The Last Alicorn

Chapter 2: Memories

When I opened my  turquoise eyes, I woke into a dream. I was hovering above the Canterlot, which was where a lot of the memories took place, but this time was different.

Next to me was my favorite balcony, looking polished and new, but what interested me was the four alicorns that stood on it.

The Voices.

I knew they had other names, but Voices was what I knew them as. They stared sadly down the balcony, at a large, terrified group of non-alicorns. I dropped onto the balcony, knowing that no one could see me.

Tears streamed from Smart Voice's purple eyes, and Gentle Voice's face was twisted in hate, as if she was remembering something awful. Both Sharp Voice and Polite Voice had blank expressions, trying to be strong for their citizens' sakes.

Something was horribly wrong.

The doors to the balcony swung open, almost scaring me out of my fur. Leaping back, four creatures moved towards The Voices, each one wearing a vicious smirk.

A tall, insect-like pony stood behind Gentle Voice, while a dark unicorn glared at Smart Voice. The two creatures behind Sharp Voice and Polite Voice were terrifyingly familiar. I had seen them in other dream's before. They were called Nightmare Moon and Discord.

Nightmare moon pushed Sharp Voice out of her way as she trotted to the end of the balcony. Her misty, violet mane flared up in anticipation as she spoke.

" Citizens of Equestria, today, we shall vanquish the bane on this simple-minded land. You shall be free of your soft-hearted... princesses," she spat the last word.

Cries of disagreement rose from the crowd below.

The dark unicorn stepped forward, the purple and green mist around his eyes sparking, " SHUT UP AND LISTEN YOU PATHETIC MAGGOTS!" he bellowed in rage.

You could smell the populaces' fear as they shrunk away at his words.

He glared at them in disgust, but then nodded at Nightmare and let her continue.

"Thank you, Sombra, " she responded, " and now, we shall commence the executions. Twilight? Cadence? Any last words?"

Twilight and Cadence. Finally, I knew their real names, but I didn't dwell on that. This was the part of their lives the voices had told me about so many times.

Their deaths.

Tears ran freely down Smar-... Twilights', cheeks. Cadence had a forelegs wrapped around Twilight as she tried to comfort her. Looking up at the four mythical creatures, Cadence spat, "Burn in Tartarus, you pieces of shit!"

The insect-like pony let out a snort of laughter, while the other three watched Cadence in amusement.

" Well, Celestia? Luna? What have you to say, hmm?" Discord asked the two taller alicorns as he floating above them.

The two alicorns I knew as Sharp and Polite voice kept their stony expressions, not letting Discord have the pleasure of seeing their weakness.

I knew they wanted to run. They wanted to live another day, but after their two thousand years of being rulers of Equestria, they would rather die than abandon their kingdom.

Their home.

Letting out a sniff of disdain, Discord turned back to Nightmare, only to be stopped by Celestia.  She looked into his uneven eyes, her own filled with malice, "I knew I should have killed when I had the chance," she growled through gritted teeth, " I should have gotten rid of all of you,.. for good!"

Narrowing his eyes, Discord summoned a long, slender blade with the snap of his talons.

" My dear, it is I who should have gotten rid of YOU," he whispered.

I knew what was happening. Leaping forward, I tried to blocked Celestia, but it was pointless. This was a dream, a nightmare, a memory; it was something that had already happened, and no matter what I did, I couldn't change anything.

Discord's blade came down on me, but it slipped through me like I was a ghost. I heard a gut-wrenching cough, that sputtered on for a few seconds before it died out.

Grief stricken wails clouded the air, the saddest of them from Luna. I didn't want to look.

I couldn't help it. In a moment of pure curiosity and horror, I turned to look at Discord's work.

I wish I hadn't.

Her body lay crumpled on the marble , and look of pain was frozen in her dead eyes. The blade had pierced right through her chest, giving her a slow, painful death. Crimson liquid dripped from the wound, pooling on the floor of the pristine balcony. I wanted to throw up.

The three remaining alicorns were wrecked. Tears of fear, hate, and unbearable sorrow spilling over like a waterfall. They cursed and screamed at their captors, even tried to attack them, while the on-lookers below them quietly wept at their loss.

Discord glared at the body, but I knew I could see pain and regret in his eyes. Then it was gone. Without hesitating, he scooped up Celestia's corpse and flung it off the tower.

Screams erupted down below as I heard a sickening thud.

Three more blades appeared, each wielded by the other three executors.

One against Twilight's head. Another, finding a home in Cadence's chest, while Nightmare Moon's sword came striking down on Luna's back as she grieved for her older sister.

Smash. Crunch. Crack.

Three more bodies joined Celestia's.

My stomach twisted in knots. The four alicorns who had practically raised me lay in a bloodied heap, while citizens ran in a haze of fear and confusion.

The four murderers overlooked the madness, giving wicked smiles. The insect-alicorn looked like she was about to burst into song.

Nightmare quickly silenced her with a simple glare of her dragon eyes. "Put a sock in it, Chrysalis," she hissed, turning back towards the balcony doors. Chrysalis and Sombra almost tripped over each other as they followed, but Discord continued to stare down at Canterlot.

I didn't understand. I thought Celestia had cast a spell before she died. That's how I had come into being, but nothing happened. I trotted next to Discord and looked at the four bodies splattered on the ground below.

I felt sick again.

I looked over at Discord, expecting to see a smug expression on his face, but I was shocked. A tear slowly fell from his cheek, splashing into the puddle of Celestia's blood.

"Forgive me, Celestia...," he whispered, snapping his talons again. I could see a distant shadow encasing Equestria, but it stopped half way to Canterlot.

The Eternal Day and Night. I couldn't drag my eyes away from it, but I continued to listen to the Draconequus' murmurs.

"It was all Moony's fault! Just don't banish me when you return..," he muttered, followed by another snap. There was a bright flash, and then it was gone... along with the princess' bodies.

Discord had cast the spell. He had tried to bring Celestia and the others back.

Suddenly Discord melted away, and the castle and sky began to fade.

I was waking up.