Beyond Horizon's Edge

by Broseph_Stalin

Aftermath

Chapter X. – Aftermath

The night grew late, and like all good things, the fun had to end. The group grudgingly disbanded for the night, faces sour and eyes tired, but left with the spark of an incredible night in the spring of their step. After the last goodbye, there stood only Ento and Twilight in the entryway. Spike had gone to bed long ago.

Twilight turned to Ento, eyes dull with tiredness, but smile still bright as when they had first met.

“Well, I think they liked you,” Twilight said wearily, closing the door with a click. The storm outside was silenced by the heavy door, and an odd hush seemed to stand over the library. Bereft of the din of laughter and voracious camaraderie, it seemed hollow and unnervingly empty.

Ento walked up to Twilight with a slight smile, his eyes bright. Being nocturnal, he barely felt any of the exhaustion that Twilight was exuding before him.

“Yes, they certainly did. I love your friends, Twilight. Their charm reminds me of home, but it’s something of a different home here.” He glanced around the library casually, pausing. “This place, this town, this land, it has a magic all its own. I love it,” Ento said in summation, turning back to Twilight. “You ponies all have a distinct charm about you. It’s not something I've noticed with other Ekina. Maybe I’m just too used to them as a whole,” Ento rationalized with a melancholic, almost pained look painting his features. He stopped, smiling slightly as he realized something. “But see, your charm has rubbed off on me, and it seems I’m rambling,” he added a wink, to show no harm was meant by the comment.

Twilight chuckled.

“I don’t know what you mean, Ento. If you are representative of the “average” Ekina, then you must be an incredible species. I’d very much love to travel to your home someday, and meet yourfriends.” She took a step towards Ento, and then another, and stopped, her face held in a quizzical gaze.

“You know, I can’t shake the sensation. But I feel like…” she blushed, laughing nervously, “...I’ve known you my whole life. Not directly, of course, but in another life, I suppose?” A grimace tinged her smile as she slowed, thinking. “Not that I’m trying to be weird, it’s just a feeling I get with you. A connection, a—”

She stopped, realizing she was only a step away from Ento, who smiled slightly. She noticed for the hundredth time that night a fire in his eyes, a discernible example of the passion the Ekina people were privileged with. She felt an honest twinge of jealousy, and knew she’d never be able to connect with him on a similar level as a pony, let alone as an alicorn.

“Well, I believe it, Twilight,” he said gently. “We Ekina believe in the Immortal Soul, the idea of past lives and hidden connections. As the mages teach us, every single being is connected in some way. They say if the strings that connected us were to be tangible objects, then not a single creature would be able to move from its place.”

Twilight seemed intrigued at this idea, as Ento figured she would, but she didn't feel that Ento really realized what it was that she held towards this strange creature that had visited her at midnight's passing. Twilight looked up at him, smiling still, and opened her mouth to speak. Her voice was a whisper.

“What I’m trying to say, Ento, is that… I feel a connection. With you. Deeper than I can ever express with words, or actions. It would take the span of many, many lifetimes to begin to show it. ” She nudged a small step closer to Ento. He smiled, blushing heavily.

“Wow, Twilight, that’s… beautiful,” he said softly, his breath having been stolen away by the passionate words she had said to him. “I didn’t know you felt—” Much to Ento’s surprise, Twilight stepped forward one final time and gently placed her head on his shoulder.

He blushed profusely, and stammered as his mind connected with what was happening. The scent of her body wafted over him: a miasma of mountain spring grass, rich paper and lilac danced about his senses as she laid her head against his body with gentle care. A wave of intense calm flooded over him.

He had felt the same way about her, as well. He knew he had all along, since he had seen her last night at the doorway calling to him. Perhaps even further back than that, a tiny voice in his mind called out. It was not necessarily a physical attraction, but was, in essence, an emotional connection as deep as the caverns that had wound beneath his capitol city for millennia.

He didn't know how these thoughts and ideas had come to bear in his mind. All he knew was that they felt right. Calming. And now he knew that his feelings for her were mutual.

Ento finally collected his thoughts, and put his heart out on display for the incredible creature that held to him intently.

“Since I’ve met you," he began, "I admit, I have felt a certain… affinity for you, I suppose. It’s a sort of attraction, like a magnetic pull, I guess..." He chuckled lightly at his words. "That probably makes no sense to you, since my thoughts never seem to make sense to anyone else.” He paused. “What do you think?” he said, glancing down sidelong at her.
His question was met with no response.

“Er… Twilight? You there?” he asked, gently shaking the shoulder that her head was lying against. Still no response. Ento laughed quietly to himself again. This creature amazes me more and more each minute I’m with her, he thought with a smile. “Twilight,” he said with more volume, making her jump slightly.

“Huwhah?” she said groggily. Ento laughed.

“Twilight, you’ve been up late twice so far. Come on, I’m putting you to bed.”

Twilight mumbled in agreement, and followed Ento as he led her up the stairs to her bedroom.

After some struggle getting to the bedroom, as well as doing an impromptu tango around a sleeping baby dragon, he managed to plop her into bed. He dragged the covers over her, along with every pillow he could find in the room.

“I don’t know if you noticed,” he said quietly, “But I tucked you in last night. You passed out without even making up your bed.”

At this, Twilight smiled sleepily.

“Yes, I know… Thank you Ento,” she whispered delicately, eyes still closed as she lay in bed.

Ento felt butterflies alight in his stomach, and tucked her in tightly, saying his goodnights. He blew out the solitary candle by the door, and waited as his eyes quickly focused to the dark. Through the hypnotizing effects of the candle smoke, he could see Spike lying splayed out in his bed, and the form of Twilight wrapped up in a mountain of blankets and pillows, moving slightly at each breath.

Might have overdone the pillows just a bit, Ento, he thought to himself with a comical grimace. He laughed quietly, closing the door behind him as he left.

In the room, all that could be heard was the steady pounding of rain against the window.

. . . .

Twilight’s mind was racing, in stark contrast to her immobile body. Her dreams were complex, if not overimagined and drawn out.
She dreamed of days in privacy with Ento, a moonlit stroll through the ruins of the Towers of the Two Sisters. In her dream, a powerful essence still emanated from the spot, a testament to the boundless and prevailing magic that had scarred the ruins. It was, of course, the Magic of Friendship.

Thick clouds began to pour rain, and the two ran inside to escape the storm that crackled and spit with lightning behind them. As she entered the main chamber, she found another Ekina, whose wiry long mane stood on end, white hair stained with blood. Its eyes looked as though they had been clawed out by sharp talons. It fell after Twilight now with a bird-like moan, screeching, “You’re a pretty one, ain’t you?”

Twilight gasped and moved to Ento for protection from the decrepit hag. Turning around, she found Ento gone, replaced by a great and monstrous beast. Its eyes were morphed into slits, ready to kill. Eyeing Twilight, it menaced her with a hideous visage, razor teeth ready to shred flesh and rend it from bone. Twilight screamed and tried desperately to get away.

Much to her horror, she found that some invisible force held her by the neck. Every second she tried to get further away, a cutting sensation drove deeper and deeper into the soft flesh of her throat, holding her back. All she could do was watch in shock as the monster closed in on her, bringing its huge jaws to consume her entire being.

The last thing she saw as she blacked out was a maw of indescribable horror, as a searing pain shot now straight through her heart.
She heard a voice, beyond the realms of existence. It sounded like Ento’s voice, weirdly distorted and taut, as though it were being squeezed through an immeasurable length of pipeline.

“I’m so sorry, Twilight.”

Comments

[Thedever]

cool story, brony

[UnintentionalMishap]

You're awesome and you should feel awesome.

Absolute beautiful piece of literature my good sir.

[Firedon]

Nice work again, though I think the pace of this chapter was a bit rushed, with celestia and luna suddenly appearing like that without any warning