//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Encroaching Shadows // Story: The Shadow Within // by Alcatraz //------------------------------// The encounter with Sombra got to me. I had no idea how I got here, and no idea how to leave this... this void. I had no choice, I just had to use dark magic to free myself otherwise I would have choked to death. I had no choice! Those tendrils had me tied down, I couldn't move anything; my wings, legs, not even my head! But one thought did plague my mind. What if... What if I did join him? No. No, snap out of it Twilight, that is NOT you! You got where you are with hard work and friendship! Always keep that in mind. Always. I've still worked hard for everything, but why turn down an offer to be queen? "No, STOP! Please don't, I don't wanna be bad. I just wanted some friends, I didn't want to be a loser!" "Your memories... Forget everything!" "No, stop, who's there!?" "It's cool... To feel evil!" "Is that you again, Sombra? I, SAID, NO!" "Darkness is so... Beautiful!" "Rarity!?" "I promise you won't come to... Harm!" "Come out, now!" "What's up? Why don't you... Smile!" "Pinkie, is that you?" "Come on little thing, it's time to... Eat!" "That does it!" Firing a ray straight forward in front of me to form a hovering ball of light, only then does it comes clear what those voices were. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. All looked completely different. All five of my friends has dragon-slit pupils, bright red irises, and green sclera that 'leaked' purple cloud out the corner of their eyes. "What... What happened to you all?" "Join us, Twilight, JOIN US!" Came the collective, hollowed echo of their voices in the cavernous-black void in which we were standing. Rarity's horn was... different? Oh gosh, it looked like Sombra's! That unique, upward curve with the red tip, only the base is white instead of Sombra's dark-grey. All five had darker coats and manes to finish off their dark looks. "Join us, join us, join us, join us!" They closed in around me, blocking any escapable route. I didn't know what to do! I couldn't fly, or rather didn't want to since I didn't know what would happen if I did. I stayed put, laying on the ground with my hooves over my head in a feeble attempt to protect myself. "No, stay away, you're not my friends! GO AWAY!" I let out a burst of magic, how and why I don't know but the next thing I know is I'm in bed. Was it a dream? It must have been! "STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!" I scream, falling out of my bed onto the floor. Vision is still blurry, but I can make out a fuzzy silhouette of Sombra with my five friends around him! "JOIN US!!!" they collectively say, before fading away in a haze. "NNNOOOOO!!!!" I scream, closing my eyes as I do. With a heavy breath I rub my eyes and reopen them. Gone. All gone. I rise up from my sheets, panting and sweating erratically. "Twilight!? Are you ok? What happened?" Came Spike's voice. "I don't know exactly. One minute I was in Ponyville, the next thing I know is I'm in a black void with Sombra. He tries to convince me to join the dark side, and in this... void? I don't know, it felt more like a dream. Anyway, he had already infected the rest of my friends with his corruption; they all had his eyes too! Then when I woke up, even though everything was fuzzy, I swear to Celestia, I saw them all in the middle of the floor down there!" Pointing with a hoof at the middle of the antechamber piled high with books, off the edge of where my bed is. "I'm sure they're fine, Twilight," Spike calmly reassures me. "You can check on them tomorrow morning. It's the middle of the night still. Go back to sleep." "Rarity even had the same shaped horn as Sombra..." I said weakly, trailing off into a squeak. I touched my horn to make sure nothing was wrong with it. But... Oh no, the curve! "MY HORN!" I screech. With a frantic breath, I use my other hoof to examine it. How is this possible? One second it's curved, the next it's the normal and straight, with the spirals tapering to the point. "What's the matter with your horn?" Spike asked, unimpressed at being constantly woken during the middle of the night. "I don't know. One second it was... Never mind." Finishing the last two words off with a huff, picking myself up off the floor and back into bed. "I hope they're all right. That dream seemed so real too. What if something's about to happen? To me, or to them?" "Just get some rest." Came the muffled reply from Spike, who had his face buried into the pillow. Turning on my side with wings folded, I close my eyes only to have the image of Sombra flash in my head. I open my mouth to say something, but I can't manage anything before an odd pulling sensation is forcing me into that same myteriously dark void. "So what is it going to be, my Queen?" "What is this place?" I say into the darkness. "It is a dream I constructed." Came the reply. "I thought it was only Luna who had dream-based magic?" "This is getting tiring! You still haven't made a choice, have you?" "How stupid do you have to be to not take no for an answer!?" I fire the ray again, this time making sure it connects with Sombra's metal plating, glancing off and hitting him square in the face and knocking him back. Sombra stammers to his feet, turning his head to look behind himself, at me. He has a new feature; a red fleshy scar over his right eye, and the eye itself had turned his eye completely purple, with the green cloud still leaking out both sides. Oh geez, he looked even more like a tyrannical king now. Anyway, the spell worked worked. There is a brilliant flash of white light and I sit upright in bed with a frightened gasp, but soon calmed by the chirping of birds and the morning sun shining through the window. Levitating a quill, ink and parchment over to my side I prepare a letter. Dear Princess Celestia Last night I had an encounter with King Sombra in a void he created, taking me there while I was asleep, dreaming. I request the presence of yourself and Princess Luna, who is an expert in the Dreamscape, at your earliest convenience to further discuss this troubling dream, as I fear it will cause significant problems in the near future. From your faithful student, ~Twilight Sparkle Walking down the stairs to breakfast being cooked by Spike, as per the norm, he notices the look of concern on my face. "Are you doing alright this morning? You looked like you saw a ghost last night." "Spike, you're not too far off at all. Did I say what happened?" "I think so. You woke up in the middle of the night rambling about your friends, Sombra, and at some point your horn. Speaking of your friends, maybe after you eat you should go check on them to make sure they're okay." "Oh yes, thank you for the reminder!" Banging a hoof on the plate's edge sending the stacked pancakes airborne for a split second, opening my mouth to engulf and swallow the syrup-coated fried bread cakes, all in one swift motion like Pinkie does. How does she do that anyway? WAIT, HOW DID I JUST DO THAT!? Standing there staring into space deeply wondering how I managed to pull of a seemingly physics-defying act, getting interrupted by a waving claw. "Yoohoo, Twilight? You ate those way too fast! It looks like the syrup and bread has clogged your inability to function right now!" "Sorry Spike. I just did a Pinkie. I don't even..." "Just remember, Twi, don't apply logic to Pinkie." "Got it!" With a slight squirm to make sure the pancakes have settled, I begin the trot out the door and the first stop; Sugarcube Corner. It's just a couple blocks away, and then Carousel Boutique is on the edge of town. Rainbow will be sleeping still, Applejack lives on the outskirts of Ponyville, and Fluttershy lives on the edge of the Everfree. *sigh* My hooves are going to be sore after all the walking today. But it's not a problem, all to ensure my friends are safe! *click* Oh Celestia I can be such an idiot sometimes... I can just teleport! Or fly even! Sugarcube Corner is just ahead, so no point teleporting or flying there. What's happening to my mind? It's like I'm slowly forgetting these things... I just hope it's only temporary.. Inching the door to the Confectionery open and poking my head in to see if anypony is here. "Hello? Pinkie, are you here?" Crickets. Oh well, onward to Rarity's! I turn around and spreading my wings, only to find a certain pink pony standing before me. "Hello Twilight, did you want to see me?" Holy mother of Celestia, how does she even do that... "Ah, yes. I just came by to see if everything is alright?" "Why would you ask something silly like that? Everything is always alright, this is Ponyville after all! Except for the time with Nightmare Moon, Discord, the Ursa Minor..." At this point she's lost in her own ramblings, so I quietly take to the sky and fly on over to Carousel Boutique to check in on Rarity. Flying is definately relaxing, I can finally understand why Rainbow does it so much. Closing my eyes for a moment, taking some time to relax my mind with some deep breaths, opening my eyes to spy Carousel Botique within view. Beginning the descent down to the front door, I land graciously with a renewed sense of calm. Or is it qualm? One can't be too sure these days. Crap, there goes the relaxed feeling. *knock knock* The door swings open to reveal one alabaster mare. "Hello! Welcome to Carousel Botique, where every- OH! Hello Twilight, I didn't see you there. Can I help you with something?" "Yes, well, no... I just came to see if you were alright." "Of course I'm alright, darling. Whatever gave you reason to think otherwise?" "It's just that... Nevermind, I got to check on the others, bye!" I hurredly say before taking to the skies again. "Most peculiar..." Wonders Rarity, stepping back into her store and closing the door behind her. "Right, time for Flu-" OOF! Hitting something mid-air I start plummeting to the ground, falling, falling, like in my dream. Oh no, something's happening! But I feel myself get tackled mid-air by a blue blur and set safely on the ground. "Woah there Twilight, you knocked into me. Gotta watch where you're going next time!" "Wha-? Oh, Rainbow! Sorry about that, I was on my way to see if Fluttershy is alright." "Why wouldn't she be?" Queried Rainbow, to which I only raised an eyebrow giving her the "you know why" look. "Oh, yeah, because it's Fluttershy. Well, I was just with her and she's doing fine, and so am I! What's rustled your feathers, Twi?" "It's nothing, really. I was just checking on everypony to make sure they're alright?" I said with a hesitant voice, exerting a concerned eyebrow-raising from Rainbow. "Uhm, ok then Twilight. I'll catch you later, I got some clouds to buck!" And with that she took off with her signature rainbow trailblaze. Well, that's four down, now all that's left is Applejack. Let me just... Closing my eyes and picturing the Apple Farm in my head, concentrating on the image and 'stepping' into that image with a pop and spark. That's the jist of how teleportation works; it can be done over longer distances but that requires stronger magic. You need to put your physical energy into a spell, much like going for a run. The longer the distance the more energy it requires. But it's not without risks either. There can always be things in the way that weren't there when you were picturing the place you want to teleport to, such as other ponies in the way... I come out of the teleport only to fall on top of an orange mare with a thud. "What in the hay?" Complained Applejack, shaking me off and giving a helping hoof to help me up. "Sorry, that happens with teleporting when you don't know what's going to be in the way. So, I just came by to check if everything is doing alright?" "Everything's fine, Princess!" AJ says with a wink, exerting a blushed grin from Twilight. "Why, is something wrong?" I couldn't bear to tell her the truth. "Everything's fine just doing my duties as new princess!" I say while nervously scratching the back of my neck. "Well, I got some work to do for the Princesses, I gotta go now." "Good luck then!" There is an unexpected surprise waiting for me back at the library after stepping out of the teleport. "Princess Celestia? Princess Luna! I take it you got my letter?" "We did, Twilight Sparkle." Began Luna. It seemed Celestia is here for, support? Or possibly to add in her two bits when appropriate. "It disturbs us so, knowing that you said Sombra created a dream when I know he cannot. There's only one other source that can create bad dreams of that caliber." "Do you mean..." I began, with a look of utter terror on my face. "I'm afraid so, my dear Twilight. It means the Nightmare Energy, the same energy that claimed Luna out of her jealousy and hatred towards me, and I do apologise If I upset you with that, Luna." "'Tis alright, Sister." "The same energy that claimed Luna, is after you. Twilight; you are not safe anymore." "What do you mean I'm not safe? HOW could I not be safe!?" "The Nightmare Energy that picked up on Luna's anger and jealousy toward me for shunning her all those years ago," Celestia said with a pang of pained guilt "must have picked up on something about you that it thinks it could use to transform you into a creature of darkness; like Nightmare Moon" "So if Princess Luna is Nightmare moon, then, going off names, what would that make me? Twilight Sparkle, Twilight Sparkle... Hhm... Oh, Malevolent Spell! I like the sound of that!" Celestia and Luna looked on with horrified expressions as Celestia's star student just gave herself her own name of Nightmare, and then proceeded to clap her hooves in enjoyment of being clever, but yet thoroughly stupid at the same time. "Oh, and if I was queen like Sombra asked me to, then I'd be Queen Malev-..." The realisation of what I just did caught up with me, and my jaw dropped. "Oh my word... What's happening to me? I don't think I should be enjoying that nearly as much as I am. Celestia? I'm scared. Please, just PLEASE help me." Celestia looks down on Twilight as she drops to down on all fours and starts crying, folding her front hooves over her head. "Hush now, Twilight. We can still avert this crisis much like how you reverted Rarity back to normal after she got taken to the moon. What we all need to do is remind you of how much your friends mean to you and what they've done to help you to get to this stage of your life. Just remember, if not for them you wouldn't be where you are now." "Yeah, Twilight!" came a voice from nowhere. Who was... Then it hit me. All I was thinking, no, shouting in my head is GODDAMNIT PINKIE!!! "Pinkie, how did you... Never mind. If you're here, where are the rest of the girls?" "They're not here right now, but I am! I was just walking by and heard Celestia talking and thought I'd say hi! After all it's not often she comes to visit. Hey, this morning when you came to see me you took off before I finished talking. Why'd you do that? Oh well, you probably had to check up on the others for the weird dream you had last night. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I was listening for about 10 minutes!" rambled Pinkie, holding out both hooves trying to indicate 10 minutes. But unsuccesful from the lack of fingers. During the ramble, Celestia, Luna and myself were just staring at the mare hanging from the window. How did she even get up there? Celestia eventually took it to teleport Pinkie away back into her bedroom, and casting a sound-proof spell on the room. "Anyway, where were we? Oh yeah. That's the thing, though! If not for them then THIS," exclaimed Twilight, tapping her hoof against the side of her head "these visions, dreams, whatever you want to call them, wouldn't be happening!" "Twilight!" Snapped Celestia, raising her voice from calmed to stern. "You musn't let it get to you." "But... I don't know how. Celestia, I'm afraid I don't have the strength to. With all these new princess duties and ponies swarming me when I go out; there's only so much I can do. But for everyponys sakes I know I must try. I just ask that you be with me if not yourself, at least in spirit. Even though you only live a train ride away in Canterlot!" It felt good to have a giggle to lift my spirits. "Luna will watch over your dreams more closely from now on, and it behooves me to try and visit you in them too." "Thank you, Princess. That means alot." Celestia's little visit and calming speech helped put my mind at ease, but the following night wasn't better by any means what-so-ever. In fact, it got worse! Alot of the night I felt I was drowning in cold, wet cement being poured straight down on top of my head. Visions of my evil friends alongside Sombra from the other night plagued my head throughout the restless night. Waking up the next morning with a grumble and unenthusiastically getting out of bed to the amusement and horror of Spike. "Sheesh Twilight. I don't know whether to laugh at you because of how ridiculous you look, or sympathise because of the horrid night's sleep you had." As unimpressed as I am with that, a smirk and an idea crossed my face. Not blinking an eye, I make my horn bubble with the purple and green of Sombra's dark magic, just to scare him. "Uhm, are you ok, Twi?" "I am not Twilight anymore." I say with my best Sombra-esque voice impression. "I am-" Before the last of those words could exit, Spike was running off down the hall screaming for dear life. "CELESTIA, LUNA, IT HAPPENED!!!" "No, Spike, stop! Nothing happened, I was just playing a prank because of what you said! I swear I didn't intend to frighten you THIS much! Honest!" Running after a scared little dragon is difficult, but when I managed to teleport in front of him and magically hold his mouth closed while explaining why I did what I did, the resulting gaze from his eyes burnt a hole right through me. "That was NOT funny, Twilight! Did you really think that was the best idea considering the circumstances?!" Spike could see her ears fold flat against the side of her head, taken aback by Spike's angry outburst at Twilight's ill-timed, and poorly thought out prank. "I'm sorry, Spike." began Twilight, hanging her head slightly. "I guess it was pretty stupid after what's been happening. I just thought having a bit of a laugh would help cheer me up, but it did more damage than good. Ugh, I need some time to myself to try and sort out these things." "Nu uh, not going to happen, Twi. Remember what Celestia said; that you need to spend the time with your friends so the company can help rid the Shadows from your head. They're preying on you, and if you don't show any weaknesses and overcome what ones you do have or are showing because of your new title, then you will overcome it!" With the end of those words, Spike's cheeks puffed up and belched out a paper and twine wrapped package and a scroll. "Looks like That's going to have to wait for now, Celestia obviously has something more important for me to do." Twilight unfurled the scroll, holding it in her aura. My dearest Twilight I have enclosed with this letter a book from the Royal Archives that you might find interesting. Maybe it will help you in your struggle. Sincerely yours, -Tia Twilight bit back a laugh at the unusual signature. Usually that's Luna's pet name for Celestia! Just like how Celestia calls Luna, Lulu on occasion. Settling at the reading desk with a quill, ink and parchment, she began the arduous of her favourite thing; studying. Hours had passed. Mid morning, noon, afternoon, into the evening and night until nearing the end of the book she happened on this one, last, page. It stood out above everything else. Do you ever wander where demons come from? Not from ourselves, but from imagination and blame. For centuries we have looked for sources of evil, to explain the atrocities that people commit and exibit; a scapegoat if you will. They simply could not believe that one single being could be capable of doing such unspeakable things to another. After all, how could they? It's only after we try to ascertain these demons as synonymous with what has been comitted is where things go wrong. We want so badly to put the blame on something, or someone else that they externalise these demons into a state of their own, thus giving them material bodies/physical form. These tales get passed down through generation to generation, being told as fact and truth. This, ladies and gentlemen, is tantamount to lies and brainwashing. Not everything you get taught about good and evil is necessarily the right thing or the truth, nor is it black and white. You cannot and will not refuse blame and shift it to something else simply so you don't have to deal with it. What happens when we come face-to-face with our own, inner demons? That is the question that sends everyone running for the hills. They want to hope, pray, to find another way. The easy way out, if you will. Sometimes it's all we've got to hold onto. As children, we're succeptable to whatever our parents tell us. Brainwashing us (as I stated) to make us believe whatever they want and that is what's wrong. And when they pass on, sometimes it's all we've got left of them, and if we get told anything else, we simply shrug anything else off as lies, propaganda. Basically, pointing the finger at something else when you should really be pointing it at a mirror. Because that's what this is, right? Looking yourself in the mirror and seeing something you refuse to believe is happening and taking place. Your parents are the cornerstones around which you build your entire life, born from the desire to emulate them as much as possible, hung on their every word, absorbed every teaching. But there had been some things about what had been said and done that troubled you, not because you doubted them, but because you saw the way your family reacted when they started on certain topics. You try tried to dissuade them, to convince the demons and monsters that they had preached against weren’t real. Twilight closed and put the book down in the growing pile next to her desk. "Spike?" "Yes, Twilight?" came the reply. "I'm going to go talk to Celestia for a while about what's been going on; will you be alright on your own for a couple hours?" "Sure thing, I just need to clean up and then finally get myself into bed." Twilight's horn glowed her signature purple, charging a teleportation spell. With a pop and flash, she found herself standing in the door frame leading out to the dais from Celestia's bed chambers. "Celestia? I hope I didn't interrupt anything, I just really need to talk right now." "But of course my dear, I was just writing you a letter asking you here!" Celestia said with a little chuckle and grin before joining Twilight outside, sitting on their haunches on the stone viewing platform. "Now, where to begin?" Celestia sighed and looked out over the rolling hills of the mountains surrounding Canterlot. "Centuries ago, what was called the Cult Solar or Solar Cult, built their entire narrative around venerating and revering me and then saddling my beloved sister with every indignity imaginable, as you read in the book I sent you. She suffered for decades because of their slander before she could finally take no more. I often wonder if I should have done more to stop them before things went so far..." "If they were so wrong? Then why didn't you stop them?" Queried Twilight, accompanying her mentor on the dais in the middle of the night, overlooking the kingdom. "Because I was afraid of going too far. I have been a Princess and ruled Equestria for millennia. I have always desired, more than anything else, that my ponies not fear me, that they could have the freedom to express themselves and share their true thoughts with me and their fellows. I had feared that, in taking direct action against the Cult Solar, I would have crossed the line into outright tyranny. So I fought against them in the only way I thought I could. I tried to counter their arguments, to dispel their dogma with the voice of reason. But sadly, it wasn't enough. Even my voice can be drowned out if enough ponies shout loudly enough. And Luna suffered for my inaction." "I think I might be a little lost here, Princess..." "Demons originated as a concept, invented by a philosopher so ancient that even I do not know his name...or was it a her? The philosopher in question was seeking to articulate and explain the why some ponies do terrible things, what drives them to do this. Demons originated as a term for articulating and describing the darker aspects of pony nature that drive us to hurt one another as well as ourselves. He hoped that, in identifying these factors, these aspects of ourselves, these demons, that we could learn to overcome our own darkness and become better ponies because of it. "So this mysterious philosopher came up with demons as a way of describing these tendencies in a way that regular ponies could understand. They were a metaphor, a symbol." "What frequently happens," continues Celestia, "Some ponies took this philosopher's metaphors literally. They established the belief that demons existed, not within their own hearts and minds, but in the outside world, where they were an active and actual force seeking to corrupt and ruin. In the end, it all comes down to blame. These ponies didn't want to face up to the darkness within themselves, so they tried to externalize it, to turn it into something that they could blame for their problems instead of their own foibles. And this, Twilight, is how Discord came to be." Twilight shot her head to her mentor so fast that an audible crack was heard from the popping fluid bubbles in her neck joints. "It can't be..." Celestia only nodded, clearing her throat for another lengthy explanation. "I was but a young mare and Luna a filly, living under the care of Nobles after out parents passed on. It was difficult times; food was scarce and the three tribes were in conflict with one another." "You mean like..." "Yes, just like that play in the Hearths Warming Eve play you and your friends performed. Cold, bitter souls, empty stomachs, were a contributing factor amongst many others. Nopony wanted to accept the obvious blame for their part, nor did they want to admit their petty faults, such as the cause of the windingoes. By the time Clover the Clever had saved the day as you demonstrated," Celestia paused, giving Twilight a playful nudge at those words "it was too late. When the snow and ice cleared, he was already created out of all their bitterness and hatred for one another. It didn't take long for him to get to power, and when he did Discord ruled for decades before Luna and I had to stop him with the Elements after we pulled them from the Tree of Harmony." "So, what you're trying to say is I need to stop trying to externalise my fears and face them head on in my dreams, before they consume me from the inside out?" "Now you get it my dear. It's late, we must get to sleep. Might I invite you to spend the night here? To make sure you sleep soundly, that is." With a little giggle and blush, Twilight nestled herself onto the soft mat that Celestia slept on as she draped a comforting wing over her star student. Closing her eyes, Twilight was confident she could get a peaceful nights rest for once.