Prince of Equestria - Blood Moon Summer, Part 8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcy5D5UhH44
>You are Celestia
>Even with an army at your back, you cannot shake the uncertainty from your heart.
>The wooden platform of your chariot creaks in the wind, blasting against your face under the clear starlit sky.
>You glance up at the moon hanging ominously overhead.
>If you didn’t know better…you’d say the shadow of the Mare in the Moon was smiling.
“General, how long until we arrive?”
>A rather portly old unicorn stallion adjusts his glasses.
>It seems a career of overseeing the Canterlot city guard has not been kind to him.
>”Well, princess…uh…I’d say at our current speed, we’ll reach the campsite at dawn, about the time you’re scheduled to raise the sun.”
“General, that is unacceptable. We need more speed.”
>You frown as the old stallion stutters. Has your guard really grown this complacent in a near-millennia of peace?
>”I…erm…well…” He’s unable to look you in the eye, instead focusing on his own reflection in your battle armor. “This is as fast as the pegasi can pull us. We can’t go any faster…”
>The cross look on your face only makes the stallion recoil more.
>Honestly, an elderly earth p0ny could fly faster than this.
“Perhaps you can’t, General…but I can.”
>The five Elements of Harmony lift up, the multicolored orbs encircling you as they orbit you like you were the sun itself.
>In the millennia that has passed since you last used their power, you still failed to find the sixth element.
>Hopefully, five will be enough…
“General, make best speed to the campsite. I will go on ahead.“
>With luck, the trainees accomplished their mission and you will have plenty of room to face this threat head-on.
“Also, remind me to discuss your…training regimen when this is finished.”
>The embarrassed unicorn can only muster a weak salute as you lift off the chariot with a flap of your mighty wings.
>Soon, they are but specks against the countless stars as you set off like a bullet.
>Even as you speed off to battle, your mind can’t help but wander.
>Please be alright…Anon…

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>You are “Anonymous.”
>And you…are feeling just dandy.
>The smell of the blood caked on your clothes and skin sets your senses aflame, like pheromones calling you to the slaughter.
>What did you start all this for again?
>…
>Oh well, doesn’t matter.
>Your queen is happy, that counts for something, right?
>You roll your shoulder as you look down, the horrified expressions of the three p0nies below filling you with a joy hardly described with mere words.
>ARMOR: “Anon…what the hoof is going on? What are you doing here?”
“Well, Armor, why do you think a guy comes to a summer camp, huh? Hiking, nature, lakeside fun, songs and scary stories around a campfire…”
>The white unicorn snarls and paws at the ground, in no mood for your snark.
>Too bad.
“In fact, I got a story for you.”
>You pace along the edge of the roof, the glow of the full moon always present behind you.
“It’s a story of a stallion who wanted to play hero, leaving behind his best friend. Oh, the friend was absolutely crushed to be abandoned like that…”
>ARMOR: “Anon…” He growls through gritted teeth as Cadence looks on in disbelieving shock, attending to a still-woozy Rarity.
“So, lo and behold…when the two friends meet again, the stallion is horrified to find his old friend took his new friends…”
>You motion to the corpses of the privates before slamming your fist into your palm, your grin resembling a feral beast more than a man.
“…and rearranged their organs across all of creation!”
>Shining Armor lowers himself and snorts, his rage plain as day. “YOU DID THIS?”
“Aww…don’t approve? Don’t worry, -dear friend-, I didn’t hurt any of the campers. They’re safe on that airship of yours…though I doubt they’ll be going anywhere without the pilots.”
>ARMOR: “Anon…why you….”
>Cadence walks up next to Armor, never taking her eyes off you.
>CADENCE: “Armor, that’s not Anon…at least, that’s not OUR Anon…”
>ARMOR: “I don’t care who he is Cadence…take your friend and get to the airship.”
>CADENCE: “Armor…”
>ARMOR: “As a member of the Royal Guard, it is my duty to put down threats to the safety of Equestria…no matter who it is.”
>Cadence opens her mouth to argue, but no words come.
>Instead, she nods solemnly, hoisting Rarity onto her back as she gallops away.
>As you watch her go, Armor leaps between the two of you, squaring off.
“Oh come now Armor. What kind of king would I be if I hurt my subjects?”
>ARMOR: “King? Where the buck do you get off calling yourself that?”
>He stands a little straighter as you turn and look up at the moon overhead.
“Why Armor…when our true queen returns…”
>You turn your head to look back at him, your maniac smile glowing in the pale moonlight as the clouds roll overhead.
“…will she not need a king to stand by her side?”
>Armor bristles a little as he assumes a combative stance.
>ARMOR: “Cadence was right. The Anon I know isn’t such a blatant nutjob!”
>You clasp your hands to your chest in a mocking sort of appalled shock.
“Why, Shining Armor, your words wound more than any steel could!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1smZBn1n8c
>As your draw yourself to full height, silhouetted by the moon’s cold glow, you feel a burning excitement wash over you.
“Unfortunately, you’re in the Royal Guard, and therefore loyal to Princess Sun-Bitch. Guess that means…”
>You can smell his pulse quicken, Armor’s muscles tensing as you raise your arm high over your head.
>The sound of your trademark blade spell reminds you of the screams of the damned as the magical sword thrums to life from your outstretched hand.
“IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO DIE, OLD FRIEND!”
>Armor’s gaze follows you as you leap into the sky, your form a sliver of black against the white of the moon.
>He barely has time to throw up a shield as you come crashing down at him, the impact of your blade against his barrier forming a shockwave that carves a depression in the earth itself.
>Armor manages to keep his footing as the shockwave sends you back a few feet.
>You yell bloody murder as you resume the onslaught. He raises his spear to parry you, though you slice through the steel and metal with ease.
>You have less luck penetrating his shield. The stallion snorts and stamps his hoof on the ground defiantly, extending a portion of his shield like a battering ram.
>It’s an effective attack, striking you in the chest and sending you crashing through a wooden wall of the main hall.
>As you pick yourself up and dust yourself off, Armor looks on in anticipation as you emerge through the new, hastily-made doorway.
“Well done, Armor! You’ve improved since you left.”
>Shining Armor doesn’t respond, dropping his shield as he lets loose with a war cry, a column of magic energy emanating from his horn to pierce the ground.
>You scarcely have time to jump away as the ground under your feet erupts, sending rock and earth flying.
“BUT SO HAVE I!”
>You rear back and thrust your free hand at the unicorn, tendrils of terrible dark blue magic erupting from your fingers and flying at him like lances.
>This catches Armor off guard, barely giving him time to throw up his shield to defend himself.
“I HAVE TO HAND IT TO YOU MY FRIEND, YOU PUT UP THE BEST FIGHT YET!”
>ARMOR: “GLAD YOU APPROVE! NOW EAT THIS!”
>Apparently, your friend is a quick study, lances of purple magical energy erupting from his shield, flying straight at your heart.
>You actually break a sweat, forming a circular shield of your own on your free arm to block the attack as you descend slowly back to the ground.
“Oh my, if I didn’t know any better Armor, I’d say you were out to kill me. What kind of friend are you?”
>ARMOR: “I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND!”
>Must have struck a nerve.
>He rears back and charges you, dropping his shield as he focuses all of his energy in his horn, like a lance tip.
>Big mistake! You sidestep the charging unicorn, slashing at him as you move.
>Shining Armor yells as his concentration is broken, sending him rolling to the earth.
>You turn and look as the unicorn gets to his hooves.
>Well, looks like you mostly caught his armor, but the expanding red stain in his pristine white fuzz on his shoulder tells you that you still took a chunk out of him.
“Oh Armor, I am so glad you’re as good as I remembered! Why, if you died as easily as those lake soldiers or those two semi-sentient cows, I would have been SO UPSET.”
>You drag the tip of your blade in the dirt as you slowly approach the stricken unicorn, who is having difficulty standing with that wound.
“Aww, but I suppose our fun had to come to an end…I will miss you, Shining Armor. Really, I will…”
>Your lips curl into a devilish grin as Armor’s face falls into a mixture of anger and fear at his impending fate.
“I’ll be sure to give your sister your best.”
>You raise your blade as you prepare to charge, to deliver the final blow.
>You push off with your legs.
>? “STOP THIS AT ONCE!”
>You come skidding to a stop as Celestia appears between the two of you, wings outstretched like a lion puffing up its mane.
>You don’t recognize those five crystalline spheres orbiting her, but you have an idea what they area.
>Now things are getting interesting.
>You release your weapon spell as you hold your arms out wide.
>The look on her face as she surveys you and your handiwork is like pure mental sugar.
“Why, hello there mother! So glad you could make it!”

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtGF3BMaF4c
>You are Anon.
>You stopped watching the screen shortly after “you” started fighting with Shining Armor.
>You couldn’t bear to watch it.
“So, what’s the deal? You just going to leave me here to watch your sick home movies for all eternity?”
>No answer.
>First she hijacks your body, forces you to watch yourself commit unspeakable acts, and now she won’t even give you the common courtesy of answering you?
>You clench your fists in frustration as you stand, failing to notice the viewscreen has disappeared.
>You’re stuck in Nightmare’s mind while she uses you like a puppet, killing so many p0nies…
>And it’s all your fault.
“DAMN IT!”
>You kick the door in your own impotence to end this madness.
>To your everlasting surprise, the door actually creaks open.
>Wasn’t this locked?
“Nightmare?”
>No answer.
“Nightmare Moon?”
>Still, no answer…
>Shining Armor must be giving her hell, if she can’t even spare a moment to mock you.
>What a guy…you owe him a drink or something. Drinking age laws be damned.
>You slip out the door, finding yourself in a dimly lit hallway.
>It is barren of any kind of décor, the shaft stretching in both directions into absolute darkness.
“Now…if I’m locked in her mind…but she’s controlling me, there’s got to be a way back…if I can just…”
>You pause as a faint sound wafts down from the hall to your right.
>It sounds like…
>Crying?
“HELLO? IS SOMEONE ELSE HERE?”
>The faint sobbing is unaffected by your call.
>You look back into your prison cell before you take off running down the hall.
>If someone else is in here, maybe they’re a prisoner too.
“Hang on! I’m coming for you!”