Weekly Updates: Twilight's Bizarre Adventure - Chapter 6 · 2:44am Aug 22nd, 2020
Sorry for last week without updates. I promise I will make up for it with a double one down the line. I do not dare to say when, because when I do that, the universe folds onto itself to prevent me from doing so. So, just enjoy this chapter, which I'd gladly call "the one where things go for a spin". But first, recap time!
The Masked Ponies' conspiracy has a nigh absolute reach. Not only did they followed Twilight and her companions through the streets of Canterlot with technology that did not belong to their age. Not only did they invaded her family's house, breaking Twilight's illusion of being safe in her own home. But now a group of Imperial Guards revealed themselves to be with the Masked Ponies, as a Lieutenant just admitted for them to be part of the Guard itself.
There's no escape from a swarm of locust.
Twilight's Bizarre Adventure: Midnight Light
“Weapons down, soldiers,” the Imperial Lieutenant ordered, though he didn’t depower her own horn. “As for you,” she pointed at Pinkamena, “You have one opportunity to hand over that suspect before I consider this treason.”
“What?!” The mare replied, finally rising up from the bed.
“Treason?!” Shining replied indignant. “You better explain yourself, Lieutenant.”
“Yes, Captain Armor, treason.” She stepped closer. “For assaulting members of the Imperial Guard and housing a suspect of conspiracy.”
“What? N-no!” Pinkamena stuttered. “I-I’m only looking for my sister.” She looked at Twilight with pleading eyes. “Lady Sparkle,” Pinkamena’s voice was reduced to a varely audible whimper. “You have to believe me, please!” Tears were forming under her eyes.
Twilight looked back at, unable to know in what to believe. There, just up and still on pajamas, was a mare of pink coat and magenta mane pleading for Twilight to believe in her. Though her straight hair covered the right eye, Twilight could see the blue of her left eye. Even veiled by the darkness, and blur of the pony’s own tears, Twilight could see the clear fear in her face.
But fear of what?
Fear of being discovered, or being trapped? Was there a difference Twilight could pick on?
She tried to back into her mind, think and figure out a way to solve this. In reality, she knew little of this mysterious Miss Pie, and most of it relied on taking her word for it. A stranger’s word. Who really was she? Who was her alleged sister? Did she even exist? So far, only Miss Pie mentioned her. Even more, Twilight didn’t even know why so much pain and punishment were directed at Miss Pie. Could it be she--
“Yeah, that’s a load of crap,” Shining answered, jumping ahead of Twilight’s own thought process. “If she really was a suspect, why wouldn’t you say so?”
“Because...” the Imperial Lieutenant began to answer.
“Don’t you lie to me!” Shining cut her in a dark tone, trotting closer to her as if ignoring the threat of her powered up horn. “Not when wearing that armor.”
“Captain...” she tried to say, but he kept getting closer, menacingly. “To hell with this!” She finally fired her spell.
The magic of a unicorn is a strange phenomenon. It projects something as ethereal as thought and emotion into something real. While a complex process on itself, it doesn’t take much more than what it takes to move a limb; generate the thought, and how long it takes for the electrical impulse to leave the brain and reach the horn. The scale was in milliseconds, at least.
However, with an already charged spell and a trained mare like the Lieutenant, it really was more akin to letting go of an arrow from the bow. Though the action itself still relied on her own capabilities and training, the key time was how long it took from the spell to be released and hit its target.
This was a magic discharge; pure energy. It was as fast as the ionized air around her could carry the electrons. Close to light from less than a meter of distance between her and Shining Armor, there really was no reaction time.
The outcome was decided before she fired any spell, as the light refracted in front of Shining Armor’s face, illuminating the room like a thunderbolt, and being redirected to a wall, leaving a scorched dent on it. She was a trained pony, but so was he.
“You dare to attack us?!” Shining’s eyes glowed with his horn as his shield turned became a visible magenta one in front of him. “In our own house?!” The muskets fired, but the shield easily deflected the bullets.
“Fire at the others!” The Lieutenant ordered, aiming her own horn at Twilight.
Time came to a standstill. The three guards pulled pistols. The same volition-repeating ones as the masked ponies. A second round of bullets, one of which was charged with the Lieutenants own magic, flew through the room. Shining was fast enough to expand his shield and catch almost all of it. Only the Lieutenant’s ray, aimed broadly away from him, passed his defense.
Twilight saw it happening too. The piece of metal surrounded by condensed electricity was aimed directly at her. Its reflection glimmered in her eyes.
“AH!” A scream cut through the night.
“Twily!” Shining Armor did the only thing he could and called for his sister, almost praying a miracle happened.
“Trixie!” Twilight called as the vampire took the magical attack, faster than any mortal could ever track. Her legs trembled and she knelt, almost falling over before Twilight and Pinkamena caught her.
This couldn’t have lasted more than a couple of second. Three tops. However, it was all the time in the world. Shining’s shield was said to be impenetrable, to the point a rumor ran around Canterlot he could even hold the fabled might of Princess Celestia. Nevertheless, even the world’s strongest shield could only cover as much as its user knew how to. Shining briefly remembered that fact as the cold sting of a knife entered his chest, in between his ribs and over his heart.
“NO!” Twilight called for him, still holding Trixie.
“Enough!” The Lieutenant shouted through her gritted eyes, pushing Shining’s body to her left, against a wall. The blood coming from his chest quickly made a pool under him. He was barely breathing, looking at the distance beyond the pain.
“No more games,” she trotted over Twilight while pulling a pistol. There was no emotion in her face other than annoyance.
“You...” Twilight gasped, barely able to follow reality anymore. “You killed him!”
“And you will follow if--”
“He was my brother!” Twilight rose up, leaving Trixie’s body on Pinkamena’s hooves. “And you killed him!” Her eyes started to glow as tears ran down her face.
The Lieutenant fired her pistol, charged with her own magic. The bullet stopped midair in front of an angered Twilight Sparkle. Though her horn wasn’t glowing, the air around her crackled with magic.
The bullet dissolved into dust, as Twilight’s eyes turned red and its glow expanded through her body.
“YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!” She roared as her fur turned white and her mane ignited in flames.
The next chapter would be the end of this first arc, and whether I decide if this should be published as a story or not (after a tonload of edits, though). As always, thanks to everyone supporting me and reading.
JESUS
”Ugh, I can’t believe those bastards shot me. Again.”
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I remember there was a time a lot of fanfics used Rapidash!Twilight as some kind of super mode, and I kinda miss that.
5340768
Apparently, it's national shot-a-vampire night.