Their Otherworldly Grace

Chapters

The Volumes
Dreams and Translation
Precursor
Everfree Encounters
Artificial, Synthetic
Intrigue
Crop Circles
Unforeseen
Esotericism
Deep City
Terrestrial Terror
Lodestar
Incriminating Circumstances
Expectations, Explanations
Final Nail in the Coffin
Transfigured/Disfigured
Alas, Poor Faust!
Alternate Ending: An Unnecessary Evil
Epilogue

The Volumes

The following documents were found on the desk of one Twilight Sparkle, resident of Ponyville and student to the esteemed Princess Celestia. Twilight’s personal assistant Spike has testified to having no knowledge of the papers or their contents. The way the account’s been worded suggests that Twilight used a transcription spell to copy her memories onto the pages directly. Twilight herself refuses to comment.

It’s been my duty to send weekly letters to Princess Celestia highlighting my findings in the study of Friendship. This is the full extent of my experience with journaling. However, over the course of the past few months, I’ve noticed that Equestria was changing. I had decided to document this process and record my thoughts, for future reference. I’m not sure if I like this new Equestria, and I have yet to understand why this had to happen. As I look over these past events though, I have to face the truth no matter how unpleasant. The changes were triggered, at least in part, by my own actions.

Everything started early in the fall. Princess Celestia once said this was her favorite season, and I could see why. The leaves were beginning to show signs of turning, the farmers were harvesting the last of their crop and the woodland creatures were beginning to hoard food for the coming winter. I was also stocking up on something. Namely, I needed some new books for those days when winter trapped me in the house. The few shops in town could not offer anything I didn’t already have a copy of, so I travelled to Canterlot on a crisp Wednesday morning, to have a look at the Archives there. I had sent notice of my intentions, and Princess Celestia allowed me to do as I’d wished.

I wasted no time after arriving on the morning train and trotted briskly towards that grand old tower. As the antique wooden doors creaked open I felt as though I had entered another world. The Canterlot Archives were vast and overflowing with scholars and students alike. Ladders stretched several stories to the ceiling, scrolls and books lined the walls, and shelves divided the floor like some maze. I lost myself in the building for hours on end reading various treatises and making the most of my time there. Eventually, I chanced upon a strange unlit area of the wing. The hoofsteps and voices of the other ponies died down as I entered this space. I caught movement among the shelves out of the corner of my eye, but when I turned to face it, all was still. My nerves were getting the best of me. The titles of the books turned darker here, hinting at strange creatures and shadowy rituals. A brief glance over the shelves offered such gems as The Glossary of the Unseen, A Taster’s Guide to Poisons or Terrors of the Twelfth Hour. I was not familiar with any of these titles, but they held a certain forbidding allure. I continued to browse through this strange section, ascending over a creaking staircase, drifting from shelf to shelf. At last, I came across four jet-black tomes sealed in a dusty glass case. The faces of the books were decorated with disquieting zigzags. I realized with a start that the lines formed highly irregular V’s, three V’s on each tome. I had heard whispered rumors of books just like these; of ancient tomes called the Volumes of Vehement Vengeance, supposedly filled with otherworldly lore and spells of incredible potency. I was taking a closer look when I was startled by a voice.

“I didn’t think I’d find you here, Twilight Sparkle.”

I turned and saw that I was addressed by Princess Luna, Celestia’s younger sister and the ruler of the night.

“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s just that Princess Celestia said I could come and check out a few books, and I was just wandering around, and I didn’t know the library had a section like this and—“ Luna raised a hoof, asking for silence.

“It’s quite alright. My sister is obviously very busy so she couldn’t meet you here. I offered to come down and make sure you got everything you came for,” she spared a cursory glance over the books. “Now, are you intending to check out the Volumes?”

So these were the Volumes I’d heard of! Never did I suspect that the old tales were true.

“Oh, no,” I stammered. “I mean, I’d like to of course, but I’m sure I’m not allowed, as these are extremely valuable books—”

“Nonsense,” she interrupted. “Books are of no value if they cannot be read. These tomes were found by the early settlers of Ponyville and were likely authored by some unknown and ancient people. As of yet, our efforts at deciphering the dialect have proven fruitless. You seem the studious type. I am wondering if perhaps you would be the one to unlock their secrets.”

I was stunned. Normally I’d be forbidden even to touch the reference books, and yet Princess Luna was willing to trust me with these?

“W-well… If you really think that’s okay…”

Luna inserted her horn into the base of the glass case while I rambled on. The top of the case slid open.

“Is there anything else you’ll be taking this time?” she inquired.

“No, it’s alright…” Even if they were in a language I could read, the Volumes would likely take me until the end of winter or early spring to finish.

“Fantastic. I’ll just take you through the checkout point, and then I really must be on my way. I look forward to hearing of your progress.”

Although I was eager to dive into these new books, I felt obligated to make my customary check-ins with friends once I returned to Ponyville. Fluttershy was busy helping the animals stock up on food for the winter. As a rule, I did not get along especially well with animals, so I did not linger for long. Rarity had gotten several orders for winter outfits and was sewing industriously when I saw her. Applejack was picking corn with her brother. They seemed to have gotten a bit behind on the job this year, so there were a fair number of unpicked stalks left. Pinkie Pie seemed to be scouring the shops for various chemical ingredients and fuel. I asked her what she was doing and she told me in a roundabout sort of way that she was building home-made fireworks. When asked why she needed the fireworks, she told me they were probably for the New Year celebration.

“’Probably’? And isn’t it a bit too early to be thinking about New Year’s?” I asked, bemused.

“Just between you and me,” she muttered under her breath. “I have this feeling I’ll need them. It’s totally bizarre. “

Despite my best efforts, Rainbow Dash remained nowhere to be found. I suspected she had her hooves full with the weather, as there hadn’t yet been any rain this season. The crescent of the moon was slowly rising by the time I got home, and Spike had turned off all the lights and gone to sleep. I wasn’t likely to get any work done this late. I stumbled about in the darkness until I found my table and laid the books there for the night. After a brief shower I fell into bed.

Dreams and Translation

In my dreams, I found myself drifting through the cold vacuum of space. This place, without oxygen or heat, chilled me to my core. I realized I had become large, larger than any solid mass, larger than any star. The distant suns that surrounded me had become tiny pinpricks of light, flickering softly. I flew through the nebulae, marveling at the constellations and the massive galaxies that twinkled in the distance. I realized that my perception of time had been altered as well, for I bore witness to the formation of new stars and the slow burning of the old. Some of the more brilliant stars collapsed and exploded into fantastic supernovae. I felt a twinge of sadness as I understood that nothing a pony had ever built could be as vast and as dazzling as this. What purpose could we serve, insignificant as we were? It was as though life was simply an anomaly, an amusing side-effect of certain chemicals and proteins working together in a way that simply wasn’t planned.

Suddenly, everything went dark, as though every star burned out at once. I was unnerved. I flew through the featureless void for what seemed like centuries until the darkness seemed to lessen slightly. I saw that I had wandered into a plane of infinite gray. This expanse went on forever, filled with mist and… there was something else. I made out shapeless silhouettes gently drifting through the foggy space. Some seemed large while others were nearly unnoticeable. I could not give a reliable number of how many I saw, for they were always in motion, sometimes flowing into one another; sometimes splitting. Something about these figures inspired a sort of primal fear. They were ominous, overbearing. I knew I could get closer to see what they were, but I had a profound suspicion that I would regret it. An irregular jumble of musical notes sounded through this purgatorial wasteland, punctuated by bouts of alien laughter. The strange soundscape did nothing to soothe my mounting anxiety. I was desperate to leave, to get home somehow. I tried casting a navigation spell, not expecting any proper results. As the tip of my horn lit up, the musical notes and the laughter ceased. The silhouettes surrounding me shifted slightly. I had the sensation that I was being watched. It was them. The forms drifting over the non-existent horizon were watching me. Intently.

As I looked on, frozen in terror, they began to swell. No… That’s not right. The things weren’t growing. They were drawing closer. My anxiety turned into full-fledged panic. I looked around, frantically looking for an escape, but they were approaching from all directions. As they drifted closer, they overlapped and blocked out the sky. I was in the dark once again. Then something brushed against my neck.

I awoke on the floor beside my bed, drenched in sweat. I tried to remember where I was for some seconds. The floodgates opened, and the events of the previous day washed over me. I was grateful that the nightmare was over, but questioned why I had it in the first place. Never before did I have dreams so vivid. Could it have been the books? I quickly discarded the idea. How could a few dusty old tomes influence one’s dreams?

It was much too early, but I certainly wasn’t going back to bed now. Spike was asleep, however, so I snuck downstairs and made some breakfast. I took the first of the Volumes with me, and scanned a few pages while I ate. The symbols that flowed from one page to the next seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place them. In the half-light of the early morning, the strange characters appeared to move. Spike had woken up by this point, so I asked him to grab several books on various dead languages. I didn’t expect to find any matches but perhaps they would provide a starting point. I pored over the texts for the next few hours, comparing them with the foreign characters in the tome. By the end of my session, I was a little closer to deciphering the language. It struck me that some of the characters were identical to those I found in my own texts. Yet these were isolated cases, and the rest of the Volume stubbornly refused to betray its secrets. I considered the possibility that the dialect was stitched together from bits and pieces of multiple tongues. The more I thought about it, the likelier it seemed, and I felt that if I was going to crack this pseudo-language, I needed more examples to draw from than I had.

I returned to the Canterlot Archives later that day to obtain the books I needed to fill in the blanks in the Volumes. The trip itself was uneventful, and I found the treatises I needed without incident. Upon my return to Ponyville, however, I noticed that Pinkie Pie’s house was scarred and covered in ash. The damage seemed too severe for any normal firework. After a few hesitant knocks on her door, Pinkie let me in. The inside of the house looked like a warzone. Plates were broken and strewn over the kitchen floor. There were holes in the ceiling and piles of debris were burying the furniture.

“Pinkie. I’m starting to worry about you. What kind of fireworks are you making? These look…” I searched for the word. “…Lethal.”

She looked thoughtful for a few seconds.

“Weeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllll, I don’t really know what you mean by that, Twilight. I’m not hurting anyone. And if it’s about the house, I’m super-sure I can get this mess cleaned up before the cold months. I think you’re worrying just an itty-bitty-bit too much.”

“But—”

“Too much!”

“Do you need any help? I’m sure I could tweak the ingredients a bit and make them less harmful.”

“Oh, Twilight. It’s not as though I haven’t done this before. It actually is. Still. Don’t you have preparations of your own to get to? Of some kind?”

And there it was; a gentle reminder that I had other things to attend to.

I returned to my library and spent the rest of the day wrestling with the Volume, while Spike started plastering a few cracks in the building in preparation for the frost. The symbols, stolen from different tongues, retained their native sound. Surprisingly, the sounds fit together into near-perfect Old Equestrian. It was hard to believe that such radically different dialects could be combined so well. The Volumes of Vehement Vengeance were clearly the work of a genius. Despite what Princess Luna told me, I found it much more likely that these strange tomes were written by a single individual, rather than served as a product of some bygone civilization. What kind of a civilization would brazenly steal from so many existing cultures?

Something else bothered me about the books. Even though I had solved the puzzle, I could not easily read them from start to finish. Oftentimes a character with a similar phonetic meaning was substituted for one that had been used previously. This prevented me from easily memorizing every used symbol as there were far too many that were interchangeable. It was as if the author was actively trying to deter any potential readers. This forced me to keep my references open and with me at all times, and I transcribed the deciphered text onto a separate sheet as I worked.

I spent the rest of the day in this manner, skipping lunch and dinner to continue unraveling the mysteries of the Volume. I will not go into much detail about what I found in the book, as I’ve already written the translations elsewhere and, to be perfectly honest, copying the information any more than is strictly necessary makes me nervous. It will suffice to say that much of the first pages of the book were dedicated exclusively to the lore of places I have never heard of.

The book spoke of the oppressed people of Regwelshen who made the pilgrimage to the Gwyllion Steppes and incurred the wrath of the Other Gods there. These monstrosities spared one painter of the lot, who traveled to the nearest city and spoke of how his comrades were driven mad by the visage of the Gods and slaughtered. This man began to produce paintings of the Gray Domain that supposedly surrounded the observable universe, and the scene of his people’s demise. It wasn’t long before the Gods homed in on the city; crops turned to poison and strange beasts roamed the countryside. After ten days of this heavenly siege, an unknown something stood over the city and the skies turned dark. When the messengers returned with armies from neighboring kingdoms, they found that the city had vanished, as did the thing in the sky, the strange roaming beasts and the poison crops.

The world outside the window was growing dark. I would continue translating but the constant need to consult the reference texts and transcribe the results, not to mention the grim nature of the narrative, had drained me considerably. I told Spike that I was going to bed early on this night, and as I shut my eyes, I hoped against hope that I would not dream.

Precursor

Midnight. I hadn’t been able to fall asleep. I turned over in my bed, trying to get comfortable. As I did so, a dim light fell on my eyelids. I opened my eyes in confusion. A section of the floor appeared to have folded back like paper, revealing a glowing white hole. Maybe this was just some previously unseen quality of the floorboards. Maybe Spike left the lights on downstairs. As I crawled out of bed to have a closer look, however, I knew neither was terribly likely. I sidled up to the peculiar slit and looked through but could not make out anything inside. I was about to leave it for investigation in the morning when the floor bent in unnaturally and I fell through.

I landed hard onto the wood below. Surveying my surroundings I found that I was at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the bedroom. I sighed in relief. Obviously I’d find myself here. Where else could a hole in the floor lead but down? Something wasn’t right, however. As I went to light a candle, I began to notice minute differences in my surroundings. The furniture seemed slanted in a way that wasn’t readily apparent. The floor seemed to curve slightly under my hooves. The bookshelves tilted to the point where I feared they’d lose their contents. I moved apprehensively toward one of the windows. It was midday. Cloudy. Had it not been dark only moments ago? I gave the skies another glance. They were certainly gray, but were clouds responsible? I remembered the last night’s dream and a shiver ran down my spine. As I looked over Ponyville I noticed shadows sliding along buildings with no ponies attached to them. They traveled over the walls, the ground, the rooftops. I considered my situation. I was obviously dreaming, but… had I somehow passed through Equestria altogether? Had I fallen through the top layer and discovered the ugly truth underneath?

I unlocked the door and stepped into town. The shadows seemed content to continue ignoring me as I made my way around town, and although it clearly wasn’t dark, I cast no shadow of my own in this place. As I continued to gaze upon this alternate Equestria, a dark leviathan flew over the trees. As it drifted, the surrounding shadows quickly darted into the buildings, sliding under the doors or through closed windows. A powerful wind blew through Ponyville, carrying a heavy curtain of crimson rain. This was no ordinary wind. It bypassed the flesh and chilled one to the very bones. The red rain grew thicker. I could no longer see ahead, as everything was obscured by the downpour. The next moment, as suddenly as it began, the rain ceased.

I had fallen through another layer. The dirt road had turned black. The buildings had been transformed into crooked silhouettes; the trees, into hideous spires. The sky was an unseemly vortex of suggestive clouds and lingering black figures. I stood frozen, considering the implications of what I’d seen. I fought to stay calm as the sickening revelation made itself clear. The beasts and horrors of the Gray Domain could be found absolutely anywhere, just beneath the surface of the visible spectrum. Unknowable creatures swam in the seas of imaginary numbers and roamed the glades of theory. They don’t care about us. Most of them are likely unaware of our existence. This is probably for the best.

I awoke and had to stop myself from hyperventilating. I had remained in bed while I slept this time, which was a definite improvement. I started to wonder whether there really was something wrong with the books. Two nights in a row of these vivid dreams was abnormal. Perhaps there was some sort of enchantment on the Volumes… At this point, I considered talking to someone. My friends? Princess Celestia? I put these thoughts aside, and busied myself with the translation of the first Volume. A few strange dreams were no cause for alarm. I was making history! Translating these books would undoubtedly further our understanding of ancient cultures. Princess Celestia would be most pleased with my efforts on behalf of all ponydom. Why, I could write my own book interpreting these tired old tomes. My mind’s eye misted over with visions of fame and respect among historians everywhere. I noticed I had somehow continued to write as the various distractions filled my head. I sighed in irritation. Translation required my undivided attention. I glanced over the transcript I’d written absentmindedly, preparing to crumple the parchment and start over. Then I read through it again, reference texts in hoof. I read through the last paragraph a third time in disbelief.

“…Presently, [the] two tribes live separately, under the guiding hooves of their matriarchs. In the olden days, they were not so different. Those who embraced the sunlight and busied themselves with menial tasks were rewarded with symbols adorning their flank. But we were different. We knew their tasks were of no value. We rejected these ‘[cutie marks]’. We craved more. We wanted to understand how the world worked, to master the magical arts. And we did. Our powers shamed [their] most powerful sorcerers. But still we craved more. As their subspecies succumbed to strife and racism, we stood united and continued our glorious work. Decades passed and our knowledge led us to the lower reaches of Equestria, those in the [Gray Domain]. We bore witness to the might of the Other Gods and we sought to fuse with them, to become perfect like them. We were rejected, swatted away like flies. But they did worse than destroy us. They cursed us to live on as wretched parasites, feeding off the love of [others]. “

My mind raced back to the marriage of my elder brother and Princess Cadance. The marriage was interrupted by Queen Chrysalis, who masqueraded as the kidnapped Princess in order to feed off of my brother’s love. The combined efforts of my friends and I, along with the real Princess Cadance, were enough to repel the evil queen and her troop of changelings, and banish them from Canterlot. And now here I was, holding four ancient tomes produced by these creatures. Changelings! The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The Volumes of Vehement Vengeance were written using a previously unknown patchwork dialect. Who else could come up with such a language but the changelings, a species that literally feeds off of other cultures?

I scratched out a letter to Princess Celestia, detailing my progress in the ongoing translation of the first Volume. I neglected to mention that the books were written by changelings however, as I feared that the Princess would ask me to return, or worse, destroy them. I was not prepared to abandon the tomes, regardless of their author. Knowledge is not evil in and of itself. I’m attaching the Princess’ reply, which I received later that same day.

[The aforementioned letter follows.]

Twilight, my most faithful student,

I’m afraid you must be mistaken. Regardless of any rumors you may have heard, the Canterlot Archives hold no record of any series that matches your description. The Volumes of Vehement Vengeance are an old pony’s tale, nothing more. You mentioned you were allowed to check out the books by my sister Luna, and I spoke to her to make sure. She has no recollection of meeting you two days ago. You understand she’s quite busy and rarely leaves the castle. I know better than to question your honesty and I don’t see a reason you’d lie about the situation, so I request that you show me these books at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

Everfree Encounters

I felt increasingly paranoid on the days that followed. Had I actually met a changeling in the Archives? Why were the Volumes not on record? If I had encountered a changeling impersonating Luna, what reason could they have for giving me these books? Had I just imagined the whole thing? Meanwhile, my nightmares continued to get worse. I experienced visions of countless worlds across the stars and bug-eyed abominations from beyond the veil. In time, I stopped sleeping altogether.

Autumn brought rain at last, in the form of brutal thunderstorms that struck various parts of Equestria indiscriminately. Trees and other debris covered the tracks, preventing trains from running. Until the train tracks were cleared, I had no means of getting to Canterlot and showing the Princess my books. A part of me was glad for the extra time with them. Frankly, I wasn’t sure what I’d say when I finally did get to the castle. Full disclosure would likely result in the confiscation of the Volumes, and I had barely put a dent in the first.

To my growing irritation I was no longer alone in the library, so my work would be interrupted periodically. The nigh-uncontainable thunderstorms forced the Cloudsdale administration to evacuate the city in the clouds, for fear of errant lightning bolts. And so, Rainbow Dash asked to stay with me until the cantankerous weather passed.

“Chief, you don’t look so hot. Maybe you should stop working so hard and get some R&R.”

I glared at her for some seconds. She was right, of course. My mane was unkempt, my eyes were glazed over and my legs felt as though they might snap beneath my weight. In retrospect, I might not have minded her presence as much if I was rested. As it was, I disregarded her advice. I had finally stumbled upon the first spell that the changeling tomes offered. I wasn’t going to lose my momentum now.

This magic called for several physical ingredients, boar tusks, blood and spider silk among them. As if that wasn’t enough, casting the spell required a specialized altar surrounded by very specific runes. The spell itself was described simply as “creating life from the [lifeless]”. I‘d never pass up a chance to test out ancient arcane knowledge. The pegasi appeared to have gotten the rain under control for now. I took this chance to go out and ask a few favors of some friends.

“Twilight dear, I might be a lot more receptive to the idea of giving you some of my prized spider silk if you would care to tell me why you want it in the first place.”

I looked at Rarity beseechingly.

“Listen Rarity, we’re friends, right? Just this one time. Could you not ask me why I need the silk? I’d really rather not say.”

She leaned past me to reach a sheet of royal blue fabric.

“Well, I suppose if you really need the material, I’m obligated to help… But it’s not easy to collect, you know. I’ll expect payment eventually. And not for nothing, Twilight, but you really look like you’re not getting enough beauty sleep.”

I thanked her profusely and left with a small roll of the silk I sought.

Fluttershy was more willing to help out, but I still had to play the friendship card to silence her questions.

“Umm. I guess if you’re looking for boar tusks, that’s your own business… I don’t need them for anything, myself… So if you want, you can have a couple. B-by the way Twilight, don’t take this the wrong way, but you seem a little out of it today. Maybe you should…?”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. Thanks for the tusks, Fluttershy. You’re a lifesaver.”

After dropping off the ingredients at the library, I traveled to the Everfree Forest to look for a discrete place to set up the required altar. I stuck to the outskirts, as I was familiar with some of the creatures that lived deeper in the wood and I wasn’t eager to run into any.

Some hours passed. If it wasn’t for my navigation magic, I surely would have been lost. I had located a clearing which would serve my purposes nicely. I would need a pile of relatively small stones to serve as a hearth and a larger boulder for the lectern. The rain was picking up again. I made my way back home and tried to focus on the book again. I was vaguely aware that Rainbow Dash asked me where I’d been but I didn’t answer.

I had trouble staying awake that night. The gentle snores of Rainbow Dash and Spike started to get under my skin after a time. The darkness that filled the library took on various shapes. Squirming black forms surrounded me. I felt as though I was going to faint. Each time I nodded off a new scene unfolded beneath my eyelids and startled me awake. When Princess Celestia raised the sun that morning, I was a nervous wreck. Rainbow and Spike expressed their profound concern with my state. Or something. I wasn’t really listening. Focusing had become incredibly difficult.

“It’s alright. I’m alright,” I managed, while trying to keep my breakfast down. “I have somewhere I need to be.”

“Do you need any help then?”

“No. No, thank you… It’s a personal errand.”

I sensed Rainbow and Spike exchange worried glances behind me as I left.

I gathered some stone-cutting tools, the magical ingredients and the first Volume in a knapsack and brought a wheelbarrow to some of the old diamond mines scattered around near Ponyville. There I managed to find some rocks for the altar-to-be. It was fortunate that I could move the loaded wheelbarrow with my magic, as I certainly wouldn’t be able to lift it an inch otherwise, especially in my severely weakened state. It was noon by the time I finished relocating the boulders to the meadow in the Everfree Forest. Once I was there, my first task was to kill the plant life. I used a quick-acting pesticide that I’d purchased from Zecora in preparation some days ago. A sprinkle of the foul-smelling solution quickly wilted all the grass in the surrounding area. After the deed was done, I gathered the small stones into a circle in the center of the meadow. The last and most difficult task was to fashion the remaining boulder into a serviceable lectern and carve the correct runes into its sides. I have had no previous experience with stonework and the progress was slow. Eventually I managed to bury the bottom half of the stone in the ground and chip the top into a reasonably flat surface. It started to rain again as I began carving the runes into the side. I had to remind myself to be patient. Carving symbols into rock took more precision than simply wearing the rock down to the point where it could be considered ‘flat’. As the rain continued I started to feel increasingly light-headed. Finally, mercifully, my legs gave out and I fell into the moist soil.

I found myself in the bottommost layers of Equestria once again. The black forest went on indefinitely in all directions. The crimson rain was falling again. I couldn’t move. As I lay there, soaking in the bloody downpour, I could hear something get closer. Several somethings, making their way through the dense foliage. A feeling of dread took hold of my heart. At last, they entered the meadow.

I was roused back into consciousness by a feral growl. As I got up, weak and covered in mud, I saw that I was surrounded by a pack of frightening wooden constructs. I caught my breath. Timber wolves. They inched closer, anticipating the kill. I glanced around desperately, but the members of the pack had positioned themselves to block all routes of escape. I considered screaming for help but knew that as soon as I did so, the wolves would strike.

Then… something else moved through the undergrowth. The timber wolves turned to get a look at the newcomer. She entered the clearing.

The creature was mostly in the shape of a panther, but with a neck and head of a goat growing from its back and a long tail ending in a fanged mouth of a serpent. I recognized her form instantly. She was a chimera. As the nearest wolf leapt at her from behind, she caught it nonchalantly with her tail. The snake sunk its teeth into the resisting construct. It fell to the ground, likely paralyzed. The chimera let out a puff of flame which caught another timber wolf unawares. As the burning, yelping figure turned tail and fled, the rest of the wolves followed suit. Deciding she didn’t like the taste of lumber, the chimera ignored the fleeing wolves and turned to me. I silently calculated the probability of running into two types of incredibly dangerous predators in the span of two minutes. It was turning out to be a pretty bad day. Adrenaline shot through my body but I knew I wouldn’t be able to outrun the ravenous beast for long in my present condition. I tried anyway.

I sprinted through the forest towards town but I wasn’t sure what I’d do once—or if I managed to get there. As I ducked under branches and leapt over brooks and stones, I could hear her behind me, crashing through the trees and bushes. The book in my bag got heavier. My breathing turned shallow. I stumbled again and again. My legs had gone numb and I knew there was no hope of survival. The she-beast was steadily closing the distance between us.

I could see Fluttershy’s cottage on the horizon. I hoped she wouldn’t be the one to find my stripped and mangled corpse. There was no way she’d be able to cope. I tripped for the last time, and a sharp pain shot through one of my legs. It was over. I felt relieved to know that I was going to die. My pursuer had stopped running as I fell. She knew that I was resigned to my fate. As the chimera slowly neared my crumpled form, I closed my eyes, waiting for her monstrous jaws to close around my neck.

But she hesitated. I nervously opened one eye. I was surrounded by a mysterious dark miasma. The downpour continued but the raindrops had started curving around me. I was drying and the mud started chipping off of my tired body.

As I watched, fascinated, the black cloud took on physical form. Three evil-looking limbs materialized around me. Was I turning into one of the things from the Gray Domain? How was this possible? I felt the Volume stir in my knapsack, answering my question. The world took on a different shape, but I no longer cared about my physical surroundings. Everything had turned into information, mostly insignificant. I turned my attention to the chimera, a mass of numbers and statistics. No longer familiar with her opponent, she let out a bloodcurdling bellow and let loose a breath of fire. The flame dissipated against my unnatural shell. As she struck with her tail, I caught the serpent with two of my borrowed arms. There was a sickening crack as I tore the jaws of the creature apart.

She drew back trying to recover and I flicked at the head of the goat with a fraction of my terrible strength. Its skull caved in with a whisper. I could see in her eyes that she had given up on the fight. As she turned to run, I grabbed hold of her two rear legs and pulled them in opposite directions, breaking them like toothpicks. The pitiful creature collapsed into a pool of its own blood. As I was out of danger, the three tentacles faded away and the miasma started to scatter. I came back to my senses.

“What in Equestria..?”

The sight of what I’d done under the influence of the Other Gods made me nauseous. It shouldn’t have been possible. I spared a glance for Fluttershy’s cottage. I thought I spied a tuft of pink in the window, but I couldn’t be sure. I hobbled quickly from the scene.

Artificial, Synthetic

I made my way slowly back to the meadow. As I did so, I couldn’t help but consider what would have happened if the chimera did murder me, if the Volume did not work as it did. Where did ponies go when they died? Death was not prevalent in this part of Equestria and when it did happen it wasn’t often publicized. Funerals were quiet affairs and one could be forgiven for not hearing about them at all. But I was aware of how things worked. If there was life, there must also be death. What would become of me, then? Would I be transported to some other plane of existence? Like the Domain? Would I be reincarnated? On some level I knew these fancies were all rather foolish. There was no Princess or spirit of the afterlife, not one I’d ever heard of. Not one who’d ever provided any evidence for their existence. In the end, all of us would experience the eternal dreamless sleep of death. I wasn’t sure if the thought comforted or terrified me.

I had made it back to the meadow. It almost looked as though nothing had happened, if one could somehow ignore the still form of the poisoned timber wolf and the trail made by the rampaging chimera as it chased after me. There was no reason to put off the task before me for much longer. Feeling numb from the prior excitement, I dragged the body of the wolf into the circle and started a fire. I needed to work quickly as the rain was threatening to put out the flame and the moist timber would resist an attempt at relighting. I cleared my mind of all my worries, as any proper spell required. Carefully, so as not to tear it, I unfurled the roll of spider silk. I needn’t have bothered. The strength to weight ratio of the fabric was astounding. I could see why Rarity valued it so highly. I used the stone-cutting tools to grind the boar tusks to a fine powder and set the pile onto a square of the silk. I squeezed a drop of blood from one of the numerous cuts I acquired in the chase earlier and set it onto the tusk fragments. I cast the necessary spell as I threw the pouch of material into the flickering fire.

A flash of lightning split the cloudy skies. Rolling thunder echoed through the silent forest. When my eyes readjusted I saw that the fire had gone out, leaving the blackened body of the timber wolf to soak in the falling rain. I looked around. Had the light gone out too soon? Had the spell failed? I still had half a roll of spider silk, but I wasn’t eager to ask Fluttershy for more boar tusks. As I considered giving up altogether my eyes registered movement from the ashen heap in the hearth. Something leapt to the dead grass, glistening in the light. I tried to lock onto the new creature, but it darted towards the trees.

“Hey! Wait a second!” I shouted inanely, running after it. It was pointless. The thing was too quick and too small. I lost it near instantly. I spent some minutes scanning the wood for signs of my creation, to no avail.

As I walked home I wasn’t sure how I should be feeling about the experiment. It clearly worked to some degree. On the other hoof, I was hoping to analyze the resulting creature more closely. Otherwise, what was the point?

On the nights that followed, I decided to take a chance and get some sleep, however brief. I returned to the Gray Domain in my dreams. I couldn’t say that I’d become familiar with the wasteland, incomprehensible as it was, but I no longer felt that it was a threat. The Other Gods allowed me free passage in their kingdom and I was grateful. I felt that they understood me, in their alien way. I was among the enlightened. The Volumes had given me a new place to study, to explore.

In the week that followed, I continued translating the book, hoping to find another spell I could test. It was on one of my sessions that I heard a knock on the door. I descended the stairs and made my way to the door.

“Applejack. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Sorry to bother you, Twilight. Fluttershy’s run into some issues. Isn’t Rainbow Dash stayin’ with you? Y’all need to get down to her cottage ay-sap, we’re meetin’ there. “

Rainbow Dash was resting in the branches of the library when I found her. Together we made our way to the cottage. I wondered if Fluttershy had found the dead chimera I left practically at her doorstep. Perhaps that’s what all this was about. I rehearsed my alibies as we approached the overgrown building. The rest of the ponies were gathered in the yard. Fluttershy made an effort to address our questions.

“Um. Thank you for coming, everyone… I’m really sorry that I had to pull you away from whatever you were doing… It’s just that. Many animals have been disappearing in the forest lately. The birds are going away for the winter, but a lot of squirrels, chipmunks and bunnies have gone missing… Angel among them.”

I relaxed slightly. She still hadn’t mentioned the chimera. Maybe she hadn’t found it yet.

“A-after I searched the surrounding area”—my heart skipped a beat—“I managed to find Angel. He looked frightened half to death. Like something had chased him… I continued my investigation and found some really scary tracks and uprooted trees… I think something big moved in from the heart of the forest… I’d like your help in chasing it off. If you’re able.”

I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. She must have found the corpse. It was so close. Why wasn’t she mentioning it? It probably didn’t make any difference. I wasn’t bringing it up.

Fluttershy led us to the first of the tracks she’d mentioned. They were large and misshapen, and they continued through the forest for a while before stopping. We didn’t find any more signs of the monster that day. We continued our search from the break of dawn on the next, and the results of our efforts then were likewise discouraging. In the early afternoon, however, we were approached by Applejack’s sister Applebloom who urged us to come back to Ponyville.

“What’s the matter, sis’?” asked Applejack.

“I spotted somethin’ big on the edge o’ town! It wrecked some houses and left, headin’ for the Ghastly Gorge!”

As we made tracks for town I wondered how we were going to stop something large enough to destroy a house. When we arrived to the family farm we saw something large in the distance, mostly obscured by the trees. I could see it glisten in the weak light of the sun behind the clouds. Wait. Glisten?

“What’s wrong, Twilight? You’ve turned awful pale.”

Could it be that the giant beast terrorizing this part of Equestria was one I created? The thing in the meadow escaped me when I brought it into this world. Has it been growing non-stop in the past days? Nothing of this world could evolve to such an extent in such a short period of time. What kind of spell would create this monstrosity? I had to remind myself. Knowledge is not evil in and of itself. Or… or is it?

I felt a gentle but insistent nudge from Applejack.

“Twilight. Focus, please.”

“S-sorry. Applejack, maybe you should get some rope while we’re here.”

“Rope? I thought we’d be chasing the critter off.”

“Just in case. Get the rope.”

She nodded and trotted hurriedly into the farmhouse.

“Pinkie, I think this would be a good time to fetch your fireworks.”

“Oh boy! I finally get to use the thingies I made? I knew this day would come, and nowhere near New Year’s!”

“Fluttershy, you go help Pinkie with her supplies. Rainbow, you should scout ahead and tell us if it changes direction. Rarity…” I was about to advise her to go home, but I knew the recommendation wouldn’t be received well. I had a plan and her presence was a little problematic.

“Uhh, you can come with me.” I hoped it wouldn’t become an issue.

Rarity and I followed the departing creature for half an hour. When we finally caught up with it on the edge of the Gorge, we saw that Rainbow Dash had already started a fight. She was circling the monster like an angry wasp, making contact every time she passed it. As we got closer the creature lucked out and one of its limbs connected with Rainbow’s fragile frame. She was thrown backwards quite a ways, though no lasting harm was readily apparent.

“Whoo-eee! That is one ugly fella,” I heard Applejack exclaim as she approached us, Pinkie and Fluttershy bringing up the rear. As I looked at the creature once more, I couldn’t help but feel that was a bit of an understatement. The thing was an obscene mass of flesh and tentacles. It was squirming perpetually, its multiple eyes continuously focusing and refocusing on different aspects of its environment. I stumbled off to the side so I could vomit. I heard Rarity ask me if I was alright, and nodded weakly.

“So what’s the plan, cap’n?” Applejack asked.

“Ugh. Not sure. I think the first step would be to tie it up somehow but I don’t see how we—“

“Say no more! Rainbow Dash, Ah’ll need your help with this.”

Applejack threw the lasso just as the creature raised what could be called a leg. The loop tightened around the slimy member. She tossed her end of the rope to Rainbow Dash who took it in her mouth and started circling around the thing once more. As the creature flailed, it neared the edge of the Ghastly Gorge. I spoke up.

“Pinkie Pie. Aim the fireworks at the base of the cliff underneath it!”

“Rrrrrrright-o!”

The colorful missiles soared from their cases, violent as gunpowder. A few stray flares hit the creature, doing it significant damage. The explosions severed some of its various appendages, and its fluids spilled across the plateau. It started regenerating before our eyes. New tendrils grew where the old ones were separated and the wounds closed fairly quickly. Before it could recover completely the sheer cliff collapsed beneath its weight and the continuous assault from Pinkie’s firecrackers. It fell to the bottom of the gulch, bouncing against the stone. More rocks rained on top of the creature as it splattered against the floor, crushing it. Even now it continued to heal at an alarming rate. I had to cast a counter-spell before this chance slipped through our hooves. We hastened down a side path into the Ghastly Gorge. Fluttershy asked me what I intended to do but I didn’t spare any breath for an answer.

We quickly made it to the creature’s side. It was still re-growing its damaged tissue. Though it was certainly alive, it lacked the strength to keep us away. I started the process of undoing the ‘create life’ spell. Rarity looked like she was about to say something but reconsidered. As the light from my horn got brighter I could see that the monster knew what I was doing. It twitched feebly, trying to crawl away. But it was over. The bonds between the few ingredients of the original spell weakened before my magic. Before the creature disintegrated completely it let out a horrific scream that was undoubtedly heard all the way back in Ponyville. A powerful wind blew across Equestria. This was no ordinary wind. It bypassed the flesh and chilled one to the very bones. I supposed I must have felt it somewhere previously.

The others cheered for our success in defeating the vile spawn. Most of the others. Rarity, as the only other unicorn of the group now voiced the one question I had been dreading heretofore.

“Twilight? Now, I’m glad you were able to slay that awful, awful beast. However, I simply must ask. What you just did. That was a counter-spell, wasn’t it? The sort that one uses to undo magical mistakes? How could you have known that the monster was summoned or otherwise called here via arcane means?”

My mind raced to find an adequate excuse.

“I… I sensed the spell that bound it to Equestria.”

“Sorry? You sensed the magic?”

“T-that’s right. It’s a dormant ability of most unicorns. I studied magic almost all my life. Princess Celestia helped me unlock this power.”

I could hardly believe that this was the best I could come up with in these circumstances. Rarity looked even more skeptical now than she was prior to asking the question. I started to sweat.

“Hey now,” Applejack interjected. “All’t matters is that the monster’s gone now, right? Who cares how she managed it? I’m just glad Twilight was with us this time. Not sure we coulda managed without ‘er.”

At the time I was glad for Applejack’s support. We split up for the day and not much else happened for a while. In time, I saw this as a turning point. As Equestria changed, so did my relationship with Rarity and the others.

Intrigue

What follows are a series of letters exchanged between Rarity and Princess Celestia shortly after the incident.

Princess Celestia,

Your Highness, I apologize that I must contact you like this, but I am feeling increasingly concerned about your student, Twilight Sparkle. Would it be possible to communicate without Spike this time? I told him that this letter concerned a lesson I learned about friendship, but I fear this charade will not hold for long. Please, I simply must speak with you as soon as possible. I think Twilight’s stumbled onto something horrible. I hope you’ll reply as soon as you’re able.

Yours,
Rarity

Dear Rarity,

As you can see, I’ve arranged for our letters to be carried by my phoenix, Philomena. Forgive me, but I am still a little skeptical of your assertion. I’d be among the first to know if Twilight was doing something she shouldn’t be. Please explain.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

Princess Celestia,

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read through my letters. My suspicions were initially raised when Twilight asked me for a roll of valuable spider silk, about a week ago. When I asked her why she needed it, she was unable to answer. She looked rather poorly that day. I guessed she hasn’t eaten or slept in some time. I gave her the silk, shrugging it off as nothing too significant. Several days later, a large ugly beast started roaming the surrounding countryside. You may have gotten notice of some buildings in Ponyville being destroyed at around this point. We finally managed to track the beast down and corner it in the Ghastly Gorge. It could not have been of this world. All damage we dealt was healed momentarily. The monstrosity seemed unstoppable. Following Twilight’s instructions we managed to temporarily incapacitate the creature. As we watched, she stood over the thing and cast a textbook counter-spell which destroyed it. Having a passing knowledge of magic and how it works, I asked her how she knew that there was any spell to counter. She told me that she could sense the spell that bound the creature to this world and that you had taught her this ability. Is this true, Princess? Is there really a way to sense magic? I had never heard of it, myself.

Yours,
Rarity

Dear Rarity,

You are correct, there is no method to detect a spell as of yet. That Twilight would simply lie to you is troubling news indeed. Perhaps she saw the one who summoned the monster, or perhaps she played a role in its creation herself… Forgive me. This is merely speculation. I feel that I still lack enough information to make any accusations. The circumstances surrounding these events are shrouded in mystery. I am considering confronting Twilight myself, though maybe you should ask your friends if they’d noticed anything odd about her.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

Princess Celestia,

I did as you suggested and asked around. Most of the ponies hadn’t noticed anything off about Twilight. Rainbow Dash lived in the library for a little bit, while Cloudsdale was besieged by the thunderstorms. She told me about how Twilight was more irritable than usual. She didn’t sleep at all in the time Rainbow was there, and barely ate. She was always hunched over a few black books scribbling madly on some parchment. The books themselves were apparently blank. Rainbow didn’t really know what to make of that, and decided not to bother Twilight by asking.

I asked Fluttershy what she’d thought of Twilight’s recent behavior and she recounted a strange tale of sometime prior. She’d spotted Twilight going into the Everfree Forest on several occasions, at one point carrying a wheelbarrow full of stones and a packed knapsack. That same day, she ran out, chased by some shadowy assailant. When Fluttershy went out to investigate, she found a dead and badly mangled chimera, which was probably what had chased Twilight. When she showed me the spot where she’d found the body, I saw a path leading deeper into the woods. Fluttershy suggested that the trail through the forest was made by the rampaging chimera. She was reluctant, but I managed to convince her to see where it led with me. We followed the broken branches and overturned rocks until we came to a glade deep in the Everfree Forest. The grass was dead here, and a burned carcass of a timber wolf lay in the center. A stone pillar covered in arcane markings stood next to the ashen wolf. This was clearly some kind of magical altar. It was likely the reason for Twilight’s excursions into these dangerous woods.

More recently, Applejack’s corn stalks had started turning an unappetizing violet. No one volunteered to taste the corn, and I’m glad for that at least. I saw Twilight inspect it with Applejack earlier. She wouldn’t meet my gaze. As you say, it’s merely speculation, but I suspect that she’d had something to do with the tainted crops as well. Even though she is my friend, I grow more certain of her guilt with each passing day. I urge you to meet with her as soon as possible, Princess.

Yours,
Rarity

Dear Rarity,

Yes, I recall Twilight mentioning some books previously. She said she was translating them, but now I hear that the pages are blank… This is getting consistently stranger the more I hear of it. Very well. I will meet her myself to get to the bottom of this. I thank you for your continued vigilance, Rarity. I hope that I will have this mess sorted out in the coming week. In the meantime, please continue to report to me whenever you deem it necessary.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

Crop Circles

These papers were again extracted from the desk of Twilight Sparkle, though they are dated later than the original journal entries.

My journal has finally caught up with recent events. The following will be recorded as it happens. My continued efforts to translate the Volumes of Vehement Vengeance were rewarded yesterday, as I uncovered one more changeling spell. This one did not require any ingredients and was quite modern in its simplicity. Most spells nowadays require only a specific state of mind, rather than alchemical ingredients. Whether potion-brewing can be considered a legitimate school of magic is still hotly debated.

In any case, the Volume stayed silent regarding the nature of the spell. “Crops,” it was labeled. It was a bit more austere than I had anticipated. I considered the spell and what casting it would likely mean. This was yet another tidbit of bygone knowledge. I was obligated to see what this spell did; however, the last spell I took from these books really did not work out as well as I would’ve liked. My curiosity unleashed a horrific creature the likes of which Equestria had not previously seen. Innocent woodland creatures were likely consumed, and the beast left some ponies homeless. It could certainly have gotten worse than it did, but I wasn’t keen on trying my luck.

I made my decision on impulse. I had to see what the charm did. Apparently, it had something to do with the produce. Maybe it improved fertility. Maybe it would boost the harvest.

The wind had been unforgiving since I destroyed the artificial creature. It blew from all directions, flowing through every nook and cranny. I had entertained thoughts that the timing of the wind was more than mere correlation, but that was silly.

I arrived to the edge of the Apple family’s corn fields well after dark. The night was still but not silent. The chirps of the crickets permeated the darkness. I chose a healthy-looking corn stalk and focused on it. After a few moments of intense concentration, I cast the spell. As before, nothing happened at first. Then, the stalk slowly started to turn black under the light of my lantern. As I watched, the blackness spread to the corn itself, and when I peeled back the leaves I saw that it had turned neon violet. I was aware that certain breeds of corn were purple, but these cobs were of an ethereal pallor and appeared to glow in the dark. This unsettled me. I ripped the altered stalk from the earth and carried it back home.

I lacked the means to determine the properties of the plant. I certainly wasn’t willing to taste it myself. I took one of the cobs and decided to ask Zecora to inspect it later. I burned the rest of the stalk in the laboratory downstairs. The flames turned bright pink as they fed off of the alien plant. The day was spent. I made my way quietly to the bedroom on the top floor. Spike had already fallen asleep. As I mounted the stairs, I got the feeling that I was being watched. I glanced briefly at my surroundings. Shadows danced just out of reach of the candlelight. Ridiculous. The library was empty. The darkness engulfed me as I lay on the bed.

Once again, I found myself traversing the foreboding landscapes of the Gray Domain. I was surrounded by standing stones in a large fenced-in area situated atop a clump of black earth drifting through the void. This was a graveyard. I was reminded of my earlier ruminations concerning the nature of death. I could not read the text engraved into the tombstones. It appeared to be the same patchwork dialect that was arranged in the Volumes. This burial ground belonged to the changelings of days past. Again I felt observed. As I turned I saw the stallion. He was standing a fair ways away, beneath a grim statue of some changeling god. I approached him, noting the details as I went. He was apparently an earth pony of a common chestnut color, perhaps slightly taller than most. He wore a wide brimmed fedora and small black spectacles. In his mouth he held a long ivory cane, which I took to mean that he was blind. He was outfitted in a dapper suit so I couldn’t see his cutie mark, if he had one. He spoke.

“Twilight Sparkle. It’s a pleasure to meet you at last.”

His voice was strangely musical. His tone kept changing as though he was not accustomed to speaking my language. The cane in his teeth failed to impede his speech and I could not catch his mouth move at all.

“And you are..?” I shifted nervously as I addressed him.

“Alas, your vocal cords are far too primitive to effectively pronounce my name. If you feel the need, you may address me as Solitaire.”

I shifted gears hastily, trying to stay calm.

“So you’re… one of them?” I gestured at the ever-present black forms dotting the sky around us.

“If you like. Yes. Though We’d prefer not to be lumped together like that. Hopefully you’ll be a tad less offensive the next time you speak to one of my stature.”

I felt bubbling irritation beneath my initial layer of unease. I’d spent what might have been half a minute in the deity’s company and his mannerisms were already beginning to grate.

“Oh, come now. Don’t be like that. It might be difficult to tell, but it’s been a millennium or two since I spoke to my last mortal.”

“Then why are you talking to me?” I demanded, ignoring the fact that he may have seen my thoughts somehow. “You’re a creature! How can you understand us? How can you communicate at all?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, young Twilight. Your peoples’ motives and reasons for living are painfully transparent to Us. I am among those that have taken a personal interest in the upper layers. Firstly, I wish to congratulate you on your progress in dispelling the veil and bringing Our influence into your kingdom, the fair Equestria.”

His sightless eyes scanned the derelict graveyard.

“There were others who attempted similar endeavors. They were arrogant beyond all hope, unfit to occupy Our space. They passed their dusty knowledge on to you, in the hopes that you would follow in their footsteps and grow corrupt, as they are.” He smirked. “That may yet happen. Azherkin will weigh your heart and determine whether you are deserving of Our gifts.”

The more Solitaire revealed, the more I wished he’d stay quiet.

“No! I didn’t want this!”

“You didn’t? And yet you continue translating the eldritch tomes? And yet you cast not one but two spells from these books? The second of which is taking effect as we speak?”

He sighed.

“I think it’s time you made your choice. To continue on the path to the Gray Domain in search of something more… or to cling to your old life and cast aside this reckless gamble of yours. Either will have its consequences, some more expansive than you will ever know. You can no longer cling to your old naïveté, nor can you accuse Us of deceiving you.”

He bowed stiffly.

“Whichever you decide, obviously I wish you nothing but success.”

I awakened as he turned away from me. The morning light shone through the window and onto my face. I stumbled out of bed, slightly disoriented. Trying to hold onto my memories of the dream, I hastily transcribed what the stallion told me onto a spare piece of parchment and stared at it for some time. He told me I had to choose. He hinted that if I were to continue translating the Volumes things would change. I grabbed some oats for breakfast and chewed on them thoughtfully. This Solitaire… He wouldn’t lie, would he? I looked at the parchment again. He mentioned that the second spell was still taking effect. I went downstairs and checked on the altered corncob. It was unchanged. I was apprehensive.

I trotted to the Apple family’s corn fields once more. Once I arrived, I saw Applejack standing quietly by the stalks, a fair number of which have begun to transform. Although the wind had ceased for now, the black stalks continued to move restlessly.

“Ain’t never seen anythin’ like this, Twilight. I reckon this ‘ere’s some new disease spreadin’ through the fields.”

“It looks pretty bad, doesn’t it,” I said quietly.

“No kiddin’,” she picked up a pulsing violet cob. For a moment I feared that she would take a bite, but she let it fall again. “An’ I don’t suppose jes’ rippin’ out the bad ones’ll really solve anything.”

“No. You’re right.” I felt pretty pessimistic about this discovery. I’d only changed one plant. The infection was spreading through the air. No amount of counter-magic would save the fields. Applejack gave me a long look.

“What brings you here, Twilight? Didja know about this?”

“W-well, I… I just had a bad feeling, is all.”

We heard the sound of dry leaves being crushed underhoof. Rarity was approaching.

“Huh. Looks like you ain’t the only one. I’ll never understand you unicorn folk.”

What reason did Rarity have for being here? It was out of the ordinary that she would appear so close to the filthy farms. Had she followed me? I wasn’t feeling up to dealing with her just now. I walked past without sparing her a second glance. In the evening, Spike informed me that Rarity had asked him to send a mysterious letter to Princess Celestia. I considered asking him to disallow any future mail, but quickly dismissed the idea. Rarity would get even more suspicious. Furthermore, Spike’s crush on her would likely prevent him from carrying out my orders.

As I recorded the day’s events he barged into the room, holding a note from the Princess in one stubby claw. As before, I’ve attached this letter below.

The aforementioned letter follows.

Twilight, my most faithful student,

It has been brought to my attention that you appear to be preoccupied with something lately. I had heard of your success in defeating a most unusual foe by using questionable means. Also, I’d received reports of various disquieting occurences in Ponyville, and I suspect you may know more about this than you’re letting on. Please relax. I know how you tend to get worked up over things that don’t necessarily deserve it. You’re not in trouble. I understand that the trains on the Canterlot line are not moving as of yet, so I’ve decided to pay you a visit myself, in two days’ time. I hope you’ll be prepared to receive me then.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

Unforeseen

My anxiety climbed a few notches in spite of the reassurances contained in the letter. Princess Celestia was coming to Ponyville? It didn’t matter that this was to be a brief check-in with me, others would catch wind of this, and they would insist on arranging a hearty welcome. Canterlot aristocrats could rarely infiltrate the town undetected. She’d always stressed that her subjects should remain at ease, casual even, during these events. These suggestions were patently inappropriate and the pony folk would have none of them. Royalty was royalty, after all.

I quietly dreaded the inevitable arrival of the Princess. What would I tell her? After taking some time to practice in front of a mirror I realized there was only one thing to do. I had to be honest. The prospect of lying to Princess Celestia was simply inconceivable. I resigned myself to whatever punishment lay in wait for me in the future. I still wished the meeting could be postponed somehow, that something might happen to prevent her from landing onto Ponyville soil, but I also understood that these thoughts were without import.

In the meantime, I dove back into the books with renewed vigor. During my first appraisal of the Volumes of Vehement Vengeance I judged that it would take me the next two seasons to fully translate the tomes. I did not expect to work as fast as I have. It has been one month at most and I have already completed a full transcription of the first. I was indefatigable in my task. It was as though I was seized by something, as though the Volumes sang their blasphemous words to me as I worked. The translation became easier. I no longer needed the reference texts, and I asked Spike to return them to the Archives for me. There was a method to the disjointed arrangements of foreign signs. The quill that I animated with my magic danced madly across the parchment, jotting down every word I deciphered.

I remembered the words of the strange stallion I met in the purgatorial graveyard. I remained unsure about the path ahead. If Princess Celestia saw fit to forbid me from working with these books, my choice would be made for me, and this was a relief. I refused to make myself accountable for what might happen in the future. As such, I ignored the other spells I came across in the first Volume, “[Revive] the dead,” “Ceaseless waltz,” “Newton’s folly,” and “Influence others”. These were tempting, to be sure, but I had learned from my past mistakes. Things had gotten bad enough as is.

There was a public announcement from the Mayor the day before the arrival of the pure white alicorn. As the crowd fidgeted in the freezing wind, she relayed several reports of ponies that have gone missing in recent times. I did not know anyone on the list, though I heard Pinkie Pie gasp as some of the names were mentioned. I recalled the she was friendly towards everypony in town and was probably familiar with the misplaced individuals. A number of pegasi have not returned to Cloudsdale, as well. No reason for the disappearances had yet been uncovered. The Mayor enacted a strict curfew until this issue was resolved, and urged us to talk to her if we had any information regarding it. I wondered if this had anything to do with me. Although I had not put any knowledge from the books to use, it was hard to dismiss this as something completely unrelated.

As I lay sleeping that night, I had one more strange vision. I was a lowly painter, traveling the well-worn path from the golden city of Regwelshen with my like-minded peers. On my back I carried a few blank canvases, and the paints and brushes required by my craft. The high priest Nuzwell promised that once we arrived to the fertile lands of Ooris, we would build our own nation, free from the oppression of the haughty upper crust. We journeyed through the desert for weeks, and the aristocrats had probably noticed our absence. Each day we expected to see a legion of soldiers on the horizon behind us. Food, water and morale were running perilously low. At last, the desert gave way to the chilly steppes. We rejoiced, but the elation was short-lived. As with the desert, there were very few resources to be found here. The grass was hard and bitter, and there was no other vegetation to speak of. The high priest Nuzwell urged us not to give up for Ooris was near, but we grew weary of his command. Early the next day, the others tied him up and roasted him over the crackling fire they built using some of the furniture we brought with us. Disregarding their herbivore roots, they passed around his pieces and feasted on his flesh. I didn’t care that I was hungry; their transgression struck me as barbaric. I tried not to watch, and made due with the frozen grass of the steppes.

The days grew darker afterwards. Hostile-looking clouds formed across the sky. As we watched on the third day, the clouds parted like gates of the heavens, and out poured large black shapes that defied description. As they drifted over us, each grew seventy limbs and started to grab at the party. The panicking ponies were caught effortlessly by the alien shapes, and their entrails rained from the sky. Not even the pegasi could escape the monstrosities. I cowered in the center of the carnage waiting for my gruesome fate. It never came. When I opened my eyes, the skies were empty, and the surrounding fields were soaked in blood. I wiped the fluid off of my face and shuddered.

I continued my quest for Ooris alone, though I didn’t know what I’d do when I got there. The memories of the deaths of my comrades would stay with me forever. Slightly unhinged, I imagined my companions were still with me. As the weeks wore on, and the steppes morphed into hilly meadows, I got my first look at the new soil. It was a fertile country of forests and apple groves. There was a pegasus outpost situated in the clouds. A beautiful castle was built into a nearby cliff, overlooking a modest village on the edge of the woods. I consulted with the ghost of Nuzwell and he confirmed that yes, this was certainly the land we sought. I purchased an unused library in the village with a sack of gold bits I brought from Regwelshen, although I had no real interest in books. My sole purpose now was to alert the people to the existence of the vicious creatures from beyond the clouds. As I started painting the blood-spattered scene that haunted me, a tiny voice in the back of my mind shrieked ‘This isn’t right! This isn’t right!’

I awoke, dazed from the images still burned into my skull. The story that my dream told seemed familiar somehow, but I couldn’t place it. And the village… Was that…? I shook my head. It was probably just coincidence. Dreams have a way of clinging to the familiar. I made my breakfast and ate it in silence. As I did so, I became aware of voices outside the library.

“Look! It’s the Princess! Princess Celestia is here!”

I choked on my unchewed hay. She’d arrived already? I left the food on the table and hurriedly washed up. As I came outside I saw that a small group had gathered expectantly some paces from the building, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie among them. I looked to the sky. A glinting something was approaching over the horizon. I was surprised that anyone had actually noticed it from so far off. It was a shining white sky carriage, pulled by two royal guards with an escort of six others. I looked at the crowd and sighed. Typical. Now they’d throw a welcoming party and I’d be lucky to talk with her privately come evening, if at all.

An ugly black shadow fell over Ponyville. I looked for the source in vain, but nopony else seemed to have noticed. The darkness focused in one spot and an unseemly swirling mass emerged from the earth. I was about to speak up when I heard a familiar tone.

“There is no need for words. I am only seen when and by whom I choose.”

For a split second, I saw a horrific flash of insect-like features from the mass. It quickly transformed into a shape I was more comfortable with. Once more the enigmatic stallion called Solitaire stood before me. I groaned.

“What are you doing?” I whispered.

“Don’t mind me. I’m here to enjoy the show.”

“What show?”

He stepped closer and turned toward the approaching carriage.

“I always found it amusing how tolerant your kind is of its tyrants. Mayhap it’s time for a change, hmm?”

“She’s not a tyrant!” I barked, angrily. “Would you just tell me what you’re…?”

The crowd fell silent. For a second I feared they’d overheard me, but it seemed that I was not the focus. I turned and looked back at the sky. A number of small figures appeared over the horizon. They were quickly nearing the royal carriage.

“Oh no,” I breathed out.

As they got closer, I started to see their features. They had a simian body structure, two arms and two legs. Unlike any ape I’d heard of, they also sported two pairs of bat wings that made no sound as they flapped. Their appendages ended in spiked crab-like claws. They had no faces I could see, but their heads were decorated with jeweled golden crowns. The royal guards tensed up as the creatures approached. A few of them grabbed the ceremonial pikes that decorated the carriage. The things fell upon the escort. I saw Rainbow Dash break away from the crowd and attempt to assist the guards. Two of the escorts managed to wound the assassins, but they were quickly and violently overwhelmed, their weapons falling to the ground below.

“Wait,” I cried, turning back to Solitaire. “Stop this!”

“But this isn’t my work.” He grinned. “Why? Is this not what you wanted?”

Seeing that she was outmatched, Rainbow made a hasty retreat from the skirmish. She made a few loops around the raging creatures, trying to capture their attention. Three of them escaped from the pack and gave chase. Mare and monsters disappeared over the buildings. It was hard to judge since the carriage was still a decent ways from us, but I thought I saw the door jerk as the Princess tried to help keep the monsters at bay. It was of no use. Their claws must have wedged it in place. The creatures now turned their attention to the stallions pulling the carriage. One was cleaved in half. The other sped up, but was unable to guide the carriage alone. He was pulled along as it spun out of control and crashed on the edge of town.

One of the creatures now landed in front of the gathered crowd, which quickly dispersed in terror. I ran back into the library not daring to glance behind me. As I locked the door, I ordered Spike to close all the windows. Once this was done, I crawled beneath my bed and spent the rest of the day in quiet trepidation.

Esotericism

As I cowered beneath my bed I wondered, nay, wandered the landscapes of the mind. I meditated once more on the purpose of this struggle, on the purpose to my life, or the life of Equestria at large. It is simplest to assume that existence is far too complex and nuanced to have an objective meaning. I followed the thought to its logical successor; if life does not hold meaning, is there any value to it?

Ever since I started working with the Volumes, I’d grown to resent the way things were. The sun would burn out (as it must) and we’d all die cold and alone, our accomplishments worth nothing. Was it not justified, then, that I would wish for something more, that I should continue to search these dusty tomes for meaning? In the grand scheme of things, what did we all have to lose? I sat up, hitting my head on the bed frame. Yes. This was the truth. Nopony could argue otherwise. I would tread the path that the changelings pioneered in ages past, and I would succeed where they’d failed. I would find meaning in our empty existence, even if it meant dragging the whole of Equestria down into the lower layers.

Solitaire’s voice rang out in my mind.

“Indeed. Why should you run from Our harbingers? You were the one who brought them here in the first place.”

My thoughts were interrupted by an insistent knocking at the door downstairs.

“Pinkie’s here,” Spike informed me. “Did something happen outside?”

“You could say that, yes. There’s been an assassination attempt on the Princess.”

“WHAT?” He looked shaken. “W-well is she alright?”

I shrugged and checked the windows. The flying demons appeared to have left. I opened the door and let Pinkie in.

“Twilight! Didja see? They were everywhere! We were lucky to have gotten off easy as we did! You know who wasn’t as lucky? The Princess. Ooh. Also Rainbow Dash. I think we should maybe check if they’re alright, don’t you?”

“Of course.” I tried to look concerned.

“Why are you grimacing like that? Are you hurt?”

“N-no, I’m fine. Let’s get going, alright?”

We left the library and made tracks for where we thought we saw the royal carriage crash, scanning the cloudy skies as we went. I wondered idly how long ago the monsters first appeared in Equestria. They were probably the ones responsible for the disappearances the Mayor mentioned. Solitaire seemed to have said that I called them here, but I honestly could not remember such an occasion. Was I summoning these creatures unconsciously? What did they do with their victims anyway? They had no mouths to feed with.

We arrived at the crash site. Trees were splintered where the carriage had made its passage. The thing itself had made an impressive crater. Parts of the carriage were broken while others were bent inwards at grotesque concave angles. The door was open and the Princess was nowhere to be seen. I could see a puddle of blood gathering on the floor. Had the demons taken her away? I felt a degree of ambivalence about all this. I was horrified. But there was something else. Was it… relief?

I noticed the guard who had been pulling the carriage. One of his wings was impaled on a beam that had freed itself from the frame. His breathing was quick and shallow. Pinkie approached him.

“Hi there! That looks pretty bad, doesn’t it, Twilight? Did you see what happened to the Princess, mister?”

The guard coughed weakly.

“Yes’m. The few surviving colts from the escort managed t’ catch up with us and made the’r stand against the monsters ‘ere. The brave mare with the rainbow mane pulled away a number o’ them, and we were able to repel th’ rest.”

He craned his neck in the direction of the castle.

“The Princess was injured in the crash, so we took ‘er back to Canterlot ta recover. ‘S the first time I’ve seen anything like them varmints. I s’pect we’ll be putting the whole place on lockdown again… Troubled times these are, and no mistake.”

So Princess Celestia was indisposed for now. I’d have more time to spend with the Volumes. My wish had been granted. I knew that a confrontation with her was inevitable, but I was thankful it’d been delayed once more.

“Alright, so now we know what happened to the Princess. Maybe we should start looking for Rainbow Dash.”

“Twilight! We need to take him to the hospital! Don’t you think that if you were hurt like him you’d want to see a doctor? If I didn’t know any better, I’d accuse you of being inconsiderate! I do know better. You didn’t mean it.”

I was annoyed, though it was hard to pinpoint why. It was clear that the guard was a brave stallion who’d done nothing wrong. He certainly deserved some help. I bisected the beam with a standard cutting spell, so as to avoid removing it from the guard’s wing and causing unnecessary bleeding. What does it matter if he’s hurt, asked a caustic little voice inside my head. He could die right here and now, and it would make absolutely no difference.

I slung him across my back and shuffled silently back to the center of Ponyville, while Pinkie did her best to hold the beam in place. While my body was occupied with the manual labor, my mind drifted to another place.

I was flying over the vast landscape with the harbingers. The three of them had been chasing Rainbow Dash for an indeterminate amount of time. All they knew was that it’s been a while. And they may have been growing impatient. Every time one of the creatures began to slowly close the distance between them, the mare would pull away, as though she was toying with them. It was infuriating. Or rather, it would be, if the harbingers could feel any emotion at all. As it was, they were cold, mechanical and utterly unrelenting. They knew that the mare would tire eventually. And when she did, they would pounce.

Presently, Rainbow Dash was climbing higher. The buildings and trees below steadily dipped and shrank as the chase gained altitude. The harbingers failed to notice that the bodies of mist surrounding them were growing darker and more menacing. All they could focus on was the mare. Electric sparks leapt from cloud to cloud, hinting at the natural power surging through them. The mare suddenly stopped atop an especially turbulent-looking specimen. As the three monsters approached, she raised her frontal hooves…

I was startled by a series of flashes in the sky, as though several lightning bolts zigzagged from the sky in quick succession. I realized that I had made it to the hospital. Pinkie must have taken the afflicted stallion inside while I was spacing out. A deep growl erupted from the heavens, following in the wake of the flashes. I was curious about these visions. What was happening to me? Equestria was slowly turning into something else. Was I changing along with it? I wasn’t certain about whether I’d liked this new development. My new abilities ranged from potentially useful to terrifyingly unpredictable and I was not fond of unnecessary risk. But perhaps I was on the right path. Perhaps having these powers meant that I was approaching the elusive truth that I sought. I’d come so far; I could not turn back now.

Pinkie skipped merrily outside.

“You’ll be glad to know that our friend is going to be a-okay! They’ll stitch up his wing and after some bed rest he’ll be right as rain.”

As if on cue, several stray drops landed on my nose. I shifted my weight from one leg to another impatiently.

“Alright, alright! Let’s get going, okay? Rainbow Dash might need our help!”

I took off, remembering the landmarks in my vision. Pinkie Pie quickly followed.

“Say, Twilight? How do you know that this is the direction we should follow? And not the lots upon lots of other directions we could choose?”

“I saw the creatures chase her… in the sky.” I was careful to phrase this so that I wasn’t technically lying. This seemed to satisfy Pinkie for the time being. We approached the meadow I’d managed to catch a glimpse of in my trance. Fillies and colts alike played here after school and during the weekends. This was a popular gathering spot due to the thick grass and wild flowers that grew here. Presently, the place was deserted. The constant rain and brutal winds had made sure that most foals stayed inside this season. We saw a dark heap lying in the center of the peaceful field. Something blue streaked through the nearby trees and landed in front of us. I twitched and caught my breath, but Pinkie remained unruffled.

“Hi Rainbow Dash!” she shouted. “Sooooo, how’d it go? Did you teach those monsters what-for?!”

“Oh man, did I!” Rainbow made a show of dusting herself off. “You guys should have SEEN it. They didn’t even know what hit ‘em. Those ugly things chased me for like an hour, and then I lured them into a thunderstorm and set off a coupla lightning bolts. It was so RAD. One of them got shot up pretty bad. You could take a look at him over there. I’m pretty sure he’s dead. And I wounded another one, but he and his friend turned chicken and took off after that.”

“Wowwie wow! That is amazing! Fantastical! You really can handle anything, Dashie!”

“Well, I don’t wanna brag, but—“

While the two chattered away, I inched closer to the body. Rainbow’s analysis was correct. The creature was certainly deceased, and was decaying faster than anything I’d ever seen. I perceived the flesh slowly tearing away from the body, dissolving into nothingness. All that remained of the wings was a papery shroud that billowed gently in the wind. Most of the body had already vanished, exposing the creature’s bizarre bone structure. I didn’t want to examine it too closely. Curious as I was, there was something revolting about the body. There was an air of the outlandish about it, something unknowable that compelled me to look away.

I realized that my friends had stopped talking. I saw them looking up.

“What… what is this?” Rainbow uttered with a hint of dread creeping into her voice.

What could have been several hundred harbingers continuously circled the town before us. They purposefully soared above Ponyville, like a silent typhoon waiting to strike. Why were there so many, and what did they want? The earth shook. Far behind us, the mountains were sighing.

Deep City

The inhabitants of Ponyville were not thrilled to see their town flanked by legions of faceless ghouls. Traversing the streets we saw stallions and mares staring intently at the skies. They did not ask for this, nor did they know how it came to be. I pitied them, but not enough to reassess my goals. Thankfully, the harbingers were now focused on circling and ignored everything and everyone around them. No pegasus could muster the courage to approach them in the meantime. This was unmistakably a sign of things to come.

The mountains continued to shudder in the distance. I wondered if the two events were connected somehow. How would I go about investigating?

We wandered the town aimlessly for a time. From the silence, I gathered the other two were likewise lost in their thoughts. This didn’t last long. We ran into Fluttershy and Rarity on our way back to the library. Pinkie excitedly told the two what they’d missed. They looked shocked as she told them of the harbingers’ assault on the royal carriage, and listened wordlessly as Rainbow Dash broke in to tell them of her encounter with the loathsome beings. Quiet fell over the party once more. Rarity turned to me.

“Would you know anything about all this, Twilight?”

The others glanced at me uneasily. I knew she’d been talking about me behind my back.

“No. Why would I? Sorry, but are you accusing me of something?”

I may have gone too far. This outburst would likely confirm her suspicions and tip off the others.

“As a matter of fact, I—“

“Girls. Girls,” Fluttershy put in, gently. “I guess tension might be running a little high but… Look. This isn’t really the best time to fight. I think. It’s been a rough day and maybe we should calm down a bit… Really think things through. Yes?”

Rarity backed down. I felt deflated, myself. Conflict was averted for now. I excused myself and returned to my home. Spike saw me approaching and held the door open for me as I came inside.

“So did you guys find out what happened to the Princess?”

“The guard said she was injured but returned to Canterlot without any further difficulties.”

“What about Rainbow Dash?”

“She’s okay. Everyone’s okay. I’ll just. I’ll be in my room.”

I sat in bed, contemplating. How did I get so abrasive? I used to be so friendly with Rarity and the others, and now I… I just didn’t care. I experienced a flashback of the days before my trip to the Archives. Life was good. I went on with my studies for myself and for my teacher, Princess Celestia. I was lucky to have her guidance, lucky to have my friends. Everything came easily, and times of adversity were endured. So what changed?

I obtained the Volumes of Vehement Vengeance and experienced what they’d offered. I was plagued with horrific nightmares and ideas whose like I would never entertain in my previous life. I grew disillusioned with the order of things. I realized that I read as much as I did simply because my life lacked direction. I was inexperienced and after a few short decades I would die the same. Books offered me escapist fantasies, and I had been eager to lose myself in them. Over time I lost interest in the things I’d previously considered important. In a way, I lost interest in everything. In my building apathy, I clung desperately to the Volumes because they promised something more. In a world of uncertainty, these tomes would allow me to make a difference, to leave my mark on our collective history, perhaps even to transcend death itself. Or so I’d hoped.

My eyes started to tear up. I’d given up so much in my mad pursuit of things I did not understand. Would anything ever be the same? Would it all be worth it if I lost my companions? I felt the caustic voice speak up again. This is weakness. Ignorance should not be sought or tolerated. Sacrifices are to be expected. These thoughts were getting me worked up. I needed a distraction.

I took the second Volume from its shelf and laid it onto my desk. As I looked upon its yellowed pages, I noted that although the patchwork dialect seemed unchanged, the penmanship was sloppier, almost as though the scribe was unaccustomed to writing. Perhaps the series was an anthology, rather than the work of a single author. The library shook as I started to translate the first paragraph, and my quill swerved abruptly. I’d ripped through my parchment.

Ah yes. I had forgotten. The shockwaves originating in the mountains could still be felt here.

“Aren’t you even a little curious about that?”

I turned and saw Solitaire standing before me yet again. Clearly privacy was a non-issue for the inhabitants of the Gray Domain. This was more than a little disconcerting.

“Maybe,” I said guardedly. “So what? I’m busy here, you know.”

He took the cane out of his mouth and licked his lips.

“That’s unfortunate. You see, I would like for you to witness His awakening in your world… personally.”

“Whose?”

“That’s for Us to know, and you to find out, my dear Twilight. Take the book and follow me, if you please.”

In the next few moments he began to fade slowly, before abruptly winking out of existence altogether. I looked at the tome and quietly asked what this was all about. It didn’t answer. I put it into my knapsack and moved to where the God had been standing. I was filled with confusion as the world around me spun on its axis. At last, as I began to feel ill from the movement, everything stopped. I had found myself on a lower layer of Equestria once more. Was I dreaming or had I stepped outside my world while I was conscious? There was no color here. Every object had been reduced to a complex framework of white lines that webbed wildly across the empty space surrounding me. The rules were different now. I couldn’t breathe but I no longer had any need or desire to do so.

“Come along now,” called Solitaire, his musical tones echoing in the stillness. He stepped effortlessly through the lines that made up my wall. I leapt to follow… and kept going. I cleared what may have been one thousand paces in a single bound, soaring through several buildings outside before gently touching down on the grid that made up the ground. The mountains did not shudder in this layer because time did not exist here. Everything was a part of just one moment frozen eternally. We arrived at a nondescript diamond mine dug into the face of a cliff several hundred meters above ground level. I could see the outlines of the cavern network below. It seemed to go on for miles.

We blinked back into the topmost plane. I blinked rapidly, trying to get used to the light, color and texture of Equestria.

“Is this how you always move around?” I asked of my guide.

“Convenient, isn’t it. Maybe someday you’ll be able to do so as well, and without my assistance.”

I felt the mountain move again. Looking down, I noticed a weatherworn sign resting on the rock floor. It was a mass of several rotting wooden planks, hastily tied together with a rope at either end. A single word was scrawled on it in red. ‘CONDEMNED’.

“What happened here?”

“The jewel prospectors dug too deep. They came across something they wished they hadn’t. One can find wondrous things below the surface of the earth, you know. It’s almost like travelling back in time.”

He picked up a discarded lantern and gave it to me.

“You still rely on your vision to navigate the world, so you’ll probably need this. I’ll meet you back at the library after you’ve seen what you must. “

“You want me to go in alone?”

“I can’t take you through the whole journey, you silly filly. What fun would that be?”

“This isn’t dangerous?”

“It certainly is. Extraordinarily so. Not to worry. We wouldn’t let anything happen to Our favorite little unicorn, now would We. If you hold on to that book, I’m sure everything will go swimmingly. Cheerio.”

He stepped backwards and vanished once more. I sighed and scrutinized the old lantern. There was quite a bit of oil left over, but I was nervous nonetheless. Hopefully this spelunking trip wouldn’t take too long. I picked up a small white rock and tested it on the cavern wall. It left a distinctive trail. This would serve my purposes. I lit the lantern and began my descent into the network, drawing arrows on the walls as I went. I didn’t trust my navigation magic down here. It was not at its best where the skies could not be seen. I spent what felt like hours inside the dank caverns slowly working my way deeper and deeper into the mountain. The few lights I found had long since stopped working, and the darkness was always there, just out of reach of my lantern. I began to develop claustrophobia as the tunnels continued to veer off in different directions. I had to continuously remind myself that a collapse of the stone was extremely unlikely and that if I went back now this would all have been for naught. The periodic earthquakes did not inspire confidence, however, and I found myself catching my breath every time one occurred. Equally taxing were the strange dead ends I would run into every so often. The tunnels seemed to go on for a time, until they got too narrow for anypony to continue, adding to the illusion that the walls were closing in around me. It was while I was backtracking from one of these paths that I began to hallucinate. Unknown forms moved in the darkness ahead. I thought I heard something sliding over the rock. I didn’t call out. If something was there, it would’ve already seen the light. As I continued I felt that I wasn’t alone. The entities were always ahead, dancing in the darkness. Eventually it no longer mattered which path I took. All the tunnels would intersect periodically, like knots holding several threads together. As the miners branched out, they were always pulled in the same direction.

At last the passages opened up to a massive grotto. The rock was pale here, more so than I’d come to expect. But the most striking thing about the cavern was that there were buildings here, carved from the stone, far below the world outside. The architecture was much different than anything I’d seen, consisting of bizarre angles and spiked parapets. The structures curved sharply beneath the high ceiling and their balconies angled downwards to a point where I wondered why they were there at all. Against all common sense, the pillars (those that were still standing) seemed to get thicker as they climbed. The entire settlement appeared to follow its own non-Euclidean rules of geometry. Trying to understand the principles that held the place together drove my mind in so many directions that I had to force myself to stop. Looking closer I saw brown stains on the circular windows. They stretched all the way to the floor, where the unknown substance must have pooled. I searched around and found furniture as alien as the buildings that housed it. It was all morbidly suggestive, reminding me of the torture devices I’d seen in my books. I came across what was once organic matter as well. Unknown beings had fallen and were petrified here for the rest of eternity. I grabbed one of the fossils from the slanting floor. It was a six-limbed creature of some sort. Its legs were similar to a crab’s while the rest of its body and head were reminiscent of a catfish. I put it into my knapsack on a whim. The mountain shook once more. I could tell that I was close to the source.

I continued on, galloping towards what I hoped was the center of the forsaken city. This place was evil, and I was desperate to leave, but I knew that I had to follow this through to its conclusion. As I entered yet another ancient plaza, I heard something similar to music. Someone or something was emitting the noise, and I grew more and more fearful as I silently followed it. It led me to a large gothic interior of a long-forgotten temple. As I passed the benches and the altar, the music steadily grew louder, rising to a ghastly crescendo. It was coming from behind a massive rock slab leaning against the far wall. I surmised that the stone served as a doorway of sorts. Ignoring the heavy sense of foreboding that seized my heart, I stepped aside and pulled the slab with my magic. With a sigh, it fell backwards and cracked as it hit the floor. A vile scent filled the room. Decomposing flesh. Rotten eggs. And there was something else, something unearthly. I fought fruitlessly against my gag reflex. After a minute of mental preparation, I entered the sickly quarters.

Terrestrial Terror

There was something waiting for me in the darkness, heedless of the horrific stench that enveloped it. I saw a glint of yellow as the light of the lantern fell on a polished surface. The sparkling article swayed as I neared it. I saw that it was a trumpet, being played by a giant segmented insect. I backed away, unnerved by the sight. Its squirming legs worked the valves on the golden instrument and the mouthpiece was wedged firmly between its mandibles. This was the noise that had drawn me to this place. I looked closer and realized that the creature was not alone. There was something else, an unmentionable form in the darkness. The insect seemed content to keep ignoring me, so I paid it the same.

I took a few hesitant steps forward, pulling the lantern farther in front of me. As the flickering light illuminated part of the ominous shape, I was driven to look away. It was big and ugly as sin. I gathered that it was organic from the way it shivered and the various veins and blood vessels that ran through it. It had four main limbs ending in razor-sharp claws, resembling some kind of gigantic mole. That comparison wasn’t entirely accurate, however. Unlike a mole, the fleshy mass was also surrounded by a mass of presently inactive tentacles. They knotted endlessly around the abomination and I couldn’t imagine what they’d look like in motion. Big as it was, it must have been even heavier than it appeared. Each time it shifted its weight the surrounding stone would shake and crack beneath it. There were faces imprinted into the body of the thing. They had no noses and were all twisted in various stages of horror and agony. Much of the chamber was filled with the disgusting mass, and the mountain shuddered as it moved. Has the entity always been here? Had it simply lain dormant for all this time? Regardless of what was happening in Equestria, it didn’t seem terribly likely that the city and its tenant were brought here from the Gray Domain. Solitaire said that the miners had found this place, probably before my time. It remained forgotten here for what might have been decades.

There was a silent interlude in the melody permeating the cavern. The bug had ceased playing the trumpet to look at me quizzically. The behemoth stirred and another earthquake violently shook the grotto. I was becoming increasingly anxious in its presence. While I sensed that the Other Gods were simply indifferent, this entity was something else altogether. As I stood before it, I was overwhelmed by an aura of pure, unshackled malevolence. A large eye flickered open. There was a crucifix in the place of its pupil. It slowly focused on my gas lamp, whose light promptly went out. I fell to pieces.

I cast the worthless item aside and stumbled out of the sinister chamber by the half-light of my horn. The mountain convulsed once more. Against my better judgment, I turned to look behind me. I had read somewhere that an octopus is capable of squeezing through any cavity no larger than its eyeball. The same principle seemed to be at work here. As I watched in horror, the malignant beast oozed through the comparably tiny doorway with little difficulty. I sprinted shrieking from the scene, knowing that my desperate cries for help would not be heard.

I was mistaken. Evidently someone had heard me. As I ran past the outlandish buildings, countless creatures of various unsightly shapes poured out from the crevices. Why had I not seen any of them before? Where did they come from? These questions failed to occur to me in my blind panic. I could sense the changeling tome in my knapsack beg me to stop, to stand and fight against the incoming hordes, and far behind them, the massive beast that shook the walls surrounding me. I ignored it. Even with the bloodthirsty book, I couldn’t face these terrors head on. I hid in one of the structures and waited for the mob to pass. This didn’t work as planned. Realizing they had lost sight of me, the monsters split up and began to search the buildings. I saw a hideous lizard hound sniff the air nearby. I quietly mounted a winding irregular staircase. On what I thought was the fifth floor of the strange house I leapt onto a nearby rooftop. I was lucky the gap was narrow enough to facilitate this. The streets and houses were apparently laid out randomly. I proceeded silently while fighting to stay calm. I had to use my horn for light, but I tried to do so sparingly. It would only take one careless flicker to alert my pursuers. The constant shaking of my surroundings told me that the gigantic horror had not gone back to sleep as I’d hoped. It was out there, hunting me. Perhaps it was simply my nerves, but I thought I heard the far-off sounding of the trumpet. I must have frozen up in terror.

I remembered the bottommost plane of silence and its vast framework of white lines. If only I’d been able to warp there now. No. I could not afford the luxury of wishful thinking. I focused my efforts on finding the white arrows I’d been leaving behind previously. I hadn’t seen even one since exiting the forgotten temple. My panic had gotten the best of me, and I sprinted in whichever direction seemed best at the time. Now I was paying for that grave error. I followed the walls outside the city until I found the tunnels that probably led me here. My hallucinations intensified as I left the contorted settlement. Although I’d left the hostile hordes and their master far behind, their silhouettes haunted me ceaselessly. The whining of the trumpet rang in my head, even though I knew it was impossible for the beast and the horrid bard to have caught up to me so soon. The chalk arrows leading me seemed to swim in the dim purple light of my spell. I could have sworn that the twisting passages had moved somehow, that the journey back to the surface took infinitely longer than the descent. The eternal darkness was taking a toll on my senses.

At last I arrived to the mouth of the mine. I breathed in deeply, savoring the feeling of fresh air slipping into my lungs. The sun was touching the treetops. If I didn’t hurry, I’d have to walk home in the dark. I took a moment to look back at the caverns anyway. The mountain has been trembling non-stop over the past few hours. I knew the inhabitants of the underground city would find their way outside eventually, now that they were awake. I didn’t want to consider the consequences. Perhaps I should send a letter to the Princess? Could she arrange the demolition of the entrance? There’d be some uncomfortable questions afterwards, but Ponyville would be safe. Or would it? The creature was gigantic but gelatinous. A rockslide would not impede its progress for any significant length of time, especially were it assisted by its servants.

The sun was setting as I returned to the library. I was fearful and paranoid after my experience in the depths. My heart leapt into my throat when the lights in my bedroom flickered out and the dark cloud gathered before me. I had forgotten that the alien stallion promised to see me after the ordeal.

“So,” Solitaire began, his uneven tones echoing in my abused psyche. “I trust your time in the caves was… educational?”

I tried to stay rational.

“Ha, ha. That it was. Definitely not the kind of experience you’d get from a regular old book. Definitely. What was that, exactly? Why did you insist that I go and see it? I ended up waking it up and you must’ve known, Solitaire, you snake.”

Despite my best efforts, rationality was sorely lacking. As I’d grown to expect, he was unabashed.

“Yes indeedy. Fear not. That entity would have awakened within days regardless of your presence. It is Our approach that roused it from its eternal slumber. The closest approximation of the creature’s name in your tongue would be Gun Quidwreth. It is a fairly powerful representative of the Tellurians. The insect trumpeter’s melody signals the point of no return for Equestria. I hope you’re prepared.”

“Tellurians…?” I repeated dumbly.

He sauntered over to the knapsack I’d dropped in the middle of the room, and took out the second Volume. He slid the book over to me, after hastily flipping to one of the pages nearing its end.

“Here. Translate this bit.”

“Why don’t you just tell me?”

He tapped his black spectacles and grinned.

“I can’t read. Remember?”

I sighed in exasperation and carefully started working on the paragraph he’d indicated, struggling to keep my writing uniform while the earth continued to shake at regular intervals.

“The world’s origins remain a mystery, despite what various faiths would have one believe. The continents are vast, and their occupants are always [adapting], preparing for tomorrow, fighting for their survival. Among the lesser-known of nature’s secrets are the chthonic avatars, the ethereal Tellurian Few. Few have survived an encounter with these majestic fiends and the information regarding them is [sparse] and none too reliable. Some scholars argue that the creatures are visitors from the stars, for nothing on this earth could possibly compare. Others hold that the Tellurian Few are embodiments of nature’s wrath, destroying anything they perceive as a threat to their land. There is evidence to suggest that there’s a feud between the Tellurian Few and the Other Gods. The [Tellurians] and their [servants] actively seek out and destroy all nearby scouts of the Gray Domain. Many a civilization had perished while caught in these horrific battles. Today, the Tellurian Few hibernate in the ancient cities that their minions erected in their honor. Beware, for they are not merciful.”

I felt ill. Up to this point, I only needed to worry about the outlandish things from the Gray Domain. And now, seemingly from nowhere, I’d come across a whole new breed of monster. Gun Quidwreth’s arrival was inevitable. Soon, Equestria would become a battlefield between two forces beyond our imagining. Did we have any hope of surviving a war betwixt these godlike abominations?

I heard Solitaire let out a high-pitched giggle.

“Maybe you’d be better off just choosing a side.”

Lodestar

[This letter was received in Canterlot shortly after the chronic earthquakes first began.]

Princess Celestia,

I apologize for contacting you once again. I heard that you were injured in the assault on the royal carriage some days ago. I hope my letter finds you better than you were. Is it true that the shield over Canterlot has been reestablished? I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised after all that’s happened. Once more, I am writing to you about your student and my friend, Twilight Sparkle. It is increasingly difficult to ignore the radical changes in Twilight’s demeanor, especially in light of recent events. She’s been getting more and more reclusive as of late. When I asked her about the strange happenings around town, she was suspiciously defensive. It saddens me that I have to blame Twilight for the misfortunes that have befallen Ponyville, but I have lost a friend today and I need a scapegoat, unladylike as that may be.

Applejack, Fluttershy and I approached Twilight’s abode earlier. The clouds were hanging low over Ponyville and the bitter winds buffeted the streets and buildings. Normally I would not set hoof outside in such disagreeable weather, but Applejack insisted that I come with her. We were drawn to the hollow tree by the persistent pillar of light that seemed to originate from within it. The beam was of a striking violet and Applejack was quick to point out that the shade was very similar to that of the afflicted corn on the farm. A few other ponies had also noticed the light, and were lingering uneasily by the library. Our knocks at Twilight’s door went unanswered and we exchanged glances laden with concern. Before we could decide on an alternate course of action, we were addressed by a sinister-looking stallion that must’ve approached us while we were distracted.

He was of relatively average size and build, and was outfitted in a stunning white suit and hat. His mane was wild and seemed to move independently of the wind. He wore tiny black glasses and carried a white cane. Although this appeared to indicate that he was blind, he moved with a confidence that made me question whether he was truly crippled. He spoke in a bizarre mixture of intonations which made it difficult to understand what he was saying. I wondered if he was a travelling singer. He told us that Twilight was very busy and not in any shape to see to visitors. Our inquiries into his identity were rudely ignored. He told us to disregard “young Twilight’s shenanigans” and to go home.

As we watched the stallion walk away, Applejack suggested that we follow him. Although Fluttershy voiced some reservations about the idea, she ultimately agreed with our plan. Looking back now, I feel guilty for pressuring her to come along. Responsible.

We trailed the stallion as he left Ponyville. We had trouble keeping up with him, even though he never bothered to break his brisk trot. He appeared to blink from one location to the next as he moved. He couldn’t have been teleporting because he wasn’t a unicorn. And yet he was, somehow.

The ground vibrated as we neared the foot of a massive cliff. The stallion halted and turned to face us. He chided us for following him, saying that “a well-behaved mare knows to mind her own business”. He melted into the ground before we had a chance to react. In the next moment a hideous mammoth of a creature exited a cavern higher up on the cliff, shaking the earth beneath us. As a designer and seamstress, I’ve been living with a certain paradigm regarding beauty and lack thereof. The monster’s appearance was just… offensive. It had four gigantic claws and a number of tentacles. Its eyes were bulging and wild. It was followed by a host of smaller but similarly awful beasts. They poured from the mines like a mighty stream.

The faceless monstrosities that had attacked you and circled Ponyville thereafter broke their formation around our town and flew towards the organic menace and its ilk. I wondered if the two factions were related, but the flying ghouls fell upon the mountain-dwelling beasts with a ferocity that made me cringe. As the two groups tore at each other, the great beast howled at the sky. Its horrific roar seemed to carry for hundreds of miles and was met with other evil-sounding cries. Although I wasn’t certain about what had happened, I could guess. The great beast was calling for reinforcements.

We recoiled from the scene, being unaccustomed to a sight of such bloodletting. Unfortunately, we were not ignored. A number of the flying ghouls had focused on us. The barbarians had grabbed hold of Fluttershy before we could make our escape. Thinking back I have to remind myself that we couldn’t help her. As we hopelessly called her name, she was taken into their dark swarm.

I didn’t want to believe it, but in the thick of things, we had to face the facts. Applejack and I lacked wings. There was nothing we could do to save her. After seeing the wraiths claw at their foes, we feared the worst, but were forced to retreat. No. Retreat implies a degree of dignity. We fled screaming from the hordes, our tears blinding us to the chaos that unfolded around us. If Twilight turns out to be behind all this, I’m no longer certain that I can forgive her. I can only pray that I’m wrong, and that Fluttershy’s okay. I did not leave home with the intention of watching a friend die. Sometimes life is cruel. Your Highness, I hope you intend to speak to Twilight soon. I suspect that things will only get worse from here on out. I cannot, will not risk losing more to the loathsome forces that threaten us.

Yours,
Rarity

[Twilight’s Journal]

After learning of the Tellurian threat, I searched the Volumes of Vehement Vengeance for an answer. With some guidance from Solitaire, I managed to find a method of fighting off the impending disaster. As I thought, we are unable to do so alone. Repelling the Tellurians necessitates bringing the Other Gods to Equestria. I would’ve objected to such a drastic course of action once. I now understand, however, that there is no choice. Furthermore, the Gods’ coming to our realm may prove beneficial to us. Perhaps, if they deem us worthy, we may become as they are. Powerful. Eternal.

I flipped through the pages of the first Volume until I found the “[Revive] the dead” spell I refused to cast some time ago. After a few failed attempts, I was able to reanimate the fossil of the creature I’d found in the underground city. This is interesting as it implies that the body retains the element integral to motion potentially for hundreds of years. Perhaps this is only because of the fossilization, however. The creature proved to be as hostile as everything else I’d found in the mines. Thankfully, being petrified tends to inhibit one’s movement quite a bit. Frankly, I was surprised the creature managed to stay alive at all. Perhaps that was the spell at work.

I siphoned off some of the creature’s restored life force to use in the apparatus I’d assembled from the specifications listed in the fourth changeling book. The device was small and built from an assortment of tubes and balances. I suspended it over a Bunsen burner in the basement. The centerpiece was a fairly large diamond that would likely leave Rarity green with envy. Along with the aforementioned life force, I had to acquire a rat’s kidney, a powerful acid and a specific breed of fungus that emitted light when heated. I used a mortar and pestle to reduce the fungus to a fine powder and mixed it with the acid and kidney in a tube on my instrument. The energy I’d gotten from the Tellurian slave was fused with the diamond to augment its light-bending properties. When the mixture began to glow softly, its light was amplified by the prism-like diamond. The resulting pillar of light appeared to pierce the ceiling and everything above it. This was to be the beacon that would draw the Other Gods to our world. I would align myself to the proper magical frequency and act as the gate. The extraterrestrial deities would flood into this world, so full of light and warmth. Once they were here, getting them back out would likely be difficult, if at all possible. Despite all this, my decision was not labored. How could it be? I finally had the chance to change things. I wouldn’t throw it away.

The tremors coming from the mountains intensified. I imagined Gun Quidwreth emerging from the labyrinth that led to his resting place. A terrifying howl pierced the midday air and my legs folded involuntarily. I lay on the floor clutching my ears until the noise abated. Regaining my composure, I mounted the stairs and took a peek out of the nearest window. The harbingers were abandoning their formation around town and setting off for the cliffs in the distance. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind. The skirmishes between the Other Gods and the Tellurian Few would begin here.

Incriminating Circumstances

The earthquakes subsided in the following days. A number of harbingers still patrolled the skies around town, waiting for something. They seemed unconcerned by the violet beam of light coming from the basement. Perhaps they welcomed it, even. Their masters would follow the pillar to our world. Peculiar cries were heard from the forest at night. The Tellurians were on their way to lay our town to waste. Two forces drew closer with each passing day, like water rising steadily around a lit candle.

Spike brought me another note from the Princess yesterday. He tried to hide the air of worry that pervaded him as he read the letter out loud for me.

[The aforementioned letter follows.]

Twilight,

I fear I can no longer dismiss reports of your recent behavior as exaggerated. Your friends are concerned about you, yet you refuse to address them. Equestria continues to morph into something altogether unrecognizable. Multiple sources claim to have seen unspeakable monsters roaming the land surrounding Ponyville, and after my own encounter with a previously undocumented species I am inclined to trust these accounts. I am led to believe that you have something to do with all this. The shaft of violet light originating in your library is plainly visible even from Canterlot. There have been casualties, Twilight. You understand I cannot ignore a potential threat to my kingdom. The trains have been running for a week now so you no longer have any excuse. You will see me in the castle, immediately.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

[Twilight’s Journal]

Alas, it seemed as though she was beginning to catch on. I dictated a brief reply to Spike, who reluctantly transcribed it onto a piece of parchment. It read thusly:

Dear Princess Celestia,

I’m sorry but I am presently unable to carry out your order. I have found myself incredibly busy in the present. I will be available to visit Canterlot sometime later this week. I hope you’ll be patient with me.

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle

Spike was visibly uncomfortable as he blew a puff of green flame over the letter, sending it on its way. I could certainly see why. This was the first time I ever declined to carry out Princess Celestia’s wishes. And I wasn’t as occupied as my letter made me out to be. I wondered how she would act in lieu of my refusal. Would she allow me to put off our meeting? Would she be angry? The prospect of displeasing the Princess was almost as terrifying as the abominations advancing over the horizon. That’s ridiculous, my inner id exclaimed. I’m surrounded by things that are far more important than some narrow-minded alicorn. Who cares what she thinks. Once they arrive, once they clash, she’ll be as powerless as the rest of us.

“Twilight,” Spike started nervously. “What is the point of that light, anyway?”

“Preparations,” I replied. “Just preparations for what’s coming.”

“So what’s coming, then?”

“We’ll know once it gets here.”

I could see he was getting frustrated with my non-answers.

“Listen,” I said in what I thought was a reassuring tone. “If I tell you what’s going on you’ll only worry needlessly. You’ve probably already figured out that things are changing. But I have a plan. I will save everyone.”

He somehow looked even more doubtful than before. I gave up.

I spent the next few hours perusing the Volumes. The few useful spells I found in these tomes were largely obscured by pointless trivia and lore. I began to resent the changelings that penned the books. Their knowledge of history, though cohesive, was rather superficial. I tried to make do with what I had. Perhaps someday in the future I would write my own book tackling the mysteries of the Tellurians and the Gray Domain. In the meantime, I read. I read of the strange murders in the villages of Waydoth and Leemalar, supposedly carried out by a small Tellurian agent called Swalythos. Despite his modest stature, Swalythos is considered a major figure in chthonic history. I read of the riverbeasts that swallowed ships whole and ensured that the flightless southwestern continents remained isolated for hundreds of years. It was only with the intervention of the pegasi that these lands managed to catch up with the advancements of their neighbors. I read of the great city Deswelda crumbling beneath the hoof of its incompetent emperor. I’ve known of the fall previously, but the tomes claimed that it was engineered by the changelings, one of whom infiltrated the palace and took the emperor’s place.

While I continued to page through the book before me, something possessed me to look outside. I saw a party of four crossing the street, heading in the direction of my home. Applejack and Rarity were leading the group. To my dismay, they were followed by two of Celestia’s royal guard. It would seem that the Princess had no intention of allowing me more time. For a split second I considered letting the guards escort me to the castle. If I just explained everything and apologized… But no, this would not do. Princess Celestia would not approve of the things I’d done, especially if there were actual casualties as she’d mentioned in her letter. She’d find out eventually, and we’d speak. But I simply wasn’t prepared to do so now.

[Princess Celestia sent the following letter to Rarity shortly after receiving Twilight’s reply.]

Dear Rarity,

I am shocked to hear of your loss. I was fond of Fluttershy, myself, but I can’t imagine what you’re going through. I wish I could give you and your friends adequate time to mourn, but as you said, everything is liable to worsen before long. I wrote to Twilight after I got your letter, and demanded that she take the next train to Canterlot. Before long, I received a reply curtly explaining that she was busy and unable to fulfill my request. I’m sure you’ll agree that this refusal is uncharacteristic of her. I’ve dispatched two guards to come and collect her, by force if necessary. I’d rather avoid that eventuality if at all possible, so I’d like to ask you and Applejack to accompany them. Please do not attempt to apprehend her physically; the guards should be more than enough. If you are able, I’d prefer that you arrange for her to come along willingly. Talking to her otherwise may prove problematic. The two guards, Gestalt and Abel, will arrive to Ponyville within the hour. I wish you luck.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

[Several items were brought to the personal study of the Princess when the guards returned. This report outlines what occurred in Ponyville.]

This is Rarity speaking. Writing. Whichever. I suppose normally it would be up to the guards to compose a report, and I certainly don’t relish the thought of writing one myself. I grow weary of writing lengthy letters and the like. However, in this case I believe Princess Celestia would prefer my summary to an impersonal one written by an outsider. No offense intended to the guards of course, they’ve done their absolute best. But I digress.

Once more I entered the muddy farm to inform Applejack of Princess Celestia’s request. That request was for us to accompany two royal guards as they attempted to apprehend our friend, Twilight Sparkle in Ponyville. Twilight is wanted by the Princess and is believed to have something to do with the appearance of heretofore unknown creatures in the mountains and surrounding countryside. Applejack had grown rather quiet since our friend Fluttershy disappeared at the hands of the aforementioned monsters. The other ponies in my circle of friends were still unaware of this nugget of information. I dreaded having to tell them. I somehow managed to convince Applejack to come with me and we met the two stallions in the plaza half an hour later.

The pegasus called Gestalt seemed like a fine example of a royal guard. He was tall, well-built and handsome, with a brilliant white coat. I couldn’t help but notice that one of his wings was wrapped in medical plaster. I wondered how he’d gotten injured, and whether this made it difficult for him to fly. The contrast between him and his partner was striking. Abel was a young gray colt, and his armor hung awkwardly over him. He was skinny and his wings were comparably small. I wagered that he was a rookie, still on his first year. Gestalt nodded at us as we approached while Abel saluted industriously. I found Abel’s youthful energy charming. We exchanged introductions and proceeded in the direction of Twilight’s library.

When we arrived, the door was answered by Twilight’s little helper, Spike. He anxiously turned his tail over in his claws as he asked me what brought us there.

“Th’ Princess of the Sun demands a word with your master,” said Gestalt, looking down at the young dragon. I thought the last word was rather poorly chosen, but stayed silent.

“Uh… Right. Of course. I think she’s upstairs.” I could feel the resentment steaming off his scales.

He escorted us through the bookshelves and up the stairs. In spite of the violet shaft of light that seemed to come from nowhere in particular, the library seemed darker than usual. It was as though the pillar was sucking all other light from its surroundings. My vision started to swim halfway up the staircase. I opened my mouth to complain.

“I’m getting a headache just being in here. Do tell us, Spike. Where is this dreary atmosphere coming from?”

“I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to say. You’d be better off asking Twilight.”

After what felt like an eternity, we arrived to the upstairs living area. Twilight was intently staring out the window. Spike cleared his throat.

“Twilight. The royal guards are here to—“

“Hark!” Abel interrupted. “By the order of Her Majesty, the esteemed Princess Celestia, you will come with us!”

Twilight turned around and gave me an icy look. I tried to put my various questions for her in order. Before I could decide on how to begin, there was a flash of purple and she was gone. Abel stomped on the floor in frustration.

“Doggone it. How are we supposed to grab her if she can teleport?”

I turned to Spike. He looked shocked. I have to admit, I was only half-expecting that Twilight would come along quietly.

“I reckon we’d best search the house for evidence,” Applejack suggested. “We certainly wouldn’t want you boys to be headin’ back from this trip with nothin’ to show fer it.”

Spike looked like he was about to object, but I guess he figured it’d be best not to resist at this juncture. A thorough search of this floor yielded four suspicious-looking tomes whose covers were marked by V’s or 5’s or something of this nature. I gather that these must be the books that Rainbow Dash saw Twilight leafing through a while back. A cursory examination of the books revealed that they were blank, just as Rainbow had said. There was a pile of parchment surrounding the books, carrying notes of some kind. There was far too much to read through in its entirety, but the first few pages were devoted to some esoteric branch of history I’d never heard of. As I paged through these papers, I noticed that what began as a neat well-written transcription soon devolved into an illegible mass of scribbles. Anyone who wishes to see these notes is free to do so; we’ve confiscated them along with the blank books.

When questioned, Spike mentioned that Twilight had started a journal several weeks ago. It was clear that a journal would be an invaluable piece of evidence that would likely shed some light on the situation. Unfortunately, we were unable to find anything of the sort. I guessed that she had taken it with her.

Our investigation soon brought us to the basement where Twilight seemed to have performed a considerable chunk of her experimentation. I could not say what this was all supposed to be leading up to. We found a number of alchemical ingredients here, along with a few diagrams of something or other. Most of this we left untouched, as we’re not sure that it’s relevant to our case. We did find the source of the light, however. It was a strange device that Twilight built herself, according to Spike. It was a clump of miscellaneous brass parts. A number of pipes and tubes were built into the gadget, and I wondered how Twilight managed to weld the things in place. It was suspended by chains over a calm blue flame. A bright violet mixture appeared to be emitting the light, which was amplified by a fabulous diamond. Reluctantly, I allowed the guards to take the instrument and the diamond with them. I could see that the sack Spike had lent us was getting heavy with the things we’d stuffed into it. There was one more thing to see, however.

We came across a fossil nearby. It looked very similar to the creatures I saw emerging from the cliff on the day that Fluttershy was abducted. As I leaned in for a closer look, the little beast snapped at me. Astonishingly, the petrified animal (apparently a cross between a large fish and a crab) was still living. Thankfully, it was incapable of any movement besides that of the neck and head. Once I calmed down, Gestalt bludgeoned the creature and stuck it into the bag. I became aware of the various absurdities in Twilight’s home. Where did Twilight get the blank books and what did she intend to do with them? What was the purpose of the device we’d found and the light it gave off? Why was Twilight in possession of the monstrous fossil? She was clearly doing something she shouldn’t. Otherwise, why would she run from us? I felt that we were slowly approaching the truth, but couldn’t shake the feeling that we were already too late to stop what was coming.

Expectations, Explanations

[Rarity’s report continued:]

As we began to scale the stairs again, Applejack saw one more item of interest, resting surreptitiously in a forgotten corner. She ran over and grabbed it. It was a single cob of neon violet corn, of the same breed as the vile altered stalks that have afflicted the Apple family’s farm. Did Twilight feel the urge to pick one of the foreign vegetables for study? I had given up on trying to find the answers to the ridiculous pile of questions this investigation had inspired thus far. To her credit, Applejack seemed less pessimistic about our discoveries. She seemed to be recovering rather well.

“Naow listen up, fellas. Ah’ve gone t’ see Zecora about these offendin’ corn stalks a while ago. Didn’t have much to say in the way of context, so she couldn’t tell me much in return. Ah’ll bet if’n we take all we found here to her, she’ll have a thing or two to say ‘bout Twilight.” She looked hopefully at the two guards. “Waddaya say, boys? You up for a little side trip ‘fore we send y’all on your way?”

Abel turned to his partner, who sighed heavily.

“Well a’right,” Gestalt mumbled. “Something tells me this’ll be a helluva report I’ll have to write, though.”

I spoke up.

“If it’s quite alright with you, dear, I’d like to take care of that. I am personally acquainted with the Princess you know, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

He brightened considerably.

Unsure of what he should’ve been doing, Spike decided to tag along with us as we set off for Zecora’s hut in the Everfree Forest. Applejack and I tried our best to fill him in on what’s been going on around Ponyville of late. In return, he explained what little he knew of Twilight’s pursuits. He couldn’t offer much in the way of things we didn’t already suspect. Twilight’s affairs were kept secret, even from Spike.

My mind drifted to the trees that surrounded us. I was reminded that the mayor saw fit to postpone the Running of the Leaves, deeming that it would be too dangerous in the current circumstances. For the uninformed, the Running of the Leaves is an annual Ponyville event, a race held in the Whitetail Wood each year. Medals are awarded to the winners. This event serves two primary purposes; to shake down the leaves of the Wood as autumn dictates, and more importantly, to bring the community closer together. I never participated personally as the scene was far too competitive and sweaty for a cultured pony like myself. Its cancelation was sad nevertheless. Many of my friends had taken part in the past.

The earth shook, as if a stampede was heading our way. We saw distant treetops bend at unseemly angles. Zecora’s dwelling was still at least two kilometers away. Something large was headed in our direction unnaturally fast.

“Brace yourselves!” Abel called.

“Don’t be daft,” the other guard replied. “We’d best hide an’ evaluate the situation.”

We took shelter among the protruding roots of a particularly large oak. The vibrations of the earth intensified to the point where I feared the tree would collapse on top of us. We saw the earth become disfigured around us. Something was burrowing beneath the surface at a speed rivaling that of most pegasi mid-flight. I was glad it was submerged, as I wasn’t sure if I could handle the sight of yet another one of these abominations. It let out a shrill squeal as it passed, but seemed completely unconcerned with us otherwise. I heard Gestalt grunt as the creature’s trail disappeared into the undergrowth.

“This is liable to get really bad for your neighbors, an’ fast,” he said.

It took me a moment to understand his meaning. My blood ran cold as the realization hit me. The monster was heading straight for the heart of Ponyville.

“Ah don’t think we coulda done anythin’ to stop something like that,” Applejack stated.

Her words rang hollow, as if she’d given up on the excuse halfway through. I knew why. It was the rationale behind our actions that day in the mountains. We chose to pursue a shady-looking stallion out of Ponyville and were unable to deal with the consequences. Were we really so powerless? All we ever seemed to do was run and hide. I wished we could take up the Elements of Harmony and drive back the forces that threatened us. The Elements are powerful jeweled artifacts that had served as our go-to weapon in previous times of crisis. Regrettably, they would not work in the absence of Twilight, the all-important Element of Magic, and now Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness. The fight seemed hopeless. Our efforts appeared to be in vain.

We found Zecora’s hut in a state of disarray. Something had ripped holes through the fragile walls and a plume of smoke was rising from the center of the roof. The nearby gardens of especially useful potion ingredients appeared to have been devoured. This discovery did not dilute my moody outlook. The zebra herself seemed to be mostly unharmed. She hurriedly let us inside, where we saw that her collection of solutions and remedies had likewise suffered. A number of vases lay shattered on the woven floor, their contents seeping into the soil below.

“What in tarnation happened here?” Applejack demanded.

“Do not act surprised at least/ the woods are full of eldritch beasts,” Zecora answered. “I fear that something is amiss/ they’ve never been as numerous as this.”

“Madam,” Gestalt started. “We have reason to believe that th’ calamity that’s sweeping Equestria was instigated by one Twilight Sparkle. Y’know of her, yes? Our associate here suggested you might help us get to the bottom of this mess.”

We briefly explained our suspicions to Zecora. She looked skeptical.

“I know not of Twilight’s lies/ I saw no ill will in her eyes.”

I blinked.

“She was here?”

“At the migration of the crows/ I saw her two weeks ago/ her objective I had not forgot/ a pesticide was what she sought.”

“Two weeks ago…” I tried to remember that time. It felt like years. At last my memory stumbled onto something. I grabbed hold of it and turned it over before speaking again.

“Ah! Fluttershy and I found some sort of ritualistic altar in this forest at around that time! The grass surrounding it was dead. There was a burnt carcass of a timber wolf in the hearth, and several runes and symbols were carved into the stone lectern. It was probably built by Twilight. Fluttershy mentioned she saw her pushing some stones into the forest. That was only a few days before a shimmering knot of bulging eyes and tentacles began to terrorize the town. I think… I think Twilight must have summoned the creature. She was able to send it away again, after all.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Spike interjected. “Why would Twilight bring these things here? It makes no sense!”

“Mebbe we should show Zecora th’ things we’d found in the library,” Applejack calmly suggested.

The guards took the items from the sack and spread them on Zecora’s table. Four blank tomes, Twilight’s notes, the light-emitting gadget, the animated fossil and the cob of altered corn. Zecora examined each item in turn with great interest. She spent a while reading through Twilight’s notes and studying the tomes.

“If it’s the truth these notes affirm/ my suspicions are confirmed.” She squinted at the pages of the volume spread open before her. “Of these vicious beasts I know/ though I wish it were not so/ they who aim to spill our blood/ are known to us as Other Gods.”

“Other… Gods?” I repeated.

“Before they could destroy our world, they had to bid adieu/ cast back into their plane they were by the Tellurian Few/ but neither can you call a Tellurian friend/ give him the chance and your flesh he’ll rend/ should the monsters return hither/ Equestria will surely wither.”

She turned to the tubed instrument.

“O’er years my engineering knowledge weakened/ but this appears to be a beacon/ this is no coincidence I fear/ this instrument likely draws them here.”

I felt sick.

“Oh dear. Then it’s true. Twilight has… has…”

“NO,” Spike broke in again. “Twilight wouldn’t do something to… to harm us. You guys know her. How could you even suggest that she’s behind all this? She’s always had a little trouble fitting in. But she wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

I was at a loss for words. I suppose it was only to be expected that Spike would stay loyal to Twilight. She raised him, after all. I wanted to believe with him. But our experiences and findings so clearly contradicted what he said.

Zecora pushed the four black books forward and looked at me.

“To baseless accusations you should not dive/ for these books, you see, they are alive/ to her madness these tomes are seed/ and they will allow not one other to read/ you say that Twilight’s been depressed/ perhaps it’s true that she is possessed.”

I considered this.

“So if we burn the books—“

“Out of the question,” Gestalt interrupted. “Th’ Princess will decide what to do with the evidence.”

“Their ideas spread like mental cancer/ I doubt destroying the tomes is the answer.”

“I reckon that reasonin’ with her is the best chance we got,” Applejack said. “It doesn’t look like we can catch or restrain her physically.”

This didn’t seem like a particularly decisive course of action. Politely ask her to stop and pray that she obliges? She had us at her mercy, and she knew it. Only another equally competent spellpony would have any hope of catching Twilight and undoing all that’s happened. Or perhaps there was another way. Pinkie Pie once told me that the Canterlot Archives had a chronomancy wing. If we could turn back time we might be able to prevent all this from ever happening. Alas, this approach would also require a skilled practitioner of magic. This was all so frustrating.

A shadow flickered over the burnt hole in the roof. Alarmed, we slowly opened the door and stepped outside, eyes fixed on the cloudy skies. There was a change in the atmosphere. I squinted against the light to see that a dark speck had blocked out part of the sun.

“Are you all seeing this?”

Although small, the shape appeared to be growing, slowly but surely. If it continued unchecked, most of the sky would be obscured within a day. What was it, and why was it here? Thunder growled menacingly, coming from the clouds in the east. At odd intervals, a flash of light would pierce the gloom, and our surroundings would change for a split second. The trees transformed into great black towers pointing accusingly at the heavens. The grass turned a dull brown. The skies became a featureless gray expanse. And then everything would return to normal again. The oppressive silhouette inspired fear and awe. The realm was collapsing beneath its weight.

“We may already be too late/ the foolish mare has sealed our fate.”

Final Nail in the Coffin

[Twilight’s Journal]

I grabbed this journal, an inkwell and my favorite quill, preparing to run. Spike arrived with our guests in tow, Rarity and Applejack, accompanied by two pegasi guards. There was a long moment of silence as we glared at each other. Rarity looked like she was about to say something, but I wasn’t about to entertain her inquiries. I used a basic teleportation spell and found myself outside. I could only teleport over short distances, so the skill only gave me a mild advantage in escape. I suspected if Rainbow Dash joined the chase I’d be unable to evade her for very long. I lost myself in the crowd and sprinted for the center of town. Thankfully, I was not followed.

I suspected Rarity and the others would search the library in my absence. This was troublesome. I had been forced to leave behind the Volumes of Vehement Vengeance and my translations. And once the party made it to the basement they’d find a wealth of materials whose presence would be difficult to explain away, not the least of which was the dimensional beacon. I was a fugitive now. The Princess would spare no resources in hunting me down. I supposed I should’ve been concerned.

I took shelter in a bustling family restaurant near the town hall. I sipped the hot chocolate I purchased to justify my presence there, and took some time to update my journal and to draw several warding runes on its cover. They wouldn’t be effective without lengthy rituals, but at this point I was simply killing time. I glanced outside absentmindedly. The pillar of violet had disappeared. They must have removed the beacon from the flame. No matter. I was certain I had maintained it long enough to get the Gods’ attention. They were likely almost here. All I had to do was wait.

The sun had reached its zenith when I felt a disturbance in Ponyville. The ground began to vibrate. A few plates and glasses tipped over the edges of their tables and cracked on the floor. Waiters scrambled to pick up the pieces as the quakes intensified. I heard shrieks of terror outside. These screams were drowned out by awful squeals whose like I had not heard before or since. Inside the restaurant, the floorboards bucked upwards, and the furniture flew. The patrons dove out of the way of the tumbling tables and broken glass. One was thrown through a window by the violent force beneath the floor. I dodged the splintering wood and ran outside. The door was thrown from its hinges behind me. A horrible burrowing thing had entered the town. I looked behind me. It appeared to be as large as a house, and it was following me closely. It was far too fast to outrun. I teleported ahead several times, although my panic had made these spells increasingly difficult to cast. The cobblestone was thrown in all directions as the beast dug beneath the street.

I knew that it had to be a Tellurian. It realized that I was working to bring the Other Gods to Equestria, that I was the gate that would bring them here. If I was slain, much of my efforts would have been for naught. I could feel the creature burst through the ground at last, basking in the midday sun. I didn’t turn around again, for fear that the sight of it would somehow slow me down. Buildings collapsed behind me, the crashing of brick on brick urging me onward. I teleported twice more, trying to put some distance between us. As I turned a corner, I ran into five royal guards rushing towards the carnage. They froze when they saw me.

“Halt! Aren’t you Twilight? Twilight Sparkle?”

I tried to catch my breath, and gave them a disapproving look.

“Don’t you gents have more pressing matters to attend to?”

I glanced behind me for emphasis, and saw a glimpse of the Tellurian’s head. It was a large, bone dry, segmented thing with two great mouths sporting a hundred teeth each. The sides of its head were equipped with several long bushy feelers, similar to those of a moth. It let out another terrifying screech. The guard that had spoken took several steps backwards.

“Wha— What is..? How do we fight something like THAT?”

“Beats me, but you’d best get to it. Lives are at stake, and all that.”

Two of the guards brandished dangerous-looking glaives. The talkative guard spoke again.

“F-fine. But you’d better stay here. The Princess had ordered us to—“

“Yes, yes. Rest assured I won’t move a muscle.”

Once the guards all filed past me, I teleported one last time, to the roof of a mansion overlooking the scene. I watched as the stallions were dismembered with a smirk. There was something amusing about their pathetic efforts to fend off the beast. They had valiantly given their lives to the service of Canterlot royalty and to protect their friends and neighbors. They might have had families. And yet their sacrifice would ultimately be worthless.

I remembered my older brother, Shining Armor. He enlisted into the royal guard as early as was permitted, and climbed the ranks faster than most. I supposed he must’ve been at least somewhat patriotic. He must’ve believed the ideals advocated by the Princesses. He was the captain now, after all. I admired him greatly, even if I wasn’t sure about his occupation. Not even Celestia’s closest bodyguards were guaranteed very much. These were the unsung heroes of Equestria, only dimly remembered as stoic, fairly well-groomed guardians of order. Their pay was nothing extravagant, their deaths worth only a footnote in the obituaries section of the newspaper. It was thankless work, but somepony had to do it.

I was addressed by a familiar jumble of offbeat tones and misplaced pauses.

“Feeling a little introspective, are we. Please. Do recall that you are in the company of one of those barbaric Tellurians.”

I had ceased being surprised by Solitaire’s appearances. It almost seemed as though he would not leave me alone. Did he… like me? An involuntary shiver ran down my spine. Way down below, the last of the guard ponies was being messily devoured by the monster. I turned to speak to him.

“Well, now you’re here, so I don’t have to worry.”

He gave me another one of his bizarre chuckles.

“Oh Twilight. There’s just no drama if you think of it in those terms. Besides. Little old me? Against Shusteht, the Duke of Dust? Surely you jest.”

“Then do we run? Maybe warp to a lower layer?”

“I must be terribly out of practice in understanding expressed emotion. I thought I heard a note of concern in that last question.”

The Tellurian began pounding away at the support beams of the mansion. The bottom floors of the building began to collapse.

“Just do something already!” I fought to maintain my balance on the crumbling foundation.

“You’re the one who elected to stop here and admire the view.” He stepped to the side as the tiles he’d been standing on caved in and clattered on the floor below. “Anyway, there’s no need.”

A great shadow fell upon us. I looked up to see what appeared to be a partial solar eclipse. But that was impossible. I would certainly have heard if such an event had been scheduled by the Princesses. The shape obscuring the sun was far from a sphere. It couldn’t have been the moon. Perhaps it was merely my eyes playing tricks on me, but the dark blotch appeared to be spreading, like ink spilled over an expensive piece of stationery. I heard a rumble coming from the horizon. The Tellurian at the foot of the building we’d been standing on burrowed into the ground and made a hasty retreat.

Azherkin, the marvelous arbiter of the Gray Domain, lurched from his throne of entropy and decay. He was here at last, and my efforts had brought Him here. The harbingers that had nested in the surrounding countryside spread their wings and raced to meet Him in the cloudy skies. Solitaire and I watched wordlessly, standing on the ruins of the abandoned building, as the terrifying shape drew closer. He was our fears of the unknown made flesh, a foreboding sultan of a largely uncaring universe. I could not say whether it was contained to my own head, but every few minutes I saw a flash of the lower levels of Equestria. They were visions of a ghost town, populated by bodiless shadows. They were brief, if I blinked I easily missed them, but they were noticeable.

At last, the shape seemed to halt its advances. But although the otherworldly judge had stopped, His limbs would not stay still. Large tendrils and bug-like claws moved restlessly along His uncanny frame. Eyes as large as lakes glared at the city below. His visage was absolutely stunning. I heard screams, possibly of delight, as the ponies below gazed upon their savior. Wonderful, fantastic changes were in the works. When I moved again, I noticed that I felt a little lighter on my hooves. I didn't understand what this meant at the time, but I now realize that the Other God Azherkin was so massive that He exerted His own gravitational pull, like some sort of living planet.

I turned to get a look at Canterlot. There was a shield around the castle once more. Did they expect the God to attack? Did they expect their shield to hold against such an assault? The very idea was laughable.

“I recommend you get a good look. This will be the beginning of the end times. Once Azherkin has determined your worth as a species, He will act accordingly. Your kind will be taken to our timeless plains or cast into oblivion.”

He spun his cane on a single hoof and grinned.

“I hope you’ll stay strong in the meantime. Keep a healthy diet and a regular sleep schedule. Avoid taking too many risks. It is your presence alone that allows us passage into your world, after all. As an individual, you needn’t worry. You have granted these fertile lands to us and I sense that your body has already begun to change under His influence. You will be assimilated regardless of Azherkin’s verdict.”

I was relieved. I knew that I had done the right thing, and the Other Gods saw fit to reward my diligence. But would there be a price for all this? What if Azherkin decided to annihilate the rest of our race? What about my friends?

“My dear Twilight. Are you having second thoughts?”

I wouldn’t meet his gaze. When I spoke again my mouth was dry.

“No.”

Transfigured/Disfigured

It’s over. It’s all over at last. Well. Truth be told, there are still a number of loose ends, but I can only hope that their resolution falls to somepony else. This sounds incredibly selfish I know, especially after everything I’ve done, but I’m tired. I wish nothing more than to wash my hooves of this mess even if all I’m entitled to is swift and callous punishment.

I pen these last few journal entries with Rarity’s help. She has not yet forgiven me, but is sympathetic. Perhaps she will attest to my character in my upcoming trial. Once this final chapter of my story is recorded, this book is to be used as evidence for my crimes. This is immaterial. I intend to plead guilty. I may be facing anything from exile to execution, but after gazing into the eternal abyss of the Gray Domain I have no fear. I apologize. None of this has any bearing on the events that brought me here. I will try to refrain from getting off track.

Rarity, Applejack, Spike and the two guards, Gestalt and Abel were returning to Ponyville after seeing Zecora about the items they’d found in my home. Needless to say, they were apprehensive about the ominous shape that had blocked out much of the sky. Would it continue its trek to earth? Would it touch down, crushing everything they’d held dear? Zecora had confirmed that I had brought the great intruder into our realm, and this did little to allay the party’s fears. While fighting a splitting headache likely caused by the Other God’s presence, Rarity wondered what became of the beast they saw burrowing towards Ponyville. (By this point, the monster that Solitaire identified as Shusteht had withdrawn. Hearsay holds that the creature and two others, Gun Quidwreth among them, awaited on the outskirts of town, preventing the residents from leaving.) Applejack stopped and pointed to the sky.

“Ey, lookit that. Ain’t that… Rainbow Dash?”

A cyan something streaked across the sky followed by a half dozen others. Rainbow Dash had assembled a squadron of pegasi at Cloudsdale with the intention of investigating the vast dark shape in the heavens. Volunteers for the mission were precious few. Most of Cloudsdale was in a state of uproar. Azherkin’s proximity to the floating city inspired much panic and had triggered several terrific thunderstorms across Equestria. Their willingness to go along with the plan was a testament to the winged ponies’ bravery.

The troop began their approach. The surface of the Other God was incredibly hot after breaching our world’s atmosphere. Getting too close would mean death. There were other complications as well. It is understood that as one gets closer to an object of Azherkin’s mass, its perceived gravitational pull becomes more and more intense. One of the less experienced pegasi flew into the God’s gravitational field too quickly and was pulled flailing and screaming to the surface before she had a chance to adapt. As two older fliers dove after their falling comrade, they were grabbed by the abomination’s copious limbs and were likely burned to a crisp. Rainbow’s brief scouting mission was quickly turning into a disaster. As the appendages plucked another pegasus from the air, she signaled for a retreat. Great geysers of acid shot out from below. Rarity and the others held their breath as they watched Rainbow weave through the sickly yellow jets. She was hit before she could pull out of range. The force of the geyser threw her far out of Azherkin’s reach. She fell, struggling to recover, only barely managing to slow her descent. The party sprinted desperately to where they saw her land. The clumps of trees grew thicker, for no reason other than to impede their progress. At last they found her, bruised and bleeding at the foot of a sturdy birch. She was unconscious and covered in chemical burns.

Meanwhile, I had spent several hours simply watching Azherkin’s movements. At last, I’d gotten my fill. Something felt a little off. I was itching badly, and two or three flies were buzzing around me. I tried to shoo them off, but they wouldn’t leave me alone. As I traversed the streets I saw that anarchy had taken the town in its bony clutches. Stores had been broken into and homes, ransacked. This was only to be expected, I supposed. For all they knew, this was their last day alive. Did I really care if these weak fools were wiped out? What difference did it make, in the end? Under the right circumstances they cannibalized each other; they were doomed to die anyway.

On my way back to the library, I met not one soul in the dying city. I could sense that they were watching me from the windows. When I turned to look at these spectators, they drew back from the light, hiding from me. The streets were hushed. The silence seemed to contradict the scenes of destruction and societal decay that greeted me. The body of the otherworldly deity above was ever-present, bearing witness to our once-prosperous wasteland. Walking was becoming increasingly difficult. My eyes drifted downwards and I saw. My frontal left leg was a terrifying knot of tangled tentacles.

I should have been shocked, disgusted even. Fearful. Instead I felt… pleasantly surprised. It was a sin against nature, my body was not meant to change shape like this. But it all felt appropriate. How had I changed so much in the span of maybe three hours at most? Clearly, it was the Other Gods’ influence that affected me. I was the gate, after all. I arrived home at last. At this point I no longer cared if the others found me. Perhaps it was time I departed for Canterlot. I promised the Princess that I would see her, after all.

I spared a few seconds to admire myself in the mirror. It appeared that my flesh was decaying and being slowly replaced by the thick glossy skin of a Goddess. My itching was explained, as were the flies. This was only temporary. I would likely be fully transformed into something truly fantastic by the next morning. The left half of my face had sprouted stubby tendrils of its own. Their movement appeared to be somewhat independent, as though each was developed to the point where it was its own living thing. The sclera of my left eye had turned pitch-black. I was not ashamed of my new form, but moving around had proven to be troublesome. I procured two lengths of twine from the basement and used them to unify the tentacles below into a single ‘limb’. This solution was inelegant to be sure, but I reminded myself that it was only required until the changes were more uniform.

I ran into Pinkie Pie as I left the library. She’d been waiting for me.

“Hi Twi— woah! There’s something different about you. I can’t quite put my hoof on it. Something liiiiiiiiike…”

“Do you need something, Pinkie?” My voice must’ve changed as well. There was a guttural undertone to it, difficult to catch, but definitely present.

“Ponyville’s in trouble! The residents have gone mad as a hatter! And that big black thingy in the sky doesn’t look too friendly, does it? I’ve been running around and I can’t find Applejack or Rarity or Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy anywhere! Do YOU know where they are?”

“Sorry, I don’t… I really have to get going.”

“What? You’re leaving too? Where?”

“Canterlot. I have business with the Princess.”

“Okie-doke… But be careful, Twilight. I’ve been hearing weird noises on the outskirts.”

I thanked her for her concern and we parted ways.

Once more I made my way through the damaged streets. The harsh winds were picking up again, blowing glass and wooden scraps through the town. I heard something indistinct over the howling of the gale. A high pitched whining coming from worlds beyond. Flashes of the Gray Domain continued to haunt me. I’m now told that they were experienced by numerous other ponies as well. Grave omens for Equestria, these were. I made it to the train station at last. The conductor was visibly disturbed by my appearance at the stall. He sold me a ticket, but reluctantly. He didn’t dare ask why I looked as I did. With this task accomplished, I crossed the platform and stepped onto the afternoon train.

“A’right,” Gestalt began. “Abel and I will carry ‘er. You lot need only lead us to the hospital.”

“’Scuse me,” Spike said quietly. “Shouldn’t we wrap her in something? You’ll get the… the stuff on you otherwise.” He was talking about the acid. It had already destroyed patches of Rainbow’s coat and was burning spots of red into her exposed skin. Her wings were quickly losing feathers to the caustic substance.

“That’s moronic,” Gestalt bluntly stated. “Any cover’s just gonna end up hurting her more. Get a move on.”

Spike apologized hastily. He was beginning to suspect that the older stallion didn’t like him very much. Applejack volunteered to carry the sack containing the evidence found in the library. As the party entered Ponyville, they witnessed the extent of the devastation that hit the once-peaceful town.

“Hard to believe all this could happen so quickly…” said Abel.

“That monster really did a number on the place,” Applejack added.

“This don’t look like the work of an oversized mole,” Gestalt observed. “This looks like looters.”

Rarity gasped melodramatically.

“You think… the pony folk did this?” The question was punctuated by a distant sound of breaking glass.

“Probably. Yes. I imagine the guards’ve found ‘emselves stretched pretty thin right about now. What a mess…”

The party arrived to the emergency room of the hospital, which thankfully appeared untouched. It seemed like the facility was having a busy day. Some time passed before a doctor could see Rainbow. The prognosis was grim. Her life wasn’t in danger, but her wings were badly damaged and she’d be lucky to fly ever again. Rarity sighed.

“Well at least…” She stopped. At least Rainbow wouldn’t end up like Fluttershy.

“I’ll stay with her in case she wakes up,” Applejack said. “You fellas should try an’ find Twilight.”

Rarity, Spike and the guards left the hospital in a listless mood. Everything was going wrong at a record-breaking speed. They had little faith that locating me would solve the various issues that afflicted Equestria. In addition to the impending annihilation of the kingdom, Azherkin’s appearance had indirectly triggered a number of problems. I had previously mentioned the freak electrical storms that Cloudsdale struggled to curb. Also, although nowhere near us, the Equestrian coast had flooded severely and settlements had been destroyed. The tectonic plates were likewise affected and several major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions had already occurred. The Other God was clearly visible across the kingdom, and riots were breaking out in the three corners, Trottingham, Fillydelphia and Manehatten. All of Equestria was facing major upheaval.

With nowhere else to go, the group decided to return to the library. They encountered Pinkie on the way.

“Rarity! Yay! I’ve been looking EVERYWHERE for you! And is that..? It IS. Mister guard! I ‘member you! How’s your wing doing?”

Gestalt was the stallion that Pinkie and I helped on the day that the royal carriage was attacked. That seemed so long ago, now…

“Still healin’,” he replied. “I appreciate what you all did for me back then. ‘S a shame about the other mare though.”

“Ya mean Twilight?” Pinkie asked. “Why? What’s up with her?”

“Twilight’s the one who caused all this to happen,” Rarity broke in.

“All this? All what? You mean. ALL THIS?” Pinkie gestured wildly at the Other God and the ruined town. “But. No-no-no-no-NO. That can’t be right.”

“’Fraid it is,” Gestalt answered sadly. “We’re tryin’ to find her now. Mebbe talk some sense into her. I don’ suppose you’ve got any idea where she mighta gone?”

“Well of course I do, silly. I saw her not half an hour ago. She said she was going to Canterlot. Something about… business with Princess Celestia?”

The guards stiffened.

“Are you absolutely sure, Pinkie?” Rarity asked.

“Sure as sugar! You guys gonna chase her? Can I come? Can I?”

“I s’pose it can’t hurt,” Gestalt said. “But we’d best hurry. She’s probably taken the train. We need to leave as soon as possible to even have a prayer of catching up to her. Let’s find a chariot or carriage for you flightless ones.”

At this point, I was lounging on the train to Canterlot. Seeing that the castle was so close to Azherkin’s surface, there weren’t many ponies headed in this direction. The few that were on the train were likely only going to satisfy a morbid sense of curiosity, or to check on relatives. None of them chose to sit in the same train car as me. For some reason. With nothing else to do, I tried my best to get some sleep. For the first time in over a month, my slumber was uninterrupted by nightmares or unsettling visions. Uninterrupted by any ticket inspector, too. For some reason.

I was awakened by a terrible screeching down the line. Everything shook. Then I experienced a sense of smooth, unhindered motion as the train car sailed over and off the tracks. It was stopped by something almost instantly, and I was thrown forward, hitting my head against the hard wooden frame of the seat ahead. My horn left a long gash in the polished wood. I retained consciousness in spite of the trauma and stumbled to the front of the car, where I forced the doors open. I looked at my surroundings in a daze. The engine was a tangled heap of scrap metal. It had pulled the train into the forest on the approach to Canterlot. It was a miracle the whole god-forsaken thing didn’t make it off one of the cliffs that were characteristic of this route.

Several ponies were trapped inside the car up ahead. I ignored their pleas for help and went to inspect the railroad. It was disconnected and bent upwards imperiously. My imagination conjured images of something big taking a bite out of it. I supposed that this was exactly what had happened. It was prudent to leave, lest the guilty individual made a return. I would shortly be very glad that the train had been derailed where it was.

The sun was setting when I arrived at the outer rim of the shield that surrounded Canterlot. As I’d come to expect, soldiers had been posted on this section of the track.

“Halt, monster! Leave this area at once!”

“Hmm. No. No, I don’t think I will. My name is Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia had summoned me to the castle.”

The guards exchanged surprised glances and a few whispers.

“Very well. If you pose no threat to our city, the shield will allow you to pass. Otherwise, we will remove you from these premises by force.”

I met no resistance as I stepped up to the bright pink light and plunged my hoof through it. As I tried to cross it, however, I saw that it would not accept my transformed tissues. Where my right leg effortlessly passed through, my left met a solid wall.

“Confound it,” I whispered as the soldiers drew their weapons and attacked.

Alas, Poor Faust!

The brawl lasted longer than I would’ve liked. I’m having some difficulty remembering it. I believe that I fell into a sort of trance. Somehow I had achieved a total awareness of the field and my foes’ positions. My blackened eye had an unobstructed view of my surroundings, even where my head should’ve been in the way, and the digits on my face were sensitive enough to pick up on the softest air movements. That, combined with the toughened skin of my slowly-evolving form, allowed me to dodge and parry the guards’ blows without breaking a sweat. There was a primal rhythm to the battle, one I followed nigh effortlessly. Sidestep the glaive. Counter with a right cross. Incapacitate with a sweep. My advantages were offset slightly by my lack of fighting experience. The swings and kicks I delivered with my untransformed limbs bounced harmlessly off of the guards’ armor. I was forced to rely heavily on the tentacles that had replaced my left, and this inhibited my balance. I recall that one of the soldiers finally managed to knock me down after I had disposed of the others. Unfortunately for him, he hesitated before delivering the coup de grâce, which gave me ample time to trip and disarm him.

I braced myself for reinforcements. None came. I looked around. Four or five bruised stallions in various stages of (un)consciousness surrounded me. They were all still alive of course; I had stopped just short of causing any permanent damage. The most prolonged healing they would undertake would be of their pride. And perhaps a fractured bone or two. I dusted myself off, and turned my attention to the shield.

Abel and Gestalt pulled a sky chariot carrying Spike, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and the sack of evidence to the edge of Canterlot an indeterminate amount of time later. They found a crack in the shield that was large enough for a pony of average size to squeeze through.

“That’s impossible,” Abel whispered, disbelieving. “The force field should be completely invulnerable to outside force. And all these unconscious guards…”

Gestalt patted the youth on the back.

“Keep it together, lad. I need you to run to th’ captain quick. Tell him to renew the shield spell immediately. Also you could mention th’ train wreck we saw earlier. I’ll stay here and make sure nothing else comes through.”

He turned to the rest of the group.

“Sorry, you lot will have t’ find Twilight on yer own. And be careful, it looks like the city’s been infiltrated. Doesn’t look like anythin’ too big, but if’n it’s strong enough to punch through the wall, you’d best avoid it.”

“I think this is Twilight’s doing,” Rarity announced.

“Oh?” Gestalt looked at her quizzically.

She tried to arrange her thoughts into a coherent stream.

“We didn’t find her on the derailed train earlier, but it was the only one running to Canterlot today. It’s a safe bet that she survived the crash and made her way over here on hoof. If the shield somehow found her to be hostile, she might be able to jam or weaken her brother’s protective spell enough to be able to break through.”

I also had to take certain measures to ensure that the rest of the force field stayed in one piece, even after I had broken through a chunk.

“I suppose that’s logical…”

“I think we should wait to renew the shield until after we’ve dealt with her. Otherwise, she’ll be pushed from Canterlot and we’ll have to find her all over again. If she’s even in one piece at that point.”

Rarity was correct. When cast, Shining Armor’s shielding spell expanded outwards. This was the principle that allowed us to repel the changeling invasion during the royal wedding. Woe betide any malicious element that was found indoors when the spell was cast.

“A’right, you’ve made yer point,” Gestalt conceded. “Abel, help me revive one o’ these guards. We’ll ask ‘em what happened.”

He turned back to Rarity.

“Your task hasn’t changed. Find ‘er. Godspeed.”

Shield or no, the Other God’s appearance was having adverse effects on Canterlot. There was a lack of direct sunlight, and somehow the various light sources in and around the city were doing a mediocre job of keeping the darkness at bay. Nowhere was this truer than the castle. Gloom pervaded the gothic spires and spilled out into the buildings bellow. I could barely see the feeble flickering of candles and torches within. The presence of the royal guard ensured that the citizens of Canterlot did not get too unruly. Unlike Ponyville, which had fallen into a blind panic, Canterlot displayed a sort of quiet, steadily mounting dread. In a way, this felt even worse. This was the capital of Equestria, and it was just about ready to explode. My glimpses into the lower layers grew more and more frequent. The ivory towers turned into great teeth of some unknown behemoth. The cobblestone streets became coated with a sort of pulpy bio-matter. As I got closer and closer to the castle, I noticed hideously twisted skeletons littering the road. Mares and stallions alike had fallen here never to get up again. Bones should not have bent this way. Several of the bodies had somehow curled into near-perfect spheres. In spite of these terrifying carcasses, the city was silent. Had everypony simply fallen dead, as these poor souls? What could have killed so many, how had they decomposed to such a remarkable degree, and why were the bones contorted as they were?

But no, Canterlot was not empty. As in Ponyville, I noticed signs of life by the windows. Most of the population was cowering indoors, quietly awaiting their demise. I was irritated by this. Perhaps they were all going to die. But even so, they should at least spare a glance for their heavenly master. This was quite possibly their last opportunity.

I readied myself for another fight as I walked up to the castle entrance. I needn’t have bothered. The two guards had evidently turned on one another. They lay bloodied on the steps, the teeth of one clenched around the neck of the other. As I opened the great doors, I thought I heard hoofsteps in the distance. They echoed in the streets and they were headed my way. I didn’t bother waiting to see who it was. Time was short and I had things to do. I entered the castle and was greeted by another corpse. The receptionist had committed suicide. It struck me that letting so many bodies strew the city was probably unhygienic. Surely burning the things wouldn’t take too long. The laziness these folks displayed was disgusting.

The great halls of the castle were dark. The few lit torches looked as though they might go out any minute and the images upon the stained glass windows were unseen in the gloom. Guards were patrolling the labyrinthine passages, accompanied by hideous shadows. They were clearly on edge, and glanced around frequently, as though they saw things that weren’t there. I managed to avoid many of them by hiding in the darkness and I swiftly disposed of the few that took notice of me. I checked the throne room out of principle. In truth, the Princess was rarely to be found here. Given the commotion across the kingdom, it was very possible that she wasn’t in the castle at all. I’d be very disappointed if I was unable to locate her. I saw an indefinable shape resting upon the royal seat. As I brought a candle near, it began to shift slightly. Before long, I was looking at the profile of a familiar stallion. He sat casually upon the gleaming throne, smiling at me. I sighed.

“I’d appreciate it if you stopped stalking me. “

“Well. I guess you’ll just have to pretend I’m not here, then. I would quite like to finally meet this mentor of yours. She’s in her study, just up the staircase there.” He nodded vaguely to the back of the room. “See? I’m helping.”

We ascended the large spiral staircase, which led to a chamber that was a good deal smaller than what I’d expected. Several tables crowded the space, littered with piles of books and scrolls. The eastern wall was a single window, looking out over the edge of Canterlot and providing a breathtaking view of the valley below. The study was probably most brilliant at dawn, when the Princess pulled the sun over the distant horizon. Presently, with Azherkin occupying the skies and the night only just beginning, the room was as dark as the rest of the castle. The only light was provided by a modest chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

An unnatural breeze wafted in as we entered the room, violently shaking the chandelier. The shadows danced. Princess Celestia looked up from the various documents that had absorbed much of her attention. Her eyes fell on me. I thought I heard her give a little gasp. Something dark took ahold of me as I addressed her.

“Oh dear. It seems our meeting is a little overdue. Matters just kept getting in the way, as they do…” I permitted myself a little grin. “You’ll forgive my delay, won’t you, Princess.”

She continued staring at me wordlessly.

“What’s the matter?” I taunted. “Your Highness looks unwell.”

At last she spoke.

“…I could say the same of you,” she said carefully. “What’s befallen you, Twilight?”

“Indeed! What could’ve happened to turn sweet little Twilight into a demon? And yet the answer is so simple… Hear me. I am the one that brought the omnipotent Other Gods to Equestria.”

“So Rarity’s suspicions were true…” The Princess glanced at my cohort. “And this stallion is..?”

“Solitaire, at your service.” He gave a little bow. “I am, for lack of a better term, a public relations officer. For the aforementioned deities.”

She narrowed her eyes and looked back to me.

“I see. Tell me why. Why would you betray the kingdom like this, Twilight? You had everything you could’ve wanted. My guidance, the ownership of a sizeable library. You had friends. What could compel you to throw it all away?”

“You don’t see it!” I screamed, frustrated. “You’re as blind as the rest of them! Everything we do, I do… amounts to nothing! In the end, all one is left to do is struggle feebly, taking shallow breaths, watching all their work simply slip away with them. Even alicorns aren’t immortal, Princess.”

She nodded sadly. I continued my rant.

“But now, with the help of the Other Gods, I CAN live forever. I can ensure that the actions I take are preserved eternally! If Azherkin wills it, perhaps you can join me. This is a fantastic opportunity. Don’t you dare dispute that fact.”

The Princess remained silent for a brief period. She sounded tired when she spoke again.

“It’s disheartening to see you overcome with these negative emotions of yours,” she said. “But there’s little I can do at this point. My kingdom is in ruins and my best student is to blame. As it’s been said, fate is not without a sense of irony.”

She sat down at the table across from me, lifted a quill and returned to her documents. I was stunned. I expected outrage; I expected a heated argument concerning the nature of existence and our place in the universe. Instead, all she offered me was quiet resignation. In spite of what I said, Princess Celestia was willing to simply lie down and die.

She looked up from her parchment.

“I only wonder what you intend to do once you’ve achieved your immortality.”

The question buzzed around my ears like a gnat. It was so basic, yet the answer eluded me. The door burst open and Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Spike rushed in. I was grateful for the distraction.

“You’ve found me once again. Well done.” I turned to look at them.

“I see you’ve , uhh… got quite the makeover, darling,” Rarity murmured, swaying slightly. She looked like she was about to faint.

“So…” Pinkie began thoughtfully. “Do those squid legs of yours need water, or what? Can you squirt ink now?” I felt the urge to roll my eyes.

“I guess this means that you did do all this,” said Spike. “Didn’t you? Twilight?”

“She has summoned monstrosities beyond description and inspired panic throughout the continent,” Princess Celestia flatly stated.

“But she’s done so much more,” said Solitaire. “This may yet be the point of ascension for your species. You should praise her, and praise Our coming.”

It was here that Rarity took notice of the stallion. She bent into a crouch, as if preparing to pounce.

“…You…” she growled.

“…Me?” His tone betrayed nothing.

Princess Celestia looked inquiringly to Rarity, who gave her an almost imperceptible signal. I sensed a change in the atmosphere of the crowded study. Pinkie Pie and Spike followed Rarity’s lead and shifted into what looked like combat stances. Behind me, the tip of Celestia’s horn lit up menacingly. Standing beside me, Solitaire took off his black spectacles and stashed them in one of his pockets. His eyes were a pure milky white. I flexed the tentacles that had overtaken my leg, easily breaking the ropes that held them together.

Only the howling winds outside filled the silence that followed. I cleared my throat after a solid minute had passed.

“This is ludicrous. You will yield. Before one of us does something they’ll regret.”

“I can hardly believe you would debase yourself like this,” hissed Rarity. “What you’ve done to Equestria…” She paused for dramatic effect. “…is absolutely evil!”

I was unimpressed.

“Is that really the word you would use to describe what I’ve accomplished here? There are motivations behind every action, Rarity. To classify them as good or evil is childish. Narrow-minded. Discard your outdated conceptions of morality. They will serve no purpose where we’re headed.”

“Rainbow Dash is crippled because of you! And Fluttershy’s d-DEAD!”

As the last word echoed across the chamber, time itself seemed to slow to a crawl. Pinkie and Spike turned to Rarity, mouths agape. I tried to piece the words together, but they seemed incompatible. There have been casualties, and I wasn’t even aware. The death outside the castle and around the kingdom seemed removed from me. I wasn’t acquainted with any of the fallen, so why should it have concerned me? But now I saw that my friends were hurting and I was to blame. The fatalities were no longer faceless. They had friends and family of their own. I was only superficially aware of the fact before now. How could I presume to know what was best for the species if I didn’t care about these losses? The ponies around me had a will of their own. What if they did not want to ascend? What did ascension really mean, anyway?

“Solitaire.” I looked at him coldly. “Is it true, what she says?”

“Perish the thought. I cannot verify the case of your Rainbow Dash, but Fluttershy is alive and reasonably well. She has been taken to the Gray Domain for study.”

“Study,” I repeated, loathing the implications.

“We are curious about these Elements of Harmony you hold. Obviously We wouldn’t dream of using you personally in Our research, so We took the liberty of collecting another.”

“Bring her back,” I commanded. “Immediately.”

Solitaire frowned for the first time.

“As you wish.”

The large window behind the Princess seemed to fold in on itself. As an afterthought, it shattered into thousands of almost microscopic shards. The air sparkled. We looked away and covered our faces. When the glass dust settled, I looked up and saw two harbingers carrying the yellow pegasus. She was badly malnourished. Her ribs were visible and her eyes were sunken. Physical bruising and scarring were not present, though I couldn’t be sure that the Other Gods could not restore damaged flesh. She was shaking like a leaf. The two winged demons dropped her unceremoniously on the glass-covered floor of the chamber. She tried to get up, but could not muster the strength. Pinkie Pie rushed over and helped her climb onto her back. Fluttershy now looked at me.

“Twilight… It was you… Why?”

I fixed my eyes firmly on the floor.

“I can’t do this anymore,” I whispered. The ears of the ponies surrounding me perked up in response.

I felt Solitaire’s blank stare burning a hole in my side.

“Beg pardon?”

“I’m done. You can all. Just go back where you came from.”

He took off his hat and scratched his head absentmindedly.

“Are you certain you wish to reconsider? After having come so far this may prove… unpleasant.”

“I don’t care.”

And that was it. Cutting off the Gods’ entry into this world would be easy. They needed my permission to exist here, at least until the fabric of this dimension collapsed into theirs. Without any further hesitation, I cast one last spell to end this nightmare. The gate into this world slowly swung shut. A bright light engulfed us, and the outlines of our surroundings swam. Our glimpses into the lower layers grew less frequent until they ceased altogether. An awful buzzing grew in volume until it was all we heard. Then… silence.

I lay on my side, filled with blinding agony. For although I had escaped my contract with the malevolent deities, I had not done so unscathed. They had scarred half my face and taken one of my legs. My tears mingled with blood and the resulting mixture pooled on the floor by my cheek. The pain washed over me in waves, flooding me until I could think of nothing else. I screamed until I lost my voice, until I feared that my lungs would burst.

Outside, now without a conduit into this realm, Azherkin began to burn. The celestial pyre lit up the night. Countless harbingers were visible as they circled Him. Then, they too succumbed to the blaze. The burning Other God began to retreat. Soon He would be a speck in the skies once more, before disappearing completely.

Solitaire put his fedora back on.

“Well. That’s a shame. I suppose I too should be on my way.” He looked at me. “Though perhaps after all this trouble, I might as well take you with me, hmm?”

“W-wait a second!” Rarity shouted as he reached for me. I closed my eyes.

He patted me on the head affectionately.

“Just kidding.” He smirked. “It’s sad that we must part ways like this. Nevertheless. I wish you nothing but the best.” Having said this, he stepped back and faded away for the final time.

Confused and disoriented from the pain and loss of blood, I dimly registered the others surrounding me. Spike was in tears as he repeated my name over and over. Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were positively glowing with concern. Princess Celestia stepped over to me. I looked up, but could not read her expression.

“I won’t ask for your forgiveness,” I whispered in my last few moments of consciousness. “I know I do not deserve it.”

Alternate Ending: An Unnecessary Evil

…But this is not what occurred. You, who found this journal upon the ashes of the nation, already know this. The happy ending I have included here, wherein I realize my mistake and throw myself to the mercy of my fellows is patently false. I wrote it for my own sake, as a method of denying what’s happened. It has not helped. I end this book here, in the Gray Domain, facing the harsh light of the truth. My existence is beyond your comprehension now, and pray it remains so. I am a lonesome deity, left to wallow in the cold seas of regret. For eternity.

I cast these pages through the void, in the hopes that they would find their way to the upper planes. If you’re reading this, my gamble appears successful. Learn from my mistakes. The deal I struck with the Other Gods was sordid. I would wish it upon none other. What follows is a rewrite of the finale. It is closer to the truth.

“I can hardly believe you would debase yourself like this,” hissed Rarity. “What you’ve done to Equestria…” She paused for dramatic effect. “…is absolutely evil!”

I was unimpressed.

“Rainbow Dash is crippled because of you! And Fluttershy’s d-DEAD!”

Pinkie and Spike turned to Rarity, mouths agape. Solitaire looked at me, gauging my response.

“Is that right?” I asked casually. My next question was laced with venom. “So what?”

Silence fell over the study once more. The group stared at me, horror and disbelief slowly spreading across their features.

“You bear witness to the pain and suffering of life in this imperfect world. I will take all that away. Come with me, and we will all see a brilliant utopia in a world without death. My actions here are for the greater good of the species.”

Rarity leapt at me.

“You… You’re NOT Twilight!”

I smacked her away with my left. She rebounded against one of the tables, knocking it over.

“Oh grow up,” I said in a disinterested tone.

The light coming from Celestia’s horn intensified.

“That’s enough. You’ve gone entirely too far.”

“You think so?” I turned back to her. “I’m curious. As the Princess, as my teacher, would you be willing to kill me for the sake of Equestria as a whole? Hmm?”

The next instant I was thrown backwards by a terrific lightning bolt. When I tried to get up I saw that I was paralyzed. A few stray sparks leapt from her horn as Princess Celestia stood over me. I looked defiantly at her.

“Nice shot. Now do it. End me.”

Spike looked away. Solitaire stared intently at the Princess, but did not intervene. No killing strike followed. She faltered, just as the soldier guarding the shield earlier. All as expected. As the feeling crept back into my body, I wrapped my tentacles around her neck and stood up. She fell to her knees, struggling to breathe.

“Disappointing. You are no different from the rest. Unwilling to make sacrifices, even with the kingdom on the line.” I chuckled quietly. “In your position, that is simply unacceptable.”

I allowed the volume of my voice to climb a few notches as I looked at the others.

“Who are YOU to criticize my methods? You think this path was easy for me to follow? It wasn’t. But I stepped forward to improve our miserable existence where nopony else was willing. Did you support me? NO. “

“Geez Louise, you didn’t even tell us what you were up to!” Pinkie exclaimed. “That being said, friends don’t let friends open portals to… to…”

“…To the Dungeon Dimensions,” Rarity finished weakly.

Something started to happen outside. The various lights around Canterlot left their sources and raced towards Azherkin hovering above. The Other God was collecting energy.

Solitaire took out a pocket watch and glanced at it theatrically.

“The hour is here.”

The candles on the chandelier flickered out. Darkness spilled across the study. I released my grip on the Princess and stepped back.

“This is your last chance,” I told them. “If you wish to return things to the way they were, step forward. Step forward with killing intent.”

My blackened left eye saw them through the inky darkness. They were advancing towards me. Good. I was itching to settle things once and for all. Solitaire moved to intercept but I pushed him aside.

“No. I don’t need you for this.”

“Suit yourself.”

The group was at a disadvantage. Unlike me, they could not see in the dark. I was able to land several substantial strikes on Rarity before she retreated to catch her breath and recover. Spike blew a couple puffs of green flame that illuminated the chamber for a few moments. Pinkie leapt forward. She opened with a couple of feints. While I threw up my left to block, she tripped me up with a sweep of her tail. Her tactics took me completely by surprise. I wondered if she’d done this before. Somehow that seemed unlikely.

“No hard feelings, right Twilight?”

I grabbed one of her pasterns and tossed her aside.

“Not at all.”

My eye focused on a light near the entrance. Princess Celestia was standing there, charging a finishing spell while the others distracted me.

“I’m sorry I have to do this,” she whispered. The words cut through the fight like a cleaver. I tried to cast a defensive charm but was not fast enough. An invisible force collided with my body and I was thrown backwards. I hit hard against the eastern window, easily breaking through it.

“Well done,” I said to nopony in particular as I fell through the freezing night air. The wind swept my words away. I had cleared the edge of Canterlot, and was sailing into the valley. I started to spin as I tried to get into a more comfortable position. Far below, the earth was racing to meet me. With nothing left to do, I screamed.

But I did not die here. The cliffs began to stretch, and the ground fell away. My screams gave way to laughter. It was too late to change a thing. The Gray Domain flashed thrice before my eyes and then… I was above the great shielded city, gazing upon it with silent fury. My voice echoed through the abandoned streets and alleys.

“Your ideals are worthless. They will perish alongside you. Farewell.”

The stone and mortar that comprised the city broke apart and fell upwards. Most of the ponies inside the buildings were vaporized. In Ponyville, all was destroyed in an instant. The shops, the schools, the hospital… Everything was taken apart along with the liars and the looters. Cloudsdale fared no better. The pegasus outpost was swallowed in its entirety. Azherkin had made His judgment. Equestria’s inhabitants were determined to be far too shortsighted to live.

I drifted through the infinite gray expanse, looking over the hills and meadows I once knew. How cold and lifeless they now seemed. I would not see my friends again. My only company now would be the Other Gods. I had become one of them, as I wished. These endless leagues of nothingness, punctuated by alien landmasses would become my home. A vast unknowable dreamscape for me to explore. A seamless world of grays, larger than any planet, larger perhaps than the known universe. I looked upon my hosts, massive creatures of whom Azherkin was just one, and I wondered. Was it all worth it?

In time it changed me, their otherworldly grace.

Epilogue

Dear Princess Celestia,

As you know, my trial begins tomorrow. While I went over my testimony-to-be, I felt the need to write you a letter, for old time’s sake. These last two months have been very hard on me, hard on all of us. I was seized by a bitter hopelessness after evaluating and reevaluating my life. I have written endlessly on the subject, attempting to dissect it and find meaning. But ultimately, all we went through will be without value. Right?

I reject the concept of an intelligent creator, of a grander meaning to the cosmos at large. This is no longer because I presume to know what is ‘realistic’ and what isn’t. This is simply because I wish to live my life to the fullest, to preserve some illusion of free will. It is the lack of a life after death that makes this one all the more precious. It is the lack of an objective purpose to our existence that allows us to find our own.

We are spiraling through an uncaring universe. Each day brings us closer to oblivion. We must accept this, and we must live. Face adversity head on. Cherish the pleasures in life. Energy is wasted on such empty feelings as hatred and self-pity. Give freely of yourself to others. Relationships offer new perspectives of things you thought familiar.

I cannot know these things. Knowledge is an absolute and my understanding is finite. In the end, all this is a shot in the dark. But it has helped me cope with what I’ve done. The future is a mystery to me. Who’s to say what happens beyond this all-important trial? I am overcome with guilt, and my body is in ruins. But now I understand that this doesn’t matter. I have lived, and I have experienced. All that is left for me to do is to continue.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle