> Conflagration
>  by GearMane
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter I : Arid
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter I : Arid



The series had ended but just a scant few weeks ago, yet it felt as an eternity already. Season five had already been confirmed in the first month of the year, sending echoes of joy throughout the fandom. It was just surviving the drought of ponies through the summer. Sure there were the fan works of fiction, the myriad of art and music in addition to the ultra rare presentation of fan animated original episodes. They were all good to help stem withdrawal, but nothing cured it like official weekly episodes.

Yes, My Little Pony. A world wide phenomenon of cotton candy horses that had mesmerized the public with it's solid writing, life-like relate able characters and truly honest lessons one could learn and grow from at the end of each episode. It was something amazing that anyone could relate to if they merely stopped to find the time and absorb it's message.

Work had been done and over for an hour now and the grueling traffic seemed to get worse everyday, the heat and humidity were no help either. Shoes off at the door, keys on the counter and cell phone on the charger. This was the daily routine that you had kept for several years now, as it made finding each of the pieces easier than bumbling through old pants and crawling under the bed to find them. 

The apartment in which you reside is nothing special. Just a ten story building of bricks and glass, each unit made with decent space, faux wood floors and grey carpeting with bland beige walls and ceiling. Everything seemed average, furniture that was well worn but still visually pleasing, second hand appliances, just the minimum to live and devote any extra cash for savings or pony related merchandise.

You glance at the clock though you know it is roughly half past six, it was a habit to keep you on time, just a few more hours of the summer sun before Celestia puts it to rest for the night. Well, it wasn't her sun here, but relating everything on earth to that of Equestria made things much easier during the day. The relation of such made it much easier to see the good in the people around you and yourself, always chanting mentally 'What Would Ponies Do?' if things felt frustrating, angering or confusing. If you couldn't go to Equestria, you could at least bring Equestria here. 

Dinner was another part of a ritual. Cook food for the week on Sunday so that there would be as much time as possible during the week for everything pony. Microwave the portioned out meal, consume and clean the dishes then pour a glass of tea as you retreat to the living room where your computer sits.

The entertainment center was odd, but modern. A large high definition television sat on a sturdy oak stand that was meant for the older cathode-ray tube tv's. Under the door-less bottom deck was a slick back desktop tower with cables leading to the TV, the usual tangled mess of peripherals had been solved with wireless devices.

As the TV is turned on and the computer is awoken from it's sleep mode you are met with the smiling main cast of My Little Pony, bringing a smile to your face as well. It was amazing that such a simple thing could brighten up anyone's day, if only for a few minutes.

You begin to go on the usual sites, absorbing the news, checking the links for featured daily music and art. It is the usual fan fair of amazing art and decent musical pieces, but nothing strikes a deep chord of enjoyment. It wouldn't be a day if you couldn't at least one piece to take with you to sleep. Perhaps the fan-fiction would offer something.

With a dis-content frown you again find mediocre to decent works, but nothing that jumps out at you. It is a possibility that the season four finale had set your hopes high, as there was not a fan on earth that could dispute it's badassitude. A thought enters your mind, perhaps there is a decent human goes to Equestria story. A small laugh passes your lips, those stories are always junk, save for a decent few. 

Self insertion stories are a mindset of the ultimate fantasy. Who in their right mind wouldn't drop everything and permanently move into Equestria?, from a fan perspective in the least. The show made Equestria seem like a veritable garden of Eden, ponies everywhere, and with what you know from Earth, it could set you up for a very comfortable life there. Meeting the mane six and associated background ponies that had captured the hearts of fans. To make them your friends, real friends.

Most of the ones you view are not worth your time, new stories or updates to a long running series. There are good ones out there, but it seems they have escaped your voracious need for all things fluffy and pony. Perhaps this was good, as there was work in the morning and if there was a story that managed to captivate your mind, there would be no sleep for a day or two.

You thumb the side of your phone to check the time. Celestia had long since sent the sun to bed and Luna had brought her moon to bear. It was always a sad thing to say, but there had been enough ponies for the night and it was time to sleep. 

It was sad to say, but the interior of your room was the only 'shrine' to the ponies in your apartment. Blind bag loot, custom mane six plushies, posters, bedding and original art pieces. There was nary a blank piece of wall that wasn't adorned with the Hasbro pleasing haul of merchandise. Soon you would have to start placing your ponies around the house, as room in short supply here. 

Sitting on the flamboyant bed sheets was a nearly two foot tall Twilight plush. You pluck her from the laying position on the pillow and give her a hug.

"Sorry Twilight, it's Rarity's turn tonight."

You place the soft furred mare back on top the dresser, in line with her five counterparts and remove the marshmallow pony, Rarity.

"Rarity!" you exclaim, though in a bit of a hushed tone. Talking to yourself was one thing, but talking to stuffed pony toys was another. It wasn't from any bout of delusions or insanity, but just once again trying to bring what you love from the show to life here.

You shed your clothes, save for underwear and the tight fitting white shirt then climb between the sheets and clutch Rarity against your chest. Sleep quickly finds you.





Most nights what dreams happen dissolve instantly upon awakening, losing them forever. However in this night's dream scape you are treated with the rare blessing of a vivid, if not true to life dream.

As soon as your weighted eyelids collapse in sleep you are met with a thick fog. It swirls around your body, drawing the smallest amount of heat from your unclothed skin, it was cool, but not cold. 

From an untold distance a tiny light appeared, seeming to cut through the haze. It floated through the haze, bobbing and weaving in a random pattern, but drawing closer. The light seemed to be searching, and once it arrived within arm's length from your body it stopped.

"Hello." the blue hued ball of light chirped, it's luminance increasing as sound came from it.

"Hello...?" you reply back inquisitively, confused as to what is happening. In dreams the scenarios tended to play themselves out, without any input on your part, as the ones you can remember were presented as a theme park ride or a movie where you held no control over what was brought forth.

"Oh, thank the stars!" the ball responded. "I'm here to make you a proposition. You see, I am from a world called Equestria-"  Oh, another one of these dreams. Time and time again this same scenario had played itself out, being invited to take charge as a new pony in the world, meet all the characters, save Equestria for some odd reason. Do some pony pounding between the sheets. "-and I would like to make a once in a lifetime offer, to you."

The voice was distorted and unclear as to what gender it was, but it rode a tone of desperation and haste. Usually they were calm, ripe with a sexual undertone luring fans in with their siren's call. The promise of some sleepless nights ahead. This voice seemed out of breath, exhausted.

"I know how these dreams end," you reply back, "I get a decent talking to about what to expect and then I wake up disappointed." You are in no mood for any games or cock teasing of any variety tonight. But if this was going to be the dream for tonight, might as well take what you could get.

"I can quite assure you that this is not a dream. Should it be a dream, what would it hurt if you agreed?" the ball hummed out.

It had a point. If by agreeing you could get some sort of a decent dream from the usual talk, it could at least push forward from the fog hanging in the air to a more friendly area. If by the small margin this was some pony reaching out from Equestria offering a way in, lots would be gained. Perhaps if this was true, you could persuade the entity to pass something through as proof.

"What would I be agreeing to? And it would ease my mind if I could have some proof, a bit coin or something distinctly pony."

"You would be agreeing to a swap. I would change places with you, and you with me, a more than equitable trade on your part, as you would be inheriting the role of one of the Arcane Mages, rivaled only by The Princesses themselves!" the light boasted, the fast firm tone instilling a sense of authority in you.

"And proof that this is not a dream?" you remind the ball of the second part.

"I can send through a flyer from Canterlot and a single bit, should you require them for proof this is not a facade."

That sounded more than reasonable. After all, asking to meet face to face may have been impossible, as there are no cannon laws as to how this entire thing happens, just speculation and fantasy.

"That... sounds good. Is there anything you need from me for this trade?"

"I would ask that you wake immediately and transcribe a summary of who you are, who I will be trading with. Written or recorded form, something that would be easy to digest once I arrive. I have done the same as I have asked of you, to help transition." the light slowly swirled around your frame, sizing you up.  

"I get to become a unicorn pony, and you become regular old me." The thought was very intriguing, but your enthusiasm is held under wraps by the fact that you are fast asleep. There was nothing to lose but a moment of sadness if you awake to find this was just your dream, but alot would be gained if this was a real situation.

"Yes, what is your answer?" the orb pulsed impatiently.

"I say yes." you reply.

"Then do as I have asked. I will contact you again shortly." the orb grows dull, then shoots out a wave of light that hits your chest, pushing you backwards far from the light. You can only hear wind whipping past your ears as you go sailing backwards into the fog.





With a sudden jolt you spring up into a sitting position, throwing the covers and Rarity from their place on your chest. Yep, it always ends before the good part arrives. You slip from what covers are left on your body and place the Rarity plush on the corner of your bed and mumble an apology to her. Disappointment and a dry throat haunt you in the darkness, one can be rectified at least.

The refrigerator still has half a gallon of iced tea left. As your arm stretches towards a large cup in the cupboard a heavy thud hits the bargain-bin faux-wood floor of the kitchen between your feet. You pause a second, fearful to move in case it was something containing liquid, or a glass.

It didn't shatter, it was a thud, as if someone had dropped a rock. In the dim light of the kitchen you catch a glint of a coin, probably a quarter that got loose when you took your clothes off and stuck to your skin in bed. The coin was heavy, heavier than any coinage that you are familiar with. As you heft it's weight in the shadows, lighting the area would help better identify the origin. 

The light to the kitchen gets flipped on and you look closer at the coin. Your heart skips once you lock eyes with the all to familiar marks.  On one face of the gold coin it had a cartoonish horse shoe cast into it, the opposing side had the seal of the Royal Sisters. Around it's edge were words, probably in some form of ancient pony you can't understand. 'For Sun and Moon, for friendship and peace, to all ponies.' are the words that leap to mind, though it probably said something else. 

It was odd, the voice said it was sending a bit, and in your hand that is what you are holding. It had to be real, as you cannot recall ever buying a mock copy of a bit, and the bronze stamped reproductions were not as heavy as this, it was real gold.

The coin in itself was enough to send your heart into a pulsing race. In a partial thought that it was still a dream, you give yourself a stern slap, but you do not wake up. This was real alright, or some bit of insanity that had crept inside. 

'Where was the flyer?' you ask yourself. After a quick search of your blankets, you find a thick piece of parchment, ink scrawled over it's face. It was an advertisement for the 'Ponytones' in Ponyville. No one used this kind of paper for a flyer, it was not heavy card stock but appeared as if it were made of pressed wood pulp. The face was a bit uneven, bumpy and thicker in some areas. It was hand, or rather, hoof made paper.

Hastily you grab a stack of lined paper from a drawer in the kitchen and begin to scribble down everything you know. After five minutes, it becomes clear that writing was a painfully slow way to get information across, an audio log on the computer would serve better.

Twenty minutes pass, and you spill as much about yourself into the microphone, secrets, passwords, relations and how to operate the phone, as it had voice activated features in addition to the ability to ask it questions and get an audio reply. With that done, you save the recording and open it to play on a loop through the speakers. Hopefully you had done enough.

You retreat back to bed, lightheaded from the exhilaration that you were going to Equestria. Caution was thrown into the wind and you were on what seemed like a free ticket to every My Little Pony fan's ultimate dream. Instantly you understood what others had been writing about, for better or worse. It was a total moment of euphoria, imagining meeting Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and on from there. The reality that in a short while you could be having lunch with them stirred up emotions of joy.

The audio recording you had made played softly from the living room as you waited. Excitement faded into disappointment as time ticked by, there had been no time frame set other than the vague term 'shortly'. You check the alarm clock, noticing that an hour had passed since you had woken up, but also that only an hour and ten minutes had passed since you had gone to bed. Maybe it meant nothing, but being asleep for ten minutes didn't seem like-

Your thoughts were cut off as a wind whipped through the bedroom, rustling posters and blowing your hair about. Shielding your face from the light appearing in the center of the room. The same fog as in the dream appeared, in growing thickness with the light. Soon the room was lost, and it was you and the light again amidst the fog.

"Is it done?" the orb asked.

"It is, I left instructions for most things along with what you need to at least try to pick up my life."

"Good." the voice said in a fashion that sounded like whomever was talking had a deep smile. 

"Then let it be done." The orb boomed.

From the fog you begin to hear muffled voices, a chanting of sorts. The words were foreign, not something you would have ever heard. The orb blinked out, then the symphony of voices began to grow louder and louder, chanting, repeating.

A rush of excitement spilled from the depths of your stomach, a million butterflies flapping gently inside. As the tone of the chanting began to penetrate your body, it lifted you from the ground, each syllable pulsing across your skin with warmth.
The voices stopped, and then there was nothing but blackness.





A pounding headache began to ring it's telltale pain as if it meant to split your skull in two. You ignore it to fling your eyes open and see this new world you are a part of now. As the haze slowly lifts from your vision it reveals a rather grim sight.

The scene before you is one of a horror movie. Five candles are the only source of light, and what they illuminate makes your stomach churn. Drawn in chalk on the ground were concentric circles with what appeared to be runes of some sort dotting the edges of each. To you it means nothing at the moment, but a guess would tell you it was meant for a ritual involving magic. A logical guess would be that it is the reason that you are now here. The unfinished stone floor looked as if it had not been used in ages, dust collecting across it's face. But amidst the dust were the markings of horse hooves, and it was more than one set. There were others here.

"We shouldn't stay here, it is not safe anymore." a male voice speaks from the shadows.

"Agreed, they will be here soon." a female voice responded.

"What, why?" you ask into the darkness, struggling to stand in your new body.

"What about the Arcane Mage?" the same male voice asked.

"The deed is done, leave the interloper." the female again responded.

"Hello!" you shout out. "I can hear you. What is going on?"

"Make haste, this foalish pony will be done for soon." 

The voices, along with several others that stayed quiet left the shadows to run across the circles in a flurry of hooves, knocking over candles and opening a door to the light. Five of them all together, clad in brown robes with hoods pulled over their heads, but all clearly ponies.

This situation you have been brought into was at the least, confusing. Who was coming, and why? If it was something bad, there was no reason to stick around and find out. Other than finding the pages as to enlighten you as to whom you switched with. 

You carefully head towards the light from the open door, remembering that you are now on four legs. With a bit of concentration you manage to ascend the stairs and now feel confidant that you can at least walk slowly.

The top of the stairs reveals a stunning house interior. Carved marble, rich wood furniture, thick shag rugs with a rainbow of colors stared from the floor that wasn't blue veined marble. Windows flanked with a beautiful silver threaded set of curtains, outside the windows were the faces of other buildings, a cobblestone street and ponies of all color spectrum outside traveling to their intended destinations. You had arrived in Equestria!

Before departing the house, it was best to seek out the instructions that were left. There are a few questions running through your head: What do you look like, what is your story and most importantly what gender you are. The gender question was most important, as no trip here was complete without knocking together some horse shoes.

The house was filled with valuables, room after room had exquisite paintings, vases and tapestries. Yet room after room had no books or even papers to check. As well off as it would appear you are now, there were no books.

The last place you come upon is a bedroom, a deep red bed that would easily sleep five ponies, complete with enough pillows and covers for them as well sat in the center of the room. The walls were papered with blue daisies on a white backing with flank high molding at the floor and ceiling that bore a mural of open skies. Several large armoire lined the wall opposite the door and between two of them there was a full body mirror.

Upon trotting in front of the mirror you see what you look like for the first time.

Staring back at you from the mirror is the face of a unicorn mare. It was a bit of a, well, never mind. Pony parts were unique to them, stallion or mare, both of them would be unique experience-wise when it came to that. But a mare. Yea, that is something you could live with. You entire coat was a blue, not quite royal blue, but darker than normal. The best way to describe the fiery red mane with yellow highlights was to let it grow past ones shoulders, then remove half of the length. Subsequently the rear mane on your neck sticks up nearly horizontal, from the lack of weight a full mane provides. 

Looking back at your flank, you see a black piece of jagged coal cracked in the center with yellow flame consuming it. What did flaming coal mean anyway? Well, now with the appearance issue sorted out, it seemed best to find the book or papers and leave, as the other ponies seemed to think that it was a good idea too. But why?

The entire house had been searched by now, there wasn't even a scrap of paper laying about. Aside from the furnishings, it appeared that no one lived here with regularity. The kitchen was quiet, not even a fire kindled in the earthen stove, no food anywhere. Everything did have a fine layer of dust over it.

Was it possible that what was in the basement had diverted you here, or perhaps it was an accident? It would seem that doing magic in the basement of what appeared to be an abandoned house was not on the level. Something was amiss here, and it did not bode well.

You feel something tingle down your horn and into the center of your skull. It is hard to describe, but it dropped the pit out of your stomach. Something was heading this way, and you shivered, as it's intentions were not pure. It was like per-conceptual feeling, not quite a vision, but the knowledge that if you don't leave, the house may fall in on you.

As adrenaline kicks in and you head towards what looks like the front door, there is a swell of energy behind you, from it you feel a form pushing through it. With a poof the energy coalesces to a center point then dissipates in a fraction of a second, some pony is behind you.

"Stop... Right there."
It was the voice of Celestia, and it was not her normal tone, it seethed of anger.

Slowly you turn around to face her. Her brow was furrowed, her lips tensed back to bear gritting teeth. The Alicorn's horn was a light in magic, what she was holding sent your heart into overdrive. A pale yellow sword, engulfed in the same color as her magic aura, hanging outwards, ready to attack.

"Give up. Now." she barked.

Stunned as to what was going on, your mind swims in thoughts, mainly to get away and sort out what happened. Surely crossing between worlds would not draw the wrath of the Princess, if anything make them pause to muse over your situation. But an armed Celestia minutes after arrival was concerning. No Royal guards, just the most powerful Alicorn in the world.

Teleport away. That was a logical decision, with Celestia bearing down with a sword, staying seemed the last thing you wanted to do. Quickly you realize that you know nothing about unicorns and magic, the show never did anything past having them use it. Couldn't be too hard, a bit of concentration perhaps.

Think of someplace... Ponyville! Now concentrate, the middle of the town, near the mayor's building. Nothing happens. Damn! Someplace safe, just safe, make it safe.

With the thought of safety, your head begins to feel warm. Though the carotene the horn is made of is supposed to be like a nail, or hair, you feel it surging. YES! Make it safe, make it safe. You concentrate on that thought, feeling everything in the room, the carpets, drapery furniture tingle in your mind. Safe.

Within the blink of an eye every inch of the room that is not made from stone bursts into flame in a bone rattling whump. The windows rattle and as flame spread in an instant combustion, they melt into white hot slag, spilling across the stone floor like water from a glass.

Celestia gasps, and in the blink of an eye she teleports away as the rug she was standing on began to lick at her body with white hot flames.

The room instantly heats up, followed by thick clouds of billowing smoke that burn your lungs when inhaled. It was a good bet that you had just set the entire room on fire, and now needed to leave. Dropping to the floor you slowly crawl to the door and push it open carefully with a hoof and move to safety.

The fresh air felt good, but you dare not pause as Celestia may be nearby. As the passer by's gather in a sick form of wonderment at the building that suddenly combusted you use this as a chance to run down the street. It doesn't matter where, just to get away. 

You look up for a second to determine where you are. The tall towers of the Royal Palace look different from street level, but there is nothing else in all of Equestria that look like them. Canterlot, that would explain why Celestia was there so fast. It was beginning to look like a bad idea coming here. Not quite the dreams one would imagine. 

Several minutes of running later and you have to stop. It would have been easy in your human body, but unicorns seemed to lack the endurance. All the ponies around are looking towards the sky, at the plume of black smoke filling the sky. Quiet murmurs and stern looks pass through the crowd as the building began to burn without warning.

This wasn't the Equestria you had in mind.

There was that feeling again, the swell of energy from a teleportation spell. Instead of Celestia appearing, Twilight Sparkle appeared instead, her face twisted in anger hooves planted outwards, ready to attack. She scans the crowd and locks eyes with you, eyes that bore the pain of betrayal that had turned into vengeful wrath. The mare bore her teeth and ran headlong towards you.

Out of breath, you quickly slip into the crowd that was intent on watching the smoke loom in the sky. You put your head down and pass back and forth between the ponies, trying to lose the one who you should be overjoyed to meet. This Equestria was looking less and less friendly.

Near the edge of the crowd you turn to see if the mare is still following you, but the telltale lavender mare clopping about is far from you. Quickly exiting the crowd, you turn your head forward only to run into the very pony you were trying to avoid. You pause and sink lower on your legs, ear flattened. She looms over you, appearing a bit taller than what you expected the real. Being this close to the wrath that played out in the season four finale sent a shiver down your spine. The real Twilight is terrifying. Around her body was an invisible aura, bearing down on you with the anger of a riled hornet's nest.

"Ember." she scowls, bringing a hoof up to the side of her head, then releasing it down upon your skull. The world goes black for a few seconds, and you find yourself laying back to the ground, Twilight straddling your chest, her hooves gripped around your neck.

"I should lay you down right here," she barked, her eyes starting to cloud over into pure white, a bad sign. "I'm going to take you to Celestia and you will rot in the dungeon for months." 

The situation felt like a scene from a movie, the good guy about ready to deal the killing blow, and you were not the hero. Twilight was growling in anger, her hooves pressed tighter and tighter around your throat. You want to fight back, but it seems futile. She has mastered every spell she has come across, defeated foes ten times as powerful as you are and you don't know anything about magic to at least keep her off of you. Helpless.

"Then I'll get to drag you from your hole. Haul your flank to the gallows. String you up myself and watch as you twist in the wind. This would only alleviate a portion of the pain you caused. I'd have to do this to you a thousand times for what you did to me. For what you did to my friends."

You wanted to cry out, ask a question, plead for mercy. The uneasy jitter returned, the unsettling feeling that somehow the switching had been beneficial only for the previous occupant of this body. Twilight's hooves pressed in further and further as black spots spark across your eyes. As your mind spirals into it's final heaves of consciousness you mentally laugh, at least you met Twilight, even though she seems content to choke you to death.

Twilight seemed ready to do it, push you over the edge and continue. But as she bore down strait into your eyes there was a pause that turned into a full stop. Hopefully she was witnessing the confusion pass over the darkening orbs that you viewed the world from. She raised her hoof and dealt a knockout blow, sending you into blackness. 
> Chapter II : Kindling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2 : Kindling


Questions float through your head. Questions as to what happened, what would make Twilight angry enough to be willing to strangle you in broad daylight. Through her tone you could tell that something horrible had happened, something to her friends and that you had done it to them. But was she talking about the rest of the main cast? As the rest of everything in Equestria had taken a darker shadow as to what is familiar in the show, there was no way of telling who her friends were.

Who were you? Twilight had called you Ember and the voice that spoke with you before you arrived said that she was an Arcane Mage. It would reason that any pony with a natural ability to use magic beyond the simple levitation and manipulation powers would have been tutored under one of the Princesses or perhaps Twilight herself. But these were all guesses. Who ever Ember really was had made a very convenient exit, to a place where no pony would ever look for her.

By now in any other of the stories, you should have been having lunch with one of the mane six or chasing around one of the more obscure ponies to learn as much as you could about them. It should have been something of a great trip, perhaps even getting some flank. You should have been happy.

Twilight had done a real number on your head, the first blow right near the eye had started to swell. As your eye opened it became painful to try and force the other open as a great pressure was holding it shut. It didn't help the matter either that it felt as if your skull had been broken open, all the joy had leaked out and now only pain remained. A thick throbbing pain that stabbed inward with every heartbeat.

Pushing your body up from the position on the floor, a metal rattling stung the ears. Every limb felt heavy, heavier than the first time you had woken up like this. Through the single open eye you peer down at your hooves. Wrapped around each fetlock was a massive shackle, a metal pin creating the hinge through bent metal with thick iron studs rusted by time held the locking clasp. The locks themselves looked as large as an apple. With the chains that ran between each pair of shackles, they had to weigh close to fifteen pound each. From the front shackles, a large loop held a third chain that ran up to your neck, connecting a collar that hugged tightly.

You brought a hoof up to the tender area on your head, the short chain between the two fore hooves pulled the second one limply with it. The area had crusted over with dried blood, whatever was not caught in the fur had trickled down the side of your face and solidified in lines there.

The eye was tender as well, stinging in pain as you gently prod it. Moving a hoof to the horn atop your head it is met with a tube of metal. What did they call that? The magic nullifying cap, 'studding' wasn't it? That was the only thing you wouldn't argue with, as when you had tried to use your magic, an entire house caught on fire. The entire situation told you that there was probably no way you would learn to use it properly.

If the shackles were not enough, the stone windowless room with a series of steel bars facing a room in the center told you that this was a prison, or perhaps a dungeon. Two other empty cells followed the room in a circle, exactly identical to your own. The space where a fourth cell should have been was walled off with a wooden and steel banded door. There were no beds here, just piles of hay that had seen too many bodies and needed a change, but if the bucket in the corner was an indication of maintenance, there was none. The bucket itself looked as if it would leak, only being held together with the wash of dried sick inside. There was no smell from it, as it had passed ages ago, leaving only the dried remnants of the previous occupant.

The cell was surprisingly bright, brighter than any torch could do. Hanging in the center of the room was a steel-wire cage holding several crystals who's phosphorescence was enough to make out the walls and floors, but not cast any harsh shadows.

There was no way of telling how long you had been in here, or how long you would be alone. Twilight had mentioned months.
It was going to be hard to convince them that the real Ember was gone, possibly to the point where she could never be brought back for justice. As far as any one here is concerned, they had Ember.

Your head bolts up as a metal hinge screeches in the stone room. The reinforced door swings open and two pure black coated guards, clad in the golden armor and holding shortened spears, as the larger ones would not fit through the small passageway where they came. The two stood on either side of the door, shortly there after Twilight Sparkle passed through it.

As she approached the bars to your cell her muzzle lifts in one corner but turns quickly into a joyous grin, seeing you locked up and bloodied. Twilight really hated you, or who she thought you were so much that your pain offered her a slight reprieve from hers. 

"Do you know how long I have waited for this day? How long I have wanted to be able to take you into a room, alone?" She asked, her fore hooves on the bars to help her stand on her rear legs.

"Twilight, please. I need you to listen. I-"

"SHUT UP!" She yelled, slamming her hooves against the bars. "You have NOTHING worth saying that I want to hear. You have done nothing but lie to me from day one. GUARDS! Bring her from the cell, I want to speak with her alone."

"Twilight, Twilight, please!" You beg, trying to rock her from the one track mind of revenge she was headed down. Whatever Ember had done to her, it was enough to push her to- well it was your hope that you wouldn't find out what she was going to do.

She didn't listen, rather as the guards came to pick you up from the floor she turned her flank towards you. The mare walked from the room and with shaking hooves you stood up and slowly shuffled after her, the chains between the shackles were short, forcing small strides.

Down the hall there were no windows anywhere, just the lingering stink of mold. The were other doors wrapped in steel bands, but all were open as you appeared to the the only prisoner in here.

Sandwiched between two guards, Twilight led you to the end of the hall where a thicker door made from all wood was already open. In the room was a central drain, fuzzy with rust having eaten at it for what appeared to be centuries. The entire floor was made of the same cobblestone as the walls, but stained a dark rust color. Blood.

In the center of the room was a set of wooden stocks banded with iron for strength. Aside of the stocks was a table covered with a cloth, underneath the shapes of tools silhouetted. Ice crept up your spine, terrified that Twilight was going to use them.

The unicorn motioned to stocks, the guards began to remove the shackles and collar from the front portion of your body. Everything inside wanted to seize this opportunity to run, but that would have looked bad, and if there was anything that was needed, it was to show Twilight that you were not the Ember she knew.

Without the guards guiding hooves, you walk slowly into the wooden restraint, placing each fore hoof into the small wells and putting your head into the proper place. Twilight twists her head in intrigue, thinking that it was a ploy to gain favor, let her guard down. She shuts the top half of the restraint and places a padlock through the hasp.

The guard move to unlock the rear shackles and place your legs in the spread position against the rear of the restraint. This puts you in an awkward position, unable to move with your flank exposed. You hope that some of the larger tools on the table are not related to the medieval counterparts for ruining certain... reproductive organs.

"There is lots I have left to learn about our 'friendship', as much as I would love to end it." Twilight grinned. She then waved the guards away and closed the door.

Nothing of any value comes to mind to say, nothing beyond 'please don't torture me', as it may be promptly dismissed and it merely urge her into doing what she is going to do anyway.

"Where should I start?" She chided, rolling back the cloth covering the tools. Just as you thought, razors, scalpels, saws, hammers and a long iron rod. She paused, looking over the tools, turning around to glance at your expression from time to time, but you remain steadfast not to enrage her.

"Do you know what is the best part about this?" She grabs a scalpel from the table with her aura, lifting it right in front of your face. "Princess Celestia taught me a new spell, one for you." she ran the blade delicately across the side of your cheek, separating the skin, but not enough to cut into the muscles, creating a massively painful paper cut.

Blood started to slowly weep from the wound. With the initial sting past, it just left a pounding sensation. You gritted your teeth in preparation for her to just sink the blade in, but became relieved that it was just a flesh wound.

Twilight closed her eyes. Where the cut had been made began to feel warm, the pounding disappeared and the trickle of blood stopped. She had repaired the area back to new, aside from the bits of soft fur that had been shaved away.

"As long as you do not die, I can cause as much pain as I want. Cut you down to the bone, remove your hide or break any bone I see fit. Then repair any damage and do it all over again." she giggled.

There was something off about her. As much pain as she had experienced in the show, never did she want to cause physical harm to any one. Not Discord, NightMare Moon and even Tirek was merely placed back into prison. It was just another reminder that perhaps Equestria was not as the show had made it into. Maybe it was just like Earth, and as everything played out on television, it had to be censored, cleaned up so that it would not offend anyone.

Twilight's face twisted in anger at your silence. She placed the scalpel back on the table and swung a hoof at the side of your head. It hits the side of your muzzle, grazing your lips across the teeth and opening them up to bleed. You grunt from the blow, but still look away.

"Where is your big mouth now? Always saying that you were the better mage than I am? Why are you not gloating at the fact that everypony I love is in the hospital? WHERE?"

She hit your again, inside your skull you feel a crunch and a molar rolls onto the top of your tongue. Tears begin to form at the corners of your eyes. You want to spit the pool of blood from your muzzle in her face. This was not YOUR Twilight. You just sniff in through your nose, and let the copper taste roll out of your mouth onto your chin to splatter on the floor, the tooth fragment clattering to the ground.

"Twilight," you whisper. "Can you please listen to me."

She responds with another blow to your face, uprooting the rest of the molars on the right side of your mouth, springing forth a new well of blood. 

"Is it possible to transfer consciousness between two ponies? To be someone else?" You ask the question, even though she may ignore it. 

She pauses from another punch, letting her hoof fall to the floor.

"You know it is possible, but forbidden." she growls.

You force a weak smile. The seed had been planted. Hopefully it would bear fruit. You tongue the broken teeth out of your muzzle and try your best as to not get any blood on Twilight.

"But you are NOT going to escape this. You have been studded and it will not be removed until the execution is over. But until then, I am going to make you WISH it was tomorrow evening and you go six feet under."

It was so close. You have at best just twenty four hours before they take your life.

"She has already left." you tell her.

"Who?"

"Ember? Was that her name? I'm not her. She talked with me, I have no idea how but she did. We changed places just a short while before you brought me here."

"Oh NO! You are not going to play this game. Push this off on somepony else, stay the execution and have another Equestria wide hunt for another six months!" she yelled, getting upset at this potential turn of events. "You are here now, and I'm not going to make it easy for you."

Twilight moved to the side of the stocks so that she was out of view, maybe selecting a new tool from the table. 

A sudden pain racks your side as the mare squarely planted two of her rear hooves in a bucking fashion into your ribs. You squelch in pain as several of them crack, the sickening sound echoing in the small chamber. The thrust of pain sending a mist of blood from your muzzle as you expel what air was forced out. 

You want her to stop, scream out in pain and cry, but you feel compelled to keep your composure. It may not be the best idea, as she may take it as defiance, but there are a few more things you must say, and breaking down into a blubbering mess would not be the best thing.

"I know-" the pain of breathing in or out causes you to pause and let it pass. "-that you think I'm lying." another pause. "Go to the burnt out... house. See the magic circles. There were... other ponies there."

"What magic circles?" her ears perk up. "Were you trying to destroy Canterlot as well?"

"No. It was Ember's... escape. Please go see them. Then take... your new healing spell to your... friends." You wheeze through the pain.

Twilight moved to the front of the stocks and looked into your eyes. You can't help but to turn your gaze away from her, sniffing as a tear rolls down your cheek. She doesn't speak, but rather watch, peering into your eyes. You hope she sees past them, sees a bit of truth.

Twilight's lips straighten from rage to anger. Again she closes her eyes and her horn lights with the aura of magic. The bits of broken teeth raise from the floor and into your painfully agape muzzle. Pain shoots through your skull as the teeth dig through broken gums to seat themselves into their rightful place. The blood stops pumping and the gums heal up back to the way they were before the were ripped open.

She moves to your side and completes the spell again, moving the broken ribs back into alignment and healing them back to new. The mare trots to the cell door, leaving your wounds from earlier in the day alone.

"I'm going to be back. Pray to Celestia that you are not lying or I will fillet you alive." she opens the door and turns to the guards and whispers into their ears, they both nod and turn back to facing outward from the door. Twilight runs at full pace to the end of the hallway and disappears.

Time passes and you begin to feel thirsty, most likely from the blood loss.

"Could I have a drink?" You call to the guards.

One of the guards turns and enters the room and goes back behind your field of vision.

"Sorry, I'm thirsty." you apologize. There was no way the guard was going to do anything, but the fact that he approached the table was alarming.

"Sorry, sorry, I won't say anything again."

The guard returns with a tangled mess of leather straps holding what looks like a small leather pouch. He loosens the mess with his magic and slides a brass ring tethered to the pouch over the top of your horn. He swings the pouch over your mouth and pulls it tight to the back of your head. He moves to adjust the neck strap and pulls the muzzle tight.

His actions spoke louder than words, the muzzle strapped to your face was proof of that. The unicorn returned to his post and you let out a sigh through the holes in the leather.





It was true that Ember was a very powerful mage, but not as powerful as Twilight. It would take more magic than she could use to force a transition and put herself inside another pony's body. It would require a team dedicated to learning the spell, then complete concentration for hours for it to work. 

Twilight had a doubt in her mind, it was not that Ember had transferred herself into a new pony, but that she was acting odd. For some reason she had changed. She should have been spouting exposition, saying 'I told you so', offering to fight her in a Unicorn on Unicorn match of magic. Maybe it was from defeat and she was trying to earn salvation. That wouldn't change, tomorrow evening her light would fade with the setting sun.

Ember was a very talented unicorn, if not a bit dangerous. From a young age she was capable of great feats of magic, ones far surpassing those who had been trained for years in the art. As her magic was unfocused and un trained, it caused problems. Most unicorns spells would fizzle out and end in a small bang if they failed to complete a spell, harmless as worse. Ember was different, when her spell failed, it caused every object within sight to burst into flame.

She was taken into Celestia's school for the gifted unicorns at a young age by very relieved parents. Twilight became an instructor there shortly after Queen Chrysalis' demise and took great interest in the young filly.

For years she tutored young Ember, and helped her learn how to control the spontaneous combustion that happened when her spells floundered. She became honed to perfection and her skill increased.

Ember was an offensive unicorn, favoring spells of destruction and combat over the 'mundane', as she called them, spells of restoration and life. She trained under Twilight's metaphorical wing to become an Arcane Battle Mage, even against her wishes. But even destruction had it's place in Equestria. Incineration spells had many uses, clearing fields, ebbing the fires away from buildings and controlled burns. Ember was able to create and manipulate fire, she was even able to extinguish an entire volcano that began to threaten the Crystal Empire.


Twilight ran from the dungeon under the Royal palace. It had not been used for many decades, but Ember couldn't be kept near any modern places made mostly of wood, as if she was able to remove the studding the entire place would burn in seconds.

The mare ran through the courtyard and out into the city proper, rushing past guards and the citizens living there. The streets were busy with the usual activity, vendors, merchants and the visitors trotting about. In minutes she came upon the smoking ruins of Ember's house.

The stone remained standing, but the windows and furniture had burnt away, leaving thick black ash clutching to exterior. It probably wasn't safe to enter, but she did anyway. Twilight found the entrance to the basement, the door had burnt away. She called upon a light spell and headed forth into the darkness.

The was no wood in the basement, just stone supporting floor overhead. It was not a surprise that it was empty, as Ember spent a majority of her time in the college, even sleeping there. The floor was blanketed in a layer of ash, turning the grey stone black.

Twilight was drawn to the open center of the room, where five half burnt candles lay scattered around. This was not looking good. If there was an incantation circle under the ash, it was sure to be wiped away if she tried to reveal it.

There was an aura in the air, a very powerful spell had been cast here, as it had drawn her and the Princess to Ember. Twilight began to grow concerned, perhaps there was some truth into what she had been told. Pausing in thought, she walked the perimeter of the large space, trying to find away to leave the chalk, but remove the ash. 

She let the light spell fade away and began to focus on the air, using a spell to whip up a slight wind to brush the ash aside. The breeze worked and moved the cover aside, leaving small remnants of chalk, enough to discern it's purpose.

It was a mandala, a series of circles and squares. At the centers of the outermost square were temples, gateways to represent the universe, and all but one were drawn with closed doors. It was a focusing inscription, meant to channel energy from across the universe to bring one to peace, but this one had been modified to focus on a particular place, to draw and send energy.

Ember, or who ever Ember was now, had been right. Celestia need to know that she had escaped and that there were several other ponies that had aided her. The Princess needed to know, if this was true, Ember was still out there. 





Twilight returned down the hallway, her hooves clopping loudly to cover it's length in mere seconds. It bought a small amount of relief that she appeared to have calmed down. Once inside the room she removed the muzzle and tossed it to the floor.
"Tell me that it's not true, that Ember hasn't escaped." Her eyes spoke of desperation, not wanting to believe that she was so far from revenge.

"I'm not her, she brought me here, we traded places, traded lives. She seemed impatient, wanted to do it as fast as possible. I wrote down everything about my life so she could take control of it, and she was supposed to do the same. But I arrived and a bunch of cloaked ponies ran from the room as soon as I got here." you explained, happy that she was no longer going to harm you, for the time being.

"Where are you from? Las Pegasus, ManeHattan, DeTrot? I need to know where you live."

"I'm not from this world, I'm from a planet called Earth."

Twilight slammed a hoof on the ground, cursing under her breath. She paced around the room grumbling and kicked over the table, sending the instruments clattering to the ground. She trotted back in front of your vision, tears had welled up in her eyes. 

"I want to believe you, but you have done nothing but lie to me from the beginning, since we met. You are possibly the worst sort of evil in all of Equestria. I want to believe, I really do..." she began to cry. "I talked with Celestia about this. She reminded me that you were dishonest, and not to be trusted. That you had set all of this up as a distraction, to keep us looking for something that isn't there while you escape. Just a way to play with my mind, as you had always done."

"I'm sorry, I was brought into all of this. I'm just scared and would like to go back home." You explain to her.

She needed a hug, some one to tell her that things would work out. You couldn't stand to see her in such a state, the fact that she wasn't with her friends in this time was concerning, she had mentioned they were in the hospital.

"Could I at least ask why I am here? What Ember did?"

Twilight trotted over to the door and closed it, then took a seat on the floor in front of the stocks.

"You were a good student, punctual, eager to learn, eager to please me, your instructor. You always had a problem with starting things on fire. But I took you in and helped you control that. Over time you gained experience and a focus to avoid future incidents, changing into a very promising and powerful assistant."

"You felt proud, that you had taken control of yourself and could use magic without fear of hurting anypony. That pride went to your head. You began to boast, showing off to the other students. I just let it be, brushing it off as a phase that you would grow out of, being a young thick headed mare."

"I urged that you take up a secondary skill, something along the lines of Restoration, as you were focused on Destruction. You said that was for the weak, and Equestria needed stronger unicorns to defend the Princesses. For a few years you found other unicorns and taught them what your had learned, and were still learning under my tutelage."

"You excelled in lessons and I realized that you could still be of help even with an offensive oriented skill set. You approached Celestia with a presentation of creating a special guild of Mages, ones who could defend her with the group of unicorns that together would rival her abilities. She rejected the idea, saying that Equestria does not need those who are best suited to attack, but rather defend."

"It was very unpleasant, your conversation afterwards. It was more of an argument. She then banned you from the College, continuing your studies, even at my request that you stay. You left the college, and swore to me that you would show her that Equestria needed what you offered. Most of the students you taught left with you as well." 

"It was a few months before we heard anything from you. But when we heard, it became a concern. A large portion of the EverFree forest burnt to the ground, fire being your signature area of focus. A letter to Celestia arrived, stating that such a thing could have been avoided if there were unicorns dedicated to this area of focus. She ignored you, against my pleads that she reconsider."

"Then it happened. The event. Two weeks after your letter was sent, and six months ago from today, a fire started."

Twilight paused, a fresh set of tears welling in her eyes.

"PonyVille caught on fire. It wasn't one that started small in one area. The entire town caught flame in seconds. It wasn't an accident. It was midnight, everypony was asleep."

"There was nowhere for them to go, those that could ran into the river that divides the town. Walls of flames kept most from escaping the town, those that tried wound up with burns all over their body. The pegasus tried flying away, but the heat singed their feathers and they fell back down to the ground, or into the burning buildings. Unicorns were trying to extinguish the fires and pulling up flaming rubble to free those underneath."

"I tried my best to get everypony I could out, teleporting from building to building, clearing the trapped ponies. I could only do so much, all the voices screaming for help, buildings collapsing around them."

"Rainbow Dash sped to CloudsDale and gathered up as many pegasus and all the rain clouds that they had, but this was not a fire that could be put out with water. Got caught in a back draft when once it became clear that the only way to save everypony left alive was to go building to building and pull them out. I'll have to try and see if I can reverse any damage done, but it's possible that it's too severe."

"Rarity saved her sister, and did what she could. I can't blame her, she is not good under pressure."

"Fluttershy managed to get most of the animals to safety, she is doing fine, just some minor burns and manes go grow back out."

"AppleJack did her best, pulling out those she could, getting badly burned in the process. She is strong, and won't let it get to her, a bit bull headed to admit she is not going to be who she physically was before."

"Pinkie Pie got the worst. It's amazing she survived, third degree burns over her entire body."

"It's been six months. We are still pulling bodies from the ashes, the foals are the worst. PonyVille is never going to recover, most of the surviving residents have moved on to other towns, those that aren't in the hospital."

Twilight hung her head, hiding the wave of tears streaming down, but they began to darken the ground below her.

You say nothing, there is nothing you can say. It wasn't your fault this happened, but still there is some level of responsibility you feel. If you hadn't come here, they would have gotten the real Ember and been able to punish her accordingly. but now you are involved in this, forcing Twilight to question the face she wants to destroy, to save the pony she wants to tear apart.

"Get back to your friends, heal them up. I can't fix this, I can't offer any help. You need them now more than ever Twilight." tears well into your eyes as you say this, hoping that in some way it would help.

Twilight nodded and stands up from the floor.

"I hope you can understand. I look at you and all I can see is pain, all I can think about is revenge. For me to question who you are now, if that is true, I can't. You, Ember, whatever you are now, I can't put this behind me. Something like this cannot be forgiven... You need to die, hopefully this feeling for revenge will with die with you." Twilight sobbed.

She then lit her horn and directed the healing spell towards your face. The inflammation around your eye began to recede, allowing it to open and releasing it's pounding pressure from your skull. She healed the split on the side of your head as well, taking away all of the pain that remained, leaving only the pain of guilt left. The aura remained on your head a little while longer after you were healed.

"I need to speak with Princess Luna before I leave. We are never going to see each other again. I'm sorry." Twilight apologized, turning away and leaving the room, voicing to the guards to return you to the cell. 

This was it. You first foray into a Pony fan's wettest dream and you were going to die. Would you really die, or would 'dying' here send you back to Earth, your original place of origin. Either way was horrible, as you first had to die here, hung at the gallows. There was no resistance as the guards removed you from the stocks and placed the shackles back around your limbs. There was a great need to cry out, plead with them. The fact that the guard had placed a muzzle on you for asking to drink was enough to stop any thought of it. There still had to be a way out of this, ponies couldn't be this bloodthirsty.
> Chapter III : Blaze
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3 : Blaze




It was back to the cell for you. Feeling defeated, that the one chance you gambled everything on was lost, you hung your head in defeat while shuffling down the hall with chains skittering across the floor between your hooves. It wasn't they way things should have been, roughly seventy two hours in Equestria would be ended in the worst possible way. Hope still lingered, what little there was left of it.

You were at the mercy of the ponies. Brought into a situation that was less than friendly, being the perfect scapegoat for Ember, in her body to top it all off. What she had done was most deserving of an execution. Never before had there been any casualties, the villains whisked away to prison in a Disney-esque ending, so the knowledge of capitol punishment in Equestria was left up to the imagination. If the condition of these cells was anything of a hint, there weren't many ponies that had been here, if at all in generations.

There was always the option of escape. The door to the upper level was just little jaunt away, but with the shackles on there was no possible way it would last for more than a few minutes. Doing this would be bad anyway, if there was any doubt in Twilight, it would be removed should you make an attempt. 

The decision was sudden, death tomorrow, less than two days after you had arrived. No court, no jury, just the noose. A pastel colored Judge Dredd deciding your fate. It was all set in stone, unavoidable, the only thing left to do was slowly come to the realization that it was going to happen. That was something you were not going to resign yourself to, not just yet, there was still time.

The cell door swung shut and the tumblers clicked into place. Sitting down and facing outward towards the guards you hang your head, hoping to stir up some pity, there was none to be found with them.

"Food will be brought down in a few hours." one of the guards muttered as the duo trotted to the door. "One of us will be stationed outside the door, and I like peace and quiet."

You nod towards them, remembering that he was the one to put the muzzle on you, for what you thought was no reason at all. You shivered at the thought of it happening again, you would need your speech later on, if it was going to do any good.

The nagging of self preservation returned, the desperate feeling that if you begged, pleaded and cried to the guards that there may be some pity taken upon you and the noose would be spared. Your mind knew that no amount of emotion could dissuade Twilight or the Princesses from your date with the hang-pony, as Twilight herself had no intention of letting you go, guided to this thought by Celestia herself. Condemned by the mere fact that you bore the body of a pony she wanted to suffer, a body that had brought her so much anguish. 

This made sense in a twisted way. If someone had taken everything from you, hurt your friends and those you hold dear, destroyed what you had loved, no amount of tears and pleading would keep you from pulling the trigger. To watch the face that cause so much pain vanish in a cloud of mist, 'absolved' once by you, then by whomever tended to their soul. It would set you at ease, knowing that they could not hurt anyone anymore. 

The circumstances were different. You were not the pony they wanted to seek vengeance on. Even with the doubt you had planted, it was going to be hard for them to look upon you with a kind eye. To see past the face that reminds them of what had been lost. Twilight did come back in what seemed like a cloud of confusion, no longer wanting to inflict pain, but also not willing to concede that your were right. If there was more time she could see that you were not the real Ember.

There had to be a test, a memory spell to allow them to look into your mind and see. There was a restoration spell for memory after all, perhaps there was one to allow her to do so. It sounded far fetched, and the idea was sure to be shot down for one reason or another. Still it was worth bringing up.

Last meal and last request. It just popped into your mind, as if you had already conceded defeat. The meal didn't matter, asking for anything from AppleJack or Pinkie Pie would feel like a massive slap in the face. Though a  buttery crisp apple tart would be amazing. The last request would have to be something to remember. The only thing that came to mind was a good bucking, a stallion of measurable size to take you, separate your velvet lips and and push the thick pony shaft deep inside.

You whip a fore hoof up to your face to knock some sense into your mind. Why in Equestria were you thinking about that? You were a head breadth away from dangling by a rope, and your last wish was to get plowed. It should have been giving Twilight a hug, watching Luna raise the moon, something that wasn't sexual. Deny it or not, a checklist for Equestria always had 'Get laid' on it somewhere, even if it was the last thing one wanted to do, or gets to do in your place. 

A frown spread across your muzzle, disappointed that it was a thought that entered your mind. That was something that should be looked down upon, enjoying something to the point of sexualizing it. As a human, it was a thought that was constant on everyone's mind, even devout people of faith did, or at least thought about NOT doing it. It was only human to do such, preserve your species through procreation. No one would have sex and the after effects of it didn't feel as good as it did. 

You were a pony now, and the thought of sexual pleasure for the fun of it should cause you to shudder at it's deviousness. The ponies in the show had shown no sexual tendencies. Again it was a show aimed at children, and having Big Mac plowing somepony was not child friendly. Mr. and Ms. cake did have foals though, so there had to be some sex here. Unless it was done through magic... where was the fun in that?

Why not do it yourself then? Take a hoof and slip it into your folds and get the job done yourself, it would be close enough to experiencing the real deal, at the very least a pony orgasm. It couldn't be that hard to do it, the mare you were in probably didn't have enough time to indulge in such things anyway, so she should be tender and fresh, ripe for the plucking.

With the events that had happened it was natural that you hadn't yet explored your bits. With no means of a clear escape possible, and your mind wandering it became prevalent, if not out of place. You bend over your stomach to get a first look at your gender.

By all means it looked upside-down, your clitoris was near your rectal pucker, but inviting none the less. The thick lips were a near black hue of blue that your coat was made of, like navy in the shadow of a tree. The mound protruded nearly half an inch from the rest of your body before the gentle folds met together in the part and continued inwards. The two folds parted to cradle the button, a clitoris of the same dark navy nestled in the exterior mound. The entire plot was sadly, very dry, the normal glistening of arousal dripping from the part to stain the fur in lust was absent.

Taking both your hooves and wiping them on your coat to clear the grit from their surface and send them to either side of the part. As the lips were pulled away from each other it revealed a collapsed tunnel of slick warm flesh, colored a hue of light purple. It looked like a thin velvet sock had been slouched down on itself, making ridged delicate folds that would hug any male component placed inside, massaging both parties in a lover's embrace. 

The real question was how were hooves going to help in anyway to stimulate yourself. They didn't have any small portions to delve deep into the tunnel and stimulate any spots that would make you shiver. It would be like getting fisted in a sense, enveloping your entire unwashed hoof if you wanted to go that route. Perhaps becoming aroused would attract a guard to come partake of your plot, estrous was said to be very powerful, driving stallions to unsheathe in seconds.

You begin to take a somewhat clean hoof and pass it gingerly over the lips, sending a light shudder through your stomach, a small squeak passed out of your muzzle in pleasure and one rear hoof kicked slightly from the touch. Who to think about, who was your favorite stallion? Shining Armor, Big Mac, Dr. Whooves? Any of them would have been great, they all had horse bits, long firm shafts that would stretch your elastic lips as a rubber band until it was near breaking. They would turn the soft folds into slick taught flesh so that as they slid in and out in long powerful strokes so that you could feel every ridge, every engorged vein riding down the walls deep inside your wet plot.

Would they talk? Whisper into your ear that you are tight as you press outward and constrict the passageway so to strangle every last ounce of pleasure they had into your mare-hood. Would they yell out that you were a dirty mare, giving up what was precious to you for the few minutes of riding down the road of leg shaking pleasure? Or would there just be peaceful love, each of your whimpering small moans of pleasure between the lung emptying wet thrusts, then the whinny when you both tightened up and ride the euphoric wave of chemicals released from the brain during orgasm and collapse on top of each other as what you shared poured onto the ground?

Your hoof had become wet, your mound sexually salivating, letting the lust coat the lips and carotene and send pleasurable shivers down your spine as you continued. Small moans filled the cell, your mind blissfully unaware that they were happening. The urge to finish became strong, but as hard as you drove your hoof gliding across the chasm it never came. Just stuck in a perpetual cycle of waiting at the top of the slide, as if you were scared to ride to the bottom, or stuck there, needing a push to finish. 

Frustrated, you stopped. The need had built for an insatiable urge to finish, but it was not something you could do yourself. You ground your legs together in an attempt to cool down and force the blood from your engorged mound back into the system, but it only served to build more frustration as it made the slick curtains rub tenderly against themselves. Peeling your legs apart made the liquid pushed out of your plot form threads across your nether. It would appear that you had fucked yourself, and not in the pleasant way. 

Thoughts drifted to the guard, and there was a strong urge to call him inside and see if he wanted to mount you. The guards were a no non-sense variety, and would probably gag and restrain you further. Oh God...Celestia stop, thinking like that was not helping at all. Maybe just push your plot between the bars and he could take you from there, no need to open the cell or anything.

You gave your plot a heavy hit from your hoof in an attempt to stop these thoughts. It was a bad idea as pain shot between your legs and your shouted out in pain, toppling over to the ground from the unpleasant self inflicted impact.

"Hey, what is that noise?" One of the guards entered the room. He wasn't one of the coal black ones from before, but a new stallion, a unicorn. His coat was a chocolate brown with a white dipped muzzle, and the same white uneven socks on each leg while sporting a mane of golden yellow.

His eyes widened after he started walking closer and spotted what you were doing, and began to back out of the room, enough to hide his rear end and hide his own personal shame.

"What are you doing?" He asked again.

"I'm..." You hesitate, it was something that people back on Earth did naturally, but in Equestria it may be taboo to do so. "Nothing anymore."

"Well... I'd appreciate it if you would... stop." His face grew nervous, backing out into the hallway a bit more, hiding his erection that had grown to full length. 

"Would I be wrong to ask if you would help?" You ask, it was a shot in the dark, but you could sense he was having trouble keeping his composure and could potentially give in.

"Yes. Such a thing..." Sweat began visibly rolling from his forehead. "To ask of this would be improper."

"If it was allowed, would you be willing?" This was sounding more and more like horrible porno film dialogue. The fair maiden, so long had her loins not received the pleasure of a proper stallion. The milk chocolate stallion with almonds, the guard come to save her from the retched drought forced upon her nether. To plant the seeds that would bear luscious forbidden fruit.

"Please, keep it quiet." The stallion ignored the question and backed out of the room to his post beside the door. 

In hindsight it was a moronic thing to ask, but it had been done and there was no way to take it back. You stay quiet and slowly move to the front of the cell, pointing an ear to the open doorway. You can hear his breath quiver, trying to stifle his erection. It was dumb, you sounded dumb asking that question.

It was a small reprieve from the thought of death looming over your head. Thinking about such things offered a mental escape, even if it was short lived.

"No, I can take it to her." the stallion said from outside the room.

The Unicorn again appeared inside the cell block after ample time to cool down, floating out a metal tin plate with an apple, bread and a large pewter mug on it in front of him. He placed it on the floor in front of the bars and slid the tray through an opening just large enough for it to fit.

It was suprising that the bread and apple was fresh, the water untainted and crystal clear as well. The events of the past day had you running on empty, a distraction from realizing how hungry you actually were.

The apple was a fiery red and upon cradling it between your hooves and taking a bite the sweet nectar inside burst forth, tingling inside your mouth. The skin was sweet and pierced easily with your equine like incisors, the white flesh on the inside was crisp and light with a sweet flavor, better than any apple on Earth. Within seconds it was gone, core, stem and seeds disappeared down your gullet, leaving your face and hooves dripping with the juice that had escaped.

The bread was alright, fluffy and soft with a buttery taste, no comparison to the apple though. It was still warm and steamed slightly when broken open. It could use some garlic flavoring though, that would have made it much better.

It was at this time that you saw the guard staring at you in confusion. You stopped and looked at him, halfway through the single serving loaf of bread pressed between your two front hooves. This was how ponies eat, right? Grabbing the food between their hooves and eating it? There wasn't much of a good example in the show, aside from Twilight using her magic. Most of the eating was involved the food items getting throw and caught, or just shoved into their face by another character. The single hoof 'magnetic effect' didn't work here.

"What's wrong?" You ask, mouth half full of bread. Maybe you were eating it all wrong, horrible 'table' manners.

"Nothing." he replied, but his tilted up eyebrows told a different story.

You finish the bread and empty the cup of water, sliding the tray back out to him. It was picked up and the stallion starting leaving the room, backing up and never breaking eye contact until he passed through the doorway. 

The food was odd. Usually prisoners were fed the driest maggot ridden bread, fruit that was a mere minutes away from turning to ash and water that was more fit in a chamber pot. The dungeon did look unused, so it went to reason that the 'art' of treating the prisoners in a sub-human... sub-pony way had been lost, thankfully.

You sat back down in the corner, leaning against the two walls as you had not yet learned the art of sitting in the pony body you inhabited. You let your hooves rest on the muscular thighs, careful not to let the chains between the shackles near your sex, as it was still pulsing with a twinge of pain after the strike you had delivered. 

Time passed and you once again tangled with the inevitable date with the executioner, and potential escape. There was nothing in the cell to use as a proper lock pick, the loose straw bed held nothing of interest and aside from the stone walls and rotting bucket that had no iron bands around it, there was nothing of any use.

Your parents. What were they going to think. You had just up and vanished, no goodbye, no letter, nothing. Well, you were there, Ember was there in your body. She knew alot about your life, but it was never going to be the same. Would she visit them often, speak with them on the phone? Or just clear out your life and start elsewhere. You would never know.

Coming to Equestria was a mistake, a poorly thought through plan that in a few hours had changed the entire course of your life. A life that was soon going to end. You mentally began to curse yourself, a fitting end for a selfish desire of your own, no thought given to the rest of the people you love. A victim of your own design.

The totality of the situation washed over you, desperation building in every part of your body to do what it takes to escape, but you knew there was no way. Shackles, bars and a swarm of guards were in the way, not to mention that you had no idea where this dungeon was. It could have been in the middle of the EverFree Forest, or the stairway could lead to a turret in Canterlot Castle. 

The chains between the heavy shackles started rattling, your hooves started shaking. You didn't want to die. Earth or Equestria, you had so many more years of natural life left. You had never fallen in love, been married, had children of your own and yelled at them when they snuck out at night. You were never going to get to buy a sports car when you hit a mid life crisis, take your family on vacation. All of that was never going to happen.

What would it feel like? Death, dying. Strangulation was supposed to be the worst way to die, that wasn't how hanging was supposed to work. It was supposed to be a drop, snap and instant death. But so many people before had survived death, even after several minutes. It couldn't be that easy, just lights out. You hoped that it didn't hurt.

Praying to Celestia was not going to help, a pseudo replacement for what ever religious icon ruled the entirety of everything. She had told Twilight that you had lied to her, that everything you knew to be real was a ploy to get a slap on the wrist and go free, or finding an escape when there was no ticking clock on her life.

The tears and sniffled turned into a quiet sobbing. Everything here was supposed to be colorful and bright. Ponies were supposed to be a bit hesitant, think things through, letting all the facts fall into place before making a judgement call. But Equestria here felt like a comic where all the ink had run on the pages, creating shadows of the once recognizable ponies, muddier black versions of themselves.

There seemed to be no pony left anywhere to hear you out. Celestia was against you, Twilight had intentions to drive you to near death and bring you back just to do over and over until the end of time. Luna, where was she? Probably siding with her sister, keeping a low profile after the NightMare Moon incident. Would it be possible to speak with her?

"Guard!" You shout, wiping tears away so that he doesn't see them, leaving only the darkened wet fur behind as evidence.

The armor clad unicorn turned and walked into the cell block.
"What?" he asked, slightly annoyed, looking through the bars with a furrowed brow.

"Could I speak with Princess Luna?"

He paused for a second, to consider leaving the room and ignoring the prisoner. But there was something about you that made him consider your request. 
"The best I can do is relay a message when my shift is over. She may not do anything more than receive it."

"Please, yes." you said with hooves clasped together in joy, a glimmer of hope returning that somepony may listen.

The guard returned to the hall and it was quiet again. Just leaving you to wait for when he goes, and hopefully delivers the message.





The guards changed shift after what seemed like an eternity in the silence. With no window to the outside it was hard to tell the passage of time. After the hoofsteps had stopped echoing you waited for what seemed like an eternity again, but Luna never came. The guard had probably just went home and forgot about you, or Princess Luna didn't want to speak with you, already sure that you were rightfully condemned.

The hour must have been late, as your eyelids felt like lead and began to slowly creep down in an urge to sleep. You couldn't, there may still be a chance that Luna would arrive, and if you were asleep she may not wake you. 

Minute after minute felt like it passed, and several times you nodded off for a second before catching yourself and bolting awake. It became harder and harder to ignore, your body fatigued, mind in a scrambled mess in a state near break-down.

There was a sudden flash of blinding light. In a split second you found yourself on a balcony high above Canterlot.

The city was asleep, streetlights dimmed down low and all the windows had curtains drawn across the buildings. Armored guards slowly walked the streets, searching for trouble under the soft glow of the moon.

The sky was a deep blue, not quite black. Laid out across it's face were millions of stars, some mere pinpricks of light, others seemed much closer and stronger with small tints of blue, yellow and red.

The room attached to the balcony was empty, just bare stone with a tall wooden door at the end of the vaulted ceiling. You were alone, mystified how you got here.

It was at this time that you felt lighter, the shackles had been removed. In a bit of joy you reached a hoof up to the horn atop your head, only to find that the studding was still attached. Perhaps it was one of the ponies from the cellar, giving you a chance to escape. Just before you were about to make a move for the door a voice from the balcony called out at you.

"You had wished to speak with me?"

Alarmed that there was another pony here, you turned around to see Princess Luna, standing dead center on the floor of the balcony where you just were. Her body towered nearly twice your size, but she didn't feel intimidating. Her eyes looked softly upon you, questioning why you wanted to speak, but looked open to hear what you wanted to say.

"Princess!" You shouted, and ran over to wrap your hooves around hers.

"I can only speak for a short while."

You nod and release your grip from her and take a standing pose a few feet from her.

"I just need some one to listen, as no one else here will. They all want to hurt me."

"Do you know why?" Luna inquired, already knowing the answer, but wanting to hear it from your mouth.

"Twilight told me. PonyVille burnt to the ground, because of what Ember did. Alot of ponies died. Her friends were all hurt as well, I hope they are all right."

"Twilight Sparkle is doing what she can there, restoring the health of as many ponies that need help is taking it's toll. She keeps pushing herself to do more than she can. She blames herself for what happened, Ember was her pupil."

You nod, lowering your head as you are reminded of what happened.
"I need to say a few things, then you can put me back."

Luna nods and lowers herself down into a sitting posture. Her ears were held forward, her head tiled down to give you her full attention.

"I'm not from here, Equestria as a planet. I am from a planet called Earth and two or three days ago I was contacted in a dream by a pony who had wanted to switch lives with me. In my universe, this place is part of a television show, a play if that makes more sense, about everyone here. You, Celestia, Twilight and all her friends and I love to watch what happens, I love the show. To be offered to come here was something that I couldn't pass up. Live here as a pony and get to know all the ponies here, maybe go on an adventure with them."

"But as I arrived, things fell apart very quickly. I learned why Ember wanted to trade places with me. She wanted an escape from the justice she deserved, and she did. Now I am here, stuck with no way back and going to be killed for what she did. No pony here can see past that, all they see is me, Ember's body and all the pain she had caused."

You began to break into tears, amazed there were any left from all of the weeping you had already done.

"I-I just don't want to die. I'm trapped and can't do anything. No pony will listen. Tomorrow I'll be dead, and all I wanted to do was come here and enjoy what I thought Equestria was supposed to be. Fun and happy, but that is not what this place is. It's disgusting and dark, I just want to go home."

Luna sat and listened, more than any anypony else would have done here. There was no reason for it, after all you were Ember in all looks and appearances. Even on Earth you would have been tried and convicted. In the best case scenario put in a psychiatric hospital until you died if you had switched bodies with someone like Ember.

"I didn't do anything wrong. I know this all sounds very weird and like a plea from someone you know did it. I just want to ask that some one find the truth before it's too late, that is what the ponies I know would do, find the truth."

Luna stood up and walked towards you, then began a slow circle around your body.
"I know how you feel. My sister can be very crass, making problems go away instead of facing them head on. She tends to make split second decisions without thinking of the consequences. Banishing me to the moon was one of these. If not capable of it herself, she sends out her subjects, Twilight Sparkle and her friends to deal with the problem.

"And Twilight Sparkle, having tutored under Celestia for many years has taken to her ways, removing the problem and not willing to hear the truth until the eleventh hour. As intelligent as they may be, they over compensate. Over react. So many of the problems they both share can be solved with patience and observation."

"I cannot promise a pardon or last minute reprieve. My sister and Twilight Sparkle both want retribution. They want Ember to pay for her crimes. This is something I cannot change, truth or not."

"So I'm just going to have to..." you did not want to finish the sentence, knowing that the answer had been cemented into your mind already.

"I will find the truth for you, I cannot promise anything more." Luna said in an unwavering tone.

You wished that there was some solitude you could take in that sentence, but truth or not, it seemed that you were doomed.

"Why are you doing this for me?" you asked, feeling that you were not worth of such effort from a pony that is essentially a god in Equestria. 

"I had met Ember on several occasions, while your demeanor is drastically different from hers, it has instilled a bit of doubt, enough to warrant some concern. She never knew humility as she was filled with nothing but pride. I know that she is also a snake, knowing when to hide and when to strike. You have shown none of this since your imprisonment, casting doubt."

"If you know Equestria's history, then you know that I too have experienced injustice. I was not without blame, but what had been done was far too great a punishment for the crime. I will not sit idly by and wonder if things are as you say, letting an innocent fall victim to blind vengeance. If things can be righted, they will."

You simply nod and wipe the tears from your face. Salvation may come too late, hopefully Princess Luna would be able to pull through, even if that means the noose is cut just a hair away from passing into the infinite.
"You need to check the house that burned down earlier today, I think it may have been Ember's. I asked Twilight to check for the magic circle I saw in there, the basement. It would be a good place to start. I don't have anything else I can offer for proof, unless there is a mind reading spell."

"Such spells are of great danger to use. They can imprint memories of each pony on on the opposite. Without the entire memory, the mind fights to understand why the fragment is there, subconsciously." she answered, proving the thought you had earlier right. "Such things can cascade into larger problems shortly after. It is not something I can allow."

You felt better that some pony was willing to do something, to listen. Just a small droplet of relief in an ocean of anguish. 

"If that is all you wished to speak about, then I must take my leave." Luna announced, after a pause from her answer.

"There was one more thing." It was going to be stupid to ask, and you fought between giving up and going back into the cell or to have it answered. It was just another selfish desire anyway, just like the one that landed you in Equestria in the first place. Better not ask.

"I am still listening." Luna nodded.

"Do I get a last request?" Don't go any further, I am just going to embarass myself.

"I suppose so, though there are limits."

Don't do it, don't ask. She's going to slap me right in the plot, or just say no. You know nothing about Equestria's customs and even if such behavior is allowed. They may hold strict morals in regards to sex.

"I would like to..." What was the word here for sex? Getting bucked was a fan made word, and it may mean something completely different here, something you may not want. "Get a little.. action?"

Luna raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding what you meant.

"Um..." You were searching for a word, but a physical action may be better. You start thrusting your hips forward in a very male motion and make little grunting noises. "That."

Luna's cheeks turned a bright shade of red and a fore hoof shot to cover her muzzle and stifle a gasp, but it was too late, it came out. Her reaction was not as bad as you had thought, but still an indication of it's audacious impact.

"Sorry, that was... Sorry." Asking that question made you feel dirty, like you needed a hot shower and then stay quiet for a few days.

"It's..." Luna paused, her cheeks still flush with red. "Not beyond doing. It seems rather... odd."

"I'd ask to spend some time with Twilight and her friends, but that wouldn't turn out well. There was a guard, a stallion with a chocolate coat and blonde mane that seemed interested." It gave her a direction to go in, if she thought that you wanted to partake with her, this cleared the air as to your intention.

"I'll see about it." Luna said hesitantly, dropping the formal manner she speaks in.

"Thank you for listening, and my odd request. But you said you had to go, and I don't want to waste anymore of your time." You stand up and wrap a hoof around her shoulder in a hug, she responds by wrapping her hoof around you shoulder blades, smiling a bit uneasily down at you.

After the embrace she backs to the edge of the balcony and spreads her wings, ready to ascend into the night sky.

"Aren't you going to take me back to the cell?" You ask.

She flaps her wings and lifts from the balcony.
"You never left. I have come to speak with you in your dreams."

"Is this real then?" You ask, thinking that the events that had transpired were just a delusion of your troubled mind.

"This world, no. The conversation we had is very much real. I will inquire about your story as you sleep, and in the morning when you wake, you will have an answer, to both of your questions."

"Thank you again." you wave with a hoof as she turns around and flies towards the moon. You watch her until her shape is no longer visible in the moonlight.

The coming morning was not something you wanted to face. The new dawn would bring salvation or damnation, and with the body you were in, it would seem that you were damned either way. You couldn't walk around Equestria in the body of a mass murder. It would be like walking through Jerusalem with Hitler's body. If you couldn't go back to Earth, or get a new body here, than it was better off being dead.

If the truth came out, you could always move somewhere else, the zebra headlands maybe? It would be so far away from where you would like to live, away from what you knew and loved from the show. Why couldn't you be some boring pony, a puke green background abomination, that would be a hundred times better than Ember.

Luna had long since gone and the dream scape she created had faded, leaving you in a peaceful rest to dream without interference one last time in the cell. Hopeful for good news, but with all signs pointing towards the end, it may be something you would have to accept.

You didn't want to accept it, even kicking and screaming to the gallows would at least inspire some form of possibility that you may escape or allow a few more seconds for a savior to come swooping down to claim your freedom. Fighting made it feel like there was still a chance.
> Chapter IV : Inferno
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4 : Inferno


You didn't want to wake up. If you stayed a sleep it would mean that tomorrow would never arrive, you wouldn't have to face the inevitable. There was going to be no white knight, no release. Nothing to aid in escape. Just an entire day of waiting for the guards to show up and take you to the gallows where it would all end.

The lack of windows and the constant level of light was infuriating. Normally you would sleep for eight hours at night, but with no clock to track time it could be noon for all you know. 

You stood up, having slept strait up with your back in the corner it ached for movement. Ponies were not meant to sleep like that. A slow walk around the cell removed the twinge of pain, but left a subtle burning sensation to let you know it still needed some recovery from the stiffness.

The shackles felt heavier, though they remained the same. it became harder and harder to lift each hoof off the ground, letting them drag over the surface instead. The collar felt heavier as well, and with it's weight you lowered your head, making it horizontal with your torso.

Maybe this was acceptance? Everything giving up and slowly shutting down as there was no reason left to carry on, leaving just a withered husk that had very little strength to fight back. You went back to the corner and sat down, looking out through the bars.
Breakfast had been served, or was it lunch? The tin tray and pewter mug had already been pushed through the seperation near the floor into the cell. It was two pieces of toast that had been wetted with butter, a pastry with yellow goo inside and the mug held orange juice. With a small nibble on the side of the pastry, you determined it was lemon custard inside a doughnut of sorts and was halfway decent.

The orange juice was the last to go. It was fresh and pieces of pulp clung to the bottom of the cup from squeezing. That was definitely breakfast, but the food was cold, indicating that it had been there for quite a while. You set the mug back down near it's origin on the tray and nearly covered up a piece of paper folded on the tray. It had been sitting perfectly under the mug.
You heart shot into your throat. Was this it? Had Luna actually pulled through and secured your release? Carefully you folded the paper out to reveal the note on it. The letters were written rather carefully, not a hasty scribble. It read:


Dear Traveler,
I hope that this news is not met with anger, but the realization that there are many more that go against my judgement. I inquired at Ember's residence, finding exactly what you had said, and became clear that it's purpose was used as an exfiltration point for Ember.  

I spoke with both Twilight Sparkle and my sister, Princess Celestia. While they acknowledge that the possibility of her having escaped is just as good as her ability to fabricate a lie to save herself, they both remain adamant that Ember is to expire at the end of the day.

I believe firmly that you are not Ember, and would stake my life in your stead if it was allowed. There is nothing more I can say to express my great sadness as to this turn of events.
The stallion you had mentioned, Private Arrow, will be bringing by a gift during his shift.

Everything will turn out fine,
With regret,
Princess Luna


"GOD DAMMIT!" You shout, tossing the letter to the floor and sending an angry hoof towards the tray, sending it clattering across the room and into the opposing cell's bars where it rang out. No guard came in to see what the noise was, as there were none stationed at this early in the morning.

Fuck Luna, fuck Celestia, fuck Twilight and all her fucking friends. Fuck all these fucking ponies. They were more concerned with their own goddamned feelings than actually getting the one responsible for all this mess. Content with just murdering you because you looked like her.

You begin to slam your body up against the cell door, screaming in rage. Still no guards came and you kept beating and beating against the door. There was no pony there to stop you, and the door was not going to move. You just screamed out until there was nothing left and slid to the floor, your side hurting too much to carry on.

Once on the ground, the rage seemed to disappear and turn into tears. Everything was set in stone now. Luna was the last beacon of hope, and instead of doing what was right, she was just going to ignore the facts and go along with her sister and let you die. 
NO, you stomped your hoof to the ground. Luna had to have something planned, something up her sleeve. If there was any pony who knew what this was it was Luna. She wasn't going to let herself get railroaded like Twilight, she was going to stop this, in a clandestine way if need be.

The note said that everything would turn out fine. Truth be told it was a little vague, but there was no reason to put something like that in there if nothing was going to happen. You were going to live and that was the end of the story.
With the tide of tears stemmed for now, you go back over to the note, there was one last part you had glanced over. The unicorn guard was going to be bringing a gift by. That was a bit puzzling as well, whether the gift was part of the salvation, or he himself was the gift remained to be seen.

When was his shift? Last night he had been working rather late in the evening, not the night shift, but during the normal dinner time. It would be cutting it rather close if that was the case. Maybe he was going to be the way out. Not much time left though. It may be halfway through the day already. 

You began to pace nervously around the cell, the chains between the shackles rattling noisily off the floor. If you were gone before they came down to drag you away, there would be ample time to escape out of the city. If plans were to make an escape available during the transportation, it would be much harder, if not impossible to do.

Again, the only thing you could do was wait. The pacing stopped after several minutes and then you retired to the corner to watch out through the bars to watch the nothingness around you happen. Not knowing the exact time it was, and when the execution was scheduled was bothersome, irking you to no end, as every minute that ticked by was time lost from an black hourglass. 





Losing track of time in an environment where the only steady way of tracking it was mentally counting off the seconds, and that can become greatly skewed very quickly, what seemed like an entire day had passed before there was any noise not of your own. 
It was muffled set of hoof-clops, no way of telling if the time had drawn near for escape or if it was all over. They approached closer and closer, finally entering the door. With a bit of relief the unicorn guard from last night entered the room, though completely without the golden set of armor, wearing a saddle bag instead. 

"Hello." he said, closing the door as he entered and levitating the saddle bag from his flank to the floor in the center of the room.
"Hello." you replied back. You wanted to ask him right away if he was the way out, what gift he was bringing, but thought not to. If the rescue was was going to be low key, it would be a jeopardized by the mention of it if he were not involved. It was best to let things play out as they happened and play dumb in the mean time.

"Hey, I'm sorry about last night. I realize that it was a moronic thing to do, and I let my body make decisions and put you in an awkward position." You lowered your tail between your legs and never made eye contact while saying this.

"It was." he nodded slightly "I am here on Princess Luna's behalf."

"Oh?" You ask, waiting for the sweet words that will whisk you away and to freedom.

"I'm here for your last request."

"Oh... Any anything else?"

"No, not at the moment." he answered. "Did you reconsider and want to change your request?"

"I-" you paused for a second, considering other options. "I'm guessing to go free is not on the list?"

The unicorn shook his head no.

"If it is a question what what I need, then that would have been the only thing, freedom or to go back where I belong. Those are the only things I need. If it is something I want, the only thing that comes to mind is what I requested, as selfish and as completely uncalled for as it might seem."

Private Archer, wasn't it? Nodded. He seemed a bit more confident than last night, but still was reserved, holding back.
"This isn't uncomfortable for you, is it? I don't want it to seem that it is all I care about. It's just that I have never done such a thing, and with options as limited as they are, I just think that it's something I would like to experience before the end." Of course you knew that it wasn't the end, a plan was in motion to avoid the reaper.

"I would have to admit, it is a bit uncomfortable to jump into such things as suddenly as this."

"We can call this off, I don't want you to do something because I'm being selfish." You felt like a complete jackass for letting this go any further. It was something that should be called off, Archer seemed to be here on Luna's accord and not of his own volition.
"If this was something I was not comfortable with, I would have turned it down, and would not feel ashamed to do so." He said firmly, sensing your want to dance around the issue.

Pushing the lingering guilt about him being stuck in this situation, unable to refuse an order from the Princess, you nod and begin to wonder how to get things started. Last time he had walked in on your activity, reacting to the situation. It would seem that at the moment neither of you were going to get anywhere, as you were both on the starting line with cold engines.

"Well, I guess we should get started..." you mumbled.

Archer nodded and unlocked the door with his magic, stepping inside the cell.

"How does this work?" You ask, a bit unsure of how things went from a dead stop between to ponies.

"Turn and expose yourself." he said coolly, taking charge of the situation.

You turned your plot towards him and shifted your tail off to one side, pulling the chain between the shackles taught, ready for him to immediately jump upon your back. What happened next took you by surprise.

A warm pair of lips met yours in what felt like a kiss. You tensed up and jumped in your skin at the touch, releasing a small gasp. Last night he was hesitant and seemed to withdraw from the room once he knew what you were doing, but now he had dove right in, inhibitions gone.

The unicorn's lips ran slowly on either side of your folds, tracing a slow circle, following the dry outline with his fine furred mouth, letting his hot breath blast from his nostrils onto your floor chilled nether. This was much less barbaric than what you knew went on with the equines on Earth, it felt tender and natural.

As a bee was drawn to flowers for their nectar, the stallion hovered his lips over your part, hoping to find some sustenance as well. You remained there, standing still and enjoying the attention he was giving you. Of all the times you had done such things, it was only you, the touch of another attempting to bring forth the same sexual arousal felt alien. You knew where to touch, where to stroke and pull, but at the mercy of another left a bit to be desired. By now you would have been feeling relaxed and the onset pleasure wave that would have been the first of many seemed absent. You let him continue uninterrupted, he was still feeling things out and gauging a reaction to the attempts.

You gasped as his tongue slipped from his mouth and licked a path clear between your mound, making a small separation that went no deeper than the the protrusion from your body. The action sent a shiver of pleasure through your muscles that he picked up on and ran his tongue several more times in the same motion. This whetted the dry folds of your plot, making each subsequent pass glide smoother and smoother, pulling less skin away from it's intended location and leaving only a hot piece of flesh working it's way inside.

His focus shifted. No longer sliding between your lips he placed his lower lip below the boundary of your part and the upper lip right on top the clitoris. He gave a gentle tug with his lips, pulling the button from it's resting spot between the mound and into his wet muzzle, suckling the piece as if it were a teet. He drew more of the malleable flesh into his muzzle through a vacuum and then released slowly, letting the sensitive piece glide across his lips in a stimulation that caused a squeak to emerge from your mouth.
You were not sure about him, but any second thought you had about doing this faded and was quickly replaced with an overpowering urge to satisfy the itch he had scratched. It became all you could think about, getting him to climb on your back and bury himself into you plot.

You were wet, each time his nose moved across your mound it let each side slip across the liquid estrous that had painted itself on your part. He pressed his nose against the wetness and inhaled deeply, drawing in a sharp cold with it. 
Archer backed his muzzle from you and took several deep breaths, pushing the air drawn into his lungs out in a heaving effort. It sounded like he was trying to clear an obstruction in his sinuses, but rather the estrous has begun to do it's job, arousing him into a wild state bent on reproduction. He as doing his best to refrain from it's purpose and maintain a level head. 

You looked backwards to see his white painted muzzle gleaming with a thick liquid. His stallion-hood had broken from the sheathe, revealing a white and brown mottled shaft hanging in a half flaccid state. It grew larger with each heartbeat, turning the graceful curve into a strait length the longer he stood stationary to breath through his nose. 
He passed a smile to you and it made your muzzle turn up in satisfaction as well. Both of your faces turned into a stupor as you knew what was going to happen next.

The stallion pressed a nose to your back and shifted forward, propping himself nearly upright with hooves planted on your flank sides. He scooted his rear legs in closer, bringing what you wanted to bear right at your part.

He paused, arching his hindquarters out and moving his rear hooves almost side by side with yours. The un-flared head on the end of his shaft met your separation and you braced yourself for what came next. It was warm, the head, waiting right outside, leaning against the opening, ready to go inside.

You gasped in a mixture of pleasure and pain. With one quick motion he had pushed his way inside, your heart skipping a beat as your track was expanded from closed to fully open. You eyes began to water and you just wanted him to pull out, the sudden influx of pressure forcing out in all directions from the inside was too much to bear. It was a new feeling, to you and this body you inhabited, forcing shallow quick breaths to your lungs.

As the stallion pushed in further, taking it slow so that the mare flesh had time to stretch to is maximum, you felt over full, as if he were too much. His nose was pressed at the base of your neck and you could feel the short ragged gasps blasting heated air under your mane. He began to withdraw, the pressure began to vanish and was replaced with the sensation of being drained, as if his member had gotten stuck and was dragging out your insides with him. 

The bout of discomfort had passed and had been replaced with that of pleasure, your body having adapted to his size as the flexible nature of the mare was always meant to do. Inside you thanked that he wasn't as large as you fantasized Big Mac was, otherwise you were sure your pelvis would have been torn apart by the limb deep inside you. Whatever his size, average or above, it was a bit more than you had expected.

Both of you were panting as if finished with a marathon, him grunting with each exhale and you gasping lightly with each inhale. He was slowly sliding in and out, the bottom of his cock that formed a bit of a ridge and constantly brushed up against the very tip of your clitoral button, turning your knees weak and head in a dizzying array of over stimulation.

You felt bad, as he was doing all the work, thrusting his hips to the echo of wet flash sliding across each other rang through the room while you merely stood there. You began to flex internal muscles intent on slowing him down for a break of the fast pace.
He took this as a challenge though, feeling that you were bent on forcing him out and depriving him of a well earned orgasm. Archer began to dive in more powerful strokes, overcoming any resistance you put up with sheer force. His ragged breathes became deeper and deeper as his effort increased.

This was far from the minute long ordeal equines on earth had, as ponies had human like intelligence that came with the added bonus of endurance. You lost track of time, but swore that at least five minutes had passed, maybe more.

A slow fire had been building, first in your legs and then spreading upwards, it was the beginning signs of an orgasm. The warmth spread to your mound, now fully engorged with blood, began to tingle as muscles tightened. If you could get the stallion to orgasm along with you, it would avoid the unpleasantness of screaming for him to stop before you passed out from too much stimulation before he was satisfied.

He must have been feeling it too, as the thick head deep inside your plot began to expand, pushing outwards with even more pressure than before. With each thrust he paused after bottoming out for a fraction of a second. Archer's light grunting noises began to sound more intelligent, like actual speech. He was nearing the apex, grunting a shallow 'aawwhh' each time he thrust forward. You stopped any vocal interaction, breathing without stifled speech, and remaining nearly silent.

You couldn't hold it any longer, you had stemmed your muscles long enough and they now held you in the grip of an orgasm. You wanted to scream, let all of Equestria know that you were having the time of your life, but instead reared your head back, drew your front hooves together and let out a single long moan that exclaimed your finale.

Everything tightened up, stomach, hooves, pucker and face as the orgasm washed over you. It let go and everything buckled, lost in a wave of uncontrollable pleasure. You front hooves collapsed and you could no longer control them, your rear legs locked into place from the weight of the stallion, but ready to fall once he removed his weight.

You shook, every part of your body was rocked down to the bone, euphoria exploded in your brain and washed out over your body to the point where you swore that your mane quivered in the orgasm. Back behind you, your plot pushed inward and then out separately from the thrusting stallion. You heard a wet smack hit the ground, the fluid stringing in soft tendrils between your plot and its mess on the ground.

You couldn't feel your gender anymore, it had become momentarily numb, along with most of your senses. Your ears rang, your eyes had a thick white peripheral that seemed to swallow the cell floor in front of you. So much of an over load followed that you couldn't make out what you were saying, if it was intelligent and not the squeaks from before. 

Archer finished just as your senses started to come back, his loud whinny was the first thing you hear clearly and his thrusting slowed to several weak pushes before he stopped. You felt your innards swell, his load had been deposited and began to fill every inch that was empty.

He pulled his cock out, with it came an avalanche of thick white batter that streamed out onto the floor. His torso stepped backwards off your rear end and it collapsed down to the ground, legs off to one side, as far apart as the shackles would allow. Completely exhausted by the ordeal, you just laid on the ground, letting everything leak out onto your inner thighs.

Archer stood at your side, his shaft had already gone limp and collapsing back into his body, letting anything left in his urethra spill out with no care as to where it landed.  You just lay there on the cool floor, it was a blessing after the activity.  

He trotted up with unsteady hooves alongside your prone figure and his horn lit up, picking up something off the floor behind your head. You paused to see exactly what it was, a small cone of sorts.

Your heart seized in terror. It was the studding that had been locked to your own horn, now obviously free from your head and no longer stifling the magic, free to use it was you wished.

"When did this happen?" he asked, though his voice didn't sound alarmed, but rather concerned. It was as if he expected it to happen, part of a scripted piece of drama mean to cast you in a shadow. 

"NO! I didn't do it, I swear! It must have fallen off!" You shout weakly.

His mouth straitened then he placed it back around your horn to lock it in place again. 

You remain silent for a while, pondering what this meant. Did he think you had removed it on your own? Would this affect anything with the plans for later this evening?

Archer said nothing, and removed himself from the cell and retrieved his saddle bag. He lifted a flap and levitated what appeared to be a decanter from inside. The bottle looked odd, it had one side that was neary flat, the opposite rounded, as if it had been cut in half and re-sealed to hold liquid.

Inside the corked container was a liquid, one of a pink hue. He passed it through the bars and removed the stopper.

"You need to drink all of this." he said. 

"What? Why? What is it?"

"Something from Princess Luna." he answered.

You eyes flew open, knowing that this must be part of the plan. You take the bottle and pour it's contents into your muzzle.
It tasted like shit, a gritty texture as though sand had been mixed with moldy pink lemonade. You swallowed what your could before removing the bottle from your lips.

"What the fuck is this? It's gone sour." you sputter, feeling the remnants that were not swallowed sticking to your tongue, it's flavor began to rumble in the pit of your stomach.

"Just finish it." he commanded.

You once again take another drink from the glass container nestled carefully between your two front hooves. The second taste was no better, each gulp seemed to stick to your esophagus before giving up and sliding down. It was like swallowing wet sand and it twisted your brain as to what it really was and had to fight down bile rising in the back of your throat.

The unicorn removed the empty bottle from your hooves and placed it back in the saddle bag. Without a word further he went to the door and opened it only after your cell door was shut and locked properly.

"When is..." you ask with a pause, not wanting to think of what was going to happen.

"After dinner." he replied abruptly, then vanished from the room. 

What just happened? You asked yourself. The entire aftermath was confusing, some how the studding that prevented you from using any unicorn magic had fallen off. You didn't do anything to the device, but it still fell off. This entire 'Ember' ordeal was beginning to feel more and more like a set up.

Since you arrived in Equestria, it was clear to any pony that took a but a few seconds to watch you, that you were clearly not the antagonist in the drama that was unfolding through you. Twilight, Princess Luna and even Archer, the stallion that had just taken you had to have seen something, thier gut feeling telling them that Ember as they knew was long gone. Leaving just a shell of some new personality that was confused. This all seemed like a set up.

How could they not see? How could the once proud and head strong 'Ember' turn into a quivering mess of a pony and not raise a flag? Some one that had lived most of their life as a self absorbed, egotistical... The thought stopped, as it was beginning to sound like your life. After all, if you hadn't been so anxious to leave everything behind and join in the fantasy of a lifetime, you wouldn't be here. You would be at work, waiting for the day to end and get back into the fake world of MLP where you could view it vicariously without danger of life and limb.

You were here now, and the dream of interacting with the personalities you had grown to love was vastly different. Twilight was hell-bent on destroying you, the Princess sisters were not as understanding as you had believed. You half expected the rest of the main six to have their own real-world flaws. Rainbow Dash would be a speed freak, with the scars and stories of many crashes to share. Rarity would be even more vain, a self critical artist of the fabric that would fall to pieces at the slightest hint of dis-satisfaction of her products. AppleJack would be a flat out red-neck, as country as a hundred miles from civilization would be. Pinkie Pie would be the party animal, with a pocket full of secrets as to why she is always hyper active.

You had your taste of ponies, as they really were, and you just wanted them to leave and make this just a bad memory to write down and share with the rest of the human world. If they would swallow such a dark version of the ponies they loved. Such a tale would be shunned and marked as half truth of a sick mind. It wouldn't matter, as what happened here, you know was real. 

Still, if this situation wasn't as grim as it seemed, you could deal with this pseudo human world, filled with ponies instead of humans. Any drama and hardship would be easy to bear as it paralleled your human life, but as a pony. For whatever reason, being a pony would seem to make any situation you encountered feel better, because ponies made everything better.

The guard unicorn mentioned dinner, and not lunch. Was it really that late in the day? If it was, time was of the essence, as Luna's plan was soon going to take effect and it would be time to run.

You picked yourself off the floor, still feeling weak kneed from the sexual events that had transpired. You would need your full strength when the plan came to fruition. It was possible that you would need to gallop many miles before you reached safety. 





Enough time had passed for the guard to bring dinner to your cell. Carrots, bread and water, but you couldn't bring yourself to eat. Any hunger that would have been felt was suppressed by the anxious tickle in your stomach, feeling an internal bleeding that would be stemmed but rescue. She hadn't forgotten about you, did she?

After dinner, is what Archer said. After dinner it was going to happen. Guards would come to take you to the gallows, where things would end at a length of rope. Convicted to die for an act you did not commit, innocent in all of this.

Again the thought of death washed over you. Hangings were performed by uncivilized countries on Earth, and the victims of legal or illegal acts usually did not survive. If you weren't rescued, what would it feel like? You didn't know, as it was never something that you looked into. From anything in the papers or select articles online it was fast, a drop and then blackness, the rope long enough to break the neck instead of strangling. 

It wasn't going to happen, you told yourself. Even if the guards had come to take you, she would be there, Luna. To save you from the grip of death, you had expected it from her message in the letter. The liquid had to play a part in all of this, why else would have it been passed onto you to drink?

The wire was here, pressing ever closer. Seconds ticked by, and yet there was no flash of light, no flurry of hooves coming down the hall to your cell. Dinner was here, and time had passed. You began to mentally plead for Luna to show up, take you away. Minute after minute passed and she did not arrive. Damn her, damn these ponies. Why weren't they here?

Questions came fast, faster than you could think of an excuse as to why things were going in this direction. The pacing started again, chains noisily dragging across the stone floor as your hooves stepped as far as they would allow. Why? Why hadn't she arrived? Dammit.

For a brief second your heart skipped, as hooves began to clack against the stone floor, muffled through the door. This was it! She was here! You stood stationary in the cell, remaining quiet as they came closer. The time was here.

The door swung open, and to your horror, five golden armor clad ponies walked inside, all unicorns, Princess Luna was not among them. They lined up around the room and a crimson red guard opened the door.

"Please come with us." he commanded. 

No, NO! This was it, they were here to collect a debt of flesh, your flesh.

"Where is Princess Luna?" you shout, confused that she was not here.

"Come with us." the guard again stated, his face turning sour, turning from the sedate expression he bore when entering the room.

"NO! Princess Luna is supposed to help me!" You shout, brow furrowed in anger.

"Miss Ember, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. We can drag you from your cell if necessary." he informed you.

Anger built, towards the Princess, she had lied. Lied after she promised to find the truth, the truth should have set you free.

"You can go fuck yourself." you asserted through barred teeth.

The unicorn guard opened the door and enveloped you in a cloud of magic. There was no way to fight back, he was too far away to strike him and you had no use of magic to counter his own. Your body floated in a weightlessness, hooves kicking out in any direction that seemed to help. They found nothing to contact except the air.

"Stop it! Please! I'm not who you think I am!" you shout, but it sounded more of a plead than anything else. Swirling in no direction in particular through the cloud, you fought as best you could, but to no avail.

For the first time, you can see the rest of the dungeon. It was deep under ground, the level you were on was the lower most. As the staircase wound up, it stopped on five other levels, each one getting larger as the surface approached, hallways branching off in the cardinal directions. At the top of each landing, there was a rusted iron gate, screeching harshly in your ears as they were unlocked and swung open. There was no way you would have escaped on your own with all this security.

If there was a time for Luna to arrive, it had to be now. Your body was being carried against your will to the end. At the top of the circular staircase there was a heavy steel door, followed by an iron bar door that seemed to be flush with the outer wall beyond it's face.

It led into a small courtyard, still in Canterlot, as the towers of the castle stretched to the sky above out, flags of the Royal Sister's waving above the ground that bore the marks on their flanks. The light from the sun blinded you, as the past days were spent in a dimly lit prison.

The small yard was empty, aside from the wooden structure erected in the center, the gallows. It was brand new, built just for Ember, as telltale piles of sawdust lay heaped on the ground where the fresh wood was cut. 

The gallows were all you could concentrate on. The raised platform, three times as high as any pony you had seen was a grim sight. A staircase led to the top deck, where a lever and the L-shaped arch stood, a trap door directly under the tip of the arch. A rope would be thrown across there, a noose on one end with the other died off to a cleat or wrapped around the wood so that the drop would tug it's hug tightly around your neck.

You knew Celestia wasn't going to be there, she was waiting to lower the sun in the already reddening sky. There was no pony else here, the yard was bare aside from the five guards and yourself. No crowd, no Royal balcony, no pony to watch you leave this world. 

"NO!" You screamed out, echoing across the yard. "Please PLEASE! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LISTEN TO ME!" You kicked out in vain into the magic cloud that engulfed your body. "I'M NOT HER, I'M NOT EMBER!"

The guards merely let your words fall onto deaf ears, they were here to see a job to completion, not rush off to tell the Princesses that you were innocent, and to stay the execution. 

From the corner of the yard, you see a pony dressed all in black, robes. He came forth from the doorway opposite of the dungeon and proceeded towards the gallows.

"FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST! NO, STOP THIS!" You screamed, no doubt it was loud enough for the rest of Canterlot to hear, as if they cared. As the guard who carried you started up the staircase, your clear screams began to turn into blubbering wails. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't..." the exertion and panic caused your body to crave oxygen, your speech hindered by the deep breathes. "I didn't... mean... to... I'm... please!" The ponies ignored you, as every pony had done since you arrived. None of them seemed to care for the truth, they just wanted you dead.

"God... I... don't... want... Luna... to... NO!" Your words became less clear between the heavy chested heaves. It was here, it was going to be over soon. 

Things became surreal, as if you were watching all of this unfold from a viewpoint in the sky. The guard set you down on the platform, holding your hooves in a bright light so that you couldn't move from the position on the center of the trapdoor. 
You watched, from this vantage point in the air, as the cloaked pony slowly ascended the staircase to take a position beside your quivering body. This couldn't be real... the mare before you looked pitiful, wide eyed and short of breath. It was the same mare you saw in the mirror days ago, it was the body you were in.

The cloaked pony took a hoof under the long cloak and brought forth a piece of black fabric. It was a hood, and with a bit of luck, the figure tossed it on top of your head and it landed perfectly, despite being a unicorn, it used it's hooves. The out of body experience was cut off, bringing you back into what your eyes were actually seeing, pin holed light through a black burlap bag.
You still couldn't move, your hooves locked in place by the magic of a guard. You would have run, how far was unknown, but being speared by a guard would have seemed a better fate than what was about to transpire. Your voice remained quiet, as even with it roaring, it was just wasted energy on those unwilling to hear it. 

Your breath was coming in shallow gasps, unable to calm yourself with any fantasy of being rescued, it was far beyond that now as the world seemed blackened by the hood. It wasn't much of a hood, but a square of burlap sewn on three sides.
Tears began to stream down your face, breath quivering as tiny whines paused it's exhale. 

"Please..." you whispered, hoping that somewhere out of the world of black around your head, Luna was listening, still vigilant to your peril. As the sound of rope smacking limply on the wood floor filled your ears, it cause your heart to skip.

There was no sound of rope being dragged across itself, but rather silence that bore into your ears, torturing your soul. 
"Please." you muttered again though tears. This wasn't happening, this wasn't real. You were asleep in your bed and having a nightmare about all of this. Soon you would wake up and all would be fine, this would make a great terrifying story.

Something brushed against the bag, what it was became apparent. A loop of hempen rope closed in around your neck, the unicorn executioner tugging it tight, leaving the coil of rope at the dead center on the nape of your neck.

"Please..." you whisper again, trailing off as the word was finished. There was nothing left to say, nothing left to do. The noose was tightened and the time was near.

The loose end of the rope was passed over the top of the beam above you and tugged tight, so that the loop around your neck was pressing in tight, already offering a bit of constriction. Another tug nearly lifted you from your front hooves, your muzzle sputtering out a breath of resistance at the sudden act. 

"Ember, Arch Mage, " A strong male voice called out, as if proclaiming to a crowd of thousands. "You have been sentenced to hang by your neck until you are dead. The crimes you have committed against all pony-kind are beyond measure, and no justice here can be served in equity of your crime Rather, we are sending you to final judgement of those that can better serve out your punishment. Do you have any last words?"

What good would that do? You had pleaded already, begged already, cried already, told the truth already and there was nothing short of ripping open a hole in space to your real life to prove to them that you were innocent, and this was an injustice. 

"I hope... you know the t-truth... one day. And you c-cannot live with y-yourselves." It was best you can do, curse them to madness that you eventually would be proven innocent, that they would find a fitting end at their own hooves in the same manner you were going to go. 

"Then let the executioner begin at their discretion." 

Fuck, fuck, this was it. Come on MoonButt, do something. A familiar voice rang in your ears.

"For PonyVille." it whispered from off to your right side flank. It was Twilight.

No.

There was a loud wooden slam and your body began to free fall. You hear stopped, there was still time to be saved before your neck was snapped into pieces. 

Far be it you from asking how this was supposed to work, but the free fall should have been longer, there should have been an echo in your skull of bones separating, the last thing you should have heard. You fore hooves merely sank down a few inches and your flank swung under you into a vertical position.

There was no snap, no blackness, just a down ward jerking as the rope clenched tight around your neck. A horrified sound came from your muzzle, it was not clear, just a string of hard consonants consisting of 'C' and 'K' grinding past the noose's embrace. 
This was not going to be quick, the noose was pulled taught as you were standing there, leaving no room for your body to accelerate and generate the force needed to separate vertebrae and your spinal column from each other. This wasn't an execution, it was a murder, meant to make your pain last as long as possible before death.

The sudden pressure that built inside your skull made you head pound. It felt like wrapping your finger in tight string until it pounded in a plea for oxygenated blood. You muzzle seemed stuck open, a bodily attempt to suck in oxygen past your collapsed trachea, but none arrived.

Your rear hooves began to flail wildly, pedaling in mid air to find a ground that had been dropped from under you, never to return. Your front hooves found their way to your neck, to try and remove the ligature strangling your life away. They were unable to do anything, lacking the fingers and even the strength to pull it way from your neck, but they still searched for a way.

Your head felt as if it were going to explode, the blood unable to escape in the volume it needed to. It was enough to sustain consciousness as long as your heart kept pumping. Your cheeks felt inflated and fat, like you were blowing into them without letting the air pass. The pressure pushed against your eyes as well, they felt ready to roll from their sockets into the black burlap covering your head.

The chains between your legs jingled as they continued to find ground in the air. Deep within your lungs a burning sensation seized hold, the oxygen of your last breath was depleting, with new air unable to enter. You lungs were heaving uncontrollably, thirsting for life that was unable to flow into them.

From the gaping muzzle, saliva flowed in copious amounts, a natural reaction to try and lubricate the object your body thought was stuck inside your throat. It spilled from your lips, rolling out in torrents and wetting the bag beneath your chin. The thick and heavy tongue flopped out to one side of your mouth, unaware of the events taking place, it had become limp. 

The burning began to feel like a vice, as the carbon monoxide began to tingle the oxygen receptors, another alarm your body was ringing that you needed to remove the noose. You hooves were still working on finding a place where they could slip between it and your neck, but the rope had squeezed tight enough to roll a layer of skin over to top to protect it from even prying hooves. 
Every self preservation alarm bell rang. Tiny bursts of oxygen depleted air spurted from the grip of the rope, splattering saliva pooled in your throat across the inside of the sack. Where the fuck was Luna? You had to get free of this.

In the blackness of the bag you began to see small spots of light across your vision, they sparked randomly like tiny fireworks on the fourth of July. You entire head felt swollen, numbing as the seconds passed, begging for relief from the crushing pressure. You hooves began to slow down, the rear ones kicking lower and lower, your front hooves no longer clutching at the noose, but rather pawing at the air in front of your neck aimlessly.

You chest heaved, sucking in nothing and quickly falling back down just to try and suck in more unavailable air. The tiny sparks of light became white droplets echoing across a black pool, lighting up brighter and brighter with each thundering heart beat.

For all of the pain, the pressure and the ten tons of weight crushing your lungs in a white hot fire, it was all fine. An overwhelming sense of peace passed over your body. Your fore hooves dropped down onto your stomach, your legs no longer kicking wildly in the air, they just twitched slowly. Luna was going to save you... she was already here.

Luna was taking you away. There was no noose, no execution. No pain. Just you and her in stillness. She smiled at you, said that things would be just fine. And they were. She began to fly away, into the white, leaving you alone. The peace continued and the white world began to fade into black.

Chains stopped rattling, the choked sounds of strangulation ceased, every part of the pony was now limp. The mare was still, only slightly moving from the previous struggle. Twisting in the wind.


There was only peace now.
> Chapter V : Phoenix
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5 : Phoenix



The deed was done, the bane of Equestria had passed. No other villain in it's entire history had caused so much pain, suffering or death. The exploits of Discord, King Sombra's enslavement, Tirek's siphoning of magic and even the Changeling army together were nothing compared to the past months. Their brand of evil was more of a nuisance to buzz in your ear, swatted away with a  hoof and it never returned. It was a pony and not a mythical beast that had caused this.

PonyVille had dug it's last grave, the physical tragedy passed to the earth, but the scars of the mind would remain for decades. As the town began to re-build, everypony remained silent, the homes they were constructing had become as empty as their lives felt. Fewer homes and businesses were erected, as there were not as many ponies to fill them.

The months past were trying, testing the resolve of all who took part in the matter. It should have been a time of joyous celebration, where the execution would make headline news across all of Equestria. But the news had not yet gone out. They were waiting, holding their breath to see if the plan they had laid out paid off.

Ember should have been the last to go into the ground, thrown into a shallow hole near the EverFree forest, the ground trampled by vengeful hooves and spat upon by unkind muzzles. Just a nameless skeleton to be found in the future, if the corpse was ever found. To be forgotten for all time.

As the last of the light became cloaked in the moon's blue aura, the swinging body of the hanged mare was carefully cut down, wrapped in fine linen then taken into the Royal sister's castle proper. Her body was brought inside the walls and laid to rest for the night. Only tomorrow would tell if things had been set right.





Inside the castle, the two Princesses and Twilight gathered in one the luxurious private lounges, taking seats that were arranged in a circle around a central coffee table. They remained silent for several minutes, as this was the first time they could breathe a sigh of relief in private over the matter.

"It is done." Celestia broke the silence, though stating the obvious.

"It is." Twilight echoed, shifting her hooves uneasily on the couch she was on. Rarity would have vomited, the sick greens and yellows of the couch that turned even her stomach were a disaster and an eye sore.

"Where will she go?" Luna asked, moving the conversation along.

"I don't know if PonyVille would be right, there is still alot of pain, seeing her there would just serve to make it worse." Twilight mumbled.

"I think that Canterlot should be suitable for now. Once time passes, it may be possible to move her elsewhere." Celestia stated.

"That is agreeable." Luna nodded and turned to Twilight, her gaze was enough to understand she sought input.

"Yes, I have no objections to this." 

Twilight did not look at either of the Princesses, awash in feelings of righteous vindication for what she did, ending Ember. But the growing regret of having ignored the traveler's truth, and putting her through everything was beginning to mount.

Luna knew it, Celestia knew it, and Twilight herself knew it. Perhaps the Princess were fairing outwardly better, having made hard decisions in the past to protect all of Equestria at greater costs. They both seemed to be normal, and she was dying inside.
The silence once again continued, stating the obvious would merely pass a round of nods from each of them with a verbal confirmation. There was very little any of them could say on the topic, as all were waiting for the next morning's sunrise. 

Watching the mare strangle slowly had brought a level of satisfaction, but the cost of doing it to an innocent pony, or person as the traveler was before, was a cost that she wasn't willing to live with. At the time all she could think of was revenge, making Ember pay for what she had done. Hearing the rope sing out as it creaked was music to her ears, every push of air past the deathly tight noose was a symphonic masterpiece and the chains rattling as the hooves became less and less coordinated finished off the masterpiece of destruction.

But with the execution over, the desire to avenge was gone, replaced with that of guilt instead of jubilation. After all, hindsight is always 20/20. Now she just felt that her and Ember were now shared a common kinship, that of the suffrage of innocents.

"Why did we have to do this? We all know that it was wrong. We should have sent an incursion to where the traveler came from to apprehend Ember. There should have been no reason that she, the pony here, had to go through any of this." Twilight asked.

"That would have been a fruitless endeavor." Celestia reminded her. "The magic we share here does not work in the same manner as the Traveler's world. We would be looking for Ember in a new body, one who's features we did not know. We could have searched until the end of time and still not locate her."

Luna chimed in;
"While Ember was beyond our physical reach, she was still linked to our world, our laws. Those born in Equestria, as with others that are born to their worlds, are subject to their laws. No matter how far you go, how many worlds you visit, you bear the mark of your birth. Ember's body was here, but her essence or soul, was inhabiting another. It would have been impossible to bring her back, as the traveler would have to learn the required spells to make another transfer." 

"We needed to act as fast as possible, for a brief period of time, the two were still linked, one that would have faded over time if we sought to bring the real Ember back and send the traveler to her world again. We used this link to our benefit. But it required the traveler to remain in the dark as to what was happening, as we did not know how deep the connection was between the two. We were not sure if she would be able to return to Equestria and reclaim her body, to stop any plan to deal justice upon it."

Celestia nodded in approval and continued speaking for Luna.
"If she was able to watch from the Traveler's world, it could have been possible for her to stop any attempt to cross over with body or magic to reach her."

"Ember was no foal, she knew what she was doing and made sure to leave what could be considered a fail safe. If we attempted to bring her back, force her into her original body, it would have been devastating. Ember had enchanted her own body with a 'Black' spell known as 'Mortuus Ambulet'. For thousands of years this spell has been banned, locked away in the Black Library. She gained access, unbeknownst to us, and cast it upon herself. This spell is very deadly, as it can be cast to meet various conditions. If we had attempted to pull the traveler from her body and return her, the spell would have been triggered. It had been banned because the effect of the spell triggers a release of energy equivalent to the level of magic contained within them. As a unicorn who had access to nearly limitless magic, this would have been devastating. The entirety Canterlot, earth, stone and pony would have been turned into ash." Celestia paused to take a breath after the long winded verbal onslaught.

"Instead we searched for an answer, and found a suitable spell. It was another Black spell, 'Conjunctus Fatum'. It is a spell that ties two ponies together, in life and death. If one fell, the other would perish as well. The Traveler's spirit was a sufficient substitute for the first portion and Ember's body was the other, as she was stilled linked to it. Celestia and I joined the two together, making their fates as one." Luna explained.

"Luna and I..." Celestia moved her hoof towards her sister. "We offered of ourselves, lending a portion of our lives to a potion that would spare the Traveler from death but not Ember. A potion of two parts was made, one part that the Traveler ingested, so that when death came there was ample life to take. Leaving her with just a sliver to hold onto. The other to restore the portion that was left after the reaping. Death came during the execution, and claimed two lives, what I had offered, and Ember's. Satisfied, he left the traveler with a thin string to hold onto."

"The second potion was administered once the body of the traveler was safely inside the castle. She is resting now, her mind cold to the world as Luna's spirit draws her body back to full strength. With a portion of Equestria now now in her veins, she is part of our world now."

This was all new news to Twilight, as in this instance this information may have been passed on inadvertently from her to Ember. Princess Celestia merely told her that things would be set right, without an explanation as to how. She asked though, and was simply told to trust her teacher.

This was alot of information to take in. Black Library, forbidden spells, and Celestia and Luna crafting a way to strike at Ember from across the universes, though to their detriment.

There wasn't time to explain the fine details before, just the assurance from the Royal sisters that the traveler would be spared death, but not the pain that both she and Ember would share. Hurting her before was just out of blind anger, but the slow asphyxiation at the noose was a preventative measure, as the Sisters knew that a spinal rupture may have left permanent damage to the traveler's new body. They opted with a safer alternative, but it was more painful.

Twilight just hoped that once things were explained that the Traveler would understand why thing happened the way they did. And that she would be able to forgive what they had done to her. They could have found a more peaceable measure for the Traveler.
"I just hope that she can forgive me... I mean us." Twilight sighed.

"It may take time and she may not even then. For better or for worse, she is still alive. If time was not of the essence, things would have been handled with more care." Celestia reasoned, trying to put Twilight's mind at ease that some good had been done.

There was no erasing the guilt though. For a second she thought how Ember's host had been treated, spending two days wondering if she was going to be rescued, saved from death and driven mad that it never came. Cursing them as she faded into the blackness. It must have felt like being chained to the bottom of a tank, watching the water draw closer with no way out. Screaming and tugging at the chain, reddening the water as it ate into your flesh down to the bone.





You heard Twilight, and that was odd. She wasn't laughing, dancing on your corpse or tearing you to pieces, but was crying. The sounds were muffled, but it was surely the sounds of someone weeping uncontrollably.

You were afraid to know where you were. That you might be floating out of your pony body and off into the heavens. Perhaps catching a glimpse of her by your corpse, wanting to take it back, to save you.

"I'm sorry." she kept repeating through heavy chested sobs.

The area where the noose had wrenched your throat shut ached, feeling partially collapsed still and burning with fire. That was overshadowed by a powerful pounding in your skull. It couldn't be real, you had blacked out, died. It was unclear if it was residual, being the last thing you felt, or reality.

"You're a fucking cunt, Twilight." you rasp, surprised that your voice wasn't the echo in your head you thought death would make it sound like. As a hoof of Twilight's touched yours, things began to feel alot like you were alive, and not dead. Was it possible that Luna came to save you at the last moment?

Your eyes shot open, letting in light that made your headache pound even harder. The pain was a welcome feeling, better than the stars blazing across the blackness and an unquenchable fire that consumed your lungs. What had happened?

"What the fuck?" You ask, more to yourself than any one else. You prop your back up in the bed. Your movement batted Twilight's hoof away accidentally, as your nerves below your neck were once again waking up to collect information.

"I'm sorry." she repeated again.

It was at this moment when you took in your surroundings. If a pony fan's dream was to die and go to Equestria, this was a nightmare, as everything appeared the same as before. Twilight Sparkle was at the bedside, tears welling in her eyes in delight that you were here. The bed had white sheets, white pillows, curtains, everything in the room was white. Lamps hung on chains with clear crystal, casting a harsh beaming light into the white room.

You lay back down, paying no heed to the mare who has taken an interest in your well being. An overwhelming feeling of having escape the reaper fluttered moths in your stomach, not butterflies. You were sure they were moths, as they still fluttered, but could quickly begin to chew away the world of whatever this construct of a world was.

"Am I dead?" You ask, knowing that either answer was going to bad. Dead and in paradise of ponies, which wouldn't be that horrible if it wasn't for the bad taste that the previous ponies left in your mouth. Or you were still alive in the world of dark ponies, the reason why escaped your mind.

"No, you are very much alive, thankfully." Twilight planted two hooves on the bed and stared into your blood red eyes, as the hanging caused several vessels to burst from the cranial pressure the noose caused.

"What are you doing?" You shift away from her.

"I can heal them, your eyes. They are blood red."

"NO!" you shout, "Leave me alone, just go away!"

Twilight ignores your movement away from her and picks you up in a cloud of magic, taking away the roaring headache and making everything inside new again. The burn of the rope, the pain of pulled muscles and the agonizing headache, all of it gone. It was like an invigorating shower, making you feel like a new mare. She sets you back down in the bed and passes a nervous smile as she quickly wipes away the tears still clinging to her fur.

"This doesn't fix anything, I still hate you. I'm never going to be your friend." You said this out of hatred, just wanting to see her cry, that somehow that would make you feel better. Twilight's ears dropped and the nervous smile faded into a frown.

"I know that what I, Celestia and Luna did was... Well, what happened was wrong. I have no answers to make you feel better. I just hope that over time, you will be able to forgive me. If you don't, I'll understand." She turned and walked towards the door. She turned back to look at you for a few seconds. "Celestia and Luna will be able to explain everything."

"Get the fuck out of here, psycho bitch!" You were just saying things now to degrade her, after all she deserved it. Truth be told, it would not bother you if she never walked into your line of sight again. Expecting everything to be fine now, because you were alive and that whole execution was just 'in the past'. If this was what the real Ember had to put up with, there was no wonder why she torched PonyVille. 

At least there were no shackles or bars, a lingering feeling that just beyond the set of doors, there were several guards. A different kind of prison. 

Now would be a good time to leave, just go away and live somewhere else, far away from Twilight and the rest of the blood thirsty ponies.

You roll of the side of the bed and trot to the window as fast as your body could. Oh, it felt so good to be alive, to peer down from the castle out onto the streets of Canterlot without having to run away from the three most powerful ponies in Equestria hunting you. The city was quiet, not many ponies out at this hour.

The cool night air filled your lungs as you poked your head from the window. The room was several stories up, too far to jump. But if you could teleport down down there, it would be possible to leave. 

Instead of a hurried spell, you began to focus. You wanted to be down there, by that lamp post. GO! Nothing happened. Damnit! 
As hard as you may have tried, there was nothing. Not even the beginning of a spell. Before there was a feeling, everything in the room 'spoke' to you. You could feel the walls, the furniture, the building. Now there was nothing, not even the tingle down your horn before everything had burst into flames.

With a slight hesitation, you reach up to your horn. Your eyes went wide as the thought it having been cut off filled you with dread. Your hoof touched the protrusion, at least it was still there. With a few more seconds of exploration you realized that the studding was still there. It's smooth outer surface with a large ring base where a key would go, obviously locked still.

Had they just forgotten to remove it? Or was is a preemptive move, prevent you from doing anything ever again with magic. What was the point of being a unicorn if you wouldn't use magic? That was like Rainbow Dash without wings. It was probably a good idea to find out what was going on. You back away from the window and head to the large wooden double doors.

Princess Luna and Celestia were just outside the doors to the bedroom where you were. They politely invited you to take a seat, then proceeded to tell you exactly what they told Twilight. Linking, shared fate spells and the two giving up a portion of their lives to save you. 

The stallion's actions that caused the studding to fall off were part of a separate test that Twilight took upon herself to administer. She had unlocked the device the night before, hoping that it would fall from your horn in transit to the cell. If you were Ember, you would have immediately teleported from the dungeon., But she had been urged to leave for PonyVille by Celestia and had done so. Though her tests had proved that Ember was truly gone, Celestia and Luna had already found the truth and needed to act on it, nullifying Twilight's test. Though she was ready to risk everything, going against the Royal Sisters to save you, had you passed her test.

Celestia excused herself once the information was relayed. The hour was quite late, she had been up for almost two days without sleep and desperately needed it now before she was going to bring a new day forth in several hours.

"What does all of this mean? Am I part Alicorn Princess now?" You asked Luna, not wanting it to be true. The entire 'Twilight is a princess now' came so far out of left field it scared most of the pony fans, but here she was just regular Twilight. The decision to crown her as a princess back on Earth was a toy sales ploy, but if handled at a later date in the series, it would have been welcome.

"It merely means you have a portion of myself inside you. There are no benefits or detriments. Just a gift we gave so that you should be spared death. Becoming a Princess is about deeds, and never about bloodlines." she answered.

"Why didn't you let me know about all of this? The plan and everything?"

"I wrote a letter, was it not delivered?" Luna asked in surprise.

"It was, but I took it to mean that you had given up, left me to die."

"The letter told you that everything would be fine. I could not give anymore than that, as my sister and I were unsure of how much Ember was still watching through you."

"And what happens next, when do I get this removed?" You pointed towards the metal studding locked around your horn.
"What happened next is up to you. There is no possibility to return you into your own world. Ember has met her fate, taking your original body with her in death."

"There are two foreseeable options. The first is that you may move to PonyVille, and under the tutelage of Twilight, will teach you about magic as Ember learned long ago. This will take time, as the body you inherited is not too welcome there as this time." 

"The second is you remain here in Canterlot, as you are now. You will be watched closely by Celestia and I. We will expect you to learn the arts of magic, as the same with Twilight, to fill the void that Ember left with her betrayal."

"I want nothing to do with Twilight, there is something seriously wrong with her. She was more than ready to slit my throat, heal me back to health and do it again." you say, crossing your hooves over your chest to show the discuss you feel.

"Twilight has been through alot. Her actions will haunt her for the rest of her life. If you do not find a way to make peace, such painful memories will have you both at odds. As I learned, anger in Equestria has a way of drawing in unwanted shadows if it is not placated. I would ask that you do your best to forgive. After all, she came back from PonyVille just to make sure that if the spells we cast failed, that you would not pass into death."

"I don't want her anywhere near me."

"Traveler, you have to understand. She-"

"NO! I do not ever want to see her again. That is FINAL!" It probably wasn't the best idea to tell a Royal sister to can it. It didn't matter what she went through. Taking great joy in watching another pony you knew to be innocent suffer is just part of a more serious problem. You had thought it so many times before, but it passed through your head again, this is not your Equestria.
"Why not?" Luna asked, appalled that somepony would speak to her in such a manner.

"Nothing here is how I imagined it. I don't like this version of Equestria. Twilight is supposed to be inquisitive, smart and worried about the small things to no end. She's even more unstable than the Twilight I thought I knew. If I could leave, I would. But I am stuck here, and the choices you had laid out seem more like gilded cages."

"I am sorry that things do not meet your expectations. As I would understand the concept from your world, being here is a great opportunity. No matter how different our world is."

"In addition to the second remark, you have to see things from our side. Your body is the third most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria. Whether or not you use that magic yourself, there are ways to take it from you. To have such a great power, unaccounted for can potentially lead to more disasters like PonyVille. If you want to learn, Twilight will teach you to control it so that it is never stolen from you. If this is too much of a burden to bear, then the studding will stay on and you will remain under our supervision."

"Yes, a gilded cage. Stuck in Canterlot until I die. Or become the student of a pony who seems like she is five minutes away from needing a strait jacket and a padded cell somewhere. Both sound like really awesome choices."

Luna's eyes angered, and she began to speak in an elevated tone.

"Twilight Sparkle lost her home, nearly lost her friends and is fighting hoof and horn to keep herself together. She has alot of things on her mind, and you holding a grudge is not helping her. Celestia over reacted and punished me unfairly. I could have rebuilt the castle I destroyed and lived apart from her, raising the moon when she lowered the sun. I could have remained bitter and callous, but I chose to put the past behind me and to start anew. You wish to know anger? You should spend a thousand years on the moon in cold loneliness, cursing your sister's name and plotting revenge that should have been one remembered for all ages." 
"What Ember did was nothing compared to my desire to have night last eternal. If I had my heart's desire, Equestria would have seen everypony frozen that had not starved to death. So sit there, pout and feel sorry for yourself, but you DARE NOT tell me how you have been wronged. Your foalish grudge makes me laugh. We gave you a second chance, listened to your requests to find the truth. I gave you a part of my life, do not make me wish I had not done so." Luna hissed.

You said nothing. Everything seemed as if it was falling apart. A visit to Equestria wasn't supposed to happen like this. More and more what hope you had that there was still a bit of 'My Little Pony' left began to fade. This was just Earth, with ponies instead of humans. This included all the bullshit that made you want to leave Earth for Equestria. There didn't seem to be much friendship or magic here.

It came to mind that Luna may have been right. Perhaps you were just seeing the bad, as from the first minute you were here that was all you knew. You arrived at a very dark time, everyone's emotions were red-lining, clouding judgement. Things had settled, you were alive at the very least and from here on out it may get better. You may still see the Equestria you were familiar with.
There was no reason to feel bad, but you did. If you hadn't arrived, you could have avoided all of this. They were the transgressors here who merely wanted blood at any cost. Maybe this was the good side you began to feel, wanting a peaceful resolution to all of this. The stunning words you shouted at Twilight began to tear at you inside, feeling as if you were back in the cell and everypony viewed you as the murdered Ember was. Deserving of your fate.

"Perhaps you should sleep on this for several days. We are relieved, if not sorrowful that the situation was handled as it was. I would ask that your decision is to be made without anger." Luna broke the silence, returning her voice down to a level tone.

You still said nothing, wanting to shout and scream. Twilight was the only one to have shown remorse for what happened, however hollow you felt it was. The Royal sisters seemed mostly calm and collected about the matter. They had to be, seeing hundreds of thousands of days pass, ponies living their lives and passing on. They had to become numb and displaced in the wake of the world passing them by. Becoming attached would just become heartache after heartache in time.

"There will be guards outside all night if you should need anything." Luna said, turning to the door and leaving shortly thereafter. It was apparent that they were going to treat you well, but it was still a life in a gilded cage.

Once there was some quiet, you began weighing your options.

If you were to stay in Canterlot at the palace, it would be comfortable. Perhaps frequent trips to the library would be possible, to fill in all the lore that the show merely glanced over or never revealed. Anywhere you went would come with a guarded escort, that would have it's drawbacks.

It would be lonely though, very few ponies may want to bond with an 'uncivilized' pony as you because you were not accustomed to their traditions. Always asking questions, committing social fauxpaxs left and right and never having money of your own to spend. Plus the armed escort everywhere, scaring off any pony who had wanted to approach you.

On the other hand, or hoof as you had now, Twilight may be the answer to the highest level of freedom you could attain at this moment. But could you trust her? She had spent the last few months tracking down Ember so that she could lay her wrath upon her. If you stayed with her, what if she awoke from a nightmare and saw you, what would she do then? It was possible in the adrenal rush of waking from a terrible dream would spur a lapse of memory and she would destroy you in the blink of an eye.
Was it possible to trust this dark Twilight that she would not do anything? You reminded her of a great pain. While Ember was dead and gone, her other half still remained, her body. The one that everypony recognized as a murderer.

Would she let you in again, back into her life so willingly? Ember and Twilight had been close before, your body had been her student, her apprentice. It couldn't be that easy, to start back from square one and to let her become attached again. To have a lingering doubt that if she brought you back to the level of power your body had once held that you may cause another tragedy.
It would be possible, if not the safest move to give Twilight a chance. How many others could say that they learned the great magics alongside her? Get to know her on a personal level, along with the other mane six, if they accepted you as a new pony in a dreadfully familiar body.

This was a choice to be made later. Events were still fresh in your mind and if you made a descision one way or another, it might be something to regret later on down the line. It was time to get some sleep, now that the noose was no longer looming over your head. The one thing you knew for sure at the moment was that you wanted apples for breakfast.





It was minutes before sunrise. Celestia was already awake, preparing to raise the sun from it's slumber, Luna was ready to put the moon to rest. With both of the Royal sisters preoccupied, shadows crept into the castle under their averted eyes. Slipping under the drawn gates like smoke through a chimney.

Five wisps moved from shadow to shadow as the guards patrolled. Cloaked in magic, they were silent and unseen, creeping closer and closer to the room in which you slept. They slipped inside unseen by the two guards outside and surrounded your bed. The smoke formed the bodies of the five and they stepped forth.

"It seems that our Mistress still lives." one whispered from under a brown cloak.

"It was as I said, her body never left our realm. Her plan will still bear fruit."

"We must take her at once, so that we can bring her spirit back into it's rightful body."

"She's even been studded. The Royal sisters must still fear her, even in such an unfocused state." one pony pointed with a mocha brown hoof towards the nullifying cap around your horn. 

The hushed whispers drove you to wake, having been sleeping lightly for fear that your trials were not over. You began to stare at the robed ponies, recognizing only the voices from the first few minutes when you had arrived in the dark cellar.

"Oh Jesus Christ, not you guys again." you blurted out.

"Silence!" one of the ponies shoved a hoof to your mouth.

You push it away and begin to speak.

"Ember is dead. Celestia and Luna were able to save me while killing her. Just go and leave me alone. I won't even call the guards if you just leave."

In a confused silence the figures looked back and forth at each other, wondering if what you had said was true. 
"We shall find out for ourselves. Even so, your body is still valuable beyond measure to us." a male spoke.

Before you had time to shout for a guard, the five lit their horns and in a blinding flash of light took you with them.
When you re-appeared it was pitch black. The only clue as to your where about was the thick smell of molded water in a wet basement. Unclean air filled your lungs causing you to wheeze as it's putrid stench passed through your nostrils.

"Secure her to a wall." a female commanded, lighting her horn to that of a torch, illuminating the basement. 

The large stone room was mostly empty, save for an upturned bucket and the glint of new metal bolted to the wall. The roof was the bottom of a wooden floor that had seen too many years. The planks that were still there had been twisted by rain and splintered by the sun, the thatched roof had long since rotted away and letting the harsh elements inside.

You began to shout in protest as you were lifted in a magic haze towards the back wall. A metal plate sat at flank level, a second hinged portion with three curved sections had been swung open and you were forced into a sitting position with your back against the wall, fore hooves out by your head and the strip was closed. A lock floated from the wet floor and kept the restraint from opening. 

The thin blanket of cold water soaked into your rump and tail, chilling your backside with it's disgusting wetness.

"LET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" you screamed, pulling at the metal that trapped your hooves and neck. It didn't give but rather bit into your fur with little care to the blood it began to draw.

"Scream all you want. There is nopony out here that will hear you." the mare with the lit horn said between your shrilling demands. "Run your voice ragged if that pleases you."
The rest of the ponies had ascended the stairs and walked off to another structure, unseen by your eyes.

"We will be back once we asses the situation." she informed you, then followed suit up the stairs to disappear.

You grunted to push as hard as your strength would allow, but the metal bond would not give. It's harsh edges had already cut into your skin, and pushing any harder just dug the wounds deeper.  You growled in disgust, wishing that the studding had been removed.

This was becoming all to common, locks and restraint, coupled with bone marrow shriveling fear. But you were not afraid this time, it was anger instead. Things had settled down and a slower pace was ahead, but that all became null and void when Ember's students-turned-arsonists showed back up. Whatever they were planning, it couldn't be good.

While time began passing, you began to reach up and test the strength of the studding attached to your horn. If you were to be found, starting a fire would be the best way, as you were sure that everypony from Canterlot was out looking for you by now.
The sun peeked above the horizon, beginning to send it's rays through the broken flooring above. Well, Celestia and Luna were not looking, perhaps Twilight was. Either way, you were stuck until events changed.

The light of the sun began to heat up the basement, sending the rank smell of what looked like sewer water deeper into your nose and lungs. Trying not to breathe but every once and a while didn't help, it left you gasping for breath as the stench drew tears and made bile rise in the back of your throat.

The cult ponies hadn't returned for several hours. You sat on tired legs that ached to stand, having been compressed at the sides of your flank for hours. It wasn't possible that they had forgotten you, both sides of this tragic event knew how important you were.
As the sun reached noon, the air inside the cellar began to tingle every strand of dry fur on your body. A small light appeared and with a suppressed 'whump' Twilight Sparkle appeared. She lit her horn to a low glow and surveyed the area, immediately spotting you.

Your eyes open wide and start motioning your head towards you, indicating without words that it was best to be silent and your restraints need opening.

"Who did this?" She whispered, knowing that you did not travel as far as she had with a spell, as you would have only been on hoof.

"It was the cult ponies that helped bring me here. How did you find me?" You whisper back, not knowing how far away the others were.

"I had to learn a locating spell, otherwise I would have been here earlier." she replied. 

Twilight focused what appeared to be a laser beam from her horn onto the lock. It instantly turned into metal slag and fell to the floor, hissing in agony as it cooled in the water. The metal restraining band swung open and you immediately dropped your hooves to the ground, glad to be able to stand.

"Were are we?"

"About half a mile inside White Tail woods. It's nearly a hundred miles to PonyVille and twice that to Canterlot. We need to leave now." She wrapped her hoof around yours and began the teleportation spell. Instead of jumping to a safer location, the spell fizzed out and sent tiny sparks from her horn to drown in the sick water below.

"Celestia!" Twilight cursed, "They have a protection aura here. We can't jump out, we'll have to run until we can."

"I don't know which way to go. I've been down here the entire time." you protest this plan, running into the blind without knowing what was out there was sure to be suicide.

"We just run." she murmered, taking the stairs with your following close behind her.

Twilight knew more than she was telling, more concerned about escape rather than bringing the robed ponies in for justice. Perhaps the five of them combined were enough to overpower her, magic wise.

As you rounded the top of the stairs, you saw the rest of the nearly leveled house. The walls had fallen over, the roof torn off. The gay coating of paint had been stripped off, leaving only bare splintered wood. It was as if some great force pushed it over long ago. 
The once well kept grounds were overgrown with weeds. The home was nestled between a grove of trees that formed a thin canopy overhead. A rundown looking well was halfway between the house and a barn that had faired better than any of the other structures. Inside the barn would have been a good bet for the location of the robed ponies.

"This way, the path." Twilight voiced, pointing towards what had once been a gravel road, now overgrown with weeds and grass.
You both carefully trot as quiet as possible through the flank grass and foliage until the barn is behind several large trees, then you both kicked up to full speed, hooves pounding the earth to gain as much distance as possible.

Up a head you both spy a carved wooden totem of sorts, painted in bright colors and pinned to a tree. Before you can ask it's purpose Twilight informs you.

"There!" She huffs. "A binding totem, it grounds all higher level spells from use within it's range." 

When she reached the base of the tree it was hung on, Twilight stood on her rear hooves and plucked the wooden carving from the tree. She placed it on the ground and smashed it with a strong stomp, splintering it's intricate runed face, releasing the trapped enchantment back into the world.

"We can jump now." she hastily grabbed your hoof and tried the spell again. For a second time it failed. She growled in anger and stomped on the broken totem several times, muttering what appeared to be pony curse words you had never heard before under her breath.

"Twilight Sparkle." A voice spoke, clucking her tongue. "Did you think that we would only have one totem placed about our lair? Truth be told there are several more about these woods."

The brown cloaked pony moved the grass aside and walked out into the small clearing towards you. In a clockwise motion the other four robed ponies did the same.

"It seems that now we have the two most powerful mages in our grasp." one of the males grinned.

"What are you hiding? Uncloak yourselves!" Twilight shouted. 

"Dear Twilight, we are hiding our oath to Ember. To follow her to the ends of Equestria. After our initial attack, it became clear that we needed to hide it, as we would be sought out. But if you want to see the breadth of our loyalty before we take you both, then so be it." the male chuckled.

A hoof pushed back the brown hood that hung over his face and slouching around his neck.
The sight was horrifying. There was a golden yellow muzzle and the tell tale unicorn's horn, but below his cornflower blue eyes lay just mangled grey skin. Where a mane should have been, there were only small tufts of hair that grew between the ugly skin. The parchment thin epidermis was wrinkled like discarded paper, forming thicker folds that spread out randomly down his exposed neck and even further under the cloak.

It appeared as if he had been burned, consumed in a great fire that robbed him of a beautiful coat and mane. He dropped the rest of the cloak, exposing the rest of his body. The ribbed skin looked pulled taught across his ribs, the fur no longer hiding his true shape. Pale grey and a throbbing pink were mottled across the hideous landscape that was his hide. The flank bore no cutie-mark, it had been singed away.

Twilight's brow furrowed and you gasped in surprise, seeing such a thing made your stomach turn.
"Do not feel sorry for us, Ember. You had taken us, cleansed us of impurities as our vow to you. We do not wear your mark as one of shame, but pride. We bathed in your flame and survived."

"I'm... NOT EMBER!" You shouted while choking back a dry heave building in your stomach. "She's dead. And I am not going to do anything for you."

"My dear, all we need is her body." he grinned, the burnt flesh wrinkled back upon itself like a silken sock pushed down from it's length.

"You will have to get through me." Twilight jumped in front of you and the burned pony. Her head was lowered and a small orange ball began to form on the tip of her horn.

The pony made a step forward, confident that the five could take on Twilight easily if she tried anything.
The orange ball shot from Twilight's horn and curved in the air to strike the uncloaked monstrosity on his side. It was met with an opaque green sphere that formed around him, causing the ball to skip off the shielding into the forest behind. The ball struck a tree and exploded, sending a thunderous shock wave that flattened the grass and sent the tree into splinters.

A full on battle of five against one began.

The other cloaked unicorns dropped their hoods to reveal equally disfigured faces and began to fire bolts of energy from their horns as towards Twilight.

As the attacks came in, Twilight simply moved her head to re-direct the balls to a pony on the opposite side where the attack initiated. The unicorns began to jump out of the way as the incoming fire from their allies began to strike the ground and trees near them.

As the spells rained in, Twilight began to time her blasts to fire them at the incoming projectiles, sending them skittering through the woods where they harmlessly exploded away from them. The robed ponies then had to dodge the powerful ball headed towards them, jumping behind trees to save them from the following explosion that shot showers of dirt and rocks into the air and then raining back down.

Twilight merely stood there, sending the incoming magic attacks into the opposite direction. This was foal's play. She began to focus her attacks to the ground, each sending a wash of dirt and rocks from the explosion into the bodies of the opposition. 
One ball landed at the hooves of a female unicorn, the explosion sent her flying into a tree like a rag-doll where she struck her head and collapsed into a heap on the ground.

With the incoming fire lessened, she had a chance to focus on the four remaining ponies. You laid flat on the ground at her hooves, it seemed to be the safest place from the blasts that shook the grass and leaves on the trees.

The attackers were uncoordinated. They began to hide behind trees to peek out and fire a blast that Twilight merely shrugged off. 
This proved to be their downfall, as Twilight began landed a successful hit on the trunk of a thick tree. The energy turned the wood into splinters that shot out into the pony hiding behind it, driving thousands of jagged wooden slivers through the cloak and into the marred body. He rolled out from behind the toppling tree screaming in agony from the broad sided penetration.

With two of their friends down, the ponies began to gallop from tree to tree, firing off spells randomly that didn't seem to have an intended target. As trees and earth exploded in a shower of projectiles, they jumped away to avoid the dangerous shrapnel. One mare ended up with a flank full of splinters and collapsed on the ground in pain.

"There are two of you left!" Twilight shouted. "Give up now and I will kill you quickly!" she had to shout, the stallion filled with splinters was screaming at the top of his lungs, drowning out any normal speech.

The lavender mare began to slowly trot to the last know position of one of the remaining enemies. They stayed silent after her proclamation, either running off scared, or waiting to throw a sneak attack as she passed. Twilight was smarter than that, she knew the general where about of one, but was waiting for confirmation.

As she approached a tree, she heard the deep breath of a quivering stallion and quickly launched an explosive ball towards the back of the ground. It exploded, throwing him against the tree from the shock wave, knocking him unconscious.

"One left!" She shouted. "I'll tear this forest apart to find you."

The completely disrobed pony shouted back at her,
"I'm going to surrender! I'm coming out!" He shouted, and slowly walked out from behind a tree that Twilight had been eying as a potential target several seconds ago.

Once the stallion was in full view, Twilight grabbed his neck in a ring of magic, dragging him across the ground as he fought the grip cutting off his airway. She pushed his back to the tree and released her grip from his neck, and grabbed his horn.

"You. You and your friends will die here, in this forest. I'm going to dump your bodies in the putrid basement of the house back there, then I'll push the entire box deep underground and bury you under a mile of dirt." She growled between bared teeth.
Her grip around his horn tightened, causing hairline fractures to grow along the length. With a simple effortless twist, she shattered the horn right off of his head and let the pieces roll down his muzzle. It would be a decade before his horn grew back out enough to use proper magic.

You watched the entire battle, watched Twilight take down five enemies at once. While they were all still alive, you had the feeling that they wouldn't be for long. She was going to kill them all, blinded by rage once again.

"TWILIGHT, STOP THIS!" You shout, trotting up beside her. She was still gripping onto the stub of a broken horn of the burned stallion.

"Why..." she said, less of a question and more of an annoyed statement.

"Be cause my Twilight isn't like this. My Twilight doesn't torture ponies, regardless of what they have done. My Twilight doesn't murder ponies in cold blood. My Twilight wouldn't lower herself to the same level as her enemies."

"Why do you keep saying 'My Twilight'? I AM Twilight." She sputtered, angry that her final blows were being delayed.

"My Twilight is knowledgeable, she seeks to understand why. She reserves her anger and deals only in violence once there are no more words to be said. Even then she doesn't hurt others, just removes their ability to hurt. She doesn't seek revenge, only justice. In the end of all things, she uses a soft, but firm touch."

"I NEED THIS! They took away so much, killed so many. They need to be punished in the worst way possible. Making them immortal, ripping their flesh from bone and sealing them in a tomb of salt for eternity is not enough pain for them." She wasn't looking at you, just the stallion she had pinned against the tree.

"Earlier today, you were asking me for forgiveness. Were I come from, that means that you know what you did was wrong, and did it anyway. Seeking forgiveness means that you won't do it again, not just to me, but to anypony else. It means you have learned that what you did was wrong, regardless of the other party's doings."

"A single pony, a thousand ponies. Numbers don't matter if your intention is to hurt just for the sake of revenge. They burnt PonyVille to the ground in revenge because they thought they were right. They wanted to hurt. If you take revenge on them, hurt them because you think you are right, who is the real monster here?"

Twilight's eyes kept boring into the stallion's. He knew flames of loyalty, but did he know the fire of revenge? She imagined him cloaked in flame, every painful scream followed by inhaling the heat from his burning flesh and singing his lungs into ash before they expired, leaving him to suffocate as his muscles became charcoal.

"You had the chance to ask for forgiveness from me because I am still alive. You felt bad because your hurt me, and not because I was innocent. I think that you knew from the second we met that I was not Ember. You just wanted revenge. If you kill them, there will be no pony to ask for forgiveness and you will keep asking if yourself if you are absolved of murdering in anger. And carrying the regret to your grave that you didn't do things differently."

You turned away from her, taking a few small steps away from the tree. Twilight's anger began to fade, turning into internal conflict. What you said was right, every word. You turn to say one last thing.

"In revenge you try to right the wrong. Destroying your innocence because you are clouded by anger, to hurt others as much as you hurt inside. Well, there is no amount of blood you can spill to ease that pain. I can't forgive you, because you haven't learned anything from this. You're not my Twilight, and you may never be her. I just hope that whatever you turn yourself into after this, you are proud of if. Because nopony else will be."

You had said your peace, and hopefully the words sank in. This was a turning point, one that can never be taken back if she did this. It would feel right for a while, but then the reality of what happened would sink in. There was a little bit of the real Twilight inside her and with time it would grow. She was on the verge of uprooting it so the roots would die in the sun, or nourishing what she could be, becoming better because of it.

It was a message to yourself as well, realizing that what you told her was a double edge sword. You had been able to point out why Twilight was wrong, turning her grudge into a black thistle that would choke any light inside her if she heeded it's request. But you were nursing the same plant, even though it was more frail, it would begin to choke you in time. Luna was right, anger here was dangerous. 

After a few minutes of slow walking, you found a clearing. Sticking up from the grass were several heads, all golden armored in the style of Royal guard. Drawing a little closer, you began to see the horn and flowing mane of Celestia.

Guards came upon you and brought you to Celestia where you sat down in the grass a few feet away from her hooves.
"Where is Twilight Sparkle?" she asked calmly, lowering her self down into the grass so that she did not appear to lord over you in size.

"Back in the woods a bit. The guards can follow the trampled grass where I walked to find her." you replied and pointed in the direction where you came.

Without a word, several ponies began hurriedly off into the woods, following your grass flattened trail.

"Is she alright?" Celestia continued her questioning.

"I don't know. Physically she is fine." and that was the whole truth as you told it.

"I have been worried about her. Since the tragedy in PonyVille, she has been running herself to the bone trying to put a close to this chapter. Every time I would confront her about such matters, she would shrug me off and continue hunting for Ember. I just hope she hasn't done something she would regret."

"Me either." you nod slightly. "I just want this to be all over. No more gallows, chains or insane cult ponies who want to watch the world burn."

"I know that your past few days here have been hard. But you have gotten through them like the best of us and are still alive and bucking. I guess that even travelers such as yourself can have a bit of Equestria inside them." she smiled.

"There is a little bit of pony in everyone. I guess that I just missed it in my world, thinking that it only existed here." you said with a pang of regret. You didn't want to think that you were stuck here, but that was the reality of the situation.

"Would it be possible to send a letter to my parents, in my world? I'm sure they are crying their eyes out because I mysteriously was choked to death. I don't know if they would believe it, but it's worth a shot." You asked, just beginning to think of the fallout on Earth that your crossing over had caused.

"I am sure there is something that can happen along those lines." Celestia nodded.

The grass moved out of the way and Twilight came slowly walking through with her head lowered, flanked by two guards, one of which stepped forward.

"All the totems have been destroyed, and we can now travel back to Canterlot whenever you wish, your highness." he spoke. Celestia nodded and the pair of guards disappeared back into the grass.

Twilight didn't say a word, she trotted along side you, her head down and ears hanging limply down at the side of her head.
You didn't want to ask her if she did it, if she just killed five ponies. It would be more than rude, if not improper to do so.
"The last of Ember's colleagues have been taken care of." she paused to lay down in the grass right beside you. "They are on their way to Canterlot now."

"Were any of them injured?" Celestia asked, both you and her wanted to know.

"They were, but I used the spell you taught me to heal their wounds. They are all fine now, except their horns. I removed them all, they can no longer hurt anypony with magic again." She sniffed, a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Twilight, why are you crying?" Celestia asked.

"It's all over now. Everything is now hitting me now that the anger has subsided. It's all making me feel uneasy, about everything."
"Twilight, you should be proud. You managed to bring everypony involved to justice all by yourself." Celestia beamed in approval. Ember's undoing had been at the Royal sister's hooves, with Twilight offering to be a safeguard to keep the Traveler alive.

"I would have taken them all down, buried them, ripped their bodies stem to stern in anger. The traveler helped me to see that what I did, and was going to do, was wrong. It still hurts, though I think that ridding Equestria of those beasts would have made it feel better, but that wasn't the right thing to do." she said softly.

You rolled your eyes. Now was the point where Celestia would say something about friendship, and how Twilight is now better off because of her decision. The letters to Celestia were always the low point of the show, pounding in the lesson that the audience had already figured out for the second or third time by now.

"The Traveler makes a good pony, don't you think?" Celestia asked.

"Better than I have been in a long while." Twilight nodded.

"I have to be off to Canterlot. Twilight you can take as much time as you need to work things out. Just don't do anything until you are ready to." Celestia spread her wings and took to the skies, then when she was a far enough distance away she teleported back to the castle.

Twilight remained silent, resting peacefully for the first time in many months. Closing her eyes she just letting the wind roll through the grass and blow her mane gently.

"Twilight?" You ask, standing up in the grass and faced her.

"Yes?" She opened her eyes and looked towards you.

"There is one last major thing on my 'Visit to Equestria' list I have yet to do. Can I ask you to do it?"

She tilted her head in confusion. 

"I guess." she said hesitantly, not knowing what it would entail.

"Can I have a hug?" You held out a hoof.

"Of course." She laughed gently though teary eyes.

The two of you wrapped a hoof around the others neck and you placed your head along side hers. She was sniffling a bit, holding her tears back and trying best not to cry. You hold this position for a few seconds, then you let your muzzle up to her ear.
"I forgive you." you whisper gently. 

Twilight tried to say something, but it was lost in a quivering sob. Her back legs buckled a her rear fell into the grass. She felt relieved, the guilt that she had forever made you hate her was gone. She began moaning out pitiful 'thank yous' between massive heaves of breath.

It felt as if a great weight had been lifted from your back as well. She had taken what you said to heart, helping her to make the right decision. There was going to be alot to work through as time passed, but you knew that forgiveness was a long process. Even after the words had been spoken and emotions exchanged, there would be feelings that needed to be worked through.
Even between the best of friends, when a wrong was committed, there was the doubt that they were sincere. Slowly the doubt would be dissolved by the passage of time as they repented for their actions, and paying back in the way they could with kindness and deeds.

You began to realize that the ponies in the show, no matter how grounded in reality were a representation of a near perfect world. The real world; the real Equestria was much more complicated than 'My Little Pony' the show. These ponies were real, and with real personalities, they all had flaws that take time to overcome, real world flaws.

From this moment on you would have to look past the TV show exact bodies any of the ponies bore and begin to see them as... well people, as odd as that sounded here. You would have to try and forget everything about them, make each a new acquaintance, discover who they really were without preconceptions.

It took several minutes for Twilight to calm down. When she did, you both broke your embrace and she wiped away her tears.
"We should be getting back to Canterlot." she sniffed. "You're also going to be needing a new name. Ember is gone and it would be unwise to keep it."

"I have been thinking about that, I can just use the pony name I made up for myself in my world." you declare.

"Oh?" she asked, intrigued.

"Yes, it's really awesome!  My new name will be-"



~END