Lesson Six: Learn from your Mistakes
Twilight couldn't believe her ears. Whatever she had expected the elderly changeling to say, that wasn't it.
“A-are you being serious?” Twilight asked slowly, still in shock.
“Oh, don't get me wrong, sweet thing. That was hardly my daughter's only mistake.” Manti began easily, as if she hadn't just lamented the fact that her daughter hadn't committed regicide. Smiling, as she rasped out the next part, Manti leaned in closer to the shaken princess “I was rather disappointed when she failed to dispose of this Mi Amore Cadenza she has complained so thoroughly about, when she was done with her. With that bit of prudence on my daughter's part, I dare say we wouldn't be having this conversation now.”
This didn't seem right. Scant moments ago, Twilight was being told embarrassing foalhood stories by Manti, about her daughter. The young princess could have been having a similar conversation with Granny Apple Smith, if one were to disregard the bits about conquest and allowing one's elders to die. The former Queen had seemed...nice, in a way.
“Does what I say unsettle you, my little pony?” Manti asked of Twilight, breaking her from those thoughts. The elderly changeling seemed to enjoy the look on Twilight's face, as she leaned back from the young alicorn “Does it upset you that the thought of my powerful, brilliant daughter sparing the life of that self-righteous, manipulative shrew, causes bile to rise in the back of my throat? That my sincerest regret, is that Princess Celestia still breathes?”
“But-...that's insane! Princess Celestia-” Twilight tried to shout back.
“What? Raises the sun?” Manti asked with condescending amusement “We both know that there are ways around that little issue. Just off of the top of my head...well, we have that little sister of her's now, don't we? And as I understand it, she is simply rife with guilt over that whole “Eternal Night” incident. I doubt it would prove too difficult to twist her to our needs. A bit of shame can work wonders, with the right bit of prodding.”
'Get out. Get out. Get out!'
“Y-you really are a monster!” Twilight shouted back, stomping her hoof, as she was flooded with outrage, at what had just been so casually suggested. Twisting a pony's mind, like it was nothing. Just thinking about it made Twilight ill. It reminded her of Discord. At his worst.
Manti fell silent at this, before slowly rolling her head and lazily turning her blind gaze towards Twilight.
Twilight couldn't comprehend what happened next, as she met the ancient changeling's clouded eyes with her own.
It was as if all thought and feeling was suddenly chased from her mind.
Twilight couldn't move. She couldn't breath.
She couldn't turn her own gaze away from those empty eyes, as much as she wanted to.
“Spare me your outrage.” Manti's words seemed to echo through the room, all traces of earlier warmth and amusement gone now, as she raggedly croaked out these words.
In that moment, time seemed to resume for Twilight.
And suddenly she was afraid.
On some level, Twilight knew that she could move her hooves, that she should be able to act. But the very thought caused every fiber of her being to scream at her not to. It was as if some primal pony-instinct had taken over. And this weak, withered changeling was a horrific predator that had set it's gaze upon her.
It didn't matter that Manti was blind.
It didn't matter that Twilight should have easily been able to escape.
The very thought of moving was fundamentally connected with death, at this moment.
'This isn't right. Move. Move! She can't-'
“How blind do you think I truly am, dear?” Manti quietly asked. For a few terrifying moments, Twilight wondered if the elder changeling was reading her thoughts.
“Did you really think, that I did not see what Celestia was doing?” The changeling continued, even as Twilight railed at her frozen body to move. To do anything. Manti leaned in closer, maintaining eye contact with the young princess “Did you think that I did not see it, as that wretch twisted my daughter to her designs?”
Twilight couldn't have answered even if she had wanted to.
Then Manti moved her hoof.
Twilight screamed, as the fear suddenly surged. In that moment, she had to get away, Twilight had to do anything to gain some distance from this horrible being.
The next thing she remembered was falling to the floor in a tangle of hooves, as she looked on in terror, as Manti steadily climbed from her bed.
Some cold, rational part of Twilight's mind, recognized just how slow and careful the elderly changelings movements were. How weak and exhausting the simple action of getting out of bed had to be for the changeling. Even as Manti stood to her full height before Twilight, the changeling looked as if it would only take a strong wind to blow her away, like dead, dry leaves...
The rest of Twilight's mind told her that the wind wouldn't dare challenge this being.
Twilight could feel herself beginning to hyperventilate, as she watched Manti slowly approaching.
'This isn't right!'
“I never would have thought that my proud, strong, intelligent Chrysalis, could have been so easily touched by Celestia's empty words. That her sense of duty would give way to empathy for our inferiors. That she would place her own kind at the mercy of our food.” Twilight might have felt some fear at Manti's growing fury, if she wasn't already drowning in terror. Manti didn't seem to care though, as she spat out the next part in disgust “...I never would have imagined that she would want what Celestia was...offering.”
'This isn't right! This isn't you! This isn't Twilight!'
Twilight tried marshaling her thoughts, trying to force back this irrational fear with reason and sense. But you couldn't fight something so irrational with the rational. And that's what this fear was. Irrational. Meaningless, and without cause. Nothing tangible had changed. How could you lay fear to rest, if you didn't know where it was coming from in the first place. She shouldn't be afraid.
But she was.
“I suppose, my daughter's misplaced sentimentality might serve her well now.” Manti mused, as she watched Twilight, as one might watch a particularly unsightly insect “This hopeless desire for her to cling to me, that little bit of weakness that she couldn't let go of, will allow her mother to correct her course...”
“... really, I suppose that if I had properly quashed those tendencies when I was raising her, her course wouldn't need correcting, in the first place.” Manti observed “Weakness begets weakness, it seems. And now...you'll be paying the price...”
Twilight had barely heard the changelings words, as she fought a losing battle against this onslaught of fear. That is until Manti took another slow, shaking step towards the prone Twilight.
Twilight screamed again, as she clumsily scrabbled away from the object of her terror.
But she couldn't get away. She'd never get away.
She was trapped, alone, in the dark.
Twilight's own light had faded, allowing the shadows to creep in, surrounding the two of them.
She wasn't going to get away.
She couldn't get away from the darkness.
Never get away.
It was just so dark...
...too dark...
'...it isn't that dark.'
For a split second, Twilight's mind came into blazing focus, as that thought came to her. It seemed like such a meaningless statement at that very moment, but she clung to it like a piece of wood amongst a roiling ocean. It was important. She didn't know why at that moment, but it was.
The fear continued to wash over Twilight, but she didn't fight it. Couldn't fight it. But she could at least figure out why this one thought was so important...
Twilight forced her eyes into focus, even as she gasped for breath on the floor, before fixing her gaze upon Manti.
“...Y-you.” Twilight managed to slip out between breaths.
Manti's cool, contemptuous expression was chipped, ever so slightly, by that one word.
“What?” Manti quietly demanded, surprised that Twilight even still had the faculties to speak.
“I-it's you...M-magic...” Twilight said again.
Twilight could see the subtle shifts in expression on the ancient changeling's face at those words. She could see Manti shift from one hoof to another, as the changeling looked down upon Twilight.
It wasn't that dark.
The glow of Twilight's horn had already gone out. They should have been plunged into absolute darkness the very moment the light from her horn had gone out.
But Twilight could see Manti...
...by the sickly, green light emanating from the changeling's own horn.
Manti glowered down towards Twilight, even as the young princess forced herself to meet the changeling's stare head-on “Very good. Very...clever.”
Even so, Twilight's mind remained in a tumult. Even now she could only barely control her breathing. But this, it gave Twilight something for her to cling to, something that her mind could understand.
“I suppose, I shouldn't be too surprised...” Manti observed, the crackle of her voice still sending shivers down Twilight's spine.
Forcing herself to take a breath, Twilight refused to look away from Manti, confident now that she could fight whatever was being done to her “N-no...you shouldn't be...”
Manti merely tilted her head, considering the mare, before she nodded to herself. She briefly smiled down at Twilight, leaving Twilight a bit unsettled by how genuine it seemed, now knowing the changeling's true nature. A moment later, Manti rose a hoof “What was it I told you, dear? Something about assuring you that there was no need for you to fear me?”
Twilight suddenly felt uncertain, as her eyes locked upon the hole-filled hoof.
“Let us have a look at you...” Manti quietly said.
A moment later, all of the anger, and reason, and strength that Twilight had mustered drained away, as Manti ever so lightly brushed Twilight's cheek.
Twilight screamed again, as she tried to escape the changeling's touch and waves of terror washed over her mind again. It was several seconds later before Twilight stopped screaming, as she stared up in genuine fear of the changeling through tear-filled eyes.
“It's very true that there is no need for you to fear me...” Manti told Twilight easily. Her voice dropped darkly when she intoned her next words “...but, you will fear me all the same.”
The changeling took another step forward, before leaning down to look into Twilight's eyes once more. This alone was enough for Twilight to try to avert her own gaze, to squirm on the ground, as she direly wished that she could sink into the stone floor, or cease to exist outright. Anything to get out from under those eyes.
“Did you really think that it mattered, knowing that it was my magic doing this to you?" Manti asked contemptuously “Did you think that you could simply choose to not be afraid? My magic is not so pathetic.”
Finally pulling away from Twilight, Manti stepped away from Twilight's prone form, before slowly waving a hoof to the side “You may take that as your first, and last, lesson in Changeling Mind Magic, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight didn't respond, still desperately trying to pull her mind back together.
“It really is a shame, that my Chrysalis did not develop such an interest in the Art. I truly think that she would have enjoyed the-” Manti began.
Twilight's horn flared to life at that moment, it's light easily dwarfing the light cast out by Manti's own magic, as a dome of magenta energy sprang up around Twilight's body.
The elderly changeling was briefly startled, before her senses caught up with what was happening. Manti seemed almost bored with this development “Oh, yes. That's right. You've been trained in the ways of magic. And by Celestia herself...Are you going to try to defend yourself now?”
Twilight didn't spare any words for the changeling, as she forced herself to focus on maintaining her shield. It was a fundamental of magic. Manti had yet to stop channeling her magic, meaning that the spell needed to be maintained by her power. To maintain a spell one needed to supply it with one's own magic. If one cut off a spell from it's source of magic, in this case Manti, it would dissipate. If Twilight could generate a strong enough shield, it would interfere with Manti's own magical energies. With that, whatever spell Manti was casting should fall apart...
“So, is your latest idea working, dear?” Manti asked.
It wasn't.
Twilight could feel the energy coursing down her horn. If her own eyes weren't screwed shut in concentration, she was certain the room would seem as bright as the noonday sun. There was simply no way Manti could be maintaining the spell's energies amidst so much magical energy.
But, it wasn't working.
A moment later, Twilight was gasping, as her magic gave out, plunging the room back into darkness. Her last moment of defiance had faltered, and the fear was creeping back in. Along with the first hints of despair.
“That's what I thought...” Manti said.
“W-why...” Twilight managed to choke out, as she tried to keep her gaze averted from the elderly changeling.
“Why?...I already told you, my dear. A mother can't very well tolerate the corrupting influence of your Princess, upon her own daughter. Her only child. I won't let Celestia take my Chrysalis from me...” Manti explained again. A thought seemed to occur to her a few moments later “Oh...you mean why am I doing this to you. My mistake, dear.”
Twilight couldn't help but look at Manti from the corner of her eye; the way the changeling spoke made it seem as if the fact that she was torturing Twilight mattered not at all to her.
“Well, the answer to that question is not so difficult.” Manti continued easily “Obviously, this little scheme that has been hatched needs to be...oh, what's the expression?...ah! It needed to be smothered in it's crib. Which is, of course, where you come in.”
“You know, Chrysalis tried so very hard to keep it all from me. Foregoing her usual visits and our talks. She tried a bit too hard, really. Made it a bit too easy for me to find out that there was something that she didn't want me to know about.” Manti explained “Try as she might, even my daughter can't keep her own drones from talking. Knowing that, I merely needed to pry a bit of information loose from the lips of the servants she sent to check upon me.”
“I am intrigued by what I hear, I must admit. The return of the Crystal Empire presents opportunities, I grant. Just not the ones that have been slipped into my daughter's sweet little head.” At this, Manti smiled before turning towards Twilight, making the young alicorn flinch away “Just as your...visit presents me with certain opportunities...”
“Somehow, I doubt Celestia will be overly pleased, when I send you, her beloved student, back as a gibbering, weeping wreck.” Manti rasped out with a touch of glee “Then, we will finally accomplish what the Invasion failed to do...destroying this repugnant...relationship that my Chrysalis is so unwilling to end.”
A few moments later, Manti slowly stepped into Twilight's line-of-sight, one shaking step at a time “Just as this relationship, between you and I, must end. And for your sake...I suggest that you just...let go now...”
With that Manti again began to close the distance between the two of them, causing Twilight's mind to tremor in fear in time with each step. Again, Twilight tried to scrabble away, as Manti raised her hoof, knowing the terror that would come with the changeling's touch.
But she was so tired.
Even as Twilight began screaming again, in between choking breaths, she found that she was just so tired.
She really did want to just...let go...
Manti wasn't like any enemy she had ever faced.
'That's not true...'
The ancient changeling was in all ways worse than her own daughter. And if Twilight was being honest with herself, it seemed as if Chrysalis could have been the victor, on the day of the Invasion, but for a happenstance of fate.
Nightmare Moon, for all of her madness, had held onto a touch of Luna's own nobility, and still, in a way, wanted to be loved.
King Sombra, for all of his dark power and his terrible genius, had been an enemy that could actually be fought. How could Twilight fight someone that had turned her own mind against her?
Even Discord had never-
'That's not true...'
Twilight forced herself to open her eyes once more, to stare into the blind, uncaring eyes of her foe.
'...you know the spell, Twilight.'
Twilight's horn glowed.
Her screaming stopped.
Manti looked down upon the exhausted mare, wondering if perhaps the young princess' mind had finally been broken.
The changeling briefly started, as she heard Twilight begin to stir.
Manti could feel the force of Twilight's own gaze upon her, and found herself taking a trembling step back.
Twilight's own voice cracked, as she tried to speak, her throat worn by her earlier screaming, though this brought no comfort to the changeling.
Princess Twilight Sparkle's voice was firm and defiant when she next spoke.
“I've figured out your spell.”
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you terrible tease
Awe I wanted to know what the spell was. You drew me in then left me here hanging. I hate authors like that. But I love your story.
Even though she's evil. I doubt Chryssi will appreciate it if Twilight maims her mom.
4623751 Sorry about that, but like I said, I'm starting to find that writing shorter chapters ultimately seems to work better for me and that seemed like a good stopping point. I could have either kept you waiting several more days for a longer chapter, or post these smaller parts as they reach good stopping points.
And if it's helps, I have dropped a number of hints as to what kind of spell Manti was really using against Twilight.
4623765
I imagine it won't come to that. I have a feeling that since she has figured out this mind spell that she can then reisist its effects and just leave with a parting shot of telling the former queen that her attempts are for naught and that she lacks the power to change things.
4623797 It's ok just try not to leave me hanging to long then.
4623728
Hey I used to have a ferret like your avatar
His name was Jaws
Holy shit Manti, calm down! Kick her flank, Twilight!
4623961 Hehe, yeah. Like I said, Manti has certainly got the 'Ruthless' part down. It's the 'Practical' side of things where she begins to let her own issues get in the way.
This conversation will make a lot more sense in retrospect to Twilight after the end of Advanced Lessons, I think.
Tsk, wasn't Manti just talking about the need to kill your enemies? And here she is just going to drive Twilight mad with fear. That takes too long. Should have killed her back when she was paralyzed by fear before she even started trying to fight back. I suppose she's gotten used to being too physically weak to do anything with her own hooves, but it doesn't take much when you've got a sharp horn and someone conveniently huddling in a ball.
4624143 True, Manti dropped the ball on more than one occasion throughout this encounter. The chapter title applied to Manti just as much as Twilight. While physically weak, there were alternatives present for Manti to just kill Twilight. She shouldn't have been so ready to gloat and explain what was going on, though part of this was Manti simply making her attack more convoluted than it needed to be (That will be explained a bit next chapter). She also spent entirely too much time drawing out things.
Manti is cunning and dangerous, but she is also controlling, prideful, possessive, vindictive, sadistic and guided by a misdirected sense of vengeance.
And, yes, Manti is very aware of just what is brewing below the surface between Chrysalis and Celestia. If it wasn't obvious...Mommy doesn't approve.
Well then, things went from weird to creepy to sort of normal to tripping balls in a matter of minutes.
I can't wait to see the rest of that conversation.
It feels like you wrote an entire chapter, then started writing the next one, but got bored and tacked what you had onto the end of this one. Yes, I'm saying this chapter would've been better if it was shorter. I suggest you cut out some parts near the end and save them for the next chapter.
This line would make a much more effective cliffhanger. This is where the dramatic tension is at its most intense. That's when you want a cliffhanger if you're going to use one. You mess up the flow of the story by starting to resolve the issue, but stopping abruptly partway.
Let's make an analogy. Let's say you're watching a home improvement TV show. Most script writers would have the host say: "How do you fix a table? Find out after the commercial break!" Compare that to: "How do you fix a table? First, you get a hammer and some nails. Then, you-" (*cut to commercials*). That's what happens when you choose your chapter end point poorly.
4624450 Eh, kinda seems like I'm still trying to pinpoint the best of end points. I didn't want to end on too cruel a cliffhanger, so tried to leave Twilight on the upswing of the scene. On the other hand, I see what you're saying too.
That is, more or less, where I wanted to end this chapter, but I can see how it might feel awkward.
Point taken.
4623876 Aw! that is an excellent ferrety name.
I must know how this turns out. HURRY UP WITH THE NEW CHAPTER!
THE PROFESSOR DEMANDS IT! Please?
4635292 Working on it now. Was kept away from writing for a couple of days, due to work, but now I've got the next four days to get the next chapter up.
4636307 I am pleased to hear that. That is all.
Manti attempts to pour her fear spell into Alondro... and nothing happens.
"FOALISH INSECT!!" roars the titanium will of Lord Alondro, given voice by its sheer overwhelming spiritual pressure. "HE WHO BEARS THE WILL OF SHE FROM WHOM ALL EVIL TREMBLES KNOWS NO FEAR!!! SEE NOW WHAT I TRULY AM!!!"
And Alondro revealed his true form, the horror of which even Manti's blind eyes could not protect her from:
static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fat-bastard.jpg
And so Chrysalis found her mother shivering in her bed shortly afterward, babbling about the scary obese man.
I shall use this quote forever hereafter to smack the heads of those who believe fear has utility to anyone with a sapient mind and reasonable intelligence.
Never before have I seen the futility and self-destructive nature of fear so eloquently and with such brevity described.
To turn their common and cliche arguments on their heads, lacking fear, even a robot can be made to know that jumping off a cliff is a bad idea, though it feels nothing. Lack of common sense is not equivalent with lack of fear.
... Seeing what Manti is like, I'm surprised Chryssie turned out so nice. And I mean it, she's downright nice in comparison. Manti comes off as a psychopath.