As Twilight Fades

“Princess Celestia!” Rainbow Dash called, leading her four friends through the great double doors and into the throne room. They stood in the immaculate hall, chests heaving from their frenzied run through Canterlot.

Princess Celestia looked up and smiled in relief. She stood proud and regal as ever, but the dark circles under her eyes hinted at a restless night.

“I got your letter. We came as soon as we could,” Dash continued, sweeping a hoof toward her friends. Applejack stood right behind her, fighting back a yawn. Her blonde mane was unkempt under her usual stetson. Rarity was beside her, looking just as tired if somewhat better groomed. Behind them were Pinkie Pie, as energetic as ever, and Fluttershy.

“Ah don’t think Ah ever saw so many guards,” Applejack said, looking back at the doors. “Not even when Discord was runnin’ free. And they look more nervous than a balloon at a needle factory. What the hay is going on here?”

“They feel the extra protection is needed. You see, somepony made an attempt on my life last night.”

The five friends stared at the princess in shocked silence. After several seconds, Rainbow Dash managed to form a coherent thought. “Who? What pony could possibly be that dumb?”

“A powerful unicorn,” Celestia answered. “Her coming was told in a prophecy long ago. Please, follow me.”

Celestia led them along the familiar path toward Canterlot Tower. Rainbow thought they were going to retrieve the Elements of Harmony, the most powerful artifacts known to pony kind, but rather than climb the stairs, Celestia turned to descend.

“What’s down here?” Rainbow asked. The spiraling staircase grew cold quickly as they walked. Celestia’s horn was the only source of light in the growing dampness.

“What is to come,” Celestia answered. “Much like the tower above holds our history, this area is a hall of prophecy. I spent a lot of time down here in the days before Nightmare Moon broke free, making plans.”

Dash lifted her chin proudly. Defeating Nightmare Moon and turning her back into Luna had been one of her first great accomplishments. She still remembered the day Spike had come to Ponyville to prepare for the Summer Sun Celebration.

After descending for another few minutes, they reached an open hall. Its ceiling was lost in the shadows above, and the sound of dripping water came from every direction. Dash shivered slightly and edged closer to the princess.

Along the walls of the chamber were stained glass windows. Each glowed softly, though where the light came from was anypony’s guess. Dash tried to get a good look at as many as she could as they walked. One depicted a swarm of dragons flying over an empty wasteland. In another, misshapen black ponies swarmed over Canterlot, covering it in green fire. Yet another showed a circular city with a large tower at the center.

“Here we are,” Celestia said, coming to stand before an image of a unicorn mare. Her purple mane seemed to be fluttering in the snow and wind. Beside her, caught in an aura of magic, was a heart carved from a blue gem. Here eyes and horn glowed with a sickly green light, and she appeared to be laughing to herself.

“Her name is Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia said. “She’s already tried to kill me, and I have no doubt she’ll be after all of you next.”

*****

Twilight Sparkle’s lungs screamed as she stumbled wildly through the Everfree Forest. Branches clawed at her, tearing locks of her mane and leaving scrapes along her lavender coat.

This is wrong, she thought over and over as she ran. Just wrong!

How could there be a prophecy about her? It didn’t make any sense. She was Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia and bearer of the Element of Magic.

Wasn’t she?

Yes. Her memories were all true. She was sure of it. It was the rest of the world that was wrong. She lived in Ponyville, in the Golden Oaks Library. She had an assistant named Spike. She’d been studying the magic of friendship under the princess. She’d saved all of Equestria from Nightmare Moon and Discord for pony’s sake. How could they just forget her?

What was the last thing she remembered? They had been in the Crystal Empire. They were celebrating... something. Something important. But it had all gone terribly wrong. After that, she was in the Canterlot library. Celestia had found her there. She’d tried to take Twilight as a prisoner and...

Twilight stumbled and finally fell. She curled into a ball as her stomach writhed uncomfortably and tears formed in her eyes.

She’d attacked the princess. She still couldn’t understand why. Sure, she’d been panicking, but that couldn’t be enough to turn her against somepony she admired and loved so much as the princess, could it?

She still remembered the moment of panic and desperation as royal guards closed in on her. A strange energy bubbled in her chest, slick and grimy feeling against her mind.

Twilight covered her head and sobbed as night fell around her.

*****

“Her coming was foretold a thousand years ago,” Celestia began.

“Why is it always a thousand years?” Pinkie interrupted. “Was that just a really bad year for you?”

Celestia smiled slightly and shook her head. “It’s just faster than saying nine-hundred-seventy-four years ago. It was said that Twilight Sparkle would rise at the end of the longest night. I thought that meant the day you five defeated Nightmare Moon, but she never appeared. She’s supposed to be a unicorn of immense power, on par with the magic of the Elements of Harmony.”

Applejack whistled slowly. “Ya mean one unicorn can match all five of the elements?”

“If I understand the prophecy correctly, yes,” Celestia answered. “The next of the prophecy explains that her dark magic would return the ruler in the North to their rightful place.”

“A ruler in the north?” Rainbow asked.

Celestia nodded. “His name is King Sombra. He ruled the Crystal Empire one-thousand-twenty-six years ago. When my sister and I overthrew him, he cursed the entire kingdom, and it vanished without a trace. I believe Twilight Sparkle will be responsible for allowing him to escape.”

Celestia moved on to the next window. Twilight Sparkle stood on the mountain overlooking Canterlot, face turned down with a tear running down the side of her face. A tiara rested on her head. The city below her was in ruins.

“She looks so sad,” Fluttershy said from her place at the back of the group.

“The final part of the prophecy,” Celestia said. “Twilight Sparkle will destroy harmony in Equestria forever.”