“How long has it been…

Silence

Hours?

Days?

I don’t even know anymore.

Sleep’s become a luxury I can’t afford.

The world outside looked unchanged, indifferent to the chaos brewing within me.

"Eh... changing the world is harder than i thought"

The irony wasn’t lost on me. For all my power, all my plans, I was still here, trapped in a room with my thoughts running circles around me. The Sirens were out there somewhere, likely basking in the magic I’d returned to them. Flash was under their spell now, a pawn in my growing game. Dawn had proven herself invaluable, orchestrating moves I hadn’t even considered.

And yet… it felt like nothing. The portal was sealed, the threads to Equestria severed. But what had I truly achieved? The world hadn’t shifted even a bit under my touch.

Sunset still called, her voice messages started to pile up, each one a painful reminder of what I’d left behind.

"No"

"I can’t get stuck here. We need a plan. I need a plan."

The idea came to me like a bolt of lightning. Not from the portal. Not from the school. But from the one thing everyone always overlooked.

Magic was everywhere, it had seeped into this world more than anyone realized. From the residual energy of the battles fought here, to the magic dormant in everyday objects, to the fractured bonds that held this reality together. If I couldn’t reshape the world from one single point, I’d use the world itself.

I shot up from my seat, pacing the room as the pieces began to fall into place.

“Of course” I muttered. “Of course!” My voice rose as the plan solidified. “It’s all here. All of it. Everything I need is already here!”

I grabbed my phone, dialing Dawn. The phone barely rang once before she answered.

“Umbra” she said, her voice calm but laced with curiosity. “What’s up?”

“Get here now,” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.

She chuckled. “Demanding, aren’t we? Fine, I’m on my way.”

I ended the call and stared at my hands. Dark tendrils of energy danced between my fingers, twisting and coiling like living things. The raw power was intoxicating, but it wasn’t enough. Not yet.

It wasn’t long before Dawn arrived, slipping through the door.

“Alright, boss. What’s this about?”

“I have a plan,” I said, cutting straight to the point. “A way to take everything we’ve done and amplify it. We’re not just going to change this world. We’re going to rewrite it from the ground up.”

Her eyebrows rose, but she didn’t interrupt.

“The magic in this world is fractured,” I continued, pacing as I spoke. “It’s scattered, hidden in pieces,forgotten objects right? lingering spells, even the people who’ve been touched by it. If we can harness that, draw it all to one place, we can reshape it into something entirely new.”

Dawn’s smirk faded, replaced by a look of intrigue. “That’s… ambitious. And how do you plan to do that?”

"With a siphon. Something that can pull every bit of residual magic in this world into one place. The school, the portal, the artifacts, it’s all connected. If we can create a conduit, we can control it.”

She tilted her head, considering my words. “And what makes you think you can pull that off?”

“Because I’m Umbra,” I said simply.

Dawn laughed, shaking her head. “Alright, Umbra. I’ll bite. What do you need from me?”

“You’re my strategist” I said, crossing my arms. “I need you to map out the points of magic in this world. Find them, track them, and bring me whatever you can. If we’re going to do this, we need to move fast.”

She nodded, her smirk returning. “You’ve got it, boss. But i don't know if it will work or will be you'r downfall.”

“It will work"

Dawn had been invaluable so far, but there was something about her I couldn’t fully trust. Her loyalty felt… conditional.

But I pushed the thought aside. There was no room for doubt.

Days passed in a blur. Dawn had vanished, off chasing her own tasks, leaving me to wander in the shadows. I told myself it didn’t matter, I could handle things on my own. But as I followed the girls from a distance, a bitter truth gnawed at me.

They looked… off.

Sunset especially. She moved like someone carrying an invisible weight, her shoulders hunched, her eyes dull. She was trying to keep the group together, rallying them, but it was clear even to me that something had cracked between them.

I watched them laugh, talk, and comfort each other, only to see the moments in between, the stolen glances, the strained smiles.

It was their fault.

All of it.

They had made me into this.

They didn’t lift me up when I needed it.

They didn’t understand what I was going through. Instead, they left me to fend for myself, cast out into the void. And now… now they had the audacity to look broken?

As if they were the ones who had lost everything?

"Hypocrites"

But even as the anger burned in my chest, something colder settled beneath it. Regret, maybe. Or guilt. A part of me that I hated, a part that still remembered how it felt to be with them. How it felt to be wanted.

I shook the thoughts away.

There was no time for that now.

Dawn would return soon, and I needed to be ready.

Dawn finally came back into the mansion

She was carrying a bag slung over her shoulder.

“You’ve been gone a while,” I said, my voice colder than I intended.

“Miss me?” she shot back, dropping the bag onto the floor. “Relax, Umbra. I’ve been busy.”

I didn’t respond, my eyes narrowing as she unzipped the bag and carefully pulled out six stones, each one glowing faintly with a soft, familiar light.

“Found these in some cave out by the Everfree Forest” she said, brushing a strand of blue hair from her face. “Took some digging, but I think you’ll find them… interesting.”

Each one was a different color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink. They pulsed faintly in the dim light of the room, like tiny hearts beating in unison.

“They’re radiating magic” I said quietly, reaching out to touch one.

Dawn nodded, her smirk returning. “Yup. And not just any magic, familiar magic. Looks like your little ‘friends’ left more of a mark on this world than they realized.”

My hand hovered over the red stone, and for a moment, I hesitated. The energy coming off it was… warm. It reminded me of something, someone. Sunset.

“What do you want me to do with these?”

“Whatever you want,” she said with a shrug. “You’re the boss, remember? But if I were you, I’d figure out how to use them. These stones are connected to them somehow. That’s power you can’t ignore.”

I stared at the stones for a long moment before picking them up, one by one. They were surprisingly light, their surfaces smooth and cool to the touch. As I held them, I could feel their magic humming against my skin, each one distinct yet tied to the others.

An idea began to form in my mind.

“Leave me” I said quietly.

Dawn raised an eyebrow. “You sure? You look like you’re about to do something reckless.”

“Just go”

She held up her hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. Have fun with your rocks.”

As the door closed behind her, I turned my full attention to the stones.I arranged them in a circle on the floor, their colors casting faint glows on the dark walls. Taking a deep breath, I knelt in the center, closing my eyes.

“Let’s see what you’ve got” I muttered.

Placing my hands on the ground, I let the shadows within me flow out, wrapping around the stones like tendrils of smoke. The magic within them reacted instantly, flaring to life and intertwining with my own.

Images flashed in my mind—memories that weren’t mine.

Laughter. Singing. A warm embrace.

It was them. The girls. Each stone carried a fragment of their essence, their magic. I could feel it, see it, as if I were standing in their place. Applejack’s unwavering honesty. Rainbow Dash’s fierce loyalty. Pinkie Pie’s boundless joy. Rarity’s generosity. Fluttershy’s quiet kindness.

And Sunset…

Her presence was the strongest, burning like a fire at the edge of my mind. Her determination, her pain, her love, it was all there.

“No” I whispered, shaking my head.

“This isn’t real. This isn’t mine.”

But the stones pulsed in response, their light growing brighter as if to challenge my denial.

“Stop it!” I shouted, slamming my fists into the ground. The shadows around me surged, swallowing the light and dimming the room once more.

I fell back, breathing heavily, the stones lying still and silent once again.

For what felt like hours, I sat there, staring at the circle of stones.

“What am I supposed to do with you?” I muttered, running a hand through my hair.

These weren’t just rocks. They were pieces of something bigger, something I couldn’t ignore. But what scared me the most was the way they made me feel. The warmth, the connection, it was everything I’d tried to bury.

I reached out, picking up the red stone once more. It felt heavier now, its glow faint but steady.

“Sunset…”

I could still hear her voice in my head, calling out to me, pleading for me to come back.

“I can’t” I said aloud, my voice breaking. “I can’t go back.”

I picked the rest of the stones, my grip tightened around them, and the surge of magic within me flared. Shadows coiled around my arms, seeping into the stones like venom. “If I can’t use you,” I growled, “then I’ll destroy you.”

I poured everything I had into the effort, my fingers digging into their smooth surfaces. My magic pulsed wildly, dark tendrils crackling in the air around me. But no matter how much I tried, no matter how much force, rage, or desperation I poured into them, they wouldn’t even crack.

“Break!” I roared, my voice echoing through the room as the energy exploded outward, leaving scorch marks on the walls.

The stones remained intact, their light unwavering.

“So that’s how it is”

The door creaked open behind me, and I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

“What did you do now?” Dawn’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and unimpressed.

“Take them” I spat. “I can’t do anything with them. They’re indestructible, even with my power.”

She tilted her head, studying me with that infuriating smirk of hers. “Huh. Prince isn’t as powerful as he thinks.”

“Fuck you. This isn’t a game Dawn. Those things, they’re the only weapons left that can defeat us. No more long time plan, we act now.”

“And here I thought you weren’t the reckless type anymore. Didn’t we agree to plan better?”

“We don’t have time for that,” I shot back. “If there are more artifacts like these out there, then they’re already ahead of us. We need to separate them. Distract them. Make sure they can’t use this power against us.”

Dawn raised an eyebrow, her gaze flicking to the stones in my hands. “Separating them is a good idea, one of the few you’ve had.” She stepped closer, plucking one of the stones from my grip. “But the execution? That’s where you always fall short.”

My hands curled into fists, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Then what do you suggest?”

“Leave it to me,” she said simply, turning the stone over in her hand as if it were a trinket. “You just follow my lead and do what I say.”

My eyes narrowed. “Why should I trust you with this? I was supposed to use you.”

She laughed, the sound low and mocking. “Because, Umbra, you don’t have a choice. You couldn’t destroy them, and you sure as hell don’t know how to use them. I, on the other hand, know exactly what to do.”

She was right, again. As much as I hated to admit it, I needed her.

“Fine.But if you screw this up—”

“I won’t,” she interrupted, her smirk fading into something colder, sharper. “I know what’s at stake. Unlike you, I’m not ruled by my emotions. We're gonna start with Rainbow”

I crossed my arms, staring at Dawn, the unease twisting in my gut. That made sense,but it didn’t sit right. Something about her calm certainty grated on me. She said that we shouldn't go head on...

“So what’s the plan?”

Dawn straightened, her amber eyes gleaming with calculated focus. “We catch her off-guard. Rainbow’s fast, sure, but she’s also impulsive. She thinks with her heart, not her head. All we have to do is play to that.”

“Right,” I said, frowning. “And how exactly do we ‘play to that’? .”

Dawn smirked. “She’ll fall for a friend in trouble.”

“You want to fake a situation? Make her think someone needs her help?”

“Exactly,” Dawn replied. “Rainbow Dash thrives on being the hero. She won’t stop to think it’s a trap until it’s too late.”

I shifted uncomfortably, the weight of her words pressing on me. “This feels... dirty. Manipulative."

“It’s called strategy,” she said sharply, her tone leaving no room for argument. “You want to win, right? This is how we do it. Or are you too worried about hurting her feelings?”

It’s not about feelings. It’s about—”

“Then it’s settled,” Dawn interrupted, brushing past me. “We set the trap tomorrow. I’ll handle the details. You just make sure you don’t mess it up.”

The next day, we arrived at Canterlot High School under the warmth of daylight. It was strange to be here like this, the sun casting long shadows across the courtyard. My cloak floated behind me as a gentle breeze stirred. They shouldn't recognize me. Not as the person I used to be.

“There she is” I muttered under my breath. My gaze fell on Rainbow Dash, standing confidently on the playing field, her soccer ball at her feet.

“So,” I said, turning to Dawn, my voice low and edged with tension. “What’s the big plan? You’re just going to scream and hope she comes running?”

“Exactly” Dawn replied with a sly grin, her amber eyes gleaming mischievously.

I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. “Seriously? That’s your brilliant plan? We’re risking so much here, and this is all you’ve got?”

She stuck out her tongue playfully. “Geez, you’re so boring. Trust me, this will work.”

Before I could respond, she darted behind the corner of the school. I sighed and stepped into the shadows along the side of the building, my heart pounding. The plan was ridiculous. But as much as I hated to admit it, Dawn had a way of making impossible things happen.

Then, her voice rang out, loud and panicked.

“Help! Please, someone help me!”

The words sliced through the air, carried on the wind with just the right mix of fear and desperation.

Rainbow Dash’s head snapped up, her sharp instincts kicking in immediately. Without hesitation, she bolted toward the sound, her soccer ball forgotten.

“Dawn, if you mess this up…” I whispered under my breath, stepping deeper into the shadows.

Rainbow skidded to a stop, looking around frantically. “Hello? Who’s there? Are you okay?”

Dawn’s voice came again, weaker this time. “Please... I need help…”

Rainbow didn’t hesitate. She rushed toward the sound, her loyalty driving her forward. That’s when I moved.

The shadows seemed to rise around me as I stepped forward, my cloak billowing like a specter. I felt the weight of what I was about to do settle heavily on my chest, but I pushed it down. This wasn’t about me. This was about the plan.

Rainbow barely had time to register my presence. Her sharp eyes widened in surprise as I appeared out of nowhere, a figure cloaked in darkness.

“Wait, who—” she began, but I couldn’t let her finish.

I lunged, my movements quick but deliberate. A shimmering veil of magic, my magic, surged forward, wrapping around her like a gentle, suffocating mist. She fought back instantly, her natural strength and determination flaring to life.

“No! Let me go!” she shouted, struggling against the magic.

Her voice cracked, and for a brief moment, I hesitated. This was Rainbow Dash, loyal, fierce, and full of life. The thought of taking that away, even temporarily, hit me harder than I expected.

“Stay down,” I murmured, my voice barely audible over the sound of her struggling. “Please, just stay down.”

Her eyes met mine and I saw it the confusion, the betrayal. She didn’t recognize me, not fully, but she saw me.

“Why?” she whispered, her voice breaking.

“Because I have to.”

The magic pulsed, and Rainbow’s movements slowed. She fell to her knees, her breathing uneven, until finally, she crumpled to the ground in a deep, unnatural sleep.

Dawn appeared from the corner. “Told you it would work.”

I shot her a glare. “Don’t. Just... don’t.”

She raised an eyebrow but didn’t push it. Instead, she knelt beside Rainbow, checking her pulse. “She’ll be fine. Deep sleep, just like we planned.”

Dawn slipped something into Rainbow’s pocket, her fingers working quickly as she whispered, “This will make her sleep lighter. If you don’t want to hurt her too badly, at least make it easier on her.”

I stared at Rainbow for a moment, guilt clawing at my chest. I had already done enough to her, why did this have to feel so wrong?

“This isn’t enough. We can’t leave her here.” I knelt beside Rainbow’s still body, feeling the coldness of her skin, the weight of what I had just done sinking deeper into my bones. I gently scooped her up into my arms.

“Get a grip” Dawn hissed, pulling me back by the sleeve. “Stop, you idiot. You’re going to get yourself caught. You’re already messing everything up. We don’t need to leave any more tracks.”

But I didn’t care.

“Even after everything, I can’t just leave her here, Dawn” I said, my voice rough. “She’s my responsibility now. If we’re going to do this... we need to take her with us. Even she doesn’t deserve to be left here alone.”

The notion of leaving Rainbow, after everything, was harder than anything else, even though I could feel the weight of what I had done and the shaking in my hands.

Before Dawn could say another word, I began to move. Even though my steps were shaky, I was unable to reverse course.

I should have realized it wouldn't be this simple.

Just a few paces from the door, I was at the school's entrance when my worst nightmare materialized. The sound of footsteps froze me in my tracks. I looked up, and there they were my old friends, standing at the entrance. The sight of them nearly shattered me.

Applejack’s voice was full of disbelief, but also... fury. “What did you do to her?”

I froze, my mind racing as I looked at them. They were broken. There was no other way to describe it.

“She’s fine” I said, my voice shaky, but I didn’t even believe my own words. "She’s not—”

“You fucking asshole,” Applejack spat, her voice shaking with rage. “You think she’s fine? You think this is what she deserves? Look at her! Look what you’ve done!”

My breath caught in my throat, but I didn’t respond. There was nothing I could say. Nothing that could make this okay.

“You were a family to us!” Applejack’s voice cracked, and the raw emotion behind it struck me like a physical blow. She stepped forward, but stopped herself. “You... You’re supposed to be part of us! How could you do this to her? To all of us?”

“I had to do this. I’m doing this for all of you. For us. If I don’t... if I don’t make things right, then what’s the point of any of this? What’s the point of all the pain we’ve been through? It has to stop. It has to change.”

“That’s not how you make things right.”

Sunset Shimmer stepped forward from behind the group, her expression steely and unwavering. She looked at me with a mixture of disbelief and disappointment, her arms crossed tightly across her chest.

“You think this will make everything better?” she asked, her voice calm but cutting. “You think hurting one of us will fix anything? You’ve already lost us, lost her.” She nodded toward Rainbow, still limp in my arms. “Do you even realize what you’ve done?”

“I—I had no other choice,” I stammered, my hands trembling as I held Rainbow tighter. “I had to do it. To make things better. To make the world right again.”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer, her gaze never leaving mine. “That’s where you’re wrong. You always had a choice. You chose this. You chose to betray us, to hurt us. You think we can’t see that?”

She took another step forward, her voice growing more forceful. “You’ve made a mess of everything. And you think we’ll just accept it? You think Rainbow would want this? You think we’re just going to stand by and let you destroy everything we’ve built together?”

Her words hit me like a slap, each one harder than the last. I wanted to fight back, to defend my actions, but deep down, I knew she was right. I was losing everything.

“You’ve already lost her, lost all of us,” Sunset said quietly. “And it’s too late to go back now.”

My body trembles as I take a deep breath and try to steady myself as I begin to giggle hysterically. However, I chuckle wildly, as if it were the only emotion I still had. I set Rainbow down carefully, moving quickly, almost as if I've practiced. Her body is still, not moving. But I'm unable to quit. I'm laughing uncontrollably.

“HAHAHA! H-H-H! NONONO! THIS IS WHERE YOU’RE WRONG, MY BELOVED!” The words fly out in a manic rush, my eyes wide, unblinking.

My gaze shifts toward Rainbow. I wait for her response, for some sign that she’s heard me, that she’s still there. I look at her, my breath catching, my hands shaking.

"See? See?" I shout, spinning around to face the others, still laughing, hysterical. “EVEN SHE AGREES!”

There’s no response from Rainbow. Nothing but the stillness of her body. But it doesn't matter. In my twisted mind, she’s agreeing with me, and that's enough.

“OH GOD, GOOD OLD RAINBOW, HAHAHA!” My laughter grows louder, maniacal, echoing in the air like a broken record.

Applejack steps forward, her voice barely above a whisper. “He went mad…”

Her words don’t reach me. They don’t touch me. I am beyond reach now. The others step back, afraid of what I might do next, but I don’t notice them. I’m too deep inside my own madness, too far gone.

Sunset's face changes. Her anger shifts into something... softer, almost sorrowful.

“No…” she whispers, the words catching in her throat. “He’s corrupted. It’s not him.”

“NOT ME?” I scream, the laughter fading into a twisted, shrill cry of defiance. "OH SUNNY, MY LOVE, IT’S ME!"

I bow dramatically, a mocking gesture that only deepens the void inside of me. I pretend to be regal, a king in my own delusion, lost in the fantasy I’ve built for myself.

"I was always here. ALWAYS LURKING! HAHAHA!" The laughter returns, but now it’s darker, more hollow, filled with desperation. “THE SHADOWS, THE DARKNESS, IT'S MY DESTINY!”

If I’ve finally accepted the truth. I look at them then, my eyes searching for any sign of recognition, any glimmer of the people I once knew. But the faces before me are a blur, their expressions a mix of fear and pity.

And then, for a moment, a strange thing happens.

Sunset, Applejack, the others, they don’t look at me with anger anymore. No, they’re looking at me with something else. Something that almost feels like… sorrow. A flicker of pity in their eyes, as if they see me for the broken person I’ve become. The laughter dies in my throat, and I’m left standing there, gasping for air, as if I can’t breathe.

Sunset steps forward slowly, cautiously, her gaze fixed on me.

“You’re still in there,” she says quietly, her voice almost tender. “I can see it. I know you're not completely gone. You’re just… lost.”

I stare at her, my face twitching as I try to form words, but nothing comes out. The world feels far away, distant. The laughter has stopped, but the emptiness remains, hollow and endless.

“I see you,” she continues, her voice shaking slightly, “but I don’t know if you can hear me anymore. I don't know if you can come back."

I feel her gaze on me, and for a fleeting moment, there’s something,something like a crack in the wall of my madness. I want to scream, to tell her to

leave me alone

But the words get stuck, tangled in the mess of my mind.

“You’ve broken yourself,” Applejack says softly, her voice filled with sorrow, “and I don’t know if we can fix it, sugar.”

I hear the words, but they don’t make sense. Fix me? MEEEE?

The tears, they sting my eyes, but I can’t stop. I wipe my face with the back of my hand, my fingers trembling as I look at them, look at them with pity.

“OH GOOD ONE! BUT I’M NOT THE ONE THAT NEED FIXING!” I shout, the words coming out raw, desperate. “I WAS NEVER THE ONE! I—” My voice cracks, but I push on. “I'M THE ONE THAT FIXES THINGS, REMEMBER?! I DEFEATED THE DAZZLINGS! HAHAHAHAH”

As I speak, I feel something stir behind me. A figure. Three figures, actually.

Dawn appears too.

“If the plan is fucked up, we need to pull everything now.”

I turn quickly, smiling at them, my breath heavy with the weight of my insanity. “SEEEEEE?? THEY’RE WITH ME! I FIXED THEM! YUUUPI! I’M THE SAVIOR!”

Tears are spilling down my cheeks now, but they don’t feel like tears—they’re just part of the game, part of the performance. My heart beats faster, a frantic rhythm that drowns out everything else.

“I’m the prince of salvation. Everyone needs redemption and I will bring it, I will help everyone. I’ll start with this school, I’ll start with them... I’ll fix everything.”

The laughter builds up again, loud and wild, uncontrollable. “OOOH HAHAHAHAHA! REMEMBER WHEN THE OTHER WHORES WERE PULLING THEIR ANGER ON YOU, SUN—”

“STOP, FOR FUCK’S SHAKE!”

Sunset’s voice cracks, sharper than any of the words I’ve said. She steps forward, desperation filling her voice. “What are you saying? Bring yourself together! Remember who you are!”

Remember who I am? I blink, a strange, almost twisted smile pulling at the corners of my lips.

“MEEEE??? REMEMBER???? HMMMM... LET ME SAY…” I stop mid-laugh, my head jerking to the right, my neck cracking in a painful, unnatural way. I stare at them, at her, at all of them.

“I’m a guy whose mother manipulated this life from the beginning,”reverberating with an eerie calm. “Played with me like a puppet. Lied about who I am. The boy who died twice. The one whose mother, even in his last moment for redemption, took that chance away by sacrificing herself for him?”

I pause, the air heavy with the weight of my words. A bitter laugh slips from my lips, dry and hollow.

“YAAA, THAT’S ME. THE BOY WHO CAN NEVER ESCAPE HER. THE BOY WHO WILL NEVER BE FREE OF HER SHADOW.”

I tremble, the tears falling faster now, as if my broken soul is finally starting to spill out.

“T-that what happend when you were gone..” Sunset whispered, her voice breaked into a hoarse sob.

“OOPSIE! MYSTERY GONE! AH WELL…” I laugh again, but this time, it’s not real. It’s an echo of my own madness. “I WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE ANYTHING.”

I blink rapidly, trying to clear the haze in my mind, but the memories keep flooding in, overwhelming me, and I can’t hold onto them anymore. I see flashes of her, her standing there with that smile, telling me the truth about who I was, who I would always be.

“DO YOU GET IT NOW?!” I scream, my voice wild with desperation, my body shaking violently. “THIS IS WHAT I AM! THIS IS WHAT YOU DID TO ME! YOU LEFT ME! YOU ALL LEFT ME AND NOW LOOK! LOOK WHAT I'VE BECOME!”

My hands tremble as I clutch my head, feeling like my skull will crack under the pressure. My breath comes in shallow gasps, each one heavier than the last.

Sunset’s face softens, her eyes full of pain, of confusion

“This isn’t you…This isn’t the person you were. Please… come back to us.”

I look at her, and for a brief moment, the world seems to slow. I see the hurt in her eyes. I see the sorrow in all of their eyes. And for a fleeting instant, I almost reach out. Almost.

But the moment shatters. The shadows inside me tighten their grip, pulling me back into the abyss.

“NO. YOU DON’T GET IT, IM THE PRINCE THAT WILL BRING JUSTICE"

With that, my body shifts and contorts, transforming as if the very air around me reacts to my fury. A sharp pain pulses from my skull, but it is nothing compared to the overwhelming surge of power.

Two horns grow from my head, sharp, black as night, and before I can even register it, black-feathered wings burst from my back. They’re not the wings I once had no, these wings are jagged, dark, each feather a testament to the darkness that has consumed me.

They feel heavy, suffocating.

My eyes narrow, and I point my hand at the girls. They stand there, frozen for a moment, but I can see it they don't fear me, they know i won't hurt them, they think i wont do it HHAHAHA they are so fucking wrong.

I catch a glimpse of the Sirens in the distance, their movements cautious. But before I can release the power building up in my hand, I hear Dawn’s voice, cold and commanding, coming from behind me.

“Not yet,”

But she's not saying this to me.

The magic begins to pulse from my fingers. It’s raw, unrefined, chaotic. I can feel the energy, like a torrent inside of me, begging to be unleashed. It starts to amplify, swirling with an intensity that threatens to tear the very fabric of reality apart. But just as it’s about to shoot, something shifts. My hand,my very own hand, jerks in a different direction.

No.STOP!”

A voice, distant yet painfully familiar, echoes in my mind. It’s my own voice, but it feels like a stranger now. I flinch, caught off guard by the sound of it. The momentary hesitation feels like an eternity, but it’s not enough to quell the storm inside me.

“What? Who is that?” I hear myself ask, my words a jagged mess of confusion and rage. I can feel the dark power surging, but... I’m not in control anymore.

“STOP YOU FUCKING IDIOT.”

A voice rings out, louder this time. It’s different, stronger. I can feel its presence like a weight pressing on my chest, squeezing my heart. It’s the real me—the part of me that’s still there. But the darkness that has taken hold of his body is too powerful. It refuses to let go.

“NO! NO, NO, NO! I WON’T STOP! I’M A MONSTER! I NE-”

I can’t even finish my own sentence. The words catch in my throat, strangled by the overwhelming darkness. I try to fight, but it’s like I’m being smothered from within. My hands are not my own. The wings on my back feel like they’re suffocating me.

“You don’t need anything, asshole,” a voice—my voice—sneers, cold and detached. “Leave my body.”

I scream internally, No, but it’s as if my body has become nothing more than a puppet again . I am trapped inside, unable to escape, as the darkness twists and warps everything. And in that moment, I know.

I know that the real me is buried deep, deep inside, but I’m powerless to stop what’s happening. The darkness—it is the one in control.

A blast of dark energy surges from my hand, and I have no say in it. I can't stop it. The raw magic lances out, streaking into my friends, my love...

But it doesn’t hit its target. The magic rebounds, crashing into something, something that shouldn’t exist. It’s a shield. A shimmering shield of notes. The shield Dazzling made, the one she used to trap me before.

It absorbs the force of the blast, but the pressure is too much. It’s cracking. I can feel the barrier shuddering under the weight of my power.

“NOW!!” Dawn’s voice commands sharply from behind me.

And in that moment, I realize it.

She betrayed me.

Dawn. The one I trusted, the one who was supposed to be by my side. She has been using me this whole time.

Before I can react, before I can do anything, I feel something

someone move. Rainbow Dash stirs from the ground, groaning as she slowly gets to her feet. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the magic stones. Dawn gave them her, hoping to use them against me when the time came. They healed her.

She throws them, and they fly through the air like shooting stars.

The first stones red and violet, her and twilight hits Sunset directly in the chest, but she doesn’t flinch.she’s prepared. She stands her ground, her eyes burning with determination.

The stones get to the their rightfull owners

"You think," I sneer, my voice mocking, "all of you can take me down? Nine against one? HAHAHAHAH!"

But then, suddenly, the laughter falters.

The real voice from deep inside me—my true voice—breaks through the madness. It’s weak but determined, struggling to be heard. “NO.”

I stagger, feeling the surge of resistance, the battle between me and the darkness. It fights me, pulls me down, but the real me refuses to give in completely.

“It’s ten against just one of you,” I say, my voice a harsh rasp. “Give me back my body, you fucker!”

Author's Note

Only a few lines of the same character speaking but it made my head hurt, yeah mh is deep deep in there, the power he wanted to use for something great consumed him, now, its battle, the former villans dazzlings, a unknown prophet dawn and the girls vs the one who wanted to sacrifice everything for finding himself.