Northen Stars

"Then there's nothing else I can do to help you?" Twilight asked after they both stopped in the middle of a hallway, in front of two large doors facing each other.

"Not for now, don't worry, what you did was enough," Sombra said with a last nod before sending her away.

Although with some reluctance, Twilight also nodded and murmured another goodbye. Then they both entered the two rooms in front of them, each one had their own.

After having completed the search, neither of them had anything else to do in that place. However, they would have one last night's rest before returning again to their journey the next morning.

Twilight still had in her mind the last thing Sombra had dared to confess, something she hadn't really expected. But now that she was on a bed, in a quiet and comfortable place, all that moment came again and again to her head, as if it were reminding her of the moment in which she had made a worthless judgment and without knowing what was behind it.

Yes, it is true that before she could not have had the slightest idea of what was really happening, but that fact would always be there as a reminder that somepony was not always as he was shown in the beginning.

However, now things could be different.

Twilight took one last look at the room around her before getting ready to rest. Meanwhile she tried to make her mind clear until it went blank, the ideal way in which she could fall asleep.

Although it was difficult, in the end she was able to fall asleep without paying much attention to her other worries.

On the other hoof, Sombra was also in a dilemma of his own when he closed the door to his room. Mostly because of the fact that he accepted the princess's consolation at a time when he was weaker than he really was.

He didn't like that, that show of weakness to anypony that wasn't himself. Showing himself in that way was the most pathetic thing he had done since he was a foal, when they always took advantage of that shy and insecure appearance. That is why he had learned to strengthen himself as soon as he had the opportunity to move away from the empire.

As soon as he had a chance to find out who he really was.

However, even though his mind told him that showing himself that way with somepony else wasn't something he should accept, on the other hoof, a strange sensation inside his chest made him feel that it was okay to have done it with her. As if she could somehow understand that feeling.

But if he was sincere, he had to admit that she had understood him better than he had imagined at first.

Time and time again, she had shown him that he could trust her.

A few minutes later, Sombra let out a tired sigh that felt longer to him than it really was. He removed a part of his mane that had fallen on his face and concentrated on belonging for a while more boredom on the bed he was in. Apparently it was the only thing he could do.

At the time he had no idea how much time he had spent reflecting on himself, though he honestly didn't care either. The dream hadn't come to him yet to reclaim his consciousness, and he didn't even believe it would return as they continued to venture deeper into the territory of dark magic.

There were certain disadvantages, or perhaps not, of being born naturally with that power within him.

Anyway, the fact that he couldn't sleep had put his other senses on constant alert, one that was very good for both of them to watch their backs in that dangerous place. But now that they were in such a dead and silent place, all that did was allow them to perceive in greater detail any disturbance in the environment that was out of the ordinary.

That's why he heard a strange noise coming from the room in front of his, as if it was the low sound of some kind of quiet whine that felt very strange. Only a second later did he realize that it was only the alicorn that was doing it. And it was just at that moment that a frown appeared on his face.

What was happening to the princess? And more importantly, why did I want to go see what was happening so much?

In the end, interest won out over indifference and he ended up getting out of bed. Surely it was only simple curiosity that he felt, unless a little concern for her condition had also crept in.

Anyway, nothing had prepared him for what he was going to find once he opened the door to her room.

(...)

"He's fine, for now..."

A shiver ran through Twilight's body as she recalled the moment of those words, what had caused it, seeing Spike so close and yet so far away, completely motionless before a forbidden and unknown magic.

A magic that, despite everything, she suspected came from.

"Weakened by the place where he is..."

Then her vision was covered by the sight of a strange darkness, as if something did not want her to see beyond what she could. Several shifting shadows were visible to the side of her field of vision, dancing in a strange way as she continued to strive for that point of light.

She ran, ran, ran again, and kept running, in an effort that perhaps hoped would be helpful in reaching what seemed to be getting farther and farther away.

"But he live after all."

Then she saw something, a small, dark silhouette, completely motionless as he was subdued by those very shadows she had seen. She felt helpless. She could only observe and shout the name of that little being.

Not knowing that she could never catch up with him.

Not now that the ground had fallen under her hooves...

And that she ended up waking up with a start.

(...)

At first her ears did not catch the voice that called her name urgently, but as soon as she sat down due to the startle and opened her eyes she was able to notice the dark silhouette of the stallion that until that moment had been calling her.

She didn't know what had happened. Her heart was still pounding from the damn nightmare she'd just had, though she didn't even believe it had really been a nightmare as such. It had felt too real to be sure.

Anyway, that didn't matter anymore now.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, wrapping her front hooves around her chest. "You must have been sleeping, I didn't want to wake you up."

"Twilight..."

He was not prepared for what he was going to find.

She closed her eyes tightly and, without thinking too much, laid her forehead on the stallion's chest. The tears didn't come out, but she still couldn't help but hold back a sob against him. Neither did the words she let out.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Sombra was sure she wasn't saying it for him, she wasn't even saying it for him. He didn't know how, but he was sure of it.

"Twilight... It's okay, it was just a nightmare," he said in an attempt to make her see the truth of what had happened.

"No, I know it wasn't," she whispered as she shook her head, then let out a sigh and tried to calm herself. "Don't say anything, just... stay that way."

Even if there was something to say, Sombra knew that at this moment it was best for him to remain silent. And that's what he did, it wasn't too much of a problem for him to show her calm support.

Meanwhile, Twilight didn't know why she felt so good leaning gently on his chest. Perhaps it was how comfortable his coat was, as she had seen before, or the fact that his presence alone relaxed her more than she wanted to admit. Whatever it was, she didn't want to think about it too much at the time.

However, after a while and seeing that she seemed to be calm enough, Sombra couldn't help but comment on what he thought about it.

"Well, I don't know if this is something normal among friends, but I really didn't imagine that it would be like that."

Even though Sombra had said his comment in a slightly funny tone, Twilight let her features form a small smile when she realized that he wasn't just saying it for that. She felt as if deep down he was looking for something else. Then she let a sigh escape from her lips.

"Just... stay a little longer," she whispered almost without realizing it, not that she wanted to pay much attention either.

"Wow, I didn't know that my company was so much in demand that you want me to sleep with you too," Sombra cracked an amused smile as he raised an eyebrow, despite knowing she couldn't see him.

Twilight let out a small laugh as she shook against his chest, but she still couldn't stop a soft blush from blooming on her cheeks. Maybe if she pulled away a little, he wouldn't be able to notice her heartbeat increasing.

"Of course not," she murmured as she let out another sigh.

She separated her head from her comfortable coat a couple of minutes later, now visibly calmer. Sombra realized that and decided to ask:

"Are you better?"

Twilight ran a hoof over her cheek and nodded. She didn't say anything else and simply decided to stay silent.

"Fine," he let out a sigh and began to walk away little by little. "Now try to rest, tomorrow the day will be long."

She simply nodded, watching as he made the same gesture as he walked toward the door. After Sombra closed it, Twilight lay back in bed, not having many thoughts to bother her.

Having no idea how, she fell asleep again while staring at the ceiling. Perhaps she was so tired that she did not take much importance to the way she did it.

However, elsewhere, knowing that he was not going to be able to fall asleep, Sombra dedicated himself to looking for a few more seconds at the entrance door to his room. Meanwhile, the thought of a certain mare kept coming to his mind with more and more force.

But there was only one true thing in all that.

As much as he tried to deny it, it was a fact that she had become more important than he wanted to admit.

Finally, Sombra entered the room, slowly closed the door behind him, and finally leaned back into it. Then he let out the sigh he didn't know he had been holding back as a new thought flashed through his mind.

"I already know what you're doing to me, Twilight Sparkle"

But along with the understanding that thought brought, there was also everything that it entailed for both him and her.

However, perhaps all that could wait until the next morning.

Twilight didn't remember falling asleep after her sudden nightmare, so when her eyelids opened quickly after waking up from a fading dream, she was confused by the warmth of the blankets that wrapped around her.

She jumped up and the sheets slid down her coat as her gaze shifted rapidly. Although the place was dark, she still recognized the unusual shape of the room she was in, like all the ones she had seen up to that point in the great temple they were in.

Her slow mind took a moment to analyze everything that had happened before and after that bad dream. Then she slowly remembered the time she spent with Sombra the night before. He hadn't said much after sharing his past, and neither had she as they walked calmly to their resting place.

But as she recalled what had happened after she had the nightmare, Twilight felt her face warm at the fact that he had helped her wake up and then calm down about what had happened.

She hid her face in the pillow and let out a small groan when she knew she wasn't going to be able to control her heartbeat. Less so when the thought of what he had done came back to her mind once more.

Okay, maybe she had to admit a little, just a little bit that he wasn't like other stallions she knew. And not just because of who he was, after all he had already shown her that he wasn't quite as she thought.

Twilight realized that he might be the kind of stallion that most mares would wish to dream of; of course, all that if it weren't for his background and the usual sarcastic and moody attitude that predominated most of the time in him.

But in spite of everything she could not deny that he had several things in his favor, counting the fact that he was quite competent with the fact that he had known how to guide them through all that place, he appreciated good literature just like her, he had supported her, very much in his own way but he had done it, he was quite attractive.

"Wait a minute"

Twilight backed away in her thoughts.

"Why am I even thinking about this?" She hid her face on the pillow again, grumbling inaudibly as she tried to ignore the nascent blush she was beginning to feel on her cheeks.

However, something told her that maybe she wasn't so wrong.

"Is what I thought really true?"

Twilight then sat up on the bed again. She soon found herself analyzing what her own mind had highlighted.

"Well, yeah...", She thought that maybe he even had some appeal.

Or maybe, actually... Those strong features, which enhanced his masculine face, that long dark mane, which invited her to slide her hooves while enjoying the softness of that fur that hid a firm and well-toned body. Or maybe his eyes, those pair of deep scarlet orbs that made her feel strange every time she looked into them, made him quite handsome.

Suddenly realizing what she was thinking, Twilight let out a quick squeal and covered her face with the nearby blankets, trying not to be aware of the deep blush she could feel warming her face and cheeks. Meanwhile, her rebellious heartbeat refused to slow down.

She knew, she knew very well that she couldn't begin to think about it right now, not while Spike was still captured and away from her. After they got him back, maybe she could sit down and analyze her feelings better.

Twilight was in that dilemma when the sound of movement beyond the door made her turn her ear in that direction. She quickly tried to get up, trotted to the door, and opened it just as Sombra was about to knock on it to announce his presence. In fact, he still kept his hoof up as he looked at her with a surprised expression.

"Oh, excuse me," Twilight murmured, a blush of embarrassment on her face, then went out into the hallway with him. "Don't worry, I'll be ready to go soon."

Sombra didn't mention anything at that, he just nodded and decided to say what he was coming for.

"I was actually coming to ask if the rest of your night was better than before," he said simply, without giving a glimpse of the slight anguish he really felt.

But Twilight was touched by the simple fact that he had cared enough to come and want to know for himself. Soon she felt another small blush appear on her cheeks.

"Yes, don't worry, I actually didn't even notice when I fell asleep again," she said with a calm smile. He seemed to relax a bit after listening to her.

"Okay, then I'm going to leave you to finish whatever you have to do," he replied later, as he made the pretense of returning to his room. "We'll meet in the big space you saw at the beginning, in an hour. I know you're not going to get lost."

Twilight shook her head with a smile and finally let him go. Meanwhile, she went back into her room.

She let out a broad sigh after doing so and leaned back in the doorway, trying to control her breathing gently to calm herself. At the time she didn't fully understand what was happening to her, but she figured she would eventually find out. For now, she would simply refocus on the other issues.

However, that topic was always going to be kept in a corner of her mind, waiting for it to resurface.