Chapter Twelve: A New Face

“Applejack! Big McIntosh! Hey!” Twilight shouted, trotting up the lane toward Sweet Apple Acres, the two farm ponies looking up from their hushed conversation in time to catch Twilight’s wave. Far happier than she felt, all things considered. Still, Applejack gave her a wide smile, beckoning her over with a tankard of cider. The two farmponies were sat at a sturdy oak picnic bench, pushed out onto the front of the fields, with a spectacular view of the sun as it set behind Smog’s Lair.

“Hey there Twilight, Mac an’ I were gonna watch the sunset, so pull up a seat an’ I’ll pour ya somethin’ to drink. Maybe we could get a game of cards goin’?”

Twilight blinked, somewhat taken aback, “Oh, um... sure! I needed to talk about a job, so I can stick around.”

Mac nodded to her amiably enough, quietly accepting her presence as she settled onto a sturdy oak bench next to Applejack. After expertly pouring cider into a small pewter tankard, Applejack passed it to her with a wink. “There ya go sugarcube. Careful, it’s a mite stronger’n it looks.”

“Thanks Applejack,” she said, taking an experimental sip. Then another. It was only Applejack’s warning that stopped her from draining the cup there and then. It had a strong, almost spicy flavour, and she was sure her fur was fluffing up slightly just from drinking it. She dreaded to think what her mane was doing underneath the illusion. “Oh my… what did you put in this cider? It’s… amazing.”

“We had some zap apples to spare from the last crop, so Mac an’ I thought we’d try makin’ cider with ‘em. Turned out pretty dang good, I’d say,” she said, taking a gulp from her own tankard.

“Your idea, sis,” Mac muttered. Applejack snorted, pounding her mug once on the stout oak table.

“An’ I’da blown up the still if you hadn’t been there to help, so there!”

“Eeyup,” Mac replied, calm as always, sitting at the table with a stillness that bordered on zen.

“Um… I know you sometimes do work as a hoofdymare, so would it be possible for us to work something out? I have a hole in the floorboards of the library, and some new windows that need putting into frames after a blowout.” Twilight pulled her purse from her saddlebags, wiggling in her bench slightly to get more comfortable.

“‘course, Twi. Now what kind a’ friend would I be if I turned y’all away, huh? Twenty bits, I’ll have it fixed up lickety split!” Applejack said with gusto, spinning her hat around on one hoof.

“Fifty bits. I don’t mind paying a good friend who always does her best,” Twilight countered, jingling the purse in her hoof. It’s really going to hurt my savings, but hopefully I won’t need it soon. Applejack nearly dropped her hat, and Twilight caught a faint blush as she scrambled to get it back on her head.

“Shucks, Twi… you know I don’t accept charity. Thirty, then.”

She made a show of thinking it over, hoof to her chin, then smiled brightly, “No, forty. I need the job done ASAP, so I’ll pay a little extra.”

Grumbling slightly, Applejack held out her hoof across the table, which Twilight quickly shook. “Deal.”

They were quiet for a few minutes, simply enjoying the breeze and the sunset, the calmness soothing Twilight’s earlier distress. For a moment, aliens, princesses and immortality seemed a world away. Finally, Applejack spoke, and the spell was broken.

“So Twi, how’d ya do with that fancy schmancy thing in Canterlot? Been gone a couple of days now, I heard,” Applejack leaned back in her seat, settling herself contentedly. Internally, Twilight winced, unsure how much detail she should provide.

“It was… good. Hectic, but good. I’d missed spending time with the princess, and she felt the same way, so I’ll be away in Canterlot more in the near future.”

Applejack leaned back, eyeing Twilight from beneath the rim of her hat, skepticism palpable. “What about Spike? An’ who’s gonna manage the library while you’re gone?”

Delicately wiping cider from her lips, Twilight smiled uneasily, her hooves restless under the table. “Well, I sort of figured I’d combine the two, actually, and see how Spike does managing the library by himself for a little bit.”

“Horseapples, Twi. You’re jumpier’n a long-tailed cat in a room full a’ rockin’ chairs. What’s really going on? Why can’t Spike go with you?”

She sighed, hanging her head. “The banquet was great. Everything went swimmingly until a pair of ponies tried to kill Celestia, and… she wanted me to stay, so I did. The situation in Canterlot is incredibly delicate at the moment, and I don’t want Spike getting caught up in it. I’m sorry Applejack, I just… I don’t want you to worry,” she gasped the last part out, hiding behind a curtain of hair.

Applejack leaned forwards, grasping Twilight’s hoof in her own, “Easy now sugarcube. I’m sorry, I just…”

“You just had to know what was wrong. It’s ok, AJ, that’s part of what makes you a good friend. So thanks, for caring,” Twilight muttered, fiddling with an errant lock of hair as it curled around her other hoof under the table. All right, I think I could do with a drink. Bottoms up. Tossing her head back, she chugged the cider down, rejoicing in the heady, spicy rainbow flavour. Wiping her mouth again, she continued in a more normal tone. “Ah… much better. So what did I miss?”

She didn’t miss the look Applejack sent Mac before replying, “Well, old Smokey down on Rosehip Avenue came back from the fields covered in bite marks. Last I heard they had him down at Redheart’s place. Oh, and there’s that new colt… what was his name? Night… something, wasn’t it?

“Night Slash,” answered Big McIntosh perfunctorily.

“That’s the one. He’s some bigshot from out of town, trots around like he owns the place. Seems quite smitten with our Fluttershy, I’d say. Dreamiest eyes I ever saw on a colt, I tell you Twi…”

Twilight leaned back slightly as she noticed a thin line of drool trial out of Applejack’s mouth. She didn’t miss Big Mac’s subtle eye roll as he reached for his drink. What in the…

“Dear one, there is an anomaly in the aura of your friend. With your consent, we could use the mage-eye.”

A slight inclination of her head. Do it. Splitting her thoughts, she concentrated partially on the subtle sensation of controlling a single tendril of hair, while using the other to maintain her poker face.

An ice cold pricking across the surface of her horn, and a moment later the world lit up with the misty green of Equus thaumosphere. Two verdant green outlines formed around the bodies of the farmponies, one of which roiled turbulently like smoke in the wind. A soft, red-orange chain of magic trailed off to the side, slowly fading out of visibility the further it got from Applejack. Peering closer, she caught a glimpse of something grey amidst the green, comprised of tiny glyphs. Those figures… what language is that? Is Applejack under some sort of spell? She felt a surge of hatred, her hooves itching to rip the thing out of Applejack. A force within her quickly clamped down on the emotion, and she suddenly understood that the association belonged to Terminus, not her.

“... and that strong back, Twi, you gotta get a load of his back…” Applejack continued, eyes unfocused, mostly ignored by Twilight.

“Indeed. The language is Shanaran, of the Shanarin-el Collective. The payload, however is… no. We must remove it. Now,” The soft voice turned quiet and deadly.

Terminus… okay, you don’t want to talk about it, but can you at least tell me what we’re dealing with?

“It is a memetic enchantment complex, partway through its gestation period. Not awfully subtle in its approach…I see a devotion charm, and several others, designed to target the females of your species. Likely triggered by the use of the caster’s alias, this Night Slash creature, if indeed that is its real name. I had hoped… I had hoped it would be nothing.”

Of course… you mentioned this when we stepped out of the door, didn’t you? You saw something you didn’t like. She bit her lip, waving her hoof in front of Applejack’s face. There was a flash of desperate lucidity in the mare’s eyes, which she took to mean ‘help me, Twilight’. Mac heaved a long suffering sigh, apparently having heard his sister’s spiel several times recently. What must we do?

“Share control of your body, and I shall see what may be done to unravel this spell. That it has not yet reached maturity is a blessing. If allowed to continue, the mental alterations will quickly become permanent. Your friend’s aura does not sit well with this intruder, it seems, and has stunted its growth significantly.”

I… see. Well, if it’s to save Applejack… I consign control of my body to Terminus, so that she might help my friend.

The world snapped into startling clarity, the colours under the mage-eye becoming even more vibrant. She could see it now, the black and silver construct contained within the grey texts like an overfed spider. Seemingly oblivious, Applejack continued to prattle on the virtues of Night Slash’s muscular physique.

“We must act swiftly. Once the spell detects tampering, it will release the payload in one large packet. It would be… unfortunate for your friend’s continued sanity.”

Magic flowed into the channels she now recognised as those feeding into the spark, and a faint purple glow enveloped Applejack’s aura. A moment’s hesitation, then a single purple tendril wormed its way through toward the intruder. It branched hundredfold as it neared its target, and with inequine precision, swiftly cut the bindings holding the spell onto Applejack. Free from its host, the enchantment writhed feebly before a second tendril sliced it apart, spilling its contents into the evening air. Applejack’s aura remained turbulent, but began to settle as the pony herself swayed dizzily.

“Excision successful. I relinquish control. Please, go to your friend, dear one.”

Jerking her limbs into motion, she just managed to catch Applejack as the mare keeled over sideways off her bench. Nnh… heavy! With a heave, she barely managed to get her friend back into her seat, Twilight’s legs protesting the entire way. Applejack smiled dazedly at her, then clumsily pushed her tankard away.

“I… I think I may have had too much. Strong stuff, Twilight. What was I sayin’ again?”

“You’d just finished telling me about that new colt, with his quote unquote, ‘dreamy, sexy eyeballs’,” Twilight deadpanned. Applejack reared back, glaring hotly at her.

“Why, I would never! Mac, she’s just havin’ me on, right?”

Mac sighed and shook his head. “Sorry sis.”

“But… but… he ain’t even that good lookin’! Wings and a horn can only do so much for a mare!”

Alicorn!? But the only alicorns I’ve ever heard of are the princesses!

The soft whisper of Terminus’ voice caressed her ear, “I think it more likely that the alicorn form is merely a disguise.”

You know something I don’t? Please share.

“Strange, that a Yith enchantment would make its way onto this world, so far from their territories,” the voice continued, laced with malice. “Should we meet, I suggest we prepare for a fight, for it is likely that this visitor has come for me.”

Right…

Making sure Applejack was stable, she hopped back into her own seat, taking a moment to refill her tankard from the small barrel under the table. “Sorry, it looks like he managed to cast some sort of spell on you. I broke it a moment ago, so you should be fine, but…”

“But he might’ve cast it on Fluttershy too, right Twi?”

Twilight rubbed massaged her temples, trying to stave off the coming headache. “I hope not, but it seems likely.”

Applejack slammed her hoof down on the table, ranting under her breath. “Nopony messes with my friends heads. I think it’s time we go on down to Fluttershy’s cottage an’ introduce his ‘dreamy eyes’ to Bucky McGillicuddy and Kicks McGee!”

“Wait, he’s living with Fluttershy?” Twilight’s eyes widened at that. Surely not… that complicates matters. At least Spike’s safe from the spell...

“Eeyup. Moved in the same day he came to town,” Mac answered, laying a comforting hoof on Applejack’s shoulder, steadying the swaying mare in her seat.

Rubbing her chin, Twilight mulled the problem over. “No. I should go make sure Fluttershy’s okay. You can barely stand up straight, so you should stay here and sleep off the aftereffects of that enchantment. I think so long as I don’t hear somepony with a mature spell say his name, I should be okay.” And if not, we can handle it, right?

“Indeed, dear Twilight. I am more than capable of defending you from a memetic attack.”

Right… right… this is going to be rough, isn’t it? Sun and Moon, how long has Fluttershy been…

“Most likely too long, dear one.”

I-I see…

Looking up into the setting sun, Twilight wondered faintly if Celestia was watching, looking back down at her upon a sunbeam as she mentally prepared herself for meeting an enchanted Fluttershy. Wish me luck, princess? Her eyes watered, not entirely from the brightness, and she was forced to look away. I miss you already. Dear Celestia, it hurt. I shouldn’t have run away from you. But… I suppose if I hadn’t, I would have abandoned my friends to a worse fate. Doesn’t make the regret easier to deal with, though. Stupid, foolish...

With a start, she noticed a small wooden grave marker set into the field carved with a trio of apples. She glared at it fiercely, its very presence offensive to her. You are not real. You will never come to pass. So mote it be. Pull it together, Sparkle. If you start crying here, Applejack’s going to worry, and you won’t be able to save Fluttershy. She’s not going to be happy, because it’ll always be there at the back of her mind. ‘Twilight’s gone mad’, she’ll think. So h-hold the line, shore up your walls a-and... oh sun… oh sun… her eyes burned, hot tears pouring down her cheeks as she suddenly found it impossible to breath. Stabbing pain shot through her chest, grass rushing up to meet her. Applejack gaped at her, and somehow, it was the funniest thing she’d ever seen. Laughing, bitter tears streaming down her face, she curled up on the grass as searing pain shot through her.

But… Fluttershy. I have to save Fluttershy. Fluttershy’s happiness is more important than my sanity. I should not cry for my own sake when my friend is in the clutches of some… thing from beyond. A soft touch brought her out of her internal argument, and while her chest still ached, her thoughts stilled at the gentle hoof running over her ears.

She opened her eyes to find Applejack crouched over her, “Ya back with us sugarcube? Been savin’ that up for a while now, ain’tcha?”

Twilight nodded, wiping tears from her eyes with a quiet giggle, before throwing her forelegs around Applejack’s neck in a tight embrace. “You’re not going to die, Applejack.”

Applejack seemed to flounder a little, still shaky, before carefully hugging her back. “Well… I hope not, Twi. You wanna talk ‘bout it?”

She shook her head against Applejack’s neck, her speech gradually becoming faster as her thoughts quickened with desperation. “No. I can’t. It’s complicated and we don’t have time. I-I just… don’t die on me. I’ll work something out. If I can function, I can save Fluttershy. I am functioning. I have to go. Hah… hah… breathing. Breathing is good too. Bye Applejack, bye Mac!”

A moment later, Applejack found herself hugging a dispersing cloud of purple sparks.

~~~

Sadly, Celestia watched her student depart, one hoof gently touching the regalia over her heart. For a moment, it was as if an understanding had passed between them, her student recognising Celestia’s presence. The feeling of ice cold lips still lingered on her tongue, and she sang out words as old as the sun itself, her magic reaching out for the great orb. Slowly, it skirted the horizon, and once more she released it, allowing the sun to sink below. New life flowed through her, the song of the sun ending to give way to that of the moon. Such was the way of things.

She had felt them, though. Lurking at the edges of her domain, waiting for something. Most likely the voidling. But are they allies or hunters? One was bad enough… The evening air was warm on her fur, and she took a moment to enjoy the feeling. She did not get too many moments to govern her true talents, beyond controlling the sun, after all. Celestia’s true talents never did cover leadership, really. Ponies had forgotten, but Celestia of the Iron Sun remembered. Some days she was tempted to simply allow the sun free reign, to luxuriate in the warmth, the heat, the fire. She snorted. Some ponies just want to watch the world burn.

Her horn lit, the protective wards around the palace surging with power and distributing the excess into the hundreds of minor wards placed throughout the city. So long as one of them kept watch, the city would be safe. An attack on Canterlot would be suicide for any Being that could not kill Celestia with a single spell. It was the fortress, the haven of the diarchy, bathed in the light of the sun and moon both.

The weather lamps on her balcony flickering out as she moved inside. Her duties were complete for now. Placing her crown atop an ornate dresser, she slowly began to remove her regalia. Though she would have liked nothing more than to run after her student, she could not leave the capital just now. With several unknown Beings lurking on the fringe, it would not do to leave Canterlot in Luna’s hooves. While she trusted her sister to defend their shared domains zealously, she could not say the same for the ponies that they governed. No. That I govern.

Climbing into her feather bed, it took Celestia a long time to truly feel comfortable. Sleep was a mystery to her, even at this point. The body she had built didn’t truly require it, after all. Indeed, she was fairly certain that ponies did not need to make a conscious effort to remain asleep, while for her every moment of dreaming required a constant suppression of her avatar’s systems. Even still, dreams seemed almost magical to her. In dreams she was free. Free from the shackles of sun and moon she had built for herself. Free, as she had wished her sister to be, so long ago. A realm of infinite possibility, as she had once believed the material world to be. She turned over, pulling the quilt up under her chin. In her dreams, she was free to run after that little purple pony. That view of Twilight overlooking the orchards, her eyes full of tears as she stared into the sun, lingered in her mind as she settled down to rest.

Perhaps I could indulge, just this once… if it would make you smile.

~~~

Emerging on the path to Fluttershy’s cottage, Twilight took a moment to compose herself. To simply breath deeply, and reassure herself that Applejack was still alive. Her magic was recovering at a worrisome rate, a steady flow from the spark allowing her to recover far faster than normal. Now… provided I don’t expend too much on this Night Slash, I’ll be able to make a round-trip to Canterlot without any serious problems. That… should not be possible. Have I gone mad, Terminus?

The voice made a soft sound of contemplation. “I do not believe so, dear one. With the addition of the spark, your ability to refine thaumospheric magic has increased by approximately one hundred and fifty percent.”

She made a frustrated little grunt. Trust the voice in my head to tell me I’m sane… can this day get any worse?

"Please, do not ask."

The cottage seemed unchanged, crickets chirping quietly as the sun dipped below the horizon. A faint squawk met her ears, causing her to nearly swallow her tongue when she recognised the voice to be Spike’s. A moment later, she deflated. He sounds more embarrassed than scared. Maybe he’s okay after all.

The mage-eye revealed something far more troubling. The pale green glow of the thaumosphere permeated the cottage, where multiple clusters of bright points formed. Spike’s aura was easy to determine from the others, a faint orange corona forming around the green light of his aura. Fluttershy, likewise, was marked by a faint pink braid trailing out into nothingness, her aura churning like flame in the wind. A number of wards seemed to have been placed around the property, radiating a pale purple taint into the air that she recognised as illusion magic.

However, in the upper section of the building, something entirely different caught her eye. Greenish-grey, covered in black and silver spiked protrusions, it held the guise of a pony aura at first glance, but quickly revealed its aberrant nature. The urge to blast open the top floor of the building, to let it bleed and suffer, became almost overwhelming. After all, it deserved it, for what it had done to Applejack. Clamping down on the emotion bleeding across the link, she glared fiercely at the aura blob. N-no. I will not. No matter what it’s done to my friends, I will not murder it in cold blood. Do you understand me, Terminus?

The answering voice was cold and pitiless as the north wind. “Such is the fate of betrayers. However, I see that little would sway you from this path. Very well, we shall do this your way, dear one. You will see.”

All right… here goes nothing. Trotting up to the door, she knocked firmly.

“Twilight! Finally! Help! Angel’s trying to kill me!” yelled Spike, pieces of carrot dangling from unmentionable places, as Fluttershy quickly let her in. The rabbit, as if to punctuate this, beaned him squarely in the ear with a carrot chunk as he turned to look at her.

“Now, Spike, he’s just a little cranky because he was up late last night. Why don’t you come talk to Twilight, while I give Angel his supper, ok? Um, if that’s ok with you, Twilight. It’s so rude of me to dash off, I-”

Eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary, Twilight cut across Fluttershy almost instinctively in her nervousness, knowing the quiet babbling would never stop unless someone interrupted. “Of course it’s fine, silly. Thank you for looking after Spike on such short notice. Do you need any help?”

“U-um, it’s ok, Twilight. Angel can just be a little difficult,” Fluttershy smiled sheepishly, hurrying into the kitchen. There was a musky, masculine scent to the air in the cottage, like a mix of mild body odour and the sort of mediocre cologne currently popular in Cloudsdale. No… no that isn’t cologne. Olfactory illusion.

Spike sauntered up, casually digging at his ear with one claw, before falling on his knees before her. “A rescue party! Thank you, thank you sweet princess! Take me far away from cantankerous rabbits!” He clutched his chest dramatically, before keeling over to one side. Twilight took one look at Spike’s seemingly comatose form, then walked over to the sitting area, perching on the edge of the sofa. Well, I’m not touching that. A minute passed, and the dragon’s melodramatic groans slowly increased in volume.

Turning back, she hoisted him onto her back with a tendril of magic. Taking a moment to scan his aura up close under her mage eye, she found it free of invasive magic.

“Ugh, what the heck, Twi?”

She smiled, then. It had only been three days, but his bright green eyes and familiar pout were a welcome sight. Hugging him to her, she whispered into his ear. “All right, Spike, I missed you too, but I’ve reason to believe there’s something fishy going on with Fluttershy’s houseguest. Have you noticed anything? Quick, we might not have long.”

Spike looked mutinous at the idea of cuddling, even more so as her hair coiled around his belly, but rolled his eyes and whispered back. “Well… not really. Fluttershy’s been pretty great. But… this guy, he just showed up at the door after you left, and suddenly he’s moving all this stuff upstairs.”

“And then he was living here?”

Spike took a moment to think about it, and she felt like shaking him. Easy, easy, he doesn’t realise the problem yet. He’s just a baby. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she just about caught his reply. “Well, yeah… I don’t think he likes me much, and it seemed pretty weird that ‘Shy would just let a stranger in like that. They spend a lot of time in her room, and it sounds like Fluttershy’s actually praying to Celestia in there or something. That whole part of the house smells really weird, now that I think about it...”

O-oh… oh dear. Her shoulders began to shake, her jaw clenching as she tried to process this information. First he implants mental conditioning on my friends, then he… then he…

“Don’t talk to Fluttershy about this, act natural, and I’ll see what I can do,” she said, voice cold and sharp. Placing him back on his feet, she wandered into the kitchen to find Fluttershy crouched by the cupboards with a carrot in her mouth. Angel bunny crouched under the sink, squeaking ferociously and shrinking back under the pipes.

“Please come out, Angel. I know you love carrots, so won’t you come out and have dinner? I’ll dice them extra small, just the way you like it,” Fluttershy wheedled, waving the carrot. The mare jumped upon spying Twilight. “U-um… what’s the matter, Twilight?”

“Did he at least ask permission first?” she ground out. She was aware on some level that she was probably scaring Fluttershy, but for the moment it was all she could do not to improve on Terminus’ original plan.

“W-w-what do you mean? N-N-Night Slash? He’s b-b-been the perfect gentlecolt!” Fluttershy squeaked, the name ringing oddly in Twilight’s ears. For a moment, her mind clouded with lustful thoughts of a stallion she’d never met, but a whispering presence intercepted her, the spell cut apart and devoured. Whew! Thanks, Terminus… Sun and Moon, that spell is strong!

“Somepony say my name?” a deep baritone cut in from behind her. Twilight whirled, her hair reacting to her anger, lengthening and spreading across the walls. A pot crashed to the floor, knocked from its hook by the invisible tendrils, as she stared at the magnificent specimen of stallionhood. His legs were thickly muscled, like hoof-shod trees, and his black furred frame towered over her. A short-trimmed mane of fuchsia, red and gold curled around his ears, complimenting glittering red eyes. His cutie mark, a bloodied dagger, sat upon one of the most finely toned rumps she’d ever seen. “Well, hello there my beautiful mare,” he said breathily rearing up to lean against the doorframe, “The name’s Night Slash. Remember it.”

Again, the name rang out in her senses, but this time it was immediately destroyed, the spell pulled seamlessly into the yawning abyss of her spark. Rage quickened her mind, thoughts crystallising into a razor edged sense of purpose. She gave him an icy smile, stressing her words carefully. “Twilight Sparkle. Charmed, I’m sure. And I’m not your mare.”

One perfectly trimmed eyebrow twitched, red tribal tattoos rippling over his muscles as his stance shifted slightly. “Well, Twilight, the Night Slash would very much like to get to know you a little more… maybe you’ll change your mind,” he purred, leaning against the doorframe, blocking the exit to the room. She didn’t even blink as Terminus tore the enchantment apart. I will not gut this worthless rapist where he stands. I will not… I will not…

“Oh, isn’t he just incredible Twilight? Night Slash has the tightest rump in Ponyville! Oh… my… he’s such a good catch… I’d share him, you know, uhm... if you were interested…” Fluttershy babbled, and Twilight nearly vomited at the slavish devotion in her voice. Unforgivable. What did you do to the mare I know? The stallion smirked, admiring his own bicep.

“My, what an excellent idea. I must say, the idea of two mares in Night Slash’s bed is quite… delectable, wouldn’t you agree, Twilight?” He purred, hoofing the hilt of a thin, curved sword at his hip suggestively.

Blink. Two more enchantments hurtled into oblivion. An idea formed in her mind. Crazed, but utterly fitting. She let her face relax into a slack smile, fluttering her eyelashes as she walked slowly towards him. “Well… how do I know it’ll be worth my time? How about we go upstairs and you show me what you have, big colt…”

She saw his sigh of relief, and the way his posture relaxed ever so slightly. How could a creature so dull-witted be… unless it wasn’t designed to be smart. Something else is behind this, then.

“Indeed, dear one. Probability mapping suggests that this creature is expendable.”

“Uhm... please, Slashie… can’t I join you? I’ve been so lonely today…” Fluttershy whined, staring adoringly up at the stallion like a dog that had been denied its next treat. He gave a deep, rumbling laugh, pushing himself off the door frame, stepping back to allow Twilight to pass.

“Not today, pet. Maybe if you’re good I’ll allow you to clean up afterwards.”

Oh, that is it! Her horn sparked, an invisible rush of magic shattering an illusion ward like a rotten egg and carving a deep gouge into the kitchen wall. Immediately, the smell hit her, rotten flesh mixed with something visceral and very much alive. It took all she had not to gag from the stench. Fluttershy didn’t seem to notice, instead jerking back from the force of Twilight’s unrefined spell. Her own illusions collapsed, two whips of hair slashing forward, forcing the stallion to leap back. Night Slash’s draconic eyes widened, his horn beginning to glow a sickly red, but she struck him in the face with a concussive bolt before he could finish casting. The force of the bolt threw his head back, sending him reeling backward into the living room. The simplest spells are often the best.

He recovered quickly, springing to his hooves and hastily firing off a fan of piercing spells at her, but Twilight was already gone, teleporting through the projectiles with ease to lay down a cone of cold, driving the stallion back with withering ice. Ill-advised. He should have known that spell takes too long to cast in close quarters. It was too easy, his attacks too slow and predictable. An amateur in the art of magic. Why doesn’t he just fly away? His wings flared, as if to answer her, but her hair snaked toward him, cutting off his escape route through the cottage’s bay window.

With a roar, Night Slash drew his sword, using his wings to propel him forward at a breathtaking speed. Fast! The blade reached out for her throat, but she teleported away almost instinctively, landing on Fluttershy’s sofa in a half-crouch. Levitating Fluttershy’s oak bookcase, she hurled it into his side, knocking the powerful stallion to his knees before he could recover. Taking advantage of his position, she smashed the heavy wood down onto him. That one’s for Applejack. Again and again, the bookcase beginning to splinter under the force. Never going to be enough for Fluttershy.

“Don’t bother getting back up,” she snarled, dropping the splintered mass on top of Night Slash’s prone form. And with that, the room was suddenly very quiet indeed. Her breath came out in sharp pants and after a moment of hesitation she sank to her knees.

Looking down at him, Twilight blinked, her eyes going wide. He wasn’t moving. He didn’t try to get up. He just lay there, very still, his neck bent at an odd angle where the bookcase had landed. No… no no no… I-I… no. I-I didn’t mean to… oh sun… Her body shook, and she collapsed, her legs numb and tingling. She was dimly aware of Terminus speaking as she curled around herself protectively.

“I will not allow you to escape, abomination. Perish.” The voice was cold and grim, but Twilight felt a rush of vindication that was not entirely her own. There was a screeching sound, power flooding into her reserves, but she didn’t care. Nothing mattered. She felt warm tears soak into her fur as she curled in on herself. Her loss of control had never truly injured a pony, and they were usually relatively benign, like growing Spike to be taller than a building. But now it had, and worse yet, she’d enjoyed it. I don’t deserve to have magic. L-Leave me alone. I didn’t want this, Terminus, I never asked for this! H-he’s dead… he's dead, and I wanted it. I wanted him to die, and I crushed the life out of him... why did it feel good, Terminus?

“Wrong. Look again, dear one,” the voice whispered, a soft touch to her cheek pulling her head in the direction of the fallen stallion. No, please… I don’t want to see him again. Still, she didn’t resist, lying limply on the cottage floor. Twilight’s eyes widened and her stomach lurched. It wasn’t a stallion. Not anymore. Instead of the black monster of a pony she had fought, she instead saw the rotten husk of a much smaller stallion, the sword at its side fading completely as the animating magic collapsed. W-w-what!?

“A Yith artificial soul, bound into the body of the recently dead. You did well, putting this abomination to rest, dear one. I am certain whomever this corpse belongs to would thank you,” Terminus murmured from behind her ear.

B-b-but… I'm a horrible pony...

Through her tears, she could just make out the form of Fluttershy in the evening gloom. Her chest ached dully, and she clenched on hoof over it. No, disregard that… no time for self-pity. I have to save Fluttershy. More important than sanity. A long, happy life, or immortality. Cross my heart. With that in mind, she scrambled to her hooves, picking her way through the broken furniture of the living room toward her friend. Fluttershy knelt on the cottage floor, her face slack, and her bright green eyes utterly expressionless as she hugged Angel to her.

“F-F-Fluttershy?” she said, pushing splintered wood off her friend.

“You… you killed him. T-Twilight, why did you kill my stallion?” the mare whispered brokenly, squeezing the rabbit, “please, at least tell me why… why did he have to die?”

Twilight thrust a hoof in the direction of the body, “He was never your stallion! He did something to you, to make you think you loved him. I couldn’t let him use you like that, ‘Shy.”

“He didn’t use me. I wanted it. I gave it to him. He was mine. Twilight, please…” Fluttershy muttered, playing with a shard of one of her flower pots.

“No. No you didn’t. He… forced you to feel that way, and he tried to do it to me. Applejack too,” she said, the emptiness in Fluttershy’s voice cutting into her. “Even if you hate me, Rarity’s still our friend. We need to make sure she’s okay. And Pinkie, and the rest of the girls. W-we have to go, b-before I can’t take it anymore,” Twilight said, swallowing hard as eyes stung. She reached out a hoof, but Fluttershy flinched away, eyes wild.

“Stay away from me, murderer!”

It seemed to take her friend a moment to recognise her, teal eyes darting around the room.

“Twilight?” She said softly. “Twilight!”

After a second of hesitation, the yellow mare clung to her, sobbing into Twilight’s fur. Wordlessly, Twilight wrapped a foreleg around Fluttershy, holding her close.

“S-s-sorry,” the yellow mare said, barely managing to get the word out. Twilight gently began to stroke Fluttershy’s ears, like Applejack had done to her, and very slowly the tense little pegasus began to relax. Looking over a head of pink hair, Twilight peered around the gloomy living room.

“Spike?” she called quietly. The baby dragon quietly emerged from behind the sofa, gagging at the sight of the corpse. “Spike, I’m here...” reaching out with her other foreleg, she drew Spike into the hug. For once, he didn’t resist, or even fuss at all. She could feel them both trembling, and she was sure they could feel her own occasional tremors.

“Shh… come on, climb onto my back, and we’ll go find the others. It’s going to be all right.” she said soothingly. No it won’t.

After a little adjusting, she shakily got to her hooves, Fluttershy’ draped across her back and Spike perched on her haunches. The pegasus was worryingly light, and Spike’s weight was a familiar one, comforting in its simplicity. Repositioning Angel in her saddlebag, to his chagrin, she took a moment to give the corpse a curt but respectful bow. Whoever you were, I’m sorry, but the living take precedent this time.

“Alright, next stop Carousel Boutique. Hold on tight, everypony.”

Fluttershy made a soft noise of assent, Twilight’s mane wrapping around her like a silken blanket. “Friends?” She said, almost too quiet for Twilight to hear.

“Always,” Twilight said solemnly, pressing her cheek against Fluttershy’s hoof. With that, two ponies and a dragon departed in a spray of purple sparks.

Author's Note

A little darker than usual, but things are beginning to stir at this point.

So, a little while back I read an inexplicably upvoted fic that went by the name 'Love is Magical and Magic is Beautiful'. It skeeved me the hell out with its two chapter long romance between the anthro pony 'hero' Don and Twilight Sparkle, because it felt more like some sort of brainwashing attempt by a cult leader than an actual romance story. Night Slash here is a tribute to Don, although he serves his own purpose at the same time. Please, for the love of god, make sure you understand love before you try to write about it, because a lot of the attempts I see are legitimately as creepy as this OC is with Fluttershy.

Because of the bugs with the import from gdocs feature, I had to copy this into Fimfiction and manually add italics tags and such. If I've missed anything that looks like it should be italicised, or you spot any misspellings I've missed in the process, please drop me a line.