Twilight Sparkle gazed at the moon, for a long while, before turning to begin writing her letter, glancing around to make sure she was not being watched.

Dear Princess of the Night,

I am sorry to announce that my return to Ponyville will most likely be delayed, due to some unforeseen complications with the changelings. In terms of the signing of our new trading agreement, it seems imminent, but these creatures seem to be very untrustworthy. I trust you have measures in place assuming they betray us. Your wisdom is always appreciated in these dark times.

However, assuming their intentions towards us are good, I believe we have furthered our relationship with our valuable allies. Their ability to imitate lifeforms perfectly is incredibly fascinating . The concept of an imposter in a place where she is trusted is a simply foolproof surveillance plan.

As for Fluttershy's execution, I am disappointed to announce I will not be present during it. I realize how vital my presence in Ponyville is, so I apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Assuming all goes according to plan, I should be back within two or three days. Please write back swiftly, informing me of the situation in Ponyville.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Satisfied with the letter, she sealed it carefully with magic, to ensure it would not be opened by any other than the princess. She opened the door to her temporary living chambers near the top of Queen Chrysalis's royal castle. It was a truly incredible place, unlike anything in Equestria. They were forever in Equestria's debt because of the heroic actions of the Princess, being creatures of the night, and Twilight's visit was met with incredible accommodations.

Twilight handed the letter to her royal guards standing outside her door.

"Delivery to Her Majesty. Do hurry up," Twilight said coldly, walking down the hall without bothering to face the guard.  In time, she found herself standing on the balcony overlooking the far reaches of the abstract land. Unlike Equestria, Chrysalis's Kingdom was greatly covered in vast forests of odd, black trees with leaves like the wings of insects, that did not need the sunlight to flourish. Life in the night was good, after all.

Twilight looked up at the moon, in its regular position at the top of the world.

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle was also staring at the same stationary moon, with the same alien feeling of hatred and fear that she'd felt ever since she realized just how unforgiving this world was. Fluttershy noticed Twilight staring at the moon.

"Takes some getting used to, I guess. Twilight, what was the sunlight like?"

Twilight paused, unsure how to answer that. What DID the sunlight feel like? She'd never really thought about it, it was just...so natural for her. And yet here was Fluttershy, who, like every pony here, had only ever known cold and dark, asking what the sunlight was like.

"You'll see for yourself, Fluttershy," Twilight answered. "I promise."

Twilight Sparkle turned from the balcony now, and started down the steps to the crown room, where she would be speaking on behalf of the Princess in front of the most important representatives of Queen Chrysalis's realm, as well as the Queen herself. She'd felt honored that the Princess has entrusted her with such an important job, and she had no intention of letting her down.

Twilight respected Nightmare Moon more than any other pony in Equestria. She had kept the world in order for centuries, battling the evil forces of the Resistance. She treated all the subjects under her beautiful celestial sky equally, ensuring there was food and shelter for everpony, and punishing those who disobeyed with her desire for a better Equestria.

Twilight had grown stronger than any other unicorn in Equestria under the teachings of her wonderful mentor. She was given responsibility over Ponyville, one of the few remaining resistance settlements, converting the society-tiered dystopian wreck into a settlement where all her subjects recieved her love equally. The settlement was sheltered from the dangers of the outside wastelands, the monsters and rebel-ponies stalking the earth, waiting for a chance to kill.

Twilight Sparkle wouldn't let anything stand between her loyalty to Nightmare Moon.

Twilight and Fluttershy stood on the shore of an immense river, with Canterlot Mountain jutting up into the sky on the other side.

"Well, I guess flying over it is out of the question..." Fluttershy said dejectedly, staring across the large body of water. "I guess I sort of forget about this...I'm sorry Twilight."

"How well can you swim, Fluttershy?" Twilight sighed, trying not to be annoyed by the delay.

"Umm, well, I've never really had any reason to learn..."

"Perfect. That's just brilliant," Twilight huffed, walking down the shore of the river. She'd never seen any river of this size in her Equestria, although without the aid of sunlight to evaporate properly, the higher water levels were not too surprising.

"I could wait, Twilight...you could cross, and get help from Rainbow Dash."

"And what would I say to her, or anypony there for that matter? 'Oh, hey! I'm Twilight Sparkle! I know you all hate my guts, but can you come with me across the river to see your crippled friend whose supposed to be dead?"'

Fluttershy nodded, seeing her point. "Can you do something with your magic?"

Twilight continued to pace the shore, thinking. Perhaps. It was too far to teleport in one shot, but if she might be able to cross the river in two or three jumps. But then there was Fluttershy's swimming problem.

Twilight explained this idea to Fluttershy. "If you were to jump into the lake, right now, how long could you tread water?" Twilight asked, feeling guilty about asking a pony who didn't know how to swim to jump into a lake.

Fluttershy peered into the lake nervously. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"We should only be in the water for a few seconds between each teleport, and it should only take 3 jumps to cross. Easy as pie."  

Fluttershy stared out across the black water. She couldn't help but feel terrified by the thought of being amongst those silent waves. Even if she could swim, she knew for certain she wouldn't be comfortable in the deep, mysterious water. The opposite coast was almost completely shrouded in darkness, due to the moon being blotted out by the clouds overhead, meaning they could end up spending much longer time in the river than what it seemed. However, Twilight was relying on her, and she desperately wanted to see her friends again. While unable to determine why, Fluttershy felt safe around this Twilight Sparkle. She just hoped she could explain to her friends that Twilight could be trusted.

Finally, Fluttershy nodded. "Alright, Twilight. When you're ready."

There was a sudden flash, and the two ponies found themselves thrashing around in the dark water. Fluttershy watched Twilight carefully, trying to imitate the way her hooves were churning the water. Without any warning, Twilight teleported them both again, sending them flying into the water some distance ahead.

The waves had gotten unnaturally tall upon landing in the water for the second time, and Twilight had trouble keeping her head above the water so she could see the shore. Fluttershy was thrashing furiously at the water, bobbing further and further under the water with each wave. As Twilight prepared for their final teleport, she felt something grab her leg, and she was pulled downwards into the darkling depths.

Thrashing furiously at the water, Twilight kicked desperately at whatever it was that was dragging her down. Above her, Fluttershy's drowning figure slowly disappeared as she was pulled further and further into the black water. She had been too terrified to turn to see what was grasping her, but she was running out of breath quickly and she needed to escape.

The beast grasping her was unlike anything she had ever seen in Equestria. It had what appeared to be thousands of thin, baleen like tentacles, attached to a grotesquely hairy spider-like body. It had sharp pincers and large antennae. Its beady red eyes illuminated the deep river with a harsh red light as it descended further towards its underground lair. It was at least the size of a small house. Twilight pulled furiously, trying to free her leg, but it was grasped too tightly.

Deciding she had no other option, Twilight fired a quick laser blast from her horn at the creatures enormous body, and as it cried out in pain, Twilight managed to pull her leg free. She only hoped she would have enough magic to perform her last teleport. She swam frantically upwards towards the surface, as the strange beast roared in frustration, its voice distorted due to the water. It was pursuing Twilight furiously, its pincers and mouth open. Fluttershy's figure came into view, but she was now sinking under the water, still thrashing against the large waves caused by the insect. Twilight had been charging her horn ever since she'd fired the laser blast, and now she teleported herself and Fluttershy blindly as the creature finally closed down on them. The two ponies were thrown headlong onto the opposite shore while the creature broke the water where they had been, soaring into the air before crashing back down again.

"Next time..." Twilight said, shaking in fear and shivering in the cold night air. "Lets just build a raft..."

Twilight followed Fluttershy as the yellow mare led her around Canterlot Mountain.

"Umm...It should be close now," Fluttershy said, casting quick glances at the river far below them.

"Something wrong?" Twilight asked.

"Well, I'm just not really sure how to convince Rainbow Dash to let you in...I think shes already kind of cross with me for getting caught back in Ponyville...she might not even let me in..."

"What? Why? Fluttershy, I'm sure they'll be overjoyed to see you're alright!"

"Yes, but Rainbow Dash seems to think the other Twilight is in alliance with the changelings...do you know about them?"

"All to well," Twilight responded. "And I guess it wouldn't look good if her worst enemy showed up from a land of shape-shifting ponies with her supposedly deceased friend..."

Fluttershy nodded, but said nothing. In time, she motioned towards a solid rock face.

"There," Fluttershy tapped it lightly with her hoof, and the rock shimmered and flickered with a magical aura. Twilight had seen magical barriers like this before... they could only be opened from the other side.

Fluttershy tapped the rock, audibly this time, in a rhythmic pattern. Two short taps, three longer ones, followed by four short taps.

"It...it's Fluttershy.." The yellow mare said, shuffling nervously.

"Fluttershy?!" A voice, unmistakably Rainbow Dash's, came from the other side. "You're ALIVE?"

"Y...yes... I brought a friend, too."

"Who is it? Are you 100% sure it isn't a spy?" Rainbow Dash asked from the other side of the barrier.

"Umm, well, I mean...sort of, I guess."

Twilight face-hoofed at that last remark. Fluttershy wasn't exactly aspiring confidence.

Suddenly, the rock shimmered from the inside out as Rainbow Dash walked through the magical barrier cautiously. She froze dead in her tracks as soon as she saw Twilight Sparkle, before grabbing her and shoving her towards the edge of the cliff.

"I should just push you off right now, Twilight. Just what did you do to Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash snarled. A few rocks jarred loose from underneath Twilight's hooves, tumbling down and splashing into the river far below them.

"Rainbow Dash! Stop!" Fluttershy shrilled. "Twilight helped me escape from Ponyville! She's...she's my friend..."

Rainbow Dash's eyes shot from Twilight Sparkle to Fluttershy, and back to Twilight. "What did you do to her? Hmm? What sort of sick experiments did you do, with your  'magic' and your 'science?"'

"Rainbow, please! Listen to yourself! Please, just hear me out!" Twilight pleaded, now dangling mostly over the edge of the cliff.

"I've heard you and Nightmare Moon's lies long enough," Rainbow declared. "Why would you ever think I'd show you mercy after what you've done to my friends?"

Just as Rainbow Dash was about to push Twilight off the mountain, a voice boomed, coming from every direction at the same time.

"Attention citizens of Equestria!" The voice was undoubtedly some sort of twisted variation on the Royal Canterlot voice, raised to ridiculous volume, echoing across every corner of Equestrian Land. "In light of recent events, I shall be altering your civil rights temporarily. I am sure many of you are quite aware of the nature of these events. Twilight Sparkle, my former student and mayor of Ponyville has deliberately disobeyed the force of peace, and instead chosen to join the savage ranks of the Rebels."

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight with a look of utter disbelief.

"The first pony to bring me Twilight Sparkle, dead or alive, shall be rewarded substantially, and may even be taken into consideration when I choose the next pony to be my student. Do not be a fool, and do not join the ranks of these traitorous rebels, who seek only to disrupt the peace and well-being I have brought you. Thank you, and have a good night, my subjects."

The three mares on the cliff listened, shell-shocked, as the voice echoed faintly across the distant land, and the silence of night returned.

Rainbow Dash started to speak, but was interrupted a scream of agony from Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight Sparkle felt like her own mind was being broken into by some omnipotent force. Nightmare Moon's voice ran out again, but in her normal speaking voice, barely audible. She could see Fluttershy crying in fear and Rainbow Dash asking her something, but there was no sound. Eventually, even her vision blurred, colors appearing where they didn't belong, so it felt like she was looking at the world through stained glass. She closed her eyes, and tried to focus on the words Nightmare Moon was saying.

"...an unwise choice, Twilight Sparkle. One you should never be forgiven for. I saw potential in you. I saw you one day ruling this world in my place. But now, you have proven that you would prefer to die in a hopeless, bitter war against what everpony here knows is right. Do not expect any mercy from any of these ponies, Twilight Sparkle. They are barbaric monsters who will not hesitate to kill for their own safety. If you would like to remain alive, return to the Castle of the Eternal Night, alone. I, unlike the company you have chosen to surround yourself with, am capable of forgiving your mistakes. Consider these words."

Suddenly, Twilight felt extremely dizzy. She opened her eyes, and when she did, she was taken aback by what she saw. She was back in Ponyville...her Ponyville. But it was empty. The buildings were all dark, except for her library, which was still surrounded by an electric fence even though there had never been one in this version of Equestria. The sky was stuck directly between night and day, both sun and moon facing each other from the east and west, the sky an otherworldly red. Twilight started walking towards her library, since it seemed to be the only occupied building.

She could see the outline of a large pony through the window, but couldn't quite make out who it was. The gate to the house was not closed, and the door to library opened by itself as Twilight approached. Inside her library, she was shocked to see Princess Celestia.

"Princess!" Twilight called out in relief. "You're here to help us fight Nightmare Moon!"

Princess Celestia simply shook her head.

"You disobeyed me, Twilight Sparkle. I had given you specific orders not to interfere with the lives of other ponies for fear of disrupting the worlds. Not only did you do just that, but you nearly ended the lives of two ponies, an act of violence you know is never allowed in Equestria."

Twilight tried to answer, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't speak. Her body simply refused to cooperate.

"I'm sorry, Twilight. I truly am. I haven't had to banish anypony in centuries, especially not one as loyal as you."

Twilight felt her whole world being turned around. Outside, the sun was finally setting and the moon began its ascension, but the sky remained red. Twilight closed her eyes tightly, trying to wake from this nightmare. After a long time, she found the courage to open them.

She was looking straight into her own face. As if from a mirror. Twilight looked around in astonishment. It wasn't a mirror after all. It was an underground pool of water. Twilight realized she was back at the Mirror Pool, but instead of beautiful white light onto the walls of the underground cavern, the whole area was covered in a harsh red light, like the eyes of the insect in the river. Outside was pitch black. There was no sky, trees, or earth. Nothing.

Twilight turned back to the mirror pool, gazing into the pool again. This time her reflection wasn't there. Everything else was reflected clearly in the motionless water, but Twilight was simply not there. Suddenly, Twilight felt an unnatural force pulling her into the pool. Twilight was dragged under the water, and everything went white.