Midnight Star

by Nebula Star

Chapter 6: Stolen Happiness

Midnight Star
By Nebula Star

Chapter 6: Stolen Happiness
***

STOP THIS! Twilight screamed bashing at the barrier again and again, not caring that her attacks didn't seem to have any effect. STOP! No more!

Midnight was soaring over Ponyville, searching. She didn't even seem to notice Twilight's cries.

Then she spotted a familiar pink earth pony bouncing along one of the streets below, and Midnight smiled. “Did you know that a pony's behavior, their mood can be altered by an imbalance of chemicals in their brain?” She asked Twilight as she turned toward where Pinkie was bouncing along. “I think you're friend Pinkie might be a little out of balance. Shale we fix that?”

NO! Twilight screamed but it was no use. Midnight glided down to land in Pinkie's path.

“Hey Twilight, what's up! Oh, it's you!” Pinkie chirped as Midnight landed in front of her.

“Hey, Pinkie. You want to help me try out a new spell?” Midnight asked, once again pretending to be Twilight.

“Sure! Oh, are you going to turn me into an orange, or maybe a cake!? Or maybe a tree!? If it's a tree though, you better try it on Fluttershy first.”

Midnight smiled. “No this is a bit more subtle spell,” she said. “You ready.”

“Yessiroonie!”

Midnight's horn glowed as she cast the spell. Though there was no apparent change to her physically, the effects of the spell were profound. Pinkie's mane and tail deflated hanging strait as her smile fell into a frown. The cheerfulness in her eyes faded and she sat down where she was looking down at the road and poking at the dirt with one hoof.

Midnight smiled satisfied. “Excellent. The spell worked perfectly,” she said.

“Oh... okay then,” Pinkie said softly then sighed heavily.

Twilight had only seen Pinkie in such a state once before, when she'd believed that all her friends didn't want to be her friends any more. Now the same kind of depression had set in, but without any reason. She was sad without any reason to be.

'Pinkie...' To take away Pinkie's cheerfulness was as bad as taking away Rainbow's ability to fly. It was a part of her and without it, she'd never be whole.

Without another word, Midnight took off again and this time turned toward the edge of town where the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres could be seen rolling over the hills. Applejack was Midnight's next target. Oddly though Midnight didn't fly to the farm house or even seem to be looking for Applejack she instead flew out to a hilltop where they could see just about all of the orchards as well as the barn and farm house.

“Applejack and her family work so hard to keep this farm running. I think it's about time they had a chance to rest.”

What are you going to do!? Twilight demanded.

In answer Midnight's horn glowed brightly as she began to cast a spell. This was no small spell however, the aura around Midnight's horn continued to glow brighter, sparks shooting out as she poured more and more magic energy into the spell that formed at her horn's tip. Finally she released it.

It was like an explosion of hurricane winds radiating outwards from her. Nearby trees were shattered by the force of the blast wave, while those further out were just uprooted but destroyed all the same. From the hill, Midnight made Twilight watch as the wave of destruction spread across the orchards. She saw it reach the farm house and to her horror, the house seemed to explode as the winds hit it. If anypony had been inside...

NO! What have you done! You could have killed somepony!

“Oh your right,” she said tauntingly. “We should go check on them shouldn't we.”

Twilight would have been in tears if she had her body as Midnight began trotting toward the destroyed farmhouse through the destruction. There didn't seem to be a single tree still standing and as they approached what was left of the farmhouse and barn, there didn't seem to be a single wall still standing either.

But then Twilight saw Applejack out in the yard near where the house had been, helping Granny Smith to her feet while Big Macintosh was digging himself out of the wreckage of the barn. She didn't see Apple Bloom however. She could only hope that the young filly had been off with her friends.

Midnight on the other hoof did not seem pleased to see that nopony was hurt.

Applejack saw Midnight approaching from the ruined orchards then and came running over. “Twi! Any idea what in tarnation just happened?” She asked as she reached her.

Midnight smirked. “I decided I don't like apples.”

Applejack looked taken back as she realized that who she believed to be Twilight was claiming responsibility for the destruction of her home and farm. She furrowed her brow. “Well Ah'm sorry to hear that, Twi, but that's no reason to go destroying my family's home and livelihood. If you didn't want to be friends no more, then you could have just said so,” Applejack said clearly angry. “Now, Princess or not, Ah'm goin' to have to ask you to leave,” she said and turned her back on Midnight.

Midnight was not satisfied however. “So destroying your possessions isn't enough for you...”

You've done enough! Midnight stop this! But midnight seemed determined that every one of Twilight's friends should suffer.

“Applejack!?” Twilight was relieved to hear Apple Bloom's voice as she Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came running up the path that led to Ponyville. “What happened?” She asked having seen the destruction.

“Apple Bloom! Thank goodness ya'll are alright.” Applejack said running over to her sister.

“Ah, of course, nothing's more important to you than your family, isn't that right, Applejack?” Midnight said as she stepped toward them.

“I thought I told you to leave!” Applejack said angrily looking over her shoulder at her.

Midnight smiled wickedly. “But I'm not finished yet,” She said then her horn glowed and a beam shot out hitting Apple Bloom square in the chest. Apple bloom barely had time to look surprised before the spell hit her and that expression was locked on her face as her body turned to stone.

No, she's just a filly! Twilight cried but her thoughts were almost drowned out. Seeing their friend become a living statue, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo did exactly as they'd done when they'd seen a cockatrice turn Twilight and a chicken into stone. They ran around, back and forth screaming at the top of their lungs.

Applejack on the other hoof spun to face Twilight. “You change her back!” She yelled, angrier than Twilight had ever seen her before and running right up into Midnight's face aggressively. Flaring her wings, Midnight cast a spell, knocking Applejack away as easily as batting away a fly.

Seeing Applejack's reaction to her sister though, Midnight was much more satisfied. Turning she cast the spell twice more and soon Granny Smith and Big Macintosh joined Apple Bloom as lawn statues.

“CHANGE THEM BACK!” Applejack shouted tears coming to her eyes while Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo continued to run around screaming.

“Yes, that's a much better reaction.” Midnight said smiling as she took perverse pleasure from the pain in Applejack's eyes. “Just one left, and I think I know just what to do.”

Her horn glowed and suddenly Sweetie Belle's screams intensified as she felt herself lifted into the air by a levitation spell. Then, with Sweetie Belle captive in her magic, Midnight took off again leaving Applejack shouting protests after her.

Sweetie Belle continued to scream in terror as they flew high in the air back towards Ponyville. Eventually though her screaming gave way to sobs. “Twilight,” her voice squeaked; “why are you doing this?” Midnight didn't answer her and despite how much Twilight wanted to, she couldn't answer either.

Twilight knew where they were going, only one of her closest friends was left and that was clearly the reason Midnight had captured Sweetie Belle.

Midnight was unerring in her flight path and Rarity's Carousel Boutique soon came into view. Sweetie Belle had been reduced to soft sobs as they glided down to the front door. Midnight didn't bother knocking or even unlatching to door. With a spell she bashed the door in and went strait into the front room, Sweetie Bell floating right behind her continuing to cry.

“What is all that racket?” Rarity said coming out from the back room. She stopped dead when she saw them though, her eyes widening at what she saw. Twilight was standing there horn glowing with an evil grin as she held her younger sister crying in a levitation spell.

“Twilight!? What... Sweetie Belle!” Here eyes darted between them.

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle cried seeing her sister, but Midnight kept her trapped in her levitation spell. Rarity looked between them for several seconds seeming dumbfounded by what she was seeing. Finally though she gave Midnight a stern look.

“Twilight, darling, I demand you put my sister down at once.” Rarity said, her normal proper self.

Midnight just smirked. “Now why would I ever take orders from you? A common unicorn?” The stunned expression on Rarity's face for being insulted on top of everything else seemed to satisfy Midnight and she smiled. “Tell me, Rarity; just how much do you care for your sister?” The threatening tone in her voice was unmistakable.

“Twilight, what?” Rarity gasped.

“How much do you care for your sister? Do you love her?”

“Of course I do!” Rarity exclaimed. “Now, you put her down!”

“Is there anything, anypony in this world you care for more than your precious Sweetie Belle?”

Rarity looked at her sister, seeing the frightened expression in the filly's eyes practically pleading for her big sister to save her. “Twilight, please,” she pleaded tears coming to her eyes as well. “What is this all about?”

“Answer the question.”

“NO! There's nothing more important to me than Sweetie Belle!” Rarity exclaimed. “Let her go!”

Midnight smiled wickedly. “And if she were to be taken away?”

Horror filled her eyes at the very idea. “No, please no!”

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle cried reaching for her sister, tears running down her cheeks. Rarity reached one hoof for her as well.

“Say your goodbyes,” Midnight told them coldly.

“NO!” Rarity screamed and in a rare display of hostility, she leaped toward Midnight attempting to take Sweetie Belle with her own magic.

It was a trivial matter for Midnight to cancel out Rarity's magic and fling her across the room into a rack of some of her dresses.

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle screamed. Midnight carried her over to where Rarity had fallen even as she began to recover. Rarity was in tears.

“Last chance,” Midnight warned. “Say goodbye.”

Rarity reached toward her sister. “Sweetie Belle,” she breathed. Her voice shuddering with the strain.

Stop! She's just a filly! Twilight screamed in her head, again pounding on the barrier with all the magical strength she could summon.

But Midnight wouldn't stop, Her horn glowed brighter and a second spell began to wrap around Sweetie Belle. She screamed struggling to break free as the magic began to envelope her and as it did she began to vanish, bit by bit. It was a banishment spell, one twilight had studied just before Midnight had taken control. One that would banish her into another realm similar to the Astral Plane but one of complete darkness.

Sweetie Belle screamed as the spell worked its way up her body. Then she reached for Rarity one last time. “Rarity!” She screamed as Rarity desperately reached for her as well. But it was too late. With one final flash, she was gone.

Rarity leaped at Midnight grabbing her with her fore-hooves and shaking her. “You bring her back!” She yelled, her normal proper demeanor all but forgotten. Midnight merely threw her across the room again. She landed in a heap near one wall and just laid there, crying.

Midnight didn't feel any sympathy for her. She looked down on Rarity with her wicked smile. “You're a unicorn; you have magic of your own. If you want your dear sister back, you'll just have to learn the spell yourself. Fortunately Sweetie Belle will not need food or water in the realm of darkness I've banished her to, and time passes slower there as well. So if you manage to save her within the year, she may even retain her sanity,” Midnight told her eliciting a sob from Rarity.

“How can you do this... how can you take my Sweetie Belle!?”

Midnight just continued to smile and turned away from her heading for the door. “The age of harmony is at an end.” Midnight said at last, then left the Boutique

Twilight was trembling in the depths of her soul as she heard Rarity's cries and a determination began to grow within her to find a way, to break free and to repair all the damage that Midnight had done. She just hoped she could manage it before it was too late. Before Midnight did something else that could never be undone.

Author's Note:

Minor revisions as of 9/25/2014

Comments

[Felyon]

Of coarse I do

course

And no pony died yet, though Sweetie might wish she had. Somehow all of this can be set right again.Either this is bad writing to avoid a Gore tag, or Midnight really is just trying to teach Twi a lesson. In that case, this is some redemption fix-fic about friendship?

[eddiehowell]

Shhh no spoilers