“Take the carriage down at the farm,” Luna ordered. Her bat-winged royal guards lowered the chariot to the farm. Her personal escort of two guards made themselves comfortable as she went to the house.
Luna knocked, and waited. She knocked and waited longer. There were no ponies stirring in the farm house. Clearing her throat, she cast the small enchantment on her throat to generate the Royal Canterlot Voice. “Applejack! Thine Princess demands you answer thy door!”
After another minute of silence, she sighed. She was about to talk away and head to find Twilight when the door opened.
“Eh? You found a Jack doing incest with Azure mule thirty-four?” Granny Smith said.
Luna turned and nearly blew her eardrums out, before remembering to deactivate the Royal Canterlot Voice enchantment. “Granny, I am looking for Applejack. I had wished to send her to gather the others, while I speak to Twilight. Where is she?”
“Oh, Applejack! She said she’d be back in a day, had business with Twilight. I think it’s about Big Mac getting drafted. She said Apple Bloom is staying with Rarity and Sweetie until she sorts things out.”
Luna raised an eyebrow. “Did you say drafted? I have co-signed no royal decree for such a thing, tis not even a war in over a century!”
Granny smith frowned and tilted her head. “But Applejack wouldn’t lie to me. She’s the most honest pony I had the honor of raisin’. Twice as true as her old man, never thought such a thing possible.”
Luna sighed and rested a hoof on her shoulder. “I understand. She truly would have done anything to be true to herself and her friends. Even if it meant putting herself in a bad position to protect their reputation. I promise you: I will find her.”
Luna ushered Granny back indoors, watching her close the door. She walked over to her personal escort. “Store the chariot in their barn. Nightwing, you are to fly to Canterlot with all due haste. I expect a contingent of two dozen lunar guard here well before nightfall of this first day.”
“Lunar guard, not the royal guard?” Nightwing asked.
“Do not question my order, and do not fail me. You will speak of my order to nopony except my lunar guard. Do not even be seen arriving or leaving Canterlot. Am I perfectly clear?”
Nightwing saluted. “Yes, princess.” He turned and flung himself into the air like a missile, his powerful legs and wings carrying him at a speed to rival the Shadowbolts.
“Echo,” Luna addressed, causing him to snap to attention.
“Princess, permission to speak freely?” Echo asked.
Luna smiled at her most loyal bodyguard, charmed by his unfailing devotion to his military bearing. She trusted him with secrets not even Celestia was privy too. “Proceed.”
“If you’re sending for two dozen of your personal guard so secretly, what treason do you suspect that you do not trust your own sister?”
She smiled at his cunning. “I have felt a change in the elements, a remnant of when I once wielded them. One by one, the faint link began to feel wrong, until my link to honesty severed completely.”
Luna used her magic to create an invisible field around them, so nopony could eavesdrop. “Something is very wrong with the elements. Celestia feels it too, but she has been. . . broken since Cadance’s death. I must handle this alone, for I feel Applejack or one of the other elements is at the heart of something truly horrific.
“The second word reaches Celestia, or anypony in this town, our quarry will run to ground and hide. We must discover who is weakening the elements, and why, without tipping our hoof.
“Therefore, you shall guard me and will not leave my side for any reason while we are here. And you shall never broach this subject unless we are alone.
“I will not let the Nightmare rise again in another innocent pony.”
Morning came too early for Twilight, who wished to stay asleep and pretend yesterday was just a nightmare. Even when she drifted off to sleep, her limbs managed to stay firmly locked to her Big Mac plushy. Lyra had even leapt down from the nightstand to sleep next to her, stroking her chin to sooth her to sleep.
Twilight did not speak a word to either of them all night. She crawled into bed, barely clean of the blood. Neither doll asked whose it was, for neither truly wanted to admit it was, in fact, the blood of a dead pony.
Throughout the night Twilight replayed the events in her head over and over. She had calculated fourteen different scenarios in which she could have captured Applejack. There were an additional eight where she could have seen Silver coming, and directed her to the emergency syringe of barbiturates in Twilight’s saddlebag.
Silver had killed to protect her mentor. It had forged an unbreakable bound of trust between the two, of master and apprentice. Despite the fact Twilight would be in prison, or executed, had Silver not acted, she still blamed the filly.
It was Silver’s fault Applejack had to die. It was Twilight’s fault Silver was put in that situation. If she had just been more careful, planned the game a few more steps ahead, her plan would have worked flawlessly.
“I set out to save everypony,” she whimpered. At first, Lyra and Mac did not even turn to face her. They were sure that they were just hearing things.
“All I wanted, all I needed was the elements. They. . . were my best friends. I did all this for them, for every nice pony. Nopony in Ponyville would ever suffer the loss of a loved one again. Nopony. . .”
Both Lyra and Big Mac were giving Twilight their undivided attention at this point. Neither one spoke to risk interrupting her confession.
“I failed. I’ve ruined everything. I wasn’t smart enough, I formulated a plan based on a logical fallacy. Now she is dead. . . she is dead like Cadance and Shining. I can never bring her back.”
Twilight had not moved a muscle save her mouth this whole time. Her tone was as flat as sheet metal, unwavering, emotionless. She had gone emotionally numb, filling neither the comfort of Big Mac pressing against her chest nor the sorrow of his sister lying in a puddle of congealed blood downstairs.
“Now I can never save everypony. I’ve failed. The worst part is, I’m stuck with that decision now. Maybe in a few hundred years I’d have found true immortality, mastered the alicorn spell and re-assembled it to grant eternal youth. I could have reversed the doll spell, given enough time, and made you truly immune to death.”
The two dolls exchanged a curious glance at her admission that true immortality might in fact be achievable for a non-alicorn. Not only that, she might be able to undo what she had wrought.
“But now, if Celestia finds out the punishment will unquestionably be death by lethal injection. I can’t even reverse the doll spell yet, so law dictates she consider my transformation and binding spell on the dolls to be twenty-eight counts of first degree murder.”
Twilight finally moved, using one limb to cradle Big Mac against her bosom.
“I thought, in the worst case she’ll understand. They’re not really dead. The laws of alchemy prove I haven’t really killed you, just changed your state of existence. However, now that Applejack is dead, she’ll have me put down like a rabid dog.”
Big Mac opened his mouth in shock, unable to verbalize the horror of his realization. Applejack is dead.
“Please, I’m so sorry. . . I lied to you Big Mac. I had to save Apple Bloom and Applejack from death but. . . I failed her. I failed you. Please, forgive me. . . I’m so scared, Big Mac. I don’t want to die. Please. . . I don’t want anypony to die.”
Lyra looked at Big Mac, who was still moving his lips like a fish out of water.
Everything clicked together for the stallion in that one moment. She took him first to spin the web. Apple Bloom, the sweet honey to lure in the prey. Applejack, the fly in her web.
The bruises around her face, ribs, and horn were the only sign left of the violent struggle. The faint signs of blood as she climbed into bed, not quite washed off completely. Her uncontrollable trembling and crying throughout the entire night, clinging to Mac like a life preserver in the middle of the Pacificolt Ocean.
“Ah trusted you, loved you. . .” was all Big Mac could manage.
“I know. I don’t expect you to ever forgive me. I will never forgive Silver for killing Applejack, but she made the right choice. Applejack had to die so the rest of us could live. Only I could ever hope to bring us all immortality and happiness. Without me. . . you’d all become lifeless husks, children’s toys in the truest sense of the word.
“You need me as much as I need you. . . You two are the only two I can relate to anymore. I broke all my other friends. They hated me before, and now every single one of them wants me dead. Even Celestia, my mentor, would smile in glee to murder me.”
“Twilight,” Lyra cooed, stroking her chin. “I love you.”
Twilight smiled, and her eyes drifted to Big Mac who looked lost in thought.
“Ah. . . ah want you to end it. Ah can never love you again, Twilight,” Mac said.
For the first time the emotionally numb alicorn’s voice wavered as she spoke.
“I. . . please, I always had a c-crush on y-you. Getting to c-cuddle with my very own s-special s-some p-pony. . . being loved. . . I can’t go back to b-being alone. It’s like we’re a happy couple. I think. . . I need you the most of all.”
“And ya can have your silly plushy. Ah just want ya to scrap my mind outta this gilded cage ya put it in. Let me die, Twilight. Let me see my Sis again. Or, are ya breakin’ that promise too? Did ya lie when you promised to grant me this request when the time came?”
Twilight curled up in a tight ball until Lyra and Mac rested in the nook between her neck, legs, and belly. Even her tail and mane were pulled into the tight sobbing mass. From a reservoir she didn’t know remained, fresh tears began to flow.
The sun had not yet risen in those early morning hours. The last two words she uttered before finally crying herself into blissful sleep were “I can’t.”
Twilight was awoken as the first rays of Celestia’s sun fell upon her. She had only gotten a few short hours of sleep, yet she felt oddly refreshed. Her admission to her friends had eased her mood.
Big Mac, however, had not been as forgiving. Twilight felt the emptiness inside herself, and the emptiness beside her bosom. Her favorite plushy had removed himself from her grip while she slept.
The stallion now sat perfectly motionless on the windowsill. He stared out over the horizon, bathed in the warmth of the beautiful gift Celestia nurtured and protected each day. The gift of life, warmth, and safety; the promise from their ruler to watch over them, to protect them from the shadows, and those that would harm her little ponies.
She cursed herself for admitting to killing his sister and then leaving herself vulnerable. The fact he had not tried something in anger only deepened her trust for him. It was the proof she desperately wanted that someway, somehow, Big Mac still loved her
Lyra brushed along her flank and walked over to look at Big Mac. Twilight felt the emptiness inside her shrink ever so slightly. While no doll yet had removed the void, at least they had begun to heal it.
“May I?” Lyra asked, never taking her gaze from the sun.
Twilight levitated her onto the windowsill, and she sat down beside Big Mac, mimicking his posture, and staring out the window at what was the most majestic sunrise they had witnessed since joining the Dollhouse.
A part of Twilight filled with joy, masking the pain. To see the two dolls on the windowsill happy, and not just ‘okay’ or ‘all right’ let her know that today was going to be a perfect, joyous day. Perhaps the first morning she could count as a gift from Celestia in a long time.
Her mind turned to the body downstairs. She left her friends to watch the sun rise high into the sky. She closed the door to her room behind her, and went downstairs.
Twilight began cleaning up after Applejack’s murder. The shutters and doors on the first floor were all still tightly shut. She used her magic as sparingly as possible, not wanting to aggrevate the swelling and damage Twilight received in the fight.
Before long the crime scene had been scrubbed clean. The body had been shrunken into a lifeless mannequin, a part of her dollhouse only in spirit. She would bury it in the replica cemetery in New Ponyville. Applejack would rest in the replica coffin under six inches of loose dirt. To her left would rest Bon Bon; to their right already sat tombstones and empty caskets in honor of Shining and Cadance.
Twilight went to her room to put the Applejack toy in her dresser. Lyra and Mac still hadn’t moved so she let them be.
Returning to Spike’s old room, she checked on Silver. The filly was just being roused from sleep. When she cracked an eye open and saw Twilight, she began to wake up much quicker.
“Twi?” she said.
Twilight smiled, remembering how Spike used to call her that. “I’m here.”
“Are. . . we going to be okay?” Silver asked.
“Yes, Silver. Everything is going to be fine.”
A knock sounded from the door downstairs.
“Wait here, Silver, I need to see to our guest.”
Twilight walked down to the front door, already sensing the powerful aura of the alicorn on the other side. She opened the door in an inviting sweep with her foreleg. “Luna! So great to see you, I’ve been most worried lately. Would you care for some tea?”
“I would be delighted.” Luna let herself in, as did the guard behind her. Twilight took a quick peek outside behind them, before closing the door. “You say you are worried?”
Twilight smiled and headed for the kitchen, talking loudly so she could hear her. “Oh yes, ponies have been disappearing and I can’t figure out why. I’m. . . scared Luna, that I’ll fail as a princess.”
“We shall solve it, for you are no longer alone. A most strange thing has happened and we need your help to find who is responsible,” Luna stated.
A grin, not visible to her guests, crossed Twilight’s face. Luna had only come with one guard. It took two to pull a chariot, not to mention a royal princess was required to have a pair of body guards.
The second guard was not outside, guarding the Library. That meant Luna had sent him with word back to Canterlot. The chariot was not parked outside. Twilight deduced that the princess had already caught on.
The fact she sent her bodyguards and not a letter via the magic the alicorns, and Spike, used to communicate meant she didn’t even trust Celestia.
Twilight almost started laughing audibly as she reached for a bag of hemlock.
“I visited the Apple family. Has Applejack been acting strange? She lied to Granny Smith about Big Mac being drafted, she sent Apple Bloom off to stay with Rarity. We found it odd, so we visited Carousel Boutique. Neither Apple Bloom, nor Rarity, nor Sweetie Belle were there.”
She retracted her hoof from the bag of hemlock and smirked. Was Luna really that stupid? Applejack living a life of crime and deceit?
“Luna, she did seem a bit odd the last we met. I’ve been trying to figure out why,” Twilight explained.
“I think I can show you why. Please, bring me your chest with the elements of harmony.”
After setting the tea down, Luna began to sip daintily from her cup. There was one thing bothering Twilight, grating on her nerves: her bodyguard.
Ever since the bodyguard had entered the house, his eyes had not left Twilight for a second. If half the rumors were true, the bat pegasi could hear a pin drop a mile away, and use their echo location to know the exact position of every solid object within fifty meters.
If the other half of the rumors were true, they were omnivores like the Griffins, and could disable a unicorn’s magic by emitting a special frequency.
Twilight hoped the other half of the rumors were not true.
The chest with the elements landed on the table with a dull thud. Luna lifted the lid, revealing to Twilight the elements of harmony.
The red lightning bolt and dark purple diamond were glowing weakly, occasionally pulsing to their normal brightness, before trying to hide within themselves. The blue balloon glowed more vibrantly than any other there, almost with an urgency or concern. The purple star had taken a milky black hue, with the faintest of green flickering through it. The pink butterfly had a steady, timid glow.
The orange apple, the element of honesty, was blacker than the darkest night. The inert element sat in the box, without a single trace of magic left in it.
“It is exactly as I feared,” Luna explained. “The elements are being corrupted, and it began with Applejack.”
Twilight caught a laugh in her throat, barely keeping Luna from noticing. The bodyguard raised an eyebrow, as if he heard her muffle that laugh before it risked passing her lips.
“The elements are interconnected. These trinkets are as much the source of their power as the actual quality of friendship within you. Were you to forget about the magic of friendship, your element would become inert. Were Dash to lose her loyalty, it’d be reflected here,” Luna explained.
“If Applejack were to forget honesty, to live a dishonest life, her element would leave her and this trinket would become inert.” Luna frowned. “Either, Applejack is involved in what is happening in Ponyville, or she is already dead.”
Twilight is beyond the last exit ramp. She is on the highway to tartarus and there is no turning back.
Is it bad that I want Twilight to succeed? I mean, knowing your writing style for tragedies, the end will want me to commit suicide (or make another comic). Cannot wait for the next one!
Looking at the title, it's obvious Luna will be turned into a doll.
Alright, go ahead, call me captain obvious.
No seriously, you're getting pretty good with the suspense. I acually think there is still hope for Twilight to be redeemed. I'm not the «Downer ending» kind of guy, you know?
Lets see, Twilight kidnapped her friends, allowed the cutie mark crusaders to be tortured, tortured and killed ponies herself killed Diamond Tiara who was only a filly and her father, got Apple Jack killed, corrupted Silver Spoon, broke her promise to Big Mac I could go on and on. I don't think she's redeemable at this point.
i hope everything turns out ok maybe twilight mental hospital or something
Why do I enjoy this so much?
I tip my hat to you.
Now bring me the next chapter with great haste!
I think it's a little bit of both. Twilight's path to Tartarus is pretty set, though there's a slim chance that she can be saved. You just have to remember that she's sick. If Celestia and her friends had handled this better, this would never have happened. That being said, Twilight is still responsible for at least... three murders (Bonbon, Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara) and at least one suicide ( the brown unnamed pony). Yes, she's sick but she'll still have to pay for them, not to mention the vast amount of damage she has inflicted on her New Ponyvillians.
All in all, I think it could go both ways.
Still the best story I've read in a long, long time! I'm always excited to read every new chapter! but if i could make a suggestion, you got some colors wrong on the Elements of Harmony.
"The red lightning bolt and blue diamond were glowing weakly, occasionally pulsing to their normal brightness, before trying to hide within themselves. The pink balloon glowed more vibrant than any other there, almost with an urgency or concern. The purple star had taken a milky black hue, with the faintest of green flickering through it. The pink butterfly had a steady, timid glow."
The diamond for Rarity's Element is a dark purple, and Pinkie PIe's Element is a bright blue. otherwise you got everything else correct Sorry, I can be nit-picky sometimes But! all in all, I can't wait to read more!
2551427
Thanks, I thought "Hmm these colors don't seem right.... but I'm too lazy to hunt down a picture." What followed was wild guessing. It's fixed now.
2551179
Twilight set Silver on the path to the death of another pony, in a way, making Twilight accessory to a fourth murder.
She is definitely both guilty of murders, and suffering a deteriorating mental disease. The fun part is, will her friends figure it out in time to help her? Or will she end up being put down like the Animal She Has Become?
2550801
Blasphemy. One does not simply "like" TSLoR too much. However, in this instance Twilight's constant fear of dissappointing Celestia, leading to a disproportionate punishment (banished, prison, prison where banished) leads her to believe the penalty can only be death. And lethal injection is the only 'humane' way to execute a pony. And Celestia is humane.
Dose plays a large part, and I do imagine alicorns to be resistant to poisons. So, if Luna takes a similiarly small dose it'll have similiar effects. If the dose is too weak, or so strong Luna instantly recognizes and counters it, then it'd fail. Thus, the constant testing on ponies.
However, I have something better in mind than merely poisoning Luna.
She won't die of lethal injection.
His story is more hipster to reference than constant "Cupcakes/Rainbow Factory/SAM/Cheerilee's Garden" which have been done to death, and are too easy. I will, hopefully with more tact and subtelty, reference it in the future. I will reference "pages of Haromny" next, that was a good fic. . .
if a = b and b = c. . .
You'll like the ending.
2549217
You could say she is on a
*puts on sunglasses*
2549239
This ending is tragic, but also unique. It's not going to be an obvious "everyone dies" or "Twilight is executed", that'd be robbing the readers of a fulfilling and unique ending.
Still. . . I believe you are right. The ending will result in both tragic despair and misplaced attempts to cling to false hope. Oh, I guess that's exactly like Puppet.
2549283
The chapter titles are great, aren't they? The most powerful tool I have is to make you think you know what will happen next. That way, you don't see any twists coming and end up feeling the same shock and emotion as the protagonist. It's so awesome.
2549410>>2549584
Redemption is the next theme to be explored. How far is too far? Would Celestia even deem her worthy of redemption? If she pulled a complete 180 in the bottom of the ninth and went, crawling on her knees, to grovel for forgiveness, should it be granted?
It's my favorite part of this story, the balance on the edge of a personality disorder, her needs and desires balanced by moments of clarity... The readers, finding small justifications or condemnations to justify the ending they predict happening.
This certainly is best fic.
2550138
Only if I get a monocle too.
2551679 Almost forgot about Applejack, though I think you can technically rule it as self-defense
Also, I don't think she should be put down either. She's sick and needs help. You know, the kind that requires padded walls and straight jackets. Maybe she can share a room with Screwloose, though Twilight might end up turning her into a chewtoy
2551818
But I like TSLoR too much too... so the someone could be either of us. I was just trying to disguise the fact that I reference TSLoR once per chapter, and not always with subtelty.
This really is one of the best Psycho Mane 6 stories I've seen.
By the way. I've seen notable Psycho fics for just about every character, but I've never found a good one for Applejack. Have you ever found any good ones?
In theory, Twilight is not beyond redemption. In practice, one would have to perform invasive psychic surgery in order to get her head on straight before employing more conventional grief counseling. Filly be nuts.
Very enjoyable. Keeping my fingers crossed for Twilight's salvation personally. I think there's now 4 more chapters...I could check but I don't like the risk of seeing anything.
Good job.
2557628
prob. five since 11 was slated to be too big
I might also split ten since it grew into a massive chapter, just to make reading easier.
This is going to end very badly for all involved including Twilight.
On a side note, how FUCKING stupid is Twilight for sleeping in the same room with the Pony who's sister was just murdered by HER!
He's going to become even more BAT SHIT CRAZY than her! The difference is that he has someone that he can legitimately focus all of his hate and rage on! He'll never stop until one of you is dead!
Burn him!
BURN HIM!
BURN HIM BEFORE HE EXACTS HIS JUSTIFIED REVENGE!
HE WILL DESTROY YOU!
On a more serious note. I don't hate Twilight. I pity her for her actions and her sadness, but I don't think I can forgive her for what she did either. The moment she killed filthy and Diamond her fate was sealed. whether they were mean or not, she not only murdered an old man and a child, she made them an example to the others, and then Bon Bon. She chose the cowards way out. She couldn't even honor the last wishes of those who actually complied with her vile plan willingly. Instead on excepting life and it's rules, she chose to escape from the real world and it's problems by trying to create her own world, and then force others to live in it. I pity her because she believes that she can control everything, but all she has done is proved that she can't control anything. She chose to live in the past and that is why she can't let go and move on. That is why her dreams and conscience are haunted by Shining and Cadence's death. Shining and Cadence don't blame her for their deaths, but they would turn in their graves with disappointment and sadness if they could see how she has ruined her life and others because of them. Even more so, they would have wanted her to let go and move on. Which means she can't even honor their memories. Such an existence is unthinkable. Being forced to see without eyes, breathing without lungs, feeling without skin, speaking and tasting without mouths or tongues. Being forced to live without the quality of life is just existing aimlessly without purpose. What's she's done is create an existence worse than Hell itself. at least in hell they are still themselves, not just a jar with a soul forcefully crammed inside. Since I'm guessing that Twilight probably won't live through the end of this. I have only one request if she dies. Please. PLEASE let her find peace, and try to fix the damage she's caused before she dies, please let her die painlessly with a clear conscience. I don't wish vengeance on her no matter how much my blood boils at the thought of what she's done, especially to Applejack. I'm more saddened that she was to weak willed to move on with her life. I pray for a painless end and I pray that God and her piers have mercy on her.
I just finished reading through and this is one of the more gripping stories I've had the pleasure to read. It's not perfect but damn is it an intense read. Well done, I await more with gusto.
2576860
I eagerly await finishing the story, though I'm definitely going to cry. This is the best multi-chapter story I've written. All the pieces are coming together and if I'm lucky, by Chapter 16 I'll have a gripping epilogue to post.
Now i'm going to go cry because I don't want to stop making dolls.
NOOOO!! ANYPONY BUT LUNA!!!!!
*Pulls Out Soul Cube From DOOM 3*
I'll kill Twilight if it comes to it...
>Thine Princess demands you answer thy door!
"thine" comes before vowels, and "thy" before consonants
I guess I'll find out if I keep reading, but I'm calling "Element of Magic goes inert because of Twilight forgetting the magic of friendship, ruining her plans" right now.
This fanfic is making me hate Twilight. She just needed to grow up, and leave the natural order of the universe be.
Yo kaidan, I was wondering about this fic. Who did you want the reader to take sides with when you wrote it, because I see allot of comments about twilight being the one in the wrong (not that I have read that many comments), and I feel like im the only one on her side. Or perhaps you wrote it to let the reader choose their own side by leaving it a mutual balance between both twilight and the residents of new ponyville? Either way I find this story brilliant! You are an amazing writer and after I finish this I will venture straight on through to the sequel.
Go twilight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The plot thickens
2955501 (Sorry for the late reply but im just reading this fic now) I disagree with this particular view of Twilight. It is less about her not "growing up" but more about the fact that she is deeply disturbed. Something about her brother and Cadence's deaths set her off and sent her on this rampage. She has become a psychopath and no act of growing up can change that.
*KA-SHINK!*
I am thou… and thou art I…
Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Death Arcana…
But srsly, great story. I started reading this morning, and I'm already past halfway done.
3007136 You Know she Is the villain in this story
2549584 Yes I agree with you on the mental hospital option
2562322 Whoa man going mad with power there
Luna's there now... Twilight burning time...
5890796 Or maybe they can take this alternate Twilight and just... you know, kill da b*tch.
Perhaps she'll find redemtion in the next life with Shining, Cadence, and Applejack.
Ah, Luna. You simply know too much.
Oh yes, I remembered this chapter faintly. Geez...
Poor Big Mac. Luna smells a rat ,hmm? Luna is cleverest princess.
Luna smart!
7176895
Luna the cleverest, best , and drink lots of coffee. Who wouldn't want her?❓