Water flowed around her, ruffling her wings and pulling at her mane and tail. Rainbow wanted to feel annoyed at that, but she felt so calm and happy it seemed pointless to object. Thoughts urged her to go with the current and relax but she was held in place by a gold necklace around her neck with a red glow at its centre.
Focusing on her mystery anchor, Rainbow was sure there was something important she had forgotten but it kept slipping away like a leaf on the wind. There was no wind here, just the smooth caress of pleasant water. The surety of her thoughts retired and Rainbow smiled aimlessly up at the grey sky.
*
Water flowed around her, ruffling her feathers and tugging at her tail and mane. Rainbow felt too comfortable to object. The water was pleasant and nothing at all was bothering her. Part of her mind was making a ruckus about the passage of time and something important that should be registering but Rainbow felt too peaceful to care. The unusual grey sky remained motionless.
*
Water flowed around her, playing with her tail and mane, smoothing each feather. It was a soothing sensation and felt so right. Rainbow was contented but she did feel like she should be travelling with the current. Urgent thoughts fought to be heard but she couldn’t focus on them. She felt wonderfully at peace.
The serenity and silence was broken by the tone of a bell and a magical light. Turning onto her front Rainbow slowly got to her hooves to see what the change had wrought. The feeling of relaxation was shucked from her body like the water that streamed off her. “Twi’? What’re you doing here?” Rainbow knew she spoke the words but it felt immeasurably strange to hear her own voice.
Twilight scanned the grey landscape, a spot of colour in the monochrome. She looked pensive and worried but her expression brightened when she looked at Rainbow. Rainbow smiled to hide her confusion at the mare’s appearance. Twilight held a bell in her magic and a bandoleer was strapped across her body, six bells and a sword fastened to it. “I came to fetch you Rainbow.” She replied, her voice calm and tone even. “Sorry it took so long. I had to collect these.” She shrugged slightly to indicate the bells and blade.
“It’s no problem Twi’ I know you’d never leave me hanging.” Rainbow trotted toward her friend, struggling slightly against the more persistent current of the river. “Where is here though?”
Twilight’s ear perked at some sound unheard by the pegasus. She gave a nervous smile, “It doesn’t matter right now Rainbow. Now let’s get you back home. Ok?” She scanned the area one last time and then began to cast a spell.
The glow of the spell mesmerised Rainbow but Twilight was still on watch. A counter current in the water was heading towards her. Dropping the spell she was casting Twilight switched right to levitation and removed a second bell from its leather pouch. The bell rang out purposefully and Rainbow snapped to attention. So did a pony shaped thing.
Nailing it with her gaze Twilight stamped her hoof in the water, focusing on the creature and forcing it backwards. Twilight stood away from Rainbow and rang the second bell. The creature whined and protested but began to trot away from them. Twilight watched until it passed through a gate on the horizon. Nodding grimly she returned to Rainbow. “Sorry about that. Now where were we?”
Rainbow was dumbstruck and soon distracted by Twilight’s spell once more. The brilliant light became all consuming.
*
Pain. That was the first thing Rainbow felt. Every cell ached, if it hadn’t been an utterly eggheaded thing to say Rainbow could have sworn every atom of her body hurt. Scents came next, astringents and cleaning chemicals assaulted her nose with a whiff of cold and a strange smell like dusty attics or old basements. Sounds arrived soon after, gasps of wonderment with a hint of previous despair and strangely the sound of cracking ice. Rainbow opened her eyes.
“Rainbow? If Ah didn’t see it with mah own eyes Ah’d never have believed.” Applejack sounded amazed. Fluttershy and Pinkie were just starry eyed. Rainbow gave a grin.
“Give her some room.” Twilight ordered from somewhere in the room. Rainbow turned in search of some kind of explanation and was taken aback by what she saw.
Twilight was still wearing the bandoleer of bells, the two she had used in the odd dream were being carefully tucked into their homes. Ice was sliding off her coat and hair, frost was in her breath. Rarity was regarding her fellow unicorn with a mixture of distaste and awe. Twilight shook some water droplets from her fringe and smiled warmly at Rainbow. “Are you ok Dashie?”
“I hurt like buck. What the hay has been going on?” Rainbow’s voice was a weak croak that sounded foreign to her own ears. Twilight looked like she was about to answer when the door to the room opened.
“We should have known that you of all ponies would have inherited the right.” Princess Luna stepped into the room. Twilight stood her ground while the others hurried into bows. They gave the princess of the night a wide berth.
“Magic predates both of you.” Twilight said casually. “This magic is a right of my bloodline. Though none of us thought it would be needed for centuries. Not while the sisters ruled anyway.” She cast a spell and the water on the floor and in her coat dried.
“Still, it was forbidden when we took the throne.” Princess Luna was now stood in front of Twilight, regarding the bells with interest. “We took care of the guarding and our sister made it clear that the other practice was forbidden.”
“It is my blood right Princess, something that cannot be taken lightly nor ignored. After all; Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?” Twilight calmly sat in a chair. Her friends watched in amazement. Rainbow tried to follow along but she really wanted to take a nap.
“It grieves us that you sought to use this for personal reasons Twilight Sparkle.” Her tone was grave.
“It is a good thing then, that it was not personal at all.” Their conversation progressed like a chess game. Definite statements dropping into place with near audible clicks.
“You brought back your friend Twilight Sparkle. An action that certainly seems personal to us.” Luna was keeping her tone as even as the purple unicorn, though the Royal Canterlot voice was echoed in the undertones.
“I was instructed to do so Princess, magic that is beyond our simple reckoning ordered it. If you both kept better watch you would have noted it while I was collecting my bells.” Twilight kept her tone light but everyone in the room knew her words to be almost treasonous.
The other mares had retreated to the far wall. Alternating between shooting glances at Rarity and watching the verbal tennis match. Their expressions were equal parts shock and awe. Rainbow lay in her bed. “Twilight is really sexy like this.” She thought, ignoring her aches and pains.
“My, how forward you are in this role Twilight Sparkle. A far cry from the timid and unsure librarian we first met.” Princess Luna sat in a second chair summoned by her magic. “What was this higher power that ordered your deeply illegal actions?”
Twilight took a calming breath and looked the princess in the eye. “The Elements.” It was the checkmate, game, set and match. The princess was taken aback, Twilight was calm and unassuming despite trumping a literal goddess.
“What do you mean?” It wasn’t exactly a defeated voice, everypony in the room knew Princess Luna would never be able to allow such a tone. However it was resigned.
“As hope faded the elements appeared.” Twilight stated. “The girl’s disappeared shortly afterward and I left my own in the safekeeping of Spike. Rainbow’s left shortly before your arrival. I should imagine my crown has returned also.”
“They acted as an anchor then?” the princess was curious now, her anger and annoyance overrun by academic interest.
“Yes, it held her in place with quite a lot of power. I knew how to reach Rainbow from my training and the element acted as a beacon.” Twilight had calmed now but her sword and bells remained in place.
“What is done is done then Twilight Sparkle. Truthfully we thought the bloodlines lost in our thousand year absence. Sister was not enthusiastic about maintaining or even keeping track of the old arts.” Princess Luna stood. “I am unsure if she would have noticed your actions Twilight, she returned our duties in this regard a scant month after our return.” Everypony in the room was shocked then at her next action. Princess Luna bowed to Twilight. “It will be a pleasure working with you. Remember also that when your successor is revealed I will delight in assisting with their training. Good day, Abhorsen.” A cloud of blue mist enveloped the princess as she rose from the bow. When it cleared she was gone.
Twilight collapsed into a heap. “That went better than I’d thought.” She looked up to the questioning eyes of her friends and gave a weak grin. “I suppose you want me to explain?”
~~~~~
A/N: I could continue this if anyone really like it. Probably in short stories explaining how the crossover works and in what way bits of each fit where. It just seemed like an interesting combination and then the image of Twilight wielding a bell (it looks awesome in my head) sold it to me.
What did you all think?
