Hidden Spark

by EbonyDanger

Confrontation

Twilight was sprinting away from the crime scene. Behind her she could hear the lumbering sounds of Spike's paws. Although the dragon was small and a little bit fat around his belly, he still was able to run after her. “Twilight, wait!”, he panted. But the purple mare was not listening. Her hearth raced together with her steps and her eyes were wide with terror. This cannot be!

“I am sorry, Spike”, Twilight shouted back, while the aura around her horn started to glow, “But you cannot come with me.” A poof, a flash of violet light and she was gone right in front of the small dragon's eyes.
Spike stopped and gasped for breath. “Huh, huh, huh....why are you...huh,huh...running away from us?”, he panted, “Huh...it seemed like...ufff...you are afraid of yourself.”

***

Twilight had teleported herself into the library. With a kick of her hind leg she slammed the door into the lock. Her magic made her horn glow as she even rammed a chair under the latch. Breathing heavily, she eyed the door for several minutes. Nopony should come inside now!

Her left eye was itching and her ears twitched. She greeted her teeth. Her mane seemed to bristle. Twilight crept through the library. Her voice was a quiet, urgent whisper as she shattered to herself: “Okay, Twilight, play cool! Apparently you have caused this fire by yourself. But you could not have done this. No, no, no! Rarity is your friend! You could never do something like this to her.”

Twilight stopped in front of the mirror. She starred at herself. Itching eyes, the mane a mess and her teeth bared like a dog. She looked like someone, who was balancing on a rope over the abyss, which is called insanity. But this was not insanity. No, no, no, it is not insanity, Twilight! It is something else. Something way more serious.

Suddenly her nightmare arose in her memory like a ghostly figure. She thought about the shadowpony, which had addressed her. “Fine”, Twilight growled to herself. She rubbed her hooves together. “This seems to be a trap! And we have realized it too late! But I can still save Equestria. I have to do this.” She brushed through her mane and determination glow in her eyes. “For me, for my friends, for the Princesses and for Equestria!”

Twilight mortised her legs into the ground and focused the mirror. She slowly opened her wings. Her voice no longer sounded like a panicked wheeze, but calm and strict. Perhaps a bit like Celestia had sounded in her younger ages. “Alright! I know, that you are here and that you try to trick me and my friends. But tell you what, I won't fall for this again! I know, that you have cursed AJ's orchard and set the fire to Rarity's boutique. You try to use me as a scapegoat! But I am not your prey! Do you hear me? I am not your prey!”

Twilight rose to her hind legs and stamped on the ground. She flapped her wings in anger, before she folded them. Her eyes narrowed. “Now be at least brave enough to show me your face, you coward!” The alicorn had shouted the last sentence with all the fury, she could muster. She hoped, that her foe would show itself. I can fight any enemy. I just have to see him!

“I do not consider myself as a coward.” Twilight's ear twitched as she heard a voice right behind her. The mare gasped in surprise and turned around. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. In front of her stood another alicorn that looked like some dark reflection of herself. It had yellow eyes and a dark purple coat. Red strands in a blackish shimmering mane.

This is impossible! Who is that? For a short moment Twilight was speechless and startled. “Did the cat caught your tongue?”, asked the mare and smirked. She revealed long, sharp fangs, the ones of a predator.
Twilight shook her head to get a clear mind. “So you are behind all of this!”, said Twilight and narrowed her eyes, “You have used my mind and body to ruin the Summer Sun Celebration or at least the preparations for it.”

The mare laughed maniacally. “How right you are, Princess!”, she mocked, “But I am even planning more.” She slowly walked towards Twilight and smirked satisfied, enjoying the alicorn's confusion and fear. “I have been planning this for quite a while. Soon your body will merely be a vessel to my will and then I'll take Canterlot and after it all of Equestria to plunge it in an eternal night!”

No! Twilight furrowed her brow. She suddenly realized why this stranger's voice sounded so familiar. Just like the goal of this certain foe. Twilight lowered her head and stamped on the ground. Her horn started to glow. Twilight said firmly: “You won't do any of those things! Because I will stop you.”

The dark mare laughed. “You are kidding. You are kidding, right?”, she demanded to know disdainfully. But Twilight already was sprinting towards her evil twin. Her horn glowed and she was ready to cast her spell. Twilight suspected the other mare to make a run for it, but she just stood there and smirked.

Finally Twilight shot her spell and gasped in shock. Her magic only was able to send a few sparkles raining down. Her evil twin called: “Well, you really deserve your name. Twilight Sparkle!” She laughed.
“Shut up!”, shouted Twilight and her head jerked upwards, “This cannot be possible. I am better in magic.”

The mare smirked. She eyed her hooves. “Well, it seemed like you have been weakened. And it is not a surprise. I have stolen your sleep with your worst nightmares. I have tormented you with my very presence....those were the headaches, you felt. I fed off our magic and consumed it into dark energy, which would allow myself to get a better hold of you. And now” – her body started to become a smoke-like fabric – “I will take what is mine!”

“No!”, panted Twilight. Her horn glowed once more and she got herself into a fighting position. The black smoke circled around her. Her mane flew upwards and she had to close her eyes. “It is too late for your friends or even you to separate Hidden Spark from Twilight Sparkle”, whispered the dangerous mare and then her enemy crushed down on Twilight and the strange mist wrapped itself around her, embraced her, choked her...until there was nothing but darkness in front of the alicorn's eyes.

***

Spike still stood there and stared at the spot, where Twilight had left him. He hung his head and his eyes gloomed worriedly. Oh, Twilight! What is the matter with you? He had never seen her so scared, so worried, so shocked, so guilty. It was the look someone had, who realized he had been used against his will.

Steps approached behind him and somepony stopped next to him. Applejack's voice insisted on his ear: “Are yah alright, Spike?”
The dragon looked at the orange mare. “I am not sure”, Spike said, “Actually, I am really worried. Twilight, she just ran off. She even teleported herself out of my reach. She had neverdone this before.”

Applejack's eyes gloomed. She scratched her neck and moved her cowboy hat deeper into her face. “Ah am worried about that as well”, she said, “Twilight had acted suspiciously the last few days. As if something is tormenting and bothering her. Ah tried to help, but Ah couldn't.”
Spike added: “Just like me. I even gave Twilight the advice to send a letter to Celestia, but she shouted at me like some rude bully. She was even more stubborn then a donkey.”

They were walking back to the burnt down boutique. The others had kept their search for evidences. Suddenly Rainbow Dash shouted: “Hang on! What is this?” She was pointing on something on the floor. Curiously the other ponies formed a circle around the spot. Several hoof prints, deep inside the burnt gras and really fresh.

“Now that is interesting”, called Applejack. She bent over and started to eye the prints.
“What are you doing there, darling?”, asked Rarity and huffed.
The farmer did not replied. She scratched her hoof over the dirt and sniffed on it. Her ears twitched thoughtfully. Finalley she dropped the dirt and stood up. “Oh, no”, whispered Applejack.

“What?”, asked Pinkie Pie, “What did you find out? Tell me, tell me, tell me!”
Applejack lowered her head and sighted. It seemed like the next words were hurting her throath massivley. The farmer looked into the eyes of her friend and said: “Those are Twilight's prints.”

Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie gasped. Spike clapped his claws on his maw.
“Wow, wow, wow!” The blue pegasus angrily flapped her wings and her snout almost hit AJ's nose. “Are you sure about that? I mean, those are just prints! It could be anypony!”
Applejack sighted once more. Her eye lid's went down. “I am the best tracker in Ponyville”, she explained, “And I am quite sure, those are Twilight's prints. I wish, they weren't, but they are. And that is a fact.”

Fluttershy whispered: “Oh my goodness! Why would she send fire to Rarity's boutique?”
Rarity gasped and seemed to be speechless. Spike saw, she had tears in her eyes.
Applejack lifted her shoulders. “Ah don't know. But what Ah do know is that Twilight has behaving strangley.”

“Yes, her rage-shift for example”, remembered Fluttershy, “And she seemed to be quite stressed.”
Rarity added: “She looked like someone, who had not slept for days, and she was so rude. Like a ruffian.” She huffed once more and lifted her nose.
Rainbow Dash added: “And what about that curse in the farm? AJ?”

Applejack scratched her neck. “Ah have not mentioned this yet, but during my applebucking with Applebloom, she had accidently cast black magic. Maybe this explains, why my orchard had been ruined.” Another gasp from the group.
Pinkie Pie narrowed her eyes. “Then this means, she is evil”, the Earth Pony said, “Or maybe she is not even Twilight, but a weird doppelganger. Like a changeling. And now she wants to ruin everything and everypony's life!”

“Stop!”, shouted Spike. I can't bear this anymore. How they talk about Twilight! As if she is a complete stranger. But wasn't she just that? A stranger to him and her friends. Still Spike decided to defend her honour. Twilight may have rejected him, but he was her Number One assistant. He was loyal to her.

“We are just jumping to conclusions!”, Spike said firmly, “I mean, come on! You all know Twilight. We are her best friends. We cannot just turn her into a monster, just because her prints happen to be at the crime scene.”
The others looked at him, eyes full of guilt. “You are right, Spiky-Wikey”, replied Rarity, “That cannot be Twilight's will, whatever she is doing here.”

Fluttershy asked: “So what are we going to do?”
Applejack explained: “We've got to confront Twilight and ask her, what has happen with her. If we know, what we are facing, we can go against it.”
Rainbow Dash saluted. “On it!”, she called and smiled, “I'll get Twilight!”

***

She was laying on one side and breathed heavily. Her flanks went up and down. For a short moment she felt weak like a newborn foal. Get up! It is done. She slowly rolled on her belly and forced herself on her feeth. The serpent's eyes rested at her reflection in the mirror.

Twilight Sparkle still looked much like herself, but her coat had become darker. The mane had now the colours of dark violet, red, purple and a few white strands. Her Cutie Mark looked like a twisted star. She breathed in a fast and eager wheeze, tasted the air. The body was working perfectly.

Hidden Spark's yellow eyes glittered pleased as she kept looking at herself in the mirror. She posed in front of it and tested the wings. Slowly her lips parted into a satisfied grin, revealing long, purewhite, sharp teeth. She had to fight against the urge to laugh loudly. Perfect. This is just going like it was planned. Now with Twilight's body under her controll, she had to overthrow Celestia and Luna to plunge Equestria in her beloved darkness. The ponies would mourn for their rulers, would cry after their sun and would worship her for she would make them admire her. Only her. They would forget, that before the Eternal Night there had been something else.

Hidden Spark caught herself, when her thoughts got to wild. Easy, girl! The deed must be done yet. Equestria is not yours now. But it soon would be. A weird, childlish excitement caught her offguard and she fought it done. Silly hostbody! This was the problem. A few emotions, Twilight Sparkle had, hold her back. That was always the problem with the host. Their silly, foolish emotions and feelings hold her dark urge and power back. But she could go along with it. She just needed to knock the mind completley down, send Twilight into her eternal sleep in her darkness.

A knock at her door. Hidden Spark was about to snap “Who is there?”, but then she decided otherwise. She needed to keep the illusion of being Twilight Sparkle as long as possible. Just for a day. Just until I have gotten rid of the Princesses. Then I can make Equestria my own. Hidden Spark took a deep breath and finally her voice, former harsh, cold and sharp, became smooth, soft, friendly almost: “Come in.”

The door opened and a blue pegasus with a rainbow coloured mane squeezed herself through the slit. “There you are, Twilight”, she said and smiled weakly. Rainbow Dash. That mare's name was Rainbow Dash. Hidden Spark had caught the name out of Twilight's memory. She was one of the mane six, representor of the Element of Loyality. I've got to get rid of those too. But every step must be planned. She should not rush the things.

“Why, hello Rainbow Dash”, greeted Hidden Spark. She was slowly cleaning the mess, she had made during her possession of Twilight Sparkle. Some books had fallen out of the shelves and they all laid on the floor. Shattered parchment roles. Broken quills. Hidden Spark enwrapped them with her magic and slowly stuffed them away.

Rainbow Dash watched her and began slowly: “Well, we were wondering something. If you feel alright. Scince you have been acting a bit weird.”
Hidden Spark replied coldly: “I can assure you, that I am alright. So do you mind, leaving.” She watched the floating book, which softly glided into the shelf.

Rainbow Dash said: “Sorry, but not sorry. You must come with me. We have some questions to ask.”
Hidden Spark had turned her back on the pegasus. Now she turned her head around and gazed at him with a purple disguised eye. “No”, the mare said calmly, “I won't. I have got important things to do.”

The pegasus did not looked satisfied. She narrowed her eyes and hit the her hooves together. “Fine, you want to do this the hard way”, Rainbow Dash growled, “We can do it the hard way.” And she shot forwards and grapped Hidden Spark by her tail.
“Hey!”, the alicorn shouted, as the blue pegasus flapped her wings furiously and dragged her out of the library.

Somehow Rainbow Dash was able to drag Hidden Spark through Ponyville and to Sweet Apple Acres. In the barn Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash circled around the dark alicorn, which had been tied up with some ropes. Hidden Spark's eyes followed every movement. Her lips were stiff and her glance firm and cold.

The questions came like thundering stones.
“Are you alright?”
“Have you been feeling strange recently?”
“Can you not always remember what had happened?”
“How have you slept?”
“Why are you so angry at some times?”
“Do yah know, why the Apple farm is cursed or why a fire broke out in Rarity's boutique?”

Hidden Spark hide her snort. Pathetic, all of you. They all stared at her with their big, sad, worried eyes. Hidden Spark did not wanted this. Too much love. Too much sadness. Too much worry. Too much of everything. It was painted in their face like their tearful fur and flesh. It showed all their weakness. How could they possible wheal the Elements of Harmony with all their flaws?

Hidden Spark did not replied to any of the questions. She did not had the time for those non-sense. She had a kingdom to take, two princesses to perish under her hooves and those pathetic friends were just holding her back! Why did she let Rainbow Dash in in the first place? Now is the time to come out of the shadow. I have played hide and seek long enough!

The mare closed her eyes. The aura of her horn started to glow. Unlike Twilight's purple, Hidden Spark's was red. As red as the bleeding sun at down. Fluttershy was the first one to catch sight of the threat. “Watch out!”, she shouted with her thine voice.

Hidden Spark's horn burned with magic. Her serpent eyes glowed white and she greeted her theeth. Out of no-where blackish crystals shot out of the ground. They grew and fastened with knots as they reached out for the five ponies. They all shrieked in shock and surprise as the crystal plant started to capture them like the thorned whines of the Plunderwhine.

They all were seperated in several corners of the barn. Rarity pressed herself against the wall and gulped for a spike of the crystal's was close to her throath. Applejack angrily tried to free her legs. Fluttershy just ducked on the ground and whined. Pinkie Pie looked at her reflection in the crystal. “Creepy”, she said and laughed.
Rainbow Dash shouted: “What the hey?!”

Hidden Spark's eyes glowed once more as she ripped the ropes apart. Her wings bashed through the air and she rose into the sky. Like a demon from Tartarus the dark mare flew in the barn. Her serpent eyes rested on the ponies. She smirked and revealed her sharp fangs. “Be glad, I have got some things to do. I will deal with you later.”

Hidden Spark flew towards the celling of the barn. Her horn started to glow. A flash of light shot through the wood. Dust rose and patters of the celling fell down. A huge hole had appeared through which Hidden Spark flew and rose into the sky.

In the mean time Applejack had been able to free herself. “Didn't she just....?”, she asked her friends.
Pinkie Pie hopped to the place, where one could see the whole. The mane five stared at it. Now true worry in their face. Nopony said a word, except for Pinkie Pie, who wanted to know: “Does she ever use doors?”

Comments

[fightstopper]

Hey mate, perhaps you need to have one chapter about Twilight resist herself.

[EbonyDanger]

6047011
You mean, where she fights. Don't worry. A chapter like this will come. But not yet. The next chapter, on which I am working, is mostly from Hidden Spark's point of view. And gosh, it is way too long for my liking.