A Jester's Hat

Chapter 2

The Damaged Mind

A mare is crawling away from him, tears streaming down her face as she attempts to cover her child. The filly is giggling with the stallion who is advancing. The stallion raises his weapon and cuts the mare's final, pleading scream short. The filly laughs as it's drenched in the blood of its own mother, but that sound is also soon cut short. Taz Darkstripe laughs hard when he kills the defenseless foal. Inside, he knows that this is wrong, and is desperately trying to fight the insanity that is a Jester. He's been fighting this battle for weeks now, all to no avail. He has killed so many innocents, so many children... and he laughs at their screams and tears. he doesn't deserve to live. He should have stayed with his brother in limbo instead of putting everypony in danger. But it's too late for that now. Taz continues to kill ponies left, right and centre. Finally, all the ponies are dead. Taz takes flight and flies back to the temple, giggling at the blood splattered all over him. When he arrives at the temple, an elderly Jester is waiting for him. He's also giggling, flopping another Jester's bells. When he sees Taz he laughs harder. Taz giggles in reply, a broad smile creeping onto his face. When the elderly Jester reaches him, they both fall down and roll on the floor, laughing.

"A...a... f-feast... I... is... p.. prepared..." The elderly pony says between laughs. We both laughs for a long time but finally they get up and walk into the temple, giggling.

They go to the mess hall where there are long tables laden with pony meat. Everypony is eating and laughing. Taz attacks the leg of a pony. Inside, he tries to stop himself. He knows this isn't right but the disturbing thing is... it tastes so good. Taz is almost tempted to give up the fight and let the Jester consume him. But whenever he starts thinking like that, he instantly thinks of his nieces. That thought alone gives him the strength to keep  fighting. His nieces needed him, as did Equestria, and he was not going to give in to some insane, cannibalistic pony who laughs all the time.

A long way away, in Equestria, Celestia is crying. She'd heard of her uncle going on a killing spree, laughing while he murdered innocent ponies. How had he succumbed to the insanity? Taz had the strongest will Celestia had seen in a pony. And his love for his nieces was unquestionable. Celestia looked at her fireplace. She used to look into it with her uncle. They would discuss the day and Taz would comfort her if she felt sad or alone. Without wanting to, Celestia thinks back to her foalhood and the times she shared with her uncle and Luna. Such good times... peaceful times. Then the first time she lowered the sun, and Luna raised the moon. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered that night. Taz had been so shocked that they'd done that as fillies, no less. Ever since then, he'd supported them as they became royalty and given them advice whenever they asked for it. Celestia broke down into sobbing again. He had denied an eternity with the ponies he loved  most just to live with her and Luna again.

"Uncle, I'm so sorry..." Celestia whispered. She continued to sob.

In the Lunar castle, Luna is also crying. She missed her uncle so much. He would have come here by now to keep her company, hear her stories, laugh at them or cry with her. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. Now, though... he was killing innocent mares, fillies and colts, and laughing at it! He had such a strong mind, how could he succumb to the freaks that had killed her? Luna shook her head before she turned to hate. He had denied the chance to be with the ones he loved forever just for Celestia and Luna. He loved them with all his heart and nothing would change that. Luna looked up at the sky, remembering the first time she raised the moon. So long ago, yet Taz had been so proud of her. He had helped herself and Celestia as they  became princesses, and although he had to go back to the northern lands, he always returned to check up on them. He never left them for more than a hundred years. And he always wrote letters, telling them about the outcomes of wars and what is going on in their birthland. Luna and Celestia would send letters back, telling them what had happened in Equestria. Luna always looked forward to the letters from her uncle and had kept every one she had received over the years, as had Celestia. Luna looks up at the moon she had raised not an hour ago.

"Stay strong, uncle..." She whispers. Tears continued to run down her face.