CHAPTER FOUR
Discord’s teleportation magic was instantaneous. One moment, they stood in the ghastly chambers of Chrysalis; the next, they stood in Twilight’s own foyer. She could see the doors through which she had allowed Queen Chrysalis and her drones entrance—it felt ages ago now.
Twilight looked around and quickly realized she had another guest. “Princess Luna? What are you doing here?”
“I could well ask the same, Sister,” said Princess Celestia, frowning. “Why are you here and not in Canterlot?”
Princess Luna’s nostrils flared. “There was little for me to do. Our doppelgangers had already departed, and the nobles noticed nothing. As usual.” She rolled her eyes. “We might have gone on holiday for all any-pony knew. So, I set some affairs in order, and teleported here. I…I wanted to see Nyx settled in.”
She smiled at Nyx, an anxious, nervous smile that did not quite reach her eyes. But Nyx stood frozen. Her slit-pupils thinned and her ears wilted; the hairs of her coat stood on end.
Princess Luna’s smile faltered. “O, goodness little one! Was that your first teleport?”
Nyx trembled. She backed away from Luna, only to come up against Twilight, who placed her hoof reassuringly on Nyx’s withers and smiled. “I’m sorry, we did not realize you hadn’t teleported before! Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it! It can even be fun!” Twilight grinned winningly. But Nyx became even more tense. She stared dumbfounded at Twilight’s hoof, as though not quite believing it was there. Twilight hastily pulled it away.
Princess Luna turned to Twilight. “Has she said anything yet?”
“No, nothing. She doesn’t seem willing to talk right now.”
“Indeed, it’s very strange,” Discord said, stroking his beard. “Why, it’s almost as if she doesn’t want to talk to us at all. But that can’t be it. After all, who wouldn’t want to talk with me?”
“She’s probably scared,” Fluttershy said. “Maybe she’ll open up after she’s stayed with us a while.” She smiled warmly at Nyx. “Do you feel better now?”
Nyx gave no answer, but her shaking lessened. She brought her head up and looked around the foyer. Her ears flicked in different directions. She seemed especially interested in the windows, and the double-door entrance.
Twilight felt a gentle tap on her withers. It was Princess Celestia.
“Twilight? Would you come with me for a moment? I should like a word.” Her eyes darted to Nyx. Twilight nodded, and turned to address her friends.
“I’ll be right back. Princess Celestia wants to see me for a moment.”
“Of course, Darling,” Rarity replied. She gazed intently at Nyx. Twilight guessed she was planning an outfit for her.
“We’ll keep an eyeball on Nyx, don’cha worry none!” Applejack said. She and the rest of Twilight’s friends gathered around the little filly, smiling and talking encouragingly. Twilight, reassured, followed Princess Celestia into an empty chamber.
Princess Celestia closed the door. She turned and gave Twilight a warm smile. “Let me start by saying how proud of you I am, Twilight. It was very kind of you to take in Nightmare Moon. Not every-pony would have been willing to open their home to the so-called “Bogie-mare.”
“Thank you, Princess Celestia,” Twilight said, blushing. “But her name is Nyx now.”
Celestia’s smiled sadly. “Yes, Nyx. However, a lot of ponies will need some time before they call her anything else but Nightmare Moon. And,” she added, “My researchers tell me that is who she truly is.”
Twilight gasped. “She really is Nightmare Moon? Truly? I thought she was just some kind of magical clone?”
“That spell the Cult used was meant to bring Nightmare Moon back. As far as my team of magicologists can tell, they did.”
“But she doesn’t act like her!” Twilight protested. “I mean, does she know?”
“We cannot be sure what she knows,” Celestia said. “There is a possibility she may remember things from before her re-materialization, if she hasn’t already. Perhaps she never will. But you need to keep a close watch on her regardless.”
Twilight’s mouth tightened. “That sounds like Shining.”
Princess Celestia nodded. “Yes, it was very foolish of him to go off like that in front of the Changelings, after we had just extended our hooves to them in friendship. From what I saw, the Changelings were rather fond of little Nyx.” Twilight nodded. That had been her impression as well. “That said, I believe he was right on one point—we should at least keep a close watch on her.”
“You sound worried. Is there something wrong with Nyx?”
Princess Celestia made her way to the window. It would be time to set the sun soon. The first pinks of dusk gleamed in the sky, the sun changing from its bright yellow glow to a golden orange. Its light lit up the snow-covered grounds below.
“What you need to realize,” said Celestia softly. “Is that Nyx is going to have issues, regardless of what she remembers from her prior life. I have dealt with foals for centuries. But never before have I encountered one who skipped over their entire infancy. There are certain phases that ponies undertake from birth to maturity, and Nyx has skipped over some of the very first. We can only speculate how that affected her psyche.”
Twilight had not considered this. She tried to imagine popping into existence out of the blue, but her mind could not grasp it, and she desisted.
Princess Celestia went on. “But what worries me most is her up-bringing among the Changelings. Nyx was raised personally by Queen Chrysalis. She has only interacted with her, and un-Reformed drones. As I’m sure you’ve realized, the Changelings were a deeply militaristic society, accustomed to harsh austerity. You can imagine how this will have impacted Nyx’s development up to this point.”
Twilight pictured little Nyx shivering in a corner while the enormous form of Queen Chrysalis loomed overhead. The dark Queen cackled horribly as the helpless little filly hid her eyes in terror. “Yeah, I think I can.”
“Then you understand that Nyx is going to have difficulties adjusting to our society. Our ways are different from what she’s used to. She will have many questions. She is likely to carry strange opinions and display odd behavior patterns. Adapting her to our society will undoubtedly take time.” She paused. The corners of her mouth tightened. “And then there’s how other ponies will respond to her. As an alicorn, she will be shown a great deal of reverence by normal ponies. But as Nightmare Moon reborn, she is going to garner a great deal of fear.”
Twilight recalled the old Nightmare Night legends and winced. Now that was going to require some explaining! And then there was what happened when the real Nightmare Moon appeared on the Summer Sun Celebration…a lot of ponies still spoke of the day the sun failed to rise…
“That is why I think it would be best to hold off on announcing Nyx for the moment,” Celestia continued. “We will have to acknowledge her eventually—a new alicorn is far too important an event to ignore—but until then, you must monitor Nyx carefully.
Twilight nodded. “I guess that makes sense. What sort of things should I watch for?”
Princess Celestia sighed. “First off, I need you to be on your guard. I don’t wish to frighten you, but that Cult is still out there. Once they learn about Nyx’s existence, I suspect they may try to abduct her…assuming they have not disbanded already.”
Twilight shuddered. Those Cultists had terrified her. Aside from the eyes, the ponies involved with the Cult had seemed normal. Several were citizens of Ponyville! Yet they carried such hateful malice in their hearts, and no-pony the wiser.
“You can count on me to watch out for them. Although,” Twilight added sheepishly, “I almost want to meet this Cult leader. He’s clearly insane, but he created an alicorn filly through magic! I really want to know how he did it!”
Princess Celestia smiled. “Curious as always, Twilight. But I too have questions. There are many aspects of that ritual we don’t understand. We aren’t certain what other ingredients were used in it, for one.”
“Other ingredients?” Twilight asked. “You mean, besides the Nightmare scraps?” And my blood?
“Yes. We identified traces of phoenix feather and mandrake root among the ashes, as well as powdered unicorn horn.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. She was not sure she wanted to know how the Cult got a hold of something like that. Celestia seemed to read her mind, and quickly skipped to the next part of the list.
“There were other, strange powders involved, some of which appear to have come from Zebrica. We also identified one other ingredient: powdered ivory. We believe it came from a tooth.”
Twilight furrowed her brow. “A tooth? From where?”
“We aren’t sure. It was too finely ground for any-pony to tell. Add in the fact that most of it was burnt up during the ritual, and you can well understand why we are having difficulties there. But Bastion Yorsets thinks it activated during the ritual’s ignition phase. What it was meant to do is any-pony’s guess. I suspect it was meant to augment Nyx in some way…have you noticed anything strange about her?”
“Strange? You mean, compared to the original Nightmare Moon?” Twilight pondered a moment. “Well, she is a little more…toned than the original. And she has a real mane...”
“Anything else?”
“No. Wait, yes! Her walk is a little strange. Her withers rise whenever she takes a step.”
“I noticed that as well,” said Princess Celestia, frowning. “It’s very peculiar.”
“And she’s very quiet. I would have thought that “Nightmare Moon reborn” would have been a little noisier.”
Celestia chuckled. “One would think. But I don’t believe using the old Nightmare Moon as a comparison is very useful. Assuming she still has amnesia, she won’t have any sense of her old self to build a personality off of. All she has to go on right now are the memories created after her “birth”—which mostly involve Chrysalis.” She sighed, and then burst out, “Who knows what sort of personality she has developed under that bug’s care!”
Twilight was taken aback by this outburst. But then she thought about Nyx’s strange silence; her trembling, and her timidity. She felt a flash of fury flare up at Chrysalis in her heart.
Princess Celestia calmed herself and continued. “That brings me to another point. Chrysalis. Watch for her. I don’t know what sick schemes she’s planning now, but I have little doubt she may try to steal Nyx away from you.”
“How would that help her?”
Princess Celestia gave Twilight an odd look. “Do you remember Flurry Heart’s Crystalling?” Twilight nodded, recalling the havoc her niece had unwittingly caused, such as shattering the Crystal Heart. “Nyx will undoubtedly display a similar level of ability. Greater, perhaps. You can imagine the potential for some-pony as unscrupulous as Chrysalis.”
Twilight pictured Chrysalis draining all of Nyx’s magic off, laughing hysterically while making the sun perform figure-eights in the sky. She shuddered. “Yeah. I…can definitely imagine.”
“Then you understand why keeping Chrysalis away from Nyx is vitally important. I daresay the longer they’re apart, the better off Nyx will be.”
“I agree, Princess. I’ll keep her safe from Chrysalis. You can count on me!”
“I know I can, Twilight. But as I just said, Nyx will undoubtedly display incredible magical power. You will need to monitor that closely, like Princess Cadance does with Flurry.”
Twilight nodded. “That shouldn’t be a problem for us. Between myself and Starlight, we can handle any magical fluctuations easily. Anything else?”
Princess Celestia suddenly looked apprehensive. “Yes. I also want you to keep a close watch on Nyx’s…diet.” She gave that last word a peculiar emphasis.
“Her diet?” Twilight asked, puzzled. “Why?”
Princess Celestia looked as though she were choosing her words carefully. “Because Nyx…may not be accustomed to our kind of food. She may prove fickle. Keep a close eye on what she does and does not like. And don’t be surprised if she…has unusual tastes.”
“Unusual tastes? You mean, exotic Changeling dishes or something?”
Celestia’s mouth tightened. “Something like that. Just…let me know what she prefers to eat. With any luck she’ll take to our food, and you won’t have any problems feeding her.”
Twilight was bewildered. Why was Princess Celestia so interested in what Nyx ate? Was it to prep for banquets, the same way she kept quesadillas off the menu at any function Twilight attended? That must be the case. And yet Twilight felt somehow that Princess Celestia was holding something back, something vital...
She dismissed that thought at once. Why would Princess Celestia hold anything back from her? She was her prized student, after all! “I’ll keep an eye on that, too.”
Princess Celestia smiled warmly. “I know you will. If you have any questions, or issues, remember I’m always a dragon-letter away.”
“Thank you, Princess. It’s really good of you to give Nyx a second chance like this, given…well, you know…” Twilight trailed off sheepishly. But Princess Celestia chuckled.
“You mean, given her past? That she doesn’t even remember? Come now, Twilight. I let Discord have a second chance—why shouldn’t I do the same for a small child?”
“Indeed! Why not?” said a familiar voice.
Princess Celestia massaged the bridge of her muzzle. “It isn’t polite to eavesdrop, Discord.”
Discord appeared out of her right ear, nose to nose and grinning broadly. “O, but I pick up the juiciest gossip that way! Ponies always seem so guarded whenever I’m around.”
“We’re not gossiping,” Twilight snapped. “We’re discussing Nyx.”
Discord’s grin widened. He popped out of Celestia’s ear and hovered in the air above them. “Oh, yes. Your new little ward. I find her so interesting.”
Twilight felt another headache coming on. “I’m sure you do.”
“Of course! I’m always delighted when a new alicorn appears! It’s practically my job to grace them with my chaotic presence!” Discord sighed dreamily. “I wish you had told me you had a new little Princess running about. Why, it almost feels as though you don’t trust me or something.” Twilight realized his grin did not quite reach his eyes. Nor did she miss the note of accusation ringing in his voice.
Princess Celestia stepped forward. “I am sorry, Discord, but we couldn’t say anything. We needed to keep her existence a secret in order to avoid a panic.”
“And we did not even know of her existence until a few months ago,” Twilight added. “We’re only now getting to learn more about her.”
“O, I would love to learn all about her too!” Discord summoned a pipe to his lips. “I think she’s fascinating, simply fascinating.” He drew from the pipe, and blew bubbles out of his ears.
Twilight took a moment to use one of Cadance’s breathing exercises. “We’re trying to acclimate her to us, Discord. I need you to behave yourself around her.”
“Why Twilight! You wound me to the quick!” Discord exclaimed, laying his paw theatrically across his forehead. “Thinking I don’t know how to behave among royalty! And here I thought we were better friends than that!”
“We are,” Twilight replied, through clenched teeth. “And since we’re such good friends I hope you will make sure Nyx feels welcome here. We don’t want to upset her.”
“O no, I wouldn’t dream of upsetting dear little Nyxie! She looks so sweet and harmless, doesn’t she?” He leaned closer to Twilight, eyes glittering. “Would you like to hear something interesting? I can’t get a good read on her at all.”
Twilight was confused. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, I can’t tell what sort of pony she is. Which is odd; usually I just know.”
Princess Celestia arched a brow at him. “What are you saying, Discord?”
Discord grinned. “Who me? O, I’m not saying anything at all. Wouldn’t want to cause a panic, after all…” He snapped his fingers, and vanished in a flash of light.
Twilight blew her lips, annoyed. “Honestly, can’t he have a normal conversation for once? Why must he always speak in riddles?”
“It’s his way,” Celestia replied. “He enjoys toying with ponies. It amuses him.”
“But what did he mean?” Twilight asked. “All that about being unable to read Nyx?”
Princess Celestia bit her lower lip. “I don’t know, Twilight. Discord loves being cryptic. He thinks it makes him look clever.” She arched a brow. “We know how that plays out. I wouldn’t pay too much attention to him.”
Twilight nodded wearily. She was very familiar with Discord’s games. They made him difficult to like sometimes, even though they were usually harmless.
Princess Celestia glanced out the window again. “I think this conversation is finished. Why don’t we check and see how your new ward is getting along with your friends?”
Twilight nodded. Princess Celestia opened the door, and they returned to the foyer. Every-pony stood gathered in a circle. Fluttershy was kneeling on the floor, so that she and Nyx were at eye level. Discord, who had re-materialized next to Fluttershy, caught their eyes and winked. Nyx and Princess Luna stood together in the center of the circle. By the looks of things, Princess Luna was trying to converse with Nyx.
“…you see, I have the ability to come inside the dreams of ponies!” she said. “To help stave off their nightmares! I don’t suppose you have any problems with those, right? I mean,” she added awkwardly. “Being you?” She flashed a very wide grin that failed to reach her eyes.
Nyx stared at the floor and gave no reply. Princess Luna’s grin vanished. “Are you quite all right, little one?” She stretched out a wing to comfort her, but Nyx shrank back at once, staring up at her with anxious eyes. Princess Luna drew her wing back, hurt by this response.
Princess Celestia cleared her throat. “I think Nyx needs space right now. She has had a big day, after all.”
“You’re right, Sister,” Princess Luna replied. Her ears drooped. “Perhaps we should take our leave…”
“I reckon that there’s a good idea,” Applejack said. “I need to get back to the farm…let Granny and them know I made it back okay.”
“And I need to check on my animals,” Fluttershy said, rising from the floor. “They must be very worried about me! Especially my dear little Angel bunny.”
“And I need to go home and get ready for a hu-uge party!” Pinkie Pie squealed, beaming at Nyx.
“Dang, I wanted to see her fly,” Dash grumbled, nodding at Nyx’s wings. “But I guess we could see tomorrow?”
“Why, yes, what about tomorrow?” Rarity asked Twilight. “Perhaps we could come around then? For lunch, perhaps?”
Twilight smiled and nodded. “That sounds like a good idea! Perhaps around two? That should give us enough time to get Nyx settled in.”
“Of course, Darling! I can definitely manage two.” Rarity turned to the others. “Does that sound satisfactory?”
“Yup, I can make it,” Applejack said.
“I’ll be there!” Dash exclaimed. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world!”
“Me neither,” Fluttershy said, smiling at Nyx.
“Count me in!” Pinkie squealed.
“Then it’s settled,” Twilight said. “See you then!”
They exchanged farewells and took their leave. Fluttershy paused at the door and looked back at Discord. “Are you coming? You must be very tired after everything that’s happened today. Would you like some tea?”
Discord smiled broadly. “I would be absolutely delighted! I’ll be over in a snap!” He snapped his fingers dramatically. A swirling-blue vortex appeared before her.
“O!” she said. “Thank you very much!”
“Bah! ‘Tis nothing!” Discord replied, in a tone of voice that suggested the exact opposite. He turned around and winked at Twilight and the Sisters. Then he and Fluttershy stepped through the portal, which closed behind them with a loud pop.
Twilight turned to the Sisters. “Did you want to join us for lunch tomorrow?”
“Luna and I have things to attend to in Canterlot,” Princess Celestia answered. “Another time, perhaps.” She glanced out a window. The sun sat just over the horizon. “I think it is time for Luna and I to depart. Twilight, I shall leave you to get Nyx adjusted. We shall contact you the first chance we get.”
“I’ll let you know what I learn about her.” Twilight said. Her mind was already turning, mapping the data points she would need to develop a comprehensive report on her new charge. “I’ll write weekly.”
“We’ll try to come back for a visit!” said Princess Luna, giving Nyx a shy smile. “To become better acquainted.”
“That would be wonderful.”
Luna beamed. “Then, until next time! Farewell, Twilight Sparkle!”
The Sisters stepped outside, as Twilight, Starlight, and Spike waved them off. They took to the skies and quickly disappearing over the horizon.
Twilight closed the door and smiled at Nyx. “Well, my little pony…you’ve had a big day, haven’t you?”
Nyx went back to staring at the floor. Twilight’s smile faltered. “You don’t have to be afraid to speak with us, you’re in a safe place now. Feel free to speak openly!”
Silence. Twilight cocked her head. “Don’t…don’t you want to say anything?”
No answer.
“Maybe she still needs more time?” Starlight suggested. “Perhaps we should focus on little things first. Like, where she’ll be sleeping?”
Twilight brightened. “O, right! A place to sleep!” She smiled at Nyx. “Guess what? You’re going to have your very own room!”
“Cool,” Spike said. He jerked his thumb at the massive castle around them. “Which one? We have a few to spare!”
“One of the suites near my room.” Twilight nodded at Nyx. “You know what? There are a lot of rooms in that hall. I’ll let you choose one! Doesn’t that sound exciting?”
Nyx shrugged, while keeping her gaze on the floor. It was the largest reaction Twilight had gotten from the filly yet. Twilight turned to Spike. “Starlight and I are going to help Nyx upstairs. Could you put on some supper for us?”
“Sure. Do you have anything in mind?”
“Nothing too heavy—I’m still a little tired from today.”
“Something light, then,” Spike murmured, tapping his chin. “How does celery soup and daisy sandwiches sound?”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Cool. I can fix that up in a jiffy.” He marched off toward the kitchens.
“Alright, Nyx,” Twilight said. “Spike’s going to put on some supper, and while he’s doing that, we’re going to let you pick out your very own room! Are you ready?”
Nyx watched Spike march down the corridor. She sniffed the air fervently after he turned a corner. Twilight could see her ears twisting around, and wondered what the filly was thinking. She was hard to read.
Starlight smiled and stepped forward. “I bet those saddlebags are heavy, huh? I can take them up for you, if you want.” She started to lift the saddlebags with her magic, but Nyx snapped open her wings, shielding her saddlebags and backing away. She looked anxiously between the two mares, her ears drooped and her slitted pupils thinned.
“Or not,” Starlight said, releasing her hold on the saddlebags. She exchanged a worried glance with Twilight.
“Perhaps you’d like to hang your coat up?” Twilight suggested. “We have a coatroom over there.” She pointed at a small chamber just off the main entrance. But Nyx stayed put, appearing even more tense.
“Well, if you’re sure…” Twilight said uneasily. “The rooms are right this way.”
She and Starlight made their way upstairs. Nyx followed behind; her hooves silent against the crystal steps. They arrived on the third-floor landing and turned down a right-hand corridor. They made their way down this corridor and turned left. Twilight opened a pair of double doors, revealing another grand hall.
“Here we are!” Twilight said. “These are the main bedroom suites. We have rooms of our own here, too.” She pointed at a pair of teal diagonal-latticed doors with gilded borders. “That’s where I sleep; that room over there with the purple door is where Spike sleeps.” She pointed at another door. “And that one over there is Starlight’s room!” She waved her hoof at all the other doors in the hallway. “All the other rooms are free—go ahead and pick one!” With a dramatic flash of her horn, all the doors to the empty rooms sprang open.
Nyx gave Twilight an odd, searching look, but quickly turned her attention to the open doors surrounding her.
“Do you see one you like?” Twilight pressed. “O! I know! Follow me!” She turned and trotted to the room at the far end of the hall, Starlight and Nyx following close behind. Twilight’s own room sat on the right-hand side of it; this room also had a set of double-doors, though these were painted cerulean.
The room was cavernous. A great four-poster bed with deep-blue bedspreads and violet curtains took up the center of the room. It had three towering windows, and several pictures of night scenes on the walls. There was an empty bookcase, and a fine desk of ebony sitting in the corner.
“You want to give her this room?” Starlight asked, arching a brow. “Isn’t this the room you set aside in case Princess Luna decided to stay over?”
Twilight kicked her hooves sheepishly. “Well, yeah. But this room is set up perfectly for Nyx! And it’s right next to my room! So, if you need me,” she added, eyeing the filly. “I’m right over there! How about it?”
Nyx looked around the room, frowning. Then, without a word, she turned and strode into the hallway. She made her way to a different room down the hall and darted inside. Twilight and Starlight exchanged glances, confused, and made their way to the chamber Nyx had entered. It was several doors down, divided from Twilight’s room by a single suite.
They found Nyx standing in the center of the room. It was smaller than the room Twilight had recommended, and furnished more modestly. The queen-sized bed against the wall lacked curtains; there was an empty nook for books; and instead of a writing desk, there was a low circular oak table with a small pouffe. There was a nightstand with a single drawer.
But what concerned Twilight was the color scheme. The crystals here were tinted in deep shades of teal, so the room had been decorated in green. The curtains were green, and the sheer panels were a green tint. The rug and pouffe were green as well. The bed’s comforter was also green, but featured intricate chartreuse linework. The sheets were also chartreuse, and the pillowcases were teal.
Twilight suppressed a shudder. Green was not her favorite color at the moment. “You want this room?” she asked. Nyx nodded; her gaze was fixed on the room’s singular window. “Are you sure? I mean, the room I recommended is a lot better than this one! It’s bigger and fancier and it’s right next to mine! Wouldn’t that make you feel safer?”
Nyx pulled her saddlebags off with her left hoof and dropped them at the foot of the bed. It landed with a note of finality, like a mallet striking a gavel. She made her way to the window and pushed the thick, green curtains aside to look out of it.
Twilight made to say something, but Starlight pulled her aside. “Let it go, Twilight.”
“Sorry?”
“Let it go. I can see you’re getting worked up over this—but you did say Nyx could choose her own room.”
Twilight sighed. “You’re right, I did say that. I just thought she’d want the other room.”
“That is a nice room, but it’s a room we’d like. But it may be too overpowering for her. Foals are fickle, right?” Starlight flashed a nervous smile.
“I suppose you’re right.” Twilight looked around the room. Though not as ostentatious as the other room, it was elegant in its own right. The oak furniture was stately and well-made. The fabrics were high quality. And it was very large. It would allow plenty of room for her to grow.
And Nyx had a lot of growing to do.
Twilight turned to Nyx and smiled at her. “So, this is the room you want? It’s a very nice room. It’s so big! And the window faces east!” she added, walking up to the window and standing beside her. Nyx glanced at Twilight briefly, before gazing back out the window. “That means you’ll be able to see the sun rise! Won’t that be great?” She waited, hoping Nyx would speak at last. But the filly remained silent. Twilight sighed and followed her gaze; it seemed to be locked onto the Everfree Forest. Night had fallen at last; the houses Twilight could see had their lights on, smoke rising from the chimneys. The moon was a waning crescent. In the distance, well beyond the gnarled trees of the Everfree, Canterlot could be seen, rising out of the horizon like a marble steeple.
“You have a lovely view,” Twilight commented. She felt increasingly awkward. “You’ll probably want to settle in. Why don’t you get yourself unpacked, while Starlight and I see how dinner is coming? We’ll bring it up if you want.”
Nyx nodded absently, continuing to stare out the window. It occurred to Twilight that she had never seen Nyx blink. But she turned and left with Starlight, closing the green double-door behind them.
Nyx turned away from the window, eyes narrowed, and bared her fangs at the closed door. She growled, a primal sound emanating deep within her body. It was a low, feral tone that had no business resonating inside a juvenile equine.
Nyx left off growling. She stood straighter and tossed her head back, so that her loose bang landed behind her horn. She held her chin high and her wings erect, surveying her new accommodations with a kind of cold curiosity. Her slitted eyes darted into every corner.
She studied the window, her eyes flicking briefly over the curtains, before drawing them close and sniffing them. She then turned her attention to the little table, examining the top and squatting down to inspect the legs. Next, she turned her attention to the pouffe. She examined it top to bottom, prodding the cushion with a hoof and sniffing it. Placated, she turned her attention to the bed.
Nyx lit her horn, and picked up the pillows in indigo magic. She pressed the pillows, sniffed them, and then set them back onto the bed again exactly where she had found them. Next, she lifted the bed skirt and bent down, inspecting the dark underside of the bed.
The nightstand was the next focus of examination. She studied the top and bottom of it, and also looked behind it. She opened the empty drawer, and pulled it completely out of the nightstand. She looked inside the crevice. Finding nothing, she returned the drawer to its original place.
Nyx froze. She looked at the walls, her ears swiveling intently. In the walls were the sounds of scratching. There was a squeak.
The door opened. Twilight re-entered the room, followed by Spike and Starlight. Twilight held a plate with a sandwich aloft in her magic, while Spike carried a small covered dish in his claws. Starlight brought up the rear, holding a tall glass of milk steady. They set these dishes upon the table.
Spike cleared his throat. “Dinner is served!” He lifted the silver lid, revealing a bowl of steaming soup. He set a spoon and several white napkins next to it.
They waited for Nyx to come and dig into her supper. But Nyx went back to staring at the floor, her bangs falling over her eyes.
Twilight cocked her head. “Don’t you want some food?”
Starlight frowned, scrunching her nose. She seemed to be thinking hard.
“It’s not bad at all,” Twilight continued. “Spike made celery soup, and a wonderful daisy sandwich.”
Spike suddenly looked apprehensive. “Well, it’s not quite perfect. I couldn’t use the white bread. I hope hayseed works fine.”
“What was wrong with the white?” Twilight asked, lowering her voice.
“The mice.”
“O.” The mice were becoming a problem. She needed to talk with Fluttershy about them. “But hayseed is a wonderful bread!” Twilight exclaimed, her attention back on Nyx. “You’ll love it.”
“And we brought up a tall glass of milk!” Starlight added. “It’s got a lot of calcium!” She laughed, but her laugh sounded hollow. “And plenty of animal proteins.” Twilight arched a brow at Starlight, puzzled, but let it pass without comment. Her student was odd sometimes.
Nyx stayed right by the nightstand and looked at the floor. She did not even acknowledge the presence of food.
Twilight’s smile faded. “You…you are hungry, right?” She glanced between Spike and Starlight for help, but they seemed just as bewildered.
“Well, it’s here if you want it.” Twilight continued. “We understand if you would prefer to eat alone. I’ll come by later for your dishes.” She turned to Spike and Starlight. “We’ll have supper in the kitchen. And you,” she added, grinning at Starlight, “Are going to tell me all about what happened today!”
Starlight blushed. “Right, I haven’t told you everything yet…knowing you, you’ll be taking notes, right?”
“Yup!” Spike said, beaming. “I have the quill and parchment already set up!”
“Great. Just great.” She and Spike left the room. Twilight gave Nyx a reassuring smile, and then followed them out.
Nyx waited until their steps faded away, and then quietly closed the door with her magic. She tossed her head back again and approached the table, head held high. Nyx stared ruefully at her meal for a moment, before taking the daisy sandwich in her magic and bringing it up to her face for closer inspection. She sniffed it suspiciously, and then opened it. Her nose scrunched up disgustfully upon seeing the daffodils. She tossed them onto the plate without a second glance.
She scrutinized the bread carefully. Her horn glowed brighter, thin rows of magical energy running across the surface of the bread slices. After a long moment, Nyx halted the spell, and tentatively took a bite. Her face blanched. She forced herself to swallow her bite of bread, and then tossed the bread slices back onto the plate.
Next, she turned her attention to the bowl of steaming celery soup. She sniffed it deeply, and then cast the same spell on the soup that she had cast onto the bread slices. After a few seconds of this, Nyx took the bowl up to her lips and drank the hot soup down. She winced as she did so, but kept drinking. When she finished, she set the bowl down with a grunt.
Nyx reached for the milk now. She scanned it and, finding no fault with it, began to drink. Something like enjoyment flickered across her face as she drained the white, frothy liquid down, milk running down the sides of her muzzle. When she finished, Nyx licked the milk off of her face and forehooves, the sharp barbs on her tongue helping to brush the milk off her coat.
The scratching in the walls began again. Nyx paused; ears twitching; her attention focused itself onto the opposite wall. She crept over to it and pressed her ears against it. The scratching became louder. There was a shuffling of tiny feet, and then a loud squeak. Nyx sniffed the wall, her cyan eyes gleaming. She bared her fangs and licked her lips.
Twilight materialized in a flash of light. “Hi, don’t mind me, just here to pick up your dishes—"
“Eep!”
Nyx dove under the table. Twilight saw her glowing eyes peering at her from beneath the table, watching warily, her cat-slit pupils thin slivers.
Stupid ninny, teleporting in like that, Twilight thought. You saw how she reacted to it earlier! Why did you think that was a good idea? “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you like that. I forget you’re not used to teleportation. Are you alright?”
Nyx shrank down to the floor, as though trying to make herself appear as small as possible. Twilight wondered if she should coax her out, or if that would only make things worse.
She glanced at the dishes. “I see you were hungry after all! You ate all the soup and drank your milk, that’s nice.” She spotted the sandwich. It had been taken apart, the daisies lying untouched on the plate. “Didn’t you like the sandwich?”
Nyx shook her head. She understands Equestrian well enough, Twilight thought. Then why doesn’t she say anything?
Twilight stacked the bowl and glass onto the plate, placing the remains of the sandwich into the bowl. She trotted to the door, but turned to speak. “You can talk to me. You can always talk to me.” Nyx did not answer, but Twilight could tell she was listening. “You don’t have to worry. This is a secure place. Chrysalis can’t get in here.”
Nyx stiffened upon hearing the name. Twilight wondered if bringing Chrysalis up so soon was a good idea, but she decided to plow ahead, if only to reassure the filly. “You don’t have to worry. You won’t ever have to see Chrysalis again, I promise.” Her smile broadened. “I hope you have a good night, Nyx. I’ll see you in the morning.” Twilight left the room, closing the door cheerfully behind her.
Nyx crept out from under the table, staring at the closed door with wide, moist eyes. Her lower lip trembled. She stood there for a long moment, numb, and then suddenly darted under the bed, dragging her saddlebags along with her.
The underside of the bed was vast and roomy. The bed skirt cut off much of the light, making the underside dark like a cave. Nyx’s bioluminescent eyes glowed, bathing the underside in bright cyan light. She sidled to the head of the bed and sat on her haunches, her horn several inches away from the mattress boards. She pulled the saddlebags close to her and opened a pouch. Inside was one of the blankets Twilight had seen when she examined Nyx’s bag earlier. Nyx pulled the blanket out and spread it before her.
It was a brown fur pelt. It had a large claw attached to it. The pelt was larger than Nyx, and spread out under most of the bed’s underside. A large collection of items had been wrapped inside of it. There was a large crimson leather book with thick pages; several other books that were missing pages; two knifes in thick leather sheathes; and a blue ceramic spray-bottle.
But it was a photograph in a simple black wooden frame that caught her attention. In the forefront stood Nyx, beaming brightly at the camera, her fangs plainly visible in her wide grin. There was a mare standing behind her. She was a tall, desiccated-looking mare, who may have been reckoned beautiful were she not so gaunt. She had a teal oily mane and wore a four-pronged crown with round nodules. Her horn was crooked, and her gossamer wings were torn. She had serpentine eyes like Nyx, but they were green instead of cyan. And while Queen Chrysalis did not smile as broadly as Nyx, something in her regal bearing came across as proud. She rested a hoof across Nyx’s left wither.
Nyx reached out and felt her wither, the very one Chrysalis had her hoof on in the picture. Her eyes watered. She held the frame close to her, embracing it as tears ran down her cheeks.
“Mommy.”