//------------------------------// // You Are Mine // Story: Sparkle No More // by dastrdlyW //------------------------------// In the Ancient Ruins of the Royal Pony Sisters, Nightmare Moon stood in the center of a dais with the Elements of Harmony circling her, locked within the magic of her mane. “You’re a persistent little pest, aren’t you, Twilight Sparkle?” she scoffed. “Don’t you know when to give up? Or are you just eager to be the first pony crushed under my rule?” The pitch black sheen of Nightmare’s coat seemed to combine with the darkness of the night, creating a single entity. If not for the glow of Nightmare Moon’s mane, Twilight would have had trouble seeing her opponent. She stood and stared into Nightmare Moon’s eyes. “I’m not afraid of you, Nightmare Moon. I will defeat you.” Twilight scuffed a hoof against the ground, lit her horn and lowered her head as she prepared to charge. Nightmare Moon scoffed, rolling her eyes at Twilight. “You’re kidding,” she deadpanned. “You’re kidding, right? I have the Elements. Your princess has been dealt with. What can you possibly do to me? And how do you possibly expect to defeat what you can’t even see?” Twilight ignored her boast and galloped as fast as her legs could take her, keeping her horn alight with magic. As Nightmare Moon counter-charged, the distance closed dramatically, and just as they were about to collide, Twilight vanished and teleported to the platform where the Elements of Harmony lay in a circle. She rubbed at the pounding in her head, but quickly shook off the feedback from her teleportation. She prepared her spell and cast it on the Elements. The reaction sent her flying across the room until she skidded to a stop. Looking across the room, she saw Nightmare Moon standing in the middle of the Elements as a spark jumped between them, crackling and buzzing with each arc that it made. “That’s the best you could come up with?” Nightmare laughed skeptically. “You had a better chance of creating a time spell with that little magic trick. I have to say though, the outcome was certainly amusing.” Twilight smirked as she waited for the sixth Element to appear, but to her horror, the spark fizzled out after a mere couple of seconds. Her jaw dropped as she gaped at the lifeless orbs in front of her. “But... where’s the sixth Element!?” Nightmare Moon's laugh began as a light chuckle, but quickly morphed into a triumphant cackle as she reared back. Its crescendo continued as she slammed her hooves into the floor, cracking it with the force of the impact, and completely shattering the Elements of Harmony. Twilight’s gaze followed the stone shards as they clattered to the ground in front of her. As the last fragment hit the ground, her body slumped forward, one thought filling her mind. “I... failed.” That one word rang throughout her mind. “...But the prophecy said... a spark would cause the sixth Element to appear! I thought–” Nightmare Moon scoffed, “You honestly thought that a tiny spark would somehow force the sixth element to appear? If you actually believe such nonsensical prophecies, you really are a foal!” “But I thought... no, I know the prophecy is true! The stars aligned and you returned as predicted, the rest has to be true!” Twilight replied, staring at the shards at Nightmare’s hooves. Her mind churned as she muttered to herself, “What other kind of spark could they mean?” “Come now my dear,” Nightmare cooed as she strode toward the unicorn, coming to a halt in front of her. “If it was that simple,” Nightmare’s horn flashed to life as she lifted Twilight’s head with her magic and continued, “I would have destroyed you long before now.” She chuckled and released Twilight from her magic. “Why are you still fighting? Your precious Elements are destroyed, your princess is gone, and the sun has been extinguished. While your spirit is admirable, let’s face it: you failed.” Twilight sat up and pushed herself off the ground. With a defiant snort, she snapped her neck up and stared back at her opponent. “I told you, Nightmare. You don’t frighten me. I will defeat you... even if it’s the last thing I ever do!” Twilight called upon her magic and fired a burst of energy from her horn, only to have it whiz right past Nightmare’s head and into a wall turning the the area of impact into rubble. Nightmare glared down at the unicorn, momentarily stunned. “You... you just tried to...” she trailed off into a growl. “You miserable little whelp!” she shrieked. “You dare attack your new queen!? While I enjoyed toying with you and your little friends, it’s time to end this pathetic charade.” With a simple headbutt, Nightmare Moon knocked Twilight off her hooves and sent her crashing into an adjacent wall, where she slumped to the ground with a groan. Twilight winced and rubbed her head as she stood up, desperately trying to shut out the pain. Hearing the distinct sound of magic being prepared, her eyes snapped open to see Nightmare Moon attacking once more. Twilight jumped out of the way, barely dodging the bolt of magic as it collided with the wall. Stone shrapnel exploded in all directions from the impact and nicked Twilight’s coat as they shot past her. Acting on instinct, Twilight returned fire with her own magic, firing multiple short beams at her target. Nightmare nimbly dodged the attacks, leaped into the air, and launched herself at Twilight. Seeing her opening Twilight fired one last quick spell, this time connecting with Nightmare and striking her in the chest. However, she was unharmed and unfazed by the bolt. As Nightmare countered with a headbut Twilight cast a shield around her, but it only succeeded in softening the attack. Twilight tumbled in front of a large broken window and came to rest on top of shards of glass beneath it. She groaned in pain as she regained her senses. Twilight struggled to stand as Nightmare Moon strode over to her, but found her legs unwilling to support her weight. “Out of energy already? I was kind of hoping you’d last longer. It would make what I’m about to do a lot more enjoyable. Twilight Sparkle, I’m afraid you lost. And let’s face it, you never stood a chance in the first place.” Nightmare smirked and looked up. “Do you know where you are? This is the room where everything happened. The last argument I had with my... sister. I had nearly destroyed her,” Nightmare Moon said smugly, but then her smile warped into a snarl, “but then that old fool, Star Swirl, showed up. He thought he could stop me; I beat him fairly easily too.” Nightmare snapped her head back to Twilight. “Then Celestia came in with the Elements, and all was lost. I'm sure you know what it feels like to be so close to victory, only to have it snatched away from you unexpectedly.” Nightmare Moon favored Twilight with a sardonic grin, then shook her head and chuckled. “And while you have angered me with your foolishness much like Star Swirl did, I’ve decided that you can be of some use to me. Join me, Twilight Sparkle.” Nightmare Moon lowered her head to Twilight's level. “Join me, and I'll spare your life.” Twilight growled, “I’d rather die.” “So be it.” Nightmare cast her telekinetic grasp on Twilight, only to have it dissipate shortly after. Nightmare simply smirked as she began speaking once more. “Ahhh. Now I see why you put up such a fight before. You must be one my sister’s faithful students, right? She must’ve started placing protective spells on her students ever since the last one. But something I realized before I killed Star Swirl...” Nightmare Moon levitated Twilight, and moved in to circle her. “Even the most complicated spells have their faults. There are ways to maneuver around them,” she paused and fired a black beam at Twilight’s horn, “and ways to disable them.” Twilight’s eyes widened as she was forced to stare into Nightmare Moon’s eyes. “Guess what, Twilight Sparkle. I’ve decided I’m not going to kill you. Instead, we will rule together. Me, as Queen of Equestria, and you, as my loyal servant and minion. Equestria may be ours, but you...” Nightmare Moon smirked as she lowered her face closer to Twilight’s. The alicorn conjured one final spell to her horn, and released it onto her victim. Twilight’s eyes turned pure white as the pitch black aura surrounded her horn and gradually formed around Twilight. Nightmare flashed a toothy grin as she gloated, “You are mine.” A sharp pain formed at the base of her hooves, and slowly climbed upwards. Terrified, Twilight glanced down to see her body being transformed by a black substance, wisps of dark gray smoke rising as it progressed. But what concerned Twilight more was the sensation that followed. What started out as an annoying prickling sensation, as if someone was poking her hooves with a sharp stick, quickly escalated. Soon it felt like she was being slid into a coat of barbs that dragged itself along her skin. Slowly it climbed higher, up her legs and around her stomach. As it reached her neck she felt as if she were burning alive. Twilight opened her mouth to scream, but all that came out was a choked gurgle. As the black matter settled around her horn, the world around her began to fade. Nightmare Moon’s wicked smile filled what remained of Twilight’s vision, and her last thoughts were of her failure. She had failed to stop Nightmare Moon, and because of it everyone she loved would suffer. The princess, her family, her friends... All of Equestria would be shrouded in eternal darkness, and she had allowed it to happen. One last, regretful tear fell from her eye and trailed down her cheek as she succumbed to the darkness. I’m sorry...