House call
For Noteworthy, being Canterlot's lead medical expert was usually a boring job. It mostly consisted of signing off on military psychological reports, ensuring that the Canterlot elite were not going through their ridiculous 'schizophrenic periods, and keeping up-to-date with his payments on the extravagantly large office space and home that he owned. The latter was, of course, paid for by said Canterlot Elite, most of whom were constantly paranoid that they were under some form of mind control by their political opponents, losing sleep, or even being poisoned. That dimwit Blueblood was Noteworthy's most common visitor, and he was constantly concerned that “The attention of all of those peasants” was causing his 'illustrious' mane to lose some of its dazzle, or that “The other nobles and princesses” were plotting against him, as well as other equally ridiculous ideas of the sort.
Some would think it to be an honor; after all, the nobles only ever told their secrets to those who they thought could help with their various issues, and what he heard was always kept in the highest of confidence. Truly, however, this was not a gift, but rather, the price for being the best in his field. No matter how ridiculous the problem or trivial the matter, his job was to nod yes to all of their questions and sign off on their medication sheets. The Canterot elite would stop coming once their doctors stopped agreeing with everything they said. All he had to do was nod and collect the checks, then he could go back to being a productive member of society.
The pay was wonderful, the benefits were excellent, his house was large, and his wife was gorgeous. Things that any stallion could ask for. And yet, he was constantly bored with his life. You didn't get to be the head doctor in Equestria by being a simpleton.
No, instead, Noteworthy constantly found himself looking into the most trivial and ridiculous matters just to find something interesting. His intellect could only handle so much complaining about underpaid staff not cleaning the microscopic spot of dirt from underneath a multi-thousand-bit, gold-lined rug. He was an academic at heart, and he could never resist a challenge.
Perhaps that was why, despite his strict sleeping and dietary schedule, he decided to answer the knock that came to his door in the odd hours of the morning. Only in special circumstances would he deviate from his schedule. Like many great geniuses, of which he liked to consider himself one, he was constantly worried about any action that could take away from his intellect, not so unlike the very bigots he so excelled in assisting through their daily troubles.
Unlike the other morons, however, he was still a pony of the public, and when duty called, he knew that it should be answered. As he cracked the door open, he blearily stared out sideways through his glasses at two night guards. Bat-winged ponies, in a dark armor that blended a little too well with the shadows for Noteworthy's comfort. The one on the left spoke first, with a gruff voice. “Sir, a message from the Princesses.”
'They're not much for personal introductions, are they?' Noteworthy thought to himself, as the other bat-pony pulled out a formal-looking letter. On the front were two wax crests, one blue and the other gold. Seeing these markings, Noteworthy hastily accepted the letter, tearing into the flimsy paper and opening it fully..
Mr. Noteworthy,
I am sorry to say that this is not a simple social letter.' Noteworthy mumbled. “It never seems to be,” he scoffed to himself, turning his attention back to the letter.
Recently we have come into possession of a rare bird, and require your assistance with study over the specimen. It is a peculiar little creature, her feathers are the darkest of black, unlike which neither my sister nor I have ever seen. We hope that you will assist us in this matter, and we hope to speak with you soon.
As always, Celestia
The stallion stared wide-eyed at the message before rushing back into his home, leaving the two guards standing outside. Only a minute later, he emerged from his large home, his slim frame covered by a white lab coat and a bag brimming full of tools hovering in his magical grasp next to him. The two guards wordlessly turned away from him, the scientist falling into step behind them.
It was going to be a long night.
Celestia watched through the one-sided window at the ponies swarming over Twilight Sparkle. Such a sad sight it was. Nine assorted doctors, assistants, and guards lingered around the pony. The guards kept a silent gaze on her, while also keeping a solid grip on the weapons strapped to their sides. Each of them was armed with a lead rod and chain, enchanted to inhibit any outside magic that the items came into contact with.
After her short awakening outside, she had been fitted with three inhibitor rings. Lead was excellent for stopping magic, as it weakened the caster's grip on whatever spell they attempted, even levitation, the most basic of spells. The chains were enchanted to sap physical strength as well so that, in an emergency, she could theoretically be completely subdued. That is to say, if she overrode the three rings and magical braces strapped onto each of her legs.
After what they had all witnessed, however, they weren't taking any chances with the insane mare. Sometime after being brought to the Tombstone, much to the shock and horror of the three physicians healing her wounds, she had awoken without a sound. Since then, she had not spoken or attempted to escape, but they had decided not to risk anything happening, thus the extra guards.
As Celestia watched the unicorn, she couldn't get rid of the feeling that the strange mare could see her through the mirror window. She had originally pushed the thought from her mind, but after moving away from her position, she could have sworn that Twilight's pupil-less, black eyes were following her.
It went without saying that each pony involved was on edge. One of the doctors had traded out his assistant earlier after she had dropped a tin cup and screamed to high heavens. The poor mare had turned around to find Twilight staring at her, with her impossibly wide smile and pitch-black eyes. Needless to say, the poor thing would probably need to speak with Noteworthy once he arrived.
'Luna is currently en-route, and Noteworthy is supposedly on his way here as well.' Celestia should have felt relieved that they had Twilight in custody, but there was still one pony missing in all of this. They had hoped that she would bring them both, but Twilight had only brought Sweetie Belle with her, leaving Scootaloo still missing. Celestia's nerves wouldn't be calmed until they found the filly.
It was a terrible thing sometimes, having to make the decisions. With Octavia's warning that more death was to come, how could they not take Twilight? You could not risk a whole kingdom for one filly, and yet, what would they tell Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy? It would be murder to just let the filly die, but what else could they do? Let Twilight roam free? What was the more irresponsible action?
They faced a no-win situation, and Celestia felt she would not be able to bear the guilt if they failed. How could she and Luna call themselves rulers, the protectors of Equestria and its citizens, if they could not even save two ponies? Their subjects thought of them as gods, but they were far from that. They had weaknesses. They had struggles. They had their own demons to face. But worst of all these facts was the knowledge that even they couldn't save everypony.
Choices would have to be made, should the time come. But what, and how? If they could save Twilight, could she help Sweetie Belle? Did they suffer from the same affliction? But what about Octavia? She had said herself, that to keep Twilight alive would be a worse crime than to kill her. Was she right?
And though it may have been a painful one, Twilight had lived a life. Scootaloo was just a filly. She had a future ahead of her. Could it really just be taken away from her? If they could help Twilight, there was no guarantee that there would be enough time to still save the young pegasus. The choice was hard, yet Celestia didn't understand why she still debated it amongst herself. Should the choice be made, it would have to be Scootaloo who would survive. She was the innocent in all of this. She still had a family. Twilight was already dead. Would it truly be so terrible of a crime to... to ki-
“Celestia?” A curt voice called out. Celestia knew it well, not even bothering to turn towards her sister. Luna approached her elder sibling, concern etched into her features. “Sister, you're crying.” Luna stated, concern in her tone. She looked as if she was about to ask why, but then her face indicated that she knew the answer. They both did. Celestia could only nod sullenly.
The Night Alicorn turned towards the mirror, locking eyes with the black-eyed mare on the other side. Her expression was unreadable, as she allowed just a shake of her head before turning back towards her sister, forcing herself to avoid those deep black eyes.
“Has anything changed?” Luna mumbled, barely loud enough for her sister hear. She stared downcast towards the floor, not wanting to look at anypony. Celestia only shook her head. She wanted to wrap a hoof around her sister and comfort her, just like when they were fillies. Or maybe, she wanted Luna to do that to her. Celestia couldn't decide which.
And so, they sat in silence. It wasn't such a bad thing, sometimes it was the preferable option. There was no point in distracting themselves with useless chatter, trying to avoid the subject directly in front of them.
After some time had passed, there came the sounds of multiple sets of hooves clopping down the hallway. Soon, Noteworthy and the two bat-ponies escorting him rounded the corner. The middle-aged stallion's mane was unruly and unkempt, and his eyes had bags under them. But he walked with a purpose, a spark of excitement in his gaze as he stared at the two of them.
“Ah, Princesses.” He called out to the sisters, almost as soon as they had locked eyes with each other. “Wonderful that we found you. These ridiculous oafs absolutely refuse to speak a word to me about the specifics of your sudden house call.” Celestia couldn't help but chuckle at the stallion. He always found something to complain about. He craved knowledge and information, and starving him of these pleasures generally sent the scientist into one of his tantrums.
“You have nothing to worry about.” Celestia said with a smile, her sister shooing way the two guards. “We asked them to spare the details until we could meet you personally.”
“Well then, out with it. Spare no details.” He urged Celestia, gesturing with his hooves.
Celestia turned her head slightly, looking through the glass window just outside of Noteworthy's range of vision. “Doctor?” She called, beckoning him closer.
A sudden sense of caution came over the doctor. He knew that what he had been called for was on the other side of the window, and yet he felt a sudden fear come over him. The fear was not strong enough, however, to completely deter him from his mission.
Slowly he came closer, peering farther and farther around the edge of the window. He finally came eye to eye with the beast on the other side, as her smile grew even wider, as if she could sense his fear through the thick glass. “Do you remember Twilight Sparkle?” Celestia asked, her voice full, deep and low.
The stallion stared into those black eyes, gulping down the lump that had formed in his throat. It was indeed going to be a long night.
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hmmmm,,,,,,,,, tghe story is pretty okay. as usual i always left with my held tilting at the idea of tiwlight being a threat to the regal sisters but i guess in this case soemthing dangeorus is directing her actions.
seriosuyl faaaaar too many things have tiwlight overpowering them. it is just ridiculous. powerful as tiwlgiht is, there is probably more than one gap between her and the regal sisters. one example would be the regal sisters have earth pony strength, so even if tiwlgiht had superior magic she would have to contend with that physical force and magic. and even then we are talking about a thousand year old spellcsating vs one around but a few decades.
IDK why but I have a strong urge to do this as I finished reading this
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Do you mean that the next chapter is going to be out by May 5 or may 12 ?
keep up the great work !!! 
Love this story
twilight should be wiping the floor with them or at least winning not captured and put in a cell so they can do the one thing octavia said not to do
At the beginning you have the same though twice (might want to delete the first paragraph). Near the end you said:
That should be "The fear was not strong enough..." I think there might have been a few others, but besides that it was an all around good chapter, though I miss the slightly (or more than slightly) deranged banter from Dementis. I am really hoping next chapter will show not only more of what's happening outside, but also what's happening inside Twilight's mind. What her thoughts are, if she can even think, or if Dementis has completely taken over (I hope not)
Edit: After some thought, I guess it is actually more disturbing for Dementis to just sit there and stare and smile, but still, I was hoping for some un-nerving dialogue. Also more impossible head tilting.
Huh the chapter is called House call and it's number 42 (meaning of life) and last chapter I wrote I watch you sleep in bed at night, referring it's in a house , coincidence much.
-Star
4340347
May 12th
4341165
Runes and Glyphs are basically stones or whatever is used to make them, that are charged with magic for specific purposes. Basically, it a way for other ponies to use magic when they wouldn't normally have access to it. At least, that's how I see them.
4341780
Also, the null rune projects a field around itself which then counters magic.
FimFiction did actually not tell me when the second to last chapter came out so I got a super supraise today
! Like always, awesome!... even though I had loved to see Twilight dual a god... oh well, Que Sera, Sera. NEED MORE SOON!!!! 
This doesn't make much sense, drop "having".
Drop "For".
This entire paragraph is repeated later. Looks like a double paragraph that wasn't fixed.
"fear"
Ugh, finals. Sooooooo excited for those.
4342414
I know, finals are the dread of every student. Thanks for the fixes. I must say though, the list was awfully small this time. IMPROVEMENT
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Or it is early in the morning and I am putting off doing a lot of stuff. I basically glossed over any grammatical errors. Only typos and the wrong words stopped me.
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Well then...
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Good. Let the fear take you. Let it guide you.
Let it feed...
Great chapter. You introduced a new character without making him feel forced, and I really liked the scenes with Celestia and Luna.
Best of luck for the Finals and study hard.
4340886
I am a fan of Underdog vs. Established Forces so I did put some thought in this and wonder: "How would Twilight be wiping the floor with them?"
Could you elaborate on how she should go about this?
Deathbattle style:
Twilight
is a magical prodigy that has been trained by at least 2 dark masters, and has been pushing back mental domination for years. This however also mentally exhausted her and she has depleted her magic before.
On the other hand, it's implied that her new specialties are Mind Magic and Draining so who knows what surprises she is hiding, like replenishing her reserves temporarily.
VS
The Royal Sisters
who are unused to battle after this long time of peace --they haven't even had Nightmare Moon-- but this grimmer Equestria does have a Black Ops program. They have access to ancient magic just like Twilight, but unlike her they are veritable deities in their respective domains. These domains are counters to hers, and bring light and protection even in the darkest nightmares.
Asides from themselves, they also have the alicorn of Love--another counter to her nightmarish powers-- and Shining Armor who is both her brother and a mage specializing in Abjuration--protective magic.
Even if Luna would have to enter Twilight's mind alone, she thus has 4 ponies who could aid her directly by using her body as a voodoo doll and cast light, love, and healing on her.
Let's not forget about the changelings either.
Conclusion:
Twilight is like a floating fortress who entered hostile territory. She had every opportunity to plan ahead, including back-up and contingencies. However, her resources are limited now while the Dual Throne has the home field advantage.
My money is on the Sisters, but this might all be a diversion for the real threat.
PS.: Admittedly, if it was me then I would surgically remove her horn or make some incisions in the parts of the brain that are responsible for spell casting. Both ways would shut her down for a long time at least. The horn could be reattached later or regrown.
The brain parts could be healed, but then you would get newborn cells who are not yet holding any information so she'd have to relearn her spells anyway.
Both methods are a lot less extreme then killing so the Sisters should feel more at ease then.
4343326
I think I should name you as my official spoke person for this story. The only question I have is where did you get the idea of two dark masters. I only remember mentioning one.
4343404
Thank you for the compliment. This is one of the only stories I actively follow so I admit to having spend some time thinking about it.
This is the first time I see Twilight VS. Alicorns as an actual story and not just a one-shot.
Twilight the young and passionate prodigy against the might of centuries and forgotten ancient secrets.
For the 2 dark teachers, I count Chrysalis as well, plus what she could reverse engineer from Dementis, and whatever other allies her patron brought her in contact with. Sombra hasn't been mentioned yet but this is an AU with a different history.
I did notice that her dark lord looked like animals that are present in Discord.
4343606
I wouldn't necessarily count Chrysalis as one of her "masters." Her back story with Twilight is coming in the future (a more in-depth one, mind you) but she is far from a Master. She is a friend and confidant who taught young Twilight to survive.
4343694
Oh, I thought that she was the one who taught Twilight to Drain and to infiltrate.
Didn't she know Changeling magic?
And I know that this would break the story so please see the following as a source of inspiration only.
As a tabletop RPG player I have explored imprisonments before.
Right now her options are:
-magic
-aid concealed on her person
-outsiders aid
As long as she has access to her magic, no matter how hard it may be, she can escape.
For hidden aid, she could have swallowed a few changelings or something else that shrinks. I once read a story where the "pregnant witch" was actually concealing a swarm of mind-linked spiders in her womb. ((My character kept his familiar inside his stomach as well. It could cast healing spells and buffs, and in case of emergency it could crawl out and free him from his bonds. Of course, it had resistance to acid.))
If nothing else, her Dementis could posses Luna.
For the Sisters, they should realize that they can actually drug her right now. They could even pump her full of love, light, and happiness from their respective domains. They also know that she is well versed in mind magic so entering should be a last resort.
They can also approach her mind from the physical side by working on her brain--stimulating the parts that govern her memory of Scootaloo, or the ones that allow her to heal from Dementis.
Maybe even put her under a waterfall to ground all her magic, thus the demon would perish.
Or put her in a pure area, or surround her with crystals, or at least somewhere that weakens her.
If all else fails, booby trap her horn. Seriously, something that resonates on magic so if she lights it then her horn will be destroyed. Why does she still have that thing?
My Gm disliked me :p
*edit* They also know that they would encounter at least 3 hostile "Twilights" in her mind.
4343702
Yeah, like I said, survive.
4343326 those are all very good points and although i want her to win what you said would happen probably would all i can say is that there is something about her plan like shes working for someone or perhaps using a body in a ritual to get rid of dementis also if they did try to pump all those different kinds of magic in her light, love that stuff i wonder what their reactions would be if it made her die
4343758
Well, I'm not counting Twilight out but realistically she's trapped. Yes, I know that she was counting on it but if this isn't enough then what is?
The only trading chip she has now is that the Princesses want to save as many lives as possible.
One thing people often forget is that BOTH sides can use the same tactics so for all we know...
I should stop here. It's a story and the plot demands that Twilight wins now so she can then defeat her patron and escape Canterlot in the end.
Maybe she'll even heal Fluttershy and take Octavia with her.
4342442
Mugsy must pay for what he did to Luna!
4344129
You know what they say...
fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/019/8/b/let_it_go_by_centchi-d72w4qi.png
Just Let it Go
4344166
When you look at it, that was a sad song despite being upbeat.
fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/083/e/c/luna_by_nero_narmeril-d7bg2w1.png
4344568
I guess you could say it was Sad but True
nme.assets.ipccdn.co.uk/images/gallery/0779_131218_metal_3.jpg
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Don't want to get too off topic, but will you ever release who the real Master of Puppets is?
i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/3973103360/hCF2B725B/
4343326
"Floating fortress"? Is that at all similar to a Flying Fortress? Will Twi go in, get half her tail shot off, missing half a wing, and still limp back on only one engine?
4344609
I mean... it worked in The Avengers
4344625
The showed the guy at the end, and some Googling and reading of Wikis would let a curious person know who it was. There are no Wikis for Homecoming by seeker9709 nor other lore to go by.
Least nothing I can think of.
th08.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2013/029/e/9/princess_luna_thinking_by_90sigma-d5t4d7o.png
The cliff hangers they burn
<------- This message has been made more appropriate and with alot less swearing then it did a few seconds ago 
Love confessions? I always love a good love confession. As a writer I think you should get move of them.
But not from me. For I am married to Allah.
4346579
Archimedes is a Muslim? Huh. I guess you learn new things every day
4346963
I am?
4348837
...Allah?
4349369
The Allah that lives on 2nd Street.
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I am lost...
4349829
I'm Jewish, and married to someone named Allah. Not the Muslim god.
4349848
Ahh, I see. That makes sense now.
They stole Twilight and locked her in a room. Wow, that`s going to work out great.... *insert impending doom here* And they think that they can save her when she was trying to do a quest that could have helped Equestria or destroy it, thus causing Equestria to be destroyed by their lack of foresight. Great.