//------------------------------// // Darkness (Alt Ending) // Story: Starting Over // by Twilight Nightmare //------------------------------// The bed was cold and hard as stone with no beeping of hospital equipment that confused Twilight. Just moments ago she was in bed at the hospital, the bed actually pretty comfortable despite the bad reputation hospitals had for their accommodations. Opening her eyes a little despite something telling her not to, she found herself on an actual stone floor surrounded by darkness that was occasionally lit up by twin glowing orbs shaped like eyes. There were at least a dozen of them, if not more, as she stumbled to her feet. And every single pair was watching her closely. “Where am I? Whose there?” Twilight managed to croak out, her body still feeling weak from the loss of blood it took to create the runes on her body as well as the stress of activating them against…her… Do not be afraid old friend… …friend… We are…happy to see you once again… …again… “What’s going on?” Twilight asked, a cold feeling filling her body as the voice echoed eerily from everywhere at once. Smaller voices seemed to echo every dark syllable muttered by this…thing that she was sure was no friend of hers. We brought you here to save you from those that would harm you… …you… You know deep in your heart they don’t want you; they already turned their backs on you… …turned their backs… Right now they plot to get rid of you permanently… …permanently… “That’s a lie!” Twilight screamed out, but froze when an image appeared before her. She could see her sister with the ponies from Ponyville talking about her, laughing at her. “I’m glad she’s gone, I say let her stay gone.” Trixie laughed, Summer sitting by her side. “I’m sick of having a freak for a mom; I want Trixie to be my momma.” Summer said, a sharp pain going through Twilight’s heart at hearing this. “I want to be able to walk through town without ponies commenting on how sorry they feel for me for having Frankenpony for my mother.” “Well, I wouldn’t mind training you with that loser gone.” Rainbow Dash said, laughing as Fluttershy nuzzled her. “I’m glad she’s gone, she was scaring my animals just being around here. They could feel the wrongness coming from her.” Fluttershy said. “I know what you mean, she just seemed to rob the smile from every pony since she came back.” Pinkie Pie said. “As am I, why don’t you get a good riddance party for our not so good of a friend?” Discord suggested getting a smile from Pinkie Pie. “Well darlings, I for one am glad to get her out of my boutique. I thought I was helping some pony, not dealing with that failure.” Rarity scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I reckon it will be much more peaceful around her without that fraud.” Applejack snorted as the image faded. “That isn’t real!” Twilight cried, tears streaming down her muzzle as she denied what she saw. Yet, after everything, she couldn’t help wonder just how true it really was. She was sure that at least Trixie and Summer would stand up for her, but she was always afraid that she was causing more trouble for her daughter than doing any good for her. If she was then she couldn’t deny the possibility, after all it wouldn’t be the first time her own flesh and blood turned on her. Oh, my dear friend, sadly it is all very real… …very real… “Why would I care if she’s gone now, I didn’t want her around for our wedding and I don’t want her around now.” Shining Armor said from another image coming from another direction. “In fact, when I get my hooves on her I swear I’ll kill her for attacking you.” “Only if you save some for me beloved.” Cadence growled from her hospital bed as Twilight’s brother stood by her side. Not even your family wants you, not your brother, your parents or your so called number one assistant. No pony wants you… …No pony… “I hope she crawls off somewhere and just dies.” Midnight Velvet said, another image forming as the last faded making Twilight spin around to see it. “I can’t believe we had such a disgraceful daughter.” Night Light said. “Well at least you have the excuse of not being able to chose your family…I can’t believe I chose her as a student.” Celestia said, stomping her hoof on the ground. “Only reason I kept her around was her cutie mark…it was the representation of the Element of Magic. I was such a foal to ever think she could handle such a responsibility.” “At least you weren’t defeated by a failure.” Luna scoffed. They see you as worthless… …worthless… Join us, become our vessel and…I promise you that you can show every pony that you aren’t worthless… …aren’t worthless… Free us… …free us… Free us and you will be given the love you desire… …love you deserve… Free us old friend, free us and become Legion’s Nightmare upon the land… …our nightmare… Restore the old order and prove that you are worthy of every pony’s love as their queen… ...their queen… “I…don’t know if I can trust you.” Twilight said, looking around for the main source of the voices. This felt so wrong, but at the moment she felt as if she had nothing to live for anyways. Maybe if she could prove that she wasn’t a failure they would love her again. We will make a deal… …a deal… Become our vessel and you will have our power… …our power… And if you can find even one pony who truly loves you enough not to abandon you ever… …abandon you… Then we will let you keep our power but remove all traces of our presence from you… …remove all traces… “Just one pony?” Twilight asked slowly, unsure if this was right. It felt so wrong, but if she could prove to her daughter that she wasn’t just a freak, then maybe she would love her again. Just one, if you find that what we wish of you is something you don’t want… …don’t want… Then all you have to do is show us one pony whose love is enough to banish the darkness… …darkness… “I…I accept…” Twilight said, regretting it immediately as darkness from all around the room flooded into Twilights mouth, nose and eyes. A pair of red eyes opened in the darkness momentarily before also flowing into Twilight with an explosion of power that shot a pillar of light into the skies. A few moments later a taller Twilight stood up, now the size of an alicorn with bat like wings stretching out, her mane was now the same color but flowing as if it was on fire as did her tail. Her hooves seemed to be on fire, every hoof print she left behind burning as she swayed a little from the new surge of power filling her. Her eyes glowed an eerie red, wafts of power coming from them. As she let out a sigh her mouth seemed to glow as she breathed out little jets of fire from her mouth. “We are Twilight reborn, a Nightmare unleashing a Legion of darkness upon the land and shall make all bow before us or die.” Twilight laughed, her sense flowing out around her as darkness filled every corner of the room, breaking away from her as eyes appeared in each shadow. “Go! Find the gates and report back to me!” Yes Mistress… …tressssss… Twilight smirked as she watched her minions flood out of the room looking for the gate that she would need to find and destroy. She would find her master…her lover and release him from the depths and they would rule this land as they should have all those years ago. Somewhere deep in Twilight, a part of her was watching in horror as memories and knowledge filled her. She tried to resist, but her body wouldn’t obey. She was helpless and unable to do anything to prevent what was going to happen. Why did she give in so easily, she knew something was wrong with the voice…but she never expected it to be one of the oldest evils to ever exist in Equestria. Something older than even the Princesses themselves. “Where could she be?” Trixie asked frantically while trying to comfort Summer who was still shaking in her aunt’s hooves. “I…have an idea…” Rarity gulped as she pointed to the window as a pillar of light filled the skies from the Everfree Forest. “That…is not good at all…” Discord muttered as he recognized the feeling coming from that power. It was a dark power that was around long before him, and one that he had met once…and one of the few things that actually scared him. “Of all the times we could have used the elements…”