//------------------------------// // Forsaking Harmony // Story: Twilight's Corruption // by vx2254 //------------------------------// "Twilight?" Rainbow Dash said, seeing the Alicorn approaching from the opposite end of the path she'd chosen. "What happened? Why did you leave so suddenly? Are you okay?" Rainbow Dash asked, concerned for the well-being of her friend. Twilight couldn't help but feel amused by Rainbow Dash's worrying, the confusion and concern the Pegasus showed was admirable, but ultimately unnecessary. "Yes, Rainbow; I'm fine, but the question is; are you?" Twilight asked, her horn glowing black as she cast a spell. "Huh? What are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash asked, her eyes changing color as a physical indication Twilight's spell was effecting her, her Irises turning bright-red. "You don't remember? You were so devastated when the Wonderbolts rejected you." Twilight said, playing on one of Rainbow Dash's greatest fears. "What!? Why would you say that? Th-they... They didn't..." She said, her memories changing, greatly confusing Rainbow Dash. "You honestly think that's good enough to get you into the Wonderbolts? Give up and go home already, kid; you're only embarrassing yourself with that pathetic performance." Spitfire clearly stated as Rainbow Dash tried desperately to recall the memories. It didn't seem right, but... Why did she remember it in such great detail? Tears formed in Rainbow's eyes as the dark magic twisted her memories to Twilight's will, crushing the Pegasus entirely. "I'm so sorry, Rainbow." Twilight said, 'Comforting' her friend with a hug. "It wasn't your fault; you did your best. It was their fault for not seeing your true potential." Twilight said, moving on to the next stage to secure her hold over the emotionally unstable, athletic pony. It worked, the hot-headed Pegasus getting angry, very angry; further empowering the corrupting influence this place had on ponies, channeled through Twilight. "Damn right it was their fault... I-I'm the best flyer in Equestria! The Wonderbolts can burn on the sun for all I care!" Rainbow Dash shouted, hitting a wall with her hoof. Twilight smiled in satisfaction, placing a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder, drawing the attention of the enraged Pegasus. "Together we can right all the wrongs done to us. Believe it or not, Princess Celestia kept me from realizing my true potential, from becoming a greater pony than she could ever be; much like what the Wonderbolts did to you, Dash. Why would they do this? Because they're afraid; they're afraid of us. So let's give them good reason to fear us." Twilight said, casting another spell. Rainbow Dash could feel something cold creeping up her legs, looking down to see crystal growing around her body; spreading rapidly. She panicked, fearing the sudden change, trying to struggle even. She looked to Twilight, who only watched with a satisfied smirk while Rainbow struggled in vain. "Tw-twilight! What are you doing!? Stop!" Rainbow Dash demanded, Twilight's memory-altering spell beginning to wear off, bringing Rainbow Dash to her senses. "It's too late for that, Rainbow. You're mine now, and you will be forever." Twilight said, laughing at the Pegasus' futile attempts to struggle, plead, and bargain with the corrupted Alicorn Princess. It was all over in mere minutes; the world went dark around Rainbow Dash as the corrupt crystals enveloped her body entirely; forming armor similar to Twilight's; save for the fact a helmet with a visor formed over her head, covering her face. The corrupting aura of the black crystals brought out the absolute worst in Rainbow Dash; the more angry she was, the tighter the Corruption's hold was on her, and the tighter the hold became, the more angry she was at her helplessness to break free of the vicious cycle she'd been stuck in. "Now, go; help me find the others and subdue them in any way necessary." Twilight said, leaving Rainbow Dash to carry out her orders. The Rainbow-Maned Pegasus, now a living conduit for hatred, anger, and bitter resentment, left to carry out the orders given to her, some small part of her still aware of her actions and tortured by the fact she was helpless to stop herself from taking actions she knew she'd regret. Rarity wandered through the passages, feeling an odd presence deeper within the caves. Daring to venture there, partially to search for Twilight and partially to satisfy her own curiosity; she stumbled across the same chambers Twilight had been in not too long ago. Dark Magic flowed around her like a screaming torrent of powerful profane arts lost to the centuries. The Unicorn tried desperately not to lose her head in all this, resolving to leave before... "It's so tempting, isn't it?" Twilight said, standing behind Rarity. The pure-white Unicorn gasped, turning and seeing Twilight, feeling powerful traces of corruption emanating from her. "Tw-twilight! D-don't tell me you..." Rarity said, unsure how much longer she could hold out before surrendering to the desire for power herself. "Don't tell me you can't feel the power flowing through this place. You should understand better than anypony else out there, Rarity. Why limit yourself to the confines of your special talent when instead you could be so much more? You could have so much more, you could have it all." Twilight said, approaching Rarity in an intimidating manner, forcing the Unicorn to walk backwards to avoid the corrupted Alicorn Princess, straight into the middle of the pool of dark energy she had just barely waded into. "N-no, Twilight... Th-that's not me and you know it!" Rarity said, holding on to herself by a thread, the temptation too powerful for her to cope with much longer. "But why not? You could be so much more than you are now. Embrace it, Rarity; this place will free you from the shackles of simplicity and make you something greater than you could ever imagine." Twilight said, luring Rarity right into the middle of it all. No longer able to resist, Rarity gave in to the powerful energy around her, embracing the corruption, as Twilight had told her to. Power surged through her body; crystalline armor forming over her body much like Twilight's; perhaps a bit more jagged and asymmetrical than the Alicorn's, but nevertheless. The bright-blue gems that made up her Cutie Mark darkened in color, turning black like midnight. The corruption changed the very nature of her magic in ways she could only imagine, and was very eager to explore. Twilight's magic preserved some aspects of her friend's former personality and mentality; as the last thing Twilight wanted was competition in her bid to take over Equestria. As it stood now, however, she had a subordinate capable of thinking and acting on her own, unlike the others, whom she had other plans for. "How do you feel, Rarity?" Twilight asked as Rarity collected herself. "Like... A whole new pony, Twilight." Rarity said, as eager to make use of her new-found powers as Twilight was. Pinkie Pie bounced through the natural passages of the crystal cave, giggling at the echo every sound made. Her ears flicked upon noticing hoof-steps, however; seeing Rarity come from around the corner. "Oh, hey Rarity; nice outfit." Pinkie said, stopping to talk with the Unicorn. "So; did'ya find Twilight?" She asked, smiling warmly. "In a way, yes." Rarity replied, casting a memory spell. "But I'd much rather hear about you, Darling. Do tell; what was life like for you on the Rock Farm?" Taken aback by the question, and remembering the time very, very clearly now, Pinkie began to look uncomfortable, so unlike her normal self. "Well... I wasn't really all that great. We were very poor and struggling to make ends meet always... They weren't exactly happy times..." Pinkie said, her normally poofy hair starting to go flat as she looked back on those days in greater detail than she ever wanted to. "Ah, but isn't that life? So full of sadness and gloom; you weren't the only filly who lived an impoverished childhood, Pinkie, and I doubt you'll be the last. Looking at the bleak reality of it is heartbreaking, isn't it?" Pinkie nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "Y-yeah..." She said, on the verge of a complete breakdown, feeling so sorry for everypony who had to go through that, and worse all the time in life, with nopony there to cheer them up. Taking advantage of this opportunity; Rarity began to encase Pinkie in the same armor used to imprison Rainbow Dash, drawing the Earth Pony's attention back to reality. "H-hey, what's going on!?" Pinkie said, trying to stop or slow the progress of the crystal's growth in any way possible. "Don't fight it, dear; you'll only make things much worse for yourself. Trust me, this is for the best." Rarity said, keeping the spell going strong. Pinkie tried to scream, but the sound never came; she lost her vain struggle against the corruption, held in an infinite loop of negativity by the vile influence of whatever cruel magics her friend had used. Unlike Rainbow Dash, who had become the living embodiment of rage and anger, Pinkie emulated and radiated grief, sorrow, and a more cynical outlook on life. Tears streamed out from under the visor covering her eyes, the Pink mare trembling in place. "Yes, Pinkie this world is a horrible place full of vile ponies who do nothing but devote their lives to causing pain and sadness beyond comprehension. The sooner you learn to accept this, the better you might feel about yourself; knowing you will be the one to exercise upon those wretches the same pain they exercise upon others. Pinkie stood there, wordless, motionless... She gave in; overwhelmed by it all. The cold, cruel truth about the world seemed so unreal, making no sense to the mare who normally did everything in her power to bring cheer and happiness to all, but now... All that made sense were Rarity's words; to act as the hoof of Justice that would bring an equal pain down upon all those guilty of causing suffering and chaos. "Come; we still have two more to find, my dear friend." Rarity said, walking down the passage with Pinkie following close behind, a mere puppet to the dark forces rising. Applejack walked through the caves, searching for any trace of Twilight. She was worried about the well-being of her friend, a bad feeling creeping up on her... This was made worse by the flash of black she saw out of the corner of her eye. She listened closely to hear the rapid flapping of wings, turning just in time to... She had no time to react, it had all happened so fast; one minute she was turning to confront the Pegasus sneaking up behind her, next she was pinned against the wall, the breath knocked out of her. Struggling against the iron grip of her assailant, she looked over her, noticing the Cyan coat and Rainbow Mane where the dark crystalline armor didn't cover her. "R-Rainbow...?" She said, snapping out of her daze. With a strong kick from her powerful legs, she forced Rainbow Dash off her, collecting herself rapidly and facing her opponent. "Rainbow, what happened to you!?" She asked, receiving nothing more than an enraged shout from the Pegasus, who charged Applejack once more, the Earth Pony mare barely dodging the powerful strike from her opponent. "By Celestia, Rainbow; snap outta this, ah'm on your side!" Applejack exclaimed, turning to face Rainbow Dash once again. The Pegasus didn't hear her... Well, that was an outright lie; Applejack was sure Rainbow heard, but wasn't listening. Still, the Cyan Pegasus made a lunge for Applejack once more, taking note of the direction the Earth Pony prepared to jump towards, gracefully changing her direction mid-flight and catching Applejack in her grip once more. A hoof struck Applejack's face, twice, three times, Rainbow drawing back for a fourth when a voice was heard nearby. "That's enough." Twilight Sparkle said, ordering the Corrupted Element of Loyalty to stand down. She slowly withdrew, Applejack's vision a bit blurry, though she could have sworn she saw tears rolling down Rainbow Dash's cheeks. She re-arranged her priorities, turning her gaze upon Twilight who approached with a smug look on her face, and an aura that made Applejack very uncomfortable. "T-Twilight...?" Applejack asked, confused and afraid. Twilight approached the stunned mare, ready to nurture the fear she could sense growing in power within her friend. "Yes, Applejack; I'm here, but I may not be for long... None of us may." She said, using her corrupting magic to her advantage once more. "What d'ya mean? What's going on?" Applejack said, standing up, feeling strange... "You don't remember? We found this place and the secret the Princess' have kept from Equestria for so long. We're marked in their eyes, Applejack. We know too much and have tasted this power for ourselves; this power the Princess' would so selfishly deny everypony else. If we don't fight, they'll surely kill us... Or worse." Twilight 'reminded' her friend. "H-huh? B-but... No... I-It can't be true... It just can't..." Applejack said, completely and utterly afraid. Why would the Princess' hide anything like this from them? Why would they go to such extreme lengths to keep their secret safe? And would she ever see her friends or family again? Overjoyed by how easily her friends fell into these traps; Twilight began to seize control of Applejack's body while she was open. The crystals formed over Applejack's body, causing the orange Earth Pony to panic, only speeding up the process. "Wh-what!? No, please... Twilight, help!" She begged, looking to Twilight. The Alicorn was smiling, her smile growing wider before she burst out into laughter, adding to Applejack's confusion. It all became clear to her in that moment; something had happened to Twilight, she had changed in some strange and horrible way and had condemned Rainbow Dash to the same horrible fate she faced herself, as far as Applejack knew. So many questions remained unanswered, though; like who or what could have done this to one of her dearest friends, now a nearly unrecognizable monster. Fear overtook the Element of Honesty; fear for what the future had in store. Fear she would become a monster like Twilight. Fear that this was all somehow her fault, for failing to act in time. It all lost meaning soon afterwards; there was nothing she could do to stop this now. Applejack was a mere prisoner within her own body now, like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. She mirrored feelings of fear and the resentment for others spawned through such an emotion; standing there before Twilight and Rainbow Dash; the latest addition to the Corrupted Princess' enforcers: The ponies who would serve her and carry out her will for all eternity. "Just one more." She said, motioning for Applejack and Rainbow Dash to follow, the group leaving for the mouth of the cave, where she could feel the last traces of purity from the only one of her former friends unaccounted for; Fluttershy. Fluttershy had recently finished her search of the eerie upper levels, terrified by this dark and ominous place more than anypony would normally be. Still; she put her courage to the test, agreeing to split up and cover more ground, and now here she stood; back at the mouth of the cave where they agreed to meet once they had finished searching. Nopony was present, the yellow Pegasus deciding to give somepony a chance to show up before succumbing to a panic attack. She couldn't help but jump a little upon hearing hoofsteps, however, turning her gaze to see Rarity and Pinkie Pie; both dressed in a creepy manner, something about them seeming... off. "Ah, Fluttershy; there you are." Rarity said, noticing her friend's nervousness. "Is something the matter, dear?" "Y-yeah... You." She said, backing away slowly. "I-I mean... Something about you..." Fluttershy said, not wanting to sound rude. Knowing very well this meant she saw through them, Rarity sighed, looking to Pinkie Pie. "Grab her." She said to the Pink Mare, who obediently rushed to grab Fluttershy. The wide-eyed Pegasus kicked off the ground, narrowly missing Pinkie as she took flight, a projectile missing her by mere inches. She turned tail and fled; taking off into the harsh, wintery wasteland in the hoped of escaping whatever it was her friends had become. Black crystals flew all around her, missing her by sheer luck, luck which soon ran out. Fluttershy screamed in pain as a projectile hit her in the side, drilling deep into her flesh and forcing her into free-fall. She collapsed in the snow, her side stinging, a burning pain coursing through her entire body. She looked down at the wound, expecting it to be bleeding badly, only to be met with a much more horrifying sight; the area around the wound was crystalizing, and it hurt; badly. Driven on by her determination to escape and seek help, Fluttershy gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her cheeks as she spread her wings once more, taking flight in the direction of the Crystal Empire, the pain from her wound and the dire situation hitting her worse than she let on. Fluttershy stayed strong, pushing onwards as there was no other choice; she had to make it, otherwise... She wasn't sure, but the outcome certainly would not be good for anypony. Meanwhile; Twilight and the other arrived in time to see Rarity standing down, uncertain as to whether or not she hit Fluttershy. "She got away." The corrupted unicorn reported to Twilight shamefully, cursing her failure to catch the Element of Kindness. "It doesn't matter." Twilight said, looking out into the blizzard, knowing the Crystal Empire and whole of Equestria lay just beyond. "She's useless on her own; nothing can stop us now. This world will be ours soon." Twilight stepped out into the blizzard, followed by Rarity and her Enforcers; the new Princess... Princess? What a pathetic title; the new Empress of Darkness and her entourage ready to assert their dominance over the lesser mortals and feeble excuses for Goddess' whom they once associated themselves with. A new age was on the horizon, and nothing could stop it now.