“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.”