Gazing into the Abyss
Having managed to make another score of miles before fatigue set in, Twilight set up camp in a cliffside cave. She had stayed in the wilderness to hide from those she felt she had betrayed. Left alone with her books and her thoughts, she would continue to study the texts she retrieved from the Castle of the Two Sisters.
Several weeks passed in the same manner; move, eat, move, read, sleep, and repeat. She didn't have any knowledge of the terrain, so she would stop to orient herself whenever she needed something to eat, and she managed to remain near enough fresh water to keep herself hydrated. Eventually, she found herself before a mountain range, and knowing that time was of the essence, she set upon the road instead of trekking through the rocky mountainside.
This path would lead her to Vanhoover, one of Equestria's biggest cities in the northeast. She found herself surprised at how quickly she had made her way north, but accepted it as just losing track of time. “I've only got maybe another six weeks before I will be before Sombra's dark court.” Twilight gritted her teeth, “I'm armed and ready, this time. If I can't teach him that things are different now, then I might stand a chance at subduing him... Hopefully he won't force my hoof... I don't want to kill anypony else...”
She started to notice that foot traffic was increasing, so she slowed to a walk. “If I can't avoid ponies all together, I can at least avoid notice.” She thought to herself, a small smirk playing across her lips. She had made sure that her cloak would cover her saddlebags, paranoid that somepony might catch sight of, or let alone recognize, the dark grimoires she had with her. “And if absolutely nothing else... I can always disappear.” She finished the thought with a self-assurance that unsettled her. It was almost like having another soul in her mind again, but this time she knew it was just her... Just the new her from contact with dark souls. She had been trying to stay off the topic, as she had no evidence to satiate her mind as to whom she truly was. In this attempt, she swept that worry under a proverbial mattress and carried on by observing the world around her.
Now in the mountains, she marveled silently at the beauty of nature. Looking out over the wilderness she had come from, she couldn't see much in the way of civilization. In the distance, there was a port city on the coast, only barely visible on the horizon, and that was it besides the families on the road around her. Turning back toward Vanhoover, Twilight set her tired hooves to motion one more time. “I will save them. Baltimare, Las Pegasus, Manehattan, Vanhoover... Ponyville... I can not fail this time. I will stop Sombra before he can terrorize Equestria.”
Her momentum was broken when she finally made it to the walls of the city. The gate was barred, and guards were stationed outside, holding off all the families that passed Twilight on the path. Twilight skulked around silently, eavesdropping on the gathered ponies to figure out what was going on. She learned nothing of use until she heard a proclamation from a guard at the gates.
“HEAR YE, ALL WHO ARE GATHERED!” A familiar voice boomed to hush the crowds. “My contingent of Royal Guards has been sent here to hold the gates, as the Princesses are searching for a highly dangerous criminal who has been sighted heading this way. Until further notice, all are barred from entry. I am sorry for the inconvenience.”
Twilight managed to catch a glance of him, but she knew him by his voice. A tall, white, slender unicorn with blue hair, garbed in purple and gold barding was dead center in front of the gates. Twilight wanted to call out to him, but she was stopped cold by what he said. “A highly dangerous criminal? I killed Trixie pretty easily, so that could be me, but I kept to the wilderness in an attempt to not be spotted... However the coincidence is too great to take a chance at discovery.” Twilight's sharp mind quickly began calculating and plotting routes that she could take to get over the wall. “No one is allowed to enter, so if I can get in without being noticed, then I should be home free.”
The only weakness Twilight could see was that her brother hadn't used his barrier spell. Other than that, she'd have to scale the wall, which meant waiting for night. Twilight hoped that Shining Armor didn't have any thestrals under his command, since it would be a lot harder to remain hidden if there were. “I don't want to wait, but I must endeavor to do so patiently. It is imperative I not be noticed, else I may never get the chance to return the heart to it's former state.” She told herself silently. “Good thing I've got a lot of books.” Twilight found an area where she felt she was safely hidden among the crowds of ponies waiting for the gate to be opened again, and she lay down to read one of her less conspicuous texts.
After thumbing through the several books she had with her, she settled on one that was leather-bound, having no particular markings on the cover, and was primarily text, with very few diagrams. As she pulled it out, however, she saw the book Luna had given her. With its black-blue binding and silver moon-phase filigree, she could only assume was a journal, or some sort of memoirs from Luna. She started to grab it with her magic, but stopped and shook her head. She was curious to see what was inside, but caution bade her hold that curiosity in check. She knew there was an enchantment on it, and didn't know what it could be. “It could really be anything.” She thought to herself at first. “I trust Luna, but I don’t know why she would give this to me. She might have something to incapacitate me, bring me before 'Dear Sister'...” The more Twilight thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded, but she still couldn't bring herself to take the risk. Twilight's gaze lingered on the book, knowing that the decision to not read it was based in emotion. “I have to stay in control of my emotions. My anger tainted the Crystal Heart, my curiosity almost killed me in the Everfree, and my fear killed Angel and Trixie. I can't afford to take any risks, I can't stain my hooves any further.” She told herself, eyes closed. With that last phrase, she forgot about the mysterious book and turned to her current one, flipping it open to the last page she was at and reading it voraciously.
To anyone watching, it would be obvious it wasn't just an interesting book, but an escape. Many of the ponies around her were attempting to create the same for their tired and hungry friends or family, so it wasn't ill considered, but it was still an escape.
Twilight drew her traveling cloak around her tighter, pulling its hood further forward so that it became impossible to see her face unless you had just the right angle. Comfortable enough to lose herself, she would lie like this for several hours before she had to strain her eyes to read. A few pages later, she realized that her eyes were tired from the strain, breaking her concentration long enough to notice that the sun was indeed slipping past the horizon.
She watched the setting sun closely, noting how its light lingered after it was no longer present. The tranquil blue sky had become a blazing red and orange, with hints of purple slowly pushing the brilliant sun out of the sky. The moon was dark tonight, and every bit as red as her celestial sister, though only a sliver of herself could be seen. “Biding her time...” Twilight thought with a smirk. “Waiting for the right time to strike.” Twilight recalled the nightmare presence inside her head. While it may not have been overtly violent, it certainly did seem like it was lurking just underneath the surface. The knowledge it had was deep, and Twilight thought of just how dangerous such knowledge could be. “Of course, I am not so different, am I?” Twilight's smirk disappeared as she stared at the moon. “I am broadening my knowledge of dark, dangerous arts. I am lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to strike. I may not want to fight right now, but I'm making ready in case I must... Just as the old Nightmare from the legends. She wanted merely to be loved, to be respected. It wasn't until she was resisted that she became violent...” Twilight's thoughts turned dark as the final light receded over the horizon. “I seek now only to erase my past sins, but what then? Am I to be the new Nightmare? Am I to be a story told to cow young children into obedience?” Twilight shook her head. “No, If I succeed in my mission, they would have no reason to fear me. But since I was the start of all of this, how would my story read? Would I simply be a wild card, played to trump the current suit? What will my legacy be?” Twilight's eyes fell to her hooves, a few tears joining her gaze. “What of the darkness inside me?” Twilight cried silently for a while before she cast her eyes once more to the moon. With her friends' memory floating in her mind, she asked in solemnity. “I'm as lonely as I've ever been... Is there any way to fix a broken heart?”
Her thoughts turned to her friends, her old home. The thought that drove her forward all this time was that there was no going back. That Spike was wrong this time. She knew that he was right about one thing, however, and that was that not knowing, that leaving before fully exploring her options, would eat at her. She went into her saddlebags, hoping to pull out a tome and read to take her mind off of things, as she had done multiple times over the past couple months. She was stopped short when she saw the silver filigree on Luna's book glimmering faintly. When she enveloped it in her magic, pulling it out to examine it, she felt drawn to it. It opened, almost as if by it's own accord, and Twilight, suddenly very weary, closed her eyes.
When she opened them, she was in a space that seemed infinite. Over her head was a vast emptiness, and all around her was a veil of magic, almost like mist, shimmering faintly with a silver-blue tint. Just underneath her hooves there was another, brighter, shimmer of magic that seemed to pulse in time with her heart. She could notice nothing else beside tiny motes of light suspended in the magic veil.
“Where am I?” she asked with wonder in her voice. There was an air of peace and tranquility in the place that helped keep her calm in her new surroundings, despite her mounting fear that she had triggered a trap.
“This is my realm, young one. This is where I come to guide others through their troubles. Sister can help through her court, but I prefer a more personal touch." A smooth, rich alto flowed through Twilight, causing her to shiver with recognition. “This, Twilight Sparkle, is where the hearts of others are laid bare before me... And yet, it is where I feel the most alone.” It was as though Luna formed from the veil in front of Twilight, appearing slowly but without hint of movement.
“Luna...” Twilight was speechless. She had so many things she wished to say, and yet, foremost on her mind was the vulnerability that both she and Luna had here.
“It does my heart good to see you are well, Twilight.” A warm smile spread easily across Luna's face. “I will confess that with the tensions of others running so high, I feared that you might have been hurt in your exodus.” Luna paused, and Twilight worked her mouth, trying to find a response. Luna's smile faltered and faded as she pushed herself to continue. “Much has happened since you left Ponyville. After you left him in the woods, Spike told your friends about everything. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity came to inform Sister and I, demanding that we do something to retrieve you. I have never seen them so riled... so worried.” Luna sighed. “But the noblemen also heard of your actions and demanded that you be executed under the old law, as no murder had been recorded since then.“Celestia was able to appease them by sending the royal guard to apprehend you. If you haven't yet crossed the northern border, you will find it much more difficult to do so now. They took the train-way a few days ago, and if they haven't yet set up their perimeter, they will do so in a matter of hours.”
“Yes, I just heard my brother at the gates of Vanhoover. They must have just finished setting up their perimeter.” Twilight stated. “As always, his duty to Celestia demands prompt and decisive action.” Twilight caught herself grinning, remembering happy times before she left for Ponyville. The grin faded quickly as her thoughts turned morose.
Luna stood there for a long moment before speaking softly. “Twilight, Tia is still distraught at your abandonment of her. While you do certainly carry blame in your current circumstance, know that she is more than willing to overlook the law and work with you. She also feels that she carries the most blame in this due to her parting commandment. Her intent was that you might take one step closer toward the destiny she sees for you, but your lack of knowledge of the corrupting effects of dark magic,” Luna's voice paused for but a moment before she gave Twilight the same glare of distaste she had donned during their last conversation. “or necromantic enchanting,” She coughed pointedly before continuing. “She feels is primarily her fault. Indeed, she seeks nothing more desperately than for you to return, so that you two can have a discussion of the events, and not just a report.” Luna drew herself up and spoke as if reciting a list, “Sister regrets the bluntness of her expression of displeasure and wishes to show you that she was not displeased with you, only your actions. Her statement of disappointment was, and is, as much in her as in you, as she feels, being your mentor, that she should have better readied you to fight against the darkness, instead of having you study the light.” Luna worked her mouth wordlessly for a second, like she was trying to get the taste of something out of her mouth.
She sighed and her demeanor shifted back to being soft and personal. “Tia and I will be flying out to the northern border within a fortnight. Trotonto and Vanhoover will be our first stops, respectively. I would ask that you consider stalling your... adventure... long enough that We might speak in person. Whether you decide to continue afterward or not, I must impart some measure of understanding of the history into which you have been thrown. As always, there is more to the current struggles than it would seem, and if you mean to talk Sombra out of militancy you will need to know more than was recorded in the histories.” Luna's face was unreadable, but Twilight could swear she heard a well veiled sadness as the last sentence faded.
While she didn't know why Luna would be sad, Twilight did know that Luna was not yet ready to say what she needed to. After a long and heavy pause, she shifted to another topic that had concerned her since leaving. “Discord returned after I killed Trixie... How is Celestia faring?”
Luna gritted her teeth. "Tia cannot hold out against him forever, and so has requested that your friends aid her in finding and subduing him. She has placed wards on them that prevent them from being manipulated by his magic, but they might still be turned if he can subvert their faith in Celestia. Unless old grudges can be put aside and Hyperion be brought to end his chaos, I fear all of us will be lost to his madness ere it would matter if your quest is successful.”
Twilight looked down, before she recognized the name Luna spoke. “Hyperion?” She snapped her head back up. “All of the texts I've read term him as 'Wise-One', surely you can't mean to tell me that Discord is...” Twilight trailed off at Luna's mild amusement
“All of us are multifaceted, Twilight. Even those who seem to be purely representative of one ideal can have the desire to be the opposite. While he wouldn't admit to it now, the Master of Chaos was not always so. He has had many names in the past, and was always a master of whatever field he chose to study. His current madness has lasted over a thousand years at this point, though for much of it he was imprisoned in his stone prison. Hyperion was…."Luna stopped as she considered her next words carefully. “Discord was not always as you saw him after your showdown with Trixie. Many things have changed with time."
“You knew him before he became…” Twilight’s jaw hung open as her mind worked.
“First and foremost, this is why I have come to you, Twilight Sparkle. Sombra, Discord, Tia and I all have a history. If you are to be involved in our future, you would do well to be knowledgeable about our past.” Luna closed her eyes, pained, and their environment shifted to a moonlit plateau overlooking the Equestrian land-side. Twilight recognized the view as the spot of the Canterlot Castle, but she saw no castle around her. Luna drew herself up and slowly waved a hoof across the scenery.
“I wanted to wait to see you in person, but perhaps it’s better that we can relive these old nightmares together…” Luna sighed, continuing darkly. “First, I must start at the beginning, before the founding of Equestria…
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Thank you. You have captured us in the threads of the story. I am glad you are continuing. I have a shelf of stories that haven't been updated in a year minimally, but would read them all in a heartbeat.
7588699 Thank you as well
. It's always nice to hear that people enjoy my craft, especially well enough that they would be willing to wait a year to finish the story :). It is an active pursuit still, so if you have any feedback or questions feel free to shoot me a comment or PM. I try to stay engaged with my readers, it helps me grow as a writer 
I saw this and thought 'Big Brother'
7593928 lol It does have that kind of... authoritarian feeling doesn't it? coincidence or mental insight? ;)