//------------------------------//
// Death Do Us Part: Part 3 
// Story: Disharmony's Parallel 
// by Xutiepops 
//------------------------------//

Zecora was sitting against the wall, very visible light blue ropes wrapped around her and tied with a big, pretty bow. The Dragon Lord scowled as he looked over the room. Pews were knocked to either side of the room, their arch was knocked down, there were flowers everywhere, and worse of all, every little color was changed. He hadn't seen the ballroom floors checkered in five years and now it disgusted him. At least Thievery was already working on changing the colors as Pity talked to her.
Vanity had been shouting and screaming insults and constant 'It's ruined!'s for a while, and he was busy sharpening his claws on his scales and keeping his anger under control. If he didn't, his lovely fiancée wouldn't be yelling at something alive. But the shouting stopped and Vanity sat down in front of Zecora, wide eyes full of defeat as the zebra raised an eyebrow. 
"Do you even know what this date meant to us?" Vanity asked, voice dripping with utter sorrow and lost. Her shoulders fell, her heart was heavy in her chest as she couldn't meet the zebra's anything-but-worried stare. She couldn't even stay furious at the stupid, retched thing that ruined her wedding, she was too overwhelmed by the despair that came with it's destruction. 
Thievery and Pity turned their heads, their conversation and rearranging of the room coming to a stop. Thundersmoke and Controlling walked back into the room from finding the guards all tied up with the same binds that had held them. They smirked knowingly at the other as their ears perked up, ready for some entertainment. Merciless raised an eyebrow from her fuming, more like sulking, state. Chaos sat next to her, pulling bird filled pillows off of his ears at the notice that Vanity had stopped shouting. Trickery shot Vanity an empathetic look, even if the mare wasn't looking to see it. 
The Dragon Lord winced at the memory of why this specific day was so important, and the memory that they hadn't told any of their friends why they waited an extra four years to get married. Vanity sniffled. "Today is the exact day Spike was meant to marry Ember," she said, looking up at Zecora's shocked expression. She assumed Zecora was shocked by her statement, but the blinding blue underneath her eyelashes was why Zecora plastered herself to the wall. 
Vanity wiped her face with her hoof. "It was the one unselfish thing I've done. I wanted him to marry someone he actually loved on a day he was supposed to marry someone he hated," she said, her soft, vulnerable stare hardening. Vanity gritted her teeth, standing up with tense shoulders and narrowed eyes. "And you ruined it! We were seconds, seconds! Away from being husband and wife!" She stomped her hoof as she shouted again. 
The Dragon Lord reached out for her but her magic engulfed his wrist and slammed it against the wall, and when he looked, he saw cracks forming behind the unbearable pain of broken scales. "Now! Now, we can't even try to get married until we're rid of you things!" She screamed, tears rolling down her face at her inability to keep her emotions in. 
Vanity turned away and started pacing, her horn tightening the magic on Zecora's torso, making the zebra gasp in pain. Vanity felt more than sick, her throat burned from her shouting, her body hurt from the binds, her heart hung in despair, and her stomach turned from the previous anxiety of getting married. She looked to the room and felt her chest tighten. Her world spun, her hooves shook as her eyes searched every unchanged thing and every ruined part of their wedding. 
Her jaw shook as she squeezed her eyes shut and just screamed, falling to the ground and covering her head with her hooves. Chaos and Merciless were the only ones that seemed annoyed, the rest looked away in understanding. Vanity's screaming calmed almost to nothing as she felt a claw on her back. Her heavy breathing didn't change as he cupped her face and forced her to look up at him through teary eyes. "Calm down," he said slowly. 
She shook her head as he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. She couldn't see his features anymore, all she saw were colors and shapes. She put her hooves on his chest and pushed away. "Our wedding is ruined," she whispered sadly, her lips trembling as her hooves shook. 
He pulled her into a tight hug and didn't let her fight her way out of it, even let his claws scrape her skin as a sign to give up her fighting. She ended up laying her head on his shoulder and crying silently, feeling the worse she'd ever felt. The Dragon Lord slowly looked at Zecora and sneered, feeling even deeper hate for the hippie as she looked unaffected. He looked down at purple curls and felt a fire erupt inside him. 
His claws were drawn as his wings spread out behind him, and his fanged scowl was directed towards the hippie. His tail swung heavily and slowly again as he felt real fire bubble up inside his throat. He dropped Vanity and lunged at Zecora with a roar and sharp claws. 
Zecora felt her heart stop as memories of her cult flashed through her mind. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and all their memories together. Thunderlane's vanishing acts, Lyra and Sweetie Drops deciphering, The Cake family's optimism despite the every day sorrow they woke up too, Mayor Mare's antics-- it was all shown to her as she accepted her death, that death being the giant, purple dragon with an open mouth she could see green fire boiling in. 
She had created a community and helped them grow, gave them a safe haven and allowed them a chance at fighting reality. And they succeeded. She was ready for her end, her job was essentially done, she was the training wheels to her cult's bike. But, oh, what she would give to see Apple Bloom's tear ridden smile when they won. 
She closed her eyes, singing herself a lullaby in her mind as her own way of drifting off into the afterlife. But she still felt the life in her body, the essence of her soul in her chest, and nothing ripping her throat open and letting something spill out. She peeked open her eyes and saw a heaving, snarling, and fuming dragon with it's red eyes set on her, yet she wasn't dead and he was right in front of her. She looked down and saw his claw trying to fight past a magenta bubble she could only imagine felt like molasses. 
She looked back up, curiousity brewing inside of her as he shook his head in angry confusion, swiping with his other claw and ending up in another bubble of magenta. He ripped his claws out, whirling to the source of the magic and growling. "What's he doin'?" Trickery asked, looking at Merciless as something inside her told her he wasn't acting quite like himself. The Dragon Lord would usually send a barrage of questions on Thievery, but he hadn't, and it didn't seem as if he had anything holding his mouth shut. 
Vanity stared up at him with wide eyes, his teeth, claws, wings, and even scales seemed sharper as his eyes were a violent red, and not their usual green. She looked to Merciless for the same answer, the mare rolling her eyes. "He's an animal, and dragons are clearly not as civilized as ponies," she said and groaned when Trickery and Vanity seemed as if they didn't understand. "He's really pissed, so all he sees are enemies. He's in an animalistic state, he can't talk and he isn't himself."
Chaos looked at his claws as if he just got them done, and the bright pink that suddenly coated them furthered the look. "Yes, he's done this before and almost killed Fluttershy!" He said nonchalantly at first, but sounding more and more offended the more he talked. Merciless rolled her eyes, knowing he only remembered when he talked. 
The Dragon Lord seemed to have known Thievery was the source of magenta magic because he jumped for her, Pity ducking behind her with shaking hooves. Thievery looked unbothered as he hit her magic again. Vanity looked to Merciless with a frown. "Well, fix him! Before Twilight decides he's too much of a pain!" 
Merciless grinned. "That would be nice," she said, looking to Thievery with a smug grin. "Think he's a pain!" She said enthusiastically like a child. When both Vanity and Thievery looked irritated, she sighed. "I can't fix him, we just have to wait until it wears off."
"And when would that be?" Vanity asked as she stomped her hoof, seeing The Dragon Lord breathe fire on a magenta shield. Merciless shrugged as one of his claws made it past Thievery's magic, cutting her cheek. The alicorn gasped and shot a beam of magenta at him, leaving a burn mark on his stomach as he was thrown back against the shield that covered Zecora. 
Vanity didn't think as she raced over to him. "Spikey-Wikey!" She cried, ready to hear him say he was fine and then chew out Thievery for shooting him. She barely heard Merciless' protest as she skid to a stop next to him, watching him stand up with wide eyes. That vicious red didn't change and neither did that grimace. He smiled wickedly as he assumed she wouldn't have a shield and leaned over her cowering body. 
Vanity felt a shiver run down her spine as her stomach felt empty and cold. Her hooves shook and her lips trembled as he spread his wings, making him seem even larger than he was. She winced and turned away, squeezing her eyes shut as she waited for whatever damage he'd inflict on her. She wasn't necessarily scared as much as she was worried about how he'd feel about this later. 
But she didn't feel sharp claws, not ruining her perfect face anyways. She peeked open her eyes and saw him holding her in his arms with an irritated look on his face, but when he looked down at her it softened a bit. He looked up at Thievery and held his middle claw up at her. Thievery rolled her eyes. "Har har, very funny, idiot," she said before she put a magenta bubble around them. "Sit in there with your, just as idiotic, bride while you cool off," she said smugly, talking to him as if he was an animal five levels below her. He growled at her as he, contrastingly, ran his claw through Vanity's mane. 
Controlling snickered before looking over and finding Zecora still sitting there. She stood up straight. "Uh, Twi. What do we do with that thing now that the two that wanted her dead are held up?" She asked, fighting the urge to laugh or make a joke about King Kong and his skyscraper girl. 
Thievery started towards the hippie, already contemplating what information they could get out of her. And just as she opened her mouth, she got a mouthful of pink hair as Merciless flew in front of her. She backed away and spat the hair out, absolutely disgusted as a familiar dislike, close to hate, broiled in her stomach and tempted her tongue. 
Merciless stared down at Zecora, the zebra stayed silent and calm through the pegasus' vicious look over. Merciless leaned over and took the mare's vine necklace in her mouth, ripping it off of her neck. She spat it out into her hoof and examined it as Thievery's hate expanded and filled her bones. 
"Their cult is in the Everfree Forest," Merciless explained calmly, still looking over the vine and its strange and deeper green wraps. She glanced up at Zecora and smiled smugly at the mare's slightly worried look, Zecora bit the inside of her cheek. Merciless wore a successful, prideful look as she tossed it over her shoulder, hoping it landed on Thievery. 
She looked back and pouted as she saw Thievery caught it in her magic and dropped it to the floor next to her with a disgusted look on her face. Thievery looked up at her, the disgust almost deepening. "And how do you suppose that? These plants could be native to anywhere in Equestria, and your reclusive ass hasn't been in every forest in Equestria," she said rudely, making pure hate spawn inside Merciless.
She rolled her eyes. "It's a zebra, they're not from here, and they're different," she said, considering an amount of things she could do to their power-hungry, entitled leader. "Of course she's gonna live in the Everfree, plus it's right next to Ponyville," she continued condescendingly as she gracefully stepped over to Thievery, eating up that repulsed stare. She circled the alicorn, using what little control she had of her tail to linger on the mare's hooves. "And Ponyville is where our enemy lived."
As she ended her small explanation, she moved away, scared she'd end up with a burn on her chest like the dragon. She looked back at Zecora with a high head, making it seem as if she was snootier than she was acting, which was probably true. "And I say we torture her, she took my amulet," Merciless said harshly, narrowing her eyes on Zecora. Thievery looked to Zecora, wondering if Merciless was correct and deciding the zebra's reaction would be answer. She declared her little monster friend was right as sweat dripped down Zecora's neck.
Zecora shook her head, trying to clear it of her worry. She cleared her throat. "Saying as I... doubt you will let me leave," she started cautiously, watching everypony-- or vicious, pony-eating dragon-- in the room to see if her talking was accepted. Their attentive stares and lack of action told her it was. "What did that amulet do? This information I would like to receive."
"Before your demise?" Controlling commented bluntly. And she had assumed the dark joke would lighten whatever heavy mood had been plaguing them for the past half an hour, but it failed as she saw Merciless' jaw tighten as the mare turned to the zebra with a frown. 
Merciless' smile was fake through her anger, and Thievery couldn't have been more delighted the zebra brought it up. Merciless ducked her head past her shoulders as she crept towards the zebra flattened against the wall. "What did that amulet do?" She asked with an amused tone, as if she was shocked Zecora would ask. She didn't think she could feel more hate for someone that wasn't Thievery, but here it was. "What did that amulet do?" She asked again, her hate coating her mouth and spilling out of it as she snarled. 
She huffed a laugh with a raised eyebrow, as if she was running off of hysterical anger. Chaos didn't even dare get involved, unlike Vanity and The Dragon Lord's relationship, he wasn't safe from the pegasus' rage. "It was a small amount of my darling's magic," she said furiously, tilting her head with a smile. She leaned over and put her face in the zebra's, grimacing severely with furrowed eyebrows. "And it let me do whatever I wanted," Merciless said, her chest heaving as she blew air out of her nose. 
Magenta coated the end of her tail and pulled her away from their victim, she fell on her stomach and let Thievery simply pull her, knowing that even if she complied, she'd be dragged across the floor with an inability to walk with it. "We need information. Even if we know it's the Everfree, she can tell us where," Thievery said.
"We just barge in and use the dragon's fire, princess!" Merciless said, clearly offended that Thievery even thought of that. She threw her hooves up with it as she rolled onto her back, seeing the end of her tail up next to Thievery's, rather ugly in her opinion, clearly annoyed face. And she didn't even revel in the fact that she caused that irritation, she was that pissed.
Thievery shook her head, but she didn't get to explain it as Controlling flew over beside her. "We can't go into unknown territory to look for them," she said, looking down at the entitled pegasus with more than overwhelming dislike. It always made her happy if the idiotic, botanical bitc-- princess wasn't around. 
Merciless frowned further. "Well why not?"
Controlling rolled her eyes. "Cause, they'll notice we're there, and ambush us!" She said as she stomped her hoof for emphasis. Anger sat in her chest at the pegasus' annoyed, unconvinced raised eyebrow. "They might only get one of us, but they could get two of us. And no matter how many of us they get, that's still lost numbers and a disadvantage," she explained, taking Merciless' sigh as a white flag. 
Thievery saw her sigh as the same thing and dropped the mare's tail, watching her fly away before standing up. "Then we use the animals in the Everfree, they'll listen to me," she said smugly when she saw they were somewhat intrigued. "There's cockatrices, timber wolv--" 
"You can't use your Stare. Most threats of the Everfree are tamed or locked up in Tartarus, there are none to spare," Zecora said, watching confusion wash over the faces in front of her. She sighed as she thought of a different rhyme that would explain it, but was cut off as Pity jumped into the conversation next to Thievery.
Pity's mane was slightly back to it's half-fluff state, but her fur was as dull as it could get as she wore a curious look. "What's the 'Stare'?" She asked, her gaze switching between both Merciless and Zecora, looking for an answer. 
Zecora took it as her cue to talk as Merciless looked away with a huff, her face scrunching up into hatred as she sat down and wrapped her tail around her. "It is an ability held by ponies destined with animal-related fates to have animals under their control," Zecora said, watching everyone looking at her with intense interest. She didn't understand, had they not been told this? They had been living with the pegasus for five years. "Controlling and taming animals is their goal."
Controlling and Thievery glanced at Merciless with judgment the mare scoffed at. She stood up and turned away, flicking her tail with the movement. "Oh, please! As if you really cared about how I took over the Everfree!" She said, feigning irritation to hide the obvious embarrassment with being the source of the problem among their little circle of someone did something wrong.
Thievery scowled. "If you can tame animals... can't you fix Spike?" Pity asked, wincing as Merciless jumped before shooting her a nasty glare. Merciless looked up and saw that, now Trickery had joined the judgmental faces. She looked away again, trying to think of a suitable excuse other than 'I didn't care'.	
"Help him!" Vanity demanded from inside her bubble, glancing up as The Dragon Lord rested his chin on her head, having sat down inside the bubble and wrapped his tail around her. Merciless rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time, despising Thievery's little mare-friend almost more than she disliked Thievery. She sighed as she walked over to the bubble and stared up at the dragon whose eyes ignited in a new red as he hissed, noticing how close Merciless was to his... treasure.
She simply focused her stare on him weakly, hoping she didn't have to put anymore into it. All it did was force him to hold the gaze, but it didn't scare him into submission. She groaned, making it extremely and painstakingly obvious she didn't want to be doing this. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before widening them and focusing everything into it, using the idea that her reward would be Thievery's demise as motive. 
She watched as his eyes slowly turned back to their normal green, his features softening from their violent and sharp ones. She looked away as she assumed the job was done, and even further believed it was as she heard The Dragon Lord rant his apologies to Vanity.
She smiled rudely and bowed to the impressed faces. Trickery shook her head and furrowed her eyebrows on Merciless. "Why didn't y'all wanna do that earlier?" She pressed, narrowing her eyes. 
Merciless hung her head and groaned again. "Cause I didn't want to fuck with the big, scary dragon that wants blood, guts, and a princess," she said rudely in a sweet tone, a grin on her face as she spoke. It all fell as she stopped and sat down in place, too bothered to move and missing her amulet already. 
She heard a flash and felt somewhat okay as a paw ran through her mane. She pushed up into it slightly as she heard a deep voice talk. "It was also, of course, because he wasn't contained," she said before snapping, Merciless appearing in his arms. "We wouldn't want a member of this group getting hurt, would we?" He asked before his eyes flashed red and narrowed on the crowd of disappointment. "Especially one that's needed in this little posse, right?" He asked, staring right at Thievery. 
Thievery rolled her eyes and nodded, but before she could speak, Zecora spoke up. "The Fluttershy here showed us her power by saving others in the face of hostility," she said, ignoring Pity and Trickery adding Controlling to their ever growing group of not understanding. "So I wonder how it is you... gained this ability," she said with a hint of condescending in her tone. The others didn't see it as much of a problem, but Chaos held wide eyes on Merciless as she stiffened in his arms. 
She flew out of them and landed on the ground, keeping wide eyes on Zecora's calm expression. "She was protecting the crusaders... so who did you protect from certain invaders?" Zecora pushed.
"Flutters?" Trickery asked, noticing Merciless' shaking hooves and tense shoulders. 
Zecora kept adding onto it, expecting an answer if the mare broke. "I was told by Fluttershy that she was protecting a bunny when she discovered it, maybe you were in a similar situation... maybe a pit?"
"Darling?" Chaos asked, tapping his claw and his paw together as he smiled at her nervously, knowing how much he hated it when she was upset. And she seemed really pissed, and not in a 'Thievery's a bitch' pissed, more like a genuinely angry pissed. 
Zecora sat back, seeing Merciless wasn't going to break. She sighed before speaking. "There is good in all of you, I know that to be true," she said, seeing the intrigued faces change from their worried ones. Merciless didn't move, she was frozen. Controlling and Trickery almost looked offended, a few seconds after they understood what Zecora said, of course. "You cannot have those faces and those hearts, not without having personalities made up of similar parts."
Vanity used her magic to keep The Dragon Lord from rambling, perking her ears up and dragging him by his snout over to the crowd. "Each of you have something other than the others that you love, maybe some are alive, and maybe some are, as you might say, up above," she said, making each pony stiffen at the memories that filled their minds. 
"Twilight has her older brother, Shining Armor. Here, he has a wife, he is much of a charmer," Zecora explained, putting eyes on Thievery, who tensed at the name, her face scrunching up into a sneer of disgust. Thievery ignored Pity's worried stare on her as her blood boiled, dislike brewing for the zebra in front of her, though it only covered up how much the name got under her skin.
Zecora could see something break, and kept pushing, hoping they'd understand and go home before anypony got seriously hurt, or worse. "Applejack has an older brother and younger sister, Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom," she said, seeing Trickery duck under her hooves, avoiding the gaze of anypony as she stared at the ground with wide eyes. "That yellow mare with me was your sister, to see her and fight her must make your heart feel like a tomb."
"That rat was your sister?" Controlling asked, looking down at her, obviously uncomfortable friend. She jumped as Zecora talked again. 
"Here, Rainbow Dash has a little filly she protects. Scootaloo's state of safety is something that, on her, has it's affects," Zecora continued, watching as Controlling avoided Thundersmoke's raised eyebrow and leaning closer to her. Controlling hung her head as her ears fell at the name. 
"The orange one with the blue streak in her mane," Controlling said as she sat down and stared at the floor. She glanced over at Trickery, the mare looking up at her with shocked eyes. "I guess I'm kinda in the same boat as you, huh?" Trickery nodded and looked away again, both of them feeling their hearts break at the news being said aloud. 
Pity dreaded her turn, knowing the state of her sisters was known by her friends, but she didn't want to hear about how happy they were here. "Marble, Limestone, and Maud Pie, all sisters of Pinkie Pie where a rock farm is what they supply."
Pity glanced up at her as she tried to hide in her mane, appreciating and disliking Thievery's worried glance. "Oh, they do that here, too?" She asked, looking down and moving her hoof across the floor nervously, trying to keep memories of her sisters, her happy, lovely sisters from filling her mind. She failed and put her head on Thievery's shoulder. 
Zecora glanced at Vanity, the mare feeling her throat tighten at the sign that it was her turn. "Rarity has a little sister that, in recent years, which a strong bond has been built," Zecora said, her voice dripping with overpowering encouragement to remember those ponies, and to let the emotions that was felt about them out. "The young, white mare with us, Sweetie Belle, a flower that clearly has not begun to wi--"
Vanity shook her head. "No, no, no. That... that mare was not Sweetie Belle!" She huffed and stomped her hoof, staring at Zecora with a determined stare. "I know I'll never see her again, and I'm not going to see her here..." she said, starting strongly and falling apart at the end. She sat down in defeat, looking up at Zecora with a furious stare that softened into hope. "That was really her?" She asked, Zecora nodding as The Dragon Lord went over and hugged her again. 
The others waited as Zecora stared at the true ball of hatred in their group, Merciless, wondering what other creature she could care for than the sweating draconequus. "Zephyr Breeze--" Zecora started, a sharp hoof hitting harsh tile causing her to jump, she looked and saw Merciless' cold, empty stare. She didn't understand. 
"Is dead," Merciless finished calmly, walking over to Zecora, her face inches away from the zebra's. "Just like you will be," she said harshly, her eyes turning the murkiest teal they've ever been. The stare made a shiver sit permanently in Zecora's spine, her stomach turning in fear. 
"Fluttershy, you can't let--" Thievery started, but stopped when she saw Merciless' calm expression, with so much emotion in her eyes she wouldn't reveal with anything else. She grew to know Merciless over the years, while they had all grown close enough to reveal certain emotions, Merciless had too much pride to allow it. Thievery understood, and was going to let the mare talk so she could leave as soon as possible and let everything out in her garden. 
Merciless shrugged as she started towards the door. "The longer she's alive, the sooner her little friends can come and try and save her with more of that magic limiting gunk," she said in her usual, bratty tone, though no one fought it. Not only was she right, they also just felt horrible for her. She glanced back at each of them. "Get it over with, and quickly. We know they're in the Everfree, that's all we can get from her. She'll die before she gives us anything else."
She opened the doors, silence hanging over the group until the doors slammed shut again. Everypony waited for something, making Zecora raise an eyebrow at the silence. Controlling stared at Chaos as Trickery stood up, dusting the non-existent dust off of her suit. "Ya ain't gonna go after her?" Trickery asked, watching Chaos' rather bored expression that, only seconds ago, was smothered with worry. "Even Rares ain't that mean."
The others, except Thievery, of course, mumbled their agreements. Vanity forgot all about her little sister as she felt on top of the world. She wasn't the rudest, most selfish member of their group, at the moment, but still! She snuggled into The Dragon Lord with a wide smile, trying to bask in this feeling for as long as she could before she fell into the despair that came with her failed wedding. 
She always told herself she excelled at ignoring her issues, if she couldn't get something from acting vulnerable and weak. But it was sort of difficult when she didn't have a ring on a necklace around her neck and when just past purple scales, was a ruined wedding ceremony. 
Chaos rolled his eyes, his head turning with it. "She's going to that horrid garden of hers," he said bluntly, and as if he was absolutely annoyed by the fact as he sneered at the thought. He crossed his arms and looked away, only to look back when the hippie zebra wasn't being slaughtered. He groaned when they seemed just as confused and judgmental. "I can never find her when she goes into that... thing," he said harshly, baring his teeth. Merciless stayed in the garden for hours at a time, and he could only find her if she wanted him too. 
He fell down into a deep lavender recliner, only to make fun of Thievery who grimaced at the sight. He threw his arms up in defeat angrily. "I don't understand it! Me, The Lord of Chaos! And I can't find a bright yellow pegasus in a garden... that doesn't move!" He sat back with a frown, his swinging tail making Trickery take a step back out of instinct. 
The crowd shrugged, declaring his reasoning was valid enough, if they were in his situation, they most definitely wouldn't go after her in the first place. Thievery walked closer to Zecora, standing in front of her allies, and as she did, her smile spread to a wicked one. She held her head up high, making it seem as if Zecora was six levels beneath her. 
She bowed, making confusion spawn inside Zecora. "Here's a tip," she said, opening her eyes with a calm, unbothered look. Zecora didn't know why, but she fought against her blue binds, squirming in place as she felt the sudden need to get away. The ropes tightened, pushing the air out of her as she winced at the pain. She opened her eyes and saw horrors, and those monsters held her friends faces. "You can't find good in everything."
She shook her head as Thievery spoke, her fighting not stopping. She needed out, she needed to get away, her heart seized, her throat tightened, something cold chilled her stomach as her eyes widened. The Dragon Lord and Vanity stood on either side of Thievery, slowly creeping closer to her. All three of them looked unaffected by her words, all three looked like they craved her end, like they would die without it. And they looked like they enjoyed that they needed it. 
She didn't understand as her binds tightened and she couldn't let any air in, she was simply forced to watch a wicked, selfish bride stand over her with an active horn, carrying out her end. And a dragon with drawn claws and a toothy grin play executor. 
The world blurred around the edges as she hung her head, tears filling her eyes. Her throat burned, her torso ached, her heart hung as she watched the tears fall with big eyes. Her lips trembled, her hooves shook as she tried, one last time, to fight against her ropes. 
And they watched her squirm with wide grins and snickers, waiting until she finally gave up. She desperately looked up, seeing Vanity's smug grin, matched with sorrow-filled eyes. She swallowed as The Dragon Lord sharpened his claws on his scales, simply watching her. "Swe- Sweetie Belle..." she tried saying, but she couldn't form anymore words, her throat was shut, her eyes shook and her heart froze as she heard the two laugh. 
It was a booming noise that marked her end. Tears fell down her face and she couldn't stop them as she tried holding her head up. She lied, she didn't want her days to end, she didn't want to leave her family. She finally had a family and now it was gone, it was going to be gone and she'd never see it again. She wanted her family, she wanted them to welcome her back and smile and laugh with her some more. 
Chocked sobs were the only noise she could make, she jerked when she heard claws scrape across the floor. She squeezed her eyes shut, but magic grabbed her mane and slammed her head against the wall, magic pried her eyes open, making her see sharp teeth and green, reptilian eyes. 
"A-Apple Bloom," she managed, verbally announcing her final prayer, her final wish. She wanted nothing more than to see her pupil grow, to see her pupil happy again. "Be... be hap- happy," she begged, her vision blurring from more than her tears.
Thievery turned away, smiling at Pity's uncomfortable gaze away and Trickery's stare on her. "Ain't Shining Armor the Prince of The Crystal Empire here?" Trickery asked, trying to ignore the urge to look over her shoulder and look at the execution. Thievery ignored the noise of ripping skin and gurgling in the background.
Thievery shrugged. "He married the same mare," she said, perking her ears up when she heard giddy laughter. She turned and saw Vanity jump into The Dragon Lord's arms, a giddy smile on her face as he spun her. His suit was covered with blood, and she couldn't believe Vanity hugged that. She rolled her eyes and pointed at her tongue, sticking it out, though she smiled at Pity's chuckle. Trickery gagged and looked away, squeezing her eyes shut. 
"What is it?" Pity asked, looking over to the failed-weds. She felt her heart freeze and looked away herself, her mane falling completely straight and her hooves move to do something, mostly they drew circles in the floor. Murders and mentions of her sisters, what was next? Cheese Sandwich? She dreaded the thought that that was very possibly plausible and tried to bury the anxiety bubbling in her throat. 
Thievery groaned her eyes at the two. "What? Can't handle a little blood?" She asked, turning away and walking towards the failed Bride and Groom, who were doing anything to not look at their ruined wedding. She noticed Chaos was gone, and simply didn't care where he went, though she frowned as she made his recliner disappear. She felt like an abused housewife as her magic expanded over the bloody zebra with three deep, large gashes in her neck, that was currently spilling blood. 
Thievery noticed the lifeless eyes, red at the edges as blood filled her mouth. She was disgusted by the sight, and the memories of the other lifeless eyes she had seen before. Shining Armor and his wife were two of them. "I ain't never seen nothin' worse than a cut on machinery," Trickery said, trying to not follow Thievery with her eyes as she trotted over to the windows, the zebra held high next to her with blood dripping onto the floor. She followed the mares hooves. 
Pity swallowed and didn't answer, completely ignoring Thievery. She looked to Trickery. "Hasn't anypony gotten seriously hurt on any of that equipment?" She asked, jumping when she heard something being tossed into the bushes. She turned to Thievery nervously as the mare shut the window. "Are... we... uh, just gonna leave that there?" She asked, her anxiety bubbling into a laugh as Thievery approached her with a smug, undeniably attractive smirk. 
Thievery leaned over her, making her cower back into herself. "No," Thievery whispered, stealing a glance down at Pity's lips before she backed away completely. "Rainbow gets to deal with it," she smiled, the husk gone from her voice as she trotted by Pity, her tail lingering on the mare's hooves. 
Pity swallowed with a red face as she watched Thievery trot by Controlling, the pegasus protesting. When her protests didn't do anything, Thundersmoke offered to help, and ended up being ordered to dispose of the entire body. He rolled his eyes and flew towards the window, grabbing Controlling's tail with his teeth and smirking smugly at her fighting. 
He pushed open the window and threw her outside, following after her. "Absolutely adorable," he said confidently and suggestively, adoring the annoyed look on her face. He utterly adored his captain, would call her captain any time, anywhere, and loved picking on her. 
Controlling rolled her eyes, trying to make it seem as if his teasing didn't get seven levels under her skin. "Absolutely annoying, and threatening getting his second-in-command title revoked," she threatened, narrowing her eyes on him and grinning smugly at the way he jumped and fumbled for an apology that didn't threaten his pride too much.
Thundersmoke hated when Controlling could get the better of him, the nature of their friendship was very clear, and very, very defined. Controlling was a softy on the inside, and he picked on her and suggested towards it, all while flirting with her just to fluster her, and definitely not to tempt her to flirt back. But that was how their friendship worked, they were inseparable and perfect fellow commanders over a military, and he was on top. Always. A softy couldn't get under the skin of a pony that most definitely not a softy whatsoever.
But he was saved from apologizing, knowing she really would take his high position away, by Trickery who jumped out of the window with a smile. He felt a bit of envy over her, knowing Controlling's preference for mares, and how close the two were, but he'd respect her this once, she saved him from giving up even a bit of his pride to Controlling. 
"Hey, AJ," Controlling said with such a lively, competitive smile. He flicked his tail and tried to keep the irritation off of his face. "What'cha doing out here? Thought this was my job."
Trickery rolled her eyes. "Pinkamena went after Twi, Spike and Rarity went to try and not sulk about their wedding, and Discord's gone. I ain't got nothin' to do," she explained, leaving out many of her thoughts about what their friends would be doing. Controlling smiled as if she was happy she came out there to help them. Trickery smiled back, thankful they had such a good friendship. 
Thundersmoke cleared his throat rudely, reminding the two of his presence. His smile was fake, and obviously doused with irritation, both of these things weren't noticed by Controlling. "Why don't we dispose of that body, now? Rainbow Dash and I do have lots of Guard work to be checking on," he said, beaming when Controlling dipped into thought. 
She nodded. "I guess we do, huh?" She asked before growling and stomping her hooves, jerking her head away and making her mane flip in a way that made Thundersmoke smile in the dumbest of ways. "And now there's even more thanks to those Harmony cunts," she said with a flick of her tail as she moved towards the bushes. 
Trickery chuckled to herself. "'Kay, Captain Dash," she said smugly, making Controlling fume even more as Thundersmoke confidently walked next to her, shooting her a grin she shoved into a bush. He wiggled his way out from underneath her hoof and furrowed his eyebrows at her to match his frown. 
Controlling's grin was fake and told him that she knew exactly what she was doing. "Insubordination usually leads to more work, I was only helping you find the body. Though it already was your job in the first place," Controlling said, moving away from the bushes as Trickery started looking with him. "Maybe I should give you something else to do."
Thundersmoke froze and analyzed her words as his heart beat sped up. Was that flirting? That sounded like flirting, and he would gladly comply if it was and do whatever she liked. But as he snuck a glance back at her, he had to look up as she had flown up to the sky and reclined on a cloud. He sighed and looked back to the bushes, trying not to let it get to him. 
He heard thunder crack and looked up, seeing Controlling wave at them as dark clouds rolled underneath hers. His eyes widened as rain poured down, he sighed and his ears dropped in irritation. Trickery groaned too, she looked through the bushes more frantically and stomped her hoof when she stopped. "Now, darn it. I saw Twi throw that hippie right here," she said, frowning in a slightly feminine way, too mad to remember how she'd normally act, around a dead body or without a body, and Thundersmoke could only imagine the wedding had worn off on her. 
And he also gagged as he found her way too cute and didn't like his, very obvious, type. He glanced over the bushes and noticed there weren't any that she hadn't looked through. He turned to her with a confused look, noticing his beautiful mane had fallen against his neck, completely soaked, but he chose to ignore it. "There's no way it isn't here," he tried reasoning, but as he briefly looked over the bushes himself, he didn't see anything. 
The two jumped and whirled behind them, seeing a red flank with a soaked, blonde tail attached. The figure ran towards the city and away from the castle, a red and white... thing laid on his back. Trickery gasped as Thundersmoke didn't think, he started after the pony, only thinking of completing his job.
He fell to the ground as something held his tail down. He growled as he turned back to Trickery's furrowed eyebrows. "What are you doing?" He said angrily, yelling over the pouring rain now dampening his perfect fur. "It's a pony this close to the castle! Ponies aren't supposed to be near the castle, or on this side anyways, without the ruler's permission! Besides, he had the zebra."
Trickery's chest heaved. "That was my brother!" She yelled, stomping her hoof and shaking her head in a way to try and get rid of any of her anger. She bared her teeth. "You ain't touchin' him."
"That," Thundersmoke said as he leaned over. "Isn't your brother," he finished in a hiss, crouching to jump into flight after the stallion, thinking of whatever uses the body of a zebra could have. He didn't have a single clue, but maybe they had medicinal purposes in their... hooves?
As he jumped, he hit the ground again. He fumed and fought her as she grabbed his tail and dragged him, shocking him at how he couldn't overpower her with his entire weight pulling away from her. She threw him into the ball room, climbing in after him and shutting the window. He shot to his hooves, but she spoke first. "We got rid of the body, we did the job," she said, walking past him with harsh steps. He opened his mouth to retort.
"And he's got my permission to be here, ya pleased?" She asked as she walked through the doors, the two slamming shut behind her and making him jump. He sighed. 
He grumbled as he followed, walking slower in the hopes of not catching up with her. He was a born military pony, dirty work and errands weren't exactly his style. He really wanted to pick on Controlling to raise his self-esteem, but he knew she'd stay on her cloud until the storm passed. 
His idiotic captain told him it reminded her of the home she never told him about.



Apple Bloom paced back and forth, ranting her worries to Applejack, Twilight, and Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle helped the unicorns in creating a roof to their woodland home, shielding them from the rain nearby. 
"Where is she? She should've been back by now," Apple Bloom worried, her heart beating out of her chest as her throat seized, her stomach turning. Her chest heaved with fear as she paced, Twilight turning a page in her book with her magic. "Even if she took a detour!"
Applejack held a hoof out in front of her, prompting her to stop. When Apple Bloom simply turned around at the hoof, Applejack snatched her tail and made her stay in place, spitting it out and holding it down with her hoof. Apple Bloom turned to her with wide, orange eyes and a swallow.
Applejack smiled, her chest puffing out in pride. "Don't you worry, sugar cube," she comforted, sending Apple Bloom a soft smile. "It's Zecora, and she's probably smarter than Twilight," Applejack said, pointing at Twilight, who looked up hearing her name mixed with an insult.
Twilight quickly caught up, having zoned out for her book for a second and nodded. "You shouldn't underestimate her. She's got herbs for everything, she's basically an unicorn," Twilight said, watching Apple Bloom's shoulders relax slightly. 	
Apple Bloom nodded, trying to calm down her breathing as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle near her relaxed too with their own respective smiles. She smiled at them, forgetting they must've been just as terrified as she was. She nodded, feeling her chest fill with hope as the tension quickly left her body. Her sister was right, Zecora could do just about anything, the zebra taught her everything she knew, and Apple Bloom could do just about anything too. 
She nodded. "Yeah, she's probably just picking something up," she said to herself, seeing her words and confidence relaxed Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo even further. 
"Big Mac!" She heard Sugar Belle yell. A smile plastered itself on her face as she whirled towards the front of the cult, seeing Sugar Belle run over to a red, bulky stallion, she followed, Applejack right behind her. 
But she had a bad feeling as she watched Sugar Belle back away, shaking her head. Big Mac winced and looked away, his face scrunching up in pain. Rain fell over them and she looked up, seeing the unicorns magic fade away slowly, and the cheers quickly stopped as fast as they grew. Her running slowed to a trot as she noticed something on Big Mac's back. 
She stopped completely, her eyes widening and her mouth falling open, her lips trembling. Her hooves shook as the world fell apart around her. She could only see the dripping red fabric on his back, covering something that let a striped hoof peek out of. She shook her head, tried to get herself to look away but she couldn't. Her chest heaved, but it felt like she was empty inside. 
She didn't know if the water on her face were tears or the rain. She didn't know if the ponies next to her were Applejack and Twilight or Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. She was hyperventilating as all she could see was the shaking, striped hoof dripping with blood. Her head felt light, her body felt too heavy, her hooves felt like her nerves were alive, her heart ached, her stomach turned, her throat scratched as sobs left her, her vision blurred--
She screamed up at the sky with tears pooling down her face.