The Velvet Room...

There is no sign of Zecora.

The fog is heavier than ever, and is so dark as to almost be black.

A door displaying the Lovers Arcana rises out of the mists beside Cadance. She gives me a searching, pleading look, then touches the door.

A younger, slimmer, even sexier Cadance steps out of the door. This Cadance is wearing a sheer camisole over black panties and a lacy black bra, as well as black high heels. Her hair is tied up in a high ponytail. Her gold on black eyes roam over us, and she licks her lips.

I never should've gotten married. God, what was I thinking? I just wanna fuck. If I could spend all day every day spreading my legs for every cute guy or girl that wants a taste? That'd be the best way to live.

She glares at our Cadance.

There's no way in hell I can deal with being a chained-down bloated bag of suck! I'm too young and too hot to play mommy!

Our Cadance bows her head, a tear sliding down her cheek as she whispers, "You're not me."

The Shadow laughs hysterically as purple and black flames wreathe her body...

Cadance's Shadow doesn't actually change that much, apart from her skin turning black and her lingerie turning pinkish-red. A heavy gold shackle locks into place around her midsection, attached to a long crystalline cable that fades into view. The Velvet Room shakes, and something rises out of the floor...

It's an enormous crystal fetus, curled up and sucking its thumb. Its huge, beady eyes regard us sleepily. A long spiral horn protrudes from its forehead, and massive crystal wings erupt from its back. The other end of the crystal cable—no, umbilical cord—is attached to its stomach.

"You guys have to do this one without me," Cadance says from behind us. "Will you be okay?"

"We will if Flash can get his act together," Fluttershy says. "I think I can fill in on support, don't worry."

I am the Shadow, the True Self! As soon as I deal with this dead weight chaining me down, I'm gonna fuck half of Canterlot!

"Here she comes!"

The girls ready themselves for battle. I pull out my phone, ready to access Black Butterfly...

My phone gives off an evil-sounding warning beep. The screen slowly pulses a dark, evil red; within the ominous red, a shadowed figure glares up at me from the screen with gold-on-black eyes.

"Uhh, girls?" I say. "I've got a problem..."

"Oh god, what is it this time?" Fluttershy snaps.

"I'm locked out," I say. "Totally. I can't even get Black Butterfly."

"Well shit," Rainbow says as she stretches, her shiny new battle outfit shimmering. "You mean you can't fight at all?"

"Looks that way," I say.

Twilight walks over and looks at my phone. "What the hell is that?!" she yelps.

"I don't know," I say. "But it's keeping me from doing anything." I sigh. "I guess...I guess I'll just look after Cadance while you girls deal with...yeah..." Shoving my phone and my hands in my pockets, I trudge over to where Cadance is waiting out of range of the impending battle.

"Ugh," Fluttershy groans. "Guess we're doing this one without support then. I can't fight and run tactics."

"We'll...we'll make it through," Twilight says. "We have to."

Cadance's Shadow starts swaying her hips; as she waves her arms, flames gather around her.

Agidyne

She throws a massive firebolt at Rarity, who staggers slightly.

Garudyne

Then, the Shadow spins around, pulling out a veil which she swirls around her body before launching a blast of wind at Fluttershy, who stands unscathed.

Rainbow Dash taps her phone. "PERSONA!"

Masukukaja

Nike Invicta appears, jamming out a power chord that makes the girls blur and move slightly faster.

"Looks like this one's mostly gonna use magic," Twilight says. "Fluttershy?"

"On it. ARTEMIS!"

Makarakarn

Artemis appears and erects a glowing magical barrier in front of the girls.

"EUPHORIA!"

Matarukaja

Just like before, Euphoria isn't as vibrant as usual. Still, she sprinkles rainbow liquid on the girls which imbues them with a soft golden light.

"PERSONA!"

Tidal Wave

Sonata summons Leviathan, whose surging tidal wave crashes down over the Shadows with no appreciable effect.

"Let's see if I can't disrupt her magic," Rarity says. "WADJET-BAST!"

Tentarafoo

Wadjet-Bast attempts to disrupt the Shadow, but appears to fail.

"PERSONA!"

Maziodyne

Athena Logia appears, raining down thunderbolts on the Shadows. Cadance's Shadow staggers, but the giant baby seems unaffected.

"PERSONA!"

God's Hand

Gaia appears and slams a massive earthen fist into the giant crystal baby...and it doesn't even flinch. "Dang it!"

The baby suddenly glows brightly and lets out a soft cry.

Mabufudyne

A wave of ice spreads over the girls, but is reflected by the barrier Fluttershy erected. The baby doesn't seem bothered by the rebounded ice attack. Its horn glows, and bright green light flows up from its body, through the umbilical cord, into Shadow Cadance, who recovers from the damage Twilight's attack inflicted. Twilight braces herself as a firebolt slams into her.

"I can't tell if we're even hurting it!" Rainbow shouts as she dodges a massive shard of ice, then summons her Persona, who dives into the fray with her sword singing. Cadance's Shadow reels from the blows, but the baby doesn't flinch.

"PERSONA!"

Starlight Breaker

Fluttershy calls upon Artemis, who rains down destructive magical arrows that, again, stagger Cadance's Shadow, but have no effect on the baby.

The rest of the girls each attack the Shadows, but none of their attacks seem to do anything. After Applejack uses Gaia's Wrath, the baby suddenly lets out an earsplitting cry that shakes the ground.

Cry

Glowing waves of sheer sound and air pressure slam into Applejack, who goes flying across the room, skidding on the floor.

"APPLEJACK!" Rainbow yells as the baby once again heals Cadance's Shadow. While her attention is on Applejack, she takes a lightning bolt right to the ass. Then, Cadance's Shadow begins a slow, seductive dance. Sonata suddenly goes limp, her eyes glazing over.

"Okay, that's it!" Rainbow cries. "PERSONA!"

Sonic Rainboom

Nike Invicta skids across the floor on her knees, jamming out a power chord that sends a glowing rainbow shockwave toward the Shadows...that does absolutely nothing.

"Okay, we're getting nowhere fast," Fluttershy says. "Cover me, I'm going into scanning mode. ARTEMIS!" Fluttershy rises up into the air as her Persona forms; she's taken into the glowing, spinning sphere of screens.

Pinkie attempts an attack. Then Sonata suddenly turns to the girls, a creepy smile on her face, and whispers, "Persona." Leviathan appears, and a jet black tsunami engulfs the girls.

Mamudoon

Pinkie and Rainbow fall dead to the ground.

"NO!" Twilight yells as Applejack rejoins the group.

//Sonata's been Charmed!//

Twilight heals Applejack while Rarity resurrects Pinkie. Applejack grimaces and casts a defensive buff over the girls just as the baby unleashes another wave of deadly ice. This one hits most of the girls; Twilight staggers and drops to a knee. The baby lets out a delighted squeal and fires off another ice blast, which drops Twilight to the ground.

//Twilight's stunned!//

Once again, the baby heals Cadance's Shadow.

"This is going nowhere fast," Pinkie mutters, her hair limp.

Bufudyne

Cadance's Shadow nails Twilight with an ice blast that coats her in a layer of frost and gives her a deathly pallor. I feel my heart seize up and almost run into the fray, but Cadance holds me back, her face worried and sad. The Shadow tries to Charm the girls again, but fails.

"Tell me you've got somethin', Fluttershy!" Applejack shouts.

//I'm working on it! Just...just try to hang in there, okay?//

Pinkie resurrects Rainbow while Sonata summons Leviathan, who unleashes a toxic purple wave on the Shadows which doesn't seem to do any damage. Rarity heals the entire party; Twilight struggles to get to her feet, settling for bracing herself on a knee and breathing heavily. Applejack uses another buff on the girls—I'm not sure what, all I can focus on is Twilight and how much she's suffering.

And how I can't do a damn thing to help her.

Cry

The baby lets loose another horrible wail, which slams into Rarity and drops her flat on her ass; she screams and curls in on herself. Even as the baby heals Cadance's Shadow, she fires blasts of wind and lightning at Rainbow.

The blurring effect has faded from all the girls; Rainbow summons her Persona and renews it.

//I've almost got it!// Fluttershy announces. //I just need a few more seconds!//

"We're trying!" Pinkie says as Euphoria lays into the Shadows with fists, feet, and hips. Leviathan appears and unleashes yet another ineffectual Tidal Wave. Rarity heals herself while Twilight summons Athena Logia for another lightning shower. Applejack uses Gaia's Wrath again; Cadance's Shadow is clearly taking damage, but just not enough...

Cry

The baby wails at Applejack, driving her to one knee. She grits her teeth and braces herself against the force of the cry. Once again, the baby heals the Shadow.

Artemis vanishes abruptly, and Fluttershy drops to the ground, landing in a perfect ninja crouch. "I've got it," she announces.

"Good, because this is gettin' us nowhere," Rainbow grunts.

"We've actually been doing some damage to the Shadow," Fluttershy reports. "The problem is, it's not enough and the baby keeps healing her completely. And the baby itself doesn't take damage from anything."

"Great, so what do we do?" Rainbow complains.

Fluttershy points at the umbilical cord. "That's the weak spot," she says. "We need to focus all our firepower on the umbilical cord. Break that and..." She frowns. "Well, I think it'll kill the stupid baby."

The girls look at each other and shrug. "Worth a shot," Twilight says.

Sexy Dance

"Look out, she's dancing again!" Pinkie cries. Even as she says it, her eyes glaze over and a creepy smile crosses her face.

"Oh crap, not this again," Rainbow groans.

Agidyne

Cadance's Shadow hurls a firebolt at Rarity, who braces herself for the attack and grunts as it leaves her somewhat singed.

"Alright, let's cut the cord!" Rainbow yells. "PERSONA!" Nike Invicta appears, unleashing a gale force wind slash at the cord. The whole thing vibrates as it's struck; both Cadance's Shadow and the baby cry out in pain.

"PERSONA!" Fluttershy does the exact same thing, with the exact same result.

Pinkie giggles and rushes at Twilight, lashing out with her whip. Twilight dodges nimbly and summons her Persona, firing a single massive bolt of lightning at the cord. Sonata unlimbers her crossbow and shoots the cord as Rarity heals Applejack. Having recovered, Applejack summons Gaia, who smashes her fist into the cord.

Both Cadance's Shadow and the baby are going nuts now. The baby unleashes another deadly ice wave, which hits everybody except Twilight, who's moving around like a boxer in the ring. As soon as the baby heals Cadance's Shadow again, she hurls bolts of fire and lightning at Applejack. The firebolt misses, but the lightning hits, drawing a grunt and a scowl from Applejack. Rainbow and Fluttershy fire off cutting blasts of wind at the cord again. Pinkie, having come back to her senses, flails lamely at the cord with her whip. Finally, Sonata fires off another crossbow bolt...

With a loud, ringing snap, the cord breaks in half, cracks spiderwebbing up and down its length. The baby lets out a horrifying scream of pain as it shatters in a billion pieces, shards of crystal spraying all over the Velvet Room. The girls, Cadance, and I all cover our faces as sharp bits of crystal cut into us even as the baby's dying scream trails off into echoes.

Then, with a loud clack, the shackle around the Shadow's midsection snaps off, dropping to the ground. She throws back her head and lets loose with a psychotic laugh that fills the Velvet Room...

...and then she grows, towering over us. Her outfit changes to something out of the Saddle Arabian Nights, all gossamer silk and veils and generally giving off the vibe of a genie out of a storybook. A bright red jewel forms in her navel; it opens up, revealing a glaring eye.

"Oh snap," Rainbow says.

Twilight turns to Fluttershy. "I thought cutting the cord was supposed to kill the Shadow!"

"No, cutting the cord was supposed to kill the baby," Fluttershy says worriedly, staring up at the Shadow. "I thought she'd just be, y'know, weak after that. Not...not THIS!"

AND NOW...I...AM...FREE!!

Mind Charge

The eye jewel in her navel begins to glow blindingly bright.

Maziodyne

Cadance's Shadow throws out her hands and rains down bolts of lightning on the girls. Except for Twilight, the entire party is driven to the ground, twitching in agony.

"That...really sucked," Rainbow grunts as she stands. Rarity staggers to her feet and summons Wadjet-Bast to heal the girls as they all rise. Twilight returns fire with some lightning of her own, which barely fazes the giant genie.

"Alright, Ah've had jes' about enough'a this," Applejack mutters. "GAIA!"

God's Hand

Gaia appears, driving a massive fist right into the Shadow's navel. Cadance's Shadow folds in on herself and staggers back, letting out an explosive breath that buffets us all with stiff wind. Glaring fiercely at us, she spins around and unleashes a wave of liquid fire that sweeps over the girls. Then she presses her palms to her stomach; the jewel in her navel begins to glow brightly.

"PERSONA!" Rainbow summons Nike, who boosts the girls' speed.

"ARTEMIS!" Fluttershy's Persona erects another magic barrier.

"EUPHORIA!" Pinkie's Persona sprinkles rainbow liquid over the girls, imbuing them with greater strength.

I check my phone again. The gold-eyed figure on the screen is still staring stonily at me, as if judging me...

Accusing me.

Sonata fires her crossbow at the Shadow. Rarity and Twilight each summon their Personas to fire off magic attacks. Applejack summons Gaia again, but this time, her punch is nimbly dodged by the Shadow, whose navel jewel flares an angry red as she pours forth a furious inferno...

Maragidyne

...that rebounds off the girls' magic barrier. The Shadow screeches in fury as she's engulfed in her own flames. She raises both arms to the sky and twirls around; a gentle green light cascades down her body, washing away the flames.

"She's weakening," Fluttershy says. "Give her everything you've got, girls!"

The girls summon their Personas. Nike lets out a piercing yell of victory as she unleashes a flurry of vicious sword strikes on the Shadow. Artemis fires a storm of glowing arrows. Euphoria hip-checks the Shadow. Leviathan calls forth a surging wave. Wadjet-Bast and Athena fire ice and lightning. Gaia is the only one whose attack misses, as her punch flies wide when the Shadow doubles over, swaying drunkenly on her feet.

"Yeah, we've got her on the ropes now!" Rainbow cheers.

I...WILL NOT...BE CHAINED!!

Three Wishes

Three brass lamps drop from the ceiling, coming to a stop just a foot off the ground and hovering. The first lamp emits a stream of glittery green smoke which swirls around the Shadow. She stretches upward as her wounds are healed; by the time the smoke fades, most of the girls' damage is undone.

The second lamp issues a thick, oily black smoke which engulfs the girls. For a moment, nothing happens...then they all scream in pain as massive explosions rip through the thick black cloud, showers of sparks issuing into the air. When the smoke clears, the girls are all on the ground, groaning and grimacing.

The third lamp emits a jet of pinkish-red smoke, which resolves itself into a giant, ornately jeweled metal bottle. As the three lamps dissolve into mist, the Shadow transforms into a plume of pink smoke, which is sucked into the bottle. The bottle begins to pulse with a bright light as one of the jewels opens up, revealing the same eye from the jewel in the Shadow's navel.

"Uhh...what just happened?" Rainbow asks weakly as she drags herself to her feet.

"She's turtling!" Sonata exclaims. "Ugh, I hate bosses that turtle!"

Applejack scratches her head. "Whut'n th' hay does that mean?"

"It means she sucked herself into that giant bottle," Twilight says. "I think...Fluttershy?"

"Most likely, the bottle's protecting her," Fluttershy says sourly. "But don't expect her to not attack."

"No kidding," Rainbow says. "So we just gotta smash the bottle, right? PERSONA!" Nike slides into view, jamming out a sonic wave that buffets the bottle. The bottle wobbles...and a giant purple needle fires up out of the top, arcing down and piercing Rainbow through the arm. She cries out as ugly purple-black poison courses through her veins, visible through her skin.

"Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" Twilight asks.

"Ugh...n-not really," Rainbow grunts.

While Fluttershy erects another barrier, Pinkie worriedly summons Euphoria, who gently dribbles a milky white liquid over Rainbow. The alarmingly-fast poison darking her skin recedes, then fades completely. Rainbow lets out a relaxed breath. "Thanks."

Sonata summons Leviathan, whose tidal wave crashes over the bottle. Another giant needle shoots out, poisoning Sonata, who goes down on one knee. As Rarity summons her Persona to heal the party, Twilight attacks the bottle with lightning; she tries to anticipate the needle and avoid it, but it gets her anyway. My throat tightens as she whimpers in pain, sweat beading on her forehead as the poison courses through her veins.

Applejack summons Gaia, who unleashes her Wrath, assaulting the bottle with explosions of erupting magma, polar ice, and a tornado. Like Twilight, Applejack tries to avoid the poison needle. Like Twilight, she doesn't succeed.

The eye on the bottle opens wide, flashing yellow. A lightning storm gathers, striking out at the girls. Their barrier repels the lightning; it explodes against the surface of the bottle, causing it to wobble alarmingly. Its eye flashes blue, and a wave of ice buffets the girls, hitting everybody except Twilight.

Rainbow and Fluttershy summon their Personas to buffet the bottle with wind attacks. As their attacks rip into it, the bottle explodes. In a plume of pink smoke, the Genie Shadow reappears, looking furious.

Pinkie's Persona heals the girls of their poisoning.

"Time for some payback! PERSONA!" Sonata summons Leviathan, who brings forth a toxic purple wave that crashes over the Shadow. She stumbles, but doesn't seem very badly hurt, and certainly doesn't appear to be poisoned.

Rarity, Twilight, and Applejack each summon their Personas to attack the Shadow. By the time Gaia fades away after delivering a powerful haymaker to the face, the Shadow is reeling again. She heals herself, but still looks ragged; she unleashes an ice storm that engulfs the girls. Twilight cries out as she's driven to her knees by the ice. Laughing haughtily, the Shadow begins a sultry, seductive dance.

Sexy Dance

Miraculously, none of the girls are Charmed this time.

While Fluttershy erects another magical barrier, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Sonata summon their Personas, using their signature attacks against the Shadow.

"If I can stop her from healing again," Rarity muses as Leviathan fades away. "PERSONA!"

Tentarafoo

Wadjet-Bast appears, letting out an unearthly yowl as she wraps the Shadow in a bolt of fabric and then yanks it like a ripcord, sending the genie spinning like a top. While she's spinning, Twilight and Applejack attack, nailing her with lightning, magma, more magma, and even more magma.

The Shadow finally stops spinning and looks ragged, beaten down, and dazed. She tries to cast a healing spell on herself, but fails.

"Yes! We've got her now!" Rainbow cheers.

Three Wishes

And then the lamps drop down again.

"Oh, COME ON!"

Like before, green smoke from the first lamp heals the Shadow, but she still looks pretty damaged. The next lamp's black smoke engulfs the girls, who brace themselves against the explosive force. When the smoke clears, they're all on one knee, faces and bodies covered in soot and ash.

"And here comes the bottle again," Fluttershy mutters as the third lamp emits pinkish-red smoke...

...but instead of a bottle, three giant, wicked-looking scimitars appear, each trailing a serpentine ribbon that dances in the air. Each has a mask on the crossguard with the Roman numeral 'VI' on the forehead.

The girls groan. "I hate it when they do this!" Rainbow snarls. With a tired sigh, she summons Nike; the girls begin to blur as their bodies speed up.

"PERSONA!" Artemis appears, firing off buzzsaw-like blades of wind which bite into the Shadows.

"EUPHORIA!" Pinkie's Persona dances tiredly into the fray, halfheartedly slapping, kicking, and butt-checking the Shadows.

One of the scimitars launches itself at Fluttershy, delivering a fast, hard flurry of strikes which forces her to protect herself and leaves ugly cuts on her arms. Another one sweeps out in a wide arc, slashing all the girls; sparks rise from the impact as they cry out from the sudden, vicious attack. The third scimitar begins to glow red, a heated aura rising up its blade.

"LEVIATHAN!" Once again, Leviathan calls forth a massive tidal wave which crashes over the Shadows. As Leviathan disappears, Rarity calls upon her Persona to heal everyone.

"ATHENA LOGIA!" Athena appears, raining lightning down on the enemy.

"PERSONA!" Gaia appears; the ground erupts under the Shadows, unleashing a confusion of forces of nature that buffet the scimitars about and send the Genie reeling.

"I think we've got her on the ropes now!" Fluttershy calls.

"Yeah, we've heard that before," Rainbow mutters.

Cadance's Shadow has fully recovered from Rarity's earlier attack, and promptly heals herself; the gem in her navel begins to glow a blinding white again.

"Oh no you don't! PERSONA!" Nike again unleashes her prismatic shockwave.

"PERSONA!" Artemis erects a mirrored barrier.

"PERSONA!" A haggard Euphoria listlessly hip-checks the Genie, but misses wide.

One of the scimitars tries to cut into the girls, but its attack is repelled. It dips low in the air, its ribbon hanging in limp tatters. While the second scimitar charges up a red aura, the one that's already glowing cuts loose. The girls scream as they're sent flying by the attack. Blood splatters the ground.

I want to look away...

Sonata gets up, gritting her teeth, and summons Leviathan again; another tidal wave crashes over the Shadows as the others get to their feet, faces set in grim determination. Rarity's Persona buries the Shadows under a ton of deadly ice. Twilight calls Athena, who brings forth a lightning storm that destroys the scimitars. Applejack summons Gaia, who drives a mighty fist into the Genie. Once again, the Genie is swaying, her body sagging low.

The Genie heals herself, then unleashes an ice attack; as Twilight goes down, the jewel in the Genie's navel lights up anew. Rainbow summons Nike, who lays into the Shadow with her sword. Fluttershy hastily erects a magical barrier. "Come on, girls, let's...let's finish this," she says tiredly. "I can't...go on much longer..."

"Me...neither," Pinkie pants as Euphoria attacks again.

"I don't have much left either. Just enough...one more push...PERSONA!"

In the wake of Sonata's attack, Rarity and Twilight summon their Personas again, delivering magical attacks that leave them both on the verge of collapse. Finally, Applejack doggedly calls forth Gaia once more. As Gaia unleashes the forces of nature, Applejack sinks to her knees...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Genie Cadance screams as her body begins to fall apart, pieces of it boiling away into pinkish-black mist that dissipate into the heavy fog. The jewel from her navel hits the ground, shatters, and melts into inky black goo.

The girls all flop to the ground. "Whew," Rainbow says. "That...that was a tough one..."

Cadance's Shadow returns to her original appearance, standing still and silent in the fog, wreathed in dim purple flames. Our Cadance walks up to her, bows her head, clenches her hands into fists at her side, then turns around and gives me an imploring look. "Flash...I only rejected my Shadow to make a point. This is me. I'm working on it, God knows I am, but struggling with a lifetime's worth of...of what I used to be...it's hard. I don't know if I'll ever stop having these dark thoughts, or...or if I can even promise I'll never cheat on Shining Armor again. I don't know what the future holds. What I do know is I have every reason in the world to fight to keep what I have." She swallows heavily. "You have to fight to hold on to the things that are worth living—or dying—for."

A dry, rasping laugh fills the misty void, echoing from every direction.

Nothing is more important than yourself. Nothing is worth burying yourself under a pile of guilt.

A pale figure with slitted golden eyes emerges from the fog. He has a flat, snakelike nose, long, stringy black hair, and wears a beige kimono tied with a thick rope done up in a massive knot at the back.

Other than the golden eyes and snake nose, he looks a lot like me...

What's the point of burdening yourself with guilt when you never did anything to feel guilty about? The anger, jealousy, and resentment...all futile and pointless. Nonsense! Nonsense from a girl who thinks she's more important than what you want, than what YOU need.

I shake my head. "N-no...that isn't right..."

Isn't it?

The pale man smiles a snakelike smile.

Your guilt, your pain, your resentment...these things have torn apart your soul. Your soul is screaming for release. And that, boy, is why I am here.

Purple flames wreathe him.

I am here to release you from the things that make you suffer.

Dozens of enormous, hissing white snakes shoot out of the fog. The girls try to dodge, but none of them have the strength to move anymore. One by one, they're seized, bitten, crushed...

It's over in seconds. I don't even have time to move.

One by one, the mangled bodies of my friends fall to the ground. Only Cadance and I are left standing; her Shadow shielded her from the snakes.

I feel my heart turn to ice. "No."

The snake-man licks his lips with a long, hideous purple tongue.

That's better. Now there is nothing holding you back. You are free.

I stumble over to Twilight's body, kneeling down and lifting her into my arms. Her eyes are frozen wide in eternal surprise.

She tormented you with misplaced anger, unwarranted jealousy, and the burden of gnawing guilt. You are better off without her. You are better off without all of them.

"SHUT UP!" I feel a white-hot flame surging in the pit of my stomach. I look down at Twilight, studying her dead face. I feel sick. I feel angry. I feel ashamed.

This is my fault.

I did this to her. To all of them...

I forgot how important my friends are. I forgot how important Twilight is. I got angry with her, I got resentful...

"I can't live without you," I whisper. "I'm sorry. Twilight, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I can't live without you, I can't..."

Tears drip from my eyes, landing on Twilight's face.

"I don't deserve you."

I look around at my friends.

"I don't deserve any of you."

I swallow, then gently set Twilight down, stand up, and turn to face their killer.

The snake-man who's wearing my face.

"But I'll protect all of you. With my life. Even if I'm protecting you from myself."

One by one, shining golden cards emerge from my heart. Fool. Magician. Priestess. Empress. Emperor. Hierophant. Lovers. Chariot. Justice. Hermit. Fortune. Strength. Hanged Man. Death. Temperance. Tower. Star. Moon. Sun. An intricate white magic circle forms between them, and the air sings with power.

In a flash, the blanket of black fog is obliterated.

Another flash, and Twilight rises, alive and completely healed.

Flash. Fluttershy.

Flash. Rarity.

Flash. Rainbow.

Flash. Applejack.

Flash. Sonata.

Flash. Pinkie.

The cards stream into me, and I feel the despair, anger, and guilt that's been gnawing at me fade away, even as I feel some kind of mental block shatter. My phone starts beeping like crazy.

"Flash? What...what's going on?" Twilight asks.

"Who's this freak?" Rainbow wonders.

"Flash? Didn't we all just...die?" Pinkie asks hesitantly.

I turn to my friends. "Twilight...everyone...I'm an asshole, and I did a stupid thing, and I have a lot to talk to all of you about, but especially you, Twilight." I take a deep breath. "I did something I should never have done, and I did it because I was mad at you and wanted to get back at you, and I am such an asshole, and..." My voice breaks. "And I'm never going to hurt you again, Twilight, I promise, I'm sorry, and...and if you hate me, if you want to break up with me, if you think I'm the biggest piece of shit that ever walked, I'll understand, but...but I just want you to know...I love you, and I..." I bow my head and ball my hands into fists. "And if it takes the rest of my life, I..."

Twilight walks up to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Flash? What...what's wrong? What are you...talking about?"

I take a deep, shuddering breath, and look right into her eyes. "Monday, after...after we had that horrible fight..." I swallow heavily. "I had sex with Trixie to get back at you."

Twilight gasps in shock, taking a step back. Her eyes are wide with horror.

She slaps me.

I turn away. "It was stupid, I'm an asshole, and...and...just saying sorry isn't enough. But I..."

Twilight backs away from me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pinkie pull her into a hug, her eyes wet and moist.

Everyone is staring at me.

I turn to face them. "The...the dick monster from the other day...and this snake freak...they're me. They came out of me. They're the ugliest, darkest part of me." I turn to face the pale snake man.

"This is my Shadow. And I'm going to put an end to this."

A barrier forms, pushing Twilight and Pinkie back. The girls are all trapped safely behind it.

It's just me and my own inner demons now.

I ready my axe. A fire fills my body. I feel lighter, stronger, and faster than ever before. I feel like I can endure any pain to protect the ones I love...even if I've lost them for all time.

"Come at me, you son of a bitch."

How foolish...

The snake-man opens his mouth wide and regurgitates a sword, adopting a fighting stance.

I am the Shadow, the darkness in your soul. I am the underneath of the empty. I am your pride, your lust, your greed...your wrath. Name me, as you would name your Persona, and then die by my hand.

Every fiber of my being trembles in rage. Clutching my phone tightly in one hand and my axe in the other, I scream: "OROCHIMARU!!"

Orochimaru smiles.

Let's begin.

Driving the sword into the ground, Orochimaru forms a series of complex hand seals.

Kuchiyose: Rashomon

The ground shakes as a massive iron gate engraved with a demonic face rises up.

"No, you're not turtling!" I yell, sliding the Sun Arcana onto my phone and slapping it. "ASURA!"

Six Paths

Asura rises into view and unleashes six devastating elemental attacks on the gate, one after another. By the time the barrage ends, the gate is badly damaged. Orochimaru leaps up into the air, appearing over the top of the gate just long enough to fire off a vacuum blade of glowing wind at me. I dive to the side, then call Asura again. This time, my assault completely obliterates the gate. Its empty frame sinks slowly back into the ground.

Even as the gate disappears, Orochimaru is forming hand seals. He slaps a palm on the ground, and three large white serpents appear. I summon Asura again; Asura charges into the Shadows, unleashing a series of deadly strikes.

That Persona is troublesome...

Five Elements Seal

Orochimaru forms a different series of hand seals, then charges forward and strikes me in the chest. I feel my heart seize up, along with a sudden sharp pain in my mind. I look down at my phone; a circle of glowing runes has appeared over the Sun Arcana.

One of the serpents casts a spell that imbues itself, the other serpents, and Orochimaru with golden light. Another hisses and spits a fireball at me; I'm able to deflect it back with my axe. It explodes in the hissing snake's face as the third one darts forward and bites me with its sharp fangs. I knock it away, then look at my phone.

I don't even need to try to summon Asura to know I won't be able to. Instead, I swipe the Tower Arcana onto the screen.

"GOJIRA!"

Spiral Death Ray

Gojira stomps onto the scene with his signature roar. His spines glow, and he unleashes a massive fiery blast that engulfs the Shadows. Orochimaru screams as the flames consume him; Gojira follows up by smashing the Shadows with a sweep of his mighty tail before fading away. The snakes are all weaving drunkenly, their tongues flicking out spastically.

Orochimaru looks pissed.

That Persona is EXTREMELY troublesome...

Five Elements Seal

With that, he charges forward again, striking me in the chest. Again, I feel the sharp pain of a Persona being sealed. As Orochimaru retreats, the snakes come at me one by one, biting at me, but none of them manage to get a taste.

I swipe the Star Arcana onto my phone. "KUMA!"

Mabufudyne

Kuma appears, spreading a chilly wave of ice which shatters the three serpents and drives Orochimaru back. Orochimaru once again summons that demon gate; I respond by having Kuma try to freeze it solid.

Doton: Kagebunshin no Jutsu

A pile of mud rises up in front of the gate, quickly forming into a clone of Orochimaru, who forms a series of hand seals and ensnares me in an electric spider web. I cry out as I'm driven to the ground by the web; I feel parts of my body going numb. As I struggle to break free, a vacuum blade of air slices across me. It dissipates the web; I roll to my feet and swipe the Fortune Arcana onto my phone. "SEPHIROTH!"

Hassou Tobi

Sephiroth soars high into the air before descending toward the gate, delivering eight fast slashes with his sword. When he fades, the gate bears deep scratches and dents.

Kusanagi

Orochimaru suddenly appears behind me and impales me with his sword. I cry out as I look down at the blade sticking out of my belly. Vile purple venom drips from the blade. Orochimaru pulls the sword out roughly, then disappears again; three more serpents appear in front of the damaged gate. Even as the serpents rise up and I struggle to hold myself upright, the clone unleashes a massive fire dragon blast which sears my flesh and forces me to squeeze my eyes tightly shut against the heat.

One of the serpents raises the others' defense, while the other two spit fireballs at me, adding to the burning pain from the clone's attack. I force myself to stay calm and summon Sephiroth again; he delivers one massive blow to the gate, destroying it completely.

My phone beeps at me. I glance down at it; the Sun Arcana has appeared on the screen, the seal runes fading away. The Fortune Arcana then slides back into place on its own.

That Persona is troublesome...

Five Elements Seal

I have no time to react as Orochimaru seals Sephiroth. Even as he retreats, the mud clone fires off another vacuum wave. Two of the snakes bite me, while the third spits a fireball at me. I'm covered in burns, bites, and bleeding cuts, and there's a sword wound in my abdomen which is oozing blood and poison. And yet all I can think about is killing this monster that's inside me...

I slide the Justice Arcana onto my phone. "AMATERASU!"

Maragidyne

Amaterasu appears, breathing a massive cloud of flames which engulf all the Shadows. As Orochimaru and his conjurations writhe in the flames, Amaterasu leaps up, the tip of her tail shining with celestial ink.

Sunrise

At the apex of her leap, she does a somersault, drawing a circle high in the air, which transforms into a blinding sun that illuminates the Velvet Room. The clone and the serpents all scream in agony, but Orochimaru stands unaffected and coldly amused.

Even as my phone signals that Gojira has been unsealed, Orochimaru summons his gate again. At the same time, the clone forms a single hand seal and melts down into a puddle of glowing mud, which passes through the gate; a flash of soft green light from behind the gate tells me all I need to know.

The serpents come at me again; by now, I can barely stand and my vision is going black. With the last of my flagging strength, I summon Amaterasu again...

Salvation

In a blinding flash of light, all my wounds are gone and my strength returns to me. The poison wreaking havoc on my body is long gone. I stand, healed and defiant.

Another mud clone rises from the ground, firing off an electrified spider web which snares me and leaves me numb. While I struggle to free myself, the serpents come at me, biting me with their sharp, poisonous fangs. I summon Amaterasu, who drives them back with another cloud of flames. As Orochimaru reels, I swipe the Hanged Man Arcana onto my phone. "MAGUS!"

Maragidyne

Magus appears, tugs on his gloves, and casts a powerful fire spell which engulfs all my enemies. The snakes burn away to ash.

Orochimaru summons the gate again as the mud clone stabs me with a copy of Orochimaru's sword. I don't bother acknowledging the pain; I simply unleash another fire spell, which splashes against the gate, scorching its face slightly.

That Persona is troublesome...

Five Elements Seal

Orochimaru seals Magus. The mud clone slashes at me with the sword. I knock it away with my axe, then swipe the Sun Arcana onto my phone. "ASURA!"

Six Paths

Asura appears, delivering six furious strikes to the gate which, yet again, leave it in rubble.

As my phone signals that Sephiroth is unsealed, Orochimaru summons another trio of serpents. His clone dissolves itself into glowing mud, which creeps up Orochimaru's body, healing some of his wounds. The snakes attack me; I summon Asura again. Three of the strikes—fire, wind, and darkness—hit Orochimaru, with only two of them doing any damage; the ice, lightning, and light strikes each hit a different snake. As Orochimaru reels from the flames, Asura unleashes a powerful blast of raw magic. The snakes and Orochimaru are all listing heavily now; Orochimaru looks half-melted, and white scales are flaking off his face and falling to the ground.

Orochimaru hits me with a wind blast that stuns me; while I'm dazed, he seals Asura again. As the snakes attack, I swipe Tower onto my phone and summon Gojira for another massive blast of nuclear fire which incinerates them and leaves Orochimaru reeling. A second blast knocks him to the ground, dazed and stunned.

"Time to end this," I snarl. I swipe the Fool Arcana onto my phone. "SON GOKUU!"

Kamehameha

Gokuu appears in midair above me, his hair blazing golden as he cups his hands together. A shining ball of power forms between his cupped hands, becoming a solid beam of energy when he thrusts them forward. It slams into Orochimaru...

...and when the light fades, Orochimaru is no more.

The barrier dissolves. I turn to face the girls.

Twilight is crying. Rainbow and Applejack are glaring at me. Fluttershy is frowning. Sonata and Pinkie are both sad. Rarity seems to not know what to think.

Cadance has a resigned, stricken look on her face.

Without a word, the girls all disappear, and the Velvet Room fills with thin, silvery mist.

Igor strides out of the mist, hands clasped behind his back. His expression is bemused, with a slightly sadistic air to it.

"This Velvet Room has seen many guests," he says. "You are exceptional." He grins evilly. "You are the first and only guest to ever damage this particular bond..."

The Velvet Room fades into a succession of hellish nightmares...