//------------------------------// // CH 2 Meeting her Little Star // Story: Twilight's Nightmare // by Nightsclaw //------------------------------// Pain, glorious pain. After so long of feeling nothing, even this pain was bliss. She wanted to stretch and flex her body, but that would be most unwise injured as she was. The bright light was something she could do without though. Slowly she started taking stock of her situation, but her host's intellect beat her to it. Ah, the analytical mind of my host is so useful. She thought as almost automatically the facts about the situation were sorted, ordered and assessed. Twilight was a truly willing host, not fighting her, not resisting and now even helping her. I could get used to this.  A checklist popped up in her mental space. Held in the hooves of a little unicorn Twilight. Is my host insane, or am I? She thought before discarding the idea. Like it mattered. #1 Keep Friends safe. #2 Stop blood loss.  #3 Restore magic.  #4 Remove the spikes pinning her form to the altar. #5 Restore mobility. #6 Repair any remaining damage. #7 Deal with the twelve cultists.  #8 Escape the Lost Temple of the hidden path. #9 Write a report to Princess Celestia. The Spirit looked at the proud and happy seeming unicorn, her smile at being helpful beaming. The Spirit returned the happy expression; she could not help it, this little foal of a unicorn was cute and seemed so utterly devoted to her.   Thirty-five thousand and twenty-seven. Her host's mind informed her. The little unicorn joyfully trotted off to update a count on another scroll that appeared. Oh, the blood dripping, my host's mind is still counting them, that could get annoying. She thought. She looked at the unicorn she was imagining. If this little foal is going to be my mental assistant, I will have to name her.  She considered for a long moment. "I shall call you Little Star" The Spirit spoke. Star did a little happy dance, "Yes Princess Nightmare," joy radiating from Star's tone.   Each item on the provided list had many facts and recommendations linked to them, most of them Nightmare would ignore. She had better options, she planned on using her abilities. Most of the spells Twilight was recommending were unnecessary and would not work without a horn.  Protect her friends? That was not one she was expecting but should have. She was feeling generous, she was free and her host was willing after all, doing little things like this would help keep her host happy Twilight's mind was far too useful to give up as a resource if such simple things could keep it allied. Stopping the blood loss, simple, in fact, items two through six could be efficiently dealt with at the same time.  Deal with the cultists, oh she would deal with them alright. They had damaged her host, and even with this opportunity they had given her, she would show them no mercy. Any that wanted to become like Sombra would be a rival at best and a dangerous foe at worse. So she would gladly deal with them. Escape the Temple; The fact Twilight managed to work out where she was in the world by noting the scents in the air, the types of stone the cave was made of, some of the markings on the walls and many other small almost unnoticeable details cross-referenced with her extensive collection of knowledge, most impressive. Nightmare almost rejected number nine send a report to Celestia out of hand before considering it would be one way to buy more time before she was discovered, she would think about it. Looking around as best as she could oh, that was cruel of them one of the spikes pinning her body to the altar was Twilight's horn. Well, piercing through the chest is not where that needs to be, at least it is still in contact. The horn melted in the shadow made mist before creeping over her form back to its proper place slowly solidifying once more. A gasp escaped Nightmare, magic, unicorn magic and all the sensations of the Arcane that came with it flooded back. The world felt alive like she was blind and now had her sight restored. A new layer of depth to reality revelled, almost as if everything had another dimension. She could feel Twilight smiling in her mind. Twilight's special talent was back.  Star clapped her hooves together, "that was amazing, Princess."  Nightmare smirked she could get used to being called Princess, Queen would be better, but Princess would do, Star was just so adorable... why was that even a point she was considering? "And that was just the start" Nightmare Spoke with pride her body rippled dissolving into a cloud of miasma leaving the enchanted silver rods behind. Star watched with rapped attention, a new scroll hastily written upon. Nightmare felt herself relax, as lovely as any physical sensation felt being free from the pain she was glad to be rid of it. She must have spent a few minutes just resting as an almost formless cloud. Reforming her body, she decided to still look like Twilight, just a little bit taller with a bit more muscle mass and of course, whole and healed. Nightmare closed her eyes and stretched like a cat, relishing the play of her muscles under her coat; this was nice. For a bookworm, you kept your body quite fit my host. Opening her eyes and taking her first step, her hoof splashed in her host's blood. Looking down at its red glow and feeling with her arcane senses, she could tell the sheer amount of magic here was extreme. No way was she leaving this here for her captors to use. Her horn lit with one of Luna's disintegration spells. The sensation of forming the raw power of an Alicorn even weaken and depleted was a delight to feel. "Princess, Princess." Star bounced up and down, splashing in the blood seemingly without care waving a new scroll.  "Yes, my little Star?" Nightmare spoke, letting the light of her horn fade and trying not to seem annoyed by the interruption. Star held the imaginary scroll, so it was easy to read. Upon it was a complicated spell, a new spell, a spell that this fragment of Twilight had just invented in the last few moments.  Nightmare's jaw fell open, and she slowly blinked, a brand new spell based on Nightmares shadow magic the filly had just watched, amazing. Truth be told As old and powerful as the Nightmare was she was a little intimidated by the sheer intelligence and speed of Twilights mind, even comfortably ignoring the world in a mindscape Little Star the small portion of Twilight still paying attention to real-world was still tracking, analysing, committing everything to Twilights perfect memory and had just invented a new spell. If this is what a mere fraction of Twilight's mind could do her aversion to showing off was a crime against the world itself. Nightmare closed her mouth smiling, Star's joy was infectious.  Reaching out with a wing Nightmare pulled Star into a hug. Yes Nightmare knew this was just another form of manipulation, to keep both Star and Twilight content but so far the results were more than worth the effort, and yes she could not deny it, being looked up to and having willing physical contact, even this simple hug, were both pleasant side effects.  Studying the scroll Nightmare smirked, oh this was excellent. If she were reading the spell right, the spell would be able to reclaim much of the power from the blood and shape the rest into solid, useful forms to take with her.  How did Twilight know of a blood blade spell let alone worked out how to cross it with a hybrid spell mixing parts of Nightmares miasma form, a magic redirecting shield and a vampiric healing spell? What was her sister teaching Twilight? Or did she learn that spell from one of the many times she snuck into forbidden parts of the archives? Given she could not remember watching Twilight learn it, it must have happened before her return from the moon: my, my what a dark past you must have had Twilight. Star nuzzled Nightmare. "Did I do well, Princess?" "Yes, yes you most certainly did my Little Star." Nightmare returned the nuzzle. It would take some time to get to grips with the spell, but until then she would permit the warm hug to continue. Nightmare blinked as she looked down at the unicorn filly under her wing, she smiled. Under her wing, Star's warmth pressing against her coat. Wait for a minute how am I hugging Star in the real world? How did she have blood on her hooves if she was just a mental projection? Nightmare thought in alarm. Twilight is insane, and now her insanities can manifest because of my abilities That cold thought rampaged throughout Nightmares mind.  A slight shudder ran down her spine. Star looked up at her, and Nightmare just smiled reassuringly. Oh, what do I have to worry about my Little Star is loyal and wholly devoted to her Princess, to me. A small bit of glee entered Nightmare's smile. This has to be like when I created the Shadowbolts to try and tempt Rainbow. Well, this is most interesting. "As soon as we have cleaned up here we can both go home my Little Star."