Chapters Prisoner's Keys to Insanity
FEBRUARY 8TH, 1992
EQUESTRIAN ARCHIVES FILE 147
FILE ATTACHMENTS: PATIENTS OF INSAINITY EQUESTRIAN ALLIENCE FOR OFFENCE
SEPERATE TAGS INCLUDED: SELSKIRE ZULEYIX
FILE DESCRIPTION
72 HOURS AFTER THE TERRORISTIC ATTACKED MADE UPON THE WALL OF CANTERLOUGHT CASTLE, SELSKIRE ZULEYIX (PRISONER 147) WAS APPREHENDED DUE TO SUSPECTED INVOLVEMENT IN THE CRIME. ASSAILENT THOUGHT TO HAVE ORGANIZED THE DEAL AND IS BELIEVED FOUNDER OF THE “CULT”. TRIAL REPREMANDED HIM AND HE WAS SENTENCED TO THE EQUESTRIAN PENETENTIRY. 5'7”, DARK GREY FUR, OLIVE MANE WITH BLACK PATTERNED HAIR BANDS. SENTENCE HAS YET TO BE DECIDED.
***END OF FILE CONTENTS***
He set the page back into the archive, neatly storing it as if it had never been touched. The clock past midnight by a rough 7 minutes. The open windows in the archive passed a gentle breeze as the night progressed, sweeping through the long halls of the archive. He trotted through, returning to the main courtyard before he was presumed “criminal” again by his new partners.
The night was as heavy as any other here, pitch black and cold like the grip of Jack Frost. The breeze growing deeper and slower with each pass, only to disappear as it seemed at its peak. Brisk flurries would start soon, as fall was coming to a close and Hearth's Warming was rearing around the corner. Soon the cobblestone streets would be filled with the white essence. The streets would shimmer dully in the moonlight, more so than they do now. As the clock struck half past 12, the lights started to flicker, as was expected. The lights went up after the late patrols took guard by the main gate, occasionally walking through the pathways to look for intruders. Ever since the attack the guards have been more productive in their work by order of the princesses. Darkness rises through the kingdom as fast as the wind these days, though it seams to have dies down in some areas such as Ponyville and Baltimare.
He trots back to his group of ponies, “reformed” by the princess of friendship, Twilight Sparkle. Though he is not a stranger to the prison system, he is not use to being the criminal. His sentence was a miscall by the princess herself, while he was held in chains upon the carpet adorning her throne. Terrorist? No he was not a terrorist. Wrong place, wrong time would fit his well. Sergeant of the equestrian army with 18 years under his belt, he created a group of his own after leaving his service. The Patients of Insanity take control of the murderous criminals whom run hide in the shadows around the streets and alleys of Equestria. Himself the overseer of it all should have been more cautious in his last maneuver. The shame of his strike upon the wall to protect the princess was not as it appeared in her eyes. He wrote letters to his comrades ,who still continued their duties on the outside, to give the princess the letters about their days plan and their founding forms. It's funny actually, when you think about the facts. He created the group to protect Equestria and her people and his new plan was to do just that at a higher extent. The sector he was newly testing that fateful day was the P.O.I.'s first additional department. He decided on “The Department of Offense” was a good name for the sector, as its sister, not yet created, would be the “The Department of Defense”. He was patrolling the border when he found a group of ponies attempting to break into the castle wall to store drugs. When he moved in to take them out, however, he was thrown to the ground by a royal guard.
So that's when he was put in prison, but you might be wondering about his “first” time and how he got the job. He was a new type of executioner in the equestrian penitentiary. His electric staff would be shoved against the backs of those given the death penalty for the most harsh of crimes. These acts, however, started to seem inpomane to the princess and her piers. It was then removed and he was out of a job. Months and months of traveling around the land of Equestria lead him to joining the Equestrian Army as he was entranced by their far control and protection over the land. His eighteen years of service were both in the capitol, its surrounding land and beyond. Mostly he was stationed outside Canterlought.
Now he stood before the group Twilight had assigned to him. It consisted of him, two Pegasi and an earth pony. Their names were Lightning Dust, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. Only reason I say Applejack and Rainbow are reformed is because of their famous trials with Discord known throughout the land. Lightning Dust, however, had been caught on the same day as I was, same area, but she was only taking a pleasure flight through the sky above the castle, and definitely not a lookout for the crew found.
Their task was simple, at least to him, to rebuild the wall and then appear In court as Applejack and Rainbow dash watched over us and made sure we didn't book away. I was allowed to visit the library, as security was watching my every move. Probably looking at the papers I searched for as we speak. So unto this wall of cement bricks, colored to her majesty's choosing.
As the morning crept through the clouds we cemented the final bricks into place. Rainbow Dash sleeping as Applejack kept watch. Her snores were heavy and peaceful until Applejack nudged her side. Rainbow quickly jerked awake and looked at the newly finished wall. “It's time”, Applejack said slowly, staring at Lightning and I. We let the supplies as they were and followed behind the two mares to the royal court. Lightning's trial was first, ending rather quickly on a happy note. Maybe he did have some luck. After 17 minutes of waiting, he was allowed to enter the room, rather silently. All eyes of the royal court looked upon him. He sat where he was told to and he waited for the princesses to speak. The shuffled through papers and talked in low murmurs to each other until they had decided they had left their guest waiting long enough. Celestia and Twilight were the only two appointed by the four to speak.
“You have been summoned to this court for suspected drug dealing, concealment, and distribution, however, we understand that your people have records to identify you otherwise. Also, the people we apprehended were honest enough to say that they hadn't seen you before.”, spoke Celestia in her usual, calm tone. Twilight spoke next, more authoritative than her predecessor,”Why were you there?”
He hadn't spoken in 4 days, not even a whisper to himself. He spoke carefully, not wanting to offend the one he was devoted to protect,”I was merely patrolling the outer walls of the castle, and when I saw them I moved closer to investigate the crime and put an end to it.”.
Celestia though for a moment, then spoke,”What kind of action would you take to “apprehend” them?”.
“I would have alerted the royal guard, unless they had spotted me and tried to, as one would say, silence me...” the though of his team without him made his shudder,”I do my work only to clean the streets of Equestria and to protect each of you, your majesty.”.
She glanced over him as she thought about what he said, as if she was understanding this circumstance for the first time. Finally, after sharing glances with the others, Celestia spoke”It is clear as the day and night that you are not a criminal, yet we must still talk about one card on the table. Why do you have a militia set up in the first place? It isn't illegal, just...odd.”
He looked up as if he was offended, but still answered as he would under any circumstance,”I created this militia after my 18 years of service in your royal guard, I felt that they weren't doing enough, and for good reason. They simply aren't enough of them to be stationed all around equestrian all the time. This is why I created the Patients of Insanity group to protect the town and cities of our great land. My latest prospect was to protect from invasions, such as the changling army.”.
Slightly blushing at the fact that she was personally loved by her subjects enough that they would risked their lives for her. She spoke softly,”I would be happy if you would agree to add your sanction to the royal security, no, I would be honored for you to accept.”, ending on her smile.
He was appalled by her statement, almost instantly responding,”Of coarse we will accept your request. At the latest hour I shall send my most memorable men to the castle, to stand aside your royal guard.”.
The room then was filled with hope for a brighter future, but as the night fell they continued to edge down the path to the destruction of everything they were trying to protect. *
Prisoner's Keys to Insanity
Sunlight brightened the peaceful kingdom, as always, with a gentle breeze of morning. The sun rose above the clouds slowly as the moon disappeared behind the horizon. The castle of the two sisters lay in ruin, left by the defeat of Nightmare Moon over 1,000 years ago. Celestia ordered a new castle be built in the center of Equestria, so it would be close to all of its surrounding cities across the nation. Eloquently named Canterlought, this new city would be the Capitol of the land. The return of Nightmare Moon brought back some of the evil magic that was left with her, leaving it scattered throughout the Everfree forest. Hell wouldn't begin to describe what was in this forest and its shadows. The magical torture one would go through just entering would be too traumatizing to speak about. It seemed the ideal place to put the old castle, but for Celestia it was a constant reminder of the loss of her sister to imprisonment.
Celestia arose from her chambers early in the morn, not wanting to let her duties go unattended. The royal guards greeted her as always, charming with a touch of joy. Their staffs held high when she past, only for protection. Her pace was slow, walking through the halls with her natural elegance. Luna was waiting in the throne room for her sister, almost falling out her throne with her usual lackadaisical position. She sat upright as she saw her sister coming, and smiled at her when she entered.
Usual day, filling out documents. Some for the gala and some for businesses in Canterlought. Celestia felt slightly saddened that there were no reports from the P.O.I., but she felt that it was for the best. No reports meant everything was fine in her kingdom, and she was always, by any means, pleased by that. She did, however, love the excitement and thrill of the attacks, but understood they were no good on the finances of the kingdom by any doubt. The budget wouldn't allow for another attack this year, and if there was one, then Celestia would just take what she needed, allowing the royal court to be in debt. *
Ponyville was a small town in southeastern Equestria, and the main base of the Patients of Insanity. The town was mostly quiet, unless Pinkie Pie was throwing down a shindig. Her parties made the whole town party. Today was not a day for partying, as there were deadly creatures coming out of the forest. Dark Creatures from the deep caves, ones never ventures by equestrians. Selskire worked alone in his office unless needed by his cohorts. Shuffling through the pages he had missed through his week in prison. Though he was a free man and better of than when he entered prison, he kept his number as his name. A symbol to show that even with the most straightforward task in mind, the high order can still make mistakes. He wore his prisoner ID badge with pride. His numbers were 1-4-7.
Nothing in the papers was of worry to him, mostly they were just successful patrol statements, but one entry caught his attention. It read,"Shadows seen moving in and out of the town, yet they are not of equestrian decent. All creatures of the night were searched for, but not were found. Search has been closed and further sightings have seemed to diminish claims about the shadowy creatures.". Shadowy creatures, he thought to himself. Never had he had a report like this, here and then gone. Poof. That's it, shows over. Something was amiss about these creatures, and he intended to find it out.*
The dark evils of her highness's old form crawl out of their caves and burrows, waiting patiently to attack their new prey. This dark enchantment is of foreign origin and of foreign powers. These powers are from none other than Discord, the master of Chaos. Newly "reformed" he has had his ways to keep away from longer imprisonment. His instincts are what makes him go over the borderline occasionally. *
Selskire exited his home and headquarters for the street. Gathering his closest soldiers; Applejack and two of his redcoats. He didn't bother to learn the names of all his men, he was not good with memory. Their first stop would be Zecora's, a zebra whom lives about a quarter mile into the forest, near a safer side of Hell. Before leaving he grabbed his Colt Revolver from his desk and put it in a holder within his jacket. Though he could use his magic, he preferred a bullet to a spell, and even though danger was not certain, he felt it necessary to bring it. Applejack brought her AA12 (automatic shotgun) and the redcoats brought P99 pistols.
The path was filled with deadly plants which weren't really difficult to avoid, but they were a bother to keep seeing. Th journey to Zecora's was safe, but when they arrived her house was in shambles. Beneath the wreckage they found Zecora, cut open from the inside. Applejack laid her gun down and buried her hands into her face, sobbing loudly. She wanted to ask Zecora if she was going to be okay, but she knew there would be no response. Zecora's mutilated body laid there, and whatever had done this left no part of her inside unscathed. Her eyes shot open and looked at Applejack, her only known friend around her.
She tried to sit up, but fell when trying. Instead she reached out to Applejack and said,"Run, for the dark magic has arrived, and soon you will be killed from the inside!".
With this Applejack picked up her gun and pointed it at Zecora. She mouthed "I'm sorry" and as Zecora nodded her head, it was blown to bits as well as covering the wall behind her. Applejack looked at what she had done and remembered that Zecora said they would be next if they didn't leave. She quickly turned to face the others, motioning them to leave with her. They had seen enough carnage for one morning.
All except Selskire, whom saw carnage and bloodshed both day and night for part of his career. This was the path he had chosen, and he was happy about it. Without him, Zecora would still be suffering from the fatal wounds she had suffered. And so they fled from the small tree house, running as fast as their legs would take them. One of the Redcoats ,however, didn't make it out, and he didn't even try. He held his gun to his heart, feeling the barrel touch his thumping chest. His heart was racing faster than those who ran the running of the leaves. Her pulled the trigger slowly, not wanting to deal with the future he saw. It was full of the darkness overthrowing Equestria, turning the land into complete ruin.
The sound of the bullet rang throughout the forest, drawing out the worst of the evils.
Applejack turned to see the redcoats body fall in its tracks in the distance. The colt dropped his pistol to the ground, fresh with the newly darkening blood of its previous owner, never to be retrieved. She lost her muster as she witnessed the feat and started to run slower. Selskire turned back and grabbed her, forcing her to focus on the objective at hand. She nodded, tears filling her eyes, and they continued out of the forest, unscathed. *
On their return to Ponyville, everything was as they left it. The charming little town was still in a peaceful harmony, as it usually was. Applejack walked slowly, her steps heavy. Her intent was to go to Twilight's and assemble the group to inform them of what happened. The only problem was that Twilight was in Canterlought, burdened by her royal duties. And so she decided it best to go to the castle of friendship, as it was close by and the most peace filled place she could think of.
Selskire went back to his quarters at the barracks, to document what he had just witnessed. A mare of full grown farm elegance would understand that letting the animal die slowly was cruel, more than a city pony at least. But nevertheless, why was she so willing to end the life of one of her closest friends? One of whom helped her and her country out countless times, both documented and not. She was obviously heartbroken about the tragedy, but Selskire couldn't wrap his mind around it. Then she seemed to lose all hope when the redcoat...well, did what he did. Such a strong willed pony, giving up when it seems to matter the most because of what she has lost and she decides what she is willing to protect. One thing of this was certain though, the dark shadows were real, and they were coming for Equestria, and most likely their princesses.
Upon this, he wrote a letter, to inform Celestia and Luna of the incident. Applejack would surely tell Twilight and she would tell Cadence. His mind wandered to what he should write. What do you write at a time like this? Dear Celestia, Zecora the zebra was shot dead by applejack to save her from an impending disaster that wasn't the fault of Zecora. Nope, that wouldn't suffice. He decided to just write out the situation as if it was for the journal entry he kept of the days assignments.
"Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,
Please rad the following report as it is extremely important (P.S. Set Canterlought to DEFCON 3 as we are in a shadow battle with the Everfree Forest.
TODAY WE PATROLLED THE EVERFREE FOREST DUE TO A PREVIOUS REPORT MADE ABOUT DARK SHADOWS ENTERING THE TOWN. WE DECIDED TO MEET WITH THE NATIVE, ZECORA THE ZEBRA. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT HER HOME, HOWEVER, SHE WAS BLEEDING OUT FROM THE GAPING HOLE CUT OUT FROM THE INSIDES OF HER CHEST. UPON INSPECTION OF HER AND HER DAMAGED HOME, SHE BEGAN TO SPEAK WITH HER CLOSEST FRIEND THERE, APPLEJACK. APPLEJACK PULLED HER GUN OUT AND POINTED IT AT ZECORA'S HEAD, WANTING TO END HER SUFFERING QUICKLY. WE HURRIED BACK TO PONYVILLE TO ESCAPE THE DARKNESS ZECORA HAD WARNED US ABOUT, BUT BEFORE WE COULD ESCAPE ONE OF OUR OWN COMMITTED SUICIDE, MOST LIKELY UNWILLING TO TAKE PART IN ANY CAUSE OF WHICH THREATENED HIS LIFE OR THE LIFE OF HIS FRIENDS. ALL OTHERS, INCLUDING MYSELF, APPLEJACK, AND ROSELUCK MADE IT BACK SAFELY. PATROLS WILL BE STARTED IMMINENTLY TO PREVENT AN INVASION FROM THE FOREST. THE CREATURE AGAINST US IS STILL UNKNOWN."
That was it, sent to the capitol in just an hour. Now to wait for a response, hopefully a rather quick one. This was not a situation to be taken lightly, nor was it one worth putting off. Celestia would know that. She was close with Zecora since Twilight and her friends decided to confront her and ask her purposes of being in Ponyville. Celestia usually responded quickly to any message she acquired from her closest of friends, students, family, or allies. He had hoped he was at least the latter and the former.*
Celestia slumped in her throne, bored of the day's tedious activities. However, she did not foresee the coming of evil, or the letter sent by her beloved protector. A royal guard, out of breath, burst through the throne room's doors, quickly bringing the princess to her senses. She arose, taking the letter he then held out to her, and he spoke,"This letter is from Selskire of Ponyville, he says its urgent and reports of an impending disaster.".
Her eyes widened with worry, and as she read the scroll before her, she was amazed. Applejack killed Zecora? She couldn't have done that. To murder in cold blood, but under the circumstances it seemed the only plausible action. Her thoughts drifted to the redcoat, whom felt it was necessary to inflict a fatal wound on himself, not wanting another to do it for him. She snapped back to the rest of her subjects and how to protect them from the shadow creatures. To kill them off with light was a reasonable way to do it, she presumed, yet she had her doubts about it working. A dark evil such as described could not be easily burned by sunshine, she though heavily. She felt that she could stop the darkness if she didn't lower the sun, but then there would be no night, no rest time for the ponies of her lands. Although, what is sleep compared to safety? She sent the guard away, requesting time to think on the subject.*
Prisoner's Keys to Insanity
The moon rose, taking its sister's place in the sky. The bright green fields dulled to the darkest of their natural colors, covered by the shadows created in the bleak cold night. Canterlought was overdue for winter, as cloudsdale had not sent them their proper weather. The cold gripped all those whom decided to tread the dark streets of Canterlought, leaving them sick after just a few minutes.
In the castle, Celestia sat, growing more corrupt by the hour. Her dilemma was simple, yet hard to answer. Defeat the darkness, but how? They were magic defiant, and powerful at the skill themselves. Her mind, riddled by the issue, was slowly leaning towards her darker side. The fate of Equestria would hang in the balance if they lost her, or so she thought. Twilight, Luna and Cadence would still be able to set forth the path, but could they? Would they? Celestia thought about giving up her crown and leadership to her sister and Twilight, but never decided if she should. She, being the powerful goddess that she was, could be used to defend the nation from attacks both small and minor to those large and terroristic.
Luna walked through the doors of the throne room, her intent being a collaboration with her sister about the letter from Selskire. Without coming to a decision, they might lose control of the situation and whatever happens with result in some incident like Zecora's for sure. When she entered she saw Celestia, obviously deep in thought, looking over the letter. Her mane was frizzled, painstakingly agonizing. It wasn't even flowing like usual. Her eyes, bloodshot, were wide and her coat was in knots. Her crown lay across the room, on the carpet cracked at the left ear. Luna trotted over to her sister, to comfort her, but Celestia rejected Luna. As Luna placed her hand on Celestia's shoulder, Celestia shrugging Luna off and then pushing her away. Luna fell off the throne, onto her back.
She got up and spoke to her sister in a rather harsh tone,"I want to help you sister, as you know we rule together to keep harmony, as if we are separate we will cause discord across the land.". Celestia then put the paper down, as if she was furious, but then she out into sobbing, finally regaining herself enough to say,"I'm so (sniff) sorry Luna! I don't know what came over me...please, let us work this out and after we will do something fun together, sound good?".
Luna, regaining her posture, returned to her sister and brought her in for a hug. After they released each other Luna spoke,"Of coarse, now let's finish this problem before it becomes any more hazardous.".
They then sat for hours, contemplating ideas. after Luna finished her's, Celestia them spoke her's shyly,"What if I kept the sun in an eternal state of rise, not allowing it to fall and give the creatures a chance to strike?".
Luna was baffled by her sister's proposal, though not extremely surprised. She thought her sister would see the dark ways of jealousy eventually. Although this was for an important cause, to keep evil out of their kingdom eternally. But one problem remained, when would she lower it? Would she ever do such a thing once the evil was no more? Would they ever vanquish the darkness? She thought about it hard after she flew straight to an answer, regretting that decision for the next many moons.
Without heavy thought she reprimanded her sister,"The ponies of these lands won't be able to survive without the balance of night and day, for goodness sake think sister.".
Celestia turned from shy to full of rage, slapping Luna across her face. Her face, cut by the gauntlet on Celestia's wrist, bled from the deep wound. Celestia then forced Luna into a magic induced slumber, only to wake when Celestia saw it fit. She watched her sister slowly slump to the floor. The throne doors opened moments later by two royal guards: 8:30 p.m.: the usual time for the guards to check on her. She simply played off being a big sister and carried Luna on her back.
Once she reached the guards she said,"Luna fell asleep while we were deliberating upon a conclusion, please let me escort her to her chamber.", and with that she was off.
Luna's sleeping chamber was across the hall from her sister's, yet the decoration was abruptly different. Instead of ornaments meant for the day and peace, Luna dejected her thoughts into a lunar themed room filled with anti-Luna propaganda. Such as Solar empire posters created by regions of citizens over 1000 years ago, when she had turned evil. Celestia laid Luna down on her bed and walked out of the room, locking the door behind her.
The hallway was a luminous sight for her to see, moonlight shining through the stained panels. Celestia walked over to the first panel of her former student and her friends. The vibrant scene depicted the defeat the end of Nightmare Moon and the founding of the element's bearers. She shed a single tear, thinking of what she just did to her sister. She would wake Luna in the morning and tell her she had a bad dream. The dark night seemed to hold more than just it's usual quarrel. The Everfree forest was on its move, faster than anypony expected and it was moving fast. They hid through the shadows of buildings in the day and slowly traveled, advancing on royalty before nightfall. Their illusion was to discern the Royalists. Celestia would not wake as herself in the morning, not entirely. The shadows are capable of more than just basic magic practice. Both with and without a host they can use the most advanced of magic and its properties.
Celestia moved away from the panel and swiftly shut her room door behind her swiftly. The room was not as bright as Luna's, for Celestia's room was only bright during the day as Luna's would be bright at night. Pure symbolism of their destinies. She lowered herself into the bed, lying a blanket over her, prints of sunshine dashed across it. She tossed and turned for about an hour, finally settling into comfort and drifting off into dreamland.
The dark forced its way through the halls, unseen because of the candlelight the guards used was too dull to spot the evil creatures. They combined into one creature outside Celestia's room, slipping underneath the door and reforming at her bedside. As she breathed in the normal air the darkness entered through her lungs, transforming her body from the beloved sun goddess into a creature of Demonic wishes and greed. When it was done, the darkness would soon control everything Celestia would do, and there was nothing she herself could do to stop it. The rise of day was coming, and it would be eternal for all those whom wished to conceal it.*
Selskire waited anxiously for a response from the princesses. He soon decided to head to sleep himself, understanding that they must deliberate and pass an order. Something that would take more than a day to complete, and so he shall conduct business as usual. The night was brisk in Ponyville tonight, frost forming from the breaths of air from one's body.*
Twilight worked furiously, throwing books around her castle library looking for an answer after hearing Applejack's story. Her eyes were filled with tears and her actions were distraught. Though, this did not dismay her thinking, and she worked through the pain. She was very close to Zecora since they had first became friends, and now she would never see her lovely face again. She finally dropped her books, and herself, to the ground. Applejack walked over to Twilight and gave her a hug, Twilight hugging back. Twilight was beyond broken at this point, losing Spike last summer to a Timberwolf pack and now Zecora. The only things keeping her together were her books, her friends, family and mentor. Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash were sleeping in their thrones rather comfortably, considering the situation. But what could they do? Zecora couldn't be brought back and they didn't dare venture without knowing what force they were up against.
They soon turned in as well, tears welling in both of their eyes. They blew out the candles and allowed the moonlight to lead them to their spots of rest. The castle was empty except for her room and the room of her and her friends' thrones. The rest of the rooms remained empty, and they were mostly being used for her storage of books, as the library was overfilled with literature. Yet, despite the books, they were all clueless on what could have such a profound power on a creatures body as Applejack had witnessed.
The darkness was rising over Equestria, taking the most powerful force in the land, that in time, would take the lives of the country's protectors. All that stood in their way was a rebellion so large it would go down in the record books of history, never to be challenged if all went right on their fateful quest for peace and individualistic acceptance. The Everfree forest had its reins upon the nation, and soon the rest of the world beyond. Darkness knows no moral boundaries, it only cares for the destruction of the rest of the people in its way to the rise of power.*
Selskire woke from his lighthearted sleep, restless in his efforts. He walked to his room of work, where he filled his reports and made his decisions. The table was a bleak, lifeless color of the shades of grey. It was a cold metal desk, manufactured in the rural portion of Manehattan. As for the rest of his furnishings, they were bought in the local stores of Ponyville. All these desks and drawers were made of golden oak hardwood. Back in high school, Selskire took carpentry, now it is only to be a hobby. He walked to the corner of the room, of which sat his first toolbox, now housing papers and documents from his service. He pulled a badge out of one of the Mahogany sliding drawers. The badge was that of a royal crest, showcasing the Ying and Yang to Celestia and Luna comparison. Such was made to symbolize peace and the badge was to symbolize the protectors of balance. He pinned the badge to his Kevlar vest of grey, and he walked to the window to take in the dark night.
The crystal in the sky was shinning bright among the quiet town. This moonlight shadowed the darkest of the lands alleys, allowing passage for the creatures of the night. The safe travel would only bring pain and suffering to the people of the land. Though he did not know of the darkness's passage, Selskire thought something was amiss. His eyes parted from side to side, his gaze penetrating the night. Seeing nothing wrong he shrugged it off and closed the window as a breeze picked up. The cold in the air was thick on his face, discomfort showing, even after the window was shut. He sat at his desk and wrote of the night in his journal, knowing little of the comprehensible future that lay ahead for him and the princess.
Prisoner's Keys to Insanity
The sun rose over the Everfree Forest, lighting every corner of it, beginning the day like every other. The goddess of this light walked away from her window, dressed for her royal duties as usual. Her worry of the previous night had completely vanished as she looked in her mirror, admiring her appearance. Her robes were the most elegant in all of Equestria, and there were none other to match its perfection. She placed her crown upon her head, but upon this she fell to her knees, power filling her mind, leaving no room for her to think consciously. Her grabbed at her head, but to no avail, she was still in udder pain and torment. As suddenly as it had started, it left her. She knelled in front of the mirror, dumbstruck at the fleeing pain.
She slowly got up, leaving the mirror for the door. She slowly walked to Luna's chamber. After entering, she closed the door quickly, slamming it hesitantly. Her sister lay there, under her spell. She looked so peaceful, her mane flowing elegantly with the slight draft from the outside. Celestia unbound the spell on her beloved sister. Luna's eyes burst open as she broke from her covers. She shoved Celestia into the wall, and pinned her at the neck. Luna looked into Celestia's eyes and she saw no fear in them. Celestia gripped Luna at the neck with her magic, more practiced and advance than her sister's. Celestia then bashed Luna against the nightstand next to her bed, releasing her magical grip.
Luna coughed as she had the wind blown out of her, mouthing to "Celestia","Where have you done with her?!". She watched in horror as her former sister walked over her and slapped her yet again. Luna feeling to weak ,from the spell Celestia had cast, then slumped to the floor, unable to think. Celestia took the initiative of chaining Luna's limbs together with various metal accessories placed in the room. Celestia then brought her golden gauntlet down upon her sister's horn, shattering it into bits.
Celestia then called guards to the room, ordering her sister be brought to the dungeons. When she was questions she responded that Luna had committed treason against Celestia attempting to kill her on the spot. Her authority was not doubted as Celestia was the ruler for over 1,000 years, only trying to help the thriving nation. Because of this no further questioning took place, and the only one whom thought she was lying was too afraid of her magic to stand against the princess. *
The crystal tree of friendship shimmered in the sunlight, brightening the small town of Ponyville and temporarily blinding a few tourists from other parts of the country. Twilight woke up, her face covered in thin streaks of dried tears. She rubbed her eyes, and closed the book she fell asleep on. She was awoken by an obtrusive banging on the castle's front doors. She hurried to answer the door, only to be forced to sleep by the one whom she trusted most.
Celestia walked past her student into the map room. She walked out moments later, having cast the same spell upon the element bearers. She then subliminally escorted them to Canterlought with a prison transportation vehicle. When they arrived she demanded that the soldiers bring them to the dungeons and they did not question, for this was the sign they were waiting to hear for years. The guards always assumed that the princess would turn against the people and they would be the highest helping force in the land to save their skins, no matter the cost.*
Selskire awoke to find the people in a slight panic, the town plagued by rumor. He dressed in his combat ready attire, wielding the emblems of his crew and its authority rather than those of the empire. Thin leather jacket on top of a formal dress shirt, backed by a 1/2" thick plate of metal covered in Kevlar. His jeans were adorning thin metal plates to protect his legs. Armed with his revolver at the ready and the first automatic rifle he was given, so customized the original name meant nothing to its present figure. He threw his filled war pack over his shoulders, and he placed a pager into his pocket.
Walking out of his office and onto the street, he was astonished to find burning homes in front of him. He ran to his closest group of men, and asked about the current situation.
And so the accusations arose, except, they were true.
Disbelief stuck Selskire like a wave of agony. The element's owners were part of a royal crime? Celestia had a fire in her eyes dark enough to match Tirek? Unbelievable, but so was Ponyville's state of alarm. But why was Ponyville in alarm? They should still be in harmony, maybe not perfect harmony, but udder chaos? Soon did he learn of the rebellion against the empire. He was appointed leader as he was the only true freedom fighter left to fight the "perfect" union or as some began to call it, "The Solar Empire". *
Over the next few weeks, blood was heavily spilled in major cities like Manehattan and Canterlought. As the streets above were blown to bits by the Princess's army, the rebel soldiers remained dormant in the sewers. Celestia declared that the bombs will be dropped into every other city and town if the warrior of legend, Selskire, gave himself to the royal court to be terminated for good. The rebellion had determined their first and final strike, the heart of Canterlought Castle.
Selskire walked through the damp halls of the newly built caves in the sewer. 1,000+ soldiers lived here now, all looking for a brighter future for their old home. A speech was what was asked of Selskire to do, something to make these depressed soldiers ready to face almost certain death head on. The legend of old, the soldier whom rose through the ranks and created a multi-billion bit bringing industry wold be the one to help the people. Not with his money, not with his brawn, but for his spirit and sacrifice. Every last bit he had made went to fueling for an unseen event such as this. Always be prepared, even if the upper hand is your, it can be taken swiftly.
He made his way to the post he would be speaking from, seeing the men he was to lead into no-ponies land. He rose his aviators and placed them into his shirt pocket. The room then lit up from magical flames conjured up by the unicorns among them.
As he looked out at the crowd, he pushed back his fear of failure, and spoke only the truth. His voice was dark, beaten, yet it seemed hopeful,"As of only a few weeks ago, the princess of friendship, Twilight Sparkle and her friends were abducted by the ruler of our land. This, you are aware and you are also aware that Luna has gone missing. Our streets run broken, shattered by her highest, and we lay in the rubble. No longer shall we roll over. No longer shall we wait. Tonight we rise against Celestia and her royal army as they reach to us and demand prisoners.".
Upon saying this he smirked, remembering his appointed name. The royal court may fail and when it does we will rise to power, bringing harmony and peace to our fellow brethren.
He thus spoke more confidently, allowing himself a cheerful expression,"And no longer will they bomb our people. They will never walk the streets after tonight. Families torn, and lives lost in the worst torment we can imagine. We have 3 priorities my men, and they are as simple to understand as they are deadly to undertake. Step one: Kill the Demon of the Sun. Step two: Find the Lunar goddess if possible. And finally, Step three: Find the Elements of Harmony, for they are our first defense against the evil of this nation. Without them we can thrive, but we cannot protect our nation. So we stand here today the ponies of the present to fight for the ponies of the future. Today we fight. tonight, we rise, and tomorrow we will thrive in the sunshine rightfully gifted to us!".
Cheers for him were heard and soon subsided as he waved them out. They then prepped for battle, the worst in the empires history to date. Already the streets outside were burning, and those who lived there dead and dying. The final night soon turned to the final sunrise for the nation.
Prisoner's Keys to Insanity
Her vision was blurred, and her head was pained more than she could remember it ever being. She tried to move, but her limbs felt caught against a cold metal. As feeling came back to her, she cringed at wounds she felt among her legs. The air was cold, damp even. Her vision slowly got better and she cried softly at what she saw. Her best friends, held in chains like prisoners. They were prisoners of the empire's civil war, presumed dead by its people.
Twilight looked around, checking the room for anypony else, but all she could see were the dreary brick walls. Applejack raised her head slightly and scoffed at Twilight's appearance.
"Twi...your horn, and...your wings...sweet Celestia...".
Twilight looked over at Applejack, admiring the strong earth pony standing against her mortal wounds. The ground under Applejack was coated in a thick layer of blood, growing larger from her wounds.
"Applejack, what...what's the problem with my horn? My wings?".
"Their gone Twi, your wings are...on the floor. Your horn is shattered...", she then let out a few tears, unable to comprehend why anypony would do such cruel things to the peacekeepers.
Twilight glanced over at the rest of her friends, each of them sleeping as peacefully as they could in this situation. Were they awake before, Twilight did not know. She surveyed her options, though there weren't many. She broke down, realizing that she could not use magic with a broken horn. As suddenly as she had been woken up, she had drifted into another slumber.
She was asleep for what felt like days maybe was, but that was inconsequential. She dreamed of better days, when harmony ruled without interference. She dreamed of her friends and their warm smiles bringing her joy, but her friends did not have the same unconscious luck. Her friends dreamed of being killed, beaten by whomever their captor was. They didn't understand why they were held captive, but hey felt as though they should be prepared for the worst. Twilight, however, prepared for the best. Her face held an everlasting smile, only to be broken by her awakening.
When she finally came to she noticed there were small tables set out with rations on them. Everypony had at least a carrot and what seemed to be an eighth of a potato. Glasses half full of water (she was trying to be optimistic) sat on every table. Twilight felt uneasy as she ate, noticing her friends were all awoken, looking to her for guidance. Twilight was speechless and turned away from her friends, tears welling in her eyes.
"I'm sorry girls, I...I don't know {sniff} what to do....We are trapped i suppose...". She closed her eyes hoping it was just a dream, a reoccurring dream.
But this was no dream, it was worse than her worst nightmare.
Everypony else had then lost hope in escape, and they ate their portions in silence. Over the next few hours they talked of a better day, one they would never see the end of if they made it. Their wounds were fresh every single time they awoke, as they were being heavily watched by the enemy. Over the next few days they lost Pinkie and Fluttershy to the supple blood loss. Then Rarity, and then Rainbow.
Twilight lay in her chains lazily, sobbing loudly to herself as she watched Applejack begin to give in to the pain. The mare of honesty was about to deliver the news that would break any leader in this situation.
"Let go Twi, it isn't worth it. We've done our part and now it's time for somepony else to rise to the plate. Hold on if you wish, but the way things are going, I'd be happier to join Zecora and wait for my family in the heavens...", and with that Applejack gave in, not allowing herself to speak again, focusing on her wounds, pushing them against the chains, deeply cutting them. After she succeeded in opening her wounds, she soon bled out right in front of Twilight.
Twilight sat their, weeping as heavily as she had ever wept. The sound of a creaking door opened behind her, and Twilight shot her head up and pleader,"Please, i'll do anything! Just bring them back! Please....Celestia?!?!?".
The princess walked over to Twilight and motioned for her to stop. She looked Twilight dead in the eye and spoke thus,"Hush my student, there is one last thing I must teach you.," She motioned for somepony to enter the chamber,"To achieve victory we must go through sacrifice, no matter how large. I am the great ruler of the land, am i not? (not wanting an answer she spoke quickly) I have created peace with your help, and now that there are no more threats to face me, I broke your peace. I have broke your friends.". While Celestia spoke two guards entered with princess Luna, chaining her to an empty chain next to the corpse of Applejack. Then they started to remove her friends bodies from their chains. After letting the bodies drop to the floor, the guards returned to their position at the door.
"I have brought disharmony back to the land, assisted only by my royal army. All whom stood against me are now dead or dying, such as yourself. My dearest Twilight, don't let go yet, i have more to show you. Now, shall i wake my sister?".
Twilight was too weak to answer, barley able to comprehend the situation. She looked over Luna, noticing her horn was shattered like her own. Twilight did nothing but weep, watching Celestia walk over to her sister. Celestia quickly drew a knife from her belt and hacked off Luna's right wing. As soon as she began Luna awoke and tried to break free. Celestia moved on to her sister's left wing as she let the other detached limb fall to the floor. Luna cried out more and tears flowed out of her eyes seeking an end. As the jagged blade cut through the last muscle and vein, the wing drifted to the floor, meeting in a pool of blood.
Celestia began to walk out, but she leaned close to twilight's ear and spoke softly,"And anyways, what is the princess of friendship without her friends?", and she laughed loudly as she slammed the door behind her. Twilight was left in tears looking at Luna's broken body, then to her friend's vandalized bodies that lay astray across the floor. Luna dared not speak, only wishing to wait for Twilight's sobbing to end, seeking a revelation in her new found predicament. They had the same limitations and there seemed to be no way out...
Prisoner's Keys to Insanity
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