The Witch Queen

by Unicorncob


The Aftermath

The mare poked her head out from the alley, looking around. The Canterlot streets were empty as usual, save for the occasional guard marching down the snowy cobblestone path. Not the same guards as when Princess Twilight was ruling Equestria; these guards were meaner, dressed in dark, imposing armour and keeping an eye out for law breakers. 

Something she would fit their vague description of.

Everypony who knew better was locked up safe in their home by nightfall, away from the constant overcast and the occasional storm. Away from the ghostly wendigos swarming the howling winds above the city. The mare, however, had somewhere to go, and something to do.

She made sure her saddlebag was secured, and once the coast was clear, she crunched through the thick snow. Restaurant Row had certainly seen better days, but the fear of going out and the lack of tourism made it hard for businesses to stay afloat. She raced down the street toward the shopping district, looking at all the boarded-up windows and ‘Closed forever’ signs. Her destination was no different; Canterlot Carousel was once the fashion centre of the whole city, founded by Rarity herself. But nopony had seen the Element of Generosity in a long time, or any of the Council of Friendship for that matter.

Making sure no guards were in sight or wendigos were overhead, she gently rapped on the door. It opened a sliver, and she saw an eye scanning her up and down. It closed, and she heard a series of locks and bolts being undone before it reopened wide enough for her to be ushered inside.

Dim lights from candles, lanterns and a few Unicorn horns provided light inside the shop, which had become a secret refuge for those willing to fight back against the new regime. She was one of the lucky few Unicorns left that were still permitted to use magic, because she hadn’t been caught yet.

The refugees crowded around her with desperate whispers. She couldn’t make out what anypony was saying, but thankfully they were quickly silenced by another. The crowd parted to make way for a slender mint-coated mare, her orange mane still neat and wavy despite all that was going on. She was Sassy Saddles; the manager of Canterlot Carousel in the old days, and the de facto leader of the group.

“Did you get it?” she asked in a hush.

The mare opened her saddlebag with her magic. “It wasn’t easy, but I got it.”

Gasps rose around the shop as the Bewitching Bell hovered between the two Unicorns.

“I… I don’t believe it,” Sassy murmured, eyes wide. “How did you thread the needle like that?”

“I told you I have the skills,” the mare boasted.

“You sure did,” the designer agreed, taking the Bell in her magic. “This is it. This is the big break we’ve been waiting for!”

“What’s the plan now?” asked a stallion in the crowd.

“We keep this safe for now,” Sassy said. “Night Spark’s gonna start sending guards or wendigos to come after it.”

“I say we find Discord,” a Pegasus called out. He looked fit enough to be one of the guards. “His chaos magic is still inside, since he's the only one who can use it.”

Murmurs of agreement sounded, before a Unicorn spoke up. “We don’t know where to look for him, or for any of the Council for that matter. They could be in the castle dungeon or even Tartarus for all we know, and it’s dangerous to just go outside, let alone leave the city.”

“Well we can’t just do nothing,” said another. “I’m tired of how cold and gloomy it is. I can't remember the last time I saw the sun! I say we march to the castle and take her and her guards down right now!”

“Only a hoofful of us can still use our magic, remember? What if we get caught? There’ll be nopony left to fight back!”

“If we just stay in her, she may as well take our magic right now!”

The boutique erupted into a wide argument between both sides. Sassy buried her face in her hoof before she tried to calm everypony down. Though, what did silence the room was the sight of the Bewitching Bell floating up in the air. Verypony stared at it, tension so thick it could be cut with a cleaver, and they looked down at the mare who brought the Bell to them in the first place.

“If I can make a suggestion?” she said, stepping forward. “Not to brag, but I’ve proven you can break into the castle without Night Spark finding out. It’s certainly not easy, but it can be done. I say those of us still with magic left should take the Bell back and present it to her, then we hit her with it. We take back every ounce of magic she’s stolen and find where Princess Twilight and the Council are.”

Ponies looked at each other and murmured. The tone seemed like they were considering the plan.

“Sounds like suicide,” one said. “You’d never make it back out.”

“If she’s not careful,” Sassy pointed out. “You did it once, do you think you can get a group of us close enough to her?”

The mare nodded. “You’ll be eye-to-eye with her soon.”


Soon, the mare and a small group of Unicorn rebels were led by a guard up to the gates of the castle. They were stopped not far from the Boutique, and the mare quickly spun a lie that she was being forced to return the stolen Bell, flashing a glimpse of it as proof. In recent months, there was a much different air to the ancient building; while it once had an air of regality and security, it was now a cold, imposing silhouette beneath the dark sky. The group felt more like they were being marched into a prison.

“Why aren’t the wendigos attacking?” one whispered, looking up and swallowing as he watched a ghostly Pony-like creature gallop across the sky.

“Maybe they don’t see us?” another guessed, trying her best not to look up.

The mare in the lead hushed them, keeping her face forward and ignoring the icy glares of the two guards standing by the castle doors.

“More undesirables?” one asked.

“This undesirable has stolen it,” said the guard leading the group, shoving the mare forward, “and these ones are bringing her to the Queen.”

The door guards looked at each other, obviously grasping the seriousness of the situation. “Let’s hope she’s in a rewarding mood,” the other said as they both pushed the doors open, revealing what felt like a portal into pure darkness.

The group walked into the entrance hall, and were met with a chill even colder than the wind outside. Princess Twilight and even the Royal Sisters would keep the castle warm on snowy days, but now the castle almost felt abandoned. Rugs were creased and kicked over, any paintings left were rotted away, and the stairs creaked ominously as the Ponies were led up to the next floor. Sconces were filled with dead plants or candles emitting cold flickers of black fire. The hallway leading up to the throne room was usually decorated with stained glass windows depicting important figures in the realm, but now snowflakes floated in and dampened the mossy rug thanks to every window being destroyed.

“Would it kill her to turn a light on?” one Unicorn murmured near the back.

“Quiet,” the guard snapped. “You may have captured this thief, but that gives you no right to insult our Queen’s changes.”

They were led to the large doors of the throne room, and the guard relayed the same message to the two standing by each side.

“The Queen is not here at this present time,” one said. The group watched as the mare stepped forward, and the three guards looked right at her. The one by the door blinked, then pushed it inward. “Very well. If you must insist, then you may wait inside for her return.”

The group was ushered into the throne room, and the Unicorns gasped and murmured amongst themselves at what they saw. The throne looked like it was made of crystallised spikes that twisted contorted this way and that, making the Castle of Friendship appear in the Unicorns’ minds. The hole left from the battle on The Darkest Day, as it had come to be called, had seen no sign of repair. The rug leading up to the podium was stained, torn and rotten. Cold winds blew through the shattered windows, and the water pools beneath the throne were now stained by moss, and curiously, occupied by statues of Ponies.

The Unicorns walked closer, and hearts sank when they recognised the stone Ponies. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy occupied the first two pools. Above them were Applejack and Rainbow Dash, then Rarity and Starlight Glimmer. Above the pools were Princess Twilight, Cadence, Celestia and Luna. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were frozen in what looked like mid-charge, with defiant scowls on their muzzles. The others were reeled back in a prone position, holding up their hooves with faces of pure terror. The Council of Friendship, the hadmare of the School of Friendship and the Alicorn leaders of Equestria, all depicted as helpless victims and put on display like trophies.

“This is disgusting,” a Unicorn spat. “How could that witch do something like this? Turning our heroes into decorations!”

“M-maybe they’re not the real things,” another murmured.

The mare with the Bell stepped up to the stairs leading to the throne, and turned to look at the group.

“I don’t know,” said Night Spark’s voice. The mare’s eyes turned an icy blue. “They look incredibly lifelike to me.”

The Unicorns gasped and scrambled away from her. “RUN!” one yelled, but they were halted by a horrible, familiar ringing. A black and yellow blast of dark magic swept over them all and they slumped to the ground, groaning and struggling to get up. The mare cackled as she became enveloped in dark purple magic, and the new Alicorn ruling Equestria soon stepped out.

“Impressive what a little Changeling magic can do, hm?” she said. “The metamorphosed ones are more potent, so I suppose it’s only right I repay King Thorax by having him displayed in the gardens.” She gestured with a hoof, and the throne room was quickly swarming with guards. “I’d heard rumblings of a rebellion forming right under my nose, and I thought it only right to investigate the matter personally. Your bravery is admirable, but misplaced; all of Equestria’s strongest have fallen to my hooves.”

“Why?” one Unicorn asked, managing to get on one hoof and look up at her. “You had us all right there in the Boutique. Why bother with the disguise?”

“Because animals are at their most dangerous when cornered,” Night Spark said nonchalantly, “and in numbers. I had a feeling you’d try a sneak attack and overpower me so you could use the Bell against me, so I thought I’d beat you to the punch, so to speak.”

“What will you do with us now?” a mare asked, sounding more like she wished to get her punishment over with.

“Normally, I’d have undesirables thrown back into the street, offenders into the dungeon. But you all actively staged a coup against me. That’s going to need something extra special.” Night Spark tittered into her hoof at the fear in her captive audience’s eyes. “I think I’ll start with keeping you all in the cells for the moment, and I’ll have just the thing by the time the rest of your friends join us.”

She nodded, and the guards forced the captives onto their hooves and prodded thm toward the doors.

“Why?” a stallion called back to her. “Why are you doing this to us?” To them?” He pointed at the statues.

A wave of darkness overcame Night Spark, and he gasped as her cold, almost lifeless eyes were right in his face.

“Magic should belong to those who can be trusted with it,” she said quietly. She looked back at the statues  “Celestia and her little favourite had you all believing that friendship is the most powerful form of magic in the world. Now look at them. Look where their precious friendship has gotten them. The harmony they brought was artificial, built on dependence. The magical threats brought onto Equestria time and time again, most commonly from within Equestria, have always been fought with magic. But with one purely magical being in the realm, there are no internal threats, and one all-powerful protector. I’d happily share the wealth, but the likes of you have proven that you don’t deserve it. Those who wish to live under the Princesses and bring them back to solve all your problems. Now you have no choice but to take care of your own insignificant problems.”

The Alicorn allowed herself a sinister chuckle as her new prisoners were led out of the throne room. She turned and walked up to the throne, passing the terrified statues. She stopped in front of Celestia and Twilight, smirking.

“I know you can hear everything,” she murmurs. “I can taste your despair. It’s delicious. I will force these weaklings you coddled to take care of themselves without abusing magic, and no creature will be strong enough to stop me.”

Another chuckle quickly erupted into a cackle as her horn glowd, and the clouds over the castle grew darker, black lightning bolts striking the throne room.

“No more Princesses. There will be only one Queen.”