Twilight's Book
Chapter 3: The Need

Twilight stared at the gruesome, butchered remains of her late friend, Pinkie Pie as she lay bound on the operating table. Her eyes sat weary, and pained as a lone tear came to her eye. The image of Pinkie fading away hung fresh in her mind. She watched as the light left her eyes. Twilight could still clearly see the moment when her heart stopped. This had been different than her last two; this had been a variable she had not accounted. After Ditzy she felt free, after Cheerilee she felt nothing, but after Pinkie—she felt the remains of her soul clawing back into her, crying out in agony at the loss of a friend.

But it was too late. Pinkie was gone, and would never come back. She would never hear her bubbly friend’s lyrical voice, or enjoy one of her parties, or ever feel one of her legendary hugs ever again. Her body was thoroughly dissected, her organs harvested and sliced to bits, her skull cut open, her brain removed, her bones cut, her skin peeled back—there was nothing left that could be recognized as her bubbly pink friend anymore. Her once vibrant pink fur now stained with her own blood, her cutie mark barely visible through the red.

She looked over at one of her ever-growing number of figments. She focused on one, finding herself disgusted by how it quizzically looked at her. Its cold, emotionless grin made her utterly sick. She couldn’t bear to stare at it anymore, but wherever she turned away there was another, giving her the same look. Those same inquisitive eyes, that same cold smirk, that same look like it was on the verge of exploding into a flurry of questions.

“Why?” one finally asked. Twilight’s whole body shuddered as that word rang out into the empty abyss of the basement. Before long another asked again, and then another, and another. In moments the room went from dead silent to abuzz with the imaginary chatter of Twilight’s figments. They bombarded her with questions. Her body hunched instinctively as she barely fought the urge to curl up onto a ball. She just wanted to shut them out, but she knew it wasn’t any use. The thunderous questions couldn’t be stopped once they started. Even covering her ears wouldn’t stop the noise because it wasn‘t in the room—it was in her head.

“Stop...” Twilight muttered weakly. She couldn’t even hear her small plight over the roar of her countless hallucinations filling the room. She closed her eyes as tight as she could, hoping they would all go away like they had after her previous dissections, but it didn’t work. A sense of helplessness seeped into her heart.

“Stop.” she said louder, only to be ignored. Her feelings of powerlessness only grew. She couldn’t silence them—she couldn’t control them anymore. There were too many; they were consuming her.

“Stop!” Twilight screamed out to the point her voice strained. As her shriek echoed, a hush finally fell over the room.

When she opened her eyes she saw one of her delusions standing in front of her. It tilted its head curiously as it looked at Twilight. Its inquiring eyes inspecting her, analyzing her. “Why?” it asked plainly with no hint of emotion.

“Because, I can’t even think anymore...” Twilight couldn’t stop herself from breaking down into tears any longer. Her figments all stared at her, tormenting her nonstop. The one investigating her now was too much, she couldn’t stop herself from crying anymore.

“Why?”

“Because, you never stop asking. I haven’t slept in days...I just want it to stop. I just don‘t want to hurt anypony else.”

“It wont stop, Twilight. Not until we know everything.” Another copy approached her.

“But I’m tired...a-and Pinkie...I don’t want to kill ponies anymore...”

“T-Twilight?” a quivering voice asked from the top of the basement stairs. The sleep-deprived unicorn sat in the light coming from the doorway, shaking. Her body fought the urge to collapse from exhaustion. Weakly her head cranked to see who was calling her. It was hard to see through her teary eyes, but she could see the outlines of Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash all carefully walking down the narrow stairs into the basement. Twilight could see their eyes locked on her. She looked down and noticed she was still covered in Pinkie’s blood, but that didn‘t matter to her.

“W-What happened to you?” Rarity asked, looking around the dark abyss of a basement. Her eyes caught a gruesome sight on the operating table, making her gasp.

Twilight looked away from her friends once she heard Rarity gasp. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She had already played out these scenarios in her head many times, and if she wanted to, she could talk her way out of this—well, not talk her way out of it so much as ease her friends into a false sense of security, and then knock them out.

She looked over at her operating table, and made eye contact with her extra syringes containing a sedative. The sight of purple fur behind the table drew Twilight’s eyes up. Standing there was one of her figments, smiling at her the same devilish smile that had convinced her to kill three ponies so far. Slowly her eyes drifted back down to the sedatives, but found herself reluctant to use them. She was almost happy she was caught.

“W-What have you done, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked with wide eyes. “W-Who is that on the table?”

“Hi girls...” Twilight muttered as she scratched the back of her head. “I’m sorry you have to see me like this...I...I’ve tried to keep this under control...but...”

“Twilight...what...what have you done?” Rarity asked, holding a quivering hoof to her mouth.

“Shut up!” Twilight yelled out into the darkness, making her friends jump. She looked over at them, seeing how frightened they were of her. “Not you, girls...” she added, turning her eyes to the floor.

“Twilight...dear? What’s happened to you?” Rarity asked, taking a cautious step towards the librarian.

“Questions...” she replied, scratching the back of her head again. “They keep asking questions—shut up...” Twilight pleaded putting her face into her hoof.

“Of course we’re asking questions, dear...W-We’re worried about you...”

“Not you...them!” Twilight pointed out into the emptiness of the basement. Her body tensed for a moment before her hoof snapped to the back of her head. Suddenly she began scratching furiously at the back of her skull.

“It itches so bad!” Twilight screamed. Suddenly she dropped down onto the ground, scratching her head as hard as she could. Her jaw clenched, and she couldn’t stop her teeth from grinding together. A dull sting rippled through her skin with each stroke of her hoof. No matter how much she scratched, there was no relief, only a dull ache pulsing through her head.

“T-Twilight, stop!” Rarity grabbed Twilight’s hoof away from her head with her magic. Immediately she drew a terrifying look from the librarian when she realized she couldn‘t move her foreleg. Twilight’s pupils shrunk in size, and her eyes filled with anger and confusion at she looked at her friend. “You’re bleeding, dear.” Rarity bent down to her friend, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

“No...that’s not my blood...” Twilight replied quietly, still staring at Rarity with those unsettling eyes.

“Twilight...it is your blood. Y-You’ve scratched through your skin. Y-You need some help.”

“Help? She needs to go to the guard for what she’s done!” Applejack pushed her way through her other two friends as she stomped towards Twilight. “Y’all see that there’s somepony on that table don’t ya—all...cut up like that?”

“Applejack! I don’t know if you have realized, but Twilight is a little...disturbed at the moment. There is a lot for us to worry about, but right now we need to get Twilight calmed down so we can get her to the guards.” Rarity explained.

“Go to the guards? That would put an end to it, wouldn’t it...But I can’t...not yet...” Twilight slowly climbed back onto her hooves. Her eyes drifted to the floor, staring at it blankly.

“You don’t have a choice, I’ll take you there myself if I have to.” Rainbow Dash leapt into the air, landing in front of Twilight. She stood in front of the librarian, puffing out her chest. She was glaring down at her, trying to be as intimidating as she could. It may have worked on some other pony, but it didn’t phase Twilight. Her eyes briefly met Rainbow’s, but they quickly returned to the floor, dismissing the pegasus‘s harsh stare.

“No, you can’t take me yet. I still have data to process from my latest patient.” Twilight muttered weakly, her eyes drifting to the walls as she spoke. “Maybe in an hour or so.”

“Who’s on the table, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked with a deep growl in her voice.

Twilight stared for a moment at the wall—silent. The silence that filled the room was unsettling. But just as Rainbow Dash was about to ask again, slowly her mouth opened. “Pinkamena Diane Pie...also known as Pinkie Pie...” Her voice sounded distant, and cold. Slowly her eyes met the pegasus‘s in front of her, and in that moment they lit up with excitement. A small smile slowly crept across her face. “Would you like to see my notes? I learned quite a bit about her.”

Suddenly a loud crack echoed through the room. A lone tear waded its way through the pegasus’s light blue fur, trickling down to the floor. Twilight’s head was forced to the side, leaving a red hoof print glowing on her cheek. A small gasp came from both Rarity and Fluttershy at the sudden outburst. The room fell silent as the last remnants of the echo faded into the darkness. A small sob from Rainbow Dash was the only thing to break the silence hanging in the air. “She was your friend, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash yelled at the librarian, her already scratchy voice cracked with the pain of loss. She grabbed her and pulled her in close, glaring at the silent unicorn who still stared into the distance.

Twilight continued to stare at the empty space she was forced to look at. Her friends only watched as she stared eerily at the wall, unflinching, unmoving. “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash, did you say something? There’s so many questions I get lost in them sometimes.” Twilight finally said after a few uneasy seconds. Slowly she looked back at her friend as if nothing had happened. Her bloodshot, wide eyes radiated an unnerving feeling as she pierced her friend. It wasn’t how a normal pony looked at another, it felt like Twilight was staring through them.

Rainbow Dash took a step back, her eyes wide with disbelief. “W-What are you...what have you done with Twilight?” she asked in horror.

“Don’t be silly. I am Twilight...” She looked back off into the darkness for a moment. “I am—I am Twilight, right?” she asked the emptiness with a bit of confusion. “I thought so,” she said a moment later with a nod. A small amount of relief spread across her blood-soaked face.

“T-Twilight? Who are you talking to?” Fluttershy asked. She was still standing on the stairs, cowering slightly from her friends sporadic behavior.

Twilight pressed her hooves to her ears. “Shut up! I asked one question that doesn‘t mean you all get to ask more!”

“I-I’m sorry,” Fluttershy hastily replied before shrinking down.

“Not you!” She glared at Fluttershy before looking back at the ground. “All they do is ask...” she muttered as she fought the urge to cry.

“Twilight?” Rarity took a step towards the librarian.

“I’m really sorry you girls have to see me like this...If I didn’t itch so bad none of this would have happened...Ditzy...Cheerilee...Pinkie...none of this would have happened...”

“W-What do you mean itch, Twilight?” Fluttershy attempted a question again.

“With no books, this is what happens...My head starts itching, and the only way to scratch it is to learn. Ever since I was a filly I had to learn, or I just had these...questions...” Twilight slowly cranked her head until she was looking at her friends. “They build and build until I can’t take it anymore. I have to take it apart and find out what makes it tick!” Her chest heaved with each breath she took. A small smile spread across her lips, though her eyes looked utterly terrified.

“W-What did you do to Ditzy and Cheerilee?” Fluttershy asked. Her soft voice shook in fear, dreading, but already knowing the answer.

“They’re dead...like Pinkie...” Twilight responded coldly.

“You killed...Ditzy Doo, and Cheerilee too?” Rainbow Dash asked, taking another step back from Twilight.

“Yes I did...I’ve finished their data...their books are complete—Shut up! Give me...a moment!” She screamed so loud her voice cracked, making her friend’s jump. She stared into the dark corners of the basement laboratory, her eyes shifting back and forth as she glossed over some imaginary figures. “You girls shouldn’t have come down here...once they saw you they started asking—demanding answers.”

“Twilight...we need to get you to the guards so you can tell them what you’ve done.” Rarity took another step towards her friend.

“Guards...yes...you should go...go get the guards...” Twilight looked up at Rarity with heavy eyes, so full of fatigue. Her body felt so weak, almost to the point of numbness. Twilight wobbled there, barely fighting the urge to fall over.

“No, we’ll take you with us. Twilight, you are...”Rarity struggled for a moment. “still our friend. We can’t leave you here alone.”

Twilight gave her a soft, warm smile. Her eyes lazily looked over her friends, seeing them all reluctantly agree.

“Ya’ve done somethin’ terrible, Twilight, but we can’t just leave ya here—Yer sick, ya have ta be—the Twilight I know wouldn’t’ve done this...We’re gonna get ya some help.” Applejack pulled her hat off her head, looking over at the operating table with a pain in her eyes.

“I’m still going to make damn sure you pay for what you did, Twilight...I should hate you...but Rarity and AJ are right...” Rainbow Dash turned her head in disgust.

Twilight only gave her friends a soft nod. She knew what she had done was wrong from the start; she had never fooled herself into thinking it was right, but to her it made sense. There was a puzzle set before her, and she had to solve it, take it apart, dissect it, and find out what made it tick. Slowly, she looked back at the operating table. Gathering around Pinkie’s lifeless corpse was a group of her figments. Each staring back at her with their devilish smiles. Those smiles that made Twilight kill, those smiles that told her exactly what to do, those smiles she had always listened to.

“What makes them tick?” one asked.

“Rainbow Dash...what makes her so fast?” another asked.

“Why is Fluttershy so kind?”

“Why is Rarity so creative?”

“Why is Applejack so strong?”

Another figment stepped in front of her, looking down at Twilight. “What makes them tick, Twilight?” it asked, with an almost lust-filled tone. “You need to know, so why not find out? After all, you’ll know them better than you ever have once you dig your scalpel in.” Twilight narrowed her eyes at her double, focusing them. Her brain tingled at the questions put before her, feeling like she had ants scurrying inside her skull. She looked up at her figment with a reluctant eyes, but it pressed its hoof to her mouth before she could speak. “This isn’t a question of want, Twilight. You need to know...” it said, taking a step back from her. Its eyes told her it knew what she would do next, and they approved.

When Twilight looked back at her friends, the warmth in her face vanished. She looked at them with dead, analytical eyes; no longer seeing them as ponies, but as subjects for study. “You girls really should have gone and gotten the guards when you had the chance,” she remarked coldly.

Suddenly Twilight’s horn lit up, and before they could even blink, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy felt a slight pinch in there necks. When they moved their hooves to investigate, each of them felt an empty syringe embedded in their flesh. Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight weakly with questioning eyes, but before she could even speak, the sedatives started working; the two pegasus ponies hit the ground, out cold.

Twilight glanced back at the metal tray, willing the other two needles into the air. Just as she launched them at her two remaining friends, Twilight found herself on her back—pushed there from Rarity raising a barrier around herself and the farmer. The designer had just barely managing to stop the two syringes from sticking herself and Applejack.

“W-What the—” Applejack jumped back confused as to what just happened.

“That...was close...” Rarity strained to hold her magic while Twilight jumped back onto her hooves.

“Rarity...why did you do that?” She approached the pale blue wall of light shielding her friends. A wicked smile crept across her face as she pressed a hoof against Rarity’s magic. “I can’t find out what makes you tick if you put up a barrier...”

“Twilight, you’re not well.” Rarity readied her barrier for Twilight’s counter attack.

“Not well? Of course I’m not well...I don’t care though...They’re right...I need to find out what makes you girls tick...you’re all so special, so unique! What makes you tick, Rarity!” Twilight slammed her hoof against Rarity’s magic, her head falling limp.

“Calm down and let us help you!” Rarity pleaded.

“Help? You want to help me? If you want to help you’ll lower this barrier so I can take you apart and see how you work!” Twilight’s pupils shrunk down as she spoke. Slowly, she leaned in until her face was pressed against the barrier.

“What happened to you, Twilight? You weren’t like this when I visited a few days ago!” Rarity asked, only to receive a blank stare.

“I was...I’m just very good at hiding it...I’ve been keeping my questions to a minimum my whole life. B-But...it’s too much now! I can‘t keep it inside!”

“Twilight, get a hold’a yerself!” The cowpony approached the wall separating Twilight and herself. “Ya can still—”

“No Applejack! All that matters now is the itch...Pinkie did nothing for me, so maybe if I do back to back dissections then it will calm down!” Twilight pressed herself into Rarity’s barrier, until her horn started poking into the magic. Sparks flew as Twilight’s horn was set aglow with her own magic.” I just have to know...I have to know everything...”

“Yer talkin’ crazy, Twilight! Ya don‘t have at know everything!” Applejack yelled, coming nose to nose with Twilight with only the barrier between them.

Twilight pulled back away from the barrier, pressing her hoof to her stomach as she did. Her body convulsed violently for a moment before she spewed a yellowish bile from her mouth. Twilight stared at it for a moment, breathing heavily. “D-Don’t say that...that’s sick...”

“Twilight, there are some things in this world that you don’t have to know...” Rarity agreed. Twilight grabbed her stomach again, barely managing to hold back the urge to vomit once more.

“Shut up! I have to know! There is no not knowing—there is no...not knowing!” Twilight scratched the back of her head again as she slowly approached the barrier. “It itches so bad!” Twilight slammed her head against Rarity’s magic. The two stared at her for a moment, fear filling them. Rarity was shaking slightly, Applejack pushed herself back from Twilight. The crazed unicorn’s hoof snapped to the back of her head once more. Twilight couldn’t stop herself from digging into the open wound tearing at her own flesh.

“Applejack, I need you to run,” Rarity said in a hushed tone. Her brow was moist with building sweat from the strain of holding her magic.

“What?” she looked back at the designer completely shocked by what she just said.

“I’m going to lower this barrier, and you need to run while I hold her off.”

“Yer kiddin’, right? I can’t just leave y’all here!” Applejack returned the hushed voice, looking back at Twilight with concern.

“Applejack, Twilight is far better at magic than me. If she wanted, she could tear down this barrier of mine with ease. I’m going to try and get the drop on her, and when I do, you need to run out of here and get the guards,” Rarity explained in a calm tone, though her body betrayed how tense she was.

“Ya want me ta just run?” she asked, still in disbelief. “What about you and the others?”

“We’re all as good as dead if you don’t get help. Now, on the count of three.”

“I hope ya know what yer doin’...” Applejack shook her head.

“I do too...Are you ready?” Rarity asked, getting into a pouncing position.

“As I’ll ever be,” Applejack replied.

“One, two—”

“Three?” Twilight asked, with a tilt of her head. The two ponies looked to the deranged unicorn with a bit of worry. It was hard for them to not find her offhoofed question distracting, especially with the unsettling look in her eyes. Her pupils were the size of dots, her eyes as a whole were wide, and red veins filled the white space. “Oh, I’m already through by the way,” she added with a small chuckle.

Rarity suddenly felt a prick in her neck, causing her eyes to go wide for a moment. As soon as they shot open, they began to drift closed. Twilight’s drug was taking effect, and her body was going numb. Rarity tried her best to fight the medication, but she couldn’t. She felt heavy, and her strength was leaving her. She managed to look back at Applejack weakly, already beginning to lose her balance. “R-Run!” she cried out before collapsing.

Applejack looked on in horror as Rarity fell. Her eyes then shot to Twilight, who in turn looked back at Applejack. Twilight flashed her a smile with another small chuckle as Rarity’s barrier faded. As soon as the magical energy vanish, Applejack took her chance. She bolted up the stairs as fast as her legs would move. She knew Twilight couldn’t beat her in an all-out sprint, she was far too fast. There was no way the librarian would be able to catch up to her. Her heart raced, pumping the adrenaline through her, fueling her mad dash for freedom.

She heard Twilight yell something after her, but she didn’t care what it was. All she was concerned with was getting to the top of the stairs. Her hooves slammed down on each step, using them to jump up to the next rather than climb. She only had to get to the top, and out of the library—there Twilight couldn’t touch her. Once she was outside, she and her friends would be safe. When Applejack placed her hoof on the top step, a sense of freedom overtook her.

She faintly noticed that there was a distinct lack of hooves chasing her up the stairs, and that worried her. The cowpony pushed that worry from her mind. She knew she had to get out, she had to get the guards, she had to get help. That was her best bet at stopping the deranged librarian from butchering her friends. Applejack glared at the door to the library—her exit—and ran for it. She could feel that sense of liberation within her grasp—that was until her hooves left the ground all together. The daytime warmth of the library was suddenly a fading dream as she was yanked back down into the cold dark depths of the basement. The shrinking portal of light that was the door slammed closed, leaving her with only the eerie purple glow around her.

The next thing she knew, she was slammed on her back against a cold metal slab. Her entire body was being held down by the deep magenta aura, an aura she instantly recognized as Twilight’s magic. Her hooves, her head, ever inch of her was being pushed back into the metal, almost to the point she felt like her body might break. But it was the magic around her that scared her the most—it was cold, and full of despair, completely unlike the other times she had felt Twilight’s magic. It had always been so warm, and inviting, but the aura enveloping her now felt like the most lonesome thing in all of Equestria.

“Applejack, good of you to come back.” Twilight popped up next to the table.

“T-Twilight, ya need ta let us go. We just wanna help ya!” Applejack tried to reason with the unicorn but she was only met with a blank stare.

“Applejack, I really don’t want to do this,” Twilight admitted, still giving her the same deadpan look.

“So then don’t!” she pleaded.

“I have to Applejack! All their questions—I have to answer them!”

“W-What do ya mean?” Applejack asked with a bit of fear creeping into her voice.

“They want to know...all the Twilights...” Twilight leaned down so that she was nose to nose with Applejack. Her wide eyes pleaded with the cowpony, begging her to understand.

“What the hay’re ya talkin’ about Twilight? Just tell me!”

“So many Twilights...I can’t keep track of them anymore...I see them, Applejack...I see all of these copies of myself...all watching me, asking me questions!” Her head fell limp on the metal table. “I don’t want to kill you girls...you’re my best friends...I don’t...” she muttered.

“Then let us go, Twilight. We can get ya some—”

“No...shut up...” Twilight interrupted. Slowly she lifted her head, looking off into the darkness. She stared for a moment before snapping her head behind her. Then again, her head shot across the operating table, seeing one of her delusions staring back at her.

“Twilight, just look at her,” the figment said softly.

“Stop...I don’t want...to hurt her...” Twilight said holding back her tears.

“Applejack is so wonderful, so special, so perfect. Cheerilee and Pinkie Pie were great specimens, but, Applejack is a perfect example of an earth pony. Cutting her open will give you a true insight on how earth ponies work.” The devilish hallucination slowly worked its way around the table, watching Twilight with hungry eyes. Finally it stopped at the foot of the table. Slowly it glanced down at Applejack’s hoof, inspecting it meticulously. “I bet she has so many secrets inside...”

Suddenly the straps on the table slid around Applejack’s legs and neck, holding her to the table. The aura around her that had held her down vanished. She arched her back, and slammed back down into the table to get leverage, but it didn’t work. Struggle as she might against her bonds, she still couldn’t get any leeway.

“Just look at her legs. So powerful, so muscular, so sturdy—Applejack is a work pony, Twilight. She’s strong, fast, and well-built. If you let her go you’ll be passing up a once in a life time opportunity.” The delusion slowly drew its hoof long Applejack’s leg, tracing out her well defined muscles as it moved.

“I don’t want to kill her...” Twilight pleaded with her hallucination, pressing her hooves into her forehead as hard as she could. “I don’t want to kill any of them!”

“Just come here, Twilight. We can at least study Applejack’s magic. That’s noninvasive, right?” Twilight’s copy lowered itself down to Applejack‘s leg, showcasing the cowpony’s hoof for the librarian. Slowly, she moved her hooves out of her face, opening her squeezed-shut eyes. With a small gulp, she cautiously crept along the table. Her eyes never left her figment, making sure her delusion didn’t try anything. Though she wasn’t sure what it could try, she was well aware it wasn’t physically there to do anything to her. As she approached, it politely smiled and stepped aside for her.

“I’ll just look at her magic...alright?” Twilight asked her mad hallucination, skeptically.

“What the hay’re ya doin‘?” Applejack asked with building concern.

Twilight projected her magic aura as she had done with her previous patients. The purple cloud expanded around Applejack’s hoof, engulfing her lower leg entirely. Twilight’s eyes went wide as the aura rearranged itself along Applejack’s magic paths. The thickness of each line was beyond anything Twilight had seen. Each arching channel was so well defined, any pony would be proud of such strong magic. “So beautiful...Applejack, your magic is so beautiful...” Twilight remarked to her captive.

“What’re ya doin’ down there?” Applejack demanded to know.

“Such beautiful simplicity, and raw power.”

“What’d ya mean simple?” she asked taking a bit of offense to Twilight’s remark.

“Simple isn’t a bad thing. In earth ponies simple is better, it means your magic is more effectively distributed.” Twilight slid back up to her friend’s side, giving her a very sympathetic look.

“Look at her breathe Twilight,” the delusion said, calling Twilight’s attention once more.

“Stop...” Twilight’s face went blank again. Her eyes looked past the pony before her, focusing beyond Applejack.

“Watch her body twitch nervously when you talk to us,” it added.

“Stop it!” Twilight turned to her hallucination, her eyes glaring at the figment.

“Her heart beat...” it encouraged.

“Enough!” Twilight slammed her hoof on the metal table again.

“You know what it’s like?...”

“Don’t...” she pleaded.

“It’s just like the wonderful, rhythmic—”

“D-Don’t say that word...” she begged just above a whisper. Twilight’s eyes started to tear up as she pleaded with her demented imagination.

“W-What word?” Applejack’s heart raced as fear continued to build inside her.

“She’s just like...a clock...” It stressed the last two words by opening its eyes wide. “The beautiful, rhythmic, unending, meticulous, ticking of a wonderfully perfect clock...” Twilight looked at her hallucination with shock and disbelief. Slowly her body began to tremble, then shake uncontrollably as the realization came flooding into her. She struggled to swallow the pooling saliva in her mouth, almost choking on her own spit. Twilight coughed the pooling spit out of her mouth, quickly gasping to fill her empty lungs. As she struggled to breathe, she slammed her hooves against the metal table.

“W-What’s goin’ on, Twilight?”

“S-She said it.” Twilight gasped for air once more before collapsing on top of Applejack’s chest.

“S-Said what?” the concerned cowpony asked.

Just as Twilight was about to answer, she heard what her figment had been talking about. Applejack’s heart raced just below her ear. She could hear the wonderful regularity of its hastened pace. Each ventricle closing, the whoosh of blood flowing, the subtle pop from the other side filling—it was utterly intoxicating. Twilight focused on it, letting that beat fill her entire being for a moment. It drowned out the endless questions, and for a brief moment, her buzzing brain was calm. Her drowsy eyes drifted closed as her weary mind found a brief moment of peace.

But suddenly her eyes shot opened. There was something wrong with Applejack’s heartbeat. Each beat held an extra sound that Twilight had just noticed, rousing her from her peaceful rest. The librarian slid up Applejack’s body, until she was nose to nose with her friend once more. Her eyes were cold, analytical. She tilted her head ever so slightly, leaning in a bit more, pressing her snout to Applejacks. Twilight gazed deep into the cowpony’s eyes, looking past her face and into her patient’s very soul.

“You have a heart murmur...” Twilight whispered, her eyes running across Applejack’s.

“W-What? What’sat gotta do wit’ anythin’?” Applejack asked, trying fruitlessly to get some distance between herself and the crazed librarian.

“Why is that Applejack?” Twilight asked as her horn lit up.

“I-I dunno, I never knew I had it.”

“That’s interesting.” Twilight’s foreleg reached out as she spoke. When she brought it back into view, she was holding a scalpel in her hoof.

“T-Twilight?”

“I’m sorry, Applejack, but they’re right. Everything you’re saying makes sense, but they make more sense. There’s just so much I need to know...So many questions to answer...” She inspected the bloody edge, making sure it was still sharp. Her eyes flowed along the keen blade, finding no defects. Slowly a small smile spread across her face. “I itch so bad, I have to find out what makes you tick in order to make it stop!” Her eyes focused on Applejack’s, her smile widened, and she let out a small laugh.

“D-Don’t...” Applejack pleaded.

“I have to. I itch. I have to cut you up, and see what makes you tick.”

“W-What the hay happened ta you, Twilight? Yer not even you anymore!” Tears flowed from the farmers eyes. “This ain’t somethin’ the Twilight I knew would do! Yer just a damn monster!”

“That’s hurtful...I can understand why you would say it though, so I forgive you.” Twilight smiled at Applejack, and nuzzled the bound pony lovingly. Suddenly her eyes shot open. “Oh, that’s right! I have to get the others all set up before they wake up.” Twilight said, backing away from the operating table. “Good thing I installed more operating tables!” she said with a strange enthusiasm. “I had a feeling something like this might happen, so I prepared.”

“Twilight, let us go! Ya didn’t wanna do this a second ago!” Applejack yelled at the librarian as she walked over to the gathered pile of her unconscious friends. Twilight paused for a moment before looking back at the bound pony.

“I didn’t—I still don‘t—but I realized something, Applejack. I realized it when I heard your heart beating just now...There are so many mysteries in this world, and I can’t have that. I have to know everything, because not knowing...not knowing is unacceptable. Everything has a reason, and I’ll find it. Everything fits together in harmony like a clock.” Twilight’s pupils shrunk down once more, sending chills down Applejack’s spine.

Twilight slowly looked back at her pile of friends. “Ditzy was the first—she was so fascinating! So many things wrong, so many unfortunate circumstances that made her who she was—and like a masterful puzzle, it all came together in the most beautiful way...The defects in her head alone would have satisfied me for a few weeks...but it didn’t stop...the questions didn’t stop.” Twilight used her magic to lift all of her friends into the air. Their limp bodies hovered for a moment before they flew off into the darkness. A series of loud clangs came ringing out from the shadows a moment later. Twilight happily chased after the unconscious ponies, only to reappear from the darkness a moment later.

“Where was I? Oh, that’s right, Cheerilee, she was so smart...I had to know why...She caught my attention only a few hours after Ditzy passed; she made me itch again...It was her responsibility, right? She had to scratch my itch!” Twilight approached Applejack. The way she explained, it was like she wanted the farmer to agree with her, but she just stared at the demented librarian, took scared to speak.

Twilight sighed a bit. “I do have to apologize to you, Applejack. About Cheerilee...I accidentally killed your unborn niece. Apparently Cheerilee was pregnant, and I wasn’t aware—I’m not sure she was. Though that could have been the source of her arguments with her mother...” Twilight mused. “I can’t say for certain...Anyway, I really should be apologizing to Big Mac...I have a lot to apologize to him for...Cheerilee...his daughter...you...so many things to apologize for...”

“Y-Yer sick...” Applejack yelled in disbelief at what she was hearing. She tried to swing her hoof at the librarian but it was strapped down.

Twilight only scoffed. “Applejack, before we begin, I just wanted to tell you...I’m happy we get to spend this time together.” Twilight brushed her hoof against the farmer’s face, lovingly. “You and I, we’re going to be such good friends after this. I’ll know so much about you, it’ll be hard for us not to be friends, right?”

“Get the buck away from me!” Applejack yelled, fighting against her bonds once more.

“The best of friends,” Twilight said with a creepy smile. Carefully she reached for her scalpel once more. “Unfortunately, I’ve run out of anesthesia—so forewarning—this will hurt...“ Twilight paused for a moment, her eyes rolling off to the side before shooting back to Applejack, “a lot...” Twilight brought the scalpel down on Applejack’s chest.

“Stop it, Twilight!” the cowpony yelled out.

There was a loud crash followed by a tidal wave of books spilling onto the floor. A purple spaded tail swayed back and forth, poking out from the mountain of aged tomes. After a moment of books sliding, and tumbling away from a rise in the stack, Spike popped his head out from the pile. His hand popped free next, immediately rubbing the back of his head. The little dragon groaned as he clawed his way out from the mess of books, suddenly to find himself floating into the air.

He looked around puzzled as a golden aura lifted him from the heap. Slowly he found himself lowered back on the ground, set there gently by the aura. When he looked up he saw the princess laughing a bit to herself.

“Please be careful, Spike. There’s no need to rush, you can take your time,” she said, levitating the books into a neat stack.

“I’m sorry, Princess.” The little dragon tried to grab the huge stack once more. As soon as he lifted it off the ground, the top began to sway, rippling a wave of instability through the stack. Before long Spike was struggling to keep his balance again. He tried his best not to drop the mountain of books, but it wasn‘t working. Just as he was about to topple, the books he was carrying got lighter. When he looked up, and half the stack was gone, appearing next to him on the floor.

“Is that better?” the princess asked, giving him a knowing look.

He nodded his head, and flashed her a smile. “Thanks, Princess,” the young dragon said as he carried off the books.

The timeless ruler watched Spike carry off the stack of books to be organized. Yet seeing him reminded her of his caretaker, her student, Twilight Sparkle. Her eyes quickly glanced at the clock across the room, finding it was already past four in the afternoon. Celestia wouldn’t admit it, but she was anxious. Her heart was racing in anticipation for a delivery, one she had been expecting for the past few days.

“Princess?” One of the ponies around her asked. She pulled herself from her worry, finding one of the archivists looking at her. She forced a warm smile, trying to put those around her at ease. “You’ve been staring at the clock quite often today, is there some other pressing matter in need of your attention? If so, we can handle the reorganizing of the royal archives by ourselves. There isn‘t a need for you to oversee such a mundane activity.” The young mare lowered her head, being mindful of her position.

“There is nothing at all, I’m just waiting for a letter to arrive today. And also, these are the royal archives. I suppose at least one of us should be present for the yearly reorganization,” Celestia said with a small chuckle.

“Do they really get that disorganized over the course of a year?” Spike asked as he returned for the rest of his load from earlier.

“No, it isn’t the organization, but the material. We rotate the books and documents for the students of the school. Many ponies use these archives, it would be a shame to not bring in new material for them every year.” The princess smiled at Spike, but he only shrug his shoulders.

A stallion entered the library pulling a cart full of letters and packages behind him. Celestia’s face lit up slightly at the sight, but she reminded herself of her position, and forced herself to stay composed. It only took him a few moments to pass out the few letters going to the ponies working throughout the room. After he had finished he turned to walk away, but Celestia called out to him.

“Would you happen to have a letter for me today?” the princess asked. He froze for a moment, caught off guard by the sudden request from the ruler, but after he realized what was asked, he quickly dug through the cart. After a moment of digging, he looked at the princess and shook his head.

“Nothing today, your majesty,” he replied before bowing to leave.

For a brief moment, Celestia failed to hide the worry spreading across her face. Spike happened to see this momentary crack in the princess’s usually flawless emotional armor. He approached her, sharing the same concerned look that she had. “No letter again today?” he asked innocently. Celestia gave him a small nod. “I-I’m sure it’ll be here tomorrow! You asked her to respond in the letter you sent, and Twilight would never not respond to one of your letters, Princess!” Spike tried to make her feel better, but he could tell his words were mostly wasted.

Celestia gave him a small smile as she always did, and agreed with him. Spike had learned over the past week that this was Celestia’s default response to this situation. Inside her practiced gaze was an inner turmoil full of concern for her faithful student, a turmoil that was invisible to the rest of them. Spike couldn’t see it, but he knew it was there. He knew because he felt the same way. He was just as worried about Twilight as Celestia was.

“Colonel.” A guard entering the library addressed another one standing around the parameter of the room. The older stallion motioned for the solder to come closer. Spike watched the two converse, though he was mostly still thinking about Twilight. It was rare for her to not respond, which meant she was either incredibly busy reading, or something came up. He didn’t want to think about the possibility of her having an episode. He heard horror stories from some of the older castle staff about the last episode Twilight had where she tore apart ever clock in the castle.

“Ponyville?” the older guard asked a little skeptically. Celestia’s attention instantly focused over on conversation.

“Colonel, did you say Ponyville?” the princess asked, walking towards the guard.

“Y-Yes, Princess. It would seem that there was a few disappearances in the town.”

“How many are missing?” Celestia asked.

“Two,” he replied quickly. “Hardly seems surprising, the town is on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest after all.” The guard cleared his throat, realizing with whom he was speaking. “There’s a request for more guards to assist in finding these missing ponies.”

“How long have these ponies been missing?” Celestia asked, almost too scared of the answer.

“Five days since the first disappearance, and three since the second,” he responded, a little confused as to why the princess would want to know something so minor.

Celestia glanced over at Spike. “Spike, would you please keep an eye on things here for me?” she asked, walking towards the door. The two guards looked at each other, confused. Before they or Spike could ask any questions, Celestia was already out of the room.

As Celestia left, she noticed her sister walking towards her in the hallway. The other alicorn’s face lit up slightly at the sight of her sister, but that enthusiasm quickly disappeared when she realized how troubled Celestia was. “What is the matter, Sister?” Luna asked.

“Luna, would you please oversee the royal archive rotation? I’m afraid I will need to leave for a moment.” Celestia hastily rushed past her sister,

“Tia, did something happen? It has been many years since I have seen you so flustered.” Luna followed her sister with her head, watching as the other alicorn rushed past her.

“I need to get to Ponyville as soon as possible. I will tell you about it when I return,” Celestia called back to the younger alicorn. Shortly after she broke out into a sprint, and unfurled her wings. Luna watched, unsettled as her sister took off out of an open window. She stared out at the slowly setting sun for a moment, pondering what would cause her usually well-composed sister to act in such a way.

Twilight threw her bloody scalpel onto the floor. Her figments watched the surgical tool bounce with a small clang and ricochet off into the darkness. Once the sound of sliding metal stopped, the mass turned their heads to their host, watching her carefully, waiting for their moment. Twilight’s hooves shakily left the operating table, her eyes staring at them in horror. The blood of her friends soaked deep into her fur, a stain she knew would never come out. This deep red would be with her forever.

She slammed her hoof down against the metal slab, looking at the sliced mass of flesh and bone that was once Rainbow Dash. Her quivering lips opened to yell, to scream, to cry, anything, but nothing came. Her voice failed her. The librarian wanted nothing more than to cry, but her tears fought against her. A dark, digging pain rose from her chest as she looked into the lifeless eyes frozen in front of her. Slowly her tears spilled out, dribbling down her cheeks. The splattered blood from her gruesome task carried away by the salty sorrow.

“Why!” Twilight cried out, finally finding her voice. She fell onto her back, her hooves wrapped around her head, she curled into a tight ball, all to shut out the pain. A deep grinding reverberated in her skull as her teeth ground together.

“Why?” a lone voice rang out in the darkness. As if that one question had broken her mental dam, a flood of “why” came erupting from Twilight’s psyche. The roar only she could hear was deafening, the chatter itself was inaudible, but she knew every single question they asked. The noise filled her mind, drowning out every conscious thought she had in the tide of queries. She couldn’t handle them anymore, they were too much, her mind went numb, but that itch still dug at her. Twilight couldn’t face her own mind anymore.

“Shut up! Just shut up! Shut up-shut up-shut up-shut up-shut up-shut up-just shut up! All of you shut up!” Twilight screamed out into the emptiness. Though her voice echoed throughout the basement, she couldn’t even hear herself over the torrent of questions flooding her mind. It permeated her, hollowing her out, and filling everything inside her with maddening questions.

“T-Twilight Sparkle...what happened?” a familiar voice cut through the noise, calling out to her. Slowly her eyes cranked up to the source, seeing a snow white angel standing at the top of her stairs. Twilight’s blinked to clear her vision, revealing it to be her mentor standing in the doorway. Twilight watched as her mentor descended into the black abyss, her white fur glowing against the darkness.

“P-Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked in disbelief. “No...she wouldn’t be here...it’s just my mind playing tricks on me...” she muttered.

“No, Twilight, I am here. What has happened to you?” The sun princess loomed over her student. A mixture of anger, worry, and disappointment radiated from her eyes. Her student was completely covered in blood, her mane was a mess, her eyes looking weary. She knew Twilight had broken down—she had an episode—but she still prayed that her fears weren’t true. She prayed that blood was from some animals, not from the missing ponies.

Twilight looked off to the side, staring at the darkness silently. Celestia followed her student’s gaze, though a bit confused at first. The ruler’s first reaction was to gasp when she saw the horror before her. The princess pressed her hoof to her mouth trying to hide her shock. Nothing could have prepared her for that sight. Even the emotional monolith that was Celestia couldn’t hide her horror after seeing the five other elements of harmony laying dead before her. Her fears had been correct.

“T-Twilight Sparkle...” she said just barely above a whisper. “W-Why—”

“Stop...please stop asking...” Twilight cried out. Celestia looked back to see her student was pressing her head into a wall. “Stop asking me questions...no more...” Tears fell down the librarian’s already soaked cheeks. Slowly she pulled back, and dropped her head against the wall with a thud. Then again, and again, until she started throwing her head against it, then slamming it repeatedly. A small squish accompanied the thud now. Celestia took a step towards her student, using her magic to stop Twilight from slamming her head again.

“T-Twilight, stop!” Celestia pulled her student away.

“They won’t stop...” she muttered. A drop of blood fell to the floor. When Twilight looked up, her forehead was a beaten bloody mess. A stream of her blood dripped down her face adding her own blood to her friends’. “So many questions...can’t...think...” Twilight squeezed her head once more.

Celestia gently set the disturbed pony down on the ground, where she curled up again. Seeing her beloved student like this broke her heart. She sat down on the floor next to her, placing her foreleg over Twilight. She didn’t realize until she touched her how much Twilight was trembling.

“Please stop...please stop...please stop...please stop...” Twilight repeated that request like a mantra. “I don’t want to hurt anypony anymore...” she sobbed, curling tighter into her ball.

Celestia couldn’t bear it anymore. Her horn lit up with a golden glow, illuminating the dark pit in a warm light. The sun princess lowered her head until her horn touched the tip of Twilight’s. The golden aura from her horn enveloped her student’s, spreading down onto her head. The disturbed pony’s eyes went wide, and suddenly a bright light erupted from them. Twilight looked up at her mentor, seeing the same white light coming from Celestia’s eyes.

Celestia’s face cringed as a flood of voices came spilling into her mind. An endless nonsensical stream of questions interrupted her thoughts. She struggled to maintain her spell against the constant intrusion to her thought process. The loud roar of a crowd filled her mind, though she could make out what every single voice asked.

She raised her head, and looked out at the gruesome operating tables once more. The ruler’s eyes went wide when she saw dozens, possibly a hundred copies of her student filling the room. Each one staring at her, asking her something. Everywhere she looked there was a figment, yelling at her, demanding she answered a question.

The endless stream of words caused Celestia’s mind to numb slightly. She shook her head from the sheer volume flooding her thoughts. Only from a second of listening, she started to feel a strange tingle at the back of her head—an itch. After another second she found it hard to breathe. She was panting from the sheer mental strain of all the questions being asked of her. She couldn’t maintain the spell anymore; the glow in both of their eyes stopped, and her horn died down.

“By the sun...Is that what you have been experiencing, Twilight? If only I had known...” Celestia muttered, trying to catch her breath as she did so.

Twilight looked up at her mentor with wide eyes. “Y-You heard them?” she asked weakly.

Celestia nodded her head. She wrapped her wing around Twilight, pulling her in close for a hug. Twilight’s head rest against her teacher’s chest; the young mare was still sobbing, trembling in fear of herself. Celestia let her lie there, hoping to give her some peace of mind. She could feel twilight shaking under her wing, her sobs still ringing loud. The disturbed librarian buried herself in Celestia’s welcoming embrace, rubbing her face into the alicorn’s chest. Her once pristine white coat was now red with the blood from various ponies, but that was the least of her worries.

“I-I killed them...Princess...I killed my friends...” Twilight said finally.

“Yes, Twilight,” Celestia said plainly. “We cannot ignore that, but you are also...very sick.”

“I have to know...what makes it tick...what makes everything tick...it won’t end...until...I know everything...” Twilight huddled closer to her teacher. She buried her face into the alicorn’s white fur, praying for protection from her own psyche. “I-I’m scared, Princess...” She still sobbed, she still shook, she still itched—everything was still wrong. There was no shelter for her. This wouldn’t stop until Twilight knew everything, or she was dead.

That last thought stuck at her. “I-I know where this ends...” she muttered in a moment of clarity.

“What makes her tick?” a small voice asked. Twilight went still; her whole body stopped shaking, her breathing slowed, her sobbing stopped.

“No...Don’t ask that...” she muttered into her teacher’s chest.

“Twilight?” Celestia asked, looking down at her student.

Twilight pushed away from Celestia. The tormented pony barely managed to crawl out from under her teacher’s wing. Every inch of her body felt so weak; drained from the waking hours she had spent dissecting and plotting. Twilight slowly climbed onto all fours. With shaky legs, she walked back to the wall. “I can’t do this...”

“Twilight, stop.” Celestia commanded, but Twilight ignored her.

“I’m sorry, Princess...They want to know what makes you tick...you’re so special...so unique...but I can’t...not anymore...I won’t hurt anypony else!” Twilight’s horn lit. Celestia jumped up to her hooves to try and stop her student but it was too late. Twilight used her magic to lift the same scalpel she had used to end her friends’ lives. With a tug of her head, she yanked the blade to her, driving it into her chest. Her eyes shot open as the keen edge pierced her skin and plunged deep into her heart.

Celestia looked on in horror. Twilight glanced back at her, holding back the pain from showing in her face. With another burst of magic, she forced the scalpel to cut across inside her chest, slicing open every artery is crossed. A sudden gush of blood poured out of the open wound, spilling onto the floor in a puddle. It was almost like a waterfall.

“Or an hourglass,” a small voice said to her. Twilight looked down at her pooling blood, managing a weak laugh as she stared. “Your time is ticking out, Twilight.” Suddenly her legs gave out, and collapsed onto the floor. Blood continued flowing from her wound, growing her puddle of lost time.

“Don’t cry...Don’t you dare cry...You did worse...Don’t cry...You don‘t deserve to cry...” Twilight told herself, not letting any pain show in her face.

“T-Twilight!” Celestia screamed as she ran to her student’s side. She kneeled down in the pool of blood, and scooped her faithful student into her forelegs. Twilight looked up into Celestia’s eyes, seeing her mentor cry for the first time in her life. She slowly raised her hoof and placed it on Celestia’s cheek, smearing blood on it as she did so.

“My books...” she said weakly.

Celestia only shook her head. “Don’t worry about that right now! I need to get you to a doctor!” the princess’s horn sparked as she spoke.

Twilight shook her own head weakly to her teacher. “No...” Twilight’s eyes slowly drifted from Celestia to the tables her friends died on. Their screams still called out to her. She could still clearly see the life leaving each of their eyes, that final moment, each one haunting her. How she resented them for leaving her when she needed them most, how she loathed their peace. They didn’t have questions to answer, but they also didn’t deserve what she did to them. She wanted to forget those dying eyes, but she knew she couldn’t—she didn’t have the right to. She would hold onto those memories for as long as she could, knowing the wrong she did to them.

Suddenly she noticed her figments gathering around her, looking at her with the same eyes they had always looked at her victims with. They watched her, inspected her, studied her. She laughed weakly, seeing now why they were curious about her. Her eyes went dull as the light left them for good. Celestia tightened her grip on her student, knowing this was it. “I wonder...what makes me tick?...” Twilight asked finally. Her body went limp in Celestia’s forelegs.

“T-Twilight?” Celestia asked with fear filling her voice. She shook her student slightly, hoping that would rouse her, but it didn‘t. Twilight laid in Celestia’s forelegs, no longer breathing, her body no longer moving. Celestia’s eyes drifted closed, and the princess let a small tear fall from them. She gently set Twilight down on the floor. She lowered her head and honored her once faithful student’s passing—not the pony she had become, but the pony she was before. She sat silent for a moment before finally opening her eyes.

“I failed you, my faithful student.”

“The royal guard has finished the investigation.” Luna said upon entering her older sister’s room.

Celestia was lying on large rug. Her eyes were firmly glued to the floor, though she wasn’t actually looking at it. Her long-since-cooled breakfast sat on a tray next to her bed, untouched. The bed itself showed no signs of having been slept in. The grey ashes of a long since burned out fire sat undisturbed in the fireplace.

“Sister, please. I understand that this is hard on you, but Twilight Sparkle would not have wanted to see you in such a state.”

“Luna, did you bring the books?” Celestia asked bluntly.

The night princess looked towards the door. A pony entered carrying a tray in his magic. On the tray sat a small stack—five journals, and two bound tomes. The stallion lowered his head, allowing Luna’s magic to take the hold of the books. The younger alicorn levitated the collection over to the elder, setting them down in front of her.

Celestia’s eyes fell to the books place before her. She was about to place a hoof on one when she hesitated. She looked to the stallion in the room. “That will be all,” she said to him. The servant bowed before leaving the two princesses.

“These were her obsession. This is where she recorded those nightmarish—” Celestia struggled for a moment, trying to find the word. After failing to find one appropriate enough, she chose to leave it at that. “In a letter she left on her desk, she willed these to me.”

“Young Spike told me about her...itch—I believe is what she called it.” Luna interrupted. Her head drifted downwards. “That poor young one, left in this world without somepony to look after him.”

“He will have somepony. Twilight’s family will look after him,” Celestia replied.

“It is still a shame,” Luna added. Her voice was soft, and distant, knowing her sister didn’t want to continue talking about it. The room fell silent, with Celestia still staring at the stack of books in front of her.

Finally, she laughed to herself. With a swipe of her hoof, she brushed the books off to the side. “I’m such a coward...I cannot even bring myself to read these.”

“I believe there would be something wrong with you if you were able to read them so easily, Sister.” Luna walked towards the elder alicon. She sat next to her, placing her wing over her sister. “I know this is hard for you, Tia, but do remember that Twilight Sparkle gave these to you for a reason. Perhaps there is a use for them.”

“Luna, these books...they contain a detailed account of the brutal murders of seven ponies. What possible use could be found for these.” Celestia grabbed the first book with her hoof. Her eyes flowed along the cover. It had a dark brown face, and bound together magically by fusing the pages to the spine. The cover read “Dissection Series: Volume One: Ditzy Doo by Twilight Sparkle” Celestia shuddered as she read those horrid words. It felt so callous, so cruel to her. She tossed the book to the side, too disgusted by its title to even hold it.

“If I recall, Twilight Sparkle had an affinity for science. Perhaps these books could be repurposed as such?” Luna proposed to her sister. She lifted up the other completed book in her magic, looking over the dark tome.

“I suppose I won’t know until I read them.” She turned to the younger alicorn. “I would like to be alone, if you don’t mind.” Luna only nodded to her sister’s wishes. She quickly got up, bidding her sister farewell as she did so. After another moment she had left Celestia to her mourning, giving her the solitude she desperately wished for.

Once the door was closed, Celestia lifted the first tome in her magic, bringing it over to her from where she tossed it. With the book in front of her, she braced herself for the worst. Slowly she lowered her hoof down, slipping the tip under the cover’s lip. Celestia took a deep breath, preparing herself further. Finally she pulled the hard cover back. As she opened the book, a folded piece of paper slid free. It fell down, hitting the carpet and laying there. It was folded, had pressed wrinkles, and put off an ominous vibe; it was as if it was begging to be opened.

Celestia lifted the paper in her magic, unfolding it as it rose. She found it blank, save for a few water stains on its surface. She sighed, disappointed, but not entirely sure what she had expected from a folded scrap of paper stashed away in a book. Just as she was about to crumple the paper and toss it aside, ink seeped out from deep in the paper. The black liquid rose from the fibers, spreading out onto the sheet, forming words. Her eyes widened when she saw the first line become clear.

Dear Princess Celestia,

If you are reading this letter then that means that I am most likely no longer among the living. I wish there had been another way, I wish I had been strong enough for you, but I was not. I have failed you.

I have given into my inquisitive side, and done the unthinkable. It was as you had feared all of those years ago when you first found me dissecting that squirrel. These questions I have, have forced me to do unspeakable things—to another pony no less.

I am not tormented by simply voices anymore, but delusions; These sick specters of myself tempt me to do terrible things. They poked and prodded with questions, night and day, endlessly, until I had no choice but to answer them. I had to answer them for some peace of mind.

At least that is what I had originally thought. But I knew when I first dug my scalpel into another pony’s flesh, that I wasn’t doing it to appease them. I was doing it because they were right—I had to know what made her tick. The itching was a manifestation of my desire to know everything. I had to know in order to sate my desire—to scratch my itch.

It took me so long to realize that. I never wanted to admit it. I wish I was just a pony that had a mental breakdown, but I’m not. I’m a monster who needs to feed her desire for knowledge at all cost. I’m too weak to keep myself in line. These delusions of mine aren’t those of a disturbed pony, but are products of a sick mind. A mind that will do whatever it can to meet its needs. I am truly weak. I can’t even control myself.

I failed your expectations because I am weak. I’m not sure how you are feeling. I do not know if you are mourning my death, angry with my choices, or disappointed in me, much like I am with myself. All I can ask is that if by chance you are blaming yourself for this—don’t. This was my shortcoming, not yours, Princess.

I will not ask for forgiveness because I do not deserve it. These books are an abomination, but they are also my greatest achievement. I am ashamed, yet so very proud of them. I wish them to be destroyed, but I pray for their safety. The information in these books are my greatest treasures, but also my darkest moments. I have left them to you, because I feel that you alone know what should be done with them. I could not trust my mother, father, brother, or Spike with this, because you are the one I can trust the most. I know your judgment will be the correct one.

And whatever it may be you decide to do with these books, it is not my place to second guess. I forfeit that right the moment I took a life.

Princess, I am sorry. I can't stress how sorry I am. Not just to you, but to everypony impacted by this. If only I had been stronger. I am sorry, Princess.

Forever your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Celestia placed her face into her hoof for a while. She sat there silent, the words from Twilight’s letter still lingering in her mind. Finally a lone tear rolled down her cheek. “Twilight...”

She carefully folded the letter once more, and levitated it to her desk. A drawer in the desk became enveloped in a golden aura, and slid opened. The letter gently floated down into the safety of the drawer, taking its place among the papers filed within.

Celestia slowly climbed onto all fours, her legs wobbling from not being used for so long. After a few steps, she found her balance. She gradually made her way across the room, over to her desk. She placed a hoof on the wooden top for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. Her eyes drifted downward, into the opened drawer. A small smile spread across her face with another tear building in her eye as she looked down. Each paper sitting inside her desk had the same first line, each read “Dear Princess Celestia”.

The End

Author's Note

I have an epilogue chapter planned as well, but it shouldn't be more than 4000 words...(yeah 4000)

But that's it, that's the end of the story. I hope you all enjoyed it. Twilight got her comeuppance in the end, and it's a little tragic too.