The Magicians Duel

by TheTwerp


Chapter 4

It had been the end to a most wonderful day in Ponyville. The first ever “Official Elements of Harmony Sleepover Party” had been called which had been thought up by Pinkie Pie and organized by Twilight. The Girls had done all the games listed in the official sleepover guide mk.2 and had even played a few games not in the book.

When the evening came to a close and night fell upon the peaceful town like a shimmering blanket, the girls had retired on a set of mats and blankets in front of the living room fire. Applejack was the last to fall asleep and had been watching the dying embers of the flame.

She heard a slight stirring from the direction of Twilight. “Mh-café-best daisy salad *snore*”

“Huh, she sure do love her *yawn* daisy salads.” Applejack muttered.

Twilight mumbled something else before beginning to snore. Applejack snorted and rolled over and began to drift off to sleep herself. After living most her life in the room next to her big brother she could sleep through anything.

Man did he snore.

It must have been a good few hours later that Applejack was rudely awoken by an incessant prodding in the ribs.

“Whuh?”

Applejack turned to find a very distressed Rainbow Dash stood over her. Even in the darkness it was easy to see the look of worry and the jitter of her wings.

“Applejack, wake up. Something’s wrong with Twilight.” During this exchange a noise that she had been hearing now came into focus.

Somepony was crying.

“I think Twilight is having a nightmare…” Rainbow turned to point at the blanket that contained Twilight.

The rest of the room was now dimly illuminated by Rarity’s horn as she stood a little to the left of the now twisted and shaking form of Twilight Sparkle. The distressed unicorn was laid on the blanket crying and muttering gibberish.

“What in tarnation is going on?” Applejack whispered.

“Um…I woke up first to go to the bathroom and found Twilight…um…well crying” Fluttershy said as she approached from behind.

Crying was an understatement that mare was downright sobbing in Applejacks point of view.

“Well wake her up!” she spoke in a hushed but demanding tone. Before anypony could say anything Applejack snorted and moved to wake Twilight.

“No!” Rarity breathed. “We can’t wake her up!”

“Have you spit your bit? Twilight is terrified we hav-“ Applejack tried to reason.

“No.” Rarity now stood in front of Applejack blocking her way. “I’ve read about this it’s called a night terror and the magazine said that it could be harmful to wake a pony who is suffering from one.”

Pinkie Pie now approached. “But Rarity! Twilight is crying!”

At this moment Twilight began to hyperventilate.

“Rare, I know you think this is best because of some frou-frou gloss book, but Twilight needs help!” Applejack finished with a stomp.

Rarity persisted a moment longer thinking on what to do. She had read that it could be harmful to wake a pony in this state but this was just silly, Twilight was sobbing and needed help. She relented and Applejack surged forth and gripped Twilight by the neck.

“Twi! Wake Up!” She hollered.

“N-no! Please!” Twilight stammered still trapped in the nightmare. Rainbow flapped over and began to shake her left foreleg.

“Twilight! W-wake up!” Rainbow slurred with tears welling in her eyes.

“*Sniffle* n-n-no *wheeze*” Twilight continued starting to stir from the dark dream.

All at once all five members of the group shouted.

“TWILIGHT!”

“WHAA!” Twilight sat bolt upright and let loose a full blast of her magic propelling everyone backward into the bookshelves and in Applejacks case into the coffee table in the middle of the room.

After blinking and looking dazed for a few moments Twilight pulled her head back and let out a howl of anguish. Hearing this Applejack pulled herself up and ran to Twilight pulling her into a fierce hug.

“Shush, shush it’s alright…” She cooed. Having lived with her little sister she was used to comforting little fillies after a bad dream.

“A-applejackkk…” Twilight choked out before burying her muzzle in her blond mane.

“Shush, shush.” Applejack continued nuzzling Twilights head. This was beginning to become much to heart breaking for the rest of the gang and Applejack found herself soon crying along with others.

After about five minutes of rocking the mare back and forth and whispering comforts in her ear Twilight began to calm.

“Are you okay dear?” Rarity ventured with a sniffle. Twilight did not respond but seemed to calm down further. A few moments later she pulled back from Applejack and sat looking at her hooves, face still stained with sorrow.

“Um…Twilight? Uh…would you like a cup of coco?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight Sparkle nodded but did not look up from her hooves. Pinkie shot up like a rocket and blasted into the kitchen with Fluttershy following. Not wanting to disturb her any further both Applejack and Rarity sat on either side of Twilight with Rainbow gripping a foreleg and beginning to gently stroke it , Applejack began to nuzzle her head again and Rarity summoned a cloth to clean Twilights face. This elicited a sigh of relief from the purple mare bringing a smile to all in the room.

After Pinkie and Fluttershy had returned with the cup of coco and helping of marshmallows Twilight took a big drag from the cup before finally speaking.

“I’m sorry girls.”

Applejack nearly choked, she had most likely suffered the worst nightmare of her life and was sorry!

“Twilight what are you sorry for?” Rarity voiced what the group were thinking.

“I had a dream. You were all there and *sniff* and some mean pony came and…and hurt you all real bad.” Twilight was beginning to tear up again. Applejack gave her another hug and waiting for the sniffling to cease.

“So…what happened?” Rainbow asked earning a glare from everyone else aside from Twilight.

“She hurt you and then told me I was too weak and stupid to protect you and that love and friendship was just slowing me down.” She was becoming frantic and speaking in a fevered pitch. “That I was better with no friends and –“

“Twi!” Applejack interrupted. “Stop. It’s ok. It was just a dream.”

Twilight fell back into the hug and looked out at the rest of the gang.

“I was so scared that it was real and you were all gone…” She whimpered.

“It’s ok Twily! We would never leave you like that.” Pinkie grinned.

“Yeah who cares what some stupid dream said were your friends and were not going anywhere” Rainbow shouted with a hoof pump finish. The other mares nodded in agreement.

“Thank you girls.” Twilight took one last chug on the mug. “Um. If it’s ok with you guys can somepony sleep with me please?” Twilight looked very embarrassed as a red hue was now adorning her cheeks.

“After that I was going to make you sleep with me.” Applejack chuckled.

Climbing under the blanket and lying down she turned to see the other girls all pull their mats closer and lie down alongside. Twilight uttered another thank you, laid back down and promptly fell back to slumber. Applejack was not going to let another nightmare hurt her friend and placed a protective foreleg over Twilight before drifting off herself.

Once the room was filled with light snores and breathing Twilight popped open an eyelid.

“See all I need is my friends.” She thought. “Were strong together.”

She turned her gaze onto Applejack.

“Applejack is strong.”

“Rainbow is fast.”

“Pinkie is cunning.”

“Rarity is charming.”

“Fluttershy is graceful.”

“They are all so-“

“So-”



If anypony could see her they would have noticed that Twilight had a very creepy smirk on her face.



"...Fragile..."