Act I
An eerie silence hung through a deserted clearing. All that could be heard was the rolling and flashing of thunder and lightning across the dark, vast sky. Three shadows huddled around each other, their voices quiet and creepy.
“So, when will we three meet again?” One of them spoke, her sap green eyes hidden under a black cloak.
“When she returns from the tall buildings of Manehattan, we will be there to meet with Twilight Sparkle.” A second replied, her voice sounding like that of a schoolyard filly.
“Then soon we will act. Let us move, dear sisters! To the home of royalty we flee!”
The three shadows hurried out of the clearing, their hoofsteps not making a sound. They disappeared into the thick tree line, moving like the wind. A large bolt of lightning flashed across the sky before the ear pounding sound of thunder echoed.
Two ponies walked down a seemingly deserted street, which struck them as odd as this was one of the main roads into Canterlot. Despite this, they moved on, wanting to reach the capital as soon as possible.
“The weathers quite odd, isn’t it, Pinkie?” One of them remarked, her streaked mane falling out of the hood she was wearing.
“It is, isn’t it? It was just storming a few minutes ago, and now this!” The second replied, her eyes fixed on the clear blue sky above them. Her coat and her mane were a light pink, and her saddlebags were packed to the brim with sweets.
“Well, I’m just glad were finally back in Canterlot. Manehattan was fun but it just doesn’t beat home!” Twilight grinned as the huge, imposing towers of Canterlot Castle came into view.
“The baked goods do, that’s for sure!” Pinkie Pie smirked, grabbing a few sugary treats from her bag.
If there was one pony Twilight would want to be travelling with, it was Pinkie Pie. The earth pony was one of her oldest and most trusted friends, and she could always rely on her for help. When the Princess had told her of her mission in Manehattan, Pinkie had volunteered right away to accompany her. She had of course accepted without a moment of hesitation, as it took some time to reach the city from Canterlot and she didn't want to make the trip on her own.
The two ponies continued along the road, continuously watching as the capital opened up in front of them. They both jumped back, however, when three fillies rushed up in front of them.
“What are you three girls doing here? You should be in class right now! And what’s with the dark clothes?” Pinkie Pie questioned as she looked the three fillies up and down. A bad feeling lingered in her mind.
“You three really shouldn’t be skipping school! It’s important, you know!”
“All hail Twilight! Hail to thee, student of royalty!”The first one chimed. With her cloak gone, they could see that her coat was a pure white. The horn on her head indicated she was a unicorn, and she appeared to be normal, aside from the dark, punk like clothes she was wearing.
“All hail Twilight! Hail to thee, advisor of the crown!” The second one spoke up. She was wearing the same type of clothing as the others. There was dark purple eyeliner under her eyes, and her coat was a brilliant orange. She was a pegasus, which was obvious from the wings that jetted out of the sides of her clothes.
“All hail Twilight! You shall be Queen from hereafter!” The third finished, her head and body covered in black clothing that was adorned with skulls and stars. Her coat was a light yellow and no visible wings or horn could be seen along her body.
Pinkie Pie cocked an eyebrow at them before taking a step closer. “You three are really weird, you know! Is this what fillies do these days? Dress up in weird clothes and go around sprouting nonsense? You come and greet Twilight here with foolish promises that could never come true! If you really are fortune tellers, tell me what my future is!”
The three fillies exchanged glances for a moment before talking.
“Hail!”
“Hail!”
“Hail!”
They each spoke in turn before the unicorn stepped forward. “Lesser then Twilight, yet greater.”
“Not so happy, yet much happier.” The pegasus stepped in front, staring at Pinkie Pie with eerie purple eyes.
“You shall mother royalty, but you will never be one yourself. So all hail Pinkie Pie and Twilight!” The third one finished, stepping in front of her sisters.
By now, Twilight was officially creeped out. Not only did these three fillies’ appearances scare her, but their words were frightful too. She pushed Pinkie aside and looked at all three of them. “Tell me more, girls. I know I’m the student of Princess Celestia, but how am I the advisor? Silverquill still lives, and a fine stallion he is. And what of being Queen? Where did you get all this information? Speak girls, I command you!” Twilight slammed her hoof down on the dirt, and just as she did, the three fillies disappeared.
“Where did they go? They just disappeared into nothing!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, rushing over to where they once stood.
“Into thin air, it seems. But I imagine the unicorn just teleported them away. I’m kind of surprised though; that’s a lot of magic for one filly!”
“Why are you worrying about that, Twilight? What about what they said?”
Twilight gave her friend an unsure smile. “I’m still thinking about it… Are you sure those treats aren’t spiked with something?” The unicorn joked, chuckling at the thought.
“Well, I’m sure they were real… But is what they said true?”
“Your children will be royalty.”
“…And you’ll be Queen.” Pinkie Pie mumbled, both of them thinking deeply on the whole situation. They were interrupted, however, as two figures came upon them. One of them was a short purple dragon, while the other was an orange earth pony.
“Twilight! Princess Celestia is very pleased with your work in Manehattan and she’s rewarding you! Silverquill just retired as the Princess’s advisor, so now she’s appointing you the position!”
Pinkie Pie let out a gasp and reared back on her rear hooves. “Just like they said!” She screamed, looking at Twilight with wide eyes.
Completely bewildered, Twilight shook her head and looked at the dragon known as Spike. “But Silverquill is nowhere near the age of retirement! He’s only been the advisor for five years!”
At this, the orange earth pony spoke up. She recalled that her name was Applejack. “Well from what Ah heard, Silverquill won the Canterlot lottery! He must be swimming in piles of money right now!”
Twilight turned away from Spike and Applejack and whispered quietly to Pinkie Pie. “I was a student, but now I’m the advisor! The crown is still yet to come! But what about you? Do you think your children will be kings or queens?”
“I’m not sure… If what they said about you came true, then it might be the same for me! But who knows? This could just be a coincidence! Anypony could win the lottery!”
“Well, I hope so…” Twilight mumbled, a frown appearing across her lips. “For I fear that I won’t get the crown in a noble way…”
Pinkie Pie turned away from the unicorn and back towards Spike and Applejack. “Let’s get going, guys! I’ve been dying to get back to Canterlot!”
They all turned and continued down the road, and as they went, Twilight brushed up against Pinkie. “Let’s talk about this later, when nopony else is around…”
Canterlot Castle was far more ornate and detailed than any other building in the land. It’s massive, thick gate gave the appearance that the rest of the palace was just as large and imposing. Its marble walls and floors were polished to the point of blindness, and every surface was decorated with expensive paintings and carpets. Gold, silver and every color of gem were seen when one turned a corner. It was a true splendor for the ages.
Princess Celestia sipped lightly at her tea before turning to her sister. Even the tea room, which sole purpose was the consumption of tea, was far more decorative and beautiful than the finest museum in all of Equestria.
“Have all the senators been notified about Silverquill? Has Twilight been told about her promotion?” Celestia asked.
“They have been told, dear sister, but she has yet to return. The senators have expressed their grief of the situation; they believe Silverquill was doing an extraordinary job!” Luna replied, placing her empty china cup down on the solid gold table.
“While he was doing a very good job, I do not force ponies to work for me. If he wishes to retire with his money, then I will let him do so. Anyway, Twilight is an amazing student; I’m sure she will make a fine advisor.”
The silence between the two regal sisters was broken as the door was thrown open, and four figures poured in. First was Twilight and Pinkie Pie, who were soon followed by the messengers, Spike and Applejack.
“Twilight Sparkle! We were just talking about you!” Princess Celestia exclaimed as she got to her hooves. “Are you pleased about your promotion?”
Twilight smiled upon the sight of her teacher. She had always seemed to be able to make her happy. She was the mare that had taught her for many years, and was responsible for almost all of her magical ability. “Yes, Princess! I’m honored that you would pick me of all ponies! I promise you’ll I’ll do my very best!”
“I thought as much.” Celestia nodded back. “From what I’ve heard, your mission in Manehattan went well. I thank you, Pinkie Pie, for accompanying Twilight.” She turned to the pink pony and smiled.
“Oh, it was no problem at all, Princess! Twilight and I had a great time! We did get a little homesick, but I guess nothing can compare to Canterlot!”
An idea suddenly popped into Twilight’s head, and she quickly suggested it. “Princess, would you like to dine at my home this evening? We could celebrate my new promotion, and I’m sure my wife would be delighted to hear your coming!”
“A marvelous idea, Twilight! I’ll get my servants to reformat my schedule.” Celestia turned her head to Luna. “Would you like to come along, sister?”
“As far as I know, I don’t have much planned for this evening, so yes. I’d love to come.” Luna replied, pushing her long, wavy hair out of her face.
“It’s settled then! I’ll see you soon, Princess! Thank you again for the promotion!” Twilight said with excitement. She then waved goodbye to everypony before leaving.
Twilight Sparkle’s estate was one of the nicest and largest homes in all of Canterlot. Even some of the richest celebrities couldn’t afford what she had. Being the Princess’s personal student did have its perks.
A white unicorn paced down one of its ornate halls, and floating beside her was a letter. She was dressed in extremely fashionable clothes, as one could easily mistake her for royalty. Gold and silver bands ran along her forelegs, and a diamond necklace sparkled in every color of the rainbow. Her dress was colored in shades of white and gold, and not a speck of dirt was visible along her entire body. As she walked, she read the letter aloud to herself.
“I met three fillies as Pinkie and I made our way to Canterlot. They were different, to say the least. They spoke of great things, and events that have yet to happen. When I so wanted to ask them more, they fled, and instead came the Princess’s messengers. They appointed me with the title of advisor, which the fillies had predicted mere moments before. They also hailed me as Queen from thereafter, and I wonder now if what they say is true. I decided that you, my dear wife, should know of this meeting and what I have been promised.”
The unicorn finished reading the letter just as she reached the end of the hallway. She threw open the wooden door and stepped into the large room that served as the entrance hall. “Twilight is now the advisor to the Princess, just as these three mysterious fillies predicated. Queen is what she is to become, but I fear she is too cowardly to act. While she may be ambitious, she will not be able to take the steps necessary to take power. It seems that I will have to act, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure the crown is ours…”
She was interrupted, however, as the main doors opened and an exhausted looking messenger came running in. “Lady Rarity! Lady Rarity!” The pegasus yelled, suddenly tripping on her own hooves. She looked up at the unicorn, her eyes looking in different directions as they often tended to do.
“What is it?” Rarity barked, slightly disgusted with the derpy-looking pegasus.
“The Princess comes here tonight!”
“What? Are you sure? Surely I would have been notified sooner for such an important event!”
The pegasus got to her hooves and nodded. “Yes, Lady Rarity! And your wife Twilight is to arrive soon!”
“Very well, now get out of my sight!” She snapped, and the messenger quickly rushed out of room at her command. Now alone, Rarity stepped into the center of the room. “Be it by chance or fate, the time has come. The Princess comes to dine here tonight, and I now call upon you spirits! Demons of the night! Unsex me, remove remorse from my body, and fill me from hoof to head with cruelty so I may succeed in this dark task!” Rarity yelled into the empty room, her hooves reaching up to the tall ceiling. There was a long, quiet pause before the doors were thrown open a second time.
Instead of a weary pegasus, Twilight stepped into the room. Rarity quickly recomposed herself and hurried over to her wife.
“Twilight, dear! Or should I say the Princess’s grand advisor! Your letter has told me a great deal, and I feel that the time will soon come.”
Twilight smiled upon the sight of her wife, and she quickly embraced her in a short kiss. She had missed her while she was away, and now joy filled her as they were together. “My dearest love… Princess Celestia is coming tonight…”
“And when is she leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
Rarity smirked, and it was as if her eyes changed color as she spoke. “Well, she will not see tomorrow! Keep quiet, dear Twilight, and leave the planning to me. You will be Queen, I assure you that.”
Twilight gave her an odd look, as she was acting different than usual. It was almost as if something dark had taken control of her; something evil. “We’ll talk later…”
“Oh, indeed we will… Just act normal, and leave all the rest to me…” Rarity let out a weak chuckle before leaving the entrance hall. There was a bad feeling in the pit of Twilight’s stomach. A very bad feeling.
Princess Celestia, Luna and Pinkie Pie, along with their attendants made their way to the door of Twilight’s home. It looked just as impressive from from the outside as it did in, with huge green gardens littering the area, and massive windows placed along the building.
“This is a very nice home; the air has something pleasant about it.” Princess Celestia commented, and all of the attendants murmured in agreement.
“Oh yeah, Twilight’s got a great house! It’s really, really big! I’ve always loved coming over here!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing up and down as she went.
Before they could reach the door, it opened and a white unicorn stepped outside. She walked up to them and smiled.
“Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! It’s an honor to serve you…” She bowed as low as she could without getting dirt on her dress.
“Ah, our honored hostess! Thank you Rarity, I certainly hope we’re not too much trouble.”
“Not at all, dear Princess! I know our estate is nowhere near as amazing as Canterlot Castle, but I hope it will do.”
“It’s a fine home; sometimes I find the Castle is too big!” Celestia chuckled lightly at her statement, with the attendants quickly following. “Now, where’s Twilight? She left quite awhile before we did.”
“She’s just inside. Now please enter, Princess! Let me show you around…” Rarity smiled, quickly guiding them all into the entrance hall and out of the cold, dark night.
The faint sounds of music could be heard echoing through the halls of the estate. Servants bustled about with food and plates, getting the evenings dinner prepared. It was as if the entire home was alive; all except Twilight’s study, where the only sound was that of her hoofsteps as she paced back and forth.
“It would be easy to assassinate the Princess, as long as it would not set in motion a series of terrible events... Then I would be Queen of all of Equestria! Just as the fillies promised…” She mumbled to herself, a frown quickly forming on her lips.
“But… I’ve known the Princess for such a long time; I could never come to kill her! She was like a mother to me, and taught me everything I know about magic! Besides, the Princess is loved by all! She’s a fair, just ruler and it would be terrible if I took her from them. I can’t do it. I won’t… There’s no reason to. I’ll just accept my new position as advisor and ignore the prophecy.”
The door to her study suddenly opened, and the beautifully dressed Rarity walked in. “Rarity! What is it, dear?”
“The Princess is almost finished eating, so why did you leave the dining hall?”
“I just needed some time to think…” Twilight stated before turning away from her wife and towards her window. She gazed out of it, looking down at the gorgeous gardens outside.
“About?” Rarity questioned, her voice cold and shrill.
A few seconds passed before Twilight responded. “We won’t go along with the plan… The Princess practically raised me, and she’s just rewarded me with this new position.”
A scowl crossed Rarity’s face. “What?” She snarled, the anger in her voice clearly audible. “We have the biggest opportunity of our lives, and you just throw it away?! Are you a coward? Is that it? You’re afraid?!”
“N-no!” Twilight replied weakly, taken aback by her wife’s reaction. “I-It’s just…”
“Twilight!” Rarity moved in close to the unicorn so that their lips were mere inches apart. “Don’t you see this golden opportunity? We’ll both serve as Queens! We won’t live in this tiny estate anymore! Instead, the Castle will be our home! We’ll be royalty! The best of the best! Anything we’ve ever wanted in life, we’ll have!”
“But what if we fail?” Twilight asked, her decision shifting more and more as her wife spoke.
“Then we fail! But as long as we’re bold, we won’t. Now listen closely to my plan. While Celestia is asleep, I’ll get her bedroom guards drunk. Then all we have to do is slip into the room and do the deed. After that, we’ll smear the blood on the guards, and they’ll be blamed for the act.”
Twilight’s eyes widened at the idea. It was brilliant and sounded so very, very easy. All she would have to do was one stroke of a blade, and it would be over. “Very well… We’ll proceed with the plan, and I’ll keep back all guilt and remorse.”
END OF ACT I
The dimly lit hallways of the Sparkle estate were dead quiet, with the only sound being that of a lone earth pony taking a midnight stroll. The pink pony turned a corner and jumped back in fright when she almost ran into a small yellow pegasus.
“Fluttershy! What are you doing up so late, sweetie pie?” Pinkie Pie asked, looking at the young mare with a frown.
“Oh, s-s-sorry mother…” She mumbled weakly, quickly getting up from the stone floor. “I just followed you because I was wondering where you were going, but then I got lost… This house is so big…”
Pinkie Pie grinned and embraced her young daughter in a hug. “Well, don’t worry dear; I was just taking a little walk, that’s all. It’s just… I’ve been having some trouble sleeping lately…”
“Why’s that?” The timid pegasus asked, looking up into her mother’s light blue eyes.
“Nightmares… You see, me and-”
She was cut off by the sound of hoofsteps down the hall. Pinkie quickly let go of her daughter and yelled into the darkness.“Who’s there?!”
“A friend.” A voice replied, and within a moment, Twilight stepped into the light of a nearby flickering torch. She looked somewhat distressed and weary, which brought questions to the earth pony’s mind. A tired looking servant trailed behind her.
A wave of relief washed over Pinkie at the sight of her friend, and she couldn’t help but grin. “You’re still up, Twilight? The Princess already went to bed hours ago, so I imagined you would have too.”
“I’m just having a little trouble sleeping, that’s all…”
“Well I can relate to that, which reminds me. I dreamt about those three fillies last time I slept, and it seems they revealed some truth to you?”
“Bah, I haven’t thought about them at all since we met them.” Twilight quickly lied. “But if you want, we can talk about them later.”
Pinkie nodded. “That’d be great, because I still have an awful feeling about them…” She then turned to Fluttershy. “Let’s get going. It’s time for bed.”
Twilight said goodnight to the both of them before they paced down the hallway, quickly disappearing into darkness. She turned to the servant behind her, who had fallen asleep against the wall. “Go get my wife ready for bed, and tell her to ring a bell when she’s done. When you’re finished, get some rest for yourself.” The servant nodded happily before hurrying down the hallway.
Twilight was just about to go to head off to her bedroom when suddenly, a glimmer of light appeared in front of her. She rubbed her eyes and took a few steps forward, hardly believing what she saw. “Is this a dagger I see before me?”
She asked into the darkness, looking the floating dagger up and down. Its ornate handle was positioned to her hoof, and the shinning blade was coated with fresh blood. She reached out her hoof and tried to grab the blade, but she merely passed through it as if it were air.
“Are you real? Or merely a creation of my sleep-deprived brain?” The blade continued to float in mid air, and Twilight stared at it as if she were in a trance. “Is this a sign for what I have to do? That I have to kill the Princess?”
After another minute of staring at the mysterious blade, she shook her head and turned away from it. “No! It’s just a manifestation of my fears! It’s not real!” She declared firmly to herself.
A bell rang through the halls and it sent shivers down Twilight’s spine. “It’s time…” She mumbled, closing her eyes. “Soon, Princess… you will be in either heaven or hell…”
Twilight slowly looked from behind the corner, quickly letting out a sigh of relief. She got out from her cover and paced over to the Princess’s door, where two pegasus guards were passed out. The strong stench of alcohol wafted in the air, and their snores echoed down the empty halls.
This is it... There’s no going back now… I have to do this… Despite all the protests of her mind, she very carefully used her magic to unsheathe one of the guard’s daggers. After a minute of standing in silence, Twilight pushed open the unlocked door and entered the Princess’s bedroom.
The enormous, well furnished bed held a single sleeping figure. She quickly closed her eyes, not able to even look at the pony she was about to kill. After some time of just standing there, she took a step closer, then another. Each step sent shivers down her spine, and her heart rate increased to the point where she could hear it rapidly beating at her chest. She eventually reached the side of the sleeping alicorn, and she breathed a long, heavy sigh.
I can’t do this. Her mind told her firmly. I could never kill the Princess! Not after she taught me everything… Another thought sprang to mind however, about all she would have after one simple swipe of the blade.
I’d be Queen, as would Rarity! The entire kingdom would be ours, and the plan is so simple, so easy that it couldn’t possibly fail! All I have to do is move this dagger, and then the deed would be done. Simple as that.
The figure turned in her sleep. Startled, Twilight jumped back. The alicorn grumbled a few times before drifting back into her deep sleep.
Twilight could hear her heart perfectly now; its steady ku-thump repeating over and over again. Rolls of sweat rolled down her forehead, dripping off of her face as they splashed against the carpeted floor. It seemed as if time itself had slowed, as Twilight positioned the blade up in the air. In one swift movement it fell, cutting through the air and towards the sleeping alicorn’s chest.
Lady Rarity walked down one of the hallways of the estate, smiling as she was sure everything was going perfectly to plan. “Ha! Those guards are idiots! It was so easy to get them drunk; I swear stallions will do anything for a mare…”
“Twilight should be killing the Princess right now. How easy a plan this is! I’m brilliant, really!” She smirked. Suddenly, she jumped in fright after hearing a yell. “What was that? Twilight couldn’t have messed this up, it wouldn’t be possible! I would have killed the damn Princess myself, had she not looked so much like my mother as she slept…”
The lavender unicorn came running down the hall; Rarity smiled upon the sight of her. “Twilight, dear!” She noticed that she looked visibly shaken, as her body was trembling and her eyes darted about. Her hooves were also coated in a large amount of blood, which was dripping onto the stone floor.
“R-Rarity…. It’s done…” Twilight replied, her voice weak and hoarse. She could hardly believe what she had just done, and just wanted to forget about the whole thing.
“Good! I told you it would be simple!” Rarity grinned, now relaxed that the plan had gone perfectly.
“But…” Twilight paused a moment to look deep into her wife’s eyes. “As I k-k-kil…” She stopped, unable to say the word. “I heard a voice. It said, Twilight has murdered sleep, therefore Twilight will sleep no more… Twilight shall sleep no more…”
Rarity let out a chuckle, “Don’t worry, my wife! The deed is done now. Go get some water, and wash this filth from your hands.” She said in a comforting voice, however, she snarled at the sight of the dagger in Twilight’s hoof. “Why did you bring this here?! Idiot! I told you to leave it with the guards! Go back and plant the blade on them!”
Twilight shook her head, fear flashing through her frightened eyes. “N-no… I can’t go back there! I won’t!”
Rarity sighed in frustration. “Fine! Give me that then! I’ll go and do it myself!” She snatched the dagger with her magic and pushed past her wife. “I’d be ashamed if I was as cowardly as you…” The mare quickly disappeared into the darkness of the estate, leaving Twilight alone to ponder what she had done.
A knock echoed around her, and she glanced around with fear. “What’s that? Who’s there? What am I to do when every noise scares me? Will all of the water in the ocean wash this blood from my hooves, or will I remain scarred forevermore?” Her heart was racing as she looked around, and after a few minutes she saw Rarity return.
“Gah, my hooves are covered in blood!” She said in disgust, another knock sounding around them. “It sounds like somepony’s at the south entrance… Quick, let’s go to the bedroom. A little water clears us of this deed, how easy it is then!”
The knock sounded for a third time, and Rarity sighed in annoyance. “Let’s go, before somepony sees us…”
A knock echoed through the large entrance hall. A purple earth pony known as Berry Punch stumbled through the darkness, grumbling in annoyance as the knocks continued.
“Who’s knocking at this hour?! *Hic* It’s as if I’m the doorpony to the gates of hell! In the name of Nightmare Moon, who’s there?”
The knocking continued, and the drunken pony slowly made her way to the door. “A beggar who has stolen a loaf of bread? Come on in!”
Her vision impaired, she ran into a wall and slumped to the ground. The knocking persisted. “A Canterlot *hic* tailor, who’s stolen a Fillydelphia design? Come in, you’ll find rest here…”
Another knock sounded, and the earth pony made her way to the large wooden doors. “Quiet! What are you? Bah, this place is far too cold for hell! I’m merely the door *hic* pony…”
A final knock sounded before she opened the doors. A cyan pegasus pushed her way in, and was soon followed by golden stallion with a cowpony hat. The pegasus, whose mane was rainbow colored, turned to the drunk pony and snarled. “You sure took your sweet time to answer the door!”
“I apologize, my *hic* lord… I’ve been drinking, ma’am, and alcohol provokes three things…”
“And they are?” Rainbow Dash questioned, very annoyed with the doorpony.
“Red noses, *hic* sleep, and urination!” Berry Punch giggled; unable to stand, she fell to her rear.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in disgust. “Is your mistress awake? I need to speak to her now.”Almost as if on cue, Twilight stumbled out of the darkness and nodded towards the two ponies. “Ah. There she is. The knocking must have woken her.”
“Hey there!” The golden stallion known as Braeburn said, the excitement in his voice clearly audibly.
“Hello to the both of you.” Twilight greeted weakly. She wished nothing more than to return to her bedroom, but this seemed urgent. Rainbow Dash was the leader of the pegasi, so this was most likely something very important.
“Is the Princess awake, advisor?” She questioned, giving Twilight an odd look as she looked her weary body up and down.
“Not yet.”
“She told me to come to here quickly; I need to talk to her.”
“Her bedroom is at the end of the hall, on the left.” Twilight said, nodding toward one of the dark hallways. The pegasus headed off down the hallway and disappeared from sight, leaving Twilight with Braeburn and the passed out Berry Punch.
After a moment of silence, the golden earth pony looked toward Twilight. “Did you hear the storm last night? It blew down at least a dozen houses, and some ponies even said they felt an earthquake! Never in all my years have I seen anything like it!”
“It was a rough night…” She replied simply.
Rainbow Dash suddenly rushed into the room, a horrified look on her face. “O horror, horror, horror! The Princess is dead!”
“What?!” Braeburn roared, and Twilight did her best to sound surprised. “She can’t be!”
“Go and see for yourselves!” She stated, and the two of them quickly hurried down the hallway. “Sound the alarm bell! Murder, murder! The Princess is dead! Pinkie Pie, Luna! Wake up!” Rainbow Dash yelled down the halls, within a moment a bell sounded and the entire estate seemed to awaken.
Lady Rarity entered the entrance hall with a disgruntled expression, obviously upset that she had been woken from her sleep. “What’s with all the noise? What’s going on?”
“Gentle lady, this isn’t news you should be hearing but… The Princess is dead, she’s been murdered!”
“What?!” Rarity yelled out in surprise. “No! How could such a horrible thing happen under my roof?!”
Pinkie Pie rushed into the room, followed by several servants who seemed just as confused as everypony else. “Murder? Here?!” She asked in confusion, hardly believing what was happening.
Twilight, Braeburn and Spike all poured into the room now crowded room. The lavender unicorn was the first to speak. “It’s true… The Princess lies dead. It’s quite obvious somepony has murdered her.”
Just as she said this, Luna paced into the room with the servants quickly making a path for her. “What’s going on?” She immediately questioned, looking across all the grave faces of everypony.
There was a long silence, and the first to break it was Rainbow Dash. Her usual annoyed, angry tone was gone, and instead she had a caring, compassionate voice. “Your sister is dead… Murdered, not long ago.”
A look of pure horror crossed Luna’s face. “Wh-what? By who?!”
Braeburn spoke up at this. “It looks like the guards have done it; their daggers are covered in blood, not to mention their clothes. They shouldn’t have been trusted to guard anypony’s life.”
Rarity, at this point, seem incredible distressed. “Oh, this is all so horrible!” She declared before fainting, her body immediately being swarmed by the servants. Twilight quickly went to her side, and placed her hoof on her wife’s.
Luna watched as they attended to her, and she was growing warier by the second… This is truly terrible… Whoever killed my sister, whether it is the guards or not, will surely come after me…
Rarity was quickly carried away by the servants, leaving the entrance hall much less crowded.
Pinkie Pie turned to Twilight and nodded. “We need to call the other leaders and discuss this further. We need to decide who’s murdered the Princess!”
“Right.” Twilight replied, hurrying out of the room with her friend.
Luna slowly backed out of the room, her eyes scanning the remaining ponies. Canterlot is no longer safe… And neither is Equestria… I’ll go south and leave the country… It’s the only way to insure I’ll be safe…
While the Sparkle estate was in full uproar, the gardens outside were still quiet. Spike, along with a very old looking pony, walked together, chatting.
“So many weird things have been happening in the past few days… The sun should be up, yet it’s still so dark.” Spike commented, looking at the sky with confusion.
“Yes…” The old pony wheezed. “Very strange things indeed… Such as last Tuesday, when I saw an owl kill a falcon. Something is happening… Something horrible…”
“Look, here comes Rainbow Dash!” Spike said, pointing to the pegasus that was walking towards them. “Have you decided who the murderer is?”
“Yes… We believe it was the guards, but they were obviously paid off by somepony… Not only that, but Luna has gone missing! Some are starting to become suspicious that she did it, but I doubt it… I think there’s something else going on here…”
“But with Luna gone, who will take the throne?” Spike questioned.
“The leaders of all the tribes have decided that Twilight will become Queen. She’s going to be crowded tomorrow, and the Princess’s body will be taken to the royal graveyard.”
“Wow…” Spike mumbled, surprised that Twilight was now to be Queen. “Well, goodbye Rainbow Dash. I’ll go off to see Twilight. She’ll want me there to see her crowned.”
“Well, I need to go back to Cloudsdale and inform everypony there. Goodbye, Spike.”
The pegasus took off into the night air and quickly flew away. Spike waved to the old pony before leaving the tranquil gardens.
