Apprentice of the Night

Twilight had been aware of her stalker the entire heist. Her mistress had been trailing her the entire time. Twilight had nearly laughed. She noticed the small puff of star-filled smoke. Nightmare Moon probably thought she was being stealthy as ever.

"Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight lifts her gaze to the large alicorn before her. The alicorn was chained to the wall by all hooves, and had a look of desperation on her face. Twilight raises and eyebrow. "Yes, foal?"

"I know you are not enjoying this. I've seen the way she treats you. The lack of hope in your eyes. I know you must pretend, and lie to survive, but please, just tell me, one day you will save yourself if I cannot save you."

Twilight looks at the former Princess, a look of disgust on her face. "Twilight, please...I know this is all an act I-"

"Enough!" Twilight shouts, rage filling her body. "I will not listen you trash like you! Do you expect this to all be an act? Is it not clear enough to you? Is it not in clarity that I have changed?!"

With a slight hesitation, she smacks the alicorn on the face with her hoof. Celestia is enraged. "You! Are you really truly evil, my young former student? Are you this hungry for knowledge that you'd turn to the dark?"

"Yes, I am." She replies simply, acting like it didn't hurt, and turns towards Nightmare Moon, who rests on the throne Twilight had seen Celestia on so many times. She trots over, and bows, like she's been told to do so many times.

"Ah, my beloved apprentice. I'm so happy to see you back all right. Have a nice time?"

"Yes, mistress, I did. Though one small question: How do they keep on growing apples without the sun? It doesn't make any sense." Twilight replies.

"Since we ponies rely heavily on agriculture, I took it upon myself to cast a spell on all the farms. This makes it so what they're producing can grow, even without sunlight. If you want a simplification, I enchanted all of their soil." Nightmare Moon explains, then glares at Twilight, which causes the young unicorn to lower herself further onto the ground. "When you attacked Rainbow Dash, you didn't do it with all your strength. Why?"

"I-I don't want to hurt her badly... she was one of my first friends... I just couldn't..." Twilight replies, stumbling on her words. "I'm sorry, please forgive me, I'll do better next time..."

Nightmare Moon laughs. "I can forgive you this time, as it was your first real mission. But do this again and there will be consequences, my apprentice."

"Thank you, mistress. It won't happen again." Twilight replies, and bounces up, done with bowing. "If you could excuse me, I'll make my leave over to the market. I believe my hours start soon, correct?"

"They do. You're always so punctual. I like that about you, Twilight. You may leave."

Twilight gallops out of the throne room, through the winding stairs and hallways of the castle she knew well, and eventually into the guard's barracks. Being a typical unicorn, she didn't fit in with the bat-ponies, as all of Celestia's royal guards had been imprisoned along with their ruler. Twilight throws on the armor made specifically for her. The body was different, and had her Cutie Mark imprinted on the chest. The helmet travelled to the tips of her eyes likes vines, and had a hole in the top for her horn. The different armor shows that she's Nightmare Moon's apprentice. Highest rank other than Nightmare Moon herself.

She leaves, entering the bustling city. Since night lasted forever, the adult ponies would sleep whenever they felt like it and be awake when they wanted to, so the streets were always full. Though Twilight assumes that it's what used to be the afternoon, as there are many fillies and colts galloping around, playing.

She passes by where Shining Armor lives. Since he was the brother of the royal apprentice, he had been excused from jail. He lives with his marefriend, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, who, after being degraded, is just called Cadence. Twilight tried to avoid them, generally. She hates being Nightmare Moon's apprentice, and not being able to tell those she loves about it hurts her even more. She just hopes that sooner or later, Shining Armor will know that she's doing this all for him.

Just as she's about to turn the corner, someone exits a house. And as it is her duty, she turns around to see who, and what they're doing. It's Shining Armor and Cadence, leaving for what Twilight assumes is a walk. They glance at her, and she immediately looks away.

"Hello Twilight! Having a nice evening?" Cadence calls, kindness in her voice.

Twilight turns to face them, and puts on an emotionless mask. "I am, thank you. How is your evening?"

"We're actually going for a little walk right now! Would you like to join us?"

Twilight could never believe how Cadence was always so kind to her, even after she betrayed he brother. But then again, Cadence was able to sense Twilight's undying love for her brother. Whenever she ever ran into Cadence, Twilight made sure she showed it. So Cadence could tell her brother how much she loved him. "Um... I'm not so sure. I'm kind of on duty, and you know how busy that can get."

Cadence laughs, and Shining Armor wears a smile. Before Twilight can say yes, some whispered words reach her mind. Do not accept, my apprentice. If you do, I will have to punish you.

"So Twily, you coming or not?" Shining Armor asks.

You must be harsh. Let them know you do not wish to see them.

"I'm sorry, brother, but I'm on guard duty. So of course I can't come! What did you think? I am the apprentice, second highest rank there is, so I don't have time to talk to mere peasants like you. Now scurry off before I arrest you for harassing the apprentice!" Twilight shouts at them. She tries her best to show burning love in her heart, while screaming furiously at them same time.

Shining Armor's eyes widen, but soon his face turns to disgust. He turns his head and begins trotting away, and Cadence flashes Twilight a quick smile before following her coltfriend.

Twilight turns the corner of the street, coming across the market place. Ponies go about their night, chatting amongst one another. When she enters, everypony stops dead and stares. Mares, afraid of her, usher their foals indoors, while others attempt to leave casually. Twilight sighs. Ever since she had become Nightmare Moon's apprentice, things had just gone downhill.

Continue moving, Twilight. So what if they're afraid of you? You should enjoy the feeling.

Twilight, choosing to follow orders, moves through the silent crowd, whom part like the red sea. Can't she just be feared as much as the regular guard? She, in fact, treated the citizens better than the other guards. "Continue your day," She says simply, which causes them to reluctantly return to what they were doing, while warily keeping an eye on her.

In the middle of the market now is a stage, where a noose attached to a plank of wood lies. There had only been a few public executions, all for severe crimes, yet the ponies still seemed to believe that they would be killed for doing the tiniest thing.

A pony behind you is stealing bits from the local stand while the shopkeeper is busy. You know what to do.

Twilight charges her horn, and on cue, whips around, and blasts the crook. He goes flying, crashing into the nearest building. Twilight gallops over to him quickly, looming over him with her horn glowing. "Trying to steal, huh? Not on my watch!" She exclaims, and as she was taught, slams both her fore hooves into his chest, causing the sound of bones breaking to be heard. He screams, and begins sobbing right away. "Did we not make it clear enough that you're punished for acts like this? Us guard have eyes everywhere, so don't do it again, because you won't get away with it. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes- please, just let me be!" He says between sobs. Twilight finds that having Nightmare Moon to tell her what to do is a blessing and a curse at times. Sometimes she helps her, yet sometimes she doesn't. Because if Twilight doesn't do what she's told, she's brought back to the castle and beaten. It's something she generally tries to avoid.

"Hey! You leave him alone!" A voice shouts, and Twilight whips around, horn charged. She must attack all offenders.

Her brother comes through the crowd, horn glowing as well. He glares at her. "You're not my sister anymore. You've turned into the maniacal monster, and I will not rest until you're defeated."

Twilight, shocked by the fact that her brother is challenging her, takes a step back. This is a fight she'd rather not fight.

Battle him Twilight, and don't stop until he surrenders. If he doesn't...kill him.

But I don't want to fight him... I just can't...

Once she thinks the thought, Twilight feels an electrical current surge through her veins, causing her to collapse to the ground. Alright, I'll do it! Please stop!

Battle him and come back. I'd like to have a word with you.

Twilight charges her horn. The entire crowd has cleared, forming a circle around the siblings. It would seem as though Nightmare Moon wants this fight to happen, as a force field has formed around the perimeter of the circle.

Twilight charges at her brother, firing multiple shots at a time. Her brother, skilled in magic, uses a shield to defend the attacks. He then fires a shot, which Twilight ducks under. She puts her horn to the ground, causing an extreme earthquake to happen where her brother is. He loses his balance, falling to the ground. She then fires another beam, hitting him in the side. Though Shining gets up quickly, readying more shots. Twilight, choosing to make this difficult, uses a spell to make the entire arena foggy.

Shining fires plenty of beams, unable to see. Even though they're being shot blindly, one stikes Twilight in the chest, causing her to go crashing to the ground. She forces herself up, and moves as quickly as possible towards her brother, and when she's close enough, bucks him straight into the force field.

The force field must have been made of electricity, because it holds Shining Armor in place for a few moments, causing his coat to singe, before dropping him. Twilight, picking up on this, levitates her brother, and begins to slam him to the force field plenty of times.

Good, good. Now release him, and if he doesn't get up, finish him.

Twilight throws her brother on the ground, who groans out of pain. "Are you ready to give up, brother?"

"Why are you doing this, Twi? B.B.B.F.F's, or did you forget about that?"

The mention of their pact causes Twilight's stomach to twist. Had she really just hurt her brother?

Twilight, teleport back *now*.