The Pony of Twilights

by PandaisQd

Replacement

Author's Note:

This chapter relies heavily on the s7 finale, so despite this being an alternate universe, a spoiler warning is here for you. Chapters from henceforth will be more originally written, but I needed to set it up, so please note, a lot of the first half is lines used, done by, and originally from Hasbro. Please support the original episode, and I hope you enjoy my thoughts on an alternate timeline.

Twilight had seen Stygian in the Pony of Shadows, her best friends outside the Pony of Shadows, and went in after him.

"Are you Stygian?" Twilight asked.

"I was... once..." Stygian paused, and his voice got deeper and sadder, "Until my friends betrayed me."

"But Starswirl says you betrayed them!"
Twilight was confused but then retorted.

"YOU wanted their magic!"
Their voices echoed through the room, everypony hearing the details and emotions of their words.
The Mane 6 huddled closer together, Spike who thought he was gripping onto Rarity's leg gripped to Applejacks instead, he didn't notice but this caused Applejack to blush.

"N-no!" Stygian stuttered, "I wanted their respect..."
Starswirls eyes opened up in disbelief and shock.

"I brought them together..."
Twilight stepped back a bit, noticing a shadowy black smoke coming from his eyes.

"I planned strategies and taught them all I could about the beasts we faced..."
Stygian walked back further into the shadows so Twilight stepped a bit forward.

"But I didn't have magic or strength..." Stygian said in a downtrodden tone as he walked. "So nopony ever noticed me..."
Twilights mouth went agape, Starlight was right, this really may be a friendship problem!

"I went to Ponhenge to make my own copies of the artifacts, with them I thought I could be a pillar too!"

"Possibly even stand with them in battle... I never wanted to steal them!"
The pillars all looked at each other regretfully, this was their fault for what happened and Starlight rolled her eyes at Starswirl who looked "shocked" at this "revelation."

"But instead of sharing and letting me help, my friends cast me out..."
Stygian was marching towards Twilight so she quickly back-walked away. "So I became stronger than any of them..."
Stygians black smoky eyes turned white and even more poured out as his voice became raspier and deeper.

"The darkness welcomed me when nopony else would. I will do what I must to protect it!"
Twilight backed up, and regained herself, finally realizing what was going on. Looking for words to say as everyone was still huddled in the air with the elements, along with Spike grabbing on to remain close, still thinking he was attached to Rarity.

"This is all a big misunderstanding," Twilight beckoned to Stygian, "I'm confident if the Pillars knew how you felt, they would've never cast you away!"
Stygiians shadow-like eyes glitched within him hearing this, as he backed up feeling many emotions. Confused, afraid, and bitter.

"The Pony of Shadows isn't who you are, let me help you be Stygian again!"
Stygian backed up more, all these emotions were overwhelming to him, and the bitterness shone through.

"Even if my "friends" still did care, what makes you think you have the power to help... me?!"
An unknown voiced called and came within, "Because it's what she does..." They both turned to see Starlight, in a protective magic bubble fly in.

"I wasn't so different from you, Stygian, and Twilight helped me see the light and change," Starlight gazed at Twilight in thanks, then turned back to Stygian. "If there's one pony that can save a friendship, in all of Equestria, it's her."
Twilight teared up a bit proud of her pupil, the others still huddling and listening intently., Stygians eyes went less smoky for a bit...

"I- I... want to believe you..." Stygian paused, before growing shadow-like wings, a larger horn, and his eyes getting whited out, The Pony of Shadows within him interrupted, "The darkness shall NOT BE STOPPED!"
This knocked back Starlight and Twilight a bit, but Starlight regained balanced and used a magical whip from her horn to pull out Stygian, the Elements and Pillars took notice and used the elements to make their own whips of sorts to help pull Stygian out. The pony of shadows roared with pain and despair

"No," It beckoned to an almost freed Stygian, "You need me!"
"No, he doesn't," Starlight retorted back "He doesn't need it anymore, nor did he ever!", as Twilight regained consciousness, Stygian was fully out, The Pony of Shadows roared and started to fizzle, but when Twilight tried to fly out, she couldn't.

"Twilight?" Spike questioned, why aren't you out yet?"
Twilight began to sweat and panic, "Somethings not letting me out!" Applejack looked nervously at Spike, knowing how much Twilight meant to him, and of course how important they all were to each other.

"C'mon y'all, let's try and get these magical whip thingies onto Twilight as we did with Stygian!"
Rarity and Rainbow nodded, with their respective Pillars, and led their whips to Twilight. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and their Pillars followed suit, but even with all their whips of magic Twilight wasn't pulling out. Sunburst tried as well but it was no use, Twilight knew there was no hope, The Pony of Shadows must need a host.

"I'm sorry guys, looks like..."
They all gasped at her, Twilight seriously wasn't considering this? There had to be a better way!

"Twilight, don't you dare!" Starlight and Rainbow shouted. "Twilight!" Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy beckoned, pulling their whips harder, tears in their eyes. "Twi, you got ponies and a dragon who need cha' don't give up on me now!" Applejack said in a firm, breaking voice. Twilight's voice grew deeper and raspier as she was absorbed into the shadowlike pony, as her friend's faces grew mournful.

"Thank you all... for everything..." Twilight unleashed one last magical burst knocking them back, and her inside the Pony of Shadows into the vortex. "TWILIGHT!" Her friends all beckoned, tears in their eyes, watching their friend fall suit into the portal.

They all had different reactions and faces. Pinkie Pie's mane deflated as her eyes welled up with tears. Rainbow Dash was filled with rage and was mumbling to herself. Fluttershy and Rarity had loud wailing cries, Rarity being the emotional one she is and Fluttershy losing one of her closest friends, hurt them severely.
Applejack didn't dare shed a tear, but on the inside, her heart was broken, not only for her but for Spike who stood there silent, who fell to his knees and broke down crying. Applejack went over to Spike and just stood there.

"You need somepony, Sugarcube, or do you want to be left alone?"
Spike remained silent, his heart was breaking, Twilight had been with him since he got to Canterlot, she took him in when a lot of people were afraid. and he broke down even more, but this time, into a hug with Applejack.
Applejack honestly didn't know what to say, so while she mourned on the inside she rubbed the back of his head and held back her tears.

Rainbow Dash said, bitter tears in her eyes, "Twilight would want us to move on, so let's go home, and... make the announcement..."
They all headed to Canterlot, first to inform her parents, friends, and the princesses, who mourned the loss of the alicorn severely, same with the Crystal Empire's residences in Shining and Cadence.
Lastly, they headed to Ponyville, with a town-wide announcement, where everyone took the loss hard, even Trixie.

"Twilight is who I strove to be like, without her, how can I be sure I've made up for my deeds and match her... damn goodness!?"
A statue was made in both Canterlot and Ponyville in her honor, and the valiant sacrifice she had made that day. Everyone takes grief differently, and some took it rougher than others, some ignored it, and some even moved away or back to where they came from.

The Mane 6 thought this loss would help bring them together but it only tore them apart. Rarity moved to Manehatten, Pinkie Pie moved back onto the farm, Rainbow stayed at her cloud mansion but moved all of it near Cloudsdale. As for Sunburst, they moved back to their hometown. As he felt he betrayed the Crystal empires royalty.

Only Fluttershy, Spike, Applejack, Starlight, and Trixie remained in Ponyville, but they found it hard to interact, all four together. Spike was given a place on the farm, so he wouldn't be alone, Applejack had to fight Granny-Smith on it, but she got through to her with the emotional guilt trip and she eventually agreed to it. Spike didn't fight it, he just didn't want to be alone. Starlight blamed herself and went into recluse inside Twilight's castle with Trixie being allowed in from time to time. As for Fluttershy, she also became a recluse with Discord and her animals in her cottage, Discord doing any errands for her. Discord was hurt too, he had lost one of his first seven friends, and it truly hurt him, but he couldn't show it, for Fluttershy.

Life had to move on for everypony, and it did.

Just one beloved princess less.

Comments

[PandaisQd]

Chapter 7 to come soon!
(8/13/21)

[darkman]

It a ok start but you left out Starswirl and Stygains reactions to what happened. Unless it's in the next chapter or so.

[PandaisQd]

10913151
I do plan on into getting those laterm i kind of wanted them to have their own... y'nknow?

[PandaisQd]

Thanks for almost 400+ views on the first chapter as of August 31st, y'all are amazing <3

[midnight arrow]

seems interesting so far