Twin Night Terror's

by FluffyDoom

All You Ever Wanted

Chapter 5: All you ever wanted.

In their excitement they only spent a short time examining the stone, and they agreed that the gibberish was the same language that was on the stone during the forked path trial. They could only read those three words on it anyway, and they felt that their prizes were nearby and well deserved, so the trio entered the cave.

Inside it was breath-taking beauty. Crystal walls greeted their eyes, and two miniature crystal trees surrounded by millions of golden bits showed one part of their promised treasure. Near the back, Shimmers near-perfect vision caught sight of what she thought was a scroll, which obviously held knowledge. So where was the power?

Usually the three were not so power hungry, but after going through terrifying blood sucking bats, blinding fog, killer plants, and not to mention crazy riddles, they wanted all the prizes.

Astra put a hoof forward, but was stopped by Eclipse.

“Wait, there might be tricks yet.” She warned.

The twins nodded and continued to examine the crystal cave. They began to notice more about the trees, and that they were more than just crystals. The left tree was surrounded by a pool of red liquid, but thankfully it looked too thin to be blood. The roots appeared to be made of purple crystal, and it slowly grew to the normal light blue stuff. The branches were bare, and in the woven basket of hard branches there was a glowing red gem.

The other tree was also surrounded by a miniature pool of liquid, though this one appeared to be just plain water. Its roots where a pleasant light yellow, but like its sister tree, it slowly reverted to the most common color, blue. Inside its bare branches was one glowing yellow gem.

“Could that be…” Astra started.

“Our power?” FInished Shimmer.

“Perhaps.” Eclipse said, but a sinking feeling entered her stomach. “I think though, there is enough for only two.”

“What do you mean, only two?” Shimmer demanded, still looking at the trees.

“Two trees, two glowing gems, and two ponies to take it. I think it should be you two.” Eclipse explained.

“What? You put just as much effort into this as us! Besides, we practically ate all your food!” Astra shrieked.

“Calm, Astra.” Eclipse said. “You guys deserve it. You had the gall to hope, and than to do. Me? I barely came along, and the whole time I was on the verge of telling you guys to go back, that this is hopeless.”

Shimmer looked at her seriously. “Eclipse, are you sure you don’t want one of those gems?”

“Positive.” Eclipse grinned. “I will however, take my fair share of knowledge and gold.”

“Good enough!” Astra stated, planning on giving Eclipse a bit more bits than them. “So Shimmer, which gem do you want?”

“I uh, I think I will take the yellow one. That red stuff is kinda creeping me out…”

Astra nodded. “I really doubt it is blood though, I can’t smell anything that would suggest it is blood.”

The dark blue mare sat back as the twins figured it out. It was interesting to see how they would divide everything up.

Finally, they nodded and each approached their selected gems,

Astra figured she would have to climb the trunk of the tree to get to her prize, but as she stepped hoof in the red liquid, it began to glow slightly. She gasped as the glow spread to its roots and up the trunk in one thin line. All over the beautiful rock tree, a faint red glow spread even to the tiniest crystal twig. Suddenly, the branches snapped, crackled, and moved, the gem dropping.

It dropped into the water, and fearfully, Astra shoved her face into the red liquid that felt so soft and light she could have sworn it was air instead. Ignoring the fact that she had to get a mouth full of the tasteless stuff while bobbing for it, she retrieved her prize with a wide grin.

Eclipse gasped as Astra stood straight, gem in mouth, and red covering her muzzle. The second her mouth touched the odd liquid, her eyes had turned red, and the medium sized gem in her mouth grew even bright. That did not make her gasp though, it was how the bone white mare looked that did. The red dripped off her muzzle slowly, like blood falling from a predators snout after a successful hunt. The grin she wore looked like it belonged to a psychopath in the lighting, and the gem in her mouth appeared to look like a heart.

Shaking her head and closing her eyes for a few seconds she looked back at the now red-eyed Unicorn. The illusion had worn off, Astra no longer looked like a murderer, but like her friend who had some red-dyed water on her.

While Eclipse and Astra focused on her, Shimmer was experiencing something else. The second her hoof touched the air-like liquid, a similar reaction happened with the tree. Yellow shot through it at an amazing pace, and the gem dropped, but Shimmer had Pegasus fast reflexes.

In nimbl hooves she caught it with a smug grin, but as if magick forced her body, she had the sudden urge to quench a thirst in her throat. She had no idea where this unbearable thirst came from, but all she knew was that she needed to silence it. The closest liquid sloshed about her hooves. Dipping her head in she greedily slurped down the liquid.

A yell broke through her drinking though. “Shimmer, get your face out of that!” Eclipse demanded harshly.

Confused, the still yellow-eyed Pegasus jumped from the water.

“Sorry!” She gasped, surprised at herself too. Shimmer could be called reckless, but she didn’t usually stick her face in strange liquids! “I just don’t know what came over me! I was just so thirsty, and the thirst burned, and my throat itched. It was just unbearable.”

Astra came over and hugged her sister, despite her bodys tiredness that swooped down from nowhere. “It’s ok, Sis.” She yawned. “Lets just get some sleep now.”

Shimmer also felt her eyes grow droopy at the mention of sleep. “Yeah…” She mumbled.

They both managed to stagger a few feet before passing out.

Eclipse tried to help them into some sleeping bags, but a new wind was blowing softly through the cave. It suggested warm-beds and beautiful nights. Without warning, she too dropped to the ground next to them.

The trio woke up, but not in the cave. They were surrounded by mist and appeared to be sitting on grass, but beyond that, there was nothing.

“Where are we?” Mumbled Astra, still slightly sleepy.

Eclipse however was highly alert. “A dream!” She exclaimed. “This is a dream, but nothing like I have ever felt before!”

“How d’you know?” Shimmer demanded, her speech slight slurred.

“Dream walker, remember?” She chimmed.

The twins nodded, still fairly tired.

Just a Eclipse was about to go on, a booming voice sounded from nowhere.

“YOU FOALS!” It shouted.

Eclipse’s eyes grew small in fear and her ears dropped. She knew that voice, but she had never heard it so angry before. She bowed it nothing and the dazed twins looked on confused.

From the misty sky, a form descended. It was elegant and a head higher than even the tallest stallion. It had fur darker than Eclipse’s, yet still blue like an early night-sky. The raging eyes were a teal-color, and she her starry hair whipped violently in the windless area. The alicorn landed, and the twins could see, even in their half-wit state, that this was the princess of the night. And she was furious.

“P-P-Princess Luna!” Eclipse squeaked, still bowing.

Luna fixed her with a stern gaze, but it soon softened and she sighed. “How were you three to know, though?” She mumbled to herself. “When I only gave one the warning that which she could not remember.”

“Excuse me princess?” Astra asked. “But what is this all about?”

Luna sighed in defeat, and fixed her with her icy gaze. It wasn’t unfriendly, but the night was colder than the day. “My dear little Unicorn, you have stumbled upon a most unknown power that I wish to forbid, but cannot. I suppose I should explain that too. And you, Eclipse, stop bowing please.”

Hesitantly she stopped, and asked. “Princess Luna, what brings you to our dreaming worlds?”

Luna sighed. “I forced upon you three a sleep spell so I may explain something quickly, and then visit you in the waking world.”

“Please explain then.” Astra bowed her head as she spoke.

Luna didn’t understand why she like ponies being so informal with her, and it was obvious they had grown used to it, but she didn’t protest the lack of use of her title. Instead, she did what the pony politely asked her to do. “My little ponies, you two are a ticking timebomb. Not in the sense that you shall explode into confetti like the often do, but in the sense that you two have delved into powers that only I know a little about.”

“Oh most wonderful Princess Luna, I mean no disrespect by this, but then wouldn’t Discord or Celestia know then?” Eclipsed inquired.

Luna let a tiny grin slip onto her face, though it wasn’t from her being called by such a flattering title. “No, not even Discord, master of noseiness and chaos has found out, though he will soon. You three have probably disrupted the balance of the world- er not in such a horrible way though!” She quickly added when she saw the trio shrink in fear. Luna remembered, she had to be more careful with these new aged ponies, they weren’t as tough as the old ones.

“My little ponies, please stop with the questions for now and let me explain everything.” Luna let out a gusty breath. “You three have reawakened an ancient species lost for hundreds upon thousands of years. These ponies didn’t even live when Discord ruled and was evil. They lived before ponies found Equestria all together.

“They were called vampires and lycans. Creatures you now may hear rarely, and the fed on blood. Both species did. Do not fear though, my little ponies, these creatures didn’t need to kill for it, and lycans it was more of, they could feed on it instead of need to.” She hesitated to continue. “Any questions so far?”

“Why did they need blood, and are we going to turn into these… Vampires and lycans?” Astra squeaked.

“Eclipse certainly won't, for she did not touch those accursed night gems. For you two? I think not, for despite your red eyes Astra, any pony who willingly let vampires feed from them got red eyes too. You simply stepped into that pound and swallowed a bit of the liquid there, however I think the bacteria is long dead.

“As for them needing blood? Well, vampires were undead, to put it. They lived, and their heart beat, but for it to continue to beat and them to keep their sanity, they needed the blood of others to sustain themselves. Lycans are a bit more complex than that, but they didn’t need blood really, they could simply feed on it by accident. Lycans are ponies who can transform into the flesh and blood type of wolves, grey wolves, but usually they weren’t grey. More often than not, these ponies had brown fur as their lycan counterpart.” Luna finished. “Questions on that?”

Shimmer raised her hoof as if she were in school. “So what power belonged to which gem?”

“Alas, I do not know. Even my knowledge is limited on them, the only pony who had the knowledge on them was…” She shuddered as a dramatic pause ensued. “Was, Nightmare Moon.”

They gasped. The wicked mare from the moon?

“Does that make these power evil?” Astra asked, her voice growing higher in pitch as it often did when she was distressed.

Luna rushed to reassure the Unicorn. “No, of course not! Nightmare moon is merely a tricky demon who looked for god-hood, and was in the end purified and weakened. Whether the elements could convince her to remain good is a mystery to me, but she did not control these beings. She only lived in a time when they, along with many other things, were more abundant.”

Sighs of relief escaped their lips.

Luna suddenly winced. “I must go, my little ponies. Other nightmares crawl in the dreams of young ones and old ones alike, and they need my protection. Remember, the things that were meant to turn you are dead, Astra, your eyes will return to normal in days. Bye my loyal subjects, and Eclipse.” She faced the blue mare. “Never doubt in the path the stars guide you in!” With that the dreamscape faded.

They woke up with a start.

“Di-did we just dream that?” Shimmer ask.

Eclipse looked at her seriously. “Yep.”

Author's Note:

Thanks for all the views! Same old same old, comment any glaring mistakes.
Any thing you think I can improve on I also want to hear! If I am going to improve to be the best, and not just ok, than I need to hear your CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

Comments

[FluffyDoom]

4915194 It was intentional, and it can be seen as correct both ways. Despite computers saying that magick is a spelling error, it isn't.

[Alicon Glactistar]

4915638 I am not using a pc and I just thought it was wrong because I don't see it often.

Also finished all chapters of the story so far and you get a fave.

[FluffyDoom]

4915682 Yay for favorites, much thanks :D