As the sun rose over Camp Everfree and the forest, it's warm bright glow washed over the turtles making them rise and shine, "Morning." Leo yawned.
"Five more minutes," Mikey rolled over, only to get kicked by Raph, and woke up, "I'm awake!"
"Well, that wasn't a bad camp out." Donnie admitted.
"Yeah considering Mikey's snoring." Raph motioned to the silly turtle.
"Hey! I do not snore!"
"You sounded like a fog horn!" Raph shot at him.
"Guy's, it's too early for this." Donnie rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"Donnie's right," Leo agreed, "Come on, we should get close to camp and see how everyone's doing." After folding their blankets, the turtles put them and their pillows in a tree trunk where no one would find them. They then started their way back to the camp grounds.
Meanwhile in the Sapphire Tent, Twilight was tossing and turning in her sleep, while deep in her mind was dreaming she was back at the campfire at night roasting a marshmallow, until a familiar voice spoke to her, "Here I am," Twilight looked around nervously seeing no one in sight, "Over here," Twilight up looking terrified as the flames of the bonfire turned purple and emerging from it was Twilight's dark half from the Friendship Games, Midnight Sparkle, "I'm always here!" she tried to grab Twilight.
In the waking world, Twilight cried, "No!"
Sunset hearing Twilight's scream, jumped out of bed and got into a ninja stance ready to attack, "What happened?" she asked having not fully woken up yet.
Twilight sat up in bed, "Nothing. Sorry, Sunset."
Sunset rubbed the sleep out of her eyes allowing her to see Twilight's bed and several other things surrounding her were floating in the air, "Uh, Twilight, I think something happened."
Twilight seeing what she was doing yelped, as everything fell back to the ground with a thud. When Spike's bed fell to the floor, Spike woke up sounding cranky, "Is it time to get up already?" he turned around and fell back to sleep.
Sunset spoke to Twilight, "Twilight, I said nothing to the turtles or the others about this yesterday, but I think we really have to talk to the others about it."
"No, we don't." Twilight denied, as she looked away in worry. Sunset not wanting to push buttons so early let it slide, as they got ready for their second day at camp.
Later on, as the campers were out and about engaging in various activities. The turtles kept hidden in the bushes, where only April, Casey, Karai, and Shini could see them, "How was last night, guys?" April asked the turtles.
"It was all right." Donnie answered.
"Didn't run into any monsters out there, did ya?" Casey teased.
"Very funny." Raph scowled.
"Did you sleep ok?" Leo asked Karai and Shini.
"Uh-huh. Best sleep I had in a long time." Karai admitted.
"For being rustic, the beds were quite comfortable." Shini admitted.
"I had to wear ear plugs through the night, cause Trixie was sleep ranting about herself." April groaned.
"How's your bunk mate, Casey?" Mikey asked.
"Flash is an ok dude. Though like Timber he acts like such a ladies man." Casey explained with annoyance.
"Better you don't mention Timber around Leo here." Raph joked, making Leo glare at him.
"Raph!"
"Why's Timber a touchy subject?" Casey asked.
"Because Leo's..." Mikey began only for Leo to stomp on his foot, "OW!"
"It's nothing." Leo replied.
"Are you ok, Leo?" Karai asked.
"Never been better." he answered, while trying to preserve what jealousy he had.
"Uh-huh," April answered, knowing what was up but decided to say nothing, "Come on, guys. Plenty of camp stuff to do." so the four left the turtles, as Leo turned to Raph and Mikey.
"What're you guys trying to do?"
"Just thought if we got your jealousy out in the open you'd have nothing to hide from anyone." Mikey answered.
"Just put a lid on the whole thing, all of you." Leo warned them. He went on to get closer and scope out the camp some more with his brothers following.
Down by the docks where several campers were gathered, Sunset spoke to Twilight, "Hey, I know you don't want to, but I really think we need to figure out what's going on with your magic. If you could learn to control it..."
Twilight cut her off, "But that's just it! I'll never be able to control it!"
"Don't say that, Twilight. Maybe April can help you. After all she uses telekinesis too." Sunset reminded her.
"April is psychic. My problem is magic. They're both two different things."
"But they still work the same with proper control." Sunset reasoned with her.
"I don't know, Sunset." Twilight sighed, until they heard a crash.
Everyone looked over seeing a boat had crashed into the edge of the dock damaging it. The two campers Sandalwood and Derpy were helped out of the water, "What happened?" Rainbow asked, while coming over with Bishop, April, Karai, Shini, and Casey.
Twilight looked in shock at what happened, "I didn't mean too!" she was cut off by Sunset not wanting them to think it was Twilight.
"We didn't see anything, so we don't know what happened." they went over to the campers, as Bishop spoke to Sandalwood.
"Are you two ok?"
"Yeah, Scout Master," Sandalwood began, "It was so weird. We were stuck in a middle of the lake with no wind, then all of a sudden, bam! The wind picked up, and we were pushed right into the dock."
"That's weird," April said suspiciously, "Wind doesn't just pick up like that."
"Especially one strong enough to make a boat cause a crash like this." Karai motioned to the damage.
Pinkie Pie gasped, "You don't think it was the spirit, do you?!"
Twilight hearing this said sadly to herself, "No. It was me." she walked off.
Trixie taking Pinkie's words to heart announced, "Spirit, show yourself! The Great and Powerful Trixie commands it!"
Many gave Trixie a dry look, as Shini spoke, "I don't think any spirit's going to show itself that easy."
"What's that?" Rarity gasped.
Everyone looked down into the water seeing a trail of sparkling glitter coming right form the boat, "Hmm. Interesting." Bishop said, as he looked at the glitter.
The students looked at the damage dock feeling bummed, "Oh, man! All our hard work! Ruined!" Rainbow groaned.
Fluttershy replied, while looking at the fish, "At least the fishies are eating well."
"Let's salvage what we can out of the water. Maybe we can still fix this." Sunset ordered.
Rarity answered, "We have to try! Camp Everfree needs a runway!"
"Dock." April corrected her.
"Dock. Yes. That's what I meant." Rarity replied.
Twilight seeing all that was happening left her sad, as she ran for the forest. As the turtles saw her, Leo called out, "Twilight!" but she didn't stop, "I'm going after her." Leo said, as he followed Twilight into the woods.
Twilight ran deep into the woods before stopping. She sighed feeling whatever magic inside of her was the cause of the phenomenon at the dock. She walked into a forest clearing, where the sun's light shined down through the trees. She sat on a log before a small pond,with a miniature waterfall. While the area was surrounded by beautiful plants and trees, Twilight was too sad to appreciate it. Unaware to her, Leo had been hiding among the trees and looked down seeing Twilight sad as she began to sing.
It used to be so simple
It was a world I understood
I didn't know what I didn't know
And life seemed pretty good
Twilight looked at her reflection in the pond. At first at all she could see was herself, until she saw the wings of Midnight Sparkle behind her connected to her back. She looked behind her, just to be sure they weren't there, which they weren't.
But now the darkness rises
From somewhere deep inside of me
Her power overtakes me
Can I keep this midnight from getting free?
Leo watched Twilight with concern, having never seen her like this at all. Even while they were out in space she didn't look like she was experiencing such problems or looked so sad. Twilight stepped into the suns light trying to be warmed by it.
If I can stay with the light
I know I'll be free
And I can start to be whole
I can start to be me
But instead I am struggling
With all that I see
And these friends
Mustn't see the midnight in me!
The midnight in me!
Gazing at her reflection, she saw Midnight Sparkle again. She closed her eyes tightly, but not even that helped her forget the creature she once was. She swiped the waters with her hand, completely erasing the image and she revered back to her old self again. But it changed nothing. The demon was still a part of Twilight.
They mustn't see the midnight in me...
Leo having had enough of watching his friend be frightened of herself, had to step in. He walked out into the open alerting her, "Twilight."
"Leo? How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to know you're being haunted by shadows of your past."
"You heard me?" she asked.
"I did. But I want to know why you're so scared?"
"I can't say it, Leo." Twilight turned away from him.
"Twilight."
"No! The less you know the better!" Twilight cried, not wanting one of her friends to get hurt.
She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, and saw Leo sitting down on the log at her side, "Twilight, trust me. I'm your friend. And friends help each other."
Twilight seeing the warmth of Leo's words sighed, "All right. I've been having these dreams lately about myself as Midnight Sparkle."
"The same being you turned into during the Friendship Games?" Leo asked, and Twilight nodded, "But that event was months ago. How come you're experiencing it now?"
"I don't know. But I keep dreaming about becoming her again and hurt all those I care about. The girls, you and the other turtles. Everyone. And lately I've been able to levitate things with my mind."
"Levitate, like you're psychic?"
"No. It's not psychic, it's magic. And I fear it's Midnight Sparkle trying to break free."
"That's insane, Twilight." Leo replied in disbelief.
"It's not insane. What happened at the dock, that was no doubt because of the magic inside me!" she cried.
"You can't honestly believe that, Twilight."
"What am I supposed to believe, Leo?" Twilight asked feeling at wits end.
Leo sighed, "Twilight. Believe me I know where you're coming from."
"You do?"
"Of course. As leader I'm always responsible for what happens to my brothers. Whatever choices I make for the team good or bad will be on me. When I went out to try and take on the Triceratons by myself, that almost cost me my life because I was being stubborn and bitter about Fugitoid telling us the truth. I even went behind my brothers backs by helping Karai and Shini take down Shredder's empire from the shadows, and that got Donnie seriously hurt. But after the Kraang invasion while we were recovering at April's family farm I spent three months in a coma. And when I woke up I sustained damage to my leg which I let hold me back. I began doubting myself thinking I would never be the same again, but I realized the pain I was experiencing was all in my head. Like I was making an excuse to not get better. Once I overcame that I was able to walk again and lead my team back to New York so we could take it back from the Kraang."
"Whoa." Twilight gasped.
"So believe me, I know what you're going through, Twilight. But know this, you have many friends here, counting the Rainbooms, April, Casey, Master Splinter, Karai, Shinigami, my brothers, and even me. You're not alone in this."
Then Twilight started getting a little teary eyed and wrapped her arms around Leo in a tight embrace, "Thank you, Leo. I'm so glad I have a friend aside from Sunset Shimmer looking out for me."
Leo smiled, and returned the embrace, "You're welcome, Twilight." The two remained that way before breaking, "So you going to go back to camp now?"
"Not just yet. I think I need some time out here to relax and cool off." she answered.
"I understand. If you need me, I'll be watching from the shadows so you won't be alone." Leo said, as he retreated to the shadows of the forest.
Twilight smiled, as she looked back at her reflection in the water seeing herself and just herself. She thought to herself with positivity, 'Maybe I can conquer my inner demons.' she walked out into the forest, as Leo shadowed her.