S1 CH 22. Finished!
Twilight sighed and collapsed into her bed, drawing a look from Spike. “That bad, huh?” he asked.
“I can’t believe it,” she grumbled.
He nodded. “A little behind schedule, aren’t you? I thought you wanted it done before the gala?”
She sighed and rolled over onto her back. “I did. It was… harder than I though. But… finally...” She glanced to the book on her desk.
Finally, after countless hours, who knew how many weeks or months, it was finished. Her book was done. She’d done her own edits, removed as many errors as she could, made sure everything matched up correctly from beginning to end and, frankly, done her best job to make sure the story was not just entertaining, but informative as well.
She had to have it sent to real editors of course, but that could wait. First there was one other pony she had to have look at it.
“Do you think she’s going to like it?” Spike asked.
“Parts of it? Yes. Other parts I imagine she’ll throw a tantrum. Maybe I should wait until after the gala to give it to her,” Twilight mumbled. “It’s almost time, so it’s not like it’d be a long wait. I’d rather not making her have more stress on top of everything else going on. But if I don’t give it to her now and she finds out, she’ll probably get mad later and just… ugh,” Twilight muttered and shook her head.
“Could just give it to her and let her decide if she wants to read it later? I mean, she is an adult. Probably. I’m sure she can make decisions for herself.”
Twilight blinked and glanced to Spike. “Probably?”
“What? She can be childish at times and I’ve only seen the one alicorn. Maybe that’s the size they are as babies.”
“That doesn’t even… Celestia was thousands of years old. I think Nightmare Moon is, too,” Twilight snapped before face hoofing. “Just… it… no. She’s just a brat, that doesn’t make her a child.” She glanced back to the book. “But, I suppose you’re right. It’s almost time for the gala. I can probably trust Nightmare Moon to decide the proper time to read the book.”
“Are you excited?”
“Honestly? A bit. I always get this awesome little high after I finish a book. All that effort and work tossed into something I created with my own hooves. I mean, sure, I wish it could be for happier reasons and not because ponies out there are scared and terrified they’re all going to die. But it still feels good to know after all my hard work and dedication, it’s done. My book is finally finished.”
Spike nodded. “I guess. Seems like wayyyy too much work in my opinion. Hard enough to read all that weird pony stuff, let alone write it.”
Twilight glanced down to him, eying the comic besides his bed. “Enjoying the power ponies?”
“Yeah, they’re cool, I guess. I don’t like how the one dragon in their group is such a dork, though. They should just remove him. All he does is make things worse.”
“What, no, that’s not what that kind of character is for.”
Spike snorted. “Oh? Then what is he?”
She smiled and reached down, patting his head. “Obviously he’s the heart of the group.”
“Gaaaaag.”
“He’s the one without all the special powers and abilities, the one who’s just normal and messes up a lot, but because of that, it allows the reader to feel better about themselves. They get to realize that, even when they mess up, it doesn’t mean they’re a failure or they don’t deserve to be in the groups they’re in. It just means sometimes they have to work harder. And then when they have their moment in the sun, it’s all the better because they had to work so hard for it.”
Spike snorted. “Really? That seems a bit silly.”
“It also helps ponies to realize that, even when they're not as strong or capable as some other ponies, it doesn't mean they can't still help. After all, just beating a foe into submission rarely works. It's usually far more effective to talk with them and try to understand why it is they do what they do.”
“Like you're doing with Nightmare Moon?” he asked.
She paused, before nodding. “Yes. Kind of. I mean, I understand most of why she does what she does. She's clingy and lonely, fairly anti-social, angry. Well, she was angry. Now... now I'm not so sure.”
Spike shrugged and grabbed his comic. “She seems pretty angry to me.”
“I think stressed is more accurate in this situation,” she muttered. “The gala has... everypony on edge. For good reason. If it goes well, then, well, yay. But if it goes poorly...”
“Return of Nightmare 'whip all who oppose me' Moon?”
The earth pony nodded with a groan. “Exactly. All the tickets are sold, but if somepony was planning to make a big political statement, well, this would be the time. And it might end up ruining months of hard work,” she muttered.
“Won't that just make things worse, though? Would it even accomplish anything?”
“Publicly snubbing Nightmare Moon on her big night? It will be a grand gesture that will make the ponies doing it feel good about themselves, as if they're accomplishing something, but it won't really achieve anything in this situation. There are times for that thing, but this isn't one of them.”
Spike cocked his head to the side. “Really? Then when is the time?”
“When she doesn't have a death grip on the country,” Twilight muttered, before sitting down. “See, the problem is we can't stop her all together. If this was some gesture to rally the troops, so to speak, to help us overthrow her that'd be one thing. But she turned a dragon into a squirrel. Or rabbit or... whatever she turned it into.”
“A squirrel.”
“Exactly. She's powerful, far more powerful than any of us. Even combined. But in the end, she cares. She cares about what we think, what we do, how we feel. She, more or less, wants us to like her. What she needs now, more than anything, is positive reinforcement.”
“You make her sound like a puppy,” he muttered.
“What? It's normal psychology.”
“Let me guess, you have a minor?”
She gave a sheepish smile. “Y-yes. Positive reinforcement is just a good way to make a pony do what you want. Ponies like feeling special and complimented, so it's really the best way to go about it. Whenever we make her feel good about the things she does, the better things may get for us. But if she feels like no matter what happens, she's still going to be ignored and hated...” She gave a light shudder. “Then everything can go wrong. Because if she can't earn our love and respect, why should she even try? Nopony wants to feel like no matter how hard they try they can never win.”
Spike nodded, glancing down to his comic. “Mmmm hm. So is throwing her against the wall positive reinforcement?”
She cringed. “That is what happens when I over react, okay? Sometimes it happens. Sometimes a pony makes the wrong decisions and bad things happen, okay? I messed up, I'm sorry.”
Spike chuckled. “Hey, you don't need to apologize to me. I thought it was hilarious.”
“Anyway, I stand by what I said. We're in a delicate time now, it would be so easy for everything we've worked on to go wrong now. All it will take is one pony deciding 'I'm going to make a difference by spitting in Nightmare Moon's face' for everything to start spiraling back down to where we were.”
Spike nodded. “You think it will go that bad?”
She was silent for a moment before shaking her head. “No. Worst case scenario, we get some high and mighty sort trying to make a grand gesture, they send Nightmare Moon off on a grand... pissed offness. But what's more likely to happen is we get some noble trying to make a grand gesture, she gets mad, we manage to comfort her, this pony loses their lands and deeds or possibly becomes an enemy of the crown and has their power drained. After the whole Trixie incident I'm a little doubtful they'll do that. Publicly shaming her is just not the way to get what they want and they will really lose things in that event.”
“So, what is the way? Codling her?”
“Showing her that ponies actually could like her if she wouldn't cause so many problems,” Twilight grumbled. “Her nights are pretty, anypony can see that! The moon and the stars and sometimes we have the northern lights and the meteor showers. All of those are so pretty and wonderful, but it's not ALL we want to see, all we want to experience. Until she realizes that, not much is going to change and we're going to just be stuck in this horrible cycle of things going from bad to worse. More and more ponies are accepting her though, if for no other reason than they feel they have no choice. But there's always going to be this bitterness as long as she holds the sun and Celestia hostage.”
Spike nodded. “Mmmm. You think you can get her to knock it off?”
“I don't know. Yes? Maybe? Hopefully this book will help,” Twilight muttered before rolling out of bed and trotting over to it. She picked it up and examined it. “Hopefully this will teach ponies and help them understand that, yes, she's here. No, we can't over throw her. But that doesn't mean we have to. Co-existence IS a possibility.”
“You think she's going to like it? The book, I mean?”
“I don't know. I'd... best go and bring it to her,” Twilight muttered before tossing her saddlebag on and flicking the book into it. The all too familiar weight felt somehow far worse this time as she trotted out of the door.
And was nearly trampled by a few ponies hauling a great statue. “Gang way!”
She yelped and dove back in, before glaring at the ponies. It wasn't the first time she'd nearly been trampled and she doubted it would be the last. The gala was fast approaching and the final preparations were now being set. Her room had a noise nullification enchantment cast on it, but once she was outside she could hear the sound of hammers and saws working tirelessly to get everything prepared for the festivities. While the primary reconstructions were occurring down below in the crystal mines, the main castle was still being prepared as the guests would be traveling through it. Great statues of Nightmare Moon and her subjects throughout time were being set up and the main entrance to the castle now had thousands of fake stars flying up above, with a great dome upside down on the roof, signifying the moon.
She trotted through the halls, cringing when she went by the kitchen. “Now yah listen here yah two bit chef, ah don't care if 'Rosemary's guide tah all things cakes' says yah need tah add three tablespoons of sugar. The recipe calls for two tablespoons an' we Apples been workin' on this recipe for generations! Now if yah got some suggestion, fine, but ah want a good reason for it, not jus' cause yah read it in some overpriced cook book!”
Twilight let out a soft chuckle before trotting into the cafeteria. The room was filled with ponies and stacks of food on the table, with unicorns moving about to enchant it to keep it fresh until the gala. She walked to the kitchen door and propped it open just a bit. Applejack was standing besides a plethora of cakes, pies, fritters, as well as salads, muffins and cookies. There was a flurry of activity inside as the ponies raced about, trying to perfect everything as best they could.
“How's it going?” Twilight asked.
Applejack blinked and looked up, before sighing. “It's all goin' well enough. Though, ah'll admit, gettin' all this food prepped is turnin' out tah be a bit more difficult than ah'd initially expected.” She walked out from the room, shaking her head.
“Is everything going okay? Do you need any more help?” Twilight asked.
Applejack sighed before glancing back. “Nah. Honestly? Most of them cooks an' bakers back there are worth their weight in bits.”
“Awwwww,” echoed from the kitchen.
The mare rolled her eyes. “But they all ain't got a proper appreciation from proper apple treats!” she snapped.
There were light chuckles from the kitchen.
“Getting along well enough with them, at least,” Twilight said with a chuckle. “Any other problems?”
“Nah, not really. Was havin' a bit of trouble gettin' all the food we needed, were runnin' a bit low on sugar an' flour that we needed. But now we got everythin' back in order.” She then sighed. “The most annoyin' part is, well... the special orders.” She trotted over to a big sparkly binder on one of the nearby tables.
“Special orders?” Twilight asked.
“Oh yeah. Here, stand back,” Applejack said before grabbing a nearby stick in her mouth. With a flourish, she used it to push the binder open. Instantly confetti shot out of it, filling the air. She tossed the stick aside. “Pinkie likes tah go a bit overboard.”
“I... I see,” Twilight said softly. “And...?”
“You ain't seen nothin' yet. Go ahead. Start readin'.”
Twilight hummed and moved forward. Then paused. Her eyes went wide. “This... this is brilliant.”
“Keep readin'.”
“How did she come up with this? This... this is amazing. There are flow charts! Maps! Note cards on every guest! How did she learn all this?”
“That's just Pinkie. Keep goin'.”
“But this is amazing. She even...” She trailed off and stared at the seating arrangements. She started cross referencing it with the notes on guests, her mouth falling open. It was perfect. Not a single guest who hated another guest was near each other. Even the triple Chestnut/Walnut/Pinecone family feud looked as if it had been dealt with correctly and considering how relatively new it was, she couldn't help but be impressed. She didn't think she could have done as good a job. “This is amazing.”
“Keep. Reading.”
“Why? What could-- oh. Oh dear. That... oh dear.”
“There yah go.”
“... Wait. How do you... make an apple pie without...” Twilight face hoofed. “So they want a peach pie, basically?”
“Eeyup. Ah don't know why they couldn't jus' say, 'Hey, ah want a peach pie'. Who in tarnation asks for an apple pie, jus' replace the apples with peaches? An that ain't even the worst of them!”
“I didn't know we were doing requests like that.”
Applejack sighed and shook her head. “Blame Pinkie Pie. She added a 'suggestion/requests' box to the tickets to be submitted as of last week. Sometimes ah don't know what that mare is thinkin'.”
“Will you be able to do it?”
“Hm? Do it? Ah, of course. Ah mean, it ain't really gonna be that hard. Make a few extra pies, make some things without certain ingredients. Lots of lactose intolerance ponies in this city it seems,” Applejack said with a shrug. “It's just a whole bunch of extra work an' it's provin' tah make things difficult.”
She nodded, then glanced around the mostly empty cafeteria. “So, where are ponies eating.”
“Honestly? We jus' been dumpin' whatever we mess up on to the barracks. Ain't had much call for complaints, yet. After all, a cake that leans slightly to the left is, well, still a cake.”
“Wait, you're not just feeding the guards sweets, are you?”
Applejack cocked an eye. “Of course not. This ain't jus' a desert thing. We got all kinds of proper food up an' ready for this here shin dig. But ah still got a ton of work tah do, so if yah ain't got no need for nothin', yah mind beatin' it?”
Twilight blinked, then gasped. “O-oh. Right, I guess you guys are kind of busy, aren’t you?”
“Jus’ a tad. I’d love tah chat an’ hang out, but well… yah know how it is. We need tah get as much of this work done now, right an’ proper, as we can.”
Twilight nodded. “Right, of course. I’ll go ahead and stay out of your mane then. Good luck,” she said before giving a wave and trotting off. She slowly navigated through the halls, coming to the main entrance and pausing when she saw Rarity standing off to the side and motioning towards the curtains.
“Okay, we’ll need to replace those ones as well. We have a an absolutely delightful shooting star grouping we can use that I am sure will be a big hit with all the ponies visiting,” the mare said with a nod. “However, make sure to keep the one with the new royal seal in the middle, I want ponies to still realize where they are and having it over the main entrance will help to remind them of that, without distracting from the feel,” the unicorn said.
“Everything going well?” Twilight asked as she walked up.
“Hmmm?” the unicorn asked before glancing up. “Oh, it’s being absolutely delightful. We should have all of the decorations prepared with plenty of time to spare. The caverns are an absolute dream now, if you get the chance I would heavily recommend you take the time to go see them.”
Twilight nodded and looked around. “Where’s Pinkie?”
“Oh, I have no idea, darling. She could be anywhere. I’ve seen her popping in and out of town all week,” Rarity said with a shake of her head, before cringing. “No, the statue needs to be in front of the door, so ponies go around it, not to the side! Oh dear.”
Twilight nodded, chuckling. “Have you seen Nightmare Moon?”
“Mmmm. Not all morning. Maybe ask some of the other girls?”
“Oh? Do you know where they are?”
“Hmmm. Rainbow is out in the main courtyard practicing with the other Shadowbolts. Might I suggest there? Nightmare Moon might be supervising. Other than that, perhaps try Fluttershy. She’s started tending to the royal pets.”
Twilight blinked. “Royal… pets?”
“Oh, indeed. The gardens apparently have quite a large amount of different critters that abound within. They were apparently a tad timid and shy around her at first, but with the aid of one of the caretakers, they’ve slowly grown to like her.”
Twilight nodded, giving a sigh. “Well, I’ll go find those two first then, thank you.”
She trotted outside and let out a gasp. True to Rarity’s words, there were a number of ponies standing outside and many more in the sky. Despite the fact the night sky overhead was an impossibly black backdrop, the uniforms of the Shadowbolts seemed to glow different colors, leaving streaks of glowing purple in their wake as they flew about, diving and weaving amongst each other. It was like watching a great tapestry being made by a dozen needles all at once. They spun and weaved amongst each other, the colors mixing into vibrant displays.
Twilight joined the onlookers, staring with awe. The ponies swirled around, finally creating an outline of Nightmare Moon before it exploded into dazzling stars above, then dove down. The Shadowbolts panted with exhaustion, their bodies covered in sweat. The crowd cheered at their magnificent display nonetheless, stomping their hooves in appreciation as the ponies merely waved at their fans.
Twilight trotted up. “Rainbow! You here?”
“Hmmm?” one of the Shadowbolts asked, before trotting over. She had a water bottle in her hoof. “Hey, Twilight, what’s up? Did you catch that?”
“Yes, that was amazing! What’s with your uniforms?” She suddenly realized Rainbow’s was glowing a light purple. “Is it okay?”
“It’s part of the show,” Rainbow said proudly. “It’s how we get all the light stuff to show up. We all have different colors and, as much as I hate to admit it… it’s sooooo cooooool. It’s a shame the Wonderbolts didn’t do more night shows before all this happened.” She then frowned and looked around, moving in a little closer. “Though… I still kind of wish they’d be able to do a few more day shows, if you know what I mean.”
Twilight sighed and gave a nod. “I know exactly what you mean. I wish we could all get a few day shows. So practice is going well?”
“Yeah. We’ve got a few more rehearsals to do, but we’re mostly just working the opening. After that, we’ll be mingling with the crowds as representatives. It’s going to be awesome,” Rainbow said with a grin.
“Ah, hello!” a pegasus said, stepping forward before bowing his head. “A pleasure to meet you. You must be this Twilight I’ve heard so much about?”
The earth pony blinked and nodded. “Err… yes? And you’re…?”
“Oh, right. Twilight, meet Shadowfang, my teacher.”
She blinked and looked him up and down. His goggles were up, revealing his yellow eyes. Then she glanced back to his hooves. “Oh! You must be one of the wereponies. A pleasure to meet you,” she said with a smile. “I had heard rumors that some of the Shadowbolts were them, but I didn’t know--” The words caught in her mouth when she saw the look of horror on his face. “Is something wrong?”
Rainbow chuckled and shook her head. “What? Twilight, don’t be ridiculous. He’s not a werepony.”
She blinked. “What? But… the eyes. The claws. The--”
“I think I’d know… if… he...” The pegasus trailed off and stared at him as if she was seeing him for the first time. “Wait...”
The pegasus shuffled in place. “I-it’s not, I mean, R-Rainbow, it’s not like that. I just, err, I-I didn’t want to, I thought--”
“Wait, you ARE?” Rainbow snapped.
Twilight couldn’t help but notice plenty of the other Shadowbolts were giving her dirty looks now.
“I, well, kinda, but I just thought--”
“We’ve been working together for months! Why didn’t you tell me? We’ve crashed into each other like a dozen times! What if I’d been infected?!”
Twilight perked up. “Actually, spreading of the lycanthrope disease doesn’t work like that. Remember what I said--”
“Twilight, not now,” Rainbow snapped. “You and I are supposed to be wingponies, why didn’t you tell me?”
“I-I didn’t, I mean, it’s not like I didn’t want to tell you, I was just waiting for the right time, I know you aren’t comfortable with the whole--”
“What? Finding out my partner has been hiding something like this from me? No, I’m not. We’re supposed to look out for each other!”
He shuffled. “I-I just, I thought you knew, s-since, I mean--”
“Bull feathers!”
He cringed and lowered himself. “I… I just… I didn’t… want you to react like this,” he squeaked.
“Well, hiding something this important from me was definitely the right way to go about it,” she snapped, before turning her back to him. “Twilight, what did you want?”
“Rainbow--” Shadowfang started.
“I don’t want to hear it from you,” she snapped.
Twilight stared. “I… I thought you knew, I never meant to--”
“Of course you thought I did,” Rainbow said coldly. “After all, what kind of WINGPONY would hide this kind of thing from their partner?”
Twilight cringed. “R-Rainbow, I didn’t--”
“Twilight, what did you want? If you don’t mind, I wanna make this quick. I need to go talk with Spitfire about a possible change in my partner,” Rainbow said coldly, drawing a hurt look from the other pegasus.
“I… I just wanted to know if you’d… seen Nightmare Moon.”
“Her? She was down here a bit ago watching us. Haven’t seen her in a while though, sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Twilight mumbled. She looked between the two. “Are you going to be okay?”
“I’m going to be fine,” Rainbow said before she started trotting off. “I’m getting a drink.”
Shadowfang followed after her. “Rainbow, please, I--”
“Don’t! How am I possibly supposed to trust you if you’re keeping things like this from me? Are you even a pegasus? Not a griffon in disguise? We’re supposed to have each other’s backs!”
“I-I did, I do, I--”
“I don’t want to hear it!”
Twilight stared at the two, watching with worry. She glanced to the other Shadowbolts. “I… I’m sorry, I thought it was pretty obvious.”
“It was,” one of them said with a shake of her head. “We told him months ago he should have told her, but he decided to keep it a secret. Didn’t expect some nosy writer to out him, I guess.”
Twilight cringed at all the glares she was receiving, but slowly they began to dissipate. The other mare walked over. “Listen, it’s fine. It’s his own fault trying to keep something like that from her, he knew what he was doing. It was bound to blow up in his face eventually.”
Twilight nodded, eying the two walking off. “I’m still so sorry. I didn’t mean to out him like that.”
“I’m sure Rainbow will calm down,” the mare said with a shrug. “Probably.”
Twilight nodded. “I… I hope so. I’m going to go check out the gardens. I… I’ll try to see Rainbow later when she’s calmed down. Sorry for… all of this.”
“It’s fine, you couldn’t have known.”
The earth pony nodded and trotted off, though she couldn’t help feeling guilty for the trouble she caused. She hoped the other two would be okay. It didn’t take her long before she arrived at the garden and only a few more minutes to find the gentle yellow pegasus. She was sitting amongst a herd of animals who all stared at her with awe as she gently pet a bunny. “After we finished building the dam, we helped all the little gophers find a brand new home they could sleep in. Now, it wasn’t easy, but we all came together to get the job done. Oh, hi Twilight,” the mare said before giving a wave. This drew the attention of the animals and she noticed them begin to tense. “Oh, no. Don’t worry little friends. Twilight won’t do anything bad. She’s a dear, dear friend of mine. What brings you here?”
“I’m just curious if you know where Nightmare Moon is? Has she been around here?”
“Oh dear, no. I don’t think she’s ever visited the animals. The poor things are just starved for attention. It’s such a shame, really,” she said before gently petting one of the bunnies. “They’re just absolute dears, all of them. Perhaps you can try the castle?”
“I will. So, ummm, how are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m doing fine, can’t complain,” she said with a smile. “Everypony is just working so hard, I’m trying to stay out of their way.”
Twilight nodded. “Yeah, I’ve noticed, it’s a real madhouse in there. Well, I’m going back in. Thanks.”
“It’s no problem. Stay safe.”
“I usually do.” Twilight trotted back towards the castle, going by the front so she could glance up at the flying Shadowbolts when she passed. She really hoped Rainbow would work out the problems with her friend. She trotted into the castle and cringed when she caught sight of a statue of her in the main entrance, besides Nightmare Moon. “Ummm, Rarity, is that necessary?”
“Hmmm? Oh, of course,” Rarity said with a nod, motioning to it. “Nightmare Moon specifically requested that statues of her most loyal student and advisor be put on display. Moondancer’s is already on its way.”
Twilight stared, her mouth falling open. Her cheeks turned bright red. “I don't know if I want everypony seeing that... I'm already practically getting egged in the streets as it is. This is just going to make matters worse. Besides, I don't transfer to statue very well.”
Rarity blinked and looked up at the statue, before glancing to Twilight. “Darling, you transfer over just fine. Listen, there's no need to be so shy.” She reached out and patted her on the back. “Listen, nopony is going to notice it next to the big statue of Nightmare Moon, so don't worry so much, okay?”
Twilight eyed it for a few more moments before giving an exasperated sigh. “Very well. She wasn't outside, have you seen her anywhere?”
“Nope. Have you tried the throne room? Or perhaps the caverns?”
Twilight shook her head. “I guess I'll try those next. I can't imagine why she'd make herself so scarce right now...” The earth pony started trotting again. While Nightmare Moon wasn't in the throne room, she did see Moondancer sitting down by the throne, a book open. “Moondancer?” the mare called out.
“Hmmm? Oh! Twilight, yes? Is there something I can help you with?” she asked with a smile.
“I'm looking for Nightmare Moon. Have you seen her anywhere?”
The unicorn shook her head. “No. She's been spending a lot of time down below, in the crystal mines. She's probably down there. Have you been well? I haven't seen you in a while.”
“I've just been working to finish the book. I think I've got most the finishing touches done, now I just need to have Nightmare Moon look over it and tell me what she thinks.”
Moondancer nodded and trotted over. “Really? It's finished already? I thought it would take a lot longer. How'd it come out? Do you think she'll like it? All of it?”
“No. But I find most ponies rarely like everything in a story. Especially not a story about them. Hopefully she'll like the majority of it, though,” Twilight said with a sigh before shaking her head. “I think she'll like most of it, though. But mostly I think I was able to explain everything every pony needs to know. About, well, almost everything. It's... been a test.”
“So this means you're done then, right? You're leaving?”
Twilight paused. “What?”
“Well, the book is finished and that was the job as... well, a bard? She'll probably let you go if you want her to.” She couldn't be sure, but she was certain she saw a light quiver to the other mare's lips.
“I don't have any intention of going anywhere,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “As much as I would like my job to be done, there's still plenty I can do. Plenty I NEED to do. And... well...” She looked around for a moment. “I honestly think the two of us have been a good influence on her. I can't help but notice how much more manageable she's become of late. How much did you have to work with her before the diplomatic meetings?”
Moondancer shuddered. “I had to go over every single treaty we'd made in the last century. Then the ones that were still active or up for renewal. I thought she was going to declare war on the donkeys about three times.” She sighed and put a hoof to her forehead and shook her head. “But once I explained everything, how happy most ponies were with the treaties we had, well...”
“She was more than happy to keep them happy?”
She nodded. “Though, the dragons still have me a bit... nerve wracked. That could have gone so badly. Can you imagine what will happen if actual war comes to us with the dragons? They're... well...”
“Huge? Goliathan? Destructive? Deadly?” Twilight offered.
“All that and more. If we actually have to fight them, hundreds, maybe thousands may die. I don't know if they plan to make a move but...”
“What about that dragon that was turned into a squirrel?”
“Hopefully that convinces them to not try for a while,” Moondancer mumbled before glancing back to her book. “But, all in all, it wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be keeping her tolerable during the negotiations. She seemed more than happy to work with everypony. A lot different from when we first met her.”
Twilight nodded and moved over by her. “Is it just me, or does she seem... well... a lot nicer lately? Like... she's actually growing and developing? Becoming nicer? Did she... tell you about what... I... well...?”
“I think she is,” Moondancer said softly. “And yes. Well, not so much told me as... confirmed it. The rumors about you actually flinging her into the wall were... exagerated, right? You just pushed her, didn't you?”
Twilight coughed into her hoof sheepishly. “Well...”
The mare managed to, barely, not snicker. “R-really? You actually did that? How are you not in chains now?”
“I have no idea,” the earth pony said with a groan. “I've been asking myself that for days.” She walked over and sat by her. “I haven't talked with you much of late but... ummm... do you think we're doing the right thing? For the right reasons?”
Moondancer shrugged. “I think we're doing the best we can for everypony. Why?”
“No reason. I just...” Twilight nudged the ground. “You don't think for example we might be... trying to get, well... power?”
The unicorn stared at her, mouth falling open. “You're kidding.”
“I-I just, I mean, I'm not saying we are. I just, well...”
“I think if we were doing this for power there'd be a lot of better ways to go about it,” she said with a shake of her head. “What even made you think that?”
“Nothing. Something. I don't know. Just something Tirek said. I--”
“Don't listen to him,” Moondancer said firmly.
“What?”
“I've found more information on him. In the restricted section.”
“You did? What did you find out?”
“He can't be trusted. When he came here, he came on a mission of peace, but he was only interested in capturing and draining ponies. He's a manipulator, pure and simple. There is absolutely nothing good about him.”
“You... you're sure?”
“He's just as vile as Nightmare Moon,” Moondancer said with a shake of her head. “If he somehow got out, we'd just be in the same situation. Trying to control him and stopping him from doing truly terrible things. Don't get close to him, he'll only betray you in the end.”
Twilight nodded, sighing. “I... know I can't trust him. Don't worry,” she said with a small smile. “I'm being careful. I just don't see any problems with getting to know him. At least a little. Who knows? Maybe he'll turn out to help us in the end.”
“Whatever you feel like,” Moondancer said with a shrug, before pausing. “Looking forward to the gala?”
“Oh, so much!”
“Is it your first one?”
“No. I've been to a few, actually. This is my first time as a guest of honor, though. Usually I was, well, just a normal guest. I'd bought my ticket and usually went with my parents. And even then it was more when I was younger.”
“Well, if your little pink friend is an example of what's to come, this gala is going to end up being like none we've ever seen before. I don't know what she plans to do, but I can guarantee it's going to end up turning quite a few heads.”
“Do you think it'll make Nightmare Moon happy?”
“It should satisfy her desire to have it unique, at the very least. Now, if she'll like it is anyone's guess.”
“Hopefully unique is enough for her,” Twilight muttered. “I'm going to go have a look around the caverns. If you see her, let her know I'm looking for her, okay?”
“Of course. Good luck, Twilight. I look forward to reading it!”
“Thanks,” the earth pony said before trotting off down the hall. Before long she came to the large stone doorway that led to the tunnels under the castle. She looked around nervously as she walked, her hoofsteps echoing through the chamber and reverberating off the many crystals. She could see her reflection in so many of them, distorted and altered.
She entered the main dining chamber, filled with tables and glassware. The roof had hundreds of crystals sticking down from above, allowing the lights to reflect off them in dazzling rainbows of color as well as giving off their own slightly dim glow. Workers were still going about, clearing out any rubble and ensuring there was no chance of any collapse in the tunnels, but for the most part the caverns were ready. She then trotted into the next chamber, one much like the first but almost completely empty, the dance floor. A platform of carved crystal was near the back, where the band would stand.
There were almost a dozen little tunnels in the room as well. Most of them were marked off with ropes and warning tape, while a few were open or just covered with a cloth rope. Those ones connected to tunnels that would be used for storage, in fact one of the tunnels had a short range teleportation circle set up for the waiters to use to bring trays and foods into the hall. There was a second one set up in the dining chamber as well.
Her eyes fell on one tunnel that was covered in ropes, though most of the ropes had been moved and pushed aside. She trotted into it and looked around. “Hello?” she called out.
She didn't receive a response and kept walking. The chamber was dirty with plenty of crystals jutting out from the walls. She didn't know why a pony would go down this way, but she knew it was dangerous. “Hello? Anypony here?” she called out again, making her way through the narrow hall.
She soon heard hoofsteps ahead and quickly picked up her speed, a grin on her lips. She turned a corner. “Are you--” The words caught in her throat.
Nightmare Moon stared down at her, her eyes wide with shock. “What are you doing down here, bard?”
“I was looking for you!”
“And how did you know we were down here?” the alicorn asked.
“I didn't. I saw the ropes were off this tunnel, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. It's dangerous to go down this way. You could get hurt or...” The words trailed off. “Well, a normal pony could get hurt.”
Nightmare Moon snorted. “Indeed, a normal pony could get hurt. We merely wished to see more of these tunnels. The chambers below are... well... quite different from what they were when last we traveled through here.”
“They were here then, as well?”
“Indeed. These lands are filled with crystals and gems. These caverns hold some particularly strong ones. They are incredibly dense and excellent in manipulating magical energies.”
“Really?” Twilight asked. “Manipulating them how?”
“Absorption, containment. For example, a place like here it would be very, very difficult for one to teleport out from. At least, using traditional teleportation magic. You'd need to have strange magic that didn't operate under normal means in order to do such a thing.”
“Even you?” Twilight asked, aghast.
“We could, if we needed. But it would be difficult task even with our now great power. Or rather... it would be easy to get to. But leaving would be quite difficult. We would need to go around the crystals themselves in order to properly move about.”
Twilight nodded, looking around. “I see. And that's why they were harvested?”
“Of course. Crystals like these are excellent for containment spells. In fact, they are the primary component by which I bind Tirek.”
Twilight nodded. “Ohhhh. Is that why you don't want the ponies going too far in?”
“Indeed. If a pony was to traverse through these mines and get lost or hurt, they would likely be unable to get help. Further up, where many of the crystals have been mined or removed it is fine. But the deeper one goes...” She shook her head.
Twilight nodded and glanced back. “So what's down there, then? How far did you go?”
“We wished to see how deep these tunnels went and examine them further. If you wish, we could take you.” There was a small pause. “But you must not travel into them alone.”
“What? Why?”
“You are but an earth pony. If you were to trip and fall, hurt yourself in some way, none could come to save you. If something... bad were to happen to you, it would upset us.”
Twilight blushed and glanced off to the side. “Thank you, your highness. I would like to examine them a bit more if I could be given the chance. If, err, that's okay. Oh! But that's not why I came to speak with you. The book is finished. Whenever you'd like to read it, it's now available for your perusal.” She motioned to the bag on her back.
The mare's eyes widened slightly. “Truly?” Her horn glowed and the bag opened, allowing her to draw the book free. She flipped it open to the first page and gently sighed, gazing through the pages.
Twilight stared in confusion, cocking her head to the side. “Your highness?”
“Hmmm?”
“You're... looking at it quite strangely.”
“We're sorry. It is just...” Nightmare Moon gave another soft sigh. “We are delighted to be able to read something that will not paint us as some monster bent on destroying Equestria and all it holds.”
“Oh, of course not. That doesn't happen until chapter six,” she joked.
“What? Why would thee write such a thing?!” Nightmare Moon asked, glowering at her. Twilight eeped.
“It... it was a joke, your highness,” she said softly, giving a nervous smile. “M-my... my apologies...”
The mare glared down at her. Then gave a light chuckle. “O-oh! A... a joke. We see. Yes. Ah, quite... quite humorous. Yes. Us destroying the kingdom we have for a great time longed to return to is... very... funny.”
Twilight coughed and looked off to the side. “R-right. I err, I guess it was in... poor taste. I'm sorry, your highness.”
“It is... quite alright, young bard. We, err, appreciate your... attempts to make us laugh. It does not have that, correct?”
“Of course not. I gave you the notes, it strictly follows that set storyline as detailed,” she said with a firm nod. “I know you won't like everything about it, but... it's as accurate a story as I could do. I've tried to put in enough so ponies can finally understand who you are and... maybe come to accept you.” She glanced off to the side. “I know it's not always going to be easy, your highness. Not... every pony will want to accept you. But... I know you're trying your hardest and I will do everything in my power to try to get ponies to understand that. Okay?”
The alicorn nodded, glancing over to her. “We... know that now, young bard. And we do appreciate it. Were it not for you...” She trailed off. “We thank you greatly for your assistance in everything. For all the aid you have offered us and... your guidance.” She glanced to the book. “Will... you... still maintain your position as our bard, even though the story is finished?”
Twilight blinked a few times. “That's what Moondancer asked me. I ummm... if I'm not fired, I will of course stay. If you'll allow it. I have no desire to run off now that the job is done. There are still plenty of jobs to do and being your bard isn't so bad. Really. I never thought I would be a bard to royalty,” she said with a smile.
“Our sister would not have appreciated you as we have, would you not agree?” Nightmare Moon asked.
Twilight blinked. “Well... I... I guess not. I mean, she did get me the whole... she was the one who wanted me to write the story to begin with. About you. That seems to be plenty appreciative.”
“Bah!” The alicorn shook her head. “We have done so much more than ask one story of you, though. We have allowed you to aid us in all of our endeavors. To... weave a story of our reign, as it were. Is that not far better than our foalish sister asked of you? Nay, far beyond what that foalish mare ever asked of you?”
Twilight blinked a few times, opening her mouth in confusion. She then gave a slow, weak nod. “I... I suppose? I don't think she wanted me to do anything more, though. She seemed quite content with me just writing this story for her. About you,” she said softly, eying the other mare. “Your highness, is something wrong?”
Nightmare Moon blinked a few times, eying her. “Tell us, bard. Do you still desire her day over our night?”
“Wait, you mean you'll bring back the day?” Twilight asked, excitement filling her voice. She realized almost instantly it was the wrong thing to say as the alicorn's eyes hardened.
“No. The sun shall NEVER return,” Nightmare Moon snapped. “We merely wished to ask of you, your opinion on it. But we see even one of our most loyal subjects STILL longs for our sister's day. Despite all we have done for you,” she grumbled darkly.
“W-wait, your highness, I never meant--”
“We both know of what exactly you meant,” the alicorn snapped, shaking her head. “There is no need, nay, no desire for you to lie. Our night still does not entice you, no matter what it is that we offer with it. And that is how it has always been and likely how it will always be, though we pamper our little ponies so.” She shook her head. “Are our stars not more beautiful than a hundred suns? Our dark tapestry upon which we weave the most beautiful and glorious of sights enough to tempt thee? And yet, still, you long for the touch of our sister's magic. To feel the glow of her sun, as if our moon is but a false imposter that dangles into the sky high above.” She shuddered. “It is no matter. We have told thee, again and again, of what will happen. The sun shall never rise again, no matter how they may beg and plead. And our sister shall NEVER return to usurp us again. For Equestria is ours and it shall be ours FOREVER!” the mare roared before storming off through the chambers.
Twilight watched her go, giving a soft sigh. “Stupid,” she whispered to herself. “So, so stupid. So close. Why did I have to get so excited?” She lightly bonked herself on the head with a hoof. She slowly trotted back out from the chamber, giving one last glance back to the crystal chamber.
“Woo, she was in a nasty mood,” Pinkie said from one of the chairs in the dining chamber, a big binder in front of her. “Hey Twilight! Did you see Moody Moony? She looked maaaaaaad.”
Twilight groaned and lightly thumped her head on the table. “I'm. An. Idiot.”
“Nahhhhhh. You're not an idiot! I mean, sure, the Equestrian school system can have some issues sometimes, but there's absolutely no way you could have gotten all those degrees if you weren't so smart.”
Twilight sighed and shook her head. “Not what I meant. Pinkie?” she asked, glancing up to her. She trotted over. “I saw your charts. Have you run a party this size before?”
“Nope! But we gotta try something the first time once, right? Otherwise we’d never be able to try anything because we hadn’t done it before!”
Twilight paused before slowly nodding. “I… suppose that’s true. I just want to say, I saw your seating arrangements. They were quite impressive. I would have imagined you’d done dozens of parties like this in the past to have so expertly managed it.”
She giggled and shook her head. “Oh, no, nothing like that, silly. You just need to understand ponies. Some ponies don’t like other ponies for some reason, other ponies don’t like certain things, then other ponies really like some ponies but dislike the things those ponies like and--”
“No, no, I get it,” Twilight said quickly. “I just, err, I wanted to say thank you. For everything. You’ve done a truly spectacular job and I am certain this gala will be amazing accordingly.”
“Well, I sure hope so! It’d have been a waste to try so hard if it wasn’t, now wouldn’t it?” Pinkie asked with a big giggle, smiling to her. “Thanks though! So, what do you plan to do?”
“Me?”
“Well, you’ve got your book all done, right? So what now?”
Twilight sighed. “I… am not really sure. I still have a lot to write but… I think...” She frowned and rubbed her chin. “I think Tirek should be next.”
“Ohhhh, meany giant horse butt? Fun!”
She nodded. “Oh, yes. He’s… definitely a something,” Twilight said with a small smile. “But I figure I can find out a bit more about him and maybe it’ll help ponies to understand just… what he is.” She then paused. “Buck! I forgot to ask him if Nightmare Moon could… ugh. I need to talk to him. AGAIN!”
“Oh? Have fun! Better hurry!”
“Why?”
“Gala’s almost here, silly! And you know what that means?”
“… Drinking?”
“PARTY!” Pinkie yelled, throwing confetti in the air.
Twilight stared before softly sighing and lifting a hoof to her head. “Of course. I’ll see you around, Pinkie.”
“Okie dokie loki!” the mare called, waving.
------
Twilight slowly descended the stairs that she had spent far too much time over the last few months going down. She glanced to the cell and, to her surprise, saw Tirek. He was laying on his back, his arms out over his head and hanging off over the side of the bed. His hooves were occasionally kicking in place, as if he was running upside down.
She stared for a few moments and couldn’t resist. She let out a soft little snort of laughter. A moment later the centaur’s eyes opened. He looked surprised, then glared. “Ah. You.”
“No, no, keep sleeping. You’re oddly adorable when you sleep.”
He glowered darkly at her, rolling to his hooves. “Very humorous. What do you want now, little bird?”
“I want to… wait, what? Bird?”
“Yes, bird.”
“How am I a bird? I don’t even have wings.”
“You are a bard, are you not? You sing for your mistress, doing as she wishes, a prisoner in the cage she has crafted for you. So bird.”
Twilight sighed and applied her hoof to her forehead. “I am starting to hate you.”
“Finally, the feeling is mutual.”
“Wonderful. I need to ask you something.”
He cocked an eye. “Yes?”
“I want to write your story next, is that okay?”
He blinked and looked at her quizzically. “Truly? You haven’t given up on this foalish endeavor?”
“No. Because I’m a foal sometimes, I swear. Is that okay with you?”
“If you wish to tell my tale, I have no objections. Though I do believe it to be a waste. It will be your time to waste, not mine.”
“Good. And I want to ask one more question. Nightmare Moon said she could return the powers she stole. Can she?”
He smiled. “The powers she had me steal from you little ponies? And what if I said she couldn’t? That it was a one way ticket? What would you say?”
She eyed him for a few moments, before sighing. “I’d ask if you were lying.”
He snorted, before nodding. “Yes. Returning the powers is possible. It would be… uncomfortable, to say the least. But it would be something I could do with ease. But you really believe she would?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t she?”
“Oh, true. Why wouldn’t a pony of great magical power long to just toss her magic aside? I believe that is what all tyrants usually do once they have no sufficiently powerful enemies, yes?”
Twilight cringed. “That... might be so. But what's a little bit of power? Besides, it'll make ponies more loyal to her and willing to aid her as she wishes. Less--”
“Do you even hear yourself?” he asked with a cocked eye. “You truly must live in a fantasy world to believe such drivel. She will not, in fact cannot, ever abandon this power she has worked so hard to obtain. She will, when the time comes, turn against you just like I would have were I in the same situation,” he said with a laugh, shaking his head. “You are a foal, nothing more. She will talk of giving away this power, even promise it. But when the time comes, she, like every other tyrant, will make excuses as to why it is currently impossible. You will ask, and she will always find that the time is not right to give up what she has stolen.” He shook his head. “And then, when that time comes, like now, you will just make excuses for her. Try to explain away her behavior, saying that 'oh, normally she'd do this or that'. Return to me, young pony. When it's time for her to give back some of this power. Even the smallest amount. And then tell me of how she gave it back.”
Twilight dug a hoof into the ground, glaring at him. “Fine. And... even if she doesn't, that doesn't mean anything. I mean, I never really... it's not like I trust her.”
He cocked an eye. “Oh? So you don't trust her? Perhaps you are wiser than I first imagined,” he said with a light chuckle. “Granted, that would hardly be difficult.”
Her cheeks turned red and she shook her head. “You're infuriating, you know that?”
He shook his head. “I was... mildly aware.”
She turned around. “Besides, I was only asking if she could, not why she would. What will you do if she does it, then?”
He laughed. “If she does it? She shall not. But if she does... then perhaps it will have meant I was wrong all along. Perhaps, even for one such as me, there will be hope,” he said dryly before putting a hand over his forehead. “Perhaps, in such a situation, I will have been wrong. Nae, dreadfully wrong. A fool all along. And friendship and rainbows will be my true destination.” He leaned back dramatically.
“Did you just pun at me?” Twilight asked.
Tirek glowered, before gesturing with his hand. “Just leave me be, little bard pony. I tire of your presence. If only you were to share the wisdom of your fellow ponies and leave me be.”
“Wait, nopony else visits you?”
“Why would they?”
She looked around, a frown on her face. “Because you're here all alone and...”
“I have no friends nor family in this place. On top of that, I am a weapon your ruler has wielded against your kin. Of what purpose would it serve for them to get to know me?”
“What about the ponies I've been sending down here to deliver the books to you? And food?”
The centaur just glowered at her. “Pony, you misunderstood what I have wished. I desire you to leave. Me. Alone. Go, write your book, you have my permission. But do not bother me further.”
Twilight stared at him before giving a nod. “O-okay. I guess... I'm sorry, Tirek. If you need anything, I--”
“I require, nor desire, anything from you. Now shoo.” He motioned with his hands for her to go away.
She sighed before turning and trotting back up the way she'd come, though occasionally she glanced back with a frown. “I'll see you tomorrow!”
“Ughhhhhh,” he groaned.
She smiled nonetheless. A part of her felt he was right, that maybe there would be no returning that power. But what if Nightmare Moon did? It might only be the first step. If not for Twilight's mistake, would she have considered letting the sun back out into the world? Was the alicorn finally adapting?
She supposed either way, there was still a long way to go and she had to take it one hoof at a time. But the book was done.
Now all that remained was the gala.
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Just kiss already!
/rant mode ;)
For the mercy of (logic) god: "ALMOST everything".
How can you have "most" everything? It is like that "could care less" or "irregardless" silliness...
///
Other suggestions:
Co-existance IS a possibility.
-existence
The crowd cheered at their magnificent display none the less,
She smiled none the less.
- nonetheless
Go, write your big, you have my permission.
- bio, gig (?) or maybe big something?
I hope discord doesn't die.
*Makes Nightmare Moon and Twilight Glow kissy faces*
Seriously though. Please do it would be adorable. And another great chapter, i can't wait to continue onto the next one. Here's to hoping the Gala will go smoothly. Nightmare is already in a foul mood and if someone were to try something against her it could get ugly really fast.
Not much I can say other than excellent job on the exchanges, emotional content and future chapter set-up in all the right places. I particularly like the "comic book argument" and Twi's scenes with AJ, Moondancer AND Pinkie. And, yeah, Twi DID make some mistakes that resulted in setbacks (mostly with Nightmare and Rainbow), but hopefully those will get eventually cleared up. At any rate, I will definitely be looking forward to more of this as soon as time and inspiration will allow.
Oh, and I'm glad you had a happy Thanksgiving for the most part.
Tirek really enjoys playing fuck-fuck with Twilight's head. You're done excellent writing him so far in this story. You've written him to be even more twisted and evil than in the show, and done it so that it is 100% believable.
Hell, you have done an excellent job so far, and I see no signs of things being anything less than outstanding with your story.
I am curious about one thing: how will Discord be dealt with? It would seem that the ties of friendship between Moondancer and her Ponyville friends were not strong enough for the Elements to be used against Snooty Moony.
I am highly looking forward to the Season Two chapters.
I remember a comment you made in the earlier chapters on how you had different ideas if twi had been born a pegasus or earth pony. I'm curious how this story would have differed if she was a Pegasus instead because I can't really imagine much would have changed.
Also I now wanna see a short story with the ep twi, meet pega twi uni twi ali twi bat twi and even changelin twi
I seem to have spent Thanksgiving mostly reading this story.
I have enjoyed it thus far. Very entertaining, although Twilight's (and everyone else's) candor is a bit tough to believed. Feels like all it would take is NMM to walk in at the wrong time.
You tend to use 'Luna' occasionally. Is that a mistake or ???
No Spike, that would be the Squirt Bottle...
cattamboo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/spray_bottle_cat.jpg
7747999 Agreeded that would be really interesting to see.
Great work, loving the story so far.
Name at least two
Does she really know who Tirek is?
F O R E S H A D O W I N G
He' worse than NMM.
Oh, Twilight. You really blew it. That was such a good mood, and you screwed up.
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