The Journal

by InsaneBatPony

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Tragedy, Twilight Sparkle, Dark
Length: 10239

Twilight gets a new book containing a terrible secret that could release an unknown deity.

A mysterious stallion shows up at Twilight's door and gives her a journal of unknown origin. Unbeknownst to her this journal contains information about an experiment gone terribly wrong that could release an unknown deity into the world plunging it into madness.

This is the "Prologue" to my story "Insanity War"

Published 2012-03-02 08:44:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-05-10 14:56:58 UTC

The Journal

The Journal

Twilight Sparkle woke from what seemed to be a sleepless night. She walked over to the window only to see a blanket of rain and black clouds. She walked over to where Spike was sleeping to wake him up from a deeper and more comfortable sleep. She had to chuckle because as he woke up he yelled “I’ll save you Rarity!” She rolled her eyes and went downstairs.

Sometime after breakfast Twilight began her usual routine of shelving books and studying. After a little while she ran out of ink for her notes. She didn’t want to go outside but she knew she had to. She grabbed her coat and an umbrella to go to the store. She returned later that afternoon.

“Oh no, I didn’t realize I had lost so much time! I have to keep studying.” she said in alarm.

She then resumed her studies. She studied while the rain continued to pelt the windows and the world outside of her library home. She had been studying for the majority of the day. Her stomach growled indicating that it was time for a meal. She stopped and proceeded to go to her kitchen and make a small dinner for herself and Spike.

After their dinner was finished Twilight went back to her study area and cleaned up the mess, deciding that it was time to call it a day. The rain fell with thunderous noise as it hit the windows and door.

“Spike!” Twilight called from her study area.

“Yes Twilight?” Spike said while running to her side.

“Could you get me the book Supernaturals, please?” she said not looking at her assistant.

“Sure thing, but what do you want it for?” he responded with confusion in his voice.

“I’m going to see if there is a recipe in there for curing mild depression.” Twilight replied with some hesitation.

“Umm, ok. Are you alright? You've never asked for a mild depression cure before.” Spike proclaimed with concern.

"This rain is getting to me is all. I just want to see if there is a way to cheer oneself up."

"That makes sense I guess." Spike responded still unsure of what to make of the unusual request. As Spike went to leave she looked outside again wishing that she could star gaze.

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“Where go, where I go?” a stallion asked himself with broken language.

“You can’t escape us! Stop right now!” a group called from behind him.

The stallion was wearing a hooded cape as black as the night itself. He ran through the forest at near breakneck speeds. Occasionally slipping and sliding along the muddy paths and terrain. He had no time to recover from being out of breath. He just kept on running as fast as his legs would carry him.

“Have to keep going! Must outrun them!” He thought in his panicked state.

“He went this way! Don’t lose him!” his pursuers called out.

The pony clad in black had to escape his pursuers or be killed on sight. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He had to find a way to escape his pursuers and quickly. But more importantly he had to find a place to hide the book to keep it out of the wrong hands.

“We want that book, you crazy old stallion!”

He turned around to try to see his pursuers, while running as fast as he could manage, he looked behind himself to look for his pursuers. He could not see them, the rain was too thick. He whispered a spell in order to create a clone of himself temporarily in order to confuse his pursuers. His clone ran in the opposite direction that he was running. It worked just long enough for him to find a temporary hiding spot. Panting, he checked to see if it was safe and did not fall out during the chase. It was safe for now.

“Be rid of book. Must be rid of it! It must be destroyed.” he said under his breath unable to make full sentences.

After what seemed like a few seconds he continued to run. The pony’s pursuers had all but vanished into the rain and into the night, yet he could not relax. He could feel the last of his strength and mind leaving him. He had to be rid of the book before he lost his mind in its entirety.

He continued to run until he found the path out of the forest. He continued to run at top speed until he reached the path that led to Ponyville. He charged down the path until he reached the town. He stopped and looked around, taking in his surroundings as quickly and as best that he could manage. After a while of looking through the rain he found where he could go.

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Twilight was finally able to go to bed and rest after many long hours of study and research into pony magic. She put away her things and crawled into her bed greedily, longing for sleep to take her. She laid her head on her pillow and closed her eyes. As soon as she had closed her eyes a loud thunder crack woke her up instantly. She jumped upright and looked out of her small window, the scenery being distorted and nearly invisible because of the rain outside.

“What is with this storm today?” she wondered aloud.

She decided that it was time to look into this strange phenomenon. She began to realize earlier that this storm was not a storm conjured up by the Pegasi in Cloudsdale. She looked for a book on superstitions and legends of nature, as well as documentations about other strange weather phenomenon. She found the books she was looking for and began to search for the answers that she wanted. As she looked through the book, a feeling of dread and terror came over her. A tingle went down her spine. At that very same moment a thunder crack louder than any previous had sounded. Twilight could not help but jump in jump in surprise and some terror at the sound. A lightning bolt shown in the night shortly after, illuminating her library home for a brief moment.

“Ok. This is getting very strange and little scary.” she said to herself while looking up at one of the windows in the room.

She then began tearing through the book looking for the answer as to why this was happening. She found what she was looking for. The entry in the book listed the exact same things that were happening to the weather in Ponyville. She read on, more out of intrigue than fright. The entry mentioned of a storm similar to the one currently going on outside from more than one thousand years back. Her eyes widened at the mention of a similar storm but she was surprised that it was from a time just after Nightmare Moon's imprisonment.

"This storm became known as the 'Storm of Sealing' and was feared by all for a time." Twilight read aloud to herself. "This has only occurred once in known history. It is believed however that when this storm is produced it is done by the Ancient's mourning the loss of one of their own. This has come about because of the sealing of Princess Luna as Nightmare Moon into the moon only a short time ago." The entry came to an end. Twilight continued to look through the book despite the entry's ending. "That can't be all. There has to be more about this somewhere." she said while rummaging through some of the other books that she had lying around her at the time. She found an encyclopedia and looked for the entry 'Storm of Sealing.' she found the entry that she was looking for near the back of the book.

"Here we go, The Storm of Sealing." she said under her breath. She scanned the book word by word until she came across an unusual symbol within the entry. "What's this?" she said while observing a circle littered with markings and runes. She scanned the page for a description of the circle to no avail.

"Well darn, no description of whatever that circle is but I wonder if it at least has a name." she stated while reading the entry taking care to not miss a single detail. After reading the somewhat expansive entry she came across a reference to another article within the same text. "What's this? Hm, see entry 'The Circle of Orion.' I wonder what that is." She was about to look it up when there came a loud knocking at the door, it sounded as though someone was trying to kick down the door. Twilight looked up from her book quickly and went to the door not expecting that anyone would go anywhere with the storm outside. The banging continued until Twilight finally opened the door to see a stallion clad in black.

"Who are you?" Twilight asked rather quickly examining the crazed stallion with a quizzical eye.

"You! You take book. Take it, destroy it, reveal existence to none! Book evil, let none read!" the stallion said quickly never forming a proper sentence.

"What? You need help. Calm down, I don't know what your talking about but you need to go to the hospital." Twilight told him while trying to get him to listen to her. The stallion kept looking over his shoulder and looking around his surroundings while she spoke.

"Destroy book. No read it, must destroy it." the stallion proclaimed once again. He went into the pocket in his robe and grabbed the book with his teeth and threw at Twilight's face, which hit her in the nose and fell to he ground.

"Hey! what was that...for? she asked into thin air. The stallion had disappeared into the rain shortly after throwing the book at twilight. She looked down and picked up the book with a grunt. She went back in and closed the door muttering under her breath. She placed the book on the table.

"I'll look at it tomorrow. This has been a very strange night. I need a break." she said while making her way to her bedroom. She was nearly to her bed when she thought she heard a deep laughing sound coming from the main floor. She took a few steps down the stairs and looked around the floor from her vantage point. Seeing that there was nothing there she went up to her room and fell asleep for the night.

My Name Is...

Author warning- If any of you do not like the idea of harm coming to children then refer to this chapter and the next with the word Alternate in parenthesis.

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MY Name is…

The sun was rising and its radiant light seeped through Twilight's curtains. The sun had put small luminescent lines onto the bed and across Twilight's face. Twilight lightly stirred and turned to her side trying to avoid Celestia's sunlight. She groaned as the sun continued to put a small light into her eyelids. She sat up and rubbed her eyes with her hooves. She looked around her room and everything seemed normal as though the events of the previous night were a dream. She got out of bed and opened the small curtain to allow the light of the sun into her room. She smiled and breathed in the clean fresh morning air. She got herself ready for the day and went down stairs to begin her daily routine. As she made her way down the stairs she noticed that Spike had already started the normal cleaning duties, she noticed him over by her study table holding a book in his hands looking it over from top to bottom. He looked over to see her coming into the room. He called out to her.

“Twilight?”

“What is it Spike?” she said with enthusiasm, eager to begin the day after a nice breakfast.

“What is this book doing on the table? I thought you put everything on the shelves last night before bed, and are you feeling better? You said you were slightly depressed yesterday.”

“I did shelve the books last night, or at least I remember doing so. And yes I am feeling better, thank you for asking. Rain makes feel a little depressed is all.” She said with enthusiasm.

“That's good to know. But what is this book doing on the table if you put all the books on the shelves last night?” Spike said while holding the small tome in his clawed hand.

She grabbed the book out of his claw using her magic. She levitated it in front of hr face and gave it an exhaustive examination. Satisfied with her analysis of the book she placed it back on the table thinking nothing of it, or where it came from.

"I'll take another look at it later, Spike. Lets go eat some breakfast, I'm a little hungry." Twilight said as she ushered him to the kitchen to help her with breakfast.

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After a good breakfast, spike went about his normal day to day routine before going out to Rarity's to assist her with some new designs that she had asked for assistance with. Twilight went back to take a look at the book that had come into her possession for reasons she could not remember. She levitated it once more in front of her. She concentrated on it to see if it had any magical properties. She could sense a presence within its pages but could not deem what it was or who this presence might be. She told Spike to write the Princess about this strange book and told him that she would go down inot her study and read some of it in order to try to determine what this book is.

She went down into her study and locked the door behind her, not wishing to be disturbed. She cleared a space for herself near the chair in the corner of the room and sat down. She levitated the book in front of her once more and undid the small leather strap keeping the book closed. She opened it and studied the writing shortly, noticing that it was in cursive an it had been faded with age. She noticed that the lettering was written with ink and that the words were hastily written. She cringed a little bit at the lack of tidiness in the writing. After her observations she started to read the scribbles that were written in the pages of the book.

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A warning to anypony who dares to pick up this journal and read its contents. The research written here in is dangerous. Those who dare read this journal; I hope you are ready to bargain your mind and soul.

My name is Orion Lunarius, head researcher for Project M given to us by Celestia herself. Our mission was to find a way to increase a pony’s resistance to magic and also find a way to give anypony the ability to use a limited amount of magic be them a unicorn or not but something went wrong. I have barricaded myself inside the deepest part of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. My colleagues have all but gone mad. I write this journal to tell our story and as a warning to all who may read this after my passing which will not be long. Soon I will no longer be in my right mind. He is stealing my mind and is trying to get in. I will not let him, not until this journal is complete. How I have lasted this long is unknown to me but a welcome blessing.

Our studies into ancient pony magic lead us to discover a way to increase the magical capabilities of any pony who wished for it. We could only imagine the possibilities at this point. However, it was only a matter of time before we strayed from the good intentions of the Princess. We began do delve into a dark and forbidden magic thought to be destroyed but had been preserved in ancient writings from long before my time. We had no clear goal in mind, all we wanted was to explore this unknown power. As we researched this dark magic we found that if used properly it would allow the user nearly unlimited magical capabilities including mind control among other things. We never could have imagined what obtaining this power would do to us or turn us into.

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Twilight promptly shut the journal in a shock and did not want to continue after the first few paragraphs. She continued to hold the journal in her magic. Her mind screamed at her to put the book away and wait for the Princess to arrive. Her scholarly side on the other hand told her to continue. She fought with herself for a while until she gave in to her scholarly side and continued to read the journal with some hesitation.

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After a few weeks of research we decided to try an experiment on a live subject. We knew that no one would willingly want to go through the experiment as the subject so we resorted to ponynapping. We had no choice, all we wanted to do was show what we were doing was legitimate science. We took a young colt from a farming family just outside the forest in between Canterlot and our research facility. We chose a colt due to their already weaker mind and ability to believe just about anything. We figured it would be a good place to start. We were right. The experiment was something of a success at first; he would do anything we asked without question. We wanted to test the extent of the control we had over him. We brought in a rabid Manticore and told him to attack it. The Manticore was chained. We didn’t want the child to get killed. It was an experiment. To our surprise he charged and started attacking the Manticore. We never expected we would be able to tell a child to attack a fully grown monster and he would actually do it. We stood in awe as he rammed the manticore in the lower body because of his small size. We made him stop and decided to keep him with us in order to study the effects of the magic we had learned. But we knew it was only a matter of time before we were discovered by Celestia's guards. Even though we were in the forest near the Castle in Canterlot we knew we had to move somewhere safer.

The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters was a perfect place to go. It was secluded and safe from prying eyes. It had only been abandoned a few years. It was not yet in ruins but in some disrepair. As quickly and quietly as we could we moved all of our research to the sub-levels of the castle. Using a strong teleportation spell we knew. We moved the child first because we did not want him to be discovered. It took a few days but we managed to get everything into the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters without arousing suspicion.

We began to monitor the child because his condition was deteriorating. He would no longer do what we asked when under the influence of our spell. He would only sit and laugh. His laughter still haunts me. It rings in my brain over and over, forever tormenting me. The boy had vanished one morning as e studied the residual effects of our spell. He began to yell and scream, it was like he was seeing a ghost. He yelled at whatever was there to stay away from him and then his body became like mist and dissipated in a small vortex. We had never seen anything like it.

He calls for me, not the boy, no. No, something else, one of the fruits of our labor. I must hurry to finish this before he takes me. A being unlike any other, he's eating away at me from the inside! How long I can continue to write I do not know.

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Twilight looked up from the journal perspiring and breathing heavily appalled at what she was reading. She could hardly  bear to read any more. Her mind still screamed and pleaded with her to not continue this endeavor. Her mind kept reminding her of the strange essence that was lurking within its pages. Her mind was being torn apart from the inside. She let the book fall to the floor and she clutched her head in her hooves.

"Stop it! Stop it!" she told her mind. Once the internal argument had quieted; she picked up the journal and opened it once again.

Next Chapter

Resolve

Resolve

Resolve

The journal remained open as Twilight moved here eyes about the room, making sure that she was unseen. She watched the only door in the room checking the lock mechanism from a distance. She looked about the room in candle light watching the shadows dance along the floor and walls. Once she was sure that she could not be seen by another, her eyes moved to the words of the journal.

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The boy we had used in the first experiment had died a few days later. The child would do nothing but scream and laugh like a maniac. I had never seen behavior like it before. When we returned from the sleeping quarters, we went to check on him and record his status. He found him lying in a small pool of his own blood. His head was smashed in and pieces of his skull lay littered on the floor. We had no inclination of as how this could have occurred.

We decided to dispose of the child’s body in the Everfree Forest.  After we finished disposing of him we knew we would need to continue to next step, a larger creature. We continued to research into the idea of taking control of a larger animal or pony. There was only one way that we could do it. We had to make a focal point for our magical abilities to be amplified enough for it to succeed. We discovered that we could not just create a focal point. Its creation required additional measures.

The focal point required was a special type of well. Our research revealed few details pertaining to its creation. We had to improvise with most of the materials required. It took us three weeks to gather the materials required for its creation. The next step was to put a drop of blood into the well from each member of the team. The water inside the well turned into a deep red color and began to glow slightly. The others were satisfied with the results of our improvisation but I was not. The red water seemed to be alive. It glowed and pulsed with life. It was strange to me and to my utmost regret I brushed away the feeling.

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Twilight looked up from the book again, her eyes darting in every direction. A soft chuckle escaped her lips. The shadows cast by the lone candle danced in the room, making shapes and forms. She got up out of her chair and went to the desk near the door. She placed the journal down atop its surface. She unlocked the room door and slowly made her way up the few stairs into the main room. Her body and mind were weak from lack of sleep and nourishment. Her face had grown slightly pale in the days past. Spike heard the door creak open and rushed to the stair way to see Twilight walking up slowly, her head down and her eyes looking to the ground.

"Twilight, Twilight! Are you alright? You look terrible. You were down there for two days! Your going to kill yourself, if your not careful. Is that book that important?" Spike asked concern and fear for his friend flowing through his voice. Twilight only kept walking toward the kitchen. She did not look at the baby dragon.

“I…was reading the book from the table. Remember?” Twilight responded weakly.

"Twilight please, this isn't like you! I've seen you do this only once or twice in all the years we've worked together. I'm concerned for you. You need to take care of yourself." he  said raising his voice slightly to make his point.

“I’ll be ok Spike. Don’t worry about it. Right now all I want to do is get something to eat and rest a little bit.”

“Ok Twilight, but please look after yourself. I don't want to lose a friend." he told her his eyes wide and wet.

“Spike, you won't lose me. I'll always be around. But please, let me eat and rest for a while alright.” she told Spike, almost oblivious to his concern. She ate a small meal and made her way to her bed.

When she reached her room, she almost collapsed from the exhaustion. She ell into her bed in a heap. She did not pull her covers over her, her eyes were shut almost as soon as she hit the bed. Her mind would not rest however, she tossed and turned. Her body ached and twitched with small spasms. Her mind's eye was open and she could hear a being speak.

"Twilight? Oh Twilight, your mind is strong and your magic stronger. I can see your future. It is grand. I know a way for it to be even better than what I can see. All you need to do is give me what I want and I will grant you power unlike any the world has ever seen. Your teacher would be so proud of you. Isn't that what you crave most? If it is, then let's make a deal." the deep baritone voice rang in her head.

Twilight's eyes shot open flying around the room trying to locate the source of the voice she had just heard. Her breath was shallow and her heart was racing. She looked out her window trying to gauge the time. The sun had vanished beyond the horizon. The moon and stars shone brightly next to their black background. She took some deep breaths trying to calm herself. She slowly put her head back onto the pillow and closed her eyes once more trying to gain a few more hours of much needed rest.

“Twilight, I know your mind. You look up to your princess and mentor. What if I told you that I could give you the power to take her place? Well I have the kind of ability. I can give you the power that you need to fulfill your every whim and every desire." the voice said with an enticing tone.

"No, I won't do it. I could never do something like that." Twilight said within the confines of her mind as if trying to tell the voice to go away and give up its effort.

"That's funny my dear. I know you wouldn't do such a thing willingly. That's why I am going to take your mind from you!" the voice rang again.

Twilight's body shot upright and she let out a scream. Her breathing increased again and she was mumbling to herself. Her head shot toward the stairs as she heard soft but frantic steps coming.

“Twilight! Are you okay, what happened!?” Spike yelled with concern for his close friend as he ran up the stairs.

“I...I had a bad dream, that’s all. I’ll be alright.”She said while waiving a hoof to dismiss him.

At that spike turned around to go but turned to look at his friend again. Spike's face showed nothing but concern for his dear friend. He continued to look at her with fear and concern on his face. His eyes were wide and hoping. He did not want to leave her side.

“I’m fine Spike, really.” she said forcing a smile onto her face.

“Promise?” he asked, still highly concerned.

“Promise” She said with her usual pep in her voice as reassurance.

Spike hesitantly turned and went down the stairs not wanting to start a debate. Twilight heard his foot steps reach the bottom floor and she lay her head on her pillow once more. Her eyes closed and her mind drifted away into a peaceful slumber.

"She is close. A little bit more nudging in the direction I want her to go and she'll be mine. She has a strong will, but even the strongest of wills can be broken, if given the right incentive. Her resolve is almost gone and once she is vulnerable she will be mine." a voice whispered unto itself.

Next Chapter

Descent

Descent

Descent

Descent

Twilight woke from her unrestful slumber to the glare of sunlight coming from her window. Her eyes opened slowly and she got out of bed. She stood there for a moment trying to remember what happened the night before. Her head was throbbing with a headache. She rubbed her temple with a hoof and proceeded to go back to her study. She did not wish to eat after such a long night. She made her way down to her study careful to avoid her assistant. She closed and locked the door behind her. She picked up the journal again and sat in her chair and opened it to where she had left off.

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After we made the well, it was time to find a beast or pony to experiment with. We searched the Everfree Forest for a creature suitable for our experiment. After a few hours of scanning the forest we found a cave and inside was a fairly large bear. We agreed it would be the next subject for the experiments.

After capturing the bear we put it inside a cell and began to prepare the room for the procedure. As we prepped, one of our researchers discovered that in order for the experiment to work we needed first submerge the subject into the well as this would help its body withstand the amount of strain that would be inflicted. We would also need to keep it submerged from the neck down and cast the spell at the well. In light of this new information we had to make a cage or something strong enough to hold a bear. After many hours we were able to construct one. With much strife we coaxed the bear into the cage and much to our displeasure we had to use force.

With everything ready to be used we proceeded with the experiment. We submerged the bear, and then brought its head out of the water so it could breath. With the bear now prepped for the receiving of the spell, we cast the spell together. The room began to glow sickly red and the bear roared and flailed. We almost lost concentration because of its struggling. Our bodies were straining from the pressure of the prolonged cast. After what seemed like a long time we were finally able to stop casting the spell. We took the bear out of the well and released it from its cage. It only stood there silent, only breathing quietly as we watched. My second in command issued an order for the bear to go to its cell. It stood there motionless. We believed that we had failed. Then it began to move to its cell. The bear stopped and stood in its cell. We had succeeded in the experiment. As time went on we continued to study the amplified effects of the spell. We noticed that after a week of being under the spell, the bear began to act strangely. It would pace back and force with its head twitching and bobbing up and down.

A few days passed and the creature would no longer follow orders. It had been under the spell nonstop for two weeks now. We dared not release it from its cell. As we observed, the bear began to roar and swipe at the wall as if something was there. Then it did something completely unexpected. It began to bark like a dog. We could not believe it. The spell had mixed up the creature's mind to the point that it had completely redone its internal wiring. The bear's mind was now that of a dog. After a small margin of time it then proceeded to charge the wall. It continuously rammed its head into the wall over and over again, causing its head to crush under the force. It died after about three hits to its head. My research team and I were now concerned with the effects it would have on an adult pony be them stallion or mare. Yet were scientists first and foremost, concerns about the well-being of test subjects was beneath us.

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“I can feel her slipping ever closer to me. She is the key to my release.”a rumbling voice said observing the purple unicorn from its hiding place in the dancing shadows cast by the candle light. Twilight continued to read as a dark being observed her and her dwindling state of mind. "She is losing the gamble. My influence is consuming her.”

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We were stuck. We had no test subject and we were all too afraid to volunteer. For once we were at a loss as to what to do, until somepony spoke up. That pony was Draco Alterian, my second in command and also one of my closest friends. He decided that he would be the final test subject. I wanted to protest but I could not. In the pursuit of science, sacrifices have to be made. With the decision pertaining to the test subject made, we continued the research into how to go about performing such a delicate procedure.

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“She is nearing her limit; it’s so close I can taste it. Her mind, her knowledge of magic; It’s almost mine! It is now time to begin the final preparations." the creature declared.

Twilight’s mental state was deteriorating at an exponential rate at this point in her reading of Orion’s journal. The words not the cause, but the presence she had sensed earlier. The aura was draining her of her will, his influence ever growing.

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It took a matter of months to complete the research required of us to figure out the proper procedure. Upon its completion we noticed a small list of items necessary to make the procedure not only operate smoothly but to amplify the power of the spell to its utmost limit. Among the items needed was one dragon scale, a manticore tooth, a timber wolf brain, a magic cloak and the horn of a unicorn. The first and last items being the most difficult to acquire.

We gathered most of the items on the list; the dragon scale and unicorn’s horn set us back far longer than we had hoped. With the items gathered we began. We put Draco in the cloak, and dropped the rest into the well as was instructed. Draco stepped into the cage and we submerged him and then allowed his head to remain above water. We gathered around the well and the procedure began.

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“Only a little more, she’s almost there. Come now Twilight, let me take you. So long I have waited for this moment.”

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The procedure was working; the spell was being amplified nearly ten thousand fold! The elements all working together to amplify the spell to its near maximum! Then, an explosion of red light had washed over us, the procedure yielded a result we never could have predicted. We created something.

Final Chapter

Release

Release

Release

Twilight's magic was no longer stable. The journal shook with the fluctuations. Twilight had lost most of her mind to the Presence in the Pages. The magic aura surrounding the journal dissipated and the journal fell to the floor with a small thud. Tears were streaming down her face and she had long fits of laughter. She had gotten up and had begun to inscribe a  symbol into the floor boards of her study. When it was completed the Presence spoke to her again.

“Good girl, now finish the journal and learn the key.”

Twilight did as she was told. She sat down and levitated the journal once more and opened it for the final time.

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“Wha in tarnation is going on Spike, this is really unlike you” said Applejack with concern.

“Yes I agree dear” Rarity spoke up.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry for hurrying this on to all of you but Twilight is in serious danger!” Spike said with an incredible urgency. Another voice spoke up in the wind and a figure appeared in the room as well.

“I’m interested in this as well. I received your letter but I was busy so I could not come right away. I must admit however, I did feel something strange emanating from Ponyville lately. ” said Celestia with a look of concern.

Spike then began to explain the whole story to them, about the Stallion, the journal and her physical and mental state. As he explained their faces grew dim and dumbfounded. Even Pinkie was no longer smiling. Fluttershy was hiding behind her hair teary eyed. As he was explaining the situation Twilight was finishing the journal.

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What stood before was no longer Draco Alterion, but something else, something more sinister, more evil. He stood seven feet tall with the cloak covering his body and face.  From what I could make out about his features he had scale like skin similar to that of a dragon. His eyes glowed a sinister red with dragonesque pupils and his mouth had the same glow with what appeared to be blood dripping down it. He stood on his two back legs, it had a lizard like tail and his hooves became clawed appendages. He also had a more striking feature, a pair of wings on his back made of pure bone. He looked at all of us and then walked up to one of our lower ranked members; we did not know what to think. Had we succeeded or failed? We did not know. He grabbed the pony by the throat, the monster opened his mouth and we could see what appeared to be ghost rise from the pony’s body and enter into the thing we made. At this point my colleague started to yell, flail and scream. He began to run around the room and bang his head on the wall until he had finally broken his skull. I asked the creature what he was and he  answered me with one sentence.

“I am Insanity.”

I had to seal him away but I was too late. My colleagues had gone mad. I was the last of the original team. I used the most powerful sealing magic I knew. A spell given to me by the Princess should the need ever arise. I did not have time to waste. I ran away and found the perfect place for the casting of the spell. He followed me as I had expected him to do. As soon as I had finished prepping the trap he fired a magic bolt at me. It was very weak for some reason. It had hit the book that I am currently writing this journal in now. When he was in the proper place I initiated the spell. It worked or so I thought. As he was being dragged into the seal he called to me.

“Do you think I’m going down without a fight?” he called from the blue vortex surrounding his grotesque body.

I could only watch in horror as he performed one last spell.

“You will become my minion,the legacy of my existence. Your name will be Discord!” he called form the vortex his lower half now consumed.

With those final words he blasted me with a spell that I had not known and my body began to change little by little. My mind was also changing. I wanted nothing more than to cause absolute chaos and make life miserable for pony kind. As I write this, the spirit of this, Discord, has been eating away at me. I fear that I will no longer be Orion Lunarius, but Discord the son of Insanity. I write these final words as a last ditch effort to tell how he can be released and also how he can be sealed forever. They are the same spell only performed differently. The release is done by using some of the blood of the most powerful unicorn not of royal blood and the sealing done by using the blood of a member of the royal family. I write this as a warning to those to be careful using the sealing spell should he escape. If these steps are confused he will be freed and the sealing spell will not work at all. The sealing spell will be rendered permanently useless. Write the runes on the ground put the blood in the center and cast the spell. Depending on the blood used the result will be different. I can no longer resist Discord. Before I change, I hope...

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The final words of the journal were skewed and a long line ended the journal, signifying Orion’s final transformation into the spirit of chaos. The journal dropped to the floor and Twilight stood up and began to move toward the center of the room to finish the ritual.

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Spike had finished his explanation of the situation, the five and Celestia could not believe the story Spike had just told. Celestia being the most in tune with the magic abilities sensed Twilight’s condition earlier on and had started to become concerned but with Twilight’s record of losing her mind when stressed, she did not think anything of it at the time but this was different. As they stood trying to take in what Spike had finished saying Twilight let out a blood curdling scream and a crimson red light had appeared in the study window. They all ran to her study the Princess being the first to arrive. Celestia kicked the door down to the ground and ran into the room. The runes were glowing and the sealing circle was glowing as well. Twilight was floating in the center of the circle, her leg bleeding. Before they could act any further Twilight disappeared. The seven of them standing in shock at what they had just seen. The Princess entered the room farther studying the markings and symbols. She recognized the spell used because she taught it to another long ago. She turned to the rest of them a grave look on her face.

"Oh no...Those symbols. Orion's Circle..." Celestia said to herself so the others could not hear. She turned to face the others who were rummaging through everything in order to find out what had happened. Celestia called them over and explained what had just happened, though she did not know what creature was released.

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The Castle of the Royal pony Sisters was illuminated and the Everfree Forest glowed a crimson hew. A sealing circle in the deepest part of the castle exploded in a flash of magic power in the form of lightning and fire. The ground burned and sizzled as the flames surrounded the circle, in the middle stood Draco Alterion, and by his side Twilight Sparkle, once protégé of the princess, now the loyal servant of madness incarnate.

“It is time to take what should have been mine so long ago” he said in a deep rumbling voice. “I will plunge Equestria into madness and rule this place, as I should have done before Orion sealed me. I will have revenge on those who cursed me and cast me out so long ago!” the ground shook as he roared. “I AM INSANITY!”

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The war between Equestria and Insanity has begun!  Can the Elements stand against Insanity? Continue with "Insanity War"

My Name Is... (Alternate Version)

My Name Is... (Alternate Version)

Chapter 1- MY Name is…

The sun was rising and its radiant light seeped through Twilight's curtains. The sun had put small luminescent lines onto the bed and across Twilight's face. Twilight lightly stirred and turned to her side trying to avoid Celestia's sunlight. She groaned as the sun continued to put a small light into her eyelids. She sat up and rubbed her eyes with her hooves. She looked around her room and everything seemed normal as though the events of the previous night were a dream. She got out of bed and opened the small curtain to allow the light of the sun into her room. She smiled and breathed in the clean fresh morning air. She got herself ready for the day and went down stairs to begin her daily routine. As she made her way down the stairs she noticed that Spike had already started the normal cleaning duties, she noticed him over by her study table holding a book in his hands looking it over from top to bottom. He looked over to see her coming into the room. He called out to her.

“Twilight?”

“What is it Spike?” she said with enthusiasm, eager to begin the day after a nice breakfast.

“What is this book doing on the table? I thought you put everything on the shelves last night before bed, and are you feeling better? You said you were slightly depressed yesterday.”

“I did shelve the books last night, or at least I remember doing so. And yes I am feeling better, thank you for asking. Rain makes feel a little depressed is all.” She said with enthusiasm.

“That's good to know. But what is this book doing on the table if you put all the books on the shelves last night?” Spike said while holding the small tome in his clawed hand.

She grabbed the book out of his claw using her magic. She levitated it in front of hr face and gave it an exhaustive examination. Satisfied with her analysis of the book she placed it back on the table thinking nothing of it, or where it came from.

"I'll take another look at it later, Spike. Lets go eat some breakfast, I'm a little hungry." Twilight said as she ushered him to the kitchen to help her with breakfast.

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After a good breakfast, spike went about his normal day to day routine before going out to Rarity's to assist her with some new designs that she had asked for assistance with. Twilight went back to take a look at the book that had come into her possession for reasons she could not remember. She levitated it once more in front of her. She concentrated on it to see if it had any magical properties. She could sense a presence within its pages but could not deem what it was or who this presence might be. She told Spike to write the Princess about this strange book and told him that she would go down inot her study and read some of it in order to try to determine what this book is.

She went down into her study and locked the door behind her, not wishing to be disturbed. She cleared a space for herself near the chair in the corner of the room and sat down. She levitated the book in front of her once more and undid the small leather strap keeping the book closed. She opened it and studied the writing shortly, noticing that it was in cursive an it had been faded with age. She noticed that the lettering was written with ink and that the words were hastily written. She cringed a little bit at the lack of tidiness in the writing. After her observations she started to read the scribbles that were written in the pages of the book.

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A warning to anypony who dares to pick up this journal and read its contents. The research written here in is dangerous. Those who dare read this journal; I hope you are ready to bargain your mind and soul.

My name is Orion Lunarius, head researcher for Project M given to us by Celestia herself. Our mission was to find a way to increase a pony’s resistance to magic and also find a way to give anypony the ability to use a limited amount of magic be them a unicorn or not but something went wrong. I have barricaded myself inside the deepest part of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. My colleagues have all but gone mad. I write this journal to tell our story and as a warning to all who may read this after my passing which will not be long. Soon I will no longer be in my right mind. He is stealing my mind and is trying to get in. I will not let him, not until this journal is complete. How I have lasted this long is unknown to me but a welcome blessing.

Our studies into ancient pony magic lead us to discover a way to increase the magical capabilities of any pony who wished for it. We could only imagine the possibilities at this point. However, it was only a matter of time before we strayed from the good intentions of the Princess. We began do delve into a dark and forbidden magic thought to be destroyed but had been preserved in ancient writings from long before my time. We had no clear goal in mind, all we wanted was to explore this unknown power. As we researched this dark magic we found that if used properly it would allow the user nearly unlimited magical capabilities including mind control among other things. We never could have imagined what obtaining this power would do to us or turn us into.

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Twilight promptly shut the journal in a shock and did not want to continue after the first few paragraphs. She continued to hold the journal in her magic. Her mind screamed at her to put the book away and wait for the Princess to arrive. Her scholarly side on the other hand told her to continue. She fought with herself for a while until she gave in to her scholarly side and continued to read the journal with some hesitation.

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After a few weeks of research we decided to try an experiment on a live subject. We knew that nopony would willingly want to go through the experiment as the subject so we resorted to combing the forest. We found a fox lying in its den. We chose the fox because it was a weaker animal in mental abilities. We figured it would be a good place to start. We were right. The experiment was something of a success at first; it would do anything we asked without question. We wanted to test the extent of the control we had over it. We brought in a rabid Manticore and told the fox to attack it. The Manticore was chained. We didn’t want the fox to be killed, it was an experiment. To our surprise he charged and started attacking the Manticore. We never expected we would be able to tell a weak animal to attack a fully grown monster and that it  would actually do it. We stood in awe as it rammed the manticore in the lower body because its small size. We made it stop and decided to keep it with us in order to study the effects of the magic we had learned. But we knew it was only a matter of time before we were discovered by Celestia's guards. Even though we were in the forest near the Castle in Canterlot we knew we had to move somewhere safer.

The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters was a perfect place to go. It was secluded and safe from prying eyes. It had only been abandoned a few years. It was not yet in ruins but in some disrepair. As quickly and quietly as we could we moved all of our research to the sub-levels of the castle. Using a strong teleportation spell we knew.  It took a few days but we managed to get everything into the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters without arousing suspicion.

We began to monitor the fox more closely because its condition was deteriorating, it would no longer do what we asked when under the influence of our spell. He calls for me, one of the fruits of our labor. I must hurry to finish this before he takes me. A being unlike any other, he's eating away at me from the inside! How long I can continue to write I do not know.

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Twilight looked up from the journal perspiring and breathing heavily appalled at what she was reading. She could hardly  bear to read any more. Her mind still screamed and pleaded with her to not continue this endeavor. Her mind kept reminding her of the strange essence that was lurking within its pages. Her mind was being torn apart from the inside. She let the book fall to the floor and she clutched her head in her hooves.

"Stop it! Stop it!" she told her mind. Once the internal argument had quieted; she picked up the journal and opened it once again.

Next Chapter

Resolve

Resolve (Alternate Version)

Resolve

The journal remained open as Twilight moved here eyes about the room, making sure that she was unseen. She watched the only door in the room checking the lock mechanism from a distance. She looked about the room in candle light watching the shadows dance along the floor and walls. Once she was sure that she could not be seen by another, her eyes moved to the words of the journal.

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The fox we had used in the first experiment had died a few days later. When returned from the sleeping quarters we went to check on him and record his status. He found it lying in a small pool of its own blood. The head was smashed in and pieces of the skull lay littered on the floor. We had no inclination of how this could have occurred.

We decided to dispose of the body in the Everfree Forest.  After we finished disposing of it we knew we would need to continue to next step, a larger creature. We continued to research into the idea of taking control of a larger animal or pony. There was only one way. We had to make a focal point for our magical abilities to be amplified enough for it to succeed. We discovered that we could not just create a focal point.Its creation required additional measures.

The focal point required was a special type of well. Our research revealed few details pertaining to its creation. We had to improvise with most of the materials required. The next step was to put a drop of blood into the well from each member of the team. The water inside the well turned into a deep red color and began to glow slightly. The others were satisfied with the results of our improvisation but I was not. The red water seemed to be alive. It glowed and pulsed with life. It was strange to me and to my utmost regret I brushed away the feeling.

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Twilight looked up from the book again, her eyes darting in every direction. A soft chuckle escaped her lips. The shadows cast by the lone candle danced in the room, making shapes and forms. She got up out of her chair and went to the desk near the door. She placed the journal down atop its surface. She unlocked the room door and slowly made her way up the few stairs into the main room. Her body and mind were weak from lack of sleep and nourishment. Her face had grown slightly pale in the days past. Spike heard the door creak open and rushed to the stair way to see Twilight walking up slowly, her head down and her eyes looking to the ground.

"Twilight, Twilight! Are you alright? You look terrible. You were down there for two days! Your going to kill yourself, if your not careful. Is that book that important?" Spike asked concern and fear for his friend flowing through his voice. Twilight only kept walking toward the kitchen. She did not look at the baby dragon.

“I…was reading the book from the table. Remember?” Twilight responded weakly.

"Twilight please, this isn't like you! I've seen you do this only once or twice in all the years we've worked together. I'm concerned for you. You need to take care of yourself." he  said raising his voice slightly to make his point.

“I’ll be ok Spike. Don’t worry about it. Right now all I want to do is get something to eat and rest a little bit.”

“Ok Twilight, but please look after yourself. I don't want to lose a friend." he told her his eyes wide and wet.

“Spike, you won't lose me. I'll always be around. But please, let me eat and rest for a while alright.” she told Spike, almost oblivious to his concern. She ate a small meal and made her way to her bed.

When she reached her room, she almost collapsed from the exhaustion. She ell into her bed in a heap. She did not pull her covers over her, her eyes were shut almost as soon as she hit the bed. Her mind would not rest however, she tossed and turned. Her body ached and twitched with small spasms. Her mind's eye was open and she could hear a being speak.

"Twilight? Oh Twilight, your mind is strong and your magic stronger. I can see your future. It is grand. I know a way for it to be even better than what I can see. All you need to do is give me what I want and I will grant you power unlike any the world has ever seen. Your teacher would be so proud of you. Isn't that what you crave most? If it is, then let's make a deal." the deep baritone voice rang in her head.

Twilight's eyes shot open flying around the room trying to locate the source of the voice she had just heard. Her breath was shallow and her heart was racing. She looked out her window trying to gauge the time. The sun had vanished beyond the horizon. The moon and stars shone brightly next to their black background. She took some deep breaths trying to calm herself. She slowly put her head back onto the pillow and closed her eyes once more trying to gain a few more hours of much needed rest.

“Twilight, I know your mind. You look up to your princess and mentor. What if I told you that I could give you the power to take her place? Well I have the kind of ability. I can give you the power that you need to fulfill your every whim and every desire." the voice said with an enticing tone.

"No, I won't do it. I could never do something like that." Twilight said within the confines of her mind as if trying to tell the voice to go away and give up its effort.

"That's funny my dear. I know you wouldn't do such a thing willingly. That's why I am going to take your mind from you!" the voice rang again.

Twilight's body shot upright and she let out a scream. Her breathing increased again and she was mumbling to herself. Her head shot toward the stairs as she heard soft but frantic steps coming.

“Twilight! Are you okay, what happened!?” Spike yelled with concern for his close friend as he ran up the stairs.

“I...I had a bad dream, that’s all. I’ll be alright.”She said while waiving a hoof to dismiss him.

At that spike turned around to go but turned to look at his friend again. Spike's face showed nothing but concern for his dear friend. He continued to look at her with fear and concern on his face. His eyes were wide and hoping. He did not want to leave her side.

“I’m fine Spike, really.” she said forcing a smile onto her face.

“Promise?” he asked, still highly concerned.

“Promise.” She said with her usual pep in her voice as reassurance.

Spike hesitantly turned and went down the stairs not wanting to start a debate. Twilight heard his foot steps reach the bottom floor and she lay her head on her pillow once more. Her eyes closed and her mind drifted away into a peaceful slumber.

"She is close. A little bit more nudging in the direction I want her to go and she'll be mine. She has a strong will, but even the strongest of wills can be broken, if given the right incentive. Her resolve is almost gone and once she is vulnerable she will be mine."

Next Chapter- Descent