//------------------------------//
// When The Twilight Gets Dimmer 
// Story: When The World Bets Against You 
// by Tie RoamingHooves 
//------------------------------//

    I had my tongue sticking out of my mouth in concentration as I masterfully manipulated the stone with my totally alien appendage. They were much like Spikes claws but not as sharp or scaly. I'm kinda glad I did this because I do feel a bit better.

“... And... done.” I say to nopony in particular. I crawled backwards despite the pain warnings being sent to my brain so I could get a better look at what I’ve done. I regretted that decision immediately. Scratched into the stone in white was a crudely, but somewhat beautifully,  drawn picture of my library and my friends. Spike and I stood in front while Rainbow Dash flew overhead. I was flanked by Applejack on my immediate right, who was doing her trademarked leg cross thing, and Rarity on my left, who was levitating a gem of some sort. To the far right, Pinkie Pie lied on top of a surprised Fluttershy who was just on the receiving end of a tackle-hug. To my far left, flew Owlicious holding a book in his talons. This mural took the better half of what I would guess was four or five hours to do... and it served to depress me further.

I slumped down and started to cry silently. I wept for myself. I wept for my friends. And I wept for Spike. Then a realization hit me. If the princess would find out what she had done to me... well... never mind. She wouldn’t care. I’m not exactly worth the trouble. Heck... maybe her choosing me as her personal student was just part of some elaborately cruel joke. For all I know, that could be the case. She has the power time and money to do so. She obviously isn’t afraid to get her hooves dirty or at least have my own brother get his hooves dirty. She’s never shown her face to me except for a single time after this happened. Ever since that... thing... trapped me in this body. Princess Celestia wanted me to be killed on the spot... until she noticed my hair on the clothes the creature was wearing... the clothes I was wearing. When I tried to defend my self and tell her it was me, she gagged me. How would she be so cruel and indifferent? Why?

She even... turned my own friends against me. Fluttershy seemed to be the only one willing to stand up to me but she shot down her argument before she could give one. Maybe Princess Celestia isn’t the kind and gentle ruler she is made out to be... maybe she isn’t the pony I thought she was.

It hurts... I can’t stop thinking... It just hurts so much. I know its the truth but I want no part of it. I just want things to go back to the way they were. I only want to go back home with Spike asking me for a break and always being jealous of Owlicious. Home... the place where I would read for hours on end and where ponies came to borrow and return books. The place where ponies who didn’t even know me threw a party for me only out of the kindness of their hearts and where wacky things would happen every others Tuesday.

Just.... why does it have to be me? How did I come to this? Just a few weeks ago I was happy. I was living my life.... and maybe... falling in love. But she wouldn’t feel the same way for me... especially now. I can see my reflection in the water bucket and its perfectly clear: I’m a monster now. And I’ll probably be like this forever.

My thoughts were interrupted by a distant boom and the sound of yelling. Dust trickled from the ceiling as the entire place shuddered. I don’t care though its just a magic experiment gone wrong in Canterlot University or something. I resumed crying while I heard the sounds of galloping behind me. It’s probably just a guard coming to prevent me from “escaping" after those rumbles. It gives them an excuse to. I only curled up in a ball and waited for the inevitable...

It never came. I looked up expecting a guard and was surprised by the face of Cadence. However, this could be another hallucination. The possibly imaginary Cadence looked down at me. I had to squint because there was a torch directly behind her head. I was surprised again when Cadence's eyes filled with tears and she embraced me in a hug. It then dawned on me that this could still be part of probable cruel joke being played for everypony else’s amusement. This Cadence is real but I’m not falling for anypony’s tricks ever again. I’d rather sit here and rot than fall prey to the same trick twice.

Cadence looked at me with pity and I briefly humored the thought that this could be for real... that Cadence did care and was here to break me out, but logic kicked in and dictated that she would have tried getting me out as soon as I was put in. As soon as that thought passed... the world seemed a little bit greyer and Cadence, no longer my salvation. There was no hope for me get out of this. Even my old foalsitter couldn’t save me even when she stood directly in front of me. Another thought occuered. Why am I still alive? And my mind was made up.

I looked up and without any hope for mercy I asked for it anyways. “Please... k-kill me.”