When the Everfree Burns

by SpiritDutch

Epilogue 1: Ponyville Midnight

The childhood of a little noble girl in Canterlot.
She was shy, introverted. She always hid in her room when her mother hosted parties, and she always found a nook to seclude herself when they were attending others'. She found little pleasure in frolicking with fillies her age. But her whole life changed when she saw her princess for the first time, rising to the sky in an awesome display of the power of magic.

'That could stay.'

Childhood had faded with that little girl’s obsession.
She discovered reading as a way to learn magic, and that blossomed into a love of it’s own. Before she even understood the power of knowledge, the filly engrossed herself in any book she could find. If it regarded magic, that was good, but the passion for learning matched her fascination with the arcane. Always in her mind was that majestic scene, the princess and sun ascending heavenbound.

'Some alterations needed.'

But something changed the filly’s life’s course. Across Equestria in Cloudsdale, the Cloud Creche was destroyed in a vibrant apocalypse of rainbow energy. The little filly taking a magical exam felt the pain and suffering that blast had caused, and echoed it. In a lurid display of power, she lost control, and tore apart her surrounding with unbridled magic. Her accident destroyed the examination tower of the Unicorn School. But the princess were there to stop her. That regal alicorn, tall and proud, gave the filly a chance as long as she promised to control herself.

'Dramatic changes needed. Many memories are predicated on this one.'

Life returned to learning.
But this time it was with the princess. It was gradual, interactive, but steady. The filly learned about magic, and was able to use more and more of her magic without hurting anypony. With the help of her mentor, the filly learned to use spells beyond most unicorns. Her princess never let her emotions show, and the filly always pushed herself harder, yearning for a sign of approval. The princess still flew in her dreams, but it was less and less.

'Difficult to improve, but necessary.'

The filly was no longer a filly.
Mares move beyond their youth. And though she was still so young, it was time for the mare to press against boundries. The princess did not agree with this, so she severed herself from the princess. Her new realm was at the university. Without the princess to teach her, the mare taught herself once more. At the university she rediscovered why her childhood had been one of loneliness. She clashed with the other ponies, and one in particular drew her ire. Frustrated with a struggle magic would not solve, the mare shoved herself back into the realm of knowledge.

'Some alterations needed.'

Celestia took a step back from the process. She had to contrive a way that she and Twilight remained on good terms despite Twilight's departure. This was the critical divergence between Twilight she had, and the one she needed.

Good things must come to an end because all things must come to an end.
The mare found a prophecy, and that ran her against her princess mentor. The princess must have not liked what the mare had become, for she sent her away to prove herself. She met any ponies in her new realm, and her attempts to find a home among them were chafed by her innate distaste for other ponies. Alone, the mare fought the enemy. The mare failed, and the world was cast into darkness.

'Significant alteration needed. Many memories about meeting Moon would have to go altogether.'

Is this what she thought of me, Celestia thought. Twilight conception of her princess were unflatteringly brutal. "I won't let that happen again. I'm going to fix this."

Rotten apples have cuts somewhere.
The nightmare fed on the self-doubt and self-pity of that mare. The nightmare ate into her heart, driving her to do terrible things, and feasted on the guilt. When the mare began to fear the princess, it was enough for the nightmare, and she became something greater than either of them. One and one did not equal two, or one and one, but simply one.

'All of that must go. No parts of the nightmare must remain. '

At any moment, Celestia could have done what she'd entered the dream to do: Destroy Forlorn Spark, the dream, and herself. Instead she perused through the cascade memories, surgically changing the little motes of experience as she deemed necessary.
She would fix all the problems she’d made before, and craft a new Twilight. Her qualms faded through the meticulous nature of the work. It was the desire of all ponies to create something more perfect than themselves.

If there had been another consciousness in the head of Twilight’s body besides the insane nightmare creature and the desperation maddened alicorn, maybe somepony would have pointed out the wrongness of Celestia’s actions. What she was doing to Spark and Twilight was beyond unethical.
The memories didn't belong to Forlorn Spark. They were not hers to sign away. It was Twilight’s story, but she was not there to defend her right to her own memories. Celestia’s only companion while she tore out and rewrote a pony’s life was her echo, repeating to her the mumbling madness she uttered as she worked. She had come to kill Forlorn Spark. She was doing so. By this act she would also be setting her affairs in order.

An unknown amount of time passed. It could have been as long as a month or as short as a second, there was no real way of telling.
"Is it done?"

The consciousness Celestia had crafted was nearly identical to Twilight Sparkle. If the real Twilight had been treated slightly differently by Celestia, and made a few different decisions as a result, the thing Celestia had made would have been the result.

They were in a black void, they two. Only creator, and created.
Like a doll, the new pony sat patiently for its master to move it.

"I..." Celestia caressed her Twilight's cheek. "I've done it. I've really done it. I reclaimed you from the nightmare."

The new Twilight lifted its head. It didn't say or do anything, but stare blankly.

"I- Is it really time for me to die?" Celestia asked the pony. "I was never meant to be in the dreamscape. Being here can only harm you now." She clenched her jaw. "Twilight, give me a sign I should stay. I beg you."

Out of the void, a bright light to shine. Celestia sheltered her face from the unexpected brightness with her wing. "W- What?" Once adjusted, she looked up to see what was happening.

The sun was above them, watching.

"Mother?!" Celestia stood up, to jumped between Twilight and the light. "MOTHER!"
A god in a dream. A star in a dream. It was impossible, just impossible! It had to be a mistake! It had to be a trick of the Dreamscape!

The new Twilight rose to her hooves. The dream around them began to take shape, becoming a floor, gaining its joins and creases, then its rough texture. It was black obsidian.
They were again atop of the Tower of the Bard, with an infinite miasma of grey around them. Twilight Sparkle idly wandered to the edge and sat down. The little dreamer stared off into the emptiness, uninterested in the sun's light or Celestia's shouting.

Celestia was desperate and confused. Her confidence and satisfaction had been yanked away in an instant. "This is my sign?" She sunk to the ground. The cool stone of the Tower felt so good on her belly. "I am to try again, force my change? Or am I to give up?"
She closed her eyes. Despite the sun being directly overhead her mental connection to her mother was still severed. "Am I to die?" Perhaps the stone was too cold. The sun was not enough to keep her warm. "Death, death... Is it time to die or no?"

---

A feeling like an electric shock ran through Twilight’s head, jolting her awake. She felt the adrenalin of waking up from a terrifying dream, but she could not remember what it had been.
She consentrated with all her might, trying to grasp on elusive visions from the dream. A pony... A bright light... And above all else a great amount of hate and fear. Despite her best effort the memories slipped away, and Twilight was left feeling empty.

But where was she. She felt a bed underneath and covers over her. Upon opening her eyes she found it to be very dark, but she immediately recognized room from Ponyville’s hospital, but in nighttime. The atmosphere was much changed from the last time she had been there: The windows to her room were shattered, and every surface was in shadow. Not from inside or outside did any light come.

The hospital? Memories were slow in returning to her. She could hardly remember anything from the last week. Why would she be in the hospital?

Twilight cast a magical light. To her surprise spell came out differently than normal, her magic a much darker purple than what she remembered. The simple light spell was much brighter than she’d intended too, but on second cast she used a minimum of magic to fill the room with a gentle glow.

There were two other ponies in the room.

Both of their coats were perfectly black, and allowed them to hide in the lightless room easily.
One was sitting by Twilight’s bed. She was an earth pony mare with pale green eyes, whose mark was a grey cloud. The other Twilight was not quite sure of. It seemed to exist only as an apparition at the corner of her eye. It was a much larger creature, tall but lean.

“You’re awake.” The earth pony by her bed smiled warmly. “We were afraid you weren’t going to make.”

“Uwwhh." Twilight's throat was dry and hoarse. She swallowed and tried again. "What happened.” She let her light spell dwindle, so it only lit her and the earth pony. The other visitor persisted as a phantom in her peripherals, and it seemed the earth pony could not see it at all.

“That's quite the question. We found you at the edge of the forest after the sun came back.” The earth pony said. “For what happened in the forest? We have no clue. Nopony went in while it was still night.”

The forest, the Everfree. Nightmare Moon, Celestia, nightmares. These words flashed through Twilight’s head.

“I- It’s coming to me.” She rubbed her temple.

“Amnesia?” The mare said with more amusement than concern.

“No, it’s just hazy.” Twilight said. Twilight, bravery, Rarity, Applejack, protection, Celestia, sacrifice. It was like flipping through a picture book, and each page was a blast of a pure concept. Twilight feared what kind of magic would damage her memories so badly. “I think there was a... a fight.”

“Uh huh. What else.” The mare encouraged.

“I…” Nightmare, Nightmare Moon, nightmare, Nightmare Moon. These words beat themselves into Twilight’s mind. She tilted her head slightly to try to see the invisible pony.

Nightmare, Nightmare Moon.
It was lithe alicorn, clothed in a black cape and steel blue cuirass and helmet. It’s horn shimmered with waves of purple magic, and once Twilight knew what to search for she could feel the cloaking spell distinctly. The alicorn didn’t want anypony to know she was watching. Twilight was entirely unsure how she could see her though such a powerful cloaking spell unassisted.

Twilight remembered bits and pieces of her interactions with Nightmare Moon. She remembered there being dreams, her and Moon bound to the nightmare altar. Dreams, Celestia, flight, friends. Was the fight she remembered with Nightmare Moon? Twilight wasn’t as sure, but she recalled the mare with something akin to optimism. Twilight didn’t expect any hostility from her, but she decided to err on the side of caution. She would not tell the earth pony.

“Nightmare Moon,” Twilight said slowly. “the nightmare pretender, the Mare in the Moon. She was there, in real life.”

“And she fought Celestia?”

“Did I say Celestia was there? I...” Twilight sighed, actually unsure of her words in the face of overwhelming insanity.

“Oh, no, I just assumed she was since you were there.” The mare said.

Celestia, mentor, princess, friend, Ponyville, make some friends. Twilight nearly blacked out from the force of the message. Afraid she was the victim of a psychic attack, Twilight reexamined Nightmare Moon’s spell, but it was benign. The alicorn really was just watching, scrutinizing Twilight.

“I don’t know if they fought. I don’t know what happened.” Twilight said truthfully. “A- Are the villagers ok? Is Rarity or Applejack here?”

“The mares who went after their sisters?” The earth pony hummed. “I’m afraid I don’t know.”

Applejack, Rarity, friends, Rarity, Applejack, protection. Twilight barely restrained a scream. It must be insanity, she reasoned, trembling at the prospect.
‘Whatever happened in the Everfree made me crazy.’ She almost told the black mare, but she held back. Something was impelling her forward, telling her to succeed. ‘Succeed at what?’, Twilight dourly wondered.

“Who are the ‘we’, you keep talking about?” Twilight asked. “And who are you?”

“I’m Iillor. I’m a tourist, magic tutor, and a friend of your mother.” Iillor gave a small curtsy. “I’m here with Sharphoof Lightdowser, Duke of Eastern Unicornia.”

For some reason Twilight was having a difficult time remembering who Duke LIghtdowser was, even though she had spent weeks reading about Equestria’s nobility and feudal lords one year while on a history binge. When she concentrated, more words hammered at her mind. Celestia, magic, friends, elements.

Twilight covered herself with the hospital blanket. It was useless. “I need some time alone.” She whispered.

“Hey, I completely understand.” Iillor stood up and backed towards the door. “When you’re feeling better and need to talk about it, I’ll be there.” She closed the door behind her.

There was still one other pony in the room. Nightmare Moon was still watching, unmoving. Twilight tried to focus on her, but the cloaking spell made it impossible for her to know exactly where the alicorn was. Twilight let her light spell fade completely.

“Hi.” Twilight whispered into the dark.

The dark refused to answer back.

“I’m ready to talk to you.” Twilight continued.

A click of the door’s bolt sliding into place froze Twilight’s blood cold. She became acutely aware of the slight scrape Moon’s horseshoes made on the damp tile floor, as the invisible nightmare trod around the bed and positioned herself between Twilight and the open window. Then after a moment of silence, she could hear Moon’s breathing, almost a deep growl, and saw the vapor where her cold breath passed the edge of the cloaking spell.

“I’m not ready to talk to you though.” Moon’s voice was low and gravelly. “But I won’t stop you.”

Twilight was afraid she’d misjudged Moon’s attitude towards her. She could have destroyed Twilight a dozen times over if she had wanted, but she seemed somewhere between caution and fear. That almost made Twilight more nervous than if she was hostile outright.

“I remember you. But not everything. Only bits and pieces.” Twilight said. “Everything feels like that right now. Just bits and pieces.”

"Are you improving?"

"I don't know. I hope I will."

“Do you know what you are?” Moon question sounded almost like an accusation. Without any facial cues Twilight was afraid that Moon was moments away from attacking her. Then again the true answer was completely unambiguous in Twilight’s mind, and the only thing she could do was tell the truth.

“I'm Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.”

But Moon just let out a long sigh. “I suppose you are. And…” She paused. “What do you want?”

Why would that be a supposition? What was Moon’s purpose is being here? Why would anypony care what I want? These questions raced through Twilight’s head. Twilight, bravery, friends, protection.
"Gah! Damn voices!" Twilight clutched at her head.

"Are you alright?" Moon asked.

"F- Fine! I'm fine." Twilight took a deep breath. “Can I… see you?”

She heard the sound of a sharp intake of breath. Moon took a long time to answer.

“Twilight, I have to be kept secret. Nopony in Ponyville, or anywhere else can know I’m alive. I will... Reveal myself, eventually.” Moon’s hushed tone was urgent. “Do you understand?

“I do.” Twilight whispered, though she didn't. Nightmare Moon was boisterous and proud, not one to slink around.

The shape of the alicorn was outlined in purple magic as the spell ended it’s effect, but had not entirely dispersed. Like the covering being pulled off a statue, the haze lifted, and Twilight could see Moon clearly.

The way her black fur and lustrous mane where raggedly frazzled, Moon reminded Twilight of a hyena. Her slumped posture, pointed teeth, and narrowed eyes bolstered the resemblance. She looked a bit different physically than what Twilight remembered: Her mane was more silky and a shade lighter in color, and her horn was even longer.

But in a most hideous fashion, it seemed as though the steel blue helm and cuirass were sunken into Moon’s flesh. The ornamental horseshoes too, had replaced some of the fur and keratin of her hoof. The black cape with a white crescent moon covered her wings, flank, and mark. It was tied at the base of her neck, not fused to her like the armor. Self-improvment, magic, friends, Celestia.

“Satisfied?” Moon asked, disappearing under the cloaking spell.

“No.” Twilight shook her head. “What happened to you? What happened in the forest?" Everfree, friends, bravery.

Moon sighed again. “I can’t tell you, not yet. I will when it’s the right time. Do you trust me?”

“Do you trust me?” Twilight shot back.

“No. I do not.” Twilight imagined the alicorn shaking her head, slowly and sadly. Silence permeated the room, until Nightmare Moon gave her parting speech. “I’ll... keep in touch.”

Twilight felt a small surge in magic before it died away entirely, and for a moment she thought she had accidentally cast a spell, so familiar was the aura to her own. But no, when Twilight looked and listened again she was alone in her room. The magic had been Nightmare Moon teleporting away.

Twilight was left to her thoughts, disjointed and nonsensical. Sleep found her and, over the rest of the night, soothed the fissures and wounds in the borrowed memories inside her head.

Four Days After The Summer Sun
Midnight ticked over.
Five Days After The Summer Sun

Comments

[SpiritDutch]

5183190 I know I asked for it but I think you could be a little nicer. The writer is always the one who's the hardest on what they've written.

And yes, I know I'm not good at subtlety.
"Oh, I hope you like metaphors, because I'm going to ram it down your throat." It goes about as well as an oversized supertanker in the Panama Canal. Wet, forced, lots of holes, and nobody is happy cleaning up the mess.

[SpiritDutch]

Things I've learned since I started writing this fic:
The difference between where and were.
What a 'plot' is
The meaning of 'nonplussed'
How to spell
How to be lazy in descriptions
Phrasing
What 'foreshadowing' is

Say what you will about the virtues of writing ponyfics, but I'm learning the English language all over again.

[Fwelin]

So, if I've got this right, "Twilight Sparkle" is Forlorn Spark, with her memories and personality heavily modified by Celestia #99, inside the real Twilight Sparkle's discarded body, and "Nightmare Moon" is the real Twilight Sparkle's consciousness, possessing the deceased real Nightmare Moon's body by attaching the armor she was inhabiting to it?

[SpiritDutch]

6183588 Yes.