Mind Games: Echo of Fear
Echo of Fear
Twilight Sparkle lay on the ground, her mind clouded by pain as it attempted to fight off the deliberating after effects of Kata’s spell. She moaned in agony as one of her alter egos was crushed under the powerful foot of the chaos goddess's spell. The battle had raged inside her brain as the group traveled through the swamp but she’d kept quiet about it. Celestia and Luna were wrong, this spell was no mere illusion. This was a spell designed specifically to ruthlessly crush and tear its way through the mind of the target.
It was kind of beautiful in its own way, a detached part of Twilight’s mind mused. What at first appeared to be a chaotic mass of writhing lines and dark tentacles was revealed to be an all but perfect spell matrix driven by an all but tireless power supply of twisting, turning, chaos magic with just a hint of void energy thrown in for good measure.
Of course, almost perfect wasn’t enough to kill Twilight Sparkle!
Even as the spell attempted to obliterate her mind permanently Twilight’s consciousness began to fight back. At first it was only with guerrilla attacks, hit and run attacks that disoriented the vile spell as it tried to crush her mind. Then it began to escalate, Twilight’s mind began to rally as large powerful swaths of magic began to radiate out from her core.
The spell wasn’t one to be defeated easily and it cascaded down on Twilight’s fledgling defenses, but the alicorn was ready for it.
Kata’s spell crashed against a powerful magical barricade, mared by a thousand Twilights. It plowed into the barricade with the force of a tidal wave but as one Twilight’s personalities unleashed a counter spell that sent searing white beams of light into the massive black construct.
They sliced through heaving limbs of darkness like hot steel through ice. The spell’s matrixes let out an agonized scream as they began to fracture and split apart. Twilight continued to poor power into it, destroying every bit of the spell, erasing all traces of it from her mind and preventing it from self repairing.
However one part of the spell remained and stubbornly refused to die. The void magic that supported the base of the spell. The nauseating magic resisted her every attempt to remove it and the rest of Kata’s spell began to grow back around it. Twilight’s mind screamed in outrage, she’d already beaten it, damn it!
Twilight’s brain blanked for several seconds, beginning to despair as Kata’s spell reformed around the void base. She was done, beaten, broken, dying.
“You need help, my faithful Student?” Celestia’s voice called out.
Tia? Is that you? Twilight asked indistinctly Help me, it’s too strong, she moaned. I love you she added before she lost focus on her ability to project her mind.
Celestia walked down the dull grey stone corridor, her hooves announcing every step they took. She had no idea of what she would be facing, but she kept her spear near her and charged for a burst of fire equivalent to that of a dragons.
She then heard the familiar tune of unicorn’s magic being cast, but something was off. She quickened in her pace and followed the sound towards its source. She came to an abrupt stop when she found it .
Twilight, one who was still a unicorn, was lying there shivering, violently. A familiar black book laid in front of her.
“Twilight?” Celestia asked in disbelief.
Twilight’s eyes snapped open. Dark violet energy encased in a black aura danced out of her eyes. She then lifted her eyes and gave an eerie smile at Celestia.
Ah, my mentor, Twilight said mentally. Finally come here to help me? Well I don’t need it. Her horn began to encase in dark energy as the Twilight lifted the black book. This dark magic will do nicely. It’s so powerful and and strong. I love it.
Celestia spear drop towards the ground, bouncing back and forth between the tip and the shaft. Celestia’s face was in shock, and in horror. “No...” she whispered to herself. Her horn flashed to life and a beam shot out, knocking the book away from Twilight.
A beam of white hot, searing magic flared through Twilight’s mind, rallying the defenses and straight slicing through the void magic with the power and experience that only comes from untold centuries of practice against the void. The white light cleansed her mind of the harmful spell and Twilight’s consciousness let out an ecstatic cheer as control of her body suddenly rushed back to her.
Twilight opened her eyes and found herself looking into the beautiful eyes of her lover. She was lying on her back in Celestia’s bed. Celestia looked down at her with a slightly cross look on her face, as if Twilight had been doing something naughty.
“This was not the best time to be consorting with the void my dear,” Celestia scolded. “It can have very dire consequences. In fact I think that if I hadn’t come along when I did then you might’ve been trapped in that illusionary labyrinth for all eternity.” Celestia paused to let that sink in. “And we both know that there are much better ways to spend eternity,” Celestia added with a smirk before leaning in for a passionate kiss that caught Twilight off guard with its fierceness. The kiss left her panting and Celestia chuckled once she’d released Twilight.
“Now come along lover, I do believe that it’s time for my dear sister to once again be reminded of why I’m in charge, and why she’s nothing more than another insect for me to squash at my eternal leisure,” Celestia told Twilight as she rolled off of the bed and onto her hooves. The sentence caught Twilight like a buck to the stomach. Something was very wrong here.
Twilight scowled at Celestia, who returned the glare. “Twilight, dark magic is not a field of magic that one needs to study. It’s vile and corruptive. It promises great power, but gives none. It only weathers down the mind till there’s nothing left but an empty shell, desiring only one mindless thing. Do you want that?”
“And how would you know what I want?” Twilight asked her with a mocking chuckle. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, Celestia’s favorite student. I’m always under your shadow, and you command me like I’m one of your personal servants. Maybe for once, I want to be the master and you the student.” Twilight lowered her horn and a dark beam lanced towards Celestia.
Celestia quickly picked up her spear and swung it at the beam, cutting right through it and disrupting it to the source. Twilight’s head recoil from the backlash, but her dark mood only increased.
“Twilight, stop and think. This is not like you and I’ve never treated you like that before!”
“Oh really? Then who did you send to fight your sister, or Discord, or how about the wedding when you didn’t believe me about the Changelings?”
Twilight’s words stung as the bitter truth rang out. “I...I didn’t want you to do any of those things...but the Elements have chosen you and your friends to be their bearers. You had to be tested.” Celestia hung her head. “Just like I had to be.”
“Is that what you tell yourself to make it better? Ha, what a load of shit Celestia, you don’t care about me, you only care about what my element can do for you!” Twilight told Celestia angrily as dark energy rolled off her body in waves.
Twilight stared in horror at the sight before her, Luna was hanging upside down from the ceiling, bleeding from a thousand cuts and slashes. The blood pooled below the alicorn in a deep depression in the ground. To Twilight’s horrified surprise Luna let out a low moan of anguish.
“What’s that dear sister? Are you uncomfortable?” Celestia laughed viciously as she stepped forward and licked one of the drops of blood off of Luna’s cheek. Twilight made a gagging noise and Celestia turned to look at her with a perplexed look on her beautiful face. “Twilight come here, it’s not like you to miss out on a chance to antagonize someone, especially little Luna here,” Celestia commanded.
“No, no, no, no, no!” Twilight shouted as her horn suddenly began to glow fiercely. “You’re not Celestia, Celestia would never do this!” Twilight shouted.
“Lover I believe that the voidling has changed your perspective. I will correct it,” Celestia told her with a loving smile, the effect was ruined by her sister’s blood staining the white fur around her lips. The alicorn’s horn began to glow and a streak of burning white light shot towards Twilight, who countered it with a beam of her own.
“What happened to you Tia?” Twilight shouted in despair as tears ran down her face.
“What do you mean Lover? This is the way that I’ve always been!” Celestia told her with a haughty laugh. “I’m the all powerful Empress, Tyrant Sun!” she crowed. “And you’re Twilight Sparkle, my lover and personal apprentice. You’re the mare who crushed that pitiful hovel Ponyville under her bloodsoaked hooves!”
“No-no-I would never-” Twilight stuttered before she broke down weeping in despair.
“No...that’s not what I tell myself.” Celestia said softly.
“What’s that master?” Twilight mockly asked.
“We need to face trials Twilight. A sword isn’t forged by hammer alone, but also by fire. If we do face hardship and overcome them, then our true purpose can’t shine out. Taking another way doesn’t bear the same fruit. Yes, the tasks you did were something I easily could’ve taken care of myself, but if you didn’t do those, you wouldn’t found your friends and the Elements would still be searching for its bearers.”
“Friends? Ha, those worthless little foals don’t deserve the title of friend, as for the Elements they’re a good tool I suppose, but hardly a match for my dark magic!” Twilight told Celestia with a mocking laugh, however sobs could be heard.
Celestia tilted her head at the sound of sobs. “You know that’s not true Twilight. While dark magic gives power it also takes it away. The power and magic of friendship is one of the most powerful out there in the universe.”
“You’re a fool, Celestia!” Twilight shouted as a beam of dark energy slashed out from her horn.
The beam hit Celestia square in the chest, causing minor damage. However, something was off. It didn’t feel like dark magic, but like normal, if not a tad stronger, unicorn magic.
“It’s alright Twilight, let me help you,” Celestia told Twilight as she stalked towards the smaller alicorn, her movements like those of a lithe predator.
“No, stay away from me!” Twilight begged. A brilliant purple beam shot from her horn and hit the approaching mare straight in the chest. Unfortunately it appeared to do no real damage.
“Really now Lover, was that the best you could do?” Celestia asked with an amused chuckle. “You do worse every night.” The alicorn then resumed walking towards Twilight and her horn began to glow.
“Please, Tia, please don’t come any closer to me!” Twilight sobbed, her head hung low.
“Oh, my little pony, what has happened to you?” Celestia asked, her voice had changed from that of a the power mad queen instead it was that of a compassionate and kind mother.
Twilight’s head snapped up in surprise at the unexpected change in Celestia’s tone.
“Wh-what?” Twilight asked.
“Twilight, you’re not casting dark magic.” Celestia pointed out.
“No, I’m a mage of the dark power now!” Twilight protested angrily.
“That’s not true, your heart denies that fact. Dark magic requires both heart and mind to yield to it,” Celestia informed.
“That’s what I’ve done, you just can’t see it!” Twilight shouted as she swung her head around viscously, but Celestia could hear sobs coming from the unicorn.
“That’s what your mind is telling you, but your heart knows the truth. It’s telling you that this is wrong, this is not the way to achieve power.”
“You are a fool! A stupid, stupid FOOL Celestia! I’m more powerful then you can ever hope to be!” Twilight roared.
“Oh my little pony what has happened to you?” she compassionately stated.
“Wh-what?” Twilight asked in obvious confusion. “T-Tia? Is that you, th-the real you?” She asked desperately.
Celestia was a bit confused of the sudden tone shift, but continued nonetheless. “Yes it is me, and you're Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. You’ve saved Equestria multiple times, formed a strong friendship that is nearly unbreakable, and most of all, you’re like a daughter to me. And I’m very proud of you.”
The dark energy flowing around Twilight disappeared, and the air surrounding her seemed to ripple for a moment. Then a pair of wings appeared on her back and one of her violet eyes was replaced by a cold blue robotic one. Tears stained her cheeks and before Celestia could react she found herself tackled in a deep hug as the mare cried into her chest.
“It-it was awful,” she sobbed.
Celestia finally understood what had happen, and mentally scowled at Kata. “It’s okay Twilight, it’s over.” Celestia bowed her head next to Twilight’s and covered her with a wing, pulling her deeper into the hug.
“Y-you had Luna hanging from-from the ceiling bleeding, and you-you drank her blood!” Twilight continued wretchedly.
A dark memory flashed through Celestia mind, but she ignored it. “I would never do that to my sister,” she said comfortingly. “I love her with all my heart.”
“And-and you said that I destroyed Ponyville and killed all of-of my friends- and-and-and-” Twilight trailed off again, sobbing into Celestia’s tear soaked chest.
“Hush, don’t think of it any longer. They weren’t real. Whoever you saw was just an illusion conjured up by Kata,” the white alicorn continued with her soft voice.
“I-I just want to go home,” Twilight moaned. “I want to see my Tia. I want her to hold me and I want to see my friends again, this, this is too much!”
“I know...your mind wasn’t ready for this type of battle. Havoc and devastation are an ill combination, one which Kata balanced extremely well, but not good enough.”
“That spell that she used on me earlier, it wasn’t just an illusion. It was an attempt to take me over, to make me one of her own, and it almost worked,” Twilight began. “But-but then I rallied and I destroyed it, all except for the void energy within.” She stopped for a moment to think. “The spell regenerated and it almost won, but then something stopped it...” The mare trailed off.
Celestia was a bit disturbed of the spell Twilight was describing. “Twilight, I need to examine your mind, if you will allow me.”
“Of-of course Celestia,” Twilight replied, her voice shaking slightly at the beginning.
With that said Twilight’s mind felt the presence of Celestia’s. To Twilight it was like the soothing warmth of a fire expelling the bitter cold of the night. To Celestia, it was almost utter confusion. Multiple personalities of Twilight were scattered around, but she pressed on of finding what needed to be found.
She sensed its pulsing power, deep in the depth of Twilight’s mind, but she soon encountered it. The small essence of the void imbued with chaos magic. It was inactive for now, probably Kata’s doing, but Celestia was going to change that. Another sense of void essence entered into Twilight’s mind, but not from Kata’s spell, but from Celestia. It then engulfed Kata’s void essence like a white blood cell does with a virus. Then Celestia’s void essence broke in two, one remained in Twilight while the other return to Celestia. Celestia’s mind left Twilight’s and she let let out a strained sigh.
“There, Kata’s spell should bother you no longer,” Celestia said, while placing a hoof to her forehead, rubbing it.
“Thank you Celestia, thank you so much,” Twilight said quietly, she reached up and nuzzled the elder alicorn lovingly.
“It’s no problem, just don’t mess with Ueirn’s essence in your mind. He probably hates me enough for telling everyone his name. He won’t like it I used a part of him to cure you.”
“So that’s what it is,” Twilight murmured quietly. Her brow furrowed as she examined the void essence sitting comfortingly in her mind. “It’s surprisingly polite,” she said with a slight giggle.
“Well, it’s been sitting in me for over a thousand years. It probably copied a part of my personality. Soon, it will probably copy yours,” the elder alicorn explained.
A slightly evil smile appeared on Twilight’s face. “Next time that Kata tries something like this, I’ll be ready for her, and I’ll make her pay for it,” The alicorn said viciously. “So mote may it be,” she added in a quieter voice.
“Yes, she will. Now let’s try to find the others,” Celestia said as she fully stood on all fours and picked up her spear.
“Lead the way, I have to familiarize myself with the void essence inside me,” Twilight told her with a small smile as she got to her hooves as well. “Oh, and Celestia, thank you, for everything.”
Celestia turned her head towards Twilight with a smile. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“You may not be my Tia, but you’re a hell of a runner up, Celestia,” Twilight told her with a grin as her cheeks began to dry.
“Well, thank you for the honor Twilight, I hope I’ll continue to live up to that status. Not just for you, but for everyone,” Celestia replied.
“You just need to work on your kissing a little,” Twilight joked with the first actual chuckle of the entire conversation.
Celestia became a little embarrassed but didn’t show it; however, Twilight felt a small pang of it in her mind coming from the void essence. “Well...I never had need of it,” Celestia replied with her own chuckle.
“You need to get out more Celestia, no reason to act like an old nag yet,” Twilight chuckled.
“Perhaps we should discuss this another time Twilight, it’s not the time nor the place to discuss a topic such as this.” The white alicorn dodgely responded.
“I suppose you’re right, I was just distracting myself. By Faust I’m acting like Ethan now, that’s never a good sign!” Twilight said with a slight chuckle.
With that said, the two alicorns walked through the maze, hoping to find other members of their group.
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no comments on this yet.......what, ive been at school all day....
Any ways, i wonder what sparky plans to do with that little bit of void magic then...hmm...
I had to sh:t half way through this which really killed the mood, but you guys done did it again with your storytelling and what-not.
I will admit, though, these shorter chapters are like Febreze in a stripclub; Sightly obnoxious but still potent enough to make you realize you have work in the morning and need to sleep.
I feel like I should say more.
Anyways, good job.
Awesome chapter! Me liking this Void sturff. :D
3652021
these shorter chapters are like Febreze in a stripclub
I laughed so hard at this I cried a little XD
heheehehehehe