//-----------------------------
// Story: Lunar Cycle
// Chapter: Chapter 1
// Author: RainbowSnow
//-----------------------------
Quick note: Luna is pretty much my favorite character and this story
reflects on her badly, Despite the fact that I am writing this I don't see
her as a bad pony and well you get my point on with the story! Also I made
blood multicolored (everypony has a different color) for some
reason.....don't know why.
Dusk approached fast as Twilight Sparkle reached her library home.
It had been a long day, she had been at a party at Pinkie's. It was fun,
she got to see all of her friends, and as usual with Pinkie's parties,
there was never a dull moment. Now it was time for sleep. Twilight opens
the door to see an interesting suprise.
"Princess Luna, what are you doing here? I mean what brings you
here?" Twilight asks. Princess Luna looks up form her cup of tea, Spike
looks over from his place across from her at the table.
"I hope I am not intruding" Luna says, her cup floating down to the
table.
"She came by and we started talking, and I made tea." Spike begins.
"I mearly came by to see how thou were doing. Once again, pardon me
if I am intruding." Luna says.
"Oh no, your not intruding, it's perfectly alright" Twilight says
as she sits at the table. Spike put his cup down as he finished his tea. He
stood up to get himself and Twilight some more.
"Allow me," says Luna as she used her magic to retrieve another cup
from the cabinet, pour the two cups of tea, and pour in some sugar as
well.
"Uh, Thank you" says Spike as he sits back down and his cup floated
down in front of him.
"Thank you Princess" Twilight says as hers lands in front of her.
"You're more than welcome, I added some special sugar from
Canterlot to make it taste even better" Luna says happily. Twilight looks
out the window at the full moon rising as she drank her tea, thinking what
a powerful and kind pony. When all of a sudden Spike fell of his chair,
hitting the floor with a decent thump.
"Omygosh Spike! Are you okay?" Twilight said as she stood up,"Wow
why am I so light-headed?" As she stands up, she looks over at luna who
then began to shift into Nightmare Moon.
"Wha...why?" Twilight asks, slipping further into unconciousness.
"Why? Simple, Celestia gets everypony caring for her, they all love
her because she raises the sun! I do just as much work, and what do I get?
Everypony is afraid of the dark, afraid of ME." Nightmare Moon says, "Why
do they care for HER so much? Hell you even write her practicaly every
week. NO ONE CAREs FOR ME! Well I'm going to change that, just you wait, I
know how to fix this issue, and you have just begun your part!" as Twilight
fell over backwards staring up through the window at the beautiful full
moon, and then it all went black.
Twilight Awoke in darkness, she could see nothing. She could hear
faint sounds from somewhere in the dark. Then the lights came on. She looks
around, the walls are 15ft high with a barbed wire roof. The walls are a
grey cement with multicolor stains, which on closer inspection turn out to
be blood stains!
"What is going on here?" Twilight screams. What happened, she
thinks, oh right the princess, she drugged me!
"Nice to see thou art awake Twilight" Nightmare Moon's voice says
from above, Twilight looks up to see Nightmare Moon, on a floating platform
above the horrid wire.
"And now it begins" Nightmare says as she fades into the darkness
around her. Twilight looks as one of the four walls lowers into the ground
beyond it is a hallway, just as bloodstained, just as foreboding. Twilight
looks around hopefully, for some hope this is a nightmare. She sees no sign
of hope, no dancing dragons or any other weird things to indicate this is a
dream.
After seeing no hope that this is a dream and hearing noises from
somewhere past the hall, she began to move. She reached the end of the hall
to find it split like a T. She now had to choose left or right. Then a
scream came from what sounded like the left, she turn tword it and ran.
Maybe someone needs help, Twilight thinks. She ran down the hall noticing
there were fewer blood stains on the walls and more on the floor. She
looked up just in time to hit something in her path, she flies back onto
her flank. Ow that hurts, Twilight thinks. She looks up to see a colt,
suspened in the middle of the path by chains with hooks digging into his
yellow stained royal blue coat. His entrails had spilled on to the floor
staining the area around them yellow with his blood. His eyes stuck wide
open in fear and pain, did not make anything any better.
"Who could do this? This is..is...horrible. Why would anypony do
this?" Twilight says pulling herself back up.
"Who, That would be me. Why, for our Princess." says a gray coated
male pegasus, who steps out around a corner. His mane is short and mainly
white except for a blue streak in it, his tail is long and whit with blue
in it as well. His souless yellow eyes match the blood stains in his coat
and mane.
"Why? How does this help your princess at all?" Twilight asks, as
the pegasus began to circle her ducking under the chains.
"hmmmm questions, that's new" the pegasus sarcasticaly.
"Who are you? Why would you help somepony do this?" Twilight says
as she slowly moves in the direction the pegasus had come from, ducking
under the chains holding the poor colt.
"Why? Why all the whys?! There doesn't have to be a reason for
everything. Despite that,in this case there is a reason" he starts angrily,
then gets calm in a heartbeat." You know what I'll tell you why. Step One:
on the full moon abduct ponies who do not love our princess as much as they
should. Step Two: untill the new moon tourture them to break their spirit,
if they die, they'll have to wait like our friend here. Funny he didn't
even make it a day." he says, putting his arm around the back of the
chained pony's neck, as if they were good friends," Step Three: We..."
"What dost thou think thou art doing Lunar Eclipse?" yells
Nightmare Moon from above, Twilight looks up and sure enough there she is,
looking as menacing as ever.
"Thoust art not to explain the process to the subjects" She yells
down angrily.
"Y..Yes Mam, less talk more cut and break" he says as he bows.
Twilight sees this and takes the oportuniy to escape. She gallops as fast
as she can around the corner. She reaches a four-way intersection and turns
left without a second glance. These hallways all look the same anyway.She
heard Lunar Eclipse reach the intersection as she rounded another corner.
" WHERE ARE YOU?! IF I DON'T MESS YOU UP SOMEPONY ELSE WILL!! IT
WILL BE BETTER THIS WAY, COME BACK AND I'LL ONLY TORTURE YOU A LITTLE, THEN
KILL YOU QUICK!" Eclipse yells as he looks around and moves on down a
different hall way, his voice fading.
"What was wrong with him? How can anypony end up so messed up in
the head? This entire situation is crazy!" Twilight thinks aloud.
As Twilight continues through the maze, seeing nopony, well no
living pony. As she begins to turn a corner on a four way junction. she
hears a voice, a familiar voice.
"...I can't believe that soo many died on the first night, must not
be as tough as the others in my group. Dissapointing isn't it, huh AJ?"
says the bubbly voice. Twilight looks around the corner to see Pinkie Pie
standing over Applejack's unmoving body. Pinkie looks over through her
straightened and stained hair to see Twilight peeking around the corner.
"Twilight how good to see you! Although I wanted you to make it
longer, and meet up with you later. Hmm well there is no rule against me
leavng somepony alone for a little bit.... Oh I know, I'll set up a little
party and we can all have some fun ok? I'll see you later Twilight, I have
some work to do!" Pinkie says happily as she bounces away humming, off into
the shadows.
"Applejack! are you okay?" Twilight gasps as she runs up to her.
Applejack lies motionless on the ground, bleeding from multiple areas, cuts
and gouges. She has gotten a horrible gash over her left eye, bleeding
profusly. her eyes opened, her left having a faraway look in it, as though
it sees nothing.
"Twilight is that really you? Yer not gonna hurt me are ya? Yer not
like...like her are ya?" Applejack says looking at Twilight fearfully.
Twilight sees all the fear and horror in her good eye, she must have just
been through hell.
"Of course I'm not going to hurt you, now come on, let's get you on
your hooves and find a way out of here." Twilight says, "let me try to heal
you." She tries to use her magic to heal Applejack, but to no avail.
"Somethings wrong. I can't use my magic" Twilight says, "Well we
have to get going, come on get up" as she Helps Applejack up. Applejack
stands up with great effort, her legs can barely support her after what
has happened. Helping her along, Twilight is determined to keep them
moving, despite the fact almost everything looks the same while hope is
nowhere in sight. After some time Applejack begins to speak softly, with
tears mixing with her own blood.
"Why...why is this happening? Ya must've found a reason. Figured
somethin' out. Do...do ya have any clue how to get out of here?" she says
in a quite voice as they walk up to a T junction. Just as a white coated
unicorn with a black and grey medium length mane walks up from the left
passage. Her red eyes look sad and innocent, yet sinister all at once. The
stained red bow behind her ears looks as though it had been pink at one
time.
"Oh,hello , I am Snow Moon. I hope you are doing okay, and doing
your best to survive. But it seems as though I will have to end all of that
here." she says soft and gently, if not nervously.
"End it? Oh, no your like those other ones aren't you? Twilight
panics, she couldn't see a way out of this like last time, the unicorn had
blocked thier path, and she couldn't use magic.She needs to get Applejack
out of here, then worry about stopping all of this, what ever this is.
"Like them. Oh, no no no. I kill those I find quickly, the tourture
breaks the spirit, yes, but is not neccesary. There is a much easier way to
do this, but no one listens to little Snow Moon." She rants quietly, "in
fact I am more of a clean up crew. I bring the doctors the bodies, and
clean them up as much as possible. I rarely kill, I'm not complaining about
that really...."
"AJ can you walk on your own?" Twilight whispers.
"Ah rekon so" She answers quietly as she tests her legs, "but Ah
can't leave ya here, we may not find each other again."
"Just go we WILL meet up later" Twilight orders.
"But.....Alrighty" As She starts moving as fast as she could past
Snow Moon.
"Hey get back..." Snow Moon starts.
"Oh no you don't as Twilight gets her attention. Snow Moon looks
from Twilight to the fleeing Applejack franticaly, as though they are a
threat to her. Seeing this Twilight be gan to advance on the unicorn, when
all of a sudden she hears a slightly familiar voice.
"I FOUND YOU!" Lunar Eclipse runs yelling from behind her, "huh,
Snow Moon? What? NO SHE IS MINE TO KILL!" Snow Moon sees Eclipse and her
demeanor immediately changes drasticaly. Her confidant posture becomes
nervous, and she backs away a few steps.
"I...I..." Snow Moon looks defenseless. Twilight thinking fast spun
around and hit the still galloping Eclipse into the wall using his momentum
against him.
"I...ow...gonna.."he groggily says as he falls to the ground.
"Ha" Twilight lets out triumphantly.
"Why....why would you hurt him?" Snow Moon says looking up at
Twilight, standing up from where she crouched nervously. The evil look came
flooding back into her eyes, "I'm going to KILL YOU!" As she begins to
chase Twilight who turned tail and ran the second she started flipping out.
Twilight ran in the direction Applejack had ran, only to find that the hall
forked in two different directions. She runs left where she finds a T
junction, and runs right. Seconds later she finds herself at a dead end,
these walls were covered in so many colors she couldn't see the original
grey wall.
"Crap," She says turning around to see Snow Moon, and a more
familiar face, one she was hoping not to run into again, Pinkie Pie.
"Oh, hello again Twilight, I still haven't finished setting up that
party but that's ok most of the guests are there, and waiting just for
you!" She says happily, "So if you could help me out Snow Moon?"
"Of course Pinkie," Snow moon says quietly.
Nightmare Moon looks down at the maze, it seems one might get away, she thinks, oh well, nothing can stop her now. As a scream flows up from the maze.
End Chapter 1.
Chapter 2 - Back to Normal?
Chapter 2
It has been a month since that night, nopony has heard from Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, or Rainbow Dash. Rarity meets up with Fluttershy at her place like they have been doing since the others disappeared. She runs this time, for there is big news.
"Did you hear? Somepony saw Twilight today! They said she has no clue what happened, or where she was," Rarity exhaustingly blurted when she got through the door.
"What?" Fluttershy says in her quiet little voice as she turns toward the door,"Really? We should go see if she's really back then."
"Yes, we shall indeed. But first I need to catch my breath," Rarity says falling to the floor panting, "Oh and I've heard the others may be back as well."
"That is wonderful, we'll have to see if we can find them all. Maybe we can see if they can tell us where they've been." Fluttershy says, as sh e goes back to tending to the little animals who have come back out from hiding after the sudden commotion.
"Whew, alright let's be off" Rarity says after picking herself off the floor a few minuets later.
"So why do you think they disappeared? What do you think happened?" Fluttershy asks as they cross the bridge in front of her cottage on the way to Twilight's library.
"My answer hasn't really changed from last time you asked me that. As I said then, perhaps some sort of time travel spell, remember last time? Ohh dear, Twilight was soo worried about last time." Rarity speculates.
"So Twilight doesn't remember anything?" asks Fluttershy.
"Not that I've heard, oh, it's the darndest thing. Isn't it?" Rarity continues, "I belive they mentioned, they said Pinkie remembered something, I believe."
"I hope they are all okay, oh I wonder what happened." Fluttershy says.
They soon arrive at Twilight's library home, and knock on the door. Moments later the door is opened, and Twilight looks out and smiles. She looks the same as ever, certainly nothing major could have happened, Rarity thinks.
"Rarity, Fluttershy! What brings you two here?" Twilight asks.
"We heard that you were back from...where or whatever happened. Can you remember anything from the past month?" Rarity asks back.
"No, I don't remember anything, leaving or anything like that. I just woke up in the Everfree forest and walked back to Ponyville. Then I was told that I had been gone a month." Twilight replies, Rarity and Fluttershy glance at each other. "you guys want to come in?"
"Thank you for the offer darling, but I'm afraid we must decline. We were planning to see if the others were back." Rarity responds.
"oh ok, I saw Rainbow earlier, as well as Pinkie. They both seem to be out and about. Good luck finding them. If you see the, tell them I said hi." Twilight says as she turns and closes the door.
"Did something seem....off to you?" Rarity asks after they are a good distance from Twilight's house.
"K..kinda, I'm not too sure though." Fluttershy says.
"Well if everything were 'normal' then would Twilight not try to figure out what has happened?" Rarity points out.
"well I guess so..." Fluttershy says
"but then what do you think is wrong?" as they approached SugarCube Corner.
" Well....... That I'm unsure of darling...." Rarity says " but something has happened, I we need to find out what!"
A pink mare bounces up to them and gasps excitedly.
"Oh hey guys how's it going? I'm doing pretty good, I just got back from Hoofington, not much to do there, but I had to deliver some stuff for the Cakes and...." Pinkie says ecstatically.
"Pinkie, dear, you've been gone for a month. It took you that long to deliver some things for the Cakes?" Rarity asks.
" Well duh, I just said that didn't I? " Pinkie snorts and giggles.
" Well yes....alright see you later Pinkie" Rarity says, feeling as though something is off.
" See you Pinkie" Fluttershy says. They start walking aimlessly, not sure of they want to keep looking for their friends, or if they should just figure out what is going on.
"Maybe we're blowing this out of proportion? Maybe Twilight really doesn't know what happened, and Pinkie was just delivering some things for the Cakes." Fluttershy says as they reach the small park where they have picnics and play with their pets. The wind blows softly and ominously. Easing them of their tensions.
" Perhaps you are right. Maybe we are just being to critical about this, our friends are back we should be happy" Rarity says. The sun begins to set, casting longer shadows over the swaying grass. A rustle in the bushes and trees is heard, different from the one bring made by the breeze. Rarity turns toward the sound, then turns back. Dismissing it.
" Let's go find the others and..." Rarity begins, when all of a sudden a pony with an orange coat, a tattered hat to match her scraggly mane, and an eye-patch over her left eye; comes busting out of the bushes and tackles Rarity. Rarity yelps as she is hit to the ground.
" You, have they gotten to you?" The pony a yells.
" What are you talking abou... Applejack? Is that you? What happened?" Rarity asks looking at Applejack's current state.
"oh good they haven't gotten you, oh it was awful. Twilight, Ah think Rainbow, and me where taken to an awful place." Applejack ( Applepatch? Hehe) says. The sun shines it's last few rays as the full moon peaks out over the horizon, rising by the moment, leaving the sky in many shades of purple, blue and black.
" but Twilight is back? And she seems.....fine....kind of " Fluttershy says.
" They tortured us, would have killed me if Twilight hadn't come along, I don't know what they did, they may have brainwashed 'er. And oh gosh, Pinkie, she...."Applejack begins.
"What about Pinkie?" Rarity asks, wondering how Pinkie fit into all of this.
"She...she's one of the torturers." Applejack chokes.
Chapter 3 - A Crash in the Night
Lunar Cycle: Chapter Three -
"She was....did.....wha?" Fluttershy stutters. Disbelief flooding her features, her eyes growing with horror and resistance of the idea.
"I am with Fluttershy on this one, we just saw her today.....how could she have done....that." Rarity agrees, shifting on her hooves uneasily.
"Y'all don't believe me?" Applejack says, her voice losing heart.
"No no no, we are just having trouble.... understanding this" Rarity says.
" You've got to believe me, I wouldn't lie 'bout how I got like this would I?" Applejack desperately says.
Rarity and Fluttershy look at each other, unsure of what to do. They know Applejack wouldn't lie, but they don't want to believe such a horrid thing could have happened.
"We believe you Applejack. It's a little hard to grasp the situation, but we believe you." Rarity nervously says after a slight pause.
"So...um...what do we do now?" Fluttershy says, pointing out that Rarity and her have no clue what Applejack plans to do.
"Well there's only one thing t' do. We have to get to Canterlot to alert Princess Celestia of what her sister is doin'. After all, if any one can do something 'bout it it's the Princess." Applejack says, as she and Rarity get to their hooves. Applejack looks around, worried one of the others might stumble upon her.
"That sounds like a plan, perhaps she could also fix whatever is making the others....act strangely." Rarity says.
"Well, when does the next train leave for Canterlot? " Applejack says cutting straight to the point.
"Umm if I remember correctly, it leaves in...two days" Fluttershy says.
"Oh great... I'm gonna need a place to hide out until then. I don't wanna know what might happen if Pinkie or one of the others sees me." Applejack says, shifting and glancing around as the shadows grow longer upon the ground.
"You could stay with me." Fluttershy says.
"Well, considering Sweet Apple Acres is out of the question at the moment, I think that might be a good idea." Applejack says, motioning for them to start moving. They walk in silence for a few moments until Rarity speaks up.
"So...your eye, will you be able to use it again or is it......" Rarity asks.
"I reckon I won't be able to use it, 'less its healed with some kind of magic" Applejack says solemnly, casting her eye heavily to the ground, watching it move under her hooves with a slight sadness.
"I.....that's horrible" Fluttershy says, watching her helpless friend, feeling useless to aid her.
They arrive at the point where they must split, Rarity says her goodbyes and says she will help Applejack until all is right, and departs on her way. Fluttershy and Applejack continue on in silence until they reach her small cottage.
"Somethin' don't seem right." Applejack says, noticing the lack of small nocturnal critters roaming around her house, " hold up Fluttershy"
As Applejack says this a loud crash is heard from inside her cottage. Followed by sounds of glasses breaking and hitting the floor.
"DAMNIT, WHERE IS SHE?" a slightly familiar voice says from inside Fluttershy's home. Applejack grabs Fluttershy and pulls her under the small bridge in front of her home. Applejack places her hoof over Fluttershy's mouth to keep her quiet. Soon they hear the door open and a pony stomp out angrily.
"Where could a pony be at this time of the night? Hmpf... I'll find her, she has to be in town somewhere. I can't mess up again, ohhh no. Can't do that." the stallion says as he trots over the bridge and heads onto town. Applejack leans out to see if she knew the pony, he's a pegasus with a gray coat and a white mane, he seems vaguely familiar. He trots off toward town in search of Fluttershy. Applejack looks back at Fluttershy to see a very worried yellow pegasus.
"We have to go, Rarity may be in trouble, be quiet now, ok?" Applejack tells Fluttershy. Fluttershy's eyes widen at the realization that Applejack is right. She pushes Applejack's hoof from her mouth and gives a nod. A look of uneasy determination sweeps across her features.
"Okay we've gotta move fast" Applejack says as she puts her hoof down.
"We can't go the regular way, they might find us." Fluttershy says quietly.
"Shoot, yer right. Then we'll have to cut through the park. It'll be faster anyway." Applejack says, motioning for them to start moving. They trot along in silence, hiding when they see figures moving about. As they draw near to Carousel Boutique, they hear sounds of a struggle.
"Oh no. They've got to her, we've gotta do something!" Applejack says as they hear a scream and a crash come from the boutique. Applejack and Fluttershy gallop into the building, slamming the door open and moving as quick as they can to the sound of the struggle. They open the door to Rarity's work room to find Rarity and another unicorn flinging and rolling out of the way of said projectiles. Rarity has a gash on her forehead, her cyan blood running down her face. The other unicorn, whom Applejack remembers as Snow Moon, has needles sticking out of most of her body. Her maroon blood only barely dripping from the wounds. Fluttershy yells and tackles the pony, taking her to the ground. Rarity looks surprised and takes notice of her friends arrival.
“Oh thank Celestia.” She says immediately looking more relaxed. Snow Moon tries to use her magic to throw Fluttershy off of her, but Rarity sees this and uses her own magic to hit her over the head with a manikin. Barely missing Fluttershy and knocking Snow Moon out. Fluttershy gets up and walks over to them, they all just sit in a momentary shock. This nightmare IS real, Fluttershy and Rarity think.
“We've got to get going, we can't stay in Ponyville.” Applejack says, “I suggest we get some supplies and high tail it outta here.”
“I.....alright, give me but a moment, feel free to grab whatever you may need” Rarity says, walking away shaken.
End of Chapter Three