28 Days To Armageddon

The next day, the six ponies resumed their search for Twilight. The Everfree Forest was a vast place filled with unexplored territory and unknown danger. So, they decided to remain together as a group, with each individual pony contributing their talents to the cause. Applejack bucked some bothersome brush out of the way. Rarity helped by stringing diamonds to trees in order to mark their trail. Pinkie and Fluttershy were in charge of finding food, but it was a complete shot in the dark. None of them had expected to go on an extended trip through the forest, so packing was out of the question.

“UGH!” Rarity shrieked as they came to a clearing, “I smell like Applejack after work!”

“Hey!” Applejack protested, “that scent is the sign of a job well done! Now, if’n ya wanna make somethin’ of it-“

“I don’t, I don’t,” Rarity said, “all I’m saying is that everypony could use a good showering.”

“I’ll shower with you, Rarity,” Spike said dreamily.

Rarity chuckled and blushed. The attraction she felt for the dragon was a very open secret. The two sat and looked at each other, sexual fantasies playing out in their minds while doing so. Spike saw Rarity bending over, giving him an excellent view of the things she normally kept hidden. Rarity saw a muscle bound dragon mating with her, filling her body with everything that she wanted. In short, they were both tantalized by visions of their friend in some form of carnal event. Lust pumped their bodies forward, and they almost made lip contact when Mist suddenly bounded in and barked sharply.

“Guys! I’ve been searching the surrounding area and I found something!”

She hurried them along to the bushes at the edge of the clearing. After dealing with quite a few brambles and thorns, they finally popped out into yet another open space. But this one was extraordinarily different from the previous. For one, a moat ran through a deep ditch stretching horizontally across the ground. A wooden bridge hung over the rushing water, guarded by two stone statues. Within the central circle stood a large castle, coated in stone and a great deal of moss. It seemed to have been abandoned for some time, as the grassy covering stretched its tendrils towards the sky.

At first, they thought they had stumbled back upon the castle where they’d located The Elements of Harmony. But Rarity pointed out that the shape of the stone was different. It had been hoof hewn to look like the original, but a sharper eye could devise a difference. She also spoke of the bridge in front of them, and how the first castle did not have stone statues guarding its overpass. Finally, she drew their attention to the very lay of the land itself. The fortress they knew did not sit on a circular island cut away from the rest of the forest. It was on a small peninsular land mass situated on the other side of a natural moat.

“Obviously, this moat has been placed here by diverting the flow of water away from another larger stream further into the forest,” she finished.

“Man, you sure do know your castles,” Mist said.

“Oh, thank you, darling,” Rarity responded, “one can never be too careful with these kinds of things.”

“Alright,” Mist said, “whoever took Twilight has her in there.”

“How do you know that?” Dash asked.

“Twilight’s mane hair,” Mist said, using her magic to float some up from in front of her, “and there are multiple hoof prints on this side of the bridge. Come on! Let’s go!”

Back inside the fortress, Quill had subjected Twilight to a number of torturous implements. She had ripped part of her hair out by the root, torn two of Twilight’s teeth out, and put her tail into a shredder. She’d broken both of Twilight’s front hooves, and shattered her horn. But the ultimate insult was when she flipped Twilight over and had her way with her. Twilight had screamed for help, but it had never materialized. Now, the poor purple pony lay on her back, panting, in severe pain, and close to death.

“Aw…did I take it too far?” Quill asked sarcastically, “perhaps raping you was a bit much…oh, who the hell am I kidding? You deserved it after what you did to me!”

“What I did to you?” Twilight whispered with shortened breath, “what do you mean by that? I never did anything to hurt you…”

“Never, my ass!” Quill barked, “you wouldn’t reciprocate my love. Twilight, I gave everything for you. I listened to each one of your lessons, I observed with loving patience as you demonstrated things to me, and I took your advice on every little nook and cranny of my life! I worshipped you, Twilight…”

“That was a mistake,” Twilight said, “nopony is worth worshipping.”

“OH, FUCK YOUR STUPID PHILOSOPHY!” Quill screamed, “I loved you, Twilight, and that’s the bottom line! I gave my all for you! Now, you’re gonna return the favor!”

With a wave of her horn, she moved a lever on the other side of the room. Suddenly, a large contraption fell over Twilight’s spent body. She tried to move, but found that her aching muscles didn’t obey her brain’s commands. Plus, the straps that Quill used to tie her down were made of the best leather Equestria had to offer. Twilight realized that this might be the end of her life, so she closed her eyes and prepared to meet death’s embrace. But nothing happened. Her lungs and heart continued working just as they always had. She did feel a small prick near her rump, but other than that, the machine didn’t really do anything.

She managed a chuckle. “So…was that your ace in the hole, Quill?”

Quill sneered. “Chuckle now, Twilight Sparkle, but soon you shall beg me for help.”

With those words, Quill suddenly threw opened a nearby window and hopped out. Twilight was shocked by the sudden abandonment, and instinctively cried out for help. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought about dying alone, completely isolated from the ponies she loved so much. She was terrified at this prospect, and she wondered why her rejection of Quill’s love had turned into something so horrific. Terrible visions pounded her mind like a hammer, imparting a sense of dread that she’d never known before. She felt the hoof of fate suffocating her against the table, and she suddenly struggled to breathe.

But then, the doors behind her flew open and in marched all of her friends. They surrounded her with a worried look, unstrapped her, and rushed her out of the building. Dash and Fluttershy flew on ahead to clear the way of any loose brush. Applejack and Rarity carried their hurting friend, while Mist, Pinkie, and Spike brought up the rear. They raced out of the forest and rushed Twilight to Ponyville General, where she was immediately whisked out of their sight and into an operating room.

“Do you think Twilight even knows what happened?” Mist asked between pants.

“I don’t know, Sugarcube,” Applejack responded, “I just don’t know…”