A Withering Fleur

Chapters

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four

Chapter One

I smiled down from the stage, shifting my pose to extend my slender legs much to the delight of the audience. I knew my slim yet tall frame gave me an edge over the other models who were desperately attempting to pry the attention off me, allowing myself to showcase the designer that had hired me for the evening.

The silken dress I wore was a shimmering ultramarine blue, starting from just below my neck all the way to the ground. Small sapphires coated the right side of the garment, stretching across my breast and up behind my neck, all varying in hue.

Atop my head sat a simple yet stunning tiara, made of lunar silver - a type of silver that sported a blue tinge - decorated with an onyx, expertly cut to resemble my cutie mark. The designer hadn't specifically made it for me, but had instead made it so that the gem was interchangeable with the correct clip.

The flashes of photographers desparate to capture the evenings events were many, but they failed to phase me as they once used to. It was my job now, and while daunting at first I had grown to quite enjoy them.

Ahead of me sat the four princesses. Celestia and Luna in the middle, with Cadance to Luna's left and Twilight Sparkle to Celestia's right. The show was mainly for them, as they were to pick out the designs they liked for a private viewing away from all the commoners, but they wouldn't publicly announce the winner until they had worn his or her designs at the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala.

As I turned away from the audience to head back to the line of models, I came face to face with the model bearing Rarity's design. It was extravagant as always, with pink and gold highlights on the seemingly excessive frills that extended all the way down the length of the dress. It also came paired with a brightly coloured feathered headdress, the peak far above my head - which was a feat based off how much taller I was. I gave a polite nod and smile to the passing model, who simply huffed and turned away.

"Bitch." I muttered under my breath, loud enough so only the model could hear. It was my rival Striking Stance, and there had always been hot blood between us as we competed for dominance in most every show. I had tried to be nice, but she just had to ruin it. Stance didn't take to being insulted well, rage filling her as she attempted to don a mask of calmness. It affected her performance, I noted, as she was unfocused and definitely not using the right poses in order fully flaunt the design. That was the problem with Rarity's work - there was just so much that ponies couldn't appreciate the finer details. Nevertheless, it was bound to get through to the next stage - Princess Sparkle would assure of that.

Stance walking back was the epitome of rage, her face so red that I was almost afraid that her mane and tail would burst into flames. She was an earth-mare, blue coat and golden eyes. Her mane colour barely mattered, the brilliant white overshadowed by the headdress.

"I would take care, Stance. A pegasus might think you one of their own with all those feathers and deem you a suitable mate."

Stance was fuming. She had resumed her place between me and the empty spot of the model on stage currently, so there was no escape, from both the audience and my insults. The earth pony had had enough. She threw her headdress to the stage, eliciting gasps from the audience before swinging back and striking my cheek with a sickening crunch, the hoofguard she wore breaking ym skin and causing me to bleed. I went down, but was in no way out. I picked the tiara off the floor with her magic, the onyx centrepiece now with a crack down the middle, and set it back atop my head before climbing back onto my hooves. The crowd was in uproar, insults being thrown this way and that with the photographers capturing every second before the voice of Luna rang out over the top.

"Silence!" She boomed, the background chatter stopping instantly save for a minor awkward cough. "Thou must approacheth the end of the stage!" Stance and I moved forwards, walking side by side down the catwalk. The earth-mare was clearly embarrased, hiding her face as best she could, yet I remained strong - I wasn't obviously in the wrong. Even as Stance bowed before (sucked up to) the princesses, I remained upright. Whispers danced through the crowd like water on a hot plate and the princesses glared at her as if it was a challenge towards them.

"What art thine names?" The lunar goddess asked.

"Fleur de Lis, your highness, and my friend here is Striking Stance."

"Friend? But thou hath been attacked by that very mare."

"A friendly quarrel, oui?" I directed me gaze to Stance, who was on the verge of breaking down after being called out by a princess. The mare simply nodded, unable to string an intelligent sentence together with the constant mutterings of "I'm sorry". The eyes narrowed on all four princesses, almost in unison, as they judged us in the spotlight. A timid camera flash appeared every so often, not wanting to disturb the princesses as they discussed among themselves. Finally they turned back to the stage, Celestia taking the lead this time.

"You to are to meet us in the throne room of the castle. From there will you face judgement for your actions." I nodded, and Stance broke down into tears. More camera flashes appeared as the princesses took their leave and I carried Stance backstage with her magic. Instantly I was stopped by a unicorn stallion with a tape measure around his neck. He had a chestnut brown coat with a darker mane, a pair of scissors adorning his flank.

"Fleur! Fleur! That was... how do you say, magnifique! What you did, standing up against the attack like that, marvelous! And now you've got a private audience with all four princesses!"

"Always the optimist, Stitch." I smiled, before dropping it. "I provoked her, oui, but I have no regrets and I mustn't delay any longer - allons-y!"

The admission caused his eyelid to twitch slightly as he watched me walk off in the dress he'd designed, hopeful that he'd see it again and hopeful that I would notice the onyx gems that were cut to look like the princesses' cutie marks now pinned to the dress. He turned away and headed back to his workstation to prepare for the next trend.

"Are you alright Fleur?" Stance asked. She had recovered from the shock enough to walk on her own as we made our way through Upper Canterlot's streets, the pair of us getting strange looks from ponies who had heard rumours of the event. Her crying had ruined any makeup she had put on prior to the show, a fair amount of it having run down her cheeks and staining her coat when the tears themselves dried.

"Oui."

"Are you sure? I thought I hit you pretty hard..."

"Oui. You did."

"And you still say you're fine?" I simply nodded. "You'd think something would have broken..."

Something was broken, and I knew that fact well. The right side of my face was now in constant pain since the adrenaline of the show had died down, and whenever I opened my mouth it clicked and crunched softly, so I had made it a point not to speak more than necessary.

They stood outside the double doors that lead in to the throne room, a unicorn Sun Guard on either side. One glance at the dresses they wore was all we needed to let us pass, the orders from Celestia still fresh in their minds. The doors swung open and we stepped inside, a clang following behind us as we were once again sealed underneath the glares of the four princesses. Slowly we approached the throne, where Stance bowed yet again, waiting expectantly at the lowest point as if suggesting that I should follow her action.

"Rise, my little pony." Stance obeyed silently, tensions high in the air.

"Why doth thou not bow before thy princesses?" Luna's words were cold and harsh, with a twinge of either anger or pain. Which, however, Fleur could not decide.

"Forgive me, I meant no offense." Luna raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Where I'm from, respect is earned. Alicorns you are, oui, but you are still ponies"

The celestial sisters smiled and stifled a giggle. Stance, Cadance and Twilight were all shocked, the latter two more subtle about it but pronounced nonetheless.

"Right you are, Fleur." Celestia began. "You are wiser than your occupation would let on. Might you indulge me as to where you learned this?"

"Prance, princess." Twilight's eyes widened.

"You're from the pony city in the heart of gryphon territory!? The ONLY pony city accepted by ALL the gryphon clans!?" I nodded, although I was actually from one of those clans and not the city. "I need to visit! There would be so much to learn there, Canterlot's archives barely touch on the subject!" She looked to Celestia longingly, causing the eldest princess to smile.

"You are a princess too now, Twilight, no longer my student. You don't have to ask for my permission, only that of your council." Twilight nodded, wings fluttering in glee. "However, back to the reason why you two are here. The rash act of violence in both the public eye and the presence of Equestria's leaders." Stance had hidden her face again. The twin sisters no longer wore the glare they had at first, instead a sense of respect for my stoicism before them.

"You two are to depart from Canterlot. Fleur de Lis - you are to return to your home in the company of Princess Twilight Sparkle, assuring her council allows. Stay there for a few days, teach her about your land as best you can. Then you may return, preferably with the princess. The clans that surround Ponis are dangerous if you aren't recognised."

"Oui, I know them well, princess."

She nodded. "As for you Striking Stance, you are to return to Manehattan. You are not to return to Canterlot until Fleur has, her trip being much farther. Is this fair?" The mare nodded silently.

"Finally, both of you are to have your reputation in Canterlot tarnished. This is a punishment, not a holiday."

"Nique ta mare!" I shouted. The punishment had struck me deeply, right at the one thing I treasured most, and my outburst had caused both Celestia and Luna to stand on their hooves with their wings flared. Cadance stood, but without the wings, and Twilight was confused as to what got them riled up.

"FLEUR DE LIS!" Luna yelled, the very walls of the building shaking with the volume. I turned away from the princesses and began to walk down the carpeted path to the door. "I COMMAND THEE TO RETURN!"

"Ta gueule!" I shouted back, her volume definitely not reaching Royal Canterlot standards, but still packing a punch to the princesses. "I am to leave, oui? Then I leave!" I paused in her stride for a moment, a thought in my head rolling around to decide which language to deliver it in, choosing the one everypony would understand. When I opened the doors with my magic and stood just outside, the guards forced me to rethink my decision.

"Putain." I said with a grin, quickly slamming the doors as a bolt of blue magic launched itself towards me, harmlessly dispelling against the enchanted golden doors. I hastily ran through the halls of the castle, headed for the entrance. The guards all paused to look at me, then received an order from Celestia via a telepathic communicator in their helmets telling them to capture me.

Suddenly, I had a real, tangible reason to run. I skidded around one corner, dashing between two guards who weren't quite prepared for me to appear. To my luck they were pegasi, and since Celestia seemed to want me as alive as possible then all they could do was pursue me until either I grew tired or a unicorn could cast a binding spell on me. As I turned the final corner to the front entrance, I noticed that it was blocked off by a large amount of guards, preventing my initial plan. I stayed along the upper level, deciding not to go down the stairs, seemingly cornered by the pursuers. Finally I stopped on the balcony that overlooks the whole of Canterlot, where the princesses would address the public. Seeing me backed up against the railing drew the attention of ponies below.

"Ma'am. Our orders are to take you alive, and seeing as you are cornered you have one chance to come willingly." A unicorn threatened. I simply smiled back.

"Au revoir." My horn glowed, but nothing happened visibly. A simple spell that reduced me to near weightlessness.

"Ma'am. You aren't going anywhere, and no pony has ever mastered a suicide spell, either."

"Nopony needs a spell for that, monsieur." I stepped back onto the railing of the balcony, causing the guards to inch forwards. With a wave of a hoof I bounced backwards off the edge, the pegasi guards following after to stop my fall to the gasps of the building crowd.

Only I wasn't falling.

I floated backwards, saluting the guards as a gust of wind blew me away and directed my course to the east. The pegasi altered their course to chase me, but the force of their flying only served to make me faster, forever just beyond their grasp. They gave up the moment I crossed the Canterlot border, drifting away to the wild unknown.

Just as I thought I was clear a shadow swooped down from above, plucking me out of the sky instantly. As the dark figure flew away with me he put a rag to my muzzle, darkness closing my vision until I finally passed out.

Chapter Two

I awoke to darkness, the stench of excretion thick in the air, causing me to gag instantly and lose the little food I had eaten prior to the modelling show. I backed away from where I thought I'd vomited only to step in something far worse, the smell of it removing any disguise the darkness may have given it. Disgusted, I dragged my now covered hoof across the ground to get as much of it off, only to slip over in the puddle I had made just before and coat myself in the vile fluid. I groaned defeatedly as I lay in the filth, waiting to be rescued from my plight.

I lay there for what felt like hours, but judging by how the fluids had only begun to dry on my coat I knew that wasn't the case. The pitch black room failed to get any lighter and the deathly silence was almost maddening. I could hear my heart beat, my stomach gurgle and every breath I made, creating a symphony of life. I heard the faint sound of hoofsteps from outside, accompanied by soft, padded steps and a click of claws. I had lived near Prance long enough to recognise that noise - gryphon.

The click of the door lock broke me out of my idle thoughts and I rolled up to my hooves as it cracked open. A small band of flickering orange light suggested that they were holding torches, and as it slowly expanded I caught a glimpse of the two outside. One was a unicorn with a green coat and grey mane who I swore I recognised but couldn't be certain, and the other was a gryphon with black feathers and coat. My eyes locked with the unicorn before I realised I was standing completely in the light through the door. Madness flickered across his eyes and formed into a grin as I tried to cast a spell, only for my magic to explode and toss me against the back wall and into another pile of Celestia-knows-what. The unicorn laughed at my attempt and the gryphon remained stauesque.

"Feedback rings." He said, pointing a hoof at me. "Aren't they wonderful? Magically locked on, too, so only I can remove it if I so desire. Toss her in." The last three words confused me for a moment before the gryphon pulled a filly out of a bag behind the door frame and threw her straight at me. I tried to catch her with my magic instinctively, only to result in another explosion and me breaking the filly's impact with my ragdolled body. We both hit the floor, and all I could do was lie there and cradle the unconscious body, tears quietly running down my face as the door closed again to leave us in the infinite darkness.

"Well done, my puppet. You have fulfilled my wishes, so consider your wife and fledgeling released." His voice came through the door as he addressed the gryphon. "Of course they might not be as you remember them, but they are largely unharmed. Physically." He added as an afterthought. I didn't like the sound of that from what I'd experienced so far. The gryphon grunted in response and they headed off down the hallway again.

The next few hours I spent curled up with the filly in whatever it is we'd fallen in. I'd grown used to the smell and it provided a little extra warmth in the cold stone room. The filly was a pegasus, and a rustling of her wings told me that she was awake.

"Mum? Is that you?" She asked, turning around to face me. I thought about it for a second - I could say yes and deal with the crying later, or I could get it over with now.

"I... N-No. I'm Fleur, what's your name?" She scrambled away from me, stopping in the middle of the room if my hearing was accurate.

"W-Where's m-m-my m-mum? W-Where are w-we?"

"I... I don't know." I stood up and slowly made my way towards her, stopping once I could hear her breath below me. I ran a hoof through her mane and she recoiled from the touch, but didn't run away this time. "We'll find out though. I'll be here for you." She broke down into tears and I sat beside her, holding her close to me as she wept into my side.

Another hour or so later and she'd stopped crying, as well as told me her name. Gentle Breeze. Her talent would be with weather, I predicted, if she ever got out of this room. Parents tended to have a keen sense for those things, and foals never seemed to realise it until their talent came to light. I never mentioned those thoughts, it takes the fun out of finding it when you know what it is you're finding. Eventually I heard the familiar hoofsteps of the stallion coming down the hallway, and judging by how Breeze sidled up against me she did as well. The door didn't open this time, instead a thin slider gave way to his piercing gaze, lighting the room with his magic.

"Ah, you've made a friend. Good... good... everything is travelling accordingly. I suggest you sleep as much as possible, you'll need it."

"Who are you!?" I shouted desperately. "What do you want?" The stallion chuckled at the questions before quickly cutting back to a serious glare as if at the flick of a switch.

"To you, I am your master, and you will address me accordingly. To her, I am her mother's master."

"Where's her mother!?"

"It's you. As for what I want, it's nothing you can give me... yet. Here's your dinner." A slab of something came through the slider, impacting the ground with a wet slap. "Sleep well, my toys." The small window shut with a metallic clink and I cautiously made my way to where it hit. It didn't have a smell I recognised, and a tentative lick left a metallic taste in my mouth. I picked it up with my teeth and carried it back to Breeze, attempting to tear a bit off to little avail. After much struggling and six hooves worth of effort I managed to tear a piece off, albeit a small one.

It was difficult to chew, my flat teeth not able to leave a notable mark on the food. I swallowed the piece whole, the lump threatening to get stuck in my throat. Thankfully it didn't, allowing me to tear another piece off, this time to give to Breeze. She struggled with it as I did, but ended up spitting it out in frustration.

"C'mon, you heard what he said. You'll need the strength for whatever he has planned."

"Nup." She said bluntly. "Nothing that hard is worth it." I felt around for the piece and picked it up, placing it back in her hoof.

"Eat. It's that, or any of the piles of whatever is causing this smell." She rolled her eyes - or at least I expected her to - before popping it back in her mouth and chewing it again, once again finding the difficulty in the simple task. I managed to bite off and swallow two more bits before she finished it. She refused to eat any more, understandably, but I used my amazing influential powers to feed her two more bites before she locked her mouth closed and left me to finish the rest.

We found a clean spot to sleep and curled up for the warmth. Sleep found Breeze quickly, yet seemed fleeting for me. I closed my eyes and listened to her breathing and felt her small body rising up and down, a smile creeping onto my face. My career had never left room for me to have a foal - and were this under different circumstances I would be thoroughly thrilled with this experience, but I could at least enjoy the small pleasures of being a mother before anything bad happens to either of us. No matter what happens, I'll always protect her from... him... until I can't any longer.

__________________________

I stood alone in a grassy field, the green expanse extending far beyond my field of vision and seemed to fade off into a grey mist. The distance between me and the fog wall was equal the entire way around, and when I ran towards it it never seemed to get closer. There was a cool breeze that caused my mane to flutter gently, but that slowly died away as the world around me darkened. I looked upwards to see a swirling black cloud overhead, crackling with electricity. The sky rumbled, and lightning struck the ground around me, igniting the grass and trapping me in a ring of fire. I spun around in a panic, coming face to face with a shadow version of Luna and screaming in surprise.

"Fleur de Lis. You are still in Equestria. After your actions, one would think you'd have fled." Her gaze was stern, and she radiated superiority. This was her realm, and as long as I was in it, I couldn't escape. I tried to form words, to protest, to explain what had happened to me, but no sound came out as the fires had dried up my throat.

"Your gryphon blood is curious. Did you seek to challenge me? The princess of the night?" Once more I found myself unable to respond. This time I indicated my problem to her and with a flick of her wing, the ring of fire extended outwards to reveal an oasis. Instantly I ran over, drinking down as much water as I possibly could.

"Now that your thirst is quenched... ANSWER ME!" the booming voice knocked me into the water and as I clambered out, I realised the water didn't stick to me at all but instead rolled off my coat as if it were metal.

"I... I'm s-sorry... I was angry..."

"I was angry once. Do you know what happened to me?"

"N-No princ-"

"I WAS SEALED INSIDE THE MOON FOR A THOUSAND YEARS!"

"You're not compari-" This was too far. She wasn't thinking clearly, so I had to stop being fearful and put my hooves down.

"I am also angry now! Give me a reason not to have every guard in Equestria hunting you down with a kill first, ask questions later policy!"

"Because you'd have to find me..."

"IS THAT A CHALLENGE!?"

"It's a request." Her composure dropped for a split second, and I knew I had her attention. "I don't know where I am..."

"What do you mean you don't know!?"

"I was foalnapped after I escaped Canterlot, knocked out and now... Now I just don't know."

"Can you not see outside?"

"I can't even see my nose, or the foal that was tossed in with me."

"There is a foal involved!? Tell me everything!"

"Well the room is... filthy. Uncleaned from after however many ponies have been kept here. The stallion keeping us here calls us his toys... said that I'm Breeze's mother."

"Breeze?"

"The filly. Cute little thing, stubborn."

"The stallion?"

"Wants me to call him "master". Dark green coat, grey mane. Called a gryphon his puppet and had the wife and child held hostage. He locked something called a feedback ring on my horn, so my magic explodes whenever I try to use it."

"A feedback ring is... old, banned technology. Deemed too violent just before my banishment. How he got a hold of one..."

"Oh, and he gave us a slab of... something to eat. Impossible to chew and tasted... different."

"Fleur... I think I know who you're dealing with. There have been other cases similar to this, lost ponies who had gone through Tartarus and back, only to die before they revealed anything. Do me a favour and not only stay alive, but stay... yourself. Keep the filly safe. We will contact you again when we can."

"Wait! There's nothing you can do?"

"Not yet. In time, Fleur, in time. For now... wake up."

__________________________

My eyes shot open and the first thing I did was expel my dinner. It didn't sit right in my stomach and I was thankful that Luna had woke me up before I choked in my sleep. I was also just in time to hear the hoofsteps of the stallion outside, so I lay back down and pretended to be asleep with Breeze. I heard the slider pop open but I didn't want to risk giving away my cover by looking.

"Just like a mother and daughter. It would be a shame to... Hah, listen to me getting all moral. It's too late for that now. Come along, my toy."

I was wrapped in a field of magic and pulled away from Breeze - who had proven herself to be a heavy sleeper. The sound of the door opening made me open my eyes, straight into the eyes of 'my master'.

"Good morning, my toy." He kissed me on the lips, and because of his magic I couldn't pull away from him. Any time I made a movement he would strengthen his grip before finally he broke the contact with an angered look on his face.

"Does my toy not respect her master?" He growled, and I shook my head. "Well then you will learn to!" He tossed me down the hallway, the impact with the stone floor smothering my left side in pain. He casually approached me as I struggled back to my hooves, facing him. "Ooh, a defiant little one!" I felt an overload of magic in my horn which triggered the feedback ring, the explosion sending me further down the hallway - after I'd hit the roof and a wall.

His magic opened the door to the room beside me and tossed me inside. I glanced around timidly to see a plethora of medical tools, a large cooler box and an old wooden table designed to hold a pony down. The instant he appeared in the entrance I was pulled up by his magic again, this time placing me on the table and strapping me down.

"Be a good girl for me and you'll get out of here in no time. Struggle, and you'll most likely die."

"What!?"

"That's 'What, master!?' to you!" His magic lashed out across my cheek, causing it to bleed. "This is a delicate operation, I can't have you ruin it!" I realised it was probably in my best interests to do what he said, especially considering the position I was in. I nodded meekly and he seemed to calm down a bit, floating over a scalpel. He made a precise cut above my right shoulder, opening up the fresh wound with his magic even further. It hurt, but no more than an earth pony punching your face would, so I made it a point to just grit my teeth and refrain from reacting further. He fumbled around for something beyond my view before returning to his operation, sticking something hard deep down into the cut he made. It shifted around a bit before popping into place and making 'master' elicit a gasp of excitement.

Some more rattling went on behind me as he searched for something else, a new pain coming to light as he stitched the wound shut. My face was screwed shut as the needle continually pierced my skin with extreme finesse, tears rolling down my face involuntarily. Finally he stopped, a new weight dropping down beside me and threatening to pull at the stitches. He then went to do the same with the other side, the pop coming much earlier than before due to his practised ease. Once again, the stitches brought tears to my eyes, and even managed to make me gasp in pain a couple of times. The weights on my side were now balanced out evenly, making me curious as to what they were.

He pressed his horn up against the stitches and it begun to radiate with heat, slowly becoming more and more intense before it started searing my flesh. I yelped in pain, but he didn't let up, cauterizing both sides.

"I'm sure you know the great thing about being a unicorn, my toy."

"Magic?" I responded quietly. My energy had been sapped from the operation he just performed, and the scalpel that was now pressed against one of my cheeks wasn't helping.

"That's magic, master!" He pressed on with the scalpel, slicing through my skin and coming through to the inside of my mouth. "Let me hear you say it!" I cried out in pain as he slowly drew the scalpel down towards my muzzle.

"Maaaaah-aagic! M-AH!-ast-EH!-er!" As soon as I finished speaking he flicked the scalpel the rest of the way, widening my mouth on the right side and coating both my face and the table in blood. I begun to feel faint as he seared the wound so that it would never heal closed, but forever remain as an extension to my smile. I hadn't lost enough blood to pass out, as much as I wanted to, and once he was done he continued with his talk.

"Yes, my ever obedient toy. Magic. It allows one to heal, or damage, another." His horn glowed and a faint warmth started up at my shoulders, relaxing my muscles as if it were a massage in the finest spa in Canterlot. "But it isn't always the physical wounds which need healing, is it?" I shook my head - my mouth hurt too much to move. He chuckled as he leaned down to my ear. "I, Doctor Fetlockstein, know just the spell to fix you right up."

He connected his horn to mine and suddenly a blinding pain hit my head, as if the past operation was all concentrated on my brain - cauterization and all. When he broke the connection I felt... wrong, yet strangely right, as he undid my bindings.

"Well my puppet, we have managed to save your wings for the most part - though you wont be able to use them for several weeks. You must take more care when trying out new stunts - the Wonderbolts don't accept crippled ponies." He levitated me off the table and set me down on my hooves. My wings drooped beside me, dragging along the floor due to their length. Ponies always used to comment that I had the wings of a princess, and that seemed to come as a mixed blessing.

"Th-Thank you doctor... I don't know what I would do if I couldn't fly." My mouth felt more dry than usual, and colder, but I passed it off as a post-operation side effect.

"Indeed, it would dampen your career choice. Nevertheless, be more careful in future. I will show you to your room." He trotted out the door and I followed him, taking care not to tread on my limp wings. I tried folding them up as I walked, but I couldn't seem to co-ordinate the right muscles to do so. When they healed up a bit, I suppose. I wasn't able to remember why or how they got injured in the first place, so I assumed it was just a stunt awesome enough for me to knock my head and damage my wings. Hopefully I could master it one day, my imagination tells me it would make me a guaranteed Wonderbolt.

Finally we reached my room, where he directed me in to the darkness. It was familiar, both in scent and aura, yet once again I couldn't quite place the feeling.

"This will be your place of residence until I clear you, my toy. Food is delivered nightly, and there is a bowl for water by the door at all times." The door slammed behind me and locked shut before faint hoofsteps came towards me.

"Fleur? A-Are you okay? I... I woke up and you weren't there..."

"I'm fine, Breeze, he was just fixing me up."

"W-What was wrong?"

"I couldn't move my wings since the accident, he was mending them so that with enough rest and healing, they can get back to normal."

"You... You don't have wings..."

"Huh? Yes I do, I can feel them dragging beside me."

"Y-You didn't have w-wings..."

"You must have had a nightmare, Breeze, I've always had wings."

"A-A n-nightmare... I..." I crouched down next to her and held her close, stroking a hoof through her mane.

"Shh, it's okay, I'm here for you." We sat like that for hours, or at least a lengthy amount of time. Enough time to not realise how long we were like that until the sound of a metal slider and the slap of food hitting the floor broke us out of our stone-like pose. Once again Breeze refused to eat more than a few pieces, leaving the rest for me to stomach. It still didn't sit right, and I was worried about not getting enough nutrition for my wings to heal, but the doctor - nay, my master - seemed to know what he was doing so I had to trust his judgement.

After eating, neither of us were particularly tired since we hadn't done much to expend energy. Eventually the silence and relaxation got the better of me and pulled me away, leaving Breeze alone to her thoughts.

__________________________

"Do you know how I came to power, Fleur?"

"I know the Hearth's Warming Eve tale well - Canterlot assured me of that."

Luna smirked. It wasn't her shadow this time, so her facial features were easily distinguishable.

"That tale is but a watered down version of the true story. Whilst it did happen, it was not the end."

The grassy field we stood in vanished in a puff of black smoke, slowly reforming in to a frozen cave. Three ponies were encased in ice, angered expressions on their faces while another three were huddled together.

"The three races did come to an agreement, that much is true, however when the leaders had defrosted, they did not share the same compassions."

I looked back at the figures to see that the ice had melted, however their anger was now directed at their own squires instead of each other.

"How couldst thou bear to make contact with these... lessers?"

"The pegasi must never be seen like this! Up! Get up!"

"Get away! They art hungry and will consume thou!"

The leaders had continued to chastise their squires, but their voices dulled as Luna had begun to speak.

"As the squires returned to the hoof of their master, they shared a moment that the other three were oblivious to through their anger - a mutual agreement. It had been mentioned in between their tales, but none were truly serious until they realised there was no other way."

The world around them vanished in smoke again, this time reforming to a castle interior where the unicorn squire was speaking to a young wizard.

"The unicorn went behind her leader's back to enact the plan. Her most powerful magician - despite his young age - was to develop a spell that would bind multiple ponies to the one soul."

To my side a fire had begun to grow, a mound of mutated, twisted and distorted ponies coated by the flickering blue flames.

"There were many failed attempts." Luna closed her eyes solemnly for a moment. "But Starswirl the Young had succeeded."

The ponies - and the castle - once again vanished, reforming to the grassy plain we had started in, however this time at the base of the hills there were ponies in different styles of armour fighting each other relentlessly. Ponies were falling one by one, the blood that stained the grass slowly making it's way up the hill. I considered that for a moment before realising that it was still a dream and anything could happen.

"The leaders clashed atop the hill, accompanied by their squires. Starswirl the Young was hidden by an invisibility spell of his own creation, waiting for the moment he had been instructed to."

Upon their mention, the leaders charged at each other from the bulks of their armies. The pegasus wielded a spear, the unicorn her magic and their earth pony merely charged head on. Their squires followed behind, a look of sadness on their faces over the loss of innocent lives.

As soon as the leaders collided with one another, a flash of light enveloped them. Fleur could see the magical aura coming from Starswirl's horn, outlining his otherwise cloaked self. The three squires all grouped up as well, and they too became enveloped in a similar light. Magical energy began pouring out of Starswirl, not from just his horn. His entire body was coated in multiple layers of overglow as the two glowing lights pulsated. The armies had all stopped fighting to watch the spectacle, jaws agape and weapons dropped.

"That, is why Starswirl the Young is renowned as a great unicorn. He was in tune with his magic to cast the most complex spells."

A flash of light blinded everypony, myself included, before revealing the celestial sisters. They were young here, no larger than myself or Cadance, and their manes had no special flow to it.

"I was the leaders. While I had the voices of the three in the back of our mind, I had a new personality as well. One that I had to develop."

"Unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies alike! Hear our voice!" The newly formed Celestia boomed. "We cannot live with the distrust thou all carry. If we put down our hatred and worked together, the world would be a better place!"

Celestia continued her spiel, but was muted as the real Luna began to speak.

"We had too many conflicting emotions to speak here. Celestia - made from the like-minded squires - was in charge from the start. The leaders were... discontent to say the least."

"So that's why you refer to yourself in plural outside of dreams?"

"Indeed it is. We - no, I - came to accept that they would never truly be one, and after a multiple centuries they came to terms that they are equal, yet different. I acknowledge their presence with plurality."

"Did they lead you to become Nightmare Moon?" Luna paused, and I worried for myself.

"That... is a story for another time." I accepted her answer before another question came to mind.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"This spell is the only way a regular pony can become an alicorn. Of course, Celestia and I have come up with a more refined version - infusing one pony with the magics of the other races without sacrificing a pony or two, but it has been the only proven method, and only extremely powerful unicorns can perform it even if they could know the spell."

"And?"

"And I have a name. Doctor Fetlockstein. A highly renowned earth pony surgeon based in Canterlot. He matches your description."

"No... no no no!" I shouted. "He's a unicorn! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Fleur... all records show that he is an earth pony, including his birth certificate."

"It.. It can't be! You have the wrong pony!"

"How many times have you seen him?"

"Twice... I think. The first time was when he tossed Breeze into the room and the second was... today? I... I don't remember much of today... I think I... did I?"

"What are you thinking Fleur?"

"I could have sworn he tossed me down a hallway towards another room but... I'm not certain. Today's been... a blur, if nothing else."

"Your memories are jumbled so I cannot get a clear thought out of you. This isn't good, but... don't let it bother you. It will drive you to madness if you do."

"How can I not let it bother me!?" I exclaimed. "He's doing... SOMETHING to me, and I can't even remember what!"

"Fleur, I will do all that I can to catch him, but I need time. My Moon-Guard is a small force, and they have other duties to attend to, but I have every pony I can working on this. We will save you." The world around me burst into a cloud of shadow and I was left alone to float in the darkness.

Chapter Three

Drip...

Tksh. The drop of water splashed atop my head, much to my annoyance. The water had been dripping for quite some time now, in random locations around the room. Every time it impacted against the stone floor the noise echoed against the walls, causing one solitary drop of water to announce it's presence at least three more times. It was almost maddening, especially when one would land on me and send a cold shiver up my spine. Last cycle I asked the master about it, but he never gave so much as a hint of care. Breeze and I called them cycles now - night and day was largely irrelevant down here even if we could tell when each occured.

I had feeling in my wings now. Not a lot, but it was there. Enough to make me yelp in pain whenever I accidentally stepped on the limp limbs in the darkness. Breeze helped me with remembering how to move them properly - as little as I could - after several cycles of her crying about me having not had wings before. She came around eventually, but I never could understand why she didn't believe me at first. Must have been a really bad nightmare.

Another memorable moment was when she felt the cut that the master had made along my cheek. That one I knew wasn't there before, but I accepted was a lesson the master was forced to teach me due to my disobedience. I was thankful he didn't go further than that - and that he stopped me from bleeding too much - but Breeze didn't see it that way. She saw it as mutilation, torture, and how she knew those words was beyond me. I never taught them to her, at least I don't remember doing so. Memories are a fleeting experience for me, so I have to hold on to the precious ones as much as possible - even if they aren't that pleasant.

I had been having nightmares as well, on top of the difficulty to sleep I already had on the uncomfortable floor. Shadowy tendrils wrapping themselves around my body, threatening to enter my body wherever possible and tear out my insides. Even in a dream, having your stomach ripped out through your mouth is an extremely painful experience and one I would not recommend trying at home. I had been strangled with my intestines, forced to eat a lung, dismembered - six limbs and all and my eyes were stabbed out with... my horn? I reached up over my muzzle and sure enough a horn was poking up out of my skull. How long had that been there? When was the last time I used magic?

How do I use magic?

I couldn't remember - just another thing in the large, brown, stinking and steaming pile of things. Only this particular thing was a massive, shiny gold thing with a few small flecks of the surrounding brown things scuffing the surface. It felt like it should be simple, like moving a leg or speaking, but I couldn't quite muster the control I needed. Just as I felt that I was beginning to wipe the brown off that golden memory there was a loud banging on the door, followed by the slither of light that signified the master's desire for my presence. He hadn't needed to say a word - I was a good girl - and my sudden presence in the dim light brought a smile to his face.

"Eager are we, my toy?"

"Oui master, anything to get away from the dripping noise."

"Hm. Follow me." He turned away before pausing. "And your daughter can come too if she so desires." I looked back to Breeze and saw the light reflect off her eyes, giving them a subtle sparkle that went with the grin she wore. She hadn't left the room since... well, ever. When she stepped into the light I finally saw her colours - steel grey mane and a coat that was probably snow white at some point but instead carried the grime and filth of the room. Honestly I wasn't much better - maybe the master was going to wash us. I couldn't contain my excitement as a smile forced it's way onto my face, albeit lopsided thanks to my scar, and the master seemed to pick up on this.

"Why are you so happy, puppet?" On his words my smile dropped and almost panicked. It would be wrong to suggest to him something I'd like, so I had to quickly think of something else.

"I... uh, have never... seen Breeze in the light? She'll grow up to be a pretty mare." He seemed to consider it for a moment before shrugging and moving off down the hallway. Breeze and I quickly followed, not wanting to disappoint, as we made our way down to the room where he'd fixed my wings.

"How do you find your food, my toy?" Food... I never really thought about it. At first it was almost impossible, both to eat and to digest, but after... countless cycles, I had learned the trick. Of course I still couldn't chew it, and my stomach really didn't enjoy it, but I no longer vomited after eating. I suppose that could be called a win.

"It's hard to chew..." I said quietly, almost ashamed.

"Then good news - I'm going to fix that for you!" He did a playful little dance, the smile on his face instantly turning to a scowl when I didn't react as he'd hoped. His horn flared as he tossed me roughly on to the table and strapped me down, a new brace installed underneath my chin. Breeze screamed my name at the sudden switch in attitude and was promptly thrown against a wall before dropping down onto a chair.

"You. Will. Not. Scream." He said, right up against Breeze. She squeaked and nodded. "If you do, this will happen." A scalpel floated up behind him, dancing from side to side to get Breeze's attention before it moved down to my neck, the tip pressing into my skin slightly. My heart began to race - what was going to happen? The blade dug deeper into my throat before-

A scalpel is an effective tool. It's lightweight and small - making it easy to conceal - yet also carries the sharpness and precision that can allow a pony to do considerable damage without completely butchering their victim. In that sense it's like a razor blade, though depending on the pony it might raise less questions. Today however, it was not being used for constructive purposes - if the warm fluid dripping down my neck and splashing on the floor was any sign. I gasped for air, the once simple task not coming easily as the blood bubbled out of my wound. As quickly as the cut was made it was sealed again, a sudden spell from the master dulling the sharp pain with a more consistent, burning pain. My heart was still pounding against my chest as the heat died away and I coughed up the small amount of blood that had gone inwards instead of out. My eyes flicked to the right, to Breeze, who looked like a stunned mullet. She was frozen - almost statuesque - eyes wide with fear as she clutched at her own throat to the amusement of the master.

I tried to tell her it would be alright, that I would die before he hurt her, but when I tried to speak the only noise that came out was... nothing. I tried, and tried again, right to the point where I was screaming in silence, tears running down my cheeks only to splash in the puddle of blood and prevent it from drying quickly.

"W-What d-did you d-do?" Breeze asked timidly, and the master grinned malevolently.

"I cut her vocal cords." I tried to scream 'WHAT!?', but there was no sound besides his incessant chuckling. "I very well can't have her screaming in my face during this operation. But don't you worry your pretty little tail, filly, because vocal cords grow back." He turned to me and leaned close to my left ear. "No they don't." He added in a whisper.

"I-I..." Breeze started, but was swiftly cut off.

"You what!? Are you going to tell on me!? Run off to Cloudsdale to tell everypony what a big bad meanie I am!? News flash filly: you can't escape - and if you did, you would get lost in the dark catacombs!" Breeze was openly crying now, crying for her mother... for me. "Now sit down and shut up, I have a procedure to complete!"

He turned to me, sorely pissed off as he pulled a pair of pliers out of somewhere. Using his magic he forced my mouth open and pulled one of my front teeth out with the tools, eliciting a pained gasp from me. It seemed about all I could manage anymore, and that, combined with my silent screams for help kept my mouth open on their own to the point where he had stopped using magic. About six teeth later he grunted, and with a flash of magic pulled all of my remaining teeth out at once. The taste of blood filled my mouth quickly, and I spat it out on the floor, some of it splashing on the master's hooves.

"You... you ungrateful whelp!" My head whipped to the side at his outburst and the scalpel came back out of it's home, cutting across my left cheek much as it did my right before cauterizing. It was... almost painless. Almost. It paled in comparison to having teeth pulled out for sure, and I realised that - with a bit of makeup - I could pose as a really cool villain of the comic book charactet Batmare. I giggled a little at the thought before something else hit me. I laughed at... at my own mutilation. Was I so far down the rabbit hole that I no longer felt... innocent? I couldn't stop laughing, either, I must have been quite a sight. Every time I pictured a little foal running away in the kind of fear that was fun, I laughed harder. This kind of humour would have disgusted me about... seven weeks, 4 days, 6 hours, 29 minutes and 13 seconds ago - a time provided to me by a pink mare in my mind who laughed alongside me - but now it's all I seem able to laugh at. The floodgate to my memories was shattered now. I knew I never used to have wings. I knew Breeze wasn't actually my daughter. I knew the master was called Doctor Fetlockstein, and right now I didn't even care. It was my life, and all I could do was laugh at my failings. Laugh at how I didn't heed Luna's warning, and how I got into the situation in the first place. My mind was a cloud of happiness - a sense of freedom that managed to exist within the stone walls of the catacombs beneath Canterlot. I didn't even notice the master replace my now removed teeth with something else entirely, I just assumed he took advantage of the state I was in while he could.

He unstrapped me and I jumped to the floor, wings dropping beside me as they always did. They had changed colour from their original brown to match the white of my coat. I laughed at that too. Luna said that only a spell can make a true alicorn, but the master had certainly gotten close. He locked us back in our room, a larger-than-normal piece of meat by the door revealed only by the light sneaking through the slider. He mentioned something about being gone for several days, but I was too focused on the meat to care. I was hungry, and after tearing off a sizable piece for Breeze I devoured the remaining steak. It was easier than normal - probably because whatever he had replaced my teeth with were much sharper than pony teeth. I wasn't satisfied however. Nothing I could do about that, so I slept to the once-maddening-now-calming sound of water dripping.

________________________________________

I stood alone in the field, the one that signified Luna's presence in my dream. I knew what I had become - I tested that by making my dream self look like my actual self for a few seconds before reverting.

"Oh Luuuunaaaa~" I called out into the open air. It was great to hear my voice, even if it wasn't real. Something I was going to miss sorely. The dream princess appeared out of thin air to meet my wide grin.

"You seem... happy?" She said, confused.

"Because I am... because I remember." I said with a wide grin.

"Remember what exactly?"

"Nothing in particular... just remember."

"Anything you'd like to share?"

"The catacombs." I said, making Luna freeze much to my delight. "Fetlockstein and the catacooombs~" I broke out into a giggle.

"I... I will send guards to arrest Fetlockstein and to retrieve you. Would you testify against him in Canterlot court?"

"Who? The master? Sure! I don't need him anymore anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing." She glared at me before sighing defeatedly.

"Be safe, Fleur."

"I would tell your guards to do the saaaame~"

"What?" And the world vanished.

________________________________________

I woke with a start and deliciously mad look on my face. I would go out with a bang, and I had it all planned out. All I had to do now was wait. I rested against Breeze - just behind where the door would open. If - no, when - it did, we would be concealed unless somepony decides to look further.

We spent hours waiting. Silence - mostly on my part - aside from the weak drops of water. They had slowed down now, almost unnoticable if you weren't paying attention. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I heard the sweetest sound. Success.

"Ugh, smells like shit down here. Gotta be close." A young-ish stallion's voice echoed down the hall. It didn't smell that bad, did it?

"I told you to bring a nosepeg Sonar but no, you said you wouldn't need it. Interferes with your hearing." The second voice was that of a mare. She sounded slightly nasal, which I assumed was thanks to a nosepeg.

"Your voice is interfering with my hearing Hawk Eye, so shut up."

"Will the both of you quit your bickering and get these doors open?" That stallion was in charge. His voice was deep, raspy and sounded as though he had nothing to cover up the smells either, though he showed no signs of disgust.

"Sir, yes sir." They both said at once, and the sounds of shattering locks and clattering metal filled the catacombs. The other doors were poorly maintained, creaking loudly as they edged open. If I had to guess, they were two doors down, so I pressed Breeze up against the wall and put a hoof over her muzzle.

The next room over's door fell off it's hinges at the intrusion of the guard - the sound deafening as it reverberated off the walls.

"Fuck me, Hawk! Be more careful next time!"

"You'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?"

"Shut up..." The lock to my door broke and the door cracked open. It was the stallion who poked his head in, but instead of looking around he used his ears. They twitched slightly on our faint breaths, but he disappeared without noticing us, the sound of him vomiting outside suggesting that he wouldn't be back soon.

"Fuck that room stinks... She must've been moved, cause that shit's fresh and ain't nopony in there."

"Keep moving." The leader said. He was a unicorn - I knew by the light that could only come from a spell. Sonar was probably a pegasus, and I could only guess as to what Hawk was. When they were a couple more doors down, I started my plan. I tapped a hoof on the ground a couple of times lightly, eliciting a "huh?" from the young stallion. Two sets of hoofsteps kept distancing themselves while one returned to my room, stopping outside. I tapped once more to coax him in and he took the bait, stepping inside. He covered his muzzle with his left hoof to block out the smell, and as his neck passed by the edge of the door I lashed out and grabbed it with my teeth, pulling him in by his throat. I clenched my teeth together, meeting half-way through his neck before pulling back and tearing a large chunk of flesh off. Something the master indirectly taught me - they can't scream without vocal cords.

The stallion bucked and kicked at the air around me, hitting me awkwardly every once in a while as I stood to his side and waited for him to bleed out. I still had a good portion of his neck in my mouth which I chewed at slowly while he entertained me. Dinner AND a show. Breeze had backed away, wary of a stray swinging hoof, and watched Sonar intently. After a few moments of kicking and wheezing, he stopped moving - and I swallowed my snack - which meant I had to deal with two more ponies. They had noticed he was gone... only a matter of time.

"Sonar? Sonar! Where are you? I don't like this sir..."

"He shouldn't wander off unannounced. Let's keep moving."

"No! I'm not leaving my brother in this... place! Check that room." I flicked the ring off my horn - magically locked, he said? - and held it in my own field of magic, flipping it around in the air a few times. A light crept up to my doorway and I readied it for when the unicorn's horn was in view. An orb of light flew into the room, dazing me for a few moment as Night Light entered and cast his gaze around the room before stopping on Breeze. She was much more in the open than I was.

"I found the fill-"

Crck- BOOM!

Everything went dark for a split second before a blinding flash lit both the room and hallway, launching the guard into the wall by the door of the opposite room. He hit slid to the ground with a thud, and Hawk Eye ran up to his barely conscious body.

"Night Light! Are you alright?"

"In that room..."

"No! You need to rest!"

I poked my head out from behind the door to get a look at him, and his eyes widened as he pointed at me.

"There! Look!" I disappeared behind the door again as the mare turned around.

"There's nothing there, sir."

"Behind... the door. Go, look."

"But sir, I can't leave yo-"

"That's an... order." The mare sighed and got up, heading over to my room. Timidly she poked her head in, glancing around the room until her eyes met mine. She froze for a moment, eyes darting around the area - To Sonar's body, me, my smile, teeth, wings, horn, Sonar, teeth, eyes. She clenched her eyes shut and shook her head a few times before reopening them, once again meeting my gaze, this time closer. Her head pulled back but I moved forwards to match, keeping our noses a hair's breadth away. Finally I kissed her - a quick peck on the lips - and the taste of the blood that lined my mouth must have been the final straw. She pulled away and turned out the door before sprinting off down the hallway screaming at a pitch that could shatter glass if there was any to break down here, leaving me alone with the unicorn guard and leader of the trio. I meandered up to him casually, Breeze staying in the recluse of the room and poking her head out to watch.

"What do you want?" He said with a hint of anger in his voice. I said nothing (obviously) and stood over him with my permanent smile. "Say something!" I held his hooves down with my magic and lowered my head to his belly. "By the order of the Night Guard, I command you to speak!" I bit into his soft hide - not deeply, but enough to draw blood. He struggled against his magical restraints, but since he was still weak from the explosion of the feedback ring he couldn't fight back as well as he'd hoped. I took another bite, this time removing a small patch of flesh to reveal his inner workings. Fear finally settled into his mind as he tried everything to break out of my hold before using his last resort. He stared me in the eyes (I decided to humour him) before his horn started to glow.

BOOM!

I backed off slightly but not before the feedback ring kicked in, the force of the explosion slingshotting his head back and into the wall to knock him out. I realised at that point that the ring was designed to keep the user safe from the wearer, so any reaction it caused would only affect the pony who triggered it. I giggled silently over the still body before going back to being a can opener, tearing away all of the flesh around his gut. I contemplated taking a snack from the meat-fridge, but I decided to let him have a waking up present. Breeze came back over once she heard the explosion, so I ushered her onto my back as I began to traverse my way through the catacombs.

It was a long walk back, mainly because I had no actual idea as to where to go. Every time there was a crossing I stopped to see if I could hear anything out of the ordinary, and if I couldn't I turned left, then right at the next time. Eventually I managed to hear the faintest sounds of... music? I followed my ears as the music grew louder and louder until finally I found myself at a wooden door. Shrugging, I pushed it open and ended up on a street in Old Canterlot - if the prostitutes were any indication. It was nighttime, but the life had not died down out here. I was almost jealous, having spent my life in the snooty Upper Canterlot, night times were more of a time to sleep or be at a function - never anything fun.

Opposite me was a club that was obviously really popular as there was a large line of ponies queuing to get in, blocked off by a rather threatening bouncer. They all chatted amongst themselves or attempted to flirt with the burly stallion at the door to get in, paying me no mind. I didn't feel like causing trouble with that stallion around, so I turned left and headed through the streets towards Lower Canterlot. As I walked, any pony that might have crossed my path seemed to notice me beforehand and get out of the way without question. I guess Old Canterlot was just that dangerous at times.

I got to Lower Canterlot with relative ease - only four hookers ran away screaming and ponies must have thought they were on some kind of new drug as they blabbered through tears to whoever would listen. The streets here were much, MUCH quieter - not a soul in sight. I had only been here a couple of times in my life, but I knew the general direction to Upper Canterlot and so I made my way there swiftly. Ponies would take more note of me here, and even though it was quiet I still stuck to the shadows just in case.

The transition to Upper Canterlot was guarded as usual, making it impossible for me to sneak past without drawing alarm. Two guards were at the gate, while other patrolled the area. I hid in an alcove near the gate while I thought of a way through, my mind being cut off by Breeze calling out.

"Hey! Over here!" She shouted at the guards, who quickly searched for the source of the noise. One found me quickly before nudging his partner, and they ran over.

"Princess Ca-" He cut off when I got close to me, the smell and my coat colour making him realise I wasn't who he thought. His stare hardened. "Who are you, imposter!?" I looked around, I didn't know how to continue. This was Breeze's plan, and with a lack of speech I couldn't play along.

"She's foreign. Can't speak Equestrian. Understands it well enough." Well, that's one plan. I nodded, to emphasise her point.

"We were not aware of any foreign alicorns aside from Cadance. Where are you from?"

"Uh..." She was stumped for a moment, but then leaned down to be closer to me. "Birri birri?" What!? I shook my head from side to side at her terrible backup, but I think she planned for me to do that. "She does not think it to be any of your concern. We travelled far to seek an audience with your princesses, as you can smell."

"Why did you not fly, being an alicorn and pegasus?"

"Have you seen her wings!? Why do you think we're here!?" The guards looked at my sides and flinched slightly. They must have looked severely broken they way they dragged beside me, feather tips dirty and ragged. They shared a glance at each other before nodding and letting us through the gate. They followed us as we moved on.

"You two shouldn't abandon your post!" Breeze snapped. She enjoyed pretending to be a foreign dignitary's voice, and all the power that came with it.

"Don't tell us our job, filly. Escorting an injured alicorn is a higher priority than a simple guard post."

"Why doesn't one of you stay, then?"

"Protocol. Always work in pairs, for backup." Breeze groaned.

"Fine, whatever." She resigned her efforts as we trotted through the streets. I knew where I was going, but I also knew I didn't want to go there originally. At least not at first, but now I have no choice. I intended to go home, have a shower and a nice rest to make myself presentable before my audience with the princesses. However, Breeze's plan did have it's benefits - the guard escort being a nice touch instead of having to explain our way past all the posts. Also it was night, so any pony that might possibly recognise me through the dirt, grime, unkempt fur/mane/tail and wings would be asleep.

The trip to the castle was short, the first guard post to pass being set at the entrance. They looked at me, then the escorts who simply nodded before raising their blockade and allowing us to pass. The entrance to the throne room was fairly direct as well, a couple of turns until we were in front of the large golden doors. I never hoped to be back here - not after how I had left - but I couldn't back away now. At least no guards recognised me, although I feared that Luna would instantly, and she would be the one awake right now. I gulped as the doors opened, a large line of ponies between myself and the throne all here to appeal to the princess for some reason or another.

I took a place at the end of the line, and made sure Breeze made no comment on the matter as the guards left for their post. My smell seemed to offend the pony in front of me - he had a hoof over his muzzle to no avail when he turned to scold me.

"Excuse me, why is somepony of yo-" He stopped when he saw me. It was Hoity Toity, a friend of Fancy Pants and by default my own back when I was... me. He didn't recognise me, but an alicorn in line was definitely unusual. "I-I'm sorry, princess. Please, take my place in line as an apology." He moved to the side and I stepped forwards, however his mention of a princess turned several more heads. They all stepped aside as I kept walking through, hushed mutterings flickering along the crowd travelling up faster than I could walk comfortably. I didn't want to speed up the waiting process because I still needed to think of a plan, but Canterlot always manages to work against you at the worst of times. Worse still, my parting of the multicoloured sea (Well, they moved either side and formed a wall) attracted the princess' attention, eyes going wide as she realised that my colouring was familiar.

"Fleur..."

Chapter Four

"Fleur..."

Time seemed to stop as we stared at each other, if it wasn't for the chorus of gasps and now not-so-hushed whispers amongst the Canterlot ponies. A few recognised the name, either from my association with Fancy or the inevitable news from the dramatic end of my modelling career, and everypony who didn't was having it promptly explained to them that I was thought to be either dead or exiled.

"The Night Court is closed! All of thou, we bid thee safe travels and humbly apologize for the sudden change of events."

A sudden uproar let the princess get the general idea of how the ponies felt about the current change of events, one that only seemed to amplify when the Night Guard started ushering them out forcefully. Even behind the now closed doors of the throne room I could hear their cries of annoyance, albeit muffled.

"We hath arrested Fetlockstein, he is waiting in a cell in the castle's dungeons. If thou want, thou can speak with him before his punishment." I tilted my head curiously at what his punishment would be; I knew Celestia was sorely against execution, but banishment was too good for him. "We hath spoken with our sister, and we feel that were she to lay eyes on thou she would understand our pleas for death." The corners of my mouth - well, where they used to be at least - curled up in a wicked smile. I nodded eagerly and she lead me through a reinforced wooden door to the left of the throne.

The hallways we walked through slowly got colder and more infested with cobwebs, as well as an ever increasing amount of dust on the floor leaving a neat trail of hoofprints. We followed three tracks of prints through various twists and turns until we finally reached a long row of iron barred cells. I nodded at Luna and gave me the key to his cell and moved away to allow me some privacy. Breeze and I trotted down the line of empty cells, some of which had skeletons of various creatures including ponies still sitting in them, until we found the only occupant of Canterlot Dungeon: Master. My putting the key in the lock caught his attention and put a smile on his face.

"My puppet! Come to break me out, have we? And you brought your beautiful daughter with you, oh it's an escape dream come true." He tried to walk towards me but was held back by several chains around his waist and legs. "You see, I'm a bit tied up right now." I snorted, turning away from him to make my exit before he spoke up once again. "I see this is no rescue plan for me, puppet, so I will grace you with one final word." This I had to hear. I turned my head back, staring deep into his eyes as his grin faded into something more serious... like defeat? No, acceptance. "Apple."

Time froze, my mind took a back seat, my wings shot up from their previous limp position and I could only focus on one detail: How much I really, really, really wanted to kill the stallion chained up before me. My reaction was what he wanted, the smile returning to his face as mine gained a scowl. I crouched down and in one swift movement used my wings to propel me forwards and spear his neck with my horn. Breeze made no effort to stop me, though she was slightly scared as Fetlockstein gargled blood, a fair bit of it running down the length of my horn and down my snout towards my mouth. The smell, the sensations, filled me with euphoria and I desired more. I wanted to know his taste, wear it, imprint it on me for as long as I lived. He couldn't scream now, I learned that from him and he looked excited that I used the knowledge, so that meant I could have my fun.

Slowly, very slowly, I began to peel his skin off starting where my horn had pierced it. My work was anything but neat and soon I had stripped the colour off his entire neck, revealing the muscles below as they flexed and tensed from the painful sensations he was going through. I could see why he enjoyed messing with me, and while I had no intention to follow his example it set in a new sense of admiration as his coat was slowly lifted from his face. He had no eyelids now, no way to hide him from the sight of me tearing away at him, and no way to stop me from licking one of his eyes. I would save those for later definitely, but right now I wanted him to watch everything.

But I had to hurry. Hoofsteps were approaching.

I let out a silent growl of distontent as I wrapped his neck skin around mine like a scarf and loosely wore his face like a bandana. The steps were hurried now, time to wrap this up. I stabbed my horn into his right eye, closely followed by his left before repeatedly jabbing him in the neck and chest. Blood slowly seeped out of his wounds, as if there was little left to lose, and for good measure I bit a chunk out of his neck. The steps stopped. I turned back to see Luna and Celestia, their faces plastered with a look of shock as the scene they were witnessing. I jumped out of the cell and with a powerful flap of my wings leapt over them and sprinted for the exit. Breeze would be fine, she would understand my urgency. My running slowed down to a halt before I realised that I was stuck in the magical aura of Celestia, who had recovered from the initial shock a fair bit faster than Luna who was still frozen.

I was dragged back against my will, kicking wildly to no avail. I was right in front of Celestia when I had another brilliant idea: finding out her taste. I lurched forwards, my muzzle just getting close enough to pinch off a morsel of alicorn. It was sweet, probably the sweetest it be without turning into a marshmallow, but the distinct metallic taste didn't fail to make it's presence known either. With a yelp of pain I was pulled further away, nothinf I could do to shift forwards in the slightest as I was met with the angriest glare I had ever seen from the Celestial Sisters. It sent a pleasant chill down my spine, ruffling the feathers on my wings. I noticed that Fetlockstein was still weakly hanging on to life out of the corner of my eye, and I had to commend his effort.

"Sister, she is brainwashed. Look at her eyes, they are little more than pin pricks."

"She not only comitted murder, Luna, but in a way that is violent, gruesome, and violates everything Equestria stands for. She even wears her victim as a trophy!" I flashed Celestia a crooked smile, adjusting the skin around my neck and striking a pose while I was suspended in mid air. "She even mocks us! She is lost to the world, Luna. I give you two options, death... or reset. Pick one." The decision was directed at me, but that didn't stop Luna from speaking out against her sister.

"She can be saved! We need not resort to measures as drastic as a reset! Thou banned that spell before even WE were banished; if it were that bad then, how does that make it now?"

A reset. I didn't know what that was, but I assumed it meant keeping my life. I pounded my wings against the air, ran a hoof along the scars on my face and neck, then bit into that hoof hard enough to make the bones in my ankle crunch loudly enough to make the diarchs return their attention to me. I was going to respond, but this new realisation of how good I tasted distracted me as I began tearing the flesh off my foreleg and eating it, savouring the taste with every bite. It hurt, it hurt quite a lot actually, but the reward of the taste easily outweighed that pain and pushed it out of my head through my ear. I had stripped my bone up to my knee when I heard the alicorns beside me speak in unison.

"Death..." Their voices were sad, defeated, crushed by the forced loss of one of their valuable subjects. The edges of my vision started to darken, creating even more focus on gnawing at my own bone. It slowly expanded, creating an ever-narrowing hole of vision, one that as soon as it closed up entirely I f-