Tears of the Sea - Waking

by Glen Gorewood

Four Months Six Days

Twilight Sparkle stands still in an empty void of stars, amongst the twinkling life around her she can sense it. That smell that has haunted her for weeks now, the salty scent of ocean tides. Her body begins to move of it’s own accord as she drifts, a monolithic essence that haunts the cosmos, the magic that brings with it the beginning and end of things. Sometimes she dreams of things like this. But in the end it is only a dream, not a nightmare but a dream.

She nears a vibrant world, and a voice echoes through the vastness of space, calling out to her from far amongst the stars.

“Wake up Twilight”

The void was once more vibrant and alive, long ago. But how long ago? Dreams are meant to last only the same amount of time within as outside. Or is that false? Twilight Sparkle muses on this conundrum while the voice continues to sound nearer and nearer. It’s a very familiar voice, though she can’t quite place it.

“Wake up! Twilight now is not the time to sleep in.”

Twilight Sparkle pauses, what could this voice mean? And why does the void feel less real as the voice grows louder? Why must it hamper her progress?
And why did she feel as if she was being shaken for a few moments?

“Twilight I really don’t want to do this but you leave me no choice!”

The monolithic entity suddenly feels a liquid chill coat her body, icy rivulets of water that can’t exist in the void shock her system. With the sound of a gasp the void fades and blurs to nothing, and in its place a blurry image can be seen. She blinks, and the image clears up as lethargy leaves her but only slightly. The blurry outline of a purple and green creature holding a metallic object takes form before her. The creature moves its forelimbs and shakes the object towards her, and it’s contents fly free and splash upon her face and neck.

The very cold very wet contents that smell not of salt or sea, but water all the same. Water than can wash away the world of dreams, and destroy hours of paperwork and research. Twilight’s mind freezes, a deeper chill settling upon her as the ghost of the dream fades entirely and the world around her comes into focus. Along with it comes the memory of what she was doing before the dream, and panic begins to grow within her as she remembers exactly where she fell asleep.

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A room surrounds her, one filled with diagrams and documents as well as piles of books and notes. To her left is a large drawing desk, coated in research notes and crumpled paper clumps filled with discarded theories. She had been working on something important before she fell asleep, something that might be gone now thanks to the efforts of one young dragon to wake her.
That young drake stands before her, a worried expression upon his face changing to a relieved smile. In his claws is a bucket, the last remainder of its liquid contents barely covering the bottom of the container.

Before her irritation and morning pre caffeine annoyance can cause her to say something she will surely regret, the dragon drops the bucket and rushes towards her. His arms wrap around her neck as he hugs her, something that Twilight has missed in recent weeks.

“Twilight you finally woke up. I was worried a nightmare had taken you away, or maybe the diabolical dream eater from Fantastic Figments volume number ten. The being that devours all from the depths of the void of darkness. Who knew the answer to waking you was water?” The young drake rambles on as the weary Alicorn regains her waking senses and observes the room closer.

Besides the details from before, Twilight notices she is on the floor and lying on a rug. Not at her desk like she normally would be. Which means that her number one assistant, Spike, must have dragged her here to wake her instead of risking damaging her research. The drake in question has finally calmed down and released her, and is now looking at her with a smile on his face.

“So..” Spike begins in a casual tone, “Did you sleep well Twilight?”

The purple alicorn groans, her lack of caffeine beginning to kick in as withdrawal makes it painfully clear she didn’t sleep for merely one night.
“Spike..”
A plaintive morning voice breaks free from her muzzle.

“Yes Twilight?” The Drake’s grin gets a tad wider as if waiting in anticipation for some great announcement that will change the fate of existence itself.

With a half sigh half groan Twilight gets up and slowly plods, yawning, past the young dragon whose head turns to follow her movements. In a tired voice Twilight grumbles, “No talkie before coffee.”

Spike’s head fins droop a bit, though Twilight doesn’t notice as she leaves the room in her crystal palace dedicated to research and makes her way towards the kitchen and caffeine. The anticipation leaves his body, and as he follows her out he sadly whispers to himself in hidden melancholy; “Of course Twilight. As usual, coffee comes first.”
The drake hurries to catch up to his sister/mother figure and friend, that moment of melancholy fading quickly from him as his smile returns.

The door to the room closes behind him, and the draft from the outside causes loose papers within to flutter in the air. One in particular drifts across the space before landing by the puddle of water that is quickly drying to nothing. The words scrawled across it are rapid and messy, and a series of image can be seen. Drawn in detail with great care, is the image of a small pony next to a large shadow form. Next to it, is the picture of a great grey shadow unicorn fiend of old. Next to that, is another picture. This one of a gate and pool of darkness, and something beyond it. The notes beside this drawing are barely legible, as if made in haste. Smudges of dirt hide some words, but what can be made out seems to be naught but madness.

Power_________relates_____corruption_____inherent talents______chooses_______not coincidence_________coming here________needs_________ warning_______smell of salt_________the gate________ter.

Like a wisp in the morning, the edge of the page turns over as a final gust of air makes its contents invisible yet again. From the hallways the voices of Twilight Sparkle and her assistant can be heard. Speaking like everything is fine, a normal day like all the others.

——-

A warm mug of coffee is lifted by magenta magic towards the waiting caffeine starved muzzle of the alicorn of magic and friendship. Imbibing of the brew, Twilight Sparkle sighs in relief as the effects of the caffeine slowly kick in. That dream of hers may have been disturbingly real, but this delightful flavor and feeling is all that is needed to remind her it was just a dream. The nutty earthy flavor of the roast settles upon her tongue as she takes in the royal breakfast spread. Pancakes and fruit with apple syrup, the perfect way to start her day. A cough brings her attention to the figure sitting beside her, Spike. The drake has already finished his breakfast of gemstones and is currently looking at her attentively as if waiting for something.

Lifting a slice of pancake in her magic, Twilight tries to ignore the drake and his raised eyebrow as she scarfs down her meal in a most un-princess like manner. Swallowing the last of the fruit, the purple alicorn does her best to try to daintily wipe her syrup coated muzzle with a napkin. With a sigh she turns to her dragon friend, something seeming off about the castle that her sleepy caffeine deprived mind hadn’t noticed before now.

“Spike where is Starlight?”

The drake looks at her curiously, before responding. “Don’t you remember Twilight? You sent her on a friendship mission after the Pony of Shadows, well Stygian, was returned to normal. Something about studying under Starswirl for awhile so you could research something you found in the ancient ruins.”

Twilight nods her head, the memory of the friendship mission coming back to her. She had entrusted Starlight to go study under Starswirl and possibly help him understand friendship and it’s connection to magic. Of course the other reason for sending her on the mission was so that Starlight would not disturb her research into what happened to Stygian. Which was what she was doing before she fell asleep and had that dream that seemed so real. How long had she been researching that? Days? Months? Time seemed to disappear when Twilight was working on solving something so important.

Curious, she asks Spike, “How long has it been since we stopped the Shadow Pony, I mean Pony of Shadows? “

The drake looks pensive for a moment, and conveniently finds something fascinating about his left talon as he responds.
“Four months, six days.”

Twilight Sparkle feels her jaw hang loose as she stutters. “Wh..wha.What?”

Spike turns his attention to her, bemusement in his eyes as he repeats himself.
“Four months, six days ago Stygian was saved and the Pony of Shadows defeated. Four months ago exactly, you started researching something you found in the ruins. Then two months ago you sent Starlight away on a friendship mission, and asked her to bring along Fizzlepop Berrytwist, to help Starswirl understand the magic of friendship. That same week Fantastic Figments volume ten came out.”

Twilight Sparkle stares, slack-jaw returning to normal, as she slowly realizes that she has been locked in her research room for almost four months seven days. During that time, her assistant and friend Spike has been maintaining her palace. Alone. Likely managing all her princess duties alongside her friends; while she has hidden away researching something she can’t even remember researching. Time may not matter for an alicorn, but losing that much time to her research and possibly hurting her friends and Spike in the process was so unlike her. Maybe before she came to Ponyville so long ago she would have been like that. But not now.

“Spike, do you think everyone is mad at me?” Twilight Sparkle whispers, her deep lavender eyes reflecting in the dark murk of the coffee within her mug.

The dragon pauses, taking a deep breathe before replying with a chuckle.
“Come on Twilight, you know better. They are your friends and would never hate you or get mad at you for getting caught up in research. Have they ever gotten upset before when you were working on something important?”

The alicorn thinks back on all the times she has gotten engrossed in experiments, research, and theories. Sometimes for weeks on end being holed up in her old library or new research room. Even when she was gone for prolonged periods of time, her friends were always understanding and happy to see her. The thought reminds her that she hasn’t visited Sugarcube Corner or seen Pinkie Pie in months. Rainbow Dash is likely away at Wonderbolts training, Rarity mentioned a large fashion order that would be taking all her time for five months. Applejack was likely selling apples in the market, and Fluttershy was likely in her cabin treating her animals and having tea with Discord.

Twilight Sparkle gets up from the table, and makes her way towards the door that leads to the balcony. Spike follows her, his talons making barely a sound on the magical crystal floor. Clearing her throat the purple alicorn says, “Spike, clear my schedule, today I’m spending time with my friends starting with Pinkie Pie. Research can wait for later, it’s been far too long since I’ve seen them.”

Spike smiles, shaking his head at the determination of his sister figure and friend. “Roger that Twilight, consider it done, over.”

Twilight smiles, mirth in her eyes at the Space Trek comic inspired antics of the drake. Playing along she responds, “ Wonderful number one, now I will head to commence operation Friendship Fun. And boldly go where no alicorn has gone before.”

With that she opens the door, and with a running leap opens her lavender wings and takes off into the sky; veering towards Sugarcube corner in Ponyville far below. Her flying skills are rusty from all those months spent researching and not using her wings, but the air currents are still the same ones she remembers. As she flaps her wings and lazily makes her way to the large cupcake shaped bakery, a smell floats in the air that she doesn’t remember from her last trip to Ponyville proper.

The smell of salty seawater, light and lingering upon the air, unusual and yet not out of place. Perhaps the winds over the mountains are coming from the ocean today, bringing with them that scent that toys with her mind. Twilight can’t help but feel like this smell is familiar, important, and something else.

All thoughts related to this are driven from her mind as a squee can be heard from below. Adjusting her flight angle, Twilight Sparkle makes out the familiar pink on pink form of her friend Pinkie Pie pronking in circles excitedly outside the bakery below. A smile graces the alicorn’s lips, curious scents can wait. Today is for her to spend with her friends in as normal a way as possible for Ponyville. She adjusts her wings and moves to make a landing, her smile and joy wiping away all lingering worry about dreams and sea salt.

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————-

Spike the dragon watches as Twilight Sparkle flies over Ponyville, his smile has long since left his face. The short lived joy of his friend and sister playing along with his comic inspired sendoff routine has been replaced by worry and concern as the smell of sea and salt floats about in the air like a fickle fairy on the breeze. He reaches one hand over to touch his arm, the now familiar feeling of leathery textured skin etched with scale patterns reminding him of the stakes at play. Memories playing behind haunted eyes, tired eyes that should not be on the face of one so young.

With a sigh, and a single salty teardrop falling from his eye, he whispers softly into the wind words that won’t be heard by the one who needs them.
“You really need to wake up before it’s too late, this world needs you to wake. Twilight, just open your eyes...”

End part one

Author's Note:

What is reality?
Who are we to say what is and is not real?
Perhaps this perfectly normal day, could be what she needs to wake from.
This infinite fantasy that toys with and hides the truth within the confines of memory.

Day one of countdown to treatment day story.

Glen Gorewood