//------------------------------//
// Sunset - Part 1 
// Story: No Matter How Dark 
// by Picardy Third 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 10
Sunset, Part 1
***

Day Rider. Earth Pony. Male. Age 36. Died of a knife stabbing in the chest.
Fern Nelly. Unicorn. Female. Age 25. Crushed by a falling support beam.
Sudsy Loft. Unicorn. Male. Age 47. Died of severe burns.
Stormkicker. Pegasus. Male. Age 29. Died of severe burns.
Beauty. Unicorn. Female. Age 11. Died of severe burns.

***

Twilight lay perfectly still on her bed. The sunset bathed the room in an orange glow. It would have been beautiful had it not been for the tragic news Twilight had received. Where tears had fallen consistently for the past 9 hours had left permanent streaks under her eyes. She had stopped crying only a half hour ago, the reason she assumed had been because she had simply run out of tears to cry. 
Five.
Five ponies dead.
And one was eleven years old.
Only a filly. Twilight repeated to herself. 
The tragedy had spread all over Canterlot, and when Celestia and Twilight had returned from Terra’s home on the Western Sea, they discovered that Twilight had become Canterlot’s most wanted almost overnight. Twilight was already wearing the prison uniform, now all she needed to do was sew on her number and she would be shipped away to Alcoltraz.
Celestia assured Twilight that she would remain safe in the castle: a truth that Twilight trusted would remain so. However, she could no longer leave the castle. She was trapped in her room. She was basically a prisoner already, just with nicer bed sheets.
As soon as news of the attack spread to Ponyville, Celestia received a letter from Spike informing her that Twilight’s friends were taking the train to Canterlot. Twilight didn’t want to face them right now. She didn’t want to face anypony right now. She just wanted to be alone to wallow in the knowledge that she was knowingly responsible for the death of now six ponies.
Shining Armor had visited his sister at around 2 in the afternoon. They didn’t speak much, but his presence seemed to affirm Twilight that she was not totally alone in this battle. Being captain of the royal guard, Twilight was sure her brother would be harder to convince that she wasn’t truly corrupted by evil, but he trusted his sister, and it showed. 
Celestia addressed the public on Twilight’s condition without giving explicit details and assured her subjects that no more ponies would get hurt under her watch. This, of course, didn’t go over too well when she also mentioned that Twilight would continue to live in the castle under her watch. Twilight could hear the protesters from her bedroom.
Twilight had entered a new realm of despair. She felt so guilty… so guilty that the very notion of leaving her bed sounded like condemning the world to death. She was nothing but a menace now. She contemplated from time to time if killing herself truly was the best option at this point, but forced herself to think other thoughts. 
Twilight’s chin began to itch from lying against the bed sheets for so long, but she didn’t dare move to scratch it. She didn’t even deserve to be relieved of the irritation. If anything, the small itch that crept into her lower jaw was just further punishment for her crimes against pony kind. She didn’t deserve to be living like an honored guest of the Princess. She deserved to be rotting in a cell in Alcoltraz, where the other cold-blooded killers were.
“Hey.”
It was Rainbow Dash’s voice. Twilight didn’t even turn around. She lacked the energy or motivation. After a few moments of silence, she heard hoofsteps followed by a sinking in her mattress that told her that Rainbow Dash had climbed onto the bed. Rainbow Dash set herself down so that she was leaning against Twilight and interlocked their hooves. Rainbow Dash pulled Twilight’s face toward her and kissed her on the lips sweetly.
Upon separation, Twilight blinked her eyes once, clearing them of any extra tears that had been there previously. Rainbow Dash gave Twilight the most sympathetic look she could muster and cleared her throat. 
“I, um… sorry about yesterday.” Rainbow Dash muttered.
Twilight snorted a small chuckle. Rainbow Dash was terrible at sympathy. 
“Look, I know what happened was bad, and a lot of ponies are mad at you, but… I’m not.” Rainbow Dash said with a little grin. “Sorry, I’m bad at this whole cheering up thing.”
“It’s okay.” Twilight choked out. “You’re doing great.”
“Heh, thanks.” Rainbow Dash replied uneasily, “Look, I don’t care how bad things get. I don’t care if you become an evil war lord who ravages the land and destroys all of pony kind. All I care is that we’re together, and nothing will change that.”
“Becoming an evil war lord may change that, dear.” Twilight replied flatly.
“Well, maybe for you.”  Rainbow Dash said, “But I will be there no matter what.”
Twilight smiled and nuzzled her cheek against Rainbow Dash’s cheek. Dash reached out and nibbled Twilight’s ear as she passed, causing Twilight to giggle a little in reply. The two shared in the moment for as long as it would last before Twilight spoke.
“How in Equestria did I get so lucky?” Twilight whispered in Rainbow Dash’s ear.
“I ask myself the same thing every day.” Rainbow Dash replied.
“You lucky?” Twilight asked, pulling her head back, “I can’t believe you would feel lucky…”
“Why do you say that?” Rainbow Dash asked, a little taken aback.
“Because I’m just… a nerdy bookworm with a curse that could end our peaceful lives as we know them.” Twilight said with a shake of her head, “I’m just a burden.”	
“Twilight… you have it all wrong!” Rainbow Dash replied. 
“No? How many mares can say that they are lucky to have a marefriend that has tried to kill them?” Twilight asked. “Twice.”
“Listen to me now, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash said, putting a hoof on Twilight’s lips. Just feeling Rainbow Dash’s hoof made Twilight’s heart flutter, but Rainbow Dash had a serious face on. She stared right into Twilight’s eyes, right into Twilight’s very center.
“You are the single most important thing in my life.” Rainbow Dash said. “What you are forgetting is that my feelings for you are just as strong as your feelings for me. You are a gifted unicorn with magical abilities that continue to impress the Princess. You are one of the best friends a pony could have, and you just started being social when you moved to Ponyville!”
“Not only do you have the best personality of any mare in Equestria, but you are beautiful, and I cannot comprehend why you would ever think otherwise. Whenever I look in your eyes…” Rainbow Dash paused, “I’m not good with words like you are, Twilight. All I can say is that I get lost. I’m just some dumb pegasus from Cloudsdale. I’m dating Princess Celestia’s hoof-picked protégée. You say you’re the lucky one?”
Twilight attacked Rainbow Dash with another kiss, this one much more fervent than the last. Rainbow Dash rolled onto her back and allowed Twilight to hold control. Twilight was filled with so much gratitude that she just could not express it strongly enough. Twilight… loved Rainbow Dash! She did!
The mares separated and looked into each others’ eyes again, smiling. 
“Rainbow Dash… I…”
The door opened.
“Twilight? Ah… uh…” Applejack said as she and the other ponies including Spike entered, suddenly turning a brighter red than the apples she bucked. 
“Oh my, Twilight, I see who wears the saddle in this relationship!” Rarity cooed.
“Excuse me?!” Rainbow Dash barked.
“Okay! Let’s get out! Give ‘em some privacy! Sorry sugarcube, we’ll, uh… be around.” Applejack said, shutting the door behind her as she left.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash stared at the door for another minute or two before Twilight collapsed on Rainbow Dash and let out an exasperated sigh. 
“What were you gonna say, Twi?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Huh? Oh, it was nothing…” Twilight replied.
“Hm… alright.” Rainbow Dash replied.
“I am going to assume you flew here while the others took the train?” Twilight asked.
“Correct.” Rainbow Dash replied.
Twilight sighed happily and wrapped her hooves around Dash’s body, “Well good. I needed this.”
“Listen, let’s just go downstairs and meet with everypony for awhile and forget about everything. Sound good?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“That sounds fantastic.” Twilight replied. As she got up, she pecked Rainbow Dash on the cheek. Rainbow Dash didn’t let her get far before tackling her to the ground again in another kiss.

***

The Canterlot Gardens are a fantastic place to visit if you are lucky enough to gain access to them. The outdoor wonder is usually exclusive to very prestigious ponies, royal guests, and the occasional school field trip. For Twilight, it was the one place where the sounds of the protesters outside the castle could not be heard.
The seven friends walked through the gardens to find a spot where they could sit down and spend some time together. The sun had completely set by now, and the garden was beautifully illuminated by elaborate magical lamps placed in inconspicuous locations. The vine-like lampposts seemed to just blend in with the shrubbery.
“And to think that without Twilight, the lot of us would have never seen these gardens once in our lives!” Rarity said appreciatively. “And we’ve all been here four times at least!”
“It’s what I’m here for.” Twilight replied sarcastically.
“An’ yer jus’ livin’ every day like this, ain’t ya?” Applejack asked.
“Yeah… I spend most of my time in my room.” Twilight said, pointing up at the castle. Her room was on the other side of the castle, but the ponies got the idea. 
“Hey, is that Princess Luna with your brother and Cadence?” Fluttershy asked from behind Pinkie Pie. The ponies looked to where Fluttershy was pointing them and, sure enough, there was Shining Armor with his wife, Cadence, and Princess Luna. They appeared to be just on a leisurely stroll through the gardens, just talking business.
“It is!” Twilight replied, “Shining Armor!” Twilight called.
The three ponies looked up and smiled at the group, and waved. Twilight ran toward the trio, shortly followed by the rest of her friends. Shining, Cadence, and Luna stopped walking and waited for them to arrive.
“It’s great to see you again, Cadence!” Twilight greeted.
“It’s great to see you too, Twilight!” 
“And it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you, Luna.” Twilight said. “Good evening.”
“Good morning.” Luna replied, then she snickered, “It is indeed a fine evening.”
“Nice to see ya again.” Rainbow Dash said to Cadence, “I’m Rainbow Dash, remember?” 
“Yeah! You were one of my bridesmaids!” Cadence said, “You are Twilight’s friend?”
“Oh much more than friends.” Rainbow Dash said, then chuckled and nudged Twilight with a shoulder.
“This is the pony I was telling you about, dear.” Shining said to Cadence, “Twilight’s new marefriend!”
“Is that right?” Cadence asked happily. “Oh, Twilight, that’s wonderful!”
“That is wonderful!” Luna added.
“It’s nice to see you again, Rainbow Dash.” Shining said, reaching out a hoof to shake. Dash returned the gesture and smiled proudly. “I do remember you from the wedding. When Twilight told me about you, I couldn’t remember which one you were, but now I remember.”
“How many other ponies do you know with a rainbow mane?!” Twilight demanded.
“Well… good point.” Shining said, then chuckled.
“By the way, girls.” Twilight said, turning around to face her friends, “Shining and Cadence are having a foal!” 
A collective gasp was heard from all of the ponies, followed by a chorus of congratulatory phrases and giddy enthusiasm, especially from Pinkie Pie who had already half-planned a baby shower in the thirty seconds that she knew the news.
“And we have news regarding the baby, too!” Shining Armor declared. The group silenced and listened intently, “First of all, it’s a filly.”
“Aww!” The group said in unison.
“And,” Cadence continued, “Much to our surprise, she’s going to be a pegasus!”
“AW YEAH!” Rainbow Dash cheered, followed by more cheers of congrats and happiness.
“Have you decided on a name yet?” Rarity asked.
“Well, I’ve only been pregnant for a few months.” Cadence said, “We haven’t really discussed it too much!”
“I think something classy, like Radiance!” Rarity suggested.
“No way!” Rainbow Dash argued, “She’s going to be a pegasus! Gotta give her something tough, like Striker Blast!” 
“Oh, you have GOT to be kidding!” Rarity scoffed, “This is a Canterlot pegasus, not a Cloudsdale pegasus!”
“I don’t see the difference!” Rainbow Dash replied.
“We’ll think of something eventually, hehe…” Cadence said nervously to try to stop the quarreling ponies.
“For some reason, the name Bubbles is popping in my head…” Twilight said curiously, “Don’t know why…”
“I-it’s not important now, anyway.” Shining said, ending the topic, “What is important is the situation right now.”
“What situation?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“The ponies that have gathered in front of the castle,” Luna said, “They are disturbing the peace and demanding that Twilight be sent to prison for her so-called ‘crime’.” 
“Well, it was a crime…” Twilight said, “A terrible crime…”
“But it was not your fault.” Luna said, “And you must never blame yourself.”
“Why can’t you just ignore them?” Spike asked with a shrug.
“Well, we tried that.” Luna said, then narrowed her eyes, “but they kept waking me up.”
“We were actually just talking about this before you found us. What would happen if Twilight herself addressed the crowd?” Cadence said. “Perhaps it would get them to calm down to know that Twilight is just a normal pony with a bad curse.”
“A normal pony that has saved all of Equestria three times!” Pinkie Pie declared.
“Technically they saved Equestria the last time,” Twilight said, pointing to her brother and Cadence.
“I would think that twice is enough.” Rainbow Dash said with a roll of her eyes.
“Cadence, I just don’t know…” Twilight said, “Don’t you think that putting me in front of the protesters is just further provoking them? ‘Look at me! I don’t have to go to prison, and here I am standing right in front of you being protected by Celestia, and there’s nothing you can do about it!’” Twilight mocked, then stuck her tongue out and made a face. The ponies all laughed.
“Perhaps you are right,” Cadence said.
“I still think it’s a good idea.” Luna said.
“I do too.” Shining Armor said.
“You do?” Twilight asked.
“Twilight, facing these protesters shows that you have the strength to admit that there is a problem here, and you’re trying to fix it.” Shining Armor said, “Will the message sink in to everypony? No. But, there will be ponies that will be settled by you speaking to them, and those ponies will spread the message.”
“And there will be extremist ponies that try to kill me in my sleep.” Twilight said flatly.	
“That’s what we have the royal guard for.” Shining Armor said with a smile.
“Ooh, Twilight being under the protection of the royal guard!” Rarity said in a fascinated voice.
“It’s not as amazing as it sounds…” Twilight muttered in reply.
“So. Tomorrow, you and I will find my sister and we will schedule a speech to be given in front of the castle. You will address the agitated ponies, and we will go from there.” Luna said.
“B-but… don’t I get some time to prepare at least?!” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, come on now!” Rainbow Dash argued, “You can’t just throw her in front of that crowd, they’ll eat her alive!” 
“I have my full confidence in Twilight.” Luna said.
“Ah think she’ll do jus’ fine.” Applejack said. 
“She’s addressed the entire town during Winter Wrap-Up plenty of times!” Fluttershy also chimed in.
“Yeah, Twilight, you got this!” Pinkie Pie added.
“Well… if you girls think so.” Twilight said nervously, then looked at her brother imploringly.
“Twiley… if you can save the world three times, you can talk to a small crowd of ponies.” Shining Armor said with a smile.
“Two times.” Twilight corrected.
“Cadence and I didn’t even leave the castle. It was you and your friends that went out and fought the changelings.” Shining said.
“And we lost.” Twilight shrugged.
“We’re getting off topic.” Shining said.
“Perfect! I’ll talk to my sister in the morning, and we’ll get this done at midday.” Luna said, “I am going off to fly over Canterlot a few times, maybe resolve a few local conflicts.”
“Tis the life of a princess.” Cadence remarked.
“Tis indeed.” Luna replied, spreading her wings to take off.
“Wait, princess!” Twilight said. Luna folded her wings back in and looked at Twilight curiously.
“Can we talk for a little bit before you take off?” Twilight asked, “Alone?”
“Absolutely.” Luna replied, “Shall we?” 
The two ponies walked away, leaving seven ponies and a baby dragon behind. They watched Twilight and Luna walk away, then Rainbow Dash was surprised when Shining Armor started looking at her curiously.
“Um…” Rainbow Dash said. “Can I help you?”
“I am just… confused.” Shining Armor said.
“Confused?”
“Don’t take any offense to this… I just… when Twilight told me that you were her marefriend…” Shining Armor said.
“You were like, ‘oh, that dumb pegasus pony?’” Rainbow Dash finished flatly.
“Not at all!” Shining said defensively. “But I was surprised. I mean… first of all, I didn’t expect Twilight to be into mares at all. Then she tells me that of all ponies, the mare that has caught her eye is not some nerdy unicorn, but a fast-talking and energetic pegasus.”
“Heh, I know. Weird, huh?” Rainbow Dash said a little uncomfortably.
“What exactly do you see in Twilight?” Shining asked. Rainbow Dash looked at him curiously. What brought this on? He looked so… suspicious of Rainbow Dash. Like Rainbow Dash was doing something wrong. Then, it dawned on her.
“Oh, I know what’s going on here.” Rainbow Dash said. “You’re making sure that I’m gonna treat Twilight right.”
Shining Armor chuckled, “Well, she is my little sister.” 
“Well... I dunno. It’s weird, like I said.” Rainbow Dash said, “I’m not good with words like she is… she’s so smart. She’s smarter than I ever will be. And her magic! She’s the most talented unicorn I’ve ever seen!” Rainbow Dash said, looking up at the sky. 
“But… I mean, other than the fact that she’s way more talented than me, I mean… just look at her! My goodness, she’s so gorgeous! And… her coat. That… shade of purple is just so…”
“…Lavender?” Shining finished.
“Is that what it is?” Rainbow Dash asked, “I had no idea. But it’s nothing compared to her eyes. They’re so deep… so inviting. It’s like… I feel warm inside whenever I see them, like I’m looking at a sunset… or something.” Rainbow Dash said, “Sorry… like I said, I’m not good with words.”
“That’s okay, Dash. You seem like you have your heart in the right place.” Shining said.
“That was beautiful, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity wept from off to the side. Rainbow Dash blushed madly and turned to see all of the ponies looking at her with wide eyes. She had forgotten that they were standing right beside her.
“I’ve lived with Twilight my whole life.” Spike said, “And I have never thought any of those things.”
All the ponies laughed, especially Rainbow Dash. Having Shining Armor’s approval meant a lot. She really liked him, but he seemed a little protective of his sister.

***

“Beautiful night…” Twilight remarked as they walked away from the small gathering of ponies. 
“You say that every time we are together.” Luna replied.
“And it’s always true.” Twilight said.
“Hm.” Luna said contentedly, “I agree.”
“Luna… this has to end. Now.” Twilight said. 
“What does, Twilight?”	
“This. This curse.” Twilight said. “It can’t go on any longer.”
“Twilight, we are all trying our best to help you find a cure.” Luna defended.
“But six ponies, Luna. Six ponies have lost their lives thanks to me!” Twilight said forcefully, “That’s enough to classify me a serial killer, you know that?”
“But you are not killing ponies, Twilight. You are not. How often must we remind you of that?” Luna asked.
“It doesn’t matter, Luna.” Twilight said, “Ponies have died, and it was by my hoof. Whether I wanted it to happen or not, it happened, and if we don’t do something, it’ll happen again.”
“If you stay in the castle, it won’t!” Luna replied quickly.
“Damn it, Luna, don’t you get it?!” Twilight yelled. Luna took a step away from Twilight and looked at her with worry
“Luna… this so-called ‘cure’ I have found… it will take far too long before I find a way to actually use it effectively. We have no idea how to utilize it, and we are out of time. Terra warned me that soon this evil entity will become so powerful that the suit will be powerless to stop it.”
“My mother is a piece of work.” Luna said.
“I know.” Twilight replied darkly.
“She was probably just upset that you found a way to stifle the curse before she did. I have absolute faith in this uniform you wear. All we can do is have faith.” Luna said.
“And I have faith that the only way this will end is if we just end it.” Twilight said.
“And how do you propose to do that? You know we are not letting you take your own life.”
“It is the only way!” 
“Twilight!” Luna said forcefully, “I am sorry, but I will not even consider the option.”
Twilight sighed and looked at the ground sadly. Luna ruffled her wings and nuzzled her face against Twilight’s. Twilight sniffed and let out another shaky sigh. 
“You brave, brave pony…” Luna whispered. “I am so sorry that this all has happened to you…”
Twilight nodded her head and stood up straight again. Luna opened her wings and gave Twilight one last sympathetic smile before taking off into the night. Her navy blue coat blended perfectly with the night sky so that she was almost invisible against it. Twilight nodded again and turned to rejoin her friends in the middle of the gardens.
When she got back, she noticed that it was only Rainbow Dash sitting by herself. Twilight smiled and thanked Celestia for this moment, but was still curious as to where her friends went off to.
“Where is everypony?” Twilight asked Rainbow Dash.
“They went back to their rooms for the night.” Rainbow Dash said.
“You girls are staying here?” Twilight asked happily.
“Yep. Celestia offered.” Rainbow Dash said. “Ponyville can be without us for a few days.”
“I don’t know about that.” Twilight snickered. She and Rainbow Dash lay down on the soft grass together. They were side-by-side, as usual. They interlocked their hooves and just watched the way lavender met cyan for a few seconds before Rainbow Dash spoke again.
“I actually, um… wondered if maybe I could stay… just a bit longer?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“You want to stay with me here?” Twilight replied emotionally, “Oh Rainbow Dash, I… I don’t know…”
“I-if you don’t want me to, that’s fine.” Rainbow Dash said.
“No, Dash, that’s not it at all!” Twilight said, “I’m just worried… what if I hurt you?”
“You can’t hurt me, come on.” Rainbow Dash joked, “But really… I’ll be okay. You always give me fair warning before you go all nutzo.” 
“What about your weather patrol duty?” Twilight asked.
“I’m a supervisor now, Twi.” Rainbow Dash said, “I hardly do any work anyway.”
“Oh Dash… if you could stay with me, I would love it so much…” Twilight said, nuzzling her head against Rainbow Dash’s. 
“Then it’s settled. I will.” Rainbow Dash said. Twilight flung her front hooves around Rainbow Dash’s neck and planted a big, wet kiss on her cheek. Rainbow Dash turned her head in time to catch the second kiss on her lips. The two ponies smiled at each other and cuddled for a bit longer before getting up and walking back to the castle.
“So, Dash. What have you been reading lately?” Twilight asked.
“Heh… not enough.” Rainbow Dash replied.
“Well, I’ll have to fix that.” Twilight said. Rainbow Dash chuckled in reply.

***

“Celestia, I don’t know…” Twilight said to the princess. The front castle doors weren’t even open and Twilight could hear the shouting of the crowd on the other side. There had to be dozens of ponies there, waiting for Twilight to address them and, Twilight assumed, to make a few attempts at capturing or even killing her.
“You have nothing to worry about, Twilight.” Celestia said calmly. “There is an invisible magical force field in place before the podium as a precaution. Nopony can hurt you.”
“But… I’ve been thinking about this, and I’ve had attacks fairly consistently every night for awhile now, and I didn’t have one last night. What if the evil me is just waiting to strike when I am in front of all these ponies?” Twilight said worriedly. 
“We must hope that that will not happen.” Celestia said, “However, should that be the case, you can always excuse yourself and run back into the castle. You will not hurt anypony in the throne room.”
“I’m afraid, Princess…” Twilight said softly.
“Have strength, my student.” Celestia said, leaning down to nuzzle Twilight’s neck, “You will be fine.”
The castle doors opened off to the side and a royal guard pony stepped in. He looked side to side and spotted Celestia and Twilight standing off to the side. 
“Ready to start, Princess?” The guard asked.
“Yes, Slim, I am.” The Princess replied. The guard nodded and stepped back out, leaving the door open for the Princess.
“How are you able to memorize all the guards’ names?” Twilight asked, “There are hundreds!”
“Well, I have not memorized all of them.” Celestia said, “But I have had a few millennia of practice.”
“Oh…”
“You wait here, and I shall bring you out when it is time for you to speak.” Celestia said. She stepped in front of the door, and the shouts of the angry ponies suddenly became louder. Twilight gulped and nodded, then Celestia walked out and to the podium. From inside the castle, Twilight simply had to visualize the Princess raising a hoof as the crowd got quieter.
“My faithful subjects.” Celestia said, her voice magically amplified, “I would first like to offer my sincerest condolences to the families of the victims. The loss of a loved one is of the hardest burdens to bear. No pony should have to endure that suffering. I know that you demand an explanation. You wonder why the pony responsible is living here in the castle. Well, I agree that you deserve to know. I, however, will not be telling you.”
The audience roared in protest. Twilight’s heart raced as she imagined herself in front of that crowd. The crowd grew silent again as Twilight pictured Celestia raising her hoof again.
“I will not be telling you, but you will hear it from the pony herself.” No response, “Her name is Twilight Sparkle, and she is not a bad pony. On the contrary, she is a very good pony. She has been a faithful student of mine for years, and she deserves this chance to explain herself.”
“Throw her in the slammer!!” A male voice screamed out, followed by a chorus of agreement. Twilight’s heart sank. This was not going to be easy at all.
“I will not tolerate that kind of behavior while Twilight is speaking.” Celestia said sternly. The audience fell completely silent. They never heard Celestia raise her voice, especially to her subjects. “Twilight Sparkle is a very dear friend of mine. If I hear any of that while she is speaking, I will personally have you removed.”
The audience was silent with fear. Twilight’s heart was racing even faster now. She had hoped that Celestia’s confidence would carry through and keep the crowd silent, but knowing the nature of crowds, that could not be guaranteed. Celestia appeared through the door and nodded to Twilight, who walked forward silently.
Twilight approached the podium and looked out at the audience. Her stomach dropped when she realized that there were a lot more than a couple dozen ponies out here. It seemed like half of Canterlot had gathered in front of the castle to hear Celestia’s speech. Twilight was even more petrified now. She cleared her throat and heard it carry out to the audience, amplified by magic.
Twilight turned back and saw both Celestia and Luna standing behind her, giving her strength and encouragement. Twilight gulped and turned back to face the audience. Almost immediately, a bright, piercing magical spell shot out and was stopped by the force field. Twilight jumped back in surprise. Had that force field not been there, her head would have been a shish kabob.
It took all of three seconds for Celestia to use her magic to lift the pony out of the crowd that had shot the spell. She pulled him up to the front and placed him with a few royal guard members, who carried the shouting pony away. Twilight took another deep breath and looked out at the audience fearfully.
“Thank you for coming out.” Twilight started. The audience remained eerily silent. “I would like to start out by offering my condolences to the families of the ponies whose lives were lost in yesterday’s tragedy.” Twilight sounded weak and nervous, but she continued nonetheless.
“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna asked me to address you, the citizens of Canterlot, directly. They told me to tell you why you saw me committing these heinous crimes, and that is it. Well… I believe you deserve to know more. You deserve to know exactly what is going on here. I want you, the ponies of Canterlot, to understand my situation, and know that I would never hurt another pony or cause such senseless destruction.” Twilight said. She turned around to Celestia and Luna, who looked surprised at Twilight’s declaration, but nodded for her to continue.
“About a month ago, I began to experience these… attacks.” Twilight began, “At first, I was unaware that they were happening, for I lost memory of them. Later, I became conscious of them, and this scar appeared.” Twilight said, pointing at her face. 
“During one of these episodes, I am not myself. I am forced to retreat into my subconscious and a mysterious entity takes control of my body. This is known as the Curse of Mallumo’s Possession. My eyes become white, a dark aura covers my body, and my scar pulses with light. I cannot control my own actions, I cannot control my voice, and all I can do is try to will myself back to reality.”
“Yesterday, my brother, Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard, and I were just having some lunch in Canterlot when I felt the attack coming. I tried to reach the castle in time, but I failed, and I am sorry. I am so sorry, citizens of Canterlot…” Twilight said, “I am here to tell you that we are trying our best to fix this situation, and until it is resolved, I will not leave the castle.”
“She still belongs in a prison!!!” A male pony shouted. Celestia lifted him up with her magic, when another voice rang out.
“She’s a danger to us all!”
“Why does she get special rights?!” 
“The Princess is just playing favorites!”
“She should be dead!!” 
The audience erupted in an uproar. Twilight bowed her head in shame and stepped down from the podium, tears beginning to fill her eyes. She turned and began to leave the stage when a navy blue hoof covered in a crystal slipper stopped her. The roar of the crowd got louder and louder. Twilight looked up at Luna, who nodded to Twilight, asking her to stay for a little longer. Then, Luna took wing and landed on top of the podium.
“SILENCE!!!” Luna shouted in the Royal Canterlot voice. She was livid. The ponies silenced immediately. The Princess looked down at the ponies with disappointment. Twilight and Celestia looked at each other a little nervously.
“YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES.” Luna bellowed. The audience was obviously frightened by the sudden display. Not only was Luna using the loudest voice she could muster, but it was still being magically amplified. Her eyes were pushed down into a fierce scowl. 
“HOW DARE YOU TREAT YOUNG TWILIGHT IN SUCH A WAY!” Luna continued, “SHE IS BRAVER THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE. YOU CANNOT BEGIN TO COMPREHEND THE BURDEN SHE BEARS.”
Luna stared down the audience a moment longer, then calmed down and jumped down from the podium, standing behind it instead. She cleared her throat and looked out at the ponies sternly. They all looked up at her with horror struck on their faces.
“Twilight Sparkle deserves every chance to live a normal life once again.” Luna said, “What happened yesterday was a tragedy that nopony could have predicted, and no amount of protest and anger will change that.” 
“Twilight is not only my sister’s friend, but mine as well. In fact, she was the first friend I had upon my return.” Luna said, “She is smart, talented, kind, and every bit deserving of your patience and sympathy. That is all.”
Luna stepped away from the podium and walked away, into the castle. As she passed Twilight and Celestia, she muttered, “I’m going to bed.”
Twilight and Celestia looked at each other again and nodded their heads. Celestia approached the podium again. “Thank you for your understanding, my faithful subjects.” Celestia said, a little shaken by Luna’s outburst, “This is a challenge my sister, Twilight, and I are overcoming together, and we will overcome it. No more ponies will be hurt.”
Celestia and Twilight walked back into the castle, and the doors shut. The audience remained silent until they all wandered away. For the first time in two days, the front of the castle was completely quiet.

***

The door to one of the many castle sitting rooms opened and Twilight walked in. Inside the room, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Spike all looked at her as she entered. Twilight sighed heavily and shook her head.
“How’d it go?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Awful.” Twilight replied flatly. All the occupants of the room sighed sadly at the news. Twilight walked straight over to the couch that Rainbow Dash occupied and sat down beside her. She kissed Dash on the lips quickly and snuggled up against her for comfort.
“Oh, that’s just terrible to hear, darling.” Rarity commented.
“Why was it so awful, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.
“The audience didn’t believe a word I said, I could tell.” Twilight said quietly.
“I’m so sorry.” Fluttershy commented.
“They’re just a bunch of mean-meanie-pantses.” Pinkie Pie said, “We believe you, Twilight, and that’s all that matters!”
“Tha’s right.” Applejack agreed, “Ya still have us, Twi.”
“Always will.” Rainbow Dash added. She pecked Twilight on the forehead, “But you know that already, don’t you?”
“Thanks, girls.” Twilight said with a little smirk. “And… thanks for coming out and supporting me. I really don’t know how I would be able to get through this without you.”
“Well, we miss you too, Twilight.” Fluttershy said.
“She’s right, we do miss you terribly.” Rarity agreed.
“I feel so bad about all this…” Twilight muttered. For a few moments, nopony spoke, then Spike spoke.
“Hey, Twilight?” Spike asked.
“What is it, Spike?”
“I’m… sorry I left you.” He said. “I shouldn’t have.”
“Spike, it’s okay, really.” Twilight smiled, “If you felt more comfortable in Ponyville, I’m not going to stop you.”
“Okay.” Spike replied, “It’s just really lonely in that tree.” 
“Don’t you have Cheerilee to keep you company?” Twilight asked.
“Well, she has class during the day.” Spike said, “And when she is at the library, she just reads all the time.”
“Spike, that’s exactly what I did too.” Twilight said flatly.
“But… it’s just not the same.” Spike said.
“Why didn’t you girls invite Cheerilee along?” Twilight asked, “I’d like to see her too.” 
“We did!” Pinkie said.
“Yes, but when Pinkie and I invited her, she insisted that she stay.” Rarity said, making a motion with her hoof, “She said something about how Rainbow Dash would keep her company or something to that effect. Really, what is that about?”
“She had the hots for Twilight.” Rainbow Dash replied flatly. 
“I had no idea!” Twilight said, opening her eyes widely.
“Yeah, she told me while you were with Spike.” Rainbow Dash said, “She can’t compare to the Dash, though!”
“That is correct!” Twilight replied, poking Rainbow Dash on the nose, “I would like to hear what kind of books she’s into, though.”
“Heh…” Rainbow Dash replied a little uneasily.
“Don’t worry, she still can’t compare to you, dear.” Twilight said, “Which reminds me, Rarity?”	
“Yes, darling?” 
“Have you ever read The Great Goatsby?”
“Why yes, I have.” Rarity said, “Fantastic read, is it not?”
“It’s one of my favorites. I just read it again the other day. I thought it seemed like your kind of book.”	
“Ah didn’t like it much.” Applejack said.
“Oh, Applejack, that does not surprise me in the least.” Rarity said flippantly.
“What exactly is that supposed ta mean?” Applejack shot back.
“I liked it!” Fluttershy said quickly, “But it’s not my favorite.”
“Now, Of Mice and Ponies is more mah style.” Applejack said. “Love that book.”
“Well of course it is! It’s only a hundred pages long!” Rarity laughed.
“Ah don’t like the way that sounded.” Applejack said defensively.
“Oh relax, Applejack, at least you do read.” Rarity said, cocking an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash.
“Hey, I read!” Rainbow Dash said. All the ponies looked at her skeptically, “…sometimes.”
“Rainbow Dash will be staying with me in the castle,” Twilight said, “Don’t worry, I’ll have her reading.” 
“You’re staying in the castle with Twilight?!” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly, “It’ll be a nonstop slumber party! Can I come over sometime?!” 
“Oh, I want to see everypony as much as possible.” Twilight said. “You’re the only thing keeping me sane.”
“As sane as you can be, anyway.” Rainbow Dash joked. Twilight laughed and nodded her head.
“My, you two are serious!” Rarity observed. “Moving in already?”	
“Well, we have a bit of a special circumstance.” Twilight replied nonchalantly. 
“And you’ll be sharing a bed?” Rarity asked, blinking her eyes innocently.
“Rarity, yer mind’s farther in the gutter than what’s good fer ya.” Applejack said directly.
“I agree…” Twilight and Fluttershy both said. They both looked at each other and chuckled.
“Oh you ponies are such fun killers.” Rarity complained.
“That actually did remind me, though, hey Dash, could you come with me to check on something in my room?” Twilight asked, looking above her head at Rainbow Dash’s face.
“Sure thing.” Dash replied. The two ponies hopped up from the couch and left the sitting room, leaving the ponies and Spike behind.
“Why couldn’t she have just asked to talk to Rainbow Dash alone?” Spike asked.
“For as smart as she is, Twilight can be a bit naïve.” Rarity commented, “But it doesn’t matter. She more than makes up for it.”
“Ah just hope they ain’t goin up there ta make out.” Applejack said.
“Oh, and my mind is in the gutter…” Rarity muttered, making Applejack shoot another glare at her.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash walked away from the sitting room and stopped in front of a stain glass panel in one of the walls. The daylight streamed through it, illuminating the multitude of colors and shapes pieced together by a true artist. If it was one thing Twilight never got tired of, it was the attention to detail in the castle. It was much different than her slightly rugged tree house.
“Aren’t we going up to your room?” Rainbow Dash asked. Twilight chuckled and shook her head.
“Oh, Rainbow Dash…” Twilight sighed. “No… I just wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Well… what Rarity said.” Twilight said.
“About sharing a bed? Honestly, Twilight, if it’s that big of a deal, I can stay in a guest room.” Rainbow Dash said with a shake of her head.
“No, that’s not it.” Twilight said, “I’m more than happy to share my bed with you.”
“Then… what is it?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I just wonder if… maybe we’re taking this too fast?” Twilight asked. Rainbow Dash looked surprised, prompting Twilight to continue, “I-I’ve never been in a relationship before, so I wouldn’t know, but… don’t most ponies wait a bit before living together?”
“I… I guess so.” Rainbow Dash replied sadly.
“We don’t have to change anything, I’m just worried.” Twilight said, then put on a smile, “Don’t worry, I do want you to stay here in the castle.”
“I guess… I felt like I had to act now before it was… too late.” Rainbow Dash said, struggling for words.
“Too late?” Twilight asked, a littlesurprised.
“Twilight, I don’t know much about this… curse of Whatshisface’s Precision, but…”
“Mallumo’s Possession.” Twilight corrected.
“That’s it.” Rainbow Dash replied, “But, in case… I don’t know… I’m just scared. I’m scared that I might… lose you.”
Twilight immediately thought back to the conversation she and her brother had previously had on this subject matter. That son of a gun was right; she was scared of losing me!
“Oh, Rainbow…” Twilight said, pulling Rainbow Dash in for a hug. They held the embrace for an extended time and let go. To Twilight’s utter surprise, Rainbow Dash almost looked like she was going to cry again.
“My goodness, Dash, I have never seen you cry so many times before!” Twilight observed.
“Oh… I don’t usually.” Rainbow Dash sniffed and wiped some of the growing tears away. “I don’t know what’s up with me.”
“Hm.” Twilight hummed, “Maybe I just bring out your emotions.” Twilight said with a smirk.
“Probably right.” Rainbow Dash agreed.
“Well.” Twilight said, “I won’t worry about this anymore. I’ll be happy to have you with me in the castle.”
“Good.” Rainbow Dash said, smiling. “You think we should go back to the group?”
“Yeah, it’s probably a good idea.” Twilight said.
The sitting room was only a few dozen feet from where they were talking, so their walk back was short. Before they reached the door, however, Rainbow Dash stopped Twilight and smiled at her.
“What is it?” Twilight asked.
“I don’t think you understand how happy I am that I get to be with you.” Rainbow Dash said. Twilight blushed and giggled. 
“For all it’s worth,” Twilight said, drawing very close to Rainbow Dash, “I feel the same.” 
Twilight pecked Rainbow Dash on the lips, then opened the sitting room door with her hoof and followed Rainbow Dash back into the room. To their pleasant surprise, Luna had joined the group in the time that they were gone.
“Luna!” Twilight said happily, “Why are you still awake?” 
“I tried to sleep.” Luna said, “Really, but I just got too worked up this morning. Sleep would not come.”
“You were quite angry.” Twilight agreed.
“How was ‘your room,’ Twilight?” Rarity asked.
“Did you guys get all kissy-kissy?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Because Applejack was saying how she hoped you weren’t just leaving so you could go lick each others’ faces, which I don’t see why you would anyway, because it probably doesn’t taste too good, I mean-“
“SO!” Applejack said, covering Pinkie’s mouth with her hoof. “Luna! Good ta see ya!”
The entire room busted out laughing while Rainbow and Twilight reclaimed their couch. Applejack had turned beet red and was nervously laughing along with everypony else while shooting the occasional glare at Pinkie, who shrugged in reply.
“I must say it has been an absolute pleasure to have you ponies in the castle.” Luna said. “Especially to keep Twilight company.” Luna yawned deeply and smiled.
“You can go to bed if you want,” Fluttershy offered, “ we don’t want to keep you up.”
“Oh, I will be fine.” Luna said, “I have had much practice with keeping myself awake.”
“AAARGH!!!” Twilight suddenly shouted in agony. She flew off the couch and fell to her knees on the ground. All the ponies looked at her with concern, especially Rainbow Dash. Twilight gripped her head tightly and writhed on the ground.
“MY HEAD!” Twilight cried out. She had always experienced head throbs before an attack, but this was multiple times worse than all the attacks she had memory of. Splitting pain shot through her skull, sending waves upon waves of torment through her head and down into the upper part of her body.
“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash called, “Are you okay? Do you need me to help you?!”
“The… pain…” Twilight choked out, her teeth clenching so hard it was difficult to talk. She could hardly move, and she knew that this meant an attack was coming. “G-get… me… out of… here…” Twilight said.
“On it!” Rainbow Dash said, grabbing her under the front legs, but just as she was about to pick her up, Twilight let out a painful scream and became still.
In Twilight’s mind, she quickly was overcome by the evil power. It was stronger. It was darker. In every possible way, it was worse, and she was in the middle of a room with all of her friends.  Twilight immediately began to panic, worrying that something bad was going to happen to them. Luckily, Luna was with them, but what if Twilight injured Luna?
Rainbow Dash seemed to pick up on Twilight’s fear, “Everypony! Get out!” 
The ponies scrambled for the door to the sitting room when Twilight suddenly writhed around and kicked Rainbow Dash off of her. As Dash fell, Twilight sprinted to the door and barred the exit. Her eyes were glowing even more intensely than usual, and the scar pulsed with a horrible blood red light that sent shivers down the ponies’ bodies.
The dark aura that surrounded Twilight suddenly grew and grew, then Twilight let out a shrieking roar. The ponies all clapped hooves over their ears while they watched in horror as the black prison suit began to tear at the neck. In one bright pulse, the suit came off completely and was sent in all directions, in pieces. All the ponies gasped in horror.
Twilight breathed a few times as she felt her lavender magic fill up her being again. When the uniform broke and Twilight regained her magic, the real Twilight suddenly realized that she could not communicate, even by thought, to her dark self. She was pushed completely back into her own subconscious. All she could do now was watch as the horrible events unfolded. She felt completely useless.
“Good afternoon, my little ponies.” Twilight spoke in her horrible voice that reeked of decay and death. She breathed a few more ragged, horrible breaths. 
All the ponies in the room were paralyzed in fear, even Luna. They could feel the magic coming off of Twilight. It was the same feeling from when Twilight used an immense amount of magic to fix Applejack’s home. It made the fur on their coats stand up on end and began to frizz their hair. Even Rarity wasn’t fussing about it, because that magic could very well be used to kill every last one of them.
“Did you miss me?” Twilight said, then prepared a spell with her newly recovered magic. Her horn flared violently, illuminating in the eyes of all Twilight’s friends as they cowered.
“Because I missed you.”

***
To be continued…
***