Setting the Stage
It had started out as the best idea ever, no, even better than that. A show following the lives of the six elements of harmony, with her interfering just the slightest bit to get things started, it was genius, absolute genius. Of course she had to make sure that there were no other video’s that got filmed otherwise she would have to go through she didn’t know how many copyright hurdles and such. Companies could be so stingy about their products.
However, things were starting to get boring now, after ten whole seasons of being on air the show had begun to lose some of its touch, and even those slight nudges of hers weren’t doing anything to boost its rating. To think that she, Celestia, could have come up with such a brilliant idea that it could last ten whole seasons without declining in popularity. It was a miracle it had gone on so well for so long, and Celestia wasn’t willing to let the show just die away.
The defeat of her sister had been a great way to start of the show, but she couldn’t very well do that again, and just about everything else in existence paled in comparison to the chaos Discord had reigned. Sure, she could continue to just film their lives and air what went wrong, but that wouldn’t do anything at all, and she wasn’t willing to let her show go off the air without a bang. All she had to do was hide the show from her student and her friends just a little bit longer, until finally she could put her plan into action. This would be the greatest finish ever, something that nopony else would ever think of doing. It would end like nothing else had ever ended.
If only she had known how right she was.
It was that day that Twilight Sparkle received a letter from princess Celestia. At the time it had seemed like a simple note, a bit strange and brief, but certainly simple by all means. There was no way anypony could have foretold that it would bring about the downfall of Equestria, and the rise of the new age that followed.
The letter was entirely bare except for eight words.
“Meet me at the library at 6pm –Celestia”
It seemed rather strange that Celestia would send a letter asking for a meeting. Why didn’t she just teleport or fly over and tell Twilight herself? More importantly, why had she mailed it to her instead of using Spike? Maybe if she had found at that her friends had gotten the same message, maybe if she had seen some sign of the show it could have all been averted, maybe if she had just been the tiny bit more suspicious of the letter it would never have happened.
But how could Twilight ever be suspicious of her teacher, the one who had manipulated her life for the past five years, twisting it to suit the sick image that suited the airwaves. It was overall that manipulation that caused Celestia’s downfall. That’s the one thing everypony could agree on about the incident. The show would never have taken the horrid turn it took had she not needed to push it that little bit further, just off the precipice of excitement and into madness.
However, the theories as to how it all started were all entirely pointless. The matter was that it happened, and because of it Equestria was changed forever.
That night, at six, those ponies who had wielded the elements of harmony gathered in Twilights house, or the Ponyville library, depending on how one looked at it; waiting for a meeting with Celestia that would never come.
“But why would Celestia ask for all of us to meet her here?”
Twilight was extremely confused by this turn of events. The odd note, her friends having all received it too, and Celestia wasn’t here after she had asked them to meet her. It was all incredibly suspicious; and the thought that her teacher would even think of being tardy was…Twilight couldn’t even think of a word for it; unthinkable.
“Maybe it’s going to be a surprise party? But wouldn’t it be a lot easier to throw a party somewhere else, especially if she wanted it to stay a surprise, I mean come on, who throws a surprise party in the house of the person they’re trying to surprise. Unless-“
“Pinkie, I seriously doubt that Celestia would send letters to each of us individually just for a party.”
Rainbow Dash was clearly feeling impatient, and the wait was starting to get to her.
“Why don’t ya just read something while you wait?”
“No way Applejack, not after that last book in the Daring Do series; I don’t want to be faced with anything that horrible again.”
“Honestly Rainbow Dash, it was just one measly book, would you really be so petty as to let something as insignificant as that stop you?”
All Rainbow Dash responded with was a hostile stare at Rarity.
“Stop arguing NOW!”
Fluttershy had changed a lot since Twilight had met her. She was still the kind of caring, kind-hearted mare that she had befriended all that time ago, but she no longer lived in fear of the world, and when she needed to the yellow pegasus could be one of the scariest ponies she knew.
“We are going to wait for Princess Celestia, and until she gets here we are going to get along”
There was no mistaking the tip to those last words. It could really be very frightening seeing that normally calm and passive pony like this, but once everypony had settled down so would she.
There was a long stretching silence that seemed like it could not possibly be more awkward. Then Twilight broke it with the only words she could think of.
“So what do you girl’s want to-“
At that moment all the magical light inside the house went out, and she heard a sound as if someone had locked something right next to her ear. Before she knew it the lights were back on and everything was just like it had been before.
“Attention, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbowdash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack, I would say that it is a pleasure to meet you, but as you can see or rather, can’t see, I am not, strictly speaking, here.”
It was as the mysterious voice said, no matter where they looked or how hard they listened; there was no way of pinpointing the source of the voice.
“How do you know our names? Who are you?”
Rainbowdash, challenging as ever, tried to face in a single direction so that she could at least act like she knew where the voice originated. However, just like the others, she had no idea.
“Now, now, that’s for me to know, and you to never find out. However, there is one thing that you should know, or rather, two things. The first is this, among the six of you I have planted a fake, this fake, is actually a killer known by the name of Shadow Star. Your goal is to figure out which of you it is, before you all die. Which brings me to the second, none of you will be able to leave this place until you either complete this goal, or of course be the only one left in the case that you can’t find Shadow Star. Either way, good luck.”
“Wait, I’m not finished with you.”
Despite the fact that she couldn’t see them anywhere, Twilight could feel that the voice was gone, and no matter how much Rainbow Dash shouted at empty space, it wouldn’t get them anywhere. The only way to get out would be to find the killer, before it was too late.
Meanwhile, from the comfort of the castle, Celestia was watching everything. Her hidden magical cameras set up all about the house would monitor everything that the ponies did, and with that little lie about a killer, the tension would soon become unbearable.
Celestia could hardly contain herself with the joy she felt. This was already looking to be the best idea ever, and she hadn’t even added in her little twist to it yet. Before airing it, Celestia added a slight alteration to the end of it, a simple message, more of a request, to everypony out there.
“Once every week we will see one of these mares removed from the house by the “killer”; vote for who you want out each week and remember, every vote counts.”
Yes, Celestia was sure of it.
This was the best idea ever.
(Seriously guys, message me or comment or something like that with who should be kicked from the house, this voting thing is actually happening. So unless you get on it, somepony you like may go instead. Remember, vote for the pony that you want out, not in.)