Twilight's Nightmare

by Nightsclaw

CH 80 Patchwork's Lesson

---

The glowing orb that sat on her hoof was such a fascinating thing. Swirls of yellow and brown danced around a small ruby core.

"So, this is the price you claimed?" Sweet Dreams asked as she sauntered in with the sandwiches.

"Well, it's not like he requires it anymore..." Twilight hummed. The scent of fresh bread and sweet zap apples reached her nose. "And it would have been a shame to waste it," she finished half-heartedly as something else now had her full attention.

Dreams brushed against Twilight as she settled beside her. Her conditioned coat felt silky smooth as her body leaned against Twilight. Twilight leaned in for a kiss, and Dreams sat back a bit.

"Open." Dreams said, and Twilight obeyed.

A sandwich floated before Twilight's muzzle in that oh-so-familiar silver aura. With the few flowers she could see baked into the bread and the cute little depictions of her cutie mark, there was no way she was not going to try it. The complex taste caressed her tongue. "Hmmmmm, this is so good," Twilight purred as her mind calculated just how expensive said sandwich would be anywhere else. Hollow Shades' maze and Ancient Griffonstone wheat would make a single loaf of bread a few hundred bits. Most of the flowers baked into it are lost to history or almost so... so perhaps a thousand bits more?

Dreams' warm wing enfolded Twilight, and her mental calculations ceased. Dreams' chest was such a lovely place to rest her head.

"You have a point," Dreams said.

"I do?"

"Red Wing does not need his wellspring where he is going."

Twilight returned her attention to the orb. "A predator's wellspring is fascinating..."

"So, how has it caught your interest, my Dear?"

"It has a central core that is similar to blood magic. Which, of course, it does. They feed on others, after all. The rest is like someone took the physical aspects of Earth Pony and Pegasi Pony magic, threw them in a blender and called it a day. It's messy, it's..."

"Chaotic."

"Yes, that's..." Twilight's mind crashed to a stop. "Discord?"

"Most chimeric creatures are his."

"Why would he make them?"

"Think about it."

"Hmm." Twilight tapped her chin. "Well, no chaos magic exists in a typical griffon's wellspring."

Dreams nodded encouragingly as she started to brew a pot of tea. "Go on."

It could not be that simple, could it? Twilight looked up from the orb. "With no taint of his magic, they would not be stopped by wards or even detected by any alarm or detection spells calibrated for him or his magic."

Dreams nodded. "That is my belief, at least. A chaotic, violent species that were happy to view ponykind as mere prey."

"That's..."

"Evil?"

"Yes, I was going to use more words, but yes, that is evil."

Dreams held her hoof out, "May I?"

Twilight cocked her head with curiosity but deposited the orb in Dreams' outreached hoof.

"Now watch," Dreams said as she twisted the orb between her forehooves. With a pop that was more felt than heard, she somehow opened it. As the colours started to spill out, her wings closed in, and feathers danced and wove in complex patterns.

"What are you..."

Dreams answered without even looking up. Her focus remained on her work. "Just wait and watch, my dear." For another minute, Dreams worked at whatever she was doing. The blur of light resolved into strands and then into something more defined.

"Is that a dream catcher?"

Dreams giggled softly. "Twilight, dear, this is not a dream catcher, but I can see why it would remind you of one." With a quick flick of her wings, a tangled web of coloured strands hung suspended from her primary feathers.

"Then what am I looking at?" Twilight said as she leaned closer. Each strand bore a colour and had a feel to it. Separated, such things started to make more sense. Fire, air, earth, anger and blood-aspected strands were linked together with bizarre knots.

With a hoof, Dreams pointed to one of the more complex knots. "When you have a wellspring open like this, one can see much about its potential."

An open wellspring? It was an impossibility. It was intriguing. She had to know more. With less than half a thought, Twilight had a scroll and a quill eagerly recording every detail. By habit, she turned to her horn first. "These almost feel like partial spell runes?"

"Very good."

Dreams' praise felt even better than Celestia's ever had. Twilight smiled wide. "This… all the aspected strands coming together and the patterns in those knots."

"They are not truly runes."

Six then seven different counterarguments flashed through Twilight's mind. "They're not?"

"What you see here in the intrinsic magic, see here? Where the anger feeds into and is supported by the three elemental threads?"

"Yes."

"What do you think this knot does?"

"Hmm. Well, 'if' this was a spell fragment I was investigating," Twilight started tapping her chin. "This structure clearly uses anger as a power amplification. However, you would use more than one to make a proper array." She pointed her horn at the next point of interest. "This loop here will cause the caster to feel more anger each time it is actuated. So a feedback loop will cause this to ramp up dramatically."

Sweet Dreams nodded, and that beautiful, encouraging smile beamed out from her face.

For a moment, the thought of kissing Dreams again almost stole her focus, but no, this was a magic puzzle, so a deeper drive gripped her. She knew exactly what was happening, she had written three papers on the phenomenon, but like anypony following their mark, she also knew she was incapable of being concerned about it. In her mind, she could almost visualize a little filly version of her, ears perked up and doing an embarrassing little dance chanting 'new magic, yes, yes, yes' endlessly.

Twilight's quill sketched the knot from one angle and then another. "So here is what I think is part of a haste spell, and here is a part of a physical augmentation spell." Twilight looked up. "So if this works..., and if this were a spell, this would be very large if by the way, this would make the target stronger and faster proportionately with how angry they were with the side effect of making them increasingly angry the longer this... Rage is in effect."

Dreams' hoof pointed at another knot, a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "Full marks, now for extra credit... can you tell me what this one does?"

Extra credit? It is on!

---

Dozens of books and hundreds of scrolls surrounded her. Red Wing's dissected wellspring now hung like a piece of modern art from a modified painter's easel. Twilight took a long pull from the Sweet Apple Acres cider. It added perfectly to the contentment of a job well done and the comfort of her beloved dozing, snuggled against her side.

A knock on the door broke the perfect moment. Twilight sighed and reached out with her aura to open the door. There, through the open door with the backdrop of storm clouds and the obsidian plane, stood Night.

Night's slit eyes looked over the academic carnage that had consumed part of the library before they fixed on the open wellspring. "May I enter?"

Twilight nodded. "Night, we are family. How many times do I need to inform you of that fact?"

With her normal relaxed lethality, Night stalked in. "I have an appointment with my student. Are you able to pull yourself away from your twin passions?"

"Cadance?"

Night nodded. "She is presently my only student in this world, though I am considering another."

In this world? Twilight pondered as she spoke. "Can you pass on my best wishes?"

"I will, but you know she always knows how you feel about her?"

"Yes, I know it is her domain, but just because she knows, that's no reason not to be friendly."

"Then your message shall be passed. I may even imply there is something more to it and use it as a prize. After all, who does not like a reward for completing one's lessons?"

Sweet Dreams yawned and sleepily blinked her wonderful eyes open. Those eyes found Night. "Tea?"

"I'm afraid I have little time... but thank you."

It may have become common, but every time Night said something nice, thanked somepony or anything like that, a smile somehow found its way to Twilight's face. This is how ponies are meant to be.

"Then until your return," Dreams said.

"Have a good trip," Twilight said, but her mind kept working on who the new student in this world was and who could be her students in other worlds.

Night smirked. "I shall sate your curiosity if you will sate mine."

"Night... we are not in a position to be keeping secrets from each other."

"Metor Crash is Luna's chosen, Scootallo is yours... that still leaves Applebloom and Sweetie Bell. This is something that should be corrected."

"You want to take one as your chosen?"

"You would have them age and expire in a mere half of the span as Metor Crash and Scootaloo?"

"How could I have forgotten that?"

"Twilight." Dreams' wing pulled Twilight into a firm embrace. Like every time, even the thought of panic or worry faded. "My love, it is only natural not to think of a foal passing from old age when they are still full of youthful vigour."

After a few seconds of just enjoying the warmth and ignoring Night's chuckle, Twilight pulled away. "It is still an unforgivable oversight." Twilight turned to Night. "Thank you."

"As you say, we are family." When Night said those words, as warm and comforting as they were, as soft and friendly as they sounded, there was still the threat of murder and mayhem to anypony that would dear threaten them.

How does she do that? Twilight thought, adding yet another question to her mental checklist.

Night's wing pointed to the easel. "May I know why thou have taken an interest in such arts?"

Thou? She's slipping back to archaic. Why? "Dreams showed me, and it was fascinating. I never knew there was so much I did not know about how wellsprings worked." Twilight gathered up the loose pages and scrolls, a full presentation already preparing itself in her mind.

Night levelled her eyes at Dreams, who calmly stared back.

Twilight pounded her hoof into the wooden floor. Dreams flinched, her wings flaring. Night just coldly turned her eyes to Twilight's own. A little bit of Nova's anger lent Twilight more confidence than she felt. "Family, remember? So tell me, what am I missing?"

"What Dreams has chosen to teach you can lead to some truly dark places, Twilight."

"She needs to know."

Night shifted her wings in the closest thing to nervousness Twilight had seen from her. "When a wellspring is damaged, the soul flees." She nodded towards the collections of threads. "This art is perfect for making nets to catch and store them."

"Won't that cause them to suffer?"

"Yes, their pain, their fear just makes them more delectable." Night said as her tongue ran along her fangs.

Twilight's mind flashed back to relaxing in her new garden, and the purr that wanted to escape her as she lounged. It had been pleasant and felt like validation. It was almost exactly like a weaker version of being praised for doing well but somehow more alluring.

Dreams sighed. "Why do I feel I am the only sane one here?"

"Studies say that most ponies that are insane do not believe they are... so that's not a reliable indicator, my Dream."

"Being a mix of you and Night... I never had a chance, did I?"

"Nope." Twilight cheerfully chirped.

Night slowly facehooved. "I shall take my leave. Please do try not to take over or end the world before I return."

Twilight reluctantly pushed herself to her hooves. "So I have the reins now?"

"Well, unless you wish everypony to think you have fallen into a coma." Night said as her form dissolved into shadows.

With a wingtip, Twilight reached out and softly encouraged Sweet Dreams to face her. The motion still was not as seductive as Rarity's books implied it could be, but she hoped the passion she put into the following kiss would more than make up for it.

One blissful moment later, Twilight pulled back. Moments like this, the look in your lover's eyes after a kiss, were what every romance tried and failed to capture.

"You need to..."

"I know, but why did you teach me this?"

"The nets to cage souls can be made of the softest weave."

The concept of a method of acquiring a fear-drenched 'snack' that would linger reconfigured itself to a motherly embrace, holding a dear one safe, their soul shielded from the harsh world by her own immortal one. A virgin scroll was sacrificed on the altar of her new contingency plan. Now, what are the pros and cons of this method compared to just converting them to a dependent fragment...

"Eep", Twilight's wings flared open as her mind registered her current motion and the more shocking fact that her Dreams, her Sweet Dreams, had used her aura to throw her out of her own library.

---

Again, settling back into control of her flesh suit felt wrong. It was somepony else's originally, and just a glance at the well-toned muscles and single-shaded coat made it feel alien. As much as she should hate it, she was Patchwork, and with each day, it became harder and harder to ignore it.

Twilight took a long calming breath. Griffon sweat, alcohol and seared meat were an inferior replacement for the scents of live wood, books and ink that surrounded her when she was in her Bastion.

A strong, almost chemical scent came back to her from her own breath. What have I been drinking? Whatever it had been, it was nothing compared to the delights Sweet Dreams prepared daily.

All around her, a celebration wound down. Rainbow and Gilda boasted and bragged to each other as they downed drink after drink.

All around her, there were many small groupings and celebrations. Some of her subjects were too respectful, some too fearful of her, but it all led to one simple fact, there was not a single place for the victorious princess. Is this how Celestia feels?

Twilight's eyes flicked to her guards that were still on duty, the formality of their stances. This was a celebration, yes, but it was still a statement. Candice stood perfectly still, her keen eyes watching everything. Candice gave the smallest of nods which was far from the embrace that would have happened in Ponyville.

Twilight carefully surveyed the room again. Even though none here wished to be near her, they were all paying attention to her. Eat one still beating heart... She thought with dry amusement. Since when was my humour that dark? She sighed. My father warned me about keeping the wrong company. Well, it was not as if she could do anything about it, and she was reasonably confident she would not even if she could. We make for one bucked-up family, don't we?

She shifted and lounged in a regal yet relaxed way. She knew she was emulating Celestia again, but mimicking Cadance would have set the wrong tone. Why can't this be a Pinkie Party? She thought as her mind catalogued and reviewed each and every one she had attended. Her mind then shifted from an ascending count to a descending one. X Pinkie Parties per year on average, Y years in the average life expectancy of an earth pony, therefore Z parties remaining.

That problem was back on her mind, and she had learned some new possibilities. Well, it is not like I'm doing anything useful right now...

A quick bit of spellwork later, and she was surrounded by an I'm-Not-Doing-Anything-Intresting spell. Scrolls, books, ink and quills popped into existence.

Candice calmly walked over and settled beside her.

"You know that's not your post, right?" Twilight asked, not even trying to keep the regret from her tone.

"Sure it is." Candice tenderly smiled. "My post is by your side. Besides, I'm still paying attention to what's going on out there."

"Luna's out stalking the night, the whole of the…" Twilight paused and considered. This place needed a name. "Twilight Citadel is behind a shield that would make my brother turn green with envy. Nothing is going to happen."

"Then let those that love you celebrate with you."

Those bright blue eyes looked out from the white-coated face. Twilight placed a hoof softly on her cheek. Her lavender contrasted so much with the pale mare. A warmth stirred in Twilgiht's chest as Nova started to pay attention. Twilight just looked into those eyes. In one moment, the charred remains of a pony she nearly killed was there. The next, the separated components hung suspended there as she was in the process of being remade. The next Candice was there as she was now, whole, beautiful and her's, body mind and soul.

Those blue eyes brightened as her smile warmed. One of those large wings embraced her, and suddenly the griffons and ponies in the room were below her notice. The only thing that mattered was Candice's imminent kiss. Twilight pushed more magic into her spell and welcomed it and much more.

---

Comments

[DarkGred]

cute

[Oh-Bam-Ah]

Twilight is changing... A lot.

Though, it would be more accurate to say she has changed.

Maybe, just maybe. Celestia had a point in withholding knowledge of the Bastion/Fragments, and possibly even, in the rashness of young Alicorns.

Celestia may be evil. I'd go so far as saying she's mostly in the wrong... But there is a method too her madness, and even a random idiot holds at least one correct opinion.

Celestia is no random idiot.

She is still Evil and quite possibly the main antagonist of this story however.

Also Fuck Daybreaker all my homies hate Daybreaker! For good reason too!

Occasionally throughout the comments I've seen people saying good things about Daybreaker. I even remember someone saying it would be better if Daybreaker got control of the body. When in actuality, Daybreaker is literally Celestias paranoia and desire for violence personified and Daybreaker getting control of the body would be a worst case scenario.

EDIT: Also the fact that Nightmare Moon Is the only one of Twilights fragments cautioning her of going down a dark path disturbs me.

[Mister Morden]

I don't like the direction Twilight is heading... This can only end in tragedy. But such is the journey... She has fallen once. She will fall again.

Will the next chapter be Night training Cadance perhaps?

How long until we get the tragedy of the Warlocks Ascension bid?

[Guardian Talon]

I still expect Star to make the other two her chosen. But now we have Twilight thinking about it. So who will get to them first?
And it would be funny to see Twilight go to do it only to find out it's already done.

[Emkozul]

11552903
So here is my theory
What if the Elements of Harmony take what is Evil within a Being and Separates it from what is good?

NMM did just that and so what if the same happened to Discord? NMM became a disembodied spirit/power that became latched onto Twilight.

Warlock could be what happened to Discord's evil thoughts. Hell he was hit by the elements Twice. Once with the sisters (which could explain how he was there with Filly Twilight) and again while Twilight/Patches was an Adult/teenager. Now the question becomes.... What happens to the Evil side of it is hit by the elements? Does it get stripped further or does it get Eradicated? More importantly, does Discord Know?

[Emkozul]

*goblin Snickers ensue* Twilight and Candice sitting in a tree
K-i-s-s-i-n-g

God I hope this has a happy ending for them.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

okay Red Wing's wellspring thing was creepy

[Dagon M Dragoon]

11553100
Hopefully after Shy leaves the alter.

[Xaldon Ajide]

11553147
dunno bout that I kinda liked that little bit of dissection into the design of a griffons base wellspring.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

11553066
it shows how bad Celestia is when we prefer Daybreaker over her. Daybreaker is also a check on Celestia as a whole. Celestia is too bound up and Breaker knows this which is why she says she needs to get laid. the issue of all the other alicorns are due to her actions or inactions. Celestia literally made a magical object in Luna that KILLS her fragments. in a world were Lore wise an alicorn with no fragment is bad long term.

SO what is Celestia's solution to this!?

Twilight has PTSD, the reason why Twilight has that is because CELESTIA never taught her critical stuff that could allow her to escape. note then Night got control she easily freed Twilight. Twilight had no clue. ONLY BECAUSE CELESTIA DIDN'T TEACH HER.

[Killer20]

11553649
No, you can‘t just think: Celestia didnt teach her this, bad thing happened, therefore Celestia bad!
Celestia wasnt the one to inflict the bad thing on Twilight.
Yes you could argue she Could have maybe prevented it from happening, but I don‘t think she had any direct influence in
”Midnight Scolls“ Actions.

Celestia had a REASON for not teaching Twilight.
We dont know that reason yet, we can only speculate rn,my guess is that she just wanted her to live a normal peaceful life,unburdened by all of that knowledge and responsibility for now.
Night escaped using bloodmagic, and we KNOW for a fact Blood magic is very addicting , Night said so herself in the very beginning of this Story! So while Twilight started out with a harmless Bloodmagic spell, she probably WOULD have been driven to use More blood magic in the future,and those future spells COULD have been far more dangerous than her first spell.

Everything about daybreaker has been said by Oh-Bam-Ah so I‘ll not repeat that.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

11553745
No, it is stated by Twilight, Luna, and Cadance. that none of the new alicorns are properly trained in their new natures. again just taught the mist form Twilight would not suffer what she did. And the fact Celestia uses twilight as a defense for Equestria makes not training. COMPLETELY STUPID. Any training she has its from what she is learning from Night. So no she does not get the defense since she uses Twilight AS A DEFENSE.

I think Celestia's problem is threefold. She hangs on to alot of what the last alicorns did and we know that was crappy stuff.
for a 1000 years she had noone to tell her no with clear authority so use to getting her way no matter what.

finally her mental state. out of her two fragments one is basically a poker face and the other is a fragment meant for war and the fact many of us think Celestia might be better off with her in charge says much about the actual her.

[dragonus85]

This story is so damn good.
Always happy to see more.

[Nightsclaw]

11555071
Thank you.

[Aleck_Ultimate]

11553853
My theory, whether in canon or in this AU, is that Celestia wanted Twilight to be better than her because she is all too aware of her flaws.

To me, whether in canon or in this UA, letting Twilight chart her own course by just pointing her in the direction of Friendship knowing that it is a path she is not or not anymore able to follow properly, and thus Twilight would be better off learning on her own than being misdirected by a failed teacher.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

11556838
I disagree.

[Killer20]

11556838
I think you are correct in some way!

I think Celestia is just DONE with the past!
She made mistakes that she regrets, and just wanted to Start over!
So she flees together with luna , hoping she can build something better than what she has known all of her life…
But still her past continues to haunt her, not letting her go!

So she just erases EVERYTHING that has to do with her past.
She kills all of Lunas fragments that would know of her Past, she erases her memories, gets rid of the Crystal Empire and Discord with the help of the Elements of Harmony.

But the Elements of Harmony won‘t let Celestia get away from her past that easily. Your not in Harmony with yourself if you just keep pushing away your past and your mistakes.

Because Nighmare Moon arises from the Purge of Lunas Bastion, Just as a few of Twilights fragments were able to save themselves.
Nightmare Moon, Discord, and the Former Empress of the Crystal empire are all still around ready to get their revenge on Celestia, for what she took away from them.

Because you cant just run away from your Problems and your Past ,they will come back to bite you in the Butt at some point!

ALL of this could just be Total BS but that is my general theory of the BIG overall Story of this so far!
Yes there ARE some things I left out here and there…

[Max Stroberger]

I was really hoping Cadence would come back soon we haven't seen her in so long, also I hope you haven't forgotten about the little subplot with Chrysalis and that clone of Twilight she's created or is that the voice Little Star is hearing in her head?🤔😱

[Max Stroberger]

11562229
Who might?

[Max Stroberger]

11562225
Finding out about what?

[KatieBreeze]

"Most chimeric creatures are his."

Like hippogriffs! The bestest of birbs

[KatieBreeze]

"I'm afraid I have little time... but thank you."

Didn't Night teach Cadence that you can make a duplicate fragment, allowing one copy to be in the body while the other is in the bastion? Night could easily do that if she wanted to