Sponsored Twilight's Terror Time

[RarityDash]

The next few moments passed quickly for Diamond Tiara while at the same time leaving her more disturbed and distraught witch each second that ticked by. She couldn't move. She couldn't think. All she could do was feel. She could feel the ache, the heaviness, the searing pain of just being alive as her flesh screamed in agony. She could feel them, the spiders she was host to now, crawling within her, trying to get out. She could feel the hunger, growing fast and compelling her with thoughts she couldn't even dignify. She just wanted it to end. She wanted everything to end, just so she didn't have to endure this. Tears streamed from her eyes as she stayed motionless and broken, until she felt the sensation of being grabbed. Good. Whatever whoever it was wanted to do with her couldn't be any worse than that.

Then they were in a classroom. Diamond didn't know why. She didn't understand any of it anymore. She stared blankly ahead, barely recognizing the oddly dressed princess. Her gaze was distant and vacant. When Twilight began to talk, she hardly reacted. Words were being said but she could hardly comprehend their meaning anymore. None of it seemed real. She was shown pictures of Ponyville, of ponies, some she knew, getting attacked by strange creatures. How was that supposed to mean anything to her though? They had been inside of her! The filly pawed at her snout trembled, all while staring ahead.

Nothing got through to her. It all seemed so distant and surreal. Where was she? Why was she even here? She didn't know anymore. It wasn't until she heard a voice call out, challenging the pony shaped like Twilight that she gave a gasp. It was her daddy. He was there at her side and he was standing up for her. Her eyes focused and unfocused and she trembled some more. Then she just cried.

"Daddy..." she whimpered feebly, unable to speak any more.

​

[SteelEagle]

The Prince spit a spitball at 'Twilight', which was amusing if nothing else. A few of them seemed to be so dense or foolish as to believe she would exist in the fantasy world as a physical item. She didn't really blame them, though. They were idiotic ponies who spent their soft lives reading stories that propped up their false ideals while the Changelings starved and fought to survive. No matter though. It would be fun seeing them collapse one by one until they all broke and wept. She had time. Literally forever!

The spitball passed through her and she paid no heed to the duo who yelled at her until she was good and done. After all, the cat didn't take the time to entertain the mice.

"Some of you are soo spirited! I love it! So much more thrilling for me when I break you a few centuries from now for good. Or seconds. who knows? Who cares? Certainly not me, since I have allllll the time in the world!" She laughed as their realities started to black out. She was going to set up so much fun for them!

"Daddy dearest, Mister Filthy Rich, how much of a hypocrite could anypony possibly be? While your daughter was going through her horrors, you were worried about a flying spider! If you see her ever again, feel free to ask her what she was going through. That could have lasted a year and you would have stood frozen! You are a pathetic pony. You are a pathetic stallion. You are a worthless father. So I've decided that you get to play your games with somepony else. If you lose, then not only do you get tossed in a cocoon, but so does your darling little daughter- and she'll relive that nightmare FOREVER!" Sachandara laughed before blinking him into his game.

Prince Blueblood was different. As he was being warped into the next game, Sachandara eliminated all of his senses. All of them. He could not see. He could not hear. He could not feel anything nor could he taste, and forget smelling. He was alone in his mind, entirely cut off from every form of stimuli- he couldn't even feel his blood pumping, or hear it. Sachandara commandeered that too, her voice cutting into every little crevice of his brain like a sharp, painful knife.

"Oh, so you're the Prince who can't pay attention? While the lives of others tonight may rely on you earning you title, you fritter your chance away by being oh so very...flippant. So you don't get to play your game with any of your senses. If you win, then you get to choose one to get back! But then you'll have to take it away from somepony else. If you get ALL of your senses back, then you may leave and warn the rest of Equestria about what has happened in little old Ponyville. Maybe the strapping young prince will earn some respect that way?" Blueblood was blinked into his game.

Time Spinner had been entertaining, getting angry and stomping to meet the fantasy Twilight. It was so delightful.

"My my, such RIGHTEOUSNESS you speak. That is so much fun to see. As your Princess has her love DRAINED from her, you'll have to sit content with trying to win my game. And if you don't play- well little pony, not only can I make you walk in the cocoon anyway, but I can tell you that there are fates far worse than that in store for you. So you'll play. If you don't- oh, how about I just get your family into the cocoons anyway? After all, diving through the depths of your SAD LITTLE MIND, I know where they live and, ohh, their fears...hmm, I have some, hah, visits to arrange. Have fun," Time Spinner was blinked into his game.

Meanwhile, one of the contestants was snatched up in a cocoon. There'd be some changes.

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RoseHip, Diamond Tiara, and Prince Blueblood

Prince Blueblood has no senses at all. Diamond Tiara and Rose Hip phase in on either side of the Prince. Diamond Tiara is on the right. Her left hoof is connected to his right hoof through some force, glue or fusion or simply magic, that is unbreakable. RoseHip is on the left, her right hoof connected to his left. Torches light up

lining a path wide enough for all of them going straight. At the end are two platforms, each one with a stone carving of their faces on it. On a raised platform beyond that, surrounded by servants and changelings, was 'Twilight', sipping wine, eating grapes, and looking very excited.

"Oh! What fun! Here are the rules. You adorable little fillies have to pull this blind, deaf, and dumb 'Prince' down the path. Then, you will try and get him onto one platform That platform stays- you two win! However, if he is able to resist you for long enough, he wins...and you become little treats for me forever and ever, going back to your last nightmares for a starter! " She clapped her hooves, "Begin! You have one minute!"

She cut into Blueblood's mind.

"You can't see it or feel it, but you're being dragged by the two fillies. They are going to try and drag you over to a platform. They win if that happens. Your job, once I've given you a LITTLE control over your own muscles is to resist. If you can make it a minute without being pulled over to a platform, you win and they become my playthings. Lose, and you can just stay trapped in your own mind forever. Begin....NOW!" She said, giving him the tiniest bit of control over his muscles- he'd still be as weak, if not weaker, than each one of them individually. But maybe it'd be enough to resist well enough...

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Time Spinner, Filthy Rich

Time Spinner would feel funny. After all, he was a sand sculpture, or at least a pony made of sand. He stood on a lonely island that was connected to an equally small, lonely island by a path of very loose sand. Unusual look fish jumped over the sandbar ppath, shooting water out of their mouth. At the end of the path on the second island was Twilight, lounging in a beach chair in a bikini.

"Oh! There you go. My my my, someSAND is running out of time. This game is very, very simple. You are to walk across that sandbar and get to me. Not like you can talk with a sand mouth or do anything to me, but I'm sure your friends and family would appreciate a sincere effort. Fish will be trying to dissolve you- I wonder what it would feel like to feel your bidy coming apart in a million different pieces before being carried away to a thousand locations by the tide? Does that bode well for your sanity? Oh well. Get to me, you win. Don't, you lose. You have thirty seconds. Now...play."

While she spoke to him, she communicate telepathically with Filthy Rich who was quite clean as a fish, long and tubular, one of those that was jumping over the sandbar.

"I'll give you control of yourself in a minute. The goal is simple. See that sand pony? Dissolve him completely. Do so and you win. Lose, and your little Tiara will forget her own name long before I allow her to forget yours. You have thirty seconds. Now...go!"

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Tank, Pinchy

A tea set between the two, and they were ere both comfy in their chair- unable to move.

"This one is so sweet and nice. Just drink tea. The one who drinks the poisoned tea loses. The loser wins. The winner loses. In the end, don't trink the poisoned tea, but each of you must take at least one nice gulp or you both lose forever. Bottom's up!"

OOC- THE GAMES END 11/4.

[NeoExlucky]

Time Spinner looked down at his hooves. He was made out of SAND! How is one made out of sand? This is highly illogical. His thoughts drifted towards the changelings words. His family his brother and sister might have already been captured. What hope did they have? What hope did he have? His morale was low. He shook his head and focus on the task. There was a water, a sand bar, and lots of weird fish. What was the changeling playing at? Time Spinner looked around the island. Water was bad for sand. He would surely lose most of his form just by swimming there. He needed to make sure he stayed on the sand bar. Though...a thought crossed his mind. What if the illusion wasn't comatose? After all he was more than likely trapped in a small area. Maybe he could break his way out? He'd focus on that later. Now he had to cross the sandbar. He slowly walked across, with what felt like pounds of anxiety weighing him down. He eyed the fish carefully, making sure he could move easily out of the way if he needed. Though in his form now he might not be able to move quickly enough.

(I'm going to assume that Time can't use magic as a sand pony.)

[Mojo]

The past few hours had been torturous enough for Tankena. Confronted by a monster of enormous size, with a sword larger than she was, the armor clad Stalliongradian mare turned and ran. What she had thought was a sensable, smart decision turned tragic, watching all her friends crushed behind her. This was more shame and humiliation than she could bear. What was left of the mare's sanity, was nearly gone.

Now she sat at a table across from Pinchy, and was given a choice by some mysterious force of two cups of tea to drink. One would supposedly bring survival, the other, apparently, death. In her present state of mind. Tankena decided that enough was enough. Being unable to move in her comforty chair, the costume mare was not going to go through with this anymore.

"I DO NOT KNOW WHO YOU ARE, BUT HEAR MY WORDS!" Tankena screamed out, "I REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SILLY GAME ANY LONGER! I HAVE FAILED MY FRIENDS, I HAVE FAILED MY NATION, SO NOW I WILL NOT MAKE A CHOICE THAT RESULTS IN ANY MORE BLOODSHED, OTHER THAN MY OWN. DO WHAT YOU WILL TO ME, I AM READY TO DIE FOR MY BAD DECISIONS. I WILL NOT YIELD! I REFUSE TO BE A PUPPET IN YOUR INSANE GAMES ANY LONGER! I WOULD RATHER PERISH A FREE PONY THAN TO LIVE ANY MORE AS A VIRTUAL SLAVE! I LOSE BY DEFAULT! PINCHY IS YOUR WINNER HERE!"

She then turned to Pinchy.

"It is up to you now, find a way to defeat our foe. Good luck, comrade. I have sealed my own fate."

With that, Tankena now prepared herself for what was to come.

[Blueblood]

The surest way to get Blueblood's attention was to call out his name, of course. His vanity was always glad of any sort of attention, like any child or celebrity. Of course, since he hadn't been paying attention to the lecture previous, very little of what 'Twilight' said actually made any sort of sense. "Wait, what? Warn about what's happening in Ponyville? Games? What are you talking about?"

The Prince was feeling quite piqued; I mean, really, was this any way to run a Nightmare Night attraction? He'd come here expecting mindless fun, just the sort of thing his Aunt would force on him to weaken his snobbishness. Not that Twilight could be expected to do anything mindlessly...

He was just making up his mind on whether he ought to feel insulted or not, when all of a sudden, he didn't feel anything at all.

*I am getting rather tired of this. You started strong, really, but this just dragging. I'll have to give you a few pointers afterwards, Princess. The first would not to let your illusion spells short out like this...* Blueblood could keep up this stream of petty complaints for just about ever, only he was halted at the outset by a mental voice cutting into his. He was at first puzzled, but as the situation was outlined to him, he became supremely bored.

*Ugh. It's one of those tiresome 'tests of character.' Not even Auntie would bother with something like this; Twilight probably got it out of a book. Well, I say that enough's enough. I'm going home.* This would be easier said than done, given how weak the control over his own muscles was. The only think he could think of doing was to cast an illusion-dispelling spell, a difficult task for him not made any easier by lack of an inner magical sense.

He first tried casting it just as the fillies started to drag him. It didn't work, but unlike most spell backfires, it didn't hurt, either. Blueblood's sense of pain had not been restored to him, either, so there was nothing to discourage him from casting again, and again, and again...

***

Meanwhile, in the basement, Blueblood's horn began to glow, and shoot out sparks of energy of random power in random directions, as he was slowly, unwittingly dragged towards his cocoon. What those sparks might do if they hit anything, or anypony, would be nearly impossible to tell.

[Bellosh]

"Daddy dearest, Mister Filthy Rich, how much of a hypocrite could anypony possibly be? While your daughter was going through her horrors, you were worried about a flying spider! If you see her ever again, feel free to ask her what she was going through. That could have lasted a year and you would have stood frozen! You are a pathetic pony. You are a pathetic stallion. You are a worthless father. So I've decided that you get to play your games with somepony else. If you lose, then not only do you get tossed in a cocoon, but so does your darling little daughter- and she'll relive that nightmare FOREVER!"

By now, Filthy Rich had come to expect that the world around him could fade to black at any moment, so long as he remained trapped in this sadistic fantasy world. But hearing this changeling accuse him of abandoning his daughter to her horrors made Filthy’s blood boil past the figurative boiling point. The father refused to believe Sachadara’s words… because doing so would mean acknowledging his guilt, and the stallion could not bear the thought of him being responsible for Diamond Tiara’s pain.

All the same, Filthy Rich did accept the fact that he, his darling angel, and everypony else in the Madhouse, were hostages in Sacha's imaginary world of her own design. Assuming she didn't lie about her powers, the villainess really did have the ability to put Diamond through even more unspeakable horror. As much as FIlthy despised the sick creature in front of him, he admitted having no further choice than going along with Sacha's cruel came

"I'll give you control of yourself in a minute. The goal is simple. See that sand pony? Dissolve him completely. Do so and you win. Lose, and your little Tiara will forget her own name long before I allow her to forget yours. You have thirty seconds. Now...go!"

Next thing he knew, Mr. Rich now inhabited the body of a fish swimming near two lonely islands. Sacha’s voice boomed in Filthy’s head, ordering him to dissolve a sandpony. Filthy the Fish spotted the sandpony transversing a treacherous sandbar linking the islands, and he also saw other fish just like him jumping about and shooting water from their mouths. With that, the Filthy Fish understood what needed to be done; while it was extremely likely this adult-sized sandpony was another one of Sacha’s victims...........

...........

Diamond Tiara’s safety and well-being came first.

That one objective driving him, Filthy Fish swam as fast as he could within range, stuck his out of the water, and blasted the mightiest water gun attack he could at the sandpony below. With failure not an option, Filthy made sure to aim his attack extremely accurately, leading his target if he needed to. Even though the ocean currents forced his fishy body to constantly readjust position, FIlthy relentlessly pressed his attack, concerned with Diamond Tiara… and nothing else.

[NeoExlucky]

Time Spinner heard the water being sent towards him, probably one of the changelings tricks. He rushed forward, trying to dodge the water, it managed to hit his hooves, causing them to start to melt. he kept moving as much as he could. Jumping, spinning, backing up, dashing forward, sometimes even stopping all together. He was getting closer to the end of the sand bar, when he turned his head. One of the streams hit him square in the face. He felt himself start to melt even more, galloping as fast as he could towards the exit. Though he never thought about what changeling Twilight said about being in pairs. He never realized that there was somepony -or should I say some fish- that was in there with him, causing the streams of water.

[QuickLime]

This was fantastic..fan..freaking tastic..she was stuck to a stallion and a pony that had lost her senses, Diamond Tiara was dazed and RoseHip moved over to her, giving her a gentle but firm smack "'Snap out of it! We need to get out of here, work WITH me and we'll be able to go home, he can't put up much fight so we can pull him, I'll pull via the air and YOU pull forward" She said nodding.

With that she moved to fly up, tugging on her trapped hoof hard and started to fly towards the platform, pulling that stallion with all her might, shutting her eyes tightly, focus RoseHip, focus!

[Bellosh]

No, this was not working fast enough! That sandpony still kept on advancing despite Filthy Fish’s liquid barrages. Soon, the sandpony would pass right by the fish’s position without being dissolved, and the fish knew time wasn’t on his side. Feeling like he had less than 15 seconds remaining, Filthy Fish decided on a new strategy; once the thing got close enough, he’d leap and plow through the sandpony head-on. Perhaps if Filthy struck the creature’s head, it would crumble, leaving the rest of the body immobilized and subject to the mercy of the ocean’s waves. That of course would win this first game.

Just as it looked like the drenched sandpony would make it to the other island, Filthy Fish made his attack. Ensuring that his opponent wouldn’t have adequate time to dodge the attack, the fish jumped high out of the water and aimed right for its head. If the thing could be decapitated, he would fall, and Diamond Tiara would be safe for a while longer. That was all that mattered.....

[NeoExlucky]

(For the love of Luna, Bellosh, why would you leave this decision in my hooves? )

The fish jumped out of the water, ready to deal one final blow to Time Spinner. All hope had drained from him, he was utterly defenseless against the fish's oncoming flurry of splattering around through his head, and then flop about on the ground below. He would fail his task, his goal to stop this. He couldn't even speak to try and warn anypony about his idea that they might not have been comatose. He couldn't use magic, he couldn't speak, all he had was his mind, and how much could that carry him? Not far enough it seemed. With a heavy sigh, Time Spinner collapsed to his knees. It was over, he was finished. He couldn't save himself, he couldn't save Swift Blitz, he couldn't save Gadget, he couldn't save anypony. No matter how hard he tried to act in the way of the elements of harmony he just wasn't strong enough to stand against the changelings. Maybe the same destiny that had handed him his cutie mark for reading a book, oh so long ago, was the same destiny that led him to be tortured by the changelings forever. The fear of defeat latched itself onto Time Spinner's heart, dragging it to one of the most horrifying places ever imaginable; to Time Spinner's dreading pit of stomach. He cowered under the threat of the changelings. This was the end of Time Spinner.

Then there was a little hope, a light in the dark shadowed cavern that was Time Spinner's mind. This was an illusion. He would not break, he would not fall, he would fight no matter what these things thought they were. He would fight; for Gadget, for Swift Blitz, for Aselia, for Celestia, for Luna, for Twilight, for everypony trapped in this moon-hole that was a prison. Hope was the strongest thing he could have at this time. He would fight with all of his power, and with everything he had for the defeat of the enemy, he would not fall. No matter what the outcome in this 'game' was, Time Spinner would find a way to break his chains and deal with the changeling. He felt like the stars themselves shined upon him. There was no way he would fail.

-SPLAT-

The sand that was Time Spinner's being fell to the ground in a crumble of dust, leaving behind a tan cloud. He still felt something, like his mind was projecting his body but it was so far off that he couldn't feel what it really was. He found that some of his sand body was all over the place but he could still feel some of it. His hoof over here, his horn over there, his...was that his stomach? Funny, Time Spinner had never seen his own stomach before. It was quite...amusing.

(I don't know what to say but: )

[Imagination]

Poor little Pinchy was still having a hard time trying to shake off everything she had been seeing and experiencing. She didn't want to be at this tea party. Not when one of these drinks was a bad one! Tears a constant flow down the little filly's face as she shivered with fear, she yelped and watched with wide eyes when her other party guest started shouting at nopony in particular. Not that she could see, anyway.

"W-Wait, what?!"

It was up to her to defeat... Whatever this was? How the fluff was she supposed to do that?! "But-But-But-!"

Normally she would obviously rise to the occasion and be a super heroine for the day and totally take on this great evil and free everypony from this nightmare, but... Well she wasn't feeling very super. "This is the worst day of my life!" she tearfully admitted while staring at the little teacup. She became fearful of it for a moment, thinking it was going to talk back and be mean to her somehow, but eventually the scared filly just got out of her seat, looking over to the mare. "What do I dooo?!"

[Mojo]

The nearly insane Tankena looked over at Pinchy and smiled widely.

"What you do, young filly, is survive," the costume mare said. "Survive! Live on! Take the gift I am giving you and survive."

After saying this, the Stalliongradian mare grabbed both cups of tea and drank them at the same time, then tossing them both down to the floor so hard they broke into pieces.

"Now, it is done. I will be harming no more ponies. Do not weep for me, young one. I am receiving what I deserve. You live on, be strong and brave. Self sacrifice is the Stalliongradian way! Do svidaniya"

Tankena was so distraught, she couldn't even taste the flavor of either cup of tea. Her fate was now sealed, sealed by her own hoof. Now she awaited the consequences, content in the knowledge that her actions had saved one life tonight.

[Blueblood]

The tugs that the pair of fillies were giving Blueblood were not all that strong, and they would have had to strain just to budge his adult body. Fortunately for them, the Prince wasn't bothering to resist. All of his effort and energy was busy casting his illusion-dispelling spells; not that it seemed to be doing much, but, of course, in the 'real world,' he still had his blindfold on.

But, he felt... stuff, around his ankles sometimes, that wasn't the fillies tied to them. *Ugh... that feels like that horrid substance Twilight had us dip our hooves in... are we really swimming in it? That. Is. Disgusting! I shall definitely have a word with Auntie about you!*

Meanwhile, in the basement, sparks were still flying from the alabaster unicorn's horn. If they fell on a pony, that pony might feel it, even while trapped in their illusion. Even if they couldn't see the real world, they might feel it, or at least be reminded that it was still there...

[SteelEagle]

She ate her grapes, as happy as could be, while she watched the two fillies struggle with the larger stallion. It wouldn't have been so hard for little old Robin Hoof had Diamond Tiara shown the barest inclination to help, but not even a stern slap could wake the filly up. Good. She was terrified, horrified, frozen like a statue. Broken. The fun part wasn't just breaking them though- it was having them come back together, only to break them again. Nothing was more horrifying than the realization of what was happening and having the inability to stop it. Yum. They struggled and struggled but try as one might, the pair lost. The lounging Princess clapped her hooves.

"Good effort girls, but it looks like one of you-" Twilight glided next to Diamond Tiara and whispered into her ear, "was desperate to go back to their nightmares. I hope you like pegasus, little pony, because I have a feeling your diet will have use of their meat," She chuckled, clapping her hooves and transporting them away. She then spoke in the Prince's mind.

"It's tiring watching that little horn of yours spurt so much. Perhaps if I removed it, I wouldn't have to watch it spark around your princess's former library anymore? Maybe grind it up and show it to your auntie Celestia, have her take a good powder to the face with it while I describe to her every lurid detail of your demise. Not that it's doing her much good. Luxaria is too busy draining her of love as we speak. Or maybe I can rob you of all control and leave you only with control of your pain receptors. Maybe I should spend the next few centuries breaking a stallion of his pain tolerance, resetting it, and doing so again. Hmm. Interesting. Want to test it out, little Equestrian Prince?" She coo'd, giving her feeling- at least of his nerves, pain receptors. Then she operated him like a dial, making the pain rise and rise followed by a short dip, treating him like a toy. In reality, the sparks were vexing- his illusion breaking spell would stop as soon as she removed control of his muscles, but they had almost hit somepony else. He had won the game but was a hassle. A cocoon grew over him and after a few seconds he was in. Then she momentarily brought him back into reality, leering through the view.

"Wakey wakey Princey. Just wanted to give you a glimpse at the face of the Changeling that defeated you, and the last face you'll see in reality- forever!" She cackled, immediately ushering him back into the dream world as the cocoon moved back into the wall, her attention focused elsewhere.

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Tank and Pinchy had been a poor showing from both parties, but at least one had played a game and provided entertainment, The other sa there and cried. What a foal.

"Ohhh, so sorry you lost," She appeared in the fantasy, though they could not harm her. She started gliding around.

"Too bad for you though, would be sacrificial lamb, because you drank all the game pieces. Poor Pinchy couldn't play, so poor Pinchy is automatically disqualified! Poor form, poor sport, Tank. I expected more from you," She vanished. Then she appeared under Pinchy, rising up slowly so it appeared as though Pinchy was riding her, telekinetically glued to the changeling. In front of them, a gate appeared, a mass of tentacles and teeth behind it.

"Little filly, I bet you are so excited! What strange horrors lie in front of you for eternity? Thanks for sustaining me EVERMORE!" She yelled before sending the filly up in the air, backing up, and bucking her with unimaginable strength into the swirling mass of tentacles. She then shot Tank an arrogant smile and vanished.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Time Spinner fell into a heap so close to her while father accomplished his task. How sad for him that not only had he doomed another pony to eternity, but he had a worthless leech of a daughter who had in turn doomed another innocent filly. What a pathetic family. What pathetic creatures. She picked up his sand eye, allowing it to focus.

"You are truly sad, little sand pony. Your family relied on you and yet you failed? Your love is as barren as a desert! You are not deserving of them, so I will TAKE THEM WHERE THEY SLEEP. Within our hive as food they will find an infinite number of superior family to your worthless hind. I'll enjoy watching you...watch them," She then smashed the sand-eye before levitating the fish over.

"Congratulations. It turns out you aren't as pathetic as the others. But I have some sad news to report..." She took an incredibly long drink of iced tea, "your daughter is a worthless coward. She failed her game, didn't even move! I wonder if it was because her scum-sucking father couldn't be bothered to worry about her when they were last together...hmm, yeah, that was it. She was so broken that she couldn't function! Well let me tell you something, daddy dearest...I'm going to rebuild her. And then break her. Again and again and again forever. She will learn to trust and be happy only for me to destroy everything, up to and including her identity and any sense of hope. Then I'll reset it. And the cycle will continue forever, far beyond the end of time- at least for her. After all, what's a few billion years of nightmare when I can do ten centuries a second?

Tell me, does it feel good to do this to her? Do you enjoy hurting her so much? You must. After all, this is all your fault. Maybe I'll give her a new daddy dearest in one of her nightmares. Maybe I'll make sure he is much, much better than you before I ensure he is much, much worse," She tossed him on the sand, vanishing.

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For a few seconds, all was quiet. Then, in the darkness, appeared Filthy Rich and Tank, unharmed and standing some twenty feet apart, along in the darkness. Suddenly six different nightmares surrounded them in a three hundred and sixty degree ball- they could now see and understand all the horrors being inflicted on their fellows. Sach appeared in all of her glory hovering above, but something was off...even for her. She had dark, mad eyes and her wings beat an irregular rhythm.

"Good! Good! Good you're here for the final game!" She spat out excitedly, buzzing around awkwardly.

"Sorry for my appearance. I've been FEEDING on your fellows for CENTURIES. Or at least, that's what it's felt like for me. I haven't felt this good since that group of orphans in the Everfree. See how much fun they're having?!" She asked, twirling in space with arms outstretched, pointing to the horrors currently troubling the other ponies.

"You two are here because, simply, you are such abject failures. You are neither heroes nor even GOOD PONIES! I've dealt with good ponies and you- you taste so much..." she buzzed over to Filthy Rich, immobilizing him and holding his limp head by the sides of his body, licking his head as quickly as a cat laps up milk, "sweet. Your terror is so fresh and delightful even as I GORGE myself on the innocents around here....uhhmm...hhhmm...delight in your suffering, delight in your pain, I delight in all the things that give you fright! Your PATHETIC HOLIDAY you celebrate, asking to be scared, but YOU ARE TIMID AND PATHETIC. That is why you are the best treats to ever be given. And because your compatriots have been so kind in feeding me, I'll pass along some kindness...with a game!" She flew to the top of the sphere, the nightmares surrounding her as two spears and two shields appeared next to each pony.

"This is simple. Defeat the other pony. You lose when you have been destroyed or if I sense you letting up- in which case, you both lose and nopony will be freed to warn Equestria of what we have done today, per Chrysalis' orders. The winner gets to select one pony to free. The loser...well...hahha...hhhhaa..haaaaaaaaaaa....HAHAHAHAHA.....HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH....HAHAHAHA! FEED ME MORE! OH YES, FEED. ME. MOOOOOOOOORE." She cackled and started to laugh maniacally, pounding an invisible wall that created the sound of thunder. After a few seconds and looking noticeably more deranged, she turned back to the pair below. In reality, all the others were in cocoons, and being made dimly aware of their increasingly dire situation in the back of their head as they underwent unique nightmares.

"FIGHT. FIGHT NOW. FIGHT NOW AND PRAISE MY NAME! I AM SACHADARA, AND I AM EVERYTHING NOW!"

[NeoExlucky]

If Time knew where his mouth was he would spit on this changeling. This was getting old. She would give us a task, we do the task, she tricks us, we fear her, she turns us against each other, we all lose and she wins. That's almost how every story he ever read went, with one or two exceptions here or there. This was the plan, at least the plan he thought, that this lady thought she would accomplish. He could no longer feel his hooves, so there was no hope in trying to kick his way. He could not feel his horn, so there was no hope trying to use magic. His eye had been crushed...yet he could still see as if he had two eyes. Quite a funny thing since he knew his eye was crushed but he could still see with it. Like even if it wasn't there, in the illusion, it was because he had always seen with two eyes that he kept his normal vision. In fact this was noticeable with his other senses as well. He did not smell any sea salt air, he did not feel the grainy sand underneath his hooves, he did not hear any birds calling or any waves crashing, and he could not taste any sand or salt water in his mouth, after all his mouth was probably somewhere in between the water and the sand. It was his eyes that betrayed him. It was his eyes that made him see these things. So then...perhaps Time Spinner wouldn't be able to stop her but he could find a way to stop feeding her! It seemed quite possible to him. It could also be quite possible that the changeling was messing with his mind. Whichever the case was, Time closed his eyes. He gave up on them, no longer needing them when he had pictured himself in his mind. He was not at a basement. He was in his library, his collection of books detailing the lives of ponies and practices of other creatures in Equestria. He knew where to look, the books which told of striped pony-like creatures who seemed to have...odd ways. This particular book spoke of Zebra culture. He knew what to find, the practices of Serenity, to feel no emotion in ones self. He had memorized the book, it was a personal favorite of his, this was merely symbolic, in case you-know-who could somehow track his thoughts. He sat down in a meditating position. His eyes remained closed. He breathed deeply, letting everything he held any tie for go.

Time's ultimate goal had been reached, he didn't dare celebrate for fear of breaking his concentration, but he knew he was successful in what he wanted. Time Spinner had found a way to break away from anything, as he did so when working late hours without his raven. He wasn't scared, hopeful, happy, sad, or angry. He had found Tranquility. He gave off no emotion, of course he would have to not move himself anywhere while he was meditating, that would bring the emotions back. His wish was for Changeling Twilight would take notice of his lack of emotion, then come to find him sitting in his mental image house, or perhaps in the illusion he was still lying on the sandy beach in piles, he could no longer see or feel to know.

[Blueblood]

So, Blueblood had won, without ever actually trying. Naturally, of course, he wasn't aware of this, as he had no real way of telling how far along he'd been dragged. The illusion-dispellers had quite failed to illuminate the situation for, well, anypony as far as could be determined. Not that anything he had done or could do would matter in any case; that changeling was in complete control of the situation, and decided to drop by the dark recesses of the Prince's mind to let him know.

The unicorn still hadn't quite gotten the memo, though. "Wait, what? What do you mean, Auntie Celestia's- AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Oh Faust, the pain! All those backfired spells had stored up one heck of a migraine, and he got hit with it all at once. If that wasn't enough, every other part of his body felt like it was being stabbed by red hot needles, then like it was being peeled off! The stallion's screams changed in pitch as the pain ebbed and flowed; if she'd been feeling especially cruel, she could have used him to play a song. Perhaps she did. In any case, it was quite literally true that he had never felt such pain in his entire life.

All Blueblood knew by the end of it, when awareness had been briefly returned to him, was that he had been trapped in a cocoon, and a changeling was leering over him. The last thought he had before falling back into the dream was, *You know, I'm beginning to think you're not really Twilight Sparkle.*

~

"Blueblood."

The Prince was aware of a familiar voice calling his name. He blinked, finding himself on the marble floor of the throne room in Canterlot. Princess Celestia was sitting upon her golden throne, looking down upon him with a look mixed of disappointment and contempt. He tried to remember how he had got here, but a throbbing headache kept him from thinking clearly.

"Yes, Auntie?"

"Don't call me that anymore!" A flash of anger roiled across the Solar Princess' face, before settling back into cold sternness. "I don't know, really, why I thought that anything really could be made of you. Not even when right and wrong are clearly laid out for you do you ever choose the right!"

Blueblood was knocked back on his haunches, as he stared up at Celestia in shock. Was... was she really disowning him? "What do you mean?" He asked, in a small, scared voice.

Exasperation as well as contempt filled her voice as she spelled it out. "Two innocent little fillies, in danger of eternal nightmares and slavery at the hands of changelings, and you would abandon them to save your own sorry hide? No nephew of mine would do so. Kindly remove yourself from Our Presence, and never remind Us that you exist."

Almost more frightening than her words to him were the pronouns she used. Celestia never used the royal We, she always used the first person singular, in order to relate to her subjects personally. If she didn't think him worth even that-

Suddenly, Prince Blueblood found himself seized by the Royal Guards, and flung clear out of the castle. He hit the street with the sickening crunch of a broken leg, and he cried out in pain. But none of the ponies walking by in the street paid him any attention.

"Somepony, anypony! Please, I'm hurt, can you get a doctor, please!" There was no attempt on his part to keep any dignity, or snobbery, it hurt too much for him to care about things like that. Still, nopony stopped to look, nopony thought him worth any kind of attention at all. He began to break down. "I'm sorry, auntie! I really am! Just don't leave me here, ple-e-ease..." He was crying now, bawling actually, like a lost little foal, gushing from eyes and nose.

And still, nopony stopped to look at him.

[Bellosh]

"...Your daughter is a worthless coward. She failed her game, didn't even move! I wonder if it was because her scum-sucking father couldn't be bothered to worry about her when they were last together...hmm, yeah, that was it. She was so broken that she couldn't function! Well let me tell you something, daddy dearest...I'm going to rebuild her. And then break her. Again and again and again forever...

...Tell me, does it feel good to do this to her? Do you enjoy hurting her so much? You must. After all, this is all your fault. Maybe I'll give her a new daddy dearest in one of her nightmares. Maybe I'll make sure he is much, much better than you before I ensure he is much, much worse."

Filthy Fish should have known better than to celebrate the accomplishment of his task. Sachadara, faithless and accursed, outright declared her intention to break her promise by inflicting even more misery on Diamond Tiara. And she even had the gall to blame the father for all this! Filthy wanted desperately to retort back, but found it hard as a fish lacking vocal cords to do anything more but wiggle and mouth words. This monster was going to pay for all her atrocities; Filthy will find a way somehow!

"Good! Good! Good you're here for the final game! ...You two are here because, simply, you are such abject failures. You are neither heroes nor even GOOD PONIES! I've dealt with good ponies and you- you taste so much... sweet."

This newest location was probably the most surreal place Filthy Rich, now back in his earth pony body, had been whisked away to yet. Within this arena in the void surrounded by visions of various grotesque horrors, one other random mare stood twenty feet in front of Mr. Rich, while Sacha hovered above looking even more twisted and evil from before. The changeling’s words themselves stopped having much of an effect on Filthy; not even he could envision an actual sadist dredging up cringe-worthy gloating. The only ponies Mr. Rich ever heard talk like that were adolescent colts at play, under the impression that villainous characters needed to declare their love for causing pain to be considered evil. Maybe this was all just intimidation on Sacha’s-

All of a sudden, Filthy’s body froze against its will as the vile changeling flew in closer. Unable to show his disgust, the stallion mentally recoiled as Sacha seized his head and gave it a lick. Uggggh… she really would not get away with this at all…

"This is simple. Defeat the other pony. You lose when you have been destroyed or if I sense you letting up- in which case, you both lose and nopony will be freed to warn Equestria of what we have done today, per Chrysalis' orders. The winner gets to select one pony to free. The loser...well...hahha...hhhhaa..haaaaaaaaaaa....HAHAHAHAHA.....HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH....HAHAHAHA! FEED ME MORE! OH YES, FEED. ME. MOOOOOOOOORE."

The stallion sighed with Sacha's new instructions; now he had to pick up a spear and shield to kill that green mare in armed combat. There was little doubt that the changeling's promise was a gigantic lie, but there was also little doubt that neither he or his opponent would get killed. That changeling wouldn't want one of her precious food sources dying on her. Seeing no further point to try all that hard, Filthy reluctantly picked up his equipment and slowly made his way towards the other combatant, keeping his spear and sword raised at all times. No need to rush into a pointless fight with only one real outcome.....

[Mojo]

Tankena's mind was nearly gone. The Stalliongradian mare had fully expected her life to end with her voluntary forfeit and for poor Pinchy to be declared the victor.

This didn't happen.

Tankena's actions had caused doom for Pinchy, and for herself. More guilt for the armor clad mare to bear, one more straw that finally broke the 'camel's back' of what sanity she had remaining. None of this was making any logical sense, and neither did the next orders that came from the laughing 'master of ceremonies.' Now she had to fight Filthy Rich? No way that wealthy stallion could defend himself in a true battle. Now, everything was a whirling blur in her brain. Tankena was now operating on pure instinct as she reached for the provided spear. Filthy Rich seemed very casual about this, not charging her nor making any real aggressive actions. This didn't seem right. Then, it finally dawned on her. None of this was real! It couldn't be real! There's no way that all she had experienced could even remotely be called 'reality.' Instantly, the intelligent Earth mare regained her grip on her senses. There was no option to 'throw' this fight given by the mysterious host. Whoever was orchestrating this 'show' wanted entertainment. Now Tankena was about to deliver.

"So, THIS is my opponent? Seems hardly fair for the two of us to do battle like this! None of this, is real! He's not real, and YOU are not real either! I no longer believe a word you say! If I don't perform the way you want, you'll just destroy my friends? But you ALREADY showed me that they were crushed already! You think you are so brilliant! HA! I laugh at the so called superior intellect! If you are truly changlings, killing ponies would serve no purpose. You feed on our LOVE, not fear! I have no love for illusions and fantasies! So I refuse to be your puppet any longer! Even if you show me my friends dying, I refuse to believe it! This sick fantasy of yours will no longer fool me!"

With that said, Tankena left the spear on the floor.

[Bellosh]

Gah, at least that other mare could have made a show of fighting if she didn't want to really play along with Sachadara's game. At the least, either she or Filthy Rich could have stalled for time to come up with some sort of idea for plausible resistance. Unfortunately, the mare outright defied the changeling and cast aside her spear, pretty much rendering continued participation in this game pointless. With a mixed sense of relief of not having to undertake this barbaric activity, and dread for Sacha’s fury, Mr. Rich too threw down his equipment.

“I guess you have no choice now but to do your worst,” snorted the stallion with an uncharacteristic menace in his voice; “But heck, it’s not like you were going to keep your word, were you?” A part of Filthy’s mind wept knowing there was little he could do for Diamond Tiara by now, but unless they could free themselves from this horrid illusion, there wasn’t anything else that could be done.....

[SteelEagle]

These ponies had proven time and time again to be both an endless source of delight and an annoyance. Mind you the faste of fear that eminated from their warped psyches more than made up for the fact that when reduced in numbr they proved stubborn. She was learning a lesson- it would take time to break them when she paired them because they drew on the resistance of the other. In a sense it was noble, like when a Hiveling sacrificed herself to give food to a hatchling or a warrior perished defending against raiders. But it did not matter, because she controlled the very reality that theu perceived. All it meant was breaking them down into tiny little parts would take more time and be all the sweeter. As her competitors threw down their weapons, Sachandara sighed- and then froze them in place.

"I WAS going to allow you to save one of the others, but I guess neither one of you CARE to SAVE somepony else. Your own selfish belief in honor and decency may prevent me from feeding on your fear NOW, but you do not understand the flavors of pain I can inflict on you. emotionally. PHYSICALLY. You have both...lost. And because you have lost, I feel it best for you to take a trip through what you have doomed your friends, comrades- FAMILY- to for an ETERNITY OF SORROW! HAHAHHAHAHAHA!" She chortled, ripping their consciousnesses from their bodies and taking them in many different directions. They visited little Dimind Tiara's nightmare, where she allowed daddy to process the horrors that had taken place and were destined to be an eternity. They visited the fractured consciousness of Rose Hip, spread out over a thousand bit coins in a thousand shops in a thousand cities and the madness that would come from it. One by one they took their time processing it, Sachandara relishing their mute horror.

Then she raised the spears and thrust them slowly into each of the ponies.

"You may have refused to play, but you are simply TOYS. You are simply FOOD. And I will make you ending slow and painful. You will beg for me to crash through your mind and wipe it to a spit finish of everything and anything that you ever were! Enjoy your ENDING, foals!" She roared, cackling while she opened up portals and allowed the others to watch as she started to drain the two of whatever mental acuity they had remaining.

-------------------------------------------

In reality, Sachanadar was cackling as well, her body glowing with energy Tank and Filthy Rich convulsed slowly- she was making it slow- while the others struggled deafly in their cocoons. Save for Time Spinner- he had found peace. For now. She'd shred him to bits when she was done with these two soon to be husks. Maybe she'd rewrite them to be her queen's little pets? Robbed of identity, of personality, of everything that they were, they would be perfect servants. Following every order without the barest hint of complaint...would be-

-A hoof cracked across her face and she went flying into the center of the basement, knocked out. That didn't remove her control of their reality- after all, she would have had to sleep sometime- but it did stop the pain for a little while, so active was her role. The Guardsmen who had done it then levitated her and was joined by two others, who touched their horns together and shot a beam at the fluid mixture at their feet...