Cutie Mark Trials

"Twilight, I want to have a talk." Luna said in a serious tone. "I think you might be interested in what I have to say." Twilight looked up from her book.

"Oh, Luna. I didn't realize you were here. What is it?" She put a bookmark in the book and closed it.

Luna turned away. "Do you remember Nightmare Night, how everypony was scared of me?" Her hair stopped flowing. She turned towards Twilight again and examined the front cover of the book she was reading. "The Future of Equestria." Luna mumbled.

"I remember, but no one is scared of you. What do you mean?" Twilight looked at her, confused by her bringing up the past.

"Exactly, Twilight! Nopony is scared of me, and nopony thinks of me as a leader! I spend a thousand years on the moon, when I come down on Nightmare Night, everypony is scared of me... Thanks to you, no one is scared of me, but no one thinks of me as a princess!" Luna sighed. "I feel like a pony with no friends. Worthless. In other words, I want to be the ruler of Equestria. To rewrite history and change it forever."

Twilight gasped. "Luna, that's revolutionary! How would you even pull that off without getting banished to the moon for another thousand years?" She stood up and trotted back and forth.

Luna put a hoof in front of Twilight and they stood face to face. "You're Celestia's loyal student, so I know this is awkward. But, I would hope you could be my loyal student someday. I want your help in this. You would, when I rule Equestria, you would be the most valuable pony in all of the land, along with your friends, if just yourself wasn't favorable enough. Maybe even your, what did you call him... Your BBBFF could be alongside me and your friends." Luna leaned in even closer and kissed Twilight's cheek. Twilight blushed and looked down at her hooves.

"I don't know what to say, this is quick. A-and sorry about my lateness to this, but ponies were only scared of you because of Nightmare Moon. Just give me time, Luna, and I'll get back to you." Twilight looked into Luna's eyes and pushed the book she was reading in front of her. "Take it." Then she returned Luna's kiss to her lips. Luna picked the book up and left without a proper goodbye.

Twilight mouthed the words and turned around. Spike walked out of her bedroom and fell down the stairs. "Spike! How much did you hear?" She trotted over and helped him up.

He was drooling. "That was hot."

Twilight held a hoof up to her face and said through gritted teeth, "How much did you hear Spike?"

"Huh- oh. Something about how Luna wants to be the leader of Equestria and her wanting you and your friends to lead with her. But what about me, Twilight?"

Twilight looked at him. "I don't know Spike."

That was over a month ago. Twilight stood up and yawned. The second day of the Trials started in an hour even though she was awake, except Trixie who was keeping the fillies frozen. She picked up a remote and pressed a button. A mug of apple cider slid out of the wall along with a new cape and hood. The cape was black and diamond incrusted and the hood had a hole the right size for Twilight's horn to fit through, but mainly looked the same. The material was heavy, probably made out of dragon skin. "But what about me, Twilight?" She shook the idea of it being Spike out of her head. He'd already pledged to Luna. There would be no reason for her to skin him. She picked up the cape and draped it over her body. A piece of paper descended to the ground. "Hello Darling Twilight. I reward a new outfit to you for supporting my decisions. However, it's not finished, and I will personally deliver the two finishing touches. Thank you for your cooperation. Love, Luna." Twilight read it airily.

"I didn't know you and Luna were lovebirds. I don't mind though." Applejack walked in the control center. Twilight blushed. Damn it! She thought. "There's nothin' to be embarassed about. I promise I won't tell anyone, Darling Twilight." She smiled and took a sip of Twilight's apple cider.

Twilight grimaced at her and said in a stern voice, "Go wake everyone up. Luna and me being a couple isn't your buisness. Get me another cider."

"Hello fillies to the second day of the Lunar Trials! Today is a very important day. Have you noticed those black collars on your necks? What those collars do is explode. This is the day you can get them off. I know it sounds quite simple, but it's more complex than that. In each of your blocks, there is a weakling that has the key imbedded in their body. Fortunatley for you fillies, most of your classmates are dead. Anesthetic, a saw, and a scalpel can be found in a small pack in the center of the blocks. Embrace imminent death." The Crusaders woke up to the sound of Twilight's voice.

Sweetie Belle's stomach growled. "I think we should eat." She dug the leftovers out her bag and took cider from Apple Bloom's bag. They ate all of the food Sweetie Belle provided, but took small sips of the cider so they didn't get drunk and be off their guard. Apple Bloom stood up and peeked out the door. A long hallway led to a central room, probably where the surgical supplies were. Scootaloo lightly pushed Apple Bloom to the side and trotted carelessly down the hall. Blood ran down the walls from long clear tubes in the ceiling. A path to the right led to another room. The door was fully open, stuck in the position by somepony face down. The three cautiously walked down side by side to investigate. They approached the body and Scootaloo lifted the head. Glass shards pierced the eyes and a frame punctured the filly's throat. Silver Spoon. Scootaloo let the head hit the blood stained ground and more blood ran out of the wounds. She looked up and saw the rest of her remains, but almost gagged. Silver Spoon's body was tore open with her intestine stretched to the ceiling. "Let's come back to that later."

They backed away and continued down the hallway. It was longer than it looked, and made fillies calm until they ran into a hidden trap. Apple Bloom took a razor blade and threw it down the hall. Almost at the very end, a saw shoulder height in the air shot across the hall and stuck in the wall. That would have provided a quick decapitation. Apple Bloom moved forward and led them to the center room. "Hold up. I see somepony." Apple Bloom whispered. Rainbow Dash was putting the pack on the table.

"Jackpot! Hey, Crash, get out of the way!" Diamond Tiara taunted her. Rainbow Dash looked at her. Tiara rushed forward, but got knocked to the floor. Dash picked her up by her neck and pounded her head on the table.

"What did you call me? I want you to say it again." Dash yelled at her. Tiara shook her head with her mouth open while blood pooled and ran down her body. "Oh, I see. Seems the little 'princess' is too frightened to speak. That makes me want to kill you more." She smiled and struck the filly's head on the table again. She opened the pack and took the scalpel out. She gouged her eyes out and threw them on the floor. Screams of pain rose out of Tiara. "Now for the final act! To shut this bitch up!" She slit her throat and threw the lifeless body to the other side of the room. Dash turned towards the fillies and smiled. Her blue coat was barely visible from all the blood covering her. She set it back on the table and backed away. "Embrace imminent death. Sorry about taking your kill."

"What just happened? Rainbow Dash! She wouldn't do anything like this. I wouldn't think so anyways." Sweetie Belle got behind Apple Bloom. Scootaloo moved towards the table. It was just enough to lie down on and had restraints like the ones used to tie them on the wall. She opened the pack. A silver rigid saw and a syringe of blue anesthetic were left in the bag while the scalpel was left painted with blood. "I'll take the scalpel."

"This is Luna. Here is a special request for you fillies. You must use all of the tools provided. However, you can not use the anesthetic to knock the weakling out and cut them open during their sleep. You must find a way to use it on your own. You must also use the saw before the scalpel. Dismemberment is key. Oh yes, before I forget, you must perform the surgery while the weakling is awake. Have a fun time like I had on the moon." Luna spoke into the intercom coldly. The Crusaders stared at the supplies.

"I call the blue stuff." Apple Bloom picked the syringe up in her mouth. "That leaves Sweetie Belle with the saw." Apple Bloom backed up to the hall they came from. "We should wait for the one to come then get him." They retreated behind her.

"We need a plan. I think we should put him or her to sleep, tie them up, and start the operation. She said dismemberment is key, right? You know what that means. I don't know what we're going to do with the scalpel. Well I do, but I don't know where the key would be." Sweetie Belle whispered. They nodded and Scootaloo pointed towards the table. Featherweight was vomiting from the sight of Diamond Tiara. She nudged Apple Bloom and she snuck up behind him. Apple Bloom jabbed the needle into his back and pushed down the plunger. The blue liquid filled his body and knocked him out instantly. He slumped to the ground and Apple Bloom signaled to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. They ran over and threw him on their backs to throw him on the table. Contrary to his size and name, he weighed a ton. They heaved the body on the table and strapped him in the restraints. He woke up with a shocked look on his face.

"Hello Featherweight. This might hurt a lot, so be prepared." Apple Bloom forced a demented smile on her face. Featherweight struggled in the leather straps. "It's no use Featherweight. Before we start the surgery, say hello to our lovely nurses, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo." She wondered how long she could keep this insane act up.

They dropped the tools and locked their lips together. "What the hell is this!?" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle released lips and a string of saliva streched between their mouths.

"Making sure the patient is happy before he dies. Let's do this." Apple Bloom stabbed the syringe in his shoulder. He closed his eyes and started to weep. "Back legs first, Sweetie Belle." She nodded and picked up the saw. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo got on opposite sides of the table, as if it was a cinema. She brought the saw down on his left leg and moved it side to side. Blood gushed from the already deep cut while he screamed out in agony. The sawing stopped.

"I need some help. His bone is in the way." Sweetie Belle looked up to her friends. Scootaloo pushed down the right side and Apple Bloom the left. Sweetie Belle clamped her mouth on the handle and continued cutting through the bone. The air filled with screaming and a sound like sawing through wood. The tough bone disconnected from the top joint and the saw went right through the skin connecting the leg to his body. The screaming ceased. Featherweight passed out from blood loss, and layed still. Three more limbs to go. By the time they'd gotten to the last leg, they were sure he was dead. No pulse could be felt in his veins. "Last one." She sawed the last leg off with the help of her friends. She dropped the saw on the ground and knocked a leg on the ground.

Scootaloo stabbed into his skin and tore down his abdomen. She pulled the skin apart and revealed his guts. She looked towards his ribs to see if his heart was pumping. The colt's heart stood still. More conformation that he was dead. She looked for the stomach, most likely where the key would be. "Do you know where the stomach would be?" Scootaloo asked and Apple Bloom pointed to a curved muscle under the rib cage. "Help me get his rib out of the way." Scootaloo got on the left side with Apple Bloom and held on to the bones with Sweetie Belle on the right, supporting the body. They pulled all at once and the left ribs snapped off and flew to the floor. "Kinda' hurts just watching this." She slit the stomach open and digestive acid spilled out on to the other organs. She waited for the acid to drain and opened the muscle. To the side, a golden key layed in his stomach. She stuck the blade in the hole and pulled it out. The key dropped in to a pool of his blood and made ripples. They looked at the sight before them. A body with no legs, tore open, with a broken off rib, and stomach acid already eating at the intestines. As unlikely as it would seem, they threw up all at once.

Scootaloo wiped some of it off the side of her lip and grabbed the key. "We should get this over with early. I don't want any of you dying on me." She stuck it into a hole on the black collar Sweetie Belle was wearing, then Apple Bloom's. Then she handed it to Sweetie Belle to get her out of the bulky collar. She took it and stuck it into the keyhole. The contraption fell onto the ground and fell onto Featherweight's left side rib cage. "We should get to our room. I'm tired after this sick operation." She trotted of to the direction of the room, but fell to the ground. The area filled with the blue magic and froze them. The Lunar guards as they would call them would have to do a lot of preperation for tomorrow.