For Emily Stalbird, the best friend in the world.
Corruption
A MLP:FiM Fanfiction by StarlightTheAlicornChapter OneKing Sombra watched all of Twilight’s trials with amusement, knowing she would eventually get to the Crystal Heart. But not before she used some of his infamous magic....King Sombra knew he would be defeated, at least he would appear to.However, he was prepared for that.~~~~~There was darkness all around Twilight. It was all encompassing, it never ended. It was suffocating. She was falling into a bottomless pit. The purple mare frantically clawed at the air with blunt hooves in panic. There was only the fear and screaming. She screamed and fell, only darkness, only darkness...“Twilight! Wake up!”The mare in question bolted upright, sweat all over her. Twilight’s blankets were twisted awkwardly around her body. She untangled herself and got up, shaking herself. “Are you okay, Twi? You were screaming...” Spike fretted over her. Twilight gave a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry Spike, it was only a nightmare.” But the memory lingered with her, making the unicorn uncomfortable. Spike had a worried look on his face, and Twilight could tell what the dragon wouldn’t say aloud; The fact that Twilight had been having nightmares every night since they got back from the Crystal Empire.The unicorn glanced at the clock beside her bed. It was ten in the morning. She tried to shake off the dream and get to their usual schedule. “Okay! Today’s Tuesday! Spike, do you have the checklist we made yesterday for today?”“Yep!” The baby dragon whipped out a long scroll and a quill for checking items off. “First off... Deliver the enchanted diamonds to Rarity!” Twilight nodded, and levitated the box of diamonds off her dresser.“Off to Rarity’s, then!” Twilight said a bit too loudly, and levitated Spike onto her back before trotting out the door. Twilight took in the bright, beautiful day. The birds were singing, the sky was a clear, bright blue, and everypony seemed happy. Causally, the unicorn thought, Wow, what disgusting cheerfulness. Now, if that filly over there was crying... Before Twilight could acknowledge the horridness of that thought, her violet magical glow surrounded a medium-sized rock and placed it in the filly’s path. The young blue-and-yellow pony tripped over the rock, landed squarely on her face, and started crying. Twilight gave herself a smug smile, but then realized what she’d done. Why... Why did I do that? She thought, running over to help the little pony, knocking Spike off her back. “Are you okay?” Twilight tried to ask gently. The filly nodded her head while rubbing away the last of her tears, and then ran off towards a similar-looking mare, who was giving Twilight the evil eye. Backing away, she felt Spike’s claws dig into her as she turned back towards Rarity’s boutique. “Sorry about knocking you off, Spike.” The baby dragon mumbled something in reply, and all Twilight caught was “At least I get to see Rarity, still...” Smiling in amusement and mild happiness at the normality of the little dragon’s crush, she quickened her pace.Twilight knocked on the boutique’s door before coming inside. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique and- Oh, it’s just you, Twilight! Come in, dear!” Rarity said, in her familiar greeting.“I finally finished enchanting those diamonds for you, Rarity!” Twilight said happily, trying her hardest to push the filly-tripping incident to the back of her mind. The unicorn passed the box to the fashionista, making sure her blue aura surrounded the package before releasing her own. Turning around to continue her day, Twilight made for the door.“Oh, wait darling! I couldn’t let you leave without at least serving you some tea for those diamonds!” Twilight sighed good-naturedly at Rarity. “Well, I suppose I can make some time in my schedule for tea.” Five minutes later, the two unicorns sat at Rarity’s blue satin tablecloth-covered table. They were both sipping tea, with the white unicorn gossiping, as usual, with one of her best friends. “And did you hear how some of the Crystal Empire ponies have moved into Equestria? Oh, how I envy them! What I wouldn’t give to be a crystal pony...” Rarity sighed the last bit, and Twilight shook her head at her friend.Then another thought wormed its way into her head; Ugh, those crystal ponies. What good are they to anypony? They’re better off in chains! Rarity too, if she thinks they’re oh so charming... Twilight vigorously shook her head, trying to shake the thought away. What’s happening to me? Rarity’s my friend! “Are you okay, Twilight? Is something in your mane?” Rarity’s voice jarred Twilight out of her troubling thoughts.“Yes, I’m fine. No, nothing in... my mane.” She replied, a bit awkwardly. The unicorn set her cup of tea down. “I’d better get going, Rarity. See you later!” Her voice was all fake cheerfulness, but her friend just waved it off.“No problem, dearie. I know you must have a busy schedule, and it wouldn’t be right of me to keep you any longer. Have a fabulous day!” Twilight nodded brightly, grabbed Spike and put him on her back, and after some whining from the small dragon, they left.“Okay, next... we go to Fluttershy’s picnic with her little animals. We have, um, ten minutes to get there!” Twilight set off a gallop at his words. At her calculations, they could get there in eight if she ran fast enough. It’s always great to be early!Twilight and Spike got to Fluttershy’s house in exactly eight minutes. Panting, the out-of-shape unicorn raised her hoof feebly to knock on the door, just when Fluttershy opened it with one wing, holding a picnic basket on her mouth that had two tiny bunnies on it. The shy pegasus quickly set down the basket in order to voice her concern for her friend.“Oh my! Are you okay, Twilight?” Twilight gulped in air for a couple of minutes before answering.“Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for asking, Fluttershy. I just had to gallop to get here on time.” Fluttershy opened her mouth again, probably to fret and fuss over her unicorn friend, but she didn’t hear a bit of it over the sudden pounding in her head. Come on, Twilight, let’s play...“No...” Twilight was suddenly afraid. Dark spots, tinged with red, appeared in her vision, and she started to sway. Dimly, she felt Spike tumble off her back and heard the carefully planned-out checklist ripping. Then, she fell to the hard, uneven ground just as total darkness washed over her vision. There were green and red eyes, she could not just see them, but feel them. Then there was nothing, and that scared her more than the eyes.
