The Dark Apprentice

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

Do not discuss the contents of this letter with anypony. Not Celestia, not Spike, not even your own reflection.

Would you like to become my student as well? You may send your answer back with Phobomelos.

Luna

Twilight read the letter over. Then she read it two more times. Finally, she closed her eyes and read it again in her mind.

This was an interesting way to start the morning. Comb mane, prepare breakfast, have god-princess send a top secret offer of apprenticeship. One of those things did not fit into Twilight’s schedule, and Twilight on principle could not abide things that violated the schedule.

Princess Luna’s letter raised so many questions, and Twilight couldn’t answer a single one of them. Why was it so important that nopony know about the letter? What did ‘not even your own reflection’ mean? Who in Equestria was Phobomelos?

Most important to Twilight was the question posed by the letter itself. Would you like to become my student? Twilight didn’t understand why Luna would want her as a student, or why the princess couldn’t ask her in person.

She didn’t even know what being Princess Luna’s student would entail. Princess Celestia’s lessons were rigorous and difficult exercises of the mind that most unicorns couldn’t hope to accomplish. Now that Twilight lived in Ponyville, she was mostly self-taught. Would Princess Luna expect Twilight to move back to Canterlot?

Twilight sighed and rested her head on the kitchen table. She’d been so preoccupied with the letter that her cereal had gotten puffy and soggy in its bowl. She could hardly believe she was considering turning the princess down. “This isn’t fair,” she groaned, “I need more information!”

She slurped back some of her sopping breakfast cereal, lamenting the fact that by now the milk was also warm. She couldn’t say no to a Princess of Equestria—the idea was preposterous. And she couldn’t deny herself the opportunity to learn from an immortal. Twilight could scarcely imagine the kinds of things Princess Luna might have to teach her. History forgotten by historians. Magic unknown to unicorns. Secrets privy only to the divinities.

Yes. She had to say yes. An opportunity like this one was too good to pass up, even if it involved so many unknowns. And it wasn’t like she could ask her friends to help her decide, given Luna’s insistence on secrecy.

Twilight retrieved her quills, ink, and parchment and began to write her response. She made it as far as Dear Princess Luna before realizing she had no idea what to say. How did one formally accept an offer of tutelage from an alicorn? Something told her that at her age “Yesyesyesyesyesyes” was no longer an option.

Princess Luna’s letter had been succinct to the point of absurdity; Twilight decided to emulate it. She wrote Yes. Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle and rolled the parchment into a scroll. “Now what?” she asked to nopony in particular.

The letter had been waiting for her on her desk when she had woken up that morning; she had no idea how Princess Luna had gotten it there. You may send your answer back with Phobomelos. Twilight frowned. “Who’s Phobomelos?”

The shadow under her kitchen counter moved.

Twilight yelped as a dark form slithered out across her floor, then flowed upward onto itself to fill the form of a massive bird. Wings with strands of shadow in place of feathers stretched outward from a slim body, trailing darkness. A black, predatory beak glinted under liquid blue eyes as the creature regarded her.

Twilight didn’t move. “Err... Phobomelos?” she asked. The creature nodded. Twilight extended the scroll. “Um, here?”

Phobomelos took the scroll in a clawed foot before beating its black wings to soar over her head (she ducked) and out her window.

“Well,” Twilight said after she had gone. “That was strange.” Apparently she was going to be Princess Luna’s student. Maybe it was like taking a double major.

* * *

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I am glad that you said yes, though truthfully I doubted you would decline. There is much you still have to learn, and Celestia alone cannot teach you. Under me you will become one of the most capable ponies in Equestria. We will tap your true potential.

Know, Twilight Sparkle, that I am not Celestia. Studying under me will be entirely different from studying under her.

Read these next words well, my Dark Apprentice. Each night, you will travel into the Everfree, to the place I have marked upon the enclosed map. A carriage drawn by two of my personal guard will take you to my tower in Canterlot. There, I will personally instruct you until sunrise.

This will be done in total secrecy. As far as all others must be concerned, I never contacted you, and you have not seen me since the last time we met before this letter. You will not speak to anypony about your apprenticeship, or about me. Not Celestia, not Spike, not your own reflection.

As my apprentice, you will be granted certain privileges. You need not ever sleep again. Should you require any resources I have at my disposal, they are yours. This should be useful in keeping your lessons a secret.

You may break any Equestrian law so long as you act in my name. Note that your newfound immunity does not extend to the commandments of magic, over which I hold no power.

I will see you tonight, my Dark Apprentice.

Luna

Twilight tried to read the letter a second time, but her eyes slid over the words without taking in any information. You may break any Equestrian law.

What had she gotten herself into? How was she supposed to go the rest of her life without sleep? The final line of Princess Luna’s letter played again in Twilight’s mind, and she gulped.

I will see you tonight, my Dark Apprentice.

* * *

“Go into the Everfree Forest after dark” was pretty much the last thing Twilight wanted to be doing every single night.

She’d given Spike to Pinkie Pie for the night and set out for the rendezvous point. For safety’s sake, she’d taken the path to Zecora’s hut as far as she could before diverting towards the clearing that was marked on her map.

Twilight kept her horn at a steady glow and checked the map frequently. She reasoned that Princess Luna wouldn’t send her through a dangerous part of the forest, but the princess probably didn’t consider many things dangerous, being a divinity and all.

By the time she got to the clearing, Twilight was thoroughly spooked. She was surrounded by still things and shadows, and the sounds of the Everfree Forest at night were all strange to her. She had considered going back more than once. Each time she’d convinced herself to press on. One did not fail to follow an order given by a Princess of Equestria.

Just as Luna had said, a carriage waited for Twilight in the clearing, accompanied by two bat-winged guards. Each of them fell to their knees in a low bow as they caught sight of Twilight.

Twilight eyed the guards. “Why are you doing that?”

“You are Twilight Sparkle?” one of them asked.

“Yes,” Twilight said.

“Then you are our mistress in Princess Luna’s absence. You speak with her voice and act with her authority.”

“Um, okay,” Twilight said. This was different. Apparently Princess Luna had not exaggerated when she said that studying under her would be different from studying under Celestia. Twilight didn’t order guards around on a regular basis.

“Shall we depart, mistress?”

“Hmm?” Twilight said. “Oh, yes, I suppose we should. And please, call me Twilight.”

“As you wish.”

A short while later Twilight was enjoying the feeling of the cool night air through her mane. Despite everything, she was a little excited; the mystique of being a secret student of Princess Luna was intriguing. She hoped that she would be able to do whatever it was that the princess expected of her.

Wait, what would the princess expect of her? What if she made Twilight write a quiz? Or worse, a test? Or worse, an exam? Twilight hadn’t studied anything before she left! She was going to fail!

Relax, Twilight told herself. Deep breaths.

Twilight Sparkle was familiar with Canterlot Castle, so she was surprised when the pegasi driving her carriage pulled in toward an abandoned wing. Apparently Luna had taken up residence in the previously unused sections of the castle.

Or rather, the princess had taken up residence over the wing. The guards stopped her carriage adjacent to one of the castle’s tallest towers. Twilight stepped off of the carriage slowly, minding the gap.

There was no stairway winding around the outside of the tower, and no trap door leading inside. Apparently the only way to get to the top was flight. Indeed, there were also no railings or battlements—just a straight drop off the edge to Canterlot below.

The tower was completely open to the night sky, which was reflected in the polished black stone that made up what Twilight supposed she should call “the floor.” Luna’s tower was wide—perhaps sixty feet across—and perfectly circular. Tables, benches, desks, and bookshelves were clustered towards its center, each laden with candles and ancient looking tomes.

Twilight immediately felt a pull towards the latter. They were ancient tomes, after all. In Ponyville, Twilight was hard-pressed to find even tomes of the moldering variety. Maybe Luna would let her read them.

Directly across the center of the tower, Princess Luna sat on what was either a mattress or an extremely thick bedspread. She had her back to Twilight, but Twilight could still make out her ethereal mane drifting to and fro.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Luna’s voice reached her ears with perfect clarity, despite the distance between them and the fact that Luna was facing away from her.

Twilight knew that the princess couldn’t see her, but she bowed nonetheless. “Princess Luna.”

“You will tell the guards to leave,” Luna said without turning around.

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “I—uh, alright.” She turned back to the two pegasi still flying the carriage. “I guess Princess Luna would like you to leave.” The guards didn’t move.

“No, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said. “You will tell the guards to leave.”

Twilight looked from Princess Luna to the guards. “Please leave?” she asked.

The guards still didn’t move. “No, Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Luna said. “You will tell the guards to leave.”

Twilight took a deep breath. “Leave,” she said. They still didn’t move.”

“Tell the guards to leave, Twilight Sparkle!”

Twilight gulped at Luna’s use of The Voice. “Leave!” she managed. Was this part of her lesson?

The guards pulled away wordlessly, their carriage arcing down into the night sky as they descended. Twilight was left with Princess Luna.

“Come,” the princess said. “Stand with me.”

Twilight slowly crossed the length of the tower, examining Princess Luna’s possessions as she did so. She didn’t recognize a single title off of the bookshelves, and what was more, there was no melted wax around any of the candles—Twilight wondered if they were everburning.

She reached Princess Luna and stepped onto the mass of deep blue blankets and cushions that seemed to make up the princess’s bed. Her hooves sunk into the covers, and Twilight realized immediately just how cold it was atop the tower. She stopped when she was behind the Princess.

“I said stand with me, Twilight Sparkle. You are not a shadow. Yet.”

Was that the punishment for failing to impress the princess? Twilight would get turned into a shadow? She shuddered, wondering if shadows could read.

“Sorry, princess.” Twilight said, moving forward so that she stood beside the princess. She looked out over Canterlot. Thousands of tiny buildings glowed with inner light, and above them, myriads of stars twinkled. It was an almost completely cloudless night. Twilight couldn’t help but feel a little vertigo so close to the edge of the tower.

“Do not call me princess, Twilight Sparkle. I am a princess to every other pony in the kingdom. To you I will be mistress. Try it now.”

Twilight worked her mouth for a couple of seconds. “Yes... Mistress Luna.”

“Very good,” Luna said. “But you hesitate, as you have done in all things.”

Twilight felt her cheeks begin to burn. This wasn’t how she pictured her first lesson going—She was being a disappointment.

“Do you know, Twilight Sparkle, what you are?”

“I...” Twilight began. “—I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

“The most powerful unicorn alive in regards to magical magnitude. Celestia knows as much.”

Twilight swallowed. “I never knew,” she said. She had, however, suspected.

Luna continued. “Your position as Celestia’s most trusted pupil also gives you more political power than any other pony in Equestria. I also hear that you have quite the intellect.”

“I—” Twilight didn’t know what to say. “Thank you, Mistress.” Was she really so important?

“Yes,” Luna said. “Celestia has made you capable indeed. But she has not made you worthy. You shiver as you walk through the woods. You hesitate to dismiss your own guards. You carry yourself like a timid school filly, not the twice-proved saviour of Equestria that you are known to be.”

Twilight bit her lip at Luna’s words. Did the princess really find her so meek?

“Please, Twilight Sparkle, take no offense at my criticisms. If I believed that you had nothing to learn, I would not have offered to teach you. I intend to teach you the dark arts, Twilight Sparkle. Spells that you will not even be able to cast without the night’s blessing.”

New magic. Twilight once again found herself very, very interested. “The night’s blessing?” she asked.

“The process by which I will make you my apprentice. You will gain command of new magics and lose your need to sleep, among other things.”

“Is that how your guards get their bat wings?” Twilight doubted she’d be able to keep her apprenticeship a secret sporting a pair of those.

“No, Twilight Sparkle. This rite is an entirely different ordeal. I can have only one apprentice.”

“I see,” Twilight said. Only one apprentice, and Luna wanted it to be her.

“You will learn more than just magic,” Luna said. “You will learn command. You will learn how to make others do as you bid them. I hear your leadership skills are already quite strong—we shall hone them, you and I. Confidence will become you, I think. Our training in the sexual arts will no doubt strengthen your resolve and make you—”

“Wait, what?” Twilight asked. “What arts? I didn’t get the bit about the arts.”

“Sex, Twilight Sparkle. I imagine you and I will be having quite a bit of it. Now, the—”

“Um, Princess, I don’t...” Twilight tried to think of a way to finish her sentence, her mind still reeling. Was Luna joking? Did Luna joke? She couldn’t have sex with the princess! She couldn’t have sex with anypony!

“Ah,” Luna said. “I see. Making love is a part of the night, Twilight Sparkle. It is the oldest ritual done in darkness. It is part of my godly domain. Becoming a skilled lover will comprise much of your studies.”

“But,” Twilight said, backing away. “I don’t, I can’t—”

“I see,” Luna said. “Are you a virgin, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight swallowed at being asked such a personal question, but sensed that this was no time for timidity. “Yes,” she whispered.

Luna turned to face Twilight. “The rite is essential if you wish to become my student. And the rite, Twilight Sparkle, is a sex rite. Do you want to be my apprentice, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight looked at Luna. The princess was beautiful—there could be no denying that. And studying under her was the opportunity of a lifetime. But when it came to her first time, Twilight had always imagined—what had she imagined? Certainly she could do worse than the goddess of sex herself.

But it wasn’t what Twilight wanted. It wasn’t why she had come to Canterlot. Truthfully, Twilight had never really concerned herself with stallions or mares. And now she was trapped atop a tower with the princess. Who wanted to take her to bed.

If she wanted to study under Luna, this was the price. And Twilight wanted to study under Luna. She wondered if it would hurt.

“Yes,” she whispered as a hot tear rolled down her cheek. “Do it.”

Luna regarded her for a moment. “Not tonight.”

“No,” Twilight said. “Please, I can do this. I want to be your apprentice.”

Luna sighed. “You have friends, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight didn’t understand what Luna was getting at. “Yes.”

“Then seek their counsel. Tomorrow you will ask what it was like for them. You will decide only then. This decision should be made independent of your desire to be my student, Twilight Sparkle. Do you understand?”

Twilight nodded. “I—thank you, Princess.”

“The bed is ready,” Luna said. “You will sleep here tonight. I will wake you before dawn and send you off on a carriage.” Luna turned and began to stride towards her bookshelves. “And Twilight Sparkle?” she called back. Twilight looked up. “You would do well to relax.”

“I’ll try, Princess. Er... Mistress.” Twilight crawled under the poofy covers. Luna’s bed was actually quite comfortable, despite the fact that it was open to the night. She allowed herself to be lulled by the sound of Luna flipping through the pages of her books, and drifted easily into sleep.

* * *

“Awaken, Twilight Sparkle. Your carriage awaits.”

Twilight snuggled closer to Luna. “Mmmfrmrmr,” she managed. The princess was so warm.

“I realize this is earlier than you typically wake, Twilight Sparkle, but you must be in Ponyville before the sun rises. We are of the night, and secrecy is our prerogative.”

Twilight wrapped her forelegs around the princess and buried her muzzle in her luscious coat. “I don’t want to get up,” she mumbled.

Luna sighed. “You must. Do not make me use the voice, Twilight Sparkle. I was doing so well this week.”

“Voice?” Twilight muttered as her mind finally started to process information. “Whassa voice?”

“Twilight Sparkle!”

“Eyaaah!” Twilight leapt out of the covers as the wave of sound ruffled her coat.. The details of the previous night began to come back to her. “Where...?” she asked, looking around frantically. Luna’s tower in Canterlot. “Why...?” The princess wants to have sex with you. “What?” She didn’t, though. “Uh... oh,” Twilight said as her eyes fell on Luna.

Twilight took a deep breath. “You were with me in bed,” she said. “That wasn’t like that when before.”

Luna regarded her impassively. “It was not,” she said.

“That’s... rude,” Twilight said.

“Indeed,” Luna said. “But the memory of the feel of my body against yours should help you come to decision. It was not entirely unwelcome, I think.”

“I...” Twilight couldn’t think of anything to say. She had to figure out whether or not she’d let Luna take her virginity so she could become the princess’s dark apprentice and learn magics that no other pony was privy to. “I... should... go,” she said. “I have a... big day... ahead of me.”

“Indeed,” Luna said as Twilight began to step slowly towards the carriage.

Twilight climbed aboard and Luna’s guards began to take her to Ponyville without a word. Sex with Luna. Would she do it? Could she do it? The memory of Luna’s coat pressed against her face played in her mind. Twilight imagined what it would be like to have Luna hold her. To kiss her...

“Oh dear,” Twilight said. “This is going to be a long day.”