//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Black Lotus // by Winston //------------------------------// Black Lotus Chapter 2 "Hello... Equus to Twilight..." Spike waved his arms in front of her face. "Come in, Twilight. Where are you right now?" "I'm here, Spike," Twilight responded quickly in a sharp tone of voice, silencing him. She turned away and took a breath, then let it out again slowly. It was a good question, she couldn't help but admit—one she found herself feeling increasingly helpless to answer in recent days. Maybe that's why it rubbed her the wrong way, the frightening sense that it was slipping out of her grasp. Where were they, really? A guest room. The Royal Palace. The City of Canterlot. Equestria. Equus. The solar system. Spiral arm of the home galaxy. Local cluster. Galactic supercluster. The universe. She furrowed her eyes and gave the floor a tiny stomp with one forehoof. Was any of that— "Yeah? Well, it sure doesn't seem like it." Spike's voice broke into her distracted thoughts and they fell apart, crumbling like a sandcastle in a heavy wave. "I really think those delegates at the last panel ended up feeling ignored, and you know how griffons are." "I..." Twilight sighed and looked down at the rich burgundy carpet of her guest room. "You're right, Spike. I'm sorry. That could have gone better." "I'll say," Spike mumbled. "I'm gonna be seeing those glares in my nightmares for a while." Twilight cringed on the inside at the mention of anything to do with dreams, but fought not to let it show in her outward demeanor. He was right. She really had to get on the ball and set these distractions aside. "Look, I'll get my head back in the game and run damage control at the next event," Twilight said. "I know this conference is important, I just..." "You just what?" Twilight clenched her jaw and felt her stomach twist inside of her, a familiar knot of worry she'd been getting closely acquainted with lately. I just found out something I was really hoping I wouldn't. I just discovered that maybe none of this matters, and maybe nothing is what it seems like, and maybe we're not even really here! She wanted to explode with all of these things, but kept it inside. What good would it do, yelling all this nonsense at poor Spike, when he was just trying to help? No, he didn't deserve it. It wasn't him... it was her own fault. She was sorry she'd ever found that pond, sorry she'd ever tried the spell, and sorry she'd ever seen what she'd seen. That flower. That lousy flower. It wouldn't even wilt, even though she'd had it for almost a week. It made no sense. If it would at least wilt like a normal flower, it could almost seem like it might be... Real... "Nevermind." Twilight shook her head. She cleared her throat. "It's fine. I just... It's fine." "Is there anything you want to talk about?" Spike asked. His face slackened and the ridge of scales on his brows knitted closer together while looked into Twilight's eyes, as if he was trying to find something. "It seems like you've been distracted for days." "No," Twilight said. "Thank you, though." "C'mon." Spike smiled at Twilight with his best disarming grin. "We've been besties since the day I hatched. You know you can tell me anything." "Oh, I know that." Twilight smiled back and gave Spike a brief hug. "It's just that I'm not even sure myself. It's sweet of you, but I really wouldn't know what to say." "Alright. I guess I understand. You gonna be alright at least for the rest of the conference, though?" Spike asked. "I don't know how much more I can take of their arrogance… or their breath." "I'll manage," Twilight said. She started pacing around the room, only half-conscious that she was doing it. "How long until the next event?" Spike unrolled a sheet of parchment and consulted it. "Next up is the thing about inspection standards for merchandise crossing borders. That sounds exciting, right?" He rolled his eyes, then glanced at the clock. "We've got like half an hour 'til then." "Perfect." Twilight's eyes lit up. After the long morning of nonstop meetings and panels, she welcomed this desperately needed break. Maybe it would be just enough time to do something useful. "Spike, take a letter, please." "Uhh... but... Princess Celestia's right here at the conference," he said. "Couldn't you just talk to her in person between events or something?" "No..." Twilight shook her head. "I mean, a letter to Princess Luna."