The End of All Things

[mannulus]

Chapter 1. The Thing in the Garden



I was the day of one of Celestia’s garden parties, and the air was full of lively chatter, interspersed with the sound of the various forms of entertainment Celestia had commissioned for the festivities. Twilight and her friends were wandering around greeting one pony after another. Suddenly they saw a cluster of three unicorns that Twilight recognized.

“Mary!” she called out

“Princess Twilight!” The call came back

The Mane 6 ran over to where the trio stood. One of them, the one whose name was apparently Mary was a blue pony with a light blue mane and a Cutie Mark of a star attached to a set of wooden crossbars with white strings.

“Gals, this is Mary Anette, one of the best puppeteers in all of Canterlot.”

Pleased to meet you, said all of the Mane 6 in chorus.

“Likewise”, said Mary, and turned to introduce the pony next to her, a red stallion with a white heart on his flank and a badge marking him as a professional nurse. “This is my friend, Healing Hooves.” Healing Hooves nodded and turned to the third pony who he was actually supporting. This pony was white and looked very, very sick. Ladies, this is his eminence….”

“Please”, wheezed out the third pony, “You know I don’t like people using my title, just call me……” but at this point he started to cough a great deal and Healing Hooves led him away to the medical tent. Twilight looked at Mary with a sad expression.

“No better, is he?”

Mary nodded sadly “He just managed to make it today, but well, it’s only a matter of time now.”

Twilight nodded. “I really wish I could do something, but that kind of medical magic is beyond me. It’s probably beyond even Celestia.”

“So she said as well. All we can do now is make his time as pleasant as we can.”



Twilight was about to say more but a trumpet rang out”

“Oh, that’s the signal for Celestia’s address in the main tent. Sorry I’d love to talk more but..”

Mary gave a little not of acknowledgement. “It’s fine, I should be getting back to work soon anyway."



Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six trotted away, leaving Mary alone. She turned planning to return to her puppet theater, when she suddenly got an odd feeling that she should take another path, one that took her THROUGH one of the hedges.

“This is silly.” But the compunction got stronger and stronger, until it was irresistible. Shrugging a bit, she trotted off to the hedge, and began worming her way thought it. Behind her, she heard Healing Hooves, who had returned with his patient screaming out “What are you doing?” but the call was so strong she barely noticed it. She kept pushing until suddenly the hedge wall gave way, and she found herself in a small courtyard.

Healing Hooves, with his patient in tow, soon caught up.

“Are you out of your MIND? Do you know how much trouble we would be in if Celestia found us breaking down her topiary?” But Mary seemed not to hear, transfixed by what she was seeing.

The courtyard was small and triangular, and not empty. In each of its corners stood a statue of an alicorn with a rather unpleasant look on its face, all of these faced in toward the center of the triangle, where a trigonal black obelisk stood.”

“This place gives me the creeps” said Healing Hooves, but Mary seemed to be in some other dimension. Like a sleepwalker, she made her way to one of the three statues and looked it in the eyes. A ray of blue light shot out of the eyes, and into Mary’s. There was a flash, and the stature crumbled. Mary turned to the other two her pupils pinpricks. Healing Hooves stood back a step

“Mary what’s going…” but he got no further. Mary fixed him in her gaze “To the other statues” she said and, once again like sleepwalkers, Healing Hooves and his patient walked to the other two statures, the patient walking on his own now, though how exactly it was hard to say. Two more gazes, two more light beams (one red, one white) two more flashes and crumblings.



The three ponies stood as if transfixed and then turned to face the obelisk. A beam of light shot out of each ones horn and hit one of the three sides. The obelisk cracked, then exploded. A black mist came from the ruined shards, and began to coalesce.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………



Under the tent, all of the great and noble of Canterlot were crowded around waiting for Celestia to speak from the dais. At last, she stepped up, along with Princesses Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor, young Flurry Heart, and the Mane 6. Celestia cleared her thoat.

“My Friends and Fellow ponies I welcome you and hope you have had a wonderful time. This party marks the Two thousand five hundredth year of Mine and my sisters ascension to the throne, and all I can say is what a pleasure it has been for us to be able to serve you fine ponies….”

Celestia was about to continue, when suddenly the sky outside the tent went black, not dark like at night but BLACK. The ponies in the tent milled about in concern. Celestia turned to Luna “I don’t think this is the time for.”

Luna shook her head “We are not doing this, dear sister. In fact, we have no idea who is?”

Their curiosity was soon assuaged as three alicorns walked in from three sides of the tent.

Twilight looked at one of them “MARY, is that you”

Beyond now having wings, looked very different in other ways as well, he coat was darker, her pupils mere pinpricks and the white strings of her cutie mark had been replaced with black iron chains. She gave a smirk and then declared to the crowd



“Now let all freedom be abolished, and total enslavement be done”



“And pain without relief be spread over all.” said the red alicorn. This superficially resembled Healing Hooves, but here the change was even more obvious. His mane and tail were still yellow, but now they were made of spines, like on a hedgehog. His eyes were yellow as well, and slit pupiled like a lizard. On his flank was a cat o’ nine tails each branch ending in an inverted heart.



In the third corner stood Healing Hooves’s patient, no longer looking sick. He was still white, but the white which had been the living white of milk before, was now the dead white of bleached bone, and his mane was the color of bone that has aged yellow. On his flank was a yellow star behind a black iron grille. As he opened his eyes, they were blank white, pupil less and dead looking.

“A Pain That Not Even Death Can Provide An End To.”



Suddenly the top of the tent tore open, and darkness poured in like oil. As it hit the ground it formed into a fourth alicorn. This one looked even less normal than the other three, his wings were batlike and his horn seemed to have unraveled so it looked like a corkscrew. It was hard to describe his eyes. They were black, but not shiny black, the black of a black hole and the dim light of the few candles that were still lit seemed to be being sucked into them. On his flank was a yellow star broken into five jagged pieces. He opened his mouth.

“AND ALL HOPE DIES FOREVERMORE”

[mannulus]

Chapter 2. Familiar Faces

The tent erupted in mass hysteria, as the four alicorns began to lay waste to the assembled crowd. The red one shot a group with his horn, and they gave an inequine scream of agony then fell down, their faces masks of torment. The blue one shot a mother and she rammed her horn into her child's belly and pulled up, gutting it. The white one was using his horn like a continous beam around the masses, and wherever it hit, everyone dropped dead.

One in a while some pony hot by the red one or blue one managed to fight through whatever was going on and try to make their way to stop the alicorns (or to escape). But every time, the black one in the center hit them and they collapsed and began trying to tear themselves literally apart.

From the dais, the Mane six and the royal families looked on in horror. Suddenly the black pony turned his attention to them and began advancing.

"PSST. This way, Quickly"!, said a voice behind them, and before they could even react, all of them found themselves being physically pulled through the back of the tent.

"This way, follow us" as all of them found themselves galloping along the roads of Canterlot, surrounded by a host of cloaked figures. As they galloped, Twilight looked up and saw that the sky was totally black, no moon, no stars no nothing. And when she turned her head, she saw that even the torchlights were being sucked in towards the tent and extinguished.

Finally a great distance away, the company slowed.

"Okay, that is probably far enough. Given the state of the torches around here, we're probably out of his range. At least, for now.

Celestia inclined her head " Words cannot express how grateful we are that you have saved us, but who exactly are you?"

The lead cloaked figure threw back his hood, revealing a golden tan head. a pale blond mane and a horn that oddly was stark white, spiralless and tapered to a razor sharp point.

'Well." he said, "This does technically fall under our job descriptions...." He looked like he was about to say more, but he then noticed Twilight and Shining Armor staring at him, their mouths agape.

"Uncle Trulance?!?!

Chapter 3. Knowledge and Marks

"Bu-but, I thought you were dead, or missing or..."

"No just undercover. One one of my trips, I was approached by some members of the Palaminodins, who said they wanted me for a member, so to join them, I had to  disappear. Sorry about that, part of the oath, you know.

"Princess Cadence said. "Well, what kind of oath keeps someone away from their family. You know Shining Armor INSISTED on wearing the medal you gave him to our wedding.  It would have meant the world to him if you had been there."

Trulance shrugged, "Like I said, I am sorry, but there actually ARE things that are more important than even family, few as they are. And one of them is the safety of all of Equestria. Your just lucky the council agreed to this emergency rescue, technically no one should even KNOW about us Palominodins " He turned "But this place isn't safe enough for long conversations, that's for back at HQ. Follow.

Trulance led them trough winding streets until they came to an imposing looking stone door deep in the outskirts of Canterlot. He gave the door a complex knock, and a slot opened it it.

"Password" said a voice on the other side

"What we do, we do for all." Said Trulance

"Many Kindnesses are Cruel." said the voice on the other side, and unbarred the door. The group went in.

Once inside the other cloaked ponies removed their hoods, and Shining Armor noticed that, regardless of their coat colors, they ALL had white spiralless horns. He asked

"Members of the order keep  their horns sharpened and de velveted, let we need them to fight with."

The passed many groups of unicorns going to and fro. In some rooms sparring sessions were being untaken. In others, armor being polished. 

"It's like the Guards barracks, but on a more massive scale "said Shining Armor. Boy I wished I had met you guys earlier."

"You don't go and join the Palominodins, they request YOU.  And in any case you're no longer qualfied.

"Are you questioning my strength." Siad Shining armor, a little miffed.

"No, your loyalty."

"What are you talking about, I'm a loyal to both Celestia and My wife as can be."

"And that's the point. Palominodins take an oath of loyalty to Equestria, NOT to the Royal family. The Royal Family isn't suppose to even know we EXIST. That WHY were exist in a certain sense.  We were formed after Luna turned specifically so that, should Celestia turn as well, there would be SOMEONE to take her down. (under he breath, Twilight heard Celestia say "good idea.")

"We specifically aren't ALLOWED to have loyalty to the royal familes. So How would it look if we took in a member who was MARRIED to one?  It took a lot of my convincing to have the council let you down here, and there are STILL a lot who would like you mind wiped when this is all done if we make it through."

"But WHAT IS  going on" Said Twilight, still shaking a little.

"We can tell you part of it, but I rather expect some of you already know. He turned his head to Celestia and Luna. Don't you, your highnesses?

Celestia and Luna nodded. "The seals have been broken. The Doom Bringers are back."

"Doom Bringers? Said Twillight.

As if in answer Trulance stopped and indicated to all of them to look at the tapestry on the wall. He pointed with his hoof at a symbol in the middle of it, a triangle made of four smaller triangles,  red, blue, white, and black.

"Tell me, has anyone ever seen this symbol before"

"I have" piped up Pinkie Pie "Granny Pie used to hang one of those in the window, said we were never to touch it or even draw it."

"Granny Smith did the same:, Said Applejack. "Said it was dangerous to replicate it. But durned if I know why, of what it means"

"Let me give you a clue then. Look at this symbol on the next tapestry. In the middle of that one was a pentagon with five trapezoids, blue, pink, orange, yellow and white and a purple center. The all looked at it for a while bewildered. Then Twilight got it.

"Us, it's out coat colors. and that arrangement is the one when we used the Elements of Harmony, the five of you and me in the middle. 

"Exactly, We put that one up when you did that. That's the mark of the elements of Harmony."

"So the other one is a mark too, but of what?"

Trulance sighed. "Well, by now you know there are many many elements, some single, some in clusters. Harmony is the strongest cluster, but it isn't the only one, nor are all the elements in it. I imagine you are familiar with the white stone in Lawhammer's Gavel.

"Of course, the Element of Justice." 

"Yes, that's another of the positive ones. Problem is there are negative ones as well. And that's where that mark comes in. That's the symbol of the Elements of Torment. Ages ago, ponies used.. But your highnesses perhaps you should cover this part."



 

[mannulus]

Celestia nodded her head. 

Our mother had a brother, Prince Nadir. While our mother dealt in the day and the night, He was interested only in darkness itself.  Where my mother wanted to rule, he wanted to torture.  around him he gathered three others who would serve him, and by his powers made them alicorns as well, that they might better spread his reign of terror and horror.  In the end It took all three of the rest of us, again using the Elements of Harmony  among other things to subdue him. his minions we merely petrified, but Nadir himself we encased in a obelisk of black stone with a lock so strong that it would take all three of us to break it.

"but then how did it break"

Celestia shrugged "I don't know"

"I think I do" said Twilight, I've seen some of the petrifying spells, and the tend to rely on numbers of unlockers, not their power.  Three alicorns were needed to break the lock, but they didn't have to be you three." 

"It is possible. A the time, we WERE the only three alicorns around and we knew WE would never unlock him. And you and Cadence never heard the story, and so YOU wouldn't either.  But how did THEY get out.

"We did a little research and we thing we have an answer. Remember the three original minions. Well, one of them Puppet Master actually had a family. And oppressed family, but a family none the less. And one of the little tricks in those petrifying spells is that a blood relative of the imprisoned has may hear their voices in their head. If THEY knew how to undo the spell, it would simply be a matter of waiting for a relative to come by."

Luna looked afraid "We have heard such voices. When the whispers came that it was unfair that you had the day and I had the night, and how easy it would be to take over, they were in Nadir's voice. "

Celestia looked grave " And when I heard the first echoes of my Daybreaker nightmare, they also sounded a lot like him."

Twilight looked at Trulance. "So, you're saying that Mary was a descendant of this Puppet Master?"

"That is our best guess. And now she IS Puppet Master, or more accurately Puppet Mistress holder of the Element of Enslavement. With her powers she can bring anyone under total control. She forms one of the three outside triangles.

The red one inside Healing Hooves is Endless Scourge, holder of the Element of Pain. The agonies he can inflict transcend all imaginable  torments. 

"And the white one the one that took over......"

 Lifelock. He holds the power of Life and Death itself. He is the most dangerous of the three for he has mastered in full both the positive and negative sides of his power."

Huh, what's this about positive and negative sides

Each Element covers both a quality and it's reverse. Rainbow Dash you bear loyalty because you  are loyal to your friends but in the hands of an evil pony, that ability could sway anyone to be loyal to you and you alone. Applejack, you are honest, but in another hands, the Element of Honesty could allow you to lie and never get caught, to lie so well the truth looks false. The elements give you power, but it is YOU who shape what they are."

And so it is with them. Puppet Master used to enjoy taking ALL control away from ponies, and watching as they twitched with no ability to control even their own minds and bodies. Scourge can grant not only pains beyond nightmares, but ecstasies' beyond any dream. And just as Lifelock can take life away, he can give it back, or even grant immortality. 


"Immortality doesn't sound so bad"

"It is when he and Scourge work together the latter causing pain beyond endurance, and the the former obviating death's eventual release.  

And I suppose the black triangle is Nadir himself.
 He no longer goes by Prince Nadir. Now he is known as Lord Soulbreaker. As for what HE represents, there isn't really a word for it. Despair comes closest, but it's a kind of despair that is stronger than any hope. 

[mannulus]

"If it's Hope that's involved, maybe someone should be looking for Sonnambula" said Rainbow Dash.

"We've got someone out looking for her, but we have no idea where she is." And we're already overstretched trying to bring in such victims as are still alive."

"You mean, there are actually ponies that made it through that attack ALIVE?! It looked like they killed everyone they touched"

"The lucky ones coming in just got winged by either Scourge or Puppet Mistress. the UN-lucky ones got hit by Lifelock's immortality beam first."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Said Fluttershy, with an unusual firmness in her voice.

"I honestly don't know, but I see no reason not to let you try. This way."

Trulance led them down into the depths of the complex, to an area that looked like a cross between a hospital/an asylum/ and a dungeon. He then turned them over to the head of the area, bid them goodbye and hurried off.

How about this one said Rainbow Dash looking at a hot pink stallion who was in one of the cells.

"Him?" said the doctor, "Him, we're just waiting and hoping he comes down enough that we can mindwipe him. Scourge hit him with a full blast of pleasure. At the moment, he's technically as happy as possible.

"I don't see how he could be THAT happy with that bad cold." said Pinkie Pie, "Look he and the room are all covered with snot."

'Uh Pinkie, I don't think that's snot." Said Twilight, nervously.

"Well, what else could it be?"

"Fluttershy whispered something in Pinkie's ear, and her face froze, then twisted.

"Eeew" she said, with disgust. the hurried on.

Then they came to one of the more heavy rooms, in which a pony was screaming. The doctor looked in and shook his head. "Poor guy. Scourge hit HIM with a PERMANENT pain spell, but one just below what his body could handle without collapsing. He's basically doomed to be in agony for the rest of his life.

"Isn't there anything you can do for him?" Asked Twilight, her voice shaking

"Nothing seems to work. So no, nothing."

Fluttershy kicked open the door "Well, then, there's something I can do"
Dodging the kicks and flails of the stallion she grabbed his horn (which he had actually broken off in his pain) and drove it into his chest. The stallion immediately went stiff. Fluttershy put her front hooves around him and said "Shh, Shh, it will all be over soon" and Indeed, soon the stallion slumped in her arms. Fluttershy let him down to the ground gently, then left the room and returned to the company who all stood with mouths agape. Rarity was the first to speak, tremblingly.
"Fluttershy, that-that was murder."
"No" Said Fluttershy "That was mercy. Like a told you before, mercy isn't always nice."



"

[mannulus]

"So", said Twilight, gaining back some of her composure, what do we do now?

"I wish I knew", said the head doctor. "We can keep bringing victims down here and do what we can, but as long as they are out there, there's just going to be more and more of them, and if the reports we are getting back are any evidence, the number of ponies surviving each attack is getting lower and lower, since Puppet Mistress is simply entrancing everyone to either stand still for the others or go out and bring in more victims. At the rate there are going, there isn't going to be one pony in Canterlot left alive by morning."

"I don't know about y'all, but ahd rather go down fighting. I'm goin' home and get my kin." Said Applejack "Once they're safe, ah plan to do what I can to save everyone else as well."

"A noble sentiment: said Trulance, who had returned. In fact, I think it best for all of you to return to your homes and make sure your loved ones are safe. I'll send members with you for protection. If only there was some sort of defense we could mount"

"The Tokens" said Twilight, The oracle crystal said they would be for us to use when all else was lost. If that isn't now, I don't know what is. Okay," she said, everyone back home, secure your loved ones, and get whatever tokens were bestowed on you, if any, then return here. I think you'll know what is needed."
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A few hours later, they met up again at the front of the HQ (led back there by their guides). Pinkie was wearing the amulet that Rictus had used to disguise himself, for some reason. Rainbow dash had on Lightedge's flight helmet. Rarity, oddly was carrying Pipsqueak's vase. Applejack was wearing her hatband on her hat, and had a sack that Twilight was pretty sure contained one or more of the white apples. And Fulttershy, to no ones surprise now, had brought the stiletto.

So it is decided, we six are going out to try and stop them.

"Seven, said a voice. We are coming with you" It was Luna

"Well, that's nice of you. but don't the four of you think it is better to stay here where it is safe.

"Allow me to re-state that. Cadence, Shining Armor Flurry Heart and my Sister are indeed staying here, but WE..... oh horse apples, I am coming with you. Out of all of you I have the best idea of how my Uncle's mind works. There was something that looked a little odd about Luna they noticed. then they realized what it was.

"You've took off your crown and jewels"

Luna nodded "Better to be incognito if I can. You don't need any extra things to draw attention to you. She took a step, then seemed to hesitate.

"Something wrong? You majesty"

No it, just that given that we wear our royal horseshoes even to bed, We had forgotten how it felt to walk barehoof. It actually feels sort of good."

"Twilight smiled, Now you know why mine were always slip-ons."