A Unicorn, and A Queen.

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Twilight Sparkle groaned, suddenly aware of the ache that pervaded her entire body. Every part of her, from her hoof to her horn, was in pain. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking to adjust to the sudden light. She was in a bed, one reminiscent of a hospital bed. The entire room had a hospital aesthetic. Where was she?

She tried to sit up and found herself regretting that action immediately. She let out a gasp of pain, but after a couple of seconds she was able to control her breathing and body. Once she was upright, she looked around the room.

She was now able to see the room in detail, not that there was that much of that. The walls were a light blue, with a couple of pictures hanging on them. There was a picture of Cloudsdale, Ponyville, and one of Canterlot. The fur on the back of her neck seemed to stand up when she gazed at that painting. She looked away and saw a sink and toilet in the corner of the room. There was a curtain to create some level of privacy, which was nice. When she looked at the bedside table, she saw the last item she expected to be there.

On top of the table was the Element of Magic. The crown was just resting there, completely out in the open. Then she noticed the neatly folded piece of paper sitting next to the crown. With a grunt of effort, Twilight picked up the note and opened it. In it were the signatures of her friends, and even her brother- and Princess Celestia? They all said something similar, an apology. What would they need to apologize for?

Images flashed across her mind. A dark, damp, stone cave. A monster in the likeness of a pony. Cadence, transformed into an abomination. That Bug, moving to get behind her. Her fur falling off, being replaced by cold chitin. Her horn twisting and sharpening. Insect wings bursting out her back. Her Queen giving Twilight her first command. A feeling of growing pleasure and servitude, drowning out the part of her that was screaming.

Twilight screamed.

The door to her room slammed open, but Twilight was much too hysterical to care. What that bug had done to her, what her queen had done to her-every part of her was warring with the other. Tears streamed down her face, and with the amount of noise she was making, she couldn’t hear the other pony in the room yell something.

“TWILIGHT!” Princess Luna roared, her Royal Canterlot voice shaking the building itself. Twilight gasped, momentarily gaining control and looking at the Princess of the Night with wide eyes. “Twilight! Thou art safe here!” Luna spoke quickly, closing the distance between them.

“P-p-princess Luna? Wha-what are y-you doing?” Twilight stammered, barely able to speak.

“Twilight. Thou-you are going to be okay. There is nothing that will hurt you here.” The Princess said, doing her best to comfort the distraught unicorn. Twilight didn’t say anything, using the comforting presence of Luna to calm herself. After a couple of minutes, she finally spoke.

“Princess Luna? What…What happened?”

Princess Luna took a deep breath in and spoke. “You were kidnapped by Queen Chrysalis, the former ruler of the Changeling Hive.” She said bluntly and honestly. “She transformed you into a changeling, along with Cadance. We found you in the caves below the city, unconscious.”

“How did you find me? And former Queen? What did you do to my que-” Twilight shook her head, interrupting her sentence. Princess Luna leaned in to inspect her but seemed to find nothing wrong-beyond her fragile mental state.

“It was your assistant, Spike, that first noticed your disappearance. He said that he tried to speak with the other Elements of Harmony, but they simply dismissed his concerns as an overreaction to your quarrel with your brother.” Twilight scowled. So much for being her friends. “When Spike came to me and pleaded for assistance, he was accompanied by somepony, someone else. He introduced himself as The Knight-Regent.”

“Someone?” Twilight asked, curiosity momentarily overcoming the horror at what had been done to her.

“He wasn’t a pony. He looked to be closer to an ape.” Luna explained. “Spike told me that you were missing, and the Knight-Regent confirmed this. We-I was suspicious of him at first, but he had an artifact that radiated pure harmony magic. He called himself the Alicorn of Mercy, and weapon seemed to support that.” Twilight blinked. Another alicorn, and one that wasn’t even a pony.

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Twilight exclaimed, and Luna simply nodded her head in agreement.

“None of this made any sense. Regardless, when Spike came to me, I chose to act. I gathered the Lunar Guard, and we headed into the caves. The Regent told me that was the most likely place that you could have gone, and with no better leads, I followed him.” Twilight almost felt like she could smile. Spike had noticed. Then another thought hit her.

“You took Spike down there?” Twilight asked frantically, worried for her little assistant.

“No.” Princess Luna said quickly. “Even with his protests, we did not take him into the caverns.” Luna paused for a second as she heard Twilight’s sigh of relief. “I had the Lunar Guard split into squads and began the search to find you.” The princess hesitated for a second, and Twilight saw something flash across her eyes. Disgust…and anger? “What we found was…abominable. Both you and Cadance had been turned into Changelings, and you…” Luna trailed off, seemingly unable to speak.

Memories and images began to flash across her mind, but Luna noticed. She spoke quickly, drawing Twilight’s attention away from her cursed memories. “We were enraged. With the proof that both you and Cadance were down here, your claims that Cadance was fraud were validated. Together, we confronted the Imposter just as the vows were about to be said.” Luna breathed out. “I fought my sister to keep her from intervening, while the Regent engaged Chrysalis herself. While the entire hall was destroyed in a magic blast, he managed to overcome and slay the Changeling Queen.”

A chill shot through Twilight. Her queen had been-NO. She is not my queen. She is NOT MY QUEEN. SHE IS NOT MY- Twilight’s mental war caused a massive headache to form, and for a second, she blacked out.

When she opened her eyes, she found Princess Luna looking at her with concern. “Please,” Twilight croaked, “continue.”

Luna nodded slowly and spoke. “With Chrysalis dead, the rest of the changeling’s in Equestria fled. We do not know where they have gone, but they no longer threaten us. The Knight-Regent left shortly after, stating that we were not the only ones that needed help.” Twilight mulled the information over. There was still one question that was plaguing her thoughts.

“How did you turn us back?” Twilight asked.

Luna looked at her bedside table. “Once order had been restored, Tia dived into the library. She searched for something, anything, that might be able to turn you back. She stumbled onto a book co-authored by Mage Meadowbrook and Starswirl the Bearded. While the condition in the book was different than the one you and Cadance faced, Celestia was sure that the cure would work anyway.”

“Starswirl the Bearded…What was it? What was the cure?”

“With Chrysalis dead, your connection to the hive was severed. All that had to be done was to reintroduce you to your natural elements, and you would be restored.” Luna said. “You were far easier to turn back, as the Element of Magic was the embodiment of your natural element. Cadence, on the other hand…” Luna trailed off. Twilight gave her a questioning look, urging her to continue.

“It was harder to find Cadance’s natural element. It was easy enough to identify it-Love- but finding a way to transfer that was much harder. We found the cure with her would-be groom, Shining Armor. Even after her transformation, he still loved her. With that love, we managed to turn her back.” A warm feeling ran through Twilight. Even after all that happened, her brother still loved Cadance.
When Luna spoke again, there was something in her voice-regret? “Twilight, the process wasn’t perfect.” Twilight froze. With Luna's assistance, Twilight managed to get out of bed and hobble over to the mirror. Upon looking at the mirror, Twilight’s horror began anew.

Most of her body was the way it should be, and her cutie mark was still there. That was when the horror began. Her horn was the color it should have been, but it was twisted now, sharp and filled with holes. Her teeth were now pointed, shaped like a predator’s. The worst part was her eyes. They were violet once more, but her pupils had become slits. She was still a monster.

Instead of screaming or panicking, Twilight Sparkle promptly passed out.

A monster and her "friends".

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The air was frigid, the droplets in her breath freezing mid-air. Twilight didn’t know where she was, but she did know that it was really, really cold. She couldn’t see very far as the blizzard seemed to obscure everything beyond five feet in front of her. Her coat was being whipped by the furious winds, yet oddly enough she didn’t feel any pain.

It was then that she heard the laughter. It was dark and maniacal, definitely belonging to an insane stallion. The winds died down, and Twilight found herself able to see the area around her. She was in a snowy plain, stretching as far as the eye could see. But that wasn’t what attracted her attention.

Piercing the heavens themselves, was a tower made of pure crystal. Beneath it sat a city made of the same crystal, and in that city she saw war incarnate. Ponies in dark armor with green eyes waged war against ponies in golden armor, which she realized looked very similar to the Canterlot Royal Guard. Unicorn cast spells that razed entire blocks, Pegasus duked it out in the sky, and Earth Ponies fought each other in a desperate melee.

As Twilight observed the scene, she noticed flashes of light in the heavens. Upon closer inspection, she saw two flying Alicorns, and a dark Unicorn fighting them. The Alicorns were definitely Princess Celestia and Luna, but Twilight didn’t know who the Unicorn with the red cape was. However, she could feel the dark magic radiating off him like the sun radiates heat.

Each spell they fired at each other seemed to shake the world, such was the power of an Alicorn. Yet for all their might, that Unicorn continued to laugh. Before Twilight’s eyes, shadows began to cover the entire city. In a flash of the darkest magic, the city was gone. The dark ponies had vanished as well, leaving only the Royal Guard and the Princess.

The Alicorns landed only a few feet from Twilight, close enough that she could overhear the conversation.

“Where hath he gone, dear sister?” Luna asked, her old Ponish confirming Twilight’s suspicions. She was in a vision of the past.

“We do not know, sister.” Celestia said, speaking in old Ponish was well. “But we can fathom one thing. Sombra will return.”

Twilight’s eyes snapped open, a single word echoing in her mind. Sombra. She didn’t know why, but that name felt oddly familiar to her. She blinked and found herself distracted by something else.

Despite the lights being off, and the room dark, Twilight could see as clear as day. The little amount of light coming in from below the door seemed to be able to illuminate the entire room. She blinked again, her gaze shifting towards the mirror. While she couldn’t see its reflection from her bed, she knew what she’d find. A monster.

She felt tears well up in her eyes, but she forced them back. She had just woken up; it wouldn’t do to start the day crying. She glanced to the bedside table and found the Element of magic still sitting there. As her eyes rested on the star in the center of the crown, she felt a warm feeling pass over her. She felt as if she was in harmony. Unfortunately, the feeling passed quickly, and all her doubts and pains returned.

On the left wall was a closed window, but through the cracks Twilight could see light slowly shining in. Celestia had risen the sun, then. It was morning. As she slowly clambered out of bed, she looked towards her crown. She shook her head and trotted over to the sink. She was met with the reflection of a hideous abomination.

Monster. A dark cave. Terror, followed by pleasure. Cadence smiling at her, sharp teeth out for all the world to see. The Queen, Her Queen, staring at her. A hideous voice- then a piercing wind. Maniacal Laughter seemed to echo around, and the shadow grew deeper.

Twilight recoiled back, shaking herself free from the thoughts that plagued her. She glanced back at the mirror, back at the monster, before heading towards the door to the room. Knowing what she looked like, she took a deep breath and opened the door.

The hall beyond the room was empty, which she was immediately thankful for. Slowly, and quietly, she crept out into the hall. She was still in Canterlot Castle. She sneaked down the hallway, carefully listening to hear if there was anypony else.

She had nearly made it to an intersection when she heard hoofsteps echoing on the stone floor. They were coming her way. Twilight began to panic, but she found relief in seeing a janitorial closet. She scrambled towards the door, opening it quickly and closing it all while trying not to make the sound. The hoofsteps got closer, and Twilight could hear the stallion, or stallions speak.

“It’s bucking ridiculous. One moment, I’m fighting the Royal Guard-no offense Solar Rush- the next I’m patrolling the bucking castle. I should be out there, hunting those damned bugs. What they did to her…”. Twilight had a horrible suspicion he was talking about her, or at least about Cadance.

“I know what you mean. I was there, during the battle. I'm pretty sure I was fighting you, Night Sentinel. Or maybe it was another pony. It was too hectic. But yeah, I agree with you. Those damn bugs need to pay…”

The voices became quieter as the guards moved past her closet and farther into the castle. Once they were completely silent, to the point not even hoofsteps could be heard, Twilight let out a sigh of relief. She peeked her head out of the closet and found that hall empty once more.

She continued to sneak through the castle, until she heard another approaching pony. The voice though, was oddly familiar-Princess Celestia. Once more Twilight panicked. She found the nearest door, and with no hesitation, dived through it.

That action turned out to be the worst thing she could have done. As she picked herself up and got to her hooves, she heard a voice, a horribly familiar voice, speak.

“Twilight?” Applejack said. Twilight wanted to run. To be anywhere but here. She glanced around the room, and to her horror, saw all of them. All of her “friends”. She didn’t say anything, slowly backing towards the door.

“Twilight, dear. What happened to you?” Rarity asked, concerned about hiding something else, something Twilight couldn’t place. Upon hearing those words, she felt something snap inside of her.

“What happened to me? What happened to ME?” Twilight snarled. As she spoke, she saw Rarity flinch back. A single thought came to her mind. Monster. She shook her head, before speaking again. “Chrysalis happened. My-SHE turned me into a bucking abomination, while you all sat around AND DID NOTHING TO HELP ME.” She yelled that last part and saw that they were all cowering before her.

In that moment, Twilight felt something die inside her. An internal pain, not physical but emotional. She had been abandoned, betrayed by the ones she once considered closest. Twilight would have broken down into tears right then and there, but Rainbow Dash took that moment to speak.

“Hey! You can’t just yell at your friends like that.” She said, oblivious to Twilight’s fracturing mental state. Where before she was about to collapse into tears, now she was filled with incessant rage.

“FRIENDS!? You think you’re my friends? You abandoned me, and when I needed you most-you. Weren’t. THERE. I am a monster, and you let this happen.” She was breathing hard, panting for breath.

“Now hold up, that ain’t-” Applejack tried to say, but Twilight interrupted her.

“FAIR!? Do you even realize what she did? That Whore of a Queen violated me. She did the same to poor Cadance. And what did you do? When Spike came to you-you turned him AWAY!” Twilight yelled the last part, and finally saw the expressions of her former friends.

Their eyes were wide, frozen with fear. She could see them tremble before her anger, and swore she could almost taste it. Rainbow Dash had even moved in front of Fluttershy, and Twilight could see tears in the kind Pegasus's eyes. Part of her wanted to soften at the sight, but the rest of her was too mad to care. But looking at the group, the friends with whom she had experienced so much, caused the final part of her to break.

“I-I-.” Twilight stammered, before swallowing and pushing to get her sentence out. “I…I hate you all. None of you are my friends, not anymore.” With that, she slammed the door open and galloped out the castle. She no longer cared about who saw her, she was trying to get away. And as she ran, Twilight furiously tried to blink the tears away. Like so many other things, she failed in that as well.

Princess Luna walked the hallways of Canterlot castle, heading towards a location she wished to never visit. They had one in the Everfree castle, and the importance of ensuring that it would be constructed here as well. She approached the door, which had two guards flanking it. One Royal, and one Lunar. They both raised a hoof in salute, which she returned. It was only fitting, especially in a time like this. Luna opened the door with her magic and entered the War Room.

It was a large circular room, dominated by the massive table in the center. On the table was a map of not only Equestria, but all of Eques. It was enchanted so that whatever fell beneath the gaze of the Sun or moon would be shown on the map, resulting in an ever-changing scene. Empty chairs ringed the table, untouched for centuries.

There was only one other pony in the room. Her sister, Celestia. Tia was staring at the wall, occupied by the thoughts in head. She was so oblivious that she didn’t even notice Luna’s entrance.

“Sister.” Luna said, her voice snapping Celestia out of her trance-like state.

“Luna.” Celestia greeted, giving her a weak smile. It did not reach her eyes. “Come closer, sister. I’m afraid that I have bad news.” Luna raised an eyebrow, at which Celestia pointed a wing at something on the map. Once she realized what her sister was showing her, her mouth went numb. On the map, in the snowy north, was a city.

It was gray, covered in shadows and devoid of color. In the center of the city was a building Luna had wished to never see again. A tower, striking upwards and as tall as the mountains surrounding the snowy province, was surrounded by swirling black clouds. There was only one thought in her mind. The Crystal Empire has returned. Sombra has returned.

Celestia saw her expression and grimaced. “Our hands are forced. We must take action, or else Sombra will get too powerful too quickly.” Luna agreed with her sister’s thinking, and realized what they should do.

“We need to send Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.” Luna said, well aware of what she was suggesting.

“Sister, are you sure they have recovered enough?”

“Yes. We-I are. It was always Cadance’s destiny to do this. They must go.” Luna stressed, and she saw her sister relent. Luna’s next words were bound to upset her sister, she knew that. But it was also the only way she could see that would stop Sombra. “The Elements of Harmony must go as well.”

“What?” Celestia balked, seemingly not expecting this suggestion. Or rather, she hadn’t wanted to even consider it.

“As much as I trust your Captain and the Alicorn of Love, Sombra is too dangerous for them alone. The Elements of Harmony must go as well. Even Twilight.” Luna watched her sister chew through her words, before coming to a conclusion.

“Fine, but I must go with them.” Now it was Luna’s turn to be shocked.

“Sister, you cannot!”

“The hell I can’t!” Celestia snarled, and for a split second, Luna saw something. Her sister’s pastel mane was replaced by a roaring inferno, her teeth sharpening into fangs. Her pupils were that of a predator, slits staring at her. It was like looking into an inverted mirror.

“Tia! Thou must control thy emotions, lest thou fall to thy nightmare!” Luna exclaimed quickly, and she saw Celestia recoil. The image of the nightmare was gone, replaced by her wide-eyed sister.

“I-I…I need to go. I can’t fail her again.” Celestia whispered that last part, and Luna could see tears forming in her eyes.

“I know what you feel, Tia. But you have bigger things-your kingdom needs you. Despite what we say, Chrysalis’s deception has shaken our support. They're afraid, Tia. They, I, need you here. We must do these things together.” Luna said, but she knew it wouldn’t comfort her sister. The truth rarely did. Still, they were the words she needed to hear.

Celestia took in a deep breath and spoke. “Very well, Luna. I will stay here, doing what a ruler must. Putting their people’s strife before their personal ones. I can only hope that Twilight will recover and make amends with her friends. In that cold hell, they’ll be the only thing she has.”

A Drake and a Pegasus.

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A cold wind whipped around Twilight, as if it was trying to strike her. The air itself was freezing, and snow covered every visible object. She wasn’t in the snowy plain, but rather that crystal city from her previous dream.

There was no color, though. Where once, in her previous dream, each building had been a beautiful pink or gorgeous blue, now they were a montous gray. The shadows seemed to curl around the buildings, in a way that only dark magic could.

As she observed her gloomy surroundings, she felt an odd tug. It was light, to the point she almost couldn’t make it out due to the wind. But it was a constant pull on her horn, her hoofs, her heart.

She started moving in the direction of the pull, and she very quickly realized where it was leading her. The towering castle in the center of the city. The crystal castle was as gray as the rest of the city, shadows creeping around it.

Twilight blinked, and she found herself in a crystal throne room. Dreams didn’t need to make sense now, did they? Through some quick reasoning, she determined that this was in the crystal castle. She looked around, noting the dark throne at the back of the room.

It was the massive hole in the center of the room that drew her attention. It was a triangle, with a spiral staircase descended into depths of the castle. As soon as took a single step onto the stairs, she was at the bottom. Dream magic.

There were multiple doors along the walls, but only one was open. Twilight trotted over to the door and carefully pushed it open, revealing a circular room. In the center, on a pedestal was a crystal heart. Twilight frowned-it was the same heart that was in Cadance’s Cutie mark.

The pull was much stronger now, to the point she had a hard time standing still. She approached the heart, raising a hoof to touch it. It was then she heard her name being called.

“Twilight?” It was quiet at first, but it was growing louder. “Twilight?”

“TWILIGHT!”

“TWILIGHT!” Her eyes shot open; she was on her hooves instantly. She was in a dark alley, one of the few in Canterlot. Princess Celestia had said before that she wished she could eliminate all the poverty and petty crime in the city, but that it was impossible. Those dark alleys now provided her refuge from the greater population, who avoided these places like the plague.

Unfortunately for her, this pony had obviously found her. After her flight from the castle, she had made sure that she wasn’t followed. Yet she had been found.
“Twilight? Is that you?” A young voice called into the alley. Upon hearing the voice, she knew who was calling out to her. She peeked around the corner of the crate she was hiding behind and saw him. Spike, her number one assistant.

“Spike? What are you doing here?” Twilight asked, hesitation clear in her voice. Yet despite her question, she saw his face erupt into a grin.

“To find you, of course! Where else would your number one assistant go?” For a brief second, Twilight saw something flicker across his face. Fear.

Twilight fully came out from behind the crate, for Spike to see her in her full form. To see the monster that she had become. She saw his eyes widen slightly, but he wasn’t in complete shock. Had he heard about her condition from somepony else?

“Spike,” Twilight’s voice cracking, “You found me. What now?” Twilight asked. She was unable to keep the fear out of her voice. This was Spike, her Best Friend. By the queen, she had hatched him. If she lost him as well…

“Huh. I hadn’t planned that far. I guess…I just wanted to find you.” He gave her his best smile, causing Twilight to feel 30 pounds lighter. Spike hadn’t abandoned her. He had been the only one to care that she wasn’t there, the only one hadn’t betrayed her. She wasn’t alone.

“Spike, I…” Twilight couldn’t finish her sentence, as she had begun to cry. Spike noticed this, and as kind as ever, ran over and hugged her. Twilight only cried harder, but this wasn’t the tears of losing friends, or the pain of what happened to her. No, these were tears of hope, and of love. She wasn’t alone.

They stayed there for Celestia knows how long. It could have been a couple minutes; it could have been an hour. Eventually, Twilight had to extract herself from Spike’s grip. When she freed herself from his grip, she felt like a part had returned. The scars still remained, but they were fading, ever so slowly.

“Twilight, I am so sorr-'' Spike attempted to apologize, but Twilight cut him off.

“Spike, you have nothing to apologize for. You told Luna that I was missing, you found me when I needed you.” Despite this, Spike still looked uncomfortable. He then repeated an-oh-so familiar action, one Twilight must have witnessed a hundred times.

Spike let out a loud burp, green fire exploding from his mouth. The fire materialized into a rolled-up scroll, which he quickly caught. Spike opened it, and his eyes went wide.

“It-it’s from Princess Celestia.”

“Give me the letter.” Twilight nearly snarled. Spike handed her the letter, and she could feel her blood begin to boil as she read it.

Twilight Sparkle,

I want to preface this with an apology. Not only for the trauma you have endured, but for this letter. Twilight Sparkle, an ancient evil has returned and threatens all of Equestria. King Sombra, King of the Dark, has returned. Along with him, the Crystal Empire. It was his seat of power before we fought him. Before we could strike the Final blow, he banished himself and the city to the eternal shadows.

Already, your brother and Cadance have agreed to go north to stop him. But they will not be enough. The Elements of Harmony must go with them, to defeat Sombra once and for all. I have heard of your falling out with your friends, and I know you probably don’t want to see them right now. But I ask, nay beg, of you to come. Equestria needs you.

P.S. This is Princess Luna. I think I can hazard a guess to what you may be thinking. You are calling yourself a monster, are you not? I too have shadows in my past, nightmares that are hard to let go of. Unlike me, you never acted against Equestria. You are not a monster, despite the way that you appear or how much you think you are. You are Twilight Sparkle, Daughter of Night Light and Twilight Velvet. Brother to Shining Armor. Element of Magic. You are not alone, no matter how much you may think you are. You will always have friends, even if you do not think they are.

Twilight ripped the letter into as many pieces as she could. Then she stomped on it, smashing it into the stoney ground. Of course Princess Celestia would need her to “save Equestria” again. Not that she even lifted a hoof to help.

“Twilight?” Spike’s voice cut through her internal rage. She froze and looked at him, one hoof in the air ready to strike the smashed scraps. “Twilight, I know how you must feel. But Equestria needs us-it needs you.”

Twilight let out a sigh and put her hoof down. She hated this, hated all of it. She really, really hated her old “Mentor” for doing this to her. But her heart had always been pure, and this would be no exception. If Equestria really needed her-and judging by the dreams she had been having, it did-then she would do her part. Even if it meant that she had to talk to them again.

“Come, Spike. We have some “saving the world" to do.”

Twilight could feel every bump of the train’s wheels, which only added to her foul mood. While Spike had helped alleviate her pain, he could only do so much when they were in the car as well. Even worse, he had decided to take a nap and had left her by herself.
She was sitting at the back for a good reason. At the front of the car were her former friends, who quietly muttered to themselves. Once they would have all been engaged, playing and having fun. Now the car was more somber than a funeral-which is what she wanted. Yes, she preferred this to interacting with them-right?

Unfortunately, Twilight heard soft footsteps approach the back of the car. She looked up and caught Fluttershy slowly moving towards her. The rest of the group hadn’t seemed to notice somehow- which made sense to her. If they couldn’t care enough to even think about her when she had been kidnapped, then why would they care about one of their own slinking off now?

“Fluttershy.” She growled softly. The Pegasus froze. “Why. Are. You. Back. Here?” Twilight said slowly, emphasizing each word. Surprisingly, the meek Pegasus had a response for her.

“You looked lonely…” Her words were barely above a whisper, but Twilight was still able to hear them.

“And you thought that I wanted company? You're wrong. Go back to your friends,” Twilight snarled the word, “and give them some company. You didn’t seem to care at the wedding.” After that last sentence, Twilight turned to face the other, trying to ignore the Pegasus.

After a couple minutes, she looked back and found Fluttershy sitting on the chair that was on the other side of the cab. She hadn’t left, and was watching Twilight gently? There was no other way to explain it.

“Go away.” Twilight hissed. Somehow, they still hadn’t attracted the attention of the others. Instead of leaving, Fluttershy decided to say the most obvious thing ever.

“You’re in pain.” Twilight blinked, and a flash of rage surged through her. Of course, she was in pain-did Fluttershy not remember what had happened to her!? As Twilight opened her mouth to tell off the Pegasus, she met Fluttershy’s eyes.

Twilight froze. It was as if she couldn’t move, couldn’t even talk. She knew of “The Stare” but she hadn’t expected it to be so effective on her. Maybe it had something to do with the changes that had occurred in her body. Regardless, she had been rendered helpless. Like…Like she had been with Queen Chrysalis.

Panic surged through her body as she recalled that most awful of nights. The Cab morphed into that horrible, dark and wet cave. Where there once was Pegasus was now a corrupted Alicorn, smiling at her. The smile was wrong in every way-it should not have been on Cadance’s face. Then she heard that horrible, wonderful voice.

“Twilight, my drone.” Twilight wanted to scream. But she couldn’t, and worse, part of her yearned to be next to her queen. “Why have you abandoned me? Why have you left your hive?” Twilight was at war with herself- panting and gasping for air. She wouldn’t kneel to her..her…her quee-

“TWILIGHT!” The yell snapped her horrific memory. She blinked and found every part of her damp with sweat. Staring directly into her eyes was none other than Rainbow Dash, who had been the one to yell. “Twilight. What happened-do you need help?” She said, while backing up and giving Twilight some room.

“Go…go away.” Twilight said weakly. Rainbow Dash blinked, and her brow furrowed in what had to be mock concern. Then, slowly, she backed away.

“Twilight-I’m so, so-”

“Come on, Fluttershy. Give her some room.” Rainbow Dash interrupted. Fluttershy shut her mouth, before leaving with Rainbow Dash. Twilight saw Rainbow Dash give her one last glance, before moving back to the front of the cab.

She all but collapsed into her seat, shaking and trembling horribly. Twilight felt tears begin to well up in her eyes, but with all of her remaining willpower she tried to force them down. She wouldn’t, she couldn’t cry in front of them.

In the front of the cab, the five members of the Elements of Harmony were quiet. No, they were listening to horrible, quiet sobs coming from the back of the train car. The worst part about it was the fact that none of them could do anything about it.

A Captain and a Princess.

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Twilight found herself in a familiar hallway. White marble floors covered in velvet carpets, gorgeous, stained windows letting colored light in. She was in Canterlot Castle. She had walked these halls enough in her youth, even if she never fully lived here.

This dream felt different, somehow. Twilight knew she was in a dream-she had done this rodeo enough times. It could have been the setting-her previous dreams had all taken place in the Crystal Empire, while this was in Canterlot.

Twilight heard small, familiar footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Spike frantically running, at least as much as his little legs could take him. There was an expression on his face, one of fear and dread.

Spike ran straight past her, eyes bouncing from door to door. He was looking for something, and Twilight had a suspicion of what it was. Sure enough, he stopped at the door and would have slammed it open if not for his small stature. Inside were the others, those she once called friends.

They had been preparing for the wedding, and Twilight could see the tiredness in their eyes. She shook her head-old habits were hard to stop. The girls had stopped their actions, staring at Spike.

“I can’t find Twilight!” he all but yelled. At his words, the girls relaxed when they should have been panicking. But Twilight knew what was happening, what had happened.

“She’s probably just hiding in some dark corner, muzzle in a book.” Rainbow Dash said. Twilight wanted to yell at her, but it wouldn’t do anything. She couldn’t change the past.

“I already checked the library, the ninth guest room, and the closet on the seventh floor!” Spike said, fear evident in his voice.

“Ah reckon that she just wants to be alone.” Applejack said, and she couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“Spike, dear. Twilight is a grown Unicorn who can handle herself. She was the only one of us who resisted Discord, so I’m certain she can handle whatever this is.” Rarity had never been more wrong.

“She must have been under a lot of stress, you know? She’s always out there, helping ponies left and right. She must have thought she was helping her brother, but she just got things mixed up. She would never go out of her way to harm another pony.” In Rainbow Dash’s words, Twilight felt her emotions conflict with each other. On one hoof, she wanted to hate them for abandoning her. On the other hand, she wanted to cry.

It must have become clear to Spike that he wasn’t going to get any assistance here. “What if you’re wrong? What if she does need our help, right now?” Twilight could see tears in his eyes as he said those words. He left before they could say anything else, running into the hall and furiously wiping tears away. As Twilight started to follow him, she heard Rainbow Dash say something.

“Then I’d never forgive myself.”

Twilight awoke to gentle shaking, small claws bringing her to life. She blinked and noted that the train car had stopped. Beyond the windows was nothing but howling winds and snow, which already caused Twilight to feel cold.

She looked around and saw that the other ponies were putting on heavier equipment, so that they would be able to get through the fierce snowfall. She saw that Spike was already wearing his coats, with gloves covering his hands. He had gotten a much larger coat out, one fashioned for a Pony and not a baby dragon.

Twilight took the coat in her hoofs, looking it up and down. It was a dark brown, thick and heavy. On its flank was a pink six-pointed star, the same one that was in her cutie mark, and in her crown. With some effort she pulled the coat over her so that it fully covered her, blanketing her in warmth. Once she finished putting it on, she saw Spike staring at her in confusion. He saw her return his look, and he spoke.

“Twilight, why didn’t you use your magic?” Twilight blanked. She hadn’t used her magic, had she? In fact, she couldn’t recall using magic since…since before the wedding. Looking at Spike, she realized she needed to come up with an answer quickly.

“It’s this horn. I don’t know how it will affect the magic, so I need to test it in a safer environment.” The best lies were the ones born out of truths. She didn't know how the horn would affect her magic, nor did she want to try. Spike, lovely Spike, accepted this without question.

Now that she was ready, or at least thought she was, Twilight moved down the train car and into the freezing outdoors. As soon as she placed a hoof into the snow, she knew she had made a mistake. It was freezing. Every Step was a struggle, and Twilight could feel shivers wrack her body.

Ahead of her, she could see the others pushing forwards. Most of the girls were trudging through the snow, but Pinkie was being her usual self and carelessly bouncing up and down. It was as if the weather didn't affect her at all.

Twilight tried to follow; she really did. But after about ten or so minutes, she couldn’t continue. It was too damned cold. She collapsed into the snow, sending out plumes of white. After everything she had been through, she was going to die in a snowy field.

As she laid there, freezing over, a shape moved over her and blocked the snowfall. It was a blue pony with bright, rainbow hair.

“Come on, Twilight.” She said while trying to pull her to her hoofs. “You can’t take a rest now. We got a world to save.” Twilight couldn’t say anything, she was too cold. Rainbow noticed and put a wing to her head. “Sweet Celestia! You're freezing!” She yelled. Twilight could barely hear her-the cold was too overpowering.

Her vision was suddenly covered by something large, and more importantly, warm. It wrapped around, giving her an additional blanket of heat and protection. It was enough for her to begin to function, enough for her to hear what was going on.

“Spike!” The Element of Loyalty yelled. “Use your fire to heat her up!” At the command, even more heat wrapped around Twilight, her number one assistant trying his best to keep her warm. It worked, and she was slowly brought back to life.

Slowly, but surely, she got to her hoofs with the help of Rainbow Dash and Spike. Now that she wasn’t freezing, she realized what the blue Pegasus had done. She ripped her own coat off to give to Twilight, leaving her in light protective gear. Twilight looked at her in a mild bit of shock, to which Rainbow Dash returned one of her signature sly smirks.

“I couldn't just let you become a popsicle, now, could I?” Rainbow Dash said, but Twilight could see her shiver slightly. “Besides, this weather’s nothing. You should see how it gets up in the sky in the middle of winter.”

Quietly, Twilight spoke. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash.” The Element of Loyalty must have heard her but didn’t say anything. Instead, the Pegasus looked away. At the last second, their eyes made contact with each other, and Twilight saw something in Rainbow’s eyes. Shame.

Without speaking, they pushed through the snow and towards the group. During the short walk, her mind was briefly able to zone out and focus on other things. The main topic plaguing her thoughts was, why had it been so cold? As she racked her mind for thoughts, she felt a sharp tooth scratch her lip. It was then she realized what may have happened. Changelings had a lot of bug-like features, and if she was part changeling, then some of her physiology would be like that of a bug. And bugs notoriously did not perform well in the cold.

When they caught up to the rest of the Elements, Twilight saw that they were not alone. In front of the girls and baby dragon was a second group of ponies. At the head of the group were two very familiar figures. Both had large coats on, but they were unmistakable. In front of her was none other than Shining Armor and Cadance.
Shining Armor looked to be in rough shape, his mane tattered and torn. Exhaustion dripped from his brow, but his eyes told a different story. He had been made Captain of the Guard for a reason, and it showed. His eyes were alert and moving, searching every inch in front of them.

Behind him was a platoon of Royal Guards, all three types of ponies in the group. They were wearing their armor over their own large coats, and they all had their weapons at the ready. When their eyes landed on Twilight, she saw more than a few looks of surprise and alarm. They didn’t do anything, but Twilight shrank back into her coats by a few inches.

Cadence, on the other hand, was the exact opposite of Shining Armor. Outwardly, she looked fine. Her mane was immaculate, despite the windy weather. But her eyes were tired, no, exhausted. There was something else strange going on with her as well. It wasn’t like it had been during the wedding, but there was an obvious lack of changeling features on the Alicorn. Unlike Twilight, the Princess of Love had no remaining deformities.

As Twilight inspected Cadance, images and memories flashed in her mind. An abomination, laughing and smiling. What once was someone she loved, now a monster wearing the same shape. She shook her head, banishing the thoughts. Cadence had been cured and was now free of their-the queen’s influence.

Twilight met her old foal sitter’s eyes and was surprised by what she found there. Pain. Cadance’s eyes were full of pain, shame, and regret. The pink Alicorn’s eyes flicked up to her twisted horn, then to the fangs protruding from her mouth, and finally back to her predator-like eyes.

Twilight, I’m-I’m so, so sorry.

Twilight blinked, breaking eye contact with Cadance. The two groups had now moved close enough to speak. Before anypony could say anything, Shining Armor moved. He closed the distance between the two of them in seconds. Twilight took a step back in surprise, but Shining Armor didn’t do anything aggressive. Instead, her brother grabbed her in a tight embrace.

“Twily, I’m sorry. About the wedding, about Chrysalis, about Cadance, about-” Twilight raised a hoof and cut off her brother’s rambling. Despite all that had been said, and how the wedding had actually gone, Twilight didn’t blame her brother. He had been under the Queen’s spell, and from personal experience she knew how it felt. Wonde-She slammed a mental fist into that train of thought, crushing it.

“Shiny, there’s nothing to apologize about. You were under her control; you couldn’t control yourself.” A realization came to her. “You were blinded by your love for Cadance, and my-she weaponized that. Shiny, you’re still my brother. You’ll always be.”

It was a beautiful moment, a lovely moment. It was heartwarming and worked to repair the bridges that had been unwillingly burned. Yet nothing lasts forever, and they seemed especially cursed.

Laughter. Dark, Maniacal Laughter could be heard echoing all around them. She recognized it instantly. Sombra was here.

Things happened very quickly after that. Shining armor let go of her and drew a sword with his magic, energy crackling around the hilt. The Guards all did the same, drawing weapons and readying shields. Cadance’s actions were the grandest, though.

Sometimes it's hard to remember what exactly an Alicorn is. They aren’t just super powerful Unicorns. No, they are an extremely powerful allegation of the three pony races. Cadance, using a mix of both her unicorn and Pegasus abilities, let a magic burst. Blue magic surged outwards in an instant, before vanishing just as quickly. The spell had accomplished its purpose- the weather around them had been pushed away.

They were surrounded by a dome of peace, besides the maniacal laughter. Cadance had effectively banished the wind around them. While this let them see the area around them, it also let them see their foe.

Growing out the ground were dark crystals, each oozing black smoke. The smoke seemed to collect in the air, forming a shape-a unicorn. It was only his head and upper body, but Twilight recognized him, nonetheless. King Sombra, King of the Dark.

“Ponies.” He said, his voice deep and powerful. “Kneel, or face Sombra.”

“GO!” Shining Armor roared, already in motion. “We’ll buy you time, but you have to go!” At his words, Twilight, the girls, Spike, and Cadance fled.

“You…you are soldiers of her-the blazing sun. DEATH IS A FATE TOO GOOD FOR YOU!” Sombra roared behind them. As they fled, they could hear the sounds of battle behind them, the Royal Guards buying time for the Heroes of Equestria.

A King, and Sacrifices.

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The eight of them ran. The seven ponies were galloping as hard as they could, while Spike was sitting on Twilight’s back, clinging as tight as he could. Behind them, they could hear the sounds of battle continuing. The Royal Guard were still fighting, even now.

A shape flew over them, slamming into the ground a dozen feet from where they were. It was a Guard, who had been thrown from the battle by Sombra’s dark magic. As they passed the body, they noticed multiple horrible things about it.

Sharp black crystals were growing in and out of the guard’s body, to the point that Twilight couldn’t tell if he had been a Unicorn or earth body. The guard’s crimson blood seemed to be feeding the crystals, causing them to grow faster. The worst part about? When Twilight saw his eyes, she saw them moving around frantically. The guard couldn’t scream on account of the Crystal that had pierced his throat, but he was still alive. She felt like she wanted to throw up, and her worry for her brother only grew.

But then they were past the tortured guard, and Twilight caught a glimpse of their destination. A towering spire pierced the heavens in front of them, yet it lacked any color and was a dull gray. The weather was less intense here, which only revealed more of the desolation that had come to the once-grand city.

The buildings were the same gray color as the castle, all life leached out of them. Many of them were crumbling into pieces, mere remnants of what they were. Sombra had all but razed this place, so ruined it was.

They had made it about a third of the way to the castle when they heard it. His Laughter had finished up with the guards, then. Shiny. Her worry for her brother tripled, but his sacrifice would mean nothing if they didn’t stop Sombra.

It happened too fast. One moment, they were racing through the broken streets, then a pitch-black shadow descended on them. Twilight saw its trajectory, and through some of the quickest math she’d ever done in her head, knew that it would hit her. At least it would have, until some pony slammed into her.

It was Fluttershy. She had acted quickly, so quickly, and pushed Twilight out of the way. Twilight and Spike took a little tumble but were otherwise fine. The same could not be said for the Element of Kindness.

Fluttershy didn’t scream, not that she had the chance to. Black crystals erupted out her body, yet none of them drew blood. Instead, the crystals continued to grow around the pegasus, eventually wrapping her completely in the black crystals. The crystals then solidified into one, greater gem. The black faded slightly, so that they could see through the crystal.

Fluttershy was frozen, her mouth opened in a scream that would never come. Her body was completely still, and Twilight could still see where the crystals had pierced her skin. Then Twilight met her eyes, and saw that they were still moving.

Go.

Twilight didn’t have a chance to move, as the horror hadn’t finished yet. Twilight watched as Fluttershy’s eyes were completely overtaken by a green energy. Then the crystal exploded. Twilight had to duck for cover, but she was still able to quickly recover. What she saw when she got back up was something that was horrifyingly familiar.

Fluttershy stood perfectly still, green eyes leaking what looked like purple shadows. She was wearing armor now, a horrible mix of black crystals and dark metal. Twilight knew in an instant what had happened- for she had been in a very similar situation during the wedding.

“The King demands obedience. You will kneel before him.” Fluttershy said robotically, her mind and will overwritten by dark magic.

“Fluttershy-you got to snap out of it!” Rainbow Dash pleaded. Fluttershy simply cocked her head.

“Why would I want to?” Rainbow Dash went still, but memories crashed into Twilight’s mind. “I don’t have to be afraid anymore. I don’t have to worry anymore-My King took it away. He’s so thoughtful.” Rainbow Dash looked horrified, but Twilight remembered. Those thoughts- they were an addictive poison.

She grabbed Rainbow Dash, and tried to pull her away from her corrupted friend. Rainbow Dash didn’t budge an inch. Twilight was about to tell her that they needed to go, but Rainbow Dash spoke first.

“Go, Twilight.” She said softly, voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t-I can’t fail again.” Her voice was starting to crack up. Her wings were twitching, but Twilight could see that it wasn’t sadness alone. No, Twilight could see the building anger in the eyes of the Element of Loyalty.

“Where do you think you’re going? It's so much better…to serve the King.” Fluttershy said huskily, but she was no longer the Element of Kindness at this point. No, the Element of Kindness had saved her from this fate.

“Twilight, I’m sorry. I abandoned you,I failed you when Loyalty was what you needed most. I can’t do it again. So go, stop Sombra, do what you do best. Go be awesome, and save the world.” With that, Rainbow Dash launched into motion.

She crashed into Fluttershy, but Twilight didn’t see the following scuffle between two ponies who had been the closest of friends. No, as she galloped away, Twilight heard the sound of the pony who had saved her life on countless occasions, of who was now fighting a corrupted horror of another friend. Twilight heard the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash, give her will and mind to buy them time.

The five ponies and baby dragon had made it about halfway through the city when they stopped to catch their breath. The constant galloping, along with the loss and sacrifice of their two friends, had severely affected the mood’s morale. Even the normally energetic and flamboyant Pinkie Pie was now dragging her hoofs as they slowed to a trot.

Twilight looked at the sullen group, and knew that something had to change. If they continued like this, they would fail. Despite her ill feelings towards those she once called friends, Twilight also knew that she couldn’t fail Equestria. She knew how it felt to have your mind shackled by someone else, and she knew what Sombra would do if he won.

“Girls…” Twilight said weakly, her voice trailing off. Still, she had succeeded in grabbing their attention. “We-we can’t stop here. For Rainbow and Fluttershy…we have to keep going.” Every word dripped with exhaustion, but there was still strength in her message.

Twilight saw Applejack scowl, open her mouth-and then close just abruptly. Her eyes went wide, and then she spoke. “Twilight…Ah’m sorry. Ah am supposed to be the Honest one, but Ah haven’t even been honest with myself. We abandoned you when you were needin’ our help the most. Ah-we cannot do that again. So ah will follow you, Twilight. For Rainbow and Fluttershy, for our friends.” Applejack said. Behind her, Twilight saw Rarity and Pinkie Pie stand a little straighter.

It was then that they heard the hoofsteps. There were a lot of them, coming from almost every direction. They marched in unison, echoing off the buildings. The girls moved into a tight circle, readying themselves for whatever happened next.

They weren’t ready. Twilight realized that the second she saw the army of corrupted ponies. There were hundreds of them,coming from every direction-but one. The way forward, towards the castle, was clear of corrupted ponies.

The ponies marched closer, and Twilight was able to make certain details about them. Their coats were dull, most blue or pink. They wore dark helmets, their eyes glowing green. They were the ponies that had accompanied Sombra when he had pulled the Empire into the shadows for a Millenia. Worse, were the two ponies leading them. Fluttershy, in her dark crystal armor…and Rainbow Dash, in the same armor. Curiously, Sombra was absent from the gathering of enslaved ponies.

Just as Twilight was about to step forward, a hoof crossed her chest. Orangish Fur covered the leg, and with a sickening realization, she knew what was about to happen. Applejack stepped forward, and with her, Pinkie and Rarity. Even after everything that had happened to her, a part of Twilight wanted them to run. To get to safety, to get away from this cursed place.

“Twilight, you need to go. We’re just regular ponies-you’re the Element of Magic, and one of the most powerful Unicorns Ah’ve ever seen. You can stop Sombra, we can’t. Go, save Equestria. Go!” Applejack yelled, pushing Twilight away. She felt a pain in her eyes as she watched the three charge into the army. Her last view of the three was of Pinkie Pie charging into the mass hoard, throwing cakes and shooting her party cannon; of Rarity throwing magic around like it was going out of style; and of Applejack charging the two Pegasus, intent on keeping them back.

So they galloped once more, rushing towards the castle. Now they were having to dodge ruins, massive black crystals, and the occasional corrupted pony. They pushed past the threats and obstacles; more than once did Cadance create lances of blue energy destroying rubble or forcing back dark soldiers.

They got to the bottom of the castle, and it was there that they found the trap waiting for them. As soon as they got below the castle, where four massive pillars were holding the entire building up, hordes of corrupted soldiers poured into the area.

They managed to get to the center of the area, punching and kicking their way through. As soon as they got to the center, Cadence created a shield of pure teal energy. While she was not as skilled with shield magic as her brother, Cadence was still an alicorn.

The dark Ponies hammered against it, and Twilight found herself freezing up. She knew she should add her magic to the shield, but she saw her reflection in one of the crystal tiles. A twisted and monstrous visage, her horn an abomination. There was a reason Twilight hadn’t cast a single spell since waking up in that bed, and it was staring at her.

Twilight never got the chance to cast her magic into the shield. Instead, the dark army backed off from hammering the shield, creating a circle around the two ponies and baby dragon. Then they heard it, the marching. The circle opened up to reveal a new force, and to Twilight’s horror, there were five familiar figures at the front of it.

A corrupted version of Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity all stood at the front of the formation, escorting a dark figure. A pony, wreathed in shadows and wearing a red cape. His horn was curved and sharpening, turning a baleful crimson at the top of it. Most striking were his eyes, which glowed a horrific green and leaked purple smoke. King Sombra had arrived.

Surprisingly, he bowed before speaking. “Princess of Love, and Element of Magic. Welcome to the Crystal Empire.” His voice was rich, but there was power hidden in it. “Come now, end this silly shield spell, so that we can get to business.” He said with a smile, but the shield remained where it was. “Come on, Twilight Sparkle, look at your friends. They love it here, and I am certain you would too.” A voice echoed through Twilight's mind, saying a statement that had plagued Twilight since the wedding. My Queen.

Cadence scowled and spoke quickly. “Enough of this, Sombra. You are a Tyrant and a monster; you know nothing of love.” She practically snarled the last word.

Sombra leaned back, and he seemed…saddened? “If it must be that way, then so be it. But before we begin, know that I am not heartless. I will let you see your loved ones one more time.” With that, he made a motion with his hoof, and Twilight screamed.

Corrupted ponies moved away to reveal the most horrific of sights. A Dark Crystal stabbed upwards, and inside of it…was her brother. Shining Armor was frozen inside of it, his mouth opened in an agonizing wail. The crystal blocked all sound, but it didn’t matter to her, as the horror was just beginning. Shiny’s horn had been shattered into many pieces, many of which had been fused into a monstrous crown.

The crown was placed on his head, dark bits of crystal, metal, and horn cutting into his skull. Where each joint should have been was instead a horrific growth blackened gems, cutting everything they could. The blood somehow flowed through the crystal, falling to the base and to the back. There it formed a spike that had plunged into his back, most likely paralyzing him.

There was more still, but she couldn’t focus on it. Twilight could barely stand straight, anger filling her veins. But it was nothing compared to the Alicorn next to her.

The Shield exploded, transforming into a thousand shards of magic. They sliced into the crowd of dark soldiers, and Twilight knew that some of them died right then and there. With a roar that shook the entire castle, Cadence let out a beam of bright blue energy straight at Sombra. Shadows surged, blocking the lance of pure magic.

Twilight could hear Cadance growl, but before anything else could happen, the princess of Love spoke. “Get the Heart.” Without letting Twilight do or say anything, Cadence cast a spell. For a split second, Twilight was covered in blue energy, then she was slammed somewhere new.

An Alicorn, and a Crystal Heart.

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Twilight groaned, her head fuzzy. The sudden shift in location had caused her to slam into a wall at speed. She looked up and saw that the dark crystal making up the wall had been cracked. She rubbed her head with a hoof and took a look around the room.

It was obvious that she was in the castle’s throne room, considering the massive throne on one side of the room. It was made of more of those dark Crystals, but something was at the top of it. It was another crystal, but this one was glowing. It illuminated the hall in a shadow's green and purple mixture, and Twilight found that her gaze was drawn towards the crystal…

She was ripped out of her trance when the castle shook, Cadence’s battle with the forces of evil below shaking everything. She needed to act quickly now because Cadance and-

SPIKE!

Twilight was near another panic attack, her number-one assistant was out down there, with Sombra. And his army. In danger, Twilight slammed the brakes on her train of thought. She was getting better at that. She needed to focus, find the Crystal Heart-and she didn't really know where to go from there. Deliver it to Cadance, who would use it to stop Sombra? It was her only hope now.

She looked around the room and remembered her dream of the room. There had been a hole in the floor, with a spiral staircase descending into the depths. She paced the area, looking for anything that might open the way down.

While she found nothing, her eyes settled on the throne. More specifically, that glowing crystal at the top. Twilight swallowed, knowing what she would have to do. She had avoided magic, that which was her element, because of one main fear. She-she didn’t want to know if it had been tainted as well. She didn’t want to know how much Chrysalis's Corruption had changed her.

That fear had been overridden by a new one. Spike, Cadence, Shiny, and her friends needed her. She wouldn't, couldn’t, fail them now. So with a deep breath, she poured magic into her twisted horn.

She sat there, a purple glow collecting on the bony appendage, but nothing happened. Perhaps…Perhaps the corruption wasn’t as deep as feared? Regardless, she needed to press on. She didn’t know what she was doing, so she went for the simplest option.

She shot a beam of pure magic at the Crystal, creating a blinding light. Suddenly, her magic was swallowed by black shadows, which seemed to take the pure energy and use it to darken the whole room. Shadows grew, eclipsing all light beyond the purity that flowed from her horn. They were growing closer, twisting until all was darkness.

Twilight felt something at the tip of its horn. It wasn’t physical contact, but something else. It felt like-It felt like her crown.With a start, she realized what it was. It was magic. A vast body of magic, larger than anything Twilight had-had ever heard of! She pulled on the magic and found that it flowed easily. It didn’t just flow, it seemed like it was being pushed into her horn, for her to use. With a thrust of her horn, she used it.

The Shadows were gone in an instant, a pure light replacing them in an ever-shining brilliance. For a split second, Twilight felt like she had ascended to Alicornhood, so much was the power flowing through her horn. Then it was gone, revealing a dimly lit throne room.

The normally black crystals now glowed softly, shining in every color of the rainbow. The crystal that had sat upon the throne was now changed, glowing with a soft white light. More than that, it had changed shape. It now resembled the star which was prominently featured in her cutie mark and the one in her element.

The entire room had changed, with the biggest being the large triangle-shaped hole in the floor. In it was the spiral staircase from her dreams. It contrasted against the room, which was now pure and harmonious. It descended into the shadows, and without any other option, Twilight started down them.

They kept going down.

They didn’t stop.

The stairs kept going.

On and on, step after step, Twilight went down. She started carefully at first, but after a couple of minutes she started to quicken her pace. Cadence was still out there, fighting Sombra and his army. And Spike…Twilight was worried for him, for her baby dragon. So, she started to run.

A wave of Dejau vu passed over Twilight, but it was quickly replaced by something else. The feeling of weightlessness. She had tripped. Then she slammed back into the stairs, rolling down them. Eventually, she rolled straight into a wall, stopping her.

Rubbing her head for what had to be the fifth time today, she got to her hooves and inspected where she had landed. She was in a circular room, and in front of her was a closed door. It was dark and seemed to radiate Sombra’s dark magic. Twilight tried to open with her magic but refused to budge. With that approach failing, she decided on a new one.

The door slammed open when hit with her back legs, mustering all the power she could. She hadn’t aimed for the door itself, but rather the crystals in which the lock had been placed. When it shattered, the door moved as well.

As she stepped into the room beyond, she found herself in a strange place. The room was made out of a vaguely stone-like substance, and the wall was covered in holes. The room was egg-shaped, an object sitting in the center of the room. It was a throne. It was a dark, spikey horror, yet that wasn’t the worst thing about it. Something deep inside was being pulled on, trying to come out and into the light. Twilight struggled to keep it down, but she was holding on, even if just barely. Then the voice spoke.

“Twilight Sparkle, my little drone.” The voice cooed, and Twilight felt the other part of her double its effort. It was all she could do to stop the side, so she wasn’t able to speak back. “You’ve come back. I feared that after my little accident with that cursed Knight, you had abandoned me. Your queen…” Chrysalis’s voice sounded heartbroken, and Twilight felt her heart shatter. It had control of her feelings.

“I…I-I…” Twilight stuttered, her mind crumbling under the mental assault of being in her queen’s presence. Then the queen walked into her sight. The force pushed even harder, just looking at Chrysalis seemed to amplify it. Twilight could barely function.

“Your friends abandoned you, you know? Even your precious Princess, your mentor, abandoned you in your time of need. But I was there, right? I helped you find peace, right?”

Twilight wanted to answer her queen, but a treacherous part of her wouldn’t let her. It was fighting her every movement, her every thought. It was wrong-her queen was the only reason she lived. Queen Chrysalis had shown her the wonders of being a changeling. So why did it still fight her?

“My-My-my…” Twilight tried to say but found she couldn't say it. That damned other-self! It was screaming, but Twilight wasn’t paying any attention to it. It didn’t deserve it.

“Come on now-” Her queen teased, “Say it. Tell me the truth of what I am. Of what I am to you.” It was an order from her queen, and she ached to follow it.

“You are my-my…You are my-” A wave of memories washed over Twilight. A small town, seen from above. Five other ponies, smiling at her. A dark Alicorn towering above her, before being hit by a rainbow beam. A tall princess hugging her sister. A tall abomination, turning to stone as friends came together once more.

Then the memories showed her things that had happened more recently. Twilight, being snapped out of a horrible vision by a blue Pegasus. Then, the same Pegasus saving her from that overpowering cold. A shy yellow Pegasus saving her from the dark's corruption, and then her friends giving up their freedom so that she may continue. They still cared about her, didn't they? They had never stopped.

Twilight met Chrysalis’s gaze and spoke. Her voice was soft, but there was no denying the power behind it, “You…You are not my queen.”

The Bug balked, eyes going wide. “What?”

“You are not my queen. You are not my Queen!”

“Stop this! STOP THIS AT ONCE!”

“YOU ARE NOT MY QUEEN!” Twilight roared, a brilliant purple light leaping from her horn. The last thing that Chrysalis saw before her annihilation was the Purple Unicorn who denied her, with ethereal wings stretching into eternity.

Twilight gasped, surging to her feet. She looked around frantically and found that she was still in the circular room. The Door she had gone into had now been replaced by a wall, with an open door on the other side of the room.

She let out a deep breath, and saw her reflection in one of the crystals. She all but started weeping, for the sight that she saw was truly beautiful. Her horn was straight, Her teeth normal, and her eyes pure. She was no longer a monster. She had denied Chrysalis in that dream-like state, and it seemed that ehr body had rejected the monster’s touches. She was pure once more.

The castle shook again, reminding Twilight that she was still under a horrific time crunch. She galloped to the open door, and found more stairs. She growled, she didn’t have time for this! Purple magic swirled around her, and with a clap she teleported. She appeared a couple of feet above the top of the Staircase, falling onto the platform.

There she met by a beautiful sight. The Crystal Heart. It was floating on top of the pedestal, gently rotating. As she stepped close to it, she felt the ground click. It lit up with dark magic, and Twilight watched as the tower she was in became a cage.

Dark Crystals formed bars, trapping her and the heart. Twilight’s eyes widened, and she threw a kick at one of the crystal bars. Her hoofs bounced off the crystal, not even smudging it. She was trapped, truly trapped. An idea popped into her head, one that just might work.

A few weeks before the wedding, Twilight had been working on a firework spell. While it had certain problems- a tendency to explode at unpredictable times-it would have to do here. Twilight readied the spell, and shot it out of the tower. It sparked and jumped, before exploding outwards. Hopefully, it would have attracted Cadance’s attention. If she hadn’t lost, that was.

Twilight found her hopes vindicated when a pink shape rose off the ground. Even from up here, Twilight could see that Cadance was in bad shape. But regardless, she rose upwards, blue magic collecting around her. It was quick, but brutal. Blue magic morphed into a massive beam, shooting upwards. At the tower, at Twilight.

It barely missed her by a few inches, but it still hit the tower. The dark crystals had been vaporized, but to her horror, they were growing back. Making a decision that had no other choice, Twilight grabbed the heart, and lept.

She jumped through the gap, her heart soaring. She slammed down onto the crystal surfaces, sliding perilously down the slope. As she slid, she could see an exhausted Cadance hover in the sky, watching her.

Cadence had made a mistake. Her actions had opened herself up to attack from below, and her enemy seized it. It felt like time froze as dark tendrils stabbed upwards, piercing Cadance in the stomach. The tendrils of dark magic then burst off her back, before throwing her downwards. Twilight couldn't even scream, it had happened too fast. Regardless, she was still hurtling down the side of the castle.

She saw dark crystals grow out the side of the corrupted tower, but she was going to fast for them to prove a problem. No, the problem was the fact that she was hurtling towards the edge-now she flew past the edge, body beginning to enter freefall.

She looked down, and saw that she was only a few hundred feet up. Fortunately, Twilight’s mind had been moving quickly as she slid down the tower. Acting quickly, she made sure she had a good grasp on the heart, and teleported again. She teleported so that she would lose all momentum in the movement, and would land safely. To her surprise, it worked.

She then felt a sharp pain in her horn, and realized that had used up most of her magic reserves. Now she is effectively magicless, holding a crystal, and surrounded by an army of corrupted ponies.

“Thank you for delivering my property, Twilight Sparkle. It shall look excellent next to the body of a princess.” Sombra spoke, his voice mocking and arrogant. However, his words alerted Twilight to Cadance's situation.

The pony that had once been her foal sitter was laying on the ground, bleeding from four wounds in her chest and back. Her coat was covered in other scratches and burns, but even her alicorn healing seemed to be struggling to heal those wounds. Cadence wouldn’t be fighting anymore. Then she saw Spike.

The baby dragon was the same black crystal-plate armor as the rest of Sombra’s army. Twilight’s mind was filled with fury, they had touched him! And yet, Twilight’s anger wouldn’t accomplish anything here, considering the odds layed out against her.

It seems that Sombra has reached a similar conclusion. Unless the Crystal Heart could do some sort of magic to instantly make everything better, she had lost. The fact hit her hard. She had failed. Despite everything, all of their sacrifices, she had failed. Equestria was going to fall to the Dark King, the one she had failed to stop. Luna, Celestia- Harmony! Please, Twilight mentally begged, let there be a way to save them. They sacrificed everything for me, their freedoms and futures. Even after what I said. Please, let there be a way out-let there be a way to save them.

A tear, followed by another, then a few more, began to rain down. They rained from Twilight's eyes, onto the glowing crystal below. Twilight blinked, quickly trying to clear the tears from her eyes. The crystal heart was glowing now, and small ribbons of light had begun to grow out of it.

The ribbons grew longer, stretching towards the slumped figure of the princess of love on the Ground. They wrapped around her, bathing the dying alicorn in a soft white light. The Light grew in strength, blinding Twilight-

Celestia sat on her throne, ignoring the noble who was speaking in front of her. It wasn’t the pony’s fault, rather that Celestia was too stressed to really focus on the minor problems of Canterlot.

She hadn’t heard from Shining Armor or Cadance for almost a day now, which only increased the worry in her heart. She knew that neither of them had forgiven her for her actions, or lack of, during the wedding. It was only their pure hearts that had convinced them to go up north, and for that she was thankful.

The stallion had stopped talking, and was staring at something. He was staring at one of the windows, the one of Twilight and her crown. Celestia looked at it as well, and noticed something odd.

The crown was glowing. More specifically, the six-pointed star in the crown had begun to glow, a mix of white and purple light. Celestia’s eyes moved from the window, looking at the glowing stars. Every star, that six-pointed one, was glowing. The entire room had become illuminated, yet that wasn’t all. Celestia could feel it, a hum in the air. It was the same feeling, the same power that was in the air anytime the Elements of Harmony were used.

A smile crossed the Solar Princess’s face.

Deep in the Everfree forest, was a ruined castle. Once the capital of Equestria, it was now overgrown ruins. Off to the side was the entrance to a cave, one that excluded peace and tranquility.

A dark blue Alicorn walked the familiar steps, heading to what many would call a holy site. Since the banishment of the Nightmare, Luna had tried to make the journey at least once a week. She walked the path to the Tree of Harmony, so that she may reflect on the actions that had taken millenia ago. The world she had put in danger, and those that she killed in her battle with her sister deserved that at the very least.

The sight that greeted her was different from the times from her previous trips. The crystal tree at the back of the tree was radiating light. The entire tree bathing the cave in light, a complete mixture of the rainbow. Luna paused, and it felt like a weight had been taken off her back.

The light shone with all the colors of the rainbow, and it was growing in strength. The tree had become a blazing beacon, one the Luna knew could be seen from canterlot. Infact…

She raised her wings, and felt magic fill the air beneath them. With a single flap, she shot out the cave, higher and higher into the sky. The view was gorgeous, as Equestria always was, but that wasn’t what was bringing a tear to her eye.

The Land was glowing. Every star, that six pointed one, had begun to glow. Regardless if it was a gem, carved into stone, or engraved in clothes. They were all shining with that same light.

Princess Luna turned her gaze northward, and saw a pillar of Light stretching high into the sky. It went higher and higher, a spear of light in the night sky. What's more, she could feel magic radiate off of it. Even from here, an entire kingdom away, Luna could feel the Magic of Harmony.

Cadance’s body began to rise, the pure ribbons circling around the broken alicorn. The light grew brighter, blinding every pony. Then, the blinding light surged with a flash, causing Twilight to have to close her eyes.

When she opened them, Cadance was gone. In her place, falling gently towards the ground, was a new Alicorn. She was taller, taller than even Celestia. Pure white wings, matching her coat, splayed outwards. Her mane seemed to be made of pure magic, rippling with light and purity. The Alicorn’s horn was long and sharp, magic already crackling around it. The Alicorn had a cutie mark as well, a simple one. It was the outline of the six-pointed star that was in mark as well. The one that her crown, the Element of Magic, was built around. The Purple outline seemed to glow softly, yet Twilight could easily feel the magic coursing around her.

As her hoofs touched the ground, the Alicorn’s eyes opened. Twilight gasped, it was like looking into the night sky. She saw a thousand stars, and then her eyes seemed to focus. They became normal, even if the iris was glowing all the colors of the rainbow. The Alicorn took a deep breath, like it was their first one in a century, then looked at Twilight.

Her gaze was almost motherly, kind and wise. It filled Twilight with hope, instantly calming the rampant emotions that had been raging through her earlier.

“Twilight Sparkle.” It said her name, sounding like a thousand voices harmonizing together. “You have suffered so much, and yet you are still willing to give. There is a reason you bear the Element of Magic.” The Alicorn's voice solidified into one, beautiful and wise. Yet Twilight found herself slightly confused, until she felt an-oh-so familiar weight rest upon her head. The crown, the Element of Magic, was on her head. It should have been in canterlot- an emergency item for the sisters to try to use if they had failed. Now it was on her head-teleported without light or sound. That should have been impossible.

The Alicorn winked at her gaping expression, and spoke once more. “In any other situation, this would have been impossible. But with enough magic, and a deep enough wish, anything can become reality.” The Alicorn fixed her gaze onto Twilight, opening her mouth to speak again-but a voice interrupted her.

“You! Who are you to interrupt my moment of Triumph!” Sombra snarled. The Alicorn simply gave him a tired look, before looking back to Twilight.

“You know who I am, Twilight?” She asked her, and Twilight froze.

“You…You’re Harmony, right?” Twilight asked, her voice shaky and hesitant. She answered with a smile. It crossed the Alicorn’s face, and she looked back to the dark Unicorn.

“Do you know what you’ve done?” She asked the king, her voice laced with a strange sadness.
She continued before Sombra could speak. “You would have conquered, enslaved, and shattered this world. Your victory would cause so much unnecessary pain. The Universe already is in so much agony, and you would add to it. My champions can only do so much.” Sombra seemed to be taken aback by Harmony’s words, and a sneer crossed his face.

“HARMONY? Don’t make me laugh. Harmony is a concept followed by weaklings-those who deserve to be crushed underfoot. Your magic and body will be added to my army, but I don’t need your mind. Now…kneel, or be knelt.”

Harmony let out a sigh. Then her horn flashed with magic.

For a second, Twilight was in a white void, surrounded by a light that extended into infinity.

Then she was back in the city, but the sight was considerably different. The buildings were now swirling with color, like they had in her first vision. The road was glowing vibrantly with a blue light, and the tower… Twilight gasped softly, as she saw a pillar of light stretch into the sky. The top of the castle had become a beam of light, spearing straight upwards.

Her gaze drifted downwards, and she found herself crying. There were ponies, coats covered in a crystal sheen, looking around in confusion. The dark crystals and metal that had previously controlled them were gone, erased by a pure power.

Then she saw them, her friends. They were free, no longer enslaved by the mad tyrant. Speaking of Sombra-Twilight couldn’t find him.

Instead, she found Harmony standing over a black mark in the glowing crystal. Harmony wore an expression that Twilight could only think of as…grief?

“This is what always happens, you know? So many worlds, and yet on nearly every one he’s a tyrant.” Harmony looked at Twilight, and she could see that the Alicorn was tired. Her eyes were exhausted, but Twilight was certain it wasn’t from freeing the kingdom.

Twilight approached the god-like being in front of her, preparing to ask a question. Harmony answered before she even spoke.

“You want to know what I am, what I’m doing here, and how I’m here.” Twilight simply nodded. “The first question is hard to answer, the second is simple, and the third is complicated. I am here because you called me Twilight. You have suffered in this world, more than you ever should have. It is only fitting that you get a good end to your story.”

She had called a god to Equestria? She was the reason that Harmony was here. Twilight found herself in a state of shock. “Your third question…I shouldn't be able to be here. My powers are vast, but I cannot manifest them directly. It is why the Elements of Harmony exist, why the Tree of Harmony, and the Crystal Heart exist. They are all conduits of my power, to make the world better.” Harmony took a breath, despite not needing one.

“What you did, Twilight, should have been impossible. Your plea, made out of true love, connected to the Crystal Heart and Cadance. I was able to draw upon your wish, and allow my power to flow into Cadance. It appears that something else happened, as I only meant to supercharge the Princess, not turn her into my avatar. This…is wrong.” Twilight saw Harmony's eyes narrow, and the Alicorn stumbled.

It was like something had pushed her, some weight had slammed into Harmony. Twilight instinctively leapt forward, despite the protest of her exhausted legs, trying to support the alicorn. Her hood made contact with the Alicorn and-

Twilight was floating in a void, but slowly things seemed to focus into existence. Worlds, she was surrounded by thousands of spheres. They were blue and green, complete with clouds and moons. Then she saw the Tree, extending into infinity.

Made of Crystal that flowed with different lights, the Tree seemed to be attached to every world. It wasn’t parasitic, as Twilight could see light flowing from the Tree into the planets. This was the True form of Harmony, then. Yet she could see something else, a branch of Harmony that seemed to move back and forth, swaying in the void.

Twilight moved, following the branch. She didn’t know how she moved, only that she could. So she did. The branch became thinner and thinner, until it was little more than a wire. A wire that blazed with magical strength, so strong that is nigh-incomprehensible.

She stopped, and saw the scene ahead. A planet, covered in the darkest of clouds. She couldn’t see the surface, but she knew that whatever was happening down there was truly horrific. In the Void around the planet, Twilight saw something that could not be. A shattered moon, its surface covered in what appeared to be flesh. On one of the shards of the moon was a massive eye, pupil in death throes.

There were flashes of light inside the shattered moon, so Twilight flew closer, to get a better look. In it she found things that seemed to weigh upon her mind, things that should not exist.

The first thing she saw was a snake the size of continents, made of the pure absence of light. Twilight could hear the whispers on the edge of mind, telling her that the God of Death was here. It was fighting something, a figure that was much, much smaller.

A two legged figure, covered in armor and wielding a sword and spear. He flew through the void with massive white wings, and it seemed that only his magic was keeping him alive out in the void of space. The wire that Twilight had been following was connected to his sword, and she could see it blaze with a pink light.

A pink beam slammed into the god, forcing it back. Twilight could see that both of the fighters were exhausted, yet neither held the upper hand. The God lashed out, driving the warrior back. This fight was as conceptual as it was physical. Twilight, connected to Harmony, could see that.

The Champion of Harmony waged war against the Tyrant Lord of Death, as Twilight could hear a voice faintly whisper something. There are no Gods, only Tyrants. The champion, this Knight, flew back from the tyrant, and she could see them prepare for one last clash.

The two charged, and Twilight watched as the Knight through his sword, cutting across the void in a flash of pink. It embedded itself in the snake, which let a roar as the pure might of Harmony coursed through it, trying to unmake it.

As the Tyrant was distracted by the blade, the Knight dived with the Spear. It slammed into the snake's head, and Twilight witnessed the impossible. She could see it both in physical and conceptual, and it shouldn’t have been impossible.

Physically, the Spear seemed to consume the snake. The Tyrant was eaten by the Spear, being completely unmade.

Conceptually, it was so much more. The Spear was the Hunger for all Magic, weaponized and purified by the purity of an Alicorn’s ascension. It wove through the God of Death’s essacne, splitting parts off and absorbing them. Unlike the moon in which the battle was taking place, which Twilight had realized was another Tyrant, the Lord of Death wasn’t simply being shattered. The Spear had killed it, truly killed it. A God, a Tyrant, had been slain.

A wave power was unleashed from God's death, and as Twilight felt herself be thrown out of this vision like state, she heard a single sentence.

Zushakon…is…Dead.

Twilight gasped, eyes snapping open. She was greeted by the warmth of a nice bed, blanket covering her snuggly. The walls were a calming blue, and there were a couple picture frames on the wall. One of Cloudsdale, Ponlville, and Canterlot. There was a new painting of a crystal city.

On one side of the room was a mirror and a sink, along with a closed off bathroom. Twilight blinked, and she realized where she was. As she slipped out of the bed, she crept towards the mirror. She could feel panic beginning to rise in the back of her mind. What if it had simply been a dream? What if she was still in that nightmare?

As Twilight laid eyes upon her reflection, she began to cry. A pony looked back at her, with nightmarish elements. She was free of Chrysalis’s curse. As Twilight felt tears stream down her cheeks, the lights flipped on.

Twilight spun around, and Rarity. She had frozen in the middle of a yawn, one hoof having flicked the switch into the on position.

“Twilight?” Rarity’s voice was hesitant, unsure how the Unicorn would react. Twilight answered her question with a hug, wrapping her legs around the white Unicron. Within seconds, all of her friends were crowding in her room, exchanging hugs. They must have all been waiting outside her door.

Outside, the sun had begun its ascent upwards, pulled by Princess Celestia’s magic. The Sun was rising on a new day, one full of hope and happiness. Her mind flickered with the vision she had seen, but it didn’t matter. There were other heroes who would help them. No, Twilight was going to enjoy the day, having fun with her friends.

A Star's Journey.

by Naren

A Unicorn, and A Queen.

A monster and her "friends".

A Drake and a Pegasus.

A Captain and a Princess.

A King, and Sacrifices.

An Alicorn, and a Crystal Heart.