Rainbow was, on the inside, hopping with nervous energy. She had jut asked Twilight out on a date, and Twilight just looked at her with a surprised expression, and she took it as a no.

"Oh, okay," she said before she walked away, her head lowered in disappointment.

"Rainbow, wait," Twilight said, causing Rainbow to look up and back at the lavender alicorn.

"What," Rainbow asked, her voice in between sorrow and happiness.

"Were you being serious, or was it supposed to be a prank?"

"I was being serious, Twilight."

Surprise appeared on Twilight's face again, and she said to her self, "Oh." She then said out loud, "In that case, Rainbow, yes, I'd like to go out with you."

Rainbow's face instantly brightened up. "Really?"

"Yeah. What were you planning?"

"Oh, uh, it's kinda a surprise, Twi."

Twilight actually giggled a bit. "Right. So, when are we going out?"

"Well, I was hoping, maybe, around eight, tonight?" Rainbow said in a sheepish way.

"Sure," Twilight said. "I'll be waiting at the front gates. Don't be late."

"Don't worry, Twi," Rainbow said as she ran to her room. "I'll be there!"

Once she was certain Rainbow was out of earshot, Twilight dropped the smile on her face. "I know you're there, Rarity. You can come out, now."

Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy came out from behind a nearby pillar, the latter two bowing. Twilight sighed. "Why?"

"Well, Twilight," Rarity said, "Applejack here found it a little suspicious that Rainbow asked the four of us as to her friend's marriage status, if such a friend exists, and followed her. Fluttershy and I simply joined her in that regard as Rainbow asked us. I must admit, I my self am curious as to why she asked that before asking you out, Twilight."

"Hm, Yes, I suppose that is weird," Twilight said, putting a hoof to her chin.

"Regardless, you really are considering going out with her, Twilight," Rarity said with a hint pf disgust in her voice.

"Of course. If I could turn her to our side, then that's one less threat to us, and one more to my mother. I do think these things through, Rarity."

"Oh, I know. I simply needed to make sure," Rarity said. "So, should i inform the others as to this?"

"That might be best, but have Applrjack inform Luna, and Fluttershy inform Chrysalis."

"Right," Rarity said. "You two heard her. Now, do as you're ordered."

"Yes, Empress," the farmer and pegasus said as they got up and went to inform Luna and Chrysalis respectively .

"So, what do you plan on doing to bring her to our side, Twilight," Rarity said once the other two were gone.

"A mix of logic and magic. I'll just point out stuff that Celestia has done to wrong her, and I'll use my magic to make her more likely to side with us."

"Well, if I may say so, Twilight, with out the loyalty spell, how can we be certain she won't eventually betray us?"

"Simple. Her love for me will make sure she stays loyal to us. Didn't both Chrysalis and Cadence say that love was a much more effective way of gaining loyalty?"

"I see your point, Twilight," Rarity said before making her way to her own destination. "Now, of you'll excuse me, I'll go inform Nightmare and Galaxy as to this little plan."

"That's alright, Rarity. I'll see you later. I'm going to let Cadence know, so I'll see you later."

"Why, of course you will. I still need to make you a dress for the date, even if it is just a fake one on your part," Rarity said as she disappeared from view as she turned a corner.

Twilight went in the opposite direction as Rarity, towards Cadence's room, which wasn't that far away from the lavender alicorns room. A few minutes later, she arrived at Cadence's room and knocked on the door, which opened a second later.

"Hello, Cadence," Twilight said.

"Twilight," Cadence responded in simple greeting. "I overheard your conversation with Rarity, and I agree that it is a good plan."

"How many ponies have been listening in on me?" Twilight said sarcastically, but Cadence answered her anyway.

"It was just me and the others, as far as I know, Twilight. Me out of making sure you were okay," Cadence said with a small smile. "You want to come in?"

"Sure. It'll be nice just to catch up, Cadence," Twilight said, stepping into her old foalsitters room. The door closed once she stepped inside and she sat down on a small couch to the side of the room's center.

"So, what were you and Shining up to before you came here for the summit, Cadence?" Twilight asked as Cadence took a seat on her bed.

"Oh, not much. Just the usual stuff. Dealing with paperwork and dispelling whatever bogus rumors popped up. In fact, just a month ago, one theory, one completely ungrounded, surfaced that said, get this, I was once Sombra's wife. Ridiculous, am I right?"

Twilight chuckled. "Yeah, it is. How did they even come up with that idea, anyway?"

"I don't know, something to do with a dream, I think."

"Well, in his defense, there have been weirder ones out there, I'm certain, and I know Luna and Nightmare would agree with me there."

"Yeah, I guess. But still, pretty crazy. I'm no where near Sombra's age." Both she and Twilight laughed a little. "Ironically, though, Celestia did ask us to search the castle in the Empire for Sombra's journals, and we did find two of them, each with spells that can be used to trap ponies that can only be undone by dark magic."

"Those may actually come in handy, later, Cadence. Any chance you can make cover duplicates of them and take the actual ones?"

"I guess. I have been known to be able to hide stuff from Shining a lot, so I'm sure I can hide them from him."

"Great," Twilight said, a smile on her face. "I think I have an idea for what to do with those, but I want to run through it first before telling you and the rest of the girls, Cadence."

"I understand, Twilight," Cadence said. "We are planning a revolution, after all, and it's best to go over every plan before deciding."

"Exactly," Twilight said.

The two continued to talk for a few hours until Twilight saw the time on a nearby clock, which read six-thirty. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, Cadence. Rarity wants to make me a dress for the date later, and we both know how she can get."

"Yeah, we do," Cadence said, giggling. "See you later, Twilight," she said as the lavender alicorn made her way to the doors and opened them.

"You too, Cadence," Twilight said before she left the room and closed the doors behind her.

An hour later

"Rarity, don't you think this is a little much?" Twilight asked as she tried on the outfit Rarity had made for her.

"Twilight, you may be the leader of our group. but which of us is a fashion designer?"

"Fine," Twilight grumbled in annoyance. The dress was simple compared to the usual Canterlot special occasion outfit, but still too much for Twilight's preference. The outfit itself had the same color as her Gala outfit for the main color, and a few streaks of accenting silver in the back. It was a little too tight, but Rarity had insisted it be this way so as to increase how attractive she would look to Rainbow. Her mane was made up into a bun.

"Oh, relax, Darling. Even if we can't use magic to turn Rainbow, you can always use your feminine charm."

Twilight just looked at the white unicorn with a deadpan. "Really, Rarity. You say that as if we mares are nothing but tools, even with us numbering more then stallions. And besides, until I'm certain Rainbow's on our side. I won't try anyhting to use her. After, she could be considered cannon fodder for all I care. I don't exactly have eyes for her, or anypony, for that matter."

"But Twilight, how? Why?"

Twilight shrugged. "Guess I'm just asexual." At Rarity's confused look, she added, "It means I'm not interested in stallions or mares, Rarity."

"Oh," Rarity said, momentarily stopping what she was doing. "But Twilight, why would you want to be that way. It means that you aren't interested in stallions, which means you won't have foals."

"Rarity, I could always just have a kid by internationalization."(1)

"Well, I suppose," Rarity said, getting back to work, which was just making sure the dress was on right. When she was done a few minutes later, she said, "Everything's in order, Twilight."

"Thanks, Rarity, but I still have about fifteen minutes until Rainbow comes for the date, so what should I do?"

"I'd suggest getting a move on to the front gate, Twilight. Besides, Rainbow's probably already there in excitement."

"Yeah, I guess," Twilight said as she made her way to the doors of Rarity's room. "Thanks, Rarity."

"Oh, think nothing of it, Twilight. You are my friend, after all."

"I know, but I still think I should thank you," Twilight said as she left the room.

A few minutes later, Twilight was at the front gates of the castle, and, true to Rarity's prediction, Rainbow was already there.

"Hey, Twi," Rainbow said upon seeing Twilight. The pegasus wore a simple outfit. It was a red version of the "suit" Rarity had made Twilight for her first birthday after moving to Ponyville. Her eyes widened as her mind processed what Twilight was wearing. "Whoa, Twilight. You look. . . beautiful."

Twilight giggled. It was fake, but it got the desired blush from her face. "Thanks, Rainbow. Rarity made this for me, just for tonight."

"Well, it definitely works for you, Twilight," Rainbow said. "So, should we go out now, or did you want to do something else first?"

"We can go now, Rainbow," Twilight said. "What are you planning," she asked as the two of them left the castle grounds.

"You'll see," Rainbow said in a cryptic tone.

A few minutes later, the two of them were n front of Doughnut Joe's. Even with it being the most popular store in the city, though, the only pony inside was the owner. "Uh, Rainbow, how?" Twilight asked as she and Rainbow stepped inside.

"I just called in a few favors from the Wonderbolts, who asked Celestia if she could clear it out for a few hours." Not technically a lie, as she was the one who asked Celestia if she could have it empty except for the three in it right now.

"I didn't know you had favors from them."

Well, did get a few last time I was in cloudsdale, not to mention when I saved Soarin, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot during the best young fliers competition."

"Makes sense, I guess," Twilight said as the two of them sat down and Joe came over, holding two menus in his magic. "Hey, Twilight, Rainbow," he said.

"Hey, Joe," Twilight said in genuine happiness, as he was one of the few unicorns she could consider a friend from before she had left for Ponyville. "How are you?"

"Good. If I may ask, why is it the two of you are wearing dresses. I don't think the Gala's for a few months."

"It's not," Rainbow said with a blush. "We're on a date."

"Really. I wouldn't have guessed that you two were ever going to be something," Joe said as he handed them there menus. "So, what do you two want?"

"I'll take my usual, Joe. Two glazed doughnuts with sprinkles," Twilight said, not even looking at the menu.

"Right," Joe said, writing it down. "And what about you, Rainbow?"

"Hm," the pegasus said, looking at her menu. "I'll take a chocolate glazed doughnut, a plain one, and a rainbow glazed one. Not because of my name."

"You got it," Joe said as he picked up their menus and walked towards the kitchen.

"So, uh, Twi," Rainbow said, "what have you been working on?"

"Not much," Twilight lied. "Though I have been doing a lot of research into Equestria's history, and I did actually find out some interesting stuff."

"Like what?"

"Well, one of the books I read was crazy enough to have in it that Luna was just a form Nightmare Moon took when in public. Crazy, right?"

"Yeah, it is," Rainbow said. "It is a little interesting, though." This was true.

"Yeah. Even I have to admit that it might mean the history we know of her is wrong." Twilight discreetly lit her horn, and put some magic into her words.

"What do you mean, Twilight," Rainbow asked, suddenly suspicious, but she hid it well.

"Just that Celestia might have been the real evil, and tried to do so secretly, but was discovered, and that led to the fight I saw with that potion during the vine incident."

"Yeah, I guess," Rainbow said in a dreamlike way.

"And then there's the fact Celestia attacked Chrysalis when all Chrysalis was doing was trying to fee her subjects. Was what she doing really that wrong?"

"No, I guess not," Rainbow said.

"Then there's what she did to you. She knew you wanted to be in the Wonderbolts, even before the Gala, but didn't get you a chance to see them before hoof so she could, what, have amusement at our, your, expense. Would you really want to follow a leader like that, one who would sacrifice their own subjects for amusement and rushes into conflicts, even if it means the death of another kingdom? Or one like me, who actually cares for ponies?"

"You, Twilight," Rainbow said, still in that dream like way.

It was here that Joe, carrting two plates of doughnuts, came out of the kitchen. And he had heard every word.

"Twilight, why are talking about the princess like that!?" he yelled.

"Quiet!" Twilight yelled, turning to him and shooting him with a magic blast, one that wasn't the loyalty spell.

(Those with weak stomachs, I suggest you leave now.)

Joe instantly fell to the floor, and couldn't get back up. What are you doing, Twi?" he asked in a fearful voice.

"Oh, nothing," Twilight said. "Just making sure my secret stays that: a secret." She lit her horn, and Joe screamed in pain as his rear hooves, bone, veins, and all, were crushed, the bone powder coming out of tears in the skin, as well as blood, his hooves flattened.

"What's going on?" he grunted out in pain.

"A simple gravity enhancement spell that I'm able to control with ease that I'm using to literally crush the life out of you," she said as the increased gravity made it's way up Joe's rear legs, causing him to scream in pain even more. Joe began to cry in pain as the gravity reached his nether regions, and the blood from there exploded out, causing the loudest scream he had uttered.

"Please, stop," he begged.

"I don't think so," Twilight said, slowing the advance of the spell.

It reached Joe's intestines, but didn't crush them, but rather caused them, and each organ above them, to move up. When the spell reached his ribs, Joe's lungs began to spill out of his mouth, blood all over them, and they came out slowly. Joe couldn't scream, both because his mouth was full, his lungs were in his mouth and coming out, or because of the pain. Any of them worked for the mad alicorn, who was smiling at this. The gravity continued to push up, and, eventually, Joe's heart, still beating rapidly from the adrenaline, came out. The sound of bones cracking could easily be heard in the otherwise silent restaurant. Joe's front legs were the next victim of the spell, and the end result for them, though it took longer to reach, was the same as his rear legs, and his stomach then began to come out of his mouth, his lungs and heart having already come out, and his jaw dislocated because of the size of the organs.

Joe was crying, Twilight, due to the magic that had corrupted her making her enjoy this, smile, and Rainbow, on the surface, was indifferent, but, on the inside, was throwing up, and she was close to doing so in real life.

The spell reached his throat, not doing anything but crushing it and causing what ever blood was there to spill out, as well as causing the intestines to start flowing out in reverse of how one would eat spaghetti, like the rest of the body. When it reached his skull, a loud snap could be heard, and, mercifully, the stallions heart stopped beating, the spine having been snapped, but Twilight didn't stop. She allowed the spell to crush his skull, gray matter that used to be a brain coming out from the cracks in the skull and tears in the flesh. His eyes exploded, causing blood and fluids to fly. Twilight stopped the spell on the body, and used it to then crush the organs that had come out, effectively creating a bloody mess of the store's owner.(2)

"And that, Rainbow, is how you really take care of those who would threaten your rule," Twilight said, not bothering to clean it up, nor pick up the doughnuts, a smart move, actually, as they too were covered in blood.

"Come on, Rainbow," she said as she made her way to the door. "I want you to go back to the castle. Don't tell the any about this."

"Got it," Rainbow said as she walked to the door in a dead pan expression. Twilight closed the door behind her, saying, "Now I just need to make this look like a random unicorn. Maybe Velvet and Night Light in a drunken rage they usually keep hidden. Oh, maybe those two that messed with Rarity when she first came here. They have it coming to them, and I haven't enthralled them."

Yeah, keep talking, Twilight, Rainbow thought in sadness as she took off with her wings to the castle, holding the contents in her stomach surprisingly well. She really is too far gone. A few minutes later, she landed in the gardens. She made her way t othe nearest bush and vomited right into it.

She had landed in the gardens because she knew this was the most likely place Celestia would be next to her room. Once she had finished vomiting, she wiped her mouth with her hoof, and rubbed that hoof on the ground, and began to walk in search of Celestia.

She found her a few minutes later, talking with Luna. Rainbow hid behind a pillar, the only pony she trusted was Celestia right now, and waited for Luna to leave.

She had to wait for half an hour before the lunar alicorn left, leaving her sister alone. When Rainbow was sure Luna had left, she abandoned her cover and made her way to Celestia.

"Uh, Celestia, something just happened with Twilight," Rainbow said, causing Celestia to turn her head.

"What," Celestia asked, fear in her voice.

"I-I can't describe it, princess," Rainbow said. "Look at my memories to know what."

Celestia, fear on her face, lit her horn, and examined Rainbow memories. When she was done a minute later, it was clear she wished to vomit as well.

"Then it is as we feared," she said. "Twilight truly has been lost. We must make sure she can not do-that to any pony ever again," she said with tears in her eyes. "We'll have to kill her," she said in a whisper only she and Rainbow could hear.

It was, amazingly, Rainbow who said, "It's for the best, Celestia. If she still had some control over her mind, she'd want us to kill her, if only to stop her from harming others." Tears were in the pegasus' eyes, though, as well.

"Agreed, but we have to wait until tomorrow. I am nt at my strongest during the night, and I'm certain I'll need to be at full power to defeat her."

The next day, Celestia sat upon her throne, Rainbow and Pinkie, both with somber expressions on their faces, to her left, Soarin and Spitfire to the right.

"It's almost time," Celestia said, sorrow in her voice. She had sent for Twilight, and Twilight only, an hour ago, and she had asked for Twilight to come to the throne room in an hour from that time, and it would be soon.

"I just wish we didn't have to do this," Rainbow said. "What are going to tell the others."

"That she decided to go on a world wide travel, hoping to learn more about cultures. Eventually, though, we will need to tell them that she died," Celestia said, her eyes tearing up. "Just not the truth as to how."

Two minutes passed, and the doors to the room opened, and Twilight walked in, all features of her corruption hidden. "I' here, Princess," she said. "Why'd you ask for me?"

"Because of what happened last night," Rainbow said.

It was here that Twilight saw the four other ponies in the room, and narrowed her eyes and lit her horn. "What are they doing here," she said in anger.

"To assist me in what must be done," Celestia said, rising from her throne as Rainbow, Spitfire, and Soarin dropped their disguises and revealed their horns, and Pinkie did the same, revealin her true form.

"I knew I should have gone after you when I arrived here, mother," Twilight said, dropping her illusions as well, showing her darkend coat, her green tinted eyes, and, of course, her black magic. Her last word caused Celestia to recoil in shock.

"You know?"

"Yes, I do. Just like I know what happened to my cousin, Galaxy. She's doing fine, by the way. Her and her aunt, Nightmare are out of city. I doubt you care though, seeing as how you practically banished the both of them. Want to know how I brought Nightmare back, mother," she said, using the last word as an insult. "I simply used a revival spell to bring her back. Not that hard hen you're the Element of magic."

"I did what I did for Equestria," Celestia said.

"But not the planet. There's more to the world then ponies, mother. But you don't care, do you. You only care for ponies. Well what about minotaurs, dragons, buffalo, and changelings. I don't see you making any laws to help them."

"That is enough," Celestia yelled at her daughter. "That is because they did not wish to be under my rule. I did not kill an innocent like you, Twilight!"

"I did so because I did not wish to be discovered, but it seems," she said, looking at Rainbow, who tried to hide, "I should have taken care of more then one last night. Regardless, I agree. It's time you died." She shot a beam of magic, her most powerful shot, at Celestia, but it was simply batted away, and fear appeared on Twilight's face. "No, that should have killed you. I knew I should have brought the others with me," she whispered. She then looked at the five in front of her. "What are you going to do? We both know you aren't willing to kill me.'

As the horns of the other four lit, and similar lights appeared around Twilight's hooves, Celestia said, sadness in her voice, "That, sadly, is where you're wrong Twilight." As confusion appeared on the daughter's face, the mother lit her horn, and understanding appeared on Twilight's face, as well as anger. True, uncontained rage.

"NO! YOU WON'T WIN, CELESTIA! I HATE YOU, AND I ALWAYS WILL! YOU HEAR ME!" Twilight yelled, causing a tear to fall down Celestia's face.

As Twilight continued to scream in anger, Celestia whispered, "I'm sorry," and fired a beam of magic at Twilight. When it hit, Twilight, all she was, was vaporized. Those that had been holding her in place releasde the spell, and Rainbow and Pinkie, along with Celestia, began to cry in shared sorrow. There would be no happiness, no celebration, no party, for this victory. Only sorrow and sadness.

They stayed this way for well over an hour. At which time, Rainbow and the other three Knights left the throne room, and Celestia, still drunken with sadness, retired to her chambers, knowing not even sleep could fix the new hole in her heart.

If she had the mental speed, though, she would have noticed a dark flash take Twilight away before her spell had hit.

In the space between universes, where nothing was made or destroyed, only taken to and from, a lavender alicorn lay, her head throbbing from pain. She opened her eyes, and saw only black.

"So, this is what being dead is like," Twilight Sparkle said before a voice she had never heard before spoke up.

"This is not death," a voice said, "but simply a new beginning for you."

"Who are you," Twilight said as she got on her feet, though it could hardly be considered standing, as nothing was below her.

A shape came into view. It had ashen gray skin, red eyes, and a somewhat humanoid appearance mixed with that of a spider, as it had two arms, the bottom two ending in claw like pincers, and the upper two being ordinary hands. He wore dark red armor that covered all but his face ."My name, young Twilight," he said, "is Plasma, and I am the one who gave you the powers you now have."

"A lot of good they did, seeing as how I died," Twilight said.

"You have not died," Plasma said, "as I teleported you here just before Celestia's spell hit you, saving your life. As for the spells I gave you, they failed simply because Celestia had discovered you prematurely. If she hadn't, I would have been able to give you more powerful spells, which I am still willing to give you."

'What's the catch?" Twilight asked.

"Simply that, when you win, you put all research into the mirror portals Starswirl made, and bring them under your rule. It's more then fair for you, if you ask me, seeing as how you're getting even more power," Plasma said, a small grin on his face.

"Nothing else?" Twilight asked.

"Only one other thing: If you should meet a black and red stallion whose name is Lone Shadow, kill him. That is it."

"In that case," Twilight said, "I accept the terms. I only ask that my allies be made aware of this."

"I have already informed them as to your predicament, and told them that it will be a year before you can return, so that you can learn the best ways to use the new spells at your disposal."

"I suppose that is fair."

Plasma smiled. "Good," he said. "Now, prepare."

A year later-crystal empire train station

Cadence, along with Chrysalis, Nightmare, and Galaxy stood alone in the train station, her having ordered the place cleared of any pony else for the next few hours, the official excuse being maintenance.

They had been waiting for thirty minutes, using small talk to pass the time, when an orb of lavender light appeared out of no where in front of them. When it faded, Twilight stood there, but she was slightly different then before.

The bottom of her legs had a red tint to them, and copies of her cutie mark were on them, much like when she used her rainbow form. What had once been the whites of her eyes were now entirley green, the irises now purple, and her corneas, the black part of her eyes, were some what reptilian. Her wings were mostly the same, but the back part of the top half were now black. She also now had a purple and cyan stripe in her hair. On her head was a black, steel crown with a cyan Element of magic in it.

"Hello, girls," she said. "How have you been for the past year?"

Author's Notes:

(1): You learn something everyday.
(2) I warned you. Blame this

And yes, this Plasma is the same in my When Worlds Collide fiction, and it is a hint as to the sequel for this story as to what happens in it, or what I have planned for it, anyway.. Yeah, you'll need both this and WWC to understand the sequel when I get to it. Won't be for a while, but just thought I'd let you guys know.