Chapter Three: Mirror Mayhem

Darkness.

Darkness was everywhere. Darkness enshrouded the entire plain of existance. Everything was a massive void of utter blackness. Not like space, however. There were no stars, no planets in the ever expanding backround, no sun nor moon. No way to hear you scream. Not that it really mattered at the moment, because the only inhabitant was unconcious at the time. And that one pony was Aqua Blue.

Aqua's body floated aimlessly in the darkness, unmoving, seemingly unscathed from him brush with death at the claws of the now dead Manticore. His face was relaxed, calm and collected, as he drifted upon the void. His body slowly faltered downwards, as if gravity was suddenly pulling down on him. He couldn't resist, obviously in his comatose state. His body becoming more and more of a speck in the bleak realm of existance. Unable to speak, to move or to even think, Aqua finally blinked out of the void with a fade.

Wherever he was heading, he had no say in it.

"Are you sure he'll be ok?" Twilight worriedly asked as she stuck to the operating table like a moth to a flame. The zebra withdrew his stethoscope from the pegasus' chest.

"Quite positive. He'll be concious in about half an hour, but he'll still be groggy. So don't let him do anything stupid," The zebra said as he deposited his aspirator into a nearby drawer. "So what exactly were you two doing in the Everfree at this hour?"

Twilight responded, "Well, we were just in Phillydelphia a few hours ago, and we got here and he made this nice hut, then..." A blush flushed over the mare's cheeks as she tried to wiggle around the impending subject. "He...told me a really funny joke."

"What was it?" The zebra asked, devoid of all jovial expression.

"Err, w-what did the mare say when she fell off a bridge?" Twilight quickly blurted out.

"I give up. What did she say?"

"Help! I've fallen and I can't giddyup!" Twilight answered, sealing it with a cheesy smile. If there were enough rimshots and groans from the Manticores to go around, Twilight could swear she'd gone deaf from the amount of it. The zebra pinched the bridge of his muzzle in irritation.

"Hilarious. I'm sincerely in stitches." The zebra snarked in Twilight's direction.

"Anyway! Like I was saying, we were laughing, um, well, I was laughing, and I guess a Manticore was around...need I go on...?" Twilight droned on with a wave of her hoof.

"Stop, stop. I've heard enough. Your situation is as poignant as that joke was."

"Look, not to sound rude, but is there another zebra named Zecora around here? She's really close to Ponyville, and we're kinda hoping to get there by the end of the day." Twilight asked.

"I know the directions. I believe I have a map just lying around here collecting dust. Let me fetch it for you." The zebra said as he turned from Twilight to the downwards staircase. Twilight looked down at Aqua's comatose body laying amidst the table, and she took his limp hoof in her own, and she kissed it, letting it run down the side of her face. With a sigh, she set his hoof back at his side before trotting to the basement with the zebra in search of the map.

Where am I?

Thoughts began to stream through Aqua's now concious brain as he came to mentally. How long had his brain been inactive for? An hour? Five? He didn't know. Questions raced through his mind already at this rate, too much for him to process.

Is Twilight alright? I hope to Celestia she's safe. Wait...where am I now?

Aqua awoke, or pseudo-awoke lying on his back, and he found it being rustled by the long stalks of wheat accompanying the field floor. The wheat stalks began swaying in the wind as a few stray dandelions fluttered in the breeze.

"What is this place?" Aqua thought out loud as he straightened onto his haunches, shifting uncomfortably against the hard wheat grass. He expected to cringe in pain from his injuries, but he discovered no such things. It was as if he hadn't even been attacked by a Manticore, which he now preferred over his new state of conciousness. He took to his hooves and began trotting in an aimless direction around the everlasting golden wheat fields of hay. The more he trotted in the direction of the sun, the more he heard a feminine voice.

"Aqua? Is that you?" The voice asked from some invisible section of the fields. Aqua put a hoof to his ear as he attempted to make out the distorted call.

"Is that you, Twilight?" Aqua answered to the disembodied voice.

"Over here! Follow my voice!" The mare cried out, her voice gradually growing in volume as Aqua advanced further in the sun's direction. Pushing past the taller strands of wheat, Aqua slowly made out what he was squinting towards.

He had begun to see purple colors sticking out from the visible spots through the wheat; purple fur, purple hair, and purple eyes. Finally making out the mare before him, he made no attempt to hide the joy in his smile as he saw his wife.

Twilight was grazing the hay short to the ground contently, and when she pulled her head up from the patch, a wide grin spread across the mare's face, and she excitedly rushed to him like an overactive schoolfilly.

"Ohmigosh, Aqua! You're ok!" Twilight squealed as Aqua ran for her with open hooves. As Twilight was about to embrace him, she wavered through his body like air, her appearance distorting itself for a few seconds before returning to normal. Confused, Twilight again attempted to hug him, but again, she wavered even harsher, taking longer to fizzle back. She looked up at Aqua with glistening eyes, and Aqua trotted over to her, and hugged her. Sadly, the moment he made contact, he did not expect what happened next.

She completely disappeared in his grasp, and all Aqua could feel between his hooves was the sensation of air. He clung to the last shreds of what remained of his wife, and he solemnly dropped to his hind legs defeated.

"This can't be real. This is all a dream. And yet...it feels real to me." Aqua mused as he was confused on what action to take. Suddenly, he heard the same voice.

"Aqua..."

"Twilight? Where are you?" Aqua asked, no answer. He trotted towards the sun, only to hear Twilight's voice behind him.

"Wake up, honey..." Twilight's voice rang like a ghost's through the hay fields, confusing Aqua even more. He lowered his head and turned around, only to be completely taken by surprise what he saw.

"Aqua! Wake up!" Twilight voice reverberated through Aqua's mind as his eyes widened in surprise. His jaw opened to speak, but the floor suddenly opened beneath him, taking the loose strands of hay with him as he felt the air flow through him, and he fell screaming all the way.

Aqua screamed bloody terror as he harshly awoke on the operating table of the hut. His screams echoed through the forest as if he was in the middle of being murdered. A soft, purple hoof touched his unharmed shoulder, and he turned to see Twilight, stuck to his side.

"It's ok. It's ok. You're alright now, Aqua. Oh thank Celestia you're ok." Twilight cooed in a motherly tone to the Jedi as she wrapped her hooves around his neck.

"H-How long was I unconcious?" Aqua stuttered, still adjusting to being woken up so abrupty.

"About 2 hours or so. The zebra kept using healing herbs and potions on you. You got clawed pretty bad from that Manticore."

"Well, thank you for saving my life." Aqua said.

"You're welcome," Twilight said as she blushed, "And by the way, the zebra told me he knows how to get home."

"Zebra? You mean Zecora?"

"No silly, I mean the zebra who healed you. He knows where to find Zecora." Twilight answered. Aqua's eyes widened as he realized what he was being told.

"Well then we must go find her. Her hut's close to Fluttershy's cottage, so we'll practically be out of the forest by then. We have to go now!" Aqua said as he began rising off the table.

"No. You're still in pain. You need to relax while I find her myself." Twilight said as she gently held Aqua onto the table.

Aqua strained against her hold as his spine crackled slightly in resisting, "No! I have to protect yo-- arghh!" A sharp, seering pain shot through Aqua's back as his flailing hooves ceased movement.

"No. You're not going anywhere until you rest up. You are going to lie right there, and wait for me to come back." Twilight ordered, stamping her hoof at the end of her sentence. "Do you understood?" Aqua was taken aback as his eyes darted about the hut. He glimmered as an idea finally hit him.

"You will let me come with you." Aqua said in a suggesting tone, waving his hoof in front of Twilight's face. Twilight was not amused at all.

"Did you really think a mind trick would work on me?" Twilight asked as she glared at the Jedi. Her stern gaze made a few beads of sweat appear on his forehead.

"No...but it was worth a try." Aqua answered, defeated. He knew attempting a mind trick on the smartest mare in Equestria would've had as likely a chance of success as if she had placed a hundred mental locks on her brain, and if all the keys to them were in locked chests.

"Was it really?" Twilight continued, still holding her glare, then shifting into a victorious grin. "If you need me, I'll be out looking for Zecora." And with a playful bop to the nose, Twilight trotted away towards the door, turning back to see Aqua shift under his covers in an ill attempt to escape.

"So don't move a muscle~" her singsong voice rang as she stiffened Aqua's blanket with her magic, tucking him into it and nearly encasing him in it like a cacoon. Aqua's ears flattened as he heard Twilight's hoofsteps retreat from the hut, he resigned himself to his imprisonment and put a hoof to his forehead.

"I'll try my hardest." Aqua said to nopony in particular, rolling his eyes and staring up at the ceiling. He heard a faint hoofstep before a masculine voice rang.

"Some wife you have there, hmm?" The zebra healer remarked with a smirk directed at Aqua.

"You have no idea." Aqua groaned as he slid his head to the side and faced the wall.

A stray leaf blew across the ground as a distant howl of a Manticore could be heard. It had been hours since their departure from the Changeling Kingdom, but being cooped up there had seemed like decades. The preceding days of activity had been most tiresome, and it seemed nothing would alleviate it.

And yet for Sombra, he hadn't felt more alive in a thousand years. His silver-armored hooves stomped against the crunchy brush, crackling upon the leaves as his presence caused a few woodland critters to retreat into their homes. A certain aura emanated from the demonic unicorn, and he gave no care in the world to it but a feeling of pride.

In place of his red cape with white trimmings was replaced with a cloak the same color of his skin, covering the silky black mane of his and concealing the head and face. A lowly growl escaped his throat as he trotted beyond the crossroad of bushels. Accompanying him by his side was a tall, lanky alicorn-like pony, Queen Chrysalis, outfitted in a suit of black leather covering the tall and holed legs of the queen. The two walked in errie silence as the wind seemed to force itself into a gale in their presence. The silence ensued before Chrysalis spoke.

"Lord Sombra, are we approaching the pool?"

"No Chrysalis. You know our plan, do you not? Or must I remind you again?" Sombra answered.

"No, my king. The plan is simple. I will follow it with your leadership." Chrysalis said as she lowered her head in recognition.

"And you will do so to follow my command, Chrysalis. I assure you we are close, though. Remain patience." Silence resumed as Sombra heard a roar from the bushes.

"What is that, Sombra?" Chrysalis asked. A claw extended from the bush, nearly taking Sombra's eye out, but he simply stopped and his horn glowed blood red. The aura engulfed the entire paw of the creature, and with a barely noticeable tilt of his head, the whole monster was thrust harshly out of the bush, colliding with a nearby tree, the force of it's weight taking the entire tree down with a toppling rumble. He smiled happily as the Manticore groggily rushed him, but Sombra was prepared. Lowering his body, he ducked under the beast and with a lick of his lips, plowed his long horn clear into the stomach of the Manticore. It roared in pain as an evil grin was plastered on his face, and with a vivid red flash of light, Sombra winked onto the back of the monster.

Wrapping his dark hooves on the neck of the Manticore, Sombra's face turned to sadistic pleasure as he twisted his hooves. A satisfying crack resonated throughout the forest, and in seconds, the Manticore was down, and Sombra victorious. Chrysalis rejoined him before gawking at the fallen corpse.

"You killed it, didn't you?" Chrysalis asked in amazement.

"Well, it was blocking me. I removed it. Not much of a fight, but it's the most exercise I've gotten in eons." Sombra said as he cracked his back happily. With a smirk, Sombra turned his back and simply began walking away with Chrysalis in tow. A faint chuckle echoed from his lungs as if all the life around him seemed to die instantly.

Twilight ran. She ran for her life. Her hooves clashed against the ground as she heard roars echoing behind her. Sweat beaded off her brow as she huffed and quickened her pace. Her horn flaring at a dangerous level, she winked out in a fast sprint, blinding all creatures behind her as she reappeared farther away. Behind a massive rock, Twilight panted in exhaustion as her heart rate returned to normal.

"Oh thank Celestia they're gone. Phew! I hate those Timberwolves! That nasty breath of theirs, blech!" Twilight moaned as she inched away from the rocks with worry.

Her trot turned into another full-blown sprint as she ran down the dirt road, barely avoiding the tiny pebbles threatening to cause her to stumble. With a glow of her horn, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I don't need Aqua to follow me wherever I go. I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" Twilight said to herself as a magenta arrow materialized in front of her. Smirking, she ran in the direction of the arrow, following where it pointed her towards.

Good old mapfinder spell. Works every time!

Twilight's thought interrupted her as her front hoof made direct contact with a log, tripping her up and sending her plummeting.

"W-Whoa!" Twilight yelled as she felt air under her hooves, as it turned out she was falling off a steep cliff. Shouts of pain, swears, and other obscenities were heard as she felt scrapes brush against the side of her legs, her flank, and chest. Finally, she toppled over the edge of the cliff, and fell a good 10 feet.

"Buck gravity!" Twilight screamed as her horn twinkled, casting her in suspended animation above the ground, saving her from getting a broken neck. Winking back onto her hooves, she nervously glanced around before sighing to herself.

"Ok, Aqua probably could've sensed that coming, but hey, I survived that. He could've caught me, but at least I have magic." Shaking her head to remove the twigs from her hair, Twilight trotted from the would-be crash site and into a bush. Emerging from the flora, she gasped to see a hut in front of her.

"Zecora's hut! Well...that was easy." Twilight said as she peeked out from the bush.

Aqua was sitting upright on the table, delightedly sipping at a bowl of soup before him. He hummed to himself as he saw the zebra face him.

"Thank you for taking the time out of your day to help me, kind sir. Not every day I see hospitality around these woods." Aqua said.

"It is no trouble at all, my friend. You seem like a nice fellow, and your wife appears just as well. You're lucky the Manticore knew you, or you'd probably be spawled across the dirt decomposing." The zebra answered. Aqua took another sip of his soup, and marveled at the taste in his mouth.

"Mmm. This soup is delicious. What exactly's in it?" Aqua asked as he stirred around the contents of the bowl.

"Just some carrots, mushrooms, celery, and some sliced olives. I won't tell you how common you can find those type of ingredients."

"Delightful. If there's anything I can do to repay you for what you've done, don't hesitate."

"It's quite all right. I only ask you get out of this forest safely. Perhaps a visit when you're not incapacitated?" The zebra suggested with a chuckle.

"I'll make sure to do that. Maybe when I get directions, I won't get lost. Until then, I leave you with this." Aqua said as he dropped a box on the table.

"If it's no trouble, but shouldn't you stay here until your wife comes back. She seemed pretty intent on keeping you here."

"Oh, don't worry about me. Twilight may be a bit over the top with my safety, but I assure you, I can very well protect myself. Have a very good evening, Mister...?"

"I am Absolin. May we meet again, my friend." The zebra said as Aqua departed the hut. He trotted from the Manticore campsite before he made a note to himself.

"Mental note; make sure to visit again." Aqua said to himself as he climbed over a rock. He continued his trek before a stray thought bombarded his brain.

I do hope Twilight's alright. Poor dear, she must be still in these woods, or even at the old campsite, being hunted by Manticores or Timberwolves. I have to find her. Aqua told himself as he began hovering above the ground with his wings. He had thought that Twilight and him were supposed to go at a situation together, united as a couple. Of course he knew she meant well, considering the injuries he had sustained. Now he began to notice said injuries had looked as though they had never been struck on him. He continued to think to himself as he avoided a hanging branch.

If only Twilight had let me come with her. Certainly she knows if she were to find Zecora, she'd have to come back and bring me with her, on the grounds that I had recovered already. Aqua already knew what his game plan was; to find Twilight somewhere deep in the woods, and bring her back to Ponyville.

Maybe she already found her way to Zecora, but I just need to find her too. And if she's already there, maybe we'll cross paths. Though I might get a scolding from her for leaving my rest, but I'd take that rather than have her relay back to me. He continued thinking to himself before getting lost in his thoughts, a common habit he had adapted while he would listen intently to Twilight's magical lessons or lectures, a habit she would point out every so often to tease him. A smile crept onto his muzzle as he relished in his thoughts, before he had gotten a visit from them in the form of a tree.

Aqua slammed into the base of said tree, elicting a groan of pain from the stallion as he pried his face off the wood. Shaking his head in frustration, he cursed to himself before dropping onto his hooves and began a steady sprint along the dirt path. A ghastly green mist surrounded his hooves and puffed out with every trot, but he paid it no mind. A low growl accompanied the fog, but he still paid it no mind. Stepping on a twig, Aqua allowed for another roar to sound from the unseen corners of the dense forest. He turned his head to see a wooden clawed foot raise from a nearby bush, and he made no effort to reach for his lightsaber clipped to his side. With a roar, a pack of Timberwolves burst from the bushes, fully green eyes peering down at him and intent on attacking him. Aqua sidestepped to cause a pair of wolves to clash into each other, wooden appendages flying from the scuffle.

Aqua turned to see the pack leader glaring down at him with green saliva dripping from it's wooden maw. He smirked as it went to slice at his neck, but Aqua craned to side and emplored a Force Push against the wolf, sending it off the ground and into a nearby tree, causing trigs and branches to fly off it. As another rushed him, the stallion dipped under it and grabbed it's hind leg, and with a sharp twist, the wooden leg snapped off, and the Timberwolf howled in response.

With a heave of his forehooves, Aqua battered the downed wolf with it's own leg, shattering it to mere branches and logs, the green glow of it's eyes dissapated. The remaining four all attempted to lash at him, but Aqua quickly jolted skyward, and another collision of Timberwolves resonated through the woods. Taking his chance, Aqua gestured towards a nearby tree, and with a yank of his hoof, the base of it buckled under his Force energy, and he let it drop onto the remaining wolves, completely shattering them to pieces.

With a sigh, Aqua wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead before taking his leave. He was a few meters from the scene before he stopped and shuddered.

"What is that? I feel so cold." Aqua remarked in confusion, as his form-fitting tunic had protected him from most cold weather, but was no help in seering heat. He took note to see the few tears in his tunic were also mended by Absolin. He smiled faintly at the generosity that had been displayed before a breeze sent a chill down his spine.

"Why is it so cold? It feels so unnatural. Just like the one I felt after going through that mirage a few months ago." He said to himself before he began to trot forward again. A sharp crackle of wood echoed in his ears, and Aqua suddenly felt petrified as he heard a faint breath, the sound of hooves crunching against the fallen Timberwolves. The unnerved pegasus slowly turned his head to see what was approaching him. His eyes widened before he knew what hit him, quite literally.

"You?!" Aqua shouted in alarm as he felt himself being lifted off his hooves, the force of the attack knocking him to the floor with a groan. He flared his wings in defense as he reached for his saber, but as soon as he tried to, a sharp pain ran through his spine.

Aqua screamed in pain as a black hoof stomped hard on his left wing, preventing him from moving without provoking even more pain to spread through his wing. What towered over him was all black, with a raggedy mane of torn, blue locks. She let out a chuckle before lifting him up by the throat, though not enough to strangle him.

"So it seems I've caught my prey. Like a cat and mouse if I must say." Chrysalis said in mockery as she hoisted him off the ground.

"I know you! You're that-- nrgh! --queen who attacked Canterlot!" Aqua spat, eyeing Chrysalis with distain as she tightened her grip on his neck.

"I'm happy to see I have a nice little fan. And it seems you've gotten quite acquainted with the ones who prevented my takeover!" Chrysalis continued, getting closer to Aqua's face.

"True, but what business do you even have here? If you're looking to invade Ponyville, you won't get the chance!"

"Ponyville? Of course not! My king would never allow me to wander aimlessly and conquer some pitiful town."

"Then why are you here? And who is your king?!" Aqua shouted before another shadow approached him, and with a snarl, it assaulted him with a barrage of smoke. Smoke filled Aqua's lungs, and he coughed with wild abandon, attempting to fight off his attackers, only to be subdued by Chrysalis easily. He heard electricity crackling from an unknown source, but he soon found himself suddenly racked with the voltage. Screaming and coughing in pain, Aqua contorted before he fell limp to the ground. His world suddenly went black once more, and he slipped into unconciousness once again.

Chrysalis looked down at the fallen Jedi before she raised her head to face what had assaulted him.

"My king, we have succeeded." Chrysalis said to the spectra of King Sombra. Melding back into his physical form, Sombra grinned gleefully before kicking Aqua lightly with a silver-clad hoof.

"Indeed. Now we go into the mirror pool immediately. It is a critical part of our plan." Sombra said as he faced a nearby boulder.

"Yes Sombra. The mirror pool that creates a clone of whoever uses it." Sombra looked at the boulder with a sneer, and with a shove of his hoof, the boulder went flying from the hole it was obscuring. Lugging Aqua onto his back, Sombra climbed down into the hole as Chrysalis followed. Sombra delicately squeezed through the passages that led to the pool, and he marveled at the sight before him as he entered through the hole upon a slope. His silver-clad hooves echoed through the cavern ominously as he reached the clearing leading to the pool.

"This is the pool, Chrysalis. This is where our plan continues." Sombra said.

"What do we do with him?" Chrysalis asked pointing to the passed out stallion.

"Simply. We do this to him." Sombra said, heaving Aqua off his back into square into the pool. "As you may or may not know, there's a certain riddle that goes with this ritual, and some say it's a requirement. But I'll do no such thing." Grinning ear to ear, Sombra looked down to the mirror pool as Aqua's form turned anamorphic briefly, and he soon pulled the stallion out from the crystal clear waters. As the stallion remained in a deep unconcious state, a blue hoof protruded from the edge of the pool, and emerging from it was another Aqua.

The clone of Aqua quickly glanced around the cavern in shock as he took in the sights. His ears drooped as he gasped. "Where am I? What is this place?!" As soon as those words left his lips, a black hoof was clamped over his muzzle to silence him.

A scarlet red blade pierced through the chest of the clone, and his eyes went wide in terror as he fell to his hind legs, with Sombra holding him by the neck with his free hoof. The clone squirmed in Sombra's arms, but he couldn't break free from the tyrant's grasp, and he collapsed as soon as Sombra shed the blade from the mimic's back. Chrysalis readied herself and bowed to Sombra, his green eyes blaring through his cloak.

"Now do as I have instructed, Chrysalis." Sombra hissed through his black hood as the Changeling Queen kneeled before the dying clone, and with a screech, she sunk her fangs deep to penetrate his neck. Aqua's clone did not even scream nor flinch under her bite, he only laid spawled on the dirt, unable to resist her. His colors began to fade, and Sombra looked on in sadism as the life force was getting sucked out of the facsimile. Soon enough, all the color and energy was drained from Aqua's copy, and it died without a fight, with no last words. Almost unfazed by the whole ordeal, Sombra simply kicked the corpse back into the mirror pool, and it sank like a rock. Chrysalis rose to her full height, nearly towering over the incarnation of evil itself, and she rasped with pleasure.

"That was excellent, Sombra. There was so much love in him, it practically radiated off him." Chrysalis praised.

"And not only that, but now you can copy the Jedi's form. Now show me it." Sombra ordered, and a green beam of light immediately enveloped the queen. In seconds, she wasn't Chrysalis anymore. She was a complete copy of Aqua.

"Ah, this body is very pleasing. All tight and powerful, I can feel the energy in it more than Princess Cadence's ever could." Chrysalis remarked in her new body, her voice now deep and masculine as she stretched her now shorter, blue limbs.

"And now the next piece of the plan continues. As for you, I want you to fan out, and report back to the Changeling Kingdom. I will contact you as soon as I have my next phase complete." Sombra instructed.

"But my king. I must accompany you. You surely will need my--"

"No. I am going alone. You shall go back to the castle, and you will be contacted by me when my phase is complete. And you will tend to your faithful Changeling soldiers to make them primed and ready for another swift invasion. Is. That. *Understood?*" Sombra ranted on as his voice heightened to a ferocious level, prompting Chrysalis to meld out of Aqua's form and to normal, and she kneeled once more to him.

"I understand...my master." Chrysalis said as she lowered her head. Sombra nodded before he filed out of the cavern with Chrysalis following in suit, leaving the still unconcious form of Aqua Blue laying on the ground. A twitch from his left hoof indicated he was still alive.

.Aqua was now in a sitting position up against a rock as he slowly opened his eyes as he let out a breath of relief. Standing in front of him was Twilight Sparkle.

"Twilight." Aqua said with a relieved sigh. "Am I happy to see you." The two leaned in to hug each other. As soon as they broke the embrace, Twilight fumed at him.

"Are you crazy?! Twilight shouted.

"What are you talking about?" Aqua asked.

"I told you not to leave the hut, and just what did you do? Twilight yelled.

"I left the hut." Aqua answered in a bit of shame.

"Yeah, you did. Meanwhile I found Zecora and the way back to Ponyville." Twilight replied.

"That's wonderful, but how did you find me?" Aqua asked, still confused about what had happened.

"Well, after you decided to leave and go off doing who knows what, you got yourself attacked by a bunch of Timberwolves and got knocked out. I was busy talking to Zecora, and right when you passed out, I swear I could feel something pounding against my chest when it happened." Twilight explained.

"Then I'm sorry for leaving my post." Aqua began to apologize.

"You should be! Not only did you leave, obviously not fully healed, you decide to go off and do something stupid and wind up in the mirror pool, I could have sworn that thing got sealed up!" Twilight ranted, her anger beginning to rise. "What were you even thinking while you were off doing who knows what?"

"I-I thought...that if I wasn't there to protect you, something would've happened to you, and I couldn't sit and wait for it to happen. I had to do something." Aqua attempted to justify his reason, but Twilight's almost unnerving gaze did not falter. He began to notice the leaves and grass under her hooves beginning to burn, a flaming circle starting to expand under her. The earth shook lightly in her anger, and Aqua could swear he was picking up the scent of charred hair wafting through the air.

"Yeah, you thought. I'm perfectly fine, anyway. And I thought I could trust you with this one thing. This one thing! You couldn't just wait half an hour while I trot my flank off looking for Zecora, could you?" Twilight's rage was slowly mixing in with sorrow, and Aqua saw her eyes turning misty as her voice cracked on the last syllable.

"I was just worried about you. How do you think I would've felt if the same Manticore just happened to jump out and kill you?! Not very fantastic, I'd imagine!" Aqua argued back.

"The same one I killed it before it could kill you? Why couldn't you just trust me to be alright? I trust you with my life, Aqua. And I expected to get the same treatment." Twilight's fury was barely surpressed, and Aqua couldn't even attempt to quell the screaming mare. His argument was not defusing the situation at all at this point.

"I know. I'm sorry." Aqua said, lowering his head. Twilight's purple eyes now reddened with rage, her mane morphing into flame and to normal hair. She noticed a tear stream from his right eye, and he couldn't bear to face her.

"I'm sorry I betrayed your trust, Twilight. Whatever I say now can't resolve anything, but all I can say is I'm so sorry." Aqua felt hated, disappointed in himself for what he had done. Twilight shifted from her anger more into her sympathy. She saw more tears stream from his face, and a quiet sniffle could barely have been heard to her ears. Her flames slowly subsided, and the smell of burning hair faded. She trotted over to Aqua and put a hoof to her shoulder.

"Don't cry, Aqua. I don't hate you, I only wanted you to stay because I care about you. I couldn't bare to imagine what would've been." Twilight whispered as she dragged her hoof along his shoulder.

"I know that. I'm just so sorry for what I did. Please understand...I only wanted to keep you safe." Aqua still didn't raise his head, continuing to stew in his self-loath. Twilight's eyes began to water slightly as she nudged his head up.

"I know you care. I forgive you for that. I guess sometimes our worries overwhelm us at some point. Shh, shh. No more tears, hon. I'm sorry I got so mad." Twilight cooed, now hugging the Jedi to reassure him. His sobs died down as he threw his hooves around her.

"I'm sorry I made you mad in the first place."

"I know you are. Please, just promise me one thing?" Twilight asked.

"Anything, Twilight."

"Just promise you'll always trust me, even if you have your own doubts." Twilight said. Aqua smiled faintly as he snuggled his head deeper into Twilight's shoulder, and his words came out as a whisper.

"By the Force, that is a promise I'll forever keep." Aqua swore as he snuggled deeper. Twilight softly broke off the embrace as she took his hoof.

"Good. Now, let's go home." Twilight said as she and Aqua began walking from the mirror pool. "I can only wonder what Spike's doing right now.

There were no lights on in Golden Oaks Library. There were no sounds. The pets were fast asleep, and there was only one thing awake at the moment. In the basement of the library, there were sounds of enjoyment moaning from the corner. A hot tub laid in the corner of the room, steam rising from the heat of the boiling water. Scented candles were spread across the edges of the tub, allowing a pleasant scent to walf the basement. In the midst of his seven hour bath, Spike laid in the hot tub, arms behind his head, eyes closed in content. He let out a sigh of pleasure as he sunk deeper into the tub.

Best hot tub, ever.