Applied Mathemagics

[TheFabulousCustodes]

She smiles wider, now visibly panicking. "I mean, it's—hah—just socks, right? No big deal! Just put them on! Right now! That would be hilarious! Haha, ha… ha…"

Rachel tilts her head. "Strange."

Twilight nearly flinches. "No! It's—totally normal! Super normal! I mean, why wouldn't I have femb—I mean, colt socks?! That's just—just a thing that happens!"

Click to shrink...

Slowly, deliberately, I take a step.

Her breath hitches.

I stop immediately.

Twilight freezes, her entire face burning red, her eyes darting anywhere but at me.

I frown, a bit uncomfortable. "…Right."

Click to shrink...

Twilight's kink revealed.

Thanks for the chapters!

 

[pingas plight]

I would just like to say, rereading some of these chapters gave me a wonderful idea.

 

[Tsedle87]

I really hope the MC and Twilight do not end up together ever,

Especially because of how this chapter went from beginning to end.

I hate that the MC says no and they don't care. None of them do. It's not funny.

They don't respect the MC regardless of saying they do and proceed to act otherwise.

They never respect any boundaries when it comes to him, tricking and using his naivety for their own gain / amusement.

They like the idea of him…

if he could just do as they ask, and change to what they want.

For him to just do as the is told, because he is always suspicious, wrong and lying.

The MC is a problem that needs correcting.

So they ignore him when he protests and they give stupid commentary, always brow beating him.

Over and over again thats what the mare six do.

They use the words truth, growth, understanding and friendship.

Then they proceed to boss him around, and ignore everything he says until he does what they want. Wheedling, cajoling, bribing and straight emotionally manipulating him.

That has happened every time he interacts with them.

The MC has a toxic one sided relationship with them. Seriously look them up.

He was allowed to be angry once…. Then they went right back to acting the way they always do, not really listening to him.

Nothing ever changes.

The only friends the MC actually has in this whole story that is not the definition of toxic? Sweetie belle and Luna.

Celestia could be a friend but she uses her authority too much with him for them to ever be a proper friends.

 

[Riddlest]

A pit is hollowing out inside me, raw and gaping. I've lost everything before, but this is more.

She can't be gone.

She can't.

A wisp of smoke curls from her chest.

I freeze.

More tendrils of shadow rise, curling into the air, slipping from her body like mist in the morning sun.

My throat tightens.

No.

No, no, no, no—

Her form begins to unravel, pieces of her turning to vapor, slipping through my hooves.

"NO!"

I clutch her tighter, as if I can physically hold her together, but she's slipping—fading—

"Twilight, please—"

The smoke pulls away, winding around me, through me—cold and empty.

I reach out, trying to grab at her vanishing form, but my hooves meet only air.

Gone.

I choke on the emptiness.

And then—

A voice.

"Kinetic…?"

The sound punches through the void like a blade.

I gasp—my chest heaves—as the world slams back into place.

Light. Warmth.

A dozen voices murmuring.

I'm still kneeling.

But the blood is gone.

Twilight is standing, looking concerned near the center of the room.

She's whole.

Breathing.

Alive.

My lungs burn as I take a shaking breath, my eyes wide, unfocused.

What—

Twilight shifts as I stare at her.

And then, in a quiet voice—

"…Door got you too, huh?"

I look at her.

She's smiling.

Soft, teasing.

Like she didn't just die in my hooves.

My vision blurs.

It must be raining.

Where's all this water come from?

fluid drips from my chin, dotting the floor of the chamber.

Twilight's face softens. "Hey…"

I don't let her finish.

I march over to her.

My hooves hit the floor harder than necessary, the echoes sharp against the chamber walls.

Twilight blinks, taking a step back. "Uh—"

I grab her.

She stiffens—her breath catches—but I don't care. I pull her in, gripping her tighter than I probably should.

She doesn't protest.

Her hooves slowly lift, hesitantly wrapping around me, testing if this is real.

I feel her breath against my neck, warm and steady.

She's here.

She's alive.

I squeeze my eyes shut, exhaling sharply against her mane.

Twilight makes a quiet sound, her breath hitching slightly. Then, in a voice that's softer than I've ever heard from her—

"…You're holding me."

Something ugly twists in my chest.

I grit my teeth, my grip tightening against her coat. The words are too fresh, too raw—while she slipped away, while I—

I exhale sharply through my nose.

"You should have just opened the damn door," I snap, eyes moist.

Twilight stiffens slightly. "I—"

I pull back just enough to glare at her. "Why the hell did you think that was a good idea?"

She hesitates, ears flicking back. "I just thought—"

"Yeah? Well, you thought wrong."

The others shift awkwardly in the background. Nopony speaks. The air is thick, suffocating.

Twilight's face tightens. "Kinetic, what—"

"Shut up," I mutter.

Her eyes widen slightly.

I don't let go.

She doesn't push me away.

I press my forehead against her shoulder, forcing myself to steady my breathing. The phantom sensation of blood under my hooves lingers.

Twilight doesn't move. She doesn't try to speak again.

For a moment, we just exist—standing there, holding each other.

Then—

I hear her inhale.

Deeply.

And hold it.

I freeze.

Then I hear it.

A quiet, pleased "Haaah... Mmh~."

I pull my head back slightly, just enough to glance at her.

Her eyes are closed, ears relaxed.

She's sniffing me.

My eye twitches.

"…Can you behave for like five seconds?"

Twilight's eyes snap open.

She blinks rapidly, her face heating up as she jerks her head back. "I—I wasn't—That wasn't—"

I lift an eyebrow. "Oh?"

She sputters, hooves waving in frantic denial. "I wasn't smelling you or anything—I mean, I was, but not in a weird way, I was just—" She groans, squeezing her eyes shut before muttering under her breath, "This is why I shouldn't talk."

I smirk.

She deserves this.

After everything.

After making me open that damn door.

After making me see all of that.

I cross my hooves. "So?"

Twilight groans. "So what?"

I tilt my head. "What do I smell like?"

Her ears flame.

The others are barely holding it together behind us. Pinkie has both hooves shoved over her mouth, vibrating. Rainbow refuses to make eye contact. Rarity looks scandalized and impressed.

Twilight grits her teeth, eyes darting away. "I am not answering that."

I scoff. "Coward."

Her ear twitches.

For a split second, I think she might actually try to kill me.

Then she straightens, clearing her throat, smoothing out her mane like she can somehow reclaim her dignity. "You should not be enjoying this," she mutters.

I shrug. "I enjoy very few things, Twilight. Most of them related to messing with you."

Her eyes flick up.

And for a second, her breath catches.

Oops.

I look away, turning back toward the door.

"Open it."

She pauses. "…Are you sure you don't need another hug?"

She says it like she's joking, like she's just being annoying, but the slight waver in her voice betrays her.

She wants me to say yes.

I exhale slowly. "…Just open the door, Twilight."

She hesitates.

Then—

Her horn lights up.

The black crystal hums in response.

She presses her magic into it, the light thrumming with an unmistakable pulse of intent.

The door shifts.

Twilight frowns slightly, concentrating harder. "I'm focusing on his study, but… the spell feels different than before."

I nod, watching as the black crystal twists, reshaping itself, the surface rippling like a liquid mirror.

The magic takes hold.

The door swings open.

And beyond it—

A dimly lit chamber, lined with dark shelves, heavy tomes, and ancient scrolls.

Sombra's study.

The entrance yawns open before us, revealing a dimly lit chamber lined with blackened shelves and ancient tomes stacked in ominous piles. Heavy scrolls lay scattered across a stone desk, and the air smells of dust, old ink, and something faintly metallic—like burnt magic.

Sombra's study.

I hesitate.

Not out of fear.

Not really.

But stepping inside feels… wrong.

Like I'm intruding.

Like I'm walking into something that should not be touched.

I shake the thought off and step forward, my hoof clicking against the dark crystal floor.

The others follow.

Twilight enters immediately, eyes sharp, scanning everything with a scholar's focus. Rarity steps carefully, eyeing the décor with clear distaste. Applejack frowns, glancing warily at the unnatural shadows in the corners. Rainbow stays near the entrance, wings twitching, ready to bolt if anything moves.

Rachel is silent, as always, but she lingers close to me.

The atmosphere is heavy.

Unnatural.

The torches along the walls flicker with dark, eerie flames, casting jagged shadows across the room. The air is stale—like nothing has moved in here for centuries.

Then—

A voice.

"Okay, wow, this place is creepy."

I jump.

I physically jump.

The reaction is instant—I whirl around, eyes wide, magic sparking defensively.

Spike blinks up at me.

He tilts his head. "Uh… dude, you okay?"

I stare at him.

Blank.

Processing.

"…I did not realize you came with us," I mutter.

Spike crosses his arms. "Rude."

Twilight sighs, rubbing her temples. "He's been here the whole time, Kinetic."

I squint. "Has he?"

Spike throws his arms up. "YES."

Pinkie is wheezing.

I ignore her, my eyes still narrowing at the small dragon. "…I genuinely have no memory of you being here."

Spike glares. "I literally walked down the stairs with you."

I glance at the others.

Twilight nods. "He did."

Rainbow shrugs. "I mean, I wasn't really paying attention, so I kinda get it."

Applejack sighs. "Y'all are awful."

Spike groans. "Wow. Okay. Cool. Just ignore the only dragon in the group. That's fine."

I shrug. "Not my fault you're short."

Spike glares harder. "Wow."

Twilight sighs. "Okay, okay, enough." She gestures toward the room. "We need to focus."

I nod, shaking off the weirdness. "Yeah. Let's start searching."

The group spreads out, each of us moving toward different parts of the study. The air is thick with dust, bookshelves towering over us, filled with tomes bound in faded leather and dark crystal. Some titles glow faintly with residual magic, others are written in languages I don't recognize.

I start sifting through a pile of scrolls near the main desk, scanning for anything that looks remotely related to rune modification.

Across the room, Twilight gasps. "I think I found something!"

I glance up.

She's hovering a book in front of her—an old, worn journal, its cover cracked and aged with time. A darkened insignia is embossed on the front, barely visible under centuries of wear.

She flips it open, her eyes scanning the pages quickly.

The more she reads, the deeper her frown becomes.

"This isn't rune research," she mutters, confused.

Applejack raises an eyebrow. "Then what is it?"

Twilight hesitates. "It's… personal."

I return to my search. "So, not useful."

She ignores me, flipping another page. "It's a diary."

That makes the others perk up.

Rainbow flaps over, peering over her shoulder. "Wait, so, like, his actual diary?"

Twilight nods, her voice quieter now. "It starts when he was a colt. He talks about how he was found outside the Empire. How he never knew where he came from."

Pinkie tilts her head. "Aww, so he was an orphan?"

Twilight keeps reading. "It looks like he grew up here, but… different. He was always sick. Always in pain when the Crystal Fair happened. He didn't understand why."

Rachel shifts slightly, watching.

Rarity steps closer. "Does it say anything about his rise to power?"

Twilight nods slowly, flipping through the pages. "Yes. But… most of it is about a friend he had. A filly named Radiant Hope."

I ignore them.

I know this story already.

I keep digging through the scattered notes, shifting aside old papers and flipping through the open books on the desk.

Some of them contain diagrams—buildings and statues he planned to have his 'slaves' construct. But none of it explains how he managed to sink an entire city beneath the land.

I frown.

There has to be something here.

Twilight is still reading. "Hope wanted to be a healer. Sombra just wanted to be normal."

Rainbow scoffs. "Didn't exactly work out for him."

Twilight doesn't argue, just keeps flipping pages. "He writes about the Crystal Heart. About how he hated it. How it hurt him every time it was powered by the Crystal Fair."

That makes Applejack pause. "Wait… the Heart hurt him?"

Twilight nods. "It looks like he wasn't a normal unicorn. He didn't know it at the time, but he was… something else."

An Umbrum.

I already know all this.

I push another book aside, my patience wearing thin.

Where the hell are his notes?

I sift through the shelves, my hooves brushing over the spines of ancient books, eyes scanning for anything that isn't melodramatic drivel about ruling through fear.

And then—

A simple, nondescript book. No title, no insignia, nothing to mark it as significant.

Just a dark, thick-bound tome with no embellishments.

That alone makes it stand out.

I pull it free.

The cover is rough beneath my hooves, worn from use but still solid.

I flip it open.

My stomach tightens.

Runes.

Pages and pages of them.

Not just theory—practical application.

Twilight is still reading aloud behind me, her voice soft but steady.

"The Umbrum weren't just shadow ponies," she murmurs. "They were monsters. Evil. Hungry. Their entire existence was suffering, and all they wanted was to spread it."

I barely hear her.

I turn the pages, scanning the diagrams, the intricate connections.

Sombra was good.

Really, really good.

The rune structures are compact, efficient. No wasted space. No unnecessary embellishments.

And unlike every other rune book I've studied—this one isn't wrapped in vague, flowery terms.

No pointless poetry about 'the will of magic' or 'the harmony of flow.'

This is raw.

This is direct.

He wrote them the way I write my own notes.

No pretense. No excess. Just functionality.

Some of the diagrams are even half-written, the way I sketch out theories before testing them.

I skim through the sections, mentally cataloging them.

Warp Gate Rune Array – A rune pattern designed to create instantaneous travel between two linked points. Extremely unstable unless anchored by significant power. Requires topaz inside of an amplification rune.

City-Sinking Rune Set: A complex system that attaches to the Crystal Heart's existing runes. Instead of amplifying love and light, it reverses the flow, feeding off fear and despair to power an inversion field. The more hopeless the populace, the deeper the city sinks.

Emotive Link Rune: Allows a user to force a specific emotional state onto another living being. Designed for mass control.

This is it.

I flip to the section detailing the City-Sinking Rune Set, my eyes scanning rapidly over Sombra's notes.

There's no fluff, no elaborate explanations—just raw, brutal function.

Reverse polarity.
Take negative emotion.
Convert to energy.
Feed energy into anchor.
Anchor pulls city downward.
That's it.

I reach for my other books, flipping pages, cross-referencing.

It's all just commands.

Everything in rune magic is just telling the magic what to do in a very specific way.

Twilight and the others keep reading Sombra's diary aloud behind me, their voices fading into the background.

"Can you believe this?" Twilight mutters, still reading Sombra's diary. "Hope… she was his only friend. The only pony who ever treated him like he wasn't… dangerous."

"She was a healer, right?" Applejack asks.

Twilight nods. "Yeah. She believed he could be good. That the Umbrum were tricking him."
Rainbow scoffs. "Yeah, well, we all know how that turned out."

Pinkie hums. "But he and Radiant Hope were super close!"

I ignore them, eyes darting between the pages, tracing patterns, breaking them down.

Sombra's original sinking rune sequence is complex—multiple layers, interlocking chains of instructions that make the whole thing self-sustaining.

But at the end of the day—

All of it feeds into one key command.

Down.

That's it.

Everything he did, all the layers, all the energy conversions, all the modifiers—

They all lead to one single rune at the end of the chain that simply tells the magic:

Go down.

I exhale sharply, my chest tight with sudden realization.

I don't have to undo everything.

I don't need to rewrite the entire sequence. I don't need to dismantle his entire setup.

I just need to remove the polarity inverter and change one rune.

I flip my notebook open, scratching notes furiously, sketching the correction.

Current Command: (Down)
Correction: (Up)
That's it.

That's all I need to do.

I slam the book shut. "Okay, I got it. Let's go."

I turn toward the others, expecting them to be ready to move.

They are not.

Instead, they're all sitting there, sniffling, eyes misty, still fixated on the diary.

I blink. "…What?"

Twilight wipes her eyes, still staring at the pages. "It's just—he really thought Hope betrayed him."

Pinkie's bottom lip wobbles. "They were best friends!"

Rarity dabs at her eyes with a kerchief. "And then he was locked away for a thousand years, utterly alone—"

Rainbow crosses her hooves, looking away. "Not that I care, but, y'know. It's kinda… sad."

Applejack sighs. "Hate to admit it, but it's rough. Poor guy never really had a chance."

I stare at them.

Then at the diary.

Then back at them.

"You do remember he enslaved an entire empire, right?"

Twilight glares. "That doesn't mean he wasn't a pony."

I sigh, rubbing my temple. "Okay. Look. Fascinating. Really. Great historical insight. But we kind of have an entire city to unsink."

Pinkie sniffs loudly. "But his feelings, Kinetic!"

I groan. "I am not debating the ethics of Sombra's tragic backstory right now. We need to go."

Twilight huffs, closing the diary with a little too much force. "Fine."

The others reluctantly follow suit, wiping their eyes and standing up.

I shake my head, muttering, "Unbelievable."

We make our way out of the study, the heavy weight of the place pressing against my back like something still lingering, still watching.

I don't think about it.

Instead, I walk.

My sholder brushes something.

Twilight's eyes flick toward me, studying. I catch the glance out of the corner of my eye, and when I look at her, she's already wearing that smug little smile.

"What?" I ask, suspicious.

Her ears flick, and the corners of her lips curl just slightly upward. "You're walking awfully close to me, Kinetic."

I frown.

I hadn't noticed.

I glance down, realizing just how little space there is between us. Our steps are almost perfectly in sync. She's the thing my shoulder has been brushing.

I stiffen slightly and step away.

Twilight makes an undignified noise in protest. "No, wait—"

I lift an eyebrow.

She clears her throat, struggling to school her expression into something neutral. "I mean, it's just—uh—well, you don't usually like ponies too close, so I just thought—"

I deadpan. "You thought?"

She fumbles. "I thought maybe you weren't as grumpy about it today, and, uh, maybe we could—uh—stay close?"

I narrow my eyes, unimpressed.

Twilight smiles sheepishly. "...For warmth?"

I scoff. "It's not even cold."

Twilight groans dramatically, throwing her head back. "Kinetic, please."

I roll my eyes and keep my distance.

Twilight sulks the rest of the way up the stairs.

Pinkie, of course, is having the time of her life watching all of this.

By the time we make it back under the tower, I've shoved the thoughts aside and refocused.

I glance toward the pedestal.

The Crystal Sword's still there, humming quietly in its locked position.

But the old Heart—the corrupted one I left on the ground, the one I need to fix—is gone.

I narrow my eyes. "Where is it?"

Twilight steps up beside me, peering around. "Shining and Cadance must've taken it."

I groan loudly and tip my head back like the ceiling personally offended me. "Of course they did. Great. Fantastic."

Twilight smirks slightly. "Come on."

"I really don't want to deal with her right now."

"And yet, we're walking," she chirps, already trotting toward the throne room.

I sigh and follow, dragging my hooves a little more than usual.

As we move through the halls, I explain. "The plan is simple. I adjust the original Crystal Heart, swap it back in for the sword, the city rises, we all cheer, confetti, and then we go home. No more cursed tunnels, no more magic doors, and no more monarchy-adjacent small talk."

Twilight side-eyes me. "You mean 'thank you for saving our entire civilization' small talk?"

"Yes."

We arrive at the throne room, and there they are—Shining Armor and Cadance, standing near the Heart, chatting like everything isn't still slightly apocalyptic.

Cadance turns the moment we walk in, smiling warmly. "Oh, perfect! We were just talking about you—"

I grimace. "That fills me with nothing but dread."

Twilight nudges me forward. I shoot her a look. She gives me an encouraging one back.

I sigh and step toward the royal duo.

Cadance's smile doesn't waver.

I clear my throat. "I need the Heart. The old one. The corrupted one."

Cadance lights her horn and floats it toward me without hesitation. "Of course! Here you go. I figured you'd be back for it." She beams. "I have to say, I'm really proud of you, Kinetic."

I blink, taking the Heart in my own telekinesis.

"I didn't ask," I mutter, already lowering it toward the floor and starting to adjust the runes.

She just laughs softly, stepping a bit closer as I begin matching the configurations to the diagrams in Sombra's book. "Still, I mean it. You've done something incredible."

I don't respond. My horn sparks a little brighter as I etch the changes into the crystal lattice. It's delicate work—smooth over the polarity inverting section, flip the final directional rune from 'Down' to 'up'. check over the whole thing for any 'suprises'. Don't mess up. Don't listen to the Princess of Vague Compliments.

Twilight leans in and whispers something to Cadance.

I don't hear what.

But Cadance grins wider.

My ears flick.

"What did she say?"

Cadance tilts her head. "Oh, nothing important."

She doesn't stop hovering near me, though.

"Do you need help?" she asks.

"I'm good," I mutter.

"You sure? I've studied the Heart a lot—"

"Mhm," I cut her off.

She stays.

"How about some tea when you're done? I make a really calming mint blend—"

"No thanks."

"And we could maybe talk a little? You know, actually get to know each other better?"

I glance up from the glowing rune I'm carving, deadpan. "Do you not know I don't like you?"

Cadance giggles. "Of course I do. But that doesn't mean I can't like you."

Twilight bites her lip, trying very hard not to laugh.

I stare at the Heart and mutter, "This is emotional harassment."

Cadance just gives me that frustratingly warm smile again.

I sigh deeply and keep carving.

Twilight takes a slow step closer—closer than before. She doesn't say anything, just hums faintly and pretends she's not clearly enjoying every second of this.

I really should've stayed in the study.

I carve the final stroke into the Heart's crystal matrix, the rune pulsing faintly as it locks into place. The correction is seamless. Simple. Elegant.

And hopefully not catastrophic.

I rise to my hooves and turn wordlessly, already walking toward the pedestal beneath the tower.

The others follow, hooves and claws echoing behind me. No one says much. Even Cadance, mercifully, holds her tongue.

Just before we reach the base of the spire, a thought hits me.

I pause mid-step.

"…Crap."

Twilight bumps into me. "What?"

"I forgot to set a limit."

"A limit on what?"

"The up part."

Her eyes widen. "Wait, like—how far the city rises?"

"Yes."

I spin the Heart in my magic, adding one more layer to the rune array—a simple bounding function. Once it returns to its original altitude, the city stops. No floating into the stratosphere. No orbiting Crystal Empire. Just… normal.

"Okay," I mutter, sighing as the rune clicks into place. "Now we're good."

Twilight exhales. "Thank Celestia."

I approach the pedestal slowly, the Heart warm and pulsing in my grip. The Crystal Sword, still floating where I left it, hums quietly in its socket.

I pluck it free.

It resists for half a second—then releases with a soft chime, its glow fading.

The shield around the city drops and the light disappears.

All the unicorns immediately light their horns.

I carefully set the Heart in its place.

The moment it touches the pedestal—

The entire city shudders.

A deep, resonant tremor echoes up from the stone beneath our hooves. Dust drifts from the ceiling. The torches flare.

And then—

A pulse of energy bursts outward from the Heart, bright and blinding, racing in every direction like a ripple across glass.

The light returns.

The tower hums.

The shield forms.

And with a low, grinding groan—

The city begins to rise.

The sound is like mountains waking up. Like the deep tectonic heartbeat of the earth itself.

We all stagger slightly as the palace rumbles beneath us.

Streets shift. Buildings climb. Light floods in from the hole above as the Empire claws its way back to the surface.

Rachel watches it all quietly.

Twilight inches a little closer to me, her hoof brushing against mine.

I don't move away.

A final thud echoes beneath our hooves as the Crystal Empire locks back into place, level with the frozen plains around it. The shield still holds—brilliant, shimmering, casting warmth and color over every building, every street.

From the edge of the city, cheers erupt.

Crystal ponies pour out of buildings, blinking against the sudden light, their coats gleaming with life and joy. They shout, laugh, embrace. The sound of pure, unfiltered celebration swells like a wave crashing over the square.

Cadance steps forward to the balcony, eyes misty, mane windswept.

She raises a hoof high.

"The Empire has returned!" she declares, her voice ringing with hope.

The cheers redouble. The music starts—where did they even get instruments? Ponies are already stringing up ribbons and setting off fireworks like it's a national holiday.

(Which, to be fair, it might be now.)

Confetti. Lights. Joy.

It's a lot.

I sigh and turn around.

"I'm going home."

Twilight turns quickly, her brow furrowed. "Wait—what?"

I don't answer. I'm already walking.

"You can't just ditch the celebration," she says, trotting after me. "You were the one who saved the Empire. You have to stay."

"I don't want to."

"But you always leave the party right away whenever we save the day. You have to stay this time!"

I stop.

My breath catches.

Her voice is too familiar. Too sharp. The same words.

I turn slowly, and she's smiling at me. Radiant. Bright.

Alive.

But the image flickers in my mind—her mouth slack, her eyes dull, her blood soaking into my coat.

I swallow hard.

Twilight's smile falters, just a bit.

"I-I guess I could stay a while." I say softly.

Her smile returns, softer this time.

She moves a little closer to me, and this time, I don't step away.

"Good. I'd miss you."

Me too.

The party swells around us like a wave—music, shouting, color. The Crystal Empire hasn't known joy like this in a thousand years. And somehow, in the middle of it, I feel like a statue frozen in the middle of a dance.

Twilight nudges my side gently. "Come on."

I glance at her.

She's glowing—literally, due to the crystallization. Her eyes are warm. Hopeful.

And she wants me to walk with her.

So I do.

She takes the lead, her stride light, bouncing just a little with every step. She points out booths that have popped up since the last time the Empire was above ground—crystal ponies giving out sweets, musicians tuning strange stringed instruments I don't recognize, fillies braiding gems into each other's manes.

I say nothing.

I just let her talk.

She gestures wildly when she gets excited. Tugs on my cloak when something sparkles just right. She makes me try a candied sapphire that crunches like sugar glass and tastes vaguely like mint and citrus. I don't like it.

She giggles when I grimace.

I don't argue.

I let her talk and lead and tease. I let her pull me along like we're tethered and she's reeling me in, slowly, carefully.

She doesn't push too hard. She doesn't ask what I saw, even though I know she's wondering.

She just stays close.

I never leave her side.

She leans into me when we stop to watch the fireworks overhead. The light dances in her eyes, and for a moment, I forget the smell of blood. I forget the sound of her dying breath.

And I'm here.

Now.

With her.

Still warm.

Still real.

 

[Rook of Black]

Please don't tell me this is actually the epilogue :'(

 

[JustAreader]

Please don't tell me this is actually the epilogue :'(

Click to shrink...

There's a book 2 in FIMfiction

 

[Kintin23]

There's a book 2 in FIMfiction

Click to shrink...

What! Link Please! I can't find it.

 

[FatBaldBastard]

What! Link Please! I can't find it.

Click to shrink...

https://www.fimfiction.net/story/577081/fields-of-influence

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

Thanks for the chapter, and I'll be looking forward to Kimetic's next adventures!