Chapters Bright as day, beautiful as night.
The dress was a beautiful shade of shimmering white, tinted so that it just barley looked blue. To go with it were glass slippers, a diamond necklace and a small tiara of the same color. It had taken forever, yet was so worth it.
The shop was dead quiet. The clock read Twelve PM exactly. The trees outside shook and scraped against the house, creating a creepy kind of scene. A sound like tiny little needles hitting the roof of the Carousel Boutique hinted at rain.
Upstairs, a white mare with a glistening purple mane and a cutie mark of diamonds lay fast asleep. Her hard work had resulted to escaping into sleep the moment after she laid down onto her perfectly made bed.
Outside, the rain was getting worse. The little shower had turned into a thunderstorm. A rather large one, actually. Rain pounded against the window of her bedroom loudly, yet the mare was to tired to wake up. Thunder shook the house and lightning illuminated the town.
A tree outside, tossed around by the wind, let one of it's branches loose. It flew towards the window. The collision made an ear piercing sound, the glass shattering and the roaring winds from outside made it near impossible for Rarity to stay asleep. Shards of glass flew into the room. The tree branch skid across the floor. Rain poured into the boutique.
Rarity woke with a start and screamed at the sight. The fierce winds suddenly shoved her out of her bed. Her screams were whisked away by the wind as she got tossed around the room like a ragdoll. She was finally flung against the back wall of the room. Hard. Blood trickled down into her mane as she weakly got up. She fought against the wind. She levitated a tarp and quickly threw it against the window.
The storm tore right through it.
Rarity just barley dodged the tarp as it flew towards her like a bullet. She looked around frantically for something to use, but the room lacked items of such use. She was thrown down. Wasting no time, she got up, her head throbbing insanely.
She illuminated her horn. She focused as hard as she could.
The pieces of glass levitated towards the window. They tumbled and swirled around in the wind, almost like they were dancing. But finally, the flying little knifes filed back in place.
Rarity nervously stood her ground as she watched the window cautiously. She held the pieces in place with magic as they morphed into one window. She watched as the storm banged against it, but failed to get through.
She breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto her bed. She blinked tears out of her eyes, but one still ran down her cheek. What WAS that?
She looked around the room. It was torn at the seams, beaten to a pulp. She spotted the branch.
But something on it caught her eye. It looked like scratches, even...a message?
She slowly walked over to it, her head swimming with thoughts and racing with worries. She slowly and carefully picked it up.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened them and looked down at the stick, and her heart stopped. She felt dizzy, and like she was going to throw up. She felt like she wanted to hide, but also wanted to kick something.
There was a message on the stick. It read:
Your as good as gone, Rarity.
Your as good as lost, Rarity.
Your as good as MINE, Rarity.
Author's Note
So, what did you guys think? Sorry it's so short. The other chapters will be way longer. Pinkie Promise!
She closed her eyes as blood tricked down her face and mane.
"Just don't hurt them...don't take them...have me instead..."
He grinned.
"Oh, Cadence, dear, your just a pawn. Just another step to getting what I want."
His horn glowed brightly.
"And I WILL get what I want."
And with that, they disappeared, the princess crying softly.
Twilight carefully examined the stick.
"Hmm..."
Rarity nervously waited. "Can you tell who wrote it?"
Twilight sighs. "Rarity...you realize this is probably just another one of Pinkie and Dash's pranks, right?"
Raritys eye's filled with rage. "You weren't there! You didn't see it! It WASN'T just a PRANK!"
Twilight rolled her eyes and nodded. "If you say so..." She puts the stick aside and yawned. It was almost 3 am. Despite Rarity's protests, she walked up the stairs and back to her bedroom, slaming the door shut.
"Spike!" Twilight called.
No answer.
"Spiiike!"
The room was cold and dark, with no sign of the baby dragon. Twilight illuminated the room with her horn. It was empty. She got up quickly and searched the room.
"SPIKE!"
He was nowhere. She ran downstairs. Rarity was just about to leave. She ignored her and looked through the house. Spike was nowhere to be found. Maybe he had just went on a...a walk, maybe he just needed to clear his head...yeah, that was it.
But something was uneasy about the situation. Spike was asleep when she last left him. He almost NEVER wakes up when he's fast asleep.
She shook her head. She was being crazy! Was she...? She slumped against the wall and put her head in her hooves, mantally arguing with herself. Rarity slowly and cautiously walked into the room.
"Twilight...? Are you okay?"
Rarity noticed the stilness and lack of snoring in the house and quickly grasped the situation.
"T-Twilight..."
Twilight looks up.
But Rarity wasn't looking at her. She was staring at the message carved into the blank wall of the library.
Your as good as gone, Rarity
Your as good as lost, Rarity
Your as good as MINE, Rarity.
The figure pulled up his black hood, so that all was showing were his now vibrent red eyes that shone through the darkness. He silently ran through the halls, barley making a sound. He peered into the ballroom silently.
Princess Luna was pacing the floors. He grinned a devilish grin. Perfect.
Luna was thinking. Her head was swimming with thoughts.
Princess Cadence had disappeared.
She was an alicorn. She would be able to get out of most situations. Some people say the changelings came back, but Luna knows that's not true.
There was a crash from behind her. She quickly turned around, but nobody was there.
"Hello?"
She didn't expect a response. She sighed. "I'm going crazy..."
"So it would seem."
She turned around and saw the figure. "You..." She knew who it was even after he took off his cloak. He smirked.
"I've gotten better at my magic, Luna. Want to see?"
In one swift move, he had Luna pinned against the wall. His horn started glowing, but She quickly teleported behind him.
"Your insane!"
"Maybe."
He sent out a punch. It hit the princess right in the face. She stumbled back. She glared at him. She didn't want to have to do it this way, but he left her no choice. She sent a blast of magic at him. He jumped up and avoided it. He kicked her violently, sending her flying against the wall.
She flew up and sent a burst of magic at him. This time he didn't have time to move. He was knocked downward and slid across the floor. She got down and walked up to him.
"You will be punished for your crimes and sins-"
He took her in his magical grasp and threw her up to the ceiling. She hit the ground hard.
Before the princess could get up and fight back, he pinned her against the wall. He sent a blast of black magic into the air. It seeped into Luna's horn. And try as she might, her magic was gone.
He grinned, and sent one last blow to her. Princess Luna's vision faded to black. He let her go. She fell down onto the floor.
He took her hoof. "Come with me, Luna dear, why don't you."
And in a flash, they were gone.
Rarity and Twilight walked through Ponyville. Ponies were reading the paper in shock. The two mares broke away from there conversation and turned to the news stand, which was being flooded. When the crowd cleared, there was only one left. Twilight picked up up and they skimmed through it. The main article caught there eye.
BREAKING NEWS: PRINCESSES CADENCE AND LUNA...GONE?
Rarity's heart nearly stopped for a second. "Twilight..."
Twilight stared at the paper in shock.
"No..."
Rarity looked at the worried princess. "Twilight...?"
"It can't be..."
Rarity attempted to hug the mare. "It's OK...they'll find them..." Twilight just pushed her away and slammed the paper down.
"But how?! Rarity, there PRINCESSES. Whoever's doing this is more powerful then we could have ever imagined.
Rarity remembered the message and cringed. It was basically burned into her brain, she couldn't forget it. What DID it mean?
She wasn't sure she wanted to know.
Princess Celestia stood on her balcony, looking down at the town. A tear slid down her cheek.
"Princess..."
She snapped her head up and turned around to the royal guard. The wind whisked away the tear. "Yes?"
He looked nervous. "We...um, we couldn't find them anywhere..."
"Them keep looking!" She demanded. The guard nodded and fled. She looked down. More tears began to stain the floor.
She had already lost her sister once. She wasn't going to loose her again. She would find Luna, and Cadence, no matter what.
"PLEASE! WHOEVER YOU ARE! WHAT DO YOU WANT? YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING...JUST BRING MY SISTER BACK TO ME!" Celestia screamed into the night. She had no idea that one statement had just broken all the walls of security tied tightly around Equestria.
An ear piercing scream rang through the air, sending chills down her spine.
Rarity trudged through the trees and practically threw herself into the clearing.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" She screamed. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
A voice echoed through the trees.
"I..."
A chill went through about every bone in her body.
"Want..."
It took everything within her to stand her ground. She was basically shaking with fear.
"YOU..."
That was it. Why had she even come out here?! Rarity made a break for the trees, but suddenly, another one grew out in front of her. She looked around. Trees were growing in all the empty spaces, creating a sort of fence, as if to keep her in.
"Your as good as gone, Rarity..."
Rarity's horn began glowing. She slowly disappeared and reappeared....
Right where she was.
"Your as good as lost, Rarity..."
She tried again and again. No success. Suddenly, the trees parted on one side. A cloaked figure walked through the trees.
"Your as good as MINE, Rarity..."
The figure lunged at her, his glowing red eyes staring into her like daggers. He pinned her to the ground. Her screams got swept away by the wind.
He grinned.
"Finally...after all these years of trying...I finally have you..."
Years?! Rarity's mind was racing.
"And who knew power like this could feel so...so good? It's like I've finally found the thing I was missing my whole life. I was meant to take over. I was SUPPOSED to rule."
"YOUR INSANE!"
He rolled his eyes.
"Why does EVERYPONY think that?"
Rarity continued struggled with all her might, but it was no use.
"Finally...she's MINE..."
Twilight looked at the four ponies in front of her. They all knew why they were here, but she still felt the need to address it properly. She took a deep breath.
"Girls...we are here because a dear friend of ours has-"
Rainbow Dash interrupted. "We're here because Rarity's gone missing!"
Twilight nodded. "Precisely. And I have an idea of who did it. You see, after spike went missing, we found a message on my library wall from someone who wanted rarity. She got the same message in her house on a stick. I think it has something to do with Cadence and Luna disappearing."
They looked at her, confused. Twilight sighed.
"Cadence and Luna wouldn't just leave. I think someone took them."
"Um, I hate to break it to you, sugar cube..." Applejack looked at Twilight. "But don't ya'll think the princesses would be able to defend themselves?"
"Yeah...but what if something happened to them, to where they couldn't use there powers anymore?"
Pinkie perked up. "Yeah! And the mean meanie pants who did that OBVIOUSLY had an obsession with Rarity, so they decided to take her!"
Twilight raced towards the door. "Come on, girls. Were heading to Canterlot."
When they got to Canterlot, they did not expect what they saw.
The sky was black as night, and it was spreading. Ponies walked around, looking down, into there houses. The other ones were doing hard work. It was raining harshly. They ran into the castle.
"Princess-"
The princess wasn't there. Sitting in the throne, instead, was a colt. He grinned and brushed a piece if blonde hair out of his face. His red eyes stood out boldly against his white coat. He stood up.
"Why, hello there. Here to join the party?"
Author's Note
Sorry it's so short :P
Twilight sparkle stumbled back in shock.
"Wait...but...your...y-your the Princesses nephew...I think...right?! Why would you..."
He rolls his eyes an as twilight continues to talk. "blah, blah blah, blah blah. That's all I'm getting. Now excuse me, I don't believe you were invited."
He slams his hoof on the armrest. The room shakes. Black vines grew out of the floor, staining the area around them. They coiled around the five. They thrashed around as soon as they realized what was happening, but it was useless. The vines acted as tight chains that securely held them in place. He laughed evilly.
Now...allow me to introduce myself..."
He got up. Rainbow Dash looked up. "Tell me he's not going to start singing..."
He slammed his hoof on the ground. The hall fell even more silent than it already was.
"If you want a picture of a Charming Prince, I take the cake..." He began to sing in a bitter exited tone. Rainbow looked up in a 'oh great' way.
"But now you find all more alarming truth, I'm Charming as a rattlesnake."
He grinned evilly, his eyes growing an even deeper shade of red.
"Taken in, by my dashing grin...
You have failed to note the pointy teeth..."
For a second, his teeth grew sharp as knives. He flashed them at the five. Soon they became normal again.
"I'm no fraud, but beneath this warm facade...
I'm prince CHARMLESS, undernieth!!!"
He shot a beam of magic at the ceiling. It spread to the back of the room, down the walls, and into the floor. It floated up and started forming ponies. They were guards in black and grey uniforms. Some guards bring in a pony in a black hood. Thy throw her against the wall. The magic laces her up, acting like a chain. They try to fight, but it's no use. There held firmly in place. He walks up to them and rips off the cloak.
Rarity looks up and gasps. She glared at him. He just smirks.
"Just look at what a perfect little royal pair, we're going to make."
She turns her head away.
"Because everyone is completely unaware, there lives are all at stake!"
He grins at the horror of the mane six.
"You've been grand, for the plots I've planned...
And my gratitude a profound and large...
Nows the time, for the world to know that I'm...
Hardly HARMLESS!"
The vines and chains tightened.
"Ill equipped or ARMLESS!"
The guards stepped foreword so they were now beside and behind him.
"No I'm Prince CHARMLESS!
And I'm in CHAAAAARGE!"
Outside, the darkness grew to the corners of Equestrian. The kingdom was silent. With the three princesses missing, Prince Blueblood WAS in control.
As the vines recoiled, they were prepared to run, to get help. But the guards ran to them faster and some teleported around them, like a barricade. They grabbed them with a fierce firm grip. They thrashed and struggled, but it was no use.
Rarity screamed. "Let them go!"
Blueblood chuckled and shook his head no. "No...a leader has to COMMAND respect if he can't earn it."
"They didn't do anything to you!" she furiously struggled with her chains. "Let. Them. Go!!"
He just ignored her struggles and grinned. "It's like you ponies aren't even trying."
Fluttershy's eyes fluttered open. Her blurry vision, streaked by blood, was starting to vaguely clear. She could see...blue. And white. There were clouds. A sky!
Her vision focused, and she tried sitting up. A sharp pain coursed through her spine. She closed her eyes tight and winced as she lay back down.
She felt something wet. She had just enough energy to turn her head to the side, slightly. She saw only red. It was...it was blood. And grey. Blood on a grey floor. Her hoof reached out and touched the grey. It was cold, and rough...stone! It was stone.
Slowly, she sits up. The pain is insane, but she toughs it out. Ones she's up, her vision is better. She's in what appears to be a stone room. There's a massive pool of blood on the floor, plus fresh blood stains dripping slowly from the walls. Fluttershy winces, with pain and fear.
The smell of blood was so strong, it was almost as if you were tasting it yourself. She finally stood up. The room seemed to spin for a second.
"Ahem."
She screamed and turned around. There was a shadow. The pony was dressed like the other guards...but he was different. he felt...human.
"W-who...are y-"
"Blueblood wanted real guards for you ponies..."
Fluttershy stumbled back. "J-just..." she looks down. tear falls from her cheek. "Just don't talk to me...I wan't to be...a-alone..."
The new guard looked at her. "I...I really wish I could help you..."
"I don't believe you."
He glared at her. "First I'm kidnapped, then I'm forced to watch my own sister be tormented and imprisoned!? And not being able to do a single thing!? Do you know how badly I wan't to kill that monster!?" He said, his deep voice filled with anger and sorrow. He didn't care if he was heard.
EARLIER THAT DAY
Big Mac walked the halls, his head held high. He was going to be let go soon, he knew it. Blueblood was insane if he thought he was getting anywhere.
He heard a scream. One of the other guards turned to him.
"Your wanted in room 106."
Big Mac nodded and raced to the room. What was on the other side? He cautiously opened it. His heart was pounding as he did so. When he saw inside, he's pretty sure his heart stopped for a second.
The orange mare was chained to the wall of the white room, blood dripping down. She struggled insanely. "Let me go!" She screamed. She looked up for a second, and gasped.
Applejack stopped struggling. "B...B...B-Big Mac...?"
"A-Applejack...I-I can...I'm not..."
"You lied to me!" She continued to struggle, now twice as much as before. "You told me you'd always be loyal to this family! You lied! Your a lying, evil, traitor! Working for Blueblood!"
"Applejack, you don't understand!" he pleaded. "I don't want to-" The guard glared at him. Then it all came crashing down on Big Mac. He couldn't tell Applejack he was kidnapped and enslaved, because if he stepped one foot out of line...well, as Blueblood said, he'd find Applejack, Applebloom, and Granny Smith's dead bodies on his bedroom floor the next morning.
"You don't want to what?!" She commanded.
"I...I don't want to talk to you." He straightened up. He wanted to scream to her that he didn't want to do this. That he was going to make sure they were all set free. That everything was going to be ok.
But he couldn't do that. And...that would be a lie, anyway.
"Then just go away!" Applejack screamed. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her voice was cold and commanding. "I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"
"Fine by me." He said, and left. As soon as he closed the door, he stomped his hoof on the ground. He punched the wall in anger. The hallway shook. And as he walked away, back to the room with the pony that he was supposed to guard, he whispered to himself.
"I'll be free."
He silently hoped Applejack had somehow heard him.
BACK TO THE PRESENT TIME
Fluttershy had long fallen back asleep. Big Mac was standing tall and still. The mare slowly opened her eyes.
"How...how do you do it?"
He looked at her curiously. "Do what?" he asked.
She laid her head back against the cold stone floor and stared at the ceiling. "Stay brave. Stay strong. Stay...stay standing, at a terrible time like this...how can you do it?"
He looked down. "I..." he looked back up. "Honestly...I don't really know...but if it had to be one thing, it's the future.
"the future?" she asked, still looking up.
"Well..." he understood himself now. "you just have to think about whats going to happen, not dwell on what's happening right now. Know that someday your going to rise up, and be free. Know that someday you'll be a hero."
She smiled and closed her eyes.
Maybe there WAS hope
And maybe there was.
Somewhere.
Someplace.
Someplace that wasn't here.
Because from each end of this earth,
Each living soal to another,
Pain was being felt.
Because of the deathly wrath
Of the new Prince.
The new king.
The new ruler.
People whispered in the corners of there home,
the only place they could feel even the littest bit safe.
they called him
CHARMLESS.
She wrote furiously, the quill racing along the tattered scroll.
help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...help us...
Twilight Sparkle heard faint noises as she slowly started to wake up.
"Do you think she's alive?"
"She's breathing, you idiot."
"Oh, yeah...should we go?"
"I just don't want to be the one to explain it."
Twilight slowly opened her eyes. The room around her looked like...a hospital. Was that the word? Yes, hospital. Something inside her told her she shoud know that. That got her thinking. Things she should know...where was she? She was almost positive she should know that.
Suddenly, the world seemed to spin around her.
FLASHBACK
Twilight Sparkle looked around cautiously. The hallway was dark, the stone moist and dripping slightly. Her hooves clicked on the floor and echoed as she walked, her horn the only source of light through the pitch blackness.
The cool air gripped her tightly, like a thousand needles making there way into her skin. She walked nervously and cautiously, knowing danger was with each hoofstep ahead. She could hear the beating of her own heard loud in the dead silence of the room.
She was done with this...her friends were getting hurt. Evil was taking over. What about friendship? Love. Caring. Friendship. Those things were always supposed to win. The power of all those things had defeated many villains, like Nightmare Moon, Discord, The Changlings, and Sombra. How was a dainty little ego obsessed prince any different?
She suddenly heard hoofsteps. She panicked, and bolted foreword with everything she had, knowing her capture would mean her death. But she soon realized the hoofsteps were only getting louder. She could hear muffled voices, too. They were all around her.
She took a deep breath, and stopped. She focused all her magic power, all the spells she'd ever learned, right here into this moment.
The guards soon came into view. They started to run, but a few of them laughed. They thought she was just a silly little unicorn, attempting escape.
Her horn grew brighter. The guards stumbled back. Twilight could feel the magic coursing through her. The guards were suddenly knocked back. The walls flew out of place as her pink magic swept through the prison.
She collapsed, breathing heavily. She heard an angered scream, and she was picked up with magic and pinned against the wall.
It was the prince himself.
Blueblood took away the magic forcefield. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST DID?!"
Twilight struggle insanely. She managed to yank her hoof free. She quickly sent a punch to his face. He stumbled back. She took the chance and ran as fast as she could down the hall. She heard another scream. This one was louder. It echoed throughout every room, and throughout every bone in her body.
She heard him running after her, and quickly gaining on her.
"your DEAD!"
Tears streamed down the young alicorns face as she heard him coming closer. He was right about to grab her..
It was all over...
Twilight closed her eyes and collapsed. Her vision faded to black.
But she never did hit the ground.
END OF FLASHBACK
What had happened...? Who was that pony? She looked around. The room looked empty. She slowly got up. She looked down. She was in a light pink dress with a dark pink trim. She could see the flowers in her curled hair from her shadow in the floor.
"Are you ready, miss?"
The purple pony looked up. "Excuse me?" she said, somehow finding her voice.
The guard stood at the door. But he didn't look like all those other ones she had seen in her flashbacks. He had a red coat, and shaggy blonde hair. 'I...who are you? Do I know you?"
He shook his head. "No..."
She decided not topress further. He didn't look in the best mood. "Well...I gues I am ready, for whatever this may be."
He nodded. "Right this way."
They walked down the hall. Everything was silent.
The guard came to a door. He typed in a code with his hoof, and pulled it open slowly. It creaked and moaned, like a whimpering child. The two stepped inside. He shut the door quickly, and immediately started talking.
"My name is Big Mac...and we need your help."
"We?" Twilight asked curiously. "Who's we?"
He took a deep, shaky breath.
"There is a unicorn. Her name is Rarity. And she has been taken away by a pony without a soul. We can only guess he wants to make her his queen...but the road to marrage may involve pain, fear, and even death. We need your help. We need everypony's help. We have to get her back."
she was...stunned.
"Where...where is she?"
"We don't know."
Twilight thought about it. Should she even trust these ponies? They all looked so distant, yet seemed so determined. Almost crazy, in a way.
All the ponies in this town are CRAZY!
The wave of memories hit her, hard.
Dear Princess Celestia...
I'd do anything for a good friend...
We've been BBFs forever...
A true, true friend...
Princess Twilight Sparkle...
She tumbled back and gasped. Big Mac looked at her curiously.
"Twilight Sparkle, are you with us?"
She stood up tall.
"Lets do this."
