Defiler: Apocalypse.

Twilight Sparkle had noticed that her friends weren't looking so happy back downstairs in the library, they had no reason to... After all Fluttershy was dead and they couldn't have done anything to save her, but now was not the time for mourning, they needed to find out how to stop whatever was going on before it was too late.

Twilight wasn't the only one to take a note of how her friends seemed to feel. The tan orange earth pony was keeping a close eye on the aqua coloured pegasus, there was tension between them. Pinkie would try to cheer things up a bit by suggesting eating something, which only gained her a stare from the both. It made Pinkie quiet down, instead deciding to move between the two, to atleast stop them from keeping up that awful staring that made Pinkie feel really bad. They were friends weren't they?

Rarity who was helping Twilight find the books on ancient history on events like this suddenly gasped as she waved Twilight over, ”I think... I found something, but dear is that book so.... Unclassy.”, pointing at the dusty, ragged tome before them once Twilight got over to Rarity.

The tome was quite the large one, it was pitch black, even the pages seemed so, red insignia of a bloody tear was embedded on the covers, under it in silvery letters read 'The Forbidden Past'. It was a tome Twilight was sure hadn't existed there before, it wasn't one of the library books. Twilight Sparkle felt the traces of magic, transportation magic, this made her quite curious about the origins of the tome... She tried a spell made to see the object's origins, but it revealed nothing, as if nopony had ever made it, it didn't even exist to her magical attempts of manipulating it.

After telling her friends to back down, she slowly opened the covers only to see more black, but upon the first pages a liquid looking red text appeared, 'One cannot know the truth without sacrificing one's self in the process.', which made Twilight take a step back in surprise, how was this possible... Every tome like this was supposed to be destroyed by the orders of the princesses, still there it was, as if mocking everything she knew, there it was before her, very real. Her voice shaking she requested Spike to bring her a knife...

”Twi, what the hay are you doing?”, asked Applejack, her voice worried as she'd been broken from her staring fest with Rainbow Dash, who also now was watching the situation openly concerned for her friend's safety.

As soon as she heard the tone in her friends voice she would remain quiet, if she told them what she was about to do, would they really understand or would they try to stop her? She couldn't take that chance and as soon as Spike brought her the knife, she told him to go somewhere else in the library and not look. As her friends watched she held the knife between her teeth and swiftly cut a wound onto her right foreleg, wincing as the tome drained her much more than she'd thought, her world went black as she collapsed once the blood had been taken from her.

Her friends looked at the lavender mare, that brought the knife to her right forehoof, then... They rushed to tackle her away from the tome, but they were too late, instead falling into a pile over Twilight, before hastily scrambling off her.

Pinkie Pie was the first to act, rushing unusually fast even for her, the bleeding had to be stopped, oh it had to be, Twilight would die othervise, she had to do something. Panic came over her as she rummaged through the first aid kit, finally finding the bandages, coming back down and fumbling with the bandage desperately, the knife had seemed clean... There was simply no time for disinfectants, her friend's life was in danger, oh Twilight what have you done! As she fumbled with the bandages they were roughly taken from her, magic unfolding the bandages and quickly wrapping around the lavender unicorn's wound on her right foreleg.

It was Rarity, while she wasn't a medical expert, she did know how to use bandages from her mishaps in the boutique while fashioning new dresses. She secured the bandage around Twilight's foreleg... Then checking the lavender unicorn's breathing and nodded, satisfied with her work she turned around to see Applejack and Rainbow Dash head to head with each other, Pinkie trying to stop them.

”Girls, don't do this... Please?”, the pink pony pleaded at the two, but they didn't seem to hear, just staring eye to eye, neither refusing to back down. Something inside her was aching really bad, but why, it felt like one of those times when she wasn't herself. It hurted Pinkie so much to see her friends like this, surely enough something would break soon if this kept up...

Normally Rarity would have separated the two braggards from each other, but that just seemed so messy right now, even as Pinkie gave her a pleading look, a scared look. There was something else in the look as well, but Rarity didn't notice that as she had taken a look out of the window and it was a riot out there, everyone was fighting. Looking at Twilight's unconcious form Rarity groaned quietly to herself, fine. She'd take care of the two braggards, even if it was ghastly in her opinion, a magical blue glow around Applejack's and Rainbow Dash's tails as she tugged them away from each other. Rarity looked quietly at the two, returning their stares without a step back, ”Girls you should know better, this is a library after all... And now is har-”.

Rarity's speech was cut short as they heard a familiar voice groaning at a very low tone as the lavender coated unicorn woke up, ”Wha- what happned?”.

Twilight Sparkle sat up, looking slowly around, not getting a whole lot of time to take in her surroundings as she saw a pink blur heading right towards her, soon enough she would look up at a pair of huge blue eyes. ”Twi! Everyone's gone all grumpywumpy, itriedtocheerthemupbuththeyjustgotallgrrstareyand-”, Pinkie explained a bit panickedly before getting silenced by a hoof as Twilight tried to take in the amount of knowledge blasted at her by the speedy pink menace. ”Uh who's fighting, Pinkie you need to be a bit more specific with all this, I just woke up and I'm not feeling too good...”, Twilight mumbled gently pushing Pinkie off herself, trying to get on her hooves, but her right foreleg sent her a sharp jolt of pain, so she resolved not to use it, instead using her three healthy legs to stand up. Looking around she could see her friends there, except Fluttershy... Fluttershy was gone, but luckily enought the others seemed to be there, even if their looks did unnerve her some, they were concerned, however there was something behind those looks, something growing, hungry.

Twilight responded quietly to the questions on her health, was she ok? Ofcourse she wasn't! She was feeling sick, so very weak, not to mention her headache and need to throw up after losing so much blood to the tome. She would however say she was fine, she had much else to do than just sit by and watch her friends grow stranger and stranger each passing minute... Just as she reached out to the tome she was confronted by Rarity, ”Oh dear, you aren't really considering reading that... Horrid thing, it nearly killed you.”, with a highly concerned tone. Twilight looked at the white unicorn for a while, then at the tome, squinting her eyes slightly, ”Not all of us are strangers to getting our hooves dirty when needed, now let me concentrate...”, she'd mutter in response, gaining amused chuckles from the pegasus and orange earth pony... She was having a headache much worse than ever before, having to focuse on the matters at hand to keep the pounding of her head from making her unable to do anything, than groan in pain until she'd fall unconcious. She would keep her concentration high in order to repel what seemed to try and affect her from the outside, this was probably because of the tome and everything that happened since.

Rarity would have none of this, not after she saved Twilight's life, was this her thanks? Being called fussy? FUSSY? Oh she was going to show Twilight yet... But for now she'd need to be graceful about it, ofcourse, she'd get her say later. ”Yes ofcourse dear, I am so sorry for bothering Twilight.”, Rarity said, she could hold her tongue. Twilight was absorbed in the book already, carefully reading over the pages. She had felt her emotions being messed with from the outside influence earlier, now she knew what they had done, all her negative feelings seemed so much heavier, as if something had been amplifying them. Why of all times now did it have to be she felt such unlady like feelings towards her friends, it was simply awful for the usually so graceful Rarity.

While Twilight's awakening had stopped the two 'competetive' ponies from going at it head on, they stayed quite far from each other, shooting deathly glares back and forth when they thought nobody was watching, but Pinkie, she saw it all too clearly. Pinkie wasn't herself anymore, her hair wasn't all curly, it was flat, she was feeling very ill, but not physically, oh no, not even a bucket of candy made her sick. It was watching her friendships crumbling into ashes before her, that was what made her feel so bad and she knew she could do nothing to make it better, not anymore.

After Rarity was sure Twilight had gone into one of her reading trances, she looked about and wondered, ”Oh dear me, I think we should leave Twilight to concentrate on finding out what's up... After all she's the brilliant one here, sure she'll figure something out. Pinkie, could you check up on Angel bunny and Spike, I'm sure they could use someone to comfort them...”, managing to keep her voice free of her underlying emotions. ”Meanwhile we should go and try eat something. It is no good to get weak from hunger after all, it simply ruins one's complexion~”, she suggested carefully, this would have to be just perfect. She'd always been a bit jealous of Twilight's connections to the royalties, but she was not going to act on these emotions, instead she made sure everyone had left the area before she would pull Twilight over for a little discussion about the situation, also to excuse herself from the library perhaps.

Applejack had to agree with Rarity, even if that annoying pegasus would be involved. 'Ah'll be, once this is over Ah'll buck that no good flyin' disaster area to the moon! Ah mean she's alwahs been competetive, but now she's a step too far, only because she can fly doesn't mean she's so superiour.', Applejack thought to herself as she evenly met the glare of the rainbow maned sky blue pegasus. They would have to settle this down, sooner or later... But for now she'd play along, heading to the kitchen, still keeping eye on the pegasus.

Similiar thoughts racing in her head the only pegasus in the library stared back, watching Applejack's every movement as if she were to suddenly attack as they went to the kitchen, as arrived there and sat down they'd just keep staring at each other in the uneasy silence. Rainbow Dash was sure the applefarming too proud to be true earthbound pony was planning something, not that she was afraid... Even though the earth pony had always been the stronger one, or so she thought. The first suspicious move and she would be all over that traitorous and overly jealous pony, she was just itching to show who was the boss, ofcourse it would be The Dash, no doubt of it.

As she watched the others leave the room, she sighed relievedly, this was going to be so much easier with just Twilight present... She carefully approached the lavender unicorn, who was still working on the tome. She even walked right next to Twilight politely asking, ”How's the research going darling?”, while waiting for her chance to tell the lavender unicorn about her dilemma.

Twilight would mumble something that would pass as answer, figuring it was just Rarity being worried as usual, but something in that tone had caught her attention. ”Oh Rarity, it's fascinating really, hard, but I'm sure we'll get something we can-”, she started before feeling a piercing pain as the realization what she had said earlier struck into her mind. She heard someone whisper into her ear, ”Oh dear, are you alright Twilight?”, as she nearly blackde out again, dulledly feeling her body as it suddenly leaned against her friend that was on her side. As she came to she gasped in pain that was more emotional than anything else, she was being held up by her friend she had probably insulted.. Downstairs? Into the basement she figured, and ofcourse she just had to be too obsessed with the tome to even realize having just shrugged off someone who cared for her. She tried not to panic, in which she obviously failed as she entered the basement, having been walking deep in thought after she felt she could stand on her own again.

'Oh, she doesn't look too good, maybe this thing's getting to her too.', Rarity thought to herself in a idle state of thinking what to do next, she'd made sure the bandaged up lavender unicorn wouldn't fall down the stairs... She didn't want to see her poor friend suffer more, she only wanted to talk with her! With those thoughts she turned her attention back to the lavender unicorn that was trying to stay up, oh but that wouldn't do, ”Twilight dear, please lay down before you hurt yourself. You simply look so very exhausted, is something wrong?”.

Twilight looked up at Rarity's dark shape in horror, she could only nod and shiver in fear as she felt the cold bloody blade wipe itself into her coat, lightly scratching her in the process. As the silky white unicorn moved upon her, beginning her lecture on how to treat a lady, adding pressure to her words with a few cuts around her body, only enough to make Twilight wince and whimper in pain to make sure she was listening. The lavender pony's mind was in shock, what had she said... Now and then she'd struggle weakly, she knew she wasn't going to make it, but why did it have to end like this... Then she snapped out of whatever had been giving her visions, Rarity would never do that, simply stupid of her to think like that. It was true however that she was feeling very bad, her visions getting worse with each second, and the headache she felt seemed to be coming from the same source. She was battling in her mind to repel the attacks while she kept staring at her worried looking pure white coated friend, Rarity would scream if she saw herself in a mirror..

Nameless watched the events of the library, most pleased, but something had been bothering her greatly, even if she should enjoy this so much... What was the problem, everything was going perfectly! Still she couldn't shake the feeling, before finally turning to look at the spirit floating near her, noticing the cause of her unusual feeling.

The spirit was trying to scream at her, obviously distraught by what it was seeing. Even if the spirits are usually formless, this one seemed persistent, it kept its form and it kept gazing at her when it thought she wasn't watching, but as she turned to look the spirit cowered, hiding behind its misty hooves.

Nameless tilted her head, feeling confused, not that it mattered really, but she felt uncomfortable, it was a feeling she doesn't want to know. She sighed and reached slowly to caress the spirit, even if she knew she couldn't touch the spirit physically, it was the gesture that mattered. ”Fine, I guess it'd be boring if the main player died before the play even truly begins.”, she sighed, reaching into the mind of the dying lavender unicorn... She reached the vast amount of untapped power in the unicorn, she was shocked from the sheer amount of power this being held, not really even bothering with the mental torture anymore as she suddenly sent her whole potential into the situation, she had to act.

Twilight felt something surge into her mind, something that wasn't supposed to be there, but she felt weak, far too weak to do anything against it anymore as her mental barriers were swiftly penetrated... She only observed with her mind's eye, catching glimpses of a strange being and something else, it had found what it was seeking for it seemed, her magical potential. She could suddenly feel her grasp falling as the strange entity took control of her actions.

Nameless now inhabiting the body of Twilight Sparkle, looking at her personal memories sickened her beyond anything else, but this was the main player, the little protege of the sun princess that had so lovingly watched while she was mentally cut up again and again. Before her stood the unicorn staring in shock at the standing lavender unicorn.

Rarity took steps back and stared in shock as the formerly helpless, completely under her care. The unicorn was no longer at all helpless looking as her eyes gleamed with magic as it lifted her off the ground and soon Rarity found herself blasted backwards as the unicorn laughed, "I'll feast on your soul!", at the terrified fashionista. Rarity wasn't going to stand around here and die, but it was her friend that was there, why was this happening? She could only stare in horror as several small blows rained upon her body, causing her to writhe in agony as a bit of her blood was lost. After that she could escape, running up the stairs, screaming as she ran straight out of the library's front door, escaping into the night. She had to escape, lest she go insane from the mess her inner feelings were, and in her current state of fright, there was not much she could do to help her friend as her mind only told her to escape.

Rainbow Dash saw Rarity run out of the door, intending to go after her, but stopping short on her tracks as she saw Twilight Sparkle walking out of the basement, red fog fully surrounding the lavender coloured unicorn as her eyes glowed red. The unicorn stopped, just staying still...

Applejack had noticed the same and carefully approached her friend, uttering, ”Twi... Twi?”, trying not to shake with fear so visibly, she had to remain strong, but as the lavender unicorn turned to look at her once, she backed away.

The unicorn's face was distorted with a hellish smile that no face should be capable of as it started walking towards Applejack and Rainbow Dash, both of them backed with each step their friend took towards them... As the horror was satisfied it turned to the tome and touched it, falling to the floor again, the ominous glow having dissipated. The blood had finally done its job along with the unicorn's own untapped potential, her life had been unnaturally lenghtened beyond the point of dying from all she'd gone through.. It had been the mistake of Nameless to affect the ancient tome's private world from hurting Twilight's mind, ofcourse the true intention of the tome would have been to kill the unicorn. There was a second mastermind in this play now, she was well aware of that and proceeded now to do what she had to.. She had lost quite a bit of her blood and her hold on the two princesses wavered as she concentrated on what was necessary next.

Rainbow Dash was the first to go over to Twilight, checking if she was still alive, but as the pegasus checked her friend's breathing, it wasn't there. ”This is just a bad dream... Yeah a bad dream....”, the normally so cool pegasus mumbled as tears fell from her eyes, she had just lost two of her dear friends in one day, it was starting to be too much for her to hold together... Looking at the sight before herself she thought, 'Keep it together Dash, keep it together, keepittogetherkeepittogether....', while backing into the furthest corner away from the sight she had to behold.

Applejack reacted no better, but she managed to stop her trembling, she had to stay steeled up, this was far from over something told her... But in her mind, losing Twilight was the end of it all, nothing could be worth this. Something however caught her eye as she finally looked up, she'd lock up and just stare quietly at the tome, it was glowing the ominous glow she'd seen on her now dead friend... 'Perhaps there's just hope yet....'

The orange pony couldn't be more right with her wishes, Twilight Sparkle was very much alive, but not in body, in mind... She didn't know how, but she was somewhere, the place was dark and to her surprise she could feel something warm, as well as wet around her hooves. Twilight knew she wasn't alone, not alone in this darkness, something was there, she couldn't see it. She lit her horn, but she saw nothing, nothing at all.

Surely enough the lavender unicorn got her confirmation to the fact she wasn't alone, hoofsteps accompanied with a brief splashing sound each time. Soon she felt a breath over her neck, warm as it was, it was never the less horrifying to her, she couldn't see. ”You know, sometimes to see is not to see~”, a voice whispered into her ear, as if amused, but it was hard to make out any noise even if so close.

Twilight Sparkle tried, she really tried to see, but soon she gave up trying to see, giving up everything else than her mental awareness. Now she was able to see, but she dared not open her eyes just yet, afraid of seeing something she was not ready to see, however as time passed without anything happening she slowly opened her eyes. She jumped in fright as she saw her surroundings, a pool of blood in the middle of the floor where she was standing, everything else a shadow over shadow. Then she noticed the being near her and backed away slowly, taking in more and more of the appearance.

The unknown alicorn just stood there with a grin on her face, sharp horn adorning her head as, she was pitch black, except her mane and those scars, they were nearly neon cyan in colour, her tail black and bright red stripes. Her cutiemark having a very strange symbol that Twilight was unable to clearly see due to the ragged cloak the alicorn wore, strangely so that it went over her leathery wings, along with her hat and other accessories. Her eyes were red as they stared at her. ”Do I really look that stunning?”, came the voice again now stronger, clearly amused by the lavender unicorn's reaction.

This took a while to sink in, the lavender unicorn's expression changing several times, before settling into the determined scholar's face. ”What, or better yet who are you and why am I here?”, came her paranoid questioning, it would have continued if the answers weren't coming to her so soon.

”I? That would be a long long answer, so let us just say that I am the hostess of this little game you've been so clueless of playing, you may call me 'Nameless'... You're here for more of a obvious reason dear little being, continuing your existance in the game.”

”I want no part in this! I never wanted any of my friends to die either! It was you that killed Fluttershy!?”

”Oh yes the pest... Yes I killed her, you should've seen the delightful look on her face~ The princess was correct about your potential after all, how very surprising.”

”I–I WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!”

”And WHAT chance do you think you have against me, pet?”

”FLUTTERSHY NEVER DESERVED TO DIE, YOU.... YOU MONSTER!”

With every word she spoke she felt hatred, deep hatred flash into her mind, the very being that was responsible for hurting her friends was there. She could get revenge, she could hurt this being, she wanted to hurt this being so bad... Deep inside she however doubted herself, this was the being that had killed so easily one of ber best friends. More out of despair than bravery she blasted a shot of magical energy at the being.

Nameless was amused as she felt the all too familiar piercing feeling as the magic hit her dead on, her blood readily seeping from the wound and as the lavender unicorn looked up, she could see Nameless grinning wickedly at her.

"Please mommy, cut me more!"

”Wha-”

"Oh daddy daddy, rip open my belly~", she continued, giggling as she felt her belly being torn open by the next magical blast the lavender unicorn shot at her.

”What the hell?! Why aren't you dead!!!”

"KILL ME! Please? Hrehheh..."

And with that Twilight lost it, she started just blasting at the being, blast after blast in rapid succession, trying to quiet down the mocking laughs. Each shot only made her enemy sound happier and happier with her responses, even if more and more clearly insane... She couldn't keep up the barrage too long, lest she'd pass out again. After a few more blasts she fell to her side, panting in exhaustion.

While the cutting her up part was making her awfully happy she did have a goal, she thought this to be the perfect moment to achieve it as she walked to the prone lavender unicorn, whispering, ”It is not me you should've wasted your hatred on... I never was the real threat.”. She would show Twilight Sparkle what she was talking about instead of telling, she was no good with words and with that she sent Twilight into her memories, not sparing a second thought to the matter.

After Twilight was done catching her breath she would stand up, looking around again, the enemy was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn't all that had changed. She was standing in a meadow bathed in bright light of Celestia's sun. She was unsure where she was, but whatever it was it had to be a illusion, yet it seemed so real, punching herself lightly she noted that she could feel everything. Confused as she was she spied a bright white filly walking in the meadow, not noticing her. Twilight thought to herself for a while, in one aspect this could be a trap, but if it wasn't... Rather than risk this however she remained watching the scene unfold.

The filly would walk over to a tree, where she would lie down in its shade, not moving. Not too long after she was followed by two others, they stopped before her and seemed to look down on her. This made the filly leave the spot she found to rest at, slowly walking away from the two, hanging her head low.

After this the scene faded, twisted and turned into a new memory that started playing, Twilight simply sat there, making mental notes, as well as guesses about who could the filly be. She had however by now realized that she could do nothing to alter the happenings of this place, nor could she leave it by her own will.

This time it was inside the kitchen, the filly had cut herself accidentally while trying to cook her parents a surprise breakfast, they had been screaming at each other again yesterday, maybe this could make things right again between the two beings she loved the most in whole wide equestria!

She was finished cooking the meal after taking care of the small cut on her cheek, she had even served the food to the table and had turned to go wake up her parents, bright smile on her face. That smile however quickly disappeared as she saw her father coming downstairs with a bottle in her hooves, the bottle the filly had really began hating, it made her dear daddy act all weird. She even forgave getting hit once when her daddy got all worked up about her having a bad grade in school, but the bottle she loathed over all, when he had it mommy and daddy would always scream at each other. It made her feel really bad seeing them act like that.

Her father seemed to be even worse than usual, heavy bags under his eyes as he looked down at his daughter, seeing the cut he snarled and stormed into the kitchen, grabbing the knife and storming back over to her looking really upset. She expected her dad to give her a lecture of how dangerous the knives were and weren't meant for little fillies to play around with, but what she saw instead... Her father whispered to her, even gently, even if his face remained in the mask of hate and loathing, ”Look daughter, look closely... Daddy will show you how to use a knife since you want to use it so bad...”, his voice laced with venom as he took a step backwards and showed her. She was excitedly looking at her father, even if her father sounded a bit weird, her father was going to teach her! She hadn't had the chance to learn from her father since.... She saw her father sinking the knife into his chest.

She just stared at the sight before her, unable to move, unable to even scream as she watched her father fall to the floor with a smile on his face. After several moments of silence, she screamed, she screamed for help, for mommy... But mommy didn't come, nopony came to help, she just fell to her knees and started crying, daddy was dying.... No daddy was dead, mommy didn't care, why did nopony help?

What seemed like a eternity later, she looked upstairs, mommy had to be there, mommy would help! Mommy loved daddy... Didn't she? She headed upstairs slowly, each step shambling more than the last one, yet she made it to her parents bedroom, opening the door carefully she stepped inside the room, calling out ”Mommy?” as carefully as she could. No answer came so she ventured deeper into the darkness of the room, in her shaken state forgetting to turn the light switch, hearing heavy breathing. She headed slowly towards the breathing sounds she heard, calling out again to her mommy, but no answer came. As she felt her hoof hit the bed she climbed onto the bed carefully and now she could feel the breaths accross her neck, ”Mommy?”. A voice answered this time, raspy and weak as it was, ”Mommy's here dear... Come closer.”, so she leaned in as close as she could, only to get strangled against her mother. Panicking of the sudden hurting feeling she stabbed with her horn where she could feel something, anything, kicking and struggling to get away. Soon enough whatever was holding her let go, gasping for air she stumbled out of the bed and to the lightswitch, turning the lights on to look at what had attacked her in the dark. On the bed she saw her mother, a bloody mess of her that was, apparently had been even before she entered the room, but much more so now. She couldn't handle it all at once and passed out in the doorway, a mark appearing on her flank.

The last few flashes were with the filly and some grown up mare. ”Never fear again... Sister.”, came the quiet voice, which was fading fast.

After seeing these events pass by Twilight Sparkle looked even more confused, it was dark again, but the silhouettes and shadows were there still allowing her to navigate. The other presence in the room had faded, but there were no signs of teleportation magic having been used... Twilight walked to the silhouette of a door and pushed it to see if it gave in. A bright flash emanated from the door, consuming everything, but before the everything faded, she saw a flash of azure coated unicorn in somewhere dark.

Opening her eyes she groaned, feeling around her body slowly, there was nothing missing and the wounds seemed to have stopped bleeding over time... She was laying on her bed and from downstairs she could hear atleast two voices, possibly arguing seeing the volume of their voices. Sure getting up was probably not the best choice ever, but she tried none the less, not really having the time being here bedstuck. The first one to notice her was in the same room however, and quite instantly there was the usual pink blur in her sights, but this time it didn't pounce her, just settling nearby.

”You know, maybe it's a bad idea to get up yet...”

”Pinkie?”

”You just let auntie Pinky Pie take care of this.”

”Have you been crying... Pinkie?”

”A-auntie Pinks won't let them hurt you.”

”Oh Pinkie... You look awful. What's happened?”

”I don't know!”, the pink usually energetic earth pony's voice finally faltered into quiet sobs, leaning against the bed. Twilight looked at her friend for a while, before reaching her hooves clumsily around her friend to comfor her, ”It's all going to be better Pinkie, I don't know how or when, but it will be. I promise.”.

Pinkie Pie gathered herself after a long time of quietly sobbing against her possibly now only friend, yet her mane staid straight and flat. She wasn't feeling full of joy even if she did manage to smile at her friend in the silence, before asking, ”Pinkie promise?”, even if the answer was for once clear. She wanted to hear it, she needed to hear it or she'd snap permanently, she wasn't even sure if she could keep up at all anymore... But she needed hope, Twilight Sparkle, her best friend, she always had been there for her, even if things seemed grim. She could trust Twilight, she had to be able to.

”Pinkie promise.”, Twilight Sparkle replied with a gentle smile, she'd let go of the hug to get herself sitting properly. ”So... Tell me, what went wrong Pinkie?”, she asked, fearing to know the answer already, dreading the answer, yet it was a necessity.

Pinkie gathered all the courage she had left and told Twilight about the situation, ”Rarity fled the cellar, looking wounded. Applejack and Rainbow Dash... They're fighting, even more than usual that is. I don't know if I can handle this!”

Seeing the despair lingering so deeply in her seemingly only unaffected friend lit a fire inside Twilight, the memory and the malicious mare she'd encountered while out of Equestria mentally... She would get to the bottom of this, she wouldn't rest until she had every last stone turned, all of the mysteries solved. 'This flame it's so warm, so hot... I can't almost contain it. I know it isn't hate, but something deeper, but how dare she.... HOW DARE SHE TOUCH MY FRIENDS! I will get them all back,  I will, then she'll see the strength of true friendship. She can't break us, nothing can.', the lavender unicorn thought to herself, eyes closed for a while before she'd look Pinkie straight into her eyes, meeting her desperate gaze and smiling soothingly as she whispered, ”Smile for me Pinkie, it's what she fears the most.”, her voice soft, but there was a hidden strength behind every word.

The pink earth pony seemed surprised, confused even at her friend's confidence, but those words were what she needed to hear the most. 'Sure if that's what Twi says, when has she ever betrayed you, never that's when!', the premier party pony of Ponyville slowly grinned happily at Twilight, her mane popping back into life as well. She could make it through this, why had she ever thought othervise was beyond her as a familiar warmth had returned into her heart, they would make it all better, together as friends they had always been.

They hadn't come this far for nothing... Now it was time to find their friends, if only it wasn't too late.

In the castle of the royal sisters of sun and moon, there was silence that ran deep as the two ruling sisters slept restlessly, restrained in their unanticipated nightmare. However it was not long anymore Luna had awoken, if only to see the Nameless menace smiling distortedly as it did, however the thing that drew her attention was the appearance of small turquoise marks on her flank on the right side of the 'tear of blood' lined with a strange aura, emanating with darkness along the lines that tainted the 'tear of blood'. Luna could hear the being whispering to herself, ”With each passing moment... The seals they are breaking. Just need to keep them busy.... Then all will be as it should be.”, satisfaction sickeningly clear in her voice.

Nameless hadn't noticed the princess of night awakening, too absorbed in her thoughts of what was going on, as well as making sure a certain 'outsider' didn't come to stop her for his own agendas. It was only when her grasp on one of the sisters suddenly ceased to exist she looked where the dark princess had been imprisoned. Instead of fighting her however, the lunar princess flew straight through the defenses she'd put up and prepared what seemed like a teleportation spell, flinging herself past the magical barrier still around the royal palace.

Princess of the night had now escaped, she knew she wouldn't be followed, but in her heart she made a promise, she'd come back for Celestia. Celestia would've done the same for her as always, but alone she was nothing against the being. She needed allies and who were better suited for the task than those that had banished Chrysalis herself from their own wedding with the power of their love...

It would be a shame to break their honeymoon together, but Equestria needed her heroes, perhaps more than ever.