Darkness Falls

Memories are extraordinary things. Some fade away into oblivion, some remain with you until the end of days. for instance, Star Swirl the Bearded. He will forevermore be remembered as the frail yet extraordinarily powerful unicorn from days of old. Few, if any, remember the days that he thought dark thoughts, the temptress of the unspoiled night sky beckoning him out, out of conformity.

I remember those days.

Oh, pardon my manners. My name was once Twilight Sparkle. But that is not important. No, what is important is that that was who I once was, merely a shadow of a memory. A small rut in the smooth plane of my existence. I will tell you about myself in return for you listening to my ramblings.

I was the protégée to the Solar Matriarch, Princess Celestia. I was a bookish little filly, I can tell you that much. Quoting myself, I didn't know that I would ever need other ponies to make my life complete. But then I learned of the danger Equestria was perched precariously upon, I knew I must be the one to prevent it. But certain events lead to others, and soon I was caught up in a whirlwind of preparations.

But that could never last. The clock eventually strikes midnight and the magic eventually ends. I wasn’t prepared for that, I can tell you. The greatest threat Equestria has ever known manifested itself in the form of Nightmare Moon. You probably know the rest.

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Between you and me, I could tell it was doomed from the start. Applejack and Rarity fought like cats and dogs, Dash was pushing Fluttershy off the edge and Pinkie was luring me to the pits of insanity. Sadly, everything has an end, especially friendship. But we did not merely drift apart, no. We were ripped away from each other, like a bawling foal from its mother’s teat. But it was not a monstrous being that took us apart such as Discord. This was silent, undetected.

It began with one innocent little late assignment. Some ponies around town called it 'Lesson Zero', mocking my every mistake. That was when the whisperings began.

They were small titterings, barely words at all. But they comforted me at night when I was lying in bed, kept awake from insomnia.

It's alright, Twilight, they crooned. They're just mean, that's all.

At first I panicked. Hearing voices in your head is a sign of insanity, and for all I knew I was pushed off the deep end. Then I calmed down and thought rationally. What sin was there in comforting myself?

I became comfortable with the whisperings. I even reprimanded them sometimes when things got out of control. Like when they suggested that I throw them in a dungeon.

No, I thought sternly. That is way out of line.

I horrified myself, blanching every time I responded to the little voices in my head.

Go away! I wanted to scream. Leave me alone!

One day, when the brutal bullying of Carrot Top left me wracked with sobs in the corner of the library. Spike was visiting his dragon friend Cinder. Dash was working, Pinkie was loading her party cannon, Applejack was bucking, and none of my other friends were present.

My chest, heaving with sobs, was throbbing. I was perched awkwardly on a very thick book with the letters branded upon the fat cover barely readable. Salty tears splashed on this weathered book.

Gingerly, a hoof ran through my deep blue mane. I remained curled in a fetal position, unaware that it was not my hoof stroking my mane.

I sluggishly realized that all four of my hooves were braced against the oak wall. A ragged breath caught in my throat as I lifted one shivering lilac hoof to meet the mystery counsel. Feeling nothing but air, I gulped another breath of air and turned to get a glimpse of the pony who lovingly patted my head.

A transparent hoof clad in a horsehoe shaped delicately into a fleur-de-lis rested on my shoulder, attached only to a long foreleg.

I was not scared when I saw the phantom hoof. More perplexed than anything else. As the foreleg faded away into nothing, I shakily stood up and scoured the library for anything explaining what I had just experienced.

Studying soothed my aching soul and soon the salve of knowledge removed whatever blemishes I had on my mind. Temporarily. I eventually had to return to the public eye. Town gossips expertly scan over my disheveled body after hours of crying and spreads some rumor about how I get high all the time.

How is it that my 'friends' didn't put a stop to it? Hmm? How is it, that after weeks of abuse, none of them even bothered to shoot down one jibe?

As I fled back to my safe haven, I angrily asked myself these pointless questions, blood boiling. I slammed the heavy library door behind me and flipped the open sign to the antonym on the opposite side. I tripped going up the stairs and something assaults my face, drawing blood.

I lifted my head up, touching a hoof to my slashed cheek. I glared down, scouring the floor for the offending object. Then I see it, the small fragment of violet metal. I gingerly lifted it telekinetically, enveloping it in a soft purple aura. I saw my reflection in this miniscule scrap of metal and recoiled. My mane was disheveled, eyes red. Tufts of my lavender fur were sticking up at random.

It was a curious shard, too. It was shaped into a crude version of my cutie mark and one edge of it differed from the other sides. This one unsymmetrical edge branched farther away from the compass rose design blossoming from the center. This edge was a shade darker than midnight blue and had a smaller version of my cutie mark inlaid on it in diamond.

It struck me that it wasn't yet finished and the young draconian crafter of this beautiful remnant would be disappointed if it was discovered before completion. I guiltily buried it deep within Spike's dresser.

But I felt drawn to the fragment, so I dug it out and cradled it in my hooves. I furrowed my brow when I saw a second sparkling diamond. I could have sworn...

Twilight.

I jumped and my eyebrows shot up in surprise, nearly hiding themselves in my hairline. The voice was stronger now.

What are you doing, hiding in here?

I furrowed my brow again, this time deeper. It was never this critical.

You know perfectly well what I mean. You should be out there, getting back at those backstabbing traitors. You saved their flanks more times than you can count. They should be groveling at your hooves, awaiting your beck and call.

I don't think that's actually how the phrase goes. I thought. And why should they be groveling?

Oh come on, Sparkle. You're a smart mare. the voice said teasingly.

So what you're saying is that because I saved Equestria, they should be 'groveling at my hooves'?

Exactly. the voice said approvingly. Twilight could practically see its faceless body nod

. But Twilight. If you don't want groveling, than just make them respect you. You seem to have lost what little you had.

"What?" I yelped aloud. "Alright, let's play with this little idea of yours. How would I go and regain said respect?"

Perhaps you can invite Trixie back into town.

"Denied!"

Get the parasprites back.

"No way."

The voice paused for a moment. What about if Princess Celestia got involved?

"NO!" I shouted. I blinked and shook my head. "No, I won't let the Princess fight my battles for me."

I personally didn't exactly go for that one, either. the voice confided.

"Then why-" I began, blissfully unaware that I was talking to myself.

Because it's right here in your head.

I have to say, I got goosebumps when it said that. "You- you're in my head? That's not even possible!" I cried.

The voice tsked. Now Twilight, after all you've been through, THIS is what's impossible?

"Point taken," I said grudgingly. I laid down on my bed, still hugging the metal shard to my chest.

Oh Twilight, you must be exhausted. The voice seemed to be genuinely concerned.

"I, er, am," I said lamely.

I'll be quiet for a while.

"Goodnight, voice."

When I woke up, I groggily sat upright. I couldn't see. I assumed that my mane got crusty from crying. Said mane was shielding my eyes from the early morning light, so I heaved myself to my hooves and blindly made my way to my mirror. I lifted my elegant brush and groomed my mane back to it's usual style. Only when the brush struck my scalp, it was deflected with a metallic clang. I groped my head and found the crooked metal thing attached to my head and righted it so I could see. I screamed as I saw the deep blue helm on my head, pinning back my mane reflected in the mirror.

I clamped a hoof over my mouth to muffle the primal shriek escaping my lips.

"What the hell happened?!" I shouted into my empty living quarters.

"You shouldn't have fallen asleep with that metal, Twilight." the voice said darkly.

"Huh?" I jerked my head. It was aloud now.

"I said you shouldn't have fallen asleep with that metal," a swirling figure stepped out of the shadows and I stifled a screech.

"Wh- who are you?" I sputtered.

The shape chuckled cynically. "You honestly don't recognize me?"

I squinted. It still looked like a black cloud.

The shape walked over, thrusting it's snout in my face. "You are a part of me now." she then walked inside me and I collapsed as agony was searing down my spine. My knees buckled underneath me and the world went black.

When I came to, my neck ached from lying on the hard floor for who knows how long. I stood up on shaky legs like a newborn fawn walking for the first time. I walked over to the full-length mirror in the bathroom and examined myself. My fur was several shades darker than before and my mane was hidden away in the helm the color of the night sky. I had a breastplate the same hue as the fierce helm except for the symbol of my cutie mark glistening amethyst in the center, studded by five similarly shaped diamonds. Four horseshoes clad my hooves in the shape of familiar midnight blue fleur-de-lis. My tail was drained of any other color than the very same blue as the armor protecting my body. But the one thing that unnerved me in the least were the two dragon eyes peering back at me.

Granted, they had the same iris, but the new cat-like quality they possessed gave me the chills. The presence in my head was guiding me through my shock with loving care. I carefully extended my new wings as if they were made of tissue paper and could rip at the slightest disturbance.

My heart swelled with pride. Now the jeers would stop. Those who did would pay deeply.

I had no qualms.

I have to thank my proofreaders, Amethyst Hope and Apple Cloud for looking this over. Apple Cloud pointed out a glaring mistake when we chatted earlier this week at school. Thanks for checking it's quality!