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Description

Twilight stared upwards as she lay curled up on the cool bathroom tiles, her tail clutched tightly against her chest like a foal with a blanket.

She ran her tongue over her dry lips before speaking. "P-Princess Celestia? Are you there?"

“Twilight, my most faithful student...”

The rest of Princess Celestia's words were lost beneath a muffled howl of joy, Twilight’s hooves clasped to her lips as she squealed with relief. The princess! It’s her! It’s really her! “Princess! I’m here!” Twilight hissed loudly, wiping away the tears from her eyes. “I can hear you! Can you hear me?”

“Yes, Twilight... I can hear you...” Twilight’s heart leapt at the sound of Celestia’s voice. “Oh Princess, I’ve been so scared! You have to help me! I’ve been trapped in this hospital where everyone thinks I’m insane! All my friends are here too, but they’re different and wrong, and nothing makes sense, and... wait, where are you?” She glanced around the bathroom.

“Twilight, please!” Princess Celestia’s tone was firm, halting Twilight mid-sentence. “I don’t have much time, and I have much to tell you.” She nodded obediently, the hair on her neck standing on end at the princess’s tone. “What? What is it? What do you need to tell me?”

“Twilight... Equestria is in danger, and...” The princess’s voice warped and faded before going quiet with a faint pop. For a soul-rending moment, Twilight feared she was alone once again. There were another few snaps before Celestia’s voice cut back in, like a damaged radio trying to find a signal. “... lost. I don’t know how long we have, so... must listen carefully.”

“I cannot speak for long. The spell is difficult to manage, and we may lose our connection at any moment. What you need to know is that Equestria is in great danger.”

“Danger?” Twilight’s repeated, her voice grim and serious. “What kind of danger?”

“A grave and terrible one. Yesterday, something happened in Ponyville. The how and why have eluded us thus far. What we do know is that something foul has been released, something made of darkness and shadow.”

Her words hit Twilight like a bucket of ice water. “W-What did you say?” she whispered, her legs trembling like a newborn’s. She glanced at the nearest mirror, swallowing her fear. “Darkness and... s-shadow?”

“Yes, Twilight. We don’t know what it is or where it comes from. There is no record of anything like it. It moves as if alive, yet is insubstantial and formless. It is a shadow that can defy the noon sunlight. It is consuming everything in its path, covering all it touches with a darkness that resists any attempt to banish it. Ponies that are taken by the shadow become... changed. Twisted reflections of themselves.”

“Princess...” Twilight began, trying and failing to keep her voice steady as thoughts of dangerous smiles and warped faces passed through her mind. “what happened to Ponyville? What about my friends?”

Princess Celestia sighed, the sadness in her voice squeezing Twilight’s chest tight with fear. “I’m sorry, Twilight. Everypony in Ponyville has been taken... yourself included.”

Twilight gasped. “Wait, what? What do you mean, taken? I’m right here!” She didn’t know why she suddenly felt angry, but Twilight found herself glaring upwards at the ceiling. “I’m not taken! I’m right here! You’re using some sort of spell to talk to me! How can I be taken?”

“Twilight! Control yourself!” The unicorn flinched, her ears flattening against her skull as she imagined the look of disapproval on her mentor’s face.

“I’m s-sorry, Princess. I... I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”

Celestia’s tone softened with Twilight’s apology, but the stress she was carrying didn’t vanish. “I am not mad, Twilight, but this is no time to lose control of your emotions. We don’t have long, and I do not know when I will have another chance. My sister and I have managed to hold the shadows at bay around Canterlot, but we are losing. Every day the shadow moves a few inches closer. And once it has taken root, it does not relinquish its grasp.”

“If I have been taken,” Twilight spat, the word leaving an oily residue on her tongue, “then how can I help you? How can we even be talking now?”

“The shadow does not kill ponies. It... controls them. Or it controls their bodies, as far as we can tell.”

Twilight’s tail tucked in against her flank nervously at the uncertainty in Celestia’s voice. “So does that mean that right now my body is being controlled by some sort of... shadow creature?”

“No, Twilight.” Her head dipped in relief as Celestia continued. “The shadow has you, but you are not its puppet. Your mind still resists, which makes you a threat. In its hubris, it returned you to your body in an attempt to break you with fear and confusion. It was a mistake. I received a letter from Spike alerting me to the danger.”

“Spike? Is he okay?”

“I... am unsure, Twilight. It is almost impossible to locate a single mind within the darkness. I was only able to locate yours because you hold onto your independence. As long as you fight back, it doesn’t control the Elements of Harmony.”

“If it is so powerful, why does it need to control the Elements?”

“–ause they are the only thing that can challenge it. My sister and I can delay the shadow, but that is all. Each day it moves a few inches closer to the city. It might take months, but without the Elements, we will lose.”

“But my friends have already been taken. I need them to use the Elements! How can I help you without them?” she asked, her voice growing louder with desperation.

“You must... them break free. Their minds are beset by disharmony and inner anguish. You must help give them peace.” Celestia’s voice began to fade again, growing muffled and distorted at random. “I can faintly sense them through you, trapped within the shadow world. As long as they... given into the darkness’ lies, they are... puppets. Bring them... harmony, and you can break the lies...”

“But how?” Twilight shouted.

A soft series of pops and warbling notes filled the air before fading into silence. Twilight’s mouth flapped open a few times, a chill filling her veins as her mentor’s voice dwindled away. “P-Princess?”

“The spell... fading. You must be strong... the sake of your friends and Equestria...”

“Princess, please... please don’t leave me,” she whispered, glancing around desperately.

“Remember,” Princess Celestia said, her voice as soft as the rustling of leaves in a summer breeze. “Friendship... is... magic...” There was a final pop, and then silence.

Twilight sat down heavily. Alone. I’m all alone again. Her lip trembled as she took a few deep, ragged breaths. She wiped her eyes, her hoof coming away damp. I’m trapped, alone, in some waking nightmare and even the princesses can’t stop it. My friends are being controlled, I can’t use magic, and all I want to do right now is have someone tell me everything is going to be alright.

Description

Twilight stared upwards as she lay curled up on the cool bathroom tiles, her tail clutched tightly against her chest like a foal with a blanket.

She ran her tongue over her dry lips before speaking. "P-Princess Celestia? Are you there?"

“Twilight, my most faithful student...”

The rest of Princess Celestia's words were lost beneath a muffled howl of joy, Twilight’s hooves clasped to her lips as she squealed with relief. The princess! It’s her! It’s really her! “Princess! I’m here!” Twilight hissed loudly, wiping away the tears from her eyes. “I can hear you! Can you hear me?”

“Yes, Twilight... I can hear you...” Twilight’s heart leapt at the sound of Celestia’s voice. “Oh Princess, I’ve been so scared! You have to help me! I’ve been trapped in this hospital where everyone thinks I’m insane! All my friends are here too, but they’re different and wrong, and nothing makes sense, and... wait, where are you?” She glanced around the bathroom.

“Twilight, please!” Princess Celestia’s tone was firm, halting Twilight mid-sentence. “I don’t have much time, and I have much to tell you.” She nodded obediently, the hair on her neck standing on end at the princess’s tone. “What? What is it? What do you need to tell me?”

“Twilight... Equestria is in danger, and...” The princess’s voice warped and faded before going quiet with a faint pop. For a soul-rending moment, Twilight feared she was alone once again. There were another few snaps before Celestia’s voice cut back in, like a damaged radio trying to find a signal. “... lost. I don’t know how long we have, so... must listen carefully.”

“I cannot speak for long. The spell is difficult to manage, and we may lose our connection at any moment. What you need to know is that Equestria is in great danger.”

“Danger?” Twilight’s repeated, her voice grim and serious. “What kind of danger?”

“A grave and terrible one. Yesterday, something happened in Ponyville. The how and why have eluded us thus far. What we do know is that something foul has been released, something made of darkness and shadow.”

Her words hit Twilight like a bucket of ice water. “W-What did you say?” she whispered, her legs trembling like a newborn’s. She glanced at the nearest mirror, swallowing her fear. “Darkness and... s-shadow?”

“Yes, Twilight. We don’t know what it is or where it comes from. There is no record of anything like it. It moves as if alive, yet is insubstantial and formless. It is a shadow that can defy the noon sunlight. It is consuming everything in its path, covering all it touches with a darkness that resists any attempt to banish it. Ponies that are taken by the shadow become... changed. Twisted reflections of themselves.”

“Princess...” Twilight began, trying and failing to keep her voice steady as thoughts of dangerous smiles and warped faces passed through her mind. “what happened to Ponyville? What about my friends?”

Princess Celestia sighed, the sadness in her voice squeezing Twilight’s chest tight with fear. “I’m sorry, Twilight. Everypony in Ponyville has been taken... yourself included.”

Twilight gasped. “Wait, what? What do you mean, taken? I’m right here!” She didn’t know why she suddenly felt angry, but Twilight found herself glaring upwards at the ceiling. “I’m not taken! I’m right here! You’re using some sort of spell to talk to me! How can I be taken?”

“Twilight! Control yourself!” The unicorn flinched, her ears flattening against her skull as she imagined the look of disapproval on her mentor’s face.

“I’m s-sorry, Princess. I... I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”

Celestia’s tone softened with Twilight’s apology, but the stress she was carrying didn’t vanish. “I am not mad, Twilight, but this is no time to lose control of your emotions. We don’t have long, and I do not know when I will have another chance. My sister and I have managed to hold the shadows at bay around Canterlot, but we are losing. Every day the shadow moves a few inches closer. And once it has taken root, it does not relinquish its grasp.”

“If I have been taken,” Twilight spat, the word leaving an oily residue on her tongue, “then how can I help you? How can we even be talking now?”

“The shadow does not kill ponies. It... controls them. Or it controls their bodies, as far as we can tell.”

Twilight’s tail tucked in against her flank nervously at the uncertainty in Celestia’s voice. “So does that mean that right now my body is being controlled by some sort of... shadow creature?”

“No, Twilight.” Her head dipped in relief as Celestia continued. “The shadow has you, but you are not its puppet. Your mind still resists, which makes you a threat. In its hubris, it returned you to your body in an attempt to break you with fear and confusion. It was a mistake. I received a letter from Spike alerting me to the danger.”

“Spike? Is he okay?”

“I... am unsure, Twilight. It is almost impossible to locate a single mind within the darkness. I was only able to locate yours because you hold onto your independence. As long as you fight back, it doesn’t control the Elements of Harmony.”

“If it is so powerful, why does it need to control the Elements?”

“–ause they are the only thing that can challenge it. My sister and I can delay the shadow, but that is all. Each day it moves a few inches closer to the city. It might take months, but without the Elements, we will lose.”

“But my friends have already been taken. I need them to use the Elements! How can I help you without them?” she asked, her voice growing louder with desperation.

“You must... them break free. Their minds are beset by disharmony and inner anguish. You must help give them peace.” Celestia’s voice began to fade again, growing muffled and distorted at random. “I can faintly sense them through you, trapped within the shadow world. As long as they... given into the darkness’ lies, they are... puppets. Bring them... harmony, and you can break the lies...”

“But how?” Twilight shouted.

A soft series of pops and warbling notes filled the air before fading into silence. Twilight’s mouth flapped open a few times, a chill filling her veins as her mentor’s voice dwindled away. “P-Princess?”

“The spell... fading. You must be strong... the sake of your friends and Equestria...”

“Princess, please... please don’t leave me,” she whispered, glancing around desperately.

“Remember,” Princess Celestia said, her voice as soft as the rustling of leaves in a summer breeze. “Friendship... is... magic...” There was a final pop, and then silence.

Twilight sat down heavily. Alone. I’m all alone again. Her lip trembled as she took a few deep, ragged breaths. She wiped her eyes, her hoof coming away damp. I’m trapped, alone, in some waking nightmare and even the princesses can’t stop it. My friends are being controlled, I can’t use magic, and all I want to do right now is have someone tell me everything is going to be alright.