Twilight awoke with a choked gasp, drool staining her neck. Shifting painfully, she fumbled out of her sleeping bag and onto her hooves, dimly shaking away the sleep haunting her head.
The muddy ground was slick from recent rainfall, but Twilight was alone; no other sleeping bags surrounded the area. Struggling to keep from panicking, Twilight reassured herself that her friends wouldn't abandon her. They wouldn't just leave for no good reason. Unless, somepony took them…
Adrenaline raging, Twilight abandoned the little encampment, searching the immediate area for any sign of intrusion or possible abduction. Nothing revealed itself; despite the mud everywhere, no tracks were visible, not even for when the group had settled down. Feeling her heart rate increase, Twilight willed herself to remain calm as she looked among the dark trees. There is no logical reason for somepony to just take them and not me. No logical reason at all…
Twilight grew frustrated with trying to see through the obfuscating canopy and lit up an illumination spell. The moment she did so, a high-pitched whine pulsed through the air, forcing her to cancel her magic and clutch at her ears, falling prone. She winced painfully at the screeching, eyes screwed shut, and laid there until long after the pitch faded away and it had become obvious that the noise was only some reaction to her magic. Tentatively removing her hooves from the sides of her head, Twilight cracked an eye open to find herself in an entirely different place.
She was in a magnificently adorned building, decorated with tapestries and luxuries suited to golden-age days of lavishness. Gold and jewel-encrusted sculptures were heaped on top of pedestals, and luscious red carpets covered the floor. Glancing around her, Twilight noticed that the building was made of clouds. I didn't cast any cloudwalking spells, so how am I standing on it? She bounced a few times on the fluffy white beneath her. It held.
Venturing through various hallways, Twilight aimlessly wandered from one part of the keep to another, taking note of the quality of the artworks surrounding her. The hallways were empty all around the complex, and Twilight found herself walking through the same rooms every time she passed through a doorway. Huffing, Twilight stopped in what appeared to be a dining room, taking a load off at the head of the table on a plush cushion.
As soon as she sat down, silver cups and saucers flew from fine cabinets at the sides of the table. A black kettle poured a fragrant, light purple-colored liquid into the cup, floating down to rest beside the drink. The tea set returned to its inanimate state, leaving what looked like lilac tea in front of Twilight.
Twilight sniffed, drawing in the aroma. It smelled pungent and strong, but it was not repulsive, and although somewhat hesitant, Twilight considered the drink before sticking a hoof through the handle and downing it all in one gulp.
The drink's searing temperature nearly drove Twilight to yelp, but she had drunk similarly steaming teas before, and this one made up for it in its flavor. It tasted almost entirely of hot water, but with an added kick that Twilight was unable to identify. Licking her lips, Twilight had barely rested the cup back on its saucer before the teakettle one again leapt over to pour her a second serving. Twilight took a polite sip, but the intensely addicting flavor was too great to resist, and she finished it in big chugs.
The kettle returned once again, and Twilight continued accepting the beverage, growing to like its tang. The unidentifiable additive grew more prominent in every drink, and eventually the appreciation became a craving as the tea kept coming. After twenty-three cups of tea, Twilight slowed to a more manageable pace, although she kept drinking a little bit more every few seconds.
Looking up, Twilight was startled to see the other seats around the table occupied, and that she had switched positions to the head of the table's left side. Clanging dishes filled the air with discordant yet delightful sounds. A large, bearded earth pony sat at the head, drinking from a tankard, and was slurping something from what appeared to be a hollowed-out bread heel. Likewise, other ponies, most stallions and all earth ponies, surrounded her, dining on various dishes Twilight wasn't familiar with. Upon recognizing some of the dishes as meat, Twilight felt as though she should be horrified, but the warm pit in her stomach left by the lilac tea left her feeling strangely indifferent.
The head pony pounded his mug on the table, and the crowd around ceased their eating to look up. The earth pony gave each one at the table a long look, ending on Twilight. His burning red eyes ripped through Twilight's psyche, like a river's torrent through an ice dam in the spring. Raising his head and voice, the earth pony shouted, "My brothers and sisters! Today has been a glorious day!" A rowdy call of approval came from the assembly. "For what is now ours, and for what should be ours!" Again did the cries of agreement ring. "But tonight, is also a glorious night!" The shouts somehow became louder. "For tonight, we are going to watch the traitors to their own accept their punishments!" The table erupted in screams as ponies slammed their drinking glasses on the table in celebration, and Twilight, lost in the reverie, gave a shout of happiness before downing her forty-third drink. Finding a steak of some kind in front of her, Twilight ignored her quailing instincts and took a bite. It tasted like lilac tea.
Minutes passed like hours as Twilight helped herself to various foods. Enwrapped in the contagious spirit of the meal, Twilight failed to see the clouds beneath her hooves fade away to solid stone, and the fine cabinets holding exquisite plates devolve into stout, roughly built cupboards. Slowly, slowly, her horn receded back into her head, leaving merely a small itching sensation that vanished completely when she took yet another drink of the lilac tea.
As she continued to dine, ponies and thoughts leapt unbidden to Twilight's head. She considered Applejack, wondering if she'd love to be at this party, and confirming with herself that the mare would certainly adore the collective spirit housed within the room. Thinking of Pinkie Pie, Twilight chuckled at the thought of Pinkie hopping around the room, eagerly sampling the meat.
Rainbow Dash surfaced, and Twilight frowned for the first time. That pegasus probably wouldn't care too much for this. Sure, there was an energetic and rough mood, right up Rainbow's alley, but she'd never appreciate the importance of the dinner. She'd probably disagree with the food, too; she never really bothered to eat with her friends. Who was Rainbow Dash to think she was better, up in her little cloud house? Fuming, Twilight discarded the thought, bringing up a relevant subject, Fluttershy. Ha! That pansy would just vomit all over everything; she couldn't eat meat on a bet!
Twilight's thoughts only turned more vicious on Rarity. She'd just start complaining about everything, since she acts so prissy all the time. What's her problem? It's like she owns everything! No-good unicorn! Twilight scoffed. Only earth ponies actually worked for themselves, like how Twilight did. The others needed to be brought down a few pegs.
The Leader at the head of the table grunted and smacked a hoof on the tabletop expectantly, and a couple of ponies consisting of an emaciated pegasus and a harshly beaten unicorn lurched out of a corridor at the other end of the table. The pegasus's mutilated wings hung uselessly from her sides; her discolored, coppery coat looked ready to split in half around her bony ribcage. The unicorn's horn had been roughly hacked down, leaving a jagged stump, and wounds both fresh and old crisscrossed over his body in a practiced fashion. Two large, black trays were strapped onto their backs, facing upwards. A small piece of Twilight cried out at the injustice, but the warmth in her stomach from the food and drink smothered any sympathy.
The pegasus and unicorn began traveling the length of the table, allowing the earth ponies to place their empty plates on the trays. As the ponies continued, Twilight smirked at the increasing amount of strain on their faces from the load. That'll show them their place!
As the unicorn on Twilight's side, a faded jade fellow laced with scars, neared her seat, Twilight devised a plan in her head. Taking her empty plate, Twilight dangled it before him with a sweet smile… before dropping it on his nose.
The plate didn't fracture, rattling onto the floor, and the unicorn looked blankly at the platter. Twilight growled, devoid of any kindness: "Pick it up." The unicorn shuddered, before slowly lowering his head and body to pick up the plate with his teeth. Rising from his kneeling position, the pony turned his head before placing it on the tray, moving past Twilight without a word.
Twilight grinned, fiercely happy with herself. Nopony made a move to reprimand her, and she knew that they wouldn't.
After the table was cleared, and with a few more words from the Leader, the guests filed out into the crisp night sky. Twilight took a deep breath, savoring the air's bite. Tonight was indeed to be a glorious night.
The earth ponies collected at a group of pillories set on a raised platform, humming with excitement as armed earth ponies approached the five ponies held in the stocks. The two unicorns set in the stockades were unconscious, and two of the three pegasi beat viciously against the wooden confinements. The last pegasus simply wept. Twilight laughed at them along with the crowd, feeling the warmth inside her belly purr at the sight of the desperate prisoners. Guards stood next to the two unicorns, stoically facing the dinner guests but not acknowledging them. Torches stood at the four corners of the platform, unlit.
A few of the earth ponies apparently had brought leftovers from the dinner, because every so often the odd vegetable or bone would fly from the mass of conversations and yells towards the captives, slamming into their sides or heads. The guards made no effort to stop the volleys of food and waste, only stepping out of the line of fire whenever one flew towards a unicorn.
After several minutes, one of the unicorns groaned and rattled the pillory as she woke up. The crowed swelled in applause, seeming to stimulate the pony's barely conscious efforts to break free, and a thin aura of magic sputtered around her horn.
One of the guards hammered his hoof onto the collecting magic, forcing the mare to cry out in pain. Opening her eyes, the mare looked horrified to see a crowd of earth ponies jeering at her, and let out a scream before being dealt an uppercut that drowned enough of her words in blood to shut her up.
The other unicorn woke, and her horn was smashed before she even got a chance to ignite her magic. Shouting in pain, the mare looked on in fear as the crowd hooted at the show.
The Leader stepped out in front of everypony, and began speaking. "I said to you tonight was a glorious night. For now, we can end this meaningless war, and finish off the last ponies that could hope to oppose us! earth ponies have triumphed!"
A cheer louder than any previous ones spewed from the crowd, and Twilight joined them, hollering her lungs out. She briefly glanced at the ponies in pain, feeling a tingling of recognition, but dismissed it; she should only remember their crimes, not their names or faces. An earth pony lit the torches surrounding the stage, providing light to the evening.
The two guards around one of the unicorns slowly turned on her, staring with impassive expressions before one punched her on the cheek, whipping her head to the side in reaction. A flurry of blows soon followed, with each guard attacking the mare on a different part of her body. One whipped out a knife, and an Ooh drifted through the crowd before the blade was brought down on the tip of the unicorn's white horn.
Screams of pain turned into howls of torture as the top of her horn was sheared clean off, leaving a bony, ragged edge. The knife was brought down again, this time connecting by the handle, bludgeoning the damaged horn. Every time the mare screamed, the crowd would yell in approval. Eventually, the horn was pared down through a very slow process into nothing more than a collection of bony shards on the mare's forehead. The guards' beatings stopped, and the unicorn's screams slowly died down to distraught whimpers. The pony slumped down, not moving but for her sobs. The guards were showered with applause, and the one holding the knife in his fetlock bowed gracefully.
The process was repeated with the second unicorn, this one a dim orange. This time, her horn was not cut to the nub, but smashed on every side between hoarse wails until it flew free of her head, broken in two. With the unicorns disabled, only the three pegasi were without punishment. The guards converged around the only one not struggling, letting her cry dry tears before kicking her in the sides. She didn't make a sound, crumpling beneath their merciless blows. A guard raised a machete, pausing for effect before bringing it down, and the pony finally screamed, an airy breath that barely carried to the audience. The earth ponies clapping and stomping to the performance muffled the thump of dismembered wings falling to the stage floor.
The pony was left with two dribbling holes on her sides, and four guards began beating the next pony, a white pegasus with curly yellow hair. The pegasus's shrieks were loud and shrill, earning wild whooping as her feathers were torn out one by one and her wings were mutilated into a spider web of tangled pieces of bone.
A profound silence fell over the crowd as one sole guard approached the final pony, whose thrashing had only gotten more intense as the night progressed. The guard walked in front of the mare, glowering down until she looked back up at him. The two made eye contact, until the pegasus spit at his face.
A gasp echoed through the night, as the guard let the spittle drip down from being spattered all over his cheek. For the first time that night, the crowd was silent. The earth pony quietly regarded the mare, before placing a hoof on her head. The pegasus flared her wings angrily, but the guard increased the pressure, pushing down harder and harder until the pegasus was eating the wood of her own stockade.
Placing two hooves on either side of her hair, the guard ripped out a patch of the pony's mane. The pony jerked, but the only sound audible from her was a forced hiss. The guard painstakingly removed every hair in her mane, eliciting no more than the occasional whimper, before releasing his hold on her neck and moving to her tail. Here, the guard took out a razor, and hacked away at the tail's base. The pegasus's lip began dripping red from how hard she was biting it, but the pony still refused to scream.
After removing the pegasus's tail, leaving the hair to flop to the ground, the guard continued pulling away the skin around the area, stripping it off. The pony finally let out a shriek of pain into the night as the guard began flaying her, tearing off her lightning-bolt cutie marks before stopping at her sides. The guard then returned to the front, and scalped the pegasus.
One of the other guards took a torch from one of the corners and held it beneath the pegasus, cauterizing the wounds. The tormented pony hissed and wheezed as the flames licked at her sides, her eyes tightly shut as blood from her head poured down over her eyelids. The first guard massaged the top of her head, spreading the red stain beneath them. Gesturing to the earth pony with the torch, the guard was handed a shaker full of white granules, which he then proceeded to empty on the pegasus's head.
Tattered squawks made their way through the throat of the pony, her vocal chords all but shot as salt inflamed her open cranium. Grinding the small grains deeply into her skull, the guard finally unhanded the mare, leaving her to convulse in the stockade.
The unicorns and pegasi were then unlocked from the pillories and herded over to a set of five nooses, each adorned with one knot. The earth ponies, having been silent during the final pony's torture, now exploded with sound, jeering and booing them as they were shoved into position in front of the nooses and had their necks wrapped within the rope. Twilight screamed in anticipation as loud as she could, jittery with excitement.
The ponies, looking out at the crowd with varying expressions of agony, were given a few moments to watch the crowd bellow at them with words of hatred and repulsion. Twilight was among them, mocking how useless their horns and wings were.
The pegasus who had not fought in the pillory perked up, and whispered in an inaudible voice, "Twilight?"
Somehow, the other mares looked up in surprise as well, and scanned the audience before all resting their gazes on Twilight.
Baffled at their focus on her, Twilight put on as disgusted a mask as she could, hoping that they'd look away.
Instead, the five all started shouting her name. "Twilight!" "Twi'! Help us!" "Twilight, please!" "Twilight, it's me!"
Twilight transitioned from a feeling of superiority to a feeling of shock. Just what were these worthless ponies calling her out for? Like she'd help them! This was what they deserved!
But… their expressions looked so desperate, so hopeful at her appearance within the crowd, that Twilight considered for a moment their position on the stage. Twilight looked at them again, imagining if she was up there, and there was a way out from oblivion.
But the warmth that had been spreading through her all night through every extremity, every pore and follicle, turned to ice, and any compassion she had for anypony not of the earth was shattered. Twilight laughed, and shuffled through the crowd to a closer location, eager to see the ponies get what was coming to them.
Hangstallions gathered around the five, pushing them over trapdoors and ensuring that the nooses around their necks were secure.
Twilight reached the front of the crowd, ponies giving way to make her a path, and she walked within earshot of a manageable volume. She glanced at each of them, keeping her expression neutral.
The one nearest to her, the orange unicorn, began speaking to her. "Twi', it's me, Applejack. I know I may not look like it, but I'm the same pony, and you've got to tell these ponies that you're our friend and they're bein' crazy!"
"Please, Twily," the white pegasus added through tears. "I'm usually pink, but I guess I'm white and yellow tonight. See, remember my cutie mark?" The pony turned her flank so that it was visible, and three bloodstained purple-and-yellow party balloons came into view.
Twilight looked at all of their faces, desperate with hope, and savored their expressions before snarling out in a voice dripping with contempt, "I'd never help you miserable, worthless ponies. No, you aren't even ponies.
"You're filth."
Twilight sneered as she watched their glimmering faces break into a million pieces, and sat down right there, planning to enjoy the rest of the show.
The lever was pulled, and the trapdoors opened. The five ponies jolted and scrabbled at the ropes around their necks, the pegasi's stubs of wings uselessly flapping, before their flailing bodies slowly became limp. They were hauled back up, resuscitated, and then dropped through again. Twilight simply smiled, drinking in their crushed, hollow expressions as they returned from consciousness, no longer struggling as they were hung over and over.
On the fifth hanging, the hangstallions cut the ropes after dropping the ponies down, cuing the crowd to rush in. Savage earth ponies ripped and bit at the pegasi and unicorns, who would no doubt succumb to blood loss as their captors tore them apart.
Twilight dashed over to the cyan pegasus, taking a dominant position over her with glee. Staring into her tear-stained, dim red eyes, Twilight gave one last grin before thrusting her teeth deep into her chest, tearing off the skin above the pony's heart.
The flesh tasted like lilac tea.
Delighted, Twilight lapped up the extra tea pooling in the ugly gash before ripping even deeper, casually breaking several ribs to get at what they protected. Uncovering the pegasus's feebly beating heart, Twilight took as much of it in her mouth as she could and pulled, drawing out the connected aorta and main arteries before dragging it out of her body entirely.
Showing the organ to the pegasus, Twilight relished in the pony's disbelieving expression before biting through the connection the heart still shared with her body, taking pleasure in the wonderful heat flowing down her throat and permeating every fiber of her being. The pegasus's eyes glazed over, and Twilight licked at her delicious prize, drinking from its caches of tea like a bottle...
Twilight heaved, aroused from sleep by her nightmare. Rasping out an exclamation of fear, the unicorn huddled up into as tight a position as she could, feeling disgusted for not being able to squeeze herself into a point of nothingness. Sticking a hoof out blindly for the opening for the sleeping bag, Twilight poked her head out to the sound of birds chirping and the smell of cooking eggs.
Twilight leaped out, galloping over to where Fluttershy was watching the eggs cook, and tackled her in a crushing embrace. The pair tumbled onto the forest floor, where Fluttershy swung her hooves helplessly while Twilight poured her tears onto the pegasus, squeaking out "I'm so glad you're safe, you're safe…"
