As my travels continued to bring me northward, I encountered the most unusual set of creatures. They call themselves Moogles, and they are a truly unique bunch. These little guys are white furry beings with small bat-like wings. They also have big red noses and a small antennae on their head with a large red pom-pom on them. It's very hard to tell them all apart. But I will say one thing about all of them...they are some of the most kindest creatures I have ever met. They greet everypony with such kindness and respect. That and they love to say 'Kupo'.
-Starswirl, Report 47
"So, it's called a moogle. Huh. You really did know more than you let on Starswirl." Celestia said to herself as she put away another scroll in her private study. "Hmm...I still need to know how 'The Key' is summoned. I know she's a wielder of 'The Key', I just know it!"
It had been a few days since Celestia had accepted Twilight as her protégé. Since then, she had asked her new student to name the moogle. However, Celestia didn't expect that she her timing would cause Twilight to choose an unusual name for the moogle. Still thinking she had hatched a dragon, she named him Spike. (She was too busy being excited about her cutie mark that she didn't take a proper look at the creature.)
The filly later explained that every book she read about dragons always described them with razor sharp spikes on their backs and that was the first thing she thought of. In doing so, the moogle's name was now Spike, despite the fact that the little one had no 'spikes' on it. Celestia could only laugh at Twilight's naming choice. That and when Celestia said the name 'Spike', the little ball of fuzz immediately cheered, as if it knew that was what it wanted to be called. After that, she decided that the moogle would need to be put in the castle's nursery. Celestia felt that it would be necessary to take care of the moogle, believing the creature could become a great companion for Twilight in the future.
Blast it! thought Celestia, her hooves rubbing her face. I can't find the scroll! I know it's here somewhere...I guess it's hidden somewhere in his underground study or the other archives. I'll have to check there later, my new student is about to move into the castle. After putting up the last scroll, she quickly paced out of her study. Her head popped into the throne room, eyes shifting back and forth. "Has my new student arrived yet?"
"Not yet your highness." responded her secretary. "Perhaps she's still gathering her things?"
"Perhaps..." Celestia said as she entered the room. "Are the living conditions for my protégé ready?"
"Yes, we have a full room ready and everything. Also, about your usual documents..."
"No." Celestia flashed her palm. "Tell the nobles they can wait a day before I sign their ridiculous petitions and requests. I have found something very important and their petty needs can wait."
"Um...yes your majesty." her secretary said with a gulp. "But uh..."
Celestia went over and patted her secretary's back. "Don't worry, we'll get everything fixed later, alright? If those nobles don't have any patient bones in their bodies, I'll just make them get some. Now, what is the word on my niece Cadance?"
"She is reported to still be in Cloudsdale your majesty. She will be returning one week from now."
"Good. And Blueblood?"
"Still on vacation...again."
"That's fine." Celestia said as she tapped her crown, readjusting it on her head. "Very well, if that is the case...I think some research in the Canterlot Archives should come next. I need to make sure I have all the facts before my student arrives."
"Okay." the secretary replied with a small but worried smile. "But I think you should-"
"Raven?"
"Yes your majesty?"
"Don't Panic. That's my job. That and drinking half of Canterlot's coffee and eating it's cake."
"Okay..." the secretary squeaked as she tried to shrink into the floor. Celestia patted her secretary with her wing, calming the mare.
A few minutes later, Celestia cricked her neck and she proceeded out of her throne room. Raven followed her posthaste, her little legs shifting with a slight shake. "Now, do we know when she will arrive?"
"No. We expect she will arrive shortly."
"Very well...get some of the papers ready for later. I still need to take a look at the Canterlot Archives." Celestia said as she took another turn. "I believe I can find what I'm looking for before she gets here. Hopefully I can find some extra notes over Starswirl and his messy idiotic-"
"Your majesty!" interrupted a guard as he ran down the hallway.
"Yes?"
"Your new protégé, Twilight Sparkle is here!"
Or perhaps I need more cake before I find what I'm looking for. Celestia thought as she cleared her throat and turned around. "Excellent. Bring her in immediately." Celestia said with a clap of her hooves. The alicorn quickly turned around and proceeded back to her throne. Just my luck. I guess Luna was right back then. Timing is everything.
It wasn't long till her eyes blinked as she watched the tiny purple filly enter the throne room with two other unicorns. She could tell the little filly and her parents were overwhelmed by their shaking hooves. Celestia spread her wings while equipping a calm kind expression. "Greetings Night Light, Twilight Velvet and Twilight Sparkle."
The three quickly bowed down, causing Celestia to tap her hooves. "Arise you three, we have much to discuss."
"Yes your majesty." Night Light squeaked, his hooves trembling along with the rest of his family.
"Now now, don't be scared. I have brought you three here for a very specific purpose." Celestia approached the young filly, her calm expression unchanging. "As I said earlier this week, I wish to have young Twilight Sparkle as my protégé. I know that when I said that we had not filled out the paperwork or fully prepared the situation, but..." She stared deeply at the filly, watching Twilight's eyes light up from her words. Celestia looked back at the parents and said, "Your daughter possesses very special abilities that no regular unicorn has. The magic potential within her is untapped and she needs to learn how to understand and control it."
"And...you think you can help her with that? That's why you want her as your student?"
"Indeed I do." Celesita nodded. "I believe Twilight has the potential to go beyond any ordinary unicorn, and as such...she needs somepony to teach her how to control these abilities."
Twilight's parents looked at each other in confusion while Twilight just stood there, admiring Celestia's intimidating presence. Night Light looked back at the princess with concern. "I...don't think we fully understand."
"That's understandable. Let us just say...I saw something more in Twilight's destiny than her cutie mark." Celestia waved her hoof. "I apologize for being vague. However, will you allow your daughter to be my protégé?"
Her parents looked back down at Twilight, who gave them a happy nod. "Well....she said that's what she wants. She'll have to live here, won't she?"
Celestia nodded again. "Yes. I know that must be hard for you but...will you please accept these terms?"
They looked at their daughter one more time only to see big sad puppy dog eyes. Twilight's lip trembled as she tried to look as sad as possible. "Pwease?"
The duo gave their daughter two giant grins. "Okay Twilight...we'll let you stay."
"YAY!" Twilight exclaimed as she began jumping around again. "I get to be Princess Celestia's student! I get to be her student! I get to see the library and the-"
The other three began to laugh as Twilight continued to hop around, ranting about all the books she would get to read. After a few minutes, she finally calmed down and the four began to talk about living arrangements. It wasn't long till they went to Twilight's new room and unpacked Twilight's things. Her parents later told Princess Celestia they would bring a few more things tomorrow. As her parents began to leave, Twilight waved goodbye with her usual goofy grin.
"Don't worry my new student, you are allowed to see your parents anytime you wish." Celestia said as she patted Twilight's head.
"I know...I'm just gonna miss my room." Twilight said as she began to stare at the floor, a small tear slowly forming. "And them..."
"I wouldn't worry to much Twilight." Celestia's wing descended onto the filly. "Your parents are going to bring a few more of your things to your new room here later. We'll have it looking like your old place in no time!"
"I know...thank you princess!" Twilight slightly cheered, her face wearing a sad smile.
Seeing the sad smile, Celestia leaned down and hugged the little filly. "Don't worry Twilight, everything will be fine. I promise. Your parents can come over anytime."
"I know. Thank you princess."
Celestia then leaned back and cocked her eyebrow. "Now, I have a surprise for you my student."
"You do?!"
"Yes. Bring it all in!" Celestia said with a clap. Several guards came in with a tray of books, scrolls and a small carriage. Twilight's jaw dropped as she saw the books were quickly put on the room's new bookshelf. "Like what you see?" Twilight could only nod as her jaw stayed down. "Good. While you are under my tutelage, you will need to read all of these." Celestia replied with a chuckle. She could tell her new student was going to have a hayday with her new reading material. "Also, there's one more thing..."
"There's more?!" Twilight gasped.
"Yes." Celestia pointed at the carriage and waved Twilight to come over. "You will also be taking care of him."
"Spike!" Twilight exclaimed as she saw the baby moogle. The white furred bear-like creature let out a small 'Kupo!' as he flailed his tiny arms upward.
"That's right. Because you hatched him, I would like you to take care of him."
"Take care of...really?!" Twilight pointed at herself in shock. "Are you sure?!"
"Yes. I believe that you two are connected. Now..." Celestia tickled the baby moogle with her hoof. "He needs love, care, and attention. And...I have faith you can do it."
"But, I don't even know what he is." It was true, Twilight had never seen a creature like Spike before.
"He is a creature called a moogle."
"A moogle? I've never heard of a creature like that before."
"It's definitely a rare species but...that's not a issue here. What takes precedence is that I want you to take care of him. I believe he will help you in your studies and help you understand responsibilities." Celestia patted Twilight's head again, trying to ease her worries. "Don't worry my new student, Spike shouldn't be too hard to take care of."
"Well..." Twilight stared at the floor for a minute, her hooves scratching the rug. She...she thinks I can do it. Me. Twilight stared back at the moogle, it's paws grabbing the air. What do I do if I fail? What do I do if I mess up?! What do I...what do-
Twilight's mind came to a complete stop as soon as she look back at her new mentor's face. The radiant smile the ruler was showing took all her fear away. That smile...it made any feelings of dread or despair just melt away while she stared at the alicorn. After a few seconds, she looked at the alicorn with an expression of pure confidence. "Okay, I'll do it!"
"That's the spirit!" Celestia said with a pat on the back, her face beaming. "That's what I like to hear Twilight! Now, I have one more thing to tell you."
"There's even more?!" Twilight's jaw began to drop again. "Princess, I don't know if I can take much more..."
"It is about how this arrangement will work."
"What do you mean?"
Celestia did a slight cough before continuing. "Well...as I said before, you are my protégé now. Because of this, your lessons will be split."
"Split?"
"Yes." Celestia nodded again. "Every week, you will go to my school regularly. However, once a week you will have lesson from me as well."
"So...I just go to school but I also get lessons from you?!" Twilight asked, her eyes shining from the idea.
"That's correct." Celestia beamed her usual smile as she placed one of her wings over Twilight. "Now, I have one more thing to tell you."
"Wow...there's still more?!"
"I am sorry to say my new student, but this is the most important thing of all." Celestia's smile grew wider as she began to lean down.
"Um...okay. What is it?"
Celestia bent down and hugged her new student. "Thank you Twilight. Thank you so much for being my student." Twilight couldn't say a word from the hug. She could only sit there in awe. Finally, she returned the hug with a smile. As Celestia felt the returning hug, she could only think of one thing, Thank you Twilight. I will do everything I can to help you and your destiny.
In another part of Equestria...
Four ponies stood on a certain small cliff. Two were fully grown ponies, both with dark black coats on. The one in front descended it's hoof down and picked up one of the dandelions on the ground, it's hoof picking at the flower's many florets. The second adult pony stood still like a statue, a stiff stone like expression hidden under the pony's hood. The third and fourth were two fillies who were also wearing jet black coats. The four looked at the soon coming sunset and then looked down at the ground, the dandelions under them swaying in the wind. A small breath exhaled out of the front pony's mouth as the last picked floret flew away to the wind.
"This world...this world is full of light."
"What do you mean?" said the third pony with a confused expression. The other three stood silent, though the other filly stood behind the rest, her body shaking all over.
After a few moments, the pony in front did a slight cough before speaking. "It means that this world is nothing but a giant contradiction. It is something that...shouldn't exist."
"Why?"
"Because..." the pony threw away the dandelion's stem, a small chuckle sounded from the pony's mouth. "The light is nothing compared to the darkness. It is an entity that has no right to exist while darkness lives."
"So, is that why we worship the darkness?"
"No." The pony turned and patted the tiny pony's head. "Darkness is the reason we exist. It's existence...gives us meaning. It is something that is always there and will be there even after we are gone. Darkness is...everything." The pony then bent down, their faces almost touching each other. "And that is why we must drown this world in darkness. We must get rid of the ponies that cling to the Light."
A malicious, violent, spiteful, malevolent, cruel smile appeared on the pony's face. The very air around the four was drowned in a deep, thick cavernous air of darkness. The tiniest pony bent down to the ground as it shivered from the very sight of the darkness.
"And Equestria shall be the first to fall to the darkness."