//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Inner Demons // by Azure Sandora //------------------------------// I feel it's necessary to explain some of Twilight's behavior here. She's traumatized by what's happening to her so she's not thinking clearly at all. That's why she waited so long to tell Celestia, and why she's still going it alone. I thought about all of this going into this story, so it's not due to lack of knowledge of her character. As for Celestia, I love her to death, don't get me wrong. She's one of my favorite characters. But she's anything but perfect, which I try to illustrate here as well. Just clearing the waters a bit. Keep all this in mind from here on, please. Chapter 6: I Can't Run Away Anymore "After that she just ran off," Rainbow Dash explained to her friends. She called the others right after meeting Twilight in Canterlot to tell them what happened. They were currently in the park discussing Twilight's behavior, and even Spike came, since he had spent the most time with Twilight. "She did seem really stressed out when you brought her to my house," Fluttershy said to Applejack, "But I didn't see anything strange." "Maybe she's just suffering from," Pinkie Pie looked around, and then whispered ominously, "That time of the month." "Darling, I doubt this is related to that," Rarity stated, "I've seen Twilight during her period, and while she's a little cranky, she's not like this." "Besides," Spike continued for Rarity, "I timed it, she's not going to have... that... for a while," he shuddered thinking about it. He knew that it was a normal thing for mares, but he still felt uncomfortable talking about it. The many issues of having nothing but female friends... "So if it ain't that," Applejack said, "and she ain't sick, then maybe something else is up." "I wish she'd talk to us," Fluttershy said. "Instead of running away!" Rainbow Dash continued, "Seriously, what's up with that?" "Do we know where she went?" Rarity asked. "I think she wanted to talk to Princess Celestia," Spike said. "Then there's nothing to worry about," Pinkie Pie said cheerfully, "Princess Celestia will know exactly what to do." "Ah certainly hope so," Applejack said looking away from everyone else. She didn't want to say anything to anyone else, but she was a little suspicious of how Twilight had been behaving. Ever since she opened those books... "Um, e-excuse me," a voice called out. Everyone looked and saw Trixie standing there. She looked worried. "What do you want?" Rainbow Dash asked harshly, making Trixie wince a bit. "Rainbow Dash, that's not nice!" Rarity scolded, but Rainbow Dash turned away and crossed her forelegs. "You're Twilight Sparkle's friends, right?" Trixie asked. "Well, duh!" Pinkie Pie said as if she should have know that, "Not like there's another group of ponies and a dragon talking about her well being." "Fair enough," Trixie said awkwardly, "Um, is she okay? I went to give her an invitation to my show in four days, but she wasn't home, and you all looked so worried so..." "We're trying to figure that out ourselves," Rarity said. "Don't tell me you're worried about her!" Rainbow Dash said, "Afraid she won't make it to your little bragging session?!" "Rainbow Dash!" Rarity scolded again. Trixie took a deep breath as if trying to control herself, "I don't expect you to understand, but yes, I am worried about her. And for your information, this show isn't about me bragging about my talents. All I want is to show Twilight what I've learned on my pilgrimage." "Yeah, i.e. BRAG!" Rainbow Dash snapped. "Ah'm sorry about this... Trixie..." Applejack said, showing even she was having a hard time with her being there, "But we really don't know much 'bout what Twilight's goin through. If ya really that worried though, we'll keep ya posted." "Thank you," Trixie said bowing to everyone before trotting off. Rainbow Dash sat down next to Pinkie Pie shaking her head. "Can you believe her?" Rainbow Dash asked, "She's only been here for three days and now thinks she's one of us!" "Well, she seemed really worried to me," Fluttershy said, "I think she was actually trying to be nice for a change." "Either way, it was two years ago," Rarity stated, "If she wants to start over, then I think we should put it behind us as well." "Especially if she's living here now," Pinkie Pie said suddenly, shocking everyone. "Um, beg your pardon," Applejack asked. "Yeah, I'm planning a Welcome to Ponyville party for her, but no one wants to attend," Pinkie Pie looked a little sad saying that. "Guess I'm not the only one who's having a hard time with this," Rainbow Dash said. Applejack though was in deep thought thinking about Trixie moving in. Apple Bloom mentioned something about building a stage for a show pony... "Ah'll talk ta ya'll later," Applejack said getting up suddenly. "What's up with you?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Ah gotta talk ta Apple Bloom 'bout somethin," Applejack said before galloping away. "Geez, I wonder who's worse," Spike said, "Applejack or Twilight?" "Speaking of Twilight," Pinkie Pie said, "I wonder when she's coming back." "Should we confront her about this when we see her?" Fluttershy asked. "With the way she's been acting, I don't think so," Rainbow Dash stated, "Knowing her, she'll just deny anything. Besides, like Pinkie Pie said, she should be okay after talking to the Princess." "If that's true," Rarity said looking down, "then why does my chest feel funny?" Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon were standing in front of the stage they were making looking it over. It was coming along nicely. At this rate, they'd be done in a few days. It was crazy watching Apple Bloom work though. She was too fast. No one should be able to build something that quickly, and apparently Apple Bloom did this sort of thing a lot. So... why hadn't she earned her Cutie Mark yet? "This is amazing," Silver Spoon said, "Between my funding, and your... WHATEVER it is that you do," Silver Spoon said, making Apple Bloom laugh, "we should be done in a few days." "Seriously, is it really that amazing?" Apple Bloom asked. "YEAH! What would have taken a normal pony weeks to do, you succeeded to do in a few days!" Silver Spoon said walking Apple Bloom to her work desk, "Apple Bloom, THAT'S. NOT. NORMAL!" Apple Bloom laughed even harder, "So, tell me why you don't have your Cutie Mark yet?" "Ah don't know," Apple Bloom said, "It always feels like something's missing, ya know?" "I think I understand," Silver Spoon said, "But hey, this time we're making this with the intention of finding your special talent." "So, whut should we do?" Apple Bloom asked. "Well..." Silver Spoon thought for a few seconds about the issue, but came up with nothing. Apple Bloom was obviously a weird case. Whatever her special talent was, it had to be really special, because they were trying EVERYTHING to figure it out now, and still nothing. It seemed like there was a missing link, but what that link was, Silver Spoon was clueless. "Hey, Apple Bloom," they heard from down the road. The two fillies looked and saw Applejack trotting over to them. "Does she know what we're doing?" Silver Spoon asked. "She knows Ah'm makin a stage, but she don't know exactly for who..." Apple Bloom said. "I think she's about to find out," Silver Spoon stated. Apple Bloom sighed and walked over to her older sister. "W-what's up Applejack?" Apple Bloom asked. "Remember when ya told me that ya'll were makin this stage for somepony who really needed it?" "Yeah, Ah remember," Apple Bloom said slowly. "Was it the show mare Trixie?" Applejack asked. Shoot, she was caught. Why did her sister have to be one of the Elements of Harmony, and Honesty for that matter? "It is, isn't it?" Applejack asked softly, getting a nod from her little sister, "Why didn't ya tell me?" "Cause I remember when she wus here two years ago, and ya'll had nothin nice ta say about her. Ah thought that if ya knew who the stage wus for, then ya'd tell me not ta make it." Applejack suddenly looked a little guilty, as if that was what she was thinking. She gave a defeated sigh and knelt down to her sister's level, "This is really important to you, isn't it?" Apple Bloom nodded, "Then, Ah ain't got a problem with it." Apple Bloom perked up instantly, "Ya really think it's okay?" "Well, Ah will admit, Ah don't like it, but Ah just feel sour about two years ago. Ya know Ah'm not the most flexible pony in Ponyville." "That's fer sure," Apple Bloom said sarcastically, earning a sisterly noogie from Applejack, "Ah! Applejack!" Watching the two of them together made Silver Spoon smile, but she was also jealous. She knew that their mother died after she was born, and she never knew her dad, so she was always really close to her siblings. In some senses Applejack seemed more like a mother to Apple Bloom than a sister. "I wish I were close like that to my parents..." Silver Spoon said sadly. "GUYS! GUYS!" they all heard Sweetie Belle calling out. "Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom asked. "What's wrong?" Applejack asked as they all walked over to Sweetie Belle, who looked frantic. "HORRIBLE! THE NEWSPAPER! PRINCESS CELESTIA!" she began hyperventilating. "Sweetie Belle, CALM DOWN!" Applejack shouted, instantly calming the upset filly, "What about Princess Celestia?" Sweetie Belle just reached into her bag and gave Applejack the newspaper. She read it over, her eyes getting wider and wider the more she read. She eventually dropped the paper and galloped away, now looking frantic herself. "Applejack! What's wrong?" Apple Bloom called out. Silver Spoon looked at the paper and looked shocked by the headline. "Princess Celestia turned to stone?" Silver Spoon exclaimed. "What?" Apple Bloom cried out looking at the paper. Suddenly, the search for her Cutie Mark seemed insignificant. Princess Celestia Turned to Stone Two guards reportedly found Princess Celestia in her personal study at 12:36pm this afternoon. At first they weren't sure it was really the Princess, but Canterlot magicians ran tests and found a small amount of life force signaling that there was indeed life in the statue. Death hasn't been confirmed yet, but none of the unicorns in Canterlot have been able to release her from her stone imprisonment. The only other pony at the scene was the Princess' personal disciple Twilight Sparkle, a unicorn in her early twenties currently living in Ponyville. Guards tried to question her, but she was too traumatized to divulge any details. She has been released since no evidence was pinned on her, but no other leads have been found. Her younger sister, Princess Luna, has stated that she will take over rights controlling both the sun and moon. As she isn't as skilled at controlling the sun as Princess Celestia, she apologizes if the nights seem to wear on longer than usual. She recommends ponies try and continue their usual schedules as best as they can and bare with the changes until they can find a way to save her sister. News spread fast in Ponyville, and you could instantly tell when everypony found out about it. Everyone looked really scared, as if it was the end of the world. It might be the end of the world at this rate. Ponies of all ages were devastated to hear the news. Cherrilee closed down the school for a while, while the foals who attended the school were all really upset, many in tears. Twilight was obviously taking it the hardest. When she came home, she immediately ran to her library and shut the door. Spike was put in charge of the library, but since Twilight had closed and locked the door during the day he didn't have any chances to talk to her. The only time she had unlocked the door was before she went to sleep, just in case Spike needed to wake her up. Trixie had put her show on hold, as she felt it would be in bad taste to throw a show after finding out what happened to Princess Celestia. Also, it wasn't fair to make Apple Bloom continue to work on the stage after hearing about it. Even Pinkie Pie seemed out of it. At first she thought it was a prank ("It's probably just an entry from The Tunip!") but upon reading it in five different papers, she fell into a bit of a depression. You know it's bad when the happiest pony loses her smile. Fluttershy was surprisingly trying her hardest to stay calm. She wanted more than anyone to curl up into a ball and cry, but she knew that wouldn't fix anything. She tried to talk to Applejack (since their houses were so close) but Applejack wasn't home. Instead she met up with Big Macintosh, Applejack's older brother, and the object of her affection for a long time. Even though they had been good friends for a year now, she had yet to tell him how she felt. "So she's been avoiding everyone?" Fluttershy asked Big Mac after he invited her inside. "Eeeyup," Big Mac said sadly, "She's been really upset since the news came up. Ah reckon she knows somethin, but you know how she gets." "True," Fluttershy said looking down. "Ah ain't gonna lie though, it's scary ta think about," Big Mac continued, "Ah mean, how in tarnation did it happen? Ain't no magic that's strong enough ta hurt the Princess." "I know. It's weird," Fluttershy said, sneaking a look at Big Mac, who looked like he was thinking hard about it. That was one of the main things Fluttershy loved about Big Macintosh. Though he was quiet, he was also really smart, which Fluttershy figured came with the territory. "How're you handling it?" Big Mac asked, catching Fluttershy off guard. "Oh, I'm... handling it," Fluttershy said looking away. Big Macintosh raised her face to his and looked her straight in the eyes. "Ah know you're tryin ta be strong fer your friends, but ya don't gotta be that way with me," he said softly, "If ya ever want ta let it out, ya can always do that with me." "M-Mac..." Fluttershy felt really flushed when he said that. Instead of breaking down right there though, she leaned into him and just rested, silently wishing that she had the courage to tell him how she felt about him. Applejack had enough! It had been a full week since Twilight had come home from Canterlot, and she hadn't spoken to anypony. Applejack knew that Twilight knew something about what happened to Princess Celestia. In fact, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew that Twilight had something to do with it. She needed to get to the bottom of this. The library was closed on Sundays, which meant Applejack could probably talk to Twilight without interruption. After having a strong word of prayer, she made her way to the library. Her knock on the door may have been heavier than she originally planned, but it got her point across, because Spike was right there. "Um, Applejack," Spike said, looking startled. Geez, did she look that scary? "Uh, howdy Spike. Ah'm sorry if Ah'm intrudin, but Ah really need ta talk ta Twilight." "Good luck, she won't talk to anyone." Not even you, Applejack thought, now getting worried. This further proved that she had something to do with it. Why, Twilight? Why? Spike let Applejack in, and he led her upstairs to Twilight's room. "For the past week it's been horrible," Spike explained, "She wakes up, takes her shower, eats breakfast, and then goes right back upstairs and locks the door, all without a single word. At least she seems to be waking up on her own now." "Contrary ta not wakin up on her own before?" Applejack asked. "Well, she wouldn't tell me everything, but I think she's been having really bad dreams where she can't wake up. I think she called them night terrors once. This isn't the first time she's had them." "When was the last time," Applejack asked stopping a bit. She wanted to talk to Twilight, but this sounded important. "I think she was ten," Spike said, "I remember she started screaming in her sleep, and she wouldn't wake up. I called the Princess, and while I expected instructions, she actually ran into the bedroom and did something to wake her up. They talked for a while, and then Twilight went back to sleep. The Princess stayed with Twilight all night, actually spending the night with her." "Ah see," sounded like Twilight had been having trouble before. Applejack was getting really worried now. But it didn't make sense. Twilight wasn't the kind of pony to hurt the Princess. She loved the Princess more than anypony, truly since she knew the Princess personally. She continued her journey to Twilight's room. The second she got to the door though, she stopped. Something felt really strange. Dark. Not the playful kind of dark that was Discord last year. This was pure evil dark. That shouldn't have been radiating from Twilight's room. Applejack tried to push the door open, but it was locked (of course). She then knocked on the door. "Twilight, it's Applejack," she said, "Ah'm worried about ya, Sugarcube. Can Ah come in?" nothing, but any commotion inside the room stopped, meaning Twilight heard her, "We really need ta talk. Ya know Ah can force the door open if Ah wanted to." That apparently hit the mark, because a second later, the door clicked and was open. Applejack breathed out in relief, and opened the door. Inside she just saw Twilight, sitting on her bed, reading something intently, books scattered all around her. "What in tarnation," Applejack said softly, looking around. She looked at one of the books, surprised by the title: ~Pyromancy: The Study of Fire Magic "Are these the books the Princess gave ya?" Applejack asked slowly. "I've searched through all of the books," Twilight said softly, as if just to herself, "but I can't find the right spell!" "Twilight," Applejack said, "About Princess Celestia—" "I KNOW, Applejack," Twilight snapped, still not looking up, "I'm searching for something right now to save her, but I can't--" "Twilight Sparkle, listen ta me!!!" Applejack shouted, instantly catching Twilight's attention, "Ah need ta know somethin, and Ah expect the truth. Did you have anything ta do with what happened ta Princess Celestia?" Suddenly, Twilight's somewhat scared expression was switched with a darker one, "Why would you think that?" she asked darkly. "Ah don't wanna suspect ya, Twilight, but the report said ya were the only pony present at the time, and ya have been actin mighty strange. Ever since ya opened these books it's like you're a completely different person." That may have been the wrong thing to say, because Twilight was now glaring at Applejack, "So, you too, then?" "Me too, what?" Applejack asked, now a little afraid. Twilight got up from the bed and was slowly making her way to Applejack, still with that ferocious glare. "You think I'm a monster, don't you?" "What in tarnation! Twilight, where on earth is all of that comin from?" Applejack asked, "All Ah said was-" "I know what you said, Applejack, but I also know what you meant! You think I'm just some monster plotting the destruction of Equestria! You and everyone else!" Twilight looked down and began to cry tears of sadness, and anger, "You all hate me! You're thinking that I'm this bad pony out to kill everyone, but I'm NOT! I'M NOT!" "Twilight, ya aren't makin any sense. Ah ain't sayin none of that though, alright? Seriously, where is all of that coming from?" Applejack held out her hoof, "Come on, let's get ya out of this room." "NO!" Twilight screamed suddenly, stepping back a bit, "I'm not going anywhere with you!!! Leave me ALONE!!!" "Now ya know Ah can't do that!" Applejack said sternly, "Not after seein all of this! Twilight, there's something wrong with you, and Ah need ta know what it is!" "I WON'T let you get close to me!" her normal purple eyes suddenly turned sinister red, and her horn began to glow the same way. Applejack was really scared now, "Touch me, and you're DEAD!" "T-Twilight! What's gotten into you?" "I swear, Applejack!" the tears flowed freely from her eyes as she prepared to strike, "I will KILL you! I'll do to you exactly what I did to-" she suddenly stopped, and her eyes returned to normal. For a second she just stood there with an expression as if she realized something horrible, and then she broke down into loud and heavy sobs. Applejack was afraid to approach her, but she eventually made her way to Twilight and held her. "What in the world is happenin ta you?" Applejack asked softly as Twilight continued to cry. After a few minutes, Twilight calmed down enough to speak, "Get everyone here." "Twilight?" "I don't care what they're doing at the time! This is urgent, and I need to see everyone!" This was sudden, and strange, but Applejack stood up and nodded, "Consider it done," she said simply. With that, she left Twilight's room. No more words needed to be said between them, at least, not yet. When she made it downstairs, she saw Spike waiting for her. He instantly ran over to her. "Applejack, is Twilight alright?" he asked, "Did you find out anything?" "Trust me, Sugarcube, Ah found out a lot, but Ah don't think you'd like any of it," Applejack said walking out of the library, "Ah'll be right back." When she got outside, she stopped for a second, looking up. She hated this feeling in her chest. That feeling of knowing the truth. Even though she didn't know everything, she did know one thing. Twilight did have something to do with Princess Celestia being turned to stone, and just now, she almost ended up the same way. Twilight began running all around the library, grabbing book after book, and setting them on the table. Afterwards she ran into the basement to prepare something, but all Spike heard was loud clanging. She never said a word to him while she did that. "Twilight, what's going on? What are these books for?" "They're for Rarity," Twilight said simply, now searching for another book. "R-Rarity?" "She's the only one who can do this. Pretty soon, I might be..." Twilight stopped herself before she continued, "Where is... Found it!" she said pulling out the Equestrian Reference Guide. "Why do you need that book?" Spike asked. "Because of what I kept inside," Twilight said. At that instant, there was a knock on the door, "Perfect, they came right on time." Spike was so confused, but he had a feeling he was about to figure out what was going on. Twilight opened the door, happy to see her friends outside waiting for her, "Good, you're all here." "What's this about?" Rarity asked as she and everyone else walked in, "I was just about to have my morning spa." "I was getting ready to practice a new move to show Soarin and Spitfire," Rainbow Dash pouted, flying in. "I was preparing a party for Trixie! I finally found somepony to attend!" Pinkie Pie said happily hopping in. "I... wasn't too busy," Fluttershy said, silently saying that she was doing something at the time, but felt this was more important. "Either way, I'm glad you're all here," Twilight ran over to the Reference Guide. Once she opened it, she used her magic to grab the five necklaces inside, giving them to their rightful owners. "Wait, the Elements of Harmony?" Rainbow Dash asked, "Are we preparing for battle or something?" "You might need them, in order to stop... me..." Twilight said softly, but everyone heard her. "You? Darling, what are you talking about?" Rarity asked. "You're not turning into an evil enchantress bent on total domination of the entire world that can only be stopped by the power of the Elements or anything, right?" Pinkie Pie asked, clearly thinking that she was joking, but Twilight's sigh made everyone gasp, "Wait... you are?" "That... may be a possibility..." Twilight said sadly. "Why though?" Fluttershy asked, "You don't seem like a bad pony." "That's the thing, Fluttershy. I'm not now, but soon I might become one," Twilight explained, "And before that happens, we need to take drastic measures." "Okay, this has been real cute Twilight, but seriously, you, evil?" Rainbow Dash asked, "That's the funniest thing I ever heard!" "She's serious," Applejack said suddenly, stopping Rainbow Dash instantly, "We need ta listen ta her." "Wait a second," Rainbow Dash flew over to Applejack and stood in front of her, "Earlier you were the one telling us that she was fine, and now you're saying she not?" "Let's jus say, seein is believin," Applejack stated, looking away. "These books are for you, Rarity," Twilight said, referring to the pile of books on the table, "You and Spike need to use these books to try and find the spell that will save Princess Celestia." "But you're much better at magic than me, Twilight," Rarity said, "Shouldn't you be the one to-" "That's going to be impossible for me, with what I need you guys to do to me." "I don't like the sound of that," Spike said. Twilight began walking into the basement, where everyone was shocked beyond belief by what waited for them downstairs. Shackles, four extending from the wall and lying on the ground, and currently open. "Twilight," Rainbow Dash asked, "What are those for?" Twilight took a deep breath, "They're for me." There was a collective silence, until finally Applejack spoke, "Um beg your pardon?" "Girls," Twilight said turning to them, "I need to be restrained. I want you to use those shackles to chain me to the wall, and no matter what happens to me, you CAN'T let me out!" "You have GOT to be kidding me!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "You do know that we can't do that, right?" Rarity exclaimed. "Yeah! You were the one I invited to Trixie's party!" Pinkie Pie said, "By the way, I forgot to bring your invitation. I'll bring it with me next time." "Girls, PLEASE!" Twilight screamed, stopping everyone, "I mean it! You have to do this for me!" "But, why?" Fluttershy asked. "Because right now, I'm fighting a losing battle," Twilight said wearily, "I've managed to dodge it for the past couple of nights, but pretty soon, it's going to catch me. When it does, I'll be a completely different pony. I will turn on you, all of you." "You mean you're actually turning evil?" Spike asked, not really sure he could believe it. "I'm sorry Spike," was all Twilight could say. "This is so STUPID!" Rainbow Dash shouted, "I'm not doing this!" "It was you, right?" Applejack asked Twilight, catching everyone's attention, "You were the one who attacked Princess Celestia, right?" Twilight neither shook her head, nor nodded, she just let her silence speak for itself. "No way..." Rainbow Dash said slowly. "Twilight, please don't tell me..." Rarity said. Applejack, who had been looking sternly at Twilight the whole time, sighed, and then made her way to the shackles. "Rarity, help me out with this, will ya?" she asked. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie both looked horrified and ran over to Applejack. "You are NOT about to do what I think you're about to do!" Rainbow Dash stated. "That's exactly what Ah'm about ta do," Applejack said seriously. "But she's our friend! Twilight isn't going to turn on us!" Pinkie Pie shouted. "And besides that, the principle! You're going to chain up your, OUR, best friend! Doesn't that seem a little, oh, I don't know, SICK?" "Look, Ah don't wanna believe it either, but Ah also don't wanna put Equestria in danger just because Ah can't believe my friend has a monster inside of her! If ya'll gotta problem with it, ya'll can leave the room!" For a second, Rainbow Dash and Applejack just stared at each other angrily. Eventually, Rainbow Dash turned her head and walked away. "Some friend you are then!" Rainbow Dash spat before walking out of the basement. Pinkie Pie looked at Applejack as if really upset too, and then slinked away after Rainbow Dash. Applejack looked over to Fluttershy and Rarity. "Ya'll two gonna help or jus' stand there all day lookin pretty?" Applejack asked. The two mares sighed at the same time, and then proceeded to helping Applejack. "I'm so sorry, Twilight," Fluttershy said after securing one of the shackles to Twilight's back leg. "It's okay, Fluttershy," Twilight said sadly, "I think... this is for the best..." That night, after everyone left, Twilight was all alone in the basement. Thankfully she managed to get it in a way where she was relatively comfortable. She was lying down on a patch of hay, and she could move her legs perfectly, she just couldn't leave that spot. She was sad that it had to turn out like this, but she couldn't risk hurting her friends. If things did go a certain way, then the chains might not even hold her. She just had to hope that she could hold on for a while, and that her friends could save the Princess. She was about to get some rest, but she was greeted by something. A deep growl. Twilight looked up, and saw the beast from her dreams coming out of the shadows in the basement. What was it dong here? Did she fall asleep? She didn't remember drifting off. Twilight was afraid. She backed away a bit, but was then stopped by the wall behind her. On instinct she turned to the side and was about to run off, but something stopped her. The chains. She was still chained to the wall! Realizing that she was trapped now, she looked up at the beast in sheer horror. The beast gave a growl that almost sounded like laughter, and then slowly began to make it's way over to Twilight. There's no where to run... I told you, you would accept me... Twilight didn't care. She was so terrified now she literally began pulling away from the wall, hoping that she was getting loser, but it was futile, and she knew it, which was why she was crying now. "No, please!" Twilight pleaded, her voice shaking so much she could barely speak. Still she struggled to get free, and still the demon slowly approached her. In the end, she gave up and just sobbed to herself. It couldn't end like this! This thing could take her now! Not like this! She saw it loom over her. Twilight looked up silently as it lowered it's mouth to her. She had lost her voice, so she couldn't scream. Even if she had, if she were dreaming, no one would have heard her. In the end, all she could do was stand there and watch as all the light around her, and within her slowly vanished... All to be replaced... by pure darkness...