Author Note: I apologize that this chapter took almost a week longer than I intended. The good news is, I have walked away from the distraction that was preventing me from focusing on writing. So I should have much more time to write now.

For those of you who didn't see my blog entry, if you could all check out my deviantART journal entry, there is some important information there regarding The God Particle. There is also a blog entry here that explains things. But also refers you to my deviantART page for more information. For anyone who's willing to re-read the chapters as they are published on dA, thank you very much.

Anyway, that's all I have to say. Thank you again, for your patience. And thank you all for reading this story. It really does make my day to see people liking this story. I hope you enjoy chapter 32.

The God Particle

Chapter 32: Lament

Twilight's words left James in stunned silence. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. His knees felt weak, as if they were made from rubber, and he backed up slowly. When he backed against the bed, he fell onto it in a sitting position. Once more, he opened his mouth to speak and closed it again, still in shock over what she had just said. He could go home! She'd found a way! … he could go home … except he couldn't … because he was bound to serve the princesses of this land for the rest of his life. He continued to sit in stunned silence for nearly a minute, looking down at the floor as his world crashed down around him. When he glanced up at Twilight, he found she was in a similar state, looking at the floor as if in despair—despair that all the work she had invested to help him had been for naught. Finally, she looked back up and spoke again.

"I'm sorry, James … I'm sorry I struck you. This is my fault. I should have told you I was trying to send you home … I should have told you."

He shook his head slightly. "No, Twilight. I don't want to play the blame game. I should have talked to you before I decided to join the Council. But … I was afraid. Afraid of all the questions I thought you would ask. Questions I wouldn't have answers for."

As the shock of what she had just told him began to wear off, questions started to fill his mind, rushing in like water rushing through a dam that had just burst open. "How … How long have you been working on this, Twilight? Her Majesty said it couldn't be done."

"Over a year," she responded, a deep frown etched on her muzzle. "Since before you moved to Canterlot even … I hid it from you. It's the research I was doing that I wouldn't let you help with … I'm so sorry … Please don't be mad at Princess Celestia. I didn't think it could be done either. It took me over ten months to even open a portal that led anywhere besides the dark energy that exists between dimensions. And after that, it took me over two months more to stabilize it enough to be safe for you to travel through. … I didn't think I'd ever be able to make it safe. That's why I never told you. I didn't want to disappoint you." She stopped, looking at the floor. Her ears drooped low, her eyes glistening. He knew she was trying to hold back tears. She's taking this even worse than I am.

"Twilight … how did you ever find it in the first place? My world that is?"

The look of despair on her muzzle changed to one that he thought was a look of tremendous guilt. She paused, looking like a dog that had just gotten caught chewing up an expensive shoe. Her mouth opened several times, then closed, as if she were trying to work up the courage to say something. "I … I probed your mind, James … back when you were still living with me at the library. I did it when you were asleep. I didn't read any of your thoughts. I was just looking for the connection to your world." Now, she did start to cry, tears flowing freely from her lavender eyes. "James, I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me. I only … I—" she stopped, whatever it was she was trying to say choked off by sobbing.

You what? he thought to himself. It was all he could do not to say it out loud. Anger welled up inside of him, like a volcano getting ready to erupt. He was ready to tell her to get out of his room. Ready to skip telling her to get out and go straight to calling for the Royal Guards to come remove her. He was ready to send her out of his life forever. To tell her to go back to Ponyville and never come looking for him again. To tell the castle mail service to destroy any letters that came from her without even telling him they had come. All of this, he was ready to do.

But when she started to sob … When she begged him not to hate her in that pleading voice, he knew he could do none of it. He knew he could not stay mad at her. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, reaching out with both arms and pulling her into a hug.

"I could never hate you, Twilight. I'm angry, yes. But I could never hate you."

For the next minute or so, he simply hugged her, letting her sob onto his shoulder. Eventually, she pulled back slightly, sniffling and wiping her eyes with a forehoof. Yes, she was definitely taking it harder than he was. It seemed odd that he was the one who had just learned he could go home, but couldn't really go home, yet he was the one comforting her.

"By the way," he finally spoke again, "What was it you tried to do to me when you first came in? And why didn't it work?"

She looked at the floor sheepishly, an apologetic look on her muzzle before looking back at him. "I tried to pin you to the wall so I could lecture you … like I did that time back at the library. It didn't work because that Council robe you're wearing … it's enchanted to resist offensive magic. I didn't sense it when I first came in because I was too angry. But it's enchanted by both princesses."

"So you mean magical attacks can't hurt me? As long as I am wearing this robe?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Not exactly." She sniffled once more. "The robe is resistant to offensive magic. But it's not immune to it. Each spell that hits it weakens it. So they would eventually break through. The enchantment recharges over time using energy from the light of the sun or moon. Also, a powerful enough spell could break through the enchantment. I could have cast one powerful enough to break through it."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because I wanted to pin you to the wall, James. Not kill you. Without the protection from the enchantment, a spell that powerful would have killed you. And as I said, I didn't know when I cast it that the robe was enchanted."

He only nodded slightly in response. Then, the two were silent. James was lost in his own thoughts, and he could only assume she was as well.

Suddenly, Twilight perked up, a small smile, and a look of determination on her muzzle, her ears rising from their folded position. "I'm going to go talk to Princess Celestia," she said in a confident tone of voice, turning and trotting towards the door. "Once she learns I've figured out how to send you home, she'll release you from the oath. I know she will, given the extraordinary circumstances. She has to."

"Twilight, I'm not so sure that's—" He stopped. She wasn't paying attention to him at all anymore. She walked out the door. It glowed with a purple aura, than closed behind her.

He slumped his shoulders, sighing heavily to himself once she was gone. "What a mess," was all he could think of to say to himself.

Even if Celestia would release him from the oath, did he really want to go home anymore? He'd been in Equestria for over a year and a half now. He wasn't even sure he'd have anything to go home to. He definitely wouldn't have a job. Even if the Lab was still open, no doubt his position would be filled by now. All his possessions would have been sold by now. His friends may not even have survived the earthquake. And the truth is he had more friends here than he had ever had back home anyway. Still, he missed his family, even though he had never gotten along with them very well. He missed the modern conveniences of his homeland, like computers, and especially the Internet.

A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. It opened slightly.

"James?" Storm Runner questioned quietly, poking her head through the door. "We uh … weren't eavesdropping … but she was yelling so loud at first that we couldn't help but overhear what she said … Can we come in?"

He only nodded in response. She opened the door further and stepped in along with Moon Song, and River Rock—the original three he had met when he first came to the Council living area before joining them.

"How much did you hear?" he asked once the three of them had entered the room.

"Enough," Storm Runner responded.

He only nodded in response.

This time it was Moon Song that spoke. "We're very sorry, James. At the time … we honestly believed there wouldn't be any safe way to send you home. And that's what we advised Her Majesty." The unicorn had a look of shame in his eyes. He lowered his head, looking at the floor.

James shook his head slightly, put a hand on the unicorn's withers. "It's not your fault. I don't believe there was any malicious intent on the part of any of you. You gave Her Majesty the best advice you could based on the information available to you at the time."

"Even if we did, that doesn't make us feel any better about it," the earth pony, River Rock said. "We still made a recommendation to her that was incorrect, and will seriously alter the rest of your life."

"None of you forced me to join the Council, River. That was my decision."

"Based on the belief that you would never be able to go home," River Rock added.

"That belief was based on the best information we all had available at the time. I have to live my life based on that, and make decisions based on that. Just as we all do. It's what we do as Council members. We take all the information we have, compile it, analyze it, and make the best recommendation we can based on it. That's all we can do. You know that River."

The pony only nodded slightly in response, but still looked distraught. All three of them still did actually. He shook his head slightly and then forced himself to smile.

"I don't want any of you feeling guilty about this. Besides, Twilight took it upon herself to talk to Her Majesty. She thinks she might be willing to release me from the oath given the extraordinary circumstances."

Storm Runner shook her head twice. "The Council has been around for more than a thousand years. In that time, nopony has ever been released from the oath. Not even one. Of course, nopony has ever actually asked to be released. But even if one did ask … No. Her Majesty would never allow it." She shook her head again. "She'd never allow that precedent to be set. That an oath that is binding for life could be broken simply by asking her to break it. She won't allow it. Not even in an exceptional circumstance like this."

"I would never ask her anyway," James shook his head. "I knew it was a life long bond when I took it. I'd never ask her to let me out of it. But I think Twilight plans to do just that."

"Even Twilight probably won't be able to convince her," Moon Song responded.

Moon Song put a forehoof on his shoulder. "We'll go back out to the common room and give you some time. But if you want to talk to any of us, just come out there."

He forced a small smile again, "Thank you. I'll do that," he said as all three of them turned and left his room, Moon Song magically closing the door behind him.

He looked at the floor and sighed slightly, then shook his head and gave a small chuckle of amazement. "Scientifically, it can't be done. … Magically, it can't be done … Leave it to Twilight Sparkle, to do it anyway …"

* * *

"Your Majesty?"

Celestia looked up from the scroll she had been reading with the latest calculations from the Council on what time she should raise the sun for the next few days. The Celestial Guard that had spoken bowed, then continued.

"Your student, Miss Twilight Sparkle, is here to see you, Your Majesty."

"Twilight is here?" she answered confusedly. "I wasn't expecting a visit from her … Send her in, please."

"Right away, Your Majesty," the guard responded. He bowed again, then turned and opened the doors to the great throne room.

Twilight entered, walking down the crimson carpet isle. She moved slowly, Celestia noted, as if tired. Exhausted even. Her ears drooped low on her head and her eyes looked puffy and reddened. She had been crying, Celestia realized. Crying heavily.

"Twilight, my faithful student." She said it with a deep note of concern in her voice. "I wasn't expecting you. What's wrong?"

The unicorn hesitated for only a moment. "I found a way to send James home, Princess!" she practically shouted.

Celestia's eyes widened, and she felt her heart jump. For several long seconds, she said nothing, Twilight's words hitting her like a charging stallion. "Does James know about this?" she finally asked.

"He had a right to know."

"Yes … Yes, I suppose he does," Celestia responded, pausing again as she thought about what Twilight had said. She was wrong. She had to be. There was no way a portal between the two dimensions could be intentionally opened at all much less kept stable long enough for anything to travel through. She must be wrong … "Does James know you came to see me?"

"He does … Although he didn't want me to come. I heard him trying to stop me when I left."

Celestia nodded. "You have your magical research notes with you and will explain to me how you did this?" she finally asked.

"Of course I do," Twilight responded as her horn started to glow. The buckle on one of her saddle bags opened magically and a stack of notes large enough to fill several books floated out. Celestia's jaw started to drop, but she quickly closed it.

"I'm afraid, Twilight, that you will have to give me the condensed version."

"Oh … Right," she responded a bit sheepishly. Then she flipped through the pages of notes, pulling a few out once in awhile. Eventually she put the rest of the stack down and began to explain the theory, magic, and process involved in the entire spell.

For the next several hours, Celestia listened intently to Twilight explain in detail how she had done the spell. She frowned when Twilight mentioned the mind probing she had done to James without his permission while he was sleeping, but she didn't stop her to interrupt.

As Twilight continued explaining the theory of the spell to her, she began to become more and more concerned. Everything the unicorn had said so far, seemed to fit everything she knew about magic and dimensional theory. She searched her mind, trying to find any flaw in Twilight's observations or conclusions. But the more Twilight explained, the more diagrams she showed her, and the more she studied them looking for even the smallest flaw, mistake, or uncertainty, the more she convinced herself that there wasn't one. As much as she didn't want to believe it, Twilight was right she realized.

The unicorn continued to drone on about the mechanics of the spell, the shape of the magic she had used, and many other things. She flipped through diagram after diagram after diagram. Charts, figures, graphs. But to Celestia, it was all becoming a blur. Long before Twilight had finished, she already knew that the young unicorn was correct. Her thoughts had drifted far from Twilight's lecture now, and onto what she would do about James.

"Princess?"

The word brought her attention back to Twilight. She returned her gaze to the unicorn's face forcing a small smile before speaking.

"This is very impressive work, my faithful student. I can find no flaw in any of your methods, analysis, or conclusions. Yes … yes, I believe the spell would work. And that it would send James back to his own dimension … to exactly the same place he was when he left."

Twilight smiled now, and looked like she had perked up quite a bit since entering. Her ears stood up straighter, and even the redness had started to leave her eyes. "So you'll release him from the oath then? You'll allow him to go home?"

Celestia winced internally and looked at the floor. Now she almost wished she hadn't asked Twilight to give her the condensed version of how the spell worked. But what good would delaying the inevitable be? As soon as she had accepted that Twilight's spell would work, she knew this question was going to come up. She looked up from the floor, her heart and her spirit in turmoil, as if a great weight had just been pressed down on them. When she answered, it was in a resigned and regretful, yet firm tone of voice.

"No, Twilight. I will not."

Twilight blinked. Then her eyes went wider. Her jaw started to drop, but then she closed it. She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. Celestia could see tears trying to well up in the her eyes again. Clearly, it had not been the answer the unicorn had expected. Finally, she answered.

"But … you said it would work … You said it yourself, Princess … that it would work." She spoke in a bewildered tone now.

"Twilight, please try to understand that—"

"You said yourself it would work!" Twilight raised her voice, a tone of anger in it now as she interrupted Celestia's response. Her wide eyes began to narrow.

"I said no, Twilight. He will stay in Equestria," Celestia responded calmly, but firmly. Nevertheless, she could feel her own anger building over the fact that Twilight had snapped at her and cut her off. If it were any other pony, except maybe Luna, that had spoken to her and interrupted her that way, she wouldn't have tolerated the disrespect. But this was Twilight, her faithful student. Instead of reprimanding her, she braced herself for an argument.

Twilight backed up slightly. But then stopped. A few moments later, she burst out in an angry and frustrated tone. "How can you do this to him, Princess? How! When he has been nothing but loyal to you! Done everything you asked of him! How, Princess? How!"

Celestia blinked and recoiled slightly. She knew Twilight was going to be angry. But she didn't expect that kind outburst She recovered quickly though and answered calmly. "Twilight, you must understand that there are certain things I can't—"

"Don't tell me there are certain things you can't tell me! Don't tell me there are things I have to discover with time! Or learn on my own! Or am not ready to know yet! Don't tell me any of that!" Twilight said, interrupting her again, her voice loud enough to be considered shouting now. "After as loyal as he has been to you, how can you deny him the chance to go home now that it's possible to give it to him?"

Celestia's own eyes narrowed now. Even from her own faithful student, there was only so much disrespect she would tolerate. She turned her head away from Twilight quickly, then trotted over to a locked chest next to her throne. Lowering her horn to it, she opened it with a magic golden glow. She found the scroll she was looking for picking it up magically, and turning back around. Her horn glowed brighter as she threw it at Twilight. The unicorn recoiled slightly as the scroll bounced off of her, landing on the ground in front of her.

"Read it, Twilight. Out loud so I can here it," Celestia said in a louder, more commanding tone, anger slipping into her own voice now.

Twilight hesitated only a moment before magically picking it up and unrolling it. She began to read.

"With the sun and moon as my witnesses

Do I bow of my own free will

Without coercion or duress Now and—"

"Without what?" Celestia asked firmly, interrupting Twilight.

"Coercion or duress," the unicorn responded in an annoyed tone of voice.

"That's right, Twilight. He made the decision, Using his own free will. He was not coerced into it. Continue reading please."

Twilight looked at her mentor uncertainly for a moment, but then started to read again.

"Now and forever do I swear fealty and allegiance.

To Prin—"

"Now and what?" Celestia interrupted again.

"Forever …" the unicorn responded, the annoyed tone slowly changing over to one of anger.

"Yes. Forever. Please, continue."

"To Princess Celestia and Princess Luna

To be true and faithful

In living and in dying

To never rise against them

To protect and defend them against all would oppose them

Even if it require the forfeiture of my own life

To the Royal Sisters do I swear eternal service

To th—"

"How long service?" Celestia interrupted.

"… eternal …" Twilight responded, through slightly clenched teeth.

"Good, you may continue," Celestia responded.

Twilight hesitated for a moment before starting to read again.

"To them alone and forsaking all else

unti—"

"Forsaking what else?" Celestia cut her off again.

"All else," Twilight answered, again through clenched teeth.

"Thank you. You may continue,"

"Until death take me

Or the world ends."

"Until death take me, or the world ends," Celestia repeated, using magic to lift the scroll away from Twilight, putting it back in the locked chest next to her throne. "He knew full well when he took the oath that it was binding for life. And what he would have to give up to be on the Council."

"But he didn't have all the information!" Twilight protested. "He took it while believing he would never be able to go home!"

Celestia opened her mouth to respond, then paused. No … There was no need to remind Twilight that if she had talked to James, he would have had the information. Twilight already knew that. And she was already racked with guilt and punishing herself badly for it. Reminding her would only rub it in. She opened her mouth again.

"We never have all the information when we make decisions, Twilight. So we make the best decision we can based on the information we have. James knows this. And so do you."

"But Princess! You have to make an exception!"

"I can't, Twilight! You know why I can't!" Celestia said, throwing up a forehoof in frustration. "In the entire history of the Council. For well over fifteen hundred years, nopony has ever been released from the oath. No pony has ever even asked to be released from the oath."

"But, Princess, the circumstances here are extraordinary!"

"The oath is very clear that it's a life long commitment. And all else must be given up if necessary. If I were to make an exception for James, I would undermine the very sacredness of the oath. What is the meaning of a life long oath if it's not really life long? If somepony can just have the oath nullified as soon as something else comes along in their life that they decide is more important?" Celestia shook her head once. "No, Twilight. I cannot make an exception. I cannot set a precedent that the oath can be broken."

"How can you do this to him, Princess! How can you take him away from his friends! His family! How can you!" Twilight shouted again, glaring at her.

"You don't even know what you'd be sending him home to, Twilight!" Celestia shouted back, startling even herself at the tone of her own voice. "For all you know his friends and family are dead! They may not have survived the quake! He could very well get home and find himself alone with no job, no where to live, no friends to turn to! Is that what you want for him?"

Twilight turned her head away rapidly, looking at the floor. When she gave no response, Celestia continued.

"And besides, do you think I enjoy being in this position, Twilight? Do you think I enjoy having to make this decision? I have to do what's best for Equestria!" she stomped a forehoof on the stone floor, as a judge might pound a gavel when closing a court case.

"You have to reconsider!" Twilight shouted back, seemingly undaunted by her growing anger.

Celestia sighed in frustration, then responded in a calm, but firm voice. "He will not be released from his oath. He will not be sent home. He will remain in Equestria. My decision is final and I will speak no more of this."

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it again. Her eyes quivered as they started to fill with tears again. Suddenly, she bolted around, galloping down the isle to the doors.

"Twilight, wait!" Celestia called out, raising a forehoof. But the young unicorn paid her no mind, opening the doors with her own magic, galloping through them, and slamming them with the sound of a cannon shot reverberating off the walls and high ceiling.

Celestia sighed, lowering her raised forehoof. Her own ears drooped now as she frowned, looking at the floor. If James did ask her to be released from the oath, would she release him? Even if she did, she could not allow him to leave Equestria now. It was times like these, that she hated being the ruler of Equestria. She liked James, and she cared a great deal about him. She hated the decision she had just made. But knowing what she knew about his importance to Equestria, and Luna's warning about sending him home now, she had made the only decision she could make. She valued James as much as she valued any of her ponies, for she basically considered him one of them now. But James was one man. And when it came to a choice of potentially hurting all of her ponies by letting him go home now, or hurting only him by refusing to let him leave, the choice was obvious. She had to hurt him. She wished she could come up with some way of not having to hurt anypony. Oh how she wished she could. But given what she knew, she could not. Her head drooped slightly lower as she continued to turn what had just happened over and over in her mind, mentally torturing herself over the decision she had made, despite knowing that she did the only thing she could.

"It would seem, sister, that you vastly underestimated the magical potential of your student."

Celestia jumped at the unexpected voice behind her, turning around to see Luna standing to the left and behind the throne. "Luna, you startled me," she said with a sigh of relief that it was, in fact, Luna, and not some assassin who had managed to sneak up behind her. "I never saw you come in ... How much did you hear?"

"All of it."

Celestia nodded slightly, but said nothing, just looking at the floor again.

"Tia, we cannot protect Twilight Sparkle any longer by hiding the truth from her," Luna said in stern tone of voice, almost as if she were giving an order to a servant. "The Beyond knows she is involved. I'm sure of it. Sooner or later she will have to be told."

"The Beyond will certainly know she is involved if I tell her, sister. Then she will certainly be in danger."

"You will be putting all of Equestria in danger if you don't tell her soon, Tia. We barely avoided disaster as it is. Disaster caused by the fact that she doesn't know. What if she had sent James home without asking your permission first?"

Celestia immediately shook her head. "No. Twilight would never have done anything that serious without asking me first. She's my most faithful student."

"If James hadn't been on the Council, Tia … Are you sure she would have asked you? She wouldn't have been forcing a sacred oath to be broken in that case. We dodged an arrow, sister. How many more do you think we can dodge before we jump the wrong way?"

Celestia remained silent, looking at the floor for a few more moment. Finally, she nodded her head slightly. "You are right, Luna. She must be told. Soon. And you are right. I underestimated her …" She sighed, but at the same time, a small smile of pride spread over her muzzle. "Her destiny is a powerful one, Luna. Before this is over, she will become the most powerful unicorn Equestria has ever seen. Far more powerful than even Star Swirl the Bearded ever was …"

* * *

A soft knock on his door brought James out of his thoughts. "Come," was all he answered in response.

The door opened, and Twilight Sparkle stepped in. He could tell from her drooping ears—he'd become quite adept at reading pony body language—that she had not gotten the results she'd hoped for. As soon as she had cleared the door and closed it, she burst into tears again, running to him and wrapping her forehooves around him.

"I'm sorry, James," she managed to say between sobs. "I tried … I tried …" She cried bitterly and her tears soaked his robe.

"It's okay, Twilight. It really is," he said, trying to console her. "It's alright. I'm happy here, Twilight. I really am."

"But, your friends back home … your family …" she sniffled, pulling back from the hug just far enough to use a forehoof to wipe her eyes.

"I have new friends here. More than I had back home. Sure, I'll miss my friends back home. But things happen. Sometimes circumstance forces us to move on. To leave old friends and find new ones. And I have better friends, Twilight. Friends like you."

She smiled momentarily at that last part, but the frown quickly returned. "And what about everything else you wanted back home? Your goals, your plans for the future?" she questioned, looking at him with tormented eyes.

He shook his head. "My goals back home were entirely focused around my career, Twilight. If that's the measure of my goals … Well, there's a thousand different paths my career could have taken back home. But being an advisor to the most powerful ruler in the world before I even reached the age of thirty was definitely not even in my wildest dreams," he smiled at her now.

She smiled slightly in response, although it appeared to be a forced smile to him.

The two of them hugged tightly again for several long seconds. Twilight sniffled a few more times, but seemed to have gotten her sobbing under control. Finally he pulled back slightly and looked at her again. "It's late and you look exhausted, Twilight. You should go. I'll arrange for a castle guest room for you."

She shook her head. "I don't … think I want to stay in the castle tonight. I'll find a hotel."

"Twilight, I can't let you do that. You are Her Majesty's most faithful student. You should stay here in the castle." He frowned.

"Really, I don't want to. I need some time alone tonight. And I need to go find Spike. I left him with Princess Luna."

"Alright … If you're sure that's really what you want," he said, still disappointed and concerned.

"It is," she nodded and the two of them hugged again. "I'm going to catch the earliest train back to Ponyville in the morning. I probably won't be able to see you before I leave."

"I'll try to come see you in Ponyville soon, Twilight. I'll ask Her Majesty for some time in the morning."

She nodded and gave him another small smile that looked forced. Then she turned around and walked to his door. A purple aura around the frame as it opened and she stepped through, closing it behind her without saying anything more.

James' shoulders slumped and he sighed. Worry about Twilight plagued his thoughts now. Despite his reassurances to her that he was okay with staying in Equestria, he could tell she was still torturing herself with guilt, still troubled by despair. After a few more moments, he stood up from the bed. There was a conversation he had to have with Celestia. He doubted she was looking forward to it anymore than he was. But there was no point in delaying it. He changed his robe—they had given him several after the ceremony—to one that wasn't stained with Twilight's tears, then left his room and the Council living area. She'd be in her own personal quarters by now, he thought, as it was well into Luna's night watch now. Gathering his resolve, he made his way down the tapestry lined hall and up the stairs to Celestia's quarters.

* * *

Thunder echoed through the walls of the hotel as an autumn storm rolled through the nighttime Canterlot sky. Spike sat on the edge of a lumpy, flat mattress that had seen to many nights, staring at a metal bucket on the floor. The steady drip, drip, drip of water from the leaking roof the only sound other than the thunderstorm raging outside.

The hotel was in an area of the city near The Underhoof. The room was small. Gray stains marred the once white walls, which were badly in need of repainting. The floor, once polished cherry wood, was now a dull faded beige, most of the varnish scuffed off by years of hooves walking on it, deep scratches marring it. Twilight hadn't intended on needing a hotel in Canterlot, and hadn't brought very many bits along for the trip. But after the argument she had gotten into With Princess Celestia, she'd insisted she didn't want to stay in a castle guest room. The hotel they stayed in now was only named "Cheap Hotel." At least that's what the sign hanging outside the front door had said. If they had gotten a more expensive one, they wouldn't have had enough bits left to pay for the train ticket back to Ponyville.

"There's no reason to torture yourself like this, Twilight," Spike finally said, looking up at his unicorn friend. "I'm sure either Princess Celestia or James would have given you the bits to pay for a ticket back to Ponyville."

Twilight shook her head in response. "I can't ask James for bits. Not after all this. And the Princess … after that argument …" She shook her head again, stomping her forehoof once, the old floorboards creaking in protest at the abuse. "She's mistaken. I can't believe she'd do this to him! She's wrong, Spike. She's wrong." The unicorn's eyes had a dangerous gleam now that made Spike suddenly feel chilled.

"… Twilight … You're not thinking of sending him home despite Princess Celestia's specific orders that he stay in Canterlot, are you?"

She hesitated, but only for a moment. "No, Spike. Even if I did offer to send him home against the Princess's wishes, he'd never agree to it. He's on the Council now. He won't even step beyond the boundary of the castle court yard without permission from one of the princesses, much less leave Equestria without permission."

That's a relief, Spike thought to himself. But she had momentarily hesitated … "I don't know very much about the Royal Council," he said slowly.

"Even I don't know that much about it, Spike," Twilight said, her ears lowering slightly. "They are very secretive. But I do know they are fanatically devoted to the princesses. Some ponies even say the devotion is cult like." She shook her head slightly. "I don't know if that's true, but I do know the devotion is strong enough that he'd never agree to leave without permission, even if there was no way he could ever face any consequences for doing so."

A knock interrupted Spike just as he opened his mouth to respond. He and Twilight both looked to the door. Spike blinked. "Nopony knows we are staying here, Twilight. Who could that be?"

"I don't know Spike. Stay back here." Her voice had a note of concern in it. She walked to the door—there was no peephole in it— and slowly opened it with her magic. Suddenly, she gave a slight squeak of startled surprise, and perhaps, even a tinge of fear, jumping backwards. At the door, a pony, with a midnight blue and white robe bearing the Royal symbols of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. A hood was pulled over the pony's head, completely obscuring their face.

The pony stepped in, making no sound, a feat that seemed like it should be impossible given the old creaky floorboards. The door automatically closed behind. Twilight backed up, standing protectively in front of Spike.

The pony reached up with a forehoof, pushing the hood back, revealing a light green pony with a sky blue mane. The pony wasn't a unicorn, but because of the robe, it was impossible to tell whether they were an earth pony, or a pegasus. The pony spoke with a female voice.

"If you are even considering it, Twilight Sparkle. Don't. If you send him home now, you would condemn him to death—a slow and tormenting death."

"Who are you?" Twilight gasped. "You aren't supposed to leave the castle without permission."

"I do have permission. From Her Majesty, Princess Luna."

"How did you find me here?" Twilight asked in a slightly shaky voice, leading Spike to think even she was nervous in the presence of the Council member.

"I followed you. You did not hear me or see me? Nopony else did either. It is one of the gifts Her Majesty of the Night gives to Council members through the binding spell. With time, James will learn to use the gift as well, and move in absolute silence and invisibility."

"Why … why would sending him home kill him?" Twilight's voice seemed even more shaky now.

"If he leaves this dimension, the binding spell will be broken. And if the binding spell is broken, he will die."

Twilight immediately shook her head. "No … No! Neither princess would ever do that. Place a binding spell on somepony that causes them to die if it were broken. Even if it is to enforce a life long oath. Neither princess would do that!" The shakiness had left Twilight's voice, and had been replaced with a tone of indignance—indignance that the Council pony would dare suggest the princesses would do such a thing.

The Council pony shook her head. "You do not understand, Twilight Sparkle. Through the binding spell, he has touched the Solar Source and the Lunar Source. If you sent him home, you would separate him from that. You may as well ask him to give up air, or give up water. If you separate him from the solar and lunar sources, he will always know they are still there. Always sensing their presence, but never being able to touch them. He would die not because the binding spell is poisoned, but because he would simply lose the will to live, never being able to touch the Solar or Lunar source again, but always knowing they are there."

Twilight said nothing in response. Spike thought she seemed too bewildered to respond.

"Heed my warning, Twilight Sparkle," the Council pony said as she raised a forehoof, pulling her hood back up over her head, concealing her face again. "May the light of Their Majesties' Sun and Moon guide you."

Then, she turned, opened the door, and stepped out into the hallway. Spike and Twilight both blinked. It was as if the robe had taken on the color of the walls, perfectly camouflaged to blend into the background. As she walked further away, making no sound at all on the old wood floors, he found it harder and harder to keep track her, like trying to keep track of a dim distant satellite moving through a dark starry sky. And before she had even reached the stairs, she was gone, winking out like a glowing ember rising into the night sky …