//------------------------------// // We Decide Which is Right and Which is an Illusion // Story: I Am Twilight Sparkle // by Mike the Red //------------------------------// My concerns about my home world nagged at me, though Nightmare Moon continued to reassure me quite stridently about the delusional state I had been under. There was a part of me that wondered what was going on back home as I could not bring myself to trust the words of the dark Alicorn. There was a part of me that wanted Princess Celestia to come to the rescue and dispatch the Nightmare, if possible, though I was also contemplating a strategy on defeating her myself. The next several days, if you could call them that, had me performing various tasks for her. Most of these revolved around providing "personal services" which I found quite degrading and humiliating. I was provided a particular outfit to wear, one which increased my feelings of humiliation and shame. I was ordered to remain very close to her whenever she desired companionship and also required me to sleep with her every night. I resented this, but I put up with it as best I could. Truthfully, it could have been worse, though it was difficult for me to fathom just how -- and my mind turned to dark thoughts of the possibilities. While I was staying in Canterlot with Nightmare, I lost track of time as she seemed to keep things in a constant state of darkness. I asked her how anything could survive without actual sunlight, but she reassured me that there was an invisible sun providing warmth and photosynthesis to sustain plant life. I seriously doubted her sincerity, even going so far as to voice my concern, though she proved to me that there was indeed truth to her words. I was left speechless by the sight of dark-colored flowers and other plant life which had adjusted to the new form of photosynthesis which used a part of the electro-magnetic spectrum which was not visible to pony eyes. Twilight marveled at this while I was mortified Yes, Twilight was still in my mind and giving me some advice, though my more intimate encounters with Nightmare made her wince when things got a bit too intense. Truthfully, I had a tendency to enjoy the physical sensations more than I should have. -------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, back on Earth, things had deteriorated rather badly. The other Element Bearers weren't able to face down Discord without me, and Trixie didn't help matters either by continuing to act so poorly. With me gone, Discord had succeeded in his conquest, creating even more chaos than normally plagued the planet. More people turned into ponies, but none became another Twilight. With Discord in full control, he took to amusing himself at the expense of everyone and everypony around him. He would travel around, converting more people to ponies, mostly for the sake of increasing the level of chaos, but also to bring further enjoyment to himself and further torment to the hapless humans who ended up being converted. He considered the ponies to be more easily manipulated as he used their herding instincts to his advantage. Those who knew of his plan resigned themselves to living under his thrall with no hope of defeating him. They succumbed to despair and hopelessness as they tried to go on with their lives as best they could. My former companions wondered aloud whether or not I would ever return, perhaps to assist them and bring about the defeat of the dragonequus. -------------------------------------------------------- A few more days had passed in Equestria with no sunlight to be seen. This made the days seem to blend into each other with no way of being able to determine how much time had passed, save for the dark Alicorn telling me which day it was. I wasn't sure how to deal with the nearly constant darkness, the only illumination from some light fixtures in the castle. As time continued to drag on for me, I was losing hope. I decided to confront Nightmare about the constant darkness. "Princess, why can't we have some real sunlight? The best I ever see is this dark glowing from the sky sometimes. Please, Princess, please let it shine some time," I begged her. "Really, Twilight, you should not trouble me like this. I cannot raise the sun, nor will I ever do so -- don't ask me this favor again, for your sake. You're not in any position to make such a demand," she scolded, glaring at me almost angrily. I turned tail and started trotting away from her in an attempt to return to my room. "I have need of your services, Twilight -- and I have not dismissed you. Return to my side, please," she commanded. I turned around to face her and slowly trotted to her, my head hanging low and my ears laying flat against my head. The ornamentation of my clothing clinked lightly as I trotted, the wispy strands of cloth brushing my coat. I tried to lower my tail, but the ring holding it up refused any attempt I made to lower it. "There's a good girl, now come here. I need something else from you," she almost cooed to me breathily. "Princess, I need to use the bathroom," I said meekly, holding my hind legs tightly against each other. I didn't really need to go, but I needed to get away from her for a few moments. She glared at me again, but her expression softened a little as I gave her another tearful look. "Very well then, Twilight, but make it quick," she sighed in annoyance. I trotted quickly away, down a hallway. "That's the wrong way!" she shouted at me, then started trotting after me. I quickened my pace down the hallway, even going so far as to teleport to the end of the hallway, make another turn, teleport to the end of that hallway, make another turn, teleport to a room half-way down the next hallway and enter the room, locking the door behind me. She pounded very hard on the door. "Twilight! Don't make me any angrier!" she shouted as she pounded the door again. She used her magic to create a battering ram to shatter the door. I used my magic to open the door just as her ram crashed through the room and knocked a hole through the wall on the opposite side of the room. She gave me a grim scowl. I teleported again, concentrating on my home world, but my horn fizzled and popped as I remained in the same position, my eyes clenched shut with my concentration. "Heh. I thought you might try that," she chuckled. "I placed a magic barrier around the castle in order to prevent you from teleporting outside it. You realize, of course, that you must be punished for your insubordination," she stated coldly. She lit her horn again, this time creating an inhibitor ring, placing it on my horn. I felt my magic drain away as the pain of the ring made my head throb with a constant pounding ache. It felt like the worst migraine I'd ever suffered. "Please, your Majesty, I'm sorry! Please give me another chance!" I begged, kneeling before the dark Alicorn. "That's just the beginning, Twilight. There will be more punishment for you. I knew I should have taken more precautions, but I was trying to be nice to you -- and since you have shown me your true colors, I shall show you mine," she growled. "You think that ring is painful? You haven't even begun to suffer yet." A brilliant flash of white light accompanied by a light blue POP signaled the arrival of my counterpart from another universe. Trixie was still traveling with him, though he still occupied a copy of Trixie's body. He saw me writhing in pain, my forehooves clutching my horn in an attempt to remove the ring. He turned to see the dark Alicorn glaring angrily at him, though she also showed surprise at seeing two Trixies. "Nightmare Moon," Trixie-me stated flatly. "Release Twilight -- I have need of her services." "Who do you think you are? Not that it matters much. You made a mistake teleporting here -- you will not be able to leave! So why are there two of you?" "Trixie travels with Michael and has seen much! You are Nightmare Moon? Michael is stronger than you!" the show-mare stated proudly, puffing out her chest. She trotted over to me and casually removed my inhibitor ring, causing my pain to subside. I rose to my hooves, glaring angrily at the dark Alicorn. "I am Michael Walker -- and so is Twilight, here! Twilight, here, take this and use it!" Trixie-me shouted, tossing me an amulet, which I quickly affixed to my chest. I felt its power coursing through my body, infusing me with what felt like great reserves of magic power. "Your little trinkets are useless against me!" the dark Alicorn shouted, lighting her horn again. She tried to place another inhibitor ring on me, but I was quick enough to use my telekinesis on it and place it on her horn. She caused it to shatter and growled at me, baring all her teeth. "You will pay for that, you insolent pup!" Trixie-me surprised me with his level of magic power as he wrapped the Alicorn in his aura, his eyes and horn flashing a brilliant blue as he trapped her in a bubble. "Help me, Twilight -- strengthen the bubble with your magic! Trixie, help us contain her!" he commanded. I lit my horn, my eyes and horn flashing a deep purple as I placed another containment bubble around the Alicorn. Trixie used her magic to place a pink bubble outside ours, enveloping the dark Princess in three bubbles. She lit her horn and shrieked in rage as she spent a huge amount of her power in an attempt to break free of our containment. We strengthened our magic against her as she did this, managing to keep her contained despite her outburst. "I will kill all three of you when I get out of this!!" she screeched in her Royal Canterlot Voice. "Ain't gonna happen, baby girl," Trixie-me chortled at her in response. "Twilight, Trixie, help me banish her to the moon!" "That's impossible! You can't do that!" she shouted, though her expression betrayed her bravado. I could sense fear causing her voice to quaver ever so slightly, causing the corners of my mouth to turn slightly upward. "Okay, Trixie, let's do this!" I shouted, altering my magic to strengthen Trixie-me's magic. Trixie pitched in as well, the three of us succeeding in teleporting the dark Alicorn to the surface of the moon. "Nooooo!" the Alicorn screamed as she disappeared. The effort left me feeling somewhat drained, but I could feel my magic slowly returning. The sun's light started streaming through the hole in the wall of the room we were in and another Alicorn made her presence known. "Twilight, my faithful student! How long has it been? Trixie? Why are there two of you?" asked the Solar Princess. I chuckled in response to her query as did Trixie-me. "You might ask why there are two Michaels," my counterpart chuckled before laughing a few times. Trixie grinned as I chuckled softly. "Your Majesty, I may look like your student, but I am actually Michael Walker, as is this copy of Trixie over here." I turned to my counterpart. "Mike, I owe you a debt of gratitude for your help. I have to return to my home world so we can defeat Discord," I stated flatly. "Michael? You are both Trixie and Twilight? How is it that there are two of you?" the Princess asked. "Nightmare Moon brought me here against my will -- she was impersonating you, your Majesty," I replied flatly. The Alicorn growled at this mention. "My counterpart saved me, and I guess, rescued you, or something." "When the Nightmare was banished, I was released from my imprisonment. Thank you both very much for freeing me," she said warmly, almost bowing to us. "Trixie helped us out as well, your Majesty," my counterpart offered. "Trixie likes that outfit you wear, Sparkle," she grinned. "As do I," added Celestia. "Me three," said my counterpart. I blushed deeply in embarrassment. "Nightmare Moon forced me to wear this ... crime against fashion," I grumbled. I attempted to remove it. "No, please leave it on -- it may serve as a distraction for Discord -- we might be able to get the drop on him if he's distracted," my counterpart mused. "I think you just want to stare at me and my ... beauty ... while I'm wearing this thing," I muttered. "The only good thing about this ensemble is the latex boots, which protect my hooves and cannons." "Those boots make you look very sexy," my counterpart giggled, causing my blush to deepen further. "You know I'm you, right, Mike? Why do you stare at me like that?" I asked in exasperation. "Because I caught you staring at my sexy plot, you dirty old bastard!" he laughed. Celestia and Trixie started laughing heartily at this assessment. Trixie then turned to me. "You weren't staring at Trixie's plot, were you, Sparkle?" she asked, shooting me an accusatory glare. "You two look identical -- I have no way of knowing for sure one way or another," I replied, offering a sheepish grin. "You can stare at it all you want," she giggled, her feigned outrage vanishing as she took the opportunity to drink in the sight of me in the lace, silk, latex, and silver chains and rings which made up the outfit. I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror and noticed that in the light, I actually did look kind of sexy in it. I blushed again, but also grinned. "I think I might wanna keep this outfit after all," I mused. "Princess Celestia? It's been several days since I got here, and I haven't really had much to eat during that time. I just hope there's some food around here." The white Alicorn seemed to be two steps ahead of all of us, teleporting to the kitchen and fetching some food for us, returning in a flash of light with a tray loaded up with all kinds of various foodstuffs. "Can't have you facing down Discord on an empty stomach! Partake, and restore yourselves. I would like to accompany you, but it would appear that my duties prevent me from assisting you," she stated.