This next one is one I have been working on and off for a few months now. It was inspired by 'The Apprentice' by GlancoJusticar over on deviantART. To spare you from reading 25 pages of something you may not wish to read, I will only post what I am considering the first chapter.
Princess Celestia had seen great things in the young woman she was watching below in the duelist arena, battling against two duel masters at once. She had seen a tender loving soul, a dedicated and faithful student, great and terrible powers, and a thirst for knowledge that never seemed to be sated. However, there was much darkness in the young woman.
The light of the girl's achievements was dimmed by the lack of mercy she showed in duels, the drive to always be the best because she was the Princess' Personal Pupil, and worst of all, a self destructive nature that ate at her like a dog worrying a bone over a concern about being too weak. The girl hid it well, but Princess Celestia saw past the mask she wore, saw the little tell-tale signs that the girl she remembered bouncing excitedly around the throne room before her first lesson was still in there somewhere. Somewhere deep that she could never hope to reach.
She had seen this behaviour before, she could see darkness was beginning to take root, and Princess Celestia would not let it claim another. Just like it had claimed somepony so near to her, no it would end here and now. But she could not force it out, that would only cause the girl to burrow deeper and further into herself. In all the years that she had known the girl she noticed there was one force she could turn to that she never did, friends.
Even now, standing victorious over her fallen duel partners, she was clutching to the last remnants of a torn friendship she had once so long ago. Had it been five years already since that fateful evening?
She should have expected it really, given Twilight some bodyguard other than a baby dragon that she treated more like a son than a guardian. She should have insisted that she take the girl back to her dorms instead of letting her wonder the castle halls alone with only Spike with her. The assassin that had somehow managed to slip into the castle should never have been able to lay a finger on Twilight.
It was all her fault that Spike had died trying to protect his mother figure. Her fault that at the tender age of thirteen, Twilight had not only killed a man, but turned him into a pasty smear in the halls. Her greatest failure that had turned Twilight Sparkle from the curious, innocent girl she had once been, into The Dragon Queen of the academy. The name she got wasn't from only the ferocity of her attacks, but also because she bore a constant reminder of her pet baby dragon like a pendant about her neck. The claw seemed to be a source of comfort for the poor girl, who the princess had found talking to it like she used to talk to Spike.
This couldn't go on, she had to fix this tragedy, but how could the magic of friendship reach Twilight in this cut-throat academy of magic? 'There has to be some way... ah, yes, she needs to be elsewhere. Hmm, that's right the Summer Sun Celebration would be a great exc- err reason to get her out of the castle. Twilight could oversee the preparations.'
Turning her head, she couldn't help but see the moon, shining full and bright in through her window. It had been a night much like this nearly a thousand years ago that she had lost her dear sister. She couldn't let someone fall into that darkness. Not again.
Forcing herself away from the bright, accusing glare of the illuminated reminder of her greatest failure. Clenching her fist, she fought back the rage and instead focused on trying to formulate plans to save her student. There was a tickling at the back of her brain that she couldn't fully ignore.
"Making plans for others once again I see..." an ethereal voice whispered, causing her to whip around. Her eyes widened as she saw the spectral vision of a black clad woman hovering in the corner of the room. "How very much like you to ignore the bigger issues."
Celestia snarled at the ghostly shade smirking at her while twiddling her fingers teasingly at the princess. "Usurper..." Celestia growled darkly as her face twisted into a nearly lethal level glare. "It has been so long... Not nearly long enough if you wish to know."
"Oh dear Celly. Is that any way to greet your own flesh and blood?" the ebony cloaked form asked as she turned into smoke and disappeared into a mirror, hugging the reflection of Celestia. This caused Celestia's skin to crawl before anger caused her veins to run with ice, solidifying her skin.
The smoke returned, this time with the shadowed figure waiting at the window sill, where she took a deep breath. "I remember this room so well, the smell of the flowers... the birds singing their chorus before bed. At least they were a part of my life until you condemned me to that frozen hell!" it snapped as she whirled upon the dawn princess, her nebulous hair flaring out in rage.
The black armor clad woman took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down and sat down on Celestia's bed, with the moon causing parts of her to shine like polished silver. "It is very cold there dearest sister-"
"Don't call me that! You are not my KIN!" Celestia screamed as a blinding light blasted out from behind her, causing the shadow to thin to nearly insubstantial levels. "You might wear her flesh, but Luna would never have attacked me."
"You killed Luna, fell witch," Celestia continued with a hostile growl as she reached for the sword she kept belted at her waist. "I shall never forgive you for that! YOU SHALL NOT CLAIM ANOTHER!"
As if in response, the armored woman raised a protective hand before her eyes, turning away from the brilliant light, "NO! Celestia please don't do this! I'll be good! I'LL BEHAVE! NO!" the woman pleaded, her voice taking on a more innocent and pure child's tone. Before fading into a sinister chuckle as the light faltered. "Remember that...? It's all I have thought about for all those decades and centuries that I was alone, abandoned by the one that could have sa-"
"Begone destroyer of life! Darken these halls no more. You were banished, and there you shall remain," Celestia stated in a power-filled boom as she drove an accusing finger at the dark being that had replaced her little sister.
The black-clad woman stood calmly as she drifted over towards the window. "Very well... I can tell when I'm not wanted," she answered smoothly as she flattened down her hair casually. "But know this... your little student will be mine. I will teach her things you never could, let her explore the world you would fear. I will be the teacher that you never could be," the woman answered while a sly grin crept across that sinister face. "You can't keep me locked away forever, every day your little prison for me rusts, rots, and decays just a little bit more. It's almost useless in keeping me locked away."
Celestia's response, a beam of purest light from her finger struck the ground the midnight woman had stood not seconds before. Breathing heavily, the princess slid down the wall, her eyes tearing up as the words of the demon in her sister's skin sank in. It was happening again, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She had failed the girl under her care again, and... wait... no she had to get Twilight in contact with the other Elements of Harmony. The magic of that power could protect her from the darkness of Nightmare Moon. But she had to act fast, the celebration was coming soon, and if Twilight hadn't found them by then...
"Maybe a change in venue this year would be good..." Celestia stated as a new fire lit inside her soul, burning away the darkness of doubt and despair as she pushed herself up and marched toward the map. She hadn't announced where she was going to be doing it this year, but suddenly the little town of Ponyville was a lot more appealing. It was after all, only a day's walk from the old palace where the Elements were being held.
"Twilight, please... do not give into the darkness. Please, let me save at least one of you..." Celestia whispered as tears stung her eyes again, her fist clenched over the town of Ponyville as though it was the only thing supporting her.
A few halls away the very young woman who had been the cause of the internal debate was ignoring the surge of magic that she felt from the princess' quarters and instead focused on the stars in the darkness of the night's sky while her mind reflected upon the previous match. "What am I doing wrong Spike? Why am I not strong enough?" she asked to the thin air, while her hand clutched the dragon claw necklace that she wore in honor of the little dragon she had once considered like a son to her.
Almost as though she could see the dragon roll his eyes, and could easily hear his witty retort, "You are strong Twilight, but you're not letting anyone in," the dragon would have answered while toying with one of the gems that Twilight kept in a box on her desk as a snack for him.
Turning back from the window, she used a little magic to close the box with an almost casual air about her. With a heavy sigh, she began shaking her head sadly. "You don't understand Spike, I'm not strong enough to have friends... I... I can't take losing another one... I have to be stronger."
"Twi..." he would have started, only to watch her slide down to the ground while hugging her knees. Once she was settled on the ground she could almost feel his scaly arms wrapped around her neck gently. "You are strong, but no person can stand alone. Even the Princess needs someone supporting her."
Before she could respond, he put a claw to her lips and smiled wanly at her. "You are hiding yourself from others, and from yourself, behind the pain you feel," Spike offered softly while running his other claw through her hair.
This caused Twilight to begin turning his words over in her head. He was right of course, she was hiding from making friends. It wasn't as though she didn't want to make them, but it was just too dangerous for them being whom she was. If they got to her, they could use that as a stepping stone to get to the princess. Looking up towards the tower her mentor resided in, she thought about how even though she was unhappy about being friendless, the princess was safe. That was the important part.
Twilight wasn't the weak chink in her armor anymore, but she would never be strong enough to be considered equal to any of the other defenses the princess had, but she would not bring them down. Almost as though he was reading her mind, the little dragon whipsered into her ear, "You're not weak Twi... you've never been weak."
That was a lie, if she had been stronger then Spike... no that line of thinking wouldn't do, not for Twilight Sparkle. She was destined to be strong, stronger than any mage ever. No matter what. If that meant having to forgo any sort of personal attachments, then so be it. Many of her philofophy books spoke of being detached from the material world, how it allowed a certain clarity of the mind, and allowed one to perform their duty without confusion and objectivity.
Despite all the drive to become pure and distant from everything that could draw her away from the duty to the princess, she continued to refuse to let go of one attachment. It was a single driving force that had pushed her to excel beyond what she had dreamed possible. Looking over a the dragon with a haunted look on her face. "Spike... you'll never leave me, right? You'll always be by my side..."
"Twilight... I'm not really here now..." Spike's ethereal voice answered softly as his tiny claw patted through her knee. "I haven't been since I-"
Twilight cut him off with a sharp glare and a demanding voice as she snatched at him with her hands surrounded by magic. "Don't you dare say IT!"
The hands passed through Spike as though he wasn't there, and continued unfazed by her savage command, "died." That seemed to strike a chord with the tormented student as she faltered and tears began to form in her eyes, "but no matter what I cannot leave you, you were the closest thing I had to a mom," he tried to lay his head on her knees, as if seeking some form of comfort from her being near. Oddly enough, it seemed to work with no problem as she could feel the head. "You have to move on past me Twilight... please? There is so much you are denying yourself now."
"I... I can't Spike, I'm not strong enough to yet," Twilight whispered as she settled back against the wall, her body going limp from exhaustion as the emotions continued to wash over her. Her eyes began to slide close as she finally allowed the dam break and tears fell down. "I'll never be strong enough..."
Spike looked up at her with a pained expression before hugging her knee firmly and watched as she fell asleep. "You'll always be strong enough for me. Now, you just need to let others in."
Twilight sobbed quietly, it wasn't fair. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Was the universe punishing her for some crime she had committed? Spike was gone, and she had nothing of this useless connection called 'friends'. They made you care, they made you feel for them...they made you, vulnerable and weak.