Queen of the Nightmares

Ruthless turned around to face one of her best friends; Princess Twilight Sparkle. Plus the Elements of Harmony. They looked disgusted and afraid of Ruthless, squeamish before the fight.

"Well, hello, Princess," Ruthless spat, venom dripping from her words. "Thank you highly for gracing us with your presence."

"Us? What do you mean us?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Me," Black Rose howled from her prison, her shadowy, misty figure crawling out of the puddle. She stood tall, slightly taller than Ruthless. "Okay, Ruthless. I think it's time you test your new powers."

"Ruth, we're your friends!" Twilight called. "We don't want to hurt you!"

"Hurt me? Hurt me?" Ruthless burst out laughing. "They think they can hurt me."

"Alright then. Girls," Twilight said, the Elements of Harmony gathering into a circle of friends.

They started to float in the air, Twilight's eyes becoming holes of white light. The beam of rainbow poured down on an unimpressed Ruthless, not affecting her at all. Twilight and the Elements were set back on the ground, confused. Black Rose snickered as she stole the Elements necklaces and crown.

"Hey!"

"These are ours, now." Black Rose said, rubbing the mane of Ruthless.

"How come it doesn't affect her?!" Applejack asked.

"Because I gave up on friendship years ago, stupid. They don't affect me because I'm... more evolved than you are. I'm smarter, faster, better in every way. The Elements cannot affect what's not there, foals!" Ruthless scowled. "Now, what, my Queen?"

"Take them captive, please," Black Rose said, touching her horn to Ruthless', sparks of red and black magic flying.

"Will do."

Ruthless' wings grew to full, the pain imaginary to her. Her horn grew even longer, her mane taking on the colors of Black Rose's mane and tail. Her eyes were red and green, black surrounding her iris's.

In a quick beat of her wings, she was at Twilight's side, using her teeth to pull on her left wing. Twilight gasped out in pain and teleported away, her wing becoming limp. Ruthless scowled again at the cowardliness of her once-friend. She turned to Applejack and in another beat of her wings she was a her right side, shoving her to the ground harshly. Ruthless used her magic to paralyze her, leaving her down for the count.

Rarity growled and jumped to attack, much to the dismay of Twilight's pleas. Ruthless turned and pulled her by her hoof, using Rarity's power against herself. She threw the white unicorn to the ground, breaking her left fore hoof. Rarity gasped out in pain, but laid still, giving up quickly and quietly.

Applejack growled from her spot on the ground. "You'll never get away with this, Ruth."

"I already have," Ruthless responded, kicking her swiftly in the gut, silencing the orange mare.

She turned to Fluttershy who cowered under her gaze, magic shackles holding her to Rarity, then connecting further to Applejack's limp hooves. She looked to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, and snorted. She charged at Pinkie, Pinkie dodging to the left, but Ruthless bucking to her right, hitting Pinkie in the ribs, positively cracking at least two. She screeched in pain as she was added to the lines of shackles.

Rainbow Dash charged at Ruthless, one last hope. She zipped from spot to spot, never in the way of Ruthless' blows. Ruthless growled in frustration and used her magic to stop the wings mid-flight, adding her as well to the line of shackles.

"Five down, one to go." Ruthless looked to Twilight.

"Please, stop this, Ruth!" Twilight called.

Ruthless, in a single beat of her wings, was at Twilight's right side once again, biting down into her wing, leaving both wings limp and useless. Twilight shot a bolt of magic in her right eye, searing it shut. Ruthless recoiled in pain, gasping out as it shut. She spit and glared once more, using her magic to force it to heal slowly but surely. She charged at Twilight, biting her horn. Twilight punched her in the gut, shoving her back, hitting her with another bolt of magic.

She attempted to use magic once more, but the color had drained out of her horn, leaving it, as well as her now white wings, useless. She now only had the strength of an earth pony, and she wasn't going down without a fight. She charged head on at Ruthless, who simply put a hoof up, stopping Twilight in her tracks. Ruthless picked her up in her black-red magic and added her to the row of shackles.

"Wonderful, my loyal subject," Black Rose said, beckoning Ruthless over to the shadows. "I cannot leave the shadows."

"Yes, my Queen."

Ruthless cantered over to her Queen, their horns making contact one last time. Ruthless blacked out, trapped in the magical puddle. Black Rose tested the waters, reaching her hoof into the light. It didn't burn her. She cackled and called out to her subjects.

"All Nightmares attention! Your Queen is back!" She hollered, her voice echoing.

She looked down to the six ponies and with six bolts of magic, knocked them unconscious. She looked out of the forest and to Canterlot, smirking as she gathered her thoughts. She used her magic on the puddle, forcing it to follow her wherever she went. Once all her subjects had arrived, she communicated her plans.

Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack caught only snippets and sections of their words, but they hard enough before succumbing to the darkness' depths of unconsciousness. They knew that she was plotting to overthrow the Princesses and take Equestria for herself and the Nightmares, but they couldn't do anything about it. All they could do was wait for a hero who was locked inside a puddle prison.