//------------------------------//
// Escape from Canterlot Castle 
// Story: Celestia's Eternal Empire 
// by Distaff Pope 
//------------------------------//

	Ooh, what do you think of this book Twilight? It looks interesting.
Twilight Sparkle sighed, for the past three days Alli had been critiquing every book she had come across. While the companionship hadn’t bothered Twilight at first, her growing camaraderie with a voice in an amulet was beginning to worry her.
Oh, you shouldn’t be worried; I am here to help you, nothing more. And if you are worried about your sanity well, actually you have to figure that out on your own. I don’t think the voice in your head telling you are sane is all that reassuring. But for what it’s worth, I think you are as sane as you ever were.
Twilight flipped through the book she had found on the Elements of Harmony, she hadn’t read it before, but she knew most of the information in it from other sources and personal experience. Still, she thought, there is no harm in being thorough. “What do you mean by ‘I am as sane as I ever was’?” she asked.
Well, you aren’t exactly known for your predictable rational behavior, the last time you were afraid of being tardy you almost wiped out Ponyville. Then there was that time you murdered a whole slew of Pinkie Pies. All hilarious of course, but not exactly the hallmark of a rational mind.
“That,” blood was rushing to Twilight’s cheeks, “I was under a lot of stress, and besides, they weren’t the real Pinkie Pie… probably.”
No of course not, they were just copies of a sentient being with the same ability to learn and develop as any other pony. But then, they had the same personality as Pinkie Pie, and I can understand why having to deal with thirty copies of her would drive somepony to murder.
“I am not going to be lectured by an amulet that exists to corrupt ponies, and if you keep it up I will send you back to whatever prison the Princess keeps you in.”
But of course, Ms. Sparkle, forgive me for overstepping my bounds, now if you will allow me to aid you, I believe the third paragraph of page 237 has some information that is… unknown to you.
Twilight flipped back to the page Alli pointed out and began to read:

"Many historians have debated the nature of the Elements; however I believe that we can find their analogues in the 	Mantles of Sun and Moon. However, while those mantles were fused with their illustrious bearers Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the binding of the elements to a physical foci allows them to be used by normal ponies. Indeed, what are commonly thought of as the Elements, are just the foci the mantles are bound to. The power of the Elements comes from the mantles inside of the foci resonating with the virtues of the Bearers, and through that connection, the Bearers are temporarily able to wield the powers of a god. This has led to some speculation that by breaking the foci one could merge the Element and the Bearer, granting them some measure of godhood. Of course, such a procedure would be incredibly dangerous and risk the safety of the Bearers and Equestria and should not be attempted."

Twilight furrowed her brow, trying to wrap her head around the ideas found in the passage, “So, if I am reading this correctly, then what I think of as the Elements of Harmony are only half of the Elements of Harmony?”
That would be correct; the Elements of Harmony are like a lock and key. The foci serve as the locks, and the bearers are the key. That was why your Discorded selves couldn’t use them, the metaphorical key no longer fit in the lock. Also, Spike makes for a poor Rainbow Dash. But that isn’t the really interesting thing. The interesting thing is the correlation between the mantles of Sun and Moon and… never mind all that, what is this?
Twilight could feel Alli directing her attention to a black book near her. If not for her pointing it out, Twilight would have overlooked it.
Looks like someone put a chameleon spell on it. It doesn’t make the object it is cast upon invisible, but it does direct most ponies to not look at it. This is old subtle magic.
She approached the book. Looking at it strained her eyes, but she couldn’t suppress her excitement at the prospect of reading a rare book. As she got closer, she noticed that the book was bound in actual leather as opposed to the faux-leather that most books used. Her excitement diminished.
Where do you hide the most dangerous book in the world? In a library! Brilliant, simply brilliant. But then, would you expect any less from Princess Celestia?
“What! Are you saying that Princess Celestia put this book here?”
I am sorry, was that not obvious? No, of course it wasn’t, Celestia is so good at obscuring the truth and twisting facts. She turns Luna’s corruption into a children’s holiday, hides her deadliest enemy in a sculpture garden, and then she wipes out all records of King Sombra AND the Crystal Empire, sealing away a dangerous rival and the only other copy of the Neighcronomicon in one fell swoop.
She levitated the book towards her, she could see that the book was actually titled the Necronomicon, but it seemed it was a part of pony nature to turn everything into a horse pun. “I know I am going to regret asking this, but where is the other copy of the Necronomicon?” she said.
Where else would the most powerful spellbook known to ponydom be? With Princess Celestia. I suppose it is fitting that her favorite student be the one to read through the other copy.
Twilight opened the book and the book assaulted her mind. No, that wasn’t right she thought, the book wasn’t attacking her exactly, it was… she blinked trying to clear her head, the spells were trying to force themselves into her head. The rituals written on the pages moved, trying to go from the book to Twilight’s head. Through the Neighcronomicon, Twilight could see the arcane energy that held all of Equestria together. Everything was interwoven, and with this book she could pluck the strings holding the universe together. She could feel the spells talking to her, they wanted her to read them, they wanted her to use them.  It was only fitting that she read the book, her special talent was magic, and this book contained the most powerful magic she had ever seen. A match made in heaven.
Twilight Sparkle! Close that book!
Twilight slammed the book shut and let it fall to the floor. The knowledge it had impressed upon her was quickly fading away. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Her eyes were swimming and she felt bile rising up her throat. She had spent years training under Celestia, learning how to resist outside magical influences, but the Neighcronomicon tore through those defenses in less than a second. If not for Alli… well, she didn’t want to think about it right now, “Let’s get out of here Alli. I… I think I have done enough reading for today”
Of course Twilight, if I had known you lacked sufficient defenses to read the book I would not have directed your attention towards it.
The young mare’s legs wobbled as she walked away, “It… You didn’t know, and when you did realize what was happening you helped me regain control of myself. Thank you, I am glad I brought you with me.”
You are most welcome Twilight, now I believe we have had enough reading for today, perhaps you should get some rest.

Crowds of ponies were gathering in Canterlot’s central square to hear Celestia’s speech. The city had filled with rumors concerning the princess’s erratic behavior over the past few days, and everypony looked forward to hearing Celestia’s explanation. As far as most ponies were concerned, she was their leader and they would follow her into Tartarus. Luna worried that that was exactly what Celestia had planned.
“Pardon me sister, but what precisely do you have planned for today’s address?” Luna asked as she entered her sister’s chamber.
Celestia smiled, its usual warmth replaced with contempt, “I would tell you, but I am afraid I can’t trust anypony in the castle. If someone were to overhear it the whole address might be ruined.”
As she spoke, Luna noticed Celestia positioning herself to conceal a black book bound in leather, she knew exactly what it was.
“You have been reading the Neighcronomicon,” Luna said, “You know the book is evil and you know it manipulates who ever reads it. What possible justification could you have for bringing it out of the vault?”
“Because, dearest sister, Equestria is under attack,” Celestia said, rising up to her full height, her once prismatic mane now dominated by shades of red and orange, “and I am the only one who can see the threat. If I have to use dark magic to save my kingdom, then I will.”
Luna stopped, shocked. Celestia had spent millennia destroying every book that mentioned the Neighcronomicon for fear of its evil infecting her citizens, and now she was willing to read it herself to fight a threat that might only exist in her mind, “you don’t have to do this Tia, give me the book and we can come up with a solution that doesn’t involve you using forbidden magic. You are better than this sister.”
Celestia frowned, “I would love to sister, I truly would, but I…” For a few seconds the princess Luna loved returned, and she saw a mare trying to do her best to make everyone happy. “I can’t, falling prey to such sentimentality is exactly what the Adversary expects me to do, and while we work on a solution that makes everypony happy, HE will destroy Equestria. I won’t let that happen. And… and because of that, I will have to contain you for the duration of the crisis. You still have a soft spot in my heart, and you are far too powerful to be left un-“
Before Celestia could finish her sentence, Luna had fled the chambers. The younger princess’s mind worked to process recent developments. The first and most obvious development was that Celestia had been corrupted, possibly by the very enemy Celestia intended to fight. No matter the cause, the only way to save her was by using the Elements of Harmony, and that would mean assembling the Bearers who Celestia had so thoroughly scattered across Equestria. Luna could try to battle Celestia, but the older mare had far more experience than she, and for Luna to win that fight she would have to destroy her sister. She deemed that solution unacceptable. Likewise, any attempts to stop Celestia’s speech would lead to Celestia trying to stop her, but in this scenario, the royal guard would be arrayed against Luna as well. Her only option then was to get the Bearer’s out of Canterlot before Celestia could stop them. The task would normally be impossible, but thankfully, Celestia would be distracted by her upcoming speech. Luna galloped towards the wing of the castle the Bearers were staying in.

Rarity looked through the selection of outfits she had brought with her to Canterlot. Tonight she was going to the opera with Fancypants, and she wanted to look her best. Unfortunately, her current job required her to spy on her company, but she was confident that no ponies in Equestria were plotting treason behind Celestia’s back, and her reports to the Princess indicated as such. Still, she didn’t feel right betraying the trust of her new friends, and she missed her Ponyville friends as well. As she deliberated on which dress to wear, her skin tingled and she heard a small but distinct ‘pop’ coming from behind her. Someone had teleported into her room.
“Greetings Rarity, I am afraid I have to call on you for an… emergency mission.”
Rarity turned around to find Princess Celestia addressing her, “Oh… of course Princess, what do you need?” she asked, hoping to mask the discomfort that came from being around the Princess lately.
Celestia smiled, “In a few moments my treacherous sister will come in here to convince you to flee the city with her. Knowing her, she will try to gather the Elements of Harmony and use them against me. This plan will ultimately fail, but it will provide an opportunity for you to infiltrate the ranks of her little rebellion.”
As the princess spoke, Rarity felt magical energies wrapping around her and constricting, she tried to move a leg, but it was unresponsive. The princess continued, “My sister means well, but she is uninformed, and her actions born of ignorance could undermine the safety of Equestria. I know betraying your friends goes against your nature, but your actions will pave the way for Equestria’s glorious new future, and I won’t be giving you a choice in the matter.”
Black tendrils sprouted from Celestia’s horn, and enveloped Rarity, wrapping around her body before sinking under her skin, “The compulsion I am using on you is a wonderfully subtle spell really; it forces its victim to obey the caster’s commands. Failure to comply, results in the victim’s will being eaten away at. Make no mistake Rarity, the only thing you will gain by resisting the compulsion is pain. But, I understand you are rather strong willed, and you might attempt to betray me anyways, so allow me to add another incentive. As we speak, guards are flying to Ponvyille with the purpose of bringing Sweetie Belle back to the castle. Don’t worry though, as long as you serve me faithfully, she will be fine.” Celestia smiled, as Rarity quickly found the unstated threat.
The tendrils had disappeared from normal view, but Rarity could still feel them wrapping their way around her mind. Her muscles constricted as she bowed before her… the compulsion wanted her to say queen, Rarity wanted to scream. 
“Good, now in a few minutes, Luna will come here, and you will join with her resistance. You will behave normally and do nothing to reveal your connection to me or the nature of the compulsion, if you do I will find out and Sweetie Belle will suffer for it. Your primary objectives are to retrieve the Starmetal Gun and lead Luna and your friends to me. Once you do that, I will remove the compulsion and Sweetie Belle will be returned to you. I know that what I am doing is wrong, and I won’t ask your forgiveness, but I do hope you understand that what I do, I do for all of Equestria.”
A second later, Celestia flickered out of the room. Rarity ran for the door, she could flee to the castle and get to Sweetie Belle before the Princess’s guards reached her. It would be difficult, but she could fight the compulsion. She tried to open the door, if she could get out of here then maybe… maybe the compulsion would fade and she could… get Sweetie Belle, that was her goal, she reminded herself, she had to get Sweetie Belle before the princess could.  Her muscles failed and she fell to the floor. The very thought of disobedience caused the compulsion to eat away at her psyche, and her body resisted any actions that weren’t approved by Celestia. Still, she wouldn’t let her friends or Sweetie Belle down, even if it destroyed her. Rarity stood up as every fiber in her body screamed at her for resisting, and took two more steps towards the door before she fell into unconsciousness.

Rarity didn’t know how long she slept for, but she awoke to someone prodding at her. Opening her eyes, she saw Luna standing before her, “Fair Rarity, we need to get out of here, the city is no longer safe.”
“Uhmm… Rarity, are you alright? We came in and found you collapsed on the floor,” Rarity heard Fluttershy as the pegasus fluttered over her, trying to determine what had happened to her friend. She also saw a blur of pink bouncing in and out of her field of view. So, Rarity was the last one Luna came for.
“Ooh! Maybe she stayed out too late partying with ponies; I bet she has a really low punch tolerance. Ooh! Did you drink Berry Punch’s Special Blend? It is yummerific, and it really gets a party going.”
Rarity groaned, Pinkie was already giving her a headache; still she had to warn them about Celestia, “No girls, I am-”
Her head exploded and the world filled with static. She closed her eyes, there was something she needed to say, but she couldn’t think of it. But she knew what the compulsion wanted her to say, and if she did then it might let her think a bit better, “No girls, I am fine. Pinkie is right, I just stayed out a bit too late last night.”
Lies, she thought, she wasn’t fine, Celestia was evil, and something very bad was about to happen. She wanted to warn them, to tell them, but even thinking about disobeying Celestia’s orders made her head hurt. Luna looked her over again, “Are you sure Rarity?”
Rarity nodded, she wanted to cry.
“Very well,” Luna said, “Then we need to get out of Canterlot as quickly as possible, I don’t know what she is planning, but I know it will happen during her speech… probably. Anyways, the sooner we get out of Canterlot to find your friends, the better we will be.”
“I don’t understand,” Fluttershy said, “If Celestia is such a danger to Canterlot, then why aren’t we trying to stop her before she does it.”
“Because, while we are certainly well equipped to deal with any normal threats, Celestia is a goddess whose power is augmented by the Neighcronomicon. Our only chance to stop her is to unite the Bearers of Harmony and use the power of the Elements. Hopefully, my sister is so wrapped up in her righteous cause, she doesn’t consider the idea that something has corrupted her,” Luna said, gesturing the girls to the door.
Rarity opened her mouth, if ever there was a time to warn her friends it was now, “I… Uh…” She felt like her tongue had turned to stone and her eyes unfocused as the compulsion tightened its grip on her, “I… yes, the sooner we can bring the Elements to bear against Celestia, the safer Equestria will be.”
Luna looked at Rarity, “Are you sure you are alright? I don’t think I have ever seen you so… unkempt.”
Rarity swallowed nervously, she felt her sweat coating her body, “Oh… that is just because I haven’t had time to make myself up this morning, and it doesn’t seem like I will be given the chance today, so let’s get moving.”
Rarity trotted out the door, if she stayed still, her cover would be compromised, and if that happened… she didn’t want to think about what Celestia would do to her or Sweetie Belle. 
“Of course, hopefully the guards still recognize my authority,” Luna said, walking out of the room.
Rarity followed the princess out, with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie following beside her. She glanced over at the pink pony bouncing beside her and finally noticed the pink armor she was wearing, “Uhmm… Pinkie Pie dear, what exactly are you wearing?”
“Oh, this?” Pinkie Pie said, gesturing towards her armor, “this is my Super Secret Surprise Party Armor. It is great for throwing surprise parties and infiltrating top secret military installations. Not that Equestria has many top secret military installations, or maybe we do, but we don’t know about them because of how secret they are.”
“Pinkie,” Rarity said, “perhaps you can tell me about the suit when we aren’t trying to sneak out of Canterlot Castle.”
“Okey Dokey Lokey,” Pinkie said.
Luna poked her head out to scan the Royal Throne Room, “All the guards have gone to oversee the assembly; hopefully, we can get to the service entrance without alerting them,” the four ponies galloped across the Throne Room, following Luna as she headed to a side alcove. Just when Rarity thought they might be in the clear, two sentries entered from the main entrance. “Princess Luna,” one of them said, “Queen Celestia has… uhmm… requested, that you and the Bearers stay in your chambers until after the assembly today. It… we are very sorry about this, but Her Royal Majesty’s orders were very precise.”
“The queen?” Luna asked, making sure that she had heard the guards correctly.
“Ahh… yes, the Princes- the Queen, decided that, for the duration of the crisis, she will rule as queen. She didn’t think it wise to share her rule with one who had proven so… malleable in the past.”
“She what?!” Luna yelled, magical energy flaring from her horn, “Listen to me, Princess Celestia is the threat to Equestria, and I am going to stop her; you can either join me or stay out of our way.”
“I… We understand Princess, and even agree with you, but unfortunately, we cannot disobey an order given by the Queen,” the guards looked as if they were struggling to speak and move, or, Rarity suspected, struggling not to speak and move. “The Queen commanded us to use de-”
Before the guard could finish his sentence he and his companion were flung back by a wave of telekinetic force, “You made your choice I see, or perhaps Celestia made it for you,” Luna said, “Now girls, let us leave before they alert the others. Follow me.”
Rarity sprinted after the princess as they ran through the long corridors that made up the basement of the castle, as she ran she heard more hoofsteps chasing after them in pursuit. “Princess, I think the guards found some reinforcements,” she said.
“I know Rarity, but what would you have me do? To stay and fight would risk us becoming trapped and captured, and even if we could win such a confrontation, we would undoubtedly be forced to kill ponies under my sister’s control, an eventuality I would prefer to avoid.
“Of course Princess,” Rarity said, “So what do you recommend?”
“Ooh! Ooh! Let me! Let me!” Before Rarity or Luna could react, Pinkie had bounced into the air and swiveled to face their pursuers. Rarity saw a black cylinder fire from a contraption mounted on Pinkie’s forehoof and a second later, the hallway behind them had filled with a black acrylic smoke. “Nothing beats my trusty emergency party grenade,” Pinkie Pie said, gesturing to the device on her forehoof, “Perfect for starting a party or ending a riot, and sometimes both at the same time.” So that is what Pinkie had been doing for Celestia, Rarity thought.
With their pursuers incapacitated by Pinkie’s party grenade, the friends were able to make it to the service entrance of Canterlot castle without drawing any further attention. “From here, we should be a short distance from the exit to Canterlot proper,” Luna said, “However, I think it would be best for all of us if I was slightly less conspicuous when we ventured outside.” A soft blue light emanated from Luna’s horn, and her body began to consume itself. Her wings and armor disintegrated, and her whole body shrank as the excess matter seemed to boil away. The newly transformed Luna smiled, “Don’t worry, it isn’t as painful as it looks, and now I can go out in public without making a scene.”
The princess opened the door and revealed a herd of ponies packing the streets of Canterlot. “Thousands of ponies, all coming out to hear my sister’s address,” Luna said, “I wish we could warn them.”
“Then why don’t we Princess?” Fluttershy asked as she followed Luna out onto the streets of Canterlot.
“Because that would increase our risk of capture, and if you are lost then there is no hope left for Equestria. As much as it pains me Fluttershy, some sacrifices must be made. Once Celestia is restored, we can focus on helping the citizens who were harmed by her madness.”
After that, the girls were silent as Luna led them out of Canterlot and away from its damned citizens.

Celestia thought everything was going swimmingly. Her sister’s weakness had gotten the better of her, Luna and the three Element Bearers had escaped, and they would proceed to raise a rebellion against Equestria’s rightful queen, exactly as she had planned it. The rebellion would serve to test the loyalties of her subjects, those who passed would be rewarded, and her weaker willed citizens would be sent to Neighvarro for re-education. But that would wait until later, now she had to address her adoring subjects. She walked out onto the balcony overlooking Canterlot’s central square and to her great delight, everypony in Canterlot had come out to see their queen. Their devotion would be rewarded and they would form the core of her new army.
“My loyal citizens,” she began her address, “I know rumors about my… odd behavior have been circulating for the past few days, and I hope to lay them to rest.” She gave the crowd her best smile, “You may also note my appearance has changed somewhat, that too has a reasonable explanation. I was recently informed that Equestria’s enemies were infiltrating our own ranks, and while many of you didn’t know that Equestria had enemies until today, I assure you that they are very real and seek the downfall of our way of life,” her horn glowed, and she could feel the wards she had placed around the city slowly awaken.
“So I come to you all today to announce that Equestria is at war, and we will not rest until every dissident in our land has been purged, and you, my most loyal citizens, will lead the charge. Through your work, Equestria will be saved. Through your work, the world will be cleansed of evil. Through your work, we will make a better world,” some of the unicorns in the audience could feel the magic swirling around them. Other ponies were doing their best to back away, but the crowd of bodies kept them from straying. 
“You all have lived your whole lives in peace. Unicorns and earth ponies have forgotten the ways of war entirely, and the pegasi in the audience have abandoned Cloudsdayle’s proud military tradition. But have no fear my little ponies; I will make you strong again. I will purge the weakness from your bodies and make you ready for battle. When Equestria’s enemies see you approach, they will know their doom is at hand. Through me, you will be given a new, grander destiny, and through you, Equestria will be saved.”
The pegasi attempted to fly away, only to find themselves rebuffed by the magical barrier that the queen had formed around Canterlot. Celestia felt her power peak as the sun hit its zenith. Magical energy flowed out from her horn and enveloped her citizens, their bodies flowed into each other, unicorn and pegasus and earth pony melding together. The queen’s body was covered in sweat from the strain of the spell crafting. A lesser pony would have been destroyed by the forces Celestia was channeling, but she was not a lesser pony. She was a queen, she was an alicorn, and the world would bend to her will.
As the spell’s magic dissipated, she gazed upon her new army. Her subjects had been used to form thousands of alicorns who would follow Celestia’s orders without question. The queen smiled at them as her army stood in silence, awaiting her command.

“Uhmm… Cadance, have you ever heard of a book called the Neighcronomicon?” Twilight Sparkle asked as she, her brother, Applejack, and the Princess gathered for dinner.
“Tell me, where did you hear that term Twilight?”
“I-”
Don’t tell her the truth Twilight. Not yet at least, it is far too dangerous to reveal the location of the Neighcronomicon to anyone lest they use its immense powers for evil.
Twilight didn’t like the idea of lying to anypony, especially her sister-in-law, but there were other ponies present, and as much as she hated to admit it, Alli had a point. The book was dangerous and it wouldn’t do to inform others of its existence. “I read about it in the library today, it was described as a magical spellbook that could grant great power to whoever read it. There were stories that the last pony who had read it used the knowledge granted to him to forge his own empire.”
Cadance sighed, “Yes, I have heard stories of it. According to the legends, it is a dark book with terrible powers capable of destroying all of Equestria. Some stories say the book has a mind of its own, that it waits to find a user capable of wielding it to its fullest potential. In some stories, it is malevolent, in others its power can be used for good. The stories I heard from Celestia varied, and she never referred to it as anything more than a myth,” she shrugged, “if I had to guess, I would say it isn’t real.”
“You mean,” Twilight said, “you haven’t actually seen it?”
“As far as I know, no pony living has seen it. Perhaps the book existed in antiquity, but it was destroyed thousands of years ago, long before Celestia and Luna descended to rule over pony kind.”
Twilight’s head pounded, she felt like she was going to be sick again. Nopony but her knew about the book in the library, nopony but her had glanced inside it. The room tilted around her, she had to get back to her study and clear her head. “Excuse me Princess, I am feeling a little under the weather. I think I will retire early tonight,” Twilight said as she galloped off to the stairs, not waiting for her sister-in-law to reply.
“Applejack,” Shining Armor said, finally speaking up, “Does Twiley seem alright to you? She seems a bit… off.”
“Ya know, I’ve been thinkin’ about that myself. When I bring it up, she swears she is fine, but sometimes I wake up at night and hear a whole bunch of pacin’ and muttering coming from her room.”
“Hmm,” Cadance said in between bites of her daffodil sandwich, “Perhaps we should get Twilight out of the library for a day or so and give her a chance to rest. I have heard stories from Celestia about what happens when Twilight gets too wrapped up in her work.”
Applejack nodded, thinking back to when Twilight had almost destroyed the town because she was afraid of being tardy, “She does occasionally overreact a mite bit when she gets nervous, that’s true. But we’re her friends, and when she goes off on one of her episodes we make sure to get ‘er back to normal.”
“Well then it’s settled,” Cadance said, finishing her dinner, “tomorrow we will talk to Twilight and see what has been bothering her.”
Applejack found the rest of the dinner to be uneventful, but as she got up to check on Twilight, the doors of the Crystal Palace were blown open and four alicorns walked in.

Twilight’s head was spinning when she got back to her room, and she felt like she was about to collapse.
You must be careful my friend, you are still suffering from the residual effects of reading the Neighcronomicon. I would advise against any mentally strenuous tasks for the next few days.
“What do you mean? How am I supposed to avoid mentally strenuous tasks? The Princess brought me up here to do research, and instead of finding answers I find a cursed book that can apparently drive ponies insane. Oh! And I am talking to myself.”
Don’t be so dramatic, you aren’t talking to yourself. You are talking to me.
“Yes, I am talking to a voice in my head that nopony but me can hear, we already discussed this,” Twilight closed her eyes as she spoke, trying to make the spinning subside, “I need you to tell me everything you know about the Neighcronomicon.”
Of course, Alli said, and you are in luck for the story of the Neighcronomicon begins with the story of Star Swirl the Bearded.
Twilight’s ears picked up at the mention of one of her favorite ponies, and, for a moment, the pain in her head receded.
	You already know that Star Swirl the Bearded was one of the greatest wizards to ever live. By the time he was nineteen he had created the first amniomorphic spell, at twenty-six, he had accomplished more than most ponies ever dreamt of and he had completely revolutionized magical theory in Equestria. What has been forgotten by history is the rest of the story.
It is important to remember that Star Swirl was born shortly after Celestia’s ordering of Equestria. Your world was a paradise, free of evil, and Celestia served as its benevolent ruler. Star Swirl spent his entire life in this world, serving as Celestia’s prized pupil. He was a legend in his own time, but he always wanted something more. His magical knowledge was great, and he firmly believed that with study he could unlock the secrets of the Princesses and become the equal of the Princess who he loved so dearly.
Alone in his tower, he spent years studying magic, trying to find the secret of the goddesses, hoping he could change his destiny. For thirty years he studied, for thirty years he wrote volume after volume on the secrets of magic, making sure never to reveal the reason for his studies. However, as the years passed, his desperation grew, and his mind became open to outside influences.
From beyond the stars, Ylashgraehl, in your tongue ‘the Great Dreamer,’ saw Star Swirl’s great desire, and when next the pony slept, the Great Dreamer touched his mind. Star Swirl next awoke to find that he had slept for several weeks, and in his dreaming he had written two books. While Star Swirl’s conscious mind slumbered, the Great Dreamer moved his physical body to write two copies of the Neighcronomicon, and in doing so, he had brought evil into Celestia’s domain. The first copy was given to the Princesses, who, unaware of its dark powers, kept it for themselves. In time, its dark whisperings would corrupt the land of the Everfree Forest and play a part in Princess Luna’s fall, but that day was far away. 
The second copy, Star Swirl kept for himself, and in time he began to unlock the books many secrets. He found the spell that would allow him to ascend to godhood, but it carried with it a terrible price. You see, for such a power to be gained, it had to be taken from elsewhere, and Star Swirl, not knowing the price, brought great destruction to the South Lands as he read the spell, and when it was complete, he found the book had deceived him. Instead of becoming a god, he became a monster. His mind and body were a nightmarish mishmash of different creatures, and he found himself exiled by Celestia for his crimes. His copy of the Neighcronomicon was lost to time, resurfacing only when one capable of wielding its power emerged.
As for Star Swirl, he took on- Alli paused as a loud bang echoed through the Palace, I am sorry my host, but I believe the story must continue at a later time, for now the Crystal Empire is under attack.