Switched

The sound woke Luna in the middle of the night. It seemed to come from one of the upper floors. Luna sat there in her bed and peerked up her ears. Why is nopony else awaken from this? It was a terrible screaming. Shrill, sharp and dreadfull. As if somebody was dieing in a most violent way.

Luna's coat bristled from the unnatural screams and shrieks. It was as if the screams were pulled out of the organs of the being. Cold fear made the Princess of the Night shiver. What is that? And how can anypony still be asleep? Shouldn't Celestiar have thrown the intruders out by now? Or somebody else? A guard? Besides, where are they when you need them?

Slowly the Alicorn pulled back the blancet. Luna jumped out of the bed. She was only wearing her crown and necklace. Not the boots. The mare hang the cloak over her back. She carefully pulled the door open and peered outside.

The long, dark hallways were empty. Shadows creeped over the floor and grew on the walls. A cold wind made the windows tremble and the carpets flown. It was so still. Only the screams, which came abrupt and all of a sudden, interrupted the atmosphere, sending chills down Luna's spine.

As Princess of the Night, we should be immune to chills and petty frights! The blue Alicorn was slowly walking through the long hallways. She had made herself as small as possible. Worry painted itself on her face together with fear. Whatever this was, it was unnatural. Strange. Why had she not noticed these sounds before? Who was making them? It reminded Luna of a torture chamber! But those usually were in the cellar or somewhere else.

These screams were coming from a floor above her. Luna spotted a staircase. She lifted a hoof and hesitated. What would she find up there? It did not seem to be puppies and kitties but something rather drastic. And did she even wanted to know what was up there? Those screams...they turned the blood in her veins into ice.

Curse this curiosity. The staircase creaked under her hooves as Luna walked up to the first floor. She now could tell, where these screams come from. There was a room, whose door was only ajar. A bright, blue light flashed out of the gap like lightning. Luna narrowed her eyes. What is that? Slowly the Princess peeked through the gap – and her eyes widened in shock.

A large group of ponies was sitting in the room. They were calling a weird, exciting whispering chant. It almost sounded like a prayer. Luna could only catch up a few words. "Hear us, Starswirl the Wicked. Hear our cries of pain! Show us the way to the other side!“ But that was not, what scared the heck out of the Alicorn.

In the middle of the room was some kind of device, which shoot blue lightning, forming a trembling, buzzing strand. And in this elictricity, several ponies threw themselves. Often three or four. Luna could hear their shrill screams in pain as the lightning cut through their flesh, made their fur bristle and their eyes roll in their caves. Their maws formed twisted, gagging sounds and their tongue hang out. They would float in the power of the lightning for a few seconds, before they crashed down, some trembling with the rest of their lifes, but most of them were dead, when they hit the ground like leaves.

What the hay did I got myself into? Luna spotted a brown mare with a bow tie. She was standing on a small podest and seemed to be the focuss of this action. She was calling something and the ponies responded. Above her Luna could see a large hole in the celling. Rotten wood. Bull's eye!

Carefully avoiding to make any more noise then necessary, Luna enlightened her horn and teleported herself in the room above them. What is that? Frankenstein's lab? Dusty shelves and several bottles. Parchment roles, which laid on the floor. Spilled ink bottles, their precious, black juice, drying into the papers.

Luna slowly tiptoed towards the hole and peeked through it. Now she had a better look at the situation. The 'priest' (if one could call her like that) reminded her of Mayor Mare. The same, long darkgrey hair, the same bow tie. But she had a darker coat and even her mane had something dirty and filthy.

Mayor Mare was calling: "Honour the great Starswirl the Wicked, who discovered the other side and became immortal. Oh, great Starswirl the Wicked, hear our prayer, hear our sorrow and cries of pain. Unban us from our beggarly mortal life. Help us to reach the other side. Take our sacrafice!“

"Take our sacrafice“, repeated the group in union. Their faces looked dull and concentrated. It was as if they all were hypnotized. Not by some weird spell. By their sick believe. It entrapped them all. Okay. This is getting weird! Luna shivered in disgust and fright. A powerful atmosphere laid over this ceremony, cold and wicked, pushing everyone in its focuss.

Several ponies stood up. While the others chanted "Take our sacrafice. Gloria! Hallelujah!“ they marched forward and threw themselves into the lightning bolt from the machine. Their screams of pain hurt like needles in Luna's ears and she watched in terror as she saw the bristled coats, burned mains and gagging maws as those ponies, willingly, commited suicide in this device. Mayor Mare called: "Those, who sacrafice themselves for the great Starswirl the Wicked, the traveler between worlds, shall be at peace! They reach the other side, where they live in harmony! Gloria! Hallelujah, Starswirl the Wicked, Hallelujah!“

What I am watching is not suitable for my little ponies! Luna had thought, she knew the weirdness of this other Equestria, but this was gross. Mayor Mare's cult meeting could not compare with anything Luna had ever seen before. It had something ghostly, drastically and strange. As if it really was from another world.

Her eyes ran over the cult members. Many faces did not meant anything to her, but she could tell that several ponies from Ponyville were taking part in it. Luna spotted Granny Smith and Big Macintosh. Her glance travelled futher and stucked at a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. Fluttershy? No!

Luna had leant a little bit forwards to get a better view of the situation. By doing so she had not realized that several pieces of wood had been broken under her hooves. One piece landed between Mayor Mare's feeth, the next one straight on her head. Oh-oh!, Luna thought as the brown mare looked up and they made eye contact.

"Somepony is up there!“, she shouted and alarmed several members, who started to sprint out of the room, "Get her, you idiots!“ Oh, no! Luna stumbled away from the hole. Her head jerked backwards and she stared at the door. These ponies would have to reach the floor first. Horn glowing red, Luna placed several boxes in front of the door, blocking the handle.

I need to get out of here. But how? Luna let her glance travel through the room in the desperate hope for a second exit. Maybe another door? A window? Behind her she could hear the shouts of the cult members. "She is in there! Come on!“ Then loud banging sounds came to her ears, telling her that they were throwing themselves against the door to open it.

Aha! Luna's eyes lightened as she spotted the hole in the celling. The roof did not seem to be repared pretty well. The Alicorn jumped on the table. She rose to her hindlegs. Let's hope, I fit through that thing! Luna pushed her head and frontlegs through it. Her wings were pressed thightly against her body.

Behind her the door sprang open and the cult members stormed the room. Come on! Gritting her teeth, Luna twitched and wiggled her body in an attempt to get herself through the whole. Her hindlegs shook in the air, kicking of bottles and hitting a mare on her cheek. She had been able to get her wings through the hole, which now were flapping in her aid.

Just as the cult was about to reach Luna, she was able to get through the hole. Slender, grey bodies like rats climbed out of the hole. The Alicorn slided down the roof. She just caught herself, before falling of the sims. The fact that she could fly did not really helped her in this situation, because a few of her followers were pegasi. So she had to get rid of them on the old school way.

Luna took a deep breath and sprinted along the side of the roof. Her hooves were slipping and sliding, but she could not allow herself a false step. Unless she wanted to break her neck. Come on! Come on! Behind her she could hear the hoovesteps and angry screams of the cult horses. And they were hot on her tail.

Luna jumped over a jutty of the roof. Spreading her wings she glided as long as she could. With that tactic she was able to slow down a few earth ponies and three unicorns. Other unicorns just teleported and the pegasi flew as well.

Her heart raced in her chest. Luna could hear her gasps. The blood run in her ears. Her legs moved faster then they ever had done before. She was not sure, what would happen, if they caught her, but she could picture every bad case scenario, the worst one, her own death.

Luna had almost reached the end of the roof. Right in front of her a pegasus shot down and blocked her path. "Woohaaa!“ called Luna. Her hooves scratched over the sims as she braked abruptly. Her horn flared red and she fired a spell after the pegasus, paralyzing him for a couple of seconds.

Luna knew she could not go in the opposite direction either. The other cult members were coming closer and closer. She did the only option left: Taking all her courage Luna sprinted upwards the roof. She wished herself the claws of a cat and its sense for balance, but her adrenaline made the impossible possible.

Luna rushed over the roof. There was a golden, decorative fence at its top. Gulping in shock, the Alicorn took one reckless jump. Her wings spread and with a powerful slap she catapulted herself over the obstacle. Cling! Luna's hooves met the bricks. She slided down. The mare opened her wings to keep her balance.

Her eyes were directed at the next roof. It was another house and most likley no longer a new part of the castle. Between her roof and the sims was a large gap. Luna ducked down and waited patientley. She hesitated, hesitated – Now! – then took one reckless jump. Her wings bashed the air, the wind caressed her face and mane as she flew over the gap.

Landing safely on the other side, she allowed herself to glance backwards. This cannot be! They have to be rats! Nopony can climb like this! Gasping in shock, Luna stared at the mass of bodies, running down the roof, aiming for her. The cult members had passed her obstacle.

Luna did not wait for them to jump over the roof. She ran along the sims of the roof. The house, on which she was now, reminded her of an old building. Maybe an abandoed factory? The chimneys could speak for that.

Luna quickly hide behind a rather large one. The mare ducked herself in the shadows of the zylinder and praied her coat would make her invisible. Why did her counterpart had to wear something so bright? It was like a beacon!

Hoofsteps. The cult members had landed on the roof. "Where did she go?“, called a deep voice. Another one said: "You go this way. We check here.“ Luna heard hasty movements as the group split. They were going to surround her! She could not stay here.

Luna carefully and silentley moved backwards as she heard steps approaching her. "She was here“, said one of the colts, "I have seen her.“ At that moment Luna's hoof touched nothing. She could only yelp in shock, when she tumbled backwards and fell down.