//------------------------------// // The Evil Thereof // Story: Through A Glass Darkly // by SpaceCommie //------------------------------// Applejack placed a smile on her face, a stetson on her head, and walked into the library. She eyed the Night Guard in front. “Miss Sparkle in?” The guard nodded. “Do you have an appointment?” “What are ya, a receptionist? I reckon she’ll want to see me. Let her know I’m here?” “Yeah.” The guard walked into the back. Applejack kicked the floor nervously, her smile dropping off her face. What if she knows? she thought. She ain’t gonna know, Applejack rebuked herself. You know this mare. She ain’t good at reading ponies. Besides, Mac needs ya to do this. He could get 25 years of hard labor for smugglin’ ponies outta them camps. She forced a smirk at the sound of hoofsteps. “So, do I get to see Twi—Miss Sparkle—tonight?” “Looks like it,” Twilight said. Applejack straightened up and turned to face Twilight. “Miss Sparkle, thanks for meetin’ me on such short notice.” Twilight waved distractedly. “It’s not a problem. Come into my office.” “Yes, ma’am,” Applejack said with a smirk, and followed her in. Keep your calm, and don’t let on that anything’s strange about this. “So,” Twilight said, “to what do I owe the visit?” Applejack smiled expertly. “I was hopin’ I could talk to ya about some of the details of your work.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “My work?” “Now, you’re aware of the, ah, nature of my business interests, right?” “Vaguely. At least for the ones you pretend are legal. Why?” “I do some work in the North Side. Got a map? Eh, doesn’t matter.” You’re talking awful quick. “Anyways, the area between Polaris Street and the river? I’m gonna have to ask ya not to raid any of the buildings there.” Applejack didn’t trust herself to break eye contact with Sparkle, or stop smiling. Or start breathing. Her eyes flickered nervously across the room. Scratch that, breathing was good. Look calm, damn it! Twilight was looking intently at her. “That’s quite the request to make. Why?” “I’m worryin’ that your Night Guards are gonna spook my contacts.” “Your... contacts?” Applejack leaned in and let some of her very real nervousness show. “I got some trade secrets I’d prefer didn’t get out. Namely, I can keep the prices on my applejack pretty damn low ‘cause I cut it with vodka. I’ve been distillin’ it there, and I’m nervous about the secret gettin’ out. You hear me?” “You could just give me the address,” Twilight said. “I’d make sure not to hit the place. I do have some discretion.” Why in the hell am I doin’ this for Mac? He got himself into this damn business. “Humor me, Miss Sparkle. I reckon you owe me for them Night Guards. I got you ‘em, and I can get ‘em taken just as easy.” Twilight sighed. “And this was going so well until you threatened me. You think you can get away with playing me, don’t you? You don’t care if I know what you make your terrible applejack with. You admitted to tax fraud the first time I met you. It doesn’t add up.” Applejack breathed in sharply. Twilight stared intensely at her. “I’d appreciate ya doin’ this for me, Miss Sparkle,” the businessmare said at last. “You’re hiding something from me,” Twilight stated. Applejack didn’t trust herself to respond. The unicorn sighed. “You’re not exactly the first pony. What do I get for not hitting the area?” “What do ya want?” “A million bits and a promise from you to police the area yourself,” Twilight said unblinkingly. “Half a million if you want to keep your bullyboys, Sparkle. Final offer.” “Done,” Twilight agreed. “Oh, and Miss Apple?” “Eeyup?” “If you ever try to play me again—or screw me over—I’ll  end you.” Applejack smirked nervously, and walked out the door.         Yeah, it’s done, but dammit, Mac, you wouldn’t be in this spot if ya’d done what I told ya to! Damn it, Mac! This business with the sun an’ everythin’—it ain’t worth your life. Come on back. We miss ya. You wanna do this with me, Mac? After all I’ve done for ya? Hell, I been helpin’ you get ponies outta them camps for years, an’ all because you asked me to. Oh, sure, I made ‘em work for their keep, but there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. What, would ya rather have them in the camps? I didn’t think so. Come back. Get outta this nonsense while you still can. I ain’t interested in coverin’ for ya again.         Rainbow Dash tapped the map. “We’ve got pretty solid intel for the River District. Assuming we keep up current ops tempo, we could hit all the targets there in the next week. I’d recommend keeping our focus there for now.”         Twilight peered curiously at the map. “Sounds good. What about here?”         “Polaris and Fifth?” Dash hesitated. Shit. That’s not even ours. Mac would kill me if I let them raid there. “What do you think you’re gonna find there, ma’am?” “I’m not really sure,” Twilight said. “Something’s going on there, though. I want to check it out. How soon can we be ready?”         “Uh...” Can I stall? “I kinda wanted to talk to you about that,” Dash said. “I was hoping to run some exercises over the next few nights. We’re getting sloppy.”         “We are?”         Dash shrugged. “I think so. It hasn’t been a huge problem yet, as far I know, but...”         “I get it. How many nights do you need, Colonel?”         “Two should be enough, ma’am.”         “We resume normal operations by the end of the week?”         “Yes, ma’am!” Dash saluted snappily, and walked out the door. Shit. Gotta talk to Mac.         “And you’re going to have to keep them out of sight until we can get you some forged documents, okay?” Cheerilee said, and smiled. The couple across from her nodded. “Anything else, Mac?” she asked.         “Nope. Keep ‘em fed, keep ‘em safe,” Big Mac intoned.         Cheerilee turned back to the couple and beamed. “You’re very brave for doing this. Not a lot of ponies are willing to take on this kind of risk for the kids.”         “Y’all are good ponies,” Mac added. “You’ll do just fine.”         Cheerilee walked to the back of the room, where a couple foals huddled in the corner. “Hey guys. Those two over there are gonna take care of you from now on. Come over here, you two.”         The couple walked over. One, a grey pegasus with somewhat wonky orange eyes, knelt down to get closer to them. “Hi,” she said. “I’m Ditzy Doo—or Derpy Hooves—and I guess I’m gonna be kinda like your mom from now on.”         The other, a brown earth pony, extended a hoof to the foals. “Time Turner. By the same token, I’ll be taking care of you.” He smiled.         There were the usual nervous smiles, the hurried goodbyes, and the new family left.         “That was nice,” Cheerilee observed.         “Eeyup.”         “We don’t see ponies like that enough.”         “Nope.”         “Hey.” Cheerilee gently put a hoof to Mac’s face. “You seem out of it.”         “Ee—” Mac caught a look from her, and paused. “Maybe.”         “Anything I should be worried about?”         Big Mac shrugged. “I had my sister try and help us stay outta trouble with the Night Guard.”         “Yes... we’re okay now, aren’t we?”         He sighed. “Dash came by the other night.”         “Dash...” Cheerilee thought for a second, eyes flickering towards the ceiling. “The pegasus who came in with the foals a couple years ago?”         “Eeyup. She’s a, uh, lieutenant colonel now.” Mac gave a low whistle. “Says that we have till the end of the week. Seems like that personal student ain’t one to keep promises.”         Cheerilee gasped softly, but the gears were already turning in her head. “If Shining cooperates, we can probably move most of the refugees to another location before then. But the injured ones could be tricky to move...”         “We’ll figure it out, I promise ya.”         Cheerilee sighed. “I hope so. Things are just crazy lately. You ever get the feeling the world’s crashing down around you?” she asked.         “Eeyup.” Fluttershy sized up the pony bouncing in front of her. She’s not particularly scary. Not very well-built, or—        “You’re Fluttershy, right?” Ohmigosh it’s so nice to meet you!” Fluttershy cringed. Loud. That’s not good. “That’s me,” she responded, shrinking behind her mane. “Coolio! So what’s the plan?” Fluttershy sighed. “That’s what we’re going to talk about. Um, who are you?” “Pinkie Pie! Didn’t Shiny tell you?” “Shiny”? Fluttershy looked oddly at her. “No. He’s been, um, cagey about this whole thing." “Huh. That's weird. Silly Shiny! So really, what’s the plan?” Fluttershy face-hoofed. “Uh, if you don’t mind me asking... you came up with this op and, um, don’t know what to do?” Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. “I dunno, I just work better that way.” “Could you, uh, please come over here?” Fluttershy said, spreading out a paper across the table. “We’ve had this copy of the blueprints to the castle for a while. Assuming nothing has changed in the layout, we can, uh, climb up the base of the mountain to get to the entrance here. It usually only has a couple of guards. We take care of them, go along here, and make it to the dungeons there. We get this guy out and run.” “Sounds super-duper! Just the teeny tiniest little problem. He’s not in the dungeons. He’s in the sculpture garden.” “The sculpture garden,” Fluttershy said. Fluttershy looked nervously at her. She’s crazy. “We’d have to go up through the entire castle, nearly and then get out through the main hall. Uh, how are we going to do that?” “These might help,” Shining Armor said, tossing a couple matte black uniforms onto the table. “Shiny!” Pinkie said, hugging him tightly. He pushed her away briskly. “Shining,” Fluttershy said, raising an eyebrow. “What are these?” “Night Guard uniforms," Shining said matter-of-factly. "They should give you a leg up.” Night Guard uniforms? But that must mean that Dash— Pinkie made what Fluttershy considered to be some sort of ungodly high-pitched noise. “If we get inside with these things on, then we can just walk up through it with no problem! It’s a perfect plan!” Famous last words, Fluttershy thought. “Shining Armor, why hath thou not introduced me to our guests?” Celestia said, and smiled as she entered the room. Shining took a second to bow, but his horn glowed briefly as he draped the uniforms across the blueprints. “I was just about to. This is Fluttershy, one of our best ponies—” Fluttershy nodded her head towards the princess. “—and Pinkie Pie, who we’ve just brought in.” “Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, thank you,” Celestia said. “Shining Armor, we would have a word with you.” Shining smiled nervously.”Of course.” “Will thine office suffice as a confidential place?” He nodded, and they walked through the building. He looked up expectantly at her, but she refused to meet his gaze. Shining Armor settled behind his desk, looking a bit like a schoolcolt who had been caught cheating. “Thou hath deceived us, Shining Armor.” Shining smiled weakly. “Could you explain that to me, princess?” “Thou told us that you protect ponies from the Night Guard when thou have the capacity,” Celestia said. “And yet, thou hath rejected a request to shelter those who have been freed from the Nightmare’s prison camps. Do we err in asserting this?” “No, it’s just that—” “Do we have the capability to grant haven to these ponies?" “I suppose, but—" “Then thou shalt grant that request on my behalf, Shining Armor.” “That’ll put a serious dent in our capabilities to carry out certain operations from—” “Thou art not irreplaceable, Shining Armor! Do not test our resolve in this matter! Shining attempted to shrug nonchalantly, although it was more like a nervous spasm. “If it means so much to you, we’ll do it.” “Thou hath our gratitude," Celestia said.         It was dark as always, and Big Mac pulled a cart down Fifth Street. “Cheery, they okay back there?”         There were whispers from the contents of the cart. Cheerilee’s tired voice came back: “They’re a little cramped, but they’ll be fine. Keep going.”         “Eeyup.”         There was a succession of loud crashes from behind, and Mac looked behind him. Guess they got there. Not a minute too early, either. His pace increased, and he turned the corner into an alley. “I don’t think we oughta stay with the cart. Take ‘em to the Cakes for tonight. Okay?”         “You’re not staying here,” Cheerilee said. “I know what you’re thinking, Mac, and I’m not letting you do it.”         “Damn it, Cheery... go already.”         Cheerilee slapped him. “This is just like you, but it’s stupid. I’m not going without you.”         “Sugarcube...” Mac stroked Cheerilee’s face. “I want to keep y’all safe. Best way for me to do that now is to slow ‘em down. Now go. They ain’t gonna shoot me with Dash in command.”         “You better not die,” Cheerilee said, and laughed weakly. “Come out of the cart, everypony! If you can walk, support someone who can’t.”         “Thanks,” Mac said. She slapped him again. “I hate you for this.” “Sorry to hear that,” Mac intoned, staring intently at the alleyway entrance. Cheerilee walked around him, looking in his face. At last, his eyes softened and dropped to her. “I don’t, not really,” she said, and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. “Come back to me, Mac.” She kissed him, and after a few seconds, pulled away. “Eeyup,” Mac said. “I love ya.” Cheerilee smiled, and walked away. Those refugees ain’t family, Mac! You don’t put your neck on the line for strangers! You coulda walked right out and been out nothin’. But no, you had to play the hero. You’re damn right I don’t understand. I’m half-tempted to leave ya to your own damn devices. If ya love them camp rats so much, go live an’ die with them. No... I ain’t gonna leave ya here. But Mac, how the buck could you do this to us? Twilight Sparkle was quietly seething. She’d been doing a lot of that lately. Governor Rich was saying something. Twilight gritted her teeth and listened. “You seem to be forgetting that I know a hell of a lot more about this than you do, Sparkle. I liked your predecessor a lot: Sunset Shimmer. She wasn’t too different from you. Similar background, just as much of a true believer in the night as you are. Just as unwilling to accept the fact that there were limits to what she could do. You know where that got her?” “Is there a point to this, governor?” Twilight asked, slumped in her chair. “I’m sorry, Miss Sparkle, but considering the situation in Canterlot, as well as your continued failure to locate any solar leadership... I heard you raided an empty building earlier this week, even. Considering that, it’d be irresponsible of me to give you special privileges like the ones you’ve been enjoying. Your Night Guards are going to be reassigned within the week. I hope you understand.” “Within the week?” Her voice pitched upwards suddenly, and her eyes widened. “Effective immediately if they’re being transferred to another Ponyville division. The rest leave pending orders from Canterlot.” “I have a personal commission from the princess!” Twilight said. “You really think she wants my Night Guards gone?” “You really think your royal commission is going to get you anywhere with me? It doesn’t mean anything so long as the princess is occupied in Canterlot. Her office hasn’t responded to so much as a postcard from anywhere outside the capital since the excitement up in Everfree. Anyways, the princess expects you to solve your own problems, doesn’t she? You wouldn’t want to... disappoint her, would you? Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “No. I’ll do my mission. Take your Night Guards. I’ll make sure the ones who stay loyal to me get rewarded. Oh, and enjoy whatever your little windfall from the Apple family was while you can. Once the princess gets back, I’ll make sure you’re the first one up against the wall. I’m sick of the entire town. Understand?” “You have fun with that.”         Twilight paced across the library floor, mumbling quietly under her breath. “How am I gonna get it done? No Night Guard. No Dash. She’s gonna... gonna send me back. She’s gonna send me back and I’m gonna go back and never leave ever again.”         Spike wandered by, popping an emerald into his mouth. “Mmm. These are really good. How come you never get me these? Oh, sorry, I forgot. It’s because you care so much.”         Twilight’s horn flared, and a bolt of energy struck Spike’s tail. He jumped, coming down with a heavy thump. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he yelped. She did it again, this time straight to the center of his chest. Spike groaned and sank to his knees.         “Try your damn sarcasm one more time and I hit your spine." “You’d be out a personal postbox, dear.” “Dear? Dear?” Twilight said, and laughed. “I think Rarity’s been getting to you. It’s adorable. You probably think she actually likes you.”         Spike shrugged. “Maybe not. I’d still rather help her shake down deadbeats than whatever the hell you’ve been doing. Killed a lot of ponies lately?”         “I’m considering adding a dragon to that list.”         “You’re bitchy today,” Spike noted. Twilight blasted a hole in the floor in front of his feet. It smoked faintly, and Spike’s eyes widened.         “Any more smartflank remarks? Because I could really use a distraction from waiting for the princess to get back to me.” Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not hiding a letter from me, are you?” He shook his head rapidly. “Good boy,” Twilight said. Spike's fist clenched. “Damn it, why hasn’t she gotten back to me?” Twilight muttered. “The princess might be busy,” Spike offered nervously. “Rarity was saying something about her being preoccupied.” She’s here, Twilight thought. She smiled, and stamped her hooves in a mockery of good cheer. “Thanks for mentioning that, Spikey! Why don’t we go see your girlfriend?”         Rarity was not in control. This was a problem, and one she didn’t currently have any readily available way of fixing. She frowned from her position on the floor of her inspiration room. There were lots of, ah, prurient rumors about this room, most of them lurid fantasies of a distinctly unsavory nature. The truth was much more mundane. Rarity just liked to design clothing. She didn’t do it professionally—life had turned out differently—but at the end of the night, she would come here and imagine.         Right now, she was imagining Twilight Sparkle was somewhere very, very far away from her. That would be nice, she thought glumly. Unfortunately, that particular unicorn happened to be right in her face, doing what could be inadequately described as ruining Rarity’s evening. “Who told you she’s here?”         Rarity frowned. “I have to seriously question the wisdom of your approach here, darling. I was quite ready to tell you my source. Storming into my private rooms with your pathetic little skeleton crew of Night Guards, then knocking me to the floor, seems rather—”         “Uncouth?” Twilight said, rolling her eyes. “Save it. Tell me what you know. And not just about that sol that told you she’s here. I want everything.”         “Very well,” Rarity sighed. “She appeared in my office, threatened me for information—perfectly barbaric behavior, I’m sure you’ll agree—and then told me she's here in exchange for a rundown on what I told you about the solar safehouses.”         Twilight kicked Rarity. “You told her?!”         “I like you, Miss Sparkle,” Rarity said, and smiled sardonically. “But as I prefer living to staying in your good graces, I elected to give her such information as I assumed would prevent her from killing me. Especially considering your current—” Rarity smirked— “predicament in terms of resources, I still think it was the logical option. You simply don’t have what it takes to play this game anymore, darling.”         Twilight glared at her. “Just because I can’t contact the princess right now doesn’t mean I can’t end you if I don’t get what I want.”         Rarity sighed. “I don’t know anything more than what I’ve already told you. Somepony is in Ponyville. The sols are aware that you know the locations of some of their safehouses. That is all I know. Could you go, and let me—”         “Open this—what is this called, anyways? I’m pretty sure brothel might work, but it doesn’t quite—”         “I operate an escort service from a nightclub, in case you happen to be interested,” Rarity snapped.         “Whatever. Tell me what I want to know and I’m gone.”         “I can’t. I don’t know anything, I swear.”         Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “No!” she yelled. “I’m tired of this! Ever since I got to this crazy town, everypony has been holding out on me! It stops here. Now. You’re going to tell me what I want to know or regret it!”         “Fine, fine!” Rarity said. “I heard—and don’t you dare quote me on this—I heard that the solar leader here is named Shining.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Don’t ask me anything else about him, I swear I don’t know anything else,” Rarity finished tiredly.         “Sure you do,” Twilight said, a manic energy in her eyes. “And you’re going to tell me everything about him. Or I’m going to treat you as the traitor to the princess you are.”         Rarity looked to Spike desperately. His eyes widened, and he shook his head frantically. My word. He’s terrified of her. “I don’t know what you want to know,” she said to Twilight.         Twilight nodded slowly. “Sure you don’t. Fair enough. Spike, hold her down while I work.”         “Twi—”         “Do it.”         Spike walked slowly, defeatedly towards Rarity and put a scaled arm around her neck. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.         “That’s cute, Spike,” Twilight said, then kicked the floor distractedly. “You got pretty defensive about your nightclub, didn’t you, Rares?” Twilight asked, getting into her face again. “I wonder...”         Twilght’s brow furrowed in concentration, and her horn lit up. Rarity felt a tingling sensation in her limbs, and they momentarily spasmed. Twilight’s face relaxed. “All done,” she said cheerfully. “You’ll like this one, Rarity, as much as you like to play ponies. Princess Luna taught me it. It basically hijacks your nervous system so that I can direct electrical impulses to your muscles.” "Not likely, darling," Rarity said. "I happen to have certain precautions against that, and—" I can't move. Why isn't the amulet working? Why can't I move?!         Twilight chuckled humorlessly, and her horn glowed again. Rarity’s right hoof rose shakily and knocked into her head, where it stayed. “Oh, I can’t possibly inform Twilight Sparkle of what I know!” Twilight said in a high-pitched, mocking voice. “That’d be positively awful. Almost as awful as this simply dreadful, tacky nightclub. Come, Spikey-Wikey, let’s deal with it.” She’s insane, Rarity thought. Twilight’s horn glowed, and Rarity’s legs moved uncertainly. She walked a couple steps forward, then fell down. “Oops!” Twilight said, giggling. “I’m not used to this—” She giggled again— “Kind of body!”         “And what exactly do you mean by—” Rarity started indignantly from the floor. Twilight ran to her and knelt down, cutting her off by placing a hoof over her mouth.         “No no no, Rarity. You don’t get to talk. You had your chance for that. Now shush, or I’ll be closing that mouth permanently. Spike, get her up.” Spike lifted her up gently and set her on her hooves. Twilight smiled thinly. “Come on, Rarity. Why don’t you take me on a tour?” She walked unsteadily through her club, Twilight and Spike following behind. “Where are we going?” she asked.         Twilight smiled. “You’ll find out! And seriously, shut the hell up.”         They continued towards the few Night Guards left in Twilight’s command. Rainbow Dash spun around and saluted immediately. “Miss Sparkle, ma’am!”         Twilight gave a genuine smile. “Snappy as always, Dash. Could you bring some fuel and a lighter for us?”         “Yes, ma’am.” Dash trotted off.         Spike eyed Rarity nervously. Twilight’s horn flashed, and he bent over in pain. “Knock it off, Casanova. Before I get the wrong idea.”         Rarity’s head turned back towards Spike, her eyes cautiously hopeful.         “Not gonna happen,” Twilight said casually. “You think you had him whipped? You don’t even know what that means, Rarity.”         Spike’s fists clenched, and they stood there in silence for a while. Dash walked in, carrying a red can in her mouth. Its contents sloshed as she placed it in front of Twilight. “There you go, ma’am.”         “Thank you, Dash,” Twilight said politely. “Let’s go, Rarity.”         They returned to the inspiration room. “Hold still, darling,” Twilight said as her horn glowed. Rarity’s neck and head tingled, and she found herself unable to move... anything. “Much better. Now you won’t be nearly as annoying.” She floated the kerosene can over towards Rarity’s mouth. There was fear in the white unicorn’s eyes. Her jaw opened, and the can’s handle floated into it. Her mouth closed.         “Let’s start with your little designs, shall we?” Twilight asked conversationally. She poked a white dress experimentally. “Ouch. Kind of tacky, don’t you think? It’ll have to go.”         Rarity’s legs walked her towards it, and her head tilted, pouring the fuel on the dress.         Twilight smiled. “Great. Come to think of it, all these dresses are appalling.”         Rarity’s head jerked from side to side, drizzling kerosene everywhere. “Alright, that’s good. Now, do you want to do the honors?” Twilight said, tossing over a lighter. It bounced off Rarity’s hoof and onto the floor. “Butterhooves.”         Rarity’s hoof felt awkwardly around the floor for the lighter, before grabbing it and holding it up to the dress. “Time to destroy this simply atrocious crime against fashion!” Twilight mocked, and the lighter sparked. The dress burst into flame. “Huh,” Twilight said. “You know, seeing as nopony’s here, I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire nightclub burned down. How terrible. Well, I’m a busy mare,” she said with a theatrical yawn. “I’ve spent enough time on this.”         Rarity’s body walked her over to the work table, and grabbed a length of ribbon. It leaned against the table, and perfectly done hooves pulled it around the white unicorn’s neck. Twilight smiled, her face illuminated by the flickering glow of the fire. Rarity’s hooves pulled in opposite directions, tightening the ribbon around that white throat. She lost her balance, and fell onto the floor. Her hooves kept pulling, and Rarity gagged involuntarily. Spike stared at this.         After a few moments, Rarity’s eyes closed, and her hooves went limp. The dragon couldn’t take his eyes off of her. His fist clenched again.         And slammed into Twilight’s head, years of hatred and four hundred pounds of muscle behind it. She went down, from the force of the blow if nothing else, and groaned on the floor.         Spike ran to Rarity and crouched down. His fingers went to Rarity’s neck, frantically trying to loosen the ribbon. He pawed at it ineffectually, his hands far too big for precise work. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a scale caught on it, and he ripped the ribbon away from her neck. Rarity gasped weakly, but her eyes didn’t open. He gathered Rarity’s body from the floor and stood up, looking towards the door. A line of fire separated them from it—not a problem for Spike, but Rarity...         He covered as much of her body as he could with his arms, and ran through the fire. A weak voice came from behind him. “I’ll kill you. Both of you,” Twilight said.         Spike shrugged, and ran into the hallway and out. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the cluster of guards.         “Hey, ain’t that Sparkle’s dragon?” one said.         “Where’s Sparkle?”         “Shit shit shit shit shit,” Dash responded. “Shoot the dragon or something. I’m going back for Sparkle.” She rose into the air and flew past Spike, wings buzzing frantically.         Spike brought Rarity as close to his body as he could, and charged into the guards. They scattered. He heard the crack of gunfire, but it seemed distant, somehow, and he ran out the doors and into the eternal night. ---         Dash flew into the flames. Smoke billowed out of the inspiration room, and she darted in, coughing. “Sparkle!” she called out raggedly. “You in here?”         “Rainbow...” a voice from the floor said. Dash dropped down. Sparkle was on the floor, singed and breathing shallowly.         “Hey,” Dash said with a tenderness that surprised herself. “Don’t worry, ma’am, I’m gonna get you out of here.” She pulled. Twilight off the floor, wings straining to lift the extra weight. “Don’t worry, don’t worry.”         Twilight mumbled something hoarsely. “What was that, ma’am?” Dash panted.         “...friend...” Shit.