"I don't like this," Shining Armor muttered. Cadence sighed, giving a shake of her head.
"I know Shiny, but Auntie gave Spell Nexus jurisdiction. He has some of her best guards..."
"And what about me?! Am I not her best?!" Shining Armor demanded, his anger fading the moment he realized he had raised his voice.
"Cady, I-I'm sorry..."
"It's fine Shiny. I know you aren't mad at me," Cadence smiled at him.
"And speaking of you, what would she do without her Captain? She can't just send you on errands willy nilly, you idiot. If this girl really is Nightmare in hiding, then she's too weak to do anything more than manipulate Twilight into protecting her. A small group of Celamont's best should have no problem, and if they do, then she'll most definitely send you Shiny," Cadence assured him.
"I don't know, something still doesn't feel right..."
Nyx frowned, watching Scootaloo slip on her backpack.
"Somethin' wrong Nyx?" Scootaloo asked her over her shoulder.
"Well um..." She began, Twilight clearing her throat. Nyx looked over, eyes wide as Twilight held out a messenger bag for her.
"I packed it myself. I borrowed some notes from Scootaloo's teacher and made a few copies for you so you can catch up with everyone," she explained.
"I...I can go with Scootaloo?" she asked slowly as Twilight slipped the bag over her shoulder, fussing with her vest and hair.
"We talked about it Kid, and you really should be going to a real school, even if Twilight would rather teach you herself," Rainbow chuckled, ignoring the glare of death Twilight shot at her.
"Though, I want you to remember the rules..." Twilight began.
"I know, I know. Keep my vest and glasses on and be careful with my magic," Nyx sighed. Twilight knelt in front of her, hugging her close.
"I just worry Nyx...They aren't ready for you..." Twilight leaned back and smiled.
"But you're ready for them, have fun today, okay?"
"I will!"
"WE'RE GONNA BE LATE! LETS GO!" Scootaloo yelled from the door.
"Wait, what? Are you serious!? We're just stopping in the middle of this fucked forest?!" he yelled at the robed woman. Zecora for her part, simply smiled.
"This place so drowned in darkness and sorrow...Of it we will craft a shelter, a home to borrow," she answered.
"Oh come on, quit with the rhymes...Its just getting ridiculous now..."
"My way of speech is my own, now help or we shall be without a home," Zecora ordered, setting her satchel down. He sighed and followed after her, watching as mana weaved around the woman, yet she channeled none of it. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but he had once made the mistake of attacking her. That had been his first lesson and one he had learned quickly. Being basically a god didn't matter when an angry, whatever the hell she was, decided to put you in your place.
He still didn't understand why she had claimed him as her student, or what she intended to teach him. But he doubted she would just let him walk away now. Besides that, his curiosity refused to let him give up, no matter how tiresome she was. He would figure out what made her tick, and only then would he get his revenge.
"Alright, please introduce yourself to the class," The Doctor said with a smile, standing beside Nyx and Scootaloo. Nyx glanced over at Scootaloo who gave her a smile and a nod.
"H-Hello everyone, m-my name is Nyx. I'll be staying in Eraville for a while a-and I hope we can be friends." she stammered, adjusting her glasses a bit. No one could tell she was different...right?
Diamond Tiara scoffed, sinking into herself sheepishly as several students glanced over at her. The Doctor cleared his throat, putting a hand on Nyx's back and causing her to jump slightly.
"We'll do a quick review of our last lesson to get you up to speed. Miss Sparkle has assured me you won't have any problems with the material so lets get started, hm?" he said softly. She gave a nod, spotting an open seat near Applebloom. She set her bag down next to the seat, looking around and seeing a few students watching her. Had they noticed something? She started to panic, calming down as Applebloom tossed her a smile.
"Jus' relax Nyx," she said quietly, nodding her head towards the front where the Doctor was writing on the chalkboard. Nyx took a slow breath, pulling out her notebook and the notes Twilight had made for her, comparing them to the lesson. The notes didn't match up exactly to what the Doctor was explaining.
There's so much extra information here...is he holding back for me? Or did Twilight give me extra notes? Nyx wondered.
"Any questions? Nyx?" The Doctor asked. She squeaked as she was called on, clearing her throat and shaking her head.
"N-No, I'm fine," she said quickly.
"Nerd" Diamond Tiara scoffed. Nyx frowned, sinking into her seat a little. Had she said something wrong?
"Excellent! Now then, open your books..." The Doctor continued, his voice droning on through the lesson. Anything that was missing from her notes was quickly added, Nyx coming out of her shell more and more as the day continued. The Doctor chuckled each time she raised her hand for a question and before she knew it the day was over.
She frowned as The Doctor began dismissing them for Recess.
"Is that all?" Nyx frowned.
"Just for today Nyx, there's always more to be learned, especially for those so keen to understand the world around them. I'm sure Miss Sparkle can more than assist with your thirst for knowledge," The Doctor chuckled, passing out a few homework sheets as the students passed. Scootaloo was quick to rush to Nyx's side, throwing a glare at Diamond Tiara.
"Whats with her?" Nyx asked.
"She's a bitch, that's what," Scootaloo scoffed, Nyx staring at her friend.
"Trust me, just ignore her, c'mon," Scootaloo mumbled, grabbing Nyx by her arm and dragging her to a table where Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were waiting.
"Scoot's wasn't kiddin' when she said ya'll liked t' learn," Applebloom said with a smile. Nyx chuckled nervously as she sat down.
"Is that a bad thing?" she asked, looking at her friends. They were silent for a moment, letting their friend stew, but knowing her being one to panic, quickly burst into laughter.
"Ain't nothin' wrong with it Nyx, jus' shows ya'll really are related t' Miss Twilight," Applebloom teased. Nyx smiled weakly at that, turning her attention to the homework sheet that had been given to her.
"You okay Nyx?" Scootaloo asked, turning away from her sandwich.
"Y-Yea! I'm fine just...I've got a lot on my mind," she admitted, opening up her own lunchbox to find it organized just like her bag had been. A glance at Scootaloo's things revealed the opposite. She could take a guess as to who packed what.
Sweetie Belle glanced around before resting her head on Scootaloo's shoulder, the Skyborn barely shifting with the added weight and digging in to her sandwich. She set it down long enough to poke her finger into the Magian's mouth, waiting a few moments and bumping her shoulder into Sweetie Belle gently before going back to her sandwich.
"Ya'll are curious, ain't ya Nyx?" Applebloom teased, causing her to jump.
"Uh well, I mean, yea..." she chuckled
"Belle is a vampire, remember? Bein' 'round Scoot's an drinkin' from her keeps her calm an happy," Applebloom explained, taking a bite out of an apple. Nyx picked at her salad, apple slices lined up on the side as well as two slices of toast, enchanted to warm up when she unwrapped them.
"Isn't that a little weird though? Doesn't it hurt?" Nyx asked. Scootaloo scoffed around her sandwich.
"Compared to what I use to deal with, this is nothin'," she boasted, Sweetie Belle giving her a worried look. Scootaloo thumped her chest and grinned.
"I'm cool Belle, don't worry. Mo...Uh, Twilight an Dash are taking good care of me. Not a single wheeze or anything!" She pointed out. Sweetie Belle frowned for a moment but eventually nodded, opening her own lunchbox and letting out a sigh.
"Rarity packed me tea again..." she mumbled. Applebloom dug into her bag, pulling out a spare homemade juice box and passing it to her friend.
"Thanks Applebloom!" she squealed happily. Nyx smiled at her friends as they enjoyed their lunch.
Everything seemed so...Normal.
"You can't be serious..." Spike breathed as he read over the letter.
"So, what do we do now Boss?" Vinyl questioned sarcastically
"Just sit on our asses and let it run its course?" she continued. Spike didn't even have words to bite back with. Vinyl was right. He had waited too long.
"We don't know when Spell Nexus will make his move. With that many guards and needing to get them in without being seen, he'll probably return alone, or with a very small contingent while the others arrive in civilian dress...At best we have a couple of days," Spike mumbled as he paced back and forth.
"So, what the fuck do we do Boss?" she asked, serious this time. Spike glanced over at her and let out a sigh.
"Vinyl...Do you remember what that mark on your body represents? What it prevents?" he asked softly
"Yea, its a charm made by a fucking god to keep us from betraying each other," she explained.
"No Vinyl, its a Binding that makes it so we can't disobey the Princess. Well, makes it so that you and the others can't," he explained, pulling his shirt aside to show that he bared no such marking. Vinyl stared with wide eyes.
"Spike...what are you planning?" she asked. He gave her a sad smile as he removed the comm from his ear.
"Something I probably should have done a long time ago Vinyl...After all, the things we must do, are not always the things we want to do," he said softly. He snapped his fingers and he was gone, his comm on the ground in front of her.
Fluttershy chewed her lip. Several times she had felt that same spark of Chaos. The one that had put everything in motion. Nightmare Moon was back and hiding. Spike had assured her that he was on top of everything, that it wasn't Nightmare, but Fluttershy was sure.
She blinked in surprise as one of Luna's guards marched up to her cottage. She stepped outside, opening her mouth to greet them and was stopped as they raised their hand.
"Lady Fluttershy, I apologize, it has fallen to me to take upon the duty as your Watcher for this afternoon. Your normal guard has made it aware to us that he will not be able to tend to you for some time," she spoke, turning her back after her piece was said.
"Where is my friend?" Fluttershy asked, finding her voice.
"I am not aware of your previous guards location, nor identity. I have only been tasked with passing along a message and keeping an eye on you. More-so, I have been tasked with ensuring your safety. It was made clear you are very important to many people," she explained, never turning around.
"What about the other guard? Where is she?" Fluttershy began to panic.
"The other Knight remains in town, watching the other Element Bearers. I was told you needed a personal guard while they merely must have a watchful eye about," the woman answered, still keeping her back to her.
"I-I see...Do you know if he'll be coming back?"
The guard finally turned around, her mouth working for a moment before she let out a sigh.
"I do not know Lady Fluttershy, I honestly don't,"
"What do you mean gone?!" Twilight yelled at Vinyl. The vampire sighed, adjusting her shades and holding out Spikes comm.
"He dropped this and took off, I dunno where the hell he went. The Princess' are losing their shit and things are falling apart everywhere. Look, where's that kid of yours?" Vinyl asked, not having to wait long for an answer as Nyx and Scootaloo stepped into the library.
"I'll be damned, luck is on my side today," Vinyl mumbled, her magic sparking, she blinked as she found herself immobilized, held in the sway of Twilight's magic. She chuckled and peeked at Twilight over her shades.
"Come on Sparkie, we both know this won't hold. Maybe if you'd stop jumping the gun, you'd realize I'm trying to help you," Vinyl said calmly. Twilight grit her teeth as her magic flared and doubled, wrapping another layer around Vinyl to hold her in place.
"Uh..." Scootaloo took a step back, putting her arm in front of Nyx.
"Scootaloo, take Nyx and go find Pinkie, don't ask questions!" Twilight yelled. Vinyl sighed, her mana flaring around her body and shattering Twilight's hold on her.
"You might be able to hold me at full strength Sparkie, but not like this. Your good buddy Spell Nexus is on his way right now with a bunch of Celestia's best to take that kid away," Vinyl turned to Nyx only to find Scootaloo had already taken off with her friend in tow.
"Son of a bitch!" She swore, gasping as Twilight snagged her ankle and brought her to the ground.
"We don't have time for this shit Sparkle!"
"MAKE TIME! Why are they coming for Nyx?!" Twilight demanded.
"Because she's fucking Nightmare Moon!" Vinyl yelled back. The two sat there, staring at each other.
"Yea, your disguise needs work. Look, you care about the kid, right?"
"Yes,"
"And you don't want her locked away in some dungeon, right?"
"Right,"
"Then let go of me so I can help!"
"I can't," Twilight shook her head, tears in her eyes.
"Why the fuck not?!" Vinyl demanded. Twilight hung her head.
"I...I just can't. I can't explain it, there's just this...this feeling that if I let you go after her, I'll regret it," Twilight explained. Vinyl sighed and sat up.
"Alright, how about this then...I'll hold down the fort here. YOU go after the kid, and use this," she held out Spikes comm, "to get in touch with me. I have a few...friends, who might be able to help us out,"
"This can't be true," Luna murmured. Celestia clenched her fists as her sister read over the letter.
"There must be something at work here sister, that boy, he couldn't just..."
"Luna. Spike has always done what he has had to do. What he has felt he must do...In this case it seems he feels he is our enemy. Dragon's cannot be tamed with chaos alone and in her child-like state I highly doubt this Incarnation of Nightmare possesses the power necessary to do much else than hide. Her innocence would be more than enough to win over Twilight,"
"But what if she is innocent, sister? What has this incarnation done to warrant our actions?" Luna asked softly.
"She is Nightmare Moon. Given a chance she will bring about Eternal Night, we cannot let that happen, even if it means fighting our own,"
"Why does all the crazy shit happen to me?" Scootaloo grumbled, her wings kicking into high gear and helping her push her scooter faster. Nyx clung to her, leaning into her back between her wings with her arms wrapped tightly around her friend.
"W-Why did Twilight tell us to run?!" Nyx asked over the wind.
"I dunno! But something tells me she made the right call!" Scootaloo called over her shoulder, skidding her scooter to a stop at Sugarcube corner. The two girls gasped as they popped out of existence and in front of Pinkie Pie in her room.
"Pinkie, how the..." Scootaloo began, Nyx latching on to Pinkie's arm. Pinkie hugged her gently before turning to Scootaloo.
"Shhh! Okay, here's the plan. Me and Nyxie are gonna sneak out to my papa's rock farm and you are gonna go home to Twilight like nothing happened. Everyone know their part? Okay, go!" Pinkie said quickly
"Wait! What is going on?!" Scootaloo yelled.
"Um...well, a bunch of bad people think Nyx is a bad person and are coming to take her away so to make sure she can be safe I'M gonna take her away to somewhere no one can find her until they give up looking for her!"
"But won't they just come after her the moment she comes back here?" Scootaloo argued. Pinkie opened her mouth and sighed.
"Y-Yea...Didn't think that far ahead," Pinkie admitted.
"I have to go..." Nyx said quietly, stepping away from Pinkie Pie, "I have to go...Twilight...You and Scootaloo...You're all fighting for me and you don't even know me...I don't even know me...M-Maybe they can tell me who I really am. A-And then I won't have to hide and you all won't have to panic over me,"
"Nyx, that's stupid. I do know you. You're Nyx, the weird distant relative of Twilight's that loves books," Scootaloo argued. Nyx chuckled sadly and shook her head.
"No...I-I'm not Scootaloo. I'm not Twilight's distance relative...we aren't related at all. She found me in a bush..." Nyx said, removing her glasses. She unbuttoned her vest and let down her hair. Taking a slow breath.
"And then she hid me...and it hurt her. Everything I do hurts her...I don't want to hurt her...So I-I'll do what I have to. Just promise me something?" she asked.
"What?"
"Tell mom I love her," Nyx smiled sadly before letting loose all of her magic.
Spell Nexus wore a very large grin as he looked out the window of the train. There just in the distance was a massive beacon of magic and chaos, marking the exact location of his queen.
Had she realized her potential already, even as a child?
In any case, it made things all the easier for him. Celestia would be more than willing to assist him with a confession from the girl herself.