The Veil Beyond

by Scelus The Strange

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, Nightmare Moon, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 9788

It's the nine hundredth and eighty fifth Nightmare Night. Or in a week, at least. But a young, aspiring Twilight Sparkle desires to make it the night of the millennia. Darkness rises, plans unfold, and in the end, no one's on top.

It's the nine hundredth and eighty fifth Nightmare Night. Or in a week, at least. But a young, aspiring Twilight Sparkle desires to make it the night of the millennium. Darkness rises, plans unfold, and in the end, no one's on top.

Storm clouds gather...

Published 2016-01-28 05:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-02-21 03:11:00 UTC

Chapter 1 - Dawn

“Science has not yet taught us if madness is or is not the sublimity of the intelligence.”

-Edgar Allen Poe

In the case of Twilight Sparkle, it was; at least, partially.

Darkness will move swiftly on that night; the sun will sink beneath the horizon well before evening. In the absence of light shall rise the creatures of the night: Ponythropes, Vamponies, the forgotten Lunar Sects of old. It will be a night of debauchery, an all-encompassing sphere of time itself from which madness will rise like a phoenix. Nine hours of pure terror; fear given physical form by Lady Luna. A thousand years ago, it had been. But now, the scourges of the moon were leaderless, as were the other beasts lurking in shadow. For the great umbral plane lacked its Lady, accosted by the warriors of lux, raided by the ethereal purity of the traitor.

“Celestia…” the young mare muttered under her breath. The goddess of all that was good, supposedly. Yet whenever the name was spoken aloud, Twilight felt as if bile was to spew from her maw. That insufferable deity had betrayed her own flesh and blood in favor of power. But still, the accursed ivory equine had claimed sovereignty over this nation. She felt almost violated by the fact that such an arrogant entity could even exist in the first place!

Which is what made her family’s obsession so utterly confounding. For generations, House Sparkle had generously served her Majesty; as Generals, Councilors, and most despicably, as Archmagi. That cursed position was the focus of Twilight’s disgust; ever since her brother had ascended to replace their mother. He was put under strict watch and practically commanded to use light magic, and only light magic. The lavender filly had a whole lot to say about that. Ever since she had heard the news, her relationship with Shining had been… strained, to say the least. It was the ultimate constriction of free will. To direct and inhibit the curiosity of a prodigious magus was a grave mistake, especially considering how much can be learned from the Darkness. It was an extreme, perverse violation of logic and reasoning, and if Twilight hated anything, it was that.

Born with a sharp wit, Twilight had found logic to be a solid means of going about living her life. Sure, it occasionally provided a very tough pill to swallow—but that ultimately led Twilight to knowledge. It was an addiction she’d never satiate; an insuperable urge she simply had to fulfill. It was a blessing and a curse, and Twilight had been “gifted” with it since she had first sparked her horn.

She really didn't seem to mind.

Had she temporarily forsaken the yellow brick road? Yes. The first roadblock was once she arrived upon the conclusion that her life was finite. At first, she tried to rationalize it with the preconceived notion of an ‘afterlife’. For weeks, she let the delusion plague her thoughts, never processing the concept. Eventually, though, she recognized the fallacy and did away with it. Her acceptance was the first step she took down the long, winding path of discovery. Look where it took her! Skipping her entrance exam into Celestia’s School for brainwashing magically talented fillies and colts. Nay, she had much bigger plans today. The nine-hundred and eighty-fifth consecutive Nightmare Night was in but a week, and Twilight knew this was the right time to strike.

Which is why she had drawn a translocation matrix on the rug of her room in chalk and prepared a phasing algorithm. It's also why she stepped inside, entered coordinates and spatial properties, and activated it. She was quite familiar with the spell, and as such was unaffected by the general nausea and delirium she felt upon landing.

Her first sight was the brass-tinted bark of a modest apple tree, which was good. She had programmed it with the intent of arriving in the Apple Orchard, after all. After quickly checking for an onlooker or unassuming pony nearby and finding none, Twilight continued on her merry way. She still had quite a few things to do.

As she proceeded to the next step, she felt an inkling of nervous anticipation bubble up from her subconscious. Barely even stopping to process the foreign emotion, she crushed it with an iron fist and continued on, steel-eyed. Multiply over Thom squared, carry the one, and… Done! 4.4667 Kilothaums. Huh, less than I thought. Alright, let's do this. Multiple bright, magical lines became visible all over her skin, all the same color as her magic. The glow intensified threefold over the course of the next thirty seconds, and eventually the tiny outline of Twilight Sparkle was indistinguishable from the small blob of magic now surrounding her.

3…

2…

1…

Now! The energy was drawn into her, briefly giving her a powerful sheen. There was so much power now, just under her skin. She could feel it, consuming her flesh and blood and reverting it into light. Her conscious became nothing but an analogue of energy accompanying the photon bundles. As space itself opened and her massless form shot through, she felt truly content. She kept that feeling close, for once putting aside her scheming and connivery. For now, she was going to enjoy this moment.

Then it was over. She was alone again, this time surrounded by the towering shadows of nearby trees and foliage. However, this chunk of the Everfree Forest was barren of life, the only semblance of organic existence being the plant-life she was encumbered by. But that was a good thing, for this sojourn was hard enough as is; factoring in wild beasts was asking for too much.

Twilight lifted her hoof and examined her watch. It was 5:30 A.M. Her parents wouldn't wake up or attempt to awaken her for at least two more hours. The exam was at noon, so that gave her plenty of time to prepare. Her parents would worry, yes, but that can be dealt with. For now, she just needed to validate that she had arrived on-time. A faint rustling in the bushes told her that she had. A supernatural flame burnt away at the bush; gold and silver and warping around a single, vaguely equine form. All at once, the flames were extinguished. The ashes shot into the air, tracing the outline of the thing and allowing Twilight to see it properly.

Two massive, pupil-less eyes birthed into existence as what was now confirmed to be the head of the being, and eventually it’s full form was visible. It was beautiful, unnaturally so. Twilight felt her eyes ogling the creature. Regardless of her being too young to experience lust, she still felt the unique allure of the Fae. Damnit! The small purple unicorn cursed under her breath, her eyes quickly flashing indigo as she realized her mistake.

The Faery grinned slyly, clearly proud of almost capturing Twilight in its gaze.

“I told you not to do that.” The mare rolled her eyes, accustomed to the behavior of her paranormal companion.

“Nope. You were actually much more specific. You said, and I quote: Under contract of the Fair Maiden Twilight of House Sparkle, I, Barbradeus of the Sixth House, am not to physically harm, magically affect without consent, or betray the will of Twilight Sparkle, the five year old, purple unicorn mare. As you can clearly see, you're not a five-year old purple unicorn mare.”

Twilight glanced over herself again. In preparation for the journey, Twilight had created a disguise in case she was recognized. She utilized Silk Stride’s Aging Spell first, biologically altering her physical body into that of a teenager. That really wasn't enough, though. Just to be sure, she also used a gender-swapping spell she found in her parents’ bedroom. And finally, as a precaution, utilized some Changeling Magic. She wasn't incredibly skilled at the branch yet, what with only finding a book on it a few weeks ago, so instead she used a supplement. She had discovered Bon Bon’s little secret weeks ago. She basically owned that mare. A little blackmail here, a little bargain there, and Twilight ended up with some Changeling salve. She didn't exactly have a cauldron, so she just put it in a mug and microwaved it for four minutes. She also added some sugar, for flavor.

“Typical seelie. Are you gonna show me where to go?”

The Fae stood expectantly, looking at her pleadingly and with no small amount of amusement. Her sigh of exasperation could be heard by anybody within a ten yard radius.

“I, Twilight of House Sparkle, command you to lead me to your superiors, under the authority of the contract signed between us.” She groaned in exasperation, doing her best to rein the urge to kill the mystical creature.

“Aye aye, captain!” Silver light spread from Barbradeus, encompassing the both of them in seconds.

“Hold on.”

“To what?” was her reply.

“I don't know, something.” The light contracted inwards, and Twilight found herself not in the Everfree Forest, but instead under the blinding light of Avalon. Or rather, under the colossal shadows of the monarchs of Fae Society. Twilight and her companion/slave were alone in a large clearing, and yet Twilight could easily feel the disturbances surrounding her. The first was like scalding water, a sensation the left side of her body was none too happy with. But the other was like an arctic wind given physical form. All Twilight could tell was that it was very cold, very solid, and yet, utterly translucent. As uncomfortable as she was, it paled in comparison to the discomfort she felt once one of them touched her. Then another. Both beings were now somewhat visible. Their outlines were tall, nowhere near Celestia’s height but still towering over a regular mare or stallion. Their shapes constantly eluded her, moving only slightly too fast for her to fully process. From what she could tell, they were surrounding her, like a pack of sharks. Eventually, one, or possibly both, spoke.

TwilightuniqueofkeepHousealiveSparkle, topurposewhatplansdofutureIneedsoweustheapleasure? Yourbigbloodlineplanshasn’tdivinegracedNIGHTthesedusklandsendsinceofrulerMorningwhitequeenSparklepawnsplantedlonggamethelossesfirstsacrificeofchanges?thepainEverfree. WhatendmightEndyouENDrequire?

As the first one spoke, Twilight felt the other one invade her thoughts. She wasn't sure if Barbradeus could hear the second line of text, and she wasn't even sure if she was hearing it. If they could enter her mind, who's to say they couldn't speak directly with her conscious? Once the dual-speech came to an end, Twilight formulated a response. She had to be careful around these two. They might seem benevolent, but breaking one of their rules will result in death.

“You humble me, Baron. I find myself transfixed upon your words. Truly the allure of a Sidhe. To business, then. I have found myself at a loss, my Lord. I have been studying the art of Influence, and found my skills lacking. So I came to you, in hopes you might reveal to me your captor. For a price, of course. Fear not, though. I have came prepared.”

The filly’s horn flared to life, her lavender energy cascading downward like a waterfall. From it was spawned a lavender bubble, within which was a mass of something. She lifted it calmly in her magic, and extended outward to what she assumed was the Baron’s hoof. And in that moment, the Baron's presence disappeared entirely. It was just Twilight and the Titan, as the world crumbled away all around them.

Create a systematic dispenser tailored to Harmonic Magic. Make a tracking-transposer for the source of the release, and containment arrays for each of them. There will be five. It must be finished by 12:15, and activated at EXACTLY 12:15:56. Leave.

Twilight blinked. The world shifted.

Now in place of Avalon’s oddness or the Everfree’s mystique was Twilight’s pastel walls, and a picture of her first levitation. Mere moments after her arrival, light snuck under her door and revealed itself to her. Her eyes widened. They're awake! She hurriedly erased the array on the floor, lept onto her bed, dispelled her disguise and crawled under the covers. She hadn't realized so much time had passed! Within moments, she heard the doorknob softly ‘click’, and the muffled footsteps of what was probably her father.

“Hey Twilight, time to get up.” Twilight did her best to feign a yawn, and responded wistfully.

“Okay dada.” He smiled, turned, and exited her room. She rolled out of bed and calmly began to prepare for her ‘big day’. How am I to go about this, then? Making a public reveal so soon would be foolish. It would make everything else exponentially more challenging to accomplish. Oh! Why didn't I think of that earlier?

Lightly trotting down the halls, Twilight skidded to a halt at her destination. “I'll be out in thirty minutes, mom!” Sliding through the doorway, she dimly heard her mother utter a reply.

“I'll hold off on breakfast till you're out, then.”

She smiled. Even better. Gripping the entire shower in her magic, she let the water start. Just wait a few seconds, and… Once the water was hot, Twilight flicked her horn out, releasing a bolt of indigo energy that seeped into the shower walls. Soon after, the hums of a certain unicorn filly could be heard. Excellent. Now, this magic was advanced, even for Twilight. She had found a book on it at her mother’s desk, so naturally she ‘borrowed’ it. She liked a challenge. But perhaps a Pocket Dimension was a tad beyond her league. She didn't really know—or care. All she knew was, there was only one way to find out!

In her magic grip, the pages fluttered open as Twilight quietly murmured under her breath the incantation. “Omnitas Terratus Ourborom Fractus Accosti!” Twilight winced, preparing for the worst.

…

…

Nothing happened. Looking down in confusion, Twilight looked over the page again. “Ah-ha! Wait, ‘right step’?” She took a step to the right, and was suddenly pulled through some sort of labyrinth inside of space-time, only to arrive upon what could be described as a void. Twilight held herself with her magic, unsure of whether or not she would fall into the abyss. Poking at the empty space below her, Twilight found a platform she could stand on. She lit her horn, trying to grip it in her magic to test its size. When she found she couldn't grip the whole thing, she pushed harder. When it still wouldn't budge, she just shrugged and assumed she could stand and act on it without fear of death via falling. Once she had firmly planted her feet on the ground, she summoned her chalk and got to work. She didn't have much time.

Four separate bars of chalk levitated through the air, drawing geometric shapes on the invisible floor in an incredibly complicated array. There were two overlapping triangles in the center. Surrounding them was a concentric circle, which was then entombed by a square. Following that was a pentagon, which expanded outward into a star, which was surrounded by another circle. Around this circle were several sigils Twilight was using for stability. This was a fairly new matrix, and she hadn't memorized it yet. The fact that she had to look from the book in the first place displayed that fact rather well.

Once the base matrix was finished, she set to work building in the extra arrays. There was the powering pad, which she put at the tip of the top point of the star. She then engineered four containment arrays on the other points, and finally re-purposed the powering pad into a containment array for once she had finished powering the spell. With that work completed, she finally began to memorize the algorithm. She crafted the algorithm into the inner vertices of the two triangles, a penta-rhombus.

Twilight grunted at the effort of producing such a monstrous ritual in such a short period of time. Checking her watch again, she realized she only had thirty seconds.

“Shit!” She frantically exited the pocket dimension, almost slipping on the wet floors of the shower. It was at that point she had had enough. Purple light consumed the entire bathroom, and within seconds everything was fine. The shower was deactivated, and entirely dry. The sink had been scrubbed, the mirror cleaned, the toilet washed, everything looked mint. Including Twilight. She had known how to clean herself with magic for at least a year, but indulged her parents for the sake of maintaining normality in the house. Oh wait, of course. Nabbing a towel from the nearest hook, she wrapped it around her waist and exited the room. Ugh, I could use a bite.

—————————————————

Twilight sighed contently. Everything was going just as she had hoped. And while she was quite confused by the Baron’s instructions (and omen), she knew better than to question the Sidhe. There had only ever been three in existence, and Twilight knew from the stories that they weren't to be trifled with. The first had been Mab, but she now served a…. much different purpose. But the other two, during their reign, have been renowned as some of the strongest of the Night’s warriors. Which was decently accurate. The Sidhe were simply hand-picked Seelie or Unseelie, chosen by the Seasons to rule over the Fae in their stead. After all, who else guards the physical manifestation of order and obedience?

But, enough exposition. Currently, Twilight is busy watching her mother’s horn charge up energy in preparation to teleport them all to the school. Twilight had always been a fan of the ‘poker face’, and right now was putting it to good use; coyly ignoring the instinctual fear she always felt whenever her mother cast magic. Twilight Velvet was an incredibly powerful sorceress, after all. She had served as the Archmagus for thirty years before Shining replaced her at the tender age of twenty one. But he still hadn't quite reached her level. Twilight had watched her mother raise the sun and moon for three consecutive days, when Celestia had gotten particularly sick. The woman is constantly wearing four separate chain cuffs around her hooves, each holding back a fraction of her power. And the worst part is when she's angry… The mare takes up the visage of a wrathful deity. Her mane bursts into blue-white flames, her coat shines with a blazing gold, her horn extends to almost as long as Princess Cadence’s, there are small tufts of feathers where wings would be.

But, that's enough on Velvet. Her father also has a rather daunting list of accomplishments. His family line can be traced back to before Hearth’s Warming, where his ancestors used to raise the astral bodies. As mentioned earlier, it was Morning Sparkle who planted the first seed that would later become the Everfree. One of his relatives was a blood-thirsty warmonger that almost killed Luna in the Lunar Rebellion! And while she’d never seen his power, she was certain he had it.

These thoughts were what possessed Twilight’s mind as she and her other three family members warped to the entrance of Celestia’s school. Twilight entered quickly, anxiously hopping into line. Crap oh crap I can't ditch Mom will destroy half of Canterlot looking for me. I mean there's no reason to ditch, aside from possibly getting a WHOLE lot of Celestia’s attention. But there's no chance! Ugh, I hate putting things to chance!

Behind her, she saw Shining wave at her with a big smile. She grinned and waved back, childish giddiness pumping through her veins like adrenaline. Stop Twilight, you're being too emotional! But she couldn't. Anxiety and happiness and fear and paranoia and anticipation all poured together into the cooking mold of her heart, which basically summed up to a big blob of feels shaped like an organ.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight jumped, before rushing over the examination room. It was all white, and she could see Celestia, as well as three stone-cold judges looking at her impatiently. Oddly enough, there was also a window that made the sky above visible. She checked her watch again. 12:15:18! This is it…

The seconds ticked by. The first judge sluggishly spoke:

“This is a test of your magical capacity. To pass the test, you must hatch this dragon egg, which proves you can exert more than a Megathaum of energy.”

Twilight blanched. A Megathaum!? That's almost a fifth of my reserve! What kind of special school is this? However, Twilight knew she had to do this. A dragon would be an excellent asset, and its birth could probably cover the magic wave that was going to be drawn into her horn in a few seconds. She grunted in effort and pushed her output to maximum capacity, one-hundred and fifty Kilothaums. Her horn took on a piercing white color and surged into the egg, filling it with her bloodline’s unique, vast well of power. Then she heard it.

“Crack!” A piece of the shell popped off, and a small reptilian hand shot out. Two seconds… One second… Now! A small portal formed at the edge of her horn, and energy shot through it to power the circle. Looking up, she noticed a wave of rainbow energy passing by, which the judges were transfixed by as well. It's better they don't see this part. Once the spell activated, the energy was drawn from the skies and pumped into the pocket dimension at an alarming rate. Inside the dimension, a polychromatic pegasus was suddenly bound in magical chains. Following shortly after came a blonde earth pony with three apples adorning her flank. Then an extremely well-groomed unicorn, an unnaturally pink earth pony, and finally, a banana-yellow pegasus. Twilight was unaware of her guests’ appearance, but was shocked by the continuous stream of magic that continued to pour from what she assumed to be ponies.

The matrix strained against the hundreds of Megathaums of energy, thrumming with power just begging to be released. The powering pad was smeared by this growing energy, and the backwash surged back into Twilight’s horn and out into the dragon. It responded to the feeding eagerly, assimilating the stolen forces with voracious libido. Soon, the dragon had consumed the entirety of the contained magic, and yet, wasn't visibly changed. Celestia’s eyes widened at the display of power. She has to be it! The Element… She thought, both in awe and shock.

The ivory alicorn burst through the door, certificate in hand and her horn aglow with energy.

“Congratulations on your acceptance, Miss Sparkle. Now if I could just… speak to your parents.” Twilight pointed to the waiting room, and the alicorn exited quietly. Internally, Twilight was weighing the pros and cons of the dragon becoming her pet, and was leaning towards yes. It was storing ALL of the ambient mana somehow, and plus, dragons! Her mind made up, the lavender mare pulled the newborn dragon into a fierce hug, which was quickly reciprocated. Huh, this could work out.

A few moments passed, and Twilight was suddenly amuck with anticipation. What if I messed up? Paranoia took root, and Twilight found herself wondering why she was so scared of being denied. Isn't that what I wanted? But still, the immature filly had much to learn, and on that list happened to be complex emotions. Hence, the predicament she finds herself in now.

The door was almost ripped off its hinges as a prismatic wave of energy tore through the room, three glimmering horns peeking through, followed by the bodies of her parents and sibling.

“Congrats Twily! Now we can hang out in the Castle and I can raise you and CadencecanbabysitwheneverI’mnotthereand—” the diminutive hoof of his L.S.B.F.F shot into the air and playfully slapped him, stopping the tirade in its tracks.

“Why will I be in the Castle?” Her parents looked at her blankly. Meanwhile, Shining held a hoof to his muzzle to mask his laughter. Night Light scooped her up in his magic and held her up to his height, looking her straight in the eyes.

“You were accepted into her school, Twilight. Not only that, she has selected you to be her Personal Student.” His grip on her tightened as she squealed and thrashed, presumably in delight.

Presumably indeed, for that is what her relatives assumed. Unfortunately, it was for a much more urgent reason. I can’t continue with my plans if I'm stuck in that snuffy castle! I'll have to postpone for another year! I can't do that! There's so much to organize! I haven't even cleared my first checklist! Her panicked thoughts were about to bleed out through her mouth, but were quelled by what her mother said next.

“We’re leaving after Nightmare Night, sweetie. You've already mapped out which houses to hit and all, so it'd be rude for us to deny you at least that. But it's the morning after, so hurry up and pack your things.” Twilight froze in the air, forcefully maintaining a neutral expression; which was quite a challenge, considering how badly she wanted to gloat over her apparent victory. She nodded slowly, and was gently set on the ground. Soon...

—————————————————

Well, that was easy. After her mother warped them back home, she had swiftly entered her room and frantically packed all of her things. It had taken a mild exertion of magic, nothing more than telekinesis. Within moments, the entirety of her possessions were neatly condensed into no less than ten suitcases, seven of which were stocked full of books.

In a few leaps and bounds, Twilight had exited her room, hung up her ‘Don’t bother me; I'm reading’ sign, and returned to her personal abode. As her magic firmly closed the door, she returned to her ‘project’. A familiar sense of satisfaction overwhelmed her as she entered her personal dimension and discovered five relatively helpless mares thrashing about against magical restraints; the cyan pegasus and terra-cotta earth pony in particular. The other three seemed mildly aggravated, but nothing more. The pink one immediately started twitching uncontrollably the moment Twilight entered the realm, drawing the eyes of the ivory unicorn and sun-orange Apple pony. Despite knowing not which branch this particular mare was descended from, her Cutie Mark was easy enough to identify as being of the Apple Clan. However, Twilight was no fool; she’d play it cool for now.

“Wh-who are you? Wait, are you… new?” She was met with uncertain silence.

“Oh, oh no no no no no that'snotokay. Listen carefully, do as it says. Punishment is bru—” The mare paused, heaving as if having run a marathon.

“Don't, no! Not yet!” Tactfully making use of her skill in Illusion Magic, Twilight strained against something. Her struggles elicited a green spark that seemed to trace through the air, revealing twin ‘chains’ binding her legs. Of course, it was all a charade. But Twilight had practiced her acting at school several times; she was confident. Between her deep breaths, she struggled to convey her thoughts. So, she instead spoke intermittently.

“Don't - try to - escape! — It’ll kill you a-” Twilight chose this time to be ‘dragged into the darkness’, where a portal was discreetly hidden. Good job, Twilight. Gee thanks! No! Bad! Don't talk to yourself. That's bad.

She returned to her plane of existence in the nick of time; her mother currently knocking on the door with a gentle, yet firm hoof.

“Twilight? You in there?” Twilight quickly waved away the portal, before replying.

“Of course mama! Where else?” A sigh was heard outside, and the door clicked open. Her mother walked in, spreading a tranquil aura through the room. Literally, her magic actively soothed Twilight’s nerves. In Velvet’s arms was Spike; as he had been dubbed shortly after his birth. She gently stroked his belly with one hoof, while gently cradling him back and forth with the other.

“I think he wants to see you.” Her statement was accompanied by a whine, the dragon gently leaping from her mother’s arms and skittering over to his ‘mother/owner’. It clawed at her leg, and she scooped him up with her magic. Velvet wasn't surprised in the least; Twilight having always exhibited an advanced capacity for magic. So, while Twilight generally held back around her mother, the occasional showing was appreciated by both parties.

“I think I'll leave you two alone. Dinner’s in an hour. Love you!” Twilight smiled and waved, not uttering a word.

Once her mother was out of earshot, Twilight’s gaze hardened.

“Alright, you living battery. How full are you?” Her left pupil expanded and gained a lavender hue, as if to answer her question. Her horn sparked a deep navy, and Spike gently drifted into unconsciousness. The reptile was now but a cut-out, brimming with several different colors. 12.5% L005, 6.5% K101, 11% H044, 9.75% L020, 10.2% G3-03, and… 49.95% P6-F0!? This anomaly needs to be tested.

“Well, that's a Relative Examination Rune, let's try an Absolute one.” Her other pupil contracted inward, and the sea of colors was supplanted by a singular shade of yellow. The shade of Draconic Magic. Hopefully there isn't a conversion in its Neuroarcanic systems, that could be problematic. Anyways… No, that's not possible. That's definitely not possible. That's almost enough to create the (purely hypothetical) Crystal Heart! Wait, there's more? Seven Gigathaums! You’re going to be very useful to me, Spike.

Her eyes reverted back to their regular size, and Twilight gently laid the silently snoring dragon on her bed. Now, how to harness you. Your very existence is based on the Titan’s prediction. I'll need to incorporate you into the overarching plan I’ve hatched. Wait… The third suitcase against the wall drifted into the air, unlocking and spilling out twenty books, at least. They aligned in front of her in an orderly fashion, sifting past her view as she searched for a certain document. Earth Ponies: The Subtle Sorcery, Transmutation and Configuration, Ordering Chaos: An In-Depth Analysis, no! It's in here somewhere! Oh, good. The Double Dichotomy: Part I. Now, let's see…

‘The Double Dichotomy is the underlying division of the Manafold, applying to a decent percentile of all known expressions of magic. It is the division of that magic into two separate groups, each a pair of opposites. The first ‘Dichotomy’ is more commonly referred to as Unity. It divides magic of this category into either ‘concordant’ or ‘anarchic’. Magic branches under either of these categories are of the first dichotomy, finding roots in either of these labels. However, the direct expression of each is a unique form of magic in itself. Concordancy, in its purest expression, is referred to as ‘Harmony’. Anarchy’s honed state, meanwhile, is described as ‘Chaos’. For elaborations, please check the second volume — “The Double Dichotomy: Unity’, or for more detail, ‘Harmonic Expression and Interaction’ and ‘The Flow of Change: A Guide to Chaos’.

On the other side of the spectrum, the second ‘Dichotomy’ is referred to as Accordance. The magic under Accordance is split into twin constituents, ‘Disparity’ and ‘Law’. Once again, several spell branches are associated with these two groups. Not only that, but they also possess powerful, untainted variations. Disparity becomes Dissonance, while Law becomes Influence. Read more in ‘The True Path: Disparity and Dissonance’, or ‘Domination and Subjugation: The Art of Influence’.’

There was more on page, but Twilight had what she needed. I guess I could incorporate it into the next step. I'll have to do some research first, though. But first!

“Mom! Is dinner ready?” she shouted, perhaps a little too loudly.

“Almost! Go wash your hooves!” Twilight obeyed, and within but a minute she was bounding down the stairs, freshly sanitized and positively ravenous.

For what though? For some hay casserole? Sure. But for the release of her princess, the death of a goddess and the destruction of a nation? Ab-so-lutely.

Author's Note

Hope you stick with me on this! It's gonna be a long ride...

Chapter 2 - Twilight

“A system of morality based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.”

-Socrates

Twilight stared in abject horror at what she had created. The morning after her exam, she had woken up early, as per usual. After spending a few minutes pondering over what to do next, she finally arrived upon a conclusion. On the off-chance Spike happens to convert all of her precious Harmonic Magic into pure Draconic mana, she’d need a means of removing and re-converting it. She had found but a single branch of magic pertinent, mainly because she had yet to learn the rest.

Dream Magic…

An art exclusive to the monks of the moon and their patron, Dream Magic is a forbidden magick with most known copies on its usage buried deep within The Vault—essentially the ultimate forbidden part of the library. It’s a literal vault containing the books that the White Heathen didn't want anybody to see. Propaganda at its finest. It's located in the Archmage's personal sanctum; which amounts to the banned area. This in itself is located inside the lowest level of the Essis, a section of the Canterlot Archive that only ponies with a degree in sorcery can access.

Fortunately, her brother had visited home just a few weeks ago. He had been acting very odd, sweating a little bit more than usual, and overall portraying the epitome of paranoia. Of course, Twilight needed details. So, she begged to go home with Shining to his abode in the castle. It wasn't suspicious in the least; she played it off as childish curiosity. So, Twilight spent the night at Shining’s. But the colt-turned-stallion didn't ever seem to sleep! She’d need another means of obtaining what she assumed was forbidden magic.

Enter Barbradeus. While their contract had been in place for about a month before that particular day, she first used him to his fullest capacity while at Shining’s. She had him assimilate all of the information in Shining’s possession. Then, the one thing he gave her was Dream Magic. It was enough to satisfy her, and now Twilight lived with the slight guilt of knowing she betrayed her brother’s trust enormously.

But either way, she had gotten what she wanted. All the pieces had fallen into place, and now all she needed to do was create the ‘Tantabus’, an item she could harness to recover the magic, should it be tainted. If it wasn't apparent, the ritual hadn't done what it said it would. She blamed the wood floor of her treehouse, the current location of this particular arcane endeavor.

But no, instead she got a blotch of amorphous black, violet, and navy energy to spawn from the matrix below. Twilight didn't really know what to do with it. It was an anomaly that she really couldn't handle right at the moment.

Lies!

What? Who was that?

I am the harbinger of oblivion, the sovereign of the mind and the taint of imagination. I will claim your body as my vassal, and my queen shall be free. You will not try and stop me. You will secede your body to me...

In response to that, Twilight’s body flared with an unnatural aura. Her eyes brimmed with a dark green, her head reared back and a similarly-colored bolt shot out and impacted with the abhorrent thing. The presence ceased in her mind. Whew! Now it's just me and you, me. Me and you…

An extremely high-pitched whine tore Twilight’s eardrum apart, distracting her from her own existential crisis as the Tantabus squealed louder and louder, even as Twilight mended her wounds.

Alright, I'm done.

A lavender beam slammed into the ‘harbinger of oblivion’, wrapping around it and pushing it forcefully against the wall. In but a moment it solidified and waned, leaving a thin, almost invisible tether binding the two together.

Good luck escaping now.

“Whoa!” Twilight hadn't anticipated any sort of resistance; what with it being a blob and all. Unfortunately, this deduction had been incorrect. The Tantabus had amputated a small part of itself off, which twisted and contorted into a rough ‘portal’ of sorts. The entity’s varying shades all collapsed inward to form a deep—almost black—royal purple. It then dragged itself through the aforementioned rip in space-time, taking Twilight along with it.

Trees. Hundreds, thousands of the same bronze-hued apple trees. Twilight wasn't even sure if she could call it an orchard, it was so mind-bogglingly vast. Surrounding and treating each tree were thousands of earth ponies; different in every way except for the apples adorning their collective flanks. As she slowly took in her seemingly infinite surroundings, she took notice of a small clearing ahead. There was a lone mare humming to herself, even as she viciously bucked a crystalline tree in vain. She seemed content, truly. Sure, her futile attempts at knocking apples from the odd, mystical tree hadn't exactly panned out for her, but so what? She was surrounded by mares and stallions alike; hard-working earnest people who didn't have any need for guile or connivery. This was her home; the oasis of her livelihood, inhabited by hundreds of like-minded ponies of equal status who were bound by blood.

Oh, duh. It's Captor 004. Twilight stealthily approached the mare. I can't properly discern what exactly this is. A dream? An illusion? Is she legitimately free? What if I'm the dreamer! Oh, not now. We’ll deal with your—my—issues later.

Twilight loomed closer, her mind running over all of the possibilities before finally identifying one. We’re in a dream. Well duh. Now, what to do about that.

In an instant, she knew. If she wanted to milk this moment for all it’s worth, what she needed to do was watch and wait. Which she did. And what she saw shocked her. The mare, with a final buck that sent quakes ripping throughout the area, knocked a single, transparent apple from the tree. As she held it in her hoof, it exploded into a radiant orb of pure orange energy. She looked at it with satisfaction, before drawing it towards her mouth.

“Crunch!” It dissolved easily in her mouth, the color draining into her as the empty husk fell to the ground and shattered. She was illuminated instantly, fading into the growing star that the mare had become. Twilight shielded her eyes from the wave of heat that accompanied the blaring flash, still mildly disoriented but avoiding the brunt of the occipital assault. As she timidly opened her eyes, she glanced upon what seemed to be a divine being.

Applejack was an alicorn.

But unfortunately, Twilight never bothered to learn the names of her prisoners. So, it was more like ‘Prisoner 004 is an alicorn’. But either way, Twilight was flabbergasted. It was at this point that the Tantabus attacked. Twilight, having been imprisoned in the moment, had forgotten about her dream-hopping friend. To her credit, though, it had dragged her into the totally alien mind of a different person. Keeping track of things was pretty difficult.

The somnial construct started by deleting all of the resident Earth Ponies. It wasn't a gradual process in the least; each and every visage illuminated by a euphoric grin before they simply disappeared. The trees were next, rapidly decaying into nothing as the earth pony’s world was upended. The ash and soot swarmed around the Alicorn mare, blotting her vision entirely. All she could see was the empty husk of her old life.

The whirlwind flashed with a familiar energy, and soon it was instead the Tantabus itself surrounding Applejack. She backed up, nearly bumping against the wall of incendiary byproducts.

The world froze.

Twilight became less than a physical entity; she became an audience. To what, perhaps? To the downfall of the newest alicorn? Or perhaps the corruption of the Element of Honesty? She didn't know. All she knew was that she was but a specter now; just a face in the crowd.

… What? Where in tarnation ahm ah? And why does mah whole body ache? The newborn deity glanced over her form, taking in her new features. She was tall, much taller than even her brother. She stood maybe three inches below Celestia herself; granted though, that was a rough estimation. She felt longer as well, though she didn't really know how to express such a sensation. Her legs were, even proportionally, much longer than they originally were—as was her neck. She almost stumbled over herself as she peered downward in an attempt to see the bottoms of her hooves. After that small mix-up, she instead made a go at lifting her hoof, finally looking it over with a surgeon’s eye.

As she put her hoof back on the ground, she shuddered from the new sensation. She could feel everything below her; the dirt squish, the insects tunnel out of the way, even the seed buried below hesitantly trying to drain nutrients from the unknown presence. She focused on the feeling, and all at once it burst with vitality. She could hear the collective heartbeat of every lifeform nearby; identify and subconsciously log their circadian rhythm. She blinked, and suddenly even more became known to her. An earthworm below was going to live for another week or so, before a wasp hunted and consumed it. There was a shrub that was going to be trampled by a bear in two hours, forty two minutes and sixteen seconds. A wildfire would ravage this area in three months, leaving room for new creatures to grow and develop. All life became somehow connected to Applejack; her very presence enlivening and rejuvenating anything nearby.

The mare took a moment to once again peer over her body. Ah have wings? Indeed, she did. A large pair, much longer than the average pegasus. She flexed her dorsal muscles experimentally, and was surprised to find them snap outward, releasing a gust of wind and splintering any branches that got in the way. They were each approaching the length of her body, but shied short by about a foot. Wait, if ah have wings… She raised a hoof again, mildly distraught at the temporary silence that encumbered her mind; her connection to nature weakened as one hoof rose into the air. She felt along her head, half-hoping she wouldn't find a horn.

Unfortunately, she did.

Ah... Uh, what's—I mean, how... Unable to formulate the most basic thought, Applejack smacked herself across the face, eliciting a quick jolt of pain in hopes of bringing herself back to a reality she could actually comprehend.

Once more, she stroked a hoof across her forehead. Once more, she felt the conical appendage protruding from it.

How in the... She took another brief glance at her surroundings. How in Equestria is this even possible? I just don't get it. This has gotta be a dream or somethin'.

A thought crossed her mind; it was silly—immature, even—yet entirely valid. Does this mean ah'm a... a princess? She shuddered. Ah sure hope not. That kinda life just ain't for me.

It was at this point that Applejack examined her Cutie Mark. The previous trio of apples was gone, the only semblance of their existence being the carnelian splotch along her flank. Inside this smeared blurb was the firm, vibrant trunk of a tree, adorned with vivid evergreen leaves bursting from its plume. Next to the tree was an orange streak; presumably depicting a fallen star. And at the very absolute center of this ‘star’ was a white circle, with the same sanguine interior.

A bit symbolic fer’ mah taste, but I suppose that's such how alicorns are. She took note of her additional features once more, taking in her new status, along with a deep breath. As she came to terms with her alicornhood, a new idea came to mind.

Where ahm’ ah?

If Twilight had any sort of face, she would've frowned in confusion. Didn't Prisoner 004 remember the ordeal that sent her there? Or did the Tantabus perform some sort of ‘inception’ on the poor mare? Twilight didn't know, but a few moments to reason led her to the latter conclusion. She'd stick to that then, for now.

Meanwhile, Applejack was in a bit of a predicament. This looks almost exactly like tha’ farm! But if that’s tha’ case, where in tarnation is Big Mac? Or Apple Bloom?

She broke into a full sprint, intent on finding some vestige of civilization. Before she could even process the change, the orchard her family had harnessed for years had shifted into the rusted maroon paint of the interior of the barn, where a lone bed rested against the wall.

“Oh…” A tired groan echoed throughout the building’s foundation, originating from the empty husk of a mare that was buried beneath the sheets, soaked in sweat and tears.

“Granny!” The alicorn fervently approached her moribund relative, careful not to overexert her enormous strength but still urgent enough to knock some scattered leaves into the air. A wave of fear gripped Applejack, and for the first time she felt that she couldn't overcome this challenge with honest, hard work.

“Applejack! Where have ya’ been? All these years, and now I find out you're a Princess?” The infant goddess winced in preparation for a verbal lashing, but instead the wistful centennial burst into childish laughter.

“Now if that ain't a surprise. I knew you were a pony of many talents, but this is a bit beyond what I had been expectin’ from ya.” Both mares gripped each other in a fierce hug, which was only considered as such due to Applejack’s strength compensating for both of them.

“Now dear, I ain't got much left in me. I want you to know that I don’ hate you fer’ leavin’. Live without the burden of guilt; it becomes meaningless in tha’ end. And lastly… Take care of yer siblins’.”

Applejack was crying freely now, but nodded. Her tears blurred her vision, and reality blurred in-kind.

Every feature was identical, every figure and color and structure identical; and yet, Applejack still experienced relative unease. Somethin’s changed. Where previously a mixture of surprise, excitement, and confusion were apparent in her granny’s eyes; now there was only a delirious sense of awe and wonder.

“A princess. Well, ain't that a surprise?” She struggled weakly to push herself into a seated position, veins throbbing against her wrinkled skin. Eventually, she slid back into the makeshift bed, resigned.

“Haven't seen one of yer kind in… How many years?” She mouthed a few possibilities: ‘ten?’ ‘twenty?’ before finally shaking her head in defeat.

“Sorry, I’ve been forgettin’ plenty lately…” She trailed off, glancing off into the distance. Was it a memory that bubbled to the fore? Or perhaps she was simply gripping onto yet another memory, soon to drift into the monotonous blur now blotting her mind. Either way, she soon started speaking again, lifting her tone in a pitiful attempt to lighten the mood.

“You must be royalty, tho’, what with that horn and them there wings.” With what Applejack surmised to be colossal effort, Granny lifted a hoof and lazily directed it at her currently anonymous granddaughter’s various additional protrusions. Then, without lowering her hoof, she dropped it to the bedside table and rummaged around, still speaking to the presumed princess.

“I guess you were expectin’ more, huh? maybe a small group’n of my kin and fellow farm folk? ‘Fraid not, just me an’ mah barn.” Finally, she found what seemed to be a hypodermic needle, filled with an ambrosius amber fluid that glistened unnaturally.

“You know, this here barn was the first thing I built with mah daddy, before he passed. Er’, ah think, at least.” An awkward silence ensued as she somberly pulled the syringe onto the mattress, oddly careful so as not to prick herself.

“I… I'm sorry the funeral ain’t nice and purty, or I guess it'd be a mortuary, er somethin’. But it's nice to have you, ta’ ease my passin’ an’ all.” Lifting the syringe into the air, she jammed it into her thyroid in a single, swift motion.

Within moments her expression inversed, transitioning from a tired scowl to a blissful grin. “Well, I guess you can just sit o’er there and watch, I'm not too experienced with the royal etiquette an’ all that. Now, if you don't mind, I have some—er—dyin’ to do.”

“Sorry, I'm not much a savant of the Canterlotian way of things. Too snuffy an’ sneaky back-stabby fer’ my tastes.” She gently rolled onto her side, careful not to disrupt her euphoria with a jolt of pain. She rested in that position for a few moments, before her eyes widened in alarm.

“Oh, I'm so sorry, yer highness! I don't mean no disrespect, just how ah was raised. What was ah thinkin’, sayin’ that to a gosh darn’d princess!” She scurried from her sanctuary, frantically gesturing and trying to formulate an apology.

With a single raised hoof, Applejack silenced the mare. Huh, I guess mah actions carry more weight now.

“It's—er—quite alright, miss. Ah ain't much fer it neither, if it means anythang’. Just mah job.” Applejack tried to smile as she imagined a princess would; so motherly and nurturing. While she failed miserably, compared to the real thing, it still held enough of a sway to calm the elderly mare.

Granny’s eyes softened. “You're different, arn’t ya? You—”

Whatever words she was trying to commune were drowned out by foam, bubbling from deep within her throat. Her hooves dragged to her neck as she clawed at it futilely, a great fear possessing her as death loomed.

Applejack sensed this and more. She could feel her granny’s uncertain terror, overwhelming any mental barriers and encumbering the essence of her being in waves of paranoia. The questions reiterated over and over again in Applejack’s mind, her newfound sovereignty over life cursing her with the sensation of death. ‘Is this the end?’ ‘Will I find peace?’ ‘WILL THERE BE SALVATION!?’ Echoed over and over, wearing away at Applejack’s sanity.

And in that moment, she knew what she had to do.

“Easy there, cowgirl. You'll have an orchard to yerself in the next life.” Her eyes softened, and the elder mare sunk into her bed, content.

But the ravaging winds of time are nothing if not apathetic, and even in such a personal moment, entropy would not stand by. First it was the fur; tinting an unhealthy green before shearing off and dissipating into nothingness. Then the tissue, bubbling with huge sacks of bacteria before imploding outward, taking most of the surrounding flesh with it. The organs followed suit, dissolving into an orange-ish soup which swiftly evaporated away. Finally, with a voracious gust of air, the bones shattered into dust and swirled into a flurry of decay. Applejack shielded her eyes, tear-stained and all, and prepared for the worst.

Nothing happened.

Tentatively unshielding her ocular organs, Applejack found herself in an entirely different area. Rather than the morose monotone of the barn, her surroundings were now nothing more than pure carnage; depraved, monstrous, carnage. But while Applejack did gaze upon the horror surrounding her, she didn't process it; her mind was too amuck with questions.

Was that tha’ right thing to do? She blinked blearily, absentmindedly wiping a tear from her muzzle.

I know she deserved a peaceful passin’, but isn't that just false hope? She reached upwards to stroke her snout quizzically, but her motor skills were promptly derailed as a mutilated corpse soared past a nearby lamp post and right into Applejack’s hooves.

She looked down.

“Momma?” The mare’s eyes widened, her arms shook, she didn't know how to respond. What… She dropped the carcass and sat down in front of it. Why… She gently prodded the familiar face with her hoof, not receiving any response. WHO? She slapped the mare harder and harder, practically beating the life into her mother with increasing desperation. A small part of her whispered the truth: it's too late, but was ultimately drowned out by the callow mare’s attempts at rationalizing what just happened.

She's okay, she's got ta’ be okay. The alicorn continued murmuring possibilities and excuses under her breath, her eyes now shut tightly in a vain attempt at denying reality, if only for a moment. But even as she did so, she already felt the awful truth sink in, the small part of her growing louder and louder until it was unbearable.

“Shut up shut up SHUT UP!” The honest part of her was swamped by a wave of denial and anger, and for the first time the filly was forced to confront an awful truth. Life ain't fair sometimes, sugarplum. Her mother’s words echoed in her mind, and as she sluggishly pried her eyes open, she could've sworn she saw the cadaver’s mouth moving. She shuddered instinctively, and when she refocused her vision the anomaly was naught.

What wasn't naught, though, was the cradle but a few strides away. Applejack remained transfixed on her mother’s stiff flesh, but the whining of the infant eventually drew her attention. Wiping her tears away, she steeled her resolve. There were other things to deal with; she could mourn later.

She approached the cradle with shaky steps, clamping her teeth down on her lower lip hard enough to draw blood as nervous anticipation wore away at her strength. Eventually she stumbled to her destination, and a single look inside took her right back. There was a baby inside, seemingly frozen in time. Its screams echoed all the same, from a mouth in the exact same position: terror. Its pale yellow fur was matted with blood, her scarlet mane ragged and soiled by dirt flecks and chunks of mud. As Applejack processed all of this, she felt a wave of nausea slam into her. Not wanting to vomit on a dead baby, she swallowed down the rising bile and took a deep breath.

After a few minutes of hyperventilating, she forced her body back over to the stillborn infant. Once again she ran her eyes over it, and once again she felt nausea overwhelm her senses. This time, though, she held herself firmly in place. Applejack wouldn't be scared; this time, she'd be strong! She extended a hoof over to the newborn and made to close its bloodshot eyes in a single motion.

It burst into flames.

“No!” The goddess frantically reached forward to save the infant’s body. She wouldn't allow it to be dishonored by incineration. But as she wrapped her arms around the presumed form of a child, she felt the strongest heat she had ever experienced wash over her as if she was the sand on the beach shore. All around her, the world crumbled away, consumed by the ravenous flames of destruction.

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!” She screamed as the pain of burning alive overloaded her brain. The sensation was so intense she didn't even notice her cutie mark burning away like a sheet of wax paper. First, the orange streak was consumed. From its spot on the mark, a hole formed and started draining everything around it. A single spark was birthed in that hole, and in but a moment the insignia of a fledgling princess was torn away from its bearer.

The pure orange ash drifted away from the swiftly burning plane, floating off into the unknown. There, an indigo maw revealed itself, stretched open to inhuman proportions, and consumed the remains of an Element. The ‘cheeks’ of said mouth bulged visibly, before slowly decreasing in size as the Tantabus assimilated the power of Honesty itself. Twilight watched all of this with mild interest, before flinching in surprise as the now vaguely equine form of the Tantabus materialized in front of her, uncomfortably close.

‘One of three, birthed of the tree. My Lady’s right, now bestowed upon me. The power of which you'll soon depend, I now control — you’ve reached the end.’

In response to the ominous quip, Twilight tilted her head upward. Once again, her eyes were glazed over, glowing a floral green far darker than that of the Changelings. She smirked confidently, and when she spoke it was overlapped by a second tone.

“I'm going to destroy you.” The filly’s horn was entombed in purple energy, so bright it was as if she was a star. She looked it directly in the eyes and jutted her horn outward, dragging it down and slowly carving the dream-entity in twain, all the while barely tolerating its mad laughter. As she reached the stomach of the fiend, bloated with orange energy, she released the energy she had collected in a single wave of light that rippled all throughout the Tantabus’s being, quickly expanding to all of the simulated reality in but a few seconds.

Although most of the plane was currently cinders drifting aimlessly through the void, the void itself crumbled like a sand castle into nothingness. White—and once that faded, the familiar scent of oak and chirp of birds wafted over her senses.

Ah, glad that's over.

“Honey!”

Oh sh—

The gargantuan aura of her mother immediately pressed against Twilight, slightly inhibiting her movements. Oh no you don't, you old hag. A blood Sigil on her torso illuminated with lavender light, and the entire cottage situated in a tree was clean, not to mention empty of any possibly-incriminating magic.

Not a moment too soon, either, for just a second later, Twilight Velvet flickered into existence next to her daughter, who had dragged a book onto her lap at the last possible moment.

“Yes, mommy?” She quizzically blinked her eyes at the matriarch of the Sparkle House, childish innocence just exuding from her curious eyes.

“Just wanted to remind you that your first day at Celestia’s School is tomorrow, so get organized now so you don't have to worry about it tomorrow.” Velvet crouched down and pulled her diminutive daughter into a hug.

“You're gonna do great, sweetie.” Twilight mumbled back a quick ‘thanks’ into her mother’s neck, which she had buried her head in. While she performed the typical expressions associated with maternal affection as was expected of her, she internalized the information with glee.

Well, I guess that means I don't have to wait for your turn, Celestia. Time to divide and conquer...

Author's Note

So, finally guzzled this out. The next chapter should take about as long, so maybe three weeks-ish. Either way, a few things to say. One, everything in the story is intentional. No coincidences. Ever.

Oh, and I just saw the pictures and borrowed them. If that's illegal or against the rules tell me and I'll remove them.

Enjoy!