The Twilight Effect

by X3n0heart

The Past is Not Today

Twilight was tired. She hasn't slept in hours and using this spell multiple times has drained her of her magical energy. Leaning against Rainbow, Twilight wiped her eyes and watched the sun rise up over the horizon before she pushed herself away from Rainbow and got shakily to her hooves. Rainbow Dash also stood up and looked at her as she placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"You look like a wreck, Twi. Maybe you should get some rest?" she offered.

"I don't feel well. Let's head back home." Twilight agreed as she let Rainbow help her back to the castle. As they made their way inside, Twilight thought to herself, What happened...? Why are things not working out? I just don't understand.... Rainbow led her into her room and helped her into bed.

"I'm worried about you, Twi. I hope everything will be okay now." Rainbow told her as she gently kissed her forehead as she pulled the covers over the Princess. Twilight was already fast asleep in her soft bed as Rainbow smiled softly and giggled slightly to herself. "What am I going to do with you?"

Three days. Three days of uninterrupted nightmares and grotesque memories drifted through her unconscious mind as Twilight would shift in her sleep. Rainbow sat by her side almost the whole time, unless there was some weather controlling to do, as Apple Jack came to visit the Princess.

"How's she doing, sugar cube?" AJ asked as she walked into the room.

"Not good. She's still asleep and what looks like she's been having some crazy dreams."Rainbow sighed. "I want to wake her but at the same time I don't..." Apple Jack trotted over and sat down next to her friend and looked at the Princess before turning to Rainbow.

"Dun worry about it so much. She knows you love her and will do anything for her. Just let her git some rest. Come on, I'll treat ya to some breakfast." Apple Jack offered as she got up and started heading out. Rainbow gave Twilight a gentle kiss on her horn then proceeded to follow her friend out of the room.

"NO! This can not be! Please tell me it's not true!" Twilight shouted as her friends just stood in front of her and laughed as Sunset Shimmer faced her with a look of total disgust on her face.

"How could I EVER love something as horrible as you!" she said as she turned her back to Twilight.

"Sunset? Please...what did I do wrong? I need to know." Twilight called out holding a hoof out to her.

"Ugh, just look at you! Would anyone want to be with something that vile?" All her friends just laughed as Twilight's hoof fell to her side and she started to cry, gazing at Sunset's back. "You are the worst thing ever and I hope I NEVER see anything like you again." Sunset began to walk away, the rest of her friends turning around one by one, following after her. Once again Twilight was left all alone crying as a clap of thunder was heard over head and soon after it started pouring rain down on her. Twilight wiped her eyes with a hoof and looked up at the sky when a bolt of lightning came down and struck her horn, sending an intense shocking feeling throughout her body stopping her heart in mid beat as she fell over on her side.

Breathing heavily, Twilight sat strait up in her bed and looked around with wide eyes. Everything seemed to be in their normal places and it wasn't even raining outside as she looked towards the windows. She wrapped her magic around a nearby towel and wiped the sweat from her forehead and mane as she sighed to herself.

"What an intense dream..." she replaced the towel and slowly got out of bed, her legs feeling a bit weak as she stumbled over to the door. "How long was I asleep? Feels like I haven't moved in days." Opening the door she made her way to the kitchen where she met Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack, and Spike all having some breakfast.

"Twilight!" Spike called out as he got up and ran over to her giving her a big hug. "I was so worried." Twilight smiled down to him and returned the hug as she made her way over to the table.

"I'm happy to see you are finally awake." Rainbow said as she pushed a plate of pancakes over to her.

"Thank you, I'm starving." Twilight said as she smiled to her. "How long was I out for?" she asked as she picked up a fork with her magic and started to eat.

"About three days now." Rainbow answered. Twilight almost choked on her food as she gasped and looked at her friend.

"Three days?!?" Rainbow just nodded to her as she continued to eat. Twilight put down her fork and looked around at her friends. Apple Jack just nodded as well as Twilight looked down at her plate that she has barely touched as she thought back on the last events that she went through. Well my magic seems to be restored but should I use the spell again... she thought as she watched her friends eat and talk to each other.

Suddenly an image of Sunset flashed in her mind, smiling at her and she started to tear up. Getting up, Twilight excused herself and went upstairs to one of the balconies and stared off over Ponyville and the distant horizon. "What am I going to do? How can I fix all of this? Everything I try to do seems to get worse and worse..."

"Are you okay, love?" Rainbow asked as she walked up and sat next to her. Twilight looked at her and tried to smile but just couldn't hold it and hung her head.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Rainbow." Twilight sniffed. "I'm running out of options and every time I try to change things it just becomes worse."

Rainbow placed a hoof around her shoulders and brought her close to her. "What are you talking about? Changing what, Twi?" Twilight didn't answer her for her mind was going through different variations and scenarios on how she could fix this whole thing. Looking up suddenly a thought appeared and she looked over at Rainbow Dash before getting to her hooves and galloping back to her room.

"Twilight! Where are you going?" Rainbow called out as she got up and flew after her, catching up to her within moments. "Twilight please answer me." Rainbow begged as they both entered her room and she stopped before turning to her friend hovering above her.

As she started to cast her spell her eyes went soft and watery before she told her, "I'm sorry and thank you for everything..." With a genuine smile and eyes closed the magic in the room swelled and her body went limp once more. Rainbow, being as fast as she is, caught her before she hit the ground and gently shook her.

"Twilight? Twilight, answer me! Twilight!!!"

As her vision cleared it was dark and she was standing outside of Canterlot High with her friends as they were all looking at Sunset Shimmer holding her element, laughing to herself. Twilight knew exactly when and where she was and called out to her hoping to get through to her this time.

"Sunset please, you don't want to do that!"

"Oh but I DO! You don't know how long I've waited for this moment." Sunset gleamed.

"Actually I do know and I also know where it will lead. Please, Sunset listen to me, I know how you feel and this isn't the right choice." Twilight took a step forward towards her holding her hand out to her.

Sunset hesitated for a moment and looked at her. "What do you know about the future? You don't even belong her, Twilight, so don't talk to me like you know everything!" Sunset growled still clutching the crown in her hands.

"But I do! You have to believe me. How can I prove it to you?" she begged as she moved closer.

"That's the thing, "Princess", you can't, and there is NO way you can change that fact." Sunset laughed as she started to raise the crown to her head.

"Yes I can!" Twilight took another step towards her as Sunset stopped moving her arms and looked at her. "For instance: you're favorite color is yellow, you prefer juice over soda, and you enjoy spending your weekends with a good book." Twilight smiled at her hoping that will get through to her.

"Hahaha! Anyone going to this school knows that. What else you got, Twilight Sparkle?" She taunted her.

"Alright then how about this: You enjoy the smell of wet dogs over flowers, the fact that your inner thighs are sensitive to the touch and makes your toes curl, or how about like I know that your favorite thing to eat is pickled olives with salt and pepper." Sunset blinked a few times and lowered the crown a bit so she was holding it in front of her now.

"But how...how do you know these things?" She asked her almost demanding the answer.

"Because where I come from we were together and have been for quite a while but you died and I'm trying to fix it in my time." Twilight teared up once more, droplets of water traveled down her cheeks as she poured her heart out to her. "I love you Sunset...please you have to believe me in what I'm telling you is the truth!"

Sunset just shook her head and yelled back at her. "NO! I don't believe any of it. I don't know how you found those things out about me but it still doesn't matter. I'm going to take over Equestria and nobody is going to stop me!" Twilight just collapsed to her knees as Sunset placed the crown on her head and began her transformation once more.

"Why won't anything work!!!" Twilight called out as her friends ran to her side as they watched Sunset turn into some kind of demon with incredible power.

"Twilight! What do we do?" Rarity asked her as they stared up at the sky.

"There's nothing I can do....." she replied as that familiar bright light engulfed her vision. Twilight just sat there as she was transported back to her own time wondering what kind of things have been changed and how much worse everything has become. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she was sitting back in Ponyville but her castle was gone as well as much of the town. Buildings were destoryed, some still on fire, as there seemed to not be anypony in sight.

As if on que, starlight burst forth from behind her eyes as her head started to split in two from the pain of her memories being rewritten once more. The images of Rainbow Dash and her together started to play out backwards in time as pictures of Sunset appeared and disappeared as well before they started being replaced with the demonic form of her stepping through the portal with her army of teenagers from the other world.

She first took over Ponyville before moving towards Canterlot and in time defeating both Celestia and Luna in an epic fight as they tried to defend their subjects from harm. In the end both sisters fell before Sunset as she started rounding up everypony to Canterlot to become her slaves and do her bidding.

When the pain subsided and the shaking stopped, Twilight was laying on the ground when she head hoof steps coming her way. It took her a few moments before her vision cleared and she slowly sat up before she recognized it was Fluttershy who was approaching. She went into a full gallop and stopped right beside the Princess as she looked down at her somewhat surprised.

"Twilight? What happened? Where have you been?" she asked as she helped her friend up.

"Everything is wrong....there's nothing I can do now..." she cried as Fluttershy lead her away from the depressing scene towards the Everfree forest and the safety of the trees. Looking back, Twilight's thoughts ran back to where she first receive the scroll and those fateful words from Celestia. "I'm sorry....I'm so sorry everypony..." she said as the two ponies vanished into the trees and the silent darkness that they held.

Comments

[narusakufan]

Wow. That was a pretty intersting chapter. I can't wait to see how this ends.