Under Peaceful Boughs
Twilight looked up into the branches of the trees overhead with an uneasy grimace. Once upon a time, the Everfree Forest had all but petrified her with fear due to its alien nature as a primal zone. The unpredictable weather and truly wild animals had both proven to be potentially dangerous obstacles the first time she had entered this dark forest, three years ago.
However, she had set foot under these boughs numerous times since then. Each visit had done more and more to assuage her fears and anxieties. She learned to appreciate the solemn, almost haunting beauty of the woods that enveloped Equestria’s former capital. The weather did as it willed, and there was something to be admired about that. The animals lived their own lives, free of pony influence, and for as scary as they were as a result, they were nevertheless fascinating creatures to behold.
Needless to say, her fear had faded with time, replaced with cautious fascination… Until her most recent visits. Her throat tightened reflexively as the memory of having her lungs filled with blue sleeping gas filled her mind, and a cold shudder ran down her spine as she recalled Rainbow’s weight settled there.
She was not pleased to be back here. She hadn’t thought about it back in Ponyville before they set out, but now that she was here, the memories of what she had endured under these trees festered in her mind like an open wound.
Alas, it seemed the other members of the group did not share her reservations.
“Huh. Ya know, I haven’t actually been here since that whole mess with the queen,” Thorax noted, looking up into the branches with a thoughtful look on his face. “I remember everypony warning me that the Everfree was a really dangerous place, and at the time I was too scared of everything else to question it. Now, though?”
“It’s not as scary as it used to be,” Fluttershy acknowledged with a slow nod. “But I think that might just be us getting used to it…”
“Or we were blowing it out of proportion,” Spike ventured with a noncommittal shrug.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Fluttershy countered. “This place is still super dangerous. It always has been.”
“Fluttershy’s right,” Twilight cut in, eager for the chance to distract herself from her own haunting thoughts. “The Everfree Forest is nothing to sneeze at. We’ve simply gotten used to navigating it and being in danger.”
She stopped in place, her muzzle wrinkling in thought. “Although, I’m not sure if it's a good thing that I can say that with such certainty…”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Eh. Comes with being a wielder of an Element of Harmony, I guess,” he said, gesturing at her and Fluttershy. “You and the others are like the textbook definition of superheroes.”
Fluttershy squeaked. “Oh! Oh, no, I don’t think I’m a hero. I don’t even have the costume for it…”
Thorax gave her a soft smile. “Well, uh, not all heroes wear capes, you know.”
Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her mane. Angel, who was situated on her head, stuck out his tongue in mock disgust before snickering in devilish amusement.
Twilight rolled her eyes at the adorable display before focusing ahead. Superheroes, huh? A fun notion. “Although not one I can really agree with.”
A tingle ran down Twilight’s spine, and she shuddered involuntarily. A faint, echoing snicker sounded somewhere in the depths of her mind, causing her to frown. “Heroes don’t hurt the ponies they love, after all…”
Her dropping mood must have been more visible than she had thought, as the others soon silenced their discussion to focus on her in concern. She noticed them staring and jumped in her skin before clearing her throat and putting on a sheepish smile. “What? Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something in my mane?”
Thorax shifted uneasily on his hooves as the group’s pace slowed considerably. “Well, no… it’s just that…” he looked over her head at something she couldn’t see, his brow furrowing. “...You’re the most uncomfortable pony here. I can see it in the air. Something has you really on edge.”
Twilight’s heart skipped a beat in her chest, and she inwardly cursed herself for forgetting that she was standing beside an empath. She shook herself and looked away, her ears drooping. “I-I’m fine. Just…”
Fluttershy tugged on Thorax’s hoof, slowly shaking her head at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He must have sensed the emotions coming from Fluttershy and discerned that that topic was not open for discussion. He slowly nodded and gave Twilight an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Twilight. I won’t ask.’
She relaxed and nodded at him. “Thank you. I’m sorry, but it’s just… really sensitive,” she said sheepishly, rubbing her shoulder with a hoof.
“It’s also none of his business,” her voice sneered in her skull. “Where was he when you learned that Rainbow was lying to you? Where was he when you reduced the observatory to ashes? Where was he when you went on your rampage? Oh, that’s right. Hiding away in his home like a scared cockroach!”
Twilight blinked, screwing her eyes shut. “You need to be quiet!” she barked back internally. “You’re not helping! Just shut up!”
She heard a dismissive snort between her ears before the voice faded into the back of her mind. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and focused ahead. She noticed Spike by her side as she opened her eyes. He tapped the tips of his claws together over his chest, his eyes boring into her. “Twi… are you okay?”
She sighed and shook her head, subtly nudging him away from Fluttershy and Thorax so they could speak with some privacy. “Honestly? No, Spike, I’m not,” she admitted, bringing a hoof up to her temple. “I’m just… ugh. This whole situation is getting to me… let’s just find those books and get this over with, alright?”
Spike stared at her for several long seconds. Then he wandered closer and placed his claw on her shoulder, trying to impart some comfort. “You’ll be okay. We’re here for ya. And no matter what, I won’t let you turn into Midnight again.”
Twilight smiled down at him, her heart warming from the gesture. She unfurled a wing and draped it over the dragon, pulling him closer. “I know you won’t, Spike. Thank you…”
He grinned up at her. “What can I say? It’s what I do! Number one assistant Spike at your service!” he declared, thumping a fist against his puffed up chest.
“Oh, he won’t let you turn again, will he?” The voice whispered, sending a chill down Twilight’s spine. “Hmph. How adorable. The dragon thinks he’s useful.”
“Shut. The heck. UP!”
The voice cackled before once again receding into silence. Twilight did her best not to let her frustration at its jab show on her face. Instead, she focused on the feeling of Spike’s warmth pressing against her side and began counting the steps she was taking to the castle.
The remainder of the trip passed by in something of a blur for Twilight. For a mercy, they encountered no threats on the way. It was as if the local wildlife was still afraid that there may have been some Plundervines still lurking around. The signs of destruction left behind by those malevolent weeds were more bountiful the deeper in they went; torn soil, uprooted trees, overturned stones, scattered burrows. She could only imagine how Zecora must have felt in all of that chaos.
“Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever saw her in all of that mess… I wonder if she’s alright.” She thought as her mind wandered back to the moments when the vines had lashed out at her and her friends, with her barrier just barely keeping those despicable growths at bay. She had struggled against them, as had her friends. Zecora had probably been hard-pressed to escape.
It was pretty late in the afternoon when, at long last, the Castle of The Two Sisters came into view. The group came to a stop at the edge of the ravine that surrounded it to take in the sight. Angel took the opportunity to hop down from Fluttershy’s back and scuttle around to look at everything, though by her insistence he did not venture far.
Twilight didn’t pay the wayward rabbit any mind, though. Her gaze was focused solely on the castle. At first, she had been relieved to see the old place. It would provide shelter from the elements, and the knowledge she sought would hopefully be found somewhere within those crumbling halls. But as time went on, her mind wandered back to her last visit, and her blood began to chill in her veins.
She did her best not to look down into the ravine where she knew the Tree of Harmony resided. Yet despite her effort to not look toward it, some paranoid part of her mind imagined that it was watching her like a hawk. She could almost feel it, a sensation on the back of her neck, watching her every move.
Watching her. Assessing her. Judging her every decision with a critical, unbiased eye.
She shook her head, forcing herself to focus. “We should probably head inside,” she said, turning back to the others. “We only have a couple hours of light left. If we don’t hurry this along we might have to spend the night here, and I’d rather not do that if we can help it.”
Fluttershy lifted her head from the bush she had been looking into, Angel following her up by the ear. She turned to Twilight, wincing as the bunny pulled himself back up onto her head. “Oh! Ouch- uh, right!”
Thorax glanced at the bridge and frowned. “Hm. That thing’s pretty rickety… we should fly over.”
Twilight nodded. Without a word, she spread her wings and deposited Spike on her back. Then with a few flaps, she took to the air. Thorax was close by her hooves, Fluttershy right behind him. They crossed the distance without issue, and soon were setting down by the aging wooden gates of the castle.
“It’s been a long time since I was here,” Thorax noted, looking up at the towering spires and squinting.
“Two years or so,” Twilight acknowledged. She pushed the doors open with a quick pulse of magic, to which it responded with a shuddering groan. The entrance hall greeted them, and Twilight’s eyes found the ancient pedestal where she had first found the Elements three years prior.
She led the way through the halls without issue, calling back on their last trip through these halls. She knew the way, more or less. She cast her eyes across the broken, mossy stones, the shafts of evening sunlight streaming in through the broken walls and ceiling.
“Ya know,” Spike suddenly spoke up, looking around with a raised eyebrow. “I remember Rainbow talking about that old legend about this place last time we were here. Ya know, the one about that piece of Nightmare Moon that stuck behind?”
“I did some reading up on that, actually,” Thorax said, his wings twitching on his back as a small smile lit up his face. “Wind was studying history, and I studied some of it with her, and came across the legend. Apparently that ‘dark magic’ takes the form of ‘the pony of shadows’ at night.”
“Pony of Shadows?” Fluttershy mumbled, tugging on her mane. “That doesn’t sound nice…”
“Lucky us, it’s just a myth,” Twilight dismissed, glancing over at Thorax with newfound appreciation. “Even if there’s dark magic infecting these halls, we were here long enough last time to know that it’s basically inert. We’re fine.”
“See, normally I’d call you out and say ‘we’re totally gonna meet him,’ because that’s just how our luck goes,” Spike jabbed with a cheeky grin. “But you have a point. Nothing happened last time we were here. Well, other than letting Starlight out of her cocoon.”
Twilight’s smile faltered at the mention of the other unicorn. She slowed slightly, glancing over at Fluttershy. “Yeah, Starlight… I remember her. Do we know what happened to her after she left?” she asked.
Fluttershy shook her head. “I don’t think so. I never heard anything, at least,” she said softly. She looked down, an edge of guilt creeping into her voice. “I do hope she’s doing okay. We really hurt her…”
Twilight sighed, a pearl of regret forming in her own gut as well. “Yeah… we did,” she admitted, thinking back on the lilac unicorn. How many things had gone wrong because they had set out to find her? Just about everything bad that had happened to them could be traced back in some way to that mission and the consequences of their actions.
“I’m sure she’s doing fine,” Spike said comfortingly from Twilight’s back. “She’s a tough mare, and by the looks of things, she was going to do some soul searching last time we saw her. If we ever see her again, I totally bet she’s gonna be a lot better.”
“Heh. I hope so,” Twilight said quietly. Her eyes trailed off before landing on a familiar plaque over an open archway. Her heart skipped a beat with excitement, a grin appearing on her face. “Oh! I think we’re here!” she declared, breaking into a sprint for the archway.
She ran through the archway and, sure enough, found herself in the library. Her grin grew, accompanied by an ecstatic squealing noise as she took it all in again. She had browsed these shelves once before, but that didn’t at all mitigate her excitement at seeing it all again. Besides, there was a lot in here she hadn’t even had a chance to take note of yet.
As her eyes drifted up to the second level and all the shelves there, she began running in place. “Oooh! I take it back! I can totally spend the night here! No problem!” she declared, her wings fanning out.
Spike chuckled on her back. “Yep. That’s Twilight for ya.”
“Don’t ruin this for me! I will slap you!”
“Sure you will.”
Twilight groaned in exasperation before gently bucking her hips, sending Spike flying off to land on the floor a few inches behind her. “Ow!” he protested, rubbing at his back as he got up. “What was that for?”
“A stand-in for the slap.” Twilight declared pointedly, sticking her nose up into the air with a delighted smirk.
“Ugh.”
Thorax and Fluttershy filtered in after them, looking around with wide eyes. It was Thorax who spoke next. “Wow… it’s just how we left it.”
Twilight blinked and actually took in the details. Thorax was right. Everything was exactly as they had left it. Well, save for an inch of dust that had accumulated to cover everything. But she saw the familiar places they had arranged. Bundles of pillows her friends had used as makeshift beds, piles of books they had gone through and determined to be of no help to their cause at the time, and even the now long-shriveled and dried remains of the cocoon that had housed Starlight shoved out of sight into an empty corner.
Even the books were still where they had left them, scattered across the tables. A few were even open. Her jaw fell open in shock and dismay. “Oh my gosh… how could we leave it all like this?!” she asked, slapping a hoof to her temple. “It’s such a mess! I can’t find anything with it all scattered around like this!”
Now, Twilight knew that, in retrospect, they had been in a rush to get gone and out of the forest before Chrysalis’ minions had a chance to find them. They had more pressing matters to worry about then put everything back.
But that was then.
Now…
Spike’s shoulders sagged. “Oh, no…”
Twilight spun around to look at the group, her eye twitching. “Welp! Guess we’ll just have to put everything back where we found it!” she declared, lighting up her horn. “In fact, why not just organize the whole place?! It’s been a thousand years, it’s due for an arrangement!”
The entire library lit up with lavender light as Twilight pulled every book from the shelves at once.
Spike turned to shoot a glare at Thorax. “This is your fault,” he accused bluntly.
Fluttershy giggled at the changeling’s sheepish look. “Oh, it’s okay,” she said reassuringly before nodding at Twilight, who was now losing herself in the process of sorting everything so it could be sorted to the shelves again. “Let her get it out of her system. We all know how much she loves organizing things…”
Spike tried to look disapproving, but the farce did not last long. He sighed and put on a weary smile. “Yeah, I guess. I… kinda missed getting to sort things with her.”
Fluttershy glanced sideways at him. “Huh?”
He sighed, his smile turning strained. “...When she had amnesia, she never did this. She didn’t remember that it was something she loved to do… And I’m not gonna lie, I kinda missed it.”
With that, Spike stepped forward, ready and willing to help Twilight reorganize the entire library in Celestia and Luna’s old castle. Fluttershy, Thorax, and Angel shared a glance before nodding and stepping forward to help out however they could.
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Took the words right out of my mouth.
Great chapter!
REALLY good work on the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up here. Yeah, the reflection on how used to the Everfree they have gotten as well as Twilight arguing with herself, Thorax's observations and Spike noting one of Twilight's old habits that she didn't indulge in while she had amnesia were all great details.
Now, on to the next chapter.
I have to compliment you. With every story, your writing’s gotten better and better. There’s none of the typos or occasional roughness that was to be found in Glimpses, Choices, and Consequences. This is super-slick and well-written.
Twilight is… not well in the head. If it weren’t a known phenomenon of alicorns, I’d put it down to schizophrenia, all these voices she’s hearing. She probably ought to see a therapist. She’s carrying around too much guilt and shame to bear, and it’s clearly getting to her. Joint dream therapy sessions with Rainbow, maybe? Friends and lovers facing their demons head-on together? Maybe Luna would ease up on her some. Every alicorn’s had a fall at this point. They all have something in common.
With the mention to Starlight, I have to imagine it’s foreshadowing her appearing in this story at some point. That’s nice. I like Glimglam.
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I mean, I have been working on this series for how long, now? I started Glimpses back in July of 2017, so it's been a while, and I've written a LOT since then, not just Little Flashes stuff.
I have plans... ;)
In this specific story? Alas, no. In the series itself, though, I may have an idea or two on where I can squeeze her in... Stick around and find out. ;)
actually you can blame the sister's for everything that happened. for security reasons they should have kept tabs on Starlight. by NOT doing this help fueled Dash's issues.
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If you do any equestria girls stories, will you use Starlight in those?
Sooo... is no one going to go check on her? No? Okay then.