The Story of Twilight Glow

Chapters

S1 CH 1. A new beginning
S1 CH 2. Write me a story
S1 CH 3. Design our castle
S1 CH 4. Talk and walk
S1 CH 6. Punishment
S1 CH 7. Recover
S1 CH 8. Royalty
S1 CH 9. Exploration
S1 CH 10. Tartarus
S1 CH 11. Tell me your story
S1 CH 12. Representatives
S1 CH 13. Going home
S1 CH 14. Ponyville under watch
S1 CH 15. Wasn't there
S1 CH 16. New hires
S1 CH 17. Sorry?!!
S1 CH 20. REVENGE!
S1 CH 21. Trixie
S1 CH 22. Finished!
S1 CH 23. Gala
S1 CH 24. Celestia (Finale!)
S2 Ch 1. Picnic
S2 Ch 2. Tea time
S2 Ch 3: Returned
S2 Ch 4: Calendars
S2 Ch 5: Scheming
S2 Ch 6: Birthday
S2 Ch 7: Deserve
S2 Ch 8: Artificial sun
S2 Ch 9: Holiwhat?
S2 Ch 10: Talk of Canterlot
S2 Ch 11: Lead pony
S2 Ch 12: Tea time
S2 Ch 13: Organization
S2 Ch 14: Ambush
S2 Ch 15: Hearts and Hooves
S2 Ch 16: Field trip!
S2 Ch 17: Chocolate Moose
S2 Ch 18. Radiance
S2 Ch 19: A show to remember
S2 Ch 20: Night court
S2 Ch 21: Glow? Sparkle?
S2 Ch 22: Portal
S2 Ch 23: BBBFF
S2 Ch 24: Magic kindergarten!
S2 Ch 25: Desperation
S2 Ch 26: Empty sky
S2 Ch 27: Tirek (Finale)
S3 CH 1. Changelings
S3 CH 2: Smoooooth...
S3 CH 3: Gilda
S3 CH 4: Their journey
S3 CH 5: Chrysalis
S3 CH 6: Tradition
S3 Ch 7. Leadership
S3 CH 8: Our journey
S3 CH 9: Our Separation
S3 CH 10: Our Loss
S3 CH 11. Her silence
S3 CH 12: Mailcall!
S3 CH 13. Private affair
S3 CH 14. Undercover
S3 CH 15. New guests
S3 CH 16. Missing Ruler
S3 CH 17. Mystery Brew
S3 CH 18. Shadow Weavers
S3 CH 19. The Calm
S3 Ch 20. Chuck's First Day
S3 CH 21. Ring of Scorchero
S3 CH 22. The Frozen North
S3 CH 23. Rage
S3 CH 24. Ritual
S3 CH 25. Delay
S3 CH 26. Something Inbetween
S3 CH 27. Discord
S3 CH 28. Her Patience (Season Finale)
S4 CH 1. Advisor
S4 CH 2. Vines
S4 CH 3. Second Try
S4 CH 4. Value
S4 CH 5. Her Mark
S4 CH 6. Deserving
S4 CH 7. Denial
S4 CH 8. Old meets new
S4 CH 9. What You Stole
S4 CH 10: Park Concert
S4 CH 11: Not Today
S4 CH 12: Not Helping
S4 CH 13: Trade
S4 CH 14: Journal
S4 CH 15: Amulet
S4 CH 16: Crash Course
S1 CH 5. Rainbow. No. Just no.
S1 CH 18. An old friend
S1 CH 19. Dresses

S1 CH 1. A new beginning

1. A new beginning

Twilight Velvet groaned, her eyes closed as she struggled to maintain her strength. She was exhausted, though nopony could really blame her. Giving birth to a child wasn't a particularly easy task for anypony. She smiled none the less as the doctors slowly trotted into the room. Followed closely by her nervous husband. Tall Order. “Is her head properly supported? Are you sure she's not too small? I've read a number of books that say an earth pony foal should weigh at least--”

“Honey, it's fine,” Velvet said with a smile as her child was gently deposited into her hooves. “Remember Shining? He was a little small too and now he's a wonderful little unicorn colt.”

“Yes, but earth ponies are supposed to be bigger,” the stallion said, trotting around the room nervously as the nurses left. “Are we sure we can trust these ponies? I can't say for certain, but some of these medical degrees don't look in the best condition. What if some of them are fake? What if--”

“Honey, calm down,” Velvet said with another soft chuckle. “This is one of the best hospitals in Canterlot. It'll be fine.” She then looked down at her little baby girl. A purple coat, a streaked purple mane. She hoped her husband wasn't upset that frankly, aside from the lack of a horn, their daughter really looked nothing like him. Then again, she suspected he was thrilled to not be the only non-unicorn in the family now.

“So, what should we name her?” the mare finally asked, watching the little foal open her eyes and stare up at them with the prettiest purple eyes she'd ever seen.

The walking hooves stopped and she slowly looked up to see her husband staring at her. Then, slowly he moved forward and put his nose to hers. “I can think of only one name sufficient for such a perfect little dear. Twilight's Glow.”

She blushed, quickly looking down. “Oh, you little flirt you.” She did stare at the foal for a few more seconds though. “I... do like that, though. Twilight Glow. It's... perfect.”

“Daddy, daddy, come on!” Twilight squeaked in her excited little filly voice, circling around the stallion's hooves as he tried to keep up.

“Now now, calm down. We're almost there.”

“But I wanna be in the front row! I wanna see the princess raise the sun!” the little earth pony filly shrieked.

“You will, I promise,” he said with another soft chuckle as they walked through the streets of Canterlot. Normally he wouldn't dream of being up so early, especially on a holiday like today. But Twilight had been wanting to see this for so, so long. The Summer Sun Celebration was happening in Canterlot this year so there was nothing else to do about it. When she unleashed the filly eyes, there was no possible way he could say no. As their empty cookie jar back home attested.

A weakness that, despite his wishes, he had to his wife as well. Which was why she was back home, curled up in bed and he was walking through Canterlot before the crack of dawn. However, they finally made it to the crowd and he let out a low whistle. Off in the distance he could see the guards and stage. Twilight turned to him. “Daddy...”

He gave a nod. “Go ahead. I'll be right here after the sun is raised. Just be careful, okay?”

She let out a high pitched squeak before racing off. “THANK YOU DADDY!”

He chuckled before turning his attention to the show. He let out a soft gasp of awe as the princess appeared on the stage, making her way ahead. He couldn't blame his little girl for wanting to see the princess up close, she truly was a spectacular mare. Not quite as spectacular as his wife, of course. But then, nopony was perfect.

The sun was slowly raised up and he couldn't help but let out his own gasp of awe as well. Magic truly was an amazing thing and he couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy at all those unicorns who used it so effectively. Still, it wasn't as if any of them could claim to have that much power. The princess truly was unique.

“Daddy daddy daddy!” Twilight shrieked as she ran up and gave him a tight hug. “I was up front and I saw the princess and she saw me and she looked right at me and I looked right at her and then I sneezed but she just smiled and she was so amazing and wonderful and eeeee!”

Tall chuckled and put a hoof over his little girl. “Yes, she does have that effect on ponies. She is quite amazing, isn't she?”

“She's so amazing! Daddy, do you ever think one day I can be that amazing? I can do what she does?”

He paused before nodding. “Yes. I don't think you can do exactly what she does.” He sat down and slowly raised the little filly's chin, to make her look him in the eyes as her face started to fall. “But the princess does more than raise the sun and moon. She inspires our nation, unites us. I believe that one day, you'll be just as inspiring to everypony around you. Maybe even more than the princess ever was.”

She blinked and then gasped. “You... you think I could do that?”

“I have no doubt in my mind.”

Twilight stared at the blank pages in front of her, a pencil at her side. She couldn't believe it. She was such a failure. A useless, horrible, didn't deserve to have friends or family or anything failure. She'd wanted so hard to do what daddy said, to be an inspiration, a driving force for ponies. To be somepony who could make her feel, if only for a moment, the way the princess had her.

It had finally come to her while she was reading Daring Do. She could still feel her heart skipping a beat, the excitement as the mare dodged spears and fought off horrible bad not nice at all ponies. Then the belief that she could do anything. She'd been so excited that she'd barely even paid attention at the dinner party with the Orange's. She'd had to explain what a rooster was to her daddy. He was just so silly sometimes. Then she'd come straight home, couldn't sleep and decided to start right away.

But now she couldn't start. It was a little after dawn and she'd made no progress. She had ideas. The greatest, most wonderful ideas of all time. But she couldn't start it. She had no idea WHERE to start. The first lines refused to work. She felt like crying, wailing into her hooves. She was a stupid, idiotic, no good horrible pony and she'd been such an idiot to think she could ever--

An explosion outside made her yipe, before she looked up. Streaking across the sky was the most beautiful rainbow she'd ever seen. No, it was more like a rainbow explosion. Her eyes widened as she watched the beautiful... thing streak across the horizon. She'd never seen anything like it. It was amazing. Spectacular. Wonderful. It was...

It was her start. Her beginning. She slowly picked up the pencil and looked at the paper. Her story wouldn't end with a whimper. It would start with a boom. She slowly wrote the first letters that would change her life forever.

“Twilight, you simply must release this new story of yours soon!” Printing Press, a light green unicorn and the earth pony's agent, said quickly before pushing the manuscript across the table.

“I... I don't know,” Twilight mumbled. “I mean, I think the Mare in the Moon is such a fascinating little story, I want to make sure my story is one to match it. I want to do a few more alterations first.”

“Oh, come on,” the other mare said. “You've re-written it at least a dozen times. The editors say it's good to go. I have four publishers biting at the bit to try and get it before the Summer Sun Celebration. After your last book, ponies are dying to read it. Now is the time to strike. Besides, the Mare in the Moon story is only a page long. Your story has it crushed into pieces.”

Twilight sighed, looking down at her manuscript. “I... don't think it's ready, though.”

The mare nodded, before smiling. “What if I told you a copy was sent to the princess?”

The earth pony's eyes widened and her mind nearly cracked. “Wait, what?”

“Mmm hmmm.”

“T-there's no way she read it, s-she's the princess,” Twilight said with a dismissive wave of her hoof.

“She has read it. Not only that... she loved it. Officially said it was one of the best stories she'd ever read and, more importantly, a great re-telling of the Mare in the Moon story. She actually requested to speak with you about the story on the morning of the Summer Sun Celebration.”

“W-what?”

“Yes. She wants you to write a second story. About this... 'Moony' from the story. Said she touched her heart with how sweet she was. If a bit foalish at times.”

Twilight gulped, then slowly nudged the papers forward. “You... wouldn't lie to me, right?”

“The appointment is at nine in the morning.”

“G-go ahead. P-publish it,” she squeaked, staring at the papers. The PRINCESS? She could hardly believe it. No, she entirely couldn't believe it. The princess read one of HER works. How did the mare find the time, ruling a kingdom and everything? And she wanted her to write ANOTHER story based on it? She'd just planned on making it a one-off. She didn't even think it was that original. The Mare in the Moon was just an old wife's tale, making her a good pony had only come to her after she'd read about the legend of the two sisters. Really, combining the two had just been a silly idea when she started, but she'd become so enthusiastic that she couldn't help but keep writing. Before she'd known it, she'd had the first edit done.

Then over and over she'd found herself drawn to it, as if some invisible force was pulling her to it. Trying to make her 'Moony' character more likable, to understand why she'd do such things. Taking over the land, all of that. Just such a silly idea. And those Elements were even worse, no more real than any of Daring Do's stories. But the lore had just absorbed her and she'd had so many ideas.

Her favorite part had been making the five 'stars' to aid in her escape. Leaving the ending open like that, on her return to the world she'd been so long banished from, had just been a stroke of genius. She'd found she couldn't think of a sufficient ending. What would happen to the mare? She was practically wiggling in her seat. She hadn't been this excited since her first book was published. Possibly more, because this was all HER story and she hadn't had any help from her mother or the mare's agents.

“Twilight? Honey? You're doing it again?”

“Huh?” the earth pony asked, before gasping. “O-oh! I-I'm so sorry! I didn't, I never, I-I just... I thought... I was... lost in thought. Sorry.”

Printing chuckled. “Oh, it's fine. You artists always have your ways about you. So you're sure you're okay with it? I can go forward?”

“Yes.”

“Good. We'll have the first prints out by the Summer Sun Celebration. They'll sell like hot cakes. Hot cakes covered in whipped cream, syrup and cherries. Served on a royal guard's flank.”

Twilight's cheeks turned bright red. “Printing!” she gasped.

“Oh, come onnnn. You really need to get out more, dear. That can't be the raunchiest joke you've heard. After all, your brother is dating that alicorn mare, right? I'm sure he has a ton of jokes like that.”

She snorted. “Well, my brother, unlike you, is a perfect gentlecolt. He'd never make such jokes about such things.”

“What a shame. I know I wouldn't mind taking a bite out of his flank.”

“PRINTING!”

Twilight awoke with a groan and rolled over. She couldn't believe it, she'd been so excited she couldn't sleep. Tomorrow she met the princess! Face to face, to discuss the book. She just wanted to talk with her so bad. And now she'd get her chance. So of course she'd been up almost all night fretting, worrying, panicking and at one point bathing. Okay, three points. SHE COULDN'T MEET THE PRINCESS WITH BODY ODOR! Just the idea was horrifying. Now her body was rebelling against her, waking her back up.

She glanced to the window and sighed. It was still night time, the sun hadn't even risen yet. She glanced at the clock. It would be hours until--

It was eight fifty. In the morning. Her heart almost exploded. She jumped out of bed with a hot flash of adrenaline and ran to the window. She looked out. The stars were in the sky, the moon was out. She then looked at her clock. It had to be off. The sun should have risen hours ago. She ran through her house, looking at all the clocks as she flipped on lights. All of them said eight fifty. Then one said eight fifty-one. She shrieked and ran back up, grabbing her books before running out the door, barely taking a moment to lock it before galloping down the street.

She couldn't begin to imagine why it was still so dark out, perhaps the princess had slept in? Still, she'd imagined somepony would have woken her by now and let her know. None the less, she galloped through the streets. Not many other ponies were out and about, those who were looked just as confused as she did. She'd have to ask the princess when she saw her today what was going on. Perhaps a special event? A celebration? That had to be it.

Oh buck she was so late. She was panting and a little sweaty by the time she arrived, though still riding that adrenaline high. She walked to the gates and smiled to the guard. “Hello I'm Twilight Glow and I have an appointment at nine with the princess I'm so sorry I'm late!”

The guard just waved her through, barely even paying attention to her, his focus instead on talking with another guard. She grinned and galloped through the castle.

The place was packed with guards and servants racing about, they seemed to be in a bit of a panic. She hoped everything was okay, was her lateness really that much of an issue? She was directed to the meeting room by a rather haggard looking servant.

She paused when she stepped into the room. It was small, but cozy. It had a gently glowing fireplace, a table and a few chairs. As well as a clock that read... ohhhh, she was late. Not very late, but late. But she was sure it wouldn't be a problem. It seemed the princess was late today as well. She wiped a little sweat off her brow and sat down on the chair, letting out a low groan. She then spilled the contents of her bags onto the table.

It wasn't much, just a binder filled with a few ideas for a sequel to her book, two copies of her book(one for the princess, one for the princess' student, Moon Dancer. Both signed, of course.) She set them up besides each other, neatly stacked and waited.

And waited.

There were a few small pastries on the nearby counter and she had missed breakfast, so she had one.

Then two.

Then five.

She really hoped the princess hadn't rescheduled without telling her. What if the moon being out was all some problem with her magic? There would probably be some sort of panic going on that the princess was dealing with. She then shrugged. Didn't really matter, by now the sun HAD to be up. Since, honestly, how could it not be? Even if the princess had overslept, they couldn't let her do it all day. The sun had to come up eventually. She sat down on the cushions again and leaned against the table. She was sure the princess would be here soon. Any minute now.

She laid her head on the table. She wished she had gotten just a little more sleep last night.

Just had to close her eyes for a second.

The princess of the night, Nightmare Moon, flew to her new castle. Canterlot. She remembered the tiny little castle away from home that she and her sis... that she and that mare had once held. It had been nothing more than a retreat, from when they had to leave their real home. Now there was an entire city surrounding it, with hundreds of ponies. Now it would be her new home.

There was a light groan and she glanced back at the six ponies held in a small, blue orb barely the size of a filly. Each of the six had been shrunk down to the size of toys to make them easier to carry. She hadn't killed them, of course. This Moondancer was that mare's precious little protege. It would be fun slowly making her bow to a new ruler. Besides it was another blue orb, which housed the remains of the Elements. Now nothing more than broken stones. Both would be placed in her throne room, a sign to all of what her power was and that there was no way to defeat her. Even Celes... that mare had failed.

She flew down to the castle battlements and grinned as guards rushed forward, spears leveled on her.

“Who are you? Identify yourself!” one of them yelled.

“Oh? Do you not remember your princess of old? Has a thousand years really been so long?” She slowly slid the pony holding orb forward and it opened slightly. Moondancer fell out with a shriek, growing to her full size before she hit the ground. “Tell them who we are, student,” she said with a light chuckle.

The mare slowly looked up, before turning to the gathered, confused soldiers. “She's... she's Nightmare Moon. The mare in the moon. And she has... defeated Celestia and me.” The words came out of the unicorn's mouth, filled with shame. She looked back to the five ponies trapped in the bubble. Her friends. They'd all tried so hard, her, Lyra, Bon Bon, Minuette, Lemonhearts and Twinkleshine. They'd fought off all the threats using a mix of magic and secret agent training, but there hadn't been any success when it finally mattered. They'd had to watch helplessly as the Elements were destroyed under Nightmare Moon's hoof. They'd failed. More importantly, she'd failed. And now she'd never see her teacher again. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes.

A spear bounced off Nightmare Moon's flank, making the alicorn turn back and snort. “Truly?”

Moondancer was tackled aside and the royal guards unleashed on the princess. Magical spells and spears flew through the air, filling the courtyard in dust. The mare gulped and looked back, her mouth falling open as she looked at where the alicorn had stood. Was it possible? Would that be enough to--

Then the mare's cruel laughter filled the air and the dust was brushed aside. “Pathetic. Not even a fraction of the strength that Starswirl the Bearded once held.” Another unicorn raised her horn to attack, but the alicorn's horn glowed. Dark magic flowed around the unicorn.

The mare screamed, holding her head and writhing. After a few seconds she was dropped again, collapsed on the ground.

“Our name is Nightmare Moon, true ruler of Equestria. You will all learn to kneel before us, or suffer the consequences.” She paused and then gave a small smile. “Spread the word. We have defeated your Celestia and her prized pupil. The Elements of Harmony are destroyed. Our moon will now remain in the sky, forever!” she yelled, before laughing loudly. She watched the fear in their eyes, but she could still see the small fragments of hope. Of belief. The thoughts that their princess would save them. She slowly raised a hoof towards the heavens, pointing at the moon. “If you wish to see your princess, look nowhere else but there. For now she has become the mare in the moon.”

“It's... it's true,” Dancer said, the tears slowly going down her face. “Celestia is... Celestia is gone.” Her body shuddered and she let out a soft sob.

“Now then. We will begin the redecorations of my new home,” the alicorn said before stepping past the stunned ponies. Within a week, all in the kingdom would know who she was. Some would follow her willingly, others not so much. But it mattered not. They could not defeat her, no matter how hard they tried. She was the true ruler of Equestria now. She couldn't help but feel a little giddy.

When first they fought, it had taken her sister mere minutes to fight and then banish her to the moon. This time it had taken the princess of the night only a few minutes as well. Without the elements, her sister was weak. Defeating the student had been even easier. Setting the ponies against each other. They cared for each other, but there were gulfs between them she had been able to use. Now the elements were destroyed, no more.

Not bad for one nights work. The next few days would be interesting. Within a month, however, the ponies would adapt. She was sure of it. They would grow to love her, to care about her. To see her as their rightful ruler. She would be the mare that her sister never could be. She would give them all power, respect, love, adoration. And they would love her more than they ever loved her. The nights she created would be the kinds of legends, ponies would stay up just to glimpse them. To bask in her glory.

The thought gave her warm fuzzy feelings as she walked through the castle, changing the pictures, curtains, carpets, pretty much everything she could with her magic. Room by room she went, the ponies frantically moving to get out of her way. A few of the guards tried to block her way, but she removed them within seconds. It was all too easy.

The throne room was her favorite. She remade the throne into a black monolith, placing the two orbs on the back, to overlook her. Then she moved onto the next rooms.

Eventually she opened a door and found a small little purple pony, sleeping on a small cushion with her head on the table. Drooling a little. The first pony not in a panic to see her. She smirked and stepped forward and stomped on the table.

The mare jumped up with a yipe. “Sorry, sorry! I was just... I was just...” Then her eyes looked up at the princess and the alicorn felt pride. Soon the fear would fill her eyes. Soon.

“You look AMAZING!” the earth pony said with a gasp, her eyes glimmering and her hooves pushing together. “I can't believe it! You look just like I envisioned Nightmare Moon to look like!”

Errr, what?

“Well, a bit taller, but wow.” The earth pony jumped to her hooves and moved around the stunned princess and proceeded to, of all things, poke her. “Is this part of Printing's idea? I just knew she was up to something. I haven't seen a costume this good in years!”

The princess just stood there, stunned. Then that probing hoof poked her just below the wing and she let out a soft giggle and quickly dashed ahead, trying to ignore the ticklish poke. “No! Cease!”

The earth pony just stared, a grin on her face. “Such amazing attention to detail! Ohhhh, wait, is that what this was all about? Is Printing trying to get a movie based on this? Well, I think they've, frankly, just outdone themselves on your costume. You do look a bit too scary, though. Nightmare Moon is supposed to be an identifiable figure. Scary, but sad. Even though she does bad things, ponies are supposed to kind of root for her to have her happy ending. If you look like that, ponies are just going to get all scared of her and give foals nightmares. Nopony will like her then.”

Nightmare Moon just stared, her mouth falling open in shock.

Who in the blazes was this mare? Wait, nopony was going to like her? What was going on here? Something just didn't mesh up.

“The wings are a bit much though. Really, the whole thing is just far too frightening. This is supposed to be a sad to uplifting story, for older colts and fillies. This might be a bit much for them to handle, they'll just see Nightmare Moon as some scary villain. It'll completely miss the point,” Twilight said as she walked around. “Hold on one second.”

The alicorn just stared in bafflement. Who was this pony? Why did she proceed to... poke and prod at her in such a manner? If she knew that Nightmare Moon truly stood before her, why did she seem so calm? Were the mare not so obviously an earth pony, she'd have imagined her some great unicorn wizard, perhaps overconfident. She let out a yelp as the mare proceeded to poke at her with a pointer. Where did she get a pointer from?!

Author's Note

Another one of those mini-stories I was talking about. This is the two chapter one. The entire premise came about because, well, I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she hadn't been a unicorn. Celestia only met her because of her big burst of magic. But if she was destined for all the greatness she achieved, how would being an earth pony have changed it?

S1 CH 2. Write me a story

2. Write me a story

Twilight walked around the mare, nodded as she went. She could hardly believe the attention to detail. Why, if she didn't know better she'd think the old mare's tale of Nightmare Moon had somehow come to pass. She snickered at the preposterous idea. “Okay, you really must work on the horn. It's a little too long. She's the younger sister, remember?”

“You... you dare to mock our horn?”

“I do love the voice though. And the 'our' thing. Nice touch.” The alicorn bared her fangs and Twilight gasped, reaching up to grab her lower jaw. “Oh my goodness! How did you get these done? These are PERFECT! It will be a great way to set her apart from a standard pony! I wouldn't flash them too often, they--”

“CEASE!” the mare yelled finally, spreading her wings before her horn glowed and sent the earth pony flying back, pinning her to the wall.

Twilight gasped, cringing as her body ached. “O-ow... why... a-ahhh...” She was suddenly staring eye to eye with the mare.

“You dare to treat your princess in such a manner? The ruler of all of Equestria, mistress of the night and raiser of the moon?”

Twilight gulped, a very bad thought starting to form in her mind. Then the doors burst down. “Nightmare Moon! You're under arrest!” a very familiar unicorn in full armor yelled. Her big brother, Shining Armor. “Twily? What are you doing here? Let her go, you fiend!”

Nightmare Moon paused and then slowly turned back to the stallion, gazing down at him. “Yet another one of you soldiers wishing to perish at our hooves?” she asked, cocking an eye.

The earth pony gulped and let out a little squeak as she was dropped to the ground. “W-what's going on? She's not... she's a--” A barrier appeared around the alicorn and the terror let out a little chuckle.

“Your princess fell before us. You believe you shall do better?” Her horn glowed and a beam shot out, melting through the barrier and then striking Shining. The stallion toppled back, collapsing to the ground with a pained yell.

“Big... big brother...” Twilight said, staring at her unmoving brother's form. “H-how... he...” She then looked to the alicorn. “You're... you're the real... Nightmare... Moon. But you're just an old mare's tale. You aren't real. You can't be real. You're just a... you're just a story!”

The princess chuckled and slowly walked towards the prone form of her brother. “We are far more than just a story, child.”

“NO!” Twilight shrieked, racing forward. “Please... please don't... don't hurt my brother. He's just, he was--”

“Hurt?” the mare chuckled and slowly picked up the prone pony, before he disappeared. “He will learn to serve us as all others will. Until then, he shall live in our dungeons.” She then looked down at Twilight. “You, on the other hoof. You have a lot to answer for. Poking and prodding your ruler as if we are some kind of... thing to be prodded.”

Twilight squeaked, her ears going flat. “I... I thought... I thought you were an actor. F-for my book. I thought you were just... I didn't think you were real. I'm sorry!” She slowly backed up, gesturing wildly at her book with a hoof.

The mare frowned and then slowly closed the door behind herself. Her horn glowed as the book slowly flew through the air to her side. She flipped it open and cringed. “Such... interesting script. We see that there have been some changes in the last thousand years.”

Twilight nodded with a nervous gulp. She was going to be banished. Or imprisoned. Or imprisoned where she was going to be banished. Or executed while imprisoned at where she was banished. “I uhhh... c-can explain... some of the words if you like? Or... read it to you?”

“WE CAN READ!” Nightmare Moon roared, before flipping a page. “We can read very well!” She then pointed at one of the words. “And what does this word mean?”

Twilight moved over, slowly. She then gulped. “That is carriage. As in the--”

“We know what a carriage is! The spelling and letters of this time are... slightly different from our time.”

Twilight nodded rapidly. “Y-yes. Of course. I uhhh... just take your time,” she said softly, gulping nervously as the princess read her book. She wished she hadn't published it now. She never imagined when she had that meeting that one day her very LIFE would depend on it being good. Even worse, it was being read by the main character. Who she occasionally had to explain words to.

No, even worse than worse, after a few hours, she was starting to get a cramp in her leg. Hungry too. “Can... I... g-go down to the kitchen?” she asked softly.

“You wish to flee your princess?!” the mare demanded, glaring at her.

“N-no... I uhhh... I'm just hungry. Y-your highness is... v-very pleasant company.” She was going to die. She knew it. So going to die.

Nightmare Moon nodded. “Very well. We shall go to the kitchen!” she boomed, before getting to her hooves and shoving open the door. “Come, bard.”

Twilight nodded, before pausing. “Wait, bard?”

“Do you not twist words into stories that are most delightful to one's ears?”

“I uhhh... try. I guess bard works. I'll be a bard.”

“Good. Truly thou has spent much time on these words. I do like your... Moony character. She is very well made.”

Twilight nodded and hoped the mare felt that way after she got to the war.

Twilight nibbled on the pastries. She never would have imagined the kitchen had so many cakes, donuts and other sweets. She never would have imagined Celestia having such a sweet tooth. Normally she wouldn't have eaten so much, but she figured it would likely be her last meal, so she figured she could splurge a bit. Earth ponies like her normally worked it off anyway.

The room suddenly got colder and the alicorn tensed up. “What... is this...”

“What, errr... i-is what?”

“A WAR?! You slander us and accuse us of raising an army to dethrone our sister?!” the mare yelled so loudly that the forks and spoons on the table toppled to the ground.

“N-no, I was just--”

Nightmare Moon slammed the book onto the table and glared at her. “You were just what?”

“T-there aren't any... r-real records of it. I-it was just thought to be a myth,” Twilight said weakly, staring up at the angry mare. “I uhhhh... kind of... expanded a bit. It's fiction, you understand? I mean, there's a book out right now about Princess Platinum being a vampire hunter. It's just... made up.”

The alicorn balked. “That's preposterous!”

“E-exactly.”

“Princess Platinum would have never hunted vampires!”

“R-right!”

“Chancellor Puddinghead was the resident vampire slayer.”

“O-of cour-- wait, what?”

Nightmare Moon's wings flared out. “Very well then, young earth pony. We will tell you the story. Rather than this... fiction. The story of how we fought our sister!”

Twilight blinked a few times and her mouth fell open. “W-wait, you'll tell me the story? The FULL story?” she asked, before gasping. “Wait here one second!” She then galloped from the room.

Nightmare Moon stared, but after a moment Twilight dashed back in, a pen and paper in her mouth. She skidded to a stop at the table, dropping them on it. “Okay, go!”

The alicorn frowned. “We were... angry. Enraged at how the ponies were ignoring us. We went to our sister again and again, but she ignored us. Made excuses. Pointed out a... few small cases. We tried to argue. But she ignored us each and every time. Finally, we had had enough! We rose up and called on the power of the night! We fought our sister! Intending to trap her, to ensnare her with our very power!”

Twilight gasped.

“Our battle raged for nigh on ten minutes.”

Twilight gaped. “Wait, could you repeat that? Do you mean ten days?”

“No, minutes. Our rage was powerful and our sister did not wish to fight us. We, on the other hoof, wished to strike her down once and for all. Finally, our sister unleashed the Elements of Harmony on us, binding us in the moon.”

The earth pony just stared, looking at the mare. “That's IT?”

The princess blinked. “Why... yes?”

“But that's so... that's so boring!”

“Excuse us?”

“Well, here, look.” Twilight pointed at the page. “The reason I did the war is because that was the most common theory, for the story at least. A battle between sisters, hundreds fighting and killing each other. With no hope of victory, the elder sister turned to the Elements. But just a ten minute fight? That's so... sudden.” She then blinked. “And... you were banished for a thousand years?”

Nightmare Moon nodded. “I dreamed of my vengeance every day since. Before I wanted to kill her, now I--”

“Wait. Wait wait. Were you trying to kill Celestia?”

“Why, yes. Why did you think we said strike her down?”

Twilight's mouth fell open. “You... you killed Princess Celestia?”

The mare blinked and then shook her head. “No. At the time we admit we were quite... rash in our decision. Our desire for vengeance. To be free of her shadow. Death was... not what we wished this time. Instead we trapped her in--” She paused. “Why are you taking notes?”

“This is the first documented rebuttal from Nightmare Moon,” Twilight muttered. “I could make an entire book series on this, probably. I can see how it went now. The pain and damage in your heart made you seek the death of Celestia. She decided she couldn't fight her own sister to the death, so a thousand years banishment to let you cool off was given.” She paused. “A thousand years? That seems a bit... extreme. No offense.”

Nightmare moon glowered. “You wish to write a... book on my ordeal?”

Twilight nodded. “Of course. A chance to get your side of it. It--” She blinked a few times and realized what she was doing. She squeaked and shook her head. “N-never mind. Sorry. Inspiration can strike at the... oddest times.”

The alicorn nodded. “Very well. But that IS how it happened. None of this war. We would have never done this to our citizens. We wish only for them to love us. To worship us. To kill them and hurt them in such a manner is just... not an option.” She paused. “To fear us, however. That is to be permitted.”

Twilight nodded. “Uh huh...” She couldn't help herself taking more notes. “You can keep reading.”

Nightmare Moon glowered a bit. She had the oddest impression the mare was... ignoring her at times. In a manner most annoyed. But slowly she went back to reading the book.

Twilight sighed as she laid in her much tinier bed besides Nightmare Moon's much larger, spikier bed. It had been days(or weeks, or months. The lack of sunlight made time hard to gauge properly) since the new ruler had taken over and things were slowly settling. A little.

The ruler was spending much of her non-book reading time quelling rebellions, though there hadn't been many yet. The defeat of Moondancer and lack of a raising sun had sent most ponies into worried, but cautious states. She had no doubt that dozens of small rebellions were being formed as it was.

Still, the castle was slowly returning to some semblance of order. Moondancer had managed to get most of the staff and guards to return(though Twilight had a sneaking suspicion the latter were here more to protect ponies FROM Nightmare Moon than to guard her).

The writer, unfortunately, hadn't been allowed to leave. Nightmare Moon was still reading the story and was, truth be told, a dreadfully slow reader. The thousand years away had likely not helped her skills. To be honest, Twilight was amazed the mare could read at all. The alicorn was getting better, though. She was also the only mare who tended to be around the ruler at almost all times(namely because most other ponies tended to leave the room the moment she appeared).

She'd managed to get her hooves on a few papers from the outside world, but there wasn't anything about her. Just about the new tyrant holding the world captive. She made sure to hide said papers before the ruler could banish the poor ponies who wrote them.

However, probably the worst thing of all was one tiny little thing.

Nightmare Moon snored like a foghorn. She couldn't take it much longer. She did not write all these books so she could become the tour guide to some time shifted ancient ruler. She needed her own room. Now she just had to find a way to ask for it.

She glanced to the book. There was only a few chapters left. Maybe she could just wait it out. Then she could go home. But the snoring. The horrible, horrible snoring. She didn't think she could take much more.

The princess let out a wheeze that sounded like a tractor gurgling a bucket of nails. She sighed and gave up.

“Princess!” Twilight said firmly.

“Hmmm?” the mare asked, slowly opening an eye.

“I... I ummm... I... I want to go home!”

“... No, bard.”

“Oh, okay then, I just... n-no! This is it!” Twilight snapped, stomping a hoof down. “I need some privacy, my own room and--”

“Very well,” the mare said with a shrug. “You may have your own room.”

“And I-- wait, really?”

The mare nodded. “Of course. I know not why you insisted on sleeping in here, anyway.” She then closed her eyes and drifted back off.

Twilight just stared, her mouth falling open. She just wanted to scream. Technically she hadn't been told she had to sleep here. She just had been too afraid to ask to leave. Could she have really just left at any time?

She face hoofed and got up, trotting out of the room to find a guard. Someplace, anyplace without the snoring was all she wanted.

Twilight yelped as the book was slammed shut.

“What happens in the end?” Nightmare Moon asked.

“It's open ended,” the earth pony said softly. “You know, so the reader can imagine how it changes. How it goes.”

“That's stupid,” the mare said, before looking down at the book. Then slowly she looked back up. “We... want to have a happy ending.”

Twilight nodded. “I suppose you can imagine it as--”

“No. You will write us our story.” She pointed towards the notepad the earth pony had been taking notes on. “You are a bard, yes? You will write our story for all to know.”

Twilight blinked a few times before looking down at the notepad. “W-wait, you can't be--”

“You wrote this story with just an old tale, correct? Now you have all of the information you need. You will tell our story. Let ponies know who we are. Why we are here. Why they should... trust us. Love us. Revere us.”

Twilight gulped and looked up at the mare. She felt incredibly small now that the great alicorn was staring down at her. But, slowly, she nodded. “I'll... I'll get started on an outline. I'll need to ask you some questions, okay?”

“Ask us whatever you desire.”

The earth pony nodded and took a deep breath. This was going to be... interesting.

Twilight grinned happily as she put the last line in her four page outline... as well as her five-hundred and seventy-six side-report for references. It had taken her two weeks, but she now believed she was ready to start the story properly. It had all the most important information. For one, it had Nightmare Moon's side of the story(as well as a bit of stuff she added to try to make her side more relate-able to the modern pony). However, she'd also put the most important information of all.

What Nightmare Moon had done when she returned and what she planned to do. What happened to all those ponies who opposed her, what they had to fear, what they had to prepare for. What happened to Celestia. She knew that information would make ponies buy and read the book and give them immeasurable comfort to know they weren't in real danger. Or, at least, not too much. It would give them hope.

She just had to get approval from the ruler. She took a deep breath and trotted towards the throne room.

“Please, you've won,” Moondancer said, lowering her head.

Twilight stopped outside the throne room, peering in. Moondancer and Nightmare Moon were alone, the latter on the throne and the former on her knees.

“Let them go. I was the one who fought you, not them. They've suffered enough.”

Nightmare Moon merely chuckled. “Your precious friends will remain our prisoners until we deem otherwise. You are our student now and will learn to accept that.”

“Please! They're innocent, I was just--”

“Begone,” the mare said with a harrumph. “Be thankful we don't have you banished or imprisoned as well.”

“But--”

“WE SAID BEGONE!” the mare roared, sending the unicorn toppling back.

Moondancer gave a little sob, but slowly crawled out. She didn't even look at Twilight as she passed. Slowly the earth pony stepped inside. “Your highness?”

“Ah! Bard! We have been waiting for your return!”

Twilight looked to the two orbs by the princess. One holding the broken remains of the Elements, the other holding Moondancer's friends. She gave a nervous smile. “I uhhh... I finished the outline. It awaits your approval.”

Nightmare Moon smiled and her horn glowed, picking up the papers from Twilight's back. “Finally, bard. I wondered how long...” She trailed off as she went through it. Slowly her eyes narrowed and as she read through it she only seemed to get more annoyed. She finished and then threw the papers down. “NO!”

Twilight blinked and then looked at it. “W-what's wrong?”

“Our jailer! You intend to make her... liked. Benevolent. Kind. Compassionate. She was none of those things! Our sister was a cruel tyrant who ignored us!”

Twilight sighed. “But ponies know her as this. I... know you have a history with her and--”

“You will write her as we say! You will unveil the hateful, cruel monster that she was!”

The earth pony stared at her notes, before shaking her head. “W-what? NO! I will not!”

“You would disobey us?”

“Of course. Nopony will want to read that. You can't just... demonize your sister. I get it, you had troubles with her. But it's not simple. Everything you've told me about just how much went into your decisions. I want to show that. If I just make a... story about how horrible Celestia is, nopony would want to read a thing like that.”

Nightmare Moon stood up at her full height, her wings spread out. “You will write as we say, bard. And they will read it. We will MAKE them read it! We rule now, we will make the laws! Those who ignore our story will be imprisoned!”

Twilight blinked, her mouth falling open and, for the first time in a while, she felt anger. “W-what? No. You can't be--”

“Yes! All will know my story and they will love me! Or they will suffer and--”

“NO!” Twilight screamed, stomping a hoof down. “I am not writing something like... like that! I am not writing something you FORCE ponies to read! Stories are supposed to inspire, give motivation, feeling. Make ponies go through emotions so strong they can barely believe what they're reading is just a book! They are supposed to lift ponies up or bring them to pits of sadness, to awaken in them new feelings. To give them something to believe in, to try to be. To imitate. To love. They are not something that should be... should be FORCED down ponies throats just so you can act superior!”

Nightmare Moon's eyes widened. "YOU DARE? YOU DARE SPEAK TO YOUR QUEEN IN SUCH A MANNER? BOW, GROVEL, FEAR MY WRATH OR YOU WILL BE BANISH--"

"FINE!" Nightmare drew back, surprised by the vehement vitriol in the small mare's voice. Twilight felt herself sliding her front hooves forward, her anger bubbling forth out of control. "Go ahead! Do it! Banish me! Tartarous Gates, why stop there? Why don't you banish my brother? Everypony who stood against you when you first arrived? How about you just banish everyone who doesn't kiss up to you and pretend to love you the way you like? Banish the whole world while your at it! Then nopony can argue with you, stand against you, or speak out in any way! Then nopony around you will talk about your sister ever again! You can rule your kingdom, rule the world, all alone! Forever!"

Silence reigned in the throne room as Nightmare Moon slowly drew her wings back, staring at the fuming, panting earth pony. “We... we merely wish... we merely wish for ponies to show gratitude for all that we've done. We--”

“What have you done?” Twilight asked, still glaring up at the ruler.

“We... we make the night and--”

"Celestia made the night. AND the day. AND she listened to ponies. AND she didn't FORCE them to do things. She LET them make their decisions. Ponies WANTED to listen to her. What have you possibly done to make anypony WANT to be around you?" Twilight asked, stomping her hoof down with every 'and'.

Nightmare Moon stared at the mare, unable to contain the small bit of fear in her stomach at the pony's harsh words. “We... we did much, before. But you ignored us and--”

“We? WE ignored you? None of us were ALIVE a thousand years ago! We never even met you! You get one chance at this, ONE! One chance to make an impression on ponies and try to be an sort of anything to us. And all you want to do is throw your tantrums and force us listen to your hate clop about Celestia? You're a princess, try acting like it. Or not, see if I care. Banish everypony. Because like this, you're never going to have anypony who can really stand you. You'll be nothing more than that monster that ponies tell their foals about at night. The one who they will pray night and... well, night, for Celestia to come and defeat.”

Nightmare Moon stared at the panting mare, before slowly lifting a hoof up to her chest. Slowly, she lifted up the notes again and held them before her eyes. Gingerly, she held them out again. “... … … We... are sorry,” she said weakly. “We... approve of this... story. We will not force ponies to read it. We will... allow them, as they please. Will... you tell our story?”

Twilight blinked and slowly took the pages back, before nodding. “Yes, I will. It won't be only what you like, but I will try to keep it as honest as I can. But I won't ignore one side of the story, either.”

“Of course. You are the bard, we will not interfere.”

Twilight nodded and turned to walk out. She then paused. “Ponies won't like your trophies.”

Nightmare Moon paused. “Our trophies?”

“The Elements are fine. But holding Moondancer's friends hostage. Ponies will find out. That's not something Celestia would do. Or a kind, benevolent ruler.” Nightmare Moon didn't respond, so Twilight walked out of the room and closed the door.

She fell to her knees, her legs weak as jelly. She couldn't believe she just yelled at the princess. Oh buck she was going to be executed for sure. Eventually. She had to look down just to make sure she didn't wet herself. Heck, she'd actually cursed at a princess. Cursed! How was she not in the dungeon already?

Twilight gulped as she was escorted to the throne room. She was going to be put in jail. She knew it. She was soooo going to jail. She looked to the guards on either side of her. They looked as nervous as she did. The probably didn't even want to get her, but they had to. It had been a few days since her outburst and now she was here again. The door to the throne room was opened and, to her surprise, Moondancer was waiting there as well, before the throne.

The earth pony gulped and slowly stepped forward, besides the other mare. Well, at least wherever she was going to be imprisoned she'd likely have company. The princess looked down at them.

“Now, Moondancer. I have taken your... request, to heart. Bard, you may take notes.”

Twilight blinked a few times. Wait, she was here as the bard? She eeped, looking around for a pen and paper. Moondancer gave a nervous smile and floated a pair over.

“Now, we are a... merciful ruler. We wish to show compassion to those in our care. Now, we cannot and will not speak of our predecessor. But, so long as you have decided to give your loyalty to us...” Her horn glowed and slowly the orb containing Moondancer's friends was lowered from the throne. “We will release your friends. If you swear your loyalty to us. Your rebellion will be forgiven as the... short sighted mistake it was. But only once.”

The unicorn's eyes widened. “You... will? This isn't a trick?”

“Yes. We came here to rule, not to torment. We would rather you came to love and adore us, not fear and loathe us. As such, mercy must be granted for those who make... foalish decisions. Would you not agree?”

“Yes! Thank you princess! Thank you! I swear myself to you!” The bubble popped and the five ponies within spilled out on the floor, once again pony sized. Moondancer ran forward and hugged them in a pile. “Oh thank goodness!”

Twilight watched, a hoof covering her mouth. She couldn't deny being just the tiniest bit jealous of their friendship. Not that she needed anything like that. Her brother was the only friend she needed and she really needed to visit him in jail soon. She took down a few notes as the mares walked out from the throne room.

She really hoped they didn't try to fight again later.

“Now, there is one more... thing, we desire of you, bard.”

Twilight looked up. “Hm?”

“We have granted a pony the opportunity to design our castle. A... Miss Rarity. She is a common pony, but one apparently of high tastes from a neighboring town. You are to aid her.”

“Aid her? But I know nothing about designing!”

The ruler nodded. “We wish for our castle to show this... ruler that ponies wish to have. That they would love. You will help her create one from your... stories.”

Twilight blinked and then slowly nodded. “I... suppose that can work. I'll do my best, princess. Is uhhh, is that all?”

“Yes. You will find her in the main hall, awaiting your arrival.”

The earth pony nodded before giving a bow, then trotting out.

She hoped she was up to redesigning the castle with this Miss Rarity. Writing a story about that ruler was hard enough, she'd hate to see what would happen if the castle failed to meet her expectations.

Author's Note

And so on that note the story is complete! I'm sure most can see where this would eventually go. And so the second story of my three short stories is now done. :D
It's been more popular than I expected(yay!) and considering that, I might come back to add more to it as time goes on. For now though, ending where I wanted, with the seeds of Twilight's new life planted firmly in the ground.
Starting tomorrow, I'll begin the third and final short story.

S1 CH 3. Design our castle

Author's Note

And so it begins. I know a lot of people seemed pretty happy about this story, so I decided a while ago to continue it. Now, fair warning. I don't know how often I'll post, namely because, well... it's a side project. But I'm almost done with the Avatar series(expecting to be finished in a few months) and after that I don't have any big stories planned. I still have my own personal books I'll be writing, which will be taking priority, but I do plan to write an outline for this story in the coming week. So while I do plan on writing this story to completion now, I do not expect it to be fast in coming, so please bear with me.

In addition, just as another warning... this story will be long. The entire thing was just supposed to be a short one shot, setting up the premise and ending with her meeting the first of her friends(Rarity.) From there, people were supposed to be able to kind of imagine how the story went.

Now, though? I intend this to be a pretty big story. Her being born an earth pony can affect EVERYTHING, from Nightmare Moon all the way to Tirek and even Discord, possibly Sunset Shimmer. So please make sure to be patient and hope you enjoy it.

So now, without further ado, you requested it and I have problems saying no, the continuation of Twilight Glow!

3. Design our castle

Twilight took a slow, deep breath before she walked into the main hall. Standing in it was one of the most gorgeous unicorns she'd ever seen. Every aspect of the mare practically reeked of class, authority and elegance. She had a small book held in her magic and was in the midst of comparing the curtains to a small batch of color splotches she was carrying around.

Twilight couldn't help feeling a little plain around a pony like that. She shook her head and trotted forward. “Ah. Hello. Miss Rarity?”

“Hmmm?” She turned around and blinked. “Ah, no worries, dear. I'm merely waiting for the princess' representative. I'm fine as it is.” She looked back to the curtain.

“I am the princess' representative. Kind of.”

Rarity paused, and then looked back. She looked her up and down and for a moment, Twilight felt extremely worried. She felt as if the mare was somehow... measuring her. Examining every facet of her at once. Finally, the unicorn nodded. “I see. Well, dear, you truly must get some better clothes. I assumed you were one of the servants.” Her horn glowed and then a few nearby bags were lifted into the air. “One moment.”

Twilight blinked, then scowled. She wasn't THAT plain. She just never liked dressing up. “Now, Miss Rarity, I--” She let out a yelp before the mare assaulted her! There were scissors, rulers, fabric, tape and at one point a pin cushion. The earth pony never stood a chance as she was swept up into the madness that was the mare, too stunned to even cry out.

Then, as soon as it had started, it was over. A mirror was put in her face and she let out a soft gasp. She was wearing the finest purple saddle, her mane was combed down, flowing around her face. The saddle had delicate gems all around the edges, with one over her chest. She stared at herself, unable to believe it. She had NEVER been able to do with with her hair. Well, aside from when she used enchanted brushes, but they were such a pain to keep recharging, she usually just let her hair do what it wanted. She smiled at herself, feeling just a little pride.

She... looked wondrous. She couldn't believe it. Her eyes wandered to the other mare's bag, how had she managed to store so many things inside it?

“See, darling, you look positively spectacular! If you are to be of such a high position, you really should wear things that show it,” Rarity said with a knowing nod. She then reached out and brushed her hair back. “Besides, you have wonderfully soft features for an earth pony, you should play to them. It doesn't do to just hide them away.”

Twilight nodded slowly, unsure if the mare was trying to help or be insulting. “I... err, I see. Now, ummm, about the redecoration. The princess has asked me to aid you in this endeavor. However, I am afraid I... cannot offer much advice. The princess wants something that will...” She frowned and tapped her chin. What did the princess want?

No, that wasn't right. What the princess wanted was usually not anything like what she needed. “She needs something safe.”

“Safe, dear?”

“To make ponies feel safe. To feel like she'll protect them.”

Rarity just stared. “I'm... afraid I don't quite follow. The princess informed me she wanted something that showed the world her power. How she was--”

“Don't listen to the princess. Well, do listen to the princess, but... ugh, there's this whole... thing with her. You need to know how to read between the lines. What she wants is not necessarily what she needs.”

“Ahhhh, I see,” the designer said sceptically. “I... errr... am not sure I should...”

Twilight blinked, then face hoofed. “Would... you hold on just one teensy, tinsy, itsy bitsy moment?”

“Of course, dear.”

Twilight nodded and then raced back to the throne room. The princess was sitting on her throne and instantly turned a glare on the earth pony. “Ah, bard. You return so quickly?”

“Yes, I do. Did you threaten this designer?”

The princess nodded. “Of course. If she fails in her duties, then we will tear apart her family line. Dishonor and shame will follow them from this day forth, all of their ranks and priv...” The princess paused at the look she was getting. “We... have... mis stepped?”

Twilight face hoofed so hard she actually flipped over. “Ahhh! Ow!”

“Bard, your antics are amusing, but you are a bard, not a jester.”

She slowly got back to her hooves and shook her head. “Right. Okay, princess. The threatening of ponies isn't... good. You want to be loved and adored, right?”

“Of course. We are the rightful ruler of this realm and all shall kneel and revel in us!”

“Then you need to try showing a little compassion.”

“What? We have shown much! You would have us lie down and roll over for our subjects? Humble ourselves before them?”

Twilight licked her lips as she tried to think of the proper way to word this. Finally she nodded and grinned. “Princess, you are the most powerful being around, correct?”

“Indeed. Far beyond in power to our sister or anything else.”

“Good. Mercy isn't a show of weakness, it is a sign of strength.”

The princess stared. “Excuse... us?”

“You are the most powerful being in all of Equestria. So far beyond anything we could ever hope to fight or oppose. You don't need to remind us. You don't need to flaunt it. You're too strong for that. Too powerful. We're... much weaker and smaller than us, that means you need to be gentle, kind. Protective. Not threatening. You wouldn't crush one of your glasses in your magic, would you? No, you need to be gentle so as to keep it from shattering.”

The princess scowled. “But this servant must not fail.”

“If you torment or hurt her for failing, it will do more damage to your appearance than anything she could ever do. Ponies will see that and decide that that's all you'll ever be. Hurt and abuse those of us who try and fail. Even worse when your expectations are too high.”

The princess glared and slowly got to her hooves. “I will not allow this pony to fail me.”

“I'm not asking you to not expect good things from her. Just don't threaten her and her loved ones over it. If you do, you'll just make her and all the other ponies more scared and more likely to try rebelling. They'll end up seeing you as nothing more than a tyrant and... long for Celestia.” That made the alicorn's eyes twitch.

The princess slowly moved over to her and circled. Twilight had the sneaking suspicion that the princess was considering devouring her whole. Ending her life there and now. Finally, the princess turned away and walked back towards her throne. “Very well. But bard, you continue to ask much of us. For now I will... allow your suggestions. But should you think to lead us astray...”

“Of course not, your highness,” Twilight said quickly. “I only wish to serve.” 'And keep as many ponies from having their lives ruined by you as possible,' she mentally added. She paused. “And... I'm going to do everything I can to make this exactly what ponies will need. What they will want. So if there's a failure, it falls on my hooves. Not hers.”

The princess frowned, but slowly nodded. “That is... acceptable. Do not think you will not be punished for failure, however.”

“Of course not, your highness.” She quickly turned and walked out of the room, letting the guards close the door behind her. She gave another shudder. She wasn't sure how long she could keep doing this, she was already on the verge of a breakdown. She forced a smile on her face as she walked back to the main hall. “Ah, miss Rarity?”

The mare glanced back. “Oh, yes?”

“I'm afraid we may have gotten off on the wrong hoof. My name is Twilight Glow, I'll be functioning as Princess Nightmare Moon's representative during these times.” She took a slow, deep breath. “The threats she levied against you are now moot. I apologize for that. The princess is known to get a bit... excited. I only ask that you try your best. If you are unable to meet our expectations, we will find somepony else and you will be allowed to leave. Without your life and future being ruined or destroyed. We swear.”

Rarity nodded nervously. “O-of course. I--” She paused. “Wait, Twilight Glow?”

“Yes.”

“As in... the author?”

The earth pony blinked, before slowly nodding. “Why... yes. You've read my books?”

“Oh, no. I'm afraid not. But my dear friend Fluttershy is a great fan of your work. She's read everything you've ever written.”

Twilight blushed. “O-oh. Well, I'd love to meet her some day. I always love my fans.” She gave a sigh. “Especially now. I imagine I won't have many after this ordeal ends. If it ends...” she muttered softly under her breath.

“Of course. She always said such good things about you, it's hard to believe you're working for... err...”

The earth pony sighed again. “I am working for the princess, yes. Before all of... this happened I was working on a story with Princess Celestia. When Princess Nightmare Moon arrived, I... well... had my options changed quickly. I am now in the midst of trying to create a proper story in order to explain the desires and goals of our new princess. In a manner to help alleviate some of their fears. Most of their fears.” She smiled at the unicorn. “The... princess is not exactly the best at asking. May I ask how you were chosen?”

She sighed. “I was in charge of the decorations for the Summer Sun Celebration. She claimed if I was chosen by Celestia... well...” She shuffled her hooves.

“I see,” Twilight said with a frown. “Well, don't worry. I know exactly what we need to do. I know nothing of actual design work, but... I'm sure you can help me with my actual ideas.”

“Oh, of course. How shall we start?”

Twilight rubbed her chin and looked around. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. “Okay. The first thing... we need a sense of familiarity. Colors that make the place seem lighter than it is. I'm pretty doubtful I could convince Nightmare Moon to raise the sun now. Or ever, for that matter. But ponies come in, they'll want something lighter. Something that reminds them that they can feel safe here. Happy. And warm. The place needs to be nice and cozy.”

Rarity nodded. “I... suppose I could keep to lighter shades, but she said she wanted to show power...”

“She already has power. She took over the entire country in less than a few days. Already ponies are quickly submitting to her will. What she needs is the will of the people. She needs ponies to see that she's not all bad, all evil. She's just...” Twilight shook her head. “Anyway, if we can start the court again, give ponies a chance to come here and meet her, then that'll make things easier. It'll help them to understand the pony that's inside. It'll also help her learn how to better... cope with these new times. The way ponies think now and-- wait. Puddinghead. I never got to ask her about the vampires!”

“Ex... cuse me?” Rarity asked, staring at the earth pony.

“What? Oh, nothing. Just... ugh, I need to get that story from her eventually. Later. For now, focus,” she mumbled as she walked around, looking sceptically. “We need to start the court as soon as possible. A night court, I suppose. One where all ponies can meet here. We'll need to... control who can come see her, at first. At least until she can get her anger under control. There will be a lot of unhappy ponies wanting to talk with her.”

Rarity was making wild gestures with her hooves, but Twilight couldn't begin to imagine what they meant.

“They'll probably yell or demand the sun be raised and I'm not sure how she'll handle that. Maybe for now stick with smaller things. The kinds of things that Celestia was going to be dealing with. Oh! We could host a gala! Make up some kind of celebration. Show that she isn't as terrifying as... well, as she is.”

Rarity was doing the oddest little dance now, her eyes wide.

“She's really not so bad, honestly. She's terrifying as buck, but I think once she calms down a bit and develops a bit more empathy, she won't be so bad. I think so long as everypony is careful, we can manage to keep her from trying to kill us all. So, bright colors, but warm. Kind of like... someplace where ponies can be warm, safe and comfortable. Not sterile, though. Kind of like... I don't know, a--”

“You wish for ponies to sleep through their encounters with us?” Nightmare Moon asked, making Twilight jump and quickly turn around, backing away rapidly.

“Y-your highness, I-I wasn't, that's not at all what I was thinking!” Twilight said quickly. “I just thought--”

“We are the ruler of all Equestria!” the mare boomed. “Our ponies should be grateful to be in our presence, not napping through the encounter!”

Twilight squeaked and lowered herself to the ground, gulping. “I-it's just, I thought... p-ponies might respond more... p-positively to it. They'd like you more. T-they'd want to be around you more.”

Nightmare Moon glowered at her. After a few moments, she nodded. “Do go on, bard. But remember, the ice on which you tread is quite thin.”

The earth pony nodded. “T-this is... a very dramatic shift for us. For all ponies. We're used to Celestia, we lo--” She barely caught herself from saying 'love'. She did not think the princess would appreciate that. “We... cared deeply for her. We felt safe. Ponies will be scared with this new change and won't want to come and speak with you otherwise. They--”

“If they do not wish to speak with us, then they need not! We do not require their acceptance!”

The earth pony took a slow, deep breath, before nodding. “I... I guess there's no need for that.” She chewed on her lower lip. “I mean, just because Princess Celestia did it and ponies loved it, doesn't mean they'll like it when you do it.”

There was a pause from the princess and... slowly she looked down at the mare. “They... loved that mare for it?”

“Ponies came from all over Equestria for a chance to meet with the princess. They could bring their grievances or problems before her, ask her for help or advice. Sometimes ponies came just to bask in her presence.”

Doubt started to flutter across the alicorn's features. “Per... haps this is... not such a foalish idea as we thought. This does indeed sound like a... delightful way for our subjects to show their love and adoration for us.”

Twilight nodded. “But it would be a lot of work, your highness. If ponies feel scared when they're here, they won't be able to... properly bask in your presence. They'll want to flee from you and hide.”

The princess nodded. “We... suppose our magnificence is much for ponies to take in at once.”

“Exactly! But you're the princess of the night, right? If we show ponies the joys of the night. The comfort, the security, the warmth. The gentleness of slumber, the pleasure of dreams.”

“You wish for ponies to sleep through my nights?” Nightmare Moon snapped angrily.

“N-no! Of course not! But, err, if we remind them of... what they like about the night. Love. Love about the night, then they'll be happier here. Show them the beauty of it. Such as... shooting stars. The great moon. So many different things that only the night can bring.”

The alicorn stared at her, before slowly nodding. “We... suppose there is logic in what you say. Make it so, bard.”

“O-of course your highness.”

She watched the mare walk away, before letting out a sigh of relief.

“That was amazing!” Rarity said as she moved over. “Dear, how ever did you get her to listen like that? Standing up to her, as well. It... Twilight?”

The earth pony whimpered. Her entire body had locked up in fright. “I-I'll be honest. About ninety percent of it is just trying desperately not to wet myself. The rest of it is being so terrified I can't run even if I thought I could escape,” she said weakly. “C-can you help me up?”

“Oh, of course darling,” Rarity said before moving to gently nudge the mare to her hooves. “However do you do it?”

“Logic. Cold hard logic,” Twilight muttered, before smiling. “She's really... easy once you know how to push the right buttons.” She then shuddered. “Wait, easy is not the right word. Terrifying but barely workable. Yes, that.”

“Do you think we'll be able to do it, dear? I mean... creating a place that makes a pony feel safe, here?”

“I think the harder part will be making her not yell and scream at ponies,” Twilight muttered, before giving a nod. “I think it'll be doable, though. Not easy, but doable.”

Rarity nodded, before looking back towards the retreating princess. “And... of her... I mean... the princess. Celestia. Is there... any... hope?”

Twilight shook her head. “I don't think so. At least... not unless Nightmare Moon releases her. Where ever she is, whatever has been done with her, nopony can tell. But... we'll have to...” She took another deep breath. “So, how about we work out the details a bit more? Light, but reveling in the night. I'm thinking... nebulas and shooting stars. But more a gentle, happy glow.” She blinked. “And we need to make it authentic. Fortunately I do have a minor in astronomy.”

Rarity nodded. “Of course. I'll start designing a few samples immediately.”

“Good, good. Will... you be okay on your own for a little bit? I... really need to go meet with somepony.”

“Oh, of course dear. I'll be in my work space. I... assume the guards will show you the way.”

Twilight nodded before walking off. Before anything else, there was one place she had to go. Somepony in particular she had to see.

Somepony locked in the dungeons who wasn't going to be at all happy.

S1 CH 4. Talk and walk

4. Talk and walk

The earth pony gulped as she slowly walked down the steps into the dungeons. She'd only been down here a few times in the past, but it had always been with her brother and during the day. Now the hallway leading to it was dark and the torches did little to remove the feeling of unease. Even though she knew she was in no danger, she couldn't help practically tip hoofing as she walked.

Then she made it down to the bottom layer and she froze in place. There were dozens of cells. Last time there had only been a few ponies locked away, namely for minor things. Most were just sleeping whatever had put them here off. But now each and every cell was filled to the brim, four or five ponies in each. A few looked up, but barely glanced at her.

“Shiny?” she called out.

“Twiley?” his voice came from down the hall. She galloped forward, soon turning to one of the prisons and gasping, a hoof going up to her mouth.

“Shiny? You're... you're... playing poker?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. Six ponies were in the cell, sitting at one of the tables and dealing cards to each other. They even had little poker hats on. He waved.

“I've been down here for years, Twily. It gets boring.”

“It hasn't even been a month,” she said flatly. “But, okay, boring makes sense. Sorry I haven't come to visit you, I--” Her eyes widened. “Oh mom and dad must be panicking by now.”

He blinked. “Wait, what? You haven't sent them a message? How could you not send them a message!”

“I-I've been busy!” she said defensively, adding it to the list of things she had to do.

He frowned. “Oh, I've heard. What is this about you joining Nightmare Moon? Becoming her bard?”

She sighed and then yelped. She couldn't help but notice almost all the cells had eyes on her. “It's... it's not how it sounds. Really.”

“Celestia will come back and over throw her, Twily. If you've--”

“Maybe, but that's besides the point,” Twilight said quickly. “I am NOT serving her. Well, I am, but... it's a long story. I'm trying to get to the bottom of all of this.”

He got up and moved to the bars. Some of the glares from the guards leveled off, but most were still aimed at her. “Bottom of this?”

“Yes. Exactly who she is and what her intentions are. I've found out so much, Shiny,” she said softly. “But that's not what's important. I'm writing this out.”

He scowled. “You're writing a BOOK about this? This isn't the time, it's--”

“It's the perfect time! Ponies are out there right now, afraid. They don't know what's going on, they don't know where the princess is. They don't know if they're in danger. I'm learning what's going on. Celestia is alive, but... I don't think she'll be coming back. And ponies aren't in danger. Well, they might be imprisoned, but she doesn't want to hurt or kill us. She wants...” She blinked and lowered her gaze. “She wants us to love her. To adore her. It's... kind of sad, really. In a lot of ways she's like a little child throwing a tantrum.” She took a deep breath. “And I can get this information out to ponies. Let them know what's going on. Remove the fear, give them the knowledge. Let them know EXACTLY who she is and what she wants.”

For a moment there was silence. Then she felt something hit her flank. “Ow!” She looked down and saw the remains of a sandwich. “Who--” Then another. Followed by an apple core, and a pillow.

“Get out of here, moon lover!” a voice yelled out.

“Hey, knock it off!” Shining yelled, stomping a hoof, but the others ignored him. Twilight let out a shriek as more things were leveled at her, fortunately nothing too big. She turned and raced out from the cells, being peppered by garbage the whole way. She finally made it up the steps and out of the cells, the refuse falling off her with every step. She could still hear them yelling.

“Get out of here!”

“Traitor!”

“Go back to your false queen!”

Her eyes were filled with tears but she struggled to keep them in, to hold them back. She kept her face low as she walked out through the halls, passing the servants and guards who barely looked at her. Not that there were very many. A lot of ponies still tried to avoid the palace. She made her way towards the garden entrance, taking a deep breath as she stepped outside and felt the cool night air. Of course, it was always cool night air. They couldn't have cool day air anymore.

With that, she felt the dams break. The tears began to flow and she charged forward, running into the garden and away from the castle. Away from those angry ponies. Most importantly, away from the Nightmare. She ran and ran, racing through the mazes and all the plants until she couldn't run anymore.

Then she fell down to her knees and sobbed, covering her face with her hooves and cried like a filly. She wasn't a traitor. She didn't want to serve Nightmare Moon. She wanted to be writing books, talking with fans, working with her editor. She wanted to run away, leave this castle forever and pretend none of this ever happened.

But she couldn't. She... could control Nightmare. Not very well, but she seemed to be able to stop her from doing things that were too bad. Even worse, she didn't know if others could. She had a unique position to give ponies all the information they needed to feel safe, to be safe. To help them understand what was going on. Even if it meant they hated her. The princess listened to her. Who knew? In a few months, she might even be able to convince her to release Celestia. Or years. Or decades. Or...

She sobbed again, so hard it shook her entire body as she laid on the ground, unable to keep the pain in any longer. She wanted to go home. She hated it here. She was just an earth pony, a simple earth pony. She wanted to write her stories, like her mother. That was all. She wasn't supposed to be some kind of bard for the princess.

She was so caught in her pain and suffering she didn't notice until her sobbing stopped that there was a soft, gentle warmth on her side. She slowly looked over and saw a little yellow pegasus with a pink mane standing over her, a wing gently holding her. The mare eeped and pulled back. “I... I'm sorry... you just... you s-sounded so...” She kept speaking, but the words got so quiet and soft that Twilight couldn't even hear them.

“I'm sorry?” Twilight said, smiling at the mare as she wiped her eyes. “I... I'm sorry. I just... I was so...” She took a slow, deep breath. “Stressed. Very, very stressed. Are... you here to see the princess?” She received a soft squeak in response. “I'm sorry? I can't hear you.” She moved a little closer and caught something out of the corner of her eye. She glanced up and froze.

A massive monster towered over them, making her words lock in her throat. It had wings, claws, a massive tail and big teeth. It was... in the midst of singing opera?

It took her a moment to realize it wasn't a beast at all, it was some kind of statue. A weird amalgamation of all kinds of different creatures in one. She shook her head and then looked back to the pony. Though the statue still kept trying to draw her eyes. “I'm sorry, what was your name?”

The mare mumbled. Twilight moved in closer. “I'm sorry?”

“F-Flutter... shy...” she whispered so softly that Twilight could only just make out the words. She gave a comforting smile, though she couldn't help feeling a nagging feeling that she'd heard that name before.

“Ah, hello Miss Fluttershy. My name is Twilight Glow, a pleasure to meet you.”

The mare gasped. “T-Twilight Glow? T-the Twilight Glow?”

The earth pony blinked and nodded. “Err... yes? Are you a fan?”

“Ohhh! I've read all your books on Fuzzles the bunny! They are just so adorable and cute and help me whenever I have a bad night!”

Twilight blinked a few times and cocked her head to the side. “Fuzzles? Wait, the...” She bit her lip. She'd written a few filly and colt stories, the Fuzzle series. They hadn't really been a big hit, but they'd done moderately well. She only really worked on them on the side, though, since they weren't very stressful. “Really? I uhhhh... I'm happy you liked them.” She couldn't help but feel the mare was a little bit older than the target audience. But then, who was she to judge? She wrote the things and a fan was a fan regardless. “Are you here to see the princess?”

“Oh... ummm... n-no. I'm... here with Rainbow. Did... did you escape?”

“Escape? No,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. She then paused and looked around. “Wait. Here with Rainbow? Who's Rainbow? And why are you out here in the middle of the night? Well... I guess it's always night now. But still.”

“We're... ummmm... here to rescue Rarity... sorry...” the pegasus said, shuffling her hooves.

Twilight blinked a few more times. “Rarity isn't being held prisoner here. She's helping to design the new--” She paused. “Wait, rescue? Oh... oh dear. That could--” She shook her head and smiled. As troubling as it was to imagine somepony trying to do a rescue operation right now, if this Rainbow was anything like Fluttershy, there was nothing to worry about.

Of course, mere moments later she heard a loud battle cry(for there was nothing else it could possibly be called), followed by the shattering of glass. Twilight gulped. “Oh. Oh no. That's... not your friend by...”

There was a nod from the mare.

“Oh buck.” She turned and raced towards the castle, already she could hear things breaking and the screams. Buck buck buck!

Author's Note

And so begins the meeting of more friends and a bit of foreshadowing. You'll all be happy to know that the rough outline for the series following the first season was finished last night.

It was bucking huge. It's looking like this story will be extremely long so I'm doubtful I'll finish it anytime soon. Buck, the first season alone looks like it'd take 2-3 months of pure dedicated writing just to finish, not even counting breaks. And there's bound to be 6-8 seasons by the time the story is done. And that's with the majority of it from Twilight's viewpoint. But hey, as long as people LIKE the story I see no reason why I'd toss it aside and the premise is fun enough I think it'll be fun to write.

As an aside, this'll probably be the second to last 'short' chapter. I finished these all a while ago and while I'll try to make more short burst chapters, chances are they'll end up being longer since, well... I write longer now. Oops.

S1 CH 6. Punishment

6. Punishment

”WELL, BARD?! WHAT DOEST THOU SAY?!”

Twilight gulped and stared at the princess. She watched her and whimpered. She couldn't stop herself. She was too scared to move, too scared to run. Too scared to do anything but await death.

”WELL?!”

Finally, she cracked. The tears formed in her eyes and she fell on her flank and began to full on bawl. She didn't care if she looked like a foal, she was going to die and she knew it and she didn't care if she looked horrible in her last moments.

She felt the movement as warmth wrapped around her and she waited for the end. It would only take a moment, she hoped. Probably compressed down to the size of a can. She hoped it would be painless.

Instead, nothing happened. The warmth stayed and, more surprising, it was soft. Wings held her close as the princess gazed down at her. Slowly the tears began to fade as she looked up into the eyes of her ruler. Most surprising of all, the rage was gone from them. The look on the ruler's face was soft, gentle. Almost loving. Motherly. Her wings gently wiped the tears away.

“Be calm, bard,” the princess said soothingly. “There is no need to cry.”

Twilight stared, her mouth falling open as she watched. “I... I thought...” she croaked out. “You're... n-not going to... kill me?”

The alicorn sighed and frustration formed on her features as she closed her eyes. She looked torn.

Twilight's eyes widened as a new thought formed in her mind. “Princess... do... do you love us?”

Her eyes opened in shock. “Bard?”

“Us... ponies. Do you love us?”

The princess cocked her head to the side. “Of course we love our subjects. What kind of ruler would we be without the love of those we protect?”

Twilight gulped. “Are... are you going to kill me?”

The princess shook her head. “No. You... are our subject. A foal. But you are ours. You still must be punished, however.”

Twilight nodded. “Thank you...”

Nightmare Moon watched her for a moment. “Was... it truly necessary to ask?”

“I'm sorry?”

“To ask if we loved our subjects?”

Twilight gulped. “W-well... you... did almost kill and tear off the wings of that pegasus.”

“She assaulted us!” the alicorn roared. But then paused. “Why did she?”

“She... thought you had her friend held captive. Rarity. She was... trying to free her.”

The alicorn stared, before pulling away. “A thousand years, and yet it all stays the same,” she said bitterly.

“I'm sorry?”

“Would they have ever suspected their other princess of holding a pony captive? Would they have assaulted her?!” Nightmare Moon asked, slamming a hoof down hard enough to crack the stone.

“W-what?”

“Our sister!”

“W-well, no, I suppose they wouldn't. But--”

“Of course not! Even now, when we are all you can see, still we must stay in her shadow! Why must all of you ponies hate our night so?!” she roared, stomping her hooves yet again.

Twilight cringed. “It's... it's not that. Honest! It's just...” She took a deep breath as she watched the princess. A moment ago she'd been so calm and soothing. Now, however, the anger and pain she was so familiar with was returning. “It's because we don't know. Nopony knows. We're afraid of... what's going to happen. We don't know you.”

“Of course you don't know us!” Nightmare Moon yelled. “We are hidden from you! As our sister wanted, she stood revered and loved by all, while we were cast aside, forgotten and banished!”

Twilight cringed. “I-I wouldn't say--”

The princess turned back to her. “Oh? Tell us, bard. How did you know of us?”

The earth pony gulped. “I... I read about you in a book. It was just an old fairy tale and--”

“Oh course it was! Just a tale, something to tell foals before tucking them in!” she roared again, before she stormed to the throne and sat down on it. She then gestured to the floor. “Very well, bard. You who have had so many questions. You have filled your books with what you thought you needed to ask. But now, let us tell you of who we were. Of what our life was before we were banished.”

Twilight blinked, her eyes widening. “W-what? But--”

“You have asked questions. So many questions. You have begun to weave your story. To know of our fall. But this time... we will tell of who we were. Before we even considered rising up to our wicked sister and dethroning her.”

The earth pony nodded. “Can... I ummm, get a scroll and a pen? I'd like to--” A scroll and quill popped into existence before her. “A-ah. Carry on.”

The princess took a slow, deep breath before closing her eyes. “We... were the princess of the night. Alongside our sister, we protected our subjects. Our ponies. We defeated the greatest of evils. Tirek, Sombra, even Discord. We put our lives on the line for so long, did everything we could to protect our subjects.”

Twilight nodded and made a mental note to research those names later.

“But never the praise fell on us,” she said, her tone cold as ice. “Always our sister was the one who received the glory. The one who ponies praised. Revered.” She gave a shudder. “They would hold... banquets in our honor. Raise statues. But they were always of her. Often there was but one statue, just of her. Or ours was to the side, tiny in comparison. Always in her shadow. But... we persevered. We thought... we believed we were unworthy. Perhaps our elder sister was better than us.” She ground a hoof into the ground. “We... thought perhaps if we tried harder, they would love us as well. But we were wrong.”

Twilight nodded as she took down the notes, glancing up at the princess. That anger was growing, she could almost taste it.

“Our sister was crafty. Wise. We... didn't realize what she was doing. We were foals. But we learned. And now we have had our vengeance.”

“Learned what?”

“Her plot of the day. Of the sun,” the princess said coldly. “She lured ponies away, told them of her beauty, of her glimmering light. She dazzled them, drawing their attention to herself. Always to herself. More and more they were lured in by her... false light. By the time I realized what she had done, what she was doing, it was too late. There was... naught we could do.” Her tone shifted suddenly, going soft and sad. “We... tried to draw our ponies back. To... make them see that we could be... beautiful. We could be dazzling. We could be what they wanted. We created such beauty in the sky. Shows that none had ever dreamed of. Meteor showers, great glimmering night lights far more beautiful than any rainbow. But it was too late. They slept through them. They IGNORED us!” Nightmare Moon yelled. “They always ignored us. Always... refused to listen. When we went to meet with them, they forgot about us. Our requests and thoughts were seen as unimportant to them, useless whining. We would receive only a hoofful of the support that our sister had. We heard their whispers. We saw their dreams. None of them wanted us. None of them thought there was even a need for a second princess. A... back up princess.” She closed her eyes and gave a little shake.

“It was too late. With our sister there, there was naught we could do. For they loved her and would listen to whatever she said. But we... were seen as second best. They would have given their lives for her, but for us, they wouldn't even give their time. Not one night. All of you ponies, all of my lovely subjects, drawn into her light. And that is when we decided. There was only one way to show our glory. To show who we truly were. To show... our subjects that we were not just a... second princess. We would be the only princess.”

Twilight nodded. “And then... you turned into...”

“We forsook the name of Luna,” the mare said coldly. “It was soft, weak. The name of a pony who could do naught but stand in her sister's shadow. We became Nightmare Moon.” Her wings spread out, seeming to radiate out from the throne. She then looked down at Twilight. “We have worked again and again to show ourselves to our subjects. And still you view us with such fright. Almost... hatred.”

The earth pony lowered her eyes. “I... I thought... I mean... Rainbow you were... going to cripple her.”

“She struck us! It is well within our right to punish her!”

Twilight cringed and gave a nod, lowering herself slightly and closing her eyes. “Please... m-mercy...”

Nightmare Moon took a slow, deep breath before closing her eyes. “... Perhaps you... are right. You ponies are such... foals. Yet we do care for you. We will not allow these... attacks to go unpunished any longer. Far too many have taken place.” A hoof was brought to her chin. “But we shall not cripple or kill either of you.” Her eyes widened slightly and her lips formed a small smile. “However, there is one punishment that was long abandoned even in our time. Perhaps it is time it makes its return.”

The earth pony looked up, nervously staring at the alicorn.

Twilight shook as she rocked back and forth in the wagon. The entire wagon jumped a little with every bump, making her nerves shake with it. She looked across the wagon at Rainbow, who was trying to put on a casual, calm face even as they passed by the crowds walking with fearful eyes.

Punishments like this hadn't taken place in millenia, they were thought to be only used in stories or with more barbaric races. Now the crowds had gathered to watch with a frightened fascination, to see if the act would be repeated. When the wagon came to a stop in the courtyard, two guards came to their sides, gently helping them to their hooves. She kept her head high, trying to keep herself from letting the fear show. After all, as terrified as she was, she knew this was only a fraction of what Nightmare Moon was capable of. They would survive this. Probably. She was slowly guided to the stage and stared at the guard who had been tasked with the deed. Strapped to his side was the whip to be used for the punishment. It looked fresh and new, as if it had never been used. She supposed it likely never had. The guard met her eyes for a moment before his gaze turned away and he looked just as desperate to escape as she did. She was led forward and her hooves were locked into position.

“It's fine,” she said softly. “Just... ten lashes each. You can do this,” she said comfortingly to the guard.

“I'm... I'm so sorry,” he said softly.

“I know. We... all do what we must,” she said, before looking out over the crowd. Most of them couldn't look away, they just stared as another guard announced her punishment for the deeds. She doubted most of them even believed it was going to happen, that at any moment Celestia would appear over the horizon and say it was all a big joke. That Nightmare Moon was just a prank, her in a mask.

But there was no Celestia, not anymore. There was just the nightmare. Twilight closed her eyes and waited until she heard the uncoiling of the whip behind herself.

It was just ten, she could endure. Would endure. It probably wouldn't even hurt that bad. She doubted she'd even--

The crack tore through her ears like lightning and for a moment she just stood there, in shock. Then the pain struck and all of her self-assurances evaporated, replaced by a scream that tore from her throat.

Author's Note

This one was a bit harder to write. Namely because I was both trying to show the ferocity of Nightmare Moon, while also showing she did have a merciful side and, after all, she did LOVE her little ponies. Even if she did have anger issues. It took a while to find a fitting punishment that she'd feel was adequate but still merciful enough to not permanently harm her ponies. Here's hoping I succeeded.

Now, onto up side! I finished writing the outline. 52 arcs from here. Probably a few hundred chapters or so(or maybe just 150, I don't know, depends on how long each arc is.) But either way the story will be pretty massive. I've decided to definitely keep the story to just Twilight's view point, if really needed I can write side stories from the other characters or leave it open to interpretation. All in all, though, the story will be pretty big. But it will be a bit before I'm able to get to it. So please be patient and enjoy for now.

S1 CH 7. Recover

7. Recover

Twilight gave a weak whimper as she felt the sting of the cooling cream rubbing on her back. Rarity cringed, but continued gently rubbing it in. “It's going to be okay, dear. In a few days the pain won't even be noticeable. With this ointment, there won't even be any scars after a month.”

Twilight nodded, but couldn't keep the tears from starting to well up in her eyes as the ointment stung her back. She glanced over to Rainbow who was undergoing a similar treatment from Fluttershy. The pegasus had the decency to keep her eyes lowered. “Really, Twilight, I'm sorry. I never meant for--”

“It's fine,” the earth pony said with another groan, followed by a hiss of pain. “You were just trying to protect your friend. It was... really quite noble of you. Rash, ill-considered, thoughtless, hasty, harebrained, but noble.”

“And foal hardy,” Rarity said with a shake of her head. “I mean, truly, what would give you the idea I was being foal napped? I left a note!”

Rainbow cringed again. “A note? What note?”

Rarity groaned and shook her head. “On my door. Did you even TRY to look at my place?”

“What? No, I heard about this whole Nightmare butt showing up and then a bunch of guards came and took you away. I came as soon as I could,” Rainbow said proudly, followed by a low moan of pain and quickly burying her head back in her pillow. Her breathing had gotten faster and it was obvious she was doing everything she could to avoid crying, or at least avoid letting them see her do it. After a few moments her head popped up, eyes wet. “Up tight or not, you're still a ponyvillian!”

Rarity shook her head. “And this, darling, is why you should examine the situation more closely before running off and nearly getting yourself and others killed. Just look at poor Twilight's back, what she had to go through for us.”

“I really am sorry,” Rainbow muttered, lowering her head in shame. “I never--”

“It's fine,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “To be honest, I'm relieved.”

“Relieved?” Rarity asked, her eyes wide. “About a whipping?”

“Uh huh,” the earth pony said before lowering her head. “If the worst she does to any pony is a bit of public whipping, we all might have a chance at surviving this.”

“Worst? Darling, a whipping is hardly a small matter.”

“No, it's not. But it's something we can endure. We can SURVIVE this. When I first met her... well, I thought she was going to kill some of us. Or cripple us. I've SEEN how she can be,” Twilight said before tensing up and instantly regretting it, going loose as she could. “How dangerous and deadly. If the mood took her, she could tear us limb from limb. She would, even. She might feel slightly bad about it later, but at the time?” She gave a shudder. “But this? This'll give her an outlet. A punishment we can suffer, but then survive. As horrible as it sounds, this could be the best thing to happen to us.”

A soft sob came from outside the door and every pony froze. Rarity frowned and slowly moved closer to it, her horn glowing and the door swinging open. Dancer stood in the doorway, frozen in shock. She then, meekly, raised a hoof. “H-hi,” she said softly.

“Moon Dancer?”

The unicorn slowly stepped inside, her eyes lowered. “Twilight... I... I just... I...”

Twilight blinked, looking confused. “Yes?”

“I'm so sorry!” she shrieked, looking on the verge of tears. “I'm so, so sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen. I didn't think it COULD happen! It was all just supposed to be, I mean, my friends and I, we were, if we'd succeeded, I... I-I...”

Twilight stared, her mouth agape. She then gave a little giggle and shook her head. “Oh, Dancer... no. None of this is your fault.”

“It's all my fault! Celestia sent me on a mission to find the Elements of Harmony, and I blew it! I failed! I made my way through all of Nightmare Moon's tricks and traps, then at the eleventh hour I ruined EVERYTHING!” Dancer sobbed and wiped her eyes with her hooves. “I just... I just couldn't do it.”

Twilight frowned and eyed her. “What happened? I mean... why didn't they work? What was the plan?”

“I... I don't know,” Dancer said with a whimper. “I didn't even know about Nightmare Moon. Princess Celestia would do that though, often. She'd set me on a task or a duty and... and then I'd figure it out. I'd grow, I'd learn. That's why she was such a great teacher. I... I didn't know why she wanted me to find them, but I knew I had to. And I knew my friends were important for it.” She wiped her eyes again. “Then the time came. I looked Nightmare Moon in the eyes. You know what she did?”

“What?” Twilight asked softly.

“She broke them! She broke the elements! Destroyed them right before me and my friends! Our only hope at destroying her, at locking her away, gone in an instant!”

The earth pony blinked. “Destroy her?”

“I... I don't know,” Dancer said with a shake of her head. “I assume destroy her. I mean... well... it was...” She took a slow, deep breath. “That's why we were there. To begin with. To stop Nightmare Moon. I mean, I didn't know that but Princess Celestia obviously did. She trusted me to defeat her, to wield the elements. But... I couldn't.”

Twilight frowned and cocked her head to the side. “Couldn't? Why?”

“I don't know! I tried everything! We beat her there, we tried touching them, rubbing them, hitting them with our hooves. NOTHING worked. They just kind of... stood there. This is all my fault, I am so sorry Twilight. If I had--”

“It's NOT your fault!” Twilight snapped, glaring at the mare and shocking her into silence. “None of this is any more your fault than it is mine, or Rainbow's, or anyponies. Nightmare Moon came, she saw, and she's doing whatever it is she wants. There's nothing ANY of us can do to stop her, but I'll be bucked if you think I'm going to let some poor pony accept all the blame for all of... this! Do you think if we could just stop her easily, if just one of us could do it, then she'd have us under her hooves? No! We'd have fought her off by now, beaten her back! But we can't.” She paused and lowered her eyes. “I'm not sure what any of us can do at this point. But we can't wallow in our misery, blaming ourselves for things out of our control. Moon Dancer, you were the princess's pupil. Maybe there is something you can find, something that you missed. Maybe. If you can find it, great. If not... well... we'll figure something out. One way or another.”

The other mare nodded, eying her for a moment before sighing. “Can... can you really forgive me?”

“You didn't do this. There's nothing that needs to be forgiven.”

Dancer nodded softly, lowering her eyes and rubbing the tears out. “T-thank you. And... and Twilight... I... I don't know if there's anything I can do, but--”

“Just tell me what you know. Everything you know about the elements. How were they supposed to defeat her?”

“I don't know,” Dancer mumbled. “I thought they'd just... destroy her. As bad as she was.”

Twilight closed her eyes. “That doesn't make any sense, though...”

“Huh?”

“In the story, the Mare in the Moon. Locked away for a thousand years. I mean... I guess... well... if it was that easy to just destroy her, why not do it then? Why lock her up for a thousand years and destroy her now?”

Dancer gave a small shrug. “I... don't know. Maybe she couldn't? Maybe it was just to banish her for another thousand years?”

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “I guess. But that... seems almost crueler. Just locking her away every thousand years? That would drive any pony to insanity. Especially...” She glanced towards the door. “I mean, as bad as she is...”

“What, you aren't actually saying she doesn't DESERVE to be locked up, are you?” Rainbow asked.

“... I won't deny she's...” Twilight rubbed her chin. “Difficult. A complete pain in the flANK!” She shrieked when Rarity hit a nerve with her rubbing.

“Sorry, sorry dear! Please, just keep still!”

“R-right. I mean, she's a pretty... wicked pony. I won't deny that. But, well... a thousand years of being locked away and alone? That would be horrifying. For any pony.” She then paused. “Could any of you really see Celestia submitting a pony to that a second time?”

Silence reigned in the room and the ponies looked between each other.

Twilight sighed and shook her head, cringing when she did it. “Maybe I'm just over thinking things, though. I mean... there's no proof to any of my theories or, well, anything. I just can't help but feel that... there's something else to all this. Maybe it was supposed to strip her of her power. Can that happen to an alicorn?” She laid her head down on the pillow and sighed. “Something just outside my grasp.”

Dancer nodded. “I'm sorry, I wish I could--” She froze and gasped. “I-I'm being summoned. I'll see you soon, Twilight. I hope. I hope the pain subsides!” She then turned and galloped off.

Rarity sighed and slowly dabbed more cream on the earth pony's back. “I think you might be missing the obvious. Celestia... might have just messed up. As horrible as it is to say.”

Twilight nodded. “I suppose. Perhaps she thought a thousand years of solitude would help calm Luna down. I can understand why she didn't want to kill her own sister.”

Silence reigned in the room and the ponies stared at her. Then, in unison. “SISTER?!” Followed by “Ow,” from Rainbow.

Twilight blinked and chuckled. “Ah. Right. Yes. Her sister. She's uhhh... Celestia's sister. It seems. I'm not sure if it's biological or... well, there are still a lot of questions I haven't had answered.” She gave another sigh and buried her head in her pillow.

“What do you mean sister? Nightmare Moon is Princess Celestia's SISTER? But she's evil!” Rainbow said, shaking her head and cringing.

“She's... brutal,” Twilight muttered. “I've spent enough time around her that I'd hesitate to call her straight evil. But she is definitely not nice, or sweet. But there may still be some good in her, some... possible piece of Celestia within her. It's really just a matter of if she'll ever show it to us. If we can use it to maybe fix things.”

“I'll be honest, dear, I'm quite interested in hearing all that it is you've learned,” Rarity said firmly. “I mean, this is simply... I'm not sure if it's good, or horrifying news, to be honest.”

Twilight sighed. “You're right. Ughhhh. Rarity, can you get me my notes from my room? If I'm going to be laid up in bed, I should get back to work. There's... a lot of information I need to get out to ponies.” She closed her eyes. “A lot...”

Rarity paused, eying the mare. She then shook her head. “No. I think now is not the time for that. In fact, I'm sorry we asked.”

“What?” Rainbow asked.

“You're hurt and exhausted, now is not the time for you to worry about explaining these things to us. There will be plenty of time once you're healed. For now, how about a snack?” She pulled out a small bag. “These are from a good friend of ours from Ponyville. Here.”

“I'm not really hun--” Twilight had the small pastry stuffed into her mouth and coughed. She glared at the unicorn. However, after a few moments she chewed and swallowed, staring down at the treat. “That... that has to be the greatest apple... what is it?”

“An apple fritter,” the unicorn said.

“What, Applejack packed us apple fritters?” Rainbow asked. “Sweeeeet. That almost makes the whipping worth it. OW!”

“Sorry,” Fluttershy said meekly.

“Applejack?” Twilight asked.

“A... delightfully rugged pony. She works on Sweet Apple Acres down in Ponyville. They make some of the most delectable, if quaint, apple treats. Perhaps if we are able to steal you away from the castle sometime, you can meet her. I believe you two would get along just fabulously.”

“Mmmm, if she cooks like this, I might just have to,” Twilight said with a chuckle, nibbling on her pastry. She hated to admit it, but the mare was right. She was hurt, that meant she needed to rest and recover. The ponies of Equestria would just have to wait a little longer for now. She just hoped nothing too bad would happen before then.

Author's Note

And here we are, a new chapter! Hope you guys all enjoy it!

So, uhhh, been a while since posted things and lately I've really, really been in a funk. I don't know why. I just feel like the midas of writers, except everything I touch turns to... well, it's definitely not GOLD, I'll say that. The king, not the mechanic. I've been trying to think of a fun way to interact with all my fans, hoping that'll drive me out of it.

And I figured it out! A contest! I wanna see what you guys can do(if that's okay, if you want. If this is too much, please let me know.)

So, the rules are simple. Fan art contest, draw ANY fan-art from the Twilight Glow verse. It can be ANYTHING. Something from a scene you've read, something you think will happen, something you want to happen, something that probably won't happen but you thought would be a cool picture anyway. Just keep it safe for work. Then post it on imgur, photobucket or deviantart(make sure you post it on your account, please), and either post the link in the comments or send it to me in mail. After around... ohhhh... the end of season 1, we'll hold a big vote and the winner will get the prize!

Now, what's the prize you ask? An interview with me! ... Okay, no, that'd be dumb. The actual prize is a few things. 1st. In the tv series, the harmony treasure took the form of a box. This time, it won't. It'll be something worn(like a necklace, scepter, some kinda accessory/etc.) The winner gets to choose what form it takes! Next, that pony will get their OC in a cameo in the series. This is ANY OC. Even alicorns. But the type of cameo may vary(for example, an alicorn OC would likely be in a book or something.)

And I might add another prize. Is there anything anyone would particularly like from me? I'm a woman of very few talents so not a lot I can do. I'll post a link to the contest blog where all the art will be gathered.

Contest link: Contest clicky click

S1 CH 8. Royalty

8. Royalty

Twilight cringed when she slowly put a cloak on her back, letting out a light hiss of pain. It was still better than it had been, at least. She could even sleep on her back, even if it was fairly uncomfortable. While Rarity had to return to Ponyville, a guard and sometimes Dancer had taken over putting the ointment on.

Still, she would have preferred more time off than just one week. But the guard watching her had insisted that she come with him. She slowly moved besides him. “Let's go see her,” she muttered softly. “Are you sure you can't tell me why I'm being summoned?”

He shook his head. “My apologies, Lady Glow. I would if I could, but I was just ordered to come and get you for record keeping purposes. I didn't see what all the excitement was about.”

Twilight sighed and looked around. The place was getting slightly more alive with each day, with more servants being willing to show their faces. Sadly, most of those faces were still frightened. There had been a few more public lashings, but only a hoofful so far. The earth pony hoped that would be it.

Her heart started to sink when she arrived at the doors to the throne room and she saw the guards. Normally they looked so stoic. But today they looked... she swore one of them had been crying. They looked away when she caught their eyes, only reaching out to open the door and then look away.

Then she saw why. Two ponies were standing before the princess. A white unicorn with long blond hair and a very pink alicorn. Prince Blueblood and Princess Cadence. Her heart nearly jumped into her throat and she started to step forward. “Cadence!” she cried, before freezing.

Nightmare Moon merely chuckled from her throne as her eyes fell on the mare. “Ah, bard. We see you have the strength to answer our summons. We do find it quite interesting that you never told us your brother was dating a princess. We imagine such a fact would come up often in conversation. Tell us, are there any other members of royalty dating your family? Perhaps the prince is dating your cousin?” Her voice sounded almost amused, as opposed to the rage the earth pony had expected.

Twilight shook her head, eying the two chained ponies. Both of them had their heads down. She had to give Blueblood credit, she'd always imagined him a bit of a prat from the few times they'd met, but at least he seemed to have a good idea when to keep his head down and mouth shut. Twilight stepped forward besides the throne, opposite Dancer who looked like she was about to throw up. Pen and paper appeared in front of her. All she could do was feel more dread.

“Now that our bard has arrived...” Nightmare Moon said slowly before her eyes scanned over the two and a frown replaced her smirk. “Prince Blueblood and Princess Cadence. The... previous ruler gave you such titles in our absence. We imagine you may have felt power and prestige from these titles. However, neither of you are required anymore. Celestia was weak. We are not so. However, as a... prince and princess, we cannot just let you go. Such... things may lead to rebellion.” The frown on her face darkened. “It would be well within our powers and rights to have you executed. To leave your bloody heads upon the castle gates, so all could know of our power.”

Twilight bit her tongue, feeling the fear rise in her. Blueblood managed to look paler, as if he might fall over at any moment.

“In fact, had we found you weeks prior, that may have been your fate.” Her eyes then fell on Twilight. “However, we are a merciful ruler.” Her wings slowly unfolded. “While it would be simple to destroy you for one such as us, what would be the point? We are strong enough to not fear you. Instead we have decided... to offer you mercy.”

Twilight's heart almost leaped. She looked up at Nightmare Moon, the mare's face in a wide, fanged grin once again.

“We cannot allow you to go free at this time, however. While our power and mercy is great, we have learned that our ponies can be quite... foalish. Were we to release you, they may once again get foalish notions of rebellion.”

Twilight looked between the prince and princess. Neither looked happy or relieved by this news. But she couldn't help feeling giddy. It looked like Nightmare Moon wouldn't be killing them. It was better than she'd hoped.

“As such, instead the two of you will be banished to Tartarus, where you will remain imprisoned for the time being. Your ruler has spoken.” Nightmare Moon's horn glowed and blue fire erupted around the two.

“Wait!” Blueblood said, but in a flash blue fire erupted around them and the two were gone.

Twilight stared, her mouth open in shock. She then looked towards Nightmare Moon. “Your... your highness?”

“You are dismissed,” Nightmare Moon said to the guards before looking down at Twilight. “Yes, bard?”

“They... are they...?”

“They will be fine,” the alicorn said with a shake of her head. “We have... listened to your words, bard. Perhaps you are right. My little ponies are... delicate.” She gazed down at Dancer, who yiped and quickly looked away. “Fragile. Easily broken. Were we to unleash all of our power upon them, surely they would break. But we cannot just allow two who bear royal names to travel freely, now can we?”

“O-of course not!” Twilight said quickly, her eyes wide. “But... they'll be--”

“Released, soon,” the alicorn said with a slow nod. “They are not a threat to us now, but until we are certain that none will try to use them for some... foalish attempt at rebellion, they will remain imprisoned.” She paused. “However, soon there will be no need to keep any of my ponies imprisoned.” The smile returned to her lips. “That is what you desired, is it not, bard? What a... kind ruler would do?”

“What? Yes! Very kind! Good!” she said with a rapid nod, before looking to Dancer and giving her a gesture with her head.

“What? Oh! Right, it's what... errr... i-it'll make ponies happy,” the unicorn said nervously.

“Good. Now, you have seen our deeds, bard. Ensure you remember them when you write your story. Our ponies will need to learn much of our mercy,” Nightmare Moon said with a shake of her head before climbing out of her throne and walking to the door.

Twilight and Dancer shared a look for a few moments. Finally, the earth pony spoke up. “That... that was her, wasn't it? I mean... I didn't just imagine that?”

“That... was her. I'm certain,” the unicorn said softly. “I... I thought for sure that the princess was... well...”

Twilight nodded and felt a small swelling of relief washing through her. “This... this might be it.”

“What?”

“Relief! Maybe she's calming down. Maybe there is a chance this will all work out in the end,” she said with a small chuckle. “Maybe she'll even let Celestia go.”

Dancer frowned and eyed the door. “I... I don't think so.”

“What? Why?”

“I just...” The unicorn shuddered. “I think... there's something else. Something about how... calm she was. How she watched them. How... I don't know. I just... I feel there's something else. Like maybe she has plans.”

“Maybe she wants to make Cadence her co-rul...” Twilight blinked and shook her head. “Okay, no. That's not happening. Maybe like a student princess? Or a... mayor? A general? I mean...” She then blanched. “Oh. Like... she is with you. Moon Dancer, I'm so sorry. I never even thought about how this must be for you. Being her student and all. Are... are you doing okay?”

The unicorn blinked, then shook her head. “No! I mean, yes. I'm fine. I'm...” She glanced to the side. “It's... terrifying, you know? She's... well... always there. She keeps tossing subjects and... tasks at me. Magics I never even imagined. And then she watches me and...” She shuddered. “It's not so bad, though. I mean, if it was Celestia doing this, I'd probably be so happy. But Nightmare Moon... every time I fail...”

“Does she hit you?”

“No. But she doesn't have to. The way she watches me, I'm so afraid that when I fail, she'll take it out on my friends. They're safe now but...” She looked up at her. “But it's what we have to do, isn't it? If we want to keep others safe then... we have to do this.”

Twilight blushed and looked down. “Yes... we do. I... don't envy you, though. Being her student. I'm lucky to just be her bard.”

Dancer chuckled softly. “I don't know. Sometimes I think you have it worse than me.”

The earth pony chuckled. “Me? Why?”

Dancer blinked. “I'm just her student, Twilight. The things I say... the things I do. Most of them she ignores or doesn't put much thought into. But well... she hangs on every word you say. Everything. She probably holds you up to more scrutiny than any pony in Equestria.”

The earth pony paled, her eyes wide. “W-what? But... but I'm just her bard. I'm not a... I'm a...”

“She talks about you all the time. Or rather... your book,” Dancer said softly, looking off to the side. “The first one she read. The one you wrote about... her. She has high expectations of you. I... I thought you knew.”

“I... I knew a little. I thought... I just... But... but I'm just a writer, I can't, I--” Her eyes widened. “O-oh. Oh dear.”

Dancer nodded. “Why do you think you were the first to be whipped? She... didn't want to execute you, Twilight. So she had to think of another way to punish you. There's a reason your little... efforts have been succeeding.”

“But... but I can't... what if I say the wrong thing? I've mostly just been winging it! What if I DO the wrong thing? What if I send her off on a...” She shuddered and closed her eyes. “N-no. Right. This is just what we have to do. I mean... I... I already knew I was trying to help guide her, right? This just means that... it's a bit more effective than I expected. That's all. That's a good thing. Right?”

Dancer nodded. “R-right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel more... pressured. I know you have a lot on your plate as it is and--”

“No. No, don't. It's fine,” Twilight said with a shrug. “I already was kind of her... advisor. This is nothing new. It's just a little shocking to know it's so effective.” She forced a smile. “I actually need to go talk to some ponies though, okay? So I'll see you around.” She quickly turned and trotted away, even though it made her back sting with each step.

She took slow, deep breathes as she walked, gathering up the information she had. Nightmare Moon was obviously focused on her, that was good. However, that just made her work all the more important. One slip of the tongue, one wrong suggestion and the damage she could do to Equestria would be unparalleled. But it also meant she might be able to guide the ruler to kindness and mercy. Already ponies who might have found themselves facing the axe were instead facing whips and maybe a bit of scarring.

She couldn't help feeling the pressure start to build up, though. She knew there was just one place she wanted to be now, more than ever.

One pony who knew above all else what it was like to protect ponies.

Twilight sheepishly stepped down the steps, looking around nervously when she came past the bars to the cells. A few of the imprisoned ponies looked to her, but most quickly looked away. They didn't throw anything at her, or yell. Most just played their card games or whatever was available.

“Okay, so I kick the ogre in the face!” a voice called out. “Yeah, a thirteen! Eighteen total.”

“You hit it, roll damage.”

“This is all way too easy. We should go back to playing second,” Shining's annoyed voice made her pause. She then trotted closer, her eyes wide.

“Not a chance, I'm not playing that death trap again. Third edition was way better. Besides, we've only got fifth's book.”

“Everything about third was unbalanced! And I have most of second memorized, we could get it working,” Shining objected. “I can probably get my books, too.”

“Yeah, but you could make anything in third! And you didn't die just from walking down the hall!”

“Are you playing Ogres and oubliettes?” Twilight asked flatly when she came to Shining's cell.

The stallion yiped and looked back. He and three other ponies were sitting around a small table, pencils, paper and a small book by them. Her brother looked sheepish. “Y-yeah. We, err, it's been a boring few days and Steeltips here had the new book in his locker and wanted to DM so we--”

Twilight sighed, before giving a small smile. “At least some things never change.”

“And some things change too often,” Shining said before getting up and walking to the bars. “I heard about what happened. About... you.” He gave a soft sigh. “How's your back?”

“Fine. Mostly. It still tinges a bit but... well, it's healing. How are you doing?”

“Still trapped,” he muttered. “I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you...”

“It's fine. I'm just happy everypony isn't yelling at me now.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I gave them a stern talking to after that.” He paused. “Then Moon Dancer came down, too.” He paused again. “Then after the... whipping, about half the remaining guard forces came down and really tore into most of them. It was quite the sight, you should have been here for it.”

She chuckled softly, though the smile slowly drifted away. “I... I'm sorry to say but... I'm not here for good news. Nightmare Moon... she... she found Princess Cadence.”

She almost swore the room got colder and everything just fell silent. “Wut.”

“She found her.”

“CADENCE! Twily, you need to get me out of here, is she okay? Did that monster--”

“She's fine!” Twilight said, shaking her head. “She's okay, I promise.” She decided to leave out the fact the alicorn was currently in Tartarus. “Nightmare Moon's showing mercy.”

“What?”

“I... I think something I said got to her. After the whipping and... and she's showing mercy. For now, Cadence is just imprisoned. But... she said she'll be releasing her soon. She said she'll be releasing all of you soon. She just wants to finish cementing her power structure first.”

“Cadence is okay?” he asked again, his voice soft and weak.

“She's fine. When I saw her, there wasn't a mark on her. I wouldn't lie about this, Shining.”

The stallion stared down at her and then, slowly, a smile spread on his face. He reached out and ruffled her ears. “Heh. You've got quite the talent, Twily.”

Her cheeks burned. “W-what? I haven't done anything.”

“You've done plenty. If you... got her to not hurt Cadence, you're doing amazing. I wish you'd never been hurt, though. I should be the one out there doing this. It's my job to protect ponies, not yours.”

Twilight nodded, but then slowly reached out and put a hoof on his withers. “I... know. But I'm doing fine. Besides, I learned from the best, right?”

He nodded. “Yeah. You're making us all proud, Twily.”

She chuckled. “Thanks. Besides, it's not so bad. A little whipping is... well, it's horrible. But I'll survive.” She then glanced towards the table, looking between him and it for a bit. “Have room for one more?”

He glanced back and the others nodded. “Sure.”

Twilight smiled. “Great! Fourth edition, right? That was always my favorite. It was just so much fun!”

The room somehow went even quieter than it had earlier. She looked around at everypony. They just glared at her. “What? What I say?”

Twilight shrieked as she fled from the prison, pelted by erasers, pillows and empty card boxes. She didn't know why they were reacting so harshly.

Fourth wasn't THAT bad. Still, she couldn't help feeling a little more encouraged. She was protecting ponies and doing a good job of it, just liked she hoped. It wasn't all working quite as well as she'd like, but it was working. Bit by bit. She couldn't wait to get back to the library and get back to work on her book.

When she arrived, however, she was shocked to see Nightmare Moon and Dancer sitting around a table, books spread out across them. She gasped when she saw the frowny face stickers on some of the books. They were from the restricted section.

Large black chunks of metal were on the table. Nine of them, one of which looked like a crown while the others looked like strange hoofacles. She froze in place.

The alicorn glanced back, her eyes narrowed. “Yes, bard?”

“I... I was just going to work on the book some. I'll... I'll do it in my room.”

“Indeed. You do that.”

Twilight gulped and backed away, before quickly walking through the castle. A knot formed in her stomach and she glanced back towards the library. She didn't have any idea what that was about, but she was sure whatever it was would not be good for Equestria. Possibly not for anywhere.

Author's Note

Required link to Twilight Glow contest here!
So, after that, I'm sure you are all wondering one thing. Did she REALLY write a chapter just so she could throw in a dnd 4th edition joke?
Yes. Yes she did. :P
In all seriousness, while I don't like it, please don't throw things at people. I still like a bit of it. Besides, if it wasn't for that joke(which was the only thing in this chapter not pre-plotted in the storyline outline), I might have put this off longer! It's also given me the idea to, well, try to put out at least one Twilight Glow chapter a week! ... Hopefully I can keep up to that. It should be fine.
Now, the reason I wanted to make this joke was... because timing! I just finished the player guide to a world I made based on a book series I've been writing and have been running some people through on weekends, so thought I'd post it up on my fimfiction page(Pilalia thing on my main page). I thought about Twilight liking 4th edition and from then on... well, I reallllllly wanted to put the joke in. Considering the meeting with her brother coming up, it just felt right.
Also, I really needed to put a little humor in the story considering how everything is about to get I imagine fairly dark. I wonder how many of my wonderful readers can see where this story is leading? I mean, now that Twilight knows she's having a far bigger impact than she'd initially hoped, everything will work out, right?
... Right?

... I'm sorry for my crazy ramblings. You all have been great and really supportive, each and every one of you have really helped me feel a lot more confident about my abilities at a time where I could really use it, thank you.

S1 CH 9. Exploration

9. Exploration

Twilight groaned and slowly closed her book, before leaning back and giving a light yawn and stretching. A small twinge went through her back, but she quickly suppressed it. She glanced towards the door, a frown on her face.

Once again she found her thoughts drawn back to the library. It had been a week since she'd seen whatever that thing was. Whatever it was seemed to be important, as she hadn't been allowed a chance to speak with Dancer since. Every waking moment the unicorn seemed busy working on it, studying spells and the like. The guards had even turned Twilight away when she tried, as the mare was not to be disturbed. Even Nightmare Moon was ignoring her. Not that she minded that.

She took a deep breath and got to her hooves, slowly inching to the door. She popped it open and peered outside. The halls were empty. She let out a soft sigh before slowly walking through the castle.

Her frown deepened when she realized how quiet the castle was now. Even most of the guards seemed to have disappeared. She nervously glanced around. “Hello?” she called out. She received no answer. She was starting to feel a little anxious and started walking to the one place she knew there would be ponies, if there were any here. The kitchen. It was taco tuesday.

When she arrived she let out a sigh of relief. The guards were stationed there, or at least relaxing there. She walked to the kitchen counter and lightly took a lettuce and onion taco, before trotting to one of the tables and sitting down. Plenty of the guards glanced at her, mumbled softly to themselves.

She just sighed and nibbled her taco, nervously glancing around. After a few moments, one of the guards got up and trotted over, sitting across from her. “Err... ummmm... Miss Glow?”

She took a deep breath, before looking up. “Yes?” She could already see it coming. She wondered if they were going to call her a traitor too. Or maybe it was the fourth edition thing. She didn't see what the problem was, it was fun. Everything fit into its nice little position and was easy to manage.

“I uhhh... I just wanted to ask...” He nudged his hooves together. “Your book... ummmm... I heard about it. We heard about it. Are... ummm...” He coughed. “Are you going to tell ponies about us? Too?”

“About you?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

He nervously chewed on his lip, before shaking his head. “I'm not... we're not betraying Celestia. We love Celestia. If... if we could... but... we can't. We tried fighting her. Some of us did. Now they're in jail. We just--”

“Stop,” she said with a shake of her head. “I'm aware. I know what you're doing, trying to keep ponies safe. And I think you're doing the best you can, all of you. I'll let ponies know in the book.” She took a slow, deep breath. “I plan to let everypony know everything. So they can... well... not be scared. So I'll of course let them know that you're trying your hardest to help all of them.” She smiled at the nervous looking stallion. “Was that everything?”

He nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. “T-thanks. Do uhhh... do you know when it'll be finished?”

“I'm not sure. It's turning out to be more difficult than I expected. But I don't forsee a lot of trouble with finishing it before the year is through.”

“Oh! So it should be done before the gala?”

Twilight blinked. “I... I guess. Hopefully.” She put a hoof to her forehead. “If it even happens. But it should be done before the standard scheduled time of the gala.”

He nodded, before getting up. “Thanks! I just... wanted to know.” He quickly trotted off and started talking with the others. There were many more glances towards her.

The earth pony sighed and nudged her taco before taking another bite. She finished most of it before getting to her hooves and tossing the remnants in the trash. She slowly started trotting through the halls again. She found herself drawn to the throne room and, once again, found guards stationed outside it. She paused and looked to the doors. “Have they had any more... courts held?”

“The night court is on temporary hiatus,” the guard said with a nod.

“Oh. That's... okay I guess. Ummmm... where... I mean... most of the servants seem to be...”

“Many of the servants have taken... personal leave,” the guard said matter of factually. “Did you require something, Lady Glow?”

She sighed and shook her head, trotting back down the hall. The palace was in the midst of being redecorated still, many of the windows having had their curtains completely removed and the walls being painted over or having wallpaper removed. She hoped Rarity would finish her redecorations soon, but she imagined finding ponies willing to do the manual labor was getting more and more difficult. The removal of Cadence and Blueblood hadn't exactly won any love for the Princess of Darkness.

She paused and looked around, confusion on her features for a moment. She mentally back tracked and then realized she was in the east wing. She sighed and face hoofed. “Need to pay attention, Twilight. There's nopony to help you if you get lost.” She looked around, but nopony was nearby at all.

She then paused. “Wait. Nopony to...” Her eyes widened and a grin formed on her lips. She started trotting around again, pushing open a nearby door. Her heart started beating faster as a plan formed in her mind.

Nopony was around to stop her. The guards themselves didn't seem to care much, Nightmare Moon was distracted. She started walking, a little faster. Her heart hammered as she made her way to the north wing.

To where Celestia had lived.

Twilight felt a little giddy while she made her way into the wing, looking around nervously. There weren't any guards. Everything looked pristine and clean, none of the remodeling damage seeming to have taken hold here. She wondered if Nightmare Moon ever came here to see her sister's things. She doubted it. She doubted anypony but the cleaners came here now.

She slowly began to nudge open doors and look into them. She frowned as the first room was just a small tea room. She nervously trotted inside, looking through the things that resided in them, but there weren't any records or notes, just a table and an empty tea set. She let out a soft growl of frustration. “Come on, Celestia. You had to leave us something. You had to have something planned, you couldn't just leave us to deal with... this,” she muttered before leaving the room and heading to the next door.

Her eyes widened with delight when she came to the room. A study. A small desk and shelves filled with books lined the room. She trotted inside and started examining the desk, first. There was a light fizzle as she pulled open one of the drawers and she froze, her heart pounding.

But nothing happened. After a few moments she started going through the rest. She saw empty notepads, some mints, basic supplies and a small spiral key with an eight point star on it. Though she couldn't help feeling guilty, she grabbed the key and tucked it into her mane. It was for the good of Equestria, she told herself.

Then came the books. She grinned and moved to the nearest one, plucking it down. She was sure Celestia had to have left them some hint in the study. One by one she pulled the books down, stacking them neatly while she worked. For hours she sat and read, browsing through them all before, finally, she face planted onto the desk.

“How... did she do it?” she asked with a groan. There was nothing there but books on old laws, agriculture, geography and dozens of books of old or vague information. Normally she would have been delighted, even if they weren't all to her taste.

But she needed REAL information, she needed hope. She got to her hooves and trotted out, leaving the room behind. She frowned and looked at her hooves, they were covered in dust. She gave a sigh and moved to the next room, cocking her head to the side when she pushed the door open.

It opened to a stairwell. She gulped nervously and leaned forward. “Hello?” she called down, receiving an echo in response. She looked around nervously, before slowly trotting down. She wasn't sure, but she swore she could feel a light tingle through her hooves while she walked. She also thought she saw a light sparkle from the carpet, but it was gone in a moment.

As she walked, torches along the stairwell alighted, guiding her way until, finally, the floor came into view. She took a deep breath and stepped onto the lower floor and gasped.

It was a massive storage room. There were rows of stacked crates, all unmarked. But there were also small dusty books, little silver figurines of dragons and minotaurs and a great mirror facing her. She stared at it, her eyes wide.

The mirror was completely blue, it didn't show any of the rest of the room. She slowly trotted forward, holding her breath as she stared at it. Her reflection didn't appear. With a nervous gulp, she pushed her hoof forward.

When her hoof touched the mirror, dark purple light shone around her hoof. She slowly pushed her hoof further in and it went through the mirror, into... something. It was warm, almost comforting. She took another step forward and--

“BARD!” the voice rang out with such power it shook the entire castle.

Twilight yanked her hoof back and looked around in terror, looking for some sign of the princess. But she was alone in the room.

“BARD! COME TO THE THRONE ROOM! THOU ART SUMMONED!”

The earth pony stared, her mouth falling open. How long had she been running around in here? What did Nightmare Moon think she was doing? She yelped and ran up the stairs, galloping back through the castle, her heart pounding.

Twilight raced into the throne room, her heart pounding and sweat dripping off her form.

“BARD! WHERE ART--” the princess froze in mid sentence and turned her gaze to her. “AH! FINALLY YOU--” She blinked and her horn stopped glowing. “Finally, you show yourself. We have waited long for your arrival!”

“S-sorry, I was... clearing my thoughts,” she said nervously, a forced grin on her lips. The mare was completely insane, she knew it. There was no denying it. She hoped she wasn't in trouble. “You... you called?”

Her eyes then fell to the hoofacles on the ground and her heart started pounding faster. The crown was there, but only six of the hoofacles remained now. Her eyes were drawn up and she quickly noted two strange, silver bands around the princess's front legs. It took her a few more moments to realize they were the very same hoofacles, but heavily decorated.

“Indeed. For you see, bard, the time has come.” She stood up from her throne and glanced back to Dancer. The unicorn had never looked more ashamed. “Our... student still has much to learn, but her talents with magic are quite astounding. For a young foal. She has been... passably useful in our creation of our new tool.”

Twilight shuddered and looked to them. “Are... are you going to make Cadence wear those?”

The alicorn blinked a few times, before her grin grew wider. “Why, bard, why ever would you think that?”

The earth pony blinked a few more times. “I... I just thought... I mean...”

“Oh, young, foalish bard. The alicorn is... an affront to our control and rule. But she is still a pony.” She moved to stand in front of Twilight and gently reached out, a hoof touching her chin and guiding her eyes up. “And all of you ponies are our subjects, are you not? You must be protected and guided. We would never dream of using such tools on one of our subjects.”

Dancer's eyes widened. “W-wait, what? But I thought... but it's... t-then what is it for?”

The princess chuckled. “Oh, you'll learn soon enough. Bard, student, we are going on a journey,” she said before turning around. “You see, the time has come for us to cement our rule. Already the other nations are sending their representatives to... parley with us. We imagine they think us as kind and forgiving as our weak sister.” She paused. “They thought wrong. However, already we can feel the shifting and awakening of my subjects.” Twilight shuddered at the word 'my'. “Our night has finally caught their attention and already the creatures of darkness are on their way.” She picked up the black crown and examined it for a moment. “With my soldiers, none will think to oppose us.” She slid the crown on, the metal glimmering like obsidian, four points pointing high to the air. She then picked up the hoofacles and enveloped them in a small, blue bubble. “But we still have one matter to deal with before then.” She turned to Twilight and her eyes focused on the small earth pony.

“It will do well that you remember this moment, bard. For with this, you will be able to bear first hoof witness to the greatest display of power pony kind has ever known. Power that our sister would think too dangerous. Come,” she said before trotting towards the exit. “And ensure you bring your pen and paper. For you will want to record all you see.”

Twilight gulped and followed after her, Dancer following slightly behind. “Where are we going?” the earth pony asked.

Nightmare Moon stopped outside the door, giving a small chuckle. “Oh? Is it not obvious?” She turned her head around to look at the little mare. “To the place even our sister knew to fear. Tartarus.”

Author's Note

Twilight glow art contest!

Soooo, to be honest... I realllllly felt bad for this one. I mean, everyone had such good ideas about what the manacles meant, which... for some reason never dawned on me. Probably because of the reason she mentioned.

I mean, don't get me wrong, it's still going to be horrifying. I mean, absolutely horrifying. Twilight might cry. She'll at least watch with extreme horror, her hoof covering her mouth. Honestly, I kiiiiiind of messed up. There were supposed to be seven, not nine pieces of metal. I typoed and completely missed it when I wrote it out and by the end it was too late to fix because everyone had read my story I'm so sorry. >.<

Though, one good thing came from this. A nice post by Lordlyhour

4 Strange Hoofacles for The Princess of Love,
4 Strange Hoofacles for the Mortal Princeling, doomed to die.
One Crown to rule them all, One crown to find them,
One Crown to take them all and to the Darkness, Bind them
In the Land of Equestria, where Nightmare Moon Lies

It really makes me wish that was the horrifying thing she does. Hopefully what I have planned is far, far worse.

S1 CH 10. Tartarus

10. Tartarus

Twilight gave a light little squeak when they stood outside the massive black gates of Tartarus, leading into a tunnel. There was a chill in the air, one that had nothing to do with the night sky. Nightmare Moon looked around, a frown on her face. “Where... is he?”

“Who?” the earth pony asked. She looked to Dancer, who looked just as worried as her. Then the ground began to rumble. She looked up and then, on the other side of the gate, she saw it. A massive black dog with three heads racing through the tunnel. It towered over them, its body nearly as big as a building. When it came closer the gate began to open.

“Finally,” Nightmare Moon said, shaking her head. Twilight squeaked, while Dancer just looked relieved.

“We're just here for him?” the unicorn asked with a smile.

“SIT!” Nightmare Moon's voice boomed. The dog stopped short and then, a moment later, plopped down on the ground, its tongues sticking out as it panted excitedly. “You two, come.”

“W-we're not here for Cerberus?” Dancer asked weakly.

“Of course not, don't be foalish,” the alicorn said with a shake of her head. “He's barely even potty trained. Can't have our sister dealing with something like that, oh no. 'He has three heads and looks kind of scary, you take care of him'. We had more important things to do than deal with the bladder of some mutt!”

Nightmare Moon led them forward through the gates. Twilight jumped when they slammed behind her. It didn't look as bad as she expected. It was dark, but there were torches all around. Like some kind of massive cave. However, after a few moments they exited the tunnel and came to a wide, open area. The path didn't match it, merely a stony bridge over an infinite black void below. The path broke off into dozens of little paths, one of which Nightmare Moon walked across while the two followed.

Twilight wanted to be excited, in fact this was one of the places she had promised herself to one day visit. But she'd never thought she'd be coming here with the greatest tyrant Equestria had ever known. Or that she'd be intending to grab one of the creatures. The path slowly turned up into a great staircase that led up to a glowing blue light.

“What are we grabbing here?” Dancer asked softly, her voice only a whisper.

“You will see in a moment,” Nightmare Moon said with a chuckle. The metal binds trailed in the air behind her. “Worry not. This... creature is no threat to any of you. In fact... he'll be a loyal servant when we're through with him.”

Twilight gulped nervously, looking around. She peered over the edge of the path and quickly walked further from it, bumping into Dancer. The color had drained from her face and she gave a little shiver. There was nothing over the edge. It wasn't as if there was darkness, it was as if nothing had been there to begin with. As if the area there just ceased to exist. Or perhaps linked to some other dimension that her mind was unable to comprehend.

“You okay?” Dancer asked softly.

“Y-yeah. Just a little... startling,” Twilight mumbled, giving another shiver. The cold here didn't feel normal, either. It wasn't a true cold. It was more as if the heat was afraid to be here. Even when they walked by the torches she didn't feel any heat emanating from them. It was silent, as well. All she could hear was their hoof steps, no sounds echoing from the distance. As if the darkness absorbed all the sounds that dared to appear.

They made it to the top of the stairs and her eyes widened. There was a glowing blue pit, dangling over it was a massive steel cage. Within the cage was a strange creature, unlike anything she'd seen before. It had the upper body of a minotaur, with red arms and a black chest. But the lower body was that of a pony. A centaur. She'd only heard of them in legends. It looked so old and decrepit, the bones almost sticking through its flesh. Slowly it looked up.

“Well well well. If it's not the backup princess,” the creature said with a chuckle. “Come to free me at last? Funny, I'd always imagined it would be Discord who came to release me from this cell.”

Nightmare Moon ignored him, slowly hovering the metal bonds up before her eyes, she then gave a nod. “Tirek, it has been too long. You're in luck, we have use for you.”

He gave another chuckle. “You imagine I'd serve you? Why would I--” The words never finished when suddenly the metal bindings shot out. Four wrapped around his hooves, two around his wrists. He looked confused. “What are you--” Purple light enveloped them a moment later and he froze.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the screams started. Twilight took a step back, but could not look away as purple magic radiated out from the bindings, surging through his body, illuminating his veins. The creature collapsed on the ground, his hands clawing at the binds, desperately trying to tear them away, but they refused to give. If anything it just made it worse. The smell of burnt fur filled the room as the creature slammed about in its cage, smashing the cuffs into the bars and rolling around in agony, struggling to get them off.

“Stop this!” Twilight yelled, shaking her head and looking to Nightmare Moon.

The alicorn stared into the glow, her body illuminated by the purple light. Her smile wide and wicked, revealing her sharp teeth. She slowly looked down at the earth pony. “Why?”

“Y-you're hurting him!”

“So?”

“You... you can't! He's helpless, he--”

“Is not a pony. He is not one of our children,” Nightmare Moon said with a shrug. “Of what matter is his pain to us?”

Twilight gaped, staring at her, before turning to the creature. “P-please. You... you can't... you...”

The creature collapsed to the ground, the purple magic spreading through his veins, leaving deep glowing marks across his features. “P-please...” he pleaded. “N-Nightmare... Moon... mercy...”

The alicorn smiled at him, one that held none of which he begged for. “We are afraid we reserve that for our subjects. Now do try to suffer with dignity, Tirek.”

“I... I will... d-do as you please... w-whatever... y-you please...”

She laughed, a hoof to her mouth. “Oh, indeed you will.” Her horn glowed and the bindings erupted with a purple flame before the screams grew louder.

Twilight couldn't stop shaking as she stepped into the castle, the screams still echoing through her mind. Tirek marched besides them, his body covered in glowing purple lines that seemed to pulsate with each step. He hadn't spoken a word since he'd been drawn from his cage, though Twilight wondered if he even could speak anymore. He tried to walk with dignity, but she could see the occasional limp, the strain in his eyes and clenched fists. A slight fear when he looked to Nightmare Moon.

Dancer looked ashamed, her eyes lowered and head hung. The earth pony couldn't blame her. Like it or not, she had helped to create whatever it was that bound the poor creature. His suffering lay at her hooves. But worst of all was Nightmare Moon. There had been no mercy from her. Even when the creature had screamed, begged and finally cried, she had ignored it.

No, not ignored it. She had reveled in it. She had watched with delight as the creature was torn apart, his body bent to her will and his agony overwhelmed. She'd enjoyed it in much the way a normal pony would have enjoyed a good book.

Twilight gave a shudder and looked away. When a new horror crept on her. “Princess? We're not heading to the throne room?”

“Of course not. Bard, it is time for us to make good on our promise.”

An icy chill went down her spine. “Promise?”

“Yes. It is time for all of those ponies to be returned to their homes. That is what they wish, is it not? To be back with their loved ones, to be free of their cells?”

Twilight's eyes widened. “Y-you're going to let those ponies go? Truly?” She shuddered. “Y-you aren't going to... bind them like you did him, are you?”

“Of course not. They are our ponies. We would never do something like that to them.”

The earth pony nodded, her eyes glancing back to the centaur. He looked angry, though she couldn't blame him. Angry but afraid. The guards quickly parted ways as they made their way to the cells, letting them pass without incident. Though she could see the fearful look that passed over their faces as the four moved past them. A look that was all too common these days.

They traveled down into the cells. She could hear the ponies below, talking to each other. Playing games. The moment Nightmare Moon stepped off the last step the sounds began to die. Most of them stopped immediately, but then one by one the remaining voices went quiet until the last one was snuffed out, like a candle blown out by the breeze. The alicorn looked around at the ponies. “Why so glum looking, children? Today is a happy day. For it is on this day that we have decided mercy will be spared to you and all of the others who so... foalishly attempted to stop us from taking our rightful place on the throne.”

“You're no ruler!” Shining yelled before stepping forward. “Celestia was a kind, noble princess! Cadence would have made a ruler a thousand times better than you!”

Nightmare Moon cocked an eye. “Ah, yes. Shining Armor. Don't think we'd forgotten about you.” She slowly walked forward, the grin on her face widening. “Bard, make sure you capture our magnificence. All ponies will know of this.” She then turned to the unicorn. “Sadly, Celestia is... no longer with us. Nor will she ever be returning.” She reached out and delicately tapped the bars. “And the little... Cadence, was it? You will be happy to know that our mercy will extend to her as well. As a matter of fact, all of you ponies who have made such mistakes will, after today, be returning home.”

“You're... going to let Cadence go?” He looked taken aback.

“Indeed,” she said. Her horn glowed before the bars opened. Shining let out a yelp as he was dragged out. He tried to dig his hooves into the ground, but they refused to hold him and his horn refused to work with the magical bindings on it. She turned to Tirek. “Now, Tirek. A demonstration. If you please.”

Tirek growled and ground his teeth. “As if I have a choice.” The centaur stepped forward, walking in front of the unicorn bound in the alicorn's magic. Twilight watched in horror, her eyes going wide.

“S-stop it...” she said weakly. “STOP IT!”

“Bard, be silent, this won't hurt him,” the alicorn said dismissively.

Twilight shook, watching the centaur approach him. She then let out a growl. “LEAVE MY BROTHER--”

“Stop!” Shining said, shaking his head weakly. “I-it's fine... Twily. Don't.”

The earth pony stopped. “W-what?”

“I... knew what I was getting into. Don't.”

Twilight whimpered but, slowly, took a step back. Tirek moved forward and opened his mouth. Shining let out a gasp as yellow and green magic burst forth from the creature's mouth, then enveloped his horn. Twilight watched in horror as the stallion's body shook and then, finally, his cutie mark faded away. Nightmare Moon's magic released him and he collapsed to the ground, his eyes gray and weak. “What... what have you done?”

“We have tamed this beast. Bent him to our will as all shall soon be,” Nightmare Moon said with a chuckle. Tirek let out a groan as the bindings began to glow. He moaned and then opened his mouth. Purple magic spilled forth, enveloping the alicorn before a grin formed on her lips. “And now, none will challenge our rule.” Her horn glowed before the cage opened once more and the other ponies were drawn out, dragged before Tirek. “Now... let us continue.”

Twilight struggled to keep herself from crying as she'd been forced to watch, one by one, while the rebellious guards were drained of their power and cutie marks. With each one, she could see Nightmare Moon growing stronger. Her horn grew slightly longer, her mane became more radiant. Her eyes glowed with a wicked light that made the earth pony want to run shrieking from the room.

But now the worst of all was about to happen. She had been ordered to follow when the tyrant grabbed Shining Armor and carried him in her magic through the castle. Twilight didn't even have to be told where they were going as they walked through the castle. She could tell that this horror story wasn't over yet.

Before long they came to one final room, housing a circle etched into the ground. Nightmare Moon stepped forward and put her hoof to it, moments before it came to life. There was a small flash and then, suddenly, within it two ponies appeared within a great metal cage. Blueblood and Cadence. They looked up in confusion. The former looked scared, while the latter looked defiant at first, but when her eyes fell on Shining, fear covered her face. “You... what are you doing?”

“It is time for us to end this charade,” Nightmare Moon said with a snort before dropping Shining on the ground. “You will be permitted to return to your homes. And your... colt.” She paused. “After we have finished.” Her horn glowed again and the gates opened. Blueblood let out a yelp before he was yanked forward, the gate slamming in Cadence's face.

“What are you doing with him?” Cadence yelled.

The ruler merely snorted and the stallion gulped when he was brought before Tirek. “Err... hello. Can I--” Twilight could only look away when the stallion's words died in his throat. She gave a small shudder and shook her head. After a few moments she heard a thump and looked back to see the prince, collapsed on the ground. His eyes weak and gray.

Nightmare Moon then turned to the pink princess. “Now, you.” The gate opened and Cadence let out a yelp before being dragged forward. She grabbed the bars as she was hauled, but her resistance only lasted a few moments. She was pulled forward before Tirek.

The centaur opened his mouth and Twilight looked away. After a few moments she heard a groan. “I... I cannot,” the centaur said weakly. “I am too weak. I need more power...”

Twilight looked up and, for a moment, there was hope. Cadence stared defiantly at them. “I will never give you my power! I would sooner die!”

Nightmare Moon gave a sigh. “Must we go through this? Truly?”

“You're a monster!”

“We are the rightful ruler of this land. You will yield your power to us.”

“NEVER!”

The ruler stared down at her, before nodding. “Very well. We had hoped it wouldn't come to this.” There was a light moan before Shining was picked up into the air. “Do it, or he dies.”

Cadence froze, her eyes going wide. Twilight gasped. “N-Nightmare Moon, you can't! You promised you--”

“Another alicorn will lead to civil war. It will be more ponies that rise up against us, who want to fight for who they believe should rule. Ponies may die.” The unicorn was brought in front of her. Twilight tried to speak, but her mouth suddenly refused to open. “We do not wish to hurt our ponies, but if one life must be sacrificed... so be it.”

Shining groaned, shaking his head. “D-don't do it... Cadence... if... if she has your power there's... she's already too strong. You can't make her--” His mouth was sealed in green magic.

“Make your decision quickly, child. One way or another... we will have your power. If we have to destroy your... lover, your parents, your friends. To avoid catastrophe, we shall.” She said

Cadence stared at her, chewing on her lower lip. Then, slowly, she turned to Tirek. Closing her eyes with shame, she opened her mouth.

Twilight sat in her chair, looking at the notes for her book. How had it come to this? She had thought everything was going to be fine. She'd thought that those ponies would actually be released. Now they were gone, drained of their power.

Worst yet, Tirek was a new tool for Nightmare Moon to use against them. She didn't know who he was, or even what he was. But with power like that, how could they ever hope to stand up against her? All of those ponies had been freed and once again the jails were empty. Nightmare Moon had been right, unfortunately. Who would dare rise up against her now? It was one thing to risk your life, but to fight her now would only make her stronger. Give her more power with which to rule the world. She rested her head on the table and whimpered.

Now Nightmare Moon was on her throne, likely gloating. Dancer was in her room, likely bawling her eyes out or feeling miserable after what she had helped to create. Her brother and Cadence had managed to get to their parents, but Twilight couldn't bear to stay longer than she had to and had retreated back to the castle. Tirek was in the jails, locked up alone until the ruler needed him again.

She paused and slowly looked up. “Tirek... is in the jails.” She glanced to her books. Slowly she pushed out from the desk and grabbed an empty notebook and some pens.

She was right. She didn't know who or what he was. But why couldn't she find out?

Twilight slowly walked down the steps to the cells. She couldn't help feeling that she did that far too often these days. However, this time it felt different. There had been no guards stationed at the top. The steps had plenty of fresh scuffs and dirt from the ponies that had walked out or been carried out following having their power drained. No sounds came from below, either. Noponies playing cards, board games or even oubliettes and ogres. There was silence. It was almost as bad as walking through Tartarus had been.

She made it to the bottom steps and took a slow look around, her eyes stopping on the creature off in the biggest cell. He was sitting on the bed, idly playing solitaire. It was such a strange, even normal appearance that she was taken aback and almost fell the last few steps, barely catching herself. He glanced up and cocked an eye. “Ah. The bard. Tell me, have you come to mock me like your ruler? Or perhaps you wish for something else? Perhaps an autograph?”

She shook her head. “No. I wanted to talk with you.”

He gave a light laugh. “Talk with me? Imagine, all I had to do to get a bit of company was wait a thousand years and some.” He snorted derisively. “Not like I have anything better to do.” He looked back to his cards.

She gulped. “Are... are you comfortable?”

“Oh, quite. Nothing like having every ounce of magic in your body tainted by some tyrannical pony to make your day just sunny. Pony, I have suffered enough. If all you wish is to torture me with inane chatter, bother someone else.” There was a light twitch to his hands as he dealt the cards.

She gulped nervously and took a step forward. “No. That's not it.” She dropped her notebook on the ground, flipping it open to the first page. “Tirek... I... I'd like you to tell me your story. All of it.”

Author's Note

You know, to be honest, I came SUPER close to calling this story 'Tell me your story'. I'm such a dork. -.-

Anyway! This will likely be the last chapter posted for a while. Sorry. Just... well, irl things are going kinda... bad. There's a lot of drama going on irl, fighting, anger, hurt feelings and just... everything is going bad right now. And I'm caught right in the middle of it and struggling not to fall apart from the stress. I really don't want that leaking into my story, so I think it's better if I just put this one on hold for a little bit until all of this blows over and there's a lot less drama. Please be patient and bear with me, I'm sorry everyone. Thank you.

S1 CH 11. Tell me your story

11. Tell me your story

Tirek stared at the little pony. After a few moments he burst into laughter, covering his face with his hands. After a few more moments the laughter died and he stared. “You’re… serious.”

“Ummm, was I not clear?”

“Why would you wish to know my story? Isn’t that ruler of yours far more interesting?”

She nodded. “She is. But I’ve never seen magic like yours, it has to come from somewhere, right?”

He snorted. “Why not ask her?”

“I will. In fact, I want to find out everything I can about you, for when I write a book about you. Err, if that's okay,” she said with a big smile. “And who better to tell the story than you, the one who lived it? Besides, it’ll be good to know how you viewed the situation.”

He stared at her, before cocking his head to the side. “Pony. Are… you mad? Why would you wish to write a book about me?”

“Because I don’t know you. I’ve never even heard of you and I doubt many ponies have. But… they’ll want to know who you are. What you want. Why you… do what it is you do. Nightmare Moon may be using your powers now, but there’s no telling what the future will hold. And if ponies know who you are, they won’t be as scared.”

“Oh? Is that what you think? Do you think they won’t be scared of me, if they know who I am?”

She nodded. “They’ll be less scared. So… please?”

He just laughed and shook his head. “Very well, silly pony. If you want to know who I am. I am a prince from a far off land. Or, at least, I was, before my brother betrayed me. I was taught magics there and, during my lessons, I learned of you little ponies. It was there I attempted to drain their power. Unfortunately, my plan backfired and my family discovered what I was trying. They imprisoned me in my room. When I grew older, I attempted to come to your land and drain the ponies of their magic. My brother betrayed me to your princesses and I was captured, imprisoned until now. Does that satisfy your curiosity, little pony?”

She frowned and shook her head. “No, it doesn't. Come on, Tirek. There has to be more to it than that. How long have you been sealed away?”

He laughed and smiled at her. “Me? Long before even you princess of the moon was locked away. It took both of them to defeat me. Were I… as strong as I had once been, your Nightmare would have fallen beneath me. But these long years have… weakened me.”

She nodded, taking more notes. “Okay. Can you tell me what you want, then?”

“Is it not obvious? I want power. You little ponies, so full of magic, but you barely even use it. Nowhere near your potential, at least. For you to have it is a waste.”

She nodded, taking a few more notes. “So your goal is power, then?”

“Of course.”

“And then what do you intend to do?”

He blinked a few moments. “What?”

“What do you intend to do?” she asked, looking up at him.

“I intend to drain every ounce of power from all of you ponies. From the weakest to the strongest, even your princesses.”

“Okay. And what do you intend to do with that power?”

“What?”

“You have to have some goal, right?”

“Power is its own goal! I will drain this power and then become the ruler of all the world! I will go to other countries and drain them!”

“Okay? But what then? What do you want to use the power for? There has to be a reason, right? That’s what ponies are going to want to know.”

He stared at the infuriating pony, a frown on his lips. Finally, he nodded. “Ahhhhh. I see. Yes, there is a goal. Once I have drained every last ounce of power, I will rule. I will conquer all of the world, Equestria and beyond. All will kneel before me, from the weakest to the greatest.”

She blinked and gave a nod. “Okay. I see. So… like Nightmare Moon then. Thank you. So what can you tell me about your kingdom?”

He blinked a few times, his mouth falling open. Finally, he frowned. “It is ruled by my father and mother.”

“Are they both centaurs, like you?”

“No, my mother is a gargoyle. As is my brother.”

She gave another nod, taking notes. He didn’t seem to be resisting as much now at least. “Okay. And did they teach you how to drain magic like that?”

“Hm? No. There was a… teacher there. A hermit. He had great power and taught me magic. He was the first I knew, who captured one of you… ponies and tried to drain their power. I betrayed and imprisoned him and tried to drain the power for myself. It backfired and… infuriated my family. I said I wasn’t there, but they didn’t believe me.”

Twilight gave another nod. It was going so much smoother now. He seemed confused and occasionally had a thoughtful look on his face, but he answered her questions. After she’d gathered a large assortment of information, she closed up her notebook and tucked it away. “I think that’s enough for today, I’ll see what I can find in our records and then come back later to ask some more. Is there anything you need?”

He cocked his head slightly to the side. “Need?”

“Yes? Anything you want? Perhaps some books, comics? Even some toys? I imagine being locked away in a cell all day is boring.”

He stared and then burst into laughter. “Stupid pony. You do know one day I will be free. Your princess thinks she can control me. But I will break free of these bonds, one way or another. Then you will all kneel before me, drained of your powers.”

She shrugged. “Maybe. And if that time comes, I’ll be able to give ponies the information they need to not be scared of you. Or… at least, not as scared at they can be be.”

“Is that what you think to do with Nightmare Moon? You think if you tell people who and what she truly is, they won’t be scared? They won’t be terrified? Even as she tears you apart and drains every dissenter who dares to speak?”

Twilight blinked a few times and lowered her eyes. “Yes. There’s… only so much we can do now. So much I can do. But… I know I can do this. I can help ponies. I can stop them from being scared. And… if I can do that… I at least have to try.”

He snorted. “You’re wasting your efforts. She is just as much a monster as I. She will tear your country apart and then you will be left with nothing but terrified masses and helpless ponies.”

She closed her eyes and nodded. “Maybe. Maybe she will. But… maybe there’s still some good in her. Maybe there is still a part of her that… isn’t a monster.” She glanced towards her back. “She hasn’t killed any of us yet. Though I feel she’s wanted to. And… there’s no telling what she’ll do to the others. But… maybe there’s still a chance. Maybe we can learn to adapt. Maybe… maybe we can cope.”

“You can’t cope with creatures like us, pony. You’ll learn that eventually. She’ll destroy you and everything you are trying to protect. And then your other ponies will still know nothing but fear.”

She nodded. “Maybe. But… at this point, I can only hope you’re wrong.” She turned and started trotting up the stairs. “I’ll see if I can find some books or something I think you’ll like, okay? Let me know if there’s anything else you’ll want.”

Tirek snorted before trotting back to his cot. Ponies were such stupid creatures. He looked forward to the day he could escape this prison and drain every last one of them. That earth pony would be one of the first. He wondered if she’d write a story about that. The fall of her world.

Twilight took a slow, weak breath while she stood outside the throne room. After a few moments she worked up her courage and pushed the door open, stepping inside.

Nightmare Moon was on her throne, talking with Moondancer. They both paused and looked over to her, the former’s eyes glaring. “What do you require, bard?”

“I… I wanted to talk with you. I wanted to ask you something, your highness. If… that’s okay?”

“We have always allowed you to speak, bard. Even at times you did not deserve it. Tell us what you need.”

She took a nervous step forward. “I wanted to know. If… is...” She chewed on her lower lip. “What you did to the others. Draining them of their power. Is that what… you intend to do with Celestia?”’

The princess stared for a few moments before bursting into laughter. “Oh. Wouldn’t that be ironic?” The mare shook her head. “No.”

“Oh, that’s a relief.”

“It would be redundant at this point, would it not?”

Twilight froze. “I’m… sorry?”

“Our previous throne warmer has already given us her power, in one way or another. Did you not wonder how we returned without any weakness or exhaustion? How we were so strong? Surely you must have though Celestia would have put up some fight, were she to try and stop us?”

Both ponies stared at her, their mouths falling open.

“Oh? You believed the two of us had fought and we had just so overwhelmed her?” Nightmare Moon asked with a laugh. “No. When the time came, when we appeared before our sister, there was no fight. She merely watched us, submitted to us. Said that her ponies would stop us, somehow. We suppose she believed that her faithful student would defeat us,” she said before giving another laugh, drawing shame to Moondancer's face. “She always was an optimist. But no, when we fought we defeated her. And our powers were always similar. Draining them, or at least bending them to our will was… simple. In fact, even now they...” She paused and then frowned. “That is none of your concern. All you need to know is that her power already resides within us. Now, bard, it is time for you to prepare as well.”

“W-what? Why?”

“Soon, visitors from other nations will come to pay tribute to us. And then we will decide how to deal with them. We hear our sister had grown… gentle in her years. Allowing all manner of beasts and creatures within our borders. If they will not accept their new ruler, however, then they will be... removed.”

Twilight gulped and gave a slow nod. She didn’t know who these ponies would be who were coming, but she hoped they were lucky.

Author's Note

Guess who's back? So, finished the Val story(where did you come from?), finished my second book of the year, published a new book(available in both purchasable and free version, so please check it out from my page) and so, without further ado... Twilight Glow is back! :D
Hope you're all excited.

S1 CH 12. Representatives

12. Representatives

Rainbow blinked and glanced up, cocking her head to the side. It was so late, what had woken her up? Then again, she supposed it was always late now. What with the moon and all. Still, she had been having the best dream ever.

Then a light knocking came from her door. Well, at least now she knew what woke her up. “I’m coming I’m coming!” she called before getting to her hooves. She scratched her side before trotting through her house, making her way to the door.

Outside was pegasus. She couldn’t tell much about him. Aside from the fact he had the most AWESOME uniform on. It was black and purple, with a skull over the cutie mark and lightning bolts separating the colors. He wore yellow goggles and had a dark blue mane. “Hello, mind if I come in?”

“A little, who are you?” she asked, cocking an eye.

“Shadowfang, a pleasure,” he said, bowing his head. “Member of the royal Shadowbolts, Equestria’s new top fliers.” He stood up, flashing her a smile. She couldn’t help but notice his teeth were quite sharp. “You’re Rainbow Dash, correct? I’ve heard you’re one of the greatest fliers of all time.’

She had been concerned at first. A little wary. But that made all of it shut off. “Well, duh! Come on in!” she said, grinning. “Just call me Rainbow. So, Shadowbolts, huh? Never heard of them.”

“We’re new. Nightmare Moon has requested the greatest fliers in the world to become members of it. And after we heard about your stunt… well, punching out her highness, while not the smartest thing, is pretty brave.”

Rainbow chuckled and then glanced to her back. “Yeah… still… wouldn’t do it again. After what happened to me and Twilight...”

“Still, that took gumption.” He looked around her house, scratching his chin with a clawed hoof. “So we’ve been looking for young fliers like you. Fliers who can help motivate ponies and have that awesome attitude, as well as the skills to back it up. We’re trying to get at least one from each major town and city as well. So, Rainbow, what do you say. Think you’d be interested?” He turned towards her and lifted up his goggles, revealing yellow eyes. “Now, I’m not saying you’d be just any flier, either. How does Captain sound?”

“YEAH!” Rainbow said, pumping a hoof into the air before letting out a little sqwee of delight. “Sign me up! What do I have to do?”

“I just need you to fill out some paperwork, that’s all. Captain,” he said with a nod before pulling some papers out of his uniform and placing them on the table. “Happy you came around.”

“Are you kidding? You came to the best flier this side of the Wonderbolts,” she said, trotting towards them and pausing. “Wait. What’s… happening to the Wonderbolts?”

He paused. “Many… of them are joining us as well. Consider it a re-branding.”

“Wait, so I get to be a captain, a professional flier AND I get to fly with members of the Wonderbolts? Sign me up!” She took out the pen and started writing. “This is going to be awesome!”

“Of course it will be, Rainbow. A pleasure to have you with us.”

Fluttershy groaned softly, rubbing her forehead. Who could be coming to visit her at this hour? She hoped it wasn't anything too bad. She trotted down stairs, giving a soft yawn as she walked. “Who is it?” she called out.

“Is this Fluttershy's cottage?” a voice asked.

“Yes?”

“I have an animal emergency.”

The pegasus went into full alert. She opened the door, revealing a red bat pony with a black cape. He looked very pale and, clutched in his hooves, was a small little vampire fruit bat. “My little pet has suffered a nasty tummy ache and I heard you were the absolute best at dealing with hurt animals.”

“Oh dear oh dear oh dear,” Fluttershy said, her eyes locked on the poor thing. She trotted towards her kitchen. “Hold on one second and I'll see what I can do. Come in, come in,” she said quickly.

The bat pony grinned, flashing a pair of sharp fangs. “Thank you, Fluttershy. You're far too kind. Come along, Artemis.”

The pegasus paused and glanced back. Strange. All of her pets suddenly darted into their homes and were hiding. She couldn't imagine why. Even Angel was hiding inside with the other bunnies. She'd never seen him frightened before.

Vampire fruit bats weren't that scary, were they?

“Oh, I didn't catch your name?”

“Nightwing. I'm new in town. I just flew in from Trotslvania.”

“Oh? That sounds nice. I've never been there but I hear it's very nice.” She trotted over and deposited a fresh cup of hot apple cider in front of the bat. “Now, tell me what's wrong?”

The bat gently leaned forward and sipped the drink, before looking up at her. “Squeak squeak squeak.”

“Really?”

“Squeak.”

“Oh, you poor, poor dear. Don't you worry one little bit, I'll have you fixed up right as rain.”

Rarity sighed before she put on a small red ribbon with a gentle pink dress, the third dress. Three of her ponyquins were now covered, the other three were uncovered. She rubbed her chin, eying it nervously. “But does it really... work?” she asked herself. She shook her head and sighed. “Ugh, what time is it?” she said before looking to the clock and cringing. “Oh dear.” She turned and trotted off. “I do miss the sun. It was so much easier to tell when it was dark. Not to mention a tad less chilly.” She flipped off the switch and glanced back at her seven ponyquins. She then trotted down the hall.

She came back a moment later, her head cocked to the side. She flipped the light back on. Six ponyquins. Definitely six. She flipped it off a moment later. Seven now. Confusion etched on her features before she flipped it on and off, again and again. Still the seventh seemed to appear. “What in the...” She flipped it off again and looked for what could possibly be making that shadow. But there was nothing there. Just a blank wall. She turned it off again.

It was definitely there. Just turned towards her dresses. Waiting there. She frowned and turned it on one more time, then off again. “What in the--”

It moved! She let out a shriek and jumped back. “Who are you? What are you doing there? What do you want?!” She flicked the light on again and it disappeared. She let out a sigh of relief before shaking her head. “No. No, Rarity. No. You're just... you're overworked. That's all. It has been a long night, you're tired, you're just... that's all.” She turned and started towards her room, though she didn't turn the light off this time. She hummed and started performing her nightly rituals, cleaning her face and applying her mask before, finally, sliding into her bed with a gentle sigh. “A nice, refreshing night's sleep. That's what you need. Not like there's any other kind of... time to sleep these days,” she muttered. She switched off the light.

There was a ponyquin across the room, illuminated gently by the moon's glow from the window. She quickly turned her bedside lamp on. It disappeared. She flickered it off and on a few more times, each time the ponyquin appearing and disappearing.

There was a pop and her light went out. She tried flickering it back on, but it refused to move. The ponyquin turned and started walking towards her. She let out a nervous squeak when it came closer. Her horn glowed, casting a little light to the hoof of her bed.

The creature walked closer, not disappearing in the horn's glow. It looked pony... except it wasn't. Its body was a pale gray, as if it was made of smoke. Its eyes were empty and white. There were no facial features. No mouth, no nose. Its pale, white eyes stared at her, before slowly reaching a hoof out towards her.

Rarity screamed.

Twilight tried to avoid screaming when light trumpeting filled the room suddenly.

“Bard, there is no need to be so nervous,” Nightmare Moon said, casting her eyes down on the mare. “You are in our court, you are safe.”

“S-sorry, your highness. I just wish...” She squeaked, covering her mouth.

“Wish what?”

“Wish my... friends were here.”

“Oh, do not fret. If your friends are to be trusted, they will be fine.”

The earth pony blinked. “Wait, what?”

“Announcing Sir Gorda of Griffonstone!” a voice yelled.

Her eyes were quickly diverted to the entrance where a finely dressed griffon stood, wearing bright purple garments. He harrumphed when he trotted forward. He didn't bow, however, instead trotting towards Nightmare Moon with impudence. He gave a scowl of disgust. “So you are the one who has usurped Celestia? I must say, I'm hardly impressed. I expected the great tyrant that took over these lands would--” His beak was clamped shut with magic. Nightmare Moon stared down at him.

“You are in the presence of the ruler of Equestria. We will forget your... outbursts once, out of kindness for the treaties the one we replaced created. However, we will not forgive it a second time. Speak to us in such a way again and we will snap your wings like dry twigs.”

The magic disappeared. The griffon stared at her, before ruffling his feathers and pulling himself up to his full height. “L-listen here you over inflated pegasus! I am a representative of Griffonstone and I will NOT be spoken to in such a manner! If you do not cease your tongue, we of Griffonstone will bring war down upon your people and you--” He let out a shriek as he was lifted into the air by his wing.

“We did warn you,” Nightmare Moon said.

Twilight opened her mouth to object, before cringing. “Y-your highness, perhaps--”

“NO!” the ruler snapped. “Bard, cease. This... creature is not of our lands and we owe him no such protections as we do our ponies. Or would you prefer that we send our wrath against the ponies of our land, over this buffoon?”

“Put me down this instant, you... you overstuffed moon bag!”

Twilight stared at the griffon and looked away. Oh no. She heard the sickening crunch a moment later, followed by the scream. Then another crunch, then two more. When she looked back, the griffon's wing had been folded neatly up, the bones snapped in the movement.

Nightmare Moon stared down at the griffon. “If you and your ilk will bring war down on our ponies, then we will destroy you and burn your lands to cinders. If so much as one of your soldiers steps a single misshapen talon in our lands, every last one of your kind will feel our wrath, down to the smallest chick.” She then dropped the sobbing griffon.

“Y-your highness,” Moondancer said, glancing up at her. “About... what we spoke of?”

Nightmare Moon sighed and rolled her eyes. “Very well. If you step talon in our lands again, we will purge you. However, we will, in our infinite mercy and kindness, maintain the trade agreements between our lands for the time being. We would advise your kind to find a new representative. One without so crass a beak. Remove this thing from our sight.”

A few unicorns quickly raced forward, one of them making the griffon drink from a jar. The others delicately held his wing in their magic before hauling the griffon off. She was relieved to see that they were at least trying to keep the griffon's injury from worsening.

After a few moments the doors opened again. “Introducing Representative Tswana of Zebracorn.”

Twilight cringed, before turning to the zebra mare walking inside. Nightmare Moon gazed down at the mare.

“Maiden of the stars, I greet thee,” the zebra said, bowing her head respectfully.

Nightmare Moon chuckled and gave a nod. “Ah, a proper guest. Fret not, zebra. We remember our time a thousand years ago. You and your kind were always friends to our night and we have not forgotten. We have looked over the treaties and trade agreements between our people and they will remain, as well all travel.”

“We thank you for your generosity,” the mare said with another bow of her head. Twilight just sat there, stunned, only barely noticing the sigh of relief from the zebra.

“Is something wrong, bard?” Nightmare Moon asked while the zebra walked away.

“W-what? No! That was just so... quick and, err...”

“Yes?”

“You're... honoring... agreements?”

The mare cocked an eye. “Indeed we are. The griffons...” She rubbed her chin. “Have their uses. There is little to be gained at this point to wiping them out. But if the time comes, we shall do so without regret. The zebras have always been our friends and have done well to know their place. Along with the bat ponies, they were the few of our tribes that listened well to the ruler of these lands. A shame they have sought new pastures outside of our lands, but with that mare ruling these lands, we cannot blame them for making such decisions.”

She blinked. “W-wait, so they were... your friends before you became Nightmare Moon? They listened to you?” Twilight's eyes moved to Moondancer for a moment. She wondered how much of these decisions to honor agreements were thanks to her.

Nightmare Moon blinked and then slowly her eyes lowered. “They were... better than many of the others. But the zebras were never quite as... interested in the world of the other ponies. While they were more loyal than most of our subjects, they were often...”

Twilight cringed. “I... I see,” she muttered, checking that off her list of hope.

“But, be it as it may, zebras are still pony and even if they are no longer part of our kingdom, they will always be our subjects. One day, now that our sister is gone, they will return to the safety of our wing and find us ready.”

Twilight nodded nervously, before glancing towards the doors as more diplomats entered. To her relief, it wasn't a blood bath. In fact, many of them were treated with poise and dignity she didn't expect from the ruler. She made a mental note to send Moondancer a fruit basket for this, she had no doubt the mare was involved. It likely helped that most of the others showed her proper respect. Even the yaks, who she had always heard were foul tempered, were proper guests.

Then the dragon's representative came. When she heard it announced, she'd expected the windows to be opened and just a head to pop out.

Instead, a tiny little purple dragon, only a foot or so tall, came walking down the carpet. He was positively adorable, with little green scales on his forehead. He had a small bag and was covered in dirt.

“Sir... Spike... the baby dragon,” the announcer called.

The dragon gulped and poked his fingers together, staring up at the mare. “I... errr...”

“Yes, dragon?” Nightmare Moon asked, staring down at him. The poor dear was trembling.

“I… I ummmm...”

“Well?” the ruler of the night asked, annoyance begin to form on her features. “Spit it out, lizard.”

“I-I bring a message from the Dragon Lord.”

“Oh? We wonder if We know this one.”

“Lord Torch.”

“No, we’re afraid not. A shame. Well, what does he have to say?”

He gulped and took a slow, deep breath. “His… his lordship… he has decried this usurping of the throne as a sign that Celestia is weak, that Equestria has fallen. My kin will wage war upon your lands if you do not relinquish these territories to us immediately,” the dragon said before pulling a small scroll from his backpack.

Nightmare Moon merely chuckled, gripping the scroll in her magic. She pulled it over and then cocked an eye. “Oh dear. It seems he really, truly does wish to wage war upon us. We were expecting some… minor requests, enough to save face for himself. Alas.” She gave another chuckle before the scroll burst into flame. “We suppose there’s nothing that can be done about it. We’ve always wanted a Dragon Lord’s head hanging over our throne. If this… Torch wishes to die by our hooves, then we shall abide him. If he feared our sister, he will learn there is so much more to fear now.” Her eyes then fell on the dragon. “Tell us, young one. Why were you sent to deliver this message?”

“W-when… when the Dragon Lord speaks, we must obey.”

“Oh? But why you?”

He gulped and lowered his eyes. Twilight could see the fear in his eyes. “Because… because I… am… expendable and… and he believed you would… kill the messenger.”

She nodded. “Oh? Well, he was correct.” Her horn glowed and picked him up. “Unlike those griffons, there’s no need for civilities with war already upon us, now is there?”

Twilight stared, her eyes going narrow as pinpricks. While the dragon had brought an awful message, it hadn’t been his decision. Unlike the griffon, he’d just been tossed aside. He didn’t deserve this. “Wait!” the bard called out.

Nightmare Moon cocked an eye and glanced down. “Yes, bard?” she asked, holding the dragon in her grip as he struggled.

“We… we can...” She tried to think of some excuse, some reason. “He could still be useful! He might have information about the dragon lands!”

The ruler chuckled. “You believe they would send a child into my clutches so simply, while yet giving him information I can use against them?”

“M-maybe?” she said, staring up at the frightened dragon. A new thought clicked into her mind.

Pride.

“But even if they didn’t, there could still be a use for him?”

“Oh? And what use could this creature pose?”

“A pet.”

“What?” Nightmare Moon, Spike and Moondancer all said at once, staring at her as if she was mad.

“He could be your pet! He’s just a young dragon, right? He’s too young and weak to be any kind of threat or use at this point. But he’s still a dragon! You could keep him as a pet, teach him to properly obey you. Imagine what the other countries would think about that!”

Nightmare Moon snorted, looking down at the dragon. “Why would we care about such a creature, pet or no?”

Twilight shuffled her hooves together. She had to do something. “I-I could keep him as a pet?” she asked, her voice getting almost whiny.

The alicorn turned down on her. Now she absolutely stared at her as if she was mad. “You wish to keep this… thing as a pet?”

Moondancer’s mouth had fallen open and she just stared.

“Yes! A pet! Me, please?” she asked, gulping nervously. “I-I’ll take good care of him. I’ll keep him out of your way and make sure he doesn’t cause any problems or anything. I promise.”

Nightmare Moon snorted, looking down at the dragon. She then smiled, before dropping the dragon on the ground. After a moment, a black collar formed around his neck, encrusted with a moon symbol. “Very well. Dragon. From now until my bard tires of you, you will serve her. If, at any point, she deems you unsuitable for being a pet… this collar will choke the very life from you. If you leave her side for more than a few minutes, it will do it as well. Have we made ourselves clear?”

The dragon just stared up at her and nodded, before scampering over to behind Twilight. She let out a sigh of relief. Nightmare Moon nodded before looking towards the guards.

“That is the last of the representatives, your highness.”

“Good. Then there are the other matters to attend to. Bring in the nobles we summoned.”

Twilight blinked a few times. Nobles? She urked and looked around, but there was no sign of Tirek. Yet. However, when the ponies entered the room she couldn’t help but notice how nervous they were. One stood forward, a white unicorn with a blue mane.

“Your highness. My name is Fancy Pants, a pleasure to meet you.” He bowed politely.

Nightmare Moon cocked an eye. “Is this truly the best our kingdom has to offer?” she asked with a sigh. “Very well. The reason we have summoned you here is to discuss the Grand Galloping Gala.”

Twilight barely managed to suppress her sigh of relief. After the day’s ordeals, something so simple and mundane was a relief. “Of course, your highness. We, errr, have already purchased our tickets and cannot await the festivities.”

Nightmare Moon nodded. “Of course. And this gala will be the grandest we have ever held. It will be the largest. Accordingly… the size of the guest allowances has been… doubled.”

There was a low choking from the nobles. “W-we… we see,” Fancy said, before nervously adjusting his monocle. “Why, this is marvelous news! I assume this means additional tickets will be available for purchase?”

“Indeed. As those who have supported the crown for such an extended time, we knew that we should be generous and allow our most loyal subjects the benefit of an early--” The lights in the room flickered. The alicorn smiled, her teeth being shown to them as she turned to gaze towards the door.

In the doorway two ponies stood. The one on the right was like nothing she’d seen before. It looked like a pony, but it was covered in fur, with large glowing yellow eyes, massive fangs and long claws extending from its hooves. The other was a very pale unicorn in a blood red cloak. His eyes were slitted and his mouth was partially open, revealing small fangs.

“Ah, my newest subjects have arrived.” There was that ‘my’ again. It always sent a chill down Twilight’s back. “And that must mean...” Slowly the lights in the room dimmed until a third pony seemed to pop into existence besides them. It had white, hollow eyes and a body that was gray like smoke. It had no nose or mouth.

“We… we don’t believe we have ever… met such creatures,” Fancy said nervously.

“Oh? A shame. Please, introduce yourselves.”

The cloaked pony stepped forward and bowed his head, spreading out a pair of bat wings from under the cloak. “My name is Redfang, your highness. I have come as representative of the vampire ponies, at your behest.”

The furry one stepped forward, scratching behind his ear. He then bowed politely. “I am Kneading Pin, your highness. I have come as representative of the wereponies, at your behest. Oh! And I brought snacks! If, err, it pleases you. From my bakery!”

The last one stepped forward and bowed its head, though no voice came out. “Ah, allow me,” Nightmare Moon said. “That is Cloak, representative of the shades. It is very happy to meet you.”

“T-the… the feeling is mutual,” Fancy said. The nobles quickly stepped aside as the three bowed their head.

Twilight stared, her mouth open. She couldn’t believe it. “V-vampires… vampires are real? Werewolves? SHADES?” she asked.

“Mmmm? Indeed,” Nightmare Moon said, before glancing to them. “We imagine our sister has worked long and tirelessly to hide them from the masses, in order to make ponies believe that such things do not exist.” She got down from her throne and stepped forward. All three bowed to her obediently. “But they have long served our realm and we refuse to make those gifted by our moon hide forever...” She then paused and her eyes turned towards the shade. Twilight couldn’t be sure, but she thought she almost saw… remorse in those eyes. “Or those who… suffer alone in the darkness. We imagine you will wish to tell more stories about such creatures, yes?” she asked, turning towards the bard.

Twilight squeaked, before quickly nodding. “Y-yes!”

“Good. Then ask them whatever questions you like.” She then turned back towards the nobles. “You may leave, if you please. Our business is done here. You may speak with our representatives to discuss any additional tickets you wish to purchase.”

Twilight watched them go, her eyes narrowed. She had no doubt that Nightmare Moon had that planned. Allowing them to see the creatures would have rumors spreading within a few hours. Everypony would KNOW that such creatures existed, or were at least suspected, soon. Before the official release.

And the nobles would have to be careful about it. If it caused a panic or disharmony, it would be laid at their hooves, as they were the only ones that knew.

“So, the tasks I’ve assigned you are complete?” Nightmare Moon asked.

She was brought back to attention when she realized they were talking.

“Of course, your highness,” Redfang said, bowing his head. “They are being monitored as we speak. We live to serve you, as we always had.”

Twilight could feel claws on her back and realized Spike was shaking. She gulped and then. “I-I… err… if I could… I think I might need to turn in my new… pet soon. And I’m feeling quite tired as well. But, err… if I could ask our guests a question?”

“As you wish,” Nightmare Moon offered.

“Where, errr, have you been? I mean, creatures such as yourself… how long...”

“Your highness, if you would allow me?” the vampire asked. The alicorn nodded. “Lady… Glow, was it?” She nodded, a little concerned he knew her name. “We have existed in this realm for the last few thousand years.”

Her heart hammered. “W-what? Impossible!”

“Truly? If you didn’t see us now, would you not think a pony crazy for mentioning us?”

“But… but that’s… ponies would know. How do you exist?” she asked softly. “I-I’ve read books, I’ve--”

“Most of that is… not quite true,” the vampire said with a smile. “Well… some of it is. The original works were fairly accurate. But I still have no idea where the ‘we burst into flames at the sight of the sun’ came into being. While I’ll admit we do get far weaker, it won’t kill us. It merely makes us like normal ponies. And I assure you, there are plenty of vampires who are very religious.”

“And… the blood?”

“Yes, we do require it for sustenance. Or fruit juice, though blood is preferred.”

“But… but that’s bad! What if you hurt or kill somepony?”

He cocked an eye. “Truly? Well, dear bard, we require SOME blood. We are hardly the monsters of legend that drain ponies dry. In fact, many of us gain our sustenance from our family or friends. That’s the thing about blood, for ponies such as yourself, it is not exactly in limited supply. We just have to be careful and, at times, ensure a hospital is nearby.” He then gave a sigh. “Of course, on occasion mistakes will happen. A vampire will go too far. But it is a rare occurrence and our population is quite small.”

“Small? Really?”

“Indeed. In all of Equestria there are likely only a few hundred of us. Maybe just under a thousand.”

Her eyes went wide. “W-what? So few? But that's... you're practically extinct!”

“We are graced with living for many, many years. Far longer than most ponies, so even a few of us could flourish if need be. On top of that, many of us... hesitate when it comes to turning another.”

“Oh?”

“Indeed. There are many who would accept our life, if it meant an eternal life. But... even our eldest is less than a thousand years old.”

She blinked a few times, looking confused. “But... I thought... vampires didn't age?”

“We don't. But there are many, many other ways to die. But there are many ponies who... would likely not do well with a life such as ours. Who would end up...” He rubbed his chin. “To put it... in more simple turns. I am sure you have heard the legends of great vampires that stalked the night?”

“Well, I mean, I've heard some old ones. That's where the Hoofula stories came from.”

“Exactly. And there were also the great... purges,” he said sadly, his eyes glancing to Nightmare Moon. “Those can become a necessity when those who are gifted with our abilities are not worthy of them. Ponies who are selfish and cruel, who want only power and seek out other, like minded individuals to spread this too. Once the princesses allowed us to become hidden members of Equestria, we agreed to work tirelessly to ensure that only those willing and who we believe will use this gift wisely would be given it. Sometimes there are mistakes.”

“What happens then?” Twilight asked.

“They are brought before the princess and she determines their fate. Fortunately, Celestia was a--” He froze and his eyes widened. “An okay ruler, but nothing like our wise and benevolent Nightmare Moon. With her at the throne I imagine we will have a new time of prosperity.” He then glanced back to the werewolf. “Now, I believe it's your turn?”

“Hey,” Kneading said with a wave of his clawed hoof. “Yeah, we've been around a long time, too. Like, forever almost. Don't live as long, but being a werepony is pretty cool. I've been one about six years now? Most of us are pretty chill. Some of us can be jerks though, same as anypony.”

She nodded. “So, errr, you run a bakery?”

“Oh yeah. Best cinnamon rolls in Manehatten! Most of us have to have jobs, getting all fuzzy doesn't pay the bills. Well, for some of us it does, but that's something else entirely.”

“W-what?”

“Nothing. But yeah, sadly, the stories about us are a little more... true. Full moons make us go a bit... wild. The stronger ones of us? They can usually keep us in control. That's why we have packs. Outside the full moon, though, it's pretty awesome. As long as we don't get pissed, then we might transform too. Well, or scared. But any of that, really. Just need to be really careful when going through traffic, you know?”

She nodded a few times, her mouth open slightly. “And... when things go wrong?”

“Got a whole herd of ponies in the royal lines ready to deal with us. For the most part we don't have more incidents than any other ponies. I mean, I don't know if you've noticed but like... well... we can be pretty strong and all but...” He motioned her closer.

She blinked and leaned in. “Yes?”

He shifty eyed and whispered in her ear. “Some of these ponies? They can do magic,” he said, before bursting into laughter.

She stared at him flatly. “You're... kidding.”

“Nah, not at all. We may be big and tough when we transform, but we aren't the smartest thing. One good well trained unicorn can take us down with the right spells. I've heard of some that managed to take down entire packs all by themselves. Far as I know, the vampires don't fare much better.”

Redfang glanced off to the side. “W-while I will acknowledge that. Yes. The magic of the Equestrian Special Forces has managed to deal with quite a few vampires over the years, I believe our own politics and safeguards are enough to keep most issues from ever occurring. And nine out of ten vampires who go rogue we end up capturing on our own.”

The werewolf just snickered. “Oh, don't mind him. Vampires have always been a bit fussy and got sticks up their butts the size of an alicorn's horn.” He chuckled for a few moments before the grin evaporated and he turned towards Nightmare Moon. She looked less than pleased by that remark. “N-not to, e-err, i-imply that her royal highness would... err...” The glare he received made him squirm in place and quickly lower his gaze. “M-my apologies, y-your highness.”

“What about the shades?” Twilight asked quickly, trying to change the subject.

Nightmare Moon turned towards the creature and gave a sigh. “The shades are... a curse. Ponies trapped between our world and a realm of shadows, placed there by the umbrum. They cannot touch our world, only appearing in our shadows. Neither living nor dead, they are trapped. Their memories stripped, their minds broken.”

“If they aren't... I mean, why haven't I ever seen one before?” she asked softly.

“You likely have. The shades are often on the edge of your vision. When a light flickers out, they may be in there, watching you. But they are lost, for now, and we have never been able to free them. Those who do see them are often deemed... mad.”

Twilight shuddered at the thought of these creatures always watching over her. “I... see,” she whispered. “And... you can speak with it?”

“Indeed. They are creatures of the night, unwilling or not. And they are as much our children as any other pony, lost though they may be. And it can understand you. It just cannot speak with you.”

She stared at it. It nodded its head. She shuddered. “I-I see. I errr... I-I think I'm going to go take care of my new pet. I'll, errr, I'll ask more questions later, okay?” She then turned, flipped the started dragon onto her back and galloped out of there. For a moment she felt guilty that she left Moondancer alone with all those... things. She rolled her eyes and then popped her head in again, loathing her guilty conscience. “Err... would it be okay if Moondancer assisted me?”

Nightmare Moon cocked an eye. “If our student wishes to, she may.”

“Yes please!” Moondancer squeaked, teleporting across the room and then darting out the open door. Once they were both outside they bother shared a look.

“So...” Twilight started. “Is it odd that I still don't find Nightmare Moon any scarier?”

“I think I'm about capped out on fear for her,” Moondancer mumbled, before glancing to the dragon.

The earth pony groaned and then glanced back to Spike. “Can you walk?”

“O-of course I can!” the dragon said with a snort before leaping off her and landing roughly, falling over onto his face. “Ow.”

“Are you okay?” she asked, reaching out to touch him. He smacked her hoof away.

“I'm fine!” he said before standing up. “Y-you know, I would have been fine, I didn't need a pony to--”

“Oh don't you even start with that!” Moondancer snapped, thrusting a hoof into the dragon's chest. “Twilight just stuck her neck out for you and if it wasn't for her, yours would be broken right now.”

Twilight squeaked. “M-Moondancer, you don't need to--”

“No. I have had it. Ponies are always talking bad about you behind your back and I'm sick of it,” Moondancer snapped, glaring down at the dragon. “Do you have any idea how much trouble she risked? Do you see those marks on her back? That's from the LAST time she stuck her neck out to help somepony! She risked it AGAIN so she could save your butt. And I am not going to stand by why you act all ungrateful, understand?”

The dragon stared up at her, meekly poking its fingers together. Then, after a few moments, he began to cry.

Neither pony expected that and they shared confused looks. Twilight blinked a few more times before reaching out and pulling him close, letting him cry into her chest. “Shhhhh. Shhhhh. It's okay. It's all okay. Nopony is going to hurt you, I promise. Okay? You're safe now. I'll keep you safe, I promise. Nopony is going to hurt you,” she said and gently pet his scales back.

He sniffled and after a few moments, he nodded. “I-I'm sorry...”

“It's okay. You've had a... very rough day. I know none of this could have been easy for you.” She kept soothingly rubbing his head. “So, what is it that dragons eat, anyway?”

“Ummmm... gemstones really...”

Twilight blinked a few times, mouthing the word a few times, before looking to Moondancer. “Err... do you think you could get me some... like, actual gemstones?”

“Uh huh. Rubies are my favorite.”

She cocked her head to the side. She'd heard tales and stories, but she didn't know they were true. They actually ate them. She'd assumed it was just a myth. “Well... okay then. Ummm, Moondancer, can you see if you can find some gems for him?”

The mare nodded. “I will. Meet you in your room?”

“Please,” Twilight said before gently guiding the dragon towards her room.

“I'm sorry,” Spike said again.

“It's fine. You've had a tough day.” Her chest was still wet, but it didn't burn. At least the stories she'd heard about dragons spitting acid was probably not true. Would tears and snot be acid in that case? She'd need to look into it. She then looked him over and cringed. He had a thin layer of dirt over his body. “Did... errr... did you walk here?”

“A lot of the way. A dragon dropped me off about a day's march from here and then I had to walk the rest of the way,” he mumbled. “B-but I wasn't scared or anything! The dark is fine!”

She nodded, eying him with a cocked eye. “I see. So then, Spike. How about I give you a bath first, then I'll take a shower?”

“I don't need a bath!” he said defiantly.

“Are you sure? I've got bubbles. Lots and lots of bubbles.”

He frowned and eyed her suspiciously. “How... many bubbles?”

“Come on,” she said with a smile, guiding him to her bathroom. She started filling it up with hot water before glancing to him. “So... why were you chosen?”

“I told you. Expendable,” he muttered.

“How... ummm... old are you? Aren't you still just a...” She looked him over. “A baby dragon?”

He blinked and then mumbled softly under his breath.

“What?”

“Yeah, I am, so what?!” he yelled, glowering at her. “Just because I'm a baby doesn't mean I can't do something like this!”

She cringed, giving a nod. “O-of course. But what about your parents?”

“My parents died years before I was hatched,” he muttered. For along moment he was silent, then spoke up again. “They sent me because I'd been here before, too.”

She turned back. “What?”

“My mom, she worked with the princess. So the princess had my egg for a while before she returned it to the dragon lands.” He crossed his claws. “It didn't exactly make me the most popular around. Especially after all this started.”

She blinked a few times before she started adding the bubble bath. “I see. That's... I'm very sorry to hear that.” She gently picked him up in her hooves and then set him in the tub. He yelped.

“It's cold!”

“What?” she asked, touching the water. It felt pretty warm to her.

“It's cold!”

She sighed, before turning on the water to max heat. “How's that?”

“... Better,” he mumbled. After the water warmed up he began to relax and sit in the tub. “Ummmm...”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to give me some privacy?”

“Huh?” Pink flooded her cheeks. “Oh! Right, sorry,” she said before shaking her head and trotting off. She rolled her eyes. Just because he was a baby didn't mean he needed her to help wash himself, she was sure. She stood outside the door. “So... you had no pony back home?”

“Yeah. Wanna keep rubbing it in?”

She cringed. “Sorry.” She tapped the ground nervously, listening to him scrub. “I’m sorry you had to leave home. I’m sorry you… can’t go back. But I’ll do my best to keep you… taken care of, I guess. Here. You just need to be careful, okay?”

He snorted. “Careful? Why?”

“If Nightmare Moon… If you make her mad, then she might do something horrible to you. You’re not a pony, her punishments for you might include death.”

There was silence from the other room for a few moments before there was a light splash. “Yeah? So what. I’m not scared of anything like death! I’m a dragon! We laugh in the face of death! Ha ha ha!”

“Well, I don’t want you to die! I want you to live a long, happy life. With friends and family and ponies who care about you, so just be careful, okay?”

There was another long silence before he spoke up again. “Why do you care?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” she asked. “You’re just a child. There’s… no reason at all you should have been caught up in any of this. There’s no reason any of us should, but… and you were… abandoned, on top of it.”

There was a long silence before he sighed. “You know… the Dragon Lord will come. He will burn these lands to the ground. We’d heard stories of your princess, but if she was really so weak to--”

“Don’t,” Twilight said firmly. “As… much as I hate to say it, if you Dragon Lord even did manage to… destroy Nightmare Moon, which I seriously doubt he could, he’d likely be seen as a hero. But if he feared Celestia, then he has so, so much more to fear now. You have… no idea what she’s capable of. She’s powerful and dangerous. And your Dragon Lord just unleashed her on himself.”

There was another snort. “Bah! The Dragon Lord fears no pony!”

Twilight glanced towards her desk, where her book was laying splayed open. “He’ll learn to… oh, how he’ll learn to.”

Author's Note

Bet you all thought I forgot about Spike! Well, here, a second chapter in one day because I'm feeling generous...

That and I'm waiting for energy to come back in FF BE and FF mobius.

... As always, please take a look at my books. Most are available for free, so any feedback on them are appreciated. Tah tah for now! More coming soon.

S1 CH 13. Going home

13. Going home

Twilight slowly inched through the castle, Spike at her side. The fact the little dragon was currently enjoying a crunchy ruby was doing little to calm her nerves. If anything, it was making it so, so much worse.

Preparations for the gala were now in full swing… kind of. While supplies were still in the midst of being procured, there didn’t seem to be anypony willing to PLAN the thing. Or even cater it, for that matter. No band, either. In fact, all of the greatest party planners in Canterlot seemed to be either very ill suddenly, retired or ‘out of town’.

Of course, it was clear to anypony what was going on. Nopony wanted to be the one to incur Nightmare Moon’s wrath if things didn’t go well. And it was very unlikely they’d go well. Especially with the size of the gala suddenly doubling and the tickets selling like hot cakes(though she suspected it was more for fear of what would happen if they DIDN’T sell well.) So now everypony was walking on their tip hooves and hoping to avoid being noticed by the angry mare, in the event something bad happened to them.

So of course Spike had to have the crunchiest, noisiest food imaginable. Despite what had occurred, the dragon seemed to be settling into life here just fine. Moondancer had managed to procure plenty of gemstones for the young dragon to feed on(making her Spike’s favorite pony at the moment). On top of that, while soldiers had been stationed heavily along the griffon and dragon borders, it remained to be seen what would happen. Neither had made any move to attack, though defenses were being readied. Nightmare Moon seemed to be reveling in the idea of the coming war and she had even heard her talking about Tirek a time or two, wondering if he could drain the magic from dragons and griffons. She shuddered to think what newfound power this would bring the alicorn.

Her story was going well, however, and she was still certain she’d have it finished before the gala started. Assuming there was anypony to run it. She was beginning to worry that Nightmare Moon would have to follow through on her ‘jest’ about imprisoning a pony to run it. She pushed open the door to the garden and stepped outside.

It was an oddly warm night. She often wondered about that as she walked through the garden. It had been months by now, at least it felt like it. Yet everything seemed fine. All the plants were growing strong, some nights were cool, some nights were hot. It was as if the sun was still with them, just they couldn’t see it.

She glanced back to Spike. “Do you mind if we walk around a bit? I need to clear my head.”

He shrugged. “What do I care?”

She gave him a little smile before she started trotting into the garden. No, it was a little cooler now, she supposed. Not too much. And sometimes, it got really, really cold, and frost would appear. But it wasn’t so bad that she worried. Yet. She didn’t know what Nightmare Moon was doing to keep it in such a manner, but she was happy she didn’t have to worry about THIS.

Her travels brought her back towards the opera statue and she froze in place, staring at it. The ancient thing was covered in dozens of little cracks, all over. She hadn’t imagined it being that cold, but the poor thing looked horrible. She wondered if she should tell the gardener. Did they even have on now? Maybe she should tell Nightmare Moon. She trotted forward and reached out a hoof towards it.

She then froze, mere inches from touching the statue. Her eyes went wide and any thoughts of the statue were flung from her mind. “Of course! Spike, come on!” She didn’t wait for him to agree, she grabbed him by the back scale in her mouth and flipped him over to land on her. He let out a yelp.

“What? Hey! What are you doing? What’s going on?”

“I’ve got it figured out! I know what I need to do,” she said with a big grin, quickly galloping out of the garden.

“What?”

“I can ask Cadence! I mean, she has to know dozens of party planners! Hundreds! I’m sure she knows at least one who’d be willing to do this, right? If for no other reason than as a favor to me! This is going to work! Everything is going to be okay!”

Everything was not going to be okay. Twilight walked through the city streets, slowly and cautiously. The ponies in the street were glaring at her. At first she thought it was her imagination, but there was no doubt about it.

Ponies would cross the street the moment they saw her, or go into buildings. Or just glare at her as she passed. She thought for a moment that maybe it was Spike, but she was sure it wasn’t. She occasionally heard them whisper.

“That’s her, isn’t it? The traitor?”

“Yeah. My cousin said she gave Nightmare Moon all the guard routes and unlocked the castle gates for her.”

“I heard that she cavorts with demons and spirits, that she’s signed a blood oath to gain dark powers.”

“I hear she tricked Celestia into wearing a cursed crown and that’s why she lost to Nightmare Moon.”

She knew there was absolutely no credence to any of these rumors and, fortunately, none of the guards seemed to be looking at her in the same way.

But every single word hurt. They cut into her like a knife, hacking and slashing at her heart mercilessly. She’d almost been ready to cry when a stone glanced off her cutie mark. She let out a yelp and looked back, but nopony said anything. She almost demanded they reveal themselves, but the hostile looks she received told her that it would do no good. None of them would fess up to it. And it would just make her seem worse.

By the time she arrived at her parent’s home, she was nearly in tears. She knocked on the door a few times and, after a moment, it opened.

“Twily!” Shining said, a big grin on his lips.

She lunged forward and hugged him, bursting into tears. His eyes widened but, after a few moments, a hoof reached out and gently wrapped around her. “It’s okay. It’s okay, Twily. You’re okay,” he whispered soothingly.

“Who is it?” she heard her mom call out.

“It’s Twilight!” he called back.

“TWILIGHT?!” her mother’s voice shrieked, the sound of frantic hooves echoed through the halls. Three pairs of them. “TALL! CADENCE! It’s Twilight!”

“We heard!” the alicorn and earth pony yelled in unison. A moment later her parents and Cadence were standing at the end of the entranceway, watching her.

Twilight tried to wipe the tears away, but they wouldn’t stop. “H-h-hey,” she said softly. “C-Cadence, y-you’re here too? I… I thought you’d be… off doing… other things by now.”

Cadence sighed. “Times are… difficult right now. Shining and I have been trying to stay close after all that’s happened. After being apart for so long it… the thought of separating again...” Her cheeks turned red. “Besides, my family is… currently in hiding and I did not wish to be home alone.” She stepped forward. “Twilight, why are you crying? Who is your friend?”

“I’m Spike,” the dragon said, crossing his arms.

“Is he one of… hers?” Shining asked, glaring down at the dragon.

“N-no, no. He’s mine. Sorta. Kinda… a pet. Sorta,” Twilight said, sniffling a little. “T-there’s a… a lot has happened since… since everything and… and I just… can… can we talk?”

The others nodded and, slowly, she was guided towards the living room.

Twilight sipped her cocoa, holding Spike in her hooves. She hated that she needed it, but the little dragon was very warm and oddly soft, a very comforting presence right now. And she needed one. She’d tried not to worry them, tried to keep everything bottled up inside and away from her family and friends. But she couldn’t now. She couldn’t take it. She’d told them everything, what she was doing, how hard she was trying. About the dragons, the griffons, Spike, the creatures of darkness, the gala.

“I-I just don’t know what’s going to happen anymore,” she said softly. “This isn’t like one of my books, I’m trying so hard to guide her right, but whenever I make some progress, whenever I see some light in her, something bad happens. Like Tirek, or this coming war. I don’t even know if the war is going to happen! The dragons and griffons might make a move at any moment, and then what? Thousands could die because of this! Because of her! Millions maybe!”

Shining nodded, rubbing his chin. “I… wouldn’t worry too much about that, for now.”

“H-huh?” she asked softly.

“I’ve been on border patrols. The griffons, they may talk big games, but they barely even guard their borders. I haven’t even heard of them exerting ANY military might in ages. I imagine it’ll be a while before they could organize any type of assault. Even if they can, they tend to be rather direct. They won’t be able to penetrate our borders with the way they fight. With our magic and pegasi, they won’t be able to launch much of a sneak attack, either. The dragons, on the other hoof… they’re a much larger threat. But they’re slow and calculating. When they attack, it’ll be dangerous. But we’ll likely know months in advance and it may take them years to even finish planning any assault.”

“Wait… really?” Twilight asked, before looking to Spike.

The dragon shrugged. “What? We live thousands of years, why rush things?”

“That... that makes it slightly less terrifying,” she muttered softly, though she kept her eyes low. “I just... I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I'm trying my hardest, but it just seems to make more and more ponies hate me! I don't want them to hate me! I want them to understand! I'm doing this for them, for all of them! Why can't they see it?”

Velvet sat down besides her daughter and gently reached out, putting a hoof around her. “I know, dear. I know. Sometimes ponies can be... small minded. They see something and automatically assume the simplest, worst decision. They don't even consider what could be happening.” She rubbed her back lightly. “But you're doing an amazing job. You're working hard and, other ponies or not, you are making a difference.”

Shining nodded. “It's true. I've been hearing from the other guards as well. As horrible as the... whippings have been they aren't very often since... well, ponies are trying to avoid causing problems. For now. There hasn't been one in a while, even.”

Twilight nodded. “Nopony has... died... have they?”

“Thanks to your efforts so far I'm sure, no,” Cadence said. “I know it's scary and hard. But you're doing your best, Twilight. And so many ponies owe you so much for that.”

She smiled and gave a nod, wiping her eyes. “T-thank you. Sorry. Just... felt so overwhelmed and... err, sorry Spike,” she said with a sheepish smile down at the dragon.

“It's cool,” the dragon said with a shrug, his cheeks red.

“I think it was a very brave thing of you to do,” Cadence said with a nod. “Stepping out to protect Spike like that. He would have been really hurt if not for you. You saved his life.”

Twilight blushed and gave him another squeeze. “Of course. He's just a child. No... matter what Nightmare Moon thinks, he doesn't deserve to die for what his Dragon Lord said, doesn't mean he's to blame.” She frowned. “I thought she... I didn't think she'd actually... do something like that. But she just picked him up and...”

Spike's face turned even redder. “Can we talk about ANYTHING else?”

Cadence chuckled before nodding. “Of course. Now, about your gala issue, have you considered trying outside of Canterlot?”

“What? Of course not! The best party planners in the world live here,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “Nightmare Moon wouldn't accept anypony else!”

“Maybe,” Cadence said. “But, she wants something different, right? She's having that mare from Ponyville completely remaking her castle, isn't she?”

“Well, yes. I suppose.”

“Maybe they'll know somepony who can help. If nothing else, getting out of town for a few days might give you a bit of a... a chance to relax. Get away from ponies who know you by sight and... well...”

“Pepper me with rotten apples?” Twilight asked flatly.

“They... haven't done that, have they?”

“Not yet, but they're on the verge!” she snapped with annoyance, before shaking her head. “Sorry. It's all just so... frustrating.”

“Sis, why don't I walk you back to the castle when you go back?” Shining offered.

“No, no, it's fine,” she said with a shake of her head. “I can handle it, anyway.”

“Oh. Okay. Allow me to rephrase. I'm walking you back to the castle when you go back.”

She blinked, before smiling and giving a nod. “Well... I guess if you insist,” she said with a smile. “Whatever makes you happy.”

“Good,” he said flatly, before glancing to Cadence. “See? It's not so hard. All you need to do is take a firm hoof with her and she understands what's going on,” he said with a big grin.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Twilight asked curtly.

“You're stubborn,” Cadence said with a shrug.

“It's a proper earth pony trait, alas,” Tall said with a sigh. “Hopefully you're just more stubborn than that mare on the throne.”

Twilight chuckled and got to her hooves, gently setting Spike down. “I am NOT stubborn.”

“Sis, you've barely told us any of this until you were so beaten up about it you were bursting into tears,” Shining muttered. “You can't bear all this on your own, you need some support.”

She nodded. “I have support. Kinda. They've just been busy lately. I'll visit them when I go to see Ponyville. It'll help me. A lot. I promise,” she said with a big smile. “Speaking of, I should probably go now. I--”

“Oh no you aren't!” Velvet snapped, making her urk.

“W-what?”

“You're staying home and getting a nice, delicious home cooked meal.”

“Well, at least home cooked,” Shining said, earning a scathing glare from his mother.

“My cooking is delicious! Far better than that rich over spiced junk they serve in the castle!”

Twilight smiled none the less before plopping back down in her seat. She needed to remember to do this more often. There was no place like home.

Twilight bowed her head respectfully, kneeling before the ruler of the night. She could feel Spike behind her, cowering and lightly shaking. “Your highness?”

The ruler merely cocked an eye, while Moondancer gave the writer a nervous look. “Yes, bard? I assume you must have some reason for coming before our throne without being summoned?”

“Yes! I do!” she said quickly. “It's, err, about... the gala.”

Nightmare Moon's eyes narrowed. “Indeed. Do tell.”

“Well, err... this gala is going to be unique. Something never before seen in Equestria, right? Nothing like Cele... like the previous galas?”

“Of course. For it will put all others to shame!”

“Then perhaps we could... think outside the box, as it were?”

The alicorn took a soft, annoyed breath. “Bard, we have often found your council to be well placed and wise. But if you do not get to the point soon, you will be dismissed.”

Twilight gulped. “Perhaps we should look for a party planner outside of Canterlot?”

“You wish for a novice to plan our grand gala?”

Twilight nodded rapidly. “Yes! Well, not a novice, but somepony who is brand new. Somepony who hasn't been preparing parties and the like for Canterlot before, somepony who will bring fresh ideas and new plans and make it something completely unlike every gala before it. Something completely original and, err, fresh.”

The alicorn rubbed her hoof against her chin, eying the mare suspiciously. “And... you believe that this will make our gala better?”

“I believe that this will make your gala unique. It will make it something completely unlike ANY gala ponies have ever seen. Something they'll be talking about for months.” Whether that was a good thing or not, she couldn't say.

Nightmare Moon nodded. “We... suppose there is... some truth to what you say. Very well, we will have the search expanded for novices of... particular skill. Was that all?”

She gulped, here went nothing. “A-actually. I wanted to know if I could be permitted a small leave of absence to, err, go down to Ponyville. Perhaps my friends there might know a pony of sufficient skill. After all, since Rarity is designing the castle and all, maybe she'll know somepony she has worked with in the past who would be... up to the task?”

Nightmare Moon gave her the oddest expression. It was scary, her eyes narrowed slightly. But it was also a little... she couldn't be certain but she thought she saw the alicorn's lip stick out just a tiny bit. She was sure she was imagining it, though. There was no way the terror of the night was pouting. “You wish to go to Ponyville to be with thy friends?”

“Yes? Just for a little bit! That's all. Really.”

The terror's eyes narrowed. “Very... well,” she said through gritted teeth. “We will give you a short time to... perform this task. But hurry back.”

“O-of course your highness. Thank you,” she said before bowing her head again. “May I be dismissed?”

The alicorn merely gestured with a wing.

Twilight turned and made her way out, rapidly. Once she was in the hall she let out a soft sigh of relief before making her way through the castle.

“She seemed kind of mad you were leaving,” Spike said.

“Of course she's mad. She's ALWAYS mad. She's probably upset I won't be able to regale people with stories of how she terrorized some poor orphan or something.”

“Wait, she really does that?”

“No, she doesn't. But I swear sometimes it feels like she would,” Twilight said before shaking her head. “I'd say I don't get paid enough, but I don't really get paid at all. I can't wait to see my friends.”

“Do you think they'll have somepony who can really plan the gala and everything?”

“Yes? No, I don't know. Maybe. Probably. I mean, there have to be a ton of ponies who can plan a gala. I'd do it myself, but I doubt my theme would work very well.”

He shrugged. “I don't know, seems like a lot of work to me...”

“I can't imagine it would be. They'd have access to all of the castle's resources. Cooks, guards, scribes. Invitations can be handled by somepony else, all they need to do is say what they want to have happen, then other ponies will make it happen. It's kind of a whole... thing. Delegation. If I knew what would MAKE a good party, then I would just do it all myself.”

“Not much of a partier?”

“My idea of a good party is curled up in my favorite chair with a good book. Or maybe a pen and notebook.”

“That sounds really boring,” he said with a huff.

“Hence why I don't throw parties. Even when I had to do it, when I was first starting, my agent planned everything. I wonder if I should ask her! She might...” She trailed off and shook her head. “No.”

“What?”

“I've really asked her to do a lot over the years. Throwing a small party for a few really good fans and funders for my books is one thing, but something like this? That's just horrifying. I need a professional. Somepony who wants to do it.” She sighed and pushed open the door to her room.

“Why don't you just run?” Spike asked.

“Run? Why would I run? What would happen then?”

“Who cares? Nopony here really seems to care what you're doing. They treat you like dirt. Nightmare Moon doesn't seem to like you, either.”

“She doesn't really show affection well,” Twilight muttered. “I'm pretty sure if she didn't like me, I'd be dead by now. And I fear to know what would happen to a new bard.”

He sighed and gave a little shrug. “Whatever. Just don't go and get yourself too beat up, okay? Cause like... we're a team and stuff.”

She blinked before smiling to him. “I know. And don't worry, I'm being extra careful. Nightmare Moon is... really, she's not so hard to deal with. You might get hurt in the process, but she's almost...” She eyed her book before closing it and putting it into her saddlebag. “I think she does still care. Not a lot. But somewhat.”

“She has a fun way of showing it.”

Twilight nodded and then tossed a few gems into her bags. “Okay, come along. I've got some snacks and stuff. And my notes. I can get some writing done on the way there. I wonder if I should take the train. Do you think the guards would be okay taking me?”

He shrugged. “Would it give them an excuse to get out of the castle?”

She thought about that for a moment before nodding. “Good point. Let's go.”

Author's Note

Here we go, another chapter. Also, forgot to mention this. If it's not obvious, these are more... equestrian vampires and werewolves than straight vampires and werewolves. So like... expect weirdness.

S1 CH 14. Ponyville under watch

14. Ponyville under watch

Twilight let out a soft sigh of relief when the small town came into view off in the distance. The wind blew through her mane and the cold nipped at her hooves, but finally they were almost there and everything would be better soon.

Two pegasi pulled the chariot, two guards who had been more than happy to give her a lift. She couldn't deny that they also looked a tad sheepish when they offered. She idly wondered if they had been some of the ones who had been mad at her for her apparent betrayal to Celestia. At least most the guards seemed to understand what she was doing finally.

Or, if they didn't, they were at least keeping it to themselves.

The chariot began to lower and then gently came to a rest on the ground in the city's courtyard. She let out a soft sigh of relief before jumping out. “Okay, Spike, let's--” She paused and looked around. “Spike?”

“Ohhhhhhh...” She heard coming from the chariot.

She glanced back and cringed at the sight. The poor dragon was on the ground, clutching his stomach. She trotted closer and gently pulled him close. “Spike? Are you okay?”

“F-fine,” he groaned.

“Have you ever flown before?”

“N-no,” he mumbled.

“But you're a dragon! You have wings and...” She glanced to his back. “Oh. You WILL have wings.”

“I-I'm fine,” he lied, closing his eyes.

She sighed again and gently rocked him. “There there. Let's get you a soda water, okay? The bubbles will calm your stomach.” She then looked to the guards. “Thank you for the ride. You can head back whenever you wish, I'll take the train back.” She paused for a minute. “If you want to stick around for a few hours and take in the sights, you can say I asked you to wait for a bit and then changed my mind after.”

The two guards shared a grin before saluting her. “Of course, Lady Twilight.”

She nodded before, gently, nudging Spike onto her back and trotting to the nearest shop. Soon armed with a bottle of carbonated beverage and less nauseous Spike, the two made their way towards the Carousel Boutique.

She frowned when she came close. Every single light on it seemed to be on. Every room was lit up and she could see lamps through the windows. “Is she having a party? I hope I'm not intruding.”

She gently knocked on the door.

After a few moments the door opened and Rarity lunged out, wielding a bat. The bat shrieked indignantly. Twilight squeaked and recoiled. “It's me! Twilight!”

“Twilight? What? Come in!” the mare yelled, grabbing her hooves and yanking her inside. Twilight let out another shriek before toppling in, the door slamming shut behind her. She laid there in a heap on the floor, bewildered.

“Err... Rarity? Is everything okay?”

“No! Everything is not okay! It's watching, I can feel it. It's here, even with all the lights on! I know it is, I know!”

“Err... Rarity?”

“It's always there! Always somewhere, the moment the lights come out, it comes. But no pony believes me! But you believe me, right Twilight?” Rarity asked. The poor unicorn looked horrendously disheveled. Her normally pristine mane was wild with loose hairs and she had bags under her eyes.

“Err... are you... ummm... what? Have you been sleeping okay?”

“No! Can't sleep! Lights might go out if I sleep! What if it trips a breaker? What if it shuts off the power? No no no no! Have to keep the lights on, all the time, only way!”

Twilight cocked her head to the side before looking to Spike. “She's normally not like this, I swear.”

“WHAT'S THAT?!” Rarity shrieked, pointing the bat at him.

“I'm Spike,” he said with a huff. “A dragon.”

“Dragon? You sure? Right! Dragon, good. Dragons use fire, right? Yes yes!”

Twilight just stared. She couldn't imagine what horror was going on here to drive her friend into such a state. She slowly guided Spike over towards the couch and softly put him on it. “Rarity? How about I make us some tea and we can talk it out, okay? You can tell me everything that's going on!”

“No! No no! Tea makes me sleepy! Can't sleep! Coffee, just, just coffee!”

“I'm going to say tea,” Twilight said before slowly moving to her friend. Gently she nudged the bat out of her grip, who flew up to the rafters and glowered angrily at them both, squeaking indignantly. She then gently guided Rarity down to the couch. “Here. Just sit down. Okay? Relax. I'll be right back.”

“B-but the lights, if they--”

“I'll make sure none of the lights go out. I promise. Okay?”

Rarity nodded and gave a little whimper, lightly rubbing her hooves together anxiously.

Twilight sighed and trotted towards the kitchen, pushing the door open. The smell of coffee grounds filled her nostril and she could see the remains of used beans over filling the trash can, some spilling on the floor. She couldn't imagine how much the mare had drank in the last few days. Or week. There were five lamps in the room as well, all plugged in.

She was tempted to shut a few of them off, but she was afraid to set Rarity off again. Instead she merely tried to clean out the coffee maker, before finally she dumped it out and just trashed the whole thing. It was so burnt she couldn't imagine how foul the coffee had tasted. She then pulled out a pot and some tea bags and began brewing it up.

She just couldn't believe how horrible the place looked. While she waited for the water to boil, she started picking up trash, half eaten meals, broken light bulbs, empty boxes of light bulbs, coffee grounds. By the time she was all finished there were two more bags filled with trash.

She'd never imagined the mare living in such a way. Whatever had done this to her must have been horrible. The tea finally boiled and she quickly filled up a tea pot and put it on the tray, trotting outside.

Spike, meanwhile, was once again finding himself being used as a stuffed animal as Rarity hugged him to her chest, nervously petting his scales. She suspected he was getting used to it by now.

“Okay. Now why don't you tell me exactly what happened?” Twilight asked. She gently put the tea on the coffee table and started pouring a cup. She then held one out to the mare. Rarity took it in her magic and took a soft, gentle sip.

“It... it was horrible. Some kind of... some kind of monster!”

“Where?”

“It was in my house! I didn't think it was here. In fact, I was sure I was just imagining it. That it didn't, that it was just...” she gave another shudder, spilling some of her tea over herself and Spike.

“Hey, watch it!” the dragon objected, before pulling free.

Rarity merely hugged herself and gave a light sniffle. “I just... I... I was just...” She sighed again. “I thought it was one of my ponyquins. Or a trick of the shadows. I turned off my lights and there it was, in my creation room. But then when I turned the lights back on, it was gone. I was so sure it was my imagination, I tried not to think anything of it.” She then shuddered. “Then... then it came into my room. I turned off my light and it was there, in the room. I turned off my light and then back on and... and I burned out the bulb.” She shuddered again. “Then it... it was horrible.” She gave a light sob. “It was so, so horrible. It had a... it had no face! It was some kind of ghost, just... just...”

Twilight blinked, her mouth falling open. “Gray, two empty eyes, no mouth or nose?”

“Exactly!” Rarity said with a nod. “I-I left the house as quick as I could, before it could get me! But it followed me! Nopony else seemed to notice it, though. I brought Rainbow here but she said I was imagining it!” Her breathing was getting faster and her eyes going to little pinpricks. “I-I just, every shadow might be it I-I don't know what it wants, I don't know--”

“Rarity, it's okay. You're okay,” Twilight said, cutting the mare off.

“I'm not crazy! I know it's there! I know it is! I--”

“It's real,” Twilight said quickly.

The unicorn blinked. “You... you believe me?”

“It's called a shade. It's one of Nightmare Moon's creatures.”

Rarity blinked, slowly lowering the cup. “What.”

“It's...” She paused. “Long story short. Vampires and wereponies are real. They, along with these shades, have been hiding amongst us for a very long time and now that Nightmare Moon is back, they're revealing themselves. But they're friendly, they won't do anything to harm us. I don't know what this shade wants, but it won't hurt you, okay?”

Rarity stared at her. “W-what? You mean this... this thing is...”

“As... far as I could tell, it was some kind of cursed pony. Trapped in... well... it's likely more scared of us than we are of it. Now, we need to make contact.”

“M-make contact? With that?!” Rarity shrieked, shaking her head. “W-we can't! There's no telling what--”

“It's okay. It's going to be okay. I promise. I know what these things are and they won't hurt you. I'm pretty sure they CAN'T hurt you.”

Rarity gulped, nervously setting her tea down. She then looked uneasily at Twilight. “And... and you're CERTAIN, absolutely CERTAIN that it won't do anything?”

“I give my word. Now. I need to go find it, okay?”

Rarity nodded nervously. “O-okay. But... leave the light on?”

“Of course. I'll have to turn off the other lights, but I'll leave the ones in here. Spike? Keep an eye on her.”

“Aye aye,” the dragon muttered.

Twilight took another soft sigh before walking to the kitchen. One by one she shut off all the lights and looked around. “Shade? Are you in here?” she called out. There was nothing. She then shrugged and started going, one by one, to all of the rooms in the house. She didn't envy Rarity's next electricity bill.

Finally, she came to the room filled with ponyquins and saw an extra one standing in front of them. She couldn't blame Rarity for feeling so unsettled by the creature. It looked like a statue in the darkness, unmoving. She tapped her hoof on the ground. “Hey, you. Shade.”

It turned and stared at her with empty, hollow eyes.

“Come on, we're having tea. I'm not sure why you're here, but you really freaked Rarity out and you should at least apologize. Come on, I'll shut off the lights so you can come.”

The creature merely nodded. She started walking down the hall, a light chill going down her spine. Even though she couldn't see it with the lights on, she was certain it was still there. Following her. Once she came down to the front room, she started turning off the other lights. Rarity let out a soft, frightened squeak.

“It's okay,” Twilight said quickly. “It won't hurt you. I'm here. I promise.”

Rarity nodded meekly. One by one the lights went off until, finally, only the dimmest one remained. Twilight set it up near them, allowing the shadows to spread across the room.

After a few moments a shadowy figure appeared on the steps. Rarity let out another shriek, but Twilight quickly reached out and pet her back. “Easy, easy. It's okay. See? You're not a danger, right?” she called out to the creature.

It stepped into the room fully and shook its head. There was just enough light to reveal it. Twilight shuddered. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like to be here with that thing watching over her. “So, why are you here?”

The shade merely stared at her.

“Right, shoot. You can't speak,” Twilight said with a sigh. She tried to imagine why the creature would be here of all places. “Are you lost?”

It shook its head.

“So you meant to come to Rarity's?”

It nodded.

She blinked and her eyes narrowed. “Did Nightmare Moon send you?”

Slowly the creature nodded.

Twilight glanced to Rarity. “To watch my friends?”

Another nod.

“Are you planning to hurt her?”

The creature rapidly shook its head, so fast its entire body shook.

“You know you were scaring her, don't you?”

The creature didn't move for a few minutes. Then, slowly, it nodded.

“How long were you supposed to...” She paused. “Were you supposed to watch her much longer?”

It shook its head.

The earth pony cocked her head to the side. “Were you supposed to stop by now?”

There was a long moment and then it nodded. Somehow it managed to look ashamed.

“Were... you supposed to stop before now?”

It then nodded again.

“Then why didn't you?”

It stared at her again, before pointing a hoof up the steps. Twilight blinked and glanced to Rarity. “I think it wants us to follow it?”

“Are... are you absolutely sure it's safe? It can't hurt us?”

“Yes, I'm sure. Nightmare Moon would... likely be furious if anything happened to us. And I don't think it can do anything, anyway. It's really just a pony that's... a bit different looking. I think. Come on.” She started to trot towards the shade. It turned and started walking up the steps. The creature disappeared back into the fabric room and Twilight turned the hallway light on, sending a little bit of light into the room. The creature stood by one of the ponyquins and pointed towards it.

“What?” Twilight asked. “You wanted one of them?”

It shook its head.

Rarity frowned and rubbed her chin. Her eyes went wide. “You... liked them?”

It nodded quickly.

Twilight blinked. “Wait, they can do that? Nightmare Moon said...” She paused. “Well... maybe she just doesn't know everything about them. Okay. So... ummmm...” She looked to Rarity. “Okay, shade. You need to leave. You're scaring my friend and you can't stay here anymore. Understand?”

The shade hung its head before giving a nod. Rarity stared for a moment before sighing. “Wait.”

“Wait?” Twilight asked. “Why?”

“It's... harmless you said, right?” Rarity asked, before slowly stepping forward.

“Err, Rarity, what are you doing?”

“Just... ummm... trying something.” The unicorn moved a little closer, inch by inch. Finally, she reached out and touched the shade's side. The thing didn't move. “It's very... cold.”

“So you can feel it?”

“Kind of. It's not really...” Rarity eeped and pulled back. “I'm sorry, did that bother you?”

The shade shook its head.

“Do you mind me touching you?”

It shook its head again.

She nodded and reached out and touched it again. “If... its harm...” She paused again. “Are you a mare or a stallion?”

It shook its head.

She sighed again. “Are you a mare?”

It shrugged.

“A stallion?”

Another shrug.

“You don't know?”

It nodded.

“Are you okay with us calling you... uhhh... it?”

It nodded.

“Okay. If it's harmless and is just admiring my dresses, I... don't suppose its so bad it coming around here. You can't stay, though,” she said quickly. “But... you may visit. So long as you swear not to sneak up on me or give me any more startles like that, okay?”

It gave a nod. Twilight couldn't be sure, but she thought it looked oddly happy. For something without a face.

She let out another sigh of relief. “Nightmare Moon knows a spell to talk with them,” Twilight said.

“Really? Perhaps I'll look into that, then. Well, if she reveals that information to other ponies at least,” Rarity said before trotting out from the room. “If you don't mind, though, this whole ordeal has left me a little... rattled. I think I need a nice, long bath and a very, very long nap. I don't think I'll be able to look at a cup of coffee for weeks.”

Twilight nodded. “Definitely. I'll see you--” Her eyes went wide. “Rainbow! Fluttershy!”

“Come again?”

“If Nightmare Moon sent something to watch you, she might have sent something to watch them, too!”

Rarity blinked, before giving a nod. “I... suppose. I couldn't imagine why she'd send somepony to spy on Fluttershy, though. But Rainbow, yes. Though I saw her a few days ago, she was going on and on about some Shadowbolts. I'm afraid I couldn't quite grasp what she meant, though. I was still in a bit of a... tizzy.”

Twilight blinked. “So she was okay?”

“Of course. And Fluttershy... well... I haven't seen her in a while. Though I suppose that is my fault. If you see her, do let her know I still intend to make our next spa session, okay? I think I may have missed a few... The last few... well... it has been positively dreadful.” She shook her head and gave a light yawn. “I'm sure they're fine, though. I'm sure Nightmare Moon only sent that to watch me because of the work I've been doing on the castle. There is nothing to worry about.”

Twilight nodded. “Still, I'd feel a lot better if I went and checked on them.” She looked the unicorn up and down. “Get some sleep, okay Rarity? I'll see you later. I need to talk with them about some things anyway.” She trotted down the hall and paused. “I cleaned up the kitchen a bit too. Just get some sleep, okay?”

“I will, darling. Trust me, now that this is... over...” Rarity glanced towards the fabric room again, eying the shade. It was staring at one of her gowns. “I like that one as well. I think it'll be truly fabulous once I'm finished. Perhaps a red ribbon?”

The shade nodded.

Twilight started to head towards the door, before stopping. “Ummm, Rarity?”

“Yes, Twilight darling?”

“Where do Rainbow and Fluttershy live?”

The fashionista gave a soft sigh of exasperation.

Twilight trotted through the town towards Rainbow's home. Or, at least, where she suspected Rainbow lived. She'd been told it was a great cloud house and Ponyville wasn't exactly drowning in them. She was already feeling her nerves beginning to calm and rest easy.

It made sense that Rarity was being watched. On top of that, the unicorn had seen Rainbow a little while ago, so everything was likely good. The shade had been a bit intimidating, but it hadn't meant any harm, so whatever was going on with Rainbow was likely fine.

While she didn't have exact directions, she could see three cloud houses from the town. She chose the most over the top one first. It stuck out like a great neon cloud that yelled 'look at me' and she couldn't imagine Rainbow living anywhere else.

She trotted through the town towards it, shaking her head. There was a light on, so she suspected at least somepony was home. However, when she arrived by it, a frown formed on her face as she hit a small conundrum. She rubbed her chin and looked up.

“So... how are we going to get up there?” Spike asked.

“I... haven't thought that far ahead,” she said sheepishly.

He gave a little snort. “Really?”

“S-shut up! I don't see you coming up with any ideas!”

“Going home?”

“Any GOOD ideas.”

She looked around for a few minutes before finally her eyes lit up. “I've got it!” She grabbed a stone, tossed it up and bucked as hard as she could.

It flew up barely ten feet and in the wrong direction. Spike fell over laughing.

Her cheeks burned red. “S-shut up! I-I've never been good at hoofball okay!”

He just laughed, pretending to cover his mouth while shaking his head. She glowered at him.

“What's going on down there?” Rainbow called from above.

“Nothing! I'm fine, don't even--” She paused and blinked, looking up. “Rainbow?”

“Yeah, who else? Twilight, is that you? What are you doing down there?”

“Oh, I needed to talk to you! Can I come up!” She then paused. “Well, actually, can you come down?”

“Yeah, sure.” There was a light flapping of wings then Rainbow shot off the side of the house, drifting down. “What's up?”

“So, I just saw Rarity and--”

“Oh my gosh, is she okay? Like, she was totally flipping out last time I saw her. Kept talking about ghosts and stuff. I tried to get her to go to Applejack's or something, but she kicked me out of her house!”

“Yeah, she's fine. Turns out Nightmare Moon sent a shade to spy on her.”

“A what?”

“A shade. It's... kind of like a ghost. It's fine, though. It was completely harmless and had absolutely no intention of hurting her in any way. She's completely safe and secure now. I need to talk to you, though. Has there been anypony... strange lately? Have you seen anything watching you in the shadows? Ponies that are there when the lights are out, but disappear when they come on?”

“You sound kind of like Rarity now...”

“Listen, have you?”

“No, I haven't seen anything like that! Just what in the world is going on with you two?” Rainbow asked, giving a quizzical look.

She sighed and relaxed. “It's a long story. I'm just happy you're okay. Has anything been going on?”

She frowned and rubbed her chin, before shrugging. “Well, I got invited into the Shadowbolts.”

“The what a what?”

“The Shadowbolts! They're like, a new flying team! Apparently a bunch of the Wonderbolts are making them up! Rebranding with the whole... ummmm... eternal night thing. They were scouting fresh talent and I was their number one pick! They'll be getting back to me about training! It's going to be sooooo coooooool!” She gave a little squeal of delight.

Twilight blinked, cocking her head to the side. “Oh. Err... in that case. Congratulations,” she said with a nod. “So nothing bad has been happening? At all?”

“Nope. Nopony has been spying on me. Met with a few of the others. Shadowbolts. You should see our uniforms! We're looking AWESOME! I still need to train my replacement, though. You know, for the whole... taking care of the weather thing. But other than that, it's super awesome!”

She nodded. “Oh. Okay then. I guess all that's left is Fluttershy.”

“Fluttershy? Why?”

“Well... I thought if she was spying on Rarity, she might be spying on you and Fluttershy too. But if you're not being spied on, I'm sure Fluttershy isn't either. It's probably just me worrying about nothing.”

Rainbow frowned and gave a nod. “Maybe. But, hey. How about I come with you? I mean, even if it's nothing, Fluttershy is still my best bud. Gotta keep an eye out for her and everything.”

She nodded. “If you want.”

“Cool. So. Can't help but notice you got a pet iquana.”

“DRAGON!” Spike yelled.

“Yeah, that. When'd that happen? You have it all along, or that new?”

Twilight sighed and rubbed her forehead. “It's a long story. Spike, this is Rainbow Dash. Rainbow, this is Spike. He's... kind of my pet. Though I like to think of him as more of an assistant.”

There was a long moment of silence. Then Spike spoke up. “You think of me as an assistant?”

“Sure. My number one assistant,” she said with a smile. “Now, come on. There's a lot to tell you. You're never going to believe what I found out this week, working with Nightmare Moon. Vampires, wereponies and shades are all real! So she...”

Twilight cringed when they came up the path to Fluttershy's cabin. The lights were all off. “You... you don't think she's sleeping, do you?”

“Maybe. It's kind of hard to know when anypony is sleeping anymore. No sun and all that,” Rainbow said with a shrug. “Maybe? She--” The pegasus stopped. “Wait.”

“What?”

“Do you hear that?”

Twilight frowned and listened. “I don't hear anything. It's not even windy.”

“Exactly,” Rainbow said, looking worried. “There's no sounds of animals. No chirping, no meowing, no splashing. Nothing,” she said softly.

Twilight blinked a few more times. “Is that bad?”

“That's horrible!” the pegasus yelled before galloping forward. Twilight galloped after her, though her heart sunk into her hooves when they came closer.

The front door of the house was off its hinges, laying on the ground. Rainbow raced in first, before letting out a shriek of pain. Twilight raced after her and gasped. A little bunny had latched onto the pegasus' face and was beating her senseless with a carrot. Rainbow shook her head, finally flinging it off, fury in her eyes. “Why you little--”

“Wait!” Twilight said, grabbing her hoof. The bunny stood, armed and dangerous, but then it stopped and stared at them. It dropped the carrot and started gesturing wildly with its little paws, hopping around and then holding up two paws over its mouth. The earth pony sighed and then looked around.

The house had been trashed. All manners of little toys and exercise areas for pets had been scattered across the floor, scratching posts had been knocked over, bird cages lay broken on the floor. There were still a few animals in the room, huddled in broken homes and staring out fearfully. Worst of all, though, was the blood. Smeared into the carpet by the coffee table and on the edge. There wasn't a lot of it, but there was enough.

“What... happened here?” The bunny started making gestures wildly again, though she couldn't make heads or tails of it. “We need to go back to town,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “We need to get help, there's no time for--”

“Buck that!” Rainbow yelled. “Fluttershy could need us! Whoever did this might still have her.” Her voice was flooded with panic. “We need to find her, now!”

“Find her how? We don't know where she is! We don't know-- OW!” Twilight let out a shriek when the bunny hopped on her head. He gave her a solid thump before grabbing her ears and steering her outside. “Ow ow ow ow! Stop it! Stop it!” Once she was out, he hopped down and gestured towards the woods.

“She was taken there?” the earth pony asked. The bunny nodded rapidly.

Rainbow nodded. “Then that's where I'm going. If you need to, go get help. But I'm not making Fluttershy wait a moment longer than normal.”

Twilight watched helplessly as the rainbow maned pony started off, then it clicked. “Wait! Rainbow, wait a few seconds.”

“Twilight, time is wasting, Fluttershy--”

“Yes, but we might need help, and I'm going to call for it.” She rummaged in her bags and tore out a piece of paper and pen, quickly writing on it before holding it out to the bunny. “Take this, let them know where we went.” She then looked to Rainbow. “Okay, good to go.”

Rainbow stared at the bunny, watching it hop away. He then nodded. “Never really liked that bunny,” she muttered before galloping off.

Twilight nodded and galloped after her, the two racing into the forest with Spike close behind.

Author's Note

Okay guys, I just finished editing a bunch of chapters so I should have a bunch to post this weekend. Hope you like them. Also, don't forget. The contest is still going on and now that I am working on this story full time, chances are season 1 will end within the next month, so if you want to enter, now is the time.

Contest here.

S1 CH 15. Wasn't there

15. Wasn't there

“There she is!” Rainbow yelled, putting on a burst of speed.

Twilight blinked, her mouth falling open. They'd managed to find a trail that, they hoped, would lead them towards the ponynapper. She'd asked why Rainbow didn't just fly after, but the mare said flying in the Everfree Forest was dangerous. She'd made a mental note to come and investigate the myths and legends of it better when she had a chance.

Apparently that time was coming faster than they expected. A light had appeared on the edge of the forest path and, to her amazement, a pony was standing there. The pony was wearing a cloak and seemed to be picking mushrooms. They then looked up, just in time for Rainbow to crash into them.

“Rainbow, wait, you don't know who that pony is!”

“I know exactly who it is!” Rainbow yelled, lifting a hoof up. “You're that necromancer pony, aren't you, the one who lives in the Everfree Forest? Aren't you?”

“Live in the forest I may,” the pony growled, flicking her hood back to reveal a striped face. “But raising of the dead? I say nay!”

“Don't you give me that act! Where's Fluttershy? I--”

“RAINBOW!” Twilight yelled, finally catching up and yanking the pony back by her tail. The pegasus let out a shriek, staring in bewilderment.

“She's the one who took Fluttershy! Just look at her!”

“You have absolutely no proof of that,” Twilight snapped back, before looking back to the mare. “I am so, so sorry. You see, our friend was foalnapped and brought into these woods. My friend is just jumpy and anxious to find her. I hope she didn't hurt you? Miss...?”

The zebra stood up and glowered darkly. “Zecora and of your friend I know not.” She righted her basket and started gathering up the mushrooms that had fallen out. “And I was merely searching for mushrooms to deal with some rot. Had I known such rude visitors would make there way here, I would have avoided the paths, I fear.”

Twilight sighed and shook her head, before glaring back at Rainbow. “Rainbow, apologize.”

“What? No! Look at her! She's all... weird and striped! And she does voodoo! Just look at her, who gathers mushrooms in the dead of night? I bet she's making some kind of witches brew!”

She face hoofed. “She's a zebra, of course she's striped! And it's ALWAYS night, it's not like she can do it during the day anymore!” she snapped angrily. “Besides, potion making is a proud zebra tradition, wild grown plants have far more magical potency compared to naturally grown plants, as well.”

The zebra blinked a few times, eying the earth pony with a new found respect. “Your friend is quite hot headed and quick to rush, but it seems you are one less likely to need to hush. Of the craft of potion making you are aware? I must admit I am shocked, for it is something few ponies can bear.”

Twilight blushed and gave a nod. “W-well, a little. I've only dabbled in it, to be honest. There was a class back in Canterlot. It's such a great skill to learn, since anypony, regardless of innate magical talent, can learn it. Sadly, I only minored in it, so I never got to the point I could do the really special potions. Do the mushrooms here have good properties for it?”

“Much of the life here is filled with the essence of life. Though I admit your friend is partially right, for this forest holds much strife. To live here is to choose a way most dangerously, but if one knows how, they can find it quite favorably.”

Twilight nodded and gave a smile. “I don't see very many zebras out this way, usually they stick to the capital as far as I knew. Especially with... are you fleeing Nightmare Moon?”

There was a long moment of silence, then the zebra shook her head. “The princess of the night gives me very much to fear, but fleeing her is something I dare not do, my dear. For to invoke the pony of the night's wrath, the simplest way is to ignore her which may lead to a blood bath. My reasons for living here are far more benign, for here I live in a home of my own design.”

“She's giving me a headache,” Spike muttered.

“Spike, don't be rude,” Twilight said curtly. “Though I think Rainbow has kind of hit the limit on how rude we can be.”

The pegasus sighed and shuffled her hooves. “Sorry, I just thought you... we need to find Fluttershy.”

Zecora eyed them for a moment before nodding. “If whatever creature whisked your friend away came to this forest, there is one place they are likely to go, if I am to be honest.”

Twilight blinked, her eyes going wide. “Wait, really?”

“Indeed, as there is one place of which a home could be seen, although after so many years it can seem quite lean. The place where two sisters once ruled as one, together they raised the moon and the sun.”

Twilight blinked a few times, then her eyes went wide. “I-I think I know what you mean! The castle of the two sisters, right? I've heard of it, but I've never actually seen it. It's here?”

The zebra nodded. “Indeed it is, though I cannot take you.” She motioned down the path. “But this trail alone should be all you need for a clue. When the path splits in two, go to the right, avoid the left unless you wish for a fright. I give you one last warning to avoid the flowers of blue, but if you should stumble amongst them return to me, for I know what to do.”

Twilight blinked and then gave a nod. “T-thank you! Come on, Rainbow, Spike!” She started galloping down the trail again.

“Are you sure we can trust her?” Rainbow asked, glancing back towards the mare. “You never know with... well, her. I've heard all kinds of stories. She puts curses on ponies and--”

“Don't be ridiculous,” Twilight said with a roll of her eyes. “I'll admit the rhyming thing is a bit eccentric, but she's HARDLY the strangest zebra I ever met. They just have a completely different culture than we do.”

Rainbow snorted. “That's probably putting it lightly.”

She gave a low sigh. “Rainbow. Relax. She seems like a perfectly fine and nice pony.”

“So, you really studied zebra stuff back in Canterlot?”

“Of course!”

“Why?”

“Why not? There's dozens of different cultures out there, each of them more fascinating than the last. If I could, I'd spend my entire life studying all of them! Besides, it gives me a ton of ideas for my stories. My tale of the wandering coyote was actually inspired by an old buffalo folk tale from--”

“And then I spent a three month term studying Saddle Arabia. I've yet to actually meet a jinn, but I really hope to one day. Their powers are--”

“We're here!” Rainbow said.

“Oh thank the stars, I thought this would never end,” Spike said, earning a glare from Twilight. “What? How did you even manage to run and talk, anyway?”

“I am very used to it,” she snapped. “If you'd spent any terms in Canterlot, you'd know how--”

“Oh my gosh she's going off again,” Spike said with a groan. “This isn't fair. This is just cruel!”

The earth pony sighed and shook her head. “Uncultured swine,” she muttered darkly. He just smirked at her.

Rainbow rolled her eyes before pointing up at the castle. “There it is. The... zebra... Zecora was right. All we had to do was follow the path. Are you sure they'll be there?”

“There aren't exactly a lot of places for them to take a pony,” Twilight muttered. “And this is really the best lead we've got. Do you have any other ideas?”

Rainbow looked off to the side sheepishly. “Well... no... not really.”

“Then come on, let's go.” She started trotting forward, giving a nervous glance around. The castle looked very foreboding in the night, towering over them. There were plenty of cracks and breaks in the bricks, as well as rooms that had collapsed on themselves. She knew it was probably her imagination, but she couldn't help but feel that somepony was watching them in the darkness.

Then Rainbow let out a shriek when something dark zoomed past, slamming into her. Twilight turned and saw a bat pony on top of the pegasus. Fortunately, he wasn't on her for long. Rainbow's back hooves shot up and slammed into the bat pony's stomach, sending him flying into the air and then crashing back to the ground. Rainbow was on him in a moment, slamming him back down and twisted his hoof behind his back.

“Who are you?” the pegasus asked.

“Ow ow ow mercy uncle I'm sorry I'm sorry!” the bat pony shrieked, tears welling in his eyes.

“Yeah, no,” Rainbow snapped, twisting a little harder. “Why did you attack me?”

“I-I'm sorry, I-I thought you were coming after t-that mare! I'm sorry I'm sorry!”

Twilight blinked and her eyes narrowed. She then moved forward and grabbed his lips, forcing them up. “Fangs. You're... you're a vampire.”

He eeped and squeaked, going completely still. “P-please don't kill me.”

Twilight frowned. “I'm a representative of Nightmare Moon, her bard. What did you mean by mare?”

He blinked a few times and then the color(what little he had) drained from his face. “R-r-representative of... of Nightmare Moon?”

Rainbow growled and twisted his leg again. “Answer her!”

Tears welled in the vampire's eyes. “I-I'm sorry it was an accident I-I never meant to! I-I was just... I was just going to have a little nibble she was so--”

“WHERE'S FLUTTERSHY?!” Rainbow yelled.

“I-I turned her! I-I didn't mean to but it was, it was an accident a-and she was so nice and--”

“What do you mean turned her?!” Rainbow asked, stomping on his back.

Twilight stepped forward. “Rainbow, stop, you're going to break his leg!”

“He hurt Fluttershy!” Rainbow screamed, twisting it a little harder.

“Then he'll be punished for it! But that's not your job!” She then looked down at him. “Where is she?”

The pony whimpered but, once his leg was loosened, her gasped. “I'm so, so sorry. I never meant to... please. I-if Nightmare Moon finds out, she'll kill me. I-I never meant to... I swear I never meant to. She was just so... I'm so sorry.”

“Where is she?” Twilight asked again.

“Inside,” the stallion said softly. “I... I laid her on the throne. She should awaken soon,” he mumbled softly.

“Awaken?”

“She'll be one of us. I-I swear, I never meant for this to happen. I just... I just wanted a nip but she was so... please. I'm so, so sorry.”

“What happened, exactly?”

He gulped and nervously looked to the side. “I-I was... we were sitting on the couch. She was so kind. She helped my little friend. T-that was how we were supposed to see her, you know. We were told she was sweet and took care of animals. But... but she was so beyond sweet. She's the nicest pony I've ever met. And... and I... I was just... I was overwhelmed. I couldn't stop myself. I took a little bite. Just... just a little but I...” He closed his eyes. “It was an accident. The bunny jumped on me and I-I lashed out and I-I didn't mean to hit her. I didn't mean to... I didn't r-realize I sent her... until it was...”

“What happened...”

“She hit a corner table. Her head and it... it was... there was so much blood. I tried to stop it, I bandaged her, b-but I... I'd taken more than I should have. I-I wasn't trained in first aid! A-and then... then I...” He trembled weakly. “I couldn't just let her die! I-it was my fault a-and I couldn't wait for permission s-so I brought her here and... and I changed her and I'm so sorry I didn't mean for any of this to happen... I'm so, so sorry...”

Rainbow just stood on him, in shock. “You... you killed Fluttershy?”

The vampire flared up, hard, sending the stunned Rainbow off her. He flew up into the air, looking towards the castle and then towards them. Finally he flew away, darting off past the trees. Rainbow growled and flared her wings.

“Rainbow, we need to find Fluttershy!” Twilight snapped.

“But he's going to get away!”

“We can talk with the others later. For now, Fluttershy is more important.”

The pegasus looked back and forth before sighing, her wings going back to her side. “You're right. Come on.” She darted into the castle, shoving the door aside.

The castle was old and derelict, the stones covered in moss and dirt, with the occasional vine managing to snake its way up. Old, forgotten tapestries still hung on the walls in places, heavily damaged and frayed. As they walked, little bugs scattered in all directions, though Twilight struggled to avoid thinking about them.

It was darker, far darker than the moon made outside. She grabbed a stick and held it out to Spike. “Could you?”

He rolled his eyes but, with a single puff, lit it up. Using the new torch, they slowly made their way through the castle. It wasn't long before they came to the wide open throne room.

There was Fluttershy, sitting in the throne. The roof seemed to have partially caved in, allowing a single beam of moonlight to illuminate the mare. She looked breath taking, her eyes closed, body still in the seat. She looked as if she was merely napping, unmoving. Twilight took a step forward, but was shoved aside by Rainbow.

The pegasus flew to her side, reaching out and grabbing Fluttershy's shoulders. “No no no. No please no. Come on, buddy. Come on. This can't be happening. This can't. Come on, Fluttershy, wake up!” she screamed.

“Rainbow,” Twilight started, trotting towards her.

“Don't Rainbow me! This is Fluttershy! She... she's my...” Tears started to form in Rainbow's eyes. “S-she's my best buddy. I-I'm supposed to... I'm supposed t-to keep her safe from things like this. Y-you don't know what... what she's like...”

“Rainbow, it's going to be okay...”

“HOW IS THIS OKAY?!” Rainbow screamed, stomping her hooves down. “She's my buddy and I... and I let this happen to her! I-I was so busy focusing on... on the Shadowbolts I didn't even know she was in trouble! That she needed me! Look at her! LOOK!” she screamed, pointing a hoof at her.

“I-I know,” Twilight said softly. “Oh, I know. She--”

“No, you don't know!” Rainbow screamed again. “T-this... this is Fluttershy. S-she gets scared of her own shadow. I-I've seen her flee f-from a pile of leaves. And... and she's the sweetest p-pony that has ever lived a-and you have no idea how amazing and w-wonderful she is. She never has a b-bad word to say about anypony. She's a-always just so sweet and loving a-and doting to everypony. A-and then she... then she a-always helps them, whenever they need it. W-who ever needs it. Even if t-they're kind of jerks, she's always t-there for them. B-but then... but then she...” The tears welled up in her eyes. “I-I told her not to live by the E-everfree Forest. I-I told her it was dangerous. T-that sometimes... t-that sometimes things come out. And things DID come out. And she befriended them! She made them into pets! I saw her once tame a timber wolf! A-and now she's dead b-because I-I was too busy... too busy having fun and g-gallivanting a-around a-and--”

Twilight slowly moved forward. She reached out and hugged the pegasus. “This isn't your fault. This was a horrible, horrible thing that happened, but you are in no way to blame. We'll get through this. Besides, Fluttershy is... she's strong. I'm sure. In her own little way. And it's not like she's gone. She's still in there. We just need to find out how much of her is... well...”

“W-what are you talking about? I-I've seen the movies! I-if she's a v-vampire, t-that means we need to... w-we have to--”

“No!” Twilight said quickly, shaking her head. “No no no, no. I still don't know everything about vampires or, really, much about them. But I'm pretty sure killing them is not the answer and I know, for a fact, that killing Fluttershy is a hundred percent not the answer. Okay? Okay.”

Rainbow sniffled, wiping her eyes. “R-really? But she's already--”

“Yes, yes she is. But that doesn't mean she's bad! I think. W-well, you saw that pony, right? Did he seem like a heartless, stupid monster?”

Rainbow frowned. “He hurt Fluttershy.”

“Yes, he did, and he was a foal for doing it. But it sounded like it was an accident and... I honestly believe him.” She didn't know if that was true, but she needed Rainbow to calm down before she did something they all regretted. “I couldn't imagine anypony who reacted like that.... I don't think he did it on purpose. I think it all happened so fast and... I honestly believe that Fluttershy, more than any other pony, will get through this. Look at her.” She pointed a hoof to the unmoving mare. “Could you really see her ever trying to hurt anypony? For any reason?”

Rainbow stared and then, slowly, her eyes lowered. “No.”

“Exactly. She's not that kind of pony. I mean, I've only known her a short time, but I... I am certain she's a good pony at heart. So here's what we're going to do. We're going to take her back to her house and clean up. When the others arrive, we're going to send a message back home. I'm going to send one. Then we'll wait. Nightmare Moon can send a vampire here to help us.”

“You really trust her to help us?”

“A... little bit,” Twilight said nervously. “Do we really have any other choice? Would you rather just... leave it like this?”

Rainbow eyed the yellow pegasus and shook her head. “N-no. How long until... she...”

“I don't know. Hours? Days? I haven't exactly studied this. Before a few days ago I didn't even think they were real! Now... well...”

Rainbow nodded and slowly leaned down. “Okay. But... but I'm carrying her.”

Twilight nodded. “Okay. Rainbow... no matter what happens, this isn't your fault. Okay? You know it's not your fault.”

“It's completely my fault,” Rainbow muttered. “Friends look out for each other. I wasn't there when she needed me. I should have been.”

“There's no way you could have been there twenty-four seven. You didn't know this would happen.”

“Let's just go,” she muttered again.

“But Rainbow--”

“We're going!” Rainbow yelled, trotting off as fast as she dared with Fluttershy on her back. Twilight and Spike followed after her, the two sharing a small look.

Twilight slowly moved to sit besides Rainbow, looking over to the pegasus. “The uhhh... the letter has been sent. I think we'll hear from the princess soon,” she said softly.

Rainbow nodded, though she didn't take her eyes off Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus was laying in her bed, her eyes closed. She wasn't breathing, though she looked so peaceful. Twilight could barely believe the mare was, for all intents and purposes, dead.

She reached out and lightly brushed the mare's pink mane back. “It's going to be okay,” she whispered, more for herself now than for Rainbow.

“How can this possibly be okay? Fluttershy is... she's... if I'd just...”

“There was nothing you could do.”

Rainbow didn't answer this time. “What'd you tell everypony else?”

“That Fluttershy was hurt, but she'll be fine. Needs her rest. I promised that I'd take her to see the doctor once... well...”

“Once she comes back to life?” Rainbow asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Rainbow...”

“Why did this vampire even come? They aren't even supposed to be real and then... this?”

Twilight opened her mouth, but then paused. If Rainbow knew that the vampire had likely been sent to spy on Fluttershy, then she couldn't imagine her friend would take that lying down. “I don't know. Nightmare Moon has decided to reveal vampires and other such creatures to the public. Maybe he thought with... him self being revealed like that, it was time to come out.”

“She didn't deserve this.”

“Of course she didn't. But she'll be okay. We're all here for her, right?”

“What will it mean?” Rainbow finally asked.

“I don't really know. I think it'll mean she'll be sleeping a lot during the day, at least, if we had a day. But now... I think it'll make her stronger and faster, maybe?”

“That other pony didn't seem very strong. I kicked his flank easy enough,” she said with a small smirk, before sighing. “She will be okay, though? She'll be... her? Did you ever study any of this stuff?”

“Well… I technically have a minor in occult studies, but… that was all theoretical until now. But I think so. I--”

A gasp filled the room. Both ponies went silent and stared at Fluttershy. Her eyes opened and she looked around, confusion etched on her features. “W-what? Where am I?” she asked softly, starting to sit up but quickly falling back. “A-ahhh...”

“Don't move, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “Do... do you remember anything?”

The young mare blinked, staring at the roof for a minute. “I... t-there was... a young stallion. He had a bat. His bat was sick and then...” She looked confused for a moment. “I-I don't... know. I don't remember anything after that? Did something happen?”

“What? Oh, err, yes. No. Sorta,” Twilight said with a sigh. “Do... ummm...” She trailed off, not sure what to say. How did you tell a pony they were technically dead?

“I... I hate to be a bother but ummmm... could... I get something to drink? I'm dreadfully thirsty. If that's okay?”

Both the other ponies shared nervous looks. Twilight wasn't sure if she could handle Fluttershy asking for blood. “W-what would... you like?”

“Some... ummm... apple juice.”

The two mares shared a look of relief. Twilight quickly trotted off to get a drink. She could feel the animals eying her when she walked through the house. She couldn’t help but notice that bunny that had attacked them, sitting in the corner with his head hanging. Spike was resting on the couch, snoring softly. “It’s okay,” she said with a smile. “Fluttershy is going to be okay.”

The bunny didn’t respond. Equipped with an apple juice box, she trotted upstairs. She took a deep breath before pushing open the door.

Fluttershy glanced up, confusion etched on her features. Rainbow just shook her head. “Twilight? What’s going on? Rainbow won’t tell me...”

Twilight sighed and put the apple juice in her hooves. The pegasus leaned down and bit into it with her new fangs, ignoring the draw entirely and making both her companions jump. Fluttershy didn’t seem to notice.

Once she was finished sucking the container dry, Twilight took a slow, deep breath. “Fluttershy, do you remember… anything? How do you feel?”

“My head kind of hurts and I feel a little dry. Maybe I need some water...”

“Need something thicker than water,” Rainbow grumbled.

“What?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight took another slow, deep breath. She mentally steeled herself. “Fluttershy. That… pony that came to visit you. Did he seem strange at all?”

Fluttershy frowned and rubbed her chin. “A little. He kept… looking around a lot. And none of the animals seemed to want to be near him or his pet. He was also very pale and… a bit cold to the touch. He seemed very concerned about his pet, though. And he kept staring at me.” She gasped. “H-he’s not hurt, is he? Is--”

“HE WAS A VAMPIRE!” Rainbow screamed, shaking her head. “He was a vampire, okay? Vampires are real and he is one and he bit you and he turned you into one!”

Fluttershy blinked a few times and slowly reached up, feeling her neck. “Oh.”

“What do you mean, oh?” Rainbow asked.

“I… I’m not really sure what to say,” the pegasus said softly. “Vampires aren’t real, though, Dashie. I'm most definitely not one. Next thing you'll say something silly, like I'm a tree.”

Twilight coughed. “A-actually, errr… they… kind of are.”

“Trees?”

“Vampires. And you're... kind of one.”

“Oh. I... I see. What… does that mean for me?”

“I’m not sure, honestly,” Twilight said. “I think it means that… technically… you’re dead. But you’re still you!”

“Am… am I going to still be able to take care of all the animals? Who will watch over them during the day? Will I need to hire someone? What if there’s an emergency?”

“Well, for one, there is no day,” Twilight said quickly. “Even if there is, apparently they don’t burst into flame. You just kind of… lose your powers. I think you’ll be able to take care of them just fine.”

“Oh. That’s a relief. They aren’t frightened, are they?”

“I think they’re mostly just worried about you,” Twilight said softly. “If, ummmm… how do you feel?”

“Just tired and thirsty. Oh. Oh dear. Am I going to have to drink blood? I-I don’t know if I can do that,” she said softly, looking a little paler.

“I don’t know, I--” There was a heavy thudding from downstairs. “I… hope that’s who I think it is. Fluttershy, Rainbow, wait here. Don’t move. Don’t panic.” She quickly turned and trotted downstairs again, pulling open the door.

Redfang stood in the doorway, staring at her. “I came as soon as I heard. Nightmare Moon... insisted that I come personally. Where is she?”

“Upstairs. I’ll show you,” she said before trotting back towards the steps. She paused and realized a moment later he wasn’t following her. “Are you coming?”

“I need you to invite me inside.”

“… Really?” she asked flatly. “Why?”

He sighed and face hoofed. “During the great war between vampires and ponies, there were many great slaughters. During the peace talks one of the biggest contributors to the peace was the creation of the bond spells. Each vampire who agreed to the peace accepted these spells and they have since been passed down to all of their generations. A vampire may not enter a house willingly aside from in moments of self preservation or preservation of another, without the express permission of the owner. Now may I PLEASE have permission?”

Twilight’s eyes almost glimmered. “Wait, really? Bond spells? I’ve never even heard of those!”

“Well, of course you haven’t. You’d have to know unicorn magic.”

“I have a major in unicorn magic, though.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again. Finally he just stared at her. “WHY?”

“Well, you see there’s this whole--”

“Twilight!” Rainbow called down. “Who is it?”

“Oh! Right, err, yes. Fluttershy! Can my guest come in?”

“O-oh. Ummm, that’s fine… I guess...”

“Come on,” Twilight said with a nod.

The vampire sighed and stepped inside. “Anyway. Bond magic is incredibly rare. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out it is no longer practiced in any form. Even when the spells were first created it was very rarely, if ever done. It usually passes away within a few generations. The only reason it still works for us vampires is there is a large amount of magical energy that transfers when we create a new vampire.”

She nodded, trotting up the stairs with him behind her. She made mental notes as she walked. She wondered if she could write a thesis on all the new information she’d been gathering. She could write entire books at this point of all the different things she was learning under Nightmare Moon. Many of them horrifying.

“Sooo, how’s our newest vampire of the night?” Redfang asked nervously. He let out a yipe when Rainbow turned her glare down on him.

“This isn’t funny,” the pegasus said.

“O-of course not,” the vampire said nervously before trotting forward. “So, Fluttershy, was it?”

The pegasus nodded.

“I suppose you have some questions. Would you like me to give you the basics first, though?”

“Please,” she whispered softly.

“First things first. You’re… dead. Technically. If anything has happened to your soul or the like, I’m afraid I can’t tell you. Sadly, most religious texts are quite silent on the topic of vampires. That’s one of the biggest questions I get,” he said sheepishly. “Now, that’s the big thing you need to remember. The sunlight won’t kill you, but it will tire you out. It may be a moot point now, but you’ll also notice yourself getting tired around what used to be daylight hours. I’d suggest trying to sleep then.”

“O-okay,” she said softly.

“Now, you’re NOT a monster, bloodthirsty or otherwise. You will requite a diet of blood, though not enough to kill a pony. It is what we need for nutrition. You can, technically, survive without it.”

She perked up. “R-really?”

“Yes. There are a few ponies that subsist on an almost full diet of fruit juice. However, it is extremely uncomfortable and it is the equivalent of a normal pony trying to survive on nothing but chips and other junk food.”

“O-oh.”

“Now, I’m sure you have friends and family who can help. It won’t require so much that you’re going to put any of them at risk and you’ll only need to feed once or twice a week. I’d suggest getting a few ponies willing to help you and then rotating them out on weekends. Now, if you’re unable to find ponies willing to help, we can find those who will. Juices and the like will manage to suppress the cravings, but they won’t go away until you feed.”

“W-what happens if she doesn’t eat? Will she eventually turn into a… a monster?” Rainbow asked.

Redfang turned to her and just stared with a flat expression. “Have you ever been so hungry for a sandwich you turned into a monster?”

The pegasus blushed and shook her head. “N-no, but--”

“At most, you’ll likely get a bit crotchety and uncomfortable. Unless you go too long,” Redfang said. “It’s a hunger, just a different type of hunger than other ponies face. You’ll get used to it. Now, the fun things. You will become stronger and more agile. Sadly, the stories of us bench pressing chariots and leaping over buildings in a single bound are not accurate. The fact of the matter is you’ll just become stronger, but likely no stronger than a skilled and strong member of your species. Possibly less. This is caused due to the magic that helps to animate you.”

“A-animate me?” Fluttershy asked softly.

“Yes. Your own innate magical power is what’s keeping you up now, but you’ll also draw magic from others when you drink their blood. That’s why it’s best to get fresh blood if you can, but frozen will still help.”

“What happens if she doesn’t eat?” Rainbow asked.

The vampire took a slow, deep breath. “Fruit juice would help to maintain her for a while, the magic in Equestrian plants is good. But, were she to not drink any blood or juice, she would die. It would be a slow, painful way to go. As would any method of starvation.”

Fluttershy squeaked and pulled her covers up.

“Now, there are rules. Many religious symbols will… welllll… some will effect you, others won’t. It can be a bit hit and miss and I think it depends on the pony and what they believed. It’s really up to debate how that works and I’d really rather not get into it. However, there are spells in all of us that pass down from vampire to vampire. The big one is our inability to enter a building without permission of the owner. Public buildings are fine, of course. But unless your life or somepony else's is in actual danger, you cannot enter a building.”

“Somepony else's?” Twilight asked.

He nodded. “Indeed. I believe that was actually due to Puddinghead. Her idea as she wanted to create some kind of… elite… vampire fighting unit to save ponies. I don’t think it worked, but the spell remains. Now, an important thing. You can die. Your body will heal… most injuries. But excessive damage, something that would kill a pony outright, will likely kill you as well. We heal far faster, but we don’t heal if we’re dead dead. Understand?”

Fluttershy nodded, gulping.

“Now, stronger, faster… oh, and we can turn into bats! That’s pretty fun!”

“What?” Fluttershy asked, her mouth falling open.

“Bats! We can turn into bats and fly around. It...” He paused. “Oh, right, pegasus. I guess that’s not really quite as nice then. Huh. Sorry. Oh, you can also talk to them now. Bats.”

“I could already do that...”

“… Huh. Well, you really aren’t getting much out of this, are you?”

“Sorry...”

“It’s not your fault. This… really shouldn’t have happened.”

“Yah think?” Rainbow snapped.

“Now, animals will be a bit more frightened of you at first, but pets will normally warm up to you pretty quick. Most are fairly forgiving. Oh! No matter what you do, do NOT turn into a bat near sunrise. If it ever comes back.”

“What? Why?” Fluttershy asked.

A look of horror spread across his face. “You’ll be stuck as a bat. All. Day. Which can be incredibly frustrating. I know far too many vampires who have suffered such a fate. And well… there is no horror quite like having your children find you when you’re tiny, vulnerable and adorable. The tiny top hats are the worst.”

Fluttershy nodded slowly. “I… I see. I’d… like to… be alone for a bit. If that’s okay.”

The vampire took a deep breath before shaking his head. “No.”

“W-what?” she said softly.

“I won’t stay. But one of your friends must. This is… going to be a difficult time for you. And you should not be alone, for your own safety.” He looked to the other two. “Don’t let her be alone now. She needs comfort and companionship so she doesn’t do anything to hurt herself.”

Rainbow nodded. “I’ll stay.”

“I-I won't,” Fluttershy said softly. “I-I just, I'm not feeling well and--” She was cut off by Rainbow hugging her.

“Please. Please,” the pegasus begged. “I... I wasn't here when you needed me. I wasn't there to... I wasn't there to save you. Let me do this for you. Please.”

Fluttershy was silent for a long moment before finally nodding. “O-okay,” she said gently, her legs wrapping around her. “If... if you need to.”

“Thank you,” Rainbow said softly. “I... I really do need to.”

Twilight smiled and watched them, wiping her eyes softly. Se then pulled the vampire aside. “She... will be okay, won't she?”

“The first week will be the hardest,” the pony said with a nod. “Just make sure her friends are nearby and she will be fine. I... am more concerned that this happened at all. He shouldn't have--”

“He shouldn't have been here at all,” Twilight said firmly. “Have you managed to track him?”

“Not yet. But we WILL find him. One way or another.”

Twilight nodded before sighing. “I'm going to need to talk with Nightmare Moon about this later,” she muttered. “A long, long talk.”

“She knows.”

She paused for a second. “She... does?”

He blinked and looked off to the side. “I... shouldn't be telling you this but... she... seemed quite upset that this happened at all. She... may have threatened me if anything more happened to your friends. And... to tell you she wishes you to return as soon as possible.”

Twilight blinked, then sighed. “Of course she did, that's all she ever does,” she shook her head. “For a second I thought maybe she was actually concerned about Fluttershy, but no, just wants to make sure I'm back to work. Probably hoping I found some...” She blinked. “I completely forgot why...” She looked to the two mares. “Ummmm... girls?”

“Yes?” Rainbow asked.

“I... actually did come here for an important reason. I know it's kind of weird but... do you know any party planners?”

The two mares shared a look, then stared at her. “You're... kidding, right?” Rainbow asked.

“No? Should I be?”

The pegasus just gave a chuckle. “Oh, you're in for a treat. Go to Sugarcube Corner.”

“Where?”

“The building shaped like a giant cupcake. Ask for Pinkie Pie. Trust me, if you've got a party in mind, she's the pony to throw it. Why do you ask?”

“I need a pony to plan out the Grand Galloping Gala and--”

“You're going to have PINKIE throw it? Oh, this I've GOT to see,” the mare said with a big grin, before eeping and looking to Fluttershy. “B-but not now. You're still... ummm...”

Fluttershy chuckled into her hoof. “It's fine. I... can't deny that I would like to see Pinkie throw it too.”

Twilight just cocked her head to the side, confusion on her features. “Why?”

“Oh, no reason,” Rainbow said with a shake of her head. “Hey, while you're out, can you do me a favor?”

“What?”

“Stop by Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack can supply all the juice we'll need for Fluttershy and, well, tell her we'll get her back later. Or the vampires will. Someone will. Oh, and see if she can toss in some sweet apple cider while she's at it!”

“Okay. And, ummm...”

“Sweet Apple Acres is outside of town, head east. Road goes straight to it and there's signs.”

“Gotcha. I'll uhhh...” She glanced to Fluttershy, another flash of guilt going through her. “And I'll take care of all payments as needed. You two... be well,” she mumbled gently before trotting towards the door, the vampire behind her. She grabbed Spike once downstairs and quickly carried him outside, the dazed and tired dragon yawning. Once there, she stopped and looked to the vampire. “Did Nightmare Moon plan this?”

“W-what?” the vampire asked.

“Fluttershy. Did she plan to do this to her? Did she plan to have her be... killed? Is this all just some... game of hers?”

Redfang's eyes went wide. “I-I assure you she did not! Nightwing had always been a trusted member of our society, were I not... seeing the effects first hand, I wouldn't believe it had even happened!”

Twilight nodded. “Wonderful. At least I don't have to yell at her about that, then...”

“Yell... at her?” he asked softly.

“Err, nothing. I... I'm going to head into town. I'll return when I can.”

The vampire nodded and took a step, before pausing. “Lady Bard?”

“Yes?” she asked, her tone mildly annoyed.

“Do be careful. Her highness... has her eyes on you. I may be a creature of the night, but I am no foal. I comprehend exactly what she is capable of should you push her too far. There is... something about the way she watches you. You may be in more danger than any of us.”

Twilight glanced back to Spike, her eyes resting on the collar. “I know. Trust me. I know,” she muttered before she trotted back towards the town, hearing a soft flutter of wings and, when she turned back, he was gone.

Author's Note

.... Please don't kill me for this chapter... *hides behind Flutterbat.* I swear it's been leading up to this for a while.

S1 CH 16. New hires

16. New hires

Twilight frowned and cocked her head to the side, rubbing her chin. “This... appears to be the place, at least.”

“Is it... edible?” Spike asked.

The earth pony looked the giant gingerbread house up and down, before shaking her head. “No, I don't believe so. I hope it's not, at least. I would hate to imagine how... sick such a thing would make a pony. If they live in it, it has likely been here for many years.” Though, she couldn't deny, even if it was a real gingerbread house, it wouldn't be the strangest home she'd ever seen. It might not even be in her top five.

She gently pushed open the door and was greeted by a happy pink face. “Hi Twilight! I was wondering when I'd see you!”

The earth pony reared up and stumbled back, falling on her back with a shriek and sending Spike flying. She stared at the very hyper pink earth pony with the puffy mane, who just grinned from ear to ear at her.

“H-hi? You know my name?” she asked weakly. “Err... Pinkie?”

“Of course I do, silly! Rainbow and the others told me allllll about you! I mean, big purple earth pony mare, dragon in tow, that face of pure confusion, who else could you be? I'd throw you a party but I'm reallllllly busy right now and I know you've got grouchy lunar queen to look out for so I won't take up too much of your time! What can I get for you?” She gave a wink.

Twilight gulped and stared at the pony. It was the strangest thing. The mare wasn't even moving. And yet she still envisioned the mare hopping and jumping around as if she was galloping to and fro. “This uhhhh, this is Spike. I came to ask if you'd--”

“I'll throw it!” Pinkie said excitedly, jumping up into the air as confetti exploded in the background.

The earth pony blinked, her mouth falling open. “W-what? But... but I haven't even asked... what?”

“I've always WANTED to go to the Grand Galloping Gala and this year I get to throw it! It's going to be the BEST! GALA! EVER! And you can tell grouchy groucho that, too! I Pinkie promise!” she said with a nod and making a strange gesture with her hoof.

“W-what? Did I... I didn't... did I?” Twilight asked, cocking her head to the side. Hadn't she been interrupted? She felt a new headache building. “And... err... I guess... ummm... well, err, thank you. Then. That makes it... easier. I guess. Can, ummm, you give me directions to uhhh... an apple farm? Sweet Apple Acres?”

“Ohhhhh? Getting apples for the party? Sure took your sweet time, didn't you?” Pinkie asked with a light giggle. “Get it, because SWEET apple acres?”

“What? Oh. Right. Quite... amusing?” Twilight asked. She glanced back to the door and saw that Spike was chewing on a cupcake. “When did you...” When she turned back, a cupcake was stuffed in her mouth too. And then she was hugged, tightly, by the pink mare. She tried to choke out a response, but couldn't.

“I know what you're doing,” Pinkie said softly. “I know it's not easy and you're scared you're going to mess up everything. I know it's really, really, really hard and you don't think you're up to it. But you are! My friends told me allll about you and what you did for Rainbow! And everypony else! So don't get all worked up or depressed or anything, okay? I'm rooting for you!”

Twilight finally managed to choke down the cupcake, her eyes wide and staring at the pony. “I... I... thank you?” she said softly, so very confused. “Your words are... very kind. I will endeavor to... live up to them,” she said softly. “Miss... Pie?”

“Just call me Pinkie! You and I are going to be the bestest best friends ever! And after the gala I'll throw you a real big 'nice to meet you' party! Or if you have time while here?"

"... We'll see. But it's unlikely."

"I'd like a party..." Spike mumbled.

"You can throw one for Spike if you want?"

The pink pony looked like she'd explode with excitement. "Yay!” She then just disappeared in a puff of pink smoke.

Twilight stared, her face contorted into one of pure confusion. The pony hadn't actually imploded in excitement, had she? She then looked to Spike as he climbed back onto her back. “What... just... happened?”

“You found a pony to throw the gala.”

“I'm not sure that's a good idea.”

“Do you have any other choice?”

She blinked and glanced towards where the other mare had been before sighing. “No. I guess not. Come on,” she said before turning and trotting off. Her head was still spinning when she found the sign pointing off down the road towards Sweet Apple Acres. She frowned and rubbed her chin. “Spike? How are you feeling? I know we've been out for a very long time. I--” She paused when she looked back.

He was laying across her back, lightly snoring.

She gave a soft exasperated sigh. “Note to self. Cupcakes apparently help him sleep. At least he's not toothing,” she muttered. She glanced back towards the giant cupcake in the distance, a low chill going down her back. She didn't know why, but she felt as if she'd awoken some great, powerful force. One possibly to match that of Nightmare Moon.

She then shook her head. That was just silly.

Twilight walked nervously, struggling to keep her hooves from shaking with each step. The trees surrounded the path on each side, their great branches reaching out as if they were trying to grab her. She tried to remind herself that there was nothing to fear, they were just trees. There was nothing in the dark she needed to worry about.

Aside from vampires, wereponies and shades. But other than those and whatever other monsters Nightmare Moon had unleashed on the world with the horrible things she'd done, there was nothing to fear. She gave another shudder and glanced back. She was tempted to wake Spike, if for no other reason than the company. But he was still just a baby, all this running around couldn't be good for him. She wished she could have dropped him off at a hotel, but there was no way she could risk the collar choking him.

Though, a part of her wished she could just go back to town and wait for sunrise. If only there was such a thing as sunrise now. At least the moon did a lot to help illuminate the darkness, even if it did create a lot of shadows. She glanced up at the trees as they passed. The trees themselves seemed fine, aside from the occasional grasping branches. She half expected most of them to be in varying states of decay or worse, but instead they were still standing strong, with nice, full leaves. It had been so long since they'd last seen the sun but it looked as if the sun have only gone down for them a few days ago. She reached out and touched one.

The bark was rough against her hoof and there was no sign of wilting from the trees. So strange. She didn't know what Nightmare Moon was doing to help keep the plant from dying in this night, but it must have been working. And here she'd expected the Equestrian diet would have to change.

Still, she wasn't looking forward to this years Winter Wrap-up. It wasn't going to be easy without the help of the sun. But she supposed it was still pretty far away.

Twilight started walking again. Then she heard it. A loud crack, like a lightning bolt. She looked around in confusion before she saw it. She squinted for a moment. There was something big and… hulking in the distance. She squinted and stared, trying to make out whatever it was. It was standing in the shadows of one of the trees and--

There was another loud crack as whatever it was kicked one of the trees. The sound echoed through the fields. Her eyes stared wide with horror.

Spike stood up. “H-huh? Wha?” he asked. “What’s going on?” he called out.

To her additional horror, the creature stopped and turned to them.

She screamed and galloped down the trail.

“Wait!” she heard a voice call out.

But she ignored it. Spike shrieked, holding onto her for dear life.

Twilight wasn’t sure what that thing was, but it was huge. Bigger than any pony she’d ever seen. A truly massive creature. Possibly a werewolf? Or was there something else? Why was it trying to destroy the trees? She raced through the path, shrieking. Finally, she saw the glow from the house and a young yellow filly standing by the door. The mare squinted up at her. “What in tarnat--”

“There’s a monster out here! Run!” Twilight shrieked. “Get help!”

The filly’s eyes went wide and she shrieked, racing inside. “Granny Smith! Big mac! Applejack!” She left the door open and Twilight raced inside after her, slamming the door shut and resting against it.

“What’s going on?” Spike said.

“I-I don’t know! T-there was something out there, it was trying to destroy the trees! I-I don’t know what it did but it was HUGE!”

“I-it was?” Spike asked fearfully.

There was a heavy crash on the door as whatever hit it slammed into it. Or maybe it just hit the door with one of its massive claws. Either way, Twilight was almost sent sprawling. She squeaked and tried holding the door shut, throwing her whole weight against it.

“What in tarnation… Applebloom, let meh in!” the voice boomed from outside.

Twilight held the door closed as best she could. However, after a few moments she heard a new sound. Laughter.

She looked up and saw the filly again. She was on the ground, laughing so hard that she was almost rolling.

“W-what?” Twilight asked.

Twilight held her face in her hooves, the red flooding through them and shame flowing through every fiber of her being. She couldn't believe how big a foal of herself she'd been. The four ponies across the table from her seemed to think it was the greatest thing ever. Even the massive red one she had confused for some great monster was giving a quick, hearty chuckle.

“So yah actually thought mah big bro was some kinda monster?” the big orange mare said.

“Just please, let me die and bury me here. I don’t think I can face the world ever again,” Twilight muttered, holding her face.

The mare just laughed, shaking her head. “Nahhhhh, that ain’t gonna be no fun. If we ain’t got a witness, who’s gonna believe it when we tell this story tah others? So, what brings yah down this way, miss…?”

“Twilight. Twilight Glow. I was sent here by--” She blinked and realized a moment later all the laughter had died. She lowered her hooves and realized the others were just staring at her.

“You’re… Twilight Glow?” Applejack asked, softly.

“Y-yes? Is there a problem?”

“What? No! Ah jus’, ah mean, with what the papers were sayin’… ah mean… are yah… that Twilight Glow? The one who… err...”

The earth pony groaned and face tabled. “Yes, I am Nightmare Moon’s personal bard. No, I am not evil. No, I do not intend to hurt anypony. No, I did not, nor would I ever betray Princess Celestia, she is my idol. No, I do not intend to betray anypony. No, even if you did do anything worthy of catching Nightmare Moon’s attention, I wouldn’t TELL her. The mare is one piece of bad news from performing some kind of destructive… destruction… thing,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “Anything else?”

“Errr...”

“I’m sorry, I came here at Rainbow’s behest. Something… well… happened. Fluttershy needs pretty much whatever apple juice you can spare. And any sweet apple cider, for Rainbow.”

The mare cocked an eye. “Wait, what? Why she need apple juice for? An' Rainbow knows sweet apple cider ain't in season. Ah swear that girl tries tah get it every chance she can.”

“It’s… a long story and I think it would be best for them to tell you. Since they seem to know you better. Suffice to say, everypony is fine, for now and nopony is hurt.” She gave a light smile. “I’m… truly sorry for ummmm… acting the way I did.” She looked up at the big red pony. She’d never seen a pony so big, even larger than her big brother and he was a pretty big one as they went. The princesses were larger, of course, but they were likely the only ones.

“Nahhhh, we could all use a good laugh here and there,” Applejack said with a grin. “Besides, ah keep tellin’ him tah bring out that lantern when he works. Maybe now he’ll listen. So, was that everythin’?”

Twilight nodded and got to her hooves. “We should get going. Thank you for your--”

“Oh now you hold on jus’ one con-founded minute,” the mare said quickly. “We ain’t even had time tah properly introduce ourselves an’ we ain’t sending nopony away empty hooved and empty stomached!”

“W-what? No, that’s not really necessary. I--”

“Yes it is,” the mare said firmly. “Now, mah name is Applejack, this here is mah big brother Big Mac. This lil slice of apple pie is Applebloom an’ this pony,” she motioned to an older mare who had fallen asleep in her chair. “Is good ol’ Granny Smith. We run this here farm. Now, how about yah properly introduce yourself an’ your friend?”

Twilight blinked and then coughed. “R-right. I am Twilight Glow, ummmm, a novelist and kind of… working for Nightmare Moon. Sort of. This is Spike, my assistant,” she said before motioning to the dragon. “He helps me with minor tasks when I need them.”

The dragon waved.

“Well, it’s nice tah meet yah. Now, ah dun’ know how much of what the papers say is true, but yah seem good enough. If Rainbow an’ them trust yah, ah dun see no reason tah kick yah out. So, whattaya say tah a nice, home cooked meal?”

“E-err, that’s really not necessary, I--”

“Ah ain’t takin’ no for an answer. Yah came all the way out here, the least we can do is make sure your tank is full. Besides, yah look like lil more than skin an’ bones for an earth pony.”

Twilight’s cheeks turned red. “I-I don’t… I’m not… do I?” She looked down at herself. She guessed she had lost a bit of weight. But eating was hardly on her list of priorities with Nightmare Moon on the throne and all. “I guess… one little meal wouldn’t be so bad.”

“Good. Now, how about yah sit down an’ take a load off. Supper’ll be done lickety split.”

Twilight took a seat, giving a weak nod. This ponies were a bit strange. Friendly though, at least. She relaxed in her seat and glanced down to Spike, giving him a small smile. “Hope it’s okay if we stay a bit?”

He merely shrugged. “I don’t care. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Applejack gave a little chuckle. “We don’t really get a lotta guests here from Canterlot. Last one we had was that student of Celestia’s. Moondancer. A shame about what happened tah her. Ah never thought she’d go an’ work for that… well...”

Twilight blinked and then stood up. “Hey! Don’t talk bad about Moondancer! She’s working hard!”

“W-what?” Applejack asked.

“Moondancer is trying her hardest! You don’t have ANY idea what it’s like down there in Canterlot! What’s its like trying to deal with Nightmare Moon,” she snapped. “I’ll admit, it’s a horrible situation. For all of us. Nightmare Moon is wild and erratic and frankly, she’s borderline evil. But we’re trying our hardest to keep ponies safe and stop her from doing all kinds of things to hurt ponies!” She dug her hooves into the table. “Do you think Moondancer WANTS to be her student? No! But she doesn’t have a choice! There’s no telling what will happen to her friends and family if she doesn’t! And at least like this she can try to guide Nightmare Moon away from really hurting ponies! Or getting us into... too many wars!”

Applejack stared at her for a few moments, looking ready to talk back. Then she stopped and gave a nod. “Well… ah guess ah can understand that. Ah’ll be honest, the papers don’t exactly show yah two in the best light.”

“The papers can kiss my flank,” Twilight snapped. “Even before all this they were always talking bad about one thing or another. How Princess Celestia would do something or another and then cause more problems. Now I bet they wish they had her back so things were at least a lot less scary,” the earth pony snapped in anger.

Applejack sighed. “Ah’m sorry. Ah didn’t mean tah upset yah.”

Twilight blinked and shook her head, her cheeks going red. “I’m sorry. I just… Moondancer is working her hardest to make sure everything goes okay. She’s throwing her all into trying to keep Nightmare Moon from doing anything too bad. This entire… the representatives that visited? I was expecting a blood bath. But I know Moondancer was working her hardest behind the scenes to ensure that everything went smoothly and there wasn’t a war. Well, less war than there could have been. None of the other species were banished or imprisoned or… executed. That’s… a lot. And it’s dangerous there. We’re doing out hardest but… we can’t just snap our hooves and everything will be better.”

Applejack nodded before trotting over, patting her on the back with a smile. “Well, ah think you’re doin’ a good job then. Ah’ll admit, the whole… not havin’ a sun thing was awfully terrifyin’ at first. We thought we were gonna lose the whole harvest. But, well...”

“It’s all growing strong. I saw. That… might actually be Nightmare Moon.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah. I’m not sure how she’s doing it, but it seems we’re getting by without the sun. Somehow. I’m guessing she thought this out a bit better than we thought.”

Applejack nodded. “It makes gatherin’ ‘em up a bit more difficult, but at least there are plants tah gather. If anythin’, ah think our harvest might have been improvin’. Our apples been some of the juiciest, tastiest batch we ever had. Why, ah made a pie the other day, was like takin’ a nice big ol’ bite of the sun itself, reminded us all of how things used tah be.” The mare stopped. “Yah work close tah Nightmare Moon, right? Yah think there’s any chance that… one day… well...”

Twilight frowned and rubbed her chin. “I… don’t know. Maybe? Right now, though… she has a lot of pain and anger. But once it calms down and she’s no longer as mad, it might be… possible. We might be able to have Celestia back. At least… in… person. I don’t know if Nightmare Moon will ever allow her to rule again, though.”

Applejack nodded. “Ah see. An’… what do yah think… how much danger are we all really in?”

“Very little.”

“Wait, really?” the mare asked. “Ah heard that she went an… well… somehow drained all the ponies an’ stuff.”

“Yes, she did. Those who rebelled and tried to fight her. I don’t think we can fight her, she’s too powerful. Buuuut...” Twilight rubbed a hoof on the table. “I don’t think she wants to kill us ponies. I don’t even think she wants to hurt us, if she can. Those she drained lost their power, but they weren't whipped or anything after. They were just sent home to their families. It was still... frightening to watch, but not as bad as I would have feared.”

“If she likes us, she sure has a funny way of showin' it...”

“... Nightmare Moon is not what you'd call a... pony person,” Twilight said with a sigh. “Honestly, from what I've been able to gather, I can't really blame her for being upset. A thousand years locked away on the moon would make anypony upset. Not to mention the whole...” She waved a hoof into the air. “What led up to it wasn't exactly the... easiest thing.”

“Huh?”

Twilight sighed. “I just... know so little about her right now. She is capable of a lot of horrible things, though.”

“You're telling me,” Spike grumbled.

“But I think there is at least a little good to her. A part of her that won't... kill us all. If we can be careful. We might even be able to find common ground with her in the future, as hard as that may be to believe.”

Applejack gave a shrug. “Well, ah'll jus' have tah take your word for it. All ah can see is the whole... no sun thing.”

Twilight sighed and gave a nod. “I know. A part of me wonders what would have happened if Princess Celestia had just let it all... play out. Rather than sealing her away from the get go. Apparently the whole thing hadn't lasted very long before she was tossed into the moon. Can hardly blame her though, if Nightmare Moon was trying to kill her.”

“The what now?” Applejack asked.

Twilight sighed. “I'll get into it in my book. The whole... everything though. It's all... interesting. I've been trying to find records on what exactly happened back then, too, but there's nothing. It's like she wiped everything out. I'm sure if I can look long enough I'll find some old records, though. Princess Celestia had to leave us SOMETHING. Like that mirror, maybe?” She shook her head. “I don't suppose you have any papers?”

“Papers?”

“Yeah. The news papers. I can't... really get them back home. Nightmare Moon and all. Trust me, just about every pony there is working to make sure she stays as least homicidal as possible.”

The mare nodded. “Of course. Hold on, ah think we got a few in the bin... right...” Applejack frowned and peered over the counter, before motioning to a small white box. “Here yah go. We usually cut 'em up an' use 'em for stuff. Got a bit now, though. Go wild.”

Twilight nodded and walked over, pulling one of the ones on the bottom out. It was from a few days prior and had a picture of Nightmare Moon on the front. She took one look at the article and sighed.

There really wasn't any good news.

Twilight groaned, her face buried on the table and her stomach bulging. She'd ate way, way too much. But it was all soooooo good.

“Ughhhh...” she moaned.

“Yah all gonna be okay?” Applejack asked with a grin. “Yah got a nice, healthy appetite for a pen pusher.”

“Bard. I mean, novelist,” Twilight muttered before looking up. “How is it allll soooooo good?”

Applejack snickered. “Well, thank yah kindly for the compliment. Most of us been cookin' since we were lil fillies an' a big ol' colt,” she said with a nod. “Yah should see us when we have a full Apple family reunion. Can cook up some mighty fine snacks then!”

Twilight nodded, staring at the food. She rubbed her chin for a moment. “I... don't suppose you do... catering?”

Applejack blinked. “Come again?”

“The Grand Galloping Gala. Pinkie, err, a mare from the town is going to be running it. How would you feel about catering it? I feel Rarity will probably end up doing the decorations. If you know those two, having a full Ponyville gala could make for an interesting theme this year. Do you think--”

“We'll do it!” Applejack said, a big grin on her face.

Twilight blinked. “W-what? Really?”

“Ah assume there'll be proper financial compensation, right?”

“Of course!”

“Then yup! With bits like that we could repair that saggy ol' roof, replace that saggy ol' plow, maybe replace Granny Smith's saggy ol' hip!”

“Huh? What?” the elder mare asked, before going back to sleep.

“Oh! That's great, then!” Twilight said with a sigh of relief. “Even though it's... well... with Nightmare Moon?”

The mare blinked. “Well, that ain't exactly the best part about it, but we'll make do. With bits like that, well, all kinds of things we can end up doing,” she said with a grin. “So, when yah gonna need everything done?”

“I'm not sure. Pinkie will be making the plans. But I'll have expected guest number sent to you as soon as I can. It'll be a big one, though. So we'll likely need large amounts of food and we'll of course have staff available to assist you. You might need to relocate to Canterlot for a bit, though. Once preparations get fully underway.”

Applejack nodded and gave a salute. “Don't you worry about nothin'. If an Apple can't handle one measly gala, well, then she ain't an Apple!”

She nodded. “And, ummm, you will be able to send all the apple juice needed to Fluttershy and the others?”

“Of course,” she said with a grin, before frowning. “Though...”

“Yes?”

“What exactly yah need so much apple juice for? Ah mean, ah never knew her tah have much of a hankerin' for it. Some of her pets might, but ah ain't seen mucha that, either.”

Twilight sighed. “That... you'll need to talk with her about. But trust me, she needs it,” her eyes lowered and she shook her head. “It's my fault, honestly...”

“Come again?”

“Nothing. Just... yet another...” She got to her hooves. “Anyway, I need to go. I'm going to be getting a room back in town and--”

“What? Now wait jus' one moment. After good news like that, the least we could do is hold yah up here for a few days,” Applejack said with a grin. “We got a best bedroom we--”

“No,” Twilight said firmly, holding up a hoof. “Trust me, that would be a very, very bad idea. I'm on official royal business, more or less. So everything will be dealt with royally. Staying here for an extended period would likely draw the ire of the papers, possibly make Nightmare Moon question what I was doing here, as well as... there are so many things that could just go wrong, it's not a good idea.” She then looked down at her belly. “Besides, if I eat here too often I'll have to be rolled out of here.”

Applejack gave a sigh before nodding. “Well, ah suppose that's all a bit silly, but politics often are in mah experience. Ah wish yah a fine night then, Twilight. An' ah dun care what the papers say about yah. Yah make a right proper guest an' ah may not understand everythin' yah be tryin' tah do, but ah can sure as heck appreciate it.”

Twilight nodded and got to her hooves. “Thank you. It was nice meeting all of you. Come along, Spike.”

“Ughhhhh,” the dragon said before crawling out of his chair and slowly lumbering after her. “Guhhhhhh.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and slowly trotted back towards town, Spike besides her this time. There was no way she felt up to carrying him around. Her cheeks turned red once they got on the path and she remembered her earlier panic after seeing Big Mac. She couldn't believe she'd thought he was a werewolf or some other monsters. She felt like such an idiot.

Author's Note

Here, have some funny to go along with the fact someone just died. Sorta died. Kinda... undead are confusing.

*Edit: So, edited and resubmitted the chapter. I normally don't try to do that, but well... Pinkie was, pretty much consistently, badly received. Normally I'd let it slide and ask you guys to trust me, but honestly this was actually something I was nervous and doubtful of even doing, as it wasn't pivotal to the story and it just kind of... well, happened. Especially considering Pinkie's later interactions and something else I have planned for the future. So I've edited and resubmitting.

Sadly, no, she's not a unicorn. I'd probably do that, but I prefer to have it be confusing to Twilight how she does things. If you like, though, can pretend she's hiding a horn under that mane of hers, it is big enough. Or maybe I plan to do that later on in the story and this is all just a bait and switch. Or maybe I'm just crazy. Either way, her being a unicorn would have some story implications that I may or may not use. Isn't having an indecisive story writer fun?

S1 CH 17. Sorry?!!

17. Sorry?!!

Twilight gave a soft yawn before crawling away from her desk and stretching. She felt pretty good, all things considered. She'd been in town for a few days and been working to coordinate times for the gala preparations with Pinkie, Rarity and Applejack. She'd sent in a few letters to let Nightmare Moon know that both a party planner and caterer had been found. The crown was hoofing the bill for the hotel room she and Spike were staying in as well.

She'd made excellent progress on the book and was, for the first time in a long while, able to relax. No fears of being tortured or torn apart. She'd even been picking up newspapers each morning and, to her surprise, she wasn't being featured in any of them.

Instead there was a lot of talk about vampires, werewolves and shades. She wasn't too surprised, it was fresh news for everypony. Ponies seemed to be taking it well. For now. Mostly. There had been a few freak outs, but no mass riots. Though she was a bit disturbed by the fact a few ponies were claiming they were fired and the like for their condition. She wondered if there were laws to protect these ponies. Would they count as a disease?

She'd received a few letters from Nightmare Moon as well. They'd seemed... odd. Asking when she would return. How long until her duties would be finished. Twilight had tried to brush them off, but there was something about the letters that nagged at her. Something she felt she was missing. If she didn't know better, she'd think the tyrant missed her.

She hummed and looked to Spike, who was sleeping in his own bed. He seemed to be taking it to heart, being her assistant. It was better than being her pet, at least. He was such a sweet, cute thing. She couldn't imagine anypony wanting to hurt him. Despite his youth he had already made himself practically invaluable to her. She'd even sent him down to the store before realizing how far away it was. But, to her relief, the collar never activated. She wondered if it would only activate when they were near Nightmare Moon. She wouldn't put it past the mare to make something like that.

Fluttershy was doing much better now as well. Though the yellow pegasus wasn't talking much, if at all. They'd managed to fix up her home and make sure she was feeling better. Applejack and Rarity had been furious with Twilight for not telling them immediately what happened, but Rainbow apparently managed to calm them down. She'd managed to have a few meals with all four of them and Pinkie a few times. The pink, bouncy mare had even tried to throw her a party but she'd refused. But she did allow her to throw one for Spike.

That had been interesting. He'd come home at... well, she assumed it was a late hour. Smelling of hot sauce and apple juice. But he'd had fun and that was all that mattered. She trotted to the door and turned off the light, intending to go get something to eat. She'd been working on the book long enough.

However, when she turned the light off, something grabbed her hoof. She let out a scream and tried to pull back, flinging the door open and sending light from the hallway inside. The shade disappeared, though Spike shot up.

“What? Who? What?” the dragon asked, looking around blearily before falling back down and snoring.

Twilight stared, her heart hammering. After a few moments she slowly stepped back into the room and gently closed the door, dimming the room enough for the shade to reappear. It pointed a hoof at her. “Are... you here to attack me?” she asked with a squeak.

It shook its head.

“Do you... is this about Nightmare Moon?”

It nodded.

“... Is this her way of saying she wants me to come home?”

It nodded once again.

“Of course it is. Can't just send me a letter, that'd be too easy. No, instead nearly give me a heart attack. Okay, please let her know I'll be on a train there soon. I--”

It shook its head.

“Err... train won't work? Is she sending somepony to retrieve me?”

It nodded its head before pointing to itself.

“You... are... to... retrieve me? How does that wor--”

The shade lunged out and the next thing she remembered was being sent hurtling through darkness and ice water.

A moment later she appeared in a dark room, her eyes wide with horror and legs clutched to her body. She could feel the cold chill of death, or at least that was what it felt like, wash over her flesh.

“W-what... what was that?” she asked with a squeak. “I-I need... I need S-Spike too, he can't--”

A moment later he was dumped on her. He let out a squeak and held her, his eyes wide with horror. “W-what was that?” he asked, trembling. “I-it felt like... like... being dragged through a grave.”

“I-I don't know,” she said softly, staring at the shade. “My... my books are there as well. I ummm... I need them. My research and... and notes.”

There was a moment before the shade seemed to disappear from existence. After a few more moments the papers appeared at her hooves. “T-thank you...”

The shade appeared a moment later and gave a quick nod, before disappearing once again. Spike looked up. “Let’s never, ever do that again. Okay?”

She looked down at him and nodded. “Agreed.” She gave him a quick hug, shuddering weakly and just holding him for a few minutes. Then, finally, she got to her hooves shakily and slowly started walking towards the doorway. They were inside the castle, one of the many empty rooms. It didn’t take her long to arrive in the throne room. “Y-your highness?” she managed to squeak out.

“Ah! Bard! You’ve returned to me!” Nightmare Moon said, her eyes glimmering. Wait, me? That sent another shudder through her spine.

“Y-yes?”

“We have read your notes! You have managed to procure a skilled and talented party planner for our wonderful gala?”

“I don’t know how skilled and talented she is yet, but she’s willing,” Twilight said nervously.

“I think she’s pretty skilled,” Spike said.

“There you go, a glowing review. Sorta.” She gave a shrug, staring up at the mare, thrown off balance by how chipper the alicorn seemed. A word she never thought she'd use to describe the mare.

“Ah. Well, that will suffice. I’m sure if you have chosen her, she will not disappoint.”

Twilight nodded in confusion. There was an 'I' there. “Okay? Was… that… everything?”

“Hmmm?” Nightmare Moon asked, before glancing down at Moondancer. She looked as shocked as Twilight felt. “You may leave us.”

“Your highness?”

“Did we stutter?”

“Oh! No, err, a-as you wish, my lady,” the mare said before quickly galloping out of the room, giving Twilight an apologetic look.

The earth pony just stared in confusion, cocking her head to the side. Something seemed off. Once the other mare was out of the room, the door slammed shut behind her and Twilight eeped. She turned back and watched it warily. “Your highness? Have I displeased you?”

The mare of the night glanced down. “Perhaps your pet had best leave as well?”

Alarm bells went off in her head. Oh no. Something had definitely gone wrong. She did not want Spike in the middle of it. “Spike, could you go wait outside?”

“W-what? But she--”

“Please, Spike.”

The dragon looked down before slowly nodding. He hobbled off, leaving Twilight alone with that mare. Once he was outside, she heard the door clicked closed. “Your highness?”

The mare moved forward, standing over Twilight imposingly. The earth pony couldn’t help but feel nervous as the mare stared down at her. Finally, with a deep breath, the mare began. “Twilight, our bard. We… I… am so sorry.”

“Eh?” She had no words.

“When you told us of what happened to your friend, we were besides ourselves. We assure you, we had no intention for ANY of this to happen. When we sent our creatures to watch your friends, we merely wished for them to observe for a short while, to… determine how loyal they were to us. If they would be considered a threat or not. We had no idea, nor intention, that such a thing would happen. For this ordeal we offer our most sincere apologies and we do pray you can forgive us for our mistake.”

Twilight blinked, her mouth nearly hitting the floor. She’d gone over this conversation a hundred times in her mind. She’d imagined herself screaming at the mare, telling her off, yelling at her, asking how she could have put her friends in such danger, asking if she even cared.

But here Nightmare Moon was. Asking, nay, begging for forgiveness. Twilight couldn’t figure out how to react. How did a pony react? Should she comfort the mare? Tell her everything would be alright? “You should tell this to Fluttershy,” she finally said.

“What? But--”

“She’s the one who is suffering for this. She’s the one who… died. Not me. Not you. Her. She’s the one who has to pay the consequences for what you did. If there is anypony you owe an apology to, it’s her.”

Nightmare Moon stared down at her and, for a moment, she was afraid she’d misstepped. Had she gone too far? Was telling the mare in the moon to apologize too much? Her back tingled with worry. Finally, the alicorn nodded. “Very well, bard. You are correct. We shall apologize and have her brought here immed--”

“No,” Twilight said, pressing her luck for some reason. “You should go to her.”

“W-what? She is our subject! She should, nay, must come to us!”

“You literally killed her. The LEAST you can do is go and see her while she’s getting better.” There was a sentence she never thought she’d say. She wondered if she could use it in a book sometime. No, too cheesy. Any story that had a line like that she couldn’t imagine would have many readers.

The alicorn glared down at her before finally relenting. She gave a small nod. “Very well. We will… apologize to this mare. Personally. As soon as we are able we shall make the trip down there.”

“Good, thank you. Now, ummmm… about the shades?”

“Yes?”

“Can they all do that teleporting thing?”

“Travel through the shadows? No, we’re afraid not. Only a select few can. Well… only a select few can take others with them.”

“Ah, good. Never do that to me again.”

“We are sorry?”

“That was absolutely horrifying! It felt like I was being dragged through my own grave! I didn’t even think something could feel that way, but you learn something new every day!”

The mare blinked a few times before nodding. “We… we see. As you wish.”

“And I want you to give me your word that, if anything ever does happen to me, you won’t hurt Spike when I’m gone. Even if you can’t send him back home to the dragon lands, you’ll make sure he is at least well fed and taken care of here, perhaps with a new keeper.” She knew she was pushing her luck, but she had to at least try.

“Our word is given.”

Twilight just stared, her mouth falling open. That was easy. That was way, way too easy. She’d expected yelling, howling, rage. Instead she received kindness. She just stared. Who was this pony and what had she done with her Nightmare Moon? And would it be permanent? “T-thank you. Your highness. And… my friends will no longer be spied on?”

There was a long moment of silence but then, finally, the alicorn nodded. “Agreed. Those who… met with them assure us that they are of no threat to you, or the crown.”

“You thought they were a threat to me?” she asked in confusion. “Why?”

“They were close to you. We were worried they may have tried to turn you against us.”

Twilight just stared. “And that’s why… you sent them? Not because you were afraid they'd turn on you, but because you were afraid they'd turn me on you?” She felt something bubbling up within her.

“Indeed, because--”

“YOU DIDN’T TRUST ME?!” Twilight roared. The alicorn was taken aback, her eyes wide. Ah, rage, her old friend.

“W-what? No! We merely--”

“You just said it yourself! You were afraid they’d turn me against you! Do you really think if there was a chance of me rebelling I wouldn’t have by now? You’ve had me WHIPPED! WHIPPED! Do you even understand how painful that was? How much I had to suffer for that? And you think after all of that, I’m going to suddenly decide ‘I need to start a rebellion, let’s go get my friends involved! Yeah, we can all hang together!’”

“W-we wouldn’t--”

“No, of course not, because I’m not stupid! It’s great to know how you really see me, though, Is that what you’re thinking? What you’re hoping? That one day I’ll misstep and then, bang, you’ll have me. Execute the bard! Now she can never tell the world of how I did something or other! When have you ever needed justification for anything you've done? Why don't you just do it?”

The princess took another step back, shaking her head. “No, we merely--”

“Well, rest assured, princess, the only pony who has done ANYTHING to hurt my loyalty is you. Mine and every other pony you’ve ever claimed to care about. No wonder nopony liked your nights! You were probably always threatening to drop the stars on them or some other insane threat!”

The princess actually lowered her eyes, taking another step back. “We… we’re sorry, we--”

“Oh, but don’t worry your pretty little head, Nightmare Moon. I’m not planning to betray you at all. What would be the point? We all know how powerful you are. We aren’t going to beat you in some blast of, I don’t know, rainbows and starlight. No, we’re stuck with you, one way or another. So if you have any more problems and thoughts of mistrust, how about next time you pull up your big mare stockings and come to me, rather than putting my FRIENDS in danger!” she snapped, before turning and storming out. Or rather… trying to. The door refused to budge. She then realized who she’d just screamed at. Again. She’d been doing that too often lately. How was she not dead yet? She still felt pretty good, though. She wondered if she was developing anger problems. Maybe she should see a therapist. Assuming she lived through the next few minutes.

She slowly turned back and saw the princess of the night. Her eyes were downcast and her wings were folded neatly on her back. Rather than looking ready to strike, she just sat there. Completely still. Finally, she lifted her wing and the door lock unclicked. “You… may leave… if you so wish.”

Twilight stared at the mare. She felt the sudden urge to comfort her. She took a slight step forward. “Y-your highness. I never meant--”

“We both know exactly what you meant.” Nightmare Moon shook her head. “We… are aware of how our subjects view us. How they… fear us,” she mumbled softly. “We have seen the papers that all of you so desperately try to hide from us.”

Twilight blinked a few times, her mouth falling open. “You… have?” How was every newspaper stand from here to Manehatten not smoldering ash?

“Indeed. We know of what the ponies say in the shadows, when they think we are not listening. But… you do not.”

“I don’t?”

“No. You… often will tell us to our face. Though there is no doubt in our minds that you fear us, you are the only one who will step forward to… tell us how we have failed or… misstepped. When we have gone too far. Your… council is… We… very much appreciate it. For you to lash out in such a manner means we have misstepped greatly and for that, we apologize. We… will try not to do so again.”

Twilight stared at the mare again, too shocked for words. She tried to think of something, anything to say. But nothing came to mind. “T-thank you, your highness.” She paused and eyed her. “May… I ask a question, your highness?”

“You may ask whatever you please.”

“Did you not want me to leave? When I went to Ponyville?” She thought back to when she had asked permission. Had it been possible the princess had actually been pouting?

Her eyes went wide and Nightmare Moon actually looked away. “I-I do not care where you go! It makes no difference to me so long as I still have your council.”

Twilight just gaped, watching the princess of darkness fidget. Actually fidget. Today was turning out to be the strangest day. As much fun as it was to watch the nightmare squirm, she knew it would be best not to let it linger and quickly moved onto a simpler topic that she'd been curious about. “The land, the plants. They aren’t… dying. But the sun isn’t there. Where… ummm… how?”

The mare blinked and looked confused. “Is it not obvious? We have used our sister’s magic and sent it into the land, allowing it to maintain the nutrients needed to feed our people. Of what point would taking over Equestria be, if all of our ponies then died of starvation?”

Twilight’s mouth fell open. Magical agriculture, she didn’t know how she didn’t think of that. She rubbed her chin for a moment. “Considering the earth pony side of an alicorn and our own innate power to help the land grow, that of an...” Her eyes went wide with shock. “O-oh. Wow. That… wow. I… can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that.”

“During times of drought or famine, we would often send our magic into the land to… expedite the growth of food. We would never, ever allow our ponies to starve.”

“And you didn't use Tirek for this?”

“Again, our sister's power is similar to our own. Of what need of we of his powers for such a thing?” She shook her head. “No. We did not use his powers.” Her eyes looked off to the side. “And... she was... willing to aid us in this endeavor so has resisted little.”

She nodded, though she couldn't help staring. Finally, she turned away before she'd be tempted to test her luck further. “I'd... best return to my duties. I have a book to finish. If there's nothing else? Have there been any more... whippings?”

“Not as of late, no,” the ruler said. “There have been a few... rebellions, but we have dealt with them accordingly. Minor things. Nothing you need write about.”

“Of course,” Twilight said with a low sigh before stepping out of the room.

Spike looked up, his eyes going wide. “You're okay!” He raced forward and gave her a hug. Before irking and quickly turning around, crossing his arms. “I-I mean, I knew you'd be fine. Not like I was worried or anything.”

Twilight blinked a few times more in confusion, before shaking her head. She then reached out and patted him on the head. “I'm sorry to worry my number one assistant,” she said with a chuckle.

“Why do you keep calling me that? I thought I was supposed to be your pet or something?”

She nodded. “You were. But... what's the point of that? You're still a po... you're still a person. Even if you're not a pony. You don't deserve to be just a pet. So... I think assistant works nicely. And I think you're a spectacular assistant. The greatest one I have ever had. Don't you agree?”

His cheeks burned red and he looked off to the side, blushing. “I-I guess... kinda... y-yeah. Just a bit. I-I don't see why you're so like... trying, though. Not like it makes any difference. Assistant or not, it's not like I'm allowed to go anywhere.”

“A-actually I... had a little talk with Nightmare Moon. She's agreed that... if anything happens to me, you'll be well taken care of, if not returned to the dragon lands.” She then paused. “Shoot! I should have just told her to send you back! Ugh, I had her in one of her good moods, too! I'm sorry, Spike.”

He blinked and stared up at her, before shaking his head. “S-so I have to stay here a bit longer? Fine, whatever. Not like I'm in any rush to get home or anything. And I guess chilling out with all of you ponies is kind of... okay. Not the totally worst thing to ever happen to me. I guess. Kinda.”

Twilight stared at him, cocking her head to the side. She was certain it was her imagination, but a small part of her couldn't help but imagine that he, possibly, actually wanted to be here. But that had to be her mind playing tricks on her. She was sure of it. “Come on,” she said finally, trotting off.

“Hmmm? Why? Where we going?”

“I wanna stop by the library and pick up a few things, then head down to the dungeons.”

“Why?”

“Someone I haven't seen in a while. I've received messages that he has been declining what I've sent him.”

Twilight gave a light shudder when she made her way down the stairs into the dungeon, her saddlebags filled with all manner of books. Spike was waiting for her at the top, going through an old comic. He didn't seem to be able to fully read yet, but he liked the pictures and she could teach him later.

“Tirek?” she called out once her hooves hit the bottom steps.

“Oh by the stars, my torment begins anew. What do you want?” an annoyed voice asked.

She grinned and trotted over. “Grouchy as ever, I see,” she said with a smile before dumping out the books in front of her. “Now, you've been turning away the stuff I've had sent to you, so I need to ask a few questions.”

“Ugh...”

“First, can you read pony script?”

“... Yes,” he grumbled.

“How well?”

“Well enough. Is this going to take long? I am in the midst of teaching a spider how to harness its dark powers to enslave the other insects of this realm.”

“... Really?”

“No, but it would be more interesting than this conversation.”

“It honestly would. Okay, so you can read. That's good. Now, what kinds of things do you like to read?”

“I don't wish to read anything of yours. Leave me, pony.”

She sighed again. Perhaps a different approach was needed here. “Tirek... how long have you been imprisoned?”

“For far longer than even your Nightmare Moon walked these lands. Of what is it to you?”

“I'm sorry,” she said, looking up at him.

“For bothering me? You should be.”

“No. That you've been locked away for so long. Nopony deserves that.”

There was a long moment of silence as the centaur stared at her. “I'm... sorry?”

“I don't know how you feel. I can't even begin to comprehend how lonely that must have been. I know how upset Nightmare Moon is, having been locked away for a thousand years. I see it in nearly everything she does. And... now you're in the same situation. Locked away and helpless. And I'm sorry. If I could free you, I would.”

The aged centaur stared at her before, slowly, rolling to his hooves. He walked over, towering over her with narrowed eyes. “Do not mock me, pony.”

“I'm not.”

“Were I released, I would drain you in a second. I would suck every ounce of power from your body, leaving you a helpless husk.”

She sighed and gave a nod. “Perhaps. But then you'd be imprisoned again. At least then you'd likely deserve it. And maybe you could be trapped here, where you could have visitors.”

There was another long moment of silence and the centaur stared down at her. Finally, he spoke up. “You truly do not think I deserve my fate?”

“You may have deserved it for a time. But to be trapped alone for so long? No. I don't believe anypony deserves that. I couldn't even begin to imagine what that would do to a pony's mind. Never having anypony? Trapped in that... place? I mean, even most of our prison terms don't last, can't last, that long.”

The centaur stared down at her for a few moments before turning away and shaking his head. “You are a stupid, insignificant pony. I can't imagine why Nightmare Moon tolerates such a creature.” He trotted back towards his bed.

“Honestly, I don't know why she does either,” Twilight muttered. “But... who knows? Maybe one day I can convince her to let you out. At least if you do something bad, you can be sentenced in a way more... fitting, maybe. And who knows? Maybe if you were out a bit more, you'd find something you like more than just power.”

He snorted. “Unlikely.”

The earth pony sighed and started gathering up her books. “I see. I did mean it, though. I don't think... anypony deserves this. I'm sorry for what's happened to you, Tirek.” She worked in silence after that, filling up her bags and then turning away.

“History.”

“Huh?”

“I like history books.”

She stared for a moment, then her eyes glimmered. “Okay! I'll have all the best ones sent down, okay? I know a great selection of them, actually. I majored in history, you know. Well, Equestrian history. I only minored in dragon and griffon and assorted. Though I was--”

“Please stop talking before I regret this decision.”

“Err, right. I'll have some sent down,” she said happily before trotting towards the stairs. Progress! Actual progress! She couldn't help being proud. She made a mental note to send a dictionary down as well, just in case he needed it.

“Your princess isn't in the moon.”

“What?” Twilight asked.

“Celestia. She's not in the moon.”

The earth pony froze in place and turned back. “Wait. You... know where she is?” she asked softly.

“No. Not... exactly. But I can feel her. I know she... is close. Nearby. Perhaps in this very castle. Or at least in this city.”

Twilight gulped and gave a nervous nod. “And... you're sure?”

“Tracking ponies such as you is my... specialty, you could say. I would not be wrong.”

Twilight nodded, before turning away. “Thank you,” she said gently before making her way back up the stairs, her mind spinning. Was he just messing with her? Why would Nightmare Moon keep Celestia here of all places? She'd been all over the castle. Aside from a few restricted sections. She gulped nervously and made a mental note. She'd need to explore even more than she already had been. But first she had to get Spike and have more books sent down to the Centaur. Just because he was a prisoner didn't mean he had to suffer.

Twilight smiled down at the dragon who was nestled comfortably in her lap. “And Z is for zipper, a strange garment choice that often pinches,” she said with a nod.

He nodded, giving a little yawn. “That book was stupid...”

“Perhaps. But you need to learn to read and this is how I did it. Don't you think the comics will be a lot more fun if you can understand what they're saying?”

He gave a shrug. “I guess? Maybe?”

She smiled. “Well, I talked to the librarian. You are to have free reign, any of the books there you want to read you can just go and grab, okay?”

“Hmmm? Really?”

She nodded. “Of course. Just try not to grab too many at once, okay? And be careful. Some of them are really old.”

He shrugged. “Okay. Can I go back to my comics?”

“Of course. Here. How about for the next one, I read it to you? Or we can try reading it together?”

He shrugged. “Okay...”

She nodded and smiled at him, though once his back was to her the smile became a frown. She could clobber that dragon lord of his in the face. Spike couldn't even fully read, he could make out most of the letters and a lot of the sounds, but he wasn't at all prepared to read actual books. And yet he'd been sent into a foreign country and expected to just get himself killed. Had the dragon thought that Nightmare Moon would show mercy on the baby dragon? Then he'd been a foal.

She blinked a few times and rubbed her chin. Had he planned for this, perhaps? For somepony else to step in and save him? Ponies did have a bit of a reputation, she was sure. Or did he expect that Nightmare Moon really was like Celestia and would balk at the idea of killing some other creature?

Either way, she wanted to buck that creature straight in the face. A creature like that should not be leading others, let alone an entire species. She sighed and as the next comic was brought over, she slowly began guiding him in the words. “So, the Power Ponies...”

Author's Note

Okay, so I did resubmit last chapter to better, well, hopefully do Pinkie Pie. Hope you guys enjoyed it. And here... wellll... I tried to show a bit more. Here's hoping everything was written well. All in all, enjoy, last chapter for a bit until I get a few more written and edited up.

Don't forget, the contest is still going on! The gala is fast approaching and the end of the contest with it, so if you want to enter, best start soon. Thanks!

S1 CH 20. REVENGE!

20. REVENGE!

For years to come what happened in that library was spoken of in hushed whispers. Some spoke softly about a young librarian cursing the dark Queen out in old Equish after denting her helm with well wielded hardback. Others said that the very books themselves flew off their shelves to batter their attacker, and some whispered that a mighty monster, a fearsome Thesaurus, rose up from the deep archives to do battle with her.

None of these compare, though, with the true fate of Nightmare Moon. The alicorn had only a moment to look up in confusion when a sound eerily similar to the banshees wail of the north echoed through the room, before pain shot through her ear and the ruler of Equestria, eternal ruler of the night, defeater of Celestia, bringer of the darkness and matriarch of the moon was hurtled up against the back wall by her ear.

Pain shot through her and after a moment of dazed confusion, she readied herself again, but was too slow. More pain shot through her ear and she shrieked, only barely stopping herself from vaporizing the pony when she realized who it was.

"OW! OW! RECEASE MINE EAR TRAITOROUS BARD, HOW DARE THEE LAY THY TEEH UPON OUR DIVINE FORM, HOW--" Nightmare paused when Twilight did let go of her ear and the immortal rule who had stared into a mad spirit of destruction’s eyes leaned back, away from the flaming rage she saw in those eyes. Almost literally. She was fairly positive her mane was smoldering.

"YOU! WERE! BURNING! A! REFERENCE BOOK!"

Nightmare's mouth worked, and the ruler was abruptly struck by something she was not used to, an inability to speak properly. "We, it told lies of our, it was, it praised our sister about our imprison, I, we just, we own the contents, and the others, they were, they--"

"WE DON’T BURN BOOKS! EVIL DICTATORS WHO OPPRESS THEIR PEOPLE DO THAT! INSANE MEGALOMANIACS DO THAT! DEPRAVED EVIL TYRANTS BENT ON SEDUCING EVERYTHING IN SIGHT DO THAT! NICE RULERS WHO SEEK THE LOVE OF THEIR PEOPLE AND DON'T WANT THEIR BARD TO SMACK THEM INTO NEXT WEEK DON'T DO THAT! BURNING BOOKS IS BAD!"

Nightmare Moon struggled to find the right words, staring into depths that were far more deep and deadly than Tartarus itself. “But… but they are… o-our books,. W-we own--”

“"NO! THE LEGAL ENTITY OF THE CROWN OWNS THE BOOKS, SUBLEASING THEM TO THE PUBLIC ENTITY OF THE ROYAL LIBRARY VIA A DECADE LONG CONTRACT THAT IS AUTOMATICALLY RENEWED! AND EVEN IF YOU PERSONALLY OWNED THEM, THEY ARE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE AS A BASTION OF FREE KNOWLEDGE FOR ALL CITIZENRY! NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TAKE THAT AWAY!"” Twilight snapped, taking a step forward.

Nightmare Moon recoiled, backing up against the wall and, with a terrified squeak realized she had nowhere to flee. This was just her bard, she knew she shouldn’t be scared. But there was something primal to the young earth pony’s movements. One that spoke of death and destruction to all who failed to yield before her. For the first time in a while, the alicorn knew true fear. Not of failing, not of her ponies hating her. But for her very life. She knew it was preposterous. There was no way such a small pony could do anything to harm her. Though the pain in her ear and the fury in the mare’s eyes told her otherwise. She gave a pitiful whimper and lowered herself down.

“YOU!” Twilight screamed, turning on the librarian. The mare whimpered.

“Y-yes?”

“DO YOU HAVE THE BOOKS SHE DESTROYED?”

“W-we have a list, w-we can r-regain them. N-nothing of… of true value was lost and--”

“EVERY BOOK HAS VALUE!” Twilight roared, the windows in the library shook and outside, the guards fled for their lives, to echo stories of the final moments of Nightmare Moon’s life.

The alicorn was slowly beginning to regain her confidence when the mare turned back on her, eyes alight with a fire Celestia’s sun could only hope to match. “And you...” she said in a whisper that would have traveled for miles in the silence of the library. Even the books seemed to be shaking now.

Nightmare Moon had thought the yelling was the worst of it. She was wrong. “W-we… we are sorry. We have… mis stepped?”

“MIS STEPPED?!” Oh heavens the fires lit anew, somehow transcending their earlier brilliance. The alicorn let out an indignant squeak as she was grabbed by the ear and dragged out from the library, bodily thrown out. “AND DON’T YOU DARE SHOW YOUR FLANK HERE AGAIN UNTIL YOU LEARN SOME RESPECT FOR BOOKS!” There was a long ,slow breath before the final threat. “Or I swear your ear will be the least of your worries.”

Nightmare Moon stared at the mare. She was at least twenty percent sure she could take her. But a hundred percent sure she did not want to risk it. With no other choice, the alicorn did something she hadn’t done in ages.

She turned tail and fled.

The librarian's stared at the mare as her breathing slowed from seething pant to angry snort and finally settled onto normal after a short jog, but rapid jog.

The fire in her eyes dimmed, and she blinked, looking around. "I… what happened? I think I, wait, did I? Oh." She paused, taking in the scene before her, namely the pile of ash and rather impressive dent in the wall, as her brain slowly processed it's short term memory. "...Oh." Very slowly, she tilted over and curled up, covering her head with her fore hooves. "I am so dead."

Twilight rocked back and forth for a few minutes and, once she realized there weren’t any guards coming to arrest her, she looked up at the librarian. The other mare eeped and ducked down. “I ummm… need some history books...”

“Just take them! Take whatever you want don’t hurt me!”

The earth pony sighed and trotted towards the book cases, giving a sad look to the burnt remains of so many tomes of knowledge.

“Hi Tirek!” Twilight said chipperly as she trotted down the steps.

“If it isn't the warden,” the centaur muttered, still reading his book. “What do you want?”

“I brought some new books.”

The centaur gestured towards a stack near the cell door. “You know where the old ones are.” He then glanced to his notebook and pen, humming. “Bring me anything good?”

“Oh, I managed to find an old tome on the ascension of the donkey emperor. I also found a few tomes about centaurs, though not many. Sorry.” She slid the new books in and took out the old. “How are you feeling?”

The centaur sighed and gave a shrug. “As well as can be expected, for living in a cell.” He eyed her suspiciously. “And yourself?”

“I think I threw Nightmare Moon into a wall hard enough to leave a dent and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be executed now. It's a long story.”

Tirek paused and looked over to her, closing his book. “Come again?”

“It's... a long story.”

“I have nowhere to be,” he said, sounding interested.

Twilight sighed and then smiled. At least he seemed interested. She told him everything over the next few minutes before nodding. “And then I got these books and brought them down. So ummm, if you don't see me again, you'll know why. I--” She paused. “Are you laughing?”

He covered his mouth with his hand and shook it, though light guffaws could still be heard. “What? Of course not, stupid pony. Your... heh... little display of... snicker... princess hurtling is hardly something I would care of. I assume you managed to get some nice... hee hee... air?”

“I don't know. Maybe?” she said with a shrug, before glaring at him. “You're not making me feel any better, you know.”

“Oh? Is it my job to make you feel better?”

“Well... I... no. I guess not.”

“Then I fail to see how that's my problem,” he said before looking through his book again, the corner of his mouth still curled in a small grin and the occasional snort breaking through.

She sighed. “Of course. Was there anything you'd like to tell me?”

He paused for a moment. “I did find that parfait you had delivered to me to be quite appetizing. I would not object to those coming more often.”

She blinked, before giving a nod. “Sure! I'll let them know before I... well... disappear.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “If she has not already executed you, I imagine she has no intention to. I imagine the stories of the great warrior bard have already spread throughout the castle as it is. Perhaps next time you could just defeat her with a book?”

“Ugh, no. Have you ever seen the warrior book exhibit? They don't even let you read those books, and they're all dented, too.”

“... Come again?”

“Nothing, don't worry about it,” she said with a shake of her head. “I'll have more sent, okay? I'll, hopefully, see you later.”

“Of course, bard.”

She sighed and trotted up the stairs, giving a soft sigh of annoyance. She wasn't sure who was worse anymore. Him, or Nightmare Moon. He was emotionally exhausting, her physically. She wondered if all despots were that way. Maybe next tyrant she meets will be mentally exhausting. That's what she needed, somepony who was completely crazy and impossible to figure out. She made her way up the stairs and started her way towards the kitchen.

Twilight frowned when she walked into the cafeteria. Something was wrong. She couldn't put her hoof on it, but it just felt off. She didn't see anypony else, though she could hear clatters from the kitchen so she knew they were there. Food was still on trays as well. It seemed the whole place had cleared out in a hurry. She wondered if one of the cooks had gone on another rampage.

She trotted to the kitchen. “Hello? I--” She froze at the sight of Nightmare Moon, head buried in a large jug of chocolate ice cream.

The ruler of all Equestria slowly raised her head, the ice cream smeared across her face. “B-bard.”

Twilight squeaked, staring and frozen in fear. She knew she was going to die. Well, suspected she was. But not so soon. “Y-y-your highness.”

“We, err, w-we were just... leaving,” the mare said, quickly turning and making her way towards the back exit. She paused after a moment, though. “We... we are sorry for our... disreputable treatment of the books. It... will not happen again.” She then fled out the door.

Twilight stared, cocking her head to the side. Sorry? She sighed. “Well... she's changing for the better at least. I think. I hope.” She waited a few minutes after the mare left for the staff to arrive and she smiled to one of the cooks. “Can you ensure that more parfaits are sent to Tirek? And other desert items.”

“Of course, Lady Twilight.” She then paused and eyed her. “Is... is it true you threw Nightmare Moon through a book case and then out the main window of the library?”

The earth pony sighed and shook her head. “It's going to be one of those days...” She then turned and trotted out the door. She couldn't help but notice most of the staff was staring at her with looks of mixed fear, awe and respect.

She needed to get out of here.

“So she burned a book? In front of YOU?” Shining asked, struggling to hold back his laughter as her parents and Cadence didn't even try to hide theirs.

“It's not funny! It was very traumatic! All that knowledge, gone in an instant! Wasted!”

He shook his head and laughed. “No, no, frankly, I think she got off light. I remember that cadet who always turned his books in soaking wet. He still can't walk by garden stores without breaking into a cold sweat.”

Twilight rolled his eyes. “He was just being over dramatic.”

“I don't know, considering where you--”

“So she's not mad?” Cadence asked, interrupting the stallion.

“I think she's more... upset. I don't think I actually hurt her so much as just surprised her. But she burned them! Books! So many innocent, beautiful, defenseless books. How could she?”

The ponies shrugged. “Still, she didn't kill you for it, or have you whipped. That's a step in the right direction,” her mother said. She then gave a light snort. “So you actually flung her?”

“Gahhh! It's not funny!”

“Oh, I disagree, I think it’s hilarious,” Shining said with a smirk.

Twilight rolled her eyes again. “All of you suck. Every last one of you.”

Cadence snickered. “Oh, you know we’re just kidding. How is your book coming along? Is it going well?”

“Oh, it’s going better than well. I think I’m about half done. It’s actually been getting a lot easier since, well...”

“What?” Shining asked.

“Nightmare Moon is being a lot less demanding lately.”

“Probably because you flung her into a wall.”

“Before that,” she snapped. “She’s been very… mellow, even. Calmer than before. I still come to see her during court and occasionally she’ll call me to monitor some event or another, but for the most part she doesn’t seem to do much. She spends a lot of time with Moondancer, but that seems to be more her just training her.”

Shining frowned. “How is Moondancer holding up? She’s always been a very talented unicorn, I’d hate to imagine how this is affecting her.”

Twilight sighed. “I think she’s doing better? I saw her excited to do her homework the other day. Is that normal?”

“Only for you and her,” the stallion said with a roll of his own eyes. “Only mares I knew who squealed with delight when they realized they forgot to do an assignment.”

“I think it’s adorable,” Cadence said with a smile. “Remember how happy she was when she realized she still had that twenty page paper due? She’d been moping for days because all her other homework was done.”

Twilight buried her face in her hooves. “Ugh, all of you are evil. Every last one of you.”

Velvet nodded, chuckling into her hoof. “Now you two, stop picking on Twilight. So, dear, where’s that little dragon friend of yours? Don’t you usually bring him with you?”

“Oh, he’s back at the castle right now, he--” She blinked a few times. “Oh.” She frowned and did some quick mental calculations. “We’re… from the inn to the shop I sent him was… Canterlot is about… oh dear.”

“Dear?” Velvet asked.

“I-I need to go I’m so sorry I can’t believe I left Spike behind! I’ll come back to visit later I swear!” she shrieked before galloping off, leaving her family behind, stunned.

“Here you go, darling,” Rarity said before dropping a box of glimmering jewels in Spike’s claws. “Make sure to hang these up over there. One every few feet. They don’t need to be in alignment, though, they’re supposed to be the stars. So just make sure close, but not too close.”

“Okay!” he said happily. He let out a yipe as suddenly when he was grabbed and pulled into a tight hug by Twilight who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

“Oh my gosh Spike I’m so sorry I thought something bad might have happened are you okay how are you feeling any pain anything?”

“What? No,” the dragon said, his cheeks burning red. “What’s wrong? Why would you think I was in trouble?”

“I went into town and I completely forgot I left you behind. Has the collar tightened or...” She blinked a few times and stared at his throat. “Where’s… the collar?”

“What? That old thing?” Rarity asked, giving a shudder. “It was absolutely dreadful, didn’t go with his scales at all. I removed it when he started assisting me. Didn’t he tell you?”

Twilight blinked a few times, her mouth falling open. She didn’t spend much time, or any really, examining his neck. His head had always partially hidden it as well. “So… it’s been gone for days?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Rarity said with a shrug. “I have it around here somewhere. Was it important?”

“What? Yes! Kinda. Nightmare Moon put it on him and… and it didn’t do anything?”

Rarity’s head shot up. “W-what? Nightmare Moon? Spike, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Huh?” the dragon asked, his cheeks going red. “O-oh… you just, ummm, seemed kind of… excited to take it off and… err...”

“Oh dear. Do you think she’s noticed?” Rarity asked worriedly.

“Probably?” Twilight said, still looking down at Spike. “It didn’t… do anything? No magically choking or anything?”

“What? Why would it do that?”

“The magic on it, it was supposed to… well...”

Rarity blinked and cocked her head to the side. “There was no magic whatsoever on that collar, I assure you. I wouldn’t have removed it so simply had there been, that would have been dangerous.”

Twilight just stared at the dragon, then Rarity. Finally she shook her head. “No. Thank you. That’ll… that’ll be fine. How about you two just keep working, I’ll see you around. And umm, Rarity, you can keep the collar. Thanks.”

“Oh, it was nothing, darling. Really. I didn’t even know that it was… well… that. Spike, darling, you should tell me things like that. I’d hate to think I got us in trouble with Nightmare Moon.”

“Eh, she’s fine,” Spike said with a shrug. “So, just hang these up?”

“Oh, yes, make sure to hang them all up. This room needs to sparkle for the dance.”

Twilight frowned and stepped into her room, finally collapsing on her bed. Her head was pounding and she felt nothing but confusion.

She’d worked so hard, focused on so many different things. Yet she still felt as if she was no closer to figuring Nightmare Moon out than when she first met her. She put a hoof to her face and groaned.

She should be dead by now, or at least being whipped. But the mare had completely let what happened slide, or at least seemed to be. If anything, Nightmare Moon seemed scared of her. Not just forgiving, but actually scared. She couldn’t imagine why, she had a whole country to force to do her whims now, Twilight was pretty much obsolete.

But yet here she was, her misdeeds being ignored completely. She wished some part, any part, of the mare would make sense. She sighed and looked to the book.

At least she knew enough to write the book, for now. It might not mean much, but it would hopefully be enough.

Author's Note

And so more things happen! Wooo!
You know, one day I might have to go back and write a side story detailing Nightmare Moon's thoughts during all this. But I don't wanna spoil too much.... hmmmm...
Special thanks to Duelist925 for helping me with initial scene. Was a fun one.
This'll be last chapter for the week, so enjoy. Gala is coming soon.

S1 CH 21. Trixie

21. Trixie

Twilight groaned and felt something gently shaking her. “Go awayyyyy...” she whined.

“Twilight, Twilight!” Spike’s voice came.

She slowly opened an eye. “Nggggggg… what is it?”

“Somepony is challenging Nightmare Moon!”

“Mmmm… okay?” she mumbled, before rolling over.

After a moment her eyes widened. “WHAT?!” she screamed, sitting up and looking to Spike. “What? Who? When? Why?”

“I don’t know, she calls herself the Great and Powerful Trixie and says she’s the greatest magician of all time! We need to go!”

Twilight groaned and slowly rolled over, falling off the bed with a shriek. She was not awake enough for this. “O-okay. Come on, let’s go,” she muttered darkly before stretching and galloping down the hall, the dragon close behind. She didn’t even take time to fix her mane.

It wasn’t long before the two made their way to the throne room and found Nightmare Moon staring down at the very frightened blue unicorn. She was wearing a purple cape and hat covered in stars and looked as if she might wet herself at any moment.

Nightmare Moon looked less than amused. “Answer the question, mage.”

“Y-your highness, I-I never meant any disrespect, I merely--”

“You play your little… act, practically outside our castle doors and brag of how you are the greatest magician of all time, even more than this, how did you put it?”

“W-well, I--”

“How did you put it?”

“E-even more than the… f-false queen… N-Nightmare… Moon...”

Twilight cringed. Oh dear, she could see where this was going.

“And you believed that we wouldn’t hear of this?”

“I-I, well, I-I mean, I just thought that--”

“That we wouldn’t care? That you would mock us in our very home and we would stand idly by?”

The unicorn squeaked, giving a nod. “Y-yes? I, err, t-thought you'd be... too busy. I-I mean, I was across town and... and all...”

“Then you are a foal. However we… are not without our mercy. If the other feats you spoke of hold any truth, then you are a talented mage.”

Trixie perked up. “W-why, thank you, your highness.”

“Any unicorn that could best an ursa major must be quite special indeed. A pony that, while not worth our admiration, is most definitely worth our notice.”

The mare squeaked and the color managed to drain even further from her face. “Y-your highness?”

“So then. You will prove this great besting of the ursa major to us and then, once this task is complete, we will take you on as our second student.”

“Y-your… your highness?” Trixie asked again, the color draining even further from her face. “A… a ursa major? B-but surely you don’t mean to… to bring one here? I-I mean, that’d be dangerous, ponies could be hurt. I-I’d be fine, of course, but--”

“Oh, not at all, little pony.” The unicorn let out a sigh of relief. “You will come with us into the Everfree Forest and we will find one there for you to best.”

“W-what?” Trixie asked with a squeak. “Y-you want me to… i-in the Everfree Forest? With you? An ursa major? With you?”

“Indeed. Is there a problem, mage?”

“W-what? No! No no no! No! J-just, err, I-I could go alone? N-n-n-not make you worry yourself? Eh heh. Can… come back with like… some hair or something?”

“Oh, we have the time, fret not, mage. Guards, have our carriage prepared. We will be departing.” She looked around. “Student, bard, you will come with us.”

Twilight nodded nervously, her eyes resting on the horrified unicorn. This would not end well. No matter how powerful the unicorn was, if she had the capability to defeat an ursa major of all things, she couldn't imagine Nightmare Moon just letting her go.

The carriage slowly flew through the air. It was large, pulled by half a dozen pegasi and was able to hold Nightmare Moon on one side, Twilight, Moondancer and Trixie on the other. She tried to give the blue unicorn a reassuring smile, but the mare looked like she was going to throw up. When they finally landed, she half expected the mare to try and bolt. She hoped she didn’t. She didn’t imagine it would end well for her.

Finally, there was a light thump and the carriage came to a stop. The door opened after a moment and a bat pony stood outside, bowing his head. “Your highness?”

“Thank you,” Nightmare Moon said before trotting from the carriage, the others following quickly behind her. She then stared at the great forest, the trees seeming to reach up into the dark night. Twilight couldn’t be sure, but somehow they managed to look even scarier than last time. She wondered if it was because Nightmare Moon was with them. Or maybe because Trixie was shaking.

“S-so, all I have to do is… defeat the ursa major and I’m, err--”

“You will become my student, little mage. Is that not adequate compensation?”

“I-it’s plenty,” the mare said with a squeak. “A-are you sure you wish to do this, your highness? You, err, surely you have more important things you could be doing with your time? I mean, you are the ruler of all--”

“This is fine, young mage. Now, shall we go?” Nightmare Moon asked, pointing a wing towards it. “After all, it has been long since we have seen a mage who is of quite so much talent. Truly this will be a sight unlike any other.”

Trixie gulped but slowly started walking forward.

“Don’t worry,” Twilight said with a smile. “You said you beat one before, right?”

“W-what? Yes! I defeated the ursa major with ease! Ah… ha ha ha,” Trixie said with a weak smile.

“Then you’ll be fine. Nightmare Moon is a bit intimidating but she will honor her word,” Twilight said with a nod, before leaning in and whispering to her. “Besides, once you do this, I can probably talk her out of taking you as a student. So don’t worry, okay?”

“Y-yeah. The… Great and… Powerful Trixie isn’t… worried. She can handle an... an ursa major with ease,” she said, her voice getting a little higher.

Twilight nodded, a fake grin on her lips. She hoped she'd be able to talk the alicorn down at least. “So you've really managed to tame an ursa major?”

“O-of course I have,” she said quickly, giving a harrumph. “Why, for one as talented as me it was easy! Oh... ho ho ho... ho...”

“Wow. I hear they can grow up to the size of a castle. How did you manage it?”

“A-a castle?” Trixie asked weakly, more color draining from her face.

“Oh yeah, with fangs as big as three or four ponies! I can't believe you managed to best one. Do you mind if after this I get the story? I'd imagine it would be something everypony would just love to hear.”

“My story? What, are you a reporter? Oh, wait, no, you're a... what was it?”

“Bard. I am the bard of Nightmare Moon. Mostly I just record the events of her life and try to stop her from maiming ponies.”

Trixie gulped again. “I haven't heard of a bard in ages. Isn't that term kind of... outdated?”

“Yes, horribly so. But I'm not going to tell her,” Twilight whispered back.

The unicorn sighed, looking around nervously at the trees. Twilight would have been more nervous, but last time she'd come through here she'd been frantic and it had just been her and Rainbow. Now they had the magic of this mystery mare, Moondancer AND Nightmare Moon. She couldn't imagine even a hydra standing a chance, let alone anything else that'd dare challenge them.

Her thoughts were proven true when suddenly a pack of ferocious timber wolves lunged out from the thicket and were sent whimpering and whining back the way they came only moments later, their tails between their legs. “Ugh, such distasteful beasts,” Nightmare Moon said with a shake of her head. “Bard, do they serve any purpose?”

“Oh, yes, timber wolves are very important to the ecosystem,” Twilight said quickly. “I minored in plant/animal hybrids. You see, timber wolves are often responsible for many of the different kinds of plant life spreading around and their own natural magic combined with some of the strange plants around these areas have led to the creation of all kinds of strange and magical fruits, such as the zap apples and grenade oranges. And while both have seen plenty of combat usage, they are also quite useful in a plethora of recipes.”

“A simple yes would have sufficed,” Nightmare Moon said with a roll of her eyes.

“I-I knew that too,” Moondancer mumbled, glancing down towards the ground.

“Nerds,” Trixie muttered with a roll of her eyes.

“We're almost there,” the alicorn said, her eyes going up.

“Are you sure there's one this way?” Twilight asked. “I don't know if there are any in this local area.”

“Indeed. Did you not see the massive caverns when we landed here?”

“Yes? Wait, we're going to those? Why?” Trixie asked.

“Oh, oh, I know! I know!” Moondancer said quickly, then blushed when everypony turned to her. “W-well, I-I do. It's because ursas will often take up residence in caverns such as that. Due to their large size it can be difficult for them to find a proper home so they will take up residence wherever there's space. A large enough cavern is more often than not home to at least one ursa major.”

Twilight nodded. “Yup! Especially in a forest like this. With their diet of mostly plants and water, a thick vegetation area like this is perfect for them. I never saw any caverns, though.” She guessed she'd just been too nervous.

“Not to mention,” Moondancer added quickly. “The plant life of the area is very, very dense. Ursas tend to have a expansion effect on the area around them due to the fact that, when they move about, magic will often fall from their bodies and be absorbed back into the land. The magic inside them is so solid, in fact, that it gives them the appearance of having stars across their body, hence why they are named after the skies constellation.”

“Or rather, the constellation is named after them,” Twilight corrected.

“What? No, that's wrong. They're named after the constellation. All of my research points to that theory.”

“What? No, my research points to the constellation being named after them.”

“But that doesn't even make sense! It's just a big, magical bear, why would they name the sky after it? And what about scorpio and the others? And the star constellations that don't have animal like creatures here?”

“What else would they name them after? Obviously the inspiration for them, and the name, came from the ursas. Nightmare Moon? You made them, right? Which was it?”

Nightmare Moon blinked a few times and just a hint of red came to her cheeks. “We... must admit that it was many, many, many millenia ago that such stars were made. We... cannot remember.”

Twilight and Moondancer shared a look before letting out sighs of exasperation.

“We're here,” the alicorn said before stopping. They came out to a large, empty clearing in front of a massive cave that towered up into the heavens. There was a little sign in front with a picture of a teddy bear being crossed out and the words 'danger' written under it. “Go now, mage. Awaken the beast and prove your worth.”

Trixie gulped and slowly stepped forward, her hooves shaking. “O-of course. The Great and Powerful Trixie is... is not afraid of some... some minor ursa...” She walked to the mouth of the cave, barely a speck when compared to the size of the gaping void. Then, slowly, she thrust her horn forward. A spark formed at the end and was sent hurtling in.

It soon disappeared from view and then a few moments later there was a pop. Trixie held her breath for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief and turning to them. “Well, I guess this cave is empty, there's no need to waste out time with--”

A roar that would have shaken mountains came from the cave entrance, making the mare's ears wilt. She gave a light squeak and turned back. The ground began to rumble heavily under her, alerting her to whatever the thing that was coming, was big. She gave a scared squeak and looked up.

The ursa was massive, at least the size of a house. Its body was a clear blue, with glimmering stars seeming to be speckled all over its body. A great white star was emblazoned across its forehead.

Trixie squeaked and stared up at the creature, her eyes going wide with horror, her mouth falling open. The ursa gazed down at her and let out a roar so powerful it sent her toppling back with a squeak. The magician laid there for a moment before getting to her hooves. “R-right! Don't... don't think this is over. Y-you might be big but I've faced bigger, I--”

Then the ursa's eyes went wide. A purple glow surrounded them and the bear collapsed to the ground, snoring softly. Trixie stared. “T-that's right! That's right! You have fallen before the Great and Powerful Trixie, now--”

“Enough of your prattling, mage,” Nightmare Moon interrupted. “Get on with it.”

“On with... it?”

“Well, yes, that's just the ursa minor,” Twilight said. “The major is probably still inside the cave. Ohhhh, I can't wait to...” She blinked a few times. “Wait. I thought... you didn't mistake an ursa minor for a major, did you?”

“W-what? NO! Of course not! The... the Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't... doesn't make mistakes. She... she always... just... w-wait one moment.” Her horn glowed and she sent out another little orb of light.

This orb didn't go far before it hit the purple body of the ursa major. The creature was already awake, however. And looked less than pleased as it lumbered towards the cavern entrance, every step heavy enough to send Trixie falling to the ground. The unicorn stared up at the massive ursa, unable to stand.

The ursa barely seemed to notice her, its eyes instead falling on its sleeping child. Then it slowly turned its eyes towards Trixie and the mare's blood turned to ice. It let out a roar that sent her skidding along the ground, rolling head over hooves, before lumbering towards her.

“N-no!” Trixie screamed, backing away. “No no no, please, not like this, please! S-stop!”

“What?” Nightmare Moon asked. “But mage, I thought you claimed to have such great powers that even an ursa major could not stand against you?”

“I lied!” the unicorn screamed. “It was all a lie, I'm sorry! I-I'm just a showmare! I do shows! Little fancy magic tricks! That's all I do! I've never even seen an ursa major before today! Not even a minor!”

The ursa lifted a mighty paw, slamming it down at the mare. Trixie screamed. Twilight's eyes went wide and the paw crushed the mare. The earth pony stared with horror, a hoof covered her mouth as dust filled the air and blocked the grisly scene from view.

“S-she's... she's dead,” Twilight said weakly. “She just... she... she didn't even... she...”

“She's fine,” Nightmare Moon said, shaking her head. “Worry not, bard. We are not so merciless as to let this oaf kill herself for her transgressions.”

“Huh?” Twilight asked. The dust cleared and, hovered over the prone form of Trixie, was a great purple shield. A spell her brother had once used. The ursa's paw was on top of it. The ground around the shield had a great crater now, but the young unicorn was completely safe. Although she appeared to have fainted. “You... saved her.”

“Of course. Is she not one of our subjects?” Nightmare Moon asked before stepping forward. The ursa turned to look at her, lifting a paw up to smash the alicorn. “You do not wish to do that,” she warned.

The ursa held its paw aloft, still staring at the alicorn. However, slowly, it lowered itself to all fours and walked towards its child, scooping it up and crawling back into the cave, leaving them alone. Nightmare Moon harrumphed before walking to the bubble around Trixie and making it disappear with a light pop.

Trixie was laying there, her eyes rolled back in her head, mouth hanging open in a silent scream. The alicorn nudged her with a hoof a few times before finally kicking her, hard. The unicorn shrieked and looked around. “W-what happened?”

“You lied to us, foalish mage. And you will suffer for it. Greatly.” Nightmare Moon leaned in, her eyes narrowed. “Daring to mock us with such pitiful magic as your own... pathetic.”

The unicorn squeaked and whimpered, holding her front hooves to her chest in fright.

Twilight gulped, eying them both. Oh dear.

Nightmare Moon eyed the terrified mare, a hoof rubbing her chin. “Now... how to deal with you.”

“P-please, your highness. I meant no disrespect. I merely--”

“And yet you gave it,” the ruler said. “You marched through our streets, riled our ponies against us. Claimed that you could perform feats that even your illustrious ruler could not. And then you come and lie to her face about your actual talents. Now, tell us. Are these the actions of a pony who deserves mercy? Who deserves to be treated with kindness and gentleness?”

She slowly lowered her eyes and shook her head. “N-no, your highness.”

“No indeed. Now, we will not have you whipped or imprisoned.” There was a sigh of relief from the mare. “But for your treachery, we will instead take your livelihood.” She looked to the guards. “Bring Tirek here.”

Trixie squeaked. “My... livelihood?”

“Yes. You will be drained of the pathetic magic you so foalishly bragged of. Perhaps a life without your spells will teach you some humility.”

The unicorn stared, her eyes wide with horror. She was unable to speak for a few moments before she threw herself down before the mare. “N-no! You can't!”

“Oh, but we can. It is well within our rights and power. It is the least you deserve. Perhaps living without your magic will teach you proper respect and how to be humble.”

“P-please, I can change, give me another chance, please!”

Twilight took a deep breath, looking down at the mare, before turning to the ruler. “Your highness?”

Nightmare Moon gave an almost exasperated sigh, before turning towards Twilight. “Yes, bard?”

“If I may make a suggestion?”

“Such as? This mare has mocked us, insulted us, lied to us. What adequate punishment would you deem us give her?”

“Perhaps something less… permanent?” Twilight offered with a nervous smile. “Her words were offensive, but maybe just… ummmm...”

Nightmare Moon nodded, closing her eyes for a moment. “Very well. Then we will not make it permanent.” She glanced down to Trixie. “One year. That is the cost of your foalishness.”

“You’re… g-going to put me in prison for one year?”

“No. I am going to take your magic for one year. In the event that I deem you… worthy and properly humbled after a year, you may have it back.” She glanced to Twilight. “Do you have any objections?”

Twilight shook her head. It was a far more merciful, and bearable, punishment at least. Though she felt her mind spinning again now. She eeped when the door opened and Tirek was led inside. His face was forced into a frown. “Ah, so her royal darkness summons us once again.” He glanced down at Trixie. “One pony this time? Or did you intend to include your guards and servants?”

The blue unicorn stared up at the centaur, her eyes wide with fright. “N-no, please. I-I’ll stop performing! I’ll stop doing magic tricks! I’ll be a farmer! I’ll even be a rock farmer! P-please, don’t take my magic! You can’t! You can’t!” the unicorn screamed, before she turned tail and tried to flee, but before she made it a few feet she was picked up in purple magic and drawn back.

“This is your punishment for your crimes,” Nightmare Moon said. “You will bear it, one way or another. Cease your prattling or we will extend it.”

“No no no no,” Trixie whimpered, struggling in the magical binding as the centaur came closer. “Please, please no. I’ll do anything. I’ll--”

Tirek leaned in closer, opening his mouth. Within a few minutes the deed was done and the blue unicorn’s eyes closed and she collapsed in the magical grip, tears flowing down her face. Twilight closed her eyes and couldn’t watch as the power flowed into Nightmare Moon. Once it was done and she heard the clop clop of Tirek’s hooves walking away, she slowly peered at the collapsed mare.

“Guards, take her to be tended to. When she has awoken, send her on her way,” the alicorn said before getting to her hooves. “We will retire for the evening.”

Twilight eyed the alicorn for a moment, watching her leave, then the guards move into position. She waited a few moments before glancing to Moondancer. She then turned and walked off.

Twilight took a slow, deep breath before reaching out and gently tapping on the door. For a moment, there was silence, then a groggy voice. “Yes?”

“Nightmare Moon? It’s me, your bard. Can I speak with you?”

There was silence, then the door opened a crack. Twilight stepped inside and saw the great alicorn standing in front of her bed, gazing down on the mare. “What is it, bard? Have you come to make more demands?”

Twilight gulped and then shook her head. “N-no. I ummmm… I wanted to thank you.”

The alicorn looked confused. “Pardon?”

“I wanted to thank you for showing mercy on her. You didn’t have to, but you did. You could have easily just… drained her and tossed her aside. But… you listened to me and I ummmm...” She chewed on her lower lip. “Thank you.”

Nightmare Moon stared down at her. “We have already spoken of this, have we not? We told you that we respect your thoughts and opinions. You are my bard and you have served us well.”

Twilight nodded, looking down. “I… also wanted to say… I’m sorry,” she said softly.

That made the alicorn pause. “Sorry?”

“For the library. What I did… I was angry. Seeing books being destroyed like that… it was the wrong thing to do. It was very, very much the wrong thing to do and I expect better from you. But… you also… could have punished me for it. You might have. But you didn’t. You’ve been merciful and...” She was silent for a long moment. “And thank you… for Spike.”

The alicorn went rigid. “Spike? The dragon?”

“Yes, I know about what you… did.”

“We did nothing!” Nightmare Moon said defensively. “We merely allowed you to keep it as a pet, that is all. A foalish notion, but one we have, grudgingly, allowed.”

She blinked a few times, cocking her head to the side. “What? No, I mean the collar.”

“What about the collar?”

“It… didn’t choke him?”

“What? O-of course it would have. We warned him of it, did we not? We are not one to make idle threats. Especially not to one that threatened our kingdom, messenger or not.”

Twilight blinked a few times, her head cocking to the side. “What? But the collar didn’t activate?” The alicorn wasn’t looking her in the eye anymore, either.

“It was never triggered then, that is all. We would not have let the dragon walk around free, baby or not, after what it said. You are thinking too much on this, bard.”

“But--”

“ENOUGH!” Nightmare Moon snapped, stomping a hoof down. “We will have no more talks of this matter. If you wish to get rid of your dragon pet, that is fine. We have no care for it.”

“What? No! Spike is great, he’s been really useful and I, I ummm… I just wanted to apologize. And thank you. For… being… nice. Now. Nicer. Than before. Less angry. I guess. Sorry.”

Nightmare Moon nodded. “Of course. We have only ever wanted what is best for our ponies, that is all.”

Twilight nodded and then started to go to the door, before pausing. “Your highness? Can you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Return that mare’s power to her? In a year? If she’s… good?”

“Of course we can.”

“Does that mean… the others you drained, you may return their power to them?”

There was a long pause, before the mare nodded. “Should I believe they ever truly swear loyalty to us, yes. But we will not stand by and allow ponies to make constant assaults on our life, just because we have no desire to execute them. Removing their power is merely the simplest means by which to ensure they cease their stupidity. Should they learn… it is possible that one day we may return the power to those who are truly loyal.”

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. “R-really? All of them?”

“We severely doubt they would all ever prove to become loyal to us.”

“Oh, right. I… ummm… I… thank you, your highness. May… I be excused?”

“Of course.” Twilight almost made it to the door when she heard a soft sigh. “Ummm...”

The earth pony paused and glance back. “Yes, your highness?”

“Thank you. For the apology. We… understand we… had gone too far but...”

“You did… but… so did I. I’m just a little protective of books and I’m sorry.” The other mare didn’t respond and Twilight stepped out from the room, closing it behind herself. She looked towards the door for a moment, before heading down the steps. She didn’t know if it was wise, but a part of her wasn’t feel as scared as she felt she should. She wondered if Nightmare Moon really had meant all that, just how far could she push her? She couldn’t believe she was actually making changes. However, her task was done and she had some new information, which meant she only had one more place to go.

Twilight nervously pushed open the medical room’s door and gave a small smile to the blue unicorn laying on the bed. “Heyyyy...”

“The… the pathetic and useless Trixie doesn’t want to talk to you or anypony else,” Trixie muttered. “She merely wants to revel in her misery and consider jumping off the balcony.”

“There’s a lot of guards here, it wouldn’t work,” Twilight said before cringing. “That’s not… I mean… Trixie, right? I ummm… I wanted to see how you are doing.”

“How does it LOOK like I am doing?” the mare snapped, glaring at her. “I’m pathetic! I’m like… like an earth pony! No, worse than that! I don’t even have earth pony magic! My tricks, my illusions, all of them, gone!”

“W-well, it’ll… just be for a year...”

“Bah! As if that mare will ever return my powers to me. After… after this humiliation I...” She lowered her head back down. “Please, just leave me in my misery. Let me suffer alone.”

Twilight frowned and moved over, reaching out and gently patting her back.

“Do not touch me.”

Twilight yanked her hoof back. “E-eep, sorry. So, ummm, is there anypony I can call?”

“Call? Like who, the press? Want this in some tabloid? The Great and Powerful Trixie, ruined?”

“No, like family? Somepony you could… stay with for a while, maybe?”

There was a long moment of silence before she shook her head. “No. There is nopony. Why would there be anypony?”

“Maybe some friends or--”

“NO! Just leave! I will tend to this myself!” the unicorn screamed.

Twilight cringed and backed away. “T-Trixie. It’s just for a year. If… if you can stay out of trouble, I assure you you’ll get your powers back,” she said softly.

“Go! Just go!” Trixie yelled, burying her head in her pillow.

Twilight watched her, before sighing. She turned and made her way to the door.

“Wait,” Trixie’s voice came up, making the mare pause at the door.

“Yes?” Twilight asked, glancing back.

The unicorn sat up, staring at the mare. “Will... will she really... give me my power back?”

“In a year, yes. I can pretty much guarantee it. Nightmare Moon is a bit of a...” She struggled for the right word. A part of her wanted to say something nasty, but the mare was calming down. Slowly. It didn't feel right. She supposed she should just go with the standard. “Difficult mare at times. She's often... not the friendliest or calmest. But she will often keep her word and tries to work with her ponies. I can assure you, in one year's time if you can avoid taunting her, your powers will be returned.” Oh how she hoped that was true.

Trixie sighed and closed her eyes, giving a nod. “G-good. I... I need my... powers. I need my magic. I can't... I won't...” She shuddered.

“I know it's hard,” Twilight said softly before walking over and patting her withers. “But it'll be okay. In a year your life will be back to normal. Is there anypony you can stay with for the time being?”

“What?”

“Friends, family? There has to be somepony, right?”

The mare shook her head. “No. Ugh, this means I'm going to have to get a... a common job like some NORMAL pony, doesn't it?”

Twilight frowned, not sure how she felt about the way she said 'normal' pony. But she did nod. “Yes, I supposed you will. Do you have any special skills or talents that will, ahhh, help?”

“Skills? Talents?” Trixie puffed up her chest. “Why, I am the greatest stage magician alive and the second greatest to have ever lived!” She then collapsed back down. “But now I'm just... just some kind of horned earth pony,” she grumbled darkly.

Twilight sighed and rubbed her chin. “I... might know a place you can work. It likely won't be comfortable, but compared to... well, your complete and utter lack of options, it may be your best bet.”

Trixie hummed and glanced over. “What do you have in mind?”

Twilight grinned weakly at her. “W-well... how do you feel about, ummm... apple bucking?”

“Yah gotta be kiddin' me,” Applejack said, glowering at Twilight. “Yah want meh tah hire that mare?” Applejack asked, pointing a hoof emphatically at the door. “Do yah got ANY idea the trouble she went an' caused us down in Ponyville?”

The earth pony gulped and shook her head. “Err, no?”

“Well, let meh tell yah. The lil show she put on here? Yeah, it was jus' the tip of the ice berg. She showed up a few days back, spoutin' off about how anythin' we can do, she can do better. Ended up peevin' half the town!”

Twilight cringed. “And to you?”

“She didn't do anythin' tah me. Ah wasn't around. But apparently she tried tah get Big Mac tah be one of her show stallions, wanted him tah dance on stage!”

Twilight stared, her mouth falling open. “Please tell me you're joking.” She couldn't avoid getting a little pink in her cheeks.

“Eeyup! Even magiced on some feathery outfit ontah him. If yah send her down tah Ponyville without some warnin' the mare's gonna get lynched! An' considerin' some of the stories I've heard, she might darn well deserve it!”

Twilight cringed and gave a nod. This was not what she wanted to hear. But it wasn't like she had a lot of other options. “You need help on the farm, don't you?”

Applejack frowned, before sighing. “Nah. We could always use an extra hoof, but ah ain't sure some lil unicorn is gonna be much use. Especially one like that.”

“What if, err, the crown was able to partially compensate you for what you spend on her?”

Applejack blinked, frown. “Yah mean basically yah pay her tah work for meh?”

“Yes! Sorta.”

Applejack rubbed her chin, then shook her head. “No. Ah don't like it.”

“W-what? Why? It's perfect! She gets a job, you get a pony working for you, it works in every way!”

“It sounds a bit too much like a hoof out. Ah been runnin' that farm for years an' ah ain't never needed the government tah pay for anythin' of mine. It...” She trailed off, before shaking her head. “She really ain't got nowhere else tah go?”

“She really ain't. Doesn't,” Twilight said with a sigh.

“Why can't Nightmare Moon deal with her? This whole mess is her fault!”

“Yes, it is. But I'm not sure if Trixie can last a full year under her eye.”

Applejack groaned and shook her head, before blinking. “Wait, yah want her tah do some kinda government work, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, Ponyville's needed a librarian for a while.”

Twilight tried to process that. “Has... NEEDED one for a while? As in doesn't HAVE one? That's... that doesn't... how can... how has it survived?! How are you ponies living there?”

“It's survived just fine without one of you fancy book pushers,” Applejack said smugly. “But listen. We ain't had one for, well, a bit since before Nightmare Moon came. Now, the place practically runs itself and they've been usin' it more or less as storage an' temporary lodging whenever some fancy hoity toity from Canterlot swings by and needs government lodging. Ah'm sure if yah talk tah Mayor Mare, she'd be more than happy tah set Trixie up there. She'd need tah deal with cleanin' the place up and movin' all the storage an' such. But it'll probably be a lot better than workin' on the farm.”

Twilight blinked, then nodded. “I... I guess that can work. Was she really that bad?”

“Accordin' tah some of the accounts ah've heard, yeah. Ah missed the whole thing or ah mighta hoofed her in the face. Ah mean, what kinda pony goes walkin' inta town braggin' about how they're better than everypony else?”

“A... very confident one?”

Applejack just stared flatly at her.

“... Right. But it's not like she has a lot of options.”

Applejack sighed and gave a nod. “Ah know. Ah'll send a letter back, give everypony a bit of warning. Yah try an' get matters settled diplomatically, okay? See if we can at least tolerate her. How about that mare? How she faring?”

“Trixie? She's... upset. When I told her the idea... she was less than thrilled at the notion of working a farm.”

“... Really. Yah don't say,” Applejack said without a hint of disbelief, making Twilight's cheeks turn red.

“L-listen, I still think if there's no other option it won't be a bad idea. Will you at least consider it?”

Applejack sighed and put a hoof to her face, shaking it. “Fine. Whatever. If yah can't get the library to work, ah'll see what ah can do. But she likely won't be paid much, we ain't exactly rollin' in bits. But we can give her lodgin' and meals if she works hard. Sound good?”

Twilight nodded. “That sounds perfect. Thank you.” She glanced towards the door. “I'd probably best go meet with her again, let her know.”

Applejack nodded. “Well, yah have some luck with that. Ah gotta go get back tah work on the menu.”

“Oh? Is it giving you any trouble?”

“What? Nahhhh. Ah'm workin' on all kinds of fancy dishes from all over the Apple family. This here gonna be a feast unlike any other, jus' yah wait an' see.”

Twilight nodded, licking her lips. “Well, if it's anything like what I've sampled down at your farm, it'll be amazing.”

The earth pony laughed. “Hey, yah go an' get me gigs like this more often, ah'll go ahead an' feed yah whateva yah like when yah come by. Buck, ah'll get yah tah the point we need tah roll yah out!”

Twilight snickered and shook her head. “Thanks, but I'd rather not. I do appreciate it, though. I'm going to go tell her what I'm going to try, okay? Thanks.” She gave one last nod before walking int the room.

“Ugh. So, tell me. Is the Great and Powerful Trixie going to be stuck kicking your little apple trees?”

Twilight frowned. It seemed that with the knowledge her magic would return in the mare's mind, part of her arrogance was returning. “Maybe. We might have something a bit more your speed.”

Trixie blinked, glaring. “You don't believe the Great and Powerful Trixie is smart enough to buck trees? Hmph.”

“We might have you work in a library, if the mayor is okay with it. Down in Ponyville.”

The blue mare sat up. “Wait, as a librarian? That is a far, far more suitable job for one such as me. It would be a waste of my time to tend to these trees, far better to leave it to the common, uncultured--”

“I can and will toss you into a wall if you start insulting my friends,” Twilight snapped. “I've done it to bigger mares than you.”

Trixie opened her mouth to object, but the look in the earth pony's eyes made her slowly close it before she lowered herself back down. “I... see. Very well. A job in this library sounds far more tolerable.” Then she sat up, her eyes going wide. “My wagon? Is it okay?”

Twilight blinked. “Your... wagon? I think it's still in the castle lot. I should probably make sure they don't tow it somewhere. Why?”

“Why? Why not? It has all of my earthly possessions in it,” the mare said with annoyance. “I will require a place to set it up if I am to live in this Ponyville.”

“... I'll see what I can do. But the library might have lodgings already.”

“That will be fine. I do not require much. Food, water, bits, a place to store my wagon, the bare essentials.” Trixie dramatically wiped a hoof across her brow. “This year will be a true challenge, a horrible, awful test of my abilities. But the Great and Powerful Trixie will never kneel down and give up due to the work of some--” The words caught in her throat and she shuddered. She then glanced to the side. “Some misfortune from the ruler.”

Twilight smiled, giving a nod. “Okay. I'll go get everything settled. Try to rest, okay?”

The mare nodded. “Of course.”

The earth pony nodded and turned back, trotting out of the room. She hummed and rubbed her chin, before trotting in the direction of the dungeons. She wanted to pay a visit to a certain centaur before she returned to work. And find out if what Nightmare Moon said was true.

“Oh? Come to complain about your ruler?” Tirek asked, glancing up from his book. “Did you perchance fling her out a window this time?”

“Glad to see you, too,” Twilight mumbled as she made her last few steps down the stairs. “Actually, I apologized.”

“Oh? You apologized after she drained that mare? Was it fear, or perchance did you think it would make her relinquish her control?”

“Actually, I felt she was... trying. To be merciful. And after my reaction before, considering she didn't...” Twilight hummed. “Well, things could have gone worse. But they didn't. She's been... rather kind to me, so I wanted to thank her for it and apologize for flinging her. It might have been a bit of an over reaction.”

Tirek chuckled. “You're lucky you weren't flogged, little pony. I'm surprised you apologized to her, however. You know this is how she is, do you not?”

“How she is?”

The centaur glowered at her. “She is a creature of power like I. Do you really believe that one day she will truly grow to care for you? I hear the whispers from above, the things you ponies say about her. She doesn't have your love, affection or respect. She merely has your fear. And she has tasted the sweet temptation of real power. Once she doesn’t get what she desires willingly, she will begin to take it by force. Those who don’t bow to her whims will soon find themselves in the same state as I, enchanted and bound.”

Twilight sighed. “There’d be no point in that and… she sees it.”

“You honestly believe that?”

“What would be the point? She has power. What would she do with more? Nopony cares about how powerful she is, they only care about the things she’s done. And unfortunately, she’s done a lot of horrible things. But she’s learning. Slowly.”

“Power is all that matters, pony. And one day you will learn that. She may be playing nicely, for now, but eventually she will stop. She will decide that you ponies are worth less than what she can just take… then you’ll learn to see things my way.”

Twilight stared at the centaur, before slowly looking off to the side. “I hope that day never comes. Have you been enjoying the desserts I’ve had sent?”

He was silent for a few moments before nodding. “They have proven to be adequate. When I finally manage to free myself from my bonds and take over your little kingdom, perhaps I will have a use for your cooks.”

“Bakers.”

“What?”

“Technically bakers. Well, I guess a baker is a type of cook, but I think they’re actually just bakers. I wonder if that werepony is working for them...”

“… What are you talking about?”

“Nothing. Stuff. Just… never mind,” Twilight said before shaking her head. “My life has just gotten weird.”

“Gotten weird?”

“I used to worry if my new book was going to end up getting people offended because I made a villain too villainous or not villainous enough. Or if they’d decide a character who was mostly good was suddenly offensive because they didn’t like some other character. Or… well, things like that. Now I’m afraid if I say the wrong thing, Nightmare Moon may go on a massive purge of all non-pony races. And might succeed. It’s getting a little stressful.”

“Then why not just flee?”

“Flee? No, that’s not--”

“It’s always an option, little pony,” Tirek said with a sigh.

“Nightmare Moon would--”

“Would what? Be upset? Angry? You have flung her against a wall and gotten away unscathed. Do you truly believe she shall hurt you? No. Pony, you’d best leave now.” He smiled coldly to her. “While she is feeling kind. Because if you don’t, you’ll fall deeper into her power. Eventually that option of escape will be lost to you and you’ll have nopony to blame but yourself.”

“But I’m helping ponies now, I’m--”

“So? Allow somepony else to do it.”

“I can’t!”

“Why?”

“I… I have the chance. The ability to. I can’t just--”

“You are a writer, are you not? How is any of this your responsibility? Why should you even care? You have given no oath to protect this lands. So why do it if it frustrates you so?”

She stared, opening her mouth before looking down. “I… I have to. I--”

“No, you don’t,” Tirek said with a soft chuckle. “I’ve already figured out why, though.”

Twilight sighed. “Really? Okay, why do I do it?”

“The same reason I exist, the same thing that Nightmare Moon is reveling in. Power.”

Twilight stared. “W-what? I don’t have power!”

“Oh, but you do, little mare. You have attacked your ruler and remain unscathed. You need merely say the word and she bends to your will. Using nothing but ink and words you have managed to become one of the most powerful ponies in this foalish little kingdom, a true threat to any who would dare turn against you. And you are reveling in it.”

Twilight stared at him, her mouth falling open. “You’re insane. I don’t, why would I want power like that? Why would--”

“Oh, don’t try to fool me, pony. I had been… struggling to understand your motivations for the longest time. To understand why a pony such as you would even wish to be here. To try and be…. considerate of me. But it all makes so much sense now. You, little earth pony, crave power just as anyone else. But unlike me or your ruler, you do not have the strength to take it. Instead you move in close to those who have it. You twist your fancy words to make them slowly bow to your whims.”

“That’s not, I don’t--”

“It’s no insult, pony,” he said with a shake of his head. “In fact, I am most impressed. I had believed myself a master of manipulation, one who could control even the strongest minds. But you, little creature, had almost managed to pull the wool over my eyes.”

“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re not making any sense.”

“Oh, but I am making perfect sense, little pony,” he said with a laugh. “Or have you even managed to fool yourself?” He put his book down and slowly got up, moving closer. “You’ve said it yourself, you’re protecting ponies. How better to do it than to control your ruler? To manipulate her into properly serving you? And then, when the time is right, replace her?”

Twilight took a step back, shaking her head. “You’re not… making any sense. That’s stupid. That theory doesn’t even make sense...”

“And it makes less sense than some whiny little earth pony who believes her little ruler can be saved? How many hundreds of thousands of your ponies will be drained of their very essence before you will understand?” he asked with a chuckle. “You may not realize what you’re doing, but I can. Eventually you will turn on this mare. Your thirst for power will drive you to it.” He took a step forward, up against the bars. “And then that mare will leave an opening. An opening you will have spent months or even years creating. And then you will take her place. As that is what you’ve been after all along.”

Twilight took a slow, deep breath, before staring flatly at him. “And let me guess, if I aid you, you will give me that power?”

He blinked. “Of course not.”

“The whole imprisoned villain slowly turning the pony from the shadows is an overdone trope.”

“W-what?” he asked, staring at her in shock.

“Tirek. I’m a WRITER. I’ve written dozens of stories where the villains end up trying to turn the heroes against their friends and the like by making up stuff like… that. If you want to try tricking me into aiding your escape or something else silly, you’ll need to try a lot harder.”

He stared at her for a few moments before snorting. “It’s no--”

“It’s no trick, I’m sure,” she said flatly. “I have no want, nor need, for power. I’m merely doing this because I don’t know what Nightmare Moon will do if I stop. And I don’t want to find out I’ve left Equestria in a worse position than before. I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing, all I know is I’m trying my hardest and hoping and praying that I can get everything right. That I won’t mess it up and cause things to spiral out of control. You don’t have to believe me, if you don’t want to. If you’d rather see me as some power hungry mare, trying to manipulate Nightmare Moon for my own ends, feel free. It’s delusional, but what do I care?”

Tirek blinked and stared at her. He then burst into laughter, shaking his head and trotting back to his bed. “Very well, call me delusional. But the time will come, little pony. She will offer you power, true power. And then you will feel the same taste I and so many others have and then you will become just like me.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, I won’t. I only want to help ponies and… this isn’t a power situation. We can’t just blast everything back to normal. Not after all that’s happened. We’d need Celestia for that.”

“Oh? And have you found her?”

The earth pony went silent. She looked away from him before turning and walking towards the stairs, trotting up them with a sigh. She soon heard Tirek’s laughter from below.

Author's Note

And so begins Trixie's story! So, over the next few days I will post the remaining chapters of the first season of Twilight Glow. That's right. It's done. Once I finish posting it all, I'll give 2 weeks into the start of december, due to the holidays, to finish up the contest. But the time is coming, so if you want to submit something, now is the time.

Sorry took a bit longer on this one, my mind has been.... everywhere lately. Just... ugh.

S1 CH 22. Finished!

22. Finished!

Twilight sighed and collapsed into her bed, drawing a look from Spike. “That bad, huh?” he asked.

“I can’t believe it,” she grumbled.

He nodded. “A little behind schedule, aren’t you? I thought you wanted it done before the gala?”

She sighed and rolled over onto her back. “I did. It was… harder than I though. But… finally...” She glanced to the book on her desk.

Finally, after countless hours, who knew how many weeks or months, it was finished. Her book was done. She’d done her own edits, removed as many errors as she could, made sure everything matched up correctly from beginning to end and, frankly, done her best job to make sure the story was not just entertaining, but informative as well.

She had to have it sent to real editors of course, but that could wait. First there was one other pony she had to have look at it.

“Do you think she’s going to like it?” Spike asked.

“Parts of it? Yes. Other parts I imagine she’ll throw a tantrum. Maybe I should wait until after the gala to give it to her,” Twilight mumbled. “It’s almost time, so it’s not like it’d be a long wait. I’d rather not making her have more stress on top of everything else going on. But if I don’t give it to her now and she finds out, she’ll probably get mad later and just… ugh,” Twilight muttered and shook her head.

“Could just give it to her and let her decide if she wants to read it later? I mean, she is an adult. Probably. I’m sure she can make decisions for herself.”

Twilight blinked and glanced to Spike. “Probably?”

“What? She can be childish at times and I’ve only seen the one alicorn. Maybe that’s the size they are as babies.”

“That doesn’t even… Celestia was thousands of years old. I think Nightmare Moon is, too,” Twilight snapped before face hoofing. “Just… it… no. She’s just a brat, that doesn’t make her a child.” She glanced back to the book. “But, I suppose you’re right. It’s almost time for the gala. I can probably trust Nightmare Moon to decide the proper time to read the book.”

“Are you excited?”

“Honestly? A bit. I always get this awesome little high after I finish a book. All that effort and work tossed into something I created with my own hooves. I mean, sure, I wish it could be for happier reasons and not because ponies out there are scared and terrified they’re all going to die. But it still feels good to know after all my hard work and dedication, it’s done. My book is finally finished.”

Spike nodded. “I guess. Seems like wayyyy too much work in my opinion. Hard enough to read all that weird pony stuff, let alone write it.”

Twilight glanced down to him, eying the comic besides his bed. “Enjoying the power ponies?”

“Yeah, they’re cool, I guess. I don’t like how the one dragon in their group is such a dork, though. They should just remove him. All he does is make things worse.”

“What, no, that’s not what that kind of character is for.”

Spike snorted. “Oh? Then what is he?”

She smiled and reached down, patting his head. “Obviously he’s the heart of the group.”

“Gaaaaag.”

“He’s the one without all the special powers and abilities, the one who’s just normal and messes up a lot, but because of that, it allows the reader to feel better about themselves. They get to realize that, even when they mess up, it doesn’t mean they’re a failure or they don’t deserve to be in the groups they’re in. It just means sometimes they have to work harder. And then when they have their moment in the sun, it’s all the better because they had to work so hard for it.”

Spike snorted. “Really? That seems a bit silly.”

“It also helps ponies to realize that, even when they're not as strong or capable as some other ponies, it doesn't mean they can't still help. After all, just beating a foe into submission rarely works. It's usually far more effective to talk with them and try to understand why it is they do what they do.”

“Like you're doing with Nightmare Moon?” he asked.

She paused, before nodding. “Yes. Kind of. I mean, I understand most of why she does what she does. She's clingy and lonely, fairly anti-social, angry. Well, she was angry. Now... now I'm not so sure.”

Spike shrugged and grabbed his comic. “She seems pretty angry to me.”

“I think stressed is more accurate in this situation,” she muttered. “The gala has... everypony on edge. For good reason. If it goes well, then, well, yay. But if it goes poorly...”

“Return of Nightmare 'whip all who oppose me' Moon?”

The earth pony nodded with a groan. “Exactly. All the tickets are sold, but if somepony was planning to make a big political statement, well, this would be the time. And it might end up ruining months of hard work,” she muttered.

“Won't that just make things worse, though? Would it even accomplish anything?”

“Publicly snubbing Nightmare Moon on her big night? It will be a grand gesture that will make the ponies doing it feel good about themselves, as if they're accomplishing something, but it won't really achieve anything in this situation. There are times for that thing, but this isn't one of them.”

Spike cocked his head to the side. “Really? Then when is the time?”

“When she doesn't have a death grip on the country,” Twilight muttered, before sitting down. “See, the problem is we can't stop her all together. If this was some gesture to rally the troops, so to speak, to help us overthrow her that'd be one thing. But she turned a dragon into a squirrel. Or rabbit or... whatever she turned it into.”

“A squirrel.”

“Exactly. She's powerful, far more powerful than any of us. Even combined. But in the end, she cares. She cares about what we think, what we do, how we feel. She, more or less, wants us to like her. What she needs now, more than anything, is positive reinforcement.”

“You make her sound like a puppy,” he muttered.

“What? It's normal psychology.”

“Let me guess, you have a minor?”

She gave a sheepish smile. “Y-yes. Positive reinforcement is just a good way to make a pony do what you want. Ponies like feeling special and complimented, so it's really the best way to go about it. Whenever we make her feel good about the things she does, the better things may get for us. But if she feels like no matter what happens, she's still going to be ignored and hated...” She gave a light shudder. “Then everything can go wrong. Because if she can't earn our love and respect, why should she even try? Nopony wants to feel like no matter how hard they try they can never win.”

Spike nodded, glancing down to his comic. “Mmmm hm. So is throwing her against the wall positive reinforcement?”

She cringed. “That is what happens when I over react, okay? Sometimes it happens. Sometimes a pony makes the wrong decisions and bad things happen, okay? I messed up, I'm sorry.”

Spike chuckled. “Hey, you don't need to apologize to me. I thought it was hilarious.”

“Anyway, I stand by what I said. We're in a delicate time now, it would be so easy for everything we've worked on to go wrong now. All it will take is one pony deciding 'I'm going to make a difference by spitting in Nightmare Moon's face' for everything to start spiraling back down to where we were.”

Spike nodded. “You think it will go that bad?”

She was silent for a moment before shaking her head. “No. Worst case scenario, we get some high and mighty sort trying to make a grand gesture, they send Nightmare Moon off on a grand... pissed offness. But what's more likely to happen is we get some noble trying to make a grand gesture, she gets mad, we manage to comfort her, this pony loses their lands and deeds or possibly becomes an enemy of the crown and has their power drained. After the whole Trixie incident I'm a little doubtful they'll do that. Publicly shaming her is just not the way to get what they want and they will really lose things in that event.”

“So, what is the way? Codling her?”

“Showing her that ponies actually could like her if she wouldn't cause so many problems,” Twilight grumbled. “Her nights are pretty, anypony can see that! The moon and the stars and sometimes we have the northern lights and the meteor showers. All of those are so pretty and wonderful, but it's not ALL we want to see, all we want to experience. Until she realizes that, not much is going to change and we're going to just be stuck in this horrible cycle of things going from bad to worse. More and more ponies are accepting her though, if for no other reason than they feel they have no choice. But there's always going to be this bitterness as long as she holds the sun and Celestia hostage.”

Spike nodded. “Mmmm. You think you can get her to knock it off?”

“I don't know. Yes? Maybe? Hopefully this book will help,” Twilight muttered before rolling out of bed and trotting over to it. She picked it up and examined it. “Hopefully this will teach ponies and help them understand that, yes, she's here. No, we can't over throw her. But that doesn't mean we have to. Co-existence IS a possibility.”

“You think she's going to like it? The book, I mean?”

“I don't know. I'd... best go and bring it to her,” Twilight muttered before tossing her saddlebag on and flicking the book into it. The all too familiar weight felt somehow far worse this time as she trotted out of the door.

And was nearly trampled by a few ponies hauling a great statue. “Gang way!”

She yelped and dove back in, before glaring at the ponies. It wasn't the first time she'd nearly been trampled and she doubted it would be the last. The gala was fast approaching and the final preparations were now being set. Her room had a noise nullification enchantment cast on it, but once she was outside she could hear the sound of hammers and saws working tirelessly to get everything prepared for the festivities. While the primary reconstructions were occurring down below in the crystal mines, the main castle was still being prepared as the guests would be traveling through it. Great statues of Nightmare Moon and her subjects throughout time were being set up and the main entrance to the castle now had thousands of fake stars flying up above, with a great dome upside down on the roof, signifying the moon.

She trotted through the halls, cringing when she went by the kitchen. “Now yah listen here yah two bit chef, ah don't care if 'Rosemary's guide tah all things cakes' says yah need tah add three tablespoons of sugar. The recipe calls for two tablespoons an' we Apples been workin' on this recipe for generations! Now if yah got some suggestion, fine, but ah want a good reason for it, not jus' cause yah read it in some overpriced cook book!”

Twilight let out a soft chuckle before trotting into the cafeteria. The room was filled with ponies and stacks of food on the table, with unicorns moving about to enchant it to keep it fresh until the gala. She walked to the kitchen door and propped it open just a bit. Applejack was standing besides a plethora of cakes, pies, fritters, as well as salads, muffins and cookies. There was a flurry of activity inside as the ponies raced about, trying to perfect everything as best they could.

“How's it going?” Twilight asked.

Applejack blinked and looked up, before sighing. “It's all goin' well enough. Though, ah'll admit, gettin' all this food prepped is turnin' out tah be a bit more difficult than ah'd initially expected.” She walked out from the room, shaking her head.

“Is everything going okay? Do you need any more help?” Twilight asked.

Applejack sighed before glancing back. “Nah. Honestly? Most of them cooks an' bakers back there are worth their weight in bits.”

“Awwwww,” echoed from the kitchen.

The mare rolled her eyes. “But they all ain't got a proper appreciation from proper apple treats!” she snapped.

There were light chuckles from the kitchen.

“Getting along well enough with them, at least,” Twilight said with a chuckle. “Any other problems?”

“Nah, not really. Was havin' a bit of trouble gettin' all the food we needed, were runnin' a bit low on sugar an' flour that we needed. But now we got everythin' back in order.” She then sighed. “The most annoyin' part is, well... the special orders.” She trotted over to a big sparkly binder on one of the nearby tables.

“Special orders?” Twilight asked.

“Oh yeah. Here, stand back,” Applejack said before grabbing a nearby stick in her mouth. With a flourish, she used it to push the binder open. Instantly confetti shot out of it, filling the air. She tossed the stick aside. “Pinkie likes tah go a bit overboard.”

“I... I see,” Twilight said softly. “And...?”

“You ain't seen nothin' yet. Go ahead. Start readin'.”

Twilight hummed and moved forward. Then paused. Her eyes went wide. “This... this is brilliant.”

“Keep readin'.”

“How did she come up with this? This... this is amazing. There are flow charts! Maps! Note cards on every guest! How did she learn all this?”

“That's just Pinkie. Keep goin'.”

“But this is amazing. She even...” She trailed off and stared at the seating arrangements. She started cross referencing it with the notes on guests, her mouth falling open. It was perfect. Not a single guest who hated another guest was near each other. Even the triple Chestnut/Walnut/Pinecone family feud looked as if it had been dealt with correctly and considering how relatively new it was, she couldn't help but be impressed. She didn't think she could have done as good a job. “This is amazing.”

“Keep. Reading.”

“Why? What could-- oh. Oh dear. That... oh dear.”

“There yah go.”

“... Wait. How do you... make an apple pie without...” Twilight face hoofed. “So they want a peach pie, basically?”

“Eeyup. Ah don't know why they couldn't jus' say, 'Hey, ah want a peach pie'. Who in tarnation asks for an apple pie, jus' replace the apples with peaches? An that ain't even the worst of them!”

“I didn't know we were doing requests like that.”

Applejack sighed and shook her head. “Blame Pinkie Pie. She added a 'suggestion/requests' box to the tickets to be submitted as of last week. Sometimes ah don't know what that mare is thinkin'.”

“Will you be able to do it?”

“Hm? Do it? Ah, of course. Ah mean, it ain't really gonna be that hard. Make a few extra pies, make some things without certain ingredients. Lots of lactose intolerance ponies in this city it seems,” Applejack said with a shrug. “It's just a whole bunch of extra work an' it's provin' tah make things difficult.”

She nodded, then glanced around the mostly empty cafeteria. “So, where are ponies eating.”

“Honestly? We jus' been dumpin' whatever we mess up on to the barracks. Ain't had much call for complaints, yet. After all, a cake that leans slightly to the left is, well, still a cake.”

“Wait, you're not just feeding the guards sweets, are you?”

Applejack cocked an eye. “Of course not. This ain't jus' a desert thing. We got all kinds of proper food up an' ready for this here shin dig. But ah still got a ton of work tah do, so if yah ain't got no need for nothin', yah mind beatin' it?”

Twilight blinked, then gasped. “O-oh. Right, I guess you guys are kind of busy, aren’t you?”

“Jus’ a tad. I’d love tah chat an’ hang out, but well… yah know how it is. We need tah get as much of this work done now, right an’ proper, as we can.”

Twilight nodded. “Right, of course. I’ll go ahead and stay out of your mane then. Good luck,” she said before giving a wave and trotting off. She slowly navigated through the halls, coming to the main entrance and pausing when she saw Rarity standing off to the side and motioning towards the curtains.

“Okay, we’ll need to replace those ones as well. We have a an absolutely delightful shooting star grouping we can use that I am sure will be a big hit with all the ponies visiting,” the mare said with a nod. “However, make sure to keep the one with the new royal seal in the middle, I want ponies to still realize where they are and having it over the main entrance will help to remind them of that, without distracting from the feel,” the unicorn said.

“Everything going well?” Twilight asked as she walked up.

“Hmmm?” the unicorn asked before glancing up. “Oh, it’s being absolutely delightful. We should have all of the decorations prepared with plenty of time to spare. The caverns are an absolute dream now, if you get the chance I would heavily recommend you take the time to go see them.”

Twilight nodded and looked around. “Where’s Pinkie?”

“Oh, I have no idea, darling. She could be anywhere. I’ve seen her popping in and out of town all week,” Rarity said with a shake of her head, before cringing. “No, the statue needs to be in front of the door, so ponies go around it, not to the side! Oh dear.”

Twilight nodded, chuckling. “Have you seen Nightmare Moon?”

“Mmmm. Not all morning. Maybe ask some of the other girls?”

“Oh? Do you know where they are?”

“Hmmm. Rainbow is out in the main courtyard practicing with the other Shadowbolts. Might I suggest there? Nightmare Moon might be supervising. Other than that, perhaps try Fluttershy. She’s started tending to the royal pets.”

Twilight blinked. “Royal… pets?”

“Oh, indeed. The gardens apparently have quite a large amount of different critters that abound within. They were apparently a tad timid and shy around her at first, but with the aid of one of the caretakers, they’ve slowly grown to like her.”

Twilight nodded, giving a sigh. “Well, I’ll go find those two first then, thank you.”

She trotted outside and let out a gasp. True to Rarity’s words, there were a number of ponies standing outside and many more in the sky. Despite the fact the night sky overhead was an impossibly black backdrop, the uniforms of the Shadowbolts seemed to glow different colors, leaving streaks of glowing purple in their wake as they flew about, diving and weaving amongst each other. It was like watching a great tapestry being made by a dozen needles all at once. They spun and weaved amongst each other, the colors mixing into vibrant displays.

Twilight joined the onlookers, staring with awe. The ponies swirled around, finally creating an outline of Nightmare Moon before it exploded into dazzling stars above, then dove down. The Shadowbolts panted with exhaustion, their bodies covered in sweat. The crowd cheered at their magnificent display nonetheless, stomping their hooves in appreciation as the ponies merely waved at their fans.

Twilight trotted up. “Rainbow! You here?”

“Hmmm?” one of the Shadowbolts asked, before trotting over. She had a water bottle in her hoof. “Hey, Twilight, what’s up? Did you catch that?”

“Yes, that was amazing! What’s with your uniforms?” She suddenly realized Rainbow’s was glowing a light purple. “Is it okay?”

“It’s part of the show,” Rainbow said proudly. “It’s how we get all the light stuff to show up. We all have different colors and, as much as I hate to admit it… it’s sooooo cooooool. It’s a shame the Wonderbolts didn’t do more night shows before all this happened.” She then frowned and looked around, moving in a little closer. “Though… I still kind of wish they’d be able to do a few more day shows, if you know what I mean.”

Twilight sighed and gave a nod. “I know exactly what you mean. I wish we could all get a few day shows. So practice is going well?”

“Yeah. We’ve got a few more rehearsals to do, but we’re mostly just working the opening. After that, we’ll be mingling with the crowds as representatives. It’s going to be awesome,” Rainbow said with a grin.

“Ah, hello!” a pegasus said, stepping forward before bowing his head. “A pleasure to meet you. You must be this Twilight I’ve heard so much about?”

The earth pony blinked and nodded. “Err… yes? And you’re…?”

“Oh, right. Twilight, meet Shadowfang, my teacher.”

She blinked and looked him up and down. His goggles were up, revealing his yellow eyes. Then she glanced back to his hooves. “Oh! You must be one of the wereponies. A pleasure to meet you,” she said with a smile. “I had heard rumors that some of the Shadowbolts were them, but I didn’t know--” The words caught in her mouth when she saw the look of horror on his face. “Is something wrong?”

Rainbow chuckled and shook her head. “What? Twilight, don’t be ridiculous. He’s not a werepony.”

She blinked. “What? But… the eyes. The claws. The--”

“I think I’d know… if… he...” The pegasus trailed off and stared at him as if she was seeing him for the first time. “Wait...”

The pegasus shuffled in place. “I-it’s not, I mean, R-Rainbow, it’s not like that. I just, err, I-I didn’t want to, I thought--”

“Wait, you ARE?” Rainbow snapped.

Twilight couldn’t help but notice plenty of the other Shadowbolts were giving her dirty looks now.

“I, well, kinda, but I just thought--”

“We’ve been working together for months! Why didn’t you tell me? We’ve crashed into each other like a dozen times! What if I’d been infected?!”

Twilight perked up. “Actually, spreading of the lycanthrope disease doesn’t work like that. Remember what I said--”

“Twilight, not now,” Rainbow snapped. “You and I are supposed to be wingponies, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I-I didn’t, I mean, it’s not like I didn’t want to tell you, I was just waiting for the right time, I know you aren’t comfortable with the whole--”

“What? Finding out my partner has been hiding something like this from me? No, I’m not. We’re supposed to look out for each other!”

He shuffled. “I-I just, I thought you knew, s-since, I mean--”

“Bull feathers!”

He cringed and lowered himself. “I… I just… I didn’t… want you to react like this,” he squeaked.

“Well, hiding something this important from me was definitely the right way to go about it,” she snapped, before turning her back to him. “Twilight, what did you want?”

“Rainbow--” Redfang started.

“I don’t want to hear it from you,” she snapped.

Twilight stared. “I… I thought you knew, I never meant to--”

“Of course you thought I did,” Rainbow said coldly. “After all, what kind of WINGPONY would hide this kind of thing from their partner?”

Twilight cringed. “R-Rainbow, I didn’t--”

“Twilight, what did you want? If you don’t mind, I wanna make this quick. I need to go talk with Spitfire about a possible change in my partner,” Rainbow said coldly, drawing a hurt look from the other pegasus.

“I… I just wanted to know if you’d… seen Nightmare Moon.”

“Her? She was down here a bit ago watching us. Haven’t seen her in a while though, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Twilight mumbled. She looked between the two. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I’m going to be fine,” Rainbow said before she started trotting off. “I’m getting a drink.”

Redfang followed after her. “Rainbow, please, I--”

“Don’t! How am I possibly supposed to trust you if you’re keeping things like this from me? Are you even a pegasus? Not a griffon in disguise? We’re supposed to have each other’s backs!”

“I-I did, I do, I--”

“I don’t want to hear it!”

Twilight stared at the two, watching with worry. She glanced to the other Shadowbolts. “I… I’m sorry, I thought it was pretty obvious.”

“It was,” one of them said with a shake of her head. “We told him months ago he should have told her, but he decided to keep it a secret. Didn’t expect some nosy writer to out him, I guess.”

Twilight cringed at all the glares she was receiving, but slowly they began to dissipate. The other mare walked over. “Listen, it’s fine. It’s his own fault trying to keep something like that from her, he knew what he was doing. It was bound to blow up in his face eventually.”

Twilight nodded, eying the two walking off. “I’m still so sorry. I didn’t mean to out him like that.”

“I’m sure Rainbow will calm down,” the mare said with a shrug. “Probably.”

Twilight nodded. “I… I hope so. I’m going to go check out the gardens. I… I’ll try to see Rainbow later when she’s calmed down. Sorry for… all of this.”

“It’s fine, you couldn’t have known.”

The earth pony nodded and trotted off, though she couldn’t help feeling guilty for the trouble she caused. She hoped the other two would be okay. It didn’t take her long before she arrived at the garden and only a few more minutes to find the gentle yellow pegasus. She was sitting amongst a herd of animals who all stared at her with awe as she gently pet a bunny. “After we finished building the dam, we helped all the little gophers find a brand new home they could sleep in. Now, it wasn’t easy, but we all came together to get the job done. Oh, hi Twilight,” the mare said before giving a wave. This drew the attention of the animals and she noticed them begin to tense. “Oh, no. Don’t worry little friends. Twilight won’t do anything bad. She’s a dear, dear friend of mine. What brings you here?”

“I’m just curious if you know where Nightmare Moon is? Has she been around here?”

“Oh dear, no. I don’t think she’s ever visited the animals. The poor things are just starved for attention. It’s such a shame, really,” she said before gently petting one of the bunnies. “They’re just absolute dears, all of them. Perhaps you can try the castle?”

“I will. So, ummm, how are you doing?”

“Oh, I’m doing fine, can’t complain,” she said with a smile. “Everypony is just working so hard, I’m trying to stay out of their way.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, I’ve noticed, it’s a real madhouse in there. Well, I’m going back in. Thanks.”

“It’s no problem. Stay safe.”

“I usually do.” Twilight trotted back towards the castle, going by the front so she could glance up at the flying Shadowbolts when she passed. She really hoped Rainbow would work out the problems with her friend. She trotted into the castle and cringed when she caught sight of a statue of her in the main entrance, besides Nightmare Moon. “Ummm, Rarity, is that necessary?”

“Hmmm? Oh, of course,” Rarity said with a nod, motioning to it. “Nightmare Moon specifically requested that statues of her most loyal student and advisor be put on display. Moondancer’s is already on its way.”

Twilight stared, her mouth falling open. Her cheeks turned bright red. “I don't know if I want everypony seeing that... I'm already practically getting egged in the streets as it is. This is just going to make matters worse. Besides, I don't transfer to statue very well.”

Rarity blinked and looked up at the statue, before glancing to Twilight. “Darling, you transfer over just fine. Listen, there's no need to be so shy.” She reached out and patted her on the back. “Listen, nopony is going to notice it next to the big statue of Nightmare Moon, so don't worry so much, okay?”

Twilight eyed it for a few more moments before giving an exasperated sigh. “Very well. She wasn't outside, have you seen her anywhere?”

“Nope. Have you tried the throne room? Or perhaps the caverns?”

Twilight shook her head. “I guess I'll try those next. I can't imagine why she'd make herself so scarce right now...” The earth pony started trotting again. While Nightmare Moon wasn't in the throne room, she did see Moondancer sitting down by the throne, a book open. “Moondancer?” the mare called out.

“Hmmm? Oh! Twilight, yes? Is there something I can help you with?” she asked with a smile.

“I'm looking for Nightmare Moon. Have you seen her anywhere?”

The unicorn shook her head. “No. She's been spending a lot of time down below, in the crystal mines. She's probably down there. Have you been well? I haven't seen you in a while.”

“I've just been working to finish the book. I think I've got most the finishing touches done, now I just need to have Nightmare Moon look over it and tell me what she thinks.”

Moondancer nodded and trotted over. “Really? It's finished already? I thought it would take a lot longer. How'd it come out? Do you think she'll like it? All of it?”

“No. But I find most ponies rarely like everything in a story. Especially not a story about them. Hopefully she'll like the majority of it, though,” Twilight said with a sigh before shaking her head. “I think she'll like most of it, though. But mostly I think I was able to explain everything every pony needs to know. About, well, almost everything. It's... been a test.”

“So this means you're done then, right? You're leaving?”

Twilight paused. “What?”

“Well, the book is finished and that was the job as... well, a bard? She'll probably let you go if you want her to.” She couldn't be sure, but she was certain she saw a light quiver to the other mare's lips.

“I don't have any intention of going anywhere,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “As much as I would like my job to be done, there's still plenty I can do. Plenty I NEED to do. And... well...” She looked around for a moment. “I honestly think the two of us have been a good influence on her. I can't help but notice how much more manageable she's become of late. How much did you have to work with her before the diplomatic meetings?”

Moondancer shuddered. “I had to go over every single treaty we'd made in the last century. Then the ones that were still active or up for renewal. I thought she was going to declare war on the donkeys about three times.” She sighed and put a hoof to her forehead and shook her head. “But once I explained everything, how happy most ponies were with the treaties we had, well...”

“She was more than happy to keep them happy?”

She nodded. “Though, the dragons still have me a bit... nerve wracked. That could have gone so badly. Can you imagine what will happen if actual war comes to us with the dragons? They're... well...”

“Huge? Goliathan? Destructive? Deadly?” Twilight offered.

“All that and more. If we actually have to fight them, hundreds, maybe thousands may die. I don't know if they plan to make a move but...”

“What about that dragon that was turned into a squirrel?”

“Hopefully that convinces them to not try for a while,” Moondancer mumbled before glancing back to her book. “But, all in all, it wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be keeping her tolerable during the negotiations. She seemed more than happy to work with everypony. A lot different from when we first met her.”

Twilight nodded and moved over by her. “Is it just me, or does she seem... well... a lot nicer lately? Like... she's actually growing and developing? Becoming nicer? Did she... tell you about what... I... well...?”

“I think she is,” Moondancer said softly. “And yes. Well, not so much told me as... confirmed it. The rumors about you actually flinging her into the wall were... exagerated, right? You just pushed her, didn't you?”

Twilight coughed into her hoof sheepishly. “Well...”

The mare managed to, barely, not snicker. “R-really? You actually did that? How are you not in chains now?”

“I have no idea,” the earth pony said with a groan. “I've been asking myself that for days.” She walked over and sat by her. “I haven't talked with you much of late but... ummm... do you think we're doing the right thing? For the right reasons?”

Moondancer shrugged. “I think we're doing the best we can for everypony. Why?”

“No reason. I just...” Twilight nudged the ground. “You don't think for example we might be... trying to get, well... power?”

The unicorn stared at her, mouth falling open. “You're kidding.”

“I-I just, I mean, I'm not saying we are. I just, well...”

“I think if we were doing this for power there'd be a lot of better ways to go about it,” she said with a shake of her head. “What even made you think that?”

“Nothing. Something. I don't know. Just something Tirek said. I--”

“Don't listen to him,” Moondancer said firmly.

“What?”

“I've found more information on him. In the restricted section.”

“You did? What did you find out?”

“He can't be trusted. When he came here, he came on a mission of peace, but he was only interested in capturing and draining ponies. He's a manipulator, pure and simple. There is absolutely nothing good about him.”

“You... you're sure?”

“He's just as vile as Nightmare Moon,” Moondancer said with a shake of her head. “If he somehow got out, we'd just be in the same situation. Trying to control him and stopping him from doing truly terrible things. Don't get close to him, he'll only betray you in the end.”

Twilight nodded, sighing. “I... know I can't trust him. Don't worry,” she said with a small smile. “I'm being careful. I just don't see any problems with getting to know him. At least a little. Who knows? Maybe he'll turn out to help us in the end.”

“Whatever you feel like,” Moondancer said with a shrug, before pausing. “Looking forward to the gala?”

“Oh, so much!”

“Is it your first one?”

“No. I've been to a few, actually. This is my first time as a guest of honor, though. Usually I was, well, just a normal guest. I'd bought my ticket and usually went with my parents. And even then it was more when I was younger.”

“Well, if your little pink friend is an example of what's to come, this gala is going to end up being like none we've ever seen before. I don't know what she plans to do, but I can guarantee it's going to end up turning quite a few heads.”

“Do you think it'll make Nightmare Moon happy?”

“It should satisfy her desire to have it unique, at the very least. Now, if she'll like it is anyone's guess.”

“Hopefully unique is enough for her,” Twilight muttered. “I'm going to go have a look around the caverns. If you see her, let her know I'm looking for her, okay?”

“Of course. Good luck, Twilight. I look forward to reading it!”

“Thanks,” the earth pony said before trotting off down the hall. Before long she came to the large stone doorway that led to the tunnels under the castle. She looked around nervously as she walked, her hoofsteps echoing through the chamber and reverberating off the many crystals. She could see her reflection in so many of them, distorted and altered.

She entered the main dining chamber, filled with tables and glassware. The roof had hundreds of crystals sticking down from above, allowing the lights to reflect off them in dazzling rainbows of color as well as giving off their own slightly dim glow. Workers were still going about, clearing out any rubble and ensuring there was no chance of any collapse in the tunnels, but for the most part the caverns were ready. She then trotted into the next chamber, one much like the first but almost completely empty, the dance floor. A platform of carved crystal was near the back, where the band would stand.

There were almost a dozen little tunnels in the room as well. Most of them were marked off with ropes and warning tape, while a few were open or just covered with a cloth rope. Those ones connected to tunnels that would be used for storage, in fact one of the tunnels had a short range teleportation circle set up for the waiters to use to bring trays and foods into the hall. There was a second one set up in the dining chamber as well.

Her eyes fell on one tunnel that was covered in ropes, though most of the ropes had been moved and pushed aside. She trotted into it and looked around. “Hello?” she called out.

She didn't receive a response and kept walking. The chamber was dirty with plenty of crystals jutting out from the walls. She didn't know why a pony would go down this way, but she knew it was dangerous. “Hello? Anypony here?” she called out again, making her way through the narrow hall.

She soon heard hoofsteps ahead and quickly picked up her speed, a grin on her lips. She turned a corner. “Are you--” The words caught in her throat.

Nightmare Moon stared down at her, her eyes wide with shock. “What are you doing down here, bard?”

“I was looking for you!”

“And how did you know we were down here?” the alicorn asked.

“I didn't. I saw the ropes were off this tunnel, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. It's dangerous to go down this way. You could get hurt or...” The words trailed off. “Well, a normal pony could get hurt.”

Nightmare Moon snorted. “Indeed, a normal pony could get hurt. We merely wished to see more of these tunnels. The chambers below are... well... quite different from what they were when last we traveled through here.”

“They were here then, as well?”

“Indeed. These lands are filled with crystals and gems. These caverns hold some particularly strong ones. They are incredibly dense and excellent in manipulating magical energies.”

“Really?” Twilight asked. “Manipulating them how?”

“Absorption, containment. For example, a place like here it would be very, very difficult for one to teleport out from. At least, using traditional teleportation magic. You'd need to have strange magic that didn't operate under normal means in order to do such a thing.”

“Even you?” Twilight asked, aghast.

“We could, if we needed. But it would be difficult task even with our now great power. Or rather... it would be easy to get to. But leaving would be quite difficult. We would need to go around the crystals themselves in order to properly move about.”

Twilight nodded, looking around. “I see. And that's why they were harvested?”

“Of course. Crystals like these are excellent for containment spells. In fact, they are the primary component by which I bind Tirek.”

Twilight nodded. “Ohhhh. Is that why you don't want the ponies going too far in?”

“Indeed. If a pony was to traverse through these mines and get lost or hurt, they would likely be unable to get help. Further up, where many of the crystals have been mined or removed it is fine. But the deeper one goes...” She shook her head.

Twilight nodded and glanced back. “So what's down there, then? How far did you go?”

“We wished to see how deep these tunnels went and examine them further. If you wish, we could take you.” There was a small pause. “But you must not travel into them alone.”

“What? Why?”

“You are but an earth pony. If you were to trip and fall, hurt yourself in some way, none could come to save you. If something... bad were to happen to you, it would upset us.”

Twilight blushed and glanced off to the side. “Thank you, your highness. I would like to examine them a bit more if I could be given the chance. If, err, that's okay. Oh! But that's not why I came to speak with you. The book is finished. Whenever you'd like to read it, it's now available for your perusal.” She motioned to the bag on her back.

The mare's eyes widened slightly. “Truly?” Her horn glowed and the bag opened, allowing her to draw the book free. She flipped it open to the first page and gently sighed, gazing through the pages.

Twilight stared in confusion, cocking her head to the side. “Your highness?”

“Hmmm?”

“You're... looking at it quite strangely.”

“We're sorry. It is just...” Nightmare Moon gave another soft sigh. “We are delighted to be able to read something that will not paint us as some monster bent on destroying Equestria and all it holds.”

“Oh, of course not. That doesn't happen until chapter six,” she joked.

“What? Why would thee write such a thing?!” Nightmare Moon asked, glowering at her. Twilight eeped.

“It... it was a joke, your highness,” she said softly, giving a nervous smile. “M-my... my apologies...”

The mare glared down at her. Then gave a light chuckle. “O-oh! A... a joke. We see. Yes. Ah, quite... quite humorous. Yes. Us destroying the kingdom we have for a great time longed to return to is... very... funny.”

Twilight coughed and looked off to the side. “R-right. I err, I guess it was in... poor taste. I'm sorry, your highness.”

“It is... quite alright, young bard. We, err, appreciate your... attempts to make us laugh. It does not have that, correct?”

“Of course not. I gave you the notes, it strictly follows that set storyline as detailed,” she said with a firm nod. “I know you won't like everything about it, but... it's as accurate a story as I could do. I've tried to put in enough so ponies can finally understand who you are and... maybe come to accept you.” She glanced off to the side. “I know it's not always going to be easy, your highness. Not... every pony will want to accept you. But... I know you're trying your hardest and I will do everything in my power to try to get ponies to understand that. Okay?”

The alicorn nodded, glancing over to her. “We... know that now, young bard. And we do appreciate it. Were it not for you...” She trailed off. “We thank you greatly for your assistance in everything. For all the aid you have offered us and... your guidance.” She glanced to the book. “Will... you... still maintain your position as our bard, even though the story is finished?”

Twilight blinked a few times. “That's what Moondancer asked me. I ummm... if I'm not fired, I will of course stay. If you'll allow it. I have no desire to run off now that the job is done. There are still plenty of jobs to do and being your bard isn't so bad. Really. I never thought I would be a bard to royalty,” she said with a smile.

“Our sister would not have appreciated you as we have, would you not agree?” Nightmare Moon asked.

Twilight blinked. “Well... I... I guess not. I mean, she did get me the whole... she was the one who wanted me to write the story to begin with. About you. That seems to be plenty appreciative.”

“Bah!” The alicorn shook her head. “We have done so much more than ask one story of you, though. We have allowed you to aid us in all of our endeavors. To... weave a story of our reign, as it were. Is that not far better than our foalish sister asked of you? Nay, far beyond what that foalish mare ever asked of you?”

Twilight blinked a few times, opening her mouth in confusion. She then gave a slow, weak nod. “I... I suppose? I don't think she wanted me to do anything more, though. She seemed quite content with me just writing this story for her. About you,” she said softly, eying the other mare. “Your highness, is something wrong?”

Nightmare Moon blinked a few times, eying her. “Tell us, bard. Do you still desire her day over our night?”

“Wait, you mean you'll bring back the day?” Twilight asked, excitement filling her voice. She realized almost instantly it was the wrong thing to say as the alicorn's eyes hardened.

“No. The sun shall NEVER return,” Nightmare Moon snapped. “We merely wished to ask of you, your opinion on it. But we see even one of our most loyal subjects STILL longs for our sister's day. Despite all we have done for you,” she grumbled darkly.

“W-wait, your highness, I never meant--”

“We both know of what exactly you meant,” the alicorn snapped, shaking her head. “There is no need, nay, no desire for you to lie. Our night still does not entice you, no matter what it is that we offer with it. And that is how it has always been and likely how it will always be, though we pamper our little ponies so.” She shook her head. “Are our stars not more beautiful than a hundred suns? Our dark tapestry upon which we weave the most beautiful and glorious of sights enough to tempt thee? And yet, still, you long for the touch of our sister's magic. To feel the glow of her sun, as if our moon is but a false imposter that dangles into the sky high above.” She shuddered. “It is no matter. We have told thee, again and again, of what will happen. The sun shall never rise again, no matter how they may beg and plead. And our sister shall NEVER return to usurp us again. For Equestria is ours and it shall be ours FOREVER!” the mare roared before storming off through the chambers.

Twilight watched her go, giving a soft sigh. “Stupid,” she whispered to herself. “So, so stupid. So close. Why did I have to get so excited?” She lightly bonked herself on the head with a hoof. She slowly trotted back out from the chamber, giving one last glance back to the crystal chamber.

“Woo, she was in a nasty mood,” Pinkie said from one of the chairs in the dining chamber, a big binder in front of her. “Hey Twilight! Did you see Moody Moony? She looked maaaaaaad.”

Twilight groaned and lightly thumped her head on the table. “I'm. An. Idiot.”

“Nahhhhhh. You're not an idiot! I mean, sure, the Equestrian school system can have some issues sometimes, but there's absolutely no way you could have gotten all those degrees if you weren't so smart.”

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “Not what I meant. Pinkie?” she asked, glancing up to her. She trotted over. “I saw your charts. Have you run a party this size before?”

“Nope! But we gotta try something the first time once, right? Otherwise we’d never be able to try anything because we hadn’t done it before!”

Twilight paused before slowly nodding. “I… suppose that’s true. I just want to say, I saw your seating arrangements. They were quite impressive. I would have imagined you’d done dozens of parties like this in the past to have so expertly managed it.”

She giggled and shook her head. “Oh, no, nothing like that, silly. You just need to understand ponies. Some ponies don’t like other ponies for some reason, other ponies don’t like certain things, then other ponies really like some ponies but dislike the things those ponies like and--”

“No, no, I get it,” Twilight said quickly. “I just, err, I wanted to say thank you. For everything. You’ve done a truly spectacular job and I am certain this gala will be amazing accordingly.”

“Well, I sure hope so! It’d have been a waste to try so hard if it wasn’t, now wouldn’t it?” Pinkie asked with a big giggle, smiling to her. “Thanks though! So, what do you plan to do?”

“Me?”

“Well, you’ve got your book all done, right? So what now?”

Twilight sighed. “I… am not really sure. I still have a lot to write but… I think...” She frowned and rubbed her chin. “I think Tirek should be next.”

“Ohhhh, meany giant horse butt? Fun!”

She nodded. “Oh, yes. He’s… definitely a something,” Twilight said with a small smile. “But I figure I can find out a bit more about him and maybe it’ll help ponies to understand just… what he is.” She then paused. “Buck! I forgot to ask him if Nightmare Moon could… ugh. I need to talk to him. AGAIN!”

“Oh? Have fun! Better hurry!”

“Why?”

“Gala’s almost here, silly! And you know what that means?”

“… Drinking?”

“PARTY!” Pinkie yelled, throwing confetti in the air.

Twilight stared before softly sighing and lifting a hoof to her head. “Of course. I’ll see you around, Pinkie.”

“Okie dokie loki!” the mare called, waving.

Twilight slowly descended the stairs that she had spent far too much time over the last few months going down. She glanced to the cell and, to her surprise, saw Tirek. He was laying on his back, his arms out over his head and hanging off over the side of the bed. His hooves were occasionally kicking in place, as if he was running upside down.

She stared for a few moments and couldn’t resist. She let out a soft little snort of laughter. A moment later the centaur’s eyes opened. He looked surprised, then glared. “Ah. You.”

“No, no, keep sleeping. You’re oddly adorable when you sleep.”

He glowered darkly at her, rolling to his hooves. “Very humorous. What do you want now, little bird?”

“I want to… wait, what? Bird?”

“Yes, bird.”

“How am I a bird? I don’t even have wings.”

“You are a bard, are you not? You sing for your mistress, doing as she wishes, a prisoner in the cage she has crafted for you. So bird.”

Twilight sighed and applied her hoof to her forehead. “I am starting to hate you.”

“Finally, the feeling is mutual.”

“Wonderful. I need to ask you something.”

He cocked an eye. “Yes?”

“I want to write your story next, is that okay?”

He blinked and looked at her quizzically. “Truly? You haven’t given up on this foalish endeavor?”

“No. Because I’m a foal sometimes, I swear. Is that okay with you?”

“If you wish to tell my tale, I have no objections. Though I do believe it to be a waste. It will be your time to waste, not mine.”

“Good. And I want to ask one more question. Nightmare Moon said she could return the powers she stole. Can she?”

He smiled. “The powers she had me steal from you little ponies? And what if I said she couldn’t? That it was a one way ticket? What would you say?”

She eyed him for a few moments, before sighing. “I’d ask if you were lying.”

He snorted, before nodding. “Yes. Returning the powers is possible. It would be… uncomfortable, to say the least. But it would be something I could do with ease. But you really believe she would?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t she?”

“Oh, true. Why wouldn’t a pony of great magical power long to just toss her magic aside? I believe that is what all tyrants usually do once they have no sufficiently powerful enemies, yes?”

Twilight cringed. “That... might be so. But what's a little bit of power? Besides, it'll make ponies more loyal to her and willing to aid her as she wishes. Less--”

“Do you even hear yourself?” he asked with a cocked eye. “You truly must live in a fantasy world to believe such drivel. She will not, in fact cannot, ever abandon this power she has worked so hard to obtain. She will, when the time comes, turn against you just like I would have were I in the same situation,” he said with a laugh, shaking his head. “You are a foal, nothing more. She will talk of giving away this power, even promise it. But when the time comes, she, like every other tyrant, will make excuses as to why it is currently impossible. You will ask, and she will always find that the time is not right to give up what she has stolen.” He shook his head. “And then, when that time comes, like now, you will just make excuses for her. Try to explain away her behavior, saying that 'oh, normally she'd do this or that'. Return to me, young pony. When it's time for her to give back some of this power. Even the smallest amount. And then tell me of how she gave it back.”

Twilight dug a hoof into the ground, glaring at him. “Fine. And... even if she doesn't, that doesn't mean anything. I mean, I never really... it's not like I trust her.”

He cocked an eye. “Oh? So you don't trust her? Perhaps you are wiser than I first imagined,” he said with a light chuckle. “Granted, that would hardly be difficult.”

Her cheeks turned red and she shook her head. “You're infuriating, you know that?”

He shook his head. “I was... mildly aware.”

She turned around. “Besides, I was only asking if she could, not why she would. What will you do if she does it, then?”

He laughed. “If she does it? She shall not. But if she does... then perhaps it will have meant I was wrong all along. Perhaps, even for one such as me, there will be hope,” he said dryly before putting a hand over his forehead. “Perhaps, in such a situation, I will have been wrong. Nae, dreadfully wrong. A fool all along. And friendship and rainbows will be my true destination.” He leaned back dramatically.

“Did you just pun at me?” Twilight asked.

Tirek glowered, before gesturing with his hand. “Just leave me be, little bard pony. I tire of your presence. If only you were to share the wisdom of your fellow ponies and leave me be.”

“Wait, nopony else visits you?”

“Why would they?”

She looked around, a frown on her face. “Because you're here all alone and...”

“I have no friends nor family in this place. On top of that, I am a weapon your ruler has wielded against your kin. Of what purpose would it serve for them to get to know me?”

“What about the ponies I've been sending down here to deliver the books to you? And food?”

The centaur just glowered at her. “Pony, you misunderstood what I have wished. I desire you to leave. Me. Alone. Go, write your book, you have my permission. But do not bother me further.”

Twilight stared at him before giving a nod. “O-okay. I guess... I'm sorry, Tirek. If you need anything, I--”

“I require, nor desire, anything from you. Now shoo.” He motioned with his hands for her to go away.

She sighed before turning and trotting back up the way she'd come, though occasionally she glanced back with a frown. “I'll see you tomorrow!”

“Ughhhhhh,” he groaned.

She smiled nonetheless. A part of her felt he was right, that maybe there would be no returning that power. But what if Nightmare Moon did? It might only be the first step. If not for Twilight's mistake, would she have considered letting the sun back out into the world? Was the alicorn finally adapting?

She supposed either way, there was still a long way to go and she had to take it one hoof at a time. But the book was done.

Now all that remained was the gala.

Author's Note

Almost there. Thanksgiving was... an experience. A mostly good one, a few hiccups, but pretty good. Love all of you, don't forget, contest is almost up!

S1 CH 23. Gala

23. Gala

Twilight couldn't stop her hooves from shaking as she stared into the large mirror Rarity had set up for them. Her heart was hammering and it was all she could do to not try and flee out the door as she stared. “Tonight is going to be horrible,” she mumbled.

“Well, aren't yah jus' a barrel of good wishes?” Applejack asked with a cocked eye. “Ah mean, yah are probably right. But yah can't jus' go out an' say it like that.”

“I can think of a thousand things that can go wrong tonight,” Twilight muttered, shaking her head. “Millions, even.” She cringed as Rarity applied some sort of spray to her mane and brushed it.

“Dear, it can't be any worse than this mane. Do you even brush it?”

“Of course I brush it. Sometimes. Usually. But listen. Nightmare Moon is going to... well... there's no telling WHAT she's going to do!”

“Nope!” Rainbow said as she looked at herself in the mirror, combing her mane back. “But come on, it's a party. She's hardly going to throw everypony out on the streets.”

“Oh, if only that was the worst of it,” she muttered with a roll of her eyes. “What if somepony decides to publicly snub her? Or insults her? Or--”

“Then they deserve whatever they get,” Rainbow said with a shrug, before looking over. “Listen, I get it, you want to keep everypony safe. But someponies need to get smacked upside the head once in a while. We've all had months to learn about her and, more importantly, how to deal with her. If, after all this time, they decide to cause some giant scene, that's THEIR problem and what happens to them is their fault. Besides--” She ruffled her mane a little. “-- it's not like she'd kill them. Probably just send them to the dungeons for a bit or drain their power. They'll live and learn to not be so dumb.”

Twilight groaned and put a hoof to her face. “Easy for you to say. You'll be hanging out with the Shadowbolts all night. I'll be up front. With Moondancer at Nightmare Moon's side, greeting everypony.” She gave the student of the ruler a pitying smile.

“I... I think you'll both do fine,” Fluttershy said softly as Rarity proceeded to tend to her hooves. “Y-you're always so... good at handling her. I think you'll keep anything too bad from happening.”

“But what if--”

“Listen, Twi,” Applejack said with a shake of her head. “It's been months in the makin'. Whatever is gonna happen, is gonna happen. We got food, we got entertainment, we got guests. Ain't a whole lot about it we can do now. Working yourself up into a froth over stuff yah can't fix any more than yah already have isn't gonna do any more than make yah miserable, yah understand?”

Twilight gave a sigh before nodding. “Yeah, I know. I just... I just feel so helpless right now.”

“Well, you may feel helpless but you look absolutely stunning,” Rarity said with a nod, before glancing at her four friends. “And there, all finished. Girls, we are ready for the gala.”

Twilight nodded and sighed, a hoof to her head. “I guess we'd best make sure everything is ready. Is everypony feeling okay? Everything in order? Rainbow, the Shadowbolts have any issues? How about you and Shadowfang?”

Rainbow cringed. “Yeah. Not... yeah. Listen, I'll just avoid him, okay? We're talking now but... I'm still pretty mad about him lying about that.”

“But no drama during the party?”

“I'm not one for drama anytime,” Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes.

“Except for busting down doors and punching out princesses,” Rarity mumbled. “Right?”

Rainbow's cheeks turned red. “Fine. MOST times.”

Twilight nodded. “Just don't punch anypony else in the face. Pinkie, any problems on the party front?”

“Nope! We've had a few ponies say they won't be able to attend, but we should still have a packed house and I have back ups if things go poorly!”

“Back ups?”

“Yup! DJ Pon-3 is going to be here, so if anything goes bad she's got some ponies who can fill the seats!”

Twilight nodded. “Applejack, food?”

“Ah got more than enough food tah feed a whole army of ponies,” Applejack said with a nod. “With enough backup tah ensure that there isn't any problems if we got any issues. Even got mah big bro tah haul up some extra hooves in case we need it.”

“Okay. And, uhhh... about... Trixie?”

“She won't be showin' up if that's what you're worried about. She's back in Ponyville still workin' the library. Bit of a lazy bones but she's slowly comin' around. Kids love her magic tricks, at least.”

Twilight blinked. “What? Magic tricks?”

“Yeah, she knows a buncha sleight of hoof. Does lil shows for the kids. A lot better than her 'anythin' yah can do ah can do better' act at least.”

“Ah. Well, good. Rarity, designs?”

“Everything is spotless. I have dozens of backup curtains and table cloths. If there's any spills or disasters, it will be fixed immediately.”

The earth pony took one last deep breath and looked to Moondancer. “Nightmare Moon?”

The unicorn's horn glowed and she gave a nod. “Still in her room. We can go get her at any time.”

“And finally, Spike?”

“Hm?” the dragon asked, sitting on one of the desks. “What?”

“If you feel tired will you be able to make your way back to the room without me?”

The dragon blinked and then gave her a glare. “I can take care of myself, ugh.”

Twilight nodded. “I know, I know.” She looked to Fluttershy. “You'll ensure all the animals are taken care of and if anyone goes into the garden there isn't any trouble?”

“Oh, oh dear. They pets are absolute dreams, I couldn't imagine them causing any problems. But of course I will,” she said with a nod. “Just take good care of Nightmare Moon, okay?”

“Yeah, maybe try to...” Rainbow trailed off. “So, I'll see you guys around! Bye!” the mare called back before racing off.

“What? Rainbow! I just got your mane right and... ugh,” Rarity said with a sigh. “I don't know why I try sometimes.”

“Bye bye!” Pinkie said before hopping off.

“We'd best go as well. Twilight?” Moondancer offered, holding out her hoof.

“Right. Good luck, girls. Let's do our best.” Twilight grabbed the mare's hoof and, a moment later, the two disappeared. They appeared outside Nightmare Moon's door a moment later. “That... is way better than when shades do it. Are you sure it's okay?”

“Yes. The protections allow me in and out,” Moondancer said with a nod. “I brought you, so it should be fine.” She trotted forward and tapped on the door.

It swung open and wild winds lashed out around them, making the two recoil. Lightning flashed in the background, illuminating the dark alicorn standing in front of them. “Ah! Our student and bard! We have waited long for you!”

Twilight squeaked and hunched down. “Y-your highness?”

“Yes?” Nightmare Moon asked, the winds still flowing around her.

“Can you turn that down? It's a bit... over dramatic!”

The winds and lightning stopped a moment later. “Truly? But is this not a grand gala for which we should make the largest of entrances?”

“Not... really? It's just a gala. Well, it is grand, but scaring everypony half to death isn't really a great idea.”

The mare blinked a few times before giving a solemn nod. “Very well, as you decree. Now then. Shall we depart to meet with our masses?”

Twilight blinked and then looked the mare over. Now that the winds had died she could see a few things. One, the other mare's tail kept twitching and her hoove's occasionally tapped. She was swaying, gently, from side to side as well.

She could barely believe it. The princess seemed to be very, very excited. She was even grinning. Not a cruel, wicked grin. But a grin of actual mirth. “Your highness? Is… everything okay?” Twilight asked.

“Yes! Everything is quite grand! Shall we?” Twilight half expected the mare to say ‘let’s go let’s go!’

Twilight nodded and then quickly turned, leading the mare towards the stairs and down deeper into the castle. They took up position in front of the massive statue of the ruler. Twilight on her left, Moondancer on her right. She held her breath as the massive doors to the castle were opened, allowing the masses inside.

The earth pony closed her eyes, dreading what was to come. She heard the gasp and her fears were realized. Nopony was showing. They were all going to make a mockery of this and Nightmare Moon, ruining her night and sending her into greater despair. There should have been a great line of guests trying to filter in already, and many who would come to the princess and--

She heard the stampede of hooves and opened her eyes. The crowd outside was just as large as would have been expected of a normal gala. In fact, it could possibly be larger. On top of that, ponies were already making their way forward, kneeling before Nightmare Moon.”

“A pleasure to meet you at last, your highness.”

Twilight blinked, her eyes going wide. Ponies were lining up to meet her. They weren’t snubbing her. But then a new fear assaulted her. Surely one of them was going to PUBLICALLY snub her and attack her verbally. Do something to set the mad ruler off and cause a bunch of problems, possibly causing the entire gala to fall apart.

But they weren’t. Ponies kept coming up, one by one, bowing their heads and talking of how beautiful the night was, or how their dresses were, or mild, safe chit chat that nopony, even the most oversensitive, could find offensive or rude.

“Twilight, you’re gaping,” Moondancer whispered.

Twilight eeped and quickly closed her mouth, glancing up to Nightmare Moon and then back to the crowds. One by one the ponies were coming and, one by one, they were then heading to the main party. Smoothly, without any incidents or troubles. She let out a sigh of relief and wiped her brow.

“R-right. You seem to have this handled. Do you mind if I go check on the rest of the party?” she asked Moondancer.

The unicorn nodded before glancing up at the alicorn. “Yeah. I don’t even think she’s noticing us.”

“Thanks,” Twilight whispered before turning and trotting off. She let out a sigh of relief as she made her way back towards the main chamber of the party.

Her heart stopped when she saw one of the curtains in the hall was torn. It looked like somepony had tripped and accidentally ripped it partially off. It was a--

Then it was wrapped in a glow, deftly unclicked and a fresh, new curtain was put in its place. Twilight blinked and glanced down to Rarity who was in the midst of straightening it, before glancing over. “Oh, Twilight! Are the greetings over already?”

“Huh? No, I ummm, I just wanted to come check on everything. Have there been any issues?”

“Oh, just disaster after disaster,” Rarity said with a sigh. Twilight couldn’t help but feel a little bit of relief. “First Coldtongue accidentally spilled some punch on Lemonburst’s dress, but fortunately I was able to quickly take care of it before it could stain. Then there was this curtain and someone spilled some soup all over one of the statues, but one of my assistants are cleaning it up now. Then there’s just, so many of these dresses are from last season. Can you believe it? The greatest cultural event of the year and half these ponies couldn’t even get something that properly sticks with the times.” She gave a shudder. “I have half a mind to drag them up to where I have the emergency dresses and make them change.”

Twilight blinked. “Wait, that’s it? I thought you said disaster after disaster?”

“I did! Doesn’t that all just sound so horrible?”

The earth pony stared, before shaking her head. “Not… really?”

“Hmph. Well, to each their own, I suppose. But there hasn’t been anything that will end this fabulous evening if that’s what you’re worried about. In fact, a few ponies have asked Pinkie if she could host their own parties.”

“That’s wonderful, I guess,” Twilight said softly, scratching her chin. “Really? Nothing else? No major disasters? No floods? Exploding tables? Wild animals?Nothing?”

“Not that I’ve seen, no.”

Twilight nodded. “Well… uhhhh… I guess I’d better go get inside and check on the others, then,” she said softly, before trotting towards the party, a feeling of unease still flowing through her. Something big was going to happen tonight. She could feel it. Something horrible and awful.

The main party seemed nice enough and--

“Well well well, if it’s not the bard.”

Twilight blinked and looked over. She gasped at the sight of the mare before her, dressed in a flowing emerald dress. “Printing? Printing Press? What are you doing here?”

The unicorn brushed her mane back. “You didn’t think I’d miss out on an event like this? Especially when the tickets got so cheap?” she asked before stepping forward and scowling. “It’s been a long time.”

Twilight recoiled slightly, lowering her gaze. “I-I know. I’m sorry, I just--” She let out a gasp as she was pulled into a hug. “W-what? I umm… you’re not mad?”

“Oh, I was furious, for the longest time,” the mare said with a sigh before pulling back. “One of my favorite clients just up and disappearing, joining Nightmare Moon’s side? Abandoning her glorious career to become a bard? Horrible. Such a waste of talent.” She then reached up and patted her head. “Then I talked to your parents.”

Twilight cringed. “That bad?”

“Oh yeah. You’re a complete and utter idiot. I mean, trying to keep an alicorn under control, doing it all on your own? Well, not on your own anymore judging by what your brother said. You really have a pet dragon?”

“More like an assistant. Printing, I--”

“Don’t,” the unicorn said with a sigh, lifting a hoof. “Let me guess. ‘Printing, I’m so sorry I haven’t contacted you in so long. You’re the best agent a mare could ask for, but I didn’t want to draw Nightmare Moon’s attention to you in case anything too bad happened to me. Because I’m an idiot who has to do everything herself or, gasp, the world will stop making sense!’ Something like that, right?”

Twilight lowered her eyes and nodded. “Y-yeah. Something like that. I never meant to ignore you.”

“Twi, it’s fine. You’re one of my best writers. Still are,” she said with a smile before reaching out and flicking her forehead. “But you’ve always been a bit too sacrificing. I’m not even surprised you’re doing this. I’m just annoyed you didn’t tell me. Please tell me you’ve been working on some great work?”

“Well… ummmm… I actually just finished a book about Nightmare Moon. It’ll be… interesting. It should help ponies to finally understand who she is and what she wants. Why she is the way she is and… what she plans to do. I’m hoping it’ll help calm them down and stop anypony from doing anything too rash.”

“Mmmm. Already have a publisher?”

“Nightmare Moon was the commissioner.”

“Heh, so she went straight for the best. She truly is evil. Other than that, anything else?”

“Well, I’ve been working on a book for Tirek. He’s uhhh… the spirit that’s being used to… steal pony’s powers.”

“Oh? I’m sure ponies would love to hear about him, too.”

Twilight smiled. “So… you don’t think… well… I’m ruined?”

“Well, you were for a while. Honestly, when this whole ordeal came around there were all kinds of different stories going about. The appearance of vampires and wereponies and… all manner of other things has made it go a bit more wild since. To be blunt, you’re old news. I’m sure your affiliation with Nightmare Moon will come out eventually, but you’ve always been popular enough that your real fans will still give you a shot. Buck, I know some of your fans who would have still read your works if it came out you WERE Nightmare Moon.”

Twilight snorted, shaking her head. “Really? And who in their right mind would think that?”

“Well, the tabloids were a bit… out there at times.”

Her face fell. “You’re not serious.” She paused a moment. “You’re bucking serious. WHO? Why? What would… that doesn’t… I don’t even have wings! Or a horn! How could I… that’s… nopony actually bought it, right?”

“Eh, some did. There were also a few papers claiming this whole thing was just Celestia being tired of the whole raising the sun and moon thing and is just taking a few days vacation. That… story stopped quickly once a month passed.”

Twilight groaned and put a hoof to her forehead and shook it. “Yeah, I’d imagine so. Did ponies really believe this was… well, that? Some kind of prank?”

“I think it was less believed, more hoped. I’ll be honest, it still kind of seems so… odd. That there was a second princess and… well...”

Twilight nodded. “It’s not that odd. I mean, there have been records of Luna dating back all the way for millenia. It’s just… not something most of us talked about. Most ponies just never cared or worried about it. I… can’t say I blame them. I’m right here in the midst of it and I still never thought this would happen.”

“Really? What about the book you wrote about it?”

Twilight groaned. “It was just that, a story! Stories don’t happen, they’re just… things! Make believe! Fiction is supposed to be just that, fiction. Wild, unbelievable! And yet… yet here we are. With the main character of my book holding Equestria in her grip.”

The mare nodded. “And… Celestia? Have you heard anything about her? I’d heard stories that she had… well...”

“That she what?”

“Some ponies claimed to have seen her. Or rather… felt her. That she is… dead,” the mare said weakly. “That her spirit now haunts Equestria.”

Twilight stared, before shaking her head. “No, I don’t think she is. She’s… being held captive somewhere. I think. I can’t begin to imagine where. Maybe Tartarus? I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure she’s not dead. Nightmare Moon has seemed pretty… interested in keeping her and others alive. I think she’s using her for something.”

“Where could she possibly contain Celestia?”

“I don’t know. Tartarus is the only place I can think where an alicorn could be held. You’d need to be able to suppress and hide magic very well to do it, otherwise ponies would know.” She paused. “Well… I suppose the moon could work as well. It’s so far away...”

Printing gave a sigh. “I see. Well… I guess it’s too much to ask that she be hidden here somewhere. I just wanted to see you though, Twi. I know you’ve been working really hard, but just know I’m still here for you. When you decide that you can’t take being around that… queen anymore, let me know, okay? I’m always looking forward to your next work.”

Twilight nodded and gave a smile. “Of course. Are you going to be here long?”

“Not really. This… isn’t really my kind of thing.” She then paused and looked around. “Did you know you’ve got DJ Pon-3 down there? I can’t believe it!”

Twilight nodded. “I’d heard. I should probably go check on them to make sure it’s all okay.”

“Well, have fun. Call me sometime though, I mean it. You’ve got my number, use it. Don’t disappear on me again.”

The earth pony nodded. “I will. As soon as I figure out this Tirek story, you’ll be the first one I call, okay?”

“Good. Now, if you don't mind there's a cute guard I saw a little bit ago and I think I need to go track him down. Tah tah,” the mare said before trotting off.

Twilight sighed and looked around. It didn't look like a massive disaster. In fact, everything seemed fine. It--

Then she caught sight of Applejack walking towards her. Twilight's eyes widened. The mare looked worried, frantic, scared, upset! Something horrible must have happened. She quickly trotted forward. “Applejack? What's wrong?” she asked once she was close enough.

Applejack blinked and looked up. Then smiled. “Hey, Twilight. Yah enjoying yourself?”

“Kind of. I'm just doing the rounds. Is something wrong? Was there a mistake in the food? Was cheese added to some lactose intolerant meal? Peanuts served to the Brussel's family for whom they're deathly allergic as everypony knows? It turns out all of the eggs had gone bad? A horrible case of food poisoning from the soup?”

Applejack blinked and cocked her head to the side. “Twi? Yah okay?”

“Yes, of course I am. Why?”

“Well, it ain't nothin' wrong with the food. It's the crusaders.”

“The who?”

“Mah lil sister's club. The little scamps got an invite an' they keep runnin' off for one thing or another. Big Mac is supposed to be keepin' an eye on them, but, well, yah know how it can be. Ah'm worried it might be a bit much for him. Ah ain't seen 'em in--” The words trailed off. “Ah ha. Ah shoulda known.”

“What is it?” Twilight asked, looking around frantically. She then caught sight of three little fillies sitting over at the Shadowbolt table. The little pegasus filly being tossed in the air. “That's them?” She then caught sight of the hulking red stallion sitting in one of the chairs that seemed almost comically small for him. “That's them.”

Applejack nodded. “Well, ah guess it's all okay then. If Rainbow is givin' Big Mac a hoof then ain't nothin' ah gotta worry about.” She then glanced to the earth pony. “Yah okay? Your eye is doin' this... twitchy thing that Grandma Smith's does whenever Winona finds her way into the pig pen.”

“What? No! I'm fine! Calm and happy and fine!” Twilight said with a nod. “I'm going to go talk with them and make sure everything is okay. Okay? Okay.”

Applejack gave a shrug and turned to trot back towards the food preparation caverns.

Twilight trotted to the table and listened as the ponies talked. Or rather, Rainbow talked. “So, there I was, racing as fast as I could, cutting through the air like a knife through hot butter, my heart pounding, sweat glistening and then... I did it. A sonic rainboom. BOOM! Rainbows shot out everywhere and I exploded!” she said with a big laugh.

“Wow...” the three little fillies said, staring up at her in awe. A few of the other Shadowbolts at the table turned to Twilight and two of them glared at her, though another two bowed.

“Lady bard,” one of them said.

“Hmmm? Hey, Twilight!” Rainbow said with a grin, raising a hoof. “What brings you over?”

“I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. Wasn't any trouble and--” She was pushed aside as a pony came forward, walking right up to Rainbow.

“Y-you're Rainbow Dash, right?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” the pegasus said with a grin.

“Can... can I have your autograph?” the mare asked.

“Of course,” Rainbow said with a big grin, signing the paper before the pony moved onto the other Shadowbolts, getting their autographs as well. Once the pony was gone she looked back to Twilight. “Trouble? Why would there be trouble?”

“Well, I'd heard about...” Twilight glanced to the kids and motioned.

“What, the crusaders? Nahhhh, they're just fans. And the Shadowbolts always have time for fans. Right?”

“That's right,” another mare said with a knowing nod. “Still telling that sonic rainboom story, huh? You know, you don't have to try and impress us. You're an amazing flier even without it.”

Rainbow's cheeks turned red. “I'm not making it up! I can do it! I just... don't know how I did it the first time. But I'll get it eventually.”

The mare chuckled and shook her head, before glancing to Twilight. “I'm Spitfire, nice to meet you. Did Nightmare Moon send you?”

“What? No. She's still up above, greeting ponies. I just wanted to come and make sure everything was okay. Have there been any issues?”

“Everything is cool, Twilight,” Rainbow said with a chuckle. “You worry too much. We're probably gonna go out and put another show on in a bit, if you wanna see come on down. Okay?”

Twilight nodded. “Right. I ummm... I might. Thanks. I'm going to go check on some more things though. Thanks.” She turned and trotted towards the dance chamber.

She froze in the entrance and quickly decided the whole event was worth it just for this. DJ Pon-3 was playing her dance club music while disco balls and colored light filled the room with different colors. However, the main guests of the party were the nobles and upper class who had come in large dresses designed for ballroom dancing, not this.

Many of the nobles were off to the sides, watching the dance floor with a mix of horror and unhindered interest and amusement. Though those on the floor were trying to dance with the beat. A few tried to ballroom dance to the quick music, though they were failing spectacularly. Still others attempted to club dance as if they were in an actual club, though their dresses and outfits made the whole ordeal almost impossible and occasionally they'd knock each other. Twilight was forced to lift a hoof to her mouth to keep her laughter suppressed at the sight.

“Twilight, it's horrible!” Pinkie said suddenly, appearing in front of the mare as if out of thin air.

“Gahhh!” Twilight shrieked, stepping back. “Pinkie, how did you, where did you, what?”

“It's absolutely horrible!”

Twilight perked up. “What? What's wrong? Has something gone bad? Is there a bunch of ponies using this party as a means to get out a decade long feud? Is the DJ sick and going to have to leave early, leaving us without music? Did you run out of chairs meaning some ponies are going to have to sit alone and end up being shamed and causing a rift?”

“None of that!” Pinkie said with a shake of her head. “You're! Not! Dancing!”

The earth pony stared. “What. I'm not... plenty of ponies aren't--” she let out a shriek as she was dragged into the crowd by her hoof, her eyes wide. She was surrounded on all sides by dancing ponies as well as Pinkie. She couldn't imagine how the pony seemed capable of being everywhere at once, in front of her, besides her and all around her. But, after a few moments she realized she had no choice. She began to dance.

Well, she began to lightly bob her knees to the music. “There, happy?” she asked Pinkie with a sigh.

“Come on, Twilight! You need to have some fun! Lighten up, it's a party.”

“Pinkie, I'm not... I don't... I'm not here for the party. I'm just trying to monitor everything, that's all.”

“Just a few minutes, okay?”

Twilight gave a small nod, though she couldn't help looking around nervously. Something was bound to go wrong, this was too important an event for nothing to go wrong. She yelped as there was a sudden scratch in the record. Panic rose in her. The music was going to stop and--

And a new song started playing. The earth pony just stared at the happy pink pony as the two danced. In the crowd she could see that plenty of ponies were smiling and at least seemed to be having fun. She couldn't imagine how everything wasn't crashing around them by now. Though she began to smile and relax a little bit and by the time she managed to make her way out of the dance pit she couldn't deny feeling a tiny bit better.

“There, all good?” Pinkie asked with a grin and followed her up towards the main room.

“Better, at least,” Twilight said with a sigh. “Guess I was just worrying about-- Fluttershy!” The earth pony galloped off towards the little yellow pegasus who had peeped into the dining chamber.

Pinkie sighed and rolled her eyes. “Oh you silly mare.”

Twilight skidded to a stop in front of the pegasus. “Fluttershy? What's wrong? Why are you here? Did a bunch of rats escape and now they're in the castle running about? Or wild bears? Or moose?”

The mare stared at her, mouth open. Then she gave a little gulp. “I... no? I... I just needed... some cabbage... I was going to ask Applejack for some.”

“That's it? No disaster? No problems? No catastrophes?”

“Ummm... no? Should there be?”

Twilight blinked and shook her head. “No. I... I guess not. I just... sorry. Never mind. Have ummm... fun. Fluttershy.” She turned and made her way towards the snack table. She chewed on a cabbage roll and looked around. Most ponies seemed so happy and relaxed. She'd expected ponies to be in a near panic. Sure, it was obvious not everypony was comfortable, but they seemed to be making an effort to not cause a scene. She suspected the angry, touchy alicorn upstairs had something to do with it. She then grumbled and took a slice of cake, nibbling on the edge of it.

Everything was going amazingly well, she honestly probably didn't have to be here. She wondered if Tirek was--

She nearly dropped her cake. Her talks with Tirek, Nightmare Moon and Printing Press ran through her mind. Her heart began to hammer and she turned towards the dance floor.

By the stars. She knew where Celestia was.

Author's Note

One chapter to go, and it's going to be a fun one. Hope you're all excited! And yeah, I make a lot of mistakes. sorry! I'm doing my best but self editing isn't perfect sadly. Hope you're all enjoying the story regardless. And yes, as this is only the first season, I fully expect the story to get incredibly long.

S1 CH 24. Celestia (Finale!)

24. Celestia

Twilight had taken only a few minutes to run upstairs to get a light and make sure there was a long line still to greet Nightmare Moon before quickly moving back down towards the dance chamber, her head cocked to the side. Could it truly be so obvious? It took her only a few moments to find the cavern she'd found Nightmare Moon in, though it took her a few minutes to navigate to it. She looked around to make sure the alicorn was nowhere in sight, before she lifted up the rope and walked inside, leaving the party behind.

She stepped inside and turned the light on. The hall itself was lined with great crystals that seemed to glimmer with light when her light flashed over them. Within a few minutes the sound of the party disappeared behind her, as if the crystals surrounding her had swallowed the world. She glanced back, but didn't see any sign of the lights from the party. She gave another soft shudder and shook her head.

“Calm down. They're just a bit of caves. Nightmare Moon came down here. If it wasn't safe, she'd... okay, right, alicorn. What's safe for her is not necessarily... ugh, you can do this!” she said firmly.

She came to a split in the path and looked around, blinking. The right led to another long hall of jewels, but the left had cart tracks and a few decaying carts. She nudged one of the carts and let out a shriek as it raced off into the darkness, soon followed by a crashing sound. “Well, buck. Which way do I go?” she asked herself, looking around. “Tracks or path. Okay, the carts aren't new so Nightmare Moon likely isn't using them. But then if she's walking, would she walk on the place with the path or...” The words trailed off and she lowered the light.

True enough, there were hoof steps leading off towards the path without cart tracks. “Well, that certainly makes it easier.” She started following the hoofs. After a few moments they began to become far more dense, as if Nightmare Moon had come through here dozens of times. She nervously chewed on her lower lip, looking around nervously as she walked. “Hello?” she called out softly, but received no response. She sighed softly and continued walking.

More and more crystals began to appear as she walked, the shards sticking out through the walls and ceiling of the great chamber. She reached out and touched one, gently stroking her hoof across it. It didn’t feel magical. But then, she was only an earth pony. She continued walking.

She came to a large room filled with hundreds of crystal clusters, surrounding her on all side and jutting out of the walls, floor and ceiling. Like great blades they seemed to surround on all sides, with four exits in the room. Again she followed the hoof steps, leading her to another tunnel.

Then she heard breathing. Raspy breathing. She froze in place, listening to the sound for a moment. Her heart began to beat faster. She galloped forward, racing through the tunnel, not even noticing when she cut her hoof across one of the crystals. Finally, she stepped out into a great glowing chamber.

Her eyes fell on the prone and chained form of Celestia. The great alicorn laid there, her body wrapped in chains and wearing dark, metallic armor similar to that which Tirek wore, covering her hooves, crown and neck. “Hello, sister,” Celestia mumbled, not even looking up.

“Celestia?” Twilight said softly.

The alicorn turned her head back, her eyes going wide. “W-who… who are you?”

“Ummm, Twilight Glow.”

“Why are you here? What are you doing here? You shouldn’t… how?”

“I… I found you,” she said softly. “Celestia, you have to help us! Nightmare Moon, she… she’s… Celestia?”

The alicorn turned away, her eyes closing. “I… I am sorry, my little pony. I… I have failed you...”

“Failed… me?” she said softly.

“I… I cannot stop her. I tried. Every… plan I had made has been undone. I thought I...”

Twilight took a step forward. “You mean the elements? I know they can’t be used but… there has to be another way.”

The alicorn closed her eyes. “Perhaps this is my punishment. No, dear pony, the elements were… not my only plan.”

Twilight’s eyes went wider. “They… they weren’t?”

“No. But they were… the only one that would work. Sunset has gone into the mirror, gone for good. The dragon lord has… given in to his own greed for our lands. And… and...” Celestia looked down at her bindings. “These bindings… were once meant to contain my sister. To hold her captive and helpless, so… I… wouldn’t...” She shuddered. “So I would never have to… send her away again.”

Twilight blinked. “Wait… you… but, but Tirek. These are used to hold Tirek as well. You… created them?”

The alicorn nodded, shame on her face. “They were never… I only wished to… to hold her captive. To keep her with me, forever. By my side...”

“But she’s crazy! She’s had me whipped, she’s drained ponies, she’s hurt so many others! The sun hasn’t risen in months, we need you!”

“I… I can no longer help you, I am so, so sorry,” Celestia said softly.

“But you have to, we need you! The elements, maybe they can do something?”

“The elements?” the alicorn asked, giving a light chuckle. “They were… they were my final gambit. If I could not contain her, talk with her, control her… then I would send my student to purify her… but when… when the moment came...”

“They were broken and destroyed,” Nightmare Moon’s voice came from behind her. Twilight turned to see the alicorn standing in the entrance.

She took a step back. “Y-your highness, I… I was...”

“Do not try to lie to me, bard. I have heard all that you have done. Begging my sister to save you? Pathetic,” the alicorn said before stepping forward. “She is weak and frail, only a pittance of her former strength yet remains.” She nudged the mare with a hoof, drawing a grunt. “Look upon her. She thought to make me in such a state, bound and helpless. A trophy for her to stand over and laugh.”

“Sister, I never--”

“You bound me away for a thousand years for the audacity of desiring to be seen! To be loved!” the mare roared, making the crystals in the chamber shake. “You tore me from my very kingdom! And then… then when my time was up I find… I find you have removed me from their hearts completely. Made me little more than a bad memory, a dream, a… a nightmare to their hearts.” She growled and took another step forward. “And you believed… you believed I would just stand for this? To allow you to cast me aside yet again and hold me as your prisoner? A token of your power?”

“No, sister. I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to send you away. You were out of control and I--”

“Silence. I have heard these excuses a million times. And I will hear them a million more. I did not come here to speak with you. I came to speak with my bard.” Her eyes whipped around to Twilight.

The earth pony eeped, freezing in place. She was grabbed in dark purple magic and dragged to the mare. “Now, my bard. Do you not see? This is the mare upon which you put your hopes and dreams. A broken mare who has not the strength to rise up against me. A mare who, when the time came, forsake each and every one of you.”

Twilight stared, her eyes wide. “I… I never...”

“I know exactly of what you had done. Did you think me a foal, that I would not place some form of detection in case one came to see my sister?” Her eyes glowed with a dark, angry light. “But I will allow you to remember this. But you will never, ever speak to another of what you saw here...”

Twilight yelped as she was surrounded in magic. She stared up into the purple glowing eyes of the alicorn. “Y-your highness...”

“You will obey.”

Pain shot through Twilight’s body. It lasted only a second, leaving her standing there, stunned, as she gazed up at the mare. “What… what did you do?”

“I have bound your tongue. Try to speak of her. Of our sister. Where is she now?”

“She is--” Pain shot through her tongue, paralyzing it. She whimpered and covered her mouth, staring up with wide, pained eyes. “Mmmfffff!”

“Well?”

She whimpered softly, shaking her head. “I-I can’t,” she said weakly.

“Good. Then for your disobedience, that will be your punishment. You will bear the knowledge of what you’ve seen. Of what your… once great and beloved ruler has become. And then...” she leaned in closer. “You will never be able to tell anypony. You will not be able to talk, write, mime, anything to allow ponies to know. Do you understand?”

Twilight nodded, tears forming in her eyes. “Y-yes… yes your highness.”

Nightmare Moon grabbed the earth pony in her magic, before glancing back. “Goodbye… sister.”

Twilight whimpered as she was hauled back. “Your highness, I--”

“We know exactly what you were doing. You hoped to free our sister, to have her rise up against us. But that will never happen. Our sister is broken, Equestria is ours. All of her plans have failed.”

Twilight nodded, closing her eyes. “Of… of course. Your highness...”

“And we have allowed you too much freedom, bard.”

She cringed.

“For the time being, you are not to leave the castle grounds. If I catch you walking through these chambers again, I will have your dragon flayed. For the first transgression. For… every future transgression...” She paused. “Perhaps your friends.”

Twilight gasped. “Y-your highness, please, Spike is just, my friends, they--” She found herself staring into the eyes of the ruler.

“We have allowed you much, Twilight Glow. But you have gone too far this time. We have no desire to harm thee. But your friends… they have no such protections. Understand?”

Twilight nodded slowly, the tears welling up in her eyes. “Y-yes. Of course… y-your highness.” Gently she was placed back on the floor.

The two walked in silence, their hooves echoing across the stone floor. Finally, they made it back to the dance floor. Twilight kept walking, though, ignoring the sounds of fun and merriment around her. She barely even acknowledged her friends when they called out to her, merely shaking her head and making her way away from them, from all of it.

Finally she was able to collapse onto her bed, closing her eyes and sobbing into her pillow. This was it. There was no hope. No escape. There was only Nightmare Moon, now and forever. She sobbed and cried into her pillow, holding it tightly to her face.

Nightmare Moon stared into the mirror, gazing at her own reflection. Finally she let out a loud scream of anger before her horn glowed, shattering the mirror and sending the shards scattering across the ground. She then sat down, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Why… why dear sister… why… can’t I just… win?”

Above the throne, in a small orb of magic, small pieces of rock gave a small, gentle spark of light.

Author's Note

And so ends season 1! So, contest will be over soon, so please, if you want to enter, now is the time. It'll end on December 15th. All in all, I hope you guys enjoyed season 1 and look forward to season 2! Still so much to have happen... so much work to go... this story is going to be huge...

Contest information

S2 Ch 1. Picnic

25. Picnic

“Spike, I THINK I can handle this,” Twilight muttered in annoyance, shaking her head.

The dragon just stared at her, through flat eyes. “Uh huh. Sure you can.”

“I can make a sandwich!” she snapped, tossing a glare over her shoulder as she trotted into the kitchen.

“Sure you can. Like the daffodil one?”

“I toasted it!”

“You TOASTED the DAFFODIL! You toast the bread! I’m not even a pony and I know that!” the dragon snapped.

Twilight’s cheeks turned red before she walked to the massive fridge. “I’ll be fine.” She opened it up and pulled out some ingredients. Then let out a yelp when a red bottle was grabbed from her hooves by Spike.

“What is this for?”

“Well, the more sauces a sandwich has, the better it tastes!” she said proudly. “So, there are ten different sauces here, if I add them all, then the sandwich will be delicious!”

The dragon stared at her. Then face hoofed. “Do you… ever… cook for yourself?” he asked.

Her cheeks turned red. “Err… well… I ummm… err. I technically...” She shuffled her hooves.

“What?”

“I’m not… technically allowed to. But it’s just a sandwich so it should be fine!”

He blinked a few times and stared at her. “What do you mean, not allowed to?”

“W-well, it was an accident. A completely silly, minor, not at all nearly the big deal that they made it out to be accident!”

“… What?”

“W-well, err, last time I tried to make a casserole I accidentally, through absolutely no fault of my own and my teacher really shouldn’t have been so up tight about it. I mean, technically--”

“What did you do?”

“I accidentally disproved Starswirl’s fifteenth law of magical conversion. I got in a lot of trouble for that one.”

Spike stared at her a few moments, blinking. Finally he shook his head, walked over to a chair and pushed it to the counter. “I’m making the sandwiches.”

“But--”

“Just get me a butter knife.”

The earth pony let out a low, frustrated grumble, but slowly nodded. “Fine. It’s just a sandwich.” She walked to the drawers and started pulling some out. “It’s not that hard or anything...”

“Mmmmm hm,” Spike mumbled as he got to work.

She walked to the fridge and peered around, before her face lit up. She pulled out a big, white bowl. “Yes, he did it!”

“Hm?”

“The head cook! I asked if he’d make me up some potato salad for the picnic. He’s the best.”

“That’s nice.”

She nodded, then glanced over. “How… uhhh… are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

“I just… you know… I know its been a few weeks since the Gala and--”

He glanced over. “Yeah?”

“I just wanna make sure you’re doing okay,” she mumbled.

He shrugged while he neatly stacked the sandwiches up. “I’m fine.”

“Okay...”

The gala had gone off without a hitch. Twilight had tried to find ways around the spell. Dropping hints, leaving important details out, trying to show something, anything to let people know where Celestia was.

But nothing she did seemed to do anything. The spell on her was incredible, any plan or idea she came up with often resulted in some kind of back fire, usually in a painful way for her, but sometimes more subtle. She hadn’t even been able to hint that she WASN’T telling them everything.

On top of that, her friends had been busy for the last few weeks and she had barely seen them in ages. Her being confined to the castle failed to help any. However, they’d all managed to get the time to finally meet up today for a picnic. Even better, as Nightmare Moon had permitted it.

Other than the spell on her, there had been no other repercussions for her actions. The alicorn hadn’t laid a hoof on Spike, or her friends(at least as far as she knew), and hadn’t said a word about it since. However she had been drawn to the ruler’s side far less often, leaving Dancer alone to deal with the alicorn.

Tirek was being Tirek. The book was going slowly and he was beginning to take pretty much every opportunity to try and corrupt her. It was almost cute, in a way. He got really flustered when he tried some ‘secret corruption technique’ and she listed a number of books that it was used in. Sometimes it even had a name or was even a common cliché. Watching a mega powered spirit of magical might cross his arms and just pout in the corner was definitely not something she expected to see in her life time.

Everything was going back to its own weird version of normal, now. In a way, it was almost boring. Her actions had, unfortunately, burned many of her hard worked bridges with Nightmare Moon, so she was no longer aware of how to continue. She felt another pang of regret at how she’d reacted. She should have been slower, more methodical. But in those moments she’d seen a chance to end this nightmare all at once, to escape their fate and make everything right in a heart beat. In that split second she’d been a filly again and expected the princess to solve all their problems, regardless of the evidence available.

But nothing was ever that simple, was it? At least, not now.

“So, is that your real name?” Rarity asked as she relaxed in her chair, glancing over to Redfang.

Fluttershy blinked and put down her tea cup, staring at the vampire, cocking her head to the side when the pony froze in place.

“W-what?” he asked, his eyes going wide. “W-why would you even ask me a question like that?”

“I just mean, it is a little on the nose, isn’t it?” Rarity asked.

“…” The vampire fumed.

“Unless you were born a vampire. Is that a thing? It’s a lot like a pony naming their child Mooney McMoon, and then them becoming a werewolf.”

“...”

“So, is it your real name?”

Redfang put a hoof to his forehead and groaned. “… My pony name is Sundrop Sprinkles.”

Rarity blinked and stared. “Wait, really?”

“Yes! My parents run a tanning salon in upper Canterlot.”

The unicorn stared at him for a long moment. “But… you’re a...”

“YES! The irony is -not- lost on me!”

“… Is it doing well?”

“Yes, it is doing extremely well. With the whole lack of a sun. You would be amazed how many ponies want fake tans during times like this.”

“Hi guys!” Twilight yelled, galloping into the garden with a big grin on her face, a bag of food over her back. Spike trailed behind her, carrying the potato salad. “Sorry I’m late, there was a bit of an issue with… we’re done now, that’s all that matters!”

Rarity glanced over and gave a big grin. “Ah! Twilight, darling! We were just having a talk with Redfang to pass the time,” she said, giving a wave. “The others should be here soon.”

The vampire gave Twilight a look, making her almost trip. She stared into his eyes and felt a chill go down her back. He looked worried. She would have preferred he looked angry or upset. But worry scared her. He then turned away and nodded. “Now that she’s here, I’ll make my exit. Lady Rarity, Lady Fluttershy, I will ensure that you have a proper escort when you leave.” He then took to the air.

Twilight frowned while she watched him fly off. “Did he escort you two here?”

“Indeed,” Rarity said. “I have the sneaking suspicion he was monitoring us. But he was a perfect gentlepony throughout, so I have no objections to his company. And for such a supposed creature of the night, he gets flustered so easily.”

Twilight nodded. “How about your little… err… shade problem? Is… she causing you any problems?”

Rarity blinked a few times, her face falling. “Ah. No. She has startled me a few times, but she seems harmless. I do wish she would be better at not sneaking up on me, however. It is enough to almost make a poor pony’s heart explode, turning off the lights and having her standing there, staring at you from mere inches away..”

Twilight nodded, before glancing to Fluttershy. “How have you been?”

“Me? Oh, I’ve been fine,” the pegasus said with a nod. Twilight waited for her to expand, but the mare just stared at her awkwardly.

“O… kay then. Is Rainbow still coming?”

“Of course,” Rarity said with a nod. “And I do believe Pinkie and Applejack will be making an appearance.”

“Wait, really?” Twilight said, her eyes going wide. “Why?”

“Pinkie because she’s Pinkie,” Rarity said as if that explained everything. To Twilight’s mild amusement, despite only knowing the mare a short while she felt it did. “And I believe Applejack still feels she owes you for the whole gala. I hear her family made quite the windfall from the event, more than sufficient to help them through a few issues their farm had been struggling through. Not to mention they’ve been asked to cater a number of quite high class events since.” A frown formed on the unicorns face. “In fact, I believe Applejack may have begun to attend more of the upper class parties than I have. But only for the last few weeks!”

Twilight nodded. “She doesn’t need to do that. She really helped me just by being willing to cater the event.” She sighed and glanced to the side.

“Twilight? You seem troubled. Is something the matter?” Rarity asked.

The earth pony felt the spell on her tingling already. She shook her head. “No. Just thinking about the gala, is all.”

“It truly was magnificent, was it not?” the unicorn said with a sigh. “While not exactly how I envisioned it to be, it was still a once in a life time experience. Why, ponies are still talking about it with excitement. I can’t imagine how we’re going to possibly trump it next year!”

Twilight felt a knot form in her stomach. “Next year?” She hadn’t even considered it. But it was true, there’d be another gala next year. And the year after that and the year after that and forever, with Luna at the helm and--

“Darling? Darling!” Rarity yelped, jumping to her hooves. Twilight felt magic grip her and shook her head, realizing a moment later she was falling over. The unicorn raced up besides her, propping her up along with her magic. “What in the heavens happened to you? Are you ill?”

“S-sorry. I’m just… not feeling very well,” Twilight mumbled, slowly regaining the strength in her legs. She sat down a second later and sighed. “Do you think they’ll be here soon?”

“Did someone saw AWESOME?!” Rainbow yelled, before she crash/landed on the ground, digging a groove in the grass with her hooves. “Because that’s my middle name!” she said proudly.

“… No. Nopony said awesome,” Rarity snapped. “And just look at what you did to the grass! Rainbow, do try to think of the gardeners who have to clean up after your landing.” Her horn glowed before her magic picked up clumps of torn up turf, putting them back into place to the best of her ability.

The pegasus looked down, then grinned sheepishly. “Oh, right. Heh heh. My bad. But seriously, guys, you missed it. I got all the way from Cloudsdale to here, I knocked a whole minute off my time!” she said proudly, puffing her chest out. “A minute! You should have seen me! I was passing up ponies left and right, they couldn’t even see me.”

“Of course they couldn’t,” Rarity muttered as she tried to decide which two pieces of turf fit best into a particularly deep gouge. “Your uniform is all black and purple.”

Rainbow opened her mouth, then closed it, then looked horrified. “Wait, you mean I was making my best time ever… and no pony SAW? That’s so lame!”

Rarity rolled her eyes before nodding in satisfaction at her mostly repaired grass. She then glanced up. “I’m sure a few ponies saw, Rainbow. And I’m sure they thought it was spectacular.”

“Heh, you’re probably right,” the pegasus said with a cocky grin.

Twilight nodded, giving a weak smile as she finally regained herself. She still couldn’t help dreading the coming of more galas. Especially knowing where Celestia was. Would others find out? Would there be more ponies like her? Perhaps a chance to… no. Even if they could rescue Celestia, by the alicorn’s own admission, there was nothing she could do. Nightmare Moon was here to stay.

Oh well, it wasn’t like things could possibly get any worse.

BOOM!

Her eyes widened and she looked around in confusion, moments before little pieces of rock rained down on them. It took her a few moments to realize it wasn’t rock, it was actually rock candy. “What?” she said in confusion, before looking around in bewilderment.

Whatever it was, it had come from the maze. “Girls, we need to--”

“Already on it!” Rainbow yelled, flying off.

“Let the guards handle it!” Twilight yelled, before rolling her eyes. She slid out from under her bags, then galloped after the other mare, her friends close behind. She swore Rainbow was going to get them all in a lot of trouble one day. And she was pretty certain that day was today.

The girl’s arrived to find Rainbow hovering in front of a massive pedestal the size of a tower, with stairs criss crossing in the front. Six spot lights were in front of it, all trained on a single bipedal creature in a tuxedo holding a cane at the top, its back to them. Twilight stared, her mouth open. It was impossible. She knew. Was it some kind of prank?

Whatever the creature was, it looked quite similar to the statue that had once stood here.

Suddenly music began, as well as light tapping. The creature turned and proceeded to begin… dancing down the stairs.

“D is for the disarray that I’ll cause,” the creature sang, as it swung down the steps, spinning its cane along. “I is for insanity that they all say I am.”

Twilight just stared, the girl’s starring along with her. What WAS this madness?

“S is for selfish desires that I all see in your hearts.” He made it about halfway down already, swinging along as he went. “C is for Canterlot, the first step of my master plan.”

Twilight felt a weird… itching. It felt like it was on her brain, as if it was trying to deny all of… this.

“O is overwhelming that I am, R is for rescue that I’ll do from your boring lives,” he sang as he made the last few steps, stopping in front of them, before reaching out with his cane and tapping the bottom of Twilight’s chin, making her look up.

“And D is for Discord, master of chaos and anarchy. A pleasure to meet you at--” The music suddenly ground to a halt and the creature looked confused. He stared at Twilight for a few moments. The cane and suit disappeared and suddenly he reached out and grabbed Twilight by the face, turning it from side to side, a look of bewilderment on his face. “Shouldn’t you be… hornier?”

Twilight’s cheeks flared and her eyes widened. She tried to think of a response to that, but she wasn’t sure there WAS a response to that.

“HEY!” Rainbow yelled. “Get your hooves off my friend! Or… claws! Or whatever!” The mare flew through the air and crashed through the creature, who seemed to have turned into smoke for a second so the pegasus flew off through him.

“Yes, yes, quite,” Discord said, a frown on his lips as he stared at her. Twilight stared back, then yanked her head back.

“H-hey! Who are you? What are you?”

Discord smirked. “What am I? Why, I am Discord. Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. One could say the opposing force to the--” He blinked a few times. “Elements… of Harmony. Oh my. And where’s dear little sunbutt?” He rubbed his chin and his eyes widened. “Could it be? Is that… Tirek I feel? My my my. I have been gone for a while, haven’t I? And is that--”

“DISCORD!” Nightmare Moon’s voice roared and all heads turned towards the alicorn.

“Ah, Nightmare Moon! Decided to take a walk on the wild side again? How cute,” he said, standing up straight and yanking Twilight up.

The earth pony squeaked, flailing her hooves. “Hey, put me down!”

The alicorn froze. “Unhand my bard, you disgusting abomination,” she growled, landing on the ground and glowering at him. “If you harm one hair on her head, your suffering will be never ending.”

Discord hummed, nodding. “I see.” He glanced around for a moment before picking up Fluttershy in his other hand. “I think it’s time we have a little talk. There’s so much I need to catch up on.” Twilight tried to break free from his grip, but it somehow managed to be simultaneously like steel and water at the same time.

“DISCORD!” Nightmare Moon yelled, dashing forward.

The spirit smirked and then snapped his tail and the spirit and two ponies disappeared.

Author's Note

Hey. Guess who's back? I'll give you a hint. She's cuddly, lovely, self-conscious and plays wayyyy too many mobas.

Psst. It's me.

S2 Ch 2. Tea time

26. Tea time

Twilight squeaked when she appeared in the air. She looked around in confusion, before dropping from the air and splatting onto the ground a moment later. “Ow.”

Discord appeared a moment later, holding Fluttershy and gently placing her down. “Now,” the creature said, frowning at them. “Something is going on. What is it?” He sat down, a large chair forming behind him. Glasses and a brown suit formed on him. A notebook and pencil dropped into his hands. Two therapist couches formed under the ponies, tossing them in the air and making the two ponies bounce a bit.

Twilight gulped and stared up at the spirit. “W-well. My name is Twilight Glow. This is Fluttershy. I am Nightmare Moon’s personal bard.”

The pegasus squeaked, nodding.

Discord nodded. “I see...” he snapped his fingers and a table formed between them, with little horn shaped cookies, a tea pot and some cups. He poured them each a cup of tea. “Would you like a trumpet crumpet?” He then began to drink the tea pot, before tossing the tea back, crashing through a wall that had appeared. The cookies trumpeted at them.

“… I’m good,” Twilight said. “Err, I ummm… there’s a book. Now. I guess. Err. I-- WAIT! Discord! Nightmare Moon and Tirek both referenced you! You’re one of the great evils Nightmare Moon defended the world from!”

Discord cocked an eye. “I would hardly call myself a great evil. I am merely a spirit who likes to have fun, how does that make me evil?”

Twilight opened her mouth, then blinked. “W-well, I… don’t know.”

“And you’re taking Nightmare Moon’s views on who is evil?”

“… Okay, valid point.”

“You turn a few ponies into accordions and suddenly you’re evil. So unfair.” He shook his head sadly. He then held out his hand and a book appeared in it. Her book. “I’ve never been one for reading, but I suppose I can make an exception...” He started flipping through it.

Twilight blinked. “What? But--”

“Shush. I am reading. Haven’t you ever heard not to interrupt a pony when they’re reading.”

“Oh, right,” she said. Then paused. “Wait. You’re not a pony!”

He snickered. “Nope. Now shush.”

Twilight sighed and looked around. They were in a weird house. She saw a herd of dust bunnies running off, hiding under the cabinet to avoid a hunting vacuum. However, they were suddenly pounced on by a tribe of feather dusters.

Discord sighed and shook his head. “It’s so hard to keep the house presentable sometimes.” He held out his right hand and a few dust bunnies formed in his hands. He lowered them to the ground and let them scamper off, bounding under the chair.

The earth pony sighed. “Are you done?”

“Nope,” Discord said, shaking his head. “Be patient. If you’d like, you can look around the house.”

Twilight nodded before glancing out the window and seeing the nameless void with little pieces of stone and brick floating about. She shook her head. “I think we’ll, err, wait.”

“Suit yourself,” he said with a shrug.

Fluttershy slowly reached out and took her cup of tea, sipping it a little. Her eyes lit up. “Oh my! Is that… cinnamon?”

“Mmmm hm!” Discord said with a grin.

“And… avocado?”

“Why indeed it is! You have quite the tongue,” Discord said with a grin. “A fine purveyor of tea, I take it?”

“Oh, not at all. Rarity and I just have tea when we go on our weekly spa date. She likes to bring all kinds of teas to try.”

Discord nodded. “Mmmm. Indeed.” His tail moved out, nudging the tray of crumpets towards her. “Go ahead, have one Fluttershy.”

“Oh, umm...” Fluttershy gave them a nervous look, then glanced to Twilight. She timidly reached a hoof out, picking one up with the tip of her hoof and starring at it.

He smiled, but it didn’t make a sound. She took a small bite, then blinked. “Oh! It is quite nice! Is that… hmmm… oh, cashews!”

He nodded. “Of course, only the best for my fri-- guest,” Discord said with a hum.

Twilight blinked and gave him a suspicious glance. She rubbed her chin and narrowed her eyes. Something was up. There was something weird going on. She didn’t know what it was, but there was a draconequus shaped hole in this little event and she aimed to fill it. “Discord, you were trapped in that statue before, right?”

“Mmmm hmm,” he mumbled, flipping a page.

“So… why did you take both me and Fluttershy?”

“She seemed like good company. You seemed a bit more...” A low grin formed on his lips. “Of a royal pain.” He gave a snicker.

Twilight frowned. She was sure there was a joke in there somewhere, but she had no idea where. “There aren’t many records of you, could you tell us about yourself? Who you are?”

“I am Discord and Discord is me,” he said with a smirk. “Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, in direct opposition of the Elements of Harmony.” He paused for a moment. “I think I see the point.” He slammed the book closed. “Now, what shall I do?”

She gulped and stared up at him.

“Now, I could go on a giant destructive spree, spreading chaos and anarchy across the land, but then Nightmare Moon would eventually track me down and it would end in a very annoying and mildly painful fight between the two of us. And as much as I hate to admit it, I can’t say for certain I’d be able to defeat her. After all, she was quite a bit stronger than she was last time.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah. She has the power of Celestia and Cadence,” she muttered.

“Ah, yes. Three alicorns in one is not quite something I’d enjoy,” he said with a shrug. “I guess I can just annoy her for a bit, cause a bit of chaos,” he mumbled idly, scratching his chin with his tail. “But that isn’t really my style either. Causing a big stir, driving ponies crazy is more to my enjoyment.” He then sighed. “But truly, what is the point?” He tossed the book up and it flew away. “You already have a villain. Where’s the fun in that? ‘Oh, look ponies! Your big, evil tyrant is fighting the big, evil spirit of chaos! Oh well, she won, back to the status quo, good thing we had this hour, hour and a half of something interesting happening! Now, let’s go sell some more mud bricks, or whatever it is we ponies do.’ Oh please, I think I’d rather have tea with Fluttershy,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “Are you enjoying the crumpets?”

“Oh, yes. They’re quite good,” Fluttershy said.

Twilight blinked a few times, then her eyes glimmered. “Wait, actually, that could work!”

“Excuse me?” Discord said, cocking an eye.

“That would do wonders for public perception of her. It might even help break her of her more self destructive behavior that she sometimes seems tartarus bent on pursuing.”

The spirit stared at her flatly. “… No.”

“But--”

“Spirit of chaos. Answers no. Now drop it while I make more tea, or I will make you tea.”

The earth pony blinked in confusion. “That doesn’t sound so bad...”

“And then drink you.”

“Wha-- oh. OH!” Twilight sheepishly looked away while the spirit picked up the pot and walked off into the kitchen. She then reached for a crumpet. They trumpeted at her, making her draw her hoof back. She then glanced to Fluttershy. “So… err… what do you think?”

“He seems sweet,” the pegasus said, taking another crumpet. It didn’t blast at her.

“Sweet? He’s a spirit of chaos. Have you ever studied chaos magic? I have, I have a minor in it. There’s no way a spirit of it can be sweet.”

The pegasus lowered her gaze. “Sorry… he seems sweet to me...”

Twilight sighed and pinched her cheek. “Ugh. A part of me swears this is all a trick. But… I don’t know. I’m sure when Nightmare Moon finds me she’s going to kill me. Or him. Whichever she can get her hooves on.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “I don’t think so...”

Twilight jumped off the couch and raced to the window. She peered outside and sighed. It was a realm of gravity-less chaos out there. “I think we’re in the realm of chaos. I’m not sure we can even get out of here,” she muttered. “I’ve heard only the bravest of ponies, and mail carriers, dare to travel here. We might be stuck a while...” She wondered if Nightmare Moon would try to rescue them. Before the gala incident she was sure the mare would have. But now?

Fluttershy nodded, taking another crumpet. “You should have one, Twilight. They’re really good.”

Twilight stared at them, then shook her head. “I… think I’m good. Help yourself.”

Discord came back a moment later, the pot piping hot. He poured the steam into his cup, drinking it with a loud slurp, before glancing to the two. “I think I’ve come to a decision.”

“Oh?” Twilight asked.

The spirit grinned. “Oh, indeed. I think I’ll just cut to the end and ignore the whole… going back to stone thing,” he said with a wave of his claw and a wicked smirk.

“What?” the earth pony asked. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”

He gave a sigh. “Oh, you little ponies. Need I spell it out for you?” He stood up straight, a gray robe and beard forming on his body. A staff formed in his hand. “I, my little ponies, shall aid you! Fear not, for a spirit of chaos is never early nor late, for he arrives whenever it is most humorous for himself!”

The earth pony just stared for a few moments. “What in the...” Then her eyes lit up. “Oh! You’re referencing Graybeard the Aged from--” Her mouth zipped shut. “Mmmfff!”

He glowered down at her. “Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. You ruin the fun if you just SAY who it is,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “Think about dear Fluttershy.”

“I um, didn’t get it… sorry,” the pegasus said with a little squeak.

Twilight reached a hoof up and unzipped her mouth, coughing a few times, before glaring. “Either way, what do you mean help us? Why?”

The spirit grinned and laid back, before snapping his fingers and suddenly Celestia stood before them. Except she had the face of Discord. Twilight was sure that image would haunt her nightmares for years. “Why, isn’t it obvious, my dear, precious ponies?” he said in a mockery of the princess’ voice, before appearing as himself. “As much fun as spreading my chaos far and wide may be, it will likely end in a less than beneficial position for me.” That grin slowly got wider. “And I believe it would be far, far more amusing to see how far I can push her royal uptightedness. It’s not a full country, but it should still be quite delightful.” He gave a low snicker before leaning back and crossing his arms.

“Now, my little ponies, tell me. What do YOU intend to do?”

Twilight blinked a few times. “Do?”

He grinned even wider, his face splitting in half. “Of course. Surely a pony such as yourself, formerly bereft of magic, must have SOME plans that she requires magic for. Especially from one as powerful as myself.”

Twilight blinked, then shook her head. “I’m sorry. I mean, I’ve studied magic, in fact I--”

“Have a minor in it?”

“Err, yes. But I’ve never really had much use for it.” For the first time, the spirit actually looked confused. And almost a little sad. “Is something wrong?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing at all,” he said with a shrug, sipping his steam. “Just… ruminating. Fluttershy, would you like some more tea?”

“Oh, no thank you. It was quite good, though,” the pegasus said.

He nodded, before glancing towards her again. “Oh Fluttershy, you always did know how to--” And then his words froze, hanging in the air before slamming to the ground and sending shards of ice scattering along the ground. “Fluttershy, what’s that in your mouth?”

“Huh?” the pegasus asked, reaching up to touch her mouth. “Nothing?”

“That. Your teeth,” Discord said through gritted teeth.

The mare blinked, then gasped. “Oh! I ummm, I’m a vampire. S-sorry. Err, i-is that a problem?”

Discord stared, his eyes narrowed to slits and Twilight swore she could see fire in his eyes. “No,” he said coldly. “No it is not. Now, if there’s nothing else for you two, perhaps it’s time we end this little meeting. I’m sure by now her royal mooniness is probably besides herself with worry.”

“What?” Twilight asked. “But--” With a snap of the spirit’s fingers, the world around them disappeared.

A moment later they appeared in the air, landing on the back of something hard, black and warm. Twilight groaned for a moment, then looked up into the face of Nightmare Moon. Her blood almost turned to ice. “Y-your highness,” she squeaked.

The royal mare’s eyes flashed with a plethora of emotions as she stared at the bard, before she shook her head. “Bard. Other pony. Off,” she ordered.

Twilight squeaked and tried to gracefully jump forward. Instead she fell backwards and landed on the stone tile of the throne room. “Ow,” she said with a groan. She looked around and let out another squeak at the sight before her. Battalions of soldiers in full armor filled the throne room. Nightmare Moon was in her full war armor. Dread flooded through her. “Y-your highness!” she said quickly, getting back to her hooves. “We--”

“Silence, bard,” Nightmare Moon snapped. She then turned towards the soldiers. “All of you. Dismissed. Guard the castle, prepare for an invasion from that… creature.”

There were solemn nods. However, once the room was empty, the ruler turned to face her. Twilight squeaked and stared up at her, trying not to feel too afraid as a hoof reached out, gripping the bottom of her chin. Slowly her face was drawn up. Twilight squeaked and stared.

“Did he harm you?” she asked. The words were kind, but the tone was like venom.

Slowly the earth pony shook her head. “No. He… fed us cookies.”

She nodded. “We see. Cookies.” Her horn flared, enveloping the two in magic. She looked satisfied a moment later. “Good. We can… feel him. He’s trying to lower the moon. But his power is feeble compared to ours now,” she said darkly. “He cannot hope to win.” The alicorn turned and began to walk. “Come, bard. We have… much to discuss. Student, you as well.”

“O-of course,” Moon Dancer said, trotting quickly after the mare. Twilight noticed a second later that the unicorn was wearing full body armor as well.

Twilight stared, cocking her head to the side. She then followed after the mare. “What about Fluttershy?”

The ruler glanced back. “She is unimportant. Mare, if we summon you, come,” she mumbled, giving a dismissive wave with her wing.

“O-okay!”

Twilight gave her a nervous glance, before following after the mare. Oh this would NOT end well.

Author's Note

For those curious, the mobas are HotS and LoL.
Also for those curious, I'm super disappointed in you guys. How many of you failed magical kindergarden? Rule 15 is that without the magical power of an alicorn, it is impossible to transform eggs into any other substance while inside their shells, as their innate magical power would make such a process foalhardy.

Honestly, it was less that Twilight broke the law, more that she wiped out two kitchens, a bakery, a small mom and pop store and the principle's new car with the 'experiment'.

S2 Ch 3: Returned

27: Returned

Twilight stepped into the royal chambers and gave a nervous look around. Dancer moved to sit at the end of the bed, starring nervously at the ruler. She then glanced to Nightmare Moon, gulping. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been brought into her private chambers. It did not bode well.

The alicorn glared down at her. “We will not be disturbed here. Discord himself could not break through the enchantments here, not as he is now. So, bard. Tell us. What did he do? What did he say?” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “And tell us. Did you betray us? Did you beg for him to save you from the ‘insane’ Nightmare Moon?”

Twilight shuffled her hooves, lowering her eyes. “No, I… he...” she mumbled, staring at the ground. “He… made us tea and crumpets.”

“And? What did he say?”

“He said that, err, him being a villain would… be a waste. That with you already being the villain, it’d be boring and just, not fun...”

“… And? That’s all? He did not harm you?”

“No. He… actually seemed a little sad.”

“Sad?” Nightmare Moon asked, before snorting. “He’s not sad. He is not capable of such emotions. He is an evil abomination that deserves to be purged from this world. Torn apart from limb to limb. My sis… we sealed him away long ago out of some noble belief that the monster could be saved. But we know that to be impossible. Should we get a chance, we will not allow any of him to remain to taunt us again,” she said with a growl. “He cannot show care for another pony. At all. He is a master of manipulation and trying to control you, just as he always has been.”

Twilight nodded. “Of… of course. I didn’t mean to imply that he was… that he--”

“And if you ever think of trying to betray us to him...” She leaned in, glaring into the earth pony’s eyes. “You know the consequences.”

Twilight squeaked and nodded. “O-of course, your highness. I would never think of… of betraying you like that.”

“Do not take us for a fool, we both know that’s not true. If you believed this creature could ‘save’ you from us, you would do it in a heart beat.”

“Y-your highness,” Dancer said, piping up. “I-I’m certain Twilight wouldn’t betray you in such a manner. She’s as loyal as I am.”

The ruler snorted and a cruel smile formed on her lips. “Oh? So your loyalty only lasts as far as you believe there will be no consequences from it?”

“W-what? No! Of course not, your highness!” Dancer said.

“Truly?” the ruler said with another snort, glancing over. “And if Celestia was before us, what would you do? Would you stay loyal to us, or would you instantly turn on us? Would you beg her to save you?”

Dancer froze, her mouth falling open. “I… well… I… I mean I...”

The alicorn advanced on the mare, making her walk back nervously, until she was backed up against the wall. “Well, student? What would you do? How long until you would turn on us? If you saw a way to escape us, to get out from under our rule, how long until you would beg to be saved? Despite the gifts we have given you, the magic we have taught you, how weak is your loyalty to us?”

Dancer shook. “Your highness, I never, I didn’t...”

“Do you really believe, for even a moment, you are loyal to us? Do you believe anypony is loyal to us? We hold no… beliefs that you, or any of your ilk, care for us. It is only our great power that holds you in sway. At least, for now.” She stood up straight, spreading out her wings. Thunder crashed in the background, making Twilight jump. “And Discord is far, far too weak to oppose us.” She turned her gaze to Twilight. “So I would remember where your loyalties lie, bard.”

The earth pony stared at the ruler, before feebly nodding. She was a foal. Why. Why had she made that mistake? She sighed when the alicorn walked towards her desk, shaking her head. Twilight waited a few moments, but nothing was said so she turned and walked from the room.

“I’m an idiot,” Twilight muttered. She thought back to what happened. Why had she said that? She was an adult. She was smart, wasn’t she? But all she could think about was how it had happened. She had saw Celestia, and suddenly she’d been a little filly again. She’d saw the alicorn and instantly she believed the ruler could make everything better. Realistically she knew the princess couldn’t do anything. But at that moment, she couldn’t see that. All she could do was see the ruler of her world and believe that she was going to make everything better. And set everything she’d done for Nightmare Moon back.

She missed last year. Her stupid mistakes back then only got her hurt. Now they could end up making everything worse. She let out a squeak when suddenly there was a snap behind her. She turned and shrieked when she looked at Nightmare Moon. Who looked annoyed. “We did not dismiss you, bard.”

The earth pony squeaked, paling. “I-I’m sorry, I thought you were… d-done with me.”

“No. We are not. We have something… else we wish to discuss with you.”

Twilight nodded and gulped, following her up to her room. To her horror, she realized Dancer was gone. It was just the two of them.

“I desire to speak to you of this,” the ruler said, her horn glowing before she pulled out the book. Twilight was sure she was imagining it, but was there a small claw mark on one of the corners? If it was, the ruler didn’t notice it.

“Y-yes, your highness?” Twilight asked softly.

“We finished it a… few days ago. We just… did not wish to speak to you.”

Twilight nodded, giving her a nervous grin. “Did, err, did you enjoy it?”

The ruler stared at the book, then glanced back up to her. “We enjoyed parts. Hated others. And some others fed us with so much rage we wished to turned all of the surrounding mountains to rubble.” Twilight gulped nervously. “But, it has served its purpose. It will… tell the ponies who we are. What... I am. We will permit it to be sold.”

Twilight nodded, glancing to the side. “Thank you, your highness.”

Nightmare Moon nodded, turning to walk to the balcony of her room. She stared out over the lands. Twilight wondered if she was dismissed, but didn’t dare walk off until she was sure. After a few moments, the ruler spoke up. “It doesn’t make any difference though, does it?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Our ponies will always want her over us, won’t they?” Nightmare Moon said, the words so soft she could barely hear them. The earth pony didn’t respond, she just stood there and waited. Finally, the alicorn turned back, her eyes cold as ice. “Soon the ponies will know and understand who we are. And they WILL learn to accept us, or they will suffer for it. And… if they will not, then we will wait. Patiently. A hundred years. A thousand. Until our sister is but a myth as we were. Now, about you.”

The earth pony gulped, staring up at her ruler.

“We have heard you have gone to visit Tirek, more often of late.”

She nodded. “Y-yes. It’s about the book I’m working on. I figured if I created a book to explain who you were, well, I-I should write one about him, too. So ponies aren’t as frightened. I might do one about Discord after, too. Err, I--”

She was silenced with a wave of the alicorn’s hoof. “Very well. We… have no objection to this. If you desire to know more of that creature, we will not oppose it. However, we still believe it is a foalish endeavor. Tirek is a monster. But a helpless monster.” She was quiet for a moment longer, staring at her. “We… will also permit you to leave the castle again.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up. “R-really? I can go where I want?”

“No. But you may leave the castle. Do not leave Canterlot, or your punishment will be swift. Do you understand?”

She nodded her head. “Of course, your highness. Thank you.”

The ruler nodded, moving her back to the mare. “You are dismissed.” She was quite for a moment, before whispering under her breath, glancing towards the book. “Why must you, of all ponies, know me so well...”

“Your highness? I didn’t catch that?”

“We said you are dismissed!” the ruler snapped.

Twilight nodded and turned tail, quickly racing from the room. Once she was on the stairs, she sighed. Her book was finally going to be out, ponies were going to finally have a glimpse of just what was going on. Just how much danger they were all in. But also how safe it was, at the same time. She wondered how awful her reputation was by now. She imagined the papers were being less than kind to both of them. She’d probably be seen as someone who was just taking advantage of the whole situation to make bits.

The whole thing left a foul taste in her mouth and she began to wonder what the point was. She could try all she wanted, but things wouldn’t change. Their ruler couldn’t save them. She’d lost any and all progress she’d made with Nightmare Moon. She just wanted to go back to her home and crawl into bed to wait for the world to end. She snorted and wondered if it would be happening soon.

She gave a sigh and made her way through the castle, following the all too familiar path to Tirek’s cell. It’d be a while before the book was ready. She wondered if she’d even have any fans then to read it. She struggled to avoid banging her head on the wall. “Ugh, why are you so stupid?” she muttered to herself.

“Heh, if you’re stupid, what does that make the rest of us ponies?” Rainbow asked when she trotted around the corner, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Applejack following a moment later.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Girls? What are you doing here? Oh! Nightmare Moon didn’t try to make you--”

“What, two of our buddies end up getting foalnapped and you think we’re going to just high tail it out of here and wait for things to blow over?” Rainbow asked with a snort. “You should know us better than that by now.”

Twilight nodded and smiled despite herself. She should have. She stepped forward and felt the warm embrace of her friends. Even though she didn’t know all of them very well, it still felt wonderful. She then snickered when she noticed Spike was standing off behind them. “Spike? Do you want to join in the hug, too?”

He snorted, his cheeks turning a little red. “What? No. What makes you think I--” He yelped when he was grabbed in Rarity’s magic and pulled into the hug, his cheeks burning. “F-fine, whatever.”

Twilight sighed when they pulled back. “So, has Fluttershy explained what happened?”

“Yeah. This whole Discord thing seems pretty weird,” Rainbow muttered. “But eh. He’s not joining forces with her royal darkness up there and isn’t causing us grief, so maybe he’s not so bad.”

“He makes very good tea,” Fluttershy said softly.

Applejack gave a shrug. “Honestly, ah ain’t met ‘im yet, but ah get a bad vibe judgin’ by what Fluttershy told us. But… well, if he don’t wanna cause problems, ah ain’t one tah judge a pony who ain’t done nothin’,” she said with a nod.

“Yeah, he seems like he’ll be a bit of a headache,” Twilight said with a shrug. “But nothing really too bad. So it could be a lot worse. Sorry about the picnic.”

“It’s quite alright, darling,” Rarity said with a smile. “Nopony could have expected something like this happening and you can hardly blame yourself.”

Twilight nodded, before grinning. “Well, you’re all here. How about we go down to Canterlot Park and have a real picnic?”

“Canterlot Park?” Rainbow asked. “I thought you weren’t supposed to leave the castle?”

“Nightmare Moon has rescinded that order. I am now allowed to leave the castle,” she said with a nod. “Just… not the city.” She gave another sigh. “Hopefully she doesn’t get mad at me again...”

“What’d she even get mad at you for that time, anyway?” Rainbow asked with a frown. “The party was a success! Still not up to her standards? What, did she want you to turn the whole country into her loyal minions overnight?”

Twilight shook her head, feeling that pressure as the spell started to exert itself. The truth would do her no good here. “It… wasn’t something like that,” she said with a shake of her head, trying to look for a proper lie, her eyes glancing off to the side. “I over stepped some boundaries I really shouldn’t have and I really, really hurt her.”

Rainbow snorted again. “So? She’s a big girl, is she going to throw a tantrum every time you say something she doesn’t like?”

“Probably,” Rarity said with a shrug.

“Totally!” Pinkie added.

“Ah only known her a short time, but ah’m pretty sure that seems tah be the way of things,” Applejack said with a huff.

“Oh yeah, all the time,” Spike said, nodding.

“Well… n-no… okay, yes,” Fluttershy added softly. “Sorry.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yes, she does do that a lot. But this time I really hurt her, a lot more than I meant to. I acted without thinking and it was a foalish thing to do, okay?” she said, shaking her head. “I just would rather not talk about it. So, picnic?”

The others nodded and the seven of them started walking towards the main entrance. As they did, Rarity glanced over. “So, darling. Far be it for me to pry too much… but…”

Twilight glanced over. “Yes?”

“Well… I can’t help but notice that you haven’t been at her highness’ side in ages. It used to be that she had you there for all her meetings. But I’ve seen a number of courts now that you have been nowhere in sight. I didn’t want to say anything, but… this… matter you mentioned...”

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “No. Yes. Sorta. Honestly? I… don’t know anymore. I don’t have any more ideas on what to do with her,” she muttered. “I feel like we’ve hit an impasse. I don’t think she’s going to end up destroying the country. But I don’t know how to improve her or make things better for her and everypony else,” she muttered. “I really don’t know how to connect with her anymore.” She mentally berated herself. If she’d just not acted like a school filly running to the princess like that, everything would be so much easier.

Rarity nodded. “I see.” She was quiet for a long moment, before finally speaking up again. “Then… do you believe this is for the best? For Equestria?”

Twilight almost stumbled and she noted the others moving a little faster then as well. They didn’t look back, but she could feel all of them listening intently. The earth pony was quiet for a long, long time before finally speaking up. “Yes. I do. I believe this is the best we can do. The best we can hope for at this time. Maybe… Nightmare Moon isn’t so bad.”

Rarity nodded, silence once again encircling the group.

After a few moments, Applejack coughed to the side. “So… Trixie’s been doin’ okay.”

Twilight perked up. “Really? She is? That’s great!”

“Ehh,” Applejack said with a shrug. “Ah mean, jus’ okay. She still gets into a mope every so often. The other day Cheerilee went down there an’ caught the unicorn burnin’ an oddly Nightmare Moon shaped effigy.”

Twilight gasped. “SHE DID WHAT?!”

“Err, ah think they put it out, nopony saw.”

“SAW?!” Twilight snapped. “She works in a library! A LIBRARY! What if some of the books had been burned?! All that knowledge that could have been lost, the stories, the passion, the emotion, all of it, gone in an instant! I’m going to have to have a long, STERN talk with that mare,” she said huffily.

Rainbow gave a snorted. “Twilight, you egg head. They’re just books. Who cares if-- eep!” She let out a squeak as suddenly the earth pony was in front of her, a hoof pushed to her chest.

“They are not just books. There is no such thing as ‘just books’. Books are passion, they are energy. They are a connection to past lives, to new worlds, to emotions and feelings and thoughts different from our own. Every single page is filled with a small snap shot of a person’s mind! A book is the heart and soul of its writer! To destroy one is unthinkable!”

The pegasus squeaked, giving a small nod. “R-right. Unthinkable. Don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Are you going to throw her into a wall, too?” Spike asked.

Rarity managed to barely suppress a giggle with her hoof, drawing red to Twilight’s cheeks. She stormed back down the hall, her cheeks feeling as if they were on fire. “L-let’s just go. And don’t let her burn any more things in the library, okay?”

The others nodded. Rainbow glanced towards Spike. “Is she always like this?”

“Oh, no,” the dragon said with a shake of his head. “Usually she gets a lot angrier when there’s talk of burning books.”

Rainbow nodded, then… “So, the whole story about her throwing Nightmare Moon into a wall… it was true?”

Spike nodded. “Oh yeah. I didn’t see it, but if you go down to the library and know who to ask, you can see a crude sketch of the whole thing. It’s pretty funny. And I think the dent is still in the wall. I don’t think Nightmare Moon has been there since.”

Rainbow nodded, a grin on her lips. “I’ll need to make sure to see that.”

Twilight gave a soft yawn as she trotted down the stairs into the dungeon. She rubbed at her eyes and stretched, grumbling softly. “Sometimes I swear...” she muttered.

Hanging out with her friends had actually been really nice, far nicer than she expected. But Pinkie was exhausting. She was mildly thankful she didn’t live in the same town as her. She was also trying to find out how in the world she counted as Pinkie’s ‘best friend’ when all the others seemed to as well. It didn’t make any sense. How could a pony have multiple best friends? On top of that, they’d only just met each other recently. A part of her wanted to study the mare, but she wasn’t sure she had all the tools, the energy or the time required for such a feat.

So instead she’d focused on just trying to keep up with the mare. Which had involved a lot more running than her, seemingly sedentary, life had left her prepared for. She wasn’t out of shape by any means, but in the end only Applejack and Rainbow weren’t left in a pile of sweat and panting.

But by Nightmare Moon’s over pointed glare, those cup cakes were delicious.

She gave another soft yawn and then glanced towards the cell. She expected Tirek to be there, reading a book. She did not expect him to be sitting on his bed, arms crossed and smirking at her. Life in captivity was fairing well for him, at least better than Tartarus had. He was more muscular and larger, he somehow managed to look younger as well.

“All things considered, you’re looking good,” Twilight said with a smile. “How are you feeling? Chipper?”

“Oh, indeed. I see the Lord of Chaos has escaped his imprisonment as well.”

Twilight’s smile fell. “Oh. You mean Discord. You’re… aware of him, then?”

“Oh, of course I am. I am almost as ancient as he. And magic such as his… well, it fills the air with the most delightful of tingles,” he said with a low chuckle. “I take it her highness is none too thrilled by this development?”

“Can you blame her?” Twilight said.

He laughed again. “So, tell me. Has he laid siege? Do the fields run with the taste of chocolate and marshmallows? Or has he perhaps turned the outside world into a giant bowl of soup?”

The earth pony stared. “What in Equestria are you talking about? He hasn’t done anything.”

That gave the centaur pause. “What? He hasn’t… you expect me to believe that Discord has freed himself and hasn’t sought out vengeance on the one who imprisoned him?”

She shrugged. “If anything, he seems scared of Nightmare Moon.”

He stared and, to her delight, she saw actual bewilderment on his expression. Then disbelief. “You’re lying, pony.”

“Isn’t that my line?” she said with a cocked eye.

“That spirit would not stand idly by after waiting for so long.”

Twilight shrugged. “I never said that. He just said he didn’t want to be a villain if Nightmare Moon already has it covered.”

He gave a low growl, rubbing his chin. “Discord, you crazy abomination… what are you playing at? Is this another one of your insufferable games?” he asked, beginning to pace back and forth. “You were supposed to be my ticket out of here...”

“Your what now?” she asked, cocking an eye.

He glanced back to her and snorted. “Nothing you need concern yourself with, pony,” he said bitterly.

She stared for a few moments, then frowned. A moment later it was replaced with a look of sadness. “Oh. Oh Tirek. I’m so sorry.”

He stared at her. “Sorry? For what?”

She stepped closer to the bars. “You thought Discord would be your way out, that in the chaos, you could escape your prison and be free, didn’t you?”

His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t speak.

“I’m not going to mock you,” she said with a sigh. “I… am just sorry.”

He stared at her, then turned away. “Bah. Do not waste your regrets on me, pony. Were the tables turned, I would do naught but laugh at you in this situation.”

She nodded, but made a mental note to have the cooks bring him an extra large parfait for dessert. She couldn’t imagine how much it must hurt to lose his hope like that. Then, a moment later, she realized she knew exactly how it felt. “I know how you feel.”

He snorted. “Oh? And how could you know that?”

“You feel… abandoned. Weak. Like no matter how hard you try, things just won’t get better. That… there’s no master plan or great gesture you can make to fix things.”

He cocked an eye. “Oh?”

“That those you wish to… to help you, to save you, can’t anymore. That they--”

“So you’ve found Celestia.”

Twilight froze in place, her mouth falling open. She then shook her head. “No!” The spell entwined her, making the words fall out of her mouth before she could stop them.

He snorted, giving a smile as he looked to her. “Magic is my specialty, Twilight. I can feel it working on you.” He then gave a low, booming laugh. “I suspected you’d found her after all. But no, you need not confirm my suspicions. I can already tell.”

“No, I didn’t find her. I don’t--”

“Silence,” he snapped, glowering at her. He then laughed. “But the feelings you had for your ruler do not mix with my own. I viewed Discord as nothing more than a tool. Something I would use to manipulate my way into my freedom. If… that is no longer an option, then I will merely find some other way to gain my freedom. That is all. No more, no less.” He gave another soft snort. “Though your sickening desire to ‘help’ me is noted. Dismissed, but noted.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. She then pulled out her pen and papers. “Of course. Now, would you mind if we continued the story? I believe when last we left off, we were discussing your families vacation to the dragon lands?”

He blinked a few times before sighing. “Very well. It was… hot. There was a lot of fire.”

She nodded, jotting things down as he talked. At least he didn’t fight her as much during their talks anymore.

S2 Ch 4: Calendars

28: Calendars

Twilight laid on the ground, her eyes wide as saucers, her heart pounding so hard she was certain it would explode at any moment. Why. Why had it come to this? What had she done to deserve this? There was no point to it. No point to anything. A part of her wondered if she had died. Was that explosion something else and her mind just refused to process it?

Maybe there had been some problems with the court mages. Her room wasn’t too far from their rooms. It was completely understandable that some explosion or another had overtaken them and, as such, had enveloped hers as well. Yes, that had to be what happened. It was the only logical explanation. Because the alternative was…

That a small, pink earth pony had somehow launched herself out of Twilight’s closet drawer, complete with two party cannons, a cupcake(that she could still taste. It was chocolate. Not bad.), a dozen balloons and at least two pounds of confetti. All somehow crammed into a drawer that was just barely big enough to hold her pens and spare paper.

Twilight laid on the ground in shock, staring at the roof and struggling to regather herself while the pink pony rambled on about something. She couldn’t process it. Sure, the ringing in her ears from the close up cannons had long since died, but her mind still refused to accept what was going on. What had happen. She caught the odd word here and there. Shining? Birthday? Eight layer cake? What?

Slowly she began to tune herself into the conversation while the pink pony hopped around the room, seemingly unaware of the shock she had put Twilight through. The earth pony couldn’t help but note Spike was sitting on the bed, looking only slightly less confused than her, though mildly amused.

Finally, the writer got to her hooves with great difficulty and stood up, shaking her head. “Pinkie. Pinkie?”

“And then we’ll go get some smores because you don’t have to be camping to have smores you know it’s just marshmallows and--”

“PINKIE!” Twilight yelled, shaking the mare out of her word explosions.

The other earth pony froze and glanced to her. Moments later she burst into giggles. “T-Twilight, y-your mane!”

“What?” Twilight asked, before looking in the mirror. Her ears drooped and she heard Spike let out a guffaw. The shock had managed to make it stand on end. Her cheeks turned red and she galloped to her night stand, yanking out a brush and doing the best she could to at least straighten it a bit. Once she was finished, she took a slow, deep breath and turned to the other mare. “Okay. Pinkie. As I was saying. What are you talking about? Why are you even here? Did Nightmare Moon send you?”

The pink pony giggled and shook her head. “Of course not, silly! Your brother did!”

Twilight blinked a few more times. “You’ve… met my brother?”

“Of course! You didn’t think I’d come all the way up here to see my new best friend all the time and never visit her family, did you?”

Twilight stared for a few more moments. She imagined the pink mare meeting Cadence and Shining. She couldn’t deny that the thought did seem quite humorous to her, making her draw a hoof up and chuckling softly. “I… see. And my brother sent you to me?”

“Well, no. Not per say.”

“Well? Then why are you here?”

“Because it’s almost your birthday, silly! Why didn’t you tell us?” Pinkie said, grinning from ear to ear.

Twilight stared some more, blinking. “What? It’s not my--” She then paused and did some mental calculations. Then shrugged. “Huh. Yeah, I guess it is. So?”

The pink pony’s mane actually deflated. “So?”

“Well, it’s not important,” she said with a shrug. “Age is just a number used to apply set restrictions on the legal privileges a pony is allowed to access. I hit my last important one a while back, so it’s not like there’s any more age limits I’m hitting,” she said with a shrug.

Spike sighed. “Only you could make a birthday seem boring.”

Twilight shrugged. “I’m sorry? But I usually just skip them. Sometimes Shining and I will get dinner in the city, but I don’t-- err, Pinkie?”

The mare looked like she was going to start crying.

“I’m… sorry? What’s wrong?”

“You… don’t have birthday parties?”

“I’m a little old for that, don’t you think?”

“But… but what about Spike?”

Twilight stared for a few moments, moving her mouth as she tried to process the question. Finally, after a few moments of her mind refusing to process it, she skipped straight to the point. “What about Spike?”

“You’re almost his mom, you need to set a proper example for birthdays!” Pinkie said with a nod. Now Spike was full on laughing, holding his stomach as he fell back on the bed.

Twilight stared, her mouth open. There were no words. “Zgrrgz?” she managed to say intelligibly.

“Uh huh!”

Her mind attempted to reboot itself, finally giving up and engaging safe mode. She stood there for a few, long seconds and then uttered words she almost instantly regretted. “F-fine. Just do whatever you want.”

Pinkie squealed with delight, hopping into the air and, somehow, making more balloons fly. “You won’t be disappointed, Twilight! This’ll be the best birthday party EVER!” And then, as quickly as she appeared, the mare was gone. To Twilight’s surprise, when she looked down, all the confetti was gone as well. All that remained to assure her that she didn’t in fact have a psychotic break from too much studying were a few balloons hovering in the air.

Finally, she turned to Spike, glaring. “I’m happy you find this so amusing.”

He snickered, leaning up. “H-hey. She’s doing my birthday, it’s only fair she does yours too.” He paused for a moment, before… “Mom.” He promptly fell back again, laughing uproariously.

She rolled her eyes and stepped towards the door. She had been tired a few moments ago as she had just woken up, but now her heart was pumping like an engine and the adrenaline in her system left her wide awake.

The mare sighed when she took a seat in the dining hall, a hoof rubbing her forehead. She couldn’t imagine what went through that pink pony’s head some days. Balloons? Confetti? Perhaps fire works? Whatever it was, it was insane and she now couldn’t help feeling a little miffed that her friends hadn’t at least warned her when they sent her to that bakery. Her and Pinkie weren’t even that close, she had far more interactions with Rarity, yet the mare didn’t seem the least bit interested in her birthday.

She sighed and gave a shrug, chewing idly on her hay muffin. She couldn’t imagine why anypony would make such a big deal about a birthday. It happened every year, like clock work. Everypony came together, sang a song, gave gifts and then cut the cake. It seemed like a dreadful waste of the day. And what was the point? To make her feel special? Her friends didn’t need to spend a day celebrating her to make her feel special, they already--

The muffin fell from her hoof and she stared across the hall, her eyes wide. She swallowed after a few moments, before jumping to her hooves and galloping out of the hall, leaving her meal behind herself.

That beautiful, wonderful, amazing pink pony who she could never, ever give enough praise to had figured it out!

Twilight flipped through the books, frowning more and more as she worked. She’d lay claim to one of the chalk boards in the library and it was now covered in calculations that made sense to nopony but herself. Towers of books surrounded her, like an impenetrable fortress of knowledge.

The librarians whispered amongst themselves, but none dared disturb the tyrant tosser, for fear of her wrath. When the earth pony finally let out an angry cry of defeat and collapsed to the ground, knocking a few of the stacks over, the librarians scattered like frightened flies.

“It’s impossible,” Twilight muttered.

After a few minutes, one of the younger librarians slowly stepped forward and gave a nervous gulp. He would have gladly taken a trip through the magical and sometimes fatal under vaults, where only the most dangerous of tomes were stored, over approaching such a dangerous mare. But he had the least amount of seniority and so the task fell to him. Also, as he was the newest, he’d be the easiest to replace. “Err, miss Glow?” he asked softly. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“No,” she muttered with annoyance. “Not unless YOU can tell me what Nightmare Moon’s birthday is.”

“… I’m sorry? Err… is this trivia? From your book?”

“No, no,” she muttered. “Figures. I spend weeks gathering every piece of information, but I don’t remember the important things. ‘When’s your birthday, what kind of cake do you like?’ Go figure, right?” She got to her hooves and stared at the board. “Oh, Celestia’s birthday was easy,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “She only had two hundred and seventy-five different dates for it over the last few millenia. But Nightmare Moon’s? Or Luna’s? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! It doesn’t help that all past records of her tend to, well, be in the past. I swear it feels like it’s just a myth sometimes,” she muttered again. “One we’re all stuck in. No, no. There’s only hundreds of different possibilities of when it could be. On top of that, she’s the little sister. You know how many myths and stories there are on the birth of Celestia and Luna? Dozens! In some they’re born in the coldest day of the coldest year of the coldest blah blah blah. In other ones, they’re found at the birth of time. In still others, they are birthed on the founding of Equestria. None of it is consistent! Then, on top of that, the calenders and how we’ve done the weather have changed so gosh darn many times. Did you know we’ve changed how we register a year fourteen times in the last millenia alone? Six of those were in the last two hundred years!”

The stallion nodded, wondering if she’d possibly be able to find him if he made an escape attempt to the under vaults. Did they have the life lines set up? With a nervous gulp, he slowly tried responding. “Perhaps you could, err, ask her?”

“Oh, right, ask the super emotional, prone to anger princess of the night! That’ll end well!” Twilight said, then put a hoof to her forehead. “Did they even celebrate birthday parties a millenia ago? Ugh, if we had day and night, I’d suggest the winter solstice, but no. I’m honestly amazed anypony is even keeping up with the calender these days. Without a day or night, the whole point is moot. Well, I guess for seasons and… okay, it’s not moot at all I’m just really annoyed, you know?!” she said, before rolling over and hugging a book to her chest as best she could. “How could anypony hope to solve this? How in the world COULD anypony solve this? Starswirl the Bearded couldn’t do this and he had magic at his hooves. I’m just an earth pony. I can’t do this.”

The stallion shuffled from hoof to hoof, beginning to suspect the danger was passing.

“… Well, there’s no other option, then. I’ll have to just do it the good old fashioned way. Dates be darned.”

“Miss?” he asked. “Do what the old fashioned way?”

She glanced towards him with a crazy gleam in her eye. “Why, throw Nightmare Moon a surprise birthday party. What else?”

Author's Note

Last chap for a bit, now caught up on my back log. Hope you guys enjoy. :)

S2 Ch 5: Scheming