Tainted Twilight

Chapters

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten

Chapter One

"Behold! The newest recipient of the Royal Alicorn Medal, Twilight Sparkle!" Princess Celestia boomed over a roaring crowd in front of the Canterlot Castle. Twilight stepped out with pride, all of her studies, her knowledge, had finally culminated in the most prestigious title given to unicorns. It was one of the greatest days of her life, rivaling the day she got accepted into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, which started her on this fantastic journey to begin with.

"Most excellent work Twilight, I am so proud of you," The princess said to her star pupil. Twilight could barely keep from crying, as the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment, of pure, unfiltered joy rushed over her. She put her hooves on the medal and-

CRAAAAASH!!!!

Twilight jolted out of her bed, landing hard on the wooden floor. She felt a surge of pain in her leg, and looked up angrily to see It was yet again another dream.

"Ugh, I can tell this is going to be a rough day," she muttered as she rose to investigate where the loud noise came from. She examined the clock, 9:30AM, she only had a few hours of sleep, caused by a long night of studying. She was hoping she could get a few more hours of precious slumber, but the throbbing in her leg pretty much guaranteed that it wasn't going to happen. She shuffled slowly to the staircase, thinking about what the strange noise could be, when she heard an even stranger noise: faint whispers, coming from downstairs. Fearing intruders broke in, she turned to check on Spike, who had been oddly quiet despite the crashing, both the unknown one and Twilight's on the floor. He wasn't in his bed, and there was no sign of him in any of the rooms upstairs. Panic flooded through her, and she was fully alert now. She ran downstairs, ready to use any disabling magic that would protect Spike, and subdue his potential captors. She stopped at the foot of the stairs, gazing around to be greeted with emptiness. She put a hoof out in front of her when a pink blur jumped from behind her chair.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TWILIGHT!!!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she fired off her party cannon into the den. She was followed by the rest of the gang, all shouting happy birthday and giving Twilight a big hug. She had almost forgot! Today was her birthday, and not only that, but it was the day she finally turned into a full blown mare. The fear instantly turned into excitement as she realized that it was her day to party with her friends. “We've got a ton of things planned for you, Twilight!” the pink mare cheered, “we just have to get started right this moment!”

Twilight smiled, relief slowly going through her. Pinkie was the best at parties, and she couldn't wait to see what she had up her sleeve. All six ponies marched out the door, and Twilight reconsidered her thought earlier this morning. Maybe today would be pretty nice after all.

Several hours after evening, and lots of partying and hard cider, Twilight stumbled along the road to her home. As she strained to look towards her house, she saw Spike jumping up and down at the door. Confused, she tried to concentrate on the purple dragon, and she realized he was yelling out something. No doubt trying to get her attention, she attempted to run towards her loyal housemate. After a few stumbles, the purple mare finally became within reach of Spike. Spike held a scroll with the royal insignia, and by the look on his face, it was of grave importance.

“A scroll from the Princess? Is it a birthday wish? I really appreciate the kindness, but you didn't have to wait outside our door for it!” A drunken Twilight said, “I'll just read it when I stop seeing double.” She giggled slightly at her terrible joke, and brushed past Spike.

“Twilight, it's not a birthday wish, it's an order from the Princess herself.” Spike said worriedly. Twilight stopped dead in her tracks, levitated the scroll in front of her, and what she little she could read sobered her instantly. “Please read it to me, Spike. I'm in no condition to read it all.” Spike did as he was told, shakiness in his voice.

Twilight Sparkle, since your first induction into my school for gifted unicorns, I have seen you grow into the confident, brilliant young mare you are today. There is no one I'd rather have as my star pupil, and tomorrow, I shall show you what it means to be a true unicorn. All your training will be tested, and once you begin this new brand of magic, your life will never be the same. Only a handful of unicorns have ever been exposed to this magic, and even its existence isn't truly known to the majority of ponies in Equestria. I trust you with the knowledge of this new type of magic, as I believe you are more than capable of wielding it. Please come to Canterlot as soon as possible, and we will discuss it more in person.

I recommend you say goodbye to your friends as well Twilight, as I'm not sure when you will see them again.

~Princess Celestia

Twilight stood motionless, unable to grasp what she just heard. A new type a magic? One that barely anypony has heard of? Her mind tried to get around this idea, what kind of magic could it be? She still was fogged by the alcohol, and couldn't concentrate on the possibilities. “Spike, I need you to help me pack, I'll leave at sunup. Stay here and hold down the fort while I'm gone.”

She wasted no time putting some basic provisions together, and went straight to bed. She prayed that she didn't have a hangover. What would the princess think if she saw her like this? Definitely not able to handle the enormous responsibility of learning a secret kind of magic. She rubbed her eyes, trying to think straight. She certainly wasn't expecting anything like this. She just couldn't shake the feeling that something felt... wrong. There was no doubt that this new, unexplored territory would bring countless wonders, and her natural curiosity practically begged to learn every single detail about it, but what the princess wrote made her want to hold back. Once you begin this type of magic, your life will never be the same. What did she mean by that? It was that one sentence that made her excitement turn into creeping fear, fear that what she has now would be taken away. Would she have to leave her friends forever? Just the thought of losing them...

She jumped out of bed and went straight to the bathroom, vomiting any food she ate at the party. She made a silent vow never to drink hard cider again. She was perfectly fine going out sober and able to keep her thoughts, and her stomach, intact. After a little clean up, she dragged herself back to bed and made a mental note to tell her friends goodbye. No telling how long she would be in Canterlot, but she didn't want them worrying. She could only imagine how Pinkie Pie would handle herself without being able to check up on her every day.

Tomorrow is going to be the start of a new journey for me, she thought to herself before drifting to sleep, and I'm going to be ready for anything it throws at me, scared or not.

Nothing will be able to stop me.

Chapter Two

As the sun started lazily rising up from the horizon, the nearby woodland animals starting waking, scurrying out of their homes and getting ready to start their day. Birds greeted each other, groundhogs ran through dew-laden grass, and businesses prepared to open their doors.

The rather quiet, serene view of a Ponyville morning betrayed the electricity flowing through Twilight's home as she reviewed her checklist of things to bring with her. While she had indeed put together a few things the night before, the slightly hungover Twilight found out that she had forgot this and that, and was scrambling to put together her luggage. Her rushing around the library did nothing to quell the headache lurking in the fringes of her mind. She put together a batch of tea to help soothe the pain, and looked around the library. The calmness in the air unnerved her, telling her that everything was normal; that everything was exactly the same. She knew it was the exact opposite, nothing about this day was going to be normal. “Normal” was being able to spend time with her friends, “normal” was knowing that no matter what, she had ponies who would support her in an instant. A single tear went down her cheek, regret slowly creeping into her thoughts as she delved deeper into her perceived future. She didn't want to face her friends and have to say goodbye, especially after they just threw her a huge party celebrating her. What kind of friend was she? It was the princess' order though, surely they would understand. They may even be happy and excited for her; at least somepony would be excited about this.

She finished her tea, and set out to find everypony. Luckily, they had all gathered at the town square. Pinkie Pie was apologizing profusely to Applejack, who was trying to fix a broken apple cart, along with the other three. “What happened here?” Twilight asked to no particular pony.

“Awh, Pinkie just got caught up with herself an' ran into mah cart. T'wasn't nothing to be worried about, things like this happen sometimes.” Applejack said calmly while giving Pinkie a forgiving look.

“But I'm oh so, so, so very sorry Applejack! I was just excited because the Cakes were having a sale on cupcakes and I bought all of them and I just got super duper excited cause I just love cupcakes so much and imsosorrypleasedontbemad!”

Applejack just laughed and hugged Pinkie, and a smile crept onto the pink mare. She jumped and squeezed the breath out of AJ. Twilight just observed the whole scene, and felt warm and comforted by it. She always thanked Celestia for bringing her here, to learn about the power of friendship. Now, she has to say goodbye to them. The warmth instantly faded, and sadness filled the void. She knew it had to be done, and as uncomfortable as it was, she had to do it now.

A heavy cough broke the laughter, and everypony stared at Twilight. She looked down, unable to face the ponies who have always been there for her. “I have something to tell you all. Last night, when I came home, I received a letter from the Princess. She told me that she wanted to teach me a special form of magic, one that would change my life. I have to go as soon as possible, and she didn't tell me when I would be back.”

The five ponies stared at her, unable to really understand what it all means. Fluttershy, surprisingly, was the first to speak up, “So, what kind of magic is this?”

“I don't know, she wouldn't tell me what it exactly was, only that it was something very few unicorns have been exposed to.”

“So, you're just going to leave us?” Rainbow Dash said indignantly, catching glances of disapproval from Applejack.

“She wouldn't leave if she didn't 'ave to, Rainbow. This is the Princess we're talkin' 'bout here, she can't disobey a direct order” Applejack said, defending Twilight, even though Twilight felt she deserved none.

“I'm sorry guys, I have to go, I promise I'll be back. I'll write you letters and check up on you whenever I can, Celestia knows how much I love you girls, she wouldn't cut me off from all of you.” Twilight assured, mostly to herself.

“Well, darling, we know you're doing what you love, and that's as good as any reason for you to depart for a few weeks. We're all gonna miss you!” Rarity said, choking up at the end.

Twilight couldn't stand this anymore, it was tearing her heart to pieces, and she wanted to curl up in a ball and bawl her eyes out. She rushed up to them, and wrapped each and everyone of them in her arms. The group hug was the most secure thing she had since she heard the news, and she was thankful for every pony there. They weren't just her friends, they were her family, and no matter what, she wanted them close to her. Tears streamed down her face, and for this moment, she had no want for magic, no need for studies. Everything she wanted was right here, all around her. But the hug was eventually ended, and with it, her time with her friends.

“Goodbye, everypony, I love you all, and you'll hear from me real soon” Twilight said, wiping the wet streaks from her face. They all returned with their goodbyes, sadness and uncertainty in their voices. She took in every single second, and eventually slunk back to her home. She said farewell to Spike, and told him to watch over the library while she was gone. Spike hugged her and reassured that everything would be okay, and that he would find some books that she would enjoy for when she returned. She smiled and thanked him for the kind gesture. She grabbed her things, and was off for the train to Canterlot.

An hour later, she boarded the train picked a window seat. She loved watching the scenery when she went on a trip. The stewardess kindly gave her a drink, which Twilight quietly sipped. She didn't know what was about to happen, but she told herself she was ready for it, and by Celestia she was going to be. She wasn't going to make this trip for nothing, and she was going to make her friends proud.

Attention all passengers! We are about to depart from Ponyville Station. Please make sure all luggage is secure and that you are in your seat at time of departure. We thank you for your patience, and, as always, you may ask a stewardess for any questions or requests during your trip. Next stop will be Canterlot!

She looked out one last time at the place she has called home for so long. Seeing Sweet Apple Acres in the distance, her thoughts flooded with memories of the many adventures she had in Ponyville.

She vowed that no matter how life changing this training would be, this will not be the last time she would see of home.

No magic will ever separate me from my friends, I will make sure of that.

Chapter Three

The train creaked into Canterlot Station, the brakes waking Twilight from her light slumber. She lazily opened her eyes, and took in the view from her window. No matter how many times she visited Canterlot, she was always breath-taken by the majestic view of the city. The elegant castle, one she dreamed of living in when she was just a little filly, was in clear view from the station, and she set her sights straight for it. As she left, she saw many familiar faces walking the streets, but she did not make any effort to reacquaint herself with them. They were not who she was there for, and she wasn't going to get sidetracked and make this stay any longer than she had to make it. She hurried to the castle without saying a word to anypony, and a servant rushed to her side to take her bags.

“The princess has been asking for your presence since she heard of your departure. She's been rather..anxious lately, I do hope it's not going to affect her duties,” the servant idly said. Twilight didn't like the sound of that at all, she knew it had to be because of her. Did she make Celestia angry by being late? She hurried as fast as she could, after she said goodbye to her friends. She would have to know that she would have came as fast as possible. Maybe she was having seconds thoughts about teaching Twilight this new type of magic. But that's absurd; if anyone was capable of learning magic, it was her. She spent her entire life learning the arcane arts, and no matter how much it made her upset by tearing her and her friends apart, she couldn't deny that she wasn't excited about the prospect of learning something she had no idea about. The curiosity within her had been steadily building since she headed out, and the fact that she was mere minutes of way of beginning it was making her jump up and down inside. She headed for the Princess' chambers, and saw that Celestia was looking out a window, almost unaware of the world around her.

“Um, Princess? It's me, Twilight Sparkle, I came over as soon as I said goodbye, I hope you're not mad that I took a little time getting here and-”

“It's quite alright, Twilight. I understand that your friends are important to you, and I wouldn't want you leaving without saying a proper goodbye” Celestia said, not taking her gaze off the window. “I need you to understand how important this teaching will be. Nopony has learned this magic in over 200 years, and I doubt anypony else will learn for hundred of years to come,” She finally turned away, looking straight into Twilight's eyes, “I trust you with this, more than anypony else, because I think you will be different from the rest. I always want you to remember what brought you here in the first place: the immense love you have for your friends, and for the good of everypony. Do you have any questions before we begin?”

Twilight's mind flooded with questions, but none could come out of her mouth. She just stood motionless, dumb and mute in front of her mentor, surprised beyond reason by the fact that nopony has ever even learned about this magic in so long. There had to be a reason for it, and she decided that will be the first question; “Why has it been 200 years since this was taught?” her dry mouth finally spoke.

“That's...a loaded question, Twilight, one that doesn't need to be answered right now. Just know that there was a good reason for it, and that in due time, I will let you know it's history”

“Alright then...I'm guessing that means you also won't tell me about who 'the rest' were?”

“Unfortunately, that is correct. Just understand that it's in your best interest to not know, not yet anyway. I don't want you to get any wrong thoughts about this training, so I need you to go in without any preconceived notions.”

“I understand, Princess, I'm ready to begin.”

“I sincerely hope you are, Twilight. This will be completely different from any type of training you've performed before. Let us begin.”

Twilight gulped, unsure of where this might take her. She quietly followed the Princess up to the observatory, and the setting sun on Canterlot made the city look even more amazing. The lights on buildings starting to glow, the rustle and bustle of the streets not slowing down for the moon, and life continuing on in full force. She smiled slightly at the sights, and for a moment her anxiety faded, taking its place a feeling of wonder that she had when she first visited the castle when she was a filly. She looked up at her teacher, and was taken back to her filllyhood, when she was accepted into her school, and had the same wide-eyed expression she had on now. The princess looked back down at her pupil, and returned the smile. No matter what the rules were between students and teachers, she always felt like Twilight was her daughter, in a way. She always treated her with special tutor sessions, and took Twilight on impromptu field trips to better focus her magic. She knew what kind of potential the purple mare had, and she wanted to make sure she received the best training. Twilight never let her down before, which was a big reason why she chose her to learn this magic. She secretly hoped she wasn't making a mistake, she didn't want Twilight to become somepony else, something that the others became. She never truly forgave herself for that. She didn't know how powerful it truly was, and how non-alicorns would take to it. She wasn't going to make that mistake again; for Twilight's sake, if nothing else.

She sighed and levitated a worn out, thick book from a chest, and held it in front of both of them. “This has been locked away since the last pony who learned it, and it contains nearly every spell that is related to the Void, the type of magic you are about to learn”

“The Void? Why is it called that?”

“Because that's where it came from. This doesn't use ordinary magic, it draws its energy from a desolate place called the Void. We still aren't sure what, or where, it is, but through careful conjuring, we can tap into its arcane energy to cast these spells. It's very intensive, and requires steady focus.”

“So how do I tap into this special energy?”

“That's the tricky part. Some ponies automatically tap into it; others require...more complicated techniques. All are different, but take the same toll on the pony using it, this isn't something you can cast off in quick succession. I'm going to demonstrate it's power, and it'll also be the first spell you shall learn. Be sure to observe how I tap into it, and it might help you tap into it as well.”

The Princess opened a door across the room, and a unicorn guard walked in, and Twilight caught a glimpse of fear in his eyes. Surely the Princess wouldn't do anything to hurt him, would she? No, that's crazy! She quickly banished the thought and stared at Celestia, who started to use The Void's powers firsthand.

She stared into space, her pupils dilating quickly until there were no whites in her eyes. A horrible, black cloud swirled around her horn, and Twilight flinched at the sudden dread she felt at just gazing into the cloud. What was this? She never saw anything like it, and even though fear crept into mind, she couldn't keep from looking away, the shock keeping her gazed fixed. The princess started levitating, her wings staying deathly still as she started rising over her pupil and guard. Twilight turned to look at the guard, who was visibly shaking under his master, his composure broken beyond repair. Then, in a sudden, black flash, she went blind for a split second, and she rubbed her eyes until her vision came back into focus. She looked at Celestia, who was back on steady ground, turned away from both ponies. Confused, she turned to see what the guard was doing, when her jaw dropped to the ground. She stared in absolute horror, any thoughts she had completely vanquished by the sudden shock of what she was gazing at.

The unicorn guard was laying on the ground, unconscious, his horn completely gone.

Chapter Four

“What...what happened to him?” Twilight barely uttered, her gaze fixed solely on where the unicorn's horn used to be.

“That's just a sample of what The Void can do. I took all of his arcane energy out of him, and it has been put into my own.”

“But...but...how is that possible? You can't just steal somepony's magic! It just can't be done!”

“The Void ignores the normal world's rules. You can do things that are unimaginable with this magic, that is part of the reason why we have kept it so secret; you can see the implications of such an ability.”

Twilight was still in absolute horror, just the thought of having something that could do that; she couldn't wrap her mind around it. Everything she is seeing, and hearing, her head was fighting every bit of it, kicking and screaming that this just wasn't possible. Here it was though, in front of her own face, logic be damned. She finally took her eyes off the magic-ridden pony and turned to Celestia, who right now, had no friendly look on her. Twilight finally regained enough of her composure to utter a single question, “Why do I need to know this?”

“Because, Twilight, without this, Equestria would be in absolute chaos. Sometimes, Void Magic helps us with our worst problems. It's how you use this that defines its morals. You must always remember that it's used for the greater good.”

“I don't see how this could possibly be used for good!” Twilight scoffed, “Taking the very essence of a unicorn? That's criminal, nopony should ever have to endure that!”

“Twilight, you don't understand, that's just one spell of thousands. You might not realize this, but you've used this power before, although it was very diluted and the real effect of The Void wasn't noticeable. I knew you could tap into it easily, I'm just not sure how easily.”

“Wait, I've used Void Magic? But you said nopony has learned it in hundreds of years...”

“I also said some ponies could tap into it without any training, and you demonstrated that. Remember when King Sombra tried to take over the Crystal Empire? He was the last pony to learn Void Magic. He had amazing potential; he was one of the best unicorns that lived during that time, and I thought he would be fit to learn Void Magic as a force of good. Obviously, I was mistaken, as he was a tyrannical dictator for the Crystal Empire, and Luna and I had to stop him. At first, we were going to use this very spell to incapacitate him, but as time passed, it became quickly evident that we had to use more, drastic measures; we banished him, with the hopes that he would never return. Void Magic was used to banish him, and we had no other choice. It's all about how you use it Twilight, and that's the first thing you need to learn.”

Twilight felt like she was going to faint. This sudden knowledge that Sombra was once Celestia's protege, and that she trusted him with this horrible kind of magic. And the fact that she used Void Magic, she didn't remember anytime she would have used it, she would have noticed it, wouldn't she? And then it hit her, trying to find the Crystal Heart: The horrible black cloud around her horn, the purple smoke coming from her eyes, and the horrible emptiness she felt when she casted it. When she found the hidden staircase, she wasn't using her magic, she was using Void Magic...

She just stood in shock; this day was just too much for her. She felt like a little filly, scared and lost and wanting to go back home after running away. She wanted to lay in her own bed, oblivious to this secret magic, back with her friends and surrounded in the comfort of their support. But she just stood in the observatory, on the cold, stone floor, next to an unconscious pony and her mentor that she didn't know anymore. Her mentor wouldn't be trying to teach her an evil magic, her mentor wouldn't be attacking her own loyal subjects. No, this couldn't be her teacher, it just couldn't. She had to get away from this fake. She had to collect her thoughts, free from all of this.

“I'm going to my room, I'm done discussing any of this. I just need to think in private.”

“I understand Twilight, just please consider this. We can't let this be forgotten, it's too important for it to. You already tapped into it, I know you remember. Just imagine using it to its full potential, and being able to use it to make Equestria a better place.”

“Depends on what your definition of 'a better place' is.”

The Princess just looked down, shame starting to cover her face, “You're dismissed, I want to hear an answer from you tomorrow morning, and we will continue from there. Just remember, I wouldn't put you in danger if I didn't think you could handle it. You've passed all my tests in the past, and I don't expect a change from that.”

Twilight's anger subsided a little, hearing Celestia's sincere tone calmed her in a way a mother's would. She knew the Princess wouldn't put her in a situation she wasn't equipped to handle, but everything about this seemed wrong. Her baser instincts were going off, telling her this was a bad idea. As the thoughts were starting to pour in yet again, she started walking down into the main chamber of the castle.

“Oh, and Twilight? Stormer, my guard here, he's going to be fine. I shall restore his full arcane energy, and he'll be just like he was before this spell. What you can take, you can also give. Void Magic is very powerful, and there are many ways to use it. It's up to us to make sure it's used for the right reasons. Good night, and I shall see you in the morning.”

Twilight did not return the goodnight, and started walking again. She had conflicting thoughts assaulting her with every step, and she had a feeling she wasn't going to get much sleep tonight. She flung herself onto her bed, and started unraveling the now-frail state of her mind.

The morning sun was especially harsh the next day, hitting Twilight directly and waking her up from her brief sleep. She dragged herself out of bed, and cringed at the migraine that had suddenly appeared. She was not ready for the start of today, secretly hoping the day before was just a horrible dream. The servant who carried her bags was now carrying a gourmet breakfast into her room. “Good morning Twilight, I do hope you had a fantastic sleep! Here is your breakfast, apple pancakes with fresh maple syrup, along with some cider. Is there anything else I can serve you?

“How about some medicine for my migraine? I would really like some,” She asked gratefully. The breakfast looked incredible, and she couldn't wait to dive into it. She hadn't ate anything since she arrived in Canterlot, deciding to skip dinner due to her rioting stomach. As she was scarfing down her breakfast, the servant laid down a couple of tablets next to her plate. Twilight thanked him for his kindness, and quickly gulped the pills. Within minutes, the migraine subsided to a small headache, and something Twilight could manage. After her meal, she signed loudly, she knew what had to come next. She had made her decision hours before, but she still didn't know if she could go in front of Celestia and tell her. Doubts still nibbled at her, but she knew that it was the best decision for everyone, including herself. She slowly went into the Princess' chamber, the alicorn already hard at work with her daily duties. She tried to hold her head high, trying to instill at least a little sense of pride, and failing at it.

“Ah, Twilight, nice to see you this early, I trust you enjoyed your breakfast?” The Princess said, her best attempts at small talk not phasing the unicorn.

“I did, you have some amazing chefs here.”

“Indeed. So, have you made your decision?”

Twilight looked around the room, and knew that the next sentence she spoke would indeed change her life forever. She took in a deep breath, and drew in all her courage and muster to finally put her thoughts to words. She did make her decision, and she was hoping it was the right one.

“I want to learn about Void Magic, and I'm ready to start immediately.”

Chapter Five

The training began at once, with Twilight and Celestia going back up in the observatory, presumably because of the isolation they receive. The Princess was cautious as they went up the staircase, telling her guards to wait by the entrance, and not to proceed with them. Twilight followed her, the butterflies in her stomach increasing with every step she took. Finally, when they reach the top, and the door shut, isolating her and her mentor from the rest of the outside world, did the Princess finally speak.

“If you have any lingering doubts, I suggest you get rid of them now, as you won't be able to turn back.” Celestia said, not looking at her pupil. Twilight remained silent, the feeling of vomiting coming to her again. Celestia turned to look at her, and gave her a smile, thankful that she had stood her ground. It was comforting to see her teacher smile at her, knowing that she still had her best interest in mind. It was going to be a long road ahead, but she was destined for this, she knew it in her heart; she was the Element of Magic, after all. This was just one more step in her training, and she knew she could pass this if she gave it her all.

“Now, before we can teach you the spell that I showed you before, we need to see how easily you can tap into The Void. When you used it in the Crystal Empire, how exactly did you do it?”

“Well, I'm not sure how really, I just kind of...did it. It left me with a horrible empty feeling inside me though, like someone took my soul out and left the shell.”

Celestia nodded, “Yes, that will happen as you cast these kind of spells. Not only does it use your arcane energy, but the presence of The Void also seems to drain ponies natural energy as well. That's why we have made no attempt to find it, we don't think anypony could survive there.”, She slowly looked up at the bright sky, contemplating something, “At least, not with their sanity.”

“So, if I use this a lot, will I go insane? Is this worth the risk?”

“It's possible, but unless you indulge in The Void's gifts, you won't be exposed with enough of it to corrupt you. Like I told you, we use this as a last resort, and only for the most extreme of circumstances. I have faith that you won't let that happen.”

“Corrupt me? What do you mean by 'corrupt'?”

Celestia sighed, trying to figure out how to explain this delicate matter, “King Sombra was the last person to learn this. He was such a kind, honorable pony, and he would have done anything to help his fellow pony. That's why I chose him, he was like you in a lot of ways, and I thought he could handle the responsibility of Void Magic. But as his training went on, he became consumed by it. He wanted to learn all he could about it, and the more he experimented, the more The Void was able to take control of him. He kept it hidden until I pronounced him King of the Crystal Empire. It was only then that I saw his true intentions. He was completely consumed by it, his kindness, his generosity, everything just disappeared, until nothing but evil was left. That is why I'm going to be careful with you. I don't want you to go down the same road as Sombra, you're too special to ever let that happen. So if you ever get an off feeling or thought, let me know immediately and we will fix it.”

Twilight just nodded and stood silent, her previous plans of constant studying completely out the door. I thought she said there was no danger. I really need to be careful and not let my curiosity get the better of me. She has seen evil in all its forms, and Sombra's oppressive rule and control over the Crystal Ponies had stuck with her. Everytime she visited the Empire, she had recollections of his magic crippling her brother, and almost consuming them all. She wasn't going to end up like him, no matter how much he was like her before. She was able to stop the Changeling invasion, go through Discord's “test”, even without Dash's and Fluttershy's wings, or Rarity's and her magic. Then her memories hit her smack in the face.

“By any chance, did Discord know about Void Magic?”

Celestia seemed taken aback by this question, surprised that Twilight made a connection between the two. After a moment, she chose her words carefully, “Discord is not like most life in Equestria. He has a special bond with Void Magic, but he doesn't use it like unicorns do. It's a...complicated matter.”

Twilight took the hint that this was something that shouldn't be explored further, and left it at that. Perhaps she could ask about it later, when she's familiar with it firsthand. Of course, that didn't stop assumptions and suspicions from going into her head. She was a very curious unicorn, and hated not knowing the full story of anything. But there was a time and place for everything, and she knew now was neither.

“We should really get started though, let's see if you can cast the spell on this dummy unicorn,” Celestia said as she pulled in what looked like one of Rarity's mannequins, but Twilight could sense the arcane energy within it. She stared at it as though it was a giant dragon about to deal the death blow to her. She was now in unfamiliar territory, blind to everything in this new world.

“I want you to extract its energy, as I did with Stormer. The dummy's horn won't vanish, since it's obviously not real, but you will feel the surge of energy when you extract it all the same. You need to empty all your thoughts, and feel the magic flowing into you. You're going to feel...odd, but that's normal. Just try it for yourself, like you did at the Empire.”

Twilight braced herself for the potential of what will happen, and cleared her thoughts of everything; Sombra's and Discord's familiarity with The Void, of the events that put her here, of her friends that she missed terribly. She purged herself of any thought or feeling, and urged the magic within the dummy to come to her. Slowly, she felt something eating at her, consuming her mind until nothing but hopeless emptiness remained. She felt the black cloud swirl around her horn, and in an instant, her ability to control her magic was yanked away from her. The Void's presence took control of her abilities, whispering everything and nothing straight into her conscious, she felt trapped, as if she was suspended in a body of water, her primal instincts took over, trying to kick and scream and get out of this perpetual hell, but nothing happened, she just stood, the constant presence working it's craft while Twilight just watched and endured.

Then, in the same burst of light that blinded her the day before, she felt a surge of power. It was coursing through her veins, crawling under her fur, and jump started her entire state of mind. Her previous thoughts slammed back into her, the numbness she felt vanished instantly, and she returned to the real world, in the same exact spot she was standing before. Electricity was pouring out of every pore, and she felt ready to take on the world. Her eyes turned to the dummy, and the aura of magic it had emanated before was gone. It was just a harmless dummy, nothing more.

She smiled ear to ear as she passed her first test flawlessly. She turned to Celestia, who let out a coy smile of her own. “Truly excellent work, Twilight, I knew you could do it. Now that we know you're capable of tapping into The Void, we can begin the true work. I hope you're as ready as I am.”

Twilight couldn't wait to keep going, the pure rush that the energy have given made her feel like she could do circle all of Equestria. The emptiness was unsettling to be sure, but just think of all the possibilities! She needed to try it just one more time, it couldn't hurt after all. The corruption couldn't take it's hold that easily, and she saw no reason to stop now. “Oh, trust me, I am Princess, what should we learn next?” She said, hardly containing the excitement in her voice.

“Nothing today. We are going to take it slow, I shall have another spell waiting for you tomorrow, but you are dismissed for the rest of the day. I don't want anything harmful sinking in. Why not write your friends a letter, so they won't be worried.

Disappointed, she knew it was for the best, and she agreed that she needed to check up on her friends. A letter would be a nice break from all the shocks she's received from this trip, and she had to tell somepony about all the experiences she just had. She couldn't wait to tell them all about it. She grabbed a pen and paper, and began to unwind.

Dear Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Rarity,

I can't believe how unbelievable this experience is. I just started learning about this magic, and while I can't really explain everything about it, it's something that I can't wait to learn more of. Princess Celestia is limiting my teachings though, unfortunately. I just feel like I need to keep trying it! You only get better by practicing right?

In fact, I may just try it some more tonight.

Chapter Six

Being in the castle, you're never really alone. There are guards patrolling at all hours, ever vigilant of any danger that would put the Princesses at risk. Twilight knew well that she couldn't escape the guards watch, but it didn't stop her from going to the courtyard. The moonlight hitting the hedges and statues dotting the landscape gave the scene a rather calming view for her. The wind, abnormally strong for this time of year, made Twilight's mane have a life of its own, flowing about despite Twilight's silent protests. The warm, night air surrounded her, putting her even more at ease as she walked slowly through the majestic garden. Ever since the letter she wrote, she wanted desperately to try the spell again, get another taste of the energy that flowed through her. You shouldn't do it, you know. She warned you against using it multiple times. You don't know what will happen

Her curiosity fought back reason, wanting to satisfy the insatiable need to know. She had to learn everything it had to offer! She couldn't tolerate this slow hoofholding the princess was giving her. She was a natural at it! Yes, the process of it was a little...frightening, and it certainly wasn't something she enjoyed doing. The empty feeling slowly came back, heavily diluted, but still noticeable. It's worth the risk if it means being able to potentially being able to help Equestria. I need to learn this as soon as possible.

No, you don't. We have two very capable rulers who can use it if the situation calls for it. You've only used this magic twice in your life, and you need to make sure you get a handle on it before you go out and do it on your own.

I don't see what the harm is, really. Both times I didn't feel a single bad thing; in fact, that rush of energy today was one of the greatest feelings of my life! I just want tomorrow to come so I can learn more! I haven't felt like this since I was a filly! The empty feeling started to grow, causing Twilight to feel a little nauseous. The wind started picking up as well, making her mane twist and turn violently. She quickly dismissed it.

The problem is that you don't know how it corrupts you. Who's to say you're not already starting to? She never told you if it creeps up on you or not. Listen to reason Twilight! Do you not see what you're saying?!”

I see that I'm arguing with myself like some crazy lunatic! I'm done with this, I'm going to bed. I need to see if someone can get some medicine, I'm feeling worse and worse. I really hope I didn't catch anything, I can't let anything get in the way of my studies. The emptiness started to engulf her. She felt like she was going to pass out any minute, what kind of germ invaded her? Maybe it was from walking around in the garden, there were always some bugs eating away at nearby ponies. She ran to her room and vomited, and grabbed some spare pills she put in her travel bag. She splashed some water in her face, and looked in the mirror. She stared at her reflection quizzically, not sure on what she was seeing. Sure enough, it was her staring back, but something felt wrong about it. As if it was somepony else in a Twilight costume. She stared into the doppelganger's eyes, and she didn't feel her own presence in it. She couldn't quite put a hoof on it, but it felt...unsettling. Tinges of dread starting to creep into her thoughts, as the intruder silently stared back at her. Then she suddenly sprinted out of the bathroom, slammed the door behind her, and hid under her covers, trying to force herself to go to sleep, praying that Celestia would bring the sun up earlier than usual. She couldn't believe what she just saw, and she didn't want to investigate it any further. She wanted out of this room and into the daily routine as soon as possible, to get her mind over what just happened.

She couldn't say for sure, but as soon as she reached for the light, she swore she saw her reflection smile at her.

“So, do you think Twilight's learning how to get princess magic? Maybe that's why it's so super duper secret! Princess Celestia wouldn't want people to know she's a princess until she learned how to be one! Ooh, maybe she's becoming a secret spy, sneaking around in places that are too dangerous for regular soldiers to go to!”

Pinkie Pie was spouting theories left and right ever since Twilight left for Canterlot. She started sneaking around the street as she started thinking about her “spy” theory, becoming more and more excited about the idea of one of her best friends being a secret agent. Applejack just stared at the pink mare sleuthing about, a slight grin on her face.

“Ah don't know about all that, sugarcube. Ah don't really see Twilight as the sneakin' type.” Applejack said, trying to put some sense into Pinkie, knowing it wouldn't work, “Ah'm sure she'll tell us what's she's learnin' eventually, but for now, you 'oughta get those apples to Mr. and Mrs. Cake before lunch time.”

“Oh, yes I do! They are going to make some apple muffins for brunch! They've already got an order of twenty muffins from somepony! We can't be late this time!” Pinkie dusted herself off, grabbing a sackful of apples AJ prepared for her earlier in the morning. “Thanks Applejack! I'll try to save a muffin for you, as long as a certain somepony doesn't change her order to twenty-one!” She giggled and started hopping down to Sugarcube Corner, ready to get the day started. Applejack shook her head and chuckled, walking back to her orchard. She couldn't help but wonder what Twilight was up to herself. It was odd that the Princess wouldn't let her tell them what she was going to do up there. She wasn't too upset about it, with Twilight being her star student and all, but it still struck her as odd. She was hoping that a letter from her would appear in the next couple of days, explaining at least a little of what was happening. She couldn't help but worry about her, as smart as her friend was, she didn't have as much street smarts as the rest of the gang. She didn't know how she would handle herself in the streets of Canterlot alone. She idly bucked some trees while her mind wandered about the situation.

A couple of hours later, Pinkie sprint-hopped into the town square, nearly running into Big Mac's cart again, and yelled out for her best friends. “Twilight wrote! Twilight wrote!” she exclaimed as she searched for the other four ponies. Eventually, she was able to wrangle them up and read the letter, hardly holding her excitement. After they finished reading, they all stirred with questions.

“Well, Twilight is the type to stay up all night learning about something new. Still, it seems rather odd that the Princess would limit her.” Rarity said, trying to piece together the cryptic letter.

“Obviously it's some sort of super powerful magic made to kick some major tail!” Rainbow Dash said, throwing punches into the air, “Maybe she'll be able to teach me a few tricks!”

“I really do hope she's okay though, and she's having an easy time with it. It'd be terrible to think that she wasn't having fun with it.” Fluttershy said in her usual, barely audible voice.

“Y'know Twilight, as long as she has a book to read an' somethin' to learn, she's in paradise!” Applejack replied, relieved that Twilight took the time to at least try to fill them in.

“I've already been planning a party the second she comes back to Ponyville! I'm sure it'll knock her socks off! I've already tested it with Gummy a few times, and every time he passed out with shock!”

“I'm not so sure that's a good thing, darling. We don't want her to be unconscious when she comes back home.” Rarity argued.

“Hmm, that's true, maybe if I tone down the fireworks display, put a few minor tweaks in the sprinkler system, remove-”

Applejack motioned Spike to the side, letting Pinkie work out the kinks in her party plans. “Go on and take a letter Spike, let Twilight know we miss her something fierce, and that we can't wait till she comes home. Let her know how we're all doin', and to give us updates on her trainin' and whatnot.”

“Can do!” Spike exclaimed as he started to get busy. Applejack still had a little feeling of worry deep in her, but she quickly let it recede, and let herself smile at the fact that Twilight was having a grand time in Canterlot. Hopefully, they might even be able to visit her, and let them see the new magic firsthand. She started heading back to Sweet Apple Acres and the doubt started creeping in again, something she just couldn't shake.

“Nah, AJ, you're crazy! There ain't nothing to be worried about. If somethin' were wrong, Twi would tell us! Ah'm sure of it!” She said to herself, trying to convince her paranoia. “Just give her a few days, and ah'm sure she'll invite us down to see it all!”

She repeated it all day, and no matter what, her feeling wouldn't go away. She decided to write a letter to her in private. She wanted to make sure everything was going peachy swell.

Her thoughts screamed that they weren't, she prayed to Celestia she was wrong.

Chapter Seven

Morning couldn't come soon enough for Twilight. Every time she closed her eyes, the scene repeated unrelentingly. Her eyes had to have been playing tricks on her. There was no logical explanation for it, but she knew her reflection smiled at her. The more the scene replayed in her mind, the more concrete it became. She needed to tell Celestia, she warned against this, and she would know how to fix this.

If you do, she'll stop your training. Telling her that you saw a ghostie in your mirror after just one measly spell? That will make her really confident in your abilities to handle it.

She considered the idea, and eventually agreed with her thoughts. For all she knew, it could have been just her overactive imagination, put on by the stress of what she learned yesterday. Yeah, that makes sense, she was sure that it wouldn't again. She finally decided to get a few hours a rest, and thirty minutes later, the sun gave her yet another rude awakening. She pulled the blankets over her, hoping to defy the morning for just a little while longer, when her trusty servant burst into the room, no doubt with another hearty breakfast and upbeat demeanor. “Good morning Twilight! I do hope you had a wonderful sleep! I have your break-oh? Twilight, are you still asleep?” The stallion went to Twilight's bed, and saw a growth coming out of it. Smirking, he yanked the blankets off of the purple mare, and yelled out in a soprano voice, “Twilight Sparkle! The sun is up and the day is new! Now is the time you get up too!”

Twilight wasn't amused in the slightest by the impromptu song, and grumbled some unintelligible noises as she dragged herself out of bed. “Ooh, I just knew that would make you just jump out of bed!” The servant said cheerily.

“Sir, what is your name? I haven't asked since I got here.” Twilight asked, a faint icy tone in her voice.

“Why, it's Drudge, kind mare!”

“Well, Drudge, while I appreciate your fantastic singing, I'd appreciate it more if I could stay in bed for a few more minutes if I need it.”

Drudge was slightly taken aback by the comment, the venom in her words clearly stinging him, but still showed a smile. He remembered how precious sleep was when he was her age, and decided not to hold a grudge on the comment. “Of course, Twilight, however, it was the Princess' request to get you up at this hour, and I was only obeying orders.”

Twilight felt slightly guilty hearing this, she knew it wasn't Drudge's fault, she was here for a reason, and he had to make sure Celestia's wishes were fulfilled. She couldn't let her lack of sleep affect her mood, and especially couldn't snap at people like that. “I'm sorry Drudge, I just had a rough night is all, I shouldn't take it out on you.”

“It's quite alright. It's nothing to be sorry for, I just hope your day gets better! Maybe we can find a few ways to sneak in a couple minutes of sleep. I'll tell the Princess you're gonna eat your breakfast slowly. I'll be back in 30 minutes to collect your plate.” He winked at her, and Twilight graciously took the hint. She thanked him, slunk into bed, and hoped that she won't have any more interruptions. Thirty minutes was going to be an instant to her, but she'd take anything she could get.

Applejack was always up before the sun rose; she had to in order to get all her duties for the day completed. She didn't mind really, she wasn't one to lay about in the house, when so much could be done during the day. Her mind never wondered off from her thoughts from the previous day, but she couldn't constantly dwell on them. She knew her paranoia would eat her alive if she delved into it, so she filled her day with extra chores to keep her occupied. Hopefully it would fade away into the back of her mind by the time lunch was served, and she could actually try to be happy for her friend.

Lunch came, and unfortunately for Applejack, her thoughts were still in full swing. Furious, she slammed a hoof on the ground. That's it! I'm tired of worrying myself to death, the Princess would not put Twilight in danger! Get that through your head! Twilight is smart enough to know when she's in over her head, and if she ever needed any help, she would tell us. Now stop your bellyaching, and hope Twilight is having fun learning all she can about what she loves!

With that, the matter was settled. She was going to force it out of her thoughts one way or another, and she was going to be supportive. This isn't how a friend should act, and she was going to make sure she was just as excited as the rest of the girls were. She idly chewed on her apple, and wrapped up the muffin Pinkie had promised to give her. She wandered out in the orchards, and started getting ready for the second half of her duties.

Besides, she thought, The letter will still get to her, and she will tell me everything is alright one way or another. It's best I don't make her feel guilty about leaving us. Just hope I get the letter soon, and it'll be settled once and for all.

Twilight walked up to the Princess, bags under her eyes, and gave her best impression of a pony who has had their best sleep in ages. “Good morning, Princess! How's your morning been so far?” she said in a slight exaggerated tone.

“Good morning, Twilight. My morning has been grand, and I trust your ready for your training today?”

“As ready as ever! I can't wait to learn some new spells. Can we go now?”

“Of course, let's go up to the observatory and we shall begin immediately.”

The trip to the observatory was becoming routine for Twilight, the Princess telling to guards to stay at the base of the staircase, and the long, silent walk up the staircase. When they reached the top, Celestia looked at her oddly, giving her a quizzical look and seemed like she didn't want to say the next words that were about to come out.

“So, have you experienced anything odd, Twilight? Anything at all?”

Twilight again debated on whether or not to tell her about the ghostie, and decided to follow through on her decision earlier, “Nope, nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Good, good. Well, with that out of the way, let's get started. Today you're going to learn a variation of your magic-drain spell, as well as how to incapacitate pegasi. Now, the magic you took out can just as easily be put back into a unicorn, and, eventually, you can give non-unicorns the ability to channel their magic like we can.”

“Non-unicorns have enough magic to channel it like we do?”

“Not necessarily; as you know, other types of ponies have magic as well, just not near enough to channel it and perform spells. It's this magic that allows pegasi to walk on clouds, for instance. However, using Void Magic, we can give them enough magic to allow the channeling to naturally form, and allow them to cast basic level spells.”

Twilight could imagine the implications of such a spell, smiling to herself at letting her friends have enough magic to cast spells. Seeing Rainbow Dash use teleportation spells to go even faster across the skies would give her a chuckle, and Fluttershy would twitch-cast all sorts of spells at the slightest startle, which could be hilarious or disastrous.

“Now, Twilight, first we shall use the same dummy as before, and I want you to give some of your magic away to it. Just do like you did yesterday, and it will come naturally.

Twilight did as she was told, emptying her thoughts, her worries, and focused on summoning the dark forces again. Sure enough, the gnawing nothingness filled her being, her emotions and identity being replaced the dark void that the magic brought. Just as she expected the flash of light to appear, she heard a voice. It sounded like her, but muted, as if she had a pillow across her face. She couldn't tell that the voice was saying, but as the spell continued, the voice became clearer, and deeper, until it sounded like years of smoke inhalation took its toll on her voice. At the last moment, an instant before the blinding light, she heard exactly what it said.

Beware Celestia. Silent and Still.

Chapter Eight

Twilight laid on the ground, her spell successfully giving some of her magic to the dummy, restoring its previous magical form. The distraction caught her off guard when the spell was cast, and the force of the spell knocked her off her hooves. As she tried to regain her composure, Celestia came running to her aid.

“Twilight, are you okay? Are you injured?”

“No, no I'm okay. I just goofed at the end there, still new at this and all...” Twilight clumsily said as she tried to make an excuse other than the truth. The voice, it sounded so much like her, as if she was right in front of herself, screaming it into her ear. It had to have been The Void trying to take control of her; trying to manipulate her, bending her to its will, just like Sombra! Twilight refused to be a pawn for some power she couldn't see. She got up, and took a deep sigh. She assumed her training was over.

“Princess, I heard a voice while casting the spell, and I'm sure it was The Void trying to corrupt me.”

There was a moment of shock in her eyes, but they quickly flickered back to calmness, and she spoke very deliberately, “Are you certain Twilight? What did the voice say?”

“It said 'Beware Celestia, Silent and Still' and it was in my voice, only deeper.”

“I see. Twilight, as much as I hate to do this, we are going to have to cancel your lessons for the day. I want to find out what it was meaning by that. The more you expose yourself to The Void, the more likely it'll be for you to be encountered by these voices. We have all heard them, but yours; yours was the first time it ever addressed anypony by name.”

Twilight felt her stomach twist into knots. Why did it pick her to be the first time it addressed somepony, her natural curiosity told her there had to be a reason, and it couldn't have been good. She had to get back in her room and think things through, since all her events had been wiped clean for the day.

Maybe it thinks you're weaker than the rest

Could it be true? The thought filled her with dread. Do the voices really think she's that easy to take control of? So easy they're trying to go through her to attack the Princess? No, that couldn't be it. She was the best student Celestia had, there was no way that she could be so easily susceptible to its tricks. She wouldn't count herself out so easily either. Why would she think something like that? She wasn't acting like herself at all today. She looked up at Celestia, and saw that she was deep in thought, the worried look on her face giving away that she hadn't thought of a contingency plan for this. Guilt poured into Twilight, and she managed to squeak out an “I'm sorry,” before she slowly turned to walk away from her mentor.

“Wait, Twilight. I do not want you thinking that this is somehow your fault. This is The Void's doing, and I'm afraid they may have something planned for this world, specifically me. Remember what I told you about Discord? How he uses a special type of Void Magic? I think now is the time to explain what he really is.

Discord is a...special creature. When he first rose to power, long before you all put him in captivity, he was stronger than both me and Luna, magically speaking. He was the first time we experienced Void Magic, and we quickly found that our magic was of no use. We knew we had to stop him, but no matter what we did, it failed. He knew this well, and mocked us for our shortcomings. He purposely gave us false hope and supposed 'ways' of stopping him, only to take it all away and laugh at us in the end. He was always one to enjoy games, as you are well aware of. We were nearly out of options, until Discord made one fatal mistake.

He knew we were running out of time, and resources, and so he appeared in front of us, and gave us a mock-pity expression. 'Aww, you poor, poor princesses! Two years passed and you still haven't been able to stop my wonderful chaos! Tell you what, I'll give you a taste of what true power really is!'

And with that, he gave me Void Magic. It was such an..odd sensation. It wasn't like the slow pacing like I'm doing with you, it was a tidal wave hitting me all at once. The emptiness stunned me, the presence of The Void leaving it's mark on my magical aura, and giving me access to indescribable power.

To Discord's power.

And just as soon as he gave it to me, he took it away, like some cruel owner dangling a steak in front of a starving puppy. 'There, didn't that feel nice? Must be a shame not being able to have true power, maybe one day you'll get a fraction of what I can do.' Then he vanished, not a trace of where he was going, and what he was going to do.

Even though he took Void Magic out of me, the mark it left was enough for me to tap into, and I was able to learn exactly what The Void was. Twilight, Discord is from The Void. He uses it like we use normal magic here, and he has a natural ability to use all of its capabilities. The only way we were able to stop him was my will to tap into Void Magic again, and to create the Elements of Harmony, the exact opposite of Discord. Every element has Void Magic embedded in it. Thankfully, it hasn't spread into the wearers, your friends, so we can safely use it to apprehend beings that are beyond the realm of normal magic.

How he got here, I'm still not sure, and even after Fluttershy was able to reform him, he still refuses to talk about The Void, saying it's something 'ponies would never be able to fully comprehend.' I'm not sure what he means by that, but judging by the fact that ponies can be corrupted by the Magic, I'm assuming it has something to do with the fact that The Void is somewhere that ponies can not go to. It's all speculation of course, as all of this has been gleaned from us actually using the magic, and not being able to study it in-depth. However, Discord proves that there are beings that live in The Void, and that they are able to cross into Equestria. Now, I'm afraid they are going to try to invade us once more, and that they are going to try to cut the head off the snake, so to speak. I'm going to put the guards on full alert, and make sure that we are ready, in case something does happen. Twilight, we will have to speed up your training, as much as I am against it. We shall start tomorrow, and I will show you more practical spells.

Be careful Twilight, they are using you as a channel, and they are going to continue to do so. If anything else happens, be sure to let me know. We are going to stop this, one way or another, I can assure you that.”

With that, Celestia walked down the stairs, and Twilight was left to decipher what she could from all this. She tried to wrap her mind around everything as she idly walked down the stairs. As she thought of the ways The Void can reach her, she thought about the unusual thought she had today. Have they been able to act as my thoughts? She pondered on it for a moment, and realized it all made sense. The fact that she argued about telling Celestia about the reflection, and they won as well. She was being used by The Void. There was no doubt now. She rushed out of the tower, and went to her room to figure out someway to fight against them, to fight for her self-control.

Several hours later, Twilight wrote replies to her friends, with a special note for Applejack. AJ always worried about her, and this time, she wanted her to know exactly what was going on. Maybe she would find a way to help them, and stop this. Twilight knew she wouldn't be able to do it alone. As she hoped for a quick reply, she went back into her bathroom, avoiding the mirror that now plagued her conscious. After she got ready for bed, she took a quick glance at the mirror, and, much to her surprise, there was nothing out of the ordinary. It was just her reflection staring back at her. Nothing unusual, nothing weird. She laughed slightly, falling victim to her frayed nerves. She went to bed, and started to sleep, preparing herself for the hard days to come.

A loud shatter pierced through Twilight's slumber, and she leaned up instantly to see where the noise came from. The room was pitch black, a new moon allowing no light to come in through the window. Twilight panicked as she tried to jump out of bed, but something was holding her back, keeping her restrained. She heard hoofsteps slowly coming towards her, and she frantically looked to find out who was invading. As the hoofsteps came closer, she saw an outline forming, and she tried to shriek, but no voice escaped from her mouth.

You. You haven't been following the rules. We need to fix that.

Twilight flung out of the bed, hitting the wall with a deafening crack. She looked up and saw the figure: the purple fur tattered, the mane knotted and dirty, and the horn glowing black as it levitated Twilight in the air.

She saw her reflection come to life, and the same grin it returned the night before. This time, there was no mirror as a barrier to save Twilight from the evil that was staring at her.

Chapter Nine

Applejack woke up to the sounds of birds chirping, a rather common occurrence considering she lived on an orchard. She looked out towards her farm and saw her daily chores ready for her, as always. She had to let that wait though, as she had more important things to take care of. She walked towards her mailbox, and found the letter she was looking for. She hastily went back inside, ripped open the letter, and hoped that Twilight gave her the news she was looking for.

Applejack,

There's something you should know. It's complicated, but the magic I'm learning isn't from our world. It's from a dark, evil place that nopony has ever been before, called The Void. The Princesses have only used it in the most dire of circumstances, and I'm afraid we are going to have to use it again. Princess Celestia believes that beings living in other world will invade Equestria at any given time, and so we have to be on high alert. I may not be able to send anymore letters after this, so I wanted to let you know what was really going on.

I'll try to keep you as updated as I can. Please be safe, and be careful.

I love you all.

Twilight Sparkle

Without hesitation, Applejack started gathering some food, and headed out the door. It was most definitely not the news she was looking for. She knew something was wrong, and she was kicking herself for not acting on it sooner. She needed to find the rest of the girls, and they had to help their friend.

After a few hours, noon was setting in, and Applejack was able to wrangle up the group with relative ease. All of them had somber expressions on their face. They knew how important this trip was, and how difficult it might be to accomplish.

“So, if Canterlot has increased security now, what makes you think they are going to let us walk right in?” Rainbow Dash asked to the impromptu leader.

“Ah dunno, Rainbow, but we have to try something. Ah have a terrible feeling that something bad is gonna happen to Twilight, an' we need to be there to help her. She would do the same for us!”

“Well, we need to have some sort of plan going into this, we can't just barge in” Rainbow countered.

All five ponies thought about a potential plan to save their friend, with nopony stepping up to explain a way. Finally, Fluttershy spoke up.

“You know, we could always just ask them to let us in. I'm sure if they knew the situation, they would let us check up on her.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her with genuine awe, shocked that she would even consider such a ridiculous plan, “Right, I'm sure with potential invaders on the loose, they are just going to let five random ponies waltz right into the Princesses' castle.”

Fluttershy, deflated from the criticism, offered no argument, and replied with silence. Applejack pondered on the thought, and struck an idea, “That might just be good plan after all, let me explain...” After several moments of planning, Applejack was confident enough to depart, “We ain't gonna do no good for Twilight if we just stand here doin' nothing, let's head out!”

With that, they set out towards Canterlot, hoping to help their best friend in any way they could. As the train was barreling its way towards the capital, they just stared at each other, unsure of what they might find. Even Pinkie, normally full of life and energy, kept quiet, the unease in her filling to the brim. They couldn't stand to think of what could happen to Twilight, and that they weren't there when she needed them most. Applejack put a hoof on Pinkie's leg, and gave her a reassuring look. “Don't you worry, we're gonna make sure that we're all in this together. Nothing can stop the Elements, can they?”

Pinkie gave a small smile, and nodded back, “Yeah, nothing can stop us! Besides, Twilight's secret agent magic training will give us all the help we need if something goes wrong. She'll be able to sneak in the shadows, creeping up on the bad guys and-”

Applejack chuckled and let her describe her fantastic telling of Twilight's new spy powers. Everypony needed a small relief from the tension that had formed since they sat down. AJ looked out to the forest, and quietly contemplated just what exactly they were getting themselves into. If nopony has ever been to The Void, then how do we stop them? Using their own craft? If that's the only way, then we only have three ponies who can fight back. I really hope Celestia has taught Twilight well, we'll need every bit of her magic. She looked back over to her best friends, the ones she spent so much time with, ones that she knew virtually everything about, We've never failed before, and there's no reason we would fail now. I know the Elements of Harmony can stop The Void, whatever it is. Just have faith, Applejack. When we meet Twilight, she'll tell us everything we need to know.

As the train slowed to a halt, the ponies were getting ready to head straight to the castle, not wanting to waste any time. They stepped out, and saw the dramatic difference the increased security brought. Guards were everywhere, making sure that every passenger stepping out of the train were official Equestrian citizens. There were patrols set up at nearly every street corner, keeping watchful eyes on the small gatherings that formed throughout the day. It was such a stark contrast from when they visited last time, when the police and military were an invisible presence. Indeed, it seemed as though they were trying to make a statement. Try something, and all of Equestria's military will be thrown at you Applejack silently thought as she stepped out of the station. They casually walked to the front gates, trying not to raise any suspicions, and were greeted with less-than-friendly guards.

“Halt! State your business with the Princesses!”

“We're here for Twilight Sparkle, she requested our assistance an' we wanted to have a word with her,” Applejack said in her most authoritative voice. She wasn't going to let nopony push her around.

“That's impossible, we have strict orders not to let anypony in unless they have written permission from the Princess.”

“Well, ask the Princess then! She knows us all personally! Ah demand that ah see Twilight! You are not gonna keep me from my friend!”

The guard took a step forward in response to the outburst. Applejack knew instantly that she made a horrible mistake, and quickly took a step back. As the guard was going towards the orange mare, Rainbow Dash intercepted him, and got between the two. If the plan hadn't backfired yet, it sure was about to now.

“You so much as touch her, and I will make your life a whole lot more miserable, buddy,” Rainbow Dash said, venom seeping through every word that came out. When they were about to clash, a voice boomed from the castle.

”Enough! I will not have this display anywhere near Canterlot!” It was Celestia, who was obviously not happy by Rainbow's and Applejack's attempts to breach the castle. She walked towards them, and gave the three a stern look, “They are allowed in, only if they agree not to cause any more trouble.”

They both shook their heads meekly, and walked into the Castle, with Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie all following. “So, why did you decide to visit Twilight? Did she contact you in some way?”

“We just wanted to check up on her secret agent training!” Pinkie Pie was happy to fill in for Applejack's horrible lying, although, she had a feeling Pinkie wasn't lying on purpose, “We were just wondering where you're gonna station her at! But you might not want to tell us, because then that would blow her cover, and then she would have to cut ties with Equestria and become a rogue agent, and-”

“Pinkie, Twilight's not becoming a secret agent. However, the reason why she is here is top secret. That's why I was startled to see you all here.” Celestia tried to get a real answer out of the other four, to no avail.

“We were just worried about Twilight is all,” Applejack said, trying to bend the truth, “an' we were just checking up on her. Is she around, by any chance?”

“Why yes, she's in her room, I'll let you all visit her while I get things ready for her training. She will have to report as soon as I'm done with more urgent matters, so you'll have to excuse her when it's time.”

The five ponies agreed, and were escorted to Twilight's room. Unease flooded into Applejack, and with every step added a new knot into her stomach. She couldn't imagine what kind of stress she was going through, and if she was going to be happy they were there at all, since they were technically uninvited. They opened the door and stepped in, and saw Twilight staring into a broken mirror. She turned to see all her best friends at her side again, and she let out a gasp. “Girls, you're all here! I can't believe this!” Twilight squealed. They all came together for a huge hug, and all of Applejack's worries washed away, with Twilight's embrace replacing it with relief.

“Ah'm so glad you're okay, Twilight, ah was afraid something happened to you. We're here to help you any way we can. Can I just ask you somethin' first?”

“Of course Applejack! Ask away!”

“Why were you starin' at a broken mirror?”

Twilight's eyes widened slightly, as if she didn't know what to say, as if they were slightly mad for even asking a question like that. After a brief moment, a grin washed over face, and she gave a reply as she walked past the ponies, chuckling as she said it.

“Sometimes, you don't need a mirror to see your reflection.”

Chapter Ten

Nothing.

That was all Twilight could felt. She never felt a sensation, or lack thereof, in all her life. It was completely sterile, like being in a test tube, just floating aimlessly. She strained to find something in the sea of nothingness, to no avail. She flailed her legs wildly, but she felt no wind coming off, no natural resistance to her movements. She screamed at the top of her lungs, but her voice did not come. She was stuck in a vacuum, and there was no way of getting out.

A visitor? It's been too long, 1000 years too long! The voice resonated through Twilight's body, not really heard as much as felt, the first feeling since she arrived here.

Twilight Sparkle, the star pupil of Princess Celestia, the supposed heir to the throne. How is it that such a talented pony like you end up here?

She tried to think of her last moments, the reflection - Oh Celestia, she couldn't bear to think of it again - that thing must have taken her here, but she needed to figure where exactly "here" was.

You don't seem to be quite used to this place yet, don't worry, we can fix that!"

Out of the nothingness, came a purple aura, and it flowed towards Twilight, surrounding her. The numbness that had overcame her vanished, and her senses came rushing back. She was standing on top of a hill, and in the distance, her familiar tree, standing tall and proud just how it's always been. Something was off though; she couldn't quite put her hoof on it, but she knew that something didn't feel right. It was Ponyville, with the bakery, Applejack's orchard, and the rows of buildings that made up the inner city, but it wasn't her Ponyville.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

After all that you've been through, all you can say is two little questions? You of all people should have figured it all out by now.

She looked around, and she noticed eyes staring at her, the silhouette bodies barely visible. Venom shot out of their accusing stares, showing no kindness for the stranger that had invaded their land. The buildings started melting away, fire starting to slowly engulf the town, the sky turning red with chaos. She knew where she was, and her worst nightmares are starting to come true. She turned and ran as fast as she could, anywhere to get away from the dark reality facing her.

My dear, welcome to The Void.

Applejack had been wanting to get Twilight alone ever since she came to Canterlot, and now, with them walking together in the courtyard, she would be finally able to get some answers.

"So, Twilight, about your letter; you said there could be an invasion going on?"

"I don't know why I would say something like that, seems kind of silly, don't you think?" Twilight laughed, almost the complete opposite of her ominous tone in her letters.

"Yeah, I guess, this place is so well guarded, ah don't see why anypony would try to invade."

"Yes, nopony would ever try, it's a good thing us ponies have it good around here."

"Still though, you wrote it to me, an' you didn't seem like you were joking, Twi. Are you sure there's nothing you wanna tell me about those letters?"

Twilight turned towards AJ, her gaze unflinching towards her, "You just need to forget about those letters. My time here has been very stressful, and what I said in those letters was just me cracking under pressure. You don't need to worry about anything. Honestly, you better off going back home, and taking the girls with you."

AJ just stood there, shocked about what she heard. Twilight had never used that tone of voice with her, or anypony for that matter. What exactly was the Princess teaching her? This magic was changing Twilight, and it was something definitely worth worrying about.

"I need to meet with Celestia now, go on and pack your things, and I'll make sure my letters are a little less worrisome. Thank you for visiting, and I'll be back before you know it." There was no happy, relieving tone in her voice, and when she turned to go into the tower, Applejack could swear she saw her pupils change color, just for a split second, causing AJ to do a double take, and she knew she had to help her friend, whether she was willing to receive help or not.

Yeah, packing my things is the last thing I plan on doing. I'll have to have meeting with the Princess myself, Applejack thought as she walked into the main hall, determined to find out what exactly was going on. She went into Twilight's room, and started to investigate, making sure not to pry too much into her belongings. She knew Twilight wouldn't lie about something as serious as an invasion, and the knots she felt coming here were starting to return. After a few minutes of finding nothing, she turned towards Twilight's washroom, and she noticed the broken mirror, the same one Twilight was staring into when they arrived. She walked in front of the mirror, and she couldn't help but feel like something was calling her. She felt a sense of dread, something in her kicking and screaming, telling her to run, to get out of there as soon as possible and tell somepony, but she just stood, staring at the fragments of reflections that looked back at her. She had never seen a reflection of herself like this before, it was like she was staring at a completely different pony. It couldn't be real, she had to be imagining things. She raised her hoof, and went to touch one of the reflections. She couldn't resist the urge, she had to just find out if it was really her reflection. As the distance closed, the images smiled wickedly, its eyes filling with hatred, the warped image covering the glass. Just before her hoof pressed against the glass-

"Applejack! I found out where they hide all the cupcakes for dinner, and the baker said we can have as many as we want!" Pinkie's voice jolted Applejack out of her trance, and the Applejack in the mirror was her own again. She turned to look at Pinkie, jumping up and down at the thought of never-ending cupcakes.

"Okay, Pinkie, let's go eat some cupcakes." She smiled as she walked alongside the pink mare. She started thinking about the insidious mirror that she was leaving behind. It had a life of its own, and she had to find out what it did to Twilight, or what it could have done to her. She couldn't let the others know about it, she couldn't risk putting their lives in danger if they looked inside. The Princess had to know what this was all about, and maybe she would fill her in on what The Void was capable of or help her find out what's going on with Twilight, if nothing else.

The mirror flashed and aura swirled around its broken edges. The portal was gaining strength, and every pane of glass showed a different set of sadistic smiles, waiting to claw their way out of their world. It was only a matter of time now, and soon, nothing would be able to stop them.