Morals are different for everyone. Each and every one of us grows up with different moral values that are not inherited by birth. When we are born, our minds are like clean sheets of paper, and anyone can write anything down, be it good or bad.

Right and wrong, good and bad, we are not born with those things already in us. We are taught what to define as right and good, what to define as wrong and bad. During childhood, such values are easy to teach and learn, respectively. We are all born with curiosity, we all want to learn new things. That is why we often ask questions that seem stupid. Because we don't know anything, we don't know the answers and we search for them.

That is when our parents, other relatives or our caretakers come in. They teach us, help us learn... or they deny us, throw us away and call us stupid because we don't know what they know. They refuse to teach us, to give us the knowledge they've gotten through the many years of their lives. Without guidance, people become lost and then they cling to something that would eventually lead them to their downfall, tragic as it may be.

We aren't born with moral values. However, we are born with certain instincts, one of them being the highest, standing above all — survival instinct, the instinct of self-preservation. However, that instinct doesn't include killing others unless it's absolutely necessary. We can be killers, yes, but we can choose not to be them. At least most of us can.

Not all of us are born with violent urges that humanity is associated with by many. It is scientifically incorrect to say that we all have inherited a tendency to make war from our animal ancestors … that war or any other violent behavior is genetically programmed into our human nature.

However, it is true for some of us. Sometimes, we are born with a desire to hurt, to dominate, to bring pain onto others, be it friends or enemies. Some of us control it, others let it flow like a flood, and it consumes them in a crashing wave of violent rage.

Most of us are taught how to hate, how to be angry, and how to be violent. Many a thing can turn us into hateful beings, and many of those things are psychologically traumatizing. Some hold themselves together well, others are easily broken.

But in the end, it doesn't matter how a monster was born. Sometimes, it's too late to fix what we are. We can only hope that it's not too late for us to turn back, to stop writing in the old pages of our minds and bring new sheets to start over, to make something different, to make something... better.

Wave Rider and Anastasia entered the castle grounds and were heading towards the private hospital situated there. The girl's left ear was twitching slightly, her body tense. The colt glanced at her from time to time, noticing her subtle expressions and thinking about whether he should ask her about it or not.

"Hey..." he called her after some time of thinking. "Are you alright?"

"...Something is wrong." Anastasia replied, her ear flickering. "Can't say what, but it is not right."

"O-okay... I'll watch out." Wave Rider nodded and the two continued their way.

They continued to walk for a few more minutes, the girl still being nervous and wary, trying to figure out what was wrong. As they were about to round a corner, she stopped, realization coming to her.

"Wave... There are no guards." she said quietly.

"...Dang, you're right!" the colt replied, his eyes widening as he understood. "What do you think is going on?"

Before Anastasia could reply, a voice came from around the corner. The two hid behind one of the columns, shadows covering them. They stood there silently, listening to the steps coming towards them. Soon, two carts and five ponies appeared, rounding the corner and heading towards the castle's entrance. The group consisted of Princess Luna and four guards, and the two carts contained very familiar ponies.

Wave Rider's and Anastasia's eyes widened when they realized who was being transferred. They were Sirius and Iclyn. The eyes of the former human were open wide, spinning around chaotically. For a brief moment, they stopped, looking directly at the two hidden ponies. He let out a quiet gasp, only for one of the guards to cast a spell, making Sirius roll his eyes.

Suddenly, the princess flicked, for a moment turning into someone else entirely. Dark-gray in color, legs riddled with holes, green wings, aqua-colored mane and tail, and most importantly, a stump in place of a horn. A look of pain flashed on her face, a hiss escaping her lips.

"Here, Your Highness!" one of the guards trotted to the fake Luna and moved a small bottle to her maw. She emptied the bottle in one gulp, her form visibly relaxing. She made a few deep breaths.

"He will pay for what he did to me..." she muttered, glaring at Sirius, sparks of pure hatred in her eyes. "Now, we get out of here. I hope that everything is ready."

"All according to your plans, Your Highness." the guard nodded swiftly. "The carriage should be there by now."

The group of changelings continued on their way, not noticing the two ponies hiding. After the steps became almost impossible to hear, they reemerged.

"What do we do?" Wave Rider whispered to Anastasia. "Sirius destroyed her horn! Who knows what she'll do to him..."

"I don't know." the girl replied, her heart thumping almost painfully. "We can't fight all them!"

"We must do something!" the colt argued. "I don't know what, but... Ugh!" he stomped. "No time to waste! Let's catch them before they take off, and... hopefully, we'll figure something out, alright?"

Anastasia nodded, and the two hurried to the entrance, hoping to do something to help both Sirius and Iclyn, hoping it wasn't too late.

Suddenly, buzzing sounded from behind them and the two dropped on the floor, unable to move as they found their bodies unresponsive. Their bodies were picked up, blindfolded, and carried away, and the last thing they've heard before succumbing to unconsciousness was just a few words. However, they couldn't make out what it was before the blackness engulfed them.

Sometime later, the two woke up in an unfamiliar place. Almost complete darkness; gray, uneven walls of stone; hard floor, bumpy and yet smooth; and a cage around them. Groaning, they sat up, feeling slightly numb in their bodies.

"Finally, everyone's awake!" a female voice spoke triumphantly and with great malice, venom in her words. The two ponies looked up and saw Queen Chrysalis, sitting on her throne, a menacing and toothy grin on her face as she eyed each prisoner. "I have been waiting for this... Now, you ponies, you are interesting... All four of you share a connection. Different kinds of love... One is faint, slowly fading away; another strong, full of power; the third one, an uncertain love; and the fourth, hidden and growing love. The table is served and full of different meals!" the queen chuckled.

"Why are y-you doing t-this?" Wind Rider asked, his voice trembling with fear.

"One of you took my horn. Made me a cripple!" the changeling queen stood up from her throne. "Another one... is the reason my horn was taken. And the rest of you wanted to prevent me from getting my rightful vengeance!"

Chrysalis huffed for a few moments, her hatred-blazing eyes going over all ponies. Finally, Wind Rider and Anastasia looked around. In another cage, they noticed two bodies lying on the floor. Thankfully, both of them still showed signs of life.

"I would love a snack before the main course, but now I realize something very important, dear ponies..." Chrysalis spoke again. "Take out the biggest threat first. Now... Sirius, stand up!"

One of the bodies jumped up. Anastasia and Wind Rider looked at the former human. His eyes were blank but filled with fear. No, not fear — terror. His body was tense, his ears flat against his skull. He was staring at nothing as if he wasn't even there. His pupils were small, not looking at anything. The door to the cage opened.

"Step out." the changeling queen ordered.

Sirius was unmoving, his body shivering and sweating.

"Hmm, you're resisting... I like it." Chrysalis said in a slightly seductive tone. Unable to watch it, Anastasia turned away. "Oh, little pony, you don't like the show? Too bad... look at him." she ordered, forcing the girl to look at Sirius again. "Much better. He will pay for his crimes now... I said step out!" she yelled.

With great hesitation, Sirius stepped out of the cage, his body shaking, his heart racing, beating loudly like a drum. Inside, he felt like his brain was squashed under a hydraulic press. It was pressing on him, pressing hard, and yet his brain stayed intact. Each torturous moment brought great pain unto him, making images of the past flash inside his mind, making him want to scream.

But his mouth remained closed.

"This will be so much fun!" Chrysalis laughed, her laughter echoing across the cave, turned into something monstrous, unreal, something that should not exist.

Sirius continued to resist, letting out growls and grunts.

"Stop!" Anastasia yelled, tears rolling down her eyes. "It's torture!"

"That is my intention, little pony." the changeling queen replied in a condescending tone. "Do you know how it's like to have your horn removed? Maybe you will find it out today... Who knows?" she laughed, watching as the girl stumbled deeper into the cage, terror in her eyes. "Sirius deserves to suffer for what he did to me. He is paying the price. Now..." she returned to the former human. "Bow before me!"

Sirius' body shook violently, his breath increasing as his legs started to bend. However, he stood upright, continuing to deny the changeling queen.

"Your love is mine now!" Chrysalis proclaimed and opened her mouth, the stump of her horn glowing. And yet nothing happened. "Oh my, you're not ready to give love... Maybe a more traditional method will ease you? I am your queen now, and you do as I say!"

The former human let out a painful cry, his eyes tearing up, and yet he stood in place, unmoving.

"I will tear you and your friends apart if you don't give me what I want!" Chrysalis yelled at him, stomping. "Maybe a different approach is needed indeed..."

Iclyn stared at the Figure in fear, not knowing what to do. It made her shiver as if she were cold, it made her catch her breath and her heart pound like never before. The drums in her head continued on beating a rhythm, the rhythm of fear and uncertainty. Steady, constant, and eerie.

She had a chance to look closer at the Figure. In the face, it bore a few similarities to Stanislav, but it was something twisted, something surreal. It was him but at the same time, it wasn't. What was it in truth? She had yet to find out.

In the hand of the nightmarish being, there was a longsword. Not just any longsword — a flamberge. The blade was curved like a wave, a deadly wave of sharpened steel. Polished to perfection, the steel had yet to be stained by blood.

"You will not get out of here alive now." the Figure spoke in its cold voice, sending shivers down Iclyn's spine, making her fur stand up. Like with his features, the voice resembled Stanislav's but wasn't entirely his. "You've gone far enough."

"You won't stop me." Iclyn said, readying for battle. She knew she had to do it, she had to fight to help Sirius. "I'm not leaving him alone."

"He is already alone. He always was." the nightmarish being replied. "He can find no place. Not among your kind, not amidst his own."

"I love him." the pegasus said, glaring at the Figure. "I will do whatever it takes to help him."

"You're persistent even after you've seen who he truly is." it tilted its head. "You love a murderer..."

"He needs help. It's not his fault." Iclyn argued, stomping, trying to fight her fear with anger.

"It is entirely his fault. He is a murderer. Do you know how many changelings he has killed during the wedding? Nine. Nine living, thinking beings, all murdered in cold blood." the Figure taunted her, a burning number appearing in the air, only to vanish a second later.

"He was protecting me!" the pegasus yelled, driving her point across. She wasn't going to back down.

"The first step of acceptance is denial." the nightmarish being replied, continuing to taunt her. Seeing no reaction, it sighed. "Very well... He can't protect you anymore."

https://youtu.be/oL2Ci_MR2Dg

The Figure raised its sword in the offensive stance. Shifting the feet slightly and bending the legs, it made it very obvious that no negotiation would take place any longer.

Iclyn could only stare in horror at it as it glared at her, anger and hatred burning in its eyes as roaring flames flashed in them. The sword reflected the hatred and anger, accompanying the wavy and deadly curved of the blade.

The pegasus heard a clinking to her side. She turned her head sharply and her eyes widened when she was what made the noise. It was a longsword, its handle long worn out, its blade without a sharpened point, having it broken off at some point in blade's history.

With a roar of immense anger, the creature dashed at the young mare, swinging its sword downward. Iclyn immediately dodged to the side, simultaneously picking up the sword. Continuing its movement, the nightmarish creature turned the sword and swung it to the right, attempting to get the fleeing pegasus.

Iclyn could feel her fur rustling as the blade barely missed her. He turned to the creature in time to block the next hit. Continuing with fluidity, the Figure bashed the pegasus in the muzzle with his shoulder, almost knocking her off her hooves. Quickly recovering from the hit, Iclyn used her wings to propel herself backward, avoiding being hit and placing some distance between her and her deadly opponent.

"You can't run." the Figure taunted her, changing the stance slightly. "You will die."

With another roar, it dashed forward, attempting a thrust. Missing it, the figure redirected his hit, which was swiftly blocked by Iclyn. The pegasus swiped with her front leg, trying to knock the Figure down. Getting one of his legs, she prepared to strike it but it rolled backward, hitting her with a foot to her chin, almost making her bite her own tongue.

Not stopping for a single moment, the Figure swung its sword again. Missing, it redirected the swing, but the hit was blocked. The nightmarish being continued its attack by relentlessly trying to get Iclyn, slashing and thrusting, almost getting her, but she was pretty quick thanks to her wings and some of the training she had received before the duel.

She bucked it in the chest, sending the Figure flying. It rolled as it landed, negating the impact force, and soon it was on its feet again.

Iclyn breathed heavily, adrenaline flowing through her veins as her heart tried to pound out of her chest. She assumed the fighting stance again, knowing that she couldn't give up no matter what.

"He has trained since he was twelve, Iclyn." the Figure spoke. "He always trained hard, and you are no match for him. I am just like him in this regard, but stronger, without restraints."

The nightmarish creature dashed again, swinging its sword from side to side. Iclyn blocked the hit but she didn't expect a fist to her muzzle. The strike made her drop the sword, and the next thing she felt was steel piercing her chest. She gasped in pain, falling to the ground.

"Do you know why this blade is shaped the way it is?" the Figure asked. "It deals more damage this way. The wounds... oh, the wounds... Beyond excruciating." it twisted the sword, making Iclyn shudder in agony as the blade tore her insides. "These wounds will not let you survive. And even if you do, they will leave you a cripple for the rest of your life." it said and pulled out the blade, blood streaming from the wound and dripping from the blade.

Iclyn lay on the floor, gasping for air, her legs twitching and her maw opening and closing.

"I will not leave loose ends this time." the Figure spoke, aiming its blade at Iclyn's head.

Suddenly, the nightmarish being was sent flying away from the pegasus. She looked up and saw Luna hurrying towards her.

"Oh my gosh..." the princess whispered in shock, looking at the horrifying wound. "Iclyn, listen to me. We will get through this. Don't close your eyes, stay here." her horn started to glow and a warm and comforting feeling wrapped around Iclyn like a cocoon. "Stay with me."

"She will not survive." the Figure spoke, getting up. Raising its blade, it pointed it at the princess. "You won't survive either."

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the wait. My friend and I had a project planned for this story, but it failed, unfortunately. The updates will become more steady soon.

And yes, the Figure is performing just as well as Sirius was at his peak in human form. That's pretty impressive, don't you think? What do you think about all of it?

I'm addicted to reading comments.