//------------------------------// // Twins of Light and Darkness // Story: Light and Darkness – The Shadow of Midnight // by Rakoon1 //------------------------------// In the Mirrored Library, Twilight and Blue were with Mirror Coat and Golden, with the former wanting to show everypony one thing he had created. It was a tree made of glass that many glass spheres on his branches. Some of those spheres had different colors, but some were black. “Princess Twilight, Prince Blue Sword, Golden Paladin, allow me to introduce you to the Tree of Crisis” the General of Knowledge said. “It was conceived by me in order to fight better any thread to the Pony World.” That made the other three to trade a look and then Twilight asked: “Can you explain how, Mirror Coat?” “Well, it’s simple, Your Highness” he replied. “This tree uses the magic of my library to link itself to all the realms in the Pony Reality. Those realms are represented by the spheres. You can see the Pony World…” he pointed to the purple sphere. “…and the Enchanted Forest” he pointed to the pink one. “The ones that are black are the realms that were sealed. Whenever a threat is detected by the Mirror Realm, the Tree of Crisis’ spheres react and then send the signal to the Observer” he pointed to the bowl-shaped structure attached to a stone pillar that existed at the center of the library. “After that, we know the location of the threat, as well…” “As well the perfect candidates for the job” a voice said and Purple Smoke appeared. “Mirror Coat, are you presenting our little invention without me?” “The invention is mine, Purple Smoke” Mirror Coat replied. “You only provided the fuel for the selection of the candidates.” “Yeah, but you could have waited for me, at least” Purple Smoke told. “And also let me explain that part.” “Can you please proceed?” Golden Paladin asked. “The twin princesses are coming, so we better get this done now.” “So let me continue the explanation” Purple Smoke told, directing then to the others. “Once the threat is located, the tree also determinates the perfect candidates for the job using the power of my own matrix, which I won’t say what it is… Anyway, using the power of my matrix, the tree can select the candidates through their respective talents. When it comes to ponies, their cutie marks will appear on the map. About the other creatures… well, it will sign it in any way.” “Wow, that is… actually well thought” Twilight said. “That way, we will be able to act as soon as possible in case a villain makes any kind of attack.” “Not only that, but it also can detect any other kind of trouble that is not even villain-related” Mirror Coat said. “Just another way to enhance peace in the land” Golden Paladin observed. “I like it.” “But, how will the chosen ones be summoned when they are called?” Blue asked. “Certainly you thought of that.” “But of course” Purple Smoke replied. “Like I said, the magic is connected to their talents, so they will be summoned in a similar way. For ponies will be through their Cutie Marks and the others in the way that fits them.” “Well, nevertheless, it’s a good way of get ready to any eventuality” Twilight said. “This even surpass Heartbeat’s alarm.” “You don’t say…” another voice said with Heartbeat appearing. “Oh, Heartbeat…” Twilight said, a little nervous for Heartbeat’s reaction to her observation. “Please don’t be mad for what I said.” “Don’t worry, princess, even I can admit when something is better than my creations” Heartbeat replied. “Wow, the General of Affection being humble…” Purple Smoke said. “I must be in another universe.” That comment made Purple Smoke to receive one of Heartbeat’s cold stares who made him say: “Yeah, I know, I’m not funny.” “Whatever…” Heartbeat said. “I’m just here to say the twins are coming.” “Oh, they are…?” Twilight asked, a little nervous. Noticing that, Blue placed a hoof over her shoulder and that gave her the courage they needed. Twilight took a deep breath and then said to Heartbeat: “You can direct them here, Heartbeat.” “Okay, then, I’ll do it” she replied. “And, after that, I’ll go to my room.” Listening that, Twilight said: “You won’t stay? Heartbeat, I may need your help for when… you know…” “Don’t worry, everything will be fine… I think” Heartbeat replied. “Empathy is not properly an exact science. But I have faith you won’t need my help.” After saying that, she moved away. Twilight became even more nervous when Heartbeat said she wouldn’t be there, but Blue continued to show his support to her. Like Heartbeat had said, the twins arrived to the center of the Mirrored Library, always fascinated by the place. When they arrived and saw the Tree of Crisis, they asked at the same time: “What is that?! What is that?!” “Girls, what do we already tell you?” Twilight asked her daughters. “To be calm when asking questions” the twins replied at the same time. “It’s okay, Your Highness” Mirror Coat said. “I love when young foals crave knowledge. Well, young princesses, that is something that I invented that will help detect… as you say it, bad guys.” “Wow, that’s amazing…” Sunny said, looking fascinated to the tree. “Oh, I want to know how it works. It must be something really smart. After all, it was design by you, Mirror Coat.” Purple Smoke coughed to signal his presence and said: “I also took a part on it.” “Yeah, but Princess Sunlight is obviously more interested in the technical side of the tree, Purple Smoke” Mirror Coat. “Okay, guys, let’s end this argument over the Tree of Crisis” Golden Paladin said. “Remember that the young princesses are now here and that we did it for a reason.” “Yeah, but we don’t know why” Midnight said. “Why did you call us here?” A silence was imposed, with Twilight and Blue sharing nervous looks. The time has come, but neither one was excited to live it. “Well, you see…” Twilight started. “There’s something we have to tell you… and it’s not easy for us to do it.” “What?” the twins asked at the same time. “What is it, that’s a good question…” Blue said, trying to say the right words. “Boy, I always get nervous when you two talk at the same time…” “It’s something that we should already have told you about” Twilight said. “Wait, are you gonna tell us we’re adopted?” Midnight asked. “We’re adopted?!” Sunny asked, with some panic coming to her voice. “What, no!” Twilight replied. “It’s not that! You are daughters. It’s another thing… Well, I guess it will be easier if we show you, rather than tell you. Mirror Coat…” He nodded and then accessed his magic. It didn’t last for a book to come from the History section. “Are you really certain about this, Princess Twilight?” Mirror Coat asked. “Once I open this book, there’s no turning back.” The two twins seemed a little confused with what the General of Knowledge just said. “I’m certain, Mirror Coat” Twilight said. “You may proceed.” He nodded and then placed the book on the Observer. The book remained still for a few seconds, before suddenly opening and projecting a big screen that started to show its containing. “Wait, but that’s…” Midnight said, when the image of Twilight and Blue with the twins soon after their birth appeared. “Yes, it’s when you two were born” Twilight confirmed. “But why are you…” Sunny started. “You’ll see” Blue replied. It was then that they saw the appearance of the Lord of Chaos, something that caused the twins to be very frightened, as they continued to watch. Almost ten years ago… “Hello guys…” the Lord of Chaos said in his cynical way. “Did you miss me?” “What are you doing here?!” Blue asked, preparing to attack the Lord of Chaos so he could protect his wife and daughters. However, the Lord of Chaos made a gesture and Blue found himself getting immobilized on his place, incapable of moving a muscle or even perform magic. “Blue!” Twilight called. Celestia, Luna and Golden Paladin tried to intervene as well, but the Lord of Chaos also immobilized them. The newborn twins, feeling all the commotion around them, started to cry. “You can’t be here” Golden Paladin told. “The Lord of Order had forbid you from…” “Yeah, yeah, I know what he forbad me from doing” the Lord of Chaos replied. “But let be honest, do you really thing I’m the kind of deity that does what they tell him to do? Now, let’s all take a deep breath and calm ourselves. We don’t want to upset the little ones.” “Don’t even get closer to my daughters…” Twilight said, trying to access her magic, but she was not being able to do it. “My dear, after going through the birth of two foals, do you really expect to be able to face me?” the Lord of Chaos asked. “Please, it’s not like we’re back on that day when you blasted me with your light. But, let’s go down to business, okay?” And the twins were taken from Twilight and started floating in the air. “NO!” Twilight shouted. “You bastard…!” Blue exclaimed, doing his best to move, but failing to do it. “Please, don’t hurt them” Twilight asked. “They’re innocent.” “As long as you exist, my dear Twilight, I won’t let you have any rest” the Lord of Chaos said. “I’ll make sure your life is as cursed as possible. And I know the best way to do it is through the ones you love.” “You won’t dare to harm those fillies” Golden Paladin replied. “Your brother won’t let you do it.” “Do you see him around, yellow head?” the Lord of Chaos asked. “Because I don’t.” “That’s because you’re not looking right” a voice said. And the Lord of Order appeared, what caused everyone present relieved. “I knew you would put your nose on my business” the Lord of Chaos said, without taking the eyes on the twins. “When your business is meddling personally with my followers, it is my duty to stop you” the Lord of Order said. “Now, put down the babies gently.” “Of course, brother…” the Lord of Chaos replied. “But, first, let me just give a little gift to the little ones.” “What gift can the Great Evil give to such innocent babies?” Celestia asked. “The more likely is you give them a curse” Luna added. “What you call a curse, I call a way to spice things up a bit” the Lord of Chaos replied. “You won’t do nothing to my daughters!” Blue exclaimed. “As if you had any claim to it, baby General” the Lord of Chaos replied. “My brother can’t hurt as long I don’t do any harm to the babies. But, just because I can’t hurt them, it doesn’t mean I can make you suffer.” “What do you mean by that?” the Lord of Order asked. “Brother, please, I thought you were smarter than that” the Lord of Chaos replied. “What can I do with twins that neither you or your followers can’t stop or reverse?” It didn’t take more than one second for the Lord of Order to realize what his brother meant. “No… you wouldn’t dare…” he said. “Why not?” the Lord of Chaos asked. “I’ve already created many of them. What is another pair?” The Lord of Order prepared to attack his brother, but the Lord of Chaos, who was expecting that reaction from the Creator, used his magic to pushed him back a few hooves and then turned his attention to the twins and quickly waved his hands in circles. The twins, who were still crying, started to be involved by a strange glow that was made of both light and shadow. Changing the way he was moving his hands, the Lord of Chaos started to move the darkness in Sunny to Midnight and the light in Midnight to Sunny. It was a rather quick procedure and, when it was done, the glow on the twins disappeared and then the Lord of Chaos released them, with the Lord of Order catching them once he had recovered from his brother’s attack, placing them on Twilight’s forelegs. Instinctively, she put them close to her to protect them from their enemy. “What have you done…?” the Lord of Order asked to his brother. The Lord of Chaos looked at him in a taunting way and replied: “Something you can never reverse.” And he disappeared, while laughing. Once he disappeared, the ones he was holding off were released. Once freed, Blue went to Twilight and her daughters. “Are they alright, Twily?” he asked. “I think so” Twilight replied. “They don’t seem hurt.” “Not in the way you can perceive” the Lord of Order said. “I’m sorry Twilight and Blue Sword, despite your greatest services to me, I was incapable of stopping my brother from doing that to your daughters.” “What do you mean?” Twilight asked. “Wait, my lord, so what happened here was… what I think it was?” Golden Paladin asked. The Lord of Order nodded and then he said: “My brother has just created another pair of Twins of Light and Darkness.” That affirmation caused both Golden, Celestia and Luna to become very worried. “Wait, what is that of Twins of Light and Darkness?” Blue asked. “Is a phenomenon that only occurs in twins, but extremely rare to happen naturally” Luna said. “It’s very hard to explain…” Celestia said. “I don’t even know how to start it…” “But I can” the Lord of Order said, turning to Twilight and Blue. “Please, you two have listen first to this, before starting to react to it. Get the facts first before taking any attitude, or else my brother will get what he wants.” Despite their parent instincts told them otherwise, they both nodded and so the Lord of Order told: “As you know, light and darkness cannot exist without each other. The same rule applies to magic. All beings are born with an equal potential either for light or dark magic that only growth determines to each one they will turn over to. But what my brother did here… He tampered with that delicate balance.” “What do you mean with that, my lord?” Twilight asked, while holding tight her daughters with Blue holding the three of them. “Because twins have a very close bond during the time they are in the womb, their own energies end up mix up with each other” the Lord of Order continued. “The energies are eventually separated at the time of birth, but not always in the right way. Sometimes, one twin can end up with all the light magic, while the other gets all the dark magic, or, like how it happens, someone tampers with the delicate balance and trade their energies.” “So that means my daughters…” Twilight started. But she couldn’t complete the sentence, as her heart became heavy. It was Golden Paladin that stepped in and said: “It means that Princess Sunlight is now what is called a Light Twin, with her having pure light magic, and Princess Midnight is now a Dark Twin, which means she has now pure dark magic.” In the Present… That revelation shocked the twins, mainly Midnight. “You mean… that my magic… is dark?” she asked to her parents. Twilight and Blue traded a look with each other. No matter how much they have prepared themselves for this moment, the reality couldn’t possibly match it. “Well… yes…” Twilight replied. “And you didn’t bother to tell me that?!” Midnight asked angrily. “You didn’t bother to tell me that I have dark magic in me?!” “Midnight, please, calm down” Blue told. “How can I calm down when you just revealed to me that I am evil?!” Midnight exclained. “Don’t say that!” Twilight replied. “You’re not evil just because you have dark magic.” “Tell that to every dark magic users you know!” Midnight said. “Midnight, please…” Sunny said, approaching her sister and placing her hoof over her twin’s shoulder. “Mom is right. You’re not evil.” But Midnight just swept off Sunny’s hoof and shouted at her: “It’s easy for you to say! You’re not the twin with dark magic!” Hearing that from her twin hurt Sunny, what made tears appears on her eyes. Realizing what she have said and done, along with the revelation of what she was, made Midnight’s sadness and despair come to the surface in the form of tears starting to fall down her cheeks. And, without knowing what to do anything else, she just started running away. “Midnight, wait!” Twilight called. “Come back!” Blue backed up. But she didn’t listen them, continue to run away, reaching the entrance to the Mirrored Library and passing through it.