Dash of Ego Sidefic: Twilight's Twilight

Twilight Velvet hummed to herself as she dried the final dish of the many she had cleaned that evening. The small dinner party had been a more down-tempo event than she normally liked, but there wasn't much she could do about that. Rumors about one of the elements of harmony becoming evil had soured the mood of everyone in attendance.

Despite the news, or probably because of it, they had polished off more than a few bottles of wine. Twilight Velvet herself wasn't much of a drinker, but it was hard to deny that it helped take the edge off. Even now, hours later, she could still feel a bit of it running through her system, making everything a little blurry.

Her tune slowly dissipated as she placed the final plate in the cupboard, and was about to head back into the living room. A sudden flash of movement drew her eye to the large window and made her pause, however. With the moon hidden behind storm clouds, and a light rain coming down she could barely see anything outside her home.

The tiny magical lamps placed along the walkway did very little to illuminate the otherwise dark expanse of property. Leaving the mare’s imagination to run wild, conjuring up strange, demonic shapes amidst the many deep shadows. A shake of her head dismissed the worry plaguing her, the pony reminding herself that she had a home defense ward.

A glance at the edge of the property revealed that the mostly invisible bubble was still there. It shimmered into existence every few seconds, refreshing itself with another surge of magical energy. It felt a bit like overkill, but after what she’d heard from Twilight, the older mare had decided that it was the right thing to do.

Pushing such worries and concerns from her mind, Twilight Velvet trotted over to the small table near the door. There sat a pile of discarded mail, forgotten amidst the hubbub of company and the preparations that came with it. Flicking through the mound, Twilight Velvet noticed that one was a little lumpy while another had already been opened.

Peeking inside revealed nothing out of the ordinary, though it still set off alarm bells in Twilight's mind.

“Huuun,” she called over her shoulder. “Someone’s been messing with the mail again.”

“It's probably just the neighbor kids!” yelled a male voice from the other room. “You know how those two rascals can get.”

“I suppose,” Twilight Velvet murmured to herself.

Flipping through the various slips of paper, Twilight Velvet soon came to a bright envelope advertising fifty percent off quills. The mare trotted over to the sink, and opened up the cupboard beneath it, intent on tossing the ad into the trash. Once more she found herself struck by small detail, only this one wasn't a movement but a single long blue hair sticking out of the top.

Pulling it out revealed that it was a light teal, and smelled faintly like vanilla for some reason. With disgust now burning hot in her chest, Twilight Velvet cast it, and the advertisement into the trash. The rest of the mail revealed little of interest, and even the lumpy one contained only a pen with a logo for a funeral home on it.

“Morbid,” Twilight Velvet muttered as she cast it into the garbage along with the majority of the mail.

Walking back into the living room, Twilight Velvet found her husband still sitting on the couch, a glass of wine floating before him. The rest of the space was uncleaned and was still exactly as messy as she had left it after the company had departed.

The mare sighed. “Dear, I asked you to clean this stuff up.”

Night Light chuckled and swirled his wine. “I am, see? I’m polishing up the wine first.”

Twilight Velvet snatched the cup from her husband’s glass and quaffed its contents in a single gulp.

“There. Now you can get started for real,” Twilight Velvet exclaimed.

Night Light chuckled. “Fair enough dear. I’ll meet you upstairs for a little fun.”

“Oh really?” Twilight Velvet stepped forward and bopped the other pony on the nose. “Who says you’ll even get to have any fun?”

“Oh, I will. I know how you get after a few bottles of wine,” Night Light shot back, flashing his wife a wide smirk.

“Then you better hurry up,” Twilight Velvet retorted.

The mare then turned, and gently smacked the male with her tail, causing a blush to spread across his already slightly red face. Twilight Velvet could feel her husband’s eyes on her backside as she walked out of the room. His gaze was no doubt devouring the sight of her aching sex visible between each swish of her long tail.

Then she was gone, leaving him behind and making her way back into the kitchen once more. There she found that everything was as she left it and that the ward was still operational. A quick scanning spell told her that it was nearly full power and wouldn't require charging for a few weeks.

Still, her eyes traveled the length of their property, searching out any imperfections or things that were out of place. When she found none for the second time, she breathed a sigh of relief and moved over to the front door. With her anxiety slowly dissipating and her heart rate returning to normal, the mare turned the lock before activating the deadbolt.

Taking a step back, Twilight Velvet smiled faintly and was about to turn around when she saw the handle move. The metal rattled several times before falling silent once more, the sound of hoof steps audible through the wood. She wanted to scream, to get her husband, but she stifled that fear by reminding herself of her home defense system.

A hoof brushed against the floating prism sitting atop a rune-engraved end table near the door. It took only a tiny mote of magic to cause a scrying window to open up, revealing a bird’s eye view of the house. From on high, she could see that the property was empty, and another small spell recorded only two signatures within.

Hers, and her husbands, which were represented by two motes of energy, one grey, the other a dull blue color. The less colorful blob sat in front of the door while the other was situated in the kitchen and was moving slowly. With the knowledge that there was no one else around now firmly in mind, Twilight Velvet released a sigh.

“Probably just a glitch or something,” she muttered to herself.

She checked the wards a third time before finally continuing her routine once more. The window was latched, the yard observed, and found empty yet again. The leaky tap was shut firmly, and the light was turned off. Yet even with the front area of the house secure, Twilight Velvet didn't initially leave, choosing instead to linger there, peering into the darkness.

However, no movement or noise could be detected, so with a bit of worry still sitting in her heart, she moved on. Into the back half of the home, where their stairs up waited as well as the living room and the entrance to the back porch. She passed by the living room without giving a look inside, making her way straight to the other exit.

The glass door was still closed, and still overlooked the patio, and their large, mostly empty yard. Peering a little closer at the old treehouse, Twilight Velvet was almost certain she saw movement. It had barely been noticeable, however, so she dismissed it as just another leaf falling from the huge oak tree that dominated the back half of the home.

With a flick of her magic, she secured the lock in place before tugging on it a few times with her hoof. The knowledge that it was secure was a gentle balm to the mare’s already frazzled nerves. As was the cool breeze rolling in from the combination back bathroom, and utility area to her right.

Her head immediately snapped in that direction, her gaze landing on the open window and the gently billow curtains next to it.

“Hey, huuun?” Twilight Velvet called. “Did you open the back window?”

For a moment there was silence, then just when Twilight Velvet was about to start worrying, her husband replied.

“Oh uh yeah. It was getting a bit stuffy in here. Did I leave it open?” he shouted back from the living room.

“Yeah. Don't worry, I got it!” Twilight Velvet shouted back.

The mare moved into the slightly cool back room, and flicked on the light, revealing that nothing was out of place. Laundry still needed to be folded, sheets still required being put out, but all that could wait for the morning. At the moment the only thing Twilight Velvet was concerned with was the window, which she remedied quickly.

She paused to glance through the small, two-foot wide opening, peeking her head outside. There she saw the garbage cans lined up to her right, sitting in a row beside the house. Her gaze narrowed, and she wondered if they were closer than usual, only for that thought to be dismissed.

“Probably just my imagin-” her mutter was cut off by the swift hoof steps making their way up the stairs.

Spinning around, Twilight Velvet saw a flash of familiar blue and released another quick exhale.

“My nerves are getting the better of me,” she murmured to herself.

Closing the window and latching it firmly, Twilight Velvet made her way back to the stairs. As she moved she flicked off the light and was about to trot up to the second floor but stopped herself. The light in the living room was still on, drawing a groan from the pony.

“You forgot the light!” Twilight Velvet shouted.

There was no response save for the sound of hooves making their way from the second floor up to the third.

“Excitable colt,” Twilight Velvet murmured to herself. “I swear, as soon as sex is brought up he gets ten years younger.”

Twilight Velvet reached into the living room and flicked off the light, not bothering to inspect the room as she had the others. Missing the fact that on the floor near where the Night Light had been sitting was a discarded wine glass, its final contents dripping out onto the floor. She also didn't notice the still warm splash of blood that was scattered across the couch, its crimson contents invisible in the dark.

Humming to herself once more, Twilight Velvet trotted up the stairs and into the second story of their home. Here their children would be sleeping, had they both not moved out years ago. Now it was an office, and a workout room. Or at least that's what it was supposed to be as it was so full of their children’s old toys and stuff that the spaces were barely usable. Only the bathroom which sat between the two bedrooms was actually suited for its designated function, as were the stairs above her head.

She was still a bit worried about protecting the sanctity of her home however so Twilight Velvet made sure to latch all the windows. With the lights off, and everything secure she made her way up to the floor, a smile slowly coming to her face. That grin departed when she heard the sound of something heavy falling onto the carpeted floor. It was then followed by someone hitting the wall then floor right after, only to scramble back up to their hooves almost immediately.

“Hun?” yelled Twilight Velvet.

When no response came, she peeked her head up onto the third floor, peering towards the source of the sound. The light coming through the crack of the master bedroom swung back and forth, illuminating the hallway briefly before returning to darkness. Short though it may have been, it was more than enough time to see her husband lying face down on the ground, blood leaking from his nose.

When the light swung back a second time, he was gone, as was Twilight Velvet herself. The pony was already sprinting back down the stairs before she even comprehended her situation. Landing with a thump on the second food, she immediately dashed around the corner and leaped down.

By the time she hit the first floor, she heard the sound of rapid hoof steps coming from behind her. Too light to be her husband’s the rapid thumps mimicked the lightning-fast intake of the mare’s own beating heart. But Twilight Velvet was no fool, she knew that in the event of a home invader it was best to escape and get help.

So she ran as fast as she could up to the front door, her magic already reaching for the locks. While she worked on the heavy obstructions, the pony glanced over to the scrying sheet and noticed something odd. A teal light was right behind her.

“H-how,” she muttered.

“I’ve got wings, duh,” replied a voice.

Something heavy slammed into Twilight Velvet’s head, knocking her to the ground and causing her spell to dissipate. A heavy, wet cloth then covered her face, smothering her and forcing her to breathe in the pungent, chemical-filled aroma. She wasn't about to go down without a fight, however, and as her limbs started to grow unresponsive, Twilight Velvet lit her horn.

A burst of magic was sent directly behind her, causing a scream of pain to rip from the throat of her attacker. Despite the agony she had caused her foe, the other pony remained firmly atop her, cloth held to her mouth. Twilight Velvet tried a second time, but it was already too late and with a thump, she hit the ground, unconscious.