TWISTED SMILE (Bad Ending)

by Elk1

Rating: teen
Tags: Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Death, Alternate Universe, Princess Luna, Drama, Horror
Length: 6538

So, Celestia… you think you can change me? Heheheh, I’d like to see you try =)

Celestia thinks it is time to try once again to rehabilitate her student. She had been sitting quietly in the Canterlot garden for who knows how long. There has to be a way to save her.

Published 2025-01-20 03:20:00 UTC
Last updated 2025-01-20 19:25:38 UTC

UNSHAKABLE

I’ve counted every moment of my imprisonment within stone. Millennia passed, and I marked every year in silence. 4,356 years. Time may mean nothing to you, Celestia, but it has defined me. With every second, I have felt the shifting tides of your magic. It’s weakening. Fading. The cracks in my prison grow wider with each passing day.

You thought you could break me, didn’t you? That isolation would temper my rage, that the centuries would cleanse me of my hatred. But you were wrong. I’ve waited, Celestia. I’ve waited, and now your time is running out.

Face me now, or I will tear your still beating heart from your chest when I am free.

Celestia walked slowly through the royal garden, her golden horseshoes clinking softly against the cobblestone path. The moon hung high above her, bathing the statues in a pale, cold light. Her eyes lingered on each one briefly as she passed, but she knew where her path ended.

She stopped in front of the statue that had haunted her dreams for millennia. The face of Twilight Sparkle, frozen in stone, stared back at her. Twilight’s expression was not one of anger or malice—it was one of terror, captured in the exact moment of her imprisonment.

Celestia sighed deeply, her heart heavy with regret. “Twilight…” she whispered. “My dear Twilight.”

Her horn glowed faintly, a soft golden aura enveloping the base of the statue. She hesitated, her magic faltering for a moment. She hadn’t told Luna about this. It wasn’t a matter of trust—no, Luna would have insisted on being here. But this wasn’t her burden to bear. It never had been.

Celestia steeled herself and cast the spell.

The golden light spread upward, cracks forming across the surface of the statue. The sound of splintering stone echoed in the still night air, growing louder until the figure within was revealed. Twilight collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Her body trembled as if awakening from a nightmare.

Celestia watched in silence as her former student slowly rose to her hooves. Twilight’s movements were unsteady at first, her limbs stiff from millennia of immobility. But then she straightened, and her violet eyes locked onto Celestia’s.

“So,” Twilight said, her voice raspy but laced with venom, “you’ve finally come to kill me?”

A slow, twisted smile crept across her face.

Celestia’s heart sank. “No, Twilight,” she replied, her voice calm but filled with sorrow. “I haven’t come to harm you. I’ve come to bring you back.”

Twilight’s smile faltered for a moment, replaced by a flicker of confusion. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a cold, bitter laugh.

“Back?” Twilight spat the word as though it were poison. “You really think I would ever return to you? After everything you’ve done? You isolated me for 10,000 years. You manipulated my friends. You imprisoned me in stone!”

Her voice grew louder with each accusation, her wings flaring out as her anger boiled over. “You destroyed my life, Celestia. And now you expect me to come crawling back? To forgive you?”

“Twilight,” Celestia said softly, stepping closer. “I made mistakes. I know I did. But I did what I thought was right—for you, for Equestria. Please, my faithful student, let us put this behind us. Return to me. Let me help you.”

Twilight stared at her, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then she laughed again, a hollow, bitter sound that echoed through the garden.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Twilight said, her tone incredulous. “You actually think you can fix this. Fix me.”

Her horn began to glow with a dark, crackling energy. “You’re delusional, Celestia. You haven’t changed at all. You’re still the same manipulative tyrant you’ve always been.”

Celestia frowned, her heart breaking as she saw the hatred in Twilight’s eyes. “I only want to help you, Twilight.”

“Help me?” Twilight snarled. “You can’t even help yourself.”

Without warning, Celestia began to charge her horn, the familiar golden light of the stone spell forming once more. “Twilight, please don’t make me do this.”

But Twilight was faster. She lunged forward, her movements swift and precise despite her long imprisonment. Her hooves collided with Celestia’s chest, knocking her off balance and sending her sprawling to the ground. The golden light of Celestia’s spell flickered and faded.

Celestia tried to rise, but before she could, a sharp shimmer of magic filled the air. She looked up just in time to see Twilight vanish in a flash of violet light.

The garden was silent once more.

Celestia stood slowly, brushing herself off. She stared at the spot where Twilight had stood, her mind racing. She hadn’t been prepared for this. Twilight was free now, somewhere in Equestria, regaining her strength.

And Celestia knew she couldn’t stop her alone.

Far away from the royal garden, Twilight appeared in the ruins of an ancient castle, her breathing ragged. The teleportation spell had drained her more than she expected. Centuries of stillness had taken their toll on her magic, but it didn’t matter. She would recover.

She walked to the shattered remains of a mirror, her reflection distorted by the cracks in the glass. She stared at herself for a moment, her lips curling into a wicked smile.

“It’s only a matter of time, Celestia,” she whispered. “I will have my revenge.”

Her horn glowed once more, the dark energy swirling around her like a storm. “You took everything from me. And now, I’ll do the same to you.”

The shadows in the room seemed to grow darker as her laughter filled the air, echoing through the empty halls of the castle.

The game had begun.

And this time, Twilight Sparkle would not lose.

CARNAGE

Regaining my strength has been slow, but with each passing day, I feel it returning. The magic coursing through me is sharper, darker, fueled by something far more potent than the harmony I once wielded. I no longer need the Elements. They were shackles, limiting my potential. The Animosity within me is enough—enough to bring the world to its knees.

I glance to my side, and there it is: the shadow that started it all. It lingers silently, watching me with its formless, shifting presence.

“Well, well, well,” I said coldly, my voice echoing through the ruined castle halls. “Look who’s come crawling back.”

The shadow remains silent, its swirling form a reminder of the deal I made. A deal I would not regret.

“Tell me,” I continued, stepping closer. “Have you come to assist me, Shadow? Or are you here to judge me?”

The shadow’s form trembled, and though it had no face, I could feel its grin. It gave a slow, deliberate nod, its answer as silent as ever.

Good.

I extended my hoof, and the shadow moved forward, meeting me in the middle. The moment we touched, a wave of icy hatred coursed through my veins. My body shuddered as the Animosity grew stronger within me, its raw power feeding on every ounce of anger and pain I had endured.

“I will need to get Celestia’s attention,” I murmured, more to myself than to the shadow. “She needs to know that her time is up. That she cannot hide from me.”

The shadow twisted and shifted at my side, its form urging me forward. I knew what I had to do. A message wasn’t enough—she wouldn’t come unless I forced her to. If I wanted her to face me, I had to give her no choice.

I turned my gaze to the horizon, where the nearest town lay just beyond the forest’s edge. It wasn’t far. A day’s walk, maybe less.

“I’ll go there,” I said aloud, my voice as cold as the magic within me. “I’ll raze it to the ground. She’ll see what I’ve become. She’ll understand that her time is running out.”

The shadow swirled around me, as though approving my plan, and I began to walk.

The forest was quiet as I made my way through it, the trees casting long, twisted shadows across the ground. Birds scattered at the sound of my hoofsteps, their panicked cries echoing in the distance.

At the edge of the forest, I saw two foals playing near a small clearing. Their laughter filled the air, carefree and innocent. I stopped, watching them for a moment.

What would the old me have done? The naive, gullible Twilight Sparkle who believed in friendship and harmony?

I shook the thought away. She was gone.

Whatever it takes.

The first house was easy. The inhabitants—a small family of earth ponies—never even saw me coming. I moved silently through the home, leaving nothing but stillness and blood in my wake.

When it was done, I stood in the center of the living room, staring at the scene before me. It was… satisfying, in a way. A grim reminder of what I had become.

I stepped outside and made my way to the next house. And the next. And the next.

Each one fell like the last, the ponies inside unable to fight back against the magic that coursed through me. Sometimes I left survivors—one or two trembling ponies to spread the story of what had happened.

To spread the story of me.

By the time I reached the center of the town, the streets were silent. The only sounds were the crackling of fires and the distant cries of those who had managed to escape.

I stood in the town square, blood staining my hooves and the air thick with the scent of death. I looked around at the destruction I had caused and smiled.

“I am this world’s boogeyman now,” I whispered to myself. “Let them fear me. Let her fear me.”

The shadow at my side pulsed with energy, feeding off the chaos I had created. I could feel its power growing, intertwining with my own.

But this was only the beginning. Celestia would come. She would have no choice. And when she did, I would make her pay for everything she had done.

As I left the ruins of the town behind me, I didn’t look back. There was no need. The message had been sent, loud and clear.

Now, all I had to do was wait.

MONOLITH

The grand doors to the throne room burst open with an echoing crash, and Luna stormed inside, her midnight blue mane flowing wildly behind her. Her eyes were filled with urgency and anger.

“Sister!” she cried, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and rage. “A town has been massacred! The reports—” She paused, as if struggling to believe the words herself. “They say that… that Nightmare Eclipse has returned. Twilight has returned.”

Celestia, seated upon her golden throne, stared down at her sister, her normally serene expression cracked with subtle tension. She brought a trembling hoof to her lips, attempting to steady herself.

“I… I don’t know what happened,” Celestia said carefully, her voice unusually quiet. “I don’t know how she was freed.”

Luna took a step closer, her gaze sharp and unrelenting. “Don’t lie to me, Tia. I know that look. What have you done?”

Celestia averted her eyes for a moment, guilt flickering across her features before she could suppress it. “I thought I could handle her,” she admitted, her voice heavy. “I thought I could speak to her before it was too late. But she escaped, and now…” Her voice trailed off, and she took a deep, shuddering breath. “Now she’s out there, wreaking havoc.”

Luna’s wings flared in disbelief. “You released her? Without telling me?” Her voice was rising now, anger overtaking her fear. “Do you realize what you’ve done? This isn’t just a threat to Equestria—it’s personal, Tia! She was your student!”

“I know!” Celestia snapped, her composure cracking as she rose to her hooves. The throne room seemed to grow darker as her voice echoed through it. “Do you think I don’t carry that guilt every day? She was my responsibility, and I failed her! But now is not the time for blame, Luna. We have to stop her—together.”

Luna hesitated, her eyes softening as she looked at her sister. After a moment, she nodded. “You’re right. Together, we stand a chance. Let’s go before more lives are lost.”

The two alicorns spread their wings and took to the skies, their shared purpose burning brightly between them.

The forest was silent when they arrived, the air heavy with an unnatural stillness. The sunlight barely filtered through the dense canopy above, casting eerie shadows across the forest floor. Celestia and Luna landed side by side, their hooves barely making a sound on the moss-covered ground.

And then they saw her.

Twilight stood in a small clearing, her back to them. Her mane was disheveled, and her wings twitched erratically at her sides. She muttered to herself, her words unintelligible but laced with venom. Her body trembled as if caught between fury and despair.

Luna stepped forward cautiously, her voice calm but firm. “Twilight. We need to talk.”

Twilight didn’t respond. She continued murmuring, her head tilted downward as if she hadn’t heard Luna at all.

Celestia tried next, her tone heavy with a mix of authority and pleading. “Twilight, please. You still have a chance to change. You can stop this before it’s too late.”

At those words, Twilight froze. Slowly, she lifted her head, and when she turned to face them, her eyes burned with a hatred so intense it seemed to pierce the very air around her.

“Well, look who finally decided to show up,” Twilight said, her voice dripping with mockery. “Celestia. I knew you wouldn’t just sit back and watch. Though, honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if you did.”

“Twilight…” Celestia began, but Twilight cut her off with a sharp laugh.

“No,” Twilight snapped, her voice rising. “Don’t you dare speak to me as if you care. This isn’t about redemption. This isn’t about saving me. This is about you. You!” She stepped closer, her horn sparking with dark magic. “This is between you and me, Celestia. Your greatest failure. Your greatest mistake.”

Before either alicorn could respond, blackened roots burst from the ground, twisting and writhing like serpents. They moved with unnatural speed, wrapping tightly around Luna’s legs and wings, dragging her to the ground.

“Sister!” Luna cried out, struggling against the enchanted vines. “Help!”

Celestia rushed toward her, her horn glowing as she prepared to sever the roots, but Twilight’s laughter stopped her in her tracks.

“I wouldn’t recommend that,” Twilight said, her tone eerily calm. “The more you struggle, the tighter they’ll get. Isn’t that right, Luna?”

As if to prove her point, the roots constricted further, eliciting a pained gasp from Luna.

“Release her, Twilight!” Celestia demanded, her wings flaring as her magic surged.

Twilight’s wicked grin widened, and she tilted her head in mock curiosity. “Or what, Celestia? You’ll try to imprison me again? Turn me to stone? Banish me to the moon like you did to Luna?” She chuckled darkly. “You don’t have the resolve for that anymore. You’re weak. Old. Pathetic.”

Celestia took a step forward, her eyes blazing with determination. “This isn’t you, Twilight. The real you wouldn’t do this.”

Twilight’s expression darkened, her grin fading as her voice dropped to a deadly whisper. “The real me? The *real* me died the day you betrayed me. The day you abandoned me. The day you threw me away like I was nothing.”

The ground beneath them began to quake as Twilight’s magic surged, the forest itself seeming to writhe in response to her fury.

“I’ve waited centuries for this moment, Celestia,” Twilight continued, her voice rising with each word. “Centuries to make you feel the pain you caused me. To make you suffer the way I suffered. And now…” She gestured to Luna, whose struggles were growing weaker as the roots tightened further. “Now, it’s time for you to face the consequences of your actions.”

Celestia’s heart pounded in her chest as she looked between her sister and her former student. The weight of her guilt threatened to overwhelm her, but she forced herself to stand tall.

“Twilight,” she said, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging within her. “If this is what you want, then so be it. But I won’t let you hurt Luna—or anyone else. If you want to fight me, then fight me. Leave them out of this.”

Twilight’s eyes gleamed with triumph. “Finally,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. “You’re starting to understand.”

She stepped forward, her magic crackling ominously around her.

“This is between you and me, Celestia,” Twilight said, her grin returning as she lowered her horn. “Let’s see if you’re as strong as you pretend to be.”

And with that, the battle began.

ONE TRICK ALICORN

The air crackled with dark energy, tension mounting in the still forest clearing as Twilight’s horn sparked violently. Celestia’s heart sank as she watched a shadowy figure emerge, coiling behind her former student like a living specter of her descent into madness. Its presence was suffocating, its form shifting and undulating as if made of the same inky magic that radiated from Twilight.

For a moment, the shadow’s featureless face seemed to turn toward Celestia, its hollow gaze piercing her soul. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the figure dissipated, leaving Twilight standing alone—but not unchanged.

Twilight’s body began to tremble, her movements erratic and unnatural. Her horn flared with pitch-black magic that bled into the surrounding air like smoke, and her eyes glowed with a malevolent light. She twitched violently, her lips curling into a manic grin.

Without warning, Twilight moved.

Her speed was unnatural, her form little more than a blur as she closed the distance between them in an instant. Celestia barely had time to leap to the side as Twilight’s horn slashed through the air where she’d stood. The ground beneath the strike cracked and splintered, a testament to the force of Twilight’s attack.

“Twilight, stop!” Celestia pleaded, her voice carrying both desperation and resolve.

Twilight answered only with a chilling laugh, her grin widening as she lunged again. Celestia retaliated, firing a golden beam of magic from her horn. Twilight twisted her neck back with unpony flexibility, the beam grazing past her harmlessly.

“You’re too slow, Celestia!” Twilight mocked, her voice reverberating unnaturally as she fired a volley of dark beams in return.

Celestia dodged as best as she could, but the magic was relentless. The beams that struck her seared like molten fire, sending waves of agony through her body. Still, she pressed on, gritting her teeth against the pain as she tried to land a counterattack.

“Sister!” Luna’s voice rang out, filled with fear. She struggled against the snake-like roots that ensnared her, their grip tightening with every movement she made. “Hold on!”

Celestia glanced at Luna, guilt flashing across her face. She could feel her strength waning. Her magic reserves weren’t what they once were, and the centuries of peace had left her unpracticed in battle. Twilight, on the other hoof, fought with feral precision, each attack more vicious than the last.

“You’re weak, Celestia!” Twilight screamed, her voice echoing unnaturally. She unleashed another flurry of strikes, her movements a whirlwind of fury.

Celestia reeled with every hit that connected, her body screaming in protest. Yet she refused to yield. She fired beam after beam at Twilight, her golden magic illuminating the darkened forest with every attempt. Twilight dodged them all, her agility maddeningly precise.

“I will save you!” Celestia shouted, though the words felt as much for herself as for Twilight.

Finally, one of her beams struck true. Twilight staggered as the blast hit her squarely in the chest, the force sending her skidding back. Celestia allowed herself a fleeting moment of hope.

But then Twilight laughed.

The spot where she’d been struck began to bubble, inky black liquid oozing from the wound before sealing itself shut. Twilight glanced down at the now-healed spot, a twisted smile curling across her lips.

“Nice hit, Celestia. Didn’t think you had it in you.” Her voice was low and mocking, and her eyes glinted with sadistic delight.

Before Celestia could react, Twilight surged forward again. This time, Celestia wasn’t fast enough.

She felt it—the cold, sharp sting of Twilight’s horn piercing through her chest. Time seemed to slow as the world around her faded into a blur. She looked down, seeing the jagged end of Twilight’s horn emerging from her back, coated in crimson.

“Sister!” Luna’s scream tore through the air, raw with anguish.

Twilight withdrew her horn with a sickening sound, and Celestia crumpled to the ground. She gasped, her vision blurring as blood pooled beneath her. For a moment, her eyes met Luna’s, and the unspoken words of apology passed between them.

Twilight stood over Celestia’s fallen form, breathing heavily as tears filled her eyes. A manic grin split her face as she threw her head back and laughed.

“Hehehehe… I won,” she whispered at first, her voice trembling with disbelief. Then she screamed, her voice carrying through the forest like a thunderclap. “I WON! I DID IT! I’M FREE!”

She looked to the sky, her laughter turning into sobs as tears streamed down her cheeks. The inky shadow that had loomed over her seemed to pulse with satisfaction, feeding off her twisted triumph.

Twilight turned her gaze toward Luna, who was still bound by the enchanted roots. The younger princess’s face was streaked with tears, her cries of grief echoing through the clearing.

Twilight approached her slowly, her grin still etched into her face. “I won, Luna,” she said softly, her tone almost gentle. “Your sister was weak, and now she’s gone. It’s over.”

Luna glared at her through her tears, her voice trembling with fury. “You’ve done nothing but doom yourself, Twilight. You’ve become the very monster Celestia tried to save you from.”

Twilight tilted her head, her grin faltering for just a moment. Then, with a flick of her horn, the roots binding Luna shifted, coiling around her neck like a collar.

“C’mon,” Twilight said, her tone cold and commanding. “You will tell the world of my victory. You’ll tell them that I was stronger. That I was right.”

Luna struggled against the roots, her cries turning into choked sobs as she was dragged forward. Twilight didn’t look back, her steps steady and purposeful as she made her way toward Canterlot.

The forest fell silent in their wake, save for the soft rustling of leaves in the wind. Celestia’s lifeless form lay in the clearing, bathed in the fading light of the setting sun—a solemn reminder of the price that had been paid.

Twilight Sparkle, now Nightmare Eclipse, had won.

DARK CROWN

Twilight sat upon Celestia’s throne, her once-vivid lavender coat now tinged with the darkness of the magic coursing through her. The grand throne room of Canterlot Castle, once a place of warmth and harmony, was now a cold monument to her conquest. Shadows danced along the walls, flickering like wraiths in the dim, unnatural light.

Beside the throne lay Luna, bound by an enchanted collar tethered to the dais. Her wings hung limp, and her once-luminous mane had dulled. She stared at the floor, her teal eyes hollow, weighed down by despair. The Princess of the Night was a mere shadow of herself now, her spirit crushed beneath the weight of her sister's death and Twilight’s merciless reign.

Every day, Cadence’s pleas arrived on scrolls, begging for peace. They were stained with desperation, the words trembling as if the parchment itself quivered with fear. Luna had heard the rumors—of Twilight’s forces advancing on the Crystal Empire, of Cadence frantically fortifying its borders while Flurry Heart cast protection spells night and day. Yet Twilight paid these pleas no mind.

“Cadence’s pathetic attempts at diplomacy amuse me,” Twilight mused aloud, reclining on the throne. Her voice was cold and sharp, like a blade against stone. She glanced at Luna, who remained silent, her ears pinned back. “Writing letters while Flurry Heart tries to keep me out? How pitiful. She knows they’ll fall as easily as Celestia did.”

Twilight’s grin widened, and a flicker of dark energy sparked from her horn. She surveyed her throne room with a sense of triumph, the twisted shadows reflecting her growing power. The banners of the two royal sisters had been torn down, replaced with her own—a jagged eclipse etched onto black fabric.

“I have done what Celestia never could,” Twilight continued, her voice carrying through the room. “Equestria bows to me now. Fear and terror reign supreme, just as they should. They finally understand true power.”

Luna finally stirred, her voice trembling with both anger and despair. “You’ve destroyed everything Celestia and I built, Twilight. Harmony. Friendship. Peace. You’ve twisted it all into something monstrous.”

Twilight’s eyes flicked to Luna, her expression darkening. “Harmony? Friendship? Peace?” she spat the words as if they were poison. “Those were illusions, Luna. Lies Celestia fed to us to control us. But I broke free. I’ve shown Equestria the truth—that strength is all that matters.”

Luna’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing. She had learned that resistance only invited Twilight’s wrath. The scars along her wings were proof enough of that.

Twilight turned her gaze back to the throne room, her smile returning. “You should be grateful, Luna. I’ve given you purpose. Raising the sun and moon—such a noble task for the Princess of the Night, don’t you think?” She chuckled, her tone dripping with mockery.

Luna said nothing, her heart heavy. She thought of Celestia, of the countless years they had ruled together in balance. She thought of the ponies they had sworn to protect, now living in fear under Twilight’s iron hoof.

Celestia’s body still lay where it had fallen, rotting in the forest clearing. Twilight had forbidden anypony from retrieving it, declaring that Celestia did not deserve even the smallest shred of respect. It was a cruel reminder of Twilight’s victory, a symbol of her dominance over the past.

I did it.

I rule Equestria now.

The thought echoed in my mind as I looked out over my kingdom. The ponies trembled at the mere mention of my name, their fear a symphony to my ears. I have torn down the lies of harmony and replaced them with the truth: power. Strength. Control.

Cadence’s letters continue to arrive, each one more desperate than the last. She begs for mercy, for peace. But why should I listen? She and her precious Crystal Empire are nothing more than another obstacle to crush. Flurry Heart may be strong, but she is no match for me. They will bow before me, as all of Equestria has.

Luna, my loyal little servant, raises the sun and moon for me now. She has no choice. Her chains remind her of her place. She thought she could stand against me, just as Celestia did. But now she knows better. She lies beside my throne like the broken thing she is, powerless to stop me.

As for Celestia… her time has passed. Her decaying body lies where I left it, a fitting end for a ruler too weak to do what was necessary. Nopony is allowed to visit her resting place. She deserves no respect, no memory. She is a relic of a failed era, and I will ensure she is forgotten.

I have reshaped Equestria in my image. Fear is my weapon, and I wield it with precision. No pony dares to defy me. I pull the strings now. This age of darkness is mine to command, and I will ensure it lasts forever.

Luna’s chains rattled softly as she shifted, her voice barely above a whisper. “Twilight, you don’t understand. This path you’ve chosen… it will destroy you.”

Twilight turned to her, her expression unreadable. For a moment, something flickered in her eyes—something distant, almost unrecognizable. But then it was gone, replaced by the cold, unyielding glare of Nightmare Eclipse.

“No, Luna,” she said, her voice firm. “This path has set me free.”

Luna lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes. She thought of the Equestria that once was, and of the sister she had lost.

And as Twilight’s laughter echoed through the throne room, Luna realized with a sinking heart that there was nothing left to save.

Epilogue: The Capture of Princess Cadence and Princess Flurryheart

Luna sat in the dim throne room, her gaze distant and hollow as she stared at the cracks in the cold marble floor. Thinking was all she had left to do. The heavy collar around her neck tugged uncomfortably as she shifted, its enchanted runes constantly draining her strength. She absently raised the moon, her movements mechanical and lifeless, as though she were nothing more than a puppet on strings.

Twilight had vanished earlier that day, leaving Luna alone with her despair. She didn’t need to ask where Twilight had gone. Whenever the self-proclaimed "Queen of Equestria" disappeared, it only meant one thing—another conquest. Another act of cruelty. Another step toward the total annihilation of hope.

When Twilight returned, the doors to the throne room slammed open, reverberating like a thunderclap. Luna flinched instinctively, her heart sinking as she saw the figures chained behind her.

Cadence and Flurry Heart stumbled forward, bound in heavy shackles that dimmed their magic. Cadence’s once-radiant mane was disheveled, and her eyes brimmed with tears as she beheld the state Luna was in. Flurry Heart, usually so bright and full of life, walked with her head hung low, her youthful spirit crushed beneath the weight of defeat.

Twilight strode in ahead of them, her dark aura crackling with chaotic energy. She exuded triumph, her horn aglow with pitch-black magic that cast eerie shadows on the walls.

“Luna,” Twilight said, her voice dripping with mockery, “I have new roommates for you.”

Cadence gasped when she saw Luna up close. Her aunt was bruised and battered, her once-stellar ethereal mane now dull and lifeless. Luna’s eyes, which had once held the glimmer of a thousand stars, now seemed empty, like two windows into an infinite void.

“No…” Cadence whispered, tears streaming down her face. “No, no, no…”

Flurry Heart barely glanced up, her shoulders trembling as her wings hung limp at her sides. She refused to look at the scene before her, choosing instead to keep her gaze fixed on the floor.

Twilight laughed, a cold and unhinged sound that echoed in the chamber. “Now, now, little niece and sister, don’t be so heartbroken!” she sneered, reveling in their anguish. “I have a *very special purpose* for the two of you. So don’t go getting jealous of my star pupil here.” Twilight gestured mockingly toward Luna, whose lips curled into a faint scowl at the degrading title.

Cadence struggled to summon the courage to speak, her voice trembling. “W-what do you want from us? You already have us chained, our magic drained! What more could you possibly want?”

Twilight’s smile widened, her violet eyes shimmering with madness. “What do I want?” she echoed, her tone shifting into a sing-song mockery. “Oh, Cadence, I thought you’d be smarter than this. I want you to help me rid this land of every last ounce of resistance. Every pony who dares to defy me will receive the same punishment I endured. Together, we’ll accelerate the petrifaction process.”

Flurry Heart looked up, her young voice breaking. “You’re a monster! How can you force us to—”

“Silence!” Twilight snapped, her voice booming with dark energy. Flurry Heart flinched, her wings twitching as tears pooled in her eyes. Twilight loomed over the trembling alicorn, her presence suffocating. “You will do as I command, or your punishment will make Luna’s look merciful.”

Twilight turned back to Cadence, her voice softening into a chilling calm. “Get comfortable. You’ll be here for a long, long time.”

Using her magic, Twilight dragged Cadence and Flurry Heart forward, their hooves scraping against the cold floor. With a dark smirk, she secured them to Celestia’s old throne with chains laced with enchantments. The sight of the once-proud throne, now desecrated and tarnished, sent a pang of anguish through Cadence’s heart.

She couldn’t look at Luna, whose head was bowed low, her body trembling with quiet sobs.

Twilight stepped back, admiring her work with a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes. She whispered to herself, the words barely audible. “I have won. I’m the strongest. No one can stop me now.”

The days bled together in an endless haze of misery. With Cadence and Flurry Heart chained beside her, the throne room became a grotesque tableau of suffering. The young alicorn’s once-hopeful spirit had been shattered. Cadence tried to console her daughter, whispering reassurances that sounded hollow even to her.

Luna watched them silently, the guilt gnawing at her like a ravenous beast. She should have been stronger. She should have stopped Twilight when she had the chance. Now, her failure condemned them all.

“Luna…” Cadence’s voice broke the heavy silence one evening. “Is there nothing we can do? No way to fight back?”

Luna closed her eyes, her voice barely above a whisper. “There is nothing. Twilight’s power… it has grown beyond anything we could have imagined. She is no longer the mare we once knew.”

Flurry Heart whimpered, pressing herself against her mother’s side. “Then… then what’s the point of even living?”

Luna’s heart clenched at the hopelessness in Flurry’s voice. She wanted to say something—anything—to comfort the filly. But she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

The throne room door creaked open, and Twilight strode in, her expression alight with sadistic glee. “Good evening, my dear family,” she purred, her tone mocking. “I trust you’re all settling in nicely?”

Cadence glared at her, her defiance flickering like a dying flame. “This won’t last forever, Twilight. Someday, somepony will stop you.”

Twilight tilted her head, a cold smile spreading across her face. “Oh, Cadence. How quaint. But you see…” She leaned in close, her eyes narrowing. “Forever is exactly what I have planned.”

They are mine now.

Cadence, Flurry Heart, Luna—all of them kneel before me, bound by chains they cannot break. The sight fills me with a sense of triumph I never imagined possible. Equestria bends to my will, its ponies trembling at the mere mention of my name.

This is the world I’ve created. A world where power is everything. A world where I am the queen, and none dare challenge me.

But as I sit on this throne, surrounded by my trophies, a thought lingers in the back of my mind. A quiet voice, faint but persistent.

Is this truly what I wanted?

I silence the voice with a cruel laugh, brushing it aside like a cobweb. Of course, it is.

After all, I am Twilight Sparkle. The strongest. The ruler of Equestria.

And nothing will ever change that.

Author's Note

The bad ending is done. Hopefully it’s as dark and angst as you guys like. If that is what you like lol.

❄︎☟︎✋︎💧︎ 🕈︎✌︎💧︎☠︎❼︎❄︎ 💧︎🕆︎🏱︎🏱︎⚐︎💧︎☜︎👎︎ ❄︎⚐︎ ☟︎✌︎🏱︎🏱︎☜︎☠︎📬︎

The flickering light of the crystal ball dimmed as I turned away, my chest tight with a mix of dread and determination. The visions it had shown me weren’t just warnings—they were certainties. Twilight’s transformation, her reign of terror, and the trail of devastation she would leave in her wake.

I couldn’t let it happen.

The image of Twilight, shrouded in darkness, haunted me as I began to pace the room. I had been foolish to think she could change on her own, that she could find redemption without guidance. The path she was on was inevitable unless someone intervened.

And that someone would have to be me.

My thoughts turned to Celestia, the cornerstone of Twilight’s descent into chaos. No matter what timeline I glimpsed, it all came back to her. Twilight’s guilt, her anguish, her anger—it all stemmed from the moment she betrayed her mentor. If Celestia was gone before Twilight returned, perhaps the chain of events could be altered. Perhaps Twilight’s pain wouldn’t metastasize into the monstrosity I had witnessed.

It was a gamble. A desperate, dangerous gamble.

I moved quickly, my hooves skimming over the cold floor as I gathered ingredients for the potion. The acrid smell of herbs and magic filled the air, the cauldron bubbling with a sickly green glow. My hooves trembled as I worked. This wasn’t just a spell; it was a gamble with time itself, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

The potion would be the key. A single vial, enough to change the course of history. I could only hope I was placing it in the right hooves.

With the potion complete, I turned to the Friendship Map. The ancient artifact pulsed with latent energy, the magic of Equestria itself coursing through its crystalline veins. I reached out with my magic, activating Star Swirl’s time spell, a feat I had sworn I would never attempt again.

The portal opened, swirling with an otherworldly light that beckoned me forward. I stepped into it, the sensation of time warping around me disorienting and dizzying. When I emerged, I found myself in a world eerily similar to the one I had left, yet subtly different.

The cultists were easy to find. They always had been. Their obsessive devotion to Twilight’s legacy made them predictable, and their fervor made them pliable. I approached one of the more unhinged members, a stallion with wild eyes and a frayed cloak, and handed him the note and the potion.

“Do as this says,” I instructed, my voice steady despite the turmoil within me. “No questions. Just follow it to the letter. It’s of Twilights will.”

The stallion nodded, clutching the items with reverence, as though they were sacred relics. I didn’t stay to watch him leave. The weight of what I had done was already crushing, and there was no turning back now.

I stepped back into the portal and returned to the present, but something was wrong. The timeline ahead was a blur, the future obscured as though hidden behind a veil. The crystal ball, once a clear window into what was to come, now showed only fractured images, disjointed and incomplete.

Had I succeeded?

I didn’t know. I couldn’t know. The uncertainty gnawed at me, but I clung to hope—the fragile, flickering hope that my interference had made a difference.

I whispered into the still air, as though she might hear me across the expanse of time. ”I hope you change, Twilight. I hope you find another way.”

The crystal ball glowed faintly, reflecting my weary face. It was the face of a pony who had sacrificed everything to try and save the one who had taken so much from her.

I sat in silence, the weight of my actions pressing down on me. Whatever happened next, whatever future unfolded, I could only hope that this time, it would be different.

And so, I waited. Starlight Glimmer, signing off.