Author's Note
Just another take on Midnight Sparkle's transformation during the Friendship Games. In this take, Twilight always understood magic - but she also understood that humanity was capable of so much more with it. She despised how weak the greatest race in existence was, and that they could be doing incredible things instead of sitting around, wasting their lives away.
They Don't Understand
There are some things in life that we must absolutely accomplish at all costs. Some of them are minor, and others change the world. Regardless of what those things are, some are willing to go out of their way and put themselves in extreme danger to accomplish them. They won't stop at anything for anyone. If something stands in their way, they must destroy it. Kill two birds with one stone or just get them out of the way, it doesn't matter which. As long as the person does what they intend to do, it doesn't matter who they hurt. They might appear innocent in what they do, but they would stab people in the back and outright target them if it meant achieving their goal.
I, Twilight Sparkle, am an example of one of those people.
As I stepped forward to unleash the magic from my pendant, I was not acting under peer pressure; I knew exactly what I was doing. Principal Abacus Bitch and the rest of them could never understand just what I was about to do. I was not acting out of desperation or anger, but pure intentions to show this pathetic world what it could truly do. I would show these students and teachers what powers truly lay inside them. It doesn't matter who gets hurt.
They will understand.
I slowly opened the pendant around my neck, watching Sunset Shimmer run towards me in a futile attempt to stop me from releasing the magic I had worked so hard to store and protect. No matter - once the magic was released, I would not be stoppable by anyone. They would finally see what they could do in this world, and how the world on the other side of that statue could be exploited and used to our benefit.
The magic had its own way of thinking, exploding into a brilliant light that threw everyone back and blew out my tied-up hair. Immediately, it condensed into a small, glowing ball of energy that began to expand. It lifted me up with it - I dropped the pendant, allowing the magic to take me up into the air as it rose higher and higher. I looked back at the Crystal Prep team with a fake, pleading face, but this was exactly what I wanted to happen. The magic I had collected from the portal and 5 of the Canterlot High students knew who deserved it, and began to consume my entire body. Continuing the act, I ripped one of my arms out and yelled out, "Help me! Please!"
Naturally, no one did anything. I didn't expect them to; how could they possibly react? The magic burned, but I relished the pain. This was the power humanity was meant to have. This was how people should rise to the top, conquering all.. and yet, they sat in classrooms all day, learning pointless facts about the world that would have no bearing on their full lives. It was sad, to be completely honest. I despised every moment that I sat inside those rooms, listening to the lectures and copying down notes mindlessly. I pretended to be the best student, clumsy and nerdy, so that I would have access to the resources that I needed. If I, a high school student, could create machines that contained and harnessed true magic, then what could the most brilliant minds do?
It was my mission to show this world what power humanity truly had. They thought they knew, but they didn't. No one knows except for me. No one understands except for me. Even Principal Bitch would use blackmail and torment, but that was as far as she ever went with me. Disappointing.
It wasn't long before I had completely consumed by the physical form of the magic, the sheer intensity burning me from the inside out. But as I said, I relished and took hold of the pain. It was a constant reminder to me that I would soon become higher than all of the fools on the ground before me. They would see what they could do with a little work. I hated them and yet adored them; just imagine of what these great minds could do once they saw their true potential!
In an instant, I felt it. My body began to shift and change before my mind could comprehend it. The magic was forcing its way into every cell, every vein, every organ. It empowered me, and I felt the dramatic shift happen as new limbs began to sprout and take full form in an instant.
On my back? I felt the feathery, heavy weights take their place, side by side, stretching out as far as they could go. These wings symbolized how we could rise above and conquer all down below.
On my head? I felt my hair rise and part as a long, jagged object materialized from the magic that surrounded me. The horn symbolized the channel of energy inside humans, and how we could take control of it and use it to the best of our ability instead of foolishly testing it and then retracting it, afraid of its power.
My clothes had also changed. It was almost like a more elaborate Crystal Prep uniform with a tail, obviously changing to fit my new persona. My shoes had been altered and gloves had formed around my hands and wrists. When I finally opened my eyes, flaming rings of blue fire formed where my glasses were before. My vision was sharp and my mind was clear. I was not power-crazy or deranged.
I was no longer Twilight Sparkle. I was the bringer of the night, something no one ever wanted to see but was always there. I brought the power, something these people just couldn't acknowledge.
I was Midnight Sparkle, and I would show just what I could do. If they wouldn't listen to reason, then I would just have to give them a little sample of the power that I, a high school girl, had utilized.
Letting out a laugh, I looked at Sunset Shimmer. Before, she had been a complete unknown to me. But now, looking at her, I saw everything. I saw the flashback to the Fall Formal and her rise again in the school. I saw her life in Equestria as Princess Celestia's student. I saw what she could not even hope to understand. I saw a burning desire to win and succeed, and yet she never acted on it. Such a pity that she had fallen into the hands of these lazy slobs who couldn't realize their true power.
"You were right! I didn't understand magic before.. but I do now!" That sentence was a complete lie - I'd always understood magic. It was the magic, in fact, that drove me to get on Crystal Prep's good side. With my good behavior and the school's unlimited budget, I had access to all the tools I'd ever need in order to take the magic and control its power, and that was the only thing keeping me from burning the goddamn school to the ground.
"Twilight, you can't do this!" Sunset's words were meaningless. I already had full intentions to make them understand just what humanity could do, and who could understand better than a native pony? I simply looked at her with blank eyes, knowing that she could not and would not be a roadblock in my plans. Besides, I had done nothing yet. It was impossible that she already knew of my intentions.
"What can I not do? I have not done anything to provoke you or the other people around you. Am I not allowed to extend my power, to show my my peers what they could do?" I smirked a little, before I went on. Sunset was comparable to the paranoid leaders of this world - they would stop anyone from doing anything the moment that thought it could be dangerous or harm them. People say that the pen is mightier than the sword, but I disagree. The sword is swift, strong and cannot be stopped.
"I know all about you, Sunset Shimmer. I know everything you've ever been through in your life. We both know that you understand this magic more than everybody else around you! I took your magic so that humanity could finally understand what it was truly capable of." Sunset was clearly taken aback at what I had just said, and I adored her expression. Moments ago, she had been so sure of herself. She thought that if she had taken on Sirens, she could take on anyone or anything. It was almost cute. I hovered slightly before landing on the ground, causing everybody near me to run to the other side of the grounds that we were on.
"So much time and potential has been wasted on all of the native humans of this world as they sit around in classrooms or in cubicles, doing nothing but pointless work that has absolutely no bearing on their future! Do you even understand what humans are capable of?" I asked her, in a severe voice. She opened her mouth, then closed it with a glare. I shook my head in pity. "This saddens me. You, of all people, should know just what we are capable of doing." I turned my back on them and walked a few steps forward.
Immediately, I whirled around in a sudden burst of anger and energy. I threw my arms out to the side, showing everything that the magic had done to me. My wings extended to their full length. The strength, the flight, and magic.. it was all I ever needed. It was all humanity ever needed, and yet they were trying to attain those three things through pointless measures when they just needed a small push in the right direction. "This! This is what humans are capable of! This is what people could become! We could be the most powerful race in the world, dominating above all else, and yet, what do we do?
NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!" I screamed, taking off from the ground into the air. The thunderclouds flashed and the wind picked up, reflecting my emotions. I, the most powerful being currently in existence, had control over everything the world had. It was glorious. The feeling of controlling everything and never being stopped.. it was amazing. It was addicting.
"You worthless excuses of humans say you are the greatest, and yet you cannot even manage the simplest of tasks! It would take nothing to attain this level. Our ancestors from long ago understood this power, so WHY? CAN'T? YOU?! They used it and understood it! They took control of everything and created it to be the best society in history!" Instantly, I went silent. I knew that these fools would not understand - they were too driven by fear and paranoia that I could strike out at any time.
"Fine. If you will not listen to my reasoning.. then I will show you just what I am capable of. What we are capable of." I turned towards the statue that rested near the entrance to Canterlot High. The statue that contained the portal to another dimension. It contained more magic than what anyone could ever imagine, and I would demonstrate just what could be theirs if they tried.
Channeling magic from my horn, I sent a surge of blue magic directly into the horse on the statue. It exploded apart, and I could see the purple sparks of magic rising from it. Instantly, portals similar to the ones coming from my pendant began to open. Only this time, I didn't attempt to stop them from opening. In fact, I shot another surge of magic onto rips in the very air, forcing the portals open. I saw towns and cities, ponies of all kinds.. and the entire time, I could feel the magic radiating from the air.
Above the screams and confusion, I yelled, "Do you see now? Do you understand what could be yours? Time and space could stand still for all of humanity as we take over this world, and harness all of the power that is contained within! Our race can rule over all if you just find the power that you have hidden away for far too long!" But, even in the midst of the chaos that was unfolding, Sunset was still determined to stop me. She was trying to find ways to close the portals or get to her Twilight.
I would just have to fix that.
I channeled magic to both of my hands and to my horn, blowing an enormous hole directly through the ground that would cause anyone to turn into a pony if they fell through. The magic in the air had doubled, and it made my head spin. It was glorious, and I was proud of what I had done. There was no stopping what I had done.
Suddenly, Sunset got up from a fall, clutching my pendant. "This isn't the way," she pleaded. "I know that you feel powerful right now.. like you can have everything you want! I've been where you are. I've made the same mistake you're making!" I cut her off before she could continue. Apparently, this stupid girl didn't learn. I had already told her what I'd known, and yet she thought I didn't sense her feelings from the night of the Fall Formal?
"You think I don't know exactly what happened that night, Sunset Shimmer? Well, allow me to tell you that I can see it all, just by looking into your eyes. I see your history flash before me in an instant, including those minutes where you, too, understood what humanity was capable of. Except you harnessed what you already had, the magic you were taught as a filly. I'm just teaching these fools that ponies are not the superior race and that we, too, can achieve anything we desire."
Sunset's eyes pleaded with me silently as she continued to speak. Clearly, she was much more stubborn than I imagined she would be. "But this isn't the way! Humans are capable of amazing things, things that even we ponies cannot dream of doing! Ponies understand magic and use it well, but humans don't need it! We can do incredible things without ripping the world apart! I was shown that by Twilight Sparkle, and I'll show it to you now!"
Suddenly, magic from five sources began to envelope Sunset as she, too, rose into the air. I had stolen the magic from those five girls already; how could they possibly have anything else? "You may have the magic harnessed by the Elements of Harmony, but only a true human knows that the magic within them can only be used for good." Sunset said simply, narrowing her eyes at me as she was completely swallowed by the sphere. Somehow, her words had triggered even more magic from the 'Elements of Harmony', and it was completely obeying the will of my opponent.
Even with my magic, I couldn't physically see into the sphere, but I knew that what happened to me was happening to her. I didn't like it.. but I understood this form perfectly. I had planned to have this magic all along, and she would not prevent me from getting the world on its feet now. Sunset didn't comprehend it, and I saw her wings and horn sprout as the sphere faded. She may have had my powers, but she didn't know how to use them.
Sunset hovered there, her appearance similar to mine but in a much.. flashier, brighter fashion. Her wings and horn were not solid like mine, but appeared to be almost gasses of some sort. They were not truly there, but they acted just the same. How fascinating. But suddenly, Sunset used her magic to close the portals I had opened. They disappeared in a flash, as though they had never been there. The magic in the air had vanished, going away just as the portals had disappeared.
In my rage, I raced towards Sunset with magic swirling around my hand. I thrust it toward her as she mirrored my every move. We both rebounded, our magic having collided and dissipated. I began to charge up a powerful beam, and Sunset immediately did the same. They collided once again, but were evenly matched in power. I allowed my emotions to flow through my magic, increasing its power and usability. It easily overpowered Sunset's.
"Do you see now? Even you, as a pony, don't truly understand magic and what humans can do! You may have grown up with it, but you cannot prevail over someone who, too, has studied it their whole life! I've planned for this moment for years, Sunset Shimmer. You have not!" I declared, watching her struggle to keep her magic flowing against mine. But suddenly, her eyes opened and her magic began to go straight through mine. In an instant, we were in the complete opposite positions of what they had just been a moment ago.
"I understand magic more than you do, Twilight. I understand that even the most powerful magic can be diminished by the magic of those who are combined and understand each other. Humanity may not fully understand it's greatness.. but I can assure you, it does not lie in Equestria's magic!" Sunset uttered her final words as her magic completely took over mine and swept me away.
It was as though I no longer existed. I cannot describe what I felt, except that I no longer commanded the power I did just moments before. I floated in a pool of white, with nothing but Sunset on the opposite side of me. She came towards me, and I backed away. It was obvious that she held the advantage now. Someone as logical as me knew that there was no way I could overpower her, not in these strange surroundings.
"Twilight.. I understand that you want to understand. Equestrian magic belongs to the ponies who understand it and use it to their benefit, not to the humans who will easily abuse it. Humanity has so much more to offer that doesn't involve magic at all. I can help you, Twilight. I can help you see another way." Her voice was light and kind, almost in a lullaby-like tone. I didn't want to believe it, but..
I had been defeated. Sunset was right. I may have been in a sane state of mind, but what I did was not of a being that was fit to be a human. It was a monster created by the darkness in the magic that I had taken from the portal and the 5 students. I was wrong.
Wrong.
Wrong.
Sunset held out her hand, beckoning me to take it and get out of the mess I had created. After considering it for a moment, I decided to take it. There was no other way. Suddenly, a warm, golden light wrapped around my hand and took away my horn. I hadn't realized it in my rage, but.. the horn had hurt me horribly. Taking it away was the most welcoming, soothing feeling I had ever felt in my life. The wings, magic and strength all left me as they left Sunset.
We touched back down on the ground, still holding hands. I took my hand back, ashamed to look at the people I had tried to form into monsters.
"I'm sorry."
