Archmage: Beyond the Crystal Mirror "Saddle Arabian Nights"

Tags: Erotic, Normal

Fair warning: These chapters do have erotic elements, up to and including sex. To be fair, the impact on the overall story has been reduced. You’re welcome to skip these chapters, and you won’t miss much.

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The knife stung. Twilight inhaled slowly as the pain finally caught up to her, radiating into her entire body from her side. As she watched, the mare pulled the blade out and reared back, intent on driving it into her once more. Twilight saw red and green on the blade.

’Poison.’ Twilight grimaced, her horn lighting up brilliantly to send an echoing shot of power into the bathhouse. The surface of the water rippled outwards from her, and everypony screamed. There was a breath of a moment that Twilight saw the mare, her eyes wide with shock as Twilight’s magic streaked straight towards her neck.

Blood shot into the air, followed by the attacking mare’s head. Twilight watched as her body fell to the stone floor, oozing blood into the bath water. Then her legs gave out, inexplicably dumping her onto the floor. The knife clattered away, just as the mare’s head landed with a splash in one of the other tubs.

As pandemonium broke out in the bathhouse, Twilight felt consciousness leave her.

She fell into the blackness.

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’So this is death.’ Twilight thought. ’Kind of warm. And it’s not what I expected…’ She felt like she was floating. The fact that she could feel anything spoke volumes in and of itself, but still, she was in no state of mind to think properly just then. Her head reeled and she felt sick to her stomach. The more she thought about it, the worse it got. Twilight lurched forwards, upending her stomach as hooves pulled her mane aside.

’Wait, hooves? I can feel my mane? Wha… What’s going on…’

“Delirium.” A voice came to her, echoing as if she stood in some great, empty hall. It made her head hurt and her stomach churn even more, and she hurled once more. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing confusing shapes and colors that meant nothing to her. She heaved once again, coughing fitfully as a cool rag was passed across her face.

“She’s purging the venom from her system, bit by bit. She’s in for a long night, but she’ll be fine. She’s lucky she wasn’t cut by that blade again; this is serious stuff. I’m amazed her heart hasn’t stopped yet.”

“Bluergh.” Twilight spat up once again, shuddering in the aftermath of the stomach-emptying ordeal.

’Being dead sucks. I wish I could stop vomiting. Or see straight.’ Twilight began to whimper, her entire body quivering.

“Give her another dose. She needs to get it all out, else it’ll just linger and grow worse.” Twilight grunted as a fresh wave of nausea passed over her, and she hurled once again. “By the stars, how much did she eat?”

“Urg,” Twilight spat a few times, trying to clear the taste of vomit from her mouth. To no avail, it seemed, the prevalent taste was on her tongue and wouldn’t leave.

“She needs to sweat it out. Get more blankets. You two, lay on top of her.”

A great weight descended on her, and she fought it off.

“Hold her down.” The voice commanded, echoing in her head. “She doesn’t know who you are or that this is good for her.”

“Fig Leaf, dear, leave this to us.”

“O-okay…”

“URGH!” Twilight upended once more, strings of saliva dangling from her snout. The rag wiped them away, and another rag wiped her face calmingly. She shuddered and whimpered, tears streaming from her eyes as even more nausea rocked her. When she wasn’t sure that she could handle any more, her strength reached its end and she fell into the darkness once more.

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’Still dead? No, I feel warm… Very warm…’ Twilight came back to the realization that she was under covers, and feeling rather stifled. She squirmed a little, whimpering again. She felt hot, impossibly hot, and sweaty.

“I think she’s awake.”

“About time. Up you go, Dusk…” Two voices came to her, and the stifling sensation lifted momentarily. Then it was gone completely, replaced by marginally cool air and the feeling of the floor beneath her hooves.

“Wha… What’s going on?”

“You were poisoned.” The voice said quietly, leaning against her side fully now. Twilight groaned and stumbled forwards, following their guidance. “We’re going to bathe you now, and this should cure the last of it. The doctor says you’re through the worst of it now, and this should be the last bit…”

“O-okay…” Twilight nodded, still stumbling and feeling rather light-headed. She kicked the edge of the tub, eliciting a wince from her before scrambling over the edge and falling into the hot water. The two mares with her hauled her up, pulling her head above the water so she could breathe. She inhaled the scent of oil and herbs deeply, feeling an odd numbing sensation wash over her body. The scent cut into the back of her nose, clearing her sinuses and biting hard enough to make her eyes water.

When she blinked the tears away, the room was finally thrown into relief. She blinked unevenly at the bright light of the candle before making out everything at long last.

“Rarity… Emerald…” She moaned. The two mares were the only other ones there, both smiling faintly. “What… What happened to me?”

“Scorch sent an assassin after you.” Rarity said quietly, hooking her forelegs over the edge of the tub. She gingerly cupped water, picking it up and dropping it onto Twilight’s mane. “She used a poisoned blade, and you’ve been fighting the venom for the past two days.”

“Poisoned… Huh…” Twilight could hardly remember anything since coming to Diamond Bay. The last cohesive memory she had was of packing up their camp and leaving Sapphire Shores. Since then, it had all been a blur. “What of the assassin…?” Twilight groaned, soaking up the heat of the bath. After feeling so stifled, she thought she would hate being in this hot bath, but the herbs and oils were making her feel all numb and floaty. She could hardly feel anything below her neck anymore, and as Rarity spread more of the water on her, even that was fading.

“Well,” Emerald shook her head. “Rarity wasn’t there, but I was… They’re still draining and cleaning all the tubs.”

“What? Why?” Twilight whimpered, looking between the two. Rarity grimaced and continued rubbing water into her mane.

“You kind of decapitated her. Her blood was everywhere, in the water, on the floor… It was gruesome, darling.”

“I… I’m sorry.” Twilight whimpered. She was greeted with the ghost of a memory, of blood and a blast of magic.

“No matter. I’ve made sure that the assailant was equated with Scorch’s marem, and she’s being billed for the cost. I’ll be damned if I let her get away with this without taking a hit to the pocketbooks, at the very least.”

“At least there’s that.” Twilight sighed, relaxing into the water a little.

“I’m just glad you’re okay, love.” Rarity began rubbing the water onto Twilight’s face and head, further numbing her muscles. “You very nearly died.”

’I have got to be more careful.’ Twilight thought with a grim look. ’If I die here, I die in my world too… I’d never get to see Luna again… A pang of sorrow shot through her, piercing even through the numbing oils and herbs. Rarity and Emerald she could trust, but everypony else in Diamond Bay could very well be the enemy. Suddenly, Twilight did not want to explore this city. She didn’t want to see what else this cruel and inhospitable world held for her. Saddle Arabia had bared its teeth at her, and she couldn’t handle the bite. As the bath water lulled her into unconsciousness once more, Twilight made up her mind.

’I’m leaving this world – and Saddle Arabia.’

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She was in her bed once more, though thankfully not stifled with five blankets and two mares. Instead, a slight sheet and one mare took their place. Twilight gave a soft groan as she woke up to Emerald slumbering beside her. While Emerald wasn’t exactly a bad thing to wake up to, Twilight wondered why she was sharing her bed with the curvaceous earth pony. Then she remembered the inn they were staying at, and how the rooms were communally shared. She supposed Rarity and Emerald had shared her bed the past few nights, whether to keep her warm and tend to her or simply because there was nowhere else for them to stay.

Twilight extricated herself from the sheets and drew a cool bath, submerging herself in the lukewarm water with a sigh. She let the fresh water cleanse the last bits of fatigue she felt, and checked herself for wounds. The dusky coat of her alter-ego had been scarred a few times since her arrival in Saddle Arabia, chiefly on her left side with the splinters, and her right flank where the knife had pierced her. She was lucky her kidney wasn’t hit; since the knife wound seemed awfully close. That would have made for an excruciating experience.

Still, Twilight wasn’t keen on remaining in this world much longer. Dusk Hoof had made a name for herself, and Twilight couldn’t handle the ire she’d earned from Scorch’s marem. She had to leave, and leave soon. This world was strange, and had changed in more ways than she expected. The fact that Rarity was in Saddle Arabia was enough to have her leery, but that Starswirl – one of the most iconic figures of her academic upbringing – was so drastically different had set her over the edge. She idolized that pony, and all of his feats and accomplishments. Twilight wasn’t about to let that particular bit of information go. As she finished soaking in the cool water, Twilight made for the small balcony the inn had provided them. It was night time, shortly after sunset. Emerald being asleep was rather strange; since this was usually the hour she was most active. Rather than press her luck, Twilight decided to wait.

She sauntered back to the bed, curling up with her back against Emerald’s flanks. The earth pony gave a soft moan, but didn’t rouse further. Twilight felt like she had slept plenty, so she pulled one of the books Rarity had brought with her from the bedside table and lost herself in the tale for a short while. It was a nonsensical romance book, telling tales of valiant mares rescuing their loves from evil overlords and combating magic the likes of which didn’t even exist. Twilight felt so much more removed from reality, considering she wasn’t even in her own world, or was even herself, and she was reading fantasy.

Rarity entered the room, very nearly startling Twilight. She smiled at seeing her charge awake, and came to give her a gentle hug.

“I’m glad you’re awake,” She whispered gently, slipping onto the bed so as not to wake Emerald. “I was terribly worried.”

“I’m okay, thanks in no small part to you.” Twilight smiled and nuzzled Rarity’s neck. “You saved my life.”

“I just had to pull some strings with a few local doctors.” Rarity smiled in return, stroking Twilight’s mane gingerly. “A small price to pay to keep you breathing. Dusk, I know that you’re-“

“Rarity.” Twilight cut her off with a hoof, pressing it softly to the white unicorn’s lips. “Save your words. I have something to say to you, but it’d be best to share it when we aren’t in the presence of your daughter.”

“Very well.” Rarity seemed crestfallen, and with good reason. Twilight intended on telling her she was leaving the marem. Her original plan had been to slip away quietly, but the bracelets could just as easily been used in reverse function to track her down. She would either have to abandon or forfeit it to leave Diamond Bay without alerting the other members of Rarity’s marem.

“You know, I promised to buy your ho-“

“You never even asked if I had a home to begin with.” Twilight chuckled. “My family’s home is in Neighgrabah. I don’t need a home from you, Rarity.”

“But-“

“Mom?” Emerald muttered, stirring beside them. Rarity and Twilight both closed their mouths, looking to the sleepy-eyed mare. “Oh… Dusk Hoof… You’re okay. I’m so glad.” Emerald smiled at Twilight, tears leaking from her eyes. “I was so worried…”

“It’s true, you know.” Rarity said quietly. “She hasn’t left your side since the first night.”

“I…” Twilight frowned down at Emerald, her heart throbbing in her chest. ’That’s something I’d just as soon expect from Luna, not Emerald…’ “Thank you, Emerald…” Twilight forced a smile onto her lips as Emerald opened her hooves, urging Twilight into a soft embrace. She sunk down beside Emerald, wrapping her own hooves around her warm friend. Rarity pressed against her back, the three of them cuddled up close.

“I do hope you’ll reconsider, Dusk…” Rarity whispered in her ear. Twilight grimaced to herself, even as her hooves stroked Emerald’s mane soothingly. Emerald began crying, her gentle sobs shaking all three of them.

Twilight sincerely didn’t want to hurt Emerald or Rarity by leaving, but she honestly doubted she could survive in this world. She had let her guard down for but a moment in the bath house, and had very nearly paid for that mistake with her life.

Hurting Luna would be much worse than hurting either of these ponies. Twilight hated to admit it, but she was much more fearful of the former. As Emerald and Rarity slowly drifted off to sleep, Twilight closed her eyes and focused her magic.

In the wake of her passing, she left everything. Her saddlebags with the books she had read and the jewelry, and on the night stand was her bracelet. The only thing she kept was her cloak. She’d need it to hide herself in the shadowy streets of Diamond Bay.

On her way out of the door, Twilight heard Rarity mumble one word. She spoke it so soulfully, as if it were the last thing that would cross her mind on her deathbed.

“Regal…”

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The night was much colder than Twilight remembered it being. She hadn’t cast her hydration spell, and wasn’t wearing the bracelet, but still the cool night air bit into her exposed coat, sending shudders down her flanks. She stomped her hooves on the cobblestones to return feeling, even as she left the city proper and made her way into the winding stone blocks bordering Diamond Bay. It was only the middle of the night, and yet Twilight was already on her way out of the city. Nopony had seen her depart the inn, and Rarity wouldn’t learn of her abandoning the marem until the morning.

She had a whole night to get a headstart on whatever opposition would be coming her way, be it Scorch’s assassins or Rarity’s seekers. Despite the lingering fatigue from the poison, Twilight pushed herself hard. The night was even colder out on the dunes, with the wind kicking up miniature frozen sandstorms and no shelter to be had. Twilight huddled tightly in her cloak, keeping herself warm with periodic blasts of fire. Even those did little to allay the effect of the bitter, prevalent cold. It was all she could do to make it until the morning.

When the sun at long last peeked over the horizon, Twilight could have cried. She spurred herself on harder, shedding her cloak bit by bit as the heat began to rise. Before long, she had tied her cloak around her head in a makeshift turban, and had cast a hydration spell for good measure. The one thing she had stopped to do was consult a map, and it was towards the north-east she walked now. When Rarity and the wagon train had entered Diamond Bay, they did so from the south-east, coming almost straight in from the Sapphire Shores. Now, rather than cross the inhospitable desert between her and the shores, she made for the grottolands, a stretch of oases and grottos that were a boon to any travelling Saddle Arabian.

A pang of sadness crossed her heart as Twilight realized there would be no Emerald here to tell her how the grottolands came to be. The fact that there were any non-ponymade water sources in the middle of the desert seemed suspicious to Twilight, but as the first green scar appeared on the horizon, Twilight wasn’t about to complain. She made straight for it, making sure the green strip of vegetation on the horizon didn’t waver, indicating a mirage of sorts. It was indeed solid, and as she neared the small stand of trees, she gave thanks to the powers that be she finally had water.

“Stupid mistake, Twilight.” She moaned, wading into the small pool cloak and all. “Should have at least brought some canteens…” In her haste to depart Diamond Bay, Twilight had forgotten quite a few things. Food, for one, and water for another. She paused to have a relaxing soak in the pool of her first grotto before chopping down a nearby palm to fashion makeshift canteens out of the wood. She chewed on some tough Reedgrass to sate her hunger, hoping that there would be ripe coconuts at the next grotto, or maybe a stand of watercress. She strapped her cloak over her neck and tucked the canteens into it, dunking the whole thing in water until it soaked through, keeping her relatively cool on top of the hydration spell.

“Alright, Twilight.” She hoisted her small pack and scanned the horizon. “There we are.” Another grotto, markedly larger than the one she stood in, lay not two miles away. The chain of grottos and water sources had been a loose road for Saddle Arabians to follow for ages now. There were times when marems had laid claim to one grotto or another, and held turf wars with other marems. Now, the grottos were peaceful and tranquil, as the marems had chosen to settled their disputes in a slightly more civilized manner. Twilight looked back the way she had came – to Diamond Bay – with a slight grimace.

“Old habits die hard, I suppose…” She made a note in the back of her mind to remain wary of any other travelers she might come across. Be they from Rarity’s marem, or Scorch’s.

As she turned her trail towards the next grotto, Twilight thought of home, and the pendant pressed against her breast beneath the canteens.

“I’m coming home, Luna.” She grimaced. “Wait for me just a little longer… Just a little bit more.”

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That evening brought with it uncertainty. Twilight had been following the chain of ponds and oases from one to the next, stopping at each one to scan her surroundings thoroughly. As far as she could see, nopony else had followed her trail through the chain of lakes and ponds. Then again, the light played tricks on her eyes throughout the day. Furthermore, when night fell, the shadows deepened, concealing the movements of anypony who might be on her trail.

She had left a rather obvious one through the sands, but there really wasn’t any other alternative. Twilight knew flying in the thin, stale air was all but impossible for any but the strongest, most skilled fliers; particularly over the grottolands, where the air currents and thermals were interrupted by pockets of low pressure rising up from the water. Besides, she didn’t feel like dropping her disguise just yet. She could have disguised herself as a different pegasus, but she still wouldn’t have been able to fly very well, if at all in the stale desert air.

So Twilight trudged on until nightfall, when the last grotto lay before her. It was smaller than the last few she had been to, and as the chill of night came to her bones, she sought fuel for a fire. The trees and bushes surrounding the still water of this grotto were all wet and lush, none of them dried or dead as she had hoped. Feeling remorse for killing such beautiful palm fronds, Twilight sliced a few off of the nearest tree, and set about to drying them off by drawing the water from them.

When she had a healthy blaze going and had banked enough fuel to last her the night, Twilight settled down for a long sleep. She still felt fatigue from the poison and its taxing ordeal on her, and she needed as much rest as possible. Curled up in her cloak beside the fire, Twilight closed her eyes and drifted off peacefully.

When she awoke the next morning, the fire had burned out, but the desert was uncharacteristically overcast. She frowned up at the pearly-grey clouds, stretching from horizon to horizon.

“Rain in the desert. I’ll be damned.” Twilight sighed. While she wasn’t sure the effect rain would have on the sand beneath her hooves, she knew she couldn’t wait here. As the first few droplets of water pattered against the surface of the grotto, Twilight filled her canteens and set out. The steady pitter-patter of raindrops soon evolved into a full-on cloudburst, soaking her through to the bone. It was a warm rain, but the dunes soon turned into sloughing, shifting mountains of mass that threatened to twist her leg or sweep her away on ever-changing tides of earth.

Just as soon as it began, it was done. Twilight pulled her hood back as the rain came to a rather abrupt and sudden end. The last clouds scudded away on high winds, leaving nothing but blue skies and a baleful, hot sun. What moisture had accumulated on the sands quickly dried, leaving her parched in its wake. She took a moment to re-cast her hydration spell and look around.

And then she saw them.

A dark line on the horizon, easily a hundred feet across or more, did not waver or flicker as the sun was wont to do. The last grotto was well behind her by then, so it couldn’t be that either. Twilight paused atop a slight incline to view the black line a little more intently, until she saw the trail of dust it kicked up, and the joined mass of a hundred ponies or so.

“Oh no…” It was either Rarity’s marem, or more likely Scorch’s. Twilight turned her back to the black line and made her way down the far side of the dune, eager to put as much distance between herself and them as possible.

She didn’t last the day. Every fifteen minutes or so, she would look over her withers at the dark line, frowning as it grew larger and larger, and she couldn’t put enough distance between them. She made it to the next grotto, and upon leaving that one the line had doubled. She could almost make out the individual ponies, and they begun to take on definition in the form of different colors and clothes. By the time she was halfway to the next grotto, she could start counting them.

By the time Twilight made it to the relative safety of the grotto’s shaded edge, the line had formed into a mass of two hundred or more ponies, hot on her tail and numbering well over one hundred. She could hear their cries of triumph. They began shouting orders, spreading out to surround the oasis she was running into.

“Okay, so…” Twilight splashed through the shallows of the pool, thankful for the cool relief it offered her taxed muscles. “Keep running, or stand and fight?” She deliberated for a few moments as the water calmed around her, and she sunk into it up to her neck. Her muscles relaxed and her heart slowed. She closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths to help further calm herself.

When her eyes opened, it was with determination. Smoothly, Twilight popped the clasp on her cloak and let the makeshift canteens fall into the water. She dripped cool liquid as she stepped out of the oasis and onto its sandy shore. She stood there, calm and collected, as the mass of ponies emerged from the greenery all around her. The whole pool was surrounded. Both unicorns and earth ponies circled her in, leaving her nothing but the small pool and her wits to defend herself. The largest portion of them were right in front of her, and from them a single mare emerged.

Twilight knew who she was before she ever spoke. Her mane was a brilliant, fiery red, and her coat the color of ash. Her eyes gleamed dangerously, a deep blue the same color as the heart of a roaring fire. Twilight glared at her as she advanced to stand opposite, the two mares staring one another down intently.

“So,” Scorch sniffed. “You’re the one who’s been making so much trouble for me.”

“Scorch, I presume.” Twilight locked her gaze on the mysterious, fiery mare.

“And you would be Dusk Hoof. I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but I’m certain that’s a hollow sentiment.”

“I’m glad I’m not alone in that regard.” Twilight slowly lowered herself to her haunches. The water from the pool began to evaporate on her coat.

“Well, you know why we’re here. You’re clearly at a disadvantage, and there’s only one thing you can do to get us to leave.”

“And that would be?” Twilight flicked her tail. She could see it in Scorch’s eyes. They flashed brilliantly, even as her horn began to glow with the same color as her fiery mane.

“To die. HAH!”

The bolt of energy never reached Twilight. She dispelled it with hardly a blink of her eye, feeling the shockwave of energy wash over her hide. Scorch snarled and cast another bolt, but this one ricocheted off, streaking out into the water, where it kicked up a violent, hissing plume of steam.

“What’s the point?!” Scorch snarled, casting another bolt. “You’re out-numbered! Even you can’t withstand all of us!”

“On the contrary,” Twilight’s horn sparked brightly, reflecting the bolt once more. This time, it shot directly back at Scorch, catching the unsuspecting mare right in her chest. She stumbled backwards, her eyes wide at the sudden impact. “I think I can.”

“Who ARE you?!” Scorch panted, raising a hoof to her breast. “You’re no ordinary unicorn…”

“Well,” Twilight sighed, closing her eyes slowly. “Considering none of you are going to leave this place alive, I suppose it’s fine for me to tell you.”

“What?! What do you mean, none of us are leaving here alive?!”

“I mean,” Twilight’s horn began to glow. A dull hum filled the air, building in intensity until even her own hair stood on-end. The grotto rippled and pulsed, and her voice rang out above all.

”I’m going to kill you all.”

A barrier erupted into existence, roaring with intensity as it spread. Twilight watched as everypony scrambled, running away from the epicenter of power. She waited until the barrier had expanded to an adequate degree before solidifying it. Several unicorns tried to dispel it, to stop her, but they were unsuccessful. An opaque globe soon encased the oasis, and as the first wave of fleeing ponies reached the edge, their hooves and spells fell upon it uselessly.

“Wh… What are you doing?”

“Sealing us all in here.” Twilight sighed. She stood on all fours, slowly advancing on Scorch. “I can’t have any of you escaping. And I certainly can’t have any travelers seeing us.”

“What… What ARE you?!”

“The proper question, dear Scorch…” Twilight’s horn glowed, and her form began to waver. Scorch’s eyes went wide as she grew taller, more full-bodied. “Is who. Who am I?” Her coat began to change from dusky grey to something marginally lighter. “I am your doom.” Her horn grew longer, more pointed. “I am your end.” Wings sprouted from her back, even as her cutie mark changed from three white stars to six, with the purple and pink sunburst in the middle.

“I am your worst nightmare.”

Twilight spread her wings, frowning down at Scorch.

“I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, Archmage of Canterlot, and I am going to kill every one of you.”

“What?! An Equestrian?! No-“ Scorch never got to finish her sentence. Twilight’s horn erupted in light, wrapping her in a powerful field of telekinesis. Twilight launched Scorch straight upwards, watching as her flailing body hit the roof of the barrier hard enough for the impact to be audible. Broken and bleeding profusely, Scorch slid off of the barrier, turning over slowly before landing dead on the sand.

Pandemonium erupted. Twilight whirled about, her horn blazing as she shot down everypony charging towards her. Spells shot through the air, burning hot ozone and magical fallout as she smoothly side-stepped or blocked them. The clash of spells and bodies rang out as Twilight blasted, burned, kicked, gored, and trampled everypony that came her way. Some of Scorch’s marem begged. Others of them cursed her name or the name of her princesses. One of them dared insult Luna.

She locked him underwater, letting him drown in an iron grip of magic just out of reach of the air. Razor-thin lines of magic sheared ponies in half, separating heads and limbs in equal measure. Scorched corpses of ponies lay slumped on the sands, floating face-down in the water, their blood spattered on the walls of the barrier and the trees.

Twilight was a whirlwind of death, hunting down everything and everything with four legs and a pulse. To the ponies who met her face-first, she dispatched them quickly. When only the cowards were left, pounding helplessly against the barrier or begging at her hooves, she let their torture last. These ponies were bound to the sound with brilliant, glowing bands of magic, or suffocated underwater, or had their legs sheared off.

When it was all over, Twilight stood in the middle of the oasis, just at the edge of the blood-tainted water. Her chest heaved, her eyes gone out-of-focus and her legs quivering with exhaustion. All around her, the broken and ruptured bodies of Scorch’s marem lay. Their blood was on her hooves, her flanks, dripped into her eyes from her horn, and clumped in her mane. Twilight felt sick to her stomach. The realization of what she had just done settled on her, and she felt something in her fall into place.

Sanity returned, and with it came the nausea. Twilight stared down at Scorch’s broken body at her hooves, her glazed eyes staring, unblinking, up into nothing.

“What… What have I…”

Her horn began to glow darkly. Twilight felt her power come to life, shaking and angry.

“No… Nooooo…” She shook her head, tears coursing from her eyes. “Why?! Why did I… NO!”

The air began to crackle. Twilight’s wings flared wide, electric energy crackling between her feathers. She felt the strands of power waft about her horn, undulating as if on some unseen breeze.

“NO! NO, PLEASE, NO!”

The shadow erupted into existence, pooling around her hooves. Everything it touched burst into black flames, even the water.

”RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGGH!”

The barrier was filled with night.