The Punishment of the Villains

Rainbow Dash sat in front of Celestia and Luna, glaring daggers.

"I don't care if I wasn't supposed to go down there! Twilight and A.J are there! We need to save them!" She huffed.

Celestia looked at Luna.

"I told you not to go down there." Was all the blue mare could say.

"Well, I didn't want to! It was so dark and spooky, and the creatures that must be down there! oh! I feel so bad for the guards!" Fluttershy whimpered.

Celestia raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"So you saw nothing, except for the guards?" She asked.

"Yup! And the spooky darkness, and Twilight calling out to us!" Pinkie bubbled, bouncing up and down.

Luna shook her mane.

"I will go down to look for Twilight. Those are mines that we have been doing our best to explore. You ponies stay up here." Luna advised.

"No way! I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not!" Rainbow huffed.

Luna growled, but the expression faded to a gentle smile.

"I'm sure you will." She said sweetly, making her way down the steps that led to the thrones.

Celestia smiled at them.

"And once again, thanks for the party!" She called out behind her as the ponies exited the room.

"I'm a princess!" Twilight bellowed to the guard.

"Princess? I only obey the orders of the two sisters." The white guard responded, tugging on the chain.

The ponies where headed to the mines, where they would work with Sombra for the day, to see whether or not they had the strength to work there. Sombra was slowly getting weaker, and It was only a matter of time before he couldn't work any more.

"All right. Luna got three more picks for you, so don't break them." The guard said when they got there, handing them to the ponies and umbrum.

Twilight raised it with her magic, and brought it down on a shiny gemstone, causing it to crumble and fall out of its lodge. Apple Jack was tossing gems behind her into the cart like no-ponies business. Sombra was kind of doing the same thing, but the guards whipped him.

GORE SCENE

"Doesn't feel so nice, huh? Getting whipped? Being enslaved?" The grey one jeered, lashing Sombra's back with it. It didn't effect him how ever, and he continued to work, paying them no mind.

"Use the one that you used yesterday. If he breaks the pick again, we get to torture him more." The white one proclaimed.

"Now hold your horses! That is just plain sick and twisted!" Apple Jack exclaimed, spitting her pick-axe to the side and stepping forward to defend Sombra.

"Ohh! I'm so scared. Get out of my way, or I'll kick your ass too." The grey guard directed, shoving her past.

Sombra dropped the pick he was holding, and lowered his head, preparing to take the blows. The grey guard summoned up his magic, and a long crop appeared, adorned with thorns.

"One!" The white guard proclaimed with glee.

The thorns dug into his ribs, and Sombra winced, looking over at Twilight for help.

"Two!"

The bloodied thorn whip smacked his face, stabbing his left eye, and Sombra screamed, biting the crop on instinct.Blood began to slowly drip from his mouth. Apple Jack kicked the grey guard in the gut.The guard squealed in pain, and rocketed backwards.

"How 'bout a taste of yer own medicine?" She jeered, plucking the whip from him, and slashing his face with it.

The guards angrily scowled at the orange cow-pony, and then the white one head-butted her, causing Apple Jack to roll to the floor with a sickening 'crunch!'

"A.J!" Twilight exclaimed, looking at the bone that was poking out of her friends right fore-hoof.

Apple Jack winced at it, and tried to stand.

"Alright, fun's over. Back to work." The grey guard declared, standing up.

"Are you okay Skye?" The white one asked nervously.

"I'm fine!" Skye announced grumpily. "Go rest, bring down Cloud flyer to take my place though."

The white one nodded, and the two guards left the scene.

"Ya'll okay?" Apple Jack asked nervously.

Sombra turned on her.

"The point of this abuse system, is to give me a taste of my own medicine." He said in a monotone.

"Its not right! It can't be right. The Princesses would never!" Apple Jack muttered as they began to mine the gems again.

"It doesn't matter. Soon we'll all be dead anyways." Sombra spat bitterly.

"No. Our friends will save us." Twilight declared.

GORE SCENE OVER

"See, nothing here. Just a mine, with a couple of old cells..." Luna said, opening one. "Go on, check it out."

The four ponies hesitantly stepped in a different cell each, and Luna slammed them all shut.

"I'm sorry girls." She said over top the protests.

Fluttershy began to whimper as Luna left the cavern, and faded into darkness.

"All alone, in a cell, where we will rot to death?!" She squeaked.

"It'll be okay, Its just us here." Rarity declared, trying to pat Fluttershy on the back through her cell.

"That, my little ponies, is a lie." A voice hissed from the darkness.

Chrysalis stepped forth, and Fluttershy screamed, horrified.

Rarities pupil's shrunk as the changeling queen towered over her.

"I thought two ponies next to me was bad, but now I have to share a cell with one?" She sneered.

"Your not the only one, so shut up already. You've been whining for the past hour about how hideous you look now. Nothings changed except for your cuts." A voice croaked from across her, and Tirek stepped forth, causing Pinkie to squeak a bit.

"Thank goodness!" A voice whispered into Rainbow Dashes ear.

"W-who's there?!" She demanded.

"Your best student!" Cozy Glow exclaimed, extending her arms out, a cheesy grin cutting across her face.

"More like the worst one!" Rainbow retorted, tossing her mane.

"Well...This isn't good!" Fluttershy squeaked, backing against the bars of her cage, waiting for her cell mate to show themselves.

"Oh, Sombra isn't in there right now. Twilight and Apple Jack are helping him work in the mines." Chrysalis said deviously, just to scare Fluttershy.

"S-S-Sombra?" She whimpered lamely.

"Are you deaf?"

Chrysalis swung around and stomped back over to the shadow. The room fell silent, except for Fluttershy's whimpering. Pinkie Pie then started to bug poor Tirek by trying to be friendly.

"Would you SHUT UP?" He yelped.

"Why? We are going to be the absolute BESTIES!" Pinkie giggled, throwing her hoof around his neck.

Tirek groaned, and smacked the plucky pink mare away from him, grabbing the bars, and staring out into the hall in a desolate manner.

"There. That is it for today." Twilight panted, throwing the last gem into the cart.

Apple Jack was sitting on a stone, and the small guard mare Cloud Flyer was wrapping a bandage around her broken hoof.

"My, You know how stallions are to each other. Just stay out of the way when a fight is rising between them hey?" She gushed, her cheesy grin spreading wider as she finished. "Even though it is rather flattering when they are fighting for you!"

Apple Jack looked at her companions, who were resting against the cart, and shook her head.

"Thank you." She addressed the guard, and leapt of the stone, grimacing at the pain on her foot.

"All right. Back to your prison." The stallion guard commanded.

"Water Gust! They are the element bearers. Treat them kindly." Cloud commanded, scowling.

"But sweetheart, the grey stallion!" Water Gust whined.

"Don't you sweetheart me! Your being a dictator!"

"Uh..Please go back to your cells?"

"That's better. Come on now, he said please."

Cloud escorted them to their prisons, and Twilight gasped.

"Girls! What are you doing down here?" She asked, a look of awe spreading across her face.

"Luna." Rainbow snorted, and angry look crossing her features.

Sombra growled at his cage mate.

"Stay out of my way, little one." He snapped when he passed her.

Fluttershy nodded her head meekly, and curled up into a ball, in the corner of the cage.

"Why didn't you kick their flanks and escape?" Cozy Glow hissed at Twilight.

"Because I have no intention of hurting other ponies."

"Right, Whatever." Cozy Glow said sarcastically. "Hey Tirek, did you get the 'best friend drawing' I drew?" She asked, poking her head into his cell.

Pinkie bounced over.

"He's your best friend too? Uh! This is perfect! WE CAN ALL BE BESTIES TOGETHER.!" She giggled.

Cozy Glow, Sombra, Chrysalis, and Tirek scowled.

"NEVER! Never would I ever be friendly with hideous beings like yourselves!" Chrysalis bellowed, grabbing the bars of her cell.

Rarity scoffed.

"Like I would want to be friends with a roughens like you anyways." She retorted to the beasts.

Sombra growled, and Tirek stomped a hoof. Twilight felt uncomfortable to be in the midst of rising conflict.

"Okay, now, maybe ya'll shouldn't talk to each other if ya'll are just gonna say mean things?" Apple Jack advised, noting Twilight's panicked expression.

"All right yellow one. You stay in the light side, I'll stay over here where everything is better." Sombra said, drawing a line in the dirt with his hoof.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, and hunched down as the guards walked past. She let out a scream when Sombra faded into the darkness, leaving a creepy grin and two glowing red irises, with green eye whites.

"Sombra! Don't scare Fluttershy!" Rainbow scolded, throwing herself at the bars as though she was going to break them down and defend her friend.

The eyes disappeared and the grin dropped slowly. Fluttershy began to weep.

"Why did Luna do this?" She sobbed.

Chrysalis snarled.

"You should've minded your own business Twilight Sparkle."

"I'll get out of here, with the magic of friendship-"

"Anything is possible?" Tirek mocked.

Twilight narrowed her eyes.

"You know that's true." she said, fluffing her wings indignantly.

Fluttershy stood.

"I believe our friendship is stronger than anything. I believe Twilight can get us out of here." The yellow mare said, dropping her gaze to the floor and blushing when all head turned to her.

"Howwww cute..." Sombra drawled, stepping out of the shadows, and taking form.

"I believe in you Twilight." Apple Jack seconded.

"I believe in you!" The rest chorused.

Chrysalis plugged her ears.

"CRINGE! FRIENDSHIP IS NOTHING!" The changeling screeched defiantly.

"HEY! QUIET IN THERE!" The guard called.

The room fall quiet.

"I don't understand." Twilight whispered.

"Looks like the power of friendship doesn't work every single time." Tirek said quietly, backing into the darker parts of the cell he shared with Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow Dash sagged down against the bars, and dropped her head.

"You could try to send a message to Spike?" Rarity suggested.

Sombra hissed, and scowled, but the mares ignored him. Pinkie randomly pulled out a parchment of paper, and a scroll, handing them to Twilight by extending her arms freakishly long. Twilight smiled.

"I don't know the spell, but I'll try." She said.

"You don't know it!?" Rainbow shrieked.

"Well I'll be." Apple Jack muttered.

"How does the egg-head not know the spell?!"

"I always had spike to do it. Does any other creature/unicorn know it?" Twilight asked.

"I'm afraid not dear. I always used my magic for fashion." Rarity said meekly.

"What a waste of a horn!" Sombra snorted. "You could've been so much more."

Rarity scowled at him.

"I know how to use the spell, but I wouldn't share it with you, just so you could escape, and brag about it." Chrysalis huffed.

Tirek nodded in agreement.

"Well Sombra?" Twilight asked, giving him the best puppy dog look she could muster.

"Hmmm..." He thought, a devious smile spreading across his lips.

"Come on!" Rainbow groaned. "You don't know it either?!"

"I do too!" He huffed, stomping a hoof indignantly.

"Well, prove it!"

Twilight scribbled out a letter to her best friend, and floated it over to Sombra.

"Please?" She begged.

"Don't do it Sombra." Chrysalis warned.

"Who are you going to choose?"

"If you do it, I'll mock you."

"Do the right thing."

"SHUT-UP-AND-LET-ME-THINK!" He bellowed.

"Its not a hard decision." Chrysalis said.

Sombra unrolled the scroll, and read through it swiftly.

"Chrysalis! This is our chance for freedom!" Sombra exclaimed, looking up at her.

Chrysalis cocked her head.

"Really?"

"No. I'm a purple alicorn who has the best friends. May the power of friendship explode you foul changeling!" He mocked, releasing the scroll, rearing up and raising his hooves above his head in a mock 'boo' fashion. "Rargh!"

Chrysalis smirked, then morphed into Twilight.

"Oh no!! I can't cast a simple message spell! What will I do??"

She placed a hoof on her forehead and swooned backwards, mock fainting. Twilight scowled.

"Not. Cool." Rainbow Dash growled.

Sombra and Chrysalis continued to mock Twilight, and Sombra surprised them all by being able to shape-shift as well.

"HEY! CUT IT OUT!" The guard screeched, stomping down the hall, producing a whip.

He slashed the defiant beasts across the face, and Chrysalis growled. Sombra hissed, and backed into the darkness, scaring the wits out of Fluttershy once again. She screamed, and Gusty smacked her with the crop as well.

"Gooooood nightttt princesssssssss." Sombra drawled after a moments pause.

"The worst night to you." Rainbow retorted.