Friends Fade, Enemies Stay
Darkness...Endless Darkness...That was all Twilight could see. Around her, she could hear what resembled rain hitting the ground, yet when she cast her illumination spell, she saw the same endless void: even underneath her.
"What is this place!?" she yelped in unrestrained terror.
A foreboding laugh echoed, surrounding her in a tornado of malevolence.
"Hahahaha..."
"Who's there!?"
"Come, now, princess Twilight. Surely you recognize my voice. After all, it is quite unique, is it not?"
"Chrysalis!?"
"Very good!"
"Where am I!?"
"I suppose I can't blame you for not remembering. It is quite a shock to the system."
"Remember what!? Where am I!!!?" Twilight repeated.
"You studied theology during your lifetime. You should recognize this place better than most."
"During my lifetime...?"
Twilight put two and two together.
"No...THIS CAN'T BE!!!"
Mere feet away, a green glow cut through the veil of shadows. Chrysalis emerged with an evil smile etched onto her face. Cozy and Tirek followed behind.
"It's so nice to see you again!" the bug queen taunted.
"Stay away from me!" Twilight ordered.
"Is that any way to greet an old friend?"
"You have no right to use that word! Your definition of friendship brought chaos and disorder that took eons to mend!"
"Still the same moral preacher I remember. Tell me exactly, what did those bonds afford you?"
"I lived a life of love and joy the likes of which you could never imagine. You gave up that opportunity for your own selfish desires."
"Oh, really? Is that why your friendships deteriorated over time?"
"What are you talking about?"
"We've been watching you closely since our imprisonment. We watched as your lives became increasingly isolated from one another. By the end, you were completely alone. Not even your faithful assistant could be there for you in your final hours."
"That wasn't his fault! I passed in my sleep! No one expected it, including me!"
"And how does it feel knowing you died alone?"
"I shouldn't even be here! This is all wrong!"
"Did you really believe you would live forever with your loved ones in the clouds? Wake up," Chrysalis hissed. Her tone was venomous and hateful, "This isn't a fairy tale. Heaven and hell were dreamt up by deluded fools who believed they had the answers, much like you. All that exists is emptiness, and now, you've been granted the privilege of sharing this emptiness with us for eternity."
"I'll escape! Just watch me!"
"You're welcome to try."
Twilight fired up her horn. She vanished in a flash of light.
"She'll be back," Cozy affirmed, "No one can resist the dark forever."
Twilight wandered aimlessly for what seemed like hours. She searched for any sign of her friends and family. There was none to be found. An overwhelming urge to scream welled up inside her. She wanted to tear out her mane in a rage-fueled tantrum.
"Why!? Why is this happening!?"
"Because loneliness is the way of the world."
Twilight swung her head back. Chrysalis, Cozy, and Tirek stood behind her once more.
"How did you find me!?"
"Look around! Where are you expecting to run!?"
Twilight sighed. She was too exhausted to argue anymore.
"I want to go home..."
"This is your home now. Get used to it."
"Just go away..."
"And miss out on this exquisite misery? I think not. We're all you have now, little Twily."
"I don't need you..."
"So, the truth finally comes out. You can feel hate. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What thoughts and feelings your so-called 'friends' kept hidden from sight. What would they think if they saw you in this condition? What about your subjects?"
"...Do you take me for a fool?"
"What do you mean?"
"Of course I knew they hated me! Why do you think we stuck together for so long!?"
"Interesting. I thought you would deny it a little longer, but this will do."
"The elements were so worthless that Discord was able to invert them with the snap of his talons. He exposed us for what we were on the inside."
"But...?"
"But that was only the surface."
"At last, you understand. Heartbreak, betrayal, despair: these are where all paths eventually lead."
"If it's hate you desire, then I'll give it to you...All of it."
"Then let us bat-"
Twilight dematerialized into the darkness.
"Where is she!?" Cozy squealed.
"Show yourself, Sparkle!" Chrysalis demanded.
The pair searched high and low for the Alicorn to no avail.
"Tirek, you imbecile! Find her!"
Chrysalis stopped dead in her tracks. Tirek was frozen in place. His expression was one of fear.
"What are you gawking at, you buffoon!?"
Before she could hurl another insult his way, the entire top of Tirek's body fell to the ground. Blood spewed from the mutilated half that remained. Cozy screamed loud enough for the frequency to loop. The knowledge they were already dead did nothing to mitigate the impact of the corpse's image.
"What have I done...?" Chrysalis uttered regretfully.
Twilight adopted a tactic from Chrysalis's playbook. Rather than show herself right away, she spoke from a distance, relishing in the fear of her prey.
"I suppose I should thank you for opening my eyes. After a while, my friends and I began to resent each other. Collectively, I believe they hated me the most. I was the one calling the shots when I ascended to the throne, after all. Really, how often can someone attend social gatherings before they lose interest? Even if we'd lived a thousand years, what would've become of us? Our existence would have been hollow, with nothing left to strive for. I tried to push the thought away, to convince myself my imagination was playing tricks on me, but it kept cropping up in the back of my mind. It felt like a broken knife being pushed through my back, but I guess that doesn't matter now. All I can do is accept what can't be changed."
"Even if you destroy us, we'll be back." Chrysalis reminded.
"That's what I'm counting on. I've been looking for an excuse to test this power anyway."
Twilight reappeared, skewering Chrysalis through the heart. The queen simply smiled.
"I was wrong about you, Twilight Sparkle. You do understand true loyalty."
Twilight smiled back. She pulled back her horn, allowing Chrysalis's body to fall by Tirek's. She promptly decapitated Cozy.
Twilight stood silent among the carnage of her own creation. The faceless snarls of monsters grew in volume with each passing second. The Alicorn formed her magic into the shape of an arrow. She pointed the weapon at her skull. Until the bodies of her fallen enemies reassembled, she had no other option but to turn her hatred inward. At the very least, it would be a welcome reprieve from the noise. As the void began to radiate a blue hue, Twilight clenched her teeth. She reminisced on her former life, crying her last tears before evil consumed her. A stream of red trickled between her teeth...
