The Web of Deceit

Chapter 1

Twilight awoke with a start. Raising her head off of the downy pillow,  she yawned and dragged her legs off the side of her bed. Touching the ice cold hardwood floor, Twilight winced and set herself down slowly. She yawned and walked through her room and down the creaky stairs. Feeling her way through the dim lighting, she bumped into the bathroom door and opened it with her magic. Twilight promptly shut it behind her and approached the oval mirror, gazing at her beautiful morning appearance. She spotted her comb sitting nearby and began teasing the sleep out of her mane.

As she combed over and over, Twilight's thoughts wandered. The last few days had been crazy with activity and her stress levels had risen along with it. The Princess was coming to Ponyville for another visit and Twilight did NOT want things to go as they had the last time. “Maybe everything will go according to plan with no parasprites or exploding birds.” Twilight thought. Chuckling to herself, she opened the door and crept quietly downstairs. Twilight had never been one for breakfast, but today was important. "I'll just take the bran muffin Pinkie gave me." she said, and levitated it from the kitchen. Now fully prepared, she trotted to the front door and stepped outside.

“Another beautiful day!”

The brisk morning air tickled Twilight’s skin with the glistening dew still fresh on the sharp blades of grass. The sun had just started to peak over the horizon, casting an orange glow over the countryside. Only a few ponies were out and about at this hour, preparing their decorations for today.  Twilight waved to a few of them as she trotted down the street, taking in everything as she went. Reaching City Hall, her eyes grew wide. They had worked on many of the decorations late into the night but in the morning's allure they looked even better! The circular porch surrounding the building was decorated with bright streamers and tapestries of every color that hung from the wooden beams overhead. Tied to the porch were bunches of balloons that swayed in the soft morning breeze. However, there were quite a few decorations still missing. Rarity had been working the entire day yesterday just to get them finished in time. Just then she spotted the mayor nearby, looking at her clipboard.

“Mayor Mare! Can I get your opinion on something?”

"Give me her chart."

Name: Twilight Sparkle

Patient No. 000001-A

Blood Pressure: 120/70

Blood Type: M

Race: Unicorn

Sex: Female

Notes: (See "Timestamps" on P.12)

• Embryo is confirmed and stable in parent

• Birth date: see P.4

• 1-A Sickness detected; Diagnosis: Common Cold - Ref. 234-8

• Gained entrance to Magic School for Gifted Unicorns; Direct control assumed- authorization: X32-7459

• Subject 1-A has adapted well to stimuli and passed all physical and magic strain tests.

• Literacy/ Arithmetic mastery rate: Exponential- Commonness: Rare

• Primary directive assigned to subject by leader.

• Subject react code: 34B to Holos:1,3,4,5 Code35Y to Holos:2,6

• Subject 1-A’s Directive: Success.

• Subject has passed all tests.

• Initiate Code: 93BP procedures until further instructed by both leaders.

"The need has arisen for Twilight’s abilities once again. It‘s as we have foreseen. We both agree. The time has come, Doctor."

"Are you sure she's ready?"

"Yes."

"Both of you are positive about this? We have already initiated her extraction as ordered, but the reemergence process could be dangerous. You remember our last subjects! 00083-B and 00084-M suffered cascading nervous system failures! Not to mention-"

"I am aware of 83 and 84, Doctor. Twilight is different. She'll survive. She must survive."

"At our current stage, the temporal processes are deteriorating. If she is to have any chance of survival, we have to do it now."

An eerie silence settled between the two as they gazed at the peaceful looking unicorn.

"Do it."