The Stars Come Out At Twilight

by InThePines

Rating: everyone
Tags: Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Original Character, Tragedy, Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 4657

Equestria is crumbling, and all faith is being placed in Princess Twilight and Luna's new student, Nightlight. When the Goddess of the Sun and the Moon fade, will their students be able to step out of their shadows and emerge as rulers?

Nightlight is a young unicorn with no skill in magic, but the incredible ability to create stars. Princess Luna takes her on as an apprentice, teaching her to hone her skills and join with the night sky.
But Equestria is crumbling. A war is brewing on the horizon that not even Luna and Celestia will have the power to stop. All faith is being placed in their proteges; Twilight Sparkle, the Alicorn princess of magic itself, and Nightlight, who could not even pass her entrance exam. Will they rise out of the shadows of their mentors, or will they fall victim to the darkness in their hearts?

Published 2013-08-22 13:50:04 UTC
Last updated 2013-09-02 01:06:33 UTC

Making Constellations

Nightlight sat in front of an ornate, full-length mirror, her pitch black reflection running a golden brush through its gold and white hair. With each stroke of the brush, her hair seemed to sparkle, as if I had been laced with stars. Her silvery eyes, though shining brightly, seemed dull and lifeless in her reflection.

With a sigh, she dipped further into her pool of magic and picked up a quill, dipping it in ink and bringing it to the wall. Almost every inch of her room was covered in parchment paper, and scrawled across the paper were pictures. But these pictures were made of tiny dots, with faint lines connecting them. She concentrated on making the quill move, placing dots round the faint outline of three alicorns, with long horns and wings outstretched. She wondered if she would be able to complete her task in time for Princess Twilight's jubilee. Never before had she attempted something of this magnitude.

There was a knock at the door, and Nightlight dropped the hairbrush and the quill, knocking things off her desk in a scramble for another piece of parchment paper to cover her most recent drawing. “Enter.” She called out, rearranging her desk to hide the aftermath of her panic. As the silvery glow of her magic subsided, Princess Luna walked into the room, her eldritch mane flowing freely behind her. Nightlight stood and bowed deeply, the spark of life and happiness returning to her eyes.

“Princess Luna.” She said. Luna lowered her head somewhat and Nightlight stood up, proud and tall.

“My dearest apprentice.” The Princess said with a slight smile. “My night is almost upon us. Do you have tonight's constellation ready?

Nightlight nodded furiously, turning to the far wall of her room and pulling down a piece of parchment paper with a dotted sketch of a fiery phoenix arcing across the page. A dark blue glow surrounded the page as Luna pulled it towards her, examining the sketch. Nightlight scraped her fore hoof across the ground, nervous under the scrutiny of her teacher.

“I thought that, since it was Philomena's birthday, Celestia might appreciate a picture of her in the sky tonight. So I made this in her likeness as a… gift…” her voice trailed off as Luna lowered the picture and stared into her eyes. After a tense silence, Luna smiled, spreading out her wings.

“You are most kind to my sister, Nightlight. I'm sure she will be happy with your act of generosity. Come, let us begin.”
Nightlight beamed, practically glowing under her mentor's praise. She knew some ponies thought that she was a suck-up, trying endlessly to please her teacher, but she didn't care what they thought. She knew that they were jealous they would never walk side by side with the Goddess of the Night, never extend their magic into the very cosmos and paint the sky. She looked up to Luna with respect and love, and she knew the blue alicorn loved and respected her back.

Princess Luna led Nightlight up a spiralling staircase, which opened up to a vast and open roof-top terrace, showing the most amazing view of Equestria. Nightlight relished in the feeling of being up so high, and always felt as if she could reach out and touch Luna and Celestia's sky. Sometimes, she would come up to the terrace and stand on the edge, feeling the wind blowing through her mane and pretending she was an immortal alicorn like her teacher, flying through a vast and endless sky with wings as black as shadow. Celestia had once caught her doing so, and after much light-hearted teasing, had promised not to tell Luna. The last thing Nightlight wanted was for her mentor to think her odd.

The sky above the terrace was a fierce orange, and in the centre of the platform, Celestia stood, bathed in a shimmering, golden light. Her sun was slowly sinking beyond a curved horizon, going to sleep as Celestia's day made way for Luna's night. When the sun had disappeared, Celestia turned and smiled her sister and the young unicorn.

“Good evening, my sister. Young Nightlight. Have you come to set up the night sky?” She asked. Luna walked over to the Goddess of the Sun and bent her head over her shoulder in a hug.

“Yes, my sister. Nightlight has offered to create the constellations for the night, and she has a surprise for you.”

Celestia tilted her head quizzically, but Luna merely gave a mischievous smirk and walked to the centre of the terrace. Her wings spread into their full grandeur, and her horn began to glow with a dark blue light that shimmered with flecks of silver. Nightlight felt her breath catch in her throat as she watch Luna's incredible display of power. With a burst of indigo energy, a silvery orb was brought up into the sky, shining a luminescent glow onto Equestria. When the moon had climbed to its highest point, Luna dismissed her lunar energy and turned to Nightlight.

“Are you ready, my pupil?” she asked. Nightlight walked over to Luna's side and looked up into the sky, stretching out her black neck.

“I don't know, princess… I've never made this many stars before. What if I can't do it?” she whispered, trying to keep her voice from carrying to Celestia. Luna smiled at her student and nudged her gently with her head.

“I believe in you, Nightlight. You have the power to do it.”

Night Light bit her lip and nodded. “Alright. I'll try.”

Luna stepped over to her sister, giving Nightlight the space she needed to cast her magic. Taking several deep breaths, Nightlight felt her magic welling up into her horn and building. A silvery light enveloped her horn and started to slowly swirl around her body like stardust caught in the breeze. Her whole body tensed in concentration, and she grit her teeth as sweat began to cover her hide.

Each star Nightlight created was like a small sun, and each one took incredible power to ignite, let alone keep burning for the night. Nightlight wasn't an alicorn, so she did not have an immense and almost limitless supply of power to use like her the princesses. She had to train her magic hard each night; building the amount of stars she could create at a time. This amount was a stretch for her, and the magic felt as if it were pulling energy from her life force, but she wouldn't give up. She refused to. She had to do this, for Philomena, for Celestia, for Equestria.

For Luna.

With a final burst of arcane energy, she let out a short scream as her magic burst from her horn, streaming upwards and exploding into small drops of starlight in the sparse sky, forming the shape of a phoenix bursting from its flames. Nightlight lowered her head, panting heavily. The exertion of the celestial energy had taken a lot out of her, and was still draining out of her to keep the stars alight. She felt feathers covering her back, and looked up to see Luna standing with her, a wing around her shaking form in a comforting hug. Celestia came up on her other side, looking up at the glowing constellation with sparkling eyes.

“Nightlight,” she breathed. “It's wonderful. Thank you, young filly.”

Luna grinned at the sky, magic enveloping her horn once more as smaller, duller stars filled the sky. Nightlight closed her eyes and leaned against her teacher. She had done it.

She had made Luna proud.

Author's Note

Hello. How does this thing work?
Um, okay so I guess I explain what I plan to do with this story? So, um, I created the character Nightlight because I thought, "Celestia had a student, why shouldn't Luna?" So, I wanted to use a unicorn that didn't have magical potential, but rather an affinity for celestial energy. Twilight became an Alicorn through magic, but I want Nightlight to work hard if she wants to become an Alicorn. None of this, "You're the magicest, have some wings", more like, "You've worked hard and journeyed far". So, the start is a bit slow, mainly character introduction, minimal progression of storyline, etc etc. Hope you enjoyed!
...
Did I do this right..?

Pain of a Royal

Princess Luna lowered her student onto her bed, folding deep blue covers over her and dimming the lights in the room. As the brightness faded, Nightlight’s drawings burst into life, making glowing pictures around the dark room. The glowing ink had taken Nightlight a long time to master, since she didn’t have a very good grip on using magic for anything but levitation and stars. Luna smiled at the filly, humming a gentle tune and weaving a beautiful dream for Nightlight.

Celestia stood in the doorway, watching the loving way Luna cared for Nightlight. She found herself indulging in fond memories of doing the same for Twilight, before the filly had begun her path toward immortality. But now, Twilight had become a beautiful mare, ascending through ranks of magic faster than even Starswirl the Bearded ever had. Becoming an Alicorn against all odds.

With a shake of her white head, Celestia dismissed her thoughts of the past. There was a much more important matter at hand. She cleared her throat, producing a sigh from Luna. With a final glance back at her precious student, Luna walked out of Nightlight’s room and shut the door firmly behind her. Two guards dressed in midnight blue and black walked over to the door, and with a nod to the princesses, stood on either side, looking dead ahead. Luna knew that they would keep watch on the young foal until she awoke the next day. With her pupil safe and resting, Luna followed her sister through the twisting labyrinth of corridors to a sealed section of the Canterlot Castle. Celestia’s magic greedily ate up the door in a violent glow, working its way into the lock. With a small click, the door swung open to reveal the Equestria War Room.

The War Room was caked in dust from, thankfully, disuse. Celestia’s rule had been a peaceful one, and war had never arisen. However, it seemed that the two thousand years of peace were about to come to a sudden end.

The room was empty and bleak, save for one circular table that was split in half, one side showing the day and a shield, the other the night and a sword. It seemed appropriate, since when Celestia and Luna had begun their rule, Celestia vowed to protect her people from harm, and Luna swore to smite any darkness that dared to attack Equestria.

Celestia sat down at one end of the table, Luna sitting at the other. Celestia couldn’t help but notice how agitated and fidgety Luna was. Night Light had passed the test, but whether this was a good thing or a bad thing was yet to be determined.

“My sister,” Celestia spoke formally. This was far too serious a matter to act as true sisters. They must be rulers for the next few minutes. “It would appear from tonight’s trial that Night Light is the pony we have been looking for. After rigorous testing, it is apparent that Twilight too is the only other pony capable of fulfilling the position.”

Luna sighed deeply, her dark eyes swimming in thoughts. “It would seem that is true.” She said carefully. “However, if we can defeat Lord Shayde, perhaps it will not be necessary.”

It was Celestia’s turn to sigh now. She ruffled her wing feathers in slight annoyance and scowled. “You know, dear sister, that will be no easy task. After all, not even… not even mother… and our father…”

Celestia stopped, moving her head away to hide her tears and silent sobs wracked her body. Luna looked down at the ground, remembering the day their parents fell. As she herself fought back tears beneath her starry mane, Celestia cleared her throat and looked up. Her composure had been regained, but her eyes betrayed her, puffy and full of despair.

“There is every chance we could fail, and in the event of this happening, Equestria’s future must be secured. That means that Twilight must once again come under my guidance, and Nightlight must cease to be your student and become your protégé. Hopefully, she can ascend to the rank of an alicorn before he arrives.”

Luna’s deep blue wings fell limply in acceptance and defeat. She knew Celestia was right, no matter how much she wished she wasn’t. “Very well then. I shall inform Nightlight of her new studies tomorrow night. Will you tell Twilight at tomorrow’s raising of the sun?”

“No I wish for her to hear this news at the same time as Nightlight. Twilight must put aside her resentment and feeling of superiority toward the foal if they are ever to rule together.”

Luna nodded her head and walked out of the War Room with quick steps. Celestia stood, her mane flowing behind her like an aurora. Tomorrow, the two girls would be put to the ultimate test, and if they failed, Equestria was in grave danger of crumbling. As Celestia walked out of the room and locked the door with a quick burst of magic, she saw Luna looking out a large window, surveying Canterlot from afar.

“I’m afraid, Tia.” Luna whispered. “What if we don’t succeed? What will become of our Equestria? What will become of us?”

Celestia walked over to her sister and placed a soft, white wing across her. Nothing was said after that. There was nothing to say.

Author's Note

I'm not ENTIRELY happy with this particular chapter, to be perfectly honest. It felt a bit stiff and drawn out, but it was essential to moving the storyline along. Hopefully the next chapter will work much better.
Also, yes, Lord Shayde is an OC villain. I'm hoping the story I have created for him will work with the actual story-line. I'm think I managed to fit it in.
And thank you for four favourites, wow! I was really worried about this story, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!

Elements of Disharmony

Across the azure sky, cloudless today thanks to the work of the Cloudsdale populace, two pegasai of the purest white with shockingly bright manes pulled their princess. The carriage strapped to their backs was made of bronze, and seemed to shine like the midday sun. From afar, it looked like a giant star, but up close, it resembled the burst of magic that sparks from a unicorn’s horn at the beginning of a spell. The symbol couldn’t be more appropriate, for seated within the carriage on red cushions was the princess of magic itself.

Twilight Sparkle looked down on the blurred and minimised view of Equestria as it raced beneath her. Her mane was perfectly groomed, the violet and fuchsia falling straight over her lavender fur. A golden crown glittered on her head, symbolising her status of princess. The once awkward filly now held herself with agonising grace and confidence, and her violet eyes, which had been filled with innocence, now showed age and wisdom.

Once, she had been the new Princess, but after almost fifty years, she was now the youngest princess. And with that time had come the death of ponies she had loved dearly, and the birth of others that she was yet to meet. Each death struck her hard, bruising her heart. Her aged heart, too old for her body, and beating to an eternal rhythm that haunted her waking hours.

As a young filly, becoming an immortal Alicorn had seemed like the most magical thing that could happen. But it was not, and at times, she cursed her immortality through bitter tears. It was, however, trips like this that made everything she had achieved worthwhile. She couldn’t help but feel a thrill of excitement as the carriage swooped down, and her guard ponies sped toward the growing shape of Ponyville.

Her pegasai spread their wings and began cantering in the air, gliding a few inches off the ground before meeting it with their hooves. The landing was smooth and seamless, as was expected from a princess’s escort. As the carriage came to a still, Twilight stepped out and onto the grassy floor of her beloved city. Her lavender wings stretched out, and she trotted on the spot to work the circulation back into her legs. She turned to the white ponies and nodded her head.

“Thank you Wind Whistler, North Star. I will be fine from here on. You may stay near, if you wish, but there is no need to get too close.”

The mares bowed slightly and began unstrapping themselves from Twilight’s carriage as the princess walked away. She knew that once they were done, they would follow her at a discreet distance. She had learned long ago that trying to get them to leave her be was a futile effort.

Though she relished every moment of her visits, she often found that walking through the bustling streets of Ponyville brought forth a sort of sadness within her. The ponies she had once called her friends seemed alien, no longer viewing her as Twilight Sparkle, the young unicorn who lived in the library, but as Princess Twilight Sparkle of Canterlot, heir to the throne of Equestria. It wasn’t that she disliked the way they acted towards her, bowing and muttering humbled greetings. Her sorrow lied in the lives she had not seen and the distance her new rank had put between them.

She also loathed looking at Ponyville and seeing something new. A building may have changed, a pony may not live there anymore, a smell may not linger where it once did. Small things she had not been prepared for when returning to the town she loved so. She made a mental note to herself to try and have Ponyville restored to how it looked in her memory. Everything felt far too wrong when she came back.

But her ease returned when, in her sight, she saw Sugarcube Corner, untouched by time and still triggering all her senses as it did when she was young. She raised her snout to the sky and breathed deeply, her wings spreading out in delight. Cupcakes. Ah, the nostalgia.

No sooner had she walked to the door when it was pulled open by a pony with hair like bubble-gum, frizzed, bouncy and wild. A pink earth pony with wrinkled eyes and a big smile looked at Twilight, her blue, shining eyes taking her in.

“Twilight Sparkle.” She said, her voice aged, but still bright and joyful. “You haven’t changed one bit. C’mon in, I made cupcakes!”

Despite her seemingly old and fragile frame, she bounced across the room toward a kitchen, humming. Twilight smiled and walked in, closing the door gently behind her.

“You always make cupcakes, Pinkie. Wouldn’t expect anything less.” She called out into the house. She heard the sound of Pinkie Pie blowing a raspberry and chuckled. Not even old age could stop that dynamo of a pony. She was one of the few Equestrian anomalies Twilight just couldn’t solve.

As Twilight stepped into a large, couch-filled room, three other ponies looked up at her. They looked like they had fifty years ago, save for the few wrinkles and greying hairs. Rainbow Dash’s mane and tail were still vibrant rainbows, though the colours seemed duller than usual. Rarity looked younger than all of them, a circumstance she credited to daily spa appointments and careful attention to the needs of her body. Time had not been as kind to Apple Jack, though, who had aged into an orange, wrinkled mess and resembled the departed Granny Smith.

As terrible as it was, seeing her friends like this invoked more of a sense of superiority than pity or sadness. They would wither and fade while she lived on as ruler of Equestria, and though she would mourn their loss, it seemed only fair. After all, she had brought together the elements, and she had defeated the evils that plagued Equestria. True, they had helped, but in the end, didn’t their success all lead back to her? It seemed only fair that, as the element of magic, student of Princess Celestia and leader of their group, she should be the one to reap the rewards. Not that she would speak any of this aloud. After all, they were her friends.

Rainbow Dash nodded to Twilight, fanning out her wings. “You up for a race, Twi? You may be an immortal, but I’m still the fastest flier in Equestria.”

Twilight laughed, shaking her lavender head slowly. “Rainbow, I haven’t ever been able to beat you, and I doubt I ever will. Why do you keep tormenting me so?”

Rarity tossed her mane over her shoulder, smiling lightly. “Twilight, darling, you don’t have to be so formal with us. We’re your friends after all.” She said in her posh accent. Twilight smiled back bitterly, struggling to keep any kind of resentment out of her eyes. If anything, Rarity was the one in the wrong. Who was she to talk so informally with a princess, after all?

No, Twilight scolded herself, they’re my friends. This is how friendship works. “Sorry, Rarity. It’s been a long day of political discussion. I’m still in royal mode to be honest.”

Rarity nodded sombrely, as if she understood what Twilight went through every day. Apple Jack said nothing, staring off into space with a hard expression. Twilight cleared her throat and looked around. “Where’s Fluttershy? Isn’t she coming?”

Everyone fell silent, looking down at the ground and fidgeting in their chairs. All except Apple Jack, who continued to look into the distance.

“You don’t know?” Pinkie Pie asked from the doorway. Twilight looked over to her and found that her mane had begun to droop slightly. She walked over to the group and put down a tray of cupcakes, each painstakingly decorated to look like the flanks of the five ponies, the icing perfectly dyed and their cutie marks forged from coloured sugar. The five ponies, Twilight thought after recounting. Five.

Rarity shed a single tear, her meticulously curled purple hair falling slightly over her face. “Oh, Twilight dear, I’m so sorry. I really thought you knew.”

“Knew what?” Twilight asked, becoming frustrated. She was about to raise her voice at Dash in hopes of getting an answer when Apple Jack finally spoke.

“She died, Twi.”

Apple Jack looked at her then, her eyes steady and hard, filled with an emotion Twilight couldn’t discern. Not annoyance, or anger. It looked more like… resentment. Or disappointment. Twilight eyes widened at the news, and her heart skipped a beat. Though she had come to terms with her immortality long ago, she was not yet ready to accept the reality of her friend’s eventual deaths. And to think the first death she would have to deal with was dear, sweet Fluttershy of all ponies…

Twilight screwed her eyes shut and shook her head. “What happened? How…”

“Sickness.” Rainbow muttered. “The doctors think she might have picked it up from one of her animals, and her immune system was too weak to fight it. By the time the disease was found, it was too late to do anything. All her animals have been quarantined. Even Angel.”

Twilight tried to stop herself from envisioning the snow white bunny, alone and scared in a medical lab, being tested and prodded by strange ponies. “When’s the funeral?” she asked. Apple Jack huffed.

“Five years ago.” She said bitterly. “We sent letters, invites, everything to get yer royal attention. I guess yall were too busy with yer political discussions to come to yer friend’s funeral.”

Twilight recoiled under Apple Jack’s harsh tone. Tears threatened to fall, but dignity kept her from letting them. “That’s not fair, Apple Jack.” Twilight spat back, trying to keep her voice steady. “I was busy. I didn’t-“

“Didn’t what? Have the time? Yer friend dies and yer main concern is what to wear to the next Gala. Do ya know how long it’s been since you last came ta see us? Ten years, Twi. Ten. Do ya even care about us anymore?”

“Of course I do! I’ve been busy learning how to rule Equestria. Do you honestly think I have time for..?”

Twilight stopped, realising what she was saying. Neither Rarity not Rainbow Dash seemed able to look at her, and Pinkie Pie had huddled closer to Dash, seeming to cringe away from the lavender unicorn. Apple Jack let out a weary sigh and shut her eyes.

“Twilight, Ah’m the element of honesty. Ah’ve never told a lie, and ah never will. So here’s what I have to say. Yer selfish, Twi. You’ve been spoiled all yer life, and now you’ve come to expect what yall want handed to ya on a silver platter. Do ya have any idea what you’ve missed in all the years ya haven’t seen us? Rainbow Dash’s married. Pinkie has two kids. Ahm a grandmother, soon ta be great-grandmother. Rarity’s famous now. Fluttershy had a colt. Everything’s changed, Twi. And ya’ll haven’t been here fer any of it. All ya think about is what ya want, and ahm sick of it. It won’t be long before we follow Fluttershy into the Great Pasture, so yah can either start investing in the lives of yer friends again, or ya’ll can just not come back.”

Twilight’s face flushed red with anger and grief. She raised her head up and fanned out her wings to their full length. As her horn and eyes glowed a fuchsia light, she screamed her frustration at the aged mare. “How dare you speak to me in that way! I am a princess! I am your ruler! Do not stand against me!”

Despite her fearsome and intimidating form, Apple Jack looked down on her, as if she were no more than a young filly throwing a tantrum. Twilight fond herself faltering slightly under the gaze.

“This is what I mean, Twilight,” the mare said as she turned and walked away. “As soon as ya’ll don’t get yer way, ya throw a hissy fit. Maybe Celestia should teach ya how ta be humble. And I ain’t afraid of ya, Twi. None of us are.”

The sound of a door slamming shut emphasised the pony’s exit, leaving Twilight to face the aftermath alone. As she turned back to her friends, she saw that Rainbow was staring at her sympathetically, while Pinkie Pie was crying into her lap. Rarity seemed unable to look at her, her purple hair creating a veil over her sapphire eyes. Twilight opened her mouth to speak.

“Twilight, dear,” Rarity interrupted. “I think it would be best if you left. Don’t worry about Pinkie, we’ll take care of her.”

Twilight looked anxiously at her friends, searching for any kind of love or forgiveness in their eyes. But she found nothing but sorrow, and left with drooping wings and a heavy heart.

Author's Note

I'm sorry if the dialogue seems a bit strained or out of character, dialogue isn't really my strong point... But overall, I'm quite happy with this chapter.
I just want the record to say that I have nothing against Twilight. In face, she's my favourite of the Mane Six. I did feel, however, watching the series that she was spoiled, becoming the Princess's student at a young age, living in a castle, being better at magic, becoming an alicorn etc, so it seemed like, with time, she would become severely spoiled.
This may seem like a filler chapter, but it's important for later in the story and for developing Twilight's character. I hope you enjoyed it!