//------------------------------//
// CH 89 Green Tea 
// Story: Twilight's Nightmare 
// by Nightsclaw 
//------------------------------//





Twilight had to admit the vacation on the moon had been a wonderful experience, even if she had been too emotionally compromised to remember to collect any moon dust. Despite how enjoyable it had been, it had not really achieved anything. It wasted time and put a valuable pony out of commission.

Candice lay upon Luna's Canterlot bed. The only signs she was still alive were the magic that stirred inside her and the soft sounds of her sleeping breaths. The mare's leylines were stretched but fortunately not strained nor ruptured. A day or two of rest and she would be ready to be utilised again. 

Twilight paused in her thoughts and absently adjusted the comforter, tucking Candice in with methodical precision. She reached an ethereal wing out and caressed Candice's check. "Rest well." The decree was the least of the rewards the mare deserved after the gift she shared. That wonderful warmth, that particular flavour of joy, solidified in its value by its absence. Mentally, she moved some of ponykind's irrational behaviours into the rational category. Obtaining or maintaining that feeling would definitely become a prime motivator for most ponies. 

Like this, her soul naked to the world Twilight could not hide from the truth. "When I return to my body, I am going to miss it." She tapped her chin with a hoof. Is this what drives changelings? Would I be able to steal this? No, that would only be a temporary solution. Her mind drifted to the flayed remains of Redwing's wellspring. Could I use a rewoven changeling or crystal pony wellspring to add this? The needed spells and arcane theories danced through her mind, and as always, her mark hummed in approval. Regettbly I don't have any disposable crystal ponies… She shook her head.  I'm overcomplicating things again. Sweet Dreams, Night and Nova had more than enough emotions to share. In Nova's case, normally far too much. Still, it had been an interesting plan, and if she ever arranged new bodies for her fragments, it might prove useful.

She ran a few medical spells over Candice, just in case. She knew there was no rational reason to. She also knew she would be right back here to do it anyway once her 'normal' emotions hit her. With a mental groan, she cast them again, finishing the triple-checking standard so emotional-her would have nothing to complain about. After the last spell wound down and confirmed yet again that everything would be alright, that Candice just needed to recover from extreme magical, physical and mental fatigue, Twilight nodded to herself. That was crossed off the mental checklist. She turned to walk away, then paused. If nopony is here when she wakes. Her mind drifted back to her time on the alter. The pain no longer bothered her, it was just pain after all, but the despair, the loneliness, the not knowing if she would ever see her friends again. 

Her aura reached out to Luna's desk and found a blank scroll, ink and an ornate quill. The ink flowed just right and had little sparkling motes in it that had no adverse effect on its consistency. Twilight looked over the scroll. With the rich umbral colours, it was perfectly legible. I wonder what colour this actually is? She considered lighting her horn but shook her head. Candice needed all the undisturbed rest she could get. 

The scroll was carefully rolled and sealed. After a moment's more thought, she cast another spell and kissed the scroll. A bit more magic and a plate of sandwiches, a glass of water, and a cup of tea with some cookies sat on the bedside table, all wrapped in a preservation ward that would break when Candice started to regain consciousness. 

The chain of events looked good. Candice would start to wake up, then notice the scents and hunger and thirst would quicken her revival. Then with her training, she would take in her surroundings, recognise the room and see the scroll. So she would check the scroll and receive the time-displaced kiss. It needs a little something more… She added a nuzzle pre kiss and a soft wing hug during that would linger a full minute after the kiss. 

Candice's form caught her eyes again. With the lightest touch of her aura, she traced over each muscle group, smoothed her coat and ensured there would be no tangles in her mane nor tail when she finally awoke. Never had a pony's body meant so many different things to her before. It was an item to be used for entertainment, it was a work of art to look upon, it was a craftpony's satisfaction and familiarity for their work, it was an outfit that could be worn to experience a different sensorium and emotional perspective, she was the precious shell that held safe the soul of a friend, she was a pony she could have loved if she had been whole.

As she stood back and looked over her work, her mark rewarded her with the expected satisfaction. Is love just a talent that most ponies have? It was an interesting idea. Special talents were just the effect of woven sections of a wellspring and how it contacted the soul. All she would need is one in-love pony's soul to vivisect. She shook her head and filled that research proposal away. Dealing with the Blight and resolving the mortality problems for her brother and her friends was a much higher priority.  

With a firm nod, her mind started on a checklist for the day. Now, I wonder where my body is… With only that flicker of thought, she vanished.





Twilight knew as soon as she was back within her bastion. There was a rightness to it, an uptick of her magic generation. The scents of live wood, old books, ink, and Sweet Dreams' scent, paired with the softness that embraced her, told her she was in her bed. 

Just the act of being here recontextualised everything. The gifts left for Candice were more than adequate but had been done more out of duty and the simple joy of using magic. There had been a purity to just being herself, but like this, it was clear something was missing.

The planned dissertation of the comparative pros and cons of such altered states of existence was shelved for something more important. With a happy little sigh, she snuggled deeper, almost turning the bedding into a fabric nest. 

The physical comfort remained, but regretfully the bliss of sleep escaped her. Two things refused to let her enjoy the comfort. The first was a hollowness that haunted her. It tainted every thought. The hole that Celestia had left in her heart, the factor of love that she could never truly feel on her own. So much of her emotional depth was merely borrowed from others or simply a decree from her creation. 

Her eyes found the golden stitching. They still shimmered with Celestia's magic. Her hoof traced in an idle motion like scratching an itch as her mind investigated the other sense of wrongness. She felt a little bloated if a feeling of bloatedness could be a few floors down and off to the side. "Hmm." 

Her hooves sang with the rightness of it as they found the wooden floor. Her aura grabbed a few brushes and rapidly assaulted her coat, mane and tail. In less than a minute, she was as well-groomed as she had ever managed by herself. She gave a critical look to the mare in the mirror and nodded sharply. 

As she made her way to the unknown stimulus, the scents of chamomile, daisies and honey reached her nose, and the soft mummers of Sweet Dreams' voice reached her ears. She could not make out the words, but the tone was soft and soothing, like one used on a little foal or a small animal. Did Nova brake something? It was a worrying thought. In a very real way, the bastion was her, even with her perceptions currently in this mental construct that was her true body, the whole place was her… or was it? Her hooves stopped moving as the idea coalesced in her mind. Grey… Nova… By definition, they were here first… Like Night possessed me… am I possessing them? Whenever Nova got free, Nova was the one that ruled… the one that became dominant. Twilight's rump hit the ground. It all makes a terrible amount of sense. 

She sighed and faced hoofed. This is not how I should be feeling after my date… She slid her hoof down her face and set it ready for Cadance's breathing trick. After a few repetitions, she had recentered herself. A mental image of Sweet Dreams humming along to her ancient song allowed an honest smile to bloom on her face.

As her hooves carried her to the upper floor, Sweet Dreams' voice carried from below. "More tea?" It was a simple question and clearly was not answered verbally, as what followed was the familiar sound of carefully poured liquid.

Her mind considered her options, she could leap over the railing and fly down, she could teleport, she could mix the two. She was an Alicorn, she could just jump over the railing and fall. It was only four stories. The impact would not even hurt much, even if she hit head first. She stood there looking at the railing, her hooves hesitating. Without consciously making a decision, she turned towards the stairs and started down them. 

Something about being near that bloated feeling left a bitter taste in her mouth, and if distrust had a flavour, she had likely just found it. What is this? 


"I'm home," she called out just before she would be visible. Not that she needed to call out. Her Dreams would have heard her coming long before now. As she stepped into the foyer, the familiar sights and many piles of books brought a smile to her muzzle. 

Grey was drinking from a steaming cup of tea as she watched Twilight approach. Grey flicked her head to the side, and Twilight looked that way. Night reclined on silk pillows, blissfully devouring something. Through the mirror, Nova and Smarty Pants were playing with magma, shaping it into the form of buildings as if it was a superior form of building blocks which its amorphic nature definitely gave it points towards. That would have made things simpler with Spike….

Finally, her eyes found what they sought, the graceful form and the loving silver orbs that were her Dreams' eyes. Those pools of colours almost held her. They almost became the entire world until Twilight's mind coughed politely and pointed. Twilight's focus widened, and she actually saw her Sweet Dreams smiling as she poured a cup of green tea for Queen Chrysalis. 

Wait, what? Every mental process in her head stopped, did a restart, got an error and tried again. Still, with the world making no sense, her mind restarted in safe mode. When in doubt, ask. "Night?"

Night finished her current mouthful and looked up. "Yes, Twilight?"

"Why are we having tea with Chrysalis?"

Chrysalis snorted and then answered with her duel-toned voice. "We did not wake this morning expecting to take tea with…" She paused in confusion before she shrugged. "You and your 'guests'."

"Now now, Chrysalis. We are all friends here, are we not?" Sweet Dreams said, her voice as smooth as silk and sweet as honey, but her stern eyes moved from Chrysalis to Night and back again.

Twilight let her hooves carry herself to her Dreams, only to be caught and enveloped in a welcome feathery embrace. The warmth, her scent and the kiss certainly made the world a lot simpler. Night was no foal, and Sweet Dreams would sooner murder somepony before letting a true danger into her domain, so whatever Chrysalis' reasons for being here, she was somehow not a threat. With that bit of logic as armour against any doubt or worry, she claimed a tasty sandwich from the table.

She got three mouthfuls through her snack before she proceeded again. “So, Chrysalis in Bastion, why?”

"I had to drag Night here to stop her scaring poor Chrysalis half to death."

Chrysalis visibly bristled. Her armoured body formed barbs and thorns as a green sheen ran over her form. "I was not afraid."

Night's fanged smirk was tainted with a foal's delight at seeing something adorable. "Lie to yourself if you wish, but you can't lie to us. We are both emotivores. You seek love, we savour fear, and you were quite… satisfying."

Twilight sighed. Maybe a nice nap in my garden… Maybe the world will make sense again then? A blue wing blocked her view of the bickering, and Dreams' silence spell saved her ears. 

"So… how was the moon?" A simple question, but the eager, brilliant eyes that peered out from that perfect face made it so much more.

"Where to start? Do you want a full report… I have so much to write."

Dreams' soft laughter stole the rest of Twilight's words. "Did you enjoy yourself?" Dreams started before her voice shifted the slightest waver starting the enchanting melody she used for speech. "Did Luna?"

"Yes." It was the only word Twilight used, but she could see her content smile and the happiness that must have been visibly pouring out her eyes had told Dreams everything she needed to know. Just to be thorough, she formed a summoning spell and cut it loose in the grand library for the book that contained the recollections of her time on the moon. Dreams deserved at least that much.

The book materialised before Dreams, and she pounced on it like a ravenous beast, if a ravenous beast could be as adorable as a basket of puppies and as lovely as a supermodel. Her wings shivering and her tail wagging were just too much. Laughter claimed Twilight. How could it not? 

"I hate to interrupt," Twilight said, and she really did. Dreams looked so happy as she paged through the memory of the lunar date.

Dreams hugged the book to her chest and proved just how soft her coat could be with the nuzzle she eagerly deployed. "I understand." She tucked the book under a wing and busied her hooves and magic, preparing yet more treats. The privacy spells and the shield of Dreams' majestic wing were removed, and Dreams tipped her horn towards their unusual guest. "Chrysalis here has been kind enough to let us know where Moonlit Scroll has been hiding." Dreams' tone was sweet and enchanting, but her lovely silver eyes blazed with horrific anticipation.  

If it was not for the warmth of her Dreams next to her, the date on the moon and the bizarre fact both Night and Dreams were calmly enjoying tea, there would have been fire, and there would have been rage. Instead, Twilight surprised herself with how calm her own voice was. "Oh, that's nice." In her mind, list after list started to unroll, ready for use. A few dozen books flapped like birds as they flew through the library to settle next to her. Books she never thought she would ever need, books that were only read because they were books. 

Chrysalis' eyes widened as they locked onto the titles. "Just when you think you know somepony."

Twilight took a dainty sip from her tea and regarded the books, her loyal books. She petted one, and it vibrated as if it were purring. Three other books crowded around, flashing their titles before begging for attention. They were 'Bizarre and brutal punishments of the pre-Discordian era', 'A cannibals cookbook six: one-hundred and one ways to prepare your pony' and 'Extreme and excruciating medical procedures'. She checked the book she had been petting. "Crafting Nightmares and how to make them reality," she read aloud.

Dreams tipped her horn towards the Queen. "Chrysalis, would you be so kind as to repeat what you told us?"

"Moonlit Scroll approached us for our assistance. He wished to assume another identity and wished for some ideas to be encouraged."

Dreams made a go-on gesture with her wing.

"He has assumed the identity of Noble Guide and wished us to manipulate ponies into happily accepting relocating to that refugee settlement he was working on."

She had seen him. He had been right there in the court. If she had only known. With her constant mental intrusions, Celestia must have known. Why did she not tell me? She scribbled the question down on a scrap of paper and pushed the worry from her mind. "What proof do you have?"

"We have the original Noble Guide podded."

"He's still alive?"

The Queen shrugged, "I believe your ponies have a saying, waste not, want not?"

"Hmm, I doubt any illusions or mundane disguise would work for so long or so well, especially against Celestia."

"I reshaped him."

Twilight's scholar side jumped around inside her head with a dozen questions rapidly propagating into hundreds, but it was the simplest that escaped from her lips. "How?"

Chrysalis flicked her eyes to Night for a moment before answering. "If you are careful enough, you can push changeling magic into pony flesh and sculpt it. It is slow, painful and causes complications if not properly maintained."

"What about leyline disruptions or detrimental interactions between your magic and theirs?"

"We drain them first and then ensure they are somewhere only changeling magic functions. Once it is done, we leave nothing behind."

Twilight nodded as a quill scribbled away on its own. "And it needs to be maintained because the subject's own magic will try to restore them."

Chrysalis nodded. "And unless they are a changeling or have some sort of shapeshifting talent, it will fail."

"And they are not going to be as well crafted as Candice…" Twilight clapped her hooves together, ignoring how much like a little filly she was acting. "There are so many experiments I am going to do on him…" Dreams' tactful cough cut the rest of her words off.

Night shifted, sitting up, and that was enough to change the atmosphere from a casual tea to a serious meeting. "We are in accord?"

Dreams nodded. "He will be held to account for his deeds." A grey aura floated a scroll over which Dreams read and then nodded to its author. "And we all are aware of Nova's thoughts." She flicked her eyes to the still happily playing trapped mare. 

Twilight nodded solemnly. Am I really doing this? She thought, but there was no doubt, no revulsion. She had just committed to something she could not have even considered a mere year ago. An eagerness bubbled inside her. It was like waiting for a new book to be delivered mixed with just about to arrive at a Pinkie party. With a benevolent smile, she turned to Chrysalis and nodded respectfully. "For this information as well as providing sanctuary for our ponies, you have our thanks and our gratitude, Queen Chrysalis."  

Chrysalis sat up to her full height and returned the nod. 

Magenta light converged and solidified into a scroll. The conjured matter felt heavy and unnatural in Twilight's hoof, but it was fitting. With her own blood, she added her signature and mark to the bottom. With an imitation of Luna, she imperiously presented it to the Queen.

"A pardon?" Chrysalis' eyes widened, then narrowed to slits before fixing on Twilight. 

"Yes, it is legally required before more can be done."

Suspicion danced behind the Queen's eyes. "What are you planning, Sparkle?"

"Why nothing much," Twilight smiled. "Lady Chrysalis."

Chrysalis showed her fangs but kept her tone surprisingly reasonable. "Im no Lady. I am a Queen." 

Twilight nodded, acknowledging the point as she conjured a second scroll. "With the powers vested in me as a Princess of Equestria and due to the state of emergency, I take this action. With the failure of the standing Nobility to protect their holdings, I, Twilight Sparkle, raise you to their equal and charge you to protect what you have claimed."

Chrysalis did not even blink. She just stayed there frozen for fourteen and a half seconds. "Why?"

"I used to think you were a monster, I used to think you were evil, and then I had my eyes opened. Even if you were what I thought you were, you would be an improvement over a lot of the peerage. Much of the nobility is lazy, greedy, selfish, and some are even truly evil, the sort that would willfully send mercenaries to murder unborn foals."

Chrysalis held the second scroll. "This is rather open-ended."

"Yes, feel free to take advantage of it."

Night smirked. "Dearest Sister is going to love this."   
  




The view from the penthouse window was not the abandoned one it should have been. Instead, 'ponies' hurried about industriously. Manehatten's harsh art deco structures, so different, so alien compared to Classical Canterlot or rustic Ponyville, held her gaze, and it refused to let go. Twilight's eyes found the scorched crater. It was such a small thing when compared to the city. This is where our journey started. 

Our journey started when an arrogant little unicorn dared to offer us challenge. 

Twilight rolled her eyes. You were going to bring eternal night.

Yes. Night admitted. Even if Celestia rigged the board, the victory was well-earned. 

Twilight softened her mental tone. Are you glad you failed?

You know well the answer, my host.

Thank you for saving me. Thank you for giving me Sweet Dreams.

We are family, remember?

A rye smile looked back from the reflection in the glass. You are right.

Of course I am, not to mention a rather intelligent mare once gave me that advice.

When this is all over, we are going to have to have another conversation with Celestia.

With or without bloodshed?

Twilight shook her head, but that did nothing to hide her conflicted expression from Night. No bloodshed. At every point, she has done what she thought was right… and in some cases, I definitely agree with her actions.

We are glad it is only some.

Speaking of Celestia…I wonder how she will react when she learns I sold Manehatten for my vengeance…

It's not vengeance. It is righteous retribution.

I'm not hearing a difference.

Is that going to stop you?

No… I'm just aware enough to know I'm doing this because I want to, not because it's right.

He needs to be stopped.

He does.

Then remember there is nothing wrong in finding satisfaction in needful things.

Why do you think he did it?

You do not seek the simple answers… and more than that, I can only guess at. We will know the truth soon.

Harmony would want me to try and redeem him.

And you don't intend to?

No… I dont know if I trust harmony anymore.

Why?

There was something... off when I last visited the tree… a sense of finality…like that was the last time.

Silence reigned for a time, and in the distance, Chrysalis' magic signature grew closer. 

I ate a griffon's heart, and I enjoyed it. I tore his wellspring from him, and I play with it in my spare time…  Twilight chuckled. I'm more of a monster than Chrysalis is, more of a monster than Discord, and do you know what the worst part is?

It feels right?

Twilight nodded. I have never felt more right before. I am finely my own mare. Yes, I know all my internal family affect me, but those influences are known factors. I relish my power, and I love using it. To quote Rainbow, being an Alicorn is awesome.

You help those in need, heal the wounded, protect the innocent and work to make lives better for our wards. You give of your soul to heal just because it is the right thing to do. Yes, you are a monster, but you move to act for others' benefit.

Twilight let Night return her attention fully to the view out of the window. 

Just one city, she can easily build a new one in under a century.

One hundred years… at one point that would feel like a long time… now?

Plan, have goals, but greet each day one by one. Night brought their hoof to their chest.

It was not needed, but Twilight finished the familiar ritual of exhaling as she pushed the limb away.

The flicker of green fire in her peripheral vision announced Chrysalis's arrival. 

"How is he?"

The Queen stalked over and settled down, somehow both utterly lazy and impeccably regally at the same time. "He is well but currently unsuited for a return to the waking world."

"Why?"

"His pleasant dreams have diverged too much from current reality."

"Hmm. Well, at least we were already planning on having a changeling stand in for him."  

A smaller ling dressed in a butler's outfit trotted in and started artfully deploying a tea service. 

The scent of the tea wafted up to her nose. The fragrance was fascinating. Some aspects were simple to identify, and the rose petals and moon flowers were easy, yet there was something else, a major part that she had no frame of reference to describe. She inhaled slowly, savouring it. Whatever it was, it was nice. The thoughts drifted to Luna to her time wearing Candice's flesh.

"You add love to the tea?" Night asked with their shared voice.

Twilight nodded to herself. That's what it is.

"You are part changeling. I would be a poor host if I did not."

The tea held a sweetness to it but not the normal one. It was displaced and seemed spicy, but one that built warmth like a strong spirit instead of a normal chili. It blended well with the more mundane floral aspects of the flavour but was missing something. Twilight savoured the beverage and tried to work out why it was lacking. She was looking for another answer even as a part of her knew it was merely that she preferred the taste of fear over love.

"It's delicious, thank you."

"And yet it stirs a longing in you?"

"This love is not as satisfying as fear."

"We sometimes build up some as we filter it out of our harvests."

"You mean to offer it for sale?"

"I believe we could call it a gift between friends?"

"We both know you accepted our arrangement due to its benefits, not out of any sort of friendship," Night said.

"True, but now we are allied. It only makes sense to build upon it."

Twilight sighed and shook her head. "I'm the Princess of Friendship, and you're pushing for it harder than I am…"

"Whatever is the world coming to?" 





Twilight was drinking tea again, only this time it was in Luna's office aboard her stormship. The dark clouds that made up the future were firmer than the normal fluffy white ones that were used for comfort, but this meeting was too important to risk dozing off due to excessive softness.

Twilight had laid out everything, passed on every detail Chrysalis had provided, her goal to capture Moonlit Scroll and her ultimatum that he would pay for everything. Princess Luna, the Alicorn of the Night, had watched her and had listened to every word in utter silence. 

When Twilight had finished, when all her words had been spent, Luna's slightly slit eyes still coldly held Twilight's gaze. A year passed, or perhaps a second, and then Luna spoke. "Thou are certain of this path?" 

"I am."

"Very well." 

Twilight blinked. That was it? No discussion, no having to justify herself, just a simple 'are you sure you want to do this' check. A small warmth formed in Twilight's chest. It was nice to be trusted. She filed away the mental checks lists, and sent the books strewn around the interface between her body and bastion to reshelve themselves.

"How is this to be done?"

"Descretly, the real Noble Guide still lives. The plan is to have a changeling stand in for him until he recovers."

Luna nodded. "We will have our Nightgaurd take a most thorough look into his recent deeds."

"Now, if you don't mind, my Moon. I have an old teacher to reacquaint myself with."

"Do you mind a spectator?"

A few dozen answers flitted through her mind, but whimsically she threw them all aside and instead leaned closer and caressed Luna's lips with her own. It only lasted a moment, but the hungry eyes that looked out from Luna's face was a definite indication she was getting better at kissing. Twilight marked that experimental result in her mind, and slowly, sensually walked away from Luna. Even without looking, she could feel Luna's eyes following her, feel the ancient mare's magic aching to reach out for her. 

A month ago, you would be blushing so much your checks would catch light. Night teased.

Twilight rolled her eyes as she rolled her dock, letting her tail sway, and her wings spread just so. Luna's sharp intake of breath was the A-plus grade she had been hoping for. The promised vengeance and desires competed for which one could feel more delightful. With all that, Twilight could not stop smiling even if she wanted to. 

"Today is going to be perfect." She purred as another thought won out. She was about to have a pony in her power, a pony that deserved to be punished, a pony she wanted to punish. You are going to be a perfect test subject… thank you for volunteering, Moonlit Scroll.