The Castle in the Sky

Chapter 3

The Castle in the Sky was intimidating, yet gorgeous. The interior of the foyer could leave one breathless. The walls, floors, even its immaculate staircase were stainless, ivory white. The marble pillars were gleaming as if the sunlight was hitting it at an angle that would easily blind you. Above the group was a chandelier that shined bright lights from black flames. A lounge sofa was seen on the right side of the room that looked untouched. It was white with a hint of platinum that made it sparkle. On the left, a display table was shown. There was exquisite pottery, a blank picture, and a lavish vase. The one thing in that room that wasn’t white was the black rose in the vase. It was artistic beauty in whitest form.

Rarity was on the verge of a fainting from what she saw and fell backwards. Spike raced to catch Rarity’s fall and was subsequently crushed. Twilight said as they walked into the room, “The room is great, Rarity, but-” Twilight was abruptly quieted by Rarity as she exclaimed, “OH IT IS! The furniture, the columns, it is all so beautiful!” She randomly raced from one section of the room to another, viewing the various fixtures. The black rose caught her attention and she gazed upon it closely. “This rose and those black flames do throw me off a bit. And we don’t appear to be showing any shadows…”  Rarity complained. “This ain’t tha time ta be sight-seein’, Rarity.” Applejack said as she pulled her away from the furniture. “The fashionista does have a point. Why use a sign of graceful death to plague a beautiful room?” Trixie asked. “Because… some things in the world… are black and white.” A mysterious voice said.

The voice echoed throughout the room as it was softly spoken. Everypony looked around for the pony whose voice they heard. They looked towards the doors, the couch, and the stairs but saw no one in sight. “Up… here.” Everypony looked up and saw the chandelier swaying back and forth. The black flames left their post on the chandelier candles and descended. The flames collectively fell in one spot and grew into a large fireball. “Life and death… are black and white. One… cannot exist… without the other.” The voice said, coming from the depths of the fireball. “Yeah, so what?” Dash said. As the fireball began to take shape, the voice said “Life is the… white of this room… it shines brightly… and people love it. Those who notice death… are the vase… they remember it… and hold their lives dear. Those… who think they won’t die… are like the sofa…” “You’re taking a little long for my taste.” Rarity said. The fireball took shape of an Alicorn but it still blazed like the flame before. “When death takes a life… it won’t give it back.” The pony said as she forcefully stomped the ground below. The flames dissipated and a pony appeared before the group.

The pony was a monochrome mare. Her forward left, both back legs and flank were a gleaming, egg-shell white. Her front right leg, head and torso were pitch-black. She had no pupils in her eyes, nor a face that bared details; ironically, a blank face as hers was unique to any other pony. Her stare was empty and yet no matter what you thought before, you always thought that she was looking into your soul.

She stepped down and the white floors she stood upon radiated black energy. If one had never seen a demon before, the 10 in the room had seen one now. “Welcome… to my home.” The mare said. “I… am Queen Silhouette… a shadow walking mare. This castle… has been my home for centuries.” She continued using her telepathic abilities. “But that’s impossible.” Twilight added. “Queen Silhouette was a tyrannical queen. She died after 300 years of old age. And on top of it all, she was in folklore, not history. How can you exist?” Twilight asked. Queen Silhouette replied, “The stories… you have read of me are… inaccurate. I was not the queen… of any land or kingdom. I was… the equinox queen. My dominion… was over life… and death. And my death… was exaggerated.” She walked towards the black rose in the vase and picked it up with her magic. “Life and Death… but the mare that ever controlled that was…” a frightened Fluttershy mumbled. “Yes. I am…” She declared, raising the rose into the air. The rose extended and a long blade came from the side. It was a scythe that dripped black ink from its steel blade and she wielded it with her magic. As the blade rose to strike down her enemies, she screamed, “I AM THE REAPER!” and struck the floor below her. The floor’s white tile began to burn with a black flame and started to spread to the rest of the floor. “Everypony, remember you’re teams and take the other doors. Move it!” Twilight said, giving orders to everyone in the room. They ran in four groups towards the four doors in the room and escaped the flame. Trixie, Dash, and AJ ran into one door. Armor, Rarity, and Spike ran down the main hallway. Luna grabbed Pinkie and flew above the flames to a vent above. Twilight headed up the staircase with fluttershy and escaped what could have been a horrible fate. Without warning, a magical barrier sealed off each of the four exits, preventing flame and pony from breaching it. Everyone knew about the task at hand and carried on down their individual paths.

As they ran in different directions, the flames ceased and Silhouette had stood with the scythe still plunged in the floor. She then flew into one of the adjacent walls and phased through it as if she was a ghost. Her appearance was intimidating and her departure was eerie, fitting for the reaper of Equestria.

Twilight, accompanied by Fluttershy, walked on the floors of the upstairs hallways. They were a greyed white now and it looked like wet cement. The walls were still decorated nicely like any kingdom but the radiating feeling of death loomed the halls. The walls had various paintings of what looked like ancient Equestria. There were depictions of the Smith family arriving in Canter Lot with the zap apples, the Crystal Empire’s disappearance, and even the night Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon. Twilight and Fluttershy had reached the end of the hall and was forced to go right. Upon going their predetermined path, they had noticed one picture of Queen Silhouette, beheading countless stallions, mares, fillies, and colts with her scythe. Fluttershy saw this picture and was horrified at the gory detail in the picture. She puked on the floors until her stomach was empty. Twilight, worried for Fluttershy, asked, “Fluttershy?! Are you alright?” “I’m fine Twilight. It’s just…” Fluttershy said, trembling with fear. “Queen Silhouette is a cold-hearted murderer. She would kill anyone who ever crossed her path even… young ones.” Fluttershy cried over the meaningless bloodshed caused by Silhouette. Twilight picked up Fluttershy, wiped her tears, and said, “She really was a cruel, heartless beast. I promise, as soon we rescue Princess Celestia, we can leave this place for good.” Fluttershy felt reassured by Twilight’s words and moved on.

Trixie, Apple Jack, and Rainbow Dash left the hall and walked into a dining room with a glistening, long table. The walls had artwork that none of the three could make out from afar. Apple Jack asked Trixie, “Trixie, What do ya know about Queen Silhouette? She sounds like a bad apple.” Trixie replied, “I wish I knew more about her but my knowledge is fairly limited. She was the reaper of Equestria, and a she didn’t work alone from what I can recall.” “She didn’t work alone?! Who in tarnation would work wit’ her?!” Apple Jack exclaimed. Trixie walked up to the picture she couldn’t make out and stood disgusted. Dash and AJ walked up, about to ask her what she saw but too a look for themselves. They saw a painting of a rainbow maned pony’s head on a platter with various condiments on the side and the eyes of the pony were gouged out and served on a saucer next to it. Rainbow Dash was mortified and stepped back slowly as she looked at the title of the picture. It read, “The taste of the Rainbow” Dash had her back against the wall behind her, cringing from what she saw. Apple Jack went over to console Dash. Trixie said, “Her accomplice was a cannibalistic dracony named Crossfire. He cleaned up her killing sprees for a living. He called it his ‘payment’ for covering her tracks.” Trixie started to tremble at the thought of it. “We have to get moving and report any findings, alright you…” Trixie was stopped looking at Dash. She had never seen her, this afraid of anything. Trixie said, “This may be worse than I imagined.”

Shining Armor, Rarity, and spike walked into a circular room with a cylindrical, tall room with a revolving staircase. The staircase had a spider web design on the railing that gave it an uncertainty in age discernment. As they looked up, they saw a door at the top that measured a minimum of five floors up. Rarity foresaw the strenuous ordeal in front of her and said, “My word! A height as such is too much for a lady-mare like myself. Shining Armor, could you please…” Rarity stopped as she noticed Shining Armor was already a floor above them walking with a determined look on his face. Spike walked up to Rarity and she complained, “What is with him? How could he ignore a mare’s plead and just move on?” Spike said, to correct Rarity’s view on the matter, “His wife is in this castle somewhere, held against her will. Every second he would’ve wasted listening would be another second Princess Cadence would be in danger. If I lost you I’d be the same way.” Rarity looked down and then back at Spike, saying “You’re right Spike. He is fighting another war, more personal than our own. Thanks for bringing that to my perspective.” Spike, feeling proud of himself, started to head for the stairs. Rarity then said, “Spike, what was that last thing you said?” Before she could finish her sentence, Spike was running up the stairs yelling, “Wait for me, Shining Armor!” Rarity had begun her ascent up the stairs to catch up with them.

Princess Luna and Pinkie were in the air vents, once again in pitch darkness. “I’ll shed some light for us.” Luna said. She radiated magic from her horn, illuminating the dark vents. She was shocked by seeing Pinkie in a full black body suit with night vision goggles. “How… where… nevermind.” Luna was dumbfounded by Pinkie’s acquisition of so much equipment. “Okie Dokie Lokie!” Pinkie responded. “Would you look at that, the vent stopped breaking wind!” Pinkie noted as she looked down both ends of the vent. Luna noticed it too and said, “You’re right. The vents should be blowing for at least another fifteen minutes. This is too coincidental. We must get out of this area and find somewhere to communicate with the others.” “FOUND IT!” Pinkie yelled, echoing down the vents. Luna, feeling the ringing in her ears from Pinkie’s yell walked over to the opening and they found themselves in a square room with one door on their right, and three flat walls. Luna found the room oddly designed and said they should leave the room. As soon as she did, the two walls adjacent to the door begin to close in quickly. Luna tried to open the door and it walked locked. Pinkie shows up from behind and yells, “Out of the way, your highness!” Luna turned around and saw Pinkie’s party cannon, armed and ready to fire. Instead of questioning Pinkie’s abilities, Luna jumped out of the way and Pinkie fired the cannon. The cannon fired a rather large amount of confetti that hit the door like a giant rock, smashing it down and the two escapes by a hair. Luna was scared half to death. Her suspicion of everyone being watched was proving to be real and started the telepathic connection.

Shining Armor, Trixie and Luna were signaled and they connected to one another. “Is everyone on?” Luna asked. “Yes, your highness. Have there been any changes or suspicious things in the castle so far?” Twilight asked. Trixie started, “Queen Silhouette sounded familiar to me and I do remember that she worked with a cannibalistic dracony named Crossfire. He is extremely dangerous and if he is here in this castle too, we won’t last very long.” “A cannibalistic dracony?! What about Cadence?!” Shining armor said, worried like no stallion ever has. Trixie responded, “Crossfire painted a picture of his meal, a rainbow maned pony, and Dash saw it. She’s taking it hard… Speed up your search for Cadence so you won’t have to see her for dinner!” Shining Armor started running up the stairs and lost connection within seconds. “Wait, this connection is supposed to stay until I break it.” Luna brought up. Luna gasped and said, “Everyone! Be on your guard, they are watching and maybe even listening to us. I fear there may be more than Silhouette and Crossfire in this castle. There may be two other ali-” The connections simultaneously cut off.

Twilight, losing contact with the others yelled “Hello? Hello?! Can anyone hear me?! Dammit!” Fluttershy, looking scared, asked, “What happened? Is everyone safe?” Twilight replied, “I’m not sure, but I think something is coming!” They hallway around the two of them turned black completely, as if by a large shadow. Then, Queen Silhouette appeared from above and grabbed Fluttershy. Twilight flashed a light spell to dispel Silhouette’s darkness but was no effect. Her darkness was like a black hole, absorbing anything that comes in its path, even light. Fluttershy, as she was being pulled into the darkness, screamed, “Help me!!! I don’t like the dark!!!” Silhouette responded, “By the end… of this… You’ll wish…you were in… the dark.” Fluttershy disappeared and the shadows forced Twilight to move ahead and avoid capture.

Trixie Lost connection and said to AJ and Dash, “We’re leaving now! I'm afraid that things just got real.” The three ran out of the dining room and into a long hallway. They stopped and saw an alicorn of light-green skin, powerful wings, and shades that would reflect your own fears into your eyes. His hair and mane were spiky, sky blue, and a light yellow that could resemble the look of lightning striking across the sky. The alicorn ascended into the air and stared down the trio. Rainbow Dash Flew up into the air as well and looked at the unknown adversary. “Bring it on!” She yelled. Dash had flown at the alicorn with all of her might. The alicorn had flown at her at the same speed but in less time. The alicorn’s speed accelerated and Dash’s was about to reach Sonic Rainboom speeds. Within the blink of an eye, Dash had broken the sound barrier and preformed the sonic rainboom. The alicorn did not hesitate but its speed increased greatly. The alicorn then dashed forward and before Dash could react, had tackled her, head-on. Dash fell back hard, in disbelief of a pony who bested her in speed and strength. “Who are you?! We know that there are others in this castle!” Dash yelled, as her head began to spurt blood. “I’m the king of the Sky.” The alicorn responded with a smirk across his face. Dash’s eye were full of fear and disbelief. Trixie saw Dash and asked, “Who is this guy?!” “I read about him in the files at the Wonderbolt’s academy. He was a tyrant king who had direct control of the weather and was all powerful. However, he caused natural disasters left and right for ten years straight. He was destroyed by Celestia and the job was delegated to the rest of the Pegasus in Equestria. His name was… King Aero, also known as Light.” “Well done young Pegasus.” Aero said, giving a sarcastic clop[clap] to Dash. “I must commend you for being one of three pegasus so far to read the great history of the Equestrian Skies. Now, enough with the formalities, I’m looking forward to this. We have plans for the ten of you.” Trixie used her magic to blast Aero but he deflected it and pulled her to him with magic of his own. “We have bigger plans for you, now go and wait little a good little filly.” Aero said to Trixie. He chucked her down to the other end of the hallway into a locked room. She was trapped inside with no visible way out. King Aero was in a ready stance to take on Rainbow Dash and Apple Jack. They charged towards one another.

Shining Armor, moments before he was disconnected first, started running up to the door at the top of the staircase. Rarity and Spike had trouble keeping up and were, at least, a 5 meters from him even at a galloping pace. He made it to the door way before they did. He turned around and said, “Guys, come on! Something might happen to-” Then he was struck in the back of the head and fell unconscious. Rarity and Spike caught up with him and were confused by his falling to the floor. They were on high alert and looked around. Rarity threw her gold dust infront of her and a dracony was enveloped in the gold powder. “You’re Crossfire!” Spike yelled. “Damn right!” Crossfire screamed. He blew a firball at his feet and the gold dust disappeared. His camouflage disappeared and showed himself. His scaly skin was colored like army camouflage; green, brown and grey. It seemed to change into more than those colors when he hid himself. He had horns, spiky teeth, a lizard’s tail, and claws like any reptile.He had dragon like wings on his equestrian body. Rarity was staring at the epitome of ugliness in her eyes. Before going on her rants about the fashion disaster that she laid eyes on, she yelled, “What have you done to Shining Armor?!” “The same thing I’m about to do to you two.” Crossfire jumped above them and landed directly behind Spike and Rarity. He put Rarity in a sleeper hold. Spike, about to let loose a fireball, was smashed by a chandelier that Crossfire hit before landing down behind them. Spike was struck in the head and was unconscious like Shining armor. Crossfire then dragged their bodies to a bedroom where Cadence was tied up, asleep on the bed.

Princess Luna was in a panic. All of her subordinates were now missing in action right when new information had surfaced. Then she looked down the hall and saw a dark blue pony with a sparkling body, walking down the hall slowly. She had walked very slowly but when Luna blinked, she was much closer than before. Luna was caught off guard and backed up. She blinked again and the unicorn, now visibly seeing her horn, appeared closer. Luna blinked one more time, and she was a foot away from her. Luna was terrified of who she saw before her. Pinkie looked at the mare and was astonished. The mare turned slightly to look at Pinkie and turned back to Luna. “Silhouette, take this pony, she is of no use to us.” Then, the shadow that laid upon the wall behind Pinkie became a portal. Silhouette came through and pulled Pinkie inside without Pinkie having time to react. “I’ll put her with Fluttershy.” Silhouette said. She left and Luna realized she was all alone. “Why…?” Luna asked, with a tear in her eye. “Why would you do this to your own blood? Why, Chronos?” “That’s Princess Chronos.” Chronos, the blue mare declared. “And ‘What have I done?’ Oh, we have only begun.” Chronos placed a hoof on Luna’s forehead and said, “Sleep.” Luna fell and Chronos let Silhouette take her. Chronos then said, “Everyone, move to phase two of Broken Harmony.”