A bolt of anger stiffened Twilights spine, cleaving through the sorrow clouding her mind. Lifting her head, she gazed around the room. Youre not going to win, she whispered with a sniffle. Twilight swung her head from side to side, glaring at every patch of shadow she could see, before she settled on her murky reflection in one of the mirrors leaning against the far wall. Im not going to let you beat me. Im not going to let you make this nightmare a reality. I cannot I will not let you conquer Equestria with your evil.
 
Twilight slowly rose to her hooves and advanced on the mirror, the determination and fire in her voice rising with her. Im not going to let you torture Sweetie Belle, or Rarity, or Pinkie Pie, or or anypony! I dont care what you try, Im not going to give up! Im the Princesses last hope, and I wont let her down. Im going to beat you. Do you hear me? Youre not going to win!
 
Her question echoed around the room and out into the empty hallways. Twilight turned away and moved toward the doorway with her head held high, a statue of brazen defiance. “I’m not going to break,” she whispered. “I won’t let it win.”
 
Just as she reached the doorway a small voice, quiet and calm but as cold as a winter night, answered her back.
 
“Is that what you think?”
 
Twilight froze in place, sweat clinging to the back of her neck. She turned slowly, her heart rate rising. Behind her, in the mirror, she could see her reflection, her face split in a broad grin.
 
Twilight wasn’t smiling.
 
“You…” she began as she narrowed her eyes. “Yes. Its not what I think, its what I know.”
 
And I never said you were, it hissed back, revealing two rows of malformed teeth. Its funny that you would bring up fear, though. We both know what youre really afraid of. Like any fraud, youre afraid of being revealed for the liar you are.
 
I am not a fraud! Youre impersonating me, you twisted freak! Everything youve created here, its all one big lie!
 
Ive done nothing of the sort, Twilight. Youre the one thats lying. You won’t accept the truth, even as you mislead your so-called friends and use them to your own ends. You hold onto your fantasies of a life in Ponyville that isnt yours, believing yourself to be Twilight the hero when youre just Twilight the sick little filly.
 
Im not sick! Twilight shouted, stomping her hoof for emphasis.
 
She felt the thrill of a minor victory when her reflection leaned back a bit, the mocking humor vanishing from its face. Tapping a hoof against its chin, it examined Twilight with a critical eye. What do you think this shadow really is?
 
Twilight blinked. I what? Is this some kind of trick question?
 
Her broken twins expression remained still as she continued to study Twilight silently.
 
Youre some sort of powerful monster, obviously. The level of magical power is extraordinary. Youve already taken most of my friends, and youre trying to use the Elements of Harmony to conquer all of Equestria. Twilights eyes narrowed. And youre evil.
 
Evil? her reflection repeated with indignity, holding a hoof to its breast. Twilight, you injure me. I told you before, all Im trying to do is help you.
 
All youve done is show me a world where my friends are suffering and everything I know is a lie! How is that helping me?
 
All I want to do is take your pain away, Twilight, her reflection said. Its words were soft and gentle a harsh contrast to the grotesque smile that was only growing wider, splitting her face in a meaty sneer. You hold onto your delusions because youre afraid of facing the truth. I just want to heal you.
 
It was Twilights turn to laugh. Heal me? Heal me? Ha! You talk about helping and healing when youre just trying to break me so you can have the Elements to yourself.
 
Im not trying to break you, Twilight, it whispered back. I wouldnt need to, even if I wanted to. You cant break whats already broken.
 
Twilight froze. What?
 
Youre broken, Twilight. That is why you are suffering: your mind is not whole. I am here to fix you, to convince you that youre a fraud, that you hurt other ponies, and to help you see that your friends suffer. That is the truth, Twilight. Your delusions are nothing but broken fantasies grafted onto a tortured mind by uncaring physicians. The reflection narrowed its gaze. Your doctors want to make you into something different, something false. They want you to believe another lie. I wont allow that. I wont let you live in a lie any more!
 
Why would I trust anything you say? Youve lied to me, mocked me, and tried to confuse me since the beginning. Do you think you can convince me Im crazy when youve done nothing but spew blatant lies? Do you think Im that stupid?
 
Twilights reflection ignored the question as it pulled away, sinking further into the depths of the mirror. You dont trust the doctors here, either. Perhaps you just need a second opinion? A cruel smile split its muzzle into two wedges of rotten flesh. There is somepony else who can help give you the medicine you need.
 
Who? Another one of your illusions? Twilight asked, taking another step forward. Maybe youre just going to try and show me more ponies I love suffering in your cruel false reality. My mother as a sociopath? My father as a quadriplegic? What new lie do you have up your sleeve?
 
Mocking laughter was her only answer. Grinning at Twilight, her reflection winked. With a sharp pop, the bulbs on the flood lamps all burst at once.
 
Twilight braced herself against the wall like an invalid, trying to steady her racing heart. Oh Celestia she murmured, her rapid breathing the only sound. She gave one of the mirror a glare with as much of her annoyance as she could muster, but it couldnt be located in the deep shadows. Is that it? she called out.
 
There was no answer to her challenge, only the echo of her angry voice reaching her ears.
 
Twilight snorted as she regained her poise. Really? Your big trick was to cause the lights to short circuit? Wow. That certainly was impressive. You truly got the best of me! I guess Ill just walk out of here and let you take over all of Equestria. Because nothing is more frightening than the lights going out.
 
Twilight froze when the soft clip-clop of approaching hooves reached her ears. For a moment she felt both hope and fear that Applejack had finally found her, drawn to her by the sound of her voice. Her ears twitched as she tried to track the other ponys approach. A frown spread over her face as she turned to stare at the distant corner of the room, her eyes searching the darkness as the hoofsteps grew louder.
 
Twilight kept her expression firm, fighting down the unease as her reflections words echoed in the back of her mind. She shook her head. Her ears had to be playing tricks on her, creating phantoms in between the unpainted walls and stacks of lumber.
 
As her pupils attempted to wrest sight from the grip of the shadows, the long, sharp beak of some monstrously oversized raptor emerged from the darkness, the rest of its equine form oozing out from behind it. Pulling free from the grasp of the shadows, it was clear the beak was naught but a porcelain mask shaped into a long and savage point, the gleaming ivory a striking burst of color in the dim light. Bulky fabric was draped over its torso while its lower legs were wrapped in tightly bound bandages. Not an inch of the ponys body was left uncovered. A low hat was planted atop his head, its brim pierced by a pair of porcelain ears. Upon his back could be glimpsed a pair of bulging saddlebags, the heavy thread and crude needlework bearing the mark of frequent repairs.
 
He halted a few yards from Twilight, his beak slicing through a few beams of dirty light that painted his mask a golden-brown. His calm posture and travel-worn clothing were a lackluster antithesis to the shock of his sudden arrival. Even his unsettling mask wouldnt be out of place at a Nightmare Night costume party. It was uneasy confusion and disbelief, not true fear, that coursed through Twilights veins. He tilted his head to the side as they regarded each other in silence.