Northen Stars

Twilight's wings flapped lightly as she moved the air around her, giving her a comforting sensation she hadn't felt in a while.

The sky above her head was covered with white clouds illuminated by the glow of the sunset that had indicated an ideal moment to stretch her wing limbs, a moment that she ended up taking advantage of after that quick idea crossed her mind. And the truth is that she didn't regret it.

She never thought she would say it, but she had really missed being able to fly and fly through the sky like that, forgetting the worries that had been left on the ground only for a few moments of calm.

She couldn't let that opportunity slip away from her, especially now that her magic was replenishing at a faster rate than usual; perhaps because neither of them, in recent times, had needed to use it too much. Only on occasion to conjure protective spells, or with the intention of defending themself from the creatures that still dwelt in the forest and that occasionally crossed their path.

Although it was also due to the fact that as Sombra had told her at one point that she caught him off guard, the magical power of the barrier that enveloped the island and isolated it completely weakened a bit more as they entered it. This made it possible to have some more of her own magic. That topic was also something else that she was quite curious about, so in the end she had reminded herself to find out more about it in the near future.

Twilight rose even higher in her flight after taking advantage of an updraft, not wanting to expend too much energy on a constant and much more inefficient flapping of wings. After a few minutes like this, she finally managed to rise above the clouds and gaze at the radiant sunset sun.

After a quick glance, Twilight identified a small cloud formation where she could sit and rest for a while. Perhaps, because she still did not forget that she had left the stallion on land after she warned him of her intentions.

She sighed. Perhaps because it was also partly because of that that she made that decision, to get away from him for a few moments and be alone with her thoughts. At the time she wasn't feeling as good as she thought, and it had nothing to do with any physical discomfort that afflicted her, but (maybe) quite the opposite.

Twilight leaned back in the softness of the cloud, at the same time letting another long sigh escape her lips as she took it with her hooves and hid a part of her face in it. All while wondering why right now she was thinking about whatever she was feeling. As she tried to find an explanation for herself to the dilemma that had her mind in a mess at that moment.

Because the truth is that she had no idea why she had reacted the way she had done a few days ago, after waking up from her sleep in the middle of that cave and realizing that she had not been alone and lying in a distant place as she thought she would be. No, quite the opposite. And if she was honest with herself, she was really happy that he had at least had that little kind gesture with her. Although something told her that he was not capable of repeating it with anypony more.

"He only did it because we're a bit closer now, it must be because of that," she thought, trying to placate her doubts.

But in reality that was not what had her so thoughtful. No, but the fact that with every step they took they were much closer to their true goal, to rescue Spike and get out of this place once and for all. However... And then what?

As long as the current relationship between the two remained as it was... How would her friends and family take it when they saw her return after so long, apparently safe and sound, but with the Crystal Empire's unicorn ex-king and former tyrant to whom he had done so much damage? How was she going to explain to them that he was (maybe) no longer a threat?

Twilight sighed long again as she parted from her unexpected resting place. She may have been a bit wrong, but something told her that it was not the time to get her head hot on that question, even if it was important enough not to be ignored. But just this time she listened to her instinct.

But also, if she was really honest with herself... She didn't know why she was thinking too much about all that either!

Twilight staggered a bit in her flight when the distraction of her thoughts prevented her from noticing a treacherous current coming up. She quickly corrected her trajectory and continued on her way towards land, which already seemed much closer. In addition to the fact that Sombra was already waiting for her at the agreed meeting point.

"Then?" He asked, to the confusion of Twilight, who had barely had time to pick up her wings.

"What then?" She repeated his question as a clear frown appeared on her face.

Sombra could only look at her with a slight tilt of his head, without changing his expressionless countenance. Had she really forgotten the confirmation he asked her to make before she left?

Twilight didn't wipe away her frown until she saw the expression on his face. It was then, just at that moment, that she remembered what he had asked of her.

"Ah! Yes, I could see another village while I was up there," she replied, remembering the small open clearing she had seen in the middle of the forest, occupied by a few huts that seemed habitable and that followed a particular path that they could take. Then she ended up raising her hoof to point to the place where she had placed it. "It takes us in that direction, I think one mile or two from here."

Twilight lowered her front hoof and turned to confront him, noticing the somewhat strange look she could notice as she watched him look in the direction indicated. She cocked her head with some curiosity about it, as it gave the impression that he might have remembered something. But it was only a fleeting thing, as his expression recomposed itself faster than she would have thought.

"Then we are much closer to our goal," Sombra muttered deeply, as he moved forward in the path of the alicorn.

He walked slowly, thinking that he only had to wait to see if that place would remain as he had left it the last time he was there, if he took into account all the long time that had passed since then.

Because if it was the opposite, they could no longer resort to any other place that waited for their questions. That was the only one where the answer that both she and he were looking for could be found. Nothing more and nothing less than in the sacred temple of his species, a secret kept for more than a thousand years.

Twilight resumed her steps once again until she stayed by his side, after she reacted to his words and a new desire to know began to grow inside her. She had to admit that her mind had forgotten about it back then and the times she remembered it she hadn't had the opportunity to ask it for various reasons. But now she thought it was just the right time to find out exactly where they were going.

"Sombra?" The unicorn turned in her direction at the mention of his name, and Twilight took advantage of that moment to ask her question. "What is that place really?"

He slowed his pace, though he didn't stop to look at her. He only closed his eyes when he was about to crack a sideways smile that she couldn't see.

"You are really very curious."

Twilight heard that murmur, but before she could say anything, he quickly interrupted her. Sombra's gaze went to those large purple eyes that saw him with a peculiar gleam, as she waited for his answer.

"Do you remember what I told you about those creatures? That they also have their own resting place?" He asked and saw her nod at the memory of that conversation. "Likewise, as you hear it, the place where we go is a kind of bulwark of our knowledge."

For Twilight, everything was clear after he said that.

"It made sense that you knew where it is, after all you're one of them," Sombra frowned deeply when he heard her, however, she didn't feel intimidated and only ended up shrugging her shoulders. "Don't worry, I won't ask what happened to yours again."

Not when she didn't plan to do it anyway. However, on other hoof, he couldn't help but show his amazement at the little alicorn.

"Of course you would eventually notice," he said, then gave a half-smile sideways. "You're smart, I like that."

Twilight immediately raised an eyebrow and let out a slight snort that captured her disbelief.

"Now do you realize?"

The snapping of the leaves suddenly surprised her as Sombra stopped and turned slightly in her direction, at the same time getting a little closer.

"No, now I'm telling you out loud."

And he resumed his journey once more, without turning to see the varied reaction he had provoked in her.

He did not see the expression of slight bewilderment on her face, nor the look that this peculiar pair of eyes had given him, much less the slight pink hue that had colored the cheeks of the alicorn. And the truth is, Twilight was unconsciously thankful for that.

"Uhm, well... Not that you meant to say that before, either," she whispered as quietly as she could to herself, still looking at him.

She began to follow him once more, only to realize unexpectedly that the road that was once flat was now falling into a steep descent. However, the forest around them hadn't changed at all and remained as dark and spooky as ever.

"I definitely didn't see this coming," she whispered as she took care of where she put her hooves so she wouldn't slip on the slope.

"From the heights and with a forest around it?" Sombra exclaimed, snorting. "No, I don't think I would have seen it."

Twilight rolled her eyes at his obvious sarcasm, after dodging a hidden rock she'd inadvertently stumbled upon. In the end she decided to use her wings, even though the trees with pointed branches around her were a risk that she could not somehow ignore. But there was no other way.

"I can't take it anymore like this, I have to go ahead," she said after rising slightly.

Sombra paused for a moment as he rested a hoof on one of the thick, twisted logs, strong enough to support his weight. The slope had become even steeper, not enough to prevent him from going down but enough for gravity to begin to do its thing.

"Well, at least check that we're going in the right direction."

Twilight nodded quickly and then began to follow the path downhill, dodging some trees with difficulty as she flew as fast as she could. Until she reached the end of the road and was able to put her wings away again when she left her hooves on the ground.

She glanced around several times, only to notice the almost non-existent path to sunset that had greeted her. Another look was enough to confirm that it was the same one she had had the opportunity to see during her flight.

Her head turned again after her ear moved when she caught a sudden sound, so she turned completely to face the stallion again. The creaking of the small branches that broke behind her was what had alerted her to his arrival, so she took a few quick light jogs to get closer to him.

"By any chance can I know how you managed to get down?" She asked as she left a hoof in her mouth, though her eyes couldn't hide her amusement. "Because I don't think it was complicated for somepony like you."

He only seemed to shake the fur from her chest until he heard what she had said. Then he simply looked at her and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Was that a joke?"

"Nooo..." Twilight slurred her words as she began to walk in that direction, opposite him. "Why would it be?"

"I don't know, explain it to me since you think it's so funny," Sombra began again after detecting her move, while following her behind him.

Twilight just turned her gaze a bit, pretending to be unaware even though she ended up asking a new question.

"Then you're not going to say it?" She glanced at him sideways with an innocent smile. "It's just that I was curious."

Sombra would have continued to stare at her with the same suspicious expression if it hadn't been for something, perhaps some kind of gesture or a faint glow in her eyes, made him leave her as a hopeless case as he let out a slight exhale. So in the end he decided to satiate her apparent desire to know.

"With a lot of work and a bit magic, that's all you need to know," he replied in a quick growl regardless.

Twilight looked at him with a quick blink, though she still let out a small laugh pleased to herself at his answer.

"Fine, I think that's enough for me," she said then and finally shrugged her shoulders.

And at this he could only raise an eyebrow slightly as he fixed his gaze on her and on the road.

"Good for you, so I have to assume that at least you won't bother me again."

She just shrugged her shoulders again, as if she didn't really have an answer to give him. Although thanks to that gesture, for him it was quite clear.

After that, silence prevailed again between the two, while they calmly followed the path that little by little began to widen. And before they knew it, the evening sun completely illuminated the small village that opened up before them.

For a change with some good luck, there weren't too many ponies in sight, so they took advantage of that moment to cover themselves with their respective cloaks. Twilight hid her unmistakable wings and Sombra the fact of his unusual appearance, before she spoke again.

"It doesn't look bad at all," she said as she shifted her gaze around the place, with a certain curious gleam in it; though in the end she directed it back to Sombra. "But what are we looking for here?"

On this occasion, he did not hesitate for a second to share that information with her.

"It may not look like it, but there's a pretty important hidden entrance here," he replied and continued to the amazement of Twilight, who could only look at him with several questions on the tip of her tongue clamoring to come out. "To make it clearer, it's like a kind of shortcut that we can use to get to that place in a more direct way."

"I understand," she said after that, though she couldn't help but ask anyway. "And where is it located exactly?" She continued to walk beside him while raising an eyebrow with a certain expression of irony. "Or is it a kind of secret passage built under one of those houses?"

Sombra noticed this and just shrugged.

"It could be," he said simply, leaving a possible answer for her.

Twilight couldn't help but let out a slight snort because of that.

"Is that a yes or a no?" She asked in a flat tone, looking at him in the same way.

Faced with the slight annoyance that he could notice in her voice, he only held back a laugh in his mind and did what he knew was going to provoke the same reaction in her. So he shrugged his shoulders slightly, while nothing else looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"It's whatever you want it to be," was the only thing he answered, to her predictable annoyance.

"Really?" Twilight raised both eyebrows in a scathing countenance. "So I guess you're not worried about me going ahead and asking any of these ponies if they have any kind of knowledge about something like that..."

She was about to do the same when an annoyed growl from the stallion stopped her. She just turned her head as she showed a raised eyebrow in a clear expression of wanting to know what he wanted at that moment.

Sombra moved until he was in front of her.

"Just sit still for a second." His brow suddenly furrowed after his gaze caught something in a certain direction.

Twilight cocked her head a bit after noticing that, so she ended up turning to see what had caused that reaction in him. She didn't really see anything, apart from the houses and the few ponies that walked quietly around.

She rolled her eyes slightly. Most likely, it had only been because of that detail.

"Come with me and don't go too far, remember that nopony can be trusted," Sombra muttered as he stepped forward again, not turning to see if she was following him.

Another new and tired sigh escaped Twilight's lips, after she began to follow him until she stayed next to him. Only to end up stepping aside a bit when she decided she was going to let him take care of several unavoidable issues. More specifically, the fact that he searched for that hidden passage on his own.

At the same time, she only nibbled on an apple that she had taken with her magic while watching him from afar. Until she finally noticed how he was coming in her direction.

"What's going on?" She asked, after seeing him arrive with a slightly frowning face.

"Come, we're close."

After that Twilight stood up once more and followed him, as her face made clear the slight expectation that was beginning to grow within her. It increased a bit more when they stopped in front of a cabin/small house and waited for its owner to come out to receive them.

She was about to ask Sombra the specific cause why he thought it was in that place, when the door opened and out of it came a mare with brown coat that only seemed to give them a quick blink. Until her gaze stopped on the stallion.

Then Twilight watched in a slight bewilderment as she softened her expression and began to show herself in a way... unusual for the situation in which they found themselves. She didn't know why, but something about it made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh, yes, yes, what do you want?" The pony asked.

Twilight found it odd that she only seemed to look at the unicorn and not at both as required by the fact posed by that very question.

"I've been told that this place is... perfect, to take shelter one night," Sombra began as he moved his gaze around the place. Honestly, the tone and expression he showed when he said it implied the opposite.

"Sure, of course, you can stay here if you prefer," she replied with a smile before she finally looked at the mare next to him.

Twilight stared at her as she watched her up and down, slowly. Meanwhile, the stallion had not expected an invitation and simply entered the place after leaving the two mares at the entrance. In the end, the pony with brown coat and blonde mane ended up smiling.

"Could you come in to accompany him, please?" Twilight raised an eyebrow when she realized that the mare hadn't offered her her invitation.

"Oh yes, yes, it's okay..." she said after a few blinks. However, she ended up giving Twilight a look that she couldn't quite identify. "You know? I think I kind of envy your luck."

Twilight now showed a bewildered expression on her face because of her recent words. Although in a way she was able to react more quickly than she expected.

"My luck? What do you mean?"

The mare simply smiled again, however, this time she looked inside her home.

"Oh, my dear," she began again in a low tone, looking at her out of the corner of her eye. "You can't deny that he's an excellent stallion."

Twilight was thankful that at that moment, as Pinkie sometimes did, she didn't have a watery liquid in her mouth because otherwise she would have spit it out instantly. But instead, her expression showed marked surprise and bewilderment when she realized what the mare had said.

And when she was able to react, she just let out the words out of her mouth that had nothing to do with what she had said. Not that she had time to fully analyze it, either.

"H-he and me a-are just friends," she stammered with a certain nervousness she couldn't hide. "Or more or less..."

"Don't worry," whispered the other mare with a quick wink. "I have not said otherwise."

This time, Twilight couldn't help but blush at the sudden feeling of shame that began to appear on her face.

"Ah! No, no, no, I meant..." She fell silent again as she closed her eyes, this time she let out a sigh much more calmly. "I'm just saying that we're both traveling, he's my companion and in a way he's with me, but right now we need a place to spend the night."

"Come with me then," the mare said at last as she walked into her home. "This is the only place where you can find shelter for miles around."

After that, Twilight let out a long sigh as she watched her disappear inside. No matter how she had reacted, right now she just needed a moment for her to calm down about what happened recently. And when she finally did, she began to walk slowly to enter the place.

But as soon as she did, the sight of that mare slumped on the ground was something she certainly didn't expect. When she was able to react after those couple of seconds in which she processed it, it was that she ended up running to her aid.

However, just at that moment the sound of the stallion's loud hooves were heard and she ended up looking up when a shadow fell on her. The alicorn's face seemed to distort in bewilderment as she noticed the calm expression on Sombra's face.

Twilight frowned deeply as she immediately raised her head to complain to him in a loud cry of anger.

"What did you do!?"

The unicorn only hinted at a slight frown at the princess's claim, however, his expression remained calm. After all, he didn't think it was necessary to get upset about something like that.

"Calm down, I just knocked her unconscious with a spell," he said as if it were a simple piece of information to give. "She did not suffer any other harm."

Twilight tried, she really tried not to stress about his words, but it was really a very difficult thing to do. And when Sombra turned his back on her to start walking in another direction, she decided to keep quiet and not follow him. But that didn't mean that her anger had subsided.

Instead, she took care of the pony that was sleeping peacefully, after wrapping her in the aura of her magic to leave her on a bed, or so it seemed, that it was very close to where she was. Twilight watched as she seemed to stir slightly as she left her there.

And in the end, when she turned to face the stallion and complain about what he had done, she ended up being more surprised than expected. For there, in front of a solid stone wall and under a table, was the aforementioned hidden passage that Sombra had told her.

In reality, it appeared to be a dark passageway that jutted deep into the earth.

"This is what I was looking for," Sombra muttered as he turned his gaze into the darkness.

Twilight approached cautiously, but she couldn't help but shudder a bit when she did the same thing as him, directing her gaze to a place that promised to attract her, catch her completely, and never let her out again.

"You know? You could have told me what you planned earlier," she whispered, still looking down the deep passageway. "There was no need to do that to the mare."

Sombra glanced at her, but then turned around completely. And yes, he had several things to say.

"Really? And how were we supposed to find this?" He pointed to the pit that opened up in front of them. "Because I don't think she would have been cooperative with us if she realized we were going to search her house." His tone had become more and more ironic, but he stopped when he looked away suddenly because of the next thing he ended up saying. "And I don't think you would have let me do it if I told you about it."

"You're right, I wouldn't have let you do it," she replied simply to everything he said. "No, at least, without you having told me first."

"I honestly have no idea how I would have told you."

Twilight sighed long as she got a sense of how tired she was beginning to feel.

"I don't know how you would have done it, but we could have looked for another solution, as simple as that," she replied in a dry tone while frowning once more in his direction, however, in the end she decided ignore him and go the easy way. "Agh, you know what? I sincerely don't want to argue with you now. Let's go now because I don't want to spend another minute here before the mare wakes up again." She walked past him and began to enter the dark passage, without to wait for the unicorn's reaction. "I really don't want to notice her face when that happens."

Sombra snorted as he began to follow her, a bit annoyed by the princess's incomprehensible attitude. Couldn't she see that this had been the only way?

"Never mind," he replied after the passage closed and darkness fell completely upon them. "Anyway, she won't remember anything after that."

Twilight immediately turned her gaze in his direction. The light of her magic, rather than illuminating her features, only made the deep frown on her face even darker.

"And that's why you had to?" She hissed in a low tone. "Is that the only reason you didn't trust me?"

She turned around completely, not waiting for a response from the unicorn as she continued on her way. At her attitude, Sombra couldn't help but let out a slight sigh as he thought of the best way to try to justify himself.

However, she was already a good distance away from him when he wanted to speak once more. Although in reality he would not have done it if it were not for the silence beginning to get too uncomfortable, at least for him.

"I don't know if that was really why," he began once more, and he knew she was listening to him when she lifted one of her ears in his direction. "But now I ask you," he continued, "Do you trust me, princess?"

It wasn't entirely his question, but rather the tone in which he had phrased it, that caused Twilight to turn completely in his direction with the same countenance as before. Only this time it was much deeper.

"Don't you dare manipulate me with that," she exclaimed without altering her voice, but she certainly continued with the same annoyed tone; however, she ended up emitting a snort while resuming the trail. Still, she had to tell the truth. "Yes I do, but just because I trust you doesn't mean you can just do something that concerns us both without counting on me first." Her gaze fell back on him, but her tone had softened only slightly. "Trust is in both directions, Sombra, I've told you before."

Regardless, she really wanted those words to stay completely in the unicorn's mind.

"Fine," he said in the calmest tone he could find, in an attempt to convey the same feeling. "Just believe me when I tell you that was the only possible option we had."

Twilight didn't respond again and simply let out a slight growl in apparent response. Instead, she just resumed her journey once more and decided not to speak to him again for at least a while. And yes, of course she was upset.

How many times had she trusted him, despite her reluctance, even from the first moment? Even when he hadn't even given her any reason to do so.

So why couldn't he do the same?

She understood in part that this is how his personality was, and she was also aware that before he had managed to cross that barrier and be honest with her about certain things; even if at first it wasn't entirely for obvious reasons. After all, in the end she had really considered all the effort he put into helping her.

In the end she had been able to understand all that... But it still hurt her that he hadn't considered her yet.

After those several minutes of ignoring him, Twilight began to hear a low murmur behind her. Her ears turned and she turned her head while keeping a small frown between her eyebrows.

"What did you say?"

Sombra looked at her and let out another exhale, rubbing a spot under his horn in the process.

"I'm sorry, okay?" He said quickly, then a faint expression of surprise was visible on the alicorn's face. "It's hard for me to trust anypony other than myself."

Twilight returned her gaze to the front after a couple of seconds. Although she ended up speaking again in a low whisper while he stood behind her.

"Then I imagine that this whole situation must be a little more new to you," she said and looked at him again out of the corner of her eye.

At this Sombra looked away to a point ahead as he considered the last thing she had said. Even so, he took several seconds to answer.

"Something like that, I'm still trying," He closed his eyes while giving another slight tilt of his head. "In a way, I wish I could prove otherwise."

At last Twilight looked back at him as a feeling of understanding began to grow within her after hearing his words. At least it was good to know that he was willing to consider it.

Then she ended up letting out another small sigh as she returned to his side once more. Even if she had wanted to, she couldn't feel angry with him for too long.

"Well, at least I thank you for being sincere, though you need more than an apology to show me that you're really willing to trust me." She didn't change the seriousness of her gaze as he opened his eyes again and looked back at her, though she did soften her tone a little more. "But that's okay, I'm going to accept it for now."

Sombra finally nodded slightly after she said the latter and turned her attention back to the road. Stillness crept back between them. In a way, he had already imagined that she would say something like that, but at the end of the day it had been fair. He understood it from that part.

And although now everything was a bit better again, that silence that ended up imposing itself between the two was interrupted once again by Twilight's calm voice.

"You know? I don't want you to see it as an obligation, as something you should only do to look good with me or with anyone." Her gaze again reflected a slight gleam when she met his. "I just want you to know in your thoughts, inside you, that in the end you can count on me."

Then, as if the tranquility of the environment had influenced what she felt inside her, Twilight ended up giving him a small smile that had been born from deep inside her.

"After all, we're still a team, aren't we?"

Sombra shrugged slightly and pretended that this small action on her part hadn't affected him. Of course, now he had to find a way to stabilize his heart rate.

"I suppose," he said quickly, though he corrected the intent of his words when he noticed the flat gaze she sent him. "Don't worry, princess, I understand what you mean."

And so, at last, as she decided to keep the last argument they'd had in a corner of her mind, without quite forgetting it, Twilight came a bit closer and let out a soft laugh that didn't just have an effect on her.

"That's good," she said softly. "Cause I like you to do it."