Amira knelt on her carpet as it flew over a vast sea of sand. Through the shimmering heat she could make out the silhouettes of palm trees in the distance. She turned to her left and saw Brant’s carpet beside her, vacant. She blinked and the carpets were gone. She looked down at her hooves and they sank into the hot sand. She called out to Brant. Her breathing quickened and her throat burned more with every breath. Her head pounded as the sun beat down on her. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away from the bright light and heat. Then she awoke...
She opened her eyes and the desert was gone. Instead, she saw a high ceiling and walls painted a cacophony of color. Angular yellow and pink shards, blue waves, and flickering red flames. She forced her eyes to focus and the chaos of color became something coherent—a stained glass window. Sunlight illuminated a field of flowers against a backdrop of blue mountains and a violet sky. In the center of the meadow, a lone apple tree stood atop a small hill.
Sunset or sunrise? Amira wondered as she noticed the glass’s orange hue. She turned her head to gaze around the room and winced. The throbbing headache had followed her from the dream.
A white sparkle caught her eye. It shone on the table next to the bed. Amira turned to look and her eyes focused on a glass filled with water.
Her muscles ached as she rolled onto her side. She reached for the glass with limbs that felt like lead. She clumsily grabbed the glass between her hooves and brought it to her mouth.
The water was cool and she drank it in three quick gulps, spilling some down the sides of the glass. To her burning throat it was soothing. To her parched body it was sustenance. To her pounding head it was salvation.
She wiped the spilled water from her chin, set the glass back down, and fell into dreamless sleep.
Amira heard a faint pattering sound followed by a light clink. Her eyelids crept open to pale blue moonlight. Spike hummed tunelessly as he swapped the empty glass of water for a full one from the tray he held.
“Thank you for the water, Spike,” Amira said weakly, and her stomach rumbled. “But could you please bring something for me to eat too?”
Spike leapt backwards, “Whoa!”
“Is something wrong?” Amira asked, confused by Spike’s wide-eyed expression.
He rubbed his eyes and blinked at her. “Amira! You’re awake!” Spike exclaimed. “I have to go tell Twilight.” The tray clattered on the table as he ran toward the door. He slid to a stop at the doorway and looked back, “Oh, and I’ll bring you some food too. Don’t worry.”
Amira watched Spike leave and then turned to look around the room. Her gaze fell upon a clear vase on the bedside table. It held a bit of water and a single whorl of fresh lavender—the source of the room’s faint floral and pine scent. She rested her head on the pillow and gazed at the flower. She lost track of time until she heard hoofsteps in the hallway.
Amira lifted her head as Twilight Sparkle trotted in. “Amira, I’m glad you’re awake,” she said and approached the bed, “How are you feeling?”
“I suppose I feel well enough,” Amira’s brow scrunched up, “But I... I can’t remember much after we set up camp in the cave last night.”
Twilight’s smile wavered. “That wasn’t last night, Amira. That was about forty-eight hours ago. You’ve been asleep since then.”
“What? Then what about—” Amira winced as she sat upright. “Where’s Brant?”
“Brant is safe and sound,” Twilight said slowly, “He’s recovering at the hospital.”
The hospital… why would he be in the hospital? Amira fumbled through blurred memories, He’s... injured? Was it... something I did? Think, think… Amira closed her eyes and pressed a hoof to her brow. The cave! We were in the cave, looking for Brant. I remember minecarts… He was captured by Diamond Dogs. And then I—
She knelt over Brant. He shivered on the cave floor, shackled into a rusted harness. Tears streamed down his face. She looked upon his right leg which was twisted unnaturally. Broken.
“Everypony else is fine too,” Twilight said, but Amira didn’t hear. She heard Twilight shouting to her friends, yelling for them to get behind her. Then the crashing of rocks, the howling of dogs—
“Amira? Are you alright?” Twilight put a hoof on Amira’s shoulder.
Amira realized she had been holding her temples with her hooves. “I don’t—” she began, but the memories crashed in again. They hurt Brant! Red energy howled in a whirlwind around her. Her teeth ground together and pressure burned behind her eyes. All other thoughts were scoured away. She was lost to the rage and could only watch as it poured out from her.
“What happened in that cave?” She bent over, held her head between her forelegs, and rocked back and forth. “What did I do?!”
Twilight pulled Amira into a light hug. “It’s okay. I’ll try to explain.” She paused to take a deep breath then continued, “We ran into some Diamond Dogs and we found Brant, but he was hurt. When you saw him, you…” Twilight bit her lip as she struggled for the right words.
In the silence, Spike quietly approached, carrying a sandwich on a plate. Twilight glanced at him and her eyes lit up with an idea. She cleared her throat and told Amira, “You kind of... exploded.”
Spike grinned at her word choice. “From what I heard, it was really awesome. It was all like, KABOOM!”
Amira shuddered and curled up again. Twilight shook her head at Spike and mouthed, “Not now.”
Spike cringed. "Uh, oops? Pretend I didn’t say that.” He set down the plate on the table and backpedaled a few steps.
Twilight looked Amira in the eyes and spoke in measured tones, “I’m not sure there’s a better way to describe it. You summoned some kind of powerful magic and then you lost control. Thankfully, I was able to shield everypony from it.”
When Amira didn’t react, Twilight patted a hoof on the bed and changed the subject, “It took a lot out of you. You fell unconscious and you’ve been sleeping while your body recovered. On that note, you still need to get your energy back.” Twilight stood from the bed and looked back to Amira, “We’ll leave you alone to eat and rest. Stay in bed as long as you feel you need to. Is that alright?”
Amira just nodded. She was too overwhelmed to do more. Twilight turned to leave and pulled Spike along with her.
“Come find us in the library if you need anything," Spike said as he closed the large door behind him.
Once she was alone, Amira let out a slow breath. So that was what happened in that cave… Thank goodness nopony was hurt.
Her mind dwelled on that until hunger distracted her from her thoughts. She reached over and pulled the plate of food to herself. This smells heavenly, she thought as she brought the daffodil-on-rye sandwich to her mouth.
She chewed the first wonderful bite and thought, But what of the Diamond Dogs? They must have been hurt. She shook her head and swallowed. Who cares if they were hurt? They stole from travelers. They enslaved ponies! They hurt Brant, so I hurt them...
Then she remembered one of the Diamond Dogs, pinned to the wall by her magic. She squeezed her eyes shut, but that couldn’t block out the image, clear as day. His eyes were open, but dim and lifeless. His neck was twisted and broken. He was dead.
I did that. That was me, Amira thought. She set the sandwich down. Her appetite had faded. I lost control again, and worse than before. What if that dog had been one of the ponies instead?
Faces flew by her mind’s eye. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Then Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle. Brant. Amira envisioned him as the one mangled and dead, murdered by her power. She gagged and covered her mouth, disgusted with her magic and with herself.
She took several deep breaths and a drink of water. When the unease had passed Amira pulled the plate of food close again. I need to eat, she thought. She was starving yet she had no appetite.
She whispered aloud, “It was only luck that I didn’t hurt Brant. It was only luck that the others were safe. I came so close to…” Her voice faltered but her thoughts continued, To losing Brant, the only true friend I’ve ever had. To hurting ponies that had done everything to help me, ponies that called me their friend.
She nibbled a loose daffodil petal but it had no taste. My new friends… Have I already lost them? She took a small bite of the sandwich and forced it down. I lied to them. I endangered them. I frightened them away. How could they ever look at me the same way again? Amira pushed the plate away then held her face in her hooves and cried. She felt overwhelmed and alone.
In the morning Amira left the room and wandered through the castle. She paused on occasion to admire the strange crystalline architecture and sparse decorations. Other than an occasional banner that adorned the walls, the halls were surprisingly barren. The regal setting felt familiar but not quite comfortable. For Amira, every royal visit was like an extended masquerade. She would wear the unreadable face of a diplomat, hold only the opinions of her country, and say only what other ponies wanted to hear. The real Amira was hidden away behind the mask.
Even though her days of being an ambassador were over, Amira found herself wearing another mask. I’ve been hiding my magic and my true self from everypony, Amira thought as she entered another door at random. She looked up from her thoughts and found herself between two towering bookshelves. She had entered a side door into the library.
A murmur of distant voices came from the other side of the room. Amira swallowed hard and walked forward. She rounded the corner and stopped. Where she had expected just Twilight and Spike there were six mares around a table.
They hadn’t noticed Amira yet. She started to back away but Twilight Sparkle glanced up and their eyes met. Amira’s breath stopped until Twilight’s mouth widened into a smile and she nodded knowingly.
Amira let out the held breath. I can do this, she thought with a confidence she didn’t really have. She slipped a serene mask over her features and strode forward. She headed for an empty spot at the large table of talking ponies. Rainbow Dash bragged about her new record time while Rarity and Fluttershy discussed the importance of filigree in this season’s fashion line. The last bits of chatter wrapped up as Amira knelt on a cushion between Twilight and Rarity.
Twilight smiled again and said, “It’s great to see you up and moving, Amira. Feeling better?”
Amira nodded and replied, “Very much, thank you.” She thought of engaging in small talk, but it would only serve to delay the inevitable. Nopony else spoke and the conversation died.
In the silence, Amira swept her gaze around the table and analyzed the other ponies’ moods. Rarity wore a bright smile, but she had been squirming since Amira sat down. As Amira looked Fluttershy’s way she let out a small eep and hid her face behind her mane. Next, Applejack’s face was neutral, but her posture was tense and attentive. Pinkie was beaming and bobbing her head to a tune nopony else could hear. Rainbow Dash was an easier read: she was casting an intimidating glare Amira’s way.
As Amira had feared, the general opinion seemed to be suspicion. Distrust. On the other hoof, Twilight was at ease and maintained a welcoming smile. Twilight is hiding something… she must already know that I lied. They all know.
Everypony was silent and tense like a storm about to break. Nervous eyes darted from face to face. Nopony was willing to make the first move. I could play ignorant, Amira thought, I could say I didn’t know about the magic, or I could say I don’t remember that night. That one is about half true…
Amira took a deep breath. No. It is time I was honest with them, she thought, It is time I stopped hiding. As Amira tried to find the right words, Rainbow Dash broke the silence, “Come on! Somepony say something already!”
Amira obliged. "I... must apologize for my behavior. I should have informed all of you of my... situation.” She sucked in a quick breath and her pace sped up as she became more flustered. “I was planning to wait until after we saved Brant to tell you about my magic, which wasn't fair to any of you.”
Amira’s composed facade had fallen away entirely. Tears welled in her eyes as she continued, “I put you all in danger. I'm an awful, selfish mare.” She clenched her eyes shut, bowed her head, and stammered, “I’m so very s… sorry." She kept her head down and envisioned what could happen next. They’ll hate me. They’ll banish me from Equestria, send me back to the Sheikh. Or, they’ll imprison me for attacking a princess. Or...
“Apology accepted.”
Amira’s head snapped up, “What?”
"Apology accepted,” Twilight said again. The other five nodded in agreement. She continued in a cordial tone, “I wish that you could have trusted us more, but it wouldn't have changed our decision to rescue Brant.”
“It was all my fault!” Fluttershy blurted out. Even she seemed startled by her outburst but she continued, “I was too shy. If I had just talked to you more, you might have felt comfortable enough…”
“No, no, no, silly,” Pinkie Pie countered, “I’m the one that should have been more welcoming. I barely even introduced myself to Amira! What was I thinking? I failed in my duties as Ponyville’s Party Planner and Welcome Wagon Wielder.”
“Shush, girls.” Twilight raised a hoof to silence everypony. “There’s no need to place blame.” She held Amira’s hoof between hers. “Amira, the most important thing is that we want you to feel comfortable here. If there’s anything we can do to help that, let us know.”
A soft smile appeared on Amira’s face. It was her first genuine smile in some time. "I guess I’m just not used to feeling welcome anywhere. I will try to open up a little more." Then the smile faded to a puzzled look. “Twilight,” Amira turned to her, “I have been wondering… How exactly did we get back to Ponyville?"
"That wasn’t actually too bad," Twilight explained, "You and Brant were unconscious, but the six of us were able to carry you to the entrance. Once we were outside, Pinkie somehow figured out how to make the flying carpets hover—”
Pinkie popped up from under the table, directly between Twilight and Amira, “It was super-duper easy once I realized that they’re just like my flying machine. You just gotta believe it’ll fly even though it totally shouldn’t, and fwoosh!” She vaulted over the table and back to her seat.
Twilight shook her head with a grin and resumed, “We set you and Brant on the carpets and walked them back to town. We made it back to Ponyville and got Brant checked in at the hospital around dawn."
Amira looked up at everypony, with tears forming in her eyes. “Thank you all so much. You’ve done so very much for Brant and I. It has been a long time since I felt this safe.”
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at Amira, “What do you mean? Are you on the run or something? Are you a spy?”
Amira shook her head, “I am no spy, but I suppose I am a fugitive. I recently discovered that I have magic. Like this.” She raised a hoof and concentrated on the center of the table until an orb of wispy blue light appeared there.
Rarity’s eyes went wide, shining in the blue glow, “Why, that is just gorgeous. Magic like that should be cause for celebration!”
Amira frowned and shook her head. “The Sheikh that rules Saddle Arabia despises magic. There are no Arabian Unicorns, and any visiting Unicorns are kept under armed escort until they leave. Arabian ponies don’t have magic, but even rumors about it can be deadly. Supposed ‘witches’ are put on trial and the trials usually end in...” Amira trailed off, unwilling to finish the terrifying thought. The look in the other ponies’ eyes said they understood anyway.
Amira paused to settle her nerves, then said, “It was about a month ago that I discovered that I have this magical power. The Sheikh’s guards learned of it as well and attacked me. I panicked. I ran to Brant for aid and we fled the country." Amira noticed her heart was racing and her legs were shaking. What’s with me? I’m just telling them what happened over a month ago. I’m just being… honest. It struck her that this was the first time she had spoken so openly, so truthfully, with anypony.
She glanced up and saw everypony’s eyes were focused on her. They had been listening with rapt attention and now they patiently waited for her to continue. She turned to Twilight. "I thought of you first, so we set out for Ponyville. We went northeast from Saddle Arabia to the Badlands to lose any pursuers, then northwest towards Equestria. We avoided Appleloosa and Dodge Junction and entered the Everfree Forest to stay out of sight.”
Twilight tilted her head. “But why me? Why not go to Celestia, or the Royal Guard?”
“I had heard the stories. You’re the Element of Magic, so I had hoped you would understand my magic and…” Amira’s cheeks flushed and she continued, “...help me keep it under control." She stared down at her hooves, "As you saw, I could use the help."
"Now don't take this the wrong way," Twilight started in a calm voice, "but I've never seen anything like it. It doesn't seem to be related to Unicorn magic at all. I scoured the library all day and didn’t find much,” Twilight sighed. “The closest thing I found was a fascinating history of shamanistic ponies that could control the elements of nature. These shamans split into groups based on their favored element and their cultures diverged as a result. They managed to live in harmony thanks to the leadership of a single pony that shared all their abilities—not unlike our pony tribes and Princess Celestia, now that I think about it. Then, everything changed when—”
“Ahem,” Applejack interrupted, “Yer veering off course a bit there, Twilight.”
“I suppose so. Thanks Applejack,” Twilight said with a bashful smile, then resumed at an eager pace, “I do have a theory that ponies with your kind of magic could be unique to your homeland, but there wasn’t anything like it in my books from Saddle Arabia. Given what you said about the Sheikh's attitude, I think he’s been suppressing that information.”
Books from Arabia? Amira thought, She wasn’t exaggerating about going through the whole library. She noticed the dark circles under Twilight’s eyes. She may not have slept since we returned to Ponyville.
Twilight continued, “But, that doesn't mean I can't help you. Magic is my specialty and I truly believe we can unravel this mystery. You're welcome to stay here as long as you need."
“Yeah, Twilight can do anything when it comes to magic,” Rainbow Dash said with pride. “She’ll help you figure out your funky magic for sure, Amira.”
"Thank you," Amira said. "But how can I repay you? You've already done so much for me."
Twilight grinned from ear to ear. "You've given a student of the arcane a chance to directly study a new form of magic. This is an amazing opportunity beyond even Canterlot’s universities. Scholars would throw themselves at a chance like this!” Twilight saw Applejack giving another stern look and she calmed herself. “I could think of no better payment."
Twilight stood up from the table. "That can wait, though. I’ve heard that there's a pony at the hospital who wants to see you."
When Amira, Twilight, and Spike approached Brant's hospital room there were three mares with nurse’s caps crowded outside the open door. They chattered in hushed voices.
"He's so handsome."
"And he's so tall, too. Look at those sleek legs."
“Have you heard his accent? It’s so exotic.”
“Aww, I must have missed it. He rarely talks.”
"I heard he has a flying carpet, like in the stories. I just want to fly away with him into the sunset."
"Ahem."
The mares turned toward the sound to see Princess Twilight Sparkle raising an eyebrow at them. The three mares bowed nervously and darted down the hall to the nurse station where they tried to look busy.
Twilight winked at Amira. "You've got some competition. They've been fawning over Brant since we brought him in."
Amira broke eye contact. "Haha, indeed..." She trotted to the room, eager to see Brant again. Twilight and Spike remained outside like sentinels to guard against the chatty nurses.
Amira stepped through the doorway and scanned the room. Polished checkerboard floors, plain blue wallpaper, and white curtains on rails surrounded the two hospital beds. The one on the right was unoccupied so Amira turned toward the window. A tan stallion reclined against the headboard of a slightly-too-small bed. His leg was encased in a plaster cast and elevated by a pulley system. He was reading a novel, or attempting to—the book appeared to be upside down.
Amira smiled. Seeing Brant again, safe and sound, she could almost pretend that everything that had happened was just a figment of her imagination. Almost. Tears pooled in her eyes and she bolted to him.
Brant looked up from the book and turned to see her just before she scooped his upper body into a tight embrace. The novel fell away onto the floor as he returned the hug with equal enthusiasm.
She fell into speaking in her native Arabic. "I'm so happy you're safe. You can’t imagine how worried I was about you. Well, how's the leg?" Amira realized his face was pinned to her chest, preventing him from responding. She blushed and released her grip then sat on her haunches next to the bed.
Brant smiled and brushed his forest-green mane out of his eyes. He replied in Arabic as well, "The leg's doing alright, but even with magic it'll take a while to fully heal. The doctor says I'll have to stay in bed for at least a few more days and then I'll have a cast on it for a few weeks."
“Oh, yeah,” he said then bent over the opposite side of the bed and lifted up his green saddlebag. He set it on his lap and lifted a small pouch from inside. “I heard you’ve already seen this.”
"That’s true… and I read the note too," she admitted.
Brant sighed in relief. "That saves me some trouble then. I didn't really have a plan for when to give it to you. I guess I was having a hard time... working up the courage.” He took the earrings and note out of the pouch and set them before her. “Well, here you go. Like you saw in the note... well I hope you saw, I don’t know if I was very clear… I love you, Amira, just the way you are, and… I, I wanted—"
Tears of joy slid down Amira’s face and she suddenly pulled him into another embrace.
"Watch the leg, watch the leg!" he yelped.
“Oops, sorry,” she said as she pulled back. She held her hooves to her chest. She took a breath and bowed her head. "I'm sorry… for everything. I should have told you everything a long time ago." Amira paused for a moment and held his hoof in hers. "And I love you too, Brant. You're my best friend and I wouldn't trade that for anything."
Brant looked into Amira's eyes. "Me either, Amira, me either." He waved his other hoof at the window. It looked out onto a sweeping view that extended all the way to the mountains near Canterlot. "We're in a new land now and going to be leading new lives. We might as well start fresh. Both of us."
A mischievous grin formed on his face. "I’m not sure I’m ready for the dating scene yet, but I might start returning some of the sultry glances those nurses keep sending my way. If that's alright with you."
Amira’s melodic laugh rang through the room. "Of course, you dummy. I'll leave those nurses all for you."
He smirked again. "Oh? You don't want to compete with this?" He flexed a lean front leg for comedic effect. "Or do you already have your eye on somepony else?"
At that, Amira’s eyes darted towards the door and Brant noticed. “Perhaps that purple mare out there?” he ventured.
Amira’s face reddened. "Shh. Shut up," she whispered fiercely. She shot a glance over her shoulder. The door was still open but Twilight and Spike weren't visible. Then she put a hoof to her forehead as she realized they wouldn’t have understood anyway—the whole conversation had been in Arabic.
Brant raised an eyebrow. "Now what did we just learn about keeping our feelings secret?" he teased.
"Quiet, you. While I'm her guest I'd rather not make it any more awkward than it already is."
Brant nudged her with an elbow. “Well, the more time you spend with her the more likely you’ll hit it off.”
Amira elbowed him back. “And you won’t be hitting it off with anypony unless you get more comfortable speaking the local language. I thought we agreed to stick to Equestrian to help you improve?”
After a second, Brant replied in unsteady Equestrian, “That is true. I’ll work on this and you work on learning that magic.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Amira returned the sparkling sapphire earrings to their pouch and then tucked it away in her saddlebag. “Thank you for the earrings, Brant. They are absolutely beautiful, and it will be wonderful to have some jewelry that isn’t a reminder of my former profession.”
“You’re welcome. My mother would have loved to see you wearing them,” he replied.
Amira nodded solemnly. “I’ll cherish them and I’ll think of her.” She put a hoof on Brant’s shoulder and said, “As soon as you can leave this room, let me know. There's a delightful cafe in town that has real Saddle Arabian coffee. We'll have to meet up there for lunch or something. I’ll definitely wear the earrings.”
“That would be great,” Brant replied with a smile.
They hugged again and said their goodbyes. Amira left the room and saw Twilight and Spike sitting on a bench at the end of the hallway. "Thanks for waiting," she said, walking up to them.
"No problem," Spike and Twilight both responded at the same time.
After a bit of a laugh Twilight said, "You look happy. How'd your conversation go?"
"Really well. I've got the best friend in the world but…” She paused for a second. “...romance wasn't the right path for us. We needed only to be honest with ourselves and with each other and everything worked out."
"Oh? I'll have to tell Applejack that honesty saved the day again," Twilight joked, or perhaps she was being serious—Amira was uncertain. "Let's head back to the castle. Since it’s getting late, we can start studying your magic tomorrow.” She turned to Amira. “Are you ready for that, Amira?"
She hesitated. Was this all too good to be true? Can things be made right so easily? She found herself thinking about learning to use her magic, about Brant, and about living in Equestria. Somehow, those thoughts no longer filled her with apprehension and fear. Instead, she found herself looking forward to them. To the future.
"Yes, I am," she said finally. She walked back to the castle with Spike and Twilight, never realizing that she was smiling the entire time.