Chapter 2

Part pony, part machine, S.C.O.O.T.A.L.O.O. was one of Celestia's most abominable creations. She was roughly the size of Scootaloo, but the only way the monstrosity resembled the former filly was the left half of her face. She escorted Twilight Rarity and Applejack into Celestia's throne room then vanished in a flash of green light, off to do more of the princess's bidding. "Uh, Sugar cube," Rarity muttered to Twilight "I've been thinking and... well, do you ever, I don't know, question what we do here for the princess and all?" What are you suggesting?" Twilight asked, somewhat demandingly. "Well, darling... why don't you take a look around."

"I've been in the princess's throne room before, Applejack!"

"I realize that, but take a closer look. Are you certain that we're really doing the good that the princess says we're doing?" Twilight gave a sigh and decided to humor her friends and observed the long hall that stretched out before her. The decaying black stone walls that loomed over the narrow hall were lined with carvings of various occult symbols that glowed red with hatred. The stained glass windows depicted in graphic bloody detail Celestia mercilessly obliterating her enemies and cast a faint array of Autumn colors across the layer of mist which concealed the untold amounts of dried blood, pools of ooze, and scurrying possessed womp rats. The bars of the empty cages that hung high from the ceiling came attached with skeletal hands and claws of the princess's previous war trophies. Hung upon the walls were also many weapons ranging from daggers to missile launchers to laser cannons known to have helped destroy entire civilizations. "I don't know what you're talking about," Twilight concluded "and if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were traitors to the cause!"

"Twilight, that's a powerful accusation!" I was only..." Applejack silenced herself as a cloud of smoke as black as their deepest fears formed above them. It spiraled downward as it traveled toward the center of the room. A tall column of smoke stood before the ponies and collapsed, forming the shape of a very large alicorn, and then dispersed into nothingness, revealing Princess Celestia.