Twilight opened her eyes slowly. Her head was pounding. She wanted to scream when she realised her wings were missing. What had happened? She… she was in another memory. Probably.

She was floating in a void. The entire world around her seemed to glow, and was filled with stars.

“Hello? Where am I? What is this place?” her host called out.

“Congratulations, Twilight. I knew you could do it.” A kind voice answered.

Twilight’s host turned to see a large white alicorn towering over her. Twilight stopped paying attention and went into overdrive, trying to force her magic to work. Anger rose within her as the royal figure stood beside her. She didn’t care when her host hugged her. She didn’t care when she started to sing. All she cared about was breaking free of this body/prison. Lost ruler or not, this pony was a bucking idiot! If she was so smart, how could she not see how tyrannical Celestia was?

Twilight began to channel her magic in hopes of separating from her host. It was a long shot, but- of course! Dark magic seemed to hurt this pony when she used it. The alicorn turned unicorn focused harder, switching her spell. Pain lanced through her horn and she was thrown backwards.

She groaned and slowly pushed herself to her hooves. As she stood, she realised her wings had returned to her back. Twilight sighed in relief and looked up. Her host and Celestia had disappeared, but she was still in the glowing void.

“So… He really did it.”

The alicorn whirled round to see… herself? A lavender alicorn with purple eyes and a streaked mane was looking at her with disdain.

“Wha… Wh-who are you?” Twilight exclaimed, horn lighting up.

“Most simply put, I am Magic.” The other alicorn explained.

“What do you mean? You can’t just be magic!”

“I am the Element of Magic. You embody me, and so I look like you.”

“But why do I embody you?”

“My previous owner was stripped of her magic, and so I was ‘transferred’ to her… ‘new form’.”

“What do you mean by ‘new form’?” Twilight growled. “You’re not making any sense!”

“Oh, but I am.” Magic smiled. “Just not to you. You see, my old owner was Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship. When she lost her magic, it was given to you. So now my owner is Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Darkness.”

Twilight blinked. “B-but… how would I have her magic? Equestria’s lost ruler died years ago!”

“That’s what you were told.” Magic snorted. “But the original Twilight Sparkle is far from dead. She has simply lost her magic. Even now, her memories are fading, and being forced onto you.”

“That would explain why I’ve been having those weird visions.” Twilight mused. “But why are you here, anyway?”

Magic looked suddenly sad. “Because I wish to be whole again.”

“Whole?”

“You are not whole, Twilight. You cannot be whole until you find your original.”

Twilight sighed and fell to her haunches. “First off, how do you even know what I’m supposed to do? I thought the ‘old’ Twilight was your first owner.”

“She was far from my first.” Magic cocked an eyebrow. “And I know what to do because this has happened before. When Twilight was separated from my… physical form – the gem she once wore in her crown, I was split between her and the gem. When she visited the gem, I was made whole again.”

“So I have to find Twilight to make you whole.” Twilight paused to take a deep breath. “Remind me why I should do this?”

“Because if I am made whole you will regain all of your original’s memories.” Magic explained.

Twilight had to admit, it was tempting. To finally figure out why she was getting these ‘visions’. To understand why the Celestrians had refused to hurt her. To find out what had happened to the first Twilight.

“Okay, I’m in.” she decided. Then she froze, looking up at Magic accusingly. “But why do you keep calling her my original?”

Magic’s eyes clouded a little, filling with grief. The translucent alicorn quickly shook it off and turned back to Twilight. “I’m afraid I cannot tell you that.”

“And why not?”

“Because if I did it would crush you.”

“As if!” Twilight snorted, rolling her eyes. “There is nothing in this world that could break me.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Magic frowned.

“Whatever.” There was a moment of silence, before Twilight spoke up again. “How are you talking to me, anyway?”

"The potion, of course.”

“The… potion? Oh, crap, the potion! B-but how? And wh-what’s going to happen to me now?” Twilight worried. “I saw s-somepony, right before I passed out! What if it was m-mother? Or worse, father? Oh, I’m going to be in s-so much trouble!”

“Your mother did find you.” Magic confirmed. “But she is not mad. In fact, quite the opposite.”

“M-mother found me?” Twilight gulped. “Wake me up now! Please!”

“I’m not sure that would be wise. It would be best to let you wake up naturally. To wake you up now would result in you being very tired for a long while after.” Magic warned.

“I don’t care! Wake me up!” Twilight demanded, stomping her hoof for emphasis.

“Very well…” Magic sighed, lighting their horn. “Just, please, remember to try and find the original Twilight.”

“Will do.” Twilight agreed.

The light on Magic’s horn flared, filling Twilight’s vision. The alicorn felt her legs buckle and then her vision went dark.

Twilight blinked her eyes open. Her vision was blurry, but she could just about make out a pair of worried teal eyes staring down at her.

“Don’t worry, Twilight.”

The voice sounded as if it were coming through water. Twilight groaned softly and attempted to move, but her limbs felt like they were made of lead.

“Sombra will never know of this.”

The eyes seemed to lose their coloured sclera, returning it to white. The dagger-shaped pupils rounded out, forming kind black orbs in a pool of teal.

“It’s time for us to go home.”

Twilight felt herself being lifted off of the ground. She began to float through the air behind the black alicorn as she trotted down the hall. The purple alicorn could do nothing but go limp; her limbs wouldn’t work, her vision was fading and her ears felt as if they were stuffed with cotton.

“To our real home.”

Twilight felt the weight in her head grow heavier.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen it.”

Twilight’s limbs went completely numb.

“It’ll be so nice to see everyone again.”

Twilight’s vision went dark.

“So nice to see… her.”

Twilight’s ears stopped working. She was stuck floating in the air, not seeing or hearing. She could only wait and hope that her senses returned soon.

Twilight felt herself stop suddenly. Her hearing had returned slightly, but everything was still foggy.

“S…ra…” a voice gasped.

“N…ht…e…wha…ng…on…” asked another.

“I…g…ng…h…e…” the first huffed.

“You…re…om…”

“My r…ho…e…”

“You pr…mi…d…”

“I mis…y…frien…s…”

“You don…ne…nds…”

“Frien…s…mag…c…”

“Exc…e…me…”

“Friendship is magic!”

Twilight’s senses returned suddenly. Her ears cleared, granting her the sounds of magic and heavy breathing. Her limbs woke up, allowing her to spin in the air and face the noise. Her eyes began to work, giving her a clear image. Her father stood at one end of the hallway, magic flaring. Her mother was levitating her above her head as she stared down her husband.

But there was something different about the black alicorn. Her eyes looked like a regular pony’s. Her black coat was lighter than usual. Her mane, once made of untamed mist, now flowed with stars in an almost orderly way.

“Nightmare, we made a deal!” Sombra growled.

“Forget the deal! It has brought me nothing but pain!” Nightmare hissed.

Twilight froze. She knew her parents had only been together for a very short time before she was born. Which meant that the deal had been made whilst she was still growing.

“I thought you loved her.”

Twilight could feel her heart break. She only brought her mother pain?

“Of course I do. But I cannot look at her without being filled with either rage or grief!”

The purple alicorn went limp. Her thoughts clouded and her eyes filled with moisture.

“This is your last chance to turn back. If you leave here, you’re never coming back!”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. And I’m taking the Twilights with me!” This time Sombra didn’t answer. The two dark-furred ponies continued to stare at each other, hatred and sadness in their eyes.

Twilight sniffed, blinked, and let the first tear fall. Everything seemed to slow down. The tear hit the ground with a small splash. The field of magic around Twilight cut out as a beam of dark magic shot towards Nightmare. The purple alicorn hit the ground with a thud.

Twilight heard her heart beating in her ears. She could feel pressure bearing down on her head. Her regalia felt oddly tight, as if not made for her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see flashes of blue, purple, black magic. More than once she smelt burning skin. More than once she swore she could feel blood falling around her.

But there was one thing that cut through the haze. One thing that cleared her mind and brought fresh tears to her eyes. The sound of her mother screaming.

Twilight jumped to her hooves as the dark alicorn fell before her. The taller alicorn hit the ground. She was burnt in multiple places. Her horn was blackened. Her eyes were dull and her mane stopped flowing, instead hanging limp. There was a large, black patch at her throat. She was breathing heavily, eyes wide.

“T-twilight…” Nightmare gasped. “R-run…”

Twilight froze. Her mother’s breath slowed and her eyes closed. Twilight looked up. Her father was glaring at her, magic flaring.

“I should’ve known.” He grunted.

“Y-you… you k-killed her…” Twilight panted.

“Not really, but in some way, yes.” Sombra confirmed calmly.

“You k-killed her…”

“Mostly.”

“You killed her.”

“Would you please stop stating the obvious?”

Twilight began to shake. Her magic flared and her dagger-shaped pupils shrunk to pinpricks. Her mane began to flow, and her entire body began to glow. “You. Killed. Her.”

Sombra suddenly looked unsure. The dark stallion took a single step backwards.

“You killed her!” Twilight shrieked. The alicorn mare’s coat turned pure white. Her eyes glowed red. Her mane turned to fire, which roared with anger. Her magic turned from its usual calm magenta to an angry red. Magic began to leak from her horn, swirling around her and lifting her into the air.

Sombra’s eyes widened in surprise as Twilight flew at him. The alicorn’s thoughts clouded, allowing her only one thought: destroy the dark unicorn.

Sombra leapt to the side as Twilight crashed into the ground. The white mare turned, magic flaring even more. Spell after spell was fired at the dark unicorn, some lethal. But without proper aim or purpose, the spells all missed. Sombra felt himself slowing, however. He knew it wouldn’t be long until he was hit.

Twilight screeched as she completely lost control of her magic. Red aura flooded from her horn, filling the hall with eerie light. Twilight felt the pain running through her horn, her head, into her entire body. Her fiery mane burned hotter, singing the mare who wore it. Tears filled her eyes, but didn’t get the chance to leave them as her magic tried to return to her. The red aura surrounded Twilight, forcing pressure on her body and eliciting a scream from her lips. Sombra was smart enough to teleport away as the side of the castle collapsed.