The long night was a period of suffering for everypony in Equestria, but nopony suffered more then Nyx, the very alicorn that brought an end to the sun.
The long night was a period of suffering for everypony in Equestria, but nopony suffered more then the very alicorn that brought an end to the sun. Nyx suffered all through her time as Nightmare Moon, locking the only mare she considered her mother in a dark cell to rot.
Unable to forgive Twilight, and angry at her betrayal, Nyx made a doll in the likeness of Twilight which stared at Nyx when she vented her rage and abuse towards it. But no matter how much Nightmare Moon abused and beat the doll, none of it would change it's smile, nor it's caring and loving eyes; both of which tortured the mare of the moon more and more.
With her duties as the queen of the night, Nyx as Nightmare Moon must fight with her own morality and past as Nyx, and find the courage to forgive Twilight, and to face her once again, whilst becoming the queen Spell Nexus intended her to be, but anyone who knows this story knows the outcome.
Nightmare Moon stood in the center of her bedroom staring at the Twilight Sparkle doll she had made from one of the dummies the children of nightmare use to train. The mare of darkness was shedding tears and baring her teeth in rage, the room was a mess, a mirror shattered, the bed was in two pieces, tables turned and chairs on their backs, and even a window was broken. The Twilight Sparkle doll however was slumped against a cracked wall, looking at the crying alicorn with a caring smile almost as if it were real.
"Stop it..." Nightmare Moon spoke, her voice carried a tone of anger and sadness that matched her feelings. She continued to stare at the doll.
"DON'T LOOK AT ME THAT WAY!!!!" Nightmare Moon charged her horn and shot a beam of dark energy at the doll, the beam burnt through the chest of the doll where the heart of a real pony would be. but it continued to smile, looking at Nightmare Moon with eyes that seemed to forgive her.
Nightmare Moon looked down, she closed her eyes shedding more tears then looked back up at the doll.
"Why do you still look at me that way..... why do you look so forgiving...."
She shook her head sniffling and ran out to the balcony passing the doll. Once she was on the balcony, Nightmare Moon laid down and covered her face with her wings. She sobbed loudly, as if she had lost everything she ever loved, and the horrible truth was that she very nearly has. The mare of the moon, wiped her tears with her right wing then slowly raised her head and turned it toward the doll of Twilight Sparkle which continued to sit there with a gaping hole in its chest, she stood up, and walked slowly back inside. She levitated the doll over to her bed and rested it there.
'Wait here... I'll fix you..." She spoke softly and turned away from the doll, walking toward the desk with the shattered mirror. She looked at the second drawer on the tables left side and opened it. She looked around in the drawer until she found a spool with purple wool that matched the colour of the Twilight doll, and a needle.
Nightmare Moon closed the drawer gently. She turned around and walked toward her bed, treading on broken glass and splintered wood. The mare of the moon stopped, she looked at her bedroom and closed her eyes, her horn glowed and in a flash, her room, and her furniture were repaired and cleaned. But the doll still had a gaping hole in it. The alicorn climbed onto the bed and sat on it. She took the needle and thread, put more stuffing inside the plush then began to sew it back up again. The front hole required five stitches before she stopped. Nightmare Moon cut the thread then tied a new one to the needle, she held onto it with her magic as she used her hooves to maneuver the doll around so she could sew up its back, which she did, the hole in the back required five stitches just like the front did. After she had finished, she levitated the wool and needle back into the drawer where she found them and looked at the Twilight doll. She stared at the stitches for a moment, then used her magic to fix the doll as if it had never been ripped.
"See, now you are as good as new Twilight."
Nightmare Moon used her hooves to turn the doll to face her. The mare smiled at the doll as if it were the real twilight however she soon realized that no matter how hard she may wish it, the doll was not the Twilight she longed to speak to once more. The dark mare slowly pulled the bed sheets back and gently laid the dolls head on the left pillow and pulled the blankets up to just below the plush's head. Nightmare Moon then lowered her head down and kissed the dolls forehead, shedding a tear as she did.
"Sweet dreams.... Twilight...." Nightmare Moon, got of the bed slowly and looked toward the door. She stared for a moment then walked toward it, she turned the handle with her magic and opened it, the door creaked and made a squeaking noise from the hinges as it slowly swung open.
Nightmare Moon stepped forward and stood in the door way, she looked down and saw two children of the night standing guard over her room. She stepped out, turned toward the door and closed it again, locking the door with her magic then turning back to walk down the stairs and past the guards that stood ever vigilant. They saluted her, but she took no notice. The black alicorn passed through corridors, the rooms of her generals and high acolytes were located in these hall though at the present time she would see only one of her Acolytes. She rounded a corner, and entered her throne room where Spell Nexus was talking to a hooded unicorn bearing the mark of the night. Nexus looked behind him and saw Nightmare Moon, looking in his direction. He dismissed the hooded unicorn and turned to his queen who approached him, standing tall, towering over him.
"You haven't ventured from your chambers since two nights ago. The guards heard screaming but did not wish to incur your wrath if you were just venting. Is there something wrong my liege."
"Twilight Sparkle. She has not been harmed? Nopony has attempted anything on her?"
"The only harm that ever came to miss Sparkle was the harm one could get from being thrown into a cell like trash."
Nightmare Moon's expression turned to that of guilt for a moment, an expression Nexus quickly noticed.
"My liege, do you... regret your decision? Do you wish Twilight Sparkle be released?"
"No... she can rot in there for all I care. I feel nothing for her now, nothing!"
Spell Nexus smiled. "Good that's good. Wouldn't want our glorious night mother to be held back by something so meager as "family" right?"
"Of course Nexus. Now if you are done with chatting to the worms I allow to live here, and done chatting to me of what you deem is right or wrong for my rule! There is something I must ask of you."
Nexus raised an eye brow and bowed. "Anything my queen. Just name it, and it is yours."
"There is something that I wish to have from Golden Oaks Library, a scrapbook Twilight Sparkle kept in her bedroom."
Nexus bowed "Very well. I will retrieve this "scrapbook" personally." Spell Nexus donned a cloak and hood, and set out for Ponyville.
Nightmare Moon then lowered her head in shame and sighed. She turned and walked to the front doors of her throne room and descended the stairs to over see her children's training. She walked behind them, watching each and every one of them as they strike dummies with weapons and magic. To any ruler, seeing their army train was a pleasure, it made them smile, but Nightmare Moon did not smile, she did not encourage, she did not stay long. She looked down and continued to walk until she passed the barracks. She stopped and stared at the ponies inside with their fur dyed black. Nightmare Moon watched them, then she felt sick. She quickly ran, taking flight until she came to a river. She landed and hurried over to the flowing water and vomited black liquid which seemed to move as if worms inhabited it into the water. The wind picked up and twigs began to fall around the alicorn. Nightmare Moon looked up and was surprised to see that the trees that were so full of life weeks ago, had become dead and leafless.
"Is this my doing?" The alicorn continued to look before blinking and looking away from the dead trees. She gritted her teeth and angrily screamed, she walked away from the river then ran, taking flight immediately afterwards.
During her flight, Nightmares mind turned to when she was the filly Nyx. She was looking around the library the day after she got there. Nyx walked around the bedroom, looking at the variety of books Twilight had in the shelves. Suddenly Nyx could hear hoof steps coming up the stairs. The timid filly quickly climbed up on Twilights bed. Using Spikes basket to help her up, she then hid between the pillows hoping nopony would notice her. The hoof steps got closer and it was soon revealed that the hoof steps were coming from Twilight sparkle. The purple Unicorn was carrying a tray with breakfast on it. She set the tray on the bedside table and closed the door, locking it behind her.
"Don't be afraid, it's only me."
The filly whom would soon be known as Nyx, lifted her head from between her front legs and looked at Twilight. The purple unicorn smiled at Nyx and moved her head in a way that invited the filly over.
"I brought food, you know, like the soup I gave you last night remember?"
Nyx slowly came out of her hiding spot and approached Twilight cautiously. Twilight, sat down on the bedside and levitated the tray in front of Nyx. The filly looked at the tray, Twilight had prepared some toast with strawberry Jelly, and a bowl of wheat bites with little bits of apple and milk for her. Nyx nibbled the toast a little and tried to levitate it with her magic, but she could barley lift it half way before her magic faltered and stopped. She sniffled and looked up at Twilight who took pity on her. And smiled slightly with care.
"Here, let me help."
Twilight lifted the piece of toast Nyx was nibbling on and levitated it in front of the filly. Nyx started taking big bite out of the cooked bread and eating it. She swallowed, and took another bite, and another making some really cute sounds as she did. Twilight giggled and smiled widely.
"You need a name..." Twilight looked over at her book case, she scanned it's shelves before stopping at the third shelf, using her magic, Twilight pulled out a midnight blue book from the center of the shelf. The cover had trees of a lush forest and the castle of the royal pony sisters in the background and the silhouette of a unicorn with it's eyes shining bright,there was a full moon in the sky on the cover. The title of this story is "Nyx of the Night".
"How about... Nyx?" Twilight looked at Nyx. "Do you you like that name?"
Nyx smiled and nodded happily. She hugged Twilight, and the unicorn hugged back. The flash back ended. Nightmare Moon was standing in her bedroom, looking at the scrap book she had sent Spell Nexus to retrieve. The mare of the moon sat on all fours and used her magic to bring the book over to her. She opened the scrap book and looked at all the pictures. It wasn't her scrap book, it belonged to Twilight Sparkle. Nightmare Moon was smiling happily at first but upon turning to the 15th page her smile dropped into a frown, she closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. She reopened her eyes and looked at the picture again, shedding a tear. The picture Showed Twilight and Nyx covered in cookie dough and flower, smiling together and making a funny face while they were at it. Most would smile at something like this, but Nightmare Moons heart was wracked with too much guilt. How it burned her to be unable to bring herself to apologies to Twilight for what she had become.
Suddenly Nightmare Moon felt ill again, her cheeks puffed up and she held her left hoof to her lips, she dropped the book and used her magic to bring a bucket over to her. She moved her hoof and vomited black bile into the pale, hacking and choking as she did until she stopped. She turned her head away from the bucket and took deep breaths, using a cloth to wipe her lips and drinking a glass of water to be rid of the foul taste. She levitated Twilights scrap book under her pillow, she then turned her head in the direction of the bucket and looked in it to see the mess she made.
"What is this?"
"You are not pregnant my liege. That I can be sure of." Spell Nexus calmly said whilst standing in the door way.
Nightmare Moon growled in anger at him. "Of course not you lout. I refuse to bed with anypony here, or anywhere else! With that aside, perhaps you can tell me what it is I have been coughing up."
Spell Nexus walked over to the bucket and looked into it, he stared at it for a while then smiled.
"It's not bile if that's what's worrying you. It's black mist."
"What is black mist?"
Spell Nexus looked at Nightmare Moon after raising his head. "It's a side effect of your transformation. Tell me how long have you been vomiting this stuff up?"
"Since I started my rule." Nightmare Moon spoke angrily and rudely to Spell Nexus.
"Well you can rest assured that you have probably just coughed up the last of it. Assuming this is the last of it... you can never be too sure."
Spell Nexus looked over at Nightmares bed and saw the Twilight Sparkle doll, laying there as if it were the real Twilight Sparkle.
"Do you still care for her?"
Nightmare Moon walked over to the balcony and looked down at her children of the night.
"Who?"
"Twilight Sparkle."
Nightmare Moon froze up for a second then looked at Spell Nexus to see he had picked up the doll by it's back right leg with his magic. Her eyes widened.
"If miss Sparkle is going to be a distraction my liege I could always..."
Spell Nexus ceased talking and dropped the doll jumping out of the way of a charging Nightmare Moon. She stopped in front of the bed swinging her head as if to cut Spell Nexus with her horn.
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!!!" The mare of the moon had her teeth bared, her pupils were smaller and she was breathing deeply and quickly.
Spell Nexus bowed in apology. "Forgive me Nightmare Moon, I seem to have angered you. If it's any consolation, I won't touch it again." He smiled.
"Get out Nexus! If I need you I will call upon you until then I don't want to see you, I don't want to hear you, I don't want to breath your air now leave!"
Without another moments passing, Spell Nexus quickly left the room as if fearing for his life. Just as he exited the room the door slammed shut and locked, startling the two guards at the end of the hall. In her chambers, Nightmare Moon picked up the Twilight Sparkle doll, and nuzzled it gently starting to shed tears again. She help the doll closer to her before gently laying it on the bed. Nightmare Moon turned and looked at a bare wall. Her horn glowed brightly.
"Please.... let me see her... let me see Twilight Sparkle."
The wall in front of Nightmare Moon faded away into nothingness and was replaced with the image of a dungeon cell, and in this cell, was the very unicorn Nightmare Moon has for so long tried to forgive, Twilight Sparkle. The purple unicorn sat in the corner of her cell just as a member of the Children of Nightmare was delivering her food.
"Eat up Celestias puppet. The mistress wants you alive. I don't understand why since she hates everypony."
Twilight looked at the slop she was given and levitated it up with a wooden spoon. She scooped up the mashed apple mixed with banana and ate it, shuddering in disgust after she had swallowed. The child of nightmare laughed wickedly.
"Be grateful you are fed you waste of flesh, it's better then being starved to death by our glorious ruler Nightmare Moon" The child of nightmare spat on the floor of the cell and left, laughing. Twilight stopped eating and looked down shedding even more tears then she had before.
"And I would deserve it... I don't deserve to be called her guardian... her mother.... her friend.... Not after what I had done..."
Nightmare Moon started sobbing again she turned her head away from the wall and covered her face with her left wing, the wall had returned to its original state before Nightmare Moon cast the spell. the alicorn leaned against a table wept.
"You deserve... more then you realize Twilight Sparkle..."
~~~
Three days had passed since Nightmare Moon cast that spell to see Twilight Sparkle. The mare of the moon did not eat, nor drink, all she would do was read books, and do the things Nyx would, but at times her Nightmare Moon personality would surface and she would be as cruel and terrible as an angry dragon. Yet none of it could hold back her sorrow, she started a new diary, and wrote in it frequently. Three weeks into her rule over Equestria and the mare of the Moon continued to think of Twilight. Nightmare Moon paced a hallway, angered that spell Nexus was unable to prevent a fight breaking out in the dining hall. Her hoof steps echoed loudly through the halls, she flapped her wings a little in frustration until she stopped. She blinked, then she sighed. Her expression became that of sadness and anger, thus she retreated back to her chambers, mumbling something in the welsh like language that is ancient Unicorn.
"Why! Can't! I! Forgive! Her!!"
Nightmare Moon slammed her door and threw the Twilight sparkle doll into the wall nearest the door to the balcony. She screamed and slammed her front hooves on the ground twice. She looked at the doll with eyes full of hate and started to speak to it in an enraged tone of voice.
"If you hadn't told Celestia about me, If you had just kept me a secret from her, then it wouldn't be this way, We could still be happy!! I could've been the best daughter for you but you turned your back on me!! Thanks to you I am who I am Twilight Sparkle and you have nopony to blame but yourself!!!!!"
The mare of the moon took deep breaths very quick ones too. It looked as though she was hyperventilating. After a few more minutes of being angry, Nightmare Moon finally closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath and looked at the doll again.
"It's just... difficult for me... To be this... to be a queen of the dark and night... to be the legendary mare of the moon... to be Nightmare Moon... It's life I am still unfamiliar with even after three weeks yet somehow I act just like she did in the old stories and it frightens me... perhaps I am still.... very much like that filly... Nyx."
Nightmare Moon then grinned. "But if I were still Nyx then I wouldn't be ruling over an Equestria cursed with endless night. I will be loved by all and feared by all, No Twilight Sparkle, your precious filly Nyx is long dead, anything that was once her has been suppressed into the back of my mind. I am the dominant one! Not that weakling of a filly!"
Nightmare Moon put her face close to the Twilight doll grinning almost manically.
"I'm not your darling Nyx Twilight Sparkle! I am what she should've been! How she would have grown to be! I am Nightmare Moon!!!"
Nightmare Moon panted again, her grin dropped into a frown as she slowly realized what she had said.
"Could Nyx still very much be... apart of me... is that why.... I still feel strongly bonded to her.... could... could my connection to Nyx... still be keeping me bonded to Twilight..."
Nightmare Moon raised her head with a blank expression on her face. Her expression changed to one of deep thought, she looked to her left then back at the smiling doll. She growled in frustration and paced her room in confusion.
"What's wrong with me!!!!" Her eyes flashed white for a moment. "I don't know what I want anymore, Who I am anymore. I'm just so confused.... I wish to reconcile with you mother but I have my duties to my subjects... and I cannot let you get in the way! Ugh... it's so frustrating!!!"
Nightmare Moon shook her head and sat down with a sigh, she placed her left hoof on her forehead and thought.
"I wish you can forgive me somehow.... but then again.... that's all my words will ever be.... deaf wishes... I have no hopes of them being fulfilled..."
Nightmare Moon walked over to her Twilight doll, and picked up. She held it to her chest, nuzzling it while she did. She sniffled and whimpered softly...
"I wish I could be held again..." she closed her eyes and shed a lone tear.
The sound of yelling coming from the courtyard reached the eardrums of the night mare. Nightmare Moon placed the Twilight doll on her bed and walked over to the balcony and looked down to see Spell Nexus ordering a unicorn to tie one of the wonderbolts to a pole where Spell Nexus proceeded to lash at the Pegasuses back and wings with a leather whip that had crocodile teeth built in. The whip lashed across the Pegasuses back, the crocodile teeth ripping into the skin and tearing it. Nightmare Moon was horrified by this and screamed. She jumped from her town and dived toward the court yard. She landed just as the whip was about to strike a 6th time, she took it and turned it to ash. She then swung her head toward the wonderbolts hooves and cut the ropes with her horn, she then swung her head the other way and cut the ropes on the other side too.
"Go, go back to wherever you came from!"
The wonderbolt nodded in fear and quickly flew away.
"What is the meaning of this my liege?!"
Nightmare Moon glared at Spell Nexus and started choking him with telekinesis. "You were punishing somepony without my knowledge, my consent!"
The mare of the moon made Spell Nexus kneel whilst he was gasping for air. "Let me make this clear, I am your queen, anypony who questions my rule, speaks out of term, or rebels against me, will be brought in front of me so I may pass judgement do you understand!"
Nightmare Moon let go of Spell Nexus. The unicorn coughed and wheezed then looked up at the queen of the night. "...Perfectly!" he coughed again.
Nightmare Moon re-entered her castle and made her way back to her chambers. Along the way her mind turned to the suffering that wonderbolt must have went through during those first 5 lashes, she looked down and upon arriving at the door to her chambers she unlocked the door from the outside with magic, then walked inside shutting and locking it afterwards. She sat down and pulled Twilights scrap book out from under her pillow, she opened it and looked at the pictures inside. She turned to the last page and looked at the picture of herself as Nyx, with Twilight. While she was looking, she noticed the corner of a piece of paper which jutted out to the side of the photo from behind it. Using her magic, Nightmare Moon gently lifted the paper out from behind the picture and unfolded it. Once she did, the mare of the moon started to read what had been written on the parchment. And what she read tore her heart to pieces.
"To my dearest Nyx, I will treasure every moment we spend together. You are like the perfect daughter anypony could ask for adopted or not. Since I found you in that bush all those weeks ago, you've made me feel like the happiest mare in all Equestria, to have a daughter as wonderful as you. No matter where you are, no matter what you do, or who you become, I will never stop being your mother, and I will never stop loving you. From your loving mother, Twilight Sparkle."
Nightmare Moons eyes were wide with tears, she let out a scream that was full of sadness, more tears welled up in her eyes, more tears then she could ever shed. She slammed her hooves on the stone floor, her horn glowing brightly. In a fit of rage, she started to remove her helmet, her armor, her horse shoes and her cape, and throw them at a wall. The mare of the moon swung her head around and ran toward the balcony, kicking the scrap book under the bed as she did, and jumped from her tower and took flight. The mare of the moon flew beyond her castle, over the Everfree and over Ponyville, past Canterlot. She followed the Neighagra river, turning northeast toward golden glow valley, an ancient valley that was once called Galloping Grass Fields, it is the large area of open space outside the Crystal Empire. The grass had a bright glow to it, the moon shined down on the valley giving it this glow. Nightmare Moon came to rest on a hill top, she took two steps forward before resting her head on her right leg in tears. She sobbed lightly for a while, the grass around her glowed like the northern lights very dimly. It went dark around her but the grass continued to glow.
"I give up Twilight... Everything was perfect before all this happened... I had you as a mother... I had friends... family.. a home... but now look at me... Equestrias most feared alicorn, pony, whatever... bawling her head off on a hill miles from the Crystal Empire wishing everything was back to normal but will never be...." She sniffled.
Nightmare Moon lowered her leg and looked up at the stars.
"And to think... I had been trying to think of a way to earn your forgiveness only to find out you forgive me no matter I do or who I become... But that doesn't mean I forgive you..." Tears dropped from her face onto the grass below, turning the glow of the grass the very same color of her eyes.
Nightmare Moon sat down and hung her head in sadness. She closed her eyes, more tears fell. A cool breeze blew across the landscape, the grass swayed, and so did Nightmare Moons mane. Whilst she sat their, she began to recall a memory, a memory of the day Twilight took her out star gazing one night. However, no images came to her, only the image of Twilight Sparkle.
"Please... stop.. stop tormenting me..." The mare of the moon spoke softly. She did not lift her head, she did not open her eyes. she only sat there with her sorrow for a while.
While she sat there, somepony approached her, a bright yellow crystal filly with light blue hair and a scar on her front right leg, and hazel, colored eyes, slowly approached the mare of the moon, whom opened her eyes to look at the filly. The little crystal pony looked up at the black alicorn then gently placed some tissues and some warm tea down for her. then bowed to Nightmare moon, turning around afterwards to walk away.
"Little one." Nightmare Moons voice had changed to one of intrigue.
The filly turned and looked at the alicorn with question.
"Are you not afraid of me?"
The filly shook her head. "No... should I be?"
"So you should be. Do you know who I am?"
The filly nodded. "You're Nightmare Moon. The queen of the ever lasting night, the mare of darkness. The mare in the moon, the mare of the moon. And I don't feel afraid of you."
Nightmare Moon stared at the young-ling for a moment then smiled.
"You are a brave one little unicorn. Tell me, what is your name?"
"Dawn Shine"
"Lovely name." Nightmare Moon smiled but that smile soon vanished once she saw the scar on her leg.
"What happened to your leg?"
Dawn Shine looked down sadly. "A Warg scratched me when my family and I were attacked by a pack of them a year ago... Princess Cadance and her guards drove them away and saved me... I tried to find my parents but the princes told me they had passed away... I never got to see them."
"Very wise of her. To look upon the body of your deceased loved ones can scar you."
"have you ever seen someone die?"
"No... nor do I wish to." She looked down.
"Why are you sad?"
The alicorn looked at Dawn Shine again. "Huh? Oh... right... I'm just so confused.... Spell Nexus and the Children of Nightmare expect me to be this heartless cold ruler of Equestria yet I find myself clinging to somepony who betrayed me therefore clinging to a life that I doubt I will ever be able to return to... and I don't know what to do..."
The filly smiled. "When my parents died... My life changed, I was always depressed. I never spoke to anypony, I hardly ate and I hardly drank. I was going through a bad time... but then I made friends, they cheered me up, now I live with my best friend and her family. Maybe if you live through all the bad stuff that's happening to you, be the queen this Spell Nexus wants you to be.... then the good things will come again. But they will not come easily."
Nightmare Moon took a sip of her tea. "Thank you."
Dawn Shine smiled and looked up. "The stars are pretty, aren't they?"
Nightmare Moon looked up at the stars for a moment and smiled. "They sure are."
Nightmare Moon looked back in the filly's direction to see that Dawn Shine was gone, vanished into thin air. the mares eyes widened in shock, she looked around to see where the filly went Standing up as she did. She continued to look until a breeze blew against her and the fillies voice spoke on the wind.
"We'll see each other again. I know we will."
Nightmare Moons shocked expression turned into a warm smile. She looked down and stood up. finishing her tea, and picking up the tissue box, and holding it in her mouth, she sent her cup to Princess Cadance, and started running in the direction of canterlot, taking flight afterwards. She followed the Neighagra river back to her castle. She flew just above the Pegasuses field of vision and onto her towers balcony. She stretched her wings and folded them down to her sides and walked inside, she opened a drawer and put the tissues inside, closing it afterwards. She walked toward her bed and nuzzled the Twilight doll, putting it back on the bed. The mare of the moon then looked toward her armor. Using her magic, she put her armor onto a mannequin then turned back to her bed. She pulled the blankets back, and climbed into it, she pulled the blankets over her and rested her head on the pillow.
"The elements of harmony are still out there... No matter... once Twilight friends make their move, I will be ready. But I cannot deny that a day will come where I will have to make a decision that will reflect on my life... but until that day comes... I will be the queen of night and dark... I will be Nightmare Moon."
She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. As she slept, a sweet smile formed on her face, as did a lone tear. She pulled the Twilight doll close to her, and held it even closer.
~~~
"C'mon Twilight, hurry hurry!" Nyx hurried Twilight excitedly. Nyx was looking down at Twilight.
Twilight marched her way up the hill slowly. Carrying a heavy telescope with her magic. Nyx watched Twilight with a smile, she did not wear her glasses, nor her vest since nopony was around.
"I'm coming Nyx, hold your horses!" Twilight shout up tot he filly.
Nyx rolled her eyes smiling. She backed away once Twilight had reached the top of the hill. The unicorn set the telescope down and started stretching and cracking her legs then stretched and cracked her back.
"ooh that's much better." Twilight spoke in a satisfied voice. She then laid down on her back, her legs outstretched, looking sorta like a star-fish.
"Twilight! Twilight. Here set it here please."
Twilight looked up at the jumpy filly and slowly got up.
"Well you're certainly excited aren't you?"
"I-Is that bad?"
Twilight giggled. "Not at all Nyx. It's natural for a filly your age to be excited. Especially when it comes to stargazing."
Twilight picked up the telescope which laid on her right with her magic, she moved it forward until it was beside Nyx, and hovered it over a flat surface, right where Nyx so eagerly asked Twilight to put it. The lavender unicorn spread out the legs of the contraption and set it down gently. Nyx stopped jumping and looked Twilight.
"Would you like to look through it first?" Twilight smiled.
Nyx nodded and walked over to Twilight who politely levitated the filly up to the telescope lens. She looked through it and could see hundreds of constellations, the stars were especially beautiful. Nyx smiled widely, laughing happily, her eyes sparkled.
"They're so pretty aren't they Twilight?"
Twilight continued to smile, she nodded and blinked. "They are, Nyx. They sure are."
Twilight and Nyx spent hours under the stars, looking at them through the telescope and enjoying the peace that they had been graced with. Nyx drew pictures of the constellations while Twilight took notes and wrote down what she saw. By Midnight, Nyx had grown tired. The filly yawned getting Twilights attention.
"Time to go home sweetie." The unicorn smiled and started packing everything away."
"Twilight?"
"Yes sweetie?"
"I wish... I wish the night would last forever..."
A terrified expression appeared on Twilights face. She turned around, worried the filly's Nightmare Moon personality was surfacing, only to see Nyx was curling up into a ball sleepily.
"...So we can stay... and watch the stars together... forever and ever..."
Twilight smiled lovingly and nodded.
"You know Nyx... I think I'd like that." The unicorn continued to smile as she put on her saddle bags and levitated Nyx between the satchels on her back. Twilight then levitated a blanket over Nyx to keep her warm and hidden on their return to the library.
The filly snuggled into the blanket, yawning once more before finally drifting off to sleep.
I must give credit to Cream and Caramel for creating this image from the Ask Imprisoned Twilight Sparkle tumblr blog, as I could not find any other artist who could have made this.
This story is set at different points during the events of Past Sins and should not be considered apart of the stories canon until said otherwise by Pen Stroke. Nyx, Spell Nexus and Past Sins are property of Pen Stroke
Twilight Sparkle was sitting in a cold dark cell in the dungeons of Nightmare Moons castle, a prisoner of Spell Nexus and the children of Nightmare, as well as a filly she was taking care of just days ago. She was looking at her reflection in a bucket of water which was supposed to be used as a toilet. Her mane was a mess, tears were running down her face and she felt as if her heart was going to break as if it already hadn't. The lavender unicorn turned away and wiped her tears.
".... I wish my friends were here... Applejack knows just what to say... so does Rarity... and Fluttershy... all of them."
Twilight tried to think that they were there and were trying to comfort her, however it was no use, she simply couldn't imagine them, it was hard for Twilight to do much of anything. Her train of thought was always interrupted by the image of Nyx's smiling face. Twilight could only ever think of Nyx, she would try to escape on numerous occasions to return to Ponyville and help her friends however she would be thwarted at each attempt, either by a child of nightmare or by Spell Nexus himself. And it furthered the unicorns depression. Nightmare Moon was feeling just as bad as Twilight was, her new role as ruler of Equestria was so sudden, she could never be prepared for the hardships that lay ahead and the sacrifices she would make. Twilight was one such sacrifice, and Spell Nexus made sure that the queen of nightmare did not visit or see Twilight, or the Cutie Mark Crusaders whom were also locked in a cell.
Twilight and the c.m.c was given food three times a day as per Nightmare Moons request, while the fillies only ate because their families would want them too, Twilight hardly ever touched her food. She would eat some but stop after three bites or more. Twilight sighed and pushed her food away with her hoof and sat sadly on the floor, her head hanging.
"You're letting this food go to waste M.s Sparkle." A unicorn with a black coat walked up to the bars and smirked. "You will starve if you don't eat... then again what happens to you isn't my concern."
"If you want Nyx's loyalty then you will not harm me or the fillies."
"How true but in time she will come to be just as ruthless as she used to be."
Twilight angrily bared her teeth. "She won't, Nyx is too gentle, too kind to become somepony as heartless and cold as Nightmare Moon."
"SHE IS NIGHTMARE MOON YOU FOAL!!!!" Spell Nexus took a deep breath and held it for ten seconds before letting it out. He reopened his eyes and looked at Twilight in a sinister manner.
"No Ms. Sparkle you are wrong... Innocence can be corrupted and can be twisted. Nyx was innocent filly when she lived with you but when Celestia came to collect her," He snickered. "you made her the way she is."
"No..." Twilight shook her head, her breaths were getting heavy.
"Your betrayal was her breaking point, had Celestia never found out you may have succeeded in thwarting our plan but being taken away from her mother, one of the few ponies she could trust... it broke her spirit, it re-awoke her anger and became our queen, thanks to you Twilight Sparkle!"
Twilight flew into a rage and charged at Spell Nexus whom stood behind the bars only to be stopped and jerked back by a chain around her back left hoof. The unicorn was gritting her teeth, her pupils had shrunk, her body was yellow, her eyes red, and her mane and tail were replaced by flames. Spell Nexus jumped back when Twilight caught fire laughing quite loudly.
"It seems I struck a nerve, please Twilight Sparkle do not be so upset it's not going to help you. Not even your rage will melt those chains."
"I like to try!!!"
"Try as you may, you are a prisoner of Nightmare Moon and the children of Nightmare."
"No... I'm the prisoner of a Puppet and the puppet master!"
"hmhmhm. I like that. Now Ms. Sparkle, I leave you to rot down here. I must make plans to stop your friends and capture your Elements of Harmony. The night is still young Twilight, and when the night mother has come to see our way, then Twilight Sparkle... you will die."
Spell Nexus turned to his left and made his was past the series of cells toward the exit, laughing as evil as he was heartless. In her rage Twilight screamed and breathed red fire which lit up the dark dungeon, The c.m.c were only a cell away from Twilight and looked afraid of her as she let out her anger. Twilight let out another angry scream letting all of her flames out which then put her out. Her flame form died down and Twilight reverted back to her normal old self. Twilight sat back down and lowered her head once more. Sweetie Belle approached the entrance of her and the other crusaders cell and frowned.
"T-Twilight...."
Twilight looked at them.
"You're scaring us....."
"Oh... Oh I'm so sorry Sweetie Belle I didn't mean to frighten you three."
The three filly's were shaking fearfully. Twilight continued to frown and attempted to muster up some magic to conjure up a purple glowing orb which was to give the filly's hope. She succeeded, however creating the orb made Twilight weak she looked at the filly's then the orb and nudged it gently, allowing it to move slowly over to the c.m.c's cell. The orb came to a stop between Sweetie Belles hooves, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked at the orb with her, then the three of them looked over to Twilight whom was looking over to them.
"Keep that close you three... let it give you hope..." After that she collapsed and passed out. The filly's called out to Twilight full of worry but Twilight had passed into deep slumber brought on by her magic being drained.
Sweetie Belle looked at the purple orb and then at her friends. "What should we do with it?"
Apple Bloom looked behind her at the cell wall, she saw a brick that was just jutting out from it. She got closer to it and using her back legs she kicked the brick upwards which pried it off of the wall. She turned around and used her front hooves to move the brick away. Luckily there was another wall behind this one. Apple Bloom looked at Sweetie Belle.
"We can hide it in here."
"Good idea.." Sweetie Belle held onto the orb with one hoof and placed it into the hold in the wall.
Apple Bloom closed the hole again with the brick, effectively hiding the orb. The filly's then looked at Twilight as she slept, but her rest was not peaceful. Twilights dream centered around Nyx's being taken by the princess, which inevitably brought about the events of now, the Long Night. Twilight shredded tears in her sleep over how she had failed to protect Nyx from turning into the mare of the moon. Twilight awoke to the sound of dripping water which leaked into the moldy and decayed dungeon, she opened her eye a little, a tear running down her cheek, she took a deep breath and let it out.
"I'm so... so sorry Nyx.... I failed you.... I failed everypony...."
Twilight sat up slowly, she could hear cultists laughing and mocking other imprisoned ponies, abusing others. The only ones spared were Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and Twilight. The unicorn stood up and approached the corner of her cell and looked down the hall through the bars. It was dark and empty, the dungeon was silent save fore the sounds of rats scurrying around the bars and the dripping of water from the ceiling. Twilight looked at the crusaders cell to see they were gone. Twilights ears folded her ears down on her head. A cultist approached Twilights cell and dropped a trey of squashes apples on the floor and kicked it through the gap beneath the door.
"Eat! You're no good to Nightmare Moon a corpse. I think you'd look lovely as a decoration, a stick through your body on the walls." The cultist smiled and walked away.
Twilight looked back at the crusaders former cell then quickly turned her head in the direction of the cultist.
"Wait!" Twilight stood up.
The cultist stopped and turned his head around to look at Twilight.
"The filly's... where are they?"
The cultist sneered. "They were moved, Nightmare Moon didn't very much like having them down here in a rotting dungeon. They are in a new dungeon now. Safe of coarse." The cultist turned away and continued walking. "Until Spell Nexus says otherwise."
"Don't you dare lay a hoof on them do you hear me!! SPELL NEXUS!!!!" Twilight shouted the villains name as if directing her warning toward him specifically.
The unicorn sat down and rubbed her throat which was sore from her yelling just now. Her throat started to feel better after a while, she stopped and sighed, staring down at the dirt covered stone floor. She hung her head for a few moments, then opened her eyes and saw the floor illuminated by the moonlight. Twilight looked up at her barred window at the moon, the clouds were moving away from it, the night sky clearing. Twilight figured that even with Nightmare Moon as their ruler and the night being eternal the weather ponies still had their job to do but she wasn't really all that interested in what the weather ponies were doing, she was more focused on the moon, she closed her eyes softly and started to remember.
~~~
It has been 3 days since Twilight found Nyx in that thorn bush in the clearing, the little filly was less shy then she was before, the little filly was watching the pendulum of a clock as it ticked away. Her eyes were locked onto the pendulums and were following them like a cat does to a laser pointer. It was a slow day, Twilight was reading a book about raising filly's which she had been since day 2, and Spike was sorting books whilst Peewee watched from his nest. Owlowiscious gave Twilight her ink and quill when she asked, taking note son certain things that may work with Nyx. The filly sighed loudly and looked around for a moment before standing up and wandering down stairs and into the library's main room. There Nyx was surrounded by books but she wasn't interested in them at first as she had seen the front door, Nyx curiously approached the wooden door only for Twilight to get in her way. Nyx stopped and looked up at Twilight, the filly fell backwards and onto her flank, her ears folding down flat on the top of her head. She looked down sadly Twilight frowned and sighed.
"I'm sorry Nyx you can't go outside."
"Bu..bu...but there are other filly's who get to go outside... why am I the only one who can't..."
Twilight lowered her head and nuzzled Nyx. "There's plenty of things you can do inside."
"Like??"
Twilight smiled and started turning around in a circle looking at all the books. "Well look around you, you have a whole library full of books. Each one filled with history or a story. It can be exciting and wonderful, it can pull you into their worlds, not literally though."
Nyx looked a shelf and approached it. "But... how do you open them?"
Twilight stood beside Nyx and looked at her. "Like this." the purple colored unicorn used her magic to levitate a book out from the shelf then looked back at the filly. "See?" She smiled at Nyx.
Nyx tilted her head looking at the book then looked back at the shelf, she took a step back and closed her eyes, her horn glowed midnight blue and she pulled at a random book which was wedged tightly between two other books. Twilight watched Nyx for a moment.
"Uhh Nyx... need some help?"
Nyx was walking backwards pulling as hard as she could "I can do it Twilight... If I pull harder I'll..." The book came free and Nyx fell backwards.
Twilight closed her eyes tightly as Nyx tumbled back into a pile of stacked books which came down on top of her. Twilight reopened her eyes and quickly rushed over to the pile and started lifting books off of Nyx one by one until she caught sight of the filly whom was shedding tears from being hurt by the books. Nyx looked up at Twilight with a slight whimper, pouting with her bottom lip quivering. Twilight lifted her out of the pile and put her safely on the floor where she sat with her head hanging. The caring unicorn nuzzles Nyx gently.
"I'm sorry I knocked your books over Twilight...."
"Oh no Nyx don't be sorry, it was an accident and accidents happen. Spike and I can just stack them up again no problem. You're not in any trouble."
"I'm not...?"
Twilight shook her head slowly. "No you're not." Twilight kissed Nyx on the forehead which surprised both Nyx and Twilight both.
Nyx had never been kissed before and Twilight didn't understand why she suddenly kissed a filly she had found only a few days ago as if she were her own daughter. Nyx looked up at Twilight, tilting her head curiously. Nyx had wiped her tears away already. Twilight looked into the filly's dragon eyes which gave her the feeling of dread and brought back her fear of who this filly could be, but she did not let them bother her, she wanted to focus on Nyx's reading. Twilight smiled and stood up, she walked over to the book Nyx had picked out and levitated it upward so she could see it. Twilight looked at Nyx with that same smile she had before and walked over to Nyx again. She sat down and showed Nyx the book.
"Do you know what the title says Nyx?"
Nyx took a look at the title, she frowned and shook her head. "I... I don't know how to read..."
"That's okay, I'll teach you." Twilight stood up and walked over to a couch, Nyx followed behind.
Twilight climbed onto the couch and sat down on it. Nyx did the same thing, she sat down beside Twilight who levitates the book in front of Nyx and starts teaching her how to read. It didn't take very long for the mini Nightmare Moon to learn she was actually rather fast. When Nyx had learned, Twilight tested her by having her read the title out loud.
"Rrres-cue at.. Mmidnight... Castle." Nyx looked up at Twilight who ruffled Nyx's mane.
"Well done Nyx. I'll let you read this story now. When you're done just put it back where you found it, or you can leave it on the table in the middle of the room and Spike or I will collect it and put it back on the shelf okay?"
Nyx nodded. "Okay Twilight."
Twilight smiled and got off the couch, she locked the library door in case somepony walked in and saw Nyx. She looked at Nyx again, smiled once more and headed upstairs to continue reading her book on raising fillies. Nyx continued to read her book in this time, she enjoyed while she did but eventually she finished it. She closed the book and frowned, perking up when she remembered there was a whole library of books for her. Nyx put the book back on its shelf and started looking for more, she browsed the different sections from A to Z, she picked out story books, history books, math books and all sorts of books and started reading them, it would take her an hour to finish one book, and sometimes two hours. By dinner time Nyx had read at least 60 of the books available to her. Twilight made her way down stairs to check on the filly.
"Nyx come with me its time for... dinner..." Twilight reached the bottom step and looked around at the main floor which looked like a book version of Manehatten.
Twilights eyes were wide and her mouth hung wide open. It shocked her to see the Library in such a state. She looked around to see Nyx only she couldn't find her. Twilight sighed and walked into the mess, making sure not to knock over the stacked up book towers of unread books Nyx had created. Twilight was looking left and right, down streets and ally's just to see where Nyx was, eventually she found the black alicorn hiding in a kind of book house which Twilight would make when she was a little filly.
"Nyx??"
Nyx giggled. "Who is it??"
Twilight snickered. "It's Twilight, and she's here to tell you it's dinner time."
Nyx came out of the book hideaway disappointed. "Aww... Does that mean I'm not allowed to read for the rest of the night?"
"Not at all, you cna read as much as you like."
"Really?!" Nyx had a wide smile and her slitted pupils were wider now.
Twilight nodded. "Really."
Nyx started cheering happily.
"Except at bedtime."
"Aww... but I really like reading Twilight..." Nyx walked toward Twilight, and Twilight started walking to the stairs.
"I know Nyx, so do I." Twilight stopped and waited for Nyx to be beside her. Once she was they made their way upstairs and to the kitchen. Once they had left the room all the books suddenly collapsed, causing a loud rumbling sound and multiple thuds.
"Did you hear something Twilight?" Asked Spike.
Twilight sighed. "Nyx..."
Nyx giggled sheepishly. "Sorry Twilight."
After they had dinner, three of them headed down stairs to see the largest mess of books Twilight had ever seen. Twilight went pale.
"Catch me I'm going to faint..."
Spike held his arms up to catch Twilight as if it were a Rarity scenario. Nyx looked at them confused, she didn't quite understand why. Twilight walked down the steps, clearing the books to make a path.
"Okay Spike and Nyx, let's get cleaning. Put all books in an alphabetical pile, an A pile, a B pile, and so on. You all ready?"
"Ready Twilight!" Said Spike.
"O-okay..." Nyx said without much enthusiasm. She had hoped to read all the book she had stacked and it saddened her to have to put them back.
Twilight noticed that Nyx was not too happy about it and smiled. "You know you don't have to stack them up just to know which one you're going to read. You can put the book back then pull out the next one you want to read."
Nyx started to smile. "That will work... I guess." She giggled.
Twilight smiled. "Now then lets get to work shall we?!"
Spike and Nyx shouted their replies and the three of them got to work. The flash back ends there, Twilight reopens her eyes and is staring down at the floor, her ears twitch with the dripping of dungeon water from the ceiling, it was annoying. Twilight stood up and walked toward the back of her cell and sat there, she touched her cheek with her right hoof and looked at it. They were wet, her cheeks damp, and the floor where she was sitting before was also stained. Twilight continued to think about Nyx, over and over until she remembered the moment she looked upon Nyx as Nightmare Moon, when Nightmare Moon shouted that Twilight betrayed her trust, betrayed her. It broke Twilights heart again and again to have to hear those words again.
"You betrayed me... after everything you betrayed me... Twilight Sparkle I will see that you rot in a dungeon for the rest of your days so you know the feeling of having your heart broken!!!"
Those words rung in Twilights head over and over again. She lowered her head and took a deep breath just as tears flowed from her eyes like a river. And started to sing, however her words were soft and shaky, and she shed even more tears.
"I have to find a way... To make this all okay... I can't believe such a mistake Could've caused so much heartache
Oh why, oh why?
Something is wrong, it's plain to see This isn't how it's meant to be And you can't see it like I do It's not the life that's meant for you
Oh why, oh why?"
Twilight stood up from the back of her cell and walked over to the window and looked up at the moon. Outside Spell Nexus was preaching to the cultists, Nightmare Moon was walking along a lake in the moonlight. Twilights singing invoked images of Nyx during the time she and Twilight spent together before the filly transformed into Nightmare Moon. Twilight closed her eyes, took a deep breath and continue to sing, reopening her eyes.
"Losing promise I don't know what to do Seeking answers I fear I won't get through to you
I'll try And I'll try I'll try And I'll try"
The wind outside had started to pick up. Twilight went over to the far corner of her cell and sat there silently but her silence was broken as she began to sob, she laid down on her underbelly, her front hooves out in front of her, much like a horse sits, buried her face in her front legs and cried for a long time, her cell going dark for a fraction of a second as Nightmare Moons shadow passed the cell window.
~~~
Twilight was now sitting in the same corner of herself. It was the next day though nopony could tell since it was always night. The unicorn seemed to be more depressed then usual, she sat there in silence, thinking over and over again about Nyx, about her decisions, about everything, even about her friends, she didn't know what was going on with them or Spike. A door swung open down the hall a member of the Children of Nightmare came into view delivering Twilights food.
"Eat up Celestias puppet. The mistress wants you alive. I don't understand why since she hates everypony."
Twilight looked at the slop she was given and levitated it up with a wooden spoon. She scooped up the mashed apple mixed with banana and ate it, shuddering in disgust after she had swallowed. The child of nightmare laughed wickedly.
"Be grateful you are even fed you waste of flesh, it's better then being starved to death, You'd be more an improvement if you did, if our glorious night mother had even a shred of mercy."
The child of nightmare spat on the floor of the cell and left, laughing. Twilight stopped eating and looked down shedding even more tears then she had before.
"And I would deserve it... I don't deserve to be called her guardian... her mother.... her friend.... Not after what I had done... I failed her..."
"But you haven't failed me... you haven't..."
Twilight heard Nyx's voice in her head and she closed her eyes and sighed.
"I cannot give up on her... She is Nightmare Moon now... but I know deep down she is still Nyx... she is my little pony... I refuse to give up!" Twilight exclaimed.
2 months pass, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Trixie attempted to stop Nightmare Moon with the elements of harmony during this time only to fail and have the elements stolen by the queen of nightmare. Nyx's personality had eroded by the end of the first month of the long night and Nightmare Moon had been in power for the whole of the second month and half of the now third.Lately Nightmare Moon has become unsure of herself. Nyx was slowly re-emerging now that her thoughts have returned to whether Twilight is well or not, she worried for the purple unicorn, much to Spell Nexus's irritation. Spell Nexus had been plotting for weeks now, the death of Twilight Sparkle, a public hanging but the only way for Twilight to be publicly hung was if she directly attacked Nightmare Moon herself. Spell Nexus drunk red wine as he contemplated his scheme. Suddenly after figuring out how he would pull of such an unforgivable act of pure evil. A grin formed on his face, he looked to his left over at a small phial with a black vile liquid swirling in it. Nexus put down his wine and his grin turned into a smile. He got out of his seat and walked over to the table the phial stood on and picked it up with his magic, he pulled it close to his face, inches from his eyes and grinned again.
"If our queen is to rule successfully then there must not be distractions..."
Twilight was sitting in her cell looking down at the floor when the dungeon door opened and closed with a loud bang. Twilight jumped and looked at the entrance of her cell, she backed away to the back of the cell when a shadow shrouded her, she looked afraid.
"So that's what it was like for you?" Twilight sat beside Nyx in the library by the fireplace.
"Pretty much..." Nyx sighed softly looking into the fire.
"It sounds like a jumbled."
"My mind still isn't clear.. I'm getting flashes but it's not enough to paint a picture big enough. I don't blame myself if I somehow jumbled everything up in the wrong order." Nyx sighed.
Twilight looked over at the doll of herself Nyx had made at the Castle of Nightmare and frowned. "I wouldn't be surprised if I pieced my experience together the wrong way either. Spell Nexus's 'blessing' or whatever made my head, well fuzzy. But I remember enough to recall it accurately... I hope."
Nyx buried her face in a pillow in frustration. "I don't remember flying to Golden Glow Valley, or meeting a filly either. The memory is there but it doesn't feel real."
"Perhaps Luna did something to replace some of your memories?"
"I don't know Twilight..." Nyx rested her head on its side on the pillow.
Twilight looked down at Nyx laying on the floor and then out the window at the snowfall. "I guess it was good we had this talk. We're visiting my brother in Canterlot in a few days during and it would be very distracting to have these thoughts of wonder in our head when we're trying to have a good time."
"Do you think uncle Shining Armor will be happy to see me? Or Aunt Cadence?"
"We'll have to wait and see sweetie." Twilight's ears started to twitch, she looked in the direction of the stairs where foot steps could be heard.
Spike rounded the corner and entered the living area, letting out a big yawn. "Mind if I sit here girls?"
"Nope/Not at all Spike." Said Nyx and Twilight.
Spike smiled and sat himself down on the sofa. He laid back into it and let out a sigh. "So what is everypony talking about?"
"Stuff..." Nyx said tiredly.
Twilight noted Nyx's tired tone and looked at Spike. "We were just confiding in one another, about what we remember and what happened."
"Sounds like something between you two. I don't want to get involved in a conversation I'm not apart of."
"Didn't something happen to you during that time?"
Spike opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it. "I don't want to talk about it. Besides, what happened to me hardly matters anymore since Nyx and I talked about it right Nyx?"
Spike and Twilight looked down at Nyx who continued to look at the fire. She gave a silent nod and looked back at the both of them with a kind and innocent smile. Twilight smiled and let out a happy sigh.
"Everything has gotten so much better now."
Stones hit the windows of the library alerting Twilight to the ponies outside. She turned her head around and looked at it. Her ears folded down with a frown forming on her face. She got up from the sofa and approached a window, Nyx and Spike watched while she did. The unicorn looked outside through the glass circle only to quickly jump back as a rock crashed through it leaving glass on the floor.
"Nightmare lover!" Shouted a unicorn on the ground below.
"Why don't you get rid of that 'thing!' You'd be doing us a favor!" Shouted another.
Nyx's ears flattened on the top of her head and she curled up. Spike got down beside Nyx and tried to comfort her while Twilight shouted at the two unicorns angrily to the point of almost screaming at them. She pulled her head back in from the window and fixed the glass with her magic. She let out a loud angry sigh then turned and looked at Nyx who cried in the pillow. Spike tried his best to make her feel better but she didn't seem to react to his attempts. Twilight sat beside Nyx opposite of the purple dragon and Nuzzled her.
'It's okay Nyx, they're gone now..."
"Why can't anypony look at me and see me any different then Nightmare Moon... I'm not her!!" The filly shouted and cuddled into Twilight, sobbing quietly.
Twilight hugged the filly and tried to comfort her as best she could. Spike looked a little angry that those unicorns had said those things but there was nothing he could do, he folded his arms in frustration and looked down sadly. Twilight watched Spike and sighed.
"I know how you feel..."
'I know we have to ignore them Twilight but this isn't fair on Nyx, especially at night when nopony can do much of anything!"
The unicorn sighed. "I know Spike.. But what other choice do we have?"
"We can always go out there and teach them a lesson." Spike punched his palm twice but Twilight shook her head.
"No Spike, that won't solve anything."
"But-"
"No Spike!" Twilight raised her voice making the baby dragon flinch.
Spike looked down and sighed. "I'm sorry Twilight..."
Twilight sighed. "I know, it's okay... I have faith that this will all blow over eventually. Somepony's will see Nyx for who she is and not who she was."
Nyx stood up slowly, Twilight and Spike watched her with worry on their faces. The alicorn blinked and shut her eyes tightly, wiping tears from her cheeks. "I'll be okay. I won't let this push me down. I'll stand right back up and push forward."
Twilight smiled and stood up as well, she walked to the filly's side and leaned down to gently nuzzle her. "And I'll be there every step of the way."
"Thank you mommy." Nyx nuzzled Twilight in return.
"And so will I!" Exclaimed Spike.
Nyx looked at Spike, smiled and gave the dragon a big hug. "Thank you Spike!"
Spike returned the hug, patting Nyx on the back. "Anytime Nyx."
As Nyx hugged Spike she looked up to a mirror and saw herself in its reflection. Spike and Nyx let go of the hug and the filly approached the mirror, looking at herself carefully before blinking and looking over to a table where a vase sat in the corner of the hearth away from the fire where she saw her glasses sitting. She approached the table slowly and lifted the glasses off of the flat surface, opened them with her magic and put them on. Blinking once their magic worked and her eyes changed shape.
"You don't need those anymore Nyx, everypony knows who you are, there's no need to hide anymore."
"Anypony who see's my eyes see only Nightmare Moon. But if I wear my glasses and keep my eyes the way yours look, maybe everypony will stop hating me."
Twilight levitated the glasses off of her and placed them on the coffee table. "You know that's not true. Your friends don't see it that way. I don't see it that way and neither does Spike. Your eyes don't make you Nyx, you make you Nyx."
Nyx looked down unsure if that was true or not. Spike approached Nyx and put a hand on her back.
"If you were anypony else I probably wouldn't be so understanding, but I'm happy you are around. You make everyday exciting and new and sometimes stressful but you make my life even better living, you and Twilight both do that for me."
"But it's how I feel... Do you two really mean that?"
Twilight and Spike nodded and hugged Nyx together.
"Of course we mean it sweetie..."
"We're here for you Nyx, whenever you need us."
Nyx teared up and hugged the both of them trying to force her tears back. Twilight and Spike continued to hug the black alicorn until she let go. Twilight looked at the clock to see what the time was, it was close to twelve AM.
"It's getting late Nyx, it's past your bedtime."
Nyx shook her head. "No no... I want to talk some more... Please?"
Twilight thought about it for sometime in addition to what she remembered and came to a conclusion. "Well.. I suppose we should if it helps bring us a little more ease. Alright Nyx. We can stay up a little longer, but we're going to bed before one o'clock."
"Deal!" Nyx smiled.
Twilight sat back on the sofa along with Spike, Nyx joined them both by sitting on the left side of Twilight where she snuggled up to her.
"What would you like to get off your mind?"
"The doll?"
"Okay sweetheart, tell me about the me doll."
"Well you already know why I made it... So I could take my anger out on you."
"There's more to that isn't there?"
Nyx nodded. "I beat it up... ripped it, fixed it, but It gave me comfort when I needed it, when I wanted it."
Twilight and Spike listened intently to the filly while she told them all about the doll's other purpose. However toward the end Nyx sighed and started looking unsure about whether that was true or not anymore.
Twilight sighed and told Nyx what she wanted to. "When Spell Nexus put me under that spell... I felt lost, trapped and alone. I had no control of myself it was like I had been replaced, my soul was not my own." Twilight nuzzled Nyx. "Had I been in control I would never have tried to harm you."
Nyx nuzzled Twilight in return, to show her love and forgiveness. "It wasn't your fault."
Twilight smiled and kisses Nyx on the forehead before looking at a yawning, sleepy Spike.
"Tired are you?"
Spike nodded. "It is getting rather late Twilight."
Nyx yawned not long after and shook her head. "I think we should head off now..."
Twilight smiled and nodded. "I think that would be best you two." She got up off the sofa and approached Nyx, lifting the filly up with her magic and resting her on her back.
Nyx got settled between Twilight's shoulders and rested her head on the unicorns back. Where she slowly started sleeping. Twilight smiled and started moving toward the upstairs to Nyx's bed room.
"I shouldn't dwell on the past... If I do then I won't remember what was real and what wasn't. To be free of my past sins I need to let go... and move to the future." Nyx whispered to herself. She let out a big yawn and finally fell to sleep.
Twilight pushed open the door to Nyx's room and walked over to her bed, passing a black mannequin with Nightmare Moons armor on it and gently placed the young filly in her bed, pulling a blanket over her afterwards. The unicorn looked at Nyx for a moment then realized she was missing something. She looked back toward the door, her horn glowed and the Twilight Sparkle doll floated into the room. Twilight stared at it for a moment before placing it beside Nyx on the bed where the filly cuddled up to it, saying Twilight's name in a happy and tired sleepy tone as she moved and positioned herself so her head would lay on the dolls back. Twilight Sparkle leaned down and kissed Nyx's forehead gently.
"Goodnight my little pony." She turned out the lights and moved toward the door. She stood in the door way and looked back at Nyx for a moment, letting out a slight chuckle and exiting the room, closing the door while leaving a slight crack in it so it wasn't completely shut.
Twilight took the stairs to the top floor of the library where she folded back her bed sheets and climbed in. Spike was already curled up in his basket, fast asleep like a baby. Twilight laid in her bed, pulling the blankets back over her with her magic. Her eye lids grew heavy and she closed them gently, looking at a picture of Nyx on her beside table. Before long, Twilight was fast asleep and dreaming a long with the others. outside a single snowflake fell slowly toward the library, coming to rest at Nyx's window on the outside, making a slight twinkling sound as it landed.
