Pinkie's downfall

Chapter 20

When Twilight opened her eyes, she panicked - she could see nothing more than when they were shut. After desperately blinking a few times, she realised she was in fact in a very dark room, and there was a searing pain on her back. She tried to light up her surroundings but managed to produce only a faint light that she struggled to keep there. With the purple glow, Twilight saw that two of the four walls that surrounded her were made of iron bars and the others of cold grey stone; the floor was covered in blood. Her thoughts were clouded and it took a moment for her to realise that it was her own blood, dripping slowly from a grimy bandage wrapped around her waist, right where her wings used to be.
Twilight gasped in horror and pain, the light of her horn flickering and going out as she crashed to the floor in a dead faint, her strength and magic stripped from her.

"Are you ready?" Pinkamena asked with a smile, "Twilight will be waiting!" She fastened the clasp around Applejacks neck and spun her round to face her, the element of loyalty now gleaming on the cowgirls neck.
"I can't believe ya!" She yelled, "Ah'll tell her! Ah will! Ah'll tell Twilight that you're -" Applejack fell to her knees, unable to breathe, the corrupted element not allowing her to disobey Pinkamena and tightening around her neck.
  "I don't think you'll be telling her anything." Pinkamena said, sweetly, "Now. Run along. And don't try and run away, it would be a shame to see you killed. Or...maybe it wouldn't."
Applejack nodded, terror in her eyes, then ran as fast as she could, back towards Canterlot High School.
  "This will be fun!" Pinkamena said, clapping her hands delightedly and sitting back down on the couch she had conjured, "Girls! I have a surprise for you!" Trembling slightly, Fluttershy, Rarity and Rainbowdash came out of the cottage, coming as close to the sphere of magic as they dared.
  "Do you remember that book?" She asked innocently, "The one Twilight used to love? The one with all the kids who were thrown into an arena and forced to kill each other? It was a good movie wasn't it? I remember we watched it together didn't we? I'd like to see it again. With you. As them." Her old friends faces were pale and Rainbowdash's eyes were burning with anger, "But, I think I'll make it a little easier. The first one of you to kill may leave." She pulled a long, sharp knife out of her pocket and tossed it through the magical bubble, where it landed on the grass with a thud, "May the games begin!" She laughed, the bucket of popcorn back in her lap.

"Hey!" A voice hissed, "Hey!" There was a loud clanging sound as the mare kicked the bars with her hoof, "Wake up!" Twilight groaned and rolled over, a tiny spark of light appearing at the end of her horn - just enough to see the face of Pinkie Pie looking at her from behind the bars. A surge of anger rushed through her before she remember that this wasn't the Pinkie that had killed, that she was just in chains for what her other self had done.
  "Twilight!" She said, smiling the smile of the party pony that once brought so much happiness, "You're okay! Listen, you have to help me." The smile was gone within seconds, "Princess Luna is going to execute me! Today! You have to get me out of here!"
"I - I can't..." Whispered Twilight, her throat feeling like sandpaper, "My magic...my wings...I'm not a princess...anymore."
  "But you must be!" Wailed Pinkie, "You can stop this! You can save me!" There was madness in her eyes but not the same madness as the purple mare had seen in those of the human Pinkie - that was pure insanity, this was pain and desperation.
  "Cadence thought it was wrong..." Twilight managed to say, "There were protests...she took other ponies away...to - to other places. She's making a new kingdom...all because she though what Luna was doing...is wrong."
  "Really?" Asked Pinkie, "Why wasn't I told?"
  "Why would Luna want you to know?"
  "Well then. I guess my death won't be for nothing... Did you help?"
  "I fought Luna for you but...this is what I get in return."
  "Then neither will yours." The pink pony said sadly.
  "What?!" Twilight sat bolt upright, then screamed in pain, "W- wh- what?"
  "Twilight," Pinkie said gently, tears making tracks in the dirt on her face, "It's going to be a joint execution."

When Applejack tumbled through the portal, she found herself on the grass next to a huge pile of glittering stone - the remains of Twilights castle. It had been destroyed, the pony worlds Twilight escaping and the human one being imprisoned and stripped of her power. Applejack knew none of this though and was more concerned with trying to walk on four legs. After almost half an hour of trying to stand up straight, the orange pony decided to head for Canterlot, relying on what Twilight had told her about Equestria as a map. Emerging from behind the rubble, the still slightly dazed mare was shocked to see a huge, flat slab of stone covered with pieces of paper, covered with hateful messages.
  "Applejack?" A voice called, "What are you doing here? First Twilight, now you. This whole thing just keeps getting stranger." A pale turquoise pony appeared from behind a large bit of gemstone and smiled.
  "Lyra?" She asked, "What's going on here?"
"Just some...little messages for Princess Twilight." Lyra said, scowling at the fluttering paper. She spat the word princess and Applejack began to feel even more confused.
  "Seriously, if she had such a problem with the execution she should have just gone to Cadence!" Lyra continued,
  "Huh?" Was all Applejack could manage in reply,
  "Where've you been? You don't know anything do you? Come to my house for a bit. I'll explain everything. But don't ask too many questions, I don't want to be late. You can join me if you want."
  "For what?" Asked Applejack, suddenly aware of the absence of the turquoise ponies best friend, "And where's Bonbon?"
  "Sssshhhh! We don't talk about them!"
  "Who? What in the hay is going on?"
  "I told you, I'll explain. And then you can come with me to the execution cuz there is no way I'm missing out on that."
  "E- execution?" Applejack was absolutely dumbfounded,
  "Fucking hell just come inside!" Lyra said, exasperated, leading the confused pony towards her house and trying to figure out where to start with the complicated events that had recently destroyed Equestrian society.