Bound to me forever, a slave to my will,

One has fled, and the light shine brighter

But no honest truth has ever prevailed.

For truth only is trouble, much better to lie,

For when you lie, the light is trapped inside.

And the light blinds.

Your Honesty is a Lie, without the slightest sliver of Truth...

And so you are bound, a servant to a greater will.

Rise, Applejack, Destroyer of Truth!

Twilight walked patiently, her mane blowing in the wind. Death and decay surrounded the winged unicorn, and it was her glowing wings that cast a light across the endless fields of apple trees, dying in the black sky. Thunder rippled across seas of storm as the lavender unicorn walked on, the dark forest illuminated by her wings’ bright aura. She marched, a beacon of light in a void of shadow.

The road shimmered as she walked over it. Clouds of ash swirled overhead as lightning struck a lone tree in the middle of the orchard. Black fire burst from the conflagration as dying apples fell, their burning forms reducing to ash as they touched the ground, igniting the fields with spiteful, colorless flame. Twilight avoided the dark flames, even as they lipped her her hooves without heat, but with unbearable cold. Tears come to Twilight’s eyes as flames licked her legs, sending shooting cold into her small frame, burning her very heart with despair. The sobbing unicorn ran through the flames, burning her legs on the freeing fire as they drew every last mournful moment from the deepest reaches of her heart, playing endless loops of her life as she cried black fire rippling across the orchards. She saw death come to her, and beckon. Spirits ran past the unicorn as death took them all, slung them in bags over his shoulder, as walked away, farther and farther, even as she ran after him, magic bolts zipping over his shoulders and frying his black cloak. She saw her family, saw her friends, her mentor, everypony she loved and cared for stolen away as death marched on, the cries of voiceless spirits filling the night air. Twilight screamed as dark fire danced around her, forcing the mare to replay doom and destruction until at last, thunder broke the sky and rain crashed down, sizzling the black fire with golden tears. Twilight looked up at the sky as the rain fell, cleansing the land, blowing away the dark as she rose, dirt falling from her legs and golden rain dripping off her mane. She saw light in the distance, a tiny spark, no bigger than a pinhead, as it sparkled for a second, and then was gone. Pulling herself from the dirt, Twilight walked on, as golden rain washed the darkness away, and bright stars filled the night sky.

Twilight marched.

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Flickers of light sparked across the road as Twilight walked. She glanced at them as they moved, like the unblinking eye of some shadow animal. They followed the lavender unicorn around as she walked, endlessly staring at Twilight, challenging her, forcing sweat from her mane and shivers from her body. The dark rippled with light as they stood, silent sentinels to the unicorn's dark path. The road beneath her became rickety and bumpy as she went, dark tendrils seeping across the black road, then disappearing as fast as they came. The brown of the dirt faded into pure black as clouds appeared overhead, blocking out the moonlight that had, once before, illuminated the lonely road that Twilight tread upon. Thunder cracked overhead, and rain fell in torrents, soaking the dirt road and filling it with myriad puddles of all kinds, splashing wildly as Twilight galloped, her mane soaked with rain and sweat. Lighting sparked once again as the storm poured harder, puddles turning into lakes, the road becoming a river. Twilight spread her shining wings, stretched muscles that were not there, opened feathers that did not exist. She left the confines of the ground as the rain covered the land, turning the dark road into a single, huge lake as Twilight flew. She broke the clouds once more, the rain and sweat falling from her hair and into the storm below. The moon shined on her, bathing the flying unicorn in silver light. Twilight flew past the edge of the storm, angry lighting frying the endless orchards of apple trees below her. She flew on, leaving the tempest behind her as she soared, her eyes focused on a sight in the distance.

A castle, its towers casting long shadows as moonlight flickered off the silver rooftops, stood where she gazed, the only building for miles in the endless orchards of dying trees. Power rippled around the castle, adding to its glow, a beacon of light in a sea of darkness. But then Twilight saw flickers of light bounce around the castle, slide through the seemingly strong walls and flitting through the roofs. Twilight saw trails of magic flowing into the castle, silver light entwined with pure darkness. The castle grew as magic entered the stones, enlarging them, recreating them, and dividing them. Twilight gasped as she saw the image of the castle disrupted, shattered like glass. One of the magical trails had stopped flowing, and the castle collapsed before her very eyes. Angry voices entered Twilight's ears from thousands of feet below her as a magic stream reentered the castle, repairing the catastrophic damage that, once before, had seemed beyond repair. Twilight shook her head, wrought with disbelief as the castle returned to its original state, shimmering in the night as if made my magic.

Magic...

Twilight gasped as her brain finally was able to process the astounding feat.

The castle was an illusion, nothing more. A mirage, a trick of the light. The sheer size of the castle She flew down to look at the marvel, but as she flew near it a sudden burst of wind blew her towards the citadel. She tensed up as the stone wall came closer and closer. Twilight shut her eyes as the wall neared her head. She braced for the impact, but no impact ever came. Instead she only felt the zzip of a magic field as she flew through the thick stone walls, unharmed and without even a scratch. She flew around the massive castle, flying through fake walls and disrupting the captivating illusions around her. Mirages flickered out and disappeared as she flew through them, the magic holding the images weakening, the complex framework of the images fizzling out in small puffs of yellow light. Twilight flew, her heart soaring as her wings carried her higher and higher, until she soared above the disintegrating castle, showers of sparks raining down upon the ground below. She dived, the wind warping around her head, the rain evaporating into steam as she fell, gaining speed beyond her wildest dreams. Air curved around the unicorn, forming a barrier of oxygen that became smaller and smaller as she descended, until it fit neatly over her body, encasing her in flowing air. She dived through the castle, its damaged framework falling into showers of sparks. Power burst through the castle, detonating the delicate framework into a million pieces as it flickered, and finally, lapsed out of existence with a single puff of sparks.

Twilight grinned in the sky, as she felt her tailwind catch up to her, a sudden blast of air that sent her flying. Instead of letting herself be pushed around by the wind, however, she rode it, circling around the cratered earth where the illusion once stood. Brown earth hung below her, storm clouds echoed around her. She flew into the clouds, her wings holding her body against the winds as lighting bolts echoed into her body, yet she wasn’t burned. Impervious to the relentless assault, Twilight flew into the sky, past the clouds, past the stars, past the sun and the moon. She saw her world around her, her Celestia and her Luna, high above the earth where she had been held captive all her life.

And just like that, her dream was over.

Her wings of magic splintered, shattering into a million pieces as their own framework was decimated, broken with exertion. Without her wings to hold her, Twilight fell, her voice releasing a shrill scream as she plummeted through the atmosphere, feeling the wrath of a thousand burning needles stabbing into her back. She would die here, of her own accord, she was sure of it. She closed her eyes as the heat rose to unbearable temperatures, scalding her body and burning into her very soul. She closed her eyes as heat enveloped her face, accepting death once more.

This is it, she thought.

But as the atmosphere passed, and she entered free-fall, Twilight found herself once again. Opening her eyes, she rolled around onto her stomach, her legs spread wide as she tried to slow her fall. Gravity called her, but Twilight refused. Her mission was too important, her life worth too much to die. She fell, unaware her body wasn’t even scorched, without a single indicator that she had fallen through the atmosphere. Air rushed past the unicorn, who, just a moment ago, was floating along merrily, her wings spread wide. Now she plummeted, the earth calling her closer. She stared death in the face, and as she saw the dying apple trees and the shadows rising, she thought again,

Why do I have to die?

But as she hit the ground, she felt nothing. No pain, no impact. Just the pattering of rain as the tempest began to rage again, sending lightning into the ground. Twilight pulled herself off the dirt as rain soaked her again, covering her in a sheet of water. But as Twilight checked herself for injury, she could not feel the rain. In fact, her legs and body felt dry, her mane perfectly stupple. She felt the ground, her hood pawing the rough dirt. Even as rain fell upon the land, the dirt felt perfectly dry, rejecting the rain against all odds. Twilight looked around her, and saw rain gushing down the trees, but the branches did not bend, and no leaves came down with it. She touched the tree, and sure enough, her hoof went through the bark, disrupting the tree’s magical structure as it disintegrated, an illusion, as simple apparition that fell to the smallest of attacks. A lie, perfect in form, but shapeless in structure.

A lie, and nothing more...

Thunder boomed overhead as the ground churned. The ground around Twilight shook,, as fissures opened, cracks formed, and the once-pristine dirt gave way to a chasm of gargantuan proportions. Twilight saw the land twist, as a vortex of dirt rose around a pillar of light, a massive stretch of energy that cascaded with lighting and thunder. A single, powerful element sparked at the epicenter of the vortex, pulsing with light and power. Even at this distance, Twilight could just make out the shape of the object. A pony stood in the vortex, shifting the ground as thunder roared and lightning flashed, and the endless orchards of apple trees began fading into the earth.

Twilight walked closer.

The pony stood now, rearing onto its hind legs. A hat flew off the pony’s head, funneling into the vortex that sucked in the ground, the sky, even Twilight. Blond hair fluttered on the pony’s head as ribbon broke, turning the pony’s once beautiful ponytail into a thousand wild strands of hair that engorged into a halo around the pony’s face, flapping around in the heavy wind as even air was pulled into the vortex.

Twilight came closer.

Light from the vortex illuminated the pony’s orange coat, her green eyes shining in light as a horn sat upon her head, glowing with black energy as countless amounts of objects were sucked in, collapsing as the whirlpool grew larger and larger. Twilight could just make out the pony’s cutie mark, obscured by her wild hair and by the vortex’s shining aura as it endlessly destroyed the earth, eating away the ground and sky.

Twilight gasped.

Applejack.

Twilight jumped, as the tiny piece of ground she stood collapsed. Without her wings, she could only manage a small leap, and was left hanging from a branch. She saw the empty gloom of the vortex beneath her, the empty, bottomless pit that was sucking in the world she used to stand on. A black hole, turned rampant by power beyond imagination. She used all the muscles in her legs, pain and weariness welling in her soul as she climbed, slowly at first, then with power and strength as more branches appeared, grabbing onto them with her hooves and horn as she reached farther up the tree. she swirled around the primal Applejack, her new horn burning with dark energy as the vortex ate the countryside, taking with it countless amounts of apple trees and dirt.

Applejack’s causing this, thought Twilight. She must be under the Reaper’s control. That horn she has, it looks like Chrysalis’  horn, all bent up like that. It must be a false horn! She’s using the Reaper’s power to destroy her world! She’s going to die if I don’t do something. Think, Twilight, where in the books does it tell you how to deal with these situations? Hmm Hmm, Ahh! If I just had more time, I could...

Twilight felt the impact against her body. A startlingly powerful impact for a such a small object. She was sent flying, and as she fell she saw the vortex collapse, dirt and sky and apple trees pouring out of the bottomless abyss and forming land. She felt gravity pull on her as she and Applejack plummeted towards the ground.

With such an awesome impact, Twilight’s mind shattered, her brains desynchronized as she struggled to get up. Applejack paced around her, the false horn releasing sparks of lightning as dirt entered the sphere around them, reforming the ground. Twilight shook her head, struggling to clear her vision, but just as she began to see clearly, two hooves hit her skull, sending her flying. The Anti-Applejack stared at her through green eyes, her irises shattered, her blond hair laying in tangles around her broken face. Twilight struggled to rise.

“FoOl! I wAs AlL-pOwErFuL! BuT yOu! YoU hAd To CoMe AnD rUiN mE! RuIn My PeRfEcT wOrLd! I wAs QuEeN! I wAs PoWeRfUl! I rUlEd AlL oF EqUeStRiA! BuT yOu RuInEd Me! YoU rUiNeD mY vIsIoN!”

Twilight’s foggy eyes cleared little as the Anti-Applejack ranted on. She heard the corrupt voice of the apple bucker, her own southern accent mixing with the dreaded tone of something far more sinister. As she spoke, her own southern accent was pushed off, unevenly mixing with the harsh tone of her other voice. Voice clashed on voice as they struggled for dominance, both voices reaching fever pitch as the screamed at Twilight.

“My LaNd! It’S gOnE! i DiD sO mUcH fOr It! I gReW aCrEs Of ApPlEs HeRe! ThEy WeRe HaPpY! tHeY lIvEd FrEe! BuT yOu CaMe AnD sToLe ThAt! YoU sToLe PeAcE fRoM mY sUbJeCts!”

“They were never your subjects.”

“WhAt?!”

“They were nothing at all.”

“WhAt ArE yOu SaYiNg, FoOl?!”

“Your world now is a lie, Applejack. A lie that the Reaper forced you to tell.”

“Twi’, its that you?”

“Applejack!”

“No. I aM nOt ApPlEjAck. I aM...”

“No! I won’t let you steal AJ from me! Let her go! You stole her, and you trapped her in this world full of lies! You turned her into a lie! Let. Her. Go!”

“So be it.”

A voice rang out from the darkness of the void. Twilight turned as the Reaper’s visage appeared overhead, forming itself out of tendrils of pure blackness that shone with darkness. Beams of darkness focused on Applejack, covering her with with blackness and shadow as the false horn started to move, rising out of the pony’s head. Applejack’s body convulsed as light burst from her body, her mouth and eyes shining with power as the false horn rose, the tendrils of shadow binding it to Applejack’s forehead breaking, the darkness corroding as pure shadow came with it, opening a dark fissure on the pony’s forehead. Shadow spilled out of the opening, pouring onto the still-forming ground as Applejack screamed, her eyes blood-shot as agony spilled from the pony’s mouth. She writhed on the ground as rivers of black flowed out of her head, Twilight casting healing spell after healing spell, expending what little energy she had left. Applejack lay rigid as the last of the darkness poured out, the wound on her head closing as she lay still.

The pool of blackness swirled. Dark tendrils burst out of the pool as the darkness solidified, forming a monster beyond all of Twilight’s imagination. Three legs supported a rigid frame as bladed tentacles formed in the front, reaching for Twilight. The monster stepped out of the pool, the false horn laying on its head, covered with pure darkness as magic bolts shot out of it, burning Twilight. The Tripod roared with anger, unleashing a swarm of blades towards Twilight as she ducked. Blades impacted all around Twilight, and scratches appeared on her body, leaking blood. She ducked a second strike, as more cuts riddled her body and black fire froze her in place. Shivering and bleeding profusely, Twilight watched as the monster raised its blades in the air, ready to end her life for all eternity. She closed her eyes as the blades came crashing down.

This really is it...

The last thing that Twilight heard before she died was: “It’s all just... a ... lie...”

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

I’m still here?

What the?

Twilight opened her eyes. The Tripod was still there, hacking away at her with its blades. But instead of eviscerating her as they should, the blades of the monster whooshed through the air, passing right through her unharmed body. The beast roared in confusion as it stopped its useless attack, the purple unicorn narrowing her eyes at the Tripod. It stared back at her with compound eyes, backing up as Twilight stared it down.

“You do not rule me, monster.” said Twilight. “You’re just one big, fat lie.”

“You tried to kill me, but you can’t. Because a lie like you,” Twilight pressed her hoof against the monster’s great underbelly. It froze in place as Twilight pressed harder, the rough skin tearing apart as she forced her hoof into the great beast, releasing the darkness inside of it. The beast screamed with animal fury as it collapsed like a deflating balloon, its very substance pouring out of it tiny wound as Twilight pushed with all her might, crashing through the great beast and throwing it back as sparks flew from its body, as the darkness burned in the presence of the light. Twilight’s wings flared out as she grabbed the beast’s heart.

“A lie like you may look big and strong, but inside, there is nothing. Not even a single spark of truth.”

Twilight pulled the beast’s heart out from its body. There was no scream. The mighty beast crumpled to the ground as it disintegrated, its ash blown away by the rising wind. Twilight held the beast’s heart in her hand, covered in dark blood. She glanced at the organ, but to her surprise it did not live. There was no biological mess in her hoof. Only...metal.

The Element of Honesty was gripped tightly in her hoof. Blood dripped off of the artefact as Twilight felt her energy enter it. Light flowed from her hoof into the necklace, causing the ancient relic to glow with pure energy.Tarnished silver became polished gold, cold iron was replaced with shining bronze. The crystal in the center glowed with energy as the dark flowed out of it, replacing the colorless gem with an bright red one in the shape of an apple.

Twilight ran to the prone form of her friend, unconscious on the ground, her coat dirty, her wounds leaking blood. Twilight placed the purified relic around Applejack’s neck, carefully avoiding the burns and the cuts that plagued the damaged pony. Light shone around Applejack as the she rose into the air, energy surrounding the pony in a bright vortex that shone brighter than the sun. Twilight covered her eyes as Applejack opened hers, the light around her dissipating as her wounds were stitched together, her eyes returning to their regular bright green. Applejack looked around her as the cosmos shifted together, but was surprised from behind as Twilight jumped on her friend, embracing her with a tight hug that choked the revived pony.

“Woah there, Twily. You don’ want me to die again now, do ya? Cuz I sure don’ wanna.” But even as she rejected Twilight’s hug, she held it, smiling at last.

The ethereal form of Celestia walked up beside the embracing ponies. She watched them for awhile, not making a sound as they parted. Twilight turned towards the spirit as Applejack watched, her Element glowing with pure energy.

“Well done, Twilight Sparkle. You have done a great deed today. With one element freed, the Reaper’s grasp on us grows ever weaker. I stand taller now against his will, my body regaining its former power. We will soon be able to fight and defeat the Reaper once and for all. Twilight the Pure, remember your power. Unite the Elements and destroy the Reaper. Soon, my faithful student, we will be free once more.”

The ground shook as a white disk appeared on the ground. Celestia’s form flickered as the disk expanded, now large enough to fit two ponies. Twilight climbed on, as did Applejack, and they both watched as the ethereal form of Celestia faded below them, as they disappeared again into the Reaper itself.

The two ponies flew, the wind at their back, the sun in front of them as time itself stopped for their passing. The white disk illuminated the dark tunnel that they flew in, shining on black walls and shadowy ramparts as they soared, towards a bright star in the night.

Deeper into the Reaper, they went.