Ponyville; 11:10 PM; Fifty minutes until Day Zero
I still can't get it out of my head. I know this feeling, this disgusting feeling. It's a necessary feeling, but I know exactly what it means.
The Elements of Harmony, all of us, know it within a heartbeat. Something terrible that will change the future forever is about to happen. I knew I wasn't the only one when all of my friends came to me, with a worried look on all their faces. We called this phase one, or the Build-Up.
In the Build-Up, we have to find out to whom this terrible thing will happen to and prevent it. I haven't felt this in a while. Depending on age, the feeling is either less-disgusting or more. Right now it felt like I had a dagger lodged in my stomach. Which meant that this terrible event is happening to somepony...
Less than four years old.
We need to act fast.
"Okay, we need to spread out and find clues. We all know how the Build-Up works, so let's go!" I said, with so much pain in my body I felt like I was going to explode. Whatever is about to happen to this pony will cause mass chaos throughout Equestria, and with every passing second the pain gets worse.
As I ran I knocked over one book from my bookshelf, as we were in my library. I picked up the book to put it back.
It read about crystals.
We waited for the train to come. I had called Celestia, who was beside me. She looked equally as in pain as I was, and I saw her holding biting her lip to hold in the excruciating feeling.
We heard the chug-chug of the train. As it whizzed by, I saw a flurry of images of just hearts. It was grotesquely realistic hearts too, not the happy ones.
Wait a minute.
"Woahah! Ahahah! This is so much fun!"
I was practically licking the skin off of him at this point. He was almost losing his mind, too.
"You know what," said the guard, "I'm going for a sandwich. I don't care what Celestia said."
"Okay, honey! Can't wait till' your back! Woahahaha!"
Oh baby! I was laughing my---
CRASH! BOOM!
Crystal Empire; 11:29 PM; Thirty-one minutes until Day Zero
"Are we in position?"
"Yes, master."
"Do it."
An explosion occurs in a local store on the streets of the Crystal Empire. Fiery green smoke is gushing out like an open wound. Thirteen or so changelings enter and hide behind some of the rubble left in the shop.
"Cadence, did you hear something?" said Shining Armor, awoken by a muffled sound.
"No, Shining, go back to bed."
"Can I bring Tiddles?"
"The stuffed bear?"
"Pleeease?"
"Fine."
I lay outside the prison, where I broke through the walls. Something catapulted me through. It was an invisible force, but by Celestia did it hurt. I have no idea what it was.
I was now on the grass facing up. My whole body was in a stinging pain that wouldn't go away. I felt my heart beat faster, and a flurry of images of what looked like me clouded my mind. They went by so fast that I couldn't see most, but I could barely make out one of them.
My head under Celestia's hoof.
The patrol had gotten news of an explosion in a store nearby. They arrived to see the sign burning away, with a painting of Chrysalis on a flag.
"Wait," said one of the patrol, "I think I see something inside the store."
"Help! Help!" cried a mare in a pink coat from within the store.
"Madam, please step out!"
"Okay... okay..."
She went outside of the store, where the guard told her to find sanctuary at her home. She refused, saying her friend was still in there.
"Madam, I am going to need you to leave, we'll get your friend out."
The guards started to approach the store, being wary not to get crushed under the crumbling ceiling.
"Nothing, I think its---
"ARGGHHH!"
"Wha---
He turned around to see that the mare had his friend's neck in her mouth.
Behind him, changelings with drooling mouths grinned.
Crystal Empire; 11:39 PM; Twenty-one minutes until Day Zero
The train came to a screeching halt. We hopped off and ran as fast as we could. The streets were starting to fill up with guards, and as we passed by we saw a horrific sight.
Green flames gushed out of a store, where both green and red splatters of fluid were sprayed like a graffiti artists' demented vision.
"Celestia, what's going on?"
"A war."
The master changeling and his minions were perched on one side of the Crystal Castle. They were pretty high up and were watching the store's battle unfold.
"Master, the six and the holder of the sun are on their way."
The master changeling looked up at the sky and back to his associate.
"Good, very good. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor are holed up, correct?"
"Yes."
"I'm going to pay them a visit."
He left the room and trotted to the main bedroom, where three changelings held down Cadence and Shining.
"Well... well... well. Look who we have here."
Cadence was fighting against them but couldn't use her magic.
"What do you want," said Shining.
"Nothing, I already have what I want."
"Which is," asked a frightened but confident Cadence.
"Your little mare."
Twilight collapsed. Her eyes were bloodshot and pulsating, she felt a sense of dread envelop her in a way she's never felt before.
"What's going on!" Screamed Shining Armor.
"The Mark."
"TWILIGHT!"
"Let go of me! Let go!"
Twilight screamed.
Shining watched as they took Cadence and dramatically placed her in front of him and Flurry Heart.
Cadence watched as they brought a sharpened knife.
Twilight ran towards the castle. She couldn't even fly anymore.
They started to create an outline of Chrysalis's face.
Twilight felt like she could fly now. She went to where she could sense the horror was.
Crystal Empire; 11:59 PM; Thirty seconds until Day Zero
"Please. Please stop. Don't do this to my baby... please..." Shining pleaded.
The master changeling looked at Shining's face, sensing something.
"He's a sensitive one. I love them. Marvy!"
Marvy stopped the incision, "Yes, master!"
"Don't kill this stallion."
"Yes, master!" He said as he continued and finally finished the incision.
Cadence was puffing in and out. The incision was painful but wouldn't kill her.
The next thing would.
CRASH!
Twilight bursts through the glass, watching the entire scene unfold.
"Oh, look who joined in," said the master changeling.
"Stop this. Stop this right now."
"Oh I wish I could but unfortunately I can't."
Twilight approached him slowly.
"What's wrong? You're scared that something will happen?"
"No, I'm just wondering how to kill you."
Crystal Empire; 11:59 PM; Five seconds until Day Zero
"Well that's strange," said the master changeling.
Crystal Empire; 11:59 PM; Two seconds until Day Zero
"I was wondering the same thing."
Crystal Empire; 12:00 AM; Day Zero
The castle began to shake. Small explosions ruptured throughout.
"What you don't understand," said the master changeling, "Is that you can't mingle with the master of deception. Did you really think Queen Chrysalis was going to stay down?"
"Wh...what?" stammered Twilight.
She was interrupted when they grabbed Shining and flew out of the open glass. She wanted to kill them but she had to get Flurry Heart and Cadence out of---
RUMBLE RUMBLE
"I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss."
The sound of metal groaning signals something to Twilight, that if she tried to get them both out there wouldn't be enough time.
"I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy."
She closes her eyes, the ceiling starts to collapse. She couldn't live knowing that she'd let them die.
"I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence."
RUMBLE RUMBLE
"TWILIGHT!" called Celestia, flying to Twilight.
RUMBLE RUMBLE
"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."