Twilight sat alone on the hotel bed, her as eyes dark as the night sky outside her window. Her mane was frizzy and dirty, clumps hanging into her face as she bent over the blade on her lap. She turned it slowly, the light of the moon reflecting off it and onto her chest, a long blue-grey slash.

"I can't turn back now," Twilight whispered, as if she was talking to the knife she held. "I don't need Spike. He was a brat. In the end, he would have died anyway..." She laughed dryly. "He knew too much, Celestia would have killed him. I... I'm the only one she can trust." Twilight slid the cold metal over her hoof, shivering with a mixed feeling of giddiness and nervousness.

I swear to Celestia; tonight, Rarity dies.

Moving swiftly, Twilight gathered the supplies she brought. Flinging the heavy bag onto her back, the unicorn slinked from the hotel, moving quietly down the sidewalk into the city. She stuck to the shadows, trying not to look suspicious.

The day Spike had left her, Twilight shifted into a higher gear. She searched all over the city, asked everypony she could, for Rarity. She learned that she was staying in a high class hotel in downtown, with Luna and Trixie. Smiling grimly to herself, Twilight plotted out the murder in her mind.

I'll tell her I've changed my ways, that I've realized what I've done wrong. I'll make her believe me. And then once I've got her alone, I'll knock her out. I'll do the same with Trixie and Luna. Then, I'll use my magic to take them back here and get rid of their horns. After that... the fun can begin.

Twilight tried to stifle a fit of manic giggles, holding her hoof to her face. She snorted loudly, causing the heads of the few other ponies wandering the streets to turn. Embarrassed, Twilight blushed and scurried down the alley, scolding herself for attracting attention. She peered from around a corner, the golden building in view.

She glanced down and up the street and hurried into the building. Grinning at the clerk, Twilight shuffled into the hallway, being careful to not make the metal in her bag clanked too loudly.

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

Twilight stopped dead, scowling at the floor. "Yes?" she plastered a polite smile on her face and stuck her head from around the corner.

"Are you staying here, or meeting up with a friend?" the colt leaned on the desk, looking skeptically at the unicorn.

"I have a friend upstairs. I was just gonna go and check on her."

"Mm." he looked Twilight up and down, pausing on her bulgy bag and her dirty mane. "Have a nice night, then."

Twilight grinned at him and scurried back into the hallway, pushing the button for the elevator impatiently. As she rose slowly into the building, Twilight flicked her tail back and forth as she thought. Is my magic strong enough to teleport them all the way to my hotel room? Will somepony hear them if they scream? Do I know a spell that will make the room soundproof? Are my blades sharp enough to cut off a horn? What if I fail? Will Celestia put me in the chambers?

Ding!

The elevator stopped abruptly, snapping Twilight out of her thoughts. She stepped out into the hallway, breathing in the smell of cleaning products. As she prowled down the quiet hallway, the unicorn searched for room 102. She remembered the other night when she asked the mare at the counter for the room number.

"Rarity, her name's Rarity. Can you tell me what room she's staying in?"

"Um... yeah, just a sec. Did you forget your room number or somethin'?" the mare had asked, typing slowly on a sleek looking computer. Twilight stared at it, mesmerized in its milky whiteness.

"Uh, I wanted to visit my friend. She's staying here."

"You're friends with Princess Luna?" The mare looked up at Twilight.

"...No, I'm friends with Rarity, she's the pony who's friends with the princess." Even though it was true, it sounded like a lie even to Twilight.

"Oookay... that's room 102 floor 23. Have a nice stay." The mare watched Twilight nod and slip into the hallway. What she didn't see was Twilight sneak out a back door, galloping back home to set up her plan.

"Room 102," Twilight whispered, staring at the door. She took a deep breath, and knocked her hooves lightly on the door, four times.

Whispers and murmurs could be heard from the other side. The door shook slightly as somepony leaned on it to look into the peephole at Twilight, who was smiling awkwardly.

"What do you want?" said a voice. Twilight couldn't tell who it was; she wasn't very familiar with it.

"I've come to talk to Rarity. I... I have to explain to her that I'm not what I seem."

More whispers. Somepony stomping their hooves. The door rattled again.

"Go on." This time, the voice was familiar.

"Rarity! Rarity, oh thank goodness you're alright. Listen, I know that you know I killed the others. But you have to understand... Celestia made me. When Spike left me, it made me realize the horrible things I've done. R-rarity, I feel awful. I need you to believe me; I really need to be comforted right now. I promise I won’t hurt you. Please." Twilight leaned against the door, forcing tears from her eyes. She tried to make it as real looking as she could, but she had no idea if Rarity would buy it or not.

"Rarity, she's acting." The voice sounded hurt and angry at the same time. The sound of it rocketed straight into Twilight's heart like an arrow, piercing her with emotion.

"Spike?" Twilight's shock was genuine. "Spike? Is that you? Spike, are you okay? I'm so sorry, sweetie. I... I miss you... it's you that made me change my mind. Spike, honey, I'm like your mother, remember? I love you. Please believe me."

Twilight sat huddled against the door, sobs shaking her body. Some of them were real tears of frustration and desperation for Rarity to believe her, some were false, and others were of relief to hear that Spike was alive. Deep down, Twilight knew she wouldn't be able to cope with Spike leaving her. She loved him like a son, no matter what.

"You killed them, Twilight. You killed our friends. Do you really expect me to just let you in?" Rarity's voice was tight with anger and emotion.

"What can I do to prove it to you, Rarity?" Twilight stared up into the peephole, wondering if she was making eye contact with the unicorn.

Rarity was silent for a moment. "...Pinkie Pie swear."

What? Seriously? Alright then, this'll be easy. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Twilight followed the motions of the swear, but this time was more careful about stopping her hoof just before it hit her eye. "I promise I'm telling the truth, Rarity. Please, let me in."

"Rarity, don't--"

Spike's voice was cut off by a rattling of chains and turning of locks. The door opened widely to show Rarity's emotionless face. "Come in and explain yourself." she said coldly.

Twilight slipped in, staring at the room. It was huge and very fancy, a large TV hanging on the wall and several realistic paintings of oceans and flowers hung up around it. On the bed, Luna stared at Twilight, anger and distrust in her eyes. Her tail flicked back and forth, hitting the bed with quiet thump... thump... thumps . Trixie was standing not far from the princess, her expression showing that she was confused. Snips and Snails were peeking out from behind her legs like she was their mother, innocent and afraid looks on their faces.

Plastering on another smile, Twilight turned to Rarity and Spike. "Spike left me saying that the princess is wrong, and that what I'm doing is wrong. At first I didn't understand. I thought that whatever the princess said must be true, she's the princess! But... now I see where I was wrong. I wish you both would forgive me... I was only following orders... I now, too, mourn for the deaths of the Elements."

Spike frowned at Twilight. "Why'd you bring the bag?"

Twilight shrugged it off her shoulders, letting it fall heavily to the floor. "It's an offering... I guess. I brought it to give it to you, so you can do whatever you want with what's inside. You can destroy it. It's no longer in my hooves, I have nothing to attack or defend with. "

"Except your magic." a voice piped up from the back of the room. Twilight turned, and saw it was Trixie. A voice she had forgotten. "You can defeat an Ursa Minor, what would stop you from defeating us?"

The purple unicorn blinked. "I... I don't know. All I can tell you is that I promise I won't try to."

"Even if she did, Trixie," Luna spoke now, her voice very level and cool. "I doubt she could overcome us. It's five unicorns against one."

As Luna said that, Twilight realized for the first time it was true. They were all unicorns. Shoot... I should have planned this better. Now, I don't even have my chloroform! "What she says is true. But really, you don't have to worry. I won't hurt you." Twilight was becoming more desperate for them to believe her.

Rarity stared her down, her face unchanging. Twilight noticed her hair was limp and was entering a more natural looking curly state. It fell around her face and brushed just above her knees. It curled slightly, reminding Twilight of Fluttershy's mane. While her expression seemed stone cold, the purple unicorn saw a mixture of emotions in her eyes. Anger, hurt, fear. "Twilight... I trusted you. I listened to you; I went to therapy like you told me to. I held onto your every word, because you were my last friend. You were so precious to me... but now I know that you killed them. When I was locked away in a mental hospital you were murdering ponies left and right. I let you inside of this room, but I'm not ready to let you inside of my heart. Please go, maybe I'll talk to you again tomorrow."

Twilight's mouth was open slightly. Rarity's words echoed in her mind, ricocheting back and forth. At this point, her murder would be a blessing. She seems so broken... "Of course, Rarity. I'll be on my way." Twilight dipped her head to the ponies and dragon. She caught eye contact with Spike, but he only returned her apologetic look with a frown and eyes full of disgust.

The door slammed behind Twilight, nearly hitting her behind. As she walked down the hallway, her head low, Twilight suddenly felt alone. She'd never really felt like this, even before she met the other Elements. She'd always had Spike or her books. Now, she had brought no books, and Spike had left her. All but one of the Elements had been murdered by her command, and the last one hated her. Twilight knew that it shouldn't matter to her, but it did. She tried to turn her thoughts on other things as the elevator sank to the bottom floor slowly, but her mind kept turning back. How would she get Rarity alone? How would she knock her out if she left her bag of drugs with the enemy? Why did she even do that? I should have left it at the hotel. I'm so stupid! Maybe I should just give up...

Twilight fought her emotions as she stumbled toward the ratty excuse for a hotel; several ponies stared at her like she was insane. The worst part was, Twilight was beginning to believe that she was going insane.

---

"Rarity, do you realize what sort of danger you just put us all in!?" Spike was seething with anger, not even stopping to wonder if he might hurt his crush's feelings. "She could have killed us all!"

Rarity blinked at Spike. "But there's five unicorns against one." she murmured.

Spike shook his head. "You have no idea what kind of raw power Twilight has. Her special talent is magic itself! Celestia trained her to be the strongest she can possibly be, and that's extremely strong. Trust me, Rarity. Twilight doesn't know it, but she's defiantly strong enough to have princess Celestia put up a fight. The princess has trained her to doubt her skills so that she would never try to overthrow her, but she is strong enough for Celestia to use for her own good."

Luna nodded. "Celestia used to send me letters when I was one the moon, to keep me sort of updated. They were usually very rude and tried to make me feel left out, but I sort of enjoyed in information I got out of them. In one, she told me she had taken a student under her wing. She said she is training her to become stronger than herself one day, stronger than either of us ever could be. She wants her to become an even more brutal tyrant than her. It makes me sad to think that her powers will be used for evil, when they could bring so much good."

Rarity sighed, her eyes staring off into the distance. "I... I just want to be alone, okay? I need to think."

The others nodded and moved to the living room. Luna nuzzled Rarity's neck gently as she passed. "If I could, I would make sure you'd never have to deal with things like this. Remember; don't think about it too much. It will get to you, dig a hole in your mind, and plant an idea there that will never go away. Someday in the future, Twilight might turn out to be good, and you'll be unhappy when you realize you'll be incapable of letting it go." Rarity watched as Luna left, the door closing softly behind her.

She crawled onto the bed, burying her face into he pillow. Swimming in her thoughts, tears leaked onto the soft cushion. I just don't know what to think. I've got all of these nice ponies around me, but I feel so empty. Rarity looked out the window at the night sky. The stars speckled across deep blue-blackness made her feel very, very small.