Life is a whirlwind. It moves forward dragging you along behind it, and as it drags you, you pick up things. Experience, knowledge, friends, good memories, bad memories, regrets, enemies, failures. Some of these happen slowly. So slowly you probably don't ever realize it. Others happen in a instant. One single second.
That's how long it took for the lance of magic fired fro the horn of one Twilight Sparkle to travel the length of the crystal caverns and burrow into the throat of a mare who had spent many nights watching after her. Truthfully the lance was hot enough and moved fast enough that there was little to no physical pain. It's doubtful Cadence would have even realized she was missing a chunk of her throat if she hadn't been watching the lance shoot towards her. No there wasn't much physical pain, Emotional however is another story.
I'm not sure many of you can Imagine it. The sheer feeling of shock and betrayal. Of watching someone you helped grow into the person they are today look down at your body with a look of pride and satisfaction at having brought you down. Poor Cadence's vision faded into blackness seconds before that look of pride and satisfaction turned to one of regret and horror. Twilight tried everything she could, but in the end some things you cant take back.
By now the usually calm and organized mind of the Purple Pony was a slow churning mess of scraps of thoughts and plans, but two things managed to pull themselves out of the muck. Two single thoughts. "Princess Celestia will know what to do." and "I need shiny, he'll make things better."
Truly laughable thoughts. What could her teacher do in the face of the reaper? What comforts could her brother bring her? especially in his current situation? Laughable and childish they may be these thoughts at least got the young mare moving forward. Somehow she managed to find a way out of the caves while using the magic to carry Cadence. More impressive still she managed to get into the throne room in her state of shock.
At first things continued on as per the norm for the ceremony she had walked into. Heartfelt lines were spoken, and many eyes were wet. But such a heartwarming scene would not be allowed to last. The growing puddle of life fluids and its warm metallic smell began to effect the guests.
And suddenly there was **Pandemonium *Ponies screaming and yelling, bridesmaids fainting, vomiting, and shedding even more tears. But among all this the bride-to-be was still.*****
***It could be forgiven. after all it isn't every day you stare at what appears to be your own corpse.***
***Princess celestia was the first to understand what the corpse upon the floor meant. But by the time she began to face her enemy the false bride was already prepared to strike her down. She laughed at it all, at the fallen princess, at the chaos taking place, at the broken mare and the broken body of the bride. But while she laughed the husband did nothing. He stared at the body, he did not cry, he did not speak, he did not even blink. But inside he *Raged **, he raged and screamed and cried. For what would seem a eternity he sat in despair. Then that despair changed to hate and he finally moved.********
*****There was no flash of purifying light. No speech of good winning. No offer of surrender. One second there was mad laughter and the next there was a bonfire. Changlings it would soon become apparent to the onlookers are highly affected by flames. They burn Long and Hot as evidence by the queens screams. eventually they fade into whimpers and choked coughing gasps as the caprice around her throat began melting. eventually those too would fade.*****
*****The husband didn't stay that long. as soon as the false bride was alight he walked, with the shuffle of a dead man to the body of his beloved. He gathered her as tenderly as he could and left. He walked out of the castle. Out of the city, and eventually he would walk into a forest. A forest of wild magics chaotic and free. Magics that no one truly understood. Magics that he would drown himself in, and that he would submerge the body of his beloved in. Constantly looking for that one magic that could undo a single mistake.*****
He found it.
He found it in the darkest pit of the forests magics. something so dark and dangerous that even the wild forest tried to drag him away from it. But he would not be denied his bride. Gently taking her now maggot ridden body as gently as if he was carrying a child he lowered her into the pit as the forest screamed its cries and pleas for him to stop.
But he did not listen.
Slowly he watched what was left of his beloved sink into the sludge. Then he waited. In that unholy patch of hell hidden in a forest he waited in the silence.
One hour.
Two.
A day.
Or four.
he waited and waited, slowly starving himself to death. Until the pool moved. The thick murky sludge began to bubble and writhe, steam and hiss and slowly, ever so slowly something crawled out of that hell. Long limbs of a greyish white similar to bone led up to a sunken torso that looked like it belonged to a starving person on its back was what at first glance appeared to be a cloak made of torn strips of cloth. Though further inspection would reveal them to be strips of skin and unnaturally thin bones. Continuing to look at the creature would reveal a chnk missing from it's throat with a small dribble of sludge constantly flowing out. But above this hole the creature bore the face of a angel. The same angel that the husband had fallen in love with. except the eyes. The eyes smoldering with love that she had once possessed had been replaced with ghastly green orbs possessing a core of malice.
In this moment faced with the creature he had risen in his beloveds place Shinning Armor knew he had done something unforgivable. But as she wrapped her body around his in a way that was oh so heartbreakingly familiar and dragged him into the accursed sludge he couldn't find it in himself to care. He would enjoy his dark honeymoon, and after that? He and his lovely Cadence would pay Twily a visit.
Outside of the cursed forest Twilight Sparkle spends another night locked in a never ending loop of nightmares and guilt that not even Princess Luna can save her from. She has no Idea of the madness taking place in the forest. But others do. Celestia and Luna hear the cries of the natural order and see visions of blackness. They will make plans to keep the ponies safe.
One other hears the cries and see's the shadows. But this being feels no fear. Only curiosity and anticipation. While the others prepare with sorcery and swords he merely finds a place from which to observe the coming chaos.
