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// Chapter 2: Not-so regal return 
// Story: Project Hope 
// by Rarity Belle 
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Stories are to be told... But some stories, are best left, untold...
 

~RarityBell


“Hurry up you two! I can’t fly in circles waiting for you forever!” Rainbow Dash was getting irritated. Applejack and Axel were so lost in each other. After the kidnapping, Applejack could not choose any other colt. Soon the adventurers set up camp in the cold of the desert night. Nopony could sleep, except for Applejack and Axel who were nice and warm. It was adorable seeing Applejack with her partner cuddling to keep warm.
Morning came sooner than everypony expected. They all packed up and started to head out. “Twilight...do you even know which way we are going?” Rarity was very concerned. 
“Hmm...let me triple check the map... um... everypony stop.” The gang did as Twilight instructed. “Rarity I need to speak with you...now!” Rarity trotted over to Twilight’s side. Rarity saw the map and nearly fainted. 
“B-But Twilight... we can’t go there! I don’t want to!” 
“I know Rarity... I don’t want to either. But we both know it must be done...” 
Just then, Axel came over to investigate. “Uh what’s wrong here?” Axel glanced at the map and saw a shining bright palace. “Oh! I know what that is! It’s the Unicorn Capital isn’t it? I always wanted to go here.” 
“Well if my Axel wants to go then so do I.” Applejack walked up to Axel and kissed his cheek. All Axel could think to do at the time was to blush.
Axel headed for the direction of the Unicorn Capital with Applejack. Eventually everypony else except for Twilight and Rarity were following them. “Twilight...” 
“I guess it’s ok for them to see it. They won’t know...” Twilight and Rarity were very cautious about this Capital. Soon after agreeing, the two mares rushed to join the rest of the pack. Eventually they found the walls of the Unicorn Capital.
“Well good evening to you brave adventurers! My name is Warden. Please come inside these...bright colored...walls and rest; surely you are all tired!” a tall blue unicorn with a brown mane strode up to the gang with a welcoming expression.
“Now enter please. Oh not you two unicorns. I must speak with you...” Warden suddenly got this evil look in his eyes, but the earth ponies and pegasi didn't notice. 
“Rainbow Dash, take the others to the hotel here...” Twilight was sounding gloomy, so Rainbow Dash did as she told her to.
What seemed like a nice place to the non-unicorns was really a horror story come to life to Twilight and Rarity. 
“Unicorns...? Hold up... show me your faces” Twilight and Rarity did not want to open their eyes, but they did anyways. What they saw was not the brightly colored walls and decor around the place. What they saw was like a living nightmare; black and spiky walls with a horrid atmosphere. 
“Twilight Sparkle!? Rarity!? What are you doing back here? Do you know how long it’s been since I helped you two escape?” 
Twilight sighed deeply and said, “We both know that Warden, and the both of us rather did not want return to this place, but they wanted to see it so badly.” 
“She is speaking the truth Warden, we rather avoided this place but our friends just wanted to see it.” said Rarity while she looked a bit ashamed. 
“And you two couldn't stop them? Ugh... Nevermind... The two of you need to stick together here and only you two. If they start to see, how we see it, I have no idea what will happen.” said Warden a bit angry. Rarity and Twilight nodded and into the city, followed by Warden.
“I will look into how your friends are doing, you two can walk through the city, but don’t get that much attention to yourself.” said Warden as he went into the hotel to check on the others. Twilight and Rarity wandered through the cold, dead streets of the Capital. 
“I almost forgot this place... Almost.” said Rarity quite sad. 
“I know what you mean, living here, is a true hell... I mean, look around you. Nothing good can be seen here... It is thanks to this place, I am sometimes ashamed to be a Unicorn.” spoke Twilight softly as they walked through the dark and lifeless city. There was but one figure hidden in the shadows that kept following them, Twilight and Rarity both didn't know it. After some time the sun started to set and the moon to rise. It was time, time to return to the hotel. 
“Now I will never be able to forget this place... Coming back after so many years...” said Rarity. 
“I know Rarity, it is a shame we had to go here, but they wanted us to go...” said Twilight rather concerned. When they reached the hotel, the both of them had the feeling they were being watched, but couldn't see anypony looking for them. They went inside and went to the dinner room.

Somewhere, in an alley not far away from the hotel, a laugh was heard, “So the great Sparkle has finally come back home...” The figure stood by a poster of Twilight, but that poster, soon went up in flames, blue flames. “Soon enough, I shall do the same with you. Making an end to MY ordeal. You caused my downfall, now I shall make sure, the same happens to you. This place isn't big enough for the both of us Sparkle.” then the figure just started to laugh again.

“Look at that meal!”, said Rainbow as the meals were served. 
“My goodness, they really know how to cook here don’t they?” said Rarity. 
“The best place in town to eat, is right here.” said Warden. 
“Rarity, is it true, you once had a little, crush, on Warden?” said Applejack with a teasing voice. 
“Well, uhm, how do I say it... well, yes...” said Rarity as she became red of blushing. 
“She indeed once had, but then we found out we weren't really each other's type. What can you do, and when she left town, the contact between us, slowly went gone. It is nice to see her back though, we have quite a lot of catching up to do.” said Warden with a joyful voice. 
“But, why did you leave this place to come to Ponyville, the both of you?” asked Pinkie curious.
“Well, I got an invitation to ‘Princess Celestia’s School of Gifted Unicorns’ and thus had to leave for Canterlot.” explained Twilight. 
“My parents moved to Ponyville when I was very young, so my memory of my hometown is kinda vague, but I always remembered it as a happy place.” lied Rarity to them all. But she brought it so believable that nopony questioned it. If they only knew how the Unicorns saw their capital. 
“But for now, let us eat these delicious looking meals shall we?” said Warden. Everypony agreed and ate until their bellies became full.

It was morning in the hotel and everypony was feeling great, except for Twilight and Rarity. The two mares sensed each others concern and met up alone away from everypony outside of the hotel. “Twilight...we haven’t been here in a long time... I want to find my old home again...see what has become of our old houses.” 
“I guess Rarity, I’m curious to see what’s become of our homes here after we...left.” Twilight and Rarity agreed and set off for their only good memories of the capital. 
“Warden, could you tell the others that Rarity and I are going shopping for ‘supplies’?” 
“Twilight... I know you want to see your old home... Fine. Just come back safely alright?” Warden was a hard unicorn to lie to. His wisdom is very high, but he has a good heart. Warden allowed Twilight and Rarity to explore.
The two unicorns stepped outside the hotel into the sudden rain. The bone chilling atmosphere was hard enough, but a downpour was not going to stop even Rarity from finding her childhood house. All of the streets and alleys were the same in this nightmare of a city. It was not hard to get lost in the maze of corners and roads. Twilight did not want to lose Rarity, especially in this poor community.
“EEEEK!” Rarity let out a blood-curdling screech that scared Twilight half to death. 
“Wha! Rarity what happened?” 
“D-did you see that...? I saw something move in those shadows!” 
“Don’t be so paranoid Rarity...it was probably just a rat. Just ignore it and keep going.” Twilight did not believe Rarity. Rarity whimpered and continued to follow Twilight while keeping an eye on the darker parts of the alley. Poor Rarity...at that time she should have been paying attention to what wasn't dark. A giant glowing blue cage crashed down onto Rarity; locking her up! She was so scared she didn't scream, she fainted. “WHOA! Rarity! Where did that come from? Hang on... I’m coming to get you out of there!” Twilight was ahead of Rarity when the cage struck, so she doubled back to get her partner in crime. 
Twilight was almost there until she heard a laughter coming from behind her. This was a very familiar laughter to Twilight. She stopped in her tracks to turn and see who was there. A speeding black shadow zoomed around Twilight. “W-Who’s there...?” Twilight now readied her horn for a fight. 
“Hahahah! Oh miss Sparkle... what ever are you talking about? You know who I am. Besides, how could you forget after the Ursa Minor?”
The shadow stopped circling Twilight and turned on a light. A blue light. “...You... Trixie!” A blue unicorn stepped into the light and revealed herself in her signature magician’s outfit. 
“Ahahahahaha! That’s the GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie to you! And now it’s time for you to see why... the GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie is on home turf now; there is no escape now!”
Meanwhile at the hotel, Warden was waiting for Twilight and Rarity to return. “Um, excuse me Mr. Warden? Does shopping normally take this long in the capital?” Rainbow Dash was getting impatient again. 
“Oh why of course miss Rainbow. There can be very... picky shoppers... so it takes time to find the right goods... (If there is any good around here...) Stay here... I’m going to look for them.” 
“But Mr. Warden, you said it takes time-” Axel suddenly replied.
“I know what I said Mr. Axel but time can be of the essence these days!” Warden now with a worried tone rushed out the hotel door. 
“Strange fella, that Warden.” said Applejack who came standing next to Axel. 
“You said it honey.” said Axel and her gave Applejack a little kiss. Applejack looked outside and saw a wonderful city. 
“I don’t get it though... Uhm, it is nothing...”, said Applejack and kissed Axel full on the lips slowly guiding him back to their room.
Rarity shivered in fear in the cage and could nothing but look at Trixie and Twilight. “Twilight, last time we met, it was I who ran away, but this time, it is you who shall perish, forever!” The blue mist became sharp and cutted Twilight all over her body, not deep, but painful. “You feel the pain Twilight... That is the pain I have been feeling for such a long time now. A pain, I shall repay you with.” 
“Ugh... AAAHH! How, about... A little, dance, Trixie?” said Twilight while the mist disappeared but let one last big cut in her skin. Her horn stated to shine purple and she blasted a couple beams towards Trixie, all missed on purpose. 
“Ha, is that all the great Twilight Sparkle can do? Allow me...” said Trixie as her horn shined bright blue and a powerful beam blasted Twilight away, sending her in the nearest wall where she got stuck. 
“Ugh... Isn't bad enough we are here again, we see you again... What is next? Drop us there, so we can become magic?, said Twilight angry as she tried to climb out of the wall. 
“You, no. I have a personal account with you which I rather check in myself. As for little miss Perfect, I might do that.” said Trixie as she slowly came up to Twilight and blasted her again with a powerful beam. All Twilight could do, was scream in pain as Trixie’s magic slowly burned her fur away and reached her skin. Trixie just laughed at the hopeless Twilight, “This is MY home, and here are my rules.” 
Twilight started to smirk but slowly busted out of laughter. Trixie hold her magic and looked a little strange. “YOUR home... Trixie please... I AM a Unicorn as well remember...” said Twilight as she came out of the wall. “Allow me now...” and before Trixie could say anything back, she got blasted away by Twilight’s magic. 
“Oh, now, it, is, on!” said Trixie as she came back up. Both of the mares blasted their magic at full power, the middle point shifting all over the place. “Give it up Twilight... You will never win against Trixie!” said Trixie whose eyes stood on thunder. 
“Give me your worst Trixie, I am ready!” said Twilight who hold her hooves firmly to the ground.
Rarity just sat there in the cage, not knowing what would happen, but she saw something and dived for cover. And not much later, at the middle point of the two beams, a giant explosion, which turned into a implosion just as fast, sending all three of the mares into it and teleported them away. To a unknown place.
Warden heard the explosion and went to the spot, he saw the damage done and he knew where he had to go to. Only one place could have them now. He ventured out of the alley and looked to a grim building in the middle of the Capital. “I just hope I am not too late...” A strange blast left the chimney of the building as Warden gulped a bit. He galloped as fast as he could to the place and entered.
“Have there been two mares brought in in the last, fifteen minutes? If so, I need to see them, now. A mulberry one and a white one.” asked Warden to one of the desk employees. 
“Hmm, yes, they are just brought in. Cell number 10, seventh floor. Might I ask, what do you need from them?” asked the employee. 
“They never had to come here, they are going back with me.” Warden showed his badge and was given access to the cell. He rushed to the cell and saw them. 
“W-W-Warden?” said Rarity. 
“Yes, and where have the two of you gotten yourself into... I don’t even want to know it. The important thing is that you are out of here, out of this infernal place.” said Warden as he opened the door and let them out. As they left the building, Warden started to explain. “Do the both of you know where you just got out? I just saved your sorry flanks for the ‘Pretender’. That, thing, shoots out magic and makes this place look like sugar and nice. Biggest design flaw, Unicorns see right through it. And if you end up in one of those holding cells and nopony comes to get you within a certain amount of time, you will end up killed and feed into it. Do not ask how I got you out of there, but you need to go now. And promise me, to never return to this cursed place.” Twilight and Rarity nodded and they all three went back to the hotel, one more night, and then, it is out of this place. Warden hold Twilight and went into a shady alleyway with her to heal her cuts and bruises. When they came back, Twilight was as good as new.
“Welcome back you three. How went the shopping?” asked Applejack as they entered the dining room. 
“We saw a lot of nice things, and kinda got carried away by it so Warden had to drag us here.” said Rarity with a smile on her face. 
“Everypony, can I have your attention please? I want to make an announcement.” said Twilight and everypony looked at her. 
“I say this with pain in my heart, but tomorrow, we have to leave. This was not a vacation after all. We need to look for more places.” Everypony agreed on that and eat their served meals. Some of them stayed for a couple drinks while others went to bed shortly after the meal.