‘Dear Princess Luna,
I don’t really know why I’m sending this letter to you, but I don’t have anypony else who’ll tell me the truth. Twilight Sparkle, the mare that you first met back on Nightmare Night, is becoming an alicorn, and I don’t think that Twilight or Celestia are telling me the truth about what’s happening here. I don’t even think that Twilight actually knows the whole story. I know I sure don’t. And that’s why I’m writing to you, because I can’t trust your sister. She is holding something from Twilight, and me, and everypony involved. I don’t know what I should do, or even if I should tell Twilight’s friends. But something tells me the longer I wait, the worse this is going to get. I need your help.
Please reply soon,
Spike the Dragon ‘
Spike sat back and examined his handwriting, wondering if the whole thing would be ignored, or even intercepted somehow once he sent it. He knew that if Celestia discovered this he would be in a whole world of trouble. He thought the whole thing seemed abrupt, too short. But he couldn’t think of anything else he could write. Any more and it would sound like he was just rambling. So, with his hopes now on the paper he was about to engulf in flames, he took a deep breathe, and sent it. The effect was instant. The stress on his mind disappeared, and he had some comfort knowing that now somepony else knew about this. He might even check on Twilight to see how she was doing.
With a new energy in his step, the dragon made his way to the stairs, only to stop and stare up them, dumbfounded. While he had been working the steps had changed. Where there had once been warm, comforting wood, there was cold, unsettling black obsidian. The door at the end of the stairs was now a massive pillared entryway, with two gates made of thick tendrils of the glassy stone barring the way into Twilight’s room. A light mist spilled over the edges of the final step, rolling down two more in an eerie display before dissipating. To add to the disturbing air was the sheer scale of the stairs.
Seemingly breaking the laws of physics, the whole side of the library seemed to be expanded to accommodate the wide stairs, and the roof had extended to twice its normal height. The result was a dizzyingly long spiral up the walls of the library. In addition to the steps being obsidian, they had nothing below them supporting them, and one could plainly see that they had no connections between them. If you were to climb them you could see directly past the step you were on, and that they simply jutted out of the wall, with nothing to stop you if you were to fall. Spike swallowed the lump in his throat, hoping that he would have some burst of courage. No such comfort came to him.
The moment that he had his foot on the last step the gate opened, revealing an inner sanctum where Twilight had built her own personal garden. The moon shone down on Twilight, who sat on a large dais in the center of the courtyard, gazing up at the moon as if it held the answers to all of her problems. Hearing the gates open, her ears swiveled towards him. She didn’t turn, or even make any sort of movement to acknowledge that Spike was there. She was in her own world, far away from the dais she stood upon, far away from Ponyville, Equestria, and her assistant. Spike took a few hesitant steps into the yard, afraid he’d upset her by doing so. As he approached he caught a glimpse of the new dimension Twilight had made for herself.
Hedges marked the border of the garden, and beyond them were rolling hills of tall grass, crisp and dry in the fall evening. Inside the confines of the garden a light mist churned along the ground, and underneath it lay hundreds of gnarled vines, only parting to make a pathway straight to the dais Twilight was perched upon. The moon here had a mauve tint, with a halo of black around the edges. Behind Spike the gate shut, prompting him to turn around. He saw that the gate didn’t appear to lead back to the library anymore, and it simply led out of the garden and out onto the countryside of this alien world Twilight had created.
“Woe betides ye whom enter this sacred place. “ Twilight said, quoting one of her favorite books. “I left a note on the door to leave me be.”
“Um… Twilight, the door isn’t really, uh, there anymore.” Spike said, tapping his claws together nervously. “I just wanted to check on you and ask if maybe I could go out to Fluttershy’s cottage.”
“May I ask why?” Twilight inquired, turning to face him.
Spike nearly turned and ran at the sight of her. She was terrifying, in a way. A shooting star streaked overhead, revealing that where there were once streaks of light pink, there was now glossy black streaks in her mane and tail. Her Cutie Mark was now one large black star surrounded by six purple ones, with a single bright white star in the center of the dark one. Her eyes looked a much brighter shade of purple now, bordering on pink with speckles of black near her pupils.
“I asked you why, Spike.” She repeated. “Are you going to tell me?”
“Well, I just wanted to get out since I’ve been cooped up in the house for a couple days.”
Twilight turned away from him, confused. “How long has it been?”
“Four days…”
The alicorn disappeared and appeared behind him, silent as the twilight she now called home. “You can go… but tell me something first. Am I… am I becoming something my old self wouldn’t have wanted me to be?” Twilight said, leaning down so she could be at eye level with her assistant. Her bright purple eyes were searching his face for something, some sign of recognition. Some sign that she was still the Twilight Sparkle that he’d grown up with.
Spike took several seconds before he was satisfied with his response. “I think that you’re still yourself, Twilight. The only thing that changed about you is that now you have wings. You said it yourself. It’s only cosmetic. Nothing’s changed on the inside.”
Twilight vanished, again staring up at the moon. She didn’t want Spike so see just how deeply that had affected her. “Okay… but promise you’ll visit me more often, even if I tell you to go away. I don’t want to lose myself. I want to still be me.” She said, her voice hoarse.
Spike nodded and turned towards the gates, only to stop himself. He felt a scratch at the back of his throat. He struggled to choke it down, calmly walking over to the gates, then sprinting down the stairs, desperate to get out of earshot before he coughed up the return letter from Luna. Safely downstairs, he exhaled, feeling a jet of flame escape his lungs and solidify into a letter on the writing table. The scroll wasn’t sealed with the normal red wax that he was used to, but a deep azure seal that had three stars and a crescent moon embedded in the waxen crest. As quietly as possible, he looked over his shoulder and listened to hear if Twilight knew. With nothing happening, he tiptoed his way over to the basement door and slipped inside.
Once he’d closed the door he fumbled to find the candle kept on the left-hand shelf, nearly dropping the letter in his haste. With a gentle exhale, he let a tiny lick of fire leap from his lips and onto the wick, lighting the candle. He descended the stairs post haste, eager to read the reply from Luna that he’d so desperately sought. When he had maneuvered his way through the maze of unused, misused and unreadable books, he took great care to keep the candle away from the high stacks, knowing that if he caused a fire Twilight would never forgive him, no matter how accidental it was. Once he was on the other side of the basement he saw the entrance to the cellar, the one room in the house that Twilight didn’t make him go into and clean on a regular basis.
In a way the cellar was eerie, even more eerie than most of the locales that Twilight seemed to be able to produce at will. Not to mention it was always freezing down there. A single chandelier hung up on the ceiling high above, and the polished, waxed floor beneath him squeaked if he drug his claws over it or scuffed his feet. There were old, moth-eaten chairs lining the edges of the floor and he could only think that this had been a ball room at one time or another, since on the other side of the massive room was multiple tables and similar chairs, all set up, the silverware laid out and napkins neatly folded. Curtains hung on the walls, even though there were no windows, and candelabras were set up on the tables, as if it had been the scene of grand, high-class festivities at some point. In order to see better, Spike made his way over to the tables.
As he sat down he picked up the candle gently, as to not spill the hot wax that had pooled at the base, and used it to light those ones still resting in the holders. Once they were lit, he extinguished his by licking his claws and pressing the fire out, so there wouldn’t be an odor of smoke. Taking a deep breathe, he pulled out the scroll, admiring how it looked in the candlelight. As he exhaled he broke the seal, ready at last to read.
‘Dear Spike,
Although I haven’t really come to know Twilight very well, I can tell that she is a good mare, and she means a lot to you. Especially if you are going against the wishes of my sister in order to safeguard her wellbeing. That unto itself speaks volumes for both your character and hers, and I would be glad to tell you everything I know about alicorns.
Firstly, I know that Celestia may have told you that she has no written records, nor memories, of her foalhood and how she became an alicorn. That is an outright embellishment unto itself. The whole reason that she has no memory of her previous life is because she spent a long time as her ‘Anti-Self’, and that period would be known as the Dark Ages. Although that was four-thousand years ago, I can tell you that she personally burnt any records of her younger years to ashes, mostly because, long ago, back when she was a pegasus, she had a suitor by the name of Discord.
You see, when she rejected Discord, she did it in the most wounding manner possible. I suppose you could say that she made him into what he is now. They fought for a long time afterwards, and after Discord began to acquire god-like powers, razing her homes and killing all those she held dear, she sealed him in stone using the Elements of Harmony. This is where I suppose you can say the Dark Ages truly began. Once she’d banished Discord, she very nearly lost it. I was left back home, watching over the townsfolk who hailed me their de facto leader. But while Celestia avoided me entirely, she was busy with other pursuits.
These include hunting down and brutally murdering every draconequis she laid eyes on, eventually leading to a mass genocide, which then led to her problem with the dragons, which nearly went extinct due to their support of the Draconequi, and finally her being very nearly killed by the greatest dragon who ever lived. After all this, she made her way back to me, and I nursed her back to health. I suppose it took that long for her to snap out of her trance, but once she did she decided that she could no longer have the sole control of power. Because if she lost control of herself, there would be no hope, just as there had been for twenty years. She taught me to use the Elements of Harmony, and then we used that power to immortalize me.
You see, anyone who knows how to use the Elements of harmony can become and alicorn. But the transformation isn’t gentle, and Celestia herself demonstrated how it can break even the most stable pony. That spell that Celestia sent Twilight was just a riddle, a clever riddle that she meant to test Twilight, to make sure she was worthy. And worthy she proved herself. Since she did, there’s no going back now.
It would seem that Celestia is making sure that Twilight loses herself outside of the public eye, in order to keep this as hushed as possible to the townsfolk. I can assure you she is right on that facet, but wrong in the way she is doing it. I must implore you to tell your friends about this, and make sure that she always has somepony in the room with her. If she is left alone she could easily begin to slip into the same state that Celestia fell victim to. I recommend that you tell Fluttershy and Rarity first, as they are the most supportive of her. Finally, I will be coming to Ponyville to oversee her transformation myself soon, so please keep her as stable as possible.
A few tips on dealing with her. Keep her happy, and make sure that anything she asks of you is done as quickly as possible, no matter how absurd the request. If she begins to slide off the deep end, make sure she is far away from you when she does. It’ll be your best hope of getting her back. As strange as this might seem, your physical proximity to her may just help her more than you’d think. I found that, in the days before I turned into Nightmare Moon, my assistant, Fobwatch, was a great comfort to me. He provided a sort of moral support that you can only get with your best friend. If all else fails, worry about yourself first. If you live, you will be able to try and help her another day.
I’m packing to leave right now, so I should be there by tomorrow.
Your Accomplice,
Luna ‘
When Spike looked up from the scroll he very nearly jumped right off his chair. There was Twilight, standing there with a gravely disapproving look. The room she was in seemed to react immediately to her presence. The cobwebs turned to dust, which then disappeared, leaving most of the surfaces clean. The chairs knitted the moth-holes in their upholstery, and the tablecloths shook themselves into perfectly symmetrical order. The candles lit themselves in an explosion of purple fire, lighting the room in an unnatural shade of mauve, where the shadows danced madly on the curtains, royal dervishes who reveled there long ago, come to revel again. Just as the air dropped to almost freezing, Spike opened his mouth, hoping he could think of an excuse in time.
“Stand.” Twilight commanded.
Spike felt himself rise from his seat, his heart beating five times its normal pace. Every instinct in him told him to run. The way that Twilight was glaring at him was so full of fury it was as if her eyes were burning right through him. Despite his terror, he walked towards her, preparing to try and explain.
“Don’t even think about it.” Twilight said, her expression unreadable. “Get over here.”
All of the sudden Spike was there in front of her, unable to do anything but wait for her to think up some form of punishment. He stood there, being stared down for what felt like an eternity. Her face read like a blank page. She seemed upset, but in another way she appeared to be intrigued. As if his rebelliousness fascinated her. At the same time, the display that she had put on seemed anything but.
“Dance with me.” The mare said, a smile on her face.
“Wait… what? “ Spike stuttered, unable to find the right words to express his confusion.
“I told you to dance with me. I want to dance. That’s why I made this room.”
Out of thin air six string instruments appeared, along with a harp and a guitar. The instruments began to play themselves, a thrumming melody filling the air. As if she knew he didn’t know how, Twilight leaned down, her horn flashing. Spike felt a slight tug on his wrists, as if she was trying to prompt him to do something. Following his gut, he put his arms around Twilight’s neck, praying he was doing this right. The music began to slow, and Twilight took a step back from him, showing him just how to waltz. He stepped with her, letting her guide him.
The two fell into an unsteady waltz, Twilight thoroughly enjoying herself while Spike tried desperately to keep up with her. She chuckled at his attempts to make his steps as broad as hers, since her legs were easily twice as long as his. For every step she took, she had to slow so that he could take two. Spike was trying to look past how sensual the whole scenario was, with candles casting them both in a warm light and her face just a few inches from his, her eyes peering into his expectantly, their breathe turning into vapor that met between them in a sweet-smelling cloud. It was enough to make him think Twilight was doing this for some other reason than to punish him.
The whole time he was dancing Spike tried to look away from Twilight, to avoid her eyes, but every time he tried she would break her step, forcing him to look at her to get back into rhythm. Her eyes glittered with an unknown joy, like this was something she’d always wanted to do, some dream she hadn’t had the courage to realize until now. The way she looked at him bothered Spike. He could tell she wasn’t in her right mind at the moment, but Luna’s advice echoed in his head. ‘Do whatever it takes to keep her happy, no matter how absurd’ she had told him. So he gritted his teeth and tried to keep up with her.
“Come on Spike, at least try to smile.” Twilight rolled her eyes at his lack of enthusiasm. “This is supposed to be fun.”
Spike relaxed a bit. At least she wasn’t mad at him like he’d originally thought. “Twilight, why are we dancing?” He asked, hoping for an explanation for her erratic behavior.
“Well why not?” She chuckled. “I never really show you how much I appreciate you. This is my way of showing that I’m glad you’re my assistant.”
As she spoke the music shifted into a heavy lull, relying heavily on the bass. The guitar was strumming a low note, and the harp was plucking faster than before. It was as if the music displayed her mood. It was too bad Spike didn’t know how to interpret it.
“So who was that letter from?” Twilight asked.
“Luna.” He replied, not I a huge hurry to lie to her again.
Twilight leaned closer to him, causing his grip to slip down her neck until he was holding her ears. She giggled like a filly at how flustered he became, his cheeks glowing red in embarrassment. She stood up again, the music stopping. Spike let go of her, turning to go upstairs.
“Hey Spike.” Twilight called, stopping him dead in his tracks. “Can I ask you something?”
“Uh… sure?” He replied, unsure of what else to say.
“Why didn’t you want to dance with me?”
Spike didn’t know how to tell her, so he did his best to give a little order to how he felt. “I just thought that… since I’ve known you so long, that you were trying to… um….”
“Spike, I wasn’t.” She said reassuringly. “Besides that, I was only trying to remind you that we’re friends, even if I’m an alicorn. Even if I’m a princess, we’re best friends.”
Spike nodded, a little ashamed that he’d misinterpreted her intentions. He walked upstairs with a startling new thought forming in his head. Why had he thought that was her reason? Twilight was a mare of logic, stable and resolute. The lines that separated friends and companions were as solid as steel to her. And he was a friend. So why had he been the one thinking that way? When he went to bed that night it was still tugging at the corners of his mind. Why was he beginning to see her as less of the pony that raised him, and more of the charming, intelligent mare that he lived with?