Even in the Heart of Equestria, Ponies Can Still Know Fear
Author's Note
Here’s my entry for the 1000 Word Contest. It’s a little story I pieced together that I think is interesting. It’s kinda dark tho
Let me know if there are any other tags I should add.
Feedback is always appreciated, and I hope you enjoy!
Even in the Heart of Equestria, Ponies Can Still Know Fear
“So it has come to this,” his deep, jagged voice stated.
“It seems it has,” Princess Celestia deadpanned.
He sighed, his breath heavy. “I will offer you one chance.” He raised his hand into the air. The sound of a thousand metal boots hitting the ground as an army of men turned around echoed throughout Canterlot. “Surrender, and I will spare you from my wrath. But should you resist—” He lowered his hand, and the ground rumbled as they turned back around, drawing their weapons.
“—I will have no choice but to destroy you.”
“We would never submit to a tyrant like you!” she spat. To her surprise, the man did not return with venom. Instead, he slowly raised his hands to his head, grabbing both sides of his helmet and pulling it off.
“I didn’t want to do this,” he said, Celestia noticing the sincerity in his voice. She expected him to threaten her, but his voice was calm—and it terrified her more than any threat he could have made. He waved a hand, his general coming to his side. “Bring the prisoner.”
The general nodded, waving his arms around and chanting as he began his spell. The air around him warped as energy flowed through it, a bright blue light appearing in the air, growing brighter and brighter until it exploded. Celestia covered her eyes with a hoof, and when she looked back at the light, she saw—
“Luna!” she exclaimed, reaching out a hoof to her sister as she saw her for the first time in weeks. Her heart shattered, however, when she saw her condition. Her normally dark blue coat had been turned red from the amount of blood stained onto her body. Her tail had been cut off, leaving only a floating flap of hair. Her mane remained, but it was entwined beyond repair, clumps of hair stuck together from dried blood. A long, deep scar went from her left ear to the right corner of her chin, her eye grey and mangled.
Celestia’s eyes pooled with tears, overflowing as she saw the worst of it all. Luna’s wings had been cut off, only small nubs remaining, and her horn was only a fraction of its size, nothing more than a little rough stub on her head. A thick, heavy metal choker wrapped around her neck, a chain connecting her to the general’s hands.
Celestia choked up, her breath hitching as the image of her sister’s broken form bore through her, shaking her to the very deepest of her core. Her back legs gave out, causing her to collapse to the ground, still staring at her weeping sister. She opened her mouth to speak, finding herself at an utter loss of words. With blurred and distorted vision, she saw the man slowly walk up to her sister.
“You should have taken my offer,” he flatly said. “I would have spared you.” He set his helmet on the ground before reaching a hand behind his head, gripping the hilt of his blade. He slowly drew his thin, dark sword, letting it rest at his side.
“Y-y-you…” Celestia sputtered, barely able to form words, “m-monster…”
“Your sister was hard to break.” He raised his sword, aligning with Luna’s neck. He pulled back, his face tightening as he steadied himself.
“NO!” Celestia screamed as he thrust down his sword. She watched in horror, time seeming to slow, as his blade came down—but instead of hitting her neck, he flicked his wrist, the blade missing her neck and slicing straight through the chain connected to her shackle.
“But eventually, she broke under the unrivaled skill of my general—like all the rest.”
Luna fell to the ground, free of her bonds. She balled up, sobbing her pain away into the dirt. She did not move; she did not fight; she simply sat there, a tattered mess at the man’s feet.
“She did give me what I wanted, however,” he stated.
Celestia felt the earth tremble, the very mountain the city rested upon seeming to quake. She stood up, looking around at the massive purple forcefield surrounding all of Canterlot. The barrier’s form warped, bending as it flickered. Then, in an instant, it shattered, breaking into a million pieces. She looked back at the man in disbelief, watching as the last remnants of the barrier inches in front of her sputtered away.
“I-I’m so s-sorry!” Luna cried in a voice of pain, looking up at Celestia. “I-I couldn’t… resist…” With that, her head collapsed to the ground.
The man bent down, picking up his helmet with one hand and putting it onto his head. He stepped forward, the metal of his boot striking the ground.
“You will pay for this!” Celestia shouted, her horn coming alive with golden energy. A beam shot from her horn, flying at the man. He simply raised his sword, the dark magic imbued into it activating.
Celestia stared in shock as he deflected her magic, burning a hole in the ground. Her magic stopped, and he lowered his sword. He took another step, watching as she started to shake in fear. She backed up, only to trip and fall to the ground. He came up to her and kneeled, staring into her eyes.
“I will leave you and your sister alive—but all in your precious city shall die. Whenever you look upon her face, you will see only me and the death that I have wrought.” He grabbed both sides of her face, forcing her to stare into his eyes. “Equestria is mine, and all who you love will fall at my hand. Cadance, Twilight, Shining Armor, Blueblood—they will all perish, and my empire will reign.”
He let go of her face and slowly rose to his feet. With a mere nod to his general, he issued the deaths of hundreds of ponies.
“W-why?” Celestia managed to ask. “Why would you do this?” He merely chuckled.
Walking away, he turned back and said, “I want everything…”
