: A Dangerous Sparkle 
// by David Silver 
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Twilight flipped through book after book, leaving a stack on the floor in disarray. She thanked her luck that her telekinesis seemed to work just as well as a ghost, possibly even better, if the violently ripped door leading into the library was any hint.

Ah! Twilight studied the page before her intently, sweeping her head back and forth before she nodded to herself. "I have it!" she cried with victory and zipped from the library, leaving the mess behind. She burst through a wall silently, her hooves still making running motions out of habit despite her motions being fueled by will instead. "Princess, are you still here?"

A princess was there, Luna. Luna looked up at Twilight with a thoughtful expression, "We see Celestia was not deceiving us. Twilight, you have truly shed your body."

Twilight walked up towards her own coffin, a thought that made her shiver softly. "I have. We'll get this fixed, don't worry."

"I would be mad not to worry," spoke Luna in a calm voice. "But you have made it a habit of performing miracles. What do you need, Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight reared up beside the coffin and spoke a quick spell before touching her inert self. A sheen of blue passed over her 'sleeping' form and the ghost Twilight nodded, "Did you see the spell I just cast?"

Luna nodded slowly, "I have not seen that spell cast in some time, but I know of it."

"Good," said Twilight with a flash of spectral teeth, "Cast it for me, once a day."

Luna shook her head, "Once a week would more than suffice. Do you have need for your mortal shell still, Twilight?"

Twilight shrugged as she fell back to all fours, "I really don't know, but until I do, we can't have it, you know... rotting? Ugh, that sounds so awful."

Luna looked over the vision of Twilight, giving a nod of assent, "Are you well, Twilight Sparkle, considering the situation?"

Twilight blinked at the question and spun on Luna, "Well? I mean..." She paused to consider it more deeply. "I suppose, relatively. The pain is just an annoying little tickle, no worse than a bruise. I keep trying to grab things or nudge things, but that obviously doesn't work. I don't want to think about it too much. Let's just fix it."

"In times past," spoke Luna, "it was my duty among others to drive away ghosts and specters that would disturb the night."

Twilight raised a brow at Luna, "Why would you... say that? I'm not a vengeful ghost trying to haunt things."

"You are notably timid for a ghost," agreed Luna with a nod, "But my duty remains. Tread carefully, Twilight Sparkle. You are in a dangerous place, and I will protect my little ponies if it comes down to it."

Twilight's ears flipped back as she cringed away from Luna, "I should go check on the others." And she was gone, dashing through a wall away from Luna.





"Darling," spoke Rarity as she followed Long Road into his room, "I'm sorry..."

Long Road swiveled an ear, then slowly turned to face Rarity, "For?"

Rarity looked sharply uncomfortable, "I thought... making Twilight jealous would spur her into action. She's... was... such a recluse."

Long Road flinched, "So your feelings were not true?"

Rarity's ears fell, "Not exactly, at least, not at first. You truly are a gentlecolt, Long Road, dear. I was trying to lure Twilight out of her shell, and instead... I stole you away from her. Can you forgive me for being such a cad?"

Long Road approached her and paused a moment before he leaned in and planted a firm kiss on her startled lips. It was only a few seconds, but both looked impacted by the powerful exchange. He drew back with a soft sigh, "I knew my luck had not turned that sweet, as to place such an enchanting lady as yourself beside me, Lady Rarity. I will treasure the time we did have."

Rarity smiled gently, thinking back on her other romantic pursuits, all dashed by stallions with crude personalities. Vain, self-absorbed, misguided, and several other adjectives beside could describe them all, but there was one thing tying them all together. Herself. She raised a hoof and placed it under Long Road's chin, raising it as she leaned in and resumed the kiss. This time it was gentle, and the two fell into each other's eyes. The depth of Long Road's gaze frightened Rarity, but also excited her. She could see his flame, and knew it burned for her, not as a trophy, trend, fad, or gimmick. Drawing back, she asked, "Long... Tell me why you love me."

Long Road perked an ear up, "Where do I begin? The sweet scent that follows you, your dazzling eyes, lit up with fiery passion and sharp wit. Your love for your work, which you offer with keen business intellect to the rich while also offering up freely to the poor." He tilted his head softly, "The softness of your pure white fur, the deepness of your purple mane. The sweet dulcet tones of your voice..." He reached with a hoof for one of her own, drawing her hoof up to kiss, "Even your hooves are enchanting, Lady Rarity. And... even when you were scared, you came. You were there, alongside Lady Fluttershy, when any sane pony would have stayed well away from the cursed city."

Rarity drew her hoof back, only to run it slowly over Long Road's cheeks, "You are a true gentlecolt, gentle and kind, but ready to defend a lady, in honor and body. You're a little older than I am, but you wear it well, like a good suit. You call me Lady Rarity," she tittered as she admitted that reason for attraction, "And you treat me as such. You don't get bored when I get excited about fashion, even if that's not your passion." She took a slow breath, "Long Road." He perked his ears anew as she called his name. "Will you be my knight? Guard my heart, my body" She guided one of his hooves to her barrel over her heart, "Maybe more..."

Long Road felt like he had touched the Lightning Rail, his arm going numb as he felt Rarity' heart thudding powerfully against his hoof. "I... I am Lady Sparkle's knight, until..." His ears fell, "Until she dies."

It laid there, naked and ugly. Rarity looked away, shame filling both of their features, "Which... she has..." she murmured, a tear escaping to stain her white muzzle.

"She has," he repeated, snorting loudly. "I will accept you, Rarity. I may be a fool still, but I cannot deny my heart forever. Please do not think less of me for it."

Rarity leaned in and kissed his closest cheek gently, "If I did, I would have to think the same of myself, darling. Stay here, in Equestria. Forget about that violent world you came from."





"C'mon, Spike, this isn't like you," said Rainbow as she flew lazy circles around Spike.

"I should have stayed with her," grumped Spike, his head resting on the palm of his claws.

Rainbow gave a soft pfft, "Yea, how? She's the one that teleported away, remember? We didn't even know which way she went!" She flew up into Spike's face, "You were great, Spike. You saved all of our flanks so many times. If you weren't there, Twilight would have been taken out way earlier, along with the rest of us. You saved us, Spike. C'mon!"

Spike heaved a loud sigh before rising up, floating away from the edge of the castle he had been parked on. Rainbow followed along with him, "The way you were keeping that demon busy was amazing, and I was all 'Pow Pow!' with that snake thing. It was crazy!" She swung her hooves in fake punches in the air, "Even that donkey was busy. We were nuts! We were so outnumbered, but was that going to get us down? Buck no!"

Rainbow's constant encouragement started to rub off a little on Spike and he cracked a little smile, "We were pretty crazy, yea. That was a wicked uppercut you threw."

Rainbow laughed and did a backspin in the air, clapping her hooves twice quickly, "Yea! Oh man, his face! He was all 'blarrrg' when I did that. It was great!"

Spike reached for one of her hooves, capturing it and holding it between his claws gently, "Rainbow?"

"Yea?" she asked, tilting her head at him.

"We'll get her back, right?" he asked, looking to her with fragile hope.

"Of course we will!" She pulled him him and wrapped him up in a hug. "We don't leave anypony behind! We'll bring Twilight back if we have to go to Tartarus and start punching everything in the way and haul her sorry flank back. We'll do whatever it takes, promise."

They embraced with a bond forged in battle, filled with friendship and camaraderie. When they drew apart, Rainbow swiftly drove a hoof into Spike's toughly armored shoulder, "Enough moping, let's get something to eat! Us cool warrior types gotta feed the engine of awesome so we can run over jerks that get in our way." She led the way back into the castle with a recovering Spike, a small smile on his face.