Darkness within the Twilight

by Mordy

Ch1: Tea Fit for a Queen

A sharp gasp escaped Twilights lips as her eyes shot open. Her pupils darted in every direction as she breathed quickly and heavily, taking in her surroundings. For a moment she had no clue where she was, but soon her breaths started to slow down and she began to calm herself. With one last breath Twilight sighed with relief.

She was in her room within the Ponyville Library which was hosted inside a giant tree. The familiar scent of books, parchment, and ink filled her nostrils with their soothing aroma. One she had associated with home for a long time.

It took Twilight a moment to remember that she had just been dreaming about… something. It had been important and had to do with a king? A queen? She could no longer recall in detail, but she definitely remembered being bound and gagged by tendrils that were controlled by… somepony. It was becoming fuzzier with each second and she shook her head only to wince when her eyes became blinded by the morning sun. Reflexively a lavender wing shot up to block the rays.

This caused Twilight to stop thinking about her dream and focus more on the fact that she was indeed an alicorn now. Her eyes studied each individual feather on her newly acquired appendage and a mirthful smile spread across her face. Twilight reached out with her hoof to touch the wing, causing it to involuntarily twitch for a moment and illicit a giggle out of the mare.

She extended her other wing and proceeded to stretch out both appendages with a few flaps. She nearly knocked over a book on her desk in the process and was more careful as she continued. Flapping them like that started to make her think how nice it would be to fly.

That’s when she let off a gasp and sat up looking at the clock. Twilight was relieved that it was still early as she hopped out of bed. She had important plans today for today was the first day she would go flying with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. It would be routine akin to Fluttershy and Rarity’s weekly spa trip.

She had been looking forward to this over the past week and wouldn’t miss it for all the books in Equestria. Though if one offered all the books in the world then I’d be a little hard pressed. Twilight thought with a chuckle.

Stretching as she walked to her bathroom, Twilight began to go through her morning routine. Spike wasn’t anywhere to be found, she knew he had planned to spend the day helping out Rarity since Twilight would be busy and today the library wasn’t open. Everything was working perfectly with her schedule.

Twilight trotted out of the library with a bright smile on her face. She would be having breakfast at Fluttershy’s where Dash would meet up with the two of them. After eating they would go out for their first flying outing. The thought of it made her giddy as she trotted merrily through Ponyville’s streets.

The other ponies would often stop to wave at her or give her praise. They were even going out of their way just to do so. Occasionally, one or two would bow before her and call her princess. This was one of the things she was still getting used to, becoming an alicorn was one thing, but princess on top of that was fairly overwhelming.

Thankfully it didn’t get in the way of her life too much. Princess Celestia allowed her to return to Ponyville. She would have plenty of time to take on royal duties later. It was in her best interest to stay close with her friends and enjoy her life without any major duties to fill. At least any more major ones like being the element of magic.

Besides, she thought, I’ll have plenty of time to learn how to be a queen later. Twilight immediately stopped in her tracks. Queen? I meant princess… She shook her head and shrugged it off as a slipped thought.

A shadow hovered over Twilight and she looked up to see a very angry chromatic cyan pegasi. Rainbow Dash was scowling at her with disgust and looked over her and scrutinizing Twilights every movement.

Twilight spoke hesitantly to RD as she continued to move forward while Rainbow hovered along ahead of her, “Oh, hey Dash. Um, is something wrong?”

“What are you doing?” Rainbow replied back with an undermining tone.

Twilight was unsure what was irking her friend, but answered anyway, “I’m heading to Fluttershy’s.”

“Yeah, and you’re doing it wrong,” Rainbow quickly snapped back while crossing her hooves and intensifying her glare.

Twilight stopped in her tracks as Dash hovered in front of her. For a moment she thought she was going the wrong way, but a quick check of her surroundings showed that the path she was taking was correct. She looked back to her friend and asked, “What exactly is wrong?”

Dash facehooved. “Twilight, when you have the choice between walking somewhere and flying somewhere, do you know what you should always choose?”

“Flying,” she replied seeing where her friend was going with this.

“That was a radical question,” Rainbow answered as she eased up on her harsh gaze.

“You mean rhetorical,” Twilight corrected.

“That too! When you can fly, you fly! When it’s clear skies, you fly. When it’s raining, you fly. When it’s snowing, you fly. When it’s storming, you fly. When it’s storming with wind gusts that can tear your wings apart… well you probably stay indoors, but if your awesome like me, you fly!” she just about finished her little rant, but added one more to it, “The only time you don’t is if you break your wings from performing an awesome trick. In that case you read Daring Do that a good friend left you so you wouldn’t be bored,” she landed and placed a hoof on Twilights shoulder, smiling warmly at her as she said this.

Twilight was quick to return the gesture. She was a bit touched by that last part. “Well, guess I¬- we should get flying to Fluttershy’s then?” Twilight flapped her wings a couple of times carefully hovering, a bit unsteadily, over the ground.

Rainbow was quick to rise with her and she reached out to carefully help Twilight fly higher and higher as she lead the two of them to Fluttershy’s.

After a short flight Dash descended to the ground before Fluttershy’s tree cottage at the edge of Everfree Forest. She did this easily while looking awesome at it. Twilight landed… well she landed right next to Rainbow only proceeding to trip up her descent and face plant right into the ground.

“Uhh, we’ll work on your landings,” Dash commented as she knocked on her friend’s door.

The sounds of scurrying animals could be heard inside as the timid buttermilk pegasus with a long pink mane and tail answered the door. “Oh, hello Rainbow! You’re here early,” She said quietly, but cheerfully. Then Fluttershy then looked down, “Twilight? Why are you on the ground?”

Twilight slowly stood up and answered with sarcasm, “I was eating dirt.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you liked to eat dirt?”

“No, I was being… oh never mind,” she sighed as the Fluttershy moved out of the way for the two of them to enter her humble abode.

Shortly after coming in, Twilight could smell something similar to honey. She looked around as various critters bounded about until her eyes focused on the centerpiece. Sitting on a wooden table was a quaint tea set with three tea cups set out along with some fresh toast.

“Oh hey, thanks for breakfast Flutters!” Dash grinned and quickly took her seat munching on her toast as soon as her plot hit the wooden chair.

“Yes, this was very nice of you Fluttershy,” Twilight beamed as she took a place next to Dash, leaving Fluttershy to sit across from her.

Fluttershy fluttered over and started pouring tea for all of them. “It really wasn’t any trouble,” shy shied away from their gaze as the cups were filled with the honey scented nectar.

Twilight took a sip of her beverage and hummed out in delight while her wings involuntarily flapped in agreement like a humming bird, “Mmm, what kind of tea is this Fluttershy?”

“Honeysuckle, I find it very tasty and a good remedy for a sore throat,” Fluttershy smiled softly and sipped her own cup.

Dash hastily chugged down her tea and smacked her lips, “Hey, not bad!”

Twilight just smiled and rolled her eyes as she slowly drank at a much more reasonable pace. She wasn’t going to challenge Dash in any kind of race today. Twilight didn’t need to get her in a competitive mood if she wanted any hope of taking her flying lessons slow and steady.

Fluttershy stopped her sipping after a moment when Angel, her pet rabbit, started to tug at her hair. “Oh I’m sorry Angel Bunny! Did mommy forget to feed you?” The little demon fluff ball scowled at her, nodding his head rabidly while opening his maw and pointed at it with one paw.

“Oh, mommy’s so sorry Angel! Let me go fix you something real quick,” Fluttershy hovered off to the kitchen, clutching Angel tightly as she did.

“Don’t know how she puts up with that little rat sometimes,” Rainbow commented as she finished off the last of her toast. Twilight didn’t want to start anything and just proceeded to put some jelly on her toast using her magic. The color of the jelly and magic started to spark something about that dream she had, but it quickly faded back into obscurity.

Fluttershy returned, but a moment later, leaving Angel in the kitchen with a bowl full of lettuce to hold the cranky bunny over. She smiled at her friends and took her seat again while beginning to nibble on her toast. She kept hers plain so her friends could have more butter and jelly to use on theirs.

Twilight licked her lips as she took another sip of the honeysuckle. She let out a satisfied sigh. “When I’m queen and finally start taking on my royal duties, I’ll definitely have to have this more often when I need to relax.”

Her friends stopped what they were doing and looked at her with confusion. It was dash who spoke first, “What do you mean queen?”

“Huh?” Twilight replied back in bewilderment not aware of what she had just spoken.

“You just said when you become queen, if you don’t mind me pointing that out,” Fluttershy responded nervously while averting her gaze.

Twilight just shook her head, “I did? Must have been a slip of the tongue…” she trailed off as she examined her hooves and found her thoughts returning to the fuzzy dream she had last night. She knew it involved a queen somehow, but couldn’t for the life of her recall who or how.

Her attention quickly returned back to her friends when Rainbow Dash set a map of Ponyville and the nearby regions with a crudely drawn dotted path marked all over it. Rainbow pointed to the approximate location of Fluttershy’s house where the trail started and ended.

Dash clopped her hooves together and rubbed them. “Okay, I’ve got it all planned out. Have our whole path set and everything!” She beamed at her statement feeling proud that she put this all together.

“Wow, I’m very impressed Dash,” commented Twilight, but her face fell as she got a better look at their route. Any normal pegasi could tell this wasn’t exactly an amateur run.

“Um, Rainbow,” Fluttershy began, “Don’t you think this flight path is a bit, uh….”

“What?”

“Well, I think maybe it’s a little too um… well you see… oh how to put this?” Fluttershy shifted nervously in her seat.

Twilight quickly finished Fluttershy’s thoughts, “Advance?”

“Oh, yes! That’s it, if you don’t mind me thinking that, that is,” Fluttershy grinned sheepishly at Rainbow.

Dash rubbed her head. “Advance? What’s so advance about it?”

“Well Rainbow, you have an awfully long route here. It would probably take us all day to finish it,” Twilight said as she reached over to get a better look at the map.

“What?! I could finish this in no time!” Rainbow replied with pride and started to hover in the air.

“And we can?” Twilight inquired and added, “I think you forget we’re not as fast as you.”

Rainbow Dash impulsively opened her mouth to argue, but paused and then rubbed her chin, “Well, that’s true. I guess I can’t expect you to keep up with the fastest pegasus in Equestria!”

Fluttershy then added another concern, “It also looks pretty dangerous.”

“What?! How’s it dangerous?” Dash asked as she turned her attention to Fluttershy with an indignant glare.

Twilight deadpanned, “Dash, you’re route has us flying through Ghastly Gorge…”

Rainbow slowly floated back down into her seat and rubbed one of her fore hooves like she was filly being scolded by her mother. “Okay, I might have gotten a bit overboard. So, what are we gonna do about our flight session?”

Twilight tapped her chin a few times and smiled. “Well, we could just you know… wing it!” She giggled at her pun, but received an incredulous look from Rainbow and Fluttershy. Twilight frowned and tried to defend herself, “Hey, it’s better than me sputtering out a cliché or something,” she suddenly paused at the end of that statement. Her thoughts returned to that dream once more, she could swear it had something to do with a cliché as well, but could not recall what kind.

“Hey Twi, you okay? You’re kinda spacing out there,” Dash asked as she waved a hoof in front Twilight’s face.

She shook her head and saw the concerned looks that Fluttershy and Rainbow were giving her. Thinking about it for just a moment, she decided to tell them, “I had an odd dream last night, but I can’t seem to recall all of the details.”

“Oh? A dream about what?” Fluttershy asked as she scooted closer and leaned in.

“I don’t recall everything,” Twilight began, “But I remember there being these tentacles–“

She was suddenly cut off by Rainbow Dash or rather her hoof to be precise. “Twi, I’ve read enough of those Neighponese comics to have some idea of where this is heading. Is this going where I think it’s going?” She asked and Twilight shook her head in response. Dash lowered her hoof and nodded, “Alright, sorry about that.”

Fluttershy had scooted closer and was listening very intently as Twilight continued, “It’s all fuzzy, but first thing is that these tendrils started to wrap around and bind me. Then one of them–“

She was interrupted again, but this time by Fluttershy, “Were they slick and slimy? Did they have suction cups? Did they belong to some kind of monster?” Dash and Twilight just stared at her for a moment, a bit surprised she was asking those kinds of details.

“Well, no. I don’t know. They looked slick, not sure if they were slimy. There weren’t any suction cups like Octopi and as far as I could tell they didn’t belong to any kind of monster. I think they just came out of the shadows. Anyway,” She took a breath to clear her head as she tried to remember the details, “I was in my coronation dress and one of them started to gag me,” Dash grimaced at that statement while Fluttershy leaned in more, “Then they started to rip my clothes apart while they slowly slid up my legs–“

“And I’m done!” Rainbow shouted throwing her hooves into the air, “I’m not sticking around to listen to the rest of your fetish. See you girls outside!” Before anypony could say anything Dash, being true to her name, dashed out the front door.

Twilight just stared at where Rainbow had exited and then recalled her own words and could see how she might have jumped to such a bold conclusion even after reassuring her it wasn’t heading in that direction. She returned her attention to Fluttershy and saw that the yellow pegasus had scooted closer with small smile gracing her face as she spoke, “Go on...”

It wasn’t hard for Twilight to notice that her friend’s wings seemed very… stiff. Twilight found herself stumbling for words and a bit uncomfortable. Fluttershy however, for once in her life, seemed to have no trouble talking, “How many were there?”

“I’m not sure, five? M-m-maybe more?”

“Were they rough with you?”

“I want to say yes, but–“

“Were they long?” Fluttershy asked getting very close to Twilight.

“Y-y-yeah, I would think so,” Twilight replied while leaning away.

“Were they thick?

“I… guess?”

“While they were entangling you were you begging them to stop, but secretly not wanting them to,” Fluttershy was panting a little, “Hoping more and more would show up and then ever so slowly slide over every inch of your body as they coated you with their warm, slick goo. Teasing as they made their way up your legs till they finally penetrate–“

“WAS THAT RAINBOW DASH?! I THINK I HEARD RAINBOW DASH! I’LL CHECK UP ON RAINBOW DASH! SEE YOU OUTSIDE WITH RAINBOW DASH!” Twilight sputtered out as she rushed outside at a speed that would have filled Dash’s heart with pride.

Fluttershy just sat there staring blankly at the hasty exit and asked aloud, “Was it something I said?”

The first rule of Flight Club; you don’t talk about tentacles during Flight Club. Second rule of Flight Club; you don’t talk about tentacles during Flight Club! These were the laws that were silently agreed upon as the three flying mares prepared for their fun day of soaring. Snacks and drinks were packed, everypony stretched out so they wouldn’t get any cramps and the trio was ready to go.

That was until a blue jay came flying down into Fluttershy’s face chirping in a panic. Her two friends watched silently as the bird kept flapping in their friend’s eyes. Nopony said anything until Fluttershy let out a soft gasp, “Oh my, that poor thing!”

Dash face hooved and let out a groan, “Ugh, I see where this is going. Flutters do you really have to go take care of some animal that got a tiny scratch on it?”

“Now now Rainbow, this is what Fluttershy does and is her responsibility to take care of the animals regardless of how big or small their problems may be,” Twilight said while smiling warmly at Fluttershy, but avoiding her gaze a bit after their earlier conversation.

Dash just rolled her eyes as Fluttershy began to speak, “Yes, I couldn’t possibly let that poor Tortoise–“
She never got to finish that sentence as Rainbow Dash flew right up to her with panic in her eyes and cupped Fluttershy’s cheeks with her hooves. “A tortoise! Why didn’t you say so?!” She let go and then sped up into the sky so fast dust kicked up in the air.

Twilight was a little surprise by Dash’s actions, but understood why. Her pet was a tortoise after all and she had grown very attached to Tank. Of course this reaction didn’t stop her and Fluttershy to sit there a bit dumb founded by her speedy leave.

It was only a few seconds later before Rainbow returned and asked Fluttershy, “Uh, where is this tortoise?” She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

Twilight chuckled at this until Fluttershy answered, “Froggy Bottom Bogg.”

Her mouth dropped as memories of her previous visit came to mind where she ended up being chased by a hydra. All of that because she couldn’t accept Pinkie Pie’s unusual sixth sense known as Pinkie Sense. As asinine as it was she couldn’t deny the results even if it did defy everything that science stood for.

Rainbow, on the other hoof, wasn’t bothered by this news, “Alright, adventure! This will be so awesome!” She added a hoof pump at the end of this statement and was off in a flash. Fluttershy was quick to follow after her, calling out for Rainbow to slow down.

Twilight just sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hoof. “Just one quiet afternoon of flying. Is that really too much to ask?”

Taking a few test flaps she started to hover off the ground and slowly flew after her friends. Her progress wasn’t quick, but the two pegasi waited for her to catch up as they began to give her pointers and help her along.

“You’re kidding,” Rainbow Dash deadpanned as she stared half lidded at the tortoise who had managed to get itself stuck upside down in the mud. She slowly face hoofed and shook her head, “This is the big emergency? Can’t it just, I dunno, roll over?”

“Now Rainbow,” Fluttershy chastised as she hovered over the creature while examining it for any damage, “This poor thing can’t roll in this sticky mud.”

Twilight watched as Dash kicked it while in the air causing the tortoise to somersault a couple of times before landing right side up. The old reptile head weaved from dizziness before slowly creaking a smile and went along its way. She couldn’t help, but ask, “How’d it even managed to get like that in the first place?”

“Meh, who knows? I just want to get back to flying!” Dash said as she began to fly higher.

“Me too, frankly I don’t want to be here any longer that we have to,” Twilight had been standing on the ground and started to hover, barely keeping afloat with her current skill level.

“Oh? Why’s that?” Fluttershy inquired as she floated next to Rainbow Dash.

Dash snickered, “Yeah, is the royal egghead afraid of the spooky swamp?”

Twilight scowled at the comment. “It’s not the swamp I dislike. Not that I liked it much to begin with. It’s what lives in the swamp that’s got me worried. Last time I was here I got chased by a hydra!”

Fluttershy gasped, “Oh dear, I forgot about that!” She involuntarily shivered at the thought of facing such a creature again.

“Pfft,” Dash waved her hoof dismissively, “I’m not afraid of some overgrown lizard that needs more than one head to think straight! If one showed up right now I’d be all like… POW! BAM! Right in the kisser!” She shouted out with bravado.

“Dash!” Twilight hissed while trying to keep her voice down, “You want one of those things to hear you?”

“I can only hope! I’d get it all dizzy and buck it right in its jaw!” She pumped her hooves and gave a few jabs. Unbeknownst to her, the swamp water behind her began to ripple and part way as something huge began to rise out of the water.

“R-R-R-Rainbow…” Fluttershy stuttered out as her pupils shrank to pinpricks.

“Yeah?” She answered coolly with a sly grin.

Twilight swallowed as she pointed with her hoof, “It looks like you get your wish!”

Dash blinked a few times. “Huh, what?” She said a bit dumbfounded and finally noticed it had gotten a lot darker. She turned around and her jaw dropped at the sight before her. Currently blocking out the sun was four headed brownish orange hydra, each of its dragon like heads licking their maws in anticipation for the meal before them. The only way it could have been better was if there was four ponies instead of three. It had been woken by Rainbow Dash’s boasting and now she was going to regret it.

Dash involuntarily shook for a moment before putting on a brave face and announced, “I’m not afraid of you!”

The hydra didn’t believe her for a second and decided to prove her wrong by roaring with all four heads into her face. The deafening sound wave blew Twilight away and sent Fluttershy and Rainbow soaring through the air and hitting some trees. Dash had the worst of it as when she hit her tree it knocked the wind right out of her. Fluttershy merely squeaked when she hit hers. Both of them tumbled to the ground not too far from Twilight as she slid in the muddy ground.

The earth quaked as the four headed beast began to lumber over to feast on its prey. Fluttershy and Twilight immediately took to the air as they noticed the creature approaching them, but stopped when Rainbow called out, “Guys, help!”

They turned back and saw that large tree branch had broken off the tree and had dash pinned to the ground. It was far too heavy for her to lift on her own and her two friends immediately rushed over.

Twilight’s horn lit up as she prepared to use magic to help toss the wood off of Dash, but there was one thing she hadn’t anticipated. That the hydra wasn’t going let her use magic. While this hydra was familiar with pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies, it had never come across an alicorn before. However, that didn’t mean it didn’t know how to put two and two together. Well, actually each head could only count to four and no higher, but all of them were more than familiar with magic.

Thus, Twilight was quickly thwacked by the hydra’s whip like tail and sent sailing far away from her friends where she smacked against a rock before tumbling to the ground in agonizing pain. She found herself lacking the strength to get up and all she could do was turn her head to watch as the beast hovered over Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Dash was still pinned down and Fluttershy was too scared to even move. Rainbow was shouting at her to fly away, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

Twilight was scared senseless and could only watch on in horror. Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt so powerless. She was an alicorn and a princess yet even that was not enough to save her friends.

You know…

Twilight’s ears twitched when she thought she heard a voice.

That lumbering bully should be fleeing in terror of you right now.

Twilight called out weakly in barely a whisper, “It should?”

It should fear your power…

“My power?”

You’re far more powerful than you realize. You just got to stop holding back. Let it have a taste of your power. Let it know true terror!

Twilight suddenly found herself getting to her hooves as though she was possessed. She began to bottle up her fear and mix in a bit of anger, concentrating it into a terrible dark energy. “I’ll show it my power…”

Yes, make it understand that you are not to be trifled with! Make it fear you!

“Make it fear… us!” Twilight said in a voice that echoed, but only loud enough for her to hear. Her eyes became red and the whites of her eyes changed to green as purple smoke emanated from out of them. It was then her horn bubbled with black magic and purple electricity. She took aim at the hydra and a beam shot out at the four heads leaning down to gobble her friends.

The black beam sped out and then split into four smaller ones, hitting each head with perfect precision. For a moment the hydra heads backed off, looking dizzy and confused. Twilight noticed that each of its eyes had the same effect as her own. All of them were red with green sclera and that same purple mist leaking out.

When the creature turned all four heads to look at Twilight it froze and just stared at her. A few seconds passed by before the hydra screeched out what one could have determined as a scream and began to backpedal away from her in sheer terror. After a few steps it managed to reorient its body so it could run away properly, fleeing deep into the swamp and away from Twilight as fast as its legs could take it.

The dark magic effect faded from her eyes and she couldn’t help, but wonder what the monster had seen that would have been so scary to have caused it to run in fear. Perhaps it was an army of ponies, maybe it was a monster even bigger than it, there was also the chance that hydras had a natural enemy they weren’t aware of, or maybe it simply saw its ex-wife without makeup?

None of that matter now. All that mattered was that her friends were safe and sound. She limped over to the two of them who were just gawking in the direction the hydra had left. Still awestruck by what had just happened. They didn’t see how Twilight had cast the spell as their eyes had never left the hydra during the face off.

As she finished her painful trek to her friends she breathed heavily and asked with hysterical smile, “So… who’s up for some tea?”