Dusk

She had dreamed this same dream as days passed. When she kept her hopes high, when life was worth living to her, the dream wasn't as painful.

But now it was.

A majestic, lavender alicorn and a green and purple dragon stood before five graves. Each on had a cutie mark on it. (From left to right) Three balloons, three butterflies, three gemstones, a lightning bolt from a cloud, and three apples. It was raining currently which concealed the tears that the alicorn wept.

The dragon put his arm on the alicorn's back, and he gave a small squeeze. The alicorn sniffled.

"Please, don't leave," the alicorn whispered. "I can't be alone. Please, don't leave, Spike."

The tears began to stream down her face faster.

"Shh, shhh," Spike, the dragon, replied. "I won't."

"Thank you..."

She turned towards Spike to hug him, but she was met by the skeleton of Spike. The skeleton collapsed at the alicorn's hooves.

"Sp-Spike?" The alicorn closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. More tears were about to stream down her face when-

"Cease this horror!!!"

Darkness suddenly filled the dream, and at the center, was a gray stallion with an etheral, black mane and tail, and curved horn dipped red, and piercing, red, dragon eyes. He smiled revealing a set of carnivorous teeth meant for sucking blood and ripping apart meat.

"Hello, Twilight Sparkle."

The lavender alicorn, Twilight Sparkle, widened her eyes. "S-s-sa... B-but you're dead! You have to be! The Crystal Heart destroyed you!"

The stallion laughed manically. "That is what you thought! But my horn survived. With my horn, I can regenerate. It astounds me on how somepony as smart and curious as you would've discovered this spell, or, at least, you recreate the spell yourself."

Twilight charged her horn ablaze with a rainbow aura. She blinked, but when she opened her eyes, they were pure white. "Leave now, Sombra. You are trespassing on the Princess of Friendship and Magic's mind. LEAVE!!"

Sombra raised an eyebrow. "Before I remove myself from your mind, may I offer a deal?"

Twilight gave her magic a small amount of slack. Her horn stayed lit, but her yes had returned to normal. "What," she spat.

Sombra grinned. "I, Twilight Sparkle, can give you something that you don't have. And if you accept this deal of mine, I can give it to you."

"What," she growled, wanting this dream... no, nightmare... this nightmare to end.

His smug grin disappeared. "Alright, Princess, be that way. My offer is..." His grin returned. With a flick of his hoof, a obsidian tiara appeared with a magenta diamond. "... to give you all magic. If, you accept me as a mentor."

Twilight was taken aback. She tapped her chin in thought. "All magic... But... But I can't abandon Equestria! And this is all a trick, isn't it!?" She flared her wings, her horn blazed brighter, and the light returned to her eyes. "I will not fall for it, Sombra. Now, Leave."

Sombra let his grin fade. He growled and melted into the dream, vanishing completely.

But the crown had not disappear.

Twilight scanned the crown. It seemed harmless, even after a few a Scan Spells.

Eventually and unfortunately, her scientific curiosity got the best of her. She poked it.

Suddenly, she felt so much power surging through her blood and mind.

Light magic. Dark magic. Midnight magic. Dawn magic. Day magic. Dusk magic.

Universal magic.

She felt it all surging in her, her magic, and her blood.

Twilight's eyes turned midnight black. Her pink highlight turned a sickly green. She screamed in pain as her teeth sharpened and formed fangs. Her horn lengthened. Parts of her wings became darkness itself. Her cutie mark morphed from magenta to midnight black.

She felt something rumble in her throat. When she let it loose, it was a loud, happy, yet evil laugh.

And it felt fantastic.

Twilight Sparkle paced back in forth in a new dream, waiting for certain gray stallion with a curved horn.

"I see you've been waiting."

Twilight galloped to the sound and nuzzled the physical object she came in contact with.

"You dare to touch a king!!!??!"

Twilight's ears wilted under the gray stallion's angry glare. "Sorry, Sombra..."

Sombra snorted. "You should be thankful that I'm forgiving you so easily. If you were one of slaves, I would've whipped you until I saw your bones beneath your flesh!"

Twilight widened her eyes in disbelief. "Fwa... What!? How could you be so cruel!?"

"Ha! A ruler must be cruel to have true authority! But do not worry, Twilight..." Sombra took on a regal position. "... I will teach you what you need to be a ruler, my protege."