//------------------------------// // The Demonstration Aftermath // Story: Lost in the Mirror of Worlds // by Meadow_Dawn //------------------------------// It wasn’t long before the nurse stepped out of the room, motioning for guests to enter. Sable was the first to enter, followed by Stang. My limbs carried me into the front door to see a single cot in a small sized room, reminding me of a hospital room. It was lacking a television or a remote, but it had a book and a lamp nearby. The rest followed behind. Stalwart’s movement caught my eye’s attention as I noticed him shift on the bed, head raised and looking with a weary smile in our direction. My heart started to pound in my chest as I looked him over for any signs of how badly he had been hurt. His slower movements were noticeable, and I watched as everyone started to crowd around the bed, smiles on everyone else’s faces. I stood near the corner of the bed closest to the door, trying to ignore the claustrophobic clustering of everyone wanting to chime in. “Well done Stalwart!” Stang consoled with his usual smile. “Way to get Silver right at the end!” Sable chuckled. “Aye, you did good.” Boer chimed. I took a couple steps back, still not feeling comfortable being pressed in quite so much. I didn’t know what to say, and that was almost as bad to me as saying the wrong thing. I let myself stay quiet as I listened to them recount the fight with laughter interspersed. I couldn’t feel their laughter in me at all though. I didn’t like how they allowed injuries to occur in what was supposed to be just a display of abilities through mock combat, not an actual combat arena. Stalwart looked between all of them, smiling back just as much. Seeing his smile made me worry that little bit less, but just as I couldn’t bring myself to smile back, he turned toward me. “Shame about that stranglehold. Still, doubt you would be the last one standing every time if you were the Pegasus there!” Sable smirked, giving Stalwart a nudge from next to his bed. “Ow!” Stalwart grimaced as they bumped his shoulder, “Easy guys, I’m a bit bruised here.” “You’ll be fine Shield,” Boer chuckled deeply, “You’re made of some firm stuff.” “Thanks guys.” Stalwart nodded, looking between them and me once more. I avoided his gaze as I started to look over his body and frowned. He didn’t look hurt, not that I could adequately tell by the surface appearance. He had thick white fur that seemed to do a really good job of hiding the skin underneath. “Awww, lookit her,” Sable’s voice chuckled, causing me to jump in my skin and look at him in surprise, “still worried about you. You know, she suddenly disappeared from her seat and appeared on the combat grounds almost by your side. Stumbled a little after though.” I looked between them in surprise, not expecting to be dragged into the conversation so readily. “Indeed,” Altai said through narrowed eyes coolly, “one would not have expected such a result.” “Not even Malican could pull that off yet. Is that why you were so interested there Stalwart?” Stang joked. “I, no… did she really?” He asked, looking over in my direction with wide eyes, “Well, that’s incredible!” “I, well,” I hesitated starting to stammer and look down to avoid their eyes as my face heated up rapidly, “it wasn’t intentional…” “How do you do that unintentionally!” Stang asked, half surprised and half amused. “Your story seems unlikely.” Altai added, with Petiso nodding his confirmation. I shuffled my hoof on the ground, feeling incredibly out of sorts with all of the interest in my direction. I hurried myself to come up with an explanation. Starlight was staying oddly quiet throughout, and I remembered that Celestia offered foal magic as an explanation for the laser event, but I knew from my magic kindergarten classes that most of the foals here grow out of it before they ever hit puberty. If I said foal magic, I’d only be scoffed at further. “Well, I’m sure she’d tell us when she’s ready.” Stalwart said, cutting the silence. His voice seemed soothing on my ears and an idea struck for what to say without explaining anything. “Well,” I added much as he had interjected, re-gathering the attention. “It isn’t exactly my first time, but I still don’t know how or why I do it. I don’t have any control that I know of.” “Oh? When was that?” Sable asked. I turned to Stalwart with an embarrassed half-smile, noticing his confusion as well, “Remember that one night I scared Silver a bit after we went to the hill? And do you remember how he mentioned needing a helmet to sleep?” “When you scared…” He echoed, thinking for half a minute, “Wait, so… OH! So *that’s* why he said he needed a helmet to sleep!” He laughed loud and deep, briefly wincing as he clutched his side. “What’s this about?” Sable chuckled, “Let us in on the joke Stal!” “Well Dawn, care to share?” He asked with his usual smile. “I suppose I could.” I replied, managing a small chuckle before addressing them all, “Basically as I was still adjusting to being here, I kinda started to have nightmares about some pony chasing me. I didn’t know it was Starlight who was chasing me at the time, but he kept teleporting to me in my dream. I got so scared I tried to do what he was doing to get away. Next thing we knew, I appeared in Silver’s room in midair and crashed on his bed in my sleep, waking up after it happened.” “And Silver got so surprised by it, he must’ve flown into the ceiling and hit his head.” Stalwart chuckled. ‘You’re welcome by the way.’ Starlight’s voice huffily came in my ear. The rest of the group laughed a moment, and I smiled back as they continued to talk about the fight, guessing at what they thought could have been different, this time Altai and Petiso going back and forth, with the others chiming in. ‘So, another one of those, respecting privacy moments Starlight?’ I asked. ‘No, was talking with Teacher about the next lesson. We’re in agreement we need more relics to keep motivated for learning, since we made more progress having that bracelet in front of us than we had in trying to study from the books.’ ‘Well, it’s not as if we ever did well just reading when we tried to get ahead in math class.’ ‘Also double checked on the teleport thing, since the subject came up.’ ‘And?’ I asked attentively, curious as to how we could perform that feat again. ‘It appears our combined concern for Silver and Stalwart and wanting to get closer and unified intent to help triggered it, but when I asked, Teacher said that wasn’t how unicorns teleported normally.’ ‘Oh, so you mean we’re not sorcerers from dungeons and dragons and we don’t shape our magic by will? Such a shame.’ I bantered, getting a smile and resisting the urge to chuckle out loud while the others were still talking. ‘Ha ha,’ He laughed with hints of annoyance in my ear, ‘but really, he said it doesn’t work that way until you grasp enough of the basic principles and enough practice. I’ve been shown the principles, but they’re pretty advanced. I don’t understand it and I haven’t had too many chances to try without a body like yours. Even then, it was really draining, which is why I’ll be taking the chance to rest until dinner tonight, and probably in the cuteseanera too. So let’s not do that again if we can help it.’ ‘Oh right, we did get asked to go to that.’ I thought out loud to him. There was a lot he said to digest, but he seemed to already be gone once more. The others had already started to walk out of the room before I knew it. I looked around for a clock and sighed internally in relief as I spotted a wall clock suggesting it was early afternoon. As Sable and Boer were the last pair, I stood by Stalwart’s bedside quietly until they walked out of the room, leaving us alone. “Are you alright Dawn?” Stalwart asked, “You went quiet again.” “I,” I started to say, gathering up my thoughts and feelings, trying to figure out what to say to him, “I don’t know. I don’t like that you and Silver got hurt as much as you did, but I see everyone else not worried about it and I wonder if I’m overreacting.” “Really Dawn, I’m ok. I’ve suffered far worse than this, and I’ll be right as rain by tomorrow probably.” I snorted, trying not to insult him, but it sounded so preposterous. It often took weeks for us to heal back home from a bruise, and a fractured bone took my arm a good six weeks to heal. “Hey,” Stalwart said with a small degree of sternness, “there’s no need for that.” “Sorry.” I apologized quietly before giving him a smile “I really need to learn to relax one of these days.” “You worry about the little things sometimes a bit too much.” He paused before asking, “So, you really did teleport huh?” “It sounds like it. I saw you fall to the ground and not get back up. I couldn’t help it. I wanted to make sure you were ok as quickly as I could.” “So you teleported?” He chuckled, “That’s not easy magic Dawn.” “So I just heard about three minutes ago.” I smirked in reply. “Oh? From who?” “Starlight.” I said, growing a slightly brighter smile, “He’s trying to rest right now, but what he told me was we both were concerned about both of you, so our desire manifested our magic and we got it done, though our magic is really weak now until we rest up again.” “And yet you’re struggling with levitating two things at once.” He stated, shaking his head, “You definitely are a special snowflake.” “Of course!” I laughed, “You wouldn’t want it any other way right?” “Right.” He nodded, as I heard a low growl in the room and looked down at the core of his body with a smirk. “Someone seems hungry.” I said, just before my own stomach rumbled. “We both are then.” he said as we laughed. “I’ll get us some food.” I replied as I turned around. “Sounds good!” I heard him call out as I opened the door and walked down the somewhat familiar halls toward the kitchens. I went on autopilot, and got a meal for the two of us, only to remember I needed it to go. I remember Starlight saying my magic was weak right now, and while I couldn’t feel the exhaustion, he seemed to have a better grasp on it than I did. Placing the food into paper bags, I carried them in my mouth. It felt a little strange to carry something in my mouth like this, but I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself out loud, gaining the attention of two guests in the hall briefly. I had no issues walking around this world on all fours or without clothes like it was nothing because everyone else did it, yet this was weird? I smiled broadly at Stalwart, realizing that he probably didn’t understand what was so amusing. He waited for me to set the bags down onto the bed before asking. “So what got you in a good mood while I wasn’t looking?” “Just laughing at something that is taken for granted. That’s all.” I said, hoping that would be enough to deter him from asking specifically what. “If you say so… You’re not going to stand and eat are you?” “Well,” I paused, looking around and only just now noticing that there were no chairs in the place. I suppose I could sit on the floor, though with cold stone, that didn’t seem terribly appealing. “I’ll make due.” “Here.” He said, moving his body to the side of the bed to make room, “Join me up here.” “There’s not enough room though.” I said, looking at the length of the bed, it was just barely long enough for our food at the foot of the bed before realizing he meant lying next to him. “I think there’s enough, but if you want to stay standing…” He said, letting his voice trail off as I sighed, and with a smirk, walked over to the side of the bed and carefully climbed up. “See? Plenty of room!” “Sure, whatever you say Romeo.” I smirked, using my magic to lay out the food on the foot of the bed where we were facing. We ate quietly, and I gradually relaxed, even feeling Stalwart’s side up against my own. He wasn’t quite as talkative as he often was, but I could tell he was tired. His breathing was slightly ragged and his movements sluggish. I cleared away our napkins, brushing the crumbs off the bed with magic when I felt him lean more against my side and his head went down to rest on the mattress. My heart fluttered a little at first, but then as he took a deep breath, noticeably relaxing, I couldn’t help but relax my body in turn. His fur against my own was a silky sensation, and his heavy frame expanding and contracting with each breath as his eyes grew closer and closer to closed was comforting in its own right. I watched him fall asleep, feeling happy about it as I started to puzzle this new experience out. I had never let anyone near me like this, and yet here was someone who was sleeping next to me and I was comfortable, almost protective of them. I couldn’t really do anything yet, but this almost made me want to. I laid there for an hour, watching him rest and looking through his fur without disturbing him for those bruises, and winced at them when I saw them. They were sizable and made my body cringe internally at the idea of taking that kind of a hit. In the end, as much as I really wanted to rest with him, I was getting restless and needed to check on Silver. I stepped down off the bed, feeling horrible, as if I was breaking a promise I shouldn’t have, but then promised myself to return to him when I was done seeing if Silver was ok. I closed the door behind me as I headed toward the nearest nurse pony I spotted. “Excuse me, which room is Silver Wing’s?” “He’s the third door on the right. He’s been out cold since the fight. Try not to wear him out if he does end up being awake please.” “Thank you.” I bowed my head toward her in thanks before heading down the hall to the door she specified, the nurse herself going into another one of the rooms to handle the patient there. I started to slow down as I reached the door. Anxiety pressed in as I had to wonder just how bad things must be if he’s been out cold still. Stalwart had put on a good face, but ended up sleeping as well. I stood outside the door, continuing to hesitate as I tried to sort out my concerns. I no longer had a choice, however, as the door started to open and I was left face to face with Silver Wing! His proximity, combined with the door opening surprised me to the extent my heart started to race as my eyes grew wide. I almost immediately raised a hoof to my chest to calm myself down. Silver groaned, a wince appearing on his face before he started to speak. “Ow… Hey Dawn, enjoy the demonstration?” The smile he brought to his face seemed forced as a snort came from his side. Standing next to him was the pony who gave the outburst earlier before the match. I looked at her form, only to notice that Silver’s wing was draped over her back limply. “I,” I hesitated, noticing more of the glare and feeling intimidated. “don’t really know. Stalwart has just a few bruises but-” “I’m fine,” Silver’s chuckle rang out, “really. I’ll be right as rain in no time. Glad to hear Stalwart’s alright though. That guy can really take a hit.” “I’m glad to hear you’ll be all right too.” I nodded, not so confident in him as he seemed to suggest, “Are you ready for the dinner then?” “He’s not even ready to get out of bed yet.” The pony next to him snorted. Silver winced before replying, “Dinners not for a few hours yet. I'm sure I'll be good by then.” His companion shook her head. My eyes narrowed slightly as I thought I detected a hint or air of superiority, and it irked me. Her attitude so far reminded me heavily of someone who remained aloof and my experiences with such people have never left good impressions. I tried not to focus on her and returned my gaze to Silver, trying to see if there was some validity to her doubt. “Why, what’s wrong?” I asked, wanting to see what would be said by either of them. “Nothing-” Silver started to say, right as his companion spoke. “He's broken two of his ribs,” she stated irritably, “But he's too much of a mule to stay in his bed.” “They’re just cracked…” I heard him mutter as he dropped his head. I looked over to the red pony in surprise, attempting to excuse the attitude on Silver’s stubbornness. I looked back at him to notice the bandages on his back and let out a long sigh. It was clear if he was downplaying these injuries he had no intent to let himself rest. “So he's not about to get back in bed huh?” I asked, double checking with her. “Like I told Sky,” Silver protested, “If I have to be in bed for the next while, I'd rather be in my own bed. Not some hospital room.” I nodded in reply as I tried to assess how I could best help. It’d be unlikely I could convince him to stay in bed if she had already tried, so all I could do is help mitigate the damage he would incur. Seeing Silver’s wing draped over the other pony’s back made me wonder though. I wasn’t sure why he was being supported by her that way unless it helped him somehow with the pain. A quick glance to his other wing which was dragging on the ground confirmed my suspicions. Rather than speaking to Silver, who would likely downplay it further, I turned to his aloof companion. “I'm guessing you're doing that to help Silver out with the ribs... I don't suppose you'd want help with the other wing would you?” I asked, wanting to be polite and ensure there wouldn’t be an issue with offering help. “No, I'm doing it to keep his flight feathers from getting ground off on the floor.” she replied. “I’m fine, really.” Silver added, grunting slightly as he lifted his wing off the floor, “See?” There was a sudden movement and he dropped his wing and frowned at the pony next to him. I had to resist growing incredibly angry. Silver’s being hurt was something I took very seriously, and her sarcasm was entirely unnecessary. I took a breath to keep my anger in check, and carefully lifted his wing up with my remaining weakened magic, watching for any signs of discomfort by Silver, before positioning myself under the wing and resting it on my back. “You don’t need to do that, Dawn, really. I'm fine.” “Wait,” The mare said, turning her head in surprise, “she’s Dawn!?” “Yeah,” I replied coolly, still attempting to keep myself in check. I was still frustrated, but I couldn’t help but wonder how she knew my name or why, “I’m she. Why?” “Some friend you are,” the mare snorted, “I heard you and those other Guards betting on Silver losing before the event.” “What? Really?” Silver asked in surprise, turning toward me in reply. I turned to her as my anger started to be kindled further, a cold pit in the middle of my body trying to find an outlet as I attempted to keep myself calm, but was already failing. I didn’t hate very often, but erroneous accusations toward my character were something I never stood for when I could help it. I knew I couldn’t hold my anger in further, so I replied quickly, a darting jab to let her know exactly where I stood. “Assume whatever the hell you like,” I glared while speaking in a cold dangerous tone, “but I didn't make any bets on anyone because I didn't want to see either of ‘em hurt." With that, I looked forward, attempting to show I was done with the conversation. If she wants to jump to conclusions based on the people I was with, fine. I simply won’t have much more to do with her if I can help it. Even so, I tried to remind myself of Silver’s presence and waited for us to get moving. “Easy now,” he replied, attempting to smooth things over. “It wouldn't bother me either way. Win or lose, it was more for the Princesses entertainment than anything, right? I would have probably bet against me too, what with how the odds were stacked.” The other pony shook her head, right as I was about to. I didn’t like this pony, plain and simple, and while I would have trotted off, leaving her behind, I knew that would leave Silver in a bind, and probably let her feel justified in her assumptions. I wasn’t about to let that happen. “Let's just get you to your room. You set the pace Silver.” I replied instead. I wanted to get moving, and letting Silver set the pace seemed the most appropriate. I figure not only was Silver the one injured, but this way, it didn’t show any favoritism between myself and this other pony. I didn’t want him to feel pressure from needing to take a side in our heated undertones. “Okay.” He said, seeming to hesitate before he took a slow step, paused, took another step, and created the rhythm we would follow for the rest of his walk to his room. Partway through the walk to his room, Silver chimed, “Hey Sky, where’s my armor?” “After you were brought here, Black Mane took them back,” Sky explained, “He figured it'd be easier if he just took them now, so you wouldn't have to deliver them to him later, when you should be ‘resting.’” “I’ll have to thank him again when next I see him then,” he said, “His armor worked a hell of a lot better than those crappy training ones.” “If you'd have won, the Princesses would probably have given you a set of your own,” Sky replied, almost appearing to have a shrug when I looked over to her in slight doubt at the statement before she smirked, “But... You lost. And there's no prize for second place this time, ‘Silver.’” I heard Silver sigh and tried not to feel frustrated at her. He didn’t need someone bringing him down, so I thought I’d try to cheer him up a bit. “I wasn't aware there was any kind of prizes or the like for this. Stalwart certainly made no comment of that sort. If it's any consolation, no one expected you to get to where you'd win all three of the one on twos...” I added, only realizing in hindsight she could have been cheering him up in her own way. “She's just kidding around Dawn,” Silver said smiling, “It was just a simple combat demonstration, not a real competition. And while I appreciate your comment, I lost the last of the two on ones.” “Actually,” I said quickly, wanting to cut him off right there, “it was a draw, and because you had the disadvantage, you were given the victory point.” "I was?" Silver said in surprise, "Huh..." "And he would have won the next match too," the orange-red pony added, "If he hadn't of gone and injured himself in his fight with Skyros." "I agree,” I nodded, more focused on keeping a middle ground even if it meant a slight bit of deception, “But don't tell Stalwart that.” Silver’s throat clearing caught my attention, a welcome distraction from figuring out what else I could say to keep things going when I didn’t like half of the company present. "I'm glad you two think so highly of me," he chuckled, "but I'd probably have lost regardless. The two on ones only worked because I managed to split my opponents up. Come the last fight, they would have realized they needed work together. All they'd really have to do was group up and force me to come to them. I wouldn't have been to keep my eye on all of them. Not when one can fly, and the other can attack at range." "You would have been fine if you were serious," Sky Flare said, "I've seen you fight with intent before." I stayed quiet. I didn’t really know what kind of fighting either Silver or Stalwart was capable of, and I didn’t want to seem like I was taking his side any further than I already could be perceived. I let my gaze turn from them and watched the floor slowly go by as we still weren’t in his room yet. "I wouldn't fight like that unless I had no other choice Sky." Silver spoke quietly. "Just saying," Sky Flare said confidently, "You could have won fighting like that." I looked over at Silver, uncertain what he meant by what was said, though having suspicions. I then saw the Pegasus beyond him and turned my gaze back. I still was upset by the woman’s behavior and if she wanted to keep taunting him with how things could have gone better, I wasn’t about to keep that conversation going. "Actually," Silver added, breaking the small bit of silence, "wanna know something that would have really helped? My fight mix CD. A good beat does wonders." “Yeah,” I smirked, trying not to chuckle, “music definitely can help, though I always tuned such things out the few times I tried. Found it more distracting than anything." "If you wanted music Silver, you should have said something," Sky Flare said, "My Dad has a ton of Records." "I doubt he'd have what I'm used to," Silver said, "but thank you for the offer." "Try me." Sky Flare said. "Alright," Silver said with a shrug, "Seizure of Power, by Marylin Manson." Sky Flare stared at him oddly for a moment, before she shook her head. "Alright, never heard of that one..." "No worries," Silver said, "I really didn’t expect you to have. But that was one of my main go to songs back home." “Yeah,” I chuckled involuntarily, adding, “I have no idea what to recommend. Most of my music comes from my games." For a split second I worried about whether we should be talking about music from our world, whether it’d be appropriate, but on the other hand, I had already let Stalwart hear tunes from my games as it was. "I miss my games," Silver sighed, "But I'll get over it." We turned a corner in silence and Silver’s room came into view. A deep breath came out of Silver and I almost thought I felt a quiver in his wing at the prospect of the end being in sight. "Thanks for the help, Dawn," Silver said tiredly, "I thought we were a little closer to my room than that.” "That's why I said to stay in bed," Sky Flare reminded him, "But you wouldn't listen." "Yeah, yeah. I know, I know." Silver sighed. “Silver,” I started to say, attempting to be forceful with him, “you really should rest." I sighed, starting to feel as tired as Silver sounded before I looked over to Sky, "Want me to help with the other wing more, or do you have it from here?” "I got him, thanks." Sky Flare snorted, her tone still cool and hinting at annoyance, without a hint of appreciation. I narrowed my eyes at her and willed myself to be patient. She wasn’t half bad for a moment, but then she had to neglect being courteous at the end. I tried to let out my breath, only to start letting a snort out and cut myself short, breathing through my mouth as I gently lifted Silver’s wing off my back, only to very carefully set it down on the ground like before. "Take care Silver. I'll see you either at dinner or when you're healed... I'm hoping the latter." "You take care too." he replied with a weak smile. "And thanks for the help." I smiled appreciatively at him, feeling sorry for his predicament and the company he kept, but kept calm enough to reply. “You’re welcome.” With that, I turned back around to walk to Stalwart. I was not happy with how that turned out and how much I missed being near him, but it helped Silver out. If that helps to brighten up his day, then that’ll be enough for me, even if the mare he was with doesn’t seem to appreciate it at all. I opened Stalwart’s door, closing it behind me as I looked at his sleeping form. He hadn’t shifted at all. Quietly, so as not to wake him up, I climbed back into the bed. It squeaked on its frame and the springs shifted to accommodate the extra weight. A small snore came from Stalwart’s nose as I froze, half up on the bed before a small bit of laughter escaped my throat. I settled down in the bed with him again, feeling our fur meet and Stalwart’s initial flinch only to lean against me in turn. I laid my head down to rest for the time being. I didn’t look at the clock to see how long until the dinner was to start, but with all the activity and the tension, a nap wasn’t about to go amiss. It wasn’t until someone was shaking me gently on the side before I started to wake up, a familiar voice calling my name. “Dawn, you’re going to be late, get up you silly mare.” I got up sluggishly blinking as I realized that I was being woken for dinner. Stalwart’s face nearby as he continued to shake until I got up and stepped down off the bed. “Meadow Dawn, your presence is requested-” A male’s voice chimed, as if on cue. “I’m coming, I’m coming. Sorry. I was… Well, nevermind. Lead on good sir.” The guard nodded as he led the way to the dinner room. I was still tired, as if I had been one of the ones fighting, but did my best to wake up with the shining sunlight coming through the various windows in the castle. It seemed like barely any time had passed before I was in the entrance of the familiar dinner chambers. I headed toward my seat, anticipating everything to be just like always when I noticed a third pony present. The guest was a purple pony of a similar size, her horn coming out of her forehead like any other unicorn, if perhaps a little longer than average. I couldn’t help but wonder what her participation here would involve, as they hadn’t included guests in the past. "Good evening, Meadow Dawn," Celestia called to me as I hesitated and sat myself down on the cushion. “I trust our Stalwart Shield is none the worse for wear?” “He’s a little bruised,” I nodded, “but he’s resting up really well. Silver on the other hand... I'm worried about him, but he says he'll be fine.” I shifted a little in my seat, thinking about them both, and still feeling frustrated with that Pegasus Silver was with, but thinking about Stalwart’s rested face before the nap helped me to calm down. "They will both recover swiftly, I am certain." Celestia said smiling. She glanced over at the guest before adding, "Meadow Dawn, I would like you to meet Princess Twilight Sparkle. Twilight, this is Meadow Dawn, the human that managed to repair Starswirl’s bracelet.” I bowed my head when the introductions were made, hoping that was sufficient. My ears perked up noticeably when I heard that the guest was also a princess. I looked at her in surprise, but sure enough, she had wings on her sides that I had missed before. “Hello.” I barely managed to speak, feeling more nervous than before. I had no idea that Celestia was going to introduce me as a human. I was doing what I could to blend in as best as allowed, but she was going to out me early on? "That's a remarkable feat," Twilight said, "It's almost impossible for anypony other than the maker of the magical artifact to be able to repair it, and you did it in no time, and with barely any training!" She cleared her throat and took a quick breath to calm herself. "Sorry," she continued more slowly, "It's very nice to meet you, Meadow Dawn. I can't wait to talk to about your friend." "There will be plenty of time for that after we have eaten," Celestia said, "But first, we have one more guest that seems to be running a little late." “You can’t mean Silver.” I replied in doubt, surprised at what Celestia might be suggesting. “He needs his rest! Right?” "A guard was sent to ask if Silver would be able to attend or not, and was informed that he would indeed be attending," Celestia said, "We will wait another few minutes before I send another to find out what is delaying him." I sighed, not wanting to see him here. It meant he was pushing himself too far. Then again, as I turned to watch the door, I hoped that maybe, as much as I didn’t care for that Pegasus, maybe she would keep him from attending. A few moments later, the doors opened outward and I groaned along with them internally. Silver was limping into the room, out of breath and bandages around his chest. He took a little time, but managed to make it to his cushion before he sat down with an obviously tired thump. Silver breathed heavily and it almost looked like his eyes were distant. "Are you certain you are well enough to attend this dinner, Silver Wing?" Luna asked from across the table. “I’m fine,” Silver managed to say as he smiled, looking around at everyone. “Just need to catch my breath. Stairs… Stairs suck.” He seemed to only then wave toward me, and I couldn’t muster the willpower to wave back before he turned to face the purple pony nearby and bowed his head toward her slowly. My eyes narrowed and I took a deep breath to calm myself as I turned toward Celestia. I was not happy about the scenario, but I couldn’t afford to worry about his behavior. He was an adult and could make his own decisions, and I wasn’t about to stop that. I watched as Celestia turned toward her sister, the two of them appearing moderately concerned as well, but it wasn’t long before she spoke. "Very well. First, let us eat, then we can discuss the events of today freely." I barely registered what I ate. Most of it was flavorful, but if asked, I couldn’t tell anyone what it was I ate. Between being in the presence of a stranger again, and having Silver’s injuries on my mind, it seemed like it was a mere minute before our plates were being cleared and the servers departing. Celestia cleared her throat, pulling all attention to her. “Your performance this day was quite impressive, Silver Wing.” She smiled at him, “I do not believe anypony expected you to reach as far as you did. Even my dear sister was brought to the edge of her seat during your final match.” “Your prowess in combat was indeed worth witnessing,” Luna said with a hint of a frown when she glanced at her sister, only to smile at Silver herself. “and you fought with a truly unique ferocity and cunning.” "I agree. It was very interesting to see," the guest, Twilight admitted, "I bet Rainbow Dash would have loved to have seen it. She'll be so jealous when I tell her about it." I watched as all eyes seemed to turn to me and I swallowed, trying to figure out the best answer I could give, considering the emotional ride that I went through watching it. "I'm just glad it stopped when it did... Too many heart attacks in one day for my taste." I replied before hearing Silver chuckling. I turned to face him, surprised at the reaction. "Try it from inside the ring," he smiled, "Whatever rush you got watching is nothing compared to the real thing." “Sorry,” I shook my head in reply, “I have no interest in trying anything like that, inside a ring or otherwise. "Yet you aided Silver Wing with a sparring match a few days ago," Celestia added, correcting me, "So clearly, some part of you at least, holds interest in such things." “I blame that on Starlight.” I chuckled, realizing I had already almost completely forgotten that event happened in light of everything today. "Yes,” Celestia chuckled, nodding before adding thoughtfully, “he does seem the more headstrong of the two of you… Speaking of Starlight, if you would be so kind as to introduce him to Twilight? She has been very eager to meet him since I first wrote to her of his nature." I nodded, turning toward the seat that Starlight would sit, noticing that Twilight was smiling at the idea of his appearance. It took a couple seconds, but Starlight Dusk walked forward from the edge of the room, gradually fading into the room and sitting in his usual seat. Despite his claim earlier today about our magic being weakened, he was just as non-transparent as he ever had been. It wasn’t perfect, but only flecks of his mane flickered in and out of sight like a miniature flame. "Oh wow, so he really does materialize out of thin air!" Twilight exclaimed as she clapped her hooves, eyes wide open in excitement. There was an abrupt flash of purple, her body disappearing from her seat as she reappeared next to Starlight and looked at him intensely, “Amazing!” She whispered. The purple Alicorn raised a hoof, pushing against Starlight’s side, which felt like it pressed into my own slightly. “That’s incredible! You’re visually transparent, yet physically tangible. Tell me, if you were to eat an apple, would it be absorbed into you, or would we be able to watch it get digested? Do you even need to eat for that matter? And where do you go when you're not here? You came when called, but Meadow Dawn didn't call you verbally, so does that mean you can see or sense what's going on around her through some magical means?" Starlight and I were both flustered, watching her in a frozen surprise as we tried to figure out how to respond. It was also the first time that Starlight’s experience bled over to me, as I felt her hoof press into my side, despite being a seat away. “I,” Starlight started to say out loud, his voice sounding almost as confused as we felt, hesitating before he said, “... what should I answer first? I'm lost." "Right... Sorry." She replied before she vanished once again, a flash of purple where she was before. We turned our heads and she had reappeared in her seat once more. There was another flash beside her, and from it, a quill and a pad of paper appeared and began scribbling down furiously. "So...?" Twilight asked again, "How did you know to come here when Celestia asked?" “Well,” Starlight spoke as he looked back at her with his head slightly tilted. “I can hear and see what dawn sees, more or less. Depends on how strong I feel at the time.” "Interesting," Twilight said nodding, "and what about a sense of feel, or taste? Is that also shared?" Starlight narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable but shook his head, "No, not yet anyway. Maybe with time..." "Interesting," Twilight repeated, "and where do you go when you're not here? What's it like?" I listened to Starlight as he took a breath, my own body doing the same out of the shared anxiety. It was a strange feeling, sensing how he felt on a basic level, as if it were an echo in my own body as a rubber band tried to press around our chests. “Well, at first it wasn't much like anything. Just hazy glimpses of my old life, back before Dawn knew who she was. It was cold and time seemed to stand still. I have no idea how long I was stuck like that, but eventually, my teacher found me and pulled me free of that place. He helped me take on this new form and showed me how to reach out to Dawn." "I see," Twilight said curiously. "And now?" "Now it's just dark. Only my teacher and what Dawn sees or hears reach me there." He said quietly, shrugging it off after. I watched as Twilight’s eyes narrowed, though I had no idea why. We were starting to relax, and there wasn’t anything that he said that seemed out of the ordinary. If anything, I would trust Starlight a great deal as he’s the one that is experiencing it. "So it's just this 'Teacher' and Meadow Dawn in there now?" Twilight asked seriously, her quill having paused in its notetaking. “I haven’t spotted anyone else in there in the last few years. Why?” "And what about places, or things just floating about?" Twilight asked. Her tone was still heavy, and that worried me, despite Starlight shrugging after his last answer. “Just what Dawn sees and hears, as well as where my teacher takes me.” Starlight’s nervousness was reaching a crescendo in my chest, and while it wasn’t overwhelming, I could instinctively tell that he didn’t understand why any of it would be a problem. Besides, if Starlight were a part of me that could manifest, I couldn’t see how it wouldn’t make sense for him to experience what I experience to an extent. Twilight frowned and shook her head before replying, “That doesn't seem right to me.” "What is the matter Twilight?" Celestia asked, her voice almost equally solemn. "It's just, in all the books and scrolls I've read, the space between worlds is always described as being open," Twilight began, "Pieces of everywhere, from every time and space just drift around. Lost fragments that have been cast off, or memories that refuse to fade. It's never been described so... Blankly." I watched as she looked to Celestia before she continued thinking out loud, scrutinizing her notes, wondering what in the world she could argue against someone who was experiencing it. "Even their relationship doesn't quite fit now that I think about it.” Twilight continued, “Starlight's a part of Meadow Dawn, a fragment she lost years ago. He should have become one with her the moment she passed through the Mirror of Worlds. The fact he managed to stay separate makes no sense to me..." "Well,” I said, eager to jump in Starlight’s defense, “I enjoy that he's out like this instead. I'm.... glad..." I groaned quietly as my speech slowed, raising a hoof to my head as a headache developed. It grew a little intense for a minute as my head pulsed before I could open my eyes, not realizing when I had closed them and looked around at everyone. All four of the other ponies excluding Starlight were staring at me. Hoping to allay their fears, I set my hoof down and smiled weakly, in spite of the headache staying in place. “Sorry, what were we talking about again?" I asked, hoping to keep them from worrying. “Are you alright?” Celestia asked after looking after Luna then back at myself. “Yeah, I think so,” I nodded, “Just a bit of a headache.” I lifted a hoof to my ear as a faint buzzing started to reach it. After a single rub and an ear flick, I began to hear Starlight’s voice in that ear, clearly being kept private. ‘Hey Dawn, we don’t have any reason to believe her right now. I just quickly talked with Teacher and he says he’s heard of her. Says she can’t know what she’s talking about because she’s only read about Starswirl’s work.’ ‘If he hasn’t been around for a long time, isn’t that the best we have?’ I asked, confused as to why it’s an issue. 'It would be if we didn't have Teacher to help us. He knows way more about Starswirl’s work than she does, why’d you think I was able to find you and bring you here? Besides, she doesn’t understand this in-between place because she hasn’t been there like we are. I can’t fault her for wanting to help, but she’s not speaking with any real authority.' I nodded my agreement before turning back to everyone, the pulse in my head still present. I don’t know when I tiled my head, but I straightened myself out and gave another ear flick before waiting for the conversation to continue. "Perhaps we should save such questions for later, Twilight." Celestia said, though her tone seemed unusually thoughtful. "But-" Twilight started, but fell silent as Celestia's expression hardened for a moment, "Yes Princess." "Why don't you take a look at Starswirl’s bracelet?" Celestia said, her expression returning to its typical manner, "Dawn has done a most remarkable job in repairing it." I smiled and straightened up at the compliment, very pleased. Reaching down to my upper forelimb, I slid the bracelet down from its position and used magic to lift it up and set it down in the center of the table. A purple hue surrounded it as it floated over to Twilight and she looked it over eagerly and attentively. "Incredible," she gasped, "This is one of Starswirl’s works alright, but it's not one of his typical pieces. This one is very rare." “How so?” I asked. I know the history of the item that I had found thus far, but for all I knew, she could have a very different answer for its rarity and I was curious as to what else might be mentioned. "Well, you've noticed how this symbol is different than one would typically expect?" Twilight explained. She seemed to continue in spite of my nod, having explained this before myself, "How it has this extra star within a star right here? Nopony's really sure why, but there was a time in Starswirl the Bearded's life where he went a little... Odd. Even for him. He started making trinket after trinket for the ponies of Equestria, and every one of them had this slightly modified engraving on them. He made dozens of helpful items over the course of about a year, then something happened to him. He returned to using his original mark and began taking back all the trinkets he had given away. This is the first one I've actually ever seen with my own eyes." "Sometimes great intelligence is accompanied by eccentricity,” I nodded, pausing a moment before adding, “Still, I take it that means there aren't that many of these left." "Until today, I've only ever seen drawings of them," Twilight said, "As far as I am aware, the rest have all been destroyed." I nodded again, grimacing as the headache started to get a little worse, “So what would cause him to go out and make the artifacts, only to take them back?” "Nopony really knows," Twilight admitted, "but he clearly missed this one, or chose not to destroy it for some reason. Either way, I'm still amazed you managed to fix it in the first place. I know I said this earlier, but it really is incredible that you repaired it. It takes a very powerful and focused unicorn to repair someone else’s work. The magic used to repair something like this needs to resonate with the magic that was first used to create it. Maybe it's because you came through the Mirror of Worlds, or maybe it has something to do with the odd way you and Starlight have managed to remain separate, I don't really know, but it's an impressive feat." “I still don't think I'm powerful,” I said, blushing at the compliment and feeling the headache abate already, “but I appreciate what you said.... though, just how well is it repaired? I haven't been able to lift that much, yet stories suggest it should be able to lift large rocks." "It's very well repaired," Twilight said, "The gem you chose to use is the issue. It's a very fine quality gem, and I doubt you'd be able to find better outside of the Crystal Kingdom. But Starswirl used special gemstones he would grow from pure magic. When fully charged, some of them could imbue great magic into their owners. That's why his gifts were usually so rare, and why the frequency he gave away these ones is such an oddity." I hummed out loud, frustrated that I wasn’t given that insight. The teacher I had surely would have known about this magic gem trick I thought, but as I started to think that, my headache worsened a great deal. I let out a groan as my head really started to pound and a hoof raised itself to feel the throbbing pulse of my skull against my wrist. It was almost enough to take my breath away. I tried to blank it out and took a deep breath to counter it before letting it out slowly. "Sorry, I think... I think I should get some rest soon. This is weird." "The two of you have had a very long day," Celestia’s voice rang beautifully in spite of the pulses that gradually started to abate once more. Her concerned gaze being the first thing I noticed when I reopened my eyes, “Let us continue this conversation again at our next meeting when you are both more rested. Though I do have a task for you, Meadow Dawn." I nodded, grimacing as a particularly painful pulse came and then the migraine lessened to a minor headache. "It requires a great deal of focus for you to help bring Starlight into our world," Celestia explained, "I would like you to try and keep him here as much as possible from now on. The more you practice, the easier it will be in the future to call on him when you need him, or in times of stress. However, I would caution against having him wander the streets of Canterlot with you. While the Guards within the Palace walls will pay him no heed as they have grown accustomed to you, most Ponies in Equestria would react with far more curiosity and suspicion. Do you understand?" “I’d rather have him out and about when possible,” I nodded, appreciating the request she was suggesting, “but I understand your reason for caution. I will try." I watched as the bracelet floated its way to in front of me and I slipped it onto my leg effortlessly. "It would seem that young Silver Wing has dozed off while we discussed Starlight and the magic of Starswirl’s bracelet." she chuckled. "Silver Wing," she called softly, "Awaken Silver Wing." Silver jerked up and gasped, his face wincing noticeably as he probably stretched something further than he should have. "I-I'm awake!" he squeaked as he noticed Celestia’s smile. "With that concluded, I believe rest would be your best interest now Silver Wing," Celestia said, "If you would like, I could have a guard escort you to your room?" "Thank you," Silver stated, "But I'm fine, I can make it on my own." "I am certain you can," Celestia said, "But you are still injured, and there is no harm in accepting aid when it is needed." "I'm fine, really." He protested "Be that as it may," Luna chimed in, "We feel an escort is in order." "Yeah, but I'm sure your guards have better things to do that walk me back to my room, so no worries." "If you do not wish a guard to escort you," Luna said sternly, "Then I shall see to your return myself." "W-what!? No, no, it's fine." "You would not be attempting to refuse an offer from a Princess, would you Silver Wing?" Luna asked, her tone more serious than threatening. "Not at all... I'd just rather not trouble you with something so... Menial" "Helping somepony else is never menial," Luna stated, "So if that is all, let us be on our way. I expect Princess Twilight has withheld her questions for young Meadow Dawn and Starlight for about as long as she can. My sister can see to the rest." I stayed quiet through this exchange because it was clear he needed the attention, and the gentle pushing, even with a small nod from Celestia. It was almost amazing to watch them deftly maneuver him into a wall he couldn’t escape to go the route they wanted. "Alright then, Good night then everyone." “Good night Silver.” I mumbled, not intending him to hear it, but still wishing him well nonetheless. He was tired, and I didn’t want to delay him any further. “Now, before you depart," Celestia’s voice added in the now quiet room of the four of us, “I believe Twilight has a gift for you." "Oh, right!" Twilight exclaimed. She looked around for a moment, then her horn glowed purple. From the ground beside her, hidden by the table, a large bag rose up and drifted towards me. I looked toward Twilight, feeling a bit of nervous anticipation before gasping in surprise at a decently sized saddlebag floated over to in front of my table seat, landing on the table with a very gentle thud. I found myself standing up already, eager to see what it was that was inside, but there wasn’t much time to guess. "Celestia told me that you were interested in learning all about magic while you were here," Twilight explained excitedly, "So I brought you a few books on everything from simple magic, to more advanced spells. I couldn’t really make up my mind on which ones you'd like to start with. I hope it’s enough." I stared at the outside of the bag, not sure how she could have fit a few books into the saddlebags that couldn’t have been much larger than half the size of my backpacks back home. Yet when I used my magic to open the flap and looked inside, both of the saddlebags had a dozen books each inside them, impossibly crammed inside, yet loose enough I could jostle them a little inside with my magic. I closed the flap and looked at the outside, then reopened it to see the wide contents inside and had to ask a really dumb question, as this seemed impossibly like a game item. “Is, is this a bag of holding?!” “No…?” Twilight replied, sounding confused in spite of a snicker from Starlight, “It's a saddlebag. They hold a lot more than they look like they can." I looked at her, still shocked entirely, barely registering that my headache was entirely gone as I looked for a way to put it on properly, and yet nothing about it seemed conventional. There weren’t any buttons or fasteners that I could see. If I was to use this properly, I had to ask. “How would I put it on?” Twilight chuckled, only to levitate the bag over my head and the straps effortlessly into place around my forelegs, where the pack snugly fit my frame before her magic stopped and all of the weight pressed down across my back heavily. At least twelve of these books were not light reading and I felt it now! “Definitely not a bag of holding then.” I chuckled as I shifted my legs under the load, feeling amazed at my body’s strength at holding them as if I were minimally impacted, “So, how do I know I have it on right and secured, you kinda did that a bit... fast." "It rests in the small of your back," Twilight explained, "just make sure it feels comfortable and don't bend too far over and you'll do fine." "Well, thanks...” I nodded as I tried not to complain about how useless of an explanation that was, “I don't really know what to say, but I really appreciate it. What book should I start with first?" "Oh, I'd start with Starswirl’s guide to Horns and what they can do, volume one," Twilight said quickly, "Though Bellhorn’s notations on the Fundamentals of the Arcane is also a fascinating read. But one you absolutely have to read is Neighvermore's Guide to Object Manipulation and-" "I think it would be best to choose the one whose cover most catches your eye," Celestia cut in, "You'll find every one of those books will hold a great wealth of knowledge for you." Twilight chuckled a little sheepishly and nodded. "And if you ever want any more, you're welcome to come and visit me in Ponyville anytime," She offered, "I'm sure my friends would love to meet you." I nodded. Nothing sounded familiar from magic kindergarten, but it’s likely that these other names would have come up in more advanced courses. If I could manage to glean some things from the books, even if it’s not how I usually learned, it’d still be time well spent. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind, especially if I'm stuck." I finally replied. "Now then," Celestia said in a motherly way, "off to bed with you both. We will discuss Starlight and magic more tomorrow." She nodded her head to both Dawn and Starlight, then fell silent. I nodded, Starlight standing up as well to be by my side. I grunted as I took a few steps and smirked, turning to Celestia, “Yeah, these books are heavy. Thank you for the meal and the talk, I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.” “After the cuteseanera probably though.” Starlight added, likely to remind me. I had almost forgotten as I started to walk toward the exit "It was very interesting meeting you both," Twilight said, "Especially you Starlight." Starlight nodded, "You're welcome to talk to me at any time." He said as he turned to follow. We walked down the stairs together, the weight of the books pressing on me noticeably with each step down, yet at the same time, it didn’t seem to bother me yet. The guards at the bottom of the stairwell treated Starlight no differently than me as we both walked to our bedroom. No words were needed between us, as we were worn out still. The nap with Stalwart helped, but it was time for a proper sleep. After coordinating with Starlight to get the heavy saddlebag off my back and down on the seat of the chair nearby, I stepped up onto the bed and curled up, Starlight preferring to sleep curled up on the surface of the bed, and fell asleep within minutes of the sun setting.