~A few days later~

Twilight looked out of the window, basking a bit in the morning sun. She sighed, as she ruffled through her unkempt hair, her finger hitting the base of her horn, in the process. She stopped and then slowly traced her way up, following the new curve and hitting the sharp tip. It pricked her finger and when she looked at it, she could see a bit of blood coming out. An almost poetic summary of the events that had unfolded.

They had lost.

Celestia had been dethroned and a True Demon now ruled over Equestria. Dozens of ponies had died and even more had been corrupted by Scortatus, as they had assaulted Canterlot Castle. And although he had promised her to revert the brainwashing he had inflicted, it seemed like he had only done so for her friends and the princesses. At the least, that was the only way she could explain, why the Royal Guard was now protecting him and serving as his enforcers.

In comparison to all that, the fact that she had lost her status as an alicorn and had been transformed into a demon felt small in comparison. And yet...for some reason that hurt the most. As if she had been violated, deep down. Something precious about her had been broken, defiled. And her horn was the perfect metaphor for that. Something once beautiful having been turned into a mockery of itself, whose only purpose was to hurt others.

Twilight sighed again and stepped away from the window. As soothing as self-pity was, it was also a waste of time. And she hadn't much of that, to begin with. A year, at most, or 361 days now if she wanted to be exact. She had been laying in a coma the last four days, as her brain had been assaulted by a deluge of information and presences that nearly killed her. It had stabilized now, thankfully, but if it hadn't been for Spike taking care of her, she likely would not have made it.

Welcome Twilight Sparkle to what will hopefully be an entertaining year for all of us.

She grunted as the voice echoed in her head. "Great another one...who are you?"

I have many names but you may call me Prophet. I know that you're in this situation under duress, but please think of this as an opportunity to open up your mind to new ways of thinking. After all closed mind is a terrible thing.

"Considering you bastards nearly killed me, when my mind was open, I will very much keep it shut for now," she snarked, as she walked over to a mirror on the wall and looked around for some clothes.

Now I know many of my colleagues will be eager to greet you in their own way, but before I go I do have a question that I would like you to ponder. What flaws do the Elements of Harmony possess? I'm of course referring to the characteristics of each element, Honesty, Kindness, Loyalty, Laughter, Generosity, and Magic, not the ponies themselves.

That almost made her laugh. "Riiight..of course, I would be happy to tell you who are seeking to turn me and my friends into drooling vegetables! Let me see...I think, their biggest flaw is that they would kill you and your demon friends!! Well, flaws for you maybe. I consider it very much a virtue."

...Farewell for now Miss Sparkle.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the presence left her mind. Not that it helped much, since there were several others left. Most of the time, she didn't hear them. But it left her now with a constant feeling of being watched. And it never went away, even in her most private moments. She had even dreaded going to the bathroom because of this and had only done so when Spike reminded her it was either this or diapers. And that last one would happen over her dead body!

She looked at herself in the mirror, as she was stripping off her pajamas. Twilight had never been one to really care for her looks, outside professional matters like galas or meeting heads of states. She didn't let herself go to waste, obviously, but she also wasn't spending even half as much time on her beauty as some others did, like Rarity. Still, a part of her had always been rather proud of her looks. She had a very attractive face, with big purple eyes, nice lips, and smooth, unblemished skin. Her breasts were on the small side, only a B-Cup, but she had a nice narrow waist that went over into subtle hips and a plush rear. Sure, one could call her slim or boney, but she didn't have much time for exercise and her eating schedule could be...erratic when she was busy researching. Her greatest asset was her long legs, with a natural thigh-gap. She could call herself objectively attractive, even if she wasn't openly lewd or sexy, which was actually a bonus as well.

As she put on a bra and some black panties, the Convent began to murmur again. She had begun to refer to them as the Convent, if only because calling them "Voices in her Head" sounded a bit too deranged for her taste.

oh can she hear me already. well I suppose introductions are in order.

wait stop talking over me

why are you guys always so rude.

It's like I'm not even here.

can we at least give her a milf body? I like those best. either that or make her an Amazonian, big muscles, big tits, and a great ass.

...maybe if I won out you could actually beat him in your new form. but don't mind me, I'm sure the others have more important things to talk about.

Twilight didn't even comment on that one, but simply pushed it to the side. These childish suggestions were thrown at her every few hours or so. Many of these demons and miscreants had practically fallen over themselves, salivating over transforming her and treating her like a piece of meat. Disgusting! As if she had an army of juveniles in her head...

She put on a white t-shirt and some jeans, before combing her hair. She reached out with her magic for the glass of water on her desk. A purplish-red aura grasped the glass and slid it over the table before it reached the end and toppled onto the ground, spilling the water onto her carpet. Twilight looked at the mess and sighed. That was another thing she had to get used to. Her magic was crippled.

The arcane energies once filling her since she was a filly were gone. Even her divine powers, that she had gained upon ascension, had been stripped away from her, like the paint off an old carriage. What remained instead was this ugly, dark clump of demonic power within her. And she neither had any idea how to properly use it nor was the small trickle she had access to even useful. Even something simple as levitation, a spell that foals learned in grade-school, was now a struggle for her. And for somepony, for whom magic was like another limb, this was crippling. It felt like she had been amputated, left to crawl on the floor...

A knock on the door threw her out of her depression-spiral. "Twilight? Are you awake?"

She quickly picked up the glass and threw her discarded pajamas on the water-stain in her carpet, before she answered: "Yes. You can come in, Spike."

The door opened and Spike entered the room. The young dragon held a tray with a glass of milk, pancakes, and chocolate sauce on it. "Good morning, Twilight. How are you feeling?" he asked, as he put the tray down on the desk.

Twilight gave him a thankful smile. "Better. I think, I transitioned from dying to merely depressed.", she joked. Her stomach growled and she blushed a bit. "At the very least, my body is back on track. This smells amazing." She grabbed a fork and knife and began to dig in. Food was a welcome distraction from her current misery.

Spike stayed with her, watching her eat and making sure she didn't waste anything. Her adoptive brother had been making sure she took care of herself and his help had been invaluable over the last few days. Or really...since ever. Twilight wouldn't know what to do without her favorite assistant. Despite now being officially an adult, Spike had remained by her side. The young dragon had grown up, now finally on eye-level with her. His body slightly toned, ever since he took up training. He wore a shirt and some pants and had strapped on a pink apron with the words WORLDS SPIKIEST CHEF written on it. A gift from Rarity for his birthday last month. When the world had been a better place...

"Purple butt cheeks triumph over purple tits!" I exclaimed in thunderous lustful triumph. "Learn the truth Twilight! Butt over Boobs, Butt over Boobs, Butt over Boobs-" I continued to chant, trying to hammer some useful knowledge inside that admittedly adorable nerdy skull.

Pity, she has so little lewd in it. Luckily we all try to improve our living arrangements here?

"What is this? 'Quantum Physics'? Toss it right out and replace it with: 'Flat Chests and You: A guide to small tit happiness'."

I nodded in satisfaction. "This should do finely, but ooooh? What is this? Adorable purple dragon with green head scales and wide hips...wait, that is a male? How about we change this Twilight? You seen that boy, I bet he suffers from gender confusion! Why not help him? Just a smaaaaall nudge. Look at page 69 of my guide: 'Wide Hips, Great Butts - Gender Transformation 101'. It will help you out perfectly. Let's be honest, reviewing your memories we both know he has no chance with Rarity. The only chance he has to get boned is as a girl. And what an adorable girl he would be!" I said panting heavily, before clearing my throat in embarrassment and trying to calm back down.

"A-Anyway, wouldn't that be for his best? You have to think about his well-being. Not to mention...didn't you always want a little sister? A curious little angle you could dot over and which would call you Onee-chan in acute and loveable Imouto Voice? But hey, don't take my word for it, take a look inside yourself and you know it to be true. Just think about it~"

"Fuck off!" Twilight gritted her teeth and held her head. Spike flinched a bit before he realized she didn't mean him.

"The voices again...?"

Twilight nodded. "Don't worry, it's not as bad as last time. But I don't think I will ever get used to it..." She sighed and looked back in the mirror, seeing her new horn and her sharp, canine-like teeth. "Or this, for that matter."

Spike followed her look, but didn't comment. Instead, he stood up. "Well, I better clean up the kitchen."

"Wait," said Twilight and turned to her little brother. "Spike...where is the newspaper?"

The dragon grimaced, as he turned around. "Come on, Twilight...you really don't need to see that."

"Spike, I can't just NOT know what's going on. I know, you want to protect me, but I would feel worse about staying ignorant," argued Twilight. She knew that going over the news would be painful. But she needed to do it sooner or later and she was never one to procrastinate.

Spike sighed and reached into the pockets of his apron, pulling out the daily newspaper. Twilight levitated it out of his hand, but before it could reach her the spell faded and the paper flopped to the floor. The silence stretched between them, as Spike looked at her, while she stared at the newspaper. "Twilight...?"

"I-It's fine. I'm fine, Spike...just....go and do the dishes," she said, almost pressing the words out. Her brother was visibly worried but did as she asked and left the room. Twilight waited several seconds, fighting back the tears. She hated this weakness. Hated what Scortatus had turned her into. Hated, that it would only get worse...

After a while, she leaned down and picked up the paper with her hands. The Element of Magic...without even a spell to her name. What a fucking joke!

Twilight, Twilight, Twilight.

The new voice sounded smooth and dark. It conjured a picture of a slimy, fat snake in her mind. "Not the best time, right now..."

So short-sighted. I suppose you did need to deal with things quickly so Scortatus would stay interested but you made some foolish choices. You gain nothing by having Celestia uncorrupted, and now she and her sister must be his concubines in their normal forms. And perhaps their normal minds. But perhaps not.

"Oh, of course! It would have been much better letting Princess Celestia and Princess Luna turn into demons. Why that would have been a great idea!" snarked Twilight at the empty air. "I don't know about you, demon, but at least I still remember the concept of loyalty. I will not let the princesses be twisted by this...this monster, just because of your fucked-up interpretation of mercy."

A chuckle was its response.

Oh, really? You did nothing for their memories or your friends. They know how easily they are transformed, in body and mind. They have a hint of what you will be enduring. What help will they offer if they don't believe you can succeed? Will they even want you to succeed?

"Yes." That was her blunt answer. How stupid of a question was that even? As if her friends would simply collapse, because of adversity. She had faith in them and them in her. This demon had no idea what he was talking about and the notion, that she would be abandoned because of a setback was...

Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let herself get riled up by these degenerates. Getting provoked didn't help and likely just amused these bastards. Bullies...they were nothing but bullies. And beyond teasing and insulting her, they couldn't do anything. She would just have to ignore them. Then they would go away...

She pushed the voices aside and focused on the newspaper. It was the Canterlot Herald, an admittedly conservative paper, but reliable and focused on national news. The frontpage alone was disheartening. In big letters stood there:

CLOUDSDALE SUBMITS TO ROYAL AUTHORITY! MANEHATTAN CONTINUES RESISTANCE!

In a shocking turn of events, Equestria third-biggest city, Cloudsdale, has officially surrendered to the demands of Overlord Scortatus. The city has opened its gates to the Royal Guard and given over the key to the city to its new commander, Captain Onyx Bolt. Reprisals have been light, with only the city-council and mayor Easy Sky having been arrested on charges of sedition and rebellion.

Cloudsdale submission to Canterlot's new ruler is the latest in a growing line of cities and counties, that have acknowledged Scortatus as Equestrias Overlord. With this, the midlands have officially been pacified, which is especially surprising given the ostensibly massive enthusiasm for revolt and sedition in the wake of Celestia's downfall. Experts assume the casualty-heavy crushing of New Coltsville has dissuaded many would-be rebels. Another factor could Celestia's open address to her nation three days ago, where she spoke of a peaceful transition of power and ordered her subjects to fully recognize Scortatus as the rightful ruler of Equestria. Critics say that this speech had been rehearsed and done under duress.

Nevertheless, the east-coast has begun to fully mobilize its forces. Manehattan has declared itself the seat of Equestria's Government-In-Exile, with Chancellor Fancy Pants declaring his intent to, quote "Restore the rightful monarch and bring back unity to the country.", unquote. The duke specifying that the rebellion has declared war on Scortatus alone and not on Equestria itself.

In response, the Royal Guard has started to march against the rebels, but are delayed by uprisings in Appleloosa, Carrotshire, Pumpkinville, and Squashtown. The west coast remains in a state of upheaval and chaos, with Las Pegasus having declared allegiance to the Overlord within hours of his rise to power, while cities like Vanhoover and Los Alico have risen up in rebellion.

With the submission of Cloudsdale, experts predict that the Overlord will be able to easily crush these scattered uprisings and that normality will return within a month. Chancellor Blueblood assured citizens, that with order restored, Equestria will enter a new age of pros...

Twilight stopped reading and closed her eyes. She had always known, that this wouldn't be easy. But seeing it with her own eyes was something else. The thought, that all of this happened because she failed...no, no she couldn't think like that! It wouldn't help. She couldn't do anything right now to help the rebels anyway and beating herself over the head would serve no purpose.

She looked at the paper again, flipping through the pages. Apparently, Scortatus had wasted no time elevating sycophants and criminals into his inner circle. Prince Blueblood being first among them. The sleazy playcolt grinning into the camera as he was announced "Chancellor of Canterlot". Twilight felt bile in her throat, when she looked at the muscled, preened traitor.

The next page was a transcript of Celestia's speech. It was painfully obvious that it was rehearsed, especially for Twilight who was intimately familiar with her mentor's speeches. Unlike her normally skillful, almost poetic rhetoric, this one felt stilted and empty. Call to unity, surrender to Scartotus and praise to Scartotus, and so on. But the picture was what made Twilight sick. It showed Scartotus and Celestia side by side. The white alicorn dressed in a horrifically skimpy, white robe that wrapped around her neck and flowed down to barely cover her breasts, before ending as a long strip between her legs. It left free as much skin as possible, showing off the former princesses lewd, curvy body, with her wasplike waist, H-Cup breasts that defied gravity, wide hips, pillowy butt, and long, luscious legs.

It was an erotic, humiliating outfit. Fitting rather in some cheap, smutty porn-magazine, than the real world. And Scortatus having his hand over her shoulder and openly groping Celestia boobs made it even worse. It was a shameless show of power and Celestia was visibly gritting her teeth. Twilight didn't want to imagine, what her mentor must be going through right now. Whatever she herself struggled with, it paled in comparison to Princess Celestia having to watch her nation tear itself apart.

The rest of the paper talked about international reactions to the coup. None of Equestria's neighbors and allies recognized Scortatus' regime, with the Crystal Empire even beginning to mobilize to supports the West-Coast Uprisings, while Prance enacted a trade-embargo. Other nations were less belligerent to the demon, though, with the Zebrican Empire, Stalliongrad, and even Griffonstone sending over envoys to Canterlot. The latter hurt especially, given that Celestia had personally helped the griffons rebuild their city-state.

Twilight finally stopped reading and stood up. Her head was spinning and she grabbed the glass of milk, to wash down the bad taste in her mouth. This was without a doubt bad, but it also wasn't the worst-case scenario. Scortatus' claim to supremacy had gotten rebuffed and ponies were willing to fight the True Demon. It gave Twilight hope, that when she won the bet in a year, there would still be an Equestria left that would be able to rebuild itself.

She took the now empty tray and walked over to the kitchen. Spike was there, washing up, dutifully taking the tray of her hands. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I want to throw up." Twilight gave a crooked smile. "It was rough, but I'm glad I did it. Not knowing what was happening was killing me."

"Hm...that or the brain hemorrhage." Spike gave her a handkerchief and it was only then that Twilight realized she had nose-bleed.

"I'm fine...if Scortatus wanted to kill me, he would have done so already," she mused, as she cleaned up her face. "What about the others? How many know of our...pact?"

"They are safe and sound. Dash had been hit the hardest from all of this. Refuses to leave her house. Fluttershy and Rarity came by several times to check up on you. Applejack is busy getting her family out of Appleloosa, though Braeburn refuses to. Pinkie Pie tries to keep everyponies spirits up." Spike put the plates back in the cupboard and turned to Twilight. "Officially, Ponyville is loyal to Scortatus. The Mayor has given over the keys to the town and fully cooperates with the new regime, in exchange for us being left alone."

Twilight couldn't blame her. Ponyville wasn't able to withstand a siege. Being this close to Canterlot made any thoughts of rebellion suicidal. It was the right decision, she knew that. She just hoped that Mayor Mare wouldn't get blamed for this. "What about Starlight?" she asked.

Spike looked down. "She...is still in Las Pegasus. Haven't heard from her since the coup," he admitted.

That was bad news. Starlight had left two weeks prior on a vacation, having been invited by Trixie to Las Pegasus. The showmare had found considerable success in the city and the two had planned to spend a month there, just enjoying themselves. Given that Las Pegasus was openly colluding with Scortatus and surrounded by hostile cities...

"She will be fine. Starlight is a smart mare and I'm sure she and Trixie are already on their way to us," she said, forcing a hopeful smile.

"I hope not. If they are smart, they head for the border. I wouldn't want them to be involved in all of this."

Twilight flinched and nodded quickly. Spike was right, of course. It would be better if Starlight left the country, instead of being pulled into this mess. Wanting her near her was selfish, Twilight knew that. "Right...of course."

"I think...I should be checking up on Rainbow Dash. I'm sure she is taking our loss to Scortatus especially hard", she said after they were finished cleaning up. The stubborn, brash pegasus was one of her closest friends and took defeats always badly. Having failed to protect her country and being brainwashed by a demon...Twilight couldn't even imagine, what a toll that had taken on the athlete.

"You're welcome to try, but we hadn't made much headway. She even refused to talk to Applejack." Spike scratched his cheek.

"Well, she will have to talk to me," declared Twilight, as they headed out of the kitchen. "Be so kind and look up what books we have on demonology and religion. I want to know everything there is to know about demonkind and Scortatus in particular. If we want to defeat him, we need more information."

She looked at her hands and felt the clump in her soul. "And perhaps find a way to regain my magic..."

Spike nodded and headed for the library. Twilight clenched her fists. Scortatus would regret making this bet with her. She would defy him and the Convent and bring harmony back to Eque-

Hello, dear. My name is Asmodeus.

Twilight stopped dead in her tracks. This voice echoed deep within her soul. A dreadful, reverberating sound of age and malice. She could practically feel the age behind this being.

"Leave me...alone..." she whispered, angrily. But it was no use, the thing just continued.

My sons and daughters are all so eager to play with their new toy. Ah, to be young again.

But their eagerness is only a weakness they allow you to exploit. I've been in the game for far too long. You're so brilliant my little princess. Too smart to slip from such blatant corruptions and temptations. Your soul burns white with the innocent love you feel for your friends and family. You are the greatest your kind has to offer.

But let it be known, while my family may poke, prod, and shove you to their goal, my own brand of corruption works deep. Deep, and slow. I'm not going to alight your passions or make you sensitive to the slightest touch. I'll simply be near. Less than a whisper.

As the bird that sharpens his beak on the diamond mountain and erodes it to nothing, so too will your will erode.

I tell you this Sparkle, out of generosity. My changes will be the smallest and the easiest to consume. But there enlies their power.

I always win. And the best part? You won't even know I have.

Silence filled Twilights mind, as she stood in the hallways of her castle. Her fists clenched so hard, it hurt. A shudder ran down her spine. For the first time, she realized that it wasn't just Scartotus she had to worry about. That the convent had its own plans and its own impossibly powerful beings in it, who could toy with her however they wished. A drop of sweat rolled down her temple.

"Oh yeah? You know what, Asmodeus? How about you get in line.." she snarled into the void and walked down the hallway again. "I've dealt with Nightmares, Sorcerers, Conquerors, Pirates, and worse."

She reached for the door and stepped out on the streets. "And you will be nothing more than another name of that long, long list."

Author's Note

Hello again,

Great to see the positive reception of the first chapter. I was a bit nervous, when I started to write this fic, but now I think this very much has a future. Thank you so much for the feedback and all the great comments. I hope, we will have loads of fun ahead of us.

Now, onto the fun stuff: I will now open up the first poll for the story. The rules are pretty simple. You'll be given several options to influence/transform Twilight, from which you can choose one. The option with the most votes wins. Just write the number you vote for in the comments.

The changes will be incorporated into the next chapter. As the story progresses, the Convents power will grow and expand and you will be able to change not only Twilight but maybe even other ponies.

Now onto the options:

1. Breast-Expansion (B-Cup to C-Cup)
   
2. Demontail (heartshaped tip)
   
3. Natural Allure (passively enticing ponies in near vicinity)
   
4. Tainted Thoughts (Minor)