Apprentice of the Night

"Now, even if Twilight has become Nightmare Moon's apprentice, it does not mean that she's completely evil. Rainbow Dash, you were the one who fought with her. Did she seem hesitant at all, or perhaps a bit sorry when hurting you?" Rarity asks. They had all met up in the Carousel Boutique to discuss the matter at hand, though they can't seem to get anywhere.

"She nearly broke my back! She threw a stone at my shoulder, and blasting me a ton of times! I wouldn't say that she seemed sorry!" Rainbow Dash says, on the verge of shouting. Not only had her pride been stripped away, but one of her friends had turned evil. Though unlike the others, she wasn't going to get all sad over this. No, this wasn't something to be sad over. It was something to be angry over.

"Rainbow Dash, please! Maybe since she was Celestia's student, her student-hood got passed on to Nightmare Moon! Would it make sense, that perhaps whoever's in charge gets to teach her?" Fluttershy asks quietly.

"Ah don't know sugarcube... I'm not trying to be judgemental or anything, but she did burn down Sweet Apple Acres. And it's not like anypony would have a reason to."

"What if she was told to? Maybe she had no choice on the matter, or-"

"Ha, I doubt it! Fluttershy, I know you're really nice and all, but we barely knew Twilight. How do we know that she didn't trick us, and it was an act to defeat us?" Rainbow Dash interrupts.

"Uh, guys, I know her pretty well."

The four of them -Pinkie Pie was not present- turn around to see Spike, the young dragon who had been Twilight's previous assistant. "She kind of raised me, so I would assume..." He says, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, does this seem like something she would do?" Applejack asks.

As Spike thinks, the tension builds. It was obvious Twilight was now trained in combat, and could easily defeat them. And if she's going after them, destroying their homes and injuring their friends, what else could they do but try to stop it?

"No, it doesn't. If she's not forced, she was probably manipulated or persuaded to join forces with Nightmare Moon. I was with her for nearly all of her life. She hadn't spoken to Nightmare Moon, or any of her stray believers. In fact, when she first found out about Nightmare Moon, she was determined to stop her."

"So what does that mean?" Rainbow Dash demands.

"Something's going on. And I'm not sure if we're going to like what truth lies in store."

-Canterlot, Equestria-

Twilight doesn't scream. She's not allowed to show pain to her mistress.

Electrical surges were going through her body, and she was having trouble controlling herself. She's chained to the wall by her back hooves, in the library she lives in.

"Twilight, did I not tell you that you must do everything I say?"

The electrical current stops, allowing Twilight to speak. "You did. And I'm really, really sorry! I promise I'll do whatever you say just don't hurt my broth-"

Twilight is interrupted by a laugh. "Twilight, you're so naïve. Just remember, as long as you stay in line your brother remains safe. One step out and-" She slides her hoof across her neck, "-he's gone."

Nightmare Moon levitates what looks like a collar overs to Twilight, and fastens it on her neck. "Uh, what does this do, mistress?"

"You're going to have to learn how to do your job without my help. I'm going off on business to Appleloosa, so while you're off on missions, I've instructed one of my guard to watch over you. If you do something wrong, he'll press a button, which enables an electrical shock through this collar. So do as your supposed to, dear." The alicorn replies, putting her hoof on Twilight's cheek.

Twilight sighs, a tear threatening to well up in her eye.

Nightmare Moon notices it. "I realize it will be tough for you now. It always is. But trust me, soon, you'll enjoy being my apprentice. You'll eventually see things my way."

"No offense, but I don't think I ever will. I've been taught differently my entire life and to make a switch this big is like changing who I am." Twilight replies. She winces, realized what she said could be rebellious in a sense, but feels no pain.

"I am not evil, my apprentice. You may believe that I am, but I assure you, these ponies need to learn the beauty of the night." She pauses. "Would it make you feel better if I brought you someone of your choice? Someone who you could pour your heart out to, and explain everything? Though whoever you may choose will be forced to stay here forever, Twilight. They will not be allowed out of the castle, and they may not speak a peep about your situation to others. Anypony who you feel would be okay with this?"

Twilight considers it. Somepony with patience, somepony who she can trust with all her heart, somepony who would understand...

"May you bring me my baby dragon, Spike? He's currently residing in Ponyville, I would assume." She replies, confident in her choice. Spike is one of the few creatures she knows who's loyal enough to go through with this. Rainbow Dash, sure, she represents the Element of Loyalty, but Twilight finds she isn't the type to sit still. She would try to escape with Twilight the first chance she got, and only end up getting both of them hurt in the end. Spike may be a baby, but he's smart. Twilight raised him to be like that.

Nightmare Moon's horn glows, and she takes the chains off of Twilight. "You may rest now Twilight, and when you wake up, your dragon will be right by your side."

When the alicorn leaves, Twilight crawls into bed, content on her choice. Spike was one of the few creatures she knew who would go through with this for her. Who was loyal enough to stick by her side. Sure, Rainbow Dash was the Element of Loyalty, but to Twilight, she doesn't seem like the type of pony to sit still for very long. She would probably try to escape with Twilight the first chance she got, which would only end up hurting the both of them. But Spike wouldn't do that. No, he's smart, just like Twilight raised him to be.

For the first time in a few months, Twilight falls asleep with a smile on her face.

Sugarcube Corner, Ponyville-

"Pinkie Pie... Please wake up..."

"She's not gonna wake up if you say it like that! WAKE UP PINKIE PIE!

"Rainbow Dash, stop it. We ain't helping her if we're just screaming at her while she sleeps!"

The pink mare's eyes open just a crack.

"See Applejack? Yelling at her did help!"

She blinks, her blue eyes having trouble resting on one spot for more than a few moments. She catches the blurry figures of a few ponies looking down on her. "Oh, hello girls."

"We brought you a present!" Fluttershy exclaims, and pulls a balloon out of her saddlebag. "Do you remember how to blow these up, or should we show you?"

The young mare's eyes dart around the room, but then rest on the ceiling, and don't look at another place. "I remember."

"Oh, great!" Rarity exclaims, and levitates the balloon to the earth pony. "Please, show us what you can do!"

They all watch in anticipation. Pinkie Pie hadn't really been acting like herself ever since Nightmare Moon became ruler, so they had been trying desperately to bring her back. They had thrown her parties, given her plenty of cupcakes, and told her about who she is. Though it seems as though there's a new Pinkie. One with a dull, straight mane, and a look of depression and isolation where ever she does. A Pinkie who slept most of the time, who you had to force to eat, and to talk. They weren't going to bear the news of the little revelation about Twilight until she was feeling better, and more like herself. They didn't want Pinkie to sink lower than she already was.

The dull-haired mare blows into the balloon. She even manages to make it dull, blowing into it several times to blow it up, rather than just once like she used to be able to. When the balloon is filled, she lets go, allowing the balloon to go in many directions, until it drops to the ground, empty of life.

This causes Rainbow Dash to scream in frustration.

"How can you not remember who you are?! You were a pink pony, always bouncing around, being super random and weird, yet always fun, and now you're this? What happened to you, Pinkie Pie?"

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash." She replies, voice lacking emotion.

"You're not sorry, Pinkie. You don't feel emotion in this state, do you? You're almost... dead. You have died, yet your body continues to live." Rainbow says, hanging her head down in defeat.

Some shouting is heard outside, and everyone except Pinkie runs to the window, trying to get a glimpse.

A group of guards surround a figure, leading them to a chariot. "Who are they taking now?" Rarity asks, stuck at the back.

The chariot is parked right in front of Sugarcube Corner. The girls watch in anticipation as the guards step aside, and they're able to see who it is.

"Why do they have Spike?" Rainbow Dash asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know, but I don't like the sight of it. Come one everypony, let's go find out what's going on!" Applejack exclaims. They all leave Pinkie's bedroom with reluctance, and once their out, sprint down the stairs and out the door.

"Where are you taking me?" Spike asks, fear and worry obvious in his voice.

"That is confidential, peasant. You will now step into the chariot without protest." The guard replies, and shoves Spike onto the chariot roughy.

"You just wait a minute!" Rainbow Dash shouts, and flies towards the guard, putting her nose directly on his. "Now just where are you taking him?!"

In response, she gets a buck to the face. "That is none of your business, weakling. Now scurry off like the trash you are."

The chariot takes off, Spike trying to shout something down at the mares. Though his voice trails off and they're unable to hear him any longer. "Where did they take him?" Fluttershy asks.

Rarity cries out in exaggerated despair. "How could they take Spikey- Wikey?!"

"Not how, but why." Applejack says, and they watch the chariot disappear in the clouds, accompanied by Spike's screams.

-Canterlot, Equestria-

Twilight awakes to loud talking downstairs. The library she lives in has two floors, and since she sleeps on the top floor, she's surprised that someone could be so loud that she could hear them as clear as she does. To her, it must be some guards to retrieve her upon Nightmare Moon's request, so she's about to get out of bed when she hears a voice she recognizes.

She hears hooves going up the stairs, and some more talking from the voice she hasn't heard for a long time. It seems to say the same thing every time, despite the answer it gets. "Why am I here?"

"You were requested to be seen."

"Can you be a little more descriptive?"

"You're question will be answered once you enter through this doorway."

Twilight hears the doorknob turn. She flips over, closes her eyes, steadies her breathing, and pretends to sleep.

"You will be living with Twilight from now on. Either she or Nightmare Moon will deliver the rules to you." The guard says, then steps back, and slams the door, which causes Spike to jump in the air a little.

"Twilight!" He exclaims, and jumps on the bed. Twilight turns around quickly, throws off her covers, and embraces Spike in a hug. The hug lasted long, but had a mixture of emotions. The hug had all the emotions they had felt over the past months. Sadness, guilt, rage, pain... yet after all their emotions are done, the happy feeling of seeing each other again overtakes them, and turns the hug into a happy one.

"Spike... I'm so glad you're here. You don't understand how lonely I've been. I can finally talk to someone about my feelings."

Twilight braces herself, yet no electrical current comes. She's allowed to be honest with Spike. "Twilight, what's been going on? Why are you working for Nightmare Moon? Why did you brun down Sweet Apple Acres, why did you hurt Rainbow Dash? Why?"

Twilights sighs. "Let me explain to you what's going on..."