The unspoken friend's of Nightmare Moon

The lesson she should have forgotten ep1

Think fast Twi!” said Dash in a playful tone as she threw a book that she grabbed with her hoof.  “Now Twi shows me what you got,” said Dash as she threw another one of her books with even more energy. Princess Twilight’s mind started to race as her books took to the sky. “I know that there is no time to overthink this now,” she said as she readied all four of her hooves digging them into the ground as she got ready to sprint. “Both Old and Forgotten of Equestria volumes 1 and 2!!!” exclaimed Twilight.” I use these to have a more in-depth understanding of Equestrian history and now they are flying straight into the mud. How dare you endanger such important information?” Twilight said in her head as her eyes narrowed.  As her mind continued to race, the lavender mare started running, almost falling short of breath. Looking up at the books, she sped up till they were right above her ears. She jumped and spun in midair.  Pointing her hooves skyward, she grabbed both volumes with her hooves. As she fell into the mud, her lavender coat was covered in the dirty substance. On her Back, muzzle, wings, and tail, the lavender mare was covered in mud head to hoof. She opened her hooves with both the books spotless; she sighed and replied, “That was close.”

    Rainbow Dash was getting ready throw two more books, but was shocked and became speechless as she stopped dead in her tracks. If her jaw dropped any lower it would hit the ground; if Dash was not flying it would have.  “Twi I know you love books, but come on, that just crazy!” said Dash looking at the spotless books in twilight hooves. Empowered from what Twilight just did, she threw two more books with even more speed; “use your wings, not just your hooves this time. And no magic!” shouted Dash with excitement.

    Princess Twilight saw that dash was throwing even more even faster and she saw the only copy left of Mare Delight, one of the only books no pony ever returned.  As Twilight’s horn lit up, she put a tracking spell on Mare Delight before this, she could find the pony who didn't return it whoever they maybe and “give them peace of her mind”. The book shined as it responded to her horn, so she knew that it was indeed Mare Delight. Her eyes filled with fire and her mane and tail turned into something akin to a flamethrower blazing from both ends. Using her magic, her horn stopped glowing. As she took hold of both books, she heard a loud shout of “no cheating!”  Then she turned to find a missing Rainbow Dash. Then she saw streaks of the rainbow out of the corner of her eye, when she turned around, Dash was pushing clouds over her head. Letting go of the cloud in her hooves, Dash turned around in place then kicked the cloud. Water rained down onto Twilight, dousing the flames within her mane and tail.

She was looking at Twilight with genuine disappointment. “And you all call me a hot-headed mare,” said Dash with a sad smirk. “Twilight I am your teacher for the day. You have to follow my rules, so no magic twilight!” said Dash with a bit of anger in her voice. “So did that cool you off,” Dash said with authority at the snarling Twilight with a rain cloud still pouring over her head drenching every part of her figure. She saw that Dash’s disappointment was clear and sincere, so Twilight slowly calmed herself down, and then had a pound reflection to these very words: I am your teacher, as Dash continued talking. “You need to learn how to accept some losses. No pain, no gain. OK Twi,” Dash exclaimed as Twilight’s mind went to another place.  Remembering when Celestia sub as her magic teacher. She was surprised when she showed up and Dash was being just as hard as she was.

    Flashing back to that very lesson, her mind went away to a time in the past with a class filled with fillies and colts of all shapes and sizes. Only one of the fillies raised their hoof making the teacher face hoof. The stallion said to the filly,” I have nothing lef…” He was cut off by a blinding golden light.

A large white Alicorns appeared in blazing golden light in front of the filly with her hoof up. She was in place of their teacher who disappeared along with rest of her classmates.

All the fillies and colts and the teacher all were teleported by a golden magic aura into the main royal chamber in Celestia’s castle in Canterlot. Celestia leaned down and gave a gentle smile as she spoke in a matter of fact tone, “due to royal affairs, I have had to miss out on many of your private lessons Twilight.” The princess was upset with this. “So let's make up for lost time,” Celestia said with a bright smile.

Filly Twilight was jumping for joy, bouncing around the room with red wooden walls. She was at her desk with Celestia in front of her. She circled all the desks screaming “I'm gonna spend the day with Celestia!” The larger white mare with wings and a horn elegantly replied, “Please calm down a little.” Filly Twilight, coming to a full stop, turned to face her mentor. As twilight stared at the large white Alicorn, instead of responding, filly Twilight became entranced with her teacher's flowing mane. It flowed like it was lifted by winds of a gentle a breeze which were almost impossible given that they were inside a room with no window open, Twilight wondered this as she basked in her mentor’s beauty.  “Twilight!” said Celestia who raised her voice with a tone of authority gaining Twilight’s undivided attention.

Now that Celestia gained the filly’s attention, she continued “this lesson will be short, and to the point.” Celestia said this with tone frankness that seemed off to the filly? “I hope this will help you grow as a mare when you’re older,” said Celestia with a hint of sadness. "I hope that you, Twilight my faithful student, will never come to use it,” Celestia said with frankness. Then Celestia said inwardly “better yet, I don’t even mind if you forget it,” as she closed her eyes within her mind “because I am simply clearing my conscience”.  Filly Twilight never heard her mentor speak in such dismissive way. This worried the filly, her serious tone she heard before, but never Celestia with such coldness. It was unfamiliar and haunting to the filly. Celestia noticed this and changed her tone, back to the serene voice she used throughout all the years of peace, she muttered inwardly “slipping now when I am so close.” A smile crept across her face, remembering Luna and her way of saying that phrase. Celestia scolding herself “you even scared a filly, you haven't done that in about two hundred years. Did my nightmare I had with Luna revert me so deeply?” Celesta was consumed with disappointment as she lowered her head down with a clear expression of sadness perch upon her fetchers. The lavender filly watched clearly in shock as the princess was idly crying.

The small lavender unicorn walked up slowly to the towering white mare and asked “are you ok?” with a concerned gaze. Celestia lifted her head as her horn lit up and her eyes shot wide in realization of the appearance she was giving off. Before Twilight could see her tears, she evaporated them with magic.

A smoky mist covered her whole face. The little filly couldn't see through, as Celesta gave the filly a soft “Boo”, blowing mist into the filly as Celestia shouted as well momentary shocking the filly. “Got ya,” she said with a playful tone, which made small filly smile again.

“So Celestia, what is the lesson today,” she said twilight with a plastered grin on her muzzle, smile wide at her teacher hoping to make her smile back. To that Celestia gave a chuckle and said inwardly “I’m ruining a perfect occasion” Then said she aloud, “it's not every day that I drop everything and have a lesson with my most faithful student.” Celestia spoke this with a smile. With that, Twilight straightened her back and increased her posture. Then Celesta continued, “The lesson for today is acceptable losses.” as She faked enthusiasm with a gentle smile. “But I don't want to lose” filly Twilight responded in a conflicted tone. She turned away, feeling regretful about her outburst in front of Celestia, her idol, and mentor.  In which Celestia found most relieving. “So Twilight, you are willing to consider it,” Celestia spoke as her gaze hardened. Without raising her hoof Twilight exclaimed, “so what about the pop quiz?!” Jumping up and down with joy, and then become pale as she ran back to her small filly desk, covering her muzzle with a hoof realizing she just spoke out of turn.

    Celestia smiled gently, holding back a smirk as she overlooks the fact that she didn’t raise her hoof. “Let me explain by giving an example,” said Celestia as she came around the table in front of the room, finding an opening with her faithful student slipping up. Celestia embraced the idea of breaking the formality of roles that they shared, by being anything but formal. For subject and ruler, what Celestia was doing was taboo, as she started blurring the lines of teacher and student. The white Alicorn come closer to Twilight, where she was in hooves reach of her. Setting on all four hooves, Celestia brought her eyes level with Twilight, who was sitting on her small filly desk. This made Twi blush, never seeing her teacher so close nor sitting on the ground on all fours hooves. Why would her idol lower herself for her? To break such formality was unheard of, as Twilight got redder and more nervous as she shuddered at the realization. Celestia, seeing her student’s shocked expression, she took the opening. “Well, Twilight Sparkle, what if you can only have one ice cream cone,” said Celestia gently. As Twilight stared on in confusion at the question, Celestia exclaimed, “I ask you which one do you pick when you can't have all of the flavors.” Much to her surprise, Twilight responded immediately raising her hoof. As Celestia replied with nodding her head for motioning her to continue, “You pick your favorite flavor because if I can’t have all of the flavors, then your experience is still the best” said Twilight. Celestia replied with a joyful energy that seemed out character. Almost bouncing as she was cheering the answer “yes yes very good Twilight!” She clapped her hooves, giving her faithful student a glowing smile, much to the surprise of Twilight who had never seen her mentor act so odd this way before. Much less she didn't know being a good student gave her mentor such joys. Filly Twilight felt empowered from the possibility that her mentor’s heart was in her hooves. Remembering the look on her teacher’s face earlier, she prepared herself for the next question, but it never came. So she waited for the review of the lesson at the end of every one of Celestia's lecture. Filly Twilight was waiting for her teacher to calm down as she deadpanned: “is this what I act like all the time around her.” She was more irritated with herself then her mentor.

    Within time Celestia calmed down and steeled her expressions.

    Granting a smile to Twilight’s face, Celestia regained the composure that Twilight was grown most a custom to. Celestia was reflecting on how she was acting so foalish. “I apologize Twilight, I had a very bad dream and it seems to be bringing back habits from my younger years. And what you said has lifted my spirits,” Celestia said as she smiled gently. As twilight shouted “You look as if you haven't aged a day,” Twilight said with big grin Celestia replied, “Trying to get extra credit now are we?” Twilight began to smile. “I might be slipping a bit, but that doesn't mean I can't see what my faithful student is doing,” Celestial proclaimed as she saw Twilight start pouting and giving her mentor big watery eyes as Celestia responded, “Ok ok, your grade is an A+.” Celestia giggled softly with her hoof over her mouth because of the filly’s antics.  “So what did we learn today?” Celestial demanded with a humorless expression of expectancy with an eyebrow raised, Making filly twilight stand at a station.

As twilight replied “You can't have everything in life, so hold on to what is important to you so you can't have all flavors of life so pick the one that counts,” Twilight said in the matter of fact tone her teacher expected. Her eyes were closed and a wide grin touched her face with the knowledge that she got it right yet again. "For the most part," said Celestia, who got up and was turning her head toward the door. “With that will be on my way,” Celestia said out loud. “It seems that I didn't fail with her like I failed with Luna. Who am I kidding? I didn't even try until it was too late; I was too busy to see what she was becoming. Should I make the last push?” the elegant Alicorn thought. “Just to make sure she is my faithful student,” said Celestia. As she gritted her teeth, tears started flowing and she lowered her ears.

“But what about her other dreams why am I second-guessing myself?” Celestia thought. Remembering her soulless words, “The lesson for two days is acceptable losses,” as her eyes narrowed. “It’s Time for you to eat your own words you old mare,” Celestia told herself. “But she just a filly” Celestia sighed, stamping out her doubts like she did on the day so long ago when she banished Luna to the moon. Her look of dread was replaced with determination. As Celestia stopped walking towards the door, she turned her head slightly and spoke. “But remember today’s lesson my faithful student, you can't have everything in life. Never stress about the small things within life and cherish these closest to you.” Celestia said faking sincerity. “If you can't save them all, settle for saving the one you cherish the most.” Memories of Luna flashed in Celestia’s mind, of her failing to do just that. She held back the flood of emotions that came with that. She knew the answer that would be given to such words planted in the small filly’s mind, not even fully developed yet. She gritted her teeth and bunkered down for what was to come.

As the small lavender mare dashed across the room, she replied with tears in her eyes feeling closer to her mentor and idol than ever before. With Celestia opening up in a way she never saw her do, Twilight knew that she alone could stop her crying. This gave the small filly the feeling of meaning, purpose, and power that she didn’t actually possess. Then the filly’s small eyes narrowed. “I will protect her,” Twilight said aloud. Celestia hearing this knew the seed was planted in her young filly mind. “Now it's up to her. Show the filly that everything was going to be ok” Celestia told herself. As she battled with her mind, Celestia continued “she needs not worry about me believing that I didn't need her help so deeply.” Celestia tried to motivate herself by showing Twilight that she was a strong mare and she need not put such a burden on herself. Inside of her mind, she said, “Tell her that she doesn't need to protect me because I will protect her.”

But solemnly Celestia never spoke these words.

Small Twilight ran through the events of her life. “I had a lot of magic after the exams, but this is the first time I changed anything without using any type of spell, incantation, or charm”. She was shocked and confused. “I am the one who will stop your tears, my mentor,” she said within her mind as she held one of Celestia hoofs. As tears started flowing again with renewed force, the small filly started hugging Celestia tighter, bearing her muzzle deeper into Celestia's coat. As filly Twilight continued to close her eyes trying to stop the flow of tears, she tried to gain control of herself. “This is not the Twilight that passed the exam nor is it the Twilight that came before that,” said Twilight in a proud tone. "It is me who is Celestia's faithful student, the pony closest to her is you,” Twilight said out loud. As Twilight wiped her tears away, she looked up at Celestia who was not returning the filly’s feeling at the time, just letting her vent. Twilight looked up to Celestia hoping to get a response. “The pony I cherish the most is you and you are my favorite flavor Celestia!” shouted Twilight with despair. “The thing I cherish most is you, Princess Celestia, so try to only hold on to what is important, but to me, nothing is more important than you Celestia,” Twilight explained in a somber tone.

         The filly was stricken with sadness when Celestia turned her head to look up to the sky, seemingly crushing the filly’s hopes of her feeling being returned in kind. Celestia said in a voice so soft that it wouldn't be justified as a whisper “Luna please forgive me for what I am about to do.” as she looked unknowingly straight up at the hooded pony who was watching her with a crystal ball. In the grand ballroom with five big thrones was a single pony shrouded under a hood with a muzzle. He was full of decay as his flesh rotted away, with eyes full of hatred. “You dare ask for her forgiveness you blazing whore!” the hooded corpse looking pony shouted in the shrouded darkness. It threw the crystal ball into a wall making a crater and a whirlwind shearing through the chamber of the ballroom, making all the odds and ends go flying about as the crystal ball continued to spiral. As the hooded pony gasped heaving breaths from the anger, another pony walked into the room and said, “Just a few more years and the princess can come back down.” The hooded pony collapsed into dust, leaving nothing but rags and torn cloth after burning all his anger. As the other pony walked up to pick up the crystal ball that was still spinning in place, embedded into the wall, the shrouded figure trotted over and extended a blazing golden hoof from under its cloak. And with that single hoof, it stopped the crystal ball. The whirlwind was halted and everything it picked up was suddenly flung to the ground. The hooded figure looked into the crystal ball, and all that could be seen in the surrounding darkness was its eyes made of hellfire. As it looked into the ball with a grin, the shrouded figure said: “evil mares like you, Celestia, make me wonder who the real monsters really are.” The hooded figure’s eyes narrowed looking into the crystal ball an hour later. “I wonder if there are maggots under your pure white coat,” the hooded pony said lifelessly as it put the crystal ball back onto its stand at the center of the ballroom.

  Screams echo in hallways painted under a veil of silver glass.

Come back to find out what disgusted the hooded pony.