The Story of a Madman and his Box

by Crimson_Moon

A Frozen Heart Holds the Bitter Truth

Minutes of sobbing passed. Then hours, until she finally calmed down. "Do you want to move onto a different one?" Twilight's eyes took on a motherly approach, reversing the roles for a time. No words, just a nod came out of the now grey alicorn. Her white and shiny visage was tainted by a matte grey, and her mane no longer flowed. In fact, it too was pure grey, not showing a single trace of its original tri-color pastel. With a little encouragement from Twilight, Celestia got up to all four hooves, and hesitantly led the way. She didn't want to lead. Everything she was reversed upon itself. And I think i know why... the mare thought.

"Princess-" She began, but was interrupted.

"No. No Princess. Please, just Celestia." The "Princess" muttered in a melancholy tone. She never took eye contact off from the floor, her ears clenching tightly to her skull.

It sickened her to see her once bright and shining mentor in this state, which is why questioning was needed. "Okay. Celestia, have you talked to Discord lately?"

Her ears perked up, and her color came back, if only for a few minutes. "No. Why? Has he done something wrong?"

The purple alicorn prepared the spell, walking closely to her mentor. "No, it just seems like you're, well, Discorded."

Her jaw opened, but only a grunt of pain came out. No, not yet, this has just started getting good! It certainly was his voice echoing through the halls, but it felt different from the one they knew. It seemed... Sinister, almost on the verge of pure corruption. And for your information, Miss "Princess of Friendship", I am not Discord. I am something...more. I mean why would I want to just let chaos reign when FEAR is much tastier! The voice cackled in a sinister manner, similar to somepony else, trapped in a Nightmare.

All while this was happening, Celestia could only hear whispers of the deepest, darkest recesses of her mind coming to fruition, all in his voice.

Princess of Equestria?! Do you remember what made that happen?

Or did you forget, what He said to you?

Please, mercy! Her mind cried out, begging for this torture to be ceased, only to be silenced even more.

I think enough "Mercy" was given to you. Didn't you learn your lesson? You wanted to be like him, so here you are! HE handed his position to you on a silver platter, and being the fat-flanked Tyrant you are, you licked it clean!

...

Have you given up yet, or should i go on?

... You made your point. I should never have taken on this task.

The words vanished, and Twilight was able to confront her oldest friend yet again. "Celestia, don't listen to-!" The next scene left Twilight immobile, spell vanishing from her horn.

Her color shifted to an even darker shade of grey, almost black. She levitated the crown off her head, and held it in front of her, memories flowing through her of the lies and deceit she fooled her subjects into believing. Tears forming, she threw the golden tiara to the ground, shattering it in two, sending the gem flying across the room to the still emotionally petrified Twilight. "I am not worthy of this crown" Next came off the crest, crumpling it in her magic. "Or this crest." The shoes were last. She simply took them off, hovered them around her "student", and let them clatter to the floor around the tear-ridden filly she once called faithful. Turning back around, she extended her once majestic, but now dark and sinister wings. Once more, she turned her head to say some final words. "Do not pursue me, or you'll wish a 'Princess' could save you." Her horn lit up, shining the murals in a golden light. "You want to know the story? Just ask, and your 'Princess' will guide you."

"B-but C-Celestia, you-"

"No. I am what I always was- a foolish little pest that thought playing dress-up would bring HIM back." With those final words, she flew away, not leaving a trace of her old self. Save for a single tear coming out of her still pink eyes.

She just sat there, crying. It seemed like hours have passed, but there was no way to tell. There was no sun or moon in this place, making it difficult to tell. Celestia would know... A part of her mind fought to claim hope for the distraught mare.

"But she isn't! She isn't here!" Twilight yelled to the empty halls.

Then it's time we found out The truth...

Her heart and her mind were done with their bickering. It seemed that the only way forward was through the murals now lit up with golden light. The one she sat before was of The Doctor and his new assistant, facing off a deadly foe, one made of concrete, and bearing menacing looks. Something was different however. Below this mural sat a warning, and peering away from the glass artwork for a second, the purple alicorn began to read the gilded plaque.

BEWARE ALL WHO LAY EYES UPON THIS MURAL. The statues, they aren't ordinary statues. They fell with me through the crack in time, weak and desperate for food. And, like me, they were forced to assimilate a more appropriate form. They are called Weeping Angels, and looking away for just a fraction of a second, and you're dead! They are fast, faster than anything you can imagine. If you want to survive, DON'T BLINK. And before you think "But Doctor, these are just paintings!" keep in mind that any image that represents an Angel BECOMES AN ANGEL. With some careful and precise enchantments by one Starswirl the Bearded, this mural sealed the Angels from breaching its glass prison, but another warning for the overly curious, and inanely stupid: DO NOT CRACK OR MANIPULATE THE FRAME. It is the only thing keeping you from having your life robbed from you.

-The Doctor

"He was here?! When?" Questions arose in her intellectual mind, still avoiding eye contact from the mural. "Did he know? Was that why he never came back?" Shaking her head, she looked back up. "It doesn't matter no-"

The mural was different this time, all stone eyes were upon her, and closer than before. Don't blink, Don't blink, Don't blink...

Author's Note:

UPDATE: I changed the Notes, I'm over my fit of depression, and in fact, i'm improving the circumstances behind it, so no more frowny faces coming from this writer!

So, The Doctor was there... Interesting... The plot further unfolds. Also, i'm giving away hints inside the chapters so keepon the lookout for BOLD words, but not all are bold, which means paying attention certainly helps!