The Fall of Our Tyrants

Chapter 2- Changes

I stood in a dark forest. I looked up. There were no stars. There was no moon. Just an endless black sky. Trees watched over me, their branches outstretched like claws about to swipe. There were no noises except for the dead leaves crunching underneath my hooves. I felt no fear, only curiosity. Questions raced through my mind.

“Where am I?”

“How’d I get here?”

“What the hell’s going on?”

I proceeded through the maze of plants. Thorns scratched against my body like tiny needles.
I stumbled out into a small opening. I was surrounded by trees. They blocked my every escape. Even the entrance behind me has mysteriously closed; looking like it had never existed in the first place. I could make out the shapes of two ponies in the dark. I edged towards them.

“Hello?” I called out. No answer.

I moved closer and closer until I was right next to them. They were still shadows as I stood by them.

“H...Hello?” I lifted my hoof towards them.

They turned their heads suddenly and looked me in the eye. I recognised the faces.

“Mom? Dad?” I said in a slightly panicked tone.

They stood up, the movement creating a haze which followed them.

“Moonlight?”

“Mom, it’s me!” I said trying to get a reaction.

“Moonlight” Dad said.

“It’s me, Dad. Please snap out of it!”

Their tones turned more worried.

“Moonlight!”

“M...Moonlight!”
“Mom! Dad! Wha...what’s going on?!” I said on the verge of tears.

“MOONLIGHT!” they screamed out in terror. A bang erupted out of nowhere.

“AHHHHHHHHHHH” they screamed in agony. Before my eyes, they melted. Skin. Then blood.

Then bone. I stumbled back in horror, falling on my back.
Their bones collected in a little pile. Their skulls lay on top. I rocked back and forth, crying. Screaming. The skulls spoke to me, the bones clacking about as their jaws moved.

“Moonlight. We’ll always love you. But you’ve got to wake up, honey” it whispered in a ghostly
voice.

Another bang.

A light blinded my eyes but I didn’t close them. As my sight returned the area around me had turned red as if it were ablaze.

“Wake up, Moonlight”

My screams echoed through the forest.

“Please, wake up!”

.*** *** ***

I awoke, gasping. Sweat clung to my mane and coat. Thunder boomed outside while lightning lit up my room. It was pouring down with rain. I jumped out of bed, still breathing heavily. I ran to the toilet and slid onto the floor. I proceeded to vomit into it. Tears were in my eyes as my mouth and throat stung. I sobbed quietly. That dream had been really vivid. And it scared the living crap out of me! I stood back up and rinsed my mouth out. I walked back towards my bed. It was still dark. I couldn’t have been asleep for more than a couple of hours.

My ears perked up. Loud noises, but it wasn’t the thunder. It was shouting by the sounds of it. It was strange because it’s usually dead at this time of night. Eager to see what all the fuss was about, I put on a hooded coat and made my way out into the rain.

The rain was coming down fast. I tried my best to jump from shelter to shelter. Other ponies ran with me, as curious as I. In the distance was a bright light which seemed to be the origin of the shouts. A burst of lightning cracked through the sky, lighting the area up around me. In the brief flash, I could make out ponies by their windows, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was going on.
Closer and closer I got to the mysterious light. The shouting grew louder. I was too focussed on running that I didn’t notice the crowd in front of me. I crashed into a brown stallion. He turned his head and growled at me, before looking back at the commotion.

I got up. I tried looking at what was going on but I couldn’t see over the ocean of curious ponies. I had to get closer. I moved my way through the crowd, squeezing my way past everypony that was in my way. This was big, whatever it was. I’ve never seen this many ponies out at this time of night.

I came to a point where I could get a clear view of what was going on. I was right near the front. I stood before a make-shift wooden stage. The bright spotlight lit up the scene; hooded figures in what looked like stocks.

“What the fuck’s this?” I whispered. This was new. Scary new.
A sudden hush befell the audience as a black-armoured stallion walked up the stairs at the side of the stage. This guy was different. He didn’t wear a helmet. I could see that he was a red stallion. More black armoured ponies moved in front of us, creating a barrier between us and the stage.

‘The Authority. Figures.’ I thought. Whatever it was, I doubt it was anything good.

The stallion cleared his throat.

“We understand this is a change to our usual schedule, but we needed to make it clear. We tell you, again and again and again: if you are caught coercing with Phoenix members, you will be rehabilitated. But you refuse to listen. So we are trying something new.”

The stallion pulled out a pistol.

“Underneath these hoods are ponies that have refused to listen. To obey. And now, to make you listen, you will witness their deaths first hand, so you know we are serious”

He looked out on the crowd.

“Some of you will know these ponies. They could be your friends, neighbours, families. But they
are traitors. They are scum. And so, they deserve to be punished.”

He took the hoods off the first two ponies.

No.

Fuck no.

NO!

“MOM! DAD!”

The stallion looked at me.

“Ah, looks like somepony does know these two. Quite well by the sounds of it. Well, little mare, mommy and daddy are fucking traitors. And will die a traitor’s death.”

Mom and Dad looked down at me.

“Moonlight! We’re sorry. We’re so sorry.” Mom called out, tears streaming down her cheek.

“It’s going to be alright. Please, don’t do anything drastic.” Dad begged of me.

The stallion interrupted.

“Aw. Well isn’t this fucking cute? Get me a tissue!” he said, after which he laughed.

“Well this tirade has gone on long enough. Time to say goodbye to mommy and daddy!”

“Don’t you fucking touch a hair on them, you son of a bitch!” I shouted. I didn’t fucking care about his little minions.

He cocked the pistol. I ran at him. I was going to kill him. But I was stopped by the impenetrable wall of Authority members. I shouted and screamed.

“NO! NO! YOU FUCKER! GET THE HELL OFF ME!” I shouted at the wall of black.

“For the crime of harbouring terrorists and coercing with Phoenix members, I sentence you, by the power invested in me by the great Princess Cadence and her Majesty, Queen Celestia, to death”

He placed the pistol in Mom’s mouth. She started crying.

“Goodnight, mommy”

Bang!

My dad shouted in agony.

“YOU FUCKER! I HOPE YOU ROT IN WHATEVER HELL YOU CAME FROM!”

“Tut-tut, you kissed her with that mouth? And what a poor example to show in front of your child. I can imagine you were a useless father!”

He placed the pistol in my Dad’s mouth.

“DOOF IT! DOOF IT!” Dad screamed from around the pistol.

He laughed.

“Hah-hah, as you wish.”

He pushed the gun further into his mouth. Dad started to gag on it. Tears fell down his face.

“Goodnight, daddy! Sleep tight!”

Bang!

The shots echoed through the night. The stallion was covered in my parent’s blood.

“Fuck, they were messy!” he said wiping it off his armour.

Time slowed down around me. I wanted to cry and to scream. But nothing came out. I could see the droplets of rain splash against the lifeless bodies of my parents. The blood seeped through the wood, staining it. My heart felt like it had been sliced into a hundred pieces and put through an incinerator. My stomach ached inside me, making me feel like I was going to be sick. I felt dizzy; my mind was trying to compute what was going on. I moved back from the Authority. I wanted to shout, to punch and buck. But I was paralysed, and as much as I tried, I couldn’t move my legs.
Sound distorted all around me. My vision became hazy and blurry. Was this it? Is this what it felt like to break? If it wasn’t, then I couldn’t fathom what being broken felt like.

“Moonlight!” A fuzzy voice called out. I tried to look around, but I felt sick doing that.

Suddenly, Spark Plug manoeuvred out of the crowd. He ran towards me. The crowd around me moved back, creating space for the broken pony that sat on the ground. I felt him hug me. I still couldn’t move. He helped me off the ground, and put his hoof around me. He walked me out, the crowd creating a corridor for us to go through.

The rain matted my mane as I gave a vacant stare into the emptiness that was the street I had walked down. We were by the edge of the crowd.

“I’m so sorry, Moonlight. I really am. I should’ve gotten there sooner”

I didn’t reply. I was trying to figure out what emotion to show. Sadness? Anger? Hatred?
“Moonlight? Please, talk to me”

He went to put his hoof on my shoulder.

“NO!”

I pushed him away and he fell into a puddle. He looked shocked.

“I don’t want to talk!”

I needed to run. I needed to figure out a plan. This was the last straw. No more. I took one last look at Spark Plug, who had stood up. His coat was soaked.

“I’m sorry!” I shouted at him. I ran, ran as fast as my legs could go. I needed to go home.

“Moonlight!” he shouted after me, but I ignored him.

The rain was heavier now.

I kept running.

Bang!

I closed my eyes and saw the faces of my parents, right before they were killed.

Bang!

My lungs burned. I had never run for this long.

Bang!

It was time for a change.

Bang!

Cadance... I’m coming for you.

Bang!

*** *** ***

I burst through the door. My house was dark. The storm was still happening outside. I moved my way through the kitchen and up the stairs. I entered my room and proceeded to open every drawer and cupboard I could see. Nothing.
I searched under my bed. A few boxes that contained some random crap that I chucked in there, but I still couldn’t find what I was looking for.

“Where is it?!” I shouted in my head. I thumped it trying to get some idea of where to look. Then it hit me.

I ran downstairs and turned left. I stood before a worn-out door. I grabbed the torch that rested by it and proceeded to open it. The door creaked loudly. Cobwebs covered the room like paint. I tried the lights. They turned on and flickered on and off. Then they bathed the room in an orange glow.

My old training room. Where Dad had taught me what he knew. They used to live here before they moved out. And now the house belonged to me. I glanced at the cupboard that stood to the side. I opened it. A cloud of dust clouded the room. I retched and coughed, my insides burning slightly. I picked up the touch and turned it on. I scanned the cupboard.

“Nope”

“Nope”

“NO-wait”

There it was. An oak case with a gold latch. Inscribed in metal letters was U.G. Underneath it, scratched on was M.G. I bit on the latch and lifted the case. I trotted over to a nearby table and placed it on top. I flipped the latch and opened it. Inside laid a blade. Dad’s blade. I lifted it up.

Hoof accessible, meaning I didn’t have to hold it in my mouth. I moved it around. The handle looked worn, but still had grip. The blade shined in the reflection of the light, casting an orange glow around the sword. There was a small button on the side. I pressed it. The blade shot into the handle.

“Retractable,huh? Convenient”

A leather sheath also lay in the case, initialled ‘Lt. U.G.’ I picked it up and attached it to my back.

“So what’s the plan, huh?”

I turned around. Spark Plug stood behind me. I hadn’t even heard him enter. I turned back to look at the sword.

“It’s simple really. I’m going to go to Cadance. And I’m going to stick this sword through her throat, slowly. I’m going to make her see her own blood on the blade.”
“That’s it? You just think you’re going to walk in, by yourself, and somehow find a way up to Cadance and kill her? An alicorn? That’s not a plan; that’s suicide!”

“I don’t care if it is suicide, as long as I take her with me.”

“Moonlight! Listen to yourself! You’re not thinking straight! There’s got to be a better way!” he shouted at me, obviously distressed. I didn’t listen. I needed to do this.

He looked down and sighed.

“Look, I understand what you’re going through bu-“

I turned back and glared at him.

“NO! Don’t you EVER say that! You have NO idea what I’m going through!”

He looked shocked. I walked towards him. He slowly backed away.

“YOU didn’t see your parents executed right in front of your eyes! You don’t have a CLUE what I’m feeling! You couldn’t possibly understand!”

He whispered to me.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it, but this isn’t the way.”

“I don’t want to hear it!”

I turned quickly and picked up the sword and sheath.

I made my way towards the door.

“Is this it?! Is this the time the section breaks you?!”

I stopped.

“No. Not yet.”

“Oh you keep telling yourself that! Take a good long think, Moonlight! You are NOT the same pony you were yesterday. You are walking to your death. Now please, I implore you, don’t do this! Let’s find another way. Together!”

I turned back.

“I’m sorry. But this is the only way.”

I trotted up the stairs.

“Don’t try and stop me, Spark. Otherwise, I can’t be held accountable for what will happen.”

*** *** ***

I felt awful. I had just threatened my best friend, but I needed to make sure he wouldn’t follow me. He has something to live for. I don’t. Cadance’s castle stood high. My next destination.

The rain had stopped now, but the atmosphere was eerie. Street lights were dotted around as I
ran under their amber glow. My hooves splashed in cold puddles. I tried my best to not my close my eyes, in hopes of not seeing my parent’s dead.

I had once thought the night beautiful. I suppose in some regards, I still do. But it was tainted now. I would never look at it the same way again. Feel the same way again. Death would be all that I was reminded off whenever I stepped outside.

I wondered how Spark Plug was doing. Whether he was following me, keeping out of sight or if he did just leave me be. Regardless, I would still end Cadence.

I had entered the dark alleyways that lined the Section. A light fog covered the ground. I had run past ponies that were homeless or were doing something dodgy under the cover of night. It was a surprise really to see that, despite the threats from the Authority, there were still ponies dealing banned substances or selling themselves. These were new sights for me. I had never traversed the alleyways before. I only knew where I was going by using the castle as a landmark. It was lucky I lived so close; otherwise I would have had to find a more difficult way.

I stopped suddenly and hugged the wall. I could hear speaking further down the alley. It sounded like Authority.

“Well, well,well, what do we have here? You lost, girl?”

“Listen, I’m sorry. I just went out for a stroll and took a wrong turn. I’ll be leaving now.” she said hurriedly, obviously afraid.

I looked over at the ponies. I was right. Two Authority members were harassing a hooded pony. She tried to leave.

“Ah, ah, ah,” one of the members said, putting his arm in the way of her “Not so fast. This is a very serious offence”

The hooded figure shook her head in confusion.

“O...offence? I haven’t done anything!”

The other Authority member stood forward.

“Oh, yeah. Handling banned substances. That won’t go down well”

“Y...you have no proof!”

The Authority members laughed.

“Proof? We don’t need it. One simple word and you’re gone”

The hooded figure moved back.

“There is... one thing that you can do. To negate this offence.” he said, stroking her body.

“G...get off me!” she said pushing back his hoof.

“Looks like we got a fighter” one of the members said.

“Good” the other said sinisterly.

The first Authority member pushed the mare to the wall, and put his arm across her neck. The other pulled out a baton.

“If you don’t do what we tell you to do, you’re going to regret it”

She started sobbing.

“Now are you going to get started, or are we going to have a problem?”

Uh-uh. This shit wasn’t happening on my watch. The mare started to move down.

“HEY! OVER HERE!”

The Authority members looked at me.

“Well, looks like we got another lost soul”

“Yeah, I’m a little lost soul. What do I need to do to be found?” I purred seductively.

The members laughed.

“She’s feisty” one of them said.

They walked over.

“I’ll meet you in the alley” I whispered, shaking my flank from side to side as I made my way into the adjacent alley. I heard them trot behind me.

I turned around and secretly grabbed my sword.

“So, you starting?” one whispered

“Sure. But do you mind if I used my toy first?”

“Absolutely!”

“Thanks. I always prefer a bit of foreplay”

And with that word, I flicked out the sword and sliced the first member’s throat. He clutched at it, the blood seeping out over his hoof.

“OH SHIT!” the other one shouted.

He went to pull out his pistol.

The blade went cleanly through his hoof. The now dissected appendage flew onto the floor. The Authority member looked at the stump on his arm, the blood spitting out.

“You’ll pay for that!”

He charged at me. I hadn’t noticed the baton in his other hoof. I tried to dodge out of the way but the baton caught my hindhoof. A painful sensation went through it. We were one on one. His hoof had been removed. My leg had been broke, I think.

I limped towards him and thrust my sword. He parried with his baton, knocking me back a bit. I went for him again. This time I pushed against his force when he blocked. I was able to knock him to the ground. He roared in pain after landing on his stump. He tried to get back up, but I bucked him down. He looked up at me, and started laughing.

“HA! Do it then! Kill me!”

I smiled.

“Oh don’t worry about that. I had no plans on keeping you alive. But I’ll make it extra slow, since you really want to die”

I moved round his body. I slipped the sword into his hindleg and turned it.

“AH! You fucking WHORE!”

“Ah-ah-ah, language”

I pulled the sword out and walked back to his front. I knelt down.

“Now, I didn’t appreciate what you and your friend were doing to that mare.”

“Fuck. You.”

I feigned shock.

“Well that’s not very nice!”

“Go to hell!”

I smirked.

“I guess I’ll see you there.”

I stood back up. The alley was still dark and quiet. I wondered if that mare had moved off.

“Since I showed you my toy,you’ll have to show me yours.”
I walked towards his rear.

“Oh no! Your armour’s in the way. Don’t worry, I can deal with that!” I started slicing at the armour near his area.

“AHHHH!!! FUCK!!!!” he screamed clutching his region.

“Oops! How clumsy of me!”

“You bitch!” he spoke between gritted teeth.

I yawned.

“Well I’ve had my fun but you’re boring me now.”

He squirmed on the ground, still holding his region.

“Who the hell are you?!”, he shouted, looking up.

I knelt down again and looked him in the eyes.

“I’m Moonlight Glisten. And I’m your fucking nightmare.” I whispered.

I held my sword at the ready.

“YOU BI-URGGHH!!!”

My sword pierced through his head, spilling blood on the sword and the floor.I grinned as it splashed against my face. I stood back up and wiped the bloodied sword on the dead stallion’s flank. I was breathing deeply and looked down at what I had done. I dropped the sword in horror.

“What the hell just happened?!”

This wasn’t me. There’s no way I would do this.

“If Mom and Dad had seen what I just did... would they have even recognised me?”

I walked over to a puddle near a dumpster that had formed from the storm. I looked down at my reflection. I had blood splatters on my face. I knew it was me staring back, but it wasn’t me. I didn’t recognise this version.

“You do recognise me Moonlight.”

I looked back in shock at the puddle. The reflection was speaking!

“Ok, I must be dreaming.”

“Are you sure? Look around you. Does this seem like a dream to you?”

“No. No. This is crazy. I’m going crazy.”

“Maybe you are, but this is what you wanted, right? Revenge? For Mom. Dad. ”

“Yes but not this!”

“You knew you would have to kill.”

“Yeah, but that was torture!”
“Eh, he deserved it. Think how many he tortured.”

“Wha...what the hell’s going on?!” I started shaking.

“You’re wising up. You’re breaking out of the cage that you put yourself in.”

“No! This isn’t me!”

“Sure it is. I’m what you buried deep inside you. All that hatred and anger, where did you think it went? Behind some imaginary dam? No, it was always there. You just wouldn’t let it out. But trust me, you’re going to see a lot more of me. And soon...well, let’s just say I won’t be the one in the reflection anymore”

“NO!”

I stomped the puddle hoping to kill this horrible hallucination. I looked back. My head was slightly disfigured from the ripples. It was me in the reflection, and it wasn’t talking.

“Maybe Spark Plug is right. Maybe this section has broken me.”

I wiped the blood off my face. I thought about what I had intended to do. Was I really planning on just waltzing in and killing Cadence? Just like that? Take on an alicorn? All by myself? No, this isn’t what Mom and Dad would’ve wanted. They wouldn’t want me to kill myself. I had been so consumed by rage that I didn’t think about anything but revenge. And I don’t want to know what my mind was doing during that attack in the alleyway

I picked the sword back up and retracted the blade. I placed it in the sheath on my back. I left the bodies where they lay. Somepony else will clean them up. I was about to leave to see Spark Plug, hoping he didn’t hate me for what I had said and the way I acted, until I remembered the mare.

I made my way back out into the alley. The mare was crouched, facing the graffiti-laden wall. She was sobbing faintly. I didn’t know what to say. What had almost happened to her, there was no easy way to approach it. A pony on the brink of insanity was not the best one to talk to about this. I slowly walked over to her.

“Hey. Are you alright?” I whispered, trying not to scare her.

She continued to face the wall. The sobbing quietened.

“Listen, I took care of them. There’s no need to be scared anymore.”

She sighed and whispered in a shaken voice.

“Wh...who are you?”

“Moonlight. My name’s Moonlight.”

“Why?”

“W...why what?” I asked confused.

“Why did you stop them?”

Was she really asking this?

“B...because they were hurting you. Weren’t they? And I couldn’t stand to watch that. So I killed
them”

“T...thank you.” she said, seemingly appreciative of my actions.

“Don’t worry about it. But who are you? What’s your name?”

She didn’t answer. I noticed a faint blue glow reflect of the wall.

“What’s that? What are you doing?”

Still no answer.

“Hey! Talk to me!”

I understand this wasn’t the best approach, but I needed to know what she was doing. I grabbed her. She turned her head, her horn contacting mine.

All I remembered was a bright flash, then darkness.

*** *** ***

There was black everywhere. This didn’t look right. I ran but I never moved. Was this another dream? I stopped running when I realised it was pointless. I heard hooves trot behind me.

“Yeah, you’re dreaming.”

I turned to see who spoke but from where the voice came was nothing.

“Who are you?!” I shouted, echoing throughout the nothingness.

The voice giggled. I turned around again. Still nothing.

“Stop hiding!”

“Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily?”

I froze up. I turned my head to see the blood-stained face with a smirk on its face. It was the reflection. It was me. But bloodier. Darker.

“Leave me alone!”

“Well that’s going to be difficult. A, I’m in here”, she pointed her hoof to her head, “so it’s going to be kinda hard to get rid of me. And B, I really have no intention of leaving.”

“What do you want from me?!” I screamed at her.

“Simply, I want you to accept me and embrace me.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because I’m better. All your...morals and stuff get in the way. With me, there’s no need to worry about that. No need to fear anything. Unlike you, I can get the job done. Quickly and efficiently”

“No! Go away!”

I punched the figure and it disappeared into a dark mist.

“Gah, I really am a dumb pony,” she muttered behind me, “I’m in your head, numbskull. I’m not physical! You think a punch is going to get rid of me?”

I did it again.

“Try again” she said mockingly.

Again.

“Ooh so close.”

I did it again. This time she disappeared before the punch even hit her. I heard a whisper in my ear.

“Gotcha!”

I turned my head suddenly. She was right up against my side. She began to nuzzle my neck.

“Oh I love playing with you!” she said, kissing my neck slowly. Okay, I was officially freaked out.

I couldn't move. She turned my head for me and smiled. Our eyes connected. I felt her lips touch mine. Her tongue forced into my mouth meeting mine. It was warm and moist. I went red. She removed her lips from mine, and laughed.

“Aww, look at you. You’re so cute when you do that.” she said, slapping my cheeks with her hooves. She smacked her lips together.

“Hmm, so that’s what I’m like when I kiss. Eh, could do with some work”

“What the hell is going on?”

“Ah I’m just having some fun. Don’t think too much about it. I wonder what they call it when you kiss yourself?” She put her hoof under her chin to mimic thought and then shrugged her shoulders.
I felt a sharp pain in my side.

“Ah! What the hell?!”

She looked at my side.

“Ooh, looks like my cue to leave. I’ll see you soon!” she said, kissing my cheek, before vanishing.

“Ok. That was weird” I muttered.

The voice echoed through the pitch black

“Hey, it’s your head. And oh-ho-ho, there’s a hell of a lot more fucked up shit in here!”

I flinched at another pain in my side.

“Oh yes! You should probably think about waking up now!”

“W...wake up?”

Suddenly, I fell through the emptiness. The room sped past me growing lighter and brighter. The pain in my side became more intense and I screamed as I fell back into reality.