Shadows of Love

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1: Canterlot
Chapter 2: The Crystal Empire
Chapter 3: Ponyville
Epilogue

Prologue

Twilight was pouring over a book that’d newly arrived. Titled Applied Ley Line Theory, it went into meticulous detail on how one would go about using it. She loved curling up with a good book in her reading room, and this one was proving very educational.

Therefore, with the capacity to tap into, rejuvenate from, and tamper with a ley line, magic’s effects can be improved exponentially. With these techniques in hoof and experience under their saddle, a wizard can transform the slightest charm into a full-blown love spell.

Love...

Not for the first time, Twilight’s mind turned to that fire in the heart, the strongest of emotions. It was not a draught she had never tasted - a couple foals had won her affection back in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns - but it was one she had never drunk deeply of. First as a student busy with studying and research, and then as a princess busy with administrative duties, she hadn’t really had the time to devote to romance.

That wasn’t for a lack of suitors, of course, especially recently. Any stallion and plenty of mares would leap at the chance to be the consort of a princess. She had her pick of scientists, authors, wizards, politicians, even other royalty. But she hadn’t really clicked with any of them.

Twilight’s musings were interrupted by a knock at the front door of the castle. “SPIIIIKE!” she yelled. “Can you get that? I’m reading.”

“Sure thing, Twilight!” he answered dutifully.

A few moments later, she heard the clip-clop of hooves on the crystalline floor. She looked up from her book, and saw her old... enemy? Friend? Ex-enemy who was now a friend? Well-intentioned but misguided would-be hero? She wasn’t sure what to call him.

Shadowlock.

“Hello Twilight,” he said, a bit awkwardly. “I haven’t found any much more information about my ancestor. I thought I should talk to you for help.”

Glancing to her shiny new book, and back to Shadowlock, she replied, “Of course! Sit down. There’s plenty of room!”

He sat down about as far from her as he could. She gave him a good look-over.

He was a stallion of medium build, but stood a bit taller than average. A sleek and sharp mane erupted from his head, purple and black astride. An old scar bisected his otherwise unblemished face. Twilight had to admit, he was good-looking in an unpolished sort of way. For a millisecond, Twilight wondered what his chest would feel like.

That thought was ended by his first question.

“So, what do I do now?”

Twilight bit her lip. She wanted to reply with a stock suggestion like “Try doing research,” but he had made that almost impossible himself.

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” she replied. “We could try developing a spell to reverse your book-erasing one, but I don’t know if that’s possible.”

Shadowlock winced. His book-erasing spell had already caused serious trouble to Twilight and her friends, and left the world vulnerable to the possible return of his ancestor.

“I... don’t think it is.” He hated every word, but he forced them out anyway. “My spell was designed to be irreversible, so it would be impossible for him to sneak back into our world.”

Twilight’s face fell, and a jolt of pain shot through his heart. Twilight had shown him mercy, trust, and forgiveness, and put him back on the right path. Now he had to let her last hope down, and cemented his failure in her eyes.

And though he felt even guiltier admitting it to himself, part of the reason he was so invested in Twilight’s well-being was definitely her looks. To put it simply, she was extremely attractive. Every gentle curve of her lithe body, her perfect coloration, the nerdy way she talked, and her luscious coat all combined to form this perfect storm of admiration. She inflamed his passions like nopony he’d ever met before or since.

Of course, this was all idle dreaming. She was a princess and a savior of Equestria many times over, while he was just a wannabe hero who’d ended up making things much worse. Even the fact she saw him as a friend was barely believable. It was beyond mad to think she’d ever have the slightest chance of returning his feelings.

“Shadowlock?”

Shadowlock blinked, and shook his head. “What? Suh-sorry, I missed that.”

“I asked if you were okay. You looked really far away.” Twilight’s eyes sparkled with a surprising amount of concern.

“Oh. Uh, I’m fine. Didn’t get much sleep last night.” He didn’t like lying to her, but what other option did he have? Yeah, you’re so sexy I got lost in your perfect body? If he tried that, he’d be lucky if their friendship were the only thing broken.

Twilight gave him a concerned look. “You should go to bed. We can discuss this in more detail tomorrow.”

“No, no,” Shadowlock insisted. “I’m not that tired. Just dozed off for a second.”

“Alright, if you say so,” she replied skeptically.

“So, what were we talking about before I dozed off?” he asked, faking confusion.

Twilight answered matter-of-factly, “What you should do now, and how we’ll go about research. If the book-erasing spell can be undone, you and I can work together to recover all the missing information!”

He cracked a smile. Doing magical research with Twilight? That would be amazing. “I sure hope it can be undone. Do you know where to start?”

Twilight nodded. “We should start in the Canterlot Archives. It’s one of the most complete libraries in the world. If we don’t find anything there, we’ll try the Crystal Empire next.”

“That sounds like a plan. Let’s go.” He stood up and started trotting for the door, but a pink glow enveloped him before he’d taken five steps. His whole body tingled as the deft telekinesis lifted him a few inches off the ground.

“Hold on. You need to get some sleep first,” Twilight insisted. “You’ll be much more productive tomorrow if you have a well-rested mind.”

“A-alright,” Shadowlock agreed. He wasn’t tired, but if he wanted to avoid having to answer awkward questions, he’d have to play along. “I’ll go rent a--”

“Rent? You can just stay in one of the guest rooms!” Twilight said with a grin. “We have tons of empty ones. Spike?”

Spike poked his head in. “Sure. Follow me!”

Shadowlock stood up, stretched, and followed the little green and purple dragon. He glanced back at Twilight, who was now returning to her book.

Spike took Shadowlock to his room. “Here you go! This is where you’ll be staying tonight.”

It was quite well-equipped and pretty, and the bed looked very soft. “Thank you again for letting me stay. It’ll be nice to sleep in a bed again.”

Spike raised an eyeridge. “Well where have you been sleeping?”

“Usually, on my cloak. Ruins don’t have beds like castles do.”

“Huh, guess you got a point there. Well, I’ll leave you to your sleeping.” Spike walked out, and closed the door behind him.

Shadowlock tossed his cloak off, and flopped down on the bed. He wasn’t tired.

The stars were beautiful tonight.

Twilight concentrated. Magic bubbled up, surging from the rock miles below to her head. She could hear the air crackling with power. A faint smell of ozone wafted around her.

In one smooth motion, she released it. A bolt of lightning soared upwards and split the heavens. A beautiful aurora followed in its wake.

Starlight trotted up beside her. “That’s quite impressive, Twilight. So that ley line stuff really works?”

“Yep! Like a charm! Imagine what it’d be like in a place like the Crystal Empire, where multiple ley lines converge.”

“Is that why Sombra was so powerful? He had all those ley lines beneath him?” Starlight asked.

“It’s quite possible. I don’t think we can know for sure - without asking him, that is.” She looked up to the heavens. “Speaking of things we don’t know for sure - did you make any progress on a spell to restore the books Shadowlock erased?”

“No,” Starlight admitted. Her face was clouded with disappointment. “It seems he really wiped them hard. You’re going to talk to Sunburst about it, right?”

“That’s the plan.” Twilight yawned. “But it’s late. We should get some rest ourselves.”

“You’re right.” The two mares trotted back inside in silent companionship.

Shadowlock woke up gradually. Fading out were the ghostly dreams of the night before. He felt a serene, contented smile upon his face, but had no idea why. His outstretched hoof embraced the air. “Mmmm... huh?”

He opened his eyes. Celestia’s sun peeked in around the curtains. A faint scent of lavender hung about the room.

Stretching, Shadowlock got out of bed, and put his signature cloak on. He trotted towards the main room

The delicious smell of pancakes filled the air. “Hehy Shahdoughlok!” Spike said through a mouthful of gems.

Shadowlock tentatively sat down next to Starlight. “Help yourself!” Twilight said warmly.

With a simple nod, he dug in. By the first bite, he was shocked. “These are delicious! Who made them?”

“Yours truly,” Spike said between bites.

Twilight pointed to a checklist. “We’ll search the Canterlot Archives today, and then take the train to the Crystal Empire overnight. I know somepony who might be able to help us there.” She turned to Starlight. “Starlight, I’ll need you and Spike to watch over affairs back here at the castle. I might be gone three days.”

“Shure thing Thwilight,” Spike replied, chomping down on a ruby.

An hour later, they were all ready. Twilight had her saddlebags, and she’d lent Shadowlock a set. With bits, notebooks, quills, water bottles, magnifying glasses, the spellbook Shadowlock had based his book-erasing spell on, and more, they were well-prepared for a lot of studying.

Twilight gave Spike a quick hug. “Be in bed by 9.”

“9:30?” Spike begged.

Twilight rolled her eyes playfully. “Alright, 9:30. But no later. A baby dragon needs his sleep to grow up big and strong!”

Farewells exchanged, Twilight and Shadowlock headed to the Friendship Express.

Chapter 1: Canterlot

The train chugged up from the south, puffs of smoke billowing behind it. It screeched to a halt in front of the station. Twilight spotted a gaggle of fans covered in Twilight memorabilia.

“There’s Princess Twilight!” a teenage colt wearing a clip-on Twilight tail cried, and they rushed forward as one.

“Please give me your autograph!”

“Can I be your magical apprentice?”

“Sign my forehead!”

“Come to our school!”

“Twilight, I want to marry you!”

Twilight gave the filly who’d said that last comment a surprised and confused look. “Er, well, um, while I would love to stay and talk, I have very important princess duties to attend to. Saving the world and that kind of thing. Gotta go!”

She teleported onto the train. Shadowlock hurried after her.

“All aboard!” the conductor yelled from the front, and the train began to move.

Shadowlock took a seat opposite Twilight. Looking for a way to start the conversation that wasn’t too awkward, he offered, “You have some enthusiastic fans.”

“Heh, yeah, I do. Started with the whole ‘princess’ thing.” She ran a hoof over her wing. “It can be kinda awkward, but they mean well. Might cause some difficulties when we’re travelling...”

In a flash of inspiration, Shadowlock got an idea. “You could borrow my cloak. It’s comfortable and lightweight, and it hides you pretty well.”

“You sure you want to do that?” Twilight asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without it.”

“Yeah. It’ll make it easier for us to move around quietly.”

He carefully removed it, and passed it to her. She took it with her telekinesis, and donned it. She adjusted it so that the cloak hugged her close. “Ooh, it’s warm. I can see why you like it!”

It kind of felt like he was hugging her too.

A pony called out, “Get your snacks here!” He rolled a cart down the aisle.

“I’d like two packs of pretzels please,” Twilight requested.

“Two bits, miss. Anything for your friend?”

Twilight levitated him a couple bits. “Well, Shadowlock?” she asked warmly. “Can I get you anything?”

“Hmmm... how about some dark chocolate?”

“Sure thing! A bar’s three bits.”

Shadowlock reached for his bag, but Twilight held his hoof still with some gentle telekinesis. “I’ve got it covered. Really. You just gave me your cloak, I can afford to pay for some chocolate.”

She gave the salespony three more bits, and offered Shadowlock his chocolate. “Thanks.”

Twilight neatly sliced open the pretzel bag, and took a bite. Her eyes bugged out. “Mmm, these are good! You should try one!”

Before he could respond, she’d thrust it into his mouth. “Mmmm!” It was indeed absolutely delicious.

“You like em?” Twilight asked with a big smile.

Despite himself, he exclaimed, “Yes! They’re so crunchy!”

She smiled even wider at that. “There was a reason I bought two bags,” she said, and handed him one.

A pang of admiration came over him, and for a brief moment he fantasized about hugging her. But then that vanished in the iron grip of cold logic. He couldn’t be too forward with her, or else he’d risk alienating her.

Perhaps he’d reply in kind, then.

“Well, I didn’t buy two - but I did buy something that could be split in half.” He cracked the chocolate bar in half, and gave her the larger piece.

“No, I can’t. You should have it.”

“I insist!” Shadowlock insisted. “I gave yours a try; you have to give mine a try.”

“Well, alright.” He thought she blushed a little, but her coat was so pink he couldn’t know for sure. He probably just imagined it anyway.

The two of them enjoyed their snacks together the rest of the ride.

Shadowlock stepped off the train and into Canterlot. The soaring spires and fat bulbs shone beautifully in the morning light.

“Which way now?” he asked Twilight.

“Follow me,” she replied, and set off at a brisk trot.

They weaved their way through the crowds, staying close together. He’d never liked large crowds, and here in the nerve center of Equestria, the bustle and noise was almost overwhelming.

At least his cloak served well. Not a single pony recognized Twilight under it.

After fifteen agonizing minutes, they made it to the Canterlot Archives. “Well, here we are,” Twilight began. “Let’s get to work.”

A pair of bored-looking royal guards stood outside the massive building. She trotted up to the guard. “Identification?” one of the guards asked.

Twilight leaned back, and let the hood fall to her shoulders.

“Oh, Princess! Welcome. Let us know if you need anything.”

“He’s with me,” she said, gesturing to Shadowlock. With simultaneous nods, the two stallions ushered them inside.

The air inside the Canterlot Archives was cool, dry, and still. It tasted a bit different than the outside air too. It also seemed to swallow up sound, like they were covered a blanket of snow.

Shadowlock asked, “Why does the air taste like that? And why doesn’t sound travel?”

“The whole place is under a bunch of abjurations to preserve the books and minimize distractions. Some of these books are older than the city itself.”

Older than the city itself? He shook his head, grappling with the idea.

“Follow me,” Twilight instructed. “We’re going to the advanced magic section!” She hurried forward, making sure to always keep him in sight.

After a few minutes, they arrived. Four more guards stood at attention at the door. “Identification, please,” one requested.

Twilight lowered her hood.

“Please remain still. I will test if you are a changeling, or otherwise disguised by magic.”

The stallion cast a spell that flashed brightly, and enveloped Twilight in green light. “She’s clean.”

He then turned to Shadowlock. “You too. Don’t worry, this won’t hurt.”

He felt like he’d just been photographed all over his body. It didn’t hurt, but it was a very uncomfortable, invasive feeling. “Okay, you’re good. Welcome to the Starswirl wing.”

The guards opened the door, and he gasped.

It was breathtaking. The room stretched floor to ceiling with ancient, well-cared for tomes, as well as more recent and dangerous ones. With only a cursory glance, he spotted a Black Scroll of Ahm, the Necronomicon, Advanced Mindbending, High Spells of War, and Lichdom: An Archmage’s Guide. With a shudder, he turned his eyes forward.

Four steps ahead, Twilight walked with mathematical precision. It was almost entrancing seeing every step striking with the regularity of a clock. With each step, her supple body flexed alluringly. There was a peculiar symmetry about her features that only amplified her beauty.

She plopped her saddlebags down on the central table. “Alright. Let’s get looking. I’ll take these rows, you take those, and we meet back here for anything interesting we find?”

“That’s a good plan,” he replied, meeting her gaze. “Here’s hoping we find something.”

He trotted over to the place they’d come in. Truename Magic looked like as good a place to start as any. He flipped to the index, and started reading.

Shadowlock sat among the remains of four hours of research, pouring over yet another tome.

Truename magic was useless without knowing the truename of the book in question, and that could take months of research for every one of the hundreds of books he’d erased.

A greater text-restoring spell copied the information from another edition somewhere in the world, but these books didn’t have the slightest hint of text to start a search from.

For what had to be the hundredth time, guilt swept over him. Twilight was taking time out of her important princess duties to try to help him clean up the mess he had made. He risked a look over at her. At least she seemed to be enjoying herself, surrounded by books stretching five feet into the air.

He trotted over to her. She was immersed in a book titled Secrets of the Final Gate. “Find anything useful?”

“Euh, not really. I found a lot of techniques that might be helpful, but all of them require something we don’t have or aren’t quite right for what we need done. I should have brought Starlight along, she’s really good at tweaking and customizing spells. Better than anypony I’ve ever seen.”

“She sure is powerful,” Shadowlock agreed. “Listen, Twilight. I have something I need to say.”

“Sure,” Twilight said, uncertainty darting across her face. “What’s wrong?”

He let the words tumble out. “I... I really messed up with erasing those books. It was a huge mistake, and now you have to pay the price - and maybe Equestria too, if we aren’t successful.”

Twilight gave him a deep, sympathetic look. “I know, Shadowlock, but it’s okay. You made a mistake, but you’re making up for it. That’s what matters.”

“Thanks, Twilight,” he said quietly. “I guess, even if you forgave me, I can’t forgive myself.”

Suddenly, he saw a blur of purple, and felt a mild impact and warmth spreading across his chest. Twilight hugged him tight. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you, and no one else does either. I might have done the same in your horseshoes.”

Shadowlock could feel Twilight’s powerful heart beating inches away as she wrapped her forelegs around him. The sweet scent of lavender filled him as her mane swept around his face. He gently returned the hug, a forehoof slipping around Twilight’s shoulder. How long he’d waited for a moment like this!

Their hug lasted a brief eternity. When Twilight finally pulled away, he felt the bliss lingering. It felt like Celestia’s light blazed brilliantly all across his body. “Thank you. I needed that,” he said softly.

She smiled wide. “I meant it. You really have changed, and that’s what’s important. Lots of ponies have done bad things.” She giggled. “Once, Starlight rewrote history and ended up causing a planetary extinction!”

Shadowlock watched the world spin. “A planetary extinction? And she’s your STUDENT now?” he forced out, not even trying to disguise the disbelief in his voice.

“Well, we did end up undoing it and fixing history again. But like I said, lots of ponies have done bad things. She changed, and you have too.”

Shadowlock smiled back. “I guess you’re right. Again, thank you.” With nothing more to say, he went back over to his side of the wing.

He picked up Book of Books, and started reading. Deep in research as he was, it’s perfectly understandable that he didn’t see Twilight about to say something, then bite her tongue and sigh silently.

Several more hours passed, with an occasional insight swiftly quashed upon further examination. Shadowlock was deep enough in a text on arcane linguistics he didn’t look up, so Twilight studied him discreetly.

He looked very different without his cloak. Happier, less obsessed, and, though she had to hold down giggles when she realized it, cuter. The late-afternoon sun bathed his face in warm, orange light, outlining his rugged but kind features.

Did she have a crush on him?

She really wasn’t sure. He was good-looking, sure, but half her friends were, and she’d never felt love’s siren call from them. And he was likeable, but again, her friends were. The hug might be an indicator... or it might just be her comforting a pained, troubled friend.

She needed time alone to think this through, time she could focus exclusively on this problem. And she didn’t want to look like she was drifting off.

“I need to fill up my water bottle,” Twilight truthfully said, holding the empty bottle aloft. “It might take a bit, so don’t worry if I’m not back for a few minutes.”

“Alright,” he said, avoiding her gaze. “I’ll keep reading.”

She casually trotted out. The four guards saluted her as she passed them.

Twilight walked slowly, deep in thought. She certainly had a slight attraction to Shadowlock, but those came and went like the Everfree’s weather. Did she see more in him than a good face and body?

An unbidden memory rose up in anecdotal response, shifting the golden-orange light of sunset to the pale yellow of candles...

The two of them stood in a dimly lit museum room. Shadowlock’s eyes seemed heavy with the weight of a world upon his back. Bleary shadows under them hinted he hadn’t slept for days. And when he spoke, it was slowly and painfully.

“So I’m not paranoid. You really are out to get me. But if you really cared about Equestria, you would just let me finish this.”

Twilight looked him in the eye. “Equestria is more than ponies. It’s our history, our lessons, our relationships! You may think you’re protecting us--but you’re erasing a past and memories that make Equestria what it is.”

Sensing she was near a breakthrough, she pressed on. “If there is some great darkness, then tell me! Let me help you!” When she looked into his pained, exhausted eyes, that was what came to her - a desire to help him. “A weight is always easier to carry when you don’t do it alone.”

Shadowlock sighed. “So... either I explain, or else you’re going to keep popping up like this?”

“Well... yeah, pretty much,” Twilight answered. “Plus, my friends might swoop in and kick your haunches if you try anything funny again.”

Shadowlock smiled, which looked very weird on him. “Hah. Fine, let’s talk.”

He started to explain just what had happened. He was descended from a horrible monster that nearly destroyed all of Equestria. He feared the darkness that consumed his ancestor would swallow him up, and it did seem to be following and chasing him. He studied word magic, so he could figure out how to forget.

He made it his responsibility to find every mention of that evil being, and erase it. But it made holes in his memory too. Seeing his driven, grim expression touched something deep inside her - she wanted to help him.

He should have someone to help him fight against the darkness.

He shouldn’t have to be alone.

“Shadowlock, I can tell you really want to protect yourself, and all of us, from whatever you think is out there.” She looked deep into his eyes. “But believe me, erasing history is not the way to keep it safe!”

Please, please, please believe me, she thought desperately.

“What if somepony wants to cause harm?!” His voice was rising now, a hint of panic to the stew of emotions. “What if reading those scrolls will inspire them to bring it back?!”

Twilight gave him the most sincere, honest look she could. “There will always be danger. And yes, there will be another pony, eventually, looking for power.” His face fell in a mix of pain and hopelessness, so she pressed on. “But that’s exactly why we need to learn from the past!”

“Do you know why I love history? Why I love museums like this?” He silently shook his head, so she continued. She was sure they were getting somewhere now. “We can see HOW things went in the past! It can teach us to spot those same troubles now--before we make the same mistakes!”

“Or, when a problem does again, it reminds us that we’re not alone! And we can learn how ponies before us handled the same situation!”

Shadowlock just kept listening silently, taking her words in.

“This... evil ancestor of yours is a perfect example! He isn’t ruling Equestria today--so how did somepony stop him?”

But Shadowlock had erased his own memory of how that evil ancestor was defeated in the first place!

Her friends showed up, and they talked everything out. Shortly thereafter, Shadowlock had departed, trying to find any remaining information on his ancestor.

Twilight shook her head. She was in the fading light of the Canterlot Archives again, and her water bottle was still empty. With a tired sigh, she flew over to the water fountain.

As she filled up her bottle, she ran over the facts again, and they all pointed to one conclusion: she probably had a crush on him.

Now, she had to decide what to do about it.

She could always just do nothing, keep him squarely in the friendzone, and wait for it to pass. That’s what she had done for her previous crushes. It was a secure, tested, reliable, and thus attractive option.

If she wanted to win him over, she had a lot of options. She could wait for a good time, and then reveal it to him. She could try and be coy, hinting more than saying, inviting him in. Or she could honestly and sincerely tell him how she felt, and hope he wasn’t alienated. She could show off her power, and hope that impressed him. If it worked, she’d finally have a real lover - but if it didn’t, it might creep him out and ruin their friendship.

Why does romance have to be so much more complicated than friendship?

The trickle of water down her hoof snapped Twilight out of her trance. She looked down to see the sink overflowing with water.

“Aaah!” she cried, and concentrated. With careful, gentle precision, she lifted the water up and back into the sink. She gently capped her water bottle, and flew back towards the Starswirl wing.

Twilight landed just in front of the guards. Same as last time, one of the guards did a magical security scan. “Sorry, Princess. We need to be sure.”

“It’s fine,” Twilight reassured them. Recalling a phrase her brother would often say, she added, “At ease.”

The soldiers relaxed infinitesimally. “Thank you, Princess.”

Rolling her eyes at their stiff procedure, she proceeded inside. Shadowlock was still deep in the same book.

“Hi Twilight,” he said, not looking up. “You weren’t exaggerating about it taking a while.”

“Yeah, I did a lot of thinking while I was gone,” she answered honestly, trying not to stare at him. “And I’m curious. Where did you get your scar from?”

Shadowlock looked up from his book. “Why would you want to know that?” he asked, all curiosity. Although there wasn’t a drop of anger in his voice, Twilight still felt a little hurt.

“I just wanted to know what happened. There’s still dried blood in it. Shouldn’t it have healed by now?” His cloak felt suddenly uncomfortable on her back.

He shrugged neutrally. “Sure, I’ll tell you.” Twilight sat down beside him, and listened.

“I was exploring an old building that seemed to have a connection to my ancestor. It was creepy, especially at 1 in the morning.” He winced. “I had to break in.”

“I went down to the basement, where they’d be likely to have boxes of the oldest stuff. After that, I was going to check the attic.” He looked past her.

“I trotted downstairs by hornlight. Every step creaked, and a few had already broken. Shadows darted around me, just out of view. I wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, or real.”

Twilight glanced behind the bookshelf opposite her. Was it a trick of the light, or had the shadows gathered here too to listen to his story?

“I got to the bottom of that rickety staircase, and started digging through the old boxes. It was the middle of summer at night, but it was dead silent. I didn’t hear anything besides myself.”

“The shadows seemed to grow larger the longer I worked. Finally, something moved out of the corner of my eye that couldn’t be a figment of the imagination - and the creature emerged into the open.”

“It looked like an emaciated, bipedal bear, but no bear had claws like ten-inch-long knives and three burning red eyes, or a body of made pitch oil that dripped to the floor and ran back to rejoin it. It stared me down hungrily, like a lion watching its prey.”

“But I wasn’t the helpless little colt who’d first found out about his ancestor. I knew magic, and had come prepared. Striking a defensive pose, I warned it, ‘Take another step towards me and you will be destroyed.’”

Twilight listened attentively, every sentence invoking a look of surprise or a gasp.

“’Alllright,’ it hissed in a dreadful voice. ‘Let’ss talllk, Sshhadowson.’”

“’What do you want, monster?’ I demanded. ‘What foul hell have you crawled from?’”

“’What do I waaaant?’ it chuckled horribly. ‘Nothing horrrrible lllike the deaaaaths of innnnocent ponies or the conquessst of Equessstria. No, I am a ssshhadowcreature of ssssimple things. A delllicccious mealll, a book read by the fiiiiire, and a nice bodyyy to bind with. Yourrrs is perrrrfect.’”

“’Bind with?’ I asked, the rage of a cornered animal rising in me. ‘What are you talking about? And you didn’t answer where you came from!’”

“Thatttt’s not haaaard. I coooome from the ouuuterr daaark. The Ssshhadowed Lllock.’ It laughed maniacally at its own joke, like a demonic hyena. ‘And by binnnnding, I meaaaan, of courrrrse, fusssing to yyyyou to helllp yyyou embbbrace yourrrr dessstiny.’”

“I grabbed one of my best combat books - a Warhoof 40,000 codex - and flipped to a bookmarked page. ‘I will give you one chance, voidspawn,’ I warned it. ‘Flee and do not trouble me again, or you will die.’”

Twilight gave him a look somewhere between amusement and disbelief. “You used a tabletop game’s book as ammunition for your summoning spell? And you said THAT to a monster of darkness?”

“It’s full of vicious monsters, perfect for summoning,” he answered. “I had it labeled Lethal - Last Resort. I never would have used it against a pony. But I was scared and angry, and I was ready to kill this monster. So, continuing,”

“’Gooood,’ it replied almost happily. ‘You uuuuse fear to getttt what you waaaant. Unfortuuunately, I don’t feeeel that emotttion.’”

“It lunged at me faster than anything I’d ever seen. I dove aside, but it clipped me by the snout. The wound burned like acid, and blood trickled down it. It landed lightly on the floor, and turned towards me again - right as I finished my spell.” He said the last bit proudly.

“The shadow-creature was suddenly grappled by another beast. This creature was huge, and covered in hard chitin and blades. It pummeled the shadow-creature with its massive claws, and I...”

A hint of shame entered his voice. “I ran for my life. I heard a horrible shriek behind me, and felt something liquid rushing past my feet. I risked a glance down, and saw the three-eyed face staring back up at me.”

“’Youuu can’t essscappe,’ it hissed. ‘Even if yyou killll meee, the darrrkness knows you. You WIIILL fulllfill your destiiiny!’”

“Before my eyes, it shriveled up and withered away to nothing. I dismissed the creature I’d summoned, and lay down and cried.” Shadowlock looked to Twilight. “Does that answer your question?”

Twilight patted his back soothing. “It does. Thank you for telling me all this. But I did have another one.”

He relaxed as she patted him. “Ask away.”

“What’s your ancestor’s name?”

Shadowlock answered instantly. “It’s St... Starlight?” He wavered. “Stellar? Spike? Soulless?”

His eyes widened in horror. “Oh no. No, no, no! The spell I used to erase information must have done more damage to my memory than I thought!”

Twilight felt crushing despair press in. She forced it down and focused on him.

“I... I’m so sorry, Twilight,” Shadowlock said, tears beading up in his eyes. “This is all my fault.”

Twilight tried to think of something to say that would sound sincere. The problem was, he had a point. She decided to just hug him gently, one wing stroking his back. “It’ll be okay,” she told him quietly.

“No it won’t,” he answered sadly. “We have no leads here, and now I don’t even know his name. This is really, really bad.”

“We do have leads!” Twilight insisted, as much to herself as to him. “We have at least 10 books that are close. Sunburst will be able to help us pick the best one to alter, and then Starlight can help us tweak it!” She looked deep into his eyes. “Don’t give up.”

Shadowlock returned her gaze. It was like looking at a galaxy through a telescope, and filled him with the same wonder. “I... I guess you’re right. I’ll follow your lead, Twilight.”

“But we also need to cure your degrading memory. It’s getting worse--you remembered your ancestor’s name when we met a couple months ago.” She smiled. “And I think I have a clue!”

“You do?” he asked, a candle of hope flickering in his soul. “What is it?”

She trotted over to her corner of the room, and held up a work titled Curing Afflictions and Ailments. She said happily, “This book has a spell to stop memory decay. I’m not sure if it’ll be enough to counteract whatever you’re suffering, but it might help.”

“Wait,” Shadowlock requested dubiously. “Why’s a book on curing diseases in the most secure wing of the library?”

Twilight giggled uncertainly. “Well, probably because they categorize death as an ailment, and provide quite a few ways to ‘cure’ it.”

“That would explain it.” He took a deep breath. “Alright, go ahead and try.”

Twilight stood up, and bent her head, touching her horn to his forehead. Reading from the page, she started casting the spell. “Now try and empty your mind,” she instructed. “Think about nothingness.

He did so, envisioning a black, silent airless void He felt a viscous, frigid fluid flowing into his ears and chilling his brain. For the first time in months, his mind felt... clear. Pristine. Sharp. He also had some pretty bad brain freeze.

The liquid evaporated, but the chill remained. Shivering, he said, “T-that seems t-to have w-worked.”

“Oh! Sorry, I forgot.” She cast another spell, and the chill shifted to dampness, like dew on the grass in the morning. “There. Is that better?”

“Much.” He smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”

Twilight looked over to the window. “It’s getting late. Let’s go have dinner,” she suggested.

He froze. Had he heard right? Was she actually taking him on a date?

“We’re all out of snacks,” she continued. “We can take a break, get a bite to eat, and then come back.”

“S... sure, that sounds good,” he said faintly, shaking his head in shock.

Twilight gathered up her things. Shadowlock woozily stood up, and took his own.

They went back out to the main library, and from there to the street. He followed along, trying not to hit anything as he buried himself in thought.

Twilight led him from the elite upper ring of Canterlot down to the commercial district. His frayed cloak made it easy to follow her, even in the busy traffic.

She led him to a rather simple but still elegant restaurant. “This is my favorite place to eat here. I hope you like it too.”

She stepped inside. “One table for two, please.”

The host greeted her warmly. “What’ll the mood be? Cheerful? Serene?” He coyly eyed them. “Romantic?”

“No! No, no, that’s fine,” she giggled nervously. “How about... um... cheerful! We have good news to celebrate!”

“Sure.” He cast a spell, and the table gained bright secondary colors. “Please, have a seat!”

Twilight sat down on the far side, so Shadowlock took the close side. The cushioned benches were wonderfully comfortable. A pretty waitress trotted up. “What can I get you two?”

“I’ll have a small cheese pizza!” Twilight said, licking her lips in anticipation.

“I’ll just have a hay sandwich,” Shadowlock said. “And a glass of apple juice, please.”

“Oh come on Shadowlock, lighten up!” Twilight said, telekinetically pushing him gently. “You should be celebrating!” She turned to the mare. “Make that a medium pizza and two glasses of apple juice!”

“Is that right, sir?” the waitress asked Shadowlock.

He hesitated. Maybe it really was time to lighten up and have some fun... and Twilight’s eyes were making a very, very good case...

“Sure, that sounds good. A medium pizza it is!”

Twilight grinned. “That’s the spirit!”

“It should be ready in fifteen minutes.”

Right after she left, another pony placed down glasses of water, butter, and a breadbasket. Shadowlock tried a little biscuit. It was delicious!

A waiter brought them their already-sliced pizza and apple juice. “Here you go. Enjoy!”

Shadowlock picked up a slice with his telekinesis, and chomped down. The delicious, milky cheese stretched and contorted in his mouth, as the crunchy crust ground beneath his teeth. He washed it down with a good drink of apple juice.

Across from him, Twilight seemed to be enjoying just as much. “Hohw are you enjohying youhr pizza?”

Shadowlock swallowed, and answered, “It’s delicious! This was a great idea, Twilight.”

She blushed a little. “Heh, thanks.” Tapping her hooves together uncertainly, she asked, “Sooooo... what do you want to do after we finish dinner?”

Were there even any real options to consider? “Well, we were going to go back and continue our research, right?”

“That was the plan, but honestly...” Twilight sighed. “I think we won’t make any more progress tonight. I’m feeling tired, and I could use a good break. We’ll be more productive tomorrow morning.”

Shadowlock considered what she was saying. It didn’t seem much like Twilight to argue against studying. “If you have an alternative, I’m open to hearing it,” he answered. “What’s on your mind?”

“How about practicing magic? I want to get to see what your spells can do without being on the receiving end, and maybe teach you some too.”

Magic lessons with Princess Twilight? He could barely believe it. “That sounds like a lot of fun. Sure.”

“Grrreat! Then it’s settled. After dinner, we’ll study magic together, and see if we can both learn some new things!”

Twilight looked so cute in the warm light. His eyes were drawn like magnets to hers, but darted away as soon as she met his gaze. Her ears flicked back adorably when their eyes met. Almost every action she did made his chest feel warm and cozy, like he was curled up beside the fire.

He had to think of a good conversation topic that would lead somewhere closer to being able to tell her without it sounding weird. “So Twilight,” Shadowlock asked hesitantly. “How do you feel about... all of this, I guess?”

“Sorry,” Twilight replied a little sadly. “I wish I could have met you sooner, so I could have helped you figure it out sooner. You’re not a bad pony Shadowlock. You wanted to save the world, you just made a mistake in how. But we’re fixing that now.” She added, with a sly grin, “Plus, we get to read a bunch of obscure magical books together!”

Relief radiated through him. So she really didn’t blame him. He said sincerely, “Thanks, Twilight. I’m glad you can help me now.”

Twilight blushed a little bit, and shrunk back into the cloak a little. “Well, what can I say? Helping ponies, spreading friendship, that’s kind of my job.” She fluffed out a wing indicatively. Shadowlock didn’t know where to find it funny or creepy that the first thing he noticed was how luxuriously soft and fluffy it looked, and how he longed for that wing around him.

Shadowlock chuckled a little, awkwardly. “Heh, I guess it is. Speaking of: What’s it like being a princess?”

She inclined her head to one side thoughtfully. “My body feels all different, and I’m taller now. I can feel my whole body thrumming with a vast reservoir of magic. It’s like... it’s like there’s a little sun burning in my chest and stomach. And I don’t ever really run out of magic anymore.

“Flight is really amazing. It’s the most free, exhilarating feeling ever. And I’m stronger too now, physically.” With a slight giggle, she added, “It really is like being all three kinds of ponies in one body.”

“That must be amazing,” Shadowlock said a little wistfully.

“It’s not all fun,” Twilight replied a bit sadly. “I have a lot more responsibility now. I can’t take off much time to spend with family or just having fun. Even this trip was a big investment for me.”

She continued, “And if I mess up, it’ll be all over the tabloids. Everypony looks to me for guidance on what to do. And sometimes... I miss just being Princess Celestia’s student.”

Shadowlock gave her a sympathetic look. He had no idea princesshood was so stressful. “At least you’re getting some time off to study with me, like you would have back then,” he offered halfheartedly.

“You’re right,” she said, a little happier. “And honestly, it’s really really fun. I’m so glad you invited me to come along.” She thought for a moment. “Lending me your cloak was a really kind thing too. It’s a rare thing for me to get to travel without ponies mobbing me for autographs and advice.”

All of her words of praise made him feel all tingly and happy. It was a weird experience, and one he had never felt before he met her, but it was a wonderful one he wanted to keep going.

“Isn’t that what friends do?” he asked, a playful smirk crossing his snout.

She blushed a little more. “Yeah. It is.”

They finished their meal in companionable quiet, the only noise the crunching of crust and the faint music playing overhead.

“That’ll be thirty-four bits,” the waiter requested.

“I can pay for the bill,” Twilight reassured Shadowlock.

“You already paid for the snacks on the train.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Really, it’s fine. I have plenty.”

The waitress giggled.

“Twilight,” he said. “It’s okay. I want to do this.”

Twilight shrugged. “Well, if you want to. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

Shadowlock handed the waiter the bits. She smiled. “I hope you two had a good time here.”

“It was wonderful,” he said. And it really was. He had enjoyed every minute there. The little pointless arguments over nothing were really fun. The food was absolutely amazing. Not to mention the fact that the whole thing was arguably a date!

The beautiful stars were shining bright tonight, and Luna’s moon glowed with extraordinary brilliance. The two of them stood upon a small grassy hill just outside Canterlot - somewhere they could practice without risking damaging anything.

Twilight struck a defensive pose. “Okay, here’s a spell Starlight taught me. I think you know the basic magic beam?”

“Yeah, of course.” He aimed at a rock, and tapped into the ether swirling around him. With a deep breath, he unleashed a pale pinkish beam. The laser struck the rock and singed a large mark into it..

“That’s pretty good! Now, watch this.” Twilight narrowed her eyes, and fired a very thin beam of crackling purple energy. It slammed into the rock and completely annihilated it.

Shadowlock took a closer look. Not even dust remained. “What on Equestria was THAT?” he asked, shocked.

“Disintegration spell,” she said breathlessly. “It takes up a lot of energy even for me. If you cast it, we’d probably have to take a break.”

A slow dread crept over him, and his spine went cold. “Could that be done... to a pony?”

Twilight nodded gravely. “Yes. Someone once tried to cast it on me. I’m not sure if it would kill me outright anymore - alicorns are much harder to kill than ponies - but it would definitely really, really hurt, so I’m not keen to try it out.” A bit more cheerfully, she added, “Would you like to learn it?”

Shadowlock uncertainly asked, “Would there be a point? You just said if I cast it, it’d drain me enough I couldn’t do magic for a bit.”

Twilight replied soothingly, “Right, but it has many applications outside combat. If you need to get through a cave-in, it’ll help a lot, for example.”

He cracked a smile. “Then sure. Where do we start?”

Shadowlock focused. He felt a raging fire of magic burning in his chest. Twilight watched him from the side. “Good. You’re summoning enough power. Now compress it. Concentrate all that energy into a single pinprick of pure destruction.”

He tried to push it together, to concentrate. And it worked. The fire shrunk, but grew hotter. “That’s it. Just keep focusing and concentrating.”

He did so. The fire continued to compress, and now changed quality - shifting from a ball of burning heat to a crackling orb of lightning. “Good, good,” she murmured, examining him like a laboratory specimen. He probably would have found it hot if he weren’t so focused on keeping the hot energy under control. “Now be careful. You aren’t dealing with enough to kill you, but I don’t want you to have to spend a week in the hospital either.”

Cold sweat ran down his forehead. “Um, I’m not sure about this. What if I just released the energy now?”

“You’d get a nice lightning bolt. If you don’t feel comfortable, you can release it now.”

“Alright.” He angled his horn up to the sky, and a thin bolt of lightning shot up to join the stars. He stumbled to the ground, panting. Even just a lightning bolt like that was tiring.

“Good job!” she said with a big smile. “That’s way better than my first lightning bolt.”

He nervously adjusted his hooves. “Heh, well, I had a great teacher.”

She blushed. “Heh, er, well... want to try shields?”

“Sure. Knowing how to survive my enemies’ bolts is as handy as casting them myself.”

“Alright, So first, you imagine a wall. This wall is impenetrable. Lightning, fire, lasers, disintegration, even the sun will be repelled by it. It is completely indestructible.”

Shadowlock imagined a pink-white dome of shimmering energy enveloping him and Twilight.

“Now, push your magic out into the ground and then call it back up where you want the wall.”

Again, Shadowlock did as she asked.

“Excellent! Now, I’ll test it. Keep concentrating!”

He heard a few bzzts and wooshes, and then a crack. He felt his concentration fail, and opened his eyes. The wall was down.

“What was that?” he asked. “I mean, how did you break through?”

“Teleportation. I teleported myself partly into the wall.” She coyly smirked. “I didn’t think you wanted to hurt me, and therefore the spell would end if I were in danger from it.”

“T-that’s cheating!” Shadowlock whined. “If you were one of my enemies, it wouldn’t have worked!”

“Unless one of them were a changeling, and they shapeshifted into me. Or if a wizard cast an illusion to look like me. Or if I were mind-controlled into attacking you.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “Your enemies won’t go easy on you. They won’t play fair. I’m just trying to prepare you for that.”

“I understand,” he acknowledged. “Again?”

“Again,” she confirmed.

Once more, he raised his shield. This time, he tweaked it - anyone teleporting into it would be harmlessly shunted to the nearest available space.

On his second try, it took 10 spells for Twilight to break through. “How did you do it this time?”

“Resonance spell. I caused it to shake itself apart.”

“So you really know a ton of magic,” he commented with a smile.

She rubbed the back of her head, clearly embarrassed. “Heh, well, I’ve spent fifteen years studying it. It’s also my special talent.” She pointed to her cutie mark. “What about you?”

Shadowlock followed her pointing. He sure wasn’t going to complain about a chance to admire Twilight’s haunches. After a healthy eyeful, he said, “I think my special talent is book magic, but that’s not my destiny. I think my destiny is to seal away the evil of my ancestor forever.” Half dramatic and half joking, he added, “I am the lock on the shadows.”

Twilight gave him a look that was difficult to read. “So if you are the lock, who’s the key?”

“My ancestor, maybe?” he wondered aloud. “The forces of darkness?” A slyer, seductive response welled up, begging to be said, but he kept it in check. He wasn’t about to say “you” at such a tenuous time.

Twilight replied, “Maybe... or maybe... nah, it’s too crazy.”

His curiosity was piqued. “What’s that?”

She answered a little too quickly, “Nevermind! Besides, it was silly anyway.”

“Come on, Twilight,” he pried. “I’ve told you a lot about myself today. What’s on your mind?”

She cringed, but answered, “Well... I’m not sure about what the key to the shadows is, but the key to you? I have an idea there.”

A tingle started to burn in his chest. Was this leading... could it be...? “What’s the key to me?”

“I think... well... maybe...” Every word was loaded with hesitation and uncertainty.

Shadowlock could barely believe it. Just a day after they reunited and Twilight was already confessing her feelings to him? A shocked smile encompassed his face.

“Maybe... it’s friendship.”

Oh.

That was what she was talking about.

“Y-yeah, friendship is great,” he said, trying to hide the hollowness.

“I know! It’s thanks to friendship that we’re here today, studying magic together. Isn’t it wonderful?”

“Yeah. Wonderful.” He wanted to say something, to cry out his feelings, but the words wouldn’t come. “I... I need to think for a bit. I’ll be back here in a few minutes.”

She looked at him with concern, but her eyes glimmered with a hint of understanding. “Alright. I’ll just wait here.”

Shadowlock trotted down the chilly, damp hill. He shivered in the cold. But in a way, he was glad for it. It fit his thoughts.

Is that really all Twilight thinks of me? Just a friend?

He looked back up the hill. She was stargazing now. As he watched her, his heart ached with longing. How deeply he desired to sit beside her, his hoof around her and her wing around him. If he’d been braver five minutes ago, they’d be enjoying the stars together right now.

He thought back to when he’d realized he had a crush on her. To be fair, he’d found her attractive from the start, but who in Equestria didn’t? His real crush - something more than base attraction - probably started in the library a few months ago, where she’d convinced him that erasing the past was the wrong solution. Since then, he’d been pining for her.

He closed his eyes, his ears folding flat against his head. Why had he been so stupid? He was seven words away from finally telling Twilight how he felt, but the words got stuck in his throat.

So deep was he in his own unhappiness he didn’t hear the patter of hooves on smooth grass. But he did feel a warm, fluffy wing cradle his back. Hesitantly, not daring to believe it, he turned to the side - and saw Twilight sitting there.

“Do you want to talk?” she asked gently.

“I... yes. I think so.”

“Okay,” Twilight said. She looked at him, staring deep into his eyes. Hers were like pools of sparkling water. “Do you have anything to tell me?”

Shadowlock opened his mouth, thought better of it, opened it again, and then left it partly open. A few seconds later, he replied, “I’m not sure. But I think so.”

She smiled. “Go on.”

This was it. He had to do it perfectly, or else she’d just laugh at him. “I... oh, Celestia, how do I say this? I... I think...” He swallowed, hard. “I... I have a crush on you, Twilight.”

“Really?” she asked. “How big of one?”

He felt very small now, despite the fact he was several inches taller than her. “Big.”

Twilight’s smile gained a hint of nervousness. She said, even more uncertain than he been, “I have something to say too.”

“What’s that?” he asked, trying to keep his enthusiasm down. But despite himself, he felt it rising up again.

“I... kind of feel the same way?”

What?

Princess Twilight Sparkle has a crush on me?

He felt his jaw drop, and struggled to find words. “I...”

“I don’t really understand the whole ‘love’ thing,” Twilight admitted. “I don’t really know what I’m doing. So I apologize in advance if I--”

He kissed her, full on the lips.

After a moment of shock, she returned the kiss, evenly matching him in passion. They stayed together for a few seconds, or a few minutes, or possibly a few consecutive nights, before finally breaking apart.

Twilight opened her mouth, then closed it, and just hugged him tight. He returned the hug, and they embraced by the brilliant moonlight.

Shadowlock’s entire body burned with inner fire. He’d finally kissed her. He’d actually, finally kissed her! He broke into a huge, happy smile.

After a long hug, they released each other. She unclasped his cloak and spread it out below them. He lay down beside her, and she snuggled up against him. She fired a very narrow, almost pointlike beam of light from her horn. “That’s Alphard, crown of the Hydra. And over there, that’s the Horsehead Nebula.”

He looked up. Stargazing had never really interested him, but the way Twilight told it had him enraptured.

“If you look over there, you’ll see the Fish Hook.” She pointed out each constellation or star as she mentioned it, the thin rod of light not splitting at all.

He snuggled closer beside her, enjoying the wonderful atmosphere. She said softly, “Tonight was wonderful. I had so much fun.”

“It was just as wonderful for me,” he replied. “Thank you so much. I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy.”

She smiled back, and wiped something from her eyes. “We should get some sleep. It’s late.”

“Alright. Where’s our hotel room?”

She giggled. “Hotel room? I’m a Princess. I’ll just ask Celestia for two rooms.”

That wasn’t a surprise. They had only just kissed, after all. But he had still secretly hoped she would say “for a room”.

He stretched his forelegs, and stood up. “You’ll lead the way, then?”

She flew up, levitated the cloak back onto herself, and pulled the hood. “Yep! Follow me.”

The streets had mostly cleared, and it was easy for the two of them to get to the castle. “Good evening,” she greeted the guards. “I’ll need two rooms tonight.”

“Certainly, Princess. Right this way.” The guard walked them through magnificent hall after magnificent hall, finally arriving at a hall full of doors. “These’ll be your rooms.”

Shadowlock looked inside. It was well-decorated and comfortable-looking, with a nice big bed. “Thank you,” he said, to both the guard and Twilight.

He lay down on the bed, and tucked himself in. The very soft blankets lulled him to sleep quickly.

The sweet taste of Twilight’s lips still lingered on his.

Twilight floated in a dark, eerie place. Spooks and shadows darted around just out of sight. Empty books floated by, flipping through their own pages. Vague shapes hovered in the fog. She saw Shadowlock, fear in his eyes, surrounded by swirling darkness.

“Shadowlock!” she cried out, and flew towards him. But the darkness engulfed him, and something horrific emerged.

A searing beam of blue-white light shot down from above her, striking the thing that had been Shadowlock. It writhed in the beam. “No!” Twilight half-sobbed, and closed her eyes to block out the sight.

“It’s alright. I’m okay,” she heard Shadowlock said.

She opened her eyes, Shadowlock was back, unharmed. The darkness surrounding him was gone.

Princess Luna fluttered down. She said to Twilight, “You take a hard path in picking him as your lover. The shadows hunger for him, just as they did for me.”

“He’s not my lover!” Twilight insisted.

“You kissed him just half an hour ago or so,” Luna replied with a smirk.

“Y-you were spying on me?” Twilight asked indignantly.

“Spying? No, of course not. I went out to raise the moon, and spotted you on a nearby hill. I looked through my telescope, and there you were, kissing him.”

Twilight felt a blush blooming on her cheeks. “Well...”

“You chose a partner I would not have expected. He didn’t seem like your type,” Luna said. “But... I hope the two of you are happy together.”

Together...

They were together now?

Luna vanished into blue smoke, leaving a very confused and uncertain Twilight to her thoughts.

Twilight woke up gradually. A warm body she was not unfamiliar with was snuggled up beside her.

His coat was soft and smooth. She ran a hoof over his coat, and snuggled closer.

She opened her eyes to meet his gaze. But there was only a pillow opposite her.

She blinked, sighed, and got out of bed. Her morning grooming went by quickly enough, but Twilight realized she hadn’t mentioned a meeting place for herself and Shadowlock. If he was still asleep, she could just wait outside his door... but if he was awake, she’d be sitting there for nothing.

“What to do, what to do?” she asked herself. Something about the hallway gave her a hint of an idea, and when she chased it, it led her down a familiar path.

Princess Celestia would probably know what to do!

With a new lead, she trotted over to the castle’s breakfast room. There, Celestia and Luna were already enjoying pancakes.

“Oh hello, Twilight!” Celestia said kindly. “Good morning. I hope you slept well.”

“Great”, she shot back a smile. “Do you know where Shadowlock is?”

Luna winked at Twilight behind Celestia.

“The pony who you brought here last night? No, I haven’t seen him since last night. Why did you bring him here anyway?” Celestia asked.

Luna was smirking really hard, but Celestia didn’t notice.

Twilight hesitated. How much should she say without his permission? “He approached me for help in research into some of Equestria’s history, specifically an area which he has a very... personal connection to it. I think we’re making real progress. And we needed a place to stay for the night so we could wrap up what we were doing here and then head to the Crystal Empire.”

Luna tried but failed to keep a giggle in. As soon as it slipped out, rip-roarious laughter followed. Celestia turned to her sister. “What’s so funny, Luna?” the Princess of the Sun asked.

Still forcing back laughter, Luna exclaimed, “Hhhhh, he’s her coltfriend! Twilight Sparkle has a coltfriend!”

Twilight felt a blush rising on her cheeks. “N-no he’s...” Was he? They had kissed, it was true, but only once. Did that mean he was? Or were they not coltfriend and fillyfriend until they had agreed upon it? Were there other requirements? Finally, she settled on saying, a bit irritably, “He’s probably not my coltfriend.”

Celestia giggled lightly. “I must say, I’ve been wondering when somepony would finally catch your eye. I was beginning to think it’d never happen.” She smiled. “I’m glad you get to taste the wonder of love.”

Twilight uncertainly brushed her hair back. “It’s a unique feeling, one I’ve not really experienced before. I mean, there were a few ponies I admired from a distance, but never anything like this.”

“Love is a dangerous quarry,” Luna said sagely. “You try to hide from it, but it will pounce at the moment you least expect it.”

Twilight asked Celestia, “Did you know? Before Luna told you, I mean.”

“I had my suspicions, but wasn’t sure. But I have a feeling Luna did. Did you, sister?”

Luna smiled playfully. “When a beautiful young mare shows up late with a handsome young stallion, well, it doesn’t take a thousand years of experience to get the hint. Especially when you saw them kissing atop a grassy hill.” She put a hoof to her head in mock thought. “I wonder if they progressed to the next step after I finished raising the moon...”

Twilight felt searing embarrassment flow to her cheeks. She indignantly stated, “No, no! It wasn’t like that at all! We kissed, and that was it!”

Celestia gave Luna a look, who stuck her tongue out back at her. To Twilight, Celestia said, “I hope you and him have a happy time together. But you should try and catch up to him. Maybe one of the guards saw which way he went?”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll look for him. Goodbye!” She headed out, still a bit embarrassed, but relieved that nopony besides Celestia and Luna had heard.

She bumped into one of the guards. “Sorry,” she apologized. “Can you help me with something?”

“Hopefully, Princess. What’s the problem?”

“I need help figuring out where a friend of mine is. His name’s Shadowlock. Unicorn, tall, dark grey coat, cutie mark of a book, scar on his nose?”

“You’re in luck! I saw him half an hour ago. Hurried past me, said something about a library.”

Twilight grinned. “Thank you so much!” She stopped by her bedroom for his cloak, and sped out the door.

The Canterlot Archives loomed ahead of her. Even after fifteen years, they didn’t failed to impress her. Their bold, simultaneously primitive and futuristic design stood out starkly against the swooping bulbs and piercing spires.

She asked the guards at attention outside, “Do you know where Shadowlock is?”

“Is that the pony you were with yesterday?” one asked back.

“Yes!” she exclaimed.

“He’s inside. Was going towards the Starswirl wing.”

“Thank you.” That was what she’d suspected. He probably wanted to get a jump start on their research.

She headed for the Starswirl wing, his cloak flapping behind her.

The four guardsponies outside the Starswirl wing saluted Twilight. “Just a quick scan, Princess.” They cast the deception-revealing spell, and sure enough, she was all clean. Twilight thanked them, and entered.

The flipping of pages indicated she had indeed caught her mark. She trotted up beside him. “What’s the rush?” she asked.

Shadowlock looked almost a little guilty. “I wanted to have the rest of the research done before you were awake, so we could just head to the Crystal Empire right away. But I’m not quite done.”

“Well, I’ll take a crack at it,” she offered. “Two brains are better than one.”

“Sure.” He offered her a thick book. “I’ve got a feeling that we’re sort of on the wrong track. What if we need a magical artifact, not a spell?”

Twilight started reading as Shadowlock tided up, carefully replacing books on the shelves and gathering their notes and other personal effects. A few minutes later, and she was done.

“That’s probably everything we can glean from these books. You ready to go?”

“Yes. All ready.” He’d packed their stuff messily but workably in their saddlebags. As much as she wanted to repack for mathematically optimized space right now, she knew she’d have plenty of time on the train ride. Levitating her bags onto her back, she trotted out, and heard his hooffalls behind her.

It was a short trip to the train station, and boarding was very easy when she didn’t have to worry about anypony recognizing her.

Chapter 2: The Crystal Empire

Shadowlock took a seat on the train cushion. It was comfortable and soft. The train was mostly empty, and he felt a glowing opportunity approaching. Unsure of how to bring his thoughts up, he said, “We didn’t really get a chance to talk since last night.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, repacking her saddlebags as she talked. “So,” she sighed. “I guess what I want to ask is... was it just a spur-of-the-moment thing? Or do you really... feel that way?”

Shadowlock felt warmth rising in his chest and his cheeks. “I...” How honest did he want to be? Understate it, and she might seek an easier interest. Overstate it, and she might be put off by his forwardness.

After a few agonizing moments in thought, he answered, “I... I think I do. You’ve helped me out a lot, brought me back on the right path, and you’re just such a wonderful pony. Smart, kind, pragmatic, knowledgeable.. and really pretty.”

Twilight blushed at his praise. “I’m kind of surprised, really. I never thought I had that much going for me.”

Shadowlock staggered to comprehend that. “Are you kidding? You’re Celestia’s star pupil, the Princess of Friendship, savior of Equestria half a dozen times! You’re probably the smartest pony alive today!”

Twilight awkwardly replied, “Alright, I suppose I can see why a lot of ponies would like me.”

Realizing how that might have sounded, he added, “But those reasons aren’t the ones I like you. I mean, they’re awesome, and they sure don’t hurt how I feel about you, but I like you for your wonderful personality.”

Twilight swallowed. “I... think I feel similarly about you? I’m not sure, but last night, when we were hugging, and then kissed... it was the best feeling I’ve had in years. I think... I want to feel like that again.”

Shadowlock’s heart skipped a beat.

Had Princess Twilight Sparkle just said she was interested in a relationship? With him?

He struggled for something, anything, to say, but didn’t find it. Finally, he forced out, “I would too.”

Twilight blushed a little. “Heh...”

Her face lit up with realization. “Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to do.” She unfastened the clasp around her neck, and placed his cloak back around his shoulders. “You can have this back. I won’t need it in the Crystal Empire.”

Something familiar swirled around him. A moment later, he realized what it was. The scent of lavender he’d come to associate with Twilight was around him, on the cloak! He felt heat rising in his chest and on the back of his neck, and smiled wide.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes. I’m not nearly as big a symbol here, and honestly, I think it’d be good for you to have it.”

“Why’s that?” he inquired curiously.

She nervously bit her lip. “You... kind of look like King Sombra.”

He blinked. “I do?”

“Yeah, a little bit. Most ponies wouldn’t notice, but with the Crystal Empire’s history, and the lasting impression his rule left on them... I just think it’d make things easier.”

He felt a little unhappy, but understood. “Alright.”

“I did have one other thing to bring up, while we were on the topic of serious things.”

His stomach sank. “What’s that?”

She looked out the window. “Last night, I had a dream. A scary dream.”

“What happened?”

“I saw you consumed by the darkness.” She shuddered. “It was horrible.”

He adopted a comforting tone. “That’s not going to happen. I have you to keep me in the light. My time with you has already been the happiest I’ve been all my life. I want to keep going and see where this crazy feeling leads us.”

She hugged him. “I’m glad. I don’t know how this will go either, but I know I want to be there to experience it with you.”

Shadowlock stepped off the train, and took a deep breath of the air. It was sweet and poignant, and surprisingly warm for a place this far north.

He kept his hood up and hurried along.

A big, excited white stallion with a blue mane ran up to Twilight. He loudly called out, “Twilight! You didn’t tell me you’d be visiting the Crystal Empire!”

“Sorry Shining, I forgot,” she said a little abashedly. “We’ve been very busy with research.”

“We’ve?” He looked confused, so Twilight indicated Shadowlock.

“Yeah,” Shadowlock confirmed. “I’ve been investigating Equestria’s history, and Twilight’s been helping me.”

“Huh.” He addressed Twilight again. “Well, if you’re staying here, you need to say hi to Cadance!”

The gears clicked into place in Shadowlock’s brain. This was Shining Armor, Captain of the Guard, Prince-Consort to Princess Cadance, and Twilight’s brother.

Twilight looked to Shadowlock, and said, “I really want to, but I just don’t know if we have time...”

“We do,” Shadowlock said. “This is an immense but slow problem, and the immediate issues have been dealt with.”

Shining looked from Shadowlock to Twilight, confused. “Uh, what problem are you talking about?”

“We’ve got it under control, Shining,” Twilight reassured him. “Let’s go say hi to Cadance!”

Shining Armor led them towards the massive Crystal Palace. The rising sun refracted beautifully through the palace, and from there through the bodies of crystal ponies all around him. It was like being inside a gigantic prism.

Up they went, through an arsenal of doors and hallways. Shadowlock passed by dozens of guards who all looked eerily similar. Identical, even...

But his mind was taken from these ponderings by a sudden turn into a small room, and the babbling of a baby. “Cadance! Flurry Heart!” Twilight exclaimed happily.

The Princess of Love looked up. “Twilight! It’s good to see you again!”

“You too,” Twilight replied. She looked at the baby. “Are you busy right now?”

“Not really.” Princess Cadance noticed him, standing near the door. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Shadowlock,” he answered. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

Cadance’s eyes widened, and a hint of a smile snuck onto her face. “Actually, I’m free right now, if you’d like to talk for a bit Twilight. You can come too, Shadowlock.” She asked Shining Armor, “Can you take care of Flurry Heart for a bit, dear?”

“Ah-of course. Good luck on your research, Twily!” He pulled her in for a quick hug, before walking over to beside the baby.

Cadance fluttered out. Shadowlock followed her, curious and a little confused.

Once they were out of earshot of anyone, Cadance giggled, “I can’t believe it! My favorite sister has a crush!”

Twilight blushed. “W-what?”

Cadance playfully continued, “Oh, don’t play dumb. It was totally obvious! You’ve got that ‘newly in love’ atmosphere all around you.”

What? Was it really that obvious? He was sure they were hiding it better than that...

Shadowlock asked, “How did you know?”

“So you admit it! Oh, this is so wonderful!” Cadance was almost dancing around the room. “But to answer your question? I’m the Princess of Love, silly.”

“How are things going? Have you kissed yet? Oh, I have so many questions. My little sister is in love!” Cadance squeed.

Twilight answered, “I’d say going well. And yes, we have. Once, last night.”

“They’re going pretty well, yeah,” Shadowlock agreed. He wanted to say “They’re going completely amazingly and I couldn’t be happier,” but that might be too forward and optimistic. He settled on adding, “She’s wonderful.”

Cadance smiled very happily. “It’s such a good feeling to see you getting to enjoy love, Twilight. I’d been wondering for a long time about when its arrows would finally find you, and who they’d pin you to.” She chuckled lightly. “Honestly, I had a feeling it’d be Rainbow Dash.”

Twilight laughed. “Rainbow Dash? She’s a great friend, but I never felt that way about her.”

“What about you?” Cadance asked Shadowlock. “This is my first time meeting you. Tell me about yourself!”

Shadowlock answered, thinking through each word, “I’m a... travelling historian and investigator, I guess you might say. A couple months ago, I made a pretty big mistake when I was trying to save the world. Twilight helped me see that, and inspired me to work to heal the damage I’d caused. I came back to ask for help on my mission - I needed access to the Canterlot archives, for instance - and she helped me for a second time. From there, one thing led to another.”

Twilight felt a sort of clarity sweep over her at Shadowlock’s words. “That sums it up well,” she agreed. “We’re here to talk to Sunburst, actually. He might be able to help us figure out what spell we want from the leads we’ve collected.”

“Well, he’s probably at his house right now,” Cadance said. “But before you go, we’ve got to break the awesome news to Shining!”

Was that a good idea? She loved her brother, but he could be a bit... overprotective. He might freak out. “I’m not sure. How about you tell him while we’re out to meet Sunburst, and we’ll come back to discuss it later?”

Cadance met her gaze, and they exchanged a wealth of information in those few brief seconds. “Sure thing, Twilight. Have fun on your date~!”

“I-It’s not a date!” she insisted. Cadance just winked and flew away.

Shadowlock and Twilight slipped out quietly. As they walked through the beautiful city, he saw a huge crystal statue of Spike.

“What did Spike do to get that?” he wondered aloud to Twilight.

“Saved the Crystal Empire a couple times. He’s more of a hero than me, honestly.” She lightly chuckled. “Really, Spike has done a lot of amazing things lately. And it seems like his friends keep ending up national rulers. Me, Ember, and Thorax, for example.”

He didn’t recognize one of those names. “Ember?”

“She’s the current Dragon Lord. Rose to power a few months ago.”

He couldn’t really think of a good response to that, so he just kept walking.

They got to a small house without much hassle. “This is Sunburst’s house. He should be able to help us.”

“What’s he like?” Shadowlock inquired unsurely. “Do you think we’ll get along?”

“I think so. He’s a scholar just like you, though a bit more bookish. But you should find out for yourself.”

She knocked three times. An orange stallion opened the door slowly. “O-oh, hi. Princess Twilight! I w-wasn’t expecting you here.”

“Hello Sunburst. Are you busy?” Twilight asked.

He nervously looked from side to side. “N-no, of course not. J-just need to tidy up a moment.” He closed the door. A few moments later, he reopened it. “C-come in!”

Twilight walked in, and gestured for Shadowlock to follow.

The walls were lined with books, and a small unlit fireplace was in the corner. Curving vials with multicolored liquid rested above the fireplace. Everything was disorganized. It was pretty much the stereotypical wizard’s house, and it looked very comfy.

“So, uh, what do you want?” Sunburst asked. To Shadowlock specifically, he added, “And, er, what’s your name?”

“Shadowlock,” he answered simply.

Sunburst replied awkwardly, “Well, Shadowlock, it’s nice to meet you! How can I... help you?”

“Hopefully, you can help me and Twilight find a magical artifact or spell that’ll do to what we want. We have a bunch of leads, but need more information and general help. We were hoping you’d know enough magic to help us pick out the right thing.”

Twilight added, “After that, if it’s a spell, we’re going to take it to Starlight to make the final tweaks. And if it’s an artifact, we’re going to track it down.”

“Yeah, that sounds like something I could help with,” Sunburst agreed. “So, what do you want the spell to do?”

“That’ll take a bit of explanation.” Shadowlock relayed the story of how he’d erased books, the spell he’d used to do it, and how they wanted to recover the destroyed information.

Sunburst tapped his chin with a hoof. “Your spell even erased the information from everyone who had read it?”

“Yeah,” Shadowlock replied. “I wanted... to spare anyone from the horror, and to prevent anyone from bringing my ancestor back.”

“Well, that’s a conundrum. That’s not to say it can’t be done - I’ve heard of even more powerful things done - but it’ll be very, very hard to get everything lined up correctly. Unless one of you wants to risk a Wish spell?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Twilight said. “It’s always an option, and it’s an alright backup plan, but we should try to find a less risky cure first.”

“I do have some ideas,” Sunburst said, undeterred. “Do you two happen to have notes on the research you’ve already done?”

“Yep! Here you go.” Twilight levitated over her notes, and Shadowlock did the same.

“Hmm, this is good,” Sunburst said. “But I’ll need to do a lot of reading before I can give any real advice. You could come back tomorrow!”

“Sounds good to me,” Shadowlock volunteered. He was very excited - a whole day to spend with Twilight!

“Me too,” Twilight assented. “See you tomorrow, Sunburst!”

The two of them left Sunburst’s little house. “So, we’ve got the whole day open,” Twilight stated. “How do you want to spend it?”

“I... don’t really know,” Shadowlock confessed. “I haven’t spent much time with ponies outside my family.” It was a weird thing to say out loud.

Her eyes sparkled, and her ears perked up. “How about a picnic?”

He blinked. Had he heard her right? “A picnic?”

“Yep! We should go on a picnic. It’ll be fun!”

He opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it and considered first. It’d be a chance to talk to her alone, in a pleasant, relaxed setting. They’d get to enjoy each others’ company. It sounded like an excellent way to try and go a little further with their relationship, or at least give a stable foundation for their current feelings.

He cracked a smile that he hoped was warm but also slightly coy. “Alright, you’ve convinced me. Let’s do it.”

“Great!” she exclaimed. “Let’s go get what we’ll need.”

Twilight cantered ahead, and he followed along behind. Her mathematically precise way of walking was just as captivating as before.

The bustling market overflowed with ponies. But they melted out of the way before Twilight, and Shadowlock was able to “ride the coattails”, so to speak.

Twilight trotted over to a mare selling food. “Four sandwiches, please!”

The mare replied, “Sure thing, Princess!” Bits and bread were exchanged, and Twilight tucked the sandwiches away.

They bought a blanket too, and headed out for the outskirts of the Crystal Empire.

Twilight spread out the blanket, and sat down. “Thanks for doing this. I haven’t gotten to enjoy a picnic in a long time.”

“I haven’t been on one since I was a little colt,” Shadowlock replied as he sat down beside her.

Twilight stared intently at him with her perfectly symmetrical face. As he looked into her eyes, a question occurred to him. “Can you tell me about your brother? I didn’t really get to meet him.”

“Shining is amazing,” Twilight said. “He’s my B.B.B.F.F!”

“B.B.B.F.F.?” Shadowlock asked curiously.

“Big brother best friend forever.” She smiled, and then giggled a little. It melted his heart. “When I was a little filly, I’d build book forts and fight off a dragon.” She quickly added, “The mean kind, not the Spike kind. Sometimes Shining would be the monster, sometimes he’d be my partner in defending the fort.”

Shadowlock felt all warm and fuzzy. Hearing Twilight talk was a wonderful feeling.

“Your turn!” she said eagerly. “What silly, fun things did you do when you were a foal?”

He thought back, settling on a harmless one. “I’d go on adventures with my imaginary friends all over the family estate. We fought dragons and ghosts and aliens, and explored space. After finishing a good book, I’d go reenact the best scenes from it.”

She took a bite from a sandwich. “What was your favorite book?”

He thought about all the books he’d read. “Hmmm... I’d probably have to say my old copy of Ogres & Oubliettes’s Fiend Folio. So many cool creatures and monsters. Never had anyone to play with, though.”

“Spike likes Ogres & Oubliettes!” she exclaimed. “I bet he’d love to play a game with you. I’d be open to playing too.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun,” he understated. Excitement burned in his chest and spread across his body. Getting to play O&O with Twilight sounded like one of the best things ever. “How about you? What was your favorite book?”

“I’d have to say Vortex’s Unabridged Encyclopedia of Spells. There were so many amazing possibilities in it.”

“I’ve never read that one. You’ll have to show it to me sometime.” The thought of Twilight reading books to him made his whole body tingle with anticipation. He took a bite of his sandwich.

“Sure! They might have a copy at the library here. Would you want to go after our picnic?” she asked.

“Absolutely,” he answered. He smiled wide. The thought of resting beside Twilight, listening to her read a story, entered his mind. He seized on it, cherished it, imagined it. “That sounds really, really fun.”

“Buht fihrst, I needh to finish my sandwich.” She took another bite, and then drunk deep from her water bottle.

He dug in as well. The sandwich was very delicious. Peanut butter and bread were truly meant to be together.

He managed to sneak in looks at Twilight in between bites. She was very, very pretty in the midday sun, and her chewing pattern was spectacularly rhythmic.

“You know, it’s kind of funny how things work out,” Twilight mused. “You learned something horrible about your ancestry, and your fear drove you to erase books about it. Because of that, I ran into you. If you’d never found out the truth I probably never would have met you.”

“That’s true,” Shadowlock conceded. “I do wish I’d talked to you about it before taking such drastic action, though. Then we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“I agree, but it’s not all bad.” She chuckled a little. “It’s very selfish to think this, but it’s thanks to your hastiness that we’re on this date now.”

“I... guess that’s right.” He’d never really thought about his hasty actions as anything but bad before.

“Obviously we still want to find a way to reverse the spell, but you shouldn’t beat yourself up over it. It’s in the past, and you’re trying to fix it.” She gazed at him, compassion and sympathy in her eyes.

An impulse shot through him, and thought became deed. He hugged her tight. She returned the hug, slipping a wing under his cloak to embrace his back.

“We should get back to the Crystal Empire. I think my brother will be ready to talk.”

“Alright,” he agreed. He was a bit nervous, but he knew Twilight knew her brother best. “Let’s go.”

With their picnic done, Twilight bundled up the blanket, and they trotted back towards the palace.

“Take us to Shining Armor,” Twilight requested of the first castle guard she saw.

“Right away, Princess,” the guard replied. He walked inside. Twilight and Shadowlock followed him.

The gigantic crystal halls were just as awe-inspiring as ever. Beautiful swirling arches and soaring peaks stretched far above him.

The guard led them to a different part of the castle, one Shadowlock had never seen before. He opened a door, and inside there was a large, round table. Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor sat at it.

“Twily!” Shining said, grinning. “You should have told me you had a coltfriend!”

“Sorry,” Twilight said abashedly. “I was worried you’d freak out...”

“Freak out?” He laughed a little nervously. “Come on, I wouldn’t do that! I trust you to make your own decisions.”

“He freaked out,” Princess Cadance said with a little laugh.

“Alright, I did,” Shining admitted. “I was just really surprised. You’d never seemed like you cared about romance at all, so I was worried that you’d been mind controlled or something.”

Twilight laughed. “Mind controlled? Come on.”

Shadowlock stayed quiet, unsure what to say.

“I know, I know, it was an absurd idea. But I still worried. Anyway, I’m really happy for you.” He turned to Shadowlock. “Shadowlock, was it? We didn’t really get to meet earlier. I’m Shining Armor, captain of the guard.” He offered a hoof, which Shadowlock shook. “You should count yourself lucky. You’re the first pony Twilight’s ever dated.”

“I do,” he said. And it was true. A week ago, if someone had told him that he’d be dating the Princess of Friendship, he’d tell them they were crazy. But somehow, it had happened. “Twilight is really wonderful. She’s everything I was looking for and more.”

“Well, Twilight?” Shining asked. “What do you have to say about him?”

Twilight said thoughtfully, “He’s really nice and smart. He’s had some... personal difficulties with some family history, and I want to be there to protect and guide him through them.” With a bit of a giggle, she added, “Doesn’t hurt that he’s cute.”

Cadance spoke up. She had a very weird smile that seemed to oddly fit her. “Well, it sounds like you two are a wonderful match. I wish you both nothing but the best in your relationship!”

“Me too,” Shining added. “I might not have expected this, but now that you’re together, I really hope it goes well. You deserve to experience love’s fine taste.” He adopted a goofy smile. “Plus now Cadance’s conspiracy theories about you and Rainbow Dash and Comet Tail and Rarity and Pinkie and Starlight and Sunburst and Celestia are all invalid.”

Cadance blushed, but then broke into a grin. “True, but now I have theories to make about her and Shadowlock!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow dubiously. “You’ve been... collecting ‘evidence’ for how I’m secretly dating my friends?”

Cadance laughed almost dismissively. “Well of course! I do that for everypony. You should see my file on Aunt Celestia.”

“Do you have a file on me?” Shadowlock asked, a little anxiously.

“I didn’t,” she answered cheerfully. “But I’m making one tonight!”

Shadowlock wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“Anyway,” Shining said, clearly trying to find a resolution to the conversation, “Good luck on your research mission, and with your relationship.”

“Thank you,” Shadowlock said sincerely, and Twilight nodded. She stood up to leave, and he followed.

“To the library now?” he asked her.

“Yep! I’ve got a bunch of books to share with you!”

He smiled.

Twilight strolled along peacefully. She loved the smell of libraries, of old books packed with secrets, of musty tomes encasing forgotten knowledge.

The librarian was pleasant and forthright. “How can I help you two today?”

“Do you happen to have a copy of Vortex’s Unabridged Encyclopedia of Spells?” she asked. She hoped the answer was “yes” - there were so many things she wanted to share with Shadowlock.

“We’ve got the second and fourth editions,” the librarian answered.

“Can you take me to the fourth?” Twilight could probably find it on her own, but this way it’d be faster, and Shadowlock wouldn’t be standing around as she sorted through indices.

“Of course. Right this way!” She trotted out from behind the library desk, and led Twilight and Shadowlock through towering stacks of books.

The librarian wheeled over a wheel-ladder, and started to climb up it. “It’s... just... over... here!” She climbed back down, a very thick book in one hoof. “Here you go, Your Highness.”

Twilight eagerly grabbed the book in her telekinesis. It was just as she’d remembered it - packed with ideas for magic and tidbits of information, and overflowing with inspiration. She couldn’t wait to share all its secrets with Shadowlock!

“They’ve got really comfortable reading chairs up ahead,” she told him. “Let’s go!” Over her shoulder, she added to the librarian, “Thank you again!”

The librarian nodded kindly, and unhurriedly returned to her desk. Twilight felt excitement burning in her heart. She’d get to share what she loved most with her - dare she say it? - coltfriend!

She snuggled into her seat. Part liquid crystal and part solid light, they were supremely comfortable and malleable. With a wave of a hoof, she stretched the seat to be wide enough for two.

Shadowlock took a seat beside her. She cracked open the book to the table of contents.

“Name a field of magic, or something you want a spell to do,” she requested.

“How about... teleportation? Something to get from one place to another instantly.”

“Hurm,” Twilight mused. There was a whole chapter on teleportation, but she wanted to illustrate the breadth of the book’s topic. She spotted a promising one.

“How about... Door of Decay?” she asked. Was that a new one?

“Sure.” Shadowlock snuggled closer to her, and let Twilight read off to him.

“Door of Decay is a spell of middling complexity, designed for use by necromancers and those who associate with the undead.” He felt Twilight shiver against him, and slipped a comforting hoof around her back.

“By using the Negative Energy Plane as a conduit, the caster can travel thousands of miles instantly through the bodies of the unliving. The travel is instant and accurate, though it depends on the consent of the undead creatures used.”

Shadowlock decided to bring up a more personal line of conversation. “Have you ever worked with undead?”

“No,” Twilight answered. “Never. I’d wondered what it would be like, but I never was able to go through with violating the sanctity of the grave.”

“That’s understandable,” he reassured her. “I haven’t either.”

“Still...” she mused. “I suppose it’s not technically necromancy. We aren’t creating or manipulating the undead, just using them as a gateway.”

“Are you thinking of trying it?” he asked cautiously. It was an interesting idea, but he didn’t want to come across as having suggested something of dubious legality. Or worse, make her think he was relapsing.

“Maybe... I’m not sure. We’d need a willing undead creature to even test it, and I don’t know where to find one of those.” She flipped to another page. “How about Enduring Scrutiny?”

“What’s that do?” he asked.

“When cast on someone, it alerts you of the next time they do something you specify. For example, I could put it on Spike to tell me when he stays up past his bedtime.” She giggled a little at that idea. He giggled along.

She continued to share interesting and outlandish spells with him, and he sat beside her, enjoying the shared academia. Her fiery passion for magic and learning was in full bloom and he thrilled at every moment of it.

“And that’s Invoke Magic!” she said, closing the book. She yawned wide, and he felt warm tingling run along his body.

“That was a wonderful tour de force,” he said. And he meant it. Twilight knew what she was talking about, and her enthusiasm was contagious. He was eager to try some of those spells himself. “Thank you for sharing all this with me. It was really, really cool.”

“It was my pleasure,” Twilight replied. “But I’m all read out, and it’s starting to get late. What would you say to dinner together?”

Excitement bubbled up through him. If last night was any indication, it would be amazing. “I’d love that. What did you have in mind?”

“How about something a little fancier? Maybe at an upper-class restaurant? I’m usually not much of a drinker, but it could be fun!” She looked to the side awkwardly. “If you’d like that, I mean.”

A bolt of energy shot through him, from his horn to his hooves. “That sounds absolutely wonderful!” A downing thought chased his ecstasy. “But I do wish I’d brought something nicer than this old cloak.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she reassured him, giggling a little. “It’s just for fun!”

“Heh, right,” he surrendered. “I’ll clean up a bit, and meet you in... half an hour?”

She pondered it. “Let’s say forty-five minutes. And let’s meet just outside the Crystal Palace.”

He could do that. That was doable. It wasn’t like the most important relationship he’d ever had was in jeopardy or anything...

“I-I’ll see you then,” he stammered, and stood up from the crystal-light chair. He hurried out, doubts now invading the beachhead of his mind.

Twilight smoothly walked out of the library. Mathematical walking was something she’d taken up long ago, to help find structure and stability in a crazy world. It also gave her something to ponder when she didn’t have anything else on her mind - eagerly waiting for the next prime or Fiboneighcci number step.

Each step was at a precise interval, a rhythmic clip-clop duet vibrating through the crystal floor. She closed her eyes and immersed herself in the rhythm’s serenity.

A pony’s voice broke the pattern. “Um, Princess, can you see where you’re going?”

Twilight opened her eyes. “Heh, sorry,” she said sheepishly. “I was a bit distracted.”

“No harm done!” the mare reassured her. “Just didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Thank you for the concern,” Twilight said, and resumed walking.

She headed outside. The beautiful Crystal Empire took on an even more incredible shine in the afternoon, as the yellow-orange raking light was refracted and scattered throughout the prismatic spires.

How she envied her brother! He got to live here, and saw this every day. She got to see it maybe a couple times a year.

Twilight remembered a nice boutique she’d passed earlier. Its bold facade covered a comfy but stately shop, though one oddly devoid of any clerk.

She rang the bell, and tentatively asked, “Hello? Anypony here?”

“Sorry, sorry!” a stallion’s voice replied, getting closer. “I was bu--”

He came into view, and froze as he saw her. “P-princess Twilight! I’m so sorry for the wait. H-how can I help you?”

She dismissively waved a hoof. “Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t a problem. I do need your help though.”

“Yes?”

“I need the finest evening gown you have!”

He looked shocked, but quickly hid it. “Oh! Well, I have a few options. Come take a look.” He waved for her to follow him.

Twilight trotted along behind the tailor. He indicated five different options. “These are the best evening gowns you’ll find in the Crystal Empire. I hope they’re to your liking, Your Highness.”

They were all stunningly gorgeous, but one caught her eye more than the rest. It was a silken blood-red gown that sparkled and shimmered like the night sky.

“I’d like to try on that one,” she requested.

“Of course, Princess. I’ll leave you alone.” He left her, and she put it on.

It conformed to her curves, and even accentuated them tastefully but alluringly. It was perfectly smooth and shiny, like a sheet of water frozen in time.

A wellspring of power and excitement opened up within her. She was going on a date, and she had found the perfect dress for it!

She went back out to the front. “I think I’ll take this one,” she said. She took off the dress, and hoofed it to him. A little sheepishly, she asked, “Do you think you can cut holes for my wings?”

“Of course, Princess. Just let me take your measurements, and I’ll have it properly fitted.”

Twilight held still, and he ran a measuring tape all over her body. “There we go. I’ll make some quick adjustments and cuts. It should be ready in about 20 minutes. Feel free to wait in the lobby.”

“Thank you so much. This is really, really awesome. Especially on such short notice!”

“Anything for a Princess,” he replied with a smile. “Your patronage is immensely helpful.”

She left him to his cutting and adjusting, and leaned against the wall. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19...

Shadowlock ran into the Crystal Palace. This was a real date, a proper date, and he couldn’t risk messing anything up.

“Can you take me to Princess Cadance?” he asked the guard outside.

The guard looked him over. “Oh, you’re Princess Twilight’s friend! Sure, come right this way.”

Shadowlock followed. The arching crystal halls were even more stunningly beautiful in the afternoon’s light.

Princess Cadance was studying some maps. “Shadowlock! How has your time with Twilight been?”

“Amazing,” he said quickly. “But I have something even more amazing to look forward to.”

Cadance looked so eager it was a little disconcerting. “What’s that?”

“I’m going on a real date with Twilight!”

Cadance gasped, awe filling her face. “Really? Oh, this is so wonderful! I can’t wait to hear all about it! You’ll have to tell me everything once it’s over.”

“Heh, I will,” he promised. “But I actually came here for dating advice.”

“Eeeee! I’ve been waiting to hear that again!!”

“You have?” he asked, a little surprised.

“Yes! Before I was the Princess of the Crystal Empire, I was Canterlot’s foremost dating advice-giver. I haven’t gotten to do much of that lately, so it’s really great to get another chance.”

“So then... how do you think I should go about this? What should I wear? What should I do?” He let the questions spill out freely.

“First, you need to know something about Twilight. I guarantee you she’s much more worried than you about how it’ll go, and if she’s not, she soon will be.”

He nodded, tucking that information away for further use.

“So, with that said, let’s address your questions!”

“Again, thank you for this,” he said. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“I know. So, how to go about it? It’s cliche, but just be yourself. Twilight fell for you because of who you are, not because of anyone you pretend to be.”

Shadowlock listened quietly as Princess Cadance educated him. “What to wear? Well, you’ll want something elegant but not stiffy. Something that shows you wanted to look nice, but didn’t focus too hard on it.”

“Didn’t focus too hard?” he asked.

“Twilight doesn’t care that much about appearances. If you overdress, there’s a possibility she’ll feel like you’re an appearance-minded person. Plus, it’ll be itchy. Something nice but casual is what you want.”

“Hmmm...” He thought it over. What would look nice but would still be comfortable and not overdressed?

“Do you think you could cast some kind of spell on my cape to reshape it into a sport coat or jacket?”

“For sure!” she declared proudly. “Hold still and I will.”

Her horn glowed with cyan energy, and he felt his cloak slightly tugged. “Do you want it to stay a cloak too?”

“Yeah. I’ve gotten used to its comfortable feeling on my back.”

“Alright, I can do that.” A very odd feeling, like liquid cloth, spread across his midsection and chest, flowing down to his forehooves.

“How’s that?”

He looked down. His cloak had been extended to wrap around his chest and continue down to his forehooves. “This is perfect! Thank you so much, Your Highness.”

“Anything for my little sister’s coltfriend. Now, as for what to do - you’ll want to arrive a couple minutes early. Once you get there, you’ll need to have a few good conversation topics to break awkward silences. Interests are always a good one - what you like to do besides book and magic. What you were doing before now. Current events, things coming up. All of these are safe and effective options.”

He took it all in. “Alright. Anything else?

“Have fun! It’s supposed to be fun. The goal of a date is to enjoy each others’ company and get to know each other better; the food and drink are just an excuse to do that.”

Twilight paced back and forth. There were so many things that could go wrong. What if Shadowlock doesn’t like my dress? What I say something stupid? What if I get called back to Canterlot for an important princess meeting and he thinks I don’t really care about him? What if King Sombra comes back in the middle of dinner?

Even if none of those things happen, what if the date just isn’t fun and we both realize it isn’t really a good matchup for either of us?

Why couldn’t the tailor get done faster, so she could put it on and go there and just start instead of worrying constantly?

She thought about Shadowlock. What would he be doing? How would he prepare? Was he thinking about her right now?

“Alright, come back in and try it on!”

She put it on gently. It snugly hugged her body without being tight. The silken fabric slipped easily across her. It was every bit as lovely as she’d hoped.

“This is perfect! Thank you!” She dug around in her saddlebags. “What’s the charge?”

“Thirty-five bits, Princess.” She gave him forty. “Your kindness is greatly appreciated. Though I must ask - what is this for?”

“It’s for a date!” she almost squealed.

His eyes widened. “Good luck. Whoever’s caught your eye, they’re sure one lucky pony.”

“I’m just as lucky,” she replied warmly. “Goodbye!”

With that, she turned and headed back towards the Crystal Palace. The sun was just barely still over the horizon, and the Empire was even more beautiful than it had been earlier.

Twilight basked in the sunset’s light, and waited for Shadowlock to arrive.

Shadowlock trotted down the stairs of the Crystal Palace. His newly reshaped cloak-sport-coat was snug but comfortable. Comfort led to confidence, and he’d definitely need that. He was going on a date with PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE!

He saw her up ahead. The sun’s angle made it hard to tell for sure, but he thought she was wearing a red dress. He sped to a canter, his hooves hitting the smooth crystal ground.

“Shadowlock!” Twilight said, grinning. “You look great!”

“Thanks,” he said. “I wish I could say the same, but I can’t really see you to tell.”

She giggled. “Here, I’ll get away from the sun.” She slowly walked over to beside him, and he was suddenly very glad he wasn’t a pegasus.

Twilight’s curves were, somehow, even more beautiful in the seductive, silken red dress. Every inch of her perfect body set his heart aflame and his mind spinning. Her dress shimmered and sparkled in the setting sun’s light. All in all, she’d gone from sexy to downright stunning.

“Do you like it?” she asked, a little nervously.

He bit back his instinctive response, and answered with a much tamer, “It’s amazing. You look stunning.”

She blushed, and covered her snout with a wing. “Thanks. So... ready to go?”

“Absolutely.”

She took his hoof in hers, and led him onward.

Shadowlock followed Twilight, his hoof still in hers. The boreal sunset’s brilliant rays pierced her mane, lighting its fringes on fire. The dancing orange-reds flickered from strand to strand, hypnotically drawing his eyes.

She flicked her head, and her hair responded with a cascading wave. It rippled out to the ends, thrusting them all into the burning sunset light. His heart burned along with it, a raging fire and crackling orb of lightning. She was so beautiful, so scholarly, so intelligent, so kind, so perfect.

A couple ponies were watching them. He felt a rising flash of embarrassment, but shoved it down. Tonight was about Twilight and him, and he wouldn’t let a few onlooking ponies or their gossip dampen it.

He gripped Twilight’s hoof a little harder, and let the bliss radiate up from his hoof into his foreleg.

She took him through shining streets and glittering facades. It was like being inside a gigantic gemstone. Perhaps that was why it was called the Crystal Empire.

Twilight stopped in front of a classy, elegant restaurant. “Well, here were are. The Corner Geode!” She opened the door, and ushered him in. “After you, Shadowlock.”

Twilight watched Shadowlock enter the restaurant. His walk was unpatterned and arrhythmic, but it was quite cute in a peculiar way.

The restaurant was quite fancy but still comfortable. Red carpet covered the floor, and a mix of dark and light hues set up a deliciously romantic ambiance. “Hello, sir,” the hostess said to Shadowlock politely. “Do you have a reservation?”

Shadowlock blinked uncertainly. “I... do we, Twilight?”

Shock flashed over her, and like thunder after lightning, anxiety followed. “Oh no! No, no, no, no! I completely forgot!” She said sadly to Shadowlock, “I guess not. We’ll have to go somewhere else.”

She flexed her wings tiredly, and flapped up a little. Maybe they’d have better luck at another, less fancy restaurant.

“Princess Twilight!” the hostess gasped. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you at first. Didn’t expect to see a Princess here, heh heh. Come on in! We’ll get you seated.”

Shadowlock’s face broke into a surprised smile. Twilight felt her face mirroring his. She said to the hostess, “Thank you! It really means a lot to get to have dinner here.”

“Of course. Anything for a Princess!” the hostess replied. She looked a little nervous. “Right this way.”

The hostess led Twilight and Shadowlock to the back of the restaurant. She stopped in front of a hexagonal table with two cushioned chairs. “Your seat, Princess.”

“Again, thank you.” She sat down at the close end. This way, she’d get to see more of Shadowlock’s wonderfully unmathematical walking! And, though she had to fight back a blush admitting it, she’d get to see his attractive body. He obliged her, and she enjoyed a healthy eyeful.

He wasn’t the most handsome stallion she’d ever laid eyes on, but he was good-looking and had a certain aura of experience to him. His long, pointy horn sent tingles down her spine. She’d thoroughly enjoyed his warm hugs and sweet kisses, those ripe fruits of love shared between new lovers.

Perhaps tonight, she’d taste those fruits again.

Shadowlock looked at Twilight as he walked to his seat. The red of her dress was a close hue to that of the red of the floor. They complemented each other in a bedazzling way, calling his eyes almost like Twilight had cast an enchantment spell on him And with how good she was looking, who knew? Maybe she had.

Of course, the dress was only a boost to her natural beauty. She was gorgeous in a unique way, somewhere between beautiful and seductive. Her body was athletic, slim, and sleek, but not skinny. She was supple and lithe and charged with latent power, like a bow drawn tight.

He sat down, and opened the menu. A menagerie of foods, drinks, and deserts swarmed upon him. A waiter expectantly stood beside the two of them.

“How about a glass of ruby crush wine?” he requested.

“I’ll take the diamond extract,” she added.

“Any appetizers?” the waiter asked pleasantly.

“Fattoush looks interesting.” Twilight’s furtive examination of the menu, and her excited twitching that followed, was one of the cutest things he’d ever seen. .

“I’ve never had that,” he commented. “Sure, let’s give it a try!”

The waiter jotted that down. “Your wine will be here shortly, and your appetizer shouldn’t be much longer after that.”

Shadowlock felt all warm and fuzzy inside. A real date! With Twilight herself! He readjusted his jacket-cloak, and realized Twilight was watching him do it. “Like what you see?” he teased lightly.

“Not as much as you do,” she shot back with a wink.

Shadowlock had to fight back a blush at Twilight’s playful jab. “Hey, it’s not my fault. You’re just really pretty.”

She giggled a little, awkwardly fluffing her wings. “Thanks.”

He thought back to Cadance’s advice. “So, what do you like to do, aside from reading and magic?”

“Well, I love to spend time with my friends,” Twilight began. “Rainbow Dash is strong, confident, and driven. It’s empowering and exhilarating to fly with her, or race her if she’s feeling more competitive.”

He nodded, staying silent so she could talk. “Rarity’s so creative and inspirational, more so than almost any pony I’ve ever met. It seems like there’s no dress she can’t make, no pattern she can’t find a place for.

“Pinkie Pie is a spring of joy and happiness that never runs dry. She’s always there to cheer me up when I’m feeling down.” She leaned in conspiratorially, and continued, “She’s also incredibly organized. She has a secret party-planning cave, where she keeps files on what everypony in Ponyville likes and doesn’t like at parties.”

“Pffffthahaha, that’s a good one,” he laughed.

Twilight giggled along. “No, I’m serious! I could barely believe it either, but I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

“That’s... pretty impressive.” He could feel a break coming on, so he quickly added, “What about your other friends?”

Her eyes brightened. “Applejack is hard-working, dependable, and very sincere. Her honestly goes beyond words - if she says she’ll do something, she’ll do it.

“Fluttershy is probably the kindest soul I’ve ever met. I mean, she was able to reform Discord, a spirit of chaos! I guess she’s also kind of my moral compass. If something makes her feel uneasy, I should reconsider it.”

“Finally, Spike. He’s hardworking, loyal, kind, and so helpful. He’s like a little brother, and I love him.”

He soaked it all in. The ponies he’d fought before became individuals. Maybe, after they were done here and returned to Ponyville, he’d meet them face-to-face and get to know them.

“How about you?” Twilight asked him. “Tell me about your friends!”

Shadowlock winced. After a wonderful story like that, how could his stand up? “I... don’t really have any friends, I guess. I grew up pretty isolated, just me and my parents in a big castle. I was sent to a private school for magic, where I was taught everything from abjuration to teleportation. I met some kindred spirits there, even made a few friends.” Their faces swam up from his memory. “But I’ve lost contact with them all over the years.”

Twilight looked at him with sympathy in her eyes. “Tell me about your old friends,” she requested kindly.

“Well... there was Comet Tail. He was interested in astronomy, and its magical implications. Loved divining fates from the stars. Told me I’d turn myself into a frog during my final exam. Didn’t happen.” He chuckled lightly. “He also told me I’d eventually meet a really lovely mare who’d win my heart instantly.” He winked slyly. “That one came true.”

Twilight blushed, and he saw her adjusting in her seat. He added, “I had a few other friends too, if you’d like to hear them.”

“Sure!” She leaned in, ears twitching in anticipation.

Shadowlock thought back further. Old friends he’d left behind after school. “Let’s see. There was Petal Blossom, who was really interested in the secrets of life and death. But she was really cheerful and kind. I was never sure if she wanted to become a doctor, or a necromancer.” He chuckled. “Have you met her, by chance?”

She considered his words. “Don’t think I have. I did meet Comet Tail though. It seems he’s picked up a proclivity for speed magic. He’s the fastest unicorn I’ve ever met, though he has trouble slowing down.” She giggled.

He giggled along. “Heh, I’d love to meet him again! Haven’t seen him in years.”

“I’d be happy to introduce you once we get back to Ponyville.” Twilight smiled warmly. His chest felt all hot and cozy, like he was right next to a fire.

The waiter returned with their glasses of wine. “Here you go, Your Highness. And you, sir.” He levitated the glasses over to them. “I will be back soon with your fattoush.” With a courteous bow, the waiter left again.

Shadowlock took a drink from his glass. The wine was vibrant, powerful, and electrifying. He let the warmth flow out into his chest and down to his legs. “Mmmmm!”

Across from him, Twilight likewise drunk from her drink. She sighed happily. It was one of the sweetest sounds he’d ever heard. “Ahhh, this is good. I should do this more often.” She leaned back, contentment spreading across her face.

She took another sip, and asked, “You said you play Ogres and Oubliettes. Do you play chess, by chance?”

“A little bit. I’m not very good though.”

“I’d be happy to teach you sometime, if you’re interested. Or you could just a play a game with me.” Her eyes sparkled like the wine she held.

“Uhh, sure! But you’ll probably crush me.” He took another little drink, and felt the liquid lightning alight on his lips.

She giggled. “I’m sure you’re better than you give yourself credit for. But fair’s fair. I’ll happily play O&O with you later.”

Just as he opened his mouth to respond, the waiter returned. “Your dish.”

Twilight lifted a bit of the fattoush to her mouth, and took a bite. It was a savory, light food, one almost entirely devoid of substance. The little bits of bread had a peculiar sour flavor, and the assorted greens created an array of accents to that flavor. It was more interesting than good, and it was quite good. She savored the spices, the many vegetables contained within.

She watched Shadowlock lift up a bite of his own. “Mmmmph!” His eyes bugged out. “This is...!” He quickly downed a glass of water. “I think I’ll let you have the rest,” he gasped. “It’s much too strong for me.” He somehow managed to look cute while fighting off gagging. It was really quite impressive.

“You should order something else. Maybe something you’re familiar with?” she suggested.

“Alright. I’ll have a bit of lettuce.”

As if he’d always been there, a pony brought it. Twilight resisted the urge to perform a magical scan on that waitress. Inwardly, she longed to see just what spell the waitress had used. Teleportation? Invisibility? A foretelling, to predict what Shdaowlock would order? Telepathy to do the same?

She forced those thoughts away, and looked over to Shadowlock nomming down on his lettuce. A contented smile rippled out across his face. “Mmm. This is more like it!”

Twilight took another bite of the fattoush. Twilight realized something, from both last night’s dinner and this one. She asked cautiously, not wanting to come across as insensitive, “You seem to have simple tastes. Is there a reason for that?”

He inclined his head, a bit of lettuce gripped in his telekinesis. “Maybe? I just like the sort of thing I ate growing up. And I mostly ate simple, easy-to-make things.” He paused. “Though we lived in a castle, my family wasn’t very rich. My parents made my meals. So I suppose things like sandwiches and lettuce remind me of home.”

Twilight felt a curious warmth growing in her chest. “That explains a lot, really. And it’s very sweet.” She flashed a smile, which Shadowlock caught and returned.

She finished her appetizer, and watched him finish his. A little bit of lettuce dangled from his mouth. She thought he could use a little help. With an instinctive surge of magic, thought became deed, and she picked up the bit of food to levitate into his mouth.

But he was also holding it in his own telekinesis. Her aura mingled and merged with his, vibrant purple and pale pink shifting along it. His grip was firm but not harsh, and it had a certain loving tenderness. As he pulled the food along, her aura swept with him, she had to fight a rising stiffness in her wings. She allowed him to take full control and let go. He guided the last bit of lettuce to his mouth, and chomped down on it.

Twilight took another sip of her sparkling, crystal-clear wine. As well-built and hot and dreamy as Shadowlock was, she couldn’t be looking like that in public. She was still a princess, and thus had an obligation to the other princesses, and Equestria as a whole, to keep a certain standard of conduct. It simply wouldn’t do for her wings to be stuck straight out in a restaurant, no matter how long his superlatively sexy horn was...

She shook her head. “I’ll be right back,” she told Shadowlock. “Just need to wash my hooves.” It was a lie, but it was better to tell him this lie than to tell him the truth.

She hurried into the bathroom. With a twist of a knob and a swift telekinetic hurl, she splashed a sinkful of water into her face. The cold water woke her right up. Feeling much less tipsy, she cast a quick drying spell, and trotted back into the dining room.

“Sorry about that,” she said hastily. “Ready to order our main course?”

“Of course,” he replied. He held a straight face for a few seconds, before bursting into laughter. She laughed along with him, thriving in the moment.

Twilight and Shadowlock ordered a large plate of gnocchi for the main course. And unlike their appetizers, both of them thoroughly enjoyed it.

They spent the rest of the dinner conversing about a variety of topics, from spellcraft to succession. It was fun and relaxing and wonderful, and by the end, she was quite tipsy. But even inebriated and lovestruck, her mathematical talents were as sharp as ever. She paid for the meal this time, and tossed on a sizeable tip.

“S-so then she said, ‘Oatmeal? Are you crazy?’” Twilight giggled. She heard him giggle along. His usually calm but driven tone had given way to a surprisingly sweet, playful one.

“I’ll have to meet Pinkie properly once we’re back in Ponyville. She, she sounds like a bundle of laughs.”

Shadowlock’s words carried a curious tone to them... or perhaps that was the alcohol, distorting his words and weakening her mental bastion?

Either way, there was definitely something different now than earlier. There was something in the air between them, something crackling unspoken. She breathed in. It wasn’t ozone.

Her eyes traced the outline of Shadowlock’s form-fitting suit. What would his body feel like close up? She’d merged her aura with his a little bit earlier, but what if they shared a - she could barely even think the words - a full merger? Soul, mind, magic, and body? She could feel her wings tensing just at the thought.

That finally tripped a bell, one of the old defenses she’d set up against stupidity. She was thinking of sleeping with him! And they’d only just had their second date!

A flurry of arguments from years ago crawled out of the depths of her memory. You need to know him better before committing to a bond that strong! As a princess, you have a duty to all of Equestria! He’d be off-put by your forwardness and creeped out! You should be sober for the joy of your first time! They were annoying, but they weren’t wrong. She quickly fell before their onslaught. “Alright,” she thought. “Not yet.”

“I’m sorry to cut our date early Shadowlock,” she began, “but I need to go. Not feeling very well.” It was true, just misleading.

“Oh no, what’s wrong?” he asked. Worry clouded his shapely, oh-so-lovely face. “Is there anything I can do?”

“I’m sure I just need some rest,” she reassured him. While she wanted time alone, and quickly, she didn’t want him to worry. “Here.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

“If you’re contagious, I might have it too now,” he said with a little giggle. “But I understand. Get well soon, and if you’re better, I’ll see you tomorrow!” With goodbyes exchanged, the two parted ways once more.

Shadowlock realized he didn’t know where he’d be sleeping tonight. With a slightly annoyed sigh, he asked a crystal pony on the street, “Do you know where a nearby hotel is?”

She looked him over, from hoof to horn. “Well, hello handsome.” She batted her polygonal eyes at him. “The nearest one is just a couple blocks west. Would you like me to take you there?”

A disquieting feeling crept over him. A mare besides Twilight having a crush on him? Was that even allowed? He hastily answered, “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine on my own. Thank you for the help.” Before she could answer, he cantered away. He didn’t want that uncomfortable conversation to go on any longer than necessary.

The sign Iridescent Inn gleamed brightly against the deep blue, almost black sky. He pushed open the door. “How much for a simple room for the night?”

The receptionist answered kindly, “Our smallest room for one night? That’ll be 13 bits.”

Shadowlock levitated 13 bits to her, and she handed him a brass key. “Room 113 is yours. Sleep well!”

113 was small but cozy, and he felt oddly tired. He doffed his cloak, lifted it onto a hook, and tucked himself into bed. He curled over on his side.

Twilight took center stage in his mind. Her beauty, her interest, her brilliance, everything that set her apart and made her so truly spectacular, they all united in his mental image of her. He extended a hoof along the bed, and imagined her snuggled up beside him.

Twilight floated amongst the stars.

They were small, bright, and warm. Not like a fire, but like a little kitten. She approached one, basking in its serene light. The light pulsed gently. In a way, it reminded her of a heartbeat.

She cuddled up against it. The astral energy flowed up from her hooves into her body, and then out into her wings. From there, it radiated outward, each feather a lightning rod.

Brilliant purple energy engulfed her, embraced her, united with her. She felt the entire galaxy thrumming along with her heartbeat.

Shadowlock walked alone down a dark cobblestone street. Dim, old lamp posts offered faint illumination. The softest shadow of rain was misting down upon him. He clutched the ancient grimoire tighter.

He had to get there in time. Had to find out if he was right.

He quickly checked his compass, and hastened to a gallop.

The library loomed ahead. There, he would face the truth. He whispered a prayer to Princess Luna for good luck and safety. After a moment’s consideration, he offered one to Princess Twilight as well. At this intersection of darkness and magic, he’d need all the favor he could get.

Twilight woke up cold. It was still dark, and she had a headache. “Ugh, I drank too much wine,” she muttered to the empty room. She wiped her bleary eyes, pushed through the headache, and got up.

“Where do they keep the water here?” she croaked. Her mouth and throat were very dry. She set her horn aglow, a much more difficult task with the headache still brewing, and trotted out of her crystalline bedroom. There was a bathroom around here somewhere...

After a few turns and one bump into the wall, she found it. She turned on the tap with a hoof, not her telekinesis, and roughly stuck her face in the faucet’s stream. The cold water swished down her throat. Glug-glug-glug. She kept swallowing for a good twenty seconds, before finally taking a break to breathe.

What had happened last night? She remembered going back to the Crystal Palace. She gave a very insistent Cadance a quick summary of what had transpired during their date, and promptly left to go to bed. Cadance followed her the whole way, asking her more questions all the way to her suite. Twilight had avoided one particular topic, but what was it?

Shadowlock’s countenance rose to the forefront of her mind. Yes, that was it. She’d had unallowable thoughts about him, and didn’t want Cadance to know of her impropriety. That was also the reason she’d left him right after their date was over. She’d needed time to think it through, and decide on the best course of action.

Twilight rubbed her head. “I wish Spike were here. Talking to myself is getting weird, and I need someone to complain to.” The idea of creating a Spike golem crept into her brain, but she dismissed it as too time-consuming. She’d be back in Ponyville by the time she finished.

That train of thought drew her attention elsewhere, and enticed her to leave the station of variety for the frontier outpost of specific plans. Sunburst said he’d be done with his research today. Today might be the day they finally reversed that book erasure!

Daylight found Twilight in the Palace’s own library, intently pouring over a tome on counters against teleportation. “Hmmm.” She concentrated, trying to draw up some magic from her reserves. She felt the magic starting to flow, but her headache intensified along with it.

“I really shouldn’t drink so much,” she berated herself. “Now my casting will be all messed up all day.”

“How much did you drink?” a friendly, somewhat jovial voice inquired.

She whirled in her chair. “Shining!”

“Hey, Twily.” He gave her a big hug. “Was this the first time you tasted alcohol” he half-chuckled.

“No!” she insisted. He raised an eyebrow. “Alright, it was my third. But still not my first!”

“Close enough,” he said with a grin and a shrug. “Anyway, how did it go?”

“How did what go?” she asked. She was getting thirsty again, and it was kind of hard to focus.

“Your date! Your dinner with Shadowlock!” He chuckled for real. “And you still didn’t answer my earlier question. How much did you drink?”

“A lot. Three and a bit.”

“Pfft, that’s not a lot. I was worried you were going to say seven or something.”

She blinked. “Oh. No, nowhere near that much.”

“So, how did your date go? Cadance told me you were very happy afterwards.”

She thought back. “It was really, really amazing. I had so much fun. It was my first date ever, and I already want to go on another.”

“Yep, that sounds like me when I met Cadance. Chest burning, feeling warm and happy all the time, awkwardness.” He grinned. “Good luck. I hope it works out.”

Twilight smiled back. “Thanks. I knew I could count on my BBBFF.” She gave him a nice long hug, and got up. She needed another drink of water.

Shadowlock woke up warm, contented, and happy, but quite thirsty. He looked in the direction of the rising sun, its crepuscular rays piercing his curtains. The bed’s gentle pillows and soft, mushy mattress had lulled him to a wonderful sleep.

He couldn’t remember much of his dreams, just a sense of pressing urgency, and a dark, cobblestone road. It was a strange, rather haunting one, but not exactly scary. More... troubling? Uncomfortable? He searched for the right word, but couldn’t find it.

He could, however, find the bathroom. He refreshed himself and quenched his thirst. There was something immensely satisfying about the taste of fresh water. The Crystal Empire’s water was different than any water he’d had before; it was somehow charged or energized. What could cause this change? He’d have to ask Twilight when he next saw her.

That reminded him! He still had to go see Twilight’s friend Sunburst about the cure to his book-erasing spell. He packed his things, trotted downstairs, smiled at the receptionist, and left.

A flicker of doubt crept over him. Should he go to the Crystal Palace, where Twilight probably spent the night, or straight to Sunburst’s house? Either way, he ran a risk of missing her.

After a little deliberation, he came to a decision. He’d check the castle first, since they would be able to tell him how long she had been gone, or direct him towards her if she was still there.

“Can you take me to Princess Twilight?” Shadowlock asked a Royal Guard at the door. “I need to speak with her.”

“She’s here, but I’m not sure if she’s free right now,” he answered. “I haven’t seen her since last night.”

“Do you have any idea where she’d be?” he asked, a little annoyed. “We have important magical business to discuss.”

The other guard started, recognition flaring in her eyes. “Wait, I remember you! You’re Princess Twilight’s consort!” She laughed. “’Important magical business’? That’s quite the euphemism. In the guard, we just call it ‘sheet duty.’”

Shadowlock felt blood rushing to his cheeks. “I-it’s nothing like that!” he protested.

“I’ll take you right to her,” the second guard said, still forcing back laughter. “I certainly wouldn’t want to deprive a princess of important magical business!” She opened the door, and waved a hoof for Shadowlock to follow.

After a few turns, she trotted to the end of a hallway, and opened the door. Inside was a banner-covered hall. A bunch of guards were relaxing and chatting amiably.

“Does anypony know where Princess Twilight is?” she asked the room.

“Up in the library,” a stallion shouted back.

His guard escort led Shadowlock to a different region of the castle; higher up and even more beautiful. The morning sun was a large, orange-red blur almost visible through the thick walls of crystal. After a few flights up a spiral staircase, they arrived at a small but comfortable library.

Twilight was curled up with a bottle of water and a thick book. She looked up to him as he entered. “Good morning, Shadowlock!” Her bright, sparkling eyes were like water on the walls of the palace.

He wondered if it ever rained here. It was far enough north for snowstorms, but the Empire itself was far too warm for snow. Did the magic of the Empire repel all weather?

His musings were interrupted by a sudden, tight hug. Twilight wrapped her forelegs and wings around him. He returned the hug gently.

“I’ll leave you two to your ‘important magical business,’” the guard snickered. “Have fun!”

Shadowlock felt his cheeks warming again, but Twilight continued her hug. “What was that all about?” she inquired.

“Guard banter,” he summarized. “They had an entirely different idea of what our research would be like.”

Twilight giggled lightly. “My brother told me a little of that banter he had directed at him. Apparently, they were cracking jokes about him dating Princess Cadance for months.”

“That was pretty close to what just happened, though... a bit more crude,” he said cautiously.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not surprised. The guards are like that.” She closed her book, chugged her water, and stood up. “Anyway, ready to go see Sunburst?”

He definitely was. He nodded emphatically, “That’s why I came here, actually. I wanted to finally wrap up in the Crystal Empire and undo the damage I’ve done.”

“Let’s get going, then,” she said with a shining smile. “The future waits for nopony!”

Yeah. The future...

He followed Twilight out, deep in thought once more. When they finished here, and perhaps with the task in Ponyville, what would they do? What would happen to their relationship?

Their quest to fix the mess he’d made was what had brought them together. What would they do when it was fixed, when they didn’t have a driving connection anymore? Would she even care about him?

These troubled, unquiet thoughts persisted until they reached Sunburst’s house. “Well, we’re here,” Twilight said. “You ready?”

“Yes I am,” he said, forcing a smile. Mentally, he berated himself. He couldn’t let himself indulge in that kind of selfish, self-pitying thinking. Wasn’t that kind of logic was drove his ancestor to darkness in the first place?

Twilight knocked at the door. Sunburst opened it. “Twilight, Shadowlock, you’re back! I did a bunch of research, and found a promising lead!”

“What’s that?” Shadowlock asked.

Sunburst answered, reading from an immense, thick tome, “This book talks about something called Wispfire’s Bibliotheurge of Limited Omnicognition. Among other things, it’s said to have the power to restore any book to perfect condition! It’s been lost for generations, but some previous owner of the book I’m reading has kindly left me the clues he or she amassed.”

Sunburst shrugged. “I don’t know if you’ll be able to find this , but it seems to be the best lead we’ve got.”

“How does it work?” Twilight asked, interest aglow in her beautiful eyes.

“Supposedly, it accesses the Akashic records, and transcribes the relevant data gathered from that strange realm onto the pages. It acts as a filter between you and the records, to prevent you from going mad with the information.”

Shadowlock felt his heartbeat accelerate. They’d found a real lead on their quest! Sure, the artifact’s whereabouts were unknown, but that was a small problem compared to their earlier ones. Now they just had to find it. “Thank you so much for your aid, Sunburst,” he said wholeheartedly. “I don’t know what we would have done without you.”

“Well... thanks,” Sunburst said, blushing a bit. “It was a fun project. I was happy to help.”

“We should go back to Ponyville,” Twilight said to Shadowlock. “I’ll probably have something there on the whereabouts of this Bibliotheurge.”

He nodded assent. “Let’s get going, then.”

Chapter 3: Ponyville

Shadowlock stepped onto the train. It was unchanged from yesterday morning, and yet it seemed completely different. Princess Twilight followed perhaps two paces behind him. A few ponies looked at him with mild interest, and at Twilight with much more.

He took a seat in a mostly empty car. It was cushioned and soft, wonderfully so. He reclined against the back. As he was adjusting his position, Twilight sat down next to him.

It took him a good five seconds to realize the implications of that.

He looked over to her, understanding dawning. She returned his unsteady gaze, and slipped a comforting wing around his back. He leaned into her warm, streamlined body, and returned her fluffy, tender embrace.

Her heart beat strongly against his chest. Were improved health and physical condition two more boons of alicornification? He wouldn’t be surprised.

A mare was watching them in a sort of aghast awe. Shadowlock felt suddenly a bit uncomfortable, but didn’t move. Being beside Twilight was too wonderful for somepony’s judgment to get him down.

“All aboard!” the conductor shouted. He looked out the window at the Crystal Empire one last time. Just as they started to move, a light rain began to fall from patchwork clouds.

Twilight snuggled up under Shadowlock’s cloak. It was strange to sit next to a pony taller than her. But it wasn’t the bad kind of strange; rather, it was one of the many unforeseen and unforeseeable pleasures of life.

And speaking of pleasure, she was enjoying a rather sweet one. The well-defined line of his snout was deliciously angled, and asymmetrically bisected by that memorable scar of his.

She leaned closer against him, her horn just coming to the crown of his head. His horn extended quite a bit further beyond that. It was long, straight, pointy, spiral-bore, and to be blunt, hot. She couldn’t help but wonder what his horn would feel like pressed against hers.

She closed her eyes, and let herself drift off to sleep beside him.

A feeling of being pushed forward, and a rattling, were the first two omens of their final approach towards Ponyville. Shadowlock looked up from his book at the trees and hills speeding by.

He gently shook Twilight. “Mmmm... no Celestia, I turned my homework in on time...” she mumbled. He shook a little harder. Her eyes flickered open. “Huh?”

“We’re coming into Ponyville,” he stated.

“Oh, okay.” She smiled. “Thanks for waking me up.” She stretched, flexing her taut, bow-like body, and shook out her wings. “There we go. It’s going to be good to be home again.”

He nodded a little, trying his hardest to keep a level face. “And I look forward to meeting your friends properly.”

“They’re all amazing,” she thought aloud. “I think you’ll get along quite well with them.”

The train came to a stop. “Ponyville!” the conductor shouted from the front. “Next stop, Appleloosa!” Shadowlock and Twilight left the train with the rest of the ponies. To his relief, she wasn’t mobbed by a swarm of cultist-fans this time.

As Twilight took her first step onto the platform, she winced. “I probably have a backlog of important princess duties to get through,” she said apologetically. “I should be free again in an hour, maybe sooner. Feel free to go ahead and meet my friends; anypony in town can tell you where to find them.”

“Sounds good to me.” He gave her a quick hug, and trotted towards the center of town. He would go see Rarity first.

Rarity carefully threaded the needle through the rich, shimmering fabric. Cross, pull, dart, pull, cross.

A loud but not rude knock came from the front of the boutique. Sweetie Belle wouldn’t knock, and she wasn’t expecting any of her friends over today. So it was most likely a customer!

“Coming!” she called down. “Just a moment, need to finish this stitch!” She threaded four more loops, and stepped away from her loom. “I’ll be right there!”

She rushed downstairs, getting quite a few hairs out of place. She quickly set them right, and opened the door. “How can I help you?”

A handsome, grey-coated, and cloaked stallion stood at her door. She recognized him from an escapade she’d gone on with her friends. He was named Shadowlock, and he had trapped her with an angry Cleopatra. But he and Twilight had talked it out, and he’d left to try and fix the damage he’d caused.

“Really, I just wanted to say hi. You’re one of Twilight’s friends. I wanted to get to know you a little better, and give you the chance to do the same about me.”

Something tickled the back of Rarity’s brain, but she couldn’t place it. “Of course, of course! Come on in, and take a seat. I’ll get you some biscuits.”

She led him to her tea-table. “Now, tell me a bit about yourself!” she requested. “I didn’t get to talk much with you the last time we met.” She said the last bit airily but cautiously, in such a way that he could have no doubt what she was referring to, but wouldn’t take it as an attack.

“Heh, sorry about that. That was another part of it, I guess - I wanted to clear up any remaining ill feelings. Don’t want one of Twilight’s friends hating me.”

It tickled again. And the pieces slowly fell into place...

“What?” she gasped. “It’s you?”

“Huh?” he asked, face contorted in confusion.

“Y-you’re Twilight’s coltfriend!” She still had trouble believing that Twilight had finally found somepony.

He crossed his hoof awkwardly, but nodded. “It’s true, I am.”

“Oh, sweet Celestia! I read about Twilight’s date with a tall, dark stallion, but thought it was just gossip. You simply must tell me everything about your dates so far!”

“Well, it started two nights ago in Canterlot...”

Shadowlock downed a glass of water, and took a deep breath. “Well, there you have it. That’s the entirety of our relationship so far.”

Rarity smiled coyly. She was confident there was more than just that. “Are you sure there are no... scandalous details you are leaving out, Mr. Lock?”

He blushed hard. It fit his mane. “No! Really, there aren’t! We haven’t even gone past kissing!”

“Alright, if you say so I’ll take your word.” She got the feeling he was lying, but decided not to press the issue. If he was, he’d probably confess his secret in a bit and ask for advice, and if he wasn’t he’d ask for other help.

She told him a brief summary of herself, her interests, and her goals. The two of them made small talk for a few more minutes, and then he stood to leave.

“Oh, before you go!” Rarity began. “Please do leave your cloak here. I’d like to fix it up a bit.” After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “For free - as a personal favor.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Of course,” she reassured him. “It’s a gift to my friend’s beloved.”

He unclasped his cloak and set it down on his chair. “Thank you,” he said, and departed.

Up, 36, down. Rainbow Dash was almost done with her wingpower drill. Up 37, down. After that, it was cardio, and then getting the evening rain set up. Up, 38, down. But she’d have some free time between cardio and the weather directing. Up, 39, down. She’d seen Twilight walking along towards her castle. Up, 40, down. Maybe she’d hang out with her today.

With a sigh of satisfied relief, she wiped her forehead, and took several deep breaths. She stretched, flexed her body, and shot forward through a heavy raincloud. The moisture flash-washed her, like taking an instant shower. She flew out the other side, and looped around, coming to perch on top of the cloud.

From her cloudtop perch, she could see almost everyone in Ponyville. Applejack was delivering a crop of apples to Filthy Rich, Thunderlane was flirting with Clear Skies, Fluttershy was deliberating over carrot selection, Shadowlock was trotting through the streets...

She snapped back to that last one, and narrowed her eyes. It really was him! He was the evil egghead who’d destroyed all those books. Sure, he’d “““changed”””, but she knew that she still shouldn’t trust him. Twilight let him leave in peace, supposedly to fix the damage he’d caused, but he definitely wasn’t supposed to come back!

She darted downward and landed right in front of him. “Hello, Shadowlock,” she said suspiciously, but not aggressively. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m on a research mission with Twilight,” he answered. “I’ve been looking for a way to undo my book-erasing spell.”

Hmm. “Alright, but I’ve got my eye on you. Don’t try any funny business.” She got the feeling he was telling the truth, but you couldn’t be too careful. She’d been burned by the Flim Flam Brothers too many times for that.

“Don’t worry, I won’t. It’s actually been really fun. You can ask Twilight about how it’s been going if you’re curious.”

“I think I will. I was just going over there.” She dashed away, a few questions already condensing into her mind.

Twilight replied to yet another bit of fan mail. Unlike Rainbow Dash, she didn’t particularly enjoy answering eager fans, but it did need doing. Ponies across Equestria needed to know that she wasn’t a Canterlotian high horse; she was just an ordinary, book-loving pony who’d trained hard enough to become a princess.

A THUD against the window signalled the arrival of that pony she’d just been thinking of. Twilight opened the window in question, and Rainbow Dash flew into the castle scriptorium, almost knocking over a stack of papers. Only Twilight’s reflexive telekinesis saved them from spilling across the floor.

“Shadowlock’s back,” Rainbow reported impatiently, “and he says he’s working on egghead stuff with you. Is that true?”

“He is,” Twilight verified. “We’re going to get back to hitting the books once I finish all this princess duty stuff.”

“Eh, alright,” Rainbow said with a shrug. “I’ve got a rainstorm scheduled tonight, but I’m free for the next couple hours. If you get bored of staring at books with Shadowlock, you know where to find me.”

“I don’t think I could get bored around Shadowlock,” Twilight said wistfully.

“O...kay? That doesn’t sound like you.” Fear and concern seized Rainbow’s features. “He didn’t mind control you like Starlight did to me, did he?” she demanded.

Mind control? Only of the chemical reaction kind, and he was suffering from it just as she was. “Of course not!” Twilight said, chuckling. “He’s realized the error of his ways, and he’s actually really nice.”

Rainbow shrugged again. “Have fun with your books then. I’ll tell the others that he’s not a threat.” She dashed back out the window.

Twilight closed the window after the pegasus. In the restored peace and quiet, she resumed her epistolary work.

Shadowlock knocked on the great front door of the castle. It quickly swung open. “Hello!” Spike said cheerfully. “Twilight’s still answering letters and signing papers, but she said you’re welcome to wait inside.”

“Sounds good to me,” Shadowlock said with a faint smile. “I hear you’re an O&O fan?”

“Yeah! Are you one too?” Spike asked eagerly.

“I am,” he verified. “Been into it ever since I got the Monstrous Manual... eleven years ago?”

“Tell you what,” Spike said. “You tell me about all the tabletop stuff you know, and I’ll make you cookies. How’s that sound?”

“Works for me.” He followed Spike into the kitchen, and launched into an exposé of everything he knew about Ogres and Oubliettes.

As Spike loaded the cookie batch into the oven, he turned back to Shadowlock. “Actually, how’d you like to play a quick two-player game? Chess or checkers, maybe?”

“I’d be up for chess. I’m not very good though, so don’t laugh too hard if I make a terrible move.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Spike guaranteed. “I’ll go get the board set up!”

“Checkmate!” Spike declared with a grin. “Good game.”

“Good game indeed,” Shadowlock shook his head. “Did Twilight teach you to play?”

“She did!” Spike stood up from the board. “The cookies should be almost done. Want to go check them out?”

“Alright.” He followed the little dragon back downstairs into the kitchen.

The cookies were delicious.

Twilight set down the quill, and leaned back with a sigh. Her hangover’s aftershocks had finally ended, but all that writing had left her with a sore horn.

She would go see if Shadowlock had arrived yet. With a quick flap of her wings, she left her study-chair, and headed for the door.

If he had already arrived, he was almost certainly with Spike. If not, there was a good chance that he was with one of her friends. She started mentally compiling a list of likelihoods to be talking with right now as she opened the door.

The scent of cookies drifted through the castle. Spike was baking again. She hurried towards the kitchen.

Sure enough, Spike and Shadowlock were watching a tray of chocolate chip slowly cool. “Twilight!” Spike’s cheerful, young voice exclaimed. “You finished with your paperwork?”

“Yep! Now we can start researching again!” She trotted over to Shadowlock, slipped a wing around him, and gave a light kiss on his cheek.

He blushed adorably. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Spike’s jaw dropped. “Y-y-y-y-you’re in love with him?” he asked her in disbelief. “Honestly, Twilight, I didn’t think you even had the emotion of love.”

“I guess I do,” she said with a little smile. “It’s all happened so fast, but it just... feels right, if you know what I mean.” It felt a little weird to say that out loud, but it was also relieving.

“Come on Twilight, of course I know what you mean,” Spike chuckled. “I’ve had a crush on HER for years.”

Shadowlock looked quizzically at Spike. “’Her’?”

“It’s a secret,” Spike replied. “All you need to know is that she’s the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria.”

“I’m not sure of that,” Shadowlock shot back good-naturedly, and Twilight had to suppress a blush of her own.

Spike shrugged. “Eh, whatever. Anyway, have fun, you two lovebirds.” He strolled out.

Shadowlock looked to her with an unsaid question in his eyes. She answered, “Let’s get to work.”

The books were strewn all across the library floor, grouped into tentative piles of “irrelevant”, “possible”, and “likely”. There wasn’t a “definitely” pile yet.

Twilight was curled up against the irrelevant pile with a likely book in hoof. It described the miraculous book-salvation work of a Grand Archivist, and seemed to fit the description Sunburst had given her. She stuck a sticky note in for later, and took note on their running list of references.

Shadowlock was snuggled up beside her, nestled in between her wing and her torso. It was a silly, juvenile feeling, but she was proud of her healthy wingspan. The lovely sensation of that cute stallion resting against her side filled her body with an intoxicating brew of emotions. First and foremost of these was loving affection, but just behind it was the burning fire of raw passion.

She entertained a thought that set her cheeks aflame like nothing since Fourier transforms. This lewdest of thoughts was her them taking a break from the research to indulge herself in his body. She imagined the sweet taste of his lips, the crackle of his telekinesis’s unique electric signature, and his powerful thighs against hers...

That last thought snapped Twilight out of her daydream, and back into her book. She felt her wings sticking straight out, and Shadowlock surely had to feel the same. He was looking at her curiously. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing at all,” she reassured him. “Nothing’s wrong. I just drifted off for a bit.”

“I can’t blame you,” he reasoned. “We have been studying for a while.”

A memory resurfaced. “Well, Pinkie said I should come over to Sugarcube Corner at four, and it’s three-thirty. We could go do that.”

“That works. Everypony needs a break from studying now and then, even a Princess.” He said the last word lightly and playfully.

Shadowlock watched Twilight replace the books from the irrelevant pile back on the shelves. He told her, “I just want to check a few more things. I’ll be there soon.”

She smiled her assent. “Don’t take too long!”

He flicked through the next few pages, cogs turning in his brain. Something caught his eye: a direct mention of that book-restorer. He carefully but eagerly read through the previous couple sentences... and felt blood running to his head.

The text read,

It is said that the Unsated Chronicler was never able to find closure on his most important mission, the recovery of Wispfire’s Bibliotheurge. But this is a lie. The Chronicler did indeed find it, deep within the nest of the Thousand-Eyed Watchers. He took it back to the Castle on the Spike, and set it as the centerpiece of his Throne of Stars. He charged the Stallions of Copper to guard it. He oversaw the installation of a legion of traps, so that thieves, defilers, and jealous librarians would not steal the Castle’s greatest treasure.

A week ago that’d have been meaningless gibberish. But over the past few days, they’d put together enough clues for the book’s writing to be understandable. The traps and automatons would be a difficulty, but they were a difficulty he and Twilight could definitely surpass together.

But, he realized, we won’t be able to go together. She had too many important duties to attend to here, and while this was a major breakthrough, it would still most likely take a couple weeks to figure everything out and mount the expedition. She wouldn’t want to say it, but it’d be true. And he couldn’t ask Equestria to lose their Princess for that long, even for a goal like this.

He’d go on this without her, maybe with the help of an archaeologist or two. He didn’t have the strength to tell her face-to-face either.

Shadowlock slid the last book into its slot, and wiped his brow. It took a lot more telekinesis than he was accustomed to using, and he felt suddenly hungry.

“Guess it’s good I’m going to a place called Sugarcube Corner then,” he chuckled dryly to himself, and trotted downstairs.

Twilight wasn’t at the bottom of the stairs, but Starlight was. “All done?” Starlight inquired. “Twilight told me what you two have been working on. It sounds interesting.

“Yeah, I’m all done.” Starlight was fairly pretty in a modern sort of way. But compared with Twilight, she was a candle to the sun. “I got some good ideas, but need to let them stew in my brain.”

“I know what you mean,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll read a bunch of books and then take a break to give it time to all settle down.” After a brief pause, she added, “Sooooo... you’re Twilight’s coltfriend?”

“Seems like it,” he said with a half-smirk. “It’s happened so fast, but it’s the most fun I’ve ever had.”

She looked oddly wistful. “Well, I certainly hope you two stay together, or at least part on good terms. I’d hate to see what a Princess with a broken heart would do.” She gave him a peculiar expression halfway between a wince and a wink.

“Heh, I hope so too.” He wasn’t really sure how to respond meaningfully to what she had said, so he changed the topic. “Where is Twilight, actually?”

“She told me she wanted to take a quick bath. I expect she’ll be done shortly.”

With a shrug and a nod, Shadowlock sat down on the couch and waited.

Twilight splashed in the bathtub. After all the craziness of the past 24 hours, it felt so good to wash all her uncertainty and tiredness down the drain. She relaxed her tense muscles and rested her horn in the warm water.

A bit of soap later, and some quick mane-washing, and she came out feeling sparkly fresh. The dirt and grime and sweat were gone, and what was left were her smooth coat and dripping mane. She focused, and cast a simple repulsion spell, hurling the droplets of water away from her in a cascade of rainbows.

She opened the door, and headed downstairs.

Shadowlock and Starlight were discussing some of the finer points of book magic. She interrupted with a question towards him, “Ready to go?”

“Yes!” he said with excitement tinting his voice. “And you look amazing! I feel all grimy now.” He chuckled self-deprecatingly.

“It shouldn’t take too long.” A rather funny realization hit her. “And actually, I’m getting all clean just to get dirty again. It’d have been better to just have waited for my bath anyway.”

He shrugged in a painfully cute way. “Well, I guess that’ll be what I do first after getting back. But let’s get going; it’s not polite to be late.”

She felt a sort of confident leadership feeling. It had been coming more and more over the past two years. “Follow me,” she requested of him, and he obliged her.

She led him straight to Sugarcube Corner. At least here in Ponyville, she didn’t have to worry about being mobbed by overeager fans.

A giant gingerbread house stood apart from the relatively normal Ponyville houses. “That’s Sugarcube Corner!” Twilight pointed out needlessly. “And we’re just in time!”

He watched her knock, standing behind her as usual. And for once, his eyes weren’t on her gorgeous body.

A bubblegum pink earth pony he recognized as Pinkie dropped down from the roof a few inches from his face. Before he had a chance to process that, she started talking faster than he’d ever heard.

“Hi Shadowlock! I know you used to be a meanie but only because your ancestor was a bigger meanie and then you stopped because Twilight told you you didn’t have to be a meanie because you can find friends to help you with scary and difficult things so now you’re not a meanie anymore so I put together a party for you and Twilight!” She said that whole rant in under 10 seconds.

He blinked, momentarily stunned. “Yeah, that’s... that’s what happened. Good summary. Thanks for the party.”

She slipped on a very coy, even seductive look that made beads of perspiration condense on his forehead. “But that’s not why you’re here, is it, Locky?”

He felt sweat dripping down his forehead. “Ummmm, I-I don’t know! You’re the one who scheduled this party.” He saw Twilight looking back at them with a bit of confusion.

“You know what I’m talking about,” Pinkie said with a wink. She bounced up and down over the door, and opened it with a flourish.

Rainbow Dash and two ponies he remembered as Applejack and Fluttershy were already inside. “Can one of you two explain what this all is about?” Applejack asked of Twilight. “Pinkie’s refused to tell us anything at all, until you got here, just that it was ‘super duper important.’”

“Yeah Twilight. Spill the beans!” Rainbow Dash added.

“Hold on a lickity-split second,” Pinkie insisted. “We need to wait for Rarity to arrive!”

Twilight shrugged. “Alright.” Shadowlock stayed silent, both because he had nothing to add and because Rainbow Dash was staring at him suspiciously.

Less than a minute later, the white unicorn in question entered the room. “Pinkie, please do explain what in the wide world of Equestria is going on he--”

She saw him standing beside Twilight, and suddenly got a very sly, knowing expression on her face. “Oouhouhouhou.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “There, Rarity’s here. Can you tell us what’s going on now Pinkie?”

Pinkie took a very deep breath, and started to sing.

“This is your first date ditty, I hope that you find it sweet,
You hug and kiss and love each other, think it’s really neat!
Princess and Lone Journeyer, you met at counter-ways,
But now you’ve worked it and you’re together for these days!
Happiness and laughter will find you both tonight,
We’re all here to wish you luck and show the future’s bright,
Now the party’s starting and friends once far are near,
So let’s break out the cupcakes and show Shadowlock our cheer!”

Shadowlock felt a silly grin and a concurrent blush creeping over his face. Pinkie shoved a cupcake into his mouth, and he took a bite. It was absurdly delicious, but before he could finish swallowing, it seemed everypony had something to say.

“Congratulations, Twilight,” Fluttershy said softly with a tiny smile.

“Well how about that! Ah was starting to think ya just didn’t feel love, Twilight.” Applejack gave Shadowlock’s hoof a rough shake.

“He told me earlier today,” Rarity said primly. “I was just waiting to tell you all!”

A sort of warm comfort radiated throughout him. They didn’t hate him, and they’d forgiven him for being evil. Maybe this would work out after all.

“Ahahahaha. That’s great, Pinkie!” Rainbow laughed heartily. “You almost had me for a second!”

Pinkie said cheerfully, “I’m totally serious, Dashie! We’ve got two new lovebirds in Ponyville! Well, only one’s got wings, but I bet they both always feel like they’re flying.”

Rainbow Dash’s laughter quickly dried up. “Wait, you’re serious? She’s dating him?”

“Yeah, I am!” Twilight insisted. “And there’s nothing wrong with that!”

“Nothing wrong?” Rainbow repeated skeptically. “How about the fact that he’s a bad guy? Even if he isn’t bad now, how do you think it looks to Equestria for someone who almost erased all of Equestria’s history to be smooching a Princess?”

Shadowlock winced. “I’ve changed, Rainbow!” he almost pleaded. “I’m not the stallion I used to be!”

“Whatever,” she snorted. “Don’t come crying to me when he leaves you brokenhearted and bookless,” she said to Twilight. She then coldly told him, “And if you hurt Twilight at all...” She let the threat stand, and flew out the window.

Pinkie looked sad and hurt for just a second, but then her hair poofed out again. “So, uh, anyway, let’s get the party started! I baked cupcakes for everypony!”

Shadowlock tried to remember where the pony was. He opened his eyes - pointless with a blindfold on, but it still felt good to do - and stumbled forward a few steps. After decades of holding things with his magic, doing it with his mouth felt strange.

He bumped into the wall horn-first. and with a surge of determination, stuck the tail onto what he had to hope was the pony. A bout of laughter rang out, and he had a sudden feeling that he hadn’t placed it right. He pulled the blindfold off, and admired his handiwork. The tail was stuck out of the pony’s eye.

Twilight gave him a comforting pat. “It’s okay. You did better than I did last time.” She giggled. “I tacked it to the door!”

Pinkie exclaimed, “Alright, Twilight and Shadowlock! It’s a party, and you know what that means. Time for you two to shake your hooves out and start dancing!”

Shadowlock gulped. “Er, Pinkie, I’ve never danced before.”

“C’mon, it’s not that hard!” she insisted. “Just move your hooves with the groove!”

“Trust me,” Twilight assured him, “No matter how bad you are, I’m worse.”

Shadowlock sighed. “Alright, I’ll give it a try. Just don’t expect much.”

“Expect nothing, hope for everything!” Pinkie said axiomatically, loading a record onto the phonograph. An upbeat, cheery song started to play. He uncertainly started to move his hooves.

Beside him, Twilight was enthusiastically flailing about. It reminded him of a fish he’d once seen stuck on the lake’s shore from a particularly big wave, flopping back and forth on the cold dirt. But despite its total ungracefulness, there was something captivatingly adorkable about it.

He decided to just move around like she was. Pinkie’s insane bounce, Fluttershy’s gentle swaying, Applejack’s solo square dancing - none of it mattered. All that mattered was that he was dancing with Twilight.

This sweet, harmless fun continued a little bit longer, at which point the upbeat song faded away. Taking its place was a slow, romantic song. Pinkie’s coy grin left no doubt about whether that was planned.

The flailing dance no longer seemed fitting, and he searched in vain for a good one to take its place. Twilight didn’t seem to know what to do either. Pinkie, once again, provided a salvation from the crisis of her own design.

Pinkie borrowed Fluttershy for a prop. “Just do what I do!” the quite possibly insane pink mare instructed, and began to dance slowly with Fluttershy. Pinkie took a few steps forward, a few back, spun her around, and slid her down. “Now you try!” she happily ordered Shadowlock and Twilight.

Shadowlock hesitantly offered a hoof to Twilight, who took it with a heart-melting smile. He took a few cautious steps forward. She matched him step by step. It wasn’t even close to accurate, but it was sincere and it made him smile.

Shadowlock tried the next stage of the dance, and here she helped him. He leaned forward, and she leaned backwards. His heart was beating loudly as she flexed to match his movements, her perfectly built body sending tingles down his spine.

He leaned back again, and let go of her almost altogether, so she could do a spin. She pirouetted brilliantly...

Until a stray hoof swept his legs out from under him, and he fell down right on top of her.

The first thing he noticed was that his lips were right above hers, and his thigh was a few inches from hers. He had a sudden, almost overpowering impulse to just give into the passionate urge telling him to kiss her, to snuggle her, to make love to her...

His next impulse was to get off of her and profusely apologize, and that impulse was even stronger. He stood up quickly, and helped her up. “S-sorry,” he said abashedly.

“Don’t worry, it was my fault,” she reassured him. “No harm done.”

Rarity was watching the two of them with a supremely sly smile.

Rainbow Dash put the next storm cloud into position for the evening showers. She gave it a rough kick to test its water density, and was greeted with a grumble of thunder. Fitting both for a thundercloud, and for her current mood.

She thought back to the party she’d left an hour ago. Twilight was dating Shadowlock. The thought really ground her gears. Twilight was a smart, kind, reliable, all-around awesome egghead, and she deserved somepony as awesome as she was. Not some creep like Shadowlock.

Her first impulse had been to pin him to the wall and demand him to tell her what he’d done to Twilight. But she’d gotten better at controlling those impulses, and had left without getting into a fight.

As much as it hurt her pride to admit it, Twilight probably wasn’t being mind controlled. She’d just fallen in love with a total jerk, and that love was making her blind to what was totally obvious.

The question, then, was why had the rest of her friends forgiven him so easily? Were her friends really THAT gullible, even after all these years?

She firmly shoved the next cloud into place. Their big thunderstorm-blanket was starting to form. She imagined Shadowlock drenched and cold with a smirk, but the thought of Twilight lovingly warming him up wiped it off.

Twilight had never struck her as the romantic type in the first place. That was something she thought they’d had in common. Love was too mushy for Rainbow, and too illogical for Twilight. But along came this stallion and suddenly Twilight’s brain got rewritten to be full of mushy love.

She shook her head in a mix of anger and confusion, and got back to work.

Goodbyes and well-wishes exchanged, and Shadowlock and Twilight left the party. She sighed contendedly. “That was fun. Thanks for coming, Shadowlock.” She said his name in a strange tone, and sighed. “Can I call you Locky?”

The way she said that last word made his whole body tingle with anticipation. “Of course.” When Pinkie had called him by that name, he’d felt uncomfortable; but in Twilight’s sweet voice was the finest music. He smirked. “But I need a shorter name for you too.”

She was silent for a moment, and then asked, a bit nervously, “How does Twi sound?”

Twi. Simple but elegant. “I love it.”

They walked and talked through town. An unasked question hovered at the top of his throat, begging to come out. But no matter how he tried to bring it out, he couldn’t word it in a way that was both not extremely embarrassing and not potentially creepy, so he let it stew.

At last they arrived at her castle. It was as imposing as ever, and it blew his mind to think that his fillyfriend owned it all.

He winced a little. How would Twilight react to him leaving her to go on his personal expedition? He couldn’t ask her to come with, but he couldn’t say it to her face either or she’d feel obliged. If he only left a note she’s probably be very hurt... but that seemed to be the best way to ensure he could get away alone.

He made a decision then. If tonight would be the last time he’d see Twilight for weeks, he wanted it to be memorable for both of them. A treasure to hold close to his chest and savor, and remember when they were apart.

But he shouldn’t ask now. He should wait until Twilight had had a bit of rest and relaxation, and was in a more comfortable mood. And it was a bit early to tuck in.

“I’ll take the rest of the evening off and just read some fun books,” Twilight said. “Feel free to help yourself to anything that strikes your fancy.”

He watched her walk away. What really struck his fancy were Twilight’s perfect body, analytical tone, and beautiful eyes.

Shadowlock trotted towards the library. He had an inkling of a plan now, but there was still so much to be arranged. Most importantly, he had a book to read and a trait to cultivate.

He knew roughly where the book was, but he wasn’t totally sure and didn’t want to risk Twilight helping. As discreetly as he could, he slipped the book and the two around it out, forming a nice book sandwich. He quickly left the room, but not so quickly as to be suspicious.

Back in his room, he beheld his catch: The Gentlecolt’s Guide to Seduction. After closing, locking, and barricading the door, he started reading. He wanted to be done within two hours.

Two minutes and thirty seconds after Shadowlock’s hoofsteps had receded to silence, Twilight sprung into action. She quickly but quietly cantered up to her immense bedroom, double-checked that she was alone, and slunk inside.

She closed and locked the door behind her. It was time to access one of the very few secrets she kept even from Spike. She didn’t like doing so, but some things just weren’t proper for a baby dragon to know.

She trotted over to a specific section of wall and sparked her horn alight. She’d glamoured it to look normal, just in case somepony snooped around her room. With several telekinetic twists, the invisible locks’ tumblers slid into place, and the special compartment she’d had installed slid open.

The sheaf of papers within were all important personal documents. Each and every one would let a gossipmongerer retire early, but the one she was interested in now was a simple questionnaire.

It was near the bottom, as she’d expected. She pulled it out and looked it over. The title was so blunt as to make her blush, even though she’d written it herself: Checklist for Determining if it is Time to Lose My Virginity.

She lifted up her favorite quill, and set to work answering.

Have you known them for at least two months? Are they attractive? Do you love them? Do they love you back? Do you consider them a good friend as well as a lover? She confidently checked all those boxes, but the next one gave her pause. Will sleeping with them not run the risk of grievously upsetting one of your friends, and/or cause a major scandal?

Rainbow Dash had been really upset... and if the news found out, it’d be everywhere... Celestia would be disappointed... she might get stripped of princesshood...

But, she reasoned, what no one knew would hurt no one. Spike wouldn’t understand anyway, and Starlight wouldn’t tell anyone if she figured it out. Twilight decided to check that box.

Twilight breezed through most of the checkboxes - she was sober, not under any magical compulsion, not being manipulated, above an 8 on the Shining-Twilight-Spike scale of personality match, not currently under legal investigation, and so on.

A few others, such as Are you completely confident that they have never been evil; or, if they were once evil, have fully reformed?, left her hesitant, but she ultimately decided to check those as well.

Only the last one really made her think. Are they so supremely wonderful you are willing to give up something you can never get back for them? You may live five thousand years; do you want them to be forever stuck as your first time?

Twilight thought about it. Shadowlock was wonderful... but it was such a huge thing to do. Would Future Twilight look back on her as a fool for deciding at the young age of twenty-four?

If she would, then damn Future Twilight. That pony didn’t even exist yet; Current Twilight was constantly creating her with her actions. And this in question was one action she realized she was already set on. She checked the last mark so hard it nearly punctured the paper. With the form filled out, she placed it back into the drawer, closed, and relocked it.

She had a reformed bibliomancer to seduce.

Shadowlock poured over The Gentlecolt’s Guide to Seduction. He read as quickly he was confident he could comprehend, committing it all to memory. This was one thing he didn’t want to mess up.

He glanced up to the clock. He’d just passed an hour, and he was almost done.

A few more minutes, and he closed the book. Eight-fifteen. He covered it between the two other books he’d taken, and went back downstairs to the library.

Twilight was waiting there, reclined along a couch, her muzzle deep in a book. One wing were draped over the couch, while the other brushed against the floor. She looked truly beautiful, and he positively ached with longing.

She stood up, and examined him with a seductive gaze. “I can tell you’re made of copper and tellurium,” she said matter-of-factly. His memory scrambled for those elements and what they were used for, even as he blinked in confusion.

“Copper and tellurium?” he repeated in confusion.

“Cute! Cu-Te!” She sighed in dejection. “That was supposed to be a suave line.”

He took the chance to offer one of his own. “But you are like a black hole!”

“I warp spacetime?” she asked curiously.

“Well, you probably can,” he admitted, “but I meant that I feel an immense attraction to you.” He wiggled his eyebrows in what he hoped was a very enticing way.

Twilight giggled at that. “I guess that makes you a really good book.”

“You find me irresistible?” he dared to ask.

Twilight answered, blushing furiously, “Well, yes, but... you’ll keep me up all night.”

Shadowlock felt his heart racing at that line. “Are you--I mean--will we--?”

She kissed him full on the lips, long and slow. His heart burned with the hottest fire as he matched her passion piece for piece. After a brief eternity, they broke apart.

“Yes,” she said simply, and he understood. Not a word more needed to be said.

Shadowlock woke up early. He carefully got out of bed, and jotted down a short note. Every word felt like he was writing in his own blood, but he pushed on anyway.

After what seemed to be ages, but couldn’t have been more than 5 minutes, he looked over the letter one last time, and set it down at the bedside table.

With a sudden surge of emotion, Shadowlock gave Twilight a kiss on her forehead, just below her horn. She mumbled something happily, and he winced a little.

He realized that if he didn’t leave now, he never would. So he opened the unlocked door and headed downstairs.

The castle was quiet this early in the morning, and it felt strange to hear nothing but his own hoofsteps echoing off the vaunted great hallways.

He left the castle, and headed for Ponyville proper. He still needed one more thing for his adventure to really begin.

He stopped in front of Rarity’s house, and knocked. A young filly he didn’t recognize answered the door. “Who are you?” the filly asked.

“My name’s Shadowlock. Rarity was working on my cloak. I’m curious if she’s done yet.”

“RARITY!” the filly yelled. “A stallion is asking about his cloak!”

Rarity came to the door. “Yes, it’s finished. Right this way.” As she noticed his ruffled mane, she slipped into a coy smile. “I’d ask you about the details of your relationship, but there are some things Sweetie shouldn’t hear.”

She levitated him his cloak. It was fully repaired, and felt wonderfully soft.

“This is perfect,” he said with a big grin. “Thank you.”

“Of course, dear!” Rarity insisted. “I couldn’t let T--well, you know.”

“Wait,” Sweetie asked suspiciously, and then gasped. “Is he Trixie’s coltfriend?”

Rarity chuckled. “It’s not polite to pry into the romantic lives of others. I’m sure he’ll tell you all he’s comfortable with.”

“I’ll... err... tell you the next time I see you,” he told Sweetie. With an awkward smiled, he departed.

Twilight woke up cold. Something was back to normal about the bed - and different in this normality.

She decided to ignore the thought and draped a wing around... empty space. She blinked her eyes open.

Shadowlock was not lying beside her. He’d probably already gotten up and was downstairs.

She decided to stay in bed a bit longer. It wouldn’t hurt to rest a bit longer. After all, it wasn’t like he was going somewhere without her.

At last, Twilight felt properly rested. She stretched her wings, yawned, and rolled out of the bed. A reflexive flap of her wings and she landed solidly.

She blinked away the sleep in her eyes, and looked around. Something was different this time. A new piece of paper rested on the bedside table.

She trotted over, and picked it up.

My dearest Twilight,
By the time you read this, I will be long gone. I’ve gone to finish what I started, and find that artifact.
I am so sorry that you have to find out this way. I didn’t have the courage to tell you face to face, and I was worried that you would insist on going. We both know you’re needed here, but I thought you’d feel like you had to come.
This was all my fault in the first place. I should be the one to fix it.
If you hate me for only telling you like this, I don’t blame you. I might hate myself in your horseshoes too.
But know this: I love you.
I hope to see you again soon.
With love,
Shadowlock

Twilight blinked out the tears, letting them run down her face. Shadowlock - gone? After last night... after...

Loss, anger, and sadness mixed into a vile brew. She threw the note into the wall, and ran into her grand bathroom.

Acting as much on instinct as on thought, she got into the bathtub. She turned on the shower, closed her eyes, and thrust her head into the stream. She let the tears mingle with the water streaming down. The soothing, cleansing water washed away the tears and the sweat and the cold and the pain, leaving only peace.

Twilight opened her eyes again. She was still upset, still hurt, still sad, but it had gone from agonizing to a dull ache.

She turned the water to cold, and let the chill fill her body. Its cold brought clarity, and she managed a little smile. There was still a good chance things would turn out okay.

Spike poured some gems into his bowl, and munched down. The fiery, sweet, slightly spicy flavor of ruby filled his mouth.

He heard Twilight clip-clopping down the stairs. “Hey Twilight,” he said with a friendly smile. “Sleep well?”

Twilight blushed for some reason. She also looked a little sad. “Y-yes. Great!”

Spike raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Great, huh?”

Twilight winced, and swallowed. “Alright, not really great. Shadowlock’s gone off on a quest without me!”

“Seriously?” Spike asked. “Didn’t the two of you just go on an adventure for the past few days?”

“Research mission,” she corrected him automatically. “And yes, but this is a much more dangerous one. He could...” She shook her head, like she wanted to shake the thought out.

“So are you going after him?” Spike tried to rile up Twilight’s fire. “If you really love him that much, isn’t he worth the danger?”

“He is, but...” Twilight wavered. “No matter what I might want to do, I’m a Princess now, and that means dealing with responsibilities. Equestria needs me, and spending that much time away - even to protect the stallion I love - would be a breach of trust.” She sighed. “He did the right thing, even if it hurt.”

Spike tapped his chin in thought. “Well, he managed to elude or outfight the seven of us the first time around. I think he’ll be able to handle whatever he’s up against.”

Twilight sat down, and took a bite out of the pancakes he’d already baked. “You’re probably right, Spike. Thanks.”

“No problem,” he reassured her. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Rainbow Dash knocked on Twilight’s castle door. She had to see Twilight, see if she was okay. Who knew what evil things Shadowlock could have already done to her? Maybe he’d crept up on her while she was sleeping and cast some mind control spell!

She shook her head. As much as it felt good to believe that he was pure evil, she had to remember that he probably wasn’t. And Twilight would be mad if she acted like he was. So she’d just keep a very suspicious eye on him...

Spike opened the door. “Hi Rainbow! What’s up?”

“Oh, you know. Just wanted to see how Twilight was doing. Making sure my friends are okay, that kind of thing.”

Spike tapped his chin in thought. “She’s alright, but I’m not sure if she’s good. I think she could use a friend.”

Alarm bells went off in her brain. “Where is she?” she demanded, already dashing inside.

“She’s in the dining room!” he yelled after her.

She angled her body, wings beating furiously. If Shadowlock had touched a single hair in her mane, so help him!

Dash screeched to a halt. Twilight was having breakfast, but Shadowlock was nowhere to be seen. “What happened here?” she asked. No point in beating around the bush.

Twilight looked up from the food she’d been moving around but not eating. “He’s gone,” she said simply.

A few years ago, Rainbow would have cheered and done a loop at him being gone. But though she’d never ever admit it, she’d grown a bit more restrained over the years.

“I’m... sorry.” The word tasted like old radishes, but she managed to force it out.

When she saw Twilight’s surprised expression, she quickly added, “I’m sorry to hear that, I mean. I didn’t like him, but I know he meant a lot to you. And it was a jerkish thing to do to leave you.”

“He had a good reason to,” Twilight said, looking out the window. The morning sun’s rays clawed across Sweet Apple Acres. “He needs to go find something important, and he knew if he told me about it I’d have to go too.”

Twilight sighed. “I just hope he’s alright. I can stand to be away for him for a couple weeks if I have to. It hurts, but I’ll get better. But if something happens to him...” She waved a hoof indicatively. “I don’t know what I’d do.”

Rainbow Dash forced all her angry and bitterness down, and just gave Twilight a comforting hug with a wing. “Hey, he’s pretty hard to catch, and a decent fighter too with his army of annoying book monsters. He’ll be okay.” She switched to her blunt and practical tone. “Besides, worse comes to worst, he’ll just be held for ransom. A princess’s coltfriend is worth way more alive.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “I think you’re right.”

“Of course I am,” Rainbow said with a cheeky grin. “I’m Rainbow Dash!”

Shadowlock looked back over his shoulder at the little town of Ponyville, and the great castle sticking out of it like a spear. Twilight was probably up by now, and probably had already read his letter.

What would she think? Would she understand? Would she be furious at him? Would she never want to see him again?

Only the singing birds in the trees answered him. It was a warm day, and the bright sun glinted beautifully off of the mountains. It was, by all metrics, a wonderful day.

He wished he could have spent it with Twilight.

But he had a duty to fix what he had broken, and she had a duty to Equestria. If he went back now, he would have hurt her for nothing.

So he would just have to cherish the memory of last night, and keep it close to his heart. And he would cherish all the other memories he and Twilight had created in these few days together.

With a newfound strength blazing inside, he turned back to the path ahead. It was time to set things right.

Epilogue

One month later.

Twilight looked into her telescope. Atik was shining brilliantly tonight. She quickly jotted down some notes on its position and luminosity.

The clip-clop of hooves rang out from behind her. “Hello?” she asked curiously.

“Hey Twilight,” Shadowlock’s warm voice responded. A tingle ran down her spine, as it had done every night for the past eighteen days. “Just wanted to see what you were doing.”

“Stargazing,” she answered him, turning from her telescope. She looked at him. He was as attractive as ever, and she felt a smile creep onto her face.

“That sounds lovely,” Shadowlock said. “Mind if I take a look?”

“Go ahead. I’ve got it trained on a bright one.”

He strolled over to the telescope, and pressed his eye to the eyepiece. After a moment, he said, “It’s beautiful, but less than I’d expected.”

“Why’s that?”

He looked back up at her. With a slightly coy smirk, he replied, “I guess my eyes are spoiled from looking at you.”

She giggled, and said, “While I could stay out here all night, it is getting pretty cold. Want to read a book together?”

“I’d love that.” He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. The warmth lingered even as he turned to head back inside.

She followed him, a strange brew of supreme calmness and fiery passion brewing in her chest.

He led her to the library, and gestured for her to pick out a book. She scanned the wall. So many lovely books to choose from!

She settled on a well-bound bestiary of creatures. “How does this one look?” she asked, lifting it from its resting spot on the shelf.

Shadowlock sat down on the couch. Twilight took a seat beside him. The two of them snuggled close together, and read late into the night.