Full Moon Fever: A MoonLight Prompt Collab

by TheLastBrunnenG

81 Cold by Kean

Cold
by Kean

Sequel to Carpe Noctem

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“Are you alright?” Twilight asked quietly, eyes closed and pawed softly at the mattress beneath her. “I meant to ask before we left, or on the way, but I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.”

She turned to the sound of Nightmare Moon’s magic and the rustling of her wings. A few moments passed before Nightmare Moon spoke with a sigh. “The Elements have left their mark upon me, but other than that, I am physically fine.”

“Their ‘mark’?” Twilight cocked her head. “I don’t understand. Are you hurt?”

“No.” Another sigh accompanied another rustle of wings. “Where the chains laid upon me, the fur has become… discolored. White. No magic that I have attempted will restore it, nor has shifting my form. It is purely aesthetic and thus, I am fine.” She chuckled. “It is a small price to pay to cheat death. Yours, though… you do not seem bothered much by your loss.”

“I-” Twilight turned away and laid her head on her forelegs. “It just hasn’t hit me yet, I guess. I’ve been keeping my mind busy, trying not to think about it.” She chuckled. Even to her own ears, it sounded empty. “I mean, of the pacts I’ve read about, ponies have had limbs, organs, their voice, their mind, even their magic taken from them. Compared to them, I’d say I got off easy… right?” She let out a short, dry laugh at Nightmare Moon’s silence. “I-“

“Twilight, are you up here?”

Twilight turned her head toward the sound of Celestia’s voice, the sound of her hoofshoes alerting her that the princess had reached the top of the stairs. She laid her head between her hooves, a feeling of dread welling up inside her.

“Your friends had told me that you were hurt and had left with Nightmare Moon.” Celestia’s voice was flat, even. “I am happy to see that the former is no longer the case, but why have you allied yourself with this monster, Twilight?”

Twilight shifted uncomfortably where she lay. “She’s not a monster. She might not be an upstanding pony, but she isn’t a monster, princess. And I’m with her because I had no other choice.”

“Do not attempt to dodge the question, Twilight, why are you with the creature that possessed my sister and drove her mad?”

Twilight felt her hackles rise as the dread in her stomach shifted to anger. She lifted her head and turned toward Celestia, staring at her through unseeing eyes. “I am with her because I did what I had to do to live, Princess,” Twilight growled as memories, no more than fleeting images, began to fill her thoughts.

She closed her eyes at the sound of Celestia’s gasp. “That mark… Twilight, you didn’t-“

Twilight continued, her voice low. “Nightmare Moon didn’t… she didn’t possess Luna. Luna… she was upset. Every time she tried to speak with you, you either ignored her or brushed her off, always putting matters of the state before her. When the two of you started seeing each other only at morning and dusk, she began to feel abandoned. She… “

“ She... loved you. She needed you. Not her advisors, not her guards, not her co-ruler. She needed you, Celestia, her sister. But you did nothing but brush her off time and time again.” Twilight spoke through gritted teeth. “In the end, she cried out into the night, and the night answered.” Twilight shuddered as she reigned in the anger building inside her.

“Imagine how it must have felt to have this creature she didn’t know, a creature that didn’t even know or have any obligation to her, offer her comfort when her own flesh and blood ignored her. Can you say with a straight face that you wouldn’t put your trust in someone like that?” Twilight sighed at Celestia’s silence.

“In the end, she asked for Nightmare Moon’s assistance, asked for her power. What was given by both was given freely. Was it foolish on their part? Maybe, but if you’re looking to place the blame, you hold as much of it as either of them.

“The three of you made mistakes, and maybe I made one too by making a pact with Nightmare Moon, but Luna is back now. You should go, Princess. Try to make amends with her.” Twilight lowered her head, laying it between her hooves which clenched the sheets, her body shaking both in anger and fear.

“I- I will not-“Twilight shuddered, hearing her mentor’s voice break before Nightmare Moon cut her off.

“Celestia, you know of the empathetic link between pact-partners. I suggest you to do as she says and go tend to your sister. I would also advise you to not tell Luna what you have learned from this Fool Pony. That information should have been kept even from her, but I am still adjusting and my mental block slipped.”

Silence reigned for a while, causing Twilight to raise her head in Celestia’s direction. Finally, Celestia broke the silence with a sigh. “Very well. Twilight, I will make arrangements for you to stay here as long as you want. Just… know that you will always be welcome back in the castle. I will keep in touch.”

“Princess?” She heard Celestia pause on the steps. “Would you take Spike with you? I don’t want him to have to go, but… I don’t know how well I can take care of him right now.”

Celestia breathed a sigh of relief, causing Twilight to cock her head to the side. “Of course,” Celestia said softly and continued down the stairs.

She turned toward Nightmare Moon as she approached the bed. “I did not mean for you to get upset. I am not used to keeping my emotions in check, away from another pony. But I must say, your reaction surprised me. After digging through your memories, I wouldn’t expect such vitriol toward anyone from you, let alone your mentor, your princess.”

Twilight slumped and moved to the head of the bed, lifting the cover with her magic. “As much as no one else gets to see or wants to admit it, she is also a pony. And my friend. Ponies are allowed to make mistakes, so long as they try to correct them… she told me that.”

She laid down, pulling the cover over her. “I didn’t say what I did out of hate or spite; I wanted her to know what she did and how she could avoid doing it again. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get some sleep.”

“You did not strike me as one who slept during the day.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve spent the better part of the last three days up worrying about your return, dealing with the Summer Sun Celebration, running around a forest, dealing with, well, you, and I just all but said that my mentor was as cold-hearted as she thought you were,” Twilight snapped back. “I am physically and mentally exhausted; I don’t think a bit of sleep is too much to ask.”

A chuckle and a gentle gust of air were soon followed by the sound of Nightmare Moon’s hoofsteps fading down the stairs.

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Hours later found Nightmare laying on a couch in the main room of the library, watching as yet another pony peered through a window, only to flee upon seeing her. It had been entertaining at first: A pony would enter the library, oblivious to her presence, before galloping right back out the door. The cries of terror had begun to grate on her nerves, so she’d barred the door. Which lead to more ponies looking in to investigate why the library was closed, which, in turn, lead to another fleeing in terror.

A vicious circle… Nightmare thought with a grin.

Her grin soon faded when a heavy weight settled in her chest, pulling her attention from the flight of the most recent pony. Sighing in recognition of the feeling, she rose from the couch and made toward the stairs. The feeling of overwhelming despair was something she had become well accustomed to.

It seems the realization has finally sunk in. Amazing that she was able to keep it at bay for so long.

Slowly, quietly, she ascended the stairs. Soft sobbing greeted her just outside the doorway to the bedroom. Sticking her head through the doorway, she saw Twilight lying with her head to the foot of the bed, a book held open between her forehooves. Even from the entrance, she could see Twilight’s clouded eyes desperately attempting to scan the pages as her magic turned them.

Rising on silent wings, she landed beside the bed. The twitch of an ear and the jerking of her head up from the tear stained book told Nightmare that she had heard her landing. Still, she didn’t turn toward her, instead bowing her head and choking back another sob. Nightmare sat on her haunches as Twilight began to speak.

“I… I can’t- nothing I’ve tried will let me see it. How am I supposed to read – how am I supposed to study magic if I can’t even see the damn spell forms or read the theories?” Nightmare gently lifted the tome in her magic. “Magic is supposed to be my talent… How am I supposed to learn or improve if I can’t see the effects or what I’m casting at?”

When one must perform a blind teleport, the caster should first surround themselves in a shield denser than the expected-

“I know that already… wait, what?”

Nightmare couldn’t help but chuckle at Twilight’s wide eyes as she turned to face her. “As yours is mine, my knowledge is also your own. What you know, I will know. What I learn, you will learn.”

“That’s amazing! But, I couldn’t ask you to study everything for me, it would take up so much of your time and-“

“Dry your tears, Fool Pony.” Nightmare grinned at Twilight’s cocked head and confused expression. “I know more than any of these books could teach you. There is much that I know that I am sure has been forbidden to be written or distributed. Shadow magic, dark magic, magic of the mind; all forbidden even before our banisment. You need only ask and the knowledge will be given.”

The sense of overwhelming joy was not a feeling Nightmare was very experienced with. The feeling of being hugged, even less so. Still, as Twilight pulled her close and nuzzled against her neck, she gently laid a wing over her, enjoying the touch of another pony.

Slowly, Twilight backed off, her head bowed and blushing. “Sorry, I just… you have no idea how much it means to me that I can continue my studies.” Twilight laughed softly. “Actually, I guess you do. Still… thank you.”

Nightmare nodded in an automatic response. “No thanks are necessary. Go back to your rest, Fool- “

“Twilight,” Twilight interrupted. “You keep calling me ‘Fool Pony’. My name is Twilight, and I know you know that by now.”

Nightmare laughed and made her way to the stairs leading down from the loft. “Very well, Twilight. I will leave you to your rest, then.”

“You don’t have to leave.” Nightmare paused at the top of the stairs. “I know that you were uncomfortable down there. I felt it when I woke up. If you want, we could share the bed.”

Nightmare blinked at the suggestion, silently weighing her options. It wasn’t a hard decision, watching ponies flee had quickly lost its charm. Being close to another pony hadn’t been bad, either, she decided. Hesitantly, she climbed into the side opposite of Twilight, facing away from the unicorn.

“Thank you again, Nightmare.”

“As I said, your gratitude is unnecessary. But you are welcome none the less.”

Comments

[TwilightXLuna]

Love this story hope more soon

[Raven Flight]

Kean! You have 2 very good stories going here, can't wait to see more from you.

[fireflutterpony]

You could really spin this off as its own story. While Twilight and Moonie probably won't get up to as much crazy as Caim and Angelus did, they still have a lot of potential.

[Iceshardz]

Jeez these continuations are the shit Great job

[Lunar Eclipsed]

poor twilight im not sure if shes just totally blind or her vision is just really cloudy to the point that just seeign where shes walkign is hard

[ValNitak Choas]

so twilight lost her sight how sad.... that is cruel fate for a book worm.......