Chapter 2: The Theory is Clear
With no one around him worthy of his genius in his eyes, Akaitora Sped through the trees, a new idea fresh in his head. No one was worthy of bearing the fruits of his labor but him. The only problem was attaching the new pieces to his body. True, he was a unicorn, and one who had studied the pony anatomy at that. He had devised the entire machination to work naturally with the muscles in a pony's back. it was to feel natural, albeit adding weight to carry.
The one thing he hadn't though about was how to attach it to himself. But he would find a way. He always had. He always would.
Arriving safely back in his lab, he tore through his notes, looking for one in particular: The design for attachment. He knew it had to be around here somewhere. Was it near the new wing set? No. The older, failed copies? No. Among the odds and ends he had pulled from the castle above? Not at all. As he was about to give up, he remembered something. The origin of his notes. All he needed was a pegasus. But where to find one at this hour? Darkness was already setting in, and all the ponies would be asleep. The pegasi slept mainly on clouds, too, therein creating yet another problem.
It was at this point that he decided to give up his thoughts for the night. Tomorrow, he would go back into town and... Town. He remembered, just on the outskirts of town, there had been a pegasus inside a cottage, alone no less. Packing his saddlebags with all manner of tools, he trotted out of the castle, a sinister grin on his face.
Arriving at the cottage, he made no sound as he approached the window. It was dimly lit, only a single candle burned inside. The pegasus in question, a yellow one with a pink mane and tail, was sleeping peacefully on the couch. He found it hard to believe, from his current view, that such creatures were as arrogant as he remembered. Then again, he remembered thinking the same thing right before being attacked by the manticore he had awakened upon his arrival in the forest..
He quietly walked around to the other side of the cottage, near the darker kitchen windows, then, using his magic, slid the window lock out of place. Stepping through the now open window, he pulled a small bottle from a pouch in his saddlebags, followed by a rope, then a rag. Dumping the contents of the bottle onto the rag, he peeked around the corner to the sleeping mare. He approached her silently, but swiftly, as sweat began to bead down his face. Just one more step, and--
*CREEEEAAAK*
The plank beneath his left front hoof had given him away, waking up the mare, who jumped into the air and backed into a corner.He would have to make this fast.
"Who, who are y--" was all she was able to get out before the rag was clamped across her mouth and nose, taking mere seconds send her back into slumber. Akaitora wiped his forehead, then looked out the windows to see if anypony had heard the outburst. Luckily, the pegasus' small voice had been quieter than the floorboard, so no one heard a thing. He quickly checked upstairs, and all through the house, hoping that he was correct in assuming that she was alone. He was happy to find that the only other being in the house was a bunny in its hutch, sound asleep.
He then got to work, tying the mare up, starting with the legs, then getting the wings, then placing a gag in her mouth in case she decided to wake up and scream. he blew out the candle, leaving only the light of Luna's full moon to illuminate the house. Opening the door, he found that the lock wasn't even in place. He could have just walked through the door. Curse his hindsight. He levitated the body, his steel-blue aura quieted to keep light from escaping it. he made a break for the forest, which was very nearby.
Upon arrival in the forest, He had stopped using his suppressor spell, allowing the light from his aura to shine through the trees. It was dark in the forest, even with the full moon shining down upon him. His path was clear, it was just too dark to see it. The castle wasn't far, only about half a mile from the edge of the forest. The door leading down into the tunnels beneath was also easy to find, if you were looking for it.
He descended down the steps into the dimly lit hallway. Torches lined the walls, aglow with a magical fire that only burned when somepony was close to it. a spell of his own design, he would have to write it down sometime... Thoughts notwithstanding, he walked down the hallway. Reaching his room, he lowered the pegasus to the ground gently, not wanting to damage his specimen.
"And now a nice cage to put you away in..." He said, leaving her to sleep in the corner. It would be at least an hour until the chloroform wore off. Besides, the dungeons were very close.