//------------------------------//
// Her Soul is Vile 
// Story: Atelophobia 
// by Ice Star 
//------------------------------//

a mirror never lies about
the outside

but everything within is left up to guess
unless you can
read between lines
and match everything 
and every little trick 
and double meaning in action
weaving a mental image
of a pony's soul
from every little clue
presented to you

this door discards that
it shows you
some of what was on the inside
and haunts you with it
by showing you
your greatest fear fathomable

not a fear of the moment
or monsters under the bed
mere phobias are just second-best
and would never be presented so obviously
when true fear could be used instead

and artless twilight sparkle opens that door
like martyr unaware
and sees that her greatest fear

is not those she loves
dead
or pain
or even gone

or herself unrecognizable

equestria, fallen

no
nothing like that

twilight sparkle
fears
imperfection

on the smallest level
in the very depths of her soul
there is nothing more  horrific and painful
than Celestia's disapproval

and if only this could be called selfish
but twilight sparkle
whose eyes cloud over with the kind of magic she knows nothing of
has had everything reflected in her eyes
but nothing shining within them

hollow, except for a spark