A Coven of Sisters

Applejack huddled, shaking under the bed of one of the many guest bedrooms the crystalline castle had to offer. She worked hard not hyperventilating as she played through what she had witnessed over and over in her mind.

There they were, galloping for dear life when they turned into a dead end hallway, forcing them to back track. As they did, Rarity, the elegant Element of Generosity, exploded in a spray of blood, flesh and organs, leaving behind little, save her disembodied head.

Twilight screamed as the gore covered head, as if on invisible shoulders, turned to her, blood dripping from her eyes like tears, started asking why she was screaming.

Applejack tore off, as it was clearly every pony for herself now, and so she slammed into the closest open door and crawled under the bed, breathing hard, with only a thread holding her sanity together. Her ear flicked nervously, brushing something warm and furry in her mane.

It was all she could do to keep from screaming as the furry piece of warmth slide down her mane, down her neck to slap wetly on the floor.

“Don't look da'wn.” The orange earth pony whispered to herself. “Don't look da'wn.”

She repeated the words, forming it into a mantra. She knew she was on the verge of losing it.

“Don't look da'wn. Don't look da'wn.”

She knew this was a fate worse than death, and if she did the simple action of slowly bending her neck to look down-

“Don't lo—”

There, on the floor, was a piece of fur, pure white in the small puddling red, almost black, blood that seemed to leak out the more she stared at it. Applejack felt something come loose in her mind. It was a painful, almost audible snap as her sanity broke.

Through out the castle, her screams could be heard, going completely unnoticed by any passerby outside the castle.

Twilight was trapped. All three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders had found her, and now she was strapped into one of the very same machines the fillies were in earlier that afternoon, spread out like she was on a dark age torture rack.

“L-look girls. This, is just a-”

“If you say a misunderstanding, I will personally summon Slice as let him gnaw on your leg for a bit, before I rip it off!” Scootaloo growled.

Applebloom put a hoof on her sister's shoulder. “Na'w Na'w. Don't be so h'asty.” She pulled out a flask of green liquid with flecks of red. “We can make her drink this, an' that lying tongue of hers will dissolve an' trickle da'wn her throat~”

Twilight squeaked in panic.

“Sisters, stop playing with the Princess.” Sweetie Belle chided. “She's my play toy first.”

Scootaloo gave the white unicorn a heavy lidded look. “You had your fun with Rarity. Not our fault you're not satisfied because you were too hasty.”

Sweetie Belle smiled. “Oh, that? That was just an illusion.” The door behind them opened up. “No, I'm afraid my biological sister will be around for a lot longer than she wishes to be.”

Rarity, wearing the element of Generosity, now tainted with black and green, marched in.

“This ends now!” She shouted, straining to use her magic, however, nothing happened.

“There you are.” Sweetie Bell cooed. “Now, I have a task for you~”

Rarity's knees buckled into a bow. “Why?! Why is my body not obeying me?!”

“Because,” Sweetie Belle smiled evilly. “You are now a thrall of mine.”

“Thrall?” Applebloom asked curiously, cocking her head to one side, as if considering the strange sounding word. “Isn't that a vampony servant?”

“What you're a vampony?!” Scootaloo demanded. “No fair! I wanna be a vampony.” She added sulkily.

“A Thrall is a servant, willing or otherwise, controlled because of, or through black magic.” Sweetie Belle explained. “Usually their minds are effected, so they are more loyal, but considering how I wanted my dear, sweet sister to suffer for all the times she put her fashion and career and her 'friends' before me, treating me like a cast off, like mold on bread, I wanted her to be aware how helpless she is and regret everything about her miserable existence before I take her mind as well.”

Both Scootaloo and Applebloom gasped from how dark their sister's plan was, and how hard her steely tone was.

“As you wish, sister.” Scootaloo bowed her head.

Applebloom did the same, but kept silent. The simple acts of homage made Sweetie Belle smile, nuzzling both her blood sisters affectionately.

“Oh, my sisters. I do love you both. Do not think that I am above feeling and am pure evil. Allow me this one vengeful act, and then we'll go away from this place and create a life for us in a place where no pony will judge us for who we are and we can be free.”

They all beamed, almost forgetting about the captured princess behind them and enslaved unicorn, who were staring pleadingly at each other.

“By the way,” Applebloom asked, changing the subject. “What's happen'd to m'ah sister?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “Hung herself. The exploding Rarity illusion broke her mind.”

“Oh. Huh. Didn't see that one commin'.” Applebloom replied.

“How do you know that, Scoot?” Sweetie Belle asked curiously.

A little Willow'o'whisp floated into the room. “Meet Misty, my newest summon.” Scootaloo announced proudly.

Both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle Oohh'ed and Aaawwe'd as the little blue flame flared up happily for the praise.

“Oh, and Spike is going to come in to save the day.” Scootaloo added.

“Should we Thrall him too?” Applebloom asked.

Scootaloo grinned wickedly. “No.” She giggled to herself. “No, no, no. I've got a better idea for little Spikey Wikey.”

“No!” The three turned to the exasperated Princess, struggling against the restraints of the machine. “No! Leave Spike along! If you touch one scale I'll—”

“You'll what?” Scootaloo asked, a smile playing across her lips, as he wings buzzed merrily. “Stand there and cry? Yeah, I'm really scared.”

Applebloom laughed. “Y'ah. Y'ah do that.”

“Twilight?” Spikes voice called from down the hall. “Where are you? Applejack has....Oh Celestia, Twilight, where are you?!”

Sweetie Belle nodded to Scootaloo. “Very well. Have you're fun. It will only make what comes sweeter. One restriction though.”

Scootaloo paused from drawing her summoning symbol.

“Don't kill him. It's better that the Princess see how helpless she really is.”

All three shared wicked grins as the all nodded.

The first thing Spike saw was Twilight strapped to the machine, splayed out with her fore hooves over her head and wings outstretched. If he tilted his head a little to the right, he could envision her in mid flight.

The second thing the purple drake saw was the love of his life, waiting for him. He didn't think twice, he ran to Rarity, ignoring her shouts and pleas to turn tail and run. He didn't see the monster lurking behind her, until he felt the long blade tail impale him, at the shoulder, run through his small body, barely missing vital organs, and splitting his tail in halve, as the blade took it's place in a massive geyser of blood.

It all happened so fast, that the shock of it all snuffed out all consciousness before he had a chance to scream.

“Celestia, Scootaloo! I told you NOT to kill him!”

“Sorry, okay?!” The orange pegasus sulked. “I thought he could take it.”

“Really? What about 'don't kill him' do you not understand?!”

“Buck, I said sorry!”

Applebloom was watching Slice shake his tail, making the dead purple dragon's limbs flail around, giggling. “Hehehe, he looks like he's dancing.”

Slice made a happy growling sound, as he curled his tail and started munching at one of the his limbs.

“DOWN!” Sweetie Belle demanded. “NOW!”

Slice whimpered, and let go of Spike's dead corpse and lowering his head in shame.

“What's you're problem?!.” Scootaloo snapped. “He didn't do anything wrong!”

If looks could kill, Scootaloo would be nothing more than a pile of bloody chunks and a puddle of blood.

“Just—you know what? Forget it!”

“Fine.”

“Fine.” She turned to the Princess of Friendship, who was crying, voice too strangled with tears to talk. “ Sorry you had to see that.” Sweetie Belle took a deep breath to calm herself “Now, Rarity, I need you're services.”

Rarity, tears streaming, dutifully marched to Sweetie Belle's side. Her knees buckled, but she stood standing as she struggled for a few moments, before opening her mouth.

“Sweetie Belle, I will strike a bargain with you.”

Sweetie Belle looked a little startled. “I thought I'd cut the control of you're body.”

“Listen. I will fight you every step of the way. I will beat what every spell you put over me. I will even try and kill you until you kill me. I will not go quietly or willingly, except—”

“Except?” There was a tone of curiosity in the white filly's voice as she looked at her sister, struggling to talk.

“If you give life back to Spike, restore him, I will comply, without magic or manipulation. Just bring him back, to me.”

All ponies looked back at the white unicorn. Sweetie Belle looked a little worried. Truth was, as powerful as she was, she could feel Rarity's will fighting her own. At first, it was such a little amount that she didn't even notice it. Now that she had been controlling her for a bit longer, Sweetie Belle was starting to strain.

Sweetie Belle wasn't sure she COULD raise anything from the dead, but if Rarity was going to swear loyalty if she could, it would be much better for her, as it looked like the only way to make sure she didn't break free eventually, was to kill her, and Rarity deserved so much more than a death. Torture itself was too good for her, that's why she had something special planned out.

“If I raise Spike, and modify his memories to make him a little more...loyal, you'll of you're free will swear you're life to the Coven and serve us for as long as the Coven exists?”

Applebloom and Scootaloo waited on baited breathe. They didn't know what all this meant, but it seemed that it was a good thing for them.

“I will.” Rarity agreed.

“Very well.” Sweetie Belle smiled. “Just one moment.”