Pride and Punishment

"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.