Midnight's Nightmare

by G33kySt3v3

The Student

17 Years Before The Return of Nightmare Moon, Las Pegasus Slums

Beatrix was not having a good day, in fact, if she weren’t an orphan, she would be confident ranking this as her worst day ever. The eight year old filly had been certain she would take Las Pegasus by storm when she had left the orphanage that morning and bought a balloon ride up here with the only bits she had. Yet any attempt in the main stretch of the city to show off how great a magician she was in the local buildings had been met only with threats of loitering fines. How was she supposed to show these ponies how great and powerful she was, if nopony would give her a chance?

After all else had failed she had run off to whichever direction she could and ended up here, where here was, Beatrix had no idea. Glancing up after an hour of trotting aimlessly did reveal one thing to Beatrix though, she had no desire to be here any longer. Taking in her surroundings she quickly noticed that she must be in the poor part of town where ponies who could afford no place else stayed. The buildings were small and smushed closely together so that things one could only generously call homes fit in tiny spaces side by side. Most of them had obvious signs of wear and tear that took the shape of damage either ponies didn’t care about, or could not afford to fix.

Beatrix turned around to come back the way she had come, but was not as relieved as she expected she would’ve been earlier to see somepony else. Several tail-lengths away was a unicorn stallion with an ash-gray coat and blonde mane and tail. That however, was not what made Beatrix nervous, the stallion’s lips were upturned into a smirk, and his eyes seemed to radiate a sense of danger to Beatrix. Beatrix turned to go down an alley to perhaps escape encountering the stallion, but there was an earth pony stallion with a similar look guarding the entrance. When Beatrix turned around to find a different path, all she found was a pegasus stallion that seemed to revel in the look of horror that crossed her face.

Beatrix glanced around quickly, looking for any possible escape route, and finding nothing in the process. During this time, the stallions had started to advance on her, until she was well and truly surrounded on all sides. Ducking beneath her hat, Beatrix attempted to make herself seem even smaller than she already was, hoping the stallions would decide she wasn’t worth their time. The unicorn stallion chose then to speak, his voice scratchy with overuse. “Now, what’s an adorable little thing like you doing all the way out here all by herself?”

Sensing that the stallion did not actually care, she tried to dissuade them from hurting her the only way she knew how, getting them to take pity on her… “Please!” She started, “Trixie has nothing valuable to take, and she simply wants somewhere to be alone and contemplate her day, all those mean ponies in the city wouldn’t even let her show them her magic tricks!”

Unfortunately, they seemed only slightly deterred by the filly having nothing for them to steal, and as one they quickly decided they would need to glean some entertainment from the filly instead. “Well go on then, “ the pegasus spoke. “Show us what ya thought would getcha noticed back in the city.”

Despite the horrible situation she found herself in, Beatrix knew to never turn down an audience. If she played her cards right, Beatrix may also find a way to escape whatever else the stallions had planned. So despite a slight tremor in her voice she started her practiced act. “Stand back and be amazed, as The Great and Powerful Trixie performs feats of magic greater than any witnessed by pony eyes!” At that, her horn lit up and she fired a couple blasts into the air to create impromptu fireworks. “For her first trick, Trixie will need a volunteer from the audience! Which lucky one of you is brave enough to stand with Trixie for this impressive feat?!”

The stallions looked at each other reluctantly, clearly unsure of how much they should be going along, but not wanting to lose out on possible free entertainment. Two of them seemed to come to a decision though, and quickly pushed the unicorn forward. “Ah! So, you are the lucky one? Please come stand beside Trixie so she may start the trick!” With practiced ease Beatrix doffed her hat with simply her hoof and held it before the approaching stallion. “Behold the magician’s hat, known for many feats, including the appearance of rabbits! Reach inside and tell Trixie what you find!” While Beatrix wasn’t powerful enough to create a pocket dimension that would hold a living creature, she did have the power and creativity to put a pocket dimension holding something in her hat.

The stallion, still somewhat reluctant, reached inside and rooted around for a bit. To the actual amazement of all three when his leg went deep inside, it did not tear a hole through the top, and actually seemed to disappear inside the headwear. It did however find something, and he pulled his leg back to present the item he had found inside. “Hey, what’s this then?” He asked impatiently as he stared in disappointment at the small gray sphere as the stallions behind him laughed cruelly at the magician’s seeming failure.

“An interesting item indeed that you’ve discovered from my hat, “ Beatrix started while putting her hat back on her head. “If you would kindly hoof it over, Trixie will reveal the magical powers it holds inside!” Beatrix held out her hoof and the unicorn quickly placed the ball inside, clearly wanting to know what the object did. Beatrix smirked as she held the object high and mentally prepared for what she was about to do. “Watch in awe as The Great and Powerful Trixie disappears before your very eyes!” Then, before the stallions could react, she threw the smoke bomb at their hooves and took off as fast as she could in the direction she believed she had come from.

Beatrix felt as though she had never run this fast before, her short filly legs barely able to keep up with the movements she wanted to put them through. Unfortunately she did not get very far, and was tackled to the ground a mere twenty seconds after fleeing the stallions. “Now that wasn’t a very smart thing to do, now was it?” The pegasus stallion asked menacingly from on top of her. “T’ think we may’ve just let ye go after making us laugh like that. Now ye’ve got to learn we ain’t to be trifled with!”

The clopping of hooves on cobblestone signaled the arrival of the other two, making Beatrix realize just why her plan had failed; unfortunately pegasi vision would not be fooled for long by a simple puff of smoke. Beatrix was then roughly yanked back up to her hooves and turned around so she could face the pegasus. “That’s right, look at me so ye can tell what’s ‘bout to happen. I want to see each cringe as my hooves beat the lesson into ya!” The stallion’s hoof reared back, ready to strike her, and Beatrix closed her eyes in anticipation of a blow, but it never came. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes to see what had happened and her mouth gaped open when she saw a dark magenta aura completely surrounding the pegasus. “What’s going on?! Don’t just stand there you idiots get her!” This caused the other stallions to reluctantly move towards her, though something caused them to stop.

Beatrix glanced behind her since she knew she couldn’t be the cause, and somehow had her jaw go lower than it had before. Behind her stood a lavender coated alicorn of all things, long pointed horn glowing with the same aura that surrounded the pegasus stallion. The alicorn’s mane and tail were a deep indigo, with a purple and magenta streak going down the middle of both. After moving her head a little Beatrix was able to glance at the cutie mark as well, which was a deep pink six-pointed shape surrounded by five smaller versions of the same shape. The mare Beatrix saw was beautiful, of that she was sure, though that thought did bring a blush to her cheeks.

Finally, after seeming to try to glare the stallions into submission for thirty seconds, she spoke. “Now that doesn’t seem to be any way to treat a defenseless filly now does it?” She asked in a somehow calm and cruel voice. “I would hate to have to take more drastic measures to make sure she remains unharmed.”

That seemed to only anger the pegasus more, and he grunted in effort to try and escape the aura around him to no avail. Feeling he could not escape he yelled at his subordinates again, jolting them into action. “Ye just gonna take that from a mare? Go on and show ‘er we don’ take kindly to threats!” This caused the stallions to clench up and get ready for a fight, clearly not wanting to flee just because they were scared of the magic power being displayed before them.

The alicorn frowned, a cruel and hate-filled expression coming over her face. “Fine then, if you wish to fight so much, have it your way, ” she stated just as calmly as before. If one had blinked, they would have missed the tiny increase in the glow around her horn as magic surrounded the other two as well. The stallions didn’t even have time to react before the spell put them to sleep and threw them to the ground where they fitfully kicked and rolled about, no doubt caught in nightmares beyond the comprehension of their mortal minds.

Then the alicorn turned away from the scene as though nothing had happened and started to trot away. “Wait!” Beatrix called out, before she could even think about who she was calling out to, “How’d you do that? Why did you save me?” The words seemed to have no effect on the mare, as she simply continued trotting away, forcing the filly to sprint to catch up with her. “C’mon, you gotta tell me something, even The Great and Powerful Trixie has never seen magic like that before!”

This seemed to give the alicorn pause, and she turned to regard the filly before her as if just noticing Beatrix was there. “The Great and Powerful Trixie?” She asked as though it was the first time she had ever heard a magician embellish their talents. “What a strange thing to call yourself when it was I that was powerful enough to save you.”

“Well duh, Trixie is only eight years old, and you look like a full grown alicorn, it’d be impossible for me to match up to you!”

Again the alicorn stared at her confused, seemingly not fully grasping the concept. “Ah yes, “ she finally spoke. “It has been so long since I have mingled amongst Celestia’s subjects, I had forgotten some of them could be so young. No matter though, I waste time simply speaking to you when I need to find somepony suited to being my student. My centuries of planning will finally pay off when I have found the perfect pony, ” she finished as though talking about weather.

Pausing slightly to try and comprehend just how long the alicorn had said she'd been planning, Beatrix responded, “The Great and Powerful Trixie could be your student! Trixie promises she is a dedicated and fast learner!”

That finally got the alicorn to show an emotion other than cold indifference, a warm smirk crossing her face. “Oh? You truly believe you could master the arcane in a manner sufficient for my plans in seventeen years?”

“Trixie does not just believe she can! Trixie knows she can!” Then Beatrix seemed to actually consider what she was agreeing to, and realized she didn’t understand something. “Um, just what are you planning?”

That got to the alicorn to giggle, holding a hoof up to her mouth to stifle the noise. “Oh, to be young again, “ she lamented. “To answer your question young Trixie, I’m planning world domination, does that sound like something you’re interested in?” Again, the alicorn stated this like most ponies would say the sky is blue, and if Beatrix had been anypony else, she may have found it concerning.

“World domination? Really? That seems like a silly thing to plan for, but as long as Trixie gets to learn that cool magic you used, I think Trixie would help you do just about anything!”

That seemed to finally give the alicorn pause, really taking in the filly before her for the first time. The filly seemed to be about the age she claimed, and had a powder-blue coat with a silver mane and tail; and her body was dressed with a purple hat and cape covered with crescent moons. A quick spell allowed the alicorn to find that the filly had yet to earn her cutie mark. “Are you sure Trixie? If I was to take you under my wing you would have to follow me out of Equestria so that I may teach you away from prying eyes.”

It took Beatrix little time to contemplate her answer as she had nothing besides the orphanage matron to tie her to Equestria. “Yes ma’am! Trixie was orphaned before she can remember, so it’s not like Trixie would be leaving anything behind!”

Again, the alicorn seemed saddened by this news, though quickly hid the expression behind another statement. “Ah yes, where are my manners? I am Midnight Sparkle, alicorn of magic and the stars, is your name really The Great and Powerful Trixie, or is that just a stage persona?”

That caused Beatrix to hesitate, not sure if she wanted to reveal her true name, fearful this alicorn would laugh like everypony else. So she asked a more pressing question instead. “Midnight Sparkle? Like that foal’s tale they use at the orphanage to try and scare Trixie into doing her homework?”

Midnight Sparkle glanced away from the filly, not wanting to show her annoyance for what her name had been relegated to in front of the filly. “My name is tied to that tale more than you know Trixie, and while I find myself annoyed by its existence, I do find myself quite cross with any foal trying to avoid their homework. Though, you did not answer my question, what is your true name?”

Beatrix glanced to the ground, not wanting to give the answer, but not seeing much other choice. “Trixie’s name is Beatrix Lulamoon, but all the other foals laugh at my name, so Trixie goes by Trixie to avoid their cruelty.”

That caused Midnight to go into deep thought, clearly thinking about something Beatrix would not understand until many years later. Finally, she smiled and spoke, “Well Trixie Lulamoon, I think you have a lovely name, and while I’m not certain I should be taking you with me, I also do not think it would be wise to leave you here all by your lonesome.”

Comments

[twilight_aurora_sparkle]

This is a lovely concept. Looking forward to more

[GruB]

This is a neat take on having an AU relationship between Twilight and NMM, curious to see where it's going!

[new55]

That was a interesting story goodluck with the rest of it.

[Freakwise]

Def. Looking forward to some more of this

[hmaf43]

Isn’t Beatrix supposed to be meek foal that used Trixie as extrovert façade?