The shadow that lurks behind death
1. Playing with dark magic
“Death can take many forms, some of which many do not understand or agree upon but are inevitable none the less. In our very last moments, where do we go? That is a question that’s eluded us since time began. Where do you think we go?”
One year after the defeat of King Sombra…
“Spike, oh Spike! Can you hand me the book on advanced magic?” Twilight asked with an excited smile.
“Why do I have to do it now Twilight? I need to hurry and get to Rarity’s before she leaves for the fashion show.” Spike whined gritting his teeth.
“Can you please just bring it down before you leave? I've been studying King Sombras magic lately and --”
“Yeah, yeah i get it big breakthrough, important magic blah blah blah.”
Spike said as he walked over and handed Twilight the book.
“Thank you Spike. You can go now.” she said with a happy grin..
Spike ran out the door and down the road towards the boutique.
“Now I can focus on counteracting Sombras magic and finding a way to use it!” Twilight exclaimed as she opened the book.
She brought over the crystalline like shard left from the remains of King Sombras horn and examined it closely. She looked over every crack and divot in it to see how his dark magic worked when he was once alive, calculating what to do next in order to find what she needed.
"I can just feel it this time, this has got to work! Lets see now, I've checked over the spell... checked the mass of the shard…” Twilight continued listing all she needed done to prepare for this pacing back and fourth.
"Alright, here we go." Twilight readied herself as she began to build up the powerful magic she needed to use the spell. A bright
purple aura appeared around her and slowly grew brighter and brighter until there was a loud deafening crack in the room.
Twilight opened her eyes to see the remnants of the horn brighten almost as if she released all evil from the remains of Sombra.
Twilight looked almost ecstatic at what she’d done and said “I finally found a way to reverse dark magic!”
She panted heavily as she tried to regain her breath then it hit her, Princess Celestia had said this would be rather dangerous to
work with yet it seemed so easy as it only took her a week to have a break through. It was almost too easy.
With the remaining energy Twilight had, she tried to move over to the shard to see how her masterpiece unfolded. She tried to move but couldn't. Something was wrong but she wasn't sure what. She looked the room for any hint of what was happening as her
vision slowly grew darker. Suddenly, she noticed her horn had turned as black as the night sky.
She panicked, trying frantically to move. Her body was growing colder, and her vision continued to fade, as her lavender eyes began to turn blood red, then black. She was growing weaker by the second she had to do something, anything to get help so she
screamed as loud as she could.
“Help! Please, anyone!” she coughed as the darkness continued to overtake her, “Please help me! Something's wrong!”
Twilight’s throat was raw and in pain, she could no longer scream, and began to cough up blood. She continued to panic more and more still growing weaker. She fell to the ground dazed, confused, and terrified. Then there was only blackness.
10 Min before…
“Gosh darnit Rarity! How much longer do I need to stand still? My legs are going numb.” Applejack protested.
“Oh you worry too much darling, I’m finishing my masterpiece now. Just a few… more… and there we are!” Rarity exclaimed with an elated grin.
“Finally! Now can I get out of this consarnit thing and go home? I already missed a lot of my apple bucking and need to catch up if were gonna be ready for winter." Applejack said through an angry glance.
“Yes, yes darling you may go. I will be inclined to tell you all about the--” Rarity was cut off by a slight knocking at the door she could tell immediately who it was before she even opened it.
“Spike! How nice to see you how come. You're so late we only have mere minutes to board the train.” Rarity said as she realized more time had passed then she thought.
“Twilight held me back to help her with some last minute additions to a spell shes working on. She believes she can reverse the dark magic in Sombra's horn” Said Spike mimicking Twilight's voice.
“I was wondering why I hadn't seen Twi in a couple days figured she’d be stuck in a pile of books again but this seems more important” Applejack mentioned with a curious look on her face.
“Yeah the princess says it real dangerous but it seems like just a piece of a horn to me.” Said spike smirking slightly.
“Ya think she’d mind if I went and helped her Spike?” Applejack asked.
“Nah, she’d probably be overly happy about any help she could get on this. She’s been really stressed lately because of it”. Spike answered.
“Alright well, have fun at the show then. Imma go see if Twi needs any help with this.” Applejack informed.
“Will do darling. When we get back I will tell you all the details.” Rarity promised as she began to walk away.
“Can’t wait!” Applejack exclaimed with a strained smile.
Applejack began the walk to Twilight's library, moving at a leisurely pace when she heard a scream! She looked around not sure who made such a high pitched cry for help. Then she heard it again, this time far more clearly, and in a voice she recognized. She began sprinting to Twilight's place hoping it was but a mere accident trying her new spell.
Applejack burst through the door looking around the room and instantly spotted a dark figure, one that she recognized only by the shape. It was Twilight, her body was covered in a shadow-like aura, with only her horn and eyes visible. A crimson pool swirled around her head. Almost on instinct Applejack grabbed Twilight and through her onto her own back and sprinted towards the hospital, hoping the best for her friend. She couldn't help but wonder what Twilight could have done in order for this to happen to the lavender mare.
Applejack remembered what Spike had said earlier, “Sombra's horn, the princess said it was dangerous, but how could a dead ponies horn could be so dangerous?” She muttered as she weaved through crowds with her friend on her back. They arrived at the hospital moments later where a pair of nurses took Twilight into an urgent care room.
All Applejack could do now was hope for the best. She didn’t understand what had happened to Twilight, and it worried her. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks, she was trying to reverse dark magic.
“Reverse dark magic, reverse dark magic...” Applejack kept muttering to herself in a quiet tone.
Applejack was in awe at what had just occurred. Fear for her friends life filled her completely.
Twilight had a face as white as death, things like this rarely occured in Ponyville. All around Applejack doctors were bustling to help those in need. The last thing she heard when they took Twilight was a call for the nurse and the faint squeak of the wheels on the bed.
"I need to find the others" Applejack said with a look of terror on her face as she feared the worst for her friend.
The shadow that lurks behind death
Current place/time unknown...
Twilight awoke dazed and weary as if she’d had no sleep that night. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hair frazzled.
“Where… where am I” Twilight asked yawning quietly. She looked around for a moment and noticed something wasn’t right. There was a faint glimmer out of the corner of her eye she turned and saw who it was.
“Discord” Said Twilight almost snarling at the sight of him.
“Why hello Twilight surprised you’re here as I presumed that only I or Luna could enter these realms” Discord stated as he gave a wide and curious grin to the lavender mare.
“What have you done to Ponyville why are the buildings floating I thought… I thought you changed” Twilight looked upon him with a stare that could melt through stone.
“Why Twilight I would never do such a thing it goes against every fiber in my being” as he began to pull himself apart like string. “ It would also hurt Fluttershys fragile heart and on another note this is not Ponyville” As Discord said this he appeared next to himself and began to knit himself back together.
Twilight seemed to calm down when he said this but gained a questionable look at the same time.
“If this isn’t Ponyville… where is it then? This looks exactly like it except for the fact that everythings floating and animals are talking and--” Before she could continue discord used his magic to zip her mouth shut literally.
“This is not Ponyville as i said before but a mere representation you’re representation or…” Discord looked around at the chaos grinning eagerly as a half rabbit and butterfly creature flew by “ At least what it used to be” On that note he unzipped Twilights mouth and let her talk.
“My representation? How could this be my representation of Ponyville when it’s like… this. This is not how i see Ponyville” She heard a loud bang in the distance as something exploded.
“Oh no my friends i need to help them --”she was cut off once again by discord now in a teachers outfit with a chalkboard nearby.
“I also know that whatever you released was harmful to your body as well now i warn you these images might be shocking so cover the childrens eyes” Discord said as a screen appeared showing some images that shook Twilight to the core.
“Is… is that me? Am I… de-- dead?” Twilight asked with fear in her words.
“No your not… not yet as far as I can tell” Discord said with a bit of remorse in his voice which soon faded away as joy seemed to grip him.
“Well that’s all i know but whatever’s happening here I like it just don’t die on me yet though i’ve got some exploring to do. Oh and Twilight and try not to get lost” With that Discord poofed out of sight and leaving only a slight glimmer and buzzing sound as he did.
Twilight had many questions to ponder but in the mean time she needed to figure out what was going on in her mind.
“If i’m going to get anywhere I need to get back to what's left of town and see if i can find any clues to what caused all this damage” With that Twilight slowly trotted off to the remains of Ponyville more confused and terrified then when she had arrived.
Ponyville 20 min after incident...
“Pass me the X-ray results now nurse i need to see if there are any internal differences that have occurred” Said Doctor Hooves in a commanding yet calm voice.
He began to observe every inch of her internal structure looking for any change or damage caused to the normally lavender mare. The only noise in the room was that of the machines being used and a slight whimper or heavy breathing caused by Twilight.
Her body was still covered in a shroud of darkness from the events of earlier the only difference was she was no longer laying in a pool of her own blood. The doctors were truly worried of what ever happened to Twilight, they had never seen anything like it.They consulted every medical textbook and person of knowledge trying to find a hint to what happened.
- Medical log 1 - I Doctor Hooves have begun to test this… darkness around the patient Twilight Sparkle. It is unknown what specifically caused the events but it seems as though any attempt to break it has failed almost as if it were a shield of sorts. We will continue to keep watch on the patient for any sort of break through in her condition. The only thing i fear about this unknown illness is the fact we don’t know if it’s dangerous or if it could spread.
- End of medical log 1 -
When Doctor Hooves finished writing down notes on the current state of Twilight he began to walk to the lobby to question Applejack hoping for her to know anything that could cause Twilights condition. When he came to the lobby she was no where in sight.
“She must have gone to get her and Twilights friends” He said with a slight worried smile.
“Well i need to get back anywa--” He was cut off when he heard a crash from Twilights room and started to run back with an extra nurse at his side.
10 Min after incident…
“I need to find the others” Applejack said with a look of terror on her face fearing the worst for her friend. She bolted out the door like a bullet still looking all around for any sight of her friends nearby.
She quickly ran to Sugar Cube corner hoping to find her cheerful friend. She arrived at her destination and walked through the door only to be scared half to death by a cannon and air horn. A pink blur slammed into her hard knocking the breath out of her.
“HEY APPLEJACK” Screamed an excited Pinkie Pie.
“You’re just in time for the party only another three hours till Rarity gets back from her fashion show and shows us how she won”
“I already have a cake and everything” Pinkie began to bounce up and down in joy showing Applejack the cake.
“Thank you PInkie but… I need you to come with me to help get the others” She said with a dark and weary eyes.
“But what about the party i need to finish up…”Pinkie said.
“The party can wait Pinkie you go try to find Rainbow dash i’m gonna get Fluttershy meet us at the hospital” she began to walk out the door when she heard a squeal from behind.
“Yay hospital party, now i can have a party for Rarity and make sick people happy” She said elated with the thought.
“No Pinkie we can’t have a party at the hospital right now what i’m bringing you for is a little more...important” She said choking on the last couple words.
“Okie dokie lokie” Pinkie said almost flying through the door and out of sight to find Rainbow Dash.
“Well hopefully she can find Rainbow that will be two down. Now to get Fluttershy” She said beginning to run out the door towards her friends cottage.
She quickly arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage knocking on the door.
“You home sugar cube” She said as calm as she could.
Fluttershy opened the door looking as happy as could be.
“Why hello Applejack” She said in her whisper like voice.”What brings you here”.
“Can i come in Fluttershy i need to speak to you about something important” she said almost as quiet as Fluttershy had spoken.
“Of course you can Applejack and just ignore Discord for now” She said with a slight grin.
“Wait Discord is here?!” Applejack said with a growl.
“What do you mean by that? Applejack what’s wrong?” Her smile now wavering for a more worried look and a whimper.
Fluttershy quickly moved aside so Applejack could enter her house to be faced with the master of chaos disorder.
“DISCORD! WHAT DID YOU DO TO TWILIGHT?!” Applejack, voice booming angrily at the stunned draconequus.
“Why what do you mean dear Applejack? I haven’t done anything to you or your friends as of late i’m reformed i would never--” Then the thought hit him. “Oh you mean why Twilights in the hospital. I had nothing to do with that I assure you and am just as confused myself. I do know her mind is a wonderland to wander around so much chaos” Saying this brought a small tear to Discords eye.
“Wait Twilights in the hospital?!” She said with a much more worried look now. “We need to see her now, we need to be there for her Applejack.” She said crying for her injured friend.
“Thats what I came here for Fluttershy, but first I need to be asking Discord a couple of questions” Applejack said with a vengeful look at his name.
“Discord if it wasn’t you which I believe as much as I hate apples, then who could have done this to Twilight? And you better answer me or al get the others and turn you back to stone” She said forcefully.
“Why Applejack i wouldn’t hurt dear Twilight or any of you” With those words a small halo appeared around his head. “ I do know however that when she was working with her spell it involved the horn of that King Sombra and a lot of dark magic. Other than that i’m as clueless as you to why this happened” Discord said putting on his most innocent face he could.
“Gosh darnit… fine i believe you for now but i’m keeping a better eye on you” Applejack said. “Come on Fluttershy we need to get to the hospital.”
“But what about Pinkie and the others?” Stated Fluttershy.
“I already got Pinkie to get Rainbow dash and Spike and Rarity i’m not quite sure yet but for now we just need to see if her conditions improved” With that they began to quickly trott to the hospital both wearing a mask of fear, pain, and sadness for their friend.
