Shadows of the Past

by Blood Inc

Rating: everyone
Tags: Adventure, Discord, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Spike, Rarity
Length: 3461

After Rarity's incident with the "Inspiration Manifestation", she starts to drift away from her friends more and more for a rather shadowy reason...

Rarity's life turns upside-down after her incident with the "Inspiration Manifestation" book Spike found in the old castle. A much more sinister force appears to be behind it as she starts to drift away from her reality and her friends...

Published 2014-04-27 23:40:04 UTC
Last updated 2014-05-02 15:42:46 UTC

The beginning of Chaos

It was a fine day in Equestria, better than fine considering the toll that it has taken during Rarity's "outburst" just a day ago. Luckily the Princesses were able to clean up the mess.

Princess Twilight Sparkle was inside of her Library, examining the book which caused Rarity to go bonkers in the first place... After Spike "retrieved" it.

"I don't understand!" Twilight said in a confused tone "What could have made Rarity do this?" she asked herself before looking at Spike.

"...I don't know, why are you looking at me like that?" Spike asked her, blinking a few times.

"Because you were the one who found the blasted thing, Spike!" Twilight "informed" him once again.

"Well, I don't know Twilight, I just found it in the old castle. I didn't even know what it was-" Spike started, but was soon interrupted by Twilight.

"It was DARK MAGIC, Spike! Do you know how much damage this could have caused?!" Twilight asked with an angry expression.

"...No?" Spike asked sheepishly.

Soon Twilight was screaming out in rage...

*Meanwhile in another place*

Rarity was sitting in her Boutique, taking a short break from her constant work on dresses. She took a long sigh before smiling, looking over the work she had done up until now, feeling quite accomplished of herself.

"Oh Rarity, you have outdone yourself once again." She flattered herself before grinning, looking over her newly made dresses once again.

The white mare walked over to a mirror, looking at her reflection and fixing her mane in a few places.

"Oh you are indeed the most stylish mare in Equestria, dear." Rarity spoke to herself, smiling at her reflection.

However, her reflection's eyes flashed a bright green, and her smile turned into a wicked grin. Then suddenly, an agonizing pain went through her head. She tripped over her own hooves and staggered forward a bit, clutching her head in pain.

"Dear sweet Celestia!" She screamed out in pain "What is this?!" she shuddered.

Then it disappeared as suddenly as it came, and she collapsed, feeling light headed. The last thing she saw was a faint glow of green coming from her horn before she passed out...

She was not out for long however, as she stood up and looked around, her eyes were glowing a bright green, and she looked distraught.

"Could it be..." she asked herself in a voice that did not quite belong to her "Is this the same creature that... I... See?"

Rarity shook her head, her eyes still remaining green "N-no this isn't happening!" She yelled in denial, covering her head with her hooves, but soon she removed them from her face, or rather was forced to do so.

"Hush now, child. It is time for me to come out again~" Rarity, or whatever was occupying her body now said in a blissful voice, her eyes becoming a brighter green.

"N-no! Not you again! Get out!" Rarity shook and held her head in her hooves again, starting to crawl away in fear and confusion.

"HUSH! ...Hush..." The other being inside of Rarity once again took control "Hush and take a nap, little Princess... I need you to be at full capacity." Rarity said, closing her eyes and laying down on the floor completely, relaxing her body and drifting off into sleep.

The next day

Rarity was awoken by loud knocking on her door, she stood up from the floor groggily. She looked all but rested, her mane was a mess and her eyes were red. She let out a yawn looked at the door, trying to recollect the events of the previous night... Day... What was it even?

"...Ugh... Coming." Rarity said in a tired voice "Who is it?" she asked.

"It's Twilight, I wanted to talk to you about that spell." Twilight's voice was heard from the other side of the door, she sounded rather worried.

Rarity opened the door and looked at Twilight, her eyes half closed.

"What time is it?" Rarity asked her before yawning loudly.

"It's... Nine o'clock... Are you okay, Rarity?" Twilight asked her friend with concern in her voice.

"I'm fine..." Rarity said mid-yawn "I just... Can't really recall anything from last night... I can't even recall anything from the last day!" she was suddenly back to her old, over-reacting self. But Twilight was quick to calm her down.

After inviting Twilight in, Rarity and her had a prolonged conversation about the spell that the white mare used, about the possibilities of side effects and such, and finally coming to a conclusion that the memory loss was probably a side effect from the spell.

"And the book?" Rarity asked in a voice full of dread "What about the book?"

"I left it at the Library, Rarity" Twilight responded slowly, worried that her friend might have become corrupted with the dark nature of the book's magic.

"Dear Celestia, I would have rather preferred it if you had burnt the thing!" Rarity yelled in a needlessly over-dramatic tone "I do not want to see that... THING ever again!"

Twilight looked at her, worry was obvious on her face. She couldn't exactly respond to her friend's words.

After spending some more time discussing on the topic, the two parted ways.

"I wonder if Discord would know anything about this..." Twilight wondered on her way back to the Library "Well, it's settled... I think I should visit Fluttershy's place today..."

Meanwhile back at Twilight's Library, a certain purple dragon was cleaning the bookshelves, oblivious to a certain book letting out a faint green glow...

Author's Note

I would like to add that this is my first time writing a fanfic in a while, please excuse the shortness of the first few chapters.

A Chaotic friend

Author's Note

For anyone wondering why the characters speak in color in the first chapter but here they don't, it's simply because some people are finding it distracting. Therefore the color will be absent from now on.

A Chaotic friend

It has been a whole good hour ever since Twilight has left Rarity's house, the white mare was in no better condition than before. At least she was in the mood to fix her mane now, otherwise she was not looking well. Her eyes were still bloodshot, she had noticeable lines under her eyes, she looked tired.

Her train of thoughts kept on going back to the book and it's effects. Even though she didn't remember much, the little she still recalled had scared her beyond belief. The creature that had overtaken her on that day was definitively NOT her, she would have never done such a thing... Would she? She couldn't even trust her own mind anymore, and what bothered her more was her memory-loss from the previous day.

"I hope Twilight can get to the bottom of this quickly... I don't want to spend the rest of my life as an amnesiac mare!" She whined to herself, tears starting to form on-

Her crying would have to wait for later as there was yet another pony knocking upon her door.

"..." Rarity stayed silent and sniffled a little "C-coming..." She wiped away her tears and walked over to the door.

"It's me again, Rarity! I think I have a certain someone who can help us." Twilight's voice was heard once again from the other side.

Rarity sighed in relief and opened the door "Twilight! I was worried si-" she cut herself off as she saw just who Twilight was bringing over to help.

"DISCORD?!" Rarity yelled out in a mixture of disgust and fear before slamming the door shut.

*On the other side*

"...Well that was certainly a nice way to welcome a friend." Discord said in sarcasm and looked at Twilight, who looked back at him with a look of bemusement.

Twilight sighed and knocked on the door again "Rarity! It's fine, he's here to help!" she reassured her friend on the other side.

Discord looked at the door for a few moments before snapping his claws and making it disappear into thin air.

"As your Princess friend was saying... I have come here to help." He said calmly, then continued "Don't waste words, dear Rarity. Her highness and her Royal assistant have already took their precious time to show me the book in question." Discord said, his voice was dripping with sarcasm, but he sounded sincere enough.

Twilight shot him a glare and looked back at Rarity, approaching her slowly "Relax, Rarity... He's on our side now, remember?"

"I wouldn't trust that brute no matter how 'reformed' he may be!" Rarity snapped at both of them.

"Now now, Rarity... You don't have much of a choice, do you?" Discord added, smiling sheepishly.

"You... YOUUUUUUU..." Rarity started, but was cut off by Twilight "As much as I hate to admit it, you're right, Discord..." she said, before turning to Rarity "He is right, you know..." Twilight smiled at her friend before turning back to Discord and glaring at him "Just because the other Princesses are too busy to help." she ended her sentence.

Rarity looked at Twilight in disbelief then at Discord, still calming down "...You will help me?" she asked, still not wanting to believe that it would be DISCORD out of all ponies and creatures that would be the one to assist them in solving this.

"I will help you, of course I will." Discord re-assured "Of course, this is dark magic we are speaking about. It will not be easy to find out what it has done to you. ...Aaaaaand I will have to request for an itsy-bitsy payment!" The two mares frowned at the last words "...And I will have to ask you to come with us, it will be much safer to speak about this somewhere more private." he put his hands together, looking at Rarity expectantly.

The two mares looked at each-other and back at Discord.

"How about my Library?" Twilight asked before being picked up by Discord.

"That is a wonderful idea!" he cackled at her.

"Let me go, Discord..." she said in a deadpan-tone. Her face couldn't be more fitting to the tone of her voice.

"Nope!" he laughed, picking Rarity up too "Welcome to Discord express, next stop, the 'Royal' Library!" he said before they all disappeared in a flash of white.

In a moment they were there, inside of Twilight's Library. Discord dropped the two mares and looked at a certain baby Dragon residing inside, who was reading a certain book which was now glowing a certain color.

"...What are you doing, Spike?" Discord asked Spike in a serious voice, crossing his hands over his chest and tapping his dragon leg against the floor. In that instant Twilight grabbed the book and closed it.

"Spike! What were you thinking?!" she yelled out like a banshee, glaring at the little dragon. But no response came from him, instead he kept on staring into the distance, his eyes locked into an empty gaze for a moment before he shook his head madly and looked directly at Twilight, letting out a low growl.

"Give it back!" the dragon yelled out and pounced towards Twilight, letting out out feral sounds. But he did not make it far as he was suddenly face down on the floor, tied down with rope. Discord was the one who was standing behind him now, crouching over him.

"Looks like our little friend has had a little dose of dark magic." he spoke in an amused tone before looking over at Twilight, who was looking shocked beyond belief, the book that she was holding up with magic was long gone out of her grasp and was laying open on the floor. Quickly she closed it and threw it in Discord's direction, and the Draconequus caught it with his clawed hand "We might be facing a massive corruption spread if this book stays here..." he said in a now once again serious tone.

"Spike wouldn't have done this on purpose!" Twilight said, her voice trembling slightly "He knew how dangerous that book is, he isn't stupid! He wouldn't read-" she was interrupted by Discord.

"Dark magic is a manipulative force, Twilight." Discord said wisely "No matter how pure you may be on the inside, it will always find a way to snake it's way into you and take over your mind, even if only temporarily." he looked at the book "I think these events will give me some insight to at the very least assume how bad it is... I am afraid that both Rarity and Spike are for now going to have to be quarantined from the rest of the world... Actually, scratch that." He held up a finger "Everypony who has been exposed to the book must not be allowed to leave this room... That includes you, Twilight." he said calmly.

Twilight attempted to protest, but bit her tongue. It was true, she too has been reading the book. But she didn't feel corrupted at all...

Discord only inspected the book's pages and did not dare open it "I believe that the book will be safe with me... Twilight, you have been cleansing dark magic with the other Princesses, right? You know of a spell that can clear this all up? As much as I hate to admit it, I'd hate to see this become worse than it already is..." he looked at the tied-down dragon who was still struggling against his binds.

"Yes, I know how to do this, but... I can't do it alone! We will have to wait until a Princess is free to help us! I'll go write a letter to Princess Celestia, she has to know of this! You stay with Spike and Rarity!" Twilight ran off upstairs.

"Oh, yeah... Rarity." Discord completely forgot about the white mare. He turned around and looked where he left her off and... Saw nothing.

He looked all around, looked outside, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh... Poo." He grumbled out, feeling a headache coming...

After her!

It wasn't long before Discord and Twilight had to change their plans. After Rarity suddenly vanished, due to both Twilight and Discord not keeping an eye or two on her, they had to find a way to secure her once again. She was after all the one who was most exposed to the book's magic. There was no telling what could happen or what effects it could have on her. And judging from what has already happened, it wouldn't be pretty at all.

"Where is that mare?" Discord asked in annoyance, looking around left and right. He alone was looking all around Ponyville, checking every nick and crony for the white mare. He had of course kept the book to himself for two reasons. First, it would be much safer with him. Second, it might attract Rarity to his position if she has once again lost herself to the dark magic.

But, no such luck was had, as Discord looked up and down, and upside-down for her through the whole city, not finding anything at all.

"Oh well... I guess I will be just-" He started off before being interrupted by a mare's scream in the distance, and he hurried over towards the source.

It was the mare known as Roseluck, and she was staring in horror at her roses which were now sparkling with golden petals and diamond thorns. Discord's sudden appearance didn't help her at all. The poor mare looked at him and screamed even louder, now in fear. Then looked back at her roses, then proceeded to pass out right then and there.

Discord looked at the mare and shrugged "What can I say, I'm quite a charmer." he winked at... Nobody in particular and looked over the roses "Definitively dark magic..." He rubbed his chin, making his goatee slightly sway left and right "Well, nothing to it... Better find that mare or else..."

"HELP MEEEEE!" a random mare in the streets was screaming bloody murder as she ran from a giant golden chariot that was rolling down the street without anything controlling it. The source of this was a certain white mare who was currently floating in the air, her eyes were completely green, shimmering and glowing in a intimidating glare.

"Bow to me, worthless trash!" she screamed out in a voice full of malice, producing a big, and rather sharp-looking diamond with her magic. Then she proceeded to float it over a yellow stallion who just tripped over his own hooves and started to back away from the mad mare, dragging his body away quickly with his hooves.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you!" Rarity squinted her eyes slightly, just about to send the diamond's sharp edge into the pony's skull.

"Rarity!" the familiar voice of Discord broke through the air, making the mare turn her head around sharply, her neck letting out a small crack as she did so. Her eyes pulsated green for a moment as she moved the diamond away from the pony now pointing it at Discord.

"Rarity, dear. As much as I love chaos, I believe that this is a tad too much." he said sincerely, snapping his fingers and turning the diamond into a cupcake "Now, how about you calm down and come back with me?" he asked nicely, well, as nicely as he could.

"You have grown so soft, Discord..." she spoke as if she knew him way more than she'd ever be able to.

Discord raised an eyebrow at this, tilting his head "...What?" he shook his head quickly "Nevermind. We're going back. Now." his face got serious for once, frowning at her.

"Discord, out of my way... I'll destroy you." she droned out.

"Don't worry, dark magic can't kill Draconequuses..." Discord reassured nobody.

The possessed mare growled out, producing a crystal sword with her tainted magic. The sword shimmered in red as she let out a sigh of enjoyment. The sword got the attention of of many ponies, they have never seen something like this get conjured with magic. Discord looked at it with a look that seemed to say that he recognized the device, however.

Before Discord could open his mouth, or even try to counter her, she had already swept the blade across the Draconequus' neck.

A moment passed...

Discord's neck popped open, his head flew off into the air and went back downwards.

His headless body however caught the head "Ow, OW, OW!" his decapitated head yelped as he put it back in it's place "...But you'd be surprised what we can live through..." he once again said to no-one. And nobody seemed to hear him either.

"Rarity, that wasn't very nice from you." Discord said with a frown on his face. Whenever it was fake or real, that was unknown.

"I told you. Out of my way, dog!" she started to swipe towards Discord in a blinded rage, but the Draconequus just disappeared in a flash of white and re-appeared behind her. He snapped his fingers and Rarity's horn suddenly stopped glowing, loosing her concentration on her levitation spell and falling down.

"Now to just..." Discord pulled out a rope out of nowhere and tried to tie down Rarity, only to find her standing up, glaring back at him, her horn charging up a magical blast "...I should have known this wouldn't be so easy." He told himself before getting blasted away by the crazed mare.

Rarity suddenly closed her eyes shut, her horn got surrounded by purple energy, starting from the base, and going towards the tip. As the energy went upwards it left behind a red texture on her horn and removed any swirls that it had before, then as a final touch her horn twisted upwards, giving it an even more menacing look.

"Ugh..." Discord raised his head up, placing his paw on his head and looking at Rarity, his eyes widened at the same moment he noticed her horn "Oh this is bad... This is really bad..." he said in a frightened voice.

The white mare slowly approached the Draconequus, pointing her new horn at him as she slowly opened her eyes. The instant she opened them, purple energy started to leak from their sides. Her pupils have by now disappeared, replaced by a complete green glow that covered her whole eyes.

"I take it back. This is horrible!" Discord gulped as his eyes darted around in panic as a large shadow rose above him...

Author's Note

Yes, I decided to have a fight scene in this chapter. I felt like bringing some excitement into the story. That's about it.