A Starry Nightmare

by Princess Star Gazer

Everything is Different

When Discord woke up again for the third time that night, to the crying of the small newborn filly, he sighed and walked over to the pink and midnight blue cradle. He looked in at the crying baby and chuckled, her big purple eyes sparkled with tears. But she stopped suddenly when he took her into his arms. He hummed a small tune to her he had remembered from a dream.

It was raining outside and there was a slight draft in the room, this made the baby snuggle closer into Discord’s chest for warmth. Knowing that he wasn’t going to be let go of anytime soon he lay her down on his bed and rapped his body into a hoop around the now sleeping baby. Just before he fell asleep, he looked at her and her eyes opened one more time and he said to her, “Good night, my little star.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Three Months Ago

Spike looked up at the wooden door that Discord just made appear out of thin air. It was a little taller than Discord, but other than that it looked like a normal door. When Spike walked through, he found himself standing in a realm that was similar to the dream realm. It was sparkling and shining so much it looked like there were diamonds falling from everywhere. He looked back at the door as every pony started to walk through.

Every pony gasped as a light that was brighter than the sun appeared out of nowhere, from this light immerged two ponies. One was Twilight; the other was a colt that no pony anywhere had ever seen.

“I know why you have come, friends of my Twilight Starlight.”

“Uh, don’t you mean Twilight Sparkle?” Spike asked, but shrank back as the booming voice came only at him.

“No, her name before her fall was Twilight Starlight because she was the first star to come out each night. She would always come out before the moon rose and the sun set so she could see the greatest sight there ever was.” This pony seemed to be many different things at once. He was tall yet short; his fur coloring seemed to change as he spoke. He was pitch black when talking to the group in front of him, but when he looked down at the lifeless Twilight his fur changed to a light purple. “Every one of the stars are my children, my wife and I were very happy. But when one of them is lost, it is very hard on us both.” His voice changed to be soft and gentle as he lay down next to Twilight.

“Everything in this world is planned out by my wife and I, we are the creators of this world. When our first daughter was born, we were overjoyed and decided that one day she will go out into the world we had made. It was meant to be that she would have been the one that changed your heart from chaotic to caring.” He pointed a hoof at Discord. “It was also meant to be that she would have been the only user of the Elements of Harmony, but Celestia would not listen to my wife when she told her all of this information. Celestia told my wife that she could use the Elements to stop him herself with Luna. But you all know what happened.” He looked up at the group in front of him with near tears in his eyes.

Another bright light came into the realm revealing Celestia and another mare that few had ever seen. “I didn’t know that that was going to happen! And even if I did I wouldn’t have change my mind.” Celestia walked to Luna’s side, who glared daggers at the once sun princess.

“You forced my daughter to give up her true destiny so she could still come to the earth!” the new mare screamed so loud that the realm shook; now every pony was glaring at Celestia.

“Our daughter,” The mare walked over to the colt and stood next to Twilight, “was the only star that I gave birth to. After I gave birth to Twilight Starlight, I could not conceive another child so we found a spell that let us create stars that were similar to Twilight. Twilight was supposed to come down to the earth first when Discord was still ruling, but when that plan was,” Another glare at Celestia. “Changed, then we had planned for her to come just before Celestia and Luna confronted Discord. That was faltered as well because Twilight would not come out of her hiding spot because she knew that Celestia was going to hurt Discord.” By this time EVERY PONY was glaring at Celestia, Discord even got so mad as to put a cotton candy cloud that down poured chocolate milk onto Celestia head.

“Will you all stop that? I have my reasons for doing what I did.” Celestia held her head high and sat down on her flank, chocolate milk was dripping everywhere on her but didn’t stay on the floor of the realm it just disappeared.

“And what reasons can make up for the consequences that were caused by them?!!” Luna was hurt by her sister’s blank look at what she had done.

“I am sure I don’t know what you mean.” Celestia said through gritted teeth, not even looking at her sister.

“Consider this Celestia, you made a poor, defenseless filly live a life she wasn’t supposed to have, you forced a man to remain in stone for over thousand years, then forcing that now full grown mare to risk her life to fix your messes!” Luna walked over to her sister and hissed right into her ear. “Now riddle me this princess, would I have become Nightmare Moon and been banished to the moon if we had never been in power to begin with?” It was not that Luna said it very loudly but this is a silent realm so every pony heard every word she said. Now there was a lot of ponies in that realm that wanted Celestia to leave right then and there, but there was still more questions to be answered.

“How do you know that we wouldn’t be in power if Twilight had lived the correct life?” Celestia looked terrified at what Luna could say about the once sun princess.

“I lived on the moon for a thousand years; I was closer than any pony to the stars. Do you not think that they would whisper about their oldest and now lost sister?” Luna moved to glare Celestia in the eyes as she spoke. “I heard many stories about what she was meant to do on the earth, but with the change in names, a change in appearance, and none of them knowing what her new earth name was, I did not know that it was her.” She looked over at the still unmoving Twilight with tears starting to sting her eyes. Now she looked at the two mares that were Twilight’s true parents. “Will she ever become what she was meant to be?” Luna asked with a small wavering voice.

“Yes, as long as you are willing to take on what your sacrifices meant.” The unnamed mare said to everyone. She walked over to Pinkie Pie, whose hair was starting to inflate again. “Will you accept not knowing Twilight for a number of years, and give up your use of the element of laughter and give that ability to Twilight.”

“Absolutely Positutely , but can I ask a question?” The pink pony was even starting to get back her jumpiness. The mare laughed at Pinkie in a friendly manner and nodded. “Will we ever see Twilight again?”

“That all depends on Twilight.” She then walked to the next pony, Rainbow. She asked the same question but with Rainbow’s elements, and got the same answer minis the question.

The same went for Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. Then she went to Spike, and asked: “Now will you give up your ability to fully love someone? I think there is more to that story than you are telling any pony, but it’s already done.”

“Will I ever get it back?” Spike asked in a timid voice.

“There are rules to everything, but there are acceptations to those rules.” She giggled to herself but no pony knew why and she didn’t tell any pony. The mare walked to Celestia and asked in an angered voice. “Will you give my daughter the life she was meant to have?”

Celestia Lifted her chin up again and said in an unwavering voice, “I will.”

The mare walked on to Luna and asked in a calmer voice. “Will you return to your element and allow my daughter her life as it was meant to be?”

“My answer has not and will never change; I would give my life for Twilight.” Luna looked the mare in the eye as she said it.

“Wait, what in the hay do ya mean, ‘return to your element”?” Applejack had a scared look in her eyes, thinking she meant the main six would go into the elements as well.

“Celestia and Luna are not part of the world.” The colt lying next to Twilight said, unmoving. “My wife created them when the world was in need before my daughter had come of age. They were meant to beat the enemies, until Discord was meant to come along. He was the one Twilight was meant to ‘defeat’.” His wife giggled again, but said nothing. She walked to stand next to her husband as he rose to his hooves.

“What about me?’ Discord looked confused at the mares around him, then back at the couple in front of him.

“I am truly sorry Discord, but you sacrifice, it… it does not count.” The wife said as Discord stood dumbfounded and the five ponies to his right all started to talk at once. Discord only caught parts of sentences.

“That’s not fair, he…!”

“We were there we saw…”

“What is going to happen to…?”

“There is no way I’m…”

“You’re crazy if you think his just going to…”

“Stop.” It wasn’t said in anger or annoyance; it was just said so calmly that every pony stopped shouting all at once. “I truly am sorry but, Discord knew once he got his chaotic powers that he would be named Lord of Chaos, which breaks the rules of the sacrifices needed. However that is not a problem.” The nameless mare looked directly at Discord with caring eyes.

“It is you I must ask the most from, Discord.” She bent down and looked at her daughter’s lifeless form. “Will you guard my daughter through the perils of her life and give her the one thing you will have that she, and every pony else will not have?”

“What will I have that she does not?” Discord looked tired, as if the weight of the world was crashing down on him.

“Why, you will have memory!” The cold exclaimed in his large, booming voice. “You will be the only one that will remember the times you spent with Twilight and her friends. The rest of the ponies, even Luna and Celestia will not remember my daughter’s name.” he said Celestia’s name with slight hatred.

His wife continued where the colt left off. “They will not remember because we are going to put Twilight into your care at the time she was meant to be put into it!” She was so happy she started to talk as fast as her mouth would allow. “You will care for her and… and she will fight her battles!” She turned to her husband. “Oh dear, it will be just like we planned it all those years ago! She will be happy and finally find the hooded figure! Oh you all have no idea how happy I am to see this fulfilled!” She practically squealed with delight.

“Who is this hooded figure that had been in Twilight’s dreams?” Luna asked with curiosity burning in her mind. “And another question if I may, who are you? I know you are Twilight’s parents and the creators of the world but there are no documents that talk about you two.”

“Ah yes, my name is Destany and my husband’s name is Fate. The hooded figure is a man that will allow Twilight to see the light of both of their hearts.” The smile on the parent’s faces were bigger and brighter than any smile that Pinkie could give. Everypony was very confused, but didn’t say anything because at that moment the light in the realm faded just a little. “Our time in this place is coming to a close.” She spoke softly.

“We must give Twilight your sacrifices now.” A glob of light grew from the pony’s chests and flew to Twilight. The globs rose to her horn, and dissolved into it. Nothing happened at first, but then a light flashed on Twilight’s flank. The image change, the six pointed was unchanged but was surrounded by a smaller version of the other elements; there was a sun and crescent moon above them.

“That’s what I saw in Zacora’s hut!” Applejack cried out. But something was missing… “Where is the little star?”

“Twilight will earn her star, don’t you worry.” The colt walked to stand next to his wife. “But now we must send you back and send Twilight to her family.” The room faded away until there was nothing but three ponies floating among the stars. “It’s time to go dear.” The trio floated up and up until the other children of Fate and Destany was visible.

“Come my children, your sister has returned for a time. Help her be the star she once was!” Destany yelled out to the star lit sky. The stars came closer together and formed a bright light that surrounded the still lifeless form that was Twilight Starlight. When the stars moved away from their sister, she had returned to her form as the brightest star in the sky.

There was a new life in this newborn star, she was made young again by her friends and her long lost family.

“We must hurry if we are going to make it in time!” Fate yelled to his wife who was holding her oldest daughter.

“She is so small.” Was all Destany said as the trio walked down a star pathway that lead them to moments before Discord was turned into stone. “Goodbye my little star, we‘ll meet again someday.” Fate took his daughter into his arms and held her close. Then he let her fall to the earth, a shooting star among ponies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Discord looked down at the two alicorns that had come to defeat him, and laughed. Then he looked down at them and heaved a deep sigh. Why must I deal with these stupid ponies again?

“Discord!” The two sisters yelled together. “We…” Before the sisters could say anything more, a star was seen falling straight toward the group.

“Look out!” Luna shouted and pushed her sister out of the way, but the star went right over them. The star fell into the arms of the Lord of Chaos. He screamed in pain at the burning of the brightest star, at first, but the pain went away as the star morphed into a filly with a lavender coat.

“Let the filly go Discord, she isn’t part of this!” Celestia yelled at him, but he didn’t tear his eyes away from the filly in his arms. She cooed at him and reached a hoof out to him. He reached his lion paw out to touch the bottom of her hoof, intending to tickle it. However, when he touched her hoof a white light formed over his eyes and he saw a life he could remember and the filly in his arms was a grown mare. She was beautiful, and powerful, and… she was his best friend even when he wasn’t hers. He loved her with all his might and tried to give up everything for her.

“Hi again, my little Twilight, my little star.” He cooed and tickled her tummy, she in turn squealed with delight. He continued to entertain her as the sisters made their way toward him. Twilight giggled and screamed in delight, not a care in the world.

“Discord,” Celestia began, “I am ordering you to…”

“Tai wait!” Luna yelled at her sister as the lunar pony got a closer look at the filly in Discord’s arms. “She’s the filly in my dreams, the one that has haunted me for weeks!” Luna was shocked to find her in the arms of Discord. The filly in question had been in Luna’s dreams for many nights now; the filly would get taken away from Luna by a shadowy figure. And just before Luna could get to her, a hooded figure came up to the filly, she would stop crying only when this hooded figure would come.

Discord looked at Luna like she was his last hope, he knew what would happen if Celestia got Twilight. With the snap of his fingers the world around them went back to the place it once was. All the chaos Discord created was gone, and all because of a single little filly.

“What is this?” Celestia asked in a monotone voice, clearly annoyed.

“I surrender on one sent of terms, this filly is entrusted to my care. I will care for her in my home on a plane of land that will be mine and mine alone. I will never allow my chaos to go anywhere but my land.” Discord said in a firm, strong voice.

“And the child?” Luna asked in a concerned voice.

“I only want what is best for her, I am her guardian, and I would die before I would let anything happen to her.” Discord held Twilight just a little bit closer to his chest.

“Very strong words for a filly that you just met.” Celestia gave him a skeptical look.

“We agree to the terms.” Luna said in a confident voice that could have been heard anywhere in the town they were in.

“Luna!” Celestia screeched at her sister and pushed her away from Discord so he was out of earshot. “Why are you letting him go? We had him right where we wanted him, we could have used the elements!”

“And with the filly in his arms as well? Negotiation is the only way we can beat him and not risk a single life.” Luna gave her sister a hard look and turned back to Discord, who hadn’t moved. “What will happen if you or any other breaks one of the terms?”

“I will give up all I have…” This was hard to say for Discord, “including Twilight, and will give myself up willingly.” He added in haste afterward, “Depending on the situation.” He looked down at the little filly in his arms that had fallen asleep; she was so cute laying there against his chest.

“We agree; there is a plot of land that is not being used that you could use for your home just outside of the Everfree Forest. You will not be disturbed.” Luna looked only at the child as she told Discord this. “If I may?” Discord nodded as Luna walked closer to him. “Could I hold her, for just a moment?”

Discord handed Twilight over willingly, he could trust Luna after all. It was when Luna took Twilight into her magic that Discord got a little nervous. Would Luna take her away?

“Celestia, look! She’s an alicorn!” Luna exclaimed as she held the awakening pony toward her sister.

“How is that possible? There are no other alicorns but you, me, and Cadence! There is no fourth alicorn!” Celestia screamed at the filly and tried to take the filly into her magic. “This must be contained until we know what is happening.” Celestia took Twilight, but Discord grew in size and screamed at the sun pony.

“Do not DARE take her away!” Discord could not contain his anger at Celestia, the wind picked up until Twilight was screaming in announce of the noise. He tried to calm himself but he was furious.

“Celestia!” Luna cried over the noise. “Give him back the child!” Luna ran to her sister and took the child away from her. As suddenly as everything had happened it went away in the same way. Luna walked over to Discord and handed him Twilight, who had finally stopped crying and looked up at him with puffy, red eyes.

“We will be watching you, but you are free to live on your land however you choice.” Luna transported everypony to the land Luna was talking about. It was just outside of where Ponyville was going to be. “Your land is from the road,” She pointed to the road behind them. “To the river,” She pointed to a small river that was about 240 yards to the north. “To the edge of the Everfree.” She pointed east toward the forests dense foliage. “To the road over there.” She pointed to a road that was about 240 yards west of the edge of the Everfree.

As Discord looked around, Twilight had tried and failed to climb onto Discord’s head. Luna looked on at the young family and sighed. “Discord, what do you think you’re doing?”

“What do you mean?” He asked while Twilight settled into his arms again.

“You’re raising a living breathing foal here! Do you even know how to raise a foal?” Luna asked taking a few steps closer to them.

“Luna, will you hold Twilight for just a moment? I want to make a play area for her while we talk.” Discord handed Twilight to Luna, and while discord made a simple area on the grass for Twilight Luna tickled the filly’s tummy. Twilight reached up to touch Luna’s hoof and when she did, Luna cried out as the sea of memories came flooding back. Tears stung Luna’s eyes and she would have dropped Twilight if Discord hadn’t come over and put his claw on her shoulder and his lion paw under Twilight’s back.

“Do you remember?” Discord whispered into Luna’s ear, even though no one was there with them.

She did remember, Luna remembered the pain of the elements light, friendships she had made and lost.

“Our friends are gone.” Luna said in a sad tone.

“No, they haven’t even been born yet, in around one thousand two hundred years they will be.” Discord looked down at little Twilight as she struggled in Luna’s arms; he then picked her up and placed her inside the small plastic fencing around her play area.

“Tai and I must leave, now.” Luna said and started to lite her horn, but Discord stopped her.

“Why do you have to go?” Discord looked Luna straight in the eye.

“Don’t you remember? Fate and Destiny said that we would have to return to our elements, I have to return to the moon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time Night had fallen a crossed the land, Luna had convinced Celestia to return with her, only after making a speech to the ponies everywhere that they “must return to their real home….” and “are uncertain of when we shall return to this land”.

Discord didn’t see them off, and didn’t see when or how they returned, but the world was brighter during the day and darker during the night after they had gone. During their speech Luna had “lied” and added in that Discord had been reformed by the elements and would be leading in their stead until their return.

Spending the day working on his home, Discord had built a castle smaller than the Canterlot Castle, but larger than the Castle of the Two Sisters. It was simple, in a way that only a castle could be simple. There were not long, dusty tapestries, no long dining tables, and no huge staff waiting on every beck and call. No, what this home had an abundance of was books and studies. A handful of bedrooms and baths did not come close to the number of libraries in that castle. There was a bedroom that Twilight and Discord shared, because Discord was afraid of letting Twilight out of his sight, and a bedroom Twilight would have when she was older, and about ten guest rooms all with a jointing bathrooms, but that was still not even a quarter of the number of Libraries in that home.

When Twilight was small, she roamed the rooms with Discord in tow, and as she aged she grew into a quiet, outgoing youngster that loved to run and play with her “father” just as much as she loved to sit in a corner and read alone.

But no matter how close she and her father were, she had a secret that would break his heart, she was starting to fall in love with a mysterious colt that came and visited her in the forest by her home.

But when her father found out, Twilight’s calm life of knowing only those two men, (and the delegates that stayed with her father “the Prince”), would change overnight. It would also change the fate of Equestria,

Forever

Author's Note:

Well, I don't even know how to say sorry about how long this took me. All I can say is I hope a longer chapter and a nice cliffhanger will make up for it.
Sorry again

Keep Gazing My Friends.

Comments

[Aether Spark]

If Spike was never hatched by Twilight, then he's never going to be hatched.

And he gave up his ability to love, he'll spend the rest of his life [if it ever comes] alone and sad.

Unless this loophole destiny talked of is used, what is it?