INSANITY

Celestia woke to a dull, gray morning. The sunlight that usually bathed her chambers with warmth seemed muted, almost lifeless. She stretched and instinctively raised the sun, casting pale rays over the castle. Her gaze turned toward Twilight, seated in her usual spot near the window.

Twilight was there, but something was off.

“Good morning, Twilight,” Celestia said as she slid out of bed, her tone soft and maternal.

Twilight didn’t respond, as usual. Her silence had become a part of Celestia’s routine—a constant reminder of her failure.

But this time, Celestia hesitated. Something gnawed at her. She studied Twilight’s form. Her head was tilted slightly downward, her mane disheveled but falling naturally in a way that gave her an almost regal air. And then Celestia saw it—her eyes.

They weren’t empty anymore. They shimmered with something that sent a chill down Celestia’s spine.

Malice.

Twilight was smiling.

“You really thought you killed me, huh?” Twilight’s voice was calm, almost conversational. Her lips curled upward, but there was no warmth in her smile—only venom.

Celestia froze, her breath caught in her throat.

Twilight stood effortlessly, her movements smooth and deliberate. Gone was the frail, skeletal figure that had struggled to even sit upright. She looked… strong. Confident.

“All those years ago,” Twilight continued, her tone growing sharper, “when I promised you wouldn’t break me? Heheheh. I wasn’t bluffing.”

“Twilight,” Celestia began, taking a cautious step back, “please—”

“You did break me. For a minute. I was truly gone.” Twilight’s voice lowered, her smile twisting into a sneer. “But I came back. And as I said, I am so much stronger.”

Celestia’s horn sparked with magic, her instinct to defend herself overwhelming her hesitation. “Twilight, please. You don’t have to do this. We can still fix this. I can help you—”

Twilight laughed—a cold, biting laugh that echoed through the room. “You thought you were in control? No, Celestia. I’ve been in control. You bent to my will, blinded by your guilt, too weak to see the truth.”

Celestia felt her composure crumbling as tears welled in her eyes. “Twilight… I only wanted to help you.”

“Help me?” Twilight spat, her voice dripping with disdain. “Help me like you ‘helped’ everypony else? Like you helped Luna? Or did you mean to help yourself—ease your guilty conscience while keeping me under your hoof?”

“Twilight, that’s not true!” Celestia pleaded, stepping toward her former student.

Twilight’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Don’t. Lie. To. Me.” Her horn flared with a burst of dark purple energy, and a beam of raw magic shot toward Celestia.

Celestia barely managed to sidestep the attack, the beam scorching the marble floor where she had stood moments before.

“10,000 YEARS!” Twilight screamed, her voice filled with a rage that shook the walls. Another beam followed, crackling with violent energy.

The doors to Celestia’s chambers burst open as Luna stormed in, her horn blazing with silver light. “Twilight!” she gasped, taking in the scene. Without hesitation, she fired a bolt of magic at Twilight, knocking her off her hooves.

Twilight hit the floor but rose effortlessly, her wicked smile never faltering. “Ah, Luna. Always the warrior, aren’t you? No matter. You’ll fall just the same.”

Twilight’s horn glowed again, and the window behind her shattered. The shards of glass hung in the air, suspended by her magic, before launching toward the sisters in a deadly storm.

Celestia conjured a shield, the shards shattering harmlessly against it. “Twilight, please! Remember who you were! Remember your friends!”

Twilight tilted her head, her expression one of mock curiosity. “Oh, I remember. I remember everything. I remember who I was—the weak, submissive little mare who obeyed you without question. That Twilight is dead.”

She fired a volley of lasers at the sisters, her attacks relentless.

“We need to kill her!” Luna shouted, her voice grim as she fought to hold back Twilight’s assault.

“No!” Celestia screamed, pouring more magic into her shield to withstand the onslaught. “There’s still a chance—there has to be!”

Twilight laughed again, her voice dripping with malice. “You can’t hide forever, Celestia! Face me!”

“Tia, we can’t save her!” Luna yelled, her voice desperate.

“I won’t give up on her!” Celestia cried, tears streaming down her face as she strengthened her barrier.

Twilight’s smile widened. “You’re pathetic, Celestia. Weak. Always so weak.”

With a final scream, Celestia released a burst of magic that enveloped herself and Luna, teleporting them out of the room.

Cowards.

They ran away. Again.

I stood in the now-empty chamber, my chest rising and falling as I exhaled slowly. My magic settled, the room eerily quiet after the chaos. I smirked, my eyes scanning the ruined space.

“No matter,” I murmured to myself. “I’ll find them in due time. For now…”

My gaze shifted to the shattered remains of Celestia’s desk, where a collection of scrolls and books lay scattered amidst the debris. I levitated them, flipping through the pages with disinterest. Most of it was useless—mundane royal decrees, diplomatic correspondence.

But then I found something.

A map.

My smile returned as I studied it, my mind already calculating my next move.

Clockwork.

I paused, my thoughts drifting to Luna. Luna would be a problem, I realized. Unlike Celestia, Luna didn’t cling to false hope. Luna had already accepted that I was lost, and that made her dangerous.

But Celestia… oh, Celestia.

Her hope would be her downfall.

I chuckled to myself, rolling up the map and tucking it away. I stepped over the broken glass, my hooves crunching against the fragments as I made my way to the door.

“This palace will serve me well,” I mused aloud. “For now.”

… Something moved.

I saw something from the corner of my eye. That smoke was following me again. What did it want?

My smile widened as I left the room, my laughter echoing through the empty halls. No matter. My plan was already taking shape.

Guess who’s back?