Shallows and Shadows
Twilight examined the blankness before her. There was a coldness about the place that seemed to swirl indifferently to time or matter. She stood to her hooves, all four planted firmly on the black platform of nothing that she stood upon. Her mane blew with this soft, swirling air, lashing it’s tiny strands into her eyes. Not that it mattered, though; there was nothing to see but the darkness before her. And yet, it seemed that she could still see, as though her eyes registered the nothing as something.
She shook her head and snorted at the strange sensation. Everything about the place sent chills crawling up her spine. “Hello?” she called out in a dry voice. “Is anypony out there? I, as your chancellor, command you to speak!”
“As if it would help,” a calm, sweet voice said, followed by a light sigh. A pair of sky blue orbs appeared directly above Twilight, staring down at her with a soul-piercing draconic gaze. “Your ignorance never fails to amuse me.”
“Ah. I’ve made sense of this pretty quick,” the unicorn grumbled, rolling her eyes.
“Good to hear,” the voice hissed. The words echoed around the void like a cavern.
“Shouldn’t you be in a cage?”
“Shouldn’t you be dead!” Nightmare Moon made a spitting sound, though her eyes remained the only thing visible about her.
Twilight forced a chuckle. “Dead? Nah, I’m fine. I don’t think the same can be said for you though.”
“Shut it you maggot!”
“I don’t have to! I’m the chancellor! I’m the head of Equestria! I’m the pony who holds your sorry flank in her hooves, so you might want to think twice before lashing out at me,” she sneered.
“Oh, I’m the chancellor!” the alicorn mocked. “I’m the head of Equestria! One day you won't even have a head, mark my words.”
“Are you proposing a race?” Twilight scoffed, turning her back to the eyes.
“Hear me chancellor Sparkle, at the end of this all I’ll have you hanging from a tower.”
“Of course you will - how else am I supposed to get your body down?” she snickered.
There was a silence now that brought a triumphant grin to the unicorn’s face.
But then Nightmare Moon regained her voice. “For one such as yourself, you talk as though you are somepony else. Tell me, what did my sister teach you exactly? Surely it wasn’t love and kindness.”
Twilight froze. “How did you find out about me and Celestia?” she asked, batting a wary eye.
“The same way I burnt you precious little town down. Do you really think ponies will stay loyal to a tyrant?”
“And you expected them to stay loyal to you?”
“I am no tyrant!” the Nightmare roared. “I came back for what I deserved! You...You are just terrible, did you know that?”
“If being terrible means holding a country together, without a Princess or former training, and while on the brink of war, THEN YES, I’M BUCKING TERRIBLE!” Twilight stomped her hoof down as she snarled at the glowing orbs.
“You weren’t fit to lead. I, on the other hoof, am.”
“Well it sure is too bad you’re stuck in my dungeons, isn’t it,” Twilight said. Her scowl stood strong as ever.
“The day I get out-”
“Will be the last day you live.” The mare sat with a thud, a snarky grin replacing her harsh scowl.
“We shall see.” The ghostly apparitions began to fade in the darkness.
“You and I are having a little chat when I get out of here,” Twilight said, just before they had sunken completely away.
As they faded completely, she muttered, “Bucking psychopath.”
~~~
Her eyes peaked open, allowing the dim candlelight to flood her vision. She shoved the sheets away as her blurry sight began to clear. The sheets beneath her were damp and rank; she had been sweating, and her fur was matted and oily. She snorted at the stench. Forcibly shoving herself up, she turned from the damp patch to her room.
The place was lit with but an insufficient candle, but she could still make out the new shape. Across from her, reclining on Trixie’s cot, a stallion had his eyes trained on her. He wore golden armor and had a deep blue mane, but that was all she could tell.
“Hey,” he said as he stood. “‘Bout time you woke up. I didn’t want to wake you - you needed the sleep.
“Shining? What’s this about?” she asked in a groggy voice.
He stepped into the light, defining his face in the pale orange glow. “A few things, actually. Pretty important too. But, um, first, how’d you sleep. It looked...harsh.”
“I had a nightmare,” Twilight scoffed. “Just tell me what you need, please. I need a bath, and I prefer to not soak up my sweat for longer than I have to.”
“Right, um, well first off, we found Trixie.”
Twilight squinted and scanned her room. “Well where is she?”
“That's the thing. She’s in the psychiatric ward right now...” He bit his lip and tossed his eyes right. “Our guards found her just outside the main entrance to the castle. They say she looked dead, with a...glossy stare, and she was drooling.”
“Then why in Equestria is she in the psych ward?” she asked with a scowl.
“She came to a few hours ago. I was about to send her off for lashing, but...she asked who I was. She asked where she was. Twi, she only know her name.”
With a confused look, the unicorn sighed and said, “I thought she had something to do with Nightmare Moon... I guess it was the other way around then.”
“Do you still want her punished?”
“No, no...I’ll go talk to her later. I do have a request though.”
Shining cocked his head left.
“When you leave, get somepony up here to help me around. I’ve got some places to be...”
“I’ll make sure to tell them. But I’m not finished yet,” he said. He slowly walked to her bedside, leaning on the plump mattress with a wary look. “I’m going to Ponyville for a while.”
“Ponyville?” Twilight’s eyes were alight now - a large contrast to her former scowl. “Why Ponyville?”
“I’m sending a flight of twenty five pegasi there - as well as the wing commander - and I figured I’d go with them.”
“But why? We need you here Shining. We need all the guards here,” she said harshly.
“Twi, think about it. We have so many guards in Manehattan, Trottingham, and Las Pegasus...Where else would be better to set up a rebellion than a little town like Ponyville? And besides, General Dawn has the castle covered. I trust her completely,” he said, puffing his chest out with a smug grin.
Twilight took in a deep breath and looked out her window. The moon, of course, was still high in the sky, beaming down its pale glow. “I’ll trust you now,” she said, turning back. “Shining, I don’t know what you’re really thinking, but I’m going to trust you. Please make something productive of this.”
She cast her eyes down. “I love you, but if this becomes a waste of funds, or if something goes wrong because of your decision to move some of our best troops to nowhere, there’s going to be an outrage, and I can’t hold a bias just because we’re related...”
“I know. But trust me, it’s a good move,” he said with a rather sly smile.
“What about Cadence? Is she coming soon?”
“Actually, she’s staying behind in Manehattan. She insists that they need some kind of royalty there, and after the last incident with Blueblood...”
“Fair enough,” Twilight said. “Go then. Oh, and when you get there, stop by my friend’s houses please.” A genuine smile appeared on her worn face. “And tell them I miss them.”
Shining nodded, returning the smile. He leaned in and wrapped his arms around the odorous unicorn, pulling her close. She returned the gesture with as much grace as she could muster.
But she pulled away and steeled her face once more. “Get going,” she said bluntly, “And don’t forget to send a pony up here.”
~~~
With a sigh, Shining trotted away from the regal towers. The bowels of Canterlot Castle weren’t as cold as the Dungeons; there was actually a warmth in the air. The place was thick and smelled of antique wood, despite it being regularly cleaned. The old walls had been refurbished, and now shiny new torch holders sat in use illuminating the various elaborate tapestries that celebrated the Bureaucratic Work Division with large golden letters.
Ponies in suites, ties, and dresses marched about the place with tight grasped, magic-grasped, and wing clasped stacks of paperwork. The multitude of doors on either side of the central golden carpet were swinging open at random, releasing ponies and sucking more in. These halls never slept, just as politics themselves.
Through the loud chatting and shifting of paper, Shining turned a corner and stepped through a large metal gate that spanned the height of the corridor, into a long, descending hallway that was significantly darker than the Division’s own. Guards lined this hall with their stone faces. The smell of wood was now replaced with a thick steam that smelled of coal.
At the bottom of the ramp-like hall, he was spat out onto a large platform that spanned into darkness on either side. Ahead of him was an abrupt ledge with a painted yellow warning line. Just on the other side of that was a wall that arched up to meet the rest of the ceiling.
Leaning on the support columns of the tunnel was a group of pegasi, all clad in golden armor. They were busy idly talking amongst themselves, oblivious to the world around them. One, however, was standing tall and alert.
This orange pegasus stepped forward, her helmet tucked away beneath her wind to show her fallen golden mane. “Wing commander Spitfire, sir.”
Now, the group of pegasi were up and at attention with forced alert gazes.
“Oh give it a rest, I’m not in the mood,” he said with a sigh. He walked past their line and reclined on the column, rubbing his temples roughly.
“Is everything alright sir?” Spitfire asked as she joined him.
“When is anything alright?” he chuckled.
“Never I suppose. If it helps, my pegasus crew is ready and willing.”
Shining didn’t directly respond, only nodding his head and rubbing his eyes. After a bit of silence, a deep rumbling echoed out from the tunnel behind them.
“Train’s almost here sir. We ought to get ready. But if you don’t mind me asking,” she said as she stood, “Why are we using the direct line?”
Shining too stood and gave her a soft, yet stern stare. “The Sparkle Mandate went into effect two days ago. Didn’t you read it? It was sent to all the higher ranking ponies.”
“No sir, I didn’t receive a copy. In fact, all I know of the Mandate is that it exists.”
He sighed. “Of course. The Mandate shuts down all normal lines and forces this to be the only intercity travel in Equestria.”
“Equestria? Really?”
With a nod, he continued, “Fear of Nightmare Moon and her followers.”
“Well I guess it makes sense...” Spitfire took her place at the yellow line. The rest of the guards stood beside her, and soon enough, a dim light flickered from the darkness. The rumbling grew louder, and the platform began to shake.
“Why are we going to Ponyville anyways?” she asked over the loud grumbling of the train.
All Shining said was, “To have a look around.”
The train rolled in, it’s gears creaking under it’s massive weight. The dim lights whizzed past them in a maelstrom. Their manes whipped back and their eyes clenched tight as the large thing came to a screeching halt.
A huge car with multiple windows spanning it’s sides stopped in front of them. Two large doors flew ajar, exposing two bulky guard stallions. Light flooded the dim room with a vision of green carpets and walls, rows of beds and set tables that already held food.
Without further words, the pegasi marched aboard, followed by Spitfire and Shining, all of their mouths salivating at the promise of a meal. He nodded to the two guards, who then slammed the steel doors shut and latched them into place. The train jerked off from the station with a plume of smoke and fled into the vast, never ending darkness before it.
~~~
A tan mare gripped her foreleg around Twilight, helping her stumble down the castle halls. They made their way into the main foyer, hobbling down a set of stares and then to the left. A trail of dripping water followed them, Twilight still steaming from her bath. The little plops echoed behind her as she and the servant mare came upon a new hall, long and expansive with a red carpet lining its center.
“There,” she said, pointing to a door on the far end. “Take me there.”
“To the infirmary?”
“Yes you... yes. To the infirmary, please,” Twilight said, biting her tongue. Her face scrunched up, and she even had to turn away from the mare to prevent a lashing out. This was the mare who was helping her, after all.
“Of course,” she responded as she began guiding Twilight down the hall.
She threw the door open with her magic, exposing a bleach white hallway. It was a drastic shift from the castle itself, but the newest additions always seemed that way. The walls were dim, yet blinding; the torchlights were bright and dull at the same time. It wrecked havoc on her eyes, forcing her to stare only directly in front of her. The marble floors and walls didn’t help, either, doing their best to reflect the light.
In this hallway, stallions and mares alike flew about, rushing into one room and out of the next and filling the hall with a thick clopping. They all wore blue scrubs, some bloodied, others dirty, and a few with an unrecognizable yellow gunk on them. She and the mare made their way through this chaos, nodding to every doctor, nurse and guard Twilight could.
It was chaos. Medical stretchers lined the hall, some empty, some bloody, some with a pony it their clutches. IV stands stood unattended, and equipment lay sprawled out around the various tables.
“Stop, stop,” she told her helper. The mare did as she was told, coming to a jerking halt and gripping Twilight for the unicorn’s own stability. Twilight turned and pointed a hoof to one of the many rushing doctors, calling him over.
“Um, yes chancellor?” he said. His tone was antsy, and his eyes were jumping left and right.
“Why is this place so...packed. I was told that this was under control.”
“Right, well, um, the city hospital was in the line of destruction, so not only are we dealing with the guards, but also the ponies from the Canterlot. And we’re very busy, so-”
“I was told the city was fine too.” She sneered and gave a cold glance to the orange stallion.
He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, tossing his unkempt blonde mane aside. “Well, um, a-as far as I know, at least half of its gone. I-I can’t tell you for sure though. I’ve been in here for the past two days, no sleep, hardly any food-”
“I’m sure,” she growled. “Go then, I see you’re busy.”
The doctor nodded furiously and galloped off past her.
“Let’s go,” she said to her right. The tan mare gulped and began walking, guiding Twilight further into the panicking hallway.
“Chancellor?” she asked.
Twilight gave her an acknowledging glare.
“H-How long will you take?” Not to be rude, o-or anything! I-It’s j-just...my brother, he’s in the guard you see...”
They paused for a brief moment, before starting off again. Just before them was a four way intersection in the hall. It resembled a road more than anything, considering how bustling it was.
“Not long,” she sighed. “Right here, go left.”
Turning the corner, they found themselves under a hanging sign that pointed to the psyche ward. Without words they began down this new hallway. It smelled of mop fluid and bleach, and was slightly less active than the one before. Ponies here were slower, with more relaxed expressions, save the rare one who was rushing through to reach the emergency wing.
“Where to?” the servant asked.
“Deeper in,” was all Twilight said in response. And so deeper they went, into the long hallway. At the end there was a door surrounded by at least three inattentive guards, though she had to squint to tell. I’ll have to get somepony on this lighting.
When they had reached the door, it suddenly burst ajar, a suave tan colt striding out. He was dressed in a long white coat, his dark brown mane slick with gel. On his coat was a patch that read Dr. Whooves, PhD.
“Doctor,” Twilight announced as she approached. As she neared, the guard split and the colt stepped forward.
“Chancellor. I can only imagine you’re here for Trixie.”
“You. Are. A genius,” she said with a scowl. I cannot put up with Whooves now...So help me Celestia, wherever you are, I’ll kill this colt.
“I know, thank you very much. The smartest around, I dare say.”
“You best not say anything than what I need to hear,” the unicorn said. She pressed more of her weight on the poor little mare beside her, her tan face scrunching up in strain.
“There’s a lot of things you need to hear, chancellor. But if it’s Trixie you want, then fine,” he said with a smug grin. Twilight bit her lip. Dungeon? Guillotine? Gallows? Volcano? Yes, definitely volcano. “She’s fine,” he eventually said. The guards had a tenseness about them, their muscles obviously stiffened and their eyes alert, shifting from Twilight to the doctor. “A bit of amnesia, but nothing major. At least, that’s how it looks. There’s no real way to tell. If only we were all so lucky.”
“Yes, forgetting you would be a real treat, wouldn’t it?” the unicorn said, a grin of her own flashing across her lips.
“I wish - looking at my own face as though it were new every day would be delightful. And yet, to see you every day as though it were the first time...” He pretended to shudder.
“Don’t you have somewhere else to be, doctor?” she asked, tossing her head away.
“I do as a matter of fact!” he said with a large smile. Trotting past, and then away from Twilight and the guards, he added, “Away from you.”
“And good riddance,” she said, shaking her head and turning back around.
A guard stepped forward. “Ma’am, do you want us to...do something?”
“No, no. Here, take her,” she said, bumping the mare away. “She said her brother’s in the guard. I can only assume he’s in here. I want you - only you, not you two - to take her and find this colt.”
“Yes ma’am,” the guard said, standing next to the mare. The tan pony seemed dumbfounded for a moment, then smiled, about to say something when the guard cut her off. “C’mon, let’s go.” With that, they trotted away, Twilight watching, her face hard and emotionless.
This left Twilight to limp into the door. She looked to the guards with that flat, cold stare. “Stay here,” she said as she entered Trixie’s room, “and if our doctor comes back, toss him in a guard box and fire his plot to the dungeons, won’t you? Or a volcano, if we have one available.”
She didn’t wait for a response; the door was engulfed in a orchid light, tugging it closed with a thud. Spinning around, she examined this new room. It was average - well lit, for sure. Four torches set the rather cozy place aglow, shimmering off of the few tables and equipment. The only place excluded from their shine, oddly enough, was the medical bed in the corner.
Sprawled in this bed, tucked under the white sheets, was a blue unicorn who’s slow breaths and shut eyes marked her deep sleep. An IV tube ran from the sac beside her, under the covers and into her arm. Twilight approached, examining the mare for any injuries. She seems fine...
She propped herself up to Trixie’s side, leaning in to hear her soft, deep breathing. It was even, smooth, and she showed no signs of distress. Amnesia? I wonder if...
Getting even closer, she examined the slumbering mare’s face. Nothing out of the ordinary; still sweet, calm, and pompous as ever. Closer and closer she got, until she was in the unicorn’s face. Now she could feel the warm breaths as they huffed forth, and could almost taste her fur.
It was quick, with neither passion nor fury. Their lips met, Twilight barely prodding her tongue into Trixie’s warm mouth. Her eyes lapsed shut, her muscles tensed; she needed this. She held for a second or two, then yanked back up, sucking in deeply. For such an unnerving time, that had actually been sweet on her mouth. She could feel a tiny wave of heat wash up her cheeks. A smile began to tug at the corner of her mouth, and her heart skipped a beat. Her hoof raised, her smile grew...
Wham!
She brought her hoof down hard upon the unicorn’s head, knocking her from her sleep with a jerk. Her face hardened once more as Trixie howled and pressed against her temples.
“W-What the hay? What was that for?”
“Oh shut it Trixie. Where were you?”
“Trix- what? Who are you? Trixie does not even know you! Where do you get off knocking her upside the head for nothing? She is in a hospital for Celestia’s sake!” the unicorn stammered.
“I asked where you were, Trixie! Don’t give me...wait...” Twilight squinted. She scrunched her face to Trixie’s. Their eyes locked, Trixie’s wide with discomfort and Twilight’s thin with angst. “What happened to your eyes?”
“Trixie’s eyes? What of them?” The mare sneered, turning away.
Now Twilight backed off, taking in a deep breath and sighing it out. “You really don’t remember anything... Nothing’s ever simple, is it? Umm...Ponyville. Last year. Ursa Minor. Riot. Death threats. Me coming in to save your sorry plot. Anything ringing a bell?”
She thought for a moment. Turning back to Twilight, she said, “Trixie knows nothing of the sort. If you are insisting that she has committed a crime-”
“No. Just...stop,” the lavender mare said, pressing a hoof to her face. She dragged it down, her eyes falling once more to the set in front of her. These new eyes glimmered in the light like a rare metal, with a deepness in them, one that almost radiated secrets and lies. An uncomfortable feeling washed over her. She shook her head, trying to shake it out.
Then, a wave of agony rippled through her mind. Gasping, she stumbled left, slamming on the tile wall. “I-I...I feel sick...”
Trixie, with a dumbfound look and uneasy gaze, extended her hoof. Twilight anxiously grabbed it, yanking herself back up to her three good hooves. A bang from behind her ripped through the room just as she was stable, sending her down to her right. She slammed on the floor, a cry of pain escaping her lips.
The two guards rushed in, pushing her back to her hooves. One at each side, they compressed her into forced stability, sending deathly glares to the bed-ridden mare. Trixie sunk into her bed, biting her lip.
“She’s fine,” Twilight coughed. “I’m not, though. Take me to my room,” she said to the guard at her right. “And you - you go find General Dawn. I want her there now.”
The stallion to her left nodded, spun, and galloped off with haste. The guard at her side helped her turn to the door, and together they began hobbling off. Yet, just as she was about to exit the room, she turned back around one last time.
In the bed, Trixie was staring with wide eyes and shaky hooves. Twilight squinted, focusing on her, reading her. It was her eyes. They were wrong - sickeningly wrong.
They were gold.
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i cant wate till twi's next interaction with nmm.
Euch... No I don't know if I should continue to read, after that author's note.
Anyway, "“No, no. Here, take her,” she said, bumping the mare away. “She said her brother’s in the guard. I can only assume he’s in here. I want you - only you, not you two - to take her and -->fine<-- this colt.”"
Bit of a nasty character, Twilight... Fining her guard because he has the audacity to get injured on duty and be in the infirmary ward. Interesting typo :P
552252 Haha oops. Thanks for pointing that out
Also, what about the author's note turns you away?
552310
The warning about the dark tag. I mean, it was there when I started reading it, but people handle that tag differently... And people who feel the need to warn about it usually take it a bit further.
552316 Ah. Well like I said, no gore or anything of the sort. I actually don't plan to get overly dark, but even still, there's a bit more to come. Nothing mind racking, I don't think.
How is something with a princess (Luna) ruling a republic , never got that other then that people started it for fun.
oh and good fic, got me hooked.
Golden eyes huh, wonder what happened.
552323
I'm basically wondering now, "Are ponies going to die?" Which of course you can't answer without spoiling... Well, its not as I I haven't read any fics in which that has happened, but... I just never like it when it does. *Shrugs*
552332 Actually, I don't think it's spoiling to say that I too dislike pony death
I have the sneaking suspicion that NMM and Trixie have switched bodies. It makes sense to me. NMM's weakness during the invasion, the mysterious disappearance of Trixie, and now the sudden amnesia leads me to that conclusion. NMM is laying dormant in Trixie's body while Trixie herself is trapped in NMM's less-then-usable body.
Tiss fun to speculate. Tracked and all that fun stuff.
ill proof read granted youll still want someone else to do a better job then me ill mainly just be giveing you my opnions and checking spelling
552593 Agreed
553006 Thanks for the offer. Is there some way I can get the chapters to you?
552858 It is
Hey, I have the sneaking suspicion that I've seen you somewhere before
And this one goes out to all the dislikes. In the great words of Captain Jack Sparrow, Stop blowin' holes in my ship!
590811 also Dr.Jekyll is the maker(or admin) of a twilight sparkle group that is quite big
More please! Moar!
i3.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/000/574/moar-cat.jpg but seriousely moar of this elixer please.
that is ... if you want to.
please update, please, the only other story that is like this is "after that fateful night" and he only updates like every once a month so please update and praise old spice
PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAESEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
you'll make fluttershy cry
Y u no update?
MOAR
553006
Please proofread your own comment first. You know what, I'll do it for you.
Seriously?
2088817 mobile post kinda hard not to be lazy also that's editing proofreaders check for plot holes and other such nonsense
For all of you looking for updates on this series please go here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/90858/every-night-after
Lynked has given me expressed permission to adopt her series and continue it. If you have any questions please let me know.
Don't forget to spread the word if you know others who are waiting.
~General D.