Twilily Saga: Past, Present, Or Damnation

by Lighttone GryphonStar

Chapter 11: The Darkest Mind

<1,000 years ago>

The battle was under way as Sombra and his armies invaded Canterlot, having Onager the mountainside villages taken in quick succession. Meanwhile high in the sky, Arabus finally stopped flying as he grabbed his head, wondering what hit him with such great force. It was like being hit by another titan. He hadn’t felt such force like that in a long time. It was at that point that he noticed his hand was empty. He had dropped Nightmare when he got attacked. After facepalming, he grabbed out a gem and used it to contact Sombra. “My King, I have failed you.”

“You need not worry, my general. My father called in reinforcements. Meanwhile, what hit you?”

“Not sure. The last thing I remember seeing was those braces of his glowing.”

“His? As in the male alicorn?”

“Indeed sir.”

“Hold back for now. My soldiers will clean any enemies in the way. And once this male alicorn is found, I will cleave off his head.”

******

Back in the rubble that was once a building, Celestia ran over to the unconscious Luna and tried to wake her, to little avail. Sunfire walked over to Celestia and pulled her away from Luna. “We need to leave, before Selena Moondie and that titan recover.”

“I can’t leave her.” Celestia pushed him away.

Annoyed, Sunfire held out his arm and lifted Luna’s body in a telekinetic grasp and placed her over his shoulder. After which he leaned down and looked at Celestia. “You need to protect the kingdom. I’ll watch over Luna.” On that, he vanished in a bright light.

Celestia took a deep breath to calm herself before summoning her fiery trident to her side, after which she took to the sky and flew into the invading forces. She stabbed one of the enemies in the shoulder as she landed. Jumping forward she knocked down enemies left and right as she slowly made her way to Sombra. While Sombra just smiled as he saw her getting closer.

The invading armies soon set fire to the kingdom. Celestia took flight once more and used the flames to her advantage. Swinging her trident, she filled it with the best fire magic mastery she could muster and turned the growing flames into a giant tornado of fire, launching it directly at Sombra.

Sombra simply pulled out his massive dark alicorn wings and swung them back and forth pushing the flames back. However, Celestia was getting closer and once within range, she twisted her trident the other direction and turned the giant tornado into a flamethrower. Sombra only had second to stop it from hitting him head on, only for his block to cause the seemingly endless flames to hit his soldiers instead.

Celestia pushed forward and was now within feet of Sombra as the flames cleared. However, as they did, Celestia jumped back in horror as she finally saw Sombra’s face for the first time. “It can’t be. That’s why she trusts you.”

Sombra smiled evilly. “Why of course Celestia.” He held his hand outward, “Dark Pulse.”

Celestia barely had enough time to dodge it at this range, falling backward as it nearly took her head off. As she did, she used her wings to push her forward to where she could kick him in the gut. However, Sombra closed his attack and grabbed Celestia by the leg and swung her around before swinging his scythe right at her throat. Celestia again barely saved herself with her trident, stopping the handle of the scythe just far enough that the blade of the scythe was barely cutting the skin of her neck.

Pushing at the ground with her wings once, Celestia freed her leg and was able to use it to kick the scythe into the air, where it crashed into a tower. With Sombra unarmed, Celestia stabbed her trident forward, puncturing Sombra’s side and covering her trident in his maroon blood. Celestia pulled back as Sombra swung at her with his razor sharp gauntlets.

Sombra punched forward several times and Celestia could only block given the extremely close proximity. Sombra delivered a few more punches before sending a few kicks and finally finished with a charge forward with his wings pushing him through the air. Crashing into Celestia, the two went flying through the air as Celestia dropped her trident.

Celestia beat her fist into Sombra as they flew. She kicked him in the gut several times until he finally gave in and crashed her into a building.

Sombra fell back as Celestia hit the ground. Celestia kicked toward him as he tried to recover, but he caught the attack. However, she spun around and pulled her foot free before kicked him across the face with her other foot. Beating her wings, she shot away from him and around the room before punching him from behind and driving him into the ground. Flipping into a landing on top of him, she summoned her trident and proceeded to try and impale him through the back. But he was just as fast as she was, he spun around and grabbed the trident, just centimeters from his heart.

“Why won’t you just give up?” Celestia struggled to push the trident closer.

“Never. This kingdom will fall.” He pushed her back with greater force than she could handle.

“But you once fought for this very kingdom. You fought for the alicorns,” She argued with him.

“And now they are all gone. Just like this kingdom will be.”

“It will not.” she filled the trident with fire magic and pushed back with all her might.

Sombra’s eyes glowed with dark magic as he pushed her back. Soon he rose up from the ground. Noticing she was now in perfect striking distance, he called back his scythe for a sneak attack, by having it fly toward him with Celestia in the way. However, Celestia saw what he was doing, pulled back her trident and jumped up just seconds before the scythe shot forward and instead impaled Sombra into a wall.

Sombra was now stuck to the wall, but he was not giving up as he continued to struggle, despite having the scythe puncture through his gut. Celestia walked forward and filled the room with fire. “I want to know the truth.”

“What truth?” Sombra looked in confusion. “That Luna would dare choose me over you, that she would choose the stallion she loved for so long over this pathetic kingdom?”

“Did you really kill the entire Crystal Empire monarchy?”

“Well, you saw me kill Blood Diamond even if it was at a distant. And yes I did kill Golden Williams and especially King Emerald Teal. I didn’t do it just because of the umbrums, I did it, because, in the end, I was the only one that could put that old fool down.”

Hearing these words only made Celestia feel more sorrow for Luna. Sombra wasn’t just filled with the hatred that the umbrums had for the empire, but just a pure want to see Emerald Teal dead. Yes, her uncle had been slowly losing his mind near the end of his life, but in the end, he didn’t deserve this, his empire didn’t deserve this evil. At least that was how she saw it.

“I have to do this. For Luna and the empire.” She held her hands outward and commanded the nearest flames to create an imprisonment around Sombra, which she hoped would hold him long enough for her to escape and get to Luna.

Once Sombra was imprisoned, Celestia took to the sky and flew around in search of Luna and Sunfire. Without any way to spot them in these flames, she scanned the entire area with her magic. She soon found them and flew over to their location. Landing in a building near a cliff, she took a moment to sense where in the building Sunfire had taken Luna. Once she had found them she teleported over there.

She landed in a dark room with only one light source that was coming from an open door. Celestia looked around until she found Sunfire standing ghostly still next to a bed with Luna on it. However as soon as she saw the blood dripping down the bed, her heart froze as Sunfire spoke as he backed away from the bed. “I’m sorry Celestia. Out of fear of being captured, the spirit of Nightmare took Luna’s life.”

Celestia slowly walked forward as her body trembled with each step until she was just over Luna, after which she let the tears loose and fell over her, crying out everything.

******

<1,000 years later>

Twilight’s body was almost numb to all things around as it pulsed and the flesh twisted. It wasn't a painful kind of twist, in fact, it almost felt pleasing like the warm water of a spa. However, upon the sound of burning, she felt pain and agony fill her body in an instant and then disappeared. Her eyes jumped open upon the pain leaving her. She found herself floating in space once more. Only this space was very different from before. Instead of it being black it was now maroon. Twilight looked around this empty space. If this wasn’t the dreamscape, then what was it? It was at that moment she realized this wasn’t just space, this was liquid, a maroon red liquid.

“What is this?” she spoke as the liquid didn’t enter her mouth at all. Instead, it just floated around, almost like a mist but not.

“This is my blood.” She trembled upon hearing Grogar’s voice in her head. “This is blood that was passed down to you. From Rex Moba to Twilily Moonlight to Twilight Sparkle.”

“There's so much of it.”

“Yes, unlike most bloodlines that weaken with each generation, the bloodline of a demigod increases with each generation.”

“Why?” Twilight tried to struggle, but it was in vain. She couldn't move her body in this liquid. “What is the point of creating these deals? Why have offspring if they truly aren’t yours?”

“How dare you make such selfish claims? I love all my children and grandchildren. They are so precious to me.”

“No,” she argued, “We are nothing but tools to you and Realta. Aren’t we?”

“Well, you do have your uses. Fine, I will tell you why. Once a certain amount is met, a host can be created to take the Demigod’s place. Once that is achieved the demigod can finally die.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Do you want to die?”

He laughed aloud at her question. “Not yet, there's still much more to do.”

Twilight looked away in vain. “Have I reached that amount?”

“Unfortunately, no. You haven’t. You haven't even opened the gate yet, let alone reached the amount needed.”

“What gate?”

Suddenly Twilight felt a great force move her across the liquid until she reached a strange looking gate. The gate was huge and black in color, covered in clean white goat skulls. “This is the gate. It lies within all of my grandchildren. Open this and you will ascend to be a dark alicorn and be so much closer to being my host. However, it seems somepony has placed locks over it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look closer.” Doing as he commanded, Twilight floated over to it. Upon ten skulls were incantations. “There were twelve originally. You have broken two so far. Each time you have reached a certain excess of dark magic.”

“Who placed these locks?”

“I suspect Celestia did when you were younger, but it may have been somepony else.”

“So she always knew.” Twilight saddened at this news. “Grogar, I want to know if there's anypony else in my timeline with your blood.”

“It will cost you a price.”

Twilight became annoyed by this. She didn’t want to make a deal with him, but it was how things worked with him so she conceded. “Fine, what is the price?”

“Two more locks broken.”

“What?!” Twilight’s jaw fell at his words.

“Truth be told I can break all the locks, all I need is you to ask me. It’s what truly binds these locks and it falls on you when they have to be broken.”

Twilight trembled and took a moment to think. If she did this then there would only be eight locks left. If what he was saying was true then she would have to tread even more carefully after the deal to ensure she didn’t break more. Then again she could have Celestia put more locks in place once she got back to the future. But even still could she take that risk? Just how much damage could this cause to her? And even if she made the deal there was no guarantee that Celestia would be able to put more locks in place. Finally, after having several arguments with herself, each one Grogar could hear as clear as day, she gave in. “Fine, but only two more.”

On that two of the remaining incantations burned away. Twilight felt a burning pain with each one that disappeared. Without warning, Twilight fell through the liquid at high speeds as her body pulsed in pain. “Wish granted. but I will only show the ones around you.” On that vague images of ponies flashed through her head.

This first image was of a scaly dragon, short and stout. The second image was of a mare with the image of an apple over her. The third image was of a tall stallion in purple armor. The fourth image was of a light blue unicorn in a cloak of stars. The fifth image was of a batpony with a dark green mane. The sixth image was of a charcoal stallion with a navy blue mane. The final image was strangest of all, it showed three mares, one she could easily tell was Selena Moondie, but the last two confused her the most as they almost looked alike, they even had the same mane color. They stood the same height and had long flowing navy blue manes, one had wings the other did not.

After the final images fade, the space around her fadeed as shea woke. All she could hear as the world around her faded was his laughter.

******

Twilight woke and jumped right up. However, she quickly noticed something very different about the Mind Temple. It had changed form completely. The entrance to the mural was now on the bottom floor. The two stairways that were on the sides originally were now as one. They had replaced the loop stairway.

She quickly looked around for Starlight and ‘F’, but to no avail. They were nowhere in sight. But she did find the gray donkeys. It seemed they were taking notes and other stuff of that sort. She walked over to one and asked, “Um Gog is it?”

“No, Geg,” he spoke with the same voice as the other one.

“Sorry, but could you tell me where my allies went?”

“They went up to the top to grab the charm, while we take notes on the mural.”

“Thank you.” she smiled as she went to the stairs. However, she stopped halfway there. As much as she wanted to help Starlight and ‘F’, the more she thought about it, the more she realized, “If I really wanted to help out, a better way would be if I help in translating that mural.” She quickly ran back over to one of the donkeys. “Um, Geg was it?”

“No, Gag.”

Twilight looked in confusion. She could have sworn this was the same donkey she had just talked to. “Nevermind that. I thought about it and I decided to help you all with the mural instead.”

“Okay, well then grab some parchment and let’s get to work.”

As Twilight did that a familiar shadow hid in the distance. She turned upon hearing something, however as she looked in the direction of the noise, the shadow was gone. “I could have sworn I heard something.”

******

Starlight continued to relive old memories. She now found herself in a small library. Her younger self and Sunburst were reading a large number of books. She slightly jumped upon this memory as she knew this one all too well.

Without warning the books fell and Sunburst barely had enough time to save her younger self with a telekinetic spell so strong that the books floated around them and landed safely back on their shelves.

Sunburst glowed brightly as his cutie mark appeared. Starlight closed her eyes and cover her ears. She knew this memory and she didn’t want to relive the day he abandoned her. The memory continued despite her attempts to ignore it.

Suddenly out of nowhere, she felt a touch on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw a male alicorn now standing in front of her. The memory kept going on around her but the sounds from the memory were silent.

She uncovered her ears and continue to look at the alicorn in confusion. He was incredibly old. His fur was patches of black, brown and white, he had a long flowing golden mane and he wore an ancient robe.

“Why do you hide from this memory?” he asked.

“Because it is too painful to remember.”

“But it is not the most painful.”

“Yes, it is,” she nearly yelled.

“No, there are worse. You just chose to hate this one because you think this was the one because, in truth, it created your path.”

She turned away from the alicorn in annoyance. She refused to hear any more from this unknown. She didn’t know who this was, and in the end, she didn’t care. Before she was fine with the test this charm was giving her, but now…

She refused to relive painful memories. She just wanted this to all end. Without even thinking about it, she ran away from it. She didn’t know where she was going, but anywhere was better than there.

The alicorn watched her as she got further away. He knew her pain all too well. “Oh, how hard life can be when fate has chosen you for a greater purpose. She is just like I was when I was young.” He looked up to the sky for a moment, seeing the image of a giant lion. “Sometimes I wonder if you were right about my choice, old friend.”

Starlight continued to run as fast as she could. She didn’t care how far she got, or even about this mission anymore. She just wanted all of this to end. Suddenly she tripped over something. She got up slowly and found snow laid thick around her. She looked around and found herself in a great blizzard. “No, not this memory.” She fell slightly as the cold crept around her.

The very blizzard that had scarred her mind so long ago. She tried to cover her eyes in vain as this time she couldn’t even move her body. She watched in horror as she saw her younger self wander through the snow, covered in tears and freezing. She remembered that her younger self had run into this blizzard after she became angered that her own cutie mark would not form and she couldn’t follow Sunburst to his new life. Her only friend was gone and now she couldn’t be with him. She had been forced to stay in the town forever. She hadn’t wanted that and that was the reason her younger self was here now. Her younger self had run away, just like she was doing now.

Starlight looked in tears as the cold pulled over her younger self tighter and tighter. Her younger self fell to the ground and Starlight shouted to her, “Don’t give in!” Starlight finally fell to the ground herself as she begged her younger self to get up.

It became colder and colder with each passing second. And as it did the image of her younger self became dimmer and dimmer as the little filly's breath weakened. She could feel her younger self’s pain and sorrow up until the last second. With each passing moment, there was nothing but the pain, the sorrow, and the emptiness. She had no parents, no family, and no friends. She was completely alone.

As she laid there in sorrow, unbeknownst to her the alicorn walked back up and looked at her. “So this is your darkest memory.” He looked toward the memory and the nearly dead filly that was slowly being covered in snow. “Oh how time always repeats itself. With me it was a sandstorm, with you, it was a blizzard.” He smiled as he saw something happening that Starlight couldn’t see. “I was rescued by a lion, I wonder who will rescue you.”

Just as the darkness was about to claim her and her younger self, the blizzard’s wind stopped. Starlight looked in confusion as light slowly returned and the memory came in clear once more. This wasn’t how it happened. Without warning, she heard a voice. She looked up in shock to see what looked like a winged mare land from the sky. Her mane was long and flowing, but her image was too blurry to even see properly.

“This makes no sense. Who is that?” Starlight questioned.

The unknown mare leaned down and placed her hand over the younger Starlight. “Oh my poor shining glimmer of starlight.”

Starlight felt tears fill her face. The voice was her mother’s voice. Soon a little filly landed beside her and looked over the young Starlight. “Can you save her, mother?”

“Of course, I can save her.” Starlight’s mother channeled magic forth. Starlight looked in shock. The magic was dark magic. But how? Starlight was always good in light magic, but her mother could use dark magic.

Air filled the younger Starlight. Starlight’s mother caressed the younger Starlight's mane to one side before taking to the sky. She looked down to the other filly. “Come on, leave your older sister be. She needs to do the rest on her own.”

“But do we really have to leave her alone?”

Starlight’s mother giggled. “Oh Fairy Cage, she is never alone. And she will never be alone.” On that, both of them left. Starlight looked to her younger self and saw her waking as the blizzard cleared.

Her younger self looked up to the sky and saw a shooting star. Seeing the star filled the little filly’s mind with hope. Her body glowed and her cutie mark appeared.

The area changed once more. This time she found herself floating in a strange space. It was white, black, red and blue. The alicorn walked in front of and spoke up, “This was your test. A truth of the mind. To see if you are truly worthy of the charm. And I see that you are. But I also wanted to know if time was repeating itself. When I first forged these charms, my friend told me that I was blinded by their power and he left me. But he never truly left, he always watched over me from the afar. Meanwhile, your mother left you, your father left, your friend left.” He placed his hand over her heart, “You think you are completely alone, but nopony is ever completely alone.” He raised his hand up to her face, clearing away one of the tears. “They are always with you in your memories, both good and bad.”

“Who are you?” Starlight looked in confusion as he backed away.

“I am King Heavonos.”

“But how? I just assumed you died.”

“I may be dead, but my charms are not. They all hold great power. Keep them close and out of evil’s hands.”

Starlight looked to see the charm in her hands now. She felt great honor in this. “I hope to be worthy of this honor.” She held the charm close and closed her eyes as the test ended and the space disappeared. “Thank you for showing me this. I’m glad to know I was never alone and they were always there and they will always be there.”

******

Author's Note:

Sorry this too so long to post. My internet was being a bitch again and refused to hold a signal for very long before cutting me. In fact I'm sure as soon as I get done I will probably get kicked off again. Just leave your comments and hopefully I can answer anything by the end of the day.

Either way, this was fun write. I have always loved doing dream sequeinces. So how was my take on Starlight's past? Comment on what you thoughts were of this chapter.

Next chapter is set to come out on the 23rd. But if you want to see it earlier, join my patreon. For just one dollar a month get access to chapters a week earlier than everyony else.