//------------------------------// // Cantervania III: Draculestia's Revenge // Story: Cantervania // by Lynked //------------------------------// (>,..,<) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lm36RIydUw Through the silent corridor, out the shattered cellar, and through the ghost town Twilight galloped, Applemont on her back. It was easier than when they had entered; now, most of the skeletons had scattered from the huge mass. There were bones to jump over, and fallen house timbers to duck under, but Twilight had more than enough motivation. Applemont was losing blood, and fast. The gates appeared from the mist, wide open for Twilight. She seized this gap, and cantered from Canterlot. Motivated, the unicorn swooshed from the misted gates, turning a sharp left, using magic alone to keep the bleeding Applemont on her back. She trotted to the Mont's tent, taking no precautions as she ripped through the entrance flap. Big Macinmont snapped up from his book. "What'n Equestria is this?" he asked, quickly maneuvering to his sister. Twilight brought her to her bed, and with the help of Big Mac, slid her down. She limply fell down, her head just hitting her pillow. "We got in a fight with a really tough guy, she can explain later. Can you fix her?" Twilight urged. Big Mac looked down at her, and Applemont smiled weakly up at him. "Yeah, Ah s'pose. Though, t'be honest," he said, turning to face Twilight, "Ah expected y'all t'be here, not her. Glad ta see yer doin alright." He smiled at her, and went back to the chest in the corner. Bending down, he rummaged through it, for what Twilight did not know. The large red colt shifted through most of the trunk before he finally found what he was looking for. The unicorn watched Big Macinmont pull out a small red bottle, its contents swirling without even being shaken. He brought it to the tattered pony, and set it down on her. As if by unspoken command, Applemont grabbed the bottle and chugged it. "What was that?" Twilight gave a puzzled look. Big Mac chuckled. "Health potion, of course." The unicorn had heard of health potions; they were just myths though. Then again, so was everything else she had seen tonight. She shook her head, and got back to the matters at hoof. "So, um, did you find anything out while we were gone?" She asked. Big Mac, back by the journal, said," Eyup. Not much though. Gotta get the armor, they yer gonna go to the restricted section of th' library. I ain't sure why yet, gimme a sec here." Sighing, Twilight turned around to face her badly injured friend. "Applemont, I-" "Ah, shush. Don'tcha get all upset now," she chuckled. It morphed to a cough, though. "Ah'm fine. It's you Ah'm worried about. You ain't never done this before, an' now yer goin into the castle all alone." "Oh, yeah, I'll be, uh, fine," she flashed a quick, nervous smile. Applemont snickered. "Ah'm sure ya will. You proved t'me that yer a pony who can handle herself. I trust ya, Twi. Make the mont family proud." She raised her hoof, and put it on Twilight's shoulder. "T-Thank you Applemont," she smiled. Twilight bent down and nuzzled her snout under Applemont's head, a warm gesture to anypony. "You stay safe." "Same ta you," she said, giving a warm hug that pushed Twilight even further down. Not that she minded, though. It was nice to have a close friend in these times. Big Mac spoke up, forcing a close to the embrace. "Ah got somethin here," he said. Twilight almost left Applemont's side, but Big Macinmont waved his hoof for her to stay. "Says here y'alls gonna have to go to the restricted section of the library, and find a book called "the Bellmont Amulet." I still ain't sure why, but if'n I were you, Ah'd stay away from this 'Draculestia' b'fore ya got that book. When ya do have it, bring it on back, ya hear?" Twilight nodded in silent response. She then turned back to Applemont, and prepared to say her temporary farewell. But, Applemont cut her open mouth off. "Twi, b'fore ya head in there, cuz Ah know that's where yer about ta run off to, I just wanted to tell ya somethin. C'mere, it's a secret." Weakly, she beckoned Twilight closer. Twilight bent down, her ear turned towards Applemont's mouth. She was right on her before anything happened. She could not see it, but it certainly felt like what it was. A kiss, right on her cheek. Twilight drew back, blushing hard. Applemont was blushing equally. "Ah... Ah'm sorry, Twi. I just... I just don't know how all this is gonna turn out, and I couldn't not letcha know," she confessed, looking away. "Apple...Jack. Can I call you that?" Applemont nodded slowly, still blushing. "Applejack," Twilight continued, lowering her head back down to her friend. "Thank you." She kissed the vampony hunter gently on the cheek, blushing harder than ever before. "Ah didn't wantcha involved in this, cuz... well, it's cuz Ah didn't want ta see y'all hurt. But it's up to you, now. So y'all stay strong, Ah have faith," Applemont smiled, blushing back up to Twilight. The unicorn smiled down to her softly. "Thank you Applejack." (^,..,^) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyXRV7wkeyo&feature=related Twilight, her chest puffed out, strode into Canterlot once more. She went deep into the mist, not looking back to the Mont Family's tent once she had left. No, her mind was focused. Armor, bell, book, and then she could end this nightmare. And, just maybe, get a marefriend. She smiled at the thought; it was about time she got to have an actual relationship with a mare. Trixie was fun, but... just the thought of Trixie made Twilight reach for her whip. She had it in her mouth, not stopping the instinctual grab; she knew her whip would be needed for the town. Unfortunately, she also knew that the secret entrance - that foul sewer cave - was out of the question. When she had run through there with Applemont on her back, the place was crawling with those moss ponies. She was only one pony, and logic said it was a bad idea to charge that many of them. The skeletons would be a different matter, though. Trotting down the deserted, rainy street of Canterlot - Gate Road, to be exact - she lashed at a skeleton that was crawling around. It's skull cracked, and it fell lifeless again. She ran past the pile of bones, down this main street. It forked ahead, and she went right. Canterlot wasn't mapped out for her, but she knew how to get to the main gates of the castle at least. As she turned at the fork, another skeletal pony burst out of the mist. In no time, she cracked it in half. It snapped to the sidewalk, dead. Twilight leapt over it, continuing to the castle. The houses here were battered and broken, with business signs on the pavement and glass strewn everywhere. She was making good time, despite the obstacles though. Not even the hard rain was slowing her down, nor the mist or the ice. Wait, ice? There was ice on parts of the sidewalk and street here. This was strange; even in winter, there was rarely ice in the business sector of the city. Still charging, she jumped over a broken tea shop sign, almost slipping on a thick patch of the forming ice. Now, another skeleton came into view. This one was contorted, but Twilight found in just as easy to crack at. Whipping her head forward, the whip snapped down on the neck of the skeleton, severing it's skull. The bones creaked, and it slid to a pile on a thatch of ice, crumbling away. She darted around it, cantering past another beaten shop. If she had her friend with her, she could have some answers for the ice patches she was skidding on. But, she was happy that Applemont was still alive, so she tread on. Galloping down the forsaken road, she lashed at another skeleton, dropping it easily. She jumped over it's old bones, barely missing a pair of shattered beams that had fallen from a fashion store. Once over this small obstacle, she darted left at an intersection. The mist and rain made it hard to see, but her wits were about her now, and she mapped the roads subconsciously. Here, she needed to go down the ice covered road till the next intersection, and take a sharp right. The castle gates were a straight shot from there. Down this moonlit road, she cracked her whip at yet another skeleton. She was beginning to wonder if there were more than just skeletons creeping around this place, or if it was in fact just these lifeless bones. Snapping from her light thoughts, she swerved right, and began up Golden Road, which led right into the castle grounds. Almost slipping on an ice slick hidden by the mist, Twilight charged up this hilled road. Shattered houses and businesses lined the road, forming a chute for her. The gates shone in the moonlight as they stood atop the hill; though, as she approached, she found that the gates were not the only thing standing atop this road. She slowed her pace as she neared the golden gates, eventually coming to a trot. The gates of Canterlot were huge, with a metal, golden sun in the middle of the bars. They were rumored to be magically enchanted, but Twilight never felt anything magical about them. Yet considering the circumstances, she was inclined to believe it. At the sides of the gates, two ponies stood. They were still, almost as a statue was in the royal labyrinth. Through the rain and mist, with the help of pale moonlight, Twilight could see their armor. It was blue, steel plated, with red trip on almost everything. The bore axes, large and double edged. Both guard-like ponies were unicorns, their pale grey horns protruding from their heads. At first, as if by instinct, Twilight wanted to talk to them. But Daylight had proven finally that nothing in this place would act kindly towards her. A flash of lightning bolted down from the sky, illuminating their faces. Or, what should have been their faces. Inside the armor was... nothing. Not a thing but darkness. Twilight shuddered at the sight. With her whip ready, she crept up to the gates. She was no more than a few hoofsteps away when the two empty armors came to life. Metal grinding on metal, they shifted their gaze down to her. Their movements were almost mechanical; they lacked life in every sense of the word. Mal intent radiating off them, the ferociously stomped their front hooves down in unison. Twilight bit on her whip harder. "I-I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm warning you! Stay back," she hissed. The empty armor took another intense stomp towards her. With their magic, they yanked the axe from their sides, and began spinning it in midair. "Oh, so you want to play with magic?" Twilight snarled. This she could do. With her violet magic, she took the whip up, and loudly cracked it in the air. "I've had too much crap today to put up with you!" The armor sets just came forward again. The one on the left took his axe and hurled the spinning blade at her. She jumped out of the way, but soon found the other's axe spinning towards her. No sooner had she dodged that one, did the other shoot his axe out again. This wasn't going to be easy, and she'd only be worn down like this. Dodging another axe, she began devising a plan. It was clear that this armor was not fast moving, and it was more than obvious that it's horn was it's only true means of attack. "Sever the horn," she muttered to herself. As another axe flew at her, she jumped the other way, landing in a muddy puddle off the road. Here, she pulled up her whip, and cracked it down on the head of the closest armor. It neither recoiled nor flinched, but instead hurled its axe at her again. She leapt back onto the road, her mane falling into her eyes. It was drenched with rain and sweat, blurring her vision. Her vision was distorted so bad by her mane and lack of oxygen that she did not see the other axe coming at her. By the time she could do anything, it was on her face. A deep gash opened on her cheek. Her mind exploded with rage. Not because of the pain; the adrenaline was taking care of that. No, that was the cheek that Applemont had kissed, and that was one of the most special gifts ever given to her. Twilight let out an enraged scream, the likes of which she had never released before. It wailed through the mist, louder than even the repeated cracking of her own whip as she unleashed a barrage onto the armor. One crack was lost in another as the whip hit the empty shell so fast that no attempt was made to stop her. When the armor had reached its end, it simply fell apart to a pile of beaten shrapnel. Twilight laughed at her victory as she turned to the next one. It had its own axe ready, swiping it down upon Twilight quickly. The mare skid back. Now or never, her mind hissed. The whip flew up in the air, bulleting down on its new target. The tip connected with the armors horn, shattering it into many little metal pieces. Red and blue, the armor mechanically backed away as its axe fell to the ground. Twilight brought the whip back around, and lashed the armor across the face. No sooner had she done this, did the whole set drop to the ground, empty and lifeless at last. As much as it could be, this time. Not as it was, Twilight noted in her mind. She walked up to the gates, ignoring the blood on her cheek for now. Pressing against them with her full bodyweight, and shivering - they were freezing in this rain - she heaved on them to open. Either they were heavy or stuck, but they did not even budge when she dug her back legs into the ground for support. Heaving and pushing did nothing on them, and eventually Twilight felt as though her blood vessels were at a rupture point. Remembering Rainbow Dash, she sighed and slumped over. But as her mind fell silent to itself, her ears picked up on noises. Were they noises? Wait, they were voices! Eagerly Twilight shot up. She pressed her face to the bars, searching the mist for the voices. She could hear them, but not see them. Yet one of them was too familiar. Blulucard. In front of her the mist parted, and she was met with a strange, gut wrenching scene. Blulucard was on the path that led to the castle doors. The mist parted around him, and soon, around what had put him down. A large figure stood over him menacingly, smiling down at his broken body. This huge pony had a large horn on her head, but what really made her different, was that she also had wings. Her wings spread out, their feathers ending in points, causing for a most impressive overpowering display. The mane of this pony was long and flowing, multicolored and vibrant. Twilight had it all pieced together now. Tears streamed down her wet face as she fell to her plot, and watched silently. "P-Princess...Celestia..." Her voice was quiet, but a whisper in the heavy rain. Seemingly oblivious to her, her beloved princess hissed at the beaten Blulucard. "Did you honestly put effort into that display? I felt like I just crushed a roach," She sinisterly snickered. "Y-You are quite the roach, yes," Blulucard smiled, pain contorting his face. "No no no, Blulucard. I am not the roach. You are, I'm afraid," she sighed. Celestia, or Draculestia, gave Blulucard a little kick. "A little roach to do my bidding. Yes, I think that's exactly what I need." Her fangs glinted in the pale, waterlogged moonlight. Blulucard forced a small laugh. "I... Hate to break it to you...But you most certainly smell like one," He pushed out. Draculestia gave him a hard kick in the gut. "Blulucard, you're in no place to talk, don't you think? Look at you, wet, beaten, soaked in mud," She tossed her head in sarcasm. "I...Still look...better than you..." he scoffed. "If you think so now, you won't soon. Come, we have much to do," Draculestia gleamed an awful grin. Blulucard moaned. "R-Really now? You...finish in bed...in five...but you take hours to...do all this..." Twilight had not realized that the snooty prince had such a mouth. "Hush," Draculestia snapped. Twilight even cringed at the demanding tone. "You are coming - and with no more annoying insults. Unless you actually have something interesting to throw out, not just some crude humor." "How...dare you...call me crude," he coughed. The prince used a vulgar gesture, despite his statement. Draculestia, who now seemed to be flat out annoyed, sighed and kicked some dirt into Blulucard's face. Without another word, but a still annoyed face, Draculestia charged her horn up. Instead of the brilliant magical display that she normally produced, however, it glowed a dark black, the only kind of black one could ever see from looking to the darkest regions of space. Draculestia beamed this above Blulucard, opening a swirling vortex directly above him. He apparently had no clue as to what was happening, as his face became horribly panicked and pained. It twisted even more so when his body began to fractal. Shards, crystalline and dark, tore away from him as they were sucked into the vortex. The prince struggled to get to his hooves. His progress was stifled when his hooves began shattering as well. The diamond shards tore from him, and flew into the vortex above. A piercing scream filled the night air. Soon, the whole body of Prince Blulucard had been fractured and sucked away. Twilight was in horror as she watched the vortex close, sealing his fate. She then turned to Draculestia, who was staring straight at her, a vile smile on her lips. Those pink, pale, bloodshot eyes stabbed right into Twilight's soul. Her fangs glinted in the moonlight as her horn charged again. Before Twilight could see her again, she had flashed away. As her vision returned, she saw that the gate was completely open for her, and she was alone again. (o,..,e) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1noRLyi_QtI&feature=related In Bellmont's hall, past the shattered mess of glass and Daylight, Twilight had fitted the armor on. It was a tight fit, but it felt like it was supposed to be. Belting up the last of it, the tail cylinder being the hardest piece, she glanced down at the pile of Applemont's armor. In the little pocket on its side, she had taken the bell from, and stuck it in a foreleg pocket on the new armor. Applemont's Celestia figurines were belted onto Twilight's sides tightly, though her whip was still strewn out in the hallway. Instead of using hers, or keeping her own, Twilight had taken up the whip of Bellmont herself. Such a vampony hunter must have something special regarding her whip, Twilight reasoned. With the metal whip by her side, she felt prepared for anything. Still she grabbed Bellmont's Celestia figurine, and her hind leg dagger just in case. Suited up for the oncoming horrors, the unicorn turned, and trotted out the door. Little clacks followed her as she exited the hallway, carefully stepping over Daylight's mangled corpse. She clopped up the stairs, into the dim, unlit main hallway. The royal Canterlot library, she recalled. The thought made her shudder; the restricted part of the library was only half library, the other half being the labs. She did not want to see what was in those labs, not now. The back of her mind pushed her though, as she had always been curious as to what lay beyond the metal bars of the restricted zone's gate. Of course, curiosity or not, she was doing this to save... the thoughts boldness died down as she completed it: the princess. A shrill chill scarred her spine, ending at and below her tail. Up the front stairs, and to the right she went, forcing this as far from her mind as she possibly could. She had a mission, and she was going to complete it. By Celestia she was going to complete it! The trotting pace she strode at increased, first to a canter then to a full out gallop. The armor was surprisingly light and airy, letting her move almost unencumbered. She darted through the archway atop the right stairs, and into a long hallway. Everypony who had seen the castle at least once knew where the library chamber was - at least, Twilight liked to think so. She sped down the length of this hall, swerving left. There, she slammed into another lifeless armor suit. It twitched down to her, nothing gazing upon her. She backed up, and with her magic, pulled out her whip. The axe armor used its own dark magic to begin twirling his axe. Without a moment to spare, it launched the axe at the unicorn. But this is what she wanted. When the axe was past her, she cracked the whip down, doing a quick double take for the results. After two hits, the horn on the armor crumbled. It mechanically advanced, despite losing its weapon though. For a little spice, Twilight spun on her forelegs, and bucked the armor. With a pang, it fell to the ruined carpet. Proudly Twilight jerked around again and continued racing off to the library. "Out the hall, through the labyrinth garden, and up the tower," she recited to herself. And out the hall, being the first, approached soon. There was a large doorway at the end of this hall, of which Twilight knew led out to the Hall of the Elements. From there, down a flight of stairs, was the exit. She slammed into these doors, erupting into the Hall. It was deserted like she had never seen before. The memory of Hearths Warming Eve beamed through her mind, eliciting a smile. Yet now the hall was just cold and empty. But, ignoring the eeriness of the place, she ran through the upper landing, and turned to the right doors. They swung open, releasing her into the chilled night air. Here, the castle labyrinths spanned miles. Her memory of Discord flashed through her head, but so did the awful realization that this was worse. She galloped through the gardens, soon to reach the statues, and from there the huge library tower. In the statue grounds, she hadn't expected to find anything. Idiotic thinking, she scolded herself later. There was a ghoul, just creeping out of the maze entrance. She seemed to be the gardener, based on her straw hat. Twilight took no time in lashing at the undead pony, sending her to the ground with a splat. She moved on, through the statues. The statues were rather eerie in the haze, rain, and moonlight combination she was running through. Their eyes seemed almost... living. It was just wrong. Still, this was another worry for her to shove to the back of her head. The mare darted on through the mist, the large library tower soon coming into view. "Up the tower," she repeated herself. The doors of this large structure were second nature to Twilight, as she slammed into them head on. But that's all that happened, was her slamming. The doors did not budge. (O,..,O) From behind her, the groans and creaking of what sounded like stone reverberated through her ears. It was an awful echo to hear. She slowly turned around, feeling sick from the nervousness. The moonlight reflected off her horror, illuminating a truly gut churning sight. There, in the mist, the huge statue of Victory had stepped down from its pedestal. It was standing on its hind legs, stomping the dirt, staring at Twilight. Twilight could do nothing but gulp at the imposing sight. The statue, not bound by fear or horror in any manner, twirled it's flag rapidly, before grabbing it at the base, and pointing it at Twilight as though it were a sword. Victory got in a battle stance, prepared. Twilight jumped to her hooves, and with her magic readied her own weapon for battle; Bellmont's whip. The statue did not move. The eyes, however, stone and dead as they were, displayed an eagerness in them. Accepting the challenge, Twilight charged in at it. She brought the whip to the front, and hit the statue as hard as she could. The whip slammed on the stone so hard it almost fell from control. Victory stood strong and untouched. The statue took it's turn, and stormed in, still on its hind legs. With the flagpole, it swept Twilight's side. The hard stone bashed into the armor, and threw her away like her smartie pants doll. When the rolling and tumbling stopped, the mare cursed under her breath. This was her first 'boss' without Applemont, and it was a huge, powerful stone statue that walked on its hind legs. She was sure that without Bellmont's armor on, her ribs would've been cracked, and she would be dead now. Thankful for the life saving metal, she got back to her hooves, and stormed the statue. The whip first, cracking down on the Victory's snout, then a good buck to the leg...which did nothing. Victory was unscathed by this feeble attempt, and in return, lashed her stone tail at Twilight, scoring a direct hit on her jaw. The unicorn flew to the right a few feet, blood pooling in her mouth. She spat it out and moaned. Her jaw had never been this sore in her life. It was easy to see that if she wanted to get out of this one alive, she would need to think outside the box. But the statue was on its way, and she had to cut her thinking off to dodge. She leapt left to avoid the flag, landing herself in a puddle. Her eyes grew wide as an idea struck her. But she was bucked, or kicked, the terminology being confused. The crushing blow sent her flying to her side, tumbling to the front door of the tower. Her mind became contorted with rage. Twilight jumped to her hooves, and flew at the statue. Once again, whip first. The whip lashed at the neck of Victory, not seeming to do much other than scratch her surface. Victory swung her flag, knocking Twilight at least a few good feet across the rain soaked grass. The jumbling reshot her thoughts, though. Licking her lips for the blood, the mare stood in the rain. Violence the answer? Sometimes. Magic? Always. She recalled a very powerful spell she had been working on, crafted on the basis of his very own magic bolt spell. It was very powerful indeed. Even with a joint effort from Rarity, she had never been able to successfully cast it once. A quick glance up to the inverted horns atop Bellmont's armor gave her just the confidence boost she needed. Though, she needed a conductor... Back to her hooves, she used her magic to straighten the whip as much as she could. This was a one shot thing; each time she had tried and failed, the results had been so depleting that neither she nor, occasionally Rarity, could stand for a few days. Her stomach almost convulsed at the thought of being immobile while Victory tore her to shreds. She didn't have a choice, though. Anything she did to the statue seemed to have no effect on the lifeless thing. It only ended with her being tossed away, bloody and hurt. Praying to the actual Celestia, she launched the whip at Victory, impaling the stone. The whip went straight through, and fell limp when it was completely embedded. The statue did not take this lightly, of course. It raised the flag, and charged Twilight, shaking the ground with each heavy step. The flag swung down, crashing onto Twilight. All the air escaped her lungs as she fell, sprawled on the mud. This, oddly enough, was just the opportunity for her. She took it, and rolled out from underneath the statue. Effort was all it took for her to get back to her hooves and dart away from Victory. "Okay," she breathed, falling into concentration, "Focus...focus..." Rain pelted down on her, adding onto the frustration she felt from her wounds. Focusing was the hardest thing to do right now. She managed to force herself to, and channeled all the magic she could muster up. It surged through her veins, rushing to her head and materializing in her horn. The buildup increased, becoming more and more intense. This was a burning sensation like no other; she was losing her tolerance for it by the second. Then, her magic, and the burning, split from her horn. Two small spots on her forehead became white hot. She knew what was happening; the two horns were absorbing and rechanneling her magic. This was good, she was almost done. More focus and sweat pouring into her horn as the sound of stomping began. Victory would crush her in a second or less if she couldn't get this out. The release that any unicorn felt after casting a large spell was nothing compared to the post-orgasmic feeling Twilight felt as this spell discharged. In a blinding display of melting purple lightning, two plasmatic beams cracked from her horn. They twirled around each other, sparking whenever they touched. At the front of this beam, they connected in a V, a huge, bright violet spark flinging plasma everywhere. It slammed full force into Bellmont's whip, filling the metal with the spells charge. It spread through the whip, and up through Victory itself. The statue froze, it's cracks glowing deep purple. Twilight had fallen over, a huge rush of endorphins and magical tension relief flooding her brain. She stared as her spell took effect, watching each crack's glow brighten more and more. At this rate, Victory should- Boom! The statue exploded, huge chunks of molten rock spewing across the garden. Parts of the grass, despite being soaked to the root, lit on violet fire. Bellmont's whip, much unlike Victory, was on the ground, perfect as ever. Though behind it was a different story. The tower had a huge hole blown in it, opening it up to her. She sighed in relief; two problems, one very, very heavy stone. Giggles couldn't be suppressed. (^,..,~) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBKKYJLF3kA&feature=related Endorphins still fresh in her system, Twilight picked up her whip and proceeded into the hole in the tower. Her spell was much more powerful than she had imagined; blowing Victory to pieces like that was, in simple terms, awesome. Proud now more than bold she smiled around the large entrance way. This, being the main part of the library, was simple. There was a mist covered reception desk, tattered and destroyed, that sat in the middle. All around were a large assortment of books and scrolls which she had not had a chance to read since her Canterlot days. In nostalgia she trotted to the stairs that spiraled on either side. Princess...Celestia...had taken her here on many private matters, but never let her into the Restricted Zone. Nevertheless, she knew exactly where to go. Leaving the rain behind was especially easy, its cold sting rather unpleasant. The library tower was not warm by any means. However, it was rather dry if the haze could be ignored. Her right hoof made a clack on the first stair. The haze here parted without struggle. She began to ascend the stairs, one at a time. Her forelegs burned, her hind legs stung, and she was sure that at one point, Victory had gotten a good swing at her haunches. Even with this pain, the stairs were easy to climb. The only thing that made them difficult was the gash on her cheek. Her sweet, sweet cheek. Pausing, she raised a hoof to it. That kiss from Applemont... it felt so warm. Twilight wasn't necessarily sure that she rolled towards mares, but one thing was certain; Applemont deserved more than just a peck to the cheek in return. She made a mental note of that, blushing deep crimson in the dark tower. Here was the second rung of the library, the spell section. This section was famous to all equestrian unicorns. In fact, she had seen some take visiting as a sort of pilgrimage. The reason why was blatant. Across the dusty shelves stood tomes upon tomes of the most powerful and wise unicorns of Equestrian history. Starswirl the Bearded even had his own section! There was of course more; looking around, she reveled in the titles she had not seen for so long. Firemage's Apprentice, the Astronomical Wizard, and even A Celestial Account: The Court Wizard's Tome, stood out to her like golden torches. She couldn't help but smile. Past these old, yet marvelous books, sprawled another spiraled staircase. Twilight began up this one in hesitance; not being here for such a long time made her wishes to read these reveled books intense. But she continued, once again repeating her reasons in her head. Now, unlike the last multiple repeats, there was one added: Applemont. So up the flight of stairs she went. Here was the basic reading section. It held everything from fantasy, to fiction, to made up piles of plain crapapples. Nothing non-fictional was on this rung, so it didn't catch Twilights eye much. Actually, she almost skimmed over the shelves blankly. Only one or two titles really rang in her mind; Daring Do, The Headless Horse, and Lord of the Pony: the two Ponies. She had no problem ascending from this rung. The next one, however, was one she frequently visited while she was studying in Canterlot. The non-fiction section held many biographies, auto and non. It appeared, however, that books were not the only thing this part held. Ahead in the haze, with the moonlight behind it piercing through a window, stood a cloaked figure. In the pale light Twilight made out some of the smaller details. It was obviously a mare, and a unicorn at that. There was no blood on her, and she seemed to be normal. Sane, in fact. This mare was reading over one of the dusty tomes from a shelf. Past her dark blue cape and blue wizard hat, Twilight could not see more. "Um, hello?" Twilight beckoned the mare. She turned to reveal her striking green coat and mane. "Have you come from Dragulestia? What are the orders?" the mare demanded. Twilight's eyes widened. This was no mare... she was something else, but what remained to be seen. "Y-You work for Dragulestia, eh?" she stammered, trying to throw some confidence into her voice. "I do. And from the looks of your armor, you do not," she hissed. "I've read of that armor. Bellmont, is it? I thought you had died a long time ago. And, I kinda thought you had a white coat. Not some flamboyant purple." "Huh. Cape, hat, annoying," Twilight listed. This mare reminded her of Trixie. "Tell me, do you like whips?" Her eyes darted, and her mouth began watering. To relive that day, Twilight would give almost anything. "Whips? What do you take me for, a bondage loving freak?" The mare scoffed. "No! I am a highly respectable witch thank you very much!" Twilight grinned. "Witch, sure. But I don't see any respectability in you." "How...How dare you! I, the strong and mysterious Eixirt shall squash you like a bug," she boasted. The witch reached to her left, and grabbed a broom. Armored Twilight sighed. "Please, just please don't start flying around on a broom. I've seen too much stereotypical stuff today to put up with some deja vu witch who flies on a broom." "Stereotypical?" the witch sneered. "Deja vu? I've had enough of being insulted by some pathetic vampony hunting moron!" She jumped on her broom, and took to the air. "And! I'll have you know that flying on a broom is much harder than it looks!" The stress of that last word rang in the air, as she bolted lightning down at Twilight. The spell was so pathetic that it had no consequences. Twilight gave her an annoyed look. "Really? That was it?" "I-I, well, y-you do better!" she stammered. Twilight knew it now; she didn't even have to try. Raising her whip with magic, she levitated it in front of the dumbstruck witch. She coiled it around her and her broom, and dragged her to the ground quickly. The witch landed on the ground with a thud, parting the haze. "How was that?" Twilight grinned. Trixie was starting to surface in her mind again. "I demand you release me!" The witch, apparently Eixirt, yelled out. Twilight shook her head. "Tell me again, do you like whips?" "W-Whips? I already said no!" she stormed. Now, the purple unicorn was breathing heavily on the teal green mane of the witch. "Do you. Like whips?" "I-I don't understand..." the tangled mare gulped. Twilight just laughed. Trixie was full on in her mind now. "I'll show you," she said with a demented smile. Using her magic, she dragged the struggling witch around a row of books, into a dark ally of shelves. [Falling books, a few screams, and a good twenty minutes passed, the events of which are completely irrelevant to this otherwise {anyways} strange story. These events hold no importance, consequence, or foreshadowing. Oh well. This was fun.] Twilight, sweaty and panting, stepped out of the mangled bookshelves, her whip by her side. She was just getting her helmet back on now. "Everyone needs a bit of stress relief," she assured herself as she pushed her dirtier side to the back of her mind. Though, in all fairness, she did feel a bit more confident about the future. The unicorn left the scene, and dashed up the last set of spiraling stairs to the small spire level. Here, as she crested the top, she knew was the important public court accounts - nothing truly important to her at all. Yet there was a door here, at the opposite side of the huge, vaulted spire room. Celestia had left her in this room long enough to know that this door was more of a magical elevator than anything. A hole on the side was used by the princess to activate the thing, and Twilight knew just how to do it. She slid her...slick...horn into the hole, and charged it up. The whole door, red and puffed, glowed a bright silver, before slamming open on either side. Sudden movements scared Twilight now, and this was no exception. The unicorn retracted her horn and jumped back. It was nothing bad, however. The elevator door just opened. "It's okay, calm down," she giggled. Stepping forward, and then onto the elevator, she breathed a sigh of relief. And, the elevator was warm. Looking around, she noticed the rather utilitarian construction of the elevator; it was just a cage on a chain. It didn't have a way to start either, so when the doors closed, she could do nothing but hope for the best. (o,//,o) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx2E6aXd9PI&feature=related After the horribly rickety ride, Twilight stumbled out of the elevator eagerly. But she was faced with something more pressing for her attention than just her sick stomach. The old iron door in front of her read 'LABS/RESTRICTED'. This was where she needed to be. Quicker than before, she galloped up to the door, the dim star torches in the dungeon like hallway lighting her path. The iron door was already cracked, so all Twilight had to do was give it a good shove, and it heaved open. The grinding sound was sure to draw attention, but she didn't care. She wanted this to be quick. Through the doorway, she saw star lit torches on the wall once again, illuminating a most interesting room. There were long, black iron tables that spanned the length of this room, each with vials and bottles of multi colored brews that steamed and boiled. On the wall were many tube hanging racks, where there were in fact some right now. At the end of this themed room was another iron door. Twilight could only guess that it lead to the main labs, not this. So, that being her goal, the unicorn darted down the length of these tables, her armor glistening in the torchlight. The door approached rapidly, and she was ready for it. She slammed her forelegs against it, and heaved it open. It snapped to the left, and she barreled through. Victorious in the moment only, though, as she came to an abrupt halt. In front of her, and another door in this small linking room, was an empty set of armor. But this was not blue and red, like the Axe Armor. No, it was orange with a yellow trim. Still lifeless and hollow, though. In no time she cracked her whip down on it with magic. The armor did not flinch. Instead, it reached around with it's foreleg, and pulled out a small black orb, the top of which held a lit wick. This armor had a bomb. Twilight's eyes widened at the sight. With the whip, she cracked at it again. Yet the armor was not phased, simply stepping forward and tossing the bomb. The unicorn let out a little eep at it, jumping back. The black thing exploded ferociously in her fore, shrapnel barely missing her already gashed cheek. Though her ears were ringing loudly, she managed to focus enough to use her whip on it again. The metal whip lashed down, and cracked the armor on the helmet. It seemed to be weaker than the Axe Armor; that good crack was all it took to knock it to the floor in a pile of metal and scrap. Her face was blackened with gunpowder. That bomb was small, with a relatively confined explosion. Logic, she told herself, says that that bomb was made for protection. That in mind, she kicked the door open, and dashed through it. Here were an array of racks again, each with cauldrons now. It seemed as though they had something fresh brewing; something Twilight found odd, being the state the castle was in. Still, she ran forward, now lost. She had absolutely no idea where the restricted part of the library was. But places like this normally had a directory so that this didn't happen. Twilight kept her eye out for one. Beyond this cobblestone room, there was a hallway that split. She flew to the middle of it, and looked both ways for directions. This was a long, straight hall that had multiple rooms branching off either side. Lack of direction sent her flying left on snap decisions. In this blue starlit hallway she dashed to the end, hopes moderately low. With gusto she leaned and curved right at the last doorway. She almost tripped, but fumbled around fortunately; on the floor in front of her was a huge spike strip. It was so out of place, but after recalling all the cauldrons and vials that were strewn across the hall, everything was. She backed up for a good distance, and gained a running start at the spikes. Easily she flew above them, landing on her metal hoof caps and continuing down this new hallway. Again there were doors adjacent to each other here. Twilight decided to take another right. She leaned down, and curved into the next archway. Now, she found herself in a laboratory different than the others. It was large, empty, but obviously highly important. On the wall a pony was chained. But this was no normal pony, and the chains were not buckled. This pony held stitches across its whole body, and the random pattern of colors made Twilight's face twist in disgust. Many coats from many ponies had been used to create this thing. It had no mane, though it's eyes were different colors: one red, the other green. On its neck were two iron bolts that seemed like they belonged in a house support rather than a mash of ponies. It was like... Frankenpony. Then it moved. Twilight shrunk away from the abomination as it forced its foreleg from its binds. Stitched together rather well, the leg made only a slight tearing noise as the chain fell from it. It was revolting. The unicorn was not going to let this one get the upper hand. With her magic she drew her whip and took a good crack at the head. She succeeded in twisting it around about ninety degrees, but not in stopping the thing all together. As it turned back to her, the head made a repulsive cracking sound. It sounded much like bones being popped out or into place. Twilight snarled, and whipped it again. This time the barb of the whip struck Frankenpony on the leg, causing a most disturbing deformity. The leg just cracked back into place though, just as the head. Twilight backed away from it, bumping into a small table as she did so. Scaring herself, she jumped, turning to face what she had hit. Finding that it was a table brought some alleviation, but the rattling of a chain from behind her brought otherwise. Her heart skipped a beat, and she prepared to turn and strike Frankenpony once more, when a little black book on the table caught her eye. It was open to a certain page, with some scrawled writing on it. With closer inspection, the full situation came into view. Log 228, New Equestrian Soldier Project. (N.E.S.P.) We did it! It finally worked! Equestria's new supersoldier! It took a long time to get the magical bindings worked in, but now, not a single arm, leg, or even the head will come off. It was a gruesome project, I admit. But what can anypony say? We took them all from the dungeons, and the Executioner was more than happy to hand them over. It's nice that Princess Luna gave the greenlight on this project. We've gotten so far! It even thinks, to a degree. Right now it's pretty malicious, but we're working on making it controlled at least. Still, it can walk, mutter a few words, and even hold a few things! Should this work, we could take the guards and completely reform them! How exciting! Twilight's face was that of extreme repulsion. They had cut ponies apart, and turned them into an indestructible monstrosity. Under Princess Luna's watch, at that! But now was no time for hate; now was time to run. If it was true, that this thing could not be killed, then she needed to get going. Chains were rattling from behind her; that thing would be free soon. Turning from the table to the door the unicorn dashed out of that room. Into the hallway, and to the opposite room she ran, desperate to find the library. In this new room, she was greeted by the rest of the ponies used to make Frankenpony. This was a scene that something only a gridmark horror tale could present, and she quickly found herself back out in the hallway. If she made it out of here alive, she thought, she may have to pay that witch pony another visit. Her nerves were on end already. When she re-entered the hall, she saw that Frankenpony was already free from his bonds and slowly walking out of the room. He elicited a yip of fear from the running unicorn. Twilight ran the complete opposite direction now, and landed herself back in the original hallway. Her worries had just begun. At the end, walking out of what appeared to be another hallway that connected in the manner of the previous, a pony trotted out, looking much like the witch. The cape and hat this one wore was red, however, a huge contrast to her white coat and yellow mane. She was reading something, using her horn to hold the book close to her face as she entered. Twilight began running again, not caring about the clacking she was making. The witch pony had turned up from her book to see the unicorn flying at her. "What're you, some sort of flashy knight?" she sarcastically spat at Twilight. She did not retort this time; Frankenpony was on the way, and she could deal with him. So a new idea fomulated. "I am the guard of Draculestia herself!" she boldly announced. Saying Draculestia made her choke a little, but this was her chance. "I demand you point me to the restricted library!" The witches eyes opened widely. "Oh my! I, um, I'm terribly sorry! T-The library is just down this hall, past the iron portcullis. The lever is on the wall." Nervously, Twilight - who was hopping from leg to leg as the witch fell for her lie - darted off. "Oh wait please!" the witch called from behind her. Not wanting to blow her cover, she turned around with a very uneasy smile. "Did you see a teal-ish pony up there? I'm afraid she's my new apprentice, and she's very self confident." "I, um, yes! She's busy studying!" Twilight lied. "Ah, good. I apologize for any trouble the headstrong pony gave you," The witch said. Twilight forced a chuckle. "Oh, no she was fine," she lied. "I really must be going! Stay, um, safe." The witch nodded, and turned to continue walking. Twilight sighed, and turned back around to the new hall. If that was the true witch, not the apprentice, then she was glad that it all worked out. For now, that is. She wondered how long the witch would last against Frankenpony. Poor gal, she said in her mind as the portcullis came to view. Just as promised, the lever was on the wall, and Twilight took no time in yanking it down harshly. The portcullis fell with a sharp metal clank, and Twilight charged through. Here were a set of stairs that descended only a second, and opened up into a huge underground library. Twilight was in awe as she stepped into the open area, taking in the large library. The ceiling vaulted at the top of what was surely a hundred feet at least, where a starlight chandelier hung overhead, illuminating the room with a soft blue glow. But she snapped from her awe, realizing that Frankenpony could be behind her at a moment's notice. "Bellmont's amulet," she muttered to herself. Immediately the librarian at heart got to work. She spotted the towering shelf with a B, and dashed over to it. All the shelves, from A-Z were lined in rows in front of her, with no reception desk or guard post to provide over watch. To Twilight, this was good; that meant that she wouldn't run into any demented or deformed pony abominations down here. Turning down the B aisle, she galloped down to Be. There was no ladder, but she figured no one would mind a mess. Quickly, with magic, she began yanking books off their shelves. "Benevolent magic...no. Becoming a werepony... no. Because I could, an account of Celestia's... oh my." She used her magic to throw that book as far away as possible, before resuming her search. "Aha!" she exclaimed in relieving glee. "Bellmont's Amulet!" She tucked the book into a saddlebag on the armor, securing it tight with her magic. Now that that was done, she could just get the buck out of the castle again. Turning out, she rushed from the B section, and to the dark staircase once more. Up these stairs, and out the portcullis, she darted as fast as she could. But when she turned the corner, she was faced with quite the scene. The witch was hoof to hoof with Frankenpony, trying desperately to beat him down. "Y-You! Help me, please! I-I can't hold him much longer!" The witch pleaded. Twilight, faced with a choice, was too kind hearted to see a sentient pony be beaten to death by something she had fled from herself. Reluctantly, she raced up to Frankenpony and zapped him with a good lightning bolt. He stumbled back, the electricity zapping off of his bolts. "Go!" she ordered to the witch. "Get to the elevator. I'll be right there!" The witch stumbled to her hooves and nodded, before rushing out the door. Twilight turned her attention back to Frankenpony, who was moving again. Each step he took made a horrific, bone grinding noise. "Bring it!" she yelled at the thing. Frankenpony did not comprehend, but instead just stumbled forward and swung at her. The unicorn turned to him, and let her armor take the powerful hit. When he had stumbled back, Twilight pulled out her whip and snapped at Frankenpony's forelegs. They snapped in every direction, and he fell face first to the cold floor. From there, Twilight charged out of the hall, back into the second cauldron room. Then over the bomber armor, and soon to the elevator. To her surprise, the witch had waited for her. She was sweating from nervousness, much like Twilight. "Hurry, please!" she urged. Twilight barged onto the elevator, and the witch cast a spell. The doors to the cage slammed shut, and the elevator began up. It went much slower than last time, though. Twilight could tell how uncomfortable this would be. When she was back to her hooves, the witch began a conversation. "You aren't Draculestia's guard. You wouldn't have left me, and you wouldn't have destroyed my bomber armor," she sighed. Her coat was bloody and beaten from the battle, and she looked simply exhausted. Twilight reached for her whip, but the red clad witch shook her head and continued. "I won't attack. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be standing. I swear, that thing almost killed me. Though, I thought it was locked away tightly." "You won't attack?" Twilight repeated, shocked. The witch shook her head. "I am sworn to the service of Draculestia, but not bound. I take my honor code rather seriously, thank you very much. You saved my life, and I'm in your debt. Thank you." "Oh, well, um, you're welcome," the confused pony said. "So I assume my apprentice is..." "Oh, no! I couldn't bring myself to kill her. After being attacked by all these... things, I'd have a hard time killing any sentient pony," Twilight explained her weakness as the elevator swayed. The witch giggled. "Well you may need to change that if you're ever going to make it here. But, if you don't mind me asking, what did you do to my annoying little apprentice?" "Well, I, um..." Twilight blushed and looked away. Again, the witch just giggled. "Ah, I see. Don't worry, I've done it before too. Sometimes we all just need a way to relax. I'm Blackmoon, by the way." "I'm Twilight Sparkle," she reluctantly confessed. "Why are you being so nice again?" "You saved my life, so I'm not putting up a struggle here. Why do you think I waited for you? I knew you weren't with Draculestia right when I saw that pile of armor, yet I still waited. Besides, there's not a lot of social interaction, so this is sort of nice," she said. Her voice was oddly sweet. "Well...thank you too, then," Twilight smiled. For being employed by a powerful being of darkness and hate, this Blackmoon was rather nice. It made her wonder. "Ah, we're at the top. I wish you luck to whatever crosses your path in the future, Miss Sparkle," Blackmoon the witch as they both stepped off the elevator. They went to the stairs, and Twilight said, "The same to you, Miss Blackmoon. And once again, I'm sorry about your, uh, apprentice." Descending the stairs behind Twilight, Blackmoon picked up, "It's quite alright. Here, I have something for you." At the bottom of the stairs, Blackmoon levitated a small fire ruby to Twilight. "Just strike it with magic when you're in trouble. Take it as a gift of gratitude." Twilight, confused still, smiled and gladly accepted the gift. "Why thank you Miss Blackmoon. Your apprentice is over there by the way," she said, pointing to a sleeping mare covered in sweat. "Ah, yes. Thank you. Best of luck to you, then!" she called out, disappearing behind the dark, hazy shelves. Twilight smiled at the odd interaction, and trotted down the remaining stairs and out of the moonlit library, her armor gleaming all the way. v(-,..,-)v http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJMiA4fYP-I&feature=related The unicorn stood at the edge of the Castle, on the road to the town. The rain was still falling, heavy as ever, and the mist still consumed the area. The moon, a huge orb in the night sky, shone brighter now, adding the extra glow that the mist needed to become as eerily wrong as it was. The ice, now spread over the whole town of Canterlot obviously, shimmered in the light. Twilight quickly strode down this road, and into the - for an unknown reason to her - freezing Canterlot. Ice was slick everywhere now, on the sidewalks, the roads, houses and stores. There was no denying it now; something new was sweeping the town. She trotted down the ally of now iced stores and houses with a keen eye. Her whip stood ready for her to command, and her armor was shining, as if warning anything daring to attack her to stay back. A figure soon appeared out of the icy mist. This was a blue unicorn, pale and ghostly. Her skin seemed frozen, as if she had been dead in this ice for a while. And her eyes... her eyes, trapped open, seemed to be made of fine ice. They were doomed to stare out, cold and alone into the rainy night. Lightly blue, her horn glowed. It was manipulating the frigidness of the air, and in fact the ice itself. Around this shade were three large icicles that spun, trapped by some sort of freezing gravity. This pony, suspended in the cold air, levitated towards her with theses icicles. Twilight took no hesitation in drawing her whip and lashing at her. A small gash opened on her exposed stomach, but snow poured out. It wasn't as disgusting as some of her experiences earlier, but it was strange nonetheless. Now, this shade pointed one of the three icicles at her, and darted it thought the mist. It flew easily, gliding along to Twilight. She did not know what this was, and failed to dodge it in time. The ice slammed into her side, shattering on the armor and toppling her to the ground. She immediately shoved herself back up, and cracked the whip again. This time, the gash grew across the wraiths face, pouring out another leakage of snow. In retort, the wraith aimed another icicle, and slung it at her. With better judgement now, she leapt to the left and let the ice fly past her. It hit the ground behind her, and shattered into tiny pieces. Crack! The whip fell hard upon the shade, finally causing it to stumble. The wraith swooped left, then to the right, before finally falling from the frigid air and crumbling on the icy ground. Twilight shook her head; that was...interesting. Luckily, the ice had not hurt her. She had her armor to thank for that. With her strength, she pushed off with a gallant headstrong shove. The unicorn dashed down the street, meeting but one lonely, frozen skeleton which she easily cracked. Beyond that, just as she had before, she turned left on the intersection. Another frozen shade stood waiting for her, but her experience with...everything now, helped her shatter the lifeless excuse for a corpse in seconds. It dropped and shattered like it's sister, and she continued through the blasted wasteland called Canterlot City. A sharp right, and she was down her straightforward path. She stuck to the sidewalks here; the ice was piling up on the roads. The houses on either side were ice riddled, with fresh icicles hanging from them. The whole scene looked like it was from the arctic regions of Equestria, and certainly as cold as them. Up ahead, she saw the city gates forming through the mist and rain. A clear shot, if that could be defined as such, and she would be out of the city for now. Picking up her pace, the mare clanked her way to and out of the city another time.