"Bye! Thank you all for coming, it really meant a lot!" Twilight said as her friends left.

She gave a sigh and closed the door. She went to walk back to her room when Spike was standing there with a bowl of chocolate ice cream.

"Thanks Spike." she smiled as she took it and sat at her desk.

"Twilight," Spike said. "Um, I know it’s your problem but... did a spell go wrong or something?"

"What?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Well... this." He waved a claw at her. "Did a spell go wrong or something? Maybe a potion mishap?" Her eyes widened as a frown went on her face. He saw her discomfort and frowned to. "Never mind. So, did you learn anything new? Can you crawl on walls and stuff like that?"

"Yes actually, I've done that a few times before. I've gotten used to the feeling."

"I wish I could crawl on the walls without leaving holes in the wall." He slouched forward slightly.

She turned to him, eyes narrowed.

"You left holes in the wall? Which one?"

"Applejack let me use the older barn at the farm. If you want to see some damage then look what Rainbow Dash left on a book shelve." He pointed an index-claw at one of the book shelves.

She looked over and saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Spike, what damages?"

"I think you would have noticed there are only two shelves out of the usual three."

She looked back and saw books stacked on top of each other, and only two shelves.

'I'll talk to her about that later.' She said coldly in her mind. 'Nopony messes with my precious...'

"Uh, Twilight...? You have that look on your face again."

"W-What look? I don't have a look."

"That one where you’re thinking about how, nopony messes with your precious."

"Have you been hanging out with Pinkie?"

"Well, yeah." He shrugged. "I'm surprised nopony else has said anything." He yawned as he scratched his back. "I think I'm going to bed, goodnight Twilight." He stopped and snickered. "Twilight and goodnight... I never noticed that rhymes."

She watched as he went up the stairs, watched as he closed the door, and then laid her head down on the desk. She eyed the bowl of Ice cream hatefully.

"No, I don't need ice cream. I want something else." She pushed the bowl away before getting up. She suddenly frowned and hung her head. "Great, now I don't feel like doing anything." She eyed the rows of books; one in particular caught her attention.

"The complete guide to change- no!" She thought about to throw the book but caught herself. "No. I don't want to learn about changelings... even if I am one now." She looked at herself and then back to the bowl. "Fine." She groaned.

She picked up the bowl and held it in the air. She eyed it in distaste before looking back up to the stairs.

'I never actually ate any cake...' She thought. 'I wonder how good it would taste in ice cream?' She looked back up and began trotting upwards to the door.

Nearly each step sent a creak through the library, each step heavy as she went up.

The door opened quietly, she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Spike in his bed, hugging his teddy bear. She smiled before looking at the plate sitting on her nightstand.

She trotted over and picked it up. Before she put it in the bowl, something on it shined. She looked closer at it and saw it wasn't cake at all; it was an oversized Bon Bon.

"Gross. Pinkie knows I don't even like Bon Bon’s." She wrinkled her muzzle in slight distaste. She set it back down and decided to let Spike have it later.

As she passed his bed, he made a small snort and rolled over, knocking his blanket off. She stopped and put it back on; she raised an eyebrow when she saw what exactly he was cradling.

"A Rarity plushy?" She said quietly. "I'll have to talk with him later about that."

She was about to leave when a slight breeze made itself known, she shivered and looked back up at the hole in her roof. She shook her head before sealing it with a layer of magic.

She took to the wall, not wanting to wake Spike with the stairs. She stepped off and made her way back to the desk.

Only, the candle had been lit.

"I don't remember lighting that. Did I?" She stared at it quizzically. A slight clang resonated through the house. "Oh no... someponie's broken in. What do I do!?" She was about to hide under the desk when she mentally face-hoofed. 'It's probably another squirrel.' She thought.

She groaned and sauntered over to the kitchen, what she found made her stop in her tracks.

Not only had all the canned goods been spilled out, the other pots and pans, strainers, silverware and even the fridge's contents were out. The water had also been turned on, and again a cold breeze went through the room. She looked at the window and stared, as if expecting something to go through.

"Somepony was here..." She quietly said. She gulped and quickly shut the window. She jumped back, expecting glass to go flying, but instead saw it was still intact. "I wonder what they were after?"

She placed all items back where they should have been. As she was picking up a bag, the contents poured out onto and into her hooves.

"What the...?" She licked her hoof before licking her lips. "Sugar?" She groaned inwardly. "Pinkie... now I have two things to do in the morning."

She swept up the sugar and went back to the lobby. Another breeze went through the house; she stopped, held still and slowly looked towards the door as it swung on its hinges.

She slowly walked up to it and closed it. Sighing when she heard the comforting click of the lock. She turned her gaze back towards her books, her precious.

"No. Stop that." She said to herself. "There just books." She looked back towards her desk, a large brown tome sitting upon it. "Books that seem to move on they're own." She walked over to it and looked at the worn cover. "The history of the changeling empire... I... I didn't have this before."

She felt the need to do more than throw it, she wanted to burn it to ash, but stopped.

'On one hoof, I could learn about an entire culture. On the other hoof, I would be reading about Equestria's most hated and feared enemy.' She thought about it for a few silent moments. She finally caved in and lifted the cover.

The pages were worn and yellow, the ink was still there. It looked almost new.

"Chapter one, the tale of king Arthais." She picked the book up in her hooves. "The first in the changeling royalty and the first to have a queen. Queen..." She stopped and dropped the book. "Chrysalis." She gulped and picked it back up.

"At the time of their ruling, the land prospered and grew in size." She raised an eyebrow. "Together they helped unite they’re empire with the Equestrian's. Unfortunately, not all saw this as a good thing. One day, at a meeting, a servant to Celestia, snuck up behind king Arthais and slit his throat." She gripped her own throat.

"After the incident, queen Chrysalis became corrupt. The land died and turned the air toxic. She blamed Celestia for her husband’s death, when she did, war was declared. The changelings were either forced into submission, or were killed. Chrysalis and a small group of drones escaped and fled towards the west."

"So, she wasn't always cruel?" Twilight said to herself surprised. "I question the authenticity of this book.” She stopped and thought about what she just said. ‘Wow, I never thought I'd ever have to say that.’

She looked back at the tome, she put a spare index card in as a book mark and made her way back up the stairs. She opened the door, wincing as it betrayed her. She looked back at Spike who was still snuggling the Rarity doll.

She made her way across the ceiling and got into bed. She cast a soft glow from her horn as she opened it again.

"The war of... 129 A.A." She looked at the title. "This must be old if it was after alicorns."

She turned the page and sneezed when a cloud of dust hit her. She rubbed her eyes clean before her vision focused on the picture in front of her.

"Oh Celestia... what did I open?" She said as she stared at the image, putting a hoof to her mouth.

Changelings in blackened armor were clashing with an army of ponies clad in gold and blue armor. The changelings were being slaughtered by the looks of it. Some were burnt, curled up on the ground or even speared in half; some of them had even been be-headed or cut in half. Green blood was everywhere. So much... so much blood...

"Oh my..." She whispered. She turned the page shakily and felt tears brimming in her eyes as she looked on.

The picture now was of the corpses being burnt, changelings in shackles as they were led directly into the flames. Guards shoved them with the tips of spears as they tried to stay back, but couldn't as unicorns pushed them forward. And there, standing there, facing away from the carnage was Celestia, dressed in gold armor, smeared in green blood. A look of anguish on her face.

As she kept going, the pictures got even worse. She felt tears roll down her cheeks. On the sixth picture she finally closed the book with a solid thud, and shoved it under her bed. There in the darkness, she silently cried into her hooves, silently sobbing; trying to wash the horrific images away.

There she fell asleep, her pillow soaked in tears, there the history of carnage still fresh in her mind. She dreamt of darkness.

Inside her mind.

Twilight wandered around through the darkness. Wandering aimlessly, without a purpose or cause.

"Is anypony there?" She called out. "Hello?"

"...Failed..." A voice whispered.

"Hello? Is somepony there? I think I need help, I'm not sure."

"...Dead..." The voice whispered louder.

"E-Excuse me?" Twilight said stopping. "What was that?"

"...Weak..."

"I'm not weak... magically I'm not. Physically I could still use some work."

"Youv'e failed..." The voice said, taking on a feminine tone.

"Failed? Failed what?"

"Me... Equestria... friends... family..."

"W-Who are you? Where are you?" Shw hirled around before stopping, stumbled and held still.

"Here..."

Twilight turned around and saw Celestia, standing there glaring. The area around them changed into a forest, thin tress loomed over head as the moon shone through the small cracks in the canopy.

Celestia was wearing the same armor as she did in the book. Twilight gagged when the smell of ash and blood hit her.

"You’ve failed me. And everypony else." Celestia said coldly. "You are weak, pathetic, and unworthy." She narrowed her eyes.

"Unworthy of w-what?" Twilight whimpered.

Celestia's horn lit up and from her side, a sword came out from its sheath with a clang as it hit the ground in front of Twilight, missing her snout by mere inches.

"Living." She said.

Twilight stood there, frozen in fear. As she saw the blade rise again, she finally started to move, when it was aimed at her, she started to run.

Trees went by in blurs, bushes and branches hit her shell. The cold ground beneath her hooves crunched with the leaves as she stepped on them, the wind whipped at her eyes, threatening to make her close them and trip.

The sound of hounds and yelling was heard from behind. She looked back and saw two blood hounds giving chase. She quickly started to run faster.

Her breath quickened to where she could no longer see her breath. The sound of the hounds were closer now, when she looked back she saw they were snapping at her tail. She charged her horn, teleported behind them and began to run to the side.

They quickly were back on her tail now, slower this time as she had went into a thicket of bushes.

Thorns scraped and left scratches along her exoskeleton, a few even snagged at her mane. She merely cut her way through the branches leaving the pieces lying on the ground.

The sound of the dogs yelping made her quickly looked back, she saw that they had stepped on the pieces she left. She allowed a small smile before a spear went by her head. She looked to the side and saw a small group of soldiers.

"Oh come on! I didn't do anything!" She yelled as she ran from them.

Her legs were getting tired, her lungs hurt and her throat stung with each breath she took. Yet she still went on, not wanting to allow the soldiers to catch her.

The sound of rushing water grabbed her attention; she listened in on it and started running towards it. She came upon a river; the water rushing past in white rapids, the light from the moon making the water black as it clashed with the white seemed even more ominous.

She heard more soldiers from behind; she looked back and now saw Luna in the air. A deadly axe in her horns glow as she sent it spiraling down at her.

Twilight stopped and watched as time seemed to slow down, the blade pass in front of her, herself staring back in horror as it threw a small trickle of dark pebbles up. She quickly grabbed the axe in her own glow and threw it into the river.

"Thou shalt pay dearly for that!" Luna yelled, her voice booming across the once quiet air.

Twilight started turning left and right as the Lunar goddess shot down small bolts of energy, each exploding upon impact. Twilight hurried to the sound of the water as it grew louder.

She saw a small cliff ahead, as she was about to turn, the entire way back was covered in more guards and the air was populated with more, including Luna. She threw up a shield as a volley of arrow's came raining down. She looked back to the cliff and started running again.

She stopped and slid slightly at the edge, down below a waterfall churned the ice cold water in an unrelenting force of death. She looked back at the small army of Solar and Lunar soldiers before taking a deep breath, and jumped.

She kept her eyes opened before she went in. Arrows flew by; one nicked her in the side, and she muffled a pained whine as the cold water stung it.

She saw nothing but darkness, nothing but the bubbles and arrows falling into the water. She collected her thoughts and began to paddle upwards. She came out of the frothy mix, cold injured and scared.

She saw the nearest shore and used her magic to help push herself to shore. She crawled onto the black pebbles, one hoof at a time as she coughed up water.

With one final cough she collapsed and lay there, panting and groaing from the pain.

She barely noticed the shadow move over her, but she knew what was coming next.

"Goodbye Twilight." Celestia said as she brought her sword down.

Reality.

Twilight bolted up, her eyes wide, her breathing frantic as she examined herself all over. With a sigh she dropped back into her pillow.

"It was only a dream, a horrible, horrible dream..." She sighed. "I didn't die and the princesses didn't try and did, kill me."

She smelled pancakes, looked over to Spike's bed and saw it was empty.

"I could use some flapjacks." She smiled.

She pushed the covers off and hopped down, but stumbled as her hoof hit something. She slowly looked down, reached down with a hoof and pulled out Spikes teddy bear.

"Few, it was just a dream." She giggled. "Leave it to me to be the paranoid one... and I'm talking to myself again."

She shook her head and gently laid the stuffed bear into his bed. She went back to the door, and went downstairs.

"Morning Twilight!" Spike greeted her with a wave as he flipped another pancake into the air and onto her plate.

'I could never figure out how he does that...' Twilight thought slightly jealous. She sniffed the air and her mouth started to water. "Those smell great."

"I try." Spike said casually taking his own seat.

Twilight pulled the chair back and immediately began to scarf her pancakes down. Spike watching in slight amusement.

"Twilight, you might want to slow down before you choke." Spike said waving a fork at her. "Seriously, you should slow down. Do you know how many ponies choke on their food when they eat like that?"

She swallowed her mouth full before replying. "No. How many?"

"I don't know, that's why I asked you." He said handing her a tub of whip cream. "Do you want any of this?"

"I'm good." She stopped and stared at the pancakes. "Hey Spike, did you hear anything last night? Like a bang or something hitting the floor?"

"No, you know I'm a deep sleeper. You'd have to throw me over a waterfall to wake me up." He smiled.

She flinched slightly, recalling the dream.

"Yeah... a waterfall." She laughed uneasily.

Spike saw her discomfort and decided to change the subject. "So, do you want to open the mail? I know how you like seeing letters and stuff from other ponies. Especially Big Macintosh…" He teased.

Her cheeks turned slightly red but she still answered. "We’ve got mail? Why didn't you wake me?" She pursed her lips in a mock pout.

"Because I found it at the front door this morning."

"It? Did we get a package?"

"Yeah, and it came with a weird note." He tapped his chin getting syrup on it. "Ew... but anyway, it said, sweet dreams. Do you know what that means?"

Twilight sat there, frozen, mouth hanging open.

"S-Spike... let me see the package..."

"Okay, give me a second." He slowly left the table, leaving Twilight to sit there.

'There's no way... it was just a dream. ' One side of her brain thought. 'But then why did the note say that? Maybe there was a charm on it...?'

"H-Here's the package." Spike grunted as he pushed it in. "It doesn't have a return address or anything. Just the note."

She got down shakily and eyed the wrapping.

'It's the same size...' She thought. 'No, no assumptions until I know for sure.'

She reached out with a shaky hoof and grabbed onto a corner and pulled it off, making a large tear go across, exposing what was underneath.

All across Ponyville, the blood chilling scream of a mare tore through the serenity of the town.