Dark Shadows

Chapter 2: The Past and Present

Darkness surrounded Applebloom as she opened her eyes. Last thing she could remember was being terrified of a strange dark cloud that could talk. She couldn't figure out where she was until she heard the voice again.

"Welcome young one, to the heart of darkness" the voice said from behind her, causing Applebloom to jump.

"Who, who are you?!" Applebloom asked, her eyes darting back and forth in a desperate attempt to find the source of the voice. Applebloom stumbled around aimlessly before she realized she wasn't touching the ground. The voice's laughter caused her to stop her attempts to find somewhere to stand.

"You seem confused little one" the voice said as a hand reached out from the darkness, "Do not fret, it will all be explained soon". Before Applebloom could reply an image of an apple with a hammer and nail appeared in front of her.

"This could be yours" the voice said, the disembodied hand motioning towards the image, "if..."

"If what?" Applebloom asked, realizing that the image must be her cutie mark, the one thing she wants the most. She quickly though about what a creepy disembodied voice would want with her, but she couldn't think of anything.

"Oh, it's really quite simple..." the voice said, waving the image away, "All you have to do is kill the princesses"

"What?!" Applebloom shouted. How could she want her to kill the princesses? They bring peace and order to Equestria, who would want them killed? The only reason was if...

"Why you ask?" the voice said, pausing for dramatic effect, "Revenge, that's why!". Applebloom jumped back to try and get away from the voice, and ended up hitting the ground. When she got up she was inside of the Canterlot Castle, but it looked slightly different than what she was used to. The wall and pillars were less ornate, and looked as if it had just been built. As she continued to look around she heard trumpets sounding outside of the massive doors behind her. She turned around just in time to see the doors open, a younger Celestia and Luna walking through surrounded by guards.

"What's going on here?" Applebloom asked out loud as the two princesses walked past her towards their thrones.

"This is the day they banished me" the voice said as a woman entered the room, escorted by guards. Unlike the two sisters she was in shackles, and looked like she hadn't seen the light of day in many months. She was led to a place in front of the two sisters, and was pushed forward by her escort.

"Hysteria" Celestia said in the Royal Canterlot Voice, "You are brought before the court to be tried for your crimes against Equestria and the harmony it represents"

"What crimes am I guilty of, other than wanting to be free?!" Hysteria shouted, causing her guards to pull back on her chains to try and control her.

"You sided with Discord in the war, and you have attacked our humble Castle in an act of chaos" Luna said, her horn lighting up, creating an image of a nearly destroyed Canterlot next to her.

"Do you admit to committing these crimes?" Celestia asked, looking at Hysteria with pure hatred.

"Yes I do" Hysteria said, pausing to look Celestia in the eyes, "Sister!"

"So that's how it has to be then..." Luna said quietly, a hint of regret in her voice.

"By order of the crown you are to be banished for all time!" Celestia said, once again using the Royal Canterlot Voice, "You will wander the stars for all time!". Celestia's horn began to light up and a small ornate box floated up from behind her. When it opened two pieces of jewellery came out and made their way around the sister's necks. The necklaces began to light up, and suddenly Hysteria was gone, all the remained were her chains.

The image of the throne room disappeared, and Applebloom was once again in darkness. She looked around to find Hysteria, who she placed as the voice who had been talking to her. Before she could ask the voice began to talk again.

"Now you know what they did to me" Hysteria said calmly, "and now you know why they must die"

"But that was a long time ago! They've changed!" Applebloom pleaded.

"That does not matter, they deserve to pay for what they did, and you won't help me..." her voice trailing off as she spoke.  A knife suddenly appeared in front of Applebloom, pointed straight at her, she tried to run away and found that her arms and legs were now bound together.

"No, no, please, no!" Applebloom cried, her life flashing before her eyes.

"Then join me" Hysteria said, the knife twirling in front of Applebloom's chest.

"Okay, okay, I'll join you, just please don't kill me!" Applebloom begged, the knife starting to cut down her chest.

"Fine, but you must prove your allegiance to me..." Hysteria said deviously. The knife made it's way into Applebloom's right hand, which was now free.

"Cut out one of your eyes"

"What?!" Applebloom shouted. The knife suddenly shot out of her hand and took it's place above her chest again.

"Do it, or you will die" Hysteria said angrily, the knife breaking through her skin.

"Okay, okay, I'll do it!" Applebloom cried as she knife flew back into her hand. She slowly lifted the knife to her right eye, and hesitantly brought it closer. As the point of the blade got withing an inch of her eye she stabbed it forward, wanting to get it over with. She felt a blinding pain as the knife split her eye ball in half, and before it could make it's way into her brain it disappeared, and the pain was gone.

"Good choice young one" Hysteria said, a hand once again appearing.

"Thank you" Applebloom said, rising to her feet, "Mother"

"From this day forward you will be know as Poison Apple" Hysteria said, pointing down at the cutie mark that appeared on Applebloom's thigh. It was an apple with a dark shadowy figure on it. As she looked down at it she fell to the ground outside her campsite. She looked around with her good eye before hearing Hysteria's voice again.

"I need three ponies who have yet to find their purpose, each a different race, a dragon's tail, wings of a speedster, feathers of a queen, moonshine, starshine, fire from the sun itself, and the honesty of the purest soul. If you can find them all I will be set free. I need you to find them for me"

"Yes Mother" Applebloom said quietly as she picked up the knife that she had used to stab her eye out, "Your Poison Apple will set you free". Poison Apple began walking away from the camp she had set up, making her way towards Ponyville, planning her murders the entire way home.