The rough dirt road to Ponyville through the Everfree Forest was quiet. No birds sang, no bugs chirped, and the wind was very still. The only object moving, in fact, was the dark figure who trotted along the path.

He had the shape of a pony, but it was a guise that was twisted and misshapen. The stripes that he had once worn proudly up and down his body were all but diminished by what looked like thick, gray scales. His eyes focused unwavering on the path ahead.

Small bits of black magic crackled around him as he moved. Out of the corners of his eyes was a small green glow, and had he opened them more, he would have revealed cold, reptilian eyes.

His hoof smashed over the ground and made a racket, but he did not care. His mind was focused on one thing and one thing alone: feed. There was more for him to feed on ahead, he knew, and it was only a matter of time before he would catch it.

Something to his right went crashing through the forest. He paid it no heed until it revealed itself to be another pony who lept out into the middle of the path.

She wore a black hoodie over her mint green form. She had a small horn on her forehead, just forward of a white and green mane. She looked up at him and grinned.

“Sup?” she asked.

The former zebra snarled. “Move. Now.”

The unicorn laughed. “You act like you ain’t never seen a unicorn before.”

“That is none of your business,” the zebra growled. “Whoever you are—”

“You don’t know who I am?” The unicorn laughed. “Seriously?”

“That is of no concern of mine.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised. You see, my name is . . .” The unicorn pulled a small microphone from the pocket in her hoodie whose handle extended outward into a thin blade. “Slim Shady.”

The classroom bell rang. Students rose from their seats around the large lecture hall, packed their books into saddlebags and backpacks, and filed out of the classroom to return home.

Sweetie Belle was shaken from her information-induced reverie and began packing up her own bejeweled bag with what little books she still bothered to take with her.

Sure, in theory, listening to Miss Sapphire Shores half-sing, half-lecture about how vocal rhythms interact with magic variance was supposed to be interesting. At the very least, it was better than Professor Note’s lectures. The problem was, no matter who taught the lesson, it was still boring to Sweetie Belle.

By the time she got up from her seat at the back of the classroom, she was the last to leave.

“Have a nice day,” Miss Shores called in a sing-song voice.

“You too!” Sweetie said back before hurrying out into the hallway.

The school cleared out quickly following the end of classes, and Sweetie Belle found herself trailing on the steps of the other teenagers as she exited the school out onto the front landing pad.

Here, pegasi students leapt off the side and climbed toward their homes in the soaring towers of Canterlot or among the clouds and rainbows of Cloudsdale. A few unicorn or earth pony students got into local, pegasus-driven taxis that took them up the mountain.

As usual, the crowd thinned out pony by pony until just Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara were left on the edge of the platform, looking out at the sloping valleys below and the quiet little village that lay therein.

The wind that whipped around the lower reaches of Canterlot was cold. Sweetie Belle wished she had brought a jacket.

The week had passed by in a blur as Sweetie Belle, Diamond Tiara, and Pipsqueak had spent the days after school together, slumming around Canterlot and practicing a new musical piece. It was one of Pipsqueak’s selections, and not really her style, but Sweetie Belle had been happy to have something to do. Laughing and working with friends again had made her week seem, for the first time since joining the school, almost normal.

Sweetie Belle sat down and tucked her forelegs around her chest to keep warm as she was reminded of her dance with Rumble. Almost.

Diamond Tiara had on a fluffy coat stuffed with duck feathers tied snugly around her  and a matching cap to go with it that fit under her tiara. While Sweetie Belle kept her keytar in its case around her back, Diamond Tiara had nothing. She had turned in her violin already, but found it would be awhile before she could get a drum set from the school.

The two refused to stand together, but neither did they keep far apart. The week had gotten them together, and though Sweetie Belle hadn’t been expecting for them to be friends so soon, it still stung a little to see her partner keep her distance. However, Diamond Tiara’s fancy cab to Ponyville and Sweetie Belle’s bus arrived at the same time, so their choice was either avoid each other or wait it out in silence.

They chose the latter.

Sweetie Belle shifted from hoof to hoof. Did the bus always take so long, or was it just her? She considered taking out her keytar and trying to practice a little before she was met with more chores at home, but decided against it.

She’d been practicing on her own even before last weekend, sure, but playing the thing recently for more than a few minutes always seemed to give her a headache, not even to mention what happened once she really started to get into a song . . .

She shook her head. No, just singing for now. Definitely not in front of Diamond Tiara, though.

The welcoming sight of the bus rounding away from the other side of the school and down toward them saved her from thinking too much more about instruments or music for the day.

Diamond Tiara’s cab rose up beside the bus and both landed at about the same time, touching down on the cobblestone. The pegasi driving them both eyed each other, but said nothing.

Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara gave each other a look before getting into their respective vehicles and forgetting about the other until the next day.

The bus, as usual, was only occupied by Octavia in the very back, right seat. Sweetie Belle took the seat across the aisle. She sat with her keytar next to her and her school bag on her lap.

“How’d it go?” the teacher asked without looking away from her window. Her own bag was in the seat beside her. A violin poked out the top of it.

“Good, just good,” Sweetie Belle answered. “Just a, uh, normal day and all.”

Octavia chuckled. “Only your second week here and you’re already considering a day at a school for magical musicians normal? You’re fitting in already.”

“It helps that I didn’t have Professor Note’s class today. He scares me.”

“He scares everyone, Sweetie Belle,” Octavia said. “Just keep from insulting his choice of music and you’ll do fine.”

Sweetie Belle didn’t have much to add after that. She was content to, like normal, let herself sink in the bus seat and feel the rumble of the wind as it whipped around the bus.

Octavia watched Canterlot Mountain sink into the distance as they rose into the clouds. Another boring day.

The thunderhead rumbled under the pegasus’ hooves. It was angry. Weather teams from Cloudsdale had kept it raging all day for a night storm sometime around midnight. Until then, it made perfect cover for the pegasus and his comrades.

He looked at them all. They had had names at one point, but nopony remembered theirs or anypony else’s by now. It was better that way. Even their shapes, too, were different. Darker, meaner, and colored some form or dark or grey.

They all sat on the top of the thunderhead, waiting with bared teeth for his command to attack the bus down below.

The pegasus could understand their impatience. Just looking at the little metal box made him want to lick his lips. They could all feel it, of course. The power that emanated from it. It drew them like a lightning rod to its presence.

Something or someone inside that bus had a great amount of dark magic inside them just waiting to be devoured.

The black crystal inside the pegasus throbbed. It wanted it. Needed it. The electricity building below the pegasus’ hooves in the thunderhead only served to excite him further. He just had to wait a little more. Just until the bus disappeared beneath another cloudbank. The pegasi pulling the thing wouldn’t even see them coming.

The pegasus gripped the edge of the cloud and watched, shaking, as the bus finally passed out of sight.

“Alright, time to go!” he growled to his subordinates. “Get the black magic, and get out! We’re too close to Canterlot to stay for long.”

The other pegasi eagerly nodded their heads. Their eyes already began to glow green as the black magic flowed through all of them. Their leader did the same. It felt like a great tingling sensation that spread through his entire body.

Power. So much power that it was almost pouring out of him as he spread his wings and dove toward the bus below. His mouth screwed itself into a sick grin. He had a meal to catch.

Sweetie Belle had drifted off into a state that wasn’t asleep, nor awake. The gentle thrum of the bus as the pegasi pulled it through the clouds was enough to let her thoughts of the day ease up.

Octavia, across the aisle, had surrendered to the same condition. A peaceful ride home from work was just what she needed right now. Through half-lidded eyes, she watched the clouds pass by around them.

They came through another cloudbank and out the other side. Octavia was about to close her eyes for a catnap when she spotted dark figures among the sky with them. They were not alone.

She squinted to get a better look at them. They were ponies, that was for sure, and heading right toward them. Octavia figured they were just ponies from the Cloudsdale Weather Patrol making sure they kept away from the gathering thunderhead.

Then the bus’ front window burst apart and the driver fell silent at the reigns. The pegasi at the head of the bus let out cries of pain and anger as the concentrated dark magic fell on them. Octavia couldn’t see what was happening, but could guess it was nothing good from their yelling.

The bus began to drop rapidly and it’s nose pointed almost straight down. Octavia was pressed against the back of her seat from the force. The sudden change also woke up the drowsy Sweetie Belle.

“What’s going on?” she yelled, her voice cracking in panic.

“It would seem,” Octavia grunted as another bolt of magic collided with the bus, “that we’re under attack.”

The bus shook as a hole was torn in the roof. A dark pegasus pony with a twisted face landed inside and sneered at the two ponies with in. Sweetie Belle tried to press herself further into her seat.

Octavia’s heart was racing and sweat gathered on her brow. One look at Sweetie Belle, though, and she stepped into the aisle in front of the student.

She pulled the violin out of her bag and faced her new opponent. He was tapping his hooves against the floor of the bus at an impatient pace, and black magic swirled around him.

“Out of the way,” he said in a raspy voice. “We have no use for you. We want the source of the black magic!”

“You’ll find none of that here!” Octavia said.

“You lie!” the pegasus shot back. “We can see the source right behind you!”

Octavia turned her head to see Sweetie Belle still cowering in the seat. She clutched the keytar to her chest and her eyes bored down on the pegasus who leered at her. He grinned and she turned away.

Octavia shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you and your friends would be wise to leave now before things get any worse for you.”

The pegasus looked around at the falling bus. “Hah, good one.”

He grinned and began to build up the dark magic around him. It snapped and twisted in the air around him and he appeared to revel in its influence.

Octavia didn’t hesitate to put the violin to her shoulder and begin playing. The music swelled around her. Deep purple magic swirled around her hooves in response to the dark magic the pegasus so proudly displayed.

“One last chance,” the teacher said. The magic swirled in streams around her. “Leave us alone.”

The stallion snarled at her and leapt off his feet toward her, dark magic crackling around him. It struck out like a viper toward the cellist, snapping and crackling toward her. Octavia, however, didn’t blink as she sidestepped in the narrow confines of the bus and let the magic fly past her. It struck the rear of the bus and punched a hole right through.

The pegasus kept coming and Octavia didn’t stop moving. She dug in with her hind legs and tackled him in his midsection, sending them both sprawling across the aisle.

Before the pegasus could recover, Octavia had her bow out. It was covered in violet magic that connected with the stallion’s back and sent him flying up and out the hole he had torn in the roof. Octavia let go of the breath she had been holding and managed to slump against one seat.

Her relaxation didn’t last long. The bus began to pitch forward, its nose edging toward the ground. Only one pegasi was still driving the carriage, and he was fighting to free himself from the straps. Octavia gulped.

“Sweetie Belle,” she said, turning to the filly, “we’re going to need you to use your shield.”

The filly’s face was ashen and her eyes stared straight ahead, or rather, down as the bus continued to tip toward the ground. She didn’t respond.

“Sweetie Belle!” Octavia yelled. “Shield! Now!”

Sweetie Belle slowly shook her head. She tried to speak, but nothing came out. Her gaze was fixed on the ground as it rose up to meet her.

Octavia ran to her side. “Sweetie Belle,” she cried, “I know this is hard, but I need you to perform your shield! If you don’t, we are going to die!”

Sweetie Belle looked up at her, her lip quivering. “I . . . I can’t.”

Octavia sighed. The ground was getting closer and at a more rapid pace. “Grab your instrument and hold on to me,” she said. The filly replied and Octavia drew out her bow.

She ran down the bus’s aisle and jumped through the air toward glass front window. In one swift motion, she arced her bow and a violet blade sliced through the glass and they flew out. Octavia followed through and cut the reins holding the final pegasus driver to the bus and grabbed on to the loose end.

The pegasus, now free, flew them away from the falling bus and on toward Ponyville. They didn’t make it very far, however, before the rest of the attacking pegasi were on them.

“Get us to the ground!” Octavia shouted to the guard pulling them along.

“I think that’s not going to be the problem!” he shouted back. “It just depends how fast you get there!”

Bolts of dark magic blew past them and Octavia swung them around on the reins to dodge. Sweetie Belle clenched herself around Octavia and hugged her head into the teacher’s coat. She was shaking.

The two parties traded blows until at last Octavia was able to let go of the rope and plant her hooves on a small grassy plain just outside of Ponyville. She took a moment before the dark pegasi arrived to catch her breath.

Sweetie Belle still kept close to her teacher, staring up at the pegasi that were descending upon them.

Octavia grabbed her by the shoulders and looked at her. “Sweetie Belle, you’re going to have to stay with me,” she said. “You’re going to have to form your shield now.” She pointed to the pegasi driver. “You don’t have to fight, but I can’t protect you and him while fighting the bad guys off, okay?”

“I don’t have any music for—”

“It doesn’t matter.” Octavia shook her head. “Any music will do. Just play whatever feels natural and raise that shield!”

The pegasi were almost upon them now and Octavia shoved the filly toward the driver and stood her ground. A magic blade sprang to life from her violin bow as music began to play. Instead of a simple blade, however, the violet magic took the form of an axe head.

She grit her teeth. She was ready.

Sweetie Belle watched her teacher prepare to fight like she was in a trance. The world swirled around her and everything slowed. Somehow, she fumbled her keytar’s case open and got it around her neck. Her hooves didn’t meet the keys, though. Her magic didn’t activate.

Instead, all she could feel like doing was sitting there and watching the battle unfold. The pegasi swirled around Octavia. They sent their lightning thundering down at her, kicking up great clouds of dirt from the ground.

Octavia herself swung her magical halberd in an arc and a stream of magic snapped up and engulfed two of the pegasi, sending them tumbling to the ground. Despite her small victories, however, she was still outnumbered four-to-one.

One of them, however, noticed Sweetie Belle standing by herself. With a wicked grin, he began to advance on her. Lighting shot out from under him and burned the grass in front of Sweetie Belle’s hooves. She began to back up.

Octavia turned around. “Sweetie Belle, the shield! Now!”

While she was distracted, the other three pegasi took advantage and tackled her to the ground. Two had her forelegs and the other got her hindlegs. They kicked her bow away.

“Sweetie Belle!” Octavia cried in desperation.

There was no time to raise the keytar. No time to think about her magic. All she could do was sing. So, her voice began to wail out the first thing that came to her head as the dark pegasus trotted toward her.*

You’re weird, in tears, too near and too far away,

He said, saw red, went home stayed in bed all day.

Your t’shirt, dish dirt,

Always love the one you hurt.

Her voice started out low and slow, but rose in pitch and speed as the magic came to her. Urgency aided her as her eyes remained fixed on the enemies in front of her. Perhaps it was the stress, but it felt like the music took over. She almost didn’t notice the instruments wailing out from the magic itself to aid her.

The shield blazed up and caught the advancing pegasus by surprise. He began to bang on it and cracks formed. Sweetie Belle sang louder.

It’s a crack, I’m back, yeah, standing,

On the rooftops shouting out,

Baby I’m ready to go!

I’m back and ready to go!

From the rooftops shout it out,

It’s a crack, I’m back, yeah, standing,

On the rooftops having it,

Baby I’m ready to go!

I’m back and ready to go!

From the rooftops shout it out, shout it out . . .

The cracks retreated back into the magic and filled themselves in. However, Sweetie Belle’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the rest of the pegasi join the first. Their dark lightning bolts smashed against the shield with a renewed fervor. Sweetie Belle stopped the song and covered her head as the whole thing began coming down around her.

This was it . . . she had failed.

Right as the pegasi cracked open the shield, however, something else happened.

It got bigger.

Black streams of magic radiated out of Sweetie Belle as the music continued to swell even though she did not sing. They met the shield and the whole magic transformed. The pegasi were thrown away as spike-like protrusions spawned across the shield’s surface.

It wasn’t done, though. Black claws threw themselves at the pegasi and slammed into them. They were picked up and thrown against the ground where they finally lay still. Sweetie Belle opened her eyes and watched as the magic drained away back into her. Worse, though, was the magic from the dark pegasi.

Little strands of black lightning flowed out of them, across the ground, and into Sweetie Belle’s hooves. As the filly watched, her hooves became black as night for a few seconds before returning to normal again.

She shuddered. The magic that had come out from her had been the exact same as the pegasi chasing her. And then that same magic had shrugged off all four of them like it was nothing. She hadn’t even had to think about it and had won the battle. Sweetie Belle gulped. What kind of power was that?

She looked up to see Octavia and the carriage driver standing over her. While the driver just looked worried, her teacher looked angry. Furious, even.

“You and I are going to have a talk,” she whispered. “And what I hear better be the truth.”

Sweetie Belle gulped. “W-Why?”

“Because, if you just did what I think you did, you will be held for treason against the Throne of Equestria.”

Treason. Sweetie Belle looked down at her hooves again. The black magic, used only by the most evil of ponies. But she wasn’t like them, was she? They had been crazy and their eyes green. She was still the same filly she had always been.

But what if she wasn’t? What if, inside, she was just as bad as those stallions? What if . . . what if she was evil now?

Sweetie Belle’s mind began to tumble back and forth while Octavia’s stare got harder and harder. The little filly began to feel dizzy and when her mind was so burdened she did the only thing she could do in that situation. Sweetie Belle fainted.