A Nightmare Once More

by Lyle Daydream

It could be me?

It’s mine…all mine…I want it all…the night…my subjects…they’re all…

My eyes opened to my surroundings, still in Tia’s quarters thankfully. The fireplace, the stain on the rug from the party she threw once her hair grew back, all still the same. I let out a sigh of relief, stretching my neck to relieve the tension I was feeling. With an audible pop, I exhaled in satisfaction. “So much better.” Everything seemed a bit better. My thoughts were clear for once, My body didn’t feel as though it was a separate entity, It was a wave of relief washing over me to even feel this amount of clarity and relief for an hour. “By the heavens, I could cry from this relief.”

“I’d hope so,” Tia uttered as she awakened removing her comforting wing from around me. “I did do my best to comfort you, dear sister. And that was quite a loud and uncouth action of you, what would the nobles think?”

“My neck was quite tense, nor do I see a single noble around to utter those cursed words.” We both laughed and proceeded to our hooves, Tia taking time to stretch out her limbs as did I. “And you say I’m uncouth.”

“I am a normal pony like everyone else as are you sister. I assume there’s nothing we’ve done they haven’t.”

“Like sleep all day until the moon comes up?”

“You and I both know that day wasn’t for the unknowing, I was quite exhausted from those reporters, they bombard you till the lights go out.”

“Sleeping all day is my thing sister I am the princess of the night after all.”

“Hehe, indeed you are. Speaking of night, how were your dreams?”

“Less…foreboding. It was peaceful enough to quell any doubts I had prior to sleeping.”

“Thank heavens, I thought I was going to have to give you that stern talking to.”

“Come again?”

“That one that mother used to always give us.”

“Don’t remind me,” I said shivering. “It’s not like I cried every time she gave it to us…but I did and that was her plan I assume.”

“A dozen different times she gave us that speech and all those times she made us regret everything we ever considered.”

“And that creepy smile she gave us.” We both looked at each other, shivering in unison. Tia turned to her window, that royal glow surrounding her horn as the light began to fill the room through the closed curtains. I was aware she could raise the sun with expertise as could I with the Moon, but to do it without physically being able to see it, she was quite powerful. Even I would have to exit to the balcony to make sure the moon went where it needed to. However, despite all this, something about the light made me close my eyes, trying to adjust them slightly to my sister’s light. It was bright, brighter than ever before, much too bright. “Sister your light is…blindingly marvelous.”

“My light is nothing special sister.”

“I’d have to disagree, sister, it’s been so long since I’ve even admired it so, I’m practically blind.

“Your eyes will adjust dear sister. Come now, I believe breakfast is needed, I am much too hungry.

My eyes didn’t control my mind, I slowly made my way toward the door as best I could. “I’m starting to think you may love food too much sister?”

“What is that supposed to imply? She asked with a slight rise in her voice.

“Oh nothing, perhaps it may imply that I did feel a little bit of pudge when I was lying next to you.”

“Are you serious? I can’t be putting on weight, what would the nobles think, our friends?” She gasped. “What would Twilight Sparkle think of me, her idol and teacher reduced to a fat blob?”

“Tia dear, I was only kidding please calm down. You’re in perfect shape I promise.”

Tia could only glare at me, those eyes of hers shining with a bit of anger. “You’ve got me contemplating so much exercise in one minute, and you think that’s funny?”

“Well sorry for making a joke dear sister.”

“A joke indeed, If I were forced to work out, you’d be there every step of the way with me.”

“What? Why? I’m very slim for my figure, as are you?”

“Yes, but Tempest has shown us a physical prowess that is too great to be ignored. It would be beneficial to at least learn how to physically defend ourselves, better for our people even.”

“That does present a grand point.”

We entered the dining room, a grand hall of extreme grandeur, made in the image of two dozen nobles when it only seated two sisters, and their students half the time. The light shining through the windows was greater here than it was back in Tia’s room. We had been walking for quite some time, and yet, it was still too much. Maybe a backlash of the fatigue I had been feeling before, or perhaps my mistake in the realm of dreams has given me a lasting side effect of sensitivity to daylight for heavens knows how long. “Are you ok Luna?”

“Huh? Oh, fine sister, I’m just surprised is all.”

“Oh really? About what may I ask?” she said quickly whispering to the kitchen chef before turning back.

“Just how barren this room was back then, you remember right?”

“This room used to be so full of different things back then.”

Luna stumbled a bit but eventually brushed her hoof across the table. “This table was all it took. It came that morning…and we were—”

“Shocked…I remember.”

---

Tia and I both looked confusingly at the strange and rather large table now occupying the room, It seated at least 24 ponies alone, and more if you added a few corner spots. Mother was easily as stumped, her expression in even more confusion than our own. Tia, finally picking up the courage between us, finally addressed that rather large elephant. “Mother…what…is this?”

“I’m not quite sure myself. I didn’t authorize this in some state of sleep, did I?”

“Actually,” a rather gruff voice said from across the room. “I authorized it.”

Mother looked at our father with surprised eyes, as did my sister and me. “Why oh why dear husband, have you brought this table into our home?”

He cocked an eyebrow in confusion. “Why are you talking like that?”

“Like what my love?”

“Stop it.” He said with a slight annoyance in his voice.

“Oh fine, and here I was trying to make the fight fun.”

“Fight?”

“Yes fight, as in what is this giant table doing in our family room?”

“It is a change that was worth making.” He stated with slight confidence in his tone. “The nobles are coming over for dinner tonight, and I need a proper place to seat them all.”

“I’ve never known you to play nice with the rich and stuck-up snobs of our society, why so suddenly?”

“As the royal family, we must keep an air of pride about us. I’d rather not have rumors spreading of our rather uncouth practices.”

“Ok, so number one, we’re not royalty, leave that assumption at the front door on your way in. We’re just like any other normal pony out there, we just happen to live in a bigger house than most. And two, you could’ve put that table anywhere in the house, but you took away our only room for bonding?”

“It was a worthy sacrifice, we never spend any time in it anyway.”

“Correction, you never spend time in it. I and my daughters happily play here every Sunday, even though things get a little rough sometimes.”

“The cleaning ladies have informed me of your…playtime sessions.”

“That hole in the wall was there when we came in. Look, the point is, you need to get rid of this table, or at least put it somewhere else.”

“We need to make nice with these rich snobs, else our reputation will be down in the ditches with the griffons and the dragons.”

“Make nice? Husband, have you truly ever considered your own family since you became friends with that horrible line of bluebloods? You used to care for me, your children, not what some stuck-up diplomat thought.”

“Those stuck-up diplomats are the reason we live so nicely now my dear.”

“I really don’t care, I’d live in a hut on the side of the road if it meant our life was happier than this.”

“Ugh, I don’t have time for this. Listen, the nobles will be here in an hour, clean yourselves up and be on your best behavior.”

My mother could only stare in anger, her eyes closing as she stared back at us with a smile. “Girls, we’re going to be on our best behavior…aren’t we?” She said opening her eyes only slightly to reveal immediate evil intentions.

I turned to Tia, her eyes just as fearful as mine. “Y-yes mother.” We both replied.

“Good, let’s go get ready for the nobles then.”

“Mother, what are you planning?” Tia asked.

“Nothing my dear, just a simple greeting to the nobles, they are our guests after all. Come along.”

Tia gulped in unison with me as we exited the room, that ever-so-creepy smile still present on my mother’s face. I have a bad feeling about this.

---

“I can never forget that day sister,” Tia uttered. “She had us utterly ruin that day for our father.”

“The table didn’t fare too well as well. As a matter of fact, I distinctly remember father having to buy at least 3 different replacements for it.”

“Before he put a magic spell on it that made it virtually invincible.”

“That day…it wasn’t a day I like to think about, those two fighting about cats and dogs all the time after that point.”

“Father wanted to embrace the royalty, Mother wanted to be a family.”

We both looked at each other. “Who…do you suppose won in the end, Tia?”

“I can’t say for sure…not now…not for a while. I suppose both of them won in their own way.” She said turning back towards the table.

I sighed. I already knew the answer to that question, it didn't take magical feats of time manipulation to see who had won. But was it for better or worse? Did we walk our own path, or did they influence us in some way? It’s hard to tell when both sides made a valid point, if in very drastic ways. “Tia, do you think they did a good job of raising us?”

“Hmm?”

“Mother and Father, do you think their methods and goals…influenced our own actions here and now?”

“I can’t be sure of that Luna. We have our own desires and goals, yes, but those two were on another level of pressure. After all that happened, I can’t say I cared more for my reputation than I did my family. I was confused, scared of becoming something I didn’t want to be.”

Her words felt deep, true to their very core. Something you didn’t want to become? Like me…like her and her darkness. “Did he…”

It was at this point that I unknowingly shed a tear, I wasn’t sure why…not even when or what thought could have stimulated such an action, but it slipped down my muzzle like a stream drawing Tia’s attention. “S-sister, you’re crying.”

“I am?”

“Here allow me.” She wiped away the freshly shed tear only to gasp in shock. I was still temporarily blind at this point, so my surprise was expected when she took in that large breath of air. “W-what is…”

“T-tia, what happened…are the pancakes burnt…are—”

She placed a hoof on my chin and gently lifted up my head. I closed my eyes in unison as the light flooded in. “Luna, open your eyes.”

“Tia, I can’t, remember? They’re highly sensitive right now.”

“Try sister please.”

I tried, I tried as hard as I could. Each time the light pierced within my sight, it felt as though somepony was purposely flashing everything with white. I tried…again…and again…but every single time I did so, the light came so suddenly and forcefully that I instinctively jumped back. “Like I said sister, they are still recovering. Perhaps it was my mistake in the realm of sleep that made them this way, but only time can fix—”

“Somepony please close the curtains if you don’t mind.”

“Yes mam.” A guard responded before quickly running over and closing the curtains.

The room was now draped in a small set of darkness, I could strangely tell, not dim enough, however, the light still poured in from what cracks it could but it was easier now. “Is that better?” she asked me.

“It’s…tolerable…I can feel the light fading away…my eyes aren’t reacting as much.”

“Then open them."

“There is nothing wrong with me sister, my eyes are just a bit damaged from my earlier issues.”

“Luna, I’m not sure that’s the case. Nothing you’ve done prior to this has caused such symptoms. Please open your eyes, I have to be sure.”

“If it will quell your assumptions sister, I will attempt it again.” Slowly my eyes opened, easier to do so now that the light wasn’t as intense, but something in my soul, in my heart, was telling me that something was indeed off about these symptoms. My suspicions were confirmed when Celestia’s breath escaped her, her eyes widened as mine finally did. She was in pure shock, pure nervous, confused shock. She stared into my eyes with complete and utter horror, as if being assaulted by some ferocious beast. “T-tia, what’s wrong, your face is…concerning?”

“It’s…nothing…” she said unsure of that answer at first. Suddenly she beamed with a smile, fake might I add. I’m no professor, but I’ve put on enough fake smiles to know when someone’s using one. “Sister, you worry too much, you are fine, finer than fine. You were right, your eyes are just a bit sensitive to the light right now and need a little more rest.”

“You seemed indifferent about that answer Tia.”

“Not at all my dear sister, I was a bit too worried is all. Come now, you can take the rest of the day off in my room. As a matter of fact, I’ll go and make my special pancakes and bring them directly to you, in bed, how does that sound?”

I cocked an eyebrow. Was she really attempting to soothe my suspicion with the promise of her special pancakes? Because honestly, it was working. It would rival even Pinkie Pie’s taste in flavor if mass-produced. “I suppose that sounds…rather divine.”

She motioned a guard toward us. “May I ask you to accompany Luna to her room?”

“Y-yes mam right away.” The guard responded.

“I shall be there soon Sister.”

I smiled, fake of course. “I shall be awaiting those glorious pastries, Tia.”

Seeing as how half the castle wasn’t exactly covered in curtains I could just close, I depended on the guard for directions. To think I’d been living in this castle so long, I almost assumed I knew it like the back of my hoof, apparently, I was wrong. The old castle just outside Ponyville was much more memorable in its structure. As we finally reached the room, I thanked the guard and made my way inside as he took up position outside. I fumbled a bit with my magic to close the curtains even tighter than they already were. Finally, my eyes weren’t twitching with every little movement. I opened and with unfortunate success…I could see. It was clear as day as if the issue hadn’t even started in the first place. “What is this…feeling?” It’s…deep within me…something small…something different…This isn’t some common symptom of sensitivity…this feeling is more than that…it’s as if I belonged in the darkness entirely. I was curious about something. I can see now that I felt no discomfort when moving and testing my pupils which is odd, again as if the problem never existed. I wanted to test this. My magic wrapped around the base of the curtain and with a slight tug, I let a sliver of light in. As soon as it entered, my eyes regretted the entire decision. I closed the blinds with a huff as I jumped back in surprise. “That answers that question.”

“But Princess…” a voice, outside the doors. I listened closely, the voices were familiar. “She seemed fine a couple of days ago, I thought it was simply fatigue?”

“Twilight, this is more than just simple fatigue.”

“How so?”

“H-her…” Celestia stopped, she was breathing hard, hyperventilating in simplest terms. “H-her eyes were…they were…”

“Princess Celestia please calm down, you’re going to break something, and I don’t know if I can fix you.”

“It’s not normal Twilight, when this happened the first time…it was nothing like this.”

“Can you at least tell me what’s wrong with her eyes?”

“I…you’ll have to see for yourself…”

“It’s been years Princess, I don’t think cryptic hints will suffice this time. Me and my friends have been through enough friendship quests and the school is prospering unlike any other. I would appreciate a straight answer.”

“Older though you may be, I still cannot provide a simple word-for-word description, it’s…not something you can put into words.”

“As you wish princess, I will wait patiently then.”

I knew it, there was something more to this. I can’t wait any longer, I must survey the condition. I quickly made my way to the bathroom, easier than expected with this weird effect of night vision. I turned toward the mirror closing my eyes and letting loose a breath. “Alright…what has life got in store for me now?” Slowly, surely, I opened them. In this dark, any normal person would have been blind but me…my eyes were in some state of pure natural instinct. I could see everything as if I had some type of light source in my eyes, literally, my eyes were glowing…my eyes were… not mine. The pupils were slits, not circles, and the irises…were pure white…not any color at all. This is what she saw…this is what made her so afraid, so unnerved to even look in my direction. What was I becoming?