• Published 9th Feb 2016
  • 14,572 Views, 1,896 Comments

The Story of Twilight Glow - Jeweled Pen



What if Twilight had been born an earth pony and not a unicorn? No school for gifted unicorns, no burst of magic when she got her cutie mark and, most importantly, no student of Celestia. What fate awaits Equestria?

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S1 CH 3. Design our castle

Author's Note:

And so it begins. I know a lot of people seemed pretty happy about this story, so I decided a while ago to continue it. Now, fair warning. I don't know how often I'll post, namely because, well... it's a side project. But I'm almost done with the Avatar series(expecting to be finished in a few months) and after that I don't have any big stories planned. I still have my own personal books I'll be writing, which will be taking priority, but I do plan to write an outline for this story in the coming week. So while I do plan on writing this story to completion now, I do not expect it to be fast in coming, so please bear with me.

In addition, just as another warning... this story will be long. The entire thing was just supposed to be a short one shot, setting up the premise and ending with her meeting the first of her friends(Rarity.) From there, people were supposed to be able to kind of imagine how the story went.

Now, though? I intend this to be a pretty big story. Her being born an earth pony can affect EVERYTHING, from Nightmare Moon all the way to Tirek and even Discord, possibly Sunset Shimmer. So please make sure to be patient and hope you enjoy it.

So now, without further ado, you requested it and I have problems saying no, the continuation of Twilight Glow!

Twilight took a slow, deep breath before she walked into the main hall. Standing in it was one of the most gorgeous unicorns she'd ever seen. Every aspect of the mare practically reeked of class, authority and elegance. She had a small book held in her magic and was in the midst of comparing the curtains to a small batch of color splotches she was carrying around.

Twilight couldn't help feeling a little plain around a pony like that. She shook her head and trotted forward. “Ah. Hello. Miss Rarity?”

“Hmmm?” She turned around and blinked. “Ah, no worries, dear. I'm merely waiting for the princess' representative. I'm fine as it is.” She looked back to the curtain.

“I am the princess' representative. Kind of.”

Rarity paused, and then looked back. She looked her up and down and for a moment, Twilight felt extremely worried. She felt as if the mare was somehow... measuring her. Examining every facet of her at once. Finally, the unicorn nodded. “I see. Well, dear, you truly must get some better clothes. I assumed you were one of the servants.” Her horn glowed and then a few nearby bags were lifted into the air. “One moment.”

Twilight blinked, then scowled. She wasn't THAT plain. She just never liked dressing up. “Now, Miss Rarity, I--” She let out a yelp before the mare assaulted her! There were scissors, rulers, fabric, tape and at one point a pin cushion. The earth pony never stood a chance as she was swept up into the madness that was the mare, too stunned to even cry out.

Then, as soon as it had started, it was over. A mirror was put in her face and she let out a soft gasp. She was wearing the finest purple saddle, her mane was combed down, flowing around her face. The saddle had delicate gems all around the edges, with one over her chest. She stared at herself, unable to believe it. She had NEVER been able to do with with her hair. Well, aside from when she used enchanted brushes, but they were such a pain to keep recharging, she usually just let her hair do what it wanted. She smiled at herself, feeling just a little pride.

She... looked wondrous. She couldn't believe it. Her eyes wandered to the other mare's bag, how had she managed to store so many things inside it?

“See, darling, you look positively spectacular! If you are to be of such a high position, you really should wear things that show it,” Rarity said with a knowing nod. She then reached out and brushed her hair back. “Besides, you have wonderfully soft features for an earth pony, you should play to them. It doesn't do to just hide them away.”

Twilight nodded slowly, unsure if the mare was trying to help or be insulting. “I... err, I see. Now, ummm, about the redecoration. The princess has asked me to aid you in this endeavor. However, I am afraid I... cannot offer much advice. The princess wants something that will...” She frowned and tapped her chin. What did the princess want?

No, that wasn't right. What the princess wanted was usually not anything like what she needed. “She needs something safe.”

“Safe, dear?”

“To make ponies feel safe. To feel like she'll protect them.”

Rarity just stared. “I'm... afraid I don't quite follow. The princess informed me she wanted something that showed the world her power. How she was--”

“Don't listen to the princess. Well, do listen to the princess, but... ugh, there's this whole... thing with her. You need to know how to read between the lines. What she wants is not necessarily what she needs.”

“Ahhhh, I see,” the designer said sceptically. “I... errr... am not sure I should...”

Twilight blinked, then face hoofed. “Would... you hold on just one teensy, tinsy, itsy bitsy moment?”

“Of course, dear.”

Twilight nodded and then raced back to the throne room. The princess was sitting on her throne and instantly turned a glare on the earth pony. “Ah, bard. You return so quickly?”

“Yes, I do. Did you threaten this designer?”

The princess nodded. “Of course. If she fails in her duties, then we will tear apart her family line. Dishonor and shame will follow them from this day forth, all of their ranks and priv...” The princess paused at the look she was getting. “We... have... mis stepped?”

Twilight face hoofed so hard she actually flipped over. “Ahhh! Ow!”

“Bard, your antics are amusing, but you are a bard, not a jester.”

She slowly got back to her hooves and shook her head. “Right. Okay, princess. The threatening of ponies isn't... good. You want to be loved and adored, right?”

“Of course. We are the rightful ruler of this realm and all shall kneel and revel in us!”

“Then you need to try showing a little compassion.”

“What? We have shown much! You would have us lie down and roll over for our subjects? Humble ourselves before them?”

Twilight licked her lips as she tried to think of the proper way to word this. Finally she nodded and grinned. “Princess, you are the most powerful being around, correct?”

“Indeed. Far beyond in power to our sister or anything else.”

“Good. Mercy isn't a show of weakness, it is a sign of strength.”

The princess stared. “Excuse... us?”

“You are the most powerful being in all of Equestria. So far beyond anything we could ever hope to fight or oppose. You don't need to remind us. You don't need to flaunt it. You're too strong for that. Too powerful. We're... much weaker and smaller than us, that means you need to be gentle, kind. Protective. Not threatening. You wouldn't crush one of your glasses in your magic, would you? No, you need to be gentle so as to keep it from shattering.”

The princess scowled. “But this servant must not fail.”

“If you torment or hurt her for failing, it will do more damage to your appearance than anything she could ever do. Ponies will see that and decide that that's all you'll ever be. Hurt and abuse those of us who try and fail. Even worse when your expectations are too high.”

The princess glared and slowly got to her hooves. “I will not allow this pony to fail me.”

“I'm not asking you to not expect good things from her. Just don't threaten her and her loved ones over it. If you do, you'll just make her and all the other ponies more scared and more likely to try rebelling. They'll end up seeing you as nothing more than a tyrant and... long for Celestia.” That made the alicorn's eyes twitch.

The princess slowly moved over to her and circled. Twilight had the sneaking suspicion that the princess was considering devouring her whole. Ending her life there and now. Finally, the princess turned away and walked back towards her throne. “Very well. But bard, you continue to ask much of us. For now I will... allow your suggestions. But should you think to lead us astray...”

“Of course not, your highness,” Twilight said quickly. “I only wish to serve.” 'And keep as many ponies from having their lives ruined by you as possible,' she mentally added. She paused. “And... I'm going to do everything I can to make this exactly what ponies will need. What they will want. So if there's a failure, it falls on my hooves. Not hers.”

The princess frowned, but slowly nodded. “That is... acceptable. Do not think you will not be punished for failure, however.”

“Of course not, your highness.” She quickly turned and walked out of the room, letting the guards close the door behind her. She gave another shudder. She wasn't sure how long she could keep doing this, she was already on the verge of a breakdown. She forced a smile on her face as she walked back to the main hall. “Ah, miss Rarity?”

The mare glanced back. “Oh, yes?”

“I'm afraid we may have gotten off on the wrong hoof. My name is Twilight Glow, I'll be functioning as Princess Nightmare Moon's representative during these times.” She took a slow, deep breath. “The threats she levied against you are now moot. I apologize for that. The princess is known to get a bit... excited. I only ask that you try your best. If you are unable to meet our expectations, we will find somepony else and you will be allowed to leave. Without your life and future being ruined or destroyed. We swear.”

Rarity nodded nervously. “O-of course. I--” She paused. “Wait, Twilight Glow?”

“Yes.”

“As in... the author?”

The earth pony blinked, before slowly nodding. “Why... yes. You've read my books?”

“Oh, no. I'm afraid not. But my dear friend Fluttershy is a great fan of your work. She's read everything you've ever written.”

Twilight blushed. “O-oh. Well, I'd love to meet her some day. I always love my fans.” She gave a sigh. “Especially now. I imagine I won't have many after this ordeal ends. If it ends...” she muttered softly under her breath.

“Of course. She always said such good things about you, it's hard to believe you're working for... err...”

The earth pony sighed again. “I am working for the princess, yes. Before all of... this happened I was working on a story with Princess Celestia. When Princess Nightmare Moon arrived, I... well... had my options changed quickly. I am now in the midst of trying to create a proper story in order to explain the desires and goals of our new princess. In a manner to help alleviate some of their fears. Most of their fears.” She smiled at the unicorn. “The... princess is not exactly the best at asking. May I ask how you were chosen?”

She sighed. “I was in charge of the decorations for the Summer Sun Celebration. She claimed if I was chosen by Celestia... well...” She shuffled her hooves.

“I see,” Twilight said with a frown. “Well, don't worry. I know exactly what we need to do. I know nothing of actual design work, but... I'm sure you can help me with my actual ideas.”

“Oh, of course. How shall we start?”

Twilight rubbed her chin and looked around. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. “Okay. The first thing... we need a sense of familiarity. Colors that make the place seem lighter than it is. I'm pretty doubtful I could convince Nightmare Moon to raise the sun now. Or ever, for that matter. But ponies come in, they'll want something lighter. Something that reminds them that they can feel safe here. Happy. And warm. The place needs to be nice and cozy.”

Rarity nodded. “I... suppose I could keep to lighter shades, but she said she wanted to show power...”

“She already has power. She took over the entire country in less than a few days. Already ponies are quickly submitting to her will. What she needs is the will of the people. She needs ponies to see that she's not all bad, all evil. She's just...” Twilight shook her head. “Anyway, if we can start the court again, give ponies a chance to come here and meet her, then that'll make things easier. It'll help them to understand the pony that's inside. It'll also help her learn how to better... cope with these new times. The way ponies think now and-- wait. Puddinghead. I never got to ask her about the vampires!”

“Ex... cuse me?” Rarity asked, staring at the earth pony.

“What? Oh, nothing. Just... ugh, I need to get that story from her eventually. Later. For now, focus,” she mumbled as she walked around, looking sceptically. “We need to start the court as soon as possible. A night court, I suppose. One where all ponies can meet here. We'll need to... control who can come see her, at first. At least until she can get her anger under control. There will be a lot of unhappy ponies wanting to talk with her.”

Rarity was making wild gestures with her hooves, but Twilight couldn't begin to imagine what they meant.

“They'll probably yell or demand the sun be raised and I'm not sure how she'll handle that. Maybe for now stick with smaller things. The kinds of things that Celestia was going to be dealing with. Oh! We could host a gala! Make up some kind of celebration. Show that she isn't as terrifying as... well, as she is.”

Rarity was doing the oddest little dance now, her eyes wide.

“She's really not so bad, honestly. She's terrifying as buck, but I think once she calms down a bit and develops a bit more empathy, she won't be so bad. I think so long as everypony is careful, we can manage to keep her from trying to kill us all. So, bright colors, but warm. Kind of like... someplace where ponies can be warm, safe and comfortable. Not sterile, though. Kind of like... I don't know, a--”

“You wish for ponies to sleep through their encounters with us?” Nightmare Moon asked, making Twilight jump and quickly turn around, backing away rapidly.

“Y-your highness, I-I wasn't, that's not at all what I was thinking!” Twilight said quickly. “I just thought--”

“We are the ruler of all Equestria!” the mare boomed. “Our ponies should be grateful to be in our presence, not napping through the encounter!”

Twilight squeaked and lowered herself to the ground, gulping. “I-it's just, I thought... p-ponies might respond more... p-positively to it. They'd like you more. T-they'd want to be around you more.”

Nightmare Moon glowered at her. After a few moments, she nodded. “Do go on, bard. But remember, the ice on which you tread is quite thin.”

The earth pony nodded. “T-this is... a very dramatic shift for us. For all ponies. We're used to Celestia, we lo--” She barely caught herself from saying 'love'. She did not think the princess would appreciate that. “We... cared deeply for her. We felt safe. Ponies will be scared with this new change and won't want to come and speak with you otherwise. They--”

“If they do not wish to speak with us, then they need not! We do not require their acceptance!”

The earth pony took a slow, deep breath, before nodding. “I... I guess there's no need for that.” She chewed on her lower lip. “I mean, just because Princess Celestia did it and ponies loved it, doesn't mean they'll like it when you do it.”

There was a pause from the princess and... slowly she looked down at the mare. “They... loved that mare for it?”

“Ponies came from all over Equestria for a chance to meet with the princess. They could bring their grievances or problems before her, ask her for help or advice. Sometimes ponies came just to bask in her presence.”

Doubt started to flutter across the alicorn's features. “Per... haps this is... not such a foalish idea as we thought. This does indeed sound like a... delightful way for our subjects to show their love and adoration for us.”

Twilight nodded. “But it would be a lot of work, your highness. If ponies feel scared when they're here, they won't be able to... properly bask in your presence. They'll want to flee from you and hide.”

The princess nodded. “We... suppose our magnificence is much for ponies to take in at once.”

“Exactly! But you're the princess of the night, right? If we show ponies the joys of the night. The comfort, the security, the warmth. The gentleness of slumber, the pleasure of dreams.”

“You wish for ponies to sleep through my nights?” Nightmare Moon snapped angrily.

“N-no! Of course not! But, err, if we remind them of... what they like about the night. Love. Love about the night, then they'll be happier here. Show them the beauty of it. Such as... shooting stars. The great moon. So many different things that only the night can bring.”

The alicorn stared at her, before slowly nodding. “We... suppose there is logic in what you say. Make it so, bard.”

“O-of course your highness.”

She watched the mare walk away, before letting out a sigh of relief.

“That was amazing!” Rarity said as she moved over. “Dear, how ever did you get her to listen like that? Standing up to her, as well. It... Twilight?”

The earth pony whimpered. Her entire body had locked up in fright. “I-I'll be honest. About ninety percent of it is just trying desperately not to wet myself. The rest of it is being so terrified I can't run even if I thought I could escape,” she said weakly. “C-can you help me up?”

“Oh, of course darling,” Rarity said before moving to gently nudge the mare to her hooves. “However do you do it?”

“Logic. Cold hard logic,” Twilight muttered, before smiling. “She's really... easy once you know how to push the right buttons.” She then shuddered. “Wait, easy is not the right word. Terrifying but barely workable. Yes, that.”

“Do you think we'll be able to do it, dear? I mean... creating a place that makes a pony feel safe, here?”

“I think the harder part will be making her not yell and scream at ponies,” Twilight muttered, before giving a nod. “I think it'll be doable, though. Not easy, but doable.”

Rarity nodded, before looking back towards the retreating princess. “And... of her... I mean... the princess. Celestia. Is there... any... hope?”

Twilight shook her head. “I don't think so. At least... not unless Nightmare Moon releases her. Where ever she is, whatever has been done with her, nopony can tell. But... we'll have to...” She took another deep breath. “So, how about we work out the details a bit more? Light, but reveling in the night. I'm thinking... nebulas and shooting stars. But more a gentle, happy glow.” She blinked. “And we need to make it authentic. Fortunately I do have a minor in astronomy.”

Rarity nodded. “Of course. I'll start designing a few samples immediately.”

“Good, good. Will... you be okay on your own for a little bit? I... really need to go meet with somepony.”

“Oh, of course dear. I'll be in my work space. I... assume the guards will show you the way.”

Twilight nodded before walking off. Before anything else, there was one place she had to go. Somepony in particular she had to see.

Somepony locked in the dungeons who wasn't going to be at all happy.

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