Austin stood with Twilight. Celestia had sent two of her most loyal Pegasus guards to escort them both to Canterlot. They were discreet and quiet. Nopony would know about this visit that wasn't supposed to. Twilight had only told the girls and Austin the guys. They had to know. This visit was very important. Something was wrong with Austin, and he was sure Celestia would have some information about. If he was lucky, she would have answers. If he wasn't, well, he had a small worry his head would explode. And so now he was standing next to this mare.
Austin chanced a look over at Twilight. She was focusing on the sky ahead. In the distance she could see the light of the city of Canterlot. She didn't notice Austin looking at her, or she just didn't mind it at all. Austin could barely look at her now, though. When he did, he didn't see this Twilight. This beautiful lavender princess so full of compassion. She insisted on coming on with him. He really didn't want her to, now more than ever. Because every time he looked at her, all he saw was the crying, tearful pony of his visions. All he saw was the pain and grief in her eyes. He could almost feel it in his own chest. And he hated it. He forced himself to look away from her.
“Austin,” She said. “You seem distracted. I know this is probably a stupid question, but are you okay?”
His mind flashed back to the hall of the castle. He was almost out, almost to Twilight. He was right there, and then he got slammed with another vision. He was fully awake. He was not asleep.
“Yeah, I'm doing okay,” Austin said. “Better now that we are getting closer to Canterlot, and Celestia. And hopefully some answers.”
“If anyone can help you, it is Celestia,” Twilight said reassuringly. “Don't worry. We'll figure this out.”
Twilight gently touched his shoulder with the tip of her wing. Austin felt it, but still he didn't look back at her. Twilight was worried by this. Why wasn't he looking at her? Was it something she did? Was it his dreams? What did he see?
“Twilight,” Austin said after a moment of silence. “Why did you come with me?”
“What do you mean,” Twilight asked. “I already told you. I'm your friend.”
“And you care about what happens to me,” Austin finished her sentence. “I know that, but you put your duties as a Princess on hold. You left the girls on short notice with barely an explanation as to why. You did all of that to come with me to see Celestia about some bad dreams. Why?”
“I- I-” Twilight was at a loss for words. She had no idea what to say. She thought about what he had said. He was right. She had just up and abandoned her duties as an Equestrian Princess. She put that part of her life on hold to come with him. And then there were the girls. She was gone, and she was pretty sure none of them knew why. She really hadn't done a good job of explaining herself very well. The truth was she didn't know why she did it, and that scared her a little. Twilight always had a reason for everything she did.
“Excuse me, Princess,” One of the guard ponies said, “We are coming in for the descent soon. We will be safely within the walls of Canterlot Castle within ten minutes time.”
“Good,” Twilight stated as she stared at Austin. “Very good.”
===
“Whoa.” Dash said.
“Grand entrance much?” Ben asked.
“What did you expect,” Tessla replied with a laugh.
“Alrighty then. Back to the business at hand,” Ben said. “Can you help Applejack?”
“Help Applejack,” Tessla repeated, “What's wrong with her?”
“She witnessed Pinkie Pie and that zebra Zakir, uh. . . flirting,” Ben explained as best he could.
Tessla's eyes widened as he heard the news. But he regained his composure and held up a finger to them. It was the 'give me a minute' finger. Tessla snapped his fingers and a cup of coffee appeared by his face. He took the cup in his hands and drank deeply, right before spitting it all back out all over the ground.
“What in the hell?” Tessla exclaimed. “She should have known. This is gonna take more than just me.”
“Well, what is gonna take then,” Dash said, flying right up close to Tessla and putting her face right up close to his.
“What's with all the bellyaching goin' on out here?” Not a pony moved as Granny Smith slowly moved over to where they all stood. Big Mac and Ben stood silently and watched as the old pony slowly crossed in front of them. Rainbow Dash didn't even dare to breath as she came closer to them. Tessla just watched from either side of Dash's body.
“Applejack,” Granny smith said as she came up to the hay bale she was leaned up against. Fluttershy had set her back up there and ducked behind it again as Granny Smith approached. “Applejack, what's with all the visitors? And why are you actin' so funny? And why you ain't talking?”
Applejack just stared blankly back at her. Granny Smith stared at her for a moment. It was the most intense moment of silence ever. Fluttershy was right behind the hay bale, and she could almost feel the stare of Granny Smith boring through the hay and right into her.
Granny Smith took a hoof and as politely as she could gave Applejack and whack on the head. “Snap out of it,” She said simply.
Applejack's head kinda wobbled for a bit, as did the rest of her. After a moment she got her balance back and shook the shock out her head. Her head hurt something awful and her vision was cloudy for second but it cleared up enough for her to make out the form of Granny Smith.
“Granny Smith,” She said, “What are you doin' here?”
“Why, you were off daydreaming and the like,” Granny said while shaking a hoof. “I had to come out here and slap you out of it myself.”
“You mean snap me out of it?” Applejack replied.
“Sure, I guess,” Granny said. “Now tell yer friends to git going, it's time for you to get back to work bucking them apples.”
“Right,” Applejack said. She looked around at all the ponies, and humans that were there. The barn was packed full of them. Granny smith walked back to the house and suddenly it was like Applejack birthday. Ponies popped out of nowhere and were giving her hugs.
“Applejack!” Fluttershy burst out of hiding behind the hay bale and wrapped her hooves around Applejack's body. “You're back with us. I'm so happy I could just scream.”
“AJ!” Rainbow Dash zoomed from Tessla to Applejack and slammed into her with a hug of her own. She hit with enough force to knock all three of them off the bale of hay and onto the ground.
“Well,” Ben said. “It would appear that she is alright.”
“Yep,” Tessla said. “By the way, Ben, how was it being naked in front of Rarity again?”
“WHAT?!” From behind the hay bale the world exploded with that word. It echoed through the air like a shockwave. One by one, three heads popped up and stared at the two of them. Three sets of eyes darted back and forth between Tessla and Ben. Eventually they all stayed on Ben. His face had turned a deep, rosy red and he was trying to avoid looking at just about anybody.
“Dammit, Tessla,” He said, “Why did you have to bring that up?”
===
Zakir walked through the streets of the cit of Canterlot. He looked up at the sky above him. It was night, the stars were shining brightly against the darkness of the nighttime sky. The moon hung low amidst the sea of stars, the low light shining down and illuminating his path. He had had a very eventful time in Equestria. But his time to leave was coming, and faster than he expected. And so he returned to his ship. He had much to do to prepare for his departure.
“Warchief Zakir! You have returned.” Zakir heard as he approached the ship. A small Zebrican tribe pony scrambled about and lowered the ramp. Zakir climbed aboard the ship and was greeted by even more zebras. Dozens of them. All of them were big, muscular, and very strong.
“Yes, I have returned,” Zakir said. “And I come with news. I have learned much from my time spent among the ponies. I have watched, and I have observed.”
“What did you find out? Are the stories true? Is this place really what we think?” The questions poured out from the zebra crowd. He quickly calmed them down and got back to telling them all about it.
“There iz power here,” Zakir said. “And magic, powerful magic. I have met some the heroes of the stories we have all heard. Ponies, such strange creatures. I know what I need to know to accomplish the mission. We have our orders, and I will explain how we will fulfill them to ze letter.”
===
Twilight stood in the halls of the Royal Canterlot Castle. She just stood there. Every muscle twitched and moved under her skin. Every fiber of her being cried out to move and find answers. She was restless, and yet she remained still as a petrified victim of a cockatrice.
She was in a part of the castle she knew very well. The Celestial wing of the castle was the one place she knew almost as well as Celestia herself did. It was Celestia's home. It held her quarters, and wash room. Her relaxation rooms and her personal libraries. As well as other things that Celestia had deemed to be hers and wanted to be kept close. Twilight had spent much of her fillyhood in this very wing of the castle with Celestia, and now she was standing outside her doors staring out one of the many windows that lined the corridor.
“You seem distracted, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Huh,” Twilight said. She hardly even registered the words, let alone the voice. But she did get enough to turn her head a little bit. It was just enough. Enough to see the other resident princess of the castle. “Oh, Luna,” Twilight said rather blankly.
“As I said, distracted,” Luna said to Twilight as she came to stand next to her at the window.
“Oh, yeah. I guess so,” Twilight told her. “It's just- something is wrong with Austin. He isn't doing well.”
“Yes, I know,” Luna replied flatly as she looked at the window.
“He is havin-” Twilight stopped suddenly, “Wait, what?! You know?!”
“Yes, Twilight. I know about Austin's dreams,” Luna replied.
“But how? And why haven't you done anything about it? Why haven't you helped him?” Twilight was firing off questions faster and faster and she was letting more emotion get into each one.
“Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said firmly. It was enough to get Twilight's undivided attention. “Look there, at that tree.”
Twilight turned her gaze to the tree Luna was talking about. There were many trees in the gardens below the window, but one of them seemed to stand out for some reason. It wasn't any taller than any other tree. Its leaves weren't any greener that that of any other tree. And yet her eyes were drawn to it for some unknown reason.
Twilight saw in that tree a bird. It was a simple bird. A small cardinal. Maybe male, but Twilight wasn't sure. She knew Fluttershy would know if it was a male or not. Twilight was willing to bet Fluttershy actually knew that bird, too. The cardinal hopped along the branch, and came upon a nest. He flittered around the nest, carefully placing a few dried twigs and blades of grass along the way. After a moment or two another cardinal showed up. Together they placed a few more things along the edges of the nest. It was only then Twilight noticed the eggs. Three of them. Nestled tightly in the middle of the nest.
“You see that cardinal, Twilight?” Luna said. “I can even sense his dreams if I so choose. I know that over that past several weeks he has been greatly worried for those eggs. You see, a predator has come to make its home in the gardens as well. And so his worries are in his dreams, where I can read them quite easily.”
“Why are you telling me this, Luna?” Twilight asked impatiently. “What does this have to do with Austin?”
“Hush, now, and I will tell you,” Luna said. “You see, I could easily mend that little bird's dreams. I make his worries melt away and let him wake up to a blissful happiness every morning. Sounds like the right thing to do, does it not?”
“I suppose so,” Twilight answered.
“And you would be wrong,” Luna said. “You see, I let him have his worries, and I work on the real problem. The predator he fears so much has been lured here by a certain flower the gardener has taken to plant around the castle. By eliminating that flower, and having a few pest control spells cast around the gardens I have driven out the predator. This night that is coming will be the first in many weeks that the cardinal will not have to worry for his eggs.”
“I still don't understand why you are telling me this,” Twilight said.
“I have known about Austin's dreams for some time, Twilight,” Luna said, turning to face the young princess. “I could sense his discomfort during my nightly watch. I could tell he was sleeping less and less, and what little sleep he did get was plagued by something terrible. Why do you think I did nothing to help him?”
Twilight kept her mouth shut for the immediate five seconds after Luna asked her that question. Just like her body before, every muscle and fiber cried out to be heard. She wanted to yell and scream. She wanted to say that Luna didn't care enough about him, or that she was not doing her job as Princess of the night. Twilight wanted to say this, but she knew it was just her emotions talking. She thought about the bird and the eggs Luna had just told her about.
“Because his dreams are not the real problem,” Twilight said after a moment.
“Yes, Twilight,” Luna said. “I could have helped Austin sleep, and he would have dismissed his dreams as just that. Dreams. But they are more than that, and now he is here. He is talking with my sister and figuring them out. Do you understand what I am saying Twilight Sparkle?”
“Yes,” Twilight said with a sigh. She thought she knew a lot about being a princess by this point. She should have known that even now Luna could still teach her things. “It's just that- I really want to be in there with him.”
“And why is that?” Luna asked. Her tone shifted from that of a teacher to that of a wise old one who had a lot of answers to a lot of questions. “I don't think this has anything to do with his dreams.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Why do you want in, Twilight Sparkle?” Luna asked. “Do you wish to simply know the answer to what is causing Austin discomfort? And the solution for it? That would certainly satisfy your scientific mind, or is it something else? Do you wish to be closer to Austin himself, perhaps? You are his friend, are you not? Or is there something. . . more?”
“You have obviously been spending too much time with Cadence,” Twilight said with a weak, nearvous giggle. “It's just that Austin told me about this. He shared with me, and then he let me come along with him. So, why is it that when we get all the way here, does he ask me stay outside? I just don't understand!”
“Perhaps you should be the one talking to Cadence then,” Luna said as she turned from Twilight. “For now, I will leave you be. I have duties to attend to. It has been nice to see you, Twilight.”
Luna slowly walked down the corridor away from Twilight. She had left the young princess with much to think about, and many questions to occupy her time. Twilight was left staring out the window not moving a muscle, even though every muscle and fiber screamed. And now her every thought was buzzing around.
“”Nice to you see you to, Luna,” She said, distracted.
===
She looked around her. Her eye carefully scanned the environment for anything suspicious. Anything out of the ordinary. Anything that she didn't know. Nothing, It was clear for her to move. Slowly, she moved forward. She stepped out, one hoof in front of the other and ventured further along her path. She had to get away, as far and as fast as she could. She knew it with all her heart. As much as it hurt her, Zecora could not stay near Ponyville any longer.
She took one last look behind her. She had come out of the Everfree Forest a good ways away from Ponyville. She could still see many of the building that she used to visit to see her friends. It was hard to make out any ponies from that distance, let alone spot one in particular. All she knew was that they were much safer the farther away she got. She sighed heavily as she gazed back, knowing that she was most likely never going to see this place or these ponies ever again.
“Goodbye, my pony friends. Know that our friendship never ends.”
“And what about your human friends?”
Zecora leaped to the side quickly. She reacted just as quickly when her hooves hit the ground again by grabbing her staff and readying herself for a fight. She narrowed her eyes and locked them on the face of her would be attacker.
“That's quite the reaction,” Tessla said without his usual smile. “What's with the staff?”
“Tessla,” Zecora nearly shouted with surprise. “Tessla, why are you here with me? Did you not understant when I left you in the Everfree?”
“No, Zecora, I didn't understand,” Tessla said. “Why did you do that? Please, explain it to me.”
“I am sorry, Tessla, I cannot. Tis my burden to bear,” Zecora said solemnly . “Although I call you my friend, this I cannot share.”
“Bullshit!” Tessla said. “I mean, come on. I know everyone has their secrets, but you are leaving Zecora. You are actually leaving Ponyville once and for all, or you were trying to. You didn't say goodbye to me, or Twilight or the rest of the girls. Don't we get any explanation at all?”
Zecora relaxed in Tessla's presence. She stood on all four hooves and laid her staff down along the ground. She breathed in deeply, not letting her nerves get the better of her. She hadn't expected to run into anyone as she left, let alone him. He was quite literally the last person she wanted to see.
“I wish I could explain all to you, but I have my fear,” Zecora said, “I must leave before everything descends upon Ponyville here.”
“Fear?” Tessla said. “Fear? You're afraid? What are you afraid of? You can talk to me Zecora.”
“I cannot! Just leave me be,” Zecora cried out. “Just let me alone and go back to being humans three.”
“Not gonna happen,” Tessla stated. He locked his eyes on Zecora and they changed before her. His chaotic eye shifted between the eyes of several animals. An entire spectrum of colors cascaded across his eyes as they shifted. “I have the powers of chaos at my disposal, Zecora. And chaos is everywhere. I will always find you, no matter where you run to.”
“It is my secrets that you desire, but I will not feed them to your greed fire,” Zecora said.
“Dammit, Zecora! I am trying to help you!”
“You cannot help me! I must keep running. I know what is here, and what is coming.”
“I cannot help you,” Tessla said back to her. “We fought back the the Changeling horde, Zecora. Austin took down a duelist. My powers alone are unpredictable and by nature chaotic. Ben is as close to a portable brick wall as you can get. We can help you. And don't forget about Twilight and the girls. They can help you to. All you have to do is give us the chance.”
Zecora stood there with Tessla. It was becoming clearer and clearer that he was not going to back down. He was not going to leave her alone, or simply let her leave. She thought about what he said. It was true that he had power, and so did his friends the other humans. They would certainly be formidable. She also thought about Twilight and Applejack and Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and Rarity. She had made friends with them. She had made friends in Ponyville, and they had done so much together. Maybe it was possible that they could help her.
“Maybe, there is truth to your words,” Zecora sighed with some defeat in her tone of voice, “But I am unsure of what that is worth.”
Tessla walked over to her. He had seemed angry at her before, but he laid a hand on her shoulder and it was not anger that she felt coming from him. She looked up at him and saw only compassion and caring. He encompassed her in a hug that took her by surprise and she wasn't sure what to do. She could to nothing but feel the heat coming off his body.
“You have friends Zecora,” Tessla stated firmly. “And we would do anything for you.”
As Tessla held her close to him Zecora finally came to a choice. It was a choice she assumed she never had to begin with, and then this human came along and gave it to her whether she liked it or not. Was she going to leave Ponyville for goof, or was she going to stay? She had a choice now. And she made her up her mind. A single tear flowed from her eye as she realized just how right Tessla was.
“I see now what you say is true,” She said, “I will remain here in Ponyville, and stay with you.”
===
“Twilight.”
She almost ignored the very sound of her own name. After all, it was Austin that had said it, During that past few days had barely looked at, spoken, or even generally acknowledged her much at all. So when he said her name, aloud and quite clearly she almost ignored it. Almost, but she looked up just in time to stop right before she ran horn first into Celestia's doors. Her eyes traveled up even more and over to Austin. She was surprised to find that his were looking back, back at her. She quickly averted her eyes and turned her head.
“Twilight,” Austin said again. “I'd like to ask you to do something, but I don't think you are going to like it.”
“What is it?” Twilight asked, still not looking at him. She turned her head to let him know she was still paying attention but that was it.
Austin already had his hands on the doors. He pulled one open but waited to step inside. Austin looked at Twilight. “Please, Twilight. Stay here.” He said before taking the final steps through the doors. Twilight herself was so stunned she didn't even respond to him.
Austin stopped on the other side of the doors. His heard pounded and he breathed in heavily. He slowly let out the breath and continued on. It wasn't far til he saw Celestia. She was sitting at a desk and had three quills fervently scribbling out notes or notations or something.
“Hello, Austin.” She said without even looking up.
“Princess Celestia,” Austin said back.
The quill made a few last, quick motions before floating over to a small container full of other quills and letter openers and such things that might be found on a desk. Celestia organized the papers with a few nods of her horn and then turned to look at him.
“You don't look so good, Austin,” Celestia said. She gestured for Austin to sit on one of the many pieces of furniture she had in her chambers. He stepped over and sat down on a small loveseat. “Tell me, why are you here? Why have you come to see me?”
“I'm having dreams,” Austin said.
“Then you should be talking to Luna,” Celestia said, “Or maybe you aren't here to talk about dreams?”
“It started as dreams,” Austin explained. “It was getting worse and worse as the days went on. I was getting less and less sleep. Always the same dream, I saw the same things. But they didn't feel like dreams. I don't know how to explain it.”
“You said they started as dreams,” Celestia said. “Did something happen to make you think otherwise?”
“Yeah, you could say that.” Austin looked up at her. He wanted her to see his eyes. A lot could be told about a person by watching their eyes. He believed that if Celestia could see his then she would have a better understanding of just what he was going through maybe. It was an idea at best, and blind faith at worst. But he went with it.
“Just moments before we left, I was in the hall. I was steps away from the door, and then it hit me. A pain in my head like nothing I had ever felt before. It felt like my skull was going to explode from the inside out, or something. And then I started seeing things.”
“What things?”
“My dreams, for starters. I saw every explicit, detailed moment of that and more. I saw so much more.”
Celestia thought about this for a moment. She moved away from the desk and pondered what Austin told her. Visions? Premonitions? Was he having them, or was it something else? Was it even something that she could help with? She knew a lot about a lot of things, but humans wasn't one of those things. Maybe what was going on with him wasn't even a pony related thing. Maybe it wasn't even magic related. If so, then she wasn't quite sure what to tell him.
“My guards tell me that Twilight traveled with you, correct,” Celestia asked Austin after another moment of pondering.
“Yes, she is just outside the doors,” Austin answers. “Why?”
“Have you told her about these dreams of yours?”
“Not really. I mentioned them, but I said nothing in great detail about them.”
Celestia tuned back to face him. She moved over and gracefully took a seat across from him.
“Why is that you didn't tell Twilight?”
“Why does that matter,” Austin asked. “I didn't feel as if she needed to know.”
“She is your friend, is she not?”
“Yeah, she is. A very good friend,” Austin said. “Again, why does this matter?”
“Do you want my help or not?” Celestia asked sternly. She gave Austin a glare that spoke just as much as she wanted it to. That was one trick she had mastered a long time ago. Saying a lot without actually saying a lot.
“Sorry, its just that this- whatever it is has been really messing me up lately.”
“I understand,” Celestia said. “But if you want my help then you must answer my questions. All of my questions. Now, why did you not tell Twilight about your dreams?”
“Because she is in one of them,” Austin stated. “My dreams, back when they were dreams, it was the same thing over and over. I was overcome with this energy. I don't what it is, but it was dangerous. I was trying to hold it back, and there was this barrier that was up. Twilight was on the other side of it.”
“What happens Austin,” Celestia asked.
“I see her face,” Austin sighed. “I see the pain, the grief, the guilt, the fear. I see everything from that Twilight whenever I look at her now. I can't even bring myself to do it, and it is damn near breaking me because I know she is confused and hurting.”
“Then why not just tell her?”
“Because, it is an unnecessary burden for her.” Austin said in all seriousness. “She will become obsessed with that one event and what it has to do with me and many will suffer for it. I will not do that to her. I will not let that happen.”
“So you are willing to take on such great pain to protect Twilight?”
“Wouldn't be the first time I have protected a pony by taking pain. Look at what I have done. It's kinda is what I do.”
“Yes, but this is different,” Celestia said. “And I don't just mean that this is not physical pain. This is something from inside of you, and it is trying to tell you something.”
“Something inside of me?” Austin repeated. “Well that narrows it down.”
“Austin, you do have a serious problem,” Celestia said. She closed her eyes and her horn got a small, low glow that flowed around it. Austin looked up at it and glanced around to see if anything was moving or happening. Nothing was, and so he looked upon himself. He wasn't glowing or being affected in any way that he knew.
“Austin,” Celestia got his attention, “You have strong magic in you, but it must flow and move the right way or else it may become a danger to you. I believe that this is the reason you are having these visions.”
“So you do think I am having visions? Premonitions?”
“I believe it is a possibility,” Celestia replied. “I believe your magic isn't flowing properly. Something is interfering with it in someway, and it must be undone. To start, tell me of all that you have seen.”
“Well, there is the energy. I try to hold it in, but there are waves of it coming off, coming through. There is a barrier now. It is set up around me and Twilight's on the other side of the barrier. Ponies are running everywhere. They're scared, frightened. Some of them pull Twilight away. And then there is this blinding light. It always ends there.
“Next is more bloody than the first one. I see an arm. A blood covered arm, separated from the rest of the body. I can feel the pain and the numbness at the same time. And I see crystals. I don't know what to make of it, but the crystals maybe, join with the bloody arm somehow. Maybe, I'm not sure, but they make something new.
“The next is less of a vision, and more of a set of feelings. It starts with these eyes, twisted with anger and shifting different colors. But I can feel the sheer rage coming from this is. Its overwhelming. And then there is this instinct, this thought. To bring destruction, death. And throughout all of this is the power. It is there, and it is strong. It scares me, honestly.”
Celestia sat in her seat and listened as Austin explained what he had seen. The more he told her the more she was beginning to think he was having premonitions of some kind. But normally they didn't come in fractured pieces like that, and almost never with the splitting head pain that he described before.
“Well, that's it,” Austin said, “What you make of it?”
“Interesting,” Celestia said. She was sounding more and more like a therapist. “Very interesting.”
“I need some time to look into this, Austin,” Celestia said. “Are you willing to wait?”
“Depends.” He replied plainly, “How long? The dreams got bad quick, and I really don't want any more of those headaches.”
“A few days,” Celestia replied. “Give me a few days and I believe I can find something that can help you. In the meantime, I ask only two things.”
“Okay. They are?”
“First off, allow me to bring Luna and Cadance into this,” Celestia said. “Things will move much faster if I have their assistance.”
“Agreed,” Austin said, “And the second thing?”
Celestia got back up and moved for the doors. She stood not too far away from Austin and looked at him for a second. She then turned toward the doors and her horn lit up with magical energy.
“Do tell Twilight,” She said as she opened the doors.
Later on, in another area of the castle Twilight and Austin moved in silence. Their bags had already been moved to the rooms they would be staying in for the foreseeable future. Some of the staff did that while they were with Celestia, or standing outside her quarters. The two of them were now walking there, but there was a silence between them.
Twilight stared forward. She would occasionally chance a glance up at Austin. Whenever she did she saw the same thing she had been seeing for days now. A man, distracted and confused. A friend who is struggling, in pain, and there is nothing she can do about it. He was not looking at her still, avoiding her own gaze even. Although, he seemed even more distracted now than ever. Was it something Celestia said to him, maybe? Twilight sighed a small sigh and kept on walking next to her friend.
Are we even friends anymore? The thought played over and over in Twilight's mind. It never went away. It was always there. Are we? Why is this happening? What did I do?
“Hey, uh, Twilight.”
“Huh? What?” Twilight said, as if waking from a dream. Her head darted around as she got a hold of her reality and realized where she was. She was in the room. Her room. The rooms she had always had whenever she stayed in the castle. She was so absorbed in her thoughts she didn’t' even realize that she had walked in. And when she looked to find Austin, she found a truly amazing sight.
“Austin,” She said with some disbelief in her tone of voice. Maybe a bit more than she intended. “You are looking at me?”
“I'm sorry, Twilight,” Austin said somewhat ashamed of the way he had been treating her as of late. “I haven't been acting like a good friend these past few days, especially when it comes to you. I want you to know that none of this is your fault, you didn't do anything. This is all on me.”
“Does this have anything to do with why we're here?” Twilight asked.
“About that,” Austin said. He moved over to a small sofa and sat down. Twilight followed suit and sat down across from him. “There is something I need to tell you Twilight.”
“What is it?”
Austin sighed a deep sigh. It was a sigh of nervousness. He leaned forward and looked at Twilight in her big violet eyes. He breathed deeply and then he told her. He admitted that he had lied to her before, and that he was not at all in a good place. He told her all about the dreams he had when he got back to Ponyville. He explained to her the sleepless nights and the dreams s vivid he could almost swear they were reality.
“You lied to me?” Twilight said, not wanting to believe that he would do this. “I asked you about this, and you told me it was nothing. Just a drifting dream you said.”
“I know, Twilight,” Austin said. “I can't apologize enough for lying to you, but even though I tried to do this myself you stayed by my side. I am thankful of that.”
“But why, Austin?” Twilight asked as she shot up from the seat she was in. She paced back and forth a little bit. “Why did you try and push me away? What is it about me?”
“It had nothing to do with you, Twilight,” Austin said. “This was my burden to bear, and I didn't want you to worry about me.”
“That's what friends do,” Twilight shouted as she turned to face him once again. “Friends worry, they care about each other. “I mean, I care about you. I am worried about you. Nothing will ever change that.”
“Twilight.” Austin said. He stood up from the sofa and stepped forward, toward her.
“No, Austin,” Twilight said. “I don't want to hear it right now. I mean, what could possibly be in those dreams that is so bad you would want me gone.”
Austin already took his step toward her, and that was all he was going to get. He could feel it coming. There was nothing he could do about it, though. The feeling swelled up and grew from a place within him. And then he was hit with it, all at once.
“Austin?!” Twilight exclaimed as she saw him go down.
He collapsed. Austin fell down to one knee, barely holding himself up there. His head pounded and throbbed like something was about to make it explode. He groaned as the feeling of pain washed over him. He threw his hands up to his head and closed his eyes. He shut them tight, as if the lack of sight would somehow make this all the more painless.
“Oh no! Austin, what is happening?” Twilight said quickly as she came up to the pained human being on the floor in front of her.
“NO, TWILIGHT!” Austin yelled, fighting the words through the pain. He threw up a hand to hold her back. “Don't come near me.”
Austin's eyes still remained closed, and yet images flashed before them. In his mind, piercing through the wall of pain and presenting themselves were images, visions. They flashed and disappeared only to reappear again. They came together to form loose depictions of something that Austin didn't understand. Suddenly, he was back in his dream, trapped in body, held in a barrier.
“Austin,” Twilight said. He had fallen silent. His movements were small and almost not even there. She approached him warily, not sure of what was happening or what she could do to help. And then, Austin slumped down. He fell to the side and Twilight raced over to him. She called out his name and placed a hoof on him. She touched her hoof to him, his chest. Right over his heart.
“Go, Twilight,” He said almost commandingly, and yet with compassion. “Get as far away from here as you can.”
“I- I – can't,” Twilight murmured.
“You must,” He said as his eyes fell behind her. “Get her out of here.”
Silence fell over the entire area. Twilight was slowly being pulled away from him. She cried out and shouted until her voice cracked, but it all came out as silence. A deafening silence that weighed heavy on him. He let his own tears stream down his face as he struggled to contain the power. It was coming fast and harder, now more than ever. He prayed for his apologies to be heard and that was the last thing he remembered. A blinding, pure white light erupted forth and he was . . .
“AAHHH!” Twilight's head shot up. She breathed heavily as her memories replayed over again. But were they really hers? She took a moment to go back. The dream she had, it was. . .intense. It was more than just a dream. It wasn't hers. It was Austin's. She could feel him underneath her. His chest slowly rising and falling. His rhythmic breathing told her that he must have been sleeping peacefully. She looked over at his face. His eyes were closed and he was breathing quietly at the moment. Twilight kinda smiled and lay her head back down, not even realizing that it was just over his heart or how it would look if some pony came into the room right now.
As soon as she closed her eyes, however, her mind filled with images. Memories, pieces, shards of the vision she had seen through Austin's eyes flooded her mind. She had never experienced anything like that before. Her head shot up again and she looked over at him once more.
“Holy shit,” Twilight muttered to herself. “Is that what you've been seeing, Austin?”
She remembered back to what she had seen. The images were still fresh in her mind and came to her easily. She remembered being stuck in that place, seeing the world through the eyes of another. She remembered looking out and seeing herself in the crowd. The image of her face stayed with her. So full of sadness and grief she was. Her eyes so full of pain and tears.
“Now I understand,” Twilight whispered to herself. “Now I know why you couldn't bring yourself to look at me.”