Bonus Chapter: After Midnight
Twilight Sparkle sighed sorrowfully to herself as she wandered down a path somewhere in Equestria's mountain regions. She didn't know where she was, it had been ages since she actually has given a damn as to where exactly she was, as long as it had no ponies... No ponies she could hurt with the power Celestia, that bitch, had given to her as a "Gift". Twilight scoffed at the thought. Those powers weren't a gift, more like a reminder. She still has them, even though Celestia had been long since defeated and turned back into her good half, Solar Flare.
"Well, I suppose I deserve every bit of crap in my life that's been thrown my way considering what I was once like..." Twilight murmured to herself as she paused in her wanderings, and remembered...
Canterlot, Sixteen Years ago...
Rain poured down over Canterlot, and thunder tumbled and rolled in the night. In one particular alleyway, there lay a cardboard box with it's occupant inside it: A young Twilight Sparkle of five years of age. She flinched at every crack of thunder and flash of lightning. She hoped it would end soon, that the weather pegasi would call off this storm so she could try and get some sleep.
At the next flash of lightning and rumble of thunder, she whimpered and clutched her teddy bear in fear. She didn't think anypony would come to help her, as it seemed nopony ever had as she somehow managed to have slipped through the cracks of the system. It has been this way for years, learning to live off the streets and survive. She didn't know her parents, but Twilight hoped they were burning in the depths of Tartarus for abandoning her without a care, as if she were some old toy you no longer cared for.
Unknowingly to her, a cloak clad figure walked through the downpour and through the soaked streets. That figure was the Princess of the Night, otherwise known as Nightmare Moon. She, believe it or not, loved nights like this. For some reason, she found rain in the night peaceful and calming. She didn't know why. Perhaps it was the pitter-patter of rain on the cobblestone streets.
Then, as she walked she felt her ears move in response to a sound of a soft whimper, that if she weren't an Alicorn she probably would have missed. Following the sound, she went into the alleyway and came across Twilight, curled up in a ball and shivering.
"You shouldn't be out here alone young one." Nightmare said, extending a hoof in a kind manner.
"Does it look like I have a choice?" Twilight laughed bitterly.
"Yes, you do." Nightmare replied, a thought coming to get at once. This filly shouldn't be out here alone, in these conditions. Her sister, if she were here would probably call her crazy, but then again she wasn't was she?
"You can come back to the Castle and stay with me, at least for tonight." Nightmare offered. "I'll get some food in you, get you cleaned up."
Twilight raced forwards and hugged Nightmare's foreleg before she looked up at her and asked "Can we at least skip the bath? I think I've already been washed enough tonight."
Nightmare laughed as she lifted Twilight up on to her back and walked her back to the Castle...
Twilight wiped away her tears, she hadn't even realized she'd been sobbing. That was how it was for years, a mother and daughter relationship between them, and it could have stayed that way, until SHE botched it all up like a damn fool. She'd acted like a child, a spoilt one at that, and look at where it had gotten her now...
Canterlot Castle: Two years ago...
Twilight ran enraged, even as Royal Guards pursued her through the hallways of the magnificent castle which had been her home for many years.
"Halt!" One guard called but Twilight snapped back at him "Go to Tartarus!" before she fired a spell from her horn and froze him in a block of ice before she continued running. It had to be around here somewhere, if the legends were accurate.
Twilight rounded a corner and bound the second guard's legs in rope tripping him up even as she did so and entered a large room full of dusty items indicating they hadn't been touched for who knew how long. But the item she was most interested in was right in front of her.
"There you are..." Twilight breathed at the object in front of her. It was a large, gold framed mirror of untold age. Twilight smirked to herself, so the rumors and legends were true after all!
Suddenly, with a flash of blue light Nightmare Moon appeared in front of her student, who could only snarl at her teacher's appearance. She dared interfere now?
"Out of my way "Princess"." Twilight said, though this last bit was said sarcastically.
"Twilight, please!" Nightmare pleaded, tears running down her face. "Think of what you're doing!"
"Oh, I don't have to think! I know exactly what I'm doing! You never appreciated my talents, never let me reach your own status, so I'm going somewhere where my power WILL be enjoyed for what it is!" Twilight spat.
"Please..." Nightmare pleaded once more, even as memories of her raising Twilight came back to her. One, her first night in the Castle with Nightmare tucking her into bed and reading her a story. Another, Twilight giggling as her adoptive mother tried and failed to cook pancakes for breakfast. A third hit her, of Nightmare smiling while her student played with building blocks. All of the times Twilight had been hurt and needed comfort, she'd been there. All of the times Twilight wanted to learn a new spell, she'd been there.
"Every bird has to leave it's nest when it grows strong enough to fly, and you should consider me doing this to be just exactly that." Twilight stated before she stepped into the mirror and out of Nightmare's life...
For a while, almost two years to be exact Twilight remembered, she'd been happy ruling over Canterlot High with a iron fist/hoof until one day that world's Sunset Shimmer had united the students and made them rise up against her and banish her from that world forevermore. And that was how she'd wound up under Celestia's control, calling herself Midnight Sparkle and reveling in it. That is, until Starlight came along and showed her the magic of friendship. She honestly thanked the mare for that.
"But what do I do with myself now? Keep wandering the world, away from everypony or... Or... No, that's stupid. They'd never accept me back, not after what I tried to do." The lavender unicorn argued with herself. But then, a voice that sounded almost like Celestia, if Twilight didn't know any better spoke mentally to her.
You'll never know unless you try, young one. I didn't, until I did."
The voice was Celestia's, but kinder. At this, Twilight knew who it was. It could only be Solar Flare. It was the only rational explanation. Now Twilight knew what she had to do, she had to face her demons. She had to return to Canterlot.
Canterlot
So it was with great trepidation that the prodigal son returned home, so to speak. Even as Twilight walked through the still being rebuilt streets of the capital city of Equestria, she heard the whispers from other ponies all around her. Sure, she had been hailed as a hero by the Princesses themselves, but that didn't mean others would accept her as such. Ponies, just like any other sentient being, had the ability to hold grudges.
Twilight allowed herself to hear the whispered insults as they came. She deserved them after all.
"Traitorous mare!"
"Celestia's Slut!"
"It's that power hungry unicorn..."
Twilight winced as each comment hit her like a verbal punch to the face. Then a tomato hit her in the side of muzzle as the insults became louder. Twilight smiled sadly to herself, she deserved those too. Then a familiar voice gave a shout of anger, but to Twilight's surprise it wasn't directed at her.
"Hey!" Chrysalis's voice rang out over the rapidly forming crowd. "Have you no shame?"
A few moments before...
Chrysalis sighed in pleasure as she sipped a small amount of her favorite tea from a cup while sitting at a table outside her favorite cafe in Canterlot. Then her ears peeked up at the whispers from all around her, and took a glance towards the street where she saw Twilight. The Changeling Queen's eyes widened in shock. She certainly wasn't expecting her back around here anytime soon, not after what Starlight told her. Chrysalis's eyes widened even further as the tomato hit Twilight and the insults flew. She got up out of her chair, ignoring her tea and paper. She had to put a stop to this.
Chrysalis snarled at the crowd of ponies surrounding the young unicorn mare known as Twilight Sparkle like a hoard. Sure, she'd made some mistakes but she sure as Tartarus didn't deserve THIS! With a another snarl, the Changeling bared her fangs, fury in her normally kind eyes.
"I ask again, have you no shame?" Chrysalis asked, her cold gaze seemingly baring into the mob's souls. "She doesn't deserve this!"
"She's a bastardous traitor of a mare, of course she deserves this!" One pony exclaimed.
Chrysalis scoffed before answering back.
"No, the only "Bastards" I see here are you. Can't you see? No, of course you can't because of how truly blind you are. Twilight's punishing herself already, she sure as Tartarus doesn't need your help! All she came here to do was make amends, though I don't see why she should with you ponies!" Chrysalis ranted, truly furious with the crowd of ponies who seemed to be frozen in place by her gaze. Then, she walked through the crowd to Twilight and looked at her with a kind smile, eyes full of understanding.
"Go to her." She said simply, and Twilight nodded in understanding before she raced off towards the castle...
Canterlot Castle: Throne Room
Nightmare Moon sat on her throne, her sister by her side at last. She smiled, things were back to the way they were supposed to be at last. If only... She were here... Nightmare mused sadly as she looked down. Solar noticed her distress.
"You alright sister?" Solar asked in concern.
"If only all my wishes could ever come true. You returned, but not HER. Not my daughter..." Nightmare whispered. Solar Flare smiled mysteriously.
Don't worry sister dear, you may get your wish... And sooner then you think.
As Twilight ran, she passed Starlight who gaped in shock before she smiled and whispered "Good for you, Twi."
Twilight ran into the throne room, and her old teacher's eyes widened.
"I believe we have things to dis-" Twilight began, but before she could finish she was swept up in a hug by Nightm-No, her mom. Both mother and daughter smiled even as they cried. Now, at last, all was finally well.
The End
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Hey there. Thanks greatly for getting the next chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. Not much I can say other than, once again, excellent job on the exchanges, emotional content, action and future chapter set-up in all the right places. And thanks for the fair warning concerning the final bonus chapter..
I like how this chapter highlights the differences between Nightmare Moon and Celestia, especially the detail of loving rainy nights.
This made it sound like the memories were coming back to Nightmare Moon (the first 'her' refers to Nightmare Moon, so the second 'her' should also), but the phrasing of the sentences that follow make it sound like it was Twilight who was having the memories.
How hilaradorable~
Awwww!!!!