Twilight Sparkle and the Stupid Original Pony

Twilight woke in a hospital bed to the sound of raised voices.

“…told you she needed a doctor and not a veterinarian! My mother is a pony not an animal!” Spike glowered down at Fluttershy. If Discord was the type to wear pants she would have climbed into his pocket – a hiding place made rather more attractive by the fact that he was not present.

“Calm down mister The Dragon,” said the pony in the white jacket, “Thank you for coming so quickly your Highness.”

“Of course, doctor, we betook ourſelf hither instanter.” Luna stepped into view. “Twilight. Dost know us? Is thy mind whole?”

“Luna…? Thank goodness, you saved us. How long was I out?”

“Three days!” called Pinkie from her vantage on the ceiling outside the room.

“I have to go now.” Fluttershy spoke like she was in a daze, but she moved quickly. Nopony even noticed, all eyes were on Twilight and Luna.

“We know.” Luna’s eyes were big and solemn, full of dreams and loss. “We know what dream thou hast dreamed and wilt speak of the matter later. But sleep without dreams anon.” Gently she touched Twilight’s brow with the tip of her horn.

Twilight slept, and for her there were no more tentacles.

As her eyes closed she let slip a word that meant nothing at all to the concerned ponies surrounding her. But the way she spoke it…

—

In an odd corner between dimensions a creature had waited.

No living entity of flesh and blood, this being was drawn into existence by the practice of forbidden magics.

In the dark it waited patient centuries for its first prey.

When the purple princess fell into its grasp, the torment already writhing within in her guided the creature’s own tortures to her most unwelcome vulnerabilities. The arrival of a second unfortunate hardly changed its plans – the process of breaking a mind was only just beginning and so many interesting things had already been revealed in her psyche. What more might emerge? Loss of the first victim kindled its appetite to explore the remaining prey’s uttermost mysteries.

—

“We did leave her safely resting at Ponyville General Hoſpital. She will be fine.” Luna’s stern, confident, mien belied the turmoil she felt. “Silly, silly, foal.”

“Gramercy, sister, and a thousand thanks be!” Celestia’s worry, and relief, were more than evident. “What in Equestria hast she gotten herself entwined in?”

“’Twas one of those blaſted curse scrolls created by master Starſwirl. It was found left behind in his tower when he fought Stygian’s Shadow and ne’er returned an age ago. We have kept these materiel locked up pending eventual analyſis, but clearly not secured well enough. After Twilight rescued him, we allowed him to believe that his weapons had been deſtroyed during his long abſence. In this curse, he spawned the exiſtence of an actual sapient being just for some addlepated revenge scheme of his against a rival. The dream space lies in a dungeon dimension lying beyond the realm of the nighted throne else we had known of this traveſty sooner.”

“Damn his lights, ‘twas irresponsible. And doubly so of Twilight, surely we have taught her better than that.” Celestia frowned.

There be some things thou hast not taught her at all, Luna thought.

“We cannot shield her without undermining our own authority,” the elder diarch said, “there must needs be consequences.”

“We shall accept full reſponsibility on the grounds of our inſufficient safeguards.”

“Neigh, thy security spells are not in question, sister. Nopony alive, save Twilight or I, hast the might needed to breech thy wards. We must have Cadance audit her own spells too.”

Luna was gazing thoughtfully into space, hesitating before she brought up an inexplicable detail of the rescue.

“Siſter mine, Twilight expreſsed her gratitude for the reſcue of ‘us’ but verily we only reſcued one from the nightmare.”

“‘Us’? Wert there another pony trapped with her?”

“We ken not. Twilight spake an odd name.”

And there was a wound on her shoulder, almost healed.