The Rise Of An Empire

Chapter 1

{Up there is the cover art}

There was no friendship.

Disbelieved. Rejected. Cast aside. Hated. Her so-called friends, her mentor, even her own brother, all had disowned her, all but openly stated their hatred of her, cast her out like a leper. And all for the sake of her.

Twilight couldn't quite comprehend what had happened to Cadence. The cheerful, friendly, patient, caring, kind babysitter she'd grown up with... Had all of that been a great big lie? Just something she was obligated to do, or something to get closer to her real objective... But Shining had said it was just the stress of the upcoming wedding... No. No amount of stress could justify the harshness and borderline cruelty that the young alicorn had treated the girls with. The girls had...

Her thoughts took a different turn. The girls had turned on her. Nearly 18 months of laughter and tears together with her, and then they'd dropped her like a hot rock, abandoning her for the chance to wear frilly dresses and be in a wedding. And the more she thought about it, the more she thought about all the times they'd done her wrong, the stronger her anger grew.

"They... n-never really cared about me, did they?" she whispered to herself, alone in her pitch-dark room, the doors & windows magically sealed to prevent anyone from getting in. She'd chickened out of confronting Cadence after being disowned by everyone, and had run/teleported back to the suite she was staying in for the duration of the wedding. Now, she lay on the overly cushy bed, brooding in the darkness.

Twilight's thoughts continued to delve deeper into the darkness, as her overworked brain and broken heart teamed up to crush her spirit. The other girls, Cadence, her brother, her parents, even Celestia... Abandoning her, scorning her, hating her, conspiring against her... Alone in the dark, the little unicorn allowed long-repressed thoughts and emotions to boil to the surface. Sorrow and loneliness twisted and roiled within her, slowly transforming into much more potent and dangerous emotions: rage, resentment, hatred...

In the near future, many ponies would dearly regret that there was no-one around to pull Twilight Sparkle out of her frighteningly rapid downward spiral. As it was, nobody was present to witness as Twilight's coat gradually darkened, her Cutie Mark changing, her magic transforming into something foul, her mind splintering and remaking itself as the corruption took hold of her soul...

The day was perfect. The ceremony hall was packed with ponies, well-dressed spectators present to see the wedding of the century. Princess Cadence looked positively radiant in her elaborate wedding dress, while Captain Shining Armor stood proud in his dress uniform. The five bridesmaids – Bearers of the Elements of Loyalty, Joy, Kindness, Honesty, and Generosity – stood upon the steps, waiting for the event to truly begin. Off to the side, Shining's proud parents watched with misty eyes as their son prepared to be wed, sad that their daughter couldn't make it due to some stomach bug.

Finally, a hush fell over the crowd as Celestia walked up to the center of the stage, smiling proudly at her younger relative and her groom-to-be. She cleared her throat.

"Dearly beloved," she began, "we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of-"

Everyone jumped as the massive doors to the ceremony hall were slammed open, cracks appearing on them from the force. They looked as a single pony calmly walked through the threshold and into the hall: Twilight Sparkle. But something was wrong. Her coat was duller in color than normal. The stars that made up her Cutie Mark were darker, their points sharper-looking. But most concerning was the wispy black miasma that emanated from and clung to her form, a jet-black aura of Darkness that flickered like a low flame. She opened her eyes, and those close enough to make out the details gasped as they saw that the sclera were black.