//------------------------------// // Chapter 21: Demon // Story: The Other Journal // by Ganondorf8 //------------------------------// Day: Wednesday Weather: Cloudy, possible thunderstorm later Time: 8:00pm It took me a lot of manipulating, lying, exposing secrets, trickery, and more, but at long last, the crown was finally mine! I couldn't believe that it was in my hands! I thought it nothing more than a dream, but that dream has become a reality. Twilight Sparkle and her friends tried their best to keep it from me, but I didn't succumb to their pathetic tactics. Upon placing the crown on top of my head, the magic locked within became unleashed, and I underwent a transformation. I became a demonic monster! I'll admit that I wasn't expecting that to happen upon wearing the crown, but I definitely liked the new improvement. Most importantly, I had access to magic again. My first task was to transform my minions into demons as well, for they were still useful to me. Now, with my newfound power, I could use that one plan I had been keeping to myself. These humans needed a new purpose in life, and what better one than become obedient slaves bent to my will. Surely, this power wouldn't corrupt me... nah! The Other Journal By Ganondorf8 December 2, 2015 Chapter 21: Demon. Twilight was so distraught over what she had just seen on this page of the journal that she covered her eyes immediately and turned her face away. I, on the other hand, just stared at the page before starting to cry again, as my friend's reaction was exactly what I was expecting from her. There was a photo that had been glued to the page taken by one of the students, and it was of a horrible, flying, winged, demonic monster. What really struck it home for Twilight was that this creature was wearing a crown on its head, and she knew straight away that this thing was, in fact, me. My biggest mistake: becoming a monster! Ironic, isn't it, that I said to Princess Twilight earlier in that fateful encounter that I wasn't a monster, only for the truth to come out upon wearing that crown? By the time Twilight recovered from her initial shock, she noticed me crying, and began to comfort me, knowing that this was what I had been dreading from the start. " This is what you became?" Twilight asked. " When I placed the crown on my head, I think it began to amplify what was in my heart--a hideous monster who only cared about power--and transformed me into that. I do remember what was going through my mind when changing, and all I could think about was having power beyond my wildest dreams. It didn't even matter that my entire body experienced such terrible anguish during the transition." I answered. " I felt that way when I became a monster." Twilight said. " Twilight..." I said. " But this is about you, not me, so did Princess Twilight know this was going to happen?" Twilight asked. " Despite being smart, not even she knew I would experience something like that! There was much about the Elements of Harmony that she didn't understand, so what happened to me was a new experience, yet there was nothing to be happy about. I had become a monster! In fact, the magic within the crown poisoned my mind. I became completely consumed by its magic and determined to carry out my true objective." I answered. Corruption... Some say that when this happens to someone, it's almost impossible for them to come back from the brink, especially if they were exposed to it for a lengthy period of time. Looking at my hands, shaking with fear, wet in places as a result of my tears, I know now that when I changed, whatever remained of my humanity became lost. There was nothing but a demon! I should have been put out of my misery for what I became! I went beyond the brink of salvation, and what made it even worse was that I dragged innocent people into my crazy desires. How could I have hurt so many? How could I have committed such an atrocity as to rob them of who they were? These questions swirled about my head with no answers attached to them. Was I afraid to know? Maybe, but there was one thing I did know. By the time this part of the journal was finished, Twilight would never look at me in the same manner again. " Something bothering you?" Twilight asked. " Twilight, I need to say something before we continue." I answered. " What is it?" Twilight asked. " When I've finished reading this next bit, if you want to leave, I won't stop you." I answered. " Now why would I want to do something like that?" Twilight asked, her hand thrust forward to comfort me. " I'm serious!" I snapped, smacking her hand, which she immediately pulled back out of fear. I sat there in complete shock over what I just did, and I smacked my own hand in response to my unprovoked act on my friend before looking down in complete silence. Twilight is still new to friendship, and I slapped her, all because she was trying to comfort me. I just spat on her gesture, reacting like the brat I used to be. If the end of this part of my journal wasn't going to turn her away, my sudden outburst would definitely clinch it. Looking back up whilst holding back tears, Twilight was nursing her hand. I couldn't have really hurt her, could I? No! I could never do that to any of my friends. That was the old me. The old Sunset Shimmer wouldn't care less about the feelings of others, but I'm not that person anymore. " Twilight... I'm so, so sorry for lashing out at you like that. Something in my heart just made me snap, and you were an innocent victim." I said. " It's alright, Sunset! I've gotten used to it." Twilight smiled. " How can you be so calm after what I just did?" I asked. " You told me that this was something you've been fearing to tell me, so I was expecting you to freak out. Besides, you didn't hurt me at all, despite what it may look like. I was just caught by surprise. You can be really quick whenever you experience moments of frustration, but try not to make a habit out of it." Twilight answered. She was putting on a brave face for me, even when I was having a stressful moment, and this was while she had her own inner demons plaguing her at every turn. I felt this sudden urge to embrace her, hold her in my arms, and, maybe, give her a kiss as a means of thanking her for putting up with me, but I shook my head free of such feelings. She is my friend and nothing more, but... maybe I can do that later. If she is still here, that is. She could still leave, disgusted, once the truth comes out. " I can't promise anything, but I'll try." I said. " So, what was going through your mind as you transformed?" Twilight asked. " As I mentioned, I had thoughts of power and of what I was going to do with it once the magic was mine. However, gaining all of that power came at a terrible price, and one that I unknowingly inflicted on myself. I lost my humanity." I answered. As the magic within the crown began to seep forth, I couldn't contain my excitement. Even though my expressions made me appear like I was completely deranged, I couldn't help myself; after waiting such a long time, my dreams were finally coming true. All of a sudden, the crown began emanating rings which felt as though something from on high was trying to pull me upwards. I gripped the crown firmly, my face one of shock as my feet left the sanctuary of the ground. " What is happening to me?" I asked myself as my body continued rising. " The magic coming from the crown continues increasing in propensity. It feels wrong, but while I want to just take it off and toss it away, my heart is telling me not to. It wants me to go the full distance and make my dreams come true." Looking upwards slightly, clouds had since formed in the sky, yet I suspect they appeared the moment the magic began to come forth. A beam of dark light bombarded me, which is when I felt something new. It took a moment for my brain to register this new sensation. It was pain. " Huh? Why am I feeling pain? Why do I feel like I'm being ripped apart?" I asked myself. This experience continued to worsen, causing me to start crying. It was as though the crown were trying to reject me as its master, but I wasn't going to allow that to happen. I've waited too long for this moment! I wouldn't allow a mere accessory imbued with magical properties to overcome me! As the pain reached a boiling point, I kept going, my body convulsing as though it were telling me to give up, yet that wasn't an option for me. Eventually, I opened my eyes and tried to scream, but no sound came from my lips. My eyes turned bright white with no pupils in them, my tears turned to steam that faded into nothing. " Why can't I scream? I want to so badly!" I said to myself. The crown then began to unleash dark magic, something I haven't used since my first return to Equestria, yet I wasn't prepared for what was about to happen next. My left arm suddenly changed, being replaced with a demonic arm. Then the same thing happened with my right arm, then both legs, and soon my entire body save for my face had been transformed, but into what I couldn't see, as the transformation was so painful. " Am I changing? Yes... I can feel it... the power growing within me. I've become all-powerful, and that requires an adequate form to go along with it. My heart is saying not to fight it, and so I won't. I will see this through and become something which will allow me to fulfill my desire." I said to myself, my body suddenly being consumed by darkness, causing me to curl up slightly. Then I unleashed the darkness surrounding me, my transformation apparently finished. I slowly opened my eyes and found myself flying, and I sensed the power flowing from every part of my being. That's when I looked down at what I had become, and I was immediately impressed with the results. No longer was I a weak little human, but a powerful demonic creature who possessed power beyond my imagination. My only response to this was to laugh at my success. I would soon take notice of the upstart and her friends, who were looking at me with hatred in their faces. It was a good look for them, as they were powerless to stop me at this point, yet at that moment I turned my attention to Snips and Snails, who were standing there in awe over what I had become. Despite my better judgment, I did promise them power in exchange for helping me, so that meant giving them what they desire. Raising my hands slightly, I conjured up dark magic, which I fired at my two minions as beams of darkness, striking them without mercy. Moments later, they had been transformed into demonic monsters, as well. Already I could tell they were satisfied with their new looks. While they now had the power they had craved, I still possessed the strongest power of all. I was still in charge because I was destined to wield it. " This is gonna be so cool!" Snips said. " I'm going to enjoy our pranks now." Snails added. " Finally! After so much time waiting to get my hands on this crown, it's mine, and look at me now!" I said. I then heard the sounds of students screaming, so I turned towards the entrance of the school where a large gathering had appeared curious as to what was going on. They had no idea that this was what I was hoping they would do, as now, I would carry out my real plan. I slowly floated down towards the entrance, where the students continued screaming their heads off. I raised my right index finger to my mouth before ushering a shush, and they immediately stopped, simply staring at me. " You know, I've had to go through so many hoops tonight just to get this crown, and in truth, it should have been mine from the very beginning. I should have won the title of Princess of the Fall Formal, not this upstart who just wormed her way into your hearts." I said, turning towards Twilight Sparkle, who continued glaring at me. I simply chuckled in response to how pathetic she looked, yet I hadn't forgotten what she had done to me. I'll be taking care of her later, but for now, I had bigger things to focus on. " Keep those girls at bay! I have something I need to take off first." " You got it." Snips said. " They're not going anywhere." Snails added. " To be honest," I began, growling at the students behind the double-doors to intimidate them, "at this point, becoming the princess of such a pathetic and utterly pointless formal has no meaning to me anymore, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't be treated as one. Despite all of you turning against me and giving this crown to an upstart who had no concept of fitting in, I'm not going to hold it against any of you. Let's let bygones by bygones and start with a clean slate. Of course, it doesn't matter what any of you think. Just remember this and keep it close to your hearts: I am your princess now, and you will be loyal... to me!" I then clenched my hand into a fist, after spending a couple of seconds swirling it about showing off my magic, and the moment my fist clenched, my power crushed the entire front entrance to the school. I cast it aside, leaving behind quite the opening. The students then began screaming again and started to run away in terror, but I merely shrugged my shoulders at the pitiful display. " Running away isn't going to do you any good. But then, this is just a human reaction to something that they don't understand. You can all relax, for in just a few moments, nothing will matter anymore." I said. " What are you doing?" Princess Twilight asked. " Wouldn't you like to know?" I answered. " Leave those students alone!" Princess Twilight shouted. " And who is going to stop me? You? Ha! Don't make me laugh, Twilight! Everything will become clear to you shortly, but first, I need to add to my arsenal of minions, whether they like it or not." I said. Floating into the foyer where students were still running away--but didn't get very far due to being all cramped together--I landed on the ground, where I closed my eyes, raised my hands up to the sides of my head, and began concentrating for a few moments. I opened my eyes, which gave off a hypnotic suggestion through a swirling motion. It took only a few seconds to brainwash every student in the immediate vicinity, and they began walking around under my power. Each student's eyes glowed green, indicating that they no longer had any free will of their own. Now, it was time to put the final pieces of my plan into motion. " That's quite an amazing power." Snips said. " Look at them all, stumbling about without any brains." Snails added. " The best kind of servants are the ones who are blindly obedient." I laughed. " What do we do with them now?" Snips asked. " Round them up and bring them to the portal, and if any of them resist, bring them here by force, but not too much, otherwise their usefulness will be wasted. I don't care what order you go in, but by all means, enjoy yourselves." I answered. The two boys then walked off to carry out my task, surprising me in the process, as this was the first time that they didn't give me a stupid salute. I guess transforming them into demonic monsters was a good idea, after all. Now came the task of dealing with that upstart and her friends, who were still standing there helpless, as everything had been taken away from them. " Tell me, upstart, what do you think of my new minions?" I asked. " This is horrible." Princess Twilight answered. " And to think that this happened courtesy of your precious crown." I said. " That's only because your twisted mind has corrupted my Element." Princess Twilight said. " Perhaps, but I'm using it in a far greater fashion than you ever could, proof that I should have been made a princess in Equestria. Ever since you first became an alicorn, I have hated your very existence, as you took everything away from me. I was there when you had that sham of a coronation, and while I could have used my dark magic to make you suffer, I held back, as I didn't want Princess Celestia to detect my presence." I said. " How were you able to open the portal?" Princess Twilight asked. " The details are sketchy even to me, but a powerful magic from Equestria affected the portal, and opened it much sooner than expected. Why it happened is of little concern to me, as the important thing was that I had access to our home, and I used my first visit to know exactly how to find you and steal this crown." I answered. The upstart then turned away from me, as though she had some kind of guilt over the portal opening, but I ignored it, as I just saw it as her admitting defeat. Then I turned my attention towards the portal itself before looking up at the moon in the sky. There were roughly thirty minutes remaining before it closed, which was more than enough time for me. " Speaking of the portal, I guess I might as well come clean now." I said. " What do you mean?" Princess Twilight asked. " You all thought that I was actually going to destroy the portal? Let me tell you that I was bluffing the entire time, and you fell for it just like that! Oh, and spoiler alert: I had no intention of ruling over this pathetic high school, as it was just a small stepping stone towards a much larger ambition. I want Equestria! You see, I've always believed that Princess Celestia should have made me a princess, as I was worthy to rule by her side as her equal, or perhaps even her superior, yet she was afraid that my power was too much for her, so she denied me my demand. Her biggest mistake is going to come back and haunt her when I go through the portal with an army by my side." I answered. " An army!? Where do you plan on getting that?" Princess Twilight asked. " I thought you'd have figured it out by now." I answered. It took the upstart mere seconds to comprehend the meaning behind my words, and when she realized what I was talking about, she stared straight at the brainwashed students who continued stumbling about. Snips and Snails had managed to corral most of them together, which pleased me, as we were progressing on schedule. That's when Flash Sentry walked onto the scene--a mindless slave like the rest--and I laughed at what had become of him. I knew I would make him suffer eventually, but this was the best form of irony I could imagine. " With my own little teenage army behind me, I am going to conquer Equestria! Unlike ponies, who can feel pain, these minions have no sensations getting in their way. They will continue marching on under my control, and they will overwhelm anyone on the other side that stands in my way. Should my army struggle against any resistance, I'll just take care of them myself using my power." I said. Twilight Sparkle then noticed Flash Sentry stumbling about, and the expression on her face told me everything. She had developed a romantic interest in him, which made his brainwashing all the more delicious. " By becoming a demon, I lost all sense of being human--even though I'm a pony--and I just kept on going with no signs of stopping." I said. Twilight didn't say anything in response, simply sitting there, struggling to grasp everything that I had just said. My heart was pounding rapidly at this point; I was waiting for the inevitable to happen. I know she will get up, grab her things, and run away from me because of what she now knows about me. I could have just given the crown back to Princess Twilight, and waited for my chance to become a princess. Or, maybe tried and talk things out and avoided further conflict. I did neither of those things, as my heart, my very soul, had been corrupted by the dark magic which exuded from the crown because my heart was twisted to begin with. Twilight will run away... I can see it happening already. " Sunset..." Twilight began. " What is it?" I asked. " Why... why did you rob them of their free will?" Twilight asked. " I needed an army who would fight for me no matter what, and I saw them as nothing more than expendable. I saw humans as inferior creatures, and their flaws made it easy for me to take advantage of them. After all, I did rule over Canterlot High for three years without my authority ever being questioned. I knew they wouldn't follow me of their own volition, so I took away their freedom, their identities, and turned them into soulless beings." I answered. " And you were proud of that?" Twilight asked. " I was, Twilight! I... I didn't care about their feelings, and I had no qualms over using them however I saw fit. Looking back on it now, I know that my actions were deplorable and foul beyond all reason, yet I relished in it because the crown's magic had poisoned me. But, deep down I allowed that to happen, as the desire for power was too much for me to ignore." I answered. " I'm not sure what to say." Twilight said. " I was a heartless monster! A raging she-demon!" I said. " No, that's not it." Twilight said. " Then what?" I asked. " You were just confused, lashing out because your dream had been taken away from you so many years ago. Your heart felt happy knowing that you finally could realize your destiny, twisted as it was. All that time, you had to hold back because of circumstances getting in the way, and when that moment happened, when the crown was yours, you seized that moment and used it to fulfill a desire which wanted freedom. All that frustration and tension built up in your heart with no way for it to be unleashed, so when that power became yours, you now had a means of letting it out." Twilight answered. My jaw dropped when she finished her speech. I was expecting her to yell at me for what I did as a demon. Could it be that I was wrong about her feelings towards my actions? Or, was she just saying this for sympathetic reasons? I'm not sure what the answer is, so I chose to keep quiet as she continued. " If you were expecting me to say anything else, then I'm sorry to disappoint you, Sunset. I pretty much said everything that needed to be told." Twilight said. " Are you feeling sorry for me?" I asked. " I've been in the same position you once were, where magic corrupted my heart, and I became a demon who wanted to understand magic, not caring about the feelings of anyone else. I lashed out in a similar fashion, as up until that point, I had been picked on, blackmailed, ridiculed, ignored, and far worse, all because I was seen as Crystal Prep's greatest student. So, when I gained that power, I vented out my frustrations by attempting to destroy this world to get to yours. When you think about it, Sunset, all you did as a demon was destroy school property and brainwash students against their will, yet I did far worse. You looked like a saint compared to me." Twilight answered. " If only the other CHS students felt the same way." I said. " Why wouldn't they? Everyone immediately forgave me for what I did." Twilight said. " That's because you were forced into becoming a demon who tried to destroy this world in the hopes of reaching another, all to win a competition because your former principal was so desperate to win, no matter what the cost. When I came back from the brink, I didn't get the same warm reception you did, Twilight. Deep down, I envied you for that, as my experience was far worse." I said. " What happened?" Twilight asked. " I told you before. The student body began mistreating me just like how I did the same to them initially, and I chose to accept my punishment, as they had every right to view me with such disdain. I never retaliated at them for how they treated me, and I just kept my feelings to myself. In a way, I got to understand what my actions towards them would have been like had I been in their shoes, instead." I answered. Sad, isn't it? One moment you are on top of the world with all the power you can imagine, and in the next moment, you have nothing but the clothes on your back. My entire world was centered around claiming Princess Twilight's crown, and when it became mine, I felt invincible, like nothing could stand in my way again. Once that power was lost to me after being shown the truth, I became a fallen angel. No. I was never an angel, back then. I was a monster pretending to be human. When it was over, I had nothing, a far cry from what I used to have back in Equestria. Did I try to regain what I lost? Of course not! There was no reason to! Turning the page in my journal, I looked at another drawing done by my hand. It depicted a tornado that was multi-coloured in scope. " Is that suppose to be... a rainbow?" Twilight asked. " It's the magic of friendship." I answered. " Colour me impressed." Twilight said, inching closer to me so that she could get a closer look at the drawing. It wasn't the best thing in the world, as my artistic skills were clearly lacking, but she kept on staring at it in an attempt to understand the meaning behind it. I already knew what that meaning was, as this rainbow was created specifically to bring me down and, also, back to my senses, as my mind had been warped, poisoned by the magic from the crown I was wearing. After looking at it for a while, Twilight turned her attention towards me, her eyes sparkling as if to tell me that she knew the significance behind my drawing. " I didn't think the magic of friendship, or magic in general, was capable of such amazing feats, yet the proof is here in that drawing, but I guess you telling me about it would verify the authenticity of your claim." Twilight said, her words catching me off guard, and feeling hurt because she doubted me. " I don't mean to be insensitive, Sunset, yet I do find it hard to believe that a magical rainbow stopped you." " Oh, it stopped me all right, but not before I did one last thing." I said. I still couldn't believe that Twilight Sparkle, the upstart who had thwarted my plans to become Princess of the Fall Formal, had developed a romantic interest in my ex-boyfriend, but then, Flash Sentry always did know good taste when he saw it. That was the only positive thing I could say about him, as much of the time he only served to further my own popularity. To me, he was the most useful pawn of all; I used him over and over to assert my dominance over the school, and he was completely oblivious to it right until the very end, when he became a mindless zombie. In fact, I liked him better this way. " You know, upstart, I just figured out that you have feelings towards my ex." I said. " And?" Princess Twilight asked. " While I find it adorable that you two have become an item, I can't help but laugh at how he has succumbed to my power just like when I was dating him, except back then, he had his free will." I answered. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head that was too good not to use, and I knew that it would hurt her emotionally, so I decided to go through with it, just to see what would happen. " I'm going to make Flash Sentry the scout of my army when we invade Equestria! He will be on the frontlines, and he will most likely be attacked by the ponies, who will retaliate once they figure out what's happening. Who knows? It might even make me love him again! Or not; his only purpose in life now is to be my obedient slave along with everyone else. Now step aside! I have a world to conquer!" " No!" Princess Twilight announced. " What!?" I exclaimed. " No, you're not! You will never have Equestria." Princess Twilight said. " And who is going to stop me from getting it? You? A princess who questions the very reason she was chosen to be one? Do you honestly believe the words coming out of your mouth right now? No, I didn't think you did. Spare me the bravado! You have no hope of doing anything that can stop me. I have magic, and you have nothing!" I said, my fiery hair expanding outward to intimidate her into accepting the fact that she was powerless. It felt good making her squirm in fear of my presence, a reminder to myself that I still maintained my reign over the school, despite several setbacks of underestimating her prowess. Just when it looked like the upstart was about to admit defeat, one of her friends decided to speak up, and I cringed over who it was. " She's got us!" Rainbow Dash announced. " Are you serious?" I asked. " You may have broken our friendships, Sunset Shimmer, but Twilight was able to rekindle them again, and for that we're forever grateful to her. Even with all of that power you got, we're ready to stand up against you." Rainbow Dash answered. The other four girls then stepped forward until they were standing side by side with the upstart, who had turned to face each of them and smiled because they continued to rally behind her. I always knew these five were special from the moment I first laid my eyes on them a few years ago, but I never thought they would be facing me like this. I guess I should have dealt with them on a more permanent basis back then, but now I can easily rectify my mistake. " You? Stand up to me? That has to be the most hilarious thing I've heard in my entire life." I said, laughing so hard that I folded my arms to prevent my sides from bursting with delight. I even managed to shed a couple of tears, but I quickly regained my composure, as I knew that all they were doing is trying to act tough, when they knew the odds were heavily stacked against them. " Just like I saw back in Equestria, the same thing has repeated itself here. The gang really is all back together again." I said, laughing again, as it was so funny to think about it like that. However, my laughter quickly changed to sheer hatred, aimed squarely at the upstart. " Now step aside! You see, Twilight Sparkle here has committed a crime against my reign, and she must be punished for it. She has tried to interfere with my plans one too many times, so I decree that her punishment is death!" " What!?" Everyone said all at once. " Sure, it sounds barbaric, but you brought this on yourself, Twilight. In fact, you five can join her!" I said. I then raised my hands above my head, and conjured up a large fireball, which I immediately flung towards the six girls without any hesitation. All they could do was huddle together and accept their fate at my hands. The fireball engulfed them almost instantly, and I laughed once again, as it meant there was no one left to stand against me. " You... killed them!?" Twilight exclaimed. " I did say that the magic poisoned me." I said. " But to resort to murder?" Twilight asked. " Princess Twilight kept on getting in my way, and in my mind, she had overstepped her boundaries. I could have brainwashed her and our friends, which would have solved things without resorting to ending their lives, but the thought never occurred to me. At least, not until the aftermath of my attack." I answered. " You did act irrationally." Twilight said. " You would, too, if someone kept on being a thorn in your side, while you had no means of getting rid of it, subjecting yourself to even greater pain unless you were to do whatever it took to get rid of them." I said. " Wait? The aftermath?" Twilight asked. " I learned almost immediately why brainwashing them wouldn't have worked, even though the idea didn't come to me. Once it became apparent what they were about to do to me, I knew there and then that my fate had been sealed." I answered. " Ha, ha, ha, ha! At last! The upstart is finally out of my hair for good!" I shouted with glee before turning to face Snips and Snails, who had finally managed to round all of the students together. It wasn't surprising that it took them this long to complete a simple task, but I could easily let that slide, as those zombified students were now ready to be put to good use. " Okay! Bring them to the portal and we can begin the invasion of Equestria!" Turning back to where my fireball had connected with the upstart and her friends, I stopped laughing. Now, I had to be serious with my plans for world conquest. However, when the smoke cleared, my jaw dropped as I saw the impossible. All six girls were still standing, yet they appeared to be surrounded by some kind of magical barrier. My attack had caused no damage to them at all. How were they able to use magic when they had none to begin with? Did I make a miscalculation? No, of course not! I had everything figured out, right down to the last detail! " We're all still alive." Princess Twilight said. " What!? How did you six manage to survive? Where did that magical barrier come from? None of you are capable of using magic, and I definitely know that the crown didn't do anything, not even to protect its precious master." I said. The six girls then came out of their huddle and stood before me once again, their magical barrier glowing with a radiant purple hue. I could sense it growing stronger, which made no sense at all. Where was this power coming from? I knew that I had all of the magic, thanks to the crown, but could I have neglected something? " Why is this happening? Why is it that you suddenly possess magic?" I asked. " The magic contained in my Element was able to unite with those that helped create it!" Princess Twilight answered. " What does that even mean?" I asked. Yet, I was about to discover that answer right away, as the crown began reacting to the magic coming from the upstart, and as I looked upwards at it in confusion, the crown fired a purple beam, which struck all six girls, engulfing them in a bright light that made it difficult for me to see what was happening. I could still, however, hear the upstart saying something. " Honesty! Kindness! Laughter! Generosity! Loyalty! Magic!" Princess Twilight said. When my vision became clear, I could see what was going on, and I couldn't believe what was happening to them. Each girl suddenly grew what looked like pony ears on top of their heads, and the bottom of their hairstyles extended downward to give them pony tails. Three of them also even grew wings out of their backs, likely indicating their Pegasus and alicorn statuses. Once the bright lights disappeared, they were floating before me, still surrounded by that purple barrier. The barrier quickly faded away, which meant their one means of protection was now gone. " Ha! All you did was transform into half-human, half-pony hybrids!" I shouted. " Is that what you really think?" Princess Twilight asked. " I'll admit that these new looks really suit you; you look utterly ridiculous. However, this changes nothing. The magic still remains on my side, despite you six having some of your own, so all you're really doing is delaying the inevitable by continuing this pointless struggle against me." I answered. " You'd be surprised." Princess Twilight began. " Oh? Please, explain this to me." I said. " Together with the crown, they create a power beyond anything you could imagine, but it is a power you don't have the ability to control! You may think that you have been able to master all of that magic, but in reality, you were merely deluding yourself into a false sense of personal satisfaction. The crown may be upon your head, Sunset Shimmer, but you cannot wield it, because you do not possess the most powerful magic of all: the magic of friendship!" Princess Twilight said. " Are you serious, upstart? Friendship is just a weakness that holds you back from true potential!" I shouted. " Is that how you really feel?" Princess Twilight asked. I refused to answer her because I was steadfast in my opinions on friendship. It was a weak feeling that only served as a distraction towards becoming the best. I had to go through this very notion with Princess Celestia, as she tried to make me understand and accept friendship, yet I didn't care, as my goal was to become a princess of Equestria who relied on strength alone. Compassion does not a ruler make. I began laughing at the upstart's feeble attempts to persuade me that her way of thinking was ideal, but what I didn't notice was that she shook her head in silence, knowing I refused to listen. She and her friends began to create a formation that allowed them to channel their magical energy into a single conduit. " Then I guess we have no other choice." Princess Twilight said. " Choice? What are you getting at now?" I asked. Again, I was about to receive my answer in the form of a another beam of purple light firing from the crown, but this one appeared to be pulling me towards where those girls were situated. Try as I might, I wasn't able to pull myself away from whatever was pulling me. I wanted to scream in agony, as this light was causing immense discomfort for me, but nothing came out of my mouth, aside from what sounded like hissing noises. Eventually, after trying in vain to pull myself away, I finally managed to regain the use of my voice. " Hey! What's going on!?" I asked. " Behold! The magic of friendship!" Princess Twilight answered. All six girls began glowing even brighter than before, and I struggled to maintain my vision, as the light was too bright for my eyes. They conjured up a rainbow from below that swirled around them a couple of times before it streaked across the night sky. It arced downwards towards where I was floating. I raised my hands in an effort to use my own magic to knock the rainbow away, but I found that I was unable to do anything, and soon the rainbow began swirling around me, as though I were being pulled into a tornado. " No!" I screamed as the rainbow continued spinning around me, where it suddenly grew in an effort to consume. " What is happening!? No! You can't do this to me! I'm supposed to be the only one with magic! I refuse to be defeated in such a pathetic manner!" I then tried one last time to fly out from the tornado, but my efforts were in vain. I was completely trapped; its power vastly dwarfed my own. When the tornado completely consumed me, I looked around in a mad panic to see if there was anything I could do to prevent what was about to happen. " Nothing! There's no way out for me! I can't believe it! That upstart! She did it to me again! She has ruined my life again!" I said to myself. Then, the magic began affecting me, rainbow tornado bombarding me on all sides, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. " This feeling... why do I suddenly feel like casting aside all of my hatred? Could I... could I have been wrong? No, of course not! I was justified in my actions; she denied me my destiny. But, did she deny me as a means of protecting me from the darkness inside my heart? Princess Celestia... I... I... I failed you." I said to myself, slumping forward slightly. From outside of the tornado, the girls all began to glow again, prompting the tornado to suddenly fire numerous beams of light out across the night sky. One of them hit Flash Sentry in the forehead, releasing him from my control, and the beam subsequently struck the foreheads of every other student, freeing them. " Here and in Equestria, it is the only magic that can truly unite us all!" Princess Twilight said. Snips and Snails, who throughout this ordeal had just been standing there wondering what was happening to me were also struck by beams of light coming from the tornado, and they were changed back to normal before dropping to the ground. For the next few minutes, no one knew what was going on. A massive, smoke-filled crater had appeared in-between the school entrance and the Wondercolt statue, and I found myself at its bottom. No longer was I a demonic monster, but rather, an ordinary human who had several scratches all across her body. As I regained consciousness, I began crawling about in an attempt to find my way out of the crater, yet this proved difficult, as I barely had any strength left within me. " Why... why do I feel so weak?" I asked myself, crawling along at a snail's pace. " That rainbow... it did something to me. It made me see things which I ignored out of a stupid sense of pride, feelings which I chose to close my heart off from because of what happened to me when I was a filly. I... I was wrong... about everything! Yet, why do I feel as though my very life-force has been drained from me? Is this punishment for my actions? Why do I feel like crying? Is this what it means to feel compassion? Caring? Love? I... I've lost my way. Somehow, I lost my way from the innocent filly who wanted to become the best to prove her worth to her parents, and instead I became something repulsive. Could there have been another way?" I said to myself. After crawling along the bottom of this crater, I slowly began climbing upwards. Every moment felt agonizing as my body struggled to get me to the top, tears streaking down my face, smoke from the crater surrounding me like a dark aura. " You will never rule in Equestria, Sunset Shimmer. Any power you may have had in this world is gone, and you will never be able to achieve any power here again. Tonight, you've shown everyone who you really are. Everyone who feared you these past few years no longer need to feel intimidated by your presence, as you no longer hold sway over their lives and their futures. They now know that you were the one who manipulated them, sabotaged their friendships, even exposed their deepest secrets, doing everything imaginable just to keep your power. You've shown them what is in your heart, and it's a vile, twisted, form that was consumed by hatred." Princess Twilight said, her words being numerous truths that were pounding me like I were a nail being hit repeatedly by a hammer. This was the worst-case scenario for me. Everyone was now aware of my actions since the day I first came, yet I didn't say anything to explain myself. What Twilight said was true, and nothing could be done to change that. " I know, upstart. No, not 'upstart'. Twilight." I said. " Do you?" Princess Twilight asked. " I... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know there was another way to go about this other than relying on hatred for so long. I could say it's because of what happened to me during my childhood that shaped me into who I've become now, but that's a lousy excuse, and I know it. I.. I could have done something to change my life long ago, but I refused to, because that would have meant abandoning my dream. My dream... it was never a dream, but a nightmare. No, it wasn't even that. It was a miserable existence that I used as justification for my actions and nothing more. I'm sorry, so very sorry." I answered, crying as I finally climbed up to the top of the crater, tears flowing down my face. No one offered to give me their hand as a means of pulling me out, but who could blame them after finally learning the truth about me. Instead, I remained there on the edge, waiting in a pathetic heap for what would happen to me next. I had fallen, yet I was no angel, nor was I a demon. I wasn't human at all anymore, nor a pony for that matter. I was a soulless being who happened to exist. " The magic of friendship doesn't just exist in Equestria. It's everywhere, as long as there are those who aspire to use it to better themselves and everyone around them. I know that it's something you took away from all of these students, yet they will easily regain it back as it slowly becomes part of who they are again. All I did was get the ball rolling for them. They have to handle the rest, and that just leaves you, Sunset Shimmer. You can seek out friendship, or you can forever be alone. The choice is yours to make, and no one will force you into making that choice." Princess Twilight said. In all of my life, I had never been put on the spot like that, until now. Yet, she was giving me her own ultimatum that would determine my fate. I would either be granted a second chance, where I would struggle, or remain on my current path, where I would struggle. No matter what choice I picked, I knew that I was fated to struggle to see it through. So began my train of thought, where I pondered over what had been presented to me, my fate lying in my own hands, where my choice would affect my future. " And... that is how I was defeated." I said. " I'm just speechless." Twilight said. " Now you know the biggest mistake I made in my entire life, Twilight. I became a demonic monster who desired power above everything else and treated all those around me as expendable pawns. Even though I've changed a lot since those days--even if it did happen just last year--there are times where I regress back to my old ways. You've already seen this when I lashed out against you during the Friendship Games, but that was minor compared to other incidents I'm not proud of." I said. " There were other incidents? Like when?" Twilight asked. " Like almost immediately after the Formal ended." I answered.