Night Crystal’s POV:
I decide to try an experiment involving the red crystals that were on my dress. They glowed when I was experiencing fear. Now I wonder if they absorb fear no matter who it comes from. If I am right, it means it collects it and stores it. I detach them from my dress, hide them in my saddlebags, and go off to find the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
I arrive at the school in Ponyville to find them helping a filly try to get her cutie mark. “Sweetie Bell, Applebloom, Scootaloo, would you come help me for a second? Your friend can come as well.”
“Of course Night Crystal. What do you need help with?” says Sweetie Bell.
“Your friend is going to help me put on a small play of sorts. I want you three girls to watch it and tell me what you think.”
“Ooh, this sounds fun!” The Crusaders exclaim, all in unison.
“Well then, come to my makeshift stage and we will begin.”
I tell their friend that she needs to stand on the stage and not move. She goes to the stage, I stand behind the curtain and prepare to make the illusions to scare the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I pull out the crystals and set them on the stage in front of me. I create an elaborate cute storyline, then start adding in Ursa Majors, the Umbrum, “evil” Changelings, and falling from Cloudsdale (playing on Scootaloo’s fear). After each one of those progresses in the story I watch the crystals start to glow brighter and brighter. Eventually they are glowing bright enough that I have to hide them in my saddlebags.
Twilight’s POV:
I look out my window to see an arch of red energy. I teleport to one end of it. I open my eyes to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders watching a weirdly realistic play. I realize it’s a very powerful illusion spell. The red arch seemed to be made of fear, the purest form of it. It lead towards behind stage. I decide to watch the play for a little bit, ignoring the arch of fear. I start to be afraid, I watch the return of Nightmare Moon and her slowly taking over all of Equestria. I watch Celestia be banished to the sun and all of Equestria be taken over by darkness. I watch Chrysalis return and co-rule with Nightmare Moon.
“Stop!!!!”
I take a step back to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders yelling. I look above to see I was adding to the arch of fear. I see Night Crystal step out from behind the curtain and watch the rest of the fear be sucked into her saddlebags. I go to look into the eyes of Night Crystal, asking her what she was doing. Instead I look into the glowing green eyes of an Umbrum. I blink and I see Night Crystal suddenly comforting the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I think that the fear was making me see stuff still. But I will confer with Celestia about what I saw soon. Instead I make my way over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and help to comfort them. Night Crystal eventually sends all of them home. “What was that!?” I yell at Night Crystal.
“An experiment. I didn’t think it would work that well, but I put a calming spell on all three of them. I also put a memory erasing spell on them to make them forget they witnessed this. Although, it’s you that I am worried about. How are you feeling?”
“Honestly, concerned, but feeling better. What is in your saddlebags?” I start to pry open her saddlebags.
“Crystals that I was trying an experiment on,” she pulls out the red crystals that were on her Gala dress. “They apparently collect fear and store it. I was planning on doing more research, but only with ponies that know what might happen to them.”
“Well I am glad that you learned that, but you really should take this to Luna and Celestia immediately.”
“No!” Night Crystal yells with purple flames rising from her eyes.
“Yes, you need to go. Those crystals have corrupted you. Your eyes just had purple flames on them like Sombra did way back when.”
“All the more reason not to go. Better to protect Luna and Celestia from it. So they don’t get invaded by dark magic.”
“I guess you are right, but be careful Night Crystal. I don’t want to see you get hurt by experimenting with this.” I shudder in fear as she walks away, leaving a trail of blazing black shadows in her wake. I have a feeling she knows more than she is letting on.
Night Crystal’s POV:
I walk away, leaving a wake of shadows behind me. I watch Twilight shudder out of the corner of my eye. She is starting to be concerned for me, but also fears what I can do. I have a feeling she will take it up with Celestia soon. Although what she doesn’t know is that with the crystals in my possession, I can funnel some of it out to make somepony fear another pony or an object. I funneled a decent amount of fear into Twilight while we were talking. I made it invisible so she wouldn’t see it. It worked just like I wanted it to, and now to do it to Celestia, Luna. Once they know fear, they will be scared of me, and I will have all that I need for my plan. I will not put any fear into Cadence, as I hold no grudge against her. The only reason I put some into Twilight is because she thinks that Celestia and Luna are justified in their actions during the War of Crystal. Which they are not, every Changeling essentially went quietly into Celestia and Luna’s rule.