What We Want

by MissPegasis

What We Think

“She would NEVER do that under normal circumstances, Spike!” Twilight told her assistant. She stormed about the room with about seven books in her magic spinning around her. “Princess Celestia loves me! Why would she…she…!” Twilight clenched her teeth and trembled a bit recalling the passionate rage on her mentor’s face. The way her hatred engulfed her normally angelic mane, the unrestrained fire leaking from her eyes, and the condescending stare that seemed to judge every transgression ever committed…it was terrifying. Twilight could not think of any words for this feeling, but despair, frightening, and helpless came to mind.

“It’s okay, Twilight,” Spike patted her shoulder in concern. Twilight snapped out of her thoughts as every book slammed on the floor. She felt tears dampening her cheeks. Spike was sadly smiling at her. “Celestia wouldn’t do that normally. I’m sure whatever this is, we’ll get to the bottom of it.” Twilight bent down and nuzzled him.

“Thanks Spike,” she said softly and sincerely, “I couldn’t have asked for a better friend than you right now.” She saw his reddened eyes and giggled. “I think you should get some sleep though. You spent all last night and this morning awake and partying! I’m sure you’re exhausted.” Her hoof nuggied his head playfully, but Spike resisted.

“I’m not that little anymore Twilight! I can…handle…a few…” And the little dragon was down and out. Twilight levitated him to a little basket and covered him up. From many years of experience, she knew he could only last about eighteen hours of continuous activity; he’d reached his limit. But as Twilight lit a few candles and picked up her books, she couldn’t help but wonder if Celestia’s transformation was a sign she was reaching the limit of her resistance to Nightmare Moon.

Knock Knock Knock

Twilight bookmarked her page and went to the door. Upon opening it, she saw the ponies she had talked to the day before to set up the Summer Sun Celebration.

“Can we come in?” the orange caterer asked.

“Well,” Twilight didn’t want to see anypony today. Learning more about Nightmare Moon was the priority, but it this was a public library. Impeding others’ desire to learn went against her nature and it just wouldn’t be fair to keep Ponyville residents from the Ponyville library. She sighed.

“Yes, but please be quick. As temporary Golden Oaks librarian I must tend to my patrons before myself and I have a lot to do.” Her voice was kind enough, but her tone expressed exasperation and lethargy.

“Thanks!!” The pink pony who threw that completely inappropriate party bounced into the library with a cheery grin on her face. It was official; the library’s sanctity was defiled. The yellow bird conductress, white decorator, rainbow weather pony, and orange caterer came in a bit more respectful after her. While the pink pony proceeded to poke and look at anything and everything, the other four mares approached the librarian. Twilight made a mental note to actually put some effort in remembering their names this time.

“Sorry, that’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie,” the orange pony explained as though this was an everyday occurrence (and she hoped it wasn’t). “We came here ‘cause we were worried about ya,”

“Me?”

“But of course!” The white unicorn stepped forward. “Fluttershy here saw you running from the Summer Sun Celebration in tears!”

“Actually, one of my birds saw you leave then told me,” Fluttershy said.

“We wouldn’t be good friends if we just let you be all hurt and stuff,” the weather pony spoke, “So we came over to check how you were!”

Pinkie Pie sprang out of nowhere. “And cheer you up!!” She announced. Twilight put her hoof to her face. First her brother worries about her sociability, then her mentor, and now five ponies she’d just met! Is it so hard to have alone time in this town?!
“Look, I can understand your concern and I appreciate it, but if all you wanted to do was check up on me, you’ve done it. I have a lot of studying to involving Nightmare Moon and-”

“Nightmare Moon?” The rainbow pony asked. Twilight had her name on the tip of her tongue. Rainbow Spin? Rainbow Dart? Rainbow Blitz? Maybe the word ‘rainbow’ wasn’t even in there. That’s when Twilight realized she didn’t pay any attention to what the rainbow pony said; or the fact Pinkie took over speaking.

“-then Nightmare Moon is as real as can be!”

“That’s it!” Twilight said, “I believe Nightmare Moon isn’t just a myth!”

“Uh, you okay, sugarcube? Pinkie said on Nightmare Night Nightmare Moon is as real as can be.”

“But look at this!” Twilight brought out the old storybook and flipped to the last few pages as every pony gathered around. “On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape! Nightmare Moon will bring about night time eternal!” Twilight slammed the book. “I did the calculations and that day was today!! The Mare in the Moon has escaped! I saw it right as Celestia was about to be announced out!”

“Mare in the Moon?” Rarity thought out loud. “Do you mean Mare of the Moon? Princess Celestia did announce the return of her sister, Princess Luna. She actually lowered the moon today and her cutie mark was a crescent moon,” she put a hoof to her chin, “I suppose one may call her a Mare of the Moon just as I am a Mare of Fashion.”

“That must be her!” Twilight pointed to the white unicorn. She leaned forward deep into her personal space. “It must be some sort of disguise!” Twilight levitated the storybook back in front of her and flipped the pages. They stopped on the second page and the book was held, just a little too closely, for all the ponies to see. “Here!!” The picture was of the two alicorn sisters standing in opposite directions. “Nightmare Moon must be assuming her old form to trick Celestia! It makes so much sense! I knew it!” After slamming the text in the ponies’ faces again, she took up a triumphant pose. “Princess Celestia would never EVER act like that to her faithful student!” She strut across the floor in success. “It must be this Luna pony who’s twisting the princess’s mind!” She faced her audience with an incredulous, manic grin. “It’s the only explanation!!!”

The five ponies just looked at her. Overwhelming silence engulfed the room. They looked confused, nervous, and maybe a little misled despite the clear evidence Twilight presented them. Their combined expressions of mixed displeasure hit the unicorn’s nerves like a hammer slamming down on an anvil making that sharp, high pitched ring. The sound waves of which crumbled her heart.

Twilight had seen this gaze many times. The utter confusion and disapproval in their eyes; it hurt her. It hurt in a way she’d never told anypony else about. Other students at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns would give her this look. The neighbor kids would give her this look. Worst of all, her parents and brother would give her this look. It was a painful feeling that made Twilight cry as a child. She made excuses and ran out on social gatherings to avoid any chance of hurtful peer judgment. She was a scared filly then, but now, as a young mare, it only caused anger.

“Does that mean I was late making a welcoming party for Nightmare Moon?” Pinkie asked gleefully to break the heavy silence.

“No!!” Twilight stepped forward with all the aggression she could express. Her tail was stiff and her muscles tense. Her ears were straight backwards as a snarl nearly made it past her mouth. “Don’t you understand?!” The other ponies leaned away from Twilight with nervous and somewhat frightened expressions on their faces as she took a few stomps forward. “Nightmare Moon’s strength can match Celestia’s!!” She yelled at these stupid ponies, “Celestia doesn’t have the power to defeat her!! I’m trying figure out where this…this moon monster is before it’s too late!! And from what I’ve seen, it is too late!! Celestia is in peril!! Every pony’s lives are in jeopardy!! And all you friend-obsessed ponies can think about is why the purple unicorn is acting crazy!!!”

No pony dared to breathe in the tainted atmosphere. The five local ponies all had dropped jaws and shaky legs. Pinkie’s mane fell flat and her tail drooped over the ground. Fluttershy sobbed silently behind Rainbow Dash who was so shocked, she was standing, not hovering like she liked. Rarity’s mind and heart was racing faster than the time her sister put glue in her mane; but it did not allow her to faint. Applejack didn’t need to look at her friends to know they were just as distraught and offended as she was. She finally broke the silent, time binding spell with a tired and worn sigh.

“Sugarcube,” the other four ponies watched with concern. Applejack locked eyes with the angry unicorn with a cold scowl of her own. Twilight’s head was still down in an aggressive manner with tense shoulders and stiff limbs. Applejack raised herself as high as she could then glared down at Twilight. It was when the farm pony put her hat on Fluttershy’s head did the other ponies know shit just got real. “No one here called you crazy-”

“You didn’t have to!” She raised an accusing hoof. “I could see it in all your eyes! ‘What’s wrong with her?’, ‘Why is she here?’, ‘Can’t she see she’s wrong?’!!” Twilight unknowingly began to tremble. Water swiftly formed in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “I don’t need other ponies! I don’t care what any of you say! All I need is me!” Seeing an opening, Applejack struck quickly.

“We’re sorry we made you feel that way,” it was a simple sentence, but it lodged itself deep in Twilight’s mind. Her ears perked up and her narrowed eyes rounded out into a different emotion. Applejack smiled with hope. The walls were coming down and from Applejack could tell, they’d never come down before.

Author's Note:

I'm so sorry about the not-update gap. It all started with Christmas stress, then that became Midterm/ final stress, and then birthday stress! And tomorrow I'll have mega school stress!! Anyway, it's been stressful and stress is writer's block's bff. But I must thank you all for staying with me and giving me the confidence I can come back at all. I want "What We Want" to be the best fanfic I've ever written so it'll take a lot of encouragement and luck. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU so much readers, commenters, likers, favoritors, and watchers. This story is gonna be awesome

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