War gamesby Thunder-DasherChaptersBlown backFirst time for everythingRebelliousReunion pt. 1Blown backWar, such a harsh thing. It's also something ponies haven't been exposed to in a long time. However, that all changed ten years ago when Princess Twilight got herself teleported to a strange world after botching an experiment. In this world, war is just a game, a good bit of fun. I order to survive, Twilight has had to fight and kill almost every day, and it's changed her. While she never actively sought out conflict, she eventually came to find some enjoyment in it, and has not been opposed to it since. Today was going to be a good day. Twilight had finally found a place with the technology to travel to other worlds. She intended to use this technology to travel back to Equestria. She gave no thought to how her current life would follow her, she only kept her focus on the goal of returning home. She and her new friends had infiltrated the target compound about a half hour ago, and, out of the seven that went in, only two remained: Twilight, and her second in command, a man by the name of Bill. Now, in the final room, the portal could be seen. After quickly figuring out how to use the portal, Bill turned to Twilight with some rather bad news. "Twilight, this gonna be a stretch and a half, you know," Bill said, "The portal will activate, but there's no way for me to set a destination. There's no telling where you'll end up once you go through". "That's a risk we'll just have to take," Twilight said, "If we don't go through that portal, then our friends' sacrifices will be in vain". BOOM An explosion sounded from the other side of the doors leading into the room. Bill and Twilight both turned and opened fire on the door, aiming to kill whoever stepped through. The screams of pain brought a smile to Twilight's face. Bill was the only one in the group that hated killing, and he didn't bother looking at Twilight until after the shootout was over. The peace wouldn't last long, however, as footsteps could be heard approaching rather quickly. "Go on ahead, I'll cover you," Bill said. "We're going together," Twilight argued. "We all fought to give you this chance," Bill pointed out, "Hell, most of us DIED to give you this chance. Go now, and I'll be right behind you soon as I finish off the next group". "Not happ-" Twilight said before getting cut off. Just before finishing her sentence, Twilight was blown back by an explosion. The blast sent the alicorn flying upside down and backwards through the portal. Bill was thrown against a wall by the blast. Weakened, and knowing he was going to die, he took aim and fired his last shot at the control console, cutting off the portal, and severing all ties to wherever Twilight had gone. He then dropped his gun arm and smiled. His ultimate mission was complete, and he'd made sure nobody could stand a chance at following his friend. As he laid on the ground, he closed his eyes and smiled victoriously. He didn't even see the barrel of the gun that was used to take his life. BANG A loud pop sounded throughout the throne room of the Canterlot castle as a strange black orb showed up out of nowhere. As the civilians fled in fear, five members of the royal guard escorted Princess Celestia out of the room, while the rest surrounded the strange orb, spears at the ready. A shockwave emitted from the orb, throwing every guard off balance as something flew out of the orb and against a wall. Almost immediately after whatever it was hit said wall, the orb disappeared. Instead of focusing on what they could no longer see, the guards decided to focus on the thing that flew out of the strange orb. After approaching the strange object, the guards found it was not an object, but a pony. "Sir, that's an alicorn," One of the guards said. "That's not just any alicorn, either," Another guard said, pointing to the pony's flank, "Look at her cutie mark". "Well, I'll be Luna's uncle," The guard captain said after casting a changeling detection spell, "Hurry up and get her to the infirmary, I'll go inform Princess Celestia of the situation". With the alicorn, confirmed to be the real Twilight Sparkle, on her way to the royal infirmary, the guard captain walked to the back room. After unlocking the doors, he walked in and saw Princess Celestia sitting ever so calmly behind her guards. "What's the situation, Captain?" Celestia asked as the captain approached. "Princess Twilight has returned, your highness," The captain said, "However, she was injured by something, we do not know what, and is currently-". The captain didn't even get to finish his sentence before being tossed aside like a ragdoll as Celestia flew out of the room. After hearing that Twilight had returned, the princess was more than excited. However, upon hearing that Twilight was also injured, her motherly instincts kicked in and she raced in the direction of the infirmary to make sure Twilight would be alright. Not a pony alive today has ever seen their beloved princess so determined. Upon reaching the infirmary, Celestia was informed of Twilight's unstable condition. She wasn't even allowed back to see Twilight. Every part of her screamed to demand to be let through, but she had to suppress the desire, hard as it was to do so. She waited ever so impatiently, trying to occupy her mind, and failing to do so until Luna had finally arrived. "Sister, I just got the news," Luna said, "Is... is she alright?" "I don't know at the moment," Celestia said, looking away from her sister and towards the door leading to the patient area. "They won't let me back there, and they've yet to give me any news in the past hour". With each word, Celestia got closer to crying. As soon as Luna reached out and touched her sister's shoulder, she was pulled into a tight embrace. She wrapped her wings around her now crying sister for comfort. "I've already lost her once," Celestia said, her voice slightly muffled, "I don't want to get her back just to lose her again, and for good this time". "She's tough, sister," Luna said, "At worst, she'll probably just be stuck in here for a couple of weeks". The sisters sat there in their embrace for several minutes, gathering the attention of any and all nearby ponies. As Celestia pushed herself away to wipe her eyes, a member of the infirmary staff approached. "I have some good news and some bad news, Princess," The nurse said, "The good news is that though she's not awake, she's finally stable". "One normally starts with the bad news first...," Luna pointed out in a slightly frustrated tone. "Yes, well... the bad news is about her injuries," The nurse said, "Though she'll make it, it's going to take a long time for her properly heal completely. Her right side is scorched, her horn is broken near the base, she is missing her left eye, both of her wings are broken in several places. That's just the physical injuries. She's been through something rough, there's no telling what her mental state will be like when she finally wakes up". "As long as she gets through this, I don't care what I have to do to help her fully recover," Celestia said, "She is like a daughter to me, and I'll do whatever I have to, to help her". As soon as the nurse was gone, Luna closed her eyes and focused. Celestia sat back and wait, knowing full well what was going on. Luna was going to see if Twilight was dreaming and, if she was, enter her dream. As luck would have it, Luna was able to do just that. What she saw upon entering Twilight's dream, however, startled her to no end. The landscape was a war torn city of an origin unknown to Luna. Dead bodies littered the ground, blood pooling around them. Her attention was soon caught by laughter nearby. When she looked in it's direction, she saw something she never wanted to think possible. Twilight was standing over a strange creature with a dark look in her eyes. The strange creature was holding it's arms up in a desperate defensive manner, but Twilight beat up on it regardless. When at last she was bored with simply wailing on the poor thing, Twilight placed her right hind leg in between the creature's legs. No amount of begging did the creature any good as Twilight put all her weight into her back, causing the creature's most private area to pop. "Oh, sorry, you didn't need your balls did you?" Twilight asked tauntingly as the creature cried out, "I mean, it's not all that bad being female. Who knows, maybe you'll like it better this way". Luna couldn't take it anymore and dispelled the horrific scene playing out in front of her. As soon as her victim disappeared, Twilight looked around, confused until she saw Luna. "Well, guess this means I'm in Equestria," Twilight said, "Say uh... how much of that did you see?" "More than I wanted to," Luna said. "Well, he made the mistake of fighting me," Twilight said, "Who says I can't have when in combat?" "That wasn't a fight, Twilight, that was straight up torture," Luna said. "Not like he was even real," Twilight said. "And what if he was?" Luna asked. "Well, I'd let him writhe in agony for a minute or two to allow the regret to sink in before snapping his neck," Twilight said. "Who are you and what have you done with my friend?" Luna growled. "I'm still me, if only slightly more twisted than when I left," Twilight said. Two days later, Twilight finally awoke. As soon as she got the news, Celestia flew right back to the infirmary. After arriving, and catching her breath, Celestia was led right to her destination. Upon entering the room, however, she took one look at Twilight and cringed for a few brief seconds before approaching. "Princess?" Twilight asked weakly, "Is... is that really... really you?" "It's really me, Twilight," Celestia said. "I wish I could've met you under better circumstances," Twilight said, "I hate that you have to see me like this". "Well, you DO look terrible," Celestia said, "But I'm just glad you're back, and that you're alive". "I'm glad to be back and alive," Twilight said, "It's been a long ten years". "Ten years?" Celestia asked, "Twilight, it's been but only five months". "It was ten years for me," Twilight said, "Ten long, hard years of fighting and killing to survive". "Ki... killing?" Celestia asked, stunned. "I had no choice," Twilight said, "It was either them or me, and I'd much rather it be them. And after a while, it even becomes oddly fun". "So, then Luna was right," Celestia said, "Seems like I have a lot of work ahead of me when you finally get out of here". "Don't think of me as a heartless murderer," Twilight said, "I do not look for fights. However, should I find myself in one, I'll enjoy it". "I'm going to do whatever it takes to get rid of that mindset," Celestia said, "You're not a killer Twilight, and I refuse to let you think like one". "You wanna know why I'm a little more fucked up than when I left?" Twilight asked, "Well, take a seat and I'll tell you". First time for everything"You sure about this, Twilight?" Spike asked. "If this goes as planned, I'll finally be able to tell Princess Celestia that I made a whole new spell all on my own," Twilight explained, "So yes, I'm sure". Twilight had spent the past week developing an advanced time travel spell to allow her to learn more about the history of Equestria and the Princesses. Now, it was time to test it out. As her horn lit up, Twilight became engulfed in a magenta orb. White stripes swirled around the orb, growing in size until the whole orb had grown white. After another minute, the orb exploded, flooding the room with light for a few brief seconds. When Spike opened his eyes again, Twilight was gone, replaced with a big scorch mark. His cry could be heard all around Ponyville. When Twilight opened her eyes, she had no idea where she was, but she knew that she wasn't in Equestria anymore. All around her were the remains of a strange, gray city. Tall buildings were torn down, the roads had craters everywhere, and the atmosphere tasted like old clay. The whole place was devoid of life, which really put Twilight in a state of severe unease. She wanted to go home, but the experimental spell left her mana reserves dry, so she'd have to wait for a while... in this horrid place... all alone... scared out of her wits. BANG Twilight heard the noise, but her mind didn't focus on it. Her focus, instead, was on the pain in her forehead. She didn't know what hit her, but she knew it hurt worse than anything she'd ever felt before. Her focus shifted, however, when something impacted the rubble mere inches from the tip of her muzzle. Self preservation kicked in, and she dove behind the closest cover. While not much to look at, the gray wall was her best option at the moment, and it worked. Feeling at least somewhat safe, Twilight decided to try and figure out what to do about her sudden major headache. Her first thought went towards magic, but it didn't work. Instead, attempting to cast a spell only resulted in more pain. It took but only a minute for the pain to die down enough for Twilight to focus again. When her focus DID return, she figured out what was wrong. Laying in the road next to the rubble pile was just beside a little bit ago was something that contrasted with the surroundings so much it was the easiest thing to spot, ever. It was the same shade of Lavender as Twilight herself, and it was conical in shape... Twilight lifted her right fore hoof to her forehead, only to have her fear confirmed. The purple object in the road was her horn. As her hoof fell to the ground, she tried her hardest not to cry. KABOOM A nearby explosion caught her attention, and, just like that, her expression changed from one of sadness to one of severe anger, bordering on hatred. She slumped out from behind her little cover and looked in the direction of the source of the sound from earlier. When she caught sight of her target, she took to the sky, throwing off its aim. She then did a skydive to close the distance... and ran head first into her target, knocking it to the ground and taking away its breath. "Here's a little tip for you, buddy," Twilight growled, "Don't EVER take away a unicorn's, or alicorn's, horn". She then proceeded to deliver a small batch of punches to the creature's head until it was unconscious. Satisfied, she walked away, leaving her assailant there to sleep. While Twilight was not known to be violent, she was not immune to becoming so if one pissed her off enough. Severing her horn was enough to do just that. "First hour in that world, and my horn got shot off," Twilight said, "Bastard got was coming to him. Actually, he deserved more, but I was merciful back then". "I can only imagine that was most unpleasant," Celestia said, "However, I'm quite confused as to how you didn't die from a building up of mana. You were without a horn for tens years if I'm not mistaken, so how you survived like that baffles me". "With some help from a friend later on, I was able to manufacture a prosthetic horn," Twilight explained, "My reserves had reached a dangerous point by that time, though, so I DID get quite lucky". "And what happened to that horn?" Celestia asked. "I can only guess it was knocked off by the explosion that threw me through the portal that brought me back here," Twilight said. Celestia sat in silence for a couple moments before an all too familiar growl caught her attention. "Hungry?" Celestia asked. "It would appear so," Twilight said semi sarcastically. "Well, anything in particular you're craving," Celestia asked. "I haven't had a good steak in a few days," Twilight said. "S-steak?" Celestia asked, fear in her voice. "I'm a strict carnivore now, have been for ten years," Twilight admitted, "The only thing safe for consumption was meat in that world. Even beings that are supposed to be herbivores are carnivores there because healthy vegetation is so rare. Have you ever seen a doe hunt a bear? It's quite impressive". "No, I can't say I have," Celestia said weakly, her own stomach churning. "I know it'll take you a bit to get used to this, but it's just part of who I am now," Twilight pointed out, "But anyway, I'm craving a good steak at the moment". "Then... um... I uh... Steak it is, then," Celestia said, trying to keep down the bile rising in her throat. "Oh, and one question before you go," Twilight said. "Alright, ask," Celestia said. "How hard is it to get a hunting permit as a pony?" Twilight asked. Unable to take any more, The solar diarch fainted at that question. "Welp, so much for a good steak right now," Twilight said, rubbing her forehead and silently scolding herself. RebelliousIt's been two weeks since Twilight's return. During that time, only the Princesses and authorized royal guard personnel were been able to have contact with Twilight. During their visits, both princesses had learned some valuable, if somewhat disturbing, bits of information about just how much Twilight has changed. They have also been able to determine Twilight's relatively new threat level, and it scares both of them. Regardless of her threat level, today is the day Twilight gets discharged from the infirmary. As Princess Celestia escorted Twilight out of the infirmary, she levitated a metal cone out of her saddlebags. "If I let you keep this, I'll need your word that nopony shall come to harm as a result," Celestia said. "That IS my property, you know," Twilight half growled. "I was willing to give you a modicum of trust," Celestia said, levitating the cone back into her saddlebags, "However, it seems that would've been foolish of me. If you want to keep this horn, you'll need to prove that I can trust you with it". "And what of mana build up?" Twilight asked, "You won't always be there to help empty my reserves". Celestia took that as her cue and levitated a small, black ring out of her saddlebags and over to Twilight. Twilight knew exactly what was about to happen, and didn't want any part of it. While the ring would, in fact, help solve her problem, it wouldn't allow her to cast any spells, even if she managed to get her horn back, unless Princess Celestia removed it. Knowing this, she backed up, baring her teeth and letting out a low growl. "I do not want you to get hurt, Twilight," Celestia said, "Please, let me do this". "That's NOT going to happen," Twilight growled before shifting forward and pushing upwards, throwing Celestia off balance. Stunned, Celestia didn't have enough time to react before Twilight's right hoof collided with her face, the force of the blow throwing her backwards. Almost immediately after landing, she was pinned by Twilight. As she looked up at her former student, she saw the black ring being lowed down onto her own horn. She recoiled, however slightly, as the ring was clamped at the base of her horn. Satisfied, the purple alicorn then opened up Celestia's saddlebags and pulled out her horn and placed it on her forehead. "Much better," Twilight said, smiling, "Now, if you want your magic back, you'll let me keep my horn". Defeated, with no viable alternative, the solar monarch agreed to the demand. Equestria needs her to keep her magic so that her citizens could stay safe throughout the day. After the ring was finally removed, a small guard platoon had shown up. Celestia had waved them off so as to prevent a fight from breaking out. Twilight sat just off to the side of a rather small dirt mound. Though she felt silly doing it, she had decided to have a mini funeral or sorts for her horn. With it over and done with now, she decided to try and find something to eat. Every single piece of vegetation she passed, however, was wilted and inedible. As her stomach protested louder, and more often, her search grew more desperate. She had never known real hunger before, having grown up in a land of plenty. Unfortunately, there was no edible vegitation anywhere. As she rounded a corner, she saw the almost completely devoured carcass of a tabby cat. The very sight of it's gory remains made Twilight want to run in the other direction. The stench almost made her vomit. As she started to walk past the carcass, a little fawn appeared out of seemingly nowhere. After nearly jumping out of her skin at the sight of a baby deer, Twilight sat down and tried to communicate with it. Her efforts would prove to be in vain, however, as the young deer leapt at her with it's teeth bared. Twilight tried to cast a spell, only to have a sharp pain remind her of her lack of a horn. She didn't even register the fawn making contact with her and knocking her to the ground. Only when she felt a sharp pain in her neck did she realize she was in trouble. She used every bit of force she could muster to get the fawn off of her. Hit after hit contacted the small deer, but had close to no effect as it stayed firmly in place. Putting the rest of her strength into one final hit, Twilight finally dislodged herself from the fawn's jaws. She laid on the ground for what felt like an eternity, trying to settle down and figure out what just happened. After settling down and standing up, Twilight felt safe assuming that she was safe from death. She looked over at the fawn, it's lack of visible breathing signs telling her what she'd done. She started to panic, not knowing what it's like to kill before then. She panicked for a good half hour before the logical part of her brain finally kicked in. "That was the first time I'd eaten meat," Twilight admitted, "I figured the fawn's behavior was caused by the lack of edible vegitation, and figured my chances of finding even an edible blade of grass were close to none". "Your first couple of days were rough, weren't they?" Celestia asked. "First week was the hardest, but I adapted," Twilight said, "My stomach hated me, proper shelter was impossible to find, and threats were everywhere. Cried myself to sleep first night there". "You like your new room?" Celestia asked. "Hell yea," Twilight said, "I don't like having to be escorted everywhere, but it's just something I'll have to get used to". "You know why the escort is necessary," Celestia pointed out. "Doesn't make it any less annoying," Twilight said. "The faster you prove I can trust you as I once could, the less time it'll take to walk around independently," Celestia pointed out. "Sounds like a simple enough task," Twilight asked, smirking, "Tell me, what do you have planned for me tomorrow to kick start this trial?" Reunion pt. 1The night had gone by without incident. Guards were stationed outside every exit, and a barrier was in place to prevent teleportation. Though she didn't like it, Twilight simply opted to just deal with it for the time being. As the sun rose up into the sky, its rays invaded Twilight's room. As her eyes fluttered open, she yawned and stretched to start getting ready for the day. After rolling out of bed, Twilight started looking for her weapons, but then remembered they were in a highly secure R&D wing of the castle. She planned on getting them back eventually. Today, however, her schedule would be taken up with stuff to do with her friends from Ponyville. As she walked through the halls, she had a guard on either of her, neither willing to take their eyes off of her. Some ponies bowed while others cowered away. When they finally arrived at the dining hall, Celestia relieved the guards and motioned Twilight to the table. Waiting at the table was all of Twilight's friends, varying looks of concern on their faces. "Hey there girls," Twilight said as she approached. "Hey, uh... good ta have ya back," Applejack said nervously. "You sound hesitant," Twilight pointed out, "Though, that is to be expected, I suppose". "Yea, well... we've heard a few rather unsettling things while waiting for you," Rarity said. "And I don't deny any of it," Twilight said, taking her seat, "Fact of the matter is that I've changed. You may not agree with the changes, but they had to happen for me to survive". "Survival, ah understand," Applejack said, "But finding enjoyment in fighting, killing, and torture? That's jest not right". "Rest assured, I won't hurt anybody unless they bring it upon themselves," Twilight said. "Still ain't right," Applejack said. "But hey, we'll help you get back to your old self," Rainbow Dash said, "I won't just stand by and let one of the best friends I've ever had throw her life away because she's more hot headed than me". "It's not going to be so easy to get rid of ten years of killer, survivalist instinct," Twilight pointed out, "But hey, whatever. Let me eat, then you begin trying to reform me". "Oh, that reminds me," Celestia said, levitating over a piece of paper, "Even though I don't like the idea of you being a hunter, I figured allowing it would help a little". "I see, and I appreciate that," Twilight said. "Don't make me regret it," Celestia said harshly, "And before you get any ideas, this does NOT mean you'll get your weapons back. I refuse to let such dangerous tools be used anywhere". "Woah, woah, woah," Rainbow Dash said, holding her hooves up, "Why do you need a hunting permit?" "I prefer to kill my food myself," Twilight said, noticing the stares in her direction, "Have none of you taken notice of my carnivorous teeth?" Nothing else was said, though Fluttershy left the room for a while. After breakfast, Twilight was allowed outside the castle with her friends, escorted by a few elite guards. Before long, Twilight stopped and turned to her right, and started heading in the direction of a griffin at a meat stall. "Well, hello there, Princess," The griffin said, bowing, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" "My nose guided me over here," Twilight said, "So, I am most curious as to what smells so good". "Well, I imagine it would be my specialty steak," The griffin said, "Secret family recipe, and topped with spicy, Habanero infused steak sauce". "Spicy, huh?" Twilight asked, "Mind if I try a bite?" "I'm not so sure that's a good idea, your highness," The griffin said, "Meat wasn't made for ponies". "I'll be fine, I assure you," Twilight said, "Besides, I'm only asking for one bite". "Well... very well," The griffin said, slightly reluctantly before giving a slice of steak to Twilight. Twilight was almost drooling as the full brunt of the smell hit her nose. As soon as the slice was in her magical grasp, she plopped it into her mouth. Her pupils grew almost as wide as her visible sclera as an explosion of flavor occurred in her mouth. "That's... that's really good," Twilight said excitedly, "How much?" "Five bits per cut," The griffin said. Before anyone could react properly, five bits clinked onto the counter. "I'll take the rest of the cut that slice came from," Twilight said, "And you can count on me coming back whenever I'm in Canterlot". "A pony who likes my food," The griffin said to himself, "A princess, no less... and she's even willing to come back and buy more... I think I need to lay off the Equestrian ale".
Blown backWar, such a harsh thing. It's also something ponies haven't been exposed to in a long time. However, that all changed ten years ago when Princess Twilight got herself teleported to a strange world after botching an experiment. In this world, war is just a game, a good bit of fun. I order to survive, Twilight has had to fight and kill almost every day, and it's changed her. While she never actively sought out conflict, she eventually came to find some enjoyment in it, and has not been opposed to it since. Today was going to be a good day. Twilight had finally found a place with the technology to travel to other worlds. She intended to use this technology to travel back to Equestria. She gave no thought to how her current life would follow her, she only kept her focus on the goal of returning home. She and her new friends had infiltrated the target compound about a half hour ago, and, out of the seven that went in, only two remained: Twilight, and her second in command, a man by the name of Bill. Now, in the final room, the portal could be seen. After quickly figuring out how to use the portal, Bill turned to Twilight with some rather bad news. "Twilight, this gonna be a stretch and a half, you know," Bill said, "The portal will activate, but there's no way for me to set a destination. There's no telling where you'll end up once you go through". "That's a risk we'll just have to take," Twilight said, "If we don't go through that portal, then our friends' sacrifices will be in vain". BOOM An explosion sounded from the other side of the doors leading into the room. Bill and Twilight both turned and opened fire on the door, aiming to kill whoever stepped through. The screams of pain brought a smile to Twilight's face. Bill was the only one in the group that hated killing, and he didn't bother looking at Twilight until after the shootout was over. The peace wouldn't last long, however, as footsteps could be heard approaching rather quickly. "Go on ahead, I'll cover you," Bill said. "We're going together," Twilight argued. "We all fought to give you this chance," Bill pointed out, "Hell, most of us DIED to give you this chance. Go now, and I'll be right behind you soon as I finish off the next group". "Not happ-" Twilight said before getting cut off. Just before finishing her sentence, Twilight was blown back by an explosion. The blast sent the alicorn flying upside down and backwards through the portal. Bill was thrown against a wall by the blast. Weakened, and knowing he was going to die, he took aim and fired his last shot at the control console, cutting off the portal, and severing all ties to wherever Twilight had gone. He then dropped his gun arm and smiled. His ultimate mission was complete, and he'd made sure nobody could stand a chance at following his friend. As he laid on the ground, he closed his eyes and smiled victoriously. He didn't even see the barrel of the gun that was used to take his life. BANG A loud pop sounded throughout the throne room of the Canterlot castle as a strange black orb showed up out of nowhere. As the civilians fled in fear, five members of the royal guard escorted Princess Celestia out of the room, while the rest surrounded the strange orb, spears at the ready. A shockwave emitted from the orb, throwing every guard off balance as something flew out of the orb and against a wall. Almost immediately after whatever it was hit said wall, the orb disappeared. Instead of focusing on what they could no longer see, the guards decided to focus on the thing that flew out of the strange orb. After approaching the strange object, the guards found it was not an object, but a pony. "Sir, that's an alicorn," One of the guards said. "That's not just any alicorn, either," Another guard said, pointing to the pony's flank, "Look at her cutie mark". "Well, I'll be Luna's uncle," The guard captain said after casting a changeling detection spell, "Hurry up and get her to the infirmary, I'll go inform Princess Celestia of the situation". With the alicorn, confirmed to be the real Twilight Sparkle, on her way to the royal infirmary, the guard captain walked to the back room. After unlocking the doors, he walked in and saw Princess Celestia sitting ever so calmly behind her guards. "What's the situation, Captain?" Celestia asked as the captain approached. "Princess Twilight has returned, your highness," The captain said, "However, she was injured by something, we do not know what, and is currently-". The captain didn't even get to finish his sentence before being tossed aside like a ragdoll as Celestia flew out of the room. After hearing that Twilight had returned, the princess was more than excited. However, upon hearing that Twilight was also injured, her motherly instincts kicked in and she raced in the direction of the infirmary to make sure Twilight would be alright. Not a pony alive today has ever seen their beloved princess so determined. Upon reaching the infirmary, Celestia was informed of Twilight's unstable condition. She wasn't even allowed back to see Twilight. Every part of her screamed to demand to be let through, but she had to suppress the desire, hard as it was to do so. She waited ever so impatiently, trying to occupy her mind, and failing to do so until Luna had finally arrived. "Sister, I just got the news," Luna said, "Is... is she alright?" "I don't know at the moment," Celestia said, looking away from her sister and towards the door leading to the patient area. "They won't let me back there, and they've yet to give me any news in the past hour". With each word, Celestia got closer to crying. As soon as Luna reached out and touched her sister's shoulder, she was pulled into a tight embrace. She wrapped her wings around her now crying sister for comfort. "I've already lost her once," Celestia said, her voice slightly muffled, "I don't want to get her back just to lose her again, and for good this time". "She's tough, sister," Luna said, "At worst, she'll probably just be stuck in here for a couple of weeks". The sisters sat there in their embrace for several minutes, gathering the attention of any and all nearby ponies. As Celestia pushed herself away to wipe her eyes, a member of the infirmary staff approached. "I have some good news and some bad news, Princess," The nurse said, "The good news is that though she's not awake, she's finally stable". "One normally starts with the bad news first...," Luna pointed out in a slightly frustrated tone. "Yes, well... the bad news is about her injuries," The nurse said, "Though she'll make it, it's going to take a long time for her properly heal completely. Her right side is scorched, her horn is broken near the base, she is missing her left eye, both of her wings are broken in several places. That's just the physical injuries. She's been through something rough, there's no telling what her mental state will be like when she finally wakes up". "As long as she gets through this, I don't care what I have to do to help her fully recover," Celestia said, "She is like a daughter to me, and I'll do whatever I have to, to help her". As soon as the nurse was gone, Luna closed her eyes and focused. Celestia sat back and wait, knowing full well what was going on. Luna was going to see if Twilight was dreaming and, if she was, enter her dream. As luck would have it, Luna was able to do just that. What she saw upon entering Twilight's dream, however, startled her to no end. The landscape was a war torn city of an origin unknown to Luna. Dead bodies littered the ground, blood pooling around them. Her attention was soon caught by laughter nearby. When she looked in it's direction, she saw something she never wanted to think possible. Twilight was standing over a strange creature with a dark look in her eyes. The strange creature was holding it's arms up in a desperate defensive manner, but Twilight beat up on it regardless. When at last she was bored with simply wailing on the poor thing, Twilight placed her right hind leg in between the creature's legs. No amount of begging did the creature any good as Twilight put all her weight into her back, causing the creature's most private area to pop. "Oh, sorry, you didn't need your balls did you?" Twilight asked tauntingly as the creature cried out, "I mean, it's not all that bad being female. Who knows, maybe you'll like it better this way". Luna couldn't take it anymore and dispelled the horrific scene playing out in front of her. As soon as her victim disappeared, Twilight looked around, confused until she saw Luna. "Well, guess this means I'm in Equestria," Twilight said, "Say uh... how much of that did you see?" "More than I wanted to," Luna said. "Well, he made the mistake of fighting me," Twilight said, "Who says I can't have when in combat?" "That wasn't a fight, Twilight, that was straight up torture," Luna said. "Not like he was even real," Twilight said. "And what if he was?" Luna asked. "Well, I'd let him writhe in agony for a minute or two to allow the regret to sink in before snapping his neck," Twilight said. "Who are you and what have you done with my friend?" Luna growled. "I'm still me, if only slightly more twisted than when I left," Twilight said. Two days later, Twilight finally awoke. As soon as she got the news, Celestia flew right back to the infirmary. After arriving, and catching her breath, Celestia was led right to her destination. Upon entering the room, however, she took one look at Twilight and cringed for a few brief seconds before approaching. "Princess?" Twilight asked weakly, "Is... is that really... really you?" "It's really me, Twilight," Celestia said. "I wish I could've met you under better circumstances," Twilight said, "I hate that you have to see me like this". "Well, you DO look terrible," Celestia said, "But I'm just glad you're back, and that you're alive". "I'm glad to be back and alive," Twilight said, "It's been a long ten years". "Ten years?" Celestia asked, "Twilight, it's been but only five months". "It was ten years for me," Twilight said, "Ten long, hard years of fighting and killing to survive". "Ki... killing?" Celestia asked, stunned. "I had no choice," Twilight said, "It was either them or me, and I'd much rather it be them. And after a while, it even becomes oddly fun". "So, then Luna was right," Celestia said, "Seems like I have a lot of work ahead of me when you finally get out of here". "Don't think of me as a heartless murderer," Twilight said, "I do not look for fights. However, should I find myself in one, I'll enjoy it". "I'm going to do whatever it takes to get rid of that mindset," Celestia said, "You're not a killer Twilight, and I refuse to let you think like one". "You wanna know why I'm a little more fucked up than when I left?" Twilight asked, "Well, take a seat and I'll tell you".
First time for everything"You sure about this, Twilight?" Spike asked. "If this goes as planned, I'll finally be able to tell Princess Celestia that I made a whole new spell all on my own," Twilight explained, "So yes, I'm sure". Twilight had spent the past week developing an advanced time travel spell to allow her to learn more about the history of Equestria and the Princesses. Now, it was time to test it out. As her horn lit up, Twilight became engulfed in a magenta orb. White stripes swirled around the orb, growing in size until the whole orb had grown white. After another minute, the orb exploded, flooding the room with light for a few brief seconds. When Spike opened his eyes again, Twilight was gone, replaced with a big scorch mark. His cry could be heard all around Ponyville. When Twilight opened her eyes, she had no idea where she was, but she knew that she wasn't in Equestria anymore. All around her were the remains of a strange, gray city. Tall buildings were torn down, the roads had craters everywhere, and the atmosphere tasted like old clay. The whole place was devoid of life, which really put Twilight in a state of severe unease. She wanted to go home, but the experimental spell left her mana reserves dry, so she'd have to wait for a while... in this horrid place... all alone... scared out of her wits. BANG Twilight heard the noise, but her mind didn't focus on it. Her focus, instead, was on the pain in her forehead. She didn't know what hit her, but she knew it hurt worse than anything she'd ever felt before. Her focus shifted, however, when something impacted the rubble mere inches from the tip of her muzzle. Self preservation kicked in, and she dove behind the closest cover. While not much to look at, the gray wall was her best option at the moment, and it worked. Feeling at least somewhat safe, Twilight decided to try and figure out what to do about her sudden major headache. Her first thought went towards magic, but it didn't work. Instead, attempting to cast a spell only resulted in more pain. It took but only a minute for the pain to die down enough for Twilight to focus again. When her focus DID return, she figured out what was wrong. Laying in the road next to the rubble pile was just beside a little bit ago was something that contrasted with the surroundings so much it was the easiest thing to spot, ever. It was the same shade of Lavender as Twilight herself, and it was conical in shape... Twilight lifted her right fore hoof to her forehead, only to have her fear confirmed. The purple object in the road was her horn. As her hoof fell to the ground, she tried her hardest not to cry. KABOOM A nearby explosion caught her attention, and, just like that, her expression changed from one of sadness to one of severe anger, bordering on hatred. She slumped out from behind her little cover and looked in the direction of the source of the sound from earlier. When she caught sight of her target, she took to the sky, throwing off its aim. She then did a skydive to close the distance... and ran head first into her target, knocking it to the ground and taking away its breath. "Here's a little tip for you, buddy," Twilight growled, "Don't EVER take away a unicorn's, or alicorn's, horn". She then proceeded to deliver a small batch of punches to the creature's head until it was unconscious. Satisfied, she walked away, leaving her assailant there to sleep. While Twilight was not known to be violent, she was not immune to becoming so if one pissed her off enough. Severing her horn was enough to do just that. "First hour in that world, and my horn got shot off," Twilight said, "Bastard got was coming to him. Actually, he deserved more, but I was merciful back then". "I can only imagine that was most unpleasant," Celestia said, "However, I'm quite confused as to how you didn't die from a building up of mana. You were without a horn for tens years if I'm not mistaken, so how you survived like that baffles me". "With some help from a friend later on, I was able to manufacture a prosthetic horn," Twilight explained, "My reserves had reached a dangerous point by that time, though, so I DID get quite lucky". "And what happened to that horn?" Celestia asked. "I can only guess it was knocked off by the explosion that threw me through the portal that brought me back here," Twilight said. Celestia sat in silence for a couple moments before an all too familiar growl caught her attention. "Hungry?" Celestia asked. "It would appear so," Twilight said semi sarcastically. "Well, anything in particular you're craving," Celestia asked. "I haven't had a good steak in a few days," Twilight said. "S-steak?" Celestia asked, fear in her voice. "I'm a strict carnivore now, have been for ten years," Twilight admitted, "The only thing safe for consumption was meat in that world. Even beings that are supposed to be herbivores are carnivores there because healthy vegetation is so rare. Have you ever seen a doe hunt a bear? It's quite impressive". "No, I can't say I have," Celestia said weakly, her own stomach churning. "I know it'll take you a bit to get used to this, but it's just part of who I am now," Twilight pointed out, "But anyway, I'm craving a good steak at the moment". "Then... um... I uh... Steak it is, then," Celestia said, trying to keep down the bile rising in her throat. "Oh, and one question before you go," Twilight said. "Alright, ask," Celestia said. "How hard is it to get a hunting permit as a pony?" Twilight asked. Unable to take any more, The solar diarch fainted at that question. "Welp, so much for a good steak right now," Twilight said, rubbing her forehead and silently scolding herself.
RebelliousIt's been two weeks since Twilight's return. During that time, only the Princesses and authorized royal guard personnel were been able to have contact with Twilight. During their visits, both princesses had learned some valuable, if somewhat disturbing, bits of information about just how much Twilight has changed. They have also been able to determine Twilight's relatively new threat level, and it scares both of them. Regardless of her threat level, today is the day Twilight gets discharged from the infirmary. As Princess Celestia escorted Twilight out of the infirmary, she levitated a metal cone out of her saddlebags. "If I let you keep this, I'll need your word that nopony shall come to harm as a result," Celestia said. "That IS my property, you know," Twilight half growled. "I was willing to give you a modicum of trust," Celestia said, levitating the cone back into her saddlebags, "However, it seems that would've been foolish of me. If you want to keep this horn, you'll need to prove that I can trust you with it". "And what of mana build up?" Twilight asked, "You won't always be there to help empty my reserves". Celestia took that as her cue and levitated a small, black ring out of her saddlebags and over to Twilight. Twilight knew exactly what was about to happen, and didn't want any part of it. While the ring would, in fact, help solve her problem, it wouldn't allow her to cast any spells, even if she managed to get her horn back, unless Princess Celestia removed it. Knowing this, she backed up, baring her teeth and letting out a low growl. "I do not want you to get hurt, Twilight," Celestia said, "Please, let me do this". "That's NOT going to happen," Twilight growled before shifting forward and pushing upwards, throwing Celestia off balance. Stunned, Celestia didn't have enough time to react before Twilight's right hoof collided with her face, the force of the blow throwing her backwards. Almost immediately after landing, she was pinned by Twilight. As she looked up at her former student, she saw the black ring being lowed down onto her own horn. She recoiled, however slightly, as the ring was clamped at the base of her horn. Satisfied, the purple alicorn then opened up Celestia's saddlebags and pulled out her horn and placed it on her forehead. "Much better," Twilight said, smiling, "Now, if you want your magic back, you'll let me keep my horn". Defeated, with no viable alternative, the solar monarch agreed to the demand. Equestria needs her to keep her magic so that her citizens could stay safe throughout the day. After the ring was finally removed, a small guard platoon had shown up. Celestia had waved them off so as to prevent a fight from breaking out. Twilight sat just off to the side of a rather small dirt mound. Though she felt silly doing it, she had decided to have a mini funeral or sorts for her horn. With it over and done with now, she decided to try and find something to eat. Every single piece of vegetation she passed, however, was wilted and inedible. As her stomach protested louder, and more often, her search grew more desperate. She had never known real hunger before, having grown up in a land of plenty. Unfortunately, there was no edible vegitation anywhere. As she rounded a corner, she saw the almost completely devoured carcass of a tabby cat. The very sight of it's gory remains made Twilight want to run in the other direction. The stench almost made her vomit. As she started to walk past the carcass, a little fawn appeared out of seemingly nowhere. After nearly jumping out of her skin at the sight of a baby deer, Twilight sat down and tried to communicate with it. Her efforts would prove to be in vain, however, as the young deer leapt at her with it's teeth bared. Twilight tried to cast a spell, only to have a sharp pain remind her of her lack of a horn. She didn't even register the fawn making contact with her and knocking her to the ground. Only when she felt a sharp pain in her neck did she realize she was in trouble. She used every bit of force she could muster to get the fawn off of her. Hit after hit contacted the small deer, but had close to no effect as it stayed firmly in place. Putting the rest of her strength into one final hit, Twilight finally dislodged herself from the fawn's jaws. She laid on the ground for what felt like an eternity, trying to settle down and figure out what just happened. After settling down and standing up, Twilight felt safe assuming that she was safe from death. She looked over at the fawn, it's lack of visible breathing signs telling her what she'd done. She started to panic, not knowing what it's like to kill before then. She panicked for a good half hour before the logical part of her brain finally kicked in. "That was the first time I'd eaten meat," Twilight admitted, "I figured the fawn's behavior was caused by the lack of edible vegitation, and figured my chances of finding even an edible blade of grass were close to none". "Your first couple of days were rough, weren't they?" Celestia asked. "First week was the hardest, but I adapted," Twilight said, "My stomach hated me, proper shelter was impossible to find, and threats were everywhere. Cried myself to sleep first night there". "You like your new room?" Celestia asked. "Hell yea," Twilight said, "I don't like having to be escorted everywhere, but it's just something I'll have to get used to". "You know why the escort is necessary," Celestia pointed out. "Doesn't make it any less annoying," Twilight said. "The faster you prove I can trust you as I once could, the less time it'll take to walk around independently," Celestia pointed out. "Sounds like a simple enough task," Twilight asked, smirking, "Tell me, what do you have planned for me tomorrow to kick start this trial?"
Reunion pt. 1The night had gone by without incident. Guards were stationed outside every exit, and a barrier was in place to prevent teleportation. Though she didn't like it, Twilight simply opted to just deal with it for the time being. As the sun rose up into the sky, its rays invaded Twilight's room. As her eyes fluttered open, she yawned and stretched to start getting ready for the day. After rolling out of bed, Twilight started looking for her weapons, but then remembered they were in a highly secure R&D wing of the castle. She planned on getting them back eventually. Today, however, her schedule would be taken up with stuff to do with her friends from Ponyville. As she walked through the halls, she had a guard on either of her, neither willing to take their eyes off of her. Some ponies bowed while others cowered away. When they finally arrived at the dining hall, Celestia relieved the guards and motioned Twilight to the table. Waiting at the table was all of Twilight's friends, varying looks of concern on their faces. "Hey there girls," Twilight said as she approached. "Hey, uh... good ta have ya back," Applejack said nervously. "You sound hesitant," Twilight pointed out, "Though, that is to be expected, I suppose". "Yea, well... we've heard a few rather unsettling things while waiting for you," Rarity said. "And I don't deny any of it," Twilight said, taking her seat, "Fact of the matter is that I've changed. You may not agree with the changes, but they had to happen for me to survive". "Survival, ah understand," Applejack said, "But finding enjoyment in fighting, killing, and torture? That's jest not right". "Rest assured, I won't hurt anybody unless they bring it upon themselves," Twilight said. "Still ain't right," Applejack said. "But hey, we'll help you get back to your old self," Rainbow Dash said, "I won't just stand by and let one of the best friends I've ever had throw her life away because she's more hot headed than me". "It's not going to be so easy to get rid of ten years of killer, survivalist instinct," Twilight pointed out, "But hey, whatever. Let me eat, then you begin trying to reform me". "Oh, that reminds me," Celestia said, levitating over a piece of paper, "Even though I don't like the idea of you being a hunter, I figured allowing it would help a little". "I see, and I appreciate that," Twilight said. "Don't make me regret it," Celestia said harshly, "And before you get any ideas, this does NOT mean you'll get your weapons back. I refuse to let such dangerous tools be used anywhere". "Woah, woah, woah," Rainbow Dash said, holding her hooves up, "Why do you need a hunting permit?" "I prefer to kill my food myself," Twilight said, noticing the stares in her direction, "Have none of you taken notice of my carnivorous teeth?" Nothing else was said, though Fluttershy left the room for a while. After breakfast, Twilight was allowed outside the castle with her friends, escorted by a few elite guards. Before long, Twilight stopped and turned to her right, and started heading in the direction of a griffin at a meat stall. "Well, hello there, Princess," The griffin said, bowing, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" "My nose guided me over here," Twilight said, "So, I am most curious as to what smells so good". "Well, I imagine it would be my specialty steak," The griffin said, "Secret family recipe, and topped with spicy, Habanero infused steak sauce". "Spicy, huh?" Twilight asked, "Mind if I try a bite?" "I'm not so sure that's a good idea, your highness," The griffin said, "Meat wasn't made for ponies". "I'll be fine, I assure you," Twilight said, "Besides, I'm only asking for one bite". "Well... very well," The griffin said, slightly reluctantly before giving a slice of steak to Twilight. Twilight was almost drooling as the full brunt of the smell hit her nose. As soon as the slice was in her magical grasp, she plopped it into her mouth. Her pupils grew almost as wide as her visible sclera as an explosion of flavor occurred in her mouth. "That's... that's really good," Twilight said excitedly, "How much?" "Five bits per cut," The griffin said. Before anyone could react properly, five bits clinked onto the counter. "I'll take the rest of the cut that slice came from," Twilight said, "And you can count on me coming back whenever I'm in Canterlot". "A pony who likes my food," The griffin said to himself, "A princess, no less... and she's even willing to come back and buy more... I think I need to lay off the Equestrian ale".
