//------------------------------// // Friends // Story: The Night's Stars // by SC_Orion //------------------------------// Twilight inhaled as she woke up. Her eyes rolled across the room, drifting over the blurred outlines of her surroundings. What she saw barely registered in her mind, and as her eyes passed over anything, it was immediately forgotten. There was nothing there that caught her attention, there was nothing there that demanded a surge of energy, and with nothing to spur her into action, she lingered on the edge of consciousness. The soft light of the moon drizzling into the room cast everything in a subdued glow which gave her surroundings a dreamlike quality. The light softened the hard wood and faded into the darkness. As her eyes drifted through the darkness, the light of the moon gave it an almost comforting feeling, one that embraced her with an unassuming hug, whispering to her that it would be okay. She felt a warm spot nestled against her back at her withers. That warmth felt so close, yet her heart longed for feeling it against her chest, cradled in between her forelegs. But the rest of her body felt a calm numbness, a laziness. Her limbs felt distant, yet so close, so ready to obey her commands, yet none came to mind. She blinked, then exhaled. Her vision sharpened, and the comforting look of the room withdrew, pulling back, further and further away. The walls all seemed to retreat, and she felt as if she was exposed, out in the open. So what if she was lying in bed? So what if the bed was against the wall? She felt like she was in the middle of the room, as if she was in an open prairie, with nothing else around, except dozens of ponies, if not more, all staring at her. But it didn't put her on edge. It didn't scare her, it didn't provoke any terror. She didn't feel anxious, just unnerved. She just felt so aware of how big and open the loft was, even if it was nowhere near as big as her library. More cautiously, she looked back to the left, retracing where her eyes had already drifted, searching for anything that could have been the source of her discomfort. But there was nothing there. The room was smaller than her library, the room was more homely than her library, but she still felt exposed. From what she could see, there was nothing watching her, but she still felt unnerved. She rolled her head to the left, sticking her muzzle into the air and turning her gaze to the doorway, which was shut. For a few seconds, she watched the door, no thoughts coming to mind, nor any feelings washing over her. Her eyes jumped to the bed, then they jumped onto Spike. Her lips pulled up into a smile as she watched him sleep so soundly, so peacefully. He laid on his side facing away from her, so blissful, so unaware of whatever it was that was plaguing her. Carefully, she scooted away from him. Each jerk made her want to wince as she felt the mattress shift under her weight, but she managed to reach the edge of the bed without waking Spike. She took comfort in that small victory, then slid out of bed. She edged onto her hooves and stood facing the window for a few seconds. She stared out into the night, into the cloudless purple tapestry that was the sky. Only a sliver of the moon was visible. That small crescent line looked so innocent, so childlike as it peeked over the horizon. She watched it, and as she watched it, she felt so very aware of that crescent moon necklace on her chest. She was accustomed to the weight on her neck by now, not that it was heavy. No, it was like any other necklace anypony else would wear, the weight unnoticeable, perhaps until it was missing. The silvered necklace resting on her chest felt neither cold nor warm. It was just there, like always, although perhaps it did not strike the same fear into her as usual. Canterlot was miles away. Nightmare Moon was miles away. They were so far apart. Yet she knew just how close at hoof Nightmare was. It wouldn't have taken much for her teacher to teleport to her. She was always within her grasp. Her forehoof lifted from the floor, then touched the necklace, pressing it into her chest. Holding it close. She blinked, then looked down. For a few seconds, she studied her hoof, then she looked at how the chain of the necklace disappeared beneath it, seeing and knowing that her hoof was over the necklace, but not fully grasping or realizing that it was. She lifted her hoof from her chest and uncovered the crescent moon. Her hoof drifted away, dropping back to the floor before stopping. The necklace shimmered, the light from its enchantment slowly dancing across its surface, like a flame, but in such slow, drawn out motions. Her eyes jumped back to that tiny sliver of the moon that had risen above the horizon. 'All I'd have to do is ask...' occurred to her, 'And you'd be right here...' She felt her skin shifting as a tingle grew in between her withers, then, like an icicle, it raced down her spine. She shivered. She kept silent as she turned to her left. She gave Spike a passing glance and shuffled around the bed to make her way to the door. She lit her horn, and the shimmer of her magic filled the room. She grasped the door with her magic and glanced back at Spike, biting her lip, knowing that he was facing her. His eyes were still closed, and he didn't move. She opened the door, then quickly stepped out. As soon as she cleared the doorway, she pulled the door shut. She tried her best to shut it silently, but it wasn't enough; it made a soft creaking noise. Logically, she knew that it wouldn't wake Spike unless he was close to waking up anyway. It still didn't stop her from wincing and hearing that creak as a window violently shattering. But the door was closed. She listened for a few seconds and heard no scraping of claws on wood. She closed her eyes, then bowed her head until the tip of her horn rested against the door. She sucked in a deep breath, waited for a second, then let it go. She opened her eyes and pulled her head back, then turned around. Idly, she glanced over the stairs, then over the library below her. She could barely make out anything. The books that she knew were in the bookshelves all blurred together. Not a single book ended. Not a single book started. It was all just a wall of inky blackness. Without the light of the moon, her vision betrayed her. Only the faintest hint of light peeked into the room from the library's windows. The lighting was dimmer than in the bedroom. And for all she knew, there was something else there beside her. There could have been something lurking in the darkness. Just lying in wait for her. There could have been something ascending the stairs. It could have been going so slowly that she didn't notice it as it crept ever closer until it was too close for her to react. It set her on edge. She didn't feel Nightmare Moon's presence. She didn't feel like she was being watched. She felt that she was alone, but not isolated. But she didn't feel safe, either. And so, out of fear, she stood there, at the top of the stairs looking down into the library below. She knew it was silly. She knew she was acting like a little filly afraid of the dark. Surely, there were no monsters in the library! How would one have made it inside? Logically, she knew that, aside from Nightmare Moon, she was safe. But it didn't feel that way. And so she stood unmoving, breathing shallowly, doing her best to blend in, trying to will herself into non-existence to avoid drawing any attention to herself. 'I'm up too early,' she knew. A part of her wanted to groan at that, but it was the truth. A month ago, it would have been fine. But now, it wasn't fine. The moon had not yet risen in full, and the darkness of the moonless night still embraced Equestria in a crushing grip. She could have used her magic. She could have lit candles. She had no desire to delve into the unnatural darkness to do either. 'Maybe the moon cycle was a mistake...' whispered in her mind. She clenched her jaw. A part of her knew it couldn't have been a mistake. Another part of her growled back, 'It's unnatural!' Most of her mind was also in agreement that the part of her that said it couldn't have been a mistake was insane. She had Nightmare Moon as her teacher, yet the moonless nights terrified her. There was a beauty to the night sky, but it just felt so wrong without the moon. How did other ponies who did not have Nightmare Moon as their teacher feel about the moonless nights? And then there was the fact that the darkness without the moon was so thick, almost impossible to see in. Ponies couldn't be outside in that darkness. Under Princess Celestia's nights, or the moonlit nights of Nightmare Moon, ponies could be outside. Ponies could see in that darkness. But not when the moon was gone. As she thought about it, anxiety twisted in her chest, fear gnawed at her mind. She stood there, letting her anxiety and fear conspire against her. But she took comfort in watching as the darkness slowly faded back, retreating with the ascent of the moon. She watched how the darkness crept back as the minutes passed. The bookshelves finally separated from the books they held. The books had an end and a beginning, then she could make out the creases between each spine. The room lightened as the moon crept further into the sky. 'I could have watched this with her...' occurred to her, whispered in a grave tone by some distant part of her. 'And then I wouldn't feel this way...' Her ears flicked back. It had been an opportunity. And now it was a missed opportunity. She had no desire to be that close to Nightmare Moon, though. But then, if that was true, why did that thought occur to her? She had the distance that she wanted, even if it was an illusion. She nibbled on her lip. 'Would you have even come..?' she wondered. She dreaded the answer she already knew, 'Yes, you would have...' Or the other answer, that could have been. Being a filly so scared of the dark, surely that would be an insult to her teacher: the Queen of the Night. It was absurd. She actually smiled at the thought. 'I'm pathetic...' But it brought nothing with it. No emotion, no pain. Nightmare wasn't proud of her. Realizing that, she felt a coldness start to envelop her, starting with her muzzle, washing over her cheeks, then slithering over the rest of her body. Her mentor wasn't proud of her. She was nothing but an embarrassment. Her head tilted down. She stared at the floor, breathing in calm, slow breathes. Her thoughts all vanished. Nothing came to mind. The meaning of time, the passing seconds, it was all lost on her. When she looked up, the fear-inducing darkness had receded. The library was lit, she could see. But it was still dim, far dimmer than sunrise, and even far dimmer than during the middle of Princess Celestia's nights. She walked forward and descended the stairs. 'I shouldn't feel this way!' shouted out in her mind. 'She's not Princess Celestia!' But that still didn't separate it from, 'She's still my teacher...' Oh, why did this have to be so hard? Why did this have to tear her apart like it did? Why couldn't it have been simpler, easier! But it would be okay. She had to believe that. She had to hold onto that. Her head drifted left, sweeping across the library, then it flowed back to the right. The tree was comforting. It had a homely feel, even if it was a library. Libraries were always comforting places for her. But it didn't alleviate her doubts. It didn't alleviate her fears, nor her anxieties. Her head came to a stop when she faced a doorway with no door. On the wall to the right was another doorway, except this one was barred by a door. She glanced over that door, curious about its purpose, then turned her attention back to the room without a door. She had seen the doorway before, but she hadn't given the room any passing thought. Why should she have? It was so unimportant, especially since she wasn't going to be here for that long, and when she had been here before, she had the task of overseeing the Summer Sun Celebration for her Princess. Peering into the dimly lit room, she saw counters, a stove, and a refrigerator. All of it combined in her mind, and she realized it was a kitchen. A month ago, that might have surprised her. It was, after all, a library. But it did have a bedroom and a balcony. There was also another room she hadn't explored, and then Midnight was also hiding somewhere. But any semblance of surprise was suppressed by just how distant she felt from everything. The numbness wouldn't let her feel any surprise. She inhaled and her hooves carried her into the kitchen. She turned her head to the left, taking in the full extent of the room. Her gaze fell on a table, complete with four chairs. The table was just barely oval in shape to the point that it was more of a circle that bulged at both ends. It might have been able to seat six ponies, but it would have been a bit crowded for a meal. The four chairs were arranged in an x-shape around the table, with the bulging ends free from chairs. Her hooves carried her to the refrigerator. She lit her horn, then pulled the door open. As soon as the door opened, a magelight inside the refrigerator glowed to life. It put the light from the glow of her horn to shame. It put the soft moonlight to shame. But it didn't hurt her eyes to look at, even if it was so much brighter than the darkness filling the rest of the library. She swept her eyes over the refrigerator's contents, then shivered as the chill from inside washed over her. The contents barely registered in her mind. She didn't know what she was looking for. She didn't find it. She closed the door, then turned around. Her hooves carried her back to the doorway, then she stopped and stood there. The library before her was just the same as before. Well, aside from one minor difference: Midnight descended the stairs. She watched the batpony, now free of her armor, as she walked down. Without the armor, Midnight looked so much more like a normal pony, even though it wasn't that she hadn't looked like a pony with her armor on. Perhaps it was because she was used to seeing Midnight wearing armor, as this was the first time she had seen Midnight without her armor on, but the batpony looked so slender and vulnerable. Yet she could still see the strength hidden beneath that thick gray coat. Midnight bent her body with each step she took, and her descent was silent, as if she was a predator creeping up on her prey, making not a single sound. But her expression had no hint of any predatory nature. Her slit-pupils were wide open and had taken on their characteristic playful glint, while her tongue was dipped out of her mouth, in between her fangs. Midnight, she knew, was a soldier. Midnight was a batpony. But that didn't stop her from having trouble believing it at times. Midnight looked at her, then watched her. "Good morning!" was her cheerful greeting. She squinted at Midnight and muttered, "...it's the middle of the night." Midnight just giggled. "It's always night now, but the moon is rising," was her casual response. Midnight's wings fluttered at her sides as she landed on the last step. "Although I am surprised that you're awake. I expected to wake up first." 'Why did I wake up so early?' No answer came to her mind. She wanted to say that it was because she went to bed early. She wanted to say it was because she slept well. But she wasn't certain. Perhaps it was because she had slept with Spike that she woke up earlier. Maybe his presence beside her was enough to ease her fears that Nightmare would show up to watch her sleep. Maybe the distance between Canterlot and Ponyville would keep her teacher from doing that? She doubted it. If Nightmare wanted to, there was nothing stopping her. "Twilight? Hellooo?" Midnight called. "Do you make it a habit to stare off into space?" She blinked and swallowed as her eyes jumped back to Midnight. The mare's playful expression was more subdued, less expressed, now replaced with a more serious expression that she recognized as concern. "Y-yes?" she squeaked. Midnight's lips pulled down, and her brow creased. "Are you alright?" was all she asked. They had already been over that before! Why did she have to ask that question again!? But, to retort her guard, Nightmare Moon's soldier, in such a way? No, all she could do was try to smile, which only resulted in a grimace, and groaned, "I'm fine." It was about as convincing as she expected it to be. Midnight's brow folded down even more, and she knew the batpony saw right through it. But Midnight didn't chastize her or call her out, instead asking, "Are you sure?" in a gentle, comforting voice. She turned away from Midnight and nodded. "I'm as fine as I can be," she answered. 'Which isn't that fine,' was added in her mind. She didn't hear Midnight say anything or do anything. Reluctantly, she turned her head back to face her guard. Midnight just stood there, watching her. A few seconds passed. She swallowed. Midnight gave a hesitant nod and said, "If you're sure... But if you ever want to talk, you can talk to me, okay?" She wasn't sure she believed that, but there was no malice in the offer. There was nothing there that made her reluctant to accept the offer, and so she gave a timid nod. Midnight lingered for a moment longer, then turned and walked into the kitchen. Twilight turned her head to keep watching the batpony as she walked on past her. Midnight went to the refrigerator and opened it. She turned back around, inhaled, then exhaled. She strolled over to the middle of the library, then turned around in a circle, letting her eyes wander over the spines and titles of the books filling the room. She saw them but did not pay attention to them. She saw them, but didn't keep track of anything. She came to a stop facing a section of the wall that had no shelves cut into it. Her hooves carried her over to it, then she turned around and sat down on her haunches. She was content to just sit there in silence, waiting until Spike woke up, or until her friends showed up. She didn't know how long it would be, but she was fine with sitting there, doing nothing else. Just wasting time. Not even reading or studying magic that she so loved. Instead, Midnight skipped over to her, spun around, and plopped down at her right before biting into a fresh apple. She heard the crunch of Midnight's teeth sinking into it, and found her stomach felt empty. Hesitantly, she glanced at Midnight. Midnight smiled thoughtfully and lifted her left wing, causing another apple to fall from her side. The batpony caught it with a hoof in a single sweeping motion that took her by surprise, then extended it to her. She eyed the red apple for a moment, then lit her horn and picked it up. "Thanks..." "Mhm!" was Midnight's cheerful response. She felt better after eating. She felt more alert, she felt interested in actually doing something. But she wasn't entirely sure what to do, even if the answer was obvious: she was in a library, and there were plenty of books for her to read. Sadly, none of them sparked much interest in her. How could they, given that as soon as she was pulled into one of the stories, her guard would slip in full, leaving her so vulnerable to her mentor? 'She's not here right now! She's in Canterlot!' her mind hissed. 'But she could show up without any warning!' another part of her shot back. It felt like ever since Nightmare had returned, her mind had been haunted by her. Even when Nightmare wasn't nearby, her thoughts always lingered on her teacher. She needed a break from it. She needed to recover and unwind. Being in Ponyville was supposed to help with that. She knew she was worrying too much. Nightmare Moon was right. If she kept worrying about her, she'd never be able to focus on her studies. She nibbled on her lip and looked out the window. Even with the moon having risen, the streets were sparsely occupied. But maybe that was normal, at least for nights. Her only experience to compare Ponyville with during the night had been the night before the Summer Sun Festival, and that wasn't a fair comparison. It wasn't fair to compare it to the day she had arrived, either. Notably absent, any of those five mares she would recognize in an instant. It was another thing that distracted her, the thought of her 'friends.' She felt anxious, with a bubbly energy in her chest. Would they show up like she hoped? When would they show up? Spike shifted at her side. She looked down at him and smiled. She was grateful for his presence. After he woke up and ate, he hadn't left her side for anything. And now, it was just the two of them. Midnight was upstairs, having left to don her armor. She didn't know how long it would take Midnight to put that armor on, but for however long it was, it was just her and Spike. And that crescent moon necklace. 'I should read something. It would help take my mind off of everything...' She licked her lips, then turned her gaze onto the bookshelves. She looked over the titles and mentally kicked herself: When she went to Ponyville before, she had taken something with her, but this time, she had not. Her saddlebags were also missing, although she assumed one of her friends was keeping an eye on them. She skimmed the titles and found the usual selection that a small town library would have. Nothing too complicated, nothing too in depth. The books were common books, ones that thousands upon thousands of copies existed. There were no rare, valuable books that she would drive her crazy not being able to read. There were no books on magic that she could study, either. At least not books for somepony of her level: most of the books were aimed towards the average unicorn. Although, she knew it could be useful to brush up on spells, if only as a refresher, or maybe because it would distract her. She stopped as it occurred to her, 'Predictions and Prophecies is still here...' She stared at the book's spine. She stared at its title. She felt a shiver shoot down her spine, and her breathing grew shallow and tensed. That book, just looking at it brought her a sense of dread. She bit her lip and chewed, even with how sore it was, she didn't stop. Did Nightmare Moon know that book was still here? Was it a test of some kind, to see if she would read it or ignore it? Would Nightmare hurt her if she tried to read any more from it and found out that she did? Did Nightmare even care about that book? Would Midnight tell Nightmare if she saw her reading it? Her eyes shot back towards the staircase. She held her breath, listening intently. She didn't see Midnight, nor did she hear her. The door to her room was closed. Would she have any advanced warning if that door opened? Would she have advanced warning if Midnight tried to sneak up on her? Midnight was stealthy, but maybe her armor would give her away. Her eyes shot back to the book. In an instant, her horn glowed to life and she grabbed the book from the shelf in her telekinesis. If it was any other time, she would have fumed at treating a book, especially such a valuable one, in such a manner. But now, her heart hammered in her chest as fear welled up inside her. She brought the book close, laid it down on the floor, then opened it. It immediately opened on the prophecy of Nightmare Moon's return. She hadn't even tried to do it, but it happened. She stared at the depiction of the Mare on the Moon. Her blood felt like ice. Her gut twisted, and her legs started trembling. She swallowed and looked over the text. She didn't read it, as the text was burned into her mind. She turned the page, putting the depiction of the Mare on the Moon face down, hiding it from her sight. Relief washed over her, but it didn't stop her from feeling dread. If Midnight saw her reading this, it could be bad. If Nightmare saw her reading this, well, that would be worse. She glanced back at the stairs. The door was still shut. She glanced at Spike. Spike stared at the book, oddly silent. But perhaps it was because it reminded him of one simple truth, 'Princess Celestia lied to me...' She turned her attention back to the book and took in the depiction of the Elements of Harmony. Five gems arranged around one central pink gem, set against a golden background that was intricately detailed with the four cardinal directions, and swirls that seemed to lack any coherent meaning. Nightmare Moon had the Elements of Harmony, now. The only way she could have possibly saved Princess Celestia. The only way she could have possibly stopped Nightmare Moon. There was no way to get them back. She had no idea where those Elements were, and trying to find them now would have been beyond pointless. Nightmare would kill her in a heartbeat if she tried anything with them. Or maybe Nightmare wouldn't. Maybe Nightmare would do something else, but any semblance of trust Nightmare had in her would be gone. And, she knew, Nightmare Moon would be disappointed. But it wasn't lost on her that there were six Elements of Harmony. It wasn't lost on her that there were five mares she somehow managed to call 'friends.' And it only made her dread worse. 'Are the Elements why you're keeping me around?' she wondered. The question left her uneasy. Part of her reasoned, 'That doesn't make sense! If I'm... one of their bearers, along with the rest of my friends, then she should have killed us! It would be in her best interest...' But another part of her reasoned, 'We could be useful to keep around... in case she needed us for something. She said she needs me...' She was probably thinking about things she shouldn't have been. Nightmare probably wouldn't be happy if she found out. But, she was already in so much trouble anyway, so why not go all the way? It was reasonable! Sort of. She turned her attention back to the book. Maybe it held some key that she could use, some hint of how, or rather if, Nightmare Moon would be defeated again. Try as she did, she found nothing. The entire time she searched, a voice in the back of her head shouted at her, condemning her for searching for some means to defeat her teacher. She would be in so much trouble if, or perhaps when, Nightmare found out. And trying to find a way to defeat Nightmare Moon also made her feel uncertain. She missed her Princess, but she felt that fighting Nightmare Moon, even if what she had done was wrong, was in of itself, wrong. Nightmare Moon was still just a pony, like her. 'You're hurting...' occurred to her, and she knew it was true. Maybe her teacher masked it, but it was the truth. Everything fit so perfectly with that context: ponies hated Nightmare Moon and drove her to try to bring eternal night once before, for which Princess Celestia banished her for a thousand years. She didn't hate her teacher. Even if Nightmare had banished Princess Celestia to the moon, even if Nightmare had turned her world upside down. She didn't hate her. And she was searching for a way to only prolong Nightmare Moon's banishment, or defeat her so that she could bring Princess Celestia back. It was reasonable, of course. But there had to be another alternative. She shouldn't have even been looking in this book. She felt guilty. She sighed, then used her magic to close the book. Reluctantly, she lifted the book up, then levitated it back over to its place. She looked back toward the stairs. The door was still closed. She looked at Spike. He stayed silent. Nightmare would never find out she had looked in that book again. Spike wouldn't tell, Midnight didn't know. The only way she could was if she told her. She tried to push the thought aside. She knew Nightmare Moon wasn't all-knowing, but it still ate at her mind. Princess Celestia wasn't all-knowing either, but she put her on such a pedestal where she knew that Princess Celestia knew what was best. Nightmare Moon had been very adamant in reminding her that, 'I am but one pony, Twilight Sparkle. I cannot be everywhere at once.' Hearing Nightmare's voice in her mind made her shiver. The door opened. She turned back and watched Midnight, now clad in her armor, casually walk out of her room, then descend the stairs. Unlike earlier, now she could hear Midnight's steps. The weight of the armor prevented her from being so stealthy. Midnight paused halfway down the stairs, looked at her and asked, "Are you still just sitting there?" She gave Midnight a wry smile. Midnight squinted at her, then cautiously descended the rest of the stairs. "Aren't you supposed to be like, I dunno, really studious or something? And we're in a library." She knew Midnight didn't mean anything by it, but it still stood out in her mind: she hadn't been studying like she should have ever since Nightmare Moon returned. But of course, she didn't have somepony directing her studies as much now. Although granted, Princess Celestia hadn't told her exactly what to study all the time. No, she had her own choices on what to study about magic. But now she wasn't studying like she should have been. Maybe she was waiting for Nightmare Moon to tell her what to study, or for her teacher to teach her. She grimaced and slowly nodded. "There's... not really anything here for me to study," she answered. She turned back towards the bookshelf before her and motioned a forehoof at it and said, "To me, this is all really basic magic. And there aren't any books on more complicated spells or spell theory for me to study." Midnight didn't say anything. She turned and looked back at Midnight. The batpony just sort of stared at the books and bookshelf, her eyes wandering over it, back and forth. For a second, her eyes came to a stop, and for that second, she held her breath, scared that Midnight's eyes had landed on the book she should not have read. Then, Midnight's eyes resumed their travel across the rest of the books. "Oh, okay," was all Midnight said. Midnight looked at her and offered, "You could probably have our Queen bring you some when she comes to visit." And it made her gut twist all the more. "S-she's coming to visit!?" came out frantically. And oh, how she instantly regretted that. She screwed her eyes shut as her lips pulled back, showing her teeth. Oh, that had been a mistake. How had that managed to come out!? Shock, that was how. And now, certainly, Nightmare Moon had overheard that. And now, certainly, Nightmare was going to be upset with her. Or, at the very least, disappointed and hurt. And it felt like the disappointment might have been worse. "Well, you are supposed to oversee the rebuilding of her castle, right? I'd think she'd show up sometime to talk with you about it," was Midnight's innocent explanation. She let out a breath in relief as she felt the knot in her gut untwist. She opened her eyes and looked at Midnight as her lips returned to normal. "Right..." she muttered, slowly turning her head back towards the bookshelf. 'Idiot!' her mind screamed at her. Her supposed intelligence really didn't amount to anything anymore. "You really should relax," Midnight commented softly. "Maybe just try reading something for fun?" 'That probably would help take my mind off of things, but I don't really want to...' was what came to mind. Internally, the thought made her wince. It was antithetical to her. She loved books! But she didn't want to read now. This month had been bad. And it occurred to her, that wasn't going to change. Nightmare Moon was still Queen. That wouldn't change. 'I... just have to get used to it...' And that? That made her wince. Getting used to how everything changed? She had no choice. But it wasn't going to happen overnight. No, because if she would have adjusted to it overnight, it would have already happened. Then again, this night was unending, so it could have been accurate, at least in saying that she would never adjust to the changes since the night wouldn't end. She clenched her jaw and thought, 'Don't think of it that way... it won't help any.' She had to hope that things would get better. But hoping for things to get better felt pointless. It felt, ironically, hopeless, to hope for things to get better. Princess Celestia probably wasn't going to escape. She probably wasn't going to see her Princess again. She wouldn't be able to rescue Princess Celestia. Nopony was going to save her and nopony was going to save her Princess. She was stuck being Nightmare Moon's student. Things wouldn't go back to normal. All she could do was adapt. She had no choice. Her muzzle drifted lower until it pointed at the floor just in front of her hooves, then she let out a quiet sigh. 'Okay, so, adapt!' came to mind. In response, another part of her screamed back, 'How!?' She needed to figure that out, but she also begrudgingly knew that she was giving too much weight to that question. She had, after all, adapted to being Princess Celestia's student. Surely she could figure out how to adapt to being Nightmare Moon's student? Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon were sisters. But so much more had changed. It wasn't just her life being changed, all of Equestria had changed because of Nightmare Moon's return. And it wasn't necessarily a good change like when Princess Celestia took her on as a personal student. She felt so closed in, but yet she still recognized it as an opportunity. A door had opened for her, in a way, although it was a door she was leery to take. The thought kept coming back to her, 'Embrace being Nightmare Moon's student.' She didn't know how, though. Other than when she returned to Canterlot, no longer avoiding her teacher, which was something she was already planning to do, the only thing that came to mind was trying to ignore or overcome her discomfort and return to some sense of normalcy: read, study, practice magic, spend time with her mentor learning magic from her. Nightmare Moon had extended an olive branch of sorts to her, or at least it seemed like her teacher was trying to do that. It would have been rude to not at least try to do the same thing, even if it made her cautious. Maybe giving it a chance was crazy, but, ah, she was so entirely aware that there wasn't much of a choice. Rather, it was how painful she was making this for herself. She clenched her jaw. A part of her said, 'I'm worrying too much,' but it was still countered by, 'She could still kill me!' And that thought scared her. Even if Nightmare Moon seemed to care about her. There was a knock on the door. She looked up from the floor and her eyes jumped to the door, followed by her head turning to face it. "I'll get it," Midnight preempted. She glanced at Midnight, who casually strolled to the door, then went back to staring at the door. 'Who is it?' she wondered. Immediately, she felt a spark of hope when she wondered, 'Is it my friends?' That spark of hope ignited a fire of anxiety inside of her. Her chest felt light, yet filled with bubbling, boiling energy that made her fidget in place. She looked forward to Midnight opening the door and seeing her friends! And yet, she dreaded the prospect of seeing those five mares again. What would they say? And she also felt the fear that she was getting her hopes up and that it would amount to nothing, that her hope, that the fire it ignited, would just be snuffed out when the door opened to reveal somepony she didn't know, or somepony other than her friends. She didn't want to feel that disappointment. The anxiety twisted and churned inside her chest. Midnight reached the door, and as Midnight reached for the handle, a thought occurred to her. It was a bad thought, a 'what if' scenario. And it was a simple scenario, one that made her pale: Midnight opened the door, and immediately, with no warning, a rainbow blur tackled her to the floor. The rainbow blur cleared, and she could make it out as Rainbow Dash, the pony most likely to get herself killed or kill others out of not thinking, which she boldly displayed by tackling the batpony. "What have you done with Twilight!?" was her infuriated shout. And of course, Nightmare Moon heard that shout through the crescent moon necklace. Midnight, however, was well trained. And in one swift motion, she swept Rainbow's hooves out from under her, making the pegasus fall on top of her. In another equally swift motion, Midnight rolled over, switching their positions and pinning Rainbow beneath her. Midnight, for her part, just smiled playfully as she held her hoof to Rainbow's throat. Sure, there was no blade, but it'd still be effective. Rainbow let out a feminine squeak. Next, Applejack bolted into the room, ramming into Midnight and throwing her into the floor. The armor scratched up the wood as Midnight rolled back, but recovered with barely any effort and jumped back to her hooves. Applejack snorted and prepared to charge, while Rainbow rolled back over and jumped back onto her hooves. Then, there was the crack of a teleportation spell, and Rainbow and Applejack froze as she felt the air thicken from her mentor's presence. Paralyzed in fear, both of her friends were easy targets for Midnight and Nightmare Moon. But of course, Nightmare took the initiative and grabbed both her friends with that lethal, cold magic of hers, levitating them up in the air and immobilizing them. Then Nightmare turned to face her with a sharp, piercing glare that turned her blood to liquid nitrogen. And then, all she had to say was a single sentence that came out in a sharp growl, "I told you to keep them in check." She gulped as Nightmare's magic enveloped her, then the rest of her friends, and she trembled. And the scenario made her feel a growing sense of dread and horror. After all, if it was her friends, Rainbow Dash probably would do something that stupid. "N-no! It's okay, I can get the-" but her alarmed offer was too late; Midnight pulled the door open. She felt her stomach drop out from under her as she finished, "door..." Unsurprisingly, Rainbow Dash was the first one who flew inside. She felt like screaming at that. But to her utter shock, Rainbow ignored Midnight, flying to the center of the room and whipping her head right, then left, before looking right at her. She was also absolutely shocked by just how much Rainbow's eyes seemed to light up as she called out, "Twilight!" And of course, the rest of the girls eagerly raced on inside, turning towards her. And of course, Rainbow Dash had one speed setting. And of course, that speed left the pegasus shooting towards her. And of course, because they were inside, she had no time to brace herself. And of course, Rainbow didn't slow down. If anything, she might have actually accelerated. She felt the impact and coughed as Rainbow knocked the air out of her lungs. Then, of course, she felt the wooden floor hit her back and then head. She grunted, then wheezed as the pegasus wrapped her forelegs around her and hugged her. 'Oh, so, what is that? The fourth time she's tried to kill me?' a part of her all but hissed. And yet another part, clearly a part of her that had gone insane, felt, despite her rough treatment by Rainbow Dash, so grateful for the show of affection. It was, somehow, a reassurance to her. She felt her eyes growing warm, and it wasn't from the pain of being tackled by a speeding pegasus, it wasn't from the pain of hitting her head on the wood floor. No, the tears were because those five ponies, or at least Rainbow Dash, actually cared about her. They were, somehow, and she had no idea how, her friends. And for some reason she didn't understand, that meant something to her. Her voice cracked as she whispered, "G-girls." "Hey, Twilight," was Applejack's warm greeting. Rainbow continued hugging her, early squeezing her hard enough to force the air our of her lungs again. She was surprised by how affectionate the pegasus was. Rainbow Dash didn't seem to be that kind of pony. She watched the rest of the girls all walk into a circle around her, then Rainbow picked her up and helped her to her hooves. "Heh, sorry... I uh, got a bit carried away, I guess," was her apology. She nodded and smiled, despite a part of her screaming out in her mind, 'You don't say!?' She looked around at the mares surrounding her and felt a warmth burning in her chest. She felt home, she felt happy. She felt okay. And another part of her felt bewildered that it had such an effect on her. But nonetheless, their forms grew blurry and distorted as her eyes felt warmer. She felt the warmth roll down her cheeks. She would be okay. It would be hard, but she would be okay. Rainbow hugged her again, followed by Pinkie Pie, then Fluttershy, Applejack, and finally Rarity. She sat down on her haunches and did her best to return the hug, but there really were too many of them. But it didn't stop her from treasuring this group hug. If nothing else, she had the memory and the feeling. That would never leave her. Almost instinctively, she ended up nuzzling them. Nuzzling whoever she could reach with her muzzle. She brushed her cheek back and forth against two of her friends, and apparently, in response, every single one of them started nuzzling her back. It made her feel giddy and bubbly inside. So what if Nightmare Moon had overthrown Princess Celestia? So what if this night would last forever? She had five friends, she knew, who still loved her. Somehow. She didn't know how, and her reasonable, logical part couldn't comprehend it. Yet it couldn't reject the evidence that was right before her. The reasonable and logical part of her kept silent, simply too stunned to say anything. So she kept nuzzling them, adding, of all ponies, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to her list of ponies she'd nuzzled. Yet no part of her screamed about these additions. She made an effort to nuzzle Rarity and Applejack, adding them to that less exclusive list of ponies she'd nuzzled. No part of her screamed out about it. She felt comforted, she felt at peace. She felt calm and happy. And she cried out of that happiness and joy that left her feeling giddy, like she could face down the world and it would be okay. She didn't know how long they shared in that moment. When it ended, everypony pulled back, but they all lingered so near. She missed the warmth of the hug, feeling their supportive embrace, feeling the closeness of that bond she couldn't comprehend. Their forms were still blurred by her tears, but their smiles were impossible to miss. "S-so, w-we're fr-friends?" she stuttered. "Heck yeah! Of course we are!" was Rainbow's retort. "You're not getting rid of us that easily!" She snickered a bit. And Rainbow's response was followed by nodding from everypony surrounding her, accompanied by eager, affirmative, "Mhms!" "Sorry we took so long to get here," Applejack sighed. She hesitated before adding, "But, well, it ain't safe to travel when the moon's gone..." She bit her lip at that. Oh, she had her suspicions of what that meant. Ponyville was so close to the Everfree Forest, after all. And she'd been in that forest before. She had no desire to be in that forest again, unless Nightmare Moon or Princess Celestia was there. But of course, she was making assumptions, so she asked, "Um... what... do you mean?" Applejack winced, and she turned to look at Fluttershy, who in turn looked at Rainbow, who in turn looked at Pinkie, who was oblivious to the whole situation. "Well, uh, those things from the Everfree really aren't staying in the Everfree anymore. It's been tough, especially for me and Fluttershy since we live so far away from town." She winced, and reluctantly ventured, "So... things are coming out of the Everfree Forest..? And... attacking ponies?" "Well, yeah... Not a whole lot of attacks, but that's because ponies stay inside when the moon's gone. But... it ain't safe, at least not as safe as it had been," was Applejack's grave response. "And it's not just Ponyville, either. A couple of stallions came through town the other day. Er, night. They said that lots of towns near the Everfree, or other forests for that matter, have been having problems when the moon's gone." "Granted those towns don't have to deal with the animals in the Everfree Forest," was Rarity's dismissive comment. Applejack squinted at her, and Rarity shifted her weight. "But it's still a problem," she revised. So, there she had it: It was problematic to have the moon cycle. And it had been her idea. And now ponies were probably getting hurt because of her idea. And if ponies found out, it probably wouldn't be good for her. She must have been deathly silent, because Fluttershy whispered, "Um, Twilight... are you okay?" She blinked and swallowed, then licked her lips. She tried to nod. It didn't happen. There really was no way to say it, and maybe she didn't actually need to tell them, but she felt compelled to. "U-um, well... you see," she drawled, "that um... might have..." she paused and then her voice lowered as she finished, "been my idea..." They didn't attack her, so that was a good sign. "Uh," was Applejack's response. "Wait, wait, wait, so let me get this straight," was Rainbow's comment, and that made her wince. "You, Princess Celestia's-" She winced and corrected, "Nightmare Moon's," in a low tone, not trying to draw attention to the correction. Rainbow mostly ignored it and continued, "student-" She had to fight the urge to correct her again, but her correction would have been incorrect now. "-suggested to Nightmare Moon, who brought eternal night, that she take the moon away half the time!?" Slowly, she turned her head away from Rainbow. "Um... when you put it that way..." was her hesitant acknowledgment. Then, she whipped her head back around to face Rainbow to defend, "But there was a good reason for it!" Rainbow groaned and hit her forehead with her forehoof. Then, Rainbow inhaled and sighed. "Do you have any idea how rough that's been on all of us?" Instinctively in shame, her eyes darted down to the floor, her ears folded back, and her muzzle turned down. "I'm sorry," she whispered. For those few seconds when she stared at the floor, she had no idea what happened or what passed among her friends. But in the end, Rainbow sighed in defeat. "Alright, I just don't know why you would have suggested something like that." Rarity cleared her throat, then clarified, "We're not mad at you, dear." She hesitated to look up, not wanting to find the condemnation that was surely present in their expressions. She barely propped her muzzle up an inch, then risked a glance up at Rainbow Dash. Her glance turned into a stare when she found no anger or condemnation. It wasn't quite as friendly or eager as when they first showed up, but it was better than what she feared. She managed to lift her muzzle back up, and her ears gradually drifted back into place. "I-I can try talking to Nightmare Moon about it..." she offered. Her friends exchanged a glance. It looked nervous, but she wasn't sure. Nopony really responded to her offer. She wasn't completely sure why, but she did have her suspicions. "Ah... on the topic of... erm, Nightmare Moon..." Rarity drawled. She turned to look at the unicorn, and Rarity hesitated to continue. Rarity's gaze was centered on her chest. Looking down, she found that Rarity's gaze was centered on that necklace. She looked back up at Rarity. Had she told them of the necklace's purpose? She couldn't remember, and that made dread well up inside of her. If she hadn't and they didn't know, it was a powder keg just waiting to go off. She needed to tell them that Nightmare Moon was listening, but despite her concern for them, the prospect scared her. Nightmare Moon hadn't told her not to tell them, but the fear was still there. She also feared how they would react, and how they would treat her if she admitted Nightmare Moon was listening in and keeping track of her location. Nightmare's voice came to her mind, saying, 'I am not just lying in wait for you to slip up.' It took the edge off of the fear that Nightmare Moon wouldn't be happy she told her friends about it. Rarity at least seemed to have some comprehension. She didn't look like she fully grasped the situation, but she could see the recognition in her eyes that the unicorn knew the necklace was enchanted. She doubted the rest of them, especially Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, could tell or figure it out. But her concern for them, her desire to protect them, was stronger than the fear. "S-she's listening," she spouted out. "Huh?" was Rainbow's confused response. She closed her eyes and answered, "Nightmare Moon." She winced. Nopony said anything. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, still holding the wince on her expression. Rarity and Applejack grimaced. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy frowned. Rainbow Dash was still, unsurprisingly, confused. "She- Nightmare Moon- is... listening. The necklace," she explained. "And she... knows where I am because of it." Another moment past in silence, then they all nodded. They were hesitant nods, but they understood. And they seemed to grasp the situation a bit better. Of course, once again, Rarity looked at her with an expression of pity, one directed at her youth and the fact that she was in her current situation. She didn't particularly like that, but then, she also realized that she really had been acting like a foal as of late. "So, uh..." Rainbow trailed off. The pegasus drew a blank on what to say, so she just sat down. And her friends shared looks again. Worried looks, ones that made her worried as well. She felt like they all came to some realization and shared it, but were afraid to voice it. "She's not... hurting you, is she..?" was Fluttershy's barely audible whisper. She turned around and stared at Fluttershy. She stared and stared. She stared for seconds. The pegasus looked so small, so timid, as if a feather dropping on her would send her into tears. Her eyes already looked like she was crying, so massive, so infinitely deep, drawing her in. 'Yes... but not on purpose...' was her mind's answer. "No..." was her absent response. Fluttershy didn't recover, at least not immediately. Her head drifted back and she looked at Rainbow. Out of the edge of her eye, she saw relief wash over Fluttershy's expression. "So, uh... is... is Nightmare Moon just... listening and waiting for... uh, one of us to say something we shouldn't?" was Rainbow's question. And in all honesty, she answered, "I doubt that..." Rainbow nodded slowly. "Sooo... gonna introduce me?" was Midnight's casual question. She blinked. Everypony else turned to face Midnight. A calm, laid back, "Hi," was all Midnight said. "Hi!" was Pinkie's cheerful greeting. In the blink of an eye, Pinkie was standing in front of Midnight. "My name's Pinkie Pie! What's yours?" "I'm Midnight Edge!" was the batpony's cheery response. "Oooh, edgy!" was Pinkie's infatuated response. Midnight let out a cheerful, carefree giggle. Pinkie joined in. Twilight, for her part, wasn't sure what to make of the two of them. Rainbow got up, then slowly approached, only now giving the batpony her scrutiny. She watched Rainbow look up and down Midnight's armor. Applejack and Rarity stood up and cautiously approached the mare. "So uh, what are you, exactly..?" was Rainbow question. "I'm Twilight's guard." Midnight tilted her head to the left and asked, "Wasn't it obvious?" "Uh, no, I mean what kind of pony are you? You look like... I dunno, a pegasus but..." Rainbow trailed off, pointedly staring at Midnight's wings. "Oh!" Midnight exclaimed, "I'm a batpony." "Batpony?" Rainbow asked. It took a second, but then she shrieked, "So wait, you're like a vampony!?" Twilight wanted to facehoof. Instead, she just inhaled, then slowly exhaled. There really wasn't anything else she could do. She stood up and walked towards the group, intending to correct Rainbow. Instead, Midnight just giggled. "We don't drink blood. We eat normal pony food especially fruits..." As Midnight trailed off, she thought she saw a slight trickle of drool near her fangs, but then it was gone. "We just look different." Midnight paused as a more thoughtful look crossed her expression, then she added, "Well, I suppose we're special because of Nightmare Moon, but we're still ponies." Rainbow squinted and went back to studying her. Something brushed up against her right side. She looked back and Fluttershy ducked back behind her mane, saying, "O-oh, sorry..." "It's okay," she replied. She watched Fluttershy, and after a few seconds, the mare finally lifted her head back up, but kept it down in a non-threatening manner as she walked up beside her. Looking back on how Fluttershy had first acted, there was no noticeable difference. Then considering how Fluttershy acted when she saw Spike, well, it gave her a sense of whiplash. She pushed it aside and looked back at everypony else. Their fascination with Midnight was reserved. But, it certainly went better than she had expected. Much, much better. And then a thought came to mind and made her shift her weight out of discomfort. "Uh... it's been over a month, and um, not that I'm mad or anything, but uh... why didn't you... come visit..?" she asked. Her friends all looked back at her. Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity all looked at the floor, avoiding her. Even Pinkie Pie drooped. "Well, uh..." Applejack started. A brief silence followed, during which time Applejack realized nopony else was going to speak, so she continued, "It's... been kinda hard around here when the moon's gone. I've been busy on the farm and I've not really had time..." "And the weather's kinda been a mess..." Rainbow added. "I've had the time but I didn't want to go without everypony else," Pinkie offered with a sigh. "Same here..." was Rarity's demured agreement. "I um, I couldn't just... leave all my animal friends... th-they could get hurt if I-I left them," was Fluttershy's apologetic answer. She nodded timidly. All in all, she found herself not holding a grudge against any one of them. Except maybe Rainbow Dash. She looked at said pegasus and asked, "What about the weather?" Rainbow turned around to face her, lifting her head into the air and rolling it to the left as she drawled, "Weeeeelllllllll...." Finally, it came to a stop, and her head rested facing her. "The weather's kiiiiiinda been hard to set up since, you know, it's so dark. Plus without the sun, it's a bit harder to turn the water into clouds." 'Oh,' was all that came to mind. "Right," she stated succinctly. "And I can't get up so early to work on the farm since it's so dark, so I'm kinda pressed for time," Applejack offered. She pursed her lips and nodded. "Um, I could... maybe probably help with that?" she offered. Sure, she only had a vague idea of what all was involved in farming. She had studied it, but not recently, and not as in depth as magic. Sure, she wasn't an earth pony and didn't have earth pony magic- so she couldn't use earth pony magic to help crops grow- but she was a unicorn and was fairly decent with magic. Although it might interfere with her studies. Then again, she wasn't exactly studying like she should have been. But it might have interfered with Nightmare's plans for her. 'I'll just... have to see how it goes,' was the best course of action. Applejack nodded slowly. "I might take you up on that offer, but uh... are you sure you'd wanna help? No offense, but you're kinda... well, small." And that was completely accurate. She was, most assuredly, not physically inclined. Especially considering that Fluttershy had overpowered her. "Ah... well, uh, I can use my magic?" she offered. "I mean, I... uh, I'm not strong. Or physically active." She paused, grinned and leaned in, then said, "But I am good with magic!" Hopefully, it was convincing. 'Why am I trying to convince her?' No answer came to her. Still, Applejack nodded. "I reckon you are, given that you're... uh... were... Princess Celestia's student and all that." "Mhm!" Midnight agreed. "She's good with magic." She turned her attention to Midnight, squinted at her, and asked, "Okay, so, how exactly do you know that?" Midnight gave a casual shrug. "You were Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student." "Yes," she agreed, "but you're a batpony. Why exactly would you know that? You tend to keep to yourself." "You're kinda well known, ya know," was Midnight's response. She looked at Midnight flatly. "Yes, but not a lot of ponies would recognize me when I'm out and about and-" "You did show up with Nightmare Moon," Midnight commented. She inhaled, then exhaled. "But-" "And you do look pretty unique," Midnight added. She scowled at Midnight and demanded, "But how did you know about me when we first met!?" Midnight just gave a casual shrug. "You're an important pony. You were Princess Celestia's pupil. It'd be useful to keep track of you, since, you know, we're batponies." 'And we're loyal to Nightmare Moon,' went unsaid. She stayed silent. "Although no, you're not all that well known among us," Midnight comforted. "Then why-!?" Midnight smiled and sweetly asked, "You can't expect me to give up all my secrets now, can you?" She huffed. "Fine. Don't answer my question then." "Mhm, I won't," was Midnight's playful reply. She finished by sticking the tip of her tongue out in between her fangs. Midnight's tongue wasn't really stuck out at her, but it was still stuck out. She squinted at her for a second, then inhaled and turned to her friends. "So!" she called, drawing their attention back to her. "Do you um, have plans for today?" "I kind of need to get back to the farm," Applejack responded. "Nope!" Pinkie beamed. "I'm free," Rainbow offered. "I've not been very busy since this whole eternal night business started... ponies just haven't been interested in proper fashion," Rarity said. To punctuate the end, she gave an indignant huff. "I can stay for a while," was Fluttershy's comment. She looked at Applejack. So did everypony else. 'So, you're the oddball today, huh?' Applejack looked around at everypony and shifted her hooves on the floor. "Ah, shoot. Alright, alright. But I'll have to take you up on that offer for help, Twilight." She nodded and smiled. Then everypony looked at her, and it occurred to her, "I uh, I have no idea what to do." "Well, um, it might be nice to just... relax and chat? You, um, no offense, but... you look like you could use that..." Fluttershy whispered. And Fluttershy was absolutely correct that relaxing and chatting with them would help. That was part of why she was here anyway. And she could get to know them better. "So is this sort of a slumber party, then?" was Pinkie's question. "Because it's sort of a party and it's night out? You could definitely use a party!" Twilight pursed her lips as she thought about it. 'Does the library have any books on slumber parties?' was her first concern.