Cinematic Adventures: The Conjuring

Another miraculous, sun-filled day blessed the peaceful kingdom of Equestria. The solar frame of the sun shined along the capital city of Canterlot. In the throne room of the mighty castle, Princess Twilight Sparkle sat upon the celestial throne with her mentor, Princess Celestia, at her side. After many adventures as of late, followed by word of the emergence of Equestria’s new threat, the diarchy of the sun decided it was time to train her pupil the ways of ruling over a nation.

After all, Twilight alone would rule over all Equestria by herself when Celestia and Luna fully step away from the throne. The two had already retired from a majority of their royal duties. But for the time being, they decided it was best to remain until Twilight Sparkle was fully capable to rule on her own.

Today’s lesson was to see if Twilight could run day court. Sure, Celestia was there should she need help. But mostly, she was going solo. Currently, a Pegasus mare, Snow Breeze by name, had tears streaming down her face as she stood at the foot of the stairway to the throne addressing the Princess of Friendship herself.

“So, Miss Snow Breeze, what brings you here today?” Twilight asked sweetly.

Snow Breeze steps forward, bowing lightly before responding.

“You see Princess,” The poor mare began, sobbing. “I come before you today in hopes that, with your permission, you’d be able to say a few kind words at my father’s funeral.”

Twilight could feel the pain and sadness radiating off the poor mare. Truth be told, it made Twilight feel a slight upset too. However, she knew as ruler she had to keep calm and collected for her subjects in order to maintain peace.

“I am truly sorry to hear of your father’s passing,” Twilight said apologetically.

“Thank you, your grace,” Snow Breeze sniffed. “He was a very simple pony who didn’t have many friends or even close acquaintances. But he always kept a smile on his face, always believed in your legitimacy as a Princess. It was always his hope you would speak at his funeral when he passed.”

Twilight pulled her glance away from the crying mare, turning over to her mentor as if silently asking ‘What should I do?’. Celestia just gave a smile and nod, to which Twilight nodded back. She turns back to Snow Breeze, offering a warm smile.

“I would be very happy and honored to speak at his funeral. You need only provide me the information about when it is, and I promise to be there.”

More tears streamed from Snow Breeze’s eyes, but this time they were of joy rather than sadness. Once again, she bows to the Princess of Friendship.

“Thank you ever so much, Princess Twilight. I truly feel you will make an excellent ruler.”

A Pegasus guard escorts the young stallion from the throne room as two more closed the large doors as they depart. When the doors finally close, Twilight released a huge sigh before slumping back in the throne. Today’s day court had been a long one so far and Twilight was drained, physically and emotionally. She turns toward one of the royal guards to her left with half-closed eyes.

“How many more patrons are left?” She asked tiredly.

The guard produced a clipboard, flipping a few pages before looking back at the young lavender Princess.

“After that one we are left with one hundred and sixteen to go,” He informed.

Twilight sighed again, slumping even further into the chair. Celestia released a giggle off to the side.

“How did you do this for the last thousand years?” Twilight groaned.

“It takes a great deal of practice and patience to handle as many patrons as we must on a daily basis,” Celestia explained. “As a Princess, it is your duty to assist all the ponies of Equestria in whatever way you can. Whether it be passing judgment on others for the greater good or simply allowing them a few moments of your time, there is no small measure of help you can offer.”

Twilight slowly turned toward her teacher with a half-smile and a rather tired expression.

“Sorry, I just never expected day court to be so exhausting.”

Once again, Celestia merely giggled.

“It can be quite tiring at times. Just wait for the days when I will no longer be here to offer my assistance.”

Though she would never actually admit it or even try to show it, Twilight Sparkle dreaded that day when her mentor would not be around to help her anymore. Ever since she was a filly, she looked to Celestia for guidance and wisdom. Through all that time, Celestia was always there to give it to her. Now with her and Luna retiring, soon enough Twilight will be left to deal with everything alone and she only hoped she’d be able to deliver.

“But if it makes you feel any better, I say you handled today’s court very well,” Celestia praised.

“I’m sure there were a few mistakes I made along the way,” Twilight chuckled.

“That’s why we began this training in the first place. I wish to see what you still need improvement on and what you are already capable of.”

Just then, the door to the throne room opened and another royal guard trots up to the throne, bowing before their presence.

“Princesses Twilight and Celestia,” He spoke. “You have a visitor.”

This caught both the princesses by surprise because apart from the regular patrons of the day, they didn’t expect a ‘visitor’ in a sense. Naturally, they both faced each other with confusion before responding.

“You may escort them in,” Celestia said.

The guard bowed and trotted out of the room. After a moment, he enters again but with a very familiar face. Walking beside him was a yellowish-orange unicorn mare with teal blue eyes and a fiery mane. It was a face Twilight and Celestia both knew well, as they both smile at the sight.

“Sunset! It’s so nice to see you again!” Twilight smiled.

Sunset Shimmer walks toward the throne as Twilight and Celestia climb down the stairs to meet her at the bottom where they all nuzzle each other.

“Nice to see you again too, Twilight,” Sunset smiled, turning to Celestia. “Hello, Princess Celestia.”

“Hello Sunset,” Celestia smiled. “I’m so glad you could come.”

“How are things going in Canterlot High?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Eh, their going alright I suppose,” Sunset shrugged. “The Pinkie Pie from that world decided one day that the best way to get the school ramped up for the big pep rally was to hop on her bike and literally “ramp up” a giant ramp over the school and into a vat of chocolate frosting.”

This caused the three mares to burst out laughing at the very image. True, crazy things happen in Equestria on a daily basis. But sometimes, the human version of their world provides some very peculiar and hilarious mishaps.

Which is why ‘Pony Life’ will probably never measure up with their TTG style comedy.

Eh… Let’s not talk about that program here.

*Clears throat* Anyways, soon the ponies were finally able to stop laughing.

“And what of your studies, my student?” Celestia asked.

“A lot of them are going great so far,” Sunset answered. “I’ve taken this new class, Paranormal Research 101, which I admit is pretty cool so far. Although I really have to question what that has to do with preparing for the future. Anyway, what’s happening here?”

“Well, today I’m training Twilight the means to govern all of Equestria on her own,” Celestia responded. “At least until Luna and I fully retire shortly.”

Sunset looked over toward Twilight, with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“Twilight Sparkle, training to be future ruler of Equestria are you? Hmm… May I add a suggestion your highness?”

Twilight chuckled a bit at her friend’s teasing tone.

“And what would that be?” Twilight asked.

“How about outlawing any and all forms of video game competitions? Everyone in Canterlot High knows I’m the best at gaming. Why should I put my title on the line all the time?”

Once again, the entire group burst out laughing. Soon enough, the laughing ceased once more as Celestia placed a wing over her former apprentice.

“It’s always nice to have you visit Sunset, and I really must say that I…”

Then, for some strange reasons, Celestia found her words cut off as some weird sensation ravaged her body. All at once, the Princess started feeling searing pain rocket through her entire being and she would have screamed if not for the fact she felt completely frozen.

“Princess, are you okay?” Twilight asked concerned.

“Princess Celestia?” Sunset asked.

But no response came from the sun princess. All that happened was that she toppled over to the side and started convulsing violently. Twilight and Sunset both screamed, rushing to her side as her magenta eyes started rolling to the back of her head.

“Guards! Get a doctor quickly!” Twilight shouted.

The royal guards ran rampant from the hall to fetch a doctor, as Twilight and Sunset stayed beside their mentor. Celestia’s seizure increased, as her vision quickly began to leave. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness were the concerned faces of her two students, looking at her with fear and concern. And then… Everything went black…

<>

Slowly and groggily, Celestia regained consciousness. Her eyes opened slowly, as her vision came back to her. The first thing her cognitive brain was able to ascertain was complete, utter darkness. Absolutely nothing to be seen as far as the eye could see. Celestia looked around, to see if there was something for her to find with no success. She slowly climbed back to her hooves, taking a few cautious steps about her surroundings.

Suddenly, a bright light shined through the entire area and Celestia had to shield her eyes with one wing. Dropping the wing, she was finally able to get a good look at where she was. She appeared to be in a basement of some house, with clutter everywhere. An old piano sits off in the corner, near some old bookshelves, and many household furniture covered in old sheets.

“How did I get in this bizarre place?” Celestia asked herself.

The sound of creaking is heard and Celestia slowly turns her head toward the source. At the top of a flight of stairs, a door seemed to open on its own. As eerie as it was, Celestia slowly ascended the wooden steps and peeked her head out through the door. Assured that no one else was around, she steps out of the basement and takes a look at the house she was in. The house is clearly old if the peeling paint and rotting wood didn’t give it away.

“Whoever owns this house could stand to repaint and reupholster it.”

Celestia took a step forward and ending up slipping on something slick. She gave a cry, as she fell to the wooden floor with a ‘thud’. Groaning, she slowly got back up and looked down to see what she slipped on. When her eyes landed on what it was, she was so horrified her eyes bugged out of her head and her hoof flew to her mouth to keep from screaming. What she slipped on was a large pool of blood flowing from the lifeless bodies of a poor woman and a little child. Celestia looked in horror at the dead bodies, noticing the little boy’s body appeared to have been suffocated while the woman had her wrists slit thus explaining the blood.

What happened next was perhaps the most frightening thing the sun Princess had ever seen in the thousands of years of her life. The woman’s dead body slowly ascends to an upright position. Celestia slowly backed away in fear, as the woman’s head slowly turned to look her right in the eye.

“Look what she made me do…”

Having seen enough, Celestia ran from the room as fast as her legs could carry her. Thankfully, at the end of a long hall, there appeared to be an open door leading outside. She bursts out the front door and skids to a halt. Looking around outside, she noticed all the dead trees littering the grounds of the house. There was also a lake that sat alongside a large oak tree. However, the landscape around the house was not what caught Celestia’s attention. What she saw was much more horrifying and morbid.

The grounds were also littered with the dead bodies of many other men, women, and children. Many of them appeared to have recently died, while others were decaying. Tears freely flowed down Celestia’s angelic face at the tragically horrible sight. When she lifted her head, so as not to see the many bodies on the ground, she was even more horrified to see another body hanging from a large branch of the dead oak tree. The body was that of a woman in a dirty white nightdress and ragged looking hair. All Celestia could do was look toward the hanging body, as her tears fell.

Suddenly, the body slowly began to spin on the rope until it faced her dead on. Celestia screamed at the horrid, demonic looking face staring back at her. Then the rope holding the body snapped and it fell to the ground. Only the body didn’t fall lifeless as she expected it to, but rather it stood high on its feet. It let out an ear-piercing demonic roar as it ran towards her. All Celestia could do was scream as the demon lunged at her.

<>

Princess Celestia bolted straight up in bed, screaming at the top of her lungs. This caused all the other ponies in the room to jump from their seats in shock. Celestia breathed heavily, looking around and realized she was lying in her bed in her personal chambers at Canterot Castle. Surrounding her were the Mane Six, with Spike, along with Sunset Shimmer, her sister Luna, Shining Armor, Cadence, Flurry Heart, a few royal guards, and a doctor. The doctor and Luna rushed to her side, attempting to get her to lay back down.

“Princess, you really shouldn’t be sitting up so soon,” He said seriously.

“Listen to him sister,” Luna said concerned. “I’ve never heard of you collapsing and experiencing a seizure before.”

Celestia laid back on her pillow, allowing the doctor to place an ice pack on her forehead. He begins running a few more tests, just to ensure she’s truly alright. All the while, Celestia kept crying.

“It was so horrible,” She sobbed. “Absolutely horrible.”

“You’ve had quite a traumatic experience Auntie,” Cadence assured. “It’s completely natural to feel that way.”

“No Cadence, this wasn’t a traumatic experience. It was far worse than anything I’ve ever seen.”

This drew every pony’s attention, as they leaned toward Celestia’s bedside to see what she meant.

“What do you mean Princess?” Twilight asked.

Celestia turned to her student, looking her straight in the eye. Twilight could see genuine horror and fear in her mentor’s gaze.

“When I passed out, something strange happened to me and I woke up in this horrible place,” Celestia explained. “At first, I was just in the basement of an old house. But when I made my way upstairs, there was a woman and a child laying in a pool of blood. I ran out the house, only to find dead bodies littered on the grounds. There was a woman hanging from a tree and when I looked at her, all I could sense was hatred and evil.”

As Celestia explained what she had seen, every pony look horrified. Cadence had to cover Flurry’s little ears, so she wouldn’t have to hear such horrible things.

“That sounds absolutely awful,” Shining gasped.

“Having governed the dream realm for thousands of years, I’ve seen many horrible nightmares,” Luna pointed out. “But even I dear sister have never experienced anything as terrible as the events you described.”

Celestia nodded, slowly sitting up from bed.

“The only thing is that it didn’t feel like a dream, Lulu,” Celestia confessed. “It felt completely real.”

“Goodness!” Rarity gasped.

“What do y’all mean by that?” Applejack asked curiously.

“Sister, are you saying that you believe all these events actually occurred?” Luna asked. “You don’t mean…”

“Indeed I do Luna,” Celestia nodded. “I believe I’ve just had a vision and if what has taken place is true, this must be investigated at once.”

“How could we possible investigate something you’ve only seen in your head?” Twilight asked.

“What I saw seems to have originated in another universe,” Celestia suggested. “I believe our best bet is to use the television to travel to this dimension and stop whatever’s happening there.”

Every pony turned to each other, concerned with the idea. If this strange force were strong enough to cause the all-powerful goddess of the sun to endure a horrible seizure, this could be the most dangerous foe they’ve encountered on their journeys. But they also knew if they didn’t do something, who knows what will happen? Twilight was the first to step up to the Princess’ side.

“You can count on us, Princess,” Twilight said determined.

The other five mares, especially the baby dragon, turned to her as if she is the craziest mare in Equestria. The only pony who didn’t was Sunset Shimmer, who steps up to her side.

“If you’re going to do something about it, I’m coming along with you.”

“Are you sure about this Sunset?” Twilight asked. “I should warn you these journeys can get very dangerous. If what Princess Celestia says is true, this could be the worst one yet.”

“Well, I believe this is a good opportunity to put those supernatural studies I’ve been doing to good use. Besides, Celestia is my teacher too. If this truly makes her upset, I want to do whatever I can to fix this.”

Twilight smiled at her fiery friend’s determination and willingness to help. True, when they first met, they didn’t get along and formed a huge rivalry in Canterlot High. But once the dust settled and they actually formed a friendship, these two stuck together through thick and thin.

“How can I say no to a pony willing to help?” Twilight smiled.

“You can’t…” Sunset smirked.

<>

The very next day, Twilight and Sunset were in the library of her palace working on the television. While Twilight collaborated with the machine, Sunset worked on the location settings to which they’d be traveling to.

“You guys seriously got sucked into this thing?” Sunset asked. “And you’ve been on five different adventures to other worlds so far?”

“You bet!” Twilight responded.

“Wow! The most exciting thing I’ve done these past few months is helping human Fluttershy catch an escaped ferret at the animal shelter.”

Twilight laughed a bit, just before the rest of her friends walked in. She noticed many of them sharing concerned, if not frightened, looks. She stopped working for a moment and approached her friends.

“You guys ready for this?” Twilight asked.

The others turned to each other nervously before responding.

“Look Twilight, the girls and I have been talking,” Spike spoke honestly. “We don’t think this is such a good idea.”

“Why not?” Twilight frowned. “We’ve already had five adventures. This shouldn’t be any different.”

“True, but none of those adventures ever caused the princess to have a seizure,” Rainbow points out.

“Yeah, that was super-duper scary when we first got your message to come to Canterlot,” Pinkie said dramatically. “I was in such a hurry I almost dropped my fresh batch of cupcakes.”

Fluttershy didn’t say very much, merely hid behind Rarity who did her best to comfort her frightened friend.

“If it helps ease your minds, you won’t be going alone.”

The group turns to the door, where the voice came from. Before their eyes they saw none other than Princess Celestia entering the library looking much better than she did the other day.

“Princess Celestia!” Rarity gasped, in shock. “What are you doing here?”

“Shouldn’t you be recovering?” Twilight asked seriously.

“I am here because I’ve decided to accompany you on this journey,” Celestia smiled.

“No Princess, I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Twilight shook her head.

“Just yesterday, y’all almost died from this thing,” Applejack agreed. “We don’t want y’all comin’ along if it affects yah that much.”

“I appreciate your thoughtful concern for me every pony,” Celestia nodded. “But I am more than capable of accompanying you on this trip.”

But Twilight Sparkle just shook her head again.

“I’m sorry, Princess. I still don’t think it’s a good idea; I don’t think even Princess Luna would want you to go.”

Princess Celestia, on the other hoof, merely scoffed.

“The amount of things I’ve done, even against Luna’s wishes, would surprise you all,” Celestia chuckled.

Celestia then approaches her student, placing a hoof upon her shoulder.

“Twilight, I saw the horrors in these visions and I most certainly will not allow you to go without me. If you’re to battle the powers of evil, you will need all the light you can get.”

Twilight thought of what her mentor was saying. She couldn’t deny her mentor was absolutely right. Here they were about to enter another world, against some unknown force of evil they couldn’t even understand. If there was any hope of survival, they need all the help they can get. Twilight looks up toward her teacher with a half-hearted smile.

“Alright princess,” Twilight nodded. “You can come with us, so long as you promise you’ll be careful.”

Celestia gave Twilight a nod and a smirk before leaning down to give her an affectionate nuzzle. The rest of the ponies, Spike included, stood beside the two princesses as the machine sparked to life and a familiar portal whirled up. The princesses, Spike, and Sunset all faced each other before they slowly stepped forth into the portal.

Little did they know, there were horrors waiting for them. Horrors far worse than anything they’ve ever imagined…

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