//------------------------------// // Dangerously Genre Savvy // Story: Queen of Darkness // by Bahamut Omega //------------------------------// "Never underestimate an opponent. No matter how weak they may seem." The residents of Coltoma waited in silence outside the mine, wondering what was happening. They had heard a terrible scream and felt tremors through the earth. To their great relief, Trixie emerged from the mine unharmed. But it was short lived as Jade slithered out behind her, accompanied by Chrysalis. "Knell before me," Jade said, baring her teeth with her grin. When the ponies didn't react, she scowled. "I said - " she started spreading her top arms, " - KNELL!!!!!!" she screamed as the earth trembled and the skies darkened with thunderclouds. Her grin returned as the ponies fell to their knees in terror. She loved being feared. "Was that so hard?" she asked as she started slithering among them, the ponies parting like the sea to let her through. "Isn't this so much simpler? Deep down, you know you were made to be ruled. At the end of the day... you'll always knell." "Not to mares like you," a deep voice said from within the crowd. Turning, Jade saw Digger standing in front of what she assumed to be his wife and children. Her grin widening, she started advancing on him. "There are no women like me. I come with happy news. I will free your world. Free it... from freedom. Freedom is the greatest lie. And once you accept that... in your heart..." she stopped in front of him and reached for his head, "You will know true peace." Before she could touch him, Jade was blasted away from Digger by a blast of magic. Not unlike what Trixie had blasted her with, but it was much, much stronger. Rising, she turned and saw a group of six ponies. Two unicorns, two regular ponies, and two pegasi. The first thing she noticed about them was that five of them wore shiny necklaces, and the sixth, a lavender unicorn, wore a tiara with a six pointed star as its jewel. "Let's do this, girls!" Twilight said as she and the girls started up the Elements of Harmony. The feeling of victory was short lived as the Elements were ripped from them by an invisible force and began hovering over Jade's open hand. "The Elements!" Jade grinned as she looked over the Elements. "These look important. And I bet you were gonna use them to lock me back up. Not happening." Looking up as a shadow appeared over her, Jade saw a purple dragon about her size flying at her. Grinning, she raised her hand and caught its fist cold. "You're a brave dragon," she said in a low purr as the Elements started hovering above her head and her other hand was laid against his forehead, a red energy flowing into him and turning his eyes red. Spike relaxed and landed, stepping to stand beside Trixie, who also had red eyes. "Spike what are you doing?" Twilight asked in confusion. "All I did was expand his mind," Jade said as the Elements began to orbit above her faster, encased in an orb of purple light. "I don't think we need these trinkets now," she said before the orb shot into the sky and split into six, each heading for a different part of the world. "She scattered the Elements of Harmony!" Rarity gasped. "What now?!" Applejack asked. "I'll get her!" Rainbow said as she flew at Jade. "Rainbow stop!" Fluttershy screamed as Jade raised her hand and seemed to slow Rainbow before grabbing her and doing what she had done to Spike and Trixie to her as well. Twilight's horn started glowing. "We have to get to Canterlot!" Her teleportation spell worked to get the other four away, but she found Jade right in front of her before she could teleport herself and gasped as the Shadowkhan queen grabbed her horn. As red energy flowed into her head, Twilight felt herself going into what she could only describe as an out of body experience. Something else was taking hold of her, even as this creature played around in her mind, altering her very sense of self. "Now then... Where did you send those other ponies?" Jade asked as she let go of Twilight. "I teleported them to Ponyville, where they'll catch a train to Canterlot and warn Princess Celestia and Princess Luna," Twilight said. "Can you get us to Canterlot directly?" Jade asked. "No. It took a lot out me just to send Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy to Ponyville," Twilight said. "Well then, I'll just have to give you a boost," Jade said as she started channeling power into Twilight. "Who are your friends?" "Rainbow Dash, bearer of the Element of Loyalty; Spike, my assistant; and Trixie, a pony I'm familiar with somewhat," Twilight said as she prepared her spell. "Chrysalis, take them to the fort. I'll be joining you in a while," Jade said before she and Twilight teleported. ___________________ Celestia looked out the window of her throne room with worry. "Is something wrong, Tia?" Luna asked, concerned for her sister. "Luna... I fear that Twilight and her friends might have been too late," Celestia said. As if to confirm her fear, the doors of the throne room were blown off, revealing Twilight and Jade. "Twilight? What are you doing?!" "Is that them?" Jade asked. "Yes. The white alicorn is Princess Celestia. The one with her is her younger sister Luna, Princess of the Night," Twilight said. Celestia's eyes narrowed. "You haven't changed, Jade. You're still manipulating the minds of creatures smaller than yourself." "Oh spare me the lectures," Jade sneered. "You sound like Thanatos all of a sudden. He and Eros helped lock me away in that cramped little orb. Do you know what it was like being stuck there for 10,000 years? I was bored out of my mind, aware of every passing day. Not to mention how stiff I was when I got out..." "THOU SHALL NOT PREVAIL, DEMON!!! Luna vowed, spreading her wings as she spoke in the Royal Canterlot Voice. "Your parents robbed me of a great time in my life," Jade said while her ears stopped ringing. "And now... time to pay the piper." Spreading her arms, Jade struck a portion of the palace with lightning. "SO MANY THINGS THAT I MISSED!!! THE RAINBOW OF DARKNESS!!!" Another bolt struck a different portion of the palace, sending ponies running and screaming. "THE WINDIGOS!!! DISCORD'S REIGN!!! SOMBRA'S RISE TO POWER!!! THE WAR OF SUN AND MOON!!! NIGHTMARE MOON'S RETURN!!! DISCORD'S DAY IN THE LIMELIGHT!!! THE CHANGELING INVASION!!! THE GRAND GALLOPING GALA!!!" Each item was punctuated by a bolt of lightning. And while destroying the palace, Jade placed powerful restraining spells over the regal sisters and forced them to watch her. Jade's psychotic laughter echoed throughout Canterlot, magically magnified as her destruction continued. Until finally her magic was flexed for something else, and the regal sisters found themselves turning to stone. "You will fail, Jade. Just as you did before," Celestia grunted before she was trapped. Left with only enough magic influence to move the sun when it was supposed to move. Same story for Luna and the moon. "AAAHHH!!! That felt so good!" Jade said as she stretched. "And here I was expecting a challenge. Silly me." She turned her gaze to Twilight. "Let's go. I'll guide the path." "Yes, my lady," Twilight said before working her spell and teleporting her and Jade out of Canterlot.