Again.
She was running once again from something seemingly inescapable—some nameless horror that followed close behind, snapping at her heels, giving her no rest. No matter how much she begged and screamed and pleaded for it to stop or leave her alone, it continued to chase her mercilessly and endlessly like a shadow.
Words were useless.
Running was useless.
She had no idea where she was or why it was chasing her and deep down she knew running would do no good, but what else could she do? She couldn't fight back—she didn't want to fight back. The fear was too great to do anything else other than flee for her life. What exactly was it that she was fleeing from? She didn't know nor did she care. All that mattered was that whatever it was didn't catch her, because if it did...
If it did...
If it did... then what? What would happen?
What are you so afraid of, child?
What is it that instills in you such raw fear that you would choose to run for eternity rather than confront it even once?
The terrified filly had no answer to give.
So overcome with the need to escape from her pursuer was she that there was no space in her fear addled mind for any other consideration—no capacity left to think on the preponderance of those questions. If left on her own, the poor filly would continue to run, always one step ahead of the unnamable fear that haunted her every step but never able to fully break free of it.
Pitiful...
Shameful...
Wasteful...
Drowning in the mire of your own fears and insecurities, you will never be able to take hold of the destiny that awaits you. You cannot even hope to grasp at the truly vast potential that dwells within you, surging and roiling just beneath the surface...
...
...Very well then.
I cannot abide this foolishness any longer, and thus I will take matters into my own hooves.
And just like that, the terrified filly found her momentum suddenly halted, stopped in her tracks by a will other than her own. Then, to her further horror, her legs began to move in the opposite direction, her body turning to meet the very thing she sought asylum from.
Come, child, you must face your darkness if you wish to overcome it! Only by conquering the shadow that lingers in your heart and mind can you control it!
The filly shook her head and tried to turn away, tried to shut her teary eyes to the fear that would not let her be, but she found she couldn't. Before her, the darkness loomed tall and imposing—an abominable entity that defied description. The amalgamation of every horrible thought, every wretched memory, every cruel and vicious impulse that the filly had tried desperately to hide away or ignore.
She trembled as the baleful gaze of that unspeakable manifestation bore down on her, its cold amethyst eyes tearing into her psyche like the snapping jaws of a ravenous beast.
No, you will not avert your eyes, girl! This is who you are! This is what you are! Do not run from it! Do not hide from it! Subjugate the beast within and it will give you strength unimaginable!
But she didn't understand.
The words were bold, authoritative, meant to stoke in the filly the flames of rebellion against everything she was afraid to confront, but it wasn't enough. How could she, a mere foal, be expected to do anything other than cower before a frightening visage such as this?
Madness.
Unreasonable.
Impossible.
Is it, truly?
I have seen in you the will overcome the harsh trials set upon you, child, both past and present. I sense the conviction of a pony two or three times your senior. Do not dare to use your age as an excuse!
This creature called fear holds no power over you! Even now you cower and cringe before it, and yet it makes no move to bring you harm. Do you not see?
A crack in the filly's terror began to show as she looked upon her tormentor and realized that no it had not, in fact, done anything other than menace her with its presence.
Like a receding thunderstorm seen from a distance, she could look into its eyes and witness again the fate of her brother, father, and mother. She could feel the terror she felt as that violent storm ravaged and destroyed utterly her previous life and home.
And yet, it ultimately could not bring her harm for it was a mere memory and though traumatic and life-changing, it was confined—caged behind the inescapable prison of the past.
But her past was not the only fear the filly had to conquer.
Those cruel amethyst eyes that threatened to swallow whole everything she was and everything she knew, Those eyes were born not of what came before, but what was yet to come. It was not a fear of the past, but of herself and that very potential surging and roiling beneath the surface.
If you do not want to be consumed by your destiny, then reach out and seize it for yourself, child. Bend it to your will. Remember that you are the one in control of your own future.
Again the words gave the filly pause, made her falter if only slightly. Between a painful past and a monstrous future, where was she meant to go? What was she meant to do? She was trapped—stuck between two terrifying and insurmountable walls that threatened to close in on her, that threatened to squeeze the life out of her.
And yet...
As she continued to stare into those ruthless eyes that were so undeniably alien yet so achingly familiar all at once, she began to see something else—something she hadn't seen while blinded by mindless fear. She began to realize that there was no true hostility behind that malevolent gaze. She could see impatience and expectation—she even thought she could see a small hint of concern—but there was no harmful intent to be found.
It simply stood by, watching and waiting.
Waiting for what? What did it want from her? Why wouldn't it leave her alone? Up until now, the filly couldn't understand, but now she was beginning to, even if she didn't want to. This vile incarnation of darkness and negativity—of her traumatic past and her heinous future... it was waiting for her to make a choice.
It was then, at that moment, that full realization set in and the filly was no longer looking at some unnamable all-consuming horror out to devour her from within. The nightmarish veil was cast aside to reveal the spurned reflection beneath—the Twilight Sparkle that yearned for nothing more than acceptance.
But would the filly give it? Could she? Could she accept that part of herself with eyes as cold as the Frozen North, or would she continue to reject what she knew she could never escape?
Yes! This is what you are! This is where your true strength lies! If you wish to be whole... if you wish to truly shine... then reach out and take hold of that darkness! Make it your own!
Twilight Sparkle knew now that there was nothing to be afraid of. The filly that stared back at her with those cold, predatory eyes that reflected everything she'd ever feared about herself and the world around her... it was simply another facet of her mind—unpleasant to look upon and contemplate, but ultimately no more a monster than she was.
And just knowing that much was enough for now.
She could now acknowledge that part of herself for what it truly was, but she wasn't ready to accept it. Not yet. She knew there was nothing to be afraid of, but though it had diminished considerably, the fear yet remained. The trauma of that tragic night, the dread and anxiety caused by the vision she and Starlight had shared, her own preconceived notions about dark magic, and the corruption it brought forth...
Twilight found she couldn't rid herself of it all entirely, and thus she couldn't help but close her eyes to that cruel reflection, despite the bold words of encouragement. Whatever strange force held her in place had released its grip, allowing the filly to turn away and fully acknowledge the commanding voice for the first time.
...So you choose to reject yourself, then.
Twilight glanced behind her to watch as her reflection frowned and dissipated into nothingness, then scanned the arid, empty desert that was her dreamscape. Finding no obvious source for the voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once, she looked to the burning red sky.
You would continue to run, knowing the true nature of your fears and that you cannot reach your full capability as a mage as you are now?
At this, Twilight could only lower her head, her ears flattening in shame at the immense disappointment in the words of the disembodied voice.
"I'm sorry, but," she sniffed and shook her head, "b-but I can't do it. It's... it's too much right now..."
There was a brief moment of heavy silence in the wake of the filly's response, but then...
Tch... fine then.
As I am now, I can only make you face the truth, so as vexing as it is... I will relent for the time being. Know you this though, Twilight Sparkle. If you cannot gain dominion over that darkness... if you cannot overcome those fears and insecurities festering within you... then you will fail in the trials ahead... and that failure will cost you dearly.
Twilight winced at those words, the weight of the ominous warning pressing heavily down on the filly. The gravity of the situation had brought the filly around to near-complete lucidity and as the fog began to clear from the dreaming filly's mind, the imperious voice became increasingly familiar.
"W-Wait, who are you?" she asked, calling out to the sky, "h-hello?"
But there was no response.
Twilight looked around, but everywhere she turned there was only more empty desert to meet her gaze. She couldn't hear the voice anymore, her reflection had disappeared, and the anxious filly had the unsettling realization that she was truly alone now. Above and unnoticed by Twilight, the sky gradually turned from a burning red to a murky grey, then pitch black as if to mirror the nameless dread beginning to eat away at her thoughts.
"Hello? Is anypony there?" she cried, growing desperate for some kind of response, "hello?!"
But the only response she received was a slow, deep rumble that shook the dry, cracked earth beneath her hooves. She cried out, stumbling about for a moment as she tried to maintain her footing. The tremors lasted only a few seconds or so before stopping, but started again only a minute or two later. Then it stopped, then began again, and again, growing consecutively louder and more violent.
A bright white flash suddenly lit the oily black sky, throwing the dismal image of the barren desert into sharp relief in Twilight's eyes. The filly raised her terrified gaze once more to the sky just as the sky lit up again and barely had any time to scream as her world cracked apart and exploded in a blinding and deafening cacophony of light and sound.
Twilight's eyes flew open.
She cried out in pain, curling up and clutching her head as magenta hued sparks erupted from her horn. Thankfully the pain was brief and the sparks died out after only a few seconds. It took another moment for Twilight to get her bearings, but eventually, her senses began to settle. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to open them just yet, and instead listened to the world around her.
All was quiet save for a low continuous hum coming from somewhere nearby. An ear twitched at the familiar sound of a page being flipped a moment later. Now that she had calm down somewhat, Twilight wanted to reflect on the dream she'd just had, but the curiosity regarding just what she was waking up to was too powerful to ignore. It was around that time that she also noticed the distinct lack of a soft bed beneath her.
She set a hoof down and her eyes snapped open as she felt not a bed, but rather some kind of soft carpeting below. Bewildered, Twilight scrambled to her hooves and took in her new surroundings. She was shocked to find herself in what she initially thought was the Fortress' library. That thought was swiftly amended when she realized the layout was completely different from what she knew.
There were certainly rows and rows of bookshelves around her, and she could tell right off that it was indeed a library, but on a far more grandiose scale. It was less a proper library and more a maze of hallways where the walls themselves seemed to be made up of sparkling crystalline bookshelves whose heights reached the very ceiling above. Everywhere the filly turned there was another wall of books to be found.
If she wasn't certain she'd just woken up, Twilight would've thought her previous nightmare had somehow become the best dream she'd ever had. Still, something about the library made her uneasy, almost as if she could sense something malicious wandering the halls—some malevolent creature waiting just around the corner.
"Finally awake I see, and by the looks of it, it seems your dreams were none too pleasant."
The enraptured filly yelped in surprise, not at all expecting any kind of voice let alone the deep timbre of the creature who stood just beside her. She whipped around to find none other than King Sombra himself, the intimidating stallion idly perusing one of many tomes and records on display throughout the fantastical library Twilight found herself in.
"S-Sombra?! Why are you—no, w-wait," she took another look around, "this is... the Crystal Empire, right? Why am I here? Where's Starlight?"
"Your confusion is understandable," Sombra chuckled. He quietly snapped shut the book held in his red aura and replaced it upon the shelf in front of him before giving his full attention to Twilight, "in all honesty, I myself hadn't expected to see you back here in my domain again so soon, Twilight Sparkle."
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, "how did I get here? Did Aeon bring me here?"
"It was not Aeon that dropped you upon my doorstep, no," Sombra clarified. He stepped past Twilight before motioning her to follow after him with a nod of his head, "rather, it was one of her subordinates. I believe she called herself Pollux," his expression turned thoughtful, "...strange mare, that one."
Twilight hesitated a moment, her mind still trying somewhat to process her current situation. Castor had mentioned to Twilight and Starlight that their training would start the next day, but something was off. She shook her head and hurried to follow behind the stallion after another moment.
"I don't get it," she said, picking up her own pace as she tried to keep up with Sombra's stride, "Castor said that she and Pollux would come to get us at seven in the morning to start our training, so why am I here? And what about Starlight?"
"I've no notion as to the whereabouts of your companion as you were the only one brought before me," Sombra replied with a shake of his head, "as for the intentions of that strange mare... it seems she meant to educate you in the basics of dark magic herself but evidently, something else urgently required her attention—or so I was told."
"So... does that mean..." Twilight began before trailing off hopefully.
Sombra nodded solemnly.
"Though it was meant to happen eventually, it appears the task of instructing you has fallen to me much sooner than expected," he turned to look down at the filly walking beside him with a sardonic grin, "I cannot say that I am too displeased with the arrangement, hasty though it may be, but this sudden development does change things to a certain extent."
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked curiously.
"I was originally to teach you the more complex workings of dark magic," he explained, "advanced lessons not meant for the eyes and ears of a mere acolyte of the darker arts.
"Now, however, we must account for your lack of experience," he paused and raised an armored hoof to gesture to the halls of books surrounding them both, "and to that end, I have brought you here to this place."
"It's huge..." Twilight muttered, her eyes roaming over each and every bookshelf in the monolithic library,"I thought the library in the Fortress was big, but this place is way bigger than any other library I've ever seen. It's might even be bigger than the Royal Archives in Canterlot!"
Sombra raised a thoughtful brow at the statement but chose not to comment. He instead filed away that bit of information for the time being and continued with his explanation.
"This, my sedulous pupil, is the Crystal Library," he said, a hint of pride seeping into his tone, "at one time it was considered the greatest repository of documented knowledge known to ponykind, and it is here where we will begin your lessons."
At that moment, the excitement and anticipation of what was to come washed away any residual worries Twilight had gathered during her stay in the Fortress. Time and the events that had transpired since she was roused from her slumber had, for the moment, wiped clean any memory the filly had of what lurked within her subconscious.
The foreboding words of that domineering voice were all but forgotten in the mind of Twilight Sparkle.