Equestria's War

Chapter 4-Rebellion’s Discovery
The night quickly passed, and as dawn approached the three ponies were drenched in sweat and exhausted. Without a word between them they departed through a back door and quickly made their way onto the main streets of Canterlot. The ponies tried their best to look inconspicuous even though they were all soaking wet. Luna then led the small group towards the castle where she knew that her tyrannical sister would be waiting with many questions. When the group arrived at the castle she was relieved that only the guards had come to meet her. She nodded at the guards as she passed; only giving them a brief glance to read their faces for any surprise or wonder of why she was drenched in sweat and being followed by two other ponies.
“There is a washroom just down the hall if you two want to clean up”
“Thank you princess, but I think we need to discuss the more important events that are present”
“As you wish Rarity”
Luna then proceeded down a carpeted hall. She stopped at a door, and opened it. What lie inside was a smallish room filled with simple and everyday furniture. Rarity followed Luna and Mac into the room. She quickly closed the door and walked over to where Luna was sitting.
“The rebellion needs training” Rarity said in a harsh whisper
“I know, but I haven’t yet figured out how to provide that training without drawing attention to ourselves” replied Luna in her own quiet whisper
“Well until that time we need to keep hidden from the prying eyes of Celestia”
“Yes, I know she told me that she had requested your presence here... she wanted to talk to you about helping Twilight in her studies”
“Ugg... Really? Nowadays I can barely stand her, always talking about how fabulous her wings are”
At that moment there was a quiet tapping on the door. Everyone in the room froze.
“Come in” Luna called through the door
Celestia entered, with her new gold, jewel encrusted, velvet lined crown.
“Rarity! How nice to see you”
“You as well Celestia”
“I see that Luna has done well to show you some of the generous hospitality we have here in the Canterlot Castle”
“May I as, Celestia, why you requested that I come here to Canterlot?”
“I’ve come to discuss Twilight with you, I have heard that she thinks fondly of you and she needs a study partner”
“Ah..yes..um.... I would be glad to help Twilight with her studies, but I am not a very educated mare as you well know”
“That’s the other reason why I’ve called you here, come, this is a conversation best held behind closed doors”
Rarity followed Celestia out of Luna’s room and down one of the many halls that criss-crossed the castle. Celestia paused slightly before walking down another red carpeted hall. At the end of the hall Rarity saw a large door that had to be as tall as four or five fully grown stallions. Celestia then gently nosed the door open and walked inside. Inside the room was a luxuriously padded throne and several beside it that looked almost identical. Rarity watched as Celestia quickly seated herself on the center throne. She then turned and fixed her laser like stare on Rarity.
“I thought that you would be very interested to know, Rarity, that I am in possession of you family. And if you misbehave I will execute all of them, one by one as you watch”
“I-I-I don’t know what you are talking about”
“Don’t play dumb with me Rarity, I know your full plans to overthrow the throne, and I’m warning you now that if you continue I will be forced to take immediate action”
“You will never stop the rebellion you tyrannical monster. I have had enough of you sitting here doing nothing while the helpless citizens of Equestria starve”
“Have it your way” Celestia turned to her side and yelled “Guards, bring out our guests”
The guards then appeared seemingly from nowhere, and following them, shackled and chained, Rarity’s family. Rarity’s heart dropped when she saw Sweetie Belle in slightly smaller cuffs and chains.
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity screamed “Leave her out of this Celestia”
“I will, but first you need to do something for me”
“What, what, I’ll do anything”
“I need you to stop this little rebellion it seems you have started, it’s all becoming quite tiresome”
“Never, Equestria deserves better than you, I will never stop fighting, not for one moment of my life”
“Fine then…have it your way. Guards, show Rarity here a comfy chair, its going to be a long afternoon”
The royal guards then rushed over to Rarity, quickly seating and strapping her into a chair, so quickly that she didn’t even have any time to react. Celestia then leaped off her throne and onto the hard marble floor with a clack as her hooves met the ground. Then she walks over to her mother, only the sound of Celestia’s hooves clicking against the marble floor. Rarity watched as Celestia then ran a hoof under the chin of her mother. She then struck her mother and repeatedly kicked her while she lie on the ground.
“This could be so much easier Rarity, all you have to do is say the word” Celestia said in a voice as cold and piercing as her laser like stare.
“No, Never. I’ll never call it off”
“I hoped that it wouldn’t come to this, but it seems that it has”
Celestia then produced a knife out from her mane, and quickly jumped forward, slicing a deep gash through her mother’s throat. A few seconds passed where nopony moved or reacted. Then blood started pouring from the wound, onto the ground as her mother thrashed about on the cold marble floor. Rarity could only stare silently as the life poured out of her mother.
“Does you decision still stand Rarity? You still have your father and sister, or will I have to kill them to, leaving you a helpless and lost mare in this world?”
“My decision stands, and I know my family and I would be honored to die to keep the rebellion alive”
“You know, Rarity, I can do much worse that simply kill your relatives, I thought you would be broken easily, but you’re made of tougher stuff than I thought”
Celestia then walked over to Rarity’s father. This time she held the knife up in the air, allowing the light to glint off of the surface, and brought it down slowly against the coat of Rarity’s father. She then proceeded to cut a checkerboard pattern across the chest of the stallion. Blood poured down his chest in red sheets. Rarity again watched in horror as another one of her family members was bled dry. The grey stallion began gasping as a new source of pain appeared. Celestia was now making circular cuts along the flank of the helpless stallion. When she was done she wiggled the knife under the circular gashes and removed two ragged bits of hide that had the cutie mark of Rarity’s father on them. Rarity’s father screamed in pain, a sound that seemed all too high pitched for his age. Celestia then leapt forward and sliced the stallion’s throat, in the same manner as she had done earlier. The only sound left in the room was Rarity’s sobbing and a heavy sigh as Rarity’s father drew his last breath and blew it out with a huff.
“One last chance Rarity, your sister or the rebellion”
Sweetie looked at her with those sweet pleading eyes, knowing that the end of her life was in sight.
“She’ll never surrender, I am perfectly willing to die for the rebellion, and when I die, remember Celestia, the rebellion lives on and it’s always coming for you. There is no way to hide, and even if the rebellion dies, you will die with it”
Rarity and Celestia stared blankly at Sweetie Belle for a moment; the tension in the room crackling like static electricity. Then when Celestia had recovered from that moment of awe she lashed out and stabbed Sweetie through the heart. Rarity overcome with rage, wrestled free of her ties and rushed over to Sweetie Belle.
“SWEETIE, come on Sweetie don’t die on me like this!”
“Don’t let Celestia win Rarity, remember I’ve always believed in you and so does everypony else.”
With those last words the life left Sweetie’s body and she now lie limp in Rarity’s arms. Rarity looked around, the dead bodies of her family were scattered over the floor, the once white marble, covered in a sheet of blood. Rage started to cloud Rarity’s vision. She stood and turned toward Celestia and yelled
“ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? YOU’VE KILLED EVRY ONE OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW YOU MURDEROUS TYRANT?!”
“Quite pleased in fact” the princess replied in a quiet and content voice
That last statement sent Rarity over the edge, she began cursing and screaming at the princess until she summoned guards to drag her off to the dark dungeons in the bowels of the castle.