Consequences 2: The choice.

Consequences 2: The choice.

Chapter Four.

Twilight and Rainbow made it safely inside Amora’s castle. Looking around the castle Twilight found a flight of stairs that led downward and off the left. While Rainbow had taken to the air and found a balcony leading to a room off to the right. As the two of them were each about to go their separate ways they both in turn failed to see a guard coming out of a room off to center of the entryway of the castle. As the guard descended the stairs he looked up for a brief moment from a scroll he had been carrying with him. When he saw that neither Twilight or Rainbow had noticed him he yelled out to them drawing his sword and charging towards Twilight.

“Intruders! You two halt in the name of the queen.”

Rainbow and Twilight both looked towards the guard as he charged up towards Twilight swinging his sword towards her head. Twilight ducked just in time as the massive sword hit a suit of armor behind her knocking it over. The noise attracted six more guards who all came running into the entryway of the castle with swords drawn. Each of them charged towards Twilight as she tried to stand back up as she had ducked from the first guards attack on her. Rainbow while flying in the air and not wanting her friend to get hurt swooped down behind the seven guards that now surrounded Twilight. Tackling them she was able to knock four of them to the ground while Twilight used her magic to knock back the other three. As Rainbow and the four guards all began to stand back up and each readied themselves for another attack a black energy bolt was fired between Rainbow and the guards. A loud angry voice could be heard off to the right as Rainbow looked up at the very same balcony she was had wanted to land on to explore the room behind it she heard the voice yell out to them all.

“ENOUGH!”

Looking up the guards all dropped to their knees when they saw Amora standing on the balcony above them. Twilight and Rainbow both looked at her as one of the guards reached out and grabbed onto Twilight pushing her to her stomach on the floor hissing out to her with anger in his voice.

“You will bow to our queen Tirek slave.”

Before Twilight or Rainbow could react they both heard Amora snap her fingers as the guards stood up and took out from behind their backs black shackles. That were attached to belts that they all wore around their waist. These they placed around Twilight’s front hooves and neck as well as her back hooves. Rainbow being able to fly tried to fly away but, was stopped when a guard took out a collapsible net from his back pocket and threw it over Rainbow causing her to come crashing back to the ground. Hitting the ground hard with a loud painful thump Rainbow yelled out to the guard as she too was shackled around her front and back hooves and her neck.

“Hey wait we are not working with that uncool monster Tirek.”

Amora snapped her fingers again as she yelled out from the balcony to the guards.

“Bring them to the throne room we shall see if they are indeed telling the truth.”

The guards began to drag Twilight towards a flight of stairs off to the right as they ascended the stairs both Twilight and Rainbow struggled in their bonds. Having little patience to deal with the two struggling ponies one of the seven guards took out his sword again and hit Twilight on the head with the pummel of his sword knocking her out cold. Rainbow looked from her then to the guard as she yelled out to him angrily.

“Hey! There, was no need to do that.”

The guard responded by hitting Rainbow in the head as well knocking her out cold as well. Getting to the throne room a few minutes latter Amora was fully seated on her throne staring angrily at both the guards and at the unconscious Twilight and Rainbow. As she looked from Twilight then to Rainbow she said grimly to the guards watching over their captives.

“Which one of you knocked them out?”

“I did your majesty I am the one that knocked them out.” one of the guards said as he stepped forward.

Amora leapt from her throne drawing her sword as she ran up to the guard. Raising her sword to the right the guard tried to duck but, was stopped when two other guards grabbed him by his arms holding him in place. Screaming out in terror as Amora’s sword found its mark as her sword cut his head from his shoulders. His head sailed through the air and landed several feet away from his body. Blood and intestines sprayed from his neck halfway covering Amora’s body. She leapt into the air again then landed behind the dead guard and spun on her heels in a full circle as she drew her sword across the dead guard’s midsection. Completely and fully slicing his body in half just as his torso was about to separate itself from the lower section of his body Amora raised her sword up into the air. Then with a loud screech brought the demonic blade back down into the neck of the decapitated guard’s body. Slicing his body through to his groin area causing more blood and guts flying outwards as she withdrew her sword from the dead guard’s body. With his body falling to the ground Amora pointed her sword at the other six guards saying to them as the dead guard’s body fell to pieces on the throne room floor in front of her.

“Who else wants to disobey my orders?”

Each of the guards came to attention placing their right hands over their left shoulders then thrust their hands outwards with their thumbs tucked underneath their palms. In unison they all chanted in one single voice.

“ALL HAIL AMORA, QUEEN OF THE DEMONS.”

Seeing that the other guards didn’t want to die as well and showing their loyalty to her Amora began to walk back to her throne stopping as she looked at one of the guards. Saying to him with her sword drawn outwards and pointing the blade at his neck.

“You! Bring two bowls of boiling water and salt here at once. Place each bowl in front of Twilight and Rainbow then clean this mess up. Take that traitors body down to the cook's station have them cook the body and feed it to the prisoners in the dungeons.”

As the guard saluted his queen Amora watched him turn to leave calling out to him just as he got to the throne room doors.

“And remember if you disobey me your fate shall be worse than death itself.”

The guard turned saluted Amora then made a hasty retreat from the throne room. Walking back to her throne and sitting upon it Amora looked at the other five guards reaming in her throne room as she said to them.

“As for the rest of you, unchain those two at once then leave once they are freed.”

Each of the five remaining soldiers saluted her then set to work of removing Twilight's and Rainbow's chains. Once the two of them were freed the guards again saluted Amora and left the throne room. A few minutes went by as the guard that was sent to retrieve the boiling water and salt came back with two bowls of water in his hands. Placing one each under Rainbow and Twilight's snouts he then poured rock salt into the water stirred it with his dagger then got up to begin cleaning up the mess that was of the dead guard. Once Twilight and Rainbow each regained consciousness Twilight looked over at the guard who was cleaning up his dead comrades body parts. As she watched him pick up piece after piece of the dead guard she suddenly wretched on the floor in front of her. The guard stopped what he was doing and looked over to Amora who simply stared coldly back at him gripping the hilt of her sword as she strummed her fingers on the left arm rest of her throne. Seeing the un-bemused look on her face the guard very quickly grabbed what was left his dead comrade and made a hasty retreat towards the throne room doors. Stopping when Amora’s sword suddenly impaled him through the back just as he got up to the doors. Twisting the sword to the right then to the left Amora cooed wickedly into the guards ear as his body was slowly sucked into the gem on her sword.

“I warned you not to disobey me. Now your, soul is mine!”

Rainbow seeing this action taken by Amora also wretched her stomach empty just as Twilight had done before her. Amora turned around after withdrawing her sword from the throne room doors and started to walk back to her throne. Stopping in front of Twilight and Rainbow who both stared at her with both confusion and fear plastered on their faces. Kneeling down she placed a hand onto Twilight's shoulder saying to her as she looked into the frightened alicorn's eyes and Twilight stared back at Amora.

“Stand up Twilight, you and I have some things we need to talk about. But first you must prove to you are who you say you are.”

Twilight looked into Amora's eyes as she said to her as she slowly stood up.

"What proof do you want of me Amora? What proof shall I give you that will show you I am who I claim to be?"

Amora placed a hand over her chin as she tapped her chin a few times with a finger saying to Twilight as she stood up then looked down at the frighted Alicorn in front of her.

"Tell me Twilight what did I say to Sunset Shimmer just before we went into battle? If you are who you claim to be and not a slave to Tirek or a changeling then you should know this."

Twilight sighed then looked at Rainbow as she returned her gaze back to Amora she said to her while she cleared her throat.

“Oh grow the fuck up Sunset. So you lost your family and you lost two parental figures that both saw you cry, So what? Get off your damn flank unicorn and grow up. Let this make you into a stronger pony or person which ever you want to be. But, don’t sit there and cry you fucking eyes out to your friends whining about how you are such a disappointment to them. If you don’t want to be a disappointment to them then get off your damn ass and learn about true friendship. While at the same time you break the noise’s of those that treated you like shit.”

Amora smiled and nodded to Twilight saying to her as she slowly walked back to her throne then sat down upon it.

"You are indeed who you say you are. Only the real Twilight would have enough unmitigated gall in her character to swear at me while in my kingdom.  Very well you need not prove to me that Rainbow is who she is. I can tell she is who she is by the armor she is wearing. But I can not and will not betray the trust of the one that made that armor by telling you of how I know this Twilight."

Twilight nodded to her then looked down at Rainbow as Rainbow remained on her stomach in front of Amora saying to Rainbow as Rainbow looked at Amora then to Twilight with a look of confusion on her face.

“Stand up Rainbow, I don’t think Amora wants to hurt either of us.”

Twilight saw the look of confusion on her friends face and simply shook her head as she heard Amora say to her while Rainbow got off the floor of the throne room.

“You would be correct Twilight I don’t want to hurt either of you, yet I will only speak to you and you alone. Rainbow shall remain here. Whereas you shall follow me there are some issues we need to clear up.” Amora chimed in as Rainbow slowly stood up then looked at Amora as Twilight was beginning to knell before her saying to Amora as she knelt before her.

“Your majesty is most kind. Queen of the demons please allow me to walk with you as we talk about what must be said to each other.”

“I see you have been well schooled in diplomacy Twilight.” Amora said while she gestured towards the throne room doors. “Come walk with me.”

Twilight and Amora, both left the throne room leaving Rainbow to explore the throne room alone. As Amora walked out of the throne she stopped in front of a guard stationed outside of the throne itself saying loudly enough for Rainbow to clearly hear her words.

“The Pegasus is allowed to explore my throne room and nothing else. If she attempts to leave the throne room place her in chains and take her to the dungeon. From there you will teach her the meaning of ‘remain here’. If she offers you ANY resistance whatsoever remove her legs from her body.”

The guard saluted her as she and Twilight walked by him. Amora lead Twilight down a hallway leading away from the throne room towards a large red set of doors. Once she got there she pushed both doors open and gestured for Twilight to follow her inside the next room. Twilight did so without question. To Twilight's right as she looked around the room there were marble statues of demons both female and male each one carrying different suits of armor and weapons. To her left were torches each one mounted to a stone pillar and each torch stood six feet long with blue and green flames jetting from the bowl of each torch. Amora lead Twilight through this room then to another room that had a single portrait in it. To the right and to the left of the portrait were four, five foot high torches each one had a butterfly carved into their marble staves. As Twilight looked at the portrait on the wall Amora knelt down in front of it placing her right hand over her left shoulder and dropping her left hand to the ground where she knelt. Her right leg was up in her kneeling position and her left leg was down with her foot bent so that she could rise again quickly if she needed to do so. She bowed her head as she said with Twilight standing behind her.

“Dronchi….my amans volitant lith.”

Twilight watched as Amora stood back then turned to face her friend. As Amora gestured towards the portrait with her right hand raised up and her fingers pointing towards a nearby window. She said to Twilight who stepped closer to the four torchos that adorned the wall to left and right of it to get a better look at the portrait hanging in front of her.

“Do recognize her, Twilight?”

Twilight looked from the portrait then to Amora as she said to her.

“Yes Amora but, that can’t be Fluttershy she was never sent to Tartarus before. So how is it that you have a portrait of her?"

Amora smiled a bit as she said to her Twilight with tears running down her cheeks.

“This is not Fluttershy, Twilight, you would be right in that regard that your friend Fluttershy never came here before. This is her ancestor you look upon the portrait of Flutter Lith. I will fully explain this to you once we clear a few things up Twilight.”

Twilight looked from the portrait then back to Amora as she noticed the tears coming down Amora’s cheeks. Twilight said to her as Amora let out a soft yet noticeable sigh.

Amora, your crying. What is wrong?”

Amora lowered her head then walked over to the nearby window and peered out the glass of the window towards the lands that made up the borders of her home. As she looked out the window she saw gold and red haired female demon land in the castle courtyard. It made a body gesture of screeching out wards then tucked its wings back into its back. Amora watched in silence as the royal guards of the castle tried to subdue the demon only to be ripped apart by her attacks on them. Turning back to face Twilight with tears running down her cheeks she said to her as Twilight looked at her then back at the portrait on the wall facing her as Amora raised her hand to her face and wiped away her tears.

“It is time that I tell you everything Twilight. But, first we are about to have company.”

Amora began to walk away from Twilight towards the doors she had led her to. As Amora got to the doors and pushed them open she turned to Twilight who began to follow her out of the room they both were in and nodded to her. The two made their way back to the throne room and Amora took her place on her throne gesturing for Rainbow to sit to her right and for Twilight to sit to her left. As Twilight and Rainbow both sat down on their haunches Amora gripped the hilt of her sword tightly with her right hand. Looking towards the throne room doors Amora watched as the doors to her throne room burst open.  Several of her royal guards lifeless bodies where thrown through the air landing just a few feet from Rainbow’s hooves. Amora let go of her sword and lowered her hands to the right and left of her throne grabbing onto Twilight and Rainbow by their manes. Fulling stopping both Rainbow and Twilight from charging forwards as the golden and red haired female demon flew into Amora's throne room and landed a few feet from Amora’s throne. Screeching out in rage the female golden red haired demon looked at Amora who was fully holding both Rainbow and Twilight back by their manes. The female demon said only four words to Amora as Amora stared back at her with clear anger showing in her blackened eyes.

“Sunset where is she?!?”