“Trixie, look at me.”

“I… I don’t want to.”

“Trixie, please.”

Terror filled Trixie to her core, making her entire body tremble from her spot behind the bed. This was the unicorn who filled her dreams with horrors and humiliations! It had taken months to get over those nightmares, and every now and again she still awoke sweating and afraid. But even as Trixie lay there, hooves over her eyes and lips trembling, she knew she had to obey. After all this was Twilight Sparkle; who knew what fresh degradations awaited her should she refuse? So, with heart pounding and hooves shaking, she forced herself to stand.

It took several intense seconds for Trixie to force her eyes open. What she saw standing opposite the bed was a creature so wretched it knocked the air from her lungs.

Twilight… No, not Twilight. It couldn’t be the same pony. Trixie couldn’t resist gaping over the hideous features. The sealed eye, the twisted muzzle, the sickeningly flat leg. The shattered pony had so many scars it made Trixie wonder if she weren’t another pony dressed in a hideously-stitched suit made from Twilight’s skin. Each new feature forced Trixie’s stomach to churn a little more, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

Her gaze locked upon the wings, if they could be referred to as such. One was twisted back on itself, and the other… didn’t exist. It was little more than a scarred nub poking out of Twilight’s side, its tiny movements unsettling.

But nothing made Trixie’s stomach rebel more than Twilight’s forehead, where no horn remained. Instead, Twilight bore a shallow crater of a hole, hideous and scarred and standing out like the eye of a skull. The sight filled Trixie with a sickening horror that had her fighting down an urge to vomit.

Trixie could only stare, mind numbly trying to process the unimaginable violence that could have perpetrated such scars. Twilight’s ruined face turned away, her unkempt mane shifting over her one eye to hide her despair and shame.

In her revulsion and sympathy, Trixie could barely summon up a faint whisper. “T-Twilight…

"...what in Equestria happened to you?”

The world flashed violet, and Twilight let out a pained shout! She knocked the Element of Magic from her head, noting its white-hot glow as it hit the floor with a quiet clink. She spent several seconds gaping at it, her lungs sucking air in long, slow gasps.

What had she just seen? She closed her eyes and saw it all again; Discord on his throne, Celestia and Luna wielding the Elements, the mutual shock of all present as Twilight’s own Element reacted violently to the familiar, beautiful spell. She tried to grasp the meaning of it all. Discord’s alarm, the princesses’ panicked struggles to hold the magic back, the light bursting from the Elements of Harmony in a chaotic rainbow looking nothing like what Twilight remembered.

She opened her eyes and stared at the Element of Magic, which was at last beginning to dim. Somehow it had interfered with the Elements from over a thousand years ago. She never should have brought it along, what had she been thinking? She should have known bringing it into the past was a mistake! What if she—

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she stared down at the Element. Her eyes shifted, refocused. Stone. The floor was made of black stone.

Ears lowering, Twilight took in her surroundings. She was supposed to be back in her library, but this wasn’t her library. There were lots of filled bookshelves, so maybe this was still a library? She gazed at the circular room, wondering how she could have ended somewhere so completely different from her own.

She noted the stairs along the wall to her left. Moving slowly, she called out, “Hello? Is anypony home?”

Silence met her as she reached the steps. She could go up or down. She looked both ways, wondering if she was above ground or below. There really was no way to know, was there? She turned to her right and ascended, taking each step slowly. Every moment gave her a deeper sense of dread, her heart pounding in her chest as a myriad of possibilities flowed through her mind.

She was supposed to be at her library. That was where she cast the spell. What if she had messed up? What if she’d ended up somewhere completely alien to her?

What if she wasn’t even in the right time?

She reached the next floor. Given the lack of stairs, it had to be the top. She was in a short hallway, with two closed doors to her right and one on her left.

“H-hello?”

She paused in the middle of the hall, head low and eyes shifting to each door. No answer came, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to open those doors. What if she found out something she didn’t want to? What if her ever-growing fears proved true?

But she had to investigate. What else could she do? So, sucking in a deep breath, she went to the first door on the right. It opened to her gentle touch and she peered in to find an average-sized bedroom. She pushed her way in and examined her surroundings; it was a very neat room, with dark wood furniture and a soft-looking canopy bed. It was empty, though, and she almost left… until she noted the window. It was adorned with heavy purple curtains, but a sliver of bright light was able to sneak into the dark room.

Her curiosity mounting, Twilight circled the bed and sat before the window. What would she see if she looked out? Where would she be? When? Would she recognize anything? Would there even be ponies out there? She ducked low, chewing her lip as she fought for the courage to look.

At last she could take it no more; her horn shone and the curtains were flung wide. Bright sunlight poured into the room, making her cover her eyes against the glare. She gave her eyes a moment to adjust, but finally raised herself on her hind legs to lean against the windowsill and look out.

She could see the quaint rooftops of a small town spread out before her. She gazed down at the grassy lanes below, seeing how the houses and stores were all spread far apart. She breathed a small sigh of relief at the sight of ponies; at least that was still the same!

The same.

There were familiar elements to this town. Twilight’s eyes slowly passed over it, taking in things that struck her as… odd. Like how those houses to her far right didn’t seem to belong; she felt as if there should be a road there. And that trio of shops just ahead, why did she feel like they were supposed to be a bunch of small houses? And on her far left was a park, and it didn’t look right at all. No, something else was supposed to be there. Twilight peered at it, trying to figure out if her mind was playing tricks on—

The Carousel Boutique. The park was standing where the Carousel Boutique was supposed to be.

Twilight’s breath caught in her throat as she took another long look at the quaint scene, her mind’s eye placing buildings in their appropriate places in the town. Buildings that no longer existed.

Ponyville. She was in Ponyville.

Except it wasn’t Ponyville. The landscape was the same, but the town was all wrong! Buildings where they shouldn’t be, roads that had once been foundations! And if she knew the lay of the land as well as she thought she did… She leaned forward, swallowing the lump in her throat as she forced herself to look down.

She was in a tower, its walls made of ominous black stone, but there wasn’t a doubt in her mind; this was where the Golden Oaks Library should be.

She fell back into the room, dropping to her haunches and pressing her back against the bed. A fresh horror gripped her as she finally understood the truth. She had returned to the library, and she had gone to the right time. Somehow she had altered history… and everything was different.

Her mind worked frantically to figure out what had gone wrong. She’d figured out the spell for time travel, she’d gone back to see Discord’s defeat. She’d arrived right when Celestia and Luna had begun casting the spell… and that had been when things got weird. The Element of Magic had responded to the Elements of the past; that had to be what caused all of this!

So now she was in a new time? But how could she get back? Where were her friends? How had Equestrian history been altered? She needed… She needed…

“Spike!” She jumped to her hooves and ran back into the hallway. “Spike, where are you?” She checked each room, but found no sign of her assistant. Fear crept back into her mind; what if he’d not come with her to Ponyville in this timeline?

Sweet Celestia, what if she’d never even hatched him?

“Spike!” She searched the top floor, frantically seeking out her oldest and dearest friend. When she failed to locate him, she ran downstairs and searched the single-roomed second floor. Still no sign of the baby dragon.

The bottom floor was divided into several rooms. She scoured them all, calling desperately, but Spike was nowhere to be found. Her mind full of dread, she sat at a desk in a back room and slumped, hooves over her eyes and despair in her heart. Spike, her poor apprentice, where had he gone? How was she to know if he even existed? The thought almost had her in tears…

No. She sat up straight and glared at the ceiling, the Element of Magic visible in her mind’s eye. She’d gone to the past, she could do it again! She could fix this, she just needed the right materials. But they were rare…

She would go to Canterlot. The royal Alchemist would have what she needed.

But what if she wasn’t accepted in the castle? Who was Twilight Sparkle in this new timeline? Had she ever become Celestia’s student? Would the princess even recognize her? There was no way to know, but she had to try! Yet even acknowledging this, she might not achieve anything without the right information.

She went back for the Element of Magic, which was cool to the touch. She set it to her head with a sigh, noting the black circle it had left in the floor. Once again she recalled her brief few seconds in the past, the panic and alarm of Discord and the princesses. She kept wondering over and over again: just what had happened due to her brief appearance?

She went outside, shivering in the cool autumn breeze. Curious, the door had a lock. Well, she had no key, so she just closed it and took her first steps into a new world. She glanced around, feeling a strange combination of fear and curiosity. How would the ponies react to her presence?

She began to wander, trying to take in the strangely familiar – yet wholly different – surroundings. Most ponies ignored her, which she found to be a relief, but she didn’t recognize anypony. Indeed, none of the faces were familiar.

But she realized that is wasn’t just the unfamiliar faces that were strange. She slowly came to realize, with ever increasing worry, that all she saw were Earth ponies. No unicorns, no pegasi. Just Earth ponies. Was Ponyville a segregated community? No, that didn’t make sense. If it had been, why would she be so readily accepted?

She pondered over this, fretting over the realization that she didn’t see a single familiar face. So who was she supposed to ask about the history of this new Equestria?

Then came a moment of relief in the form of Cheerilee, the cerise pony sitting at a café and enjoying a daisy sandwich. Twilight was so happy to see her she let out a whoop, trotting up to her friend with a silly grin on her face. “Miss Cheerilee, am I glad to see you!”

Cheerilee paused, mouth opened wide to take a bite of her sandwich. When she saw Twilight she beamed and offered a wave. “Miss Sparkle, how good to see you. I thought you were going to be at the gates all week?” Cheerilee dropped her sandwich, eyes going wide. “M-miss Sparkle, are those wings?”

“Huh?” Twilight raised a wing so as to better glance at it. She blushed upon realizing that everypony at the restaurant was staring at her. “Err… yes?”

Cheerilee stood, gaping at the wings. “My goodness, when did this happen? You’re an alicorn!”

A moment of worry hit Twilight; how was she supposed to explain this? She hadn’t even considered the possibility that this Equestria’s Twilight hadn’t become an alicorn! “Well, it’s kind of a long story…”

“And a crown!” Cheerilee stepped back, hooves to her lips. “You… Did Celestia name you a princess?!”

Twilight latched on to that last sentence, completely forgetting the awkward moment. This had to mean she was still Celestia’s apprentice! She almost hugged Cheerilee, but managed to keep her enthusiasm down to a mere grin. “I’ll explain everything later. I’m sorry, Cheerilee, but I… uh… just remembered something very important. And thank you, thank you so much!”

The presumed schoolteacher watched Twilight launch into the air with jaw dropped and shoulder slumped. “Umm… You’re welcome?”

Twilight didn’t need to know the history of an Equestria, for she would only be here for a short time. All she needed to know was that Celestia would recognize her. She could get what she needed and fix this horrible error in no time! She spotted Canterlot Castle in the North, its distant outline pleasantly familiar, and made her way to it with hope in her heart.

She would solve this. She was Princess Twilight Sparkle, and this was not beyond her abilities!

From her position high above the castle, Twilight couldn’t help thinking that Canterlot was startlingly familiar in design to what it once was. But it wasn’t quite the same; the city now boasted two wide walls that encircled those portions of the city not backed by sheer cliffs, and many new additions made it clear that the castle had been repurposed for battle. Twilight found that disturbing; was Equestria at war?

As she descended to the courtyard a half-dozen pegasi rose up to meet her, armed with spears and not looking very friendly. When they grew close enough to recognize her, however, their threatening glares were traded for gawking disbelief.

Twilight paused to hover, not wanting to appear aggressive. She waved politely to the pony she suspected was the captain of the group. “Hail, sir. I must speak with Princess Celestia immediately. Would you be so kind as to escort me?”

The captain blinked as if coming out of a trance and pressed his jaw closed with a hoof. “Er… Miss Sparkle?”

She nodded, trying to maintain a respectful smile in the face of his understandable confusion. “Yes, I am… Twilight Sparkle.” She’d almost added ‘princess’ to that introduction, but perhaps that wasn’t such a good idea.

The captain flew sideways to get a better look at her wings. “I… I mean, if you don’t mind my asking…”

She already had a statement prepared. “It is precisely because of this new development that I must meet with Princess Celestia immediately. Something far more important than wings has occurred, and it must be rectified immediately. Take me to the princess!”

He flew backwards, eyes widening at her words. “Oh… uh, of course! This way.”

Twilight followed, glad to see that she still had some level of authority in this world. The pegasi encircled her protectively even as they kept eyeing her wings. She didn’t mind; it wasn’t like she hadn’t gone through all this before. Becoming an alicorn sometimes had that affect on ponies. They landed at a tall balcony above the castle’s great cliff and the captain promptly lead her inside.

The first thing Twilight noticed was the grandeur of the castle’s interior. Canterlot Castle had always been a beautiful place, but this was something entirely different. Marble walls, bright tapestries covering every inch, gold-inlaid pillars! These things hadn’t been unknown to her, but the castle she knew reserved such flashy displays for the main entrance and throne room, all to amaze guests. The rest of it had been rather plain, at least by these standards.

The guard said nothing as he led her to a wide, winding staircase. They descended several floors, Twilight taking note of the brilliant, glowing blue crystals that offered the area some light. She remembered seeing similar gems in the abandoned crystal mines beneath the city. It was a curious use, but then it also seemed strangely obvious. She would have to ask Celestia – her Celestia – about why they were never used in her own castle.

The captain lead her down several long halls, some vast and others small. Twilight wondered why the route was so convoluted… but then, if the castle had been designed with combat in mind, one wouldn’t want a direct route to the castle’s master, right? At least that made some sense, though the thought of Equestria being prepped for war like this had her on edge. She had to get back before whatever was going on with this land caught up to her.

At last they came upon a tall door, which had guards posted on either side. The unicorn guards spotted Twilight and fought not to gape at her wings. She only smiled politely and tried not to roll her eyes.

The guard stepped through the door, but paused just inside the next room. Twilight peered within and saw that it was a side entrance to the throne room, and her heart skipped a beat. The throne room was a little larger than she recalled, with great tapestries hanging from the ceiling. A great throne, far more ornate than what Twilight remembered, sat before a massive window.

And there, just as glorious as Twilight remembered, was Celestia. She sat tall and proud, her pearly skin almost glowing in the rays of a sun that poured through the window and encased the entire room in her radiance.

It had the appropriate affect; Twilight felt warmth in her soul and hope in her heart at the sight of her mentor, who gazed upon her court with a serene presence to match the holiest of angels. The sight of that alicorn fought away all doubts and calmed any fear. Twilight gazed upon that soft face and wanted nothing more than to sit and bask.

But her reverie was interrupted by the captain’s hooves loudly tapping the stone floor. Twilight straightened into a proper stance with a sheepish blush as he announced her arrival. Sucking in a calming breath and ready to face a very confused sun princess, Twilight passed through the doorway. All eyes turned to her and there were collective gasps from the court. Twilight fought to maintain a regal bearing and not shy back at the sudden attention.

Celestia turned, her face initially harsh and commanding, but when she caught sight of Twilight her eyebrows rose. Twilight didn’t know the kind of relationship she was supposed to have with Celestia in this world, so she decided to take the formal route: she walked about the throne until she was properly facing it and gave a deep bow. “Princess, forgive this unexpected arrival, but I have an urgent need to speak with you.”

The princess stood from her throne, approaching at a slow, hesitant pace as Twilight rose from the bow. Celestia’s expression revealed nothing but confusion. “Twilight? Is that really you?”

“Yes.” Twilight nodded with a calming smile. “And no. It’s a little difficult to explain under the circumstances.”

Celestia’s head tilted one way, then another. Twilight felt like a lab specimen being scrutinized. “This is… I don’t know how to describe what I am feeling. Did you somehow—” Celestia interrupted herself with a small gasp, eyes locking on Twilight’s forehead. “Th-that crown…”

Twilight’s eyes went cross as she tried to look up at the Element of Magic. Her mind worked swiftly to make a connection that, in afterthought, should have been obvious. Using her magic, she lifted it from her head and sent it to hover before Celestia’s face. “Do you know what this is, princess?”

Celestia gazed at the crown with wide eyes, but then her expression softened. She sat, her hooves rising in a strangely slow and graceful motion to pluck the Element from the air. She turned it about, examining it from several angles. “It has been over a millennium, but yes, I know what this is. More importantly—” her eyes rose to lock with Twilight’s, “—I know who you are.”

Twilight's entire body sagged as she heaved a deep sigh. “Princess, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that!”

Celestia offered a kind smile. “And you have no idea how happy I am that you have finally come. This is an issue I’ve long wanted to fix.”

Hope and joy filled Twilight to bursting as she stood up to beam at her beloved mentor. “You mean you know what I must do?”

Celestia placed the crown back on her student’s head and nodded, her expression the very definition of gracious. “I do.” She stood and tapped her hoof to the floor, a gentle touch that somehow resounded throughout the throne room. “Court is in recess while I attend to my apprentice. We shall resume in the morning.”

The ponies in attendance began to mill about or head for the exit, many of them casting wary or amazed stares in Twilight’s direction. She ignored the lot of them; nothing could disturb her so long as she was with Celestia. “I knew I could count on you, princess! I have to admit I was a little worried.”

“Don’t be silly,” Celestia replied with a grin. “I’ve had close to twelve hundred years to prepare for your arrival. Come, I have the perfect spell that will take care of everything.” She gestured, and Twilight eagerly walked at the princess’ side. She beamed up at her mentor, glad to see that she was every bit as wonderful in this world as she was in her own.

As Celestia lead Twilight out a different side door and through the halls, she offered a charming smile. “I have to say, this is a fascinating encounter. All these years I wondered about the pony who appeared during the fight with Discord, and to see you here! To be honest, I wasn’t expecting you.”

“No?” Twilight tilted her head to eye her teacher. “But I thought you said you said you were waiting for me?”

“I was,” Celestia acknowledged with a nod. “I thought it would be Twil… Excuse me, my Twilight who would go back in time, but I also suspected that the Twilight from an alternate reality might have been responsible. It was one suspected result of altering time.”

“I see.” Twilight thought on this for a few seconds. “So… You knew it was me? I mean, even way back then?”

“Oh, no.” Celestia shook her head with a soft, musical laugh that filled Twilight with joy. “I did not realize until I met the Twilight of this time, who bore such striking similarities that I had not a doubt in my mind. But you’re an alicorn, and this world’s Twilight is not. Knowing what her future meant to our past played a significant role in my deciding to apprentice her.”

Twilight hesitated as they entered a large room filled with books and scrolls. “I see, but wouldn’t that make her feel… unappreciated?”

“It would if she knew,” Celestia admitted. “She’s entirely unaware that she is – or rather, was believed to be – the Unknown Princess.”

Twilight paused, recognizing that title. There was an ‘Unknown Princess’ in the history of her world, too. How curious. She glanced around at the shelves, her mind rapidly going back to the situation at hoof. “Is this the spell library? It’s not so open as the one in my Canterlot.”

“This is a dangerous world,” Celestia explained, climbing a circular set of stairs. “Come, the scroll we want is this way.”

As Twilight followed Celestia asked, “So tell me, what do you think of Canterlot Castle?”

Twilight hesitated; this version of Celestia was freely offering to help her, and she didn’t want to give her real opinion. But she knew better than to lie, so… “It’s… far more grand than the one in my time.”

“You don’t like it?” Celestia didn’t look back, but Twilight flinched anyway.

“It’s nice, don’t get me wrong!” The young princess blushed and hurried to keep up. “It’s just not as open as I’m used to.” She noted with curiosity how Celestia’s horn abruptly shined, the magic aura cracking like glass almost as soon as it appeared. “What was that?”

“A signal,” her mentor explained. “The scroll we will be using is very dangerous if placed in the wrong hooves, so it is very well protected. I needed to alert the guards that we are approaching.”

They came upon a small door, innocuous in its design. Twilight might have thought it a broom closet, but this was the door Celestia approached, opening it with her magic and ducking her head to get inside. Twilight followed close behind, curious about who might be guarding such an important spell.

She was disappointed to find the small room empty. No guards. Or bookshelves for that matter. There was a single object inside; a small stand holding a solitary scroll encased in a white glow. Twilight peered at it as Celestia approached the stand, feeling just a bit let down. “Is that it?”

“That’s it.” Celestia waved a hoof over the scroll and the white aura faded like a cloud in the wind. She lifted the scroll with her magic and turned to Twilight, expression severe. “At long last, I will be rid of this one thing which has troubled me for so long.”

Twilight ducked, her mentor’s expression filling her with shame. “I’m so sorry, princess. I know my actions had to have caused a lot of harm.”

Celestia peered at her, judging and cool. Her horn began to glow and that small aura appeared to pop once more.

Twilight let out a gasp as a terrible chill filled the room. She looked up and shouted in surprise as a trio of strange apparitions began to drop through the ceiling! They were big and ghostly and blue and… and…

Windigos.

The creatures dropped to the level of the floor and ran about the room, white eyes blazing as they rushed a ceaseless circle. The temperature dropped precipitously within seconds and Twilight felt an intense fear at the sight of them. “C-Celestia, how did those things get in here?”

Celestia offered a smile, but there was a wicked glint in her eye that was impossible to ignore. “I told you the spell was guarded, did I not?”

“By windigos?” Twilight turned to her, eyes wide. “But they’re the sworn enemies of Equestria! How can you—”

Her words were cut off by a solitary beam from Celestia’s horn, which struck her in the chest and sent her flying. She smacked against the wall and let out a pained cry when one of the equine apparitions passed right through her, chilling her body to the bone. She hit the floor, crown clattering on the stones.

She gazed up with wide, horrified eyes as the Element of Magic arose and floated over to Celestia, who was calmly unrolling the scroll. “W-what…? Princess…” She had to scramble forward to avoid another windigo.

“This isn’t what I originally planned for you,” her teacher noted calmly, eyes roaming the scroll. “I had many ideas, of course, but I think this will be suitable.”

“Celestia!” Twilight climbed to her hooves, shivering against the frigid cold. “What are you doing? I don’t underst—”

“Be silent.”

A blast of yellow energy erupted at Twilight’s hooves, a harsh parallel to Celestia’s calm voice. The explosion sent Twilight flying into the ceiling, but she never hit ground. Something grasped her by a wing and held her aloft in a painful position, and she let out a shout as she was flung sideways into another windigo and the wall.

She hit the ground and immediately crawled away from the encircling creatures. “C-Celestia, stop! Why are you doing this?!”

“I have to thank you for coming to me so willingly,” Celestia replied with a dark grin, the scroll snapping closed. “And for my insurance policy.” She tapped the hovering Element of Magic with her hoof.

“But I’m Twilight Sparkle!” Twilight struggled back to her hooves, steam forming from her breath as the air grew ever colder. A creeping horror was filling her as she began to understand that her mentor had never intended to help her. “Look at me, I’m your student!”

“You?” Celestia laughed. The sound had a grip on Twilight’s heart even stronger than the icy apparitions. “You’re nothing. You’ll never take my throne from me, and today I will at last be able to guarantee it!”

Twilight let out a choked gasp as her throat constricted of its own accord and something jerked her down. Her face smacked the hard stone floor painfully. She squirmed and struggled to stand, but whatever had her throat refused to let go. Her eyes locked with Celestia’s. Her mentor’s expression filled her a fresh dread. What was happening? Why was Celestia doing this? She wanted to scream out, but her throat couldn’t form the words!

Celestia approached at a slow gait, lips set in a firm frown. She touched Twilight’s face with a hoof, forcing the prostrate princess to move her head left and right as if to study her. Her superior, haughty air left Twilight feeling shameful. The princess… Twilight’s mind grasped for some explanation for what was happening!

“You know what you are, Twilight Sparkle?” Celestia ground her hoof atop Twilight’s head. “You’re nothing more than a changeling.”

A… what?

Twilight gazed up as the princess stepped off her at last, her horror growing by leaps and bounds. She thought she was a changeling? Was that why she was doing all of this? She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes as she fought to speak. “N… No…”

Celestia nodded. She seemed proud – proud! – of her deception. “Who would have thought a changeling would come in the form of my dear student? Not the most original plan, I must admit, but if it works…”

No! She wasn’t a changeling! Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but all she could manage was a pathetic whistling. She had to free herself, if she could just do that…

As soon as Twilight’s horn began to glow, a ball of yellow light dropped on top of her and erupted in a rage of sparks and energy eruptions, and this time Twilight’s lungs managed to force out a feeble scream. She jerked against her invisible binding and fought for some kind of spell that would save her, but the pain was so intense she couldn’t focus.

At last the magic faded. Twilight could only lay there with tears running down her cheeks, trembling from the cold and pain.

“Are you finished fighting?”

Twilight sobbed, understanding that she had no chance against her mentor. She was a princess, but Celestia had centuries of experience. She tried to speak, to beg, to explain, to make any kind of proper sound! Please, she couldn’t die like this!

Celestia let out a huff, adding a small but painful kick to Twilight’s head for emphasis. She stepped back, the scroll unrolling once more before her. “Do not fret, ‘princess.’ I won’t kill you.”

“C… Celes…” Twilight fought to just get the name out. Celestia couldn’t do this, she had to see her mistake! If only Twilight could explain…

Celestia gave her a wicked smile, her horn glowing black. A circle of dark energies began to form in the floor around her captive, black bubble-like material steadily floating up from the edges. Twilight squirmed, vision blurred by tears as she gazed up at her precious princess. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be happening!

“…not a… change… p-please…”

“Nopony will ever know of you.” Celestia's voice was cold as ice. “Nopony will ever speak of you. You do not exist. Just as I exterminated the changelings, so too shall I remove you.”

No… Sweet Celestia, no…

“So farewell, Twilight Sparkle.”

Please…

“Give my regards to your new friends.”

“Please!”

Twilight’s world became engulfed in black as she managed to emit a final, pleading scream.

Author's Notes:

And so it begins.

When I first started writing Trixie vs. Equestria, I had no idea what it was going to become. But then I reached Chapter 4: A Stranger in the Twilight... and suddenly I knew what I had. Twilight's arrival in TvE changed everything and gave me a clear path. But there remained the real question: what had happened to her?

I don't know when I came up with the idea of Twilight's Inferno, but when I did the appeal was inescapable. I set it up as the first in a large number of stories designed to expand the TvE universe, but my timetable got accelerated when I learned from The Bean – whom I later took on as editor for this story – about the "Banished, Exiled, Forgotten" contest being put on by the group Baddass Twilight = Total Domination. I couldn't help but think that Twilight's Inferno was perfect for the contest... so I got started early.

This story is themed off of Dante's Inferno, though it follows its own path, structure and purpose. The Bean, whose knowledge of The Inferno surpasses my own, gets extra credit for his insight and creative assistance in developing Tartarus. There will be references to the original story if you can spot them. The quotes that appear above most chapters are taken from the Charles Eliot Norton translation of The Inferno, albeit edited for easier reading and to offer a more direct purpose.

A fair warning to everyone: the mature tag is there for a reason. It won't make sense in the early chapters, but believe me when I say that the mature elements are coming.

For all intents and purposes, this story is finished. I'll be posting one chapter a day so that The Bean and I can get the edits done, but updates are guaranteed to come quick.