//------------------------------//
// The Eyes of Nightmare 
// Story: Foal of the Forest 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 7:  The Eyes of Nightmare

"Well?"  Dawn stared at Twilight Sparkle as the lavender unicorn stood, transfixed by his eyes.  The air around them was filled with the quiet sounds of animals moving among their many homes built into the structure of Fluttersy's cottage.  Twilight lounged on the couch while Dawn sat across the living room table from her.  Upstairs, the sounds of soft splashing emanated from Fluttershy's bathroom as the yellow pegasus gave a certain tired and sweaty orange filly a thorough bath after her afternoon workout.  Scootaloo's protestations that she was perfectly capable of bathing herself had fallen on deaf ears, her drooping eyelids indicating that she might fall asleep in the tub if left to her own devices.
"It's amazing," replied Twilight, "I know several theories about why Nightmare Moon's eyes were the way they were and your existence by itself pretty much bucks half of them out the window."
"Really?" inquired the ebony colt, raising an eyebrow.
Twilight nodded excitedly.  "Yeah: the effect being a hidden component of alicorn physiology, invoked dark magic, blood rites, etcetera etcetera..."  She waved her hoof dismissively.  "...all kaput thanks to you."
"No demonic possession or anything like that?"
"No way!" argued Twilight emphatically, "I've come up against no real proof of the existence of demons, at least in the sense that the Cult Solar talks about, so it hardly seems likely that demonic possession is a feasible theory for your situation."
"Couldn't these be construed as proof in and of themselves?" asked Dawn, pointing to his eyes.
"Hardly," scoffed the unicorn, "Your behavior doesn't even come close to matching what the Cult Solar's writings dictate.  It could be argued that you might be concealing your natural tendencies to throw ponies off guard, but that doesn't seem plausible given that the most visible indicator of your supposed demonic nature remains in plain view."
"So what do you make of them then?"
Twilight tapped her chin lightly.  "I couldn't say.  In order to understand the nature of your eyes, I'd like to run some tests on you.  While I could manage some of them here on the spot, I'd get better data in my laboratory back home with Spike, that's my assistant by the way, to help out.  It would be even better if I had more ponies like you to study in order to get a more comprehensive data spread, but you're the only particular specimen that we have of this phenomenon."
"What tests could you run here?" asked Dawn.
"Actually, they are the first tests I wanted to run anyway.  They're all basic vision tests."  Twilight grinned.  "I wanted to see if your eyes only look different or if they really are different in the physiological sense.  So the first thing I want to test is where your vision falls within the range of typical pony eyesight.  With these tests, I should be able to determine if your eyes function differently from other ponies or if their appearance is merely cosmetic."
"I see," murmured the colt, "Then you may proceed when you are ready."
"Alright," agreed Twilight, her horn lighting up with magical energy, "Let's get started.  I need you to hold still..."


	
Fluttershy slowly trotted down the stairs.  Scootaloo was draped across her back like a pair of bright-orange saddlebags, the little filly's eyes just barely managing to stay open.  As she stepped into the living room, Fluttershy's eyes widened as she took in the sight of Dawn sitting across from Twilight, his head encased in a sphere matching the color of his coat, rimmed with glimmering purple magic.
On the couch, Twilight focused her attention on a sheet of paper, a quill scribbling furiously across it as she recorded the results of her experiments.  "Alright," she said, "I'm going to test your acuity in low-light situations.  Just focus on identifying the objects that appear in front of you."  Her horn flickered for a moment as she waited.
Fluttershy listened expectantly, anticipating that Dawn would begin shouting out whatever it was that he saw as it appeared in front of him.  Instead, the colt remained silent as Twilight sat, poised to continue writing.  For a moment, Fluttershy wondered if Dawn was refusing to participate.  But then, Twilight snapped into action, her quill once again hurrying to record the information she was apparently getting.
"Interesting," she murmured, "From the results, your eyes appear to have greater sensitivity to motion and light than regular pony eyes.  You have very acute night vision and, for the most part, your eyesight is better than most ponies.  It's not super-pony eyesight by any measure, but it does seem to prove that your eyes are actually functionally different from regular pony eyes.  That shows that your condition is not simply a matter of appearance."
"Um, what does that mean, exactly?" asked Fluttershy as she gently deposited a barely awake Scootaloo on a nearby chair.
The light around Twilight's horn vanished, along with the sphere enclosing Dawn's skull.  "I'm not entirely sure," she admitted, "The meridians around Dawn's eyes are more active than usual for most ponies.  It suggests that the physiological change was brought about through some kind of internal magical stimulus."
"Um...what?" was all Fluttershy could manage.
"It basically means that the cause behind Dawn's condition is likely magical in nature.  It's almost akin to a low-level transformation spell that magically changed the form of his eyes.  Normally, that would be utterly unthinkable for a pony that isn't a unicorn, but..."
"But what?" asked Scootaloo sleepily.
"But sometimes, the meridians of non-unicorn ponies have qualities that can contribute to unique developments through their own magic.  Fluttershy's ability to communicate with animals and her stare are an example of this, as well as...whatever it is that Pinkie Pie does...I think."
"So you're saying that it may have something to do with his special talent?" asked Scootaloo, her excitement making her briefly forget her fatigue.
Twilight slowly shook her head.  "Not always.  Sometimes the results are purely cosmetic, or sometimes an outright defect.  In Dawn's case, the best I can determine is that the unique quality of the meridians around his eyes invoked some sort of transformation into a predetermined form that results in his current condition.
"There's only one discrepancy," she muttered, tapping her chin thoughtfully, "According to the folklore surrounding the Eyes of Nightmare, ponies with the condition are normally indistinguishable from other ponies and their eyes only transform under some kind of condition.  But as you all have no doubt noticed, Dawn's eyes are constantly locked into their current form...I wonder what that means.  Could that aspect of the folklore simply be wrong?"  The lavender unicorn's voice trailed off as she tried to process the conundrum she found herself dealing with.
Dawn gave no indication what he thought of Twilight Sparkle's information.  Instead, he merely waited patiently while the other ponies processed it all.  He seemed surprisingly at ease, given the sensitive nature of the subject at hoof.
"Hey," said Scootaloo after a moment, "You keep talking about these meridian things?  Dawn talked about them too.  What are they?"
Hearing this question brought a grin to Twilight's face as she relished the opportunity to explain magical theory to a willing listener.  "Meridians are the pathways magical energy uses to flow throughout our bodies.  Basically, they're like veins and arteries, but instead of blood, they carry magic."
"Ah, that was it," said Dawn abruptly, "I couldn't remember what my master had been telling me about meridians, but I'm starting to remember.  He said that pegasus wings have the highest concentration of outlets for the meridians in our bodies."
"What does that mean?" asked Scootaloo.
"When it comes to meridians, there are two main features that concern most ponies," continued Twilight, "Outlets, which channel our magical energy from within us into the outside world; and inlets, which allow ponies to draw the ambient magical energy of the world itself into their bodies, which is one of the two sources for our magical energy.
"The other one, which is the main source for most ponies, is the energy we generate ourselves, which we gain in the same way as we get our physical energy and basic vitality, through the consumption of food and rest."
Twilight's horn glimmered, conjuring a magical light in front of her.  "Different ponies have a different distribution of outlets throughout their bodies, affected mainly by their breed, but also by their individuality.  For example, unicorns, like me, have our highest concentration of outlets in our horns, which is what allows us to channel our magical energy out into the world in the form of spells.
"Pegasus ponies, like you three, have their highest concentration of outlets in their wings, which is what allows you to fly, even though basic physics indicate that that shouldn't even be possible for you.  You also have a fair number in your hooves, which allow you to manipulate clouds and the weather."
"What about earth ponies?" interjected Scootaloo excitedly.
"I was getting to that," said Twilight in a slightly miffed tone, "Earth ponies have the most even distribution of outlets, with them being scattered more or less evenly throughout their entire bodies.  The result is that earth pony magic is generally more diffuse and subtle than the magic of pegasi and unicorns.  It can be harnessed to promote the healthy growth of vegetation and direct nourishment of the land around them, which is what makes earth ponies such effective farmers.
"The inlets are also affected by our tribes.  Unicorns have hardly any inlets, which is why all the magic I cast comes from my own internal reserves.  Unless a unicorn has some unique quality, like perhaps more inlets than normal, use of magic that utilizes any amount of external magical energy requires the application of complex procedures to harness that energy.  It's very difficult to pull off and most unicorns, like myself, don't think that the results are generally worth the effort.
"Pegasus ponies have a larger number of inlets, which allows them to draw ambient energy from the sky and deepens their connection to the weather and such.  Earth ponies have almost as many inlets as they do outlets, which enable them to draw a large quantity of energy from outside themselves.  This typically manifests in earth ponies' superior strength and stamina in comparison to the other two breeds."
"Interesting," mused Dawn, actually looking fascinated by Twilight's lecture.  Fluttershy and Scootaloo looked distinctly more disconnected.  "My Master's explanation for how pegasus magic works makes more sense now."
"Your master?" asked Twilight.
"He was the pony who basically raised me.  He taught me to fly and then taught me the Gale King."
Actually, that explains quite a bit, thought Twilight, remembering Applejack's misgivings from the other day.  The discrepancies that had made the earth pony farmer so suspicious made more sense when she considered the idea that Dawn was a martial artist.  Wait.  Gale King?  I remember hearing that name somewhere.  Was it from one of my history books?
For the time being, she decided to shelve the inquiry.  Fluttershy was already asking something else.
"So this master, was he your father?"
Dawn slowly shook his head.  "No, although he was the closest I ever had to one.  He taught me everything I know, including how to survive in places like the Everfree Forest."
"I guess that explains how you managed to live there so long," observed Twilight.
"What happened to him?" asked Scootaloo, getting reproving glares from the two  mares at her blunt approach to a sensitive subject.  "What?" she asked nervously, shrinking away from their disapproval.
"He died," replied Dawn without the slightest hitch in his tone, "He passed away...a little over a year ago...I think?"
"You think?" asked Twilight, giving him an incredulous stare.
The ebony colt merely shrugged.  "Calendars are hard to come by in the Everfree."
The two mares shared an unsettled glance at the blithe manner with which the colt addressed the loss of a pony who had given him so much.  Fluttershy found herself wondering if this was an additional symptom of the persecution Dawn had suffered, his soul having been so buried under forced indifference to pain that even the loss of his mentor was incapable of evoking an emotional response.
Twilight Sparkle was going to inquire further, but noticed how much time had passed since their session had begun.  The sun had sunk beneath the horizon and the moon was now crawling across the sky in its place.  "It's getting late.  I'd better be heading home."
"Me too," added Scootaloo, finishing just in time to allow an enormous yawn to force its way out of her mouth.  Her eyes drooped and she slumped weakly in her chair.
"Oh dear," said Fluttershy, quickly checking the filly over, "Um, I don't think she'll make it all the way back to her home at this rate."
Twilight hummed and got up from her seat to examine the filly.  "That's strange," she observed, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was suffering from magical fatigue.  I know that feeling pretty well.  Of course!"  Twilight whirled around to address Dawn.  "That's what you were doing earlier today.  You were teaching Scootaloo to fly by using her magic.  That explains so much!"
Dawn nodded.  "That would be correct."
Grinning widely, Twilight gathered her implements into her saddlebags.  "This is so exciting.  I would love for a chance to conduct an examination into the full capabilities of pegasus magic.  Just imagine the benefit this kind of information would have to the scientific community?"
"If you like," Dawn offered, "You can observe our lessons when I teach her.  I plan on her next lesson being in three days."
"Huh?  That soon?" asked Scootaloo blearily, barely raising her head.
Dawn nodded.  "You need to practice the liftoff exercise with some degree of frequency in order to successfully master it.  But you cannot practice it if I am not there to keep you safe.  So naturally, that our lessons will be more frequent because of that."
"Oh," she said, slumping, "Hey, how many tries did it take you to get the hang of it?"
Dawn scratched his chin.  "I don't know," he admitted, "I didn't keep count.  Or if I did, I forgot what it was."
Sulking, Scootaloo blew a strand of her unkempt mane away from her eyes as she settled back into her seat.
"Um, I think Scootaloo is going to have to stay here tonight," said Fluttershy softly.  She leaned down and nuzzled the filly gently.
"Yeah," agreed Twilight, "If she's suffering from magical fatigue, then it's best to let her sleep.  I can stop by her home and tell her parents where she is.
Fluttershy nodded.  "Please do.  And if it isn't too much trouble, tell them that I will make sure that Scootaloo gets to school tomorrow."
"Got it."  Heading out the door, the lavender unicorn turned to address Dawn one more time.  "Thank you for letting me come over to meet you today."
"Miss Sparkle," said the colt by way of farewell, bobbing his head politely.
Then Twilight was gone, the door swinging shut in her wake.  Fluttershy turned back to Scootaloo and lifted the filly onto her back.  "I'm going to take her up and tuck her in.  Then we can have dinner."
Dawn nodded slowly.  "Understood."


	
Scootaloo slowly opened her eyes and yawned sleepily as the morning sun seeped into the bedroom through the gaps in the drawn curtains.  It took her a moment to realize that something felt off as she shifted in the bed, and felt her side come into contact with something soft, warm and very much not a pillow.  It took her brain another few seconds to register something draped over her back that was not a blanket.
Looking over, the filly's eyes were treated to a swimming, yellow and pink blur that swam into focus as she came more awake.  Then it hit her.  She was in Fluttershy's house.  And this was Fluttershy's bed.  More importantly, it was Fluttershy that Scootaloo was snuggled up against and Fluttershy's wing that was draped over her back.
Once she got over her initial surprise at the revelation Scootaloo wondered at how comfortable she felt.  Obviously, there had never been any doubt that Fluttershy would never do anything to harm her as Scootaloo and her Crusader friends had spent many a sleepover at Fluttershy's house.  In fact, Scootaloo found something strangely comforting about the mare's presence.  She had never experienced this feeling before. Her father had never let her sleep in bed with him and her mother, even when she'd had nightmares when she was younger.  Melon Cream had sometimes climbed into bed with Scootaloo to comfort her on her worse nights.  But being an earth pony, Melon couldn't offer something as intimately comforting as a wing to wrap around her daughter.
The sense of peace and safety made Scootaloo want to drop down and go back to sleep.  But she was stopped by the sight of Fluttershy's teal eyes fluttering open.  Apparently waking up much more quickly than Scootaloo had managed, Fluttershy lifted up her head and beamed down at the filly.  "Good morning Scootaloo," she said in a cheery tone.
"Morning," answered the filly, finding that, now that she was awake, she was feeling much more well-rested than she had in ages.  Perhaps it had been the state of exhaustion she had worked herself into the day before, the comforting presence of the mare next to her, or perhaps the simple peace she felt knowing that she wouldn't have to face her regular morning interrogation from her father when she went downstairs for breakfast, but for the first time in a long time, Scootaloo felt genuine eagerness to get out of her comfortable nest and tackle the day.
The two of them got up and made their way to the bathroom.  There, the filly used a borrowed toothbrush to clean her teeth and then held still while Fluttershy brushed her mane and tail, smoothing out the normally unkempt strands of hair and giving the orange filly a much neater appearance.
Making their way downstairs, Scootaloo saw that the couch was empty.  It was her understanding that the couch was where Dawn slept, but she saw no sign of the colt.  "Where did Dawn go?"
"Oh, he's probably up already," answered Fluttershy cheerfully as she made her way tot he kitchen.  She had already gotten used to the ebony colt's usual morning rituals.  "He'll be out in the front yard, practicing."
"Practicing what?" wondered the filly aloud as she went to the front door and opened it.  Indeed, there in the front yard, was Dawn Lightwing.  As Scootaloo watched, the colt finished what looked like a series of carefully practiced moves before getting ready to start another set.
Dawn moved his wings in a way Scootaloo had never seen a Pegasus move them before.  Acting as though the two appendages were joined by a straight rod that went through his shoulders, Dawn swung them in wheeling motions, a little like twirling a baton.  Scootaloo settled in to watch the colt move and unconsciously began to tap her rear hoof.  As Dawn progressed through the form, the filly became more aware of her tapping.  She tapped her hoof in perfect sync with the black colt's movements, matching his every step, clicking against Fluttershy's doorstep like a perfectly matched metronome.
When Dawn finished, he looked over and spotted the filly and made his way to her.  "Is that the Gale King style you were talking about?" asked Scootaloo eagerly.
Dawn nodded.  "That was one of the forms my master taught me.  There are five in all and they cover the fundamental aspects of combat."
"I don't know a lot about martial arts and stuff like that," said Scootaloo with an amused smile, "But the way you were moving out there, it was like a dance."
She half expected the colt to blush and protest that it was no such thing.  That was what she would have done.  Much like her idol, Scootaloo was the type of filly to shy away from things she typically considered girly or uncool.  Most types of dancing fell into that category as far as she was concerned.
To her surprise, the colt merely shrugged.  "That makes sense.  My master once told me that the concepts of dance and the martial arts are closely linked."
Taken aback, Scootaloo stood tongue-tied for a moment.  "That's weird!" she blurted out, "Dancing is all girly and boring.  It's not cool at all."
"I have little understanding of what makes a thing 'cool' or not," retorted the colt, "But dance and martial arts share a similar set of core principles, such as the mastery of rhythm and moving with grace."
"Grace?" asked Scootaloo, grimacing.  She despised that word, partly because she heard it quite frequently from a certain white unicorn who happened to be the older sister of one of the orange filly's best friends.  It was the very epitome of mushy girlyness as far as she was concerned.
Not paying attention to the filly's distaste, Dawn continued.  "Yes.  Grace is all about eliminating unnecessary motions to conserve energy and fight more effectively.  Because of that, dance and the martial arts are closely linked and there are many martial arts that are based on dances as well as the other way around."
Scootaloo stood silently for a moment.  She had never thought of things in quite those terms before.  It shocked her to think that something like dancing could actually be useful to her, or even, she shuddered to even think of it, cool.
Seemingly ignoring her state of confusion, Dawn brushed past Scootaloo and into the house.  "If you're out here, then that probably means that Miss Fluttershy is currently making breakfast.  We don't want you to be late for school."
"Ugh."  Scootaloo winced.  "Hey, how come you don't have to go to school?"
The colt turned around to stare at her before pointing a hoof very deliberately at his eyes.  "Oh yeah," said the embarrassed filly, rubbing the back of her head, "Sorry."
Dawn turned around and proceeded into the house.  Breakfast was a quiet, but comfortable affair.  Scootaloo and Fluttershy enjoyed a stack of delicious pansy pancakes while Dawn quietly munched his way through a bowl of plain, unsweetened oatmeal.  "Um, don't you like pancakes?" Scootaloo asked.
"He might," answered Fluttershy, shrinking away in embarrassment as she answered for the colt, "But right now, they probably wouldn't agree with him."
"How come?" asked Scootaloo, scarcely imagining a pony who couldn't eat something as delicious as Fluttershy's pancakes.
"About two days after Dawn started living with me," began the mare, "I accidentally gave him one of Pinkie's cupcakes."
Scootaloo could only stare as she listened to the yellow Pegasus describe the incident as though she had made a mistake feeding one of her animals rather than another pony.
"Dawn spent two hours in the bathroom, sick," Fluttershy continued, "Because he's lived in the Everfree Forest for so long, he's used to much simpler foods, so foods with a lot of processed ingredients, or just things he doesn't normally eat, don't digest as well right now.  So we have to slowly get him used to changing his diet so he doesn't get sick."
"Oh."
Fluttershy smiled and tittered at Scootaloo's monosyllabic response.  As the filly turned her attention back to the food, Fluttershy returned her gaze to Dawn.  A week under her care had done wonders for the colt.  His coat, once thick and ragged, was now clean with a faint shine.  All the burs and tangles were gone from his mane and tail and the lean look was fading from his body as he began to put on more weight.  There was no question that he looked much healthier now.
Noticing her gaze, Dawn looked up, a silent question in his turquoise gaze.  Fluttershy merely chuckled and shook her head in answer before turning her attention back to her own breakfast.
As Scootaloo got her things together before heading out, Dawn explained her "homework" in greater detail.  "You will resume practicing the first exercise.  In this case, I am not so concerned about how long you can manage it for as I am how quickly and easily you can complete it.  Focus on getting off the ground itself and pace your practice so that you don't wear yourself down in one go."
"So getting it done faster is more important," said Scootaloo as she draped her saddlebags over her back.
"Not speed, but ease," answered Dawn, "The easier time you have getting into the recovery position, the better you will be able to handle the second exercise.  Ideally, you should be able to complete the first exercise as a matter of reflex, rather than thinking about it."
A few minutes later, they watched Scootaloo bound out the door and onto her scooter before shooting off towards school.  As they watched her go, Fluttershy turned to her long-term house guest.  "When you feel more comfortable, would you like to go to school Dawn?"
"We'll see," was all he said.  He trotted inside.  In spite of his answer, Fluttershy found herself smiling.  At least it hadn't been a "no."


	
Spike woke with a groan to Twilight's insistent wake-up calls.  Blinking his eyes open, he crawled out of bed and oozed towards the the balcony that looked out over the library itself.  The little dragon heaved a sigh at the sight that presented itself.  Once again, the library was a total disaster area.  Twilight must have been busy, because he had been sure everything was neat and tidy before he went to bed.  But now books were scattered over every horizontal surface, like something had exploded.  Twilight was seated raptly in front of an open tome, with a small pile off to one side.  She was so engrossed in what she was reading, she hadn't even bothered to look up even as she continued to lob salutations in Spike's general direction.
Spike covered his face.  For all that Twilight talked about the importance of organization (especially when it came to making up lists and schedules and lists of schedules to the degree where Spike seriously considered staging an intervention at some point), when she was in one of her frenzies, she tended to completely forget that the library actually was organized and searched the shelves at random when she should have known exactly where the book she was looking for was as long as she knew the title and the author.  They even had a catalogue for Celestia's sake.
Spike suppressed a groan as he continued to survey the damage and seriously considered oozing back into bed with a pair of ear plugs.  The temptation was very real.  Cleaning up this mess would be over half a day's work by itself.  Twilight was clearly too enraptured with her reading to put any serious effort into getting him up for a while.  And who knew, perhaps spending some time cleaning up her own mess would make Twilight think twice before creating another disaster zone.
They were all good reasons, but the little dragon decided not to in the end.  His frustrations aside, Spike took his position as Twilight's Number One Assistant quite seriously and was very proud of the work that he did.  As Twilight's studies in both magic and friendship had advanced, she had begun to depend more and more on her little dragon.  While their close-knit circle of friends was a big help in the latter category, giving the lavender unicorn ample opportunities for lessons to write to Princess Celestia about, the big advantage was that as long as she was studying friendship, Twilight had five other mares watching out for her needs.  But when she was working on the former subject, it fell to Spike more and more.  Lately, Twilight Sparkle would forget to eat if her diminutive purple friend didn't drag her to the table three times a day.
So it was with resignation and strained enthusiasm that Spike made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen, where he set about preparing breakfast for the two of them.  Before long, two plates were piled high with pancakes.  One stack was studded with chocolate chips (for Twilight) while the other was sprinkled with a medley of gemstones (for Spike).
"Spike!" shouted Twilight, "I need a quill and a sheet of parchment.  I need to send a letter to the Princess."
"That can come later," said Spike in his firmest tone, "Breakfast is right now.  So come get it while it's hot."
"That can wait, Spike.  I need to get this written so I don't forget it."
The little dragon huffed, sending twin jets of smoke spiraling out of his nostrils.  "We both know you won't forget Twilight.  Now come to breakfast or I'm eating your share too.  And if you force me to do that, then the only letter Princess Celestia will be getting today will be a report on how you're forgetting to take care of yourself again."
Spike winced a little as the words left his mouth.  He was a little ashamed at how easily he had threatened to write The Letter.  After the infamous Smarty Pants incident and the time travel affair, Celestia had instructed Spike in no uncertain terms that if there was anything he saw as potentially harmful in Twilight's behavior, either to herself or others, he was to report it immediately.  Fortunately, the mere thought that her beloved teacher might be upset with her (even if it was out of concern for her well-being) was enough to scare Twilight back into line every time.  It helped that it was a threat that Spike was perfectly willing to follow through on if he had to.  He didn't mess around where Twilight's health was concerned.
The threat had its intended effect and Twilight quickly took her seat at the table and was soon downing her pancakes with admirable gusto, having plainly forgotten that she was supposed to be upset about the interruption to her work.
"So how did it go at Fluttershy's last night?" asked the dragon as he slipped a slice of pancake into his own mouth.  Not too long ago, he would have scarfed down his portion without the slightest concern for trivial things like table manners.  But several months spending time with and admiring Rarity, who appreciated refinement like no one else, Spike had absorbed more than a little decorum.
"It was amazing," admitted the lavender unicorn, "Dawn's eyes are the real deal all right and I have a few ideas about the source.
"The big problem is that I don't have enough data.  It's all but impossible to isolate the exact cause of the phenomenon known as the Eyes of Nightmare from working with a single affected pony.  There are also a few discrepancies with what has been described in the Cult Solar's lore.  I need to figure out whether certain qualities are an aspect of the Eyes themselves or unique to Dawn.  And for that, I'll need to get more data.  The best way to do that would be to get Princess Celestia's help in finding information on other ponies with the condition.  If I could actually find more affected to examine, that would be even better."
"So that's what your letter is going to be about?  Didn't Fluttershy ask you not to tell anypony about this yet?"
Twilight blushed slightly.  "I know, but this is Princess Celestia we're talking about.  I mean, it's perfectly reasonable for me to tell her about this, especially when I could use this information to make a real impact on the world."
She flinched back from his stare.  It wasn't Fluttershy caliber, but, given the circumstances, was intimidating in its own right.  "Not a chance Twilight."
"Oh come on Spike," begged the unicorn, "Please!"
The dragon folded his arms and gave her his sternest glare, which was kinda silly looking, all told.  But it did the job.
"Look," said Spike, "You can write the letter.  But I'm not sending it until you get permission from Fluttershy.
Twilight's shoulders sagged in defeat.  "Fine."
"Right then," said the dragon, resuming his cheerful mood, "I'll clean up breakfast and then we'll get that letter written up."
After finishing with the dishes, Spike and Twilight adjourned to the library, the dragon holding parchment and quill in claw as he prepared to take the Unicorn's dictation.
"Ahem," coughed Twilight, "Here we go.  Dear Princess Celestia, I have confirmed the presence of a pony in Ponyvville who has been affected by the phenomenon known as the Eyes of Nightmare.  I have had the opportunity to do a preliminary examination of the subject and..."