//------------------------------// // Nyx and Friends! // Story: A Frayed Notebook with Pages Missing // by Ezn //------------------------------// NYX AND FRIENDS! PILOT EPISODE: NYX’S BIRTHDAY by Ezn thanks to Pen Stroke and Batty Gloom additional thanks to the /fic/ MST crew EXT. Clearing in the Everfree Forest SPELL NEXUS, a male unicorn dressed like Nightmare Moon sits on the edge of an utterly placid lake, basking in utter peace. Behind him, STONEWALL, a red earth pony, stands guard. SPELL NEXUS *limply waves a hoof* Oh my! What a truly fabulous ensemble this is! Stonewall, darling, you must remind me to compliment the tailor... personally... STONEWALL The tailor is Miss Rarity, sir. SPELL NEXUS (dejected) Oh, well, never mind then. The stitching on the cape is a little slipshod anyway. STONEWALL A heinous blasphemy against our dark and terrible queen, sir. SPELL NEXUS Oh, you flatter me! *beat* You... mean Nightmare Moon, don’t you? STONEWALL nods. SPELL NEXUS No matter. *sigh* SPELL NEXUS straightens up and clears his throat. SPELL NEXUS (authoritative) Bring out the prisoner! TWILIGHT SPARKLE, a purple unicorn, walks into view. She is visibly irritated. TWILIGHT SPARKLE Will this take long? Books don’t read themselves, you know. And stop calling me “the prisoner”! It’s starting to creep me out... SPELL NEXUS Sorry, dear, just got a little too into character there. Now, give me your hoof... TWILIGHT SPARKLE reluctantly raises a hoof. TWILIGHT SPARKLE Are you absolutely sure you need to be dressed up as Nightmare Moon to take my blood? SPELL NEXU (whiny) Don’t you question my lifestyle choices! TWILIGHT SPARKLE Sheesh, no need to get so touchy about it. Just lift that helmet so that you can see what you’re doing. I don’t want to donate all of my blood to underprivileged earth pony children. STONEWALL steps behind SPELL NEXUS and lifts the Nightmare Moon helmet off the latter’s head. SPELL NEXUS tosses his head as his luxurious black mane is released. It flits around before settling into place behind his head. TWILIGHT SPARKLE (whispering) I’ve got to ask what products he uses... SPELL NEXUS Time to suck your blood, darling! *makes hissing noises* TWILIGHT SPARKLE (deadpan) Please stop. SPELL NEXUS *sigh* Fine, we’ll do this the boring way. SPELL NEXUS’s horn lights up with a dark grey glow. A syringe is levitated into view. SPELL NEXUS *brings the syringe to Twilight’s outstretched foreleg* This won’t hurt... much... SPELL NEXUS bites his lower lip and jams the syringe into TWILIGHT SPARKLE’s foreleg. A drop of red blood appears next to the needle. STONEWALL faints. SPELL NEXUS *sigh* What a big sissy... SPELL NEXUS removes the syringe from TWILIGHT SPARKLE’s foreleg after taking a satisfactory amount of blood. TWILIGHT SPARKLE I get paid for this, right? SPELL NEXUS is silent for a moment, and then breaks out into a huge grin. SPELL NEXUS Neigh! You foal, this was all a ruse! I am not a mild-mannered vampire pony! I am SPELL NEXUS, Harbinger of the Night! TWILIGHT SPARKLE What? Never heard of you. SPELL NEXUS Did you not see the signs? Did you not heed the warnings? TWILIGHT SPARKLE You mean the ones you put up around Ponyville about “Nitemarr Mon’s revengance”? I thought that was an advert for a play about a Jamaican pirate. SPELL NEXUS You thought wrong! *speaking lower* But, erm, that’s a pretty cool idea; Stonewall, write that down. STONEWALL *regains consciousness* Yes sir. SPELL NEXUS So, as I saying... *clears throat* Through your unwitting donation of precious, magical blood, Nightmare Moon shall be reborn in her own body, and THE NIGHT! SHALL LAST! FOREVER! TWILIGHT SPARKLE I’m sorry, but you really can’t do that line justice. SPELL NEXUS *glances at his curly tail* It’s the perm, isn’t it? My hairdresser said it would make me look fun and approachable, but I guess it doesn’t quite scream “evil overlord”. I was thinking of growing one of those curly moustaches, though, but then I wondered if... SPELL NEXUS continues to ramble, while Twilight covertly levitates a pink cellphone out of her saddlebag. SPELL NEXUS ... and then I said “Sapphire, are you crazy?” You see, she’d forgotten to- *notices cellphone* Hey! What’re you doing?! TWILIGHT SPARKLE Contacting the Princess. SPELL NEXUS Oh, well that’s alright then, I’m sure she’ll be delighted to- WHAT?! TWILIGHT SPARKLE She’ll be here any second. SPELL NEXUS drops the syringe he was levitating into a wooden bowl on the ground next to him. A giant cloud of purple smoke erupts from it. SPELL NEXUS (coughing) Stonewall! Cheese it! A scuffle and whinnying are heard. When the smoke clears, SPELL NEXUS and STONEWALL are nowhere in sight. TWILIGHT SPARKLE levitates her cellphone in front of her face. A close-up of the cellphone reveals it to be nothing more than a painted block of wood. TWILIGHT SPARKLE (smiling) I wonder why they were so scared of this old thing. Oh well, guess I can finally get back to my- TWILIGHT SPARKLE stops midsentence and looks down. Pan to NYX, a black alicorn filly with turquois eyes like those of a dragon. NYX Hey lady! My name’s Nyx! TWILIGHT SPARKLE gives the camera a blank stare. Fade to black. OPENING THEME When the world thinks you’re a monster... And says you can’t be anything more... You’ve gotta grit your teeth and prove ‘em wrong You’ve gotta show them your heart’s core! Young Nyx was an abomination; a blight that should never have been born But she has the heart of an angel; a cuteness oath she’s sworn! With the help and love of all her dear friends, she can overcome the evil But the Princesses can’t find out, or there’ll be a royal upheaval! EXT. Twilight’s Library ANNOUNCER Nyx and Friends is recorded in front of a live studio audience. INT. Twilight’s Library (downstairs) NYX is walking around the room, looking up at all the books around her. TWILIGHT SPARKLE sits on a cushion to the right of the frame, skimming through a book. TWILIGHT SPARKLE (exasperated) Tell me again why I have to look after you. NYX (still looking at shelves) Because I was made with your blood, which makes you my only blood relative, which basically makes you my mother. And because if you don’t, I’ll tell the Princess you’re part of an evil cult that’s trying to resurrect Nightmare Moon. TWILIGHT SPARKLE *sighs* How do you know all of this? You didn’t exist until an hour ago! NYX What can I say? I’m a smart kid. *smiles sweetly* I take after my mother... TWILIGHT SPARKLE D’aww... *snaps out of it* No! You’re filly Nightmare Moon! NYX raises a hoof to her face and turns towards TWILIGHT SPARKLE. NYX Forget what I said about taking after you. Sheesh, Twilight, don’t you know anything about demonic rituals? The bad guys left before they could add the final ingredient. I’m not Nightmare Moon. TWILIGHT SPARKLE puts a hoof to her chin, thinks for a moment, and then grins in comprehension. TWILIGHT SPARKLE (giggling) So they added sugar, spice, everything nice, and some of my blood... but they forgot to add Potion X? This is just like that one what-if episode of Powerpuff Fillies! NYX *facing the camera* She watches children’s cartoons as well. Really, of all the mothers in the world... TWILIGHT SPARKLE continues to chatter excitedly, and NYX shakes her head slowly. Scene transition. Int. Twilight’s kitchen TWILIGHT SPARKLE and NYX are sitting at the kitchen table. TWILIGHT SPARKLE is reading a book, and NYX is playing with the salt cellar. Enter SPIKE from the door on stage right. SPIKE Hey Twilight, hey filly Nightmare Mo- whaa? Twilight! What’s filly Nightmare Moon doing in our house?! Don’t tell me she’s another new assistant! TWILIGHT SPARKLE Don’t worry, she’s n- well, actually, now that I think about it... Nyx, do you have a copy of your CV? NYX (deadpan) Nope, sorry. I must have forgotten to draw one up in all the excitement of being born. TWILIGHT SPARKLE Well that’s a shame. But I guess you must have experience in, uh, bringing about eternal night? Sending princesses to the sun? Animating trees? I’m sure those skills will come in handy for a Junior Junior Research Assistant! SPIKE (grumbling) I’ll get the ketchup... probably need something bigger than a mouse toy this time, though... maybe a rocking horse...? SPIKE exits out of the door he came in. TWILIGHT looks over her book at NYX, who stops playing with the salt cellar. TWILIGHT SPARKLE I’m serious, Nyx. If you want me to keep you around and not tell Princess Celestia to send you to the moon, you’re going to have to earn your keep. You’re just lucky that Spike and that owl are so incompetent; else you’d already be stuffing your face with bananas. NYX Bananas? TWILIGHT SPARKLE Private joke: don’t worry about it. Scene transition.