Everything had been going exactly the way that Twilight had planned. Her monthly check-in with Princess Celestia via scroll had been completed, her bi-weekly rapport with Starlight Glimmer had been completed, her weekly reorganization of the library had been completed, and finally, her daily check of the checklist had also been completed. There was, strangely, nothing to do for the rest of the day.
"Spike, are you sure that's all?" She looked down at the little purple dragon who seemed busy rolling up the intensely long scroll. There was no way that she had finished everything that quickly.
Spike nodded. "Yes, Twilight. We've triple-checked the list. There's absolutely nothing else you need to do," he confirmed while ensuring that the scroll was neatly rolled up.
Twilight frowned at the table she sat at. It's not that she was disappointed that there was no more work, she was upset at herself for not planning her time appropriately. "Are you sure you're sure?" She leaned over, taking the scroll from Spike with her magic and unrolling it over the table. It was so long it rolled off. "Maybe we missed something. Quadruple checking never hurt anypony!” She chuckled erratically as she scanned the list again.
Spike glared at Twilight but bit back a response. "If you say so, Twilight," he mumbled. "But I know you won't find anything you missed." He slumped back on his chair, watching the fruit of his labour be undone and dragged out on the floor.
Twilight read through the list carefully, muttering the words she read under her breath. The farther down the scroll she got, the more her eyes narrowed. There had to be something. Something she was missing. And she would find it. Even if it took her all day, she would find something she forgot to do, or needed to complete, or work on. There was no way she was done that early.
"Aha!" Twilight slammed the parchment on the table, startling Spike and causing him to fall off his chair. "I knew I missed something!"
Spike looked at her quizzically, climbing on top of the table to take a look at the part of the list Twilight was referencing. It was the bottom part of it, a task that was scrawled on messily, and most importantly, a task that was incomplete. She grinned happily at the undone chore, glad that she had something to occupy her.
"What does that say?" Spike narrowed his eyes as he read. "'Study the book hidden in the library of the Castle of Two Sisters'?" With a confused grunt, he took the scroll in his own claws and held it up close to his face. "This isn't even my writing. Or yours," he pointed out.
Twilight beamed. "So it was magically put there?" She flapped her wings in excitement. "It must be important, maybe it's some kind of magical quest that will somehow end up saving all of Equestria," she deduced.
Spike shrugged. "Likely," he deadpanned. "But are you sure that's the best idea? I mean, we have no idea who, or what, wrote that on the list."
He had a point, Twilight was sure. But there was one thing that was just slightly more important than his logic. "It's on the list." She looked at Spike with a determined look on her face. "And it hasn't been completed."
If there was anything that Twilight deemed most important, it was the merit of a job well done. And for a job to be well done, it had to be completed. She would have never been Celestia's personal student if she slacked off. Hay, she wouldn't be the Princess of Friendship if she slacked off. There was nothing to be gained from ignoring the message, but what could be gained? Knowledge. And knowledge was priceless.
Twilight shrugged, preparing a saddlebag for the trip to the rundown castle. "What's the worst that could happen?"
It was strange, Twilight thought, to be consumed by darkness. She never understood how anypony would let themselves get to that point unless they knew it was happening. Luckily for her, she was smarter than that. She had retrieved the book, brought it back to her own home, and begun to read it. It was full of dark incantations with the promise to make the user stronger. But Twilight knew better. You can't gain anything without giving something away. She ignored that part of the book, and instead focused on the theoretical part of it.
It felt as though there were claws gripping her the more she read, but the more she read, the less she could handle the idea of stopping. They were cold, the invisible claws that seemed to grip her, and she was admittedly getting a little worried. She didn't stop reading though. She had to finish the task. Eventually, the strange sensation stopped.
More and more, she found herself flipping back to the page with the spell. It would be so easy to do it, but what would she have to gain from it? She was already a princess with alicorn magic. She had even been forewarned that she would be taking over Celestia and Luna's thrones with her friends. That was the highest of honours. She didn't need more power.
Oh, but you do. You're not done yet.
There was a voice, although it didn't scare Twilight anymore. She had heard it since she first opened the book, once the strange grip on her body disappeared. It sounded like her own voice, but somehow, she knew it wasn't really her own voice. There was a note of something deeper with it. Maybe it was her own thoughts, but that was silly. She would never think something like that.
The only explanation she could think of was that the book was cursed, which wasn't really a big problem. The only negatives she's experienced were intrusive thoughts—if they really even were thoughts—and even then, they weren't at all debilitating. The positives were better. She was learning so much. So much she had never even known was possible. She knew that dark magic existed, but nothing quite like what she was reading about.
As long as she didn't use it, Twilight would be fine. She did always pride herself on her self-control. There had been too many times that she had seen the effects of dark magic on other ponies or even other creatures. Her friend, Sunset Shimmer, came to mind. She wanted more power, and she became a monster while trying to obtain it. Maybe she could give her more information.
It was an incredibly smart idea. First hoof resources were important, or rather first hand, and Twilight assumed they were hard to come by in this subject. She stood up, stretching her muscles and began to walk away. She left the textbook on the table, open on the page with the spell.
It was a relatively simple task. Go to her room, get the book with the symbol on the front, and come back to the library. She didn't even make it out of the library before she went back to grab the textbook, closing it carefully, and putting it under her wing. Now I can talk to Sunset Shimmer, she thought. I can't leave the book just laying around.
You need it, don't you?
Twilight rolled her eyes at the thought. "No I don't need it," she muttered quietly to herself. "I'm trying to keep Spike safe. I don't want him to get hurt," she told herself a little louder.
I won't hurt him.
"You can't hurt him. You're not real."
Aren't I?
She shook her head. "No. You're not. I've been reading up on hexes and curses. You're not real, you're just trying to make me fall under your spell." She thought back to her endless research when she had decided that the book, even if it did have the ability to annoy her, was harmless in the end.
Just because you can’t see me, doesn’t mean I’m not real.
…
I might not be able to hurt him, but you might.
Ridiculous. It was ridiculous, the notion of Twilight even thinking about hurting Spike. She would never do that to him; he was like her little brother. She hatched and raised him from an egg. They were family. She shook her head, deciding to stop conversing with the voice in her head.
She marched into her room, stepping over a sleeping Spike. I'd never hurt him. It was dark, much darker than it should have been. She used her horn to cast a simple light spell, just enough to illuminate the room slightly, being careful to not wake Spike. On her bedside table, she saw what she was looking for. A book with a sun on the cover.
It didn't take much effort to levitate the book off of the table and into her bag. She was finally ready to get some answers, provided Sunset could actually help. But she was just as smart as Twilight, so it wouldn't be farfetched to assume.
The walk back to the library seemed much shorter now that Twilight was alone with her thoughts. She threw the book used to communicate with its counterpart on the table and placed the spellbook down carefully. She didn't want to risk harming such an interesting read, after all.
Without giving it a thought, Twilight opened the book, flipping through the conversations she's had with Sunset. She was lucky that it seemed that her friend was near the book often, and as she found a blank page, she thought about what she would even write.
Dear Sunset Shimmer,
I know we talked recently, but there's been something on my mind for the past few days. I recently came across a book about dark magic and the content seemed somewhat familiar. Don't take this the wrong way, but it reminded me of that time back in human Canterlot when you took my crown. The book contained a spell that claimed to give the user more power.
Don't worry! I didn't use it, I'm not stupid. No offense. But now I've been hearing a voice in my head.
She stopped writing for a second, looking at the words on the page with a frown. She shook her head dismissively.
Okay, I know that sounds weird, but it's not really my voice, although it sounds like it. I don't know how to explain it, and I don't know how to get rid of it. Does it sound familiar to you at all? You might be better versed in this topic.
Your friend, Twilight Sparkle
She set the quill down, the pink glow disappearing from it. It didn't usually take long for Sunset to reply, but she still had to wait. The longer it took, the more she regretted it. After an excruciating few minutes of self-doubt, the book vibrated and Twilight shot her eyes to the page as the words appeared on it.
Twilight, you do know it's like three in the morning, right?
She did not.
Anyway, it's fine, I just came back from a party so you didn't wake me.
While I can't say I'm completely sure I know what you're talking about, I can recognize the warning signs. If you still have the book, I recommend you get rid of it or destroy it. I think it might be affecting you somehow, and you'd better stop it before it gets out of hand hoof. The last thing Equestria needs is someone as powerful as you getting messed up by some dark magic.
By the way, what's the book called? Maybe I've heard of it.
SS.
Twilight frowned at Sunset's suggestion. While she knew it made sense, she didn't want to get rid of it. She hadn't finished absorbing all the knowledge.
You can't get rid of me.
It had been a peaceful moment up until the voice returned. It wasn't like it was making any sense anyway. She could get rid of it if she wanted to, she just didn't want to. It had been a skill she developed to ignore the voice, and it proved more than handy. She looked at the cover of the book she had been keeping near her. It read 'Magic and Power: Darkwood's Spellbook of the Mind'. Straight to the point. How hadn't Twilight seen it before? She soaked the quill in ink again, then thought of a response.
I can't say I'm surprised that you were out this late. I was just doing some late-night reading, which probably isn't that surprising to you either.
I thought about your idea to get rid of the book, but I realized that there's so much I still haven't learned, and while I don't plan on using the knowledge, it's still good to have. Besides, I don't want the book getting into the wrong hooves or anything. I'll just keep it with me in the meantime.
I won't let the situation escalate, and if it does get out of control, I promise I will get rid of it and ask for help. My friends are pretty great, as you know. Nothing bad will happen, so there's no need to worry.
Speaking of friends, how is everything over at CHS? Any news?
She put down the quill and waited for an answer again. Changing the subject was the easiest way to get Sunset to drop the previous conversation. Besides, she really did want to know how things were going over there.
Words appeared one by one, but Twilight decided to wait until Sunset was done writing to read them. Her gaze floated to the spellbook. There was nothing wrong with wanting to learn, and she would need the knowledge in case something bad happened and it was what she needed to know.
She flipped it open once again, running her eyes through the words. " 'While it is possible to attain power through different methods, this one is the most direct and efficient. The power gained from this spell is beyond what any creature could even imagine,'" she read aloud. "But what's the catch?"
There is no real catch. You get power. What more could you want?
"There's always a catch," Twilight pointed out. "Power doesn't just appear, it's taken. Paid for. How do you pay?"
There was silence. Twilight wasn't sure if she liked the silence or not, and she would have preferred an answer to her question, but it seemed she wouldn't get one.
Your friend is waiting for you. Can't you pay attention?
Twilight turned her head back to the book, which she had not noticed was buzzing constantly. The writing was still appearing, but it appeared like more of an afterthought than anything.
If you think you can handle it, I believe you. Just be careful, it's easy to get carried away with magic. I would know.
Things are pretty good over here. We don't go to the same college, but all of our schools are pretty close together, so we get to hang out a lot. I think high school graduation was the lamest thing I've ever been to, but the rest of the girls seemed to have fun which is all that matt
hoooowdyyyyy! its applejack. how you be
Sorry about that, Applejack stole my pencil. I think she had too much to drink. I managed to get Rarity to take her back to her place, though.
I promise we're responsible.
Twilight.
Twilight?
Twilight!
Did you fall asleep?
Twi?
Did the book do something?
I'm kidding by the way.
Unless it was the book.
I hope you're just asleep.
Twilight bit her lip. She hadn't meant to make Sunset worry. She watched as more words started to appear until she decided to respond.
Sunset! Sorry! I got distracted. Not asleep, in fact, I'm more awake than ever.
Sounds like a fun party, although I can't imagine Applejack drinking that much. I'm glad that you guys are still friends, you definitely look out for each other. To be honest, I would have thought that you'd be the first to get wasted.
Are Rarity and Applejack still dating? I can't imagine them getting together here. They're always at each other's tails.
Sleep was no longer necessary. Twilight didn't need it, nor did she want it. She spent most waking moments reading from the book. She could probably recite it cover to cover, but still, she read.
There was still the problem about food. She had found out she still needed sustenance, because of course, she did. A few apples would suffice, however. She always had apples, thanks to her friendship with Applejack.
Friends are so useless.
"I disagree," Twilight responded, taking a bite of an apple. Her stomach had been growling, and she put off eating as long as possible, but once the headache started and kept her from her reading, she decided it was enough. She went to the kitchen and had been there for a few hours, satisfying her hunger whenever it became a problem. "I like being friends with Applejack, for example. She always brings us apples."
Your friends give you things?
She nodded, taking the last bite. "Mhm," she muffled through her mouthful of apple. It didn't taste like much, though. She hastily swallowed, eager to get back to her book. "All of my friends are useful," she stated absently.
Oh? Really? How so?
With a shrug, Twilight closed the book, looking at the front cover. "Well, they all help me when things are tough. Applejack's pretty strong, so she's good for when we need a strong pony on our team." She thought for a moment. "Rainbow Dash is really fast, Rarity is super resourceful, Fluttershy can converse with animals, and Pinkie Pie is super creative." The words flowed out of her easily.
What about you?
Another silly question. "I can do magic," she pointed out. "But you already know that."
Are you at your best?
Twilight hesitated, then shook her head. "No, of course not. You can never really stop learning," she explained. "There's always more to know."
Then you should do the spell in the book. You'll have more power than you could imagine, and you'll be learning so much.
Out of the question. Twilight knew to not mess with dark magic, it was one of the first things Celestia taught her. "Not happening," she spoke sternly.
Come on. Nothing bad will happen to you, I promise. You're not evil, so possessing the magic wouldn't be a problem for you.
“I’m not evil, you’re right. But who knows what possessing dark magic could do to me?” Twilight looked down at the book and passed a hoof on the cover. “It’s too much of a risk.”
Don’t you want to learn? Reading can only provide so much. Plus, only one pony can use the spell at a time. Wouldn’t you rather it be you?
As much as she hated to admit it, the voice had a point. It's not like she would use it for anything bad, and if she had the magic, she could understand it. Keeping it out of the wrong hooves was just an added bonus. There was always a reason to risk things for science. She pursed her lips, then nodded.
"Okay, I'll do it."
Excellent.
And then the voice disappeared. It felt like her mind was fuzzy with the absence of noise all of a sudden. She had learned to not mind it and instead regarded it as an equal. Someone she could talk to, even if the conversations weren't that stimulating.
She didn't even notice that Spike entered. "Were you talking to somepony?" He rubbed his eyes, indicating that he had just woken up. If Twilight hadn't been able to figure it out from that, the long yawn that followed confirmed it.
She didn't return the yawn. "No, I was just talking to myself," she told him calmly. "Did you sleep well?"
Spike nodded. "Yeah, actually I slept pretty great." He hopped up to the counter taking a seat on one of the stools. "Did you make breakfast?"
Can't he do it himself?
Twilight opened her mouth to reply but realized that she shouldn't with Spike sitting right there. Instead, she opted to reply more subtly. "I know you usually make your own breakfast and I promised I would make it today, but I was up all night reading and completely forgot." Most of that was true.
The dragon that she called her brother seemed more perplexed than annoyed or disappointed. It wasn't the reaction she was expecting. "You're still reading that thing?" He glanced at the spellbook. "I swear you've read it at least twenty times."
Wrong. He was wrong. She'd only read it sixteen times. Each time was more fulfilling than the last, although Spike would never understand. "I just want to make sure I get it right," she explained through a cheeky smile. "I think we're out of food. Could you go buy some?"
Spike checked a cabinet. "No, we have plenty of stuff. Except for apples." He raised an eyebrow at Twilight.
"Go buy some," she repeated more forcefully. She deepened her smile. "Please."
Nice manners, Princess.
Spike narrowed his eyes, giving her a sideways glance as he hopped off the stool. "Are you feeling okay?" He observed the book carefully. "I think the book's having some sort of bad influence on you. Remember Rarity and the Inspiration Manifestation book?" He reached over to grab it, but Twilight slammed her hoof on it before he had the chance and slid it close to her.
Make him leave.
"Spike. Go now," she demanded through a frown that had come out of nowhere. "I want to make sure we have enough food for next week." She lifted Spike up using magic and moved him closer to the door.
"Okay, fine. Sheesh." With that, Spike left the room. Twilight waited until she heard the main door close and then sighed in relief.
Finally. I thought he'd never leave.
"He's just looking out for me." Twilight flipped the page on the book, landing back on the spell. She looked at it closely, mumbling the words on the page without the need to read them.
He's going to stop you if you're not quick enough.
Would that be so bad? Admittedly, Twilight had begun to have second thoughts upon seeing Spike. The chances of something going wrong were slim by her calculations, but she didn't want to risk Spike's well-being. He was like a little brother after all.
Don't get so emotional on me. And don't you even dare back down. I may not be a physical being, but I am a part of you now. I can hurt you.
I can make you hurt him.
Twilight winced. That was the last thing she would ever want. "This is a bad idea. I can stop you," she told herself.
But herself didn't listen.
Try all you want, Twilight. But I'm part of you now. You can't stop me without stopping yourself. And I know you'd never do that, right?
There was no point in even entertaining the thought. She would never do something like that, especially when she knew it would hurt Spike so much. So, she took a deep breath. "Do you promise you won't hurt Spike if I go along with it?"
Now we're talking. I can't promise anything. In the end, you'll be you. All I am is a guide. The voice in your head. Your conscience. No, wait. Not your conscience. That would imply a sense of morality. If it makes you feel better, I promise that you won't hurt Spike. After all, I do have a certain amount of influence on your actions.
All you need to do is use the spell, Twilight. And then I can help you get power, and you can help me, too. Imagine, anything you'd ever want at the tip of your hooves. It's a nice thought, right? I can feel you get excited, you know.
Twilight frowned. It was a bad idea, but she'd at least have control over herself, right? Besides, she couldn’t let somepony else use the spell. Who knows if they could control it! Resolute in her decision, she looked back down at the book, her mind suddenly unable to remember the spell from memory. Her horn glowed as she muttered the words under her breath. Her entire body tensed, and she felt sweat beading up on her forehead.
And then, there was darkness. It gripped all over her, pulling her in every direction, and nowhere at the same time. If she thought that opening the book at first was strange, then this was awful. It lasted forever and ended instantly. For a moment, she was too afraid to move, or even to breathe. The world felt empty and way too overstimulating. She covered her head with her hooves, unable to open her eyes as she laid on the floor. The only thing she could hear was screaming, and it fading further and further away.
Moments passed like an eternity that lasted a few seconds. Right before she gathered the courage to open her eyes, the voice spoke again. This time, however, it came directly from her mind. Unlike before when it felt separate from herself, the voice was now unified with her thoughts.
Sorry to lie to you, Princess. Although, I do keep my promises. I hope we do, too.