The Taking of Tartarus

by Rakoon1

A Queen a Little Off, Part II - The Queen of Hearts' True Motivation

After being captured by Fire Punch, the Knave of Hearts, and his guards, Twilight's friends, in a cage, began to be transported by a carriage pulled by two pegasi card guards, along with Fire Punch, to Canterlot.

"You’ll see, you piece of crap!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed to Fire Punch. "When I get out of here, I'll kick your ass!"

Fire Punch rolled his eyes and then said to her:

"Will you shut up? You're giving me a headache."

“Believe me when I say that will be the least of your problems!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

“Rainbow Dash, calm down!" Applejack exclaimed, managing to immobilize Rainbow Dash. "Don't waste your energy on him.”

"You should listen to your friend" Fire Punch advised cynically. "After all, even if you did get out of there, I can't believe that you and your friends would too far with my card guard around. Furthermore, if my eyes don't deceive me, only two of you can fly, so…"

"You know, that's not exactly true" Pinkie Pie said. "You know, even without wings, earth ponies and unicorns can fly like pegaso, as when Twilight created those wings to Rarity. Of course I also wanted some, after all, flying freely through the air is a dream to a non-flying pony. Although we can achieve the same with a hot-air balloon, but it's not the same thing. Maybe I will ask Twilight to..."

"Shut up!" Fire Punch ordered, in a way he mad Pinkie Pie stop her babbling. "Damn, you're worse than your colorful friend."

“Rainbow is not colorful, silly" Pinkie Pie replied. "Only her mane is. Even though I sometimes think she paints it and..."

"Shut up, Pinkie!" Fire Punch and Rainbow Dash said at the same time.

That made Pinkie Pie to shut up.

Fluttershy, that was a very impressionable pony (something that was intensified with her pregnancy), began crying sadly, while being comforted by Rarity.

"I don't like this" she said, sobbing. "And if something happens to my foal?"

"There, there, my dear" Rarity comforted, while passing the hoof by her mane. "Everything will be fine."

Rarity then turned to Fire Punch and said to him, in a snide manner:

"Look what you did. Don't you know that pregnant mares should not be disturbed in this way?"

"I don't care what happens to that foar or whatever that hybrid is" Fire Punch replied, indifferent and looking forward.

That response shocked Fluttershy's friends who gasped.

"How dare you?!" Rarity exclaimed. "It's a baby you're talking about!"

"Rarity, don't waste your vocabulary with this sample of pony" advised Applejack. "He's not worth it."

"You're going to be sorry for what you said about Fluttershy’s foal!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

"What I said is also valid for you, Rainbow Dash" Applejack said.

It was then that Applejack noticed the route they were following.

"Wait a minute" she said, looking back. "We're going in the direction of Canterlot."

"Fire Punch, further being ugly now you’re stupid?" Rainbow Dash asked mockingly. "I mean, even stupider?"

"Believe me, I'm quite sure that is our destiny, don't worry" Fire Punch answered.

"It's not us who you should be worried, but you" Rainbow Dash said. "You're on your way to the city where is Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s castle."

"Are you sure about that?" Fire Punch asked, without downing her evil smile.

Seeing him so confident, Applejack realized what he meant.

"Oh no..." she said. "Do you mean..."

"Yes" Fire Punch replied, cheerfully. "Your dear and beloved Princess Celestia was defeated."

That left Twilight’s friends in suspense.

"You're lying!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"So you have to see for yourself" Fire Punch said, while Canterlot appeared on the horizon.

When they arrived to the big city, Twilight's friends were shocked to see the card guards keeping the entrance of the city. Seeing the carriage with Fire Punch, the guards saluted him.

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy didn't want to believe what they were seeing. Almost nopony ventured out into the city, and those that did that were so cautious. Canterlot, which had always been immensely busy, was now completely deserted. But worse was when they reached the castle that was now decorated with hearts and playing cards.

The Queen of hearts was in the gardens of the castle, playing her favorite game: croquet at Wonderland style. The difference between it and the normal croquet was that the mallets had the shape of flamingos and the balls had the form of hedgehogs. Watching, were some of the celebrities of Canterlot that didn’t had no choice but to watch.

The Queen made a putt and the ball spun towards the wicket, but stopped before crossing it. However, one of the guards who was beside pushed it so it would cross. The audience applauded and acclaimed the Queen of Hearts, although without enthusiasm. When she made them a hard look, they had no other choice but to feign more enthusiasm pleased the Queen.

A guard then approached the Queen of Hearts and whispered something to her. After that, she exclaimed:

"Finally! I was thinking that he would never get here."

She dropped his mallet and advanced to within the castle. She entered the throne room where she found Fire Punch.

"Your Highness" he said, making a bow.

"Get up" the Queen of Hearts ordered, what Fire Punch obeyed. "Did you do what you said you had to do?"

"Of course, my Queen" Fire Punch answered.

And he made a gesture towards the cage where Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were.

"And what is this?" the Queen of Hearts asked, approaching and observing the five mares. "Fire Punch, if you spent my precious resources and my game of croquet just to capture a few simple ponies, it will be off with your head!"

"Please, Your Highness, you don't understand" Fire Punch said. "These are Princess Twilight’s friends. You know, the princess of the Light Kingdom the Lord of Chaos told you about."

"Don't tell me" the Queen of Hearts said, looking at the five mares. "To tell you the truth, they are not very impressive."

"Wait till I get out of here and you’ll see what is awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"But what insolence" the Queen of Hearts said, arrogantly "Is this how you treat your sovereign?"

"Never mind her, Your Highness" Fire Punch said. "She is the one that barks more."

"What are you talking about?" the Queen of Hearts asked. "She's not a dog or a wolf."

"That's not what I meant" Fire Punch said.

"Then you should be more explicit" the Queen of Hearts replied. "If they are ponies, they don't bark."

That made the mares exchange looks of strangeness, all except Pinkie Pie that said:

"It makes sense to me."

Ignoring Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash said:

"You're not our sovereign or anything like that. This place belongs to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. "

The Queen of Hearts began to laugh before Rainbow Dash’s assertion and said:

"I love the poor ignorance this ponies have. It's pretty hilarious, don't you think, Fire Punch?"

"Yes, quite hilarious" he agreed.

"My dear, your beloved Princess Celestia is now my slave" the Queen of Hearts said, leaving the five mares shocked. "Her heart is literally mine. As for your Princess Luna... Well, she's doing to me a little favour, sending a message that basted who arrested me in a cell in the solitary: Purple Smoke."

"Wait, does that mean..." Applejack started. "You're one of the villains of solitary!"

"Exactly" the Queen of Hearts said. "But I'm not any villain. I am the Queen of Hearts, the most powerful of all. If anypony dares to get in my way, it's off with his or her heads!"

"And what do you want?" Rarity asked. "In addition to conquer Equestria? It's obvious that you want something more."

"What was taken from me" the Queen of Hearts replied. "But don't worry about that detail. It’s already being treated. And you will give me a little help."

"Do you think we're going to help a scum like you?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Your presence is enough, my dear" the Queen of Hearts replied. "But even if I needed more than that, I wouldn't need your wills. I just had to take your precious hearts and then you'd be puppets in my beautiful hands."

The way she said that intimidated the five mares, mainly Fluttershy. Even Rainbow Dash and Applejack, which rarely intimidated, shrank slightly.

It was then that sounded the four hours and the Queen said, enthusiastically:

"Uh, tea time!"

A guard appeared pulling a cart with a pot and a few cups, apart from dishes with cookies. When he arrived, the Queen began to pour tea into her cup. When she got the tweezers to grab some sugar cubes, she asked the mares.

" Would that be one lump, or two?

"Two please" Pinkie Pie said, with a smile.

That made her receive the looks of her friends and she said to them:

"What? It’s not polite to refuse tea. Especially when it's tea time."

And she made again her broad smile, while your friends rolled their eyes.

Outside the walls of Canterlot, hidden, were Twilight, Purple Smoke and Golden Paladin.

Twilight was stunned when she saw what was going on with Canterlot.

"It can't be" she said. "The Queen of Hearts… made all this?"

"She has transformed the Royal Guard on his own Card Guard and remodeled the city to her taste" Golden Paladin said.

"Don't you think we should have brought the others?" Twilight asked.

"And risk giving to the Queen of Hearts more hearts that she can control?" counter-asked Golden Paladin. "No, we can't risk. In fact, you shouldn't even be here, princess. If the Queen of Hearts catch your heart..."

"I had to come" Twilight replied. "It’s Princess Celestia. She is my mentor."

"But she is Princess Luna’s sister and she stayed in the Light Kingdom" Purple Smoke said. "No offense, but I'm the only one who can really stop the Queen of Hearts without risking to lose the heart."

"I just came as a reinforcement" Golden Paladin said. "Don't forget what's our plan."

"Yes, I remember" Twilight said.

Moments before ...

"So, what do you have in mind, Golden Paladin?" Twilight asked.

He thought for a few seconds and then he asked to Mirror Coat:

"Mirror Coat, what do you know about spells that cut the connection between the heart and its owner?"

"That the link does not disappear completely" he replied. "And, of course, so the heart goes back to its proper place, the spell is broken."

"I see..." Golden Paladin said. " So I don't see another way. Purple Smoke, we're going to have to perform the exchange. But you have to ensure that the Queen of Hearts will give Princess Celestia’s."

"Don't worry about it" he said. "But what then?"

"Wait until the Queen of Hearts replace her heart and then take it again" Golden Paladin answered. "So, we're going to have control over her again."

"But that won’t to be easy" Purple Smoke said. "She has probably a lot of slaves right now."

"That's why I'm going to support you" Golden Paladin said. "We cannot forget Fire Punch, the Knave of Hearts."

"I'll go with you too" Twilight said.

"No, Princess, I don't think it's a good idea" Golden Paladin said.

"Golden Paladin, I will and you can’t stop me" Twilight said, resolutely.

"Twilight Sparkle, I also think it's better that you don’t go" Luna advised. "Although she’s my sister, with an enemy like the Queen of Hearts, you can't be too careful."

"There is nothing you can tell me" Twilight said. "I will."

In the present...

"Well, let's get started" Purple Smoke said.

And he turned into his purple smoke form and headed to Canterlot.

The Queen of Hearts was sitting on the throne, drinking a cup of tea which was levitating with her magic. Fire Punch was right next to the throne. It was then that the Queen smiled and said:

"He's here."

And a purple smoke entered the throne room and then took the form of the General of Talent.

"But what a surprise” he said. “I never thought I'd see you again."

The Queen of Hearts giggled and asked:

"Did you miss me?"

"In the same way I miss an itch" Purple Smoke replied, turning then to Fire Punch. "And I see you're working overtime as Knave of Hearts. What? The Lord of Chaos does not give you sufficient fees?"

"I'm just obeying my true master" Fire Punch said. "He wants that the Queen of Hearts is satisfied and that's enough for me."

"Okay" Purple Smoke said. "But now enough of chatter. Let's get down to business. I assume this is yours, Queen of Hearts."

And he invoked the box where he kept the Queen of Hearts’ heart and then he picked it out of there, levitating it.

"My heart!" she exclaimed, sketching a huge smile. "Give it back to me, now!"

"First, I want to see Princess Celestia’s heart" Purple Smoke demanded.

And then the Queen of Hearts invoked a heart.

"How do I know that is Princess Celestia’s heart?" Purple Smoke asked.

"Why do you ask that?" the Queen of Hearts asked. "Don't you trust your dear and beautiful friend?"

"No offense, but I like to be even" Purple Smoke answered. "You know that this is your heart because you can feel that. But I don’t know if that is Princess Celestia’s heart."

The Queen of Hearts giggled and said:

"It looks like you won't change. Always very suspicious. Okay, here's the proof."

And she made the heart glow. It looked like she was giving an order. It was then that Celestia entered in the throne room flying and landed.

"You're still not convinced?" the Queen of Hearts asked to Purple Smoke. "Well, maybe this will convince you."

And using her magic, she began to put pressure on the heart, as if she were trying to crush it. Celestia started moaning in pain, taking the hooves to the chest, exactly where her heart would be, falling on the floor.

"Ok, I believe!" Purple Smoke exclaimed. "Stop it!"

And the Queen of Hearts stopped trying to crush the heart, what made Celestia sigh of relief.

“Can we begin the exchange?" the Queen of Hearts asked, while beginning to descend the throne staircase.

"We exchange at the same time" Purple Smoke said. "And no tricks."

"Don't worry, I don't have anything on the sleeves, you see?" the Queen of Hearts said, showing her sleeves.

Getting a considerable distance from each other, standing face to face, Purple Smoke and the Queen of Hearts looked to each other, staring for a few seconds and then they released each heart that was grabbed by the other’s magic.

"Finally!" the Queen of Hearts exclaimed, closing her heart to herself. "My heart!"

When he received Princess Celestia’s heart, Purple Smoke acted immediately, directing the heart to her and inserting it back inside of her chest. When he did this, Celestia stood up and placed herself behind Purple Smoke and told him:

"Thank you, Purple Smoke. I'm sorry I caused too much trouble."

"Don't worry, Princess" he replied. "But be prepared, because the real battle is about to begin."

The Queen of hearts, using her magic, put her heart back in her chest and, after doing so, said:

"A lot better."

It took about five seconds before the Queen of Hearts and Purple Smoke say at the same time:

"Now!"

And a battalion of card guards entered, while Purple Smoke teleported to the throne room Golden Paladin and Twilight who turned straight to the guards and invoked a protective shield that prevented them from moving in.

"Twilight!" Celestia exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't stay in the Light Kingdom when you were in danger" Twilight said.

Celestia smiled and said:

"I understand. And I assume that you couldn't persuade her, do you, Golden Paladin?"

"Not that I didn’t argue about this" he replied. "I knew it wasn't going to be worth it. Purple Smoke, now!"

"Here I go!" he exclaimed.

And he went to the front of the Queen of Hearts and stuck his hoof at her chest, trying to get her heart.

"You're going back to where you shouldn't have left, Queen of hearts" Purple Smoke said. "I know the limitations of the protection that the Lord of Chaos created to you. Now that your heart is back to your chest, I can get back the control I once had on you again."

"I'm glad that you say that, because I also realized a way to do the same to you" the Queen of Hearts replied.

And then she stuck her hoof by Purple Smoke’s chest.

"What the..." he began.

"After centuries locked in that cell, I pondered a way to take your heart without having tou change into smoke and I realized the only way to do it was when you tried to steal my heart again. Now, finally, I'm going to rip your heart out. Of course you can dodge it, but you will have to give up what you're trying to do."

"No way" Purple Smoke said. "Even if you take my heart, I will ensure that I take yours and give it to Golden Paladin."

"So it looks like I will have to resort to my backup plan" the Queen of Hearts said, still with a smile. "I thought I'd use it using some pony else, but my Knave had a better idea."

When they heard that, they looked all to Fire Punch that smiled with his evil smile. Using her magic, the Queen of Hearts invoked in the edge of her Knave of Hearts the cage with Twilight's friends.

"My friends!" she exclaimed.

"Twilight!" her friends exclaimed.

"But that's a low blow" Purple Smoke said to the Queen of Hearts.

"I just use what I have" she replied, smiling. "So what's it going to be? Will you give up and let me take your heart or will you take my heart so my Knave ends up with Princess Twilight’s friends? After all, she and your brother need to focus their magic on the shield and Princess Celestia is too weak to attack."

All looked to Purple Smoke, while he faced a terrible choice. Either way, his heart would be taken, but he could take the Queen of Hearts’ heart and give it to Golden Paladin who could use it to defeat her and recover after that his heart. But that would mean Fire Punch would hurt Princess Twilight’s friends. He had no other choice.

"This is not over yet" he said to the Queen of Hearts.

And using the magic he could use in that situation, Purple Smoke launched some smoke that advanced to the five mares trapped in the cage and teleported them to the edge of Twilight and they embraced her heavily, something she returned. But this allowed the Queen of Hearts to take his heart before he could do the same with hers.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, raising victoriously his heart. "I did it!"

Purple Smoke let himself fall upon his four knees gasping and then said to the others:

"Go away!"

"What?" Twilight asked. "No, we can't."

"Go!" Purple Smoke exclaimed. "Before she can use my heart to make me attack you!"

"He's right, Princess" Golden Paladin said. "Come on."

Despite not wanting to abandon Purple Smoke, Twilight knew he was right and she waved.

"Let’s go" Golden Paladin said.

And, using his magic, Golden Paladin teleported himself, Twilight, her friends and Celestia to far away. With them, the protective shield they created disappeared and the guards got in.

"They may had escaped, but that doesn't matter" the Queen of Hearts said, looking to Purple Smoke’s heart. "I already have what I need. Now, you'll obey to my orders."

And levitating the heart, she used its influence on Purple Smoke that made him bow before the Queen and he said:

"I'm at your service, Your Highness."

"I have to admit” Fire Punch said, approaching. “I’m very impressed. You managed to put one of the Generals under your control."

"And that's not all" the Queen of hearts replied. "Purple Smoke is just a means to an end. With him, not only disable the enemy to take my heart and take from them the only pony able to face me without risking to lose the heart, but also I can use him to achieve my true goal: return to Wonderland and conquer it and all Equestria!"

And she gave her most evil laugh.