//------------------------------//
// Perplexity 
// Story: Equestria: Magic's Descent 
// by Noash123 
//------------------------------//

She closed the heavy, red metal door behind her, making sure that nothing could, or would, follow her. She faced a corridor with a sharp right turn. This corridor was well lit, three torches welcoming her with their light and warmth. Making sure to move quietly, Twilight glanced around the corner. She spotted a door on the right, sharing the same wall as the one she was peeking around. To her left, she only saw two more torches, these ones not lit. She stepped out from her hiding place, a sense of safety coming over her. 

It was short lived. A wind forced the door she had previously seen on her right open. The wind moved itself into the corridor, smothering the torches, and any source of light Twilight had. Her horn still refused to glow. Twilight stared in terror. She only had two choices; advance into the room, or turn the next corner to see what lies ahead. She chose the room. Closing the wooden door behind her, Twilight looked up. The stone ceiling had broken open, rays of light shining into the room. A steady stream of rain flowed in from the hole in the roof, forming a puddle on the dirt floor. Twilight shuddered, descending down the small staircase that led into the room. Inside the room lied 4 shelves, one of them overturned. The shelves were barren except for one, which held two tinderboxes. Twilight once again had to open the satchel with her mouth, pushing the tinderboxes in with her hoof. She counted them off.

“Five tinderboxes..”

She made a mental note of this number, remembering that she would need to conserve them. Looking around the dark corners of the room, she made her way back up the small flight of stairs. The sound of thunder loomed above her, the storm outside yet to subside. The old wooden door stood in front of her once again, and strangely, she didn’t want to leave. There was a comfort in knowing that she was alone, this room her only sanctuary from whatever lurked outside. She sighed, knowing a fact that was all too familiar to her.

“I need to keep moving.”

She knew that whatever was in the castle, whatever was searching for her, would come back here eventually, breaking into her sanctuary. And whatever it was, it would probably bring her with it. Hesitantly, she opened the door, peeking her head out. Nothing was out there except for the pitch-black corridor that lay to her left, and the sharp turn that presented itself to her right. She walked out of the room, leaving her sanctuary behind her. She was out in the open, the coldness of the corridor meeting her once again. She shuddered, out of both fear, and the bitter cold that chilled her bones. She carefully walked around the corner, seeing nothing but a cave-in at the end of the hall. She examined the walls around her, checking for any route of advancement. She spotted a doorway on her left, silently making her way over to it. 

Stepping into the room, she noticed this one was even worse than the last. Books lie scattered on the ground, thrown from their shelves. Tables were overturned, and papers were torn and thrown to the wooden floor. Only a single, small window was left to light the dull stone walls. The window cast a dim blue light on the room, easing Twilight slightly, happy to be out of the darkness of the corridor behind her. This feeling of happiness once again vanished as soon as it had come. Another wind picked up, this one much stronger than the others. It picked up books and papers, creating a swirling barricade around itself. Twilight’s mane danced madly in the wind, the room losing any order it once had. At last, the wind stopped, slowing itself down until the books dropped to the ground, and the papers fluttered back onto the wood. Twilight stared, dread circulating through her body.

“Did that really just happen..?”

Her breathing was shallow, and her heart raced. Taking a single step forward, she stopped, making sure she was the only thing audible. She took another step, taking an additional pause. She began to walk, in a sense, normally. She looked over to her right, noticing a doorway. Beyond it lied nothingness, darkness in its purest form. The only thing she had that could cast light was her horn. The tinderboxes could as well, but they had served her no purpose yet, not being able to shed light around her as she constantly moved. She attempted to get her horn to radiate its magical purple glow, lighting the way as she moved. It began to dimly glimmer. Twilight put more force into her magic, and the horn grew brighter, lighting a small area ahead of her.

“How long can I keep this up?”

She decided not to find out, and moved forward with the rest of her strength. The small, dark corridor led to only another door. She nearly ran into it, even with the dim light of her horn. She pushed it open with her body, making her way inside. She closed it behind her with a kick of her hind leg. This room, unlike the hallway behind it, was lit, a window and a couple of candles revealing the area. Many bookshelves stood present in the room, books and scrolls occupying their space. A furnace and a closet were located on the right, on the adjacent side of the room. Also to her right was another door. The furnace was lit, and Twilight felt a familiar feeling of dread creep into her. She walked over to the closet, investigating its contents. It contained 3 rolled up rugs, and a tinderbox. Twilight managed to magically open her satchel, levitating the tinderbox inside.

“What an odd place to put a tinderbox..”

She shrugged it off, feeling she shouldn’t question why it was there, but rather be thankful it was there at all. Turning around, her attention focused on the door. More of the pink liquid trailed under the door. Opening the door, she wasn’t greeted by cold stone, or darkness. Instead, what lied in front of her seemed like safety. The room was not bright, but was lit by a single candle that occupied a desk in the center back. Twilight stepped inside, pulling the door behind her closed. The room was small, but the walls were no longer stone. Instead, they appeared to be covered by a red wallpaper. The desk that stood in front of her was also occupied by a small set of alchemical equipment and a note. A chair sat in front of the desk, inviting her to sit down. Twilight did so, taking a look at the note that inhabited the desk. The date of the note was obscured and unrecognizable. It read:



Twilight’s Note to Self

I wish I could ask you how much you remember. I don’t know if there will be anything left after I consume this drink. Don’t be afraid Twilight. I can’t tell you why, but know this. I choose to forget. Try to find comfort and strength in that fact. There is a purpose. You are my final effort to put things right. Luna willing, the name Celestia of Canterlot still invokes bitter anger in you. If not, this will sound horrible. Go to the Inner Sanctum, find Celestia and end her. Her body is old and weak, and yours, young and strong. She will be no match for you. One last thing, a shadow is following you. It’s a living nightmare, breaking down reality. I have tried everything and there is no way to fight back. You need to escape it as long as you can. Redeem us both Twilight. Descend into the darkness where Celestia waits and end her.

Your former self,
Twilight




Twilight reeled in confusion.

“Why would I want to.. kill Celestia..? Who wrote this..? What is the shadow?”

Twilight didn’t know any of the answers. She knew she had been pulled into something deeper than a mere escape attempt. She had been pulled into her past.