//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: My Little Pony: Infinite Night [ENG] // by Claud Melchior //------------------------------// Loud knocking woke Twilight up. Twilight rubbed her eyes and first had to realize where she was. Someone knocked on the door again. "Yes?" Twilight asked, still half asleep. The Door slowly opened and Nightmare Moon looked through. "I hope you had a restful sleep, my new student." Twilight was immediately awake. "Oh, um ... of course, he was very restful." said Twilight, trying to put on a smile. But she earned only an amused haunting look. "... ehm ..., Master." added Twilight quickly, "Wonderful, Twilight Moon." Nightmare Moon smiled as she walked to the window and opened it with her magic. "I ordered a little Breakfast for us. Will you be ready soon? Such a pleasantly fresh, cloudless night sky tonight that you just have to enjoy!" Twilight walked to the window. "Seems a bit early for breakfast to me. Can’t we wait at least until sunrise?" asked Twilight half asleep. But Nightmare Moon's answer was just a annoyed look. "Oh excuse me. Silly me. I'll better be off then." Said Twilight and pulled back quickly. Nightmare Moon glanced at Spike, who snored peacefully in his basket and didn't hear any of it. "Well that’s going to be something!" Thought the Queen loud and slammed the window. The heavy gate opened and revealed a small round training area. In this small arena, built of dark blue material like the big towers, there were almost no stands for spectators and only one entrance. It was a place that Nightmare Moon apparently claimed for herself. Twilight was sure of that. They were all alone here. No guards or servants far and wide. Not even Spike was allowed to come along and watch as much as he begged for it. They were now facing each other in the arena. "Well, Twilight Moon. It's time. Show me what you can! "said Nightmare Moon defiantly. "As you wish, Master. What should I show you? asked Twilight uncertain. "Show me a simple arcane spell!" Twilight just stood rooted on the spot while Nightmare Moon looked at her expectantly. What in Celestia's name is an arcane spell? Twilight wondered. She will certainly be disappointed, she was sure but she can’t allow herself to lie. Otherwise everything would get worse. "Master, I've honestly never heard of an Arcane spell before." Great, Nightmare Moon thought sarcastically, not even heard of it. But maybe she was taught in a different direction, Arcane spells are almost forgotten, but fortunately, there are other spells. "Okay, let's try a summon spell." But Twilight shook her head to the annoyance of her master. Nightmare Moon hacked on, "I'm sorry, Master, but ..." "An energy hit?" Nightmare Moon was getting angrier and louder. "No, not even." "Magic fire?" Nightmare Moon came closer and closer to Twilight, but Twilight didn't realize it. only looked down ashamed. "No, Master." "Shape shifting spell?” Nightmare Moon literally yelled at Twilight. Twilight replied with lowered eyes, but when no further question came, Twilight looked up. Nightmare Moon stood so close to her that she could see nothing but her angry green eyes. “Can you at least heal yourself when I'm done with you?" Nightmare Moon whispered menacingly, Twilight swallowed and shook her head slowly, expecting so many bad punishments, but she didn't expect her right hoof flying in her face. Twilight fell to the ground and saw only stars but Nightmare Moon lifted her into the air with their magic and threw her with a scream against the wall of the arena. "YOU ARE NOT MORE THAN A WASTE OF TIME!!!" But Twilight didn't hear it. She lost her consciousness on impact. Spike was nervous. He had been waiting for Twilight in her room for hours now and did not even have anything to pass the time. He had a bad feeling since Nightmare Moon had forbidden him to participate in their training with Twilight. He also didn't dare to follow them secretly. After all, he didn't want to get Twilight into trouble. But they’re away for a long time now. He just hoped that everything went well and they just trained a bit more because it was going so well. Just stay positive thought Spike. But those thoughts vanished instantly when the door opened and an injured Twilight collapsed in the doorway. "TWILIGHT! What in Equestria's name did she do to you?" Twilight had a huge hoof print on her face and scratches and injuries everywhere. She didn't answer. "Twilight, please say something!" said Spike desperately, and when Twilight still didn't answer, Spike dragged her into the room and carefully placed her on the floor in front of the bed, then Twilight started to cry. "Oh, Spike. That was the dumbest idea I've ever had, I don’t even want to know what she's doing to do with us now, now that I have disappointed her." said Twilight crying. “Don’t worry, you didn't!" Nightmare Moon suddenly stood in the doorway, Twilight screamed, ducked to the floor and covered her head with her wings. "Twilight Moon, I would like to talk about it." Nightmare Moon said softly and sympathetically. But Twilight shivered on the floor. "It is not a good time right now, your Highness. Come back later!" said Spike coldly. "Not in that tone, little dragon. I decide the right time. And it has to be now." Nightmare Moon replied quietly as the Queen turned to the frightened Twilight. "Twilight, I want to apologize to you for my behavior." Twilight slowly lifted a wing so she could see Nightmare Moon with one eye. "You want to apologize ...? I don’t believe you!" Whimpered Twilight and retreated under her wing again. Nightmare Moon was not angry, but rather sad. "Twilight, It’s true. It's not your fault, it’s Celestias." Twilight stopped crying and stood up cautiously, " How can it be Celestia's fault?" she asked suspiciously. "I'll tell you. Come." "But Twilight shook her head and took a step backwards but Nightmare Moon picked up Twilight with her magic and laid her gently on her bed. "I'll heal it if you let me." Twilight nodded briefly and Nightmare Moon touched her injury with her horn and began her magic. The pain vanished amazingly fast. "Celestia has this habit of turning the most diligent unicorn into a student to brag to the nobility, what a special and talented student she has, even though she didn't do anything except for testing them. you weren't the first one." "That can not be right!" replied Twilight "Celestia has been such a good teacher, she taught me so much and took so much time just for me!" "Think about it for a second, Twilight Moon. Did she really? Or did she just put a pile of books in front of your nostrils and didn't have to do anything anymore because you took care of everything yourself to not disappoint her. I'm sure you had nightmares about it." Not only nightmares, thought Twilight. But that doesn't say anything about Celestia, it was not her fault after all! A pretty sophisticated lie! She didn't spend much time with her and in the end Cadence raised little Twilight but she ruled all over Equestria. How much time can she spend on other things? She thought it was the best to just play along. "How was Celestia to you, back then?" Twilight asked curiously. The pain vanished completely. Nightmare Moon didn't seem to have expected this question because she spent a long time thinking about an answer. "Distanced is probably the best thing to describe it, even though we defeated Discord and Sombra together." She shrugged. "Guess even sisters split apart after a few thousand years. At that time she also taught me the way you did, but someone else taught me the right magic. Starswirl the Bearded. He was a really good teacher unlike her. Well, until he disappeared. My sister was always just there to look good. She never cared about her students like: Do ​​what you want, you do not need me." "Starswirl taught you magic?" Twilight asked curiously. "That's pretty cool, but back to Celestia, I think it depends on you how yourself learn best." "That's right, but you can’t learn everything from a few books while the teacher is busy with "better" things.” Nightmare Moon explained with air-quotations. "Well, I think you mean with" better things "ruling Equestria?" Twilight replied, gesturing. "My dear student. You will find that in the future we will spend a lot of time together, even though I rule more than Equestria, just because I have simplified the paperwork and believe me, I can now do what she could so in a day with one paper, "said Nightmare Moon insistently. "Does it still hurt? " she changed the subject. "No, the pain has stopped. Thank you, Master ... " replied Twilight "No, you do not need to thank me, it was just the right thing to do and I assure you from now on it will never happen again!" Nightmare Moon said seriously. "But let's just put that topic to rest. There is something I want to show you. You like books, right?"