A Star's Journey.

by Naren

A monster and her "friends".

The air was frigid, the droplets in her breath freezing mid-air. Twilight didn’t know where she was, but she did know that it was really, really cold. She couldn’t see very far as the blizzard seemed to obscure everything beyond five feet in front of her. Her coat was being whipped by the furious winds, yet oddly enough she didn’t feel any pain.

It was then that she heard the laughter. It was dark and maniacal, definitely belonging to an insane stallion. The winds died down, and Twilight found herself able to see the area around her. She was in a snowy plain, stretching as far as the eye could see. But that wasn’t what attracted her attention.

Piercing the heavens themselves, was a tower made of pure crystal. Beneath it sat a city made of the same crystal, and in that city she saw war incarnate. Ponies in dark armor with green eyes waged war against ponies in golden armor, which she realized looked very similar to the Canterlot Royal Guard. Unicorn cast spells that razed entire blocks, Pegasus duked it out in the sky, and Earth Ponies fought each other in a desperate melee.

As Twilight observed the scene, she noticed flashes of light in the heavens. Upon closer inspection, she saw two flying Alicorns, and a dark Unicorn fighting them. The Alicorns were definitely Princess Celestia and Luna, but Twilight didn’t know who the Unicorn with the red cape was. However, she could feel the dark magic radiating off him like the sun radiates heat.

Each spell they fired at each other seemed to shake the world, such was the power of an Alicorn. Yet for all their might, that Unicorn continued to laugh. Before Twilight’s eyes, shadows began to cover the entire city. In a flash of the darkest magic, the city was gone. The dark ponies had vanished as well, leaving only the Royal Guard and the Princess.

The Alicorns landed only a few feet from Twilight, close enough that she could overhear the conversation.

“Where hath he gone, dear sister?” Luna asked, her old Ponish confirming Twilight’s suspicions. She was in a vision of the past.

“We do not know, sister.” Celestia said, speaking in old Ponish was well. “But we can fathom one thing. Sombra will return.”

---

Twilight’s eyes snapped open, a single word echoing in her mind. Sombra. She didn’t know why, but that name felt oddly familiar to her. She blinked and found herself distracted by something else.

Despite the lights being off, and the room dark, Twilight could see as clear as day. The little amount of light coming in from below the door seemed to be able to illuminate the entire room. She blinked again, her gaze shifting towards the mirror. While she couldn’t see its reflection from her bed, she knew what she’d find. A monster.

She felt tears well up in her eyes, but she forced them back. She had just woken up; it wouldn’t do to start the day crying. She glanced to the bedside table and found the Element of magic still sitting there. As her eyes rested on the star in the center of the crown, she felt a warm feeling pass over her. She felt as if she was in harmony. Unfortunately, the feeling passed quickly, and all her doubts and pains returned.

On the left wall was a closed window, but through the cracks Twilight could see light slowly shining in. Celestia had risen the sun, then. It was morning. As she slowly clambered out of bed, she looked towards her crown. She shook her head and trotted over to the sink. She was met with the reflection of a hideous abomination.

Monster. A dark cave. Terror, followed by pleasure. Cadence smiling at her, sharp teeth out for all the world to see. The Queen, Her Queen, staring at her. A hideous voice- then a piercing wind. Maniacal Laughter seemed to echo around, and the shadow grew deeper.

Twilight recoiled back, shaking herself free from the thoughts that plagued her. She glanced back at the mirror, back at the monster, before heading towards the door to the room. Knowing what she looked like, she took a deep breath and opened the door.

The hall beyond the room was empty, which she was immediately thankful for. Slowly, and quietly, she crept out into the hall. She was still in Canterlot Castle. She sneaked down the hallway, carefully listening to hear if there was anypony else.

She had nearly made it to an intersection when she heard hoofsteps echoing on the stone floor. They were coming her way. Twilight began to panic, but she found relief in seeing a janitorial closet. She scrambled towards the door, opening it quickly and closing it all while trying not to make the sound. The hoofsteps got closer, and Twilight could hear the stallion, or stallions speak.

“It’s bucking ridiculous. One moment, I’m fighting the Royal Guard-no offense Solar Rush- the next I’m patrolling the bucking castle. I should be out there, hunting those damned bugs. What they did to her…”. Twilight had a horrible suspicion he was talking about her, or at least about Cadance.

“I know what you mean. I was there, during the battle. I'm pretty sure I was fighting you, Night Sentinel. Or maybe it was another pony. It was too hectic. But yeah, I agree with you. Those damn bugs need to pay…”

The voices became quieter as the guards moved past her closet and farther into the castle. Once they were completely silent, to the point not even hoofsteps could be heard, Twilight let out a sigh of relief. She peeked her head out of the closet and found that hall empty once more.

She continued to sneak through the castle, until she heard another approaching pony. The voice though, was oddly familiar-Princess Celestia. Once more Twilight panicked. She found the nearest door, and with no hesitation, dived through it.

That action turned out to be the worst thing she could have done. As she picked herself up and got to her hooves, she heard a voice, a horribly familiar voice, speak.

“Twilight?” Applejack said. Twilight wanted to run. To be anywhere but here. She glanced around the room, and to her horror, saw all of them. All of her “friends”. She didn’t say anything, slowly backing towards the door.

“Twilight, dear. What happened to you?” Rarity asked, concerned about hiding something else, something Twilight couldn’t place. Upon hearing those words, she felt something snap inside of her.

“What happened to me? What happened to ME?” Twilight snarled. As she spoke, she saw Rarity flinch back. A single thought came to her mind. Monster. She shook her head, before speaking again. “Chrysalis happened. My-SHE turned me into a bucking abomination, while you all sat around AND DID NOTHING TO HELP ME.” She yelled that last part and saw that they were all cowering before her.

In that moment, Twilight felt something die inside her. An internal pain, not physical but emotional. She had been abandoned, betrayed by the ones she once considered closest. Twilight would have broken down into tears right then and there, but Rainbow Dash took that moment to speak.

“Hey! You can’t just yell at your friends like that.” She said, oblivious to Twilight’s fracturing mental state. Where before she was about to collapse into tears, now she was filled with incessant rage.

“FRIENDS!? You think you’re my friends? You abandoned me, and when I needed you most-you. Weren’t. THERE. I am a monster, and you let this happen.” She was breathing hard, panting for breath.

“Now hold up, that ain’t-” Applejack tried to say, but Twilight interrupted her.

“FAIR!? Do you even realize what she did? That Whore of a Queen violated me. She did the same to poor Cadance. And what did you do? When Spike came to you-you turned him AWAY!” Twilight yelled the last part, and finally saw the expressions of her former friends.

Their eyes were wide, frozen with fear. She could see them tremble before her anger, and swore she could almost taste it. Rainbow Dash had even moved in front of Fluttershy, and Twilight could see tears in the kind Pegasus's eyes. Part of her wanted to soften at the sight, but the rest of her was too mad to care. But looking at the group, the friends with whom she had experienced so much, caused the final part of her to break.

“I-I-.” Twilight stammered, before swallowing and pushing to get her sentence out. “I…I hate you all. None of you are my friends, not anymore.” With that, she slammed the door open and galloped out the castle. She no longer cared about who saw her, she was trying to get away. And as she ran, Twilight furiously tried to blink the tears away. Like so many other things, she failed in that as well.

---

Princess Luna walked the hallways of Canterlot castle, heading towards a location she wished to never visit. They had one in the Everfree castle, and the importance of ensuring that it would be constructed here as well. She approached the door, which had two guards flanking it. One Royal, and one Lunar. They both raised a hoof in salute, which she returned. It was only fitting, especially in a time like this. Luna opened the door with her magic and entered the War Room.

It was a large circular room, dominated by the massive table in the center. On the table was a map of not only Equestria, but all of Eques. It was enchanted so that whatever fell beneath the gaze of the Sun or moon would be shown on the map, resulting in an ever-changing scene. Empty chairs ringed the table, untouched for centuries.

There was only one other pony in the room. Her sister, Celestia. Tia was staring at the wall, occupied by the thoughts in head. She was so oblivious that she didn’t even notice Luna’s entrance.

“Sister.” Luna said, her voice snapping Celestia out of her trance-like state.

“Luna.” Celestia greeted, giving her a weak smile. It did not reach her eyes. “Come closer, sister. I’m afraid that I have bad news.” Luna raised an eyebrow, at which Celestia pointed a wing at something on the map. Once she realized what her sister was showing her, her mouth went numb. On the map, in the snowy north, was a city.

It was gray, covered in shadows and devoid of color. In the center of the city was a building Luna had wished to never see again. A tower, striking upwards and as tall as the mountains surrounding the snowy province, was surrounded by swirling black clouds. There was only one thought in her mind. The Crystal Empire has returned. Sombra has returned.

Celestia saw her expression and grimaced. “Our hands are forced. We must take action, or else Sombra will get too powerful too quickly.” Luna agreed with her sister’s thinking, and realized what they should do.

“We need to send Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.” Luna said, well aware of what she was suggesting.

“Sister, are you sure they have recovered enough?”

“Yes. We-I are. It was always Cadance’s destiny to do this. They must go.” Luna stressed, and she saw her sister relent. Luna’s next words were bound to upset her sister, she knew that. But it was also the only way she could see that would stop Sombra. “The Elements of Harmony must go as well.”

“What?” Celestia balked, seemingly not expecting this suggestion. Or rather, she hadn’t wanted to even consider it.

“As much as I trust your Captain and the Alicorn of Love, Sombra is too dangerous for them alone. The Elements of Harmony must go as well. Even Twilight.” Luna watched her sister chew through her words, before coming to a conclusion.

“Fine, but I must go with them.” Now it was Luna’s turn to be shocked.

“Sister, you cannot!”

“The hell I can’t!” Celestia snarled, and for a split second, Luna saw something. Her sister’s pastel mane was replaced by a roaring inferno, her teeth sharpening into fangs. Her pupils were that of a predator, slits staring at her. It was like looking into an inverted mirror.

“Tia! Thou must control thy emotions, lest thou fall to thy nightmare!” Luna exclaimed quickly, and she saw Celestia recoil. The image of the nightmare was gone, replaced by her wide-eyed sister.

“I-I…I need to go. I can’t fail her again.” Celestia whispered that last part, and Luna could see tears forming in her eyes.

“I know what you feel, Tia. But you have bigger things-your kingdom needs you. Despite what we say, Chrysalis’s deception has shaken our support. They're afraid, Tia. They, I, need you here. We must do these things together.” Luna said, but she knew it wouldn’t comfort her sister. The truth rarely did. Still, they were the words she needed to hear.

Celestia took in a deep breath and spoke. “Very well, Luna. I will stay here, doing what a ruler must. Putting their people’s strife before their personal ones. I can only hope that Twilight will recover and make amends with her friends. In that cold hell, they’ll be the only thing she has.”

Author's Note:

Chapter two, here we go. It appears that I can't resist a dream sequence- their so fun to write. Anyway, Twilight has confronted her "friends" for better or worse. Celestia isn't lying when she saws that Twilight will need them, though. Just as Chrysalis was darker and more brutal, Sombra, King of the Dark, will be to. Harmony aid them, because I know I won't. As always, May Harmony Prevail.