The Phantom
Shards of the Heart and Mind
The Phantom
The shallow light of the crescent moon peeked through Twilight Sparkle's window into the Golden Oaks Library. The humid air inside the damp room choked the safety net of her own bedroom. The grinding gears of the cuckoo clock broke through the peaceful silence of a full night's rest. An unusual thick bog of darkness covered over the library's wealth of knowledge. Something felt wrong, as if time itself stopped.
"Who goes there? Show yourself!"
Deep breathing from across the room alerted Twilight's senses. A subtle creak in the wooden floorboard confirmed her suspicions. Two luminescent, oval-shaped eyes popped out of the darkness. The sudden blink of the reptile's sharp glare pierced through the uneasiness inside Twilight's heart.
"I am but a phantom."
The mysterious figure wasted no time hiding in the shadows. The crackling whispers of this unknown being professed louder than Twilight's proclamation. A careful step of the pony's black leg broke through the illuminating light shined forth from the room's tiny window. The intruder's hoof imprinted deeply into the wooden floorboard.
"Who are you?"
Twilight abruptly shined forth a beam of light from her horn, but the darkness around her remained unchanged. The magical beam of light faded as Twilight's trust in her own magical prowess waned. Her soul quivered backwards. Her legs refused to move.
"Who... are you?"
The figure's hollow voice proved louder now than before. A carefully placed second leg impressed ahead of the other. Razor-sharp teeth appeared beneath his beady eyes as the pony confidently cackled behind the mask of shadow.
"Answer me!"
As the opposing force meticulously tread further into the light, the applied pressure on Twilight's front leg buckled. The dim gleam from the window pane revealed rough skin as thick as dragonscale, and a misty haze, black as ash, oozing out of his body. The pony closely resembled a mutated changeling in appearance, without insect wings or a jagged horn.
"I am many things."
A magic spark ignited and trailed down the body of Twilight's foe. Fuchsia hair wrapped around the changeling's head. His unnerving black shape slowly transformed into the luscious, bright colors of pink fur. His pupils dilated and transfigured into the form of a regular pony's eyes.
"Pinkie?"
The changeling toyed with Twilight's weakened state and fed off her emotions. Fear of disapproval from her friends weighed heavy on her mind. The ill-tempered madness she resented on a daily basis manifested in front of her eyes. Twilight's consciousness blurred the thin line between convincing logic and insanity.
"Why didn't you come? Why?"
Twilight recalled the rare occasion when she purposely missed out on Pinkie Pie's party in exchange of attending to her own personal studies. She felt remorse and shame for abandoning her friend's loving invitation. Juggling a tight schedule full of activities always strained Twilight, but the menial tasks were nothing compared to extending a warm gesture to a welcoming comrade in need for support.
"Pinkie, I'm sorry."
Unphased by the undeniable induction that the pony facing her was only a transmogrification, Twilight watched helplessly as the luminescent colors faded from the changeling's body. The curly, cotton-candy mane melted until the frolic strands feebly dangled straight down to the floorboard. The glistening brilliance that originally glowed from her body dissipated into the shadows.
"Don't you care about me anymore?"
Twilight lingered, stunned and confused. Her thoughts rapidly excelled out-of-control. Her mouth dripped open, but the appropriate response escaped her grasp. She knew in her broken heart there was never a valid excuse for missing out on at such an important event.
"I had work to do."
A fiery spark erupted from the hair strands touching the ground. The explosion burned through Pinkie's mane and ignited the fur around her jolly body. The sizzling remains turned golden orange in appearance as a copper hat flashed out above the figure's head. Long, blonde hair fibers suspended over the left side of her face. A small red band loosely tied them together a couple inches from the end.
"What would you know about work?"
Twilight's hoof rigidly grinded backwards on top of the wooden deck. Not a day passed by where she reminisced how exceedingly hard her pal worked out in the blistering sun over at Sweet Apple Acres. Without the use of magic or flight, collecting all the delicious apples off the tall trees must have been a detriment to the body and soul. Although the stubborn mare beared through the chore with her older brother, Twilight regretted not offering at least some further assistance in lightening the substantial load of heavy responsibilities she carried throughout the week.
"I have plenty to do."
The dark representation of Applejack's honesty penetrated cleanly through Twilight's defenses. The changeling's heated glare choked out any sound reasoning she conjured up in her complex mind. With a forceful stomp of the hoof, the malefactor drove his point across the room.
"Do what? Sit around and read your books? Some friend you are."
Shame welted against Twilight as she plucked her hoof off the hard ground. With the subtle tilt of Applejack's head and the uncaring roll of her eyes, Twilight battled against the mighty force of her own anguish. She hesitantly searched for an answer as her bottom lip quivered in the changeling's dreaded words.
"I can help. All you have to do is ask."
Segments of the rapscallion's legs chipped away, leaving off a pure white color in the pale moonlight. They combusted in the stale air and crumbled into dust beneath his hooves. A delicate horn protruded out from his forehead, and a violet mane wrapped around the back of his neck. The stern look in his eyes remained constant, but the colors of the being's irises flawlessly transposed from green to purple.
"Admit it. You are nothing but selfish."
The sudden rush of emotions surged through Twilight Sparkle. Apprehension, malevolence, animosity, but most of all, a strong sense of bitterness motivated her to step forward in challenging the concocted accusations made against her fragile heart. Her eyes burned with intense passion in revealing the absolute truth about herself.
"I am anything but selfish."
Twilight's sudden outburst surprised the conniving changeling. Not only had Twilight sprung his carefully laid-out trap, she also presented him with the opportunity for an additional gambit. The cunning trickster blinked once to Twilight's domineering gaze and smiled to her dismay. With piercingly sly eyes, he discreetly raised his manicured hoof and pointed it directly at the center of Twilight's chest.
"Prove it."
Now obligated with the burden of proof, Twilight paused in reflection of her rival's proposition. Even with all of Equestria's knowledge, she shunned at the dreadful thought that she only chose to reside with her newfound friends for her own personal endeavors. The more logical, opposing theory of her absolutely relying on them for solving her problems chafed against her independent spirit. Only a balance between the two views would satisfy the instigator's argument.
"I've always been there, whenever my friends needed me."
In preparation of an impending attack, the duplicate stooped low to the refurbished flooring. Twilight Sparkle defensively returned with a nearly-identical posture. A liquid bile boiled through the ground wood base, and encircled entirely around the shrewd infiltrator. Once the dreadful exhaust, looming beneath the pony's barrel, interacted with the green slime, the resulting collision erupted into an enormous green flame.
Behind the fiery trails, the charlatan materialized wings of a blue pegasus and a chromatic rainbow-colored mane. After the initial blaze consumed the volatile fluid, the flame quickly vanished, leaving off a large cloud of black fumes that blanketed the elevated ceiling. Instead of lunging forward, the changeling launched himself into the air. Mid-way in flight, his wingspan enveloped a large quantity of black dust, darkening Twilight's visibility of his actions. He pointed his left leg directly at his high-strung opponent.
"Who said we ever needed you? Things were fine before you arrived. You might as well pack up and leave."
Twilight shrouded her sensitive eyes. The powerful blows, generated by the aberration's hovering, propelled an unusually daft gust of wind. The sudden current ruffled past the velvet drapes, and gently tugged against Twilight's mane.
"Don't you dare say such things. I left my old life behind me."
Resounding drums of thunder emitted from within the black cloud that clung to the ceiling. A bolt of lightning flashed out and impelled the lofty bookcase behind Twilight Sparkle. She quickly dodged and grabbed hold of the room's center table as a second bolt discharged directly at her front hooves. The changeling crossed his front legs and rejectingly turned his head away in disgust.
"Accept it. We can always find better ponies to fill your place."
The cool sensation of morning dew abounded in the atmosphere. The emotional turmoil, combined with the humidity, drenched upon Twilight Sparkle's face. Sweat droplets rolled down her cheeks and dripped off her small chin.
"There is no reason for me to leave."
The pegasus gracefully lessened his high altitude. As the dangling tips of his hooves gently touched the ground, they collectively transformed into the delicate clefts of Twilight's dear friend, Fluttershy. The metamorphosis advanced up the changeling's legs and curled around his flowing mane. The veil of his hair concealed the sad expression upon his tender face.
"You are so talented. Why stay?"
The oak planks that held the floor together snapped open. Rich vegetation crawled through the visible cracks. Wild vines climbed up the solid walls. Lush flowers bloomed out of the room's decor. Fine leaf fescue coated the bottom of the library. The closed petals of a small, simple rose presented itself in front of Twilight.
Twilight Sparkle contemplated the enticer's persuading offer. As Princess Celestia's most faithful student, she could further assist in fulfilling more imperial duties by living in Canterlot. However, the dramatic shift in perspective locally changed both her attitude and views. By royal decree, the princess personally arranged Twilight a new home in Ponyville. This generous act of kindness allowed her to study more about the magic of friendship. Despite the town's eventful shenanigans, nothing compared to the enjoyable bliss Twilight experienced among her wonderful friends.
"Why can't I just use my talents here?"
As the dainty rose blossomed, out ascended a magnificent monarch butterfly. It landed on top of the wooden statue, resting above the center table. With no concern of Twilight's vicinity, the lovely insect elegantly displayed the bright orange colors embellished on its exquisite wings. Curiously, Twilight spent little heed to the gentle critter. Instead, her roaming eyes matched up with the mournful face of the shy pegasus. Stricken with disgrace, the panicked figure disguised his emotional tenure by veering his gloomy eyes away from Twilight's vision.
"We are just dragging you down."
An invasive vine tangled upward around the carved table. As its thorns plucked against the wooden exterior of the statue's mane, the illusive butterfly glided over to Fluttershy's poll. The inquisitive creature dug into the entity's hair strands and remained motionless. It gradually transformed into an adorable small bow, bright orange in appearance. Twilight relinquished her hold on the table in attempt to challenge the changeling's fallacious allegations.
"There is still much I can do here."
A loud blow cracked against the hinges of the entryway. After three vigorous knocks, the front door blasted open. The radiant shine of daylight emanated into the library, momentarily blinding Twilight Sparkle. As the brightness faded, the entire room vanished from sight. Twilight's sanctity converted into an empty void of shadows. Only the view of her inherent body remained standing in the silence.
Among the mystifying eclipse, a winter's breeze whisked by Twilight Sparkle's ears. Twilight slowly wrapped her nimble legs closer together, as the icy atmosphere permeated the thin air. She shriveled into a tight ball down onto the cold floor. Twilight helplessly watched her breaths condense under the harsh conditions of the frigid north.
"You disappoint me."
A familiar voice whispered into Twilight's ear. The extreme closeness of her teacher's call forced Twilight to attentively spill onto her right side. The perturbed doubts of her mind caused her to peer all around the troubling cavity in search of the source. As seconds clicked by, the burning anxiety of being rejected accelerated the rate of Twilight's heart. The futility of responding to the dark abyss saturated inside Twilight's eyes.
"What did I do?"
Memories of the long-forgotten past fluctuated through Twilight's mind. Fear of losing her friendship always propelled Twilight in lending quick assistance, but ultimately, the overwhelming despair of receiving a sudden dismissal from her mentor magnified Twilight's goals in life. Without the knowledge of the purposeful instructions and loving counsel acquired through the years, the understanding of pony talents and magic would have been diminished greatly.
"You were never good enough."
The voice echoed throughout the chamber, clearly invoking against Twilight's patience. Her face quivered and her tail flailed, as she struggled in maintaining her emotions. A tear swelled in the corner of Twilight's eye. Confused, she questioned her life ambitions. Upset, she discarded her regretful mistakes. Alone, she cowered in the dark.
"I will not listen to you!"
With the combination of her loud cry and mighty stomp, Twilight's reconciliation quelched the adversary's barrage of fleeting attacks. The stern determination in her forward stance refuted all distorted claims made against her. Any personal decisions chosen in Twilight's life developed a healthful and respectable mare, admirable by the princesses and all ponies alike.
The shade of the night procured Twilight's message.The magical unicorn resisted his artful tactics. Certainly, she was not the type of pony to be trifled with in the heat of battle. However, unbeknownst to the little pony, the distant creature concealed his true identity the entire time.
"You refuse to listen to yourself?"
A bleary light emerged from the darkness. As Twilight approached her opponent, the aurora exposed a purple unicorn with an abrasive smile. Like a mirror, everything matched her perfectly, from the tendons of her legs to the fringes in her hair. Twilight and her shade simultaneously lifted up their legs and stared in each other's eyes.
"Is this some sort of trick?"
The vicious menace gazed into Twilight Sparkle's soul. The truth of the contingency rooted out all speculations of how their encounter commenced. The hidden secret pierced through her heart as her doppelganger replied with the exact identical question.
"Is this some sort of trick?"
A flood of torturous memories bustled through Twilight's heart and mind. Petty gossip and misunderstandings hurt her self-esteem. Restraining her talents and keeping secrets marred her self-identity. Holding onto her personal feelings impaired her self-respect. The gripping reality moved Twilight to resolutely buck against her reflection.
"No!"
The culminating clash of Twilight's impelled legs shattered the replica into shards of glass. Each jagged piece landed within close proximity of each other on the ground. As she examined the fragments, remnants of her past adventures animated into each sharp splinter. As a blaze of light streaked by, the memories disappeared. The residing blurred image of herself remained in the glass.
Within a blink of an eye, Twilight's consciousness revived her senses. Holding onto the fringes of her star-patterned blanket, she stared into the twinkling night sky. The dramatic feelings of the unknown future with her loyal friends still drifted in the confines of her complex mind, as a deep voice whispered into her ear.
"I art thou."
Twilight dropped her blanket and leaned to the edge of the bed. She placed her hoof flat upon the cold window while observing the beauty of the moon through the glass. She finally understood the events that unfolded in her mind's vivid imagination.
"Thou art I."