Bookends 2 or Making Dreams Come True

CHAPTER SEVEN

Horror In Paradise

It was several months later, Nightmare Night, Hearth Warming Day and Hearts and Hooves Day had come and gone.  Most ponies had almost paid no attention to the two sets of mares who were seen everywhere together.

Except maybe the kids in Cheerilee’s class.  Suddenly their assignments became more involved and required a little more study than in the past.  They started to regret that their teacher was now living in a library with an equally smart pony.  They really didn’t harbor too much ill will.  After all, there were no students that didn’t love Cheerilee and to see her so happy was worth the extra reports and homework…..

Almost!

But elsewhere in Equestria in the city of Baltamare a pegasus has been called into the foreman’s office at the construction site;

“Thunder Hammer!” said the foreman, “this is the second fight you’ve started this month.  You’ve been warned.  I’m going to have to let you go.”

“No Mr. Plumb-Bob!” pleaded the worker, “you can’t do that.  I need this job!”

Just then the door to the office opened.

“What is it, Miss Bluebell?  Don’t you see I’m busy,” said the boss.

“A message from your wife.” Said the secretary, “she said to tell you ‘it didn’t work’.”

“Thank you,” said the foreman, facehoofing.

“Are you okay sir?” asked Thunder Hammer.

“My blasted son!” replied Plumb-Bob, “I don’t think I could even buy a wife for him.  I’ve enough troubles here at work with you without worrying about this!”

An idea entered Thunder Hammer’s head.

“Mr. Plumb-Bob,” said the pegasus, “I’ve a daughter, smart, attractive and unmarried.  I’m certain that she doesn’t even have a coltfriend.  What if I can get her together with your son?  Would that save my job?”

“If she’s attractive and smart,” asked the foreman suspicious, “why no coltfriends?”

“She’s a teacher,” said Thunder Hammer, sidestepping the real reason, “it’s a career thing.  But I’m sure if you give me a couple of days, I could bring her back here and we could get them together.”

Plumb-Bob thought, it wasn’t quite ethical, but having Thunder Hammer away for a few days would let things cool down.  He was a hard worker and his help would be missed if he was dismissed.  And to have his son fixed up with a nice mare, that would be another weight of his shoulders.

“Okay,” said the boss, “be back within a week and we’ll get them together.  We can forget about our earlier talk, except the warning about fighting.  By the way, what’s her name?  I don’t think you’ve ever mentioned a daughter.”

“Her name is Cheerilee, she teaches at the elementary school in Ponyville.”

Days later back in Ponyville;

“So my love,” said Twilight enjoying a weekend lunch with Cheerilee, “what’s your plans for the upcoming summer break?”

“Twi, sweetie,” said the teacher, “I’m so looking forward to having time with you.  Our first summer as a couple!  Aside from Big Mac and Rainbow Dash’s wedding, I’ve nothing planned.  Except loving the pony who is the center of my world.”

“My plans exactly!” said Twilight bending across the table to kiss her love.

The two held hooves across the table, content to look into each other’s eyes.

The bell at the front door rang alerting that somepony had just entered.

“Cheerilee!  Cheerilee are you here?” said a voice.

Cheerilee looked at Twilight, there was panic on her face.

“That sounds like my mother!” said Cheerilee.

“Stay here,” said Twilight, “I’ll check.”

Twilight went into the main part of the library.  There stood a pink pegasus mare with a rose mane and tail and a cloud cutie mark.  Her eyes were the same color as Cheerilee’s.

“Hello, I’m Twilight Sparkle, can I help you with something?”

The mare appeared to recognize Twilight’s name.

“I’m Rain Shadow, Cheerilee’s mother.  Is Cheerilee here, they told me at the boardinghouse that she’s moved in here.  It’s very important, I have to warn her!”

“Warn her about what?” asked Twilight.

“Warn me about what, mother,” said Cheerilee coming into the room.

“Thank goodness I found you first,” said the pegasus, “your father made a deal with his boss to keep him from getting fired.  He says he’s going to bring you back to Baltamare and marry you to his boss’ son to keep him from being fired!”

“He’s going to do WHAT?” shouted Twilight. “That’s barbaric and illegal!  Cheeri is an adult!”

Twilight yelled up the stairs;

“Spike!  Go out the back and bring help!”

“You got it!” came the reply.

“Calm down honey,” said Cheerilee, nuzzling Twilight. “We’ll handle it.”

“Honey?” asked the mother, who actually for the first time smiled.

“Yes mother,” said Cheerilee, “I know that you and father don’t approve but Twilight is my marefriend and partner.  We are in love, we even have the blessings of Princesses Celestia and Luna, along with the acceptance of Twi’s family.”

“Cheerilee, I’ve never said I disapproved of anything.  Twilight is a very important pony, so much so that we in Baltamare have heard of her and her friend’s exploits!  She’d be a great partner for you!” Said the pegasus, then with a grim look returning to her face, “it’s your father that has the issues.  Unfortunately he has been like that from the time you were born.”

“Why?” asked Twilight.

“Thunder Hammer and I are both pegasi.” Said the mare, “we’d just bought a lovely new cloud home to raise our new foal.  But he was devastated to find when Cheerilee was born, she was an earth pony.

He tried to accuse me of infidelity until it came out that his mother was an earth pony.

When she tried to confide to us her sexual preference, trusting that her parents would be there for her, he went crazy and it was all I could do to keep him from becoming violent then.

From that time on, he was never happy with anything our daughter would do.  He didn’t even attend her graduation from the university even though she graduated top of her class with a perfect grade point average.

He treated her quite harsh and physical.  To my shame, I never tried hard enough to make him stop.  When I did try, I got beat also.

I never regretted Cheerilee moving out and becoming a teacher.  I was proud, but I never tried hard enough to express it her.”

“Why did you not take Cheerilee and leave?” asked Twilight.

The question didn’t get to be answered.  The door opened and entered a large brown stallion with black mane and tail and a lightning and hammer cutie mark.  He walked up to the three mares.  He gave Twilight an odd once over.

“Good, I found you,” said the stallion to Cheerilee, “grab your things, you’re going home with your mother and me.”

“I’m sorry father,” said Cheerilee, “but I am home!”

“You’ll get your things, you’re leaving NOW!” said the brute.

“And I said that I’m NOT!” said Cheerilee defiantly.

Before anypony could react the stallion backhoofed Cheerilee across the face.  It sent Cheerilee across the room.  Twilight was shocked.  Before Twilight could react, Rain Shadow jumped between her daughter and husband.

“Stop this now!” said the pegasus mare.

This was met with another backhoof to the mare’s face sending her flying.

Then Thunder Hammer walked over to Cheerilee and kicked her in the ribs.

“You’ll get your things and we’re leaving!” said the stallion threateningly.

The next thing that Thunder Hammer saw was a purple bolt of magic strike him and knocked him to the other end of the room.

Twilight situated herself between the two fallen mares and the brute.

“You’ll not lay a hoof on ANYPONY in MY library!  Especially my marefriend and partner!”

The stallion got up, shook his head to clear the cobwebs.  Then approached threateningly.

“Listen pointy (an old derogatory name for unicorns),” said the stallion, “I eat ponies like you for breakfast!  So you’ve used your one free shot.  Now just get your flanks out of my way before I decide that I don’t like you, you mare-lover bitch!”

Another purple bolt sent him flying back to the wall, he got up again, albeit slower.

“I can take this all day,” said the stallion with a sadistic smile.  “I’ll have my daughter and wife and I’ll leave you broken on the floor!”

Twilight saw that he was right, she could only hold him so long.  He had the constitution of a minotaur.  She knew what she had to do, but she only had the strength for two ponies.

“Goodbye my love!” said Twilight.

Cheerilee heard Twilight and panicked.  She knew what was coming.

“Twilight, No!”  shouted Cheerilee.

Thunder Hammer saw Twilight’s horn glow, her face contorted.  He braced himself for another attack.  But what happened next was a complete surprise.

There was a purple aura around Cheerilee and Rain Shadow.  Then a bright flash, and they were gone.  Twilight collapsed to the floor from the exertion.

“Where are they!” he yelled.

“Safe,” said Twilight.

“Unless you tell me right now where they are,” said the beast, “safe isn’t where you’ll be!”

Cheerilee had been with Twilight for about a half of a year now.  She had seen her do many things.  She had seen Twilight teleport in the past, but she had never been teleported herself.  She was disoriented and confused for a moment and called out;

“Twilight!”

Then she noticed that she was in the throne room at Canterlot Castle.  She was no more surprised than any of the courtiers or the princesses themselves.

“Cheerilee!” said Celestia intently, “what’s going on?”

“Twilight was protecting me and my mother from my father!” said Cheerilee, tears now pouring down her face.  “I’m so afraid he is going to kill her.”

“Guards!” shouted Luna, “have six of my guards on a wagon in two minutes or every guard at the palace will be court-martialed, this is life or death!”

“You’ll explain on the way!  Follow us,” said Celestia ignoring the courtiers.

The two mares galloped after the two princesses.

Twilight was so weak from teleporting two ponies the scores of miles to Canterlot.

For the last twenty minutes, Twilight had been completely at Thunder Hammer's mercy, which he had shown none.

He was angered, stronger ponies than what he supposed Twilight to be would’ve told him what he wanted to know by now.  He had not considered the strength that love would give a pony.

Twilight could barely tell what was going on, one eye was swollen shut.  Her ears were ringing.  It was hard to think straight.  Everything was hurting!

The only thing that kept her together was knowledge that she had sent Cheerilee and her mother somewhere that the beast could never touch them again.

“I guess you don’t have brain enough to tell me what I want know,” said Thunder Hammer, “I should expect that from some mare-lover whore of a unicorn.  Well maybe I should teach you what a stallion and your marehood is really for!”

Twilight panicked, she could barely move, she was sure that her hind legs were broken, and perhaps most of her ribs.  Three teeth were missing and she was having trouble breathing through her nostrils.  She tried to cast a protection spell, but she was in too much pain to cast any spell.

Thunder Hooves walked in front of Twilight where he was sure she could see.  From his hidden sheath, his penis extended.  The monster just laughed as he let it rub against Twilight’s face, she felt the pre-cum on her brow.  Then he move around her and lay himself on her back.

Twilight tried to protest, but couldn’t even get the word ‘no’ out.

“Just can’t wait, can you?” taunted the stallion.

Twilight felt his penis at the opening of her marehood, he thrust it in.  It hurt more than she expected, especially because his weight on her broken ribs and bruised pelvis.

Twilight prayed to whatever kindly spirits that guided and protected ponies to take her life and spare her the shame.

Then all went dark.

Outside the library, Luna’s cart was landing just as Twilight’s five friend came galloping up.  Celestia didn’t wait.  She jumped out before the cart had landed, Luna followed.  She kicked open the door, not even thinking she could’ve opened it with her magic.

What she saw sickened her.

                Luna screamed in rage.

                        Cheerilee collapsed.

Twilight friends wanted to rush in but Luna held them back.

There before them they saw Thunder Hammer getting up, pulling his penis out of Twilight’s motionless body, semen still dripping from it.  He looked to the door, expecting some more of these wimpy Ponyville ponies, not the sight before him.

He knew it was too late to regret his actions.

There were Princesses Celestia and Luna.

He right then wished that he had known that Twilight was so well connected!

What happened next, not even Luna was ready for.

Celestia’s eyes glowed a sickening green with blue tendrils, her horn glowed black.  A bolt of black shot out from her horn smashing the stallion against the bookshelves it snapped half of the vile fiend’s ribs along with three shelves, despite them being carved from the living tree itsself.  Unlike Twilight’s attacks, the bolt continued pining him in place.  About three feet off the floor.  Celestia knew just how much pressure to exert, she held enough pressure to allow the fiend enough slack to gasp for air, barely.  But somehow he was able to scream like a little filly!

As the black bolt pinned him to the wall. There was dark energy in the air like static electricity!

Celestia advanced, the stallion couldn’t even hope to get away.

The years flashed by in an instant.  All the ponies who warned him that one day he would bully the wrong pony, his parents, teachers, coaches, employers and parole officers.  He always assumed if it did happen, it would be some pony the size of a buffalo, not some scrawny mare-lover partner of his disappointing daughter.  A pony that happened to have an entire deck of aces up her proverbial sleeve.

He was warned that one day he would get his comeuppance, he now wished he had paid attention to the calendar, for this was the day!

Then Celestia slammed him to the floor.  He lay stunned on his back as the towering alicorn stepped on his throat.  He could tell, any more pressure and his larynx would be crushed.

The princess knew exactly what she was doing.

She looked over to where Twilight lay.  Cheerilee was trying to comfort Twilight while Luna scanned her body with her magic.

“She lives my sister,” said Luna, “but she’ll need medical attention soon.”

“This will not take long!” Said Celesta in a most threatening tone, “Spike, go and get an ambulance.  Have Luna’s cart take you.”

“Yes Your Highness,” said Spike going out the door.

“I Celestia Rex do hereby call the High Court of Canterlot into session.  Rarity, will you consent to being court reporter?” said the princess with her foot still on the villain’s throat.

“My pleasure Your Highness.”

“Princess Luna will you act as bailiff, master at arms and if need be, executioner?”

“As you command, my sister!”

“The rest of you ponies are to be witnesses to the proceedings to make sure that everything is done properly.  If you question anything, you’re commanded to speak up right then, understood?” asked Celesta.

All the ponies voiced consent.

Then Celestia cried out in the Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice, much louder than Luna’s, the walls and floor shook.

Thunder Hammer cringed as if being physically assaulted;

“THUNDER HAMMER, YOU STAND ACCUSED OF TWO COUNTS OF ASSAULT, MULTIPLE COUNTS OF ASSAULT AND BATTERY, ATTEMPTED PONYNAPPING, PANDERING AND MOST SERIOUS, ASSAULT, RAPE AND ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.”

The last charge brought a look of confusion and fear to the brute’s face.

“TWILIGHT’S BROTHER IS MARRIED TO LUNA AND MY NIECE.  THIS MAKES TWILIGHT AND HER HOUSEHOLD, RELATIVES OF THE CROWN.  INCLUDING HER DECLARED LIFE-PARTNER, CHEERILEE.

ALSO, SHOULD TWILIGHT SPARKLE DIE.  THEN AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE OF MURDERING A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY WILL BE ADDED.  WHICH IS THE ONLY CRIME IN EQUESTRIA THAT STILL HAS THE DEATH PENALTY.

AND IT IS MANDATORY!

DEATH BY SLOW TORTURE.

IT’S BARBARIC, BUT IT’S USED ON BARBARIANS!

WEIGH YOUR NEXT WORDS WELL, THEY MAY COST YOU YOUR LIFE!

HOW DO YOU PLEAD?”

Celestia’s hoof slackened ever so slightly.  Her gaze was almost too much to handle.  The bully started to cry like a foal.

He looked around to see if there was any support.  He looked at his wife with a pleading look.  She only looked back in contempt, then spit in his face.

Celestia’s voice returned to normal.

“Rain Shadow, I must ask that you control yourself, I’ll not allow prisoners of this court to be abused,” said Celestia, then looking back at the pathetic wretch beneath her, and in a voice that dripped with  contempt, “no matter how much they deserve it!

I’m waiting for your plea.  I am immortal, but in cases like this, Our patience isn’t limitless!”

“What I did, I did for what I thought best for my family!”

Celestia’s voice rose again but not quite to the T.R.C. Voice.

“Do not confuse my benevolent rule as proof that I’m somehow a naive simpleton!

Do you think you can convince me that somehow physically abusing and raping Twilight Sparkle was for the best interest of your family, for the best interest of *anything*?

Draw one more breath and make me believe you!”

“She consented to the sex,” said Thunder Hammer, grasping at straws, his voice almost a pathetic whine.

It was obvious that he knew that he wouldn’t be believed.  But such was his character (or lack thereof) that he couldn’t admit being at fault.

“No pony that badly beaten could consent to anything!  And I *know** that Twilight would rather die than be unfaithful to Cheerilee.*

Unlike you who abused your wife and used a broken and helpless pony for you sick pleasure!  A pony who’s only offence to you was protecting those she loved, ponies that you believed yourself to be above!”

Celesta’s voice returned to a professional level;

“Your lies insult Our August Self!

Are there any witnesses to speak in his defense?”

Not a pony spoke a peep in his defense.

“If such is your defense then I must pass judgment without delay.

Thunder Hammer!  You’re found guilty of all charges!  You’ll be taken from this place to the lowest sub-level of the dungeon at Canterlot Castle.  There you’ll spend the rest of your natural life in darkness without possibility of reprieve or parole.

The accounts of yourself, your works and all agreements and contracts will be expunged from all records, including marriage contracts.  Thus freeing Rain Shadow and Cheerilee to lead normal lives without the threat of your memories! You are now an un-pony!  You deserve no better.

That is unless Twilight Sparkle dies from your actions, then sentence of death will be carried out *immediately!***”

Pure fear and dread wracked the fiend’s face.  Tears poured from his eyes as he looked to his wife and Cheerilee.  But the two just turned their backs on him, hoping that it was the last they had ever seen of such a poor excuse for a husband, father and pony.

“GUARDS!” called Celestia in a voice that shook the library.

The guards appeared at the door.

“Bind him so he does not try to fly away, then fly this thing to the castle and turn him over to the jailer along with the transcript of this trial.  Send word to Baltamare to have the civil authority detain his foremen and have him brought to Canterlot to stand trial for accessory.   Send my cart to retrieve his conspirator when you get there.  At least this monster will have company in the darkness!”

Celestia encased the villain in a golden cocoon and levitated him out to the cart.

Celestia lifted Twilight with her magic.  She cradled her broken and violated body as she would a fragile foal, carefully as she could.  Twilight barely opened her good eye and saw the princess, smiled and then her eye closed.

“My darling, darling Twilight, please hang on!” said the princess crying harder than Luna had seen her sister cry in centuries, not since she had to banish her to the moon.

The hospital staff were unsure how to handle the ponies in the waiting room.  The five ponies who were friends of the patient were well known in Ponyville.  The teacher Cheerilee had taught almost every one of their children.  But there were the rulers of Equestria sitting as if they had no other responsibilities.

This patient must be important.

As time went on, it got harder and harder to wait.

Cheerilee was trying to hold it together.  Luna was actually sitting with her, holding her hoof and letting her lay her head against her.  Luna was speaking low and soft to comfort her.

Luna had sent the rest of Twilight’s friends home.  They needed to be rested if they would be standing watch by Twilight’s side, should she pull through.  She also promised that any word on twilight would be sent immediately.  Only the princesses, Cheerilee, and her mother remained.

“Your Highness?” said Rain Shadow.

“Yes.” Replied the princess.

“Shouldn’t I be tried as an accessory also?”

“Normally the answer would be ‘yes,’” said Celestia, “you allowed many things to go on and yet you never tried to remove yourself or your daughter from an abusive situation.  However, Twilight Sparkle saw something in you that she deemed worthy to risk her own life for.  I’ve never doubted her counsel so my judgment will be deferred until what time I’ve found evidence that proves Twilight wrong.

This isn’t going to be over soon.  You’ve a daughter that’ll need support while Twilight comes through this.”

Hours later, a doctor walked into the waiting room, nopony had prepared him for the fact that the ruling princesses were waiting on him.

Needless to say he was shocked.

“How is she?” asked Celestia.

“She came through the operations okay, Your Highness.  There was a lot on internal bleeding and damage, broken bones that had to be reduced and pressure on the brain that had to be relieved....

“Yes doctor, I’m sure everypony did their best!” said the princess impatiently, “how is Twilight?”

The doctor swallowed hard, slightly shamed by the princess’ chastisement.

“There’s an eighty five percent chance that she will pull through this with a minimal of disability.”

The ponies in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

“Can we see her?” asked Celestia.

“I’m sorry but she is in recovery,” said the doctor, “visitors are not allowed in the recovery suite.”

Celestia was becoming annoyed, she never liked to push her position on anypony.  But she also was due a certain level of respect and privilege.

“Apparently doctor, you’ve forgotten to whom you are speaking, so perhaps I should rephrase what I said.

Doctor, you will take me, my sister, Twilight’s partner and her mother to see Twilight;

NOW.”

Desecration being the better part of not being imprisoned, the doctor led them to the recovery room.