A Midnight Nightmare

Twilight Sparkle tossed and turned in her bed. She was mumbling in her sleep. “No, it can’t be true. It isn’t true.”

The sun was pouring into her room, but she was fast asleep. She was having a terrible nightmare. She couldn’t wake up from it. She didn’t hear her friends outside her door.

“Twilight,” whispered the soft voice of Fluttershy. “Are you still asleep?”

“If she is, that won’t wake her up!” Rainbow Dash pounded on the door. “Twilight,” she called. “The bus for Camp Everfree leaves in ten minutes!”

Twilight’s brown-purple eyes fluttered open. “Oh no.” She gasped. She hadn’t even started packing yet. What a nightmare! She leaped out of bed. She threw open her bedroom door. All her friends were there—with their suitcases. “I can’t believe I overslept.” Spike, her pet dog, yawned.

Sunset Shimmer was shaking her head in disbelief. “Me neither. That’s not like you.”

“Don’t you have a super-annoying alarm clock that goes ehhh ehhh ehhh?” Pinkie Pie wondered, looking around.

Twilight lifted her pillow. Smothered underneath it was her alarm clock—making an annoying ehhh ehhh ehhh sound.

Sunset Shimmer clicked it off. “It’s gonna be fine,” she reassured her friend. “We’ll help you pack.”

Rarity was rummaging through Twilight Sparkle’s closet. She took a gorgeous, shimmering dress off a hanger. She folded it carefully and put it in Twilight Sparkle’s suitcase.

Applejack couldn’t believe it. “We’re going to be out in the woods. When is she going to need that?”

Rarity tossed her mane of long, dark hair. “If we were going to the moon, I’d insist she pack an evening gown. One never knows, darling!”

Each of the girls was rushing around helping Twilight Sparkle pack. Pinkie Pie found an uneaten cupcake and tucked it into a corner of the suitcase. Fluttershy made sure to throw in a few of Twilight Sparkle’s favorite stuffed animals. Rainbow Dash took a signed photo of herself playing soccer and placed it on top of the growing pile. Spike dropped in one of his chew toys.

Applejack rolled her eyes. She picked out some pants, long-sleeve shirts, a bathing suit, and a flashlight. That was what was on the official list. That’s what you needed at camp.

Twilight Sparkle felt overwhelmed. She still felt groggy and tired. She’d woken up from one nightmare into another. “Let me just get changed,” she told the others, grabbing an outfit.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the full-length mirror hanging on her closet door. Something was glittering in her eye. Something dark and cold. Something frightening. What was it?

Twilight Sparkle stared at her reflection. Her eyes were becoming darker. Her pink-streaked violet hair was growing wilder. It was almost as if it were highlighted with flames. She was changing. Dark-purple wings were sprouting from her back. In the mirror, Twilight Sparkle had become Midnight Sparkle.

The Equestria Girls backed away from her in fear.

This was the magical monster Twilight Sparkle had turned into at the end of the Friendship Games. She had opened a portal between the enchanted world of Equestria and Canterlot High—that had nearly destroyed them both.

How could this be happening? “Sunset Shimmer helped me defeat you!” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed in desperation.

But Midnight Sparkle was taking over. She gestured toward the mirror. It revealed the terrible moment when Twilight Sparkle had turned into the evil Midnight Sparkle, towering over her classmates. Holes had ripped open in the sky. Jagged cracks had torn apart the front lawn of Canterlot High. Sunset Shimmer had appeared and blasted Midnight Sparkle with her magic. She had called Twilight Sparkle back. She had saved her from the worst part of herself.

The reflection of Midnight Sparkle in the mirror cackled. “You and your friends can never truly defeat me. Midnight Sparkle’s a part of you.”

The mirror cracked.

Midnight Sparkle leaned out from the mirror toward a terrified Twilight. “I’ll always be there,” she hissed. “Waiting in the darkest shadows of your mind. I’ll be back, Twilight!”

Midnight Sparkle waved her hands and blasted magic out of the unicorn horn on her head. It struck the floor of the room with a lightning bolt. The room began to dissolve. The portal was open again. Reality was disappearing!

The girls screamed.

Midnight Sparkle was triumphant. “And this time I won’t stop until I have all the magic!” She reached through the mirror and grabbed Twilight Sparkle’s hand. They began to merge with each other. Twilight was disappearing, too.

What a nightmare!

“Twilight! Twilight!” barked Spike.

“No! Stop!” screamed Twilight.

“Twilight, wake up!” Spike yelped.

“Stop!”

Twilight woke up with a start. She’d been asleep. The whole time. She wasn’t in her room at home. She wasn’t late for the bus to Camp Everfree. She was already on the bus—and her friends were all staring at her.

Pinkie Pie giggled. “We can’t stop, silly! We’re not there yet.”

Twilight Sparkle tried to catch her breath. She was shaking. What a terrible nightmare. It wasn’t true, was it? She wasn’t going to turn into Midnight Sparkle again. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. Could she?