Evil's Twilight

by KuroiTsubasaTenshi

Rating: teen
Tags: Princess Celestia, Dark, Alternate Universe, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Princess Luna, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Adventure, Pinkie Pie
Length: 31847

A Winter Wrap Up gone awry gives Twilight a rare opportunity... for a price.

When unforeseen weather disrupts the Winter Wrap Up effort, Twilight is left to fend for herself. She stumbles upon a once in a lifetime experience, but everything has a price to pay.

---

Equestria Daily

Note that writing started on this story prior to the start of season 2. As of the season 3 finale, it is no longer compatible with canon.

Published 2012-03-05 01:44:03 UTC
Last updated 2012-03-05 01:44:03 UTC

Chills

The air raged around Twilight Sparkle, cutting through her scarf and team leader vest as though they were not even there. She squinted, doing her best to ignore the unending flurry of frigid flakes battering her face. Her face went completely numb for a moment as a particularly nasty blast struck her. The purple pony turned and tucked her head against her body, wondering for what was probably the fifth time how something like this could sneak up on anypony.

The unicorn half jumped as something brushed up against her right flank. She looked up to find a charcoal pegasus, Dusky Down, if she remembered correctly, nudging her. The other mare raised her head, spitting out a tangle of teal scarf as she brought her snout next to Twilight’s ear.

“We’re in trouble! Aside from Rainbow Dash, we’re grounded and she can’t hold this back on her own!”

The two ponies then switched so Twilight could yell in Dusky’s ear, “We’ll have to turn back for now! Take me to Rainbow! I’ll signal her with my magic!”

The pegasus gave a firm nod before pressing into the blizzard. Twilight followed closely, careful not to lose sight of Dusky’s frost covered tail.

After a few minutes the wind picked up again, ravenously tearing into the purple pony and nearly sending her off balance. After a few unintended steps, the gusts returned to normal and she had her equilibrium again.

Twilight scanned the area in front of her, but the other mare was nowhere to be found.

“Dusky! Where are you?!”

The blizzard replied by blasting her in the face again.

A distant flash of cyan caught the unicorn’s eye, filling her with hope. Magic swirled around her horn, forming a bright purple sphere just above her head. She hastily pressed forward. With some luck, she might just get both pegasi’s attention.

“Rainbow Dash! Dusky! Rainbow Dash! Duskyyyeeeeeeeep!” Twilight cried out as the snow gave way beneath her. Her flank went numb as it struck what she could only guess was the ground. She bounced back into the air, flailing helplessly.

Something struck the purple pony’s face, blurring her vision. She felt tears forming in her eyes as the snow raked across her like sandpaper. She bounced again, landing once more on her flank and losing all her air. The purple pony rolled several times before everything went black.

Twilight figured she could not have been out for long on account of not yet being completely buried. She lay on her side, an endless sheet of blurry white running off into the distance. She struggled to an upright sitting position, each movement upsetting a tender part of her body.

The unicorn shook her head to clear her vision and was rewarded by a sharp pain racing across her scalp. She let out an anguished whimper, her eyes clouding up again as she nearly keeled over. She clenched up, gritting her teeth while she attempted to fight through the pain.

With a willful cry, she forced her eyes open. She found herself looking down at the imprint of her head, crimson smeared messily across the packed snow. Her stomach lurched, anxiety washing over the purple pony.

“Help! Rainbow...! Dusky...! Somepony...! Any... anypony...!” she cried out hoarsely.

‘Am I dying? I... I don’t want to die out here! Oh, Celestia...help me...’

A panicked attempt to get back on her hooves found the lavender unicorn face down in the snow. She sobbed quietly through the pain as she thrashed about, falling again and again. She closed her eyes as the helplessness set in.

She wished she could see her friends one last time. Her mind did its best to oblige, the visage of each pony flashing before her. Rainbow. Pinkie. Applejack. Rarity. Fluttershy. Then altogether.

‘What are you doing, Twilight? Get up!’ Dash’s voice echoed.

‘Yea, only silly fillies give up!’

‘I, I can’t... it hurts so much...’ Twilight replied.

‘C’mon, Twi, we know you’re tougher than that!’

‘But...’

‘No buts, dear. We’re waiting for you.’

‘So you have to come back. Please, Twilight,’ Fluttershy pleaded.

‘You’re right, everypony. I... I’m not alone.’

Each of her friends smiled.

Twilight’s eye snapped open and with new found determination in her heart, she set about forging a plan. She would need to find somewhere safe to assess her injuries. If she was lucky the basic survival kit in her saddlebag might just allow her to patch herself up.

With calculated effort, the unicorn forced herself back to a sitting position. Taking a deep breath, she continued. Her legs quivered, threatening to give way again, but with a heroic yell, the purple pony was back on her hooves.

The storm was still as bad as ever, leaving Twilight without any sense of direction. She debated using another light spell, but as she could barely stand as she was, she decided to forgo magic unless absolutely necessary.

She limped a few steps in a random direction, pausing when she spotted the curved ridge of a snow bank. Seeing no other options, the lavender pony followed the bank, desperately hoping to find a cave or even a little ridge.

Twilight did not know how long she traveled, but she was starting to tire again, each step becoming heavier than the last. Her body felt almost entirely numb, a clear sign she was running out of time.

The wind suddenly let up, as though feeling sorry for the frozen mare. The wall of snow thinned enough that she thought she could make out some brown columns. Hope bubbled forth as she limped as fast as her battered body would allow.

She hurried into the treeline, glad to finally have some protection. The purple pony glanced around hastily, hoping for a place to set up. She let out a feeble cheer when she spotted the entrance to a small cave.

Even though the path was pretty much straight and level, Twilight stumbled over herself a few times before she reached the mouth. Her horn gave off a dim glow as she scanned the immediate interior. Thankfully, nothing scary was waiting for her. Breathing a sigh of relief, the purple pony allowed her horn to glow a bit brighter.

As soon as she was safely inside, a loud howling echoed out behind her. The unicorn almost toppled over as she whirled. Snow blew completely horizontal across the entrance.

“Just in time...” the pony mumbled to herself.

Twilight staggered over to the right side wall and practically fell back on her haunches. She tore the survival kit from her bag and eagerly pried the lid off. She rooted through the contents until she found the bandages. Holding up the inside of the lid as a makeshift mirror, the unicorn found the gash on her forehead, just below her left ear. Pulling out her small canteen of water, she set to work cleaning the wound as carefully as she could muster. Her bandaging job turned out a little sloppy, making her wish she had her first aid book on hoof.

No longer needing the extra space, the lavender pony nestled herself into a nook in the wall to keep herself out of sight. She pulled the emergency blanket from her saddlebag, wrapping it tightly around herself. As the feeling returned to her body, it took the opportunity to grumble at her. She nibbled at one of her hay rations, washing it down with a long swig from her canteen, the water tasting sweeter than anything Pinkie had ever given her.

The exhaustion struck hard and fast. As her head drooped, the pony found she had no fight left in her. She was almost asleep before her chin touched the ground.

Twilight eased an eye open. She felt raw and absolutely disgusting, but at least she was alive. She stretched out her legs and very cautiously attempted to stand. She was still a bit unsteady, but otherwise fine.

As she packed up her blanket, she realized the cave felt strangely eerie. She could not hear the wind anymore. Excited at the prospect of being able to go home, Twilight turned, quickly shuffling in the direction of the entrance. However, what she saw caused her spirit to droop alongside her ears.

The entire entrance was filled in by thick ice. She wondered just how long she had been sleeping. The purple pony walked up and prodded the frozen wall.

‘Not long enough for something like this to happen,’ she mused.

She considered trying magic, but her body was still so weak she believed she did not have the ability to make a reasonable effort She decided she would have to wait until either she was recovered enough or the pegasi rescued her.

The unicorn turned her attention to the deeper recesses of the cave, her horn illuminating a curve to the right. Her supplies were extremely limited, but if she could find a spring without getting lost she would be in good shape.

Twilight swallowed hard as she pressed forward. The tunnel slanted downward a bit before leveling out into another bend. She drew a deep breath as she turned the corner. A mix of relief and fear washed over the purple pony.

Before her was a large atrium with at least a dozen tunnels. Every direction she looked the passage ended in inky blackness.

“How am I supposed to find a spring in this mess?” she despaired.

‘A spring? I can help with that,’ came the voice of another mare.

“Waagh!” the unicorn cried out, spinning around several times. “Who’s there?”

‘You can call me Misty. And don’t bother looking for me, I’m not in that room.’

‘Then how? A telepathy spell?’ she pondered.

‘My, aren’t you smart. I’m going to have fun talking to you,’ the voice said with a giggle.

‘You can hear all my thoughts?’ the unicorn asked nervously.

‘Just those at the front of your mind, what you want to say, for lack of a better term.’

‘Ah, so that’s how it works,’ Twilight wondered if she was not just delirious from her injuries.

‘I see you do not trust me. Allow me to be the first to extend my hoof. Figuratively speaking, that is.’

Before Twilight could protest, a series of visions flashed across her consciousness. A route of tunnels ending with the lingering sight of a small, rocky pond, water lazily drifting in from a small hole in the cavern wall.

Misty spoke again, ‘Do you understand?’

‘Yes, thank you,’ the purple pony answered, proceeding in the direction of her first vision. The path was exactly as described and even shorter than the unicorn had imagined. Even at her slow pace, a few minutes was all she took to arrive.

As the pond came into view, the lavender pony broke into an excited trot. She gave the water a quick sniff before shoving her snout in and drinking to her heart’s content. When she finished, she set about refilling her canteen.

‘Feeling better?’

‘Very much. Thank you, Misty,’ Twilight smiled.

‘You’re welcome, um...’

‘Twilight Sparkle.’

‘Twilight... such a pretty name.’

‘Uh... thanks?’ the unicorn arched an eyebrow.

A series of growls and yips echoed in from the corridor. Twilight froze, eyes growing wide.

‘What was that?’

‘Dog-worms.’

‘Dog... worms?’

‘I don’t know if they actually have a name. They just look like worms with stubby legs and growl like dogs, so that’s what I call them.’ An image of an off white creature, jaws lined with jagged teeth, appeared in Twilight’s mind.

‘It looks dangerous.’

‘Very. Be prepared to fight.’

Twilight tensed, her weary body protesting at just the thought of combat. She hoped the creature would just pass her by, but that hope sank with each approaching footstep. Her mind began to frantically sift through her spells, looking for the best way to defend herself.

The creature rounded the corner, faced Twilight and stopped. The pony kept still, hoping the monster had not seen her. Or, noting that the monster seemed to have no eyes, whatever it does to find things. However, with a loud growl, the dog-worm charged forward at a speed those little legs had no right to. Her opponent leaped into the air, its jaws wide. But the unicorn was prepared and a stream of magic erupted from her horn, smashing the monster to the ground.

But Twilight had no time to celebrate. Two more of the creatures cleared the bend, committing to similar charges. The purple unicorn hastily fired another stream of magic. The bolt went wide, harmlessly striking the ground. She gulped, fumbling for a spell that might be useful at close range.

She was barely able to side step the first attack, the breath of the monster leaving a sickening warmth on her right flank as it flew by. She stumbled back to the right, a feeble attempt to dodge the final creature’s left side lunge. Twilight screamed as she felt the muscle fray and tear from her left hind leg.

Clenching her teeth, the purple pony ignored the pain and tears, keeping her focus on her spell. The room became pure white and Twilight charged forward, praying she remembered the terrain correctly. She nearly stumbled over her crippled leg several times, but when the light faded away, she found herself in the tunnel.

However, the clambering of footsteps behind Twilight told her she had not bought herself much time. She tried to pick up her pace, but her leg failed, sending her tumbling head over heels into the wall.

‘Twilight. This spell. Use it,’ Misty’s voice penetrated the purple pony’s disorientation. A minimalist page materialized in her mind, summarizing the technique and effects of the suggestion.

‘This... this is destruction magic. I can’t use this!’

‘Yea, yea, I get it. Ponies don’t like magic that kills. Are you really going to worry about that now?’

‘No, it’s not that, I-’

The trio of monsters were nearly upon her now. The unicorn involuntarily shuffled backward, promptly pressing her battered body against the wall. She shivered as terror grabbed hold of her. She had come so far and now all of her struggles were about to mean nothing. Unless she went back on her word.

‘I will tell you when you are ready. Until then, promise me you will not study this magic,’ the princess’ voice echoed.

The creatures were in the air now, jaws closing in for the killing blow. Twilight’s horn flashed and a blast of air sent the dog-worms flying back, two of them crashing into the opposite wall. The third recovered mid air and lunged again as soon as it landed. The attack was stifled by another stream of magic.

‘You can’t keep this up forever, this will end decisively and it will be either you or them! And you deserve better, Twilight!’

Twilight struck another monster from the air. The remaining two charged simultaneously from the left and right. The lavender pony tried to prepare another blast of air, but her strength was waning and the right dog-worm reached her first. She whimpered, too tired to even scream, as the powerful jaws closed around the shoulder of her right foreleg..

‘I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die’

The spell appeared before her again.

‘I DON’T WANT TO DIE!’

With a guttural cry of rage, the unicorn’s eyes flared white, a magical nova pulsing out and forcing her assailant to release her shoulder. The creature hung in the air, gnashing its teeth in vain as it tried to return to its prey.

The air around the pony grew hazy and small balls of flame began to form around her. They swirled violently, awaiting her command. She set the mass of fire upon the levitated dog-worm, smothering its screams with a sickening sizzling sound. Then the fireballs switched targets, leaving the smoldering husk behind. The searing energy launched outward, blanketing the entire tunnel in a shower of tiny meteors. The remaining monsters had nowhere to run and soon met similar fates.

Twilight’s eyes returned to normal and she slumped over, exhaustion taking hold. The unicorn suddenly realized she was covered in her own blood, crusty patches of dried brown matting her fur. Her eyes slipped down to her mess of a hind leg. Tattered strands of muscle and chunks of flesh hung suspended in a soup of dirt and clotting blood. Her stomach churned and she had to look away. Her eyes settled upon the charred corpses and blasted walls. Her heart sank.

“What have I done?”

’You did what was necessary to survive.’

‘I broke my promise. I told her I would wait. What... what if this was a city?!’

‘I’m sure she would understand. If you cling too hard to the book, it will smother you. Now listen to me, Twilight. You need to focus up and treat your wounds. You are a strong unicorn, even if your control is... questionable. I will teach you a regenerative spell to help you out.’

Another page materialized in front of Twilight. She squinted, as though that might help her mind’s eye.

‘This looks really difficult,’ the exhausted mare pointed out.

‘It is, but if you want to walk anytime soon, you’ll need to try. And for the spell to work properly, you will have to sleep for a bit. And to do that without getting eaten, you’ll need this spell...’

Pinkie Pie trotted forward, matted coat glistening in the sun. She shook her head to clear the stray locks of frazzled mane from her eyes. The first aid tent was just a few feet away now. She set her chin and smiled grimly as she pushed through the flap.

“Oh, my! Pinkie, you look terrible!” Fluttershy said, rushing over with a mouthful of towels.

“Ah, don’t worry about me. Plenty of other fillies for that,” the pink pony forced her smile wider.

“But you’ve been out almost all day. Surely even you need to rest.”

The yellow pegasus began patting down the earth pony’s coat.

“I know, but ponies are still missing, all sad and alone. And no pony likes that. So I gotta go back,” Pinkie Pie’s expression turned solemn for a second. “And, well... Twilight would do the same for us.”

Fluttershy’s response was a simple nod. Pinkie grabbed a towel and started helping her friend. They continued in silence until their job was complete.

“Rainbow’s team found Colgate,” Fluttershy broke the uneasiness.

“That’s great!” Pinkie perked up.

“She didn’t look too bad, the nurses just wanted to hold her for a few hours.”

“How are they doing?”

“Still up to their ears in ponies, mostly hypothermic,” the yellow pony’s expression darkened.

“Hey, I’m sure if we do our best, everything will turn out all right,” the pink pony said.

Fluttershy nodded again.

“I need to go now. Applejack is waiting and we have a Twilight to find!” Pinkie bounced enthusiastically.

“Um, good luck then.”

“We’ll find her,” the pink pony called back as she trotted from the tent.

“Ugh, this is useless!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as her hooves touched the snow. Two more pegasi, Ditzy and Dusky, landed on each side of her flanks.

“Don’t say that, Dashie!” Pinkie frowned.

“She’s right, we can’t lose our cool. We’ve gotta stay positive,” Applejack asserted.

“Well, then we can stay positive searching another area!” Dash’s face contorted into an irritated glare.

“And just where do you propose doing that? North? South?”

“I don’t know! Anywhere we haven’t been over a dozen times!”

“It’s only been three times!” Applejack sighed, lowering her voice, “Look, we can’t just go around willy nilly like that. This is our best lead.”

“I agree with Applejack,” Rarity interjected. “We’re all concerned, but for Twilight’s sake, we must be careful and thorough. Now, dear, would you mind going over your story one more time?”

“All right,” Dusky replied, all eyes falling on her. “I led Twilight in Rainbow Dash’s direction. We had traveled several minutes through the snow when the storm really started coming down hard. The wind was enough to knock me to my knees. When I was able to stand again, I realized she wasn’t behind me anymore.”

The charcoal pegasus trotted over to a spot in the snow marked by a jagged tree trunk before continuing, “I doubled back and was just barely able to find our old tracks. At some point her hoofprints branched off, which led me here. But then her prints just... stopped.”

“And that doesn’t make any sense! How could you not find her?!” Rainbow glared at Dusky.

“I... I don’t know,” the black pony looked down.

“Then get it figured out! A pony’s life is at stake!”

“I know that,” was the calm reply.

“Do you? Then show some emotion, damnnit!” Rainbow yelled, practically getting in the other pegasus’ face.

“Rainbow Dash, stop!” Pinkie nudged the blue pony. “Can’t you see she feels bad?”

“Fine. Whatever. We’re wasting time here. Come on, Ditzy!” Dash growled as she took off.

“Okay! Hey, wait up!” the grey pegasus yelled, attempting to follow the already distant form of Rainbow.

“I’ll... search over here,” Dusky stated flatly, turning and cantering away.

Pinkie looked at Applejack, whom nodded. With a wave, the pink pony rushed to catch up.

Pinkie Pie found Dusky standing atop a small mogul, staring out onto the landscape.

“Hey! Forgetty forgetterson!”

The other mare blinked, turning her head away for a moment before finally looking at Pinkie.

“Pairs, remember?”

“Yea, sorry.”

“Are you okay?” Pinkie asked, spotting the tears at the corners of Dusky’s eyes.

The pegasus nodded, “Rainbow Dash just... didn’t help things.”

“Aw, that’s just Rainbow Dash. She just gets frustrated easily. Sometimes she even yells at me. But I know she doesn’t mean it.”

“I’ve seen her frustrated. That wasn’t frustrated, that was furious. I guess I can’t really blame her. I keep asking myself how could I lose her? Where did I go wrong?” the pegasus paused. “But even if I had those answers, that won’t fix the situation. So I’m going to keep searching.”

“That’s the spirit! Then when we find her I’ll throw a super duper awesome welcome back party!”

A small smile crossed Dusky’s lips, “That sounds like a nice idea. Let’s go, then.”

“Ugh... I have got to stop waking up like this,” Twilight moaned, rolling over into an upright position.

‘Good morning.’

‘Good morning,’ the unicorn replied absently as she forced herself to check her body. The cuts on her right shoulder were gone, an encouraging sign. With a deep breath, she peered at her hind leg. Amazingly, the only trace of injury was the dried blood and a few bald spots in her coat where the wound had been. She very cautiously pushed herself to her hooves. Her muscles were a little stiff, but the lack of pain made her feel rather euphoric.

‘Feeling better?’

‘Much. Thank you, Misty,’ Twilight replied. ‘How long was I sleeping?’

‘Oh, just a little shy of three days.’

‘Three days?!’

‘What did you expect? You were on the brink of death. Even magic has its limits,’ Misty answered.

‘I... I guess,’ the unicorn stammered, fighting through her shock. ‘Hey, you’re still talking to me telepathically.’

‘What of it?’

‘Wouldn’t three days be enough time to find me?’ Twilight arched an eyebrow at nopony in particular.

‘I would if I could, believe me.’

‘What is that supposed to mean?’

‘I’m trapped, so to speak.’

‘So to speak?’ Twilight pressed.

‘This cave used to be a burial grounds.’

‘You were buried alive?!’ horror washed over the purple pony as her imagination closed in on her, making her feel claustrophobic.

‘What? No. Our rituals were... more convoluted back then. Somepony messed up and ended up binding my soul to my dead body. I’ve been stuck here ever since.’

‘That’s awful...’ Twilight lamented, shivering as her mind terrified her further.

‘So I’ll make you a deal. You wish to return to your friends, do you not?’

‘Of course.’

‘If you promise to free me, that I might finally rest in peace, I will teach you a teleportation spell.’

‘But I already know how to teleport.’

‘And yet you’re still here.’’

‘I was hurt and... well, to tell the truth, the spell is unstable at the best of times,’ Twilight replied sheepishly.

‘Hmph, you are like a little filly, toying with things you do not understand.’

‘Excuse me? I am a student of Princess Celestia,’ the unicorn frowned pridefully.

‘And one with much to learn at that. Let me guess, you experience disorientation, fatigue and are only able to perform the spell at extremely short ranges? I’ll take your silence as a yes. It is unstable because you’re not doing it right. You’re lucky you haven’t accidentally displaced something solid into your vitals. For my part of the deal, I will help you to master your teleportation.’

Twilight shook off her surprise, ‘All right.’

‘Try this spell.’

‘But this is a barrier spell. What does this-’

‘I’ll be frank. You lack the skill to teleport off the cuff. You’ll continue to have the same problems. A portion of this spell is similar to part of the teleport spell.’

‘Ah! So when I put them all together...’

‘Exactly. Shall we begin?’

Twilight looked up at the second level of the cave. Her horn glowed and a few seconds later, she was eying the first floor below. Then she was downstairs. And above.

‘Excellent. You are ready now,’ Misty said.

The lavender pony turned to face the small array of burial shrines.

‘Second from the right.’

Twilight approached the stone enclosed shrine. The columns were lined with faded paintings of symbols and depictions ancient beyond her knowledge. Decorative pieces of jewel lined metal hung precariously from certain sections. And in the center of everything sat a single stone table, painted urn upon its surface.

‘Smash it.’

The unicorn levitated the urn high into the air before bringing it down forcefully against the table. With a resounding crash, shards of clay scattered everywhere. When the dust cleared, a thick pile of ashes lay where the urn used to be.

‘Good-bye, Twilight. It was a pleasure,’ Misty’s voice echoed in the pony’s head. The purple unicorn’s mind was presented with one final spell.

‘Likewise. Thank, you, Misty,’ Twilight teared up as she replied. She closed her eyes and concentrated, feeling power gather around her horn. As the spell approached completion, she opened her eyes to stare at the ashes. A soft blue light pulsed through the room and then nothing.

‘Misty?’ the unicorn asked. When there was no answer, she smiled sadly, letting the tears stream down her cheeks. “Good-bye.”

After a few moments, Twilight remembered she had one more thing left to do. She braced herself, closing her eyes as magic began to dance around her horn. Her mind focused on exactly one thing: home. The interior of the library appeared before her, the welcoming sight of the book lined shelves spurring her onward.

The unicorn grunted as the strain of the spell drew more and more power from her. She felt beads of sweat form on her face and and her vision darkened, the library slipping away from her.

“Come on...!” the lavender pony gritted her teeth. She poured everything she had into the spell and an immense pressure crushed up against her body.

Just when she thought her poor bones couldn’t hold out any longer, the pain relented. She opened her eyes, but found she could barely see. As the darkness finished creeping over her, she thought she glimpsed three silhouettes closing in on her.

Inklings

“We’re not giving up, Sugarcube,’ Applejack insisted. “We’ve still got teams going out. It’s just that we’ve been at this nearly a week and we should be ready to find her... in not the best of shape.”

“Like that’s any better!” Spike yelled into Pinkie Pie’s mane between sobs. The pink pony did not mind. In fact, she wished she could do more, but even she was struggling to come up with comforting words. So instead she put on a brave face and nuzzled the baby dragon.

The orange pony sighed, “Look, all I’m saying is... naw, y’know what? I’ma stop while I’m still ahead.”

The three sat in silence, Applejack staring at the floor and Pinkie at a random bookcase. Spike continued to cry, stopping every couple minutes to dry his eyes with the backs of his hands. He would stare longingly at the door before breaking down again. Pinkie eventually stopped following his gaze, instead opting to resume nuzzling.

“T... T...Twi...?” the dragon stammered.

“Huh?” Pinkie looked over her shoulder. “Twilight!”

Standing smack in the middle of the room was a barely recognizable pony. Her mane was disheveled, frayed and faded. Where her coat wasn’t matted by dried brown patches, dark grey particles threatened to choke out what little purple remained. Her eyes sagged, pupils flitting about at random. Her mouth hung open, laboured breathing audible even from where Pinkie Pie was sitting. As Pinkie, Spike and Applejack leaped to their hooves, she toppled over with a crash.

“Twi! Twi!” Applejack yelled, rushing over to the collapsed mare. The orange pony nudged the unicorn a couple times before pressing her ear to Twilight’s chest. “She’s still breathing. Spike, first aid kit, now! Pinkie, get the nurse!”

Twilight felt sore all over. But after days of sleeping on solid rock, whatever she was lying on felt heavenly. Realizing she did not know where she was, her eyes snapped open. But when she saw that ceiling she would know anywhere, the unicorn’s face melted into a smile. She was home.

“Twilight!” Spike yelped from the unicorn’s right. She turned her head in time for the dragon to finish scaling the bed and envelop her in a great big hug.

“Hello, Spike,” she said, nuzzling him in return.

After a few moments, she glanced up and found Rarity at the foot of her bed.

“Good afternoon, dear,” the white unicorn smiled.

“Good afternoon,” she beamed back.

“How are you feeling?”

“Other than a little soreness, great.”

“That’s good to hear. You know, you gave us all quite the scare.”

“Did I?” Twilight asked, the whole experience feeling like a blur. “I guess I was missing, wasn’t I? I’m sorry I worried you.”

“Not that. Well, yes, that too, but I’m talking about showing up in the middle of the library looking like some ruffian mauled you.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“That’s because you keeled over as soon as you got here. Just about fell right onto your face too,” Spike said.

“Ah, I guess that explains the aches.”

“And cleaning your coat was just a dreadful job. I don’t think we even got everything out.”

Twilight giggled, “Thanks, Rarity, I’m glad somepony was thinking of that.”

“Why, of course. How would you ever be able to recover if you were still covered in all that icky blood? Speaking of which, despite your appearance, the nurse said you do not have a single scratch on you. All you need is a few days’ bed rest. Strange, isn’t it?”

“That is weird,” Twilight’s mind moved a little sluggishly as she tried to come up with an explanation. But her train of thought was interrupted by the clip clopping of hooves. Her eyes were drawn to the stairs in time for the arrival of Pinkie Pie and Dusky Down.

“Sorry to intrude,” Dusky gave Pinkie a sideways glance.

“We just wanted to make sure you were feeling better!” the earth pony grinned.

“And... I’m sorry,” Dusky blurted out.

Twilight arched an eyebrow, “Sorry? For what?”

“For letting you down.”

“But I was the one who lost track of you.”

“Still, I should have checked back more often.”

“I could have kept closer.”

“I should have looked harder.”

“Girls,” Rarity cut in. “Let’s just agree you will both be more careful next time.”

Dusky looked at Twilight, whom nodded, prompting the pegasus to answer, “All right...”

“So how did you get back, anyway? We were all sad and then Spike was like T-T-Twi and I was like huuuuuh?! But then I looked over and there you were and I was so happy!” Pinkie leaned in expectantly.

“I think I teleported,” Twilight hesitated, her mind still feeling muddy. “Yes, that must have been it.”

Spike’s jaw dropped, “Really? All the way here from outside Ponyville?”

“I guess so.”

“Wow, that’s amazing! When did you get so good?”

“I was taught by... by... somepony.”

“Somepony? Did you not get a name?” Rarity asked.

“I did, I...” Twilight felt like the answer she sought was staying just out of reach. “I can’t remember her name for some reason.”

Pinkie tilted her head, “Really? Where did you meet her?”

“A... cave?”

“You’re not sure?” Dusky’s brow furrowed.

“No, I’m mostly sure... I think.”

Everypony stared blankly at Twilight. Then at each other, then back at Twilight. She shrunk under their gaze.

Rarity broke the silence, “You look a bit tired, Twilight, perhaps we should let you rest. Come on, girls, Spike.”

“Hey, don’t forget I’m going to throw you a big party when you’re really feeling better!” Pinkie called over Rarity’s shoulder as the white pony nudged her down the stairs.

“Looking forward to it!” Twilight replied.

The unicorn bit her lip, pouring all of her effort into grasping that elusive name. But the attempts were all in vain. She slumped down into her pillow.

‘This really happened, right? I’m... I’m not going crazy, am I?’

“No,” the book tumbled to the floor. Twilight pulled another history tome from the shelf, rifling through the table of contents, then the appendix. She knew she just had to find the name, see it once and she would remember. And surely such a powerful mage would be in one of these books. She was so absorbed in her search she barely noticed the library door creak open.

“Hey, Twilight, you coming?” Spike asked.

“Yes, in a moment. I just need to check a few more books,” the unicorn answered without looking up.

“You said that an hour ago. C’mon, Twilight, you’re missing the party!”

Twilight gave her assistant an annoyed glance, “This would go faster if someone wasn’t distracting me.”

“But-”

“If you’re not going to help, then get out!”

“I...” Spike’s mouth gaped for a moment before he turned to leave. “Fine, maybe I will.”

“Wait,” Twilight’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, Spike, I don’t know what came over me. It’s just I’ve been finding it really hard to focus lately and this is something I really need to know.”

“Maybe you’re pushing yourself too hard?”

The unicorn nodded, “Yea... maybe some relaxation would do me some good.”

“Then it’s settled! Let’s go!”

Twilight stood on a cobblestone path, gaze fixed on a large, but simple stone fountain. She trotted forward, heavy clip clopping echoing out into the afternoon air. She stared down into the basin and was surprised to find a stallion staring back at her.

He was looking rather worn, his handsome face stained with dirt, leaving what must have once been a white coat looking rather brown. His dark brown eyes peered out from the shade of a utilitarian helmet, the only really notable thing being the hole for his horn. Similarly practical armour covered his body.

The sound of more hoofsteps caused him to turn, and with him, Twilight. Before them stood a deep blue unicorn colt, short black mane framing his face. He was frozen mid-step, visage fixed in a wide eyed stare.

“Halt, civilian!” the stallion’s voice boomed.

“Aw, come on, Shine, are you really going to be like that?” the colt pouted.

“This area is a war zone, it’s restricted and more importantly, dangerous. I can’t treat you any differently.”

“So what, you’re going to lock me up?”

“No.”

“I thought you weren’t going to treat me differently,” the colt gave a defiant stare.

The stallion sighed, “I know you want to help your sis- ahem, the Commandant, but being a stubborn little punk isn’t going to do either of you any good. Now go back home before I change my mind.”

“Fine.”

As Twilight watched the colt gallop away, her vision faded into darkness.

Twilight struggled to keep her focus, skimming the last appendix page. Still lacking anything close to an answer, the unicorn pitched the book on top of the pile of dead ends.

She had begun keeping an eye out for the ponies from her dream. She believed her mind was trying to tell her something about her one time mentor, that these ponies were somehow related to her. Or rather, that was her conclusion based as a theory from a book she once read.

The lavender pony sighed, flopping down on her haunches. She was not used to breaking so frequently, the experience becoming rather maddening. Curiously, Twilight found spell books as the single exception to the fuzziness she had come to associate with her lack of focus. In fact, such study almost seemed to rejuvenate her. She wondered if her little adventure had left her with a bias toward the practical. She decided she would test her hypothesis once her current search was over.

Twilight stood up again, wondering if studying outdoors would be any better. She strapped her saddlebag to her flank, adding the next books in her queue.

“Spike, I’m going out!” she called, stepping out into a fresh spring breeze.

The purple unicorn walked aimlessly among the bustling ponies. She wanted to find someplace quiet, but the central area was proving to be a lost cause. She decided she should try the outskirts.

As she turned to leave, Ponyville melted away, replaced by a sea of fire. The shapes of nearby buildings crumbled and collapsed under the onslaught. And sitting right in the middle of the chaos was a large stone basin, pieces of ruined rock protruding from it. Twilight went pale as she realized she was staring at a fountain.

“Ooph!” the unicorn cried out as something struck her. She was suddenly back in Ponyville, face to face with the walleyed Ditzy Doo. “Hey, watch it!”

“Sorry, Twilight,” Ditzy answered, looking the purple pony up and down.

“It’s fine. Just be more careful next time... is something wrong?”

“Are you feeling okay?” the grey mare tilted her head.

“Yes.”

“You look tired.”

“I’m fine, really.”

“I’m glad to hear,” the mailmare seemed unconvinced. “We were worried, you know. Make sure you take care of yourself.”

“Oh, thanks... you too,” Twilight watched Ditzy depart, suddenly feeling bad for being so short with the pegasus.

“Hey, Twi.”

Twilight turned around, “Oh, hi, Applejack.”

“You do realize you’re the one who bumped into Ditzy, right?”

“I did? Really?”

“Yea, saw you wandering around over here, then you got this horrified look on your face and you walked right into her.”

Twilight furrowed her brow, recalling what she had just seen. And this time she was not even sleeping. She frowned deeply. A hallucination was the obvious answer. But she felt okay. And unless the nurse made a mistake, her head should be fine. She desperately grasped for something, any answer that would make sense.

“You okay, Sugarcube?”

The unicorn stared blankly at her friend, “I... I don’t know....”

“Absolutely out of the question!” the grey mare yelled, flipping her long, sea blue mane.

There was no doubt in Twilight’s mind. The voice was that of her one time mentor.

‘Come one, mind, just give me a name...’

“But we’re running out of options! The dogs are practically at our doorstep!”

“Shining Light, are you seriously proposing we risk everything on a weapon we don’t even understand?” the mare narrowed her eyes in a stare so hard Twilight tried to flinch.

“Everything is already at stake! If we lose this post, the dogs will be behind our lines!”

“They may have numbers, but with proper tactics we can prevail. An unknown risk is simply something I cannot bring into the equation. That weapon was locked away for a reason.”

“But...”

“Lieutenant. You will leave it alone. That is an order.”

“As you wish, Commandant.”

‘Wait, say her name! Commandant what?!’ Twilight tried to yell, but found she had no mouth. Her heart sank as the dream slipped away.

Shining Light stood in the middle of the fine brick hallway. He was battered and bruised, blood dripping from several openings where his armour had failed. He telekinetically discarded his dented helmet, splattering blood everywhere as it struck a puddle on the ground.

Four ponies, two earth and two unicorn, lay lifeless, soaking in pools of their own blood. Each was dressed in the garb of a royal guardspony. Twilight recognized the sun sigil imprinted on the front of their armour. These ponies had been among Princess Celestia’s elite.

Twilight wretched and a colt spoke on her behalf, “I... I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Then stop following me and go home, Sea Breeze!” Shine snapped “I told you, war is no place for colts!”

“That may be true, but... I can’t. Not while my home is threatened. I have to do something, anything!”

“Including treason? Because that is that path I walk. If you follow me, we may save the village, but pardon is less than guaranteed.”

“I... I... it’s better than having no place left to live!”

“Hah, you have resolve, I’ll give you that much,” Shine shook his blonde mane out. “Fine, then follow me.”

The stallion led the way to the end of the corridor where a heavy stone door blocked the way. Faded glyphs written in an old Equestrian language ran up and down the length of the accompanying wall. Twilight could not tell what they said, but guessed she could safely assume they were warnings. Warnings that Shine ignored, the glow of his horn forcing the slab aside. He limped inside, peering about for a moment before turning around.

“Come here. Good. Now watch the door while I get this figured out.”

“Yes, sir.”

Shine let out a hoarse chuckle as he headed for the middle of the room, where a small dais stood. Twilight watched with curiosity, but was soon forced to look back into the hall.

Several over the shoulder glances told her the stallion seemed to be taking his time, perhaps reading something. She wished the colt would spend more time looking at Shine.

Soft clopping echoed down the hallway as several shadows played against the walls.

“Shine,” Breeze hissed. “I think somepony’s coming. Shine?”

Twilight jumped as an anguished scream filled the room. She, or rather, the colt, whirled. A soft blue light was emanating from the dais, dancing over the spasming form of the white stallion. Shining Light’s eyes bulged out and he flailed, as though he was being crushed by an invisible force.

“Shine!” the colt yelled out, galloping forward.

The light grew harsher, blotting out Twilight’s vision entirely. The last thing she saw was a lock of blonde mane.

“SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!”

Twilight woke with a start, a cold dampness on her coat. She doubled over, working her breathing back to a normal level.

‘What? Why do I keep seeing these?’ the unicorn shook her head. She could no longer delude herself into thinking the dreams were the product of fatigue. They dreams were far too vivid, far too coherent. Like a story, but one she had never read.

Left without an explanation, the frustrated pony shuffled out of bed. She crept down the stairs to the kitchen and ravenously downed a glass of water. Finding her thirst not quite quenched, she poured herself another.

She sipped absently, allowing her mind to wander. Suddenly a thought occurred to her: her dreams could be caused by magic. But she could think of no spell that that could cause that effect. She frowned.

Twilight’s face lit up. The cause did not have to be one of her spells. An old burial grounds was sure to have a mishmash of different ponies’ artifacts sealed with them. Something weird was certain to happen when that much magic was together. Maybe if she went back she could analyse the magic and come up with some way to dispel it. The unicorn grew excited. All she needed to do was go back.

‘Go back to... where?’ her ears drooped as she realized she was lost when she found the cave.

“Agh, why can’t I catch a break?!” she screamed in frustration. Her glass smashed against the wall. Whirling around, she threw everything from the counter. Dishes and containers went crashing to the floor with varying results.

When the rage finally subsided, Twilight was left looking at a disaster of a kitchen. Shards of the things she had thrown lay strewn all over the floor. Her face turned beet red as she heard the rush of footsteps.

“Twi? Wha-what happened?” Spike asked sleepily from the doorway.

“Ehehe, nothing at all. Just, uh, slipped and lost my concentration. Go back to bed, I’ll get this cleaned up.”

The dragon gave her a strange look before finally replying, “Whatever you say.”

Once Spike was out of sight, Twilight fell to her knees.

“What’s wrong with me?” she whimpered, clutching her forehooves over her head.

“You must be mad to think I would let you return!” a familiar mare yelled.

Twilight was finally starting to understand how these “dreams” worked. She was seeing things through the other mare’s eyes exactly as they happened however long ago. On one hoof, the prospect excited her, for no history book could compare. But on the other hoof, given what she knew so far, she was not so sure she wanted to see what happened next.

Shining Light and Sea Breeze stood before them. But something had changed. There was an air of power about them, something Twilight thought she could feel, even though she was not really there. A look of almost arrogant malice sat upon their faces, disconcerting her.

“Now, Misty, is that any way to greet your dear friend and your beloved brother?” Shine cocked his head.

‘Misty! That’s it!’

“It is when they’ve been damned foals!”

“That hurts. Don’t you realize that it’s because of us the dogs are in full retreat?” Breeze asked.

“That may be so, but I heard of the atrocities you both committed,” Misty replied, her voice growing increasingly disappointed with each accusation. “You are unstable and pose a danger to the citizens. Further, you disobeyed orders, stole a crown treasure and are accountable for the murder of eight royal guards.”

“What we did was necessary for the safety of Equestria,” Shine narrowed his eyes.

“There is a fine line between necessary and sadistic,” Misty replied sternly.

“Then come with us and see for yourself how harmless we are,” Breeze’s malice momentarily shifted to pleading.

‘Don’t do it, don’t do it!’ Twilight thought as the silence dragged on.

“No...”

“What, do you not trust us?” Shine asked.

“I wish I could, but... that power has clearly changed you. Surrender yourselves and submit to the princess’ examination.”

“You’re kidding,” the blue colt tilted his head.

“By the power invested in me, I Commandant Misty Tide place you both under arrest, to be held indefinitely. Resist and I... I will use force!”

“You’re kidding, right? Do you really think you’re in a position to stop us?” the stallion took a few steps forward.

“Yes, I do. Because you are my friend and my brother, I must set you free... one way... or another. In this I cannot fail.”

Shine shook his head, “That is the most illogical drivel we have ever heard you spout. Enough of this. Stand aside or this wood shall be your grave.”

Misty stood her ground and a painful silence reigned, none of the ponies moving so much as an inch. Then Sea Breeze’s horn glowed and in a flash of white, he was gone.

A barrier shimmered into existence in front of Misty as Shine’s horn gave away the otherwise invisible attack. The shield shook violently, but did not falter.

Twilight’s vision spun as a small globe of magic was launched into the underbrush. She was whipped around again and a moment later, harsh light exploded into being, even at the peripheral of her sight. Somepony’s cry of surprise echoed from the direction of the attack.

Seeing Shine shielding his eyes, Misty did not miss a beat. She was suddenly in front of the stallion, tossing her head violently. As best Twilight could tell, he was caught right under the chin. Her vision quaked violently as the two enaged in some sort of close quarters combat, which ended with a magical blast that knocked them both back.

Misty groaned, but quickly climbed to her hooves. She let out a cry of pain before whirling to face a tree. A seething beam of magic lanced out from one of the branches. The attack was once again stopped by Misty’s defenses. However, this time the shield shattered.

Cursing under her breath, the mare threw a quick fireball into the offending tree. Then she took off, weaving through the trees are she went. Shards of bark flew by over head and Misty stole a quick glance behind her, showing Twilight the clump of newly charred trees.

The battle continued this way for some time, Twilight becoming entranced by the skillful use of low powered destruction spells on either side. However, the teleportation became more and more frequent and she kept finding herself disoriented. She made a mental note to condition herself later.

The decisive blow came when Misty, breath now laboured, stopped in a particularly small grove. Shine appeared some distance in front of her, his horn glowing with several levels of magic.

“It’s over...” Misty gasped.

“So it is,” Shine grinned wickedly.

“I’m sorry, brother...” the mare mumbled.

An explosion rocked the ground, followed by a sudden cry of extreme agony. With a flash of light Misty was behind Shine, giving Twilight a view of what had just happened. A huge blaze ravaged the forest near Misty’s previous position. And even as Breeze stumbled his way out, the flames failed to leave his coat. He fell to the ground, screaming and flailing. Unable to look away, Twilight was not sure if she would ever be able to eat again.

Shine tried to turn around, but Misty struck him first, sending a simple fireball into his chest. The stallion careened and the giant aura of energy about his horn was released into the canopy. With a deafening boom, trees began to topple.

Misty was able to teleport clear of the disaster zone and as the dust settled, Twilight thought she could spot a clump of white and blonde among the ruined wood. Misty approached cautiously, the light of prepared magic emanating with such intensity that Twilight could easily guess what was about to happen. She tried to bite her lip, forgetting she did not have one.

“I-impossible...” the crushed stallion uttered as Misty reached him.

“Apparently not,” the mare answered, her blast of dark energy bearing down upon Shine. He let out a feeble scream, eyes rolling back as the magic engulfed him. Mere moments later, all that remained was bone. Misty looked down at the lifeless skull of her friend, then across the way to her brother’s still smoldering husk.

Twilight’s vision blurred and sank. As she faded away, she was haunted by the echoes of uncontrolled sobs.

Twilight sat up with a start, the warmth of fresh tears creeping down her cheeks. She glanced around wildly, forgetting where she was. Light from the kitchen window danced off the shards of glass on the floor.

The unicorn moaned, still sick from her vision. But she felt an overriding purpose welling up in the back of her mind. She had to know more. She had to know what else happened. She eagerly pushed herself to her hooves. She plodded along, ignoring the shakiness of her legs.

Reaching the main room, she began to pull books from the shelf with reckless abandon. Even with all the extra information she had, she could not quite place the timeline. The fuzziness in her mind increased with the size of the pile on the floor. But with the scent of answers under her snout, Twilight’s thirst for knowledge was unstoppable.

Finally she chanced upon a book containing a war with dogs. Diamond Dogs to be exact. ‘The Gem War’ the header read. A quick glance at the date below made Twilight gape.

‘This... this happened nearly 1100 years ago...’

An excavation team working near the Equestria-Diamond Empire border unearthed several previously unseen gemstones. Arcanists on site were able to determine the gemstones had powerful magic locked within them. Six samples were sent to the capital for study. Two more pieces were found shortly thereafter, but were lost during a Diamond Empire raid.

Equestria demanded a formal apology and the return of the confiscated gems. The Diamond Empire countered with a claim Equestria had been illegally digging on their soil and should forfeit all gems acquired from the dig site. When a third party cartographer determined the case to be in Equestria’s favour, the Diamond Empire falsely accused Equestria of paying off the cartographer. The Diamond Empire then declared war on Equestria.

Twilight skimmed through the various battle summaries, her face lighting up when she saw Misty’s name.

The Nickerton Skirmishes

The town’s modest size and position at the southwest border of Equestria Forest made it a prime back door target for Diamond Empire soldiers trying to breach the Equesrian line. The Equestrian defense was led by one Commandant Misty Tide.

The battle was difficult and the Diamond Empire had the advantage of numbers. Little by little Nickerton’s defences were worn thin. With the majority of the troops tied up with battles on the front line Nickerton was left without reinforcements.

As the situation grew more desperate, Lieutenant Shining Light raided a nearby vault, said to contain a forbidden weapon of immense power. Circumventing the guards and magical protections, he took up the weapon and drove back the Diamond Empire’s forces (see End of the War, p390).

Twilight impatiently flipped to the requisite page.

End of the War

The Equestria-Diamond Empire war was brought to an unexpected end when Emperor Rex of the Diamond Empire, as well as the majority of his high command, were assassinated. Reportedly, a portion of the palace was collapsed during a strategy meeting. Witnesses state that they saw two ponies leaving the scene. These ponies were thought to be the same as the marauders reportedly roaming the countryside, bringing ruin to Diamond Empire villages. Six villages were confirmed to have been razed. Witnesses would later identify the pair as the rogue officer Shining Light and his accomplice, Sea Breeze. Beheaded and with failing morale, the Diamond Empire surrendered, agreeing to pay reparations equal to twenty billion bits.

Shining Light then turned his power upon Equestria, seeking to steal the crown from the royal princesses. However, his abilities proved to be insufficient as he and his accomplice were defeated in a direct conflict with Commandant Misty Tide. Unfortunately, the weapon could not be recovered and Equestria faced a new threat (see Misty the Mad, p440).

‘The... the Mad?’ Twilight gulped, hesitating. Sweat ran down her forehead as she flipped to page four hundred thirty nine, the page hanging halfway turned. Dread filled her heart, but in the end, her need to know prevailed.

Misty the Mad

Many have theorized that because her relation to the rogue officer Shining Light and his accomplice, Sea Breeze was friend and sister respectively, slaying them may have broken her mind. Regardless, she too turned her horn against the crown. She took control of Nickerton , declared it an independent country and started annexing land from Equestria. A unit of the Royal Guard was dispatched and Misty Tide was brought to justice. However, the ensuing battle left Nickerton devastated.

Twilight gaped, shaking her head, “This... this can’t be right. This isn’t like the Misty I met at all!”

Revelations

“Why are we out here again?” Dusky asked, staring off into the grass and shuffling her hooves.

“We’re looking for Twilight’s cave,” Applejack turned to the unicorn. “Ain’t that right, Twi?”

“I wouldn’t call it mine, but yes, we’re looking for the cave I took shelter in,” Twilight said.

“What does it matter? You forget something in there?” Dash cocked her head.

“Call me silly-”

“Okay, Silly.”

Twilight glared at Rainbow, “I’m looking for proof whether or not the Misty I met is the same one from my history book.

“Misty?” Dusky tilted her head.

“She’s a ghost!” Pinkie cut in.

“A... a ghost?” Fluttershy echoed, shrinking back.

“That’s what Twilight said!” the pink pony replied. Everypony looked at the lavender unicorn, an awkward silence filling the air. Twilight felt her cheeks glow.

Rarity spoke carefully, clear hesitation between each question, “Twilight, are you really sure about this story of yours? I mean, did you not say you do not believe in ghosts?”

Twilight sighed, “I know it sounds weird. Honestly, it’s all been pretty weird for me too, but she was real.”

“You sure you didn’t just hit your head too hard?” Rainbow crossed her forehooves.

“Yes, Rainbow,” Twilight said, annoyance taking hold and placing her forehoof on her head. “I didn’t learn those spells from nopony. Now can you stop asking useless questions? We’re losing valuable time!”

“Okay, Twi, no need to get so huffy. We’re here to help, remember?” Applejack gave her a concerned look.

“I understand,” Dusky interjected.

“What?” Twilight and the other ponies turned to the pegasus.

“I know what it’s like to be desperate for answers that no pony has. ‘Did she find shelter?’ ‘Is she hurt?’ ‘Where did I go wrong?’ To search for something, anything that could prove everything will be okay,” Dusky looked directly at Twilight, pupils quivering. “I... understand. You need this to move on.”

Twilight found herself nodding, smiling at the other mare’s insight. She watched the charcoal pegasus trot through the grass to a shattered tree trunk.

“This is where your hoofprints stopped.”

Twilight stared for a moment. The terrain was a little rough in places, but the ruts were so small the place may as well be a plain. She frowned.

“Really? But I took a pretty long fall,” out of the corner of her eye, Twilight caught Dash opening her mouth. “No, Rainbow, I’m not that clumsy.”

“Maybe the snow made it taller?” Pinkie held her hooves high.

Dusky shook her head, “I don’t remember any large banks being around here. Do you, Rainbow Dash?”

“Nope. Had some big ridges south of here, though,” Dash offered.

“Wouldn’t that be a really long walk?” Pinkie tilted her head.

“And that still does not explain the tracks,” Rarity added.

“A spell?” Fluttershy suggested.

“You mean my teleportation?”

The yellow pegasus nodded.

“I don’t think so... I wasn’t very good at it and it’s not exactly a trivial spell. It’s not something I’m likely to do by accident.”

“There does not seem to be any other explanation,” Rarity insisted.

“Any other places?” Applejack looked at the pegasi.

“There were some moguls around here but they were barely worth falling off of,” Dusky answered.

“Well, let’s check out those ridges, I guess,” the purple pony bit her lip. Not a promising start.

“Um, Twilight, what does this cave look like?” Fluttershy continued walking as she looked over.

“Small and the ground was pretty flat. Aside from that, um...” the unicorn trailed off absently.

“Gee, thanks, that’s a lot to go off of,” Dash rolled her eyes.

“Sorry, I’m really not sure what else I can say about it.”

“Not like we have much... or rather any selection,” Rarity pointed out.

“And a fall down any of these hills would hurt more than a mite. We’re looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Everypony stopped to look around them. Twilight sighed. Applejack was right. The terrain all seemed to blend together. And even if they were in the right place, she might not even know it since the snow was gone.

“.........evvvvvvvv.........reeeeeee.........” a vaguely feminine voice echoed.

“What?” Twilight arched a brow.

“What what?” Rainbow Dash returned Twilight’s puzzled glance.

“Didn’t somepony say something?”

The group looked from one pony to the next, each of them answering with some variation of ‘no.’

“Oh, I guess it must have been the wind.”

The ponies plodded along, silent in their uncertainty. The dull thudding of hooves on grass occasionally accented by somepony stepping onto rock. They passed at least a half dozen more hills without any luck.

“Hey!” Pinkie’s face lit up. “What about your magic?”

“What about it?”

“Couldn’t you use it to go back?”

“I’ve thought about that. But longer distances still make me tired. The library was okay because you were there to find me. Doing it in reverse is far too risky,” the unicorn explained, recollections of the dog-worms’ gnashing teeth sending shivers up and down her body.

“But we can’t keeping wandering aimlessly like this,” Dusky said. “Can’t you remember anything else?”

“I...” the haze began to spring up in Twilight’s mind again, but she forced it aside. “I seem to remember a treeline.”

“There’s nothing like that around here,” Rainbow said. “The closest grove is in... Everfree.”

Twilight’s friends looked restlessly at each other, then at her.

“Please?”

“All right, Twi. As long as we get out before dark. Come on, girls.”

“What did you see? What did you see?” Pinkie bounced up and down as Dusky landed.

“Something interesting, actually,” the pegasus smiled. “It’s not our cave, but there was a small break in the trees and I thought I saw what could be part of an old stone wall.”

“That’s it?” the pink pony stared blankly.

“What do you mean, that’s it? I’d have to take a closer look, but I think it might be part of an old building. And maybe Twilight can find something useful there!”

“Ohhhh, yea, I guess I never thought of it that way. That’s much more exciting!” Pinkie Pie perked up.

The sudden clopping of hooves made Pinkie glance behind her.

“Up and at ‘em, girls, we have a problem!” Applejack yelled.

“What’s wrong? Where’s Twilight? Is she hurt?” Dusky asked all at once.

“That’s just it, I don’t know!”

“But, but you were together!” Pinkie gave Applejack a confused stare.

“I know, but she got this funny look on her face and she started mumbling to herself and wandering around. I thought she just needed a second to think, but then she used that flashy teleporting spell of hers and she was gone!”

“That’s not good. How do we even know she’s not halfway across Equestria now?” Dusky frowned deeply.

“I don’t know. Guess we just gotta hope she stuck around. Ain’t got nothing else to go on.”

Pinkie and Dusky both nodded solemnly.

“So here’s the plan, Dusky, you’re my eye in the sky.”

“Understood.”

“Pinkie, I want you to stay here in case Twi comes back. If you see the others, tell ‘em to get Rainbow and Fluttershy up there too.”

“Okie dokie lokie,” Pinkie saluted.

The tops of a few battered trees protruded from the murky water. Several feet away, a grime covered rock connected the central marsh to the muddy bank. As she borrowed the rock’s elevation, something felt vaguely familiar. And yet when she surveyed the landscape beneath her, she could not quite put her hoof on it.

She sighed and looked down at the water. A cloudy, distorted Twilight stared back. Her focus slipped again and she found herself entranced by the tiny ripples the wind was pushing across her image.

“Ugh!” she groaned, finally catching and chiding herself for wasting time.

“...ver here...”

The unicorn jumped. She stood stock still, ears twitching.

“Hello?” she called out after a few moments.

No answer.

Twilight cautiously approached the direction of the voice. Horn glowing gently, she nudged the bushes aside and was relieved to find nothing. Or at least no pony.

Before her stood a small, ruined path of weather worn stones. Several jutted out at strange angles and in other places only round ruts remained. Even though time had been cruel to the former road, the intent was still clear to her. Curiosity grabbed hold and Twilight began trotting alongside the stones.

After a handful of twists and turns, the pathway became smoother, or at least walkable. Stepping out onto the stone, a feeling of familiarity once again crept into Twilight’s mind. She plodded absently through the ruins. She did not know where she was going, but the route just felt... right. She stopped when she reached a semi-circle of stones. They were rough and overgrown, but the unicorn guessed they might be the remains of some sort of basin.

With a short trill, a trio of oddly coloured fly like creatures popped out of the overgrowth, large eyes wide and friendly. But Twilight was not fooled. She recognized the creatures instantly: parasprites.

She remembered the chaos and panic. The months of recovery. Her cheeks grew red hot as she recalled the humiliation, the close call that almost ruined her reputation with Princess Celestia. They were dangerous. Too dangerous to leave alive.

Lightning lanced from Twilight’s horn, one bolt striking each of the parasprites dead on. A few seconds later, they crumbled to dust, carried off by the wind.

“Twi, what... what are you doing?”

The unicorn turned to see Applejack and Dusky staring at her.

“I...” Twilight hesitated, wincing as a sharp pain invaded her mind. A ghost of a town flashed across her vision.

“Are you okay?” the pegasus cast a sideways glance at Applejack.

“... Protect... the village...” Twilight hardly realized what she had mumbled. She was too occupied by the vision of a great blaze.

“What?” Dusky cocked her head.

“I... I’m protecting... the village,” the unicorn snapped, the pain growing worse with each word. Visions of burned out buildings began to leap by.

“What in Equestria are you talking about? We ain’t anywhere near Ponyville, sugarcube.”

“I...” the pain was almost unbearable now and Twilight crumpled to the ground, clutching at her head. She could see the entire ruined town now, as though she was somewhere high above it.

“We need to get her out of here,” Dusky’s voice faintly touched Twilight’s ears.

Twilight felt a hoof brush her shoulder and she bolted up, lightning once more dancing from her horn. With an anguished cry, the charcoal pegasus flew backward, crashing into a nearby tree and falling into a twisted heap. The smell of singed feathers filled the air.

“What the hay?!”

Twilight pointed her horn in Applejack’s direction, and the earth pony to skidded to a stop. The glow of the gathering magic reflected off the orange pony’s eyes.

“Whoa! WHOA! TWI! Calm down! It’s me, Applejack!”

The pain suddenly faded and with it, her horn’s aura. Twilight fell to her haunches, sweat running down her face as she struggled for air. She looked from Dusky’s limp body to Applejack’s terrified face. She hung her head.

“I... I need help...”

“That’s all the destruction magic you’ve learned?” Princess Celestia’s expression remained calm.

“Yes, Princess,” Twilight answered, biting her lip. Her mentor looked her up and down and with each passing second, the unicorn’s mind presented a new punishment for disappointing the princess.

“I will reserve judgement until you have told me your full story.”

Twilight breathed again.

Celestia continued, “But for now, I don’t want you to use any magic.”

“N-no magic? At all?!” Twilight stammered, a feeling of profound emptiness washing across her.

“I’m afraid so.”

“But why?”

Jealousy.

Twilight’s eyes widened, taken aback that she could even think such a thing. Aside from the fact that there was no logical reason for the princess to be jealous of her.

‘Think about it for a second,’ a low, ragged version of her voice whispered. ‘Why else would she put these limitations on you?’

“...own safety...”

‘To... to protect me and others around me.’

‘Hah, she really has brainwashed you,’ the voice was steadily growing louder. ‘No, Twilight, she sees your power, your true power. One that is beyond measure.’

“...a doctor before...”

‘I... I...’ Twilight’s thought was drowned out as she found herself unable to concentrate on anything but the voice.

‘You could be more powerful than either of the princesses. But instead they stunt your growth, keeping you under their hoof. Do you know why?’

“...house arrest...”

‘N-no... Princess Celestia is my mentor, she wouldn’t... she wouldn’t...’

‘Because they fear you. That a mere unicorn could surpass an alicorn? Heresy. But we both know the truth. So why live under their shadow when you could be so much more?’

“Do you understand?”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Twilight cried out.

“Twilight! What has gotten into- oh no...” sudden recognition washed over Princess Celestia’s face.

A hurricane of magic raged around the unicorn, surrounding her in a solid purple mist. Her eyes flashed white and she felt her body stretching and twisting. She let out a strange scream, a mixture of elation and pain, startling even herself.

The lavender pony went numb, dark purple energy pulsing outward, tearing up the carpet and throwing candle stands every which way. Then the dome retracted, gathering once more inside of Twilight.

For a brief moment Twilight caught the look of horror on her ex-mentor’s face. Without thinking, the unicorn flashed her a wicked grin.

The room exploded.

Pinkie Pie paced the hall, pausing every so often to sit down, but ultimately resuming her wandering. She was deep in thought, planning the celebration they would have. She just had to wait for Twilight to come back and tell them she will be okay. Pinkie had never hosted a party in Canterlot before and the thought occurred to her that she would have to find somewhere to hold it. She wondered if the princess would let them borrow a room.

“Ugh, how much longer do we have to wait out here?” Dash paced the opposite side to Pinkie.

“It’s only been five minutes,” a slight quiver betrayed Applejack’s calmness.

“That’s five minutes too long, if you ask me. We should be in there with her.”

“We’re all worried, but complaining will not do us any good. Besides, if anypony can help her, it’s the princess.”

“Don’t worry, Dashie, we’ll see plenty of her at the ‘you got better!’ party I have planned!”

Rainbow Dash turned and gave Pinkie an annoyed glare, although she thought she caught a weak little smirk somewhere in there.

The ground began to rumble and Pinkie Pie was thrown from her hooves. She hit the stone hard, cutting her surprised yelp short.

Furniture toppled violently and the windows shattered, raining bits of glass all over the hall. Pinkie’s eyes widened, shuffling back on her side as the stone wall began to crack and heave, its heavy doors crashing down. She breathed a sigh of relief when the stones stopped moving. As the dust began to settle, the pink pony looked around for her friends.

“Oh... oh dear,” Fluttershy coughed from the other side of the hall.

“Is everypony all right?” Applejack called.

“Yeppers!” Pinkie bounced to her feet and waved a foreleg.

“Yea, I’m fine,” Dash answered.

“Oof. My mane is positively ruined.”

“Aside from that.”

“Oh, I guess I’m okay then...”

“What the hay was that, anyway?” Rainbow asked.

“I don’t know, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Applejack answered.

The sudden rapid clopping of hooves caught Pinkie Pie’s attention. She watched several guard ponies rush in from the far end of the hall. None of them paid the mares any heed as they galloped past.

The girls looked dubiously at the broken doorway, then at each other, then back at the passage.

“I have to know,” Applejack gritted her teeth and broke off into a gallop.

“Wait for me!” Pinkie yelled.

“And the rest of us,” Rarity added.

They followed the guards into the throne room where Pinkie was greeted by a terrible sight. The walls were caving outward, the ceiling collapsed in many places and the floor torn to shreds. Any decor that might have been in the room was completely unrecognizable. And in the center of all that destruction stood a tall, lavender mare. At her hooves lay a still Princess Celestia.

“H-halt! Give yourself up!” one of the guards demanded.

The mare turned slowly, her navy tail twitching as she did, causing the pink and purple streaks to flicker in and out of existence. Pinkie gaped as the mare’s flank and her star burst cutie mark came into view. Her form was slender, yet muscular, not unlike Princess Celestia. Haunting white eyes peered out from her navy mane, illuminating the beautiful, yet terrifying contours of her face.

Rainbow was the first to find her courage, “Twilight! Is... that you? What the hay?!”

“Stay out of this!” Twilight’s new form bellowed, horn flaring with magic.

“Twilight? W-what are you...” Pinkie did not want to believe what she was seeing.

Before she knew what was happening, the pink pony was shaking uncontrollably, feeling like she was being cooked alive. She wanted to cry out, to beg Twilight to stop, but her mouth failed to obey. Just when she thought she could take no more, she went numb, collapsing in a heap on the floor. She tried to stand, but her body felt tingly and refused to work. Through spotted vision, Pinkie Pie could see the guards, all sprawled out on the floor.

A purple aura suddenly appeared around Twilight and she was lifted into the air. But with a single flash of the unicorn’s horn, the aura was gone. She twisted in midair, landing gracefully.

“You are more resilient than I remember, Princess,” Twilight’s voice was low and arrogant.

“What have you done with Twilight?”

“Why, Princess, whatever do you mean? I’m right here,” Twilight’s voice returned to normal.

“Don’t play games with me. I know who you are.”

“Really? Then why ask such needless questions? Oh, that’s right. You want to save her. Always the hero, I see. Perhaps you could use the Elements- oh wait, I’m one of them aren’t I?” the unicorn mocked.

“I could seal you again.”

“Is that so? Which is it going to be then? Twilight’s blood on your hooves? Or perhaps we’ll be spending some quality time together on the moon?”

“Silence!” Celestia yelled, the blast of light from her horn narrowly missing Twilight.

“Oh, my. Was that anger? Are you going to fight me in earnest, then?”

The two mares began to circle, lithe muscles poised and horns brimming with magic.

Twilight lunged first, sparks bursting into being around her. The princess was quickly out of the way, a barrage of light bearing down upon the unicorn. A wheel of energy appeared around Twilight, sucking in each of the bolts. The mass of magic gathered around her horn, bursting forth into into a gigantic claw of lightning.

Pinkie clenched her eyes, her world becoming white. When the light finally subsided, she eagerly forced her eyes open, blinking several times. She squinted, trying to make out what happened.

Dark grey smoke billowed up from where Princess Celestia had been standing. And Twilight was gone. Pinkie’s ears drooped. No matter how she tried to look at the situation, things were not going well.

As the smoke faded, a transparent orange sphere became apparent. And within was the princess, unflinching and unharmed.

“Are you finished yet?” Princess Celestia called to the room.

Several seething magical lances materialized, striking out at the alicorn. The first two broke harmlessly upon the barrier, but after the third, the sphere faded from existence. The princess’ counterattack was a ball of water that exploded into a geyser as it struck the ground. The moisture flew everywhere, making a mess of the far side of the room.

Pinkie covered her head with her forehooves as the room glowed a frightening red. Small meteors appeared by the dozen, homing in on Princess Celestia. Another barrier appeared, deflecting each of the blazing orbs in turn, several of which came dangerously close to the crowd of incapacitated ponies.

“Enough!” the alicorn said sternly. The air around her swirled violently, sucking in debris and water. Pinkie clutched her forehooves even tighter, feeling like her mane was about to pull loose.

“Ooph!” Twilight’s cry was barely audible over the raging vortex.

As the wind died off, Pinkie struggled to a sitting position. She gaped, unable to decide whether to be concerned or relieved. Twilight lay in a tangled heap a few feet away from Princess Celestia, the alicorn steadily advancing.

“Ouch! Princess, it hurts, help me!” the purple unicorn quivered.

The princess hesitated for a moment, enough for a bolt of dark energy to leap forth. Even though the attack deflected harmlessly off Celestia’s barrier, she took a stunned step backward.

“Ahaha, you really are attached to this filly, aren’t you?” Twilight remarked snidely as she got back on her hooves. A series of bolts left her horn, once again stopped in their entirety.

The unicorn sneered as she continued, “You could crush me where I stand. But you can’t, can you? Because deep down, I’m still your beloved student, not a monster. To make the same mistake after all these years, tsk, Princess, tsk.”

Twilight had her mouth half open for another taunt when a blast of dark magic struck her full on, throwing her into the wall with a dull thud. Before she could touch the ground, a dark purple aura surrounded her, pressing her up against the uneven bricks.

“Ah, Luna, I was wondering if you’d ever show up again.”

Pinkie followed Twilight’s gaze and blinked. A faded Princess Luna stood beside her sister, the colour of her coat steadily becoming more vibrant. Magic sparkled casually around her horn.

“That’s enough out of you!” Luna retorted sharply. Twilight let out a loud gasp as she was slammed into the wall.

“I will not allow you to mock Tia’s compassion any further,” the smaller alicorn growled, stepping forward and bringing her rage filled eyes up to meet Twilight’s. “And I’m sure you know by now that I am far less merciful.”

“So what?” the purple pony asked, undaunted by the horn pointed her way. “Are you going to kill me then? Oh, wait, no, you’d just be killing Twilight. Isn’t that a shame?”

“At least you would be deprived of a powerful body,” Princess Luna answered coldly. Her horn glowed brighter, a blackhole of energy seeping forth and enveloping Twilight. The unicorn let out an anguished scream.

Pinkie was stunned. She could not believe the moon princess’ words. The warmth of tears on her cheeks broke her trance. There had to be some other way. Something with a happy ending. She leaped to her hooves.

“Wait, don’t... Twilight... she isn’t a bad pony!”

“She’s right, Luna, stop!”

“No, Tia, I know better than anypony this needs to be done! Prepare the sealing spell!”

“This will not address the root of the problem!”

Pinkie tried to gallop toward the princesses, but found no matter how fast she ran, she could not move forward. She watched in horror as Twilight continued to convulse, her flailing limbs smashing into the wall with alarming frequency. The unicorn looked like she was melting. The pink pony shut her eyes as she looked away. The tears came faster now, the thought of never seeing her friend again almost too much to bear.

“Twilight, why...?”

The screams stopped and Pinkie cautiously opened her eyes. Twilight lay gasping on the ground, coat smoldering with black energy.

“Twilight?” Princess Luna asked, advancing toward the unicorn.

Twilight looked up at the younger princess, obviously pained by the effort. As their gazes met, Princess Luna’s expression softened. Then a burst of magic leaped from the unicorn’s horn. The stunned alicorn was thrown back, but she was hardly phased, landing on her hooves.

“Ha... hahaha, oh, Luna, you... you... are a terrible bluffer,” Twilight stood shakily, but promptly lost her footing and fell to her knees again. Her horn began to glow dimly.

“Stop!” the moon princess yelled.

“Or what? You’ll... hurt me more? Kill me for real? You must have a thing for torturing... poor Celestia,” Twilight smirked, looking to the elder princess.

Pinkie looked from princess to princess. A small trickle of tears leaked from the quiet fury in the white alicorn’s eyes. For her part, Princess Luna stared hesitantly at her sister.

In a flash of white light, the unicorn winked out of existence.

Twilight was in a dark place, the faint glow of her horn providing barely any sight at all. She spun frantically. But no matter where she turned, she was met by the same inky black.

“Hello?” she called out.

Light erupted behind the purple pony, making her jump. When she turned to face the source, she immediately recognized the sea blue mane and grey coat of the other unicorn.

“Hello, Twilight Sparkle,” Misty’s voice echoed.

“Misty...” Twilight planted her hooves, eying the other mare up and down.

“Oh, dear, such a serious face.”

“I have many questions,” Twilight’s stomach churned with uncertainty and she was surprised she sounded as resolved as she did.

“Do you?” Misty raised an eyebrow.

Out of the whirlwind in her mind, the purple pony chose to ask the simplest query, “Are you... are you Misty the Mad?”

She held her breath, keeping a careful eye on Misty. The other mare stood stock still, wordlessly returning the stare.

After a long silence, Twilight spoke again, “I... I don’t want to believe it, but if you won’t deny it...”

Misty remained motionless, not a single word escaping her lips.

Twilight’s cheeks grew warm and tears welled up in the corner of her eyes as she advanced, “Say something! Please!”

Still no answer. When she was a scant foot away, she reached out a forehoof.

Misty let out a muted scream as she disintegrated, becoming gaseous, but retaining a general pony shape. The colours mutated, becoming a transparent purple-blue. Twilight almost fell over backward.

As she recovered her composure, her eyes narrowed, “Who are you? And what have you done with Misty?”

“Ahaha, oh, you naive little filly,” the voice was distorted, almost pointedly genderless.

“What?” Twilight frowned deeply.

“You haven’t figure it out yet?” the pony thing tilted its head. “There is no Misty.”

“But she was there... in the cave, we talked... she was... she was...” Twilight’s eyes widened as she realized she never actually found what she was looking for.

“Me. Oh, actually, you know what? I did tell a tiny lie,” Twilight drew back as the gaseous pony hovered forward, but it was too fast and soon its ‘face’ was inches from hers. “There WAS a Misty. And she was... simply delicious.”

“You... you monster! Murderer!” Twilight sputtered half-coherently, her mind hanging morbidly on the ethereal pony’s final phrase.

“Me? Oh, no, you seem to have me confused with your precious princesses.”

“Liar!” Twilight lunged.

“In fact, let me show you.”

Before Twilight stood Misty Tide, a smug expression written across her face. Behind her was a town square, its cobblestones devoid of ponies. Within the square was a ruined fountain, its crushed tiers poking feebly over the edge of the basin. Twilight’s heart filled with dread.

“Misty,” the voice was Princess Luna’s.

“Luna.”

“I’m sorry you had to get involved in this.”

“What are you babbling about?” Misty squinted.

“I was hoping she could still hear me,” the moon princess’ voice remained level.

“Maybe she can. Maybe she can’t,” the smaller mare shrugged.

“Why do you continue to do this? You have never won a fight against us.”

“Why, my dear Luna, I’m glad you finally asked. All I want is to help ponies.”

“You. Help ponies.”

Misty began to pace side to side, each step heavily exaggerated, “Why, yes. You, Celestia, me... we’re ageless. Nothing stands the test of time. Were I to build an empire, it would be gone in a blink of our eyes. And yet such a time frame is long enough for these ponies, in their short lives, to strive for these fleeting dreams. I find it simply fascinating. I want to see the endpoint of their desires.”

“And yet you toy with their emotions, even amplify the negative. You would send them off course.”

“Tsk, Luna,” the unicorn shook her head. “That is simply in the eye of the beholder. I see them as rather positive. If you ask me, the real negative emotions are those that get in the way of my pony’s ambitions. Those sentiments that hold them back, those are the ones that put them truly off course.”

“You make a good point. Those emotions can be troublesome at times,” Luna’s agreement stunned Twilight. Not that she could fully disagree either.

“I knew you’d see things my way. You were always the practical sister.”

“But a pony’s own ambitions aren’t everything. They are not as simple as you make them out to be. Many genuinely desire to see their friends and family happy, to see them succeed. And those desires are not any less worthwhile than their own dreams.”

“Hmph, seems I spoke too soon. You do not truly understand. I wonder how long until you do, though.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Princess Luna’s vision narrowed.

“You see me as a threat to your country, yes? Your supposed happy, happy little land is in chaos because I make ponies act on their base desires. You had a chance to kill and seal me and yet here we are bantering away. You know bloodying your hooves is necessary. You’ve done it many times before. How many times must I force your hoof?”

Twilight felt sick, the bodies piling up in her imagination as it tried to work out what constituted ‘many times.’

“Enough of this! I’m not like you and never will be. I do not take killing lightly!” the princess’ sudden shouting startled Twilight, breaking her horror.

“Hmph, if you’re going to be so closed minded, why ask?” Misty tilted her head.

“I just wanted to know before I defeated you once and for all.”

“Hahaha, that’s a good one. You don’t even have Celestia with you.”

“I don’t need her.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, yes it is.”

“Then show me!” Misty’s horn glowed. A small wheel of fireballs appeared beside her, launching off in rapid succession.

Princess Luna did not even bother moving, the flames deflecting harmlessly off her barrier. Tendrils of dark purple light bore down upon Misty. But in a burst of white she was in front of Luna, charging straight at her.

The moon princess stepped quickly to the side, a purple aura tossing Misty to the ground. As she slid along the cobblestone, the unicorn launched several seething white beams, shattering the princess’ barrier

Light flooded outward from the alicorn and wicked crescents of translucent purple leaped into being, distorting the air as they spiralled toward the grey mare. As each one struck, Misty’s own shield appeared to cave. The last of the projectiles deflected off toward a house, cleaving through an upper window with a crash.

Only then did Twilight begin to notice the flames licking at the bases of many of the structures. Her mind reeled once more with horror as she thought back to her history book. The seeds of Nickerton’s doom had been sewn.

Misty flashed out of existence again and Princess Luna spun around, a pulse of air blasting the unicorn away. This time she landed on her hooves, another ring of fireballs bearing down on the alicorn.

A dark blue radiance flooded out from Princess Luna and a renewed barrier materialized, once again stifling the blaze. With each passing second, the light’s intensity grew.

Misty’s horn was also flaring with energy, some of which refracted into intense columns of white. Combined with the fire, the auras’ light washed away the town’s natural colours. The effect was surreal.

With a cry of triumph, Misty pointed her horn directly at Princess Luna, a huge scathing white circle rushing forward. The attack was stopped a safe distance away, a larger shield of silver shimmering into existence. Even so, the barrier appeared to be losing ground, closing in on the alicorn. The princess’ vision wavered and sank as she let out an audible grunt.

Then the beam was gone, the moon princess wasting no time leaping to her hooves. A pool of what Twilight could only describe as shadows had gathered under Misty, reaching up and entangling her. As she struggled, they appeared to stick to her like some sort of paste.

“Behold!” Princess Luna cried out, her blue aura flooding the battlefield once more. “The Elements of Harmony!”

Six gems materialized in front of the princess. The purple one began to spin, the others gyrating around it, leaving mesmerizing streaks of red, pink, yellow, blue and green in their wake. A large rainbow leaped from the center, flying out in the air, circling around and heading straight for Misty.

“What the...?” were the unicorn’s last words before becoming encircled.

Princess Luna’s vision became pure white.

When the light was finally gone, the princess’ sight fell once more while she gasped for breath. Looking up, she saw the motionless body of Misty. She hurried over to the unicorn’s body and nudged her. Nothing. The alicorn’s vision turned and Twilight guessed she was placing her ear to the grey mare’s chest.

Silence.

“D-damnit, I... I’m sorry, Tia... things didn’t quite... work out...” Princess Luna spoke skyward. A moment later, she toppled over.

“No... no... that’s...” Twilight shuddered, the vision having not quite left her.

“The truth of the matter,” the gaseous pony was in her face once more. “Then they cremated the body and buried it deep underground. I’ll give them points for their thoroughness. Too bad it wasn’t enough.”

The ethereal pony let out a knowing chuckle.

“No... then I... I was the one who released you?” Twilight’s face drooped.

“Released? Hahaha, no, I was never trapped. I just returned to my old haunting grounds to, lick my wounds, so to speak. But I was also without body and, well let’s just say I’ve had my eye on you for a while, Twilight.”

The gaseous pony placed a forehoof around Twilight’s neck and a chill crept down her spine.

“You see, Twilight, you fascinate me. I’ve existed for thousands of years and yet... you are the first to truly wound me. Such power as that... well, I couldn’t just pass that up, could I?”

The ethereal pony leaned up to her ear and whispered, “All I needed to do was set a few simple things in motion to get you to me. And here’s my little gift to you: that wasn’t a release spell. Like a naive little foal, you bound me to yourself.”

Echoes

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy, we’ll think of something. Deep breaths, okay?” Pinkie Pie nudged the yellow pegasus and was greeted by a pale face and distant eyes. The pink pony repeated herself by puffing up her cheeks.

Fluttershy huffed loudly, her belly rising from and returning to the regal red rug in bouts. The carpet, which Pinkie found to be rather soft and bouncy, ran wall to wall in both directions. Where the flooring ended, the stone took over, its smooth purple paint adding a simple, yet authoritative feel. The far wall was broken up by a trio of tall, arch shaped windows, the mid-afternoon light providing a stark contrast to the demoralized ponies.

“You okay there yourself, sugarcube?” exhaustion laced Applejack’s voice.

“Yea, of course!” the pink pony replied, stealing a glance at the other earth pony. She was slumped over, chin and forehooves resting on her hat, pinning it to the heavy oaken table. The majority of the room’s rather generous space was taken up by the rectangle, the farm pony looking quite insignificant by comparison. Elaborately carved edges ran the perimeter, astral symbols making the table feel more ‘princessy’ to Pinkie.

“Really? You look a little shaky to me,” Dash popped her head over Applejack’s shoulder as she paced by. Her tourmalines burned with restlessness. Even though she appeared to be taking things the best on the outside, Pinkie Pie knew the pegasus well enough to see she had been affected almost as much as Fluttershy. Helplessness and a mare of action like Rainbow never combine well.

Looking from one dejected face to the next, Pinkie’s thoughts turned to Twilight. To see her kind, studious friend twisted into something with such monstrous tendencies hurt more than anything she had ever felt. But no matter what happened, the pink pony refused to give up on the unicorn. The real Twilight was still in there, she just knew it. They just needed to fix her. If they could fix her. No, they had to fix her, because otherwise... Pinkie pushed the doubt from her mind. Until then, she knew her friends needed her cheer more than ever, so she forced a smile and nodded.

“Eheheheh, yeppers! Totally fine! Really! Just a little nervous, that’s all!”

“Nervous? You?” Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow. Although she had fixed up her mane, the morning’s events had still left her covered in grime, her tail looking unusually disheveled. She stood at the far end of the table, seemingly unable to decided whether she wanted to stare out the window or across the room.

“Yea! Because of the princesses and stuff!”

Before anypony could raise any further objections, the heavy door creaked open. Princess Luna slipped into the room, the door swinging shut with a dull thud.

“Sorry for making you wait.”

“It’s fine, Princess, we’d just really like to know what’s going on,” Applejack glanced up from her hat.

The moon princess nodded, “I understand it must be hard, but be patient a little longer. Tia has some things she would like to say. She should be along shortly.”

“Tia? Why do you call her that?” Pinkie tilted her head, hoping for a story. Because she liked stories, especially if they were about itty bitty little fillies.

“It’s just what I’ve always called her. Even before I could speak her name, Tia has been everything to me. She is the only pony to really understand me. If only Twilight wasn’t her student. Then things wouldn’t be so... complicated.”

Everypony gaped. Fluttershy started sobbing again. Pinkie took a step back, recalling the coldness the moon princess had shown. Her face went pale as she realized the alicorn had been serious about everything she said. ‘At least you would be deprived of a powerful body,’ the words echoed, as though Twilight was an outfit that could be thrown out to take it away from whomever ‘you’ was.

“Hey! That’s... you... you can’t...” Pinkie sputtered, fighting back tears of her own.

Dash finished the sentence, “We can’t give up on her.”

“I’m sorry if I sound cruel, but the choice is Twilight or Equestria and next time I cannot hold back, even for Tia.”

“Perhaps you are thinking a little too black and white, my dear sister.”

Pinkie jumped along with Princess Luna. She looked over at the door. Princess Celestia’s head was poking through, her face stoic once more.

“Gah, Tia! How long have you been standing there?” the moon princess’ cheeks flushed.

“I just arrived.”

“Do we get to find out what the hay is going on now?” Rainbow asked, impatiently flicking her tail.

“Yes. But for you to fully understand, I must start from the beginning. Have a seat, my little ponies. The tale is a long one.”

Each pony shuffled up to the table and sat down, Dash joining Applejack on her side and Pinkie sitting opposite to them. She was flanked by Fluttershy on her left and Rarity her right. They watched expectantly as the princesses took a shared seat at the head of the table.

“We don’t know where it came from,” the white alicorn began. “We don’t even know its real name, if it has one. Over time we have simply come to refer to it as Nameless. The first speculated sighting was about two thousand years ago.”

“Speculated? You mean to tell us even you don’t know?” Rarity asked, eyebrow raised.

“Yes,” the sun princess spoke slowly, as though still sorting out her details. “At first, there was a minor outburst of violence in a small town known for its more unsavoury occupants. Nopony saw this as particularly out of the ordinary and in fact, the nature of the town made determining the difference all but impossible. Eventually some of those ponies left, heading for larger cities.”

Princess Celestia’s horn flashed and a three dimensional map shimmered into existence in the middle of the table. Pinkie leaned forward, trying to find a familiar contour. After a few moments of failing, she realized she could not recognize anything. She was not an expert by any means, but still knew her basic geography. Finally giving up, she glanced at her friends. Each of them wore the same vacant stare. The pink pony guessed old Equestria must have just been that different. Another glint from the alicorn’s horn and the map was moving, growing larger, rushing toward some location. Finally it settled upon a small mountain city.

“We started to take notice after the bandit ponies were brought to justice,” she continued. “The watch captain of the then budding Canterlot, the one to bring them down, succumbed to her vices. Thing is, she was very straight arrow and a popular face among the community. Such a change in character raised some eyebrows. Eventually she was stopped by one of her deputies, but he too lost his way. This went on for some time, the city’s law enforcement falling into total disarray, as nopony wanted to be the next victim of ‘the curse.’”

“Wait a second. A curse? Is that how this thing works?” Rainbow asked loudly, brow furrowed.

“No, it’s simply what the ponies at the time thought.”

“Then how?” anxiety was building in Dash’s voice.

“You will know in good time.”

“But...”

“Settle down, Rainbow,” Applejack placed a hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder. “She said she’d tell us.”

The city on the map caught fire, or pretend magical fire anyway. The flames looked so real, Pinkie’s eyes swayed in their sockets as she became lost for a moment.

“We were forced to send the royal guard to restore peace,” the fire extinguished. “When one of the guard turned against us, we knew something was truly and terribly wrong. We interviewed witnesses and searched the homes of the previously afflicted. The few incidents where the slayings were seen first hoof, there were always reports of a strange purple-blue mist wafting away.”

The map vanished and this time the moon princess’ horn glowed, an ominous cloud taking its place. The cloud swirled, its blues and purples entwining, dancing away, then entwining again. Yet, the mist did not actually move, as though waiting for something.

The two sisters exchanged looks, ending with Princess Celestia nodding and the younger princess picking up the story, “I finally had an opportunity to see the mist for myself when a squad of guards caught up to the traitor. I was on the approach when they took him down, giving me a clear view of the Nameless. It appeared to dissipate at first. But when our soldiers turned their back, it came from the brush. It seemed to flow into the back of his neck, with no need for orifice of any kind. I ordered the stallion quarantined, but after weeks of observation, he seemed to be perfectly normal.”

A white pegasus stallion, full golden royal armour on his back, shimmered onto the table. He looked around, turning as he went. When his back was exposed, the purple-blue cloud descended upon him, entering him in exactly the way Princess Luna described. Pinkie tilted her head. That was just plain weird. On second thought, something just flowing straight into somepony’s neck was incredibly of creepy, even “bucked up,” as she had once heard Dash say. A quick glance around revealed similar confusion from Applejack and Rainbow Dash and horrified stares from Rarity and Fluttershy. Noticing the yellow pegasus was shrinking under the table, Pinkie Pie nudged her, flashing a reassuring smile.

“However, as soon as he was out, he went on a rampage. He broke into the academy and started slaying students. Before he could do too much damage, he was stopped by one of our more talented unicorns, which still left us with a problem. When we took her into custody, she too exhibited the same dormant behaviour. Tia and I attempted many different exorcism spells. None of them seemed to work. Holding the student indefinitely was beginning to cause unrest, not only among the citizenry, but ourselves, for you see, she also happened to be one of our teaching assistants.”

Princess Celestia’s horn glowed and a minty green unicorn mare with a fiery red mane and tail appeared opposite the guard stallion. The unicorn lowered her head, pointing her horn at the guard. A dazzling beam of red and orange energy shot forth from the mare’s horn, striking the stallion dead center. He faded away into nothingness, leaving the purple-blue cloud where he had stood. The cloud lunged forward, utter surprise washing over the mare as the mist became a part of her. Pinkie frowned. She could see where the story was going and she did not like it one bit. Another look at her friends told her they had clued in as well. Fluttershy in particular looked like she was going to be sick.

The moon princess continued, “Finally we decided that we would have to let her go. We trailed her and I vowed to be the one to fight should things come to that. She was maiming innocents at random when we had our first confrontation. The Nameless mocked us for our ineffectiveness as it started to lay waste to the commercial district. I was forced to kill the student. Tia brought forth a truly devastating amount of power when the mist emerged, but nothing she used seemed to harm it. Desperate to solve things then and there, I tried any and every spell that came to mind. Luckily, certain debilitating type spells were able to take hold, allowing me to prepare a seal spell.”

The unicorn fell over and faded away too, once more leaving behind the cloud. However, as the cloud attempted to float away, a strange yellow symbol appeared on the table and it was sucked into the middle. Pinkie Pie leaned forward to get a better view of the lines.

“But that was not the last we would see of the Nameless. It was somehow able to make a habit of luring unsuspecting ponies into breaking it free.”

Another unicorn, one with a light brown coat and a darker mane, materialized on the table, curiously approaching the circular glyph. The symbol cracked and shattered like glass, the mist leaping out and into the pony with such suddenness that Pinkie drew back. A short ‘meep!’ sounded from her left and the others let out audible gasps.

“It became bolder as it realized it was nigh invulnerable, toying with us by possessing random ponies and using them as throwaway bodies. It committed outrageous atrocities that seemed designed to get our attention. Finally we were able to lure it away from the cities, to a cave near a quiet town called Nickerton. Once it was sealed, we set about turning the cavern into a vault of sorts. To deter overly curious ponies, we started a rumour that the contents were cursed. However, we knew even that wouldn’t work as a long term solution.”

After a sideways glance from her sister, Princess Celestia spoke, “We set our best researchers to the task of finding a weapon that could finally finish off that monster. We toiled for decades before we finally reached a breakthrough. The Elements of Harmony were theorized. Using a complex series of magical glyphs, the attack would target corruption and only corruption, leaving the possessed unharmed and destroying the Nameless. But our work wasn’t finished. The glyphs required a strong magical catalyst through which ponies could channel their magic. The problem was not just any gem could sustain the requisite power long enough for the attack to be used.”

“Thus began our long search for a rare gemstone rumoured to form in the deepest depths of the soil. Nearly a century passed before our miners finally found something promising. Six powerful gems were unearthed near our borders. Little did we know, the Diamond Empire would try to stake a claim in our findings.”

Six gems, one each of red, pink, orange, green, blue and purple, appeared in the air. The jewels’ uneven, rock covered forms rotated slowly as they drifted aimlessly.

“Wait, Diamond Empire?” Rarity cut in. “As in Diamond Dogs?”

“Correct,” the elder princess answered. “Their empire was even larger than Equestria before it collapsed.”

The white unicorn shuddered, a disgusted look crossing her face.

Princess Luna resumed the tale, “War broke out as the Elements neared completion. The dogs began to try to sneak soldiers behind our lines by targeting Nickerton. We could spare little to aid them and they were slowly becoming overwhelmed. Out of foolish desperation, a stallion named Shining Light sought ‘the cursed weapon,’ as it was now called, from Nameless’ prison. It broke out and possessed not only him, but a weaker colt, as well. Despite our best efforts, the confusion of the war made them nearly untrackable.”

A muscular white unicorn stallion with a blonde mane and a unicorn colt with a deep blue coat and black mane appeared. At first they looked as friendly as anypony, but after a few moments their eyes narrowed. Pinkie continued to watch with curiosity.

“Shining Light and his companion used their new found power to harry the dogs. They eventually lucked out and caught the Diamond Dog leaders in an attack. I guess in the end, Nameless did help us win the war. However, this was offset by the carnage caused when the two ponies tried to return to Equestria. They were totally gone at that point, following the same pattern of violence as Nameless’ other victims. They eventually came into conflict with Shining Light’s old commanding officer, Misty Tide. She won, but in doing so, sealed her own fate.”

“Misty? Hey, Twilight’s ghost pony was called Misty, too!” Pinkie flapped her forehooves excitedly.

“Misty...” Princess Celestia stared out the window. Her horn glowed faintly, an image of a tall unicorn mare, her sea blue mane curling ever so slightly as it hung about her grey coat. A serious, scholarly expression, not unlike the one Twilight often wore, sat on her face.

“Who is she anyway? Twilight talked about her like she was somepony special,” Applejack asked.

“Tia,” the moon princess nudged her sister.

“Sorry,” the white alicorn shook her head. “She was a talented unicorn, being both a brilliant strategist and a skilled mage. Although compared to her classmates, her raw power was actually fairly modest. However, her resourcefulness and determination made accepting her into the officer program an easy decision.”

Luna picked up again, “She was among a group of ten. Although I taught her once or twice, as a unicorn, she was being trained in advanced magicks, which was Tia’s domain. The small size of the classes tended to make things more personal. So when Misty was turned against us, Tia could not bring herself to fight one of her proteges. After learning of Misty’s misdeeds along the border, I took up the Elements, seeking to put an end to everything. We battled it out in Nickerton, resulting in some unfortunate, but necessary collateral damage. I was able to land a solid blow with the Elements, but something went wrong. They left me drained and Misty dead. As I lost consciousness, I thought I had at least finished off Nameless. Oh, how wrong I was.”

Princess Celestia’s eyes darkened, “Forgive me, Luna, I was weak. If only I’d been there...”

“I’ve already told you, what’s done is done,” the younger princess paused to lean up against the older alicorn. “It began to speak to me. Slowly. In whispers. Subtly it turned my thoughts against my sister. A mere ounce of jealousy given life in a moment of weakness became a raging fire. I... I lashed out...”

Princess Luna closed her eyes and bowed her head. Her sister nuzzled up against her.

After a moment, the sun princess looked up again, “It was my turn to take up the Elements. To fight against Luna. To my dismay, I was also unable to make proper use of them. Thankfully, I only left her wounded. But to leave Nameless free and in control of alicorn magic would be foolish. For the first time I... I sealed somepony away with Nameless.”

Pinkie and the other ponies shifted uncomfortably. The pink pony’s heart ached for Princess Celestia. She felt like galloping up, hugging both princesses and bawling her eyes out. Of course, Rarity would probably complain about how inappropriate she was acting and the princesses might not appreciate that either. So she settled for a sympathetic look.

After a deep breath the sun princess continued, “I knew it was only a matter of time before she recovered. The seal would be no match for the full power of an alicorn. But to ensure no pony released her prematurely, I sent her to a place far from any civilization.”

The silence hung thick in the air. Nopony needed any explanation.

“I frantically set about researching the Elements, trying to figure out why they weren’t working as theorized. After a decade poring over every glyph, every calculation, every step in the manufacturing process... we found that the Elements were sensitive to the emotions of the user. In order to have the desired effect, the user had to be in perfect harmony with herself.”

“Um, excuse me,” Fluttershy paused when everypony looked at her. “But if you couldn’t do it, how did it work for us?”

“It is easy for turmoil to throw off the emotional balance of a single being. And alicorns are no exception. But multiple ponies from a group of highly compatible friends? Your strengths and weaknesses complement each other perfectly. Together you were able to unleash the true power of the Elements and free Luna.”

Princess Celestia glanced at her sister.

“My imprisonment with Nameless was not a total waste either. I know how it works. It feeds a pony’s base desires, using it as an excuse to slowly, subtly change her personality. At the same time, it is slowly consuming the true pony. Absorbing her personality, her memories... her life, effectively.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Rainbow planted her forehooves on the table and leaned forward. “This is happening to Twilight?”

“Yes,” the moon princess answered, her gaze unwavering.

“Right now?” Dash was a half step away from all the way up.

“Yes.”

“Then what are we waiting for? We have to get out there and save her before she... before she...” the pegasus shook her head. “We just have to go help her, okay?”

“No,” Princess Celestia’s voice was firm. “We cannot rush into this. Twilight is going to become powerful and she will do so quickly. We must have a plan, else we invite disaster.”

“Tia, is she truly so threatening?”

“I don’t know, but... Even though I have been unable to measure her true potential, she is beyond any unicorn I have ever known. Nameless’ presence will only enhance that power, presenting a level of risk that means I cannot and will not take this matter lightly.”

“Then we must end this quickly,” the moon princess spoke with the same coldness Pinkie remembered from the throne room.

The pink pony refused to give up. She would not budge, even for a princess, objecting loudly, “Wait, there has to be some other way! There just has to be!”

“Yea!” Rainbow chimed in. “We’re still talking about Twilight, here. She’s not our enemy.”

Princess Luna looked up at her sister. They exchanged a couple glances, ending with the moon princess finally sighing and closing her eyes.

“The risk is extremely high and I’m not even sure it will work, so I can’t say I recommend it...”

“Tell us! Anything is better than just ‘sit back and watch Twi die!’” Applejack pleaded.

“Very well... When I became Nightmare Moon, Nameless took control and I was lost in my own mind. But every so often a ray of light would appear, bringing me back. Whether or not I could control myself was always unpredictable and usually didn’t end in my favour. Anyway, the most important thing is that that ray only seemed to appear when I encountered Tia.”

“Wait,” the orange pony paused to think. “Back in Everfree, when Twi was going nuts and I told her it was me, she backed off. This the same thing?”

“I can’t say for certain, but sounds like it. Which is good, because this whole plan hinges on that. Now perhaps if the five of you get to her soon enough, she could suppress it.”

“And then?” Rarity leaned in.

“Then I guess we try the Elements and hope there’s still enough Twilight left intact to be compatible with each of you.”

A grim silence fell over the room.

Twilight lay in a collapsed heap on the floor, her horn barely even illuminating her face. With a groan, she pushed herself to a sitting position. Or rather, imagined herself in that sitting position, as she knew her body held her mind, not the other way around. And yet she had felt the ground beneath her hooves, the hairs of her coat shifting as she moved. To know one thing and have her mind assume the opposite anyway was a truly bizarre feeling.

But the fatigue, that was real. She had wandered the unending darkness for what seemed like hours. No matter where she went, everything was the same. Still, she did her best not to lose hope. And so she walked and walked and walked until her mind’s eye collapsed, leaving her sprawled out on the supposed floor of her mind.

“Looks like somepony could use a nap.”

Twilight started, but feeling as sluggish as she was, made no effort to move. She simply turned her head toward the phantom pony, fixing it with an exhausted glare.

“What do you want?”

“Well, I’m embarrassed to admit this,” the ethereal pony flourished dramatically, although its voice remained hollow. “But I’d forgotten just how fragile you silly ponies are. This body needs time to regenerate and I’m bored.”

“Not my problem,” the lavender pony turned her head forward.

“Oh, I know,” the pony thing was suddenly in front of her. “But you are a seeker of knowledge, are you not?”

Feeling her curiosity stir, Twilight looked up, raising an eyebrow.

”Since I’m feeling nice, I thought I’d oblige you,” the phantom pony spoke almost melodically, which, when combined with the distortion of its voice produced a sort of sickening, knowing drone that made the unicorn’s skin crawl.

Before she could object, her eyes were lost in the image of a pony. An earth pony filly, to be exact. She lay on her side, something resembling a serene expression on her face. She could almost be mistaken for sleeping. Almost. But the longer Twilight stared, eyes drawn to her motionless side, the more obvious the real situation became.

The unicorn wanted to reach out, but she was gone. She was replaced by a tan coated stallion, eyes and mouth wide with shock. There was a deep, disfigured hole in his chest, which looked to have been cauterized by magic. He was covered head to hoof in black soot. As she gave him another once over, horror struck her. He was a unicorn. The shattered nub was barely visible through his singed bangs and fragments of various sizes lay strewn across the ground.

A severed wing, its purple plumage ruffled and caked in blood. The owner was nowhere to be found. Twilight’s stomach began to churn.

The leg of a mare, twisted in the wrong direction, awkwardly pointing skyward.

A royal guard, pinned to the wall by his helmet.

A motionless colt, head buried under heavy stone. A battered mare, guts spilling onto the floor. A filly’s disembodied head, milky whites leering back.

The visions grew faster and more gruesome with each passing second. The visions soon became a blur. Twilight could hardly remember what had come a second ago, yet the sickness in her stomach lingered. What she had seen, no matter how briefly, could not be unseen.

Her cheeks became warm and wet as she cried out, “Stop it! Stop it!”

But the images continued unabated.

After an eternity, the visions finally stopped. The unicorn felt numb. She gasped for breath. Her eyes were locked wide, tears streaming down as she shivered uncontrollably.

“W... why...?”

“Why? The answer is simple, my dear Twilight Sparkle,” the pony thing’s voice was barely audible to her. ”You wanted to know about your precious Misty. These are all of the ponies she slaughtered.”

The unicorn continued to shake, haunted by everything at once.

“Oh, but it looks like you could use a little break. We’ll pick it up again next time,” the phantom pony lowered itself to the ground, a sinister smile forming as it brought its eyes level with Twilight’s. “Pleasant dreams.”

Convictions

Twilight was no stranger to fatigue. Between her all night study-a-thons and Pinkie’s parties, she fancied herself quite the night owl. Which is why, even though a murky haze enveloped her every thought, she was certain her sleep deprivation had been going on for days. Or whatever qualified for the equivalent of sleep when her consciousness took shape and wandered the shadowy vastness of her mind. In any event, her patience was waning, and with it, any care for semantics.

She wished for the caress of a dreamless sleep, the sweet nothingness that could truly rejuvenate her. Just the thought set off a massive struggle, one that pitted her eyelids against herself. And one that she was losing.

‘No!’ Her eyes snapped open with a start. She clung desperately to her awareness, a sinking ship in a whirlpool of nightmares.

‘No... no more...’ she whimpered, the words barely leaving her lips. The unicorn lay on her side, shivering in the darkness, her horn of little help. She tried to reach down, that she might stroke her tail, that she might indulge in a fillyhood comfort. But the purple pony was met by apathy, her limbs remaining inert.

The fight was lost, lashes touching down upon her cheeks. Tears entered the mix as a wing, plumage painted crimson, crept into her vision.

Twilight found Misty staring back at her. The grey mare’s image shifted below the polished surface, head tilting as her eyes traversed her unusually unruly mane. A glint in the lower corner caught Twilight’s attention. Wood of a cheery, natural brown held the mirror to a similarly coloured dresser top. A couple jars, one without its lid sat in a neat row against the mirror. The open jar held a fine, pale blue powder. A moment’s thought caused Twilight to giggle inwardly, certain she had seen the very same product at Rarity’s.

A black handled hairbrush hung in the air, drawing Twilight’s gaze each time it slid over to tame the next blue tangle. The mane scrutinizing continued for a while, long enough for Twilight to wonder if Misty was some level of great grandmother to Rarity.

Twilight’s concentration drifted. Ever since she lost control, the mist had shown her nothing but horror. Brutal killings, mass murders, mutilation. In fact, she would wager she could go into her copy of Equestrian Law, run through the major felony section like a checklist and finish without a single entry left blank. To see something so mundane left her baffled. She supposed the simple explanation was something was about to go wrong. The only thing about that theory was the other memories were less indirect.

The next possibility to enter her thoughts was even less pleasant. As a filly she had once done an experiment involving two buckets of water, one hot and one cold. After soaking a hoof in each bucket, swapping them resulted in sensitivity far beyond the initial dip. She was being set up. Realizing her musing had allowed her to escape the memory, she wondered if she might be able to think her way to safety. However, Sea Breeze’s voice quickly burst her bubble.

“You’re really, really sure you can’t take me?” The colt’s question floated in from behind. The vision snapped to a section of the mirror and Twilight thought she caught a glimpse of blue playing against the smooth white wall.

“For the last time, this is not a vacation.” The mare sighed, brush continuing to stroke her mane. “And what would you even do, anyway?”

Breeze’s form strode into view on the right side of the mirror. “Join the academy too, duh!”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Misty replied, a slight edge in her voice. “Among other problems, you’re at least four years from being eligible.”

“I’ll convince them to let me in early,” Breeze said, smiling proudly.

“With what? Your amazingly bad combat prowess?” the grey mare laughed.

“Ha, ha. No, I’ll use my wit and charm. Again, duh.”

“Assuming this inane plan of yours works, then what? Going to talk your way out of combat courses too? What happens when you come face to face with an enemy that can’t be persuaded?”

“Well, uh... “ the colt looked off to the side, then snapped back at Misty, his face alight. “Then you can protect me!”

Misty rolled her eyes. “I can’t always be around to bail you out.”

“You’re going to be an officer, right? Just pull a few strings and...” Sea Breeze’s pace was slowly, but surely, picking up.

“Oh, for the love of... “ The hairbrush clattered to the dresser as Misty spun around. “Breeze, I don’t know anypony that influential and there’s no guarantee I will. If you want to see the big city so bad, go bug mom and dad about it.”

“But that’s not the same,” the colt looked down.

“The same?”

No answer. Misty continued to watch her brother, as though she were still expecting a reply. Finally Misty covered the short distance between she and her brother and spoke again.

“Breeze?”

He looked up, eyes shimmering. Misty leaned down and nuzzled the top of his head, speaking with a sisterly affection not unfamiliar to Twilight, “I’ll miss you too.”

“You’ll write us, won’t you?” Breeze asked anxiously, nuzzling back.

“Of course. Besides, it’s just school. Stop acting like I’m going off to war.”

“Okay.” He pondered for a moment. “You’re going to miss out on all the great adventures I’ll be having while you’re gone.”

“You mean trouble.”

“It’s the same thing, isn’t it?”

“Hah, I guess you’re right.”

Breeze froze, Twilight’s heart skipping a beat as his chest stopped moving so much as an inch. The shadows began to expand, crawling up and down the walls until the gleaming white surface was completely consumed. Next was the off-white floor, lost in the same way. Breeze faded a little slower, darkness falling evenly across his features. Little by little he melded with the blackness until he too was gone.

Twilight was alone again, staring into the abyss of her mind. A smile crept up on her lips, apprehension forgotten. Instead she was trying to remember the state of supplies in the library. If she recalled correctly, they had restocked just a week ago. Surely that should be enough for Spike to last on his own for a while. And if not, he knew where her stash of emergency bits was. She wished she could see what he was doing, mundane as it might be. She missed him so much.

The unicorn felt her consciousness fading, but this time she did not fight. With visions of Spike warming her heart, she drifted off, for the first time in ages, without fear.

Everything was a blur, river of green and brown flowing between the black spots. Twilight tried to squint, only realizing she was having another vision when she failed. A sigh carried up and down her thoughts.

“Ugh,” Shine groaned. Twilight’s sight wavered, a couple successive blinks doing little to alleviate the problem.

“Shine!” somepony distant, watery and sounding vaguely like Misty, shouted.

A blob of grey slinked in from the right, its elongated form wrestling with patches of blue. With a grunt, the stallion’s vision steadied and the blob mutated, bit by bit, into a unicorn mare, a backdrop of mottled green and brown cloth framing her features. She was fixed with a short frown, inquisitive eyes topped by knit brows.

“Commandant.”

“You okay? What happened?” Misty tilted her head.

“Just a little banged up,” Shine said, pausing intermittently as he worked his way to his hooves. “As for what happened, I remember fire... coming from the sky. Then I was flying backward and... nothing.”

“Hmmm, so it was here.” The grey unicorn walked to the right, looking the stallion up and down as she disappeared from his vision. “But you’re not burned, not even singed.”

The mare walked back in from the left.

“I must have got the shield up in time.” His calm quickly fading. “Wait, what do you mean, ‘it?’ Don’t tell me we’re talking about-”

“A dragon, yes. I think we got it, though.”

“You think?”

“The contingency wasn’t meant for something quite that large. We saw it fall, but haven’t been able to locate the body,” Misty paced a little as she explained.

“Great...” Shine sighed. “So now what?”

“We’ll have to retreat. This camp is no longer defensible. Especially if that dragon is still around.”

“Understood.”

This time the vision was gone in an instant, the sudden darkness sending Twilight into a short panic. She clung desperately to her train of thought, smiling as she reeled it back in. Not too long ago, the unicorn and her friends had faced a dragon. Her smile broadened. Even though the struggle was fraught with failure, everypony had done their best and brought the conflict to a quick end.

Her smile drooped, recalling that the last time she was with her friends, she was throwing lightning at them. Mist or not, it was still her body that had done them harm. She should have looked harder. Found a spell. Gone to the princess sooner. Something, anything.

But the time for preventative measures was long over. There was no way to go back, only to make things right. She could only hope that they would forgive her.

She shook her head.

No, she knew they would forgive her. She just needed to ask.

Misty’s rump waggled as she worked, blue tail flicking erratically, lashing out at an invisible annoyance. Her snout was practically crammed into the bookcase, its simple red-brown frame reaching about half a meter above her head. Cabinets of an identical make sat on either side, each shelf fully stocked with tomes of various colours.

“But why?” Breeze whined.

“You still suck at fighting,” Misty sighed, throwing a dismissive glance behind her.

The colt pounced, his words smooth and obviously rehearsed. “No, I don’t. I even learned a destruction spell, watch!”

A faint light washed down from Breeze’s forehead, which quickly disappeared as he took to the air. He crashed onto the floor, floorboards creaking in protest. He looked up from the planks, catching the second layer of magic dying away from his sister’s horn.

“Hey, what was that for?!” Breeze yelled, letting out a huff as he rose to his hooves.

“I don’t need you accidentally burning down the library,” the elder unicorn snapped. “And besides, offensive magic is useless if you don’t get a chance to use it.”

Several books pulled away from the shelves, flipping open as they answered the whims of the mare.

“I wasn’t ready!” the younger unicorn stomped, a dull rattling slinking out of the room. “If you’d told me that’s what we were-”

“Ugh, that’s the point, Breeze!” Misty spun, giving the colt a hard, bloodshot stare that startled Twilight. “The enemy isn’t going to just waltz up and tell you they’re attacking. If you can’t even handle the basics, you’ll just get yourself killed.”

“But-”

“No buts,” the mare cut in. The corners of her eyes glittered the grey pony turned back to the bookcase. After a moment she spoke again, low, yet firm.

“There will be no more tears for our family. Not so easily.”

Breeze trotted up beside his sister, struggling over a few useless syllables. “Don’t you see? That’s... that’s why I want to help.”

The colt’s vision blurred as he pressed himself against the blue strands of Misty’s mane. “You’re all I have left, sis... What if...” He took a deep, audible breath. “What if something happens and I stood by and did nothing?”

Misty turned her head, resting it against Breeze’s. Neither sibling moved for a long time. A gentle creaking crept in and out of existence. The air whined as it passed through. Outside, somepony was shouting. Finally, the mare pulled away, eying her brother up and down.

“I’ll find you a job with supplies. Just... promise me you won’t go looking for fights.”

“Okay.” Breeze nodded solemnly.

“Okay what?” The mare smirked, arching an eyebrow.

“Okay, ma’am!” Breeze chuckled.

“Much better,” Misty said, the faintest touch of a giggle on her lips.

Twilight was sightless again, lost with the rest of the memory to the darkness of her mind. The unicorn shook her head, a warm wetness sliding across her cheeks.

The purple pony could see her mom’s face, blue eyes bright and cheerful, peering out from under her neatly styled purple and white mane. A gentle smile lit up her white coat. Her father stood nearby, the blue stallion’s yellow-brown eyes shining with approval.

Twilight could hardly remember the last time she saw them. Heck, she could barely remember the last time she even thought about them. Time had swept her away. Always something to do, something demanding her focus. Even when she returned to Canterlot, she went straight to the Gala. How easy it would have been to stop by. No doubt they would have been happy to let her friends stay the night. And yet she had returned to Ponyville, not a single thought cast their way. More than ever she wanted to hold them, to tell them she had not forgotten them, that she still loved them dearly.

Sleep was creeping in again and as Twilight’s eyes fell shut, she could feel them nuzzling up against her. She let out a contented sigh.

Twilight’s sight shivered, ragged gasps filling the air. A couple dark blue feathers lay scattered across the grey stone floor, illuminated by strong candlelight.

Her vision swung upward, revealing a white alicorn, pained weariness in her eyes. After a moment of confusion, Twilight was ashamed to think she took so long to recognize her mentor, even if her coat was layered in grime. Despite the smaller, skinnier stature, missing patches of fur and the smattering of crimson stains, the princess carried her air of majesty, pink mane billowing around her like a mantle. In place of the princess’ usual tiara sat the Crown of Harmony. Light danced off of the blue, green, pink, orange and red jewels as they held formation around her.

“Do it,” Princess Luna rasped, the grating of her voice almost sounding like a different pony.

“You can’t be serious! I won’t condemn you to years of that... thing in your head!”

“Then kill me,” the moon princess replied flatly.

“No!” Princess Celestia’s eyes were wide, her mouth contorted into a horrified frown. “You... you’re not thinking straight!”

“Damnnit, Tia, you’re... the one... who isn’t thinking straight. You can’t save everypony... Not this time!”

“You don’t know-”

“Yes, I do! I can feel myself fading. Nameless... It will be back soon.” The younger princess rose unsteadily, toppling to the floor with a dull thud. “It’s me... or our subjects. You know... what the right choice is. Keep them safe.”

Twilight’s mind froze, fixating on Princess Celestia’s eyes. The purple discs quivered like foals lost in the night. Candle light flickered across the dampness as it streamed down the alicorn’s cheeks.

“I... I can’t lose you, Luna.”

The moon princess’ own eyes became blurry, but several blinks later they were clear again. Her words leaped forth with renewed passion.

“Fine, then do it because you love me. Seal me and figure something out while I’m gone! Just... don’t let me hurt them anymore... please.”

“I...”

The sun princess closed her eyes, tears continuing to flow as her horn came to life. With each passing moment, the dancing magic grew in radiance until the room was nearly washed out. Her eyes snapped open, blank sockets overflowing with energy.

“I’m so sorry, Luna!” she sobbed.

The vision faded away, those final words echoing in its wake. In all her years with the princess, Twilight had never seen anything like that. Seeing her mentor’s composure break so thoroughly sent a wave of terror through her body, dread latching on to her heart. And yea, part of the unicorn felt relieved.

Princess Celestia was neither perfect nor, invincible. A thousand years knowing she locked her sister away with a monster. A thousand years knowing nopony else could ever stay by her side. All beneath that mask. Twilight could never pretend to understand. Even thinking about such a long span threw her mind into a whirl. But what she did understand was that at the princess’ core, there was a pony like any other. And her heart ached.

All this time she had been looking at her mentor the wrong way. A perfect being must demand perfection and as her protege, Twilight’s job was to be the perfect student. Or at least that was what she used to think. But the purple pony finally saw that in her eagerness for formality and excellence, she, like everypony else, had been alienating the princess.

Twilight’s cheeks flushed. She had nearly given up, the horrors bringing her lonely mind to its knees. But even in the bowels of her mind, she was not truly alone. Her friends were there, if only she would remember. And they were waiting for her. Her mentor, the girls, Spike, her parents... she could not let them down. She refused to let them down. With fire burning in her eyes, she resolved to reclaim her life. The unicorn pushed herself to her hooves.

‘Time to turn the tables.’

“Oh, I don’t know about this.” Fluttershy’s eyes flitted side to side, returning every so often to the butterfly jewel around her neck. The pegasus was shrunken, taking cover behind her pink locks as she plodded down Ponyville’s main road. Pinkie Pie began circling her, looking for what ailed her friend.

“Why? Is it too tight?” the orbiting pony asked, tilting her head.

“No, it’s just that, um, well, everypony keeps staring.”

“We have to be ready to go at anytime. So they’ll just have to deal with it,” Rainbow said.

They walked on in silence, Fluttershy shifting uncomfortably every time somepony glanced her way. The curly maned pony gave her a quick, sympathetic nudge, hoping it would calm her nerves long enough to get her into the library.

Pinkie turned her attention to Dash. “Are you sure they’ll let us in?”

“If they won’t, then we’ll just have to sneak in,” Rainbow declared.

“Um, is that really a good idea?”

“Stop.” Dash commanded.

“Oh, good, I was afraid you wouldn’t agree.”

“No, not that.” The blue pony hissed. “The guards are gone.”

“Isn’t that good for us since we don’t have to be all sneaky and stuff?”

“Maybe. Just be quiet for a second. Fluttershy, if I nod at you, I want you to go get the others okay?” Rainbow whispered. Pinkie gave her a worried glance. The pegasus was never this cautious.

“Um, okay.” The yellow pony answered uncertainly.

Dash crept up to the door, easing it open about a hoof’s width. Pinkie Pie followed closely, peeking over the pegasus’ shoulder. The pink pony caught a glimpse of Twilight’s rear, the unicorn seemingly enamoured with whatever was in front of her.

Rainbow looked over at Fluttershy and nodded. The yellow pegasus stood stock still, simply staring back. However, a stern look from the other pegasus sent her sneaking off.

“What now?” Pinkie mouthed at the blue pony.

Dash leaned up to the pink pony’s ear. “We distract her until the others get here.”

Pinkie Pie nodded and was about to ask her friend how when the pegasus shoved the door open and strode in. The earth pony paused. Maybe Dash had a real cool speech about how uncool that big meanie was, stealing their friend like that. And then everypony else would get here just as she finished and then they would save Twilight and Pinkie would throw a great big party to celebrate. She chased eagerly after the rainbow tail.

With the unicorn fully in view, the pink pony noticed several objects orbiting her. A faint twinkle of magic danced around each object as it lazed along its course. One was a mostly transparent crystal ball, another a star shaped locket. The last one appeared to be some sort of golden bracer.

“Uh, hi, Twilight.”

Pinkie stared. Her friend shrugged.

“Hello, Rainbow Dash.” The purple mare turned slowly. “Have you come to join me?”

“Join you?”

“Soon I will replace Celestia. I will take her knowledge, her power, her throne. Help a good friend out and you can have anything you wish. Such as captainship of the Wonderbolts. Quite the deal, yes?”

“No way! Twilight would never say something like that!” Rainbow snorted defiantly.

“Are you sure about that?” The unicorn’s eyes narrowed, her voice low, almost seductive. “Have you ever seen into my mind, the deepest, darkest desires of my soul?”

“Even good ponies think bad things,” Pinkie conceded. “But that doesn’t mean they’ll do those bad things! And Twilight is a good pony!”

“Yea! You can’t fool us, we know who you are, Nameless!”

“Hah, they’re still using that? How amusing. Well then, have they told you that nothing you do can possibly harm me?”

Rainbow opened her mouth, but quickly snapped it shut again, forming a scowl.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Well, if you won’t join me, perhaps you can still be useful.” Nameless’ horn glowed brightly, the gadgets racing around her. “I wonder what broiled pegasus tastes like.”

The blue pony’s eyes widened, leg muscles visibly tensing.

The unicorn grimaced and looked away, the artifacts grinding abruptly to a halt. Pinkie took a step forward, hope filling her eyes, only to be met once more with a malicious grin. The pink pony blinked. Surely she was not just been seeing things.

“You know, fireballs are so boring. But this one will be something everypony can appreciate,” Nameless cackled.

The air tore in two, wavy black voids cleaving through like a knife. The spot of library convulsed as it separated, mutating into a set of dark, bluish-grey ridges. The patch rippled erratically, as though struggling against its own existence.

The earth pony squinted, the movement of several strange white things catching her eye. They skittered across the rocky hills, crawling into the library with unnerving speed. Pinkie tried to step back, but her knees were locked. She continued to stare, not daring to let the monsters out of her sight.

Their body was round, almost worm like and about four hooves long. They had short, stubby legs, the kind that might look cute on a woodland creature, but these were no woodland creatures. The monsters had no eyes, the tooth lined mouth consuming its face as surely as it could flesh. Saliva dripped to the floor and the pink pony cringed. She knew just what kind of flesh they were hungry for.

Pinkie gave Dash a sideways glance. The pegasus shifted restlessly, letting out a challenging snort.

With blinding speed, one of the worm things charged forward, leaping at Rainbow Dash. A sickening crack echoed through the library as the blue pony’s muscular hind legs struck the monster in the belly. It sailed through the air, hitting one of the bookcases and bouncing twice before rolling to a stop. With a flick of her tail, Dash turned back to Nameless.

The remaining creatures began their own charge, half of them splitting off to attack Pinkie. Panic gripped her and she took several steps backward. While Dash boasted a black belt, the pink pony had no such luck. Yet her body shook with anticipation, a ferocity she never knew she had surging through her veins. Without a thought, her head was flicking to the side, barely getting clear of the monster’s lunge. She brought her cranium back, swinging wildly into the creature Her world blurred for a moment, but when it cleared, her opponent was tumbling across the ground.

The second creature was upon her, staying low as it clattered noisily across the wooden floor. She pulled her foreleg away, but the sharp pain drawing across it told her she was too slow. Ignoring the stickiness that followed, she stamped down.

“Hey! That wasn’t very nice!” she yelled, turning her side toward the monster. It had already doubled back. But this time she was ready. She pulled back, the thing falling just short of her wounded leg.

Seizing her opportunity, Pinkie slammed both forehooves down, pinning the creature. She alternated her legs, each blow more violent than the last. After a few strikes it became gross and mushy. A half dozen more and her hooves were wet and sticky and something smelled really bad. She looked down at the mess she had made and thought she was going to be ill.

“Pinkie! Look out!”

She had hardly begun to react when something rammed into her flank, tossing her to the floor. The pink pony landed awkwardly on her side, gasping as the impact stole all her air. She lay there wheezing, her body allowing her to do little else.

Rainbow Dash’s agonized scream startled Pinkie from her stupor. The pink pony’s friend stood over her, body and wings spread wide. Rapid wriggling drew her eyes to the pegasus’ left wing. The earth pony winced as the monster continued to dig in.

“Get. OFF!” Dash raged, buffeting forcefully. Her prismatic mane swirled violently as the creature collided with the wall again and again. On the third or fourth strike, the monster dislodged and the wounded pony wasted no time, driving a hind leg into its head with a decisive crunch.

Rainbow breathed heavily as she turned back to Nameless. “That... that all you got?”

“As a matter of fact? No.”

More of the creatures entered the rocky area, swarming from every direction. Counting at least a dozen Pinkie froze. There was no way they could win. As the monsters skittered closer, she felt something pressing against her rump.

The pace almost pushed the pink pony into a canter, bewilderment spread across her face as she glanced behind her. Dash gritted her teeth, the shame of defeat on her face. She shook her head. They needed to go. The ponies burst from the library, growls and maniacal laughter echoing out from behind.

They fled down the street, past a small residence and around the corner, each poking an eye out. Pinkie tensed as several of the creatures clambered out of the library. She let herself breathe again when they just stood there, unmoving. A moment later, they charged the nearest pony, whom screamed and galloped away at full speed. As other bystanders began to notice the monsters’ presence, panic erupted in the street, spilling over into the park.

“Oh, no! What do we do?”

“We can’t leave them hanging. We gotta get those things’ attention. C’mon!”

“But, then what? What about your wing?” Pinkie asked, eyes glued to her friend’s stained feathers.

“Don’t worry, I’ll improvise.” The blue pony flashed her a cocky smile.

Before the pink pony could say another word, Rainbow Dash leaped out into the open, yelling “Hey, you, ugly! Yea, you! Over here!”

The majority of the monsters paused, an eerie synchronization to their turning as they faced the pegasus. They scrambled straight for the pair.

“We have to get them away from here!”

Pinkie nodded, following Dash down one of the side streets.

“Hey, over there!” Rainbow yelled, veering off to the side as they reached the top of a short incline. The blue pony disappeared behind a couple stacks of crates. A grating crunch was preceded by a barrel making its way out.

“Ohhh, I see!” The pink pony dove in, helping her friend fish two more from the pile.

“Eat this!” Rainbow’s container sped off, the momentum from her hind legs driving it relentlessly through the mass of monsters. Many were knocked aside, but little else came of the attack. Pinkie launched her barrel anyway, with Rainbow Dash’s second quickly overtaking it.

“Well, that didn’t work. Let’s get out of-” Dash turned around. “Horse apples!”

“Huh?” Pinkie Pie gave her friend a strange look. Her heart sunk when she saw the monsters coming up on their flank.

“They’re smarter than I thought. Hurry, Pinkie, get on my back.”

“Okay!” The pink pony did not have to be told twice.

Rainbow Dash spread her wings, flapping vigourously. They were barely a meter off the ground when agony escaped the pegasus’ lips. The next thing Pinkie knew she was rolling across the ground. She ignored the aches in her body, scrambling to stand again.

“Ow! Hey... Rainbow Dash, are you okay?” She rushed over to her crumpled friend. The battered pegasus let out a string of curses as she untangled herself.

“I couldn’t get enough lift.”

“Your wing...” the earth pony stared at the bloody feathers again. “I make us too heavy, don’t I?”

“N-no! I just...”

“You’re hurt.” Pinkie gave the blue pony a concerned look. “Don’t worry about me. Get out of here.”

“And leave you? No way. Never!” Rainbow insisted, standing tall.

“Dashie...” A weak smile crept onto Pinkie Pie’s lips.

“I’ve got this side,” Dash said cockily, tail brushing up against Pinkie’s. “You ready?”

The pink pony dug in, finding Rainbow’s bravado infectious, “Yea! I’ll teach these ones not to be such Meanie Pants!”

The creatures were quickly closing in, dozens of teeth rising and falling in a tidal wave of ravenous death. The pink pony bowed her head and snorted. She would protect Rainbow until the end.

Something crashed down in front of the pink pony’s opponents, fragments exploding everywhere as the shattering of glass echoing up and down the street. Flames spilled all over the ground, creating a deadly wall that ignited each of the monsters unfortunate enough to be caught in the flood. Pinkie Pie stared as they screeched and writhed, but when the stench of burning flesh reached her nostrils, she buried her snout in the nook of her foreleg.

More glass broke, followed by a “Huh?” from Rainbow Dash and the crackling of another hungry fire. Smoke, roaring flames and the stink and screams of the dying filled the air, fighting for dominance over Pinkie’s senses.

“Hey, you two okay?” The voice was barely audible.

Taking her best guess, the earth pony glanced up and grinned broadly when she saw the two airborne pegasi, “Dusky! Ditzy! Am I ever glad to see you!”

As the two winged mares descended, Pinkie noticed Ditzy’s mailbag was bulging, but not with mail. The tops of cloth stuffed bottles protruded from the open sack. On top of that, the blond pegasus carried a small torch in her mouth.

“Ugh, it’s even worse down here,” the charcoal pegasus cringed, wrinkling her snout.

Pinkie leaned in as Ditzy attempted to speak, but try as the pink pony might, everything just sounded like “mmph.” The mailmare’s partner seemed to have similar problems, a baffled look crossing her face. After a few more moments, the grey pegasus simply nodded.

“Rainbow, your wing, is it-” Dusky began.

“I’m fine,” Dash cut in firmly, turning her body to place the bloodied wing out of view. “Just give Pinkie a hoof, okay?”

“Okay. Hop on.” the charcoal pegasus beckoned. Pinkie nodded, giving Ditzy a quick nudge as she passed by. She draped herself over Dusky’s back.

“We had it under control.” Rainbow bit her lip.

“Sure,” Dusky shook her head, the barest of giggles escaping into Pinkie’s ears. “Let’s get out of here.”

Beating her wings, the black pony rose from the ground, rocking unsteadily at first. After a few moments she leveled out and off they went.

The earth pony took a quick glance behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Dash gliding along without so much as a flinch. Ditzy trailed by a couple meters. With her heart set at ease, Pinkie turned her attention to Dusky.

“How did you know where we were?”

“We didn’t.” The pegasus shook her head. “Princess Celestia shipped a crate of those things Ditzy has to the mayor. I was helping her lug it into the town hall when those … things showed up. Luckily, the princess’ instructions were pretty clear. The mayor sent a batch out with any pegasi whom happened to be there. It’s just dumb luck we were able to find you.”

“Ohhh, that makes sense. Thank you, anyway.” The pink pony smiled, pressing her snout into the back of Dusky’s mane. “I wonder if the princess knew Twilight would be here.”

“Why would the princess send weapons after Twilight?” the charcoal pony shot back a concerned look. “Wait, those rumours about the castle... were they true?”

“No! I mean, kind of, like...” Pinkie wondered how she could even summarize such a long story. “It wasn’t really Twilight. See, she’s possessed by this big meanie ghost thingy called Nameless and it makes ponies do bad things. But it also makes them really strong. And the princesses have been fighting it forever!”

Dusky was silent as they descended. The pink pony surveyed the ground below, watching the tower-like town hall rise to meet them. Once Pinkie’s hooves were on solid ground, the pegasus turned to her, a dreadful fear in her eyes.

“It was the cave, wasn’t it? Everything that’s happened, it’s...”

“Because of some jerk who’s really good at tricking ponies,” Rainbow Dash interjected. “Whatever happened probably would have happened if any of the team was with her.”

“Dash?” Surprise washed over the black pony’s face, which quickly melted into relief, like a weight had been lifted from her back. Aside from Pinkie Pie, anyway. “Can she be fixed?”

“Yea. We can do it with the Elements. We’ll have our Twilight back and Nameless will pay for thinking it could even lay a hoof on her. Just leave it to us.”

The charcoal mare looked at each of the ponies’ necklaces, then nodded. “Okay.”

The town hall’s door burst open, one tearing a hinge, leaving itself hanging precariously. Out strode Nameless, more than a half dozen trinkets circling her. Pinkie squinted as she thought she recognized one as the receptionist’s flower vase.

“Return those at once!” the mayor’s voice followed the unicorn.

“Oh, please, so your hall is less pretty. At least I’m not wasting their potential,” the purple mare shot back.

‘I knew it!’ Pinkie giggled, allowing herself a moment to bask in the absurdity.

“Nameless! Stop!” Rainbow Dash fell into a low, confrontational stance as she stepped into the unicorn’s path.

“Huh? You’re still alive? I don’t have time to play with you anymore.” The purple pony’s sprung to life, a large, crackling ball of darkness forming above her. It launched into the sky, drifting casually for a few meters before exploding, giving birth to a hail of black stars.

Pinkie let out a stunned yell, hunkering down, as she clutched her forehooves over her head. She shook profusely, her coat already feeling like it was searing away. But the pain never came. She eased an eye open and gaped at the shimmering silver bowl of light hanging over her.

“Ah, Luna... stepping in again, I see?” Nameless arched a brow at thin air. Pinkie arched hers in turn. A moment later, the princess of the night simply materialized, her body bearing the same faded, almost transparent appearance as at the castle.

“Let Twilight go,” the princess demanded.

Nameless blinked. “Have you gone senile? Why would I do that?”

“Because her friends want her back.” Princess Luna flourished both forehooves. Pinkie followed the princess’ hooves, glee spreading across her face as she noticed the arrival of Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy. As she pushed herself to a standing position, she noticed the apple embroidered bags hanging off the orange pony’s back. This was it. She could already see the real Twilight’s smiling face.

“Yea! C’mon, Twi! You can beat that damn body thief!”

“Certainly. What kind of classless buffoon steals somepony else’s body?”

“A buffoon AND a meanie pants!”

“And a punk, don’t forget that!”

“Um... yea, give her back... if you don’t... no, even if you mind.”

“Gah! Shut up and get lost!” Nameless’ horn flashed. Pinkie’s jaw dropped as a beam of white light surged toward her. The thing had to be the size of a house. She scrambled to get out of the way, but it was too late. She stared dumbly, wondering what went wrong.

When the beam was a few meters away, it suddenly shot skywards, a translucent silver wall blocking its path.

In the wake of the attack, the purple pony was left visibly hunched. She fumed angrily between laboured breaths, sunlight glinting off her brow.

“Having trouble?” the moon princess taunted, a smirk creeping over her face.

“You! I... don’t... Gaaahh! Enough! Fine, we’ll play it this way then!” The unicorn’s collection of artifacts spun wildly, her horn becoming as blinding as the sun. Pinkie Pie winced, taking cover behind her forehooves.

“What? No, are you crazy?!” Princess Luna yelled. Pinkie’s stomach flip flopped. That was not something she wanted to hear.

When the pink pony could no longer see through her eyelids, she cautiously forced an eye open and gaped.

“Gehehehe... wouldn’t you like to know?” Nameless’ irises were shrunken, a deranged smile spreading over her face. Surrounding her were dozens of those strange tears from earlier, their collective shimmering nearly mesmerizing.

Magic danced around the princess’ horn and several of the portals collapsed, vanishing into the air. But she was too late: the others had already begun to spew monsters by the dozen. They waddled about erratically, no doubt searching for victims.

“Enjoy my gift,” Nameless yelled shrilly, disappearing in a flash of white light.

A split second later, another flash of white caught Pinkie’s eye. The purple pony stood on the road, a bewildered look on her face. Seeing everypony staring at her, she let out a “Bah!” and turned, galloping away.

“After her! Don’t let her escape!” Princess Luna yelled.

“But what about Ponyville?” Dash asked, eyes flitting between the monsters and the fleeing pony.

“I’ll handle that! Stick to the plan! Your princess commands it!”

“You heard her, c’mon girls!” Applejack shouted, speeding off as she finished.

“You two! Get those bombs back in the sky!”

“Me? Er, I mean, yes, princess!” was Dusky’s hasty reply. Pinkie stole a glance at the charcoal pegasus, smiling weakly at the surprise written all over the other mare’s face. After a moment, she noticed the pink pony, calling out a “Good luck!” before departing.

“You too!”

Farewells

The forest was still, not a single sound contesting the hooffalls. They echoed deafeningly, even as the undergrowth did its best to muffle them. Applejack led the way, followed by Rainbow Dash, then Fluttershy and Rarity, with Pinkie Pie bringing up the rear of their tangled line.

The pink pony kept an eye on the ground, the smattering of pale light barely giving notice of the odd rock or fallen branch.

The trees broke away, becoming a wide open plateau that ended not far ahead. Applejack skidded to a stop, each pony behind her scattering with growing desperation. Pinkie herself was a mere nose away from Fluttershy’s rump as she veered past.

“Where is she?” the farm pony yelled, sweeping her head across the clearing.

“Did we lose her?” Rarity panted.

“No way! We’ve come too far for that.” Dash glowered. “She’s gotta be somewhere in there.”

Pinkie followed the blue pony’s gaze across the rickety rope bridge. Thick tendrils of white hung in the distance, drifting a few meters from the cliff’s edge, its enormous volume consuming half the latter portion of the bridge. A large, rectangular shape danced in the darkness, its perimeter shifting endlessly.

“Heeey...” The pink mare squinted. “Isn’t that where we got the Elements?”

“Yea.” Applejack adjusted her hat. “Funny how that works.”

“Look! Up there!” Rarity shouted, hoof aimed high, at the ghostly yellow squares flickering in the fog.

“Um, isn’t that...?” Fluttershy shrunk.

“So it wants a rematch, huh?” Rainbow drew herself tall.

“Or perhaps Twilight is calling for help.” Princess Celestia’s voice wafted in.

Pinkie jumped and whirled, her heart relaxing when she saw the white alicorn.

“Princess Celestia!” The girls’ unified relief filled the air.

“Hello, my little ponies.” The sun princess trotted into their midst, her eyes drifting from one pony to the next. “Are you ready?”

“With you here? More than ready!” Dash grinned.

Princess Celestia shook her head. “I’m not coming.”

“What?” The collective disappointment crawled from the clearing.

“Do you not notice the stillness of the forest?”

“Yep! What’s wrong with that?” Pinkie Pie asked, tilting her head.

“Evil approaches. Nameless is rallying monsters. Monsters that even the creatures of Everfree know to avoid. I will hold them back, but you must hurry.”

“But, Princess, how can we even hope to stand against such power?” Rarity inquired.

“Though I cannot go with you, I can still help.”

The alicorn’s horn danced with magic and Pinkie felt something warm wash over her, like a great big, invisible hug. She felt a confidence rising in her chest, more spring in her hooves, an extra bag of sugar in her bloodstream.

“W-what was that?” Fluttershy mumbled, eyes wide.

“Just some minor enchantments,” the princess replied hurriedly. “Now go, before it’s too late.”

“Wait. Pinkie, take my saddlebags.” Applejack motioned with her head.

“Um, okay. But why?”

“A fight’s a brewin’ and me and Dash will need to lead the charge.”

“But...”

“We ain’t got time to argue. I ain’t liking the idea any more than you, but we gotta be ready. We ain’t getting a second chance.”

“She’s right.” The princess’ horn glowed, the bags darting up and over before quickly settling on the pink pony’s back. “Now go. I have faith in you. Bring her back to us.”

Thick metal bars protruded from the ground, encircling Twilight within her own mind. She rattled with all her might, both body and magic, but they remained firm and unmoving.

Floating before her was a large panel, its width several times her length. An image was embedded into it, the grey stone pillars and floor both cracked and perforated with neglect. A dark, empty stairwell sat just beyond the farthest pair of columns.

A green sphere sprang into existence from the side, magic flitting about it. It started floating across, stopping when it reached dead center. The orb’s vibrant green became pale, then grey and finally black.

‘Mmmm, Twilight, have you never noticed how your body longs for magic?’ The voice was everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

The artifact flew upward, disappearing from view. A scant second later, the tinkling of glass echoed back.

‘With each sip, it quivers. It knows of the power locked inside these... baubles. And it lusts for more. For the drink of the divine.’

Another object slid into sight, this time a short, gemmed wand. Its silver sheen and luminous hues quickly vanished, leaving it as hollow and lifeless as the last.

‘Stop! Siphoning is dangerous!’ Twilight cried out, her time doubtlessly wasted.

‘Oh, Twilight, you’re just so adorably naive.’ The patronizing chill crawled across her coat. ‘That’s a myth, made up by your princesses. Born out of fear, they forbid the absorption of magic so that I might never come across a powerful unicorn. Did you already forget why Celestia took you in? She didn’t want to help you. You were a liability.’

‘Enough! Your lies won’t work anymore!’

‘Unfortunately for them, even the almighty alicorn couldn’t watch you every moment of the day and your natural ability just needs a little... enhancement.’ The depleted wand casually pitched forward, shattering against the ground. ’Soon, Twilight. Soon you will be stronger than Celestia. You needn’t fear her any longer, for you will be her master. And all the knowledge in Equestria will be yours for the taking. All will revere you as Twilight, the Sage Princess.”

‘I don’t fear her. Your future is meaningless to me.’

‘Oh, really? Then all those memories of worry: the banishment, being locked in a dungeon... magic kindergarten, that was not fear?’ A bronze amulet drifted into view.

‘I...’ They were gone. The when, the how, the why, all of it. Sweat formed on her brow. She fought against every natural instinct, the urge to lose herself fading away. ‘That was then. But now I understand. I won’t let you toy with my emotions any longer.’

‘Pah, fine, this is getting boring.’ Nameless discarded the blackened amulet. ‘Let’s move on to the main entertainment.’

‘What?’

‘Your friends are here. I can feel them, creeping up the stairs, thinking they can save you. How droll.’

Twilight gritted her teeth.

‘But here’s how it’s going to work: they’re going to waltz in that door, then I’m going to tear them apart, limb from limb and you’re going to watch. Isn’t that exciting?’

Rage welled up in her chest, its warmth radiating up to her cheeks. ‘You... you’ll never win. Together, our friendship is unstoppable!’

An amused laugh echoed through her mind. ‘We’ll just see about it. Oh, look, here they come now.’

Each of the ponies filed in, forming a V with Applejack at the head. The earth pony began a cautious advance, determination filling her and everypony else’s eyes..

“Nameless! Let-”

Applejack’s hoof touched down and the air behind her exploded in a wave of searing orange destruction. Twilight’s mouth dropped, feeling a prickle at the corners of her eyes as her ears drooped.

‘No!’ Light flooded from her horn, the cage’s bars rattling violently. But they rattled in vain. The unicorn fell to her haunches. ‘No... It... it can’t...’

Pinkie Pie coughed. Her eyes snapped open in time for a puff of smoke to roll across her face. She blinked a few times, pushing herself from her sprawled position. Her joints protested, but upon seeing the golden globe surrounding her, she decided she could not really complain.

As the dust cleared away, the glimmer from each pony signalled the safety of her friends. The pink pony allowed herself a quick sigh of relief before turning to face Nameless. An arrogant smirk spread across its face.

“Interesting. So Celestia has her hoof in this after all. Fine, I’ll play your little game. Try not to bore me.”

“You ready?” Applejack asked through gritted teeth.

“I was born ready.” Dash grinned.

They took off, flashes of orange and blue working their way up the outsides of the pillars. Bolts of white leaped from nowhere, striking in rapid succession as the attack followed in their wake. Columns exploded, throwing splinters all over the floor and tufts of impenetrable black into the air.

“Look out!” Rarity yelled, ducking behind the nearest pillar. One of the bolts whizzed by, the golden barrier guarding Fluttershy’s head sending it into the ceiling.

The yellow pegasus’ pupils practically disappeared, a terrified “Meep!” escaping her lips.

Dash was a prismatic blur, projectiles flying wide as she zigzagged across the open floor. She took to the air, form returning as she stopped dead, extended forehoof little more than a nose away from Nameless’ face. The unicorn turned and laughed as the crumpled purple barrier flexed, flinging the pegasus in a short arc that ended with the wall. The gold shield intervened once more, bouncing the blue pony roughly to the ground.

Applejack charged, making a beeline for the unicorn’s flank. With a quick leap, she planted her forehooves, dust grinding audibly as she brought her hind legs round with enough force to make Pinkie cringe. The barrier bent sharply, prodding Nameless hard enough to send her stumbling forward. The shield rebounded, throwing the orange pony into the floor, her bubble deflecting her against the wall and back.

Pinkie stared intently as she advanced, keeping her eyes on the objects orbiting Nameless. They rode a faint current of magic, rotating lazily. An idea struck her hard enough she paused to gasp.

“Come on, girls, we have to get those magic thingies!”

“Come again?”

“The magic thingies! Here, I’ll show you!”

Pinkie rushed forward, hastily closing the distance and lunging for the nearest artifact. She crashed into the ground, a small storm of dust forming as she slid. She scrambled to her hooves, biting ferociously at another, to no avail.

Applejack and Dash struck with growing desperation, battering their hooves against the shield with lightning speed. Nameless turned, the ground under Applejack growing black and inflated. The farm pony was tossed into the air as bubble turned to explosion.

Fluttershy streaked by, golden amulet dangling from her mouth. She had hardly flown more than a few meters when the amulet glowed magenta, pulling away hard. The pegasus’ eyes widened as she spun wildly, nearly crashing into the floor.

Rarity’s horn glowed, the magenta overlaid by light blue, a magical tug-of-war ensuing. Her brows furrowed, mouth tightening as though something was squashing her head. The white unicorn gasped, collapsing to her knees as the trinket escaped.

Pinkie made another leap, feeling the amulet brush up against her hoof as she sailed by.

A cracked echoed through the air. The pink pony turned to see Rainbow’s forehoof embedded deep within the barrier and Nameless’ head turned sideways. The unicorn’s own hoof swished through the air, skimming off the top of Dash’s mane.

Seeing her opportunity, Pinkie lunged at the amulet, grasping it firmly in her teeth. She galloped away as fast as she could, sliding behind the pillar beside Rarity. She wondered how long she had until she was found out. Her eyes fell on her saddlebags.

“Pinkie, be a dear and give that to me.” The white pony’s eyes were lit up, staring at the earth pony as though she had just come up with a new dress design.

After a quick stare, she let the amulet fall from her mouth. A net of blue light caught it, holding it steady.

“What are...?” The pink pony stopped short, glancing between the trinket and Rarity’s furrowed, almost pained, face. The artifact began to come apart, fine piece by fine piece. A white glow was gathering in the center, each second bringing it closer to enveloping the unicorn’s blue. As a large piece came off the back, an alabaster eruption burned away Pinkie’s world. A loud pop sent her ears ringing and something hard hit her forehead.

“Owie...” Pinkie Pie groaned, practically falling over as she clutched her forehooves to her temples.

“Apol... that... ugh... unexpected,” Rarity said, words ebbing and flowing as the earth pony’s brain pounded against her skull.

Once Pinkie could think again, she forced her eyes open. Just a few centimeters from her snout were charred golden fragments. She turned her head up, wincing at the sudden movement. Rarity grimaced in return.

“At least it worked.” Rarity eyed the broken remains. “I’ll just have to be more careful with the next one.”

“Okey... dokey...” the pink pony mumbled, pushing herself upright, “lokey.”

Fluttershy came galloping up, eyes darting from earth pony to unicorn and back. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, dear, I just had a minor mishap.”

“Oh, okay, if you say so.”

Pinkie stood up, flashing the pegasus a smile. “We’ve got it figured out now. We just gotta get Rarity more of those magic thingies. C’mon!”

The yellow pony hardly had time for a nod when the earth pony took off at full gallop.

Pinkie Pie approached the three battling ponies, their deadly dance having fallen into a slower rhythm. The unicorn moved slowly, methodically, avoiding Dash’s swoops and keeping her distance from Applejack.

Pinkie charged straight in, eyes locked on the crystal ball. The purple pony pulled clear, leaving the pink pony with nothing but air. She whirled, returning her eyes to the prize.

An orange blur streaked in, turning sideways at the last moment. Applejack’s full weight crashed into the purple shield, sending Nameless stumbling backward. A rainbow flashed by, and the ball was gone.

“Fluttershy!” Dash’s voice, then the crystal ball, escaped the formless rainbow as it reversed direction.

The yellow pony’s eyes went wide, fumbling to adjust her course. The ball hit the ground, emitting a dull clack before the pegasus snatched it into her wing.

Pinkie made another pass of her own, coming away with a silver bracelet.

“Grah! Stop doing that!”

The pink pony glanced behind her in time to see a jet of flame running alongside Applejack as it tried to catch up with Pinkie. She flicked her mouth, aiming for the orange pony’s path before throwing herself behind the nearest pillar. The faint golden glow at her side told her she had done so in vain.

A swift nudge from the farm pony’s forehoof sent the bracelet sliding over to Rarity’s column, where it remained. A magenta glow snagged the trinket, speeding past Applejack even as she dove for it. She crashed to the ground, skidding behind the pillar.

“Can’t you go any faster?” the orange pony yelled.

Rarity let out a loud huff. “This is a delicate process! They’re practically bursting at the seams as it is. I’ve been blown up enough today, thank you very much.”

“All right, all right, I getcha.”

“Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash’s voice stole her attention. She poked her head out. A star shaped locket was flying through the air. Pinkie Pie reached out her teeth, but the magenta light interfered once more, immobilizing it. The pink pony leaped out, not even sure if she would make it.

Fluttershy came barreling down from the ceiling, swooping at just the right angle to pass over Nameless’ head. Or should have, if not for the magic shield. The pegasus collided with the barrier, pressing it right into the unicorn’s rump and sending her sprawling.

Pinkie grabbed the locket, bounding away with the chain clenched firmly between her teeth.

“ENOUGH OF THIS!” Nameless’ rage blasted through the room, followed by a crushing invisible force. Pinkie Pie was sent flying, spinning through the air in her golden bubble. The locket escaped her mouth, plummeting to the ground.

The pink pony counted herself lucky as her hooves touched stone and she seized the opportunity, making for where the trinket had fallen. She snatched it off the floor, looking up just in time to be bombarded by the awe-inspiring storm of magic pouring from the purple pony’s horn.

“Somepony stop her!”

Dash streaked in, only to be launched away when the white nova erupted.

The locket fell once more as Pinkie stared, dumbfounded at the light washing over her. She felt her hooves giving way and she dropped herself low, digging desperately at the stone. And then the stone was gone. The earth pony crashed down on her belly, air squeezing out as she deflated onto the floor.

Pinkie gasped for breath, her body refusing to do anything else. When she could finally look up again, she searched for the locket. But the only thing on the ground was a pile of fine, silver powder.

“Gah!” Dash’s scream sent the pink pony scrambling. At the end of the hall, the blue pegasus hung in the air, flailing against the magenta aura.

“Let her go!” Pinkie cried, charging straight at Nameless. Or so she tried. Her muscles were sluggish, her destination so distant. She glanced around in her confusion. Rarity and Applejack joined her, the same bewilderment quickly filling their faces.

A volley of black energy leaped forth, reaching them almost instantly. They crashed down around Pinkie Pie, fragments of stone nipping at her coat. Her friends cried out in shock, but she did not dare look back.

The earth pony’s body was suddenly rigid. She struggled to regain her stride, but her muscles refused to obey. She tumbled head over hooves, first along the ground, then through the air. Once her world stopped spinning, she found herself suspended in front of Nameless.

“Heh, fine. Since you’re so anxious to die, I’ll do you first.”

The pink pony shrieked, her bones creaking as the sinew of her left forehoof tried to tear away from her body. Her right followed suit, her vision going blank as the pain radiated up and down her innards.

“Hehehe, that’s it, squirm.” The voice that was and was not Twilight’s crept into her ear. A deep sorrow gripped Pinkie’s heart. Sorrow that her friend was just out of hoof’s reach. Sorrow that out of all the things that could happen, this was how they might part. Through sheer strength of will, she brought her quivering lips together.

“T-Twilight... is my... best... bestest friend... whoopee... whoopee...”

“What is this? Ah, yes, that’s right. You’re the insane one.”

The earth pony felt the fur of her neck stand on end as an invisible force brushed across its entire length. But she did not care. She needed to speak her mind.

“And... not a... big, dumb, evil... meanie, meanie...”

“Enough of your drivel. Be quiet.”

She gagged, twitching feebly as her throat tightened. Dark spots crept into her vision. And then she was falling, barely aware of the dull pain in her flank, then her head. Dancing stars appeared as she reeled from the impacts.

“Oh, no. Pinkie, are you okay? Please be okay.” Fluttershy appeared in front of her, nosing into her side.

“Ooph, y-yea...” She smiled weakly at the yellow pegasus. Her eyes brightened as they slipped past her friend to the shivering, yet unmoving purple unicorn. She sprung to her hooves, almost toppling right over again. Despite her body’s protests, she forced herself to limp forward. “Come on, girls! Now’s our chance!”

Each of her friend’s twitches taunted Pinkie in her uncertainty. Each half meter was a battle of its own, which the pink pony fought with renewed zeal. When she was finally in front of the unicorn, she raised her forehooves high, wrapping them tightly around the unicorn, adding a long nuzzle for good measure.

Each of the other ponies followed suit, surrounding Twilight in a warm embrace. Light danced from their necks, a gentle rainbow playing over the six friends.

The bars cracked and faltered, the expanding dome of energy tearing them to pieces. Shards of various sizes were thrown violently into the darkness. In the wake of the destruction stood Twilight, chest rising and falling. A torrent of magic ran round her coat, every hair standing in defiance.

‘Oh, my, aren’t we just violent tonight?’

‘I won’t let you hurt my friends any longer!’

The wraith pony materialized in front of her, its misty form solidifying into the black silhouette of a pony at least as large as Big Mac. Twilight held her ground, undaunted in her fury.

‘Tsk, I’m afraid you have no choice, my dear. Or did I hit you so hard you don’t remember the last time you tried?’

The purple pony stole a glance at the mysterious panel, catching flashes of pink and yellow fur.

‘This will be different.’

‘I’ve heard that one before. And not just from you. You’re out of your league, filly.’

The shadow darted forward, its form igniting in a blaze of dark purple and blue energy. Twilight braced herself, responding with a white beam as wide as herself. The two attacks collided, a mighty wave of power blasting to the sides. Neither pony nor magic budged. The unicorn grunted, pushing harder with each passing moment.

Then, the resistance was gone, the purple pony’s concentration waning as the attack extended endlessly into the darkness. She gritted her teeth. ‘Focus, Twilight. Focus.’ She waited a few seconds before letting up, just to be certain.

The ground began to rumble and Twilight took several steps back, eyes widening, as she searched for the source. A column of magma erupted where she had stood, its heat brushing roughly against her cheek, even as her shield deflected the deadly spray. She galloped away, the entirety of her face matted with dampness. When the tiny meteors ceased to strike around her, the purple pony turned. To her dismay, the lava was creeping everywhere, including a faster stream aiming straight for her.

The unicorn’s horn glowed, taking a moment to reinforce her barrier. With her defenses shored up, a flood of blue shimmered into existence, swirling chaotically around her. She felt herself rising, slowly at first, then with a rapidness that made her glance down. Intense orange-red light pressed itself against the purple shield, trying to worm its way into the peephole at the bottom of her whirlwind cocoon.

Content in her safety, the purple pony returned her attention to her spell. Twilight felt the gravity become more intense again, her ascent slowing greatly. Blue turned to white as she began to fall, her stomach pressing up against her back. A bead of sweat rolled freely down her face as her channeling became more frantic. After a few moments, she breathed a sigh of relief, her cocoon exploding.

Flexing her new wings, the unicorn fell into a wobbly swoop that almost ended with her headbutting the lava lake. ‘Gah, Rainbow makes this look so easy!’ She pulled up sharply, narrowly missing another magma column. Her heart was racing: not even ten seconds of flight and her modifications were already twice tested. She stole a quick glance backward, breathing again when she saw her ghostly purple tendrils were fully intact.

She leveled out, scanning the endless magma below.

‘My, Twilight, your imagination is rather... concrete.’

Twilight whirled, flapping furiously as she nearly overturned. A sly smile hung across Misty’s lips, the grey unicorn standing stock still, as though the air were solid ground.

Magic danced from the purple pony’s horn, illuminating the other mare’s face. ‘Misty?’

‘It’s okay, I’m here now. I’ve subdued Nameless for you.’

‘Nameless?’

‘That is what we call it.’

‘But... how? You’re dead.’

‘That’s what it thinks. But I bonded a preservation spell with the Elements’ attack, allowing my spirit to survive. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you sooner, but I had to wait for the right opportunity.’

‘I guess that makes sense. But what do we do now?’

‘We take the fight to it. Take my hoof, Twilight. The two of us together, we can win. We can put an end to this, once and for all.’ Misty extended her hoof.

The purple unicorn reached out her own, stopping a few centimeters away.

The grey pony looked down at Twilight’s hoof, then up at the pony herself. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘You.’ The purple mare’s light intensified, expanding into a hot white flare. Misty screeched as it bit into her face. And then she was falling, Twilight following closely behind. As the grey unicorn picked up speed, the lava thinned, its colour fading until it ceased to exist.

Misty hit the ground with a sickening crunch. A dull thud echoed out as the winged unicorn came down in a vicious stomp. The other mare was gone.

Nameless’ gaseous form drifted up in front of her. ‘Ugh, enough of this! Forget your memories. I’m going to destroy you here and now and be done with you.’

N-no...!’ Twilight screamed as an unbearable agony tore through her mind, her very existence searing into nothingness. She fought back with all the strength she could muster. But her consciousness continued to ebb away. ‘H-help me... somepony...’

With a prismatic flash, the torment melted away. Countless silhouettes of different shapes and sizes surrounded Twilight, forming a shield of bodies.

‘What, what is this?’ Nameless scowled.

‘I see now...” Twilight breathed as she pushed herself to her hooves. “All these ponies... they’re victims. You stole their memories. You took them from their loved ones. But that also makes them a part of you, whether you like it or not. And they’re tired. Tired of hurting other ponies.”

‘Gah, enough! Back in your cages!’ A cone of black light lashed out, the majority of the crowd melting away.

‘You can’t suppress them all.’

‘S-silence!’

Twilight knew this was her chance. Her only chance. But she was calm. She could feel her friends, waiting for her. And together, they were invincible.

“Now, girls! Lend me your power!” Twilight was shocked by the obedience of her mouth.

‘Haha... you idiot... you’re going to take power from your friends right now? Planning on... giving in to me after all?’

‘No,’ the unicorn shook her head. ‘I plan on ending this.’

And then Twilight’s body was hers once more. She smiled, the warmth of her friends kindling the fire in her heart. She could not lose now. The purple mare looked up and, as though on cue, Pinkie shoved her snout into the apple embroidered saddlebags. Out came the crown, clenched between the pink pony’s teeth. Twilight quickly accepted her Element, levitating it up to her head. Barely was it seated, when the Rainbow of Harmony shot up into the air, dispersing into dozens of small, glittering prisms. Each beam looped back and struck the unicorn head on. Her friends let out cries of surprise as they were thrown back, the rainbow whirlwind engulfing her.

‘No! This... this is impossible!’

‘I believe you said that once before. Seems you haven’t learned your lesson.’ Twilight smirked.

‘Pah, you arrogant little filly. You haven’t won yet. Enjoy your freedom while it lasts.’

Twilight was suddenly aware of a great weight falling away from her mind. Without needing to think, she knew her psyche was truly her own. She was almost lost in the euphoria, but Nameless’ final words echoed back to her. Staring upward, she spotted a glittering blue-purple mist hissing its way into the air.

‘No... after all this... it’s going to get away? No... I won’t let it end this way!’

Twilight frantically searched her mind, sifting through hundreds of spells, many of which she did not even remember learning. She needed something decisive and with that goal in mind, her concentration was true. She flung a quick fireball, which unfortunately passed harmlessly through the mist.

Sweat dripped down the unicorn’s brow. The mist was completely free now. Free to terrorize other ponies. To reap the same horror on them as her, should they fall into its trap.

“That’s it!” she whispered, a wicked grin creeping onto her face.

Magical energy gathered around her horn. The purple pony kept her eye on the mist, her blood catching fire as it grew ever distant.

“Come on....come on!”

A soft blue pulse resonated from her horn. And the mist was gone.

An intense clarity washed over Twilight, the white glow of magic escaping her eyes. The rainbow whirlwind started to close in.

‘What... what is this? How?!’

‘Hello.’ The purple pony smirked again.

‘I-impossible!’

‘You keep using that word.’

‘HOW?!’

Twilight’s smirk widened. ‘Oh, I just naively bound you to myself again. That’s all.’

‘YOU BI-’

The rainbow finished closing in, its deafening roar overpowering even her thoughts.

Reality returned and Twilight was suddenly tired. She sagged to the floor in slow motion. She brought her cheek to a rest, setting it gently against her forehooves. She saw no harm in taking a nap. Just a little rest, then she could see her friends again. As the Element of Magic slipped away, she thought she could see the face of a grey mare, sea blue bangs dancing above a thankful smile. She grinned weakly, a bare whisper escaping her lips.

“Sorry I took so long.”

Twilight felt sore all over. Her head in particular felt like somepony had taken a rock to it. And yet, her mind welcomed the pain. She had been without body for far too long. So long as the purple pony could tell she, and not anypony else, was in control... any feeling at all was exhilarating. Not that everything was pain. A comforting softness surrounded her body, trying its hardest to ease her aches. Realizing she did not know where she was, her eyes snapped open. But when she saw that ceiling she would know anywhere, the unicorn’s face melted into a smile. She was home.

“Twilight!” Spike yelped from the purple pony’s right. She turned her head in time for the dragon to finish scaling the bed and envelop her in a great big hug.

“Hello, Spike,” she said, nuzzling him in return.

After a few moments, she glanced up and found Rarity at the foot of her bed. Her mind froze, running headlong into deja vu.

‘Was it all a dream? Is this a dream?’

“Twilight, dear?” Rarity said, snapping the purple pony back to reality. “Are you feeling all right?”

Twilight shook her head. “I... I don’t know. I guess?”

“Spike, would you go get the others?”

“Uh, okay!” the dragon said, casting one more glance at Twilight.

“The others? Is everypony else here?”

“Yes, we’ve been worried sick ever since we found you laying on the floor. We’ve been taking turns watching over you. I hope you don’t mind that we stayed the night.”

“No, not at all,” Twilight answered absently.

‘Was all that pain my imagination?’ The purple unicorn threw her covers off, inspecting herself, particularly her hind legs. ‘Nothing out of the ordinary, but...’

“What’s wrong?” Rarity raised an eyebrow, circling to the side of the bed as she did.

“It’s nothing.” The purple mare flashed an uneasy smile. Her eyes fell on her friend’s lower chest, near the white unicorn’s right leg. The fur was bald. “Rarity, what happened?”

“Oh, this? Just a little injury. The princess was kind of enough to mend it, so it’s no big deal.”

“But what about your coat?”

Rarity shook her head. “A small price to pay. Besides, it’ll grow back.”

A nearly unending torrent of hoofsteps clattered up the stairs.

“Twilight! Twilight! Twilight!” Pinkie yelled, crossing the room in a single bound.

“What?”

“I’m so happy! We should totally have a party right now!”

“Now, hang on a second, there, Pinkie. She just got up,” Applejack interjected.

“Duuuuuh! That’s why we need to celebrate!”

“She does have a point.” Dusky’s voice was barely audible enough for Twilight to follow it to the back. Her head was turned toward Ditzy Doo, who was standing beside her. The mailmare was the first to perk up at the unicorn’s attention, her gaze pulling the charcoal pegasus with it. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin the moment.”

“Oh, come on! Stop being such a stranger!” Pinkie hopped up and down.

“Were you waiting all this time too?” Twilight smiled.

“Actually, I... we just finished our shift and wanted to stop by to see how you were doing,” Dusky answered, glancing at the floor.

“Well, that’s very nice of you. And works out just fine.”

“What do you mean?” The grey pegasus raised an eyebrow.

“I need to apologize.”

“To who?” Dusky and Ditzy asked at the same time, looking at each other.

“Both of you. Actually, all of you. For this whole ordeal, for what you had to go through on my account. I... I’m sorry, everyone. And thank you for standing by me through it all.”

“We weren’t about to let some old geezer... whatever that thing was, mess with our friend!” Dash struck a pose and grinned mischievously.

Fluttershy nodded slowly, her own smile forming. “We’re just glad you’re safe.”

“Yea! Besides, we know you’d do the same for us,” Rainbow added.

Twilight’s lashes tingled. She blinked a few times, but only succeeded in shifting the dampness to her cheeks. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Perhaps there isn’t anything left to say.” Princess Celestia poked her head through the doorway.

“Princess Celestia! And Princess Luna!” The purple pony’s mouth gaped as the two alicorns stooped under her doorway. “How long have you been standing out there? I... is it okay for you to be away from Canterlot like this?”

“Oh, Twilight. You worry too much. My advisers can handle the castle for a day while I give the heroines who defeated Nameless their due. A few minutes’ wait is nothing.”

Twilight’s cheeks flushed as the ruined throne room flashed through her mind. “Er, about the castle. I’m so sorry, I....”

Her mentor held up a hoof. “I know.”

Princess Luna smiled. “What you did was a commendable feat. What are a few nicks in the wall compared to that?”

Pinkie came up beside the bed, a big grin on her face. “Hey, everyone want to know a secret?”

Twilight blinked. “Uh... okay?”

The pink pony leaned forward, motioning inward with her forehooves.

“Uh, Pinkie?” Spike raised an eyebrow.

“Shhhh, just trust me,” the party pony hissed, her waving becoming more dramatic. Fluttershy looked uncertainly at Dash, who rolled her eyes.

Applejack shrugged and stepped forward, starting a continuous chain that brought everyone closer until all their heads were pressed together in an oversized huddle.

“Well?” Rainbow asked impatiently.

Pinkie’s eyes shifted left, then right.

“GROUP HUG!”