Celestial Eclipse

Chapter 13 - Forever Changed

Fluttershy stood before the entrance of the throne room of the Canterlot Palace. It had been a tiring journey, but she was wide awake staring at the giant wooden doors.

A guard to the right of the door, knocked a rhythm on the door closest to them. Fluttershy waited to see if there would be a response from the other side, but jumped when the doors started to open inward, creaking loudly from their dormant state.

Inside the throne room was completely black. The only light entering the room, was coming from the now open doors. Fluttershy was flooded by a feeling of dread, and she quickly turned around to run. "Um...I don't...think I can...visit at this...um....time, so I'll just be going now!"

Fluttershy took the first steps to flee, but was cut off by a guard jumping in front of her, and pushing her into the darkened throne room. "Get in there already."

Fluttershy fell onto her haunches, and the doors were quickly slammed close in her face. She shuttered at the thought of being alone in a dark...scary...probably monster infested room.

"Oh my dearest, Fluttershy, you don't look so well."

Fluttershy 'meeped' and looked around frantically, searching for the cause of the voice. When her eyes came upon Princess Celestia, who's face was being illuminated by the magic in her horn, Fluttershy scramble to her hooves, and dashed to the Princess's side.

"Hahahaha. Poor little Fluttershy. Are you afraid of the big bad monsters in the dark?" Celestia asked pouting, but smiling all the while.

"U-U-Um yea kinda maybe."

"Oh, is that so? Well then. Did you know that I'm running low on magic at the moment?"

"Uh...n-no."

"Ah yes, well. If you give me just a teeny bit of your pegasus magic, I could make my horn and this room so much brighter."

"R-Really?" Fluttershy asked. All this time she had been scanning the surrounding area. She never once had looked up to see Celestia's face, or bothered paying attention to what Celestia was saying. Her mind was focused on searching for any form of danger, mostly the darkness, and when Celestia mentioned a way to take the darkness away, she was all for it.

"Yes. All you have to do is touch my horn with your hoof for less than a second, and all of the throne room will be lit up instantly."

Fluttershy didn't respond, but instead jumped up off the ground and wrapped her hooves around Celestia's horn. In a brilliant flash of light, the entire throne room was lit into its standard level of illumination.

Fluttershy let go of Celestia's horn, and stood back on the ground, in a more relaxed state, but something felt off. Fluttershy could feel her muscles going numb, followed by her entire body. In a matter of seconds, Fluttershy was collapsed on the floor in a cold, paralyzed heap.

Celestia let out a bellowing laugh. " Hahahahahahaha you frightful fool. I knew your own fears would blind you from reality!"

Fluttershy attempted to scream, but her mouth and tounge wouldn't move. She truly was paralyzed.

"I'm honestly surprised that you even showed up, but no matter. Now I can put my plan into affect. Fluttershy, how do you feel about killing all of your little friends for me?"

Fluttershy still couldn't move. She wanted so desperately to run from Celestia, to get as far away from Canterlot as possible, and to run to her friends.

Celestia had moved up to stand directly in front of Fluttershy. "Now do be a dear, and make this easy for yourself. Celestia then proceeded to light her horn, and connect it to Fluttershy's forehead.

Fluttershy was immediately overtaken by an intense pain, that seemed to absorb her entire body. She soon realized that no matter how hard she tried, fighting it was pointless, and she quickly let the pain wash over her. Fluttershy's last memory, was Celestia, laughing maniacally, before she blacked out.

Celestia looked over her newly created masterpiece. Fluttershy was quick to give in to the mind control. Faster than most ponies did. Now that Fluttershy's body had stopped spasming, Celestia knew that the plan was one more step further forward.

Celestia cleared her throat. "Fluttershy, get up off of the floor."

Without a sound, Fluttershy's body stood up, and stared straight forward, emotionless in every manner.

"You are hereby given the assignment to bring about the deaths of all of the Elements of Harmony, Princess Luna of Equestria, and the vigilante Solar Eclipse. You are to use any means necessary. However, I will provide you with one weapon of choice."

Celestia lit up her horn, and picked up a large bundled up cloth that had been sitting in the corner of the throne room. Once the cloth was hovering in front of Fluttershy, Celestia set it gently on the ground, and unraveled it. Inside were all different kinds of weapons, ranging from battle axes, to vials of poison. None of the tools of death caught Fluttershy's eye except for a dagger.

The dagger had a short red, wooden handle, that held a seven inch blade. The belly of the dagger was serrated, and the tip curved backward toward the spine. The pommel, although small, was a two inch long, square spike. "I want the dagger." Fluttershy demanded in a monotone demeanor.

"What a great...wait...what? You want the dagger?"

Fluttershy nodded slowly.

"Hmm...I always expected that if the Element of Kindness ever went on a murderous rampage, that it would be brutal and bloody, not quick and bloody." Celestia observed Fluttershy through squinted eyes, but seeing nothing out of place, shrugged. "Oh well. If that's what you prefer."

Fluttershy reached down and picked up the dagger in her mouth. She quickly flund her head sideways so that the dagger would flip from the different sides of her mouth, and always have the cutting edge forward.

"Okay. So be it, when I release you from my mind control, you will continue your assignment, think nothing of your weapon, and remember nothing of this discussion. Is that understood?"

Fluttershy nodded again, still wielding the dagger.

"Good." Celestia finished, lighting her horn to release the mind control.

Fluttershy's eyes twitched as she was set free. She looked around feeling dizzy, and noticed she had a dagger in her mouth. She thought nothing of it, and tucked the dagger under her wing. She wasn't sure what to do next, and looked up at Celestia, who was smiling warmly at her.

"Great." Celestia said. "I'm glad we both agree. However you might want to head home now, seeing how late it is."

Fluttershy looked outside and saw that it was night time. "Yea, I guess you're right. Goodbye Princess Celestia" Fluttershy said, leaving the throne room.

Celestia waved goodbye, but stopped when the doors shut behind Fluttershy. "Have fun with your new friend Solar. I heard she bites."