Twilight Sparkle was supposed to be asleep, yet she was busy reading. In the silence of her room, all she could hear was Spike snoring and turning around in his bed. She had been interested in a few subjects since she'd gathered a few new books for her collection, and she was not going to stop for such mundane things as rest.
Suddenly, an intense white light began to shine behind her. Twilight only saw the faint halo that formed around her, but it was enough to distract her from her reading. When she turned around, she discovered an orb of light as tall as her room with a golden spiral in the middle. She jumped out of her seat had stared at the strange phenomenon happening right before her eyes. Did she fall asleep reading? She thought that might be a possibility, although her dreams were never quite as realistic.
Something was coming out of the portal -she decided to call it that at that point- she got a little closer to the light just so she could see it better. She was still ready to attack at any given point if needed. But that something was a known figure, and as soon as she saw it, it calmed her down. "Princess Celestia?" She asked, still in a bit of a shock.
"Twilight Sparkle, I have a most important mission for you." Celestia's voice sounded like an echo bouncing on the walls. It was as if she was far away yet still all around her. "I need you, and Spike, to take care of a human."
Twilight saw in awe as a beam of light grew beside The Princess, taking another shape. It was a human boy. He could not have been any older than fifteen, but Twilight wasn't sure. She'd never seen a human up close before. Celestia moved him with her magic towards the bed. He was unconscious, she noticed as she watched his chest rise and fall calmly in his sleep. "How- what?" Even though she was usually eloquent, she couldn't seem to find her words.
"I cannot stay to explain right now, Twilight Sparkle," Celestia said. She sounded apologetic and honestly in a hurry. "I have written a letter that explains what you need to know. Do not worry, my dear student. I'm certain you will do a great job."
"But… Wait!"
Just like that, as swiftly as it had opened, the portal had closed and disappeared. Twilight stared at her bed where the boy still laid asleep. She moved toward him with unsteady steps, shaking on her hooves. He looked hurt, the hint of blood staining his clothes and a few scars barely visible on his hands and face. Twilight wondered if he might have even more in places she couldn't see.
Spike had woken up when she'd screamed at Princess Celestia for answers, right before she disappeared. He was looking a little groggy, rubbing his hand against his tired eyes. "What's going on, Twilight?" He asked in between yawns. "Did you have a bad dream or something?"
"I wish it was just a nightmare," she said as she sighed. "Princess Celestia has given us a new task, and I don't know how to do it, or even if I can do it, for that matter." She looked stressed and somewhat worried about the whole thing. She explained everything to a wide-eyed Spike who seemed to be more awake with every sentence as he heard her.
"Maybe we can start by reading that letter?" He asked, pointing at the boy's chest where a closed envelope lay.
In her shock, Twilight had completely overlooked the letter. She hurried towards it and read it out loud.
"My dearest student, Twilight Sparkle. This is Manuel, and he needs help. He has done great things, yet also suffered gravely in his world. I have brought him to Equestria to give him a better opportunity. All I ask of you and Spike is to take care of him and to allow him a great life in this kingdom. I know you are the right pony for this job. I trust you, Twilight Sparkle."
Both she and Spike looked at the piece of paper as if it would suddenly come up with extra words. "That was not helpful at all!" Twilight complained as she refolded the letter. "I mean, we can take care of him, but how?" They looked at the sleeping boy and noticed he had a furrowed brow, they remembered Celestia's words about the hardships the kid had to endure in his world. "Maybe he's having a nightmare," Twilight said as she pulled up the covers on top of him.
Meanwhile, Manuel was indeed having a terrible dream. He kept seeing images of his last fight against the Green Goblin and the explosion. His inability to help his loved ones, even with his superpowers was haunting him in his sleep. Gwen was there, but she was too far away from him, and even if he tried, he couldn't reach her in time. His aunt was crying for help, but she was in the opposite direction, and he couldn't get there fast enough yet again.
The Goblin's laughter was deafening, filling every space around him. Manuel kept hearing his last words to him. He was used to being taunted and provoked by his enemies, but that time it had felt different; it felt like the truth. Manuel wanted to escape that dream, he wanted to close his eyes and return to the battle, but, most importantly, all he wanted was to have another chance to save the people he loved.
He felt the explosion again, its sound resonating deep within his bones. He felt the heat coming from the fire, the screams from the civilians around him, and his own breathing and heartbeat jumping under his chest. He tried to run, chasing after the fading laughter, but just when he thought he could reach it, he woke up.