… ister… ust glad you’re alright. If…
Of course… ore concerned about…
… say she should… fine. She’s al…
I worry though… is not like the rest…
“Mm… ngh…”
Sister, look!
Is she awakening, nurse?
…Her heart-rate is increasing. I believe so.
Good. That’s… good.
Would you like me to step outside, Princess?
Yes. We shouldn’t be long. Is there anything we should know in advance?
No, Your Highness. We’ve done all we can at this point. The rest is a mystery to us.
I see. Thank you for your efforts.
Verily, our thanks are extended to the rest of the staff as well.
Y-you’re both too kind, Princesses. I’ll be right outside the door if you need anything.
Alright. Thank you again, nurse.
Oh, and prithee, could you inform the rest that we will be along soon?
Yes, Your Majesty.
…
Nighttide?
…
Nighttide Star?
…
Luna, I don’t think—
Give her some time, sister. We do not yet know how the effects will manifest in a foreign pony, let alone one of her nature.
Right. Perhaps one of the others can—
Princesses! Is Nighttide awake?
Not yet, Twilight, but she should be anytime—
“Tw… Twi… light…?”
__________
Twilight walked past Princess Celestia and Luna up to the foot of a hospital bed, peering down at the stirring form of Nighttide. The midday light shone through a nearby window onto a light green sheet covering the mare’s metal suit, leaving only her head exposed as she shifted against a white pillow.
Trotting around to the side of the bed, Twilight lifted a hoof and gently stroked it through Nighttide’s mane, splayed out in thick locks of black and green over the cotton sheets.
“Nighttide,” Twilight whispered as she lowered her head beside the mare's. “It’s me, Twilight. I’m right here.”
With a shuddering exhale, Nighttide slowly rolled her head over to face Twilight. For a minute, she lay there, breathing slowly as her visible eye shifted beneath its closed lid.
Twilight frowned. She glanced back at the Princesses for a moment, then back to Nighttide. She leaned her head closer.
“Nighttide,” she whispered again. “It’s time to wake up.”
“… mmh… I know,” Nighttide muttered softly. “I’m working on it.”
Twilight and the Princesses smiled at that.
Drawing a deep breath, Nighttide slowly opened her eyes. Lifting her head slightly, she looked up at Twilight with a smirk. “Hey there,” she whispered with a strain.
Twilight exhaled in relief. “Hey yourself.” Running a hoof through the mare’s bangs, she said, “How do you feel?”
“Like I fell from such great heights.” She grunted as she nuzzled into her pillow. “And if I remember right, that really did happen.”
“Yes, well… that was no dream, at least.”
“Yeah.” Nighttide breathed a chuckle. “I’m actually kind of glad about that.”
As Twilight furrowed her brow at the mare, Princess Celestia walked up beside her. She touched a hoof to Twilight’s withers, grabbing her attention. “May I have a word with your friend here for a moment?”
“Oh, yes, sorry – go right ahead.” Twilight backed away from the bed, allowing Celestia room to kneel down beside Nighttide.
Instead, Celestia continued to look at Twilight, as if she were expecting something.
Twilight tilted her head for a moment, before her ears drooped upon realization. “Oh, you… you want me to step out for a bit?”
“If you don’t mind,” Princess Celestia spoke softly.
“Right. Right, no, of course not – sorry.” Twilight gave the Princess a forced smile in return and walked toward the door, passing Luna on the way. As she stepped into the threshold, she looked back to Nighttide.
Nighttide peered past the foot of the bed. She gave her a smile and a wink.
Twilight nodded with a weak smile, then closed the door behind her.
Sighing, Nighttide rested the full weight of her head into the pillow as Princess Celestia knelt down beside her, meeting her at eye-level.
“Good evening, my little pony,” Princess Celestia murmured softly, as if speaking to a child who had just woke from a long sleep.
“Evening, Princess.” Nighttide inhaled the cold hospital air. Exhaling against the fabric of her pillow, she soaked in the temporary warmth with a smile. “So… mm… what’s up?”
Princess Celestia closed her eyes with a sigh. She then looked to her sister with a nod, before returning her attention to Nighttide. “I’m afraid we have some good news and some bad news.”
“Uh oh.” Nighttide smirked weakly as she watched Princess Luna appear in her periphery. “Figured doctors were supposed to break bad news. Kind of ominous when two princesses gotta be the ones to deliver it.”
Princess Luna shook her head with a smile. “Verily, I must say, I have not known a pony in quite some time who can remain so amiable against great odds.”
Nighttide raised an eyebrow. “In case you didn’t know, Princess, I’m not exactly apprised of everything that’s happened in the last… whatever amount of time that’s passed. All I remember is waking up to find myself tumbling through the air, then a bunch of doctors pushing me through a hospital.”
“Yes, well,” Celestia said, “that's what we need to discuss with you.”
Nighttide eyed Princess Celestia. She could tell by her expression that whatever was about to be said next would indeed be serious. With a gulp, she said, “Go ahead.”
Princess Celestia smiled as comfortingly as she could, then began. “As you already know, you were exposed to a presence that Riptide named ‘negative magic.’ Unfortunately, that title was a bit misleading. What you were exposed to was a living being, one which took over your body after encountering Riptide in the Appaloosan mountains.”
“When the aura took over your being,” Princess Luna said, “we – that is, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and I – pursued you beyond the mountains and over the southern swamplands, where I was able to cast a spell to restrain you. At the time, both Twilight and Rainbow were supposed to dive into your dream world to retrieve you, but…” She looked back to her wing, where a couple of bruises still remained. “Suffice it to say, the aura fought back, and I was only able to send Twilight in the end.”
“Mmph, y-yeah,” Nighttide muttered as she adjusted herself to a more comfortable position. “Twilight told me as much after her and Rainbow grabbed me – right before I conked out again.” She glanced down at the side of her sheets. “Apparently, this aura thing fixed some of my suit as well.”
“So it would seem,” Princess Luna commented. “Though the aura chose a more natural approach for your wings while it reigned, it appears from what Twilight mentioned that your wings were returned to their original form once you awoke.”
“Chyea,” Nighttide scoffed with a smirk. “Kinda wanted to see what metal feathers looked like.”
“Unfortunately,” Princess Celestia said, “the aura feeds off the fears and memories of those it possesses. The greater the fears… or the greater amount of trauma present—”
“Yeah,” Nighttide interjected with a rasp, “I understand what you’re getting at. Just… what’s the main point here?”
The Princesses exchanged a look between each other. By Celestia’s nod, Luna spoke next. “While I was able to keep the aura restrained for some time, it eventually broke through your dreamscape and into your mind, where it was able to take over the whole.”
Nighttide tilted her head. “The whole… of what?”
“The whole of you,” Princess Luna said.
Nighttide squinted up at the alicorn, a look of worry working its way into her expression.
“Nighttide,” Princess Celestia spoke. “What we are about to tell you… it’s something that may very well change how you approach things from here on out.”
“How I approach what?”
Celestia hung her head. “How you approach life altogether.”
Nighttide’s eyes widened a little at those words.
“Nighttide…” Celestia looked down at the mare with a profound look of guilt. “We had to seal the aura within your heart.”
She blinked. “So… wh-what does that mean, exactly?”
“It could mean nothing at all,” Princess Luna stated as she touched a hoof to Celestia’s shoulder, looking down at Nighttide with a neutral expression. “The spell we cast was designed to permanently seal away such a power.” Furrowing her brow, she added, “Although by this method, it can still be manifested if the vessel of the aura deigns to do so.”
Nighttide narrowed her eyes at the alicorn. “Why would anypony want something like that to control them?”
“Unfortunately,” Princess Celestia said, “this is not the first time we have had to seal the aura within somepony before. There was another time, a student of my counsel from many moons ago, whose heart was possessed by the aura.”
Nighttide furrowed her brow. “You mean… his name was something like… Spinel, I think?”
“Yes, Spinel the Steadfast. A promising unicorn from a different time, he took it upon himself to study what was at the time considered a simple magical phenomenon, before anypony learned its true nature.”
“Well…” Nighttide swallowed a lump forming in her throat. “What happened to him?”
Princess Celestia closed her eyes. “He was the first pony, to our knowledge, to ever manifest the aura after it was sealed away.”
Nighttide gulped. “Not really a fan of cryptic messages, here.”
“This student of Star Swirl’s,” Princess Luna began, “he was heavily invested in his studies, just as his mentor was. But it was the aura which he took a special interest in, and it was by his hooves that the aura first possessed a living pony.”
“The first instance was an accident,” Princess Celestia continued, “something which Star Swirl bore witness to himself. Using his magic, Star Swirl was able to exorcise the aura through his dreams, but only for a time. Soon after, Spinel began returning to the cave in secret, attempting to research the phenomenon further. One day, he returned to our old castle’s library, fully possessed by the aura.”
“At the time,” Princess Luna said, “our castle was heavily fortified with defenses against hostile bordering lands. But this was the first time our Guard had confronted such a presence, and they were ill-equipped to handle the breadth of its power.”
“Alright, so a big fight ensued, and bad stuff went down,” Nighttide commented with an unsteady voice. “Much as I’m enjoying the story, you’re hanging me off the edge of a cliff here.” With a twitch of her exposed ear, she said, “What exactly does this mean for me?”
“The details you need to know,” Celestia said, “is that once we were alerted, my sister and I sealed the aura within Spinel’s heart. After much delving on Star Swirl’s part, he was able to return Spinel’s consciousness to the surface. When he awoke, he confessed to his mistake, stating he would never attempt to research the aura again.”
“Let me guess,” Nighttide said with a frown. “He did anyway?”
“He…” Princess Luna drew a breath. “He did so through a means we did not know at the time was possible.”
“By his own will and power,” Princess Celestia said, “he manifested the aura within his heart to the surface, allowing it once more to take control of his body.” She lowered her tone to a strikingly serious pitch. “We were not able to recover him the second time.”
Nighttide’s eyes widened at the statement. “S-so… is there, like… anything specifically I have to do to keep it from taking over again?”
“Nothing,” Celestia reassured her. “Nothing, in the most literal sense. The only thing you must not do is feed into the darker elements of your heart.”
“Eh heh…” Nighttide gave the alicorn a nervous smile. “That might make sense to you ponies here, but you’ll have to hash that out a bit more for me. Do I need to, like, keep from thinking about bad stuff, or…?”
“From what we understand, the one means which the aura can manifest itself again is through sheer willpower. If you call upon it specifically, or if you indulge in darker desires that might lie dormant in your heart now, they can weaken or break the seal.”
“And I’m assuming this is how Spinel manifested it himself,” Nighttide said with a raised eyebrow.
“Verily,” Princess Luna said. “As Star Swirl reported to us, it was by both his passion – or, perhaps lust – for research, and his desire to return the aura to the tangible world, that it was able to break free of its seal.”
Nighttide nodded once against her pillow. Scrunching her muzzle in thought, she said, “I have to ask, though: Why did you send Twilight out just to tell me this?” Looking over at Celestia, she said, “Isn’t she a princess as well?”
Princess Celestia nodded. “Yes. As of only a few weeks ago, Twilight Sparkle is in fact a Princess of Equestria.” Furrowing her brow, she said, “However, I don’t believe she is ready to take on the responsibility of this knowledge quite yet.”
Nighttide blinked. Out of her periphery, she noticed Luna give her sister a frown. “So, like… I don’t follow.”
“Twilight is unaware that we sealed away the aura within you,” Luna interjected with a quick, cold tone. “As far as she and the rest are concerned, we successfully managed to exorcise the evil from within you after Twilight was removed from your dreamscape.”
Both Nighttide and Celestia looked to Luna with a frown. “I… o-okay,” Nighttide stammered, “but why, exactly? Why shouldn’t she know? Or anyone else, for that matter?”
“Because, Nighttide,” Celestia said with a firm tone, “our newest Princess and her friends bear the weight of a significant set of responsibilities for Equestria. You may think of them as the guardians of this land, able to face challenges that even our own Guard cannot.”
“Ugh, okay, yeah, just… hang on a sec,” Nighttide said as she pulled a hoof out from under the sheets, touching it to her forehead. “I remember the bit about the Elements of Harmony. I also remember the part where they had to be sealed away. And yet you’re telling me that they still act as… I dunno, the superheroes of this world or something?”
“It's not that simple,” Celestia calmly retorted. “There is a matter pertaining to the Tree of Harmony which Twilight and her friends must focus on resolving. Until that matter is handled, I do not feel it is in their best interest to be burdened with the knowledge that one of their friends carries with them an ancient evil.”
Nighttide blinked once more, eyes darting between the two. She tried to formulate a response, but all she managed after several seconds was to move her mouth in silence.
Eventually, Luna stepped forward and spoke again. “Suffice it to say, we must ask that you keep this matter a secret.” Glaring at her sister a moment, she added, “And by that token, we must also discuss how to handle the matter of your return home—”
“That won’t be necessary,” Celestia suddenly interjected.
Luna narrowed her eyes.
Standing back to her full height, Celestia looked between the two. “You are free to return home, Nighttide, given we find the means for you to do so.” Drawing a breath, she looked to her sister. “For now, I believe we owe Nighttide some rest.”
Luna stared at her sister for a moment, before eventually nodding. She glanced down at Nighttide. “Do you have any further questions for us at this point?”
Nighttide sighed as she closed her eyes. Taking a few seconds just to breathe, she eventually said, “Yeah. Just one.”
Both Princesses raised an eyebrow.
Opening her eyes again, Nighttide looked up at the alicorns. “So… I accidentally jump to a foreign land with magical flying ponies and end up chasing a princess alicorn who was kidnapped by a unicorn scientist who was researching an evil aura that we found inside a mountain—” she paused to breathe, “—that possessed me and made me into the freakin’ bogeymare while I floated around in dream-land being chased by the princess who was kidnapped before and ended up falling from the sky and being saved by a purple and rainbow-maned pony who took me to a hospital in a city on a mountain.” She drew a deep, deep breath, then smiled warmly at the two. “Is that all correct?”
The Princesses stared down at the grey mare, wide-eyed and perfectly still. After a few seconds, Celestia’s lip began to quiver.
“…Baaaahahahahaha!” Celestia burst out into a fit of laughter as she fell to her haunches, leaving Luna to stand by her side with her own quivering lip.
“Y-y-yes,” Luna eventually sputtered as she fought desperately to keep from laughing. “Thou hast given an… accurate summation of the series of events thus far.”
Nighttide released the air in her lungs before smiling over at the laughing princess. “Good. Just making sure.”
__________
Outside in the hallway, Twilight tried to busy herself by reading a plaque on the wall, commemorating the thousandth anniversary of Canterlot Hospital. Reading the lines of the plaque for the umpteenth time, her ears flicked to the side. She turned to see Applejack cantering toward her.
“Hey, Twi,” Applejack said with a hushed voice, her blonde mane flowing freely without her hat. “How’s she doing?”
Twilight sighed as she glanced down the opposite end of the hall. “Fine, I guess. The Princesses are talking to her now.”
“Yeah? What about?”
Twilight shrugged. “Guess we’ll find out eventually.”
As Applejack looked down the hall with her, the rest of their friends cantered up from behind.
“Hey, everypony,” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced up between Twilight and Applejack. Looking between the two, she asked, “Why the long faces?”
“Hm? Oh, sorry.” Twilight smiled at the pink mare. “Everything’s fine, actually. I spoke with the nurse a bit ago. Nighttide should make a full recovery.”
Everypony let out a relieved sigh. “I’m so glad to hear that,” Rarity said as she stepped up. A clean white layer of gauze lay flat against the gash above her eye. “We were beginning to worry there after you and Rainbow disappeared.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow said, “it was kinda strange. When I saw her get hit by the Princess mega-beam thing, I just took off after her. Twi flew up beside me right when I grabbed her, so we started carrying her to Canterlot since it was closer than the ship. She passed out, like, a minute later, so Twi figured we should head for the hospital. But when the Princesses caught up with us, they were like, ‘Follow us,’ all spooky-like and stuff.”
“I wasn’t sure what we were doing, really,” Twilight continued on her behalf, “but we followed them the whole way back.”
“Which reminds me,” Fluttershy said, hefting her freshly splinted wing to a more comfortable position. “Where did you go after that? The Royal Guard had us stay on the ship while we flew back to Canterlot, but when one of them told us to meet you at the hospital, nopony knew where you were.”
“The Princesses made us go through some sort of weird place built under Canterlot,” Rainbow said, looking at Twilight. “What did they call it?”
“Magical Retention, from what Luna said,” Twilight answered. “It’s a facility the Royal Guard use when processing prisoners with lethal magical abilities.”
“Goodness, that doesn’t sound like a pleasant place at all,” Rarity said. “What happened there?”
“Well… I’m not really sure.” Twilight glanced back down the hall at a door on the far end. “The Princesses took her from us once we got there, then told us to go with the Guard to the hospital. By the time we got above-ground, Nighttide was already here in the military wing.”
“Yeah, what’s up with that, anyway?” Pinkie Pie asked. “She’s not, like, some super-secret agent spy thingy, is she? Cause if she is, that'd be soooo cool!”
“I don’t think so,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “If anything, it’s probably to keep her out of the public’s eye. I don’t think the Princesses want any non-military staff knowing about her… unique anatomy.”
“You mean those crazy spinny gun things she has in her sides?” Rainbow crackled.
Twilight sighed as she turned to the mare. “Yes, Rainbow – that and a bunch of other stuff. Don’t forget, it was you two who flew over Ponyville together. Those wings of hers were supposed to be a government secret from what she told me.”
“They were?” Rainbow grinned. “That’s so awesome! Hah!”
Twilight rolled her eyes, turning to the rest of her friends. “Anyway, it’ll probably be awhile before we can see her, so let’s just wait in the lobby and—”
“That won’t be necessary,” Celestia’s voice spoke from nearby.
Everypony turned to see Princess Celestia and Luna walking toward them. “You’re already finished?” Twilight asked.
Celestia nodded with a smile. “You and your friends can meet with her now.”
“Great!” Rainbow said as she trotted past the Princess. “C’mon guys.”
As Twilight’s friends began trotting down the hall, she said, “You girls go on ahead, I’ll be right there.”
Applejack looked back. “You sure, Twi?”
“Yeah, I just need to speak with the Princesses for a moment.” She smiled at Applejack before glancing at Celestia.
“Well, alright then. See ya in a bit.” With that, Applejack continued down the hall.
Allowing her expression to fall into a frown, Twilight looked between Celestia and Luna. “So, um… I don’t suppose I can ask what you needed to talk with her about?”
“Don't worry,” Celestia answered calmly. “We just wanted to check in with her personally, considering she is a guest to our land.”
Twilight nodded as she glanced for a moment at Luna, who watched her sister intently from aside. “Alright then. Well, I intended to save this for another time, but…”
Celestia furrowed her brow. “Is there something wrong, Twilight?”
Twilight hung her head as she tried to figure out how to word her next question. “It’s just…” With a sigh, she said, “Of all the dark magic that's stored in the restricted sections of the Canterlot Library, why were historical artifacts like the one Riptide found locked away in secret at the old castle?”
Celestia raised an eyebrow, though it was Luna who stepped up and spoke. “Were you not aware that the old castle library didn’t have a restricted section?”
Twilight tilted her head. “Well… no, actually.”
“That was how we used to store dangerous material when we lived there,” Celestia said, giving her a reassuring smile. “Back then, it was sometimes better to simply hide dangerous works rather than put it on display with a ‘restricted’ sign in front of it.”
“Verily,” Luna added, “we had many a foe once upon a time who would have jumped at the opportunity to use such works for their own dark desires.”
“Huh. That…” Twilight blinked. “That actually makes perfect sense.” Smirking a little, she said, “Why do we have a restricted section now?”
Celestia giggled softly. “These days, Equestria is a much more peaceful place than it once was. We don’t have to take the same measures to secure historical works as we did once.”
Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin. “You know, now that I think about it, why haven’t you sent anypony to recover the books from your old library?”
“Many of those works already had copies that were brought to Canterlot when it was first built.” Looking at her sister with a frown, she said, “At the time, I simply wasn’t prepared to return to the castle for anything extra.”
Luna’s ears folded back as she looked away. “And for that, sister, I truly am sorry.”
Celestia shook her head, touching a hoof to her sister’s shoulder. “I know. There’s no need for us to get into any of that.” Looking back to Twilight, she said, “But that was my reasoning at the time. As for now, well…” She shrugged with a playful smile. “I figured it’s come in better use being close to you and your friends.”
Twilight breathed a chuckle. “Heh, yeah, I guess you’re right.” Turning to the end of the hall, she said, “Well, I guess I'll meet with the others now.”
“Actually,” Luna said as she raised a hoof, “could I speak with you for a moment?”
Twilight looked back. She noticed Celestia was already walking away, though she glanced back for a moment and gave her a nod.
“S-sure,” Twilight said after a moment, turning to face Luna. “What's up?”
Princess Luna looked around, making sure nopony was within earshot. The hall free and clear of staff, she bent her head down to meet Twilight at eye level. “It would appear that Nighttide's memories faded upon our banishing the aura,” Luna said with a hushed voice. “I would like to ask that anything you may remember from her dreams, keep to yourself. You may speak with her in relation to the dreams, but do not disclose any details. My sister and I need to do some further evaluation before we determine how healthy she is to know those dreams herself.”
Twilight tilted her head, eyes narrowing. “W-wait a sec, you mean to say she doesn't remember any of her dreams?”
“Verily, not one. I gathered as much while processing her to the hospital.”
Twilight blinked. She considered asking what exactly they did in the underground facility, but before she could speak, the Princess stood upright.
“That is all I wished to ask,” Luna said as she turned for the other end of the hall. “You may visit with your friends now.”
For a moment, Twilight stood still, watching as Luna trotted away. Eventually, she turned to face Nighttide's door. With a sigh, she walked forward and entered inside.
__________
“So then,” Rainbow continued, motioning with her hooves as she hovered over everypony in the small hospital room, “you were all like, fwoosh, and BAM – Princess Luna’s shield exploded into a million pieces!”
Nighttide looked on with wide eyes as everypony shook their heads with varying degrees of smiles. Eventually, she began to grin as well.
“That… sounds… so awesome! Hah!” Nighttide chirped as she grabbed tighter to the end of the sheets. “I-I mean, not the part about you guys getting hurt, of course, but… did I really look that cool?”
“You sure did!” Rainbow said with a big grin. “Man, you should’ve seen it! That was one of the awesomest things ever!”
“Well,” Twilight said, pulling Rainbow down to the floor in a field of magic, “awesome’s definitely the right word for it, but I don’t think in this context.”
As Rainbow’s hooves met the floor, she scowled over at Twilight. “Hey, you’re the one into all the Daring Do stuff. You can’t tell me some of that wasn’t pretty cool.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Okay, so maybe it was a little… exciting.”
Rainbow grinned triumphantly as a nurse entered through the door. “Excuse me everypony, but visitation hours are almost over.”
Everyone pitched varying noises of dissent. Over the next few minutes, each pony gave their well-wishes to Nighttide before heading off. Once finished, Twilight walked to the door and looked back at the nurse, who was checking over a silent heart monitor attached to Nighttide. “Would it be alright if I had a couple minutes alone with Nighttide real quick?”
“Hm?” The nurse turned her head. “Oh, of course, Princess, though I do strongly recommend Nighttide get some rest soon.”
“Of course.” Giving the nurse a tired smile, she waited until she was out of the room and the door closed before walking up beside the bed.
Nighttide now sat upright, resting her back against a small stack of pillows. She returned the same tired expression to Twilight. “So, more princess talk?”
“What’s that?”
“Oh, heh, it’s nothing – just a bad joke.” Closing her eyes and stretching her neck, she said, “Don’t mind me if I fall asleep in the next few minutes. I’m about all out of juice here.”
“It’s fine, I won’t take long.” Sitting to her haunches, Twilight watched as Nighttide rubbed a spot on the back of her neck before looking over. “I talked with Princess Luna a bit. She said you might not remember any of the dreams you had?”
“Mmm,” Nighttide hummed with a lazy nod, “seems like. Last thing I remember before waking up to a nosedive was watching Riptide being surrounded by that black magic.”
“Hmm…” Twilight turned her attention to the late evening sun that shone through the curtained window. “But you still remember that dream you had before then?”
Nighttide scrunched her muzzle, leaning her head back against a pillow. “Mmm… you mean that one I had in the cave?”
“Next to the riverbed, yeah.”
“Yeah, I still remember. It was about…?” Nighttide opened her eyes and blinked. “It was…” She furrowed her brow. “Huh. I remember having it, but… no, I don’t remember the details.”
Twilight frowned a little. “I see. Same as before…”
Nighttide tilted her head toward her, rubbing a hoof against her temple. “Sorry. I understand this mess had to do with dreams and stuff, but…” She groaned as she rubbed harder and slower against her head. “The whole thing just gives me a headache thinking about it.”
“R-right, sorry,” Twilight quickly stammered. “I didn’t mean to—”
“You’re fine,” Nighttide interjected with a soft smile. “I still don’t understand a lot of what happened, or the magic involved… or anything empirical at all, for that matter.”
Twilight’s eyes widened slightly with a smirk.
“But,” Nighttide continued, resting her hoof on the sheets, “it is what it is. Or, so I guess at least. The Princesses didn’t say it was important for me to remember all the details, they just wanted me to know that—” she paused. Feigning the need to cough as quickly as she could, she added, “—that my body’s back to normal and I should make a full recover ‘n what-not.”
Twilight nodded. With a sigh, she slumped her shoulders as she rested her chin on the edge of the bed. Closing her eyes, she mumbled, “Well, I’m glad to hear that at least.”
“Yeah. Me too.” Nighttide looked over at the window. The amber hue of the evening sun made the green curtains glow. A thin part down the middle allowed in a tiny ray of unfiltered light, casting a pillar across the bed. She followed the light and the specks of dust that danced in its warmth to where it met Twilight’s mane, splayed out in a disheveled manner across her forehead. Hesitantly, she lifted a hoof, then carefully ran it through a particularly messy part of the alicorn’s mane.
Twilight opened her visible eye, looking up at Nighttide.
“Thank you,” Nighttide murmured.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “For what?”
“For chasing after me.” She let her hoof travel down to Twilight’s shoulder. “Luna told me it was you who went into my dreams to save me.” Breathing a nervous chuckle, she said, “From what I understand, if it hadn’t been for you, things could’ve got a lot worse.”
“Mmm…” Twilight sat up, letting Nighttide’s hoof fall to the sheets before covering it with one of her own. “That’s what friends are for, you know.”
Nighttide smirked. “Do I know? Just for the record, I’ve never exactly been in such an… interesting situation, that merited somepony needing to save me.”
Twilight furrowed her brow. Her mind travelled for a moment back to the memory of the Colonel and Nephilim rescuing a filly Nighttide in the streets of Hiigara.
“Anyway,” Nighttide spoke again, breaking Twilight’s concentration. “I just wanted to say thanks, is all.” Her eyes softened with a smile. “You really are a wonderful pony.”
Blinking away the last remnants of the memory, Twilight returned the smile. Leaning forward, she wrapped her hooves around the mare’s neck, pulling herself against the warm metal alloy. “So are you,” she whispered back.
Nighttide blinked as she felt Twilight pull herself tighter against her chest. With a bit of hesitation, she gently wrapped her forelegs around the alicorn’s withers and returned the hug, being careful not to pull too tight. The two rested their muzzles on each other’s shoulders for a moment, tired eyes and smiling faces staring blankly beyond their forms.
After only a brief moment, Twilight pulled herself away and looked to the window, her smile fading imperceptibly.
“Well,” Nighttide said, sliding back beneath the sheets as she let her head fall to the lowest pillow. “Any idea where to go from here?”
Twilight hung her head a moment in thought before looking back to the window. She stood and walked over, parting the curtains more to peer outside.
The sky was lit by a brilliant sunset. Hues of yellow filled the canopy overhead, traipsing into shades of pink before bleeding into the horizon.
Twilight smiled. Looking back over her shoulder, she said, “I can think of one pony who knows the answer.”