Twilight's Midnight Violations

a Shameless Clopfic

Chapter 9

Her whole body felt wrung out, as if she was put through a press dryer like a wad of used towels. Her mouth felt dry, and her bed was stiff and sticky. Slowly, as her eyes opened, Cheerilee realized that this wasn't her bed. She had fallen asleep on the classroom floor. She felt exhausted and sore, as if she had spent the entire day running back and forth across town. With a low groan, she slowly raised her head up, trying to remember just what she had done to end up asleep on the floor, all sticky.

A knock at the school house's door brought her to attention, her mind snapping awake at the sharp sound. The classroom was empty, save for herself, and two of her students. Two students likewise passed out, curled up like sticky little dolls on the floor. A sharp gasp flowed over her lips at the sight. And at the memories returning to her. What she had done, what she had made them do. Her eyes widened, trembling as the full weight of her after school activities dawned on her.

"N-no... I... I..."

Cheerilee whispered softly, remembering how it had felt. The things she did to her students. Quickly she looked down at herself, lifting one of her hind legs to see. It was gone. No sign that it had ever been there. That she had done those things to her two students. No sign, except what was covering them as well as the floor.

"Hello? Is anypony there?"

A stallion called out from the other side of the door. Soon Cheerilee could hear the two fillies starting to wake, their soft groans and whimpers starting to rise in volume as they came to. How? How could she ever do such a thing? How could she let herself go so far? She looked around the classroom, frantically searching for an explanation. A way out. This was the end. She'd never be allowed to teach again. Never allowed to care for the fillies and colts she cared so much about. Never... Never to have her foals.

With a trembling whimper, Cheerilee looked down at her students. Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara, just to think of their names, she could feel something being tugged inside her. She had hurt them, but she hadn't wanted to hurt them. Not really. She couldn't explain it. Couldn't put it into words, but she knew somehow they were special to her now. But that wouldn't excuse what had happened. That wouldn't save her from what was coming. From being taken away from them. Again there was the knock at the front door, this time harder, more urgent. Cheerilee watched as Diamond Tiara started to slowly lift herself up, reaching a hoof out towards the door. Cheerilee's heart sank as she watched it. Knowing this was how it was going to all end.

"D-daddy... Help..."

The pink little filly gasped out, her voice harsh from the abuse it had been put through less than an hour before. The banging at the door became excited, the stallion attempting to force the locked door open. Cheerilee could feel tears starting to form in her eyes. At first she thought they were tears for what she had done, remorse at how she had hurt her students. How she had abused these two fillies. But that was not why she was crying. She would never get the chance to make it up to them. Never get the chance to hold them, to caress them. Never get the chance to tell them how she felt now. Even after all she had done, her heart felt nothing but tenderness for her two fillies.

"M... Miss Cheerilee?"

That soft little voice. It pulled at her, demanding attention. Cheerilee looked to her side, away from Diamond Tiara crawling towards the door. Apple Bloom was looking up at her. The little farm filly's eyes were trembling. She was afraid, but not afraid of her. Apple Bloom looked up at her teacher with wanting. Wanting to know everything was going to be ok. Wanting to know that she wouldn't be taken away. Wanting, just to be close to her. Slowly Apple Bloom reached out, her hoof shaking as she desperately reached for her teacher.

The door burst open, the stallion and two other ponies rushed inside. Shocked gasps rang out between the three of them as they took in the scene inside. But Cheerilee couldn't see them, her eyes were too full of tears. Flowing freely as she kept her gaze locked tightly on little Apple Bloom and that outstretched hoof. Slowly, her own shaking just as much, she started to reach out, desperately trying to get that one last bit of contact with her beloved little filly. She could feel her heart breaking apart as hooves grabbed her, pulling her away from what she now wanted more than anything else in the world.

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It was already well past noon as she peeked out the window, sighing as she nudged the curtain aside with her nose. Twilight had procrastinated all day over this. She had promised Spike she would go outside today. But still, she dreaded the idea. What would she say if some pony confronted her about what had happened? How would she explain everything if some pony made the connection between her and the events three months ago? It was something she honestly wished she could keep shut up behind locked doors and covered windows. Just as she had herself this whole time.

But still, she knew she couldn't hide forever. Her friends must be worried about her. What friends she still had, that is. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash had been supportive of her, if a little nervous, for the first couple months of her recovery. That is, till she shut herself away. But Rarity and Applejack...

Rarity, she knew, hated her. After what she had done, she couldn't blame the white unicorn for hating her. But Applejack? Twilight gave a slight shiver as her thoughts turned to the orange farm pony. It was Rarity's sister that she had hurt, but it was Applejack herself that Twilight had attacked. If anything, that was all the more painful to the downtrodden unicorn. With a deep sigh, she turned from her window and made her way over to her bed.

Flopping herself down on top of the covers, she looked at that tattered book. Slowly the book opened, the pages flipping by with the influence of Twilight's magic. She knew well just which pages to turn to. Just which pages each of her mares were pasted to. Her mares. She shouldn't think of them that way, especially after what Princess Luna had told her. But she couldn't help it. Every day she felt herself wanting them. Needing them.

That sent another shiver down Twilight's back. That word, even to think it. Need. She had felt need before. Felt it so strongly, it had made her go out and hurt other ponies. Hurt other mares. And now, to think that she still wanted them. Still needed them. That thought made her afraid. Afraid that she'd hurt them again. That even with the curse gone, she still needed to hurt her mares. That it had made no difference that Luna had taken the curse away. She was still the monster she had been.

'I... I don't want to hurt them again.. Especially..'

Twilight flipped the pages, soon the photos pasted there were of a certain orange mare. Twilight could feel her chest tighten slightly as she looked from one photo to the next. Her eyes slowly roaming over the mare's figure. Her golden hair, that dirty old hat. Her soft yet strong flanks, her belly with it's just barely noticeable bulge. Another tremble ran up Twilight's spine. This time, however, it wasn't from fear or loathing, it was desire.

The book closed quickly. She wanted that, needed that sweet mare again. But she knew she couldn't. She shouldn't. With a sigh she slipped the book under her pillow. It would be best if Spike didn't happen to find it. After everything that had happened, explaining to the little dragon about her little 'stash' would somehow be even more awkward. Taking a deep breath to help clear her head, Twilight turned to look to her closet. She needed to go out, if only to try and shake this melancholy that had been gripping her all this time.

Her horn glowing softly, Twilight opened the closet door and started going through what few clothes she had. Most were dresses or capes, formal wear for when she had to look more high class. A box full of socks, from when it had been the current fad. Some warm winter garments, scarfs and boots. Eventually she pulled out one simple dress. It was little more than a slip of cloth with a simple trim and sleeves. If she had worn it to any sort of formal engagement, she was sure she'd be laughed out of the place. But even still, she liked it. It was simple. It was sensible. It was her birthday dress. The dress that Rarity had made for her in Canterlot.

Twilight shut her eyes tightly as memories of happier, simpler times started to come back to her. With a shake of her head she pushed the dress back into her closet. She had other dressed she could ware to cover up her shame. She couldn't go out wearing that dress, the one that Rarity had made for her. Could she?

Slowly, the violet glow of her magic pulled the dress out again, her eyes slowly opening to look it over. She sighed softly as she looked it over. She remembered that Rarity had intended for it to be the most elaborate, most elegant dress ever seen in Canterlot. But had instead spent her entire time amongst Canterlot elite, and never actually finished the dress. With the dress floating in front of her, Twilight gently laid it out on top of her bed.

"It's just a dress... Just a stupid dress, not even half finished.."

She whispered the words softly to herself. As if they might somehow banish the memories the dress brought. She could feel the corners of her eyes grow damp as she tried to push those thoughts back. It was as if there was a battle going on inside the poor unicorn. One part of her just wanted to cry and remember all those long past memories. Another wanted to be angry at her friend, angry for being abandoned just when she needed friends the most. And another small part wanted to be angry at herself, for letting something as simple as a dress get to her in such a way.

In the end, one of the angry parts won out, though Twilight couldn't tell just which it was. Her horn glowing brightly, the coat hanger slipped out from the dress as it was levitated up. Lifting her hooves she wriggled her way into it, slipping her legs through the sleeves and her head out. Back on all fours she felt the soft, delicate fabric settled over her back and down her flanks. She made it that far, and it was a start.

With a look back, she flicked her tail gently, wriggling it out the small hole in the dress intended for a pony's tail to slip through. A little kick of a hind leg to make sure, and Twilight was sure the dress would be more than enough to cover herself. She may be stuck as half-mare, half-stallion, but she didn't have to go around advertising that fact to half of Ponyville. The dress made sure she was covered from any curious eyes. Her sudden case of modesty taken care of, Twilight made her way down the stairs and out of her bedroom.

"Spike! I'm going out for a while."

There, that should help ease the little dragon's worries a bit. Maybe, if she was lucky, she could find a nice quite place to sit for the day. Some place safely away from every pony else.

"Twilight?" Spike's voice said from the kitchen. Twilight could hear the soft clink of plates as her assistant went about cleaning the dishes. A moment or two later, the door to the kitchen pushed open, the little dragon still holding a rag in one hand and a glass in the other.

"I said I'm going out. Is there anything else?" Twilight said as she looked back to him. She watched as the little dragon's expression brightened just a bit at the sight of her stepping towards the front door.

"Um.. Well, we do need a few things from the market."

Twilight's optimistic outlook suddenly crashed and burned at those words. She turned to look forwards at the front door again. She grumbled quietly as she glared at the door, as if it was standing defiantly against her having a quite afternoon. It never was that simple, was it?

"Fine... What do we need?" Twilight tried to keep the annoyance from slipping into her words, but a tiny bit still managed to squeeze out before she could stop it.

"Well... We need bread, milk, cabbage..." Spike said as he idly began to dry off the wet glass in his hands. His eyes slowly moved above his head, as if he could see the mental shopping list above him. "Oh, and we need more apples. The ones from last week are starting to smell now."

"Alright, I'll just head over to the market and.." Her words trailed off as the list of groceries started to sink in. Everything else, Twilight was sure she'd be able to get them quickly and without too much trouble if she was careful. But apples? The stand in the market would be closed today, and that left only one place she'd be able to buy apples from. One place she'd have to walk out to in order to get them. One place she was afraid to go.

"Are... Are you alright, Twilight?"

His glass forgotten for the moment, Spike watched Twilight with fresh worry. She just stared straight ahead, her eyes wide and trembling slightly. Spike had been doing the shopping for the past few months. Taking care of it so that she wouldn't have to go out and risk running into any pony. But now, they needed apples. And where there were apples, there would be Applejack.

She could feel her chest starting to tighten. Her pace quickening as that thought ran through her head. She would have to go and see Applejack. She'd have to go and face that mare. Face her mare. Maybe... Maybe she could talk with Big Macintosh or Granny Smith instead. But that would be almost as bad. But with them, she wouldn't have to see her. Wouldn't have to think about her. Wouldn't have to feel those feelings.

"Twilight?"

Spike had started walking over, concern in his voice. It managed to pull Twilight out of the panic that was filling her mind for a moment. With a start, she shook her head.

"I... I'm fine..." Twilight swallowed hard, trying to force back the doubt about going out today. She needed to do this, if she was ever going to get on with her life. "I'm... I'm going now!"

And with that, Twilight was out the door, her saddle bags floating quickly after her in a soft violet glow. Spike stood there, rag and glass still in hand as he watched her go. With a long sigh he walked up to the threshold, taking a hold of the door handle.

"This is going to take a while..."

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Dust billowed up into the air, like a malignant cloud taking off from some explosion. The sound of the heavy tome landing on the table could have easily been mistaken for an explosion. With a deep indigo glow, the age-worn bindings flipped open and moldy pages turned rapidly one after the other. Luna's silver hoof cup stamped down onto one of the pages, stopping it from turning as her magic faded from the book. The princess's brow tightened as her eyes scanned over the page.

"The inverse diametric personality principle postulates that divisions of the soul invariably develop despondent personalities relative to the originating personality. Effects of which could account for aberrations in the natures of spells involving the fragmentation of the caster's soul, resulting in undesired results. However, according to the dynamic development rule, fragments of a soul invariably develop in approximation to the originating soul, resulting in a similar, though often colored approximation of the original. Thus the nature of magics involving the soul reflect different aspects of the caster's nature. The amalgametic spirit proposal, on the other hoof- BAH! Hypothetical!"

A second cloud of dust rose up as the cover to the old, and likely invaluable, tome was closed loudly. With an angry flick of her horn, the book was sent unceremoniously through the air to land atop a pile of similarly ancient books. Any other time, Luna would have been appalled at such disregard for the great importance of these books. But right now, with her annoyance rising with every book she looked through, she couldn't care less.

She had been in the Palace Library's back room for most of the day, ever since she had awoken from that dream. It still haunted her. The spell she had cast so long ago was still active. Still seeking to fulfill it's purpose. And now it was loose.

And it was not just any spell. It carried with it a fragment of her own soul, a small sliver of the power which gave all alicorns their divinity, their immortality. It was, in a sense, a part of Luna. Then why had it defied her? It had slipped her hold, and now it was acting on it's own. But why? Luna could remember the spell she had cast so long ago. Remember the words she used, the purpose she had set it to. But this was not what she had wanted. This was not how she had intended the spell to react. She understood the old magics, knew that their ways were often unpredictable. But any spell, even one shorn off from her own soul, could be contained with enough force, enough knowledge.

But this spell had defied her commands, had broken free from her hold. And she had no idea why. Every tome she looked through, every ancient manuscript she consulted, none of them held the answers she sought. With a great sigh, yet another priceless book was shut too firmly, and shoved off of the reading table to the floor. With a roll of her eyes, Luna let her head meet the table face first, her elegant horn jabbing into the table in front of her as her forehead pressed against it.

"Ugh! Why does this always happen to me?"

Her frustration was forgotten for a moment as she heard the door to the archive's back room open, and the soft sound of hoof steps reached her ears.

"Luna? Are you in here?"

The voice was a familiar one. She could hear those hoof steps drawing closer to the table she was seated behind. Through the stacks of old books, and around the piles of discarded tomes, Celestia wound her way towards the back of the room.

"Tia? What are you doing here?" Luna asked as she slowly lifted her head up from the table. Her sister had a look of concern upon her face, her mane gently brushing dust off of the old books as it flowed about in the ever present astral wind. Slowly Celestia made her way up to the table, looking down at her sister with a worried expression.

"Luna, just how long have you been back here? The guards said you came here just after morning and gave orders you were not to be disturbed."

With a sigh, Luna just shook her head, placing a hoof over her eyes.

"Oh, Tia... I think I've messed up. I was so sure I had fixed everything. So sure I had everything under control. But now it's loose again.." And with that, Luna's head met the table again, this time with both hooves covering her face.

"Sister, you don't mean.. Is.. Is Twilight in danger?" Celestia said with a gasp, covering her mouth with a hoof. Luna slowly shook her head from side to side, letting her hooves slip from over her eyes.

"No. I.. I don't think that Twilight is in any danger. At least, I don't believe she is. This spell, it's acting strange. I thought I had contained it, bound it away within myself. But somehow it has broken free, and I have no idea where it has gotten to."

Celestia took a moment to consider her sister's words. Slowly she walked around the table, reaching out to gently place a hoof on Luna's shoulder. The moon goddess's eyes slowly lifted up to look to Celestia, the elder sister would tell that Luna was more troubled by this than if it was simply the case of an out of control spell.

"Sister, tell me what's wrong. I know that there is something you're not telling me." Celestia said with a soft smile. Luna looked into those amethyst eyes with her own turquoise ones. Slowly she shook her head, closing her eyes as she tried to keep them from watering.

"It... It's not just that the spell has gotten loose.. It's.." Luna sighed, hanging her head. "I feel like I've let you down again, Tia. You trusted me to take care of this. To make everything right again. And now, all I've done is mess things up all over again."

Celestia watched as slowly, a single tear started to roll down her sister's cheek, falling to stain the aged wood of the reading table. Her hoof slowly slid around from Luna's shoulder, moving up across her cheek, gently brushing away the moist trail left there. Luna's eyes slowly opened, they were downcast, heavy with regret.

"I don't even know how the spell broke free of my bindings..."

"Luna." Celestia's voice was gentle, yet firm. It brought Luna's eyes up from the table to look upon her. The kind smile had not once left her face. "How many other spells do you know of that have lasted for a thousand years?"

"A thousand years?" At first, Luna was perplexed by this. It was an odd question, but she knew the answer. There were only two spells she could think of that had endured for so long. "Well... The only ones I can think of are the spell which entombed Discord in stone.."

"And?"

"And..." A little shiver ran up Luna's spine as she thought about the other spell. It was one with which she was all too familiar. Her voice was soft and small as she named that spell. "The spell which banished me to the moon..."

Celestia winced slightly as her sister phrased her answer so. Even now, it was still a tender nerve for the elder alicorn. She knew that, despite everything that had happened, some small part of Luna still resented what had been done to her. Or rather, what had been done to Nightmare Moon. But now was not the time to bring up old wounds. Not when there were even older problems to be delt with.

"And just what do those two spells both have in common?"

"They were both cast using the Elements of Harmony.." Luna said, tilting her head with a confused look "But sister, I don't understand. What does this have to do with my spell?"

"Luna..." Celestia sighed, shaking her head slowly "The Elements of Harmony are the most powerful artifacts known to ponykind. Not even we know just where they come from, or just what gives them their power."

As she spoke, Celestia slowly stepped around the table, taking care to avoid placing her hooves atop the many ancient books scattered about the floor. Luna watched as her sister's flowing tail gently flicked about in the immaterial breeze, rustling brittle scrolls slightly as it went.

"The fact that any spell not cast using the Elements, even one cast by us, could last for so long is astounding." Celestia turned to look to her sister again. The elder sister's smile betrayed the little swell of pride she felt as she considered her words. "To think that any spell could last for so long without any sort of changes taking place is a little crazy, don't you think?"

"Sister... Just what are you saying?" Luna blinked, slowly starting to realize what Celestia was getting at. "Do you mean... That his is no longer the same spell I had cast all those years ago?"

Celestia nodded to her sister's question. Luna's brow tightened in thought, if what her sister said was true, then there was no telling just what the spell would be capable of now. The old magic had a way of thinking for itself. But it was always constrained by it's original purpose. Now, after so long, the magic had changed. It's desire to fulfill it's purpose had grown, matured. It was almost as if...

"You... You mean my spell has become alive?"

"In a manner of speaking." Celestia nodded to that, raising a hoof to place upon the table as she regarded her sister. "Luna, a part of your soul broke off when you cast that spell. And over all these years, that tiny fragment has grown. It has wants and desires of it's own now. In a way, it's almost a whole other pony unto itself."

"Then.. Then how do we stop it? Should we call for the Elements of Harmony?" Luna asked, hopeful that there may still be some way to put a stop to all this, before any pony else was hurt. But her hopes started to sink as Celestia simply shook her head.

"No. I'm afraid this isn't something the Elements can simply stop. This isn't an issue of harmony gone awry. I'm afraid, dear sister, that you will have to seek answers some place other than the Canterlot Archives."

"But... Where?" Luna asked. In her heart, she could feel a sinking sensation. Some part of her was telling her that there would be no quick and easy end to her burdens.

"I think, you will find your answers out there..." Celestia turned, looking off to the side. Luna followed her gaze, turning to look out of a small window. There, beyond the thick, age-fogged glass, she could see the valley beyond the mountain on which Canterlot was perched. "Amongst the ponies who's lives are now intertwined with the spell's."

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The flyer fluttered slightly in the breeze, as if it wanted nothing more than to be cut loose. To flip and glide amongst the currents that drifted down the street. But the scrap of paper's dreams were tied down, nailed in place by nought but a single tack, holding it firmly to the bulletin board where it had been posted. As it struggled in vain to escape the cruel fate which held it firmly, the warm sunlight which had been shinning upon it suddenly darkened, the shadow of a pony falling upon the helpless advertisement.

"No. Way!"

The sound of delight rang out as the flyer was suddenly grasped, trapped between excited teeth which tore it bodily from the bulletin, a small scrap left behind, leaving a ragged wound in the poor sheet. Again it flapped about in the wind, still unable to reach the freedom it seemed to want so dearly. Only this breeze was not the lazy wind which drifted about at random. It was the sudden surge of air, pushed forth by two strong, cerulean wings.

"This is so AWESOME!"

The pegasus almost squealed in glee as she held the flyer tightly between her teeth. With a strong beat of her wings, she took off down the street, her chromatic tail fluttering behind her, leaving a quickly fading streak of color as she went.