Rapid Eye Movement
"If these visions have offended, think but this and all is mended..."
-Puck, A Midsummer Night's Dream
It was such a strange day to be marching to war. Twilight had assumed that grand battles would bring forth rains and overcast skies and moonless nights. The atmosphere, to her at least, should be heavy and foreboding; there should be an oppressive sense, as if some giant hoof was being slowly lowered onto one's back. That is how all the stories describe it and books rarely lied to her.
But that isn't what she felt and wasn't what she saw. The sky was bright and sunny, the clouds fluffy and white and the grass had never looked greener. Were it not for her brother's grim face Twilight would have thought she was on an afternoon stroll to work off a well deserved lunch.
None of it felt right. To Twilight, it was as if she were starring in a play that had suddenly been altered without her knowledge. She had come to perform as Spear Shaker's Lady Blood Hooves only to find the rest of the cast was performing Discord's Night.
"You ok, Twiley?" Shining asked, bumping against her.
"Fine, just fine," Twilight murmured to herself. "I mean no... I'm not fine, because everything has gone mad but if one ignores that then I am perfectly fine."
"Save for the madness?" Shining teased.
"Exactly," Twilight said, trying to remain perky and failing hideously. "I'll... I'll just be glad when this is over."
"When what is over?" Pinkie Pie asked, bouncing along next to her.
"The war."
"There is a war?" Pinkie Pie said, brow furrowed.
"Of course, against-" Twilight let out a yelp and jumped away, aiming her horn at Pinkie. "How did you find us!?!"
The earth pony giggled. "I got a twitchy twitch that said you were back and I followed it here!" Pinkie happily began to circle Twilight, giggling. "Now, tell me about the war! Is it between the gerbils and the field rocks again? My grandma used to tell me about that one."
Twilight's wings flared out. "What kind of trick is this?"
"Uh... I don't know. What kind is it?" Pinkie asked, confused.
Twilight turned, only to find that her brother had fled, leaving her to face the pink mare all by herself. But as the alicorn of the stars stared down her friend she was surprised to find that Pinkie didn't look any different. There was no horn upon her head. No wings fluttering upon her back. No sign of Pinkie being any different. She looked like... Pinkie Pie.
"What is this?" Twilight demanded. "What kind of trick is this?"
"What are you talking about?" Pinkie asked, tilting her head in confusion. "I'm not trying to trick you. And if I was, I don't know what I would be tricking you about!"
"You... you're evil! You overthrew the Princess! You took over and you are brainwashing ponies! You... you..."
Pinkie burst into laughter, rolling around on the ground, giggling up a storm. Twilight just stared at her, mouth hanging open in shock at the sudden giggle fit that had taken her friend.
After several moments Pinkie managed to contain her laughter. She slowly stood up, wiping her eye with a hoof. "Wow... and everypony says I'm random!"
"But... you are just trying to trick me..."
"Come on, Twilight, get serious!" Pinkie giggled again and Twilight found herself smiling at the irony of the party pony telling her to be 'serious'. "Does it make any sense that I'd be evil? That me or Fluttershy could be bad?"
"I... but Shining..."
Pinkie blew a raspberry. "Wow, you are believing your brother?" Pinkie knocked on her friend's skull. "Uh, hello! No offense Twilight but your brother is kinda a ditz and can't tell the different between his wife and a bug... you think maybe he got mixed up?"
Twilight stared at Pinkie, her frazzled nerves settling down. "I... yeah... I guess he did..."
Pinkie nodded, wrapping a foreleg around Twilight and gently moving her off the path she had been walking. "Seriously, Twilight... who are you going to trust? Your friends or your brother and Doubt? Who's been there for you through good and bad? Who always has your back?"
"You girls," Twilight said as she allowed Pinkie to lead her down a new trail through the forest.
"See? Was that so hard? We are your friends and you should always stick by your friends!"
"Right," Twilight said with a grin.
"Hey, you know what would make you feel better?" Pinkie began to bounce and, with her foreleg around Twilight's neck, made the alicorn bounce too. "We should Pinkie Promise to be friends forever!"
"That sounds like a great idea!" Twilight said with a smile, eyes bright. "There is just one tiny little baby problem."
Pinkie pursed her lips. "What?"
"I'm not really Twilight. Sorry." With that, 'Twilight' bucked Pinkie into a tree. "Really now... is that the best you could do?"
"What? What are you-"
"Stop it," 'Twilight' said sternly, before her entire body began to twist and reshape itself into a gray ball of liquid metal. "The scene is over and the actors have taken their bow. You played your part well, my dear Queen Pinkie, but you failed to sell yourself to the most important audience of all." After several moments the liquid reformed into a pony... but one whose shape was definitely NOT Twilight's.
"Doubt!" Pinkie exclaimed. Her tone wasn't angry or fearful... it was the same tone one might have if they turned a corner and stumbled upon an old classmate they had not seen in years. Her own form flickered for a moment and she was revealed in her true form: a large dark pink alicorn with a mane of frizzy hair that was nearly as big as she was that kept shifting and taking on new shapes like a large cloud caught in the wind. An impossibly large grin stretched her face to the breaking point. Though she was smiling it was easy to hear that there was no joy in her laughter. "What are you doing here?"
"Again, it is Faith. I really don't know why none of you can remember that." The silver blob began to, of all things, pace about the forest. "I mean, it isn't like I am shy about it. I considered even writing it on the moon but with Luna still a touch sore about the whole Mare in the Moon thing I decided it wise not to press my luck."
"Well, Doubt is a cooler name," Twilight said from high above. The sky darkened and the stars that shone swirled before creating a constellation that resembled the purple alicorn. "I got to say, Pinkie, I'm a bit disappointed; you really must not think much of me if you thought you could sneak into my dreams without me realizing it." She shook her head when Pinkie opened her mouth. "Don't deny it. The fact that Spike isn't here is enough proof that this is all a dream. Shining too... yeah, you did a number on him, and we are going to talk about that, but he would never abandon me. So, this is obviously a dream, which is why Faith and I swapped. You were trying to worm your way into my head... not a smart move. Mental shields were something they covered in magical first grade."
Pinkie looked up at Twilight, her smile still huge and her eyes vainly attempting to hide all her other emotions. "Wow Twilight, you sure are big and stuff! Imagine what we could do if we joined forces!"
"I have. Step down as a queen and help me save the others," Constellation Twilight said.
Pinkie giggled but the sound brought no joy to those that heard it. "Aw, you know I can't do that! I am spreading fun and sunshine and rainbows all over Equestria! This whole country is one big party and you are the grumpy next door neighbor that wants me to turn down the music. And I have to turn that frown upside-down!"
The liquid metal that represented Faith swelled up till it rivaled Twilight in size. The two massive alicorns stared down at the tiny Pinkie, who merely chortled at their ridiculous size. "It is clear we are not going to settle our differences here... will you at least answer a question or two?"
Pinkie clapped her hooves. "Of course! It can be a game! I ask a question and you ask a question!"
"How did you become an alicorn?" Faith questioned.
The pink alicorn raised an eyebrow. "You get right to the point, don't you? Well, okie dokie... I had help."
Twilight frowned. "From-"
Pinkie wagged her head. "Nah uh... my turn to ask the question! Where is the base full of those mean little rebels that want to ruin my fun."
"Equestria," Faith said simply, the metal twisting to form a smirk.
Pinkie's mood soured, even as her smile remained. "That's not fair!"
"Those are the rules of the game. Nothing said I had to give you the answer you wanted."
Twilight nodded. "Who made you an alicorn?"
"My new friend. See, I can do it too!" Pinkie stuck out her tongue and bugged out her eyes. "Where in Equestria is the rebel base?"
"On a patch of dirt big enough to fit it," Faith said casually. "What is the name of your new friend who made you an alicorn?"
"You know the name."
"That isn't an answer," Twilight snapped.
"Nothing in the rules said I had to answer honestly, did they?" Pinkie taunted. She turned on her heels and began to bounce away. "You'll meet my new buddy soon enough, and then all of us will have a party and have roasted Doubt for dinner."
A metal hoof slammed in front of Pinkie, nearly crushing her.
"You have tried to violate Twilight's mind... if you or your queens try this again I will not be held accountable for my actions."
Pinkie flashed Faith a feral grin. "Twilight won't let you hurt us."
"There are many ways to torture that don't leave marks," Faith whispered for only her to hear. "And there are worse things than death, my dear... I should know." Pinkie, still smiling if not as large, turned away and the dream shattered upon itself.
The next thing Twilight knew she was waking up with a gasp, Spike and Shining Armor hurrying over and helping ease her up.
"You ok, Twilight?" Spike asked. "You were muttering in your sleep."
"I'm fine, Spike... Pinkie and I just had a very confusing chat."
Shining frowned. "Does she know-"
"No. I let Faith muddle up everything. He's really good at that... I'm confused and I know what he was hinting at. She got nothing." She looked around, befuddled. "Where is Faith?"
"He stalked off right before you woke up. Said something about needing to do some investigating and he would check in later." Shining licked his lips, looking up at the dreary early morning sky. Night had not yet quite ended and the day was not quite begun. It was a time of contrasts and transition; he wished for the silver alicorn to be around if only because Faith seemed to thrive in such conditions.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you missed him!" Twilight teased. "Are you sure the queens haven't pumped you full of harmony?"
"What?" Shining asked, brow screwed up.
Spike chuckled. "Just kinda surprising. You weren't exactly Faith's biggest supporter."
"Back when he was Doubt and he had you convinced the best way to deal with me was to slam me into a stain glass window? Yeah, I wasn't very fond of him. But he's different now and I am a big enough pony to forgive and forget."
The smile left Twilight's face and she awkwardly scuffed at the ground. "Shiny... I am so sorry about how I treated you-"
"And I am sorry for how I treated you," Shining said softly. "We both screwed up, Twiley, so there is no reason for us to beat ourselves up over it. Forgive and forget."
"Forgive and remember," Spike said. "Otherwise you never learn."
"Someone has been hanging around Faith a bit too much," Twilight said, causing Spike to huff in annoyance.
The morning, unlike her dream, was dark and overcast, with a heavy fog in the air and a heavier foreboding feel. That comforted Twilight, despite the oppressive feel, as strange at it was. The tree they had slept under was heavy with morning dew and the grass slick with dew. The sun had not risen and even when it did there was little chance its rays would pierce through the heavy clouds.
"They still can't control the weather in the Everfree," Shining said, looking up at the sky.
"There is magic here," Twilight murmured, rising up. "I can feel it in my bones. It is old magic... very old. I think it was here before ponies came to Equestria." She shut her eyes, only to snap them open and reveal one was white and the other black. "Yes," she whispered, more to herself than the others, "very old magic."
"Should we be worried?" Spike asked.
"No. It isn't evil just... it is hard to describe. I'd almost call it playful... teasing." Twilight scanned the area, her wings fluttering as she did so. "Its like there are a thousand voices speaking but they are talking so softly that I can't understand the words."
Spike raised an eyebrow at this. "Sounds kinda spooky, Twilight."
"It is... and it isn't." Twilight took several steps away from them, as if she were being dragged into the underbrush by an unseen hand. "The magic... I know I've felt it before... or something similar..."
"Twilight... could you maybe stop looking at the spooky trees? Kinda creeping me out," Shining said, walking up to his sister.
"Celestia and Luna selected this forest because of the power," Twilight stated, as if she were lecturing a graduate class. "Nightmare Moon was born here... the elements were stored here... Discord wandered beneath these trees and felt no need to alter them. It's old... it's been waiting for a long time-"
"Twilight!" Shining exclaimed, pressing his horn against his sister's. All at once her eyes returned to their normal color and the magic that had been oozing from her horn flared out like the dying of a stove's flame. Twilight looked at her brother and for a moment it was as if she could not remember his face. "Twilight..."
"Shining... what..."
"You were disappearing, Twilight," Shining said, pointing to her flank. Twilight looked down and saw, to her shock, that bits of her back legs were transparent, though they seemed to be returning to a solid form even as she stared at them. "What the hay was that?"
"I don't know," Twilight whispered, no longer looking upon the Everfree with the reverence she once had. "Something... something was calling me... it was like mom was yelling that dinner was ready and I needed to come inside."
"Ooooookay," Spike said, giving Twilight a bemused look that was tempered with worry. "Could you try not doing that again?"
"Yeah," Twilight said, taking several deep breaths. "Yeah, don't think I'll do that again."
Shining looked upon the dark underbrush with a new sense of foreboding. "The queens have been showing an interest in the Everfree... I thought they were looking for us..."
The alicorn of the stars cut off his next comment. "Let's cross that bridge when we have to. I think we have enough on our plate without adding 'creepy magic forest that tried to kidnap Twilight' to the list."
Shining nodded. "Yeah... come on, the hideout is about an hour away."
The party of three continued on their way, though Twilight couldn't help but feel as if she were on stage... and a thousand eyes were suddenly staring at her, waiting for her next line.
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This was a fun chapter to write. I love playing with dreams and their nature and what we have here is really two dreams: the real dream, where Twilight faces the first of the queens, and a second waking dreaming, where Twilight sees the Everfree for the first time with the eyes of an alicorn. Equestria is magic and their are older forces than the alicorn sisters in it...
Now I wonder how long it will take for someone to whip up some fan art of Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity as alicorns?
Inception!
Cuhreeeeepyyyyyy
Did Twilight just break the fourth wall?
She said she thought there were suddenly thousands of eyes watching her.
That's what we are doing, right?
assets.diylol.com/hfs/3a0/5d8/f9f/resized/philosoraptor-meme-generator-hmmm-interesting-124568.jpg
I'm getting large hints of foreshadowing from the Everfree. I'm also sensing a link between the Everfree and the weird black shadowy figure at the start of the story.
>Story starts soon after Season 3 premieres
>My response
i.chzbgr.com/completestore/12/11/4/XXvwp4t_IkWrUZz_mu-v_Q2.png
great chapter! even though the chapter was named after the state of sleep which you dream during; i didn't get that they were in a dream until twi said so. i wonder how much of twi's friends still consist of twi's friends, in other words, how heavy is the personality altering...
everfree is quite foreboding, something will definitely come out of that presence.
Seems to be somewhat significant, and the Everfree is quite interesting. Something Alicorns can call 'home'? Some sort of siren like lure for them and possibly Discord? Interesting indeed!
1637530
what do you mean how long? its been done a thousand times already
1637552 your meme is bad and you should feel bad
Neat, very Tim Powers.
1637530 It has allready been done
static.fimfiction.net/images/story_images/10617_r.jpg?1333301182
This one is from So, You've grown wings by Steel Resolve
1637725>>1637881
I think the reviewer's point is that there have been alicorn pics... but never pics of how I have written them. Twilight, the alicorn of the stars, looks different than all the Alicorn Twilight's I've seen (especially in her powered up form), and as we saw with Pinkie, the rest of the cast will look different too.
Never thought I'd say this, but I'd prefer NORMAL crazy Pinkie Pie to this alicorn deceiver who would turn ponies into laughter machines(?), if that's what she does to the Laughter aspect. Sure we'll find that out later, when you introduce soldiers of HER army. Well, good chapter, even if wish the plot'd move a bit further along, no offense. I mean, continuing to reveal more things raising questions than answers, though I imagine this is what you're going for, and since it's your story I shall not complain... much.
Surprised Faith hasn't figured it out yet, though maybe he has (if he actually was in the dream with Twilight) and will reveal it next chapter. cdn.broni.es/images/emotes/mlp-cesigh.png Enjoyed seeing a bit of his playfulness and protector role he's given himself for Twilight, standing up against alicorn Pinkie Pie. Glad that the siblings are still on good terms, as it is. Though wondering now like maybe few others have said, about Twilight and Shining's parents, but hoping we'll find out soon if you're supposedly waiting on a "right time" to introduce them into the plot.
Also wondering about this whole magic aspect from the Everfree Forest that almost drew Twilight in... I'd say it has something to do with the nameless/formless one in the Prologue of Volume 2 at end of Faith and Doubt, if anything. Haven't thought about that until now.
But shall wait to see if it's proven right or not. And still waiting to see if any former(?) bad guys, not big ones necessarily but smaller ones will be introduced into the plot, if it's in the plans (Trixie, Gilda, maybe Chrysalis as some ponies here want to see for some reason). I may finally be on path to liking this story I guess, even though this is just gonna be calm before storm starts, one of many, I know. 
List of errors I feel you should fix, though erased/left out some that didn't think you'd agree with, knowing you:
The sky was bright and sunny, the clouds fluffy and white and the grass had never looked greener. Were it not for her brother's grim face Twilight would have thought she was on an afternoon stroll to work off a well deserved lunch. <-------- Think both sentences require a comma after the reddened words, first cause it's part of the description; though second could be semicolon instead, but depends on your view if necessary to begin with.
But as the alicorn of the stars stared down her friend she was surprised to find that Pinkie didn't look any different. <-------- Think there should be a comma between these two words, cause of not looking right if there was one missing.
You overthrew the Princess! <------- Princesses, not Princess. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Twilight_Sparkle_lolface.png
After several moments Pinkie managed to contain her laughter. <---------- Same as previous sentence missing a comma for same reason.
No offense Twilight but your brother is kinda a ditz and can't tell the different between his wife and a bug... you think maybe he got mixed up?" <-------- Should be kind of a, cause doesn't sound right even if didn't have the extra "a" there, what with kinda being slang(?) for "kind of". "Can't" is a contraction of can not and should probably be couldn't, if it's referring to it as a past event and not something Shining'd likely ever do again, though maybe not with how Pinkie/Laughter is mocking him here. Difference instead of different, with how you wrote that line. And again, wife instead of fiancee/bride-to-be/however you wish to put it. If Pinkie/Laughter influencing her knows that. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Octavia_O_O.png
"I'm not really Twilight. Sorry" <------ Missing punctuation mark at end.
After several moments the liquid reformed into a pony... but one who's shape was definitely NOT Twilight's. <-------- Correct usage should be whose, cause who's is a contraction of "who is", which wouldn't make sense with the rest of the line afterward.
Her own form flickered for a moment and she was revealed in her true form: a large dark pink alicorn with a mane of frizzy hair that nearly as big as she was that kept shifting and taking on new shapes like a large cloud caught in the wind. <------- Missing a was between those two words, grammatical error (I think, for type of error it is).
I considered even writing it on the moon but with Luna still a touch sore about the whole Mare in the Moon thing I decided it wise not to press my luck." <-------- Think a comma should go after both of these words, or at least the second one.
Pinkie wagged her head. "Nah uh... my turn to ask the question! <------- Think it's supposed to be "Nuh uh" as the saying goes, but not sure if this is your own preference or what.
"You have tried to violate Twilight's mind... if you or your queens try this again I will not be held accountable for my actions." <------- Think comma makes it look more correct, than if one was missing after this word.
"and there are worst things than death, my dear... I should know." <------- Supposed to be uppercase for first word of beginning of the sentence. And should be worse, not worst, cause I think worst is past tense... maybe. Not sure, but doesn't sound right with worst.
The next thing Twilight knew she was waking up with a gasp, Spike and Shining Armor hurrying over and helping ease her up. <------- Think a comma (or possibly semicolon) should be after that word. And I think second part is confusing way it's written, maybe it should be "ease her down" or "calm her down", if anything. Unless you mean they're helping to ease her up from prior sleeping position.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you missed him!" Twilight teased. <------- As with few other sentences, looks incorrect without comma after this word.
The tree they had slept under was heavy with morning dew and the grass slick with droplet. <------ Think it should be droplets, since not referring to a blade of grass (singular) but the grass as a whole (plural).
The sun had not risen and even when it did there was little chance its rays would pierce through the heavy clouds. <------ Last case of missing comma.
"Twilight!" Shining exclaimed, pressing his horn against his sisters. <--------- Sister's cause should be possessive here, since referring to her horn and not him having more than one sister, as sisters generally means.
"Let's cross that bridge when we have too. <--------- To, not too (which means also) in this case.
Maybe I should stop doing this, even if I/you don't mind (at least, in this manner). Just cause, should give others a chance even though may not spot 'em all and not like trying to make my review the biggest, heh. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Twilight_crazy.png
1637910
Point, great story by the way.
oh yay this chapter is way better than the last
1637910
i have seen an alicorn twilight that fits your description nearly perfectly before. if i find it again ill send you the link. as for what pinkie looks like...i know of a couple you could mix together to make her but youd need a good photoshopper for that and i absolutely suck. if i find any of them ill send you them if you want.
1637881 And why wasn't I aware of this before?
Twilight is suitably paranoid it seems!
I wonder what Faith has gone to do...
While they have power, it seems they don't fully understand it. I guess it would be like handing a child a bow. He may understand of pulling the arrow back and letting go but doesn't grasp the full concept behind using it.
Good chapter, really wondering now what the Everfree Forest have to do with all of this. Great to see Pinkie and awaiting to the rest of the new alicorns.
I don't want to hate Pinkie but you are doing such a great job of making me hate her
1637728 Philosiraptor will never be bad. You should feel bad for insulting our reptilian friend.
1637530
There's been fanart of the "alicorn six" for quite a while.
1638672
its only bad because it was used incorrectly.
Twilight lost the chance for a good question ...
Pinkamena Diane Pie, are you happy?
was just thinking... if pinkie pie can break the 4th wall with NO magic... wshe'd probubly be able to shatter it now....not to mention being able to break the 4th wall for other ponies (for example breaking it for twilight to make her feel like shes in a book that 600 ppl are reading...)
1638701 Again I ask why I never knew unitl today.
creepy magic forest that tried to kidnap twilight.
this is all there is to say on any matter.
1637915
Finally made a bunch of the corrections (save for the commas but my finger is aching thanks to this damn cyst I developed on it, so that will wait till tomorrow if I get the time). Thank you very, very much!
1641222
As he said in Faith and Doubt, he is both. He can't undo all he went through... he just has reclaimed his old name and powers... but part of his Doubt self will always remain.
For some reason, these two quotes fit together in my head. Anyway, this is a better chapter than the lat, though it's still hard to figure out what about Faith demonstrates his actual interest in Twilight's well-being, other than simply fighting at her side.
1641888
How on earth has Doubt/Faith not show interest in Twilight's well being? He seems to have taught her a great deal, given that 2 months ago her combat magic seemed to boil down to brute force blasting things. He's heading into the heartland of some of the few things that can hope to match him, and seem to be personally offended by his mere EXISTENCE, to back her up. He obviously did something to earn enough trust to be allowed under her mental defenses and to act as part of them, see beatdown of possessed!Pinkie.
And on a note of my observations. Am I the only one who thinks that in a one-on-one fight, any of the possessed!Mane Five will be beaten into the GROUND by Twilight or Faith/Doubt? The Five shouldn't have a power edge, because while yes they fused with their elements, so did Twilight with Doubt the element, and Faith/Doubt is an element given flesh. Actually, given that the Five seem to be running white magic taken to ridiculous extremes, while Twilight and Faith/Doubt are running very different styles of Yin-Yang Bomb combos, the Five are likely at a weakness. Add in Twilight's magic copying, Faith/Doubt's spell reflection trick (he still has that, right) which should work even if the Five are throwing much stronger attacks because doubt isn't dying this time, and Doubt's greater experience and the Five shouldn't be able to win on tricks. And, well, fighting someone who is using emotion powered magic while engaging in actions that utterly digust them, acting like they or their best friend is a blight on existence, and generally dancing over the Moral Event Horizon seems like a really bad idea.
And a thought I had on Doubt being both Faith and Doubt, abstract-wise, while Twilight has doubt the element. Faith/Doubt's take on doubt seems to be looking at yourself and your relationships and evaluating them honestly, while the Faith aspect is belief in yourself and others, both those who have earned it and those who haven't had the chance to earn it or not. Twilight doesn't seem to have Faith in a metaphysical way, although I'm pretty sure anyone who hurt Spike, Shiny or Doubt would tell you otherwise. (Shiny seems to have redeemed himself in her eyes, judging from how Pinkie's ploy failed and how she stomped all over those goons.) I'm seeing her aspect of Doubt as more like the Scientific method.
Being that they're currently in the Everfree Forest, wile Zecora be making an appearance? I might be mistaken, but I don't think her role in things, if any, has been touched upon.
I've read so many stories of the discorded main characters, but this is a truely fascinating idea! Harmonized, taking their roles to the extreme.. I can't wait for more of this! I want MOAR!
1641585 1644071 Well, yes, but it's all in how it's used. Inspiring someone to doubt that everything is hopeless, that they're too weak, that obstacles are insurmountable, is a wholly different thing than doubt that you're in the right, doubt that your goal is noble, doubt that you'll succeed, doubt that your good works will be seen as good. The first is positive doubt, the kind of doubt that's used with a friend, and the second is negative doubt, the kind you use to weaken and hurt an enemy. "You're going to do immense harm, ponies won't love you, your cause might not be good" strikes me as the second, which is why I question how much of an ally Faith/Doubt actually is. In action, thus far, he's much more of a hired gun than an actual ally, giving the impression of being there because it amuses him at the moment but perfectly content to just ditch out the moment he loses interest. I suppose my difficulty is that I haven't seen anything in him, in either story, that demonstrates why Twilight trusts him and wants him at hoof. Honesty, if there was a plot twist exposing him as the villain from the get-go, I'd have seen it coming a mile away because he shows all the hallmarks of the insidious serpent whispering into your ear type of baddie.
1645187
And that is why Faith is such an interesting hero... he uses all the tropes of the serpent villain and uses them to help those he wants to protect. But he isn't a hero or a villain, at least in his own eyes... he is gray. The balance. The yin and yang.
1645776 Very few villains are villainous in their own eyes. I hope that, at some point, there's a clear indication that his motivation is to help.
1645855
Keep reading. But let me assure you, if Twilight is the hero, then Faith is one too.
1646047 It's my hope that you're right and my hope that if you aren't, he gets put in his place.
wonder if faith could persuade discord to help?
1647617
Considering Faith aided in destroying Discord, I'd say the spirit of chaos is the last figure Faith wants to talk to.
1647629 but does he want equestria being a total anthesis of himself? or just a partial one. right now it's fully agianst him. at least celestia allowed chaos to exist in some form.
Nice to see a helpful Reader like TheWanderingPikaPony.
Sorry, but all i got to say is Great Chapter!
And now moving on to read the other one!dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Twilight_Sparkle_lolface.png
Hmm...
The bit with the Everfree was the most interesting part of this. But is that a good thing or a bad thing? And Pinkie "dream walking" made me think of Inscape. Intentional? From other things you said in the chapter I don't think so.
Anyway, looking forward to the next chapter as usual.
1637551
No.
16375511.bp.blogspot.com/-ne8C1IPvvfs/UMsIgYl75aI/AAAAAAAABHE/BXzoaTYzY34/s1600/47509+-+computer+denied+hardware_abuse+no+punch+twilight_sparkle.jpg
I love this line. Switch "dream" for "fanfic" and it would probably describe quite a few submissions on this site.