Zenith Star shifted nervously on her hooves as she glanced between Rainbow's still unconscious form and Twilight, who stood watch at the mouth of the cave. Two days had passed, they had reached the cave Twilight had suggested, traveling by night and resting by day, yet Rainbow Dash still slept. Even with Twilight's continued reassurance that Rainbow would wake up, she still found herself uneasy over it. It only took Twilight less than a second to cast that sleep spell on Rainbow... She shivered at the thought, which somehow reminded her of how easily she... She shifted her weight again, she was used to that... It still didn't make it any more comfortable, especially given how... Impassive Twilight was during the ordeal. And then the fact that she was keeping her close by at all times. And Twilight herself was intimidating.
Twilight stood sentinel at the cave entrance, knowing full well what dangers lurked in the Everfree Forest. She constantly kept alert, for any signs of danger, whether from animal, monster, or pony. All the while, she was preparing a spell that would keep them safe here, until she was ready. She found herself wondering why she was even delaying, if she wanted to, she could go straight to Canterlot and take the Inquisitor head on. But... Something felt wrong about that. Part of her, perhaps it wasn't actually part of her, told her that wouldn't work well. He likely was aware that something had happened by now. He was smart, he would put two and two together...
Then there was the spell that failed. Try to explain it away as she did, something seemed wrong about it. The fact they encountered a patrol did little to ease her worry over the matter. The Inquisitor had to have something to do with that... But what, and why... She had no idea. She turned her head to the left, and glanced at Zenith Star, her gaze met Twilight's for the briefest moment before she averted it. She felt her heart ache in regards to the filly, she was strong, but there was only so much anypony could take before they just... Snapped, like a twig... She still wasn't completely sure, but there was something... Different about that unicorn. She could feel it, and see it when she looked at her. She was special.
Thunder sounded in the distance, followed by a gust of wind that rushed through the cave, immediately lowering the temperature several degrees. The cold wouldn't do anypony with her any good, it would only serve to make them miserable. She ruffled her wings, turned, and stepped back inside the cave, then erected a barrier, blocking the mouth of the cave against the cold air. A few seconds later, she heard the telltale splatter of rain against the ground, the result of the result of the forest's unpredictable and unmanageable weather. She pursed her lips, perhaps, maybe, after she dealt with the Inquisitor she could do something about the Everfree Forest.
It would be difficult... And likely, she wouldn't have time or resources for something like that immediately following her takeover... But... She had time, she had plenty of time. Once the Inquisitor and his revolution were a thing of the past, there would be nothing standing in her way of restoring Equestria. Or guiding the direction of the world... She found herself wondering what it had been like for Princess Celestia... Guiding and nurturing Equestria from its founding, shaping it into something more... She pushed the thought aside, saving it for after he was dealt with.
Dealing with the revolution... She snorted, drawing a nervous glance from Zenith, she smiled apologetically. That would be... She was split about it. She would need to make sure nothing like it ever happened again, definitely. But on the other hoof... If she was too bold, not that she was planning on such, the ponies would feel like they were replacing one tyrant with another tyrant... She didn't want that. Equestria was rightfully hers, yes, but she wanted everypony to be happy, and enjoy peace and harmony, as she had as a young filly... Maybe one day she would follow in her mentor's steps, and take on another student of her own, not a friendship student like Starlight Glimmer, but... A successor... The thought made her shiver for some reason, or maybe it was the cold.
Twilight shook her head, and walked over to Zenith and Rainbow, the former turning to look at her. "How..." Zenith started softly, upon realizing this, she paused before continuing more firmly, "How is she doing?"
"She's fine. Should wake up anytime, really." Twilight stated. Zenith glanced passed Twilight and looked at the barrier blocking out the wind and rain, then looked back to Rainbow. Twilight looked down at Rainbow, the more she thought about it, the more unsure she was. Now seeing her again, she was forced to confront her memories about them. She could look back on the time they had spent together and smile, but the deep feeling of betrayal she felt in her heart was still there... It didn't seem to be as bad with the others, save for Rainbow Dash. She found it curious, though reasoned it was either because of seeing Rainbow again and not the rest of them, or because she... Supported the Revolution, whole heartily from what she had seen, after Celestia and Luna were... Murdered...
Rainbow was there... All of them were there, except for herself. Neither Fluttershy nor Pinkie Pie would have supported the Revolution after that happened. She was sure of it... Honestly, she wouldn't have expected any of them to support the Revolution after that... But... They did... For whatever reasons, whether believing his lies, or being ignorant... The Inquisitor... He just played it off, a rogue element was what he claimed did it... Of course she knew otherwise... Maybe... Maybe if she hadn't left his plans... If she had taken them as she fled... She sighed internally, knowing things would have went worse. They all would have died even if she had done that, she just... Didn't have time to get them... He was...
Rainbow shifted in her sleep, breaking Twilight's musings. Zenith turned to face me with a quizzical look, "Can't you just... Use magic to wake her or something?"
Twilight nodded, "I could, yes. But I will not. I have my reasons." she replied vaguely. Rainbow was almost already completely healed, but letting her rest longer would be better. It was the truth, but it was also an excuse. There were still things they needed to talk about, and sort out. Things she was not looking forward to.
"You... You said you would fill me in on what's going on?" Zenith asked with hesitation, not once looking away from Rainbow.
Twilight pursed her lips. She had kept her mostly in the dark, and she, for the most part, was patient in regards to that question. She had promised to answer it, and she would. "It will be simpler to talk to both of you at the same time."
Zenith sighed, "So we just wait then?" Twilight nodded her head in confirmation. Zenith's ears fell to the sides of her head. She shivered in the cold, the damp cave doing little to help. Twilight lit her horn and levitated a blanket over to Zenith, and draped it over her back. Twilight smiled at her, and Zenith smiled back in thanks. The soft blanket blocked out the cold, and soon she found herself warming up. The warmth, constant beat of the rain, and soft light brought the exhaustion she felt to the forefront of her mind.
Zenith... Wasn't entirely sure what to think of Twilight. On one hoof, she scared her to death, having killed eight ponies without flinching... Twilight didn't seem to have a problem with it, either. She shifted on her hooves as the memory swam through her mind. She had killed them so easily, so efficiently. She made it seem graceful, and beautiful. The sight had been terrifying, but not ruthless. Twilight did not prolong their suffering, ending them with one swift move... Zenith had heard of forging swords from magic before, but she had never seen it until that night. It was fascinating, with multiple methods to choose from, depending on the caster's preference...
Zenith glanced towards Twilight, who was staring at the barrier she had erected. She had never seen an alicorn before meeting Twilight. From the stories she had heard when she was a little filly, Princess Celestia was beautiful and regal, kind and merciful, yet always ready to rise to meet any challenge that threatened Equestria or herself... She had never seen Princess Celestia, but from the descriptions she had heard, Twilight looked a lot like her. She was beautiful... But also terrifying at the same time...
On the other hoof, Twilight had been merciful and kind towards her. And from what she had seen, she wasn't at all what the Inquisitor made her out to be. And then... Her carrying Rainbow Dash, and still offering to carry her... She shifted beneath the blanket, uncomfortable with that thought.
All in all, she liked Twilight, despite the fact she scared her. She just knew not to get on her bad side. That said, as they spent more time together, she did find herself growing more at ease around her, despite all her... Distress... About her. And at times, it was very easy to forget about what Twilight did, and how... Intimidating she could be.
Rainbow shifted in her sleep, and mumbled something inaudible. Twilight sighed and lit her horn, realizing postponing their conversation would only serve to extend his life. She stepped closer to Rainbow and lowered her horn to the pegasus's head, and lightly touched it. She didn't need contact for the spell to work, and didn't know why she was doing that, but pushed that aside and cast the spell. Rainbow groaned as Twilight pulled her head back, returning to her full height. A few seconds later, Rainbow blinked open an eye.
"Good morning, Rainbow Dash." Twilight greeted somewhat coolly. Zenith fidgeted at Twilight's voice, she had grown used to feeling the kindness in her voice when being talked to.
Rainbow shifted beneath the blankets wrapping her up, and grimaced. She looked around the cave, and looked passed Zenith to see the lavender barrier sealing off the cave. She stretched out her hooves, and looked back to Zenith, then to Twilight. "Where are-"
"We are in a cave outside of Ponyville." Twilight answered simply.
Rainbow shifted uncomfortably, and pushed back the covers. She shivered as the cold air hit her fur, but ignored it and rose to her hooves, despite Twilight's cold glare. She looked to her side, and extended her wing, then looked towards Twilight. "What... Happened?"
"Your memory might be a little fuzzy... An arrow hit you, went through your wing and punctured a lung. I healed you, and you have been asleep for two days." Twilight frowned, "I didn't realize they still used bows and arrows..." she mused.
Zenith perked up, "Oh they do... Just only because of cost, and well, why outfit a scout with heavy duty expensive weapons when..." she bobbled her head as she trailed off.
Rainbow looked blankly at Zenith, "Uh... Who are you?"
Zenith blushed, "Oh, uh sorry, Rainbow Dash, I'm Zenith Star..."
Rainbow nodded her head slowly, "Right... I... I think I remember seeing you... You... You were in that group right?" Zenith nodded, and glanced at Twilight, then back to Rainbow. Rainbow frowned and looked at Twilight, "I... I remember seeing you..." She shivered at the memory, now knowing what Twilight was capable of. The feeling that Twilight was a predator only intensified the more she remembered about that...
"I told you I could." Twilight replied coolly with a shake of her head. She turned around to face the barrier, "Now that we are in Equestria, I need to discuss certain things with you both." She paused, waiting to see if anypony was going to say anything. After a few seconds she continued, "I am going to kill the Inquisitor, you will both help me. We will be heading to Canterlot soon. Once we arrive in Canterlot, I will make preparations for my takeover, in which you will both assist me. It should be quick and rather nonviolent after he is out of the way. Popular opinion, despite his claims, side with me. After Equestria is mine, I am going to establish a monarchy. I will be Equestria's sole, undisputed ruler, and will move the sun and move."
Rainbow shook her head exasperatedly, "Twilight... The old monarchy had problems, you know that! The princesses, while yes, they were good and nice and all that, but they still abused the system! You know what mistakes they made, how things-"
"Rainbow, are you going to help me or not? You need to decide this, because once you do, I am not offering you any second chances to change your mind. You can either choose to help me, or..." Twilight shook her head. She wanted Rainbow to choose to help, but this wasn't helping make her look any better. Zenith... She grimaced, this display would not help Zenith to trust her. "Either way, I can't let either of you go. I have to keep you both close at hoof, and I would much rather have you as an ally than a prisoner, Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow ruffled her wings, hearing Twilight say 'ally' instead of 'friend' hurt. It hurt more than she would admit, but she pushed it aside. She had already made so many choices she found herself second guessing, especially now. With the position she was in, both choices could turn out to be the wrong one. She owed Twilight, a lot, not just because of what happened, but Twilight had saved her life twice now. How could she just refuse to help her? But on the other hoof, the Inquisitor wasn't evil... Right? She didn't know. It was confusing, and it hurt. The Inquisitor wasn't perfect, but neither were Celestia and Luna. Although Celestia and Luna always fought to prevent war, while the Inquisitor always pushed for war... And Equestria... It... It wasn't as good as it used to be.
But the Inquisitor had fixed some problems... But Twilight said those improvements were nothing. She... They had all ignored Twilight three years ago. They had done that several times before that, and each time they did... Problems arose. She was what held their group together, after she fled the Inquisitor, they fell apart. As she thought about it, she couldn't help but think it was inevitable without her. They might not ever all be friends again, maybe they would be, but three years was a long time. Ponies changed, she had changed, Twilight had changed... She didn't know if Twilight was right or wrong, but she did know that past experiences should have taught her to trust Twilight.
Could she trust Twilight, though? The alicorn claimed to have the magic of five alicorns and her brother, a powerful unicorn. On top of that, she had been gone for three years. And from what she remembered of that night, Twilight could kill without hesitation. Something her Twilight never would have been capable of even considering. It didn't help that as much as Twilight looked like Celestia or Luna, she couldn't help but see her in a darker light, more akin to Nightmare Moon. And then how Twilight reminded Rainbow of a predator didn't help that any, if anything, it reminded her further of Nightmare Moon.
If she helped her, the Inquisitor would find out, and if Twilight failed, she would die. If she didn't help her... She could still end up being accused of treason, and be killed regardless. And then what if Twilight was successful, and had been manipulating her all along? Only wanting the throne, and becoming a tyrant to put Nightmare Moon to shame. Would she try to stop her if that happened? Would she get a chance to stop her if that happened? Would she even live to see Twilight succeed?
There was so much uncertainty. She sighed. "I..." It was a big decision, and a tough one. Twilight would establish herself as sole ruler regardless of whether she helped or not, from what she had seen. She didn't know if that was a good thing or not, but there really was only one way to find out. She spoke with determination, but there was a hint of uncertainty, "I will help you, Twilight. I owe you that much. I may not be entirely convinced that you should rule... But I pledge my loyalty to you..." 'I just hope it's not misplaced.'
Twilight smiled, "I'm glad to have you as an ally, Rainbow." Rainbow cringed internally, once more hearing Twilight call her an ally, rather than friend. "Zenith, I know you're just a filly-"
"I am not a little filly! I can take care of myself, Princess." Zenith retorted instantly, completely forgetting her fear of Twilight.
Twilight chose to ignore Zenith's comment and continued after she finished, "-but I want you to help me. I won't force you to, that being said, I can't let you go regardless. I promise I will not hurt you, and that I will protect you. Once this is over, I'll return you to your parents-" Zenith flinched, something Twilight failed to notice because she was facing away from her, but Rainbow noticed and rested a hoof on her shoulder, "-and see if they'd be willing to let me take you on as a student."
"They... Won't care..." Zenith replied at length. Zenith thought it over, smile growing as she did, she looked up at Twilight, "You're really going to teach me magic?" The thought was exciting, riveting even. While magic had interested her as a filly, she never really had an opportunity to have a good teacher. The thought of having Princess Twilight Sparkle, who from what she remembered, was taught by Princess Celestia, teach her... She smiled, not caring about how intimidating the prospect was.
Twilight nodded, "That among other things, yes." 'Might as well start now.' she thought.
"What about Starlight?" Rainbow asked. "Is she still your student too?"
"I haven't had contact with her since I fled, but if she wants to, I'd be more than happy to continue where we left off." Twilight smiled as she remembered what she had heard about her, "I heard a rumor that she is one of the unicorns the Inquisitor has moving the sun and moon. If it's true, I'm impressed."
Rainbow nodded, but frowned. "She is... I don't get it, she's helping the Inquisitor, yet you..."
Twilight turned around, "She is helping everypony by helping to move the sun and moon. I have no quarrels with the unicorns he has maintaining the day night cycle, my quarrel is with him, and anypony standing in my way." she answered simply.
Rainbow sighed, "You know the council isn't going to like you for trying to seize control. They will resist, and try to stop you. Even after the Inquisitor's dead."
Twilight lightly chuckled and smiled, causing Rainbow slight discomfort. "That won't be a problem." Rainbow shivered from what that could mean. Twilight grimaced, mistaking Rainbow's shiver for being cold, "It is a little cold in here, isn't it?" She closed her eyes and lit her horn, "One moment..." Her horn became surrounded in a soft yellow aura, and tendrils of yellow magic flowed forth from her horn, and began to coalesce towards the top of the cave. As more and more magic flowed together, the color began to shift from yellow, to a reddish orange. The glow of the slowly expanding sphere bathed the cave in a dull light, but it grew more brightly as the orb became larger. Rainbow watched in awe, eventually she became aware that the temperature was starting to rise. A few seconds later, Twilight's magic turned light blue, and the sphere seemed to become solid, turning white as it did so. The light emitted by the sphere changed as well, now bathing the cave in a pale white light.
Zenith stood, mouth agape in awe at the sight, "What... What is that? How did... What?" she stammered, not able to comprehend what she just witnessed.
"I can't tell you." Twilight replied as she gazed at the white sphere. She could feel the temperature of the room rising, and once it hit a certain temperature, it would remain constant until the orb was exhausted, or she absorbed it. "It's not my secret to share." she added vaguely. Rainbow extended her wings out, soaking up the heat emitted by the orb, choosing to enjoy it rather than question it.
Rainbow closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of warmth, "Mmm that feels nice..." It had been a while since she had been able to enjoy something that felt quite as reinvigorating as the heat the orb emitted.
Twilight suppressed a giggle at the sight, but couldn't hide her smirk. 'Pegasi...' she shook her head. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "After I kill the Inquisitor and get things sorted out, I will contact my allies to inform them of my success. They should be willing to assist me in rebuilding Equestria."
"Equestria doesn't need rebuilding..." Zenith mumbled.
"You keep mentioning your allies, but you're never specific as to who or what you're talking about?" Rainbow asked. She angled her wings back, allowing the heat to soak into the underside of her wings while she waited for Twilight's response.
Twilight smiled, "You will just have to wait to see."
Rainbow groaned and dropped her wings to the floor, "You really like being vague don't you?"
Twilight looked at her dispassionately, "Rainbow, there are things I won't tell you, and then there are things I can't tell you." Rainbow snorted, and Twilight frowned, but her voice became softer, "It's as much to keep you safe as it is to keep me safe."
Zenith frowned and turned to her, "Do you really need to be kept safe though? From what I've seen, well..."
"That falls under the category of I won't tell you." Twilight stated lightly. She shook her head, "I need to figure out a way to find out if he knows I'm coming..."
"Does that really matter though? Shouldn't you be able to get to him no matter what?" Rainbow asked.
Twilight glared at Rainbow, who shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, "I will be able to, yes, but I would rather get to him as quickly as possible. If I have to go through an entire army, it will slow me down, and he could get away."
Rainbow shook her head sadly, "Twilight look, I know you're powerful and all that, but you can't just take on an entire army by your self. That's suicide, you have to realize that!"
Twilight looked at Rainbow thoughtfully, "I have you two, don't I?"
Rainbow coughed, "Uh, Twilight... I know I'm awesome... But I'm not that awesome. Even with us-"
Twilight shook her head, "I was joking... If anything, I would use you two to just hold off the guard... A distraction, if you will."
Rainbow stared at Twilight blankly, not amused by her suggestion. "Gee, thanks for the load of confidence, Twilight."
Twilight impassively looked at her, "You're a high ranking officer, Rainbow Dash. I'm pretty sure you fighting against them would raise some eyebrows."
Rainbow looked away from Twilight and fidgeted on her hooves. She couldn't help but feel as if Twilight was condemning her by that statement. The way she looked at her, and the way she said it made it sound... She shivered, despite the warmth. She was trusting Twilight with her life despite her fears, and she hoped she hadn't misplaced that trust. If she had... She could be killed, and remembered as a traitor, rather than how awesome she was. That thought was very uncomfortable to her, being labeled a traitor, stripped of her rank, and then being put to death. She glanced back to Twilight, 'She won't let that happen... Right?' She knew Twilight didn't want her dead, she had ample opportunities to let that happen, or flat out kill her already. That being said, she had no guarantee Twilight would keep her alive after the Inquisitor was dead. Or even that Twilight would keep her alive before killing him...
Twilight could tell Rainbow was distressed, and she suspected she was the reason why. It... She didn't like it, thinking she made her uncomfortable. She didn't want Rainbow to be afraid of her... But yet, at the same time, she knew she wasn't being very nice to her, and wasn't sure she wanted to be. They weren't friends, she knew that, and she wasn't sure she wanted to be friends with her again, but... That being said, she didn't want Rainbow cowering in fear of her. She knew how proud Rainbow was, and she wasn't acting herself. Granted, she could assume that it had been their time apart, but she didn't think that wasn't the problem. "How... Are you feeling, Rainbow?"
Rainbow looked up from her musings, "Huh? Oh, uh... I'm fine." she answered simply. She realized her mood had soured significantly since she woke up, and she didn't know if she cared about that. She was enjoying the warmth the sphere provided, but Twilight's coldness concerning her... Made up for it. 'The sooner he is... Dead...' She still had a hard time believing Twilight had changed that much. She had seen her kill with her own eyes... And before that, she could tell she was capable of doing so, but she didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe that she could be responsible for Twilight ending up how she was, despite knowing otherwise...
Twilight sighed internally, she felt like she needed to give Rainbow some space. She also had to make preparations for moving on the Inquisitor. "I... Am going to go talk to one of my allies. I will be back shortly. Stay here and wait for me." She lit her horn with magic and teleported outside of the barrier blocking the mouth of the cave. Immediately the cold air hit her, followed by the even colder rain. She suppressed a shiver and started making her way through the forest, leaving the pair before they could ask any questions.
"She's a bit... Authoritative..." Zenith mused aloud.
Rainbow's muzzle drew into a line, "She always was a bit of a perfectionist... Ha, you should have seen her when she was late with a report to Princess Celestia..." She trailed off emptily. "We... We really screwed up, didn't we?" she asked nopony in particular. "We just... Completely ignored her again, and look at what happened..." She turned to Zenith, "The night before the Inquisitor took over, Twilight tried to warn us what was going to happen... We ignored her. And... She was right, it's taken me years to realize it, but she was right... He's just moving so slowly that you just... Don't notice it, until it's too late..." She lifted her head towards the white orb, "We shouldn't have supported him... I shouldn't have supported him... I should've went with Twilight..."
Zenith walked over beside Rainbow and then sat down. The height difference between them was just a few inches, but it was enough that she had to look up to meet her eyes, "Hey, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known."
Rainbow shook her head, "We ignored her warnings before, and bad things came of that too. We should have learned to listen to her... But we didn't... We... None of us really deserved to be her friends..."
Zenith didn't know how to respond. Seeing one of her idols so distraught, she just didn't know what to think.
Rainbow shook her head and sighed, then turned to Zenith. She looked over the smaller mare with curiosity, she frowned, "Are you... Are you even old enough to really be helping us?"
Zenith sighed exasperatedly. "Does my age really matter? I am capable of helping you, and I'm going to. While Twilight scared me, I know she doesn't mean to. And while I may not exactly like the idea of fighting the Inquisitor... I don't think either of us will be the ones doing that."
Rainbow shifted on her hooves, "Are you sure you want to help though? It's... This is the kind of thing that can get you killed... And you? You're... You're barely a mare, Zenith." Rainbow bobbled her head, "And..." she frowned, "You... I remember seeing how fearful you were of her... What changed?"
Zenith ignored Rainbow's unintentional insult about her barely being a mare. "There was just something about her... She's not always like that though. She says that I'm special too, but won't say how she knows or why she says so."
Rainbow furrowed her brow in contemplation, curious as to what Twilight could see in Zenith Star. When she looked at her, she saw a young unicorn, barely a mare. She had no idea what kind of magic talents or skills Zenith had, and had no idea how Twilight would just know that from looking at her. She pushed the thought aside, "You sure you actually want to help? Fighting can get pretty... Intense... It can be scary if it's your first time..." She spoke from second hoof experience, ponies she had led who had breakdowns mid battle. Most of them recovered...
"I'll be fine. It wouldn't be my first time." Zenith said with annoyance. "Besides, I would rather help Twilight than stand against her..."
Rainbow's gaze fell to her hooves.