The Magic and the Night

Chapter 4: Nightmare Moon

“Twilight!”

Luna threw out her foreleg to Twilight, but it was too late; the nightmare Blackmirror had dredged up had tackled Twilight to some vast grey void that the world was melting into. She galloped over stacks of books to give chase, but black jagged rocks erupted from the floor to bar her path. When she spread her wings to take flight more rocks sprang from the ceiling. Still undaunted, the princess fired a blue beam of pure magic from her horn, shattering the rocks. It was too late though; Twilight was no where to be found. Only a fading greyness swirled around the opening in the wall. Luna bowed her head, cursing her carelessness.

Blackmirror tittered behind her. Whirling around, Luna's horn and eyes blazed with fury. “Give her back right now or face the wrath of the night!” she thundered. Arcs of dark blue magic tore through the dream library, rending it apart. Only the evil book remained untouched, the three violet lights dancing around it. Floating in place, the book stretched out as a black mare's head emerged from it. Her coat was so black it was more like looking into a deep hole, an Alicorn-shaped gash in reality, and her mane was long and silky, resembling a more elegant version of Twilight's mane. The violet lights settled on the regal head, forming two narrow eyes in the usual places, but also a much wider vertical third eye that stretched from the beginning of her muzzle to the base of her horn, giving the impression from afar that she had only one grotesque eye. All three eyes blazed with sickly purple light.

Blackmirror chuckled deeply, her main eyes closing but her center eye opening wider. “Luna, is that anyway to greet an old friend?”

“You are not my friend,” Luna said darkly. “You never were. You just needed a puppet to remove the Sun.”

“So I did,” Blackmirror lamented, “but I truly cared about you. All that jealousy and sorrow in one beautiful pony. I dare say it was love at first sight! I wanted so much to help you and make you queen of Equestria. My Nightmare Moon!”

Luna was unmoved. “If you truly cared about me,” she spoke with a deadly whisper, “you would return Twilight, leave our lives, and never return.”

Blackmirror sighed and shook her head, the silky sable mane swaying with a slight whisper, all three eyes closing to make her face eerily blank. “I apologize, but I won't hand Twilight Sparkle over to you. Not like that. At least ask for forgiveness and provide a little sacrifice. I'll happily accept your beautiful wings and horn as tribute. It will break my heart to see you crawling through the dirt like a common Earth Pony.”

She gave a slight laugh and shook her head. “No, no, that's far too cruel. I'll leave it up to you what you want to sacrifice. Horn or wings? What will it be?”

“Have my horn,” Luna said calmly. At once, she fired a powerful bolt of magic directly into Blackmirror's face. The alien Alicorn made a brief yelp and exploded into a storm of paper, confetti-like shreds drifting to the floor.

Rasing her head, Luna closed her eyes and felt for Twilight's dreams. Once she found her dream it would be simple to wake her up. As long as they stayed awake there was nothing Blackmirror could do directly, provided she was in any shape to fight back after being blasted to pieces.

Nothing. Twilight's dreams were gone. That could only mean she had awakened. Luna gave her body a command to wake up, and when she opened her eyes she was back in the Foal Mountain forest clearing. It was still night and the wind howled around her. The Nightgaunts were gone.

Sighing in relief, Luna stood up and unfurled her wings. “It's all right now Twilight. We escaped for now.”
Her wings were empty.

Luna's eyes widened. “Twilight?” Panicked and on the verge of tears, she stumbled about, hooves smashing the snow down. She scanned the area, noticing her magic barrier was gone. Something had been dragged through the snow for a short distance from where she had slept, then abruptly stopped. An image of Twilight being pulled into the air by Nightgaunts entered her imagination. While she slept Blackmirror must have done something to disrupt the barrier, and that scene of Twilight being taken away had been merely a dramatic diversion. Instead of trying to tap her consciousness in a dream like Luna had expect her minions had taken her physically away, and Luna had no idea where to look.

“Give her back!” Luna screamed into the woods. “Give Twilight back to me!”

Only the wind answered her.

Luna swore darkly. There was only one solution. Closing her eyes, she willed sleep to come to her, and crumpled into the snow like a marionette with slashed strings.

Twilight's head was pounding with so much pain it was like her skull was splitting open. She was on her back against a hard, cold surface, although there was something warm and sticky on that surface too that Twilight wasn't sure she wanted to speculate on. Her leaden legs couldn't move, and something—manacles perhaps—were clamped around them. It was slow, but she could feel her magic returning. She was definitely awake; her dreamlands had felt so much more pleasant.

Forcing her eyes open, she found herself peering into a vaulted ceiling covered in black gargoyles. How weird; why would anypony keep gargoyles on the inside of a roof?

One of the gargoyles shuddered, and twisted its head closer to her. Twilight froze up, trying to understand what she was looking at. The gargoyle had no face to speak of, possessing only a smooth black curvature. Small horns grew from the sides of the hairless head, and large bat-like wings fluttered off its back. The body was lean and bipedal with long snaking digits and a whiplike tail. The other gargoyles soundlessly moved to “look” at her. Her breathing was the only noise in the room; the creatures were totally silent. She swallowed hard and quivered in her manacles. What was going on?

“Ah, Twilight Sparkle!” a familiar voice crowed. The gargoyles slipped away, and a hooded pony appeared over her, a smug smirk on the muzzle.

“You!?” Twilight half asked, half accused.

“Indeed, it's me.” The hood drew back revealing the brown face of Sherlock Hooves. “Welcome to my ancestral estate, Twilight Sparkle!” He grandiosely raised his forelegs to indicate the chamber. Twilight guessed they were in a tower.

“You're working for her, aren't you?” she spat.

“An excellent observation,” he answered dryly. “I can see why Celestia thinks so highly you.”

“What's all this about?” Twilight demanded, ignoring the insult. “Who is Blackmirror and why do you work for her?”

Sherlock chuckled. “Oh, not even I can adequately explain Blackmirror to you. The best I can do is say she is something very ancient, very wise, and very powerful. No matter how bizarre she might act, she's a creature of order and law. If you think you've seen her it's not really her, just an illusion. Blackmirror doesn't exist in Equestria or anywhere else in this world, yet her power is felt on all worlds. Nightmare Moon and my pet Nightgaunts are but a fraction of her power to turn dreams into reality. As for her motives, I can't say, but she appears to thrive on fear and suffering. She requested that I sacrifice a foal or two every once in a while, and it seems like it's the fear of death rather than death itself giving her power. I can't say for sure though—Blackmirror encouraged Nightmare Moon to lock Equestria into eternal night, which would have killed everypony sooner or later. It's a mystery I hope to solve.”

Twilight stare aghast at the great detective and prosecutor, a stallion instrumental to bringing countless criminals to justice, unable to comprehend what she just heard. “You killed foals on Blackmirror's instruction?” she asked in a horrified whisper. “How could you?”

“Oh, I don't enjoy it,” he answered offhandedly. “It's an unpleasant business, but the rewards are significant, and nopony would miss those sacrifices. They were just homeless trash dirtying up Canterlot's alleys. Celestia should thank me for the service.”

Twilight had a sudden horrible suspicion about the stickiness on the surface was was trapped against, and had to fight the urge to vomit. Shutting her eyes, she tried not to dwell on the terrified little foals that met their ends there and focused on what she knew. She had been putting the pieces together about her case while Sherlock had been speaking, and it was clear the detective was an arrogant blowhard who liked to hear himself talk. She had to keep him going while her magic built up.

“What's in it for you though?” she demanded. “How could you live with yourself?”

“Power, knowledge, all that Blackmirror offered,” Sherlock answered casually. He began to peer through some tools, his magic lifting some up to inspect and clean. “But it's her mystery that intrigues me the most. The new spells are just a useful bonus. I remember when I first discovered The Way of Blackmirror in the royal library when I needed to study some texts for solving the Case of the Emerald Study. It had rewritten itself into a series of riddles and codes that I became obsessed with solving, and when I finished the last Blackmirror revealed herself. I completed the ritual to maintain contact to her through a mirror, and that's when our relationship truly began. In exchange for doing her will, she taught me how to see into dreams, making it so much easier to solve petty crimes and giving me more time to focus on more important things. I gained the ability to bring dreams to life too.”

“But why was the book there?” Twilight asked. “What was it doing in Princess Celestia's library.”

Sherlock took some chalk and began writing something on the floor. “Blackmirror explained to me that The Way of Blackmirror was originally penned more than one thousand years ago by a superstitious clan up north. Somepony she called 'Sombra' stole it when he raided the village, but he refused to trust Blackmirror, locking the book away. It was stolen again when Celestia and Luna attacked Sombra, and by mistake it was filed in the library instead of the archives. Luna found it, and after she was banished to the Moon it was simply returned to the library. I found it about seven years ago.”

After he fell silent again, Twilight figured he was finishing up whatever preparations Sherlock needed for her. She had one last card to play before she was out of ideas.

“You know, I think I understand how you pulled this off,” she said.

“Oh?” Sherlock stopped and fixed his gaze on her.

“Yeah,” she bragged. “I've been thinking, and I think I've figured the whole thing out.”

“Fine,” Sherlock answered. He moved close to her face, leering. “Then how did I do it, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight took a deep, slow breath, and wet her lips. “You used your connections to learn I was coming to Canterlot for Hearth's Warming Eve. You knew I'd love to read Starswirl the Bearded's diary, so if I looked like I stole it I'd be imprisoned.”

Sherlock's eyes twinkled. “Yes,” he said. “Keep going...”

Twilight smirked. She had his attention. “But you needed an accomplice, one who would allow you to set up the faked crime scene. That accomplice was Aurora Mist. She not only could create an imposter Twilight with her illusions, she allowed you access to the diary. But illusions aren't physical, and the imposter Twilight clearly pushed me and carried the diary. So she made you look like me, luring me outside to look like I was in the middle of stealing the diary. Your disappearing act? Aurora was waiting outside, using an illusion to make you two invisible. Then you doctored the evidence. Being Canterlot's greatest detective made it simple to replicate my hoof prints. You paraded this 'evidence' in front of the jury, and since nopony was willing to doubt the word of a crusader for justice like you, they swallowed every lie.”

The stomping of hooves on the floor was his reply. “Bravo!” Sherlock crowed. “Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! You could be my equal as a detective!”

Twilight allowed herself a proud smile. “Yeah, well, I had some time to mull it over...”

“It's also completely wrong in most respects.”

Twilight's smile faded. “What?”

“All that you know about Blackmirror's power, and yet you lack the imagination to consider any of it,” he sneered. “I indeed had an accomplice, but it wasn't Miss Mist. She had no involvement at all and truly thinks you're guilty. No, it really was you who stole the diary.”

“I don't understand...”

“You will.” Sherlock stomped hard on the floor.

A shape emerged from a dark corner, flowing out where there definitely hadn't been anypony before. Even though she thought nothing else could possibly shock her that night, who she saw made her jaw drop.

“That's impossible...” she whispered.

“She's very possible with Blackmirror's power,” Sherlock said.

Twilight Sparkle stared into the purple eyes of...Twilight Sparkle. It could've been her twin sister looking back at her with a mixture of sadness, contempt, and anger. “So we finally get to meet face to face,” the imposter said. “My...base I suppose.”
“Correct,” Sherlock told the clone. He turned back to Twilight. “I hypnotized myself to imagine you after a year of research. After you spearheaded the battles against Nightmare Moon and Discord, Blackmirror decided that you were perfect for her needs, and I set this plan in motion. You became my entire life for a while as I learned everything I could about you, all so that Blackmirror could create this perfect duplicate from my dream.”

He brushed the clone's mane with his muzzle. “A pity I'll have to sacrifice her eventually. I need Celestia and your friends to think you're dead so they don't come snooping about. It might be a few years before we're ready with you.”

“Sacrifice her?” Twilight was puzzled. “Aren't you gonna sacrifice me?”

Sherlock laughed, and leaned in close to Twilight's face. “Of course not. You see, Blackmirror has chosen you as the next Nightmare Moon.”

Luna strolled along a cobblestone path lined by iron spikes adorned with the drying bones of countless ponies. A starless night hung oppressively overhead with only a bloate pus-colored Moon for illumination, and the trees were all withered and leafless. In the distance ponies with fangs laughed as they hunted their prey, the remaining normal ponies. Families were herded into camps to be stuffed with food for the ruling classes to eat at their leisure.

“You can't scare me into leaving!” Luna called to the sky, ignoring the grisly sights. “Face me now, Blackmirror! I demand an audience!”

Somepony appeared ahead on the bloody path around the corner, an Alicorn by the shape. Luna galloped forth to meet whoever it was. Turning the corner, she came face-to-face with...

“Nightmare Moon,” Luna whispered.

The armored cerulean Alicorn approached slowly, her catlike eyes gleaming in the darkness. She wore a delighted smile upon seeing Luna.

“It's beautiful, isn't it?” Nightmare Moon asked. “At last, everypony's suffering for rejecting the night.”

“This is an abomination,” Luna shot back.

“But isn't it what you wanted?” Nightmare Moon countered. “To hide the Sun away forever, all the crops dying, and ponies being forced to eat each other to survive. Equrestia's a bloodbath now, and it's all thanks to us!”

“I reject you!” Luna yelled. “I'm not Nightmare Moon! Now get out of my way!”

She tried to dart around Nightmare Moon's left, but the evil pony moved to block her path. Their wings extended, and they began to circle around in the air, eying each other wearily.

“If you want to find where Twilight has gone,” Nightmare Moon taunted, “then defeat me. Only then will Blackmirror show you the way.”

Luna smiled grimly. “Very well then.”

Nightmare Moon's eyes and horn lit up, her magic tearing out the iron spikes and hurling them at Luna. Luna countered with an azure shield of magic, blocking the attack. Immediately Nightmare Moon was rushing at her, waving her forelegs ferociously. A single kick shattered the shield, and the evil pony was lancing at Luna with her lethal horn. Luna kicked Nightmare Moon's chin, forcing the horn upwards and away from her, allowing Luna to back up and fire blue lightning from her horn. Nightmare Moon screamed as she was assaulted by arcs of lightning. Luna was so focused on the grim task that she failed to notice Nightmare Moon's horn had ignited once more, and the scattered bones beneath her were reassembling.

A dry hoof clamped over Luna's eyes, followed by other cold, flesh-less limbs to latch onto her. Crying out in irritation, Luna shook herself vigorously, dislodging a few of the animated skeletons to shatter on the ruined path below. Her magic tore the rest off and hurled them at the oncoming Nightmare Moon, a skull smashing right into the wicked mare's eyes. Nightmare howled in pain, and Luna saw her chance. Foregoing any magic, she flew up and lowered her head as fast as she could, horn aimed directly for her opponent's breast. Nightmare Moon could only made a small cry of surprise as the deadly horn pierced her chest with a sharp wet pop. Nightmare Moon went ridgid, her eyes rolling back into her head, making only strangled wet gasps. Luna grimaced, unnerved by her actions toward what had essentially been herself, but it was a small price to pay to save Twilight.

Nightmare Moon suddenly dissolved into a blue mist. Luna gasped, bringing her head back up, but it was too late. The mist wrapped around her tightly, turning solid and heavy, sending them crashing to the ground. Nightmare Moon's face emerged from the mist, leering into Luna's eyes.

“You foal,” the Mare in the Moon jeered. “With Blackmirror's power combined with mine you simply can never measure up! You shall become part of Blackmirror's Holy Nightmare, and from this moment forth the night shall last forever!”

Nightmare Moon laughed triumphantly, and Luna had to wonder if she seriously had been so gloating when she was Nightmare Moon. It was kind of embarrassing, really. Her eyes turned up, moving over Nightmare Moon's face to the ghastly Moon above. It framed Nightmare Moon's head like an unholy halo.

The night shall last forever, Luna thought. She blinked, then her eyes went wide. That was it! The key to the battle!

She looked at Nightmare Moon defiantly. “Maybe you are stronger than me thanks to Blackmirror empowering you,” she said, “but I still have some power over the night!”

Her horn lit up, and the Moon began to sink into the horizon, and with it the night.

“What?” Nightmare Moon's mist dissolved, reforming into her pony form. She whirled around in time to see the first rays of sunshine reaching from the sky. Her irises shrank and her face twisted into a look of pure terror.

“No!” she screamed.

The fanged ponies cried in anguish before crumbling into ashes. Luna stood up and grimly watched as Nightmare Moon writhed in the sunlight, her body greying and stiffening.

“No!” she shrieked, much louder this time. She turned to stone, hanging in place for a moment before cracks ran through her body, and Nightmare Moon collapsed into rubble. The head rolled down the road to Luna's hooves, and she quickly stomped on it, crushing it to dust.

All around her the dreamland was exploding into columns of light. She turned to the Sun and stared directly into its glare, letting the light envelop her. When it faded she was back in the forest, this time standing at the foot of a decaying castle, a green light shining from the tallest tower's windows.

Luna stretched her wings. It was time for the final challenge.

“OK, how am I supposed to become a new Nightmare Moon?” Twilight demanded.

Sherlock shrugged. “I haven't any idea,” he said. “Haven't I satisfied enough of your curiosity yet? Blackmirror can do that with more patience and skill than I ever could, so you should be happy to accept her.”

Sighing, Twilight knew she had used up her delays with Sherlock. She hoped Luna was nearby; Twilight's magic hadn't built up to anywhere near a level she could challenge Sherlock with.

“Ah!” Sherlock exclaimed. Twilight had to tilt her head back at an uncomfortable angle to peer at the large mirror set up behind her. Three violet eyes peered out, a mare's head forming from darkness around them. Sherlock had bowed his head to the apparition while the Twilight clone and the Nightgaunts were bowing deeply.

“Is this the mirror Luna enchanted?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, it is,” Blackmirror responded. “It took considerable cost to get it out of the castle. I had to make silly noises to convince workers that the mirror was haunted! Then poor Sherlock had to pay so much to acquire it for himself.”

Twilight wished so much for her friends to be there, preferably with the Elements of Harmony so they could blast Blackmirror back to wherever she came from, but even without the Elements of Harmony her friends would make her feel better. Maybe Pinkie would be able to distract Blackmirror for a while longer; it seemed like Pinkie would get along well with somepony who made silly noises to convince workers that a mirror was haunted.

Blackmirror peered up suddenly, all three eyes wide and alert. “Sherlock, move away from the window.”

Sherlock threw himself to the floor, evidently knowing not to question Blackmirror's advice, just before Luna came swooping in, her powerful wings beating the air and flinging Sherlock's equipment all over. Twilight yelped as a scalpel flew past her cheek.

“Blackmirror,” Luna said quietly, “you promised that—”

“—I would lead you to Twilight if you defeated Nightmare Moon,” Blackmirror finished. “I didn't say I would set her free. I just wanted you to arrive in time to see what I intend to do with Twilight here.”

The manacles holding Twilight shattered and the sacrificial altar tipped over, Twilight sliding gently to the floor. The tower stretched out, transforming into the stained glass corridor of the Canterlot Castle. The windows were lit by an eerie glow and the castle was much darker, more jagged in appearance. Between each window was a towering bookshelf. Twilight and Luna found themselves alone in the vast corridor.

“I guess all we can do is go to the throne room,” Twilight said. She inspected a window depicting red rain as ponies on the ground gathered around with open mouths. Was it her imagination or did the ponies have fangs?

They came to the throne room, a dark shape lounging on an onyx throne. “Blackmirror!” Twilight demanded.

“No,” the figure said, standing up, stretching broad, powerful wings and lighting up the room with a bright purple glow from her horn. Twilight had expected perhaps Nightmare Moon if it wasn't Blackmirror, but instead it was herself once more, but this imposter was larger, sleeker, and an Alicorn. Her coat was darker and her wings resembled a bat's more than a bird's. Her mane had turned into a black mist filled with dancing stars, and a high black crown decorated with star constellations sat on her head.

“I am Nightmare Moon!” the other Twilight boasted, her mouth fanged. “Queen of Equestia and ruler of the night!”

The throne room had been converted into a huge library that stretched on for as far as Twilight could see. Twilight gazed in awe at it. It really was what she would have done if she were queen.

“Let me guess,” Twilight asked Nightmare Moon, “you've got an observatory—”

“—chemistry lab, botany lab, engineering lab...” Nightmare Moon finished. “It's all here, Twilight!”

Blackmirror's head emerged from a mirror on the wall, the same one from the tower. “See how much I understand you, Twilight?” she asked. “We both hunger for knowledge. All my conquest, it was fueled by my desire to know everything! I prize curiosity and many of my greatest followers are scientists. Come, rule by my side. Everypony will be there!”

Before Twilight could ask what she meant, six others emerged from behind Nightmare Moon, five ponies and an armored bipedal figure. Twilight wasn't surprised to see the ponies were leaner, meaner versions of her friends. Applejack, scarred and missing her right eye, wore a black coat and hat, a cruel smile on her lips. Rainbow Dash, equally scarred and dressed in heavy black plate armor, grimaced from under her helmet. Pinkie Pie, clad in colorful jester's garb, a maniacal grin stretched grotesquely across her face and her eyes wild and darting. Rarity, lost in a vast black and red gown, her magic bringing a golden goblet to her red lips, the stench of blood hanging heavily around her. Fluttershy was the worst, a chimeric monstrosity of random animal parts grafted onto her, watching Twilight with the eyes of a hawk while the tongue of a snake slithered from her mouth to taste the air.

Twilight looked over the twisted parodies of her friends, then turned her attention to the armored biped. It wore plate armor like Rainbow, and was heavily muscled, carrying a frightful broad sword. It was only when she noticed the swishing scaly purple tail that she realized it was Spike, his face aged to be more like an adult Dragon's. His eyes were cold and reptilian, utterly merciless.

“My Six Exquisite Sovereigns of Equestria!” Blackmirror laughed. “Ruling over a perfect, black world where everything runs like clockwork. Everypony stays true to a schedule, knows their place, and above all obeys you utterly.”

Twilight smirked. “I gotta hand it to you,” she said, taking another look around, “you've got me figured out. This really is something you created, with everything I could ever need.”

She approached Blackmirror, who was fully emerging from her mirror. Twilight could see that her cutie mark was a rectangular silver mirror with the familiar three violet eyes floating inside an inky darkness where the glass should have been. She stopped as Blackmirror stepped out and began to circle slowly around Twilight. Keeping her head high, Twilight tried not to show any fear. She was certain she had the evil mare figured out.

“So this pleases you?” Blackmirror asked.

“Not in the least,” Twilight said simply. “It's truly disgusting you think I really want all of this. Everypony a mindless automaton dancing to my will? My friends turned into those freaks? Me as a ranting despot? Yeah right! It all goes to show that you don't know anything about me!”

Twilight swallowed, unsure of how Blackmirror would react. If she got violent then only Luna would be able to save her. But Blackmirror merely seemed puzzled, raising her eyebrows.

“Not good enough?” she asked. “I can try as many times as I need to.”

Twilight laughed. “Listen to yourself! You don't understand at all what I mean! Maybe I like to imagine sometimes that everything were as reliable as clocks, even ponies, but I'd never for an instant want to make that true.”

Blackmirror stared at her, unblinking, her face totally unreadable.

“You really don't care about me,” Twilight accused. “What you really needed was a tyrant willing to torment her subjects so their suffering would feed you. You wanted to trick me into accepting Nightmare Moon by driving me to think my friends believed I was guilty. Well guess what? Our friendship's too strong for that! I know that everypony I care about's working to prove I was framed! You can only take advantage of scared, lonely ponies like Luna used to be!”

She pointed at Blackmirror, panting from how worked up she was getting. “You're nothing but a pathetic little parasite! A slimy tapeworm! I'm not afraid of you, so go crawl off somewhere else!”

Twilight sweated. “A creature of order and law” was how Sherlock had described Blackmirror. Twilight took that to mean she was governed by rules, and if her guesses were correct then Blackmirror derived power from fear. So if approached without any fear, her power would be diminished.

At least, Twilight hoped that was the case.

Blackmirror gave a deep sigh, and rolled her head, throwing her luxurious mane about. “There's no changing your mind on this, is there?” she said. “Well, I'll never forget you, Twilight.”

Twilight's eyebrow raised up. What was going on?

“Because I'll be spending the evening picking your innards out from between my teeth!” Blackmirror's mouth tore wide open, revealing jagged white fangs emerging from bleeding red gums that looked like carrion. A bestial roar blasted Twilight back. The young mare stumbled back, staring into the gaping maw.

“I...miscalculated...” she groaned.

The hideous jaws zoomed forward to clamp down on Twilight's head, but Twilight suddenly found herself high in the air, carried by something.

“Luna!” she gasped.

“I'll fight her off,” Luna offered as Blackmirror roared below. “Work on a way to stop her for good!”

Black bolts of lightning crackled through the air. Twilight turned to see Blackmirror rise up behind them, her horn firing lightning at them. Focusing all her power, Twilight retaliated with a straight purple beam. It cut through the lightning, piercing straight through to Blackmirror herself. The beam exploded on Blackmirror's throat and chest, prompting a scream from her as the evil Alicorn was engulfed in purple flame. Luna carried them further into the endless library, which Twilight saw was an impossible labyrinth.

“I hope that at least slowed her down,” Twilight said.

Blackmirror collapsed to the floor, her chest and forelegs destroyed by Twilight's power. What a power that mare had! If Blackmirror hadn't been so angry she would have tried again to sway her.

Panting, the ancient monster saw her fake Nightmare Moon Twilight and her friends. “Come to me,” she asked sweetly. “I need a little help.”

The false Pinkie approached first, cocking her head in wonder at her mistress. Blackmirror stretched out her neck and in a single bite tore the false Pinkie's head off. The creature's headless body stood in place as Blackmirror chewed and swallowed, frantically tearing the rest of the body to shreds before eating those too. She did the same to the others, even the false Nightmare Moon. Their creation had take a great deal of dream essence, and that had weakened her, but after devouring them Blackmirror felt that essence rushing back to her. The damage to her avatar body repaired itself, the wounds hissing as their closed and bone reknitted. More than repairing the avatar, her body heaved, the muscles expanding massively. Bones cracked and reshaped, and skin split open, multiple horns tearing through her flesh. Blackmirror laughed at the sweet pain, a sensation she was unused to but one she found somewhat enjoyable.

She was going to have fun playing with her food. But where had Sherlock gone off too?

Twilight would open a book, toss it away, then repeat with another and another. Luna peered at the last one dropped and found there was no writing at all in it.

“Billions of books, and they're all useless!” Twilight moaned, throwing another away.

“It must take effort to create this illusion,” Luna said. “Blackmirror already expended a great deal of energy creating this place, so she only wanted to give the impression of having so many books.”

Twilight leaned against the shelf and thought. “OK, so we know that Blackmirror first appeared from her book, but she had you perform a ritual so she could appear in a mirror.”

Luna nodded. “Correct.”

“That would mean the book is only a limited means of communication,” she said. “She needed you to enchant the mirror to truly get in touch with you, and later Sherlock Hooves. I noticed the same mirror's in the throne room, the only thing from the tower that didn't change when she brought us here.”

Luna and Twilight gasped simultaneously. “That must mean...!”

A deafening roar startled them. Luna flew up to the top of the towering shelf and peered over. What she saw made her blood run cold. A beast the approximate size of an elder Dragon was rising in the distance. It had muscular limbs, a long sweeping tail, and a timber wolf-like head with Blackmirror's ghastly three eyes. The neck was a raw spinal column with veins and arteries pulsing along it. Black, writhing worm-like tentacles sprouted from the back.

The thing spotted her, and with a roar came charging toward them.

Luna flew back down to Twilight. “Blackmirror's coming. I'll distract her and you find the mirror! Hurry!”

Nodding, Twilight ran off into the shelves. Luna zipped through the stacks toward the monstrosity. Blackmirror was knocking over a bookshelf to make more room for her terrible new form. “Over here!” Luna yelled.

“Luna!” Blackmirror growled. She opened her cavernous maw and vomited a vast wide stream of black lightning. Luna turned around and dodged behind the bookshelves, Blackmirror's attack tearing the shelves apart, filling the air with a storm of burnt paper. It wasn't a single shot either; it was continuous, and the beam turned with Luna, as though Blackmirror were operating a huge flamethrower.

The breath attack faded, and Luna flew up to find Blackmirror panting, clutching her chest with a large clawed hand. Luna summoned her lightning and blasted Blackmirror where she stood. Reflective panels appeared all over Blackmirror's body, the lightning striking the panels and rebounding off them. Luna grunted as she was forced to dance around her own attack.
Laughing, Blackmirror's tentacles lashed out. Like snakes they swept up from the floor to strike their prey. They came from all directions, and Luna was constantly dodging and weaving to avoid them. There was no way she would be able to keep it up. Blackmirror laughed, recognizing the fact as well.

Please Twilight, you must shatter that mirror!

Her legs burning, her lungs ready to burst, and worrying all the while that Blackmirror would come for her, Twilight never thought she would see the throne room again. Moving past the puddles of gore on the floor, she wearily approached the wall mirror, its surface as calm as a pond at midnight.

She lacked the energy to detect the hoofbeats coming toward her. Something long, thin, and hard smacked her right flank just as a burst of magic struck her left side. Screaming in pain, Twilight stumbled and fell, the mirror just a meter away.
Sherlock Hooves and the clone Twilight stepped into her view. Sherlock carried with his magic a thin wooden cane carved from some fine wood. He smirked triumphantly down at her. The clone looked troubled.

“Looks like the game is up,” Sherlock deadpanned. He caned her a few more times for good measure.

“You've set our plans back by quite a bit,” Sherlock growled as he caned Twilight bloody. “You could've surrendered, but not, you had to rile Blackmirror up like that. Now who will we back into Nightmare Moon? Aurora Mist? That fraud Trixie Lulamoon? Trash, all of them!”

Twilight sobbed, her back and frank on fire from the lashes. She peered up at her clone, who watched back silently.
“Please...” Twilight gasped. “Help...me...”

“I can't,” the clone answered. “I'll cease existing if that mirror breaks.”

“They'll...kill you...eventually...” Twilight wheezed.

The clone looked away, crying. “I'm only a tool!” she sobbed. “They will use me and throw me away when I'm not useful any more!”

“Nopony's just a...tool...”

Unable to take any more, Twilight stopped struggling, panting, her back and flank soaked with blood. Her eyes could barely follow as the cane positioned itself above her head and rose high up.

“There now,” Sherlock said. “One quick, clean blow, and I'll spear that brilliant brain of yours, Twilight! I promise, the pain will take only a second.”

Twilight's eyes fluttered and closed entirely.

“A pity we must waste it!” Sherlock said. “I—”

There was a loud snap and Twilight heard something clatter to the floor. She opened her eyes and found the cane snapped in half. Sherlock was staring shocked at the clone, her horn blazing with magic.

“You can't betray us!” Sherlock argued. “Blackmirror's creations can never harm her!”

“Wrong,” the clone said. “I've heard that her greatest enemy is a rebel creation. I may not be that big a threat, but I do know how to end this.”

She blasted Sherlock with enough force to fling him off his hooves, sending him crashing into the throne. He struggled up, tottered on his hooves for a second, then collapsed again. This time he stayed down.

Twilight hissed in pain as the clone helped her to her hooves. “Can you stand?” the clone asked.

“Barely.” Twilight winced at the throbbing pain. The injuries were superficial, but they were extraordinarily painful nonetheless. She smiled at the clone. “If I can do anything to keep you alive, I'll do it.”

The clone shook her head sadly. “I doubt it,” she answered. “Blackmirror's power is what holds me together. Once her primary connection to Equestria's broken then I'll break up.”

Twilight looked away, unable to say anything. The bravery of the clone touched her deeply.

The clone nodded. “We'll do it together,” she said, bending low for a charge. Twilight did the same, ignoring her pain.
“One...two...three!”

As one, the two Unicorns rushed into the mirror, horns first. Together, their strength caused a long crack to form in the glass.

Blackmirror's tentacles roped around Luna's legs and wings, pulling them taught. Luna struggled, but to no avail. She glared defiantly at the hideous monster. “What are you waiting for?” she demanded. “Just do it!”

“This courage is boring me,” Blackmirror sighed. “Twilight will be much more fun to torment. Well, I'm sorry to say it's time to die. I really did like you, Luna. Such a shame things couldn't be different.”

The tentacles constricted, pulling Luna in all directions. The princess screamed. Any moment she would lie in pieces on the floor...

The tentacles went lax, releasing their captive. Luna flapped her wings to stay in the air, noticing that Blackmirror's eyes had gone completely round. “My mirror...!”

Luna smiled. She had done it!

With a roar, Blackmirror turned around and rushed to the throne room. Luna had to stop her. Looking at the thousands of books scattered on the floor, Luna knew how. She blasted the books with a spell, animating them to fly like a swarm of bats. The swarms rose up and assaulted Blackmirror's face, slamming themselves into her eyes. Howling, Blackmirror swiped at the books, and tripped over a shelf, sprawling into several more shelves that tipped over onto her, her huge body too clumsy for easily navigating the maze.

Luna raced ahead to the throne room, finding Twilight and a Twilight duplicate banging their horns into the fracturing mirror. She landed beside them in time for Blackmirror to rise from the ruined library maze, howling with rage.

Luna rushed into the mirror next, aiming her formidable horn toward the large crack running down the center. With a sharp snap her horn pierced the glass, wedging deep enough that she punctured the frame behind it. For a second nothing happened. Then cracks began to spread from the center, running all the way through the mirror. Luna twisted her head to the left and wrenched her horn out. The glass exploded out of the frame, showing down like snowflakes.

The Blackmirror beast, almost upon them, shrieked in agony and rage. She stumbled blindly for a moment, then lost her footing, crashing to the floor with a thunderous slam. Cracks formed all over her body, portions shattering like glass. “My avatar...” she groaned. “I can no longer sustain it!”

“My mistress!”

Sherlock came running up to the crumbling beast, his head bleeding and his eyes wide with disbelief.

Blackmirror smiled at him. “Ah, Sherlock. I'm sorry I won't be able to make you those unsolvable puzzles like I promised. You were a good, useful follower, and I enjoyed your company.”

He gasped. “R-really?” he stammered.

The creature chuckled deeply. “I never forget those who help me...”

Her eyes turned to Luna, Twilight, and the clone. “I meant every word. I would have given it all to you if you agreed. I'm sad to know such beautiful ponies are among my enemies now.”

“No matter what you say,” Luna added, “you're a blight on Equestria, Blackmirror.”

“I promise, one day, Equestria will join my Holy Nightmare,” Blackmirror chuckled, more and more of her splintering off. “One...day...”

Her body collapsed in on itself, a vast cathedral of glass shattered in a single blow. The throne room and library melted away, turning back into the tower chamber. The mirror frame hung empty but for a few shards, but no glass was on the floor.

“The book!” Luna cried out. “We must destroy it too!”

“It's right...here?” Twilight had moved to the book stand where Sherlock had placed it during the ceremony. The stand stood empty though.

Sherlock began to laugh maniacally. “I did it, Blackmirror!” he cried. “I cast the back-up spell just like you asked! Now they'll never be able to stop you! Your foothold is secure!”

With a swift, powerful kick to the face, Luna knocked the evil stallion out cold. “This scum will surely rot in a dungeon for the rest of his miserable life,” she spat.

“Guys...”

Luna and Twilight turned to the clone. Twilight gasped and smiled. “Look, you're all right!”

“No,” the clone said sadly, and turned around to show that a large crack was running from her left leg to her left flank. “I'm falling apart. I think because I was intended to leave behind a realistic corpse to fool Twilight's friends is the reason I'm staying alive this long. I'm such a sophisticated model that I'll linger on a bit more.”

Tears welled up in Twilight's eyes. “You saved us,” she said. “We couldn't have done this without you!”

“I'm sorry for framing you, Twilight,” the clone apologized. “You know, I think if I'm careful I'll live for a few hours. Please let me confess the crime before I die and clear your name.”

Luna looked at the clone sternly. “I promise, but we must hurry!”

That Hearth's Warming Eve morning, everypony in Canterlot was greeted by a strange sight: Princess Luna arriving with a bloody Twilight Sparkle, an unconscious Sherlock Hooves, and a second Twilight Sparkle on her back. Nopony dared get in her way as she drudged to Celestia's castle. The guards let her in at once.

When Luna approached Celestia's chamber, the doors flew open, and there all of Twilight's friends were assembled.

“Twilight!” they all cried in unison.

Celestia appeared behind them, overjoyed. “Luna! Twilight!” she sobbed, happy tears flying from her eyes. They all ran out to greet them, laughing and crying together.

“Please be careful!” Luna ordered. “Twilight is injured and this other Twilight is in critical condition!”

Twilight was given a bed to rest in while Luna and the clone explained the situation. Everypony was held with rapt attention.

“So Sherlock Hooves did it?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I sure didn't see that one coming!”

Eventually Twilight awoke and joined them, giving hugs and just being glad it was all over. The clone explained that Sherlock had ample evidence of his crimes at his castle, and they had the stallion himself to confess. Guards were dispatched immediately to search his estate.

The clone winced, and more cracks formed in her body. Twilight gasped and held her. “Is this it?” she asked.

“I think so,” the clone sighed. She gazed up at Twilight. “Even though I'm a copy of you I never had good friends like yours. I don't even have a name.”

Twilight smiled at her. “How's 'Midnight Twinkle'?”

“Midnight...” The clone smiled. “Yeah, I like that...”

“We can't do anything about Midnight?” Applekjack asked Celestia.

“Please? Pretty please?” Pinkie begged.

Celestia stood up, her horn glowing. “Enough of this talk!” she ordered, startling everypony into silence. “I won't allow this brave pony give up now that she's free!”

A warm yellow light washed over Midnight. Celestia focused hard, pouring her energies into her task. Then, with a bright flash, she was done. A young Unicorn mare stood blinking where Midnight had stood, her coat a deep soft black, her mane a cool shimmering blue. There was no cutie mark on her flanks. The mare looked at her forelegs and checked her flanks, astonished.

“I'm...I'm...!”

“Congratulations, Midnight Twinkle!” Celestia said warmly. “You're no longer a clone or tool, but your very own pony, with your own life ahead of you, full of possibilities!”

The group cheered and gathered around the newborn Midnight. The Unicorn wept joyfully, thanking Celestia and the others for their friendship.

Luna embraced Twilight with her wings, pulling her aside to speak in private. “Thank you so much, Twilight,” she said with a dignified smile. “I never could have faced my fears without you.”

“Are you joking?” Twilight asked. “If it weren't for you I'd be totally lost! I never could've done that alone.”

Luna closed her eyes and held her friend, feeling warm and right. There was something else too, some new feeling that she didn't quite understand. Was it just her friendship? Or was it...?

Icy winds howled through the frozen north. A cave was one of the only options for shelter in that harsh environment, and that is where the flying book went. Inside the cave where a trio of tombs from long ago, from a tribe long extinct. The book fell open before the ice-covered tombs, glowing a sickly purple light. The center tomb cracked, then shattered as the inhabitant lurched out. Breathing heavily, the mare hunched over the book, making a low cackle.

The remaining tombs opened up, disgorging two more mares. The first turned to them, grinning and holding the book.

“My sisters,” she croaked, “The Way of Blackmirror has returned to us! It is time to usher in the new era!”

“The new era...” the sisters uttered in unison.

The leader peered out of the cave and saw the Sun obscured by clouds. Soon every day would be the same.

Let the new era of darkness come.

Author's Note

I would like to thank those who read this, my first completed story for the site. Unlike the last chapter which came out shorter than I intended, this came out much longer than I intended. It was a complete whim that lead to the Blackmirror monster battle. I decided that the original idea, that Blackmirror would just surrender after Twilight called her out, was too weak and needed something more. So it stretched the writing process out quite a bit! I apologize for there not being as much romance as I thought there would be; the last chapter was supposed to have scenes where Luna show Twilight that she used to be very similar to her when she was young, and the two would bond over the similarities. When I start a sequel though there will be some romance very early on on Luna questions her relationship to Twilight.

I must say, I have no idea what shall become of Midnight. Perhaps she will get her own side-story.

Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, everypony! I hope my gift to you with this chapter was satisfactory!