//------------------------------// // Notre Nocturnal (Chapter 12) // Story: Letters To No one // by cutedementia //------------------------------// It had been hours now as Twilight padded her way through the toxic wasteland that was the factory floor. Her breath was sharp, but the steady breathing of the great princess following behind her was keeping her calm. It reminded her of how nights in the castle with Celestia once were more than two hundred years ago. Back then she had often found herself hiding under Celestia's wings, cuddled up next to her. Celestia, much like her sister, held steady, slow, and confident deep breaths. This careful movement of Celestia's chest had managed to calm her down time after time, and Luna was no different. "We don't need to do this, you know," Luna said with a frown, glaring off towards the door in front of them. The room behind it was hidden from them, a purging darkness blocking their view of what lay inside. The doors were stained with blood, giving her a terrible feeling as they stepped closer. She found that Twilight did not hesitate, now standing directly in front of the void of a room that was daring them to enter. ‘Something is wrong,’ Twilight thought to herself. ‘Something is in here, this is not darkness.’ she continued to keep her thoughts private as she slid a hoof into the door way. It soon disappeared from view causing her to pull away quickly. ‘What could create such violent darkness? It has swallowed the room up like a black hole...what has done this?’ She sighed taking a deep breath. "I'm going to see what's inside," Twilight explained, leaning forward. Before Luna could stop her, Twilight peered through the doorway into the darkness. There was a single small candle in the center of the room, blood layered whatever part of the room she could see, but most was hidden from her view. She could hear Luna speaking behind her, but the voice was muffled as if she had stepped into water. She felt an urge. Where it came from she did not know, but it forced her forward into the room, her nervous hooves padding toward the candle off in the distance, Luna's worried cries muffled from the doorway now far behind her. She stepped up to the candle looking down at it, but the candle offered no answers. ‘It's here...what have I done, why is Luna not following me?’ She cursed herself for her ignorance, her horn lighting up gently glaring off into the distance. "Who are you," she demanded to know, her eyes suddenly fierce and determined. "Notre," a voice echoed through the room, the source of which would have remained unknown to Twilight if a light tap had not graced her shoulder. Her reaction was immediate. She turned around, her magic now only an inch away from a young mare’s forehead. However, this mare remained unaffected by this show of force. Instead, she seemed rather sad, as if disappointed. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Twilight demanded again. "Notre Nocturnal, I am here to deliver a message from Tritonal Zedd," she explained, her magic gently floating a book out from her saddle bags. "It is not a message of kindness...you must understand this he says," she frowned floating the book into Twilight's view. Words had been carved into the cover over the original name. "The book of truth, use it as you see fit. We are coming for you." Twilight frowned confused, and she grabbed the book out of the air with her magic flipping it open. Page after page the book was the same few select words. "You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone. You cannot save everyone." Over and over again, never ending. The book continued its ranting through every page. "What is this?!" she growled, expecting an answer. "A threat?" Twilight asked, stepping forward towards the mare. She felt her vision blur, and the mare backed up, her features slowly disappearing. Twilight struggled to put out the next words she had for the mare. "I'll show you a threat," she growled again, her magic kicking up, making her horn glow fiercely. Her vision fell away now completely, the feeling of emptiness surrounded her as if she had been dropped directly into the void. "No..." Notre's voice echoed again. Twilight felt a hoof on her neck as if somepony was trying to calm her. "Please tell my dear Luna you spoke with me, I have missed her so....tell her Vector is in danger. She is searching for you." The darkness continued to cloud Twilight’s thoughts as she struggled to regain control over herself. "W..Why are you doing this? Why are you hurting all these ponies?" she asked in a panic, frantic to know answers. "I did not harm a single soul is this cursed room. I am not the only creature hiding in this darkness" she frowned, her hoof slipping away from Twilight's neck. "I am merely the one who created it, to spare you the sight of such horror," she frowned, looking around the room. "These lives...wasted. Why?" she asked, as if she truly did not know the answer. Twilight's vision was still black, her body still felt weightless and frozen. "I am truly sorry we have to meet like this, Twilight Sparkle....I wish I could explain more, but that bastard calls for me. I can only delay him for so long. Please, Twilight. Help me," she begged. Wrapping her hooves around Twilight, she gave her a tight hug before disappearing. Twilight's vision was finally returned to her, but the darkness around the candle still clouded her view. In the distance she could see the door, Luna was waiting anxiously behind the dark canvas that cloaked the doorway keeping her from coming inside. Twilight ran over to the door, stopping only a few feet ahead to catch her breath and thoughts, trying to prepare herself to explain all of this. She calmly stepped out from the darkness of the room to which Luna quickly yanked her out and into a hug. "Twilight! What happened!? Are you okay?" Luna asked, looking up and down Twilight's body. "Yes, yes, I'm just...you can't go in there, she warned me there were creatures inside." Twilight explained, pulling Luna away from the door as her magic locked the two large metal doors in place. "She? Twilight, what's going on?" Luna asked in slight panic. "Notre, some mare was in there named Notre." "Notre? What is she doing here? Did she say anything to you?" Luna asked, seeming optimistic now. "She said someone was coming for us, and she gave me a book, see?" Twilight explained, holding out the book to Luna for her to see. Her reaction was bland at first, but as she opened the book she quickly became worried. "Twilight, what is this book?" she asked, looking angry and confused. "You need to get rid of this now!" she insisted. "What? It's just a bunch of pages saying the same thing, I hardly find that a threat," Twilight frowned. "The cover has been scratched off. This is not the book of truth, Twilight. This is the book of fears. Every time you open it, it will cycle through a new fear you have. Sometimes just going back to your worst fears over and over again. All it does is create chaos for the reader," she illustrated, grabbing the book. "And worse, if the book is not closed, the pages will stay the way they are. Allowing anyone to see your fears and exploit them...." Luna frowned looking down at the floor. "That's how Nightmare got me..." "So...what does it say for you now?" Twilight asked curiously, her magic grabbing at the book. Luna slammed it close before giving over control of it. "No, you must not allow anyone else to see what this book does. It's poison to the mind." Twilight nodded with a frown looking down at the book now in her magic grasp. "What should I do with it?" Luna sighed looking around. "Put it on the floor here, we will leave and never look back upon it. This book is poison, do not forget that," she explained, resting her hoof on the book, pushing it toward the ground where Twilight released her grip on it with her magic. "Yes, princess" she frowned looking away. "I'm sorry.. I should have gotten more information from that mare." "Don't worry about it. Notre is a very strong mare. If we can find her, we can stop anything," Luna said happily. "I've known her for thousands of years, she's normally a gentle thing but you should have seen her when-" she stopped speaking suddenly, shaking her head. "Nevermind, this is no time for stories." "Thousands of years? She looked only around seventeen," Twilight said confused. "She is very strange, a childish but wise immortal. I have yet to meet another creature like her. She is the only one alive who can drift through dreams besides me," Luna explained. "You can see into ponies dreams?" Twilight asked surprised, having never heard this about Luna. "Well, it’s a hidden secret. Most ponies would be uncomfortable with that knowledge. Same with the knowledge that I can see all the moonlight touches." she said, turning around and leading Twilight away from the door. "Come, this room is dangerous. We must be getting back to your brother and the others." Twilight nodded, catching up quickly, but determined to learn more. "So...all those nights I spent alone, all the dreams I've had. Have you seen them?" Luna nodded. "I watched you closely once I returned. I left your dreams alone, not wishing to know too much about you, but the moonlight allowed me to see you; a view I assure you I grew very fond of," she smiled, stopping for a moment placing her hoof to Twilight's chin leading her up to kiss her. However, the masks got in the way so Luna resorted to a simple nudge of her nose. "I made sure to keep an eye on you every night, though most of this was at my sister’s request. I admit I did take some comfort in knowing at least one pony enjoyed the darkness I provide." Twilight blushed with a small smile. "You really think this is an appropriate time to flirt?" she asked with a giggle. "I'm afraid that soon, Twilight, our lives may be consumed by this terrible attack. I am hoping we can work on us now, instead of struggling to stay together later.” "I already bailed on you once Luna, I promise I will not do it again. I will be here for you as best I can. I hope that is enough," she said with a disheartened frown. "It is Twilight, no need to fret. Now come. We must find Nocturnal."