The Light of the Night

It was eight am in the morning by the time Twilight Sparkle awoke. And as Twilight Sparkle adjusted her glasses, which were tilted after last night’s ‘sleep’, for the first time in her life she felt amazed. And the activities she shared with Sunset that night shown, all their clothes cast about all over the floor. Shirts… Pants… Bras… Everything. There Twilight was, laying under the sheets, so happy that suddenly all the cuts along her body didn’t matter anymore.

She turned toward the side, seeing Sunset Shimmer open her eyes and when she saw Twilight Sparkle, she smiled.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Sunset sighed, happily.

“Hmm… Good morning,” Twilight answered, with a blush.

“How about some breakfast?”

Twilight nodded, as she watched Sunset pull herself from the bed. Admiring the unique body structure from the top of her neck and down below the waist, the front side was her ‘favorite’ part. Twilight watched as Sunset picked up her clothes that were tossed aside, dressing herself while Twilight still laid under the sheets. As she adjusted the shirt over her head, Sunset turned towards Twilight with a wink before making her way down to the kitchen.

“I’m the luckiest girl in the world…” Twilight thought, to herself.

<>

It wasn’t long before Twilight Sparkle made her way downstairs, after having fixed her hair and got dressed. Everyone else was waiting in the kitchen, having had their breakfast already. But the moment Twilight appeared through the doorway, Sunset had a fresh plate of food prepared for her: French Toast, sunny side up eggs, blueberry pancakes, sliced bananas, hash browns, breakfast sausage, and a few strips of bacon. It was a lot of food, but Twilight Sparkle was hungry.

“So, when do we start?” Twilight asked, taking her plate.

“Seven thirty,” Applejack answered. “We agreed we’d wait after you had some breakfast to fill ya up. You were mighty tuckered out from what we heard.”

“We’re lucky Sunset insisted we’d save some before Pinkie ate it all,” Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes.

“Dashie! You make me sound like a pig!” Pinkie whined.

As Twilight sat down at the table, grabbing some silverware for her breakfast, she saw that the rest of the trays were indeed cleared out. Now Twilight was guilty of not having good table manners, some days she’d study so long she’d forget to eat. But Pinkie Pie… Now she was a contender when it comes to who can eat. Still, Twilight was pleased Sunset saved a plate for her, everything looked delicious and the fact it was made while she was getting ready made her feel special.

“So… How did you ‘sleep’ last night?” Pinkie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Huh--? Oh, it was alright,” Twilight responded. “How about you?”

“Slept like a rock last night,” Pinkie replied. “Rock ‘candy’ that is, mmm-mmm! Although… There is something that caught my attention.”

“Really?” Sunset asked. “What’s that?”

“I couldn’t help but notice you weren’t in your room last night, Sunset.”

“Excuse me?”

“As a matter of fact, where were YOU last night, Twilight?”

“Huh?” Twilight asked, nervously. “Well…”

“What about you, Sunset?” Pinkie asked, suspiciously. “What were YOU doing last night?”

“Pinkie? What in tarnation are ya getting’ at?” Applejack asked.

“Ah, ah, ah! Patience, Applejack. I’m just getting warmed up. So, from what I understand, you two, neither you Sunset nor you Twilight, have ‘any’ idea what either of you did last night? Hmm???”

Suddenly, that bubble-blowing pipe and Sherlock Holms hat was found on Pinkie Pie, as she examined the two girls closely.

“Not… That I… Know of,” Twilight replied, loosening her shirt.

“Me neither,” Sunset nervously chuckled.

“… Really…?” Pinkie pushed, staring intensely.

“Forget about it, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash, annoyed. “If they don’t know, they don’t. Let’s just enjoy our breakfast.”

“I must agree with Rainbow Dash, darling,” Rarity replied, yawning. “We only just woke up and the day is still young.”

“You girls go ahead and eat,” Pinkie brushed off. “I’ve got to ‘strip’ this mystery away even if it takes the entire chapter.”

“’Strip’?” Sunset asked, dumbfounded. “That’s an oddly specific word.”

“Oh, I meant what I said, Sunset Shimmer. And I think you know too…”

“What are you talking about?”

“Come on, don’t be shy. You and I both know you’ve got nothing to hide—”

“Pinkie, what do you mean?” Fluttershy asked.

“On the contrary, my dear Fluttershy,” Pinkie declared. “I have this whole mystery figured out. The way they’re acting, their body language, how close they are, that small tuff of hair on Twilight’s own hair, I can officially declare… THESE TWO ARE IN LOVE!”

Twilight and Sunset did a spit take, spilling their juice along the counter while all the other girls jumped out in surprise. The girls coughed into a napkin, one each, trying to clear their throats as Pinkie points triumphantly towards the two, confirming her suspicions.

“P-P-Pinke, h-how did you--?” Twilight began.

“It was pretty obvious. I first confirmed my suspicions when Sunset Shimmer wasn’t in bed.”

“Huh?!” Sunset spoke, wide-eyed. “You didn’t—”

“Yep, sure did.”

“But how on Earth did you—” Rarity asked.

“Elementary my dear, Rarity,” Pinkie interrupts. “I had a case of the munchies last night, so I went to the kitchen for a quick snack. I was heading back to the living room when I heard a commotion upstairs. I went upstairs to see who it was, but I noticed Sunset’s bedroom was empty and the noise I heard came from last night. So, I went over to the other room and jiggled the lock, don’t ask, and low and behold, you two were making out like in one of those lewd ‘M’ rated fanfic stories! Am I wrong?”

Twilight and Sunset turned to each other, embarrassed beyond words, lowing their heads in shame. There was no use denying Pinkie’s suspicions, they don’t know how she did it, but she really cracked the pinata on their late night escapades. The girls were silent for a moment… But then they burst out laughing, not even caring. Twilight and Sunset were clearly out of the blue, as if they are missing the punchline.

“What’s so funny?” Twilight asked.

“Oh Twilight, poor naïve Twilight,” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “We knew all along!”

“B-But how?” Sunset asked.

“Girls, it was pretty obvious from the get-go.”

“I didn’t want to say anything,” Fluttershy replied, weakly. “But it wasn’t hard to tell whenever you two were with each other. I just never thought it would go ‘that’ far.”

Now this was the strangest way to start a morning. Twilight Sparkle figured word of this would catch on, but even she didn’t think her friends would talk about this ‘now’.

“But how could you have known?” Twilight asked. “It’s not like we did anything ‘together’ in your presence.”

“Oh please,” Pinkie Pie brushed off. “You two are so tied together like soles on a shoe, you might as well have a neon sign that practically says, ‘Couple’. Ask all the readers on FimFiction: They’ll vouch for me… Except the ‘FlashLight’ shippers.”

“… All Pinkie’s randomness aside,” Rainbow butted in. “It’s pretty easy to tell since you two are always together.”

To say that both Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer were both dumbfounded was a huge understatement.

“I believe what the dears are trying to say is this, darling,” Rarity replied, with a suggestive look. “If you two really want to date, you don’t need our permission at all. I could just imagine all the fine dresses I could fashion just for you two dears. Like, let’s say if you wanted to go to dinner, dare I say… And maybe skip to ‘dessert’.”

“W-Well, actually we—” The two girls stuttered.

Poor Twilight and Sunset tried desperately to come with a better explanation but failed miserably. Just then, Fluttershy steps toward them.

“Don’t worry girls. We’re your best friends and we’ll support whatever relationship you want to have. But if you’re worried about what everyone in town would think, this won’t leave the house. We promise not to push you two if you aren’t ready. Baby steps.”

Hearing this, and from Fluttershy especially, was a warm welcome relief for the two girls.

“I’m glad you all understand,” Sunset replied, then thought. “But Pinkie, how else did you know I wasn’t in my room last night? Are you sure that’s all you’re telling me?”

“Well… Maybe there’s a bit of a plot hole worth mentioning,” Pinkie replied, sheepishly. “The truth is: I ‘did’ see you two go upstairs and make your way up to Twilight’s room, not where Sunset was sleeping. And I did see you two in bed making out like one of those nature pictures… And I saw all your clothes on the floor.”

Everyone’s eyes widened hearing that and the blush on the two girls’ faces grew deeper. So deep in fact, they could barely look at their friends, let alone each other.

“W-We were just keeping each other company,” Twilight explained. “You know, just in case—”

But the reactions on everyone’s faces were as clear as day: Rainbow Dash snickered, while Fluttershy blushed. Suggestive looks were on Rarity’s faces, having been a huge supporter of romantic ventures, while Applejack was confused over the entire ordeal. Pinkie Pie, ironically, just stood there with the straightest face possible.

“W-We--?” Pinkie asked.

“Yes… ‘We’… Were just keeping each other warm,” Sunset added, realizing. “Wait…”

“Okay, lookee here, sugar cubes,” Applejack cut in. “Wutever you two did is yer business and yers alone. How’s about we just eat and deal with this another time?”

“Agreed!” They all nodded, in unison.

The two girls took a moment to recompose themselves, before going back to eating. Still, it was clear how the state of their relationship was and that their friends know more than enough. Course, if it were obvious between their friends, they couldn’t imagine what the whole town had thought of them all this time.

<>

After finishing their breakfast, all the girls sat in the living room, attempting to formulate a plan of attack against Midnight Sparkle.

“What should we take with us?” Fluttershy asked.

“That’s… Actually, a good question,” Rainbow Dash nodded. “It’s bound to be a long trip.”

“Hopefully, it won’t take more than a chapter or two,” Pinkie points out. “But we’ll definitely need to bring the essentials. We’ll some guns, the weapons, the knives…”

“PINKIE PIE!” Rarity gasped. “We’re not doing anything that rash!”

“… Party pooper.”

“But all the same, what should we do?” Rarity asked.

The girls needed a plan fast, knowing if they didn’t act soon, it would already be too late.

“All we know is this: Whatever we plan, it must be thorough and accordingly,” Sunset explained. “Going in like lunatics won’t do us any good.”

“So, wut do we do then?” Applejack asked.

“Anything and everything it takes. The fate of our world is at stake.”

“Too true,” Fluttershy nodded. “I’d hate to share the same world as the creepy, meanie she-demon… No offense, Twilight.”

“… None taken,” Twilight frowned, sarcastically.

“I just hope we finish in time for lunch,” Pinkie said. “Or at least till this story is over. Whichever comes first.”

“You do make a valid point, Pinkie,” Twilight said. “We’ll need only the essentials to fight Midnight, so we’ll need to travel right. All the same, we can’t just go after her as is.”

“Don’t worry, Twilight,” Sunset assured. “We’ll figure this out; we just need to form a strategy.”

“Okay, here’s a crazy idea,” Rainbow Dash suggested. “Why don’t we all just pony up and just use our powers against her? It worked before.”

“Oh yea,” Applejack nodded. “With our magic, I reckon we should stand a chance against—”

“That won’t work—” Sunset answered, shaking her head.

“Why not?” Rainbow Dash asked, confused.

Sunset Shimmer wasn’t the only one with a hint of uncertainty. Twilight too knew the answer all too well. Nobody would be able to miss that.

“Remember when Midnight Sparkle absorbed our abilities with my amulet?” Sunset brought up.

All the girls nod reluctantly, thinking back to the Friendship Games. Twilight sighed in a depressive manner, recalling how her desire to want to understand the magic caused all this trouble in the first place.

“She’ll more than likely expect us to use our powers against her,” Sunset continued. “Even if she didn’t, there’s a strong chance she’ll just absorb our magic and there are several factors to consider. First – if we use even the tiniest hint of magic, she’ll consume it. Second – if we transform, she’ll ‘take’ our magic. And third – once she has our magic, she’ll be unstoppable. Even if we could overcome these issues, that still leaves ONE major problem that can be overlooked so easily.”

In that moment, Sunset turned towards Twilight, the worry and fear was obvious on her face. She knew what would happen to Twilight if she makes full contact with Midnight Sparkle again.

“Unlike what happened to me, I ‘did’ have control over my abilities when I was a monster,” Sunset added. “Albeit, limitedly controlled, whereas Twilight has more knowledge and control over it than I did. All the same, there’s no telling what Midnight Sparkle could do to her. She could have a spell set that even if we could beat her, it’ll kill Twilight too.”

Everyone was shocked over that statement, even if Twilight didn’t take that into account. It was all reeling so quickly. The fact that if it what Sunset is true and this could happen, she could be wiped out along with Midnight Sparkle. After all, this more demon is more cunning than what Sunset and the other girls have faced given that they share the same body.

“Let’s say she does have that kinda magic,” Applejack spoke, scratching her. “Ain’t like we can beat her with a spell just the same. I doubt anythin’ we bring could come close to actually hurtin’ her. What do we do then?”

“To be honest, I really don’t know…” Sunset replied. “However, we can’t sit here and do nothing either. Twilight’s life is on the line, much less the world. Even if our lives are at risk too, I know that together we can beat Midnight Sparkle!”

“But just as well, what ‘can’ we use that isn’t magic-related?” Rarity asked, twirling her hair.

The girls pondered that question, as they stood still in their seats. They couldn’t figure out just what to use against Midnight Sparkle, knowing the things she could do with their own magic.

“What if we tried taking the amulet?” Twilight suggested. “To use the magic against her?”

“How could that work?” Sunset asked. “Wouldn’t we need the amulet to get into your mind?”

“That being the case, if we could somehow sneak our way around her, without giving away our positions, I’m thinking there’s a chance we could take the amulet and use that advantage against her. Absorb her magic and lock her in the same place she came.”

“That’s… Actually, not a ‘bad’ idea. There’s just ‘one’ problem: How do we do that? Since you and Midnight are the same being.”

“We’d need someone to distract her, and I believe I’m the girl to do it.”

“By yourself? I don’t know…”

“What other choice do we have? Midnight Sparkle was made through my curiosity and negative emotions. It’s high time I owned up to my responsibility of unleashing her into the world in the first place.”

“Yeah, but you’re still putting yourself in jeopardy!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “It’s suicide!”

“If anyone has any other ideas, you have the floor.”

“Well…” Fluttershy spoke, thinking. “What if someone stays behind to keep an eye on you?”

“I have to do this alone.”

“For what reason?” Rainbow asked. “We’re not taking no for an answer, Twilight.”

“But if it turns out to be a trap, any of you could—”

“We’re not backing away from this, Twilight. We go in as two teams: One for the amulet, the other for Midnight Sparkle. Period… End of story.”

Rainbow Dash was so stubborn, then again, they ‘all’ were. And for what reason? Twilight Sparkle was willing to take responsibility for her actions, all on her. Yet they refused to let her take the initiative. Twilight just couldn’t understand what these girls could even do, any more than she could.

“Look Twi, I’m not an idiot,” Rainbow spoke, calmer. “I get why you want to do this, that you feel the need to atone for your own mistakes. But you don’t have to do this alone just to prove anything. You let us help, our chances of beating Midnight could be more effective. Don’t deny it, Twilight. You know I’m right.”

“I do, but—”

“’But’ nothing. Face it, Twilight: Whether you like it or not, it’s our responsibility as much as yours. You need our help.”

“Please Twilight, you know you can count on us,” Fluttershy assured. “We’ll help you every step of the way.”

“You know you can depend on us, darling,” Rarity added.

Deep down Twilight Sparkle knew they can help, but Midnight Sparkle is the devil incarnate. She’s smarter than her friends combined, quicker even. To top it all off: Her strength cannot be measured under any scale. Even if Midnight couldn’t absorb all their magic, they wouldn’t stand a sliver of a chance. Twilight didn’t want to be so negative, but the reality is… Facing Midnight head on is easier said than done.

“Twilight, you ain’t got a reason to carry this burden alone,” Applejack said. “We’re here for ya, no matter wut.”

“Yeah, like cream cheese frosting on a double chocolate brownie fudge cake!” Pinkie said, smiling. “You can’t have one good thing without the other, we go together just like that!”

“Twilight, no matter how dangerous it gets,” Sunset began, smiling. “Our friends and I won’t abandon you. We’re all behind you, one hundred percent.”

Twilight could not believe her eyes: Neither Sunset nor any of her friends were willing to back down, no matter what excuse Twilight came up with. Not even Fluttershy, the most timid of the entire group, would abandon Twilight Sparkle. Twilight should’ve known better, thinking back to what Sunset said about keeping secrets. At the end of the day, Sunset Shimmer was right all along: Twilight Sparkle was being selfish, trying to atone for her sins alone.

Now looking back, while still uncertain, Twilight knew these girls were about to run head-on into the most dangerous journey of their lives. But neither one of them cared of the consequences, so long as they feel this mission ‘can’ be accomplished. Not just by one girl or the other, but all together helping each other, and Twilight especially.

“Thank you, girls,” Twilight said, with a small smile. “I guess more heads are better than one.”

Sunset nodded, placing a soft hand upon Twilight’s shoulder. She gave Twilight that very same smile given to Twilight ever since they got to know each other.

“Well, with that being said, I do have ‘one’ idea,” Sunset said, confidently.

“What is that?” Twilight asked.

“Mind you it’s a bit risky, but it should provide some useful input should it work.”

Sunset paused for a brief moment, looking around as if she were expecting someone.

“She’s not listening, is she?” Sunset whispered.

“Not that I know of,” Twilight answered, truthfully. “I can’t sense her now.”

Either way, Twilight hoped whatever Sunset could come up with would be useful. Any help she can get will do her some good.

“Remember what I told you the other night?” Sunset asked. “How I somehow saw your dream?”

Twilight nodded, as Sunset continued calmly.

“For some time, since the Friendship Games, I’ve developed this… New power. I wasn’t aware at the time, I only just found out recently when I had another nightmare. At first, I had no idea what it is. But somehow, it reacts to the thoughts Twilight had, as if I can read her mind. To put it simply, I think I’ve developed… Telepathy.”

“Telepathy?” Twilight asked, surprised. “How long have you had this power?”

“Difficult to say. Probably ever since you first turned into Midnight Sparkle. It just came out of nowhere.”

“And, can you use this power against Midnight?”

“Not sure. But if we can, there’s a slight chance Midnight might catch on.”

“But if she doesn’t,” Rainbow butted in, confidently. “That give us the edge we need.”

“Maybe so, but that doesn’t mean Midnight’s stupid. She could lay out a trap at any point; she could even be listening right now.”

“Even if she did, not sayin’ she is,” Applejack spoke. “We’ll always find a way to overcome her. Won’t we?”

“We’ve faced scary creatures like her before,” Fluttershy noted. “Why would she be any different?”

“Remember: This is Midnight Sparkle,” Sunset advised, worriedly. “She’s basically an evil version of Twilight, the Edward Hyde to Henry Jekyll. Meaning all that negative energy that made Midnight as she is now makes her stronger and smarter than any creature we’ve ever faced. We won’t know what she’ll do to us unless we find a way to stay one step ahead of her. Since she knows how our elements work, fighting against her won’t be easy.”

“But we have to try, or we’ll be doomed for sure,” Rarity said. “It’s just… What ‘can’ we do that she wouldn’t expect?”

They pondered on the question, sitting around trying to think of an answer to this tiny dilemma. And the more they thought about it, the more they acknowledged just how powerful Midnight was growing by the minute. It’s all a matter of time before Midnight has the strength to take over Twilight’s body and use her to destroy not only this world, but perhaps even the ‘other’ world too. Twilight sighed, knowing too much time has passed by now.

“… I say we just give it a shot.”

“What?” Sunset asked, stunned.

“You heard me; I said let’s try it out.”

“But… You said yourself that the risks are too great. What if she blocks me out?”

Twilight merely shook her head, not even fearing what will happen to her anymore.

“So long as it’s possible to seal her away, I say we’ve got a chance. Let’s see if—”

“Do you really think your little idea will work?”

Out of nowhere, Twilight heard Midnight’s voice, emanating from this very room. Her very presence wrapped her like a tourniquet. Just then, she saw her: Midnight Sparkle, sitting casually on the kitchen counter. Even worse: Her friends could see her too, the sadistic yet calm demoness revealing herself before her friends.

“You think I’d sit idly by, just so you could seal me away, you’ve got another thing coming. You know I don’t fear your friends; one flick of my fingers and I can make them disappear, just like that. Know this: What I do to your little friends is NOT my doing. You, little star, are the sole reason I exist in the first place? I’m merely a vessel, I own nothing… And nobody.”

“What do you mean?” Sunset asked, confused.

“How is that gonna turn us against her?” Rainbow Dash added, skeptically.

Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes, evading the look Midnight gave her. She knew she was being selfish, something she can’t deny. But she knew it had to be done, confirmed by the look she eventually gave back to Midnight.

“We’re giving it a shot, whether you want me to or not, Midnight,” Twilight warned. “We’ll find a way to beat you, even if it takes an eternity!”

“Do you not hear ‘any’ word I say? YOU are the reason for the madness. You’ve been lying to yourself and everyone around you, all to shift the blame as far from you as possible. You cannot reject what’s been part of you all along.”

It was too undeniable… Midnight Sparkle was telling the truth. No matter what Twilight said, she kept fabricating one lie after another. Twilight had no idea what to do. Before she could say anything, all the girls stood in front of her, taking a defensive stance before Midnight could subject her of more verbal abuse.

“You may be part of her,” Sunset stated, standing beside Twilight. “But you have no right to terrorize her, harming her with every nightmare you fabricate. I—no, ‘we” won’t let you!”

“And how do you plan to do that? Please… Give us your wisdom, ‘oh fearless leader’.”

“Simple, we have friendship on our side!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

Midnight simply turned towards Rainbow; her one response is a very crude smile.

“’Friendship’? HA! You know how to kick a person while their down, don’t you? You speak of friendship, but if I recall correctly… You weren’t exactly ‘friendly’ with little star during the Friendship Games? Hmm? As a matter of fact, I seem to recall a certain ‘someone’ knowing ‘nothing’ about this girl, oblivious to the harm she caused towards her. Any of this ring any bells, Sunset Shimmer?”

It took only a few seconds for the realization to kick into Sunset’s mind.

“What?”

“BINGO! We have a winner! You talk a big deal of friendship, yet neglect you said to her? About bringing harm to your ‘friends’ and nearly coming close to tearing your world apart? Am I wrong?”

“I-It wasn’t my fault! I thought I was—”

“’It wasn’t my fault! It wasn’t my fault!’ Boo-hoo… If you knew it wasn’t, you wouldn’t have yelled at her! You ever take the time to actually ‘know’ her? Not even bother to ‘ask’ what she was doing? Or ANYTHING she puts her talents into?”

Sunset didn’t answer, only looked away in shame. Twilight saw how Midnight’s words cut deep into her soul. Like watching a grizzly bear tear a salmon apart after grabbing it off a tiny waterfall. It was all too much to stomach.

“I will give you credit, Sunset Shimmer dear: You’re no better than her, for two reasons. The first reason is that you went through the very same phase and you’re exactly the same as little star here. Power-hungry, regardless of your reasons. As for the second reason, well… That’s more interesting. I’m sure you already know what it is.”

Twilight knew it all to be true. No matter what lie she concocted, any secret she kept, it would all be stripped away. But now there Sunset Shimmer stood, defenseless against Midnight Sparkle’s malicious nature. So beaten, so crushed, Twilight just—

“SHUT UP!!!”

This drew Midnight Sparkle’s attention, drawing her toward Twilight Sparkle, noting the angry look in her eyes.

“What did you say?”

“I said… Shut… UP!!!” Twilight yelled. “You can say whatever you want about me but leave Sunset out of this!”

“That’s right!” Rainbow Dash jumped in. “You’re just a bully; you know nothing about Twilight or her friends!”

“Those two are our friends!” Applejack shouted. “We’re gon’ see it neither Twilight nor Sunset ever has to deal with you again!”

“You think Twilight’s going to bend over and play dumb for you, you’ve got another thing coming you… You beast!” Rarity added.

“Yeah, when you mess with one of us, you mess with the whole team!” Pinkie Pie screamed.

“Ooh… I’m petrified. And just what are you girls going to do about it?”

“Anything… And whatever it takes,” Sunset spoke, as a yellow aura surrounds her.

The very same thing was happening to the girls, as the aura representing themselves formed all around the girls.

“If you want Twilight, you go through us!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

Twilight couldn’t believe her eyes. Despite everything she did, they all stood beside her. She had no idea what to make of it, but she knew she had to return the favor. And much to pique Midnight Sparkle’s own interest, the aura activated around Twilight Sparkle as well.

“T-That’s right, Midnight! Unlike you, I HAVE friends I can rely on!”

“Exactly!” Sunset shouted. “Try to tear us down; give it your best shot!”

To say Midnight Sparkle was stunned is an understatement. There the girls were, expecting her to attack at full force. But instead, she laughed maniacally. Twilight had no idea why, but the way she cackled, it seemed amusing to her. As if they were telling a joke, but they didn’t realize the punchline. After laughing for two minutes, she regained her composure, straightening her top, before facing them with a sneer.

“So… You truly think you can save little star…?”

“Darn tootin’!” Applejack shouted.

“Interesting… But tell me: Who’s going to save ‘you’?”

Just then, Midnight formed two balls of flaming magic in the palm of her hands. She quickly hurls them toward the girls. Before they could react, Twilight activated a force field, surrounding herself and the group. The blasts ignited off the barriers, lessening the damage but they still staggered.

“Aw… Isn’t that sweet-?! But don’t think your newfound love is enough to save any of you. Once I take over this puppet, you’re all in for a rude awakening. Not only will I succeed in obtaining a new body, but you will be out one new girlfriend. I will enjoy every moment of it…”

And just like that, Midnight Sparkle faded away. As she disappeared, they all turned towards each other, grimacing over what they saw.

“Well…” Rainbow Dash spoke, the most shocked. “That was something.”

“Like watchin’ a horror movie come to life,” Applejack said.

“I’m sorry,” Twilight apologized. “It wasn’t like I was trying to—”

“Don’t worry, Twilight,” Sunset said, holding Twilight’s hand. “They all understand what happened. One thing is absolutely certain: We are going to stop her and make sure she never bothers ‘you’ or anyone else ever again!”

Twilight nodded determinedly, grabbing her amulet, and positioning it onto the table. With Sunset’s help, they slow dissipate from the kitchen. This went on for only a few seconds before they vanished into thin air.

<>

At first, Twilight didn’t see anyone around her. But considering this is more likely the cause of Midnight’s intervention, her friends were around somewhere. She clutched the amulet tightly around her hand, walking around in the dark, hoping to find them. It was dark for a few seconds when the amulet slowly lit up. It was then Twilight heard a faint chuckle, growing louder all around her as Twilight looked around.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star... How I wonder what you are... Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky... Twinkle, twinkle little star... How I wonder... What... You... Are...

Just then before Twilight's eyes, the flames appeared as Midnight's eyes opened and an evil grin formed in the dark.

“No use hiding now, little star… You’re all mine!”