Heir of the Nightmare

Chapter 12: In Dungeons Deep

Canterlot Castle

One Hour Until the Coronation

Twilight

It was a beautiful gown, the quality of which Twilight had never seen before. The Lunar Pegasi that had brought it to her and had said it was from the one of the best seamstresses in the Citadel of Stars. It was everything Twilight could have ever looked for in a dress. Silver stars studded the light blue fabric with silver trimming along the hem. Twilight was sure she would have been the belle of the ball if she had ever had the chance to wear this to the Grand Galloping Gala. In addition to the dress, a small obsidian torc with a pink star sapphire hung around her neck.

She was beautiful.

But it wasn't her.

Twilight sighed and sat down wearily, turning away from the mirror and the mare she didn't recognize. Her mother had gone earlier to prepare for the final preparations for the coronation, and she had insisted that Twilight stay in her tower. Since then Twilight had done nothing but mull over her situation.

Why was she giving in to Luna's demands so easily? Twilight knew that she should be focusing on retrieving the Elements and saving her friends. Guilt welled up inside her at how easily she had let her mother send Cadance and Shining to the dungeon. And shame burdened her as she recalled that she had yet to find out her friends' fate.

Twilight was enlightened enough to realize her conflicting feelings. She knew her friends didn't deserve to suffer, and that what her mother was doing was wrong.

Was she betraying them? By giving in to Luna's demands was she neglecting her duty to Equestria? Using the Elements was the only sure way to defeat her mother. Twilight had no guarantee that by letting Luna do these things would Twilight be able to change her mind, and end Eternal Night. Was Twilight being realistic when she thought she could heal the rift between Luna and Celestia after a thousand years of sadness and hatred?

But now...Twilight wanted to deepen her relationship with Luna. She had felt the love Luna had for her, and had grown a little to love her in return. Twilight wanted to know Luna's past, her dreams, her thoughts, her knowledge, and what made her happy. She wanted to make her mother happy. Was that evil? Night Light and Twilight Velvet, her adoptive parents, could never be replaced, but Twilight wanted to expand her family and know her birth mother more. Was that wrong? Was she making a fatal mistake by hesitating?

Twilight didn't know.

Her ears flickered towards the door as somepony hesitantly knocked.

Curious, Twilight glanced toward the doorway. "Come in!"

Creaking a little, the doors let in a narrow strip of light as a familiar baby dragon made his way in.

"Twilight? Are you in there?" Spike said timidly. His green eyes traveled around the room as he tried to find her in the darkness.

"Over here Spike." She lit her horn and the room was bathed in purple light. Twilight watched fondly as her number one assistant waddled over to her.

"Whoa." Spike said, getting a good look at her dress. "You look just like a princess. All that you lack is the crown."

Twilight sighed again and avoided looking into Spike's eyes. "Yeah...my mother wants to present it to me during the coronation."
She shuffled awkwardly. "Why...What are you doing here?"

"I don't have much to do with Shining and Cadance in the joint, so I thought I'd come and find you!"

"Oh."