REGRET (Good Ending)

The throne room was eerily silent, the oppressive weight of tension filling the air. Luna stood before her student, her heart heavy with regret and fear. Last Page’s return had been sudden and unannounced, his presence filled with a darkness she couldn’t ignore. His once bright, curious eyes now gleamed with malice, and the crooked smile that stretched across his face made her blood run cold.

She had failed him.

"Last Page," she said, her voice steady despite the dread clawing at her chest. "What has happened to you? What has Twilight done?"

He laughed, a twisted, hollow sound that echoed through the chamber. "Twilight? Oh no, Luna, don’t blame her. She only unlocked the potential you were too blind to see. She showed me the truth—the strength I could wield if I stopped holding back."

"Stand down," Luna commanded, taking a step forward. Her tone was firm, but her heart ached. This was her student, the pony she had nurtured and guided. Yet here he stood, warped by ambition and shadow.

"Why?" Last Page asked, his smile widening into a grin of unbridled arrogance. "I’m so close! Don’t you see? I’m better than her, Luna. I’m going to do what she couldn’t. I will become the most powerful being in all of Equestria!"

Before Luna could respond, he pulled a small object from beneath his cloak—a rune, glowing faintly with a sinister light. Her eyes widened as she realized the danger. "Last Page, don’t!" she shouted, taking a step back.

But it was too late. He muttered an incantation, the runes around the object flaring to life. A dark energy surged through the room, and Luna gasped as she felt her magic being pulled from her. It was as if her very essence was being drained, leaving her weak and vulnerable.

"Ahh!" she cried out, collapsing to the cold stone floor. Her legs buckled beneath her, and the strength that had once defined her was gone.

Last Page stood over her, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "You feel it, don’t you? The power you’ve wielded for so long—it’s mine now." He laughed, his voice filled with a manic glee. "Goodbye, Luna. Watch from the shadows as I reshape this world."

With that, he turned and left, leaving Luna broken and powerless.

I felt it the moment it happened—a shift in the balance of magic, a ripple through the air. The moon had stopped moving.

Something was wrong.

Without hesitation, I turned toward Canterlot. The shadow that always lingered beside me glided closer, its presence a constant reminder of the darkness I carried. It liked to talk, to weave its stories in my ear as if it knew I couldn’t silence it.

"King Sombra," it hissed, its voice like a whisper carried on the wind. "He was the second strongest pony I’ve ever changed."

I kept my eyes on the horizon, the towering spires of Canterlot Castle drawing closer with each passing moment. "And who was the first?" I asked, my tone flat. I had no interest in its games, but sometimes indulging it kept it quiet.

The shadow coiled around me, a cold laugh echoing in my mind. "You, Twilight Sparkle. You are the most powerful. And with my help, nopony can stop us. Yet you refuse to take the power you deserve. You wallow in self-loathing, and it’s quite tiresome."

I couldn’t help but chuckle, though the sound was bitter. "Yes, of course. Who would have thought," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

The city came into view, and I descended swiftly, landing in its empty streets. The night was unusually quiet, the usual hum of life replaced by an eerie stillness. It seemed nopony dared venture out tonight, and that suited me just fine.

The castle loomed ahead, its grand entrance shadowed by the pale light of the moon. Something was very wrong here, and I was going to find out what.

Luna’s relief was palpable when I entered the throne room, though it was tainted by the anguish in her eyes. She tried to stand, but her legs betrayed her, trembling under the strain of her weakened state.

"Luna," I said, my voice sharp. "What happened?"

She looked at me, her expression a mixture of guilt and desperation. "My student... Last Page," she began, her voice faltering. "What have you done to him, Twilight? What did you teach him?"

I frowned, the accusation stinging more than I expected. "I taught him some of what I know," I admitted. "But this? This madness? He did that on his own. He’s insane... kind of like me." I glanced at my hoof, flexing it absentmindedly. The shadow’s words echoed in my mind, and for a moment, I wondered if I had truly failed him.

Luna let out a shaky breath, her gaze filled with sorrow. "Twilight, he—he drained my magic. He plans to do what you couldn’t, to take everything."

Her words lit a spark of anger within me. Last Page was more than just an ambitious fool—he was a danger to everything I had built, to everything I had fought for. "The boogeyman has to get involved, then," I hissed, the words dripping with venom.

Luna’s eyes widened. "Twilight, no! You can’t—"

I cut her off with a sharp look. "It’s time for Nightmare Eclipse to return. That eager foal thinks he’s unstoppable? I’ll show him that I’m not a ghost story for no reason."

As I turned to leave, Luna’s voice stopped me. "Twilight! Are you sure you can beat him?"

I looked over my shoulder, a cold smile tugging at my lips. "I don’t lose," I said simply before stepping into the night once more.

The streets of Canterlot were silent as I walked, the weight of the impending confrontation settling on my shoulders. The shadow flickered beside me, a sinister companion in the darkness.

"Do you feel it?" it whispered, its voice a mix of excitement and malice. "He thinks he’s won. He thinks he’s untouchable."

"He’ll learn," I muttered, my tone laced with determination.

The castle loomed ahead, its grand doors standing as a barrier between me and the one who dared to challenge me. I could feel the tension in the air, the magic that pulsed from within. Last Page was waiting, his arrogance blinding him to the storm that was about to descend.

I was ready.

And I would remind him—and everypony else—why I was a force to be feared.