• Published 31st Dec 2018
  • 3,911 Views, 1,216 Comments

Azure Edge - Leaf Blade



Rarity is a Slayer. Her life is devoted to hunting the bloodthirsty beasts and magical monsters that would threaten the sleepy winter homes of Equestria, but that doesn't mean she can't flirt with the cute librarian during her days off. [Omniship]

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103. Travel or Blood

Twilight sat at the train station waiting for the nearby train to roll in. She was trying to keep her breathing under control, but that was kinda hard to do when she knew any number of ponies who probably wanted her dead were going to be walking off that train.

It was only after leaving Fluttershy’s forest that Twilight considered the possibility that Rarity had contacted Celestia, and Twilight would not only have to deal with the Hunter Queen of Equestria herself, or her armies, but that she would have brought them to Fluttershy’s forest as well.

‘Relief’ could not aptly describe the sensation that washed over Twilight when no armed soldiers departed the train, though this positivity was short lived when she saw the ice-cold glare of a pony who—

“Hello, Rarity,” was all Twilight could think to say, a storm of anxiety roiled with guilt and shame tearing a hole inside her stomach.

“Hello,” Rarity said flatly, “Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight’s entire little ‘family’ had gathered behind Rarity, and Twilight almost wanted to laugh at seeing Rainbow asleep on Applejack’s back. Twilight remembered how happy she was when the two had told her they were finally seeing each other, and how proud she felt that it happened in her library, and now thinking of that memory filled Twilight with nothing but sadness and regret.

Twilight hated the lying; every day that went by in her library, she found herself wishing there was some way to tell her friends what she really was without them turning on her. She even studied it, reading up on ancient dragon and pony relationships and history, but she never found anything that would alleviate the fear and hatred those four ponies would have for her when they found out.

Rarity took a few threatening steps toward Twilight, who considered for half a second just teleporting away, but the strain on her magic would leave her with a resounding headache—at best— that she didn’t need right now. She was already weakened enough from having conjured temporary clothing, considering her last outfit didn’t exactly survive her transformation.

Applejack grabbed Rarity’s arm and muttered something to her, but Twilight couldn’t hear, though she could see both Pinkie’s confident nod of affirmation, and Rarity’s beautiful smile that she replied with. She missed Rarity’s smile. She missed Rarity in a general sense, but seeing her smile made Twilight ache.

The smile vanished the instant Rarity turned back toward Twilight and approached her, Twilight slowly standing to her feet and taking a deep breath as she prepared for what was either going to be the most difficult conversation of her life, or a simple execution.

“What are you doing here?” Rarity asked coldly, her fingers tapping on the hilt of her axe.

“There’s a lot of ponies around here,” Twilight said anxiously, though she attempted to sound as if she were in control, “someone might get hurt if a dragon suddenly shows up, so I figured—”

“Is that a threat?” Rarity sneered.

“N-no!” Twilight gasped. “But I know that the four of you want to kill me—”

“I don’t!” Pinkie chimed in, though her voice was cracking and she was visibly trembling as she hid behind Applejack’s leg.

“Thank you, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight smiled at her and it hurt that it seemed to have no effect on Pinkie’s fear. Twilight cleared her throat. “I only want to talk, and I figured that doing so in a public space, where there would be less incentive for either of us to start a fight, would be a good idea.”

“So, Twi,” Applejack chimed in, walking a little bit closer, but not so close that Rainbow or Pinkie would be ‘unsafe’, “what’re you even doin’ here in Equestria? Why settle down in Canterlot of all places?”

“I’m looking for Azure Edge,” Twilight admitted. She had nothing to lose by being honest now, but there was a certain joy she felt in knowing that Azure Edge was a secret thing that only she and Rarity shared, and the pained scowl on Rarity’s face was a painful confirmation that Rarity still remembered.

“Uh-huh,” Applejack nodded, “yeah, I ain’t got any idea what that is.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Rarity said coldly, “it doesn’t exist.”

“Right,” Twilight muttered, hanging her head.

“So what are you doing here, then?” Rarity asked, arms crossed. Even though she was shorter than Twilight by a couple inches, Twilight still felt so, so small next to her. “Why so keen on talking to us, when you know that we have to kill you?”

“Rari—”

Pinkie tried to protest, but Applejack quickly put a hand on Pinkie’s shoulder and shook her head, Pinkie biting her lip closed in response.

Rarity had turned to look at them, but then turned back to Twilight with an impatient arched eyebrow.

“I want you four to accompany me to the Crystal Empire,” Twilight said, trying to sound confident but feeling instead like all of her innards were about to fall out her stomach.

“Are you daft?!” Rarity cackled, and she clenched her fist so hard Twilight was certain she was about to throw a punch. “How dare you? How dare you have the gall to ask a favor now, after everything you’ve done?!”

“It’s not a favor,” Twilight said sternly, empowered by a sudden burst of frustration and anger— not at Rarity, but at this whole mess, and specifically at what awaited her in the Crystal Empire. “Believe me, there’s almost no place I’d rather go than there, but—” Twilight hesitated, but she quickly drew herself up and looked Rarity in the eyes.

“But I want you to know the truth,” Twilight said clearly and boldly, “about me, about my kind, about what we are and what we can be. And to do that, I think you need to meet my brother.”

“Oh, good!” Rarity cackled. “More dragons! Just what I always wanted! You’re such a keen gift giver, Twilight!”

“Rarity,” Applejack muttered in Rarity’s ear, and Rarity and Twilight both looked around at the crowded Ponyville station, and at the several ponies whose eyes were now locked on Rarity.

“WHAT,” Rarity said flatly, loud enough for every pony to hear and glaring at them to boot, and that seemed to be enough to diver those ponies’ attention.

“Anyway,” Twilight cleared her throat, and decided to keep her voice to a whisper from now on. “My brother has been trying to foster friendship between ponies and dragons in the Crystal Empire, and from what I gather, he’s obtained some amount of success. Dragons live there already, unhidden and in harmony with the ponies who rule there.”

“Then how come you didn’t settle up north?” Applejack asked skeptically.

“Me and my brother,” Twilight groaned, “don’t see eye to eye. “B-but that doesn’t matter! This is more important to me, and if anyone can help you all see the truth of how dragons can be, that we honestly don’t want to harm anyone and just want to live in harmony like everyone else, it would be my brother! So please,” Twilight bowed her head, “come to the Crystal Empire with me, and let’s see him and the friendships he’s built together.”

No response.

Twilight rose her head and everyone was looking at her, but no one had anything to say.

Twilight took a deep breath, trying to shake off the shame and desperation she felt. She had no more cards left to play, and she already knew this was a desperate gambit. If this was to be her last stand, then so be it.

“Come to the Everfree Forest,” Twilight said, “when you’ve made up your minds one way or the other. I’ll be waiting, and we can finish this, with travel or with blood.” Twilight clenched her fists and— even as tears wetted her eyes— looked dead-on at the ponies who had come to see her, who she once considered family. “But I want you all to know, that I will not leave my son without a mother.

“Rarity,” Twilight looked straight into Rarity’s eyes, and now the pony was the one who looked intimidated, “I didn’t fight back against you last night because I desperately wanted to believe that you wouldn’t hurt me. I was wrong. The last thing I want is to hurt any of you, but if you come into the forest looking for a fight, I won’t back down.”

“I understand,” Rarity said simply, and Twilight nodded.

“I look forward to seeing you again,” Twilight bowed her head once more, and with a flash of light and a crack of magic, she was gone.

Author's Note:

i've used the word blood in alot of these chapter titles, but i guess it's fitting since that's just my Aesthetic(tm)

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!

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