If the Nightmare Came True

by Curious Mew

Chapter 2

Twilight Sparkle

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“Spike!” I call out in irritation. “Ugh! Where is he?” I begin to pace, turning the spell’s equation over and over in my head. I could use Riemane sums to approximate the thaumic output, but I know that the integral should be solvable. I know I’m forgetting something! I need that book. Of course, that brings me back to the current problem. Where is Spike?

I sigh and check the time. Good, at least I'm still on schedule. I still have half an our before I need to start my observations on the potential applications of long-range extra-equinal teleportation in a system of low- I jerk my head towards the door when I hear it open. “Finally!” I cry in exasperation when I see Spike standing in the doorway holding a book.

“You know, Twilight,” he mumbles, “Nightmare Moon said you didn't have to have this done until next week.”

I ignore him and use magic to pull the book out of his arms, and flip to the table of integration methods. Of course! How could I forget about trigonometric substitution? I walk over to my desk and make some adjustments on the parchment. “I solved it!” I grin. “So, Spike, what took so long?”

“Oh, right!” he replies, a sheepish grin crossing his face. “Um, I ran into Nightmare Moon on the way to the library, and she says that you have a new assignment.”

“What is it? Something about developing a new magical method to reduce the risk of the side effects of long distance teleportation? I heard that there have been problems with the most recent spell, and I'm already doing some work in a related area. Or is it –”

He interrupts, “We're going to Cloudsdale to interrogate some pegasus they caught who has some connections with that incident a week ago.”

This honestly surprises me. Why does my teacher want me to lead an interrogation? Well, I suppose it could help round out my education. She has been giving me less work that's directly related to the study of magic recently... I resume my pacing for a while before I stand at a window and look out of my tower into the sky. “When do we leave?” I ask.

“She said to pack whatever you need and then head to the throne room immediately,” Spike answers me.

Let me think, maybe I should bring Principles of Interrogation and perhaps The Equestrian Psychological Society's Guide to Behavioral Analysis. I could also bring some of my textbooks to continue my other assignments if I get the chance.

I use magic to gather the necessary reading material, some parchment, ink, and a quill and pack them into my saddlebag. “Right then,” I say, “let's get going.” Spike hopes on my back, and I run out of my tower and head towards the main castle complex. I won't be able to properly formulate a new schedule until I get to Cloudsdale and meet with this pony they've caught. I shake my head just thinking about it. How could anypony want to overthrow Nightmare Moon? All of the data I've reviewed indicates that the citizens of Equestria are the most prosperous of any nation. Luckily, it seemed that for the moment ponies like the one that had just been captured were only distributing propaganda at this point.

Last week, thousands of pamphlets that called for rebellion against the Equestrian government had been distributed throughout Cloudsdale. My understanding is that the threat was so severe that officials issued a no fly order for the whole city. Anypony that engages in such activity deserves to punished to the fullest extent of the law. But am I really the best pony to do this? What if I fail, what then? What if Nightmare Moon is so disappointed in me that she expels me?

These thoughts repeatedly cycle through my head despite my attempts to quell them. Due to this, I'm trembling by the time I arrive at the entrance to the throne room.

“What's wrong, Twilight?” Spike asks me.

“What if I f-fail?” I ask him in terror, looking back at him.

He rolls his eyes and responds, “It's not a test, you just need to relax.”

I enter the room, walk up to the throne, and bow down in front of my teacher. She greets me with a warm smile, her fangs flashing brightly against her pitch-black coat. I know some ponies find it intimidating; I’ve always found it regal. “Nightmare Moon, I'm ready to leave,” I say.

“Very good,” she responds. “Do you remember the spell that allows creatures that are not of the sky to walk on the clouds?”

“Yes,” I answer. “But, if I may ask, why are sending me to do this?”

“Because I trust that you can do what needs to be done. I am giving you the authority to take any actions you deem necessary as long as you report to me,” my mentor says. “When you return, we will have much to discuss regarding the future of your education. Now go, your brother will be waiting to see you off with our profile on the pegasus we've detained at the plaza where we keep the chariots.”

I bow again and leave the throne room. I can do this! I know I can, Nightmare Moon trusts me! But that voice in my head that whispers of failure remains.

My brother, Shining Armor, greets me, “Hey, Twilie. Looks like we both have jobs helping to protect Equestria now.”

“Yeah, but you're the captain of the Royal Guard, and I'm just somepony with I job that I have no idea how to do,” I respond sharply, channeling my anxiety into anger.

“Whoa there, kid,” he says, placing a hoof on my shoulder. “You're going to do great. Just look over this file, you'll be able to run circles around this pony mentally. And interrogations are just mind games. So cheer up. I'll see you soon.”

We hug, and I take the file on this pony who dares to oppose the Equestrian government. I break away from him and trot over to the waiting chariot. I climb into it and nod to the two guards who are harnessed to it. They take off, and I look back at Canterlot as fly away and towards Cloudsdale. Well, this is the first time I've been to Cloudsdale, or, well, anywhere besides Canterlot, really. Perhaps I'll have a chance to visit the weather factory. It's not magic, but understanding weather control could have massive benefits for my research.

“Spike,” I ask, a thought sudden thought crossing my mind, “can dragons walk on clouds? You are creatures of the sky, after all, but when you're grown, you're too big to fit on clouds. And you don't have wings.”

“I don't know,” he answers nervously. “Can't you just use the same spell you're going to cast on yourself on me?”

I pause and consider for a moment. It was designed for Earth ponies and unicorns, both of which are much more morphologically similar than dragons and any kind of pony. But the basic premise is just to make it so that clouds condense like solids when touched by the enchanted creature. I could make allowances for the bipedal nature of Spike as opposed to the quadrupedal nature of equines. “I suppose I can,” I finally answer, much to Spike's relief.

I turn to the file and begin to study it. So this pony's name is Rainbow Dash and she was caught with a note detailing plans to incite a riot and one hundred bits after robbing a store and breaking the no fly order. She escaped from the Cloudsdale orphanage around five years ago now with another pony named Fluttershy, whose current whereabouts are unknown. All indications are that she is not unintelligent, but she never showed strong academic aptitude, nor does she seem to be particularly remarkable in any way except for flying skills. Her survival up until this point seems to have centered on stealth, so she presumably has little to no experience dealing face to face with other ponies. In other words, she's within a normal range of intelligence and should not be able to resist a skilled interrogator. So why am I being sent? I have absolutely no experience interrogating ponies, but I’m certain the Cloudsdale Royal Guard is filled with ponies who do.

When we arrive, I cast the spell and my derivative of it on myself and Spike, respectively. I thank the guards who pulled the chariot, and Spike and I head towards the prison. I look around, noting that many of the pegasi appear to be somewhat underweight. Hmm, that's odd, all the data I've reviewed indicates that the pegasi of Cloudsdale should be especially well fed. Perhaps the recent anti-government activities have disrupted food distribution. Then I note something even more troubling: all of the pegasi seem to be afraid of the guards that are patrolling the streets. Maybe the guards are just acting more harshly than usual because of the elevated threat level, and the other pegasi don't know how to react. Yes, I'm sure that must be it.

A particularly large guard greets us outside of the jail. Most Royal Guards are taller than the general population, but this stallion is even larger than my brother, which is fairly surprising. Flying creatures, including among ponies, tend to be smaller than their flightless relatives since…

My thoughts trail off as he eyes me with slitted yellow eyes before saying in a voice halfway between a hiss and a growl, “Twilight Sparkle, I presume. Nightmare Moon informed my that you would be coming. I am Captain Nightstrike, the head of the Royal Guards stationed in Cloudsdale. Come with me.” He turns and briskly walks inside the building.

I look uneasily at Spike before following him. Something about this pony just seems a little... off. Inside, the jail is a hive of activity. Guards are rushing this way and that, calling out to each other in loud, anxious voices. I can only shake my head at the disorder. Somepony needs to organize this mess. How can the keep order if they aren't organized themselves?

As if reading my thoughts, Captain Nightstrike says, “I apologize for the chaos. Normally, we are much more organized than this. However, recent events have caused quite a stir. Our prisoner is not much further away now.”

We arrive at a cell in which a cyan pegasus with a a rainbow tail and mane is shackled to a chair. Her head is bowed down and her eyes are closed. I wince when I see that her left hind leg is sticking out at an odd angle. “What happened to her leg?” I ask.

“She crashed when trying to avoid being arrested,” Captain Nightstrike answers flatly.

I exclaim, “She needs medical attention! Get her a doctor, right away!”

He stares at me like I've said something in a language he doesn't understand and asks, “Why?”

“Just look at her leg!” I shout. “Besides, how do you expect to get answers out of her like this? At least give her some pain medication!”

Captain Nightstrike sighs, “There are some medical supplies in the cabinet down the hall. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work I need to do.”

I watch him go in disbelief before shaking my head and saying, “Spike, go get those medical supplies, I'll see what I can do.”

Spike salutes and runs down the hall while I look around for a key. Giving up in frustration, I force the lock open with my magic. “Um, hello, Rainbow Dash, I'm Twilight Sparkle,” I say uncertainly.

She looks up at me and opens her eyes. “You're a unicorn,” she mumbles and groans in pain.

I feel a tap on my shoulder, and I turn to see Spike holding up a medical kit. “Thank you,” I say and levitate the kit before me and open it. “Ah-ha!” I exclaim, “Here we go, a pain killer.” I address Rainbow Dash, “Take this, it's for the pain. Um, I'll make a splint for your leg, and then let's talk.”

I do so and wait around an hour brushing up on psychology and behavioral analysis while I wait for the medicine to take effect.

“You're a unicorn,” Rainbow Dash says again in surprise.

“Oh,” I say, jerking my head up from my book. “Yes, I am. I'm Twilight Sparkle, a student of Nightmare Moon.”

She glares at me with such open hostility that I take a step back and shift my eyes away from hers. I never thought that magenta could be such a threatening color. “Um, I cast a spell that let's me walk on clouds,” I say hesitantly. Building a relationship with the pony you're interrogating is supposed to be a good way to begin, right? I know I read that in one of the guides to interrogations...

“I don't care,” Rainbow Dash responds in a hostile tone. “And if you're just going to ask me more about that piece of paper, for the last time, I don't even know what it says!”

I wasn't informed that she had already been interrogated... Well, she must be lying, or I wouldn't be here. Maybe I should try to sow some doubt in her mind, but first I should probably get her to admit to her other crimes. “But you're a thief and you broke the no fly order, right?” I ask.

“Well, duh,” she answers rolling her eyes.

“Why?” I ask as a follow up question.

Rainbow Dash looks at me like I'm an idiot before answering, “Well, I need to steal food just to keep u-myself alive, and, hmm, maybe I didn't want to get caught after I stole some food?”

I pause and consider. I think she was starting to say us there, but should I mention that first or the fact that she was caught with one hundred bits first? Or point out that if she had stayed in the orphanage in the first place, she would have food and probably a job by now? Really, it's her fault that she's in a position where she feels the government doesn't offer anything for her. Making up my mind, I ask, “Is this 'us' you and Fluttershy?”

“I said 'myself',” she retorts, glowering.

“Well, what about the one hundred bits you were caught with?” I demand. “Or did you not know about that, too?”

“I found that bag on a statue,” she says shortly, turning her head away from me.

“Why didn't you use it to buy some food?” I query.

Rainbow Dash just ignores me.

Okay, I'm losing control... I need to do something quickly. “I know you're lying,” I say, causing her to turn and look at me quizzically. “Your friend, Fluttershy, turned you in,” I finish.

Rainbow Dash just laughs, “Now that's a lie! We haven't seen each other since we escaped from the orphanage, and besides, she's the nicest pony in all of Equestria.”

“And how would you know that if you haven't seen her since you ran away?” I ask triumphantly.

She replies, “Or at least she was when I knew her.”

After that, I can't get her to say anything, so I say, “Come on, Spike, let's go.” He hops back on my back and I leave the cell and lock it behind me. I need to create a plan to get her to talk. But what if she was telling the truth? She certainly didn't seem nervous, which is usually indicative of honesty... but how could she be so calm if she hadn't be trained for such situations? Besides, she clearly hates me because I'm a student of Nightmare Moon. Yes, I need to get her to talk more before I can decide. So how to do it...

Comments

[Tamara Bloodhoof]

You messed up how to italicize. You use [ and ] . Other than that, Brilliant. Quite a captivating read. Hope there is more

[MellowMabari]

Ooooh, this seems really interesting. I like it so far, and can't wait for more. I like how you have Twilight as still good, but oblivious to the situation, which really makes sense considering she used to be so absorbed in her studies. And Rainbow being a thief to take care of Fluttershy makes sense too - I see a kind of sisterly thing between them. Keep up the awesome work

[Curious Mew]

663617Thanks for letting me know. On deviantART, where I first uploaded it, the proper format for italics is < and >. I've corrected it now and, thanks to you, I won't make the same mistake in the future. As for more, yes, there definitely will be. I'll try to add more as often as I can while keeping the quality up.

[Tamara Bloodhoof]

(I sigh and check the time. <i>Good, at least I'm still on schedule. I still have half an our before I need to start my observations on the potential applications of long-range extra-equinal teleportation in a system of low-). Only place that I see another Italicization. other than that, you've nailed it. Also, I wonder if Fluttershy did actually sell her out.

[Curious Mew]

668303Again, I need to thank you. From now on, I'll just know to use the find and replace function in the actual document I'm working on. As for Fluttershy, you'll be able to find out when I'm done with the next chapter.