"All is not well," Twilight thought to herself as she crept along the now ashen fields and crimson streams of Equestria. Dark clouds hung wearily overhead, all but blocking out the faintest shimmer of starlight. The burning embers of once loved homes were the only thing that remained to guide her. She knelt forward to pick up a charred apple, but it crumbled in her hoof and was soon carried off by a gust of wind.
It had been less than a week since the nefarious Shadow Dash robbed Twilight of everything she held dear, although it was beginning to feel much longer. Her kingdom. Her friends. Her home. Everything was gone. There were no signs of life as the far-reaching Everfree Forest continued to burn and seemingly without end. All was not well, and Twilight was beginning to feel as though it never would be.
Part 1
A pack of Diamond Dogs moved eagerly along the western coast. The scent of gold was in the air, and they knew that it wasn't long before it was within reach.
Spot's eyes glistened as he ran. "Gold! Precious gold."
"Beautiful gold," Rover agreed.
Fido sped along. "-My precious!"
"Your precious?" barked Spot.
Rover stepped in. "Precious does not belong to a slobbering idiot like you - it is our precious!"
"Yes! It is ours," sneered Spot.
Fido stopped in his tracks. Although he was clearly the largest of the three, he grew nervous as his comrades suddenly began to chastise him. "I am sorry - I was only excited. Of course the precious belongs to us."
Nearby, Twilight peered cautiously as the Diamond Dogs aired their grievances. The spat soon turned violent, and the diminutive Spot threw his jaws around Fido's leg.
"-Ow!" Fido howled. "Get off of me you little runt."
Spot's teeth sank deeper into Fido's coat as they slowly found their way to his soft flesh. All the while, a cackling Rover was sent rolling in amusement. Still unseen, Twilight let out a snicker.
Rover's laughter ceased. "What was that?"
Spot released Fido just long enough for the two of them to identify Twilight in the distance.
"A pony - It's a pony!" Spot hissed.
Rover grabbed Fido's collar and pointed to the princess. "Don't let her get away!"
Twilight stood erect. With her mane blowing in the wind, she held the hillside defiantly. One look and it was certain that nothing could shake her steely gaze. She was through being pushed around. With everything that she had been through, not now nor ever again would anyone tear her down. After all, she had nothing left to lose.
Fido charged up the hill as spot dashed along beside him. Their paws dug into the ground as they ran; clumps of dirt and rocks were tossed about. Twilight remained still, unflinching. Her wings slowly began to extend.
"This is your only warning." Twilight's cadence was assured and her stance poised.
The diamond dogs refused to slow down. Their panting broken up by the occasional snarl, teeth clenched, and jaws gnashing. These were not the petty thieves that Twilight had once recalled encountering. Equestria's ruin had left them savage and desperate.
"Alright, this is what you want?" Twilight grinned as the ground began to shake all around her. "Then you can have it!"
The diamond dogs froze in their tracks. The rubble quivered and quaked. The earth opened beneath them, and Fido dropped to his knees.
Startled, Rover noticed something in the air. "Do you smell that?"
"It couldn't be!" Spot screeched.
"My preciousssss~" cried Fido.
As the cracks grew larger, the three struggled not to be swallowed whole. But Fido's eyes got the better of him, and he allowed himself to become distracted by the glorious sight of diamonds protruding from the earth's crust.
"Idiot!" Rover screamed.
Twilight stood back and watched what she had wrought. A perfectly palpable sense of dread permeated these so-called diamond dogs. And yet, Twilight was basking in the unusual pleasure of it all. There was something growing inside of her, but it was too soon to know exactly what.
Part 2
"He spoiled it he did!" Spot howled. "A fool's errand it was to take him with us."
"Falling for that petty pony trick," Rover let out a raspy sigh as he carried Spot on his back. "He knew that there were no diamonds in this land!"
Spot hissed in disgust from atop Rover's head.
"That pony used her magic to trick us she did, and Fido was too simple to see beyond his desire for what is long lost to us. The diamonds disappeared along with the spark that once filled the land." Rover stopped to glance across the water.
Spot slid forward and tugged on Rover's ears so that he would not fall. "Why are we stopping? The pony cannot be far behind - we must continue."
Rover continued to stare at the water.
"What are you doing? We will be caught, and that pony will finish the job to which she begun!" Spot cried. "We cannot stay here!"
Rover secured Spot safely on his head and began walking, more assuredly than before. He did not speak a word, as he was still awash in his thoughts. It would be days before they reached the mountain, but he knew that an opportunity lied soon ahead.
Her chest pulsated with an excitement that she had never felt before. Having nearly dispatched the three wretched fools that dared to challenge her, Twilight set herself out to find them and ensure that it would never happen again. A confident, unhurried stride carried her forward, keenly aware of the horrors that she would likely commit when she found them.
"This isn't like me," Twilight thought as she smiled to herself. "The rush - I never knew that it could feel like this!"
As Twilight continued to tail the Diamond Dogs' path, she came across a narrow ravine. A sense of caution broke over her as she approached it, and her excitement began to waver.
"Those foolish cowards would have never gone this way," she thought. "That is, unless they had planned on me following…"
The cliff sides rose high as they penetrated the charred clouds, proving once and for all that there was no rain left to fall. The ravine itself was darker than Princess Luna's worst nightmare, and it appeared to rob the world of all the light that surrounded it. Twilight began to hesitate as she grew nearer. The silence was filled with the sudden beating of her own heart, and she stopped in her tracks.
"What am I doing?" Twilight grew concerned. "Have I lost my mind - what is wrong with me?" But Twilight felt a voice in the back of her head guiding her. Her inhibitions soon diminished, and her face turned cold. With one step, she pressed on like nothing had happened.
A cold dew trickled from above the cavernous ravine, echoing endlessly from somewhere unseen. It sent a cold chill racing down Twilight's spine, tickling the hairs on her tail as it did. Her hooves marched to the beat of her own heart, struggling to keep pace. The air grew thicker the further she went, and she soon realised that she could no longer see.
"This is getting ridiculous," Twilight thought to herself. "A good way for somepony to get lost - thankfully I'm not just some pony."
Twilight's mane stirred about her head. Her eyes flashed brightly as gleaming embers began collecting in the air and danced around her.
"That's better," she thought aloud. But just as the breath escaped her, she saw them. A sight terrifying enough to bring a dragon to its knees. Twilight's only hope was that they didn't see her.
No longer visible, Twilight could only make out the heavy breathing of the creatures as she stood motionless. There had to be at least a dozen of them, although she wasn't able to get a precise count given the circumstances. While many of them clearly lie along the other side from where she currently stood, it was clear from the warm sensation on her back that one of them was but an arm's length away.
"They didn't see me!" Twilight thought to herself. "Just my luck that they should happen to be sleeping."
Twilight began to quietly creep along when she heard one of the larger ones shuffle about.
"This isn't going to work…" Twilight froze in her tracks. "I can't risk them hearing me."
Twilight thought for a moment about the possibility of flying away, but her wings would create a disturbance as the air moved along the rock face. Surely it would draw their attention, and it wasn't something she could risk. There were far too many of them. Too many of them even for the mighty Twilight to endure.
-THUD-
A tremendous wave of fear swept over Twilight as she clung to her breath. As one of the larger creatures rolled over, several more awoke. Their eyes shimmered in the darkness. It was now clear what she was dealing with. She had just walked into the den of the Arimaspi, a hoard of cyclops-like creatures with a taste for gold. However, Twilight would soon find them less discriminating. The ravaged landscape had driven them to dormancy, but their hunger remained. A thirst for something fresh, something thought to be unobtainable. The sweet taste of flesh. It was becoming clear that Twilight had walked into a situation that she might not walk out of.
Twilight stayed low to the ground, unsure of whether or not she had been spotted. Shuffling echoed in the darkness. And as the rabble grew faint, it altogether vanished like a pin drop in the wind. Twilight closed her eyes and anxiously listened to the silence.
"Something doesn't feel right," Twilight thought. As she spread her wings, she could feel the warmth all around her. "It was freezing a minute ago. Suddenly it's as warm as a summer's day in Cloudsdale!"
But the air was not still, and it soon began to intensify as Twilight drew her wings in. The warmth wrapped itself around her. It blew increasingly hard on her mane. It possessed the foul stench of rotten earth and other horrors so unmentionable that they best be unnamed. Twilight began to grow feint. But she then realized what surrounded her.
"No!" Twilight screamed as she unleashed a blinding ray of light. The light penetrated the deepest recesses of the tunnels. She rose into the air and recoiled at the sight of them. Deprived of sustenance, the mighty Arimaspi had began eating one another to survive. Bodies of the weak lay strung about the cavernous walls. Some of the remaining stood without arms as many lie without legs. But even with their losses, they possessed staggering numbers. Twilight knew that she had only one choice. She had to escape.
Before long, the fearsome creatures began scaling the wall. Twilight spun around and dove toward the center of the den. The Arimaspi trampled one another to get to her. Fear was sinking in as Twilight could no longer focus. The numbers were overwhelming.
"Back away!" Twilight screamed. "I know that you're hungry, but perhaps you'd like a nice hayburger?"
The Arimaspi remained steadfast in their rampage. They had only one purpose - to feed - and Twilight was in the unfortunate position of being in their line of sight. Limbs snapped as the largest of the pack came crashing down. His eyes reflected the cool rays emanating from Twilight's horn.
Twilight's expression turned grave. She reacted without thought and produced an enormous tempest with the beating of her wings. The Arimaspi were tossed about with exception of the great beast the remained in front of her. His jagged teeth shown eerily beneath his ghastly smile. Before she could think of anything else, the barbaric creature hurled a tremendous rock in her direction. As she dove to the side, her wing was pinned against the cold and wet rockface.
The Arimaspi began crawling from the dark recesses from which she had sent them flying. Shattered bones dragged limbs that were all but severed from their bodies. Hunger was all that Twilight had left them with. And it was a hunger with which they hoped to take everything from her.
"Stooppp…" Twilight cried in pain. But the Arimaspi could not hear her. They could only hear their hunger calling to them. Urging them to satiate their desires. The weak scraping their bodies along the cavern floor. Their horrific maws baring promises of a slow and painful death.
Twilight's horn still radiating a brilliant glow, it unveiled a small pocket in the cavern's walls that she had not seen before. A fault in the rockface that could send the whole thing crashing down. Twilight just needed to find a way to break free. And unfortunately for her, she was just about to.
"POOONYYY!" the enormous Arimaspi rasped. His filthy vile paws pinning Twilight to the ground. With her face pressed against the cold earth, the princess groaned, trying hard not to let the groundwater enter her mouth. "TELLL MEEE... WHAAT DOO YOUU TASSSTE LIKESS?" And as quickly as the rock was thrown, Twilight was lifted off of the ground, tearing her wing off in the process.
"AAAAGHHHHHH!"
The scream continued long after the smaller Arimaspi had begun eating the remains of her severed wing. The terrible sounds as they gorged were never heard.
"What did you do - what did you do?" Twilight's eyes were gleaming with rage.
"HHUUNGERR," the mighty Arimaspi whispered under his breath with the entirety of the den repeating him like some strange echo.
"Hunger? HUNGER!" Twilight yelled. "You tore off my wing! You think that you know hunger? I'll show you hunger - I'll show you starvation!"
With that, Twilight's eyes fell darker than the farthest reaches the Arimaspi had seen. Like fallen stars, not even light could escape them. They began swallowing everything around her. The Arimaspi's screams began to rival her own as they plunged into a darkness too small for an apple. Their pain would be unequaled.
Lastly, the mighty titan, the behemoth, the princess's very own Goliath stood before her, the last of the Arimaspi. Twilight reached down and picked up a stone. The beast towered over her, lingering on the unusually smooth piece of sandstone that she held in her hoof. With a flick of her wrist, Twilight send the stone flying upwards and straight through the goliath's great big eye. As Twilight pressed on, the beast staggered behind, finally crashing to the ground in a limp heap.
Part 3
Across the valley, the mountain towered high into the clouds, eclipsing all that could be seen in the darkest outskirts of what was once known as Equestria. Its base seemingly emerging from the netherworld, an unearthly form of crystaline stone and jagged edges. The diamond dogs had already made their way and were nearing the top as the tortured screams of the Arimaspi caught up with them.
"That sound - what was that?" Spot hissed. "It hurts my ears it does."
Rover refused to look back. "It appears that our little friend has gotten through our trap. She is a clever one."
"More clever than you anyway," Spot snickered.
Rover grabbed Spot by the ears and dragged him through the dirt. "Mind your manners! You're only here because I didn't feed you to the Arimaspi. They are always hungry, you know?"
"Yes," Spot coughed, "but even the Arimaspi wouldn't eat such a filthy thing as Spot! I have not cleaned myself in days."
"Putrid!"
"Foul and fragrant!"
Rover cackled, "There's no better way to be if it means not being eaten."
The clouds began to open up as they reached the top of the mountain. Bright rays of light seeped through, and the two lone diamond dogs squinted to see the gates that lie before them.
"We have made it!" Spot cheered.
"At last!" Rover exclaimed as he threw Spot from his back. "Gather our findings and whatever Fido left behind."
Spot rummaged through their things, picking through the scant assortment. "This rock! It will surely bring us some food?"
Rover slapped the rock from Spot's hand. "The griffins do not deal in rocks! Gather the gold and keep it separate."
Spot's face turned grim. "With Fido's gold, we may get through tonight. But Spot will surely starve! Spot may be little but he hosts a great hunger."
"Fool, we will both starve if we do not deal with the griffins. They are the only ones left with food and shelter," Rover sighed and looked solemnly at the gate. "We must enter the city and gather supplies, else we become consumed by the darkness below."
Rover grabbed Spot by the collar and collected their things. The two diamond dogs engaged the gatekeeper and gained access to the sky city of the griffins.
As Twilight continued onward, she struggled to relieve herself of the pain. Surging. Burning. Searing into the recesses of her mind. But it was not the pain of injury that she endured, it was that of loss. She had lost one of her majestic alicorn wings. The prize that she had received for becoming a princess. And where did that leave her? Without her wings, how could she continue to call herself anything other than Princess Celestia's failed student. The patron saint of equine mediocrity.
"Ah!" Twilight hollered as a sharp twinge of pain shot down her back. "Who am I kidding myself? I need to get this looked at immediately." Twilight groaned as she dragged her beaten and weary body along the dark path. As she neared the base of the mountain, a violent skirmish could be heard nearby.
Cast by a flickering fire, her wings gracefully danced along the volcanic rockface. "Well, duh! Why do you think that I came all the way down here?" she puffed as she hurled another stone.
"You will not take my gold!" roared a cantankerous old gorilla. "It is mine, and you shall not have it!"
She picked up another stone. "Let she who cast the first stone!" The smooth hunk of pebble went sailing up -
"What a terrible throw! Have you no idea what you're doing?" the lumbering old beast laughed to itself. But just as he let out a snort, a mound of rocks came crashing down on his head.
"-Bullseye!" she chuckled as she flew over to the unattended stash of gold.
Twilight slowly trotted into the light. The mysterious figure glanced up just long enough to notice her.
"Twilight?" she gasped. "Is that you?"
"Gilda?" Twilight paused and edged cautiously back into the darkness.
The valiant griffin rose above the rubble and soared high into the air. The spread of her wings shown majestically in the night sky as they were graced by the firelight. The griffins were at once noble creatures and cunning thieves. Gilda circled around the injured Twilight.
"Twilight! We thought that everyone was lost," Gilda exclaimed. "There's nothing left of Equestria! Everything that survived either migrated west or went underground."
"So I've noticed…" Twilight uttered.
"How did you escape?"
Twilight smirked. "It's a long story."
Gilda swooped in low to get a better look at her friend. Twilight continued to scoot about as though she were on edge. As Gilda neared, she caught sight of Twilight's maimed wing.
"Twilight!" Gilda responded in shock. "What happened to your-?"
"I said that it's a long story!" Twilight barked. "And it's not one that I care to discuss right now."
Gilda's face turned cold, although the concern lingered in her eyes.
"Yeah, totally. I understand," Gilda smiled uncomfortably. "But we really should get you some medical attention."
Twilight's eyes shifted nervously. Recent events had left her worse for wear and not just physically so. Twilight had no reason to trust Gilda, and for that matter, Twilight had shown little reason to trust herself at that point. But as the griffin held out her claw, Twilight climbed onto her back, and the two were soon sailing deep into the clouds above.
Part 4
"A little gold,
the griffins sold,
so juicy sweet!"
"-Shut up!"
"A piece for Spot,
it's quite a lot,
so juicy sweet!"
"Must you sing while you continue to stuff your face?" Rover snapped. "And quit hogging it all - we have to make it last through the evening."
Spot stared longingly at the dry and crusty scone that he held between his paws. "But Spot is hungry! We have been walking for days."
Rover swatted the scone to the ground. Spot immediately scrambled to his knees, and eagerly he gathered every crumb. The two diamond dogs had used all of their resources and had little to show for it. As petty thieves go, they could go around looting Griffin City, but the griffins were fierce and not to be trifled with.
"What are we to do!" Spot cried. "We cannot continue to scavenge below. We will surely be eaten if we do."
Rover thought to console his companion, but the feeling was fleeting. And just as he reached for another piece of scone, a familiar voice caught his ear.
"Ow!"
"Quit your squiming already."
"OW!"
"You're only making it worse," Gilda huffed.
"What's that awful grinding sound?"
Gilda paused for a second. "What?"
"I said…"
"Alright! Here it comes," Gilda yelled as she lept on Twilight, holding her hooves still as the drill came screeching down.
"AAAAAAAAAHH!"
The drill scraped and dragged as it slid back, pulling out fragments of bone along with it. Gilda reached for a rag as she tenderly wiped it off. Meanwhile, Twilight appeared woozy as she struggled to her feet.
"I'd sit down if I were you," Gilda said softly. "It'll heal soon enough."
Twilight stumbled forward. Her face just missing a nearby workbench, she soon found herself unable to move.
"Ungh… why do I feel like my head is stuck?" Twilight groaned.
"Because it is stuck," Gilda replied. "You fell into a vice."
Twilight squirmed about. "Seriously? I just want to lie down and die."
Gilda laughed to herself as she continued to clean her magnificent drill. The power that it wielded outshined even the most beautiful dragon stone. After a minute or two, she let out a heavy sigh.
"I was having a nice moment," Gilda said sarcastically, "But I suppose that I'll give you a hand out of there."
It was beginning to get dark. Twilight had spent nearly the entire day recovering from Gilda's T-L-C, and she could barely stand. The pain wretched throughout her back and into her abdomen. As she coughed, she inadvertently threw herself off of the bed. Lying on the floor and wrapped in a tattered blanket, Twilight noticed a glimmer of light dancing along the wooden planks. The remains of the day poured through an open window and into Twilight's eyes, though they remained transfixed on the bright little circle as it cast its spell on her.
"Where are you coming from?" Twilight thought to herself.
She began looking around the room. A flicker of candlelight. A flare off of a broken mirror. A small spark between the clicking gears of a clock. From where she stood, Twilight could not identify from where the light shown. Slowly, she began to peer over her shoulder, but she was soon reminded of the writhing pain to which she endured.
"AAAAGH!" Twilight let out a curdling scream.
As she came crashing down, the broken mirror revealed itself to her once again. In it a reflection, a twisted image of a pony she once knew. An all consuming darkness feeding off of physical and emotional scars. Her alicorn wings, once beautiful and majestic, now signified the growing duality that dared to tear her apart. The arimaspi had left her mained, incomplete. Her wing, flesh and bone, torn apart. With metal scraps molded into something new, something magnificent, something… cruel, Twilight could now stand valiant and whole again.
Her new wing stretched out high above her; Twilight took a moment to admire its craftsmanship. Its edges were as sharp as old cans, but Gilda had seen to providing it a respectable shine. Even so, it was clear that it had been thrown together with what little metal was lying around. Nothing terribly valuable, not to a griffin anyway.
"It already seems like forever ago," Twilight thought aloud. "Equestria. My friends. Rainbow. It all somehow feels like my fault." As Twilight's back started to feel better, she had began pacing. The brightness that filled the sky reminded her of better times, and she was in no mood for it. "I should have seen the signs - I should have listened!"
Twilight's shouting caught the attention of some unexpected company. Spot and Fido had followed her and Gilda as they had made their way through the city. While even Fido was uncertain of what he had hoped to accomplish, the two knew that they had little to lose.
"Rainbow tried to warn me; she tried to get my attention. She knew that something was wrong, and what did I do? I ignored her!" Twilight yelled. "I ignored my friend - my friend! Who does that to someone they call their friend?"
Twilight's pacing grew tense as she stomped every other hoof. But what she failed to notice was that her anger had started the whole room shaking. Windows cracked. Floorboards creaked. And the plumbing hissed a terrible sound.
"What's she doing?" Spot whined. "She's going to tear the whole building to the ground.
"Quiet!" Rover urged. "We don't want her to hear us.
Inside, Twilight was suddenly still. A moment of calm swept the room, and everything went quiet. Even the clocks stopped ticking as Twilight stood entirely motionless, eyes set on the window.
"EEK!" Spot shrieked. "She seeses us!"
Rover pulled his companion to the side, smothering him as he did so. "No," Rover paused, "I don't think that she does. Look at her eyes."
As Spot's eyes veered into the room, he saw that Twilight's attention was in fact not on them. Instead, her face stared blankly. A hollowness that seemed to swallow the whole world. Twilight had checked out, and something horrible stood in her place.
"You are weak…" from Twilight's mouth came an unfamiliar voice. "You know not of your greatest power because you cling to that which is gone."
Twilight flinched. Her eyes softened as she looked into the darkness. "I am alone," she whispered. "I haven't anyone left."
Spot nudged Rover. "Who is she talking to? There is nopony here - she has gone mad!"
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the room went black. Twilight disappeared entirely as she was enveloped in shadows while the diamond dogs waited anxiously in the window. However, their anxiety turned to fear as the silence was broke once again.
"You aren't worth the flour it takes to bake a pie, my little pony!" a voice roared. "How did you expect to save them when you know not your own potential?"
Deep within the room, Twilight could be heard whimpering softly.
"Free yourself of your cowardice - your longing, your love, your attachment," the voice continued, "They are holding you back."
As the voice boomed, Twilight's whimper was followed by tears. The harder she tried to ignore it, the further she was driven into the darkness. A well of pain and guilt dragging her down. Her suffering, so it seemed, was neverending.
"I killed them…" Twilight whispered.
"You did what needed to be done."
"It was my fault…"
"She would have killed you."
"I failed her…"
"Rainbow failed you."
"I…"
"Release yourself."
"BUT I KILLED THEM!" Twilight screamed. "I KILLED HER! IT WAS MY FAULT!"
It was nighttime in Griffin City, although the moon kept the golden streets lit. Rover and Spot remained in the shadow filled alleyways so as not to be seen. They feared that which they had heard, and furthermore, they feared her. She was no longer the pony who once spoke of the magic of friendship. For that matter, she was hardly the pony that they encountered by the shore. Hardly a clever pair, even the remaining diamond dogs knew to be afraid. But that placed them ahead of the game, and Rover had already begun to devise a scheme.
"Wasn't that pony… what was her name?" Spot pondered. "Wasn't she the one from cloudsdale?"
"Rainbow, she said."
"Right! She knew Gilda," Spot paused, "from before…"
"Before everything changed."
"The end of all times," Spot moaned. "There is hardly anything left, and she speaks of such guilt over it all. Do you think that it was her?"
"That Twilight pony?" Rover hesitated.
"Yes yes! Do you think that she destroyed Equestria?"
Rover smiled to himself. "It doesn't matter. We know something that she doesn't know that we know she knows, you know?"
"Ugh…"
Rover sighed aloud. "We just need to convince the griffins that little pony princess friendship over there is the cause of everyone's misfortune. With their attention on her, we can make off with plenty of gold!"
"Our precious!" Spot cheered.
"All for us!"
"And we shall never go hungry again. Spot's belly with grow round and cute like a little dragon egg."
Rover looked at Spot in disgust.
"What is wrong with that?" Spot cried. "Why are ponies the only ones who are aloud to be cuuute. I am a puppy - puppies are cute!"
Rover gave Spot a hard thomp over the head, and the two slept late into the morning.
Twilight awoke to a new day. The air grew warm as the sun touched the tallest tower in Griffin Square. The previous night slowly fading into the back of Twilight's mind, she began to feel comfortable for the first time in weeks.
"I forgot how nice it is to feel the clouds beneath my hooves," Twilight reminisced. "I can remember the colorful banners and smell of sparklers as the colts chased each other around before…" Twilight trailed off. She grew silent as the thought of the Wonderbolts entered her mind.
The town started to wake up, and market sounds filled the streets. The bakeries opened their doors, and the scent of fresh scones filled the air. Again, Twilight was reminded of something she had lost.
"No!" she snapped. "I need to move on." As the sweet smell of ground cinnamon crept in and out of her nostrils, Twilight realized that she was hungry. It was only then that she became conscious of her new wing. She looked more like a pirate than a princess!
"Hello, little filly, can I interest you in a little breakfast this morning," asked an older and more distinguished griffin. He spoke with a smarmy tone that made Twilight uncomfortable.
"No," Twilight replied, although she knew that she was starving. "I'm fine."
"Come now, it's a beautiful day," the older griffin continued. "Come with me, and I'll take you somewhere nice."
Twilight felt the hairs on her mane stand up. "That's perfectly alright," and she repeated, "I'm fine."
It wasn't until the griffin lifted one of his big paws toward her that she snapped.
"Say now, that's a mighty fine wing you've got there," he said just before his paw grazed it's cool steel edge.
"Did you not hear me?" Twilight rasped under her breath. But before she could say another word, a familiar voice called her name.
"Twilight!" Gilda shouted. She was carrying a large box spring around the corner. "Someone looks well rested. I suppose that you didn't need this after all!"
Twilight edged toward Gilda and away from the stranger, who was still standing nearby, eagerly smiling at her.
Gilda took one look at Twilight before looking at the old griffin. "Twilight, is this creep bothering you?" Gilda said snarkily.
"No, that's fine," Twilight blurted out. "I was just on my way into town; care to join me?"
Gilda's eyes returned to Twilight. "Sure," she smiled. "I'll meet you there in bit? I just have to finish up here before things get busy."
Twilight nodded and started off. As Gilda grabbed a hold of the mattress that she had been carrying, she looked to the griffin to continued to stand there.
"Yo Charlie," Gilda laughed, "care to give me a hand?"
The griffin grabbed ahold of the other side, and the two made their way up the steps.
"A young thing," he spoke up. "Was it just me or did she seem a little tense? I assume that she's a friend of yours... from before."
Gilda nodded and grew quiet. She looked to the top of the steps and let out a long sigh. "She's been through a lot."
"She reminds me of my daughter."
"I know," Gilda smiled.
"I hope that things get better for her."
"Me too."
A bustling marketplace carried on in the presence of several unexpected parties. Despite appearing especially well groomed and adorning an impressive collection of fine ceremonial medals, the formerly retired leader of the Royal Griffon Defense stood proudly in his new role as captain Blackbeak. Carefully eyeing the shop stands, he held classified orders to seek out a potential threat to the city and the Royal Order of Griffins.
"Commander Hurricane!" Blackbeak barked. "Have you seen lieutenant Gregor?"
"Captain," Hurricane hesitated. "As I recall, he was sniffing out pastries on the east end."
"As you recall?"
"Yes, sir."
"I want confirmation, not vague recollections, commander. See to it that you locate that bumbling layabout and reconvene with squad on the west end asap!" Blackbeak flashed a stern look. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal, sir."
"Then as you were, commander."
Blackbeak held his beak high to the clouds, never for once taking for granted his newfound opportunity to relive his glory days as a soldier. Second chances are few and far between, and he was no spring chicken. He had to prove himself like anyone else. He knew that he could not let the counsel down.
" … Captain Blackbeak … come in Blackbeak … do you read? … "
Blackbeak activated his com link. "Yes, I read you loud and clear, Lord Gestal."
" … Have you secured the area? … "
Blackbeak's eyes, though old, were as sharp as they came. He could spot an eagle in half the time it would take one to notice.
"The area is secure," Blackbeak grinned. "We can establish a perimeter around the eighth district on your word."
" … Good job, Captain … But we can hold off for now … Lord Goldstone has confirmed that it is in the best interest of the counsel to postpone any premature activity in the public … "
"To avoid a panic, sir?"
" … "
"Sir?"
" … Yes, Captain … to avoid a panic … "
Blackbeak nodded to himself. He had always respected the counsel's consensus and not only as a soldier. He accepted his place in the world, and he valued the leadership of others. It was a role that suited him, and he couldn't imagine it any other way.
"10 - 4, my Lord."
" … Over and out Captain … "
Twilight's mind was racing faster than she could even begin to comprehend. She had already experienced so much and yet… there was something else. Or to put it more accurately - someone else. It was beginning to seem as though she was no longer as alone as she felt. A voice. Clambering for her attention, she couldn't shake it. It was scratching and clawing its way to the surface. An unknown yet all too familiar voice. But why? Why now? Why was it tearing at the remains of what little Twilight had to hold on to?
"Go away…" Twilight gasped under her breath. She sounded nearly as winded as when she pulled herself away from the carnivorous arimaspi. "I don't need you."
"But yes, Twilight," the voice snickered. "Yes you do. We are the same, even if you have yet to accept it. I have travelled a long way to find you."
Twilight stopped. Her legs almost buckling beneath her, she could barely stand.
"Tell me, princess… don't you know who I am?"
Before Twilight could get out a word, she became acutely aware of the uniformed figures in the crowd. Rather than continue to stand motionless, she began to move with the town's people so as not to attract further attention - a task that was difficult enough considering that she was the only pony in sight!
"They seeeee youuu~"
"Stop it! No they don't," Twilight almost cursed. "And what does it matter anyway? It's not like I'm wanted."
"They knowww~"
Twilight hesitated to reply. She was beginning to look crazy, and she knew it. But the thought of it was eating away at her. Did they know what she had done? More importantly, did they know what she was still all too capable of doing? Her earlier actions had left her with a feeling of doubt as to whether such horrors were truly behind her.
Blackbeak pocketed his com link after leading his squad to return until further instruction. The assignment had been completed in that he had performed his duty. Although, a hint of dissatisfaction swept over him. He had followed orders, Blackbeak thought. But the covert details of the mission left him feeling like there was more that he could do. He needed to locate the target. An outsider. A pony in their midst.
"Captain, the squadron has pulled out," Commander Hurricane reported. "It's just you, me, and Gregor. I found him, although he's - how should I put this… indisposed?"
"Victim to that sweet tooth of his?"
"Affirmative, Captain."
The old veteran sighed heavily and motioned toward the cart. His subordinate merely nodded as he went to retrieve Gregor. Blackbeak took one last look at the market, heads shifting this way and that, like an ocean finding its direction in the wind. But as Blackbeak turned around, his eyes lit up as he had suddenly found what he had been sent for.
A sudden chill raced throughout Twilight; she began to move faster. Her heart was beating out of control.
"It's no use now," the voice giggled.
Twilight dove across a small stand covered in assorted muffins. Her new wing caught the edge of the canopy as she climbed inside.
"Hey there!" the owner yelled. "What do you think that you're doing?"
Panic began to replace the air in her lungs. Where could she go? She had to stop attracting attention. "Where was Gilda?" Twilight thought. "I feel so alone right now."
"You're not alone…"
"-Shut up!"
The crowd began opening up around Twilight, but she felt the air grow tighter.
"You!" Blackbeak hollered. "By the Royal Order of Griffins and the High Griffin Counsel, you are under arrest!"
The crowd may have remained still, but Twilight's head was spinning. A wave of onlookers dancing to and fro, gawking at you with their stupid little faces.
Blackbeak had thought to call back the squad, but he saw an opportunity and refused to miss it. He flew up and around the crowd, gathering competent bystanders to stage a trap.
"Can't you feel it?" the voice laughed. "Mouths hanging open, and their putrid, stinking breath!"
"Enough!" Twilight screamed. Her voice boomed loud and fierce. The windows throughout the street rattled in their frames. "Do you know who you're dealing with?"
The bystanders collected the fallen canopy and stood idly waiting on Blackbeak. On his word, they would ambush the little pony, restrain her and bring her into custody. It was a good plan, he thought.
"You may think that you know me. Your little pony. The princess of friendship. Twilight. Sparkle."
Blackbeak held his wings close to his body. He had only one chance to get it right, he thought. It would have to be a low dive, but he couldn't entirely sacrifice precision for speed.
"Do not trifle with me!" Twilight's voice took on an alarming baritone. "Do you think that I am afraid of you? It is you who should be afraid of me!"
"Now!" Blackbeak yelled.
The bystanders all leapt at once. The corners of the canopy all surrounding Twilight, Blackbeak took to the air. Briskly, and in such a way that bellied his age, he dashed along, tying each piece as he went. It was all going so well. The crowd began to clap, and however briefly, Blackbeak was allowed to relive his glory days. But it was not to last.
"Tasty biscuits," Rover laughed.
"Delicious breads!" Spot cheered. "When it's all over, it will be off with her head!"
The two diamond dogs leapt from counter to counter in the bakery, snatching up everything that they could carry. With their paws full, they began eating as they went.
Spot paused for a moment. "What if she finds out that it was us?" he whined.
Rover continued along proudly. "The silly pony does not know that we are here. And when the guards find her…"
"Off with her little pony head!" the two roared in laughter.
Just outside, a crowd of griffins moved hurriedly toward the city's marketplace. Their urgency caught Rover's attention. The diamond dog crept toward the window to get a better look.
THWACK
Rover fell back and onto a cutting board.
"What's going on?" Spot cried.
Rover crawled back and onto his feet. His face felt warm as a gentle trickling of liquid dripped off of his nose.
"You are bleeding!" Spot shrieked.
Rover leaned forward and picked up the rock that had hit his head. The marketplace erupted in a startling commotion. The diamond dog grew worried.
"We must flee!" Spot urged. "She will find us, and she will killses usss!"
Cautiously, the crowd moved back. Pieces of debris and dust filled the air. Bodies lay strewn about, some hanging from windows and street posts. In the middle of the common, Captain Blackbeak struggled to stand before a figure of towering imposition.
Blackbeak coughed, "Why are you doing this?"
Twilight rose up, hovering above the griffin population. Her eyes set upon the pitiful Blackbeak, battered, broken, beaten.
"I was just following orde-" Blackbeak's sentence was cut off. His body immediately torn apart atom by atom, extinguished from existence. The crowd stood silent, overcome with fear.
Twilight, holding them with little indifference, revealed a smile. They were beneath her, petty and obstinate, lost in the old ways. But she could finally see clearly. There was a change in the air. A turning of the tides. And nothing was going to stand in her way.
"Twilight!" Gilda shouted as she sprinted toward the common. Her face contorted as her eyes caught sight of the townspeople. She suddenly felt cold, woozy.
The all powerful Twilight turned slowly. Still hovering overhead, she held the majesty of a mighty phoenix, risen from the ashes. Her eyes, firm and unmoving, stared coldly at her old friend.
"Twilight!" Gilda cried. "What - what did you do?"
Twilight smiled slowly.
"Tell me what's wrong!" Gilda wept. "You're not alone - I can help you!"
"It's true, little pony," the voice in the back of Twilight's head whispered. "You are not alone…"
Twilight cocked her head back suddenly and began to laugh. It was an unsettling laughter, stuttering, broken fits of laughter. Her wings wrapped around her as she descended to the ground.
The townspeople remained statuesque in their silence. The stillness mirrored itself throughout the town, all but a couple of diamond dogs who transcended the city walls and back to the world below.
Gilda stared at Twilight who was enveloped in her little wing cocoon. Motionless. Somber. Like a light that had just gone out.
"What is wrong with you!" Gilda screamed at the top of her lungs. "Are you afraid to come out and face me?"
At that second, a myriad of blinding inflorescence burst from within Twilight's shell. Beams tore through the streets, taking out lampposts, traffic signs, and toppling the town's few monuments. The walls of buildings that remained standing smoldered from the radiating heat that the beams carried. Children screamed and mothers wept.
"Twilighhht!" Gilda shouted one last time. But nobody could hear her. Nobody. Especially not Twilight.
hA Ha HA hA ha HA Ha HA aH hA HA!
"Twilight? Twilight!" the laughter ensued.
Gilda stood in sheer terror as a figure emerged from the impenetrable winged fortress. A creature bearing an inscrutable likeness to the former princess but embossed with a sinister sheen and a maniacal grin from ear to ear.
"Try again, Gil-DuH!" she roared. Her hooves resting on the crooked street, she slowly strutted her way to the shaken griffin. "I have waited soOoOo long for this. I never could have taken control of her in mY WorLd…"
Gilda, weighted by fear, still felt compelled to ask, "Your world?"
The fiendish pony cackled so loudly that rain began to fall from the sky, and the clouds turned black. "YOu HavE NO iDeA, dO yOU?" she continued to laugh.
Gilda could no longer take it and fell to her knees.
The abomination that stood before her, seemingly unable to rid herself of that horrible smile, paused for a moment before clearing her throat. "When Twilight dusted off that old mirror, she did far more than just rid herself of Equestria and her little pony friends," her smile ever more unsettling as misshapen teeth protruding from between her lips.
There was once a young lady named Twilight,
And we met long ago,
I believed her weak,
But I should have known,
My folly was that she had friends,
It's not a mistake I'd make again,
I know now that when in doubt,
You must reach deep inside and tear their hearts out!
While the horrible creature finished her song, Gilda secured a piece of nearby piping that had been thrown loose by the blast. She tucked it close by her side.
"So you see, giL-Duh, I have taken your little Twilight and locked her far away in a darkness that she will never escape. I did it because I wanted to. I did it because I can. I did it because I'm Midnight Sparkle!"
Gilda stood back, cautiously gripping the cold, cylindrical piece of metal; careful not to take her eyes off of the wicked Midnight Sparkle for she knew that she would have but one opportunity. Only one shot to activate the faulty channel that she had left in her wing. It wasn't an oversight. Gilda honestly thought it convenient at the time. Rather than taking the time to replace the faulty circuitry, she redirected the flow around the channel. But were the channel to become activated…
"Twilight!" Gilda shouted. Wrong move.
Midnight Sparkle laughed again. The citizens of Griffin City panicked as the clouds quaked beneath them. All that held the city afloat, dissipating, releasing slabs of street and building front along with it.
Gilda choked. Gathering what little courage she had, she firmly pronounced, "Midnight Sparkle!"
The laughter ceased, but the smile on her face only widened. Each hoof tapping out of step with time, she slinked ever nearer. Her shadow, however, seemed to remain static, dragging wearily behind her as she went.
"Stop!" Gilda ordered. "I know what you want."
Midnight Sparkle was taken aback. The corners of her mouth only twitching but a second, she continued to smile nevertheless. "Oh do you?"
Gilda swallowed nervously. "You want to make Twilight suffer. You want to hurt her deeply for beating you."
"Really now," Midnight clapped. "Is that all?"
"But you want her alive… you want her to see a life torn to ruin," Gilda paused. "You want her to see everything she loves die."
Midnight Sparkle's grin grew wider as she closed the gap between the two of them. Edging closer, she raised her metallic wing, examining it again.
"I don't believe that I properly thanked you for your work, GiL-dUh," Midnight's smile spread menacingly to her eyes. "Allow me to show you my appreciation."
Gilda positioned herself carefully. All she needed was one good clean hit, just enough to stun her. She gripped the pipe tight as Midnight Sparkle leaned in.
"Yes, it's a work of solid craftsmareship," she paused. "If only you had taken the time to sort out that faulty channel, I might even say that it's perfect."
Gilda's eyes grew wide and her face white. She already knows. Gilda loosened her grip on the pipe, letting it casually fall to her side.
"Don't look so shocked, giL-dUh," Midnight Sparkle laughed. "You didn't honestly think that between our two minds, such a flaw would go unnoticed?"
Gilda collapsed to the ground. Her head low, her eyes slowly lifted to meet Midnight Sparkle's. "So this is it… this is the end?" she whispered.
"Not for me," Midnight Sparkle replied.
"There is no hope left."
"Hope is hopeless my dear GiL-duH," Midnight Sparkle snickered. "Look at where you are now. Hope will get you killed; I choose to lead by example."
Gilda closed her eyes as she knew what was to come. It became dark only for a moment as the air grew warm, but in an instant, it became impossible to escape the blinding light as it swallowed the sky.