Student of the Night

by Nadir


The Storm


Her body entered the flow, a great and terrible noise filling her ears. Blackness --no, not blackness, void!-- dominated her sight all at once. The darkness blinded and deafened her, even her screams disappearing into the nightmarish emptiness. From somewhere, she could hear a “Twily!” echoing. And that was it from the real world, potentially for the rest of her admittedly now short life. The giddiness had already faded away from her, replaced with a sickly dread. She knew where she was: Knew what was going on. Something was wrong, and only the pit of her stomach realized it.

Despite the blackness, silence did not dominate the aether. The aether did not resemble a void, as various tomes suggested. Nor did sound and light deafen and blind. Nay, things came quick and unexpectedly, blinding her with their brilliance. No gradual progression accompanied the sights, no slow transitions, just abrupt and utter precipices. The aether did not go easy, nor did it care for her wellbeing; it simply assaulted her mind, over and over, vision after vision.

All the while, bells rang against the background. The noise reached Twilight’s ears, somehow both incredible and nearly non-existent at once, both oppressive and soothing. The bells had no tune, no rhyme or reason. It was a crashing melody, if it could even be called that; a nearly tortured chime, robbing her of any sort of hearing.

Somewhere within her mind, Twilight realized it had been naught but a moment.
        
Twilight recognized some of the sights. Queen Luna perched high above the city, sitting and looking out on a high up balcony, mane waving in the wind behind her. Blink. Fire raged in the lower city leaving not a single structure untouched: From the smallest hovel, to the largest warehouse, each building blazed as they burned into nothing but ashes. Blink. Pegasi fought, struggling with thunderclouds and rainstorms of all types, but nothing made even the slightest difference. One bucked wildly at the nearby clouds and showering below, tears ever-present in his gaze. Blink. Ponies screamed. Screams full of rage, full of despair, devoid of hope. No being could dream of stopping this. None. The Queen herself watched the city go to ground. Blink. Barely, just barely, Twilight could make out the orphanage. Even her home, her refuge fell against the fire’s fury.

Just as quickly as it had come, the burning city faded from her mind. Luna disappeared, and in her place -- in the place of the city-- was a hallway.

Smell pushed out against Twilight’s nose as well, the smell of wet stone and scented candles. The hallway had great, arched windows letting in the natural light of the sun, brilliantly illuminating the opposite wall. Paintings and portraits of all kinds dotted the walls, yet the vision chose to focus on two ponies instead. The first was nothing special; he was a unicorn, blue coated, silver mane with a light, white streak through it. Twilight guessed him to be a noble, or if he wasn’t, he at least looked the part. Yet, despite how elegant and downright cultured he seemed, the stallion was clearly angry. He talked, nearly shouting in the face of the other pony. The stallion talked actively rather than passively, hooves gesticulating all around, even going as far to get in the face of his companion.

It was only then that Twilight got a good glance of the pony across from him. With a start, Twilight realized that she knew who the pony was; the pony from the library. Not the worker, but the mare. The one who had the aura about her, the one who radiated the hatred, radiated the malice. She was here, and her visage was just as impassive as it had been that night. She cared not for what her opposite had to say, despite his passion. The mare clearly didn’t care for his words, more interested in the wall behind him than whatever he spoke of.

Twilight couldn’t hear them, just barely out of her range. Bare whispers filled her ears along with the bells, but nothing more.

Once again, the vision disappeared. This time, the aether granted Twilight a moment of peace, a sweet, merciful peace. Though it only lasted a moment, Twilight basked in the simple joy of nothing, the happiness of just relaxing with nothing building on her headache. Nothing else screamed through her ears, and only the darkness greeted her sight. Despite the calm, the dread didn’t leave her stomach, questions taking the place of the sensation. How long would she waited here? How long would she be trapped in this in-between dimension? Was she doomed? Had she put in too much power? Too little? There were an innumerable way things could’ve gone wrong, and she hadn’t the faintest which it was.

Her thoughts were viciously ripped away by yet another one of those torturous visions. The aether learned, learned how best to hurt her. Instead of strange ponies, or a fevered dream of a dying city, this vision honed in on her personal life, going straight for the throat. Shining Armor stood in the forefront, bleeding from dozens of cuts. His body heaved with each breath, lungs working hard just to keep himself going. Each limb shook from exertion, and the blade that he levitated wobbled in the air. Sweat dripped from his brow, his coat shining with a sheen from it.

Somehow, behind him turned infinitely worse.. The stallion guarded an alleyway with his life, for a very good reason. Behind him, in a crumpled mess of broken bodies were two others. One, she didn’t recognize. The unrecognizable mare had a coat of a gentle pink, her unconscious expression one of tranquil peace despite the situation. At some point, her mane likely had different colors, but by now the filth darkened it into mottled shades of brown. Her dress, once some brilliant lilac thing, had been torn and ripped to shreds, dark, ugly red staining the edges. Her body laid atop the other, the one she recognized.

Matron lay beneath the still-breathing mare. Blood stained Matron’s coat and feathers, one of her wings barely hanging on by sinew alone. The gryphon lay nude for now, her usual dress gone. Matron didn’t move, not a single muscle. Her head didn’t move, nor did her chest have the tell-tale rise and fall of a breathing being. Nausea swelled up inside of Twilight’s stomach, bile threatening to make it’s way out. Matron lay dead, and nothing could be done about it. Matron lay dead, and Twilight took the blame. She should’ve been there, should’ve been helping, should’ve done something. She sh--

What? She shouldn’t done what? It wasn’t true, none of this was true, yet Twilight couldn’t help but feel a pang of..regret? Was that this strange emotion? She’d done nothing wrong, but the emotion lingered regardless.

Twilight fell away, just slowly enough to watch Shining get stabbed through the chest.

Tears sprang unbidden to her cheeks, wetting her even as they instantly sublimated and floated away. It wasn’t real, it wasn’t real. The words became her mantra, repeated over and over, the only thing keeping her calm.

The void cared not for your normal physics, nor did it care for her emotions. Even after the visions, Twilight wasn’t released. More sprang before her. A gleaming city. A far away desert. The warm embrace of a mother she had never felt. A soft lover beneath the sheets, and a much more rough one outside of them. A dark bar at night, and the gentle calmness of a park.

More and more filtered across, none given to her long enough to get a good grasp of them. Not a single one lasted more than an instant, yet they filled Twilight with a near lifetime of experience, an eternity of emotion. Exhaustion flared through her, followed instantly by a well of energy so vast she’d never get tired.

And just as it all had began, everything unceremoniously stopped.

Of all things, grass dominated her sight. Why was it grass? Oh wait, it was because she was about to faceplant. Right.

And faceplant she did. Twilight’s muzzle smacked into the ground, a massive dome of explosive magic radiating out around her. Thankfully, a shimmering, pink shield wrapped around her form, keeping the worst of the magic inside and away from any vulnerable others. Unfortunately, the rest of her body decided to follow her plummeting muzzle, slamming hard into the ground and forcibly ejecting the air from her body. She groaned, her ribs aching with pain that very politely let her know they may be broken. Her muzzle was definitely bruised, her teeth even feeling a little loose in her skull. It’d be quite the surprise if all of them remained intact and in her mouth. She blinked once, twice, only dirt and grass visible. She rolled, looking up at the sky and breathing for the first time, eyes scanning around herself painfully. Flames of the magical variety scorched her dress, leaving it frayed and blackened in parts.

Distantly, she heard the pink shield slowly dissolve, almost like a popping bubble. Her vision started to un-blur, letting her stare at the blue sky above her. Only for the mare to slam her eyes close as the pain filtered in with it. The violet mare panted, breaths coming in short, pained gasps. Nausea raised within her, Twilight barely managing to stop the vomit from expelling itself violently.

“T-twily?” A voice asked. A familiar, but very painful voice. In fact, her ears picked up any noise as a grating, screeching sound, sending shockwaves of pain through her mind. It was so dreadfully close too, nearly right beside her ear, so invasive, so strong. After the hours and hours of time alone in the aether, her body was too sensitive, too ready for any stimulus. Noise just happened to be the first one.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Twilight cracked an eyelid open. The sun practically scorched her retina, her dilated pupil taking in way too much light all at once. She whimpered silently, the pony shaped shadow above her saving her from the sun’s deadly rays. “Twily? Are you okay?” The voice prompted again. The voice grew softer, gentle, almost like the mother’s embrace she’d felt in the visions. The voice belonged to somepony she knew and trusted. It welcomed her back into the world of the living, the aether long gone yet it’s hold on her mind seemingly unrelenting.

Twilight only groaned in response, nodding her head slowly. The aether had left her a mess, but the mess wouldn’t last. A bad headache, some bruised ribs, and an oversensitivity to light were essentially it. She’d gotten off light. A learning experience, really. Not so much magic next time, for sure. The teleport was supposed to last nowhere near that long…

Speaking of. Twilight couldn’t exactly get a measure of the time like this, even her internal clock needing a rest after such a harrowing journey. “H-how long?” She managed to rasp out. Her older brother would know. He knew of her obsession with the time, and coincidentally had learned to tell it as well.

For some reason, he chuckled at her question, the pony-blur shaking it’s shadow lightly. “Seven seconds.” Shining answered. Seven seconds. All the visions, all the sounds, everything and she’d only been in there for seven seconds? What would a day be like? Or a week? Or a year? How could anypony keep their mind in such a place? She’d read about it before, what unicorn hadn’t? But to experience it for herself was entirely different. She suddenly didn’t feel that enthused about going back, fixed spell or not.

Twilight swallowed hard, getting some much needed liquid down her sore throat. “T-the others?” she asked, voice quiet. She’d been aiming near them, her entry point mere feet away from Sunset and the twins. That kind of magical discharge  so close would injure, if not maim or even kill. Despite her rough exterior, Twilight cared.

“Fine. I could feel the build-up. Got a shield around the area before you poofed back in.” Shining answered back. How many times was this? How many times had Shining saved her from disaster? If it kept happening, she’d be in his debt for the rest of her life, if she wasn’t already. Oh, she could just kiss him right now!

But that’d be gross. Bad thought, Twilight, bad thought. “Is my little Twilight okay?” The sickeningly sweet voice of Sunset once more called out. If Twilight had needed an extra reason to crawl her way back into the world of the living, it would be to get her way out of Sunset’s coddling. Oh goddesses, Sunset’s coddling could get bad.

In fact, once she had even-- a shot of pain went through Twilight’s head. Reminiscing later, sitting up and getting water now, thank you very much! “W-water. Sunset, water.” She mumbled out. Dual purpose for that request; gets the crazy mare away from her, and gets her that sweet nectar of life. Oh goddesses, her throat practically crackled like a desert.

Shining hovered over her, seemingly worried. The stallion placed a hoof behind her back, supporting her as she sat up, despite the creaking of her bones. Now that her eyes were nearly fully open, Twilight could see her brother for the first time. Shining Armor also looked a mess; brow twisted together in a line, eyes clearly empathetic, hoof almost shaking. Shining loved her, this she knew, but with such a short amount of time, where had the worry come from? It had been seven second! It was hardly logical to get upset when things were over and done that quick.

“S-so what happened?” Twilight asked, noticing Sunset’s retreating tail. The rest of their little clique kept their distance, the twins actually huddled behind Sparkler. How did they think that would be a good idea? How in Equestria was Sparkler going to protect them? That mare couldn’t conjure a shield if she had a real one right in front of her hooves.

Shining followed her gaze, before gently pressing his hoof under her chin, turning her to look back at him. “What happened? Twilight, the entire city probably felt that build-up. Well, at least all the unicorns. Luna herself probably got a damn headache from that spell!” Shining said, exasperation etched both in his voice and his face. Hrm, it really hadn’t been that much, had it? Her mind from earlier said a quarter, but the headache still clearly entrenched behind her horn screamed half. How did she even lose control over that kind of thing? Twilight’s casting tended to be controlled, and while she lacked the finesse that Sunset had, she wasn’t suicidal. A pony that couldn’t tell the difference in her magic power like that doomed herself to an early grave.

“W-wasn’t that much.” Twilight protested, shaking her head. Even the movement sent a shock of agony through her skull, causing her to grit her teeth and let out the smallest “nngh” of pain. The violet mare settled against her brother’s hooves, just trying to get her hooves back under her. Oh goddesses, recovering from this hurt.

“Take it easy, Twily.” Shining urged, his hooves gently guiding her back down. “And it really was that much. I felt it hit against my shield. There was a lot of magic behind your little spell. I know I can’t stop you, but slow down with it okay? And don’t you dare do that tomorrow unless you can figure out went wrong.”

Euch, his reasoning made sense, almost too much sense. Make no mistake, Twilight prided herself on being perfectly reasonable, but what on Equestria was she supposed to do tomorrow without teleporting? She had other spells, but none so impressive, none so big, none that showed more mastery than her teleporting. If she really wanted to ‘wow’ the judges, she had to do it. Which meant a night of studying. The mare would isolate the problem, fix it before using it tomorrow. There had to be something she skipped, something she’d forgotten. No teleport spell she’d seen had ever caused that sort of disaster. Then again, she hadn’t really seen any in real life.

Perhaps the Queen could teach her if--

Twilight couldn’t hope for Luna’s tutelage right now, not when it remained unlikely.  Luna would never pick her as her chosen, not if she botched a spell like this. Nay, studying first, hope later. Well, if she could study with this Luna damned headache pounding away, over and over.

A shadow crested over the downed siblings as Sunset returned to the scene. Twilight must’ve been really out of it actually if she didn’t notice. Normally, she would’ve picked up on the mare getting even within spitting distance, but with how much her head hurt she missed the soft crunch of her hooves, the impeding shadow, the flicker of movement, all of it. Her headache had transitioned from an annoyance to a safety issue.

“I’m back sweetie.” Sunset cooed. Before Twilight could even blink enough to see the mare, Sunset pressed a glass against her lips, magically keeping it still. Twilight closed her eyes back again, gently sipping down the cool liquid. A shudder trialed through her body, feeling the ice-y coldness trail down her throat and body. Oh goddesses, that felt amazing to the mare. What had Sunset put in this stuff? It cleared her mind up better than any potion she’d ever had, the clear, life-giving liquid staving away that dreadful headache.

Twilight seemed to be recovering, but recovery happened slowly. An awkward feeling hung in the air, with two of their oldest crowded around their youngest, nursing her and ensuring she was fine. Twilight loathed to think about how much worse it could’ve been. Between the headache, the massive rib pain, and being kept on the ground for an extended period of time, her mistake already punished her enough.

Yet, it could’ve been nearly infinitely worse. She’d miscalculated the amount of power needed for the spell, feeding in way too much. To a laypony, that may sound like a critical error, and it was, but not a disaster tier one. There were much worse mistakes to make; like not setting an endpoint, or not warding your slits well enough, or failing the cast. Those wouldn’t leave her with a little pain. Those sort of mistakes would leave her with nothing left to even feel the hurt. Those mistakes were the ones that kept unicorns up at night, the ones that ended your life and usually all of those around you as well.

Thankfully, Twilight made a severe mistake, but not the critical one. “I-I’m fine.” She finally spoke. She managed to say it somewhat convincingly as well. Twilight was really no foreigner to pain. Nay, they were old friends, friends that had gone through much together. They weren't equals, but Twilight was privy to many of it’s secrets. She and pain knew each other through years of close contact. Twilight knew burning, Twilight knew cuts, Twilight knew the aching, tearing pain of the plague. Twilight knew pain, and this pain? This pain was next to nothing now that she’d gotten her hooves back under her.

“If you’re sure…” Shining said, though he hardly sounded convinced. Twilight doubted he would be until she acted like there was nothing different. He’d probably check on her throughout the day, coddling her, watching over her like a hawk. She definitely couldn’t practice again today, not if she wanted to keep her horn safe from his wrath. After the morning, not a chance existed that Shining would let her back out, which meant they’d need to do something else instead of their sessions. Perhaps they could keep up the practical bits and Twilight could go study more for theory? It wasn’t like she didn’t know it, but there was no such thing as too much studying.

Regardless, Twilight struggled her way to her hooves, her two protectors helping her up. Her stance wobbled, uneven, and hooves altogether unsteady, but she managed to stay on her own four hooves. She gave Shining a small, almost not there, smile and the two older ponies left her to stand on her own. Yet, they remained close by, ready to dart close and keep her steady at any sign of fatigue.

Twilight’s eyes roamed around the yard. Unsurprisingly, a fair amount had changed after her crash landing, especially with the absence of their companions. Where she had landed had turned into a crater. The grass was scorched away, only black and brown ugly refuse remaining. All around, her explosion had blown the grass back away from the epicenter, some of it charred to the point of crunchiness. It looked like small fires had developed in patches as well, but most of it had been long since burned out. Well, long as in the few minutes she rested.

“Why don’t you go get cleaned up? We’ll go into town for lunch.” Shining suggested. “Sunny, you mind taking care of the others? I think Twilight needs a little break.” For a moment, the joy of going into town had nearly been overwhelmed by the pain of being with Sunset. Once again, her brother took care of everything.

“Mmkay! I’ll see you two for dinner!” Sunset chimed in, giving Twilight the tiniest peck on the cheek before skipping away. At least she looked sympathetic. The mare cared for Twilight, just the way she showed it and how Twilight wanted it differed. Naturally, Twilight’s eyes locked on her tail as she left, making sure her dreaded pony actually left them alone. Wouldn’t it be just like her to dance her way back behind them? To eavesdrop? Oh, that fit Sunset to a T.

Shining watched too, but once out of earshot, he dropped his gaze, bringing his head close to Twilight’s. “Now that the others are gone… Are you actually okay? Twilight… that was a lot.” He nearly whispered. Concern still stayed etched onto his face, his eyes seemingly boring their way right through Twilight. She’d seen her brother like this; when he worried about something, he wouldn’t let it go, grasping on like a dog with a steak. Shining had been like this before, most notably when he first learned Twilight snuck out. Better to tell him the truth at this point, rather than try and lie her way out of it. Twilight’s lies were mediocre at best, anyways.

“No.” Twilight admitted. And she wasn’t, not really. The physical pain faded slowly, but the mental malaise remained, clinging on like a poisoned fog. The visions were not so easily shaken from her mind, nor so easily cast away into a deep, dark corner of it. They remained at the forefront, nearly all that she could think about. Who could claim them false?

Seers weren’t a hidden profession. A pony could hardly walk down a street without hitting some kind of fortune teller. They were mostly bunk; tarot cards, crystal balls, and the like. None of that stuff actually worked, but that didn’t place seeing the future in the realm of the impossible. Nopony that could do that would be hanging around the lower districts. The ones that toiled their lives down here lived as con artists, desperately preying on the weak and mindless, stealing the bits for a little false hope. Anypony could see it if they paid attention. What were the prophecies those swindlers made? That you’d find a great love? That somepony close to you would pass on? All these things would come to pass. And to know how to stop them, they’d need another fifty bits.

The real seers, the real clairvoyants lived elsewhere, mostly residing in the temple districts or the palace itself. Contrary to popular belief, seeing the future required no innate talent. Any unicorn could do it. More specifically, any unicorn with sufficient control of their magic or raw power could pull it off. That didn’t make it easy. All those warnings about the void? All those terrors in the abyss? That was what a unicorn had to deal with each and every time they glimpsed through the veil. While Twilight had never tried to do such things, she knew the process.

And what she’d seen? It fit the bill nearly to a T. Prophets didn’t actually teleport into the aether when they searched for the future, but they did something similar. The unicorns opened a tear instead, a tear that they must keep open. A single slip up alone was enough to consume them, just like teleporting. A single missed rune, or a lapse in concentration would be enough to melt them to ash. These ponies received incredible amounts of money, all the benefits they could imagine, and any lover they wanted. Really, who could afford to pay them? She knew the Queen often asked for their portents, but other than her and nobles, nopony could get close. Perhaps if an entire half of the lower district pooled their funds together, they could book a fifteen minute session.

Which why what Twilight had seen terrified her so much. Her fear stemmed from dual sources, each as terrifying as the last. The first was the obvious one; her consciousness had come so close to oblivion, nearly unmaking herself in the process. Perhaps a little more power or a little less and she wouldn’t be standing here to think about it any longer. Twilight Sparkle enjoyed her youth, and like any young pony, the thought of losing her life so early perturbed her to the very core. Imagine if you would, a young mare erased at the smallest mistake. A young mare gone, her life vanished into the after because of the slightest error. It was a tale as old as time and one that had very nearly happened to Twilight. She would not be a statistic. She would not be a lesson to others. She refused to become just another gravestone, if her brother could even afford one. Nay, Twilight could never make such a mistake again.

And this was not even considering the second fear that still nestled tight against her heart. The visions weighed on her mind, making her reflect on each and every one of them. They were visions of doom and gloom, not of any happily-ever-after. The void had no reason to lie to her, nor did it have a motive of its own. It wasn’t a being, but a force of nature after all. No future was set in stone, but how in Equus was a single unicorn supposed to avoid any of them? Some were easier than others. Shining wouldn’t die. She refused to let that happen, even if it meant she’d hide him away. But how could a unicorn like Twilight stop a city from burning when an alicorn sat powerless? And what was the purpose of showing an argument between two nobles? Twilight moved in circles so far removed from that sort of discourse that it was irrelevant.

None of that stopped these visions from becoming true. Without Twilight’s or another’s intervention, the city would burn, Shining would pass, and.. Well, she didn’t really know the consequences of the last one. And now, they fell to Twilight’s responsibility. She could tell others, that much held truth, but anypony in power would simply dismiss her as a madmare. Shining would definitely follow her to the ends of Equus, but even the other unicorns here would write her off as some filly crazed and nervous.

So no, Twilight did not feel alright.

“Well, what’s the issue?” Shining asked. He moved close, letting Twilight rest her body against his in case she still felt weak. “Head aching? Horn sore? What’s up?” He pressed on. He had to know something went deeper than just the physical pain, but he gave her an out. An out, that for once in her life, she wouldn’t take.

“Visions.” Twilight confessed, getting the generalities out of the way before continuing. “The aether was.. Kind enough to grace me with visions. I saw you and Sunset, but things weren’t good. Matron w-was.. Matron was dead.” She went on. Despite how hard and logical she presented, just the thought of the gryphoness passing on brought a tear to her eye. Was it just her or was everything suddenly fuzzy as well? “You were joining her shortly.” Twilight dropped her head down, angling it towards the ground. Thank the goddesses that Sunset had taken the others away, as if she needed another reason to be treated like a child by them.

“Is that all?” Shining asked. Twilight looked up, face screwed up in consternation. What did he mean ‘was that all’? Her fears weren’t some small, trifling matter! They were literally life or death! How could he be so flippant about it? “Twily, don’t worry about that kind of thing.” He pressed on. Shining’s magic lit for a second, pressing up on her chin and tilting her head back up. “Visions are visions, they aren’t real. We can still stop it, and you have enough to worry about for now. Promise me you won’t worry about it, okay?”

As if she could just forget. A pony couldn’t simply not worry about something, least of all Twilight. Yet, her brother had asked, and for him, she’d try her best. “I’ll try. Promise.” She agreed. Shining’s magic flickered back out, yet her head stayed up. “No more visions, just exam tomorrow. Okay.” She breathed in and out slowly, the little exercise doing her well. Her heart rate slowed, mind focused in, and the panic ever so slowly pushed itself away. She’d been taught that once, taught how much her breathing could help her concentrate and hone in on what was important. Yet another thing to thank her mysterious teacher for.

“Go get cleaned up, alright? I’ll meet you out front, let’s go into town and get a bite to eat. My treat.” Shining patted her head once and left her behind. Where he would get the money, she never knew. Shining always seemed to have a few bits stored up for a ‘rainy day’ or an excessively magical one in this case. Going into town hardly happened. Really, that meant going to the closest market, which the Queen had named the Rising Moon market. Put simply, it had everything a pony could need.

The market couldn’t be called a grand bazaar, like the upper district markets. The area was filthy, downtrodden, and ridden with thievery. Yet, despite that, the stalls flourished. Anything that legal to own, and a few things that weren’t, proliferated their way through the market. Food of all kinds, clothing, ingredients, jewlery, even illicit drugs were openly on display. Guards patrolled it, yes, but a little ‘sample’ of the wares and nearly anything could be overlooked. Twilight’s ‘treats’ were these trips to the markets, all she could really hope for in a day. It was their entertainment, their lifeblood, and the heart of the lower cities.

Which actually made Twilight realize how worried Shining was. Sometimes, they’d go just to browse, but ponies frown upon that. Ponies went to a market to buy. Whatever made Shining willing to part with his hard earned and oft-hidden bits weight on his mind indeed. He had to worry for her, didn’t he?

Twilight started to move through their house, taking her time in the bathroom and ensuring that she cleaned herself well. Her little ‘nap’ in the grass had made her filthy, but a quick shower proved enough to fix that. Well, ‘shower’ being a bucket of water over Twilight’s mane, as well as some light brushing and scrubbing on her coat. They didn’t really have much soap; Matron made their soap in house, just enough to clean them and leave them without fragrance and no more.

As Twilight made her way back downstairs, she heard the others. Sparkler sat in her room, the one she shared with Sunset. The two were talking, though Twilight couldn’t make out the words. But, while the words couldn’t be heard, the tone and feelings could. Anxiety and concern, two hideous beasts, filtered their way out. Sparkler worried, and Sunset worried for her.

Something about that interaction made it all click in Twilight’s mind. As she plodded down the stairs, Twilight realized what Shining’s true intentions were. His worries, his fears extended beyond Twilight; no, he loved his sister, but the world did not revolve around her. Twilight did not struggle in solitude, many others fought with her. This morning may have been exceptionally difficult for her, but all the others in the house fought their own battles. The others had to have the exam on their minds, the others had to worry about their futures. Perhaps not Sunset, because seemingly nothing kept her down, but what about Lime, or Sparkler, or Citrus? What would be going through their heads right now?

Tomorrow was their day, the day they’d spent their entire life training for. Yet, they barely had a ghost of a chance. They’d seen what real unicorns did to pass, they’d seen the past year’s exams. They’d even seen Twilight, Sunset, and  Shining. No pony could doubt that those three were strong or concentrated enough, but how did their own chances compare? Well, truth was, they didn’t. And Twilight couldn’t imagine how that felt. To think, all the work, all the struggles for your entire life boiled away to nothing. To think, despite your best effort, years of training, and continued support, they couldn’t even think about passing. How did they even make it through the day anymore? How did they even get out of bed? Twilight could only imagine.

Thus, she realized. Shining wasn’t just worried for her. Perhaps he was the most worried for her, but the others had to weigh heavily on his mind. Their trip to the market would surely be good for them both.

Speak of the stallion. Shining already waited by the front door, changed into something much ‘nicer’. Each of the orphans had a few clothes for going out, Shining’s consisting of well-put together brown pants and a white tunic, both of which were well-made and sturdy. Belatedly, Twilight realized she had ruined her own dress  and hadn’t even bothered to change out of it. Hopefully, that would be fine for today at least. Nopony cared that much.

Shining looked away from the entrance, giving Twilight the perfect opportunity to sneak up. Twilight darted forward, surprising him with a nuzzle and a smile. Shining’s head whipped around, but relaxed once he realized it was, returning her nuzzle. “Ready Twily?” He asked. Twilight responded with a quick nod and the two set off through the streets.

The streets of the day were much different than their counterparts in the night. The sewers didn’t run during the day, and thus the travel became much safer. No plumes of smoke rose through the cracks, no whirring filled the air, and no plague doctors crept in the shadows. The day was the time of Celestia, the time of peace and prosperity. Though, one probably couldn’t tell with the look of the lower cities.

That wasn’t to say the devastation of the night was not evident during the day. There were rents torn in the streets, cracks in the cobbled stone and even pitfalls leading into the depths. At least, none of the plagued water spurted from those depths during the day. The old, worn down store and house fronts were eaten away by the acidic effluence, the rushing waters sometimes marring the world above the ground as well. Twilight had rarely heard horrors stories of what happened to those caught in such a spray. With how the wood and stone looked after catching the blast, Twilight didn’t want to think about the end result. Flesh and bone weren’t much more difficult to eat through, after all.

For now, the sewers were off, clogged and back loaded until the night. Not a single drop of liquid would run through those pipes, not for many hours yet. The valves were locked safe away, no pony having access except for a select few. The sewers must remain closed lest disaster strike.

The areas they trotted on through were not the cities best. There used to be storefronts and homes here, but most of them were boarded up, with some even collapsed. Ever since the plague became prolific in the streets, nopony dared to sell outside of the markets. They were spelled for protection, both from magical means and medical ones. Originally, those sort of wards were created for anti-thievery, but they’d gotten a new purpose during the epidemic. Twilight considered it a more noble usage than just stopping petty thieves, but the local constables would probably disagree with that. Regardless, few ponies wanted to set up shop outside of those wards, whether they feared thieves or the plague itself mattered not.

The pair walked in a comfortable silence born of a closeness not many ponies shared with another. They’d done this route so many times, few topics remained unspoken of. And really, what would two ponies like them speak about? The exam tomorrow? Her injuries from a botched teleport? Those were the things this type of journey was made to ignore, the siblings chose silence due to familiarity and ease, something hardly ever gifted to them.

Their gait even belied who they were. The two walked close enough to nearly have their coats touch, their familiarity obvious to anypony on the street. Yet, not many walked through here. By their orphanage the town changed to a near ghost town, by dint of unluck. As they neared the market, the crowd started to populate, a few ponies passing by them. The townsponies gave the two a wide berth, a few ponies even crossing the street rather than walk by them. Silly, old mares, nothing more. Such glances and actions no longer bothered the two. Unicorns growing up here became used to it.

Like usual, ponies packed the market. The market itself was in the direct opposite direction of the library, the area around it the most open in the city. This district had clearly been planned around it, with a large square forming the market itself. Not that anypony could tell where the open area started anymore. Stalls polluted the center, creating aisles that were just wide enough for a cart to go through. Vendors scattered everywhere, nearly all of them worth their salt.

Twilight and Shining entered from the east gate, where most of the fresh food centered. The moment a pony stepped inside, ponies of all types assailed them. “Watches, get your watches!” A stallion called, right next to the gate. He started to walk over, but a stern, nearly threatening glance from Shining sent him right back to his post.

Yet, others, hundred of others, hawked their goods as well. “Fresh gourds! Gourds here! Can’t beat the prices!” Yelled another stallion from a stall. Only to be followed by a dozen more shouts, the sounds almost blending together.

“Strawberries! Fresh picked from right outside the city!”

“Dumplings for the little filly?”

“Meat pies! Meat pies!” That one honestly made Twilight a little sick.

“Warm, tasty bread! Right here, don’t pass on by without your bread!”

On and on it went, ponies crowding around each and every one of the stalls, getting their shopping done and getting out. Despite the enchantments and the lurking constables, no place bred thieves and pickpockets like the market. When not just ‘hanging out’, most ponies quickly made their way to their favorite stalls, then hurried their little tails on out. Everypony had their favorites, after all.

Shining and Twilight kept close to the edge, where the storefronts used to be. Long ago, or rather, around ten years ago, stores used to fill out the edges of the market. Neither Twilight nor Shining knew exactly what had spurred the change, but no pony used them any longer. The guard had boarded up the fronts, any glass left over lay in shattered heaps. The doors were boarded up as well, the entryways at least secured. Occassionaly, they’d pass one of the constables. Every few doorways, one stood at attention, uniform crisp and nightstick ready. Shining had felt that bite before and he didn’t look forward to ever feeling it again. Most took a minute to give them a long, mean look. Twilight didn’t dare light her horn for fear of retribution, such fear propagated through the lower classes. She had never even considered stealing, but the stigma remained.

The ‘bright’ side shown through; their favorite cook set up close by. Their favorite stall sat near the end of a row, manned by an elder stallion who went only by Dr. Bread. The good doctor never acted quite the same way, yet at the same time, he would always treat a pony with respect. It mattered not to him whether his customer happened to be an earth pony or an alicorn. The customer got the same service, and the same goods regardless. It helped that those two nearly always ended up being flawless, despite Bread’s enigmatic persona. Dr. Bread was quite the cook; anything from grilled vegetables, to pies, even to baked bread. Where he got all the equipment, Twilight would never know. Today, it seemed to be kebabs.

Today, another visitor had their usual spot in line as well. With a little thrill, Twilight realized she had seen this pony before. Not from the library, but also recent. Twilight could hardly be sure, but was he not the one from her vision? Blue body, silver mane, even the streak through his mane. He wore a full tuxedo as well, golden watch around his forehoof. He had money, but what purpose could a money bag have here?

Twilight stopped as they neared, grabbing onto her brother’s tunic and jerking it back. “Psst! He’s from one of the visions!” She tugged harder, trying to get Shining to hold back and observe. Perhaps she could figure out at least a little bit of her frighteningly complicated life now.

“Over here.” Shining urged, pulling the pair between two stalls. The two ponies pressed into the gap, the siblings’ bodies pressed uncomfortably close to each other. “Mind the horn.” Shining wheezed, Twilight’s horn pointedly poking into his side. She gently moved her head, angling her ears towards the fancy pony. The gap spread no more than a foot or two wide, and a few feet deep. The spot offered a cramped, uncomfortable space, but it afforded a good vantage to creep in on the pony’s conversation.

“--always thought it was quite nice down here!” The stallion said. His words sounded clipped, refined and perfectly manicured. Twilight didn’t exactly know how the word manicured applied to his tone, but for some odd reason it fit nicely. “I do have to say, these kebabs are excellent! You wouldn’t find anything like this up in the upper city, oh no! It’d be ‘barbaric’ or some tripe like that! I simply must come down here more often!” The stallion raved. His genial expression didn’t fall off for a single moment during the conversation, seemingly entranced with the ‘quaint’ food.

The good doctor however…

Bread grit his teeth, tail lashing out behind him. He snorted at the last few words, eyes narrowing. “Well perhaps you should try more of it!” He practically shouted, nearly shoving a few more of the kebabs across the counter. His eyebrow twitched again. That certainly couldn’t be healthy for him.

Twilight didn’t know whether the other stallion was oblivious, or if he actually just wanted more of the food, but his magic lit and one of the kebabs flittered over to his mouth. Twilight’s heart stopped for the briefest of moments. If she could see the cyan magic glow around the stick, others could too. Her eyes darted over to the closest constable, whose hoof crept towards his nightstick. Without even knowing it, the noble had put himself in danger. Without even knowing it, he’d already put himself on the wrong side of the law. It didn’t even matter that he truly hadn’t done anything wrong; just using magic around here was enough for a beating.

And beating a noble pony? That’d be a crackdown. Perhaps the exam wouldn’t even happen tomorrow… Twilight jumped from the gap, snaking her way between Shining’s legs and darting up towards the noble. She couldn’t sit idly by and let something like that happen, not while she could make a difference. Yesterday’s Twilight may have ignored it, but after her visions, she knew this pony held importance in some way. She dare not let them come to pass.

Twilight purposefully stood between the constable and the noble pony, positioning her back to the constable but not enough so she couldn’t see him. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched his hoof land on the stick, idly tracing a circle on the handle. “S-sir!” Twilight quickly squeaked out. How did one address a pony such as this one? How did anypony talk to a noble? Speaking would be dangerous, an impossible game. If this stupid noble took offense to what she said, what would happen to her? Then again, he had absolutely no clue who she was. “Your magic!” Her eyes rotated back and forth between the constable and his flickering magic, hoping that he’d get the hint.

The noble turned his body, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. Thankfully, or perhaps luckily, he seemed to get the hint. His magic flared once and died, the treat landing back on the stall’s counter uneaten. Bread grumbled something Twilight couldn’t hear and swiped at it with a hoof, knocking the ‘tainted’ food onto the ground. As if the market didn’t already have a rat and pest problem.

“Thanks for the hint, young lady!” Did everything he say have to be so loud? It was as if everypony in a fifteen meter square had to be privy to what he said. Self-important ass. “May I have your name? I’m Duke Silverhorn!” He introduced himself. A chill went through Twilight’s spine at the words. A duke? A duke in the lower city? Why? What purpose could he possibly have here?

Shining Armor finally seemed to be coming to her rescue. Her knight in Shining Armor, as if that pun hadn’t been made a hundred thousand times. “Your lordship.” He started, bowing his head low. “I’m Shining Armor, this is my sister Twilight Sparkle. It’s truly an honor to meet you.” He glanced sideways at Twilight, the mare fortunately getting the hint enough to bow her own head low.

Yet, for some reason, the Duke frowned. Had they already done something wrong? Had they already committed some kind of faux pas? He held up a hoof and Twilight braced to be hit. It didn’t come. “None of that, please! While here, I’m just like one of you! Please, call me Silverhorn!”

Twilight and Shining’s heads slowly tilted up, none too quickly. Shining had dealt with a noble before, but Twilight never had. She couldn’t help but wonder if something like this became the norm. Shining hadn’t made it seem like that in his past stories. He had always gone on about how stuck up they were, how hung up on protocol and obsessed with their titles. Silverhorn didn’t seem that way, but then again, they’d just met. But really, like one of them? Hardly. Not with those clothes, not with that watch, not with that money. He didn’t even skirt the edge. Just the location alone did not make him part of their world.

“Yes your lordship.” Shining answered, regardless. It seemed he thought similar things to Twilight, always worried.

"Hrm, are you two going to be performing in the test tomorrow?” Two nods answered him. “Well, I believe I shall see you there, then!” He announced. “Until then, Lady Sparkle, Lord Shining.” He turned on a hoof, his clothes fluttering in the light breeze.

“What a strange stallion.” Twilight mumbled, wondering what he meant. Nobles often came to the exam, but rarely were they allowed inside. The nobles honestly saw it as a sport, watching the lower class toil away and daring to rise above their station. Perhaps he was a judge?

“Yea, that kin--”

“You two gonna buy something?” Bread interrupted, glaring at the two. His hooves pressed onto the stall’s table, leaning up and leering down at the brother and sister. His mane was a frazzled mess, irritation clear. The duke and the doctor clearly did not get along.

Shining bought them both two kebabs, and the two walked away from the stall. Dr Bread’s company tended to be unpleasant when he got into a mood, and Twilight would rather walk along in silence with her brother than deal with all of that. Especially with that constable keeping a close eye on the two, ready on a hair trigger. The food, as expected, was good, the grilled vegetables practically popping with flavor. For all his flaws, the doctor truly could cook.

Despite the interesting trip to the market, Twilight’s stepped lightly. With delicious food, pleasant company, and a beautiful day, how could they not be? The morning may have been rougher than most, but the afternoon had been nothing but perfect so far. The two finished their kebabs in silence on more, ruminating on their experiences in the market. Or rather, Twilight reflected, at least.

Just who was Duke Silverhorn? She’d almost swore she’d heard the name before and as eye-catching as he was, she’d definitely remember him. Between seeing him in the vision and seeing him in the real world, Twilight already had her suspicions. He clearly wasn’t her teacher, and if the vision was to be believed, him and the white mare didn’t exactly get along either. The stallion had a dukedom, which meant he held an important position. Perhaps she’d caught sight of the name in a paper? Or a speech? Sometimes, the orphans would get to see a newspaper. The opportunity happened rarely, but it did happen. After all, the newspapers only printed in the upper class areas, where ponies could actually read. Twilight and Shining were lucky in that regard, lucky that Matron had insisted all of them knew how to read at least a passable level. Regardless, she’d seen his name somewhere, she’d just have to remember where.

Twilight’s thoughts were interrupted by, of all things, a rock.

More specifically, the rock was a large rock, at least the size of her hoof. Yet, that was hardly the most interesting thing about it. That particular award would go to the fact that it was hurtling directly towards her muzzle. Generally speaking, that was not where you wanted a rock flying towards you at. Unsurprisingly, this turn of events was unexpected for Twilight and she could only stare wide eyed as it tumbled end over end in the air towards her.

Fortunately, her brother on the other hoof, paid attention. A brilliant pink shield flashed into being, the rock bouncing off and falling back to the ground. Twilight fell back to her rump, shock evident in her face as Shining moved in front of her. The stallion took up a defensive stance, head darting left and right, looking for the culprit. Here seemed almost destined for an ambush. Alleys were clear on each side, though nearly impossible to see into with the darkness. The broken down, abandoned buildings weren’t even boarded up, easily enough hiding more assailants. Shining had trained for this, Shining knew what to do. All Twilight could do boiled down to cowering behind him, her own magic sparking but no useful spell coming to mind. If only she could teleport safely…

“Good luck unicorns!” A falsely cheery, falsely high voice called. Shining and Twilight’s heads whipped around instantly towards the sound, directing their gaze towards one of the alleyways. Who else? What other pony would go so far out of their way to antagonize the pair? What other pony would attempt to hurt the impoverished pair? Who else had that sort of hate in them?

Out stepped Quaker from the alley, out stepped the source of many of their woes. Quaker, as an earth pony, was no ordinary pony. Quaker more accurately compared to a behemoth than a pony; he stood a full head taller than Shining Armor, with broad shoulders and a well-muscled form. He was slate gray, with a black mane and a fissure as a cutie mark. More importantly, the earth pony had the disposition of a rattlesnake, and made a black widow look like a perfect princess. More than anypony else, his harbored hatred of unicorns only grew year by year. His ire especially fell upon Twilight and Shining, two bastions of unicorn strength, two that were stereotypes of the unicorn way. And by the goddesses, he couldn’t stand it. Couldn’t stand them one bit, and everypony knew it.

Flanked on either side of him were his two cronies, Tanner and Jack. The two stood more subdued. Neither of the two stood out as perfect ponies, yet they stayed loyal till the end. They were no fans of unicorns, but they didn’t have the inane hatred that Quaker did. They at least kept his worst impulses in, but with how the two shifted from hoof to hoof, it was quite clear they failed their job this time. Tanner kept his eyes down, hoofing at the ground uncomfortably. Twilight knew enough about him to know the kicking didn’t mean to be threatening, but a nervous tic that Tanner had displayed for years. Jack didn’t look much better, what with the stallion biting his lip and all.

“What do you want, Quaker?” Shining asked, voice neutral. He stood in front of his sister, standing proudly despite the extra height and weight the earth pony had on him. The two had tussled before and it nearly always turned ugly. For the last few fights, however, Shining near inevitably came out on top. Years upon years of disciplined training had done him well, while Quaker’s muscle mass from working in the quarry did poorly in fighting.

Quaker barked out a laugh, a deranged, unstable laugh. “You damn unicorns to get the fuck out of my town.” He answered back, an eerie calm in his voice. Then again, the siblings had heard this a hundred times before. Normally, Quaker didn’t act this direct. Quaker, despite his brawn, actually played the shadows well. He managed to play his dirty little tricks carefully enough to avoid being caught, so there had to be some measure of brains within that thick skull of his. Probably just wasn’t developed enough.

“Go ahead and try.” Shining’s voice stayed light, not a single wisp of anxiety betraying the storm raging inside. This dance had been done before, and Shining knew the steps well. Shining knew his tells, knew his moves, knew his thoughts. The two were enemies, rivals, plain and simple. Perhaps for only one day more.

“Come on, Quaker. They ain’t worth it.” Tanner’s hoof tugged at Quaker’s arm, eyes worried and glancing between Shining and Quaker. He even cast a sympathetic glance Twilight’s way, but only for the briefest second.

Silence reigned. The two parties stared each other down. Shining against Quaker, the two’s companions doing their best to keep the peace. Twilight hardly had to do much, she trusted her brother enough to not escalate the situation. It was the earth pony brute she worried about. Perhaps she should ready a spell just in case.

After felt like an hour, Quaker jerked his arm away, a disparaging glare replacing the calm, except towards Tanner. “Whatever.” He growled. Mercifully, the stallion turned away, stalking down the street. The tension melted away under the sun’s rays, leaving the two unicorns to watch the others trot away, towards the market.

“Well, that’s.. Certainly something. I’ll keep an eye out for him, alright? We best get ready for tomorrow.” Shining finally said, once the earth ponies were far enough away.

        Twilight nodded and the two made their way back. For tomorrow was their day, no more Quaker to bother them. Tomorrow would be their day, the day they finished the exam. Tomorrow would be their day, the day they escaped this place, changed their fate once and for all. The Queen would be there along with their examiners and many other nobles, just for them.

        Tomorrow.