The Crystal Rebellion
Chapter 1: Binge and Purge
When you were married to a princess every meal was a feast.
Shining Armor was stuffed. Every night there was a delicious banquet of leaves, grass, hay, flowers, and pastries of all textures, sizes, and flavors. There was a little niggling of guilt at the back of his mind as he enjoyed such extravagances, knowing many ponies would never be able to eat so well in their entire lives, which kept him from overeating. He and his wife then made sure to have any leftovers donated to hungry citizens. No sense in letting it go to waste. There had been some more donations lately with Cadance excusing herself from meals earlier. That night she had barely touched her food at all. It was time he talked to her about that. Maybe she wasn't enjoying the food as much but didn't want to hurt the feelings of their cooks by telling them to change the recipes. He loved her compassion, but to be an effective ruler one had to be firm at the right times.
Shining allowed himself a small burp as he trotted to his bedchambers. Cadance was no where in sight, but his nose caught a whiff of something unpleasantly acrid hanging in the air. More alarming were the quiet gagging noises coming from the water closet. “Candance?” he inquired, growing worried.
Something choked in the bathroom. His cerulean eyes widening, Shining dashed to the water closet door and with a single swing from his strong hoof knocked the door open. The smell that poured out stung his nostrils, but it was nothing compared to what he saw. His wife, Princess Cadance, was bent over the toilet, vomiting profusely into the trough. Her eyes were squeezed shut, tears building up at the corners, her beautiful mane disheveled and limp. Her barrel heaved as she emptied the meager contents of her stomach into the toilet.
“C-Cadance?” Shining asked, baffled. “Are you all right?”
Her greyish purple eyes fluttered open and regarded him wearily. “No, I'm not all right!” she croaked, a strand of puke dribbling from her mouth. “I'm so fat now! How can you even look at me any more? I can't even look at myself in the mirror!”
Shining's jaw dropped as Cadance sobbed pitifully. So that's what she wasn't eating for? “Cadance, you look fine!” he insisted. “Stop that right now! What's gotten into you?”
“I've just let myself go since our marriage,” Cadance said tearfully. “I just keep getting fatter, and going on a diet isn't working fast enough! I need to slim down for you—for everypony in the empire! I can't let everypony see how fat I'm getting!”
That was enough. Without another word, Shining marched over, and with his strong forelegs plucked Cadance from the toilet. She squirmed and and shouted, but her gestures were weak. He plopped her down on the floor, blocking her path to the toilet.
“Cadance, you aren't fat, and even if you were, nopony would care!” he told her in a stern voice. His expression softened. “OK? I would love you no matter what you looked like, but I am concerned when you start doing unhealthy things like skipping meals and throwing up on purpose.”
Cadance stared up at him, her eyes watery and wide. She let out a throaty gasp and shut her eyes, crying.
“Oh, Shining Armor!” she sobbed. “I don't know what's happening to me anymore! I'm so sorry for acting like an idiot!”
He embraced her gently. “It's all right, it's all right,” he whispered in her ear. “I forgive you.”
“I've been feeling weird all week,” Cadance admitted. “One day I was looking in the mirror and I looked so huge, and I became obsessed with losing weight!”
She panted, lolling in Shining's forelegs. She let out a weak moan, her eyes fluttered.
“Cadance!”
“I'm just so hungry, and my head hurts,” she told him. “I...I didn't realize how weak I am. Oh, that was stupid of me! I'm starving now!”
“We'll get you cleaned up and give you a proper meal,” Shining told her with a relieved smile.
With shaking hooves, Cadance pushed herself up, taking deep breaths. Shining stepped back, giving her room. She saw her reflection in a mirror and shuddered. “I look horrid,” she said. “I'll wash up before eating. I'm sure I'll feel better after getting some food in me.” She smiled weakly, blinking away her tears.
Feeling much happier, Shining left the water closet. “Just shout if you need any help,” he told her. “Love you, darling!”
“Love you too!”
With him gone, Cadance inspected her reflection. She was a mess, but she certainly wasn't fat. How could she have done that to herself? Had it just been her imagination that she put on weight? It had seemed so real when a few days before she looked the size of a boat. If she had really gained that much weight then she couldn't have lost it so quickly.
Cadance shook her head, feeling rather faint. The water closet spun around her. Her stomach was a yawning void, crying for sustenance. Her skull pounded like a jackhammer was lodged inside. Hunger and weakness pressed upon her, Cadance's strength fleeing her frail body. Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed on the floor in a swoon.
Shining paced around the kitchen nervously. Cadance's new meal was almost done, and he hadn't heard anything out of her since leaving her to clean up.
That's it; I'm checking up on her.
His hooves nearly silent on the padded carpeting, Shining ran back to their bedchamber. “Cadance?” he called.
No answer.
He cursed himself for leaving her. Cadance had been so weak that she might have suffered an accident.
“Princess Cadance!” he called, barging into the bedchamber. His magic reached for the water closet door, but it swung open of its own accord. Standing there was Cadance, beaming and radiant, her mane perfect and her coat clean. She wore a sultry smile as she stepped out, a slight but noticeable wiggle in her walk, her buttocks and tail swaying. He stared, his heart rate taking a sudden increase.
“Mmmm, I feel much better now,” she said, her tone throaty and deep. “I could really go for a nice, big salad and some chocolate cake.”
She strolled past Shining, her fluffy tail whipping out to brush his muzzle. She smelled...divine. How did she clean herself up so well?
“I hear chocolate can be an aphrodisiac,” Cadance mentioned off-offhandedly. She turned her head to give him an inviting glance. “Let's see if it's true after dinner, Dear.”
“Y-yeah,” he stuttered, his passion for his wife rising to painful levels. “I'm...really glad you feel better.”
“Just a phase,” she said dismissively. “That's all.”
“Has Twilight told you about her book?” Celestia asked.
Luna turned her head, a little too fast, at the mention of Twilight Sparkle's name. “Yes, yes she has,” she answered, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. Ever since that awful Hearth's Warming Eve debacle where Twilight was falsely accused of stealing a book by Starswirl the Bearded as part of a plot to turn Twilight into a new Nightmare Moon, Luna's mind had turned to the young alicorn often. A warm, protective feeling would come over her when she thought about Twilight, as though Luna were her guardian. It was silly since Celestia was so much closer to the little scholar, and Twilight had proven again and again that she needed no guardian, even after her friend Rarity really did transform into a new Nightmare Moon.
“She's thinking of calling it Equestria Girls: Through the Mirror,” Celestia mentioned. “I had to get her to promise not to divulge the location of the mirror though; I don't need scores of curious ponies begging Princess Cadance to let them see what's on the other side every 30 moons.”
“Very wise of you, Sister.” Luna turned back to the star-filled night sky, at the huge silver Moon hanging against the darkness. She hoped that with the Moon creatures' freedom from the nightmare forces then Nightmare Moon was at last gone for good, but she hadn't been able to destroy The Way of Blackmirror. The accursed tome vanished during the final battle with the evil three-eyed alicorn Queen Blackmirror, and even though Blackmirror's mirror had been destroyed, her book could teach somepony how to enchant another mirror, giving the queen another window into Equestria. Given enough time, Blackmirror could make another Nightmare Moon.
She thought of Twilight, young and innocent, reading her books at the Golden Oak Library where she insisted on staying instead of moving to a secure castle, when some new Blackmirror-created horror would burst in and ponynap her. Would Twilight be able to escape on her own? Blackmirror was careful, so it might be a long time before anypony found any leads, or—
Stop thinking about that! Luna ordered herself. Twilight is safe, and can handle herself! Why are you being so overprotective about her anyway?
Celestia trotted to Luna's side, looking at the Moon with her. “So how was the wedding?” she asked.
“It was beautiful,” Luna answered. “Larry and Jerome were jubilant that I precised over their ceremony. They are happy to finally be who they really are after spending so long under the thrall of the nightmare forces.”
Luna looked away, her expression sad. “How selfish of me that I gave not one thought to the Moon creatures contaminated by Nightmare Moon's evil after returning to normal. I thought nightmare forces would wither and die without me. At least the creatures are free now.”
“It's partially my fault,” Celestia told her, her voice guilty. “I should have considered the life on the Moon when I banished you. I didn't think to check that.”
Luna sighed, and forced a smile. “We learned better after our negligence came back to haunt us.”
“You're worried about the book, aren't you,” Celestia stated bluntly.
Luna frowned, embarrassed at being so transparent. “It is that easy to tell, Sister?”
“When it's on your mind you start to go on about Nightmare Moon.” Celestia's wing curled around Luna protectively, and she lead them from the balcony to inside the castle.
“I cannot help but worry!” Luna insisted. “Even Sherlock Hooves knows not where the book is now!”
The intensive questioning given to the evil former detective made it clear that the book had flown off to a random location after he cast a spell on it. He couldn't help them even if he wanted to. There wasn't much else to do but leave him in the dungeon to rot for his heinous crimes.
“If anypony has found it then we will learn eventually,” Celestia assured. “We can destroy it for good then.”
“Yes, Sister. I hope I can do it myself. I owe Equestria as much after the horrors I unleashed with it.”
The elder princess let out a small yawn, her wing daintily covering her mouth. “Well, I ought to be going to bed,” Celestia told Luna. “Watch over Equestria, my sister.”
“If somepony tries to summon the nightmare forces again I shall be the first to know,” Luna answered. She peered up at the sky again. “I only wish that somepony was there to...keep me company.”
Celestia gave her a cheeky smile. “Keep you company during your long nights? Well, let's go looking for somepony tomorrow then. Somepony...special.”
Luna swallowed nervously, hoping Celestia hadn't seen that. “Just a friend!” she insisted. “Maybe! Yes! Definitely a friend!”
Celestia tittered. “Good night, my sister!”
“Good night!” Luna called, taking off from the balcony. Flustered, she wondered about the longing in her heart, and her thoughts turned to Twilight Sparkle again. The new princess had been such a help in adjusting Luna to contemporary times, and she never could have overcome Blackmirror or Nightmare Rarity without her.
Perhaps I ought to pay her a visit, she thought.
Closing her eyes, Luna left the waking world and entered the dreams of Equestria. Focusing on Twilight, she slipped through the jumble of immaterial dreamscapes, the desires and anxieties of Equestria laid bare for her to see. Sometimes she saw some very surprising things in there (the times she had wandered in on visions of Celestia or even herself performing sex acts with obsessed followers were numerous enough that it barely phased her any more), so she had learned to be detached from it unless something looked like real trouble.
The misty dreamscapes cleared, solidifying into a tan corridor with grey floors, the walls lined with green metal cabinets with combination locks on them. Bizarre bipedal creatures passed her by, lacking coats but possessing full manes, and all them wearing clothes. Instead of hooves they had five prehensile digits growing from the weak-looking forelegs, while the much stronger hind legs were clad in shoes.
One of the bipeds caught her eye, a slim purple-skinned one with long, straight bluish-purple hair. Just like Twilight actually. It even had Twilight's cutie mark imprinted on its purple skirt. The creature was talking to another, much taller one with a short spiky blue mane and yellow skin. They sounded nervous, and the voice coming from the Twilight creature was definitely that of the real Twilight Sparkle.
Is this what she saw on the other side of the mirror? Luna asked herself.
“So, erm, I was wondering,” the blue-maned creature said, shifting its feet nervously. Its voice was clearly male. He looked very unsure of himself as he continued. “If you aren't already going with somebody, wanna go to the Fall Formal with me tomorrow night?”
The Twilight creature let out a nervous laugh, blushing deeply. “Whoa! No, I, erm, don't have anybody right now! I mean...I'd love to go with you, Flash!”
Luna smiled. Even as a hairless monkey creature Twilight was the same. So awkward even with all that intelligence. Not that Luna was any better. Even Twilight had to teach her about contemporary etiquette.
Luna approached them. Twilight noticed her and gasped, turning to look at Luna. “Princess Luna!?” she uttered, confused. “Is that really you or am I just dreaming about you?”
Extending her digits, she poked Luna's horn and muzzle. Luna winced, backing out of range. “Ouch! It is indeed I, Princess Luna!” she announced. “Protecting the dreams of Equestria!”
“Erm, Twilight?” the Flash creature began. “What's with the talking pony?”
Twilight made a frustrated groan, and the creatures in the corridor vanished, leaving Luna and Twilight alone.
“Was this a bad time?” Luna asked, beginning feel guilty about interrupting the dream.
Twilight sat on the floor, folding her hind legs to her slim barrel. “I'm sorry, Princess Luna,” she said. “I've been working hard on my book, so I'm trying to recall everything that happened to me at Equestria High. It seems like every night I'm going back to that one moment with Flash Sentry, saying something different each time.”
She made a sad sigh, looking downward. “Princess Luna, was there anypony you wanted to be close too, but couldn't be?”
“I...” Luna wasn't sure how to respond to that.
“I guess I keep going back to that moment because I wish I had more time with Flash,” Twilight continued. “I just felt...different around him.”
I feel different around you, Twilight.
“And now I don't know if I'll ever see him again. Not the one I got to know.” Twilight sighed, tapping her digits on the knees of her hind legs.
Luna decided to make her move. “Twilight Sparkle,” she started, “even with my growing friendships I feel alone at night, with everypony going to sleep. I was wondering if you would like to join me sometime, perhaps for dinner?”
Twilight blinked and smiled. Luna felt her heart flutter at the sight. “Eh? That does sound nice. Maybe I should take my mind off Through the Mirror for a little while. Oh, that's the name of my book.”
Luna smiled. “Yes, I know. Celestia told me about it.”
“Tomorrow it is then!” Twilight agreed. “See you there! Your dreams or mine?”
“I was thinking in reality,” Luna answered. “It is much easier for you to eat in reality.”
“Good point! I'm looking forward to it!”
A warmth spread through Luna's barrel. She took a leap into another dream. “As am I. Farewell, Twilight Sparkle!” she called to the young princess as she faded into the distance. The corridor changed to a bedroom, grunting noises coming from the bed.
Who's dream is this? Luna wondered.
Trotting over to the bed, she found a dream version of herself bent over as a weedy stallion furiously pumped at her rump. “Oh yeah!” the stallion wheezed. “You call yourself a princess, but you're really just a filthy whore!”
“Yes Master!” the debased dream Luna squealed tearfully. “I need it so bad!”
Luna winced. She did not need to see that. Her horn lit up and with a loud bang her magic exploded the dream Luna into dark blue confetti, drifting all over the room and the bewildered stallion.
“Eh?” he asked, dismayed. “Luna?”
“Seriously,” Luna deadpanned, “get a fillyfriend.” And she galloped away to other dreamscapes.
Midnight Twinkle didn't know how long she had been kept in the cold darkness. How long had she been in the cave? It was impossible to tell without the Sun to tell her. She had begged and pleaded with her captors to let her go, but they had just laughed at her. Three shadowed figures lurking in the darkness, whispering to each other. Sometimes she heard ugly soft noises coming from them, like they chewed too loud.
Every day Midnight told herself that Princess Celestia was going to rescue her just like she did when she made Midnight a real pony, saving her from shattering into nonexistence as an illusion created by Blackmirror. An elaborate clone of Twilight Sparkle meant to frame the real one, Midnight had been given a life of her own after the real Twilight brought her to the merciful Celestia. After that she had gone to find her cutie mark, but when she was experimenting with rubish collection a big female griffon and a blue unicorn mare had abducted her and brought her to her prison.
The griffon watched through the bars with a smirk. “What a lameo,” the griffon spat. “Sitting there all day, hoping some pony princess'll save her. Hey Trix, why'd we nab this dork again?”
“Because our masters weren't pleased with how we handled Twilight Sparkle's crystal necklace,” the unicorn said.
“Oh yeah,” the griffon grumbled.
Three cloaked ponies emerged from the darkness, stealing up besides the griffon and unicorn. “You two idiots were supposed to fill the necklace with negativity and turn Sparkle's heart black as night so she would join us!” a harsh-sounding mare berated. “Instead you played around with her and replaced cider with lily pad slime as part of a scam! That wasn't anywhere in our instructions!”
“We did it because it was funny. Duh.” the griffon mouthed off, rolling her arrogant golden eyes.
The huge mare stared the griffon in the face. “Are you talking back to us, Gilda?” she hissed. “You wanna have a go? I'd love to because I'm really in the mood for roasted chicken wings tonight!”
The mare bared her teeth and hissed. Instead of the blunt teeth ponies usually had her mouth was filled with wicked fangs.
Another one of the hooded ponies giggled madly. “Kill the griffon!” she cheered. “Kill her and eat her!”
“I'd like to see you chumps try!” Gilda challenged, raising her talons.
“Enough, Sisters,” the leader said. “Clearly I must renew my spell.”
“Eh? What spell?” Gilda asked.
“This one.” The leader fired twin violet beams of light from under her hood into Gilda's face. The griffon froze in place, her face frozen in a look of shock. The spell faded and Gilda fell back, her wide eyes now violet like the spell.
“Sorry, Mistress,” Gilda muttered, her voice monotone and drained of emotion.
The unicorn shrank away, but the leader turned the spell on her too.
“We still can use your services, so please remain obedient slaves for the time being,” the leader told them.
The two flunkies nodded and marched off further back. Midnight watched them, then looked to the three evil mares.
“What do you want from me?” she asked.
“Even if you're a pony now,” the leader said, “there's still a large well of Queen Blackmirror's power inside you. It took a great deal of dream essence to create a dreamspawn of your detail. We're going to drain it all out of you.”
The two other mares chuckled darkly. “Let's eat her afterwords!” the giggling one suggested.
Midnight backed up further into her cage, her face twisted with horror. “Even after I'm free, Blackmirror still wants to use me,” she sobbed. “I'm not her tool any more!”
“Dreamspawn are hers to do as she wishes,” the leader said. “You can never escape the Nightmare Queen. Not Sombra, not Luna, not Twilight, and especially not trash like you!”
“There were some hiccups in the plan,” the huge mare gloated, “but it's back on track now, and the upcoming battle's gonna be glorious! Equestria will be ours!”
“Praise Queen Blackmirror!” the giggling one laughed.
Midnight sank down, covering her face. If only she could warn the ones who saved her...
Author's Note
So after watching Equestria Girls I decided enough pieces were in place for a sequel to The Magic and the Night. I hope you all enjoy this one. I plan for a much more ambitious story here, and it is combining a lot of different threads from the various expanded universe stories. I wish the site would allow me to chose more than five character tags because this is going to have quite a cast.
The Crystal Rebellion
Chapter 2: Some Enchanted Evening
Humming the song he had performed for Cadance back in Canterlot Academy, Shining followed the guard through the winding tunnels beneath the Crystal Castle. He had been informed that a strange room had been discovered, but he almost didn't care. The night before occupied his thoughts, and after the lovemaking session Shining felt like he was walking on air. The positions they had tried! Shining hadn't ever realized how a pony could bend like that. Where had Cadance learned those techniques? She was just full of surprises.
“Here we are, Sir,” the new recruit said, interrupting Shining's thoughts. The young stallion motioned to a wooden door placed into the rough crystal wall. “This wasn't on any map we have of the castle.”
“Thank you, Flash.” Shining stepped forward. “I'll take it from here. Just stay here in case I need your help.”
Flash Sentry nodded. “Understood, Sir.”
Placing his hooves against the solid door, Shining gave a firm push and the door gave, swinging inward with a groaning creak. Unlike the rest of the tunnels, there was no light in place. Shining's horn lit up, casting a magenta glow about the room, prisms of magenta light bouncing off the crystal walls. The first thing he noticed was the startling cold. The room's temperature was far lower than the rest of the tunnels. Shivering, Shining took a look around. It was rather small in there, the only furniture being a large ornate mirror and a writing desk. The mirror reminded him of the one Princess Celestia had brought to the castle, but the frame was black and sculpted to resemble leering, grinning monsters, all entwined with each other so they seemed to be mere organs of some larger monstrosity. Jagged cracks ran shot through the glass, fracturing Shining's reflection as he peered at it.
This must have belonged to King Sombra, he reasoned, a chill creeping down his spine. He winced, feeling peculiar. His ears tickled unpleasantly, like somepony was whispering into them, and it made his coat rise. Forcing himself to move forward, Shining approached the mirror. He became aware of a quiet hum, then a buzzing, then many fast whispers, too low for him to make out. Was the mirror itself speaking? He eyed the frame, wondering if the carvings were talking to each other.
“Escaped...” he picked out from the whispering. “One...escaped...”
“What are you?” he asked as he touched his hoof to the broken glass.
Armies, their obsidian armor drenched in blood, marched over the land, trampling flowers and animals as they cut down beautiful glowing beings with wings. A lush, primaeval forest hacked down and set ablaze, the crimson smoke blotting out the Sun. A land raped and defiled, stripped of its resources and beauty. A decay that spread from land to land, eating up everything in its path, filling everything with suffering and grief. Monsters danced and laughed as their slaved toiled to further plunder the land, the people who once took care of their home now forced to degrade it. Watching over all of this an alien figure sobbed, helpless to save it.
Shining fell back, gasping for breath, his eyes bulging with terror. The brutal images were seared into his brain, and he gaped at the mirror, halfway expecting the armored hordes he witnessed to come pouring from the glass, swords raised to hack him to pieces. He had no doubt that the thing was evil, and if what he saw was real then perhaps they were all in danger. There was no way he would allow disaster like that to come to his land though.
Galloping to the desk, his magic flung open every drawer, exposing neat rows of heavy bound books. Taking one out, Shining was revolved by the smooth yet cracked surface of the tome; he had a dark suspicion that the binding had once been a hide. Perhaps Sombra still made use of his slaves even after they died—if he waited for them to die first, that is.
Scrawled upon the pages in quill ink were sketches of twisted monsters, each one more horrible than the last. Giant eyeballs encased in metal that walked upon spider legs. Leaping, bloodsucking scavengers. Stallion-sized insects that lurked in the water, then cracked your skull to eat the brain. Each was accompanied by neat, clinical notes explaining the habits of each monster.
“Clawdaddy. Clicker. Strider. Boogeyman. Pinhead. Nightgaunt. Rascal. Chippy. Un-Man. Smooze,” Shining read aloud as he flipped through the pages. Some of the things on the pages had been carved onto the mirror, and more he had seen in the vision.
He came to a drawing of a Crystal Pony stallion strapped onto a table, his eyes forced open with hooks as evil-looking machinery was wired to his head. Continuing illustrations depicted the stallion vomiting dark sludge that birthed new spider-like monsters. The stallion himself withered away to a dry husk. Shining began to read the notes.
Subjects tend to go mad after extraction, dying soon after. Minds unstable without dreams. What determines the birth of Dreamless? Advantages of becoming a Dreamless immense, but with such a high lethality rate it is not a possibility yet. Must continue dream extraction experiments.
More illustrations showed the spider monster attacking a group of chained Crystal Ponies, jumping onto a mare's face and forcing her to vomit out more spider monsters. They kept spreading and multiplying until the whole group was left lifeless amid a swarm of spiders.
They extract fear, manifesting those fears into flesh to reproduce. A single Dreamspawn can terrify a pony, then use that fear of itself to create identical creatures. With control over Dreamspawn, inexhaustible, self-replicating army feasible. No force in Equestria would be able to challenge me. Reign over Crystal Empire would continue forever.
Sickened, Shining slammed the book closed. His eyes shut, he sucked heavy breaths through his clenched teeth. He was seriously temped to burn it all to ashes. The research and the mirror had to be destroyed.
His horn blazing with furious magic, Shining got ready to tear the books apart...then stopped. He frowned and glanced at the mirror. As much as he wanted to smash it to pieces, he didn't know what he was dealing with. What if breaking it further unleashed all the horrors he witnessed upon Equestria? No, he would need an expert to come analyze it before he tried to dispose of it. He didn't like it, but perhaps Twily would be willing to speed through the research and find a way to safely get rid of the mirror.
“Flash, we're gonna head back up!” Shining called into the tunnel. He needed to get out of there. Aside from the obvious, something else bothered him about the room that he couldn't put his hoof on. An extra layer of wrongness that stayed just out of sight, but he sensed was there. “This discovery is really important!”
Silence. The lights outside flickered, then died.
Shining felt a chill, and it wasn't from the cold. “Flash?” He trotted into the tunnel to find it deserted. Shining cursed; he ordered the guard to stick to his post!
“Flash! Where are you?” he called, swinging his head this way and that, a magenta cone of light piercing the glittering blackness. He tried to squash his rising fear, but he couldn't help but imagine the monsters in the book creeping through the darkness and snatching Flash away to bring his nightmares to life. And then they would come for him next. An image came to him of the Dreamspawn army locked deep beneath the castle, so maddened with hunger that they burst from their prison, tunneling up to consume the dreams of the Crystal Ponies.
No, no, no! If Sombra really made that army then it must have starved to death long ago! There's nothing to fear!
Taking deep breaths, Shining steadied his nerves. “Flash!” he called down the end they had arrived from. Not getting a reply, he turned to the direction going deeper into the tunnels, coming muzzle to muzzle with something that hadn't been there a moment ago. With a strangled cry, Shining stumbled back and landed on his rump, looking up into Flash's confused face.
“Erm, Sir?” the guard asked. “Are you all right?”
Anger overcoming his panic, Shining leaped to his hooves and snarled, “I gave you an order to remain outside this door! What were you doing?”
“I'm sorry Sir!” Flash apologized. “I thought I heard a noise further down and left to investigate. You never know what you might find down here!”
His pride wounded at being frightened so easily, Shining brushed himself out, trying to look casual about it. “Yeah, well don't ever break orders like that again,” he uttered, unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice. “Anyway, let's go back topside. This room contains objects that belonged to Sombra and they might be extremely dangerous. We're gonna have to be careful in disposing this junk. I don't know what we're dealing with yet.”
“Yes Sir!”
The two stallions trotted off back to the surface. Had Shining explored further down the opposite path he would have seen a large juicy green cocoon with the real Flash Sentry imprisoned inside, his face frozen in an expression of horror, surrounded by glowing wicked eyes as he was dragged deeper into the tunnels.
The Unicorn's horn ignited in a cold purple blaze, her magic pulling the cables to the small stone dais. Sitting on the dais was a small faded curved object. Gilda had no idea what it was, but it was clearly important to her mistresses.
The Griffin frowned. Mistresses. That wasn't right, was it? Gilda had never considered herself to have superiors before. So why did she see the Unicorn and her sisters as her mistresses? They weren't even cool, just weird. Well, ponies with fangs that ate meat were kind of cool, she gave them that, but otherwise they were just some gloomy dorks that yelled at her a lot.
Maybe they aren't cool, but they're helping Trix and me out, she thought. I guess that's why they're our mistresses.
Her golden eyes followed the cables to the cage and the small Unicorn mare. The cables had been inserted under her skin, and she was clearly in a lot of pain, lying on the floor and panting, yet she refused to scream. Was Gilda supposed to feel anything for her? She felt nothing at all, not even disgust, and that bothered her a little too. She was pretty sure that a few months ago if she saw a pony with cables jammed into her then she would have turned around and flown away.
“Beginning extraction,” the Mistress announced. The cables hissed and lit up with a blue light. A painful-looking spasm wracked the Unicorn's body, and at last she cried out, sobbing and pleading for the torment to end.
Whatever.
“Look! Look!” The smaller sister pointed to the dais where the curved object was beginning to vibrate, softly clattering on the hard surface. “It's responding!”
“Is that enough power?” the bigger sister asked. “It looks ready to me.”
“A little more,” the lead sister said, and smiled at the tortured pony. “She has plenty of dream essence to give us.”
“Stop! Please!” the mare pleaded, twisting and writhing.
The lead sister turned her violet eyes on Gilda and Trix. “Don't you find it fun?”
“What's fun?” Trix asked nervously, rubbing her hooves together. Her breath was visible in the frozen cave air.
“That dreamspawn in unbearable agony,” the leader said casually. “I'd think you would enjoy that.”
The blue Unicorn shook her head. “No,” she muttered, confused. “No, this isn't right! I don't want to hurt anypony! What are we doing here, Gilda?”
“I...” Gilda searched for an answer, but couldn't find one.
The leader sighed. “Trixie, Trixie, Trixie...” Approaching Gilda's new friend, the leader stroked Trix's chin with her hoof, reassuring and kind. “You two have strong, willful minds. I see that my spells of control just aren't doing the trick any more.”
Spells of control? Was that why Gilda saw them as her mistresses?
“That's good though,” the leader told Trix. “It means there's a better chance of you surviving this.”
The leader's eyes and horn exploded into purple fire. Trix let out a fearful shrike before her eyes rolled back into her head, a black slime trickling from her eyes and mouth.
“Hey!” Gilda moved to help her friend, but the other sisters blocked her path, grinning at her.
Soft gagging noised came from Trix as a thick ball of slime rolled from her mouth to plop on the floor. The leader dropped her like a pile of trash, Trix's fur paling, turning almost white. It was like all the color had been leeched away.
Gilda backed away, her keen eyes widening in shock. “What did you do to her?” she whispered. To her horror, the slime began to move, wiggling as something inside struggled to escape.
“The same thing we're gonna do to you,” the huge sister chuckled.
“Relax, Gilda,” the leader said as they backed her against a wall. Gilda knew she could fly over their heads and escape, but her wings weren't working. She mentally screamed at them to start moving, but they felt frozen. She could only shudder as the leader caressed her face and beak.
“Oh Gilda,” she whispered, “you can't even run away from us. My spells might be fading, but I still have enough control over your body to keep you from escaping. Don't worry though. I'm going to make you and Trixie more powerful that you ever could have imagined...if you survive the process, that is.”
Her eyes and horn glowed purple again.
Twilight Sparkle frowned as she peered into her mirror, studying her appearance. Did she look nice enough? What did one wear on a casual night with a princess anyway? Would it be proper to wear her crown and gown, or just the crown? So many decisions that she really didn't want to bother with, but she wanted to make a good impression with Princess Luna.
“Spike, I need your opinion,” Twilight fired off. “Should I get my mane styled? Would the princess gown look good on me, or should I go with something simpler? Oh! What if she thinks I look dumpy!”
“She's not gonna think that because Princess Luna just wants to spend time with you,” Spike answered, shaking his head as he combed Twilight's tail. “This isn't another princess summit where you have to be all formal.”
“But this is Luna we're talking about!” Twilight countered. “She's all about formal!”
“Then you gotta teach her to loosen up some more!” Spike insisted. “She's gotta get with the times, and she's definitely doing better than before, but I think she'll appreciate some help with that.”
Taking a deep breath, Twilight made a determined smile in the mirror. “You're right, Spike. Now isn't the time to be a princess.”
“It's the time to be a friend!” Spike cheered, hopping off his stool.
Flexing her wings, Twilight felt clean and ready, even if she wasn't really sure what Luna wanted to do that night.
“We're probably gonna stay out most of the night,” Twilight said as she looked up at the evening sky through the window. “Take care of the place for me, Spike!”
“Sure thing!” the young Dragon answered. “You can count on me.”
Trotting through the front door, Twilight took a deep whiff of the crisp night air. There was a rich moistness, the scent of damp leaves. Definitely a pleasant autumn evening, the sort of night she suspected Luna valued the most.
A sudden gust of wind sprang up from nowhere, sending Twilight's mane dancing. That had to be her. Looking to the darkening skies, she spotted Luna descending toward Golden Oak, her starry mane billowing as if it were alive. It was truly something to see either of the sisters in flight; Twilight wondered if she would look that amazing given enough time.
Landing daintily upon silver-clad hooves, the Princess Luna gazed at Twilight, her smile somewhat nervous as the wind died down. “Greetings, Twilight Sparkle,” she announced. “I've been to Ponyville twice for emergencies and twice for festivities, but this time I'm here to be casual. Please show me the casual activities we can do together in Ponyville!”
Twilight gave a proud nod. “It would be my honor, Princess Luna!”
“Please, Luna will suffice,” the princess told her. “This is now the time to be casual.”
Ah ha! She's learning!
“In that case, how would you like some cider?” Twilight asked. “We can get some from Sweet Apple Acres, but if you want to sit down and enjoy it then Run for the Roses Cider House is the way to go!”
The look on the patrons' faces were just priceless when they saw Luna enter the establishment. Service was swift and efficient for them.
Luna's magic lifted the mug to her muzzle, and she sipped daintily. “Pretty good, right?” Twilight asked before taking a drink.
“Indeed it is,” Luna answered, licking foam from her lips. “So simple, but refreshing! It dances on my tongue!”
Six mugs later—three of them for Luna—Twilight was pleasantly full of cider, and could feel the liquid slosh around in her belly. “That was nice,” she murmured.
“Indeed it was!” Luna announced, looking exuberant. “What else do you like to do in Ponyville?”
Twilight straightened up. “Well, there's my very favorite activity,” she told Luna. “What I do every night without fail.”
Luna leaned in, very curious. “What is it?”
Twilight gave a big grin. “Read books! Wanna go back to the library and read with me? I know I can find something good for you to look at!”
“Oh.” Luna sank back with a slight frown. Dismayed and a little hurt, Twilight's grin faded.
“You don't like to read?” she asked, incredulous.
“I love to read, Twilight; please don't take that the wrong way,” Luna clarified. “I just want to go someplace more secluded, and Spike would be taking care of the library right now, yes?”
“Secluded, eh?” Twilight raised a hoof to her chin. She could give Spike some money for a night on the town, but she didn't want to make him feel like she was kicking him out for the evening.
“What kind of seclusion do you want?”
“Merely a walk around a quiet place outside,” Luna answered. She gazed out the door. “I want to show you something.”
“Oh?” Her curiosity piqued, Twilight was eager to go see. “I know just the place!”
10 minutes later they were at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, walking along the edge of the neat white picketed fences, rows upon rows of apple trees lined up beyond. Only the usual sounds of night could be heard.
“Well, here we are,” Twilight said, peering at the dark trees. “What do you want to show me?”
Without a word, Luna raised her dainty hoof, her silver horseshoe gleaming in the moonlight. She made a grand, sweeping gesture. “This,” she replied sagely. “The night.”
Blinking, Twilight looked around. It was peaceful and pretty, but just like every other night in Ponyville. She couldn't see anything special about this particular night.
“Erm...it's really good, Luna! Keep up the great work!”
“But did you really look at it?” Luna asked. Her slender foreleg curled around Twilight's crest and turned her head up at the stars. “I understand that you must work by day and sleep at night, but have you ever taken the time to observe the night? To take in the sights and sounds when the Sun has set?”
“I study astronomy,” Twilight stammered, a little bewildered by the intimate contact.
“Here,” Luna told her softly, “try looking at it through my eyes.” Her horn glowed a soft blue and she touched it to Twilight's horn. A rush of magical power tingled down Twilight's horn and flowed into her eyes and heart. The darkness fled Twilight's vision, the night becoming as clear as day. Twilight gasped as each star blazed in the sky like a diamond against a sea of velvet. She heard spiders weaving intricate new homes amongst the tree branches. The moonlight lit up the town, washing it in an eerie alabaster glow. The night that had seemed so silent was now alive with the calls of countless insects and night animals, their voices combining into a unique symphony. She was acutely aware of her own heartbeat. A second heartbeat intruded, and Twilight realized it was Luna's.
“Ah...”
“Beautiful, isn't it?” Luna asked, her voice breathy. She wore a gentle smile, her eyes half-lidded. She glowed against the living night, a part of it yet standing out at the same time. She was breathtaking.
“Yeah,” Twilight breathed. “It's so alive out here! I mean, I knew about these nocturnal animals, but to see it for myself...!”
Twilight couldn't help herself and moaned with a strange form of pleasure. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Witnessing the true beauty of night while being connected to Luna was mind-blowing. She could feel Luna's own love for her creation, and something warm and fluttering aimed at her, an excited feeling that Twilight knew she had experienced before. It was one that kept returning in her dreams, the ones that had—
Flash Sentry!
Twilight jerked involuntarily, and the connected terminated. Luna cried out and shook her head. Twilight could only stare at her, stunned at the feelings she had received. There was no doubt about it; Luna had a crush on her. The feelings were right there.
“Twilight?” Luna inquired.
Twilight struggled to find something to say, but all she could come up with was, “I...you...erm...”
Dismayed, Luna took a step forward. “Twilight, I'm sorry! I didn't think my emotions would be so strong.”
Swallowing nervously, Twilight decided there wasn't a graceful way out. “Thanks so much for the night out!” she blurted, and galloped past Luna without a second look. She ran and ran until Golden Oak Library was up ahead, charging through the door and slamming it shut behind her.
“Twilight!” Spike shouted as he came running down the stairs, waving a scroll. “Big news!”
“There sure is!” she replied, pacing around nervously. “Princess Luna's in love with me!”
Spike came to a halt and gave her a strange look. “Ah...what?” he asked.
“This is too much!” Twilight groaned. “I mean, sure, I wanted to know her better, but love? I'm not ready for this! But I can't just say no to her! She's Luna!”
“Erm, yeah,” Spike said, raising an eyebrow. “More importantly, I've got a message from Princess Celestia.”
“Eh? What's it say?”
“She wants you to go to the Crystal Empire as soon as you can,” Spike stated. “Shining Armor located some hidden books and a mirror that belonged to King Sombra, and he's really sure they're dangerous, but he wants you to study them first before they decide what to do with them.”
“Well there's something to distract me for a while,” Twilight sighed. “Tell Princess Celestia that I'll be right on it.”
Little did Twilight realize that she was about to walk into a living nightmare.
Author's Note
This took a long time to make. I apologize for that. I really was not sure what I wanted to do for the second chapter for the longest time. I hope the story has not been forgotten since that time. Please read and enjoy.
