My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Night
Chapter Eleven: Night Terror
"You ready?" Vinyl Scratch asked her partner as they prepared their equipment.
"Ready when you are, Vinyl," Octavia replied, placing her bow upon the strings of her cello. "Just remember, this is for the princesses." Connecting her headphones to the turntable, the white Pony made some final adjustments and cued her friend to begin.
As the two began their work, the Sun shined brightly upon Ponyville as its citizens pulled together to make repairs and make preparations to properly celebrate the reunion of their princesses. Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack tapped her big brother on the back to relieve him of duty. Apple Bloom glanced up at her big sister and smiled as the two continued harvesting their crops. Rocking back and forth in her chair on the porch, Granny Smith watched her family and smiled warmly. Slowly opening up the shades in her room, Rarity gently awoke her cousin Sweetie Belle and warmly embraced her. Closing her eyes as she sat up, the Unicorn filly smiled as the light of the Sun flowed into Rarity's penthouse and surrounded both her and her beloved cousin. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo sat atop the roof of the orphanage, staring into the horizon. Nervous at first, the sky-blue Pegasus placed her hoof around the filly's shoulder, allowing the little one to lean her head against her new mentor's side. Opening up the windows of her home, Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief and laid down in the company of Angel the bunny and all the sweet little creatures that had come to know and love her over the years. The sunny Pegasus smiled and thanked the All-Maker for everything turning out for the best for everypony. Breathing in the morning's air, Pinky Pie smiled warmly as she made her way down the road to where she longed to go. The Pony's mind was at ease once again, and all was right in Equestria.
Saluting her superiors, Violent Rose took a reverential step back as Princess Cadance entered the throne room of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to finally make amends with the caregiver of the Moon. Standing at a distance, Shining Armor found himself staring at the Princess of Love as she greeted her peers. Without pause, Cadance turned to head of the Royal Guard and winked, just as she did in their childhood. Blushing, the majestic white Unicorn captain cleared his throat and glanced away for a moment. Nearby, the Bat-Ponies adjusted their eyes to the light of day once more, having pledged their loyalty to Princess Luna and her allies.
Opening up the doors to her school once again, Miss Cheerilee welcomed the Cutie-Mark Crusaders as they ushered the fillies and colts back to their classroom. The last pony to enter, her business suit cleaned and pressed for her first day as Cheerilee's teacher's aide, was none other than Derpy Hooves, who made sure to bring her boss a shiny, red apple. Overhead, the Wondercolts soared through the open skies, leaving a trail of colored smoke behind them. Feeling peace return to the place she now came to call her home, Zecora allowed the sleeping plants and vines around her home to open and bloom, freeing beautiful rainbow-hued roses and tulips as far as the eye could see.
Waking up downstairs in his basket-bed, Spike threw off his blanket, stood up, stretched his growing arms and legs, and strolled upstairs to greet Twilight. Coming up to his friend's bedroom door, the baby dragon turned the knob only to find it locked in place. Twilight never locks her door, he told himself, growing concerned. Knocking on her door, Spike peeked in through the keyhole. "Twilight, are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Spike," the young Unicorn snapped, not taking her eyes off her books. "Leave me alone."
"What?" the baby dragon replied in shock. "Twilight, you never lock your door and you've never yelled at me before. Please, let me in."
"I said to go away!" Twilight hollered. "Don't you get it, Spike? I don't need you and I don't want you! Just leave me alone!" Stepping back in shock and disbelief, Spike covered his mouth with his claws, barely able to hold back his tears. This was his worst nightmare. In her room, Twilight felt her heart pounding as her vision became lined in red. Anger coursed through her body and mind as the books and scrolls failed her. Suddenly, in a flash of rage rivaling that of Moon herself, the young Unicorn threw her notes against the wall as she let out a furious cry that caused her horn to burn.
Having sent out a message to his friends, Spike began to gather his things in fear of his friend's wrath. His throat aching and his eyes filling with tears, the baby dragon sorrowfully planned his relocation. She doesn't need me anymore, he told himself. I always thought she'd stay with me even after her work was done. Where do I go now? "I still love you, Twilight," Spike whispered tearfully. "I'm sorry for whatever I did." Just then, the baby dragon heard hoofsteps entering the room, and turned around to see Twilight standing before him.
"Spike," the young Unicorn quietly said, trying to avoid eye contact. "I'm…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone off like that. Are you okay?"
"I'm…" Spike began to answer, only to stop himself and put lies aside. "…Why would you say those terrible things to me? I thought you loved me."
Twilight lowered her head and turned away from her best friend. "Spike, I didn't mean what I said," she answered. "I'm sorry…but I don't think I know what love is." Deeply troubled, the baby dragon stepped back as his guardian stood still.
"Spak, what's goin' on?" Applejack asked as she pushed the door open. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinky Pie followed close behind their friend, each with their own concerns. "…What's happening?"
"You sounded really upset in your letter, Spike," Fluttershy added, taking her little friend under her wing. "Twilight, is everything alright?"
"Everything's fine," Twilight snapped before withdrawing once more.
"Sure as hell doesn't sound fine," Rainbow Dash shot back, not believing a word. "Spike says you went off on him. Now tell us what's up."
Her first impulse being to let her tears fall, Twilight gritted her teeth and turned her pain into anger. "How dare you barge into my house and demand answers from me!" she hollered as her emotions raged on inside of her.
"Twilight, this isn't like you at all," Pinky Pie pleaded, growing concerned and scared. "What happened?"
"I want to be left alone," the young Unicorn demanded, her eyes now openly flowing with tears. "Get out."
"Darling, we're not going to leave you alone at a time like this," Rarity replied, taking a step forward. "We're all uneasy after what happened at the castle, but you have to talk with us."
"I don't have to talk with anypony!" Twilight cried out like an unhappy foal. "Just get out and leave me alone!" Fluttershy held Spike tightly, neither her nor her friends willing to abandon their friend. "Get out! …Get out!" Her horn shining with unfamiliar energy, the Unicorn used her magic to throw her books off their shelves and onto the ground. "Go!" Her anger boiling, Twilight found herself becoming lost in a merciless frenzy that burned her. "Go!"
For a moment, everything seemed still as Spike and the mares stared at their gasping friend. Finally, the six turned and walked away, leaving Twilight alone with her anger and sorrow. Once the door closed, the incensed Unicorn threw her books at its wooden surface as she screamed and hollered. Soon, her anger melted and overflowed into a fit of extreme sorrow that brought her to her knees crying and gasping for air. The rage, sorrow, fear, and power was all too much as it twisted and flowed like a violent storm. Why can't they understand? Twilight asked herself as the voices of her fears rattled on. What am I becoming? Closing her shades and blinds, the young mare buried her face under her hooves and wept alone in the darkness. Her horn still burning, Twilight was unable to feel her Cutie-Mark flashing a scarlet color and radiate a cold aura.
"What happened?" Spike asked, sitting atop Fluttershy's back as the group made their way towards the city. "What'd I do to upset her like this?"
"Don't blame yourself, Spike," Fluttershy warmly replied. "I think she's having trouble handling all that's happened. She didn't have a right to yell at you like that, though."
"We're gonna give her some time, but then we're all gonna talk this through," Pinky Pie added in her usual, sweet voice. "For now, we can hang out. What do you wanna do, Spike?"
"I don't really feel like doing anything, fillies," the baby dragon confessed, sinking his head down and supporting it with his still-trembling claws. "I'm sorry."
"Don' sweat it, sugar cube," Applejack warmly replied. "What's important is that you know you're loved. That's by all of us."
"Absolutely, darling," Rarity agreed, earning her a loving glance from Spike.
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash stopped and floated in place. "Hey, everypony, go on without me," she decided. "There's something I've gotta do."
"Dash, we need to give Twilight some space," Applejack carefully argued. "This ain't the time to…"
"You do things your way, AJ, and I'll do things my way," the sky-blue Pegasus interrupted. "Everything's gonna be okay. Don't worry." With that, Rainbow Dash turned around and headed back to Twilight's home.
"Should we go after her?" Rarity suggested, turning to Applejack with a look of concern.
"Letter go," the orange Pony answered. "She knows what she's doin'. We've just gotta make sure to be there for her when it's all said n' done." Applejack's decision not easing his mind, Spike gently wrapped his little arms around Fluttershy and nuzzled his face into her soft, pink mane.
"It's okay, Spike," the sunny Pegasus lovingly whispered. "It'll all be okay."
Lying on the floor, wrapped in one of her old blankets, Twilight remained in the shadows as if hiding from the Sun. Her eyes burning and flowing with hot tears, the young Unicorn tried in vain to focus her racing thoughts. At last, she was all alone to hate herself and the world. "You mind telling me what in Celestia's name you've been doing?" Rainbow Dash's voice shattered the silence. Opening her swollen, bloodshot eyes, Twilight rolled onto her side, saw the Pegasus standing before her, and anxiously leapt onto her hooves and stepped back. "What's wrong with you, Twilight?"
"N-nothing's wrong with me," the Unicorn shakingly answered, trying desperately to avoid the eye contact she now feared. "Why does everypony keep asking me that?" Somewhat shocked, Dash tightened her glance into one of confusion and concern as her friend began to openly sob. "I'm fine…I've always been fine. When-when I was a filly…" The mare sniffled heavily, trying to snuff back the tears. "…And…and I was all alone, every day, I was fine. I've always been okay. Nothing's changed."
"Twilight," Rainbow Dash declared, slowly stepping towards her friend as she continued stepping backward. "What are you talking about? When have you ever been alone? Look, dude, you're torn up, I can tell. Look at you: You're falling apart. You can't even talk straight. I'm your friend, Twilight. Let me help you with whatever this is."
"I don't need help!" Twilight hollered. "I don't need help…I never needed help. I don't need it now. Not from you, not from Spike or the others, not from the princesses…I don't need help from a Pegasus who never leaves the ground!" Unmoved, Dash stared at her friend like a parent seeing through their child's ruse. "…Why are you still here?" Twilight begged, growing more and more upset by the moment. "Rainbow Dash, I want you to leave. Go away! Get away from me! Please!"
"'A Pegasus who never leaves the ground'" Dash repeated without hesitation. "You're not talking about me anymore. When we were younger, I said the exact same thing…But it wasn't about me. It was about a shy little Unicorn who was too afraid to make friends. I told her that somepony afraid of the rest of the world was 'like a Pegasus who never leaves the ground'."
"It doesn't matter," the young Unicorn snarled. "You were wrong…You always have been."
"Twilight, this isn't you," the Pegasus persisted, stepping forward. For once, her friend was struggling and trying to hurt those around her. Her effort was thinly veiled, though the gesture burned like a smoldering candle. "What's happened to you?" Glancing down, Rainbow Dash saw Twilight's Cutie-Mark flash a reddish color. "What's going on with your Cutie-Mark?"
"What's happening is none of your business!" Twilight screamed, no longer seeming afraid. "You weren't good enough to make the Wondercolts and you're not good enough to open me up! I don't even get what you're doing here. Why don't you just throw me away? Throw it all away just like your parents!" The room fell silent as the endless, piercing sound of words used as weapons continued to rage on. Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight with a look of profound shock and utter disgust, though the Unicorn remained unmoved.
"…You sound just like Night Mare Moon," the Pegasus gravely declared as she turned and walked away. "The Twilight I knew never wanted to be alone. I guess she's gone, though, isn't she?"
As a foal, I was filled with so many blooming emotions. Every single day was so full of joy, passion, rage, sorrow, and dreams that continued even while I was awake. By the end of the day, though, I was the same pony, and I was happy. It wasn't until later in my childhood that I felt true sorrow in the grips of isolation. The voice left me helpless and at her mercy. She was the one who drove me into isolation and fear. The voice stole my childhood, but because of what I had lost, I became a mare sooner. Now as a grown mare, I know and understand what is around and inside of me, though I've never been more confused. I will always hate that wretched voice. She has stolen my emotions, placed restrictions on what I could feel, and only hindered what I could truly be.
As of late, I feel like a filly once again. I'm not filled with joy, though. All that resides within me is rage and sorrow. My hatred either turns inward or lashes out at those I love, but it never goes away. The voice is quieter now, but its presence has become constant and lost within the endless whirlwind of my spiraling thoughts and feelings. Pinky Pie told us a story one night: A pony was rendered unable to think and incapable of going on because of his sorrow. The sorrow and isolation within his mind caused it to fail, and he broke apart long before he died. I feel as though I am dead now, but I'm neither in Tartarus nor the Celestial Embassy. All that remains in chaos.
Those I had once called my friends refused to give up on me. Even Rainbow Dash returns to this cold place I lock myself inside of. It's been such a short time, but when I look in the mirror, I no longer see Twilight Sparkle. With each passing hour, I am becoming Night Mare Moon. I feel her pain, her sorrow, and her rage. Looking back now, I realize she was not the absolute evil we had convinced ourselves she was. In many ways, although I would have held this forever within the darkest reaches of my mind, Moon and I are one and the same. I've forgotten so much, but I continue to live on. Without the control I have taught myself, every moment is an ever-changing torrent. The voice never once helped me, only created barriers that would soon be broken. One by one, I have hurt all those I love. I see how Spike looks at me with fear in his eyes. I feel how Fluttershy hates me for what I have betrayed within her. I hear the tears Pinky Pie cries for me. I taste the shame of disappointing Applejack. Rarity's look of shock resounds in my head. Rainbow Dash's tears stain my face as she lashes out and assaults me. The others pull her back, but not before her strikes draw blood.
Now gazing up at the Moon in all of its glory, I feel my body growing colder. My Cutie-Mark changes from a cold embrace to a sweet burning. Locked in a state of perfect self-loathing and anger at the world, I feel the icy breeze of the night flood into my home as I close my eyes. Feeling the night welcome me, I open my eyes and see everything as Night Mare Moon once did. What drives me now is the chaos, pain, and power that have been building up within me for years. The voice is dead; killed by my own hooves, and all that remains is the truth: I was always one with Night Mare Moon. The voice was nothing more than an afterthought of what Luna was and what I was always meant to be. As Twilight Sparkle becomes fully consumed, I spread my new and powerful black wings, stand with pride and strength upon black hooves armored with scarlet-purple Blood-Guards, feel the fire of my darkened Cutie-Mark that is now crowned with the mark of the Crescent Blood-Moon, smile with fanged teeth, allow my long and flowing mane comprised of the darkest purple and crimson-highlighted locks blow, and feel the power flowing through my strengthened violet horn. Nightmare Twilight has been born, and Equestria now belongs to me.
Spreading her wings, the horrifying and corrupted Alicorn of Night cackled wildly as rage and a lust for knowledge of true power and magic burned within her. With the hated voice gone, Nightmare Twilight was free and imbued with the endless might she had so long thirsted for. Deep within her, though, the voice of Night Mare Moon remained, laughing as its new host body took to flight. The Moon Essence had once again returned to Equestria, and none were safe.