Forging Friendship

by flame phoenix

The Hiding Place

"You're a tough one aren't you? What about another dose of pain?" A scream of agony filled the dimly lit chamber.
"Please, have mercy, I trusted you, I helped you-" Another scream echoed across the chamber. "I loved you as a sister!" The Princess of the sun sobbed.
"Celestia, if you really loved me, would've I killed Lilly?" The Crimson Mare idly looked at her hoof. "Now really, I'll have to try Luna if this is the result I get!"
"NO! Not Luna, please, have mercy, have mercy!" Celestia screamed as another shock of electrocuted magic charged through her body.

Celestia was no longer her previous version of grace, royalty and honour; the Princess was reduced to a shivering wreck: her once flowing mane was now tangled and paled, her before graceful and impressive figure now horribly thin and weak; she crouched before a black marble throne, for once in her life looking downright fearful and afraid.
"Now, I ask you one more time: Why are you still alive, who are the Elements of Harmony and HOW can I find them?!" She shouted the last two words.

"Won't tell, gave my word, Twilight, Luna, Lilly..." Celestia murmured to herself.
"I said ANSWER ME!" Yelled the Mare, her slitted pupils widening with rage;
"Kill me then! Like I give a buck! Kill me, if you are so great and not afraid of any thing! Because I don't care! This is what I think of YOU!" Celestia spat at the Mare's feet, her eyebrows contracting in hate. "Feixing loved you like a daughter! He took you in and raised you, when no pony else could! He loved you so much, and look what you give him in return! What do you think he would say now, when you destroyed so many innocent lives? Luna and Lilly loved you, and so did I! What do you think Lilly would say if she was here?
When you were fatally ill, who took tare of you when no hospital would? We did! Lilly made you a life saving medicine, Feixing was always there for you! Luna raised the stars early so you could see them for the last time in case you didn't make it! I gave you a gift of a hug and a warm place to stay! And how did you repay us?"

"ENOUGH!" Screamed the Mare; "ENOUGH!"
"Oh, so the Mare of Crimson hates her past? I thought she wasn't afraid of anything! My turn to ask questions: why did you kill Lilly, huh? What did she ever do to you?!" Shouted Celestia, sweat trickling down her back;

"STOP!!!" Screeched the Mare sending another bolt of magic into Celestia; Celestia whimpered as she was silenced. Her only hope was to scare the Mare into submission. Her plan failed.

Regaining her chilled, delighted self, she talked; "Celestia Light-Iris; your last words?"
"Oh yes! Just wanted to tell you that while you tortured me I had enough power to produce one last spell: the spell of spirit channelling."
"WHAT?! But I put spells that prevent you from doing magic all over the place! How-"
A pink light shone from Celestia's horn; "You actually fell for that one? You're exactly the same as you were one billion years ago. When an Alicorn or Unicorn loses concentration, the spells that they cast are weakened."

A pearly white transparent Unicorn slowly glides through the chamber, marvelling at her hooves and body; realisation hits the Mare. She now knew her big mistake: believing Celestia.

"Twilight Sparkle. Go back where you came from." The Mare looks at the Unicorn in fear; she was just like she was in life, except that she had no injuries and was clean. And was also a spirit.

"No." Twilight's word echoed across the chamber in a frightening way; "I will stay here until I see you take your own medicine. Water-lilly will love to see you sometime soon."

The Mare paled; "L-lilly?" she choked; "You've seen Lilly?"
"Of course I have; along with all the other poor souls whose life you took. I know you strengths and your weaknesses, Hope Flight-Feather; fear me like you would the Stead-Reaper."
"S-stead-Reaper?" Squealed the Mare in horror. "He doesn't exist!"
"Trust me, Flight-Feather; Feixing and him are good friends, as I trust you know."

Twilight grinned evilly; "I believe I have some friends to help." With that she vanished.
"Celestia. You. Will. Pay!" The Mare said through clenched teeth; Celestia just smiled weakly. The spell had sapped most of her remaining strength.

A last piercing scream could be heard.
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The servant hurried down the vast stone corridor, shivering at the cold; the walls were draped in silk posters of the Crimson Mare's symbol: a skull in the midst of a dark blue vortex.
The servant hated his job, but he had to do it if he wanted his wife and children to be alive; he gingerly opened to the chilling dungeon door.
The sight was horrifying: fillies and colts were all over the place, clutching photos, toys or blankets; Most of them didn't even have a cutie mark.

The servants hoof shook as he pointed at five foals; "C-come here, please." He managed to say. The first to obey was a cream filly with a brown mane, holding a filthy teddy as if it was her life source; tears welled in the servants eyes when he saw that she didn't have a cutie mark. "Sir, where are my mummy and daddy?" she asked, her crystal blue eyes looking upon the brown stallion.

"I-I don't know. I really don't." The servant gave the frightened filly a sad look; "I really don't."
Lighting his horn the stallion led the foals into a foul chamber with stone grey walls and a throne of black marble set in the centre.

"Servant." acknowledged the Mare of Crimson.
"Master."
"Bring the- ah- life-taker." The young foals faces paled when the servant brought fourth a metal contraption; the stallion set a metal hoop around the Mare's horn, adjusting it so it fell snugly onto place. The servant moved aside, and the Mare's horn began to glow dark blue; she closed her eyes an the runes carved into the metal hoop started to give off a red hue.

A minute passed before the servant heard the tell-tale sign of the Mare's satisfaction: the clatter of the foal's bones.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Authors note: Good lord, sorry for the ridiculous wait between this chapter and the last. And also sorry about the grim-dark sort of ending of this chapter. (No foals were hurt in the making of this chapter, I assure you.)

Comments

[Lucefudu]

This needs some editing. I don't want to sound like an ass.
Come on, flame. From this story to its previous, the quality has been dropping. What's going on?

[Ponaygurl]

I'm lost here. What exactly is happening?

[flame phoenix]

I don't have an editor, which is probably why the quality's dropping... I didn't have one in the first book either. Looks like I need to find one.
I need to rewrite this. BIG TIME.
If u any pony wants to help, send me a private message.

[CluelessDetective]

131959 I'm with you. The first chapter made some sense at the beginning, but now it makes no sense! Will it make more sense later on or was it intended to be as confusing as Neon Genesis Evangelion?

[Lucefudu]

132090 As I stated in your blog. I'd love to help but I've got a shitload at my hands ATM.
Still, here's a hint. Go back and revise the two chapters before adding new ones.

[flame phoenix]

Yeah... that's the thing, ya see. The second chapter is a total piece of CRAP/SHIT/BUCK, etc, etc, etc.
I am STILL looking for an editor and I am seriously considering to put this on "Hiatus".
Again, if you would like to help please send me a private message.

[flame phoenix]

I've done it again. I've made another freakin' fan fic.
why oh why do I have to write something that makes no sense at all?

[future pegasister]

COMMENTERS AND VIEWERS, LISTEN UP.
I'VE FORGOTTEN THE PASSWORD FOR THIS ACCOUNT, AND I'LL BE POSTING UP A RE-WRITTEN VERSION OF THIS FIC AND IT'S PRE-QUEL.
THIS I MY NEW ACCOUNT THAT I SHALL NOW USE. SORRY FOR THE CONSCIENCE CAUSED.