Twilight's Resolve

Soft echoes rang through the hall as the Human paced back and forth, his hands behind his back. The trails of his robes billowed behind him as he moved, as if facing against a stream of wind. His mouth was turned down into a deliberate, thoughtful frown and every so often, the Human would turned his head and stare down the hall before continuing his march.

A soft clicking sound began to resonate quietly, distinct from the noise the Human's shoes made against the hard crystal floor. It was a sharper sound, like mallet strikes against a glass bell, and it was growing louder by the second.

The Human stood still and soon the only break in the silence were those echoing clicks. He turned to the estimated direction of the noise's source. A small light violet glow shone amid the darkness in the same area and as the clicking sound grew louder, the purple beacon grew larger and brighter.

Click clop click clop.

The Human's frown seemed to deepen as the noise grew louder and the light became brighter. The purple blaze was reflected in his rapidly narrowing brown eyes.

Click clop click clop. Click clop click clop.

By the flame a purple Unicorn could now be seen. She walked slowly behind the purple torch and drew nearer and nearer.

Click clop click.

Her hoofsteps rang against the crystal floor. The sound had kept Twilight on edge since the beginning and as she got closer the Human could see that her ear would flick or flatten against her head every now and again in response to the echoes. She kept her head low as to avoid directly staring into the blinding fire but her eyes remained focused ahead. They found the white-robed Human and the echoes of her hoofsteps grew. The distance between the two was rapidly vanishing.

Click clop click clop. An echo, then, utter silence.

Only a few empty feet now separated Twilight from the Human. The Unicorn lifted both the torch and her head in order to look directly at the man. The Human lowered his head and, ignoring the intensity of the flames' light, glared back.

For a few empty minutes, Twilight and the Human did nothing but stare at each other, as if locked in a staring competition. At last, the standstill was broken as Twilight held the torch a little higher, then dropped it at the Human's feet. His only reaction was to follow the torch's path with his eyes.

He set himself on his knees and picked the torch up, holding it dangerously close to his face as he examined it. He closed his eyes and cupped the flame with his hand. The hand became a fist, suffocating the fire underneath. When the Human had unclenched his fist, the hand was charred. Skin peeled away in burnt crisps and the sickly aroma of badly cooked meat swelled through the air.

Twilight wrinkles her nose at the smell but fought off the urge to flinch at the sight of the Human's burns as he showed them to her. He wore an accusing glare, as if blaming the Unicorn for his injury. Twilight met it with her own scowl.

"You didn't do it."

"Yeah," Twilight said just as curtly. "I didn't."

The Human sighed. He tossed the extinguished torch to the side. Slowly, he got to his feet and set his back against a wall. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his good hand.

"Why?" he asked weakly. "Why didn't you break the bond?"

If the Human's gaze had lost power, Twilight's had been strengthened. "That friendship is what defined Ash," she answered. "Everything he is, everything, is because of his bond with Ramth. Not all his memories were good ones but they still define Ash's character, just like how learning about the magic of friendship from Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack redefined what kind of pony I am now." Twilight shook her head. "If I took all that away, what would Ash become?"

"He would be nothing," the Human said. "But would that be so horrible? So wrong? A new canvas for a new world. He'd be able to start an entirely new life in Equestria. There's a reason why he sought to become a pony, why he tried to abandon his Human image and identity." The look he now gave Twilight was of sorrow. Twilight struggled to withhold her pity.

"He told you...he was weak. He is weak. The loneliness will crush him. He will lose trust in even himself. Why won't you set him free?"

"Because I believe in Ash." Twilight held her head high. "I know he's suffering but taking the easy route isn't the right solution. And Ash knows this. Giving up is like that is never the right way and I know Ash believes this too. He won't give up."

"You don't know me," the Human growled. The previous hostility was returning. "You don't know Ash. He's already given up! He's too weak to continue! If you actually knew Ash, you'd know his limits!"

"He's not weak!" Twilight argued. "A weak being wouldn't sacrifice so much for somepony they've only known for a few weeks. A weak being wouldn't risk so much on someone that's not even a member of their own species. A weak being wouldn't be willing to give so much away. Don't you dare call Ash weak!"

"He can barely contain and control his own emotions! He's afraid to stand alone! Of being alone! You heard himself; he's not strong enough to handle the weight of being the only Human in existence. His friendship with Ramth and the other only solidified this dependence on other Humans. He isn't strong enough to handle this! He. Is. Weak!"

"Then we'll be his strength!" Twilight shouted. "When I fought Discord, I felt so powerless when I was alone...I almost gave up and left Ponyville. But I was reminded of everything I learned from my friends and that gave me hope and a way to beat Discord. When I tried fighting Nightmare Moon on my own, I almost lost and Equestria was nearly plunged into eternal night. I didn't save Equestria that day...we saved Equestria together." Twilight struck the ground heavily. The Human flinched at the resulting ring as Twilight pressed on:

"If there's one thing I've learned, it is that friends are your strength. There's nothing wrong with leaning against a friend for support. I don't think Ash is weak but even if he faces something that's beyond him, as long as he has friends, as long as he has us, as long as he has me, we can conquer any problem! Because friendship...is magic!"

At her words, Twilight's horn enveloped itself in light. Twilight shut her eyes as her horn grew brighter and brighter, much brighter than the torch had ever been. She heard the Human scream, though whether from pain or not the Unicorn could not tell, nor was she willing to risk blindness by stealing a quick peek.

Twilight lost track of time but eventually the magical light lost intensity and died down. Cautiously, she opened an eye.

The hall was no longer dark, the shadows having been driven away. Stone walls, woven tapestries, it was nearly the same setting as the sanctuary they had been in at the beginning. The only difference was that instead of white marble, the floor was made up of clear crystals, perhaps even glass.

Seeing no immediate danger, Twilight opened her other eye and looked around for more details. The tapestry of Ash and Ramth was nowhere to be seen, Twilight noted, and for a few minutes neither was the Human.

Twilight almost missed the Human a second time as she scanned the room. His robes blended with the surrounding stone walls. His back was turned toward the Unicorn, his hands held behind.

"So be it," he muttered. "You've chosen the high road, the path of difficulty. So be it." The Human turned and faced Twilight. He suddenly looked very tired. Had he always had such dark rings around his eyes?

"I will not admit I am wrong, least not yet," he quietly spoke. "Perhaps, in the end, you will regret your decision. Perhaps, in the end, you will see that magic is a double edged weapon and cuts two ways. Perhaps..." He lifted a hand to quell Twilight's rising protest. "Then again, maybe you are right. Maybe what Ash needs isn't a clean slate, but a chance to try again." The Human chuckled, shaking his head. It was as soulless as ever but this time, Twilight felt no need to bolt away. "What insanity," he said. "What utter, utter insanity.

"Ash will take you back, when he arrives," the Human announced, turning his back to Twilight again.

"Hold on, what do you mean, take me back?" Twilight asked, suspiciously. "Take me back where? What's going on? You never even told me who you were or why you were doing this! Don't turn your back on me! Tell me what's going on!"

"Ask Ash," the Human answered with a shrug. "He knows better than I. In fact, you could say he'll be dropping by real soon." He look up.

Twilight tilted her head as well and followed the Human's gaze up toward the endless celling. She squinted, trying to look past the darkness and shadows. Had the Human seen something she had missed.

"Odd," Twilight heard him say. She let her head fall to a more comfortable position and placed her attention at the Human, who had also let his head take a more natural stance. "Funny, he's normally so punctual, you know." The Human tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder..."

The Human's wondering was interrupted suddenly as the floor below him shattered with a loud crash. On reflex, Twilight covered her face with her leg, shielding her eyes from the flying shards. Even from behind shut eyelids, the Unicorn saw an intense white flash. Once again with caution, Twilight opened her eyes to survey to area. She kept her hooves up however, poor shields as they were.

An upright figure stood before her, Human. Dusty light-blue robes, almost grey, trailed all the way to his knees, where they appeared to have been torn at furiously. A sleeve had all but been burned away from the shoulder, revealing a partially charred arm. The other sleeve remained intact and the arm appeared, for the most part, undamaged. At the end hung the other Human, his neck surrounded and constricted by the fingers of the newcomer.

As he held the white-clad Human up, the newcomer glared venomously with a single hate consumed hazel eye. The other remained closed as blood dripped from the forehead and dried itself over that side. The rest of his features were twisted into a beastly scowl as he glared up at the Human he held up by the neck.

Long white hair with light red stains hung limply from his scalp, like a freshly wrung mop. He was in dire need of a haircut.

As he brought the other Human closer to his own face, Twilight saw uncanny similarities. Her experience with Humans may not have been extensive but she had spent enough with a particular Human to recognize those light brown eyes, that thin check structure, the jawline.

The mess of aged white hair...

"A-Ash?"