Twilight's foal is almost here, but she must deal with the memories of his father, Sombra. The sequel to Kiss of the Dark.
Six months after the events of Kiss of the Dark, Twilight is deep into her pregnancy with Sombra's child. The foal is due any moment now, and she grows more excited by the day.
However, her memories of Sombra still haunt her. Torturing her in her dreams, making her feel guilty for the things she's done with him....
Once Celestia catches wind of it, she takes it upon herself to help her former student once more. After all, its best that they fix things once and for all before the foal arrives...
Cover by AmberSolaen/Starburst Dawn.
Reading Kiss of the Dark before reading this story is recommended, but not required.
In the city of Canterlot, it was time once again for Celestia to raise the sun and Luna to set the moon. Even though the sisters were miles away from the peaceful town of Ponyville, the ponies there would feel their influence. Once the sun princess finished with her daily royal duty, they would get out of bed and get ready for the new day. Fillies would go to school, colts and mares would go to work...
...and a certain dragon would be snoring in his bed.
Spike rested in his tiny bed, in the middle of another Rarity dream. His face was shoved into the pillow, and the blanket was laying off to the side. Granted, it wasn't dignified for his species, but given how long of a day he had, his body shut down the moment it felt the comfort of the bed.
He was still snoring, and he turned over on the side to get more comfortable. Sunlight passed through the window and filled Twilight's house with its glow. It went over Spike's eyes, and it disturbed his sleep. He slowly woke up, bags hanging over his eyes.
The moment he realized it was morning, he sprung up in his bed and panicked. He looked out the window and slapped himself in the face when he realized what time it was.
"I overslept!" he cried. "I can't fail Twilight now!"
The dragon got up on his feet and hastily draped the blanket over his bed. It missed and hit the floor, but he had no time to fix that. He had breakfast to make for his adoptive sister, and fast.
He scrambled for the kitchen, his body still half asleep, and stumbled for the pantry. There was a box of cereal he found in there, and he poured it all into a bowl. It spilled out of the bowl into the floor, but he didn't care. He HAD to make up for the lost time.
"Sorry, Twilight! I didn't mean to sleep that late. I know you said I didn't need to do everything for you, but I want to do this for you. Anything that can make you more...comfortable..."
Just as he was about to pour some Sweet Apple Acres milk into the bowl, he saw Twilight's bed for the first time today. And the bed was empty.
He dropped everything and raced over to her bed. He searched everywhere for anything, anything at all that would tell him where Twilight Sparkle had gone. There wasn't a note, there wasn't a letter from Celestia asking her to come somewhere, nothing.
Spike started to hyperventilate, and his mind raced with all the bad things that could be happening to the princess.
"No no no no no, this is not good! I promised to look after her, and now she's gone! Please Twilight, be here somewhere..."
But before he could hire a whole team of Guards to look after her like he was thinking, he stopped in his tracks when he heard something. It was hooves clopping on the ground downstairs, originating from the basement.
Spike sighed in relief. It was a good thing that Twilight was still in the house, so he knew he didn't fail her after all.
He went downstairs to the basement. By that point in time, the room was completely changed. It hardly resembled its old self, save for a few spare books shoved to the side.
The room had Twilight's cutie mark on the carpet, done like a room in Celestia's castle. The walls were painted with cute and cuddly animals, all done by Pinkie Pie herself. There was a diaper changing station off to the side, and a bunch of foal toys were put up neatly by the wall.
But the thing that got Spike's attention was the crib in the middle. It was big and made out of wood, but that wasn't the important thing. Instead, he noticed that a familiar purple alicorn was gazing down at the crib. She smiled as she saw it was ready for use, and she peered down at her belly. It was big and almost swollen, and she rubbed over it with a hoof. She was almost crying from the sight, and she didn't notice Spike standing in the room with her.
"This is your room," Twilight said to the foal inside. "All of this is for you. I hope you like it. We all worked hard on it for you, because we want the best for you."
She felt a kick inside her stomach. It hurt every time the foal did that, but the joy it brought was worth it. And then she noticed Spike standing there, waiting for her.
"Oh, hi Spike."
"What are you doing out here?" Spike worried. "I thought you were going to be in your bed, and I could serve you breakfast. You really need your rest before the baby arrives."
"Sorry. I just wanted to look over the room one last time, make sure everything is in place."
"That's my job for now. Here, let's go back upstairs and have some breakfast."
Twilight sighed and nodded. She scanned her eyes over the room one last time, just to remember it as well as she could, and she went up the stairs with Spike.
Spike helped her with every step, making sure she didn't tip over or fall. She swore she could do it just fine, but there was no way he was going to make her do this alone.
Later on, Twilight found herself tucked into bed by Spike himself. She laid flat on her side, making sure she was comfortable and the position wouldn't bother her belly.
Spike brought a tray to the bed, and he placed it around her waist. He put the bowl of cereal in front of her, and the bowl...well, it was overflowing in every single way. There was way too much cereal, and milk was pouring out of the sides.
"Thanks, Spike. But you really should get more sleep than that. When did you go to bed last night?"
"Two in the morning. But that's not what matters for now. You come first."
Twilight smiled. She appreciated all of the effort he was giving her, and the cereal he had served was delicious.
Meanwhile, Spike brought out a clawful of documents and spread them out on the study desk. He brought out his quill and looked to Twilight.
"Alright, here's the bills and royal duties for the day. Are you ready?"
"Ready. But really, get some sleep after this."
"Fine. The first one is from those construction workers designing your castle. They want to know if you would like a fountain by the castle entrance. What should I write?"
"Hmm...that would be nice. There might be a river by the castle, but that would be a great thing to see when you come in, wouldn't it? Check yes."
Spike crossed the box next to "yes", and went to the next scroll.
"This one is from the Mayor. She wants to expand Ponyville by 20% over the next four years. Its so that the town is closer to your castle."
Twilight nudged her front hooves together, more than a little uncomfortable with the idea. "I...I'm not sure. Its going to happen sooner or later, but I want more time to think about it."
Spike grabbed the scroll and shoved it into a drawer full of other scrolls, made just for these occasions.
"Here's one. It's asking for a new holiday. They call it Princess Twilight Sparkle Day."
She raised an eyebrow. "And just what would this holiday have?"
"It would have everyone in Ponyville throw a big party for you. There would be a parade in your honor, and you get to have a great big cake at the end of it. We would all say how awesome it is you live in Ponyville, especially now that you're...you're 'the best princess in the history of princesses'."
Twilight giggled under her breath. "Let me guess, did Pinkie Pie write this?"
Spike examined the scroll closely. "Yep. That's her signature right there, with a doodle of you on top of that big cake next to it."
Twilight couldn't help but laugh. "That's just like her. Go tell her that she doesn't need a big holiday to make me feel special. That's what my birthday is for."
"Um...that's when the holiday would be. On your birthday."
"Oh. Well, I don't think its necessary. Tell her she doesn't need..."
Before she could finish, Spike was passed out on the study desk. He still had the quill in his hand, the tip of it right next to the NO box.
She laughed again, having seen Spike's lack of sleep catch up with him. But she grew nauseous out of the blue. Laughng like that sent her over the edge. Her stomach felt like a volcano ready to burst, and she felt her face heating up. She clenched her belly with her hooves, and she wanted to go to the restroom so badly. But moving one of her hooves at all only served to make her stomach more upset.
So she looked for anything to use. There was a dust bucket right next to Spike, and she used the levitation spell to bring it to her bed. She pushed her snout into it, and what happened next is best left unsaid.
Once she was finished, she put the bucket down and laid down her head flat on her bed. She went from cheerful and ready for the day to spent and sleepy in no time. She looked down at her stomach and gave a weak smile.
"I'm not going to miss this part. But it will be worth it when I meet you for the first time..."
Before she knew what was happening, she closed her eyes and went to sleep within minutes.
----
Wind whistled around Twilight's ears, and the air was suddenly freezing around her. She thought it was just another symptom of her pregnancy at first, and she tried to go back to bed. Spike was right about one thing, she needed her rest and not try to overextend herself.
But once she turned over to the other side, she heard her hooves press down on snow.
That was when she knew something was wrong. She opened her eyes to see what was going on, and her jaw dropped when she realized where she was.
The comfort of her bedroom had given way to a tundra, stretching out for miles and surrounded by mountains. The wind blew at her back, and snow came down in pellets around her. There was nothing resembling life out there, other than Twilight herself.
The alicorn freaked out from the sight, and her mind raced over all the reasons why she could be out here. Maybe Celestia brought her out here. Or a dragon kidnapped her and dropped her off here to die from the cold. But none of those reasons fit into the puzzle.
The very first thing that came to mind was her foal, and how her being out here would harm it. She clutched at her belly again, but what she felt there was the stuff of horror.
There was no baby in her stomach. It was gone, seemingly never existed. On top of that, she felt armor across her body. She looked over herself and saw that she was decked in body armor. Her hooves had silver plates, her neck was covered in another plate, and a purple cape was flapping against the wind on her back.
It was the same armor she wore when she was...his queen.
She found new reasons to panic, and she didn't know why this was happening again. The obvious answer that this was all a dream felt silly to her, because it was so vivid that she thought it was real. But she didn't know why this was happening at all.
On top of that, she shed a tear when she realized that she wasn't with her child out there. Regardless how it was made, she wanted the baby to be hers as long as she knew she would have one. All the things she could teach him, the joy of seeing him grow up...all gone, just like that.
She cried where she was for a few minutes, the weight of it all hitting her like a brick to the face. Her tears froze up on her face, creating icy streaks on her cheeks.
And then she saw something else.
Up a few dozen feet, she spotted a few ponies lying flat on the ground. She couldn't make them out through the snow that well, but she could see that they were ponies.
She ran to their aid without a second thought. Maybe they could tell her what was going on. But the closer she came to them, the more her heart sank. She recognized them as Royal Guards, much like the ones from her darkest memories.
They were eight in number, wearing the usual Guard armor. They were all collapsed on their sides, and some of them had blood coming out of their lips. None of them showed any signs of life, not one.
Twilight gasped at the sight, as it reminded her of memories she wanted to forget. But she had to make sure they were still alive. She came to the side of one of them and touched his neck to check for a pulse. Nothing.
Neither did any of the other Guards, as she checked them one by one, hoping to Celestia that one of them was still alive.
Once she realized that, she sat down on the frozen snow and cried again. Something in her heart made her feel like she was responsible, and she hated herself for letting it happen.
She sat there, crying her heart for a little while, allowing the snow drifts to take over her.
Then she felt a warm hoof on her shoulder.
She didn't mind it one bit at first, and a part of her almost welcomed it. She didn't know who it was, but given how bad this day was for her, any love and attention was needed. Once she felt the pony's hooves wrapped around her stomach, she leaned back and allowed the pony to embrace her.
"I...I don't know what happened," Twilight whimpered. "I found them like this, but I feel like I killed them. I'm so sorry..."
"You don't have to be."
Her eyes widened in fear. She would know that voice anywhere.
She pulled away from the pony's hooves and faced the pony directly. Her face was frozen in shock when she saw who it was.
Standing right there in front of her was King Sombra himself. He was clad in the armor he was most proud to wear, and his red cape flapped in the wind as well. His face was full of worry and affection for Twilight, and he reached a hoof out for her to take.
"You don't have to do this alone, Twilight Sparkle. I am here now."
Twilight shook her head, her brain not believing what she was seeing, but her heart was desperately wanting this to be real. There was no way this could be happening; it broke every logical rule of the universe. And yet she wanted to run into his hooves so badly.
But her brain was winning, and she took a few steps away from the King of Shadows. He matched every step she took, keeping the distance between the two close.
"No...it can't be...I saw you die! I watched you die with my own eyes, and your body was buried in this very place! There's no way this can be happening!"
"I came back from the grave once before, remember? But that is not important. I am here for you again. You don't have to raise the foal alone anymore."
Twilight still shook her head, her heart torn into pieces by the sight of Sombra. But she remembered all the things he had done to her, and she knew what she had to do.
She turned tail and ran as fast as she could away from him. She leaped over all the bodies and scrambled to the mountains, wanting to use her wings to get as high up as she could. The same thing wasn't going to happen to her again.
As soon as she ran away, an aura of dark magic surrounded Sombra's body. His pony form disappeared into a cloud of dark mist, and he vanished into the cloud completely. Once he took his shadow form, he came after Twilight, his green tinted eyes still visible within his new form.
Twilight gazed over her shoulder, and she almost screamed when she saw what was coming for her. Her hooves galloped over the snow as fast as she could, but she was never fast enough. She could feel his presence getting closer.
"TWILIGHT! DON'T GO! WE COULD BE TOGETHER FOREVER, AS YOU WANTED!" the black cloud shouted.
That sentence struck a chord within her, and her heart took over her instincts. She couldn't help but think of how deep their love really was, and deep down, a part of her wanted to feel his embrace.
So she stopped in her tracks and turned around. She extended her forelegs to the cloud, all while tears poured down her face.
"I do want you. And I hate myself for it!"
The dark cloud descended around her, filling the air with his magic. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to get swept in it, giving herself up for him. She felt his embrace through the mist, going beyond any logic that she knew. She welcomed it very much, but she still hated herself for giving in.
But what she did not know was that they weren't alone.
She couldn't see the pony herself, but it was many feet away from where she was. The pony was dark blue, carrying sandals on all of her hooves. She wore a crown on her head, and the moon was surrounded by an ink spot on her flank.
She arrived to see Twilight consumed by the dark cloud of Sombra, and she was deeply saddened by the visual. She also noticed the eight bodies of Guards surrounding her, and even a pony as dignified as her was tempted to cry.
"You are a deeply troubled soul even now, Twilight Sparkle," Princess Luna said. "And I will not allow you to carry this burden alone any more."
The tundra began to collapse around her. The ground cracked into a million pieces and flew up to the sky, and so did the bodies of the Guards. Luna realized the dream was ending soon, and she flapped her wings to reach the sky.
Before she left the dream altogether, she spotted Twilight down below, looking up to the sky. Maybe she saw Luna, but the princess of the night herself wasn't sure...
----
Luna's vision stopped glowing white and went back to normal as she left the dream. Her blue irises returned to her eyes, and she got her bearings back in reality. She found herself on her castle's watchtower, just as she was right before she traveled to the dreamscape.
Usually, when she returned from the land of dreams, she would feel as refreshed as anypony after a good night's sleep. She might even be happy with herself, as she helped solved another pony's problems.
But this time, she felt a sense of urgency she rarely felt before. There was no way she could sit on a problem like this.
Luna exited the watchtower and galloped through the hallways of the castle soon after. She heard where Celestia would be that day, and she wanted an audience with her immediately. Yes, Tia might be upset that she would interrupt her morning, but she would understand once she got the news.
Eventually, she arrived at the entrance to the central dining hall. There were two guards watching over it, and they bowed to her at first sight.
"Welcome, Your Majesty. Shouldn't you be resting at this hour?" one Guard said. "Its eight in the morning."
"No, I must speak with my sister at once. I demand entry inside."
"But she's in a breakfast meeting over the upcoming Equestria Games. Can it wait?"
"No. Its concerning Princess Twilight."
That got their attention fast. They opened the door quickly for Luna, and she dashed inside as soon as she could.
The dining hall had a long table at its center, and Celestia was indeed having a meeting with a few officials. Most of them were ponies; a few griffons from a far away kingdom were there as well. Most of them had plates of breakfast food, making the meeting that much more tolerable.
"Now, these Equestria Games will have the most secure facilities you can imagine, I assure you," Celestia said. "The prince is even a former captain of our Guard, so he knows security better than..."
She stopped her sentence as every head in the room turned to Luna. The moon princess looked like she was worried and agitated, something that made everyone concerned for her.
"I apologize for this interruption, but I need a private audience with my sister," Luna explained. "This is a very urgent matter at hoof for us."
Celestia sighed, a little upset over her sister's actions. "Are you sure it cannot wait? This meeting is also very urgent."
"More urgent than Princess Twilight?"
Celestia's eyes widened. "Oh, that matter. I'm sorry, but she's right. I need some time with her alone. We'll resume the meeting as soon as we're finished."
The officials grumbled under their breath as they got up from their chairs. They departed the dining hall out the entrance, and the Guards closed the door behind them. Luna proceeded to lock the door with her key, wanting this meeting as private as possible. She took a seat opposite Celestia, and her eyes, full of weary thoughts, said it all.
Celestia leaned forward as she began. "Have her dreams gotten any worse?"
"Much worse. The dreams are growing more frequent as time goes on, and each one is more terrifying than the last one."
"And Sombra was in this one, wasn't he?"
"Yes. He was her comforter, her protector when she found the bodies of those eight Royal Guards. No doubt memories of her assistance in their murders plaguing her dreams."
"It's just as I feared. She needs more help when it comes to this. Especially before the foal is due. Its his foal as well, and I don't want her memories of him getting in the way of raising her child."
"When is the foal due, sister? I confess that I have forgotten."
"Her doctor says the colt is due in two weeks. But that's not important right now. I think I know what we need to do for her sake."
"And what would that be?"
"I'm going to offer her the opportunity to stay at our castle for the remainder of her pregnancy, up to the first month after the foal is born."
"And you plan for us to help her finally solve the Sombra problem, are you not?"
"Of course. Do you mind doing something for me during that time? I want you to go into her dreams when she is here, and help her there like you normally would."
Luna gleamed in delight. "That is one of my favorite royal duties, so I will do that with pleasure. But be sure to invite her friends to Canterlot when she is close. You know how she is with her friends."
"Of course. And I'll make the preparations now for the delivery. But first things first..."
She pulled out a scroll to write on, and brought a quill next to the paper. Scrolls and quills were in nearly every room in the castle, in case of writing emergences.
She began writing her letter, and finished with the following.
My faithful fellow princess, Twilight Sparkle,
I hear that the foal is due soon. I'm sure you're excited about him as much as your friends, family, and we are. This is a big moment for anypony, and we couldn't be happier for you.
That is why Luna and I are offering something for you for this occasion. If you want to, you can stay with us at the castle for the remainder of your pregnancy. We would be able to have a room ready for you to deliver the foal when the time comes, and your friends can stay in the guest bedrooms when they can. And your parents are in the area, so this would be very convenient for them.
Of course, you can go to the hospital in Ponyville if you wish. But we want you to know that our doors are open, if you're interested.
Wish you luck, Princess Celestia
She sealed the letter with her stamp of approval and used her magic to make it into a wisp in the air. It left the room and traveled all the way to Ponyville.
"What do you think she will say?" Luna asked.
"Knowing her, she's already reading--"
A letter appeared in front of her immediately, and it dropped down to the table. Celestia opened it at once and read its contents. A smile formed on her lips as she read it.
"Remind me to prepare the castle for a third princess once the meeting is over," she grinned. "Princess Twilight Sparkle is coming over."
"Yeah, I'm sure we need all of them. You're probably going to be gone for a month and a half. Why wouldn't you need all of them?"
"Its just...have you ever seen how many bags Rarity carries around when she's traveling? This is like twice that amount."
It was early morning the next day, and Twilight was waiting outside for her ride to Canterlot. She was told to wait outside for a chariot to pick her up at her house, and that was what she did to pass the time.
Her stomach felt upset at times, but it was nothing like it was yesterday. She kept her composure whenever possible, and she was holding up well. At least, for this early in the day.
And yet, she wasn't focusing on her stomach or when the chariot would arrive. Instead, her attention was paid to the tower of bags in front of her, assembled by Spike himself. Most of the bags were filled to the brim with books, and the others had her clothes and other things. It was a huge, huge pile, one that was way more than what she needed.
"Exactly," Spike continued. "I really want you to be comfortable and have everything you might want while you're up there. Though, if you really think its too much, I guess I can put some of it back."
"I want you to do that for me, if you don't mind," Twilight said as politely as she could. "Don't you remember Celestia's library? They have more books than I can imagine. So we don't need to carry all of that stuff around with us while we're up there."
Most of the time, Spike would be embarrassed or distraught, feeling like he went way too far with his preparations. But on this occasion, he seemed delighted about it.
"Of course. And I don't think the chariot could carry all of those books in the first place. Let me take care of that for you."
He went to work immediately and grabbed two book bags with his claws. The baby dragon ran into the house to put them away, and came back outside just as quickly. He kept repeating the same two steps again and again, making the pile smaller and more manageable. At the pace he was going, it was almost like he was moving at Pinkie Pie speeds.
It would still take a while to shrink down, and it gave Twilight a moment to think before the chariot arrived. As she did a lot during the last few months, she gazed down at her belly and thought of the foal inside. She sat down on her flank and rubbed over her belly with her forelegs again, something that had become a habit for her.
Truth be told, her original plan was to have the foal at the Ponyville Hospital. It was so close to her house, and her experiences with the doctors there were pleasant and comfortable. It seemed like the perfect place to have a child, that is, until she got the offer from Celestia.
She really wanted the best for her child, and there was no place she could imagine better than in Canterlot. Her foal would be well looked after, and Celestia herself would be there to help.
But the more she thought about the colt, the more she thought about his father. It crept up on her subtly, until it had invaded her mind completely. The way he talked about having a child with her when they were together, and the things he was saying in her nightmares...
She shivered as he occupied her every thought. She tried to push him out in order to prove that she moved on. And then she remembered how much she wanted him in her dreams...
"There, all done!"
Twilight opened her eyes, Spike's voice bringing her back to reality. The pile of bags was less than a quarter of its size by now, and the dragon was sweating from all of his hard work.
"I'm done with everything now. That covers every bag with books inside. I feel like I'm going to pass out now," Spike admitted.
Twilight smiled. "That's perfect. That's all we need now."
Spike wiped the sweat off his forehead and sighed in relief. He leaned against the smaller pile of bags to rest. "That's what I was hoping you'd say."
"Hey, is it just me or have we been waiting a while?" Twilight thought openly. "I hope they're not late or anything--"
As soon as she closed her mouth, she heard the sound of hooves galloping and wheels churning. It was coming from the road leading to Canterlot, and it was getting close. The princess and the dragon turned their heads to see who it would be.
Sure enough, a chariot arrived at Twilight's house. It looked like the sort of chariot Celestia used, big and roomy. Four Guards manned the chariot, all pegasi, and they came to a complete stop in front of the purple alicorn. One of the Guards took the yoke off his back, and he came forward to greet Princess Twilight.
"Your Majesty, Princess Celestia has sent us to take you away to Canterlot. Do you need any help with your luggage?" he said, noting the pile of bags next to her.
"No, I can take it from here." Twilight used her levitation spell to pick up the luggage in the air, and she hovered them towards the back of the carriage. Spike seemed a little disappointed that he couldn't do it for himself, but at least the job was done.
"Very well. Come with us, and we can depart for Canterlot."
And so Twilight and Spike went inside the carriage, Spike allowing Twilight to go first. They got themselves comfortable, and the Guard shut the door behind them. Once they were inside, he strapped himself back into the yoke and motioned the other Guards to get ready for departure.
They turned and ran back to the direction they came, the road that would lead them to Canterlot. They flapped their wings as they prepared to take off.
"Wait! Don't fly!" Spike cried.
The Guards stopped in their tracks, and the wheels dragged against the ground as the chariot came to a complete stop. They looked to Spike, both confused and angry that he would say such a thing.
"And why not? Flying is the fastest way from here," the captain mentioned.
"Twilight's pregnant, remember? Flying could make her stomach really upset, and I'm not sure what else she would do if we were in the sky."
The captain slapped himself in the face. "Why did I not think of that? You are correct about this, young dragon. Let us take to the ground, as long as we can with this chariot."
Spike sighed in relief, feeling like he had just averted another crisis. The next thing he knew, Twilight hugged him and smiled.
"I'm glad you're here, Spike. I'm not sure where I would be without you."
Spike smiled as well, as they began the long road to Canterlot together.
The ride there was surprisingly nice and peaceful. The stallions made a conscious effort to take the easiest path possible so the princess would not be disturbed on the way. And so their path brought them through many valleys and streams, with a few forests to break things up. It was a nice scenic route, one that would take a couple of hours to pass.
In the meantime, Twilight used her time to think about what was coming. There was no doubt that she would receive great care at the castle, but it perplexed her all the same that she was invited at all. She couldn't place a hoof on it, but she felt something was off about it.
Then again, she swore that she saw Luna in one of her dreams just the other day...in fact, now that she was thinking about it, she saw her in a lot of dreams lately. That got her thinking about the sort of dreams that this happened. Then she realized they all had one thing in common: Sombra was in them, in one way or another...
"Look! We're almost here!" Spike yelled.
Twilight looked up ahead, and Canterlot was indeed within their sights. It was sparkling with radiance, just as it was everytime she had been there.
The Guards took the long, steep stone road to get there from the valley below. They were careful with their efforts, making sure they would not slip and risk her safety, until they arrived at the gates of Canterlot safely.
The ponies watching over the city spotted the chariot of Princess Twilight Sparkle approaching, and they opened the gates for her entry. Twilight waved to them as she passed by the entrance, and the chariot passed through the streets for Celestia's castle.
The chariot came into the castle's courtyard soon after, and Twilight was both surprised and relieved at the low key welcoming party waiting for her. There was a captain there, a stallion with a uniform signaling his position, and a few guards of his own. That was it, and not even Celestia was there for the occasion.
The chariot came to a complete stop, and as soon as they arrived, the Guards dismantled from their yokes. Two of them went to work taking the luggage inside, while the other two opened the side doors for Twilight and Spike. They exited the chariot, and the captain stepped forward to greet them. He was a stallion in his late twenties, brown coat and black mane.
"Hello, my name is Sergeant Ground Pound. Celestia is in the middle of a meeting at the moment, so she wanted me to show you a tour around the place.
"Thank you, but I'm sure I can take it from here. I know this place better than my fillyhood home."
"Yes, but we've been working to prepare the castle for your delivery."
"My...my delivery?"
"Yes. We felt like you deserved the best treatment in Equestria, so one of the rooms has been redesigned as a hospital room of sorts. That way, when the time arrives, you can have the foal in there without traveling. Its not the first time we've done something like this, if you can believe it."
"That was very, very thoughtful of you," Twilight blushed, not used to this level of attention. Well, save for Pinkie Pie. "I'm ready to go in, if you mind."
"Of course. Right this way."
He led her into the castle, with Spike close behind. The other guards went back to their usual duties, and the courtyard went back to normal after a few minutes.
As Twilight went on her way, something caught her attention at the corner of her eye. It was something over at the watch tower, and it struck her as unusual.
Princess Luna was there, standing at the tower's balcony. Her eyes were fixed on Twilight, watching her every move. It reminded the purple alicorn of all the times she thought Luna was in her dreams, and it made her a little nervous. What is she up to? she thought to herself. Maybe she's the one who wanted me over here...
The alicorn and the dragon went inside the castle, and Ground Pound led them through its hallways. They eventually arrived at a room that Twilight remembered as one of the guest bedrooms, but she arrived, it was nothing like its orginal form.
The walls were as white as Celestia's coat, and the bed was replaced by a hospital one. All kinds of medical equipment were laid out near it, and a doctor was busy testing them out. A wall separated the entrance from the bed, and a glass window allowed them to peer inside.
Twilight was amused, loving the attention to detail that Celestia had shown her. She pressed her face to the window and looked at the bed, thinking about what she would be doing there.
"We're thinking about making it a permanent part of the castle," Ground Pound stated. "You know, in case Celestia or Luna are in danger. So what do you think?"
"I think its amazing," Twilight said, still amazed. "Its just...I can't believe Celestia would all of this for me."
"Are you kidding?" Spike smirked. "You saved her life twice, brought back her sister safely, and saved all of Equestria many times. If anything, she owes you this."
Twilight was tempted to glare at him, until she thought about what he said. "You know what, you're right. I just didn't want to ask favors from her. But this is a nice reward, don't you think?"
Ground Pound wanted to slap them both for saying such things about Princess Celestia of all ponies, but ultimately held back on his urges.
"Its been a long trip for both of you, I imagine. Do you wish to rest in one of our lounge rooms? Celestia will meet you there once the meeting is over."
"That sounds wonderful," Twilight admitted.
And that concludes the first volume of my lessons on the elemental spells. As you can see, they span many types. So many that one volume could not contain them all. Still, I hope what little I could teach in this book will help you in your lifetime. Starswirl the Bearded
Twilight closed the back cover to the book once it was finished, and she put it into a pile with two other books she finished. She adjusted herself on the pillow to get more comfortable, and she picked up one of her favorite Daring Do books to start reading. With books like these, killing time was easy.
The lounge room was nice and quiet, almost like a nursery for full grown stallions and mares. There were pillows all over the place to rest one's hooves on, and a fireplace kept the room nice and warm at all times. A few bookcases were off to the side, and most of the books were thankfully the sort of stuff she would read.
As she began to read the first page, she groaned from the pain in her stomach. The foal kicked the insides of her belly, and this one hurt more than most. It caused her to drop the book to the ground, and she clenched herself around that part of her body.
It was obvious that the foal was nearly due, given how large her stomach had gotten. That, and how painful the kicks were getting as of late.
"Looks like you want out too," she laughed weakly. "I'm thinking the same thing. For a foal, you kick as hard as Applejack."
But as soon as the pain subsided, she heard somepony come in. She scooted over to see who it was, and she squealed internally when she recognized her.
Celestia came into the lounge room with her, her royal clothing missing. She was just her usual pony self, and it was a little strange for Twilight to see her naked. But the warm smile and comforting gaze she had melted all of those strange feelings away.
"Celestia! I'm so glad to see you again," Twilight gleamed. She tried to get on her hooves to come see her, but Celestia raised a hoof for her to stop.
"You don't have to do that, Twilight. And it is always good to see you again," greeted Celestia. She came over to Twilight's side and sat down on the pillow next to her. She leaned over and wrapped her neck around the purple alicorn's, hugging her in a way.
"And I just wanted to say, thank you for doing all of this for me," Twilight added. "I know you probably wanted the best for me, but this is just great. I can't believe you installed that delivery room just for me."
"You're welcome. I couldn't think of a better place to do it than here. Speaking of which..."
Celestia looked down at Twilight's big belly and touched it with her bare hooves. Twilight giggled a bit, her stomach being sensitive ever since the pregnancy began.
"It is a colt, is it not?" Celestia asked.
"Yep. That's what the doctor told me a while back."
"Then it will be a prince. And with what Spike has been telling me, it sounds like you're thrilled."
Twilight nodded enthusatically. "You have no idea."
"And as it should be. This should be a joyful occasion for you, and it will change your life forever. For the better, if you ask me."
"Trust me, I've been looking forward to it a long time. Remember when we first met after you found out I was pregnant? You were so worried about me, but even then I thought it was wonderful."
"Actually...that's why I wanted to meet you now, rather than after the foal is due. I feel like we need to discuss this as soon as possible."
Twilight's ears went to the side, as Celestia's tone went from kind and caring to emotional and mysterious in five seconds flat.
"What is it about?"
Celestia took a deep breath to get herself ready for what was coming. "Sombra."
All of the air was sucked out of the room. All signs of hope or joy escaped Twilight's face, and her emotions drained away just as quickly. It was quiet all of a sudden, and she was like a statue, frozen and expressionless.
For the first time in her life, she saw Celestia's ears go down to the side. She was just as sad and solemn as Twilight was, something that almost never happened.
"Is...is it about the dreams?" she cried. "I keep seeing Luna in them, and I know that's not a coincidence. I...I..."
Celestia draped a wing over her former student and brought her even closer. She looked her straight in the eye, giving the purple alicorn no room to hide.
"Please, don't hide this from me," Celestia begged, her voice shakier than Twilight had ever heard it in her lifetime. "I don't know everything about you and your problems, but if you keep having nightmares with him in it, there has to be something to it. Please...tell me what is the matter. Nopony else is here to hear you. It is just you and me."
Twilight's eyes watered, and she closed them at once. She didn't want to be like this, especially in front of her idol. But there was no hiding it.
"I don't know what to do," she confessed. "I keep thinking about him all the time. He was...he was my lover when we lived in that castle together. We made this baby together," she said as she looked down to her stomach.
"And I loved him so much. I'm terrified that I'm never going to find another stallion that I love like him again, and I feel like I should be punished for admitting that. And I know that I told you that we didn't need to worry about the foal growing up like Sombra when we met by that lake. But I worry about it all the time. I don't want anypony to be like him, and I've been planning so much of his life already. Then I realize that he might not be like the stallion I want him to be, and that he might actually be like Sombra in a few ways...
"And I don't know what to do!" Twilight cried, the tears pouring out of her now. "I don't know if I'm preparing the right way for his future, I don't know what to do if he's like Sombra at all, and I don't know how to get past the fact that I still love Sombra!"
Once she was finished, she buried her face in the pillow and cried her soul out. She covered her head with her wings, not bearing to be seen by somepony as perfect as Celestia. Not when she was this pathetic.
And yet, what happened next surprised her.
She felt a pair of white hooves wrap around her neck, embracing her with more love than what she knew what to do with. She felt tears drip down to her body, those not her own.
She looked up and saw Celestia's face full of tears. Never in her life had she seen her teacher have an expression so full of love before, and all Celestia did was keep hugging her. Her eyes were shut as she did so, not giving a damn about anything else at the moment.
"Oh Twilight," Celestia whispered, her voice giving out on her. "I love you so much. I would never let feelings like these get in the way of that. Never feel like that again, because its wrong...so wrong..."
Twilight was in shock over those words, and she didn't know what to think. But her mind was pushed aside in favor of her heart, and she hugged Celestia back as much as she could in her pregnant state.
She didn't want to let go for a while, and that's what would happen. Neither one said anything for minutes, allowing a sweet silence to wash over them.
"Please tell me I'll be a good mother," Twilight eventually said.
"Twilight...you'll be a great mother," Celestia finally answered. "I know it better than anypony. I've seen you take care of Spike like he was your family. He is part of your family now, but he wasn't at the start. And you took such great care of him. And the preparations you've made for the foal? I've never seen any mother do the things you've done for him."
Twilight wiped her face clean of the tears, and she began to smile again. "Really?"
"Really," Celestia nodded. "I know this from the bottom of my heart. You will be a great mother. But do not panic if he resembles Sombra in some ways. He is his child as much as yours, but you alone will raise him. Make him good, and not one who will follow after his father step by step."
That calmed Twilight down a lot, and the tears were almost gone. "Thank...thank you...you will never know how badly I needed to hear you say that. I...I feel better about it."
That warmed Celestia's heart like few others. "You're welcome. I will always be here for you, if you need it. I want to be that pony for you."
"But...what should I do about the fact that I still love Sombra?" Twilight added.
"That one will take more time, I admit. And there are some things that even I can't help you with. But I think I know the pony who can."
"OK," Twilight said, a little surprised to hear that from somepony as wise as Celestia. "When can I meet this pony?"
"Tonight. Trust me, this pony will have all answers for you..."
As she said that, her head turned to the entrance. The door was creaked on its hinges, and she could see a familiar blue pony waiting there, observing the proceedings as they happened.
After Celestia finished her thought, Luna nodded her head in understanding. She left the lounge room, seemingly never there to begin with, as far as Twilight was concerned.
"Tonight is the night to act, Luna. We might have time to do this, but I don't know how much anymore. For all I know, it could happen tomorrow."
"I understand. Better to do it early than on time. But I admit that I am concerned over what I'm about to do."
"Why is that? This isn't the first time you've talked to ponies in their dreams."
"Yes, but she is not like most ponies, just as her predicament is not like most I've seen. I admit that her dreams with that beast trouble me to no end, even more than your previous nightmares with Nightmare Moon."
"And I thank you for helping me through that time. But does this mean you cannot do it?"
"No, I certainly can. But you must realize how difficult this will be, even for me. I can't guarantee that I'll be successful."
"I want you to succeed, Luna, because I don't want Twilight to stay like this. But I want to know even more that you're trying."
"Very well, Celestia. I will do as you ask on this very night."
The air by the balcony was cool and crisp that night. A gentle breeze blew the curtains to the side, and the moonlight was partially blocked by their waves. As the doors to the balcony were wide open, the bedroom was bathed in the moon's faint glow.
The guest bedroom was extravagant, as was expected from the castle of Celestia. The bed itself was huge and could rest a family of ponies, and there was a canopy hanging over it. More curtains hanged from the canopy, and it was hard at times to see who was inside.
But you could certainly hear her.
Twilight Sparkle was resting inside the bed, or more accurately, was trying to rest. She was in a deep sleep, but she grew restless. She tossed and turned back and forth to her sides, her pregnant belly limiting her movements a bit.
"Sombra...no...don't do this to me," she said in her sleep.
Her face went from expression to expression, sometimes happy and sometimes distraught. Whatever it was she saw, it made her scared to her soul. Sweat formed all around her body, and her forelegs kicked around in the air.
The wind flapped around the balcony, but not just from the wind anymore. Wings more powerful than that of a pegasus flapped around the air as they approached the bedroom. Four hooves touched down on the balcony's floor, covered by white sandals.
The pony who arrived had the stars of the night sky in her flowing mane and tail. The crescent moon was forever embodied on her flank. And her crown signaled the sort of power her position carried.
Princess Luna noticed the constant noises Twilight made as soon as she was inside. The purple alicorn spoke strange words in her sleep, and she wrestled with her own blanket.
And so, Luna went to the side of the bed and parted the canopy's curtains to gaze inside. Her worst fears concerning Twilight's state came true in that bed. The sheets were stained in Twilight's sweat, and rarely had Luna seen a pony as terrified as she was.
"I will not delay any further," Luna announced. "You need my help, and I will not deny it for you."
Her horn glowed from tip to bottom as she concentrated on getting inside Twilight's dreams. Her eyes began to lose their pupils, changing entirely to white. Her vision did the same, as the bedroom disappeared in front of her. She felt herself being sucked into Twilight's brain, even though her body was still standing next to the bed without any changing.
It wasn't long until the bedroom disappeared entirely, and she was taken into the dreamscape.
When she opened her eyes, she had arrived at a forest not unlike the one where Scootaloo ran away from the Headless Horse. It was thick with trees and vegetation, and she could hear a stream nearby.
She found herself confused by this location. All of Twilight's nightmares with Sombra had taken her to places like castles and tundras, and yet this forest was the place her thoughts dwelled on. Why was that so?
Either way, the pony having the dream would never be far away, so Luna thought she would go looking for Twilight. That is, until she spotted a pony standing next to the stream. It didn't take long to recognize the purple coated figure as Twilight, so Luna set off to meet her in the forest.
But the princess of Ponyville was already looking at Luna's direction by the time she arrived, knowing she was here before Luna knew where she was. Twilight was wearing her royal attire as she sat on the ground, quivering in fear as Luna came to see her.
"Its...it's you," Twilight whispered. "I knew it was you in my dreams...and now you're here..."
"Yes, I hath arrived," Luna announced. "Do you know why I am here?"
"It’s because I've been having nightmares, isn't it? You saw them, you knew I was in trouble." Twilight lowered her head, not looking forward to the next part. "And you've come to help, because that's one of your duties."
"Precisely," Luna responded, almost proud of herself. "I informed Celestia that you were having nightmares, all involving Sombra." She placed a hoof on Twilight's chin, causing her to raise her head. "But do not be ashamed of these things, Twilight. You are correct that I have come to help. But you must be willing to open yourself up to me for this to succeed. Understood?"
Twilight nodded. "I understand."
"Then tell us this. Why here?"
Twilight sighed and lowered her head again. She sniffled as she mentally prepared herself for what was about to come.
Rather than answer Luna immediately, she chose to get off her flank and walk over to the stream. She stopped at the banks and let the cool water wash over her hooves.
Her reflection in the river showed a weary pony back at her, one whose eyes glistened with tears. Soon enough, she caught Luna's reflection standing next to it, concerned and agitated.
Luna wanted to step in and ask why Twilight had not answered her question, but she knew how sensitive she would be over this moment. So she chose to let the dream play out.
Then she heard the clopping of hooves ahead of them. When she looked up, she witnessed a green stallion coming to the stream, a unicorn of sorts. It was a pony that she had never seen before, further confusing the princess.
But Twilight's eyes lit up when she saw him, and she ran across the stream to the other side. She came to see the stallion, and he seemed just as happy as she was to see him. Yet, as soon as she remembered who he was, her ears parted to the side.
"This is a memory from long ago," Twilight explained. "And it keeps haunting me for one reason."
"Why is that?" Luna pondered. "I do not know who this pony is."
"You'll see..."
After Twilight spoke, the stallion's horn glowed with magic, and the spell took over his whole body in a sphere of light. His features changed to that of another pony's. His coat turned to grey, his mane was pitch black, and his horn became red.
When the process was over and his hooves touched the ground, he transformed into King Sombra.
Luna snorted in anger and prepared herself for battle, before she remembered that it was all just a dream.
"Did you see that pony he was disguising himself as?" Twilight started. "That was how he gained my trust. He gave me a book from Starswirl the Bearded, had dinner with Cadence, and drank coffee with me in that form. And when he revealed himself as Sombra, he used all of those events against me, saying that if he came to me in his true form, I would have never given him a chance. And how his actions proved he was reformed...like how he never raised a hoof against Cadence for that entire dinner..."
The Sombra of the dream was saying many things to her, yet Luna didn't hear one word being spoken. His body language seemed to imply he was reassuring her, stating his case as it was. Twilight nodded to several of those things, and it crushed her heart as she did so.
"I realized how a lot of the things he said sounded right. I couldn't argue against him, and considering this was after Discord's reformation, I thought I needed to give him a chance...which was my first mistake..."
She began to cry again, and Sombra only sat there, not saying a thing.
"I gave him my trust this night, and if I didn't do that and reported that he had come back to Celestia like I wanted to, none of this would have happened. Why did I have to be so gullible..."
She gave in and cried again, feeling so stupid for this memory. It was beyond any self control, and the ground below her face was soaked in tears.
Then, all of a sudden, she felt a rush of energy around her hooves. The trees whistled against an incoming wind, and all of the wind went directly to the stream. A bright light blinded her quickly, and she shielded her eyes with her forelegs.
When she uncovered them, Luna had transformed into Nightmare Moon. She stood tall in the night, and she approached the cowering purple alicorn with all of her might. Yet she did not attack Twilight, but stood in front of her and spoke.
"Look at this form," Nightmare Moon stated. "Take as long as you need. Do you really think you're the only pony in this dream who has made mistakes that cost her dearly? I struck out against my sister over a thousand years ago, and we both paid for my sins. I was banished to the moon for it, and Celestia had to deal with my absence for all that time."
The wind whistled around her body again, and a ball of magical energy surrounded her. Once the ball was gone, she had taken the form of Luna again.
"And yet I was redeemed. I paid a heavy price for my mistakes, yes. But once the door was opened for me to make up for them, I walked through it. I made things right with Celestia. And that is what you must do. Don't let these mistakes make you feel like you are a worse pony for them. Rather, learn from them as I have with mine."
Twilight sat through Luna's speech, and as she listened, she felt a fire in her heart. She felt more encouraged than she had in a long time, and she couldn't help but feel excited once Luna was done.
"That's exactly what I'm going to do this time. I'm not going to be so gullible. I'm not going to let this stop me forever. I'll learn my lesson and let go...I think. I need to work on it, but I'm better for it now, right?"
"Look for yourself." Luna pointed at the spot where Sombra had stood.
Twilight looked for herself, but Sombra had vanished in that spot. In his place was a pile of dust, leaving no trace of the tyrant.
"What does that mean?" Twilight asked.
"There are many ways that a pony's dreams demonstrate that they have conquered their demons," Luna explained. "Sometimes, when they are against a wall, they will have help in the form of a friend, as Scootaloo did when Rainbow Dash helped her face her fears. And sometimes, when a pony is no longer haunted by the memories of a pony that harmed them, the offender vanishes from their dreams."
"So...I'm over Sombra now?"
"Hmm...I don't believe so. You may not feel ashamed for being gullible, but there's more to it, isn't there?"
As if to answer, the dream began to crumble around the two princesses. The trees tipped and crashed all around them, the ground cracked as if there was an earthquake, and the sky turned from dark blue to white.
"What's going on?" Twilight screamed.
"We will soon find out!" Luna shouted. "I do not know myself!"
Eventually, the dreamscape was completely gone, as white as snow...
...as the next dreamscape took over.
When Luna regained her bearings, she found herself in a room of sorts. The walls were made out of darkened brick, and red carpet laid all over the floor. A large bed was laid in the middle of the room, the sort of bed she would rest in.
So it was a bedroom she was in, she quickly deducted. It was rather dark to her tastes, but that was not important to her. What was important was the pony on the bed.
Sombra laid across the sheets, clean of his body armor or any sort of clothing. Luna had seen him as such in the previous dream, but it was so weird to see him that way after all of her memories of him wearing the robes of a king. His tail waved back and forth in anticipation, and his eyes were locked in a certain direction.
Twilight was what had his attention. She was devoid of clothing as he was, and her expression told the whole story to Luna. The purple alicorn's jaw dropped to the floor at the mere sight of him. And yet she drew herself closer to the side of the bed, tempted to into bed with the stallion.
Luna felt dirty watching Sombra's actions, and she couldn't help but feel that he was seducing Twilight, and it didn't help that Twilight was going along with the ride. Of course, that's what she thought was happening. But she didn't want to see it happen so badly, she wasn't completely sure that romance was on his mind.
"I'm assuming this is a memory as well?" she questioned. "The interior of the walls are not unlike that of Sombra's castle. And this...well, I can see where this is going. But explain it all the same to me."
Twilight gulped as she stopped at the edge of the bed, her eyes locked on the stallion inviting her to join him. "I...I'm not sure if I should talk about it."
Luna glared at her, a rare sign of anger towards the pony that helped reform her. "If you are to get past these events, you must confront it. Hiding from your feelings only delays the confrontation, but it will never prevent it."
Twilight brought a hoof to the sheets, her body screaming for her to go all the way inside. "This was our wedding night. I thought I burned all the bridges for Celestia to save me at this point, so I gave in and married Sombra. And this part...this was when we made love for the first time. If it wasn't for this moment, I wouldn't be pregnant today."
Sombra greeted her with the most loving eyes she had ever seen. She found herself drawn to him, even though she knew that he wasn't real. She wanted to feel his touch again, just to feel the love he gave her one last time.
And so she hopped into the bed and came to him. He rewarded her with a kiss on the lips, and she found herself kissing him back. He drew a hoof around her neck, and she loved the feeling so much that she giggled.
Then her true feelings came back to the surface, and she pushed him away. He seemed distraught from her actions, but she put a hoof up to block his advances.
"I...I love you so much," Twilight confessed.
"Then why are you pushing me away?" Sombra inquired. "You have me again. I was your first love, wasn't I? That's part of the reason you can't help but think of me...because I was the only stallion you ever loved."
He approached her again and kissed her on the neck. She moaned again and did not stop his advances that time. She knew Luna was still watching her, and she felt ashamed for it.
"It’s...it’s true," she confessed. "I don't know if Celestia ever told you this, but I did love Sombra at the time. He came to me like no stallion ever did before or since. And he loved me back, even if he wanted to seduce me to the dark side at the same time. I felt it when he loved me this night..."
Yet again, she pushed him off of her, and rather than stay with him, she got off the bed and went to Luna. She did not dare look at the princess of the night in the eye, having shown her something she never wanted to show another pony. Not even Celestia.
"But I knew it was wrong," she continued. "But sometimes, I'm worried about it. I haven't met anypony that loved me like he did. At least, not romantically. I still want to feel his touch when I'm in my bed, and I know that's terrible to admit, but it keeps happening. Please...please, don't kick me out of the kingdom because of this..."
And yet, she did not feel a slap to the face or hear Luna storm off as she expected. Instead, she saw a pile of books form around her hooves. They all had Luna's blue magical glow to them, and the books were numerous in count. Some of them had pictures of previous moments of Twilight's life for a cover, but many had no cover at all. In fact, most of them didn't.
Luna came to her and grew serious in nature. "What do you suppose these books represent?"
Twilight shook her head. "I don't know."
"Then I shall tell you. The books with a cover represent the years of your life that you have lived, and the ones that have none are the years yet to be lived. Even I don't know how many years you have left. Maybe you shall live for a thousand years as I have. But there is more to your life."
She scooted up one certain book to Twilight, and the cover had Twilight arriving with Spike in Ponyville, clearly the moment she first set hoof in the town.
"I want you to open that book," Luna commanded.
Twilight nodded, and she flipped through the pages of the Ponyville book. All the pages had pictures of her first memories after moving to Ponyville, from reforming Nightmare Moon to going to the Gala with her friends to defeating Discord to so much more.
They all had one thing in common. They all had her surrounded by her friends. The five ponies and one dragon were always there for her, comforting and helping her when she needed it. And she was happy.
"Don't you see that you're surrounded by ponies that love you for who you are?" Luna brought up. "They loved you because they saw the pony you were at your core. Did they lie to you to earn your love?"
"No..."
"Then you know that you will still receive love, even when you have failed at something. But I understand that you want to feel those romantic feelings for a stallion again, don't you?"
"Yes. I want it so badly."
"Then bring your thoughts to the blank books. They are numerous, no? More books that have blank pages than the ones that have pictures. That means you have more to life to look forward to, than what you have already lived.
"I cannot say that I know who is the right stallion for you. But know this. When the time comes, you know he is the right one for you, when he looks past the crown and sees you for who you really are, and loves you for that alone."
As soon as she said those words, the Sombra on the bed vanished into dust. He was gone completely, and yet Twilight had rarely looked happier in her life.
"Thank you so much," Twilight mentioned. "I'm not sure if I'm completely over him, but I feel like I'm a step closer. Maybe by the next book the problem is gone, right?"
Luna laughed for herself. "You take to wisdom as fillies take to the summertime air."
"Thanks...I guess."
Even with the cheerful atmosphere around them both, Luna began to frown as time went on. It made Twilight uncomfortable, as she thought the worst was over, but now she didn't know.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"There is more to this trial yet, I'm afraid. If we are still in this place, then that means there is more to your torment than even I thought."
"What do you mean--"
The room turned to white in a second.
Twilight thought she was going to be sick, even though she thought it was impossible to throw up in a dream. Yeah, she got sick like that in real life, but this wasn't exactly real.
As she adjusted to the jump in dreams, the area around her began to take form. She soon discovered that her wings were missing, and she wasn't wearing any clothing again. That was fine, since she wasn't wearing her crown or any sort of attire in the first place. What wasn't fine were the crystal claws that curved around her, trapping her in a bizarre prison.
Then she realized that she was holding something in her front hooves. She looked down and saw the Crystal Heart in her grasp. She almost screamed when she recognized what was going on.
The rest of the environment took shape, and she was on the balcony of a crystal tower. There were more crystal towers outside her prison, and the sky was swirling around in snow. A wave of shadows was coming right at her, a pair of green eyes in the middle of them.
This was when she first met Sombra and defeated him--barely. But the fact that she came only inches away from losing everything that day didn't exactly make it a pleasant memory.
Luna was there as well, outside of the clawed prison in that tower. She peered her head out to see the shadowy force coming right for them, and she snorted when she saw Sombra.
"This was the moment you saved the Crystal Empire from Sombra's hooves, wasn't it?" Luna asked. "I would have fought him by myself if Celestia had not stopped me. I loathed that stallion like few others..."
And yet, Twilight was too busy freaking out to listen. She tried to get through the cracks to no avail, and she gripped the Crystal Heart as tightly as she could. There was no way she would let Sombra take it.
"What am I supposed to do?" she screamed. "I'm trapped in here again!"
That brought Luna's attention back to what mattered, and she ran over to the prison to assist Twilight. She beamed her horn and hit one of the claws with a destructive fire spell, one that would set entire fields ablaze.
Yet the spell deflected off the claw, as if she was a weak little filly. Twilight freaked out even more, and the shadows were gaining on them.
"What do I do now?" she begged.
"How did you beat Sombra the first time?" Luna asked.
"I...I..."
She saw Spike standing out there, looking as terrified as she was. And yet he was waiting for her to say what he needed to do for her. He was right outside the clawed prison...and he was free.
That's when she remembered what she did when she was trapped before. How it saved all of Equestria and the lives of the Crystal Ponies.
And what she needed to do right now.
"I had to trust and depend upon my friends and family when I could not do it on my own," she stated. "They helped us win on that day. That's how it happened. And that’s what I need to do after Sombra came back and did all of those things to me. I need to trust that my friends can pick me up when I fall down..."
She grabbed the Heart with her levitation spell and threw it to Spike. The dragon picked up the gem with his claws, and it glowed as bright as the sun.
The beams of light that it created shot directly into the shadows of Sombra. He screamed in pain as the light caused his very form to vanish for good, until his physical form was dying as well.
But the light did not stop there. It took over the entire Empire, until it was like looking right into a flashlight...
Twilight's eyes shot open, and she jolted her head forward. She stopped in her tracks immediately, as her pregnant belly prevented her from sitting up, but she lifted her head up as much as she could. Her face was drenched in sweat, and she couldn't stop herself from breathing.
She was back in the guest bedroom, and she placed her hooves over her face. Her forehead was blazing hot and she felt sick to her stomach again. But it wasn't from her foal this time.
That was the most vivid dream of her life, and she felt the sort of exhaustion that came with traveling long distances. As if she really had visited all of those places in her memories...
Then she sensed that somepony was there with her. She saw Luna standing next to the bed, her eyes slowly going from white to their usual self. Luna shook her head as she regained her bearings, and she noticed Twilight was awake. She smiled as she came a little closer, sitting her flank on the side of the bed.
"I didn't even have to say anything at the end," Luna gleamed. "You discovered exactly what you were supposed to do in that situation without my help. That speaks much about your character. But what was it that you did that saved us all from Sombra the first time?"
Twilight paused to think, and a smile formed on her lips as she remembered everything. "What I'm supposed to do now. I'm supposed to let others help me in my time in need. That I should trust other ponies--and dragons--when I know I can't do it alone."
"Just as you did in the Crystal Empire when you defeated Sombra the first time, I'm assuming? I saw you give Spike the Crystal Heart."
"That's right. And I can see it clearly now. You and Celestia saved me from him the second time. In both times, I would have died or stayed corrupted if it wasn't for someone else. And that's how I'm going to get past Sombra again, isn't it?"
Luna nodded. "I think your heart knew the answer even before you asked."
"Yeah, I did. And I want help through this part as well, raising the foal and everything. And it’s not bad to ask for help..."
That made the princess of the night smile as well. "It sounds to me like you learned the lesson you needed to hear."
Twilight grinned from cheek to cheek, and she pulled off the sheets to her blanket. She came over and hugged Luna, and Luna returned the favor. It felt to both of them as if they were hugging as sisters...which wasn't far off from reality anymore.
The curtains in the room kept blowing from the wind, but it drifted more peacefully, going along with the currents of nature.
One and a half weeks passed since Luna had conquered Twilight’s memories of Sombra in her dreams, and if it was even possible, Twilight’s belly had grown a little bit more with the foal. In the meantime, the doctors set to look after her for the delivery arrived at the castle. It was usually boring and tedious resting on their hooves for just one patient, but this was one of those rare exceptions where it didn’t matter, since their one task was so important.
In the meantime, there was still a life to live.
And that was what Rarity did. She trotted through the hallways of Celestia’s castle with a folder in her magical grip. The folder was full of papers, each looking like the sort of documents Celestia used to carry out business.
The fashionista headed for a specific location, but even then she couldn’t resist every now and then to marvel at all the fantastic architecture and tapestry that hung around the castle.
“No, this is far more important,” she kept reminding herself. “She’s depending on me.”
So she kept running along, making sure she made it to her destination in time. After all, she was given a very special duty, and she was going to make sure that she didn’t disappoint.
After walking through the twists and turns leading to the place her friend would be, she arrived at the entrance of a lounge room, the same one Twilight and Celestia held their heart to heart talk at. Of course, Rarity didn’t know about that occasion at all. For all she knew, Twilight loved that room for its large collection of books for such a small room.
Rarity knocked on the door, hoping she wasn’t interrupting anything.
“Yes? Who is it?” Twilight’s voice asked. She sounded normal at least.
“It’s me, darling,” Rarity responded. “Can I come in?”
“Of course. The door’s unlocked.”
With that green light, Rarity grabbed the handle with her magic and opened the door. She stepped inside and caught Twilight sitting on one of the pillows, sipping a cup of tea and having a history book laid out in front of her.
Twilight turned to see the white unicorn, and she recognized the folder of papers for what it was: A bunch of documents updating her on information she needed to know, or tasks she needed to do. Typical princess stuff. Not that it was a bad thing...in fact, she was growing to like it.
Rarity took a seat on the pillow next to Twilight, and she eyed the cup of tea longingly.
“I should get a cup of tea myself once we’re finished,” Rarity thought out loud. “Especially with this stressful week.”
“You know, you could always let Spike be my assistant again if you want,” Twilight brought up.
“Nonsense. After all the things my Spikey Wikey has done for you already, he deserves his rest. And besides, he’s working with me to assist you as well. I do wonder why he enjoys working with me so much.”
Twilight giggled, knowing what Spike was up to. “I think I might have a few ideas…”
“Anyways, good morning, Princess Twilight. How are you feeling today?”
“Not good...I mean, I was better after breakfast, but you know how the doctor said the foal could be due any day? It actually feels that way now.”
“I believe you. That belly does look swollen. Anyways, here are a few things to bring to your attention.” Rarity brought out her folder in the air and arranged the papers neatly into single file, arranged like soldiers in a unit. “Looks like this one is a note about the other Elements of Harmony. They all just arrived at the castle, so they can be present when the foal arrives. That should be nice, right?”
“Yes. And with my family in town, everyone is right here, right? Even Shining Armor and Cadence, I think.”
“Indeed. They’re staying in guest bedrooms as we speak. Oh, I should mention something else. Pinkie Pie has already organized the...uh….’Congrats, You Just Had Your First Foal’ party in the ballroom. Sounds to me like another glorified foal shower after the three foal showers she already had for you.”
Twilight giggled, expecting nothing less from Pinkie Pie. “As long as she wants to do it and she respects that we need some time alone after the delivery, it’s fine with me.”
And then she heard her stomach growl. All of a sudden, it felt like she never had her breakfast earlier in the day. Instead, she felt like she hadn’t eaten for over a week.
Rarity could hear her stomach growl as well, and she took a mental note of it.
“Maybe you should have an early lunch today?” she suggested. “I’m sure we could find something nice to eat.”
“That sounds great. Do you think you could help me up?”
“Of course. Just take it nice and slow.”
Rarity came to Twilight’s side and picked up her right front hoof. The purple alicorn used the hoof to balance herself as she came up on all four legs. It was difficult to do with the foal on board, but she took her friend’s advice and did it nice and slow.
Eventually, she was standing upright on her hooves again, and the two of them began to walk down the doors leading out of the lounge room. Rarity stood by her friend’s side the entire time, making she was ready in case Twilight stumbled or fell.
Twilight smacked her lips together just thinking of lunch. She thought about all the things the castle’s cooks could make up for her, and she couldn’t fathom thinking of just one thing to eat. Maybe, just maybe, she could eat two meals for lunch...
Then she stopped in her tracks when she felt something unusual go down her hindlegs. It felt like some kind of liquid, and it was followed by a dripping noise on the floor. It struck her as weird…
...but not as weird as the face Rarity was making. She watched her friend in horror, and her eyes’ pupils shrunk to the size of dimes.
“Oh my Celestia, your water broke!” she proclaimed. “Somepony, GET HER TO THE DELIVERY ROOM!”
Twilight realized that for herself, and she panicked when the moment hit her. “Oh my gosh, I’m going to give birth soon! But...doesn’t it hurt a lot?”
Before she could even think, a wheelchair came up from behind and hit her right in the flanks. She yelled as she fell back into the wheelchair, and somepony from behind pushed it forward as fast as they could.
“Wait, what the hay is going on?” she screamed.
“I’m taking you to the delivery room myself, that’s what!” Rarity screamed back.
As it turned out, Rarity had shoved Twilight into a wheelchair and used her magic to push it as fast as she could. She raced through the hallways at Rainbow Dash speeds, and she didn’t give a buck about what she was doing. This was far more important.
“Can you at least slow down?” Twilight responded. “We’re not that far away from the delivery room, I think!”
“Doesn’t matter! We’re getting you there as soon as we can!”
The next thing Twilight knew, she was hit with the most painful sensation she ever felt in her life. She bit down on her hoof as she screamed internally.
“OK, maybe we should get there as fast as we can!”
A team of doctors surrounded Twilight on the hospital bed as she was lowered carefully on her back. She screamed again as the pain grew to be more intense. It felt like she was going to die on the spot, and she nearly fainted from the experience.
“Do we have all the tools we need for the delivery?” one mare said.
“I believe so. Her vital signs are normal. Everything about this is normal,” a stallion responded.
“Don’t tell me this is normal!” Twilight yelled. “This hurts so much!”
She screamed again as another wave of pain reached her stomach. The alicorn gripped the bed sheets as much as her hooves would allow, and for the first time in her life, she wished she was a human. At least she could hold onto SOMETHING with fingers, instead of having her hooves slip off everything she tried to grab.
The staff of doctors came all around her, and they turned on a bunch of monitors and things she had never seen before. A few of them were spending all of their attention on Twilight, but a few looked to the door as it was swung open.
Princess Celestia arrived at the scene in her royal attire. Her eyes opened wide as she realized her former student was deep into labor. She rushed to Twilight’s left side and grabbed her front hoof in support.
“Don’t worry, I’m here for you now,” she said, her voice trembling and soothing at the same time.
“Thank you, but OH CELESTIA THIS HURTS!” Twilight shouted. She gripped Celestia’s hoof as tightly as she could, and sweat poured down her face like a waterfall.
“Just breathe for now. It will help, trust me.”
Heeding her advice, Twilight sucked in a bunch of air, as much as her lungs would allow. She hung to Celestia so hard that it was hurting her former teacher, but Tia was far too focused on her to notice.
Twilight let out a blood curdling cry, and she panted heavily as the pain got worse against all odds. She kept panting for air, and she saw a doctor come right in front of her.
“You’re doing good, trust me! But you have to do something for me now,” the doctor explained to her as calmly as she could.
“What? Just tell me!”
“You have to start pushing now! Push!”
“NO! I can’t!” She gasped for more air, until her lungs felt like they were going to explode in her chest.
“You can do it!” encouraged Celestia. “I believe in you! Now push!”
Twilight focused all of her energy on pushing, but the agony exploded again. It felt like she was going to be ripped apart from bottom to top, and she shook her head to throw in the towel.
But Celestia gripped her hoof just as tightly as she did, and Twilight looked to her teacher again for encouragement. The fact that she was so worried for her well being was enough to keep going, and she pushed again.
“Oh CELESTIA this hurts! I don’t know if I can do it!” she screamed.
“Just keep doing it!” the mare doctor repeated. “You’re making great progress!”
“You can THIS progress? This is going to kill me!”
“But I can see the foal now!” said the doctor. “I can see him coming out!”
“What? Is he beautiful?”
“Yes! But I need you to push again!”
Twilight pushed another time, and she was sure that the labor killed her at last. And yet she could still breathe. She was sure her body exploded on the bed, but she was still in one piece. Her mane was wet and down on her head from all the sweat, and she felt like the life escaped from her hooves.
“It’s out a little bit more now!” the doctor updated. “Just a few more pushes!”
She gritted her teeth as she pushed again, something she thought was impossible. But she shook her head again, as the pain brought her to her limits. “I can’t do it anymore!”
“Yes you can!” Celestia chimed in. “I’m so proud of you for making it this far, but you have to FINISH!”
That last word was the first time Twilight had ever heard Celestia use the Royal Canterlot Voice, and it sent shivers down her spine. That is, past the other excruciating pains on top of that.
So she pushed as hard as she could, using all of her remaining energy to do so. At that point, she felt the last bit of energy in her hooves leave her body at that point, and she screamed again from the pain.
The strength the last push took so much out of her, she collapsed her head on the back of the bed and almost fainted again. She panted as hard as she could, and didn’t think she could do another push.
And that’s when she heard the sweetest sound of all.
The sound of a foal crying.
She slowly turned her eyes to the space in front of her, and the doctor grabbed something in between her hind legs. When the doctor brought her hooves up, she was carrying a little foal in her grasp.
The foal was a unicorn, with a black straight mane and a dark purple coat, a coat even darker than Twilight’s. He cried again as he came into the world and felt everything around him for the first time.
At that moment, it was like the world around Twilight ceased to exist. All she could do was see the foal in front of her, as the doctor wrapped him in a big wool blanket. She stared at him for what felt like an eternity, and she felt a tear go down her cheek.
The next thing she knew, she was smiling with greater joy than she ever felt in her life.
“It’s...it’s so beautiful,” she whispered. “Oh my Celestia...he even looks like me and...his father a little bit…”
“I know,” Celestia added. “He’s yours…”
The doctor carefully brought the foal to Twilight, and she picked him up in her front hooves and brought him to her sight.
The foal was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen as his cries subsided. He began to fall asleep in her hooves, and she lost it at that point. Tears streamed down her cheek, but they were the most joyous tears she had ever let out.
She held him tightly in her grasp and grinned from cheek to cheek. The feeling she had at that moment was beyond words, but she knew she would cherish it for the rest of her life.
“Oh my gosh...you are...you’re so beautiful,” she said to the foal. “I...I love you so much already...I…”
She didn’t even know what to say anymore. All those times where she thought she would know what to do when that moment arrived, all the research she had done over many nights to prepare for it, nothing could prepare her for it.
And for once, that was fine.
Celestia came over to her side to see the foal for herself, and she gasped when she caught a good glimpse of him. Yes, the foal did remind her of Sombra more than she wanted to see, but there were so many similarities between him and his mother that it brought a tear to her eye.
She came over to Twilight’s other side and brought her face close to the foal. Far enough so that he wouldn’t be scared, but close enough that he could hear her.
“You really are beautiful,” Celestia said to her. “You’re in good hooves with your mother. She...she will take great care of you. I know her well enough to know she will make you a great stallion one day.”
Twilight smiled at Celestia, tears pouring down her face still. “Thank you...I owe you so much for everything.”
“That’s OK. You can call us even, after all the times you saved Equestria and even my flank a few times.”
That elicited a laugh from Twilight. But she held her foal in her hooves again, all of her attention to the sleeping unicorn.
Time seemed to slow down in that room, as neither one of them wanted to break that harmonious silence for a while. Just seeing the foal there, sleeping and stirring, said it all for themselves.
But eventually, there’s other ponies who want to know about an event like this.
They heard something over by the viewing window, and as it turned out, Twilight’s friends arrived to see the foal for themselves. Spike was on Applejack’s back as well, but all of them stopped in their tracks when they saw the foal in Twilight’s hooves.
Twilight smiled again as all of their faces gleamed from the sight.
“Can you believe that? Twilight’s a mother now,” Applejack commented. “And that baby boy is the most precious thing I’d ever seen.”
“I know,” Rarity cried, wiping the tears with a napkin she just happened to have. “He is a sight, isn’t he?”
“Hay yeah!” Dash chimed in. “He might not have wings, but that mane makes him look wicked! Though...that’s kind of like Sombra’s mane...nevermind. He looks awesome to me. And I’m sure Twilight’s excited.”
“I’ve never seen her so happy before,” Fluttershy added. “And that foal is so...I don’t even know what to say.”
“I do!” Pinkie yelled. She took out a piece of paper out of her mane and pressed it against the window.
“Uh...what are you doing, Pinkie?” Spike asked.
“Well, Twilight just had a foal, and the last time I was in the room with a newborn foal, they kicked me out of the room because I was too noisy! So I used a note to congratulate Twilight this time!”
Inside the room, Twilight realized that Pinkie made a little card for her to read. It was made to look like confetti was everywhere, and there was a crayon doodle of Pinkie throwing confetti to the viewer.
There was only one line on the card, but it was the only line she needed to write.
Welcome to the world, Twilight’s son!
That warmed her heart, and she waved to Pinkie to show her appreciation for that card. That made Pinkie explode in delight, and there was suddenly a shower of confetti on her side of the wall. How a confetti shower showed up out of nowhere was another Pinkie mystery best left unsolved.
But the moment was going to get even better.
She saw more ponies arrive by the viewing window, and she recognized two of them as Shining Armor and Cadence. Her friends moved out of the way to make room for them, and their expressions were just as joyous as hers was.
Granted, Twilight felt a little bad that she had a foal before her brother did, knowing they really wanted one for a while now. But at the same time, seeing her family there to see the big moment made it all the more sweeter for her. Especially since she was introducing the newest member of the family to her BBBFF and foalsitter.
And then came the cherry on top.
She saw her parents arrive at the other side of the room, the couple that had done so much for her over the years. She could tell that her mother was gasping at the sight, and her father was so proud of her little filly having a foal of her own. She was crying in joy just like her daughter was, and Twilight’s father held her in his hooves to let the moment sink in.
Even though she couldn’t hear them, she could guess from their body expressions that they wanted to go in. The guard hovering over the door granted them permission to go in, but warned them in advance that Twilight was going to be in pain after the delivery, and that the foal would be very sensitive so soon after his birth.
And so the door opened for her parents to come in. Celestia stepped aside to let them come see their grandson up close and personal, and they came to Twilight’s left side to see him up close.
“Oh my goodness...he’s even better looking than I thought,” her mother commented. “And I had very high hopes as it was.”
“I know,” her dad added. “He looks a lot like you, Twilight. I can see it in his coat. You must be very proud.”
“I am,” Twilight gleamed. “This...this might be the best moment of my life. I love him so much already…”
“So do we,” her father continued. “Though...I’m not sure I’m ready to be a grandfather. I don’t want to feel old for another two decades at least.”
Twilight and her mother both burst out laughing, unable to contain themselves.
“Oh, you,” the mother laughed. “I always loved your sense of humor. But we’re so proud of you, Twilight. If you ever need more mother advice or need some help raising him, we’re just a letter away. “
“Thank you, thank all of you,” Twilight said, looking at her friends and the rest of the family past the viewing window, as well as Celestia. “I don’t think this moment could have been so wonderful if it wasn’t for all of you.”
“You will never know how welcome we are to hear that,” Celestia added. “This is your moment. We all want you to cherish it as you like, as well as your foal, without having to worry about any of us. Go ahead and spend some time with him as you like.”
“Thank you, and...thank you for saving me from Sombra again…”
She turned her attention back to the foal. The unicorn was sleeping soundly in her hooves still, and he yawned as he tried to rest. It was the cutest thing she had ever seen, and likely the first in a series of beautiful and cute moments she would be sharing with him.
“Welcome to our world, my little Dusk Trail,” she said. “You have so many ponies looking after you, just like they do for me…”
