For the greater good. Kingdom above all. Twilight is a good princess- and that means it has to hurt.
the precarious task of attempting to balance the needs of many, with the needs of the few. In Twilight's case, her duties as a princess of friendship, and her circle of friends. Tragedy strikes, and Twilight discovers just how far shes willing to go to maintain that balance.
It was cold. Even with the warm summer sun splashing down across the kingdom, and the crowds cheering wildly, the ticker tape parade, and the festival in full swing...it was cold. Cold enough to send a shiver ripping down Twilight's spine, as she cast a vibrant smile at the guards, and pranced herself down the halls of her very own castle. They'd saved the world again. Sent back the flooding darkness of a new evil, and once again propelled Equestira into a bright and glorious future, so the moment Twilight managed to sink into her room, away from the cheers and the smiles, and the barking, hollering praise, she dipped herself into the bathroom, locked the door, and threw up. Hard.
She'd been holding it in all day, and now that she was finally, finally alone, her body did what it wanted. She was sick beyond anything she'd ever experienced before, and it wasn't something that was going to go away for a long, long time.
She staggered out of the bathroom in a daze, glancing around at the fancy rug, and the expensive dresser. The scores of bookshelves lining the walls of her room, and a little purple dragon sitting on her bed. Oh...no...She hadn't even noticed him there...
"...Hey." Her voice was a whisper. Raspy and choked. Spike didn't turn around. He was gazing quietly out the window- but a twitch from his ear fins let Twilight know she'd heard him loud and clear. He was the last person she wanted to talk to...but now she had no choice...She wanted to wallow in her feelings for a while- to figure out her own way through this darkness and just...stop existing for a while. Hole herself up in her room and let the world melt away. But a princess did not have such a luxury and Spike...well Spike needed her, princess or not.
"...How are you?" Her voice was tentative, cautious. Even scared. She didn't know what Spike was going to say. Would he burst into tears? Lash out? Blame her? Somewhere, deep down inside, Twilight Sparkle wished he would do all of those things. Somewhere, deep down inside, Twilight needed him to do all of those things.
But Spike's shoulders simply rose, and dropped in the slightest hint of movement. It was more than enough for Twilight, and slowly, she crept over to join him on the bed.
"Holding up. I guess. ...How are you?" He sputtered. A question Twilight had not been prepared for. Oh, she knew it was coming, but still, it caught her completely off guard. The alicorn bit at her lower lip and mused over her jumbled thoughts quietly. Suddenly she was laughing. Great, heavy guffaws of helpless laughter. Spike raised an eye ridge.
"I, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Haaaa...It's been a year! An entire year since I've been a princess, and ...Celestia told me it was going to get easier! She promised it would get easier! Heh ! She promised, she promised!" Twilight barked as if suddenly, that phrase was the funniest thing she'd heard in the entire world. Spike remained silent, listening quietly, as Twilight broke down.
"She never told me I'd have to...I can't...this...she never said this was going to happen. "Twilight explained, as the laughing turned to sobs. It vanished, just as fast as it began, though, and Twilight sniffled, and drew herself into a prim and proper upright form. She was a princess after all. She had no time for tears, and she certainly couldn't let the kingdom see her sobbing. No, they had to have complete faith in her ability to lead, if she wanted to be a princess- anything even close to Celestia.
Celestia...A pony who had to make the tough calls, and stand with a spine of steel- no matter how heavy the duties got. No matter what she had to do to protect the kingdom.-Something she now expected of Twilight Sparkle.
"I...I didn't...I didn't have a choice, Spike.You were there. T, that thing was inside of her, and she was out of control. She was...You saw what she was doing to the foals she cornered! She BEGGED me, Spike! She begged me to end it. Her eyes, I, I saw it in her eyes... and... she...I...I didn't have a choice..." Twilight stammered. The little dragon didn't turn to look at her. He stared out the window at the party going on in town. Balloons, and fireworks and streamers. So many bright lights and happy squeals.
"I know." He said quietly. Somehow, this didn't make Twilight feel better. If anything, it seemed to pile the guilt on- relentlessly. Why didn't Spike turn around? Or scream? Or breathe fire on her? How could he be so calm, cool and collected after the battle they had?! After the fighting and the struggle and the choices she made?! Didn't he understand it was for the good of the kingdom?! Didn't he understand she didn't have time to root through all the possibilities?! Didn't he understand what was at stake?! And yet he just sat there...staring...quietly...
"I...I didn't have a choice, Spike! I DIDN'T! I...I TRIED! I...I didn't..." Twilight stammered. Spike kept his back turned. Twilight shuddered. She was a princess now. She didn't have time to wallow in sorrow. She didn't have time to show weakness or give her kingdom the slightest hint of doubt in her abilities. there just wasn't enough time... She didn't have time to sit and console every pony in the kingdom, if something terrible happened. Not her- there were others for that. She wasn't allowed to be that pony anymore. Never again.
So why was this all so hard?
"Do...Do you hate me?" She asked, finally. Words that didn't matter. It didn't matter if the kingdom hated her- if she could make the tough calls, and the right decisions, and save everyone with the loss of but one, well statistically, that made all the difference in the world, right?! That was supposed to count for something! She had no choice! She saved everyone!
"No." He said. His voice was like ice and yet the word burned like fire in her ears. She shook her head. Thats when Spike turned around- eyes soaked.
"You didn't have a choice." He said slowly. Another blow. No no no, don't say that. Don't say that! She was in the wrong! Don't validate her, don't tell her that, she wanted to be punished, she NEEDED to be told she made a mistake, that this wasn't the way things had to be!
"You saved the kingdom. You rescued everypony." Spike hissed gruffly. Twilight couldn't stop herself from crying. Spike was cruel in his mercy- Princesses weren't supposed to cry, and yet...
"No. Rarity HAD to die. You HAD to kill her. YOU HAD TO DO IT AND THERE WASN'T ANY OTHER WAY! YOU SAVED US. YOU DID THIS, TWILIGHT! YOU DID THIS!" Spike hollered, his claws twisted into trembling little fists of rage.
"Your. Highness." Spike spit quietly. That was the final blow, that sent Twilight toppling to her knees, struggling to hold herself up on shakey hooves.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I...Please, Spike, P, please..." Twilight looked up, and through blurred vision, saw Spike staring at her. The love in his eyes was gone. It was completely void as if it had evaporated into nothingness. Like Twilight had taken two lives today, instead of just one. It was as if Spike had died along with her. Her stomach churned again. There was nothing else left in her belly though- other than regret. And not an ounce of forgiveness to be had in the room. There was nothing else to say- Twilight was a broken record, and Spike was sick of the song. He stood up, with those big, sad, tear soaked eyes of his, gave Twilight a formal bow and quietly left the room.
Twilight winced, watching the door slowly close until it clicked softly, and the moment it did, loneliness overwhelmed her like a wave in an ocean of depression.
Rarity was gone. Lost to some dark, looming threat that dared invade the land of Equestira, and while Twilight had managed to save everyone, the world was suddenly as empty as her heart.
Was this how Princess Celestia felt, after she'd banished Nightmare Moon? Her own sister? Her friend? Was this how Princess Celestia dealt with this? The agony she must have felt, burning through her heart and tearing it's way out of the side of her throat, only to devour her once again. Twilight now understood where the obsession came from. Opening a school for gifted unicorns, endless semesters of magic, all of it building up to rescue a pony long lost for decades upon decades? Scouring the world to find the ONE student who was capable of bringing Luna back. The one student who could right a thousand year old wrong. One student- a needle in a haystack. A princess had to make the tough calls- but it didn't mean they had to give up hope. No, they didn't give up hope. They never gave up, and even if it took one thousand years, what had Celestia accomplished?! She had found her student. She'd found her salvation, and her redemption, and her hope, all rolled up into one. . It was like some horrible hand me down; some sadistic legacy that passed from princess to princess like a curse, and now it was Twilight's turn.
Twilight Sparkle reached a hoof up and dried her eyes.
"...I made a mistake, Spike. I made a mistake, but I swear, with every ounce of magic in my body; I will make this right. " Twilight vowed, swallowing the lump in her throat. Spike would forgive her. Rarity would come back. They would all be friends again, and happy again, and life would be ok again. She was going to fix this. She would solve the problem. She was good at problems. There were ways, she was sure. Things that could be done...spells that could be cast...deals that could be made...nothing to good for her friends, right? They were friends...they always would be. Twilight, before her days in Ponyville, would never let the thoughts flicker through her mind that she did now. But now...after meeting her friends- well she was willing to do anything for them. Friendship was magic, after all. They'd all be friends again. She was sure of it.
"I'm going to make this ok. Everything is gonna be ok. I'm going to be ok. You'll see, Spike. You'll see."
The furniture had been moved from Twilight's room, and now littered the hallway. Dressers, books, shelves, even the rug. Everything. Everything had been removed to make way for the chalkboards. Three hundred and seventy two chalk boards, in fact, that now wallpapered the room; most of which were splattered with furious scribbling from Twilight's stick of chalk. It was three days ago, since Princess Twilight had requested the chalk boards- and that was the last time any pony had seen her really. Even now, she was at it; violently writing down one lengthy magical equation after another, whittling the stick down to a nub.
"Spike, could you get me another piec-" She frowned. Spike wasn't in the room. In fact, the last time she'd seen him was when they were in her room, during the festival. But that was fine. It was fine. Well, everything WOULD be fine, anyway. She'd see to that- now that she had cobbled together a plan. A plan that wouldn't get completed unless she finished these equations. Everything had to be exact. Everything had to be perfect. She frowned. There was a box of chalk, hidden somewhere among the chalk boards.
"Twilight." A voice peppered the air. Twilight rolled her eyes. Vaguely, she had been aware that somepony ELSE had joined the room with her sometime ago, stepped in and asked to chat, but she really didn't have time to talk. Not now. Not when things were finally coming together.
"Just a sec." She muttered. Chalk, chalk chalk. Where was that chalk...
"That second has lasted for ten minutes, Twilight." The voice said. Twilight gave an irritated groan and glanced around for the speaker. She wasn't in the mood to talk about her feelings, or what happened, or the kingdom or- A hoof rested on her shoulder.
"What!?" Twilight snapped, turning about with a low hiss. She was NOT in the mood to deal with- Princess Celestia. The elder princess stood silently there before her, slowly gazing around the room at the thousands of equations spelt out along the chalk boards, and the exhausted little princess with her mane in shambles. Princess Celestia had seen this before- she'd lived this before. Slowly, she pulled Twilight into an effortless hug. She hadn't expected Twilight to hug her in return- and she didn't.
"I don't think I need to ask how you're doing, but, humor me? Are you ok?" She asked softly. Twilight pulled herself away from the hug and took a deep breath. Slowly, she nodded. Celestia frowned.
"I ...I'm better. I figured out how to do...what I want to do...how to fix this." She explained. Celestia, drew in a ragged breath and closed her eyes. It was worse than she thought...
"Twilight? Please. Please don't do this. Do not travel down this road. I have been there, and there is more pain than you can possibly fathom. Do not let this consume you." She whispered. Twilight's expression remained non-pulsed, however and the purple alicorn glanced around her at the chalk board and mathematics surrounding her.
"I have to fix this." She sputtered. Celestia rapidly shook her head, drawing Twilight in close once more. She couldn't stand this- it was happening all over again. The pain, the endless nights of torment, the false hope and maddening failures of trying to save someone beyond the scope of her power. She couldn't let Twilight fall into the same trap. She couldn't!
"Twilight. There is nothing to fix. Nothing to-" Celestia pled, but stopped short when she noticed but Twilight had stopped listening, lost to her own thoughts again, her eyes glazed over with magic equations and spell components. Celestia frowned. This was a problem that would get worse before it got better. She twisted Twilight about in her arms until she could stare the mare dead in the eyes and took a steady breath.
"Twilight. I think you should go and get some rest, ok? It looks like you've been working on this awfully hard, and I think you might feel better after a little break, ok?" Celestia cooed softly. For a quivering second, it looked as if Twilight was going to refuse her offer- to take offense and argue, but Twilight's shoulders slumped, and the young alicorn gave an fatigued nod.
"...Ok." She whispered quietly, and turned and staggered out of her room without a single word. Celestia slowly looked around at the magic written on the chalk boards. She had a horrible inkling idea what sort of spell Twilight was writing, but the symbols looked foreign and alien to her. Frowning, Celestia stepped into the hallway and drew a sigh, turning her attention to a wandering guard patrolling the halls.
"Guard. Fetch my sister."
"Yes." Spike mumbled quietly, face buried in his claws, his voice ragged and wispy. Zecora frowned quietly, and nodded her head. She couldn't blame him- she really couldn't. He'd spent his entire life with Twilight, and now she'd done something his young mind couldn't quite comprehend. In a fit of desperation, she'd killed another pony. And not just some other pony the one that held Spike's heart. His first crush. His first love. Zecora was struggling to find the right words to say to the boy, but the situation was beyond difficult. He didn't have the wisdom or the experience of life to tell him his heart might yet love again. Or that this pain would pass. Or that Twilight had no choice in the matter. For Spike, Rarity had been the end all, and be all, of love everlasting. It was impossible to see past puppy love crushes when you were that young...and Twilight had slain her right in front of him. Zecora could tell him over and over again that it would be alright. That she didn't have a choice, that Rarity would understand. But she knew regardless, the answer would ever be the same to her question: Do you hate Twilight?
The worst part about all of it, was that there was no way to right this wrong. No redemption to be had. No amount of apologies could absolve either Spike, or Twilight of their torture, and Zecora had no idea how the rest of the group felt. How were they supposed to come to grips with the loss of one of their own? After so many adventures, and bonding, healing and hurt, the concept of losing one of them wasn't just unthinkable- it was devastating.
Zecora had heard of the bitter victory that surrounded the group and had expected the members of Twilight's circle of friends to start popping up in the next few weeks, but Spike had been the first. Zecora was at a loss for what to do, but she knew she had to do what she could. So, gently, she handed Spike a cup, and stood up to tend to her cauldron. If anything, she could at least help him physically take a little pressure off.
"Please hold still, while I make this brew, I think it will help relax you." She explained. Spike shook his head.
"I can't. I have to go back to the castle. I'm sure the princess needs something done." He mumbled. Zecora raised an eyebrow. Spike hadn't referred to Twilight once by name since he'd arrived. At first Zecora thought it was just a slip of the tongue, but now she was sure it was a deliberate way for Spike to distance himself from her.
"I think you may need some time alone, it would do you good, to be on your own." She explained quietly. Spike stared into the distance for a moment, pondering the Zebra's words, before he quietly looked up at her.
"...Can I stay here?" He asked softly. Zecora smiled.
"What do you make of it, Luna?" Celestia asked, as the two peered at the various chalk boards in Twilight's room. Luna had always been the more studious of the two in magical studies, even when they were fillies, if Celestia couldn't figure it out- Luna always had the answer, and she hoped that remained true, even to this day. Luna winced. Even though Twilight had been sent off to rest, she still felt uneasy standing in another pony's room. The rows upon rows of chalk boards weren't helping matters either.
"Lots of this seems as if it's based off of Star Swirl's work. That symbol there...and there...those are spell prints he designed specifically." Luna explained. Celestia gave a grim nod and let her gaze linger across the scrawl across the chalk boards. The question she wanted to ask was burning at her tongue, but before she could spit it out Luna quelled the fire.
"It is not a resurrection spell." She said quietly, and watched Celestia's frame visibly relax in relief. Knowing that Twilight was no so far gone to attempt a forbidden spell was a load off- but Luna remained visibly tensed, which gave Celestia cause for pause.
"...what is it, sister?" She asked. Luna frowned, peering slowly at each chalk board. The spell had parts of Star Swirl's incantations inscribed in it- but also Twilight's own brand of magic- the new magic she'd discovered recently, that transformed her into an Alicorn. Nothing written on the subject matter, only Twilight herself knew exactly what it was, and Luna was struggling to decode what she could.
"It seems to be a very powerful spell. Even for an Alicorn. Even for Twilight. I have my doubts she'd be able to cast it without a catalyst in place, or some sort of boost to magic. This symbol here, indicates a launching mechanic...opening a door way...I think it's a time travel spell, but there'd be no way Twilight could make something like this work. It is much, much more powerful than Starswirl's original writings. I can't make out her glyphs, but ....hmmm...?" Luna frowned. Celestia cocked her head to one side.
"What?" She asked. Luna shook her head in confusion.
"It looks like Twilight's collaborative spell ends...right here? Midway through the board. The rest doesn't look like a time travel spell. It looks more like a summoning. How very strange. Well, basically, this string of glyphs, opens a portal, and this one tears through time. The rest of this is a summoning of some sort. As if she planned to open a portal and pull something out of it, and into this worl-" Luna froze. Eyes wide open and mouth agape.
"Luna? Luna! What is it? What is Twilight's plan?" Celestia barked. Luna quickly shook her head, instantly throwing herself into a row of chalk boards, wildly reading everything Twilight had written down.
"No...No this cannot be...I thought she was opening a time portal to the past, but she's not. She's reversing time itself!" Luna gasped. Celestia frowned. That wasn't possible. Not for her, not for Luna, not for Cadence. There wasn't any unicorn on the planet powerful enough to do something like that.
"She is going to create a portal." Luna explained, mouth dry, eyes wide. "She needs a severe power boost to achieve this spell's desired effect. Or even simply to cast it I just...I don't understand what she's summoning...this symbol...this can't be right." Luna frowned, tapping her hoof against the chalk board.
"This is a symbol for the night... She is going to summon me? Twilight wishes to summon the mistress of the night to help her? I would do no such thi-" Luna paused. Now Celestia's face had paled, and her mouth slack.
"No, you wouldn't. But Twilight knows where to get such power. She's seen it before. In Nightmare Moon." Celestia said dryly.
"Impossible...impossible, sister! Twilight would never..."Luna began but Celestia frowned.
"Luna. You have to trust me, when I say a desperate mare will do desperate things. We must find Twilight immediately. Summon every guard in Equestria! Find her friends, find Spike, we HAVE to stop her!!" Celestia barked, hoping against hope, that it wasn't to late, and knowing full well, that it already was.
They scoured the castle, but found no sign of Princess Twilight. She'd long fled, and now, both Luna and Celestia burst down the hallways of Ponyville's newest castle with ethereal bursts of speed. The guards whom all had signed up for detail in the castle raced behind them, ears perked at every barked order.
"Secure the castle, and watch for Twilight's return! You three, head to Canterlot, and alert the other guards! You, send a message to the Crystal Empire! Warn them of a potential situation! We MUST find Princess Twilight! If you discover her location, report back to us IMMEDIATELY! You two, seek out Twilight's friends! Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Rarit-" Celestia paused, ears perked in alarm at the words that slipped from her lips. It was only then, did she noticed Luna had stopped following her, as she raced towards the castle's exit. The Princess of the Night stared out the window, as if in deep contemplation.
"Luna?" Celestia asked. Luna's gaze slowly drifted towards Celestia, lost in thought.
"Rainbow Dash! The pegasus! She could find Twilight faster than any of us!" She exclaimed. Celestia tilted her head.
"Yes, but first we must find HER!" Celestia quipped. Luna's lips twitched with a hint of a grin.
"She naps about this time..." She explained. Celestia frowned.
"But how does that hel-" She paused. Luna grinned, and her eyes rolled back into her skull, the alicorn immediately collapsing to the ground in a self induced slumber. Celestia sighed. Luna had always been the clever one...
***********************************
It was a sunny day, warm weather and clear skies. The perfect place for a Wonderbolt Race. The seats were sold out in the stadium, and the crowd was screaming. Rainbow Dash wasn't exactly sure HOW she'd managed to get roped into a Wonderbolt's Race but she sure as tartarus wasn't going to lose. Star Dust Stadium was packed- simply PACKED to the brim with screaming ponies and fans, but Rainbow Dash didn't bother to take it in. She knew they were cheering for her, and she wasn't going to disappoint. Round and round they lapped, Fleet Foot, Spit Fire, Soarin- none of them could compare to Rainbow Dash, though. She took the next corner tight, shooting past Lightning Dust who squealed in shock at how much better a flier Rainbow was.
The crowd was cheering, louder and louder and louder. Deafeningly so, as Rainbow Dash soared through the finish line with an exaggerated smile. Spitfire grinned herself, trotting up to the filly, panting heavily, when they landed on the stage to accept their rewards after the race.
"Kid, you can REALLY move. I have NEVER seen ANYpony as fast, or as amazing as you...who WASN'T a Wonderbolt! You're officially on the winning team, now! Welcome to the Bolts kid!" She panted. The crowd went berserk, screaming wildly and cheering her name, diamonds showering through the sky, and A giant shiny golden trophy was being wheeled in from somewhere. Rainbow Dash could hardly believe it!
Princess Luna scowled quietly as she drifted through the crowds- the dreamscape was not unfamiliar to her; adoration, affection, love from perfect strangers as if you were Princess Celestia. Luna knew of it all too well, and even in the wake of a catastrophe, that ponies could still dream of delight...She frowned. More work she'd never be thanked for...Still, now was not the time to suffer past indignities. From within the crowd, Luna stomped a hoof- a simple gesture that sent a echoing -KABOOM- across the dream, and bought everything to a screeching halt. Everypony around her knelt immediately, leaving her standing tall in a sea of multicolored heads and manes. The look on Rainbow Dash's face was priceless, and Luna made sure to etch it into her mind for a chuckle, later. But for now...
"Element of Loyalty! Equestria requires thy gift of speed. " The princess commanded, the royal canterlot voice rippling to the seams of Rainbow's dream and back again. The blue pegasus looked up, sputtering quietly in confusion.
"Wh, what? I don-" She began, but shut her mouth immediately at the princess's outburst.
"SILENCE! Princess Twilight Sparkle has taken leave off her senses, and is now overcome with grief and guilt, at the death of her companion. You art to seek out thy princess...your friend, and make sure no harm comes to her. We've reason to believe she is attempting to cast a spell which very well may sunder the realm. Find her and stop her, Element of Loyalty. Awaken, and go. " The princess commanded, her words concise and clear. Rainbow Dash swallowed as the world began to melt into a steamy haze, and the dreadful existence of reality began to take shape around her. There was no wiggle room- no interpretation. Princess Luna had given her a job, and Princess Luna's words carried a weight Princess Celestia's seemed to lack. Some dark and fatal promise hidden under the syllables, which Rainbow had no intention of finding out. The pegasus sat up in a cold sweat, despite the summer sun around her.
The cloud she'd been laying on was no longer comfy , regardless of how soft and fluffy it was. Everything felt jarred and jumbled in her head, but she could sort out her feelings later. The battle, the group, what Twilight did, Rarity...all of it had to wait. She rocketed herself off the cloud with a furious pump of her wings. First stop; the remains of the library.
Princess Luna drew herself to her hooves with an unsteady wobble. Dream walking always made her a tad unsteady when she returned to the realm of reality, but she had no time for waiting. In the now empty halls of Twilight's own castle, Princess Luna shot a wing into the air and drew in a hiss of a breath.
"I am the author of darkness. With these black words, and mine tongue ebony, my will be done. " She hissed quietly. The candles in the room snuffed themselves out. The warm comfort of the room, turned cold, and foreboding, and shadows crept in from the corners like spiders.
The room turned black.
And with only the luminescent blue glow of Luna's eyes no pony could have hoped to notice the sound of hoofsteps, falling like silk across the ground. The temporary night the princess had bestowed inside the castle had darkened every room, every hall, every nook and every cranny- leaving her to talk in safety knowing no others could hope to hear them.
"Your highness." The voice whispered from the darkness. Luna frowned quietly, and nodded her head. Celestia had her fun little loving group of friends she trusted to the kingdom...and Luna had hers, even if they weren't so widely known. Her children of the night, , if she had to call them anything, came in all shapes and sizes, and their loyalty to the princess of darkness was unwavering. Of the group, there was Firefly, the Squire, Virga, the Champion, Diamond, the Errant, Nettle, the Steward, and Nightshade, the Overseer. And of the five, it was Nightshade, who stood silently, just out of sight of the Princess.
"You are aware of all that has transpired, I trust." Luna asked quietly. The figure in the darkness nodded her head.
"Yes, majesty." The voice hissed from the darkness. Luna nodded.
"You are to oversee Rainbow Dash and monitor the situation. If she is unable to subdue Twilight, you are to do so in her stead. Clear?" The princess asked. There was an unusual pause, before Luna imagined she heard an uncomfortable shuffling behind her.
"Your highness...Princess Celestia may not agree with your plan." The voice whispered. Luna frowned.
"Celestia need not know of my plans. I fear her judgment is clouded by her faithful student. Ergo, thy task, Overseer. Twilight must NOT fall under the influence of a Nightmare creature. It would be Equestria's undoing. Go." Luna hissed quietly. Behind her, the figment of a pony slipped back into the shadows, as the daylight returned to the room- the castle bright and cheery once again, with Princess Luna standing in the middle of it. Luna frowned quietly, and pinned her ears back against her head and gave a tortured sigh of duty. It was a dark call to make, to be sure, but the well being of the kingdom came first after all. Being a princess was not a job she wished upon anypony.
Twilight's smile was unnaturally wide as she embraced Rainbow Dash, squeezing her prismatic friend tightly and nuzzling in against her cheek. It had only taken Rainbow Dash ten minutes to find Princess Twilight, and even if they had been the most frantic, rushed ten minutes of Rainbow's life- she had completed her task. Twilight wasn't in the remains of the library in ponyville, but Rainbow Dash was willing to bet she'd be in some library somewhere if she needed to concentrate on casting a spell. Someplace quiet and out of the way so she could think straight...well, straight-er at least. The only other place Rainbow could imagine would be the library in Princeses' old castle; so thats where she searched, and thats where she found Twilight.
The princess had been sitting in front of an exceedingly large tome, with a number of scrolls around her. Scroll after scroll after scroll of parchment. Notes, and reminders about whatever Twilight was doing, Rainbow surmised. To the pegasi's surprise, Twilight had not reacted hostile when they encountered one and other. From Princess Luna's gravely threatening message, Rainbow had half expected Twilight to have gone feral. Foaming at the mouth and screaming nonsense, but the princess seemed remarkably calm- even happy.
"Rainbow Dash! I'm SO glad you're here! You'll be the first one to witness what I do!" Twilight squealed happily with an extra wide smile. Rainbow winced. Even though Twilight was friendly...something was wrong here. Something was very wrong.
"Uh...Hey, Twi, I'm glad to see you too. I'm uh, sorry we haven't talked much, lately. Things have been kinda rough, ya know. Uh...How uh...how are you doin? What are you doing? Here? In this creepy castle? All alone?" She stammered. Twilight giggled and skipped back over to the large open book in the middle of the room.
"I'm casting a spell! Rainbow, can you keep a secret? Eeeee, I'm bringing Rarity back!" Twilight shrieked happily. "Isn't it wonderful!" She asked. Rainbow's mouth dropped open. Even if she didn't know magical law, or practice magic herself, she was positive that was all kinds of messed up.
"You're...you're going to resurrect Rarity? Twilight, you can't-" Rainbow began, but was quickly cut off by Twilight, who shot her a vicious little growl in response.
"NO, I'm not going to resurrect Rarity! That is illegal, Rainbow Dash, I am a princess. A princess does not break the rules. I'm a princess...I have to...follow them. Resurrection is...very difficult. Thats impossible. That magic cannot be cast without a significant catalyst, and I couldn't even begin to wager the kind of horrible magical backlash such a spell would cause!" Twilight exclaimed, bringing Rainbow dash a breath of relief, if only to replace her concern with curiosity.
"Then...how...?" She mumbled- Twilight smiled even wider.
"Star Swirl figured it out, Rainbow! Hehehehehe, it's a temporal displacement spell, with a heavy influx of chronological layering. Its a time travel spell on a grand scale. I'm gonna go back and fix it, Rainbow! I'm gonna go back and stop her...stop me from ever making that mistake!" Twilight exclaimed. Rainbow's eyes widened and she glanced around, finding her voice lost after hearing Twilight's plan. The goal she was supposed to halt. She was supposed to stop Twilight Sparkle from bringing back their friend and loved one.
"...For real?" Rainbow stammered. Twilight wildly nodded her head, and Rainbow lurched forward, grabbing Twilight by the shoulders. The prospect of bringing somepony back...of being able to fix a 'mistake' of this caliber...the things it could mean for Equestria...long lost mothers or fathers, brothers or sisters, taken away by tragedy or sickness...Rainbow bit at her lower lip. How was she supposed to stop Twilight from doing this? How was she supposed to crush the only chance she may have had at seeing her friend again? What about the family, what about how sad Sweetie Belle had become, or the hole in her heart?
"This........Twilight This is.............This.......... is......... gonna be AWESOME!!!" Rainbow squeaked quietly- her own excitement starting to bubble out of control at the prospect. Maybe things really could be alright again! Maybe Twilight really could do it! She hoped, oh, how she hoped! She hoped, she hoped she hoped.
"Ask her how, Rainbow Dash." A voice called out from somewhere beyond the gloom of the derelict castle. A new voice- like a stern and disapproving school teacher. Twilight frowned, perking her ears and peering into the darkness surrounding her.
"Hey?! Who's there!!" Rainbow snarled. Silence filled the void between them, and Twilight splayed her ears back against her skull. Nopony was going to stop her from doing what was right. No pony was going to end her pursuit of justice! Rarity didn't deserve to die- not by Twilight's hoof! She was going to fix this...
"Ask her how, Rainbow Dash." The voice called out. Closer this time- loud and ringing...and closer. Rainbow snarled quietly and drew herself into a combat pose; head down, wings splayed, ready to charge ahead if need be.
"Quiet! Come out you coward! I trust Twilight a lot more than I trust some scaredy cat lurking in the shadows!" Rainbow snapped. A low haunting chuckle echoed around the room, coming from everywhere at once, and nowhere at the same time. The fur on Rainbow Dash's neck began to prickle. Twilight cast a little ball of mage light, that twinkled and danced like a fairy through the darkness- but failed to show any sign of the intruder. The voice rang through the halls again.
"Basic magical law, Rainbow. If a spell requires more components than available, the spell cannot be cast. In this instance, Twilight's will serves as her catalyst, and for this situation, we'll call her willpower 'mana.' Twilight has a horrifyingly large pool of mana to draw from- raw power, but the spell she wants to cast is-"The voice explained, but Rainbow rolled her eyes.
"BLAH BLAH BLAH! Either come out, or beat it! We don't have time to listen to you whine! We've got a friend to save!" The element of Loyalty cried out- and cried out once again when something crashed into the back of her neck, sending Rainbow Dash spilling onto the floor. Twilight screamed. Nightshade had distracted them both with her explanation, and taken to crushing Rainbow Dash with a swift blow.
"Traitor. The princess expected more fro-" Nightshade said- squealed, before diving to the floor, dodging a blast from Twilight's horn.
"DON'T YOU DARE HURT MY FRIENDS!!!" Twilight snarled, firing bolts of violent, violet energy at the slinky black mare in question. Nimble hooves, and a quick flicker of a shield spell saved Nightshade from Twilight's horn, but the shield was already cracking, and Nightshade was already retreating back into the safety of the shadows. It didn't last, however. To both Twilight, AND Nightshade's surprise, Rainbow proved far more resilient that originally anticipated. She was climbing to her hooves, and baring her wings in one moment- and soaring forward to crash and tackle into Nightshade the next.
"TWILIGHT!! FINISH THE SPELL! BRING HER BACK!!!" Rainbow cried out, forcing Nightshade to the ground in a violent pin. Nightshade kicked and hollered, struggling in vain under the pegasi's strength. No! No no no no! This could not happen!!
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!! SHE'S SUMMONING NIGHTMARES!! NIGHTMARES!!" Nightshade screamed, but Rainbow Dash wouldn't let go. She was the element of Loyalty, after all, and she'd be loyal to Twilight till the end. Even as the drew grew dark, and ebony forms began to slink from the walls. Purplish portals began to open- ripping viciously through the seams of reality, harboring tentacles, and fangs and eyes so many more than two.
She was loyal to Twilight Sparkle, and forever would she be- even as those things spidered into the room, and wrapped around Twilight's frame- the screaming alicorn's voice cut off by a gurgle of surprise. The dozens of things that wrapped around her arms, and legs, forced it's way into her mouth and into her nose, didn't stop until every last inch of Twilight Sparkle had been covered. The spell had been a success- Something had completely consumed Twilight Sparkle, and in her place now stood a horrible abomination of magic and animal. It stared coldly at Rainbow Dash and Nightshade, and now that all was said and done, spell complete and Rarity's return soon at hand- Rainbow Dash felt a bubbling inkling raise up; that maybe she'd made a mistake. She felt her loyalty flicker.