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Chapter 1- The Cup of Despair2,881 words
Chapter 2- The Spring of Hope3,510 words
Chapter 3- The Setting of Salvation3,039 words
Chapter 4- The Dawn of Disaster3,591 words
Intermission- Rise of Dark Equestria796 words

Chapter 4- The Dawn of Disaster

It was getting closer and closer to the den of the night and one of the last trains to Ponyville was making its way through the darkness. Starlight was sitting anxiously by the window and thinking about the bad discovery that she found earlier. Strange water that can turn any pony evil!? That's terrifying on its own. But being in the hooves of some pony who know of its effects and possibly having nefarious agendas for it? that's even worse.

But as Starlight was steadying her nervous and calm herself down, she looks outside her window and sees another train going another direction. She didn't think much of it except for a delightful surprise to see two trains going past each other. But then, in a split-second that was caught in her eye, Starlight notice three small fillies arguing with a conductor. They went by so fast that she couldn't be certain, but Starlight recognizes them as Applejack's, Rarity's, and Rainbow Dash's little sisters. Confusion has struck Starlight as she begins to question why would they travel on the train in the middle of the night.

However, those thoughts were shortly cut short as Starlight could spot Ponyville in the distance. But there was something strange about it. The town seems oddly bright for some reason but it isn't the town itself that is bright. It's like something near Ponyville is being bright and it's illuminating the town a little bit. As Starlight began questioning what is causing it, the train began to slow down as it was approaching the station and the conductor spoke out through the P.A system.

"Attention Passengers! We're approaching Ponyville station which is the end of our line tonight. However, there seems to be an incident that is happening near our destination and we like to advise caution to all ponies who are getting off. We thank you for using the Buckunear Express hope you all have a happy (and safe) evening."

And with that, Starlight fears was going even more wild as she begins to wonder what is happening.

The Everfree Forest is on fire.

Flames were spewing from the forest in a hypnotizing display of burning wood and raging fires. The fire hasn't yet begun moving its way to Ponyville yet, but there's still a strong enough possibility and emergency services have been deployed. Weather pegasi have been moving rain clouds and trying to pour water on the flames. But since it's night-time and most of the rainwater was used for a rainy day previously in the week, there was a little bit of trouble getting it out. Guards and police ponies were stationed on the ground so none of the civilians would try to get near it.

However, since the fire was making its way to Ponyville, the ponies didn't felt like they were in danger. A fair chunk of them are scared and panicking that the fire might be becoming towards them, but constant reassurance from the authorities are mitigating their fears a little bit. Meanwhile, the rest of the common folk were just standing around on the street, staring on in amazement towards the burning from afar.

But for Starlight, it was a different story. Dread was plastered across her face as she thinks that the Everfree fire is somehow connected to the thief who stole the dark water. Might not be the one who caused it but definitely corrupted another pony who did do it.

But as she looks around at the other ponies, the civilians and the emergency services, another scary thought crossed Starlight's mind: why isn't any of her friends helping out. She could imagine Rainbow Dash eager to help out, Pinkie Pie calming the other ponies down and Twilight taking charge as the leader. However, none of them are in sight and this worries Starlight even more.

But then, as Starlight was about to decide to look for them, she heard another pony crying out.

"Oh Wow! Wowwest This Day! This Day Has Been a Cavalcade of Disaster Upon Disaster Upon Disaster Upon Even Bigger Disaster!"

Starlight spotted a weird pony being dramatically over the top by some buildings. They were wearing a cloak so Starlight couldn't determine what pony race they belong to, but she could tell it is a colt. But the way that he is dramatizing and being loud and obnoxious about it, it's like he's trying to attract some pony. Curious, Starlight went towards him.

"Excuse me? Are you bothered about something?"

And then, when he noticed Starlight, he answers: "Yes! Something is definitely wrong!"

"Well is it the fire? Are you afraid that it'll come towards the town?"

"Well, no (but that is a legitimate fear that now you mentioned it). Earlier today, I saw a couple of thugs dragging a tiny, poor defenseless dragon into an alleyway and tossing him into their cart. It was horrible!"

"WHAT!" Starlight yelled out in horror.

She could instantly tell that the dragon that was kidnapped was Spike and was horrified that something terrible has happened to him. But before she could worry too much on that, the pony in the cloak continue.

"However, that didn't end there. Three small girls, the Cutie Mark Crusaders is what I think they are called, spotted the wagon that the thugs were using and try to chase after them. But before they could catch up to it, Applejack stopped them."

"WHAT!?" Starlight yelled, now in confusion. "Didn't she know that they captured Spike?"

"You know... you might be right" the pony replied. "She seemed very adamant to not let any pony chase after the wagon and trick the girls into boarding a train for Appaloosa."

Starlight couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could Applejack let Spike to be kidnaped and sent her sister and friends away to another town? Unless...

"But you know... I think I know might be responsible for all of this."

"What! Who!?"

"Well, the other night, a suspicious looking pony was heading towards Twilight's castle. They were wearing a concealing cloak, kind of like mine, and they were carrying a jug full of water, kind like of this one." He then shows Starlight an empty water jug. "They break their way into the castle and... I don't what happened after that. But you need to go and warn the princess!"

"Yes! I need to do that!"

But then, before Starlight was could run 10 feet away, she realizes something: the culprit was right there. He openly confessed and describe himself as the intruder who broke into Twilight's castle. He is clearly mocking her.

"Wait a minute."

However, as soon as Starlight turn back around, the pony was gone, vanished into thin air. Shocked, she began teleporting and trying to find him before he could get away. But no matter where she looks, in the alleyways, roads, rooftops, potted plants, etc, Starlight couldn't find him. Frustration ran rampant in Starlight's mind. Stuff is falling apart all around her and there's nothing that she can do to stop it.

"ATTENTION PONYVILLE!"

And then suddenly, like a loud announcement across town, a large projection of Twilight shot out from her castle. The loud voice and the large projection managed to grab the attention from all the citizens and pulled Starlight away from her depression.

"AS DECREED FROM YOUR PRINCESS, RETURN TO YOUR HOMES IMMEDIATELY! LET THE EMERGENCY SERVICES HANDLE THE FIRE! DO AS YOUR PRINCESS COMMANDED!"

And as soon the announcement has ended, Starlight remembered that she came to do. She needs to inform Twilight about the dark water. Starlight picks herself up and began running towards the castle. But quietly watching from afar, the hooded pony see Starlight running and laughs.

"HA-HA-HA! I'm so mean."

Starlight was running as fast as her four legs can carry her. She was going so fast that everything seemed like a blur to her. However, despite how fast she was going, she couldn't escape the other ponies chatting to one another and her own conflicting feelings.

"Hey, have you seen Princess Twilight right now?"

"Yeah, how could I miss."

"No, I mean didn't it feel like she was different somehow?"

"Now that you mentioned it, yeah, I did get that feeling."

"It almost reminds of..."

"The time when she and the other 5 were evil?"

"Oh man, don't remind me of that."

"Yeah. Pray to Celestia that that isn't happening again."

Starlight wants to deny it. She doesn't want to think that her friends, the ponies that helped her see the error of her way, might be evil. But then she remembers: it wouldn't be their fault. It would be the dark water's doing and the cloaked pony who forced it onto them. If there's anypony who might restore Twilight and the others to the good side again, she can do it (Starlight).

Starlight reached to the castle without any trouble. With the fire raging on behind her and the storm clouds that are trying to put it out, the castle looked foreboding as Tartarous. Starlight enters the castle and tries to look for Twilight, and with any luck, the rest of her friends. But as she was walking through the halls, she couldn't shake off a foreboding feeling of dread. She tries to steel her nerves, but the fear that she's feeling is just too big to swallow.

But then, as she was coming up to the map room, Starlight began to hear yelling that sounded like it was from Twilight.

"HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!!"

Silently, Starlight hid behind the door and peek inside. There, she saw Twilight (who was still wearing a scarf), Fluttershy (who Twilight was arguing with), Rarity, and Applejack. She couldn't see Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash, but she assumes that they are dealing with the fire. Starlight then remain quiet as she hears her friends argue.

Twilight yells: "Not only did you let Zecora escape, but now we have to deal with a massive forest fire!"

"I'm Sorry, alright!" Fluttershy yelled back. "As soon as the fire started, I had to make sure that my animals are safe. Or... Are you saying that you don't care water happens to them, Twilight?"

Fluttershy gave Twilight a cold, aggressive stare, something like how a mature mother trying to look after her babies. Twilight, knowing what will happen if she gets on Fluttershy's bad side, retreats back a little bit and tackle the issue in a different.

"Look, Zecora is the one how managed to make the cure the last time we turn evil. We must eliminate any chances of that ever happening again."

"But what about Starlight?" Fluttershy asked her.

Applejack then steps in. "What about Starlight? She's out on her spa retreat/getaway thingy and isn't back yet."

"No, she isn't" Fluttershy bluntly replied. "In fact, She's Over There!"

Fluttershy then points towards the door and everyone spotted Starlight peeking her head out.

"What!"

"Oh, My!"

"What in Tarnation!"

With her presence exposed, a surprised Starlight step out and asks: "How did you know I was here?"

"A little birdy told me" Fluttershy sarcastically replies. And then, appearing from thin air, a chameleon revealed itself on Fluttershy's shoulder and gave Starlight a rather evil grin.

Starlight was left shocked and confused. She had been living in Ponyville for quite a while and she had never seen or heard of chameleons living in the area. But somehow, Fluttershy must have gotten one and spotted Starlight peeking in. While Starlight was left surprised, Twilight and the others began questioning her.

"Starlight, what are you doing back here?" Twilight asked.

"And how much did you heard?" Applejack added.

After organizing themselves, Starlight answers: "Well I came back to warn all of you that somepony had stolen some still corrupting dark waters from the springs and... I heard just enough to know what you all doing isn't good."

Starlight tries to put up a strong face in front of her terrifying friends. Her (evil) friends on the other hand/hoof sigh and realize that they need to deal with her.

Rarity says out loud: "So, it appears the cat is out of the bag for our perfectly-perfect-plans. But what are you going to do about it Starlight? Do you think you have a chance to stopping us or are you gonna run away and try to warn Celestia."

"I'm... I'm gonna remind you all who you really are!" Starlight loudly proclaims, to which the rest of them scoffed. "You all need to fight this dark influence and remember the kind of ponies that you really are. You all aren't evil schemers or conquers. You don't let your friends get kidnapped or see them in danger. You all fought for Equestria and show the light of friendship to everypony that you meet. You even saved me from my own madness for crying out loud! Don't do something that you are going to regret."

Once she was done with her speech, Starlight was hoping that her words might have gotten into some of them. However, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Twilight looked unfazed and unimpressed.

"Oh Starlight, Starlight, Starlight..." Twilight sounded as she steps a little closer. "Did you really think your little speech is going to change our plans?"

Starlight remained silent and trying to hide her surprise that her speech failed to get through to them.

But while Twilight was trying to intimidate Star', an impatient Applejack yells out loud: "Oh, why are we wasting our time with this "evil menacing" shtick and not just splash her with some water?"

"Why Applejack! You're just as practical as ever" Rarity delightfully responded.

(Evil) Twilight and Fluttershy also agree with AJ's plan and even appreciate her straightforwardness. But while Starlight was left in fear to their plan, Pinkie Pie suddenly revealed herself from behind one of the chairs and spoke up about the plan.

"I like your straightforward plan Applejack. Unfortunately, that straightforwardness-ness will only get you being SLAMMED INTO A BLANK WALL!"

"And why in tarnation is that?" AJ angrily replied.

"Because..." Pinkie then pulls a glass of water from AJ's hat, drinks it, then spits it back out (to AJ's face) and answers: "... It's all gone!"

While AJ is trying to restrain herself from beating Pinkie till next Tuesday, a shock and infuriated Twilight angrily yells: "WHAT!! How is it all gone!?"

Pinkie Pie gleefully replies: "Well I thought it would be funny to fill a rain cloud with dark water and spray it on everypony in town since they did that with the cure last time. But..."

"But don't tell me..." Twilight interrupted.

But before Twilight could finish, she was interrupted herself when Rainbow Dash came crashing into the room at full speed and slammed into a wall. However, despite looking all mangled in her crash, Dash acts all fine and say:

"Bad new! I filled up a rain cloud with that water, like what Pinkie Pie told me. However, some other pony took it and used it to help extinguish the fire."

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity moaned. "That was the most awful, most unrefined, and imperfect crash that I have ever seen."

"And what would you expect me to do? Slow down? New-and-Improved Rainbow Dash, the best flyer in Equestria, doesn't slow down for nothing!"

Nearly every pony in the room face palmed and groan in frustration, except for Starlight Glimmer who was quite relieved that the dark water won't be forced onto her.

After getting over her disappointment, Twilight says: "Ok, let's do this the hard way. Starlight! Join us and help us bring Equestria to a new golden age that no pony has ever dreamed of!"

But Starlight refused.

"No! There's nothing wrong with this Equestria that needs changing, especially when the ponies who are doing the changes aren't in their right minds."

"Oh please. What about that time where you go on and on about "equality" and have big dreams for Equestria? Did you forgot about that already?"

"No, but like I said, I wasn't in my right mind. And unlike all of you, I did it... of my own volition. You didn't choose to be corrupted, did you?"

"... Yes, we did."

"See, you D-D-D-D-DID!"

Starlight was so surprised that her mind skipped a beat. She was expecting some admittance that they were tricked to surprised and did become willingly. "What did she mean that they did?" Starlight asked herself as fear began swelling up in her heart.

And as Rainbow Dash and the other began getting behind Twilight, Twilight explains: "Yes, we willingly chose to drink the dark water and got rid of our morality."

"It just got in the way" Fluttershy added.

Starlight was $^(*@&#&^. She didn't know what to think or how to respond. The fact that her friends willingly became evil was so foreign to Starlight that it was metaphorically crashing her brain. In her incoherent resistance to stay strong, Starlight mumbles:

"N-N-No! That's Wrong! You... You are just trying to trick me!"

"But We're not" Twilight gleefully replied. "If you don't believe me, read our mind! I know that you know the spell."

"O-Ok! I Will!"

Starlight's horn lite up and began scanning in each of her friend's brains. In each of their heads, Starlight could saw the moment where the dark water was right in front of them and the offer that was made to them. She could see the memory of the hooded pony offering it to Twilight and the memory where Twilight offers it to the rest of her friends. Starlight could see the tenseness in their bodies as they were holding the glasses of water and wishing so much for them to toss the drinks to the ground and stomp on them.

However, that wish was not to be. In a moment to defy all reality, logic, and sanity, Starlight bare witness to seeing Twilight, Rainbow, AJ, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all drinking and chugging down the dark water. She saw all their morality and common senses being stripped away as the water corrode them from the inside out (figuratively) and becoming evil. Once she was down watching, Starlight was left in a shocked, horrified expression that would make a sadist pony shiver with glee.

"No....... way........"

Starlight was so shocked and confused that she was seeing her whole world began to shake around her. It did not compute. It was impossible. This is all some bad dream and she still back at the spring and drowning in the hot water. However, the nightmare was very much real and Starlight was drowning in her own despair. She stammered. She began to sway side to side as she somehow walks back onto a balcony. As Twilight and the others followed her onto the balcony, they gave her the same ultimatum.

"So, will you join us?" Twilight asked her.

And then, as Starlight Glimmer was in her deepest, darkest, despairing darkness, something clicked. She remembers the image of herself where she wanted equality (or the "equality" that she knew it) and hated that image. She was so closed off and closed minded that she couldn't see what real friendship really was. Instead, she let other ponies in and help her see the light. And even though those ponies have fallen to darkness, even though she saw their willingness through their memories, Starlight still want to deny it. Even though Starlight could see herself being in denial, she still wants to have faith in her friends.

With all of her resolve and determination, Starlight proclaims: "No! I Won't Join You! I know There Still Good In All Of You And I'm Going To Bring It Out!"

After a moment of pause, Twilight sighs through her nose and says what she was thinking. "Well, that was disappointing."

And then, in a spark of magic, Twilight's eyes and horn lit up in a dark green and purple glow and Starlight could hear a tear into reality open up. Starlight looks behind her and saw a portal filled with chaos and insanity just below the balcony. It was like a realm of true and utter chaos and Starlight needed seconds to process what she was seeing. But within those seconds, Starlight "evil" friends finally decided what they're going to do with her.

"If you aren't with us, This is What You Get!"

And then, before Starlight could react, Rainbow Dash and AJ pushed and shove her off the balcony. Starlight stumbles through the air as she tries to use her magic to escape. But in her most dire moment where she would really need it, her magic failed to respond. As confused struck her for the last and cruel time, Starlight scream as she falls into chaos.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Starlight's scream continued to be heard, up until Twilight closes the portal to chaos. While dark and chaos magic of that degree would be exhausting for that amount of time for even an alicorn to do, Twilight got off with a few beads of sweat. Twilight and the others then stood around in silent, realizing that they have just sent a friend to a fate of abstract misery and despair. However, none of them felt a hint or remorse or regret their action.

"So Twilight, what are we going to do today?" Pinkie asked her.

And as the Everfree Fire continues to burn in the background, Twilight turns to her "friends" and said this.

"We're going to do what we planned to do Pinkie..."

"We're Going to Takeover Equestria!"

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