In the Princess's Grip

Rest and Ruin

There was a moment of comfortable silence as they both settled more into the armchair. Sombra, noticing that Twilight still seemed somewhat tense, decided to break the ice.

“Why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself?” Sombra asked, his eyes returning to the images on the windowpane that were now visible again. “Tell me about your friends.”

Twilight turned toward him, noticing how close they were. She regretted giving Sombra such a small, unattractive armchair. She feared that if she got any closer, he might hear her heart pounding and think she was a weirdo.

“Well, they are... they are amazing,” Twilight said, smiling as she thought about her friends and wondered how they were doing on their respective missions.

Sombra felt strange hearing the enthusiasm in Twilight’s voice. The way she spoke about her friends made him wish that she would talk about him that way as well. However, he knew that was not possible; all he had heard since his arrival was the negative image others had of him.

“Oh, and there’s Spike too,” Twilight continued.

Sombra was startled. A male name? Did Twilight have contact with the opposite sex? Suddenly, he felt a strong curiosity to learn more about him. He tried to remain calm so as not to seem strange; he didn’t want Twilight to think he was a crazy creep, despite his other self already having that reputation.

“S-Spike?” he repeated, forcing a smile that seemed more false than the kindness in his heart. “Is he a friend of yours?” he asked, hoping the answer would be negative, though he couldn’t help his curiosity.

“Yes, he’s my friend, my little helper, my little dragon,” Twilight continued with a smile; Spike had been away in the land of dragons for a few days.

“A dragon? Really?” Sombra said, sighing with relief as he masked his happiness.

“Does the other Twilight not have a Spike?” Twilight asked with curiosity.

“Not that I’ve seen…” Sombra replied, reminiscing about his world of origin.

Twilight felt somewhat uncomfortable, looked away, and made a face as if she wanted to ask something but wasn’t sure how to phrase it. Finally, she gathered the courage and asked.

“Were you... close to the other Twilight?” she asked almost in a whisper, though Sombra heard her clearly.

“Well... not really,” he replied, wondering why Twilight was so curious. “I only saw her occasionally, and every time I did… it was strange.”

“Strange?” Twilight asked, eager to learn more details, clearly intrigued.

Sombra thought for a moment and then sighed.

“Yes... sometimes she acted in quite... unsettling ways. Well, everyone has their flaws, but sometimes our gazes would meet, and it was... weird,” Sombra said, recalling those eyes and that expression his mind seemed to constantly try to block out.

Lost in his thoughts, he felt something warm resting against him. Twilight had fallen asleep; she might not have even heard his last words. Perhaps that was for the best.

Sombra smiled, amazed at how adorable Twilight looked asleep. At that moment, he thought she was even more charming when she was calm than when she scolded him. Although teasing her was usually a fun game, there was nothing like seeing that serene expression on her face.

He gently stroked her head, resting his own on hers.

“Rest, little princess,” he murmured tenderly before falling asleep beside her.

“Spike!” The voice rang out in the room, charged with frantic excitement.

The sound reached Spike’s ears as he was in his usual corner, watching attentively. He woke from his resting state and moved on all fours toward the source of the call.

The room was in complete disarray, with books and jars scattered everywhere. Torn and shredded papers lay on the floor, as if dragged in a fit of anxiety.

Spike carefully advanced to avoid stepping on the papers, knowing that Twilight hated it when the documentation got damaged. She had a tendency to hit him when things didn’t turn out the way she wanted

Amidst the confusion, there was an unsettling energy in the air. He swallowed hard as he approached, feeling the weight of the tension.

“I’m here,” Spike said, approaching her with his tail between his legs and a touch of nervousness. “Twilight.”

Twilight turned to him, her eyes glowing with a disturbing intensity. Those eyes, those eyes were not normal.

“Spikey, the boring king is hiding from me!” Twilight said, her manic laughter escaping in loud, uncontrolled cackles that echoed through the room.

Spike, confused, frowned as he watched Twilight with growing concern. Though trembling with nerves, he tried to stay calm; he knew she didn’t like weakness.

“T-The boring king?” he asked nervously, his voice trembling.

Twilight leaned toward him, her eyes shining with an uncontrolled and obsessive intensity.

“Yes! It’s a game! A game to keep me entertained! We’re playing hide and seek!” she said, her voice filled with a mix of exasperation and frenzy. “I can’t let anything break my perfection!”

Spike, feeling increasingly uncomfortable, took a slight step back, unsure how to handle the growing madness emanating from his owner.

Meanwhile, Twilight continued to search frantically among her papers and formulas, her uncontrolled laughter resonating through the room. She was completely immersed in the intensity of her obsession, as if the world around her had ceased to exist.

“I’ll find you, Sombra,” she murmured with a disturbing mix of tenderness and determination, her voice laden with a manic promise.