Chapters FCSY - Chapter 1 - It begins
Twilight was overjoyed. She ran toward her friends, her blue coronation gown flowing behind her. The coronation, crowning her as ruler of Canterlot, was an utter disaster, but the friends all found a way to laugh about it, looking at Celestia and Luna, who were trying their best to also conceal their snickers.
As the party continued into the evening, all the guests moved into the gardens behind the castle, to use the castle as a shield from the sharp evening breeze. Laughter and jokes had simmered down to idle chatter, with the Elements of Harmony sat around a table together, enjoying drinks and snacks.
“Every creature, I can't express how proud I am of my dear student, Twilight Sparkle, and her friends. All of them have gone to amazing lengths to keep Equestria safe from threat. From King Sombra in the Crystal Empire, to Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow, right here in Canterlot.”
“Now I'm not only making this speech to brag about my student, but I have a smaller announcement to make. With Twilight Sparkle taking the throne, myself and Princess Luna, my dear sister, will be retiring. We have been ruling side by side for… who knows how long now. And we have full faith in Twilight to continue with our duties.”
Celestia ended her speech with one last thankyou, bowing her head to the crowd, before walking toward the Elements of Harmony, all of them gathering around Celestia, who embraced them with her front hooves and wings.
Once the embrace was released, Princess Luna spoke up.
The 6 ponies all looked at each other in confusion, before nodding and making their way to the throne room as instructed. As they walk in, they see that the throne room is already under heavy construction, renovating it ready for when Twilight takes over.
“So… Princess Luna told us to come and find you here for… Some final test? Do you know anything about this”
"Pfft, c'mon Twilight! If Cadence didnt know, we wouldn't have been told to come to her"
Cadence’s smile quickly faded, and she nodded slowly as she led the main 6 out of the throne room, she spoke up, her tone was low and seemingly upset.
Soon enough, Twilight and the others were led into Celestia and Luna’s meeting room, the room was surrounded by bookshelves, with a large, round table in the middle, surrounded by chairs, with a small table covering in the middle, making the entire room look very professional and well put together.
Luna and Celestia were already standing there, and Cadence stood in the middle of them. The 6 ponies looked at the alicorns in confusion, before Cadence's expression grew more and more guilty.
She tried to resist the spell, looking up at Cadence, her ears folding back as she felt her legs grow heavy, her body beginning to sway.
FCSY - Chapter 2 - Hot Potato
Twilight slowly woke up, holding her head and looking around. She saw her friends were all in this strange room with her. Rarity was looking around, Applejack was pacing, Fluttershy was cowering with Rainbow Dash holding her, and Pinkie Pie was standing beside Twilight.
“Hey, I’m glad you’re ok.”
“Wh- Where are we?”
The room was in the shape of a circle, with the floor being made out of some kind of polished stone panels. The walls were made of concrete that seem to have been chiselled out like a grid. Along the round wall, was a door, but when Twilight tried the door, it was locked tight.
“I already tried that I'm afraid…” Rarity spoke up, upon seeing Twilight try her magic, which only made Twilight more worried.
The wall also had a single window, exactly opposite the door, and within the room on the other side of the window, was Princess Cadence.
Cadence pressed the button on the mic, and her voice echoed through the room on a set of speakers, secured to the upper side of the wall.
Final test? ‘Unfortunately’? What did she mean?!
“W-what test… What test involves my friends?” Twilight asks, looking concerned as to why the others were in the room with her, if this was HER test.
“Well, your final test consists of 5 games. And you need to have more than 1 pony to play each game. All the advice I can give is, that you shouldn't focus on your bond, and focus on winning. Don't worry about how close you are as friends, and focus on the end goal.”
“Games?” Applejack asks after a few moments of silence. “What kinda games is she talkin’ about? How would this be ya final test to make you ready to be royalty?”
“You have a point, there has to be something more to this than just games. Otherwise we wouldn't be in this room.”
“It could be so we don't get distracted!”
“Who knows! Maybe this is just for fun! One last chance to hang out as friends before we need to get on with our duties! Like Applejack’s farm! Or rarity’s business. Or our brand new, official princess taking the throooooone!”
“You do have a point.”
The 6 ponies all nodded in agreement, their smiles returning to their faces once more.
After about 10 minutes, Cadence spoke up again on the mic, grabbing their attention.
“It's time for your first game. It's called Hot Potato. I'm sure you all know how to play, but if you don't, let me explain. You will be given a ball, As the timer counts down, you will need to pass the ball to each other, making sure you’re not the one holding it when the timer reaches zero. When the timer reaches zero, the one holding the ball will be the loser, and you’ll be out of the games.”
After a moment, a panel in the ceiling opens up, dropping a light, metal ball, into Applejack’s front hooves, with a small timer on the ball, counting down from 2 minutes.
As the game went on, the ponies managed to find more interesting ways to pass the ball to each other.
As the game went on, the room began to fill with laughter, as they all were enjoying themselves, finding more unique ways to send the ball into flight.
The 6 ponies all laughed to themselves, clapping loudly at how fun the game was.
Pinkie Pie’s speech was cut off by a loud bang, that made all the ponies flinch in shock and stop in their tracks.
The ball was a small bomb, and it had just exploded, sending Rarity’s front legs flying in different directions in many pieces.
The other ponies slowly followed suit with screaming and being sent into a wild panic. Pinkie’s mane deflated and hung flat against her head as she stared at Rarity’s corpse in shock. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were hitting their hooves against the grid wall, trying to break out.
Cadence simply stood there, looking back at Twilight through the window, her ears were folded back, her eyes were glossy, she clearly didn't want the games to continue, but twilight knew, Cadence couldnt stop it, even if she wanted to...
Cadence couldn't stop the games, she could only oversee them and guide the remaining ponies on what to do.
“Twilight… I don't think this is going to be as fun as we think…”
Soon enough… It was time for the next game…
FCSY - Chapter 3 - Spin the Bottle
About 5 hours passed since Rarity was killed. All of the remaining ponies were comforting each other in some way. Fluttershy sat, staring at her front hooves, now covered in the dried, crusting blood of Rarity’s death.
Rainbow Dash sat beside Fluttershy, holding her gently and resting her chin on top of Flutershy’s head, letting the yellow pegasus cower in Rainbow’s body. Rainbow too was still in shock at what was going on, but she was trying her best to hold her resolve and remain strong for her friends.
Applejack was pacing around the edge of the room, her eyes fixated on the ground. She looked angry, one of her friends was gone in an instant. They couldn't even TRY to save her, the farmpony continued to pace, giving the occasional glare through the window whenever she reached it.
Pinkie Pie was sitting with her back against one of the walls, causing Applejack to swerve slightly in her path whenever she got to the pink pony. Pinkie’s mane hung flat against her face, she hugged her tail tightly against her chest, and she too was sobbing, her ears folded flat against her head as she hid her face in her tail.
And Twilight was still stood in the middle of the room, staring at the window that Cadance was still in. She hasn't moved since Rarity was killed, Her watering eyes locked on the pink princess hiding behind the thick pane of glass… That coward… How can she just stand by and let this happen?
Twilight was snapped out of her thoughts, as Cadence came onto the loudspeaker.
Twilight gave a snort, charging at the window, aiming her horn at the window, attempting to break it. But the glass was too thick and strong to penetrate with her horn, and it caused Twilight’s horn to bounce off of the window. Inadvertently slamming her muzzle into the glass and causing her nose to bleed.
The remaining friends winced as they witnessed Twilight run face-first into the window, and Twilight stumbled back, her nose heavily bleeding, potentially broken.
Cadence could only watch through watery eyes, as Rainbow Dash stepped forward, gently pulling Twilight away from the window, before she hurt herself further.
Cadence slowly raised her hoof to the mic’s button, but instead of answering the question, she went on to explain the 2nd game.
“The next game is… Spin the bottle... Now this game is typically used for sleepovers and friends looking for a good time with one another. You will all sit in a circle and a bottle will rise out of the ground and spin on its own accord. When 2 ponies are selected, you are considered safe, and you may leave the circle. The last pony in the circle is out of the game.”
Cadence finished her explanation and pressed a button with a large number 2 painted on it. A loud whirring could be heard, and 5 pillows rose out of the ground for the ponies to sit on, with a singular, glass bottle in the middle.
“LAND SAKES!” Applejack shouted. Looking at Cadence with a snarl.
Applejack stormed toward the door, turning to attempt to buck it open since it was locked shut. She orientated herself, so her back hooves were aimed at the door’s hinges, and rose her back hooves, preparing to break them.
But before Applejack could make a move, twilight yelled out. “STOP!”
“What the hay Twilight?! Why would ya yell at me like that?”
“If you try to break the door… I don't think it’ll end well for you..”
“Let's just… focus on getting through this together, maybe we can find a way to avoid the traps” Twilight suggested, and the girls all seemed to agree, but they didn't look too confident, with all of them nervously looking at the bottle.
Soon enough the bottle began to spin on its own, just like Cadance said it would.
The bottle began spinning again, and it soon slowed down, landing on Rainbow Dash.
Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy remained, and Twilight looked up at them both. Pinkie Pie had her eyes fixed on the bottle. She looked nervous, her body was shaking and her eyes were filled with tears.
Fluttershy… was terrified. She was curled up in a ball on her seat, her hooves hugging the top of her head as she continued to sob. Her wings were clasped tightly to her sides and her entire body was shaking.
“It's ok Fluttershy, you’ll be ok…”
The yellow Pegasus looks over at Cadence for a moment, before throwing her front hooves around Twilight, embracing her tightly, her shaking form cowering into Twilight’s body.
“I'm scared..”
Twilight took a moment of thought, before looking over at Rainbow and Applejack, beconing them to come closer.
The bottle began spinning again, picking up speed and whirring slightly as the little rod that spun the bottle continued to move. Soon, the whirring noise began to fade and the bottle began to slow down, and the bottle quickly landed on Pinkie Pie.
Rainbow Dash moved out of the way and let Pinkie stand up.
Applejack and Twilight immediately moved, yanking Fluttershy out of her seat and practically throwing her across the room, Rainbow Dash quickly flew after Fluttershy and caught her before she hit the wall or ground, slowly beginning the frightened, yellow Pegasus down to the ground.
The 5 mares stood there in silence, preparing for something to happen in the game. All the panels under their seats were lit green, except for Fluttershy’s seat, which was red.
“It worked…!”
The 5 mares all began to smile at each other, thankful for being able to save her friend.
Their attention snapped to their friend, who now had a metal, barbed hook shoved through one of her back hooves, which was attached to some kind of metal wire that retracted into the ceiling.
All 4 of the mares looked at the cogs in shock, only to be brought back to reality as they saw Fluttershy screaming again, flapping her wings frantically. As the hook was being pulled upward, drawing Fluttershy toward the cogs like a fish on a hook.
Rainbow Dash immediately lept into action, spreading her wings, grabbing Fluttershy’s front hooves, and attempting to pull her away from the cogs. Applejack grabbed Rainbow’s tail, followed by Pinkie pulling Applejack. The hook restrained against flesh, muscle and bone, causing the yellow pegasus to scream out in white hot pain once more.
“PLEASE DON'T LET ME DIE!”
Rainbow Dash locked eyes with Fluttershy.
Twilight flew up toward the cogs, attempting to break the wire with her teeth, yanking at it and trying to break her friend free.
“No- nonoNONONO!”
The hooks were too strong, they continued to pull, forcing Applejack to let go of Rainbow’s tail before they were pulled too high. As she and Twilight kept trying to pull, Flutershy drew closer to the cogs.
Suddenly, the sound of crunching could be heard, as Fluttershy’s legs were dragged into the cogs, the Yellow Pegasus’s screams filled the room as bones were crushed, muscle was tenderised, and skin split under the pressure of the heavy machinery.
“NO!”
“CADENCE TURN THE FUCKING MACHINE OFF!”
Rainbow and Twilight looked at the machine in horror and hopelessness as Flutershy’s body was being drawn in slowly.
More blood flowed out from between the cogs and rained down onto the ground below. Applejack and Pinkie stared in horror, crying openly as they watched their friend die a slow and painful death, hopeless to save her.
The doors on the ceiling closed up, and the blood-covered panels on the ground turned over, removing almost all evidence that she was ever in the room with them, all except for a feather that sat, in perfect condition on the ground.
Rainbow let out an agonized cry, tears flowing down her face as she flew toward the window Cadence was shielded by. Slamming her front hooves into the glass, causing the wall surrounding it to shake slightly, and a few cracks to appear.
“WHAT KIND OF SICK TEST IS THIS?!”
“Rainbow-!”
“NO, PINKIE! I'M NOT ABOUT TO STAND HERE WHILE CADENCE STANDS THERE, WATCHING US ALL DIE! SHE’S GOT A BUNCH OF BUTTONS IN THERE THAT CONTROL ALL THIS! SO LET US OUT OF HERE!!”
Applejack stood beside Rainbow, scowling at Cadence through the window before looking at the control panel Cadence was standing beside.
Applejack then looked around the room through the glass, seeing a door behind Cadence, and leaned to the side to look around the pink alicorn and to the door.
The rest of the room was plain, except for a single printed photo above the button panel, of Shining Armor and Flurry Heart.
“Twilight, look..”
What was going on…?
FCSY - Chapter 4 - Hangman
By the time the mares had all had the chance to process what had happened, Cadence had already begun the next game.
The inside of the cubicle was plain, except for some kind of screen on the wall opposing the door.
Cadence then came over the loudspeaker once more.
The girls all looked at each other, looking worried.
Once Twilight was inside, the door slammed shut behind her and locked tightly.
“This game is called Hangman. A fairly simple game young ponies play at sleepovers or even at school. For this game, a set of lines will appear on your screens, it's your job to guess the words before everyone else. If you succeed, you will be let out of the cubical, if you fail, you will lose the game.”
The purple alicorn began to panic, trying to spread her wings and barge out of the box’s door, but because of how claustrophobic the box was, she couldnt open her wings fully or begin to get out.
“You may begin”
Twilight’s eyes widened in panic as she began to frantically guess letters, beginning with the vowels, as any player of this game would, even without their lives being at risk.
Twilight called out each vowel, and a couple of the lines began to fill in.
For the last two vowels, the noose was suddenly yanked up by 2 inches.
A couple of minutes passed and Twilight had guessed 3 more letters.
The screen lit up, only the S was correct…
S a _ _ i _ i _ e
“H-how am I supposed to get this?!”
Twilight’s eyes widened and she shouted no again while trying to use her front hooves to get the rope off of her neck. But it was too thick to break, and it was too tight around her neck to make a gap.
She knew that this next guess would be her last, and she looked at the screen, staring at it.
Twilight finally managed to realize what the word was and called it out.
The moment the word was guessed, the rest of the empty lines filled in to spell the word ‘sacrifice’
Twilight slowly wiped her eyes as she took in greedy lungfuls of air, before looking at the other boxes. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were standing there, their eyes filled with tears as they stared at the 4th box, the box containing Applejack. The door was glowing red. She didnt make it.
“APPLEJACK!”
Before they could respond, the boxes all lowered into the ground, including Applejack’s, and Cadence spoke up again.
Cadence then pressed a button on the side of the window, causing a curtain to lower over the window.
The 3 remaining mares looked at each other and decided to wait for cadence to come into the room with them. It could be their way out…
FCSY - Chapter 5 - what's going on?
Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were sat together in the middle of the lab room. Twilight was crying silently to herself while holding her friends tightly. Hugging Rainbow and Pinkie tightly with her front hooves and wings, looking determined to keep her friends safe.
She didnt want to leave her remaining friends to such fates, and she thought she could live up to her title of ‘Princess of Friendship’ by keeping her remaining friends close.
Their grief was cut short by a sudden loud click that clanged through the room, causing the remaining mares to break from the embrace and stand back to back, facing all directions. Ready to take on the next challenge face on.
The moment Cadence was inside, Twilight charged at the princess of Love, growling loudly as she lept forward, front hooves ahead of her, as she slammed into Cadence’s body, causing the 2 of them to fall to the ground, with Twilight on top. Cadence was lying on her back under Twilight, her wings spread and her eyes wide.
“T-Twilight i-!”
“WHAT’S GOING ON?!”
Cadence looked scared at the amount of rage and hatred that was across Twilight’s face. The pink alicorn’s eyes began to fill with tears as well, as she looked up at Twilight.
“I c-can explain…”
“Look! We don't have all day! Or… However much time has passed... I don't actually know. BUT we don't want to die as much as our other friends didnt! We’ve lost so many already!”
“Yeah! So get talking lady!”
Cadence slowly tried to sit up, and Twilight got off of Cadence as she lifted herself up. But she stood there with her wings spread, making it difficult for Cadence to get around Twilight and to Pinkie and Rainbow Dash potentially.
The pink Alicorn slowly began to explain why this was going on, and why Twilight and her friends were involved in this test.
Twilight’s eyes widened slightly, her ears folding back as she listened to Cadence’s explanation.
Twilight’s eyes widened even more. Celestia? She didnt lose anyone in the test?
They too had shocked expressions. How did Celestia manage to keep all of her friends after the test?!
“What did she do?!”
Cadence simply shook her head, her eyes going glossy.
“So you’re saying there's a way I can save Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie… But you can't tell us, meaning that we have no way of knowing how to keep each other safe?!”
Tears continued to run down Twilight's face as she looked at Cadence, and then her friends. She didnt want them to come to harm, all 3 of them have been through enough.
Cadence looked down at the floor, as she spoke up one last time.
She then left the room, slamming the door behind her, leaving the remaining 3 mares in shock once more.
“We’re still gonna die… aren't we…? There’s no escaping it…”
FCSY - Chapter 6 - Pass The Parcel
Twilight was on high alert, her eyes scanning the room for the next game, getting ready to figure out the solution to prevent her friend's death.
Looking back at the window, she saw that Cadence was back in there, black streaks down her face, as if she had been crying. She spoke up softly, her voice quivering and her hooves shaking.
A loud whirring noise could be heard, as 3 pillow seats rose out of the ground, with a colorfully wrapped box in the middle. It was a very pretty box, with baby blue wrapping paper with dark blue spots randomly dotted around. It was also topped with loose pieces of confetti and wrapped neatly with a royal blue bow.
Was Cadence really going to continue with these games? Not even trying to stop them?
Pinkie slowly rose to her hooves, seeing the box. She recognized the wrapping. She walked over to it with wide eyes, raising a shaky hoof to it and touching the bow.
“What do you mean you MADE this?”
“Someone came up to me, asking for me to wrap a box in many layers for a party… for a game of…”
“Pass the parcel... A simple party game played and loved by many, with the anticipation of being the one to receive the prize in the middle. But this time, if you’re the one to receive the prize, you’ll be the one who is out of the game.”
Soon enough some loud party music began blaring over the speakers, and the mares were all hesitant to begin passing the box around. Twilight looked at Pinkie and Rainbow, giving them a determined nod, confirming that she believed they were going to be ok.
Twilight picked up the box, and the moment her front hooves touched the box, the music stopped, indicating that Twilight had to take off the first layer.
Twilight took off the first layer of wrapping paper, revealing a bright red wrapping underneath. The music started back up again, and Twilight passed the box to Pinkie, who passed it to Rainbow. Who then almost immediately shoved it back into Twilight’s front hooves.
The mares were tense as the music continued. But Twilight once again, tried to make light of the situation, wanting the mares to raise their spirits at least a little bit, if it meant they weren't constantly crying and frightened.
Twilight took the gift box and stood up, smiling at Pinkie and throwing it to the pink party pony. Pinkie gave a sharp gasp before catching the box almost perfectly.
“What was that for?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head, but Twilight ignored the question, instead clapping her front hooves together and smiling at the fact that Pinkie caught the gift box.
Pinkie looked at the box in her hands, as the music continued to blast throughout the room, a small smile played on her face as she acknowledged that she caught the box almost flawlessly.
She then looked over at Rainbow Dash and awkwardly handed the box over, and the moment the Pegasus’s hooves touched the box, the music cut off, and the mare’s smiles vanished again.
The music blared once more, and the 3 mares looked at each other. Rainbow and Pinkie soon began to smile, as they caught on to what Twilight was doing. Rainbow decided to humour her, given how she was simply trying to raise their spirits. Rainbow Gently threw the box to Twilight, who caught it with her hooves and passed it to Pinkie, who caught it with one hoof.
Soon enough, the girls were laughing between themselves, passing the box in many different ways, much like they did in the first game. It was the first time she had seen her friends smile since this all began, and Twilight felt determined that this game would have a good outcome.
Twilight caught the box, and the music stopped. She slowly took off the wrapping and revealed a bright yellow layer underneath. It felt like this layer was the final one. The corners of the box were more prominent now, and the paper didn't feel like there were any other layers of paper under it.
The music blared once more, this one being a song that is played VERY often at parties. It was happy, it was bouncy, it was energetic. Cadence watched this game unfold, and she couldnt help but smile, at the fact that Twilight managed to find some fun, in such a dark time.
The mares continued to throw the box, Rainbow’s want to show off making itself known once more, as she caught the box with the top of her head before passing it to Twilight.
Pinkie’s hair poofed back up to its usual curly self as they continued to play, and Twilight couldn't help but smile upon seeing her friends happy again.
The music stopped, drowning the room in silence once more, as Pinkie was the last one with the gift box. She sat down on her pillow, beginning to unwrap it slowly. Twilight was right, it was the final layer of wrapping, revealing a simple cardboard box, with a removable top lid, secured with tape.
Pinkie looked between Twilight and Rainbow, who inched closer to look at the box.
“I don't know…”
As she explained all this, she slowly took the tape off the box’s lid, but grew hesitant to open it. It could be another trap, or what if something jumps out and attacks them?
Pinkie slowly lowered the box and backed away from it slightly, before using the tip of her muzzle to slowly lift the lid off of the box. Once the lid hit the ground, Pinkie, Twilight, and Rainbow immediately jumped back, with Twilight standing in front of Pinkie, acting as a shield in case something did jump out… But nothing happened…
The 3 mares looked at each other in confusion, before looking around the room, looking for any traps that could spring out at them, like it did for Fluttershy. But when nothing opened, nothing beeped, nothing cranked or made any banging machinery noises, they began to approach the box.
Rainbow took flight above the box, checking the inside from above, only to get more confused.
“A key?”
“Maybe it can lead to a way out of here?”
“Hey! Over here!” Twilight quickly called out, finding a small keyhole in one of the panels in the wall, pointing out to Pinkie, who still had the key. The 3 mares looked at each other, looking nervous as Pinkie slowly inserted the key, it was a perfect fit, and twisted with a loud click.
With a soft gasp, Pinkie slowly opened the door, and just outside of the door... Was Ponyville. The view looked like they werent too far from the edge of town, with Twilight’s castle being slightly visible, standing proud over the humble town.
Pinkie’s smile spread across her face and she looked back at Twilight and Rainbow Dash, who also looked very excited. They did it! They were free!
Pinkie was the first to make a move, running toward the doorway, quickie followed by Twilight and Rainbow.
“PINKIE!!”
“LET GO TWILIGHT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
Rainbow followed her gaze and saw a mechanism similar to the one around the main door that Applejack tried to break open before. There was a laser pointed at Rainbow Dash’s forehead, with a 2nd one pointed at her chest. Twilight slowly pulled Rainbow Dash away from the laser’s view and they soon turned off.
The moment they were safe, a loud, wet sound could be heard, as Pinkie Pie finally hit the bottom of the pit. The sound echoed up from the bottom of the pit, filling the room with nothing but stunned silence and hopelessness…
Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at each other in shock, tears welling up in their eyes once more. Twilight slowly approached the door, standing just out of view of the lasers, in an attempt to get a better look at the view of Ponyville.
Twilight slowly looked over at Cadence through the window, the false hope slammed into their spirits did nothing but crush the remaining friends, and the feeling of hopelessness weighed heavy on Twilight and Rainbow.
Cadence wasn't looking at the pair. Her ears were folded back and she was also crying.
The weight of what was going on was taking its toll on Cadence, as she could only sit and watch…
“We need to get out of here…”
Rainbow Dash didnt say a word, as she looks around the room. She had been shouting at Cadence through the window for 10 minutes, and now her voice has gone hoarse. Twilight watched as Rainbow looked around, which she didnt appreciate.
“Are you going to try and escape or not.?” Rainbow croaked out, slowly walking toward her. Rainbow looked angry, hurt, and betrayed. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying so much, and her hooves were bleeding from hitting the window so many times, with no results. Her right shoulder, also had a large bruise forming on it, where Rainbow had been ramming against the door, though she had been fast enough for the lasers on the door to not detect her.
Twilight looked defeated and hopeless. Her bloodshot eyes looked over at Rainbow, her ears folded flat against her head, and her wings clasped tightly to her body. She didnt know how to respond…
Twilight didnt speak, instead just breaking down into tears, openly sobbing as she looked at her one remaining friend. Rainbow’s gaze softened as she saw Twilight’s final resolve finally break, and her tears flowed like waterfalls.
“I thought…” Twilight finally choked out, hyperventilating slightly.
Rainbow Dash looked down at Twilight as she sobbed.
“I failed Equestria… By letting my friends die… We no longer have control of the Elements of Harmony... How can we keep Equestria safe without the Elements…?”
“Well…” Rainbow Dash started, and Twilight looked up at her.
It felt right for Rainbow to return the favor in, what she believed, were her final moments, at least to the best of her ability.
“What if… I don't get out of here…?”
Rainbow simply put her front hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.
Twilight didnt respond right away, taking a moment to calm down, wiping her face, before nodding.
Almost immediately after Twilight responded, a table appeared just inches in front of the 2 mares, with a single set of playing cards in the middle.
Cadence then came onto the loudspeaker.
The 2 mares looked at each other, before Rainbow Dash approached her seat, seemingly accepting what was to come.
The 2 mares picked up their set of cards, having them sit comfortably in their hooves before Rainbow Dash put down the first one, which was a set of yellow and blue balloons.
The game continued like this until 2 cards matched, it was a picture of a set of 3 blue gemstones. Rainbow Dash didnt slam her hoof down to claim the pair, instead, she pushed the cards toward twilight, forcing them into her stack.
Rainbow Dash had a look of acceptance on her face, but there was an underlining look of nervousness.
“That doesn't mean you can just give up!” Twilight responded, seemingly pleading with Rainbow to keep going.
“OPEN YOUR EYES TWILIGHT!” Rainbow Dash shouted. Twilight leaned back in her seat, away from Rainbow, her eyes wide.
“We don't know that!” Twilight tried to argue.
Rainbow Dash gave a small groan, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her hoof.
She pointed toward Twilight's neck, showing that there was a lack of injury from the noose, while Rainbow Dash had one around her own neck, and she got out of the game long before Twilight did.
Twilight’s eyes widened again as she realized that Rainbow was right, she raised her hoof to her own neck, feeling nothing but her own fur.
“So let's just get on with it.”
Rainbow shoved the cards into Twilight's pair pile before she could react, then Twilight put her full deck of cards down, not including the pairs, as Rainbow’s pile had run out, and the cards had to be redealt.
The game continued like this, with Rainbow Dash forcing Twilight to accept pair, after pair.
Twilight was now openly sobbing once more, as she looked at Rainbow Dash, who was also crying.
Rainbow Dash looked up at Twilight in shock, and Twilight looked at Rainbow, praying that she would be ok.
Twilight let out a blood-curdling scream, as Rainbow Dash’s head was pierced through with a thick spike, the tip of the spike coming out of the blue pegasus’s eye socket, and the skull around the socket cracking from the sheer force of the spike coming out of the ground.
Twilight continued to scream and cry, begging that this wasn't real. Her final surviving friend was killed in an instant.
“HOW… DARE YOU!” Twilight yelled, as she stood up, covered in old and fresh blood of all of her friends, she spread her wings as mourning turned into anger. Her horn lit up, her magic finally sparking to life, as she charged at cadence.
“YOU DID NOTHING TO STOP THIS! YOU JUST STOOD BY WATCHING THROUGH YOUR SPECIAL FUCKING WINDOW!” Twilight yelled, charging at Cadence, horn first, her magic sparking as she prepared an explosive spell.
Twilight got within close range of cadence, the spell went off. A large, magenta-coloured explosion rang out throughout the room. Creating giant cracks in the walls, the room shook, and the window finally broke.
Cadence did her best to block most of the spell with a forcefield, but all that did was send Cadence flying against one of the walls, as the smoke cleared, Cadence was revealed to be lying on the ground, her front right leg very clearly broken from the impact on the wall, her leg bleeding from the break.
Twilight wasn't completely unharmed either, as the force also blew her back, causing her to hit her head on the wall, causing the alicorn to stumble dizzily on the far side of the room.
But what the smoke also revealed, was Celestia and Luna, who stormed into the room upon hearing the explosion.
Celestia and Luna suddenly ignited their horns, casting a strong sleeping spell on Twilight, who succumbed to the spell almost immediately. Falling into a deep sleep where she stood...
FCSY - Chapter 8 - we can explain...
Twilight slowly stirred from her forced slumber. Her eyelids weighed heavy as she tried to wake up, and her eyes adjusted to the bright lights of the room.
The small stage that once housed Celestia and Luna’s thrones, now sat a single cushioned throne, with many stars engraved into the frame.
The entire throne room had been redecorated to give a very galaxy, space-like feel. As Twilight was known for her strong magic, and the ability to house the magic of 4, full-grown Alicorns, it felt… right… It was almost perfect for her. Twilight couldn't help but feel slightly in awe at the changes of the throne room. It was official, this throne room was now hers, and the decorations allowed her personality and being to shine.
Twilight then looked toward the door, to see Cadence approaching her.
Twilight wasn't as happy to pass the test.
“Why did I need to pass some test to gain your trust in my duties…?” Twilight asked, her tired and bloodshot eyes locking onto Cadence.
The pink alicorn sighed softly, looking guilty as she began to explain.
Cadence explained this with a weighty tone of guilt in her voice. Twilight’s eyes widened and began to go glossy.
Cadence spoke up, looking agitated.
Twilight couldn't help but snap back at her, her heavy Canterlot-like sarcasm coming to the surface. Emotions taking over for a moment.
Cadence immediately shouted back, her wings spreading wide above her slim body.
This made Twilight pause, her eyes softening for a second as what Cadence said registered in her mind.
Cadence didn't back down, keeping her stance, though her tone softened slightly.
Twilight went to speak, but Cadence cut her off.
Twilight’s shock was clear as day on her face, tears now running like waterfalls down her face, her breath was shaky and her legs began to shake as the weight of what Cadence said, bared heavy on Twilight's mind.
Twilight then looked back at Cadence.
Cadence relaxed, her wings closing and she gave a small sigh once more. Looking over her shoulder at the entrance to the throne room, as if not wanting to look her sister-in-law in the eye.
Before she could continue, the door to the throne room opened, and Celestia and Luna hobbled in. They were covered in bandages and looked to be heavily beaten.
Celestia had some bandages around her front legs and a thick bandage around her neck. She also had a cast on her wing, showing it had been broken. Her mane was missing chunks and her tail didn't look much better. Her body was also covered in bruises, with a black eye forming on her left eye. She hung her head low, avoiding eye contact with Twilight as she walked in.
Luna didn't look to be in any better shape. She had a set of bandages around her back legs, with a cast on the front left one, showing breakage. Her mane and tail were also dishevelled, and her right eye had an eyepatch covering it, but a large cut could be seen poking out of the top, showing that her eye had been injured.
A pair of unicorn guards were accompanying them, carrying their princess Armor and Crowns with their magic. They bowed to Cadence and Twilight in greeting, as they held the doors open for Celestia and Luna.
Cadence’s eyes widened, as did Twilight’s, they quickly made their way over to the Alicorn sisters.
“Unfortunately not…” Luna responded, sounding defeated. “But who can blame him… Fluttershy was his closest and possibly only friend. He made us swear that she would be safe during the test. So when he was informed that she met her demise... He wasn't exactly calm about the situation.”
“Where is he now?!” Twilight asked, looking concerned about Discord's whereabouts given the situation, it could mean he’s causing chaos out of rage somewhere in Equestria.
“I can assure you he’s been handled, we and our accompanying guards were able to overpower him after a while. Sealing him in a magical forcefield similar to the one you were in for your test Twilight.” Celestia explained.
Luna then cast a window-like spell, showing that Discord was currently being held in a cave, deep within the Everfree Forest, His arms and legs were shackled with steel cuffs, with a few feet of metal chains on each cuff, which were embedded in the rock. His wings were clamped shut with an additional cuff around his torso, and he was surrounded by a forcefield that would cut off his magic, similar to Chrysalis’s castle.
“And all of this… was because of a test I had to take… And I failed my friends because i didn't allow myself to be put into the line of danger…”
Twilight sat down, her wings laying limp at her sides, and she burst into tears, her whole world came crashing down. Everything she had learned, everything she had done, it didn't matter. She accomplished everything with her friends… and she repaid them by allowing them to die.
Her sobs were loud and uncontrollable, she lay her head down on the ground in front of her, pressing her forehead into the carpet leading to her new throne.
Spike came running into the throne room upon hearing Twilight’s screams, but Cadence stopped him gently with her hoof, shaking her head. He had been tending to Canterlot Castle while Twilight took her test, and assisted in decorating the throne room. He looked up at Cadence when he was stopped, looking worried.
“Leave her be for a moment.” She says softly, before looking back at Twilight, her crumpled form curling in on itself, as Twilight tried to make herself as small as possible, feeling crushed under the weight of what happened, and how easily it could have been prevented.
It took a good 10 minutes before Twilight finally began to slow down, her breathing shaky and her fur and mane a mess, the occasional hiccup as she tried to dry her face.
Her eyes were almost completely bloodshot, the fur on her face was clumped together from all the tears, and her mane was a mess. Luna couldn't help but feel guilty for Twilight.
“I understand how hard it is… When I had my test… Long before I became Nightmare Moon, I had lost all my friends in the test as well. Much like you, we had no idea this was an option until we were told afterward… We were always told, that selflessness, and making sacrifices made a great leader. At that time, I believed they meant sacrificing my time and safety to keep my friends safe… But then I learned exactly what you did… It will never be easy to recover… but we’re here if you want us to be…” Luna spoke softly, sitting beside Twilight as she spoke. She looked upset as she recollected her own test, before looking down at the broken Princess of Friendship.
“I'm sorry Twilight…” Cadence spoke up, catching the attention of Luna and Twilight “I didn't want to put you through this test… I tried to fight for you, to let you skip the test given everything you did to keep Equestria safe… But then they brought your brother and Flurry Heart into the picture, saying if I didn't go through with it, they would be hurt, or worse… I had no choice...”
Cadence explained all of this while walking over, she attempted to put a comforting hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, but she shrugged it off, still sniffling and hiccupping.
The Alicorns all look at each other in shock at seeing Twilight’s sudden reaction, but all decide against going after her.
