Solaria

How had it come to this? Twilight Sparkle tugged at her bonds. She was inside a dungeon with the other elements. Pinkie Pie was desperately trying to lift everybody's spirits with jokes. Rarity was perched on a small rise, afraid of touching the damp and moldy floor of the dungeon. Fluttershy was quiet while Rainbow Dash glared at the sobbing Applejack.

"What did one door say to another door?" Pinkie tried.

She got a death glare, three dark looks, and a sob. Pinkie sighed, her curly pink hair drooping.

"We wouldn't be in this mess if somebody had not with held her element!" Rainbow Dash snapped, glaring harder at Applejack.

"Rainbow, please. Leave her alone!" Rarity begged, "How can you ask her to hurt her own brother?"

"Puh-lease! It's just Nightmare Moon, only 20% uglier!" Rainbow was furious, "Applejack doomed Equestria! We wouldn't be hurting Big Mac! We would only be stripping Nightmare Moon from him! Luna survived, so would Big Mac! Thanks to her, we're stuck in here with no hope of rescue!"

"It's not hopeless!" Rarity cried out, "I am sure there are ponies out there, fighting Demonicus! Luna is out there! She’ll save us for sure!"

"Luna isn't strong enough! She said so herself!" Rainbow screamed, "This is Applejack's fault!"

"Rainbow!" Twilight gasped, "How could you?"

"She's right!" a broken southern voice sobbed, "We are in this mess because of me! Ah'm sorry, girls! Ah just couldn't do it! Ah couldn't hurt mah brother!"

"Applejack, you stop that!" Rarity ordered.

"But it’s true! Ah'm the reason we're stuck here!" Applejack wailed.

"STOP IT! STOP IT ALL OF YOU!" Fluttershy snapped, starling everyone.

The yellow pegasus had been huddled in a corner since Demonicus's guards had thrown them into the dungeon. Now, Fluttershy had left her corner and was staring down each of her friends. Her gaze was harsh yet not unkind.

"I don't blame Applejack." Fluttershy shrank back into her corner nervously, "I wish it wasn't Big Mac ether."

"We should have seen the signs. We could have stopped this before what happened had happened." Twilight broke the silence, "Why didn't we see it?"

"I didn't want to believe that someone so kind and gentle could become so corrupted." Pinkie Pie looked away, her hair flat, "Mac always came in to the Corner around 2 every day. I should have realized something was wrong when he stopped coming."

"Why are we sitting here, moping?" Rainbow Dash yanked at her bonds, "We should be working on getting out of here!" She tried to flex her wings, but the bonds tying them down were too strong.

The dungeon was one good sized room with high windows which were barred to prevent escape. The only door was made of metal, and a small window with bars looked out into a stone hallway. It was cold, but not uncomfortably so. the floor was covered with a greenish smelly sludge in which Rarity had put up quite the struggle against the guards to avoid. She was perched on a small rise in the ground. bits of dried sludge coated her white body where she'd landed when the guards had thrown her into the room. Thick leather straps tied down Fluttershy's and Rainbow Dashes wings, and tied their right hind leg to a metal ring in the floor. Pinkie Pie and Applejack were tied by their right hind legs to another ring while the two unicorns shared a third ring. The unicorns also wore cones that prevented them from using their magic. Rarity had screamed for hours over the indignity of the cone. Muzzles covered the mouths of the pegasi and the earthlings. The cones prevented the unicorns from chewing the straps.

Rainbow had already tried to chew her way out of the strap but the muzzle stopped her. She was frustrated with herself for not being able to escape. Applejack had been a sobbing mess since they fell against Demonicus, so no help was coming from her. Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy were too weak, which left Pinkie Pie, who was currently munching on a lollipop, her hair back into its normal curly mess. Where she had gotten the lollipop, Rainbow decided she didn't want to know. Rainbow had also long since discovered the floor was smooth with a small rise which Rarity had claimed so she couldn't cut herself free. The muzzles were not coming off. Hooves failed at what nimble fingers could do. All hooves had been cut and filed to rounded edges so that idea was out too. Rainbow refused to give up.

"Twilight, can magic bounce?" Pinkie asked suddenly.

Rainbow brightened, only to deflate as Twilight explained that magic couldn't bounce. Dang, another idea out the window. There had to be a way to escape! Her head shot up, both ears cocked, listening. There, a soft hoofstep. Someone was coming! Who was it? Was it too much to ask that it be a good guy? She watched the door. It opened, revealing Demonicus and twelve guards. The six bearers of the elements shrank back from the Dark Lord. The guards each paired up and went to stand by an element.

Demonicus looked like Big Mac, whose body he had taken as his own. The orange blond mane and tail were longer, and the once red body was darker. The eyes, once sage green were now black with a sage green slit. A long horn and large wings completed the look. The cutie mark, once an apple cut in half was now a rotting apple cut in half and covered with worms. Demonicus smelled of decay, and seeing him was enough to make you shiver. He smiled, malice dripping from his face.

"Hello, my little ponies. We are going to play a game. The girl who wins will be executed, their element destroyed. Ah cannot have you out and about, planning mah demise now can I?" Demonicus's voice was harsh and cold, not the warm southern lit that was Big Mac.

"Go back to where ya came from! Leave mah brother alone!” Applejack screamed, rising and charging at Demonicus. The strap around her leg stopped her from reaching him, “Fight back, Macintosh!”

“I told you, he cannot hear you. He is dead, remember?” Demonicus walked among the element bearers, “Tails together.”

They complied quickly to avoid punishment from the guards. Demonicus reached into the mess of tails and selected a strand of hair. Each girl stepped back.

“Ow!” Fluttershy cried out, the strand from her tail in Demonicus’s teeth.

“We have a winner!” Demonicus chuckled darkly, “Guards, bring the girl to the court yard! You lot, bring the other girls. They will want to see this.”

Fluttershy swallowed, the stare having already frozen her two guards in place. She growled deep in her throat as she turned her gaze on Demonicus. A vicious kick to the head knocked her out. She was dragged away with the other girls forced to follow. They were led through the dungeon and out into the courtyard. In the center of the courtyard, a dirty white Alicorn with limp pastel hair was tied down so she couldn’t move.

“Celestia!” Twilight screamed as guards hoof silenced her with a hard blow to the jaw.

Celestia’s eyes opened as she raised her head, “Twilight! Gah!” A guard with a whip struck the solar princess into silence.

“Nobody told you to talk!” Demonicus kicked Celestia in the rib cage, hard. He was satisfied to hear the resounding crack as a rib broke. She was not long in this world. Around the courtyard, there were large stands which were full of ponies. Perfect. Celestia will die first along with kindness. He turned to face the crowd.

“Who is ready for the execution to begin?” he shouted.

The stands stayed silent. Demonicus didn’t care about that. He turned to Celestia and ordered her untied. Celestia rose to her hooves, horn lowered. Demonicus only grinned. He flicked his horn, knocking Celestia down with a wave of red energy. Celestia gasped and spat out a wad of blood. She was half way up when Demonicus struck again. Twilight screamed. Celestia stayed down. She pointed her horn and two tendrils of golden light snaked from her to tangle up Demonicus’s hooves. Demonicus stumbled, letting the white mare think her trick was working. Once she was up, he stomped the ground, ending her attack. Celestia was panting, her head low. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. Demonicus decided he was done playing around. He decided it was time to display his full power. He squared himself off, his feet planted firmly on the ground. He lowered his head as Celestia reared, her horn pointed at the sun. Yes, the time was now. The sky turned black has Demonicus lit his horn. Thick iron tendrils shot from the ground around Celestia. They curved and dove; one tendril shattered her horn while two others impaled her wings, bringing her to the ground. Her mouth opened of its own accord as a tendril curved out of her to burrow into the ground. Celestia’s eyes were wild with panic. Demonicus nodded, and Celestia let out a silent gasp. The iron strung through her body had missed all of her organs and her spine. Now, it grew spikes which cut through everything. The sun winked out of the sky. Twilight screamed in horror and grief. Rainbow turned and began yelling at Applejack who broke down in tears. Rarity was in shock and Pinkie’s hair went flat, her eyes haunted by what she had just witnessed. Fluttershy yelped, being dragged toward Demonicus.

“Please! Don’t hurt her!” Rarity found her voice.

“I don’t plan to hurt her dear. I plan to enjoy her.” Demonicus grinned. Fluttershy gasped, realizing she was going to be raped. Demonicus entered her and Fluttershy gasped. Unknown to her, a fresh iron tendril sprouted through her body to exit her mouth. The tip split and curved around the edges of her mouth. Demonicus came with a howl of animalistic pleasure and stepped back. He gripped the iron and pulled it apart. Fluttershy felt something tearing inside. She choked, unable to scream. With a final pull, Demonicus tore her in half and tossed her aside.

Rainbow Dash retched violently, the lump of stale bread and two ounces of water that was her dinner expelled from her body. Rarity was crying and screaming in rage. Pinkie Pie’s mind snapped violently. Applejack sobbed. Twilight burned with rage.

*****

“She’s dead!” Luna gasped, slowing from her mad dash toward Ponyville.

“Who is dead? Will you move it, Luna? Demonicus cannot capture Solaria! Move it!” Blueblood tried to force his aunt along. Eight year old Solaria stopped.

“Cousin, mom is gone.” The young princess stood stock still.

“I didn’t risk hide or hair to get you two out for this!” Blueblood cried, “We have to go now! You both can grieve later! Let’s go!”

The three royals were on the far edge of Everfree heading toward Ponyville. They would catch the train and escape to Appaloosa. From there it was an overland trip to a place called Blue Manor. Luna had not said much about the place except it was safe from Demonicus. They would be able to hide out there.

Luna had known her sister was doomed along with the elements. She had taken Solaria with Bluebloods help and escaped when Demonicus had attacked. The attack had been brutal. Luna prayed that Solaria had not seen the death around the castle. It had been bad. Guards lay everywhere, their bodies torn up. Luna squared her shoulders and pressed on. She would do as Blueblood had asked. She would grieve once they were in the safe confines of Blue Manor. It was very important that they keep Solaria safe.