The Comeback of the Nightmare
Seven Years Ago
"Yeesh, can you believe that Kilnan King, Shining Armor?" Sergeant Night Light asked his eighteen-year-old son as they made their rounds around the parameters of the fields.
"I know, Dad!” Shining Armor replied. “I knew that Halon was a pain in the butt, but to tank years of negotiations in about three minutes? Then to suddenly declare war on Equestria?”
“I don’t think it was legitimate; For all his egotism and sociopathy, he knows better than to attack us, especially since we’re from a huge nation and under Celestia’s power. He only has about ten square miles of land for his people.”
“Let’s just be thankful we got off his territory before anything bad happened,” Shining finished as they finished up their job and entered the camp of the small party of twenty soldiers and eighteen diplomats, where the last of the tents were just finished being set up.
“Yes, let’s be thankful, son.” Night Light said, quickly ruffling his son’s blue-and-creulean-striped hair.
“Dad!!” Shining complained, but his face showed that he was grateful for the sign of affection.
They approached one of the bigger tents, where inside, Twilight Velvet, Night Light’s wife, was trying to clean her daughter’s purple chocolate-covered face.
“Hold still, Twilight Sparkle, if you want your face clean!” Velvet scolded her young daughter.
“But why can’t I lick it off?” Twilight whined.
“Because your tounge’s not long enough.”
“Why isn’t it long enough?”
“Because human tongues aren’t made that way.” The question made Twilight stop squirming underneath the washcloth.
“Is there a spell to make tongues lounger?” She asked. “Do you think they teach that in Celestia’s School for Gifted Magi?”
Velvet chuckled. Even at a young age, Twilight inspired to be great at magic, ever since she saw Celestia raise the sun at the Summer Sun Celebration when she was five years old.
“Probably. I’m willing to bet so.”
“Do you think I can really make it in?”
“Of course I do, sweetie!” Velvet finished cleaning off the last of the chocolate pudding off her face. “You passed the application and the written portion of the entrance exam, and you skipped three grades in school already!"
“But I still need to do physical exam to get in, and that’s exactly two weeks away! What if I can’t get in, Mom?” Twilight worriedly asked as her mother unbuttoned her shirt, also covered in chocolate.
“Then we’ll apply for it the next year.” Velvet assured as she began soaking the shirt in cold water. Twilight pulled on her striped pajamas when another question entered her mind.
“But what if I never get in? What if I apply over and over again and I never pass the test?”
“Twilight,” Velvet turned to her girl, pulled her into her lap, and gave her a big hug. “I want you to listen closely, okay? You will make it in. You’re one of the smartest and most determined people I know. But no matter what happens, know that your daddy and your brother and I will always be proud of you.”
Twilight looked up at her mother. “Promise?”
“Are you doubting me?” Velvet asked mischievously, beginning to tickle her daughter.
Twilight shrieked and squirmed under her mother's attack, but no relief came until two familiar people entered the tent.
“Daddy! Shiny! You’re back!” Twilight cheered. Velvet released her daughter so she could run towards them and throw her tiny arms around their legs.
Shining Armor bent down and scooped up Twilight. "Hey Twily, guess what?"
"What?"
“I want to show you something.” Shining Armor sat down on his cot, his little sister snuggled up in his lap. "Close your eyes!"
Twilight obeyed. She felt something settle into her hands, then she was given the command to open them. The young mage gasped at her present.
A metal pendant, two inches in diameter, rested in her palms. The charm rested on a violet cord with two slip knots so the length of the necklace could be adjusted. In the center a sparkling six-pointed magenta star, the same color as Twilight's magical aura, overlaid a white one. Five smaller stars orbited around them. On the other side, a famous and well-known quote was engraved;
Without passion, curiosity, and love, life is meaningless.
Star-Swirl the Bearded.
Underneath that, a small message from Shining Armor was written;
From your B.B.B.F.F.
"It's a good luck charm for your test in two weeks. I hope you like it."
Twilight answered that with a squeal and a hug to her B.B.B.F.F. He returned the hug, which he held before an idea popped in his head.
"Here, let's see how it looks on you."
As Shining Armor took out a mirror and Twilight pulled the necklace on and adjusted it, Night Light and Velvet slid outside the small tent to give their much-loved children to their bonding time while they had their own conversation.
Nobody saw the armed mercenaries moving in towards the camp until it was too late.
One Day Later
The doors of the Canterlot Hospital burst open as Princess Celestia entered, stressed and worked-up. Her niece, Cadence, followed closely behind, shock and tears highlighting her face.
"Where's the survivor of Halon's attack?" the Princess asked the receptionist breathlessly. The nurse gave the room number and led the two princesses to it. Captain Golden Shield of the Royal Guard and an Earthborn Guard stood at attention outside the room.
"Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence," Captain Golden Shield quickly bowed before continuing. "The kid's stable and able to take visitors, but I should warn you, she's unconscious and.... well.... her injuries..." He sighed. "It's not a pretty sight."
"Let me see her," The Princess of the Sun commanded. Celestia was known for her kindness, her skill at diplomacy, and her tendency for lighthearted pranks, but she was scary when furious, especially if an enemy hurt any of her subjects.
"Of course."
Princess Celestia and Cadence entered the hospital room and stared in horror at the sight before them.
A purple-skinned girl (a Mage, judging by the black symbol on her forehead) laid unconscious on the bed, her breathing ragged, her right arm taped to a heart monitor, blood bag, and IV, and was so wrapped up in bandages, she might've been mistaken for a sleeping mummy in a horror movie had she been somewhere else. The only things not covered by bandages was her mouth and her shut eyes. Her left leg was bound in a plaster cast, propped up and badly broken. A pendant, somehow not stolen in the attack, laid on her nightstand.
“How could they do this?” Cadence whispered.
Celestia swallowed back her rage, sadness, and anger as she gave her niece a sideways hug. “I don’t know, Cadence. I don’t know.”
Both princesses stood there, watching over the still form over the now-orphaned girl, each wondering what they were going tell her when she woke up. She had no kin left in the world to take care of her.
Author's Note
So here's the prologue; you're free to cry if you want, since it's kinda a tearjerker. By the way, I appreciate constructive criticism, if you have any. Thank you!
The Comeback of the Nightmare
Author's Note
I am really, really sorry it took so long to update this story!
My computer was suffering major technical difficulties because it got this adware thing on it (along with a couple other bugs) that I couldn't figure out how to remove until I took it in to be examined. And it's nearly impossible to update a story on an iPhone, at least with the model I have. There's also been a lot of craziness going on in my personal life, but I'll spare you the details.
But anyway, I'm back, and I Pinkie Promise I will update this story a lot more often. If I don't, Pinkie Pie will probably attack me.
Chapter 1
Present time
“Hey Spike, any luck?” Twilight asked her dragon assistant while peering underneath one of the bookcases in the astronomy tower.
"No," The young dragon said.
Twilight peered over her shoulder at him and saw him with his stout in a comic book. She couldn't resist rolling her eyes. "You forgot what we're looking for, didn't you?"
"Sorta."
"We're looking for a book--"
"Oh really?" Spike snarked. "Because you have a lot."
He wasn't kidding. Two entire walls of the upper part of the astronomy tower were completely lined with bookcases, reaching from the ceiling to the floor (which also had books scattered around it). Another wall provided one section where the telescope and other instruments rested, and the fourth was nothing but windows and a door leading to a balcony.
"That one on moving heavenly bodies; the ones that aren't controlled by Princess Celestia."
"Why'd you want to read about that?"
"Honestly Spike, don't you listen to anything I say?" Twilight muttered underneath her breath.
"I heard that!"
Twilight stood up and straightened the kink in her arm as she began to speak. "Remember there's been reports from the Stars And Universe Association about those strange four stars that have been moving towards the moon since the Spring Equinox?"
"You mentioned it only a million times," Spike said, "But didn't you give up trying to find the cause of that three weeks ago?"
"I did, but I have a couple more theories of what might be causing it now, and I need that book for reference!"
"In that case, I think it might be downstairs in our bedr--" Suddenly, Spike cheeks bulged.
Most, seeing that for the first time, would think that he was going to barf (and sometimes he did), but then he burped, shooting a plume of green flames out, which then materialized into a scroll with Celestia's seal on it.
Twilight caught it in her hands, tore open the seal, and scanned it.
"Princess Celestia wants to see you?" The baby dragon asked.
"Yep. I'll be right back," The fourteen-year-old Mage said and began walking down the stairs to the entrance to the tower as she picked a few pieces of lint off her shirt and checked into a mirror to see if her hair was presentable. "Oh, and keep trying to find the book." She called back.
Spike looked around the room, sighed, and began picking up books and shelving them.
Twilight followed the familiar path to Princess Celestia's study and knocked on the door. She was surprised to find the Captain of the Royal Guard open it for her.
"Oh, uh, Captain Golden Shield! I... uh--"
"At ease, Twilight. It's alright. I was just picking up some things here," The Aviator held up an envelope. "She's waiting for you inside. I wish I could talk more, but I need to do some debriefing of a couple troupe in the Courtyard."
"It's alright. See you around," Twilight said. Golden Shield's heels lit up, then sprouted wings as he took to the air.
Twilight entered the study to find that it was messier than usual. It still retained its warm, cozy feeling, but the desk and floor was covered in papers, and Princess Celestia was intensely studying a map. When she looked up, Twilight was shocked to see bags underneath her eyes.
"Uh, Princess? Are you--"
"I'm alright, Twilight. I've just been focused on this border dispute between a couple cities in the east. I've been trying to keep it as quiet as possible."
"Is that why the Captain was in here a few minutes before?"
"Yes, I'm afraid I might have to use military force if we can't find a solution soon. Why don't you have a seat?"
As Twilight sat down, Celestia took care to clean up her desk and hide most of the papers before Twilight could attempt to glance at them.
"I'm assuming it's confidential information, Celestia?"
"Forgive me, Twilight, but the dispute's events can only remain within military ranks."
"I understand. So why did you want to see me?"
"I have an assignment for you."
"You do?" It's been about a year since Twilight had gotten an assignment from the Princess, ever since she graduated from Celestia's School of Magi.
"Yes. You understand that the Summer Sun Celebration is the day after next, correct?"
"Of course."
"And the lucky town where I am raising the sun this year is Ponyville, the town that resides next to the Everfree Forest?"
Twilight nodded hesitantly, not sure where this was going.
"Well, I want you to go to Ponyville tomorrow and oversee the preperations."
The apprentice was shocked. "Me?! But I'm a fourteen-year-old kid! I'm sure there's a lot of other people you can call on, right?"
"Please listen, my faithful student. I realize you are underaged, but this year's original Supervisor has contrated a really bad case of food poisoning last night, and she will be hospitalized for quite a while. I can't find anyone else in the castle to fill in this position, since they're all busy with their own duties, either with the border dispute or with the party in Canterlot. So I thought, since you don't have anything important to do right now, you would accept this job. And you are one of the few people I can trust and depend on."
"But what about my research? That's important!"
Celestia cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, yes. What projects are you working on right now?"
"Well, right now, I'm trying to discover what the cause of those four moving stars are."
The Princess went pale. "Four... M-moving stars?"
Twilight didn't notice her surrogate mother's change in demeanor. "Yes, the ones that are heading towards the moon, all in four directions? I know you're not the one controlling them, but I can't figure what else is moving them, unless there's another pony that can move heavenly bodies. But of course, you're the only one that can move the sun an--"
"Twilight."
She stopped at the stern command.
"I want you to listen to me. I don't think you should be working on that project anymore. Besides you need to draw your nose out of those dusty old books and experience life and friendship sometime."
"But I'm so close to a breakthoug--"
Celestia suddenly stood up and towered over her student, "Twilight Sparkle. I will hear no more of this."
The mage couldn't help but gulp. Instinctively, her hand moved to her chest and wrapped around the pendant that laid on it, an old habit that happened when she got stressed, scared, or upset. It was rare that Princess Celestia got even the slightest bit of anger in her voice, but Twilight knew better not to push it.
After a few seconds, Celestia's features softened and she slumped down in her chair and covered her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, Twilight. This whole dispute's been putting me on edge lately."
Twilight instinctively got up, crossed to the other side of the desk, and hugged her mentor. A few seconds later, she graciously returned it.
Celestia broke apart from the hug a few moments later and handed Twilight a brown envelope. "This paperwork will guarantee your position as supervisor for this year's Summer Sun Celebration, as well as your lodgings for your stay in the Golden Oaks Library."
"Library?" Twilight asked, temporally cheering up.
Celestia nodded. "Just fill out the necessary information by tonight; I'll send by somebody to pick it up by eleven if you have not sent it by Spike's dragon fire."
"Alright, bye." Twilight began heading out the door before he heard the inevitable saying.
"Oh, and try to make some friends while you're in Ponyville, will you?"
"Hey, Spike!" Twilight called, throwing open the door of the astronomy tower. "I don't need that book anymore!"
No reply.
"SPIKE? Where'd he go now?!"
As Twilight began trudging up the stairs she couldn't help but think about what Celestia said about her making friends.
Why does Celestia think I need friends so much? The entire world sees me as a freak already, and it's not like anyone in my grade ever appreciated me being younger and smarter than them. Besides, I got Spike, my books, and my comfortable place in the castle's astronomy tower. What more could I need?
"Spike!" Twilight called as she reached the top of the stairs. "Where are you? We got books to put away, and this place is a total mess!"
Suddenly, she heard snoring, and she peeked underneath a pile of books to find the baby dragon curled in a ball, sleeping peacefully.
Instantly, Twilight's heart melted and her frustrations disappeared. "Poor guy. He must've tired himself out." She carefully picked him up and silently carried him downstairs to their sleeping quarters, then laid him in his basket and tucked him in.
She sat there for a few minutes, watching him sleep. There was something about Spike that always made Twilight calm down and not worry about anything. Ever since she hatched the little dragon, they've watched out for each other as they were the only family both of them had.
See, seven years ago, Celestia's School for Magi decided to use the dragon egg for that year's practical entrance exam. No aspiring mage could pull it off. Then it was Twilight's turn, and she couldn't do it. She was about to give up and apologize to the examiners for wasting their time when there was a sudden, loud explosion from a skyscraper demolition nearby and the shock made Twilight's magic go out of control, turing people into plants, overpowering most of the teaching staff, and nearly tearing the auditorium apart. Fortunately, Celestia had managed to get there in time and stabilize the situation before anybody had gotten hurt, and managed to get an exhausted Twilight away before curious people flocked around.
As soon as Twilight had woken up and was checked over the nurses in the infirmary, she was taken to Celestia's study. There, Twilight was told the truth about the test. Hatching the egg never supposed to happen; instead, it was to show how potential students reacted to failure. If they had angrily given up and stormed out, they would have failed, but calmly accepting that they couldn't manage it would move them on to the actual exam.
"Students here will fail several times before succeeding with performing a spell correctly," Celestia explained. "Handling that with dignity is something that is encouraged among the magi here, both for the students and for the teachers."
"Am I in trouble?" Twilight meekly asked. She wasn't able to run; even if she still didn't have the bulky cast bound to her healing leg, she was too scared to move.
"No, Twilight. The opposite. Nobody had gotten hurt when your magic went out of control. However, we need to be sure nothing like this ever happens again. You can learn how control your powers, but it will require focused study, and a mentor powerful enough to help you in the event of another lapse."
"I don't want it to happen again!"
"Don't worry, Twilight Sparkle. I can make sure it won't."
"Huh?"
There was a sudden knock on the door. "Captain Golden Shield, requesting an audience with Princess Celestia," The older man spoke. "I got something for you!"
"The door's open."
As the Captain walked in and set a tiny basket on the desk, Twilight couldn't help but gasp. In the bundle, there laid a purple-and-green baby dragon!
"I hatched the egg?"
"Yes, kid," Golden Shield said in amazement. "You did the impossible today."
"Huh?"
"What Captain Golden Shield means is that to artificially incubate a dragon egg, it takes a hundred trained and experienced Magi to warm up the egg over a period of three days" Celestia said. "And in your power burst, you were able to hatch it in less than a second. I sensed a lot of potential in you, Twilight Sparkle, the day we met, but I last thing I ever expected was for a seven year old child to have a gold mine of raw energy sealed inside of her."
"Hey, get back here!" Golden Shield suddenly said at the sudden movement of the dragon. The little guy made a dash for Twilight and leaped into her lap. As soon as he was there, he curled up into a ball, began sucking on Twilight's shirt tail, and looked up at her lovingly with his huge green eyes.
"Eep!" Twilight squealed. "He's so cute!" Her own purple eyes began to shine as they stared at one another in awe. It was the first time Celestia had seen Twilight smile genuinely since that fateful day when her family died.
"Uh, kid..." Captain Shield hesitantly said.
"It's alright, Captain," Celestia said. "I think we'll make this work out."
"What do you mean, Princess Celestia?" Twilight asked.
"You see, Twilight, that little dragon of yours needs someone to care for him; three years ago, two Earthborn guards discovered his egg in an abandoned dragon's nest in the desert. They sent word to Canterlot, where I ordered a search for the parents. When it came up empty, I decided to take the egg in and watch over it until I could find a surrogate dragon family would take it in as it's own. However, dragons are hard to find in Equestria, and the ones I have discovered are solidary and have no interest in raising a hatchling."
"What's that have to do with me?"
"Dragons hatch their young by imprinting their magic onto them. When you hatched that dragon in your lap, Twilight, you imprinted your magic onto him and now he thinks you are his mother."
"But I don't know how to take care of a baby!"
"That leads to the final part of my offer."
"Huh?"
Celestia turned to Golden Shield. "Captain, will you go out to the staff and ask them to prepare a guest room?"
The captain seemed confused, but he saluted and went off to complete his task. As soon as the door was closed, Celestia rested her eyes onto the seven year old.
"Twilight," she began hesitantly. "I understand that for the past month, your future has been...uncertain...with your family's fate."
Instantly, tears formed into Twilight's eyes, and she wrapped a hand around her necklace, the last gift from her beloved brother. It's been two weeks since her family was buried, and she still was being held up in the hospital. The doctors decided to keep her there until she completely recovered, partially because of her grievous physical injuries, and partially because the foster care system in Canterlot was currently full. "I don't want to go into an orphanage!"
"You don't have to, Twilight. What if, if given the chance, you could live here in the castle?"
Twilight looked up at awe at the Princess. "You mean it? You're going to adopt me?"
"Well, it's not necessarily an adoption, more of an apprenticeship. I'd say you more than passed the entrance exam, Twilight. I have never seen a mage with your raw abilities, and I have a feeling you will go on to be one of the most important people of your generation. However, you need guidance, both parental and magical, to tame your energy. Should you choose to accept my offer as my personal student, you will be taking private lessons from me, as well as classes from your peers. You will be responsible for raising the dragon you have hatched, and treat him like family. You will be raised in the castle, and the servants will help with your upbringing."
Twilight hobbled over to Celestia and hugged her, crying tears of joy. Celestia pulled her into her arms and rested the tiny dragon on the mage's shoulder. That was all the answer the Princess needed.
"So, what do you want to name your dragon, my faithful student?"
"How abut Spike? I think that's the perfect name, don't you?"
Twilight smiled bittersweetly at the memory as she set down a note for Spike at the foot of the basket in case she woke up before she got back. That month had been one of the happiest and saddest in her life.
She gathered enough bits for the flowers she would get for her family's graves, shoved them into her jeans pocket, then left the astronomy tower, silently closing the door so as to not disturb the sleeping Spike.