Author’s Note: Just so that you all know that this isn’t some elaborate plot twist, Prince Superfire is was my FIMFiction name. Says so It used to say so on the front page of Repercussions. I hope you don’t think that some prince in shining armour is going to gallop into the fray and rescue the Mane 6.
****
Rainbow Dash reappeared in a large, dark hallway with a pop. She shook her head, groaning. She still wasn’t too used to teleportation; it always made an unprepared pony nauseous. The moment the sound escaped her lips, however, the two ponies nearby immediately turned their heads in her direction.
‘Oh, horseapples.’ Rainbow cursed.
The unicorn reared back in surprise. “Intruder alert! Guards!”
Almost instantly, the prismatic-maned pony was surrounded by a dozen spears, several swords, and a hoofful of axes. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of bowstrings being pulled taut echoed across the enclosed space. All eyes were on Rainbow.
She scratched her head with a hoof, smiling sheepishly. “Uh… hi?”
****
“It’s this way.” Rarity led the group forwards, trying not to dirty her hooves on the ground, and thus slowing the group down considerably.
“Rarity, could we speed up a little?” Twilight’s patience was already quite exhausted from dealing with Pinkie, and as much as she didn’t want to shout at her friends, she was dangerously close to doing just that.
“Um, not to be rude or anything, but we are moving a teensy bit slow. We might be able to reach Rainbow faster if we move a little more quickly. That is, if it’s okay with you.” Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind her mane as soon as the words left her mouth.
Rarity sighed. “So sorry darling. Just got a bit distracted, that’s all.” ’Probably by the moral dilemma.’ Twilight mused. “Rainbow Dash is far more important than my personal hygiene right now.” Rarity quickened the pace as she talked, allowing the group to speed up.
With one problem solved, Twilight turned the brunt of her impressive mental capacity to deal with the other one, which she had decided to ignore as background noise but finally came back to the forefront of her mind in the absence of any other difficulties: Pinkie Pie’s incessant chattering.
“-and then it was like ‘woosh’! and then ‘pow’! and then somepony flew down towards me so fast that I thought I would explode with the impact! And then-”
It had all started with an innocent question. Twilight, being the inquisitive mare she was, had decided to find out exactly who or what this Prince Superfire was. Who knows, a Prince may have been able to help them out of their current situation. She had thought naïvely that Pinkie Pie might at least be partially capable of forming a coherent sentence.
“-but just when I thought I was doomed, Rainbow Dash came and rammed the other pegasus out of the sky! Did I tell you that I like cake?”
Pinkie probably couldn’t even form a coherent thought in her head, let alone a sentence.
“-so that’s why I like kumquat so much! Isn’t it so fun to say? Kumquat kumquat kumquat kumquat-”
Twilight sighed. The party pony’s train of thought had derailed after the first sentence, and after that came a waterfall of nonsense that Pinkie Pie had probably made up on the spot. Well, at least Pinkie wasn’t thinking about Future Applejack’s execution. Hay, she was the only one of the four ponies in the group who didn’t seem affected by the intense suffering of the populace or the public execution.
“-and all you need to make a filly is sugar, spice, and everything nice! Hey! Did you notice that rhymes! I like cake!”
If Twilight hadn’t known Pinkie better, she might have thought that the pink mare was deliberately trying to mess up the conversation beyond all imagination just so Twilight would never ask her a question that could be potentially contain confidential information the party pony would not want divulged.
It was working. Twilight could feel her left eye twitch.
“and cupcakes are really delicious, you know? As a matter of fact, they’re so delicious, I even wrote a song about it!”
’Oh no.’ Twilight groaned very loudly.
Pinkie drew in a deep breath and began to sing at the top of her voice.
“All you have to do is take a cup of flour, add it to the mix!
Now just take a little something sweet, not sour, a little salt, just a pinch!
Baking these treats is such a synch, add a teaspoon of vanilla,
Add a little more, and you count to four, and you’ll never get your fill-a!
Cupcakes! So sweet and tasty! Cupcakes! Don’t be too hasty!
Cupcakes! Cupcakes cupcakes cupca-mmph!”
Twilight had decided that she had had enough and shoved her hoof into Pinkie’s mouth. “Quiet, Pinkie! Somepony might hear us!”
Pinkie giggled. “Silly filly! There’s nopony around!”
Twilight looked around her. Sure enough, there wasn’t a pony in sight, other than her friends. Wary of detection from above, she lifted her head, searching the heavens, but all she saw were a few clouds drifting aimlessly in the large expanse of sky.
The librarian sighed again. “Fine. Just keep quiet, okay?”
Pinkie nodded her assent, drawing an imaginary zip across her mouth as she did so.
High up in the sky, a small figure emerged from the cover of one of the clouds and sped towards Ponyville with as much speed as it could muster.
****
Loud thunks echoed throughout the prison hallway, waking all who may have been trying to catch some sleep. A particularly cranky unicorn, one who was armoured with half white, half blue light barding that covered his cutie mark and had a sword secured to his side, wore an extremely irritated expression on his face as he guarded the only cell to actually house a prisoner.
Within the cell itself, Rainbow was utilising her eloquence excellently, playing her cards just right so that she could convince the guard to let her out of the prison, and perhaps return the cloak that had been forcefully taken from her. The sheer persuasiveness of her argument was close to winning the guard over already.
“LET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU SCUMBAG! WAIT TILL I GET MY HOOVES ON YOU!”
The guard rubbed his eyes sleepily. Ever since he had been entrusted with the new prisoner, he hadn’t managed to catch a wink of sleep. Staying awake for forty-eight hours straight generally wasn’t good for the body, but apparently whoever was in charge of everything had decided that he could pull a few more all-nighters before collapsing with exhaustion. After that they would probably send in another guard to repeat the process.
He contemplated abandoning this place with its awful prisoner and surrendering himself to the Princess. That was almost more preferable than standing here and listen to this mare scream unholy curses and insults at him. Almost.
The stallion’s ears twitched when, aside the cacophony of noises that the imprisoned mare was making, he detected the sound of a pony trotting down the stairs that led into the prison from the main base.
’Now I’m hallucinating,’ he thought, ’this lack of sleep is really getting to me.’
He nearly managed to convince himself that he wasn’t imagining things when he saw a cloaked equine round the corner and approach him.
He sighed with relief when he reached out and prodded the pony, revealing that it was not the work of his imagination. He levitated the keys to the cell out from the pocket in his barding and unlocked the door as quickly as he could. “Is it finally time for the interrogation?”
The cloaked pony simply nodded.
“Great! I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand this.” The door swung open, and Rainbow Dash charged out at the speed of light. The cloaked pony sidestepped deftly, causing the pegasus to miss her target and severely dent the opposite wall with her thick skull. The cloaked equine simply grabbed the unconscious Rainbow’s multicoloured mane in its teeth and dragged her up the stairs.
The guard looked at the pony he had been dealing with for the past two days. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
****
Rainbow regained consciousness halfway through the journey, with a massive headache and what felt like a dozen concussions. As such, she was unable to struggle against whoever was grasping her mane with very strong teeth.
The rainbow-maned pony tried to say something along the lines of “Let go of me!” but it came out as a slurred “L’gg’uf’m”.
Passing through numerous dark and suspiciously deserted corridors, the two finally reached an ominous, ink-black door, which had three words scrawled on its front.
TORTURE/INTERROGATION ROOM
Rainbow tried to keep her trembling body under control.
Suddenly and without warning, she was violently shoved past a now-open door and into the room by the hooves of the cloaked pony. Still groggy and unfocused, she stumbled right onto the chair in the middle of the room, where the restraints, animated by a Come-To-Life spell, promptly wrapped themselves around all four of her hooves, her neck, and finally her wings. Rainbow Dash struggled to get free, but to no avail. The shock of the situation sent waves of adrenaline coursing through her veins, and the prismatic-maned pegasus finally found the strength to speak.
“Who… who are you?”
The pony lifted a hoof and swept the hood of the cloak away, revealing a striped mane and a grey face, with two dark-green eyes that seemed to stare straight into Rainbow’s soul.
The pony wasn’t a pony at all.
“Well, well, Rainbow Dash, long time no see.” Zecora’s eyes hardened with hate. “The sight of you locked up in chains is great news for me.”
The pegasus looked up at the zebra with a mix of curiosity and fear. But mostly fear. “Z… Z… Z… Zecora?”
“Yes, it is I. Though you are a far cry, from the monster I expected you to be.” Zecora shook her head, as if she was trying to clear her mind of doubt. “Still, a good idiom I once read, and wisely it said, ‘Don’t judge a book based on what you see.’”
“It’s ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’.” Rainbow snorted. “Still haven’t dropped the rhyming thing, eh?”
“It is not your place to speak. Though if it is punishment you seek,” Zecora reached into a nearby box and withdrew a sharp, deadly dagger, “I’ll gladly give it to you, then you’ll be more red than blue.”
The rainbow-maned pony’s eyes widened in shock. “Uh… Zecora? That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?”
The zebra stepped closer to Rainbow. “Do not worry, I am filled with glee, because this will hurt you far more than me.”
Once again, Rainbow’s excellent skills with persuasion kicked in to save her from the approaching threat. “Ughegbdui-WHAT?!”
Zecora laughed. “Indeed, a fine show of eloquence, Rainbow Dash. However, I will not hold back, because you are worse than trash.”
The pegasus’ prismatic mane shook slightly as Rainbow fought back sobs. ’I still don’t even know what I did…’ She closed her eyes and awaited her punishment for a deed she did not commit.
The hoofsteps of her torturer echoed ever closer. “Say hello to pain, Rainbow’s tiny brain.” Rainbow could feel the steel nestled against her chest. She silently said her final goodbyes to all of her friends, Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack…
Applejack…
Suddenly, a new set of hoofsteps announced the arrival of a new pony. The dagger that was drawing small droplets of blood from Rainbow’s arteries ceased its inexorable advance.
Rainbow opened her eye a crack, and caught sight of the unicorn she had teleported with speaking with Zecora. Although the hood concealed the unicorn’s face, Rainbow had a pretty good idea of who she might be, especially with the not-so-occasional exclamation of “The Great and Powerful TRIXIE!” that echoed around the room, rising above the unintelligible volume of the whispers.
‘Those kinds of things tend to give you away…’ thought Rainbow.
Zecora finally turned back to the mostly ignored pegasus. “Well, it seems I have to leave, my little pony. Just hope it doesn’t get too lonely.”
Deep in her heart, Rainbow threw a party bigger than any Pinkie Pie had ever thrown. She had a chance, no matter how small, of seeing Applejack again!
Oh yeah, and the rest of her friends, too.
Just as Rainbow Dash began to smile, the open door that let in the light slammed shut, leaving the room in pitch darkness.
Well, the pegasus considered, it could be worse.
She felt something with eight legs, dripping some disgusting liquid as it crawled, make its way up her hind leg.
Damn.
****
Zecora, accompanied by Trixie, made her way towards the centre of the structure. “So scout number two reported to you, saying that Princess Twilight is on her way here?”
Trixie simply nodded.
“Not only without protection, nor any plague or infection, followed by those she holds dear?”
Trixie nodded again.
“In that case we must prepare for the upcoming scare, for our path of action is clear.”
Trixie wordlessly nodded once more.
Now Zecora appeared confused. “Why are you quiet? Are you that tired?”
This time, Trixie shook her head. “It’s easier for you rhyme when Trixie keeps quiet.”
“So you kept quiet all this time, so that I can rhyme?”
“Indeed. It sounds most entertaining.”
Zecora sighed. “I shall pay you no further heed. Though your intel is interesting indeed.” The pair stopped in front of a pair of doors marked COMMAND CENTRE.
“I will inform the general of the new opportunity that has appeared. I just hope he doesn’t react the way I feared.”
The two exchanged farewells as Zecora stepped into the room. Trixie turned around and continued back the way she came.
‘One day Trixie will be the one speaking to the general, and then she can leave somepony else to clean the toilets.’ the unicorn huffed. ‘Such a waste of Trixie’s great and powerful skills.’
****
“Uh, Rarity, are you sure this is the right way?” Twilight was a bit doubtful. They had been walking for about three days already, with a few stops in between when Twilight had gathered enough magical energy to teleport. Other than that, they only stopped to sleep and forage for food.
“Yes, I’m absolutely sure. We’ve gotten close enough that I’ve gotten a fix. It’s in Ponyville. Sweet Apple Acres, to be exact. Just another hour or so and we’ll be there.” Rarity sounded confident. Twilight decided to trust her friend’s magical prowess for the time being. She seemed to know what she was doing.
Suddenly, Twilight noticed something. Not of much importance, but maybe to Rarity it was. “Rarity? Well, I think-”
“Not now, darling.” Rarity interrupted the bookish mare. “I’m concentrating.”
“But Rarity-” Twilight tried to protest.
“Twilight Sparkle.” Rarity’s horn stopped glowing for a moment and the fashionista opened her eyes to glare crossly at Twilight. “I thought that I said I was concentrating. Please don’t disturb me agai- AAH!”
Instead of impacting against solid dirt as Rarity had expected, her hoof slipped on the muddy bank of a river, sending Rarity tumbling face-first into the dirt and muck of the stream, which thankfully only reached up to her neck.
Coughing and spluttering, Rarity looked up, her face now a muddish-brown instead of the normally pristine white that the unicorn had always gone to great lengths to preserve. Her mane was in disarray, its curls straightened out into individual strands of hair, also riddled with far more dirt and grime than before. Rarity took one look at her reflection in the water and shrieked.
Twilight gave her a sad smile. “I tried to warn you.”
“WELL YOU SHOULD HAVE TRIED HARDER!” Rarity screamed.
Before Twilight could respond to her friend, who would have already passed out had she known the current location of her fainting couch, an immense amount of water suddenly rushed out of the river, leaving everypony in its blast radius dripping wet and miserable.
“Did you do that, Rarity?” Twilight asked, trying to clear away the aquatic plant colony that had decided to set up residence in front of her eyes, obscuring her vision, but to no avail.
“As a matter of fact, I didn’t! I am not so petty as to resort to such underhanded means!”
Twilight was about to apologise to Rarity for insulting her, but a sudden swoosh of metal cutting through the air made her forget what she was about to say. The blade pressed itself against the librarian’s neck, from seemingly out of nowhere.
“Uh, girls?” Twilight ventured.
“Be silent, worthless one, or your life will be done.”
“Zecora?” Pinkie Pie’s cheerful voice decided to fill in the complete silence that permeated the area. “It is you! Oh I have so many adventures to tell you about since we started this… uh… adventure! Just a few days ago we were fighting the Royal Guards at Canterlot! Oh, and then Rainbow Dash was chasing whoever took Applejack! I can’t wait to see her again! Do you know where she is? I could give her some cakes! Or maybe a few cupcakes! I like cupcakes SOOO much, I even made a song about the-mmph!”
Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness their captors were civil enough to keep Pinkie quiet.
“Follow me, do not disobey, for if you do, then you will pay.”
The bookish unicorn thought it was almost funny that she was being threatened in rhyme. Well, it would have been funny if she wasn’t the one in danger. The cloak that she previously had on was ripped off her body, allowing the blade at her neck to draw even more rivulets of blood from her now-exposed neck. She felt an anti-magic cuff being placed on her horn and her hooves being tied together with very formidable rope. Twilight was beginning to wonder how she was going to move when she was suddenly hoisted upside down, making her a little sick.
‘Of course.’, Twilight thought as they began to move. ‘Being carried away with your hooves in the air. Classic.’
The group moved silently, with the exception of Rarity, who was shouting insults at the guards who held her. “Unhand me, you ruffians! When I get out of here you are going to get it!”
The pony carrying Rarity around grunted. “Stop whining.”
“I am not whining!” Rarity sounded very indignant. “I’m complaining! THIS is whining!”
Before the white unicorn could begin her tirade, another pony beside her shoved a hoof in her mouth. “Shut up, dirt.”
Rarity spat out the hoof in disgust. “Dirt?! Well I-”
This time, Zecora decided to do something more permanent. Removing a gag from her saddlebags, she shoved it in the fashionista’s mouth and pulled the straps back as tightly as she could.
Now Rarity seemed even angrier than before, but try as she might, all that came out were muffled curses.
“Mphfkngbtchdm!”
Twilight could identify at least two vulgar insults in that, and decided to tune Rarity’s unrefined speech out as much as she could. Unfortunately, due to the lack to anything else to focus on, that wasn’t very much.
Trodding towards their seemingly elusive destination was rather slow, considering that the guards had to carry so many ponies with them. They eventually reached Sweet Apple Acres, though, and by then, the aquatic plants on Twilight’s face had slid off, revealing Sweet Apple Acres in all of its glory.
It wasn’t all that glorious, actually.
It was just a run-down, more dilapidated version of the Sweet Apple Acres that Twilight was familiar with. Except that it now had two unfamiliar ponies with black and white leather barding, and one much more familiar blond maned, grey coated pegasus whose eyes were looking in two directions at once, one at Twilight herself, and one at a very interesting speck of dust on the ground.
“Derp- Ditzy!” Twilight remembered just in time that the pegasus didn’t like her nickname at all.
Suddenly, both Ditzy’s eyes swivelled into focus and stared at Twilight. Her yellow irises were filled with pure loathing. She spoke to Zecora, but her gaze never left Twilight’s trembling form. “Come in, commander.”
The zebra nodded once and gestured to the guards to bring the captives in. They stepped into the barn itself, which still looked the same as it was… well, however long ago it was. The surroundings looked radically different, however, when the group entered a hidden trapdoor under a conveniently-placed rug. The homey atmosphere of the barn shifted into a rather uniform, monotone colour of dark grey, bordering on black, with occasional pink-colour lamps at every ten metres breaking the dull monotony.
They passed various rooms, all of which had their purpose painted onto its front. Twilight broke out into a cold sweat when she saw a room that was marked TORTURE/INTERROGATION ROOM.
‘I feel really sorry for the pitiful pony who gets stuck in there.’ Twilight thought. She could already hear some high-pitched screaming emanating from within the confines of the room.
Eventually, their trek led them to a door that had COMMAND CENTRE written on it. Zecora pushed the door open with one hoof, and the guards simply threw the captives onto the floor in the room. Looking up, Twilight saw that the grey and pink colouring of the corridors outside were not present here, instead replaced by a lavender colour scheme of different hues, illuminated not by lamps, but by green fires that blazed in torches on the walls. There was a large, cushioned armchair in the middle of the room, the kind of chairs that bipeds like griffins, diamond dogs, and maybe Lyra would use. It had its back turned to the bound ponies.
Zecora spoke. “General, we have brought the ponies you wanted to see. Have you thought of what their punishment will be?”
“Excellent work, commander Zecora. I will decide their sentence personally. You may leave.”
Twilight suddenly jolted upright. Or would have, if she was physically able to.
The zebra bowed. “As you wish.”
When Zecora left the room, closing the door behind her, the general spoke. “Welcome, Twilight Sparkle. Friend, surrogate mother… traitor.” The armchair swivelled on its mount, revealing the identity of the general who rested in the chair. His purple scales glinted dangerously in the dim light, and smoke drifted out from his nostrils, signifying just how angry he was.
“Spike!” Twilight gasped.
“Ha! I knew it!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “Spike didn’t leave in horror! Take that, determamfidd!”
Everypony present looked at her quizzically. “What?” the pink party pony defended herself. “I said I wouldn’t read the story. I didn’t say anything about the comments!”
Twilight reflexively tried to facehoof, although her restraints got in the way. “Never mind her, girls. It’s just Pinkie Pie-”
“-being Pinkie Pie.” Spike finished. “It’s been a long time since Pinkie Pie has been Pinkie Pie, though. I suppose this is how she pretends to be an impostor. Unfortunately for her, her hair is a giveaway sign.”
Twilight looked at Pinkie’s hair. However, it wasn’t poofy and wild as she had expected, but instead completely straight- and dripping wet.
‘It got wet when she was drenched with water.’ Twilight realised.
“Finally, after eight years, I have you in my grasp.” Spike got up from his chair and circled them, leaving smoke trails as he went.
It was then that Twilight realised something. “Eight years? Why are you still a baby dragon?” Spike still looked like he did when Twilight cast the spell, maybe a little taller and broader.
Pinkie added in her two bits worth. “It’s twenty years since we left, actually.”
‘A coherent sentence!’ Twilight was impressed. “How do you know?”
When Pinkie responded, her voice sounded duller, as if she was dredging up unwanted memories. “It’s Gummy’s twenty-first birthday.”
“Uh, okay?”
Spike snorted, sending plumes of smoke rising up into the air. “Forgetting me here?”
Twilight blushed. “Sorry.”
“You’re never sorry.” Spike sighed. “If I was one of the evil villains from the comic books I used to read, I would blurt out all of my evil plans, along with an elaborate backstory that I think will justify my motives.”
“However, I am not an evil villain, nor am I from a comic book, so I shall not take the bait for you to rub salt in my wounds.” The baby dragon glared at Twilight. “Too bad for you that when you age-locked my body, you forgot to do the same to my mental capacity.”
Twilight looked at Spike, confused. “I age-locked your body?”
“Don’t pretend to be ignorant. I know you’re just trying to catch me off guard, and it won’t work. Well, Princess Twilight, you’re in for a world of pain! You will pay for trying to destroy the world with your tyranny!” Spike was about to call the guards, but Twilight stopped him just in time.
“WAIT!” Twilight shouted. Spike tilted his head to look at the librarian.
“What is it?” Spike asked.
“If I can prove to you that I’m not the Princess Twilight you hate so much, then will you listen to me?” Twilight was desperately wracking her mind for anything that she could use to confirm her innocence.
“Fine.” Spike looked at the clock at the far side of the room. “In two minutes, I want you to prove to me, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are not my enemy.”
“Okay.” Twilight came up with a point already. “If I’m the REAL Princess Twilight, then why would I come out of the city with no troops or weapons of any sort?”
“That only suggests that you are not Princess Twilight. That doesn’t mean you are not working for the enemy.” Spike countered. “A decoy or spy, perhaps?”
“Well…” Twilight’s brain kicked into action again. “Do you have any scrying mirrors?” She remembered the usefulness of these mirrors when she needed to find Spike’s hiding place when he was trying to avoid doing his chores.
“Do you think we’re so poor? Of course we do!” Spike grabbed a small handheld mirror off the top of his desk. “I already tried using it. While Canterlot Castle has an anti-scrying magical field, it should be able to find things outside of those magical fields. Watch.” Spike turned his focus to the mirror. “Show me Twilight Sparkle as she appears at this moment.”
The mirror vibrated a little bit, and then the cloudy mist in the reflection resolved into an image of a bound Twilight, lying at Spike’s feet. The baby dragon showed Twilight the results triumphantly.
The bookish mare shook her head. “Show me Princess Twilight Sparkle as she appears at this moment.” The mirror shook again, and this time, the result was an image of Princess Twilight, dressed in regal clothing, trotting around the outskirts of the castle, seemingly deep in thought.
Spike folded his arms. “That… that only establishes that you aren’t the Princess. Like I said before, I want you to prove that you are not my enemy.” He glanced at the clock. “And you have a grand total of seven seconds remaining.”
Twilight’s pulse began to race. Could she prove everypony’s innocence with the seven seconds she had left? “Uh… uh…”
“Five.” Spike began to count down.
“Four.”
Twilight’s mind was in a mess, as it always was when she had an urgent deadline to meet. Only this time, she had cause to be worried. Very worried.
“Three.”
All her friends were looking at her with very agitated expressions. This only served to make Twilight even more nervous.
“Two.”
Could she do it? Could she save her friends in time?
“One.”
‘C’mon, almost out of time! Think, Twilight, think! There’s gotta be a-‘
“Time’s u-”
“I’ve got it!”
Spike stared at her with a very fierce glare. “This is your last chance. Now tell me why you aren’t my enemy.”
“The scrying proves that I am Twilight Sparkle, but not the Princess, right?”
“Yes, but you could just be another mare named Twilight Sparkle. You have not proved your innocence yet.”
“What if I tell you something that only Princess Twilight knows?”
“I still fail to see how this will establish your guiltlessness.”
“Easy. I’m a Twilight from a different universe.”
Spike froze. “That sounds very far-fetched.”
“That will be the theory that holds true if I can do what I said I would.”
“Fine. Go on. I’m waiting.”
Twilight racked her brain, trying to think of something that she and only she would know. She wasn’t the type of mare to keep secrets. Not only that, but Spike had to know that she was telling the truth as well. What could she-
Suddenly, an answer presented itself to her on a silver platter, gift-wrapped specially for her. She lifted her head and smiled at Spike, who looked at her suspiciously.
“So?” The dragon asked. “What is your answer?”
“Remember the day before I tried out the Future Sight spell?”
For the second time in as many minutes, Spike stopped dead in his tracks. “What?”
“You remember? I couldn’t find the book, and then when you thought that you had misplaced it, you grovelled in front of me, begging for forgiveness?”
“WHAT?! HOW?! I covered all my steps! I even destroyed the camera!” Spike was fuming now. “You could have- no, you said that- I would know if you spilled, you cast that cat-in-the-bag spell later on- but then, in that case, it would be- ARGH!”
With that last shout, Spike loosed a gigantic fireball that spread across the ceiling, its heat slowly dissipating into the rock. His anger spent, the baby dragon sank down onto the floor. Twlight tried to rush up to him, but her restraints locked her in place.
Spike spoke so softly, it was almost a whisper. “I let myself think… just for a few seconds… that maybe this war was over, that we had captured the enemy’s ringleader… but of course it wasn’t so easy. Nothing is ever easy…”
The doors to the room were suddenly flung open, and the two guards outside with very slow reaction times came rushing in. “General! We heard a loud explosion. Are you alright?”
Spike looked up and shook his head. “Everything is alright. Just untie them now.”
“Untie… the captives?” The guards looked around in confusion, searching for anypony else that their general could be speaking to.
“No, untie Celestia! OF COURSE UNTIE THE CAPTIVES! WHO ELSE!”
“Y-Yes sir!” The guards produced swords from the scabbards that hung at their waists and slashed the restraints open.
The quivering guard ponies stood at attention. “Anything else, sir?”
“Call Commander Zecora for me on your way out.”
Bowing, the guards raced out of the room as fast as their legs could carry them. In the meantime, Twilight was caught up in some unpleasant memories. The way Spike just treated his soldiers reminded her of a certain non-alicorn princess…
Before the librarian’s mind could take her any further, Zecora trotted into the room. “Greetings, general, now should we- wait, why are our captives free?”
“It’s a long story.” Zecora trotted up to Spike’s side, and the baby dragon whispered into her ear.
“Ah, so it is because of this.” Zecora said when Spike finished his story. “Not because Twilight is the one you miss.”
“What?” Spike’s anger was reignited. “Are you saying I would go easy on Princess Twilight just because she was once my friend?”
“Indeed I did. If Celestia forbid, you let her go after we catch her, this will create very much hate, against you as the soldiers’ commander.” Spike was about to say something, but Zecora interrupted him. “I can see all your troubles and woes, and your breaking point is close.”
Whatever Spike was about to say died on his lips.
“The pink halls, the purple walls, this points to your suffering and pain. The core of your heart has been torn apart, and now you are hardly sane.” The zebra’s hoof swept across the room, encompassing Twilight and her friends. “Is it clear in your mind, that you have divined, these strangers’ true identities and plans? Because if you have a qualm, then do not stay calm, lest our fate rest in another’s hands.”
“I’m certain.” Spike insisted. “When Twilight failed to cast that Future Sight spell-”
“Wait, I didn’t fail!” Twilight spoke up. “I succeeded! That’s how I got into this mess!”
“I thought so.” Spike said. “After the day my Twilight tried to cast the spell, she told me exactly how it worked. She said that in another universe, there was a Twilight who succeeded, and would be viewing the future as planned. Was coming here an intentional effect of the spell?”
“Um, well, no.” Twilight confessed. “That was because of my impatience.”
Rarity suddenly jumped up. “You mean to say, I got my face absurdly dirty, got arrested and unceremoniously thrown on the ground, then almost died because of your inability to wait?!”
“Uh… sorry?” The bookish mare was at a loss for words.
Pinkie Pie tried to pacify the enraged fashionista. “Now, now, Rarity, you don’t really want to hurt Twilight, do you? Because that would be-”
Just before Rarity leapt onto Twilight and mauled her, Fluttershy grabbed hold of her neatly curled tail, followed by Pinkie Pie, who clamped her teeth down tightly on Fluttershy’s tail.
Rarity let out a howl of rage. “Let go of me, you fu-”
Spike watched as the white unicorn’s tantrum ran its course. He winced at some of the particularly crude language that came from her mouth.
“I can’t believe I had a crush on that pony once.” He whispered to Zecora.
“Let us wait until she calms down, then we can discuss the issue of Equestria’s crown.” The zebra replied. Spike nodded in response, returning to his comfortable armchair. Zecora settled down on the floor next to the baby dragon and watched Rarity hurl various vulgarities at anypony she could think of.
Spike anticipated an extra hour of this before Trixie, uninvited and unwanted, came striding in through the main doors of the room without so much as a knock or greeting.
“General, Trixie has-” The azure-blue unicorn stopped short when she caught sight of the tussling ponies on the ground. “Is Trixie interrupting something?”
Instantly, all four ponies turned their heads to look at Trixie.
The azure unicorn recognised them immediately. “You!”
Looks of recognition dawned on Twilight’s and her friends’ faces. “You!” they all shouted in unison.
“Uh oh.” Spike said.
All of about two seconds later, there were now four ponies in the fray, with a bewildered Twilight looking on.
Spike decided that he couldn’t wait for another six hours (the estimate had changed) and shouted as loud as he could. “ENOUGH!”
All six heads in the room looked at him.
Spike sighed in relief. “Good. Now, we are not supposed to be fighting. We are supposed to be discussing our next course of action! Now that we know that we did not capture the real Princess Twilight, we need to devise a new plan.”
“The real Princess Twilight?” Trixie asked.
“We’ll get you up to speed later. Just go and call all of the commanders currently at home base.” Spike didn’t want to waste any time.
Trixie nodded and trotted out of the room.
“Wait, Rarity, we were tracking Rainbow, remember?” Twilight remembered what she had forgotten in the heat of the moment.
“Yes.” While the fashionista seemed cool and collected on the outside, her single word responses suggested that she was still angry. Perhaps no longer furious, but still angry. Her horn started glowing, and a cloak, hanging by its gem, slid itself out of a chest at the rear of the command room.
“Ah.” Zecora said. “A cloak created from pure, concentrated magic. They will disappear right about-” The cloak suddenly dissipated into nothingness. “-now. How tragic.”
“Wait, that’s Rainbow Dash’s cloak! Do you know where she is?” Rarity had a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“Also, how do those cloaks get created?” Twilight’s curiosity got the better of her.
“An excellent question, young Twilight. A magic overload just might, release enough energy which would, coalesce into an item which should, be useful to the ponies it involves. Like balm to a bruise, like a wound with salve. Furthermore-” Zecora caught sight of Rarity’s expression and stopped. “I shall be quiet now, before your friend hammers my face into the floor.”
“Thank you. Do you know where Rainbow Dash is?”
Spike turned to Zecora. “I wasn’t aware that we had captured Rainbow Dash.”
The zebra coughed. “I, uh, may have left her in the interrogation room.” Everybody present, with the exception of Zecora, gasped in shock. “Give her my apologies for the darkness and gloom.”
Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy all raced out of the room, leaving Spike and Zecora behind.
“We will talk about your insubordination later.” Spike growled, before following the four mares out of the command centre.
Zecora sighed. This was going to be a long day.
****
Twilight could already hear the screams of the pony behind the doors of the interrogation room from fifty metres away. Picking up the pace, she rounded the corner and came face-to-face with the ominous black door. She tried to use telekinesis to unlock the door, but the ignorant guards forgot to remove the anti-magic cuff that was still clamped tightly on her horn. Exasperated, she grabbed the doorknob with her teeth and twisted it. Unfortunately, all that did was injure her neck.
“Um, Twilight?” The librarian turned around to find herself face-to-face with Fluttershy.
The butter-yellow pegasus simply walked up to the door and twisted the knob in the opposite direction that Twilight had been turning it. The door swung open.
The purple unicorn’s hoof landed square between her eyes in a classic facehoof position.
All four mares, Spike close behind, rushed into the room where Rainbow Dash was being held captive.
The cyan blue pegasus in the room, the only pony behind the creepy doors, was screaming her head off.
At a spider.
“Rainbow, are you okay?” Twilight asked.
“Get it off get it off get it off get it off get it- oh hey Twilight, where’ve you been?” Upon noticing the new additions to her vicinity, Rainbow tried to act as if nothing had happened.
The cogs in Rainbow’s head finally began turning. “Wait… TWILIGHT! You’re here! Thank goodness, I wasn’t sure how long I’d be stuck in this dark room!” The pegasus started struggling to get out of her restraints.
“Dashie is scared of spiders?!” Pinkie fell down onto the floor and started rolling around in laughter. “You should have seen yourself just now!”
“I’m not scared of spiders!” Rainbow tried to protect her wounded pride as Fluttershy undid the chains that kept the cyan pegasus locked to the chair. “I’m not scared of anything!”
Twilight giggled. “Rainbow, everypony is scared of something! There’s no need to be ashamed of your fears.”
“Why do you all keep saying that I’m scared of spiders? I’m not!” Rainbow protested.
“Want a spider?” asked Pinkie Pie suddenly from behind the cyan pegasus. Rainbow Dash instinctively turned and promptly tried to scream, flee and faint all at once when the pink party pony shoved the arachnid in her face.
A round of laughter erupted from the ponies (and dragon) present, with the notable exception of the blushing Rainbow, sprawled out on the ground in the middle of the room.
“Ugh.” The cyan pegasus put her hooves to her face. “Applejack is never going to let me live this down.”
Suddenly, Rainbow’s ears shot up. “Wait, where is Applejack?”
Everypony turned to Spike, who coughed guiltily. “Um, well, when we rescued Applejack-”
“Wait, you were rescuing Applejack?” Rainbow asked.
“Well, yes.” Spike tilted his head. “What did you think we were doing?”
The cyan pegasus knocked her head on the chair and groaned. Fluttershy flew up to her, a concerned look in her eyes. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.” Rainbow gestured towards Spike. “Just… just continue.”
“Um, okay.” Spike resumed his tale. “When we rescued her, there was something wrong with her body. Our mages discovered that she was infected with very strong dark magic. We’re trying to undo the damage right now. Although…”
“Although?” Twilight prompted.
“We’re… not sure we can cure it.” Spike admitted. “It’s too strong for us to disable safely. The only way we have devised so far, is to… kill her.”
****
A lone unicorn with a lavender coat stood on the balcony of Canterlot Castle, her dark purple hair waving in the breeze. A few hoofsteps behind her caused her to turn around.
Pinkamena, escorted by numerous earth ponies dressed in dark pink, trotted up to the balcony entrance and dropped to their knees.
“Princess Twilight.” Pinkamena whispered. For a few seconds there was no movement. Then, Princess Twilight slowly turned around. When she faced the pink earth pony, the pink mare decided to continue.
“I have rounded up the Terror Guard, just as you asked me to, your highness.”
The Princess looked at the guards dressed in pink. “Leave us. I must speak to Pinkamena in private.”
The Terror Guard obediently backtracked and left the vicinity of the balcony.
Twilight turned back to view Canterlot in all of its glory. This silence lasted for about five minutes before the pink mare’s back started to ache, and she spoke.
“Your majesty, may I know why you have called the Terror Guard?”
Twilight sighed. “If it were any other pony, Pinkamena, I would have stayed silent. But for you, my friend, I will satisfy your curiosity.”
“You should know that I do not call upon my most deadly assassins for just any job. A mere three days ago, I sensed a great disturbance in the flow of magic.”
“A disturbance, your highness?”
“Indeed. It felt like the whole time-space continuum was being torn apart. Only a few ponies have the magical brawn to be able to pull off such a feat. Myself included.”
Pinkamena pressed on. “Your majesty, what is this event’s true significance? Does this have to do with how Applejack managed to escape the guillotine?”
Twilight nodded. “Yes. Except that she didn’t escape. I checked the stage afterwards, and the body was still there. Which can only mean one thing.”
The pink mare gasped. “You don’t mean…”
“Yes. I believe that you remember the day I tried the Future Sight Spell twenty years ago? Well, it seems that we have visitors from the past.”
Now Pinkamena understood. “You want us to eliminate them.”
“If they run loose, it could jeopardise all that I’ve accomplished during the past eight years. I cannot allow all of Equestria to fall into anarchy.”
“Your wish is my command, Princess.”
Twilight sighed once more as she surveyed the city. “I did not want to resort to killing myself, whether she is from this universe or not, but I have no choice.”
“Pinkamena Diane Pie, I command you to eliminate those impostors at all costs. Have I made myself clear?”
“Crystal clear, your highness.”
“Then go and complete your mission. Failure is-”
“-not an option.” Pinkamena finished.
To be continued in Repercussions: Chapter 5: Hostilities!
And so ends Chapter 4. Any constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated. I also need all you viewers to help me decide something. Should I post chapters of about 7000 words all at once, or should I post chapters that are about 2000-3000 words long more often? You decide! Just post your vote in the comments.
It has also come to my attention that I have forgotten to put a disclaimer for this story. So here it is: I do not own My Little Pony or any of its characters. Hasbro owns that. All I own is the original idea.
Remember to check my blog for updates too. Just so you know how I am coming along with the stories. Goodbye for now, see you again in Chapter 5!