to hell and back
to hell and back
The day was almost at it's end: twilight has taken the sky.in the dim light, there was a mass of about ten guards. eight unicorns flanked the sides of their prisoner; Pegasi, two of them, to be exact, were looking towards the sky, in case the prisoner tried to escape via air.The stone-faced guards dumped their prisoner onto the steps of a dark palace.
'For your crimes against the sun princess, you must pay the ultimate price...' the lead guard said to the cowering convict.'
'DEATH'
The, terrible word hung in the air, like the smell of weeks old sewage.
The prisoner in question was a small, wiry mare. she had once been beautiful, for her eyes held do much expression, it could make even the most toughest of stallions weep. Soft, but defined of starvation lines etched her face. She had a silvery body, with spots like the craters of the moon. her hair, black as midnight, hid her breath taking face. The prisoner in question was an earth pony, named Artemis. her name has always been shunned,for, her parents named her from a long extinct race's moon goddess. Artemis's cutie mark was a bow, enlaid with silver.
the sorrowful earth pony cried, repeating over and over again, 'i am innocent! i did nothing wrong, even if i did, please have mercy! I had a foal, but i came from work, she was d-dead. Oh, my poor peppermint!' was all that was the guards, showing no emotion, could audibly make out.
Nearby civilians heard a sorrowful begging for mercy, a loud bang, followed by the horrifying silence of death.
Artemis, a mother in mourning, fell to the ground, seemingly dead, her heart fluttering, trying to live after a bullet pierced her heart...
********** Princess Twilight Sparkle**********
Twilight was wandering the dark, lonely Canterlot castle, late at night. she heard cries outside the castle. wondering what it was, the newly crowned alicorn shakily rose above the ground and flew off to the roof, hoping to assess the situation in case it got out of hand.
When she heard the the word death rise into the air, Twilight Sparkle cast a spell, hoping it would help her decide if it was necessary. A magenta light shone dimly, a spell was cast. The spell was not a complicated one, but the castle guards were not taught to cast it. what was the spell? A truth spell, which makes the pony it is directed to tell the truth, and only the truth.
The innocent mare cried the truth, but, alas the guards did not hear, or simply, did not care. They shot her anyways, with a musket.
As the lifeless body fell to the ground, the princess flew into the air, and landed both heavily and dramatically, an ordered the guards.
'Halt. You shall not harm this mare any farther.' Said the seething princess.
' Ha!' replied the main guard. 'You are just a simple pegasus, most likely the fallen convict's accomplice. you have no power here. Right boys?' he asked his crew, which looked very uneasy. they knew the authority in that voice and dared not answer. The leader, just murmured 'wimps' and continued. 'N ow, leave!' he ordered the princess who refused to move.
'You cannot boss me,' Twilight Sparkle's horn started to glow. it reached its maximum brightness as she said, ' for i am your princess, Twilight Sparkle.'
The guards stared at her, mouths agape.
'YOU WILL TAKE THIS MARE TO THE INFIRMARY. IF SHE DIES, YOU WILL BE COURT MARTIAL.'
A chorus of 'yes ma'am's ' rained through the air.
Twilight added, with so much poison in her voice, 'if she were to die, i will trade your soul for this innocent, lifeless, mare to live again. Am i clear?'
When no answer came, she yelled 'AM I CLEAR?'
nervously, the guard replied weakly, 'crystal'
'NOW GO'
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Artemis found she was in a boat. how she got there, the mare had not a single clue.
A stallion was at the helm of the little dinghy. When Artemis saw his face, she gasped with horror.
He was a skeleton pony.
Bits of myths came flooding back to her as the poor mare realized of what had transpired. she was dead, and going to hell.
Accepting her fate, Artemis put on her brave face and said her prayers, in hopes of a good afterlife. Once the blessing had been said, she got a better look at her surroundings. Before she surveyed the landscapes, she saw that the boat was empty; just Artemis and the skeleton.
The river the odd duo had been crossing was terrible. bits of hopes and dreams polluted the dark waters; a wedding dress, a foal's pacifier, a collage degree.
Before Artemis knew it, she was crying, pouring all of her hopes, her dreams, her desires, into the already polluted waters.
A picture soon appeared, with a silver and black mare, a red and white colt, and a large, blue and red stallion. Her family. Soon after, her bows appeared, followed by her dreams of having another foal.
So many things, she had hoped to do, with now, no chance to do.
Turning away from her tearful reflection, Artemis jumped with a start. while there had been only two ponies in the small row boat, there were now three.
The silver mare looked and studied the newest arrival. he was a burly, black unicorn stallion, with a sword and shied for a cutie mark. he looked oddly familiar...
'Where have i seen him before?' Artemis pondered that question to herself.
As the stallion stated his business, she realized that this man, the captain of the royal guards, was the one who had ordered her execution, and had it seen through.
"What do You want." Artemis asked sourly. " you had me killed. why are you here? to rub it in?"
"Actually," the guard said " Princess Twilight Sparkle, ordered me to trade my, guilty, soul for your, urg, innocent one." he had an extreme amount of trouble saying the word innocent.
"Now go" he ordered hashly. " before i change my mind."
Speaking to the skeleton, the guard said, " i give my soul for hers."
and, she was free.
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Artemis awoke in a hospital bed. the bright lights hurt her very sore eyes. next to her was a pony she thought she had never seen before. Then Artemis realized that she HAD seen the pony.The alien pony was Princess Twilight Sparkle, her savior. Twilight smiled and the poor, pegasus broke down and wept, with the newly crowned princess trying to comfort her.
Author's Note
hope you like guys! :-)