Darkness Comes Before The Dawn – Damorii Rising

CHAPTER II

NIGHTMARES AND ALICORNS

“Hold on! I’m a-comin’!”

Twilight was surrounded by black. Shadows, or night? She could not tell––wherever she was, time seemed to be irrelevant. She stared off into the empty space, peering into the abyss around her although she could not see anything beyond her nose. Twilight came to the realization that she was quite literally alone. Nothing existed but her... but she wasn’t alone. As she stared into the abyss, the abyss stared back at her, and Twilight became increasingly aware of the shadows around her. She strained her ears, and swore she picked up the sounds of whispering from far off, but as soon and she turned to look, it stopped.

Then it appeared again behind her––No! It was not behind her, but next to her––but it was not. Twilight continued to prance around the eerie blackness, searching for the source of the existential whispers. They were taunting her! Toying with her! But, who? There was no “they”! Nopony was there. Twilight gazed into the dark, studying it. Nothing moved, yet the longer she stared, the more the darkness itself seemed to change. She snapped her gaze away, but to no avail––there was nothing to look away to! Everywhere she turned was the same inky blackness, present even when she closed her eyes.

Twilight did what came to her naturally––she cast a spell. At least, she tried to. Whether her magic refused to work, or the darkness was so great it engulfed any and all light, nothing happened. A chill began to claw at her skin, and she could hear the whispering coming closer and closer. It was directly behind her, yet as she turned around she knew there would be nothing, and she was correct––only for it to reappear a short ways to the right.

Straining her ears again, she could almost make out what the sounds were. It was sharp, high-pitched, and airy, almost like the mischievous giggle of a foal. But, there was more. Deep down, below the laughing, were words. Try as she might, she could not quite make them out. It almost sounded like chanting...

Dam... or... ‘E’? Dam or ‘E’, ori, or Demo Re? Damo Re? Was she mishearing it, or was she misunderstanding it? Was it even an Equestrian language!? But, there was more. Ow... nor. She repeated it over and over in her head, but it always sounded like gibberish. It was useless; the words ‘ow’ and ‘nor’ did not make a lick of sense put together like that. Maybe she heard it wrong. What the hay was going––

Everything went quiet.

Fear crept back in as the eerie silence took its toll on her mind. Once again, she was alone in the dark, but, as Twilight stared deeply into the shadows, she came to a disturbing revelation. She was not alone in the dark, she was alone with the dark. Tendrils of shadow grasped at her skin, their ghostly touch sending a cascade of ice flowing through her veins. She tried to run, but as she made to move the shadows strangled her, and with every attempt to free herself the shadows held on tighter. She was stuck, fear groping her and squeezing the life from her body.

The whispers returned, taunting her as she was slowly asphyxiated.

Damorii au’nor... Damorii au’nor... Damorii au’nor...

Years passed as her mind mind grew numb, unable to form thoughts... to think... to... maybe it was time to die. Yes, death seemed appropriate. Her thoughts became silent as she awaited the fall into endless sleep. She was so tired... her mind so quiet... just a void... a void that needed to be filled. But, what was there to replace it?

Damorii au’nor... Damorii au’nor... Damorii au’nor...

Yes... yes! Please... Damorii au’nor! The whispers ceased around her, no longer outside. They filled the void, filled her mind, became her mind! Damorii au’nor! She chanted along with the whispers, her voice now one of many, indistinct from the many others. She became part of the whispers, and they became a part of her. She could not think another thought but what the voices told her. Why would she want to? To disobey was to belong to the void once more, and she did not want that. There was no other thoughts than the whispers, the voices. Damorii au’nor!

What did it mean? What did it matter? It was all she knew, and it was all that mattered. Damorii au’nor! Damorii au’nor! Damorii au’nor!

Then why did it feel so wrong?

Then she fell.

~        ~        ~

Twilight woke up with a start, although thankfully not as intense as yesterday night. Her breathing was, for the most part, normal, and there was a thankful lack of a headache. A quick glance around assured her that she was home. No more darkness, no more pain. The sun shone brightly through her window, casting everything in the room in light. Nothing was hidden here, no shadows, no secrets, no whispers. This was a safe place, a sanctuary.

A sense of contentment filling her, she traveled downstairs to cook herself breakfast. The white light shone through all of the library’s windows, leaving nothing in the dark. Motes of dust floated just visibly through the beams of light, and all was tranquil.

Twilight began to search for a book to read. After all, what fun was there eating alone, without anything to keep the mind company? After careful consideration, Twilight found herself lounging in her bed, reading a book she could no longer remember the name of. A grilled daisy and cheese sandwich laid next to her, on its own bed of ceramic glass. A black glow surrounded it, and Twilight took a bite of it before returning her lunch to its resting place.

She looked out the single window in her room to Celestia’s sun hanging in the center of the sky. There was no doubt that, with the right tools that she may or may not have access to, the studious unicorn could prove if the sun truly did sit in the center of the sky, but at the moment she only cared for the comforting and familiar warmth that it extended unto her.

Twilight turned her gaze to the city underneath. Disjointedly dotting the town were dozens of thatched-roof houses. Ponyville was such a peaceful place, the home of her friends. She watched the streets, and nothing moved to disturb the quiescence of the scene before her. The sun above seemed to wash everything in a white haze, and all was tranquil.

Twilight closed the book she was reading and walked casually outside. The streets of Canterlot were beautiful; there were no cracks in the whitewashed stones of the road she trotted on, the colors of the walls of the towers and buildings around her were all of a pleasant uniformity, the inlaid borders of gold polished to reflect the white of the sun and cast it over all. A lovely breeze danced through her mane, refreshing her, and the wind whispered comforting things to her: All is tranquilI.

        Turning her back on the view before her, Twilight trotted up the curved stairs that led to the balcony of her old Canterlot home. She felt rejuvenated by the familiar scent of time-tested tomes that brought back memories of late-night studies. She reminisced fondly upon one time when, unwilling to leave the company of her books to go to bed, she built a fort out of the more sturdy ones and slept in her library. The next morning she awoke to Celestia herself, who half-heartedly scolded her on being late––apparently, books made for a better bed than was to be expected. The protege then spent the next several hours (voluntarily) sorting out all of the books and reshelving them properly––her first Reshelving Day.

        She passed by bookshelves packed tightly with enough books to fill the entire Golden Oaks Library in Ponyville a dozen times over. The mare felt a warm pride well up as she trotted through. Each of these books had been under her care, and each book owed their pristine condition to her. She felt at peace seeing the fruit of her hoofwork, a peace that was disturbed at the sight of a book lying callously on the ground. This will not do, she told herself.

As she made her way to replace the book, she noticed the large hourglass that stood tall in the center of her balcony. It was a day-long hourglass, ending at sunset, and magically resetting itself at sunrise. As of right now, the sand on top was almost gone. Twilight checked outside, and sure enough, the sun was just caressing the horizon.

A black glow brought the book up to the mare’s face. She felt pained to see that several layers of dust coated the cover. Indignantly she blew off the dust, a dark haze thickening the air. Her eyes widened as she recognized the faux leather binding and the golden unicorn motif with its turquoise eye. With a nostalgic reverence she opened the tome to the inside cover, whispering the words through her growing smile.

“The Mare in the Moon: The Tragic Tale of Nightmare Moon and Other Legendary Stories, by Inkstroke.” Princess Celestia had given her this book as a birthday present, although at the time Twilight had no idea what the true gift Celestia had given her was. Her adventures, her friends, she owed it all to this book––no, she owed it all to Celestia. The mare made herself comfortable, and propped the book in front of her. Because of Nightmare Moon’s return she had never finished reading it, and now was a good time to do so.

As she expected, the recounting of Nightmare Moon’s fall was the very first excerpt. Flipping a few pages ahead, she found a story based around Discord’s reign; the Hearth’s Warming Eve tale was included; there was also a story about an invincible monster called the “Smooze”, (what kind of name was that?); and finally, a heavily abridged version of Orponyus’s descent into Tartarus.

Twilight closed the book, glancing back to the hourglass as the last grain fell, coinciding with the very tip of Celestia’s sun disappearing beyond the horizon. In that moment, three very disturbing things happened.

Both halves of the hourglass glowed; the top a bright white shaded with a golden yellow, and the bottom a blood red encasing a black mist. In between both of them, at the point where both halves met, glowed a brilliant blue orb.

A deep, resounding boom shook the room, and Twilight tore her gaze away from the hourglass and it's ominous spectacle. It did not take her long to discover the source of the disturbance: The large castle doors that gave entrance to her chambers had been slammed shut. Stealing one last glance at the strange colors emanating from the hourglass, the mare cantered cautiously over to them.

She tentatively wrapped a hoof around one of the giant handles, and pulled. The doors shuddered as they attempted to move, but something held them in place. She fiddled with the lock, and tried a second time to no avail. It was like somepony was holding the doors shut from the outside––like somepony wanted her trapped!

Whoever was trying to hold her in would not succeed. Twilight wove a telekinesis spell around both handles, and began pulling. The tether of magic stretched taunt, beads of sweat forming on her brow as she strained the connection. To her utter disbelief, there was a loud snap! that was felt more than heard, and she flew backwards, landing on her rump. Twilight stared at the door.

An eerie chill crawled up her spine, and she had the sudden feeling she was being watched, like a cockatrice stalking it’s prey. Twilight glared at the door. She needed to escape––now. Whatever was watching her was playing with her, and the image of a filly playing with her food came to mind. She backed away from the door, frantically searching for another escape. The window caught her eye. It was possible, she would have to be extremely lucky, and it was potentially painful, but she just might be able to make it with enough magic on her end.

A black glow surrounded her horn as she prepared any spell that would either slow her descent, or help her survive the fall. With the spells in mind, she began to charge at the wall-sized pane of glass, but was frozen in her tracks by the third occurrence.

Night had come, but it wasn’t Luna’s moon rising into the sky. In its place was a dark orb, and it was growing. Tendrils of familiar darkness wound their way through the world outside, consuming everything in their path. The shadows swarmed the towns below, and Twilight watched in horror as Appleloosa was desecrated, some unholy presence being blanketed over the buildings, corrupting its very structure.

Next, frozen in terror, she was forced to watch Ponyville consumed. The unicorn could only stare as the place she loved, her home, became a throne for this sentient, dark entity.

It did not stop with the place she grew to love. The tendrils, now more like sheets, continued to grasp and strangle everything in sight. Baltimare, Vanhoover, Manehattan, nowhere was safe! Not even the Everfree Forest, with all of its own incomprehensible madness, could sway the oncoming storm.

Hours passed by in seconds, and seconds passed by in hours as she witnessed the consumption of Equestria. And then, finally, it came for the last standing city: Canterlot.

Shocked back into action, Twilight galloped back to the door, begging it to open for her as she yanked on the handle with all her might. The white spires turned gray and cracked at the touch of the ethereal shadows. Even with her combination of physical force and magic, the doors did not allow her exit.

She searched around frantically for something, anything! Reluctantly, she threw her magic around a bookcase, tearing it from the wall and slamming it against the doors. Nothing. The doors may as well have been a wall with decorative handles for all the damage that bookcase did. She tried again, pouring all of her energy into forcibly opening the doors. Half the bookcase had been shredded before she cast aside the remnants, foregoing physical might.

Twilight shot spell after spell at the doors, each magical blast as ineffective as the last. For a moment she tried breaking through the walls, but that proved even more fruitless. The mare glared at the large, blue doors. She welled up a cone of magic and unleashed it, and a terrible burn ripped through her horn. She collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath as her eyes watered. Twilight recognized the pain as magical backlash––her reserves were empty. She had no more magic.

She stared at the doors. The pain slowly receded, but her tears did not. She jumped up, latching onto one of the handles, yanking on it with all of her physical might. Beyond the door she could hear voices, whether they were the screams of the damned as they tried to find shelter, or the laughter of the one holding her captive she could not tell.

“Please!” she cried out to whomever was on the other side, “Please! Open up!”

There was no answer, and the room darkened as the window was shrouded by the tidal wave of the now omnipresent shadow. Just glancing at it filled her with a fear like no other. She had no idea what was going to happen to her should the thing consume her, but one thing was certain: She would wish she was dead.

“Please! Open up!” she screamed, feeling the last of her energy seeping out with each tug on the handle. There was a loud explosion and the shattering of glass as the window blew, tendrils of unholy darkness pouring in from outside.

“PLEASE! PLEASE OPEN UP!” Twilight stopped yanking on the doors, resorting to banging them pathetically with her hooves. The shadows slithered on the floor, taking their time and working their way to the helpless unicorn. The darkness enjoyed her fear, and thrived on it.

“PLEASE HELP ME! SOMETHING IS COMING!” With those three words, accented by the banging of her hooves, the doors opened. Beyond them was a swirling sea of sentient darkness, whispers and screams echoing from the depths as Twilight realized her mistake.

“Damorii au’nor, Damorii au’nor, Damorii au’nor, Damorii au’nor, Damorii au’nor, Damorii au’nor...”

Numerous tentacles whipped out from the abyss, wrapping themselves around her form, dragging her closer and closer to the edge as the whispers and screams grew louder and louder.

“Damorii au’nor, Damorii au’nor, Damorii au’nor, Damorii au’nor, Damorii au’nor, Damorii au’nor!”

Twilight struggled against the grip on her, pushing her hooves into the ground in an effort to find some sort of grip, but to no avail. She was yanked off the edge, thrown into the darkness below, cries echoing around her as she fell into the dismal abyss.

“Damorii... au’nor’ii!”

(_/<>-<><-><.><-><>-<>(_)/<>-<><-><.><-><>-<>\_)

The sound of the rooster crowing was not a novelty to Applejack. Since she could remember the rooster’s crow has always been the signal for her to awaken. Sometimes she would even wake up before, and would watch out of her window as the bird settled on top of her family’s barn, waiting for the unmistakable, “cock-a-doodle-doo!” signifying the beginning of her day. Today was one of those such days.

The mare tossed and turned in her bed, the posts squeaking with every movement as she tried to find a comfortable position to lay in while she awaited the crow of the rooster. She glanced at the lavender unicorn who slept beside her, sound asleep despite Applejack’s constant movement.

Twilight had taken Applejack up on her offer for a sleepover, an act that eased both of their minds. She had also extended the offer to her four other friends, but Pinkie Pie was already foalsitting the Cake twins while their parents were out of town, Rarity claimed she had an extensive order from Canterlot to fill (although Applejack suspected that she remembered how the last time the three of them had a sleepover went), Rainbow Dash was no longer allowed near the barn after she drank half of the Apple Family’s cider reserve in one go, and Fluttershy had gone on a late-night date with Time Turner.

Applejack felt a shiver run down her spine. She did not understand why, not completely at any rate, but something about the stallion rubbed her wrong. She liked him; or at least, she tried to like him. The mare felt terrible about how she perceived Time Turner, given how giddy he made Fluttershy. Applejack did not believe he was evil in any sense of the word, but she could not shake the feeling he was hiding something.

Applejack propped herself up and sighed. There was no sense in chasing the sandmare anymore, too many thoughts were hindering her hunt. She glanced again at the mare lying beside her, dwelling on heading downstairs to make the both of them an early breakfast.

Twilight slumbered silently. Sometime during the night she had cocooned herself in her portion of the sheets, and was cuddling a pillow between her hooves. Applejack envied her unhindered repose, oblivious to the world around her as she slept soundly. She felt a phantom cold sweep through her that had nothing to do with the morning draft coming through her window––Twilight was sleeping too soundly; absent was the tell-tale rise and fall of her chest.

“No, no, no, no, no!” She whispered harshly, bringing an orange hoof under the unicorn’s snout. No breath came from the mare––Twilight was not breathing! “No, no, no, no, no!”

She threw the covers off of herself and pressed an ear to the mare’s still form, searching for some kind of sign to prove her dear friend was still alive. Whatever had come over Twilight in her sleep, whatever had caused this, it had to be related to yesterday morning, Applejack felt sure of it. The similarities were too great for them to be a coincidence.

The farm pony was not sure what to make of what she heard. There was a heartbeat coming from her friend’s chest, but it was off. Wrong, abnormal, something that should not be. She counted out the beats, first in her head, then by tapping them out with a hoof to make sure what she was hearing was correct.Three beats, then two. It repeated, the heartbeat constant but wrong. Twilight was alive, but how alive Applejack could not fathom. Then, there was the task of getting her to breathe, without which she would not be alive for much longer.

Showcasing her natural earth pony strength, Applejack flipped the unicorn onto her back with an unceremonious flop. She beat a hoof on the mare’s chest, praying that somehow that would work, but it was in vain.

“Twi’! C’mon, Twi’, wake up!Wake up!” Applejack tried to recall back to a conversation she and Nurse Redheart once had. She could not remember what had initiated the conversation, but Redheart certainly brought up a procedure in case a pony stopped breathing. The mare wracked her brain for a precious second, before she remembered: thirty presses, two breaths.

She breathed out a sigh of relief, and got to work. Applejack positioned herself over Twilight, pressing both hooves into her chest and she counted off in her head. One, two, three, four, five, six. There was a dull thumping as Big Macintosh trotted into her room; she must have missed the rooster’s call.

“Aren’t ya going––” The muscular red stallion froze when he saw his sister bent over the unmoving unicorn, pumping her hooves into Twilight’s chest. “What’s wrong?”

Ten, eleven, twelve. “She ain’t breathin’ Mac! She ain’t breathin’!” Applejack continued to stare down at her friend beneath her, not daring to look away at her brother, but she did not need to to see his eyes widen. Fifteen, sixteen.

“Big Mac! What’s takin’ Applejack so long? I’m hungry!” Applebloom’s voice carried in from the hallway.

“Don’t let her in! She can’t see this!” Applejack commanded her brother, but he had already taken the initiative, moving his body so as to block the doorway and the occupants inside from view.

“Stay out!” His deep voice boomed in the dark hallway, but his kid sister would have none of it. The filly fought against the might of her older (and much larger) brother to no avail. But she had heard enough in his voice to understand something bad was happening, and her foalish curiosity was getting the better of her. Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three.

“What’s wrong? What’s goin’ on? Is somepony hurt? Who is it?”

“I said stay out!”

Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty! With the thirty count up, Applejack pushed back Twilight’s head and pulled open her mouth. Her mind could not process what she was about to do with her friend, but the farm mare ignored that and took a deep breath, emptying the air into the unicorn’s lungs. Another breath, and Applejack returned back to pumping Twilight’s chest.

“What’s goin’ on up here? Are any of ya goin’ t’ eat?” came the voice of Granny Smith.

“Somepony’s hurt and Big Mac won’t let me in!” Five, six, seven, eight.

“Who is it, Mac, who’s hurt?” Eleven, twelve, thirteen.

“Twilight,” answered Big Macintosh.

“Twilight’s hurt? C’mon, Big Mac, I want t’ see her!” Eighteen, nineteen, twenty––snap! Applejack cried out in alarm, tears breaking through her mental dam when she heard a hollow crack resonate from Twilight’s chest, and she could feel the mare’s rib snap under her hoof.

“Nope!”

Applejack tore her eyes away from the unicorn for the first time, turning to her brother barricading the doorway, “Big Mac, take Applebloom an’ go get Nurse Redheart! NOW!” Applejack cried, not sure what to do. She continued on, praying to Celestia that she was not damaging Twilight more. Twenty-two, twenty-three.

“But I want t’ see––”

“You heard yer sister, get goin’!” Commanded the elder Apple.

“C’mon, Applebloom.”

“But––” she protested, but Big Mac would have none of it.

“C’mon!” he bellowed, and his sister knew better than to argue with him any more. He butted the filly onto his head, and cantered out of the room; Granny Smith and Applejack could hear their porch door crack under the pressure it was forced open with, but neither could care at the moment.

Applejack pressed her lips to Twilight once more, her tears staining the unicorn’s coat as she desperately tried to breathe life back into her. One breath, then a second. Time sounded through Applejack’s mind as she fought back, the seconds ticking away, teasing her, taunting her. Tick tock goes the clock. Tick, tock; One, two; tick, tock; three, four. Once more she repeated the process, each second ticking away the chance of Twilight waking up––each second another chest compression, meant to bring her closer to life, yet dragging her father away.

On Applejack’s third attempt, Twilight jolted awake, crying out in both pain and fear. The lavender mare thrashed about from the shock, the sudden movement only serving to further agitate her broken rib. Applejack tried to hold her friend steady, but Twilight fought back, until the overwhelming flame in her breast won out.

Twilight forced herself to relax, chest still heaving and quiet tears still running down her cheeks. Applejack heard Granny Smith behind her breathe a sigh of relief, and she herself let her own emotions flow out as well as she laid down next to the suffering unicorn, and wrapped her body around her.

“Why? Why is this happening to me, Applejack?” Twilight half-sobbed, half whispered after a moment of quiet.

“I don’t know sugarcube, I wish I did, I really do; but we’re here for ya, all of us. We’ll always be here for ya.”

Twilight merely whimpered in response, hugging Applejack closer.

(_/<>-<><-><.><-><>-<>(_)/<>-<><-><.><-><>-<>\_)

Twilight stared at the simple meal before her. Only the most nutritious foods were carefully laid out on what was probably the cleanest plate she had ever seen, each serving having been prepared under the utmost scrutiny, neither over-nourishing nor malnourishing her beyond an extra gram. Celestia forbid I actually feel full after a meal, the mare thought bitterly. She learned after the first day that Applejack had lied when she called the food “hoof-licking good.”

Reluctantly, she drank the sour liquid meant to be juice, and nibbled at the tasteless green mash before giving up; she was not hungry anyway. Whatever hunger existed within was extinguished by the pain in her chest when she moved.

Slowly she rested her head against the pine backboard, so as to not agitate her rib more than was necessary. Closing her eyes, Twilight tried to rest, but the ticking of the clock facing her was only outdone by the constant beep from the heart monitor, and the ostentatious snoring from the other side of the curtain. She pulled out the pillow, pulling over her face to muffle her scream.

Once upon a time she would have read a book to relieve her boredom, but today was her third day here, and she had already exhausted the hospital’s collection of books––twice. Her muffled scream turned to quiet sobs as her rib flared. The doctor had taken her off morphine yesterday, opting to use oxycodone for the rest of her stay. The drug was administered by pill, and only every six hours. She still had two more hours to go, and the effects were already wearing off.

There was a soft knock on the ward door, and a pale mare with her pink mane tied up in a bun walked into the room. She glanced disdainfully at Twilight’s untouched meal before trotting up to her bed.

“Hello, Nurse Redheart,” the unicorn said, her horn flaring as she tucked the pillow back underneath herself.

“Hello, Ms. Sparkle. I see your meds have started to wear off?” the earth pony replied, giving her patient a pitiable look. Twilight acknowledged her with a nod.

“I’m so sorry, dearie,” Redheart said, stroking the unicorn’s mane, just behind her ear. “I’m here to let you know your friends have stopped by, perhaps they can give you some comfort.”

“I,”––Twilight sniffed––“Would love that.”

Nurse Redheart smiled. “I’ll send them right in,” she said in a calm, soothing voice before opening the birchwood door, calling out to the ponies behind it, “She’ll see you now, dearies!” The mare moved out of the way as a equally white unicorn mare trotted in, an orange cowpony shuffling behind her. “You three have fun now!” the nurse said, closing the door behind her as she left.

An awkward silence descended between the three mares, Rarity throwing glances at Twilight and Applejack, and the latter refusing to meet Twilight’s eyes. Deciding it fell to her to break the silence, Rarity prodded Applejack in the shoulder. “Well,” she said, “Go on.”

Twilight turned her attention to the orange mare sitting across from her, holding her stetson shamefully in front of her face. “I jus’ wanted to say that Ah’m sorry fer... ya know, breaking yer rib.” Applejack pulled herself from behind her hat, looking Twilight in the eye as she continued, “Ah’m so sorry Twi’, if I’d known that was gonna happen, I would’ve, I dunno, but I would’ve tried to stop––”

Twilight raised a hoof, smiling. “Applejack, I forgive you. If it wasn’t for your quick thinking, I would probably be in much worse shape. I’m glad a broken rib is all I have to contend with.”

“See?” Rarity said, turning to Applejack. “That wasn’t too hard, was it?”

Applejack groaned, then sighed. “Thanks for coming, Rare’.”

“You’re welcome,” Rarity singsonged.

It seemed her act of repentance brought upon a new confidence in Applejack, or perhaps it was merely her own brash behavior surfacing when, looking at Twilight’s mostly-untouched ‘lunch’, she asked, “Are ya gonna finish that?”

Twilight gave her answer by pushing the mobile platform over toward the mare, who proceeded to scarf down the tasteless mash. Rarity could not look away from the spectacle, staring at the farm mare with a horrified expression. Applejack looked up only long enough to say, “Wha’? It’s goo’ ea’in’,” causing Rarity’s expression to become even more horrified.

Twilight giggled, then sharply hissed as a pain flared in her chest. The other two mares stopped what they were doing.

“Darling, are you alright?”

“I’ll... I’ll be fine, Rarity.”

Applejack swallowed the mush still left in her mouth. “Are ya sure, sugarcube? ‘Cause ya don’t look it.”

Twilight forced a smile. “All I need is a little rest.”

Rarity and Applejack shared a look before the latter said, “Well, if yer sure. We’ll come back t’morrow t’ see ya, promise.”

“And we’ll bring along the other girls as well!” added Rarity.

Twilight sunk back into her pillow, a genuine smile working its way across her face. “Sounds like a plan.”

The unoiled hinges of the door squeaked as it opened, but when there was no tell of it closing, Twilight glanced at it. Rarity stood in the doorway, propping it open as she anxiously observed the mare in the bed. Twilight gave the unicorn a curious look, and Rarity took that as an invitation to return to her bedside, letting the door swing shut behind her.

“Yes, Rarity?”

“Twilight, this is the second time this has happened to you,” Rarity replied, putting a hoof on Twilight. “Something is not right here, Twilight. Far be it from me to tell you what to do, but this is out of our hooves.”

“I agree,” said Twilight, frowning. “This is no coincidence. When you leave, would you send over Spike with some parchment and a quill?”

“Of course I will, darling. I assume you’re going to contact the Princess?”

Twilight nodded. “If anypony knows what’s going on, then it’s her.”

Rarity graced her burdened friend with a warm and comforting smile. “I’ll send him right on over. Afterward, however,” she added, her voice changing to a more authoritative tone that she more than likely reserved for Sweetie Belle. “Get some rest. Heavens know you could use it.”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll try.”

Rarity flashed another smile, and made her way to the door. She paused as she opened it, turning back to Twilight one more time.

“And, do get better, dear. It pains us all to see you like this.”

“Thank you, Rarity,” replied Twilight, returning her smile.

Twilight closed her eyes, trying to hardest to follow through with Rarity’s suggestion, but try as she might, she could not. She flushed the small, white pill with a generous swig of the provided water, and succumbed into a pseudo bliss.

(_/<>-<><-><.><-><>-<>(_)/<>-<><-><.><-><>-<>\_)

Within the next couple days Twilight had been released from the hospital with a month’s dosage of oxycodone pills, a note telling her to take half of one every six hours, and the order to not over-exert herself under any circumstances.

Since the incident at Applejack’s house, Twilight had spent the last few nights dream- and nightmare-free. She owed this to the power of the drugs, and had used her peaceful free time in-between sending letters to Princess Celestia to dissect those illicit dreams she had. While the details themselves were lost to her, as she tried against her better judgement to recall the visions, the only constant that appeared in her mind was the word “Alicorn”. Every time, without fail, when she dwelled on what was better left alone, alicorns came to mind.

Twilight could not fathom why, even when she turned away from her dreams and mulled over this new revelation. What connection did the princesses have with her dreams?

“So, what are you thinking about?” said a male voice from her side. Twilight jumped when she remembered the brown stallion beside her. Time Turner had graciously agreed to walk her home from the Ponyville Hospital in the stead of her friends, whom Twilight presumed were preoccupied with their work.

“Alicorns.” Twilight was not sure why she said it; she had meant to blow it off as nothing but meanless daydreaming, but some unknown force made her speak her mind. Perhaps all the stress from the past week was catching up to her.

“Now, there’s a delicate subject if I’ve ever heard one. What about the alicorns has got your mind?” His voice was smooth, and conversational. He always liked listening to her lectures (and if he did not, then he hid it well), and she enjoyed having him there to comment on her ideas.

“Where did the princesses come from?” Once more Twilight was unaware why she was divulging her own mind to the stallion, but she had to admit it was nice not having to horde these thoughts. Actually, now that she thought about it, it may have been the high from her medicine causing this.

“They have ruled Equestria for the last thousand years––perhaps more––benevolently. They brought peace to the three pony tribes and united our country, but, has anypony ever asked where did they come from?”

Time Turner put a hoof to his chin. “Hm, that could lead to a dangerous thought pattern. Somepony not as smart as you could mistake it for anarchy.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at him. “How so?”

“Well, you’re questioning where they come from, and whether you meant to or not, you’re also questioning their integrity.”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she dwelled on what he said. “But, I wouldn’t do something like that!”

The stallion put up both hooves defensively. “Oh, I know you wouldn’t. But I’m only one of many, and while most will dismiss it because of your position, some will see it as a challenge to their right to rule, rather than an honest inquiry.”

“Then what do you suggest I do?” The scenery around them changed as the two entered Ponyville proper. No longer were they surrounded by trees and grassland, but now thatched-roof clay buildings of all sizes, and stalls selling a variety of items.

“Oh, come now, you’re smarter than that,” he scoffed. Twilight threw a peeved look at him. “You’re Princess Celestia’s personal protege, aren’t you?”

“But, wouldn’t that seem a little, invasive? That would be like me asking you how you were born.”

“To which you would receive a very unique response.”

“Exactly!”

“But you are her protege, and well known for your intense curiosity. I believe she will forgive you inquiring of a previously unexplored subject; I’d dare say she’d expect it of you.”

Before Twilight could respond, the two had arrived at the Golden Oaks Library.

“Well, thank you for your company. You’ve given me something to think about.”

She threw her magic around the door handle, but Time Turner grabbed it first, opening the door for her and bowed his head as he gestured into the large tree. “Please, allow me, Miss Twilight.” He enunciated her name louder than necessary, but Twilight decided to play along.

“Why, thank you, Sir Time Tur––” She was cut off by a loud explosion of color and light and sound. The entire room had been decorated with streamers and ribbons matching Twilight’s coat and mane, and balloons of the same colors stamped with her cutie mark were tied to every ballast possible, and some were just left to float on the ceiling. A large banner hung from one end of the room to the other side, welcoming her back home and wishing her well.

“SURPRISE!” screamed the conglomeration of ponies crowded together in the center of the room. Her eyes scanned the crowd, easily picking out the one pony she expected. Pinkie Pie.

 “Pinkie, you didn’t have to,” Twilight said, unable to hide the huge smile on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rainbow Dash begrudgingly hand over a few bits to a smug Applejack.

“Well of course I did!”

“GAH!” screamed Twilight as Pinkie appeared right next to her.

“How could I have welcomed home my bestest unicorn pal Twilight without a huge-o-mongo Welcome Home Party?!” Pinkie explained, throwing a bunch of confetti in the air with her usual flair.

“C’mon, Twi’, you gotta know Pinkie better than that by now!” said a voice from up above. Twilight looked up, and saw Rainbow Dash flip back right-side up, and land next to her. The cyan mare offered her hoof for a hoof-bump to the silent stallion. “Thanks for bringing her here, Time. We owe you one!”

Time Turned accepted the hoof-bump, then made off towards the ostentatious crowd.

“Off to find your muse?” Twilight called to him, and he answered with a nod of his head.

“I think I saw her near the punch bowl,” offered Rainbow. Time Turner gestured his thanks, and trotted away. The three mares silently watched him walk off, before Rainbow turned to Twilight.

“Y’know, it's almost creepy how much he hangs around her.”

“Oh, come on now, Rainbow, they’re just a couple in love,” softly chided Twilight.

“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “But, don’t you think he’s a little... awkward?”

“Awkward, how?” asked Twilight. The two stopped at the punch table, and Twilight ladled a generous helping of Pinkie’s trademark party punch into two glasses, and handed the second one over to the pegasus beside her. Before she answered, Rainbow glanced around, locking her eyes on something for a short moment before returning attention to the unicorn mare before her.

“Y’know, the way he just stops talking and, like, quietly judges you or something? Or like at parties, where he kinda stands away from the crowd and just... watches everypony?”

Now it was Twilight’s turn to roll her eyes. “He’s just shy. Shy and intelligent; perfect for Fluttershy, wouldn’t you think?”

“Intelligent?” Rainbow regarded the mare before her with a inquisitive stare. “Wait a sec, you’re crushing on him?” The pegasus burst into laughter, banging a hoof on the ground. Twilight’s cheeks burned as she favored Rainbow with a hard glare.

“What? You mean how you would run your eyes all over him back when he and Fluttershy first met?” The effect was immediate.

“Woah,” Rainbow said, all sign of raucous laughter gone. “Low blow there, Twi’.”

“Sorry,” Twilight said sheepishly.

“It’s cool, Twi’.” Rainbow scratched at the back of her head, ruffling her mane. “And, I’m sorry too.”

Twilight offered her hoof. “Are we... ‘cool’?”

Rainbow chuckled as she bumped Twilight’s hoof. “Yeah, we’re cool.”

The pegasus mare glanced back out at to what caught her eye before, holding her gaze a little longer this time. Curious, Twilight plopped herself right next to her friend, starring in the same general direction.

“What are you looking at?”

Rainbow nodded her head to the corner of the room. Twilight scanned that area of the room before finally finding what had caught her friend’s eye: Fluttershy and Time Turner lay next to each other, the mare giggling as the stallion pouted over the spilled drink staining his coat, feebly trying to rub it off with a hoof.

“So, how’s your chest feeling?” Rainbow asked, pointing a hoof at the mass of white bandages encasing Twilight’s midsection.

“The pills are helping dull a lot of the pain,” Twilight replied. “Else I’d imagine it would be painful to merely breathe.” Rainbow winced at that, pressing a hoof under one of her own ribs reflexively.

“Yeah, I remember when I broke a rib.”

“You’ve broken a rib?” Twilight turned, facing the pegasus.

“It was before you came here, back when I really didn’t know anypony. I was out in the fields outside of Ponyville, practicing some wicked moves. During one of them, I threw my wing out in a bank, and hit a wind tunnel that shot me down into this huge pile of rocks.” Twilight laid a hoof on her shoulder.

“Oh, Rainbow...”

“Yeah... I was reckless back then,” Rainbow said, earning an amused glare from Twilight. “Alright, I still am reckless. But now I have guidelines I follow!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Like what?”

“Like: Never practice without somepony there to watch!”

The mare giggled at her friend’s ego. In the two years she had lived in Ponyville, never had Rainbow Dash once beheld herself as a spectacle without a substantial audience cheering her on. Rainbow joined her for a spell before abruptly stopping, giving Twilight a serious look that in all the years she had known the pegasus she had never witnessed cross the mare’s face before.

Twilight halted, startled by her sudden change in demeanor. “Er... what?”

“It’s just, those pills they gave you... be careful with them. They can be...” Rainbow bit her lip. “Addictive.”

The unicorn merely stood there staring at her friend, still taken aback. “Uh,” she murmured, realizing she had been silent for an uncomfortable amount of time. “Thanks, I’ll remember that.”

With the once joyous mood between them tarnished, Rainbow opted to go hunt down Applejack and join her, leaving Twilight alone. She could only watch as the cyan mare trotted away, contemplating her last words.

(_/<>-<><-><.><-><>-<>(_)/<>-<><-><.><-><>-<>\_)

Dear Princess Celestia,

During the last couple days I have been having nightmares that I believe may contain some deeper meaning, and I am hoping that either you or Princess Luna would be gracious enough to shed some light on the matter.

The subliminal messages that I can sense in their aftermath greatly worry me, but to what extent I cannot hope to grasp, as whatever inclination I arrive at seems to disappear along with the memories of my dream shortly after.

I understand that your position as Princess entails a great many tasking jobs, and as I do not want you to feel obligated, please feel free to reply whenever the time is right for you.

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

~        ~        ~

My dearest Twilight,

You really need to stop taking these correspondences so seriously. You are my personal pupil, and furthermore you are like a daughter to me. As such, I take personal pride in feeling obligated to reply to you as swiftly as I can.

This news of your night troubles worries me; when I am done writing I shall bring this to my sister, perhaps she can shed a brighter light on the situation.

What worries me more is this notion of a subliminal message. Such things are not to be taken lightly, as they can have great meaning. I will ask that you come to Canterlot whenever your schedule allows it, so that my sister and I may investigate further.

Your Loving Teacher,

Princess Celestia

P.S.: This does not mean come tonight.

~        ~        ~

Dear Princess Celestia,

Thank you. If it behooves you, I will leave on the morning train.

On a more personal matter, how are my brother and Cadence doing?

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

~        ~        ~

Dear Twilight,

I will await your arrival.

The newlyweds have been adjusting to their life well. Shining Armor has been avoiding his new title as Prince, but he wears the title well. It is certainly a relief to have another prince around who isn’t such a braggart. Perhaps maybe your brother may yet change him, although I sincerely doubt it.

It has been a long time since we’ve sent this many letters in such a short period of time. I miss that, my little pony.

Your Loving Teacher,

Princess Celestia

~        ~        ~

Twilight put the letter down, a melancholy smile adorning her face as she read the last few lines. It had been awhile since she and the Princess had just talked. Even longer still, as the letters sent within the last week really amounted to only a fraction of a conversation.

She turned to the clear orange bottle sitting on the table, right next to it a glass of water. With a glance at the clock on the wall, Twilight twisted off the cap and poured out a white pill, popping it into her mouth and washing it down with the glass of water. Finishing off the glass, she turned to look at the darkening sky outside.

Tomorrow she would leave for Canterlot, where she might finally receive the answers she longed for. But first, she thought, glaring at the mess of streamers, confetti, and glitter scattered over the floor, I need to clean up. Suppressing a yawn, Twilight called out to Spike, and grabbed a broom for herself.

Tomorrow, she would receive her answers.