“I’m twenty years old, and I look like a filly!”
I knew I was whining, but I didn’t care. Aren’t princesses supposed to whine? Besides, I had a point. All the other ponies my age were out getting jobs, marrying each other, having foals of their own… and I looked like I had barely gotten my cutie mark. I stared in the mirror, and a baby stared back.
“Celestia, you know that alicorns age much more slowly than other ponies.” My mother, the voice of reason; how I loathed that. She stepped behind me, and my reflection looked even younger. Full grown, she was twice my height with a flowing yellow mane. I was a squat white and pink blob next to her. I closed my eyes simply so I didn’t have to look at myself. Stupid stumpy Celestia.
With a gentle hoof, mother turned me around. I felt her bend her head in front of me. I opened my eyes slowly, reluctantly. She smiled at me, and I pouted back, pouted like the child I looked like.
“It’s not so bad, sweetheart. In fact, one day you’re going to wish you looked like this.” She smiled wider, and I pouted harder. Sighing, she straightened up. Even Princess Solara knew a lost cause when she saw one.
A guard suddenly appeared at her shoulder and muttered something to her. “Right now?” she asked exasperatedly. He nodded curtly. Of course right now, never any delay in princess duties. She looked down at me helplessly.
“You need company. Where’s your sister?”
“I sent her to the moon.”
“You WHAT?!”
“She was being bad, so I told her to go to the moon.”
Mother stared down at me, mouth slightly agape and eye twitching.
“Mother?” said a quiet voice in the doorway. Her head bolted up and relief flooded her face. Luna stood there, awkward and shy as always, and ruining my pranks as always. I pouted once again as mother glared down at me and said two words.
“Celestia. Room.”
“But…”
“Now.”
Grumbling a bit about unfair treatment and being an adult, I stomped up the tower steps to my room.
“Stupid Luna.” I grunted as my hoof snagged a step. I stumbled for a second, but regained my balance. Princess-like grace. Not.
Suddenly, I couldn’t see anything. “Hey!” I yelled, twisting my head around and about. I figured Luna was getting me back for blaming her. Then a cold chill hit me as I realized Luna didn’t play pranks.
Something else cold was on me as well. Something sharp.
“Be quiet, little one,” growled a greasy stallion’s voice. I froze. I was being kidnapped. In the castle. How was this happening?
A piece of cloth found its way in my mouth, and I gagged at the dirty smell, but couldn’t fight it. I was forced to take shaky steps down the stairs, and I heard a door creak open. The smell inside was worse than the one on the rag in my mouth, and I choked.
“Too dirty for the little princess brat?” I furrowed my brow. I was not a brat. Spoiled, yes. Whiny, sometimes. But never a brat. A larger concern hit my brain, though: where was I? We hadn’t left the castle; from what I could tell, we were in a cleaning closet of some sort. This was not a very well thought out kidnapping. The pony behind me grunted as the knife was moved from my neck. I heard something being fumbled with. Then horror struck me as I realized: this wasn’t a kidnapping. This stallion had no intention of taking me out of the castle. He was going to have his way with me here.
Suddenly, every ounce of adrenaline I’ve ever had in my life seemed to hit me at once. It was time to fight. No one was going to do this to me, not on my watch. I faked weakness in the knees, bucking forward slightly. I heard him move closer behind me, not caring of my mental condition. When I felt him right behind me, ready to go, I leaned forward, lifting up my hind legs. I kicked as hard as I could, hoping beyond hope that I would hit him hard enough that I could get away. I felt my hooves connect with his underside, and then heard a loud crash, as if he had gone sailing clean through the door.
I turned quickly, my blindfold falling off. I saw the greasy old stallion laying in a heap on the floor, surrounded by the remains of the wooden door. Adrenaline stilled coursed through my veins, and a voice seemed to say “punish him.” My eyes narrowed as I slowly moved towards him, large deliberate steps. I knew he was conscious enough to hear me coming. My horn glowed brightly, completely beyond my control.
I stood directly over him, and I forced his eyes open with magic, while paralyzing the rest of him. Fear entered into those eyes as he realized the position he was in.
“You were going to rape me.” I said simply. Either my spell kept him silent, or fear did. Either way, my horn glowed even brighter.
I thought of every way I could punish this pony, and nothing seemed harsh enough. My eyes landed on the pieces of door scattered around him, and a wonderful idea hit me. The wooden planks began glowing, as did the stallion’s body. Both rose up in the air.
“From now on, I want you to know what that feels like. To be so completely… violated.” I shuddered, but kept a grip on the magic. A whirlwind seemed to engulf the prone pony, and I imagined what I wanted to come to pass. The miniature storm whistled into the doorframe and with a final blast of magic the stallion’s fate was sealed. I closed my eyes as I felt the energy leaving me.
“Sister?” A tiny voice sounded behind me. Slowly I looked; Luna was staring at me, her huge blue eyes wondering and… fearful? I turned back to the doorway, where now stood an elegant stone door, inlaid with jewels. In the center was a hole just large enough for an alicorn’s horn. I imagined the stallion screaming and couldn’t help but smirk.
I turned my attention back to Luna. She stood stock still as I heavily walked down to her. I put a wing around her reassuringly, and she seemed to shudder slightly. I pulled away for a second, looking at her in concern. Her eyes were pained.
“Celestia, why did you do that?” I paused for a moment, gathering my own thoughts, trying to remember why I had transformed the pony. I thought back on what he was going to do, and I threw a final look at the door. I kept my eyes on it as I answered Luna.
“Because sometimes vengeance is the only way.”