I wonder how this one will react…
Twilight smiled at the mare walking beside her and pulled her closer with a wing, causing her companion of the past ten years to giggle and blush bashfully, just like she had when their secret courtship started. She was a small thing, though everyone seemed small to Twilight since she hit a magical growth spurt oh so many years ago.
Still, this mare, Diamond Brooch, was small and proud of her lithe figure that she somehow kept even now into her middle age. She was the envy of many in Canterlot and knew it, though not for having captured the elusive heart of the ruling Princess herself. It was a hard kept secret, one that threatened to burst from her lips whenever her friends were preening about their partner’s accomplishments while silently pitying her apparent spinster title.
Twilight stifled a sigh. Diamond was a fine mare, and any would be lucky to have her, but unfortunately there would only ever be room in her heart for one. Of course, that didn’t mean she couldn’t play pretend, especially when the years of charades and wooing mare after mare in secret would bring back her one true love.
She had pitied those first mares of course, their names and details now long lost to time. What Twilight remembered most now was their trusting smiles and hearts that beat only for her. They happily skipped into the lion’s den by her side, unaware that Twilight was the beast waiting to devour them.
Oh well, sacrifices must be made. And really, the stupid things make it far too easy.
~~
Diamond looked around the secret passage, still in awe even though she had traveled in tunnels like this hundreds of times. The walls and floor were dark, polished stone and it was slightly chilly, but her lover’s wing wrapped around her kept the cold away.
She couldn’t quite recall where this one led to, or if they had ever walked this particular winding, downward path before, but Diamond figured it was some sort of surprise. Her heart fluttered as she stole another glance at Twilight’s gently smiling face.
If someone had told her ten years ago she would be sought and wooed by the ruling Princess, Diamond would have laughed in their face, possibly thrown the wine she usually drank on them as well.
Yet here she was.
It felt like a dream when they were together, like time stood still and allowed them to enjoy every spare second and mercifully sped up again when they were apart, so they might find each other’s company again quickly.
She looked to the walls again, watching their silhouettes shift elegantly under the flickering torch light. She stared at Twilight’s outline, tall and graceful of course, but there seemed something…off about it tonight. Her horn appeared curved and wickedly sharp, and, was that an eye, peering at her from the darkness?
Diamond slowed down, growing confusion and horror in her face as she tried to comprehend what she was seeing. Twilight’s wing around her became a suffocating weight, her feathers forming a solid wall that forced Diamond forward.
Twilight slowed as well and stopped before looking down at her, a deeply concerned look on her face. “Diamond? Are you okay?”
Diamond gasped and tore her eyes away from the walls and into Twilight’s. A strange light seemed to dance over those ancient, alicorn eyes and suddenly…
Diamond felt rather silly. Shadows didn’t have eyes, or malicious intent, and they certainly didn’t raise the hackles on her back in a prey’s instinct to run. No, no, that was absolutely ridiculous. Diamond giggled and shook her head. “Apologies darling, I didn’t mean to worry you. I think I might need to see a doctor, my eyes seem to be playing tricks on me.”
Twilight chuckled, eyes crinkling in the corners as her worry melted to amusement. She raised her head and swept a hoof around the tunnels. “Don’t be embarrassed, these walls and shadows sometimes scare even me.”
Diamond leaned into her side, comforted by this secret that even Princess Twilight got scared, especially by silly tunnels and dancing shadows and a nugget of dread that weighed in Diamond’s stomach. She shook off the encounter. “I was unaware you could be scared, but it is nice to see you are still equine, even with the crown.”
Twilight laughed with the tease and urged them forward again. “You know the history Diamond, I was born and raised a regular old unicorn, just like you.”
Diamond gasped in mock scandal. “Are you saying I’m old now?”
Twilight immediately flinched, her cheeks turned red as she stammered and looked for a way to salvage the blunder. “O-of course you aren’t, you are…aged. Yes! Aged, like the finest wine and cheese.”
Diamond tittered. “Marvelous save your highness.”
They shared a laugh and continued the journey, a comfortable silence settling over them, broken only by their breath and hoof steps.
~~
The end of the tunnel was not quite what Diamond was expecting, but she found it wasn’t an unpleasant surprise either.
They were in a large, circular room, made from the same stone as the passage. A grand chandelier in the center provided a dazzling show of light, sparkles bouncing off the various crystals and marking the walls and floor in a galaxy of stars.
Under the chandelier, there was a large circular rug, or maybe it was a blanket, dark red in color and appearing silken in nature. Partially burned candles were set at odd intervals around it and near the top was a picnic basket.
Diamond took all of this in, the room reminding her of both a ritual chamber and what could easily be a romantic scene in a vampire novel. She quirked an eyebrow at Twilight. “I don’t suppose this is where I found out that alicorns are secretly vampires and you are going to drink my blood.”
Twilight’s laughter came harsh and quick, the sound unlike any Diamond had ever heard from her. She felt her hackles rising again, the sense of dread she had squashed down earlier rearing up and twisting her stomach with a fear she didn’t quite understand.
Twilight rubbed away a tear as her laughter subsided. “Pff, I’m sorry, I, I didn’t mean to laugh so but, come on Diamond, vampires?”
Diamond flushed and stepped away from her, unable to pinpoint why it felt like Twilight had changed. Or, was it possible the sweet, loving, and gentle Princess she thought she was in love with nothing but a charade?
Her mind scrambled as she tried to piece together her feelings, instincts, and these sudden thoughts that she was not safe.
Twilight turned towards her, head cocked and with a wolfish grin that made Diamond take a step back. Twilight noticed this and cooed. “Oh Diamond…”
Her legs seized with terror and that odd light from earlier shone across Twilight’s eyes and…
Diamond lowered to the ground in relief, a manic tinged giggle in the back of her throat. “Darling, you really must be gentler with your pranks on me.”
For surely it was a prank. The long, unfamiliar walk, the oppressive and ominous atmosphere and cult-like decor; her Princess had strange taste in pranks, but she would forgive her. Diamond would always forgive her, always love her, always trust her.
Twilight’s laugh was familiar this time and the warmth of it soothed the rest of Diamond’s fear. She couldn’t even recall what exactly had made her so afraid in the first place. Maybe she should see a doctor once this date was over. First her eyes played tricks and now her whole body was shivering and she still didn’t feel right.
Twilight leaned down and nuzzled her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you wouldn’t appreciate this sort of joke. Though, truth be told, it’s only partially a prank - I did have some plans for us in here.”
Diamond blushed furiously at the suggestive tone and eyebrow waggle. She glanced over at the chandelier and blanket set up. “Well, I can see the romantic charm to it all. Did you set it up yourself?”
Twilight held out a hoof and helped Diamond stand. “I did! The blanket was custom made to be very soft and enchanted to repel any fluids.”
Diamond nearly stumbled at the lascivious tone and dramatic wink. Twilight had never been so forward before and it made her legs weak. Just when she thought she might be losing her touch, that Twilight’s eyes might start to stray towards other, younger mares, but it seemed that hadn’t happened, at least not now. Not with Twilight staring at her like Diamond was the most beautiful thing in the universe. “O-oh my, is that so?”
Twilight grinned and pulled her closer, craning her neck down and bringing her lips to Diamond’s twitching ear. “Yes it is. Do you want to test the limits of the enchantment? There’s plenty of water and wine in the basket, we could be here all.night.”
Diamond shuddered. “You make such a tempting offer darling, how could I say no?”
Twilight chuckled and gestured towards the blanket. “Well go on then, I’m right behind you.”
Nerves buzzing with excitement, Diamond strutted over, her tail high and swishing. Upon reaching the center she laid down, finding the blanket was indeed silky soft and cool to the touch. She rolled over her back, legs crossed demurely though she would happily open them should her Princess ask.
Twilight took her time walking over and began to circle her, eyes roving as she inspected every inch. “Diamond my dear, what would you say to trying something new tonight?”
Diamond squirmed. “N-new?”
It had been a while since they tried anything new, though past experiences proved it was something she had yet to regret.
Twilight nodded and lit her horn, adding a purple glow to the chamber. “A little paralyzing spell, one that leaves you completely vulnerable to me.”
Diamond’s eyes widened. “I, I would still be able to safeword, right?”
“Of course! You simply won’t be able to move. Come now Diamond, we’ve been together long enough that I know your limits. I’ve never pushed you farther than you wanted to be, you know that.”
Diamond flushed under the offense and condescension laced through Twilight’s words, ashamed she would ever doubt her lover. “Of course, I’m sorry dear.” She flashed a sultry smile and slowly unwound her legs, spreading herself fully on the blanket. “I put my body in your oh so capable hooves.”
Twilight smiled and her horn glowed brighter for a moment, so bright Diamond had to close her eyes against it. Slowly, she opened them, and tried to move a leg but found she was unable to. Her heart beat faster in her chest, and mentally she flinched as Twilight trailed a feather down her leg, towards the spot that always made her thrash and cackle like a mad mare.
The feather passed over it, and though a laugh did wheeze past her lips, her body remained still. Twilight noted the lack of physical movement with a widening grin, the sight sending a shiver down Diamond’s spine.
Twilight brought her wing back to her side and started to dig into the picnic basket, humming to herself. “You know, I have actually enjoyed my time with you Diamond, more than I expected.”
“I, er, thank you?”
Twilight smiled at her before returning her attention to the basket. Diamond watched her awkwardly, unsure if Twilight’s words were an odd form of foreplay. “Um, Twilight, if I may, why did you say it like that?” She laughed uncomfortably. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say it sounds like the start of a break up.”
Twilight didn’t respond, letting out a soft ‘ah ha!’ as she pulled out a knife made of obsidian, even darker shadows swirling in the blade’s surface. Twilight considered it in her hoof for a moment before letting it hang suspended in magic just within Diamond’s view. “I’m sorry. I have done this dozens of times yet I still never know what to say. At first I would try to lie, then I tried to soften it, but now I find I am weary of anything short of the truth.”
Diamond’s mouth was dry, her eyes shrunk to pinpricks as the knife filled her vision and stole her words. She managed a squeak as Twilight laid down beside her, the brush of fur against her side a feeling that would normally comfort her but now brought even more confusion. The instinctual fear she had buried came screaming back to the surface now, whatever good it would do her now.
Twilight tilted her head, a kernal of pity in her eyes. “You are partially correct in that this will be the end of our relationship, but this is not a mere break up - I am going to kill you.”
She brought the knife down, swirling the blunt back edge across Diamond’s chest. “You are a fine mare, Diamond, but unfortunately my heart was stolen by another long ago. And then she was stolen from me.”
She lifted the knife again, tilting it back and forth, the sparkles from the chandelier not quite bouncing off the dark blade but seemingly absorbed into it. As Twilight spoke, seemingly more to the air than her directly, Diamond was struck by the feeling that she must have told this story many, many times before. For the first time, the unicorn truly began to grasp the numerous lifetimes the alicorn had lived before she was even a thought.
“As the days passed by and she began to age and I didn’t, we reached the stark yet mutual conclusion that, as much I didn’t want her to leave, she didn’t want to abandon me either because we both knew she would be the only one. And it seemed fate agreed, as I found this. Or maybe it found me… However it was, I came into possession of this remarkable blade and the spells it taught me near my beloved’s deathbed.“
Twilight chuckled sadly and shook her head. “She made me promise to figure it out, you know. I told her I would, of course I would, no matter how long it took I would do it. It was all rather romantic actually. Could you imagine loving someone so deeply and thoroughly you would both gladly spit in the face of death?”
Diamond blinked at her, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. “Yes.”
Twilight clucked her tongue and once more directed her attention to Diamond. “Ah, of course you do. Perhaps in another life I could have actually felt the same for you, or maybe you would be the mare waiting for me on the other side?”
“The…other side?”
“Mmhmm. You see, with your body, she will be reborn. It is only temporary, unfortunately, but it works. In no time at all I’ll be able to hold her, kiss her, and tell her that I love her.”
Diamond didn’t know what scared her more, the wistful longing in Twilight’s voice, that she said she was going to die, or the blade that had returned to her chest and was drawing lines in her coat. She managed to whimper. “Y-you’re a monster.”
Twilight sighed at this, as if she was expecting Diamond to say it, confirming the unicorn’s fears that there had indeed been countless others in this exact position and had said that exact thing. Twilight’s tone was short, and grew increasingly hostile. “I would say you are incorrect, but the truth is there is some validity to your claim. I am a monster. I’m a fucking alicorn princess so of course I’m a monster.”
Her ear twitched and she relaxed again. “My dabbling into shadow magic probably hasn’t helped but,” she laughed airily. “I don’t particularly care anymore. I was able to fool you wasn’t I? For ten years I had you believing I was totally, madly and deeply in love with you.”
She brought her head forward, staring intensely at Diamond. “I had you believing I was a normal pony who happened to be a Princess, just like the dozens before you.”
This close, Diamond could see more clearly the stripes of black and purple and green dancing in the Princess’s eyes, the combination only seen in some of the darkest pages of the history books. At this realization, Diamond glanced around, and found the room was dimmer, with dozens and dozens of pony shaped shadows glaring at her, seemingly hungry for her demise.
Twilight flipped the blade over, something Diamond didn’t notice until she felt the first stinging cut, right over her breastbone. She gasped, her blood welling up immediately and following the blade as Twilight dragged it over her chest and carved an intricate design.
“Feel free to cry and scream if you like. It’s redundant to say that no one will hear you but…well, no one will hear you, and monster I may be, I won’t deny you a release of pain and agony in your final moments.”
The casual tone and deeper cut into her abdomen was enough to wrench a despaired cry from Diamond’s lips, questions and curses and pleas all stumbling together to form mindless mumbles and piercing shrieks as the knife worked to turn her insides into her outsides.
All the while, Twilight hummed and cooed soothingly, as if consoling a crying child as she expertly dug through flesh and carefully pulled out organs, thankfully still intact. The ritual would have worked even if she did nick an intestine or kidney, but the clean up was less if everything was pristine.
At some point, the candles around them lit with alternating green and purple flames and though they burned and dripped an endless bloody wax, they never shortened.
This was lost on Diamond, who was lost in a world of intense agony, able to feel every minute cut of the knife, hear every squelch of blood and flesh as it corresponded to a nauseating pull on an organ and the deeply unsettling feeling of the rush of cool air across her inside cavities. Somehow, through it all, she didn’t die, and even worse still she was conscious. A quiet ‘why’ wheezed past her chapped lips and Twilight paused for a moment.
“Well I already told you why, you are helping to resurrect my love. Though, if you mean how and why you are still alive right now well…That paralyzing spell may have had a few other enchantments woven in. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that the longer you suffer, the longer your fear fuels the spell, and the longer she can be brought back. And you want to know the best part?”
Twilight leaned up to Diamond’s ear as if sharing a great secret, a giddy tone to her voice. “It doesn’t even mess up the ritual!” She giggled and leaned back, eyes sparkling as she started towards her last prize - Diamond’s frantically beating heart.
“A lot of spells and rituals, especially old fashioned ones from the dark ages, have very specific requirements and few loopholes, however I found one! I would try to explain it to you but I’m afraid it would go over your head. That, and, our time has come to an end dear Diamond Brooch.”
Diamond let loose an ear piercing scream as Twilight’s magic wrapped around her heart. A whimper as her heart was pulled from her chest. A stuttered moan as it lifted to her eyesight, feeling the strain of the various attachments that normally would keep it where it was supposed to be.
Twilight brought the knife into position, directly above the heart. “Goodbye.”
And with a final gasp, Diamond was gone.
Twilight gently set the heart down, careful to keep the blade fully lodged inside and stepped back to watch the next part. She kept her gaze firmly attached to it, ignoring the shudder that traveled up her back and ruffled her feathers at the hungry stares of the shadows around her. She knew they were waiting, biding their time to enjoy her fear and heart, and someday they would.
But not today.
The heart beat once and an ominous soundwave swept across the room. Then, it began to fold in on itself, squirming in a fleshy red mass that was slowly drawn into the blade. It was a sight Twilight watched many times, but it never failed to fascinate her.
The blade remained suspended in the air even as the last of the heart was absorbed. There was another thudding beat, coming from the small heart set into the handle, and then the knife fell into the empty chest of the dead mare.
Twilight gasped quietly as shadows now leaked out of the blade and into the corpse, twitching and squirming and rebuilding.
The organs nestled back into place and were covered again as Diamond’s stormy gray coat was brought up and turned pristine snow white, without a seam or trace of any cuts. Her honey brown hair lengthened and curled as it turned a rich, royal purple. And, finally, the knife melted and refitted itself into her chest, before the fur was sealed with only a small scar over her breastbone.
Twilight counted her breaths, and then sighed in relief as the chest of the mare on the floor repeated the same rhythm. Dazzling sapphire eyes were revealed and the once corpse sat up, rubbing her chest with a quiet groan. Then, she was looking at her.
Rarity smiled. “Hello again my love.”
