The Darkening

The pain penetrated deep into Twilight's subconsciousness and cruelly wrenched her from the dark void. The fiery throbbing that seemed to burn through every vein traced her body from the nothingness even as she writhed in its vicious grip, and dragged her unceremoniously through oblivion and thrust her into the waking world.

Her eyes flying open wide, she screamed as she felt her every muscle convulsing violently against the horrendous torrents of agony that washed over her. The torment seemed to go on for an eternity; fraying her nerve endings and rending her mind asunder until she was certain that she was in the throes of death.

But as suddenly as it had come, the pain dissipated, leaving her shaken and gasping for breath. Slowly sitting up, she cried out at the sharp stabbing in her neck, and began to tenderly knead the wound with a hoof as she studied her surroundings.

She was sitting on a broken down couch in what appeared to be the ruins of a cottage. A large portion of the ceiling had been ripped away, allowing the pale glow of moonlight to fall upon the various ruined pet beds and birdhouses that were strewn about. She knew the cottage was on the outskirt of town; she passed it every time she entered Ponyville, but how had she gotten here? Why wasn't she lying at the bottom of the Ghastly Gorge? She tried to recount the events leading to her awakening here, but was unable to concentrate through the haze of her mind. All she could remember was Mistress's voice, and then the fall.

Twilight clenched her jaw and breathed through flaring nostrils as the memory of Mistress's bite returned to her. Mistress had already known of the dragon; had even known his name! She hadn't been bothered in the slightest when Twilight had told her of him, or even of the cloaked figure in the Town Hall. She hadn't cared about anything she had said. All she had cared about was that she had touched the Element.

As her thoughts turned to the other Ascended, Twilight slammed a hoof onto a small table beside the couch, snapping it in two with an earsplitting crack of splintering wood. They had been so excited to see Mistress turn on her, despite the fact that they had all served Mistress side by side for over a decade. The memory of her dread and humiliation as the others laughed and jeered was nearly too much to bear.

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm herself, and when she opened them, she spotted something that made her forget her anger.

Slowly standing on weak legs that felt like they could buckle at any moment, Twilight took several feeble steps toward a large stone oven. Above the oven was a wooden shelf on which stood several framed pictures, and despite the fact that it was her curiosity that had landed her in this current predicament, she could not deny the desire she felt deep within to examine them.

Just as she drew near, she felt something crunch underneath her hoof, and glanced down to find the skeleton of a small animal. Brushing the bones aside impatiently, Twilight frowned as she focused on the pictures.

The first was identical to the picture she had found in the library's basement of her standing with her wings outstretched and the other five pressed closely against her, the second was the yellow pegasus with the pink mane sitting on a blanket in the woods next to a large bear as well as several rabbits and squirrels, and the third showed the same pony holding a little bunny and nuzzling it affectionately.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" With a start, Twilight whipped around to find the most bizarre creature she had ever seen. Everything from his serpentine body, to his limbs, and even his head were an aberrant mishmash of different creatures. “Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for present company. You look like the illegitimate child of a bat and a mule that fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Also—” He sniffed the air and made a face— “you reek of stale blood.”

Twilight sneered as she looked the strange creature up and down. "What are you?"

"Oh, how rude." His head snaked forward and he revealed a toothy grin. "But I'm going to assume you meant 'who' are you." He bowed extravagantly. "I am Discord, master of chaos, at your service."

Twilight snorted. "I am first born of Mistress's Ascended. I don't require anypony's 'service'."

"Perhaps you should reconsider." He smirked as he tapped his neck. "You've got a little something right here."

Growling, Twilight kicked the oven, cracking the stone and causing two of the pictures to tumble to the floor. "I would never accept help from such an abomination."

A low chuckle escaped Discord. "You vamponies are an unnatural blight upon this world. An infectious pestilence that was never meant to exist, sucking the life and magic out of the land. You've caused the destiny of all ponies to come to a screeching halt, and have brought the very world to the brink of death." He harrumphed. "Abomination indeed."

"I've had enough of your insults." Twilight crouched low and prepared to lunge at the detestable creature, but a hot spike of pain suddenly slashed through her neck, causing her to fall to the floor with a cry.

"I'm sorry, are you having some sort of difficulty?" Discord asked as he stepped lightly around her. "You may want to have that checked. It doesn't appear to be too healthy."

Twilight struggled back to her hooves, then gingerly turned to face Discord. He was gazing at the picture of the pony and the rabbit with an odd expression.

"Her name was Fluttershy," he told her as he plucked the remaining picture from the shelf and turned it toward her. "She was the kindest and most gentle creature to have ever lived. She gave me a chance when nopony else would...she always believed in me." He hugged the frame to himself. "She was my only real friend, and she made me want to be something greater." He hung his head. "I...I loved her.

"But she was taken before her time. Before she could live out her destiny. Never again will any creature ever feel her love and compassion...the warmth of her kindness." He sighed and placed the picture back on the shelf. "All because of you and this blasted curse."

"You act as though I care," Twilight spat. "I don't."

Discord's face twisted into a mask of rage, but then it relaxed. "No, I don't suppose you do. At least, not anymore." He shook his head. "And to think, when we first met, I actually tried to make you this way."

He waved his claw dismissively. "But no matter. You must accept my help, or your life will end here in this cottage."

Twilight bared her teeth. "Is that a threat?"

"No," Discord replied as he gazed into the remnants of a broken mirror and combed his beard with a claw. "It's the obvious truth." He flinched and quickly spun to face her. "Oh, here comes another."

"Another wh—" With a strangled scream, she crashed to the floor as the fire once again ripped through her body.

"My, my, my," Discord spoke softly as she thrashed on the floor. "What an extraordinary amount of magic you have running throughout your body. I can actually feel the surges as they come."

Twilight wanted nothing more than to kill the arrogant creature standing above her, but her body refused to obey her, instead leaving her at his mercy.

"Contrary to popular belief, this vampirism isn't a disease," Discord went on, hands behind his back and pacing as though he were lecturing a class. "It's magic. Magic created by ponies that didn't fully comprehend what they were dabbling in, but were too imprudent to leave well enough alone. A spell that has gone completely out of control and somehow became sentient."

The torturous pain released her, and Twilight gasped for breath. Trembling uncontrollably, she managed to roll onto her stomach, squeezing her eyes shut against the onset of vertigo.

"Your Mistress is the product of that spell," Discord continued. "When she bit you, the first time I mean..." He smirked. "...your body and mind were corrupted by this magic. It enveloped you and cut you off from Equestrian magic, causing your cutie mark to fade and your horn to shed. It transformed you into a monster."

Massaging her neck, Twilight slowly lifted her head to glare at Discord. "Mistress ascended me to a superior race. Without her, I'd still be a weak mortal, cowering in the shadows."

"But the magic from Mistress's initial bite wasn't enough to sustain you," Discord continued as if he hadn't heard her. "That's why vamponies crave the blood of the living; all ponies have Equestrian magic flowing through their veins." Discord stopped pacing and gave her a sardonic smile. "Ironic, since taking in too much magic, as you did when your loving Mistress bit you a second time, will destroy your body from the inside out."

"Why tell me all of this?" Twilight asked as she struggled to her hooves. "What does it matter?"

"Why, it matters a great deal!" Discord exclaimed as he twirled his beard around a clawed finger. "All spells, even out of control sentient ones, need one thing to function correctly. Do you know what that is?" When Twilight just stared at him blankly, he slapped himself on the forehead. "Oh, that's right, you don't know anything about magic anymore. Silly me." He chuckled to himself. "They need order. Harmony. All components of the spell and its surrounding environment must be perfect for the magic to maintain itself. Such fickle things, really. And I am the master of chaos, and what does chaos do?"

Twilight frowned. "It's...the opposite—"

"It's the opposite of harmony, yes, yes," Discord cut her off. "Please, do try to keep up." He lifted a finger into the air, and the couch she had been lying on suddenly began to dance around the cottage until one of its legs snapped and it crashed spectacularly to the floor. "My magic specializes in making things do what they shouldn't. Just the teeniest amount will interrupt the magical overdose in your body, and you will continue to live pain free for as long as I allow it."

Discord rapped her hard on the head. "I'll explain it so your magically addled brain can keep up. I can stop the magic from killing you, but in return, you must become my little pawn."

With a growl, she shoved his hand away. "Why save me?" she asked, grimacing from another small twinge in her neck. "What do you need me for?"

"I'm glad you brought that up, Twilight! I'm glad you brought that up." He snapped his fingers and the room was filled with a bright light.

Twilight blinked as she found herself inside a dark ravine. Behind her was a steep staircase cut into the cliff wall leading up, and ahead was a large dead tree. Numerous roots stretched out from the tree across the rocky ground, and as she drew near, the glint of moonlight caught her eye.

A steel, hexagonal chest was resting on what appeared to be a wilted flower that connected to the nearest root. Each of its six sides were adorned with a different pattern and a keyhole of varying size, and on the top was a large eight pointed star.

Unable to look away, Twilight reached out and ran a hoof over its smooth surface, and was surprised to feel the warmth that was being emitted from within. Like the Element in the basement, she felt as though it were calling out to her.

"Do not concern yourself with that," Discord suddenly spoke from behind, snapping her from her trance. "It is a relic from the world before vamponies. Whatever treasure fate had intended for you and your friends is forever lost to us now."

Twilight stared at the chest for a moment longer, then reluctantly turned away and followed Discord toward the huge tree. "Where are we?"

"Deep within the remains of the Everfree Forest," Discord answered before waving his paw toward the tree. "I brought you here to see this."

"It's a dead tree."

"It's much more than that."

"Yeah." Twilight nodded, studying the various cracks along the trunk and branches. "It's a very dead tree."

"Actually, it isn't dead. It's comatose," Discord said. "This is the Tree of Harmony. The crux of all life and magic in Equestria."

"So...this is why all the forests died?"

"Yes, and more importantly for your kind, it's the reason why the sun failed." Discord rested his hand on the fissured trunk. "This tree is teetering on the brink of life and death. If it were to die, then all would be lost, but if it were revived..."

"Revived?" So this is what he wants from me. He'll let me live if I agree to help him save his precious tree.

"Yes, revived." Discord turned to face her. "The Tree of Harmony is linked to the Elements of Harmony, and as long as they remain safe, the tree cannot die. But it cannot be revived unless the Elements are gathered and returned here." He indicated the indentions in the wood that would hold the Elements.

With her eyes lingering on the star at its center, Twilight stated, "And you want me to gather these Elements."

"You catch on quick."

Twilight sighed. "Do you know where they are?"

"Mistress came here with the intent of destroying the tree," Discord said, glowering at the memory, "but I managed to get here first. I removed the Elements and tried to send them all to Cloudsdale, where I knew they'd be safe, but Mistress attacked and interrupted my spell. I barely escaped with my own life only to learn that the Elements had been scattered all across Equestria. I've spent the last several years searching for them, but have only located three."

"If you've found three of the Elements, why haven't you retrieved them?"

Discord crossed his arms with an indignant air. "Ever since Mistress damaged the Tree of Harmony, magic in Equestria has been growing weaker. The same goes for myself. I am no longer powerful enough to fight the vamponies." He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, then seemed to sag. "That is why I need you. I am not capable of saving Equestria on my own. It is the only reason I'd even consider rescuing a creature as wretched as yourself from her fate."

Twilight watched him closely. "And if I agree to recover the Elements for you, you'll stop Mistress's bite from killing me?"

"Yes, but there is a condition that you're not going to like." Discord grinned wickedly. "My magic will interfere with Mistress's spell...all of it. So, while it will save your despicable life, it will also take away all of the benefits of being an Ascended." His smile persisted. "You are going to become the equivalent of a lowly underling."

So...my options are to die, or become a shadow of my former self. And if I choose to live, then I will be forced to seek out the Elements, which in turn would bring back the sun and threaten our rule over Equestria.

A plan quickly began to form in her mind. Mistress already had one of the Elements, so all Twilight needed to do was collect the other five. She would then return to Mistress and tell her of Discord and his plans, and offer the Elements as a gift. That would undoubtedly be enough to get her back into Mistress's good graces, and if the Elements were truly powerful enough to bring back the sun, then Twilight was sure that they could use them to cure her of her bite.

"You'd better make your decision quickly," Discord warned, interrupting her thoughts. "I think I feel another surge swelling inside you."

Her breath caught in her throat. Just the thought of experiencing that terrible pain again made her tremble. "Okay. I'll help you find the Elements."

"Oh?" Discord's eyes went wide as he placed a paw over his heart. Suddenly, his expression turned grim, and she found herself caught in his even, steady gaze. "You'll turn away from the vamponies? You'll give up your position as an Ascended?" He pressed his forehead firmly against hers, his eyes seeming to peer into her very soul. "You'll leave your place by Mistress's side?"

With a clenched jaw, she glared back just as intently. "Yes."

His head snaked away and he stared at her for a long moment. Finally, he said, "Perhaps I should let the magic surge one last time. Just to be certain you'll remember what I'm saving you from."

Twilight's heart stopped. She wanted to plead to Discord, to beg him to stop the pain before it came, but she refused to give him that satisfaction. Tensing her body and waiting for the inevitable torture to rip through her, she sneered at her despicable new ally. "So be it."

Without warning, Discord burst into a fit of laughter. Floating toward her, he threw an arm around her shoulders. "Oh, Twilight! Why must you always be so serious?" A small shimmering white ball of light appeared in the center of his talon. "Open wide."

Hesitating for only a moment, Twilight opened her mouth and allowed him to toss the ball of light inside. Her entire face went numb almost instantly, and then she felt a warmth spread throughout her body. An unexpected stab of pain in her throat caused her to retch, and a bolt of lightning shot out and struck the wall, showering them with chunks of rock and dust.

Discord jumped back from her, then began to laugh and clap fervently. "My, my, my! What a marvelous little side effect! I do so hope it happens again."

"I don't," Twilight managed between gasps. She wiggled her nose and poked at her face until the feeling returned, then frowned. "I don't feel any different. How do I know it worked?"

"Because you don't feel that crippling pain," Discord replied. "But I'll warn you now; the spell can no longer hurt you because my magic has tied its hooves, so to speak, but if you ever displease me, I'll remove the bonds, and the ensuing surge will undoubtedly kill you on the spot." He gave her a meaningful look. "Unfortunately for you, the same would happen if I were to suffer some sudden, tragic fate. I suggest you remember that.

"Anywho, now that you are safe, for the moment at least, I need you to prove your dedication to my cause. I recently felt the Element of Magic pulse, as though it had reacted to something, somewhere in Ponyville. I'm sure it's in Mistress's possession." He ruffled her mane. "Now, I'm concerned that you may still be on Team Mistress, so I want you to sneak into Ponyville and steal the Element right out from under Mistress's nose. If you return to the cottage where you awoke with the Element, then I will happily welcome you to Team Discord."

A small flag with his face on it suddenly appeared in the air and he began to cheer and wave it as two small fireworks exploded behind him, then he tossed it over his head and continued. "I'll give you three hours and then I'll withdraw my magic, and yes, I can do that from any distance. So, if you want to continue living, you'll be back with the Element of Magic before your time runs out. Understand?"

Twilight turned away. "You'll get your Element," she said before she spread her wings and leaped into the air.

As she neared the treetops, she glanced back and noticed that Discord had sat down on a root and was rubbing his head. She smirked. Perhaps he'd used a bit too much of his magic showing off for her. If that were the case, then she would be able to overpower him easily enough when the time came.

Turning her attention to the task at hoof, Twilight immediately noticed a difference in her wing strokes. Even flapping them as hard as she could, she was unable to fly as quickly as she had been mere hours ago.

This realization left her feeling...strange. She would have thought that she would feel angry about her new limitations, but it was instead something far more profound. It was as if she had lost a piece of herself, and its absence left her feeling hollow inside.

Already, she was beginning to lose faith in her plan. She had hoped that returning with the Elements would make her current vulnerability appear trivial, but that was no longer an option. Mistress held no patience for weakness, and without the Elements in her possession, she feared that she would be dismissed as insignificant, and possibly even killed.

Regardless, Twilight would inform Mistress of Discord’s plans. Even if it meant her death, she could not allow the sun to return. She refused to be the pony that wrenched the vamponies' rule away, and if she was going to die, then it would be she, not Discord, that would decide the when and how.

Several loud howls snapped her from her thoughts, and scanning the skeletal trees below, she spotted a unicorn being pursued by three underlings. Twilight's fangs began to drip as she recognized the unicorn as the mortal that she had spared in the Town Hall.

Fate, it seemed, was not without mercy, and had delivered the delectable unicorn blood to her a second time. Twilight banked sharply and began to descend upon the mortal.

She landed mere yards ahead of the fleeing unicorn, and licked her lips as the terrified mare skidded to a stop before her. Gripping the mortal by the mane, she cruelly yanked her head back to expose the neck, then sneered at the underlings. "This one is mine. Leave now."

The underlings hesitated, torn between obeying an Ascended and their desire to taste unicorn blood, but after enduring her intense glare for several moments, they reluctantly flew away.

The unicorn struggled in her grip enough to turn one golden eye toward her. "Twilight, please don't do this. The real you is still in there somewhere, I know it. That's why you let me go."

"Shut up," Twilight breathed as she stared in rapture at the bare throat before her. The artery pulsed with each heartbeat, and the smell of the blood hidden behind nothing more than a layer of soft flesh was intoxicating. And it was all hers.

"You've got to fight it, Twilight," the mare persisted. "I know you can. If anypony can come back from a vampony, it's Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight yanked the unicorn's head back hard, causing her to cry out. "That wretched mortal is gone. I have no need for her." She closed her eyes and pressed her nose against the fur. She wanted this...no, she needed this. One last taste of mortal blood before her own life ended. She deserved nothing less.

"Stop, vampony scum!" shouted an unexpected voice from behind, "or the Great Vampony Hunter Trixie shall slay you!"

Allowing the mare to fall to the ground, Twilight turned with a menacing growl to face the foolish newcomer. She had never heard of this Trixie, but if she thought she was a great vampony hunter, it was only because she hadn't yet encountered an Ascended.

Upon seeing her face lit clearly in the moonlight, Trixie's eyes went wide. "Twilight!" she gasped. She stumbled backward, but then her gaze shifted to the unicorn still lying on the ground and her features hardened. "Lyra, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Lyra managed as she slowly climbed to her hooves.

"Good," Trixie replied as two large battle axes unstrapped themselves from her back and levitated over her head. "Now, run. I'll hold Twilight off."

Lyra shook her head. "I won't leave you."

"Go!" Trixie cried as Twilight took her first step toward her.

"But you'll—" Lyra began.

"Lyra, please...let me do this."

Twilight frowned as Lyra hesitated, then nodded and swiftly retreated. Why had Trixie pleaded to fight? Did Lyra rule over her? But then why would Lyra be so reluctant to leave?

Trixie closed her eyes with a sigh and whispered, "Thank Celestia." Twilight's frown deepened as she cocked her head to one side. What was this?

Whirling and slashing through the air, the axes lowered and crossed themselves in front of Trixie. She tilted her horn in Twilight's direction as her eyes narrowed. "Now, the Great Vampony Hunter Trixie shall give you the most tremendous fight of your life."

Twilight said nothing as she pushed her questions aside and braced herself for the attack. She had battled several skilled unicorn fighters since her awakening, and knew that she must press toward her opponent at all costs. To fall back or become too defensive was a sure death. Every unicorn had the same weakness, and if she could exploit it, she would win.

The axes suddenly flashed forward with alarming speed, a cyclone of blades hurtling toward her with deadly precision. Crouching low to the ground, Twilight soared over the weapons with a powerful beat of her wings, deftly rolling to the side to avoid a razor sharp edge as they veered upward after her.

With a start, she felt the blade cut her mane as it shot by. Raising a hoof to her hair in disbelief, she was forced to flip to avoid the second axe that came from behind, and felt the sting of a shallow cut on her cheek as it missed by less than an inch. Never before had a hunter come so close to a lethal blow. Was Trixie truly more skilled than any other hunter Twilight had faced?

It was then that the realization struck her like a bolt of lightning, and with it came an icy dread.

While Trixie was an adept fighter that fought with amazing accuracy and speed, that wasn't enough for her to defeat an Ascended. But Twilight wasn't an Ascended anymore. Discord's magic was hindering her; she wasn't as fast or as strong as she was used to being. How could she have forgotten so easily?

Twilight allowed herself to plummet from the air to dodge the next attack, her hooves cracking the dry ground at their impact. Meeting Trixie's determined gaze, it occurred to Twilight that this hunter was more than a match for an underling, and that she could very well die here.

A sudden rage erupted from deep within her at the thought of falling by Trixie's hooves. If she were to die, it would be by Mistress or one of the Ascended, not this sniveling little hunter. Twilight could not allow such an undignified death to fall upon her.

As an axe rocketed straight toward her face, Twilight snarled savagely and caught the blade with her hooves. She gritted her teeth as she struggled against the powerful spell fueling the axe forward, and became infuriated with the knowledge that her Ascended strength could have ripped this weapon from its magical grip with ease.

Her ears perking up, Twilight heard the second axe approaching from behind and threw herself to the side. The clang of the two blades striking was nearly deafening, but Twilight heard something over the noise that made her grin. Trixie had cried out.

Twilight knew that Trixie had just experienced a surge as the weapons collided and launched herself toward her adversary before she could recover.

Startled, Trixie stumbled back and quickly unsheathed a dagger, but Twilight blocked the blade with a foreleg. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the pain as it sank deep into her flesh, and she brought up her other leg to strike Trixie in the horn. With a cry, Trixie crumpled as the axes fell harmlessly to the ground. Pressing her advantage, Twilight stomped on the unicorn's exposed side several times before kicking her onto her back.

Baring her fangs, Twilight gripped Trixie by the throat. Hunters always dusted their manes with Vampony’s Bane, and only a foolish underling would try to feed without first killing them. She licked her lips as she watched Trixie’s eyes begin to bulge in their sockets; in mere moments the unicorn’s blood would be hers.

Without warning, something heavy cracked against her skull. Stumbling over Trixie and falling to the ground, Twilight rolled onto her back to find a thick tree branch hovering over her. Quickly rolling to the side as the branch slammed into the spot she had been lying, Twilight hastily climbed to her hooves and snatched the branch as it swung at her again and snapped it in two.

"That was foolish," Twilight said as she rounded on a terrified Lyra. "Once again you had a chance to escape and yet here you are." Her tongue ran the length of her fang. "You seem all too eager to give me your blood."

Lyra frantically tilted her horn toward a huge rock and hurled it at Twilight, but she caught it effortlessly and launched it back at the unicorn. With a scream, Lyra threw herself to the ground to avoid being smashed, and Twilight quickly pinned her.

"Lyra, no!" Trixie cried from behind. Turning, Twilight found the hunter trying to climb to her hooves. "You were supposed to run!"

Twilight frowned as she watched Trixie regain her hooves only to fall with a pained groan. Why was she so worried about Lyra's safety? Didn't she care for her own life?

She studied Lyra closely. The unicorn was obviously very scared, Twilight could see it in her eyes and in the way her body trembled. But then, why hadn't she ran?

"Twilight, please," Trixie gasped as she slowly rose and limped forward, "let her go. You have me...isn't that enough?"

Ignoring her, Twilight turned her full attention to Lyra. "You have been spared twice. Did you really believe that you would survive a third encounter with me?"

"No," Lyra answered in a shaky voice, "but I didn't care. I couldn't leave Trixie to die." She swallowed hard and her tone grew firmer. "I had to try. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself."

Twilight simply stared at the mortal. She had expected overconfidence or a naive belief that she could escape a third time to be her reasoning, but not...this.

"You would give your life for her?" Twilight asked uncertainly.

"I would," Lyra confirmed strongly, her fear replaced with determination. "She's my friend, and I'd do anything for her."

"Friend?" Twilight breathed.

A look of understanding slowly dawned on Lyra's face. "You don't remember your friends, do you, Twilight? Your ties were so strong. Your feelings so deep. It was always such an inspiration to me."

"My friends?" Twilight's mind went back to the picture of the six of them standing together. "They were...my friends?"

...when I realized that you all...are my friends!
...but you're my number one assistant, and friend.
We've learned that friendship isn't always easy…

Twilight shook her head as her mind was assaulted by the fragmented memories, and she suddenly recalled the strange emotions that Spike evoked within her.

Were those feelings what constituted friends? Had she at one time felt similar feelings for those other ponies? Was that what Lyra and Trixie felt for one another now?

An underling unexpectedly swooped into view from above. Circling above and surveying the situation, he landed beside Trixie and bared his fangs. With a cry of surprise, Trixie toppled over and watched wide-eyed as he advanced.

"Trixie, no!" Lyra shouted. She gripped Twilight's uninjured foreleg. "Twilight, please—"

Twilight pulled her leg free of the mortal with disgust, then called to the underling, "Stop." The underling turned and bowed, clearly still believing her to be an Ascended. "I have unfinished business with that one." She indicated Lyra. "You may feed on this one."

"No..." she heard Lyra moan from behind.

“Yes, Twilight,” the underling said as he turned from Trixie and started toward Lyra.

Stepping aside to allow the underling to pass her, Twilight gripped the dagger still embedded in her foreleg and in one swift action, pulled it free and plunged it into his neck.

As the underling reared up in shock and clawed at his throat, Twilight viciously smashed his head against a tree. She slammed it into the trunk twice more before hearing the wet crunch of his splitting skull, and then flung the twitching corpse to the ground.

"Sweet Celestia," Trixie whispered, her jaw hanging open.

Twilight turned to find Lyra regarding her with renewed terror. "Get your...friend and get out of here."

Lyra blinked. "What? You're letting—"

"I said go," Twilight snapped. "Ask any of your stupid questions and I will kill you both."

With a vigorous nod, Lyra hastily climbed to her hooves and hurried to Trixie. As she helped her friend stand, she said, "Thank you, Twilight."

Instead of answering, Twilight turned her back and leaped into the air. As the first structures of Ponyville came into view, she struggled to make sense of her decision.

What am I doing? I just let two unicorns go. Unicorns! Where are these feelings coming from, and why, after all of these years, are my memories only now surfacing? What's happening to me?

She had wanted unicorn blood so badly that her fangs had ached, but once those fragmented memories had come, she had completely forgotten her thirst. She fretted for a short moment about what it would mean to lose her thirst until she remembered the bizarre nature of Discord's magic. If it could make a couch dance or cause her to belch a lightning bolt, then it was entirely possible that it could be the reason for the loss of her appetite.

As for her killing the underling, he had gotten what he deserved. It was unforgivable for an underling to interrupt an Ascended while she fed, and Twilight had swiftly dealt his penalty. His death had nothing to do with the mortals.

Satisfied with these self-explanations, Twilight swooped toward the street and landed gingerly in front of the Town Hall. She glanced at her foreleg and found the wound from the Elementium dagger was still open. With a frown, she watched a single drop of blood form and begin to run down her leg, then shrugged off the pain and marched up the stairs. She had suffered much more grievous wounds in the past, and would not allow such an insignificant injury to slow her.

Twilight paused just long enough to wipe the blood on the thick, black curtain covering the door frame before shoving it aside and entering the deserted room.

Scanning the room to ensure that nopony was hidden in shadow or on the ruined balconies above, Twilight caught sight of the Element of Magic laying on the seat of the stone throne. The jewel was still its muted, gray color, but unlike last time, it did not pulsate as she drew near.

"Look who's returned from the dead," came Mistress's deep, guttural voice as she emerged from the curtain on the far side of the room. At her side with her back straight, chest thrust out, and head held high was Rainbow Dash.

"Mistress," Twilight began. "I have information that—"

"Shut your mouth," Rainbow growled, looking at her as though she were a grub writhing on the floor. "You will not speak until Mistress allows it."

Afraid of angering Mistress, Twilight bit back her retort. Watching Rainbow sneer at her as she strutted alongside Mistress, Twilight found it hard to believe that she had ever felt for her what she felt for Spike.

"I've been aware of Discord and his foolish plans for some time," Mistress said. "I doubt you have anything useful to add."

"What?!" Twilight exclaimed, nearly rocked from her hooves. "You knew?"

Mistress grinned wickedly. "He's been lurking about just outside of town for a while now, sneaking in to search for the Element when he thinks it empty." She picked up the Element and held it up for Twilight to see. "I foresaw his coming in my dreams and placed this in the library's basement, knowing that he would never venture that far into town."

She tossed the Element back onto the throne. "He only still lives because I cannot find him. He knows that I can track him with his magic, and he somehow interferes with it. He can make me sense him in places that he's never been." Standing before her, Mistress prodded her painfully in the chest. "That's where you come in.

"I knew that he would not be able to resist the chance to turn one of my Ascended against me, so all I had to do was provide him with one." Mistress began to walk a small circle around her. "I don't know what possessed you to meddle with the Element, but it matters not. I had already chosen you as the Ascended I would sacrifice. It was clear that the dreams of your little dragon were chipping away at you, and soon you would have become little more than a liability."

A numbness enveloped Twilight as her heart seemed to come to a halt. Despite everything that she had done for her over the past decade, Mistress had 'chosen' her to be discarded and left for Discord's use.

That’s all I am to her, all I ever was. Bait. A piece of refuse cast into the gorge to fish out an enemy.

"But you haven't outlived your usefulness quite yet," Mistress continued. "There is still one last thing you are going to do for me." She turned away and began to walk toward the curtain at the back of the room. "You are going to tell Rainbow here exactly where Discord is, and then we'll be paying him a little visit."

As Rainbow stepped forward and cracked her hooves threatening, Twilight glared at the back of Mistress's head. "I was willing to die for you," she spat, shaking as a seething rage bubbled from deep within.

Mistress stopped and glanced back at her. "Well, now here's your chance." She turned to Rainbow. "Get the information, then kill her." Without another word, she disappeared behind the curtain.

Rainbow laughed as Twilight lowered into a defensive crouch. "Mistress told me that Discord's magic has weakened you." She spread her wings and grinned. "This is gonna be fun." Then she shot toward Twilight with lightning speed.

Overcome with an anger unlike anything she had ever felt before, Twilight grabbed Rainbow's mane, allowed herself to fall backward to the floor, and with a hind leg in Rainbow's stomach, flipped her across the room. Carried by her own momentum, Rainbow crashed into the wall with enough force to cause the crumbled balcony above to collapse on top of her.

In a fury, Twilight lifted the stone throne, and crossing the room in a few quick beats of her wings, slammed it down on Rainbow's back just as she emerged from the debris. The solid stone split in half from the force of the impact, and Rainbow collapsed and remained unmoving.

Hastily, Twilight scooped up the Element from the floor and soared out through a window, the shattering glass sounding like a cannon in the silent town.

Rainbow wouldn't be down for long, and Twilight knew that she couldn't fight her head on. No underling was a match for an Ascended. Her only chance was to reach Discord before Rainbow found her.

As she approached the outskirts of town, Twilight swooped toward the dried riverbed and took refuge under the partially collapsed bridge. Curling up beneath the largest portion of the bridge, Twilight struggled to make herself as small as possible, and then held still.

Mere seconds later, Rainbow slowed to a halt directly above her. "You can't hide forever, Twilight!" she shouted into the night. "I will find you, and I will return to Mistress with your head! Do you hear me, Twilight? I will never stop hunting you!"

It took all of Twilight's will to keep herself from rushing out to meet Rainbow's challenge. The humiliation of hiding from another vampony was almost too much to bear, but she knew that it was necessary to survive.

And she needed to survive. She wanted to take everything from Mistress, to make her feel small and powerless as her world fell apart around her. And she wanted to be there, to ensure that Mistress knew that it had been she that destroyed her.

Twilight clenched the Element of Magic tightly as she watched Rainbow disappear into the dead forest. She would collect the Elements of Harmony for Discord. She would help to revive the tree and bring back the sun.

And Mistress and the Ascended would die by her hooves.