//------------------------------//
// Chapter 72: Midnight and Daydream 
// Story: The Other Journal 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//



Day: Saturday
Weather: Cloudy
Time: 4:30pm

No one was expecting the final event to be a simple game of Capture the Flag. While I didn't react to the announcement, everyone else seemed disappointed. Unfortunately, they had no saying in the matter. Because of what happened when those Equestrian plants attacked, the judges decided to have the final event be something less dangerous--more like danger-free--to insure everyone remained safe. This announcement didn't come so easily. Students from both schools retained their animosity towards each other, and it had gotten even worse because of how Crystal Prep felt like they were cheated out of a final victory. My concern was with Twilight and how she planned on competing despite having collected the magic from me and my friends. I had hoped she would've refrained from opening her amulet, but it seemed the pressure from Principal Cinch and her peers proved too much for Twilight to overcome. She was about to open it.



The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
April 29, 2016
Chapter 72: Midnight and Daydream.

" I wouldn't say that my teammates did anything to convince me other than repeating what Principal Cinch said. If anything, she was the one who made it her mission to convince me to open up my pendant and release all of the magic I had taken." Twilight said.

" Figures they merely followed her lead." I said.

" Why do you say it like that?"

" Those Crystal Prep students may be capable of independent thought, but whenever Cinch says something, they immediately obey her commands without fail. You'd think they would've had the courage to maybe question her judgment knowing that she didn't care about ethics at all." I answered.

" Anyone who questions Principal Cinch may as well be signing a death warrant."

" You don't mean that."

" Oh, I most certainly do, Sunset. When you attend Crystal Prep, the first thing you learn is that you never question Principal Cinch under any circumstances. She had the power to shape the future of anyone who walked the halls of the academy. One word from her meant your career was sunk. That's why no one, not even the members of staff, questioned her authority." Twilight said.

Cinch sounded an awful lot like a dictator; she was the only person whose opinions mattered. To stay in her good graces, you had to do as she says regardless of whether or not you agreed with her. No wonder Dean Cadance and Twilight developed such a close relationship with each other. Both of them were the only ones at Crystal Prep who didn't follow the mold that Cinch prepared to shape her students. Everyone else blindly followed her because they were indoctrinated into doing so.

This made me think of something I never considered before until now. If this was how things operated at Crystal Prep, why didn't more students decide to transfer if they had grown tired of being treated like pawns just to satisfy the whims of someone who cared about reputation more than them? You would also have to ask what their parents thought about the way Cinch ran things. Did they approve of her methods? Did she blackmail them somehow into keeping silent? What if they had attended Crystal Prep in the past and knew full well what happens when you question Cinch? I had no answers to any of these, but perhaps Twilight had something.

I turned towards her, but she had buried her head into her hands. I honestly thought she was going to start crying again, not that there's anything wrong with that, but instead she mumbled a few words that I couldn't understand before looking back up at me. Before I could utter a single word, she buried her head again, and this time she began to cry, a soft sniffling and slightly shaking shoulders that told me Twilight was trying to be brave knowing what was about to be discussed next. We had reached the final pages of my journal, and what I wrote affected her gravely.

" This is going to sound unusual, but did any parents of the current Crystal Prep students actually attend there?"

" Huh?" Twilight asked, lifting her head up and attempting to wipe away the tears. I leaned forward to help her, but she politely refused by raising her hand. She reached into her backpack, took out a tissue, wiped her face, and tossed it into a nearby garbage can with pretty good accuracy. " You want to know if any parents attended the academy? Well, I can definitely say that my parents attended back in the early 1990s, and their parents also attended before Principal Cinch took over. Let me think for a second." Twilight then placed her finger on her forehead and began to concentrate, hard enough that I thought she was going to pop a vein or something given her facial expression. " Indigo Zap's parents attended at the same time as my parents; the same with Sugarcoat's parents. Lemon Zest's older sister attended, and so did Sour Sweet's cousin, but no one in Sunny Flare's family went there. It's something she isn't proud of."

" She always struck me as the most serious among the Shadowbolts."

" Her family's background was a stark contrast to her persona. Her family attended public high schools that were deemed beneath Crystal Prep, and she never could accept the fact that none of them were on her level. The only reason she managed to make it into the academy was Principal Cinch having taken a strong interest in her during a citywide science competition about two years ago. Sunny Flare won it hands down by going above and beyond all expectations, and her success is what garnered Principal Cinch's attention. When she was asked if she wanted to go to Crystal Prep--despite not having the proper requirements--Sunny Flare agreed without hesitation." Twilight said.

" What are the requirements?"

" Having a G.P.A. of around 4.5 out of 5--the most important requirement--a family member having attended prior, being well-off regarding financial success, and living within range of the academy's location." Twilight answered. I frowned upon hearing her answer. I had been told that students there were stuck-up, and those qualifications definitely supported that theory. No one but only the best are able to go there. " I'm not surprised at your reaction, Sunset. A long time ago, those requirements were much less strict, but Principal Cinch changed things when she came."

" When did she become head?"

" She has run Crystal Prep since around 1986, according to official records. Before her arrival, the academy was much more approachable, and students enjoyed interacting with other schools on a number of projects designed to further education standards around the city. Once Principal Cinch took the reins, Crystal Prep changed almost immediately and became what it's known as now." Twilight answered.

" Did she attend as a student?"

" I think so, but I'd need to look at one of the yearbooks they have on display in the library."

" The way I see it, only those of nobility are allowed to attend your old school." I said. Twilight then looked at me funny, and it took me a few moments to realize that I had said something completely out of context. " Wait... Did I just say nobility? Gah! I meant to say being from a well-to-do family!" Why did I have to say that!? That's who ponies called those who lived in Canterlot, the rich neighbourhoods of Manehatten, and so on. Nobility is nowhere near that common in this world. My face turned pink from embarrassment, all while Twilight giggled away, enjoying the fact that I had just humiliated myself by referencing something from Equestria when I meant to go with the human word.

" Do you really use the term nobility so commonly back where you're from?"

" It's a term used by Princess Luna and the true snobs of high society, but most simply call them fancy."

" You're weren't of nobility, were you?"

" No, and I'm thankful for that, at least, despite how I feel about my family. I was born into a relatively middle-ground family. We weren't rich or poor but rather in the middle. When I was chosen by Princess Celestia to become her student and taken to her school in Canterlot, it was my first experience being amongst high society. I never cared that much about it. Seeing all those ponies with their precious baubles made me sick." I answered.

" The rich do certainly like to flaunt what they have. Anyway, we should get back to what we were originally discussing. Principal Cinch was confident that her team would win, but she knew how to bend the rules. In her eyes, CHS had used magic to win the Tri-Cross Relay, and she believed that the Shadowbolts had every right to use magic of their own. No one amongst them possessed any magical abilities, but that's where I come in." Twilight said.

I could see it from her eyes where she was going with this. Because Cinch witnessed Twilight's pendant open up and releasing the magic that created that giant portal, she knew exactly what she had to do in order to get her hands on it. By using her application as a bargaining chip, she and the others forced Twilight into opening her pendant. The problem with that logic is no one, not even Twilight, knew what the magic was capable of. Cinch was risking everything just to win a silly game. You'd think she'd have better priorities but I suppose the notion of maintaining reputation proved too powerful.

" Did you try to tell her what might happen?"

" I had no idea how the magic even worked, despite you giving me a vague idea. Principal Cinch assumed that I knew exactly what I was doing and refused to listen. The song that you heard was my teammates pressuring me into unleashing the magic." Twilight answered.

" Cinch should've known better."

" Yes, but she only cared about winning. I remember that during her song, my pendant began glowing in an eerie light. It had never done that before, and while I was concerned, there wasn't any time to figure it out. With the final event on the verge of getting underway, Principal Cinch utilized my desire for knowledge as the reason for opening it. She believed my pendant contained more knowledge than the Everton program I wanted to do." Twilight said.

" I know what happened."

" You do?"

" Because you carried that pendant around with you everywhere, the magic within it slowly became bonded with you on a mystical level. When you opened it, you were immediately pulled into the vortex it created because of that bond. When I noticed you fondling the pendant at first, I was concerned that you planned on doing something, but I ignored you, which proved to be a mistake." I answered.





The singing coming from the Shadowbolts side of the front lawn had me worried, but what was especially worrying was how they were pushing Twilight back into a corner. Why were they going after her like she had committed some terrible sin? Despite stealing the magic from both Applejack and Rainbow Dash, she didn't actually cause her team's defeat. Okay, she did screw up a lot during the archery portion of the relay, but Applejack's guidance allowed her to succeed and bring Crystal Prep back into contention. The Equestrian plants and the poor racing skills of Indigo Zap brought about their loss, so she should have been the one instead of Twilight.

If anything, Twilight had more than done her fair share of contributing to their success. She won the last portion of the Academic Decathlon without even needing any help, so in theory, that should've been enough to make her team at least acknowledge that she did something. Instead, they were treating her like an outcast. Principal Cinch leading the charge was the worst thing in all of this, and I for one couldn't allow it to continue on any longer. I wanted to just walked over there and give her a piece of my mind, but I knew doing that would just make things even worse. My temper still remained volatile, and there was no telling how Cinch would react to me suddenly coming up and telling her off.

My friends didn't pay any attention to what was happening. Why would they? They were focused on what they were going to do for the Capture the Flag event. The fact that the final event was such a simple game had made everyone in attendance crestfallen, but there was no other choice in the matter. The dangers from before were too real to ignore even if no one got hurt, so the idea of going with something basic gained immediate approval from the administrators. According to Dean Cadance, we were to be tested on our sleuthing and deduction skills, and having access to every room in the building would certainly challenge that. It sounded like fun, but I knew the general consensus wanted something more dangerous.

Fluttershy then pointed her finger toward the Shadowbolts, and I immediately looked in their direction. Their group had since backed away from Twilight and had even allowed her to come up to the front. Why was she suddenly walking out towards the Wondercolt statue? Was Twilight going to be the one who starts things off for them? No, that can't be right. Everyone must participate, according to the rules. My friends scratched their heads, not sure what to make of it, but I noticed Twilight running her finger along her pendant, the object that had been the source of our troubles. I thought she would've found me beforehand and handed it over, knowing what she had done, but she chose to remain defiant by keeping it around her neck.

Knowing that I was the magical expert, I began to slowly walk forwards towards the statue to meet Twilight head-on. I had come up with a plan at the last minute to prevent something horrible from occurring: simply grabbing the pendant and keeping it from her until the Games were over. There was so much magic stored inside that pendant that releasing it would be cataclysmic. Her reaction to my plan was irrelevant. I had to stop Twilight at all costs, even if it meant being kicked out of the Games or CHS being disqualified for attacking a student. Would I be forgiven? Perhaps, but it would take a very long time before the hatred passes. Princess Twilight would have done something similar were she here.

Suddenly, Twilight took her pendant off from her neck and dangled it in front of her face. Was she seriously planning on giving it to me after all? I thought that was her initial intention, but that quickly turned sour when she held it in both hands and slowly started opening it in front of everyone.

No! No! No-no-no-no-no! What in the wide world of Equestria was she doing? That much collected magic being unleashed in a world that didn't understand it was just asking for it to be destroyed. No one else was even paying attention to her actions. Vice Principal Luna and Dean Cadance were telling both teams to get ready, but they should've rushed out to the statue and taken away that pendant. These humans didn't know that their world was on the brink, but I did. I began running towards Twilight in hopes of stopping her before it was too late.

Unfortunately, it was too late. The pendant was opened, and a powerful burst of magical energy knocked Twilight and me to the ground. The same energy affected everyone near the epicentre and brought everyone to silence, wondering what had just happened.

" What were you thinking!?" I shouted at Twilight.

" I had to know what this magic does." Twilight answered.

" Didn't you heed my warning about messing with something you don't understand? What in the world is wrong with you!? Quickly! Close your pendant before the magic can escape. Or better yet, give it to me and I'll make sure no one gets their hands on it." I said.

" No!" Twilight said, pulling the pendant away from me.

" This is no time to be stubborn."

" Your warning did get through to me, Sunset Shimmer, yet I just have to know. I'm doing this not only for the pursuit of knowledge but also to help my team win the Friendship Games. This goes against my better judgment, yes, but you Wondercolts used magic to help you win the relay. According to Principal Cinch, it's only fair that we get to use our own magic." Twilight said.

" Don't be an idiot! Close it now before it's too late!"

" I'm sorry, but I must see this through. You have no idea what's at stake for me."

Twilight may or may not have had a point, yet I knew more about magic than she did. I didn't realize it until a few minutes after it happened, but this situation reminded me of what happened when I put Princess Twilight's crown on my head and became corrupted. Unlike last time, the one holding all the magic had no comprehension of it. I knew what I was doing, as Equestrian magic is something I used to use, but Twilight was a novice who was trying to run before she could walk. I had one last chance to reach for her pendant, but she noticed and got back onto her feet.

At that moment, a magical aura started forming in front of Twilight and me. It pushed me back a short distance, yet didn't do the same to her. The aura then began to rise up from the ground and slowly increased in size, lifting up Twilight with it until her hands were consumed by it. In a panic, she dropped her pendant. It landed with a clank on the ground, no longer containing any magic. Everyone just watched in horror at what was happening before us. Twilight tried to break free, but the magic proved too strong for her.

I was so distracted with Twilight, I didn't notice Principal Cinch slowly backing away in fear. She was the one who had goaded Twilight into releasing the magic, and now, she had shown her true colours. What was truly deplorable was that she stared into the eyes of her prized student and continued backing away just to save her own skin. When I finally took notice of Cinch, I felt sick to my stomach. She only cared about herself. Her students were nothing but collateral damage and could easily be replaced. The aura continued growing in size, consuming Twilight while everyone else just watched. Despite being a magical expert, even I didn't know what was going to happen. It was like what happened to me during the Fall Formal, yet on a much grander scale.

" Principal Cinch... Why are you backing away? I need your help."

" I... I don't know what can be done, but whatever it is, I am sure you can figure it out." Principal Cinch said.

" But you convinced me to release the magic."

" No one told me that this was going to happen, so do not blame me for not knowing what to do. Had you befriended those 'nice girls' like I told you to earlier, you could have learned the secrets behind how they use their magic. Ms. Shimmer appears to be knowledgeable about the subject, so you should have become friends with her at the very least." Principal Cinch said.

" Help me!"

" You must help yourself out."

I didn't need to pretend that I was angry at what Cinch had just said to Twilight. She was throwing her under the bus and blaming her for this situation. I also hated how she dragged me into this by saying Twilight should have befriended me to learn about how magic worked.

Twilight then screamed a blood-curdling scream as the magic aura consumed her entirely. It sounded like she was in tremendous pain, and all I could do was watch as the magic suddenly imploded on itself. It then began flowing into Twilight like she were a vacuum, and I was left in shock. I had never seen anything like that happen before. Had she somehow resonated with the magic to the point where it felt she was a worthy vessel? Equestrian magic proved difficult to understand--even Her Highness struggled--but this was beyond even the likes of Princess Celestia. Humans could harness Equestrian magic, but not so much all at once.

Things suddenly turned bad when something started glowing on Twilight's forehead. Her body then started changing, becoming more demonic than human. Was she becoming something similar to what I had become? I couldn't tell for certain due to a blinding light, but when my vision returned to me, I saw what she had changed into.

She had gained wings that didn't flap up and down despite her suspension in midair, and her outfit was...interesting, to say the least, but the most intriguing part was her eyes. Twilight's glasses had fallen off her face earlier, but her appearance reflected the glasses, with fiery circles surrounding her eyes. Finally, she had a horn growing out of her head. Something about it struck a familiar chord with me, like I knew what it represented, but it escaped me.

CHS was reliving the nightmare from before, but this time, it was Twilight herself who had become the monster. Was it a coincidence that the human version of Princess Twilight had been corrupted by magic?

" I... I feel so very alive... like my eyes have finally been opened to a truth that was blurry before." Twilight said.

" Twilight? Is that you?" I asked.

" Ha! That name... I don't like it anymore. It reminds me of the weak little child who always got pushed around by others just because she was different. Now they look upon one who has come out from the shadows. I am like the night who cascades over all it surveys with a blanket of darkness forged of nightmares. You can call me Midnight Sparkle. Yes, it has a beautiful tone that matches with my new look." Twilight answered.

" Please tell me this isn't happening."

" Oh, it is, Sunset Shimmer, and I now know that you once had a similar power."

" How do you know that?"

" The magic is telling me everything. It says that you once tried to take this world over using weaker magic, but you were defeated so easily by friendship. The Sirens mocked you for having been utterly humiliated by such a weak emotion, and I must agree with their perspective." Twilight answered. She began floating around and looking at her new body. I thought she was being vain, but she was actually coming to grips with what happened. The magic in her pendant had taken advantage of her desires, things that always were taken from her but were now within her reach. Those desires would become twisted, warped beyond what she originally wanted. " I should thank you, Sunset Shimmer, for setting me straight." Twilight said, floating slightly downwards towards me.

" Why do you feel the need to do that?"

" I was going about my research all wrong. Instead of simply absorbing the magic into my pendant and then analyzing it later, I should have absorbed it myself and performed a live test to see how it worked. You know, you were right all along. I didn't understand it before, but I do now! This sensation is unlike anything I've ever felt before! I feel as though I've become the real person I was always meant to be. I am Midnight Sparkle, and I owe my new life to you." Twilight answered.

" Twilight, you need to give up this power now."

" And why would I do anything like that?"

" Your body is still trying to adjust itself to the sudden change brought upon it, but if you become fully aware of what you're capable of, you could end up conquering this world just like the Sirens and I tried to do when we all used magic." I answered.

" If that's what you really think I'll do, then you don't know me at all. Why would I want to bring this world to its knees? Others--like yourself--tried doing that and only ended up being reduced to crying heaps who begged for forgiveness. I seek something much better. What was the name you said to me earlier that connects our two worlds together? Equestria is what you called it, right? Since the magic that flows within me originally came from there, then I know exactly what I'll do." Twilight said.

" No! Don't do it, Twilight!"

" I am Midnight Sparkle! Anyway, you lack the power to pose a threat to me. I can do it, and I will." Twilight said, raising her hand and smiling evilly, her horn flashing for a brief second.

Magic suddenly shot out of her hand and blasted the Wondercolt statue to pieces. Everyone looked on in horror over what she had done, and I knew that the CHS students would be truly furious for her action. When I became a demonic monster, I never destroyed the statue, although I did have the desire to do so just to further cause misery. I didn't, though; I believed that destroying it would prevent me from going back to Equestria with my zombie army. In reality, it was the statue's base that housed the portal. So long as that remained, I could come and go as I pleased.

Since the portal was no longer there, Twilight had no reason to destroy the statue other than stabbing the spirit of CHS in the heart with a sword. That's what I initially believed, but I was quickly proven wrong when a portal suddenly formed above the wreckage. It opened up to reveal what appeared to be a large building located in the middle of a town situated in a peaceful-looking valley. At the time, I didn't know that I was looking at an image of Ponyville through the portal.

" Equestria..."

" What do you think? My first attempt at using magic, and I opened a portal to your world without any problem."

" Stop this right now!"

" I don't think so. Granted, I'll admit that I was hoping to gain access to a better part of Equestria. What I'm seeing looks dull and quite possibly won't be able to satisfy my desire for knowledge. Oh well! If at first you don't succeed, try again until you get it right." Twilight said.

She then looked down at the ground, and I looked in the same direction. The ground near where the portal had formed began to crack. It ran along the ground until it reached where my friends and I were standing. Twilight raised her hand and fired another burst of magic where we were, and we jumped aside just in time as another portal opened up, revealing another location in Equestria. Before any of us could recover from our ordeal, more portals started forming all around us, yet they looked like tiny slivers in the world's fabric. That soon changed when Twilight began firing magic at each sliver, resulting in more locations appearing on the other side of the portals. Some even managed to open up on their own without her doing anything. I recognized a couple of the locations, but many were unfamiliar to me.

With so many portals opening up all over the place, students from both CHS and Crystal Prep started panicking. They had no idea what was going on--the CHS students knew about magic courtesy of me and my friends, but nothing about portals--and began running about in a blind panic. I thought about telling them all to calm down before someone got hurt, but I was focused on dealing with Twilight. On a side note, she had proven herself very capable of using magic, but this wasn't the time to be praising her. I had a feeling she planned on destroying both worlds, but why tell me one thing and do something else?

As more and more portals opened, students were scrambling to get away. Some of them almost fell into the portals! Had any of them fallen through, they would have ended up stranded somewhere in Equestria with no clue as to what had just happened. Even Principal Cinch was running away--well, she was actually creeping away slowly--because the situation was too much for her to handle. It was her fault that Twilight opened the pendant in the first place. I personally wanted to see her get punished by Twilight for all she had done, but that would make me no better. Cinch would be punished by her own guilty conscience.

I had to try and stop Twilight. Time was running out.





" I've been curious about something." I said, looking at the page of the journal with the photo of the destroyed Wondercolts statue. " What compelled you to destroy it? In the past, the only heinous thing that Crystal Prep ever did was somehow putting a ridiculous costume over it."

" Huh? Since when did they do something like that?" Twilight asked.

" Guess you wouldn't have known since you probably were too fixated on your studies. Hang on a sec! I'll be right back!" I said, getting up and heading towards the regular spot our friends and I liked to sit down at whenever we got together in the library.

I began to concentrate in order to remember where Rainbow Dash had gotten the book that showed those photos of CHS students being humiliated by Crystal Prep. She had gotten it from around the corner, so I went over there and started scanning to see where it was. Ms. Cheerilee really should consider getting rid of some of the books. Many were in poor condition, most likely caused by students who didn't care that they were using school property for whatever reasons they had. Others were severely outdated, such as one book I picked out that contained information that only went up to 1956. Was the school budget really so strapped that new books and new editions couldn't be purchased?

Placing the book back, I continued searching to see where Rainbow had gotten it from. Some examples of books I picked up included Perpetual Motion Through the Ages, Arthurian Legends: The Story of Lancelot, Volume 6, The Western Frontier, Everything You Wanted to Know about Egypt but were Afraid to Ask, Japanese Culture, Volume 22, 8th Edition, and finally Energy Rifts: Space Time Continuum Complexities. These were all interesting books--the last one would have proven useful when Twilight became a demon--yet none of them were what I was looking for. If only Rainbow hadn't thrown that book away after she had finished showing it to me. The cover looked like something from a yearbook.

That's when I slapped my forehead. How could I be such a major bonehead? The answer was right there in front of me, and I didn't even see it. I quickly walked down the stairs leading down to the first floor and walked over to where the yearbooks were located. Unlike other shelves, this one had been given the most attention in terms of presentation. It made sense having such an outlandish look; they wanted students to be proud of the school's history.

Combing through roughly forty different books that detailed the school from the opening day right up to the end of the current year, I found the one Rainbow had shown me. It was the fourth-to-last book on the shelf; the previous Friendship Games took place four years ago.

Picking up the book, I quickly ran back up the stairs and to my place of residence. Twilight had been scribbling down some notes while I was gone. And here I thought she would be pacing about, worrying as to why it had taken me so long.

" Oh? You're back! Sorry, I didn't see you running up to me."

" What have you been doing?"

" Writing down some equations."

" You never could resist solving mathematical problems."

" I like to keep ahead of the game. Anyway, you wanted to show me the statue?" Twilight asked. I opened up the book and flipped through the pages until I came to the one that had the photo of the Wondercolt statue wearing the costume Crystal Prep students placed on it after the previous Games. I showed it to Twilight, and she merely groaned before rubbing her nose several times. " Their immaturity knows no bounds. I didn't think they could stoop to such low lengths, but the proof is right there in the photo. Oh, and to answer your question, I suppose my disdain towards CHS culminating from my time at the academy made me destroy it."

" No, I think it was the magic wanting to fulfill your deepest desires."

" Can magic do that?"

" Yes. If you can successfully control Equestrian magic, you can make it do whatever you want. There's no limit other than what your imagination contains, and how much magic you possess. Now that I think about it, when you were opening up portals, why open up to random places throughout Equestria?" I asked.

" I actually was trying to open a portal to the place that the portal at the base of the statue leads to. The rest of them were failed attempts resulting from me wanting to test my newfound powers." Twilight answered.

" Then your efforts were in vain. Princess Twilight personally created that portal, so it could only be opened and closed from her end."

" I wish I had known."

" We should be thankful that you didn't. Her Highness wouldn't have known how to deal with a human who had absorbed magic from five other humans and a unicorn. When those portals started opening up, I knew there was no other choice. You had to be stopped, even if it meant sacrificing everything to do it." I said.





Twilight had become a demon after ignoring my protests asking her to not open up her pendant. Now, she was using her newfound power to open up portals all across the front lawn that lead to different parts of Equestria. I didn't know if she was trying to find a specific location or was being random, but things had deteriorated so badly that I feared that ponies could accidentally stumble through the portals and into this world. We could see things happening on the other side, and I believed the reverse was true. If there was a bright spot in all of this, it was the fact that Princess Twilight might notice something is wrong and attempt to come through in hopes of figuring things out.

It sounded like a good idea, but I knew there was always a catch. Her Highness might be somewhere that doesn't have a portal suddenly appearing out of thin air. She might not even be aware that this was even happening. It came down to believing that she wasn't going to help anytime soon, and it fell onto me to stop this madness. Too bad I couldn't access my own magic. She may have possessed powerful magic, but compared to me, she was a novice trying to perform great miracles when all she could do were simple parlour tricks.

As the situation worsened, students fleeing for their lives, it dawned on me that what was happening here was a reverse of what I did during the Fall Formal. I had all the magic back, and my then-enemies and Princess Twilight had nothing. I believed I had everything I ever wanted but now know that my perception was a lie. In order to get something, you need to work hard for it and not expect it to be handed to you on a silver platter. Twilight was going through the same thing I experienced. That meant I was the one who had to get her to stop before it was too late. Unlike before, however, I didn't have the essence of the other Elements of Harmony that Her Highness invoked against me.

My chances of succeeding were slim, but I had to do what I could to get through to Twilight. The magic had corrupted her innocent nature and twisted her into an evil being who only cared about wanting to acquire more knowledge. Sure, she wasn't striving for world domination like I wanted back then, but the method she was using to achieve her goal was unacceptable.

Getting back onto my feet after leaping away from portal she had opened, I slowly walked towards Twilight, weaving my way in-between fleeing students until I was standing right below her.

" Twilight! You must listen to me!" I said, calling out to her.

" Why should I do that? I'm having a wonderful time opening up so many portals to Equestria." Twilight answered.

" Do you even know what you're doing?"

" Of course I do! Don't tell me you think I'm acting like a complete moron? Ha! I proved myself to have the superior intellect, and now, I'll prove that I have better magical skills than you ever did." Twilight answered. She raised her hand, her horn glowing again, and fired another magical blast, opening up three more portals nearby. I could tell she was getting stronger. Her first portals were small, yet her more recent ones were larger. The longer this dragged on, the harder it would be for me to fix all of this. " Your world is truly fascinating, Sunset Shimmer. The magical energies radiating from the portals are the stuff of legend. I'm especially surprised with the pastel-coloured ponies." Twilight said, rubbing her hands together with glee.

" Why not be satisfied with opening just one portal. Or better yet, none at all?"

" One portal isn't enough for me. You see, I plan on going to Equestria in person in order to satisfy my lust for knowledge."

" What!?"

" Wasn't it obvious when I said that I wanted to satisfy my knowledge?"

" No... You can't do this!"

" Why not!? There's a whole other world right there, and it's just filled with magic!" Twilight said. She fired another magical blast at the front door to the school. Principal Celestia ran inside just before the blast ricocheted and collided with the sky and opened another portal. Vice Principal Luna and Dean Cadance were too afraid to run away and just stood there, wondering what in the world was going on. " I know more about magic than I did before, yet my knowledge is lacking compared to yours. If I can learn more about it from the source, I'll be able to expand my own horizons to near-infinite possibilities."

" But you're destroying this world to get it!"

" So what? There's more magic there, and I want to understand it all!"

" That's your plan!?"

" Of course! I always strive to learn more. Nothing must ever be denied to me."

" Why not just be satisfied with what you have?"

" Are you serious!? A lover of knowledge must never stop until every last detail about a given subject is known to them. This world is flawed, Sunset Shimmer. I could spend many years until I've learned everything it has to offer, but it pales in comparison to what your world possesses. For the pursuit of knowledge, everything is expendable, no matter if it holds any actual value." Twilight answered.

" Do you honestly mean that?"

" I do. Now, step aside! I must reach Equestria and embrace the knowledge that awaits me there."

Twilight was dead serious about her intentions. She raised both hands and fired her strongest magical blast yet. It struck the ground where she had fired upon recently and opened up a hole in the fabric of reality itself. Pieces of the ground surrounding the edge of the hole crumbled away, and students struggled to prevent themselves from falling in. I felt utterly powerless knowing that Twilight showed no regret over her actions. If things had kept on going, this world would've fallen apart within a matter of hours. Fortunately, things were about to change in my favour.

Whatever compelled the Shadowbolts into deciding to help out, I was glad that they did. They knew that the Games had gone beyond simply being that and had become a threat to two worlds courtesy of a corrupted student they had mistreated. They were guilty of Twilight becoming a demon, so they had to make amends. Had they been more accepting and not listened to Principal Cinch, this wouldn't have happened.

The Shadowbolts immediately rushed out to help Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, who were struggling to save several students who had gotten too close to the edge. Why they didn't run away was anyone's guess, but at least they were being rescued.

I picked up Twilight's pendant, and it suddenly aimed at each of my friends. It made a clicking sound at each of them, and they each started to glow. It was detecting magic. Their magic was returning, but how was that possible? Our magic had been drained, or maybe it hadn't been drained entirely. Whatever made them glow, I started having a revelation that gave me the answer to a question I had struggled to figure out.

For a long time, I didn't know why we were ponying up whenever we played our instruments or, in recent days, without them. Now it was all starting to come together, and this incident allowed me to reach a definitive conclusion. In turn, that lead into another answer on how to deal with Twilight. I had an idea in mind that could save her and both worlds, but was I capable of achieving a similar form? I had no time to figure out whether it would work or not. It was now or never.

" This isn't the way!"

" Are you trying to convince me to stop again? I'm actually getting quite tired of listening to you preach about my actions, so could you please just accept the fact that nothing you say can stop me?" Twilight said.

" I only want to try one last time."

" Really? You know, I could vaporize you with my magic, but that would make me no better than you when you had this power. Alright! You can try once again. I might actually get a chuckle out of this." Twilight said.

" I promise that this is going to work."

" Give me your best shot."

" Twilight, I know you feel powerful right now, like you can have everything you want! But know that this is nothing but a lie. No matter how powerful you claim to be, you will never be able to acquire the magical knowledge from Equestria. My fellow ponies would do everything in their power to deny you the satisfaction of succeeding. Threats against them are something they've dealt with countless times, including what I tried to do. Those who tried to inflict harm upon Equestria have never succeeded." I said.

" That's because they were focused on world domination instead of something more practical."

" You're missing the point."

" Oh? And what would that be?"

" No matter how much power they had, they were doomed to fail."

" How does that affect me?"

" You're going to fail just like they did and just like I did when I was in your shoes." I answered. So far, she wasn't even remotely listening to what I had to say. I knew it wasn't going to be easy convincing her, but I had to keep going until she finally understood. " I'm going to tell you something about my own experience. I've made the same mistake you're making right now. I used to think that power was the one thing I needed to make all my dreams come true. As long as I had it, no one could stop me. I became so arrogant about how I was superior compared with everyone else, I became blinded by it."

" That's because you set your goals too high."

Again, Twilight was ignoring what I had to say, but I had to keep driving the point home. She needed to know about my pain, my anguish, my suffering from what I did to so many people all in the name of ruling over CHS and Equestria. Should she continue down her intended path, no one was going to forgive her when she snapped out of it. It would be too late, and everything she had worked so hard for would be lost forever. I couldn't allow that to happen. No one must ever go through my experience ever again. My empathetic insight would be her guiding light, yet she first needed to accept the fact that she was losing herself.

" I put on a crown, and just like you, I was overwhelmed by the magic it contained! Like you, I quickly controlled my new power, but it came at the cost of my humanity. I became a monster who only cared about herself. Their feelings didn't matter to me. The only thing that mattered to me was conquering Equestria and becoming a princess. I was blinded by the desire for power the moment I placed that crown on my head. I thought it could get me everything I wanted!" I said.

" That's where the similarities between us end."

" What do you mean?"

" You failed because you lacked the incentive to achieve your desires."

" It applies to you, too."

" Oh, you're wrong. Unlike you, I can have everything I want!"

" No, you can't!"

" Says who? You!? In case you didn't notice by now, I have all the power I need, and no one can even touch me. I am Midnight Sparkle, and I shall become the smartest being who has ever lived!"

" Then you've lost before it had even begun." I said, looking down at the pendant and gripping it tightly. My words resonated with Twilight, and she began to get angry with me. I knew straight away that she was losing control. Whenever someone is told something they don't want to hear, it usually leads to them becoming blind by their own ignorance. They lost not only to those who tell them the truth but also lose to themselves. Twilight was about to learn how harsh reality could really be. " Even with all that magic and power, you'll still be alone!" I said.

" I don't need anyone!"

" I used to believe that, until friendship entered my life."

" No one has ever been nice to me."

" That's because they never got the chance to understand you. They were following the beliefs of someone who cares only for herself and nothing more. If they had just chosen to ignore her words, you would have tons of friends right now. When I was given a second chance, I chose to take it, knowing the dire consequences had I chosen to refuse. By accepting friendship and making friends, I discovered a magic more powerful than anything else. True magic comes from Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Generosity, and Kindness! Together with Magic, you have something that simply cannot be beat." I said.

Each time I mentioned one of the Elements of Harmony, my friends reacted to their designated element. Their hair suddenly raised upwards like someone was pulling on it from above, followed by their magic leaving their bodies and entering the pendant. Was it giving me a chance to match Twilight's power by absorbing the magic of my friends? If so, then I had to carry it out and hope it would be enough.

At least there was one thing humourous about all of this. The Crystal Prep students had accepted everything happening around them. The whole cheating excuse had been thrown out the window, and the truth had been revealed to them.

My body started hovering upwards. I was doing what Twilight had done, except for the right reasons.

" What are you doing?"

" I'm going to save you from yourself."

" No! I won't let you!"

" I understand you, Twilight, more than you even realize. I used to be just like you, which is why it falls onto me to save you. No one must ever be allowed to go through what I experienced--the misery of being alone--because that is a path that allows the darkness to corrupt your very being. The time has now come. I want to show you the most important magic of all." I said, closing the pendant and tossing it to the ground beneath me.

It immediately opened up upon impact, and a second magical aura quickly formed. I was immediately consumed by the aura, yet unlike Twilight, I didn't scream out for help. I remained firm in my resolve and secretly prayed that this was going to work. Once inside of the aura, my body began to transform, just like it did when I put on Princess Twilight's crown. My first, fearful thought, was that I was going to assume my demonic form, believing that my reformation hadn't been enough. I quickly felt relieved when I saw my transformation was different from what occurred before. My friends' magic was filled with love, allowing me to become a new form.

My new form gave me the appearance of a princess, complete with wings made out of energy and a horn formed out of my forehead, a reminder of who I truly was. My hair grew out and became wavy, while my eyes had strange red markings underneath them. I remember thinking that I looked like I hadn't slept in several days. What was truly important, though, was the amount of magic that flowed about me. Never had I felt so much power exuding from every last facet of my being.

Had I ascended to an alicorn, but in the human world? Had I finally become just like my mentor Princess Celestia? Whatever the reason, I knew what had to be done. Twilight was someone I viewed as a friend who went through circumstances similar to mine. I would show her the way. If I were to call myself something in the same vain as Twilight, I would be Daydream Shimmer.

" What is this?"

" The Magic of Friendship!"

Closing my eyes and folding my arms, magic began forming in my hands. Without even looking, I fired magical beams, striking the various portals and closing them effortlessly, while my friends smiled at me, knowing everything was going to be okay.

Twilight, in the meantime, wasn't smiling at what I was doing. She was furious that all her hard work was being thwarted so easily. Once I closed up the last portal, she immediately charged at me, hatred burning in her eyes. Had Twilight seriously considered fighting me after I ruined her desire to gain knowledge from Equestria? She truly had been corrupted by the magic she had stolen.

Despite initially hesitating, I charged forward to meet her challenge. Both of us collided with each other, resulting in a small magical explosion that reverberated throughout the front lawn. No one could interfere in this conflict; they lacked the means to actually make a difference. Twilight was consumed with rage, just like I was when Princess Twilight stood in my way when I was the monster.

She fired magic from her hands, and I responded in kind. We were both equal, but then, Twilight tapped into a hidden reserve and started gaining the upper hand. She began laughing at my misery, while all I could do was hold on in hopes that a miracle would occur. I knew she could be saved. I just had to remain positive that I would win.

" Twilight!"

Someone had just called her name, and it was enough to distract her. I quickly looked down and saw that it was Spike who had called her. He was closer to Twilight than anyone else, so no doubt he wanted this nightmare to come to an end.

" Spike..." Twilight said, her eyes changing back to normal. This was the opportunity I had been waiting for. Taking advantage of the distraction, I pushed back Twilight's magic using every last ounce of power within me. By the time Twilight had noticed my sudden surge, there was nothing she could do. My magic pushed hers back until it disappeared, and she was consumed by a while light that blinded the entire vicinity. " Noooooooo!!!!"

A few moments later, I found myself floating in front of Twilight. Her eyes briefly became twisted, but they soon were back to normal again, the fiery rings that surrounded her eyes having disappeared, as well. She cowered in fear of me, but I stopped short, knowing that this wasn't what I wanted. I didn't want her to be afraid of me. When I used my anger to make her cry, she became fearful of me. That image never once left my head. Now, I had the chance to make amends and fix things before the wound grew too large to be repaired.

" Twilight... I want you to listen to me." I said.

" You've beaten me by using a far superior magic. I am at your mercy."

" I didn't want to resort to using violence. You left me no other choice but to fight back to protect those I care about. I did you a great wrong earlier by shouting at you for messing around with magic. I should have been more compassionate and understanding, yet my temper consumed me and blinded me to how I was treating you as a person. I don't know how long it will take you to accept my apology, but I ask for your forgiveness." I said.

" Do you really mean that?"

" Yes. This is what the Magic of Friendship can do for you. If you allow it into your heart, you can achieve great things. Had I chosen to remain on the path I began on, I would have become nothing more than a lonely wretch, wasting away somewhere with my own thoughts for company. You don't deserve something like that." I answered.

" But, what am I supposed to do? No one at Crystal Prep has ever wanted to be my friend."

" They will come around now that they know the truth."

" The truth?"

" You'll find out soon enough."

" Sunset Shimmer... No, Sunset... How do I get rid of the evil that grips my heart?"

" The answer to that is very simple. Take my hand, Twilight. Let me show you there's another way... just like someone once did for me."

" Who helped you?"

" Maybe someday, you will get to see her with your own eyes."

I reached out with my hand in hopes that Twilight would accept my offer to help her break free of what had corrupted her. She initially refused to budge, making me worry that she couldn't trust me enough to help her. However, the expression in her eyes told me a different story. She really wanted me to help but didn't know if she had the courage to accept my offer after everything she had done. I wasn't going anywhere. I planned on staying until she made a decision. After a few minutes of playing the waiting game with her, Twilight finally reached out with her hand. Her eyes trickled tears down her face as a sign that she was truly sorry.

The moment our hands clasped, I released a small amount of magic that travelled up her arm in a fiery spiral. It soon disappeared upon reaching her head, and as she stopped shedding tears, the twisted horn on top of her head faded away into nothing. Twilight had been freed of the magic that had corrupted her. All that remained was changing the rest of her back to normal. It had been a difficult battle that almost destroyed two worlds, but she was going to pull through. Princess Twilight would be proud of what I had accomplished. It was unfortunate that she couldn't have been there to witness everything. Perhaps I would tell her the story the next time I saw her.

One problem still remained: the person who coerced Twilight into releasing the stolen magic in the first place. Principal Cinch had a lot to answer for. Had the Friendship Games ended in a tie like Principal Celestia had wanted instead of continuing on, what befell onto Twilight wouldn't have happened. I supposed there was some benefit of going through with the final event--I wouldn't have achieved my new form, otherwise--but it shouldn't have been at the expense of two worlds and the innocence of a curious girl. The students of Crystal Prep now knew what their principal considered important, since she obviously chose success over their lives.

Hopefully, they will side with us by decrying Cinch for the person she truly was. I didn't know if they intended on keeping the existence of Equestria a secret, but I did trust that they would do the right thing. Cinch was an exception, of course. My heart was telling me that she wasn't about to give up on her desire to see her school retain its dominion. Surely, she wasn't so petty that she would resort to extreme measures just to get her way, right?





" I owe you a huge debt of gratitude, you know." Twilight said.

" All I did was follow Princess Twilight's guidance by giving you a second chance. She could have told me that I was too far gone to save, and I actually would've believed that, since my actions in the past ruined so many lives. Yet, she believed I could turn my life around and asked our friends to guide me." I said.

" It makes sense that she would know how best to deal with you. She is the Princess of Friendship, after all."

" Dealing with me was easy, but don't think that Her Highness is a true friendship expert."

" Has she made mistakes?"

" Quite often and all because she misread the situation."

Even though I've never actually witnessed Her Highness make those mistakes, she told me about some of them when she responded to my Friendship Reports. She has a system that involves combing through dozens of books and other research materials to determine how best to approach a friendship problem. Her belief is that scientific analysis and logic are all she needs to make ponies forge friendships or repair strained relationships. Her track record is a mixed bag because of that. Using research isn't necessarily a bad thing, yet not all ponies like the idea of being used as guinea pigs to satisfy her joy of utilizing science.

Friendship is truly a wonderful thing, but it can easily go sour. Princess Twilight's methods come from the heart, and she does strive to do her best to make sure ponies are able to understand each other's feelings. The one issue is that her way could prove too invasive. Did I have my own method to solve friendship problems? I'm still learning the ins and outs of being a good friend, but what I do know involves simply talking to someone without pointing a light down at them from above. If they want to talk about their issues, I'm willing to sit down and listen to them. I even use my own troubled past as an incentive in getting them to want to give friendship a try. If I can prevent anyone from walking down the path that I took, I'll know that I have done some good in the world.

Her Highness is the true Princess of Friendship, while I'm simply an acolyte who follows her teachings until I can come out of her shadow and do things my own way. If the day ever comes where I ascend and become an alicorn, I'm going to call myself the "Princess of Empathy".

" It must be difficult to be in her shoes--hooves--sometimes."

" At times, Princess Twilight wishes she could just be an ordinary unicorn because of how much pressure exists for alicorns. Ever since she ascended, her stress has reached unprecedented levels, and it hurts her health. However, despite all of that, she manages to pull through and perform her duties. I've long accepted the fact that I'm not worthy to become a princess. Maybe someday I will become an alicorn, though..." I said.

" Sunset..."

" It's okay, Twilight. I'm satisfied with what I have right now, but a part of me does wish that I could ascend. Anyway, it took almost everything I had to save you from the monster you became." I said.

" I still can't believe Principal Cinch believed CHS should have forfeited the Friendship Games."

" She refused to take any blame for her actions and instead planned on having the school board step in."

" What!? Why would they need to get involved?"

" Cinch didn't like the thought that CHS was finally going to beat Crystal Prep at something, even if it was only just a tie." I answered. I turned to the next page of the journal, realizing that there weren't many left until I reached the blanks; I had made sure long ago to stick a yellow sticker on the edge of the last page that contained an entry. I'd say there was about three pages to go. The blank pages would eventually be filled up whenever some other crisis occurs that proves itself significant enough to be written down. Looking at the photo that had been glued in place, I began to chuckle a little, prompting Twilight to look at me with a puzzled expression. " I can't believe someone pulled this off when it happened so quickly."

" What are you talking about?" Twilight asked. I handed over the journal so that she could look for herself. The photo depicted Principal Cinch, yet she looked like she was about to blow her top. It was a sharp contrast to the cold, manipulative authority figure most people recognize. I never did find out who took the photo. Whoever did it made enough copies so that everyone could see the mighty Cinch losing her composure. " That was the first time I ever saw Principal Cinch come so close to losing control of her emotions. She never let her emotions consume her thoughts, but that photo proves she is capable of flaws like everyone else."

" I'm glad the Shadowbolts gave her a piece of their mind."

" It only took my corruption and their near-deaths to give them an incentive."

" You could say that becoming a demon was worth it."

" Maybe, but I don't think I'm out of the woods yet."

" Is that so?"

" Yes, and you aren't out of there either, if you know what I mean."