I finished helping the last of the accompanying guards move the rest of the luggage and supplies into the lower deck of the medium sized airship. Scarlet was still topside waving goodbye to her friends as we slowly started sailing away into the early night sky. As I released my magical hold on several crates of perishable food and water one of the female guards nodded her head at me and gave me a grateful smile. I returned the smile and she walked off to do whatever her next set of orders were. With everything all packed away and the ship at a steady pace do north there was nothing more to do. I walked up the stairs onto the deck and saw scarlet still waving goodbye to her friends which were now becoming more distant. I walked up to her side and gave them a wave as well. She looked over to me and smiled.
"Well, the adventure begins." She said.
"Ha-ha, so it does." I replied.
"I'm actually very excited." She said. "Neverspring… I wonder what it's like."
"Probably just a lot of snow and ice, along with bitter frozen ponies." I said. "It's probably not the nicest place to live."
"probably." Said scarlet giggling. She looked away towards the sky and smiled. "Well, it's going to be a few days before we make it to Neverspring, captain said that if we're lucky we'll make it in only four days." She said.
"And if we're unlucky?" I asked as we both started making our way across the deck.
"Well the captain said that if were unlucky the ship will crash and we'll most likely not survive." Said scarlet. I chuckled slightly at the remark.
"Great to know that we've got such an optimistic captain." I said.
"Well with the two of us on this ship I don't think that we have to worry about anything going wrong." Said scarlet reassuringly.
"I don't know about that." I said rolling my eyes and smiling. "I've crashed a ship or two in my days." I said thinking back to some bad times when I was stuck inside scars body. Along with those thoughts I got horrible flashbacks, but I quickly shook them off and pretended they never happened.
"Oh crimson, I feel so safe with you." She said sarcastically and doing a fake swoon. I laughed a bit and she smiled. "Anyway, I think I've had enough for today, I'm going to turn in, there's nothing left to do… you coming." She asked walking ahead of me towards the lower deck stairs.
"I think I'll stay topside for a little bit longer." I said. She just smiled and walked down into the cabin. Soon it was just me and a few other guards on their patrols walking around the ship and making sure everything is in order. I looked up to the sky which was on the very verge of night. The stars were now visible in the sky along with the moon and on the horizon laid Canterlot covered in an orange and pink glow from the sun still shining behind the great mountains. Suddenly I heard a depressing sigh from the right of me and looked over to see where it came from. I looked over to see twilight resting up against the side of the ship and looking out into the night sky. I walked over but she kept her gaze out onto the sky. I sat down right next to her but she didn't seem to notice me. "Hey, Are you alright?" I asked. She gave me no reply.
"How come this all happened?" she asked without looking away.
"Huh?" I stuttered looking at her with confusion.
"I remember when things used to be simple, when the only thing I had to worry about was what the princess was going to be testing me on. I spent my days studying and reading, and everything was fine, boring… but fine." She said. "Now I'm on an adventure almost every day risking my life. My life has never been more exciting, but I'm not sure if it's really worth it."
"Twilight…" I said worryingly.
"I still remember that day we found you… the real you." She said. "In the everfree forest, when we were going after nightmare moon. You were hurt and alone in the woods. You were scared and confused, like some kind of wounded animal. And we quickly became friends, the best of friends… and that's when all of this happened… and I don't know why." She said. "Now I feel like I'm the one who's hurt, and scared, and confused."
"If you're saying that this is all my fault, well… I don't blame you, it probably all is my fault." I said with a guilty conscience.
"That's not what I'm saying at all." She said turning and looking at me. "I just wish things could be simple again.
"Twilight, you have no idea how many times I wish the same thing." I said. "If I could give up all my power to live a simple life I would do it in a heartbeat." Twilight smiled a bit and looked back to the sky.
"Yeah… I would too." She said. She let out another sigh as the purple and orange hue faded from the sky and everything was darker now. Light from lit lanterns behind us brightened up the ship and made it possible to see. The sky was flooded with stars as there weren't any clouds in the sky to block them. And the moon glowed with an iridescent bluish light which gave the surrounding sky a magical midnight blue hue. I cold gust of wind blew in from behind us and twilight's hair was pulled forward by the gust of cold night wind as was mine. She grit her teeth and shivered from the cold night air and the gust of wind faded. I slid closer and reached one of my wings out to cover her from the cold.
"Cold out, isn't it?" I said smiling. She just murmured a silent yes and smiled as she looked up to the sky. I looked over at the sky and stared as well. "It kinda makes you wonder doesn't it." I said. "I look at the sky all the time and wonder why out of everything out there… out of all possible forms of life or different planets and solar systems, across the infinitely expanding universe and all the dimensions… why does this happen to us?" I said.
"That's a lot to think about." Said twilight as we both kept our gaze at the sky.
"Yeah, but then I think…. Well, what if it doesn't matter?" I said. "what if no matter what my life was like before all of this, I would eventually get to this point regardless of the decisions I made… like all my life has lead up to this." I said. "And that would make you think about things like, is there such a thing as fate? And… is there a higher power in all of this? Is there a higher power beyond that one too?" I said. "The more I think about it the more questions I'm left with, and they all don't seem to have an answer."
"But if we lead a normal life we wouldn't have to worry about all those things, life would be simple." Said twilight.
"Yeah… that's true." I said smiling. "But if we both had normal lives, think about what would have happened to all those ponies that we've met along our travels. We would never have met them. Princess Luna, mystee and her family, Nightflame, Black Hoof, and Thunder rush, Celestia, King Sapphire, Alba Rose, all those ponies we've met whose lives would be different if we didn't help them." I said. "It's scary isn't it…? How with enough power, one being can shape the world to how he or she sees fit."
"I… guess." Said twilight looking down now.
"But whenever I think about that, my friends and family run through my thoughts as well." I said. "And I think about you and fluttershy, rainbow dash, applejack, rarity, pinkie pie, spike and the others in ponyville." I said looking down at twilight who seemed rather troubled and confused.
"Mmmm…" she hummed still looking down.
"twilight." I said pulling myself even closer to her. She noticed and looked up at me. "You're one of my best friends, I never really had many friends in life, I was always alone usually… so it means a lot to have such great friends now, you, thunder, and the others… I would do anything to keep you all safe. And I'm sorry that you have to suffer things like this with me, if I could change that I would… but some things are even out of my control… and I'm sorry if you feel hurt and alone, if you feel scared and confused… I'm sorry. But I'm always going to be here for you, weather you need somepony to share a happy story with, or if you need a shoulder to cry on." I gave her a big confident smile and she gave me the same hopeful look she always does.
"Crimson...I…I…" she stuttered.
"What is it twilight?" I asked. "You can tell me anything." I said still smiling. She just stared at me with her big purple eyes and I could see she started to blush. I was going to ask her what was wrong, when she caught me off guard and lunged at me. She pushed herself against me and planted a deep kiss right on my lips. Out of shock my eyes shrunk back into my heard and I froze as she pressed her warm lips up against mine. She was putting all of her bottled emotions into this one kiss as she had her eyes closed like she was lost in her dreams. I wanted to pull away but I was frozen there. Soon though she opened up her eyes and a look of shock washed over her and she pulled herself off me and quickly stood up on her hooves.
"Oh god crimson… I'm… I'm so sorry… I… I just…" but without saying anything more she bolted off to the lower deck and I sat there still frozen in place.
"Wait… twilight." I said reaching out like I could grab her and pull her back but that was impractical and I was simply reaching out to nothing. Within seconds she was gone and I was just sitting there, alone and confused… very confused. In all honesty, I should have seen that coming. I don't know if I've been leading her on, or if she's always felt like that. I turned back around feeling guilty again and looked up to the sky. I watched the stars like I was trying to find the answer to my problems. Suddenly one by one the stars began to fade until the sky was black, everything started turning dull and grey like a familiar nightmare until a very chilling but regretfully familiar voice echoed out behind me.
"… What a poor girl." Said the raspy and broken voice. I looked behind me to see a shadow of a pony with white eyes and a sadistic smile. "All she wants is somebody to confide in… to keep her safe." He said.
"You shut up… don't you dare talk about my friends." I said angrily.
"Is she really your friend Alex…?" the pony said "Or is she something more?"
"I said shut up…"
"Now now, there's no need to get angry, you'll get your revenge soon enough… patience Alex… it's a virtue and a curse." He said. "Poor little twilight is so lost and confused… she wants to turn to you for safety, to confide in you after everything that's happened to her… but she can't, you won't let her."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"It's so obvious… you're the god of peace and balance… obviously you can see It." he said. "After what you… oops, I mean… scar, did to her, she's been scared out of her mind. Without you there her whole world shattered… and then you come back, just like that, like a miracle." He said circling around me. "Now in the shambles of her broken world, you, a miracle, are the only light she can see in a realm of darkness and self loathing. So she tries to follow you… the light, trying to get as close as she can, for warmth and comfort. She believes that you are the only one who can keep her safe from the harsh reality of life… but no matter how much she chases after that little light, it only stays just a hair our of her reach, until just then… when she kissed you." He said. "You must have felt it… all those juicy emotions, bubbling up and being expressed in the purest form ever…. Love."
"What do you know about love?!" I shouted angrily.
"Enough to know that it's a knife with no purpose and two edges." He said raising his voice. "It can make a man happy for the rest of his life; it can be kind to him and show him the true wonders of the world. It can be used to protect him and make him safe as he confides within the ones he loves." Said the shadow. "Or it can be used to destroy a man and take from him everything he holds dear to him. He can go chasing after love his whole life until it turns on him and stabs him in the heart leaving him to slowly die within himself. And then there's you crimson… you… you toy with both edges of the knife, clinging to the ones you love… but do you really love them, or I you just happy to be around them. You say you would do anything to protect the ones you love… but you constantly drag them into the spiraling pit of fire that you call your life… you don't deserve the life you've been given… and I intend to correct that." he said calming down. "but… within time… right now you've got problems to solve… things to attend to… maybe if you're lucky you'll figure out what love is really like before we meet."
I wanted to lash out at him in anger, but before I could everything started to return to life and color reappeared in the world. I looked up at the sky and the night was lined with stars again and the moon continued to glow brightly. I looked around and there weren't any guards on the ship, they must have turned in. I looked back at the moon to see that it had noticeably moved position and it was very late at night. I felt tired now and started making my way down to the lower deck. Once I got down I looked over to the sleeping quarters where the others were resting. Knowing twilight was in there made me somewhat uncomfortable. I didn't want to face her just yet, decided to rest up on one of the crew's hammocks which was empty tonight. I crawled into the hammock and swung slightly until it came to a stop. I closed my eyes and started to wander off into my own dreams.
I wish I was normal even more than I have ever before…
-Authors Note: hey guys, i hope you enjoyed this very emotional chapter, even though it was rather short. as the summer draws to its near end and school is about to pick up again i think my streak of summer laziness is at its end, so I'm going to try to get back to writing like i used to, but i dont promise immediate results. anyway, i think that its becoming more clear whats happening between twilight and crimson now... juicy stuff. anyway, there's nothing much more i can say about it without revealing too many things, but just know when this story ends it's going to end big and in a way that nobody would expect. thanks for hanging in there guys, the end is closing in on us and the final battle between gods is near. please favorite and write a review and i'll catch you guys next time. stay shady my friends.-End of Note-