Moon Unit Zappa

by RarityEQM

The Cursed

Dinky shuddered, doing her absolute best to try and process the adrenaline rushing through her body as she dropped the rock to the ground. Diamond didn't move. The little unicorn drew in the stale air of the cavern and hissed through her teeth. In through her nose, out through her mouth. Breathe. Slowly, now. Deeply, now. Breathe. Breeeeeeathe.

Quietly, Dinky threw her gaze over Diamond's crumpled body one more time, before she turned and narrowed her eyes at Blueblood. He stood staring at her, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Most importantly, no longer babbling inane questions. He swallowed silently and lifted a shaky hoof, pointing nervously at Dinky.

"Y-yo-yo-yo..." he sputtered. Dinky glared quietly and puffed out an irritated sigh.

"You," she said for him and watched his lips flap while he tried to form a sentence.

"K-k-k-k-k..." Blueblood stammered. Dinky felt the fur on the back of her neck starting to heckle. She glanced over at the blood splattered rock she'd recently discarded and looked back towards Blueblood thoughtfully. No one would ever know...

"Killed her. Yes. Astute observation. Where is Luna?" Dinky demanded coldly. Blueblood didn't answer. His stare was affixed to Diamond's mutilated body and the utter coldness at which Dinky went shuffling it around with her magic. She lifted one of Diamond's forelegs, dangled it limply in the air, and then turned her over onto her back and glared at her quietly. Whatever the filly was looking at seemed to displease her, because she cursed sharply and rolled her eyes.

"I asked you a question, " she grunted. He'd been silent while she was examining Diamond's corpse, and was silent now as she plucked the necklace from the other filly and looked over the glimmering object thoughtfully. The powers of the cosmos bestowed upon the dumbest girl in existence. It wasn't fair. For a moment, Dinky wished Diamond were still alive if only she could kill her a second time. It was strangely, not quite as satisfying as she'd hoped. She sighed. The dark thoughts were getting darker and darker. Part of being a necromancer, and the books she'd been reading, she suspected. She wrapped Diamond's necklace around her throat and turned pointedly towards Blueblood, who coughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"I...um...she's at the castle," he squeaked. He was talking to a murderer. A cold blooded murderer. A child killer. This was worse than the goat-beast. He nervously eyed the rock Dinky had used and swallowed the lump in his throat. Was he next? He had hoped for a rescue and now he was disturbed by the rescue team. How ironic. He thought bitterly. Dinky 's ears perked and she gave a huff.

"Castle? Who's castle?" Dinky asked. She sighed. Getting a straight answer out of this moron was like asking her mother a math problem. Blueblood gazed down the pathway the goat had brought him and shuddered.

"I- I don't know. Some goat guy or something. G-Gargamel, I think. I want to go home!" Blueblood snapped. Dinky frowned. Gargamel...? She'd read about a lame sorcerer by that name, once, in a book in the library in regards to alchemy. What would some sorcerer want with Princess Luna? No. There was more to it than that. She glared up at Blue Blood quietly, and then past him at the cuffs lying on the ground. ...Those could work...

"Tell me what's going on and how you got down here. Make it snappy, we don't have long," Dinky grumbled, motioning for Blueblood to step to one side. Behind him, the demon cuff's fluttered up into the air, firmly clasped in Dinky's telekinetic aura. But she didn't threaten him with them. Instead, she floated them over towards her and quietly began to affix one after another to the murdered child she'd been sitting next to. Did this filly not have any respect for the dead at all?!

"I won an all expenses paid underground extravaganza vacation!" the Prince whimpered. Maybe if he just answered her questions, he could wait until she wasn't looking. Surely he could overpower a child, right? The little filly didn't respond. She was instead focused entirely on the corpse next to her, painstakingly using her magic to place the cuffs around her cannons. He noticed, she made absolutely sure to keep her distance from the blood that had melted through the goat's face. He peered down the path again. She wasn't paying attention. He could make a break for it. He drew in a breath to steel himself...

"That is a terrible idea, " Dinky warned. She wasn't looking at the prince, but the moment he'd taken a step forward, she'd seemed to know instantly. He gulped and returned to where he was standing.

"You said Tirek wants your blood. The books I've read suggest some of the worst prisoners in Tartarus are confined by the blood of royalty. It's required to unshackle their bonds. ...Alright...let me guess: You were told to travel to the badlands, whereupon you were taken into the desert and pulled down here by force...But you're not the goal. You're bait for a princess, and it was Luna. If Tirek wants out of confinement, he'd need help...But some low-level sorcerer couldn't possibly...wait...you said he was a goat...are you sure you don't mean Grogar? The Necromancer? The tyrant of Tamelon?!" Dinky demanded, turning to point a hoof at Blueblood, but the other pony had stopped listening to her. He stared, wide-eyed and mouth agape passed her like he'd seen a ghost. Dinky didn't have to guess what he was looking at. She scowled darkly as the last of her patience started to ebb away.

"You should be very, very dead," Dinky sighed. She glanced over her shoulder with a glare of irritation. Yup. Diamond's corpse had pulled itself upright and into a sitting position. Her head was down and her neck was limp, but her eyes had a faint incandescent glow to them. Of course, they would, Dinky realized. She'd been whacking the girl in the head...

"And yet..." Diamond hissed coldly. "Despite your valiant efforts, here we are," She snapped sharply, each word from her lips coated in venom. Dinky held her glare of utter contempt, staring at Diamond's crooked frame. The filly hadn't moved from that spot. Perhaps she was still too weak? That meant Dinky still had the upper hoof, for now. She aimed to keep it that way.

"I'd wondered if those claws would tear through your crystal hide. Legend has it, the ebony claws of a Tartarus demon could even shred the golden fleece. I figured silver fur wouldn't be too much of a challenge. Dragged down into the dirt like the rest of us, huh miss invincible? There are only so many things in the world that can 'chip' you and now we've found one more to add to the list. You are vulnerable. You are weak. If you stay down here, You will die. You will not see your brother again. Give up. Take the hint. Take us home. Make a wish," Dinky growled and dangling Diamond's star in front of her nose. Diamond glared passed the star at Dinky and quietly narrowed her eyes.

"You....You knew it could hurt me? And you didn't tell me? You let me go up against that thing, knowing it could have killed me?" Diamond asked, spitting each word out like they were covered in the thickest hatred imaginable.

"You dove in without waiting for my plan. This is what you get for being so stupid. You deserve it," Dinky explained. Diamond glared at Dinky for a long few moments. Dinky glared back.

"Alright, Dinky. I wish you were home. I really, REALLY, wish you were home. Happy? I could find the princess better without you," Diamond hissed bitterly. The two fillies glared at the star. Nothing happened. Dinky sighed and pulled the jewel around her own neck, watching the twitching anger behind Diamond's eyes as she did so. She was quite sure, that if Diamond had the energy the pegasus would have snatched it back into her possession, but as it was, Diamond remained quiet and crumpled in her sitting position, keeping her eyes on Dinky the entire time.

Dinky gave an irritated sigh. Trying to frighten Diamond into wanting to go home should have worked. The trauma of seeing a demon tear apart your body should have ignited a spark in her heart to go fleeing for the hills and never look back. It should have frightened her into a wish of cowardice, transporting them home and leaving grown-ups to handle the situation. A crude plan, but all Dinky had time to come up with on the fly. And yet, Diamond was still too stupid to want to go home. The wish Diamond had made was under duress and without passion. The star had failed to grant Dinky anything more than a headache.

"Very well. I had hoped to extract a wish from you to take us home, but it seems that's not an option. Pity you can't handle that. But I have a backup plan. BlueBlood says Luna is being held in a nearby castle. We are going there to find Luna, and you are going to protect me. You are my bodyguard, the way it should be. You'll die before I do, understand?" Dinky announced smugly. Diamond gave a cold laugh and narrowed her eyes.

"I think you are severely underestimating how much I'd like to bite you right now, "Diamond grumbled softly. Dinky nodded her head.

"Oh, but I'm not. Hence the cuffs. I have seen Pegasi crack the speed barrier. I've seen contrails of fire, lightning, light, ice, even smoke. I've seen pegasi do some amazing things, but I've never seen a pegasi regenerate. Not like you do. Not like that," Dinky spit quietly. Diamond gave a snort.

"I can't regenerate you moron," Diamond growled. Dinky stared in silence before she gestured towards Diamond's belly. Diamond had been looking herself over and knew exactly what Dinky was referring too, even if she didn't expect it herself: The puncture wounds she'd gotten from the goat creature were gone, as was the gash in her side. Diamond swallowed quietly, and Dinky nodded her head glaring at the pegasus.

"A few years ago, a stupid little filly came to ponyville, looking for Princess Luna. I didn't know her, back then, but her name was Diamond Dancer. Diamond somehow managed to get the interest of a nightmare, like the one that accosted Princess Luna and transformed her into Nightmare Moon," Dinky growled. Diamond's ears twitched faintly at the story of her own history.

"I already know this story, Dinky," Diamond grumbled, but Dinky continued regardless.

"So this foolish filly: Diamond Dancer gets possessed by this evil spirit that wants to use her body and take over Equestria. Diamond is rescued by Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. When that happened, Luna ordered me to start brushing up on nightmares. Would you like to know the symptoms of your affliction?" Dinky asked. Diamond huffed silently. Dinky continued unabated.

"It will return for you, one day. It's a powerful entity. It's strong enough to take over an Alicorn, so what hope do you think you have? It won't let you go. Even now it's slowly taking over. It's in your blood. In your head. In your soul. That's how you regenerate, you know? The curse fills in those missing pieces with the essence of itself. Every time you get hurt the curse gets stronger and stronger. In the long run, if it finds you again, it will be able to take over without any resistance. And if it can't do that, eventually, you'll just become one of them, and it won't matter anyway. So 'these' are a precaution," Dinky explained, gesturing towards the slave cuffs around Diamond's cannons. Diamond glared at them silently, then brought her gaze up towards Dinky. She had a smug little grin glued to her lips.

"Dinky. I am going to tell you this once: Release me," Diamond snarled. Dinky rolled her eyes.

"How about, instead, you punch yourself in the face for me," Dinky commanded, watching in delight as Diamond slowly raised a hoof and smashed it as hard as she could into her face.

"The cuffs keep you under my control and you'll remain as such until I deem fit otherwise. You'll do as I say until the mission is complete. From now on, you're my shield,"Dinky explained, adjusting her tiny glasses. While Diamond sat still, Dinky could tell she was struggling in vain against the magic of the cuffs. Try as she might though, Diamond was completely in Dinky's control, and with her star wrapped firmly around Dinky's neck, the girl wasn't going to be making any errant wishes anytime soon.

Dinky stood up and glanced at Blueblood, who had been standing only a few feet away, watching the exchange between this murder-child and a girl who just crawled back from the dead.

"I have 'it' under control. You are going to lead us to the castle where Luna is being held. If we can get to her, she can help us return to the surface, it's our only option right now," Dinky announced, turning towards Blueblood. He frowned in response and shook his head.

"Sooooo sorry, but I don't take orders from childr-"He paused, finding his voice seizing up in his throat. Dinky was glaring at him in such a way that every drop of moisture in his mouth had suddenly vanished. He swallowed dryly and dipped his head forward. "Err...Yes. T-This way." he squeaked quietly, gesturing down the part with a foreleg.

"Come, Diamond. You're to defend me no matter what. You know, with those cuffs on, I wonder if you'd be forced to follow instructions even in death....guess we'll find out," She chuckled dryly. Diamond glared the devil's glare at the other filly and found herself slowly lifting her legs and following quietly behind Dinky.

"You're only so smug because this thing is busted. If this thing was still working, the Servants would have heard every word in the Harmonix Collar," She growled. Blueblood's eyes immediately bulged. Harmonix collar?! He'd heard of them before!! They were all the rage in Canterlot right now! If the filly had one he could get help! He could go home!!! He turned, pouncing Diamond to the ground and groped at her neck for the shiny collar she was wearing.

"HELLO?! HELLO!? CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" He screamed into the girl's face, grasping his hooves around the collar and shaking it wildly. If he could just get a signal... The dead-not-dead-anymore filly squealed and flailed her little limbs at him.

"Leggo you moron! This thing's busted! If it worked they'd have come to get us by now!" Diamond explained, but Blueblood didn't listen, pinning the filly to the ground in a desperate plea for assistance. He ripped the collar from her throat, pulling it close to his face where he screamed into it as loudly as he could.

"HELLO?! HELLO?! SEND HELP! I NEED HELP!!" he yelped. Diamond had almost immediately leaped into the air to grasp her collar from the panicked prince.

"Give it back to me you mook! I told you it's busted! They can't hear us and we can't hear them stupid!!" Diamond snarled. Dinky gave an agitated sigh and rested a hoof on the bridge of her nose. It would be so easy to just leave Blueblood here. The Princess, however, would not look so fondly on such a strategic maneuver. If Dinky wanted the kind of favor she might receive from Luna that would send her back home from this nightmare, Blueblood would be a key component in that, and that meant keeping him alive. She peered thoughtfully at the idiot pegasus and the idiot unicorn before turning sharply on her hooves.

"Let's get this over with. Blueblood lead the way. Diamond, stick close and shield me. We're going to sneak into the castle, find Princess Luna, and sneak out. Now let's move. First- Diamond, punch yourself in the face," Dinky announced, turning to watch Diamond do as she was told. The cuffs around the pegasus' cannons glowed faintly with every one of Dinky's words and Diamond found herself helpless to Dinky's instructions. She lifted a hoof and drew it back, before she smacked it as hard as she could into her nose.

"That will never get old," she snorted, turning to follow Blueblood, who slowly took the lead and started down the path.

"This really isn't the best condition for this sort of thing. Why on earth do I have to be in front? Wouldn't it make more sense to put the dead girl ahead? Why does this sort of thing always happen to me? I'm royalty! This is the worst day ever! Why do I have to suffer when there are so many other ponies in the world who are worse than I am?! I don't deserve this kind of shabby treatment! Why kind of ponies does Celestia hire anyway?! Was this the best she could do?! Really? Do you have monthly reviews? Are you aware of how you're supposed to treat royalty?!" he growled, while Diamond trailed behind the two of them. Slowly, something dawned on her. Oh. She no longer had to deal with Dinky. Now she had to deal with Dinky, and Blueblood. The star had granted her wish twice now. She could cry. She really could.

She really, really could.

Author's Note:

so tired, unedited and commercial free. I, (like usual) will go back and fix mistakes in this as I find them. You'd be surprised how often I end up doing that. U_U

Comments

[Olden Bronie]

Dinky is just a horrible pony! Poor Diamond! I'm glad she's not dead. I hope she gets to give Dinky what she deserves!