Twelve
Twilight’s eyes snapped open. The ground felt soft and warm beneath her hooves, and her nose was filled with the scent of... flowers? She shot up and looked around, twisting her face in confusion.
She was back in Canterlot. Specifically in the royal gardens, which were full of life and flowers of all colours, shapes and sizes. She always liked coming here, even when she was a young student of Celestia. It was peaceful. Quiet. The perfect place to study and read up on ancient history, and as she grew older became a place of reprieve from the dealings of court. High above her loomed the glittering towers and spires of the palace itself, stretching up to the heavens.
After picking herself up and dusting herself off, she stretched her legs and wings and looked around. “Hello?” she called out. “Is anypony there?”
Despite the vivid colour of the gardens, indicating they were clearly well cared for as usual, she saw no signs of life anywhere. No birds were singing to each other, and there weren’t even any sounds of insects that she could hear. The air around her was still and quiet. Save for her own breathing and her own hoofsteps, not a single sound could be heard.
She trotted forwards, intending to search for somepony--anypony--who she could talk to. “Hello?” she repeated.
“Hello, Twilight,” came a quiet voice from behind her. She spun around to face them, and immediately felt emotion ripple through her as she looked into the eyes of her old mentor and dear friend.
“Princess Celestia!” she cried. She jumped forwards towards the white mare, inclining her head for a well needed nuzzle. Celestia smiled and returned the gesture, swinging her wings around her former student and pulled her close.
“It’s good to see you again, Twilight,” she said.
Twilight felt her heart melt as the princess’s warm words reached her ears and buried her muzzle into her illustrious mane. She always smelled the same too, some combination of rare tea and the shampoo she used, and here--wherever here was--was no different.
“Oh Celestia, I need to tell you someth-” she began.
“I am afraid I am not here under pleasant circumstances,” Celestia continued, interrupting her and pulling back sharply. Her eyes narrowed and her expression hardened as she held Twilight in her forehooves.
Twilight looked into her eyes and trembled. The words she wanted to say wouldn’t come to her, and so she hopelessly stammered and sputtered incomplete sentences, quaking with fear under her mentor’s sudden steely gaze.
“Prin... princess, there’s something... Equestria, it’s--I, I mean... There’s.. there’s Midnight, and-”
“You betrayed Equestria,” Celestia coldly stated, bringing a hoof up to silence her. “You brought our great country to her knees in pursuit of your own selfish gain. You corrupted the sun and shattered the moon and silenced any who opposed you, including that of your dear friends. Your crimes are unforgiveable.”
Her horn ignited in a blaze of golden magic.
“I take no pleasure in this, Twilight. I do this out of duty, not out of hate. I am sorry I failed you.”
Twilight yelped as she felt the cold sting of magic penetrate through her. “Princess?” she squeaked, finally finding her voice. “No, there’s a mistake--that wasn’t me! Stop, please!”
“I loved you, Twilight.” Celestia’s voice rang out, tinted with sorrow and grief. The gardens grew colder with every word, and her magic began to take effect. “You were supposed to be the best of us, to save Equestria, not leave it in darkness. I cannot allow this injustice to go on any longer. Be at peace now.”
Twilight screamed as she felt an excruciating pain. Looking down she saw her hooves begin to change. They lost their colour and became hardened, like rocks. Like stone. she was turning into stone!
As she realised this fact she felt all hope leave her. Her jaw seized up as she struggled to beg and plead for forgiveness.
Her eyes whipped around, trying to find Celestia, and settled on the white alicorn gazing sadly at her with tears running down her cheeks.
”Princess Celestia, please!”
The world began to spin. She reared up on her back legs before they too turned to stone. Her words caught in her throat, which was also rapidly being changed by the magic, and soon even her eyes froze in place, staring ahead blankly, just as a large group of ponies had gathered, springing up from precisely nowhere to come and look at her.
Come to see the beast that doomed Equestria.
The Solar Sovereign hung her head, her spell finished and her horn deactivated. “Goodbye, my disappointing student. Sleep well, know that Equestria is now safe from your tyranny...”
The ponies behind her continued to gather, to stare up at Twilight with mixtures of fear, revulsion and relief across their faces.
Twilight screamed for forgiveness inside her head, and watched as time began to rapidly advance. Ponies came and went, the sun set in the sky, the moon rose high time and time again... an eternity passed.
Soon, no ponies came to see her. Soon, she was completely and totally isolated, cut off from the rest of the world as it progressed without her. She screamed and cried and begged for forgiveness, to an end to this torment, but nopony answered her. Eventually, the greenery of the gardens disappeared, replaced by grey and dull concrete.
A shadow bore down on her, and she heard the whir of machines and engines approaching. She looked on in horror as from out of the shadows approached a huge metal beast, with glowing eyes and a massive metal mouth with teeth the size of shovels.
She braced herself for impact as it reached her, and expected a lifetime of pain to follow. She squeezed her eyes shut, and prepared for the end of all things.
What happened instead, was nothing of the sort. At first she felt her wings flutter. Then her hooves began to tingle. She felt her head move and her lungs cry out for oxygen. Blearily and blinking she looked around, and looked straight into the eyes of none other than Princess Luna, who watched her calmly without saying a word.
“Princ...” Twilight whispered. She felt weak and stumbled, rapidly blinking her eyes. “Princess... Luna?”
Luna stood by and watched as she collected herself and made to stand.
“Celestia...” Twilight continued quietly, breathing heavily and looking around. “Luna, is this...”
“A dream? Perhaps, a nightmare would be more fitting.” The Moon Princess fluttered her wings and sighed. “Typically, a pony’s nightmares extend from their deepest and darkest fears. Yours, Twilight-” She regarded her old friend carefully, with narrow eyes and a pushed out lip. “Yours seem to be rooted in a fear of failing Equestria, and my sister especially.”
Twilight picked herself up and looked around sadly, at the forgotten and overgrown flowerbeds, and then looked upwards at the moon shining bright in the sky. Images of what the moon in the waking world looked like came to her and made her shiver.
“I have failed Equestria... I let everypony down...”
Luna simply looked on with interest, twisting her face as if struggling with an internal conversation. She glanced upwards at the moon cautiously. “Are you aware of what you have done, Twilight?”
“I saw the sun. And the moon.”
“I see. Are you sorry for it?”
Twilight scowled. “Of course I am,” she snapped. “What kind of question is...” She breathed in deeply, noting the princess’s expression and raised eyebrows. “Sorry, Luna. I am.”
A few moments of silence passed between them while Luna tapped her chin and appeared deep in thought. The silence, coupled with Luna’s troubling expression, made Twilight feel uneasy, until she could no longer bear it.
“Luna, do you know how exactly... Midnight Sparkle appeared?”
“Midnight Sparkle...” Luna said quietly and coldly, nodding her head gently in understanding. “That vile creature...” A flicker of doubt passed over her face as she looked at Twilight. “I do.”
“Can you please tell me?”
Luna’s mouth opened, and then she froze. Her eyes glazed over and became glassy, like a doll’s eyes. Twilight stepped closer to her and waved a hoof in the air in front of her face. “Uh... princess? Luna? Hello-”
“Ah ah, Twiiiliiight,” came a sinister, sing-song voice. Twilight slowly turned to see the shadows behind her extend and grow, twisting and warping the very air. Midnight Sparkle materialised there, grinning from ear to ear once again and looking like a demon surrounded by her own dark fire.
“Spoilers,” she giggled, waving her hoof like a disapproving mother.
Twilight spun around to face her head on and assumed a defensive stance, flaring her wings and igniting her horn in a blaze of magic.
“What did you do to Luna?!” she demanded.
Midnight tutted and shook her head. “That simpleton? I stopped her from making a mistake.” Her grin grew as she stepped closer and fluttered her wings. “It’s funny, really. I’m so powerful, I can control the great Princess Luna in her own realm.”
She winked at Twilight, who trembled but held herself with as much dignity as she could muster.
“You see? My power has no limits. Imagine how strong you could be, Twilight.”
Twilight’s lower lip trembled. “I don’t want your power, Midnight. I just... just...”
She collapsed to the ground and covered her head, crying and shaking with anger and sorrow. She knew she must have looked pathetic. She certainly felt pathetic. However instead of mocking jeers as she expected to hear, she heard Midnight’s sigh of discontent.
“Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. I am not your enemy here,” she cooed. Twilight flinched and felt a hoof on the top of her head. “In fact, I’m perhaps your only true friend left. Only I know what you did, and why you did it. For anypony else to tell you would be an injustice to our friendship.”
“We aren’t friends!” Twilight snapped, shoving her hoof away and scurrying backwards. “Friends are ponies who help each other, who understand and love one another, ponies like-” She blanked. “Like, um...”
“Like who?” Midnight jeered. “Come on, speak up, don’t be shy.”
The princess wilted under her counterpart’s menacing eyes. “Neon,” she said, trying to hide the uncertainty in her voice. “And Sparky, Spike, and... and Flurry Heart! The Children of the Sun. They’re my friends.”
Midnight hook her head in disappointment. “They are as much your friends as this...” She waved a hoof at the frozen Luna. “This malevolent creature is, Twilight. Spike, your brave and courageous Spike, is beyond even your help now. You saw him. You heard him. He truly believes your dear friends are still amongst the living. His mind is shattered, his will broken.” She snorted derisively. “At best, in his current state, I would suggest he is nothing more than a loyal dog awaiting your next command for a treat.”
Twilight’s mouth opened and closed in shock at the barbarity of Midnight’s words. She refused to believe that this alicorn was born from the same mind as hers, and yet... there was a niggle of doubt in her mind that suggested she spoke true. Spike was indeed a shell of his former self, why she hadn’t noticed it sooner--his glazed over look when he spoke about their friends--she didn’t know, and cursed herself for it. For not seeing the signs... For not being there when he needed her.
“As for Neon Dream, well...” Midnight narrowed her eyes, continuing in her tirade and breaking Twilight’s train of thought. “How much faith would you really place that particular pony? Or that of her little friend, the coward who can barely form a sentence without stuttering?”
“They both helped me get to the Children,” Twilight mumbled. She stole a glance over at the still frozen Luna and shivered. “Neon especially... she helped me. She’s my friend.”
“How naïve are you, Twilight?” the dark alicorn snapped. “Everything she has done, she has done for herself. She harbours a grudge against you, and your pathetic Children for destroying her life, and she-” She sharply turned her head towards Luna and narrowed her eyes. Her horn glowed with a sinister magic that trailed and coiled around the princess’s head. “Oh... I see.”
A coy smile began to spread across her face.
“I really see.”
Twilight rapidly flicked her eyes between them. The young mare grew increasingly anxious. “What? You see what?”
Midnight’s horn began to glow again, and Luna began to move. She gasped and jumped back, lowering her horn in an aggressive manner.
“Keep your magic to yourself, you insolent wretch!”
Twilight quickly stumbled to her hooves and continued looking between them. “What? Luna, what’s happening? Midnight, what--”
“Tell her, then, Lulu,” Midnight chuckled, winking at the blue alicorn across from her. “Or should I do it for you?”
Luna growled again and scraped a hoof along the ground. “I will cut your disrespectful tongue from your mouth you vicious devil-”
“Yes, yes, we all understand you’re very capable and dangerous,” said the dark alicorn dismissively. She looked at Twilight and smiled sweetly. “Do you see, Twilight? While I am calm and centred, she is the aggressor here. A fine choice for a friend.”
Twilight trembled and gave the princess an imploring look. “I don’t understand. Luna, what-”
“Twilight, I had planned to tell you in due time, but-”
“Oh please, take your time, I will keep us here for eternity if I have to,” Midnight chuckled. She huffed as Twilight scowled at her and straightened herself up, choosing to fiddle with a lock of her fiery mane. “Tell the truth, Luna, or I will do it for you.”
Luna looked positively miserable and hung her head in shame. “Twilight, I... I want you to understand that... I only wanted to save Equestria from any further danger-”
“Luna what did you do?” Twilight asked calmly, trying desperately to hold it together, while also trying to ignore Midnight’s gleeful giggling. “Please.”
Luna swallowed. “I... In my anger upon learning you were not only alive, but free of your imprisonment, I... proposed to your friend Neon Dream that she should...” The Moon Princess took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling her guilt eat away at her. “Consider turning you in to your former captors to prevent you regaining your seat of power, if not flat out destroy you.”
Twilight’s jaw fell open in shock. Her eyes immediately welled with tears and her heart wrenched itself in two. She stumbled backwards, subconsciously towards Midnight.
“I made a snap decision and I was wrong to do so, and she refused--obviously,” Luna quickly continued, sinking further to her knees. “But even so, my actions are unforgiveable. I thought my anger was justified, but seeing you here, in the dreamscape... I see your guilt runs deeper than I had assumed.”
She curled up and prostrated herself before Twilight.
“Twilight... Princess of Equestria... I am ashamed of myself, of my heinous and treasonous actions against you, even for the suggestion that you should be imprisoned again. I humbly beg for forgiveness, and throw myself at your mercy.”
Twilight didn’t know what to do.
”Luna wanted me locked up again... destroyed even... Luna... if she did, then did... did Celestia also want me gone?”
She glanced sideways at Midnight, at the dark alicorn still smirking. Everything seemed to move too fast to understand, no doubt an effect of the dream she was still in. Her lips moved wordlessly, granting her the time she needed to process and think of an answer.
Luna, meanwhile, chanced a look up and met her gaze for a moment. “There is no excuse I can make that will absolve me of my sins. I made a snap decision that I thought could help save Equestria. You have a loyal friend in Neon Dream, she refused immediately and told me to... ah.”
Luna smiled despite her situation, and no doubt in an attempt to placate Twilight in some way.
“To go to hell, and take my corporate bullshit with me.”
Twilight felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth and a tear roll down her cheek, imagining Neon telling Luna off. Her smile quickly faded as she looked down at Luna, pitifully grovelling before her like she was a vengeful tyrant.
In spite of it all, she felt no anger. The sorrow, while still clearly there, didn’t hurt her heart as much as she initially thought.
Instead, a strange sense of pride swelled within the Princess of Friendship.
Luna did only have Equestria’s best interests at heart after all, and she of all ponies would know how it felt to betray those closest to her. Twilight wondered who would do anything else in her situation. What if it was Nightmare Moon who had threatened the world? What if Celestia was the aggressor? What if Discord returned to a life of chaos?
Well, she would try and stop them, of course at any cost. She would try and make an attempt to convince whoever they were working with to stop them before they grew too strong, like how she reasoned with Tempest Shadow in an attempt to bring her back into Equestria from the Storm King’s grasp, which the dark unicorn eventually did of her own accord anyway.
Twilight took a step forwards and fluttered her wings. “Luna, please stop... I know you-” she began.
“Oh come on!” yelled Midnight suddenly, making her flinch and shy away as the dark alicorn stormed up to her, having lost her patience. “You’re not actually going to forgive her are you? She tried to poison your only friend against you! She lied to you, and if I hadn’t made her tell the truth, you wouldn’t even know it!”
Twilight closed her eyes. ”Inhale... count to four...”
She exhaled deeply and repeated her brother’s mantra. “Go. Away. Midnight. I’m done listening to you.” She rounded on Midnight Sparkle and glowered at her. “Luna was doing what was right for Equestria, like I would, like Celestia would--like anypony would.”
Twilight looked over at Luna, who finally looked up at her with wide, bloodshot eyes.
“And I’m glad she did. You won’t win, Midnight. You’ll never win. You’ll never control Equestria again.”
“Ugh. And I had such high hopes for you,” Midnight snarled, her horn igniting in a flash of magic. “You ignorant slime. You’ll see. You’ll see, the both of you!” She began to grow increasingly erratic in a considerably short amount of time, making Twilight back away from her fearfully. “You are an idiot. Equestria is mine, do you hear me?! Mine!”
She lowered her head and spread her wings.
“Enjoy your friendship, Twilight. While it lasts.”
She spat her words and rose up into the air with a powerful flap of her wings, creating a huge gale of wind around her. The clouds from above descended rapidly and engulfed her, creating a swirling vortex that sparked and cracked with magic, and then, almost as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, leaving only a cold wind blowing in it’s wake.
Twilight unfurled her wings from around herself and looked around, suddenly feeling very much out of breath. “Is... is that it?” she wheezed, blinking rapidly, feeling her horn itch. “Is Midnight... gone?”
Luna shook her head sadly and rose up from her pitiful grovelling. “Unfortunately, I fear this is only temporary. I have no doubt she will return, and when she does, you must be ready, Twilight.”
Twilight half listened to her, hearing several voices suddenly call her name. She felt her body heave and her muscles begin to atrophy. “What’s... happening, Luna?” she mumbled. Her words came out slurred as if she was drunk, or very tired.
The Lunar Sovereign stepped closer to her. “It would seem you are needed in the waking world.” She smiled sadly and bit her lip. “Twilight, I... you are a good pony, I was wrong to judge you otherwise. You are a loyal and dear friend of mine...” She reached out and brushed some mane out of Twilight’s eyes tenderly. “I... will you forgive me?”
The princess smiled and placed her hoof on her friend’s. “Of course, Luna. I know... I know it must have been hard, and I’m so, so sorry for everything I’ve done, and disappearing for a few hundred centuries.” She squeezed Luna’s hoof gently. “I will try and fix my mistake, Luna. I promise you.”
Luna nodded and spread her wings. Moonlight from above shone down around her. “I will offer you whatever aid I can, Twilight.” she bowed her head low, so low that her nose almost touched the ground. “I put my faith in you, Twilight Sparkle. You are my princess, now-”
Her horn began to glow, and Twilight felt her cheeks redden slightly.
“Wake up.”
A blinding source of light spilled forth from her horn, making Twilight wince and shield her eyes.
And then it was gone. Darkness overtook her vision, and out of the darkness she began to see shapes, glowing shapes and figures of ponies. Some she didn’t recognise, and some she did. With a smile, she pushed forwards and thrust herself back into the waking world, eager to speak with her friends and her family.
***
“Is she gonna be okay?”
“That remains to be seen, Flurry. Alicorns, as you should know, have a very different physiology to the rest of you ponies.”
Neon watched as the third alicorn she ever met fretted and paced back and forth, in front of her aunt, Twilight Sparkle.
”I had no idea Twilight had family,” she thought quietly to herself. ”Let alone an alicorn for a niece... I went twenty years without knowing they still existed and in just a couple of days I’ve met three. Unbelievable.”
She sighed and tapped her hoof nervously. Beside her Sparky tried to comfort the zebra sitting on the other side of him, who looked shell-shocked, the whites of her eyes as large as Neon had ever seen in any living creature. Still, Sparky seemed to be doing a good job of keeping her calm, murmuring her reassuring words and patting her on the back with one of his wings.
”It’s weird seeing the kid act like an adult...”
Neon looked around the room carefully. Bits and pieces of broken furniture lay scattered about, not to mention the small bits of metal and garbage lining the floor that Spike was delicately trying to pick up with a blank expression. She winced as she looked at him, and wondered exactly how long he had been alone before COTS found him.
Thinking about COTS specifically, Neon bit her lip. Lady Razor’s words and images still lingered in her mind. She really needed to speak to Twilight about it all, and tell her about Luna’s offer. She couldn’t imagine the princess would be too happy about one of her old friends wanting her back in prison. or dead. Neon didn’t know which was worse, and didn’t look forward to that particular discussion.
Looking up, she focused herself on the bleeder currently tending to Twilight. She had heard of bleeders from her dad and from Sal. Street doctors. Mercenary surgeons, offering their services to the highest bidder. What she knew of them made her skin crawl, and this bleeder was no different.
The Bleeder, they had called him, made a nasty feeling of unease sit in her stomach. She had never seen a creature like him before: Blank flank, bat-like wings, tall and thin yet still muscular, with sunken eyes that looked lizard-like or cat-like, or perhaps some combination of the two, with an ashen grey coat and a jet black mane and a gaunt face. He looked like something out of an old horror holovid she used to watch when she was too young.
Neon shivered and averted her eyes from the bat-pony... thing, just as a low groan escaped the princess in the bed. She leaned forwards while Flurry jumped forwards, kneeling close to the patient’s head.
“Auntie? Auntie Twilight, can you hear me?” Flurry Heart said, clutching at Twilight’s hoof and squeezing it gently. She whispered her aunt’s name over and over, willing her to wake up.
The Bleeder picked up a small scanner device and ran the light over Twilight’s body. It beeped steadily but he still frowned, although Neon wasn’t sure if that was just his resting face or not.
”I hope this is Twilight that wakes up,” she said to herself and bit her lip again, tasting the faint trace of her own blood for a moment. She waited and watched quietly, trying not to look too uncomfortable.
Flurry gasped and looked up at the Bleeder expectantly. “Her eyes are open!” she whisper-shouted. “Bleeder, is-”
The Bleeder held up his hoof. His wings fluttered lightly as he spoke. “Yes. She is waking up, Flurry. best to give her some space, we don’t want to overstimulate the princess, do we?” He noted Flurry’s concerned look and nodded. “I understand you want to speak to your aunt, Flurry, but please.”
Flurry let her wings droop a touch and brushed some mane away from Twilight’s face. “Yeah. You’re right. Okay.”
She leaned back and stood up, turning to look at Spike. The dragon’s head was snapped towards Twilight, fixating on her like there was nothing else in the world. Neon wondered if perhaps there wasn’t to him.
Everypony, dragon, zebra and bat-creature held their breath as Twilight stirred some more.
The Bleeder also took a step back and remained stoic and steady, holding his head up high with dignity, just as Twilight’s eyes opened.
The princess’s head turned and looked around at them all slowly. She blinked a few times, squinting and widening her eyes as they adjusted to the light of the room.
“Ne...on...” she whispered.
Neon flinched, feeling all the attention in the room suddenly turn to her. She shrunk away, trying to look invisible as best as possible, but Sparky beside her nudged her to stand up and nodded his head towards the bed. Seeing no use in attempting to hide, she reluctantly rose up and approached the bed.
Flurry looked at her and flared her nostrils wordlessly, clearly annoyed--or jealous, or something--that her own aunt would choose this otherwise stranger over her.
Neon gave her the best apologetic-yet-at-the-same-time-apathetic shrug as she could and cleared her throat. “Twi?” she murmured.
Twilight’s head turned in her direction, moving like she was heavy with weight. She smiled slowly and breathed deeply. “Neon... wh... where am... I?”
The unicorn glanced sideways at Flurry Heart and winced, noting her vacant expression and rapid ear twitching. “We’re, uh... in with COTS. You remember, yeah?” she mumbled awkwardly and coughed lightly, scratching the back of her downturned ear. “Listen, there are more ponies here you’d better speak to, they, uh... They kinda need you more than I do.”
Twilight’s head turned again. She looked right at Spike sadly and feebly reached out to him without a word. He reached out to her and gripped her hoof in his claw, clutching onto her with a vice-like grip, not that she minded--or even felt it. She smiled at him and moving her head again, where she spotted Flurry Heart and broke into a huge smile.
“Flurry...” she breathed, offering her her free hoof and gesturing for her to come closer. “My Flurry Heart... I’ve missed you...”
Flurry rushed forwards and practically tackled her aunt, burying her face into her chest. “Auntie Twilight!” she cried. “I’ve missed you too! We have so much to catch up on, I need to get everypony to come and see you, they’ll all be so glad to see you-”
“I would suggest that the princess refrain from overexerting herself, Flurry,” the Bleeder said quietly, interrupting the young alicorn for a moment.
As Twilight looked at him and frowned, he dove into a sweeping bow so low his nose almost touched the ground. “Your most royal majesty, it is with great privilege that I welcome you to the land of the living again. You gave us quite a scare.”
“Oh... um... thanks?” Twilight murmured shyly, inclining her head in a respectful nod as both her dragon and her niece cuddled up to her. “And I’m... sorry for worrying everypony.”
Spike lowered his head and rested on the bed, still clutching at her hoof like a lost child reunited with his mother, seemingly appearing to fall asleep almost instantly, while Flurry nuzzled into her again and fluttered her wings in contentment.
The Bleeder rose up out of his bow and held his head up high. His wings folded neatly at his side, and he reached up to smooth some of his messy mane back, probably to look presentable for ‘her most royal majesty’ as he put.
The princess looked up at Neon, matching her eyeline and smiled at her.
Neon saw no happiness in her smile. In fact, she would go so far as to say she saw a great and terrible sadness, perhaps even anger. It made her shiver and return to her seat, where she leaned back against the wall and had a think about what to do.
“I’m... really sorry for the trouble I caused, everypony. I didn’t-” Twilight looked around and spotted Zuri, still being comforted by Sparky and smiled at her. “I didn’t hurt you did I, Zuri?”
Zuri shook her head. “No, your majesty. Just a bit startled, is all.” The zebra smiled happily, although she looked like she was fighting to keep her teeth from chattering.
Flurry looked up around at her. “You’ve met?”
“Briefly. Zuri sort of showed me around camp. Showed me, um...” Twilight winced and looked down at the ground, noticing all the broken bits and smashed furniture.
Flurry followed her gaze and made an ‘o’ shape with her mouth.
“Flurry, Spike?” her aunt said after a moment's silence, looking at them both. Spike raised his head and yawned.
“Yeah, Twilight?” he mumbled. “Five more minutes...”
“I promise we’ll have a cuddle later, big guy,” she chuckled softly and stroked his spines. “I need to talk to Neon for a moment. Privately.” She said her last word with a hint of urgency, making the mentioned unicorn swallow nervously.
”Wuh oh.”
Flurry nodded her head and looked around the room. “Alright everypony. Come on. You want something to eat, auntie?” she asked, giving her a look over.
“Please. I think Basil’s soup looked really nice, if there’s any left?” Twilight responded hopefully, acting like she hadn’t been caught in the act of almost killing herself.
Neon looked quite bewildered at them all as they all began to shamble away. Even Spike rose, although very reluctantly, and trudged out the door, following the ponies. The Bleeder gave him a pat on his wings and smiled at him, showing a pair of razor sharp fangs that were longer than the rest of his teeth.
“Chin up, old boy,” he said. “All will be right soon enough. This is a victory for us.”
Spike simply nodded his head, listening to the creature ramble on. As the last one out, he glanced back at Neon and Twilight and smiled at them both, before pulling the door close. It clicked, and in no time flat they were left alone.
Neon shuffled in her seat while Twilight turned to look at her.
“Come here, Neon, please,” she said.
It wasn’t a request, even though she phrased it like one. Neon recognised hat authoritative tone, and obeyed the order given. she slid of of her seat and slinked towards the princess, standing at the foot of the bed.
“Look at me.”
Sill with that authoritative tone, Twilight told Neon what to do.
Neon looked up and into her eyes. They shared a silent understanding, and the unicorn moved around to be closer to her, picking up her dragging hooves. She flinched as Twilight reached out to her, expecting something--a strike maybe, or perhaps even-
Her eyes widened as Twilight yanked her in close, pulling her in and holding her tight to her chest. Her other hoof came around and squeezed the unicorn’s back. Her wings even folded around them, constricting poor neon.
“Ack--Twi--please,” she gasped.
“Oh! Sorry, Neon!” Twilight said with a sniff and loosened her hold. “Oh Neon, you-”
“Lemme stop you there, Twilight--princess--or whatever,” Neon stated, rubbing at her throat. “Listen, I, uh... I met Princess Luna, right? She-”
“I know.”
“Oh... you do?” Neon blinked. “Well, uh, see, she told me about Mid-”
“-Night Sparkle. I know. She told me.”
The unicorn frowned in bepuzzlement. “Eh? But-”
Twilight chuckled softly, seeming to enjoy Neon’s confusion. “Luna controls dreams, Neon. I was dreaming while I was asl... unconscious. I spoke with her, she told me everything.” With a twinkle in her eye she continued after a brief pause. “She told me what you said to her.”
“Ah.”
Neon fidgeted on the ground, pawing with one of her hooves and swished her tail nervously. “Well, to hell with corporate slags like her, right?” she mumbled, scratching at her nose.
Her choice of words made Twilight unexpectedly snort with laughter. “Oh if she heard that I’m sure she would be furious. She wasn’t upset with you, Neon. In fact, she said she was quite proud to have met you, and that I’m lucky to have such a friend like you.”
Neon scowled. “Why?”
“Because you’re a loyal, brave mare. Not many ponies would speak to princess Luna like you did, you know.” Twilight grinned for the first time since Neon had known her. “But listen, we need to form a plan. So you know about Midnight Sparkle?”
The unicorn nodded her head stiffly. “Well, from what Luna said. I don’t trust corporate stooges like her, though.”
“That’s fair. From what I’ve seen and read of the corporations in this place I wouldn’t either, but I need you not to tell anypony else about her, okay?” Twilight reached out and placed a hoof on Neon’s shoulder, giving her a grave look. “Please. I need to tell them, but I need to be ready for it. I’ll need your help, too.”
“Why me?” Neon muttered, looking back at her. “That other alicorn seems capable, Flurry Heart right? She said she was your niece?”
Twilight nodded. “I know. I will tell Flurry, but I... can’t just yet. I’m not ready. Please, neon. promise me you won’t tell anypony. Please.”
Neon sighed and reluctantly nodded. “Okay. Sure, whatever you want.”
“Pinkie promise.”
“Pinkie who?”
“No, no, not who, what,” Twilight said with a smile. “Like this, follow me.” She placed a hoof over her chest and made a crossing motion. “Cross my heart, hope to fly-” She flapped with her hooves and placed one hoof over her eye. “Stick a cupcake in my eye.”
Neon stared at her like she was mad, or perhaps, she had gone mad, and this place was the nuthouse. “Uhhhh, sure, Twilight...”
She repeated the same motions. “Cross my heart... hope to fly... stick a... cupcake? In my eye...” As she finished she frowned again. “What’s a cupcake?”
Twilight gasped and clapped a hoof to her head. “You don’t have cupcakes in Ponyopolis?!” she exclaimed loudly, making the unicorn jump from the sudden increase in volume. “Well. We shall have to correct that won’t we? Come on, let’s see if Basil knows a recipe for some. If Pinkie could hear this, she’d be... well she’d be Pinkie, alright.”
She swung her legs out of the bed and hopped down, wobbling for a moment as she chuckled to herself. Neon made to offer her a hoof, but noticed the princess didn’t need it and remained silent. Strangely enough, for a pony who was unconscious a few hours ago from a vicious self beating, she looked remarkably well, even perhaps... happy. In a way. maybe getting conked on the head helped cheer her up a bit.
Neon didn’t get it, and shrugged as she crossed the room and opened the door for Twilight. The crowd outside had gathered around Flurry Heart, who was waving her wings and her hooves around trying to get everypony to settle.
They all silenced themselves as Twilight stepped out into the dim light. Neon looked up at her and felt a strange sensation rise in her. Perhaps it was how quickly Twilight had recovered, or her newfound jovial attitude, but something about her radiated friendliness.
For the first time in a while, Neon felt hopeful as she watched Twilight step towards the crowd and immediately begin to chat away at them, shaking each and every one of their hooves and greeting them all like they were old friends.
“Maybe the Children really are right after all,” she said quietly to herself, admiring the princess’s resolve. “Maybe things will start to get better now...”
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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My brain upon reading this title: Neon Dreams --> Neon City --> Owl City --> time to relive growing up.
What black magic have you cursed upon me?
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Is that < supposed to be there?
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Whoops no it aint lol thanks for spottin it
Well, icing Twilight seems like a simple and effective solution to many problems.
'to com and see you' - come