It was a warm day in late April. If it hadn't been for the war and the collapse of Equestria, it would have been possible to spend this pleasant day away from the sun and breeze, lingering by the flowering bushes and trees. Twilight, after a long time, finally left the library, staring blankly at the horizon lost behind buildings and military installations. The once bright and carefree Ponyville now appeared in front of her in gray. There are anti-tank hedgehogs and barricades along the streets. Somewhere, between the stones of the road, shell casings shine. The windows of other ponies' houses are covered with criss-cross strips of masking tape. Not a single pony walks for nothing anymore, they're drooping. Lowering their heads, they hurriedly trot faster home. Some people look suspiciously at the loudspeakers on the poles, which, surprisingly, have never sounded a siren today.
- "Twilight?"
It was heard from the side of the lavender pony, whose eyes had just adjusted to the daylight. It was a voice she didn't immediately recognize, but she definitely remembered hearing it once. It was a voice she didn't immediately recognize, but she definitely remembered hearing it once. First in front of her, the unicorn saw in front of her the wide chest of a stallion in a tunic, then his face. If it weren't for his scar on the bridge of his nose, his gray suit, and his purple-tinged black mane, she definitely wouldn't have recognized him so quickly.

• Shadowlock? What are you doing here?
  

It was only after that that she noticed his burnt horn and the dried blood on the bandages on his neck.

• I just got back from the hospital. - Silence. - You look very tired, Twilight...

• There is such a thing - She reflexively leaned her hoof against her face, kneading her inflamed eye with it. Only then did she notice the Harmonious Socialists party badge on Shadowlock's huge chest. Sparkle immediately recoiled. "

• You...

The stallion immediately realized what had confused his friend.

• Oh, you mean that.
  

Twilight, as if stunned by the explosion, pressed her ears to her head, remembering the past year. The loss of Celestia, and the outbreak of war with the Crystal Empire. A concentrated attack on Equestria. The return of Sunset Shimmer and her bourgeois revolution... The execution of Princess Luna... All of this has affected Sparkle's trust. She would not say that she is categorically against the Communists, even to some extent they agree. But as someone close to the princesses, she sensed danger from them. Even though she liked Shadowlock to some extent, she instantly put it out of her mind.

• Since I am an intellectual, I was sent by Starry Night to organize a school for adult ponies. Kind of.. Even one of your friends is illiterate.

She understood what he meant by Applejack.

• I'd like your permission to do this, as mayor of Ponyville.

  • Come on.. Sure. He telekinetically handed her an envelope. Twilight didn't reveal it yet. She didn't want any new problems to appear in the already ruined city. Twilight didn't see anything critical about these organizations, even though she understood that along with education, there would be campaigning. However... as it has always been everywhere. Even in peacetime. Shadowlock's gaze was riveted on this pony. She had changed a lot since their first meeting. The bright pink strands in her mane had almost lost their color, turning silver. Overgrown, shaggy, in an old stretched sweater, she did not repel.
    

• Twilight.. Can we talk?
  After receiving a nod in response, they slowly walked down the street.
  After receiving a nod in response, they slowly walked down the street. At first, their dialogue didn't fit together. Tension constantly hung between them. But then Shadowlock decided not to ask her about her current life, but to bring up the topic of magic and spells. The stallion got carried away, saying that he was able to apply his skills at the front, against Sombra. Stallongrad was also under attack from the north, so almost everyone who could was involved in its defense. After the weakening of Sombra's army, it was decided to seek allies in the former territory of Equestria. That's how he ended up here, along with other comrades. Twilight, when talking about magic, became a little more animated, becoming more actively involved in the dialogue. The inconvenience disappeared until the topics of conversation began to jump from topic to topic, which caused the long-depressed mare to smile bitterly, but sincerely cheerful. At the sight of her, Shadowlock felt thousands of butterflies in his chest. This chance meeting and talking about nothing, as if the medicine had worked on their war-weary souls. In the end, they decided to meet again, in one more free time in the near future. There was no time to talk anymore, and already that night, the city was awakened by deafening sirens...

Honestly, I don't know how to describe this picture, you can just consider this text as a sketch. After all, I chose Shadowlock as a pair of Twilight, and I'm very happy with that.

Bases: https://www.deviantart.com/watch/neirobases/deviations