Adam Unleashed

Twilight looked out at Ponyville from atop her castle's balcony.  The gentle night air caressing her skin as she took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She had been through so much in the past few weeks. She had just gotten her new castle a few short days ago, the memories of Tirek fresh in her mind. She let a tear slip down her cheek as she remembered all the times she had spent in her library. All the memories she would never be able to have in her old home. She liked her now castle, for sure, but it just didn't feel the same. It was so large and expansive, and even with Spike to keep her company, it felt so cold, so harsh and empty. She could couldn't sleep while the fond memories gnawed at her.

Feeling homesick are we now?

Twilight's eyes shot open, her head swiveling to look over her shoulder. She squinted into the darkness behind her, the silvery moonlight of the beautiful night going no farther than a few inches into her castle's chambers. Her eyes began to dart around nervously, as she turned her attention back to the edge of the balcony, peering over the side of it, searching for the source of the voice. Mocking laughter filled her ears as she retracted her head from the side of the balcony, her hair standing on end at the icy cackle that rang through the night.

I love the look in ponies' eyes whenever I do that.

More maniacal laughter shook Twilight to her very core. Her legs quivered as she began to slowly inch backwards, attempting to exit the balcony.

Now now, Ms. Sparkle, we have much to discuss.

Suddenly the door behind her slammed shut with a  resounding thud. She turned around fully, racing towards the door, her heart beat intensifying as she attempted to pry the door open with her hooves. She heaved at the door to no avail for a moment, before resorting to magic. She summoned forth her strongest kinesis spell, attempting to lift the door off its hinges, but even as she concentrated , her magenta aura illuminating the balcony, she noticed that the light coming from her horn slowly got dimmer and dimmer.

"W-Who are you?What are you?" , she said in disbelief, her breathing intensifying as she witnessed her magical aura fizzle, and die.

Me? I've been called many things, known by many names. But you Twilight ...

Twilight heard footsteeps behind her, turning back around only to find nothing. Suddenly, the footsteps were behind her again. She whirled around trying to locate the source, but as it turned out, the sound was perpetually behind her, slowly gathering more and more power, the sound getting louder and louder until it was right on top of her. Her eyes were now filled with fear and scanned the balcony nervously, her back pressed up against the door. The footsteps ceased abruptly as she sighed in relief.

You can call me Adam.

She shrieked in surprise as she jumped up into the air, rapidly searching for the voice that had just whispered the simple, yet somehow terrifying sentence in her ear.

Tell me Twilight, what is it about me that scares you? Is it how I know exactly what you're thinking at this very moment?

Twilight shuddered at the thought, blood draining from her face as Adam continued.

For instance, I know you've been thinking of teleporting out of here since this conversation started, but you can't bear to leave Spike alone with big bad Adam. I also know that you've been trying to teleport inside your castle for the past two minutes, but you can't muster up any magical energy to do so. Don't try and hide it from me, I can see you trying to mask the strain on your face. Furthermore, you're still doubtful of your flight skills, and even if you were to jump off the balcony, you're unsure of whether or not it would even do any good, as you've just realized ...

Twilight's eyes bulged as her mouth dropped open.

... I'm in your head.

Twilight's heart skipped a beat as she muttered something to herself, her face continuing to lose its color.

Mumbler! I cannot understand a single word you're saying. You really should learn how to properly express yourself Ms. Sparkle.

She could only grimace as Adam's mocking laugh filled her thoughts, overpowering her senses and forcing her to drop down to the ground, clutching her head in an attempt to ease the mental distress.

Then again, I could just read your thoughts like the pages of book. But where's the fun in that? Why don't you go ahead and express yourself Twilight. Go on, I don't bite.

The sound of the gentle tapping of fingers on hard wood filled Twilight's ears. He was toying with her, playing with her emotions. He was even better than Discord when it came to manipulation. Discord had used magic and deception, but Adam was warping her, changing her through words alone. It was as impressive as it was frightening. Twilight thought about a reasonable thing to say in a situation like this, but struggled to formulate a sentence that could convey her mix of confusion, fear, and apprehension effectively.

She was normally so articulate, and yet in the presence of Adam, she had been reduced to a silence. Something about that voice of his instilled a creeping sense of fear so great, that it simply paralyzed her in all her capacities.

What's the matter Twilight? Cat got your tongue?

Another round of cackling laughter rocked Twilight, sending her over the edge , prompting her to finally speak.

"You're not real Adam. You're all in my head. You're just a ... a part myself. You're just my imagination running wild. I'm just tired ... " , Twilight said , stammering out her sentence, more to try and convince herself of what she was saying than anything. "You can't be real ..."

Oh can't I? Tell me Twilight, what is reality but your perception of the world? Things are only as real as you believe them to be. Things are only as powerful as you make them out to be. I can feel your fear, taste your sense of terror. Nothing imaginary can do that to a pony Twilight, and I think you and I both know what that means.

"T-That's impossible. There's no way  that you ...", Twilight trailed off, too afraid to finish her own sentence.

Twilight, you can lie to just about anyone, but you can't lie to yourself.

More footsteps echoed behind Twilight, through the closed balcony door, but this time, when she turned, they didn't shift. They remained constant and steady as her eyes widened even further, her anxiety growing by the second. The tension in the air was palpable, and Twilight's body felt numb as the footsteps got closer, and louder each second, their steady pace forcing her to back away from the door in utter terror.

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped, and Twilight strained her ears to try and hear anything behind the door. Her breathing was strained and audible as she awaited what was to come. She tried to speak weakly.

"A-Adam?", she whimpered inching back further, shaking her head in disbelief at what was happening.

A loud rap on the wooden door sent a shiver down Twilight's spine, her whole body losing its color. It knocked again, and again, and again, the fourth, and final rap on the door cutting through the night air , sending Twilight scrambling backwards in fear. Her back was now pressed against the edge of the balcony, her hooves gripping the railing in fearful anticipation, waiting for the fifth knock. It never came.

Suddenly the door exploded outwards, crashing straight into Twilight, sending her tumbling over the edge. She could feel every sensation of pain surge through her body as she fell, desperately grasping at the air, trying to open her wings, but too dazed by the collision to even attempt to fly. As she fell, closing her eyes for the ensuing impact, everything around her fell silent. The wind in her ears muted, the crack of destroyed railing and door splinters smashing into the ground, even the gentle breeze of the night, all fell silent.

Things are only as real as you believe them to be, and right now ...

Twilight slammed into the ground, letting her side take the brunt of the impact. She skidded to a halt after tumbling around in the dirt for a few seconds, the brown soil staining her coat, as it mixed with blood from various cuts and scratches. As her vision faded to black, she could see a figure standing over her, veiled by the darkness of the night. Letting herself slip into unconsciousness, Twilight could just barely hear someone whispering in hear ear.

... I am very real.