Sound of Insanity

by Nuggetking

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Tragedy
Length: 7262

That whisper you hear in the distance, urging you to do horrible things, is closer than you think.

First Fimfic! Please comment! A pony who was usually quite nice and goodhearted takes a turn for the worse. The Voices. They've always been there, whispers in the wind, but they're getting louder. More…powerful than usual. They've been small, quiet, sometimes even unnoticed. They tell him to do…unsightly things. Horrible, horrible acts, and he's always kept them hidden. He kept his sanity. He resisted. He turned the feelings into musical pieces, art, poetry, and other means of expression. But he can't keep this up very long. The Voices grow more powerful daily. This, is the story of the straw that broke the camels back, and the outcome afterwards. This, is the story of Sivad.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2012-10-17 03:26:42 UTC

Rising

"Please! Please just let me go! I didn't do anything!" Tears welled up in her eyes as he approached. "I didn't do anything!" she repeated, sobbing. She had been here for days. Each day she was tortured, or killed. But his magic healed her. His magic revived her. Just so he could do it all over again. Her eyes widened when she saw the knife. The bloodstained knife. The knife that she was so familiar with. The cold steel against her skin made warm by her blood. All she could do was whimper and hope that this time around he stops soon. She shut her eyes in fear...But no further pain came. She risked the look, and saw his grin. The only thing visible besides his red mane and eyes, seemingly disembodied in the darkness. She thought back to how he turned out this way. What horrible thing made him like this? Or was he always this evil deep inside? They had been friends in school. She had always been kind and friendly to him. Then again, he was always kind as well... Then, a sharp pain in her stomach. Then again. And again. He was stabbing her. Blood flowing freely from the open wounds. He then plunged the knife into her again, this time twisting it before pulling it out, bringing intestines out with it. He stabbed the knife in her chest with such a force, the cracking and splintering of bones were easily audible. But she didn't feel it anymore. She was dying. Going numb and cold. Her life flashed by like it has done before. She noticed particularly the parts that involved him. We used to hang out after school. We shared countless memories. We were best friends... She thought as a tear rolled down her face, feeling the betrayal as she did the knife. Sometimes, it's the fact that my friend is doing this to me that makes this hurt so much. What happened to hi-Nothing. She had died again. But this time, she stayed dead.

Sivad woke up. Dazed, confused, What the hell happened? How long was I asleep? He looked around a bit And where the buck am I?! That's when he noticed. His beloved friend, Serenity, nailed to the wall, intestines spilled, heart visible through the splintered bone, a single tearstain on her cheek. "NOO! Why did it have to be her?! Sivad slumped to the ground in a crumpled heap. Sobbing at what has become of his closest friend. Why wasn't I strong enough?! Why didn't I stop?! His thoughts were thoughts of self-hatred. Serenity... "I can save her. I can use magic to bring her back!" he said hopefully, You can't control your own magic He strained to start the spell You've always been a screwup His horn was glowing in a dark grey hue as magic coursed through it, You did this to Serenity Magical sparks flew from his horn You should be proud. It's what you wanted. It's what *we** wanted.* "No! I didn't want this! You wanted this! You did this! Not me!" He said as tears flowed from his eyes and the magical glow died down. He concentrated on bringing Serenity back...But he couldn't. He just couldn't. Every attempt ended in failure. He had killed somepony he loved. Again. He failed to bring them back. Again. "Why couldn't I stop myself?" He screamed at nopony. He crawled over to Serenity, pulled the nails out of her hooves, and layed her down. "Serenity...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry" He sat beside her limp body. Her open eyes staring into his being, asking the silent question 'Why did you do this to me?' "I don't know!" He answered the unsaid question. "I...I just don't know." His legs buckled from underneath him, and he fell. A miserable, sobbing heap on the floor. Grab the knife He shook his head Grab the knife He shut his eyes, trying to push the Voices away. Grab...The...Knife! The knife was raised in the air by Sivad, yet at the same time, not Sivad. Stab her "No! Please don't make me do this to her!" Tears beggining to flow again, "Please...Please..." Stab her He shut his eyes tighter as he heard the noise of the knife slicing through flesh. Bones cracking. Flesh tearing. Open your eyes and see what you've done Sivad cried as his eyes opened. He didn't want to see. But They were making him. He wasn't controlling himself anymore, They were. This wasn't him. This couldn't be him. As soon as his eyes opened, he turned away from the ghastly scene, collapsing once more in tears Look at what you did Against his will, his head turned. He stared at the poor pony before him. Her horn was sawn off, leaving a bloody stump. Her mouth had been cut at the sides to form a bloody grin. Her eyelids were cut off, leaving her bloody eyes staring at him. She was completly split open, organs spilled onto the floor, and her cutie mark was nothing but a patch of muscle where the knife sliced off her skin. You should be glad of what you did. You *wanted** this to happen* Sivad fell to his hooves again and crawled up the stairs. Anything to get away from what he's just seen. But he will never forget. Nothing can make him forget what he...No, what They did. He didn't do this. He would never do this. Especially not to Serenity. Yet he did. He couldn't fight the Voices as he once did. He couldn't resist anymore. He was theirs to command and control. I don't even know what are my thoughts and their thoughts he thought to himself Serenity is gone now...I killed her... He was at the top of the stairs when he realized that this was his own home. She trusted me, and I killed her. She was my friend, and I killed her. She *loved** me, and I...I killed her* These were his last thoughts before he passed out again.

Authors' Note: This is my first story. I don't exactly know why I chose this style of story, but I decided on doing it anyways. Constructive Criticism is welcomed, please tell me what I did wrong if you see something. If you have a specific request, PM me. I will do my best to add it in. Thanks for reading the first chapter!

Day One, Memories

Screams...Horrible, horrible screams. The screams of a young mare in distress. In pain. In agony. "Ah! Serenity!" Sivad awoke in a cold sweat. Hating himself for what he did, and afraid of what he will continue to do, Sivad sat up, and stared at the wall with a depressed look on his face. He remembered every gruesome detail about Serenitys' tragic death. How she was revived and healed, just so she could live through torture again. Nailed to a wall to keep her from escaping. Screaming at him to stop. Begging him. Pleading him to stop. She was still down there too. Her poor mutilated corpse. What could have happened to her? I don't know, what do *you** think?!* Sivad thought to himself bitterly. He knew perfectly

well what happened. But he wasn't sure why he let it happen. It was all his fault. And much to his dismay, he's started remembering what he did to Serenity during those three days before her gruesome death.

Three days ago... "Hey Sivy! You said there was a book you wanted to show me at your house after school didn't you?" Serenitys' voice rang out, he loved hearing her voice. So calm, yet slightly forceful, just enough to be audible. Serenity herself was also very calm. Sivad, taken by surprise, suddenly remembered. "Oh...um. Yeah. That book. I think you'll find it interesting. Let's go!" He had purchased the book a few days before, with no real intention of reading it. It was only to get Serenity to come to his house. He hadn't even read it, because it dealt with magic. Sadly, he wasn't any good at magic. Spells never seemed to work. Serenity however, was a natural! So this was the perfect book, assuming she hadn't read it yet. Serenity followed Sivad through his gate into his medium sized house. Nothing special really. Made of stone, two stories plus a basement. Roomy, but not enough to make you feel overwhelmed with space. "The book is over he-" He stopped midsentence. Something wasn't right...Take her to the basement 'No! I won't hurt Serenity! She's my friend! She trusts me! She loves me!' he told the Voices in his mind. Take her to the basement it echoed in his mind. He had to fight it, but he was fighting a battle he could not win. He was completely taken over from this point. Not able to speak, or move. "I almost forgot. I accidentally left the book in the basement. Let's go." Now, Serenity was quite confused. Sivad was forgetful, yes. But he took great care of his books. He would never leave a book in his basement! Then again, he might have set it down there and forgot about it. Yeah. That's probably it. "Okay, let's go see the book shall we Sivad?"

Once in the basement, Sivad slammed and locked the door. "Sivad, what are you doing?!" Serenity asked, obviously worried, if not frightened, by her friends sudden change in mood. Pick up the knife Sivad...Pick it up Looking around, he saw the knife. Levitating it with magic, he walked closer to Serenity, who was trying to process what was going on. "Sivad, put that knife down now!...please put it down? Please?! Sivad stop!" He kept walking towards her with an empty look in his eyes. This wasn't like him! She ran for the stairs, desperate to get away. Don't let her out. Make her stay put! Sivad obeyed. Serenity was shoved to the wall with magic. Crying and squirming, she looked at Sivad. That empty look was all she got in response. "Sivad...please. What are..." She noticed the nails floating towards her. One nail was firmly planted against her front-right hoof. All she could do was sob once she realized what he was doing. Using magic, the five inch nails were slowly driven into her hooves, forcing a strangled cry from Serenity, along with tears. Her hooves split, and blood was dripping down the walls, creating a large puddle on the floor below. "Don't move Serenity...I'll come back for you" Sivad grinned before walking back up the stairs. Not wanting to think about what happened to him, or what he might do when he comes back, she ripped her front-left hoof off of the nail, tearing the flesh even more. She was crying horribly now. She looked at her other front hoof, and ripped it off of the nail. This time blood sprayed her in the face. She fell forward, which tore her back hooves from the nails, splitting them down the middle into seperate halves barely held together. She tried to crawl, but the pain that exploded from her hooves was too great. She could do nothing to get away. She sat in a crumpled heap, waiting for Sivad to return. What will he do to her?

Sivad suddenly noticed that he had been standing at the bookshelf for a while now. He remembered taking Serenity down to the basement...He didn't quite remember why she was here...The book! He should take it to her. That is, after all, the reason she's here. He grabbed the book off the shelf, and went to the basement. It was dark, and he couldn't see well since his eyes haven't adjusted yet, and...wait...What's this on the floor? A sticky red liquid...blood. His eyes widened. "Serenity!" She was hurt. He knew it. This was all a mistake. "Serenity!" .....Silence. But that's when he heard it. The smallest whimper of fear in the corner of the room. Afraid of what he might see, he slowly walked over. "S...Serenity?...Agh!" He jumped back when he saw her. "Serenity!!! What happened?! We have to get help!" At the sight of Sivad, she tried to cower back further away into the corner, her hooves sliding against the floor, now slippery from her own bloody hooves. "I'm going to get hel-" Sivad froze again, and his eyes once again went blank. He looked at Serenity, and said "Aww, did someone try to escape? Well there's one way to make sure that it won't happen again." He levitated her, and put her against the wall again. She was crying and screaming, desperate to get away, but his magical grip was too strong. He got more nails out of the box, and drove them higher up than before, right below the knees. Serenitys' entire being went limp from the agonizing pain she was going through. Once the nails were through, Sivad bent the ends at a 90 degree angle so she couldn't get away. If she had any strength left, she would have fought once she noticed Sivad grab the knife again. But she couldn't. So much blood...So much pain...She just wanted it to end. The knife plunged deep into her throat, blood bubbling out of her mouth and neck. She tried to scream, but ended up coughing up more blood. She choked and sputtered before going limp again. 'Sivad...Why?' The pain slowly faded away into nothing, as she accepted her death gratefully. Anything to get out of this nightmare...

Authors' Note: Please comment on the story and let me know what you think! How can I improve? This is my first story after all. Please 'Like' and 'Favorite' I'll be adding chapters as frequently as possible.

Day Two, Revival

"Serenity..." She awoke. The pain in her hooves, knees and throat very present. "You didn't think I'd let you go that easily did you?" She tried to scream, but could only produce a gargled sound. Her throat was still slashed open...How was she still alive 'Why can't he just let me die?!, she thought in her head, Why...Just let me die...please... "I couldn't just leave you dead. You were just too much fun!" answering her unsaid question with a devious grin, "I read a few books while you were gone, and found a revival spell, and decided to bring you back, and kill you again!" 'He's...he's going to torture me, and kill me, all over again? Tears were now streaming down her bloodstained face Wait...Spells! Why hadn't I thought of this before?! She quickly healed her slashed throat, and eased the pain of her hooves and knees...somewhat. Sivad didn't look phased in the least. It almost seems like he expected her to do so. A magical glow surrounded Sivad, and he was pushed against a shelf, knocking various objects off. He smiled at Serenity, who had a raging glow in her eye. He knew she wouldn't kill him. Even after all he did to her, she wouldn't kill him. How could she? A sweet, innocent soul like her? Her magic was weak to him. He easily broke free from his magical bonds. "Have a few tricks do we?" He chuckled to himself "Can't have you using magic to stop me can we now?" She was still nailed to the wall, trying to escape. In a panic, she quickly bent the nails back to a straight line, and started ripping her legs off of them, reopening the wounds and tears below her knees. A scarlet glow surrounded her, and slammed her back onto the nails. "Auuuugh!!! No!!! Nooo!!!" She screamed and thrashed as the nails were bent back at the previous angle. She grew silent when she saw what he was holding. A small, but sharp hacksaw was in his magical grip. "What can we do about your pesky magic? I have a few ideas." He raised the hacksaw, and set it on Serenitys' horn, and began sawing. "AAAGGGHHH!!!" An agonizing wail escaped from Serenitys' mouth as the saw began cutting through her horn. It bled heavily, blood running down her face. Her vision went blank from the severe pain she was experiencing. Magical sparks flew from her horn as it was sawn completely off, and clattered to the floor as Serenity cried and sobbed. Sivad took Serenitys' horn, and grinded against the stone floor until the point was sharp, and jammed it into violently into her stomach. Then in her chest, and each leg. Her bones splintered and cracked, muscles and organs were torn and mangled. She looked down at herself in a daze, and saw torn flesh and sinew hanging loosely, before she died once again.

But she wasn't dead long.

Sivad was no longer interested in prolonging her life, and was now more interested in quickening her deaths. While she was still dead, he slit her stomach open more, letting her entrails fall out in a pile at her hooves. He took her ribs that broke off, and stabbed one in her heart, the others in her lungs, and two more in her throat. Then he healed her. All of the wounds healed perfectly, but the poor mare still had bones jammed in her heart, lungs, and neck, and her organs were spilled in a steamy pile below her.

Then, he brought her back...

Pain. Pain like never before. Her very heart felt like it had been stabbed. She couldn't speak, she couldn't breathe, she just silently stared at the bones stuck in her neck, eyes clouded and unblinking. Her body convulsed involuntarily for a while, and she died again. But Sivad brought her back. Again. Again. And again. But Sivad grew tired of this as well. He put the ribs in other places. Her legs, her jaw, her eyes, and repeated the process. Then he had an idea. He took all of the ribs out, and healed her of her injuries, and brought her back. He felt his 'artistic' side come out. So with a sharp bone in his magical grip, he began to carve drawings into her flesh, all the while Serenity was screaming, and even at some points passing out for short whiles as a result. Sivad looked at his 'canvas' of flesh, satisfied with his work so far. He had carved an image of a pony, with striking similarity to Serenity, a teardrop, a knife, and a broken horn. Oh. And a smiley face. He wasn't quite sure why, but then again, why not? At one point during his drawing, while thrashing and squirming in a futile attempt to escape the pain, Serenity stabbed herself on the bone 'pencil' Sivad was using to carve her. It went deep into her left lung, and she died shortly after. Almost enough to  make me wonder if she did this on purpose..., Sivad thought to himself. Did she not like what I drew for her? He chuckled at his own joke. Truth be told, they weren't the best drawings. But it was the best he could do. Serenity was a squirmy one, and wouldn't sit still. Not to mention his 'canvas' was completely stained with blood now, and you couldn't make out a drawing on it if you tried.

Maybe I'll have to carve a bit deeper next time... Or maybe the bone utensil simply wasn't sharp enough? Oh well. Might as well fix both problems. Sivad sharpened the bone to a point, brought Serenity back and healed her, and started over, this time etching deeper into her skin. Might have to do something to make her move less. Maybe more nails. Sivad thought of all kinds of ways to prevent Serenity from moving. While I do like the idea of using magic to restrain her, I might just cut her tendons and ligaments. If that doesn't stop her from moving, then I'll resort to other methods, he thought to himself while continuing his work. He stepped back from the sobbing Serenity, and admired what he did. He then carved an X above Serenitys' heart, and stabbed the bone right through it. She convulsed and shook, and died again. But this time, instead of waiting to revive her just before torturing her, Sivad decided to revive her, and leave her there. Just to see what she would do...Or rather, what she could do. Not much most likely, but he was still curious to find out. He yanked the bone out of Serenity, healed her, brought her back, and left. Closing and locking the door behind him.

What lengths will she go through to escape? Time to watch the show

Day Three, End and Present

Serenity looked up just in time to see Sivad leaving the basement, locking the door behind him. What is he doing?! Why is he leaving?! she thought frantically, What is he planning to do to me?... She didn't hurt anymore, so at least that was good. She looked up, and didn't see the tip of her horn like she normally would. My horn...Where is my... Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered. She hung there in silence, and waited for Sivad to come back.

She waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Serenity knew she had to escape, but if Sivad caught her again...What would he do to her as punishment? Pfft. What could he do that he hasn't already done? She then shuddered as she thought of several things he hadn't done. I have to get out... She looked dreadfully at her legs. She was still nailed to the wall, and this time the nails were bent at a ninety degree angle upwards. She could probably survive ripping her front hooves off the nails, but her back legs were nailed right below her knees. She wouldn't be able to walk at all. I'll crawl, she thought, determination in her blood-and-tear-stained face. I will crawl. And I will get out. I will find help So gritting her teeth, and shutting her eyes, she violently tugged on her front hooves. Yes, it hurt, but it didn't phase her. She had to keep trying. With adrenaline flowing through her veins, she tugged on her front hooves until she was free. Consequently, she fell forward. Causing the nails in her knees to rip and tear through her flesh and muscle, breaking the joints. Her legs were hanging on by only a few scraps of flesh and tendon. A pain-filled growl filled the room as she crawled to her horn. She needed it to escape. She grabbed her horn, and jammed it into place. The dried blood formed a kind of glue, but it wouldn't hold. She looked around, and grabbed a nail, and pressed into the sawn edge of her horn, and then jammed it onto her bloody stump. Her mouth opened in a silent scream of agony, but it didn't last long. She healed her wounds, except for her horn because she didn't want the nail in her forever, and walked up the stairs in a drunken fashion. Her vision was flashing from the pain in her horn, occasionally going blank. She had made it to the door, and forced it open using magic, which only made the pain worse. But she saw Sivad waiting. She was pushed down the stairs, and her horn broke off again, along with several bones. Serenity backed away, crying and sobbing as she did so, not only from fear, but from pain as well. Sivad advanced towards her, and violently jammed her on the nails again, and grabbed the knife.

"Please! Please just let me go! I didn't do anything to you!" Serenity screamed at him, sobbing.

It ended quickly. Several stabs to the stomach and chest, and it was over. She wasn't revived. She didn't know this, but Sivad - the real Sivad - was screaming just as much as she was, if not more. He was fighting the entire time, even if it wasn't known to him during the time. He didn't beat the Voices when all was done. They let him go shortly after Serenitys' death.

Sivad woke up. Dazed, confused, What the hell happened? How long was I asleep? He looked around a bit And where the buck am I?! That's when he noticed. His beloved friend, Serenity, nailed to the wall, intestines spilled, heart visible through the splintered bone, a single tearstain on her cheek. "NOO! Why did it have to be her?! Sivad slumped to the ground in a crumpled heap. Sobbing at what has become of his closest friend. Why wasn't I strong enough?! Why didn't I stop?! His thoughts were thoughts of self-hatred. Serenity... "I can save her. I can use magic to bring her back!" he said hopefully, You can't control your own magic He strained to start the spell You've always been a screwup His horn was glowing in a dark grey hue as magic coursed through it, You did this to Serenity Magical sparks flew from his horn You should be proud. It's what you wanted. It's what *we** wanted.* "No! I didn't want this! You wanted this! You did this! Not me!" He said as tears flowed from his eyes and the magical glow died down. He concentrated on bringing Serenity back...But he couldn't. He just couldn't. Every attempt ended in failure. He had killed somepony he loved. Again. He failed to bring them back. Again. "Why couldn't I stop myself?" He screamed at nopony. He crawled over to Serenity, pulled the nails out of her hooves, and layed her down. "Serenity...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry" He sat beside her limp body. Her open eyes staring into his being, asking the silent question 'Why did you do this to me?' "I don't know!" He answered the unsaid question. "I...I just don't know." His legs buckled from underneath him, and he fell. A miserable, sobbing heap on the floor. Grab the knife He shook his head Grab the knife He shut his eyes, trying to push the Voices away. Grab...The...Knife! The knife was raised in the air by Sivad, yet at the same time, not Sivad. Stab her "No! Please don't make me do this to her!" Tears beggining to flow again, "Please...Please..." Stab her He shut his eyes tighter as he heard the noise of the knife slicing through flesh. Bones cracking. Flesh tearing. Open your eyes and see what you've done Sivad cried as his eyes opened. He didn't want to see. But They were making him. He wasn't controlling himself anymore, They were. This wasn't him. This couldn't be him. As soon as his eyes opened, he turned away from the ghastly scene, collapsing once more in tears Look at what you did Against his will, his head turned. He stared at the poor pony before him. Her horn was sawn off, leaving a bloody stump. Her mouth had been cut at the sides to form a bloody grin. Her eyelids were cut off, leaving her bloody eyes staring at him. She was completly split open, organs spilled onto the floor, and her cutie mark was nothing but a patch of muscle where the knife sliced off her skin. You should be glad of what you did. You *wanted** this to happen* Sivad fell to his hooves again and crawled up the stairs. Anything to get away from what he's just seen. But he will never forget. Nothing can make him forget what he...No, what They did. He didn't do this. He would never do this. Especially not to Serenity. Yet he did. He couldn't fight the Voices as he once did. He couldn't resist anymore. He was theirs to command and control. I don't even know what are my thoughts and their thoughts he thought to himself Serenity is gone now...I killed her...

Sivad awoke from his terrible nightmare. All these things he had done...All the things he will continue to do...

Slaughter

What have I done?! Sivad didn't care about his well being anymore. Now that Serenity is gone...Why didn't I stop?! "Why?! It had to be her!" He let out a loud, anguished wail. "Out of all the ponies I cared about!" In a blind rage, he threw himself at the wall, with such a force that his house shook, and books fell of their shelves. He hit the wall again, and again, fracturing his right shoulder, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the pain he felt inside of his broken soul. He looked down in despair, and saw the book he bought for Serenity. "Simple Magic Spells" by Twilight Sparkle... She lives here in town...She must be able to help! And with that, he more or less limped to Twilights residence.

He knocked on the door, and sure enough, the lavender unicorn answered. "Oh. Well hello! I haven't seen you around here at all. What's your name?" She was kind and well mannered. A glint of intelligence was easily found within her. "I'm Sivad. I recently bought a book of yours, and I tried the revival spell, but for-" "REVIVAL SPELL?!" Twilight screamed, "WHAT REVIVAL SPELL?!" She looked around carefully, and pulled Sivad inside, and closed the door. "There was a revival spell in the back of the book." Sivad said carefully. "Oh no...no no no no no!" Twilight paced the floor frantically "That was supposed to be taken out in the next draft! Celestia said that a revival spell would be, A, too complex for a begginer to do, and B, extremely forbidden, and under no circumstances may it be used!" Sivads' broken heart broke even more when he heard her say those last words...'under no circumstances may it be used' "My...My friend is dead..." Twilight stopped her ranting. "What?" Sivad had tears forming in the corners of his eyes "My friend...Serenity...She's dead. I tried using the revival spell, but couldn't do it...I...I need help..." Twilight looked unimagineably shocked...She hadn't been expecting this turn of events. A pony came to her door, needing help with a revival spell to save his dearest friend, and she just told him that under no circumstances my it be used...She felt horrible. Determined to fix this, she raised the question "How did she die? In order to preform a working revival spell, if we know the cause of death, we know what to heal." Sivad looked even worse than before. "She...She was murdered..."

Twilight almost fainted. A murder case too? "There's a murderer in Ponyville?!" Sivad spoke softly in reply "I took care of him." Twilight, not wanting to get mixed up in the whole 'murder' thing, just accepted the reply. "She was stabbed...alot..." Twilight didn't meet his unblinking gaze. "Well, now we know what to fix, and we can cast the revival spell. But one more question. What did you do to the murdere-" She was cut off abruptly by Pinkie Pie, who appeared out of nowhere. "Ohmygosh! I knew you would come here, so I took it upon myself to welcome you! WOO! WELCOME PARTY!!!" She fired off her party cannon as other ponies (probably her friends) came into the house. There were party decorations everywhere. Frankly, neither Sivad, nor Twilight were in the mood for a party at the moment. Regardless, Pinkie was just firing off her party cannon. Then, the smoke alarm went off, and the library went into lockdown. A loud alarm sounded, and a shy looking, yellow pony squealed, and ran out of the house, quickly followed by a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane shouting "Wait! Fluttershy! It was just an alarm!" When the two left, all the doors were magically sealed. Nobody could get in or out until the lockdown was over. Pinkie was stoked. "Woo! Sleepover!" Then, the power went out. "Aww. I'm not even tired yet!"

Nows your chance! Kill them! *Kill them!*** Sivad did not hesitate. He levitated a spatula, and shoved it into Pinkies' throat. Pinkie, not expecting this, could only scream silently, her eyes unblinking. Good. Now for the white unicorn

Rarity was busy trying to find a source of light, and was looking around in the kitchen for matches. Sivad shoved her head into the oven, and violently shut the door, decapitating the poor unicorn. They will have heard the noise! Hide! Quickly! Sivad hid behind the door as an orange western-looking pony entered the room. "Rarity? What're ya doin? Makin a ruckus when tha powers out?" Sivad didn't give her a chance to utter another word. He quickly grabbed a knife out of the cupboard, and shoved it through the back of her neck, killing her silently. Not that it would have mattered anyways. He heard a scream coming from the main room. Twilight, having found a flashlight, had found Pinkie, barely alive. Dead when Sivad got to her. Sivad stabbed Twilight in the neck before she could react with anything more than a startled gasp. She fell to the floor, bleeding out next to Pinkie. Sivad left them to die. Or, he was going to, until he heard more footsteps coming downstairs. A little purple and green dragon walking around sleepily. You don't have time for this! Kill him! A quick slash in the neck, and his head bumped down the stairs, spilling blood the way down.

Good. Now the other two that escaped! He didn't have to wait long. The rainbow pegasus had busted down the door after hearing the screams. "Had you come to help? You were a little late." Sivad stabbed her, aiming for her chest, but she evaded. Sivad stabbed at her again, hitting her wing. She turned to escape, and was gone before Sivad could trap her.

Where'd that little yellow pegasus run off to?

Sivad traced the pegasus...Fluttershy was it? Back to the woods. A small house was there at the edge of the forest. Very isolated from everything else. He put the knife in the bushes, and knocked on the door. He heard a startled "EEP!" Then the door slowly opened. "Oh!...I'm sorry...It's just that...uhm, when the alarm went off it uhm...Kind of scared me a bit. Then when you knocked on the door..." She smiled sheepishly "Oh, look at me keeping you outside! Come in...if...if you want to." With an appreciative smile, Sivad entered her house...

Strength and Defiance

Rainbow flew threw the air, leaving a trail of blood pouring from her wing. The pain was made more severe each second she was flying, but she couldn't stop. She had to warn Fluttershy before it was too late. She wasn't able to fly straight, twisting and turning, but she flew straight enough to get to Shys house from here. She was flying above the forest, and was heading straight towards a tree. She tried to turn, but her wing was too badly damaged for turning at such high speeds. She slowed down best she could, and braced for impact. *CRACK* She hit the tree with horrendous force, and tumbled down, hitting branches along the way until finally hitting the ground with a thud. Something inside her was broken. No! I have to tell Shy! I have to... She tried to move, but couldn't move more than a few inches at a time. So she leaped as far as she could. Yes, it hurt each and every time she moved or landed, but she had to warn Shy before whoever it was got to her! Leap after leap, each one hurting more than the last, she made progress.

Fluttershy was such a nice pony. She had let him in without question. A complete stranger! Such a kind, caring heart. Almost like...Serenity...Sivads heart seemed to stop beating...Go on, kill her... Sivad engaged in a raging mental battle, but he was quickly losing. "Are you thirsty? I'd hate to be a bad hostess." Sivad shook his head and smiled "Oh, no thanks. I just came here to meet you. You ran off before the party started with that blue pegasus." Fluttershy was blushing mildly "Oh. I get startled very, very...very easily." She said timidly. Sivad looked at the shy pony before him. She really was like Serenity...C'mon...the knife is outside, just say you forgot something...Or you need fresh air! Sivad looked around a bit, and said "I-I need some fresh air. I'll be right back. And with that, he turned around, and headed out the door.

Every leap hurt. Every movement hurt. Every breath hurt. But she wouldn't stop. She couldn't stop. What kind of monster would hurt Fluttershy? She's so innocent! If She saved Flutters-No, when she saved Fluttershy, they would get through this together. But until then, she had to keep trying. Her progress was painfully slow, but she wouldn't give up.

Good. Now go back inside and *kill** her* He obeyed. "Oh. You're back. It's really late now, so I set up a bed for you over there." She pointed to a mattress, with a few blankets and a pillow with her wing. "Or, if you'd like, you can sleep on the couch. I'd hate for anypony to be outside alone at night, so you must stay." She looked down at her hooves "If...if you want to that is..." Sivad had raised the knife behind her back. Do it! Stab her! Kill her! Sivad no longer saw Fluttershy. He saw Serenity. They're so much alike...I can't kill her again...not again Fluttershy looked at Sivad waiting for a reply. Stab her!....No! I won't!...Kill her!...NO! He resisted the Voices. For all the ponies he'd killed before, and to save the ones he would in the future. For himself, for Fluttershy, for...Serenity, he resisted. He threw the knife at the wall, and it stuck 4 inches in. "EEP!" Fluttershy stared at the knife... "Well, nobody got hurt...right?" She had no idea the battlefield that was in Sivads head. Get the knife, and stab her! He wouldn't. He won't give in. He thought of all the ponies he had killed, and their mourning families. Meanwile, Fluttershy noticed his horn started to glow. He thought of what had become of the ponies he had killed, or left dying at the party. The poor pegasus he had stabbed in the wing. He thought of Fluttershy, who doesn't even know what happened to her friends, and he thought of Serenity. The mare he loved, the mare who loved him.

Rainbow lost her sense of direction. She'd been leaping in circles, and now it's too dark to see. She was tired, and even though she seemed to have given up, she was screaming underneath. Not a scream of determination however. A scream of failure. She wasn't fast enough to save her friend. She had failed. By now, Fluttershy, poor, poor Fluttershy, was dead or dying. Then a thought occured. Maybe it was better this way. Maybe it was better that they die together, rather than one living. Fluttershy didn't deserve to be alone in the world. These were her last thoughts before she fell asleep. She did not know if she would live or die, and didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. Not with her friends dead.

Sivads horn was glowing really brightly now. Magic was coursing through, and sparks were shooting out. Fluttershy was hiding behind the couch, afraid of what would happen. Serenity! I'm sorry! A pulse of magic shot from his horn "Please forgive me Serenity!" He screamed, tears running down his face. Another pulse of magic. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen!" Another pulse of magic. His knees buckled and he collapsed onto the floor, the magic dying from his horn.

Twilight woke up, and saw Pinkie sitting next to her. "Wow! What a party! I don't even remember anything last night!" The pink pony tried to stand up, but fell shortly after. Rarity came out of the kitchen with Applejack "Oh, you'd never believe where I was! I woke up with my head in the oven!" She laughed at how what must have gotten into her for her to fall asleep there. "Ow..." They all turned, and saw Spike lying at the foot of the stairs. "Spike, what happened?" He looked around and said "I came downstairs because there was a lot of noise. I must've tripped and fell down." They shared a laugh, until Pinkie brought up Rainbows and Fluttershys absence. Along with Sivad Twilight noted in her head. She couldn't remember what happened for the life of her, of course this isn't surprising. Pinkie does throw some insane parties.

Sivad woke up. He hadn't the slightest idea what happened. He just knew he went to see Fluttershy, and he must've collapsed here. He looked over at the couch, and saw a yellow and pink heap snoozing away. Seems like I'm not the only one He suddenly remembered. Serenity! She was at my house! Hurried out the door, and ran to his house. He ran by Twilights house, and he saw Rainbow chatting with the others. "...And the next thing I know, I wake up in the forest! It must have been a great party Pinkie!" He kept running until he got to his house. He saw Serenity sitting on his chair, still half asleep. "Oh. Hey Sivad. I was wondering when you'd come back." He didn't know why, but tears formed in the corners of his eyes. Something happened. He could see it in her eyes. She got up and stepped towards him, and hugged him. "I forgive you" That's all she needed to say to make him remember. He saw a pony torture and kill her, and that pony looked like him, but wasn't him. He recalled the memories as somepony trying to break out, trying to help, but not strong enough. He fell to the floor as Serenity held him. "It's ok. You were only a few hours late! Don't beat yourself up about it." She said with a smile. "So what was that book you were telling me about?" Sivad looked up, and quickly blinked away the tears so she wouldn't notice. "Oh...yeah. The book. It's at a friends house. She was the author, and I was going to get her to sign it for you." Yeah. That sounds good But then he looked into her eyes. She remembered. She saw it in him too. An unspoken truth. But it didn't need to be said. Tears welled up in his eyes again as her words echoed in his mind 'I was wondering when you'd come back...I forgive you...' "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry." He said, barely audible. She looked him in the eyes, and said quietly, "I know."

They sat together in silence. Enjoying each others company, when Serenity broke the silence. "So, about that book?" Sivad looked up "Oh right. Let's go see it then." They got up and walked to Twilights house. Everything was fine now. It was fixed. He didn't hear Voices anymore, and everypony is alive and well. The only ponies who remember anything are the two of them. Serenity knew it wasn't really him, and that he tried to help her, and forgave him for failing. Sivad wishes he had been able to stop himself, but is glad everything turned out fine in the end. The Voices are gone now...Are they?

Authors Note: This is the last chapter of this story. I am currently working on another story, and I am accepting requests or ideas. If I happen to use yours, I will give you credit for the story idea. Thanks for reading, and special thanks to those of you who Faved, and Liked! - Nuggetking