Princess Midnight Sparkle Rewrittenby midzurugiChaptersChapter 1: The Calm Before the StormChapter 2: Leading Me Into the DarknessChapter 3: Interdimensional InterludeChapter 4: Worse Than I ThoughtChapter 5: Now or NeverChapter 1: The Calm Before the StormIt's another regular afternoon in Princess Twilight Sparkle’s castle. It's awfully quiet though. The rest of the Mane Six are busy with their day-to-day lives at the moment, hence why the otherwise lively castle feels so eerily calm. Speaking of Twilight, she's currently walking through the castle corridors. On her way, she accidentally knocks something with her hoof. As Twilight looks down, her eyes widen and her interest is piqued. She sees a strange, almost alien-looking device which acts as some sort of necklace. The device is round in shape, with a bright, glowing pink dot in its center and multiple luminescent cyan lines surrounding it. This amulet, whatever it is, doesn't look like it's from Equestria. The technology that the device is built with is far more advanced than what Equestria is accustomed to. “Woah, what is this?” Out of curiosity, she wears the amulet around her neck. As she’s about to continue walking, Starlight shows up from behind. “Hi Twilight. How's everything going?” “Starlight! I'm so glad you came by. Look what I found!” - Twilight takes off the amulet to show it off to her student. “Sweet Celestia, where did you find this?” “I don't know where it's from or how it appeared inside my castle, but I'm going to examine it later. Who knows what this could be for.” - Twilight says as she puts on the amulet around her neck again. “Well, I hope you gain some knowledge on this. Mind if I help?” In the midst of the two mares having their conversation, Starlight’s mood changes as she notices the amulet around Twilight's neck light up. Its hatch begins to open up instantly. “Uh.. Twilight.. what's it doing?” “Huh- oh!” As it turns out, the amulet detected Starlight’s magic and started draining it. In a state of panic, Twilight gasped as she tried to close the thing shut to no avail, she kept struggling to close its hatch no matter how many attempts she made. It didn't close until it had fully absorbed the unicorn’s magic. Then, complete silence. The two had no idea what just happened. Twilight rushes over to her student, worried about the current state she's in. “Starlight, are you okay?” “Not really..” Her whole body felt weak, she had a tired expression on her face, she almost couldn't stand up straight. Twilight was in utter shock. She desperately tries to appear level headed so that she can assess the situation at hoof. “Look, you can rest while I go and try to find some answers as to what this is and why it did that.” “Make sure you're far away from the others though, we don't want this to happen again.” “I'll try my best.” Chapter 2: Leading Me Into the DarknessTwilight is in the castle’s library looking through book after book to try and find any information regarding the bizarre amulet that drained Starlight Glimmer’s magic a while ago. So far, she has found nothing. Not even the most detailed encyclopedias say anything about the darn thing. To say that she is quite baffled at what's currently happening is an understatement. Suddenly, she stumbles upon the journal that she uses to communicate with Sunset Shimmer. Twilight wonders if she can talk to Sunset about the device, maybe she knows a thing or two about it! So, she begins to write in her journal. “Dear Sunset Shimmer: It's been a long time since we last talked to each other, I've missed you so much since then. Though, I'm only here to ask you in regards to a magical object that I found in my castle, since there are currently no records of it in existence. So, how do I describe this to you? It's kind of like an amulet in a way. It almost doesn't even look Equestrian with the way that it looks. But that's not the important part. Earlier this afternoon, when I found the amulet, me and my student Starlight were talking about my findings, hoping to examine it later. Suddenly, the device opened up and started taking Starlight’s magic. I struggled closing it, no matter how hard I tried, it just wouldn't close. I only managed to close it after it fully drained her magic. When I looked at her, she looked so weakened, my heart almost broke from just looking at her. I told her to go rest and here I am now, trying to get answers from you. I genuinely feel terrible about myself, I feel like I've unleashed something beyond me or anypony else’s control. Please do try and message me as soon as possible, I'm looking forward to what you have to say about my report on this. From, Princess Twilight Sparkle” After she finishes writing to Sunset, she tries to relax and gather her thoughts while she waits for her imminent reply. Twilight still doesn't know how to feel about this, everything felt so sudden. She tried processing the information lying in front of her as much as she could but she still couldn't grasp it. She's lucky that nopony has run into her by now, who knows what kind of chaos that might unleash with a situation like this. However, her pondering would soon be interrupted by a low, vibrating sound. Sunset Shimmer has finally replied to her call for assistance. The purple alicorn lifts up her journal and scrolls through the pages to find her friend’s new message. “Dear Princess Twilight: Thanks for reaching me out! I've also missed you a lot and I'm glad that we're finally talking to each other after all this time. Though, what I'm going to say up next is not gonna be good news. This is more of a warning if anything since, yes, I know what you're referring to. I know what that thing is capable of. To give you a bit of a backstory: Your human world counterpart created this device and started using it to gather magic in Canterlot High. Later in the evening, she was manipulated by her former school into releasing all of the magic she stored to win the Friendship Games. She became a power-hungry monster, obsessed with magic. She started opening up multiple dimensional rifts to Equestria. Thankfully, I was able to use the magic of friendship to save my world and turn Twilight back to normal. As to why and how the device ended up in Equestria, I am just as puzzled as you are. Please get rid of it as soon as you can, that thing is dangerous. I've seen what it's capable of and you did too. Nobody should ever use it under any circumstances. Whatever you do Princess Twilight, destroy it at all costs! From, Sunset Shimmer.” Twilight was aghast. She closed her journal and set it aside the pile of books she made. “But, why and how did it end up here to begin with?” - She thought. Twilight got the answers she wanted but still asked more questions. Every possibility about how the other-worldly amulet could've ended up in her castle only lead back to square one. She could be doing what she was told to do, but instead she was pondering once more. “Unless somepony deliberately brought it here.” Suddenly, she heard a sinister laugh coming from an unknown source. “Huh? Who was that?” Her new-found confusion would be soon interrupted by the sound of the amulet lighting up. This time however, it would do something completely different from what it was designed to do. “What the?” “Sunset Shimmer was right. I have to get rid of it quickly before-” The magic coming from the amulet started taking hold of the alicorn, restraining her in place. It would quickly reach her brain, where it would work its magic and slowly hijack Twilight's mind. “AHHH! What's it doing?!” Twilight struggled to even fight. Her body was now in complete agony. Her eyes shined a bright cyan, tears streamed down her face as she's slowly being consumed by the amulet showing off its new function. How did it get this new ability? It's as unknown as how it got here. She was out of breath. Her vision started getting blurry. It felt like she was dying inside, all the while the mysterious voice heard earlier was cackling maniacally at the sight of the alicorn succumbing to the dark magic taking over her. “SOMEPONY! HELP!” Author's Note sorry if the chapters (especially the earlier ones) are short af. i'm not super used to writing really long stuff so i'm basically learning as i go along 🥲 but yeahh, twilight got possessed! i wonder who's the disembodied voice laughing in the background.. 🤔 well, that's for you to theorize and think about! Chapter 3: Interdimensional InterludeIt's a regular morning at Canterlot High. The halls are lively and full of energy as the students carry out their everyday activities before the bell rings. All is fine, except for one redhead rushing over to the music room. Sunset Shimmer opens one of the music room’s doors, the fast creaking sound interrupting whatever the six other girls were doing. She was catching her breath from running so quickly and hastily. Rainbow asked, confused at Sunset's behavior. “Yo, you good?” “It's Princess Twilight, she said that she found Twilight's magic-draining amulet in her castle.” This information takes the other girls by shock and surprise, responding with all kinds of gasps and confused noises, and especially Sci-Twi, whose eyes widen in terror at the revelation. The mere mention of her creation brings back dreadful memories from long ago. “Wait a gosh darn minute! How did it end up there?” “Yeah! Didn't it get destroyed when you transformed yourself to save Twilight?” “I don't know, and the other Twilight doesn't know either.” This just left them with more questions than answers. The girls were confusedly discussing and bombarding Sunset with more questions. Suddenly, Pinkie cuts through the noise with a hypothesis. “Maybe someone repaired the device and brought it to Equestria?” “But that would mean that they would know about what happened at the Friendship Games and also know about another world.” “I have a question.” Sci-Twi interjects. “If what you're saying is true and the other Twilight has the amulet in her possession as we speak, then what will she do with it?” “I told her to destroy it. I'm sure she will after what I wrote to her.” The girls sigh in relief, though Sci-Twi thought that something felt uniquely off. Everything feels calm. Too calm. Too normal for something as crazy as finding out that a pony princess from another realm found a gadget that caused so much chaos and destruction. And yet it's as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening. It felt like the calm before the slowly approaching storm, but the storm in question was a mighty hurricane. The other girls are casually talking about the news just revealed to them by Sunset, but Sci-Twi was just standing there, pondering. Hearing about the thing she created just popped out of nowhere in another world many moons after that problem has been resolved is.. strange to say the least. “Anyways, classes will be starting in 20 minutes so we better hurry.” The girls left the music room and went to go and prepare for their next classes. However, only two of the seven girls stayed since Sci-Twi walked over to Sunset to ask her a question. “Sunset, is it okay if I talk with you privately? I want to tell you something..” “Go ahead.” The two girls sat down in one of the steps. “So.. recently, I've been having these dreams where I'm fighting Midnight Sparkle.. and suddenly the other Twilight appears and each time she appears in my dreams, I have to save her or else Midnight might hurt her. It's been happening for at least a week and a half.” “Then why didn't you tell me this sooner?” “Look, I felt like I could now handle this on my own now that I've grown as a person, but I decided to tell you this now because of what you said. I feel like the dreams and the amulet appearing in Equestria are linked in some way.” “I see.” “I'm sorry that I didn't tell you this earlier.” “No, it's okay. I understand where you're coming from. Sometimes we think that we can handle our problems on our own, but it's our friendships that help us along the way.” “Right. And if anything’s gonna happen, I have to be prepared for the occasion.” Sci-Twi showed her geode charm to Sunset. “I know that the rest didn't bring theirs today, but I have a gut feeling that something bad is going to happen.” “Twilight-” Sci-Twi placed her right hand on Sunset's shoulder. “Hey, if things go south, I'll handle it. Don't worry about it.” Sunset tried placing her trust onto Sci-Twi, but she was still so unsure. She didn't want her to throw herself in danger. Especially when the others, Sunset included, weren't as prepared for the possibility of Midnight Sparkle of all beings coming back like how Sci-Twi implied. Still, the redhead trusted her despite her worries. If she trusted the pony princess with destroying the device, then she should at least trust her human counterpart with being prepared for whatever could possibly happen. “Alright. If you need any help, we're here for you.” “I know.” The two girls stood up and left the music room, heading towards their respective lockers. With all that being settled, the first half of the day went as smoothly as expected. Nothing unusual happened and there were no signs of a looming threat. However, we must be wary of anything bizarre. Sci-Twi’s morning was normal, yet she still had that feeling that just wouldn't escape her. Like she was on high alert for something that didn't exist. Something in her mind is telling her that danger approaches yet nothing in her surroundings seems to indicate that. Sunset noticed that she hasn't gotten a response from Twilight after what she told her about the amulet. She chalked it up to the princess being busy with her responsibilities and what not. She also noticed that something felt wrong but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what. Maybe Sci-Twi was right, there is a threat coming their way and it's most likely connected to Midnight Sparkle in some way. The redhead tried focusing on her classes however. She couldn't get distracted by her own thoughts. And even if something goes wrong, Sci-Twi would be able to take care of it. After all, what could possibly go wrong? Author's Note soooooo sci-twi was the only one who brought her geode to school, how plot convenient /s yeah i made sunset and especially sci-twi almost like magically linked to midnight so they're the only ones atm that feel like something's fishy but they can't put their fingers on it... what could this feeling be? hmmmm 🤔 Chapter 4: Worse Than I ThoughtStarlight Glimmer was resting inside one of the castle’s quarters, slowly recovering from the effects of the amulet draining her magic. Though her long nap would soon be broken by an ear-shattering scream coming from the castle library by a very familiar pony. Her eyes immediately went wide open. She hurriedly jolted from the bedsheets she was in and tried catching up as soon as she possibly could. “Twilight? Twilight!” The unicorn teleported over to the library. She was then met with the library’s doors and opened them quickly. Once she opened the doors to the library, she couldn't see Twilight anywhere. She observed and looked through the room a little more to see if her mentor was hiding somewhere. Suddenly, Starlight hears a sinister giggle from behind. “Well now.” The princess of friendship was standing right behind her, though there's a big notable difference in her appearance. Her scleras are now a bright teal color, her pupils have shrunken down and are a dull shade of purple. Her face made an ominous yet wicked expression. “Twilight? Is that you?!” “I'm gathering enough magic so that I can understand what it's capable of!” Starlight’s eyes widened in fear. What in the world happened to Twilight?! She looked at the amulet around Twilight's neck. She thinks it might have something to do with the princess’ brainwashed state, but there's also the possibility of a device designed to drain magic not having the ability to take control of one's being. Despite her fears, she tries facing her own mentor head on. Memories of back when she messed around with time itself slowly flooded her mind. Whatever happened here that caused Twilight to be in this state must've been something of pure evil. As Starlight rushes over to fight the alicorn, Twilight teleports behind her. Starlight charges up a devastating blast, but the possessed Twilight blocks it with a shield. Even with the magic drained from her, Starlight managed to put up a fight. Twilight cackles maniacally before opening multiple rifts to a pocket dimension in front of Starlight. The unicorn is confused yet horrified at the sight. At this point, Starlight doesn't even know what the possessed alicorn is planning to do with those rifts, but in her mind, it can't be good. She lights up her horn and charges a big blast. Twilight sees this and proceeds to do the same. They proceed to engage in a beam clash, with both sides being equal in terms of power. However, Starlight starts struggling to take hold of her beam. The brainwashed Twilight notices this and takes advantage of it by overpowering her. Twilight’s beam rapidly approaches Starlight. The unicorn was terrified, stressed and her mind was scrambling, not knowing what to do in the moment. Her body was also getting weaker from the sheer strength she's putting into this blast, trying her best to counter her mentor’s beam. She couldn't give up, but Twilight's attack was too strong for her to handle. “Nononono, this is not happening right now, IT'S TOO MUCH!” Spike is sprinting to the library as fast as he can. Like Starlight, he heard Twilight's blood-curdling scream for help and got immediately worried. Once he was getting close to the library doors, he was met with a jumpscare as Starlight was sent flying from a devastating magical blast. The unicorn’s body hit the wall behind Spike before hitting the ground. “Starlight?!” The baby dragon ran over to Starlight to check on her. However, even in the bruised state she was in, she slowly picked herself up and tried moving forward. “Starlight, what's going on?! Are you okay? What happened to Twilight?!” “I'll tell you once we're safe. Just go! It's too dangerous here!” Spike was still confused and worried, but he did what he was told and fled the scene. Starlight lifted herself up using magic to be on the same playing field as her opponent, who was now airborne and causing a rampage inside the castle, opening more rifts to the same pocket dimension. “Twilight, please listen to me! This isn't like you!” The possessed alicorn’s head turned to look at Starlight. “So what? I can do whatever I desire.” She positioned herself to charge up another attack. “And you're just getting in my way!” She released another ray of magic, aiming it at Starlight. The hovering unicorn dodged the attack, which made a hole through the wall behind her. Starlight fired back another attack, with the alicorn also quickly dodging it, damaging the castle’s interior. The two would continue this succession of attacks going back-and-forth between the two mares like a game of tennis. Twilight breaks this by firing a blast at Starlight, sending her straight to the library. Starlight picked herself back up again and hovered straight to Twilight, charging another blow. Twilight blocked the attack with another shield. The mind-controlled Twilight traps Starlight inside a crystal, one that she would easily break out of. The two continued exchanging attacks, some that they would dodge and some that they would get hit by. At that moment, Starlight thought of something that might benefit them in the long run. She closes one of the many rifts Twilight opened, which made the alicorn livid. “NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” With the brainwashed princess now distracted, Starlight didn't have much time to make her next move. She lights up her horn, charging up a knock-out spell, something that will make Twilight go unconscious. As Twilight turns around to attack Starlight, she fires it directly at her target with hesitation. The possessed alicorn didn't react on time and the blast hit her head, knocking her out almost immediately. And in that moment, Starlight’s eyes opened wide with worry. In a state of panic, Starlight let herself down and catched the now-unconscious Twilight to prevent her from getting hurt any further than she already was. The unicorn’s heart was beating rapidly, adrenaline still running through her whole body from the fight, hyperventilating like crazy. She took fast but short breaths, then slow, deep deep breaths to try and calm herself down. Starlight moved Twilight's resting body to the library for the time being, removing the amulet from her neck and hiding it to make sure she doesn't use it, and so the amulet doesn't drain any more magic. She closed the rest of the rifts Twilight made while she was attacking her. “I need to tell the others, and I also need to bring Spike along with me. I don't want him to get hurt just in case she wakes up still possessed by whatever got her in that state.” Suddenly, her horn started to ache. It seems like all the strength she was exerting herself to was finally getting to her. The unicorn called Spike, who went up to her increasingly more worried. “Is the commotion finally over? What happened to Twilight?” Starlight sighed exhaustedly. “It's okay. I've got the situation under control. She passed out and is sleeping for the time being. For now, we have to get the others to help.” “..Are you still okay though?” “...I'm fine, Spike.” -Starlight held her hoof over her head. Her hornache quickly turned into a headache. “Nonono, it's okay. I can get you something-” “No Spike, I'm good. Thanks for trying to help though.” “I- is it okay if I tell Celestia about this?” “Not now, but make sure you get prepared to tell her in case things do get worse.” Starlight and Spike ran off to tell the rest of the Mane Six about what happened to Twilight. While they were on their way to Sugarcube Corner to tell Pinkie, a few concerned Ponyville residents who heard the attack from their homes asked Starlight about what happened and she answered with a shortened version of the events. She tried calming them down by assuring that they've got this under control. However, as they were on their way, Pinkie suddenly appeared. “Hey Starlight!” The unicorn got frightened by the pink earth pony’s suddenness. She swiftly regained her composure and greeted Pinkie. “I need to tell you something. It's in regards to Twilight, she-” “No, you don't need to tell me. I already know! I was listening to the fight you two had in the castle!” … “Seriously though, what went into Twilight's mind that made her try to attack you?!” “She's possessed, Pinkie. I don't exactly know the cause of this, but I'm thinking that it's the device she found. You probably don't know what that is.” “Wait, what device?” -asked Spike. Starlight sighed, having to explain the events that happened until now. “It's a magic-draining artifact. Twilight found it in the castle and she showed it to me. The thing sucked the magic out of me. I'm assuming it can also take control of a pony’s mind considering that Twilight told me that she was going to the library to find out where the thing even comes from and now she came out of the library all crazy. I would show you the device if it weren't for the fact that it can.. you know.” “Ohhhh.. that makes sense now!” “Anyways, I need you to go tell Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash about this. Spike and I will go tell Rarity and Applejack. Then we'll reunite in the castle to check up on Twilight, okay?” “And what about Twilight? Is she still out of her mind or…?” -asked Pinkie. “She passed out so it's unlikely that she will do further harm. The best we can do is try to not let this get out of hoof. In case Twilight is still possessed even after passing out, we're ready to warn Celestia right away.” “Alrighty then!” “Oh, by the way, try warning them as soon as possible in case something does happen.” “I will! See you later Starlight!” “See ya!” The two parted ways as Pinkie ran towards Fluttershy’s cottage near the Everfree Forest and Starlight and Spike headed towards the Carousel Boutique. Twilight’s eyes slowly opened and closed as she was gaining consciousness. Her mind flickers between her possessed state and her original state. She couldn't move her body, but she was conscious either way. Suddenly, she hears an unknown voice. The same voice she heard before the amulet took control of her mind and body. It pulls her in like a magnet, closer and closer to her mind-controlled state than ever. Just as her eyes were turning back to normal, they slowly turned back into the bright, glowing cyan scleras and those shrunken down, dull, soulless purple pupils. In a battle of wills raging inside her, she didn't end up as herself, as Twilight Sparkle, but as something else. She didn't have a name for it, but it was something different from what Princess Twilight Sparkle represented. She couldn't fight this being who took possession of her anyway, she was in sleep paralysis. It's as if she gave up and finally relinquished her body, her mind, everything about her to this entity she didn't know about. She couldn't see it, only hear it. “You want to learn about magic? Then take it. You can take as much as you want. Heck, you can drain multiple ponies’ magic simultaneously!” Her paralytic state screeches to a halt as she feels like she can finally move now. She twitches her hooves, trying to confirm if what she feels is true. She slowly gets up, feeling weak, like she got the magic drained out of her. She felt so dead inside, but something inside her said otherwise. She also felt… alive?! She wanted more magic, to understand it even more than what she already knows. And she was going to get that magic at all costs. She tried grabbing the amulet but noticed that it wasn't on her neck anymore. However, she sensed that the amulet was hidden around here somewhere. Twilight roamed around the library, desperately trying to find the amulet to no avail. In her less than thorough search, she finds a messy pile of books in a corner and begins to remove them from the pile. That's where she finds her precious amulet underneath the rubble. “...Maybe that unicorn is dumber than I thought.” -said the voice inside Twilight's head, mocking Starlight. As she was walking away from the library, she noticed that the rifts she made are now gone. She was annoyed, but knew that something like that was gonna happen if she went unconscious. Suddenly, her head starts pulsing. Her mind was switching between the real Twilight and the mind-controlled husk now in possession of her body. It's as if the real Twilight was desperately trying to break free, but the spell had her on a chokehold, how was she going to get out of this by herself?! Then, “she” thought of what the voice in her head suggested. “Taking multiple ponies’ magic simultaneously?” She grinned at the idea. Her laughter echoed throughout the castle walls. The mind control spell was now taking full effect on her. The brainwashed princess, now twice as alive and tenfold more wicked, made her next move. Author's Note yes i sprinkled in a bunch of jekyll and hyde musical references in this because i was listening to the album on spotify while writing this 😭 also shout outs to definatelymrhyde for the chapter name inspo Chapter 5: Now or NeverFrantic running could be heard from nearby the Carousel Boutique. Starlight called out a certain snow-white unicorn’s name before knocking on her door. As Rarity opened the door, she saw an exhausted, utterly fatigued Starlight Glimmer, panting as she sprinted all the way from Ponyville to here alongside Spike, who was on her back the entire time. “Oh darling! What brought you here so late? And you brought Spike with you?” Starlight quickly tried calming herself down to explain everything to Rarity, taking deep and heavy breaths while doing so. “Look, I came here to tell you some bad news. Twilight got possessed by a strange amulet and I need everypony to help counteract the spell she's in.” “WHAT?!” -Rarity’s face went pale. “Yeah. Don't worry though, I've got this under control. I already told Pinkie to go get Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash while Spike and I go get you and Applejack. I brought Spike with me because it's dangerous for him to be near Twilight in the state she's in.” Starlight tried appearing as if she knows what she's doing, but deep down, she's extremely anxious. She now has this big responsibility to bear as her mentor was now corrupted with dark magic and she fears that she'll fail. She doesn't know exactly what will happen next, but whatever will happen if Twilight's let loose like this, it can't be good. Yes, she's fought Twilight before, but this? This was different. Now the roles have been reversed. And, on top of being mind-controlled, the alicorn she fought many moons ago was probably now also magically enhanced. She sighed, trying to reassure herself in her mind. “I'll admit it to you, I don't know if we'll be able to do this. This whole situation has me so worked up that I start doubting myself and-” Rarity puts her hoof on Starlight’s shoulder. “Darling, we're all in this together. We will always have each other no matter what. Now, let's go get Applejack.” Starlight sighed once more and moved her chin upwards, trying to make a brave face. With her spirits being lifted, she and Rarity set their sights on Sweet Apple Acres. Starlight Glimmer made a serious mistake. With nopony looking after a possessed alicorn princess entranced by a magical device from another world, she started enacting the next part of her evil plan. Well, it would be her plan if it weren't for the aforementioned state she was in. Twilight had zero control over her body and mind now, listening to the voice in her head telling her what to do, controlling her like a puppet on a string. The spell she was in had more of a chokehold on her more than ever before, intoxicating her very being like wine. As she trotted through the castle halls, quietly giggling at the ideas in her head, she thought of how she could drain as much magic from other ponies as the amulet possibly could. She had the amulet yes, but in what place would she do it? Think, Twilight, think! Then, she had a grim idea. Why not teleport high up in the sky, right in front of the castle? Why not show everypony just what you and this amulet are truly capable of? Let everypony know who you are. Let them witness your true power. This... this was perfect! This plan was a spectacle to behold! And after that, who knows what she could use this unlimited power for. The corrupted Twilight's eyes beamed with curiosity and excitement at the thought of it all. But she had to act quick. Starlight may be gone for the time being, but she will come back soon to thwart her wicked schemes. Meanwhile, near the outskirts of Ponyville, Starlight, alongside the rest of the Mane Six and Spike, had just all gotten together and were now on their way to the castle. They're currently discussing plans to free Twilight from the curse put on her, as well as what to do if everything goes south. “Alright, so here's the plan. We enter the castle then head towards the library where Twilight is. I'll be using a curse-breaking spell on her while you guys guard the place and help me break the spell. I kept the amulet hidden in a pile of books so that we're not harmed in the process. Applejack, make sure that once you find the amulet, you destroy it. Fluttershy, you'll be taking care of Twilight once she's free. Rarity, you'll be taking care of Spike.” Fluttershy raised her hoof. “Yes?” “Um, Starlight. Are you sure that she's even still inside the library?” “Yeah, good point. Did you think of at least leaving somepony to look after Twilight while you were looking for us?” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, almost judging Starlight. “I- uh. I didn't think of-” Suddenly, a wicked cackle could be heard from across town. It came from a very, very familiar alicorn. Starlight’s eyes widened in fear as she looked up and saw the possessed princess flying idly in the sky. Starlight had this under control. Starlight had this under control. Starlight had this under control. “Nonononononononono NO!” Starlight started panicking, hard. Just when she thought she was doing alright, everything goes horribly wrong. She didn't think this as well as she thought she did. She could hear the others frantically getting closer to her, trying to get her out of her train of thought, but she was so caught up in her own mind that everything they said got muffled. Her heart was racing, she felt like she couldn't even breathe. Every sound she heard was instantaneously fading away, now being replaced with an ear-piercing high-pitched noise. The sound was so insufferably loud it made Starlight wince and cover her ears. However, no matter how much she tried muffling the sound, it somehow got louder. She couldn't bear it much longer. The stress got to her and she was now panicking like it was the end of the world. She felt like she was about to die at any moment now. Then, she suddenly snapped. “QUIET!” Suddenly, the ear-shattering noise disappeared. Her world, once blurry and muffled by the sheer anxiety taking over the very fiber of her being, was being rebuilt back into place. It felt as if the universe itself went quiet after it warped and twisted itself in horrifying and ghastly ways. The rest though, were taken aback by Starlight’s sudden shift in her tone of voice. They understood why, but it was still so shocking. Memories of when they first met Starlight steadily flooded their thoughts, but tried to not think of those days since, well, this was a different situation. Starlight felt remorse for raising her voice at her friends. She knew she had to do it, but seeing how her friends were now looking at her, the guilt got to her. “I… I'm so sorry..” “It's okay sugarcube. We understand. But what matters most right now is tryna’ save Twilight.” “Yeah! We're still counting on you no matter what!” Pinkie replied a little too excitedly for the situation they were dealing with. The others all gave similar hums and replies of agreement, reassuring Starlight that there is a chance to save their friend. After all, there is nothing that the magic of friendship can't do. Starlight then got to thinking, brainstorming different plans in her mind. What could she and the others do? She hastily thought of a new plan. It isn't perfect, sure, but given the circumstances she and the others were in, there was no other choice. “Okay,” Starlight organized her thoughts and took a short breath. “Plan B: Go and stop Twilight before she does anything dangerous. And we better be quick, otherwise this might be the last time we'll ever see her.” She teleported in front of the castle, flying high up so that her back could face the balcony. She looked down at the rest of Ponyville, thinking of how her subjects were now going to witness what her precious little trinket can really do. Now, there was nothing stopping her from learning about magic and seizing it for something more. The amulet was glowing like crazy. It was sensing all the magic present in Ponyville and it was now ready to drain everything to its last drop. All Twilight needs to do is open the amulet and let it do its thing. The possessed husk of an alicorn looked at the amulet, then at her view of Ponyville. She really wanted to do this, she really did, but something was holding her back. What was that? Was that the real Twilight fighting to take control of her body and mind again? Or was it something else? Suddenly, the voice in her head breaks her train of thought by giving her little words of encouragement. All thoughts of the real Twilight Sparkle disappeared within her mind like a stain of breath upon a mirror. “Do it. You want to understand magic, don't you?” She lingered on what that voice said, but ultimately made up her mind. “Yes. I want to.” -she mumbled. Twilight then made a dastardly grin. “I want to understand it all!” She slowly opened the amulet, ready to drain as much magic as it can and will. She didn't care about the consequences. She didn't care that her supposed friends were rushing over to her trying to stop her from what she's doing. She saw them hastily sprint, but she wasn't worried, because what she was about to do would halt them in their tracks. The amulet was now fully opened. All the magic it sensed from every living creature residing in this quaint little town, every last drop of magic, drained, captured and contained. Every trace, every microscopic hint of magic was completely drained by a little other-worldly device that was now tenfold more powerful and dangerous than ever before. The alicorn stared wickedly as she saw this terrifying spectacle before her. She loved every second of what she saw. Nothing could really stop her now with this amount of magic. What were they going to do? Fight her? Oh please. Everypony else felt as if their soul was being ripped away from them. It's as if the energy they once had was now completely gone, zero, zilch, nada. Some looked for the source of what's happening, tracing the little trails of magic like hoofprints. What they saw surprised them, to say the least. Starlight and the others were halted in their tracks as the magic they had was sucked from their bodies. This was the second time that Starlight had to experience this, but it felt ten times more horrifying than last time. Because now, what was Twilight gonna do with all the magic she's contained? She's possessed! Who knows what she's about to do next? What does she even intendto do with it once she's done capturing all the magic from every pony, every creature living here?! The amulet closed automatically. The danger once filling up the air turned into an awful silence. The only thing you could hear now was the cool breeze and the crickets chirping in the night. It was clear to Starlight that things were gonna get worse from here and that she couldn't give up, no matter how weak she felt, no matter the condition she was in, she had to move forward. She tried standing up and regained her composure so as to not fall. “C-come on everypony, we have to stop her..” -she almost tripped in her steps as she walked towards the rest. “But how? Did you even see what she did?!” -Rainbow Dash, even with the little energy she had, yelled frustratedly. Her voice almost sounded hoarse. “But she's right, y’know!” -Pinkie struggled to stand up, but she tried nevertheless. “We can't give up, Twilight is our friend and she needs our help!” “Exactly, we have to save Twilight at all costs. It's now or never!” -said Applejack. “...Right. We can first take small steps, then we can progressively start running so that we can catch up.” The rest of the Mane Six also tried standing up to the best of their ability. Starlight and Pinkie did their best to help the others. The effects of the amulet’s magic-draining may leave a considerable toll on their bodies, but it couldn't stop the bravery and perseverance in their hearts. They galloped their way to where Twilight was, slowly but surely gaining speed.. This is it. She's successfully collected all the magic she needed. The possessed alicorn steadily hovered herself back into the ground, landing almost perfectly. She didn't see any of her friends running towards her, which was a relief, sure, but she admits that it made things a lot more fun if they were there. Maybe she just can't see them because they're far away from her field of vision. On the other hoof, the curious residents who traced the trails of magic coming from them back to the amulet made their way to Twilight, with other ponies following suit. They were all so confused and wondering why she did that. Why would the princess of friendship suddenly do such a thing? Some knew about what happened to Twilight, since Starlight Glimmer told them earlier about the fight that ensued inside the castle, but now they were even more puzzled because didn't she tell them that everything was under control?! Then she began to think. Okay, now what? What was she going to do with all this magic? Suddenly, the voice in her head speaks to her once more, suggesting another idea in her head. “Unleash it.” …Unleash it? But, wouldn't she lose all the magic she's gathered? All the work she put into this devilish plan, all this time and energy, just to be wasted and thrown away by such whim?! But then, she started really considering the idea and trying to visualize it in her mind. What would the magic do? The voice in her head started whispering repeatedly. “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” Twilight looked at the amulet, it was flickering uncontrollably once more. She then looks at the ponies approaching her. She's already drained their magic, so why is the amulet glowing? Unless the amulet is telling her to release all the magic inside it. “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” The possessed Twilight took off the amulet from her neck. She was unsure but really, really excited to try this. The citizens of Ponyville, now in front of Twilight, were asking questions. They were looking at each other, distraught and confused. The chaotic murmurs from the crowd would then be silenced by Pinkie Pie shouting from the top of her lungs. “TWILIGHT!” Starlight Glimmer, alongside the rest of the Mane Six and Spike, were now going through the confused crowd as hastily as they could. Multiple “excuse me”s could be heard as they tried getting into the front row, ready to confront the corrupted princess of friendship. However, as they successfully made their way through the crowd, Starlight felt a sense of pure dread running down her spine as she saw that her mind-controlled mentor had taken off the amulet from her neck, observing it with unbridled curiosity. Whatever Twilight was about to do, Starlight had to act quick and stop it. At first, Starlight tried reasoning with her mentor, the same way Twilight did to her back when she messed around with time itself, that way the mind-controlling curse would be lifted from Twilight and she would go back to normal. “Twilight… I know you want to learn more about magic, but you can't just force your way out of understanding it and drain everypony’s magic like it's nothing.” The possessed alicorn looked at her with a mix between confusion and disgust. She then gazed at the amulet once more, still glowing frenziedly. The voice in her head went from whispering to chanting repeatedly as it tried to muffle what Starlight was saying in its host’s mind, and continued encouraging her to release the magic contained inside the amulet. “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” Twilight, still staring at her amulet, made a psychotically evil grin. She was really ecstatic, only this time she realized the potential of opening the device again. It was now or never, she thought. At this point, she was too far gone, not even Starlight Glimmer’s words could find a way to convince her that there's another way. Starlight’s eyes widened in shock, she then realized just what Twilight was about to do. Everypony else got even more confused and worried. The corrupted princess clears her throat. “Listen up everypony, I know you may be confused by what's happening, but it's simple really. You see, I have collected a lot of magic in this device. You may have figured by now that that magic comes from all of you. And now, I'm going to USE IT!” “Unleash the magic, free the magic!” “Unleash the magic, free the magic!” “Unleash the magic, free the magic!” “Unleash the magic, free the magic!” Twilight opened the amulet once again, though this time for a completely different purpose. Starlight fleetingly ran towards the princess, trying to stop what's going to happen if she doesn't close the amulet. The other members of the Mane Six shuddered in pure fear when they saw Starlight get closer to Twilight, fearing that she might get hurt. They also darted towards the two, worried about what would happen to their friends. “NO! DON'T DO IT!” -they all shouted in terror. “Now!” The amulet was now fully open. Author's Note i apologize if the rest of the mane six are kiiiinda written like dookie. giving these girlies some lines is hard as hell for a beginner writer like myself yes, i did the "OMG THEY SAID THE THING!!!" thingy. i just couldn't resist 😭 also there are wayyyy less jekyll and hyde musical references sprinkled in here but they're there
Chapter 1: The Calm Before the StormIt's another regular afternoon in Princess Twilight Sparkle’s castle. It's awfully quiet though. The rest of the Mane Six are busy with their day-to-day lives at the moment, hence why the otherwise lively castle feels so eerily calm. Speaking of Twilight, she's currently walking through the castle corridors. On her way, she accidentally knocks something with her hoof. As Twilight looks down, her eyes widen and her interest is piqued. She sees a strange, almost alien-looking device which acts as some sort of necklace. The device is round in shape, with a bright, glowing pink dot in its center and multiple luminescent cyan lines surrounding it. This amulet, whatever it is, doesn't look like it's from Equestria. The technology that the device is built with is far more advanced than what Equestria is accustomed to. “Woah, what is this?” Out of curiosity, she wears the amulet around her neck. As she’s about to continue walking, Starlight shows up from behind. “Hi Twilight. How's everything going?” “Starlight! I'm so glad you came by. Look what I found!” - Twilight takes off the amulet to show it off to her student. “Sweet Celestia, where did you find this?” “I don't know where it's from or how it appeared inside my castle, but I'm going to examine it later. Who knows what this could be for.” - Twilight says as she puts on the amulet around her neck again. “Well, I hope you gain some knowledge on this. Mind if I help?” In the midst of the two mares having their conversation, Starlight’s mood changes as she notices the amulet around Twilight's neck light up. Its hatch begins to open up instantly. “Uh.. Twilight.. what's it doing?” “Huh- oh!” As it turns out, the amulet detected Starlight’s magic and started draining it. In a state of panic, Twilight gasped as she tried to close the thing shut to no avail, she kept struggling to close its hatch no matter how many attempts she made. It didn't close until it had fully absorbed the unicorn’s magic. Then, complete silence. The two had no idea what just happened. Twilight rushes over to her student, worried about the current state she's in. “Starlight, are you okay?” “Not really..” Her whole body felt weak, she had a tired expression on her face, she almost couldn't stand up straight. Twilight was in utter shock. She desperately tries to appear level headed so that she can assess the situation at hoof. “Look, you can rest while I go and try to find some answers as to what this is and why it did that.” “Make sure you're far away from the others though, we don't want this to happen again.” “I'll try my best.”
Chapter 2: Leading Me Into the DarknessTwilight is in the castle’s library looking through book after book to try and find any information regarding the bizarre amulet that drained Starlight Glimmer’s magic a while ago. So far, she has found nothing. Not even the most detailed encyclopedias say anything about the darn thing. To say that she is quite baffled at what's currently happening is an understatement. Suddenly, she stumbles upon the journal that she uses to communicate with Sunset Shimmer. Twilight wonders if she can talk to Sunset about the device, maybe she knows a thing or two about it! So, she begins to write in her journal. “Dear Sunset Shimmer: It's been a long time since we last talked to each other, I've missed you so much since then. Though, I'm only here to ask you in regards to a magical object that I found in my castle, since there are currently no records of it in existence. So, how do I describe this to you? It's kind of like an amulet in a way. It almost doesn't even look Equestrian with the way that it looks. But that's not the important part. Earlier this afternoon, when I found the amulet, me and my student Starlight were talking about my findings, hoping to examine it later. Suddenly, the device opened up and started taking Starlight’s magic. I struggled closing it, no matter how hard I tried, it just wouldn't close. I only managed to close it after it fully drained her magic. When I looked at her, she looked so weakened, my heart almost broke from just looking at her. I told her to go rest and here I am now, trying to get answers from you. I genuinely feel terrible about myself, I feel like I've unleashed something beyond me or anypony else’s control. Please do try and message me as soon as possible, I'm looking forward to what you have to say about my report on this. From, Princess Twilight Sparkle” After she finishes writing to Sunset, she tries to relax and gather her thoughts while she waits for her imminent reply. Twilight still doesn't know how to feel about this, everything felt so sudden. She tried processing the information lying in front of her as much as she could but she still couldn't grasp it. She's lucky that nopony has run into her by now, who knows what kind of chaos that might unleash with a situation like this. However, her pondering would soon be interrupted by a low, vibrating sound. Sunset Shimmer has finally replied to her call for assistance. The purple alicorn lifts up her journal and scrolls through the pages to find her friend’s new message. “Dear Princess Twilight: Thanks for reaching me out! I've also missed you a lot and I'm glad that we're finally talking to each other after all this time. Though, what I'm going to say up next is not gonna be good news. This is more of a warning if anything since, yes, I know what you're referring to. I know what that thing is capable of. To give you a bit of a backstory: Your human world counterpart created this device and started using it to gather magic in Canterlot High. Later in the evening, she was manipulated by her former school into releasing all of the magic she stored to win the Friendship Games. She became a power-hungry monster, obsessed with magic. She started opening up multiple dimensional rifts to Equestria. Thankfully, I was able to use the magic of friendship to save my world and turn Twilight back to normal. As to why and how the device ended up in Equestria, I am just as puzzled as you are. Please get rid of it as soon as you can, that thing is dangerous. I've seen what it's capable of and you did too. Nobody should ever use it under any circumstances. Whatever you do Princess Twilight, destroy it at all costs! From, Sunset Shimmer.” Twilight was aghast. She closed her journal and set it aside the pile of books she made. “But, why and how did it end up here to begin with?” - She thought. Twilight got the answers she wanted but still asked more questions. Every possibility about how the other-worldly amulet could've ended up in her castle only lead back to square one. She could be doing what she was told to do, but instead she was pondering once more. “Unless somepony deliberately brought it here.” Suddenly, she heard a sinister laugh coming from an unknown source. “Huh? Who was that?” Her new-found confusion would be soon interrupted by the sound of the amulet lighting up. This time however, it would do something completely different from what it was designed to do. “What the?” “Sunset Shimmer was right. I have to get rid of it quickly before-” The magic coming from the amulet started taking hold of the alicorn, restraining her in place. It would quickly reach her brain, where it would work its magic and slowly hijack Twilight's mind. “AHHH! What's it doing?!” Twilight struggled to even fight. Her body was now in complete agony. Her eyes shined a bright cyan, tears streamed down her face as she's slowly being consumed by the amulet showing off its new function. How did it get this new ability? It's as unknown as how it got here. She was out of breath. Her vision started getting blurry. It felt like she was dying inside, all the while the mysterious voice heard earlier was cackling maniacally at the sight of the alicorn succumbing to the dark magic taking over her. “SOMEPONY! HELP!” Author's Note sorry if the chapters (especially the earlier ones) are short af. i'm not super used to writing really long stuff so i'm basically learning as i go along 🥲 but yeahh, twilight got possessed! i wonder who's the disembodied voice laughing in the background.. 🤔 well, that's for you to theorize and think about!
Chapter 3: Interdimensional InterludeIt's a regular morning at Canterlot High. The halls are lively and full of energy as the students carry out their everyday activities before the bell rings. All is fine, except for one redhead rushing over to the music room. Sunset Shimmer opens one of the music room’s doors, the fast creaking sound interrupting whatever the six other girls were doing. She was catching her breath from running so quickly and hastily. Rainbow asked, confused at Sunset's behavior. “Yo, you good?” “It's Princess Twilight, she said that she found Twilight's magic-draining amulet in her castle.” This information takes the other girls by shock and surprise, responding with all kinds of gasps and confused noises, and especially Sci-Twi, whose eyes widen in terror at the revelation. The mere mention of her creation brings back dreadful memories from long ago. “Wait a gosh darn minute! How did it end up there?” “Yeah! Didn't it get destroyed when you transformed yourself to save Twilight?” “I don't know, and the other Twilight doesn't know either.” This just left them with more questions than answers. The girls were confusedly discussing and bombarding Sunset with more questions. Suddenly, Pinkie cuts through the noise with a hypothesis. “Maybe someone repaired the device and brought it to Equestria?” “But that would mean that they would know about what happened at the Friendship Games and also know about another world.” “I have a question.” Sci-Twi interjects. “If what you're saying is true and the other Twilight has the amulet in her possession as we speak, then what will she do with it?” “I told her to destroy it. I'm sure she will after what I wrote to her.” The girls sigh in relief, though Sci-Twi thought that something felt uniquely off. Everything feels calm. Too calm. Too normal for something as crazy as finding out that a pony princess from another realm found a gadget that caused so much chaos and destruction. And yet it's as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening. It felt like the calm before the slowly approaching storm, but the storm in question was a mighty hurricane. The other girls are casually talking about the news just revealed to them by Sunset, but Sci-Twi was just standing there, pondering. Hearing about the thing she created just popped out of nowhere in another world many moons after that problem has been resolved is.. strange to say the least. “Anyways, classes will be starting in 20 minutes so we better hurry.” The girls left the music room and went to go and prepare for their next classes. However, only two of the seven girls stayed since Sci-Twi walked over to Sunset to ask her a question. “Sunset, is it okay if I talk with you privately? I want to tell you something..” “Go ahead.” The two girls sat down in one of the steps. “So.. recently, I've been having these dreams where I'm fighting Midnight Sparkle.. and suddenly the other Twilight appears and each time she appears in my dreams, I have to save her or else Midnight might hurt her. It's been happening for at least a week and a half.” “Then why didn't you tell me this sooner?” “Look, I felt like I could now handle this on my own now that I've grown as a person, but I decided to tell you this now because of what you said. I feel like the dreams and the amulet appearing in Equestria are linked in some way.” “I see.” “I'm sorry that I didn't tell you this earlier.” “No, it's okay. I understand where you're coming from. Sometimes we think that we can handle our problems on our own, but it's our friendships that help us along the way.” “Right. And if anything’s gonna happen, I have to be prepared for the occasion.” Sci-Twi showed her geode charm to Sunset. “I know that the rest didn't bring theirs today, but I have a gut feeling that something bad is going to happen.” “Twilight-” Sci-Twi placed her right hand on Sunset's shoulder. “Hey, if things go south, I'll handle it. Don't worry about it.” Sunset tried placing her trust onto Sci-Twi, but she was still so unsure. She didn't want her to throw herself in danger. Especially when the others, Sunset included, weren't as prepared for the possibility of Midnight Sparkle of all beings coming back like how Sci-Twi implied. Still, the redhead trusted her despite her worries. If she trusted the pony princess with destroying the device, then she should at least trust her human counterpart with being prepared for whatever could possibly happen. “Alright. If you need any help, we're here for you.” “I know.” The two girls stood up and left the music room, heading towards their respective lockers. With all that being settled, the first half of the day went as smoothly as expected. Nothing unusual happened and there were no signs of a looming threat. However, we must be wary of anything bizarre. Sci-Twi’s morning was normal, yet she still had that feeling that just wouldn't escape her. Like she was on high alert for something that didn't exist. Something in her mind is telling her that danger approaches yet nothing in her surroundings seems to indicate that. Sunset noticed that she hasn't gotten a response from Twilight after what she told her about the amulet. She chalked it up to the princess being busy with her responsibilities and what not. She also noticed that something felt wrong but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what. Maybe Sci-Twi was right, there is a threat coming their way and it's most likely connected to Midnight Sparkle in some way. The redhead tried focusing on her classes however. She couldn't get distracted by her own thoughts. And even if something goes wrong, Sci-Twi would be able to take care of it. After all, what could possibly go wrong? Author's Note soooooo sci-twi was the only one who brought her geode to school, how plot convenient /s yeah i made sunset and especially sci-twi almost like magically linked to midnight so they're the only ones atm that feel like something's fishy but they can't put their fingers on it... what could this feeling be? hmmmm 🤔
Chapter 4: Worse Than I ThoughtStarlight Glimmer was resting inside one of the castle’s quarters, slowly recovering from the effects of the amulet draining her magic. Though her long nap would soon be broken by an ear-shattering scream coming from the castle library by a very familiar pony. Her eyes immediately went wide open. She hurriedly jolted from the bedsheets she was in and tried catching up as soon as she possibly could. “Twilight? Twilight!” The unicorn teleported over to the library. She was then met with the library’s doors and opened them quickly. Once she opened the doors to the library, she couldn't see Twilight anywhere. She observed and looked through the room a little more to see if her mentor was hiding somewhere. Suddenly, Starlight hears a sinister giggle from behind. “Well now.” The princess of friendship was standing right behind her, though there's a big notable difference in her appearance. Her scleras are now a bright teal color, her pupils have shrunken down and are a dull shade of purple. Her face made an ominous yet wicked expression. “Twilight? Is that you?!” “I'm gathering enough magic so that I can understand what it's capable of!” Starlight’s eyes widened in fear. What in the world happened to Twilight?! She looked at the amulet around Twilight's neck. She thinks it might have something to do with the princess’ brainwashed state, but there's also the possibility of a device designed to drain magic not having the ability to take control of one's being. Despite her fears, she tries facing her own mentor head on. Memories of back when she messed around with time itself slowly flooded her mind. Whatever happened here that caused Twilight to be in this state must've been something of pure evil. As Starlight rushes over to fight the alicorn, Twilight teleports behind her. Starlight charges up a devastating blast, but the possessed Twilight blocks it with a shield. Even with the magic drained from her, Starlight managed to put up a fight. Twilight cackles maniacally before opening multiple rifts to a pocket dimension in front of Starlight. The unicorn is confused yet horrified at the sight. At this point, Starlight doesn't even know what the possessed alicorn is planning to do with those rifts, but in her mind, it can't be good. She lights up her horn and charges a big blast. Twilight sees this and proceeds to do the same. They proceed to engage in a beam clash, with both sides being equal in terms of power. However, Starlight starts struggling to take hold of her beam. The brainwashed Twilight notices this and takes advantage of it by overpowering her. Twilight’s beam rapidly approaches Starlight. The unicorn was terrified, stressed and her mind was scrambling, not knowing what to do in the moment. Her body was also getting weaker from the sheer strength she's putting into this blast, trying her best to counter her mentor’s beam. She couldn't give up, but Twilight's attack was too strong for her to handle. “Nononono, this is not happening right now, IT'S TOO MUCH!” Spike is sprinting to the library as fast as he can. Like Starlight, he heard Twilight's blood-curdling scream for help and got immediately worried. Once he was getting close to the library doors, he was met with a jumpscare as Starlight was sent flying from a devastating magical blast. The unicorn’s body hit the wall behind Spike before hitting the ground. “Starlight?!” The baby dragon ran over to Starlight to check on her. However, even in the bruised state she was in, she slowly picked herself up and tried moving forward. “Starlight, what's going on?! Are you okay? What happened to Twilight?!” “I'll tell you once we're safe. Just go! It's too dangerous here!” Spike was still confused and worried, but he did what he was told and fled the scene. Starlight lifted herself up using magic to be on the same playing field as her opponent, who was now airborne and causing a rampage inside the castle, opening more rifts to the same pocket dimension. “Twilight, please listen to me! This isn't like you!” The possessed alicorn’s head turned to look at Starlight. “So what? I can do whatever I desire.” She positioned herself to charge up another attack. “And you're just getting in my way!” She released another ray of magic, aiming it at Starlight. The hovering unicorn dodged the attack, which made a hole through the wall behind her. Starlight fired back another attack, with the alicorn also quickly dodging it, damaging the castle’s interior. The two would continue this succession of attacks going back-and-forth between the two mares like a game of tennis. Twilight breaks this by firing a blast at Starlight, sending her straight to the library. Starlight picked herself back up again and hovered straight to Twilight, charging another blow. Twilight blocked the attack with another shield. The mind-controlled Twilight traps Starlight inside a crystal, one that she would easily break out of. The two continued exchanging attacks, some that they would dodge and some that they would get hit by. At that moment, Starlight thought of something that might benefit them in the long run. She closes one of the many rifts Twilight opened, which made the alicorn livid. “NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” With the brainwashed princess now distracted, Starlight didn't have much time to make her next move. She lights up her horn, charging up a knock-out spell, something that will make Twilight go unconscious. As Twilight turns around to attack Starlight, she fires it directly at her target with hesitation. The possessed alicorn didn't react on time and the blast hit her head, knocking her out almost immediately. And in that moment, Starlight’s eyes opened wide with worry. In a state of panic, Starlight let herself down and catched the now-unconscious Twilight to prevent her from getting hurt any further than she already was. The unicorn’s heart was beating rapidly, adrenaline still running through her whole body from the fight, hyperventilating like crazy. She took fast but short breaths, then slow, deep deep breaths to try and calm herself down. Starlight moved Twilight's resting body to the library for the time being, removing the amulet from her neck and hiding it to make sure she doesn't use it, and so the amulet doesn't drain any more magic. She closed the rest of the rifts Twilight made while she was attacking her. “I need to tell the others, and I also need to bring Spike along with me. I don't want him to get hurt just in case she wakes up still possessed by whatever got her in that state.” Suddenly, her horn started to ache. It seems like all the strength she was exerting herself to was finally getting to her. The unicorn called Spike, who went up to her increasingly more worried. “Is the commotion finally over? What happened to Twilight?” Starlight sighed exhaustedly. “It's okay. I've got the situation under control. She passed out and is sleeping for the time being. For now, we have to get the others to help.” “..Are you still okay though?” “...I'm fine, Spike.” -Starlight held her hoof over her head. Her hornache quickly turned into a headache. “Nonono, it's okay. I can get you something-” “No Spike, I'm good. Thanks for trying to help though.” “I- is it okay if I tell Celestia about this?” “Not now, but make sure you get prepared to tell her in case things do get worse.” Starlight and Spike ran off to tell the rest of the Mane Six about what happened to Twilight. While they were on their way to Sugarcube Corner to tell Pinkie, a few concerned Ponyville residents who heard the attack from their homes asked Starlight about what happened and she answered with a shortened version of the events. She tried calming them down by assuring that they've got this under control. However, as they were on their way, Pinkie suddenly appeared. “Hey Starlight!” The unicorn got frightened by the pink earth pony’s suddenness. She swiftly regained her composure and greeted Pinkie. “I need to tell you something. It's in regards to Twilight, she-” “No, you don't need to tell me. I already know! I was listening to the fight you two had in the castle!” … “Seriously though, what went into Twilight's mind that made her try to attack you?!” “She's possessed, Pinkie. I don't exactly know the cause of this, but I'm thinking that it's the device she found. You probably don't know what that is.” “Wait, what device?” -asked Spike. Starlight sighed, having to explain the events that happened until now. “It's a magic-draining artifact. Twilight found it in the castle and she showed it to me. The thing sucked the magic out of me. I'm assuming it can also take control of a pony’s mind considering that Twilight told me that she was going to the library to find out where the thing even comes from and now she came out of the library all crazy. I would show you the device if it weren't for the fact that it can.. you know.” “Ohhhh.. that makes sense now!” “Anyways, I need you to go tell Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash about this. Spike and I will go tell Rarity and Applejack. Then we'll reunite in the castle to check up on Twilight, okay?” “And what about Twilight? Is she still out of her mind or…?” -asked Pinkie. “She passed out so it's unlikely that she will do further harm. The best we can do is try to not let this get out of hoof. In case Twilight is still possessed even after passing out, we're ready to warn Celestia right away.” “Alrighty then!” “Oh, by the way, try warning them as soon as possible in case something does happen.” “I will! See you later Starlight!” “See ya!” The two parted ways as Pinkie ran towards Fluttershy’s cottage near the Everfree Forest and Starlight and Spike headed towards the Carousel Boutique. Twilight’s eyes slowly opened and closed as she was gaining consciousness. Her mind flickers between her possessed state and her original state. She couldn't move her body, but she was conscious either way. Suddenly, she hears an unknown voice. The same voice she heard before the amulet took control of her mind and body. It pulls her in like a magnet, closer and closer to her mind-controlled state than ever. Just as her eyes were turning back to normal, they slowly turned back into the bright, glowing cyan scleras and those shrunken down, dull, soulless purple pupils. In a battle of wills raging inside her, she didn't end up as herself, as Twilight Sparkle, but as something else. She didn't have a name for it, but it was something different from what Princess Twilight Sparkle represented. She couldn't fight this being who took possession of her anyway, she was in sleep paralysis. It's as if she gave up and finally relinquished her body, her mind, everything about her to this entity she didn't know about. She couldn't see it, only hear it. “You want to learn about magic? Then take it. You can take as much as you want. Heck, you can drain multiple ponies’ magic simultaneously!” Her paralytic state screeches to a halt as she feels like she can finally move now. She twitches her hooves, trying to confirm if what she feels is true. She slowly gets up, feeling weak, like she got the magic drained out of her. She felt so dead inside, but something inside her said otherwise. She also felt… alive?! She wanted more magic, to understand it even more than what she already knows. And she was going to get that magic at all costs. She tried grabbing the amulet but noticed that it wasn't on her neck anymore. However, she sensed that the amulet was hidden around here somewhere. Twilight roamed around the library, desperately trying to find the amulet to no avail. In her less than thorough search, she finds a messy pile of books in a corner and begins to remove them from the pile. That's where she finds her precious amulet underneath the rubble. “...Maybe that unicorn is dumber than I thought.” -said the voice inside Twilight's head, mocking Starlight. As she was walking away from the library, she noticed that the rifts she made are now gone. She was annoyed, but knew that something like that was gonna happen if she went unconscious. Suddenly, her head starts pulsing. Her mind was switching between the real Twilight and the mind-controlled husk now in possession of her body. It's as if the real Twilight was desperately trying to break free, but the spell had her on a chokehold, how was she going to get out of this by herself?! Then, “she” thought of what the voice in her head suggested. “Taking multiple ponies’ magic simultaneously?” She grinned at the idea. Her laughter echoed throughout the castle walls. The mind control spell was now taking full effect on her. The brainwashed princess, now twice as alive and tenfold more wicked, made her next move. Author's Note yes i sprinkled in a bunch of jekyll and hyde musical references in this because i was listening to the album on spotify while writing this 😭 also shout outs to definatelymrhyde for the chapter name inspo
Chapter 5: Now or NeverFrantic running could be heard from nearby the Carousel Boutique. Starlight called out a certain snow-white unicorn’s name before knocking on her door. As Rarity opened the door, she saw an exhausted, utterly fatigued Starlight Glimmer, panting as she sprinted all the way from Ponyville to here alongside Spike, who was on her back the entire time. “Oh darling! What brought you here so late? And you brought Spike with you?” Starlight quickly tried calming herself down to explain everything to Rarity, taking deep and heavy breaths while doing so. “Look, I came here to tell you some bad news. Twilight got possessed by a strange amulet and I need everypony to help counteract the spell she's in.” “WHAT?!” -Rarity’s face went pale. “Yeah. Don't worry though, I've got this under control. I already told Pinkie to go get Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash while Spike and I go get you and Applejack. I brought Spike with me because it's dangerous for him to be near Twilight in the state she's in.” Starlight tried appearing as if she knows what she's doing, but deep down, she's extremely anxious. She now has this big responsibility to bear as her mentor was now corrupted with dark magic and she fears that she'll fail. She doesn't know exactly what will happen next, but whatever will happen if Twilight's let loose like this, it can't be good. Yes, she's fought Twilight before, but this? This was different. Now the roles have been reversed. And, on top of being mind-controlled, the alicorn she fought many moons ago was probably now also magically enhanced. She sighed, trying to reassure herself in her mind. “I'll admit it to you, I don't know if we'll be able to do this. This whole situation has me so worked up that I start doubting myself and-” Rarity puts her hoof on Starlight’s shoulder. “Darling, we're all in this together. We will always have each other no matter what. Now, let's go get Applejack.” Starlight sighed once more and moved her chin upwards, trying to make a brave face. With her spirits being lifted, she and Rarity set their sights on Sweet Apple Acres. Starlight Glimmer made a serious mistake. With nopony looking after a possessed alicorn princess entranced by a magical device from another world, she started enacting the next part of her evil plan. Well, it would be her plan if it weren't for the aforementioned state she was in. Twilight had zero control over her body and mind now, listening to the voice in her head telling her what to do, controlling her like a puppet on a string. The spell she was in had more of a chokehold on her more than ever before, intoxicating her very being like wine. As she trotted through the castle halls, quietly giggling at the ideas in her head, she thought of how she could drain as much magic from other ponies as the amulet possibly could. She had the amulet yes, but in what place would she do it? Think, Twilight, think! Then, she had a grim idea. Why not teleport high up in the sky, right in front of the castle? Why not show everypony just what you and this amulet are truly capable of? Let everypony know who you are. Let them witness your true power. This... this was perfect! This plan was a spectacle to behold! And after that, who knows what she could use this unlimited power for. The corrupted Twilight's eyes beamed with curiosity and excitement at the thought of it all. But she had to act quick. Starlight may be gone for the time being, but she will come back soon to thwart her wicked schemes. Meanwhile, near the outskirts of Ponyville, Starlight, alongside the rest of the Mane Six and Spike, had just all gotten together and were now on their way to the castle. They're currently discussing plans to free Twilight from the curse put on her, as well as what to do if everything goes south. “Alright, so here's the plan. We enter the castle then head towards the library where Twilight is. I'll be using a curse-breaking spell on her while you guys guard the place and help me break the spell. I kept the amulet hidden in a pile of books so that we're not harmed in the process. Applejack, make sure that once you find the amulet, you destroy it. Fluttershy, you'll be taking care of Twilight once she's free. Rarity, you'll be taking care of Spike.” Fluttershy raised her hoof. “Yes?” “Um, Starlight. Are you sure that she's even still inside the library?” “Yeah, good point. Did you think of at least leaving somepony to look after Twilight while you were looking for us?” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, almost judging Starlight. “I- uh. I didn't think of-” Suddenly, a wicked cackle could be heard from across town. It came from a very, very familiar alicorn. Starlight’s eyes widened in fear as she looked up and saw the possessed princess flying idly in the sky. Starlight had this under control. Starlight had this under control. Starlight had this under control. “Nonononononononono NO!” Starlight started panicking, hard. Just when she thought she was doing alright, everything goes horribly wrong. She didn't think this as well as she thought she did. She could hear the others frantically getting closer to her, trying to get her out of her train of thought, but she was so caught up in her own mind that everything they said got muffled. Her heart was racing, she felt like she couldn't even breathe. Every sound she heard was instantaneously fading away, now being replaced with an ear-piercing high-pitched noise. The sound was so insufferably loud it made Starlight wince and cover her ears. However, no matter how much she tried muffling the sound, it somehow got louder. She couldn't bear it much longer. The stress got to her and she was now panicking like it was the end of the world. She felt like she was about to die at any moment now. Then, she suddenly snapped. “QUIET!” Suddenly, the ear-shattering noise disappeared. Her world, once blurry and muffled by the sheer anxiety taking over the very fiber of her being, was being rebuilt back into place. It felt as if the universe itself went quiet after it warped and twisted itself in horrifying and ghastly ways. The rest though, were taken aback by Starlight’s sudden shift in her tone of voice. They understood why, but it was still so shocking. Memories of when they first met Starlight steadily flooded their thoughts, but tried to not think of those days since, well, this was a different situation. Starlight felt remorse for raising her voice at her friends. She knew she had to do it, but seeing how her friends were now looking at her, the guilt got to her. “I… I'm so sorry..” “It's okay sugarcube. We understand. But what matters most right now is tryna’ save Twilight.” “Yeah! We're still counting on you no matter what!” Pinkie replied a little too excitedly for the situation they were dealing with. The others all gave similar hums and replies of agreement, reassuring Starlight that there is a chance to save their friend. After all, there is nothing that the magic of friendship can't do. Starlight then got to thinking, brainstorming different plans in her mind. What could she and the others do? She hastily thought of a new plan. It isn't perfect, sure, but given the circumstances she and the others were in, there was no other choice. “Okay,” Starlight organized her thoughts and took a short breath. “Plan B: Go and stop Twilight before she does anything dangerous. And we better be quick, otherwise this might be the last time we'll ever see her.” She teleported in front of the castle, flying high up so that her back could face the balcony. She looked down at the rest of Ponyville, thinking of how her subjects were now going to witness what her precious little trinket can really do. Now, there was nothing stopping her from learning about magic and seizing it for something more. The amulet was glowing like crazy. It was sensing all the magic present in Ponyville and it was now ready to drain everything to its last drop. All Twilight needs to do is open the amulet and let it do its thing. The possessed husk of an alicorn looked at the amulet, then at her view of Ponyville. She really wanted to do this, she really did, but something was holding her back. What was that? Was that the real Twilight fighting to take control of her body and mind again? Or was it something else? Suddenly, the voice in her head breaks her train of thought by giving her little words of encouragement. All thoughts of the real Twilight Sparkle disappeared within her mind like a stain of breath upon a mirror. “Do it. You want to understand magic, don't you?” She lingered on what that voice said, but ultimately made up her mind. “Yes. I want to.” -she mumbled. Twilight then made a dastardly grin. “I want to understand it all!” She slowly opened the amulet, ready to drain as much magic as it can and will. She didn't care about the consequences. She didn't care that her supposed friends were rushing over to her trying to stop her from what she's doing. She saw them hastily sprint, but she wasn't worried, because what she was about to do would halt them in their tracks. The amulet was now fully opened. All the magic it sensed from every living creature residing in this quaint little town, every last drop of magic, drained, captured and contained. Every trace, every microscopic hint of magic was completely drained by a little other-worldly device that was now tenfold more powerful and dangerous than ever before. The alicorn stared wickedly as she saw this terrifying spectacle before her. She loved every second of what she saw. Nothing could really stop her now with this amount of magic. What were they going to do? Fight her? Oh please. Everypony else felt as if their soul was being ripped away from them. It's as if the energy they once had was now completely gone, zero, zilch, nada. Some looked for the source of what's happening, tracing the little trails of magic like hoofprints. What they saw surprised them, to say the least. Starlight and the others were halted in their tracks as the magic they had was sucked from their bodies. This was the second time that Starlight had to experience this, but it felt ten times more horrifying than last time. Because now, what was Twilight gonna do with all the magic she's contained? She's possessed! Who knows what she's about to do next? What does she even intendto do with it once she's done capturing all the magic from every pony, every creature living here?! The amulet closed automatically. The danger once filling up the air turned into an awful silence. The only thing you could hear now was the cool breeze and the crickets chirping in the night. It was clear to Starlight that things were gonna get worse from here and that she couldn't give up, no matter how weak she felt, no matter the condition she was in, she had to move forward. She tried standing up and regained her composure so as to not fall. “C-come on everypony, we have to stop her..” -she almost tripped in her steps as she walked towards the rest. “But how? Did you even see what she did?!” -Rainbow Dash, even with the little energy she had, yelled frustratedly. Her voice almost sounded hoarse. “But she's right, y’know!” -Pinkie struggled to stand up, but she tried nevertheless. “We can't give up, Twilight is our friend and she needs our help!” “Exactly, we have to save Twilight at all costs. It's now or never!” -said Applejack. “...Right. We can first take small steps, then we can progressively start running so that we can catch up.” The rest of the Mane Six also tried standing up to the best of their ability. Starlight and Pinkie did their best to help the others. The effects of the amulet’s magic-draining may leave a considerable toll on their bodies, but it couldn't stop the bravery and perseverance in their hearts. They galloped their way to where Twilight was, slowly but surely gaining speed.. This is it. She's successfully collected all the magic she needed. The possessed alicorn steadily hovered herself back into the ground, landing almost perfectly. She didn't see any of her friends running towards her, which was a relief, sure, but she admits that it made things a lot more fun if they were there. Maybe she just can't see them because they're far away from her field of vision. On the other hoof, the curious residents who traced the trails of magic coming from them back to the amulet made their way to Twilight, with other ponies following suit. They were all so confused and wondering why she did that. Why would the princess of friendship suddenly do such a thing? Some knew about what happened to Twilight, since Starlight Glimmer told them earlier about the fight that ensued inside the castle, but now they were even more puzzled because didn't she tell them that everything was under control?! Then she began to think. Okay, now what? What was she going to do with all this magic? Suddenly, the voice in her head speaks to her once more, suggesting another idea in her head. “Unleash it.” …Unleash it? But, wouldn't she lose all the magic she's gathered? All the work she put into this devilish plan, all this time and energy, just to be wasted and thrown away by such whim?! But then, she started really considering the idea and trying to visualize it in her mind. What would the magic do? The voice in her head started whispering repeatedly. “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” Twilight looked at the amulet, it was flickering uncontrollably once more. She then looks at the ponies approaching her. She's already drained their magic, so why is the amulet glowing? Unless the amulet is telling her to release all the magic inside it. “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” The possessed Twilight took off the amulet from her neck. She was unsure but really, really excited to try this. The citizens of Ponyville, now in front of Twilight, were asking questions. They were looking at each other, distraught and confused. The chaotic murmurs from the crowd would then be silenced by Pinkie Pie shouting from the top of her lungs. “TWILIGHT!” Starlight Glimmer, alongside the rest of the Mane Six and Spike, were now going through the confused crowd as hastily as they could. Multiple “excuse me”s could be heard as they tried getting into the front row, ready to confront the corrupted princess of friendship. However, as they successfully made their way through the crowd, Starlight felt a sense of pure dread running down her spine as she saw that her mind-controlled mentor had taken off the amulet from her neck, observing it with unbridled curiosity. Whatever Twilight was about to do, Starlight had to act quick and stop it. At first, Starlight tried reasoning with her mentor, the same way Twilight did to her back when she messed around with time itself, that way the mind-controlling curse would be lifted from Twilight and she would go back to normal. “Twilight… I know you want to learn more about magic, but you can't just force your way out of understanding it and drain everypony’s magic like it's nothing.” The possessed alicorn looked at her with a mix between confusion and disgust. She then gazed at the amulet once more, still glowing frenziedly. The voice in her head went from whispering to chanting repeatedly as it tried to muffle what Starlight was saying in its host’s mind, and continued encouraging her to release the magic contained inside the amulet. “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” “Unleash the magic, free the magic now.” Twilight, still staring at her amulet, made a psychotically evil grin. She was really ecstatic, only this time she realized the potential of opening the device again. It was now or never, she thought. At this point, she was too far gone, not even Starlight Glimmer’s words could find a way to convince her that there's another way. Starlight’s eyes widened in shock, she then realized just what Twilight was about to do. Everypony else got even more confused and worried. The corrupted princess clears her throat. “Listen up everypony, I know you may be confused by what's happening, but it's simple really. You see, I have collected a lot of magic in this device. You may have figured by now that that magic comes from all of you. And now, I'm going to USE IT!” “Unleash the magic, free the magic!” “Unleash the magic, free the magic!” “Unleash the magic, free the magic!” “Unleash the magic, free the magic!” Twilight opened the amulet once again, though this time for a completely different purpose. Starlight fleetingly ran towards the princess, trying to stop what's going to happen if she doesn't close the amulet. The other members of the Mane Six shuddered in pure fear when they saw Starlight get closer to Twilight, fearing that she might get hurt. They also darted towards the two, worried about what would happen to their friends. “NO! DON'T DO IT!” -they all shouted in terror. “Now!” The amulet was now fully open. Author's Note i apologize if the rest of the mane six are kiiiinda written like dookie. giving these girlies some lines is hard as hell for a beginner writer like myself yes, i did the "OMG THEY SAID THE THING!!!" thingy. i just couldn't resist 😭 also there are wayyyy less jekyll and hyde musical references sprinkled in here but they're there
