//------------------------------// // Uncertainty and Doubt // Story: Twilight Becomes a Dazzling // by Twilight Lightning //------------------------------// Uncertainty and Doubt “You know Twilight, it sounds to me like they’re using you more than anything.” “Huh, what do you mean by that? They’re my friends and they’d never just use me. We’ve had our fair share of trials and have gotten through them with the power of friendship. What makes you think that they would do something like that in the first place?” Adagio thought a bit on this one. This was the most important part, getting her to distrust her friends. If she could get Twilight to doubt them in any way they’d be set, all she needed to do was think of some way to convince her that they didn’t care about her. “Well, think about it. When was the last time they wanted you here? It was during the Fall Formal right, when Sunset Shimmer was power crazy.” “How do you know about that?” Twilight asked “Oh we heard about the whole thing from the other students. They still don’t seem to trust or forgive her.” Twilight seemed to buy the excuse. Adagio inwardly laughed to herself, it was working, they were doing it, just a little more. “Also, if you think about it, what was the reason they contacted you now?” “It was because Sunset Shimmer thought you were up to something. She called me here because she was concerned about the well-being of the school, and our friends.” Twilight said this but started to doubt her friends, just a little bit, but what the Dazzlings said sounded logical. She shouldn’t be doubting her friends, not at a time like this, so why did she have this feeling. Aria spoke up, “Wow, sounds to me like they just want you to solve their problems for them.” “Yeah, they’re just using you to get us out of the way. They probably just don’t want to have the extra competition.” Adagio put up two fingers and bent them while she said competition. “Well, I.” Twilight started tripping over her words. What they were saying made more and more sense the more she listened to them. “I-I don’t know, I mean. No! They’d never do that. They would never cheat, especially Applejack. Rainbow Dash would just brush it off saying how good she was, Applejack believes in playing fair, Pinkie Pie would be too busy having fun, Rarity wouldn’t cheat to get what she wants, and Fluttershy is to kind to cheat.” “Well why don’t you go talk to them about it? I’m sure they would listen to you.” Sonata jumped in, “Hey wait, how did they call you?” Twilight thought about that for a moment, they had used that special book to send her that message. Should she tell them? Should she keep it a secret? She didn’t really know what to do. A voice in the back of her mind started to speak up, If they could have sent that message to her this whole time then why didn’t they write to her sooner? Didn’t they care about her? Adagio noticed the look on Twilight’s face. It was the look of doubt, of worry. It was the look that someone had as they were questioning what they had believed in. She outwardly smiled, they were winning, and in just a moment their biggest problem would be solved. She turned to Aria, “How’s the amulet?” “It’s fine. All the negative energy is going straight into it. Why don’t we get any of it?” “Quit complaining, if this works all our plans will go off smoothly. As soon as she feels her friends are just using her as a means to an end, we give her the amulet, she puts it on, becomes one of us, and just like that we’re all set.” She turned back to Twilight, “Well we better get going, think about what we said.” The Dazzlings left and Twilight was left to her thoughts. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “I hope she’s able to think of a counter song in time, everything rides on this.” Sunset said as she sat next to Applejack. Fluttershy was petting spike’s head and just listened to the others talk. Rainbow looked at her, “Eh I wouldn’t worry about it too much. This is Twilight we’re talking about, she’ll figure something out.” The cafeteria doors opened at the Dazzlings came in. They looked happier, like they were plotting something. “Ah wonder what their so happy ‘bout. Probably nothin’ good.” Applejack stared at them suspiciously. Pinkie Pie looked up from her lunch, “Oh don’t be such a worry wart, they probably just had a good day.” She looked around at her friends who were staring at her, “What? Is there something on my face?” “Pinkie dear I don’t think they just had a good day.” Rarity said Sunset joined in, “Yeah, they’re planning something. But what could it be? Rainbow sighed, “Like I said earlier, don’t worry about it. My band is totally gonna win this, hands down.” Applejack sneered, “You mean our band.” She was irritated that Rainbow dash thought that she was all high and mighty like the rest of them didn’t matter as much. “Hey I started the band, I’m the lead singer, and lead guitarist. That makes me the leader.” Everyone just put their faces in their palms, well everyone but Pinkie. They were all tired of Rainbow’s attitude, some more than most, but they knew they had to come together as a band. The rest of Lunch went by smoothly for the most part. Pinkie Pie was rambling on about how Sonata could have eaten that many tacos, but she stopped eventually. The rest of the school day went by pretty quick; classes weren’t that long due to the event. After the final bell had rung all the students gathered into their groups and began talking about the competition. As Twilight approached she looked like something was on her mind. Sunset was the one to walk up to her and ask, “Hey Twilight, what’s wrong?” “Um, Sunset, how exactly did you get that message to me?” She had to know if there was any truth behind her thoughts. Sunset brought her hand behind her head, “Well, I had that book just sitting in my locker. Like I told them before, deep down I probably knew what I was doing was wrong. Why do you ask?” “I was just curious, why didn’t you use it before? I mean after I left.” “I forgot about it. We could’ve stayed in touch if I was thinking about it.” If she was thinking about it? So she didn’t want to stay in touch? And how do you just forget about something that important, she could’ve contacted Celestia any time she wanted to. She could have asked for her forgiveness, and knowing the princess, she’d forgive her and ask her to come back. What about my other friends? They couldn’t have known about the book. But they could have asked Sunset if she had some way to talk to me or to contact Equestria period. Her fears and doubts were really starting to get to her now. Sunset noticed that Twilight spaced out and had a worried look on her face. “Hey, Twilight, are you ok? She snapped back to attention, “Uh yeah, I’m just stressed out is all. I still haven’t thought of a counter song yet and everything rides on me having it ready. I have the fate of an entire world on my shoulders right now, I don’t know if I can do it.” “You’ll be fine. Just don’t worry so much on your own, we’re here for you.” And with that the two went to the other five who were arguing about how it wasn’t just Rainbow’s band again. They stopped when Twilight and Sunset walked up. “So Twi, how’s that counter song coming along? We good to go yet?” Rainbow asked while tuning her guitar. Twilight sighed, “No not yet. I just can’t think of anything.” Applejack put her hand on Twilight’s shoulder, “Well ya best think up somethin’ quick, the try outs are tomorrow and the final is tomorrow night.” Twilight and the others went to Pinkie Pie’s for a sleep over but Twilight was still uncertain about things. There was no way she could think of a counter song in that amount of time and have it down, not like this. She got up, got dressed, and went out. “Maybe a walk will help clear my mind.” Exiting the door she turned left and walked around town until the Dazzlings once again went up to her. She didn’t know how to feel, her thoughts were all jumbled due to thinking too hard for so long. And her friends had seemed to only prove what they said. What should I do? What can I do? these thoughts racked her brain, further fogging her mind. She, again, didn’t notice the green gas stream flowing into Aria’s pocket where the fourth amulet lay unknown to Twilight.