Twilight trotted to Sugarcube Corner with Spike to have some breakfast. Although it was a beautiful day with Celestia’s sun shining bright in the morning sky, she was not frankly in a happy mood. “Did you have a good night sleep, Twilight?” asked Spike.
“Ehh, not really. Plenty of stressful thoughts bombarded my mind while I was trying to sleep.” Twilight admitted.
“Let me guess, it’s about your role of being Equestria’s new princess and Batman’s absence, isn’t it?” Spike sighed.
“Y-yes...” Twilight nodded.
“Twilight, how many times do we have to remind you that this isn’t the end of the world? I know how much you love Batman and everything he did for us, but you need to stop with this self-pity of yours! You know there’s more to you than meets the eye!” Spike sternly rebuked. “I told you several times about this already!”
“I know! I know! But every time I keep leaning on my doubts and anxieties, I forget about everything you guys encourage of. I’m sorry, I—I j-just need to...(sighs)...I really need to have some breakfast right now to calm my spirits.” Twilight said, opening the door of Pinkie’s house.
“I’ll join you. You need more comfort and support than that, you know.” said Spike.
Twilight came to the front desk of Sugarcube Corner where Pinkie Pie was quickly making sweet pastries with Mrs. Cake for the breakfast hours. Both mares turned to the guests that entered. “Morning, Twilight! Morning, Spike!” Pinkie greeted.
“Good morning, Pinkie and Mrs. Cake!” Spike greeted back. Twilight simply waved at them with a weak smile.
“So good to see you two this morning! What would you like for breakfast?” Mrs. Cake asked.
“We can have five cupcakes for both of us...with some apple slices on top please.” Spike ordered.
“Sure thing! That would be ten bits.” Mrs. Cake replied.
Spike gave the ten bits on the desk for Mrs. Cake. Once she took them, Pinkie immediately brought the apple-topped cupcakes to the duo. She then noticed the depressed look on Twilight’s face. Mrs. Cake went back to the kitchen to finish baking the pastries which Pinkie had started. “Is everything okay, Twilight?” Pinkie asked, concerned.
“I..I rather not talk about it.” Twilight said, slowly eating her cupcake.
“Why? What’s wrong? Is it about the depressing and discouraging thought of Batman not being there for you, and that you have to carry the burden of being a princess even though you have no idea of what you’re going to do and what’s your unique purpose in that role?” Pinkie rambled.
Twilight widened her eyes in surprise. “How do you all that?” she asked.
“Lucky guess. It wasn’t that hard though after reading your expression.” Pinkie said.
“Says the pony who can’t read a room...” Spike mumbled under his breath.
“What was that?” Pinkie said, turning to Spike.
“Umm...nothing!” Spike said. Then he preceded to eat his cupcakes.
“(Sighs) You’re right, Pinkie, on everything. I can only imagine what Batman would do if he were to see my predicament which I’m finding myself in right now. I don’t know anypony else going through similar situations in Gotham, but I’m very sure he encounters such people, helps them solve their problem, and gives them encouraging hope which I barely have—not that I don’t appreciate what you guys are doing for me.” Twilight said, finishing her first cupcake.
“I don’t know, Twilight. Wouldn’t you be saying the same things to him if he were to say the exact same advice we’re giving to you? Because no matter who is giving you strength, you’ll continue to complain and moan in distress like nothing. Seriously, you need to control your feelings because constantly complaining about your weaknesses will never help you.” Spike advised.
“He’s got a point, Twilight. I mean, what more can we do for you? Oh, oh, I know!” Pinkie said as a light bulb appeared above her head. She took it and replaced a dying light bulb on the ceiling with the new one. Then she dashed from the kitchen and brought party hats and a vanilla ice cream cake with candles on top. “We can all have a HEARTY PARTY FOR YOU TO CHEER YOU UP!!” Pinkie shrieked, blowing confetti everywhere.
However, Twilight tore off her party hat and threw it to the floor. “I’m sorry, Pinkie, but I don’t think that a party would do anything better right now.” Twilight said, looking sadly on the floor. She ate the rest of her cupcakes and dejectedly walked away from the front desk to the door. “I better go now. I don’t want to waste your time or my time, especially with many books I have to read and study. Thanks for the breakfast though. That’s the only thing that will cheer me up...slightly at least.”
Spike and Pinkie looked on as their discouraged friend walked out of the house. They looked at each other briefly before looking toward the door again. “You think we should follow her?” Pinkie asked Spike.
“Nah, we will just let her have time with herself alone. She needs it for Celestia knows how long she’ll need it for.” Spike suggested.
AT THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE
Once the train arrived at the station, Fluttershy exited out of the train and looked at the city in front of her. Still having a dejected look on her face, she decided to enter into the city to have that soothing recuperation she was advised to take. Behind her stood the conductor of the train with a menacing smirk on his face. The moment she was out of sight, he turned back to the train’s entrance. “Let the fun begin.” he grinned.
Fluttershy kept walking and walking with no regard to the butterflies and birds flying over her and beside her. Suddenly, black waves of darkness surrounded her in a aurora; the more she walked, the more the darkness grew around her.
Thus, she entered the crystal city with a dark presence which terrified the crystal pony pedestrians. As she continued walking on the crystal road, more crystal ponies received a fearful and evil sensation coming from the broken-hearted pegasus. Then at that moment, the crystal ponies started to lose their color and their crystal magic of love and peace.
Unfortunately, Fluttershy paid no heed to the gradual degradation that affected her whole being and spread to the pony bystanders. “I am a failure, a fraud, a miserable pony, and...I AM A FREAK!!!” she shrieked at the top of her lungs.
The Crystal Heart within the castle got several cracks around its surface from that uttered scream of darkness. As a result, the winds slightly increased with the crystal ponies beginning to death glare at each other.
“Why aren’t you wearing your coat, you idiot?! Don’t you realize how cold it is outside?!” a crystal pony insulted. This greatly angered the pony in question.
“Me?! Why don't you mind your darn business as I do mine!!” the male pony yelled. Then the two ponies began to pounce each other. The others joined along.
Fluttershy, on the other hoof, kept walking to the very entrance of the crystal castle. She gave a enormous death glare right at the Crystal Heart and stomped her hooves on the ground. After a few seconds of silence, her eyes glowed with red iris and yellow pupils. “You think that love and peace will save you? Huh? HUH?! Let me show you how false it is in the REAL world!!!” Fluttershy screamed.
She flew up to the Crystal Heart. The darkness completely overwhelmed her as the dark process was complete. She was covered in black while her wings had sharp feathers with sharp claws. She also grew canine teeth along with purple eyes. She punched the heart with much force from the darkness that it made the Crystal Heart...shatter.
As the shards fell on the floor, the castle began to mightily shake as if it were shaken by an earthquake. The darkness enlarged itself and spread itself across the whole empire. The rest of the crystal ponies then grew more violent with a strong bloodlust.
Every pony began to kill each other with razor-sharp knives and rocks. Parents began slaughtering their children, and children slaughtering their parents in similar fashion. Elderly ponies ignited other homes on fire while some male ponies had the audacity to murder and eat the fillies and colts...alive. One of the stallions grabbed a filly, beheaded her, and slowly boiled her carcass for dinner.
Fluttershy walked away from the empire while oblivious to the carnage unfolding behind her. A trail of black fire followed her path. At that moment, the entire castle collapsed on the ground, creating a large huge pillar of smoke and ash. Shining Armor appeared in front of it via teleportation.
“WHAT IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA IS THIS?!” he yelled. Hearing the cries of bloodlust and sickening sounds of flesh being torn and bones broken, he looked back and saw his own citizens eating each other. The sight horrified him beyond imagination.
“WHAT?! No!! Guards, stop this madness now!” Shining ordered. The crystal guards ran to the fighting ponies with their spears on hoof. Unfortunately, the ferocious ponies quickly disarmed them by chewing away their spears like dogs on rabies. Then they grabbed several hatchets with them and decapitated the guards.
Shining stood appalled by the horrid sight of seeing his own stallions murdered by their own citizens. “I need to notify Celestia and Luna! This is getting way out of hoof!!”
Meanwhile, the Tree of Harmony lost all its elements along with their magic. Large black tentacles sprouted from the ground, wrapped its arms around the tree, and squeezed the tree till it was destroyed. The Lurking Phantom arose from the ground and smiled at his accomplishments. However, he picked up a mysterious chest that was next to the tree and threw it away.
“My work here is done. Now that the chips are down, these ‘civilized’ ponies will eat each other till Equestria gets...sold out!” he maniacally laughed.