The Mane Twelve

The castle started rumbling from the inside as sudden screams started echoing, its origins coming from the corridors of the down floors. Ponies losing their limbs and their lives from the brutal guards that appeared everywhere. Rainbow Dash swept through, everywhere around her seeing ponies getting struck down to the floor, their heads stomped by the brutal night guards, their dark skin and bright red devil eyes traumatising the ponies they saw. Rainbow flew for her life, increasing her speed every minute.

Fluttershy wasn't that lucky. Inside all the chaos, she had lost Grafix. She started panicking as she flew with no destination. Suddenly, a lighting projectile stroke her wing, making her lose balance and fall to the floor. She turned around in shock to stare at the muscular guard staring right back at her. Fluttershy started crawling away from him, the aching from the wing hurting even more while rubbing itself against the floor. The guard only walks towards her. Fluttershy was suddenly blocked by a wall, a dead end. The guard's horn started glowing dark red magic to suddenly be stopped by three bright yellow spikes, piercing his head, chest and one hoof, pushing him away from Fluttershy and sticking him to the wall.

Fluttershy looked to her left to see a white pegasus running towards her. It was Grafix. He came close and helped her up.

"Th-Thanks, Grafix." she said with a minor blush.

Grafix nodded at her and held her hoof tight. Both started running, heading at the nearest staircase. At one moment, Grafix's hoof started glowing, summoning his gauntlet. He raised Fluttershy and held her in his hooves while he spread his wings open. The guards left the rest of the suffering ponies and drew their attention at him, storming towards Grafix. Grafix didn't back off. As one guard stormed at him, he found himself a quick death as a sudden spike pierced his chest, making him fall to the ground. Grafix's gauntlet started glowing once again, giant spikes rising from the left side of the wall, following the guards after them. Grafix landed on the right wall and started running on his two back hooves without stopping, his sight looking straight forwad with no fear whatsoever. Reaching the end of the room, Grafix spread his wings once again and flelw to the end, entering the next room. Without looking back, he pointed his gauntlet at the door and a yellow sphere started forming, blasting itself away, heading towards the entrance they had just entered with great speed, blowing up the wall and blocking it.

Grafix closed his wings in mid-air and after a loop, landed on his back hooves, a serious look carved on his face. Fluttershy looked at him amazed as he put her down and dropped to his own four hooves after that. Grafix looked to his left, seeing Rainbow Dash panting heavily, trying to catch her breath after such a rush.

"Grafix, that was...wow." said Fluttershy calmy, although inside of her she felt pure excitement to see Grafix act so...awesome.

"Hey, good job back there." said Rainbow to him after another deep inhale.

"Not a problem." said Grafix.

Twilight and her squad had just reached the large golden door of the throne room. Their objective was completed. Now all they had to do is wait for the others. It wasn't much before the three pegasi arrived, as well as the twins and the highly confident Violet Haze, along with Pinkie Pie, still maintaining a neutral position.

Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie gathered.

"Well girls, this is it. Now or never." said Twilight Sparkle

"Yeah." Rainbow replied after a small pause.

"Still...we'll be together." Pinkie said after a weak smile.

Fluttershy's wing wasn't gone yet it hurt really bad. Grafix held her in his hooves.

"Is..is everything going to be okay?" she asked him.

Grafix looked up for a while and, after a minute or so kissed her forehead and felt her pink mane as he gently placed his head on it.

"Yeah...it will."

Quill Soul sat next to the window, as far away from the golden door as possible. She reached into the pocket in her little vest and took out a folded piece of paper. She slowly unwrapped it and looked at it for a while. A dark flame burst next to her and Dark Equun rose from inside.

"What is it?" he asked quietly so as not to disturb her by accident.

Quill Soul didn't say anything and just handed the paper to Dark Equun. He was surprised as soon as he saw it. It was him and Quill Soul. Dark Equun wasn't wearing his mask. She had portrayed him with glowing gold yet beautiful eyes. Dark Equun stared at it through his pale mask.

"Keep it." Quill Soul said to him after a puase.

Dark Equun turned his head and looked at her for a while. He looked back at the sketch and carefully folded it, then hiding it somewhere inside his cloak. He immediately sat next to her and removed his cloak, putting it around Quill Soul. She quickly grasped it tight and held it with her two hooves, making something like a small home. Dark Equun lied back and comforted his head with his two hooves.

"Hope you're ready. I believe in you, Quill Soul." he said calmly as he looked at the ceiling.

Quill Soul looked down for a while. She took off her glasses and saw her reflection through them.

"You know what Dark? I am."

Twilight Sparkle gave out a gesture and every pony that had survived gathered.

"Everypony, it was nice knowing you all." she said and turned her sight at the door.

She reached for the handle and slowly opened the door, a large creaking sound echoing in the room. In the end of it, Twilight noticed a dark figure gazing outside at the bright full moon. The figure turned around and stared at Twilight Sparkle with its glowing red eyes. Twilight didn't respond. He turned around afterwhile and looked back at the moon. Suddenly, he stood to his back hooves and raised his front ones like he called for somepony in silence.

"Such a marvel it is. A pure masterpiece." he talked to himself.

"W-What do you mean?" Twilight asked with a slightly raised tone, "Aren't you even surprised to see us make it till here?"

The figure fell to his hooves and started walking towards the pony. Twilight gritted her teeth and stepped forawrd, her horn starting to glow. The figure started shifting, its appearance becoming clearer, forming into an alicorn with dark skin and a slightly long dark blue mane that waved in the air.

"Why should I?" he replied when he was a small distance away from her.

The room began to shake and grow darker and darker as a sudden wall burst through the floor trapping ponies individually in a dark black room that not even light could penetrate.

"The real question is? Aren't you surprised?"

An evil laughter started echoing in each ponies' mind as it also wrung through their ears. It was Nightmare Chaos.

"Together you are strong with your friendship, but alone, you are weak, every one of you...you will all...give in to your nightmares!!!"

Rainbow shut her eyes. She opened after a while to find that she was still alive. But not at the same place, not back at the castle. Rainbow Dash looked around in shock to find that she was now in a graveyard. She started walking, tombstones all around her and the sound of nothingness greeting her. This...this is obviously an illusion. Yea, that's it. thought Rainbow Dash and bulked up. You have guts. Just find the exit and go save your friends.

All of a sudden, a hoof digged its way from the surface and grabbed Rainbow's hoof, catching her by surprise. In a state of panic, she immediately kicked it off and stepped back as the ground started lifting itself, a pale white unicorn revealing itself in the process. Rainbow looked in disgust when she realised that the pony in front of her was...Rarity. The most fabulous pony she had ever known, now a complete mess. Half of her face was missing and there were parts of her skull showing bits of flesh hanging from it. Rarity looked at her with a big wondering stare, her eyes wide open.

"Rainbow," Rarity suddenly spoke, "I...I sacrificed myself for you...and it was in vain." she suddenly shrieked in the end of that sentence.

"Rarity, I...I..."

"You are weak. Your loyalty is fading and you want to abandon this mission just so you can get out alive!" she shrieked at her.

"No, that isn’t true!" Rainbow screamed.

Rarity grabbed her head and started pulling it, slowly seperating it from the rest of her body, a wild shriek coming from her mouth as she ripped her own head off. Rainbow could feel the blood spatter on her face. Rarity's now headless body fell to the ground as the head rolled towards her hoof.

"You salvation was brought to you through destruction, little cyan filly. That makes you mine. You are loyal to me and no one else."

"NO!" Screamed Rainbow again, the image of Death crawling out of Rarity's head and appearing right in front of her.

"You don't choose, but I do." said Death and slowly started crawling in her mouth.

Rainbow Dash's breath was restricted as Death entered through her mouth. She suddenly felt her body being ripped apart although it wasn't. Her eyes rolled back as her jaw was breaking, now wide open. Rainbow Dash fell to her hooves. Her colour started fading, her skin turning red and her rainbow mane shifting, the once colourful colours becoming darker, more sinister. Rainbow coughed and blood spilt all over the ground she now looked at. She suddenly got up and opened her eyes to reveal crimson irises that had replaced her magenta ones. She started walking, entering a dark void that appeared in front of her.

Fluttershy stood in the centre of the short, enclosed room. Suddenly, the wall blasted open and an alicorn revealed himself from the dust. With stunning appearance, Fluttershy looked in awe but she also sensed evil in him.

"You must be..." he said and paused for a while. He scratched his head while trying not to scratch the golden crown he wore. "Hm, I don't seem to remember your name. Well, not important now. Anyway, let us get to the point. I'm here to kill you.

Fluttershy let out a squee of terror. Grafix, who was in the room directly next to her turned his head suddenly when he heard her panic. He ran to the wall and started raging, banging his hooves against the wall, trying to smash it open, to get to her, to save her. The alicorn started laughing.

"Aaah, you are funny little filly," said the alicorn, still maintaining a minor laugh, "I'm not here to kill you, I never fight. See, crown." he ended while he pointed at his crown.

"Then...w-what do you want?" Fluttershy asked, now completetly petrified.

"Oh yes," said the alicorn as he turned his look as he had remembered something and touched the hoof with his wall. "Promise not to scream." he ended while he looked back at her as the wall suddenly crashed.

Flutteshy shut her eyes in shock.

"Fluttershy? Dear?" said a familiar feminin voice as Fluttershy felt a gentle nudge.

Fluttershy slolwy opened her eyes to see Rarity in front of her with a warm smile on her face.

"R-Rarity?" she asked as she looked in surprise.

Fluttershy seemed to have been lying on the ground. As she got up, she realised that it was night. As she looked forward, she noticed a small fire burning, being the only light source. Fluttershy approached it and put her hooves forward, warming herself.

"Hey, you're awake sugarcube?" asked another voice coming from behind her.

Fluttershy turned around and gasped in amazement and shock at the same time. It was Applejack. It was really her. That orange coat and that bright blond hair with a braid at its edge, a brown cowboy hat on top of her head. Fluttershy was about to cry.

"Hey? What's the matter AJ?" said yet another feminin voice, its source a cyan pegasus along with two other ponies approaching.

It was her friends. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity and Applejack, all there. Fluttershy couldn't believe her eyes as she saw everypony smile at her. She immediately got up and fell on them, hugging them all, forming a big group hug. The ponies looked in amazement but still hugged her back.

As all six of them sat around the bonfire, Fluttershy wondered if everything that happened, the whole thing, was it real? War, Grafix, that kiss. Fluttershy felt her lips with her hoof, trying to feel the embrace of Grafix's lips. Maybe it was all a dream. Fluttershy decided to forget it and started chatting with her friends. Soon, they started laughing, enjoying themselves as they roasted marshmallows in the fire all night long.

Suddenly, the fire put itself off. Fluttershy panicked, her fear of the dark starting to take over. She looked around but everypony had disappeared. The weather started changing, dark clouds shrouding the entire skies. Lightning started to fall, striking random places around the field. With every bang, Fluttershy could hear a pony scream in pain. The number of lightnings that fell were...five.

"Your friends never liked you, little filly. They all saw you as expendable, they would leave you at the first chance they got and not even bat an eyelash." said a voice that echoed in the strong wind that had taken over.

"This isn’t true!" Fluttershy cried, tears now falling from her eyes.

"But it is little filly. What if that pegasus hadn't saved you? You would have died and no one would have even cared."

Out of the blue, a pony rose from the ground behind her. Fluttershy could feel a cold breath in her neck.

"Oh, but he means more than just a friend, doesn't he?"

Fluttershy quickly turned around a hundred and eighty degrees but nopony was there. Still, the sight in front of her shocked her even more than that. She saw Grafix, who was looking down, over a cliff. She slowly began to walk towards him and gently nudged him on the shoulder.

"G-Grafix?" she slowly asked

Grafix turned to her with an angry scowl on his face.

"WHAT?! I’m sick and tired of having to save you from every little thing! You are weak! I can’t stand that!" he yelled at her, the gauntlet on his hoof slowly forming and bright yellow aura forming around him, "I would’ve been better off never meeting you! You’ve ruined my life and damned all of Equestria!!!"

Fluttershy looked down, tears pouring faster than before when suddenly a golden spike appeared in front of her and quickly stabbed her chest, blood spraying forward onto Graphix’s face who was now giving out a big grin, the aura surrounding him making his grin even more scary to look at. His hoof grew in size and grabbed Fluttershy by the neck, moving her to the edge.

"Goodbye, useless mare!" he yelled as her threw her over the cliff.

Fluttershy fell far, leaving a small trail of blood in the air.

"Gra...fix..." she moaned before she hit the bottom, a giant thud echoing.

"See?" said the voice once again, "you only get in ponies' ways…"

Grafix could hear Fluttershy scream. He gritted his teeth in utter anger. He suddenly gave out a roar as the gauntlet released a big bang, crashing the wall into small pieces. Grafix stormed into the room and saw Fluttershy lying on the floor, some blood on the edge of her mouth.

"FLUTTERSHY!!!"

Grafix ran towards her and raised her gently. He looked in shock to see Fluttershy's once cute and shy eyes now look completely lifeless. He gently lied her down once again and waved his gauntlet over her. Fluttershy suddenly gave out a grand gasp, followed by a couple of coughs. Grafix gave out a sigh of relief. Fluttershy looked at him and quickly gave him a tight hug. Grafix slowly moved her away and raised her, lying her against the wall.

"Please, don't move, you're injured."

Fluttershy slowly nodded at him. Graifx gave her a weak smile, got up and turned around.

"Where are you?!" Grafix yelled into the emptyness of the room.

He heard a clapping coming from every wall. An alicorn suddenly rose from the wall in front of him, still maintaining his clap. He waved his mane, looking at Grafix with a look of royalty.

"And you must be that special somepony."

"What did you do to her?!" Grafix yelled at him, taking him aback yet not making him panic.

The alicorn looked with a look of minor disgust. He looked away for a bit, like he wanted to remember something again. He turned his look back at Grafix after a while.

"Let us not be violent now, okay? I'm not a fighter."

A spike rose in midair and stormed the alicorn, stabing him, making him cough blood. The alicorn raised his look at Grafix again after a whi;e, a small grin on his face. Grafix suddenly heard a scream of pain behind him. He immediately turned around to see Fluttershy holding her shoulder tightly, moaning in pain.

"What is this?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention," said the alicorn after a small laugh, "I advice you not to try to kill me. I mean, if you care about her." he ended and pointed at Fluttershy.

The alicorn grabbed the spike and quickly removed it from his shoulder, the wound immediately healing afterwards.

"And also, I may be able to heal, but she can't." he added.

Grafix gritted his teeth as he looked at the alicorn with pure hatred. A yellow aura started forming around him and suddenly started surging, rising from the floor all around the two of them. The alicorn looked around amazed. Grafix gave out a roar as the gauntlet started flashing. Grafix's hoof started peeling, revealing crimson skin underneath it. Fluttershy looked in shock, whereas the alicorn gave out a grin.

"I’m sick and tired of having to save you from every little thing!" Grafix yelled at Fluttershy without looking back. "You are weak! I can’t stand that!" he continued, his peeling continuing to his body, his wings entending as well as his height. "I...I hate you!!!" he said after turning his sight at her, looking at Fluttershy with fire in his eyes.

Fluttershy didn't want to believe what she heard. She got up and started walking, her shoulder still hurting. After reaching him, she could feel the huge aura surging around him. Grafix's face quickly peeled as well, his skin now entirely crimson red.

"Grafix...what are you...becoming?" she asked him, her words slow.

Grafix looked down on her. His mane fired up and became longer as his face shifted into an outraged one. He raised his hoof and smacked Fluttershy, the impact of the gauntlet pushing her back, raising her from the earth and launching her in the wall, a large hole forming behind Fluttershy's body as she felt her body smash the wall. She felt her bones crack and her organs shatter as she spilt blood all over.

Grafix had turned into a masculin red alicorn with a fiery mane, a look of destruction and hate in his eyes. Somepony Fluttershy had seen before. He started chuckling but soon it turned into a psychotic laugh that could be heard all over the castle. His horn started glolwing and gold armor started to incarnate on his chest and hooves. The ground broke behind him and out of the rubble, a huge double-sided axe rose, swinging itself in the air.

"I TOLD YOU GRAFIX...WAR...IS...EVERLASTING!!!" he screamed as he laughed out loud.