Pride and Punishment

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7

Chapter 1

In the depths of the royal palace of Canterlot lies a place many ponies over the years have stayed but few have left. The dungeons of the castle once housed the most nefarious ponies of vile character but this evening only one was present - the magician, Trixie.

The pony was in a pitiful state. After being exposed as the poisoner of Princess Celestia, albeit unintentionally, she was quickly found guilty and incarcerated. Six months awaiting execution had turned her from a beautiful silver-maned filly to a shell of her former self. The prison rations of mouldy hay and stale cabbage had dulled her coat and mane, her cracked and bloodied hooves looked as though she was close to scurvy and her emerald eyes no longer twinkled as they did when she would perform to an enthralled audience of ponies.

The most tragic change to Trixie however was her horn, which had been sawn off soon after she was found guilty. The purposed was twofold, firstly to snuff out the magic of a unicorn, secondly to demoralize the condemned and remind him or her that they were a non-pony. The Princess had not been down into the bowels of the castle to see Trixie - Princess Celestia knew what happened down there and chose not to think about it. Many had been sent to the dungeon during her reign, it was simply a fact that despite the utopia she gave to her subjects, some would seek to destroy it. The thousands of years had made her realize that mortal life was fleeting; pain and suffering common to all. If nothing else, having somepony in the dungeon at least gave her guards a morale boost. Most of the guards would reside in the castle for five days before returning home for two. It was important for the Princess to have happy and loyal guards. Her chosen few, the Elite Equestrian Guards were neutered but for the less senior guards, it was acceptable to use the prisoners for relief.

Friday nights were the worst for Trixie although she often found it hard to know what day it was otherwise. Some of the guards would get drunk after their shift before paying her a visit. They would take her to the torture room of the dungeon, put her in the stocks and abuse her horribly, all the time watched by the dungeon keeper - a fearsome unicorn stallion known as 'Hood' who also served as the Canterlot executioner. His name came from the grotesque black hood he wore on his head at all times when in Canterlot - slits near his eyes allowed him to see through the thick cloth and as he breathed the lower half of the hood grew and shrank. His black horn protruded from the top of the hood almost like the crest of a helmet.

Rumour amongst the guards was that when Hood returned to his home town on Saturdays and Sundays, he was a family stallion with an unsuspecting wife and children. It was said that as far as his family knew, he simply worked as a resident guard in Canterlot. What was fact is that Hood was efficient, calm and professional with regard to his grim duties.

Hood preferred to watch as the guards had their way with the prisoner. Trixie had miscarried three times in the previous six months. The guards had a tenancy to beat her viciously after sexually assaulting her. Often the guards were too intoxicated to be able to perform in a sexual manner and would penetrate her with inappropriate objects. This along with the frequent beatings caused Trixie to quickly lose the foal conceived to her captors.

Hood and the two guards on the evening shift entered the dungeon and trotted to Trixie's cell. Hood had never spoken to Trixie, she figured that his silence was part of his 'act'. The guards however, always knew what part they should play in Hood's actions and Trixie guessed that they must all converse before entering the dungeon.

Trixie was prostrate on a damp makeshift bed of hay. Hearing the guards approaching, she feigned sleep. The last visit had been awful, they had forced her to lick up the dirt from her own toilet area in the corner before making her do something to each guard which felt very shameful to her. Later that night she had tried to end her own life but found that with no magic, no clothing and no possessions, it was very difficult. Her horn could not produce more than a fizzle of magic, only enough to blow hay a few inches across the floor. She had charged head-first against the cell wall in an attempt to break her own neck but twice had awoken from unconsciousness with a very sore head.

One of the guards banged his hoof against the cell bars and spoke.

"Trixie. By order of the Princess, you have been pardoned and you are to be freed immediately."

Trixie stood from the straw bed in the corner of her dank cell and turned to the guards, her eyes briefly twinkled. Her beauty was still apparent despite the pain and cruelty of the previous six months.

"Oh.. oh my! By Celestia's mane, at last! Thank you Princess, thank you!"

"Yes, yes. Step forward and no funny business."

The guard opened her cell and as Trixie trotted forward she was fiercely head butted on the nose by Hood, causing her hind legs to buckle. The guards both laughed as Hood magicked a glowing yellow chain around the kneeling pony's neck. The two guards took the magical chain in their mouths and dragged Trixie from the cell into the torture chamber opposite.

"Ha. Why on earth would Celestia release you, my dear? Tomorrow is your execution date, you are to be hung, drawn and quartered in the morning. Tonight we will prepare you."

Trixie screamed and kicked but the magic chain around her neck tightened, sapping her strength and making it easy for the guards to lift her onto a wooden table in the centre of the room. Four shackles attached to the dark wood were clamped around her fore and hind legs leaving her splayed out, lying upwards. Trixie had been in this room before but they had never strapped her to a table. They would normally just place her in the stocks where she was unable to stop them having full access to her rear. The stocks were on display in the corner to the left of the door but devices in the other corners were covered with red sheets.

"Oh no, please! What are you going to do to me! Princess Celestia, I'm so sorry! Why do you let these guards do this to me? Just kill me already you rotten, wicked bitch!"

While Trixie's screams broke to a sobbing moan, Princess Celestia slept soundly many floors above. One of the guards, slightly older and greyer in the mane covered Trixie's mouth with his hoof.

"Okay, I'm ready Hood."

The guard looked to Hood, whose horn glowed causing a heavy loop of steel to be magicked from the corner of the room. It was around five inches wide and the steel was thick and heavy looking. There was a small gap in the loop, somewhat like a traditional loop and ball ear piercing, popular with young fillies. Both ends of the loop were very sharp, quite like a nail and the older guard pushed his hoof hard into Trixie's mouth stretching her jaw. Her nose was flared and sticking out as Hood's magic forced the spiked hoop through her left nostril. A horrible crack was heard as it reached the middle of her nose. Struggling to breathe, Trixie wriggled, the guards hoof blocking her mouth adding to her panic. The spiked end of the hoop emerged slowly and bloodily from Trixie's right nostril.

The guard removed his hoof from Trixie's mouth and the pony coughed up blood and saliva, gasping for breath, no longer able to breathe through her damaged nose. Hood cast another spell and the ring squeezed until the gap closed, leaving the filly with a heavy steel piercing. It looked similar to a piercing but due to the size of the ring it was more like those sometimes put on a cows nose to make it easier to lead them.

Hood grunted and walked out of the room leaving the guards to return the condemned to her cell. Once she was removed from the table, Trixie opened her eyes and stared at the ground as the guards proceeded to use her. It did not take long and there was no struggle as the junior guard finished, unmounted her and tweaked her nose ring looking for a reaction.

"Hmm, she's acting really weird tonight, sir. I prefer it when they scream and kick."

The senior guard snorted and slapped Trixie across the face. Still no reaction.

"Nothing. Put her back in her cell, we'll have some more fun with her before the execution tomorrow. I'll be back in five minutes."

The guard left his junior to finish off, locking the dungeon door behind him. Trixie's head was bowed, eyes open and body ridged

"Trixie, Trixie, Trixie. What are we guards going to do when you are gone? You really are a great lay."

While the guard took down a chain hanging on the wall with which to lead the prisoner back, Trixie closed her eyes and focused. She was so angry at being so powerless. Surely, she thought, surely a unicorn's magic does not depend on her horn. A tingling in the stump of her horn encouraged her to concentrate more. She thought about foal that had grew in her tummy for six weeks before a beating had caused her to miscarry. Although she was raped, it was still her child. The feeling in the stump strengthened and she gritted her teeth. Horns regrow. They take years but they do return.

Trixie growled and a glow emerged from her horn. She had tried before to cast magic whilst in her cell but it seemed this time all her rage fed its strength. Behind Trixie a steel poker rose magically from an extinguished fire, hovering in the air for a second before the sharp tip moved to point in the direction of the guard. The guard turned back to Trixie in time to see, if only for a microsecond, the sharp end of the poker flying towards him. With a thud, the poker pierced the breastplate of his armour and sunk deeply into his chest.

The look on the guard's face was one of horror, pain and surprise, Trixie's bloodied mouth formed a wicked smile. The guard tried to speak but his life slipped away quickly, his pierced heart stopped trying to thump and with a clatter of armour he fell to the ground.

Trixie closed her eyes and focused again, the poker drawing itself from the dead stallion's chest before floating over to hover at the pony's side. The empowered pony touched her nose ring and flinched with pain, she'd have to deal with that later but for now it was time to leave. She stood over the guard's corpse and kicked the face with her foreleg. It would seem that magic is in the pony, not the horn.

"Bastards. Not so tough now I'm back in business, are you?"

Another spell drew the dungeon key from the chain around the cadaver's neck. Trixie placed it around her own neck and trotted back to her cell just as she heard the clatter of a key opening the dungeon door. The senior guard cantered down the steps. As he neared Trixie's cell, the filly dramatically stepped out and smiled at the surprised guard. Narrowing her eyes, Trixie's horn-stump shimmered as the poker by her side aimed towards the guard.

"Oh, did I startle you? Did you think your petty torments could suppress such powerful magic? I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! First I'm going to kill you then I'll kill your Princess. Now die!"

The poker again flew from Trixie's side towards her captor, penetrating the neck of the startled guard who gurgled, choking on his own blood before dropping to the knees and closing his eyes. The poker dropped to the floor and Trixie brushed her hair from her sweating brow. There was nothing stopping her escape from the dungeon now. Trixie cackled and used her magic to unhook the dead guard's water pouch from his armour and took a sip. It tasted so good. Fresh, clean water.

"Twilight Sparkle or Princess Celestia? Who shall I smite first?"

Trixie swigged from the water pouch again. It would be more fun to kill Princess Celestia and then tell Twilight in intricate detail how she killed her mentor. Trixie emptied the rest of the water onto her head and rubbed her face clean.

It was time to take care of business.

Chapter 2

The moonlit courtyard of Canterlot was still and serene. A few guards watched from high above but nopony saw the head of Trixie poke out from the ajar dungeon door. Freedom was within reach. The air smelled so crisp and the light from the moon felt like it was recharging Trixie's vitamin deprived body. Watching from the shadows she counted four guards. Two on the walls, two inside the guard's barn at the front entrance. Those at the front were playing a card game.

"I need to regain my strength. I'm too weak right now to take out these guards." thought Trixie. She had managed to kill her captors in the dungeon but she was running on empty. She needed to escape, eat, drink, bathe. Twilight would have to die first, the Princess could wait. Her guards would be a great challenge and in Trixie's current state, it would be better to retreat and regroup.

To Trixie's benefit was that a royal palace is designed to keep people out rather than in. She would need to make a clean escape. Stepping back into the dungeon entrance she focused a spell with all her strength. Her tummy rumbled and she felt giddy for a second, her blood sugar too low for exertion. With a fizz from her horn-stump, her coat and mane changed colour from an azure blue to black. A neat parlour trick but she never thought she'd have to use it for something as serious as this.

Stepping out of the dungeon and into the shadows, her trick provided her with a wonderful camouflage. Clinging to the shadows of the walls, heart thumping in her chest, she reached the guard barn. The open portcullis was just a few feet away and she would be home and dry. The guards inside exchanged banter and never came close to noticing the jet black pony crawling below the window. Low down and stepping quietly as possible on the cobble stones, ten slow and cautious steps took Trixie through the portcullis and on to the dew-covered grass. She took three large mouthfuls of the wet grass - all she needed was the energy to get to Ponyville.

Almost invisible in the dark, Trixie broke into a canter. Ponyville was two hours away by hoof, it would surely not be until dawn that her escape was noticed so time was on her side. Even just those mouthfuls of grass had spurred her energy and as the lights of the castle withdrew behind her the colour of her mane and coat returned. The ring in her nose that the guards had so cruelly fitted to aid in leading her to her execution swung back and forward as she galloped, now familiar with its weight it was not so uncomfortable. The wind swept through her dry and unkempt mane which was starting to feel less greasy and unpleasant the further she got from that forsaken dungeon. Trixie was starting to look like her old self again.

Up in the lofty heights of Canterlot's main tower Princess Celestia slept fitfully. She had kicked off her bedsheets and her pillow had been pierced many times by her sharp horn. Her usually wavy, dancing mane was jagged and twitched occasionally. The Princess was dreaming again of the night she had been poisoned.

Princess Celestia preferred to look after her beauty alone rather than employ beautician ponies. A long soak in the bath before bed was very important to her. She had a lot of work done to make her bath exactly how she liked it. The water poured from golden taps adorned with sea ponies and the bath was easily large enough to allow her to submerge all of her slender body, tail and mane. As usual she would soak for an hour then pleasure herself under the bubbles before stepping out of the water to prepare herself for sleep.

The Princess' horn glowed as she magicked a spotless white towel around her mane and the top of her head, tying a knot to hold the towel in place. Trotting to her bedroom she poured a glass of water and took a few sips. Another glow of the horn opened her dresser drawer and pulled out a file with which to attend to her hooves. Before she could begin her pony-pedi however, her stomach cramped and her telekinesis failed, the file dropping to the floor with a clatter.

A whole wave of cramps hit the Princess' stomach and she bent double before collapsing to the floor, her heart felt like it was trying to escape her chest and pressure at her tail end gave way causing a violent spray of black diarrhoea to stain her white rug. The pain intensified but the Princess managed to reach her hoof out and push over the tall flower vase next to her dresser. Seconds after it fell to the floor, smashing loudly, a guard galloped into the room just as the Princess lost consciousness.

The Princess swam in and out of consciousness. At one point she had awoken but been unable to open her eyes or move. She heard an unfamiliar voice speaking.

"The lower parts of her digestive tract are practically mush. We must make a stoma to bypass the damage, it is the only way the Princess will be able to function normally."

A burning pain somewhat like being cut with a hot knife caused the Princess to scream but only in her mind. Her body was completely paralysed. Another awful slicing pain on the skin of her stomach and then a sickening sound and sensation of something sliding into her body, she could feel her organs being touched and disturbed. Her eyes began to open and she saw a doctor pony, monocle in one eye and a lamp attached on his forehead, his arm fetlock-deep inside a large gaping wound in her stomach. Behind the doctor, Twilight Sparkle was watching concernedly through a glass window. A shadow appeared behind her, a glowing horn revealed the face of Trixie. Trixie smiled at the Princess through the mirror and Twilight Sparkle gasped open-mouthed as the sharp end of a knife poked bloodily from her stomach, splattering the window with blood.

The Princess awoke from her nightmare and gasped for air. Her coat was slick with sweat and she had urinated the bed. She had been unable to control her bladder fully since her operation. She looked up at the moon through her window and then down at the vile colostomy bag strapped to her stomach from which a tube led to the ponymade hole just above her navel. Princess Celestia sighed and rolled over to the dryer side of the mattress, closing her eyes and hoping for better dreams.

Twilight Sparkle was burning the midnight oil again in the Ponyville library. It was Rarity's birthday next week and Twilight was researching modern fashion. She knew Rarity wanted desperately a new hoofbag but what style was 'in this season', as Rarity would often say. Lying on her tummy, she kicked her hind legs back as she read 'Fashion Filly' magazine. It wasn't her kind of read but it was worth it if she could find something that would delight her friend. Rarity had been so kind to all of them over the years, helping them dress smartly when required to do so and the 'look' she suggested for her friends was always a hit.

Despite the material, Twilight loved her late night reading sessions. Spike was asleep in his bed and there was nothing to interrupt Twilight until three knocks on the front door disturbed her.

"Sheesh, who could that be at this hour?"

Twilight used her magic to turn down the corner of the page she was reading and closed the magazine. She rolled off the bed and headed down the stairs. Spike was still sleeping soundly. Only two ponies would be crazy enough to visit at this hour, Dashy or Pinkie.

The front door was opened by Twilight's magic and she was greeted by a familiar figure. Trixie raised her head, revealing the face under the brim of her magician's hat. Twilight gasped.

"Hello Twilight. Remember me?"

Trixie's stump glowed and from under her cape a short dagger shot out, stabbing into Twilight's stomach. The stunned pony made a 'wump' sound and staggered backwards as Trixie magicked the dagger to stab her again and again in the belly, with the final stab the blade twisted before sliding out and hovering back under psychotic pony's cape.

Twilight fell backwards and a purple cord of intestine popped out from her wounds. It felt incredibly painful and the loss of pressure in her stomach made it hard for her diaphragm to work effectively. It hurt so bad and she couldn't concentrate enough to even consider responding with magic. She gasped and tried to plead with Trixie.

"Trixie, you've... done for me. Please. Please save me."

Trixie cackled, took off her hat and shook her mane. The earlier madness in her eyes faded and she looked confident and glamourous as though she was performing for a crowd.

"Twilight Sparkle. Do you realize how far back you and your friends have set my career? I was once the most beloved magical unicorn in the land but now I'm a criminal, despised by all Equestria. I'll make you and everyone you love regret the day you tangled with The Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Spike had awoken and peered over the balcony to see the commotion. He saw Twilight on the floor, bleeding heavily. Trixie smiled up at him.

"And Spike. Twilight's little dragon friend."

Spike snarled at Trixie and ran towards the stairs. Twilight coughed up blood and tried to beg for Spike's life.

"You horrible pony! What have you done to Twilight? Sis! I'll save you!"

Trixie sneered and her stump glowed again. The ring through her nose twinkled as her spell fired.

"Not right now Spike, the grown ups are talking. You are however essential to the Great and Powerful Trixie's plans, little dragon!"

A tall, dark green house plant at the top of the stairs shuddered and extended a tendril as Spike ran past, tripping the dragon and looping around his leg. Trixie's stump glistened and she smiled as the tendril extended up Spike's leg, wrapping around his arms and pinning him down. He started crying.

"Sis... I'm sorry!"

"I have no doubt Spike, that you will grow up to be a powerful dragon but right now, defeating you is easy as taking figs from a foal."

Trixie stopped casting her magic and sat down beside Twilight who was breathing heavily.

"Oh Twilight. Imagine the shows you and I could have made. We could have astounded Equestria together. The Great and Powerful Trixie, featuring Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight's eyes were closed and she moaned quietly. Trixie magicked her dagger and traced it's blade along her victims chest drawing a little blood.

"I always thought you were a terribly plain pony but right now, covered in blood and dying? I think you look stunning."

Trixie leaned forward and kissed Twilight softly on the lips, tasting her blood. She'd never really done anything like that before but she'd already gone this far. Twilight and her were sharing a very intimate moment.

Trixie's hapless victim sobbed and looked up at her assailant. She really hadn't expected it to end this way, to be killed so young with so much more to learn and see.

"This isn't the end Twilight, just the beginning. Next I'm going to kill your mentor. The Great and Powerful Trixie will be the ruler of Equestria and all will worship me or they will perish!"

Spike wriggled in his bindings, still sobbing.

"You're insane Trixie! You've gone mad!"

Trixie stroked a lock of hair from Twilight's brow.

"This is the end for you however. I was going to send Princess Celestia your still beating heart but given that I now see your true beauty, I think it will have to be your head. Sleep well, Twilight Sparkle."

The dagger was forced magically into the side of Twilight's throat and pulled forward cutting open the windpipe. Blood sprayed all over Trixie's body and face, its warmth felt quite wonderful. A horrible gurgling emitted from Twilight as the blood poured down her windpipe and into her lungs drowning her. Spike sobbed as he heard the awful sound of the dagger chopping through his big sisters vertebrae separating her head from her body.

The rise and fall of Twilight's chest ceased and Trixie used her magic to lift the severed head. The mane hanging from it still looked quite beautiful, despite all the blood.

"Alright Spike, now I need you to send the Princess a little surprise."

Spike's eyes were firmly shut. This was all too much for a baby dragon to experience. Trixie trotted over to him, the magicked plant still holding him tightly. Twilight's severed head floated eerily behind her.

"That's fine, don't open your eyes then."

Trixie's magicked Twilight's head in front of Spike and had another of the plant's tendrils push its way into his mouth. Spike gagged and tried to bite off the stem but as it tickled the back of his throat he burped up a blast of green fire which consumed the head and teleported it away.

"Wonderful. You really are a great assistant, maybe I can find a role for you. I could be your new big sister."

Spike cried as Trixie gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead and departed, putting on her hat and looking down at Twilight Sparkle's headless torso lying in the middle of the library. As Trixie made her escape from Ponyville, Spike's screams woke up nearby residents who approached the library to investigate.

Mr and Mrs Cake pushed open the library door to be greeted by a macabre sight the likes of which Ponyvillian's had never seen.

The Princess was not awoken by the delivery from Spike that dropped onto the bed beside her. She was dreaming of the first time she had met her prize student. The smell of Twilight's shampoo from the severed head next to her made the dream seem more real.

Princess Celestia's nose was painted crimson as she nuzzled the bloody, lifeless head of Twilight Sparkle while she slept soundly.

Chapter 3

Princess Celestia sat alone in her bedroom. It had been a traumatic couple of weeks and little had comforted her since awakening to find the lifeless, severed head of her prize student beside her. The guards had heard the Princess' screams and had entered her private quarters to find her sobbing inconsolably, clutching the bloody head.

It was not until the guards informed her of Trixie's escape that the Princess realized who the culprit was. Spike visited soon afterwards and told how Trixie had cruelly beheaded Twilight and forced him to mail it to her.

The Princess was furious at the guards who had been killed by Trixie during her escape and had them buried in unmarked graves inside Canterlot. She then had their family's death-in-service compensation revoked, causing grumbles of unrest amongst her staff.

Her displeasure was also expressed to the regular ponyfolk of Equestia. The Princess announced that anyone harbouring Trixie would be hung, drawn and quartered – as was to be Trixie's fate before she escaped.

An anonymous letter had informed the paranoid Princess that the mayor of Trottingham had helped Trixie escape – on investigation and despite no evidence being found to corroborate the claims, she had the mayor and her three sons nailed to the sails of the town windmill to die slowly in the autumn sun.

A knock on the door caused Celestia to jump slightly and Princess Luna entered the room, her horn glowing and carrying behind her a beautiful bouquet of light blue flowers.

"Hi Sis, how are you feeling?"

Celestia signed contemptuously.

"Luna, come to me."

Luna smiled and cautiously trotted to her sister. She had been so foul-tempered, more so than usual and Luna just wanted Celestia to love her.

"I brought you these flowers. I picked them myself from..."

Luna was interrupted by a vicious punch on the nose from her sister. The startled pony fell back and her magical telekinesis failed causing the flowers to fall to the floor. Her eyes welled with tears both from fright and the pain of her possibly broken nose. Princess Celestia stood and put a fore-hoof on Luna's throat, pushing down and choking her.

"You little whore, I know what you have been doing!"

Luna blubbed and tried to speak but Celestia pressed down on her throat, using her free fore-hoof to slap and punch her little sister across the face.

"Cavorting with a guard, one of my guards! You make me sick! A royal princess acting like a randy nag."

The terrified younger sister squirmed, blood running from her nose and her left eye beginning to swell.

"Please big sister! It is not like that, we are in love! We didn't do anything yet!"

Celestia scoffed and punched her defenceless sister so hard in the face that one of her small white teeth flew out. Luna coughed and choked on her own blood.

"It is disgusting, mother should have drowned you when you came screaming and kicking out of her womb. Guard! Bring him in!"

The door opened and a senior guard brought in a beaten-up stallion of the same colour and stock of the Princess' royal guard but without his armour. The stallion looked at Luna, trapped under her sister's hoof and hung his head.

"So this is the rat. What did you think, sister? That you were going to fall in love, marry and be happy ever after? Pathetic, this is what happens to anypony who you fall in love with. Guard – kill him, now."

The guard looked shocked and stuttered in reply.

"Please Princess! Private Sirius is a loyal servant of Equestria! He has already been punished enough, surely..."

The Princess gave a glare to the guard that told him she was not in the mood for any dissent. Dismayed but knowing that the Princess was not to be discouraged, he drew his sword with his mouth and swung it to his side until the tip of the blade touched his tail.

"I am sorry, Sirius. Forgive me." he mumbled.

With a powerful swing, the guard cleanly decapitated the hapless victim whose head dropped to the floor, eyes wide open and tongue twitching. Blood quickly pooled on the flawless marble slabs as Luna cried uncontrollably - her first albeit brief romantic partner dead on the cold floor.

"You best realize, you little bitch – only I tell you what you can and cannot do, I wouldn't have a second thought about cutting your filthy womb out right now. Do you understand?"

Princess Celestia removed her hoof from Luna's throat and flipped her over so her young backside was in the air.

"If you are going to act like a common nag then perhaps you need to be spayed..."

Celestia pushed her horn inches deep into Luna's most intimate area, breaking her hymen in a vicious act of degradation. Luna screamed - the feeling was horrible and humiliating. The guard watched on, shocked but aroused.

"I guess you were telling the truth. Equestria only knows why any stallion of any class would want to breed with an ugly little mule like you."

Struggling for breath; blood and tears flooding her lungs, Luna had never felt more ashamed or humiliated - not in all the times her big sister had hurt or degraded her.

"Please, please big sister... I'm sorry..."

Celestia withdraw her horn, slightly bloodied having taken her little sisters virginity by force and cruelly kicked the younger pony's behind as she stood up and fled sobbing from the room.

The Princess smirked, pleased with her torments. She eyed up the guard and lay back on her throne; opening her legs, showing off her pink, flawless mare-parts and beckoning the guard to come closer. After a few minutes of unsatisfying mating for the Princess, another hapless stallion was taken away to be neutered and join her Elite Equestrian Guards.

Chapter 4

Trixie stretched out her tired legs in her latest temporary home; a small cave deep in the heart of the Everfree forest. She didn't mind too much moving from pillar to post; her former life as an entertainer involved a lot of travelling. This cave however, was not as comfortable as she would have liked but the situation had changed.

She was a criminal on the run and pregnant to a child conceived by rape. The guards in the Canterlot dungeon had used her so much she wasn't quite sure how far along the pregnancy was but the physical symptoms; morning sickness, increased hunger and slightly swollen tummy caused her to guess around two months.

The stressed pony sighed and licked up some clover leaves she had picked before the sun had gone down. As seemingly awful as it was carrying a child whose father was a rapist, the child was still Trixie's and she loved it. Her main concern was the logistics of carrying and then giving birth to a foal while on the run. It would be difficult to hide from Princess Celestia's forces whilst caring for a foal; gathering twice as much food, keeping the foal warm and dry.

Trixie began to cry – this whole situation had turned into a nightmare. The six months in the dungeon had changed her. Her moods would swing quickly from a maddening rage to fits of crying, she would feel immensely powerful one minute and terrified the next. Medically speaking, she was clinically depressed but she had no-pony to turn to. Killing Twilight Sparkle had surely been a result of the immense physical and mental stress she had been put upon thanks to Princess Celestia's tortures by-proxy - but the seriousness of her situation was now weighing heavily on her shoulders and no solution seemed in sight.

There was little chance that she could reach Princess Celestia and exact her revenge, not now she was known across all of Equestria as a brutal murderer. The thought of being killed and losing her foal was also a huge concern.

Trixie stifled her crying as she heard a sound outside the cave. A shadow appeared at the entrance – a pegasus. The frightened pony covered her horn stump with a hoof to hide the glow and magicked her dagger to her side. The pony blocking the entrance to the cave also emitted a glow from his or her horn. Trixie gasped – an alicorn. Was this it? The final battle. Princess Celestia had found her.

The alicorn's horn flashed as Trixie stood, dagger hovering at her side. Suddenly the cave lit up as though it was daylight. Temporarily blinded by the light, Trixie readied her defences. Blinking her eyes, she began to see the form of the creature confronting her.

"If we're going to fight Princess, at least give me a chance to defend myself!"

"Trixie is that you? I... I'm not here to fight you."

The light dimmed slightly and Trixie's eyes adjusted. In front of her was not Princess Celestia but her sister, Luna.

"Please Trixie, thank goodness I tracked you down. We need to talk."

Trixie backed off slightly, still using magic to hold her dagger at her side.

"Why would we need to talk Luna? I'm not a stupid pony... your sister sent you to kill me."

With an annoyed whinny, Luna shimmered her horn, causing Trixie's dagger to drop from her side.

"Look you silly pony, I'm here to help you! And I need you to help me too! Goodness, what happened to your horn?"

Trixie backed up against the cave wall and shivered.

"Please... Trixie... you are the only one I know who, like me, wants to stop Princess Celestia. I need your help."

"I don't want to stop your sister, Luna. I want to kill her!"

Trixie looked sad for a second and nodded resignedly.

"I fear, Trixie, that will be the only way to stop her... she is no longer the kind, benevolent leader she was thousands of years ago. She has become warped and cruel. Equestria no longer reveres her – they fear her. This is not how it was supposed to be."

Trixie seemed to relax although still highly suspicious of Luna's motives. She saw the beautiful princess' bruised eye and slightly askew nose, the sign of a fighter – perhaps Luna wasn't as weak as she had always seemed as the 'forgotten' princess.

"Then what do you propose, Luna?"

Luna smiled and offered her hoof to Trixie.

"Please come with me, you have nothing to lose surely? For the life of yourself and your foal? You might even get a bite to eat..."

Luna smiled shyly, hoping to win Trixie's trust. She had noticed Trixie's slightly extended tummy and sticking-out nipples. She had Luna's sympathy; being pregnant and living in such a hovel. The offer of food seemed to seal the deal from Trixie and she couldn't help smiling back and extending her hoof to Luna's. Luna began channelling a spell, extending her wings as the glow from her horn grew brighter. With a flash, Luna and Trixie vanished from the cave.

Trixie's stomach flipped and she opened her eyes. She was greeted with an incredible sight - she and Luna were standing on what seemed to be normal cream marble floor, perhaps one-hundred feet square but there were no walls, just darkness and shimmering stars beyond. In the corner of the 'room' was a bed, next to it a plush couch. Seeing Trixie's awe-struck face, Luna smiled and gently took her hoof.

"This is where I come to relax. The beautiful darkness, the stars, the quiet. How do you like it?"

Trixie tapped her hoof on the marble floor, a little wary of how it seemed to float in the middle of space.

"It is beautiful, Princess. But where are we?"

"Please, just call me Luna. Come and sit with me."

Luna sat on the bed and beckoned Trixie to sit on the couch next to her.

"Umm, are you hungry, thirsty? I could summon my servant, he is very nice and helpful."

Trixie was indeed very hungry. She had not eaten substantially since escaping from Canterlot where she had stopped for a while on the way to Ponyville, gulping down mouthfuls of wild cress and clover. She was eating for two now and her body craved something more stodgy. Her tummy rumbled, causing her to blush.

"It's okay, I am hungry too!" said Luna as her horn shimmered.

A handsome black stallion in formal attire stepped out from behind the couch Trixie sat on, giving her a fright. He had a waiter's towel on his back and his cutie mark was a delicate white cup.

"Oh my word! That is impressive, Princess. Is he.. real?"

"Ma'am, I am indeed quite real. May I take your order?"

Luna laughed and put a hoof on Trixie's shoulder.

"Orion here, is a wonderful waiter, cook, bottle washer and above all, a great listener. Many a night has this poor stallion had to endure my tales of woe!"

The stallion waiter smiled and bowed respectfully to the Princess. Luna chuckled.

"I would say more but I fear his head would swell! Anyhow, I shall have a toasted sandwich with hay and watercress, and whatever my friend here would like."

Trixie blinked and looked up at Luna. Friend? It had been a while since Trixie had a friend. Something about her seemed to upset people - she couldn't quite pinpoint it. Accidently poisoning Princess Celestia and decapitating her favourite student also didn't help with her current popularity.

"Hmm. I'll have the same, thank you."

"Very well madame, would that be all?" asked the waiter.

Luna smiled and waved him away.

"Thank you, Orion. That will be all."

The stallion walked behind the couch and Trixie turned her head to look where they mysterious waiter was going but he had already vanished. This place was very odd.

"Isn't he fabulous, Trixie? Sometimes I feel he is the only pony I can talk to. I think however that he listens only through duty."

This level of magic was difficult for Trixie to comprehend. It was as though Luna could bend time and space - it was slightly disconcerting but she did not feel afraid. Luna's demeanour was relaxed and friendly. Trixie was warming to her quickly, it had been so long since she had pony company.

"You umm, don't mind hanging out do you? Would you just like me to tell you my plan and then I can send you back? I'll understand..."

Trixie smiled and rested back on the couch. It was wonderful to feel warm and relaxed after spending so much time in cold, wet dungeons and then a cold, wet cave. Trixie was a young pony but her knees had began to ache over time due to the damp conditions she had become accustomed to.

"I'm very happy to 'hang out' with you, Luna! You know, I haven't had a friend for quite a while... Besides this place is much nicer than my damp old cave. My poor lungs feel like they were getting mouldy!"

Luna stuttered excitedly at the 'f' word.

"Oh oh! Friends! Celestia doesn't really let me have friends. I did have a colt-friend... but... she killed him. We were going to get married..."

Trixie turned to Luna with genuine concern and placed her hoof on her new friend's leg.

"Oh Luna, that is horrible... I'm sorry."

Luna blinked tears away before resting her head on Trixie's shoulder and sobbing.

"She is a monster, Trixie... no-one understands. But you know the things she does, the things she makes over ponies do for her. She is wicked and cruel! Urgh, I'm so sorry to burden you with this. I'm such a mess-up."

Trixie stroked back Luna's smoke-like mane; it was terribly sad to see such a beautiful pony crying. She wasn't used to comforting anyone and didn't really know what to say. She genuinely wished she could say something to help but socially, she considered herself rather inept.

"It's alright Luna, it's alright..."

Trixie pondered saying something more constructive but the dashing waiter returned with two plates of toasties on his back. Luna sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes before magicking one of the plates onto her new friend's lap, the other onto the bed beside her. The waiter nodded and quickly walked out of sight.

Trixie's stomach rumbled again and the two unicorns levitated their lunch, delicately eating the toasties which had been prepared and presented with great care by the mysterious stallion. Not only were the toasties perfectly sliced and toasted, a side salad of lettuce, carrot and tomato had been stacked at the side of the plate with a light clear dressing.

"Your sister really is quite something isn't she, Luna. How did one sister become so cruel and the other so... nice!"

Luna laughed softly as she ate.

"Oh, I have my moments, Trixie! But I don't think I am ever cruel. Equestria is such a wonderful place, I've never grown tired of it but I think Celestia has become weary, taking its beauty for granted. It is hard for immortals to feel compassion for mortals sometimes. I guess Celestia is a psychopath – she has no empathy for anypony's pain or suffering."

Trixie nodded, really stuffing down her food now. Luna didn't mind; poor Trixie looked so hungry and she would need a lot of food for many months in order to keep her developing foal healthy and strong in her womb.

"You poor thing, your mane needs a serious moisturising. In the dungeon it must have been hard to get vitamin-C. Your poor coat is.. Oh Trixie, I am sorry. I don't mean to bring back bad memories – it must have been awful."

Trixie shook her head and stroked back her dry and split mane dramatically.

"Oh no, it is fine. The Great and Powerful Trixie has been in many sticky situations and lived to tell the tale!"

Both of the ponies laughed, Trixie knew she couldn't bluff to this pony and Luna enjoyed Trixie's dramatic side. It had been so long since Luna had a friend. Luna had heard of Trixie's shows but sadly was rarely allowed out of Canterlot – only recently, in Celestia's bleak and morbid depression had she been able to slip out unnoticed.

"Did you know she plays horrible tricks on her guards all the time? And that she tries to kiss them and if they kiss her back, she has their stallion parts cut off?"

Trixie nearly choked on her sandwich. It was obvious the poor abused pony had a lot to get off her chest.

"Your sister does THAT? Oh my, that is appalling!"

Luna nodded matter-of-factly as she tucked into her toasted sandwich.

"And she is so, so mean to me. When I came back from the moon, I was so happy to see her. She told me we would do everything together but it was a lie! She told me afterwards that she only forgave me to make herself look more kindly in the eyes of her subjects and that no-one missed me when I was on the moon."

Luna was telling the truth and her eyes welled up again with tears. Trixie felt very sad for this poor pony - who could know that one seemingly so privileged could be so deeply unhappy?

"Why does she hate me so much? Am I that horrible a pony? She doesn't deserve to rule Equestria! If only everypony knew what she was really like. If only they were not so afraid of her."

Trixie finished her sandwich and left the couch to sit beside Luna on the bed, hoping that wasn't too impudent. She placed a hoof on Luna's and tried sincerely to comfort her.

"Oh Luna, you are not horrible. You are a wonderful pony and your sister is sure to pay for how she behaves."

"I know she will, Trixie, I know. I just wish this could have been resolved another way." Luna sniffed .

"Do you think we could really defeat her, Luna? This foal inside me, I am so afraid for its future."

Luna lay down and Trixie lay with her, nose to nose as though they were having a sleep-over and swapping secrets.

"It is all ready, Trixie. Her guards are ready to rise against her. They are exhausted from her cruelty but they cannot defeat her, that is why I need to strike the final blow... but I cannot do it alone. My most powerful magic requires the power of two, a twin force. Celestia was always the more powerful sister as her magic needs no-pony but herself. But with a true friend, a soul mate, one with magical power, I can defeat her."

Trixie felt butterflies in her tummy, she hadn't noticed until now but Luna was running a hoof up and down her stomach, over the bump where the foal grew and the inside of her thighs.

"Soul.. mate..Luna?"

Luna's breath was sweet against Trixie's nostrils and both ponies felt a little curious. They were both naïve it seemed and frisky as the night went on, although in Luna's strange planetarium hideaway it was hard to know whether it was night or day.

"I'd get so lonely, Trixie. Hundreds of years, no contact, no feeling of someone touching my coat or stroking my mane... until I met him. And my wicked sister took him away from me. Please Trixie, make me feel it again? You know, when another pony..."

It might have been the hormones caused by pregnancy but between Trixie's legs felt hot and tingly. She'd never 'done it' until the guards had cruelly abused her and thinking about a stallion doing anything with her in the future made her feel queasy – it would be hard to ever be intimate with a stallion again having been through such an experience. Maybe trying something with another filly might help overcome the trauma and frustrations?

"Ummm.. we could Luna but what do we do? I'm a little nervous... have you done this before?"

Luna kissed Trixie softly on the muzzle and got up on all fours on the bed.

"It's really easy! You just roll onto your back please, umm. I'll go on top if you don't mind?"

Since Trixie hadn't done anything like this before, she didn't really mind. Luna gently nuzzled Trixie's side, encouraging her to roll onto her back. Luna smiled down at Trixie, soothing her nerves; it was very easy to relax around Luna as her voice and mannerisms were so soft and kindly.

"Now Trixie, what I'll do is suck and nibble on your parts and if you don't mind, you could do the same to me? Is that ok? Or we could just... is this too much for you? I'm sorry its.."

Trixie put her hoof to her friend's mouth, letting her know she wanted to continue.

"I'm sorry, I talk too much when I'm.. you know."

Luna blushed and straddled Trixie, head to tail and placed her head between her friend's hind-legs.

"I'll just work away here. It's kind of like sucking a mint! Gently, without biting it."

The immortal pony did indeed start to suck away and Trixie closed her eyes as her sex-parts were touched in a caring and loving way for the first time. It felt a world away from the rough and soul-less pounding she received in the dungeon. She received no pleasure at all from that, but Luna's tongue and gentle encouragements helped her relax and allow the pleasure to slowly build up.

"Am I doing it right, Trixie? Does this work for you?"

"It feels wonderful, Luna. Could you lower your behind a little?"

Luna let her hind legs lower until her tail was resting over Trixie's horn and warm breath could be felt in her most private area. Trixie licked a little at the outside. It tasted not unpleasant but strange, a little like licking a wound clean. The more she licked, the hole opened a little and a tiny pink bulge at the top stuck-out slightly. Trixie decided to start nibbling this, remembering Luna's description of 'sucking a mint'.

"Oh thats the spot, my friend..." Luna mumbled from between Trixie's legs.

Chapter 5

It was early in the morning when Luna awoke alone in her bed. In her magical planetarium the stars were still out, the sun didn't rise here. She yawned and rolled onto her other side. Trixie was across the room in front of a mirror, adjusting her magician's garb. She looked terribly pretty; her mane flowed from beneath her pointed hat and from behind just a gentle tuft of her tail could be seen hanging from the bottom of her cape.

Luna rubbed her eyes and yawned again. Trixie turned and struck a pose.

"Ta-dah! How do I look?"

Luna clapped her fore-hooves together in approval.

"Very dashing, dear. Very dashing."

Trixie bowed and gave a wicked smile.

"I want to look my best when I slice off your sister's head… I'm raring to go, how about you?"

Luna turned away and sighed. When she heard it said in that manner, she wasn't sure she wanted to go through with this. Her sister was evil and cruel – but it almost sounded like Trixie was looking forward to the bloodshed, surely that wasn't right.

"I… wish you wouldn't say it like that Trixie. I'll take no pleasure from killing her. It's just something that has to be done."

Trixie nodded and approached the bed and sat down next to Luna. It was fair to say that Trixie did take pleasure from killing – although she had strictly speaking killed three ponies, only one had been in cold-blood. The other two; the dungeon guards had simply been blocking her escape.

Trixie had played coy last night with Luna. Trixie wasn't a wicked pony but she was certainly flawed – last night with Luna she had felt something she had not felt before and she didn't want to lose it. She knew however that if Luna was to love the real Trixie, she would have to show her true colours to the princess.

"But Luna – there was something magical I felt when I ended Twilight Sparkle's life. She had so many years ahead of her; so much to look forward to and I took that away. Can you imagine how powerful that felt? Do you want to know how I did it?"

Luna gulped and nodded. She was the more powerful pony – but she knew Trixie had a dark side. She had never met a murderer before and frankly, it aroused her. The idea of being with someone who might choke the life from her was sordidly exciting. It reminded her of the times when she was younger and Princess Celestia had spanked her for misbehaving. It had felt wrong but she had felt a twinge of pleasure each time she was punished.

Trixie put her hoof on Luna's tummy and the stump of her horn glowed as the sharp little dagger levitated from under her cloak. She made the blade very softly run through the fur of Luna's exposed belly. The cold sharp blade made Luna's spine tingle as it ran down towards her navel.

"She was all cut up, guts hanging from her slim little tummy, begging me to spare her. She looked very beautiful, blood all over her face."

Luna's eyes widened and Trixie moved her face closer to Luna's ear, whispering now.

"I pushed this very blade behind her windpipe and she made a gurgling sound. I've never seen a pony's eyes as wide as hers were as I gave it a little twist and yanked it out through her throat. It was absolutely delicious."

Luna closed her eyes and took Trixie's fore-hoof in hers, bringing it to her mouth and kissing around the edge. Trixie smiled; it seemed she wasn't the only pony who found death quite a turn-on.

"And when the blade slipped out and her warm blood gushed all over me, I swear if it wasn't for time constraints, I would have pleasured myself watching that poor… innocent… young pony's life slip away in front of me."

Trixie leaned forward and kissed Luna softly on the lips.

"Do you like that Luna? Do you like my wicked side? "

The princess nodded and started to rub herself down below. Trixie took Luna's hoof and put it by her side, levitating the blade to down below the exposed pony's legs. She turned the dagger around and let the blunt hilt push gently into Luna's warm, wet hole.

"Allow me…" Trixie purred.

Princess Celestia sat flanked by two Elite guards in the Canterlot infirmary; by her side was a small fire which gave her some respite from the cold in this chilly, sterile operating theatre.

The walls were bleached white and a steel surgical table stood in the centre of the room complete with a conscious patient strapped to it. The unfortunate victim was the guard who Celestia had seduced in frustration, giving her a few minutes of entertainment but certainly not scratching the itch. This was the part she enjoyed the most.

The patient's mouth was gagged. With his back down, his fore and hind legs were strapped to the table leaving his rather large stallion-hood exposed. A door opened and a male unicorn dressed in an immaculate white gown entered. He had a surgical mask and latex gloves over his fore-hooves.

"Good morning Your Majesty. Another willing recruit I see? It has been a while since you have come to watch!"

The Princess chuckled and nodded.

"Yes, Doctor Chib. Please don't mind me, you know how much I try and give them some moral support!"

"Would you like the usual, Princess Celestia?"

The Princess nodded again and the doctor's horn glowed, removing a cloth from a small table, revealing a number of surgical tools underneath.

"Oki-doki then! Let's begin. Chin-up old chap, this won't hurt too much."

The doctor patted the patient on the shoulder and levitated a surgical scalpel from the table. Furrowing his brow in concentration, he brought the blade between the stallion's legs and began making an incision in his testicles. The patient moaned through the leather bit strapped into his mouth, eyes darting around the room and trying to brace through the pain.

Princess Celestia's guards did not flinch. They had been through this procedure themselves and although at the time they had suffered, the calmness and focus it provided to serve the princess unerringly, was worth the pain.

The doctor pulled both of the stallion's testicles through the incision and took some surgical cord, wrapping it around the ducts which connected the large balls to the body, tightly cutting off blood flow. He had been doing this for many years and was rather proud of what a good castration he could perform, hence becoming the 'go-to' doctor for the princess.

"Good boy, not long to go now."

Taking the scissors, the doctor cut through the cord of the first testicle severing it from the body. The patient screamed through the gag and banged the back of his head against the solid steel table.

"There's one done your majesty. Would you like it now?"

"Thank you doctor."

The doctor wiped the blood off the purple and white orb and took a thin steel skewer from the tool table, pushing it straight through the severed organ. He levitated it to the Princess who used her own telekinesis to begin roasting the testicle in the open fire. The doctor continued his work.

The room filled with the smell of cooking meat and the Princess slowly turned the skewer, making sure the entire testicle was slightly grilled before raising it to her mouth and taking a large bite.

"Oh that is simply wonderful. I really should come down here more often."

Trixie and Luna lay on the bed together looking up at the stars. It was dawning upon them now that today could be the last of their lives.

Luna had explained the plan to Trixie. It all sounded so simple in theory. She had constructed a single portal in a storage cupboard close to the guard's quarters in Canterlot; this was how she was able to move from between the palace and her personal planetarium. This would be the single point of entry through which she and Trixie would enter the palace. After that they would enter the guard's quarters where they would first encounter the Princess' minions.

Luna had drawn a simple plan of the inner chambers of Canterlot. According to her informant who was a senior guard, five of his most trusted charges had agreed to assist in the coup – they would be identified by a black ribbon tied around their tails. Once Trixie and Luna entered the guard's quarters, the five marked guards would fight beside them.

Luna emphasised that the guards they would face here were not particularly powerful and would fall easily. Once through the guard's quarters it would be easy to reach the throne room and face Princess Celestia – however she would almost certainly have number of elite guards to hand. These ponies would fight to the death for the Princess.

"Do not engage in hoof-to-hoof combat at any time – let our comrades in the guards fight them. We will assist with magic." Luna had explained.

Trixie's main concern had been as to how Princess Celestia could be defeated. Luna explained that the concept of immortality was a misnomer. She and Celestia would indeed live forever, never becoming old or infirm, yet like everything else in nature, blunt force, decapitation or trauma to the vital organs would bring about death.

"Have you ever tried to cast a spell with your eyes closed? It is quite impossible. This is the key to our victory." Luna told Trixie.

The plan itself to stop Celestia's powerful magic was worryingly simple. Disable the Princess' sight making her unable to cast accurately. Celestia considered Luna's spells to be pathetic compared to her own but Luna's spells all required a 'familiar' – a companion of good intent whom Luna can empower, sharing her innate abilities and chaining their magical power together. Luna demonstrated by holding hooves with Trixie and asking her to cast a simple spell. Trixie cast her 'fireworks' trick but instead of sparks and flares, a blazing ball of fire had manifested itself, hovering dangerously close to her chest.

"Now Trixie, just picture what you want the flame to look like… and push it where you want it to go."

Trixie imagined a blazing dagger and the ball of flames shaped itself into a blade somewhat like her favourite one – the one which had ended her most hated pony, Twilight Sparkle. A gentle push of her free arm sent the fireball hurtling away and out into the eerie space around the planetarium. Trixie was amazed at the powers Luna could bestow upon her but did not understand the rationality behind Luna's abilities. Luna explained her theory on why some unicorns were so adept at 'destructive' magic and others at 'helpful' magic.

"I believe generations of my family had two types of magic wielders – those who could fight directly and those who could support and empower. Imagine an army, Trixie – one thousand Celestia's each having their power multiplied by one thousand Luna's. "

Trixie nodded and understood. Just as Celestia and Luna had once raised the sun and moon together, their magic complemented each other. It made it seem even more pathetic that the wicked Celestia had disregarded and hurt Trixie's beautiful, powerful filly-friend. How much she wanted Celestia to suffer for what she had done to Luna and herself.

Luna was convinced she would be able to paralyse Celestia albeit temporarily - at that point Trixie was to be unchained from Luna's spell and use her dagger to blind Celestia. Blind and unable to cast spells, they would be able to offer her banishment or death.

"Please, please, please let me kill her Luna! Oh, I want it so bad! I want to see her squirm."

Trixie's pleading eyes caused Luna to smile and hug her filly-friend.

"You really are incorrigible, Trixie! Besides, can you see my sister submitting? She'd rather die than step down… you know… I too want to see you kill her so much… Will you do it like you did to Twilight Sparkle? While I watch?"

Luna smooched Trixie and closed her eyes. She knew that letting Trixie torture and murder her sister wouldn't make her forget the years of abuse but it just seemed so right. Trixie's sadism was a turn-on.

"Trixie, if we survive and rescue Equestria… would you marry me? We could rule together, you, me and the foal? A new life for Equestria – the New Lunar Republic. We can make it a true utopia once again."

Trixie smiled and kissed Luna on the lips and neck. A shiver of excitement ran up her spine. She was in love and wanted this moment to last forever. Trixie took Luna's hooves and placed them on the bulge of her tummy where the foal grew.

"I will marry you, Luna. Will you accept my foal as your own? Raise it together?"

Luna kneeled and kissed the bulge before standing back up and nuzzling Trixie.

"Yes! Of course! That little foal will get all the love in Equestria!"

The pair kissed and looked into each other's eyes. A lonely, sensitive princess and a damaged murderer had fallen in love. Sometimes life took ponies in strange directions. Maybe all the suffering and horror of the past six months could be worth it in the end?

The time to fight was at hand and two ponies prepared – Luna slipped on her light decorative slippers and socks before affixing her royal necklace around her shoulders. Trixie loved the theatrics and made sure her hat, cape and mane were perfect for the performance she intended to give. She examined her dagger. There was a little notch ground into the metal handle; she had carved it in after killing Twilight Sparkle. Trixie hoped her dagger would notch up another kill today, a slow and bloody one which would change Equestria forever and ensure the survival of herself, her beautiful partner and the foal which grew inside her.

"It is getting close to midday, Trixie. Are you ready? "

Turning to Luna, Trixie tilted down the brim of her magician's hat and smiled wickedly.

"Let's get this show on the road."

Luna took Trixie's hoof in hers and looked around her beautiful planetarium for what could be the last time. She hoped that if there was an afterlife, it was a little like this. Closing her eyes, Luna began to cast and with a flash the two fillies disappeared – teleporting back to Equestria to face their destiny.

Chapter 6

"So I said, yeah... I'd buck that 'til the barn stank!"

The drunken guard slammed his flagon of cider onto the large wooden table and the six stallions with him laughed like hyenas. The guard's quarters were as raucous as ever; the morning shift had just finished and they were welcome to enjoy a drink before their rest period. Other guards sat on smaller tables playing cards and dice games, waiting for their shift on-duty to begin. Only a few of the guards noticed a flash of light from under the door of the storage cupboard located in the far corner of the room. Those who saw it were waiting for a signal – they were expecting visitors.

Behind the door, Trixie and Luna had arrived. Trixie looked around and squirmed at the cobwebs and dirty mops which surrounded her.

"Ewww! Luna, you could have picked somewhere nicer to land!"

The sound of the guard's cursing and bickering drowned out Luna's whispers. Luna pulled a tongue at her mate and smiled.

"Sorry, your majesty! Now, remember – black ribbons. They are our friends. Ready?"

Trixie nodded and levitated the dagger from under her cape. The knots in her stomach tightened – adrenaline would keep her lean and mean but it would take more than that to defeat Princess Celestia. Her anxious concern was interrupted by a kiss on the cheek from Luna.

"Focus, my love."

Luna pushed open the door and both ponies stepped into the guard's room. The two nearest guard ponies who were playing cards were startled by the fillies emerging from the cupboard.

"Princess Luna! We have orders not to let you leave your… goodness me. What are you doing with the monster?"

Every guard pony in the room turned to the pair and began to stand, those with armour and weapons nearby grabbed them quickly. As they stood, Trixie noticed that some of the guards indeed had the black ribbon tied around their tail as Luna had mentioned.

"Princess, step away from the monster! ", shouted one of the guards.

Luna responded by throwing back her arms, two swirling black miasma forming at her hooves. Trixie raised her dagger to her side and smiled. The drunken guard leered at the fillies and picked up his spear.

"I wonder what Celestia will give me for your rotten head, Trixie!"

Luna snarled and swung both arms at the rude guard; the black, swirling orbs flew across the room, the first catching him in the chest burning a deep hole before fizzling out, revealing charred ribs and organs. The second orb collided with the stallion's face as he fell forward, removing his jaw and muzzle leaving only a twitching pink tongue. Luna gasped, having taken her first step towards ousting her sister – attacking an Equestrian guard was a very serious offence. There was no time to reflect as she charged up her spell again; the guards mustered and prepared to fight.

Trixie chose a target; a black pony who had found the time to put on his helmet and collect his spear. The guard charged at Trixie – her heart pumping fast as her dagger flew from her side. One of the guards who was to assist Luna's coup plunged his sword into the approaching guard's side as he ran past. The guard's legs buckled from the ferocity of the blow and Trixie's dagger pieced his right eye as he fell to the ground, sliding and stopping only inches from Trixie's hind hooves. Removing the dagger, she plunged it again into the other eye of the twitching, groaning stallion ensuring he would not be able to fight on.

The battle exploded into life. Five friendly guards attacked their colleagues from behind, the shock attack from both flanks making it easy for Trixie to stab and hack her dagger into any exposed flesh. The fully-armoured grunts who pledged to protect Princess Luna had ensured they were prepared and made light work of demolishing their armoured brethren. Luna cast her black orbs at any aggressor who disengaged from the main melee; the spell targeted at exposed legs, burning through flesh and bone leaving Trixie to finish them off with her sharp, agile dagger.

The battle took only a minute leaving nine of Celestia's guard dead or dying - not one of the five ponies who elected to assist Luna had picked up so much as a scratch. Luna panted heavily and looked around; spears stuck out from still breathing bodies, the foul stench of burnt flesh and hair weighed heavily in the air. Trixie stepped forward and began finishing off some of the dying, sinking her dagger into their throats and teasing the blade out to sever the windpipes. Some begged for their lives while others were in an unrecoverable state of distress – mortally wounded either from the blades, spears or Luna's magic.

The drunken stallion whose face and lungs Luna had almost burned out wheezed pitifully as he lay near her hooves. Trixie turned and gave Luna a stern look - Luna knew what Trixie wanted and after a deep breath, she crunched down her hoof on the remains of the stallion's head. The messy, warm brains soaked the coat above her hoof as the stallion's chest stopped rising and falling.

Another pony nearby was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling with a spear wedged in his belly. Luna took pity on him and used her telekinesis to remove the spear. The pony grimaced and tried to whisper something to Luna but without hesitation she sank the tip of the spear into his chest, pulling it from side to side until the pony closed his eyes.

Trixie trotted over to Luna and grinned almost manically. Her chest and face were splashed with blood, her gory dagger hovering by her side.

"Nice kills! Luna… that was… wow!"

Luna wasn't sure how to feel, she had just taken her first life. She was surprised at how unremarkable it had felt. Maybe it wasn't a character flaw that Trixie enjoyed it so much? Ponies had been killing each other since the dawn of time; some ponies could do it and some ponies couldn't.

"Thank you... They would have killed us if we hadn't killed them, right?"

Trixie nodded and took off her hat so that she could kiss Luna on the cheek. The five friendly guards approached. One of them had a red crest on his helmet, indicating he was the more senior.

"Your Majesty. We are proud to serve you. Are either of you hurt?"

Luna and Trixie checked each other over. The amount of gore covering Trixie made the exercise somewhat difficult and the adrenaline pumping meant that small wounds could occur without a pony realizing.

"No, I do not think so. I expected more guards however – where is everypony?"

The sound of approaching hooves from the north end of the room answered Luna's question and the door flew open, a further ten guards entering the room. All were fully armoured and carried various weapons - spears, swords and crossbows. Luna's guards formed a protective line in front of the two fillies, facing the formidable force of Celestia's reinforcements.

"All enemies of Princess Celestia will die!" screamed one of the reinforcements.

The crossbow guards fired off a volley of bolts and one of the Luna's five yelped before turning away from the attackers. The bolt had hit his armour and by sheer bad luck had slipped through the gaps between his chest and flank plates. The wound was painful but not life threatening. Luna's horn glowed as she pulled the bolt out from the wound; a horrid crunching noise was made as the bolt slid out from the stallion's ribs and dropped to the ground. The guard nodded in thanks and turned back around to face the attackers. Another volley of bolts bounced harmlessly off solid steel armour, one flying straight over the guards and piercing Trixie's beloved hat.

"Alright Trixie, its time!"

Luna grabbed Trixie into a hug and began to cast a spell. The smell of flint and brimstone filled the air as the ground beneath their hooves began to turn into hot, red magma. The boiling ground expanded until Luna, Trixie and their guards all stood upon it but felt no pain. Luna shouted to her guards as they began to look down and fret.

"Don't be afraid! It cannot harm us! Charge!"

"You heard the Princess, charge!" shouted the senior guard.

Luna's guards lowered their heads and charged the opposition, the flowing magma underneath them following as they moved. The surprised enemy felt a wave of searing heat as they braced for impact and as the two forces collided, the molten floor splashed and clung to the hooves and bellies of Celestia's guards. The enemy screamed and cried as the magma burned through their armour and into their skin. Those unlucky enough to be trapped standing in the quagmire fell as their hooves melted into black and brittle stumps, bones fracturing whilst Luna's force remained completely unaffected by the spell.

One of the ten aggressors had managed to slip through the scrum of ponies and charged at Luna and Trixie, who were still embraced whilst channelling the spell. The guard pony screamed as he ran at them, his coat singed and smoking from splashes of the lava. Trixie screamed as the guard approached and pushed Luna - who was in a trance-like state as she channelled her magic - to the floor. The charging pony clipped Trixie and knocked her against the wall, winding her. The furious guard drew his spear and pinned Trixie against the wall, the length of the spear pushed against the filly's throat, choking the life from her. Trixie's dagger fell to her side as the breath in her lungs became stale and black spots began to form in front of her eyes.

Luna cleared her senses and gasped seeing the massive stallion brute pining her partner against the wall. Luna took Trixie's dagger with her telekinesis and shanked it into the side of the stallion's belly, twisting and pushing the blade upwards. The surprised guard squealed like a foal as the skin of his belly opened as easily as a zipper and his gizzards began to slip out onto the cold floor. His grip on the spear lessened and Trixie managed to push him away, gasping for air. The disembowelled guard fell backwards, his organs and intestines gurgling at his side.

"Good timing, Luna! I thought I was done for."

Luna smiled at Trixie before turning back to face the battle. Her troops were struggling now that the lava spell had been interrupted.

"Come, Trixie! They need us!"

Trixie retrieved her blade from the pony's mesentery and ran towards the battle in full bloodlust. As she ran past, Luna cast a spell and the dagger's blade turned green and seemed to bubble as though it was liquid.

Noticing a guard whose armour had slipped, Trixie sank the blade into his back repeatedly, feeling that same giddy rush as when she had sliced up Twilight Sparkle's belly. The guard screamed as the blade made its mark – as the dagger was removed it left a string of green slime which seemed to act as a corrosive, bubbling and hissing at the site of the wound. The guard turned from the battle to face his attacker and as he did so, Trixie slashed the small but nimble dagger at his throat, splashing her face with warm blood. The guard fell to ground, green fluid spitting and eating into the flesh where Trixie's blade had struck.

The tide of battle was turning back to Luna's guards favour as another two of Celestia's own fell. Luna began to charge into the melee; her smoky mane trailing behind her. Reaching the belligerent ponies she whinnied and reared up, as her front hooves struck the floor a shock wave blasted dishes, cups and chairs forward. The wave of air hit the remaining enemy guards who staggered back in shock, dazed and disorientated. The five exhausted friendly guards seized their moment to strike through and land clean killing blows. The clash of sword against armour stopped and only groaning and panting could be heard.

One of the friendly guards turned to Luna as his legs buckled. Collapsing to the floor, he threw up a copious amount of blood and Luna saw that he was gravely wounded – his armour had been pierced at his side and a deep penetration had been made. Luna kneeled and gently turned his head so that he did not choke on his own blood.

"I'm sorry Your Majesty…"

Luna stood and took a rag from one of the battered tables, tucking it under the stallion's head so that he did not have to rest it on the cold floor. His colleagues collected the remnants of alcohol from some of the tables that had not been overturned in the hope of soothing the injured guard's suffering.

Trixie kneeled also and took off the guard's helmet, unsure of what to say to comfort the dying stallion.

"You did great... and we will let everypony know you did great. Thank you."

As his fellow guards tipped glasses of booze into the mortally injured stallion, Trixie, Luna and the senior guard spoke. The senior guard was tired but stoic; his armour had been hacked at but had not buckled. Princess Celestia invested heavily in her security, ensuring her troops had only the finest equipment.

"What happens now, Lu? Your sister must know we are here…" asked Trixie.

"Of that I am sure, Trixie. All that is left is to confront her."

A bang, almost like a sonic boom interrupted the conspirators and a gentle laugh echoed around the room. Luna recognised the voice immediately as her sister.

"My dear Luna. And Trixie. How low you have both stooped. I am very disappointed."

Trixie threw off her hat, her horn stump glowing a deep red. She had been wanting to get up-close and personal with Celestia for so long and now she was within ear-shot.

"Show yourself Celestia! I'm going to make another hole in your belly!"

Luna shook her head at Trixie, not wanting to goad Celestia into fighting so early. Luna hoped the battle would be played on their terms. Celestia laughed softly again.

"Step through the door everypony and you will face me soon enough. I'll be waiting for you."

The door through which the guards had emerged creaked open again. Leaving the mortally wounded stallion, now comfortably sedated on alcohol, the party stepped through the door and into a large hallway. Facing them was a beautiful stairway which split into two, both flights leading up and overhead. On the stairs stood five ponies whom Trixie instantly recognized as Twilight Sparkle's companions - the pink one, the prissy one, the hill billy, the coward and the loud-mouth.

All of the ponies looked weary and frightened. Fluttershy's knees trembled, Rarity looked cold and afraid; only Rainbow Dash seemed herself as she flapped her wings, hovering above the other four. Princess Celestia spoke up again.

"Since you so-called friends let my most faithful student die, you will have to prove yourselves. Kill the intruders or I will kill you myself. Good luck, my children."

Pinkie Pie screeched back at the voice, furious and confused having been teleported from her home and thrown into such a strange situation.

"Are you insane, Princess? What is this?"

Pinkie let out a blood curdling cry and clutched her chest. Her heart felt like it was being ripped from her chest. Falling forward onto her face, her four friends rushed to help her. As they tried to find out what was wrong, a vile crunch came from Pinkie's spine. The skin on her back rose and split, Pinkie's ribs twisting and pushing out of the flesh forming a row of blood speckled bones almost like a pair of wings. Fluttershy screamed as Pinkie moaned deeply.

"How impudent. You ponies really should hurry. Fight or die. Tick-tock." taunted Princess Celestia as Pinkie's lungs pushed their way through the holes torn in her back. Pinkie spluttered and stopped moving, terrified eyes frozen looking at Luna from across the room. Pinkie Pie expired as her lungs failed, hanging from two holes in her back – no longer controlled by her diaphragm.

Luna stamped her hoof furiously and produced a shimmering glow from her horn.

"That is enough, sister! Everypony, come to me!"

Fluttershy looked down at her deceased friend, putting her fore-hooves to her mouth and sobbing. Rainbow Dash glared at Trixie.

"You killed Twilight Sparkle! We'd rather die!"

Luna stepped forward and pleaded with the four ponies. She knew what Trixie had done to Twilight Sparkle but it could not be changed – she had to stop Celestia causing more innocent ponies to suffer.

Another bang echoed around the room and Rarity screamed. Everypony turned to look. Princess Celestia was standing behind the beautiful white pony, her magic holding the struggling Rarity by her horn.

"You can come with me, my little pony - to give your friends a little incentive to fight."

With another bang and a flash, Celestia vanished with Rarity. The senior guard grunted in frustration. Luna turned to Trixie and begged her to say something to convince the ponies to join them. Trixie stepped forward and pleaded.

"You young foals, stop wasting time! I killed your friend but this is not the time or place for grudges. If you don't join us, Celestia will kill you for fun and your lives will be wasted!"

A scream from the floor above convinced the ponies that they would have to stick together if they were going to survive Celestia's insanity. Rarity squealed and begged from whatever wicked torture Celestia was subjecting her to.

"It hurts so much, please! No!"

Rainbow Dash flew first to Luna and hovered at her side. The glow from Luna's horn was warm and comforting. Dash was not comfortable being near Trixie but she didn't want to die – seeing what had just happened to Pinkie was dreadful and hearing Rarity suffering made her want to explode with rage.

"I'm with you Princess but you... keep away from me!" Rainbow Dash pointed her hoof at Trixie.

Fluttershy and Applejack ran over to Luna, Fluttershy sobbing in fear and distress at seeing Pinkie Pie killed so horribly.

"Oh Princess… what about Pinkie. Can we take her with us? And poor Rarity! We've got to save her!"

Luna patted Fluttershy on the flank reassuringly and led the ponies towards the stairs as Trixie walked alongside, using the brink of her hat to avoid eye contact with the other three ponies who hated her so much.

"Be strong, Fluttershy. We will collect Pinkie Pie on our return – I am so sorry for what my sister did. Everypony, stay close to me. My sister's magic cannot hurt us now."

The remaining four guards encircled the ponies as they ascended the stairs all the while protected by the shimmering light from Luna's horn. Applejack turned to the senior guard.

"What in Equestria has happened to our Princess? Why is she doing such wicked things? Ya'll gonna have to do something!"

The guard nodded without looking at Applejack.

"Princess Celestia has been lost for a long time, citizen. I am sorry for the loss of your friend."

Rainbow Dash looked back at Pinkie's lifeless body as they climbed the stairs. Her pink coat disguised a lot of the blood but the ribs and lungs sticking from her back were unmistakably gruesome.

"Pinkie Pie…" Rainbow Dash muttered, trying to hold back the tears in front of her friends.

Fluttershy lifted a hoof and pulled Rainbow Dash down from the air to give her a quick hug.

Reaching the top of the stairs, the ponies found a gigantic door blocking their way. Luna stepped to the front of the party trying to distract the ponies from the screams which could be heard behind the door.

"This is my sister's throne room. Anyone who wants to leave now should do so – but without my augment I cannot guarantee your safety. Celestia must be defeated and everypony needs to play a part…"

Before Luna could explain further, the throne room door flew open. Everypony gasped at the sight before them. Fluttershy squeaked with fear and even the veteran guards looked a little uneasy on their hooves.

Princess Celestia stood floating six feet above her throne in full battle dress. A glittering silver helmet fitted over her large horn, the nose-bridge over her snout giving her the look of a beautiful female warrior. Her gold slippers were replaced by steel boots each with three dagger-like claws protruding out from the base. Her awe inspiring outfit was finished by a black leather breastplate which had the bright yellow emblem of her cutie mark in front of her heart.

The most stunning thing however was the massive glowing ball which floated behind her, around three times her body size. The heat coming from the object was immense. Rarity was chained below it, knees buckled, her coat singed a dirty brown and her mane all but burned off. Lashes of flame from the glowing orb licked at Rarity, tormenting the beautiful pony.

Trixie noticed through the intricate paned glass windows of the throne room that it was night time – yet it was only mid-afternoon. It dawned on Trixie – Celestia had brought in the sun to aid her.

Celestia smiled slightly at the exasperated ponies and clopped her hoof on the marble floor. Two doors swung open either side of the room and in marched the Princess' Elite Equestrian Guard. Ten of their number assembled in front of the Princess, not showing any effects from the searing, dry heat emerging from her vicinity.

"Poor, poor Luna. The odds are always stacked against you, are they not?" Princess Celestia sneered.

Luna and Trixie stepped into the room flanked by the loyal guards, the Ponyville ponies behind them. Luna snorted and looked Celestia straight in the eyes.

"Oh Celestia. You could never let it rest could you, what happened 1000 years ago... I bet it just eats you up inside..."

Princess Celestia gave a derisive laugh and a small solar flare from the glowing sun behind her lashed out, knocking a lamp from the wall.

"Don't flatter yourself Luna, he's history. Rotted to ashes while you cried on the moon, all... alone..."

Trixie put her hoof around Luna's fore-arm. She didn't know what they were talking about but she did not want her lover being hurt by Celestia's snide remarks. Rainbow Dash swooped closer to Celestia, screwing up her eyes from the hot, dry air.

"Jeez Princess, what happened to you? You killed Pinkie! Why are you being such a bitch? Please, let Rarity go!"

Princess Celestia gave the brash young filly a stern look and Rainbow Dash barely avoided the flaming ball which flew from the sun, smashing against the wall harmlessly leaving a black mark. Rainbow Dash settled onto one of the guards shoulders, glaring at the smug Princess.

"Trixie, Trixie, Trixie! Oh how I've been waiting to get hold of you. You escaped from Canterlot and came strolling right back in. How is your child? No doubt the product of one of my guards having a little fun with you..."

Luna looked back at Trixie, reminding her not to be goaded by Celestia's taunts. Trixie tilted the brim of her hat down, furious but knowing that Celestia would enjoy knowing she had touched a nerve. Celestia lowered the sun a little and Rarity screamed again as the heat increased – behind the guards, Fluttershy sobbed helplessly. Celestia smiled sweetly and continued taunting Trixie.

"Having friends, isn't it wonderful Trixie? Once I've slaughtered them all, I'm going to put you back into your rightful home – the dungeon. And once that little foal is ready to be born, I'll have you raised over a boiling pan of water. That little foals first breath will be followed by being boiled alive as I watch. Splash... squeal...boil..."

Trixie shivered with anger. Luna pulled her into a hug and reassured her that Celestia's wicked tongue would be removed from her mouth.

"And once the foal is dead... I'll have one of my guards help you produce another. So that I can make you and your child suffer again and again and again. It will be my highlight of the season... I'll make it.."

Fluttershy flapped her wings and appeared from behind one of the guards.

"That's enough! Stop those horrible, wicked things coming from your mouth! You should be ashamed! We looked up to you, Twilight looked up to you. How can you act so cruel? If you were not so big and strong I'd teach you a lesson, Princess!"

Princess Celestia gave Fluttershy the same look she had given Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy squeaked and prepared to flee – but Celestia sighed and lowered her fore-arms as she floated.

"You've got guts, ponies. I commend you but ultimately your struggle is pointless. You will die, I will rule forever and you will all be nothing but a single line in the history books. I have no doubt that had Twilight Sparkle not died, she would be here fighting you beside me. The time for talk is over. Guards!"

Behind Celestia, the sun lowered, consuming the beautiful Rarity in searing flame. Her scream lasted for a second, her vocal chords quickly consumed by flame. Rarity left only charred remains. Celestia's Elite Guards drew their weapons. Applejack shed a tear and was handed a dagger by one of the friendly guards, keeping his spear as his sole weapon. The farm pony took the dagger in her mouth and nodded. Another guard offered Fluttershy a blade but she cowered and sobbed. Rainbow Dash took to the air and glared at the Princess.

"You are going down, Princess! We're gonna whoop you so bad, you're gonna regret what you did to Pinkie and Rarity!"

Luna's guards stepped forward leaving Luna and Trixie to turn to each other. Trixie had been crying under the brim of her hat – almost 8 months of suffering and pain had led her up to this moment. Luna touched her nose against Trixie's.

"When my sister is dead, we can marry. I love you, Trixie... I regret nothing."

Trixie kissed Luna gently on the lips and smiled. Luna used her hoof to wipe the tears from Trixie's eyes.

"No regrets. If we don't marry in Equestria, we can marry in afterlife." Trixie whispered.

Luna grinned wickedly and her horn glowed as she turned to her sister and her troops.

"Lets do this, Trixie. The new lunar republic."

Trixie drew her dagger and levitated it to her side. The four remaining guards loyal to Luna charged with a roar, their leaders horn blasting out a cool, soothing wave which negated the debilitating heat from her sisters blazing sun.

Chapter 7

Princess Celestia levitated herself further up towards the ceiling of her throne room, eager to watch the battle commence between her Elite Equestrian Guard and Luna, Trixie and their allies. The bright ball of fire behind her; the sun, still blazed away drying the air around her and sapping the strength from her enemies.

"Charge, my children! But keep Trixie alive, I have plans for her!"

The ten Elite Guards charged at the weak-looking line of four loyal defenders who stood in front of Luna, Trixie, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Luna closed her eyes, her horn emiting a cool breeze which helped reduce the draining heat of Celestia's powerful magic.

Bracing for the impact, the four exhausted defenders stood stoically with their spears and swords prepared. Applejack clenched a sword in her teeth while Rainbow Dash hovered above her, unarmed. Terrified Fluttershy stood behind the tallest defender as Luna and Trixie held each other; Luna's powers increasing fourfold. Shielded by the tall stallions, Trixie took the opportunity to give Luna a gentle kiss on the cheek. Luna looked so pretty deep in concentration, albeit with her forehead soaked with sweat and the blood of the previous battles.

Both ponies knew this may be their final moments together. Celestia had been correct when she had said that if the rebellion failed, they would be nothing but a tiny footnote in the history books. What Celestia had told of her plans for Trixie's fate had chilled everypony to the bone. Any doubts towards Celestia's malevolence had quickly faded.

Luna faced her fate with unease – she was immortal and as such her older sister could deliver many more years of cruelty and abuse. Trixie was more fatalistic; she was fighting for Luna, her foal and least of all, herself. She would rather die than harm come to the others. Facing away from battle, Luna and Trixie's contemplations were interrupted as the battle began.

The impact of the ten guards colliding sent the stoic defenders staggering backwards but to Luna's surprise, it would seem that Celestia's Elites were not as well-trained as one would think. The ten attackers, in their frenzy were swinging and attempting to strike but in their fervour they were interrupting each others strikes. Luna knew from her strong education in many matters, including warfare, that in a melee only two versus one was effective as any more would disrupt each others attacks.

"Attack low! Attack low!" shouted Luna over the sound of steel smashing and sliding whilst channelling a spell, feeling both Trixie and her own powers flowing through her. A dark aura surrounded both the mares, the fillies and their armoured defenders. It rallied and emboldened her allies who stood firm against the superior numbers of Celestia's troops.

The defenders stabbed at leg height with their weapons, hacking at exposed hocks. Their stabbing attack would have made any general delighted as they inflicted damage whilst hardly exposing themselves to danger. Two of Celestia's Elites fell to the floor in the melee, further disrupting their comrades as legs tripped and tangled.

Trixie's dagger flew between gaps in the defenders line and inflicted energy sapping small wounds. Trixie did not know what spells Luna channelled but the four defenders fought with a bravery and strength that seemed supernatural. Above the battle, Rainbow Dash had picked up a fallen guard's mace and was trying as best she could to bash the helmets from the heads of the attackers. Applejack did likewise; the two brave fillies could hardly hold the weapons designed for fully-grown and trained warriors but their ineffective attacks added more confusion to the attackers allowing Trixie more time to stab, slash and hobble the enemy.

One by one, the attackers slipped and were slain; most falling victim to Trixie's dagger which sliced through leg tendons and cartilage before being impaled on Luna's loyal guard's spears. The ground became slippery with the blood and vomit of the slain. Fluttershy squeaked and retreated as the gore flowed slowly towards her under the hooves of her defenders.

Princess Celestia's patience thinned as she saw her Elites being easily crushed. She roared and summoned fireballs, solar flares and lashes of flame from her sun but nothing could penetrate the aura around Luna and her allies. Luna grunted at the poor form her elder sister showed; their tutors of magic had taught them to fight fair. Trixie however had no qualms and was in her element as she stabbed and slashed her blade using telekinesis, grinning manically as her opponents fell.

Celestia looked furious as the last of her troops fell impotently in battle – not one of Luna's comrades had been killed. She lowered herself to the ground and closed her eyes. The huge burning sun behind her seemed to reduce in size and the exhausting blasts of heat that Luna tried to subdue became lesser.

"Pathetic! Enough time-wasting!" shouted Celestia.

The furious princess' horn flashed and the room cleared of everypony except herself, Trixie and Luna.

Outside, the surprised belligerents of the battle found themselves outside the castle walls, teleported mid-air hundreds of feet from the ground and falling. The fully armoured guards who survived the melee screamed as they fell to their deaths – the earth ponies standing no chance. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash as pegasi had immediately began flapping their wings when they felt their stomachs raising to their throats and floated in mid-air, getting their bearings. An orange blur was falling down and away from them.

"Applejack! Oh my!" gasped Fluttershy and began descending quickly to save her. The speed of her flight surprised Rainbow who was feeling slightly nauseous after being teleported.

Back inside the throne room a rainbow flash was seen through the glazed window. The three ponies stood silently. Outside night turned to day as Princess Celestia dismissed the sun and returned it to its rightful place in the sky.

"Another gallon of blood on your hooves then, big sister? How easy you must find it to end a life."

"All things come to an end, Luna." whispered Celestia.

"Yes, and it is time for you to step down, sister. You have reigned for too long and you are not the pony you once were."

Trixie touched Luna's hoof with hers and let her dagger float aside her. Celestia smiled at the sight of two ponies in love.

"Oh little sister, you fall in love so easily. But never before with another mare. It is disgusting..."

"Perhaps, big sister, if you had found love you might not have become such a hateful and wicked mare? Even in my most dark nights I have never stooped as low as yourself."

Celestia chucked. It was true. Nightmare Moon had been a frightening and dangerous foe but never had Nightmare Moon killed or tortured anypony.

"Maybe not, little sister but your new 'beau' certainly has. You are no doubt aware of the vile things this pony has done? "

Trixie looked at her lover. She had indeed done many wicked things. She began to speak but Luna interrupted.

"Trixie may have made errors of judgement as all mortal ponies do, but you... are the one who made her do those wicked things with your cruelty and torture. It is sad, sister that all of this stems from a simple prank which went wrong."

A tear ran down Trixie's face. Any mention of that time spent in Celestia's dungeon brought back frightful memories and even the foal which grew in her belly; the one single thing of goodness that came from that time, could not shake away the trauma.

"How sad, Luna. This wretch's lack of moral fibre has clearly clouded your judgement. So what do you propose? I should stand down? The ponies of Equestria love me."

Luna shook her head. Her sister truly was deluded.

"No, big sister. They fear you. You control their lives. You make the sun shine, you turn day into night, you make the crops grow or fail. Love and fear are not the same. That is why your time is over – as long as they fear you, Equestria can never reach its true potential."

Princess Celestia turned her head to the side. No-one had ever told her this before but regardless, fear was a powerful thing and may well have aided her in such a long reign.

The older princess closed her eyes and with a flash, vanished. Trixie and Luna looked at each other but before either could react, Celestia appear in front of them with a powerful boom of energy. Trixie was knocked many feet away from Luna and collided with a wall. The collision sent her unconscious and her hat fell from her head, her silver mane slowly becoming crimson with blood. Princess Celestia pinned her startled sister against the wall – her hooves glowed a fiery red and Luna felt her mane and coat begin to singe.

"Oh little sister, you really hate me don't you? All the things I have done to you... I regret none. I enjoyed them immensely. Remember when I made you lick me? You were just a little filly back then, so easy to manipulate."

Luna sobbed and struggled to get free from Celestia's burning grip, it hurt physically but her big sister's words brought back many years of abuse, physical and sexual. Celestia put her mouth close to Luna's.

"Or the time I made you expose yourselves to the guards and one by one put their parts in your mouth. Do you remember? It doesn't have to be this way Luna. Submit to me and I'll let you live..."

Luna wriggled and pulled her tail between her legs as her incestuous older sister groped roughly at her intimate parts.

"You're... you're a monster!"

Celestia smiled and leaned forward to kiss her little sister. To Celestia's delight, Luna let out a little sigh and stopped struggling; the older princess embraced her sibling in a passionate kiss, believing she had won. Luna, however, had yielded as she had seen her chance for escape.

Rainbow Dash had returned and silently flew over the marble floor of the throne room unseen by Celestia. Landing as softly as possible on the marble floor, Dash took up Trixie's dagger in her mouth. Luna closed her eyes again, so as not to be tempted to look at Dash and cause Celestia to glance. Her sisters breath was sweet and cool but made her feel dirty inside. She opened her eyes slightly to see Rainbow Dash, hovering behind Celestia and as Dash swiped the dagger downwards, Luna cast her spell and enhanced the blade once again with a slick, green toxin.

Celestia screamed as the short blade pierced her rump just above her tail where her armour ended. The tip of her nose caught Luna's face as she reared up and Luna fell to her knees. The site of the wound fizzed and bubbled as the toxin burnt into Celestia's flesh, the pain causing her to buck and twist in an attempt to reach the wound.

Applejack and Fluttershy ran into the throne room. Luna gathered her senses and ran to Trixie, trying to wake her.

"The eyes, fillies! Attack her eyes! She won't be able to cast! Fluttershy! Please help Trixie!" instructed Luna. Fluttershy put her fear to one side and trotted to Luna hoping she could help awaken the injured and pregnant mare.

Applejack picked up another sword which lay on the ground, having lost hers as she fell after being teleported out of the castle by Celestia. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had caught and saved her but the guards had not been so lucky.

Applejack charged the Princess and dodged skilfully the long and sharp horn with which Celestia stabbed and swiped at anything moving in a mixture of fear, pain and fury. In one swift movement, the strong and brave filly slashed the sword in a circular motion. The blade caught Celestia across the face, knocking off her helmet. Celestia however reacted quickly and bucked Applejack in the face, knocking her across the room.

"Ha! Ya'll think a buck like that'll beat this pony?" laughed Applejack as she dusted herself down and wiped blood from her nose.

Rainbow Dash still had the dagger in her mouth and flitted above the furious, spinning and kicking Princess, trying to find a way to get closer.

"Urgh! It's no use! She's.. soo.. fast!"

The princess' hind legs buckled as the strange poison burning into her rump exhausted her. She panted and glared at her younger sister. Blood dripped from her ear where her helmet had been knocked off and despite the exhaustion of her older sister, Luna gasped knowing Celestia would never go down without a fight.

"You... will all rot.. on the moon..." wheezed Celestia as her horn began to glow.

Luna grimaced – they had surely missed their chance. They could perhaps best Celestia in combat but her spell power was not so easy to defeat. Just as Luna lost hope, her fillyfriend awoke. Even in her dazed state, Trixie assessed the situation and gained control of her beloved dagger. It was pulled from between Rainbow Dash's teeth and before anypony could react, it flew at Celestia. In two sickly, squishing thrusts, the levitated dagger enucleated her eyes. Celestia yelped and for a moment looked shocked and terribly vulnerable. The glow from Celestia's horn dimmed and with a groan, she rolled onto her side and wheezed with the raspy, rattling breath of an old mare.

Fluttershy looked up at Luna and whimpered.

"Is she... dead?"

Luna pulled her still-dazed partner to her hooves and with Rainbow Dash hovering above, cautiously stepped towards the defeated princess. Celestia lay on her side wheezing, her ruined eyes closed and weeping blood.

Luna turned to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Applejack.

"My friends, thank you for aiding me. I am sorry it cost some of your friend's lives... Please, rest up in the castle. What will happen now, I do not think you will want to see..."

Applejack turned and to Luna's surprise lifted her sword, holding it to Trixie's throat. Fluttershy gasped as did Luna, Rainbow Dash grimaced but did not look away.

"I'm sorry ya'll, but Trixie... You killed 'ah friend Twilight. A good, honest pony and I caint let that pass!"

Luna tried to remain calm and put her hoof on Trixie's arm.

"Applejack... you have seen how Celestia manipulates ponies. Trixie was tortured on Celestia's orders. Raped on Celestia's orders. Trixie would never have killed Twilight had she not been driven insane by my wicked sister's cruelty."

Luna hurt slightly inside as she lied to these good three ponies. Trixie was beautiful but wicked, sadistic but so very enchanting. Trixie had killed Twilight and enjoyed it – Luna knew this. She loved Trixie and the sadism came as part of the deal, it was just one of the many parts of Trixie that drove Luna wild. Trixie pleaded for her life.

"Please... Applejack, Fluttershy... "

Trixie looked up at the hovering blue pegasus, having forgotten her name. Rainbow Dash growled and Luna whispered into her lovers ear to save her embarrassment.

"Forgive me, Rainbow Dash... I should never have killed Twilight Sparkle and I would do anything to bring her back. If you kill me, I understand... but please... wait until my foal is born."

As Trixie pleaded insincerely, Luna put her hoof on Trixie's prominent tummy. Applejack sighed and put down the blade.

"Ah'll never forgive you Trixie, in all my days. Ah'll let you be though – you're damaged beyond help. Y'just stay away from me, y'hear?"

And with that Applejack turned to leave, Fluttershy gave a very polite bow to Luna and followed. Rainbow Dash glared at Trixie as though to repeat Applejack's sentiments.

Now alone, Luna and Trixie stood over the groaning, bloody mess that was Equestria's former ruler. Trixie turned to Luna and pulled her into a gentle hug.

"You did it, my love... how does it feel?"

Luna smiled and blushed.

"I guess, I feel like you must feel when you are at your most wicked."

Trixie grinned and kissed Luna on the neck, causing her to sigh and close her eyes. Trixie could bring the passion out no matter how morbid the situation – she leant down and took Celestia's crown from her head. The fallen princess did not object, too injured to care and blinded. Gently and with no protest from Luna, her lover placed the crown on the new ruler of Equestria and began to pleasure her down below with a hoof.

Celestia spat out blood and sneered in the direction of her sister.

"Go then, Nightmare Moon... the royal whore. Kill me. No more sun... no more life... you will doom Equestria to eternal night just as you always wanted. Equestria will wilt and die without my sun."

Trixie kissed Luna again and ignored Celestia's threats.

"What.. shall we do with her...?" gasped Luna as her wicked, beautiful fillyfriend caressed her.

Trixie whispered into her ear an idea. It was so cruel, perverse and unspeakably wrong. It was like nothing she had ever heard before. Hearing such a sadistic, depraved and unnatural idea pushed Luna to climax; she moaned and bit into Trixie's shoulder.

"How about it then, Princess? Keep her alive... so to speak?" whispered Trixie as Luna panted.

"Yes.. oh yes."

Celestia groaned on the cold marble floor, unaware of her fate.