A/N: whats up every pony! Oh my god i finally found the time to finish chapter 4... don't worry, i nver left or gave up working on it. Its just im in college and my midterms were coming up, i had no time at all to work on this! But thankfully i have one more to go and it should be easy, its just math. Well i didnt get the amount of reviews i wanted for last chapter, i never asked for much just two wouldve been fine, but im ok with this. Well, i very much enjoyed writing this next chapter, you may not like me much after this, its pretty brutal i think, but its for the story... so read on!
WARNING: This story was upped to M Rating for a reason!
Twilight stepped up to the bridge leading to the castle, her friends nervously walked up right behind her. She gulped as she looked at the massive stone walls and gargoyles. She slowly made her way forward onto the bridge. Her steps became mechanical as her mind urged her to move towards the castle as her instincts told her to turn and run.
The rest of the group followed reluctantly, wanting to just end this crazy chase. Applejack checked on her necklace and made sure it was tight. Her element was secure and ready for this. Fluttershy was trying to calm her nerves, thinking of her home and Angel to help.
Rarity was getting excited at the thought of finishing this, all she wanted was to go home and take the longest bath of her life. 'Oh, how magnificent would that be?' She smiled to herself.
Twilight at last reached the great doors of Nocturne's castle, she looked up at the tall doors and saw the middle tower and wondered if that was what Zecora meant, or if she just meant the castle in general. She turned back to her friends for support, were they ready?
Rarity was unusually calm and Rainbow Dash still held an air of victory after defeating those Manticores. Fluttershy looked as nervous as ever, though Twilight wouldn't expect anything more from her. Applejack was looking a little freaked out after the day's...err...night's events, but she would be fine. Pinkie Pie was as always smiling. She was looking at the castle in awe, possibly thinking about hosting a Halloween party there or something.
"Girls, are you ready?" Twilight asked. Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy nodded. Rainbow and Pinkie were more vocal about their response.
"I am so ready for this fight!" Rainbow imitated a boxer.
"Yes, yes, yes! I am so throwing a party for everyone after we're done! It'll be so great! I'll even invite all of the princesses! It is princesses right? The plural I mean, or is it princessi? Is that a word Twilight? You would know I mean you are just so smart!" You got to love Pinkie's enthusiasm.
"Alright, then. Lets do this!" Twilight turned towards the door and roughly thrust the door open. She charged inside the near pitch black castle without hesitation or thought. Her friends blindly followed her in, a small battle cry of yells echoed through the stone halls.
They stopped as their eyes lost sight of everything in the room. The door shut behind them suddenly, a clicking noise meant it was now locked. Torches were magically lit throughout the room and the six ponies covered their eyes at the sudden ferocity of the light.
The room remained quiet as they opened their eyes to examine the room that had suddenly sparked to life. It was clear who had done the deed. Princess Luna stood atop the stairs looking down at them from a distance. The ponies walked forward fearlessly. They stopped at the foot of the steps and looked up at their possible opponent.
Twilight broke the silence. "Princess Luna, why are you doing this?" She asked with a saddened expression. Luna stared back with a blank expression on her face, slowly shifting to one of thought. She closed her eyes and thought of her life and everything that happened.
"You wouldn't understand Twilight, none of you do. You're all too young to understand love," she thought through her array of spells.
"You can't do this to us Princess! What about your friends, your sister and all of Equestria!" Rainbow had flown in front of Luna. Luna took a step back surprised by the sudden action.
"Equestria? What of Equestria? All they care about is how I was once Nightmare Moon!" Luna shouted at Rainbow Dash, causing her to back up. "Why do you think I never leave the castle anymore? No one wants to talk to me, be friends with me or anything!" Luna was enraged, and her yelling continued to elevate in volume. "All I feel is spite from the entirety of Equestria. I can go nowhere without feeling their eyes burning into me, hating everything I am! You don't understand what its like to be hated by everyone!" A tear came to Luna's eye as she let herself scream.
The ponies were taken aback by the sudden intake of this new knowledge. They looked at each other nervously, did some pony have something to say? They turned back to Luna, who's horn was know glowing brightly. "Now sleep, my little ponies. I don't want to hurt you, but I can't have your elements of harmony getting in the way!" Luna shot a blanket of dark blue aura over them, engulfing them before they could react.
The room started to spin under their new sight. It spun faster and faster until it became a blur of blue and black stone. In another few moments all color faded and everything went black.
Luna smiled at her work, the spell had gone off perfectly. She looked over the six ponies now knocked out in front of her, thinking of what to do with them. She couldn't just leave them there like that. She thought for a moment and called upon one of her servants. Her horn glowed for an instant and two diamond dogs ran down the stairs.
"What is it your majesty?" The dogs bowed their heads in respect to their new ruler. Luna smiled at her two fresh servants. How easy it was to bribe a few of diamond dogs to do her and Nocturne's bidding. She didn't feel bad about it, she was paying them after all. Nocturne wanted to threaten them, but Luna insisted otherwise.
"Take these ponies and throw them into some beds. There should be several rooms through out the castle." The dogs nodded and walked over to the ponies to fulfill their orders. "And make sure they don't escape. That spell should keep them knocked out for a while, but just in case, keep an eye on them."
"Yes, your majesty," the diamond dogs went through some door under the stairs, carrying all six ponies, three each.
Luna sighed and ascended the stairs, her work was done – for now. She had been exploring the castle when Twilight and her friends had entered, she felt their presence from above. Nocturne had gone into the main tower to finalize his plan to completely rule over Equestria - with Luna of course.
Nocturne knew Celestia would have to be defeated first, and the Elements of Harmony had to be removed from the equation as well, with those two components out of play, nothing could stop them. The world will bow to him, and the sun will be no more.
Nocturne thought long and hard about how to deal with Celestia. Would a full on war be necessary? It seemed like too much of a hassle. One kill was necessary for the world to fall into his hooves, he didn't want to to waste time and resources for an army. It would be best for Nocturne to face Celestia in battle; Luna wasn't as strong as him.
Luna opened the door into the tower and looked up the large spiraling staircase. Torches lined the interior of the tower with few small windows and in the middle of the room hung a diamond chandelier. Luna flew up the stairs and onto the highest point in the castle. She walked the last few steps up onto the next floor.
Nocturne was looking out the window deep in thought when she walked in, but it was broken by her hoof steps. He turned to Luna his worried expression instantly changing to a happy one. They walked towards each other and hugged. "I have some news," Luna said.
"What kind of news?"
"The Elements of Harmony have been captured," Nocturne's face turned to shock for a moment before turning into a smile.
"This is great!" Nocturne exclaimed in excitement, the plan was nearly complete. He turned back to the window and looked at the powerful moon. "Now only Celestia is in our way!"
Behind him, Luna shifted uncomfortably. She wanted this to work out as much as Nocturne, but not at the cost of her sister. She still loved her. "Ummm, about that Nocturne..." Luna stepped up next to him.
"Oh, yes. Your sister." Nocturne's expression was serious. "I don't want to hurt her, she's your sister. She's almost like a family member to me."
Luna was a little comforted by his words, but she was still unsure about it. "I don't want anything bad to happen to her."
"I'll make sure to go easy on her when the time comes."
"Thank you, Nocturne." Luna moved in close and nuzzled his neck. Receiving a sigh from the Alicorn.
"How about we go out for a while?" Nocturne suggested.
"Oh, can we?" Luna smiled happily. A chance to get free and relax after the night's events. Nocturne magically opened the window and flew just outside the window.
"Shall we?" Luna jumped out and joined her coltfriend to enjoy a night out alone.
–
They flew through the night, chasing each other in games of tag all the way. They stuck only to the bounds of the Everfree Forest, in case Celestia commanded squads of soldiers to scout the bounds of the forest. They enjoyed the night like no one else could, or would.
They stopped for a break from the flying fun in a nice open field that oddly broke the canopy of forest. They lay next to each other and looked up at the beautiful night sky.
For a while nothing was said, but then Nocturne got an idea. He carefully used his magic and began to re-arrange the stars right before Luna's eyes. He from the pattern of a pony, building on to it a horn and wings. With a few more bits of detail he had built a Luna in the sky. Luna giggled at his creation and soon started work on her own.
Her design started to take form into a pony, but slightly larger than the one Nocturne made. He smiled knowingly. Luna crafted a horn on its head wings shaped like a bats. Luna faced the star-Nocturne at her coltfriend's, completing the image. Nocturne just had to add the finishing touches, a heart shape between the two sky Alicorns.
They look on at their creation, a smile on each of their faces. This moment seemed so infinite and it reminded Luna of their times over a thousand years ago. She missed those days, and they were soon to come back. It brought a tear to her eye, knowing that she'll be happy again.
She turned and kissed Nocturne on the cheek, a silent thank you for saving her from her lonely life. Nocturne turned slightly surprised at the action, he had nearly fallen asleep! They met eyes for but a moment before their lips came together for a soft passionate kiss.
They closed their eyes as they melted into each other. Each could feel the others presence so perfectly and completely. They finally broke the kiss for a breath. They smiled as they panted, their cheeks flushed red, even through their dark coats. "Luna, shall we return to the castle?"
"Yeah," she responded, taking a second to regain her breath. "Let's go back." The two stood up on shaky legs and stretched their wings out after lying on the ground for so long. They took to the skies and flew to their home.
Immediately, they entered their bedroom and fell into the warm sheets after their little date.
–
Twilight and her friends burst into the bed chambers of Nocturne and Luna, each of their Elements of Harmony ready to go. "Girls! Formation!" Her five friends formed up and with a spark of magic Twilight's crown began to glow, soon her eyes did as well.
Nocturne, awoke with a start, along with Luna, whose eyes widened in fear. Nocturne attempted to fire a spell, but it was already too late. The sphere of magic that encased the mane six was too much to shatter. Nocturne attempted to escape via the window, but it was again far too late. Twilight fired the magic and Nocturne turned to stone mid-air, his body still moving. His stone body launched out the window and down into the abyssal canyon.
"No!" Luna chased after her stone lover, tears falling freely from her eyes, quickly dampening her cheeks. Twilight beamed happily as the force of magic coming form the elements ceased.
"Yeah we did it!" Pinkie Pie raised her hooves in the air in triumph.
"Oh, yeah! No pony can stop the Elements of Harmony!" Rainbow Dash flew around the room shouting in victory.
"But, what about Luna?" Fluttershy asked. Twilight turned her head to the window, fully expecting Luna to return at any second. But, she didn't. Twilight frowned and walked over to the window, 'maybe she's just hanging around outside?' She looked down into the abyss of the canyon below, to see nothing. The night didn't allow sight beyond a few yards.
"Princess Luna?" Twilight asked to the night air. She felt her heart drop as she looked all around searching for the pony. A sudden hissing sound suddenly snapped her attention upwards towards the moon. It had started descending quickly and with it, the sun was beginning to rise. The horizon became an orange color, then a yellow, then a blinding white.
Twilight and the others had to turn away from the window for a moment, and let their eyes adjust. A smile broke each one of their faces as they stared at the horizon. They were all filled with relief. Twilight used the new light and looked around again for Luna. She found her. At the bottom of the canyon.
She gasped at the sight far below her. Luna had attempted to catch Nocturne's falling body, but had failed, leaving her crushed underneath him. Twilight turned away at the sight of red, a tear coming to her eye.
She backed away from the window and fell to her knees. The rest of them were too busy being happy at the rising sun that they had failed to look down as Twilight did. Fluttershy gasped and nearly threw up at the horrific scene below. Rarity backed away and tried to comfort Twilight, but she was to distraught herself to make a single word.
Rainbow Dash was in complete shock, she simply could not believe the sight before her. Her eyes were locked to the two Alicorns, her mouth was agape, but her mind would not accept what her eyes were telling it. Pinkie Pie's hair flattened out and for the first time since this all started she frowned. How could this happen?
Applejack turned away and began pacing the room, shaking her head side to side. She mumbled to herself over and over, "No, no, no! This here is a dream! It can't be real!" She silently wished to wake up and find everything okay again, she turned her head trying to find something that would make this reality a lie, but she could find none.
Twilight was still lost in her own head, thinking of everything. Thinking of everything she could have done to stop her, how a simple spell could've prevented this. She paced the room and cried silently, hoping to find a solution an end to this.
Rainbow Dash's sight was finally averted by the sight of another Alicorn in the sky, Princess Celestia. She watched absentmindedly as she flew down to the window and hovered right in front of her. "I see you six have completed your...task?" Rainbow Dash, just stared on into the nothingness, barely hearing a single word the princess said.
Celestia looked into the room and spotted all of the distraught ponies, some crying, others pacing and she asked, "What is going on here?" They all just turned with a gasp to meet their now only princess. No pony said anything. Rainbow Dash, tapped on Celestia and pointed her hoof downwards toward the death.
Celestia eyes went wide at the sight, but they quickly returned to their normal appearance. She closed her eyes for a moment before speaking. "What have you done?" Her tone had deepened and lost all sense of caring that it usually held.
Twilight spoke up, her voice cracking with sadness, "Princess Celestia! It was...an accident! She fell trying to-"
"Quiet!" Celestia shouted abruptly. "I don't want to hear another word from my failure of a student!" Celestia landed in the bedroom and flared her wings out, blocking the window.
"But, Celestia! It wasn' her fault, none of us could've stopped what happen'." Applejack defended her friend, who was now crying into her hooves.
"Applejack, the element of honesty. You couldn't lie if you tried, could you?" Celestia's voice was whispered, taunting Applejack.
"Well, I guess...not." Applejack wasn't sure how to take her question.
"Then would a simple binding spell not have saved the life of my sister?" Her voice grew louder at every word she spoke. "Would she not be alive now!"
"Well," Applejack was looking at the ground unable to deny the truth. "Yes."
"I hear-by banish the lot of you!" Celestia's horn glowed and all of the elements of harmony levitated towards Celestia. "You won't be needing these now." She flew out the window, the elements following her out.
Pinkie Pie ran behind the Princess, having one last thing to say. "What has gotten into you Princess? This isn't like you!" Celestia hovered and turned around, glaring darkly at Pinkie.
"Death."
"We're sorry! We didn't mean to... It wasn't our..." Pinkie was fighting for the right words to say to save them from this quickly falling situation.
"I sentence you all to Death." Celestia's horn glowed and Pinkie Pie was thrust back into the room. The window immediately shut and turned to stone, along with the other windows in the room. Everything became dark as all light was shut out from the room.
"What's happening!" Rarity activated her magic and created a source of light. Twilight didn't. "Twilight, deary turn on a source of light! We need to see to get out of here." Rarity shone her light onto the pony. Twilight looked defeated and dead. Her eyes seemed to fall back into her head, and she made no noise or moved an inch to help any pony. "Twilight?"
"You heard the princess." Twilight looked at her hooves. "Death." The ground began to shake and it quickly turned to liquid below their hooves.
"What the hay?" Applejack's hooves were frozen fast to the ground, and she was unable to move. It was like quicksand, sucking her down into the ground. "Wasn' this a stone floor?" Soon her neck was the only thing above the floor. The same was happening to every pony. They shrieked as the floor swallowed them whole, fear building. Twilight had already gone under, and when Rarity went, the light was gone.
–
WARNING: Reader disgression is advised. The following contains intense violence. You have been thoroughly warned.
They sank for what seemed like just a few feet, before finally falling down onto more hard stone floor. Rarity cast her light around the area, illuminating the room and the horrors within. The room was full of torture devices, chains, and all manner of sharpened weapons. "Where... are... we?" Fluttershy squeaked taking in the sight.
"Ah don' think we wan' ta know." Applejack, tested the ground, and upon finding it stable walked around the room to look for some sort of exit. "'Ey! A doorway!" She bounded across the room with a grin, but was stopped when something caught her hoof. She face planted and looked behind her to see what happened. A cuff was around her hoof and it was attached to a chain. "What the-?" Another cuff sprang from the wall and cuffed her other hoof. "No!"
She tried to escape but it was futile. The chains were strong and began to pull her back. "Applejack!" Rarity directed her magic on the chain, attempting to break it. A sudden smack to the face ruined her focus and rope grabbed onto all four of her legs at once. In no time she was suspended by the hooves from the ceiling. "Let go of me this instant!" She shouted at no pony in particular.
"Hey, get off my friend!" Rainbow Dash flew towards the binding rope but before she could make it, a cuff caught her fore hoof. Her momentum kept her going and she dislocated her front hoof as she was whipped around the room and smacked against the wall. She was too dazed and stunned to attempt to struggle as more cuffs snagged her. She was dragged onto a table with her hooves outstretched.
Fluttershy joined Applejack against the wall, and Twilight made no effort when the chains came to snag her up as well. They dragged her into a coffin where spikes lined the inside of it, an Iron (Maiden) Pony.
Pinkie Pie jumped above the ropes and chains, finding it almost a game to avoid the deadly traps that had captured her friends. She laughed as she avoided a cuff made specifically for her neck. She was finally snagged with a cuff and brought onto a table, struggling all the way.
For a moment everything was still and okay. Twilight stood just inside the Iron Pony, a mere inch away from the sharpened spikes. "What...?" Applejack tried to come up with something to say, but nothing seemed to make sense for the briefest moment.
It began.
The Iron Pony suddenly shut itself, imprisoning Twilight Sparkle to her doom. "TWILIGHT!" Fluttershy shouted. Tears came fresh to her eyes, and her jaw quivered in terror. Blood ran from the bottom of the Iron Pony.
"NO!" Rainbow Dash tried to free herself as knives began hovering off the wall, slowly making their way towards her. "Please, stop this! Oh Celestia, what have we done?" The knives floated around her, each turning downwards towards Rainbow Dash. Her eyes were wide with fear at what was about to happen. Then the first knife struck.
It hit her abdomen, going in about four painful inches. It was an intense pain, and she lost her breath in that instant. She could barely breathe, it had hit her diaphragm. She struggled through coughs to breath, but with the second knife lodging itself next to the first, it was difficult. She let out the weakest scream as the knives began to work on her body. Carefully, the others sliced away, cutting barely a quarter inch into her, not enough to kill, but enough to cause agonizing pain.
Fluttershy was crying with her eyes shut, she kept telling herself it was a nightmare, and none of this was true. It was all a lie! She dared a peek into the room, now lit by torches on the wall. She didn't know when they were lit, nor did she care, all she cared about was the spiked mace now floating towards her.
She gasped as it swung at her face, it connected with bone shattering results. The spikes dug into her face and ripped flesh from bone. Her jaw was broken and her eye had been sliced. She was so stunned that she didn't feel the pain for a moment, it was all a lie. Nothing was real. Then it struck again, this time shattering her kneecap and bending her leg back disgustingly. She screamed as the bloody beating continued.
Rarity was trying her best to use her magic to free herself, but she couldn't concentrate enough to launch a single spell. Her hope deflated when the spiked whip was brought back. It lashed at her hanging form, the initial pain wasn't so bad, it wrapped around her mid-section, its when it was dragged was it truly painful.
The spikes on the whip dug into her stomach and back at the same time, her skin and flesh underneath being stripped as the spikes went around her body. She screamed and attempted to break free, only to have the spikes go in deeper.
Applejack was next on the torture list, she was surrounded by razor sharp floating needles. She stared at the hundreds of the floating pain sticks before her. The color had drained from her face and her eyes were wide, a thick layer of sweat was all over her body. The anticipation of the pain was almost enough to kill her it seemed.
Fifty of them shot forward and embedded themselves into her skin, she winced in pain, before they retreated back out, all turned red. Fifty tiny holes were all over her body, some had caused little damage, but some had struck organs and there was definite pain. Then they launched again, fifty different ones, and again they retreated. The pain doubled, then tripled when the next set came in, then the fourth. She was screaming as the needles were being driven deeper and deeper with every new round of needles.
The holes started joining together to form bigger ones, her skin was beginning to fall off and her flesh underneath was beginning to show.
Pinkie Pie was last to begin her from of torture, from above serrated blades came down suspended on metal poles, there were dozens of them of varying sizes. They began to tick like a clock, like a pendulum. There serrated edges danced above Pinkie's body the lowest blades were near her feet and arms the highest was aimed towards her neck. They intended to make the pain last until the head was severed.
The first saw cut her ankle, barely a quarter inch in, then the next pass it went an inch deeper, and then another. Pinkie tried to free herself from the cuffs that held her down, but a new one sprung around her stomach, holding her down tight. The next pass came and it cut into her bone, a horrifying grinding noise vibrated her legs and she gritted her teeth. The next saw blades contacted her wrists, and in a few passes separated them.
Her wounds were more extreme than her friends, limbs were being severed, and the blood pooled on the floor beneath the table, the screams from the five an echoing chorus of torture and misery. Music to the ears of the reaper.
The man six were to be dead soon.
–
…
…
…
Back at Canterlot Castle, the Princess was still resting from the shot Nocturne had dealt to her chest. It was much better now, but it still hurt to breathe, eat or drink. She paced her office and looked towards the blank parchment on her desk. Her guards were standing close by, making sure their ruler was okay at all times.
She had spoken to her advisers a few hours ago, all had suggested a full scale attack on the Everfree Forest. Celestia didn't want it to come to that. She wanted for a peaceful end to this struggle, so that everyone could be happy, including her sister that she loved so dearly. She had one chance: a letter.
"But, what can I write?" Celestia asked herself. She looked out towards the moon, shining brightly in the night sky. "What can I say to bring you back to me, Luna?" An idea struck her. She immediately went to her desk an began writing it down. She would bring her sister home again and end this night!
A/N: Well what do you guys think so far? :D And no, this isn't over yet, we still have one more chapter left an possibly an epilogue, depedning on the exact end to this story... Opinions?