"You have a lot to think about." The lavender alicorn stared up at the angered face of her teacher, "You are no longer worthy to be my student and are hereby banished." The magic in Celestia's horn ignited a split second before the banishing spell was cast. Twilight sat upright from a fitful sleep, sweat pouring down her body. She looked around and sighed seeing she was in a dingy basement. Shivers ran up and down her body as she fought the urge to cry.

"Your teacher has abandoned you."

Twilight tapped a hoof to her head. "Shut up.", she whispered.

The voice continued to harass Twilight. "Your teacher has Abandoned you. Your friends have abandoned you. The traitor has left you trapped here. Kill her!"

Twilight Stood and walked over to a small pail holding some fresh water and splashed a little on her face to wash some of the sweat away. "Please...", she whispered to the voice, "...just stop talking to me so I can sleep. You're nothing but a hallucination caused by days of torture."

Starlight opened an eye, the sound of Twilight talking had woken her up from a dull, dreamless fugue. Sitting up, she asked, "Twilight? Is something wrong?"

Twilight made her way back to the blankets their liberators had given them and laid down. "It's nothing.", she lied, "I just don't feel well." She pulled a blanket over herself and tried to go to sleep.

Starlight noted that Twilight's blankets were soaked with sweat. "Maybe she's sick and has a fever. She was held by those two longer than I was.", she thought to herself, "I'll ask somepony to get her some medicine when they come down to check on us."

As the sun rose on the first day since their liberation, Twilight and Starlight huddled together in silence as the sounds of patrols rang out across the city. Starlight noted that even though Twilight was completely silent, her breathing was ragged an uneven and sweat completely soaked her fur. "Twilight.", Starlight whispered. When Twilight didn't respond, she whispered again, this time a little louder, "Twilight!" Again Twilight didn't answer and Starlight focused in on her face. She watched as Twilight seemed to wince in discomfort then began whispering something incoherently to herself.

Starlight reached out a hoof and tapped Twilight on her foreleg, her fur felt sweaty and clammy. Twilight jumped in a start before turning her head to face Starlight. "Twilight, I think your sick.", she whispered.

"I'm not sick. Alicorns don't get sick. I've been...I'm just not feeling well. I spent Celestia knows how much time with them torturing and starving me. Once we can get somewhere to get some proper food and some decent rest, I'll be fine."

"Kill the traitor!"

Twilight tapped a hoof to her head and whispered, "Shut up!"

Starlight watched Twilight tap her head before whispering. Something was wrong and she didn't know exactly was going on. "Okay.", she said placating Twilight. Inside she was concerned for Twilight's mental state.

The door to the basement opened and a changeling disguised as a unicorn with a powder blue coat walked silently down the steps and gestured to the two mares. "Shh! Come with me, we've got to get you two out of the city."

Twilight and Starlight found themselves lead to a wagon with a false bottom. As the ponies hauling the wagon laid the two into the real bottom of the wagon, they said, "There's been a change of plans. All trains leading out of the city have been held while they're searched, so we're going to have to have to smuggle you two out right under the noses of the guards." The stallions began sliding boards over the two mares to create the false bottom. "You might want to keep you mouths closed, we're going to fill the bottom of the wagon with night soil as a convincing cover."

Twilight and Starlight put their hooves over their mouths and noses to block out the stink of the night soil as they squenched their eyes shut. Outside the wagon, the stallions hastily shoveled the night soil into the wagon before checking their falsified documents.

The lead stallion climbed up onto the seat of the wagon, with a whistle and a shout he directed the team of four stallions along the streets. Coming to a checkpoint on the edge of Canterlot, the guards held up a hoof to to stop the wagon.

"You travel papers!", the head snapped. After the stallion sitting on the wagon hopped down and presented the paperwork, the head guard noted the beads of sweat rolling on his face and smiled, it was good to serve the queens as ponies were terrified of him. He walked around the wagon, inspecting the foul smelling cargo. "What are you hauling and where to?"

"Night soil good sir!", the stallions said in a bright tone trying to conceal his nervousness, "I plan on taking it to Ponyville, selling it to the local farmers there by the shovelful. Unless you want a little for your personal garden. I can cut you a deal. Three bits per shovelful!"

The head guard took a sniff of the night soil and gagged softly from the stink. He ducked his head under the wagon trying to trying to disguise his heaving as inspecting the undercarriage. "Get that foul stuff out of my sight!", the guard snapped as he waved his hoof, "Let them pass!"

"A good day to you sir!", the stallion quipped as he climbed back up on the wagon. With a whistle, he ordered the team along their path. After they had pulled some distance away from the guards, he slouched and sighed, a silent prayer crossed his lips thanking whatever higher powers were there for his good fortune.

Twilight and Starlight barely breathed and dared not to open their eyes as they rode hidden under the false bottom of the wagon. The wagon rocked as it traveled for an untold distance, occasionally as it hit a bump or uneven rut, small amounts of the disgusting substance would sprinkle through the cracks in the boards. The two felt the wagon lurch to a stop and the sound of shovels scrapping on the boards above could be heard. Twilight and Starlight were unsure what was going on and a shiver went across their body thinking they had been found out. Reaching out with her forelegs, Starlight pulled Twilight in close and prepared for the worst.

The last shovelful of night soil was tossed onto the ground and the boards of the false bottom were pulled out, revealing the two embracing mares. The head stallion reached out a hoof to nudge the two, "I hate to break up such a touching display, but this is where you set out on hoof." He helped the two mares out of the bottom of the wagon and passed them a bar of soap, "You might want to wash that nasty stuff off. Sorry, I don't got no shampoo for your manes."

A part of Twilight wanted to correct his grammar, but she let it slide as she was grateful to be free from the castle and as far away from Canterlot as possible. "Thank you.", she said taking the soap and stepping in the stream to wash the night soil from her body. Stepping out of the stream, she shook the water from her body and watched as the stallions finished smashing the wagon with their hooves and shovels. "What are you doing?"

"Making it look like bandits attacked us and scattered our load. I makes a better cover story.", the lead stallion said before pointing a hoof towards the nearby forest, "When you get in the forest, follow the trail..."

"Follow the trail that leads to Winsome Falls and follow it to the trails that lead to the Everfree forest.", Twilight interrupted, "I know the area well enough. Thank you for your help." Trotting across the river, she called out to Starlight who was shaking the water from her body, "Come on! We're leaving now!"

Starlight raised an eyebrow as she followed Twilight. For as long as she knew Twilight, decidedly it wasn't that long and most of it was from several months of spying, she never knew the alicorn to be short or snappy with anypony. After they had entered into the forest, she trotted up next to Twilight, "Twilight? Is everything okay? I mean upstairs."

"I'm fine.", Twilight lied.

"The traitor knows! Kill her now!", the voice whispered in Twilight's head.

Twilight shook her head trying to clear the voice and Starlight took notice. "You're not okay.", Starlight said more insistently,"You're barely sleeping and when you do, you're pouring sweat. You're talking to yourself. You're zoning out. Please, tell me what's wrong."

"I said I'm fine!", snarled Twilight, "I don't...let's just focus on putting as much space between us and Canterlot as possible." She began pushing forward at a brisk pace.

Starlight quickly hopped in front of Twilight. "Something's wrong with you. I know you said you're fine and that alicorns don't get sick. But is there a possibility that you could be sick in your mind? I don't know how much time you spent being tortured by them, but something's wrong. You were going to tell me something a minute ago."

Twilight grabbed Starlight with her magic, pinning her against a nearby tree trunk and slammed her hoof into the trunk a few inches from the unicorn's head. "I said I'm fine!", she snarled dangerously, "The only thing that's wrong with me is that you've stranded me in this timeline where Celestia and Luna are murderous tyrants! Slow me down again and I'll snap all four of your legs, then leave you for the timberwolves!" With that, she dropped Starlight and started walking off again.

Starlight stared in stunned silence for a few moments, other than several days ago she had never known Twilight to resort to violence and even then she had never threatened anything so...overly violent. Was she responsible not only for this violent world, but now Twilight becoming so violent? She needed to get them both back to their original time. Suddenly she balked. What if when she went back she would be thrown in dungeon or banished or thrown in dungeon in the place she was banished to? No time to think on that now, the first thing was making sure the two of them got back to their proper timeline, then she'd worry about the imprisoning and the banishing.

After hours of hiking, they finally came to the base of a steep rise. Slowly ascending the rise, they found a small cave. Inspecting it, Twilight and Starlight found the remains of an old campfire. Starlight quickly dug through the ashes and charcoal, "It looks to be at least a month old." Twilight found an old sack holding a stash of crystals and an old tiara she recognized from the Crystal Empire, "Looks like smugglers were using this cave. We better keep an eye out for them. This seems like a good spot to rest for the night, I'll take first watch."

Like Tartarus Starlight was going to drop her guard around Twilight acting weird. "No, I'll take first watch, you get some rest.", she said, "I know we don't have any reason to trust each other, but I you need the rest worse than me. Please just get some sleep."

Twilight stared at Starlight uncomfortably for a few minutes before laying down, but she didn't close her eyes. "The traitor is planning to kill you! Kill her!", the voice spoke again. "Shut up.", she whispered. Twilight shifted on the ground, groaning as the voice continued to whisper in her head.

Starlight looked at Twilight with concern, though she denies, Starlight knew something was wrong. "Please just let us get back to the map table.", she prayed to whatever powers would listen, "I promise to make this right, even if it means my imprisonment or banishment." Closing her eyes, she allowed a few fearful tears to leak out. Suddenly her stomach felt like it was doing back flips and loop-de-loops. Starlight ran to the entrance of the cave and retched loudly, all that came up was several strings of saliva and some bile as she hadn't eaten that day. "Great! I'm getting sick." She kicked some dirt on the puddle with a hoof.

Twilight sat up at the sound of Starlight vomiting. "Are you okay?"

"I think I've caught a stomach bug. I suddenly felt nauseous."

Laying back down, Twilight turned over and said, "Don't forget to drink some water from the falls tomorrow. I can't afford you falling behind from dehydration."

Starlight nodded as she blew the few strings of bile from her nose. Though she felt a bit better after throwing up, she didn't feel that much better. "Ugh!", she whispered, "I can't afford to get sick right now."

As the hours ticked by, Twilight took over the next watch even though she didn't look like she had slept. "Get some rest Starlight. With you being sick, you're going to need as much strength if we're going to make it to the edge of the Everfree forest by tomorrow evening. I plan on skirting the edges of Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres."

"Kill the traitor! Kill her now!", the voice screamed in Twilight's head.

Starlight rolled over hearing a strange voice coming from Twilight. Opening an eye, she prepared to ask if Twilight was okay, but froze when she saw one of Twilight's eyes flicker with an unnatural deep purple light.

"Nngh!", Twilight winced as she felt herself slip for a second, images of madness and blood filled her head. "Shutupshutupshutupshutup!", she screamed fighting against the visions of madness.

Starlight was on her hooves in an instant, something was terribly wrong with Twilight and she was going to find out what was wrong, one way or another. Lighting her horn, she began scanning Twilight for any problems. First she scanned the alicorn princess' body and found no signs of infection or poison, she tweaked her spell slightly and began scanning Twilight's magical wellspring, other than a few ripples that indicated overexertion, she initially found nothing. Starlight prepared to shift her spell to scan Twilight's mind when she felt dark ripples in the alicorn's magical wellspring.

Before Starlight cold respond, she felt whatever the darkness was lash out at her. "Traitor!", an unnatural voice erupted from Twilight's mouth. Twilight's eyes glowed with with dark purple light as black energy crackled across her horn. Starlight found herself pinned up against the wall by her neck by a ripple of dark purple energy crisscrossed with crackling lines of darkness. As the field of energy around her neck began to slowly constrict around her neck, cutting off her air supply, she stared into Twilight's face with stunned fright. Twilight's expression was a mixture of murderous hatred and confused fear. "Heh-heh-heh-heh!", Twilight cackled softly in an unnatural voice, "You will suffer traitor!" The ring of magical energy tightened slowly around Starlight's neck, squeezing the life from her painfully slow.

As Starlight's vision began to blur at the edges, she came up with an all-or-nothing gambit. Summoning up a small ball of light on the tip of her horn, she unleashed it with a blinding flash. As Twilight recoiled screaming in shock and rage, Starlight summoned up a familiar spell. Snatching the cutie marks off Twilight's flanks, she pinned them to the wall with a hoof, making it look like an old cave painting.

Twilight immediately slumped as her spell broke. Her magic now amply restrained by the equal sign on her flanks, the darkness that had taken advantage of the momentary weakness slowly recoiled back into the depths of her mind. Looking around with confusion and fear she saw Starlight looking at her in fear, she saw her cutie mark restrained against the wall with a hoof. Did something just happen? The last thing she remembered, exhaustion was catching up with her and the world had just started spinning. "S-Starlight? Wh-whuh? Huh?" The world began to spin as her eyes rolled up in their sockets and she fainted.

Starlight wasted no time after Twilight fainted. She let her cutie mark go from the wall and rushed over. Liting her horn again, she began scanning Twilight once again, starting with her magical wellspring. Now that she knew what the darkness looked like, she began to search for it. "Just hold strong!", she said scanning Twilight, who had started to sweat heavily again.

Twilight groaned in her dreamless stupor. A pair of serpent-like turquoise eyes manifested in the bleak dreamless void and looked at the lavender alicorn cruelly.

Back in Canterlot, Nightmare Moon drew back from the dream aether and into her body, a cruel laugh made her sides shake.

"I see you're in a good mood, sister.", Daybreaker said walking into the room. Flames from her mane and tail licked down her body, coiling through the air. A cruel smile graced her lips, revealing a long row of sharp fangs.

Nightmare Moon returned the same cruel-fang-filled smile. "I would say so, sister, that wretched little alicorn was nearly in my grasp."

"You mean our grasp, sister?", Daybreaker said, her orange, flame-ringed eyes flared.

"Of course sister!", Nightmare Moon replied in an oily tone, "Just a slip of the tongue."

Crackling flames danced around Daybreaker's sharp fangs for a second. "For your sake dear sister, it had better have been."

Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes as she stared down her sister for a moment. "I was the one who agreed to forge this powerful kingdom by your side, don't threaten our stability by making threats, sister. Unless you've got too much of that weepy Celestia in you still!"

Daybreaker's mane and tail flared up, filling the room with near unbearable heat. "You dare?!"

"I do!"

The two sisters stared at each other, one filling the room with licking flames, the other filling it with an inky darkness. Their powers met in the center of the room, canceling each other out in a magical stalemate.

"Let me be the mature one.", Nightmare Moon said. She withdrew her power as a cold, calculating smile spread on her face.

Daybreaker's flames spread across the room for a second before she pulled her power back and allowed the same smile to spread on her face.

"Patience, sister.", Nightmare Moon said coldly, "It won't be long before that one is fully in our grasp. Maybe if we're lucky, she'll find your former niece before she fully falls into our grasp."

Twilight woke up on the cave floor with a concerned Starlight hovering over her. "What's going on?"

"Twilight...I know you don't want to hear this...Tartarus, I know I'm starting to sound like a broken phonograph. You're unwell, there's something dark inside you that's slowly driving you into madness." Starlight hoped her expression conveyed the seriousness of the situation. "You lost control for a few seconds, something dark took control and would have killed me if I didn't cast the cutie mark-stealing spell to restrain you."

Twilight initially doubted the light purple unicorn, but her serious-as-a-heart attack look told her she believed what she was saying. Digging through a hidden sack, she found a small clay jar, popped the lid off and dumped out it's contents. "If I lose control again, place my cutie mark in there until I come back to myself." She tossed the jar over to Starlight.

"How will I know if you're back to your normal self and not just faking?", Starlight asked as she looked at Twilight in serious concern.

Twilight just shrugged. "You'll have to use your best judgement I guess." She looked up at the sky outside the cave. "The sun will be up in a few hours, let's try and get some rest until then." She settled down against the section of the cave wall to rest.

Starlight nodded her head as she sat down and got comfortable.

Twilight sniffed the air once or twice and sighed closing her eyes. "Starlight?"

"Yeah?"

"When do you normally go into estrus, the spring or fall?"

Starlight shifted uncomfortably on the wall. "I go into estrus in the spring. Why do you ask?"

"When we get back, I think you need to pee on a stick."

Starlight's eyes snapped open. "There's no way I'm pregnant. It's summer now."

"Starlight, it was spring when we left the Equestria we know. Somehow Celestia and Luna being corrupted here have altered the natural flow of the seasons." Twilight opened an eye. "I think they had the guards violate you because there are few things more damaging to a mare's psyche than seeing her foal ripped from her forelimbs right after she's had a chance to bond with it."

Starlight shifted uncomfortably before closing her eyes. "Twilight?"

"Hmm?"

Starlight tried to hold her composure together, but found it falling apart. "I-I'm so so sorry!*hsnf* This is all my fault!*hsnf* I was so angry at you for losing losing my village*hsnf* a-and I wanted you to see what it was like to lose something important. Y-you tried to tell me that it was destroying Equestria's future, but I didn't bucking care!" She completely broke down and started bawling.

Twilight walked over and cradled Starlight's head in her hooves and gently stroked her mane. "Shh! That doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that we get to the map, if it followed me through time this time."

Starlight swallowed hard, feeling like she had a boulder in her throat. "It did, but they've probably got an army guarding it now."

"It doesn't matter if they've got an army or not, I think I know who's the leader of the resistance and where she's hiding. She'll probably want to stick it to the two of them out of pure spite."

Starlight looked up at the stern expression on Twilight's face. "Who do you think is leading the resistance?"

Twilight looked down at Starlight. "Just focus on getting some rest for now."

Author's Note

Thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoy.

Place your bets on who you think the leaders of the resistance are and what you think will be in the future for Twilight and Starlight.