The Jinsaka Manor - Main Hall
The walls appear somewhat aged as this building was built some time
ago, by the hands of men and not by machine. Towards the north are a two
large staircases, wrapped around a kind of elevator. To the east and west
are different hallways, and a majestic door to the south leads outside
towards the city. Next to the elevator is a marble slab with a handful of
names inscribed upon it.

Twilight Sparkle levitates a pile of books back into their respective spots on numerous bookshelves, hovering in midair with her horn aglow.

Approaching the large estate from the outside, Ambience curtailed his general nervousness regarding his decision. This was outside his general comfort zone of just bargin in on people unannounced, but these individuals deserved at least some form of.. what could you call it? Apology? Closure? Assurance? The gleaming hilt of a new sword shone beautifully in the sunlight as he knocked on the large doors, awaiting a response from whoever it might be.

Even though she's sorting the books in the manor library, Twilight Sparkle turns away as she hears the knocking, descending rapidly on the way to the front doors. "Who could that be...? One moment, I'm coming!"

Ambience waits without impatience, not even knowing if anyone was home or not. Large places like this had butlers or waitstaff though, right? At least that's what he'd been taught. Either way, he'd wait before trying again; maybe it was just a long way to get from wwherever whoever was home to get to the door.

Upon opening the door, unfortunately, Twilight Sparkle's smile quickly turns to an angry frown as she catches sight of you, all while her wings and horn extend and begin sparking, respectively. "Come to make good on that threat? I still haven't forgotten about our little encounter, you! Either apologize, or I'll see to it you never set foot near this mansion again!"

This sounded awfully familiar. At least it confirmed what Ambience's erstwhile sight had told him... and that his mother's story was true. His shoulders slumped somewhere, and for all that he looked ready for a sizeable journey with a few waistbags, leather armor and a gleaming sword sticking out of its sheathe on his back, his expression showed that he was still just a kid. "So it's true, then. You're Twilight Sparkle, I'm guessin'." He composed himself for a moment, trying not to seem -too- pathetic. "Is, uh, another one like you named 'Rarity' around, somewhere?"

This is enough to catch Twilight Sparkle off-guard, and make her blink a few times before shaking her head somberly. "She isn't. She passed away some time ago, from corruption. I'm fighting now, in her memory, as a Princess."

Corruption? Princess? There was apparently a lot he'd missed. Somehow, Ambience didn't seem too surprised, though. Six months was a lot of memories to lose. He frowned softly instead, and lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, then. I came to apologize to her... and to you. This might sound strange, but I'm not sure what I'm apologizin' for; I just felt that I needed to." He looked up again, straightening upright. "Somethin' happened, and I don't remember any of it. Some people got hurt, and others got angry.. and it involved me, somehow. So, yeah." Ambience shrugged lightly, apparently drawing a complete blank. "Call it a weird conscience thing. But I felt like I had to."

Even though her face settles into a conflicting array of emotions for a few moments, Twilight Sparkle eventually gives you a sad smile, trotting forward and raising her forelegs for a surprisingly gentle hug. "I suppose it's best to swallow my pride, and apologize for jumping to conclusions like that, Ambience..."

Hugging a pony nearly the same size as him was kind of a new experience, Ambience would realize later. But then, wasn't that the point of living? Thankful at least that this wasn't going to turn violent after all, he hugged Twilight Sparkle in return. "I understand that people prob'ly hate me right now. I'm frustrated 'cause I'll never know why, but it's.. kinda hard to explain. And right now, there's lotsa bad things happening.. and I'm gonna help fix them. Whether that makes up for what I did before is up t'you guys."

"Well... Staying angry with you for what's already happened is very unreasonable of me. Though I want to go back and fix all that, I realize now that won't be happening. So it's best for us to start again, as friends instead of enemies..." Twilight Sparkle steps back, extinguishing the glow around her horn and tucking her wings tightly against her body. "And I also realize, now, that it was wrong of me to hold a grudge against you, Ambience."

Ambience opts for a smile, the first one he's managed since departing from the Holyland an hour or so before. "Thank you. I'm very sorry that Rarity isn't around for this, and I hope I didn't reopen any wounds." He glances over his shoulder for a moment, then up toward something in the sky, and finally back at Twilight again. "This lifts a big fear I had, goin' into this. I dunno how th' others will react, this this is a good start. I hope that Crossroads will be as forgiving as you."

Ambience says 'If I somehow manage not t'come back from the Fortress, I would at least want t'leave no regrets for those I may've hurt, somehow.'

"Though I now have responsibilities, as an agent of the PDF, I'm going to be fighting alongside you, since Rarity can no longer do that... As Princess Twilight Sparkle, I won't let those under my watch be hurt by anything any more, no matter the cost!" WIth her gaze firm, the pegacorn mare stands close to you, turning to glance at him with resolve. "I won't let another person die, without risking my own life to save them. This I promise you."

Twilight says 'I failed Rarity and Lionel, but I won't be failing anyone else from this day forward.'

Ambience's smile melds into more of a half-grin, at this point. Rather than get into it, he merely nods. "I'm happy t'hear it. Keep doin' what you do, then; from the sounds of it, I'm guessin' there's a lot of you here, in this place. Whatever you fight for, and whatever you believe in, keep it up." He pauses for a moment, realizing something at this time. "...The people you protect t'day could someday turn 'round and return th' favor, for somebody else."

"And, Ambience... Thank you for coming to give me a second chance to be your friend. It means a lot..." Twilight Sparkle looks down, letting her gaze soften as she moves in for one more hug. "It might take a while, but... I'll see about finding some way to go with you so you're not alone in that fortress."

Ambience allows himself to be hugged, but abstains from openly returning it, instead focusing on her words that cause him to shake his head. "This isn't for me. This is another man's promise. I'm only there t'help 'im keep it, because... like you said. Everyone deserves a second chance." He offers a grim smile, perhaps slightly afraid. "We're leavin' tomorrow morning. Don't worry 'bout me, or us. Instead, if you want to do anything, pray for us. Pray that we have th' strength t'rid the Sinistrals and the Mana Fortress from this world, an' prevent any more tragedies. If there're people out there who hope for our victory, then maybe we can win."

"I'm going with you, Ambience. If Rarity was still here, she'd have asked for someone to go and protect you, if she didn't do it herself. As one of her closest friends... I'm honoring her memory this way." Twilight Sparkle lifts her gaze, stubbornly shaking her head. "Besides, for saying what I did back then... This is the least I can do to make up for it."

This was a difficult spot to be in. On the one hand, taking Twilight Sparkle with him subjected her to two things: Haut's incessant criticism and fault-finding, and, perhaps more importantly, her death. Ambience already didn't know how they planned to survive this, themselves; unless Haut had a lot more up his sleeve than his arm, anyway. Willingly taking more people with them into certain death was not something he felt in the least bit comfortable with. And so, he'd have to make a choice. And he did. Ambience nodded. "Okay. Be right here, tomorrow morning. Expect two of us." He said it with more straight-facedness than he even realized, but kept firm.

"I'll have my things ready by the time you arrive." Twilight Sparkle nods, flexing her wings unconsciously as her horn sparks. "And besides which... Something tells me you're going to need my expertise in magic spells in this fortress, against these Sinistrals..."

Whether the Sword Ambience was carrying at this time sparked a momentary ego boost or not is anyone's guess, but the smirk he gave Twilight Sparkle was most definitely self-assured. "Tomorrow, then." Ambience offered one last nod before turning and heading back down the path away from the Manor, and back into the city limits.