Instead of the regular world between dreams I found myself on the castle grounds. It was a beautiful day outside and Celestia’s sun shone brightly. I had decided to visit Fireball during her break to give her lunch and visit for a little before going back to sleep. Being a lunar guard is great, but it requires that you have to sleep for most of the day in order to be awake for the night shift. Occasionally I was called in for a day shift to guard Princess Luna’s room, but mostly I worked night shifts.

I walked through the castle gates, making sure to show proper identification to the guards stationed there so I might pass through unhindered. Ironically enough, Celestia had placed my roommate outside the throne room where she held solar court. What was she thinking? Every noble or pony had to atleast acknowledge Fireball or the other guard, who was almost just as bad as Fireball herself.

I gave a slight chuckle. Oh Celestia...

Knowing Fireball, she was probably bored out of her mind and probably talked her head off. Thankfully she was paired most of the time with another stallion who loved to chitchat so she didn’t make anypony mad.

I rounded the last corner and saw my roommate. Her eyes opened wide and I suddenly had a vision of her pouncing on me, demanding that I buck her. I shook away the memory. It would never work between me and her. For one I liked her as a friend, no more. Coupled with the fact that I was a night pony and she was a day pony (who occasionally partied at night) it was an imperfect match.

I walked towards her slowly, the bag containing her lunch held in my mouth. I could tell she felt like bouncing from excitement but wouldn’t so she wouldn’t get in trouble. About halfway there the relief guards trotted in from the side to give Fireball and her friend a break. She beamed and galloped towards me.

I braced myself for impact but fortunately it never happened. I opened my eyes and found her sitting comfortably in front of me. “Hey Shadow! Why are you here? Don’t you usually sleep during the day?”

I dropped the bag at her hooves. “You forgot your lunch today. Also, I just wanted to talk for a while, do you mind?”

“Oops. Hmm, thought I would have noticed that I left it. How did you know?”

“When you party late at night I usually take the time to make it for you considering you’re usually half dead when you come home.” I laughed heartily. She was the only one besides the princesses that could truly make me laugh. Well I guess the Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie, can as well but it is her job so it doesn’t count.

We exited the castle, giving a nod to the guards at the door. It was a beautiful day, I prefer Luna’s night myself, but the day still had it’s own natural beauty.

What was that in the distance? A dark blot on the horizon steadily grew closer. Unfortunately it was near the sun so my eyesight was decreased. Fireball on the other hand had had plenty of experience with fire and bright light, so she could easily distinguish what the blot was. “CHANGE…” A white hoof pressed against her mouth and another thwacked her on the head, putting her unconscious.

I turned to face one of the royal guards who had been supposed to be guarding the door. More specifically I met his upraised hoof head on. It was still daytime so I wasn’t as tough as I could be but I was still strong enough to shake off a single hit. I spread my wings and took my battle stance. The other ‘guard’ who had incapacitated Fireball started towards me but the guard in front of me held up a hoof. “This one is mine.” Then his white fur fell away revealing black chitin. Green fire spread across the pony’s back and head to create holed appendages. Before no longer was a royal guard, but a changeling in the service of the evil queen Chrysalis.

“You might have masqueraded as a guard, but you certainly don’t have what it takes to take me down, changeling.” I spit back at him.

His eyes burned with anger and he charged. I quickly sidestepped my opponent, but not quick enough to avoid a cut on my shoulder. It wasn’t deep and wouldn’t hinder me at all. “My turn.” I muttered.

I powered up my wings and prepared my darkness thrust. It was a special move that only certain pegasus could do, and rarely any outside the lunar guard could do it as well. I flew at him across the Shadow the castle’s outer wall created. He turned around and was met with my forehead across his chest. The force created from the sudden acceleration launched him a few feet before he flipped back onto his hooves, skidding to a stop. “Oh, your good, better step up my game another notch.”

I snorted. “I’ve heard better lines from scripted evil villains!” I smiled as I saw his frown increase. Good, the more enraged he is the more he will screw up.

He flinched slight as he took a step forward; a faint spot on his armour where I had hit was still somewhat darker than the rest of his chitin. He shrugged it off and I saw his right forehoof shift slightly, signaling that he was about to jump me. His body took off but I was prepared and dropped under him, rolling over so my hooves were facing him. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. My hooves coiled up like a spring before shooting off into his stomach.

He went flying into the wall, falling to the ground in a heap. I retained my emotionless face and turned to stare down the other changeling guarding Fireball. “You want to have a go next?” The changeling grinned menacingly. I grinned inwardly; I wasn’t even winded. As soon as I took care of this changeling I could return to the princesses and warn them of the coming invasion.

He seemed a bit too confident though. My eyes shot open and spun around to meet the other changeling head on, taking the brunt of his attack in my chest. I flew a couple feet before coming to a stop. The changeling still had me pinned on the ground and bared it’s fangs menacingly.

“STAND DOWN!” A commanding voice shouted. I ceased my stare down and turned to look at the new arrival. My ears flattened and I glared at the queen of the changelings herself, Chrysalis.

“These two are not to be harmed, restrain them and follow me to the throne room, hopefully those two overgrown toddlers have been subdued and restrained properly for the demonstration.

I gritted my teeth, how dare she talk about Princess Luna and Princess Celestia that way!

I gave a mighty buck and the changeling on top of me was flung off. I sprung to my feet before any of the changeling army that had followed their queen could react. I flared my wings and took off at the fastest speed I could muster in the direction of the queen. A green glow surrounded me and I stopped within an inch of the queen’s face. “Brave, ruthless, and unwilling to give up. You should have been born a changeling prince so your talents could be put to better use than as a petty guard for politicians.”

I spit in her face to show her how much I thought of her statement.

She glared at me. “Though your attitude definitely leaves something to be sought for. Soldiers, gather the orange one. This one will be escorted personally by me.” I snorted at her arrogance. It had made her slip up before and it will make her slip up again.

I hovered in her sickly green glow beside her as we traversed the castle passages. Every time we passed a set of guards they saluted and transformed back into changelings. Chrysalis turned to face me. “We have been planning this invasion for weeks now. You silly ponies didn’t even notice how we stole guards and replaced them.” I stayed silent, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a retort.

We arrived at the throne room and found the two guards from before standing guard. They stood in front of the door at attention as we approached. As before with the other guards they too saluted and resumed their former shapes. They stepped to the side and chrysalis fired up another spell to open the doors.

What I saw when we entered made my heart sink. Discord was sitting on Celestia’s throne, using the sun goddess as a footstool. He was facing a large screen type thing that showed a picture of space and the moon. Oddly enough it looked like the moon was made out of warm cheese as it was sloshing everywhere. But what really took its toll on me was the figure that was up to her knees in the stuff. Princess Luna tried her best to stay above the sea of dairy, but was failing.

He noticed our arrival and turned towards us. “Ah Chrysi, about time you got here with him. I was starting to think Celestia here wasn’t enjoying her new position.” Celestia just glared at him before standing to her full height, having been free of his feet the moment he turned. Discord snapped his fingers and the Luna on the screen disappeared and then reappeared, cheese and all, in the middle of the room.

“I was wondering how to properly break your resolve when I stumbled on the best idea!” Maybe if I glared at him long enough he would melt. “Public executions to show how badly you failed!” My iron resolve faded and my eyes widened in shock. Discord smiled devilishly. “And lovely Tia will be the first to die!”

A gasp of shock emanated from the solar princess before she disappeared. The screen that Discord had been looking at grew larger in size until it dominated the room. No longer was a picture of a cheesy moon upon it, but a frozen wasteland. A figure, white as the snow around it stood amidst the wasteland, shivering furiously. A black sun remained in the sky, providing no warmth to its keeper.

The figure started walking and seemed to call out, though we heard no noise coming from the screen. Chrysalis cackled loudly. “What’s wrong little Tia? Can’t stand a bit of chill?” I was about to mock her for talking to a screen but I saw Celestia perk up and look around for the voice. She wandered around the white dunes of snow and ice. Her shivering increased and the landscape remained unchanging. Finally she stopped and hung her head in defeat. She looked up at us, and mouthed ‘I'm sorry’. NO NO! I wanted to scream. It wasn’t your fault Princess! It was mine! I should have been more careful; I let you down. I'm the one at fault!

With all hope lost I watched as she lay down in the snow as it quickly built up around her. She was no longer shivering, having succumbed to hypothermia. The wind picked up and blew snow all over the screen. I watched in horror as little by little her body disappeared until there was nothing left of the princess of the sun.

Discord laughed animatedly with Chrysalis while Luna mourned her sister’s demise. I remained shocked. I had sworn to protect her, to make sure she was safe and Discord took her away, just like that.

I couldn’t let my emotions obstruct my thought though. Luna was still alive and I had to make sure that that stayed true.

I turned towards chrysalis and summoned up every ounce of spit I possessed in my mouth. “Hey horse!” I gurgled out. She turned, enraged by such a comment. She opened her mouth to snap back at me; that was when I struck. I spit the glob of liquid straight down her muzzle. Her eyes widened in shock and her mouth contorted to an expression of pure disgust.

I got the reaction I was hoping for. With her mind set on removing the foreign substance from her mouth her magic that held me faded, dropping me to the floor. As soon as my hooves touched ground I launched myself towards the lunar princess, grabbing her by the midsection before hitting one of the glass panes that decorated the castle.

We sailed through the air over the garden. I twisted so that Luna would land on top of me when we landed. We crashed into the ground. I groaned as Luna removed her body from mine. It felt like I had broken a wing, but no other parts seemed to be of great injury. I got up and escorted the distraught princess away from the castle. If we could just get to the elements… I turned a corner and there in the middle of a large field sat a large cage. In it were the elements of harmony, their wings and horns removed, grey as graphite and looking sullen.

They didn’t even acknowledge our presence. Luna still had her head hung only walking because I led her. I moved towards the cage, maybe I could open it. What stopped me was a single paw outstretched from the side of the cage. Discord stepped out from the side, seemingly from nowhere. “Ah, thought you could escape did you? That was a neat trick with chrysalis, but I have an even better one.” He snapped his talons and the world around me morphed to that of an old Roam coliseum.

I was tied down with chains to the floor, unable to move more than a few inches in any direction. My wing remained broken and I cursed when I felt the pain of moving it. Discord appeared in front of me. “Well, let us continue the executions in style shall we?” He clapped his hands and the floor of the arena slid away to revealing a rising form. Fireball… Discord slithered away from me towards her with a large red object in his hand. It had some kind of tube coming out of the top.

Humans have a tool that they use to fight out of control fires.” He hefted the large object to show me it better. “It outputs a gas that suffocates fires, making them die out. I wonder how effective it will be against this out of control Fireball?”

“NO!” I screamed as he inched the hose forward connecting it with Fireball’s muzzle. She tried to scream as his claw reached for what I took for the release switch. I turned away, unable to watch my lifelong friend die in such a horrid way.

I heard the hiss of escaping gas and Discord laughing maniacally. I heard Fireball thrash about for a bit before stopping. I turned back to see what had happened.

Discord threw away the horrid tool used to murder my friend and made a gesture of revealing at her body.

(Gore incoming CTRL + F Gore over and done to skip)

I looked in horror at the bloated remains. Foam came from her mouth as if she had rabies or another infectious disease. My heart cracked at the scene of her demise. “You could have prevented Shadow. You could have saved them but you choose to save yourself. And for that they must pay the price.

And so I was forced to watch the demise of those I was supposed to protect. Twilight came next. Her horn restored. Discord laughed again and snapped his fingers, creating a ball of light at the base of twilight’s horn. It slowly traveled up until it encased her horn entirely. Her eyes turned solid white with power as the spell purposefully backfired causing a magnificent explosion that created a crater 16 feet in diameter.

Next came Applejack and Rainbow Dash, former friend turned rivals. They started off on opposite sides of the arena but their positions quickly changed as they grappled with one another. As they punched and bruised one another snippets of their conversations could be heard. “Weakling? Ah’ll show you whose weak you pile o’horsefeathers!” “… couldn’t hit a barn door if you bucked it!” I watched in horror as they decimated one another. Would that happen to me and fireball as well one day?

I nearly cried as tenderhearted Fluttershy shyly walked towards a Manticore centered in the arena. At first it looked like it would befriend her, but then it struck with full force. An immediate gash upon her side that ran down to her flank. A smack followed it and she was sent flying into a wall. I closed my eyes and turned away unable to watch the horror befall the kind former pegasus.

Probably worst of all was the joyous Element of Laughter’s torture. The one they called Pinkie and rarity slowly trotted out into the open. Pinkie started to laugh insanely, the loss of her friends too much for her carefree innocent mind. Her resolve broke and she attacked poor rarity. I heard munching and glanced to the right barely able to stomach the horrors to which I’d been subjected to. I saw Discord sitting in a cushioned recliner eating popcorn as if this was all just a movie to him.

(Gore over and done)

I dared not look back as I heard the distinctive sound of flesh being severed and a shrill scream. Poor pinkie had become the horror only told about as jokes in the guard. Pinkamena had been released, and she was ready to kill. I heard a triumphic yell and turned to see a grey blur jump towards me. Right before she hit however the scene blurred away to reveal a large circular room with a single light hanging from the ceiling. (This was as close as i could get to what i imagined.)

Discord appeared in front of me, bending over so that he could look me straight in the eyes. “Had enough Shadow? Your friends are DEAD because of you, it was your job and you failed them!”

My heart was naught but tiny pieces now barely held together by a single thread of hope. I hadn’t seen princess Luna in the arena, maybe she escaped to plan a counter attack; she was good at those. “Well? What do you have to say for yourself you worthless pony?” Discord chided.

I collapsed amongst my chains; I had nothing to say. It was all my fault, I should have been there for them! Now Fireball will never get to find her special somepony, Luna will never get to be truly loved by her subjects and Celestia died knowing that her kingdom was doomed.

Discord drew away from my shivering form, grinning slightly. “Well I do believe I'm missing someone aren’t I queen Chrysalis?” My eyes grew wide.

“No… not Luna, she…” I watched as Luna’s dark blue body was dragged to the center of the room where a long table was positioned.

Chrysalis took a long a look at me before laughing again. “I will take great pleasure in seeing your will broken puny pony. You should not have insulted me so, for now you will pay for your insolence!” She used her magic to lift the princess’ body onto the table, taking thick leather straps and securing her legs and tail. She groaned softly every time one of them was pulled tightly and each groan cut another tear in my heart and mind.

“No… not Luna…” I muttered weakly. I was exhausted mentally by the horrors I had witnessed from the other deaths of loved ones and those I was sworn to protect.

Luna groaned again from the pain the uncomfortable position she was in. Her head was still maneuverable and she turned to look at me pleadingly. “You said you would protect me, that you would always be there fore me. You failed me.” She looked away and the last of the strength I had in my heart fell away. I collapsed in the restraints I had been given and cried.

“Oh come now, the best part hasn’t even started yet!” Discord cried happily. “Oh Pinkamena, why don’t you come out here and meet our guest?” I stopped shedding tears. The element of laughter? But she had already… no… no no no!

I watched a disfigured pinkish shape enter the room. Her creepy grin pierced my eyes and made me want to cower in fear, except I already was. She swayed a little and stopped at the edge light provided by the single light from the ceiling. “It’s okay my child, you do not need to fear the light.” Chrysalis purred.

The pink monstrosity shuddered before answering. “Will it be a party Chrysi? I looove parties” At the last part her grin grew wider. I saw the changeling queen cringe slightly at the nickname, but she took it in stride.

“Yes my subject, it will be a grand marvelous party!” With this added assurance the disfigured form that had been the element of laughter, now turned into a mindless soulless machine, strode into the light.

“Shadow, you said you would help me in my time of need. Why do you stand there watching as if this is some kind of show?” Luna questioned with a bit of disappointment clear in her voice.

I looked down at the pitch-black chains that had locked around my hooves. They were two centimeters thick a link and were only a foot long. “Princess, I am chained to the floor, as much as I want to help you I am unable to.” I hung my head in defeat.

Pinkamena walked over to the operating table. “Oh goody! Hey princess! We are going to have SO much fun together!” She reached upwards and her smile wavered. “Queen chrysi, can you get me the party items?” Chrysalis grinned maliciously and her horn glowed a sickly green. “There my child. Have fun.”

Pinkamena looked upwards at a large saw that slowly lowered towards her from the ceiling. She giggled as she grasped the controls. “Oh princess, I just LOVE doing magic tricks! For my first trick, I'm going to saw my assistants limbs off!” Her grin widened so much that it seemed that she no longer possessed a mouth.

As the saw started up Luna screamed. It was that scream that was a lance unto my heart, my mind, and unto my soul. I collapsed, closed my eyes and flattened the ears against my head but the picture of the saw coming slowly towards her screaming with bloodlust remained.

Suddenly Luna stopped screaming, “Well, this all seems horrible.”

A/N

A/N = *****

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