Character Development Part 2

>Muzzle buried in one, of course, and she doesn't even notice you approach

>You stand in front of her for a minute, curious to see how long it will take her to notice you

>A fucking while, as it turns out

>You give up and loudly clear your throat, and she glances up at you

"Nona! Glad you could make it."

>She places the book down and stands, before embracing you warmly

>You return the hug, relieved to see her okay

>Despite your determination not to let your dreams get the better of you, you had been worried about her

>She steps back and notes the look in your eyes

"Is everything okay?"

>She looks at you earnestly

>You sigh wearily, but nod

"Just more dreams. I would do anything for an uninterrupted sleep at this point."

>Twilight nods sympathetically

"Well, I think I might have found a way to send you home. Do you want the good news, or the bad news first?"

>You feel your ears perk up

"Good, of course."

>Her horn glows as she levitates one of the books up in front of her, something labelled "Equestrian Arcane Artifacts of the Pre-Classical Era"

>Flipping through it telekinetically, she turns it to face you

>Your heart sinks as you recognise the image on the page

>It's some kind of astronomical timepiece

>It looks like the one in your dream that was smashed to pieces alongside Twilight's unmoving body, although this one seems to be whole and undamaged

"This is the Astrolabe. Or, technically, 'Star Swirl's Mystical Astrolabe'."

>You look up at her, her excitement palpable

"From what I've been able to read about it, it was designed by Star Swirl the Bearded to stabilise and enhance planar transportation magic. With it, I think Princess Celestia should be able to send you back to your own world!"

>You nod, trying to ignore the growing sense of dread in the pit of your stomach

"And the bad news?"

>Twilight looks a bit more dejected at that question

"Well... I don't know where it is. Many of the artifacts listed in this book are in the vault at Princess Celestia's palace, but when I went there to have a look at the manifest the Astrolabe wasn't on it. There isn't any mention of what happened to it after Star Swirl created it, either."

>She gestures to the piles of books behind her

"And that's what I've been looking for, in the meantime."

>You nod, closing your eyes

"So, we're plundering the library, then?"

>You mutter

>She nods, obviously having the time of her life here

"Isn't it exciting? A lost mystical artifact created by THE Star Swirl the Bearded, and WE get to research where to find it!"

>You roll your eyes, but can't help but grin at her enthusiasm

"Alright, where do we start?"

>She levitates a stack of books over to you, and they land with a sickeningly deep thud on the marble floor

"With these! After that, there's a few other sections I haven't gotten to yet..."

>You and Twilight spend the next several hours going through the stacks of books she has compiled so far, comparing notes and theories

>It's actually kinda fun, you have to admit

>Twilight makes for a very pleasant study buddy and although a lot of the books you're reading are quite dry, some of them have a few amusing tidbits in them

>You even find a book entirely on 'Stallion Enhancement', with some VERY detailed pictures in it

>You and Twilight spend a few minutes looking through it, blushing and giggling madly before you tuck it back away on the shelf

>You're perusing something called "Trixie's Incredible, Amazing, & Unredacted Feats of Otherworldly Magic" when Twilight speaks up quietly

"So Nona, tell me..."

>You look over at her, and there's a bit of a glint in her eye

"Did you spend any time with Blue Cross before you left Ponyville?"

>You feel that familiar heat creep into your cheeks, and you look away quickly

>She waves a hoof dismissively

"Don't be like that, I've seen the way you look at him."

>You sigh, and look back at her

"...Yes. I saw him the night after you left for Canterlot."

>She nods smugly

"He's a handsome stallion. Smart, too."

>She murmurs

>You nod sadly

>You can't see him again, though

>You just know if you did you wouldn't be able to leave, and going home is what you want more than anything

>Right?

"It wouldn't work, Twilight. I have to return to my own world, so there's no point in forming... attachments."

>She looks at you, and you can see she's a little hurt

"Attachments like me, you mean? And what about Zecora, or Applejack, or any of the others?"

>You grimace

"I'm sorry, Twilight. I didn't mean it like that. It's just..."

>You shake your head

"I can't afford to get distracted. If I fall in love here I can't just walk away from that, can I?"

>You blush, not having meant to say that last bit out loud

>Twilight looks at you sympathetically

"Isn't it better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all? I'm going to miss you if you leave too, you know."

>That word hangs in the air, like a poison

>"If"

>An image forces its way into your head, worming past your defenses

>You're in Blue Cross' house, snuggled up with him on the couch, and tucked in with the both of you are three young foals, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the two of you

>You squeeze your eyes shut and shake your head, trying to clear it of your traitorous thoughts

>No! You can't think about that

>It's not going to happen, you won't let it

>But why not, Nona?

>It doesn't matter. That won't be your future, can't be your future

>But that image stays with you, the thought lingering in the back of your mind

>You open your eyes and stand up, suddenly feeling like you can't breathe in the musty library

>Twilight is looking at you, her eyes kind but concerned

"I need some fresh air."

>You walk past her, and disappear around the bookcase corner, making a beeline for the two grand oaken doors that mark the entrance to the library

>You're outside before you know it

>You didn't realise it, but you had been galloping to get there

>Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath, the chilly mountain air of Canterlot soothing to your weary mind

>You open them again, taking in the scenery outside of the library

>There are a few ponies walking the cobbled streets, the sound of their hoofsteps tickling your ears

>You love that sound

>Across the courtyard you can see, behind a number of opulent buildings, the spires of Celestia's Palace towering in the distance

>The white marble gleams in the sunlight, the same light illuminating the courtyard in heady shades of orange and yellow

>If...

>You hear hoofsteps coming up behind you, and you're not surprised as Twilight sidles up to you

>The two of you stand there silently for a moment before Twilight speaks

"I'm sorry. It wasn't my intent to guilt-trip you into staying here or anything like that, Nona."

>You nod, and smile weakly

"It's just that you fit in so well here! You could always stay-"

>She cuts herself off after seeing the morose look you give her

"I'm sorry! I'll stop. I'm hungry, are you hungry? Let's go get something to eat, and then we can go back to researching."

>You sigh

"Thanks, Twilight, for everything. I wish I could stay, but this place isn't my home."

>She looks into your eyes, searching

>And then nods sadly

"I understand."

>Together you walk down the library steps in silence, Twilight's words ringing in your ears

>If...

 

***

 

>You're back at the library after having had lunch with Twilight, and the two of you had spent a few more hours searching through the stacks of tomes to no avail

>You're not much help at this point

>You're distracted, and irritable, and you know it

>And the fact that you're not much help is even more irritating

>But you can't get Twilight's words out of your head, any more than you could that image of you with a... a family

>You idly play with the ripped stubs of the pages in the book you've been pretending to read as you daydream about that, however unwillingly

>Wait what?

>You look down at the book, actually paying attention to it for the first time in what is probably an hour

>There are several pages torn from it, and looking closely the tears appear to be quite clean and straight

>You flip the book over and look at the cover

"Star Swirl's 10,001 Cocktail & Mixed Drink Recipes."

>Guess he was quite a drinker

>Twilight glances up at you

"What?"

>You show her the book

"Somepony's ripped a few pages from this drink recipe book. Must have been quite the cocktail."

>She looks closely at it, checking the cover and then examining the ripped pages before carefully reading a few of the entries

>You roll your eyes

"Twilight, it can't be five o'clock yet. We can get some ciders later."

>She throws you a dirty look, clearly not appreciating the joke

"Star Swirl was not that kind of pony. He wouldn't have had the time nor the inclination to write an entire book on cocktails, Nona."

>She points out an entry with her hoof, labelled "The Atomizer"

"Besides, absinthe and cognac? That would taste terrible, the flavour profiles conflict completely."

>You blink, somewhat taken aback

>Maybe there was more to bookhorse than you had realised

"No, this is code, Nona. And somepony must have figured that out, and taken the relevant pages with them."

>You look down at the book again

"So, how do we know this has anything to do with the Astrolabe?"

>She shakes her head

"We don't, but we've been here for hours. I've been here for days, and this is the best lead I've seen so far. Let's talk to the librarian, I'd like to see who checked this book out last."

>She turns to leave, and you follow after her, almost trotting to keep up

"Shouldn't we start decoding it first to see if it's even relevant?"

>Twilight shakes her head as she marches, not looking at you

"First we find the pony responsible for this. Then, once we have the missing pages, we can worry about decoding it."

>She says the word 'pony' with considerable distaste, like what she wanted to say was 'monster'

>You don't think you've ever seen her this pissed off

>You're at the librarian's desk in moments, thanks to Twilight's frantic pace

>There are two ponies there, a unicorn and an earth pony

>The librarian is a pastel-red earth pony, sporting a faded blonde mane shot through with streaks of silver curling around her head

>The nametag on her chest identifies her as 'Amber Quill'

>The unicorn must be her assistant, an exhausted-looking bluish grey stallion with a black mane

>The librarian looks imperiously down her muzzle at you and Twilight as you approach the desk

"Can I help you?"

>Twilight slams the book down on the table, probably a little more forcefully than is necessary

>Amber's assistant jumps, and looks over fearfully before going back to filing something

"We need to know who signed this book out last."

>Amber looks unamused, reading the title with some amount of distaste

>She looks back up at Twilight

"I'm sorry, but we don't give out that sort of information."

>Twilight looks like she's about to explode

>You step in before she can take out her anger on the poor librarian

"Please, is there any chance you can make an exception? Somepony has vandalised this book, and we need to find out who."

>You nudge the book open to the ripped pages, and the librarian looks so shocked and horrified you're worried she might have a heart attack on the spot

>She recovers pretty quickly, though

>She sighs, leaning in conspiratorially

"Okay, I can have a look at the records and tell you what I find. But you can't tell anypony, okay?"

>You nod solemnly

"We won't tell a soul."

>She seems satisfied with that, and turns away before heading into the back office

>You look to Twilight

"Twilight, I know you're upset, but you're the brains of this operation and I need you to keep a level head."

>She takes a deep breath and nods

"You're right. I just can't stand the thought of somepony getting away with this."

>She gestures at the book with a hoof

>The librarian returns from the office, carrying a piece of scrap paper in her mouth

>She drops it onto the desk and slides it over with a hoof

"Here you are; one name and address. Last checked out ninety-four days ago. I hope you find the pony responsible for this, Twilight."

>Twilight nods seriously, and you both turn to leave, walking towards the library's entrance

>You look over at her as you walk, noting the expression on her face

>Somewhere between disgust and fury

"Twilight, I have an idea."

>You stop walking and it takes a few steps before she stops and looks back at you inquisitively

"I think you should stay here and work on decoding that book. There's no reason for both of us to go, and I can handle this."

>She shakes her head

"I want to catch this vandal, Nona. This book deserves justice."

>The book floats next to her menacingly

"Twilight, please. I'm not going to be much help in decoding that anyway, and there's no time to lose."

>She sighs, seemingly unable to refute your argument

"Fine. But be careful, okay?"

>You nod, victorious

"Please, this is a book vandal, not a murderer."

>Twilight stares at you, clearly not seeing the difference

>You roll your eyes, and hold up a hoof

"Okay, okay, I'll be careful."

>She nods, satisfied

"Alright, good hunting. I'll get to work on this."

>She heads back into the library, leaving you standing alone near the entrance

>You look outside, your mind turning to the task at hand

>Despite your words to Twilight, you are somewhat worried

>Whoever stole the pages from that book must have known what they contained

>And if that was the case, they must be after the Astrolabe as well

>But who, and why?

>Of course, the other alternative is that somepony just saw some cocktails they liked and thought it'd be a hoot to steal them from the library

>But... the book was in the restricted section, so that seems unlikely

>There aren't many ponies allowed in there, and you had only gotten in yourself because Twilight was expecting you

>You sigh

>Celestia forbid things be uncomplicated

>You start walking, making your way towards the address on the paper

 

***

 

>You're standing at the address, holding the piece of paper in your hoof and reading it over and over again

>Silver Mirage, the pony that last checked this book out, lives here, at 13 Regal Terrace

>... at this park

>What the fuck is going on here?

>You look down at the paper, then back at the address, then back again

>13 Regal Terrace, this is definitely the place

>A small, well-groomed park in between a few larger estate-style properties and a cobblestone courtyard

>You stop a particularly poncey-looking unicorn with a monocle walking past

"Excuse me, is this 13 Regal Terrace?"

>You gesture at the park

>The unicorn looks over at the nearby streetsign that says 'Regal Terrace'

>Then at the small stone obelisk labelled '13' just inside the park's boundaries

>Then back to you

"Madam, if this is your idea of a joke, it is a profound waste of my time. Good day."

>He walks off without another word

>What a prick

>You sigh, and sit down on one of the benches at the park's periphery, idly playing with the piece of scrap paper the librarian had given you

>It's been around three months since the book was checked out, according to the librarian

>It's possible that this was a residence at one point, and has since been rezoned or something

>But if that's the case, how are you supposed to find this Silver Mirage pony?

>Your hoof traces the edge of the paper, the slightly jagged edges tickling you despite the straightness of the cut

>Wait

>You look closely at the edge of the paper

>Not cut, torn

>The tear is identical to that of the missing pages from Star Swirl's coded book

>Oh shit

>You leap up from the bench, and begin galloping back towards the library

>A bullshit address and a fake name, on the piece of paper with a tear that perfectly matches the missing pages?

>It must have been Amber Quill, all along

>But why would she have left you such an obvious clue? Pretty sloppy stuff

>She seemed genuinely shocked when presented with the book

>But she did recover very quickly...

>You shake your head, you have to get back there as soon as possible

>Twilight has no idea, and if Amber gave you a fake address she would know it only would buy her a short amount of time

>Images of Twilight's motionless body assail your mind as you run

>She better fucking be okay

>It doesn't take you long to reach the library, you hadn't been in much of a hurry on the way to the park, but you are now

>You race up the steps and into the building, galloping down the main hall until you reach the restricted section

>You start hammering on the door frantically

>After a few tense moments, the door opens and Twilight stands on the other side

>You breathe a sigh of relief

>Twilight looks at you, noting your expression

"Is everything okay, Nona? What did you find?"

>You nod

"The address lead me to a park. It's a fake, and I bet the name is too."

>You hold out the sheet of paper in your hoof

"And look at this."

>Twilight looks at the paper, perplexed for a moment before her eyes widen

>She looks back at you

"I think we should have a chat with Amber."

>She says, struggling to contain her anger

"I didn't check to see if the librarian is still here. She must have known I would come back when I found out."

>Twilight nods, the betrayal in her eyes evident

"Let's go find her."

>The two of you set off, walking quickly down the main hall towards the front desk area

>You almost run into her assistant as he rounds the corner of a bookshelf

"Oh- sorry! Pardon me."

>He moves to walk past you, but you stick out a hoof to block his way

>He looks at you impatiently

"Where is Amber Quill?"

>He gestures in the general direction of the front desk

"Where she usually is. Now if you don't mind..."

>You move out of his way, and keep walking as you share a glance with Twilight

>If she gave you a fake address why would she still be here?

>The two of you round the corner, making your way quickly towards the front desk

>Sure enough, she's seated where she was the last time you saw her, looking distinctly unconcerned

>She looks up as you approach the desk

"Ah, you're back. Any luck finding your perpetrator?"

>You share another look with Twilight

"You could say that."

>You place the paper on the desk

"The tears on this paper match the ones from the book exactly. Also, the name and address are fake."

>She looks at you, and where you had been expecting fear you instead see anger

"Just what exactly are you implying, young miss?"

>You stare back at her

"You know what I'm implying. You tore the pages from that book, and sent us on a wild goose chase to cover it up. You're the only other pony with access to the restricted area."

>She looks outraged, and opens her mouth to speak before shutting it again

>Her expression shifts to one of understanding, and disappointment

"Not the only other pony."

>Twilight looks at her

"What?"

"My assistant, Midnight Spire. He also has access to those archives, and in addition to that..."

>She points at the piece of paper with a hoof

"I have him magically prepare sheets of scrap paper for my notes. If this sheet matches those missing from the book... it was him."

>You stare at her suspiciously

>You don't really want to believe her, but her story makes sense

>Your thoughts shift back to seeing the assistant just moments ago

>He had seemed like he was in a hurry

"Did he say he was going somewhere?"

>She nods

"He asked if he could go home early today."

>She thinks for a moment

"...Right after you brought that book up to the desk, actually. I had some more things for him to do, otherwise he would have left right then. If you go now, you can still catch him!"

>You nod, and start to turn away

"Thank you. And... sorry."

>She shakes her head

"Find that book vandal."

>You and Twilight turn away and gallop down the aisle, making your way for the main hall

>When you had seen Midnight Spire last, he was headed for the main doors

>You doubt he's actually stupid enough to head home, and you don't know where he would go otherwise

>So you'll just have to catch him before he gets there

>Charging outside into the bright sunlight, it's easy to forget the gravity of the task at hand

>It's a beautiful day out; the sun painting the whole courtyard a mellow orange. It's warm, but the breeze is cool

>You stop and take a deep breath

>Scanning the courtyard, you see a number of ponies walking casually, enjoying the weather

>But not the stallion in question

>To the right, the courtyard narrows to a residential lane with a number of grand and old-looking houses crowding the flanks of the street

>To the left, the courtyard opens up into a sort of market square, with a number of tents and market stalls; salesponies hawk their goods to crowds of prospective customers

>Now if you were trying to get out of sight quickly, where would you go?

>Twilight answers the question for you

"That way."

>She gestures to the market stalls

"He's probably trying to lose us in the crowd."

>Makes sense

"But what if he knew we would think that, and went the other way?"

>Twilight looks thoughtful for a moment

>She glances over

"Split up, then?"

>You nod

"I'll take the market stalls. If I fly over, I should be able to spot him pretty easily."

>She raises an eyebrow

"Are you sure? Your flying record isn't really the best, if you remember. No offense."

>You shake your head

"None taken, you're partially right. My flying record is spectacular, it's the landings that are trouble."

>She looks even more concerned

"Right, so you're just going to use random ponies to cushion your fall?"

>You wink at her

"Not random ponies, one specific pony."

>Understanding dawns on her face, but the concern remains

>You put a hoof on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her

"Trust me. I can steer, mostly. And if I don't see him I'm sure the cobblestones will break my fall."

>She looks at you like you're an idiot

"Well, have any better ideas?"

>Twilight studies your an expression for a moment

>She nods, and hugs you

>You return the hug warmly

"Good luck."

>She turns and gallops down the steps, heading to the right side of the courtyard

>You look up, studying the clouds

>They don't seem to be moving that fast, so hopefully that means it's not too windy

>You back up a few steps into the library, and flare your wings out to the sides, feeling the muscles flex

>You can already feel the slight breeze brushing through your feathers like sand through a sieve... it feels good

>Despite your apprehension about flying... you can't help but feel a rush of adrenaline from the thought of what you're about to do

>Guess that sort of feeling comes with the Pegasus body... your body

>That thought snaps you back to how absurd this whole situation is

>You haven't really even thought about the form you had on earth in a while

>Even the memories of that place feel distant, like a fading dream

>You realise with some concern that you feel... comfortable, in this body, now that you're used to it

>You push the thoughts away

>You have a job to do

>Before you can second-guess yourself, you spring forward into a gallop, your hooves barely finding purchase on the stone floor

>You launch yourself into the air as you reach the top step of the stairs, powering off your hind legs and beating your wings

>And just like that, you're airborne again

>You lean backwards, beating your wings and climbing

>Last time this was your undoing, but this time it's exactly what you want

>You soar over the courtyard and start banking left, feeling your wings strain as they catch the wind

>If you look far enough ahead, you can see the roofs of Canterlot's buildings laid out, stretching to the mountain slope like sharp, pointed hilltops

>But the view is not what you're up here for

>You look down as you level out, scanning the crowded streets

>The courtyard and open market stretch out before you, ponies milling around in various-sized groups as they go about their business

>You feel a very brief sense of vertigo as you imagine yourself as a grease-stain on the cobblestones

>But you manage to push the thought from your mind before it can take hold

>There are dozens, maybe even a hundred ponies at market today, and surprisingly you can make out most of the details of each one as you glide overhead

>You scan each pony briefly, trying to parse Midnight Spire from the technicolour horde down below

>He's so dark in comparison it shouldn't take long to spot him...

>But he doesn't seem to be anywhere, and you've almost completely passed over the market already

>Maybe he did go right after all

>You consider doubling back and seeing if Twilight has had any luck

>But you have this nagging suspicion that he's here...

>Maybe a change of perspective will help

>You gently bank right, before looping back around to the left and approaching the market from the other side

>You start scanning again, focusing on the areas of the market you couldn't see from your previous vantage

>Once again there's no sign of him...

>Damn, time to go the other way you suppose

>You're about to start heading back in the direction Twilight had gone when you see movement

>A suspiciously dark shadow under a parasol on the right side of the courtyard, behind a fruit cart

>You focus your eyes, staring at the shadow and...

>It moves!

>Midnight Spire slips out from under the parasol, moving cautiously down a side street away from the market, his head on a swivel as he walks

>The sun is to your back, and in his eyes

>So he probably hasn't seen you yet...

>Alright, time to go in for the kill

>You angle yourself forward, and start gaining speed perilously quickly

>Banking away from him initially, you turn back towards him and try to use the lift generated under your wings to slow you down a bit as you swoop down lower and lower

>But you're still gaining speed

>You level out, only a dozen feet off the ground

>But you're aimed directly at him, and he has his back to you

>You narrow your eyes, feeling like a hawk about to ambush its prey

>Ponies around the courtyard stop and look up at you, gawking as you rip by overhead

>The distance is closing, you're maybe fifty feet from him

>You lean back again, thinking back to your last attempt at flying

>Rainbow had done almost exactly this move, but right before she hit the ground she leaned back and flared her wings

>That must have been the missing ingredient...

>A pony in front of your target turns around and looks up in shock at you as you practically divebomb towards him

>Midnight's head whips around, and your eyes lock as he stares at you in horror

>His horn starts glowing as you hurtle towards him

>Too late, fucker

>You think to yourself

>You lean back, this time tilting your wings forward and flaring them out to catch the wind

>OH FUCK

>You feel your muscles strain and tense painfully as your whole bodyweight and its momentum are placed entirely onto your wings

>You grit your teeth, trying to slow yourself down before impact

>But it's not enough

>You feel your wings collapse as your muscles give in to the pressure

>You're assaulted once more with that vivid image of yourself as a grease-stain on the cobblestones as you continue to hurtle towards Midnight Spire

>It occurs to you that Rainbow Dash is essentially a top-tier athlete, whereas you've flown exactly three times now

>Oops

>It's actually Midnight that saves your ass this time

>There's a blinding explosion of light in front of you as he completes his spell right before you make impact

>You feel a powerful gust of air slow you down, but not quite quick enough

>You tuck your wings in, hoping to save them as you crash into him

>Both of you are sent sprawling as you tumble away, bouncing and rolling on the cobblestones at least three times

>You're left lying on the cobblestones, bruised and battered... but still alive

>You slowly, painstakingly, get to your hooves, your whole body aching

>You ruffle your wings out, wincing

>Thankfully it doesn't seem like they're broken

>Across from you is Midnight Spire, looking almost as beat up as you feel

>He gets to his hooves, looking around frantically

>A crowd is already starting to gather, the ponies murmuring to each other in hushed shock

"...id you see that...?"

"...e's crazy! Somepony call the guards..."

>You're about to open your mouth when he looks at you

>And the fear in his eyes stops you

>You may have almost just killed both yourself and him, but that's not the kind of look you see in his eyes

>He's not afraid of you... It's almost like he's looking through you

>Before you can act, he takes advantage of the pause and turns, forcing his way through the crowd and galloping back up the street towards the market area

>Damnit!

>You curse yourself for being so soft

>When did that happen?

>You groan as you start to gallop after him, your legs feeling like they might fall right off your joints

>You push past the crowd of onlookers, nopony finding the nerve to stop you

>As the crowd parts you can see him up ahead, galloping down the street

>You force yourself to ignore the pain in your limbs as you run faster, trying to catch up

>But it's no use

>He's bigger, faster, and seemingly tougher than you are

>He vanishes around the street corner

>You gallop after him, and as you approach you can see a flash of light from up ahead

>Skidding around the corner, you come to a halt as you see a welcome sight

>Midnight Spire lies sprawled on the ground, trying to recover his faculties

>And standing over him is Twilight, the glow from her horn just starting to dissipate

>Bookhorse comes in clutch again, thank Celestia

>You start limping towards her, your aches and pains redoubling as the adrenaline fades

>You only make it a few steps before you hear a clanking sound behind you, and a heavy hoof lands on your shoulder

"Ma'am, you're going to have to come with us."

>You turn to see a pair of gold-armoured ponies looking at you with thinly-veiled hostility, tensed and ready for a fight

>Shit

"Actually, she's with me."

>Twilight speaks up

>The guard looks over your shoulder at her

"Is that so? Well, then you're under arrest too."

>Okay, this is not going well

>You raise your voice

"Look, we can explain."

>You gesture to Midnight Spire

"That pony is-"

>The guard shakes his head

"Save it. We will take statements back at the castle."

>He shifts his attention back to Twilight, clearly recognising her

"And as for you; just because you're Princess Celestia's apprentice, doesn't mean you're above the law."

>You look over your shoulder, and find Twilight actually still looks quite composed

"As long as you take Midnight Spire in, too. He is a thief and vandal, and the librarian can corroborate that."

>The guard raises an eyebrow

"We'll sort that out soon enough. Now, come along."

>Twilight looks back over at you, and that concerned expression you've become so familiar with returns to her

>She looks back at the guard

"Very well. But I want to check Nona's injuries first."

>The guard snorts

>You can see a few more guards approaching from behind Twilight, fighting their way through the crowd

"Fine. And after that, you come quietly."

>It's not a question

>Twilight nods

>She walks over to you as the guard starts talking to the others and helping Midnight Spire up

>One of them stands near the two of you, watching you like a hawk

"Nona, are you okay? I knew I shouldn't have let you do this."

>You shake your head wearily

"I'm fine, Twilight. And you didn't let me do anything, I insisted. Plus, it worked."

>She bites her lip, looking at you nervously

"Well, at least let me check your injuries."

>You study her expression, sure that it's not necessary

>You're a bit battered but pretty confident you're fine

>But you can see she feels guilty

"Okay."

>She closes her eyes, lowering her horn towards you as it starts to glow

>You can feel a tingling sensation in your hooves, which slowly starts to spread out further into your legs and then your body

>It tickles, and you fight the urge to giggle as it spreads into your wings and neck

>And then it's gone

>Twilight opens her eyes and looks at you

>And... she's blushing?

"Well, everything good?"

>She nods sheepishly, not meeting your eyes

"Yup, just fine! Hunky dory. Just some bruising, you'll be fine!"

>You stare at her suspiciously

"You're... sure?"

>Still, she won't meet your eyes

"Uh-huh! Let's get moving, I'd like to get this next bit over with."

>You keep staring at her, trying to figure out what's going on in that head of hers

>Before you can think much more about it the guard interrupts your train of thought

"Everything sorted? We need to get back to the castle and take statements."

>Twilight spins around to face him

"Yes. Everything's fine, we're good to go."

>The guard nods, and looks to you expectantly

"Well?"

>You nod, and follow behind him slowly, your muscles screaming at you to stop and lie down

>Celestia help you, you have got to stop with this flying shit

>The guards surround you, Twilight, and Midnight Spire, and you begin walking to the castle, as a group

 

***

 

>Once things start falling into place, it isn't long before you and Twilight are released

>You were placed in a 'dungeon cell', although frankly it was pretty quaint compared to some of the stuff you'd seen on Game of Thrones

>The guards took statements, and left for a couple of hours before coming back to let you out

>As promised, the librarian had corroborated your story

>You haven't seen her yet, but you have a feeling Celestia had something to do with it too

>Not like she was going to let her star pupil rot in jail for more than a few hours, right?

>You're in the infirmary (at Twilight's insistence, of course), the doctor on site just finishing cleaning up some of your scrapes and bruises

>She's a cute mare, but you can't help but wish it was Blue Cross instead

>You feel a pit in your stomach just thinking about him

>Twilight approaches as you're leaving the infirmary, giving you a big, but gentle, hug

>You return it gratefully

>She still seems really guilty, for some reason

"All patched up?"

>She asks quietly

>You nod

"Just some bruises, like you said. I told you I was fine!"

>You were trying to alleviate some of her apparent guilt, but she still won't meet your eyes

>You both stand there quietly for a moment

"...Twilight, what's wrong? You've been acting weird ever since you saw me in the market. I told you, it was my decision, and-"

>The look she gives you silences you immediately

>The look of a pony burdened with something that she's keeping from you

"What is it?"

>You ask softly

>She shakes her head, but still meets your eyes

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

>You stare at her, trying to discern what she could possibly be thinking

>The moment stretches out

"...Okay. If you're sure, then I trust you."

>Now she looks even more guilty

>You decide to switch topics

"So, who do we have to thank for springing us out early?"

>She sighs

"Who do you think?"

>You raise an eyebrow

"Princess Celestia?"

>She nods

"She wasn't super happy with how we handled that, but she understood. That guard was right, though. We should have gone to them instead of pursuing Midnight Spire ourselves."

>You shake your head

"If we had gone to them it would have taken way too long, and we would have risked losing him. You know how important it is to me to get home."

>She gives you another look

"Trust me, I know."

>You continue studying her expression

>Just what is she not sharing with you?

>She looks away again

"Well, the good news is that Midnight is still detained, and I received permission for the two of us to go question him."

>You smile, and nudge her with your shoulder

"So, are we going to do a little good cop, bad cop kind of thing?"

>That brings a small smile to her face

>You both start walking away from the infirmary, making your way towards the dungeons

"We'll see about that. Last time I saw him, he was freaking out. I'm not sure he'll be a very tough nut to crack."

>When you get to the cell, it seems she was right

>Midnight Spire looks defeated and broken, slumped against the cell wall listlessly

>He's pretty beat up, moreso than you had initially thought when you last saw him at the market

>One of his legs is bandaged, and he's covered with scratches from the cobblestones

>You feel a pang of guilt looking at him

>Maybe you had gotten a little caught up in trying to catch him. You hadn't meant to do much more than rough him up a bit

>You had been prepared to interrogate him earlier, but seeing him now you can't help but feel a little bad for him

>The guard lets you and Twilight in after a moment, and he looks up as he hears the cell door slam shut

"...What, did you come here to finish the job?"

>You swallow your guilt and stare at him, trying to harden your heart

"In a sense. Where are the missing pages from that book?"

>He looks away, shrugging

"No idea. Isn't that the librarian's job?"

>Twilight steps up

"We both know you vandalised that book and stole those pages, Midnight. We can trace those ripped pages back to you."

>He snorts

"That could have been any unicorn."

>She shrugs

"But you were the only unicorn that had access to those books. Spill it, where are they?"

>You can see him starting to withdraw; this isn't the right approach

>You think back to your encounter with him at the market; the look he gave you, like he was afraid of something else

>Maybe a softer touch is needed, after all...

>You step forward and put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder

>The two of you exchange a meaningful look, and after a moment she backs off

>You sit down in front of Midnight, trying to appear nonthreatening

"Midnight, what exactly are you running from?"

>He looks up at you, the concern evident in his eyes

>And that same fear you saw in the market square

"Listen, I'm sorry for how things turned out earlier. I didn't mean to hurt you like this, but I saw the look you gave me back then. You're afraid of something, and if you tell us then we can help!"

>You glance back at Twilight for encouragement, and after a moment you can see the anger fade from her eyes

>She nods, reluctantly

>Looking back to Midnight, you can see his resolve crumbling

>He's silent for a long moment

>He sighs

"I just needed the money, okay? I got into some trouble with a couple of bad guys, and when I told them I worked for the library they said I could make up the difference."

>You nod slowly

"What kind of trouble?"

>He buries his face in his hooves

"Do you have any idea how much I get paid? It's practically nothing. I thought I could make some extra money by doing some betting on the side and... it didn't go well."

"So you thought you would steal some books and sell them to pay these ponies back?"

>He shakes his head

"It's not like that. I owed them a lot of bits, and they said if I got them a few particular books from the restricted area of the library they would let it slide."

>You sigh

"But they didn't, did they?"

>He nods sadly

"Once I delivered, they said that if I didn't keep doing things for them they would tell my boss and I'd be fired, or worse."

>Your heart sinks as you look at him

"You already gave them those pages, didn't you?"

>He looks up at you, his eyes glistening

>You don't have to be psychic to tell what he's thinking

>You feel close to tears yourself

"They were important, Midnight. My only chance, in fact."

>You sniff, and stand up

>He looks confused

"But... It was just a bunch of drink recipes. That book didn't even have any business being in the restricted section, anyway."

>Twilight speaks up

"It was a book by Star Swirl the Bearded. It was encoded, and you sold the pages we needed."

>He stares at her as you turn and walk towards the cell door

>She turns as you approach and walks with you as the cell door opens

"Wait."

>Midnight says

>You turn and look back at him, and you can see he's thinking hard

>He looks up at you

"I read those pages, and I know what's on them. If you get me some paper and a quill I can reproduce them."

>You stare at him, not daring to let your hopes up

>Twilight answers, her tone dubious

"From memory?"

>He nods, and you can see he's not kidding

"It's how I got the job in the first place."

>You and Twilight exchange a look

>She looks back at Midnight

"And what do you want in exchange?"

>He glances around at the cell

"Maybe a slight change in accommodation?"

>Twilight snorts

"You reproduce those pages, and I'll do a whole lot better than that."

>For the first time since you've met him you actually see some hope creep onto his face

 

***

 

>As it turns out, Midnight and Twilight have quite a bit in common

>They're both turbo nerds, love books, and share a surprising enjoyment of mixed alcoholic beverages

>Something that you wouldn't have suspected of either of them, if you didn't know better

>You had left the two of them in the castle's study

>Twilight had pulled some strings to get Midnight released, and he was busily scribbling away at some parchment, locked in concentration

>Meanwhile you had left Twilight poring over Star Swirl's encoded book, deeming yourself intellectually outmatched for the task

>You are standing on the crenellations of one of the tallest towers in the castle, admiring the view

>Your wings are stretched out, still plenty sore after the stunt you had pulled earlier

>But despite your scratches and bruises, you can't help but feel alive

>The breeze pushes gently past your feathers, and you find yourself unafraid of the height despite teetering on the edge a hundred feet in the air

>Canterlot is laid out before you, nestled in the mountains as the setting sun paints the city a vibrant hue of orange and yellow

>Beyond the cityscape, you can see Equestria stretch out far into the distance, and if you look carefully you can even make out the tiny sprawl of Ponyville

>Your thoughts meander, and you find yourself thinking about your flight over Canterlot

>Pegasi must have some pretty good vision... and apparently you're no exception to that

>There's no way you could have made out the details of each pony from that height with your old body

>Not to mention being able to discern Ponyville's shape from however many miles away you must be right now

>You sigh wistfully, the sight of the sun slowly dipping below the horizon indescribably calming

>If only you were in Ponyville now... maybe you could visit one more time and say goodbye to everypony before you go home

>...And see Blue Cross again, is what you mean

>You shake your head

>You can't go back. You made up your mind and if your resolve falters... You're not sure you'd be able to leave again

>But would that be so bad, Nona?

>You don't belong here, of course it would be bad

>But what if you already are home?

>Shut up, Anon. You've already made up your mind, and you're going home

"Um, what are you doing?"

>Twilight's voice stirs you from your thoughts

>You turn and see her standing at the entrance to the tower, looking up at you with concern

"Relax, I'm not planning on jumping. Just enjoying the view, Twi."

>You hop down from the parapet, beating your wings once to soften your landing before folding them neatly to your sides

>She whistles

"Hey, first successful landing! Congratulations."

>You roll your eyes, but can't suppress a grin

"Did you already finish decoding that book?"

>She shakes her head

"I've made some progress on some of the earlier entries, but it's slow going."

>You nod appreciatively

"Thanks, Twilight. You've gone far out of your way to help me, and I can't begin to pay you back."

>She shrugs nonchalantly

"I don't know about you, but I've been having a lot of fun, Nona."

>You sigh

"...Yeah, me too."

>She turns to watch the sunset, the last rays peeking over the edge of the parapet

>You follow suit, and the two of you watch in silence for a moment as day gives way to night

>Your thoughts turn to the conversation you had had with her earlier

>She still hadn't told you what she was hiding, and your curiosity was beginning to grow

"Twilight, what is it you're not telling me?"

>She shakes her head

"Nona, I told you-"

>You interrupt her

"I know, 'I don't want to know', but I do. Didn't somepony once tell me that I could thank them by being honest?"

>She looks at you mournfully

"Well, you can thank me for the fun we've had together by telling me what's on your mind."

>You know it's kind of a low blow, but you're dying to know what's so bad that she won't say anything about it

>She keeps looking at you with that sad expression, but you hold her gaze

>The silences stretches out until finally she looks away

"Nona..."

>You keep staring at her, even though she won't look back at you

"Twilight, please."

>Still she won't look at you, and you can see her fighting back tears

"I-I don't know how to say this but... You're pregnant."

>You stand stock still, staring at her as those words ring in your ears

>The ground beneath you immediately feels very unsteady, and you're suddenly glad you're not on the parapet anymore

>You sit down heavily, overcome with dizziness

"W-what?"

>She finally looks at you again, that same mournful expression on her face

"When I checked your injuries at the market... That's when I became aware of it."

>You stare at her in shock, remembering her reaction immediately after casting that spell

"How...? That can't be possible, it's only been a few days since..."

>She shakes her head, tears in her eyes

"The spell was infallible, Nona. I was checking for internal abnormalities and..."

>You feel like you're falling, like the whole world is slipping out from under you

"I didn't want to tell you because I know how much you want to go home, but if you do..."

>She shrugs helplessly

"There's no telling what will happen to..."

>She gestures at your stomach, and you put a hoof to it, feeling numb

>That familiar old image of you and Blue Cross in his house slips back into your mind, and you squeeze your eyes shut, trying to block it out

>How could you be so stupid?

>You open your eyes and stagger to your feet, suddenly feeling like you can't breathe

>Twilight says something, but it sounds like her voice is far away

>Your vision narrows to a tunnel as you stumble towards the stairwell,

>The dizziness intensifies, and...

>Darkness

 

***

 

>You're standing on the crenellations once again, your thoughts muddy and confused

>It's dark out, you can only see the courtyard below thanks to the lanterns littering the area

>You hear Twilight's voice, interrupting your thoughts once more

>Looking over, you see she's standing on the battlements with you, tears in her eyes

>She's teetering on the edge, her front hooves hanging over the lip of the stone

>You reach out to her with a hoof

"I told you I'm not going to jump. Get down Twilight, you're scaring me."

>She sniffles

"But I will."

>She murmurs, her voice thick with emotion

>You try to leap towards her, but it's like you're fighting through syrup to get to her

>The further you move towards her the further away she seems

>She turns away from the edge, her back to the empty expanse of space as the wind whips her mane around

"Twilight, get down from there!"

>You scream, your heart racing

>She leans back, and topples over the edge

>Without a thought you jump after her, spreading your wings as you plummet to the courtyard below

>The ground rushes up to meet her, the cobblestones a blur

>You've almost reached her, but you're not quick enough

>You stare into her purple eyes, her face a wicked grin as she falls

>You awaken with a start, sitting bolt upright and gasping for air

>You don't know where you are

>You look around, searching the room for something familiar

>It's a clinical setting, beds laid out in orderly rows with curtained railings above them

>You've been here before

>It all comes flooding back to you as you slump back into the bed

>You're in the infirmary again

>Really, Nona? Fainting? For Celestia's sake

>You groan, covering your face with your hooves

>And you're pregnant, apparently

>You know exactly who to thank for that, aside from yourself obviously

>You sigh, knowing that you don't really have anyone to blame other than yourself

>What are you going to do?

>Twilight's words ring in your ears

>"There's no telling what will happen to..."

>It

>Your foal

>Your feelings are a jumbled mess

>Dread, regret, terror... but also excitement, and hope

>You shake your head, not even remotely ready to process it all

>Time to do what you do best, and repress that shit

>One step at a time...

>You roll out of bed, landing briskly

>You feel a wave of dizziness, but it passes quickly

>You look around again, finding yourself alone in the infirmary

>Walking out of the empty room you find the receptionist's desk, behind which is a bored-looking yellow pony

>She looks surprised as you exit the patient's room

"Y-you shouldn't be up yet!"

>You wave her off

"I'm fine... really. How long has it been since I was brought in here?"

>She looks at you, concerned, but answers anyway

"A few hours. You were out cold."

>You sigh

"Where is Twilight?"

>She stands up

"She said she was going to the study, but you really should-"

>You shake your head firmly

>Sleep sounds great, in theory, but for one thing you need to do something to take your mind off the bombshell you just coerced Twilight into dropping on you

>And for another thing you know what waits for you in your dreams, and you're sick to death of those at the moment

"Trust me, resting is not what I need right now. Thank you for looking after me."

>She speaks up again

"But Twilight said you were-!"

>You whip around and fix her with a glare

"Said I was what?"

>She clams up, her eyes wide

"...Just drop it."

>You turn and walk off without another word, wandering in the direction of the study

>You feel a bit bad for taking your anger out on her, she was just doing her job

>But you can NOT give yourself time to sit around and think right now

>It doesn't take long to get to the study

>You nudge the door open gently, peering inside

>Twilight is sitting at a desk, scribbling notes while she pores over Star Swirl's book

>There's no sign of Midnight Spire

>You suppose that must mean he's completed his part of the bargain...

>Twilight doesn't notice you come in

>You softly clear your throat

>She starts, and whips around to look at you

"Nona! What are you doing here? You should be resting."

>You nod

"I know. But that's not happening any time soon."

>She looks at you sympathetically

"...Are you okay?"

>You sigh

"No, I'm not. You were right, I didn't want to know."

>But that's not entirely true

>Some part of you is glad that you know

>You stuff the feeling down

"I don't want to talk about it."

>She nods slowly, studying your expression

>You can tell she wants to say more, but she's as tactful as ever

"I understand. Do you want to help me with decoding this book?"

>You nod, walking over to her

>You feel lucky to have her as a friend

>She's been there for you since you got to Ponyville, and pretty much everything she's done since has been to help you find a way home

>You're going to miss her if you leave

>If...

>You push the thought away

>Twilight slides a piece of paper towards you

"I've got the basic structure of the cipher here, with the exception of these word combinations here, here, and here..."

>She goes into great detail explaining the structure of the cipher, and although you can't pretend to understand all of it, you think you grasp the gist of it

>It is actually pretty interesting, and you can't help but let Twilight's academic fervor rub off on you a bit

>The next several hours are spent painstakingly working through the book, line by line, page by page

>The further you get into the book the more interesting it becomes, as its contents are slowly revealed

>When you had originally picked it up, its purpose was not clear as anything other than a shitty drink recipe compendium

>But now with the cipher cracked; dates, names, places, and instructions were starting to become clear

>This book is an informational manual on some of the oldest magical artifacts in Equestria; and it goes into great detail on each one

>Except for one: the Astrolabe

>The entry exists, but contrary to every other entry in the book it is puzzlingly short

The Astrolabe

Considered by some to be the 'Philosopher's Stone' of dimensional, planar, terrestrial, & multiversal arcane stabilisation. When used as a magical focus, one can channel their arcane energies into this device for unrivaled precision in the aforementioned methods of universal travel. It is not a device of my own making. It was discovered in an archeological dig site two hundred miles into the Saddle Arabian desert, in a sandstone temple that collapsed shortly after its discovery. I had it brought to my workshop for further study, and promptly sealed after its true nature was ascertained. In the wrong hooves, this device could spell disaster for Equestria, among countless other planes of existence. It is not to be sought after unless under the most dire of circumstances.

>You and Twilight sit in silence, Star Swirl's words sitting heavily like a pall in the air

>She's the first one to speak

"Star Swirl's workshop..."

>Your ears perk up

"Do you know where it is?"

>She nods, but her expression remains doubtful

"We're in it, right now."

>You keep watching her, sensing there's more

"But it's not that simple, is it?"

>She looks over at you, distracted

"I basically grew up in this study, Nona. I've read every book in here, poked through every nook and cranny."

>You nod slowly

"And there are no hidden compartments or secret rooms?"

>She shakes her head

"There are, but I've already scoured through them."

>You're quiet for a moment

"...You think he's referring to a different workshop?"

>She shrugs, giving you a curious look

"He was well-known for being a bit paranoid. I think it's time we spoke to Princess Celestia."

>You look at her doubtfully

>Your last conversation with the princess had been less unpleasant than you had expected, but you still weren't keen on speaking to her again

>She rolls her eyes

"Listen, I know you don't want to ask her for help, but she was Star Swirl's pupil. Who better to ask?"

>You sigh

>She's right, obviously, as usual

"...Alright, let's do it."

>You mull over your last conversation with the Solar Princess as you help Twilight pack up all the loose papers

>She had not been what you had expected, but there had been a wisdom in her eyes that you could not deny

>Twilight also seems preoccupied as you pack up

>As you tuck the last of the notes into Star Swirl's book, you study her expression

>As always you could see the gears turning

>After what happened last time you're not sure you want to ask, but prudence was never really one of your strong suits

"What's on your mind?"

>You ask quietly

>She looks up at you like she had forgotten you were there

>She packs the book into a saddle bag and gestures for you to follow her

>You continue watching her as you walk, knowing she'll answer once she's gathered her thoughts

>After a few minutes she does

"Midnight Spire. Or more accurately, the ponies he gave those pages to."

>You stay quiet for a moment, considering the possibilities

"Like you said in the library, they must have known what was on those pages."

>She stops and looks at you

"But what if they didn't?"

>You raise an eyebrow, confused

"What? That doesn't make any sense, why would they want those pages unless they knew what was on them?"

>She nods, a strange spark in her eyes

"And what would a bunch of small-time shakedown artists want with a book written by a legendary conjurer?"

>You shrug

"They were probably just going to sell it to a collector or something."

>She turns and keeps walking, and you follow after her

"That book doesn't have any value to anypony unless they know what the Astrolabe is, and what it's capable of."

>It clicks in your head, finally

"You think that they were paid specifically to acquire those pages, by somepony who wants the Astrolabe."

>You say slowly

>She nods, seeming satisfied

"The Astrolabe wouldn't be useful to a couple of criminals. I think there's somepony else pulling the strings here, somepony who has the capacity and the will to use it."

>You stay quiet as you walk, her words sinking in

>The entry in Star Swirl's book had been short, but pretty clear: In the wrong hooves, the Astrolabe could spell disaster for Equestria

>Twilight stops, and you nearly walk into her

>You look up and find yourself staring at a massive set of grand doors, which could only lead to Celestia's throne room

>Twilight turns to face you again, her expression serious

"If somepony else is looking for the Astrolabe, it's important we get it first."

>You nod

"...And not just because it's my only way home."

>You finish

>She watches you for a moment, then gives you a cheeky grin

>You raise an eyebrow again

"You were testing me, weren't you?"

>She nods smugly

"If it's any consolation, you passed with flying colours."

>You sigh

>No wonder she was being so weird about that whole conversation

>She turns to one of the guards standing outside of the throne room

"Is Princess Celestia in? We have urgent business."

>The guard nods, and looks over at his compatriot

>Together, they push the doors open, revealing the throne room

>Guess there are some advantages to being the Princess' student

>A rich red carpet paves the way to a grand set of stairs leading up to Celestia's throne, in a large chamber edged with marble columns

>Decorated stained glass windows line the walls, depicting various scenes of Equestrian history in vibrant colours

>You find yourself wishing it was light out still, that you might see how the light filtering through the stained glass plays on the marble floor

>Standing in front of the throne is Celestia herself, just as radiant as the first time you met her

>Her kaleidoscopic mane waves in an invisible breeze, one that can't be possible in the castle

>She's speaking to one of her royal guards as you and Twilight approach, and she looks up as he walks away

>A warm smile graces her face

"Twilight Sparkle! And I see you have brought a new friend."

>Twilight bows, and you follow suit, awkwardly

>It occurs to you that you never mentioned your previous meeting with the princess to Twilight, and it seems like it might be a bit late for that now

>Twilight stands

"Yes, your majesty. That is what I've come to speak to you about, actually. This is Nona."

>Celestia looks over at you, and you flinch slightly

>But you don't see that fearsome guardian who confronted you earlier

"A pleasure to meet you Nona. Twilight speaks very highly of you."

>You try to stifle your embarrassment

"Th-thank you, your majesty."

>You mumble

>It's clear that she's not going to mention your previous encounter, and you arrive at the conclusion that you shouldn't either

>She looks back to Twilight

"What can I help you with, my student?"

>Twilight takes a deep breath

"We're looking for the Astrolabe, to help Nona get home. We've learned that Star Swirl hid it in one of his workshops."

>Celestia nods knowingly

"I had heard. The Astrolabe would be of great aid in returning Nona home. I assume you've already turned the castle upside down?"

>Her eyes dance with mirth

>Twilight smiles nervously

"I know that it's not here, nor in the castle vault."

>Celestia nods thoughtfully

>After a moment she speaks again

"He always did have plans for every possible scenario. There is a place he used to go, when he needed time alone to think."

>Twilight looks elated, but you wait for the other shoe to drop

>Celestia continues

"An old laboratory in what is now the Everfree forest. It was abandoned centuries ago, and I would be surprised if much of it remains."

>There it is

>Twilight looks a little crestfallen, but she perks up quickly enough

"And you think that's the most likely location for him to have hidden the Astrolabe?"

>Celestia nods sagely

>Twilight stands still for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought

"Then that's where we'll go."

>Celestia's expression doesn't change, but you can see a hint of pride in those ancient eyes

>She nods

"Good luck, Twilight. I'll have a map drawn up for you by tomorrow."

>You and Twilight bow again, then turn to leave

>It's a long walk to the throne room doors, and it gives you some time to think

>Celestia had seemed like a totally different pony the first time you met her

>Although to be fair, at that point all she knew about you was that you were a traveller from another world, and that you might be dangerous

>She also didn't acknowledge your first meeting in front of Twilight, and acted like this was the first time you had met

>Maybe that's a side of herself that she doesn't show to most ponies, one that they aren't ready for

>It must be tough... You can't imagine being that old, outliving all of your friends and family repeatedly

>You're nearly at the throne room doors at this point, and to your surprise a familiar face is waiting for you at the entrance

>Midnight Spire stands near the guards, watching you as you approach

>Twilight also looks surprised to see him

"I thought you had gone to bed?"

>He screws up his face a bit

"Couldn't sleep."

>There's something you could empathise with

>The three of you start walking, no particular destination in mind

>Twilight is pretty quiet, you can see she's busy thinking

>Midnight is too, but for different reasons...

"Midnight, what did you do?"

>He looks up at you, surprised

>His cheeks colour, and he looks away again, embarrassed

"I... May have overheard your conversation in the study."

>You raise an eyebrow, practically having smelled his guilt

>You look over at Twilight

"You hear that, Twi?"

>She nods, but her face says otherwise

"Midnight says he's in love with you, and he wants to get married and run away together."

>She nods again

"Mhmm, sounds great."

>She mutters absently

>You roll your eyes, and look back over to Midnight, who looks absolutely mortified

"What exactly did you overhear?"

>He looks a bit nervous

"Well, something about some artifact that can control space and time? It sounds pretty serious."

>You nod

"It is. So you're going to have to keep your mouth shut about this one, okay?"

>He stops walking, and you turn to look at him

"Actually... I want to come with you."

>This finally manages to grab Twilight's attention

"What? No, absolutely not."

>He shakes his head

"It's my fault that it's taken you this long to find it in the first place. I want to help make things right."

>You and Twilight exchange a glance, and you can't quite suppress a grin

"I think he likes you."

>You whisper to Twilight

>Her cheeks go red immediately

>She throws you a dirty look, before looking back at Midnight

"Are you sure? It's probably going to be dangerous. We're not the only ponies after the artifact."

>He nods without hesitation

"Then you need all the help you can get, right?"

>You look to Twilight

"Your call, Twi. You're the expedition leader."

>She thinks for a moment, then nods, once

"Okay. We leave tomorrow morning, so let's go pack some things and then get some sleep."

>Midnight looks relieved, and the three of you start walking again

>The next hour or so is spent gathering supplies for the journey

>Twilight is pretty thorough when it comes to gathering the necessary equipment

>You feel no small amount of embarrassment from how casually you had blundered into the Everfree when you first arrived in Equestria

>Travel rations, a rope and grapnel, an archeologist's toolkit, even a compass and flint and steel among many other things

>Twilight basically preps the three pairs of saddlebags for the apocalypse

>And to be fair, according to Star Swirl's journal, that's allegedly what's going to happen if the wrong pony gets their hooves on the Astrolabe

>You're lying in bed, in one of the castle's many spare rooms

>All the preparations made, you're left to your thoughts as you stare at the ceiling

>Thoughts which, for the first time in years, turn to your mother

>A topic which you had considered forbidden, even to think about, when you were still on Earth

>It's been more than twenty years since she abandoned you and your dad, but the wound still stings like the day after

>She had left when you were young; so young that you had only vague memories of her

>A smile, a laugh, the smell of lavender

>That was all you had

>Your dad had refused to say just about anything about her when you were older, leaving you to guess at what had happened

>What kind of mother abandons her child?

>You find yourself holding a hoof over your stomach, without thinking about it

>You look down at your belly

>You know that you won't be showing for months, at least

>But you can almost feel the life inside you; a sacred, vital spark suffused with a primal bond that you can't separate yourself from

>A life that will be snuffed out, should you return to Earth

>You choke back a sob, hardly able to stomach the thought

>How can you even think of going home, knowing what you'd be leaving behind?

>But home is all that you know, all that you deserve

>This place is too good for you, you know deep down that that's true; it has to be

>All of your sins, and these goddamn ponies just keep treating you like you're one of them

>An innocent soul, pure of heart and free of guilt

>You squeeze your eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears

>But they come anyway, tracing delicate lines down your softly furred cheeks to the down pillow below

>You know what you have to do, but not if you have the strength to do it

>You cry yourself to sleep, thoughts of your future family intermingling with memories of that which you no longer have

 

***

 

>You awaken to a soft kiss, laid on your lips gently and lovingly

>You open your eyes, only to gaze into the beautiful amber that could only belong to Blue Cross

"Good morning, love."

>You sigh happily, overjoyed to wake up to his voice again

"Good morning."

>You breathily reply, blinking away your sleepiness

>You slowly lean out of bed, your expectant middle reducing your mobility considerably

>What was this, your third? Fourth? It wasn't a huge number, but it was hard to keep track somehow

>You chalk it up to baby brain

>You can smell breakfast already, something flowery and sweet; probably daffodil pancakes, Blue's favourite

>He helps you out of bed, ever the gentlecolt

>You kiss him again, wondering what you would do without him

>He breaks it early, although it clearly pains him

"Come on, breakfast is almost ready and the foals are behaving, for now."

>You laugh, following him into the kitchen

>It's pure chaos, the children having gotten into an argument in the thirty seconds their father was absent

>One of the pegasi flies near the ceiling, raining blueberries down on his unicorn brothers, who are telekinetically firing back at him with bits of pancake

>Blue steps in right away, raising his voice and returning order to the kitchen

>Celestia, it's hot when he does that

>You help gather up some of the loose berries and pancake shreds while Blue magicks the Pegasus foal down from the ceiling

>Despite the chaos, you're practically glowing

>You can't imagine being anywhere else

>Your youngest approaches you as you scoop up the last berry

>He looks up at you adoringly, his purple eyes glowing

"Why would you leave me, mama?"

>You take a step back, the hair on the back of your neck standing up

"W-what?"

>He takes a step forward

"Why would you leave me?"

>Your eyes wide, you look to Blue Cross

>He stares back at you, his expression disgusted and angry, his eyes violet

"You abandoned us, Nona."

>You shut your eyes, tears gathering in your eyes

"No... No, please."

>You open your eyes, and find yourself face to face with a beautiful woman... a human woman

>Her dark hair falls around her face in wavy tresses

>Her eyes are a deep amaranthine

>Your lip twitches, your hurt drowning in a growing rage

>You take a step towards her

"This is too far, you bitch."

>She doesn't say anything, the corner of her mouth quirking up into a cocky grin

>You leap towards her, your mind set on beating the piss out of her

>You hoof almost connects with her face and...

>She leaps back, her eyes wide with concern

"Nona, what is wrong with you?"

>Her eyes are purple, but not the glowing purple you remember...

"It's me, calm down!"

>Twilight's voice cuts through your rage, like cool water splashed on your face

>You stop, confused, and take a look at your surroundings

>You're in the your room, morning light filtering through the stained glass window

>Twilight stands in front of you, just out of reach

>Her stance is defensive, her horn just starting to glow

>You sit down heavily as your legs give out

>Your head hangs low, the nightmare still fresh in your mind

>You sigh shakily

"S-sorry... I'm sorry, Twilight."

>The glow around her horn subsides as she approaches you cautiously

>You look up at her, and find her eyes sympathetic but wary

"Another nightmare?"

>She murmurs

>You nod, still trying to shake the image of your foal with those horrible glowing eyes

>She puts a hoof on your shoulder, gently

"No, I'm sorry, Nona. In all the excitement about Star Swirl's workshop I completely forgot about your nightmares."

>You take a shaky breath

"N-not... Not your fault. I did too."

>She gives you a hug, which you return weakly

>Leaning back, she holds you at arm's length

"We're going to fix this, one way or another, okay?"

>You nod, exhausted

"Thanks, Twi. I assume it's time to go?"

>She studies your face for a second, then nods

"Yes. Midnight Spire is waiting for us in the courtyard."

>You take a moment to collect yourself

"Okay. I'm okay, just give me a few minutes to gather my things and I'll meet you out there."

>She looks at you quietly for a moment, her indecision palpable, before she nods her assent

"Alright."

>She turns and leaves, giving you another worried glance before rounding the corner and vanishing further into the castle

>You take another deep breath, trying to master yourself

>You find yourself more disturbed by the former part of that dream than latter, surprisingly

>At this point you are somewhat jaded when it comes to your dreams; you always assumed there was something awful waiting for you

>But that moment when you had awoken to Blue Cross' eyes had affected you more than you'd like to admit

>It had brought your guard down, it's saccharine beauty defeating your skepticism

>And the sight of your foals, adorable and happy... Before being corrupted by that witch

>It made your heart ache

>You shake your head, trying to muster your resolve

>You don't belong here; that future is not a possibility and that fucking witch was toying with your mind

>Standing, you walk to the saddlebags resting at the foot of your bed

>You don't actually have anything to gather, everything neatly packed into the bags the night before

>But you had needed a moment to yourself after that dream

>You had almost attacked Twilight in your earlier state, and you found that more disturbing than anything

>The nightmares were definitely getting worse

>You throw the saddlebags over your back, and take one last look around the room before walking out the door and down the hall

>Twilight and Midnight are waiting for you in the courtyard, as promised

>Midnight gives you a look as you approach

"Sweet Celestia, Nona, you look awful."

>You yawn

"Thanks, Midnight, I love to hear that."

>He turns red

"No, sorry, I just meant-"

>You wave him off

"Don't worry about it, I didn't sleep well. Let's just get going."

>He stares at you, his mouth open, before deciding to shut it

>You stop and look expectantly at Twilight

>She studies you for a moment, before turning and starting to walk out of the courtyard

"Alright, let's go."

>You and Midnight fall in behind her

>Midnight looks a little upset by your earlier interaction

>You still felt a little bad for roughing him up yesterday

>You suppose you should smooth things over with him

"Thank you for transcribing those pages, Midnight. We would have been lost without your help."

>He shakes his head, not looking at you

"You wouldn't have been in that spot if it weren't for me to begin with."

"Well, I appreciate it anyway."

>He sighs

"It's a start."

>You watch him admiringly, your respect for him growing

"You were always planning on replacing all the books you stole, weren't you?"

>His cheeks colour slightly

"...Yes, I was. But I shouldn't have stolen them to begin with, either."

>You nod

"Have you always had such a good memory?"

>He nods in turn

"Ever since I was a foal. It has its advantages."

>Maybe you can convince Twilight to get his job back after this is all over

>You look up, recognising the shape of the Canterlot train station

>Twilight approaches the ticket booth and starts talking with the pony behind the desk

>Your thoughts turn to the journey ahead, and it occurs to you that you're going to have to pass through Ponyville again to get to the Everfree Forest

>Not exactly the most enticing thought, given the temptations that linger there

>Well, it was actually incredibly enticing, and that was the problem

>The three of you board the train and get settled, and a few minutes later it rumbles to life and lurches forward

>Twilight gets Midnight up to speed on the specifics of the task at hand, while you gaze out the window

>Your eyes settle on the tiny speck of Ponyville, unable to make out any details despite your impressive vision

>You idly wonder what Blue Cross is up to right now

>Probably working. He really seems to enjoy his job, and that's something that you admire him for

>And something for his foals to look up to him for

>You grimace, and do your best to suppress the thought

>You tune back into what Twilight was saying

"..nd so we don't know who else is looking for it, either."

>Midnight nods thoughtfully, and he's quiet for a moment

"What exactly is so dangerous about the Astrolabe, anyway?"

>Twilight shrugs

"The book was pretty vague about that. Maybe it's just too powerful?"

>Midnight nods again, slowly

"Maybe... Maybe planar travel isn't supposed to be easy."

>Twilight raises an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue

>He looks up at her earnestly

"Well, from what you've told me, it sounds like this thing makes dimensional travel easy and precise. If it were to get into the wrong hooves, it would be like leaving your front door wide open. Who knows who or what would just come and go from your house as they please?"

>Twilight studies him thoughtfully, and you can see a burgeoning respect for him in her eyes

>She seems to sense you staring at her, and turns to look at you, blushing

>You give her a cheeky smile, but you don't say anything as you look at Midnight

"Since you seem to be so on the ball, any theories as to who might be after it, Midnight?"

>He stares at you blankly

"...How would I know? I don't exactly associate with evil wizards, thank you very much."

>You nod

"Just mobsters, then."

>He goes bright red again

>You giggle, and stop him before he can respond

"I'm kidding. We're glad to have you aboard, Midnight."

>He sighs, not meeting your eyes

"Yeah. I'm just trying to make up for my mistakes."

>You put a hoof on his shoulder

"And I appreciate that, trust me."

>You turn back to Twilight

"Anyway, any ideas for killing some time? It's gonna be a long train ride."

>Twilight looks positively superior

"Of course! I planned for everything."

>Her horn glows, and she levitates a small box out her saddlebags

>She opens it, and dumps a small stack of cards onto the seat

>You suppress another giggle

>Of course she planned for everything. What a nerd she is

>You can't help but wonder what other kinds of things she packed into everypony's saddlebags

>You make a mental note to go through yours later

>The train starts picking up speed as Twilight magically shuffles the deck, and starts dealing out the cards

"So."

>She says

"Ever play 'Stallion Showdown'?"

>You sigh

>This might be a longer train ride than you had anticipated

 

***

 

>The sun hangs low in the sky as the train pulls into Ponyville and comes to a rest

>The brakes hiss as the ponies on board begin getting up off the seats and filing out the doors

>As it turns out, Twilight is much more of a card shark than you had expected

>Meanwhile Midnight Spire was awful at cards

>You would think a pony with a memory as good as his would dominate in that area, but Twilight had won almost every single round

>It had started out as a free-for-all, but once it became evident that Twilight was much better at 'Stallion Showdown' than you or Midnight, it quickly became you two versus her

>She had only lost a few rounds, and even then it was only because she had been dealt some of the worst cards in the game

>Midnight was a good sport and lost graciously, and despite yourself you had had fun as well

>It had sufficiently taken your mind off of your worries for the duration of the trip, although they were now staring you in the face in the form of Ponyville's humble train station

>You, Twilight, and Midnight hop off the train with your saddlebags, and you turn to face her

"So, what's the plan, Twi? Straight to the Everfree?"

>She shakes her head

"It's going to be getting dark soon. We should stay here for the night and head out tomorrow morning."

>You sigh, having dreaded that answer but knowing she was right

>You wanted to avoid an encounter with Blue Cross but you knew that traversing the Everfree Forest at night was a bad idea

>It was dangerous enough in the daytime

>Twilight gives you a sly look

"Besides, I'd like to say hi to some of my friends before tramping off into the Everfree. Isn't there somepony you would like to see before you go?"

>You give her a dark look

>Of course you wanted to see Blue, that was exactly why you were avoiding him

>She puts a hoof up in surrender

"Okay, say no more! Let's go drop our things off at the library."

>She turns and starts walking further into town, you and Midnight trailing behind

>He looks quite preoccupied with his own thoughts, not saying a word as you walk through town

>A couple of the ponies greet Twilight and you as you walk into town, and you introduce them to Midnight Spire

>He's pretty distracted, his mind clearly somewhere else as he shakes hooves with some of Ponyville's residents

>Maybe you should ask him what's on his mind...

>You've almost reached the library at this point, and you're starting to wonder what to do with the rest of the day

>Walking around Ponyville is a no-go if you're trying to avoid Blue Cross

>He has a habit of popping up even where you wouldn't expect to see him

>On the other hoof, this is possibly your last chance to spend some time in Ponyville before you leave for the Everfree

>You gaze at Twilight as she walks happily towards her home, the great boughs of the tree coming into sight over the rooftops of the other houses

>You glance at Midnight, his expression still distant and somewhat vacant

>Starting to look like you're on your own for this one

>A few minutes later and you're at the library

>Twilight pushes the door open, and Spike greets the three of you excitedly

>He looks pretty well rested

>Must have used all his free time for napping, the cheeky little bastard

>Twilight introduces him to Midnight and the three of you drop off your supplies before Twilight turns to you

"Well, I'm going to go track down my friends and catch up. Care to join me?"

>You shake your head with a smile

"No, you go ahead Twi. I think I'm just going to take it easy for tonight."

>She nods, and looks over to Midnight

"And what about you?"

>He looks up at her, startled

"Oh, uh... no, thank you. I think I'm going to rest up too."

>She nods again

"Alright, suit yourself! We'll be staying here tonight, so make yourself at home. I'm not sure when I'll be back."

>She gives you a hug, and then Midnight, too, to his surprise

>With that she disappears upstairs, presumably to get ready

>Midnight's expression returns to that distracted, thoughtful mask

>You think about asking him what's bothering him, but ultimately decide to leave him alone for now

>You briefly consider just staying in the library for the rest of the night, but after spending several hours on that cramped train you'd rather be outside right now, despite the risks

>You head out the door, leaving Midnight Spire to his thoughts

>As has become your habit the last few times wandering Ponyville, you don't pick a destination; just letting your hooves carry you where they will

>And where they carry you, as it turns out, is a small park on the west side of town, facing the setting sun

>You spy an unoccupied park bench and make your way over, sitting down as the sun slowly descends towards the horizon

>A gentle breeze rustles the leaves on the trees and bushes in the park, and the last birdsong of the day is just starting to fade

>There are only a hoofful of other ponies here, one of them a young mother who is watching her foal chase some butterflies

>You find you hoof resting protectively over your middle as you watch the two of them

>She looks so happy, like she couldn't imagine being anywhere else

>Your thoughts turn to the Everfree forest, and the ruin that supposedly waits for you there

>Supposing you find the Astrolabe and bring it back to Princess Celestia, then what?

>She whisks you back to Earth, and everything goes back to normal

>...And there's no telling what happens to your... Your foal

>A shiver runs through you as you consider Twilight's words to you last night

>Are you really going to sacrifice the life within you just to go back?

>There isn't really any other option though, is there?

>And what happens if you were to return to your old body while pregnant, anyway?

>You tell yourself that you're just concerned with your own safety, but you know it's a lie

>When Twilight told you that you were pregnant it had changed everything

>There was more to this decision than just you, now

>You groan and cover your face with your hooves

>That news had made everything a lot more complicated

>You want to say that you wish she hadn't told you, but you know that's a lie too

>A small, slightly muffled voice makes its way through your thoughts

"Excuse me, miss?"

>You open your eyes and find yourself face to face with the little foal you had just seen earlier

>He's holding a flower in his mouth; a small daffodil

>He places it gently on the bench next to you

"You looked sad, so I brought you this."

>He says, beaming at you

>You immediately feel a lump forming in your throat

"Oh... Thank you so much."

>He nods happily, like it was the most natural thing in Equestria

>You look up at his mother, as she watches proudly from afar

>She smiles at you, and you smile back

>It's an easy smile, bittersweet but genuine

"You're welcome!"

>The little foal says, before turning and galloping back off to his mom

>You carefully pick the daffodil up with your hooves and consider it as he races away

>He reaches his mom and leaps up to hug her, as she catches him and laughs, and they start heading out of the park

>The sun is now just touching the horizon, casting those familiar long shadows across the landscape

>The birds are silent; the only sound in the park that of the wind rustling through the trees

>You gaze at the flower, tracing a hoof along its yellow-orange petals

>Sighing, you gingerly tuck the daffodil behind your ear and hop off the bench, before turning towards town and picking up a walk

>As the sky begins to darken, your thoughts turn, as they often tend to now, towards your dreams

>You don't fully recall them all, only bits and pieces

>But one in particular stands out; when you were sleeping over at Rainbow Dash's house

>That had been, by your estimation, the worst of the nightmares you had had since arriving in Equestria

>You're not sure how it could be possible, but you had felt like you were going to die in that dream

>And you had a feeling that the possibility of dying then had been all too real

>You had heard somewhere in your past life that dreams have power, and perhaps that was true...

>You are almost certain at this point that the witch that sent you here is the one responsible for the dreams that torment you nightly

>But when you had stayed at Rainbow's house, some of the scenes the witch had shown you had been visions of the future

>You had recognised them because you had watched the show, and although it had been many years ago you still remembered some of the events

>Your memories of that dream are fragmented and scattered, and it had been entirely too overwhelming at the time for you to process or parse any of the events

>But maybe if you saw it again, and you were ready this time... Maybe it could give you some kind of idea of what to do next

>Princess Luna had saved you that night, and although the nightmares had still persisted beyond her intervention, you hadn't felt like you had that night; like they might actually kill you

>Which meant that she was still protecting you, to some degree

>Something you were obviously intensely grateful for

>But an idea was forming in your head, and for it to work... She was going to have to rescind her protection for a bit

>You look up at the library as you arrive, stopping to gaze at the elegant grand boughs of the tree, the still-living wood stretching up into the sky

>Light spills from the windows, the inside looking cozy and warm

>You walk up to the door, suddenly feeling a sense of déjà vu

>But this time there are no voices from within, just a peaceful quietude

>You open the door, figuring you're a little past knocking at this point

>Spike is sitting at the table in the center, his little claws holding a quill as he scribbles away at a piece of paper

>He looks up at you as you come in and shut the door behind you

"Hi, Nona!"

>You smile at him

"Hi, Spike. What have you got there?"

>He glances at the paper

"Oh, this? Twilight wanted me to catalogue some of the artifacts mentioned in this book she brought from Canterlot."

>You immediately recognise Star Swirl's coded book in front of him, along with the sheets of notes you and Twilight had compiled while working on the cipher

"Well, good on you, Spike. It's a bit of a dry read."

>He sighs

"Yeah, now that Twilight's back in town I'm back to work."

>You glance around and notice Midnight Spire isn't in the library anywhere you can see

>You had meant to ask him what was bothering him when you got back

>You look back to Spike

"Hey, where's Midnight?"

>Spike has gone back to scribbling notes on the paper

"Uh... He went out. Said he had something to do? I dunno, he seemed pretty distracted."

>You raise an eyebrow

"Did he say where?"

>Spike shakes his head, not looking up

"Nope."

>Well that's weird

>You didn't think Midnight had any business in Ponyville, or knew anypony here really

>Not that you were really one to judge

>You shrug and head upstairs, opening the balcony doors to look outside

>Pale moonlight bathes the town in silver and blue as the moon starts to rise above the distant horizon

>You duck back inside, looking downstairs to make sure Spike is still preoccupied

>You're not sure why, but you feel a little silly for what you're about to do

>You sneak back out onto the balcony and turn your eyes once again to the moon

>Closing your eyes, you sit back on your haunches and put your hooves together awkwardly

>You take a deep breath

"Um... Princess Luna. If you can hear me, I need your help."

>You crack one eyelid open

>The moon is unchanged, facing you coldly

>You close your eye again

"If... If I could speak to you, tonight, I have a request that might be... difficult."

>You stay like that for a moment, waiting for some kind of response, or sign, or something; anything

>A curious voice from behind you interrupts the moment

"What are you doing?"

>You whip around, blushing furiously, and find Midnight Spire watching you with a bemused expression

>How did you not hear him come in?

"N-nothing, I was just... Enjoying the night air!"

>He nods slowly, clearly unconvinced

"Uh huh..."

>Embarrassed, you decide to change the topic

"Where did you get off to? I thought you said you were going to stay here for the rest of the day."

>His cheeks redden slightly

"Yeah, I said that and then... I don't know. I didn't feel like being inside after that train ride. I also wanted to pick up some more supplies for tomorrow."

>You look at him curiously

"What, did Twilight forget to pack something? That doesn't seem like her."

>He shrugs

"No, I just wanted some muffins for the trip."

>The two of you are silent for a moment, Midnight looking lost in thought again

>You step inside, and close the balcony doors

>Midnight speaks up as you turn back around

"Nona... This artifact we're after, why do you need it?"

>You stare at him, not sure what to say

"Back at the castle, you said it was your only chance. Why is that?"

>He looks at you earnestly, and as much as your paranoia screams at you not to tell him, you're getting tired of keeping secrets

>You sigh

"I'm not from this world. I was sent here against my will, and I need the Astrolabe to get back."

>He looks surprised at this revelation, but not as shocked as you would expect

"... I see. So you just want to get back to your family? I can understand that."

>You shrug

"Yeah, kinda. I don't have any family left for me, there."

>He looks somewhat confused

"Alright, but you must have other things to go back to...?"

>You open your mouth to reply, but find your mind is blank

>What DO you have to go back to? Some acquaintances, a job that you hate, a world that doesn't care for you?

>You close your mouth

>Damnit, why does he have to hit you right where it hurts?

"It's just where I belong, Midnight, okay?"

>The words sound hollow, even to you

>He looks a bit taken aback

"Okay, sorry. I was just curious. It's not every day you meet an extradimensional traveler."

>He smiles weakly

>You sigh

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bite your head off. I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

>He nods slowly

"Well, maybe we should catch an early night. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

>You shake your head

"You go ahead, I've got to speak with Twilight first."

>You feel a bit bad not warning him about your nightmares, but you're not in the mood to open that can of worms

>You leave him behind as you walk downstairs to the main floor

>You scan the room as you walk down the stairs, looking for something to occupy your time until Twilight comes back

>As it happens it's not necessary

>You've been considering some of the books on the shelf for a few minutes and the door swings open

>Twilight sweeps in and closes it behind her, looking a bit tired but satisfied

>Spike acknowledges her entrance with a huge yawn

>She turns and regards him with some surprise

"Spike! What are you still doing up?"

>He puts down the quill and stretches

"You said this was important! I wasn't about to slack off. Besides, I've been sleeping most of the time you've been gone."

>She looks at him adoringly

"Aw, Spike. You didn't have to do that! It is important, but so is getting enough sleep."

>You take this opportunity to pipe up

"He's lying, he's been at this since you left!"

>Spike blushes, throwing you a dirty look

>Twilight glances up at you, indignantly

"Hey, you! I was just talking with the girls and they said you left a pouch of bits at each of their houses!"

>You blink

>Honestly you had completely forgotten you had done that

>Twilight continues

"I respect your sense of integrity, Nona, but that was totally unnecessary. We were all happy to help you out!"

>You shake your head

>You have a scant few regrets from your time in Ponyville, and that was not one of them

>Frankly most of them had to do with flying

"I just wanted to carry my own weight, Twilight. I appreciate everything you and your friends have done for me and I wanted to express that. Just accept the gift!"

>She sighs, capitulating

>Her eyes alight on the daffodil tucked neatly behind your ear

"Hey, I like the flower. It's cute."

>You blush

"Thanks. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something."

>You continue

>Her ears perk up, that ever-curious spark in her eye igniting

>You're interrupted by another of Spike's huge yawns

>Twilight looks at him pityingly

"Go to bed, Spike. You've done a great job."

>He nods sleepily, and hops off the stool he was sitting on to shuffle off to his bed

>You walk over to Twilight as she eyes you curiously

"So..."

>You start

"I didn't really have a moment to mention this earlier, but Princess Luna has been kinda-sorta protecting me from the worst of my dreams."

>She doesn't say anything, but her expression changes to one of superiority

>One that says "I told you so"

>You roll your eyes

"Yeah, yeah, anyway. I think if I can get her to stop protecting me, just for tonight, I might be able to glean some valuable information from my dreams."

>She raises an eyebrow, looking slightly horrified

"What could possibly be worth that, Nona?"

>You look away, finding it hard to meet her gaze

"Well... I think that I know exactly why I'm having these nightmares. I think there is somepony who is responsible for them. The same somepony who sent me here."

>She considers you for a moment, then nods slowly

"And why do you think making yourself more vulnerable to this pony is a good idea?"

>You squirm under her perceptive eyes

"I think... That some of the visions I've seen in my dreams are of the future."

>Her eyes widen, and she sits down on the stool at the desk

"Nona, this is a bad idea. Many ponies have gone mad obsessing over the future."

>You sit down on the floor next to her

"But think about it! If I can try to tap into these visions, maybe it will give us an edge in trying to get to the Astrolabe!"

>That's not the only reason you want a peek at the future, but you don't feel like sharing that just yet

>She looks at you doubtfully

"Or you'll go crazy, or worse. I'm telling you, it's not a good idea."

>You meet her eyes, trying to muster your hardest expression

"I think it's worth the risk. Who knows what we're walking into tomorrow?"

>She searches your eyes for a long time, her expression a mix of concern and curiosity. But there is a hint of admiration there, too

>You hold her gaze, your resolve set

>After a long pause, she sighs and nods curtly

"Alright. I can see you're determined to give this a shot."

>You smile

"Thank you, Twilight. I know it's not going to be pleasant for you to deal with, but I think it will be worth it."

>She smiles at you uncertainly, clearly still concerned for your safety

"I trust you Nona. I still don't think this is a good idea, but... I'll support you."

>You lean forward and wrap her in a tight hug

>You feel a rush of emotion at how lucky you are to have a such a good friend

>A feeling that has grown so familiar since coming to Equestria

>And one that was all but alien to you before that

>You break off the embrace, your mind turning to the task at hand

"So... I didn't mention to Midnight Spire that I was planning this. I think he might already be asleep."

>She waves off your concerns

"You can bed down in the basement tonight. I'll watch over you."

>You breathe a sigh of relief

>She hops off the stool, and starts walking to the hall

>You trail after her

>Twilight leads you downstairs to the basement, and after a few minutes she's arranged a bed for you

>The preparations made, there's nothing else to be done

>She blows out the lights, and lies down on the bed next to you

>You snuggle up to her under the cover of darkness, mentally preparing yourself for whatever lies ahead of you

"Goodnight, Twilight."

>You murmur

"Sweet dreams."

>She cheekily mutters back

>You chuckle softly

>With Twilight's warmth next to you, the accumulated exhaustion of the week pounces on you, and you swiftly drift off to sleep

 

***