//------------------------------//
// Counter-Measures 
// Story: Alexandria the Great 
// by chillbook2 
//------------------------------//

Alexandria

“Conjure is in the armory. I do not need an escort, I can teleport on my own. I’m leaving now.” I said, surrounding myself in grey light. “Well, goodbye, and do try not to destroy your leg while I’m gone.”
POP!
I reappeared outside of Carousel Boutique, my old home, slightly dizzy and more than a little nauseous. I knocked on the door four times and waited.
“How did Alex pull that off?” I asked myself. “Probably wanted to see if I could back up my claims. What would have happened if I couldn’t? She’d be short one leg, that’s what.” Suddenly, the door flew open. Rarity looked at me with confusion.
“Hello, dear. You do know that this is a public business. don’t you? You don’t have to knock.” she said kindly. “If you would like to buy a dress, then please, come this way.”
“I didn’t come here to purchase anything.” I said, smiling. “It’s me, Mother! Alexandria!”
“What?!” she asked in outrage. “Alexandria?! How…? Come in!” She grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me in.
“Rarity! What’s all the fuss?” asked Spike, walking besides us into the depths of the boutique.
“Hello, Father.” I said, settling down by her sewing machines. “How are you two doing?”
“Rarity, why is this mare calling me her father?”
“This is Alexandria!” shouted Rarity with excitement. 
“Hello.” I said happily.
“No way! What…? How is this… Where are your wings?!” he asked, turning me around over and over.
“I don’t have wings. Alex has the wings. I got the horn and, apparently, the heart.”
“Is this what Isaiah meant when he said that you were besides yourself?! Ooooo, I’m going to-”
“Rarity. Relax. It’ll be okay. Where’s… Alex?”
“She’s probably working out. I’m sorry to say that she did not want to come and see you. Don’t worry about her, she’ll come around eventually.”
“Okay. Can you explain exactly what happened, darling? I’m afraid that Conjure did not do a very good job.” said my mother.
“Well, when me and Alex were one in the same, we decided that we wanted to be normal. I wanted to be a unicorn, while Alex wanted to be a dragon. We split apart and got our wishes.”
“So Alex is completely dragon?”
“Well… sort of. She’s a dragon with pony-like characteristics. For example, she has fur instead of scales.”
“How did you manage to separate?” she asked.
“Promise me that you won’t get upset?”
“I promise.”
“King Sombra talked us into it. He said if we helped him, he’d help us.” I said. 
“You talked to Sombra?! Why would you do that?! Didn’t we teach you about what Sombra is capable of?! Have you learned nothing from us and our struggle?!” she exclaimed in rage.
“You promised me that you wouldn’t be mad.” I said sadly. “You lied to me.”
“Damn right I’m angry! My daughter is literally split in half!”
“I’m sorry.” I said, tearing slightly.
“I bet that you are sorry! It’s been four years since I’ve seen my daughter and I only get half! I can’t believe you, Alexandria! I thought we taught you better!” she shouted.
“I’m sorry!” I cried, bursting into tears. “I’m so sorry Mother!”
“Rarity.” said my father. “Relax. She made a mistake, and she knows that. No need to grill her about it so hard.”
“There is so need to grill her! She could have died! We may never have our daughter back completely again! All because you were worried about being picked on? Or being cast out? I cannot believe that you could be so shallow!”
“You really can’t believe it?” asked my father. “She is your daughter.”
“Spike, I am in no mood! Ooh, this is all your fault!”
“My fault? How is this my fault?”
“You kept telling her to embrace her dragon side! If you would have just let me deal with it, she wouldn’t have wanted to become a dragon!” shouted Mother.
“Rarity! Calm down! You are getting really upset. Maybe we should go see Silver and Fluttershy. Get some soothing tea or something.”
“Sounds delightful. Room for two more?” asked Sombra, strutting into the boutique. He snapped his fingers, causing black smoke to appear around our arms and legs, and covering our horns. “Come on in, Alex.” My other half strolled in behind the dark unicorn, twirling a black knife, which was covered in blood.
“Who’s blood is on that knife?” I asked Alex.
“Conjure’s and the General’s.” she said with a smirk.
“You said that they’d be safe.” I said angrily.
“No, I said that Lord Sombra wouldn’t kill them. I killed them. Did somepony say ‘loophole’?”
“Ahem.” coughed my mother. “May I just ask what it is you want from us, Sombra?”
“I need you for my revenge. All of you, really. So, and hopefully I’ll have more luck when I ask you, where are the others? I know that you know. You know what? I’ll simplify- Where is Silver Rift? Just tell me where to find him, and I’ll let you go.”
“Really?” asked Father
“Spike!” shouted Mother. Into the boutique walked a jet-black pegasus with a bright white mane and steel-grey eyes. He entered with his head down, staring at a cell phone.
“Ugh! Rarity, my mom is still bitching about dinner last week. Can you please talk to her? Maybe design her a new dress or something?” he said, looking up slowly. He looked to Mother, then to Father, to me and Alex and finally resting his eyes on Sombra. “Son of a bitch.”
“We were just talking about you, Silver.” said Sombra, restraining his arms and legs. Silver floated over beside me. “Alright! Let’s see: Rarity, Spike, Silver Rift. Now I need Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy.”
“Nopony thought to warn me that our strongest enemy is alive and well, in the house of one of my best friends?” said Silver. “How is he even here?”
“One thing at a time. I’ll fill you in on the story as soon as I have everything I need.” said Sombra, approaching Silver. “Where’s Fluttershy?”
“Hell if I know. She’s a grown mare, I don’t tell her what to do.” said Silver smugly. “And even if I did know where she was, I’d never tell you.”
“Is that so? Nothing will persuade you?”
“I will fight to my dying breath if that’s what it takes to keep Fluttershy away from here.” said Silver determinedly.
“Damn it, Silver, I told you to stop being such a bitch and just talk to your mom!” said a yellow pegasus who walked in the boutique just as Silver finished his sentence. She looked to my mother, to my father, to Alex and me, to Silver and finally stopping her eyes on Sombra. “Son of a bitch.” Sombra grabbed her by her pink mane and dragged her over to the rest of his prisoners. Another snap of Sombra’s fingers confined Fluttershy.
“Goddamnit, woman!” shouted Silver. “I just finished saying how I was going to keep you away from here!”
“Oh. Whoops!” said Fluttershy sheepishly.
“At this point, perhaps I should just wait here for the rest of you to run into the restraints!” laughed Sombra. “Do you think it’ll be this easy to grab the others?”
“Fluttershy, please tell me the others are somewhere far away.” said Silver Rift. “You didn’t invite RD or Pinkie to come with you, did you?”
“No, I did not, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe.” said Fluttershy. “I doubt that we’d all get captured like this. Which reminds me, what the hell Chris? How did you let yourself get captured like that?”
“The same way you did, love.” he said patiently. “And the same way I assume Rarity, Spike and… who may you be?”
“I am Alexandria.” I said, speaking for the first time in a long while.
“No you’re not.” he said. 
“Silver, I’m afraid now is not the time.” said Mother. “We will discuss this later.”
“King Sombra?” I asked. “What do you ask from us? Tell us how we can help you and we will do our best.”
“How can you help me? By telling me where to find the rest of Silver Rift’s wretched friends!” shouted Sombra angrily. “Alex! We don’t have time for this! I’m taking them. You deal with the other half.”
“Can I kill her?” she asked evilly.
“You may but it is not necessary. Do what you will with her.” said Sombra. His horn began to glow red and a bottle appeared with a jet-black liquid inside. He handed it to Alex. “When you’re ready, drink this. It’ll bring you to me.”
“Yes. Is there anything else that you wish of me after I’m done?”
“Nope.” said Sombra, dragging all of his captives towards him. “Just get to me as soon as possible.”
POP!
Only Alex and I remained in the shop. The smoke around my arms and legs disappeared, allowing me to move freely once more.
“Hey, Alexandria.” said Alex, approaching me. She reared her fist back and punched me in the face with all of her might. I felt my nose drip blood slightly. “You got me tortured slightly! Not that I’m upset. If that’s what Lord Sombra wants, then by all means, torture me until I beg for death, but damn, it hurt!”
“How did I get you in trouble?” I asked confusedly.
“You took so freaking long to learn regeneration! If you would’ve been better, Lord Sombra wouldn’t have been upset with me!”
“I highly doubt that it’s my fault. If he was willing enough to torture you, I don’t think he needs a legitimate reason.”
“He didn’t want to! He had no choice!” exclaimed Alex. “I had to be punished.”
“I don’t know how that works, but I’ll take your word for it. Come on, Alex, we have to go rescue Mother and Father!”
“No, we don’t. You have to run away, and never look back, pray that Lord Sombra forgets about you.” she said. She opened her bottle and brought it to her lips. “He said I didn’t have to kill you today. He might not be so kind next time.”
“You’re not going to help me?” I asked, fear building in my voice. “You can’t expect me to do this alone!”
“I don’t. I expect you to not do it. Like I said, I’m not killing you now, so you better get somewhere safe. Let this be our last time talking, Alexandria. For your own safety.” she said, taking a swig from the bottle. She exploded into a puff of black smoke, leaving me alone in the shop. Right then, I began to cry uncontrollably. My only friends were either dead or planning to kill me.
“Sorry, Alex.” I said to myself. “I have to fight back.”