//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 // Story: Internal Darkness // by Silver Sorcerer //------------------------------// Disclaimer: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and all associated characters, settings and stories are the rightful subjects of Hasbro, the HUB, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. Chapter 21 "I'm so disappointed in you, Magicon." "Me? What did I do?" "What didn't you do?" "I've done nothing wrong." "You've done everything wrong." "How can you say that?" "Because it's the truth." "You don't even know me." "I know you more than you'll ever know." "Who…who are you?" "You know who I am." "You're not the pony I know you to be." "The pony you thought I was has changed. That pony is long gone, just like your innocence and purity. You have fallen so far." "What are you, some kind of god?" "Heavens no. But I don't need god-like powers to see how low you have come." "Low? I've done good with my actions. I've ended a tyrannical rule-" "And started another one with you as its leader." "I am modernizing Equestria. I am open to reform. I can change." "You may appear to change on the outside but your inside will always be the same. You reject the real hope and love of ponies." "Not true. I have Littlemore, Fresh Mint, Garden Hedge, and Trim Tam." "They're friends to you, you don't love them." "I don't need to love my friends." "Then you are denying yourself of the magic of friendship." "Ha! The magic of friendship! What kind of bull is that?" "Something you will never understand." "I don't need this. I'm leaving." "No, I don't think you want to do that. You can't seem to forget me anyways." "…Look, what I did was wrong and cruel, but it was an accident. I never meant to hurt you." "I know, but I can't forgive you." "How can you say that?" "Because it's the truth." "How can you be that pony I loved and have changed so much?" "Because you've changed yourself. Ever since that night you were put on this path and you always chose to stay on it. You never left, you never diverted, and you lost your true self." "This is my true self." "Then you are not the pony I wanted you to be." "I am Ruler of Equestria, am I not?" "I never wanted that for you. I just wanted you to do good in Equestria, not evil." "Well, I'm sorry I didn't meet your expectations." "You really are heartless." "Not heartless, soulless." "…I…can't believe I'm saying this but I don't love you, son." "I don't need your love! I don't need you! Get out! Get out! GET OUT!" Magicon jumped up in a cold sweat. The sheets flew off of him as she sat up in his bed. He put a hoof to his head and stared wildly around the room. His breathing was rapid and as his sense returned to him he realized it had only been a dream. "I…can't…believe I had a dream like that. I've never had anything like that before. Why was she acting like that? I never argued with mother, other than that…one time. Oh, it was a recreation of that one time and look how that ended. Mother, I don't know if you're listening or even paying attention to me anymore, but I know that wasn't you in that dream. You were always kind and compassionate. I don't know what you think of me now but I want you to know that I still love you and father too. I wonder if he's still alive even, or has he joined you wherever you are." Sighing, Magicon climbed out of bed and looked out his window. The rain had ceased and a few patches of clouds filled the night sky. The moon shone clearly illuminating the mansion and the grounds. "At least that worked correctly," he said to himself. "Still, nopony actually celebrated my work and dedication. But I suppose they expected their faithful and good ruler to raise the sun and moon. Plus Luna's death and small funeral dampened everything, so it makes sense. Still, my name at least will enter the history books and that's what counts. "I should probably get back to bed. Fresh would want me to get a full night's rest, but I don't know if I can go back to sleep after that dream. It was so dark; I couldn't even see my muzzle. I didn't even see her, I just recognized her voice and it didn't even truly sound like her. Yet I haven't had a dream with her for years. Why now and why here?" "Sounds like somepony is a little paranoid," said a mare's voice behind him. Magicon didn't bother to turn around; he knew who the voice belonged to. "What are you doing here?" "I wouldn't want to miss one of my own spectacular nights with my favorite advisor." "Don't play dumb with me. I know you know what happened to you. You think I'm a monster for what I did." "My sister would, I don't. I think you're confused. All your life you've followed one path without any thought to any of the other choices before you. You were locked into a future that was already chosen for you, not one you could choose for yourself. Now that you have the freedom to choose you're conflicted between your loyalty to the cause or ruling Equestria." Magicon was silent for a while as he closed his eyes and thought. "You're right, Luna. But what am I going to do?" "Choose." "Choose?" "Correct. You now have choices you can make; make the right ones, not for yourself but for Equestria." "I don't know if I can do it." "Trust me, you can. You can commit and get away with murder. You can make the choice." "Speaking of which and just so you know, I didn't kill you for personal reasons, I-" Luna cut him off, "I know, Magicon. I know and I forgive you for it. Let the madness stop with you. You can be the pony to end it. Save Princess Cadance and save yourself." "I…I…" Magicon turned around to see that nopony was behind him. No Luna, no voice, and no presence of her at all other than her moonlight which shined throw the windows. "I really am going crazy. I just need some more sleep. My mind is playing tricks on me. I just need to rest. It'll be better in the morning." Once again, Magicon climbed back into bed and under the warm sheets as sleep overcame him. He was out before he knew it. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ "Is he up yet?" asked Fresh Mint as she drank from her tea. "Not yet," answered Littlemore as he bit a piece of his toast. The two were seated in the morning room having a small breakfast. The sun had risen and its beautiful rays completely brightened the room. "So, what did you do to him last night?" asked Littlemore. "Just some scrubbing and healing with my different potions and lotions." "Did it work?" "He looked better but I told him he needed rest in order for it to work completely. Hopefully he took my advice and didn't practice his magic." "I don't think he practiced last night. I didn't feel any magic go through the mansion so I assume he slept." "Let's hope so. I have to wash his cape too." "You managed to get the cape away from its owner? Good job." "It helps when the owner has to look like a ruler everyday." "Very true." "He's going to have to return to Canterlot today." "I wish he could stay longer. This mansion certainly isn't the same without him." They heard hoofsteps coming down the hallway and both looked at each other, silenced themselves, and waited to see who the pony was. Through the doorway strode Magicon, his flank exposing his silver cutie mark. The cuts and bruises over his face and upper body had faded considerably. Even his black eye had healed significantly. He didn't look perfect, but much better than he did the day before. He smiled at the two servants and joined them at the table for some breakfast. "Good morning, guys." "Good morning, Magicon. It looks like you took my advice," said Fresh. "Yes, I did and it worked wonderfully. I feel so much better." "You look much better too," remarked Littlemore. "Thank you and might I say what a beautiful effect the sunlight has on this room." The two servants looked at each other with confused glances. "Umm…Magicon, wasn't that a little…random?" asked Fresh. "Possibly, but we are in the morning room after all. Sunlight is meant to shine here. It must've been so dark during those two days without the sun." "Well, yes, but we managed," said Littlemore. "And you know why the sun or moon wasn't up?" "Yes, we do and we know you raised them both." "Yes, I did. A little appreciation would be nice," he grumbled as he began helping himself to some tea and pieces of toast. "Oh, yes, splendid job, Magicon," said Littlemore. "It is pure perfection. We thank you so much," added Fresh. "Indeed. Now the rest of Equestria must thank me." "Uhh…Magicon, you do realize that the sun and moon are up and that issue is finished, don't you?" "Of course, but I like to be reminded of what will probably become my greatest success." "Did you hit your head last night or something?" asked Fresh. "What? No. What in Equestria gave you that idea?" "Well, it's just that you seem a little…off this morning." "Well, I'm sorry if I don't meet the requirements that you expect of me," Magicon said half-sarcastically and half-curtly. "Magicon, we have no requirements of you," said Littlemore. "You are our master and we live to serve you." "Then why aren't you just acting like your normal selves?" "Because you aren't," said Fresh bluntly. "Fresh! Watch your tongue!" scolded Littlemore to his wife. "There, there, Magicon. Ignore what my wife said. You are normal, just like you should be." Magicon's ears dropped and he stared down at his plate for a few moments before mumbling, "Yeah, normal." "Pardon?" "Normal, what does that even mean? Am I average? Am I not special? Am I just like everypony?" "Oh course not, Magicon. You are special, unique really. You are the Ruler of all of Equestria, a role that nopony has filled in more than a millennium." "I never had a normal foalhood, either," said Magicon seeming to ignore Littlemore's comforting and reassuring words. "I…I…really can't answer that, Magicon." "Yes you can. You were here when I first arrived and you know everything about me. Now, please, give me a straight answer." Littlemore gave an uneasy glance to Fresh Mint who returned it. They weren't sure if they should be honest or just lie to him. Making a decision, Littlemore sighed. "Fine, Magicon. No, you didn't have a normal foalhood." "That's what I thought and do you think I ever had any choices presented to me when I was brought here." "No. Everything was chosen for you." "Exactly." "Magicon, why are you asking me this? Did something happen last night?" "No, nothing happened. I…just had a bad dream." "Oh, Magicon. You mustn't let bad dreams get to you. You'll go crazy if you do," said Fresh Mint. "I think I already am crazy." "No, Magicon. You're not crazy by any means." "Fresh is right. You're a good pony and have done good things for yourself and Equestria and you'll continue that streak for many years to come," reassured Littlemore. "You really think so?" "Believe me, Magicon. We know you better than anypony. We've seen you in your high points and in your low points. You are strong and determined. You can do anything when you put your mind to it." "Yeah, I guess that's true." "You guess? It's a fact of life. You are a good unicorn. No, not good, great. Not many ponies would have the courage and skill to not only take up the reigns of one princess but both and manage their affairs beautifully and then be able to permanently fix the sun and moon cycle. You'll go down in the history books as a great hero." "Yeah, a great hero. I am one," said Magicon with growing confidence. "Yes you are," encouraged Littlemore. "Nopony has ever done what I've done. You're right Littlemore; I will be remembered for what I've done. My greatness will go down in history," said Magicon in a fully confident and somewhat arrogant statement. "That's the spirit." "Thank you, Littlemore." "You're welcome, Magicon." "And thank you, Fresh Mint." "You're welcome, Magicon." "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have magic I need to improve." He rose from his seat and began heading towards the doorway. "Now, Magicon, don't let this go to your head," warned Fresh as he walked out the door. "I won't, Fresh. I promise," said Magicon as he walked up the stairs to his room. Looking back at her husband Fresh said, "He's gone into his arrogance again." "It's better than staying in his depression." "I guess, but let's hope he doesn't go massacring ponies." "Fresh darling, we both know Magicon is not capable of murder." "I don't know. He has changed since we last saw him." "It's probably the stress. He did come back after all to wind down." "Yeah, it's probably that." "You worry too much." "Yeah…" "Look, Magicon heads back to Canterlot today. The least we can do is be supportive and be like the family he never had." "You're right, dear. Speaking of which I better return to mending his cape." Fresh rose and left the room leaving Littlemore to clean up. He didn't know what his wife was thinking but he knew that she was suspicious of Magicon. They usually got along so well, but now something was amiss. His wife hadn't changed, he knew that. Then it was Magicon who had. Though in what way remained a mystery to Littlemore. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Magicon returned to his room and quickly went to his bookshelf. Amongst the various pieces of literature lay an old and thick book. Telekinetically grabbing it Magicon brought it in front of him. He was glad he had brought it from Canterlot. He couldn't leave it there. While his main room was being repaired the maids would clean his temporary room and discover it and he couldn't risk a discovery. It was just safer to keep it with him at all times. Still holding the book, Magicon grabbed a second, much smaller one with a purple cover. On the title in gold letters it read, "Historical Spells Incantations for the Advanced Unicorn". With his two books Magicon left his room and made his way down the hallway and through entrance hall until he reached a small closest. Opening the door, Magicon saw that it was empty. Stepping into it and closing the door behind him, Magicon was in complete darkness. Setting his books down on the center the floor Magicon's horn glowed and saw the trigger mechanism on the side of the door. Telekinetically triggering it Magicon felt the floor give way and fall beneath him. It wasn't a rapid freefall, but it would scare unsuspecting ponies. For Magicon it was his unusual commute to his most secret room. As the unique elevator reached the bottom Magicon set it down gently and, grabbing his books, telekinetically lit the candles in this subterranean basement. The candles responded and light filled the room. The walls were of rough rock and the floor was composed of a polished stone. The ceiling was twenty feet above him and stalactites hung from its uneven surface. Candles and candelabras were scattered about the room. A few rose towards the ceiling, part of their permanent spell to do so when lit while others simply floated around the room in a circular motion. Still others remained stationary and silently cast their light upon the room. Wooden tables and chairs lined the walls and bookshelves with old and dusty books accenting them. Magical artifacts, both large and small, were scattered about the room and in the center sat a large black cauldron with a music stand right behind it. Putting the purple book on a side table and setting the aged book down on the stand, Magicon closed his eyes and inhaled the dusty aroma of the room. Only he and Red-Blood's followers had used this room and it was in this darkness that a few actually succeeded in their missions. But Magicon did not succeed in here. He only used this room for practice and that's what his purpose was now. Opening his eyes, he headed over to a cabinet and extracted half-a-dozen bottles containing various liquids. Telekinetically starting the fire beneath the cauldron, Magicon poured the liquids into the black abyss, slowly filling it. Opening his book he found the page and began reading the instructions. Carefully following them, Magicon poured more liquids and a few black and purple what-could-be-called rocks into the cauldron. Within minutes it was three-quarters filled and bubbling, hot steam rising from its surface. It had no aroma but the fire beneath it filled the basement with the smell of smoke, which escaped thanks to a small pipe heading to the surface. Reading over the incantation, Magicon mumbled the words to himself to make sure they were correct. When he was satisfied he shouted the incantation and the cauldron obeyed, its liquid contents now jumping and dancing to the words. With a malicious grin, Magicon went to the cabinet once more and pulled out a fragment of a mirror. He saw a tiny reflection of himself and stared at it with cold, unemotional eyes. Dropping it into the solution and saying the final words, the cauldron reacted and the liquid shot up towards the ceiling throwing Magicon back and sending the book flying across the room. Running for it, Magicon just managed to save it and take a deep breath before looking back at the cauldron. The fire had died down and the liquid had disappeared, leaving only a circular mirror in the cauldron. Telekinetically lifting it, Magicon saw that it was still steaming from its new creation so he gently set it down on the cold floor. Checking his book to make sure he had done everything correctly, Magicon hoped that the mirror he created would be the right one. Seeing that it had cooled down Magicon lifted it with his hooves and leaned against the legs of one of the tables. He saw his full reflection in it, clearer than any mirror he had ever used. Even his minor details couldn't be hidden from it. "Show me the knight," he commanded in his true deep voice. The mirror obeyed and its image no longer showed a reflection but an image of Shining Armor in his cell. He looked cold, disgusting, starving, and chained. He was lying down on the filthy floor, but Magicon was unsure whether he was awake or asleep. Magicon saw no emotion in Shining Armor, nor did he feel any in himself. Too much bitterness and hatred had come between them. Any love or even likeness for each other that might have been there was now extinguished. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you, Shining, but it won't be pretty for you oh-so-special stallion." Satisfied with the image Magicon decided to check up on other ponies to see where they were. "Show me the princess." With a swirl of magic the image changed to show Princess Cadance with a very worried expression sitting in her chariot. "Hmm…I wonder where she's going. I haven't heard from her in a few days. Hopefully, everything's alright. Show me the student." The mirror obeyed and showed Twilight Sparkle and her five friends walking through the snow in some distant forest. They looked a little tired, but they were silent as they kept walking. "Ah, so they did find her and it looks like they're coming back. Well, good. I'm glad they found her. I can use-" A new thought suddenly popped into Magicon's head. "If they return to Canterlot, they're going to ask about Shining Armor. Twilight is Shining's sister; she'll be very concerned and will want the truth from me. It won't be hard lying to her but I can't afford a mishap. If Twilight discovers what happened to Shining she'll not only try to stop me but also free Shining Armor, learn the truth, warn Princess Cadance, and Celestia knows what else. She must not know the truth, or her friends. They're bond is so strong and it can't remain that way. They are the Elements of Harmony, the most powerful objects and ponies in all of Equestria. Though I am convinced the Elements can't be used against normal ponies, I don't want to be the first to test that idea." Running over to his library, he grabbed a book he knew that would give him answers to his questions about the Elements, "The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide". Skimming through the pages Magicon said, "Let's see, let's see. Ah, here we go. The Elements of Harmony were created using the most powerful and ancient of magic's: the Magic of Friendship. Bah! Disgusting! The magic is so strong that it cannot be destroyed. Well, that puts a damper on things. But wait a minute, what about separation?" Flipping through more pages Magicon saw nothing on the subject. "Perfect. The Elements of Harmony may not be destroyed but that doesn't mean their bearers cannot be changed. Memory erasing is too cumbersome and too obvious to do. They memories are never really erased anyway. A petrifaction curse can be overcome with a healing curse and death is too much right now. But permanent separation, that can work. In order for the Elements to work anyway, all of them need to be present. If even one is missing the rest will fail. Perfect. I know exactly what to do from here and it won't require an ounce of magic. It will only take time and keeping a close eye on the six, easy enough when you are the Prince of Equestria. Twilight Sparkle and friends, prepare yourselves for new lives." He let out a full evil laugh to himself. He had a new goal and a new apprentice who was coming right to him. Everything was turning out to be even more than he ever hoped or dreamed of. He didn't have to make a choice between right and wrong, he could do both. He would do both. He would be both the Prince of Equestria and the Lord of Darkness.