Necrocannibalis - My Little Pony

Chapters

Chapter 1 - Mental Decay.
Chapter 2 — Paranoia
Capitulo 3 — Chaos.

Chapter 1 - Mental Decay.

Warning of unpleasant moments, they are very few but they do exist.

Cover image creator:
https://x.com/YFS40193527?t=eK4tzTBNq-YssWhPcCLufQ&s=09

—

❪ 📚 | 🍎 | 🌈 | 💠 | 🦋 |🎈|🐲 ❫
𝟏𝟗.𝟎𝟒.𝟏𝟎𝟐𝟒 ┊𝟏𝟎:𝟑𝟎 𝐀𝐌

An electric shock ran through her entire body, causing her to become exalt and suddenly wake up. For a second she was about to fall from her chair but she held on to the table in front of her.

The room was completely silent and all eyes were directed directly towards those sudden movements. He tried to fix his composure by adjusting himself in the chair but it was a rather uncomfortable situation for everyone.

"Sorry Applejack, I haven't rested well and I think I'm sleepier than usual, what were you saying about the harvest?." He coughed after speaking and looked at the blonde who was on the other side of the table.

"No problem Twilight, the royal issues are keeping you very... busy." He tried to reorganize his ideas again since they had slipped off his tongue. "...This year's harvests could be a disaster, not only because of the sudden problem we have with magic but also with the response of the citizens. They will not stay calm knowing that we lost 40% of production because of the climate."

"40%? When you informed me a week ago it was only 25% of the amount lost. It can't have changed so drastically, you must be wrong." He claimed the one with her multicolored hair as she got up from her chair.

"Rainbow, please calm down, it's not like a lady to get excited like that." Rarity mentioned while she maintained her composure.

"Unfortunately I'm not wrong. We did a new evaluation and those were the data. I know that the climate is your responsibility but you can't blame yourself because without your wings you can't... help us."

" Tsk-, shouldn't Twilight solve it?." She sat down again, maintaining an annoyed expression.

"I can't Rainbow, since Princess Celestia wants me away from those matters because of her problem with her sister Luna, I haven't known how to help her, although you should be more aware, you spend more time under her orders as Wonderbolt in that factory." She answered, trying to find out something about that place that seemed enigmatic to her.

"I don't work directly with her. It's a shame that the princess is leaving you aside after all, you're also one of hers. Although it seems like she no longer trusts you enough." She rolled her eyes before looking away sighing in annoyance.

Twilight felt attacked by that comment she was about to respond but she was right. She lowered her head thinking that she hadn't had a direct conversation with the princess in a long time to even know what was really happening, she felt lost.

"Excuse me-." Flutershy tried to speak but his voice was barely audible to be noticed.

The pink-haired girl with bright voluminous hair raised her hand and moved it from side to side with her characteristic smiling personality asking to speak although without waiting for a response from her she still spoke making the pastel pink-haired girl give up and she would end up staying silent.

"I know!, We can buy the other towns their surplus food, Maybe ah Appleloos-... "

"No Pinki, If we don't have food because of magic, they must be relatively the same or worse." Twilight interrupted him before directing her gaze to the front of her again.

"It seems that being together was a waste of time, as always... I have things to do, I can't waste time." The one with the multicolored hair got up from her chair before heading to the doors, turning a deaf ear to the complaints of her friends".

She took one last look at the room, observing everyone seriously until she noticed the pink-haired girl's face with that typical smile. Her smile and her eyes gave him a chill, feeling how that fixed, empty gaze of hers attacked her in some way combined with that sinister smile that only made him think of all the dark ideas of hers that she hid under that mask of innocence. She left the room, slamming the door behind her with force that echoed throughout the castle. Seconds after she was away from the gaze of the others, her face changed to one of total fear as she put her hand to her head, trying not to remember the dreams where she was. It was torn into pieces and turned into a disgusting "Cupcake".

[ 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒🕯️ ]

"Rainbow!, . . . By Celestia. . ." She sighed heavily before recognizing that her attitude had her reasons. They had spent hours discussing the recent problems and had not found even a temporary solution." I think we should postpone this meeting after all, we still have time before that news is made public. I have some business in another city and I have to leave in a few hours, excuse me sweethearts."

Rarity also got up and walked towards the door while behind her was also Flutershy who had not spoken at any time during the meeting but wanted to leave. She felt like a burden and had a lot of things on her mind to worry about, but she just couldn't figure it out. I hadn't been able to tell anyone about it.

"Forgive me girls." The light-toned Pelirosa mentioned before closing the door behind her delicately.

"Look Twilight, we should talk about it on Friday afternoon, it's where we all have the most time, okay?." With her papers in her hand, her blonde was also heading towards the door and Pinki was also behind her.

"Yes Twilight, I should bring cookies or cupcakes. What do you think, Applejack? Obviously not carrot cakes, you know Rainbow doesn't like them, although maybe she should bring the chocolate or ice cream fountain."

Twilight was still silent as she listened to everything that happened around her, she hadn't been able to hear the last thing Pinki said when she closed the door behind her.

The room for some reason had a cold atmosphere and that vibe certainly bothered her but she still didn't move, she wanted to continue getting lost in her thoughts even though they could consume her for hours.

A few seconds passed and the door opened again but this time someone of modest stature entered, changing the depressing atmosphere. She approached the purple-haired girl with a quite lively expression.

"Twilight? What happened? Could you fix something? Ehh- I saw them all leaving very distressed-..."

"No Spike, I'm sorry, we haven't been able to fix anything at all." He interrupted him to put his hands towards her head. She was too stressed to think of anything.

The youngest sighed heavily upon hearing her boss's words, he put his hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her in some way.

"You should get some rest. Maybe the pillow will help you think of a good idea. Shall I serve you some tea or something?."

"No thanks Spike, I think... I think I'll listen to you and get some sleep." He got up from the chair to walk out of the huge room, leaving the scaly man alone.

"Well, I think I'll fix it..." The sound of the door slamming shut interrupted his words. "Everything, Yes... everything -Pff-..."

He felt worried about the situation but he couldn't do anything since they didn't usually listen to him like before, he grumbled under his breath before putting some order to the whole silent place.

❪ 🌼 | 🛴 | 🎀 ❫
𝟎𝟑:𝟏𝟓 𝐏𝐌

The bell rang suddenly but was overshadowed by the shouts of hundreds of people happy to hear it, conversations and footsteps approaching the doors of the institute, leaving the place quickly in various directions.

Among all the tumult, three figures stood out for the simple fact that they seemed calmer and more entertained in their own conversations.

"Why don't we go to Scootaloo's house? We could do all the activities they left us, plus it is closer." The redhead commented, following the pace of her friends.

"Well, it's a bit messy, I don't think it's a good idea. Rainbow might get angry."

"What's up Sco-ot-aloo? Scared? You said he barely spends time in that new apartment because of his work. What did you say he worked on?."

"I'm not really sure, Apple. I only know that he works in Clousdale and regularly travels with the Wonderbolts to other places. He doesn't usually tell me much about that."

"What do your aunts think about that? Doesn't living with Rainbow bother you?." He mentioned the one with her purple/pink hair while she was trying to organize some things in her backpack.

"They are happy. They say that this will help me be like Rainbow and be able to apply without problems."

"Maybe that will help you not be a Chi-ck-en"

Apple Bloom laughed at her own comment along with Sweetie Belle while Scootaloo snorted in annoyance and gave the Redhead a judging look.

"And tell me, you're not so brave when you talk to Diamond Tiara eh- and we did things with her and her friend years ago. Are you going to the party I invited you, right?. I elbow Apple Bloom's shoulder trying to annoy her.

"Ah- well... He-, It still bothers me... If only that..." She laughed nervously looking at the sky.

"Sure?!" Swettie Belle and Scootaloo spoke together, looking at her friend.

"Yes! By the way I heard that Button Mash is going to go. What do you think, Swettie?." I laugh to look at her friend seeing how her expression changed drastically.

"AH-... Pfff I'm not going to give an opinion." I cross my arms, somewhat offended by that comment, trying to change her expression to a more serene one before colliding with a stone and almost falling.

The others laughed and the seconds were also followed by laughter as each one supported themselves to stay standing. That good moment was suddenly overshadowed when a loud noise next to them scared them.

Several armored vehicles crossed the streets beside him of different sizes and appearances. From above, several soldiers with their typical camouflage uniforms observed the curious gazes that focused on them. They had broken the urban stillness and all the complex observers like the three girls were filled with questions.

"Has something happened? Where are they going?." He mentioned the one with the purple hair before taking out a camera that she had borrowed earlier and taking a couple of photos.

"Rainbow should know Scoot, She works with them... The Wonderbolts are special forces." I mention Apple Bloom trying to differentiate a face among those soldiers.

"If you should ask him when you come back, that's not very normal." He mentioned the one with the pinkish purple hair while she was trying to find her phone to also take photos.

"If I find her, maybe she isn't at home." She checked to see if she had taken the photos correctly one by one and seemed satisfied with the results.

"We should go home, maybe something happened. I'm worried about my sister." The redhead mentioned, somewhat worried, hundreds of ideas crossed her head.

"My sister Rarity will leave the city in the afternoon. She said she was going to Canterlot because of some clients who called her and she would return the day after tomorrow, I think."

"Don't worry, Apple Bloom, it's probably some exercise, Canterlot's founding day is approaching after all, it's always like that every year." I try to cheer up the redhead when I notice her worried expression.

"Yes Apple Bloom Scootaloo is right, besides they are not heading to Sweet Apple Acres since she is on the other side, They just like to show off. "

The words of her friends seemed to work, recognizing that they were very right. She turned to see the one with the pinkish purple hair pointing at her from head to toe.

"The only one who shows off here is you Swettie, every day you go out with a new outfit as if you were a fashion designer."

"I have to take advantage of all the clothes that Rarity gives me. It's not my fault that you only have three outfits in your closet and not to mention Scootaloo who looks like she just came out of a sewer wearing that same jacket every day." She was starting to sound like her sister.

The three of them laughed again together, none of them bothered by the others' comment because they felt good about how they dressed.

"Well, let's go to your house, Scootaloo, if Rainbow is there, we'll ask her so we can have some gossip." I walk again along the sidewalk trying to remember the correct path according to her memories.

"Puff- Okay, that's fine... But you'll help me fix it a little, okay?."

"Yes, if there is no problem."

"Yes, no problem, although Swettie won't want to grab a broom."

"No, I'll help him look better, his style of fixing things is terrible." She remembered all the work they did together and how they didn't seem aesthetically correct to her.

"Among my disorder I have order." I try to remember where she had the keys before she started looking for them.

"By the way Scoot, where is my science book? I lent it to you days ago and you haven't returned it to me."

"Over there Apple Bloom." She grimaced trying to remember where she had left it.

"Aja..."

"Give it up Apple Bloom, that's what happened when I lent her my watch."

"You yourselves will look for it when you help me clean better." He turned around the corner and the other two followed suit.

"Maybe I'll find my doll, my pen, my headphones..." The redhead mentioned while she counted them with her fingers.

"My keychain, My mirror, My cap..." The ones with the purple-pink hair also followed her game, putting together everything they counted on.

They mentioned a long list but only Scootaloo managed to laugh while he listened to them, his friends also laughed seconds later, they were already close to reaching the building where Scootaloo was living where they would be a little more relaxed.

❪ 🪄 | 💫 ❫
𝟎𝟗:𝟑𝟎 𝐏𝐌

The lights of a large theater suddenly went out, voices drowned each other out until there was a deep silence for several seconds that made the crowd filled with intrigue.

Several spotlights were pointed towards the center of the stage, illuminating a specific place where a red curtain opened, revealing a figure with a striking purple cape and a pointed hat of the same color.

He raised a hand releasing several stars that rose above everyone and illuminated the entire theater for seconds.

"Witness the amazing and unmatched magic of the great and powerful Trixie!" He exclaimed with euphoria, observing the entire audience. "Watch in amazement as the great and powerful Trixie performs acts of magic never seen by any creature in this world."

With each word her emotion seemed to rise more than it could enthuse everyone present. After that small presentation, a screen of smoke covered the stage for a few moments and suddenly, as it arrived, it disappeared, showing objects that at first glance seemed to be dangerous.

"Remember that these acts can only be done by professionals, do not try it at home."

Having said these words, the one with the grayish-blue hair proceeded to perform each act that she presented, apparently without any difficulty for a long time. Each act became more dangerous, causing the attention of her audience to not so easily miss something that she loved.

Ending all these acts for her considered very "basic" she addressed the audience once again to present a trick that she had been planning for months.

"As a final act, I the great and powerful Trixie." He walked a couple of steps before taking a huge cloth, throwing it to the ground and revealing a huge fish tank filled only with water. "I will submerge myself tied with chains of hands on my back and her entire body. They will be amazed when I free myself before her eyes."

She climbed a couple of stairs to a platform above this water tank. The lights went out for a few seconds and came back on, revealing that she had the chains I mentioned before.

"And to make this act more interesting, this fish tank will be sealed with this metal plate. Do not waste a second because you will NEVER witness this act again."

She stomped heavily, revealing that what was actually covering that platform was metal, taking a second step forward, falling into the fish tank and due to the weight of the chains she sank quickly.

The mechanism of the platform was activated, completely sealing the huge fish tank. Inside the huge tank she smiled while holding her breath, something that made the public intrigued and asked each other how she would be freed.

Something that he noticed at that time was how difficult it was to move with the weight of the chains. His arrogant attitude had not allowed him to make these preliminary calculations. A memory immediately crossed his mind when he mentioned to a prop assistant that they needed chains. real and big to impress as much as possible.

(Okay Trixie, This is just child's play this is not a problem for you.)

Ah, despite that, she continued to maintain a smile in front of the public, she adjusted her hands to try to reach a key hidden behind her right wrist that she managed to take from her with the tips of her fingers, removing it.

She felt quite relieved to have it in her hands, she moved the key towards the lock that was behind her back, but when she tried to open it with a bad movement it slipped out of her hands.

(Shit, shit, shit, shit!.)

She tried to grab it several times as the key sank deeper and deeper until it was no longer in her reach. Her body shook and her mind was filled with hundreds of thoughts that made her panic and small effervescences escaped from her breath.

She sank completely to try to look for the key with her chained hands, something that the audience took as an action part of the act and murmured in admiration.

(They are not Damn!.)

She continued to bubble and her strength was quickly exhausted giving up on searching for the keys, she pushed herself up with her feet to try to get out of her but the enormous weight of her chains did not allow her to reach halfway. she.

In a desperate attempt to ask for help, she kicked and moved as best she could to try to get the attention of the public or an assistant, but they believed it was part of the act since it is something she used to do on many occasions, only this time it was all real. .

His gestures ended up losing strength and, unable to breathe, he lost his last breaths that became bubbles ascending in a dance towards the surface. He closed his eyes while time was distorted in a whirlpool of despair and remorse when he felt his lungs burning in search. of air that I couldn't find.

A force enveloped him and all that weight he had was suddenly released. She opened her eyes again to notice how she was standing on the stage of an emerging cloud of smoke that was fading around her, all soaked and agitated trying to breathe aggressively, she watched as the audience rose from their seats applauding and shouting. his name at full lungs.

The curtain slammed shut and he could not resist her own weight as she fell to the floor coughing and gasping. She heard how many people surrounded her and many murmurs that she did not understand seemed to speak to her.

A figure knelt next to her and held her face, trying to revive her by repeatedly touching her cheek.

"ome on Trixie wake up!"

She recognized her voice opening her eyes as she sneezed and tried to get up.

"Starl-...ight, Yes... you came." She whispered weakly accompanied by a smile.

The girl with the turquoise hair hugged her tightly after hearing her words, taking the air out of her again and separating again when she noticed her mistake.

"Sorry." She apologized to her as she tried to give him some air by waving one of her hands.

"Don't worry... The great and powerful Trixie is more than perfect." She tried to tune her voice with a sneeze. "I guess it was you, always arriving at the worst time to save me huh-."

"Tss-... Yes, I took you out, you really got lucky it seems..." She cast a murderous look at everyone else making them take a couple of steps back. "Since none of these noticed what was happening."

An atmosphere of guilt invaded the place but that didn't matter to her friend who euphorically hugged her savior.

"I knew you would arrive, you always do."

While their hearts were still beating from that shock that they had just witnessed, their souls were in a moment of intense emotions that was reflected in how they clung to each other with fear of being lost in the universe if they let go, in that single moment only they mattered and no one else. more so that words were not enough, causing that single moment to be eternal and irrefutable.

Author's Note

This story may sound crazy, and it's a lot of information to process. But I did it out of the love I have for the old MLP stories and the new stuff that's coming.

I can have a lot of writing problems, really a lot, any constructive opinion is welcome no matter how aggressive it is, I don't usually get offended.

P.S., this story may have things from the canon world of MLP and Equestria At War. It handles a strange Lore.

Chapter 2 — Paranoia

❪ 〽️|☀️❫

𝟐𝟐.𝟎𝟒.𝟐𝟒 ┊ 𝟎𝟗:𝟏𝟕 𝐀𝐌

The light weakly reflected in the large room, somewhat colorful from the mosaic windows that were almost covered by curtains that reached the floor. The daylight did not help to notice what was inside, but something stood out in the center of the place.

A couple of candles barely illuminated the scene. The silhouette of someone sitting in front of a canvas held a brush in one hand and a palette of colors in the other. As they dipped the brush into the pigments and then marked lines on their art, they seemed to immerse themselves in their own thoughts, lost in the creative process in search of the perfect combination of shadows and light.

A knock on the door caused them to lose concentration, glancing sideways as the door cracked open and a silhouette entered the space, its presence infusing a note of tension into the tranquil atmosphere. It took a couple of steps and stopped abruptly with an upright and respectful posture.

"Your Majesty, we have reports of strange military movements near our borders. Some border patrols from Cros-..."

A mere wave of the hand was enough to stop him from speaking. The tools of the painting were placed on the table, and she turned completely to face the figure with a face that hardly reflected surprise or concern.

"Is it a problem?"

It was a rather unexpected response, showing some naivety in her words.

"Yes, Majesty. We should take better preventive measures. We don't know-..."

A short laugh interrupted the message, changing her serious expression to one of complete nonchalance.

"Preventive measures?"

"Of course, as you understand, we cannot take any kind of risk."

"You speak as if you were at war." Her tone of voice reflected some annoyance.

"With all due respect, Your Highness, Princess Luna's history is troubling. Some high-ranking officials are considering the idea of sending scouts."

"Puff—my sister isn't so foolish as to do something like that, and even if she were, the army is prepared for the Parade. It's the worst time for such an idea to cross her mind."

"But..."

"But? It must be some silly exercise to try to 'intimidate' us." With a sarcastic expression, she raised her hands and mimicked air quotes when saying 'intimidate' in her own words.

Silence suddenly settled in the room when there was nothing more to report. The guard's eyes moved restlessly, a recent doubt plaguing him from the conversation. A feeling of unease manifested in his body language.

The air was thick with tension, and he could feel his body tense as a reminder that any word could be unforgivable. He swallowed hard, his lips parted, but the words refused to come out. Something caught the sovereign's attention as she heard the anxious sigh to speak.

"If it calms your paranoia, you can send scouts and increase border surveillance, but I'm sure you'll just be wasting your time."

With a new sigh that seemed to drain his strength, the guard fixed his gaze on the monarch, ignoring her words and whispering, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and urgency.

"Was it necessary?" He cleared his throat to try to fix his tone to a more serious one. "Was it necessary for Princess Luna to rule half of Equestria now, Your Highness?"

The question hung in the air, prolonging an oppressive silence. Celestia's gaze fixed directly on the eyes of her Guard Officer as if transmitting disdain and hostility.

"You may leave, Flash." She pointed towards the door while directing her gaze back to the canvas, picking up the brush and the palette of colors.

Flash felt overwhelmed by the princess's cold look and the weight of his unanswered question, leaving more fear than tranquility.

Without saying another word, he nodded in submission and turned to leave the room, closing the door behind him.

Once outside the room, he paused for a moment and took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. He felt the piercing gaze of the other guards patrolling the corridor, unaware of the situation, so he just lowered his head and continued walking, determined to fulfill his duty, although he wasn't entirely sure the princess was handling these events as she should.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Princess Celestia returned to her canvas, but her mind was far from the painting. She reflected on Flash's words and the implications of his questions. Despite her initial disdain, a small seed of doubt began to grow within her. Perhaps there was more at stake than she was considering, but she refused to yield under the belief that her sister was capable of such things. Although...

The silence was tense, with uncertainty and conflict in the air despite being alone. The question began to resonate in her mind as she looked at the painting: 'Was it rushed?' Her sister wasn't a bad person to attempt something like that; she knew perfectly well the limits she had and that she only acted when her ideals were at stake and sought moral justice, although the issue at hand was far from being considered a pursuit of justice. If they went to war, it would be for the power that divided Equestria.

Although a few years ago the kingdom was ready to give it to Sparkle, at the last moment everything was canceled. The thought she always had about her apprentice was that she wasn't ready, and maybe she never would be. She had seen kingdoms fall due to the ambition of their leaders; she knew Twilight wasn't ambitious or arrogant, but she had already made mistakes, and if she didn't identify them to correct them, they would have fatal consequences. But those were just some of the many reasons why she delayed handing over the kingdom and not making it public that it was ever in her plans to give it to the 'princess of friendship.'

'Was it a mistake?' Her sister had convinced her to divide the kingdom and lighten the load of the rising Nation along with its influences for each in their own way. At first, it seemed to displease everyone, but nothing had changed much other than marking a line on the maps displayed in every library and school. Everything flowed well initially; she talked constantly with her without any major or relevant problems, but as the months passed, she felt the situation slowly slipping out of her hands, not only in how Luna's visits became irregular and how she seemed to look at her with increasing disdain during their few exchanges of words.

Ideas invaded her mind as she clenched the brush tightly. A single idea stood out in her mind: 'Did she know? Did she know what she had done?' Her expression changed to a more worried one with those thoughts beginning to overwhelm her. 'Was it necessary? It was a fleeting thought to dispel all those ideas. A monarch had to make decisions that no one else could even imagine'. Magic was still a whole universe to explore and was full of those decisions. Who else could know? Hundreds of names and faces projected in her head, each imagined look judging her for the simple weight of those actions, accompanied by white noise growing and trapping her ears, putting her into a sudden crisis state.

The brush ended up breaking in her hand due to the pressure she was exerting. All her attention shifted to the splinters of wood that had shot everywhere. She stood up from her seat, once again observing the incomplete canvas, all her inspiration to paint having vanished in a few moments.

She turned her head towards the door, alert to any eventuality. At that moment, she was torn between action and paralysis, aware that every second could be vital, but every action she took could turn into a suicide.

❪ 🌟|👓 ❫

𝟎𝟏:𝟒𝟕 𝐏𝐌

Her mind sank into a labyrinth of nightmares. Turbulent dreams manifested, enveloping her in a whirlwind of anxiety and confusion. Shadows twisted around her, and voices whispered almost unintelligible but persistent words, feeding new fears with faces she seemed to know.

Suddenly, a crash broke the trance she was in. A resounding knock on the door shook the place, causing her heart to race, and her eyes snapped open, jolting her back to the real world.

The echo of the knock still resonated in her head as she quickly got up from her chair, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she glanced toward the source of the noise. She saw a familiar figure standing by the door with a frown, seemingly indifferent to having woken her so abruptly. She rubbed her eyes to focus on her surroundings.

"For Equestria's sake! What the hell is wrong with you?!" she exclaimed, still shaken by the knock, feeling around the table for her glasses.

The redhead with yellow streaks in her hair walked through the room to another table, somewhat distant from the irritated girl.

"You shouldn't sleep here; you could get us into trouble."

"I don't care. Yesterday just wasn't a good night." She managed to find her glasses and put them on for a quick look around the room.

"It seems none of these weeks have been good."

"Do you even care? That doesn't give you an excuse to slam the door to wake me up, you vulgar excuse for a princess."

"Would you prefer I hit you on the head? AGH—"

An uncomfortable silence answered the question, something that made her feel victorious as she adjusted the stack of papers in front of her.

"Changing the subject, Moondancer, any progress?"

"None. It feels like I'm at a dead end, and what I have here isn't helping."

A bit discouraged by those words, she sighed, finishing organizing the papers in front of her. She rested her head on the chair, crossing her arms in a more relaxed posture.

"Did you check the books I brought you? Maybe—"

"No." She interrupted abruptly. "Old legends aren't really helpful, okay? No offense, Sunset Shimmer, but relying on writings from 200 years ago is... a waste of time."

The words offended her. She knew how skeptical Moondancer could be, but she might convince her if she said the right words.

"You know... it's not like you have many options. Legends are based on real events, just highly exaggerated. It's not far from what we do here."

"Excuse me? That's impossible, okay?"

"I never said it was impossible, just that... mmh— admit we won't achieve it like this. For Celestia's sake! We can't—!"

She jumped up from her seat, her eyes two dark pools of disbelief at what she was hearing, glaring at the other girl as if accusing her of the most horrible crime. With almost theatrical elegance, she raised her right arm, extending her index finger toward her, like an accusing lightning bolt in the storm of visible tension. The finger trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the intensity of a rage that had accumulated.

Her lips, pressed into a fine line of discontent, parted just enough to let out a few cutting words, each loaded with skepticism.

"SHUT UP, YOU DAMN FOOL. NEVER DOUBT MY ABILITIES." Firm and defiant, it resonated throughout the room in the tense atmosphere. Her crimson reddish hair, almost like red wine with a streak of purple, fell like a mantle around her face in a completely disheveled appearance, framing her accusatory expression.

"I NEVER DID! CALM DOWN. You have to recognize..." She got up from her seat, raising her hands to show a non-aggressive image. Moondancer's sudden action had changed her attitude. Under the weight of that gaze and that accusatory finger, she seemed to shrink every second, doubting her own words and her arrogant attitude.

Moondancer didn't relent in pointing at her, her firm posture and penetrating gaze made it clear that any negative comment about her research was intolerable. The room, immersed in tense silence, seemed on the verge of an imminent explosion.

"HOW DARE YOU INSINUATE THAT?" she continued, agitated and threatening, resonating like thunder in the distance. "This research is the result of years of work and sacrifice OF MY LIFE, and you dare to doubt me? It's to prove my worth to myself and..." Her attitude seemed to calm down, hesitating to continue speaking.

Sunset Shimmer swallowed dryly, trying to maintain composure under the intense atmosphere. She knew that any poorly chosen word could unleash a much worse storm, even though she hadn't caused it, right?

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to doubt you. I was just... just worried, Moondancer." Sunset spoke in a softer tone, trying to calm her, acknowledging her mistake. "We haven't made progress in months."

Moondancer slowly let her hand drop, her expression beginning to soften, although her eyes were still two pools of fire.

"I know." She sighed deeply, breaking all the tension around them. "But it's just a streak of bad events, okay?"

She nodded slowly at her words, with a more relaxed posture as she approached the other girl to try to calm her.

"You're... right." She said in a calm tone, seeking to give her some reassurance. "Just give it a try... okay?"

Shimmer extended her hand with the book she had mentioned earlier about the legends of Ancient Magic.

Moondancer nodded, somewhat dejected, a small trace of a smile appearing on her lips as she took the book, giving it a quick glance.

"Just that... we still have the problem of Magic, and it doesn't seem to be improving anywhere."

"That's the least of it. We still have theoretical research, and when magic improves, everything will be fine, right?"

"If you say so."

Feeling calmer, she sat down, giving the books another look. She didn't have high expectations that they would be useful, but she was drawing wrong conclusions that a new perspective might help.

"By the way... you come from another world, don't you? Why did Celestia assign you here?"

The questions caught her off guard, as in all this time they had spent together, she had never mentioned anything about her origin or anything unrelated to work. In fact, she had never asked her, showing their poor communication.

"Ah... well... I'm actually from here, but by my own choices, I ended up in that place. I don't know if I could consider myself 'evil' back then; they were just actions a bit... understandable, I think. And then one day, Twilight came from the n—"

"Wait, you know Twilight?"

"Uh, yeah? Who doesn't?"

"Uh-huh... well, if she's the 'princess of friendship'..." A grimace of annoyance appeared on her face. She would say things were fine with her, but she still had a resentment hard to explain. She coughed, trying to fix her strange behavior. "What prompted you to accept working here?"

"I had some unresolved issues; they just got complicated, and I sought to stay longer here."

"Friendship problems?"

"I really wish it were just that." She glanced at a worn poster of Equestria showing the five princesses, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

"So, is it about...?"

"I'd rather not say, okay?"

"Uh, well... we should concentrate on working then."

Listening to Moondancer's words, she pondered what to say but only nodded, discarding the idea of talking and quickly moving back to her seat. She set about rereading all the research, perhaps there was something they had overlooked that could help improve the situation, or maybe she just wanted to pass the time.

❪ ✉️|🔒 ❫

𝟎𝟒:𝟐𝟗 𝐏𝐌

A sudden thud distracted her attention. She hurried to pick up the fallen box and check if it was in good condition. It appeared to be, as it showed no scratches or severe deformities.

She sighed and took the box more carefully this time. She hoped she hadn't damaged anything, as she ran the risk of being fired by her boss. It wasn't normal for him to have the patience to put up with all the mishaps she had been having with the previous packages.

"12-H Street? Oh—I'm on the wrong one. But I think I can walk there..."

She closed the vehicle's door, making sure more than twice that it was securely locked. It was a miracle she knew how to drive and that they had given her a vehicle, but it seemed to be the only thing she did relatively 'well'.

She quickly glanced at the street as she hurried along the sidewalk, having managed to get her bearings and just checking the package wrapper to be sure of the delivery address, even though every time she did, she unnecessarily repeated aloud what was written.

She stood out not only for her bright blonde hair but also for her eyes that looked in opposite directions. She had been able to deal with that all her life, and it hadn't negatively affected her, maintaining an innocent and carefree personality.

The avenue she was walking along seemed strangely empty, but as she progressed, she saw people heading in the same direction as her. This made her hesitate for a second if she should keep walking, but she shook her head, believing it was just simple superstitions.

When she turned a corner, she was perplexed to see a large crowd almost blocking the entire street. She walked to try to see what was happening, but she couldn't distinguish anything due to her short stature.

As she got closer, she noticed that the crowd was actually a blockade of military and police officers preventing people from passing. Beyond the strange blockade, the remains of a fire that had already been extinguished could be seen. Smoke still rose faintly, and the smell of burning filled the air, making her feel fatigued. The firefighters were finishing packing up their equipment while the officers kept the crowd away from the incident.

"They say it was because of the electricity." Someone whispered around her, and another person refuted the comment.

"No, I heard it was arson."

"Arson? Are you sure?"

"Yes, by some lunatic." The irritation among the people was evident, and they continued to theorize about the causes of the fire.

No one seemed to know how the fire had actually started. She just stood there, unsure of what to do now. Her delivery was across the area, and now she wasn't sure if she could reach her destination.

She looked around worriedly, searching for any sign, noticing a narrow alleyway with no people. Maybe she could bypass the street by taking it. With the box firmly in hand, she ventured into the completely dark labyrinth. The brick walls of the buildings rose high and oppressive around her, with such a neglected look that it gave her a bad feeling, but it was too late to turn back.

The atmosphere there was quieter, but the ground was wet and slippery. She glanced at a constantly dripping pipe sticking out from a wall, explaining the excess stagnant water in the area. She advanced cautiously, watching each step to avoid slipping, although that was one of her lesser worries.

As she went deeper, the murmur of the crowd faded, leaving only the echo of her own steps and the occasional drip resonating in her ears. The air in the alleys was dense and strangely cold for three or four in the afternoon, loaded with the persistent smell of smoke and humidity that mingled with the horrible stench of accumulated garbage.

Although she felt nauseous from the surroundings, she had a sense of relief for not having to deal with the crowd. She continued through the alleys, blindly trusting her sense of direction to find a way out to the street. Sunlight barely reached those narrow corners, creating a play of shadows that gave the place a gloomy aspect.

Crack!

A sudden noise made her shudder and take two steps back. She looked up, trying to discern where the sound came from when she saw the figure of a person emerging from the darkness.

A young woman with long midnight blue hair that fell messily over her face, barely revealing her dull green eyes. Her pale skin contrasted with the darkness of her hair, combined with the almost nonexistent light reflecting in the area.

She felt a shiver, not just from the cold air, but from the sudden presence of the stranger. The young woman slightly raised her head, revealing a reserved look. She didn't seem very threatening; rather, her posture and expression denoted fear, a fear that was mutual.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to— Oh... Ah—"

"Excuse me, I—... Hehe... Oh—"

They had spoken at the same time, interrupting each other, leaving an awkward silence as they exchanged forced smiles.

"Uh— My name is Derpy Hooves..."

"Mine is... Minki—..." She quickly changed the tone of her voice and her words, trying to correct it. "Obsidian Quartz!... Obsidian... Quartz is my—... name."

She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. She was a mail carrier in the city and didn't know any 'Quartz' family. Maybe she wasn't from here. She slowly nodded with a more genuine smile.

"I'm trying to find my way out of these alleys," Derpy replied, watching as the other girl took a step back, almost as if she wanted to leave the place quickly.

"There's a shortcut," she murmured in response, pointing with one hand towards a narrow passage to her right. "Go straight, and you'll reach the main street."

Hooves nodded, beginning to walk in the indicated direction. Before getting too far, she looked once more at the strange girl, who seemed to be focusing on her own matters again.

Swallowing dryly, she turned back to her with a more cheerful tone. The girl gave her a strange feeling, and for some reason, she wanted to talk to her.

"Uh... Obsidian, maybe you could help me find an address. You seem very... nice."

The blue-haired girl glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, unsure of what to do. Her only flaw was that she didn't know how to say no, so she took a backpack and turned towards her.

"I think I can help you..."

They walked out of the alley with Quartz's directions. Although she was enigmatic, she had a good feeling about her. They seemed to understand each other effortlessly, something that didn't happen often.

Author's Note

Yeah, Obsidian Quartz It's Minkie Pie from 'The Muffin Saga'. Of course it is my own interpretation of the character with a less dark story. He's just trying to hide his identity.

If it sounds stupid, I like to smoke weed.

Capitulo 3 — Chaos.

❪ 🛴 | 🌈 ❫

𝟐𝟑.𝟎𝟒.𝟏𝟎𝟐𝟒 ┊ 𝟏𝟎:𝟒𝟕 𝐏𝐌

"Rainbow, do you think the moon is made of cheese?"

The question broke the strange silence, causing the multicolored mare to lift her eyes from her paperwork towards her adoptive sister, raising an eyebrow in confusion. She sneezed, trying to clear her throat.

"Excuse me, Scoots... The moon what?"

"If it's made of cheese, do you think so?" The violet-haired girl responded with strange energy.

"Ah-, I couldn't tell you... Why do you think that?" She set the papers aside while looking somewhat puzzled at her face.

A small moment of awkwardness arose as Scootaloo raised her hands, trying to gesture to explain her point, but only caused a more confused look from the rainbow-haired girl.

"Do you remember when Princess Luna came back? She came from the moon, and she... what could she have eaten all that time?"

She swallowed, trying to find an answer to her strange question. It had really been many years since that event happened, and she couldn't remember it clearly, though she doubted she ever had that exact information. She smiled, bringing a hand to her face, trying not to laugh. How did Scootaloo come to that conclusion?

"Oh, come on, Rainbow. Haven't you heard the phrase that the moon is made of cheese? Or about astronaut mice?" Scootaloo quickly moved her arm, trying to pantomime a rocket landing on the table in front of her. "White mice supervised from a spaceship by huge cats, but the mice never came back when they found the cheese."

She slightly pressed her lips together—did she just say cats? A muffled sound escaped her, followed by a laugh of the same intensity. Her composure quickly vanished as she imagined these mice living with Princess Luna for a thousand years. Her imagination gave her a picture of the strange cracks all over the moon; maybe the princess had made her mark by eating with the mice in those places.

"Haha, by Celestia! Why cats?! What do they need the cheese for?!" She quickly fell into laughter and several theories about how the story somehow needed it.

"Uh... To catch more mice? I don't know, Sweetie Belle says there'd be a huge hole from the mice after a thousand years, but I think the moon's already hollow."

"Hahaha! Could it be Swiss cheese?"

She was smiling, something she hadn't done lately, which made her little sister happy as she continued with her story about the moon made of dairy. The situation had flowed so smoothly, showing that their connection was still strong despite everything that was happening.

"Alright!" She coughed, trying to stop laughing. "Why don't you ask the princess about your story? The Solar Festival is in a few days; maybe we'll see her."

"But she didn't show up in previous years... did she?"

"I heard a vague rumor that she will this time. Besides... I don't think it would be hard to contact her."

She sighed, trying to refocus her mind on her work, picking up the papers again and rereading where she had left off. She quickly concentrated when she could grasp the information in front of her. It had become a routine to process so much information about the factory, and somehow the names on those sheets mostly went unnoticed, even though some seemed vaguely familiar; they had become just letters on paper, letters now crossed out in red.

When she finished, she had to return them first thing in the morning. She had only taken the liberty to work on them at home due to the excessive paperwork from the past few weeks in Cloudsdale, something she found rather unpleasant. Even though the factory's activities had ceased and moved under the SRF, it still contained many years of research of a secret nature that should have been eliminated months ago. But apparently, that wasn't in the administration's plans for now, as they had given priority to the anomalies sector's research. She didn't know anyone from that place, only that their projects focused on 'eternal life' or the solution to recent magical problems. She believed that any mistake in the administration could leak this information due to the risk of these sectors being in the same facilities, but it wasn't in her power to do anything about it.

With a pen in hand, she started crossing out names, comparing them with another document next to her. For a moment, she couldn't hear the approaching footsteps, only noticing when the sound of a glass plate hitting the table momentarily pulled her out of focus, directing her gaze to the contents of the dish, which for a moment left her frozen with a feeling of repulsion. They were just colorful cupcakes... Colors very similar to hers.

Rainbow Dash observed the multicolored cupcakes with a mix of discomfort and horror that she couldn't disguise in any way. The memory of recent vivid and disturbing dreams flooded her mind, pulling her out of reality for a few seconds, making her heart pound hard. Her reaction was instant and disproportionate, feeling a lump in her throat as fear overwhelmed her.

"This morning, I passed by Sugarcube Corner, and Pinkie gave me these special ones for you. They taste pretty good—I tried one on the way back," Scootaloo exclaimed with an innocent smile, not noticing her sister's reaction.

Dash abruptly pushed the plate back, causing the cupcakes to slide and nearly fall to the floor, completely breaking the previous tranquility and causing confusion due to Rainbow's aggressive reaction. The purple-haired girl took a few steps back, wide-eyed—had she done something wrong?

"I'm sorry, Rainbow. I-I thought it wouldn't hurt to try one."

"Get them out of my sight!" Rainbow interrupted with a trembling and anger-filled voice. The images of those damned pastries flashed in her mind, and Pinkie's voice whispering unpleasantly behind her suddenly became present, making her look around with growing paranoia. Everything was too fresh in her memory. She felt trapped in a spiral, as if the walls were closing in on her. The chair she was sitting on squeaked unpleasantly as she got up.

Scootaloo, beginning to realize that something was very wrong, tried to fix it as she gathered the cupcakes and lifted them to take them away.

"Please forgive me. I'll throw them away if-..."

The rainbow-haired girl surprised Scootaloo when she harshly slapped the plate out of her grasp, sending it and its contents flying across the room, believing it would bring them closer to her. The multicolored pastries flew and crashed against the wall, shattering into colorful pieces scattered across the floor, along with the plate that shattered and flew all over the place.

"Dammit, Scootaloo!" Rainbow shouted euphorically, her voice full of desperation echoing in the younger girl's ears as she clenched her fist at her. Her horrified eyes were filled with contained tears as if she had seen the devil himself, and her heart pounded furiously in her chest. She couldn't stand even the sight of that innocent object.

Scootaloo stepped back in horror, her eyes filled with tears and shock.

"Rainbow, I'm really sorry. I didn't know..."

"You don't know anything! Shut up!" Rainbow abruptly interrupted, overwhelmed by anger and anxiety, unable to control herself. She was capable of anything in that state; her breathing was ragged, and she quickly turned to the table, shoving all the documents into a briefcase within reach, not caring how the papers crumpled in the process.

Overwhelmed by rage and anxiety, unable to gauge her reaction, she circled around Scootaloo without noticing her stunned expression. She probably wouldn't have noticed if she had shoved her hard, though that didn't happen. Grabbing a coat and keys from a nearby piece of furniture, she headed towards the front door.

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" She screamed before slamming the door behind her, her voice echoing through the apartment with an unpleasant reverberation in her sister's ears. She stormed down the hallway, her footsteps resounding through the building as more voices invaded her mind, causing her to see things that weren't really there.

Scootaloo stood frozen in place, still holding her arms up as if holding a plate that wasn't there. That reaction from Rainbow wasn't just unexpected—it was like the sky had fallen on her. Something she had never experienced before now manifested as thoughts about whether she was truly to blame for these events. She completely broke down, placing one hand on the table and the other on her face as she tried not to cry, though it was in vain, as tears quickly streamed down her cheeks, dripping down her hand and forming a small puddle on the floor.

She remained standing, staring at the mess of the smashed cupcake, feeling overwhelmed by the situation. She sobbed for several minutes as her mind filled with negative thoughts. She couldn't understand what had happened or if it was really her fault.

❪ 📚 | 🧭 | 🚬 | 🌌 ❫

𝟐𝟒.𝟎𝟒.𝟏𝟎𝟐𝟒 ┊ 𝟎𝟏:𝟑𝟗 𝐀𝐌

Waking up is a painful transition, a forced return to the same reality that reminds you that you are truly alive and have a mission to fulfill in order to continue existing. But what is reality? A fragile construct, easily shattered by the ambition of many or the weakness of a few?

The first sensation was pain, a sharp pain in her head, each second stabbing her with a moan barely comprehending the intensity of the blow near her neck. But it was the least of her problems. She tried to open her eyes but only found a black veil. What? She couldn’t see. Was she blind? Had the blow been that severe? Trying to figure out what was happening, she blinked and shook her head repeatedly, feeling that bandages were wrapped around her face. Had a doctor done this? No, the bandages were of such poor quality that it couldn’t be the work of a doctor. She tried to move her hand to remove them, but her limbs didn’t respond as they should. Was she tied up? It was clear that this was not right. She was bound by ropes that seemed stronger than any metal. She attempted to move, but the effort only intensified the painful agony in her wrists and ankles. She felt a pressure in her chest from helplessness, not knowing what was happening and how she had ended up here. She moved frantically trying to free herself, but it was useless. She was beginning to panic, and this feeling worsened when she heard whispers around her, but she didn’t want to ask them for help. She was sure they had done this to her.

The air was thick with a strange scent, a mix of various plants and old, damp wood that she couldn’t ignore. Was it incense she was smelling? Around her, the voices murmured in a low, constant tone, a sinister whisper that became clearer with each repetition. It was an ancient dialect, but what were they referring to exactly? The words floated in the air, dancing around her ears, whispering promises of power and destruction in a dead language.

Is power an external force imposed upon others, or is it an internal spark, a will that someone receives to be above others? Twilight tried to calm herself by lowering her head and breathing deeply, focusing on the voices she was hearing. Gradually, her hearing sharpened, and she began to decipher more fragments of the words reaching her ears.

“… We have lived under a lie…” It was audible as several voices repeated with some euphoria.

Their voices merged into a single chant, with a certain emotion in their words. An enthusiasm that was unpleasant to her given her current situation.

“A lie created to deny us what was once ours, our power comes from Nightmare Moon, but now we serve a greater good.”

Her ears weren’t deceiving her; she had just heard ‘Nightmare Moon’ in their words, but that’s impossible. Princess Luna isn’t possessed by any dark force.

“Tonight will not only change our position on the board, we will eliminate any possible opposition, and as a symbol of loyalty and a show of strength-...” The bandages were roughly removed from her face, almost throwing her to the ground, but she managed to stay on the... Ground? The full moon’s light temporarily blinded her as she blinked several times to adjust her eyes. She was on some sort of altar; she couldn’t identify what material it was made of or what strange runes were marked on it. Her gaze focused on the hooded figures in front of her. “Princess Twilight Sparkle will be the sacrifice for the new life, the life that will lead us to victory.”

The voices became clearer, and the atmosphere changed. A chilling cold filled the air, making Twilight shiver involuntarily, almost pale with fear. The voices grew louder, and a chant began to emerge among some of those surrounding the scene, becoming increasingly unison and eerie with each passing moment. She could feel the dark power emanating from them, the sinister energy filling the air. As a survival instinct, she tried to conjure any spell, but it was useless. Why wasn’t her magic working?!

Reality hit Twilight like a bucket of cold water. She was in the middle of an unknown ritual, carried out by strangers in what seemed to be a tropical jungle. This wasn’t the Everfree Forest; it seemed she was far from home, making the feeling of not being able to escape even worse. The hooded figure next to her stepped forward, their voice standing out with authority as they repeated the chants of the others, extending their hand towards the wooden bowls on the altar. These ignited with a peculiar blue flame, and the flames of the torches took the same color.

“Princess Luna is weak by nature; tonight we will change that by giving the chance for the best ‘version’ of her to be reborn and walk with us to ensure victory against Celestia’s Tyranny, using her only student as fuel for the new life.”

The words echoed in her mind, each syllable generating an indescribable terror, hastening her struggle to free herself unsuccessfully. Twilight felt a chill run down her spine when the figure turned towards her and pointed a dagger at her, a strange dagger she had never seen before, but its features suggested it wasn’t from this era.

“No! Please! You can’t do this!”

She pleaded while continuing to struggle, the dagger approached her face, causing her to scream as it cut her skin sharply.

A cut, a simple cut had caused a superficial wound large enough to make her bleed. Blood gushed from her injured cheek; she wouldn’t say she was glad it wasn’t her neck, but she felt a moment of relief as she watched the bloody dagger being thrown into the blue fire on top of the bowls. The fire quickly turned a dark color, while some of the followers extended their hands towards the center of the ritual. Almost immediately, a glow became noticeable beneath their hoods and formed lines of connections with the fire that seemed to feed on their magical mana.

Still stunned by the magic she was witnessing, she tried to mentally note everything she observed. But she couldn’t foresee when the fire in front of her rose, the objects within the bowl seemed to melt, including the dagger itself, forming a strange black sphere, a mass moving on its own volition. She might have been excited by such powerful magic, but she regretted it when the strange magic connected with her in the same way it had with the disciples who had extended their hands.

She felt pressure throughout her body upon the first contact with the magic. She wanted to scream from the impending pain she was experiencing, but it was impossible. She was mute and immobile while her essence was being drained from her. She could almost feel her magic, which had previously failed, now leaving her body rapidly, but it was leaving so painfully that it was likely to kill her before it finished. She could barely make muffled groans while swaying in place, starting to lose strength and finding it increasingly difficult to stay on her knees.

The strange sphere turned into a vivid crimson, almost doubling in size instantly. The magic of one of the princesses of Equestria greatly assisted the dark spell, something that would normally have taken weeks if they didn’t have her here. The hooded figure watching the agonized face of the Princess of Friendship smiled widely, relishing her pain and showing his deep resentment towards his ‘class.’

Everyone smiled at the macabre scene, raising their voices as if feeding the very moon that shone with each prayer they shouted. Suddenly, a sound broke the concentration of those present, diverting their gazes towards its source. Gunshots... Nearby gunshots, too clear to ignore, resonated through the jungle like an echo warning of the danger threatening their ritual.

The senior hooded figure pointed to two of those present, who immediately responded with a bow. He pointed towards the forest again, and they understood right away, moving around the bushes while taking two rifles along the way, venturing into the undergrowth and cocking their weapons.

It was only a few minutes before more gunshots were heard, followed by others in response. The exchange of gunfire caused the ritual attendees to start becoming anxious, whispers of concern breaking the uniform chant. The senior hooded figure raised his hands, trying to restore order, and headed to the back of the ritual, climbing onto the altar itself.

From his robe, he pulled out a dagger marked with runes worn by time. Though it lacked magical abilities, it was symbolic to him. With both hands, he firmly held the dagger and raised it above the head of the slowly agonizing alicorn, unaware that everything was about to end.

“The blood of immortality and the power of the new moon, we call upon the magic of the Dark Age to awaken the true Nightmare Moon. May the sacrifice bring us new life and guide us in the eternal night. Vetus nox, nova nox, nox rubra, nox aeterna.”

The moon, a silent witness, seemed to shine even more brightly as if anticipating the outcome of that night.

At that moment, a shot rang out, louder and closer than the previous ones. The bullet pierced the head of the senior hooded figure, who fell forward, dropping the dagger which vanished into the chaos. The spell ceased upon contact with the blood, the magic stopped being drained from those present, and the sphere drastically reduced in size before exploding seconds later, blinding everyone. His death, in a twisted turn of fate, had partially fulfilled its purpose.

Twilight fell abruptly to the ground beside the altar. The magical explosion had freed her from her restraints, and she quickly regained her breath, trying to focus on what had just happened. She opened her eyes slowly, observing how the hooded figures had dispersed in different directions. Some had been gunned down, while others were fleeing into the jungle. Meanwhile, armed individuals, clad in minimal military gear but sufficient for the task, entered the clearing and began shooting at the fleeing cultists.

She heard footsteps around her. Someone crouched beside her and shook her while speaking. It was a female voice, somewhat grave, but at that moment it sounded like the very song of angels. Twilight lost consciousness moments later.

"Oh Celestia! Twilight, are you okay?" The voice moved Twilight onto her back while searching for water among their supplies.

"What the hell is she doing 100 kilometers from Ponyville?" Another voice, that of an older man with a heavy accent, responded, barely audible over the gunfire.

"Caballeron, tell the village by radio to speed up the evacuation. The bastards are all over the forest, and with Twilight here, we can’t drive them off any further."

"We have another problem, Daring." He pointed his weapon towards the altar.

Daring Do looked up at Caballeron and then at where he was pointing. Her eyes widened in surprise, not only because a child was lying where the spell had been cast but also due to the child’s extreme resemblance to Princess Luna—or rather, her evil counterpart. Although the girl seemed to be sleeping peacefully despite the chaos around her.

The adventurer hurriedly grabbed the robe from one of the dead cultists and covered the child with it. She turned to Caballeron, who was scrutinizing her actions, but with a simple serious look, she convinced him that what she was doing was right.

The two placed their weapons behind their backs; Caballeron lifted the Princess of Friendship, while Daring Do carried the covered child. She whistled, and their companions rushed to follow them into the forest. What kind of spell had they performed? Had it gone wrong, or was this the result the hooded figures had wanted?

The moonlight cast an eerie glow over them, and the dense jungle seemed endless to their frantic minds. The trees cast long, intertwining shadows, playing tricks on their perceptions and creating a maddening labyrinth. Daring Do moved quickly; she knew the jungle well and soon found one of the few visible paths through the vegetation. Though distant, the gunshots kept their reflexes sharp, even as the darkness occasionally played tricks on them.

"Daring, do you think this is all connected?" Caballeron asked, breathing heavily as he carried the princess.

"What do you mean?" Daring replied without taking her eyes off the path.

"You know... These bastards have been performing their weird rituals for months, but nothing like this. It’s odd they’d do something like this right after the country goes dark. Wasn’t the evacuation of the village overkill? We’ve dealt with those invaders before; we could’ve repelled them again."

"You heard the radios. They said it was Stalliongrad’s fault, the explosions at the power plants. What we found here shows this is much bigger than some lunatics with guns in the jungle. They’re colluding... 'damn communists,'” Daring grumbled as she veered off the path and plunged back into the forest, followed by the others without hesitation.

"Ha! But they make good weapons at a decent price; you can’t deny that. My good deal armed this militia in an hour. If we’d waited to reconnect with the nearest city to call for help, we’d be dead."

"Celestia, give me strength... They were gathering dust in the damn garage. Do you really want to fight here?" She glanced at Caballeron with a judging look. It was incredible how he continued walking without problems, knowing exactly when to turn without seeing the path.

"Okay, it wasn’t a good deal, but I’d have found a buyer sooner or later."

Daring raised an eyebrow, showing her frustration. Her partner’s ‘good deals’ were nothing more than simple smuggling. Although their treasure-hunting days were behind them, Caballeron’s bad habits hadn’t changed. She had hoped that with ‘Storm Cloud’ entering their lives, things might change, but it seemed he was just using those deals to save as much money as possible for his studies, even though a child needed nothing more than a few books in primary school.

They continued for what felt like hours until Daring came to a sudden stop. They had reached a paved road. She peeked through the vegetation and observed both sides of the road. She whistled a distinctive signal, which was answered from the other side. She crossed the road quickly, followed by the others at the same pace.

"Is the village empty?" Daring asked as she placed the child into one of the vehicles hidden among the vegetation.

"As you ordered, they’re heading to Cobblehoof... but why?"

"We need to get people to s-."

A deafening roar filled the air. Daring looked up and saw the silhouettes of fighter planes, almost invisible against the dark sky, flying overhead in tight formation, their engines roaring with a grave and threatening tone. She hadn’t heard them approaching, something that immediately terrified her. Hundreds of ideas about what was happening raced through her mind until one became clear; she couldn’t believe such a thing could be happening.

"What the hell...?" Caballeron exclaimed, heading quickly towards the trucks.

The sound of the jets faded just as suddenly as they had appeared. Moments later, the forest was shaken by a series of distant explosions. The detonations resonated through the ground, shaking the trees and causing a cloud of frightened birds to fly in all directions. The explosions came in small, repetitive waves, and Daring lost count of how many there were due to their repetitiveness.

"This can’t be just a terrorist militia. If Luna’s followers are involved with fighter jets, it can’t be a coincidence," Daring murmured initially but raised her voice as she spoke, feeling a chill run down her chest. "We’re being invaded! Damn it, we’re being invaded; we need to get out of here!"

As the explosions ceased in the distance, the buzzing of the fighter jets returned, this time with renewed urgency. They had lost their formation and appeared fewer than those that had passed earlier. They flew over the forest with the same speed they had arrived, disappearing as quickly as they had come.

Daring was in a state of complete desperation as all sorts of thoughts filled her head, but there was no time for panic. She hit the car to calm herself. They had to get out.

"Everyone in the vehicle, now!" Daring shouted, getting into the driver’s seat and gripping the wheel firmly. "We’re heading to Cobblehoof. It’s our best chance to find help and organize a defense."

"What the hell? Defense against what?! Are you crazy?" Caballeron protested from inside the vehicle as Daring ignored him. There was really no need to explain why they had to act.

The engine roared to life, and Daring slammed the accelerator, driving the vehicle onto the road. Four other cars followed closely behind, almost in formation. As they sped down the road, the tension in the air was palpable. Daring kept her eyes fixed on the horizon, knowing that every second could be crucial.

"What will we do when we get there?" Caballeron asked, trying to regain his composure.

"Canterlot should be aware. When we arrive, we’ll help the military with whatever they need and prepare the city for whatever comes next," Daring responded immediately. "We can’t let Equestria fall."

Caballeron snorted in annoyance as he watched the jungle vegetation from the window. He really couldn’t stop Daring from acting this way, but it seemed insane to him. Before Equestria, his daughter was his priority; he hoped she was already safe in that city. Another thought crossed his mind. He turned his head towards the back seat. Why was Twilight Sparkle so far from home and... who is this child?.

❪ ♖ | 🦟 | 🐃 ❫

𝟎𝟏:𝟒𝟓 𝐀𝐌

I’ve counted the seconds, the hours, the months… Years? By ‘Celestia’! I never imagined that my actions would lead to this punishment… It’s far worse than Tartarus itself, something I once considered the worst of experiences. Now, I wouldn’t even wish this upon my worst enemy. I’d rather die a thousand times over. The feeling of helplessness consumes me as I try to scream or simply be noticed by someone who would genuinely try to help me. Every time I see fleeting shadows moving around my immobile eyes, it pierces my soul and reminds me that I’m still alive.

The repugnant taste of the stone, its cold and bitter mineral touch drags across my dry tongue in moments of delirium, constantly reminding me of its dominion over me. Its rough and abrasive texture makes me nauseous whenever I think about it too much, which is more than I’d like, it’s a constant reminder of my imprisonment, so much time has passed that I believe it will become my tomb in life.

I miss the soup my mother used to make for me, although I used to despise it for its unusual flavor that didn’t suit my taste, I’d like to feel that warmth once more… What would my mother think if she saw me now?… Forgive me for everything, for not following your advice, for running away when you needed me most. I wish I could hug you one more time… I’m sorry.

I’m cold… a cold that penetrates my bones, freezing my soul. I can’t do anything about it. This sensation is heartbreaking, an endless agony. I wish I could die… but I’m afraid. Afraid of what comes after death. Is there a hell? If so, who awaits me there?

These thoughts torment me constantly. At first, my mind was filled with hatred and vengeance, vague ideas of what I would do once I was free. But soon, the emptiness took hold of me so quickly that I forgot when it even happened. Observing the haunting image of the statue garden I used to visit when I was in school became unbearable, heartbreaking, and a reminder that I had no control over my surroundings. Every tree, rock, and statue, memorized with obsession. I counted every leaf that fell in autumn and every flower that bloomed in spring. The birds perching on my head, the laughter of children who used to run among the bushes, the conversations of adults about everyday situations… I’ve heard thousands of stories, but in none of them my name, everything repeated endlessly, an endless torture. Had I ceased to exist for the world?

The feeling of emptiness turned into a sense of paranoia. Counting the seconds at first fueled my thirst for vengeance and hatred, but soon it became a relentless reminder of how long I had been in this stone prison. I stopped counting them to try to forget, but the ticking of the clock kept resonating in my mind, accompanied by whispers I couldn’t understand. WHY THE SOUND OF A DAMN CLOCK?!

TICK TOCK TICK TOCK TICK TOCK! STOP, PLEASE!

I was delirious more than I’d like to admit. I was thirsty, but I couldn’t drink. I was hungry, but I couldn’t eat. I was cold, but I couldn’t cover myself. I wanted to scream, but… I couldn’t move. Those last days had been different, vivid memories of my childhood filled my mind. Though I couldn’t change anything, I clung to those memories with all my might, embracing them in my small head as if they were real objects in their fictional map.

The most recurring one was simple to describe. The sun at its peak, a clear sky, a gentle breeze caressing my hair. I was under a tree, on a red picnic blanket with a generic checkered pattern, the aroma of freshly prepared food, a sweet apple pie with which I indulged mixed with the sweet smell of grape juice, I could almost taste them. I was accompanied by my mother, always smiling, dressed in her 90s clothes, which I disliked but suited her perfectly, I vaguely remember we were celebrating my recently obtained Cutie Mark that I had earned at school that day, a chess rook, she said it symbolized ‘leadership’ over others, but I didn’t quite understand it at the time.

Her warm embrace enveloped me as I rested my head on her chest. She gently stroked my hair while I listened to her slow breathing, the beats of her heart in a relaxed rhythm, combined with the movements that rocked me side to side. She accompanied all this with an angelic song she hummed, and at times, I could hear the lyrics that left her lips: ‘Mommy’s little girl needs to go to sleep,’ she whispered. It was early, but I always fell asleep before I could fully enjoy it. For a moment, I thought I had closed my eyes and slept deeply.

A deafening noise snapped me out of my trance. What the hell was that? With my limited vision, I tried to see what had happened, but everything remained the same, frozen as I remembered. The void had returned, accompanied by the relentless ticking of the clock and a white noise that grew louder every second. My sanity began to tear apart my mind, escaping aggressively and abandoning me, plunging me into total despair, trying to scream as if someone could really hear me.

HELP! HELP!! CELESTIA, FORGIVE ME, PLEASE, GET ME OUT OF HERE!! I’LL BE A GOOD GIRL, I’LL NEVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS AGAIN!! I WANT TO GO HOME, TO SCHOOL, I WANT MY MOM!! SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY!!!

Her screams echoed in her head, endlessly begging for clemency for her actions. Her voice quickly faded among the unstoppable sound of the invisible clock and the deafening buzzing that seemed to surround her, mixed with mental voices whispering nonsense. The voices seemed happy… They were laughing… WHO’S LAUGHING?!… PRINCESSES, I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY, I’M SORRY!

CRACK-!

A dry sound resonated in her mind, freeing her from that entire hell. The voices had ceased; she could no longer hear the clock or the buzzing. Silence? Now-...? Before she could continue thinking about what had just happened, the stone surrounding her quickly cracked, and before she knew it, she was free.

The layer of carved stone that had covered her body for so long shattered, flying in all directions and filling the place with a brief flash. The weight of reality didn’t hit her as quickly as that of gravity, which overcame her and made her fall face-first against the hard ground.

Pain flooded her body immediately. She tried to get up as best as she could, rubbing the affected area. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she let out whimpers of pain from the hellish sensation she felt in every corner of her body. It was hard to move without feeling a pang, especially in her joints; her hands and feet were invaded by a constant tingling, worse than thousands of needles stabbing at the same time. Even crying caused her pain.

She struggled to react to her surroundings. She heard some voices, but completely ignored them as she writhed in place. She opened her eyes and tried to look around, but her eyes took time to adjust to the movements of her head, and it felt as if her brain was bouncing inside her skull trying to process everything. It was night; the moon was at its peak. She recognized the statue park she had once visited, but now it was different, the vegetation and the order of things seemed forgotten.

“Come on, we have to get out of here.” A voice from her right spoke, serious and dull.

It took her a moment to react to the voice, but she recognized it instantly, clearly knowing who it was, although its form was barely a blur in her vision. Without thinking, without even understanding why she was doing it, she threw herself at it, wrapping the changeling in her small arms with desperate strength. She squeezed her eyes shut, while a heartbreaking sound came out of her mouth, her practically shattered voice resonating in the place.

“CHRYSALIS! CHRYSALIS! I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT HELL! PLEASE!” She screamed between sobs, her voice completely broken by fear. She clung tighter, trembling violently, as if her life depended on it. Her words were barely understandable.

Her eyes, overflowing with more tears, looked with terror at the world around them, as if it could collapse again at any moment and drag her back to that frozen prison. She didn’t want to go back.

“Please, please… don’t let me go… I don’t want… I don’t want to be alone again…” She whispered, barely audible, as her body collapsed onto Chrysalis’. A hand gently stroked her head, trying to smooth down her messy hair. Cozy let out a sigh, trying to regulate her breathing, more calm. She wasn’t going to let go, and it seemed they understood that. She heard the voices exchange a few dialogues as they moved away from the place. She still kept her eyes closed. She just wanted to sleep a little, just a little.

Author's Note

Well, this is my own interpretation of 'Past Sins'. Credits to its creator.

If you like it and want me to continue it or know about an update, visit my WhatsApp Channel.
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakdTfH1SWt4B2BOVL2I