Yes, our time is coming to rule this realm. Our power grows, but, so does our enemies. Time grows short. We must prepare.
The outline of the Sisters castle was looming in the distance, barely visible through the mist that shrouded the place.
“What is it with the fog, always with the fog in this Forest.” Rainbow Dash was complaining to herself, and had been for the past hour. Twilight was trying her best to ignore her pegasus friend. But today found many limits for Twilight; and her patience was one of them. Tixie had been quite, which was a welcome for once. But if the look on her face gave any indication of what might be going on in that mare's head, it troubled Twilight. The only one who seemed to be content with anything, was Princess Celestia. Who had been humming to herself a cheerful tune amongst the mostly silent and morbid others.
Twilight was still gathering up mana for the upcoming battle, and was dreading it’s release; it was going to be a painful one,and possibly a deadly one. And for this fact alone, frightened her. She went over and over in her head how she could be powerful enough to fight Nightmare moon, but remain in control. Sadly, no matter how many times Twilight went over it in her head, no matter how many different angles she looked at it. She kept coming to one conclusion. She wasn’t. She was going to have to just let lose a lot of magic, while going on a rampage and pray no one but the intended target was hurt.
Twilight glanced up to the sky. Only to be met with a dense thick layer of fog the loomed over her. However, for a brief moment the fog parted and slowly beams from the moon shone down onto Twilight. She couldn’t quite place why the beams of light shining through the thick fog was catching her attention so much. The more she thought about it, the more that view of the moon felt familiar in some weird way. Then it finally clicked. It reminded her of the second encounter she ever had with Derpy.
A week had gone by since the Gray mailmare had plowed into her at the market. Twilight and Derpy didn’t really talk to each other, but Twilight did keep tabs on her. It sickened Twilight to no end how that poor mare was being treated. Yes she was always mixing things up, misplacing them, and breaking them. But it was genuine mistakes and Derpy always replaced what she could. It actually surprised and shocked Twilight that she still managed to keep up with rent and other life expenses at the rate she was replacing things. But that would also explain why she always saw the mare working multiple shifts at the Post. Plus the side job she had at the printers.
The moon was high in the sky. Twilight was sitting by the window, reading a book in the fullmoon light. The beams of light flowed in through the window and highlighted the particles that was floating in the air. A timid knock at the door brought Twilight back to the present. With a soft sigh, that was partly out of irritation, she gently closed her book and got up to answer the door. The handle to the door started to glow as Twilight reached out with her magic and turned the knob.
Twilight pulled the door open with mild annoyance, trying to figure out who would be bothering her this late into Luna’s night. Behind the door stood a visibly shaken and nervous gray mare. Derpy hesitantly scratched the back of her head as she awkwardly stood in Twilight’s door way.
“Um, I know it’s k-kinda late, but I was h-hoping you could help me with something.” Derpy opened her mouth to say something else but Twilight beat her to it. Twilight watched as the mare stumbled over her words, and how she was shaking while talking to Twilight. All annoyance that Twilight had, went out the window in that moment. She knew it wasn’t because of pity. But she felt sorry for her, and the Princess did tell her to make friends.
“Sure, come on in and take a seat. Do you prefer tea, or coffee at this hour?” Derpy focussed both of her eyes on Twilight and gave her a dumbfounded look. After straining her eyes for a few seconds her right eye lazily floated back into it’s unnatural position.
“What?” Derpy sat on her hunches unsure if this was a joke. Twilight stepped outside and pushed Derpy into her house and closed the door behind her.
“Tea or coffee, well before you answer that, is this going to be a quick question, or an all nighter? Oooo tell me what subject we are looking for, I’ll pull all the books I have on it. SPIKE! Get the coffee going we are in for all nighter!” Twilight rushed around the tree grabbing things here and there placing them around her desk. Meanwhile Derpy sat on the couch unsure of what was going on. Derpy watched Twilight prance around with foalish joy as she gathered her things.
Twilight suddenly stopped in her tracks and rushed over to the crying mare on her couch.
“Derpy, what's wrong? Did I say something to upset you?” Derpy just looked up to the Unicorn and shook her head.
“No, just. Happy? Surprised I guess. No pony likes to help me.” Twilight took a moment to quell the anger festering inside as she sat down next her. She stared at the floor thinking of what to say next, then a thought came to mind. With a smile she turned to the gray mare and opened her mouth.
“Now, before I get too ahead of myself, what do you need help with?” Derpy gave a sheepish look to Twilight.
“Uhh, how to build a fruit cart?” Derpy quickly looked away, shutting her eyes tight and bracing herself for the on coming laughter. But all she heard was Twilight get up off the couch and walk to the book shelves pull a few of them off, then some books being put back.
“Do you know basic woodworking? Hmm I’ll grab that one anyway.” Twilight went back to rummaging through the libraries collection pulling out things here and there. When she was satisfied with her collection of books she returned to Derpy and opened one up. She paused and looked at her stack. “Wait here, I need to go look for one more thing.” Twilight got up once again and went to the corner and pulled out a box full of scrolls. While Twilight was looking through the box, Derpy grabbed one of the books and started to paw through it.
Though it was true she need to rebuild a cart she had smashed this morning, this wasn’t what she had come her to ask. But her shame and shyness forced her to panic and ask for this instead. The real question was still gnawing at her brain. But she couldn't bring herself to ask a Pony she had just met such a personal question. Why am I wasting her time with this rubbish. Rubbish? Ugh I’m spending too much time with Doc. Twilight had returned and pulled Derpy from her thoughts.
“Ah here we go, schematics for a fruit cart. Now where to start.” Derpy’s ears sagged and she bowed her head. With a reluctant sigh Derpy made up her mind to tell Twilight the truth.
“Twilight, I uh, need to confess to something. I’m actually not here for help on building a cart. Even though I do need to do that. I was hoping I could get some things off my chest. Doc’s out of town and you are the only other pony who showed me any kindness.” Derpy sat beside Twilight, silently chastising herself. Twilight sat in silence for a moment, before just simply raising a hoof and resting it on Derpy's shoulder, causing the gary mare to nervously shift her wings.
“In that case, I’ll go put on tea. Hang tight, ok?” Twilight got up walked toward the kitchen, after a few moments she walked back with two tea cups floating in tow. “Here you go. So what is it that is bothering you?”
Derpy grabbed the tea cup out of Twilight's magic, and stared off into nothing. She wasn’t sure how to go about what was troubling her. On one hoof she need to get the pent up emotions off her chest before she randomly broke down, but on the other hoof she knew that this short of thing wasn’t normal.
“I, I had a falling out with a,” Derpy paused, “w-with a family member. A harsh fall out. I just don’t know what I did wrong. I-I mean looking back I guess it sorta makes sense of why they had acted the way they always did, but I still don’t understand what I did.” Derpy glanced down as her ears folded back against her head, her wings wrapped tighter around her midsection the more she thought the harsh word that were slung at her during the argument.
Twilight looked at the timid Pegasus, patiently waiting for her to continue. They both sat in silence for a few moments before Derpy spoke up again. “I-I just don’t get it. I-I always thought I was loved. P, p-papa loved me, why couldn’t she?” Derpy’s golden eyes began to fill up with tears, before they flooded over her eyelids and ran in streams down her matted cheeks. Her whole body began to shake as she sobbed heavily into her own front hoofs. Twilight reached over a gently placed a friendly hoof on Derpy’s shoulder. The gray mare slightly flinched at first, which sent a sting through Twilight's heart. But after a quick glaze over in Twilight's direction, Derpy leaned over into Twilight, who in turn embraced Derpy fully.
Twilight said nothing while Derpy wept. Not because she was at a lost for words. But because she knew this wasn’t the time for comforting words. So she sat there holding the weeping mare, hoping that this was enough to comfort her friend.
After about ten minutes Derpy had stopped shuddering, and within two she had stopped crying altogether. Twilight glanced down as she opened her mouth to talk, but Derpy was sound asleep. Rather than waking her sleeping friend she slowly withdrew from her grasp and left her on the couch to sleep. Twilight walked up to a little niche that was in her hallway and pulled down a blanket and a pillow; which she returned to to couch with.
After tucking Derpy in, Twilight blew out the final candle and went upstairs to bed herself.
Twilight was pulled from her memory as Princess Celestia tapped her on her shoulder. She looked up at her mentor to notice her pointing at something in the distance. Twilight followed her hoof, and strained her eyes to see the looming building in the distance through the dense fog. As they four ponies neared it.
An ancient ruin rose up out of the fog on the other side of a ravine that was connected by an old rope bridge. The ruins them self seemed to be in more disrepair then the last time they had visited the old castle. The high stone walls had moss growing and vines weaving its way in and out of the stone blocks, threatening to bring down the wall at any moment with a hostile nature take over. The castle itself seemed to be beckoning them to their fate. It seemed alive with the way the broken arc way’s jutted out of the almost solid walls, wanting to crush any who dared to walk beneath them. Twilight turned to Celestia.
The Princess had a stern look on her face, but her eyes told a different story. Hurt, sadness, empathy, and rage all seemed to swirl in her eye upon looking at what she onced called home. Her mind was a mading storm of emotional conflict. But the one thing that stood out was the fire that was burning in her heart. For too long had Nightmare Moon plagued her with nothing but heartbreak and sorrow. Both then and now it was her sister, but she had crossed the line one too many times. The one mistake that Nightmare Moon had failed to realise. Was Twilight. Celestia knew the power she held. And she would not hold back her finest Student. This would be the hardest test that Twilight has yet to face. And she pitied the Being that pissed her off.
The fires of Tartarus now burned within her eyes, all the years of wrought solitude from her sister and raw emotion was about to explode in a fiery rage. Celestia looked down at Twilight and only uttered a few words.
“This ends now.”