Chains

Nightmare Moon, Part 1

Twilight had left her room in the castle a little less than a year ago, and moved to the library with Chains and Spike to make studying and furthering her knowledge of magic easier. While she was still Celestia’s student, they were no longer having private lessons and Twilight was trusted to expand her knowledge on her own. They kept in touch via letter and what Spike had dubbed, “Dragon Mail”.

Chains had grown an in or so in the last two years. His hair was kept tied back in a ponytail to keep it from getting in the way and went down to mid back, though he thought about getting it cut, as he’s been mistaken for a girl on a couple occasions already.

He stacked several books together on the floor, making a mental note of them as books Twilight hadn’t read yet. He smiled to himself as he searched the library some more. Since Twilight would have plenty to read through, he started to search for books to read himself.

While looking he noticed his companion in assistance heading to the door with a small package. “Are you heading to Moon Dancer’s party, Spike?” he asked the baby dragon.

“Yup, do you want to come to?” he asked, “I’m sure Twilight would let you go out to a party just this once,” Spike offered.

The human just shook his head, “No thank you, I should be here in case Mistress needs something,” he said. “Besides,” Chains started, getting quiet. “I don’t think I’d be very welcome there,” he said, hinting to remind Spike of his station in life.

The dragon got quiet too, before speaking up, “Right, sorry. I’ll bring you back some cake,” he told him, trying to smile to the human before turning to leave. The door swung open, Twilight nearly stampeding into the library, knocking Spike over, and causing him to tumble over the gift he had, which ended up impaled on his tail.

“Spike! Chains!” Twilight called out, seeking their assistance. She looked down at the baby dragon, who was in the process of shaking his head clear.

“Oh, there you are,” she said, trotting up the upper level of the Library, “Chains too! Good, you both can help me,” she acknowledged the human before looking around, “Quick, find me that old copy of predictions and prophecies,” she said, before turning her attention to Spike once more, noting the package impaled on his tail, “What’s that for?” he asked.

Spike looked back at his tail, and pulled the present off of it, “Well, it was a gift for Moon Dancer,” he said as the ruined teddy bear inside fell out.

“Oh Spike, you know we don’t have time for that sort of thing,” Twilight said as she pushed aside books that were in a stack in the corner.

“But we’re on a break,” the baby dragon tried to reason with the unicorn.

Twilight then used her magic to lift books off the shelves and read the titles quickly, moving aside the ones she didn’t need, “No, no, no, no no no,” she began to growled in frustration but before she could yell for assistance Chains came to her side, holding the book she was looking for.

“Here you are Mistress,” he said, handing it to her.

The book was encased in her magic and she took it from him, and immediately opened it and began to page through, “Elements, Elements,” she muttered as she looked for the chapter she needed.

Chains immediately went to cleaning up the mess that Twilight made from looking through the books, Spike coming to help him soon after.

“Aha! Elements of Harmony. See ‘Mare in the Moon’?” She read aloud.

Spike was putting some books on a shelf, “Mare in the Moon? But that’s just an old pony’s tale,” he said.

Chains watched as he finished cleaning, and his Mistress continued to search. It worried him to see her so intent on something that she was heedlessly making a mess. From experience, Chains knew that it was never good when she got obsessed with something.

“Mare, Mare… aha!” Twilight exclaimed as she found the passage she had been looking for. “The Mare in the Moon, myth from olden pony times, a powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria,” she read aloud, “Defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about night time eternal,” he voice became more and more urgent as she read. “Do you two know what this means?!”

Spike answered first from atop a ladder which he was balancing on dangerously, “No,” was all he could say before he started to teeter, before Chains quickly grabbed the ladder and stabilized it, but not before Spike had dropped the books. The baby dragon let out a sigh of relief as he made his way down, “Thanks Chains,” he said, about to start picking up the books again before Twilight chimed in.

“Spike, take a note for me. To the Princess!”

Spike obliged and got a parchment and quill.

Once he was ready, Twilight began to dictate what she wanted written down. “My dearest teacher; my continued studies of pony magic has led me to discover that we are on the precipice of disaster.”

“Hold on. Preci, preci…” the baby dragon stopped her while he struggled over the word.

Twilight looked to him and decided to change her wording. “Threshold.”

“Threeee…”

“Brink?”

Spike just stared at her in confusion.

“Ugh, that something really bad is about to happen!” She said in frustration.

The dragon quickly scribbled down the rewording and continued to write as Twilight spoke.

“For you see, the mythical Mare in the Moon is in fact Nightmare Moon, and she’s about to return to Equestria, and bring with her Eternal Night! Something must be done to make sure this terrible prophecy does not come true. I await your quick response; your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Twiliiight, Spaaarkle,” Spike sounded out as he finished the letter. “Got it!” he said triumphantly.

“Great! Send it,” Twilight said, a satisfied smile on her face.

“Now?” the dragon asked a little skeptically.

“Of course.”

“Umm, I don’t know Twilight. Princess Celestia’s a little busy with the Summer Sun Celebration,” he told her. “And it’s like, the day after tomorrow.”

“That’s just it Spike, the day after tomorrow is the thousandth year of the summer sun celebration. It’s imperative that the Princess is told right away.”

The dragon looks at her for a moment before turning back to the letter, “Imper… Imperaaa…”

“Important!” The frustrated unicorn shouted, causing Spike to fall back.

“Okay, okay,” he conceded and took a deep breath, then blew a soft flame onto the letter, incinerating it and sending a magical smoke out the window.

Chains had finished cleaning the library by this time, and his look of worry for his Mistress had grown. She seemed especially agitated at this situation, and he wished he could help her somehow.

“There, it’s on its way. But I wouldn’t hold your breath.”

“Oh, I’m not worried, Spike. The Princess trusts me completely,” she said confidently, “In all the years she’s been my mentor she’s never once doubted me.”

After a moment the dragon’s cheeks bulged up and he belched out, a small flame condensing into a letter, and dropping to the floor. “See, I knew she’d want to take immediate action,” Twilight said with some pride in her voice.

Spike picked up the letter and unrolled it, and after clearing his throat, he read it aloud, “My dearest and most faithful student, Twilight; you know that I value your diligence and that I trust you completely.”

Twilight looked out the window proudly, waiting to hear how her teacher would take action against the threat she had cleverly found.

Spike’s voice grew mirthful. “But you simply must stop reading those dusty old books.”

Spike fell to the floor in a fit of laughter as Twilight’s jaw nearly hit the floor, blinking a few times to try and register what she just heard.

She went to the letter and levitated it with her magic and began reading it to see if Spike was telling the truth. “A break from studying and some fresh air would do you some good, so I’ve decided to send you, Spike, and Chains to the town of Ponyville to oversee the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. I’ll arrange a place for you to stay and have you meet up with somepony at the Air Cab to pass along your official duties as the overseer. I would see you off myself, but I too have duties I must look to. Best of wishes. Sincerely, Princess Celestia.”

Twilight turned the letter over to see if anything was written on the back, “She really doesn’t believe me?” she asked more to herself than anypony else.

Chains came to her side. “Mistress, if I may say so, you’ve been studying pretty hard. Maybe the Princess is right and you need a break?” he gently suggested.

Twilight looked up at him, narrowing her eyes, but relaxed and sighed, looking down as she walked off. “Let’s just pack and get to the Air Cab,” she sighed.

Chains looked after her as she went to the upper part of the library where she slept. He looked down, and then to Spike, “Did… did I say something wrong?” he asked.

Spike looked to him with a raised eyebrow, “Dude, you’d blame yourself for anything wouldn’t you?” the dragon asked, shaking his head. “Just get some things together. Twilight’ll come around,” he suggested, going to get a small bag of his own possessions together.

Chains didn’t have much, so he was in no hurry. He watched as Spike walked off, and looked around the library, sighing to himself, “I hope you’re right Spike.” He then went to tend to his Mistress.

……..

Sometime later, Chains was carrying two small bags as the trio went to the Canterlot Air Cab. Once there, they waited for the pony the Princess said she’d send to pass along the orders.

They didn’t have to wait long before they heard a familiar voice. “Twiley!” came the enthusiastic voice of Shining Armor Sparkle, as he quickly came to the trio, a pair of pegasi Royal Guard with him.

“Shining! What are you doing here?” Twilight asked excitedly, going to him and embracing him. She let him go and looked up to him.

“Well, I volunteered to pass along Princess Celestia’s orders,” he said with a smile.

The smile was returned, and Twilight looked him up and down. “I know you’ve been so busy with your duties as Captain of the Royal Guard that we haven’t gotten to spend very much time together,” she said sadly, “I’m glad to see you before I go.”

“That’s why I volunteered.” The older unicorn pulled a scroll from his saddle bag, “This is the check list and a summary from the Princess,” he told her.

Twilight took it and passed it off to Spike, who was already starting to read it.

“I wish I could go with you, but duties have me here. I won’t even be guarding the Princess at the celebration.”

“Why is that?”

“The Princess asked that I stay here to keep the Palace in order. A little strange, but the Princess hasn’t had an incident at a Summer Sun Celebration in hundreds of years, so I shouldn’t be worried,” he said, looking down at his hooves. “But I still got a feeling I can’t shake,” he looked his sister in the eye, “Do me a favor, and just… keep an eye out for anything strange, and tell whatever guards you can if something strange happens.”

Twilight nodded. “Don’t worry, I will. I have the same feeling to be honest,” she said, thinking deeply.

Shining Armor shook his head, “It’s probably nothing,” he gave a nervous laugh. “The two of us will get grey before our parents if we keep worrying as much we do,” he joked.

Twilight only smiled, “Yeah,” she looked him in the eye, “Well, I should go. Royal duties and all.”

Shining Armor nodded, then embraced his sister. “Take care.”

“You too.”

Shining pointed out the pegasi guards he brought with him, “These two are the best fliers in the Royal Guard. I wanted to make sure you had a smooth flight,” he told her.

Twilight looked surprised, “Shining, you didn’t have to-”

“I wanted to. I can’t be there, but I am still Captain; I can abuse my power a little to keep my favorite little sister in comfort,” he teased, pulling her close and mussing up her mane. “Besides, they wanted to help.”

“H-hey,” Twilight struggled, unsuccessfully suppressing a giggle. “I’m your only sister you big dope,” she teased back. She gave a sigh. “Fine, I’ll accept their services, but you better give them a bonus,” she told him sternly. “I’ll see you when I get back,” she turned for the Air Cab, the pegasi already harnessing themselves up. “Goodbye Shining.”

“Goodbye Twilight,” Shining Armor said, he then turned his attention to the human who bowed in farewell, “Chains, you take care of her. You got me?” he said.

Chains nodded, “Of course. Goodbye Sir Shining,” he said.

“Goodbye Chains,” the unicorn paused for a moment, and then saluted.

The human looked stunned for a moment, and then shyly returned the salute awkwardly.

This got a chuckle from the guard captain, “We’ll work on it when you get back,” he said. He then waved as the dragon, human and unicorn all got on the Air Cab, “Safe travels,” he called out as they took off.

“Goodbye Shining,” Twilight called back, tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes. She sniffled a bit as Canterlot quickly went out of view. She sighed and looked out at the scenery passing by.

Spike chimed in, “Alright. Next stop, Ponyville!”

........

Authored by Bookybrony
Edited by SpyroManiac_1