Darkly Familiar

A small ray of moonlight peered through the clouds outside and shone down through the bars of the tower to Twilight’s cell. Twilight was perpetually kneeling on her back hooves, with her front hooves spread wide apart and shackled high above, while her back hooves were chained tightly to the back corners of the cell as well. Twilight perpetually hung her head now.

Her horn had not been shattered as many ponies had called for. Instead, it was bound by seals of Zebrikan design that would let only infinitesimal amounts of magic be used by her, which Zecora had applied personally to Twilight. Twilight had apologized to Zecora as she had any others who had approached or visited her, but the zebra seemed to refuse that Twilight was before her, much the same as many of the other ponies did.

The “Other” had vanished a short time after Twilight’s imprisonment, simply fading from her body and mind entirely. Nopony believed the “Other” had ever really been there, and the only ones who knew it to be true were already dead.

Twilight reflected upon all that the “Other” had committed in her name and likeness all hours of the day. She could not forget, nor could she forgive herself. She also could not atone for it, even though many ponies called for her execution under that exact pretence.

Twilight heard the slow metallic creek of the door, and since it was not at a time Twilight typically received her bare minimum of nourishment, she knew that somepony else had come to see her.

Raising her head up to view her visitor, Twilight viewed the Princess of the Night. Luna had changed much in the past 14 months since Twilight had been apprehended. She now stood at least a foot taller, and her mane was more than twice as long. Her eyes appeared darker than they once were too, but perhaps that was merely the lack of proper lighting tricking Twilight.

“Princess Luna. To what do I owe the honour?” Twilight asked genuinely, though she doubted what she said mattered much to Luna.

“I have come to administer a punishment to you, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna explained, her voice richer than it was before too.

“Is this not enough for my crimes? I must live with what I did every day of my life until somepony concedes to give me an execution.” Twilight begged the Princess, wondering exactly what punishment was so terrible she deemed to do it herself.

Luna did not respond. Instead, she used her magic to power a mechanism that turned Twilight’s cell 180 degrees around. Looking up, Twilight could now properly gaze upon the sky again through the barred window in front of her.

“Your punishment is this Twilight Sparkle; View the faces of those you killed every night for the remainder of your days.” Luna told Twilight, flaring her horn again as she did.

In the sky above, Luna shifted numerous stars and enhanced their shimmer. It took less than 20 minutes, but her work would last for eternity. In the sky above, there were now 7 new constellations. One depicted Applejack bucking a tree. Another showed Rainbow Dash attempting a Sonic Rainbow. The third was Rarity at work on her sewing machine. The fourth showed Pinkie bouncing about. The fifth was Fluttershy smiling. The sixth was Spike, burping flames. The last was Princess Celestia, watching over all the others.

Twilight broke down and screamed as she viewed her friends and mentor emblazoned forever upon the night sky. Tears flowed without cease from her eyes, eventually turning to blood as she exhausted all her tears. When she at last fell silent again, Luna’s voice spoke up from behind her.

“You are responsible for 7 deaths, not counting the numerous animals and wildlife you also snuffed out. You will never be allowed to forget this. Your friends were pure. Your Assistant was young. My sister was… My sister believed in you. When you spoke of your deeds, it destroyed her. Her suicide is also your responsibility. As her sister and heir, I will make sure you can never forget this, just as I can never forget her.” Luna fiercely stated, turning to leave as she did, hiding a fresh wave of tears at the same time.

For more than 6 months, Twilight screamed and cried every night when she was forced to see the life’s she had snuffed out. Eventually though, she grew silent at their faces, physical motions and words no longer able to help her express her grief.

***

Twilight heard the door slam shut as Cadence ran out of her cell, crying as hard as she could. She and Shining Armor had come by to try to verify or condemn what they had heard or guessed about Twilight in the past 2 years since she had been imprisoned. The truth had been more than Cadence could handle, and so she had just left, in an attempt to try to erase this Twilight from her memories, and instead keep the pure ones there for stories for her foals.

“We now have a 2 year old filly, and Cadence is currently pregnant with our first colt. You are not my sister any more though. You are not their aunt. You’re…. not Twily anymore. Cadence can tell our foals about the old you if she wants. As far as I care though, I have no sister.” Shining Armor huffed, trotting slowly away towards the door as he did.

Stopping just before the door, Shining Armor raised his right front hoof to push it open, but then bit his lip and lit his horn up in magic.

“You forgot one part of your Gala Dress the last time you wore it. Here.” Shining Armor blurted out, throwing Twilight’s star shaped earring into the cell with his magic.

Immediately after doing this, Shining Armor forced his way through the door and down the stairs outside it to catch up with Cadence. Shining Armor paused for a moment in his step as he heard a single whisper from the cell just before the door closed;

“Thank you.”

***

Twilight gently pushed out small amounts of magic that she had saved over the past 2 years until she was able to manage a light levitation spell. In just shy of an hour and a half, the star earring hovered precisely at Twilight’s throat, with the points only an infinitesimal distance away from her skin.

Twilight looked up at the night sky one last time, and saw that the constellations of her friends had changed. All of them had one hoof or claw extended towards her, and a gentle smile on their face. Twilight smiled as she saw this, and one final tear slid down her cheek.

Twilight pushed her magic beyond what her seal should have allowed as she jammed the earring right through her neck, feeling no pain as she did so. Twilight felt a smile spread on her lips for the first time in years and embraced it as she faded away from her cell, and into the waiting hooves of her friends.