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14: And Then There Were Two8,810 words
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13: The power of Vice

Friendship is Deception

By: Your Antagonist (VegaKS03)

Edited by: TheWattsMan & Starwind Pen

Act III: Agents of Disharmony

Chapter 13: The Power of Vice

Let temptation take you like the throes of the ocean, playin’ on your emotions, strumming on your heart strings

With the rhythmic chaos of eloquence in distortion, Just break free and do what you like-- Excerpt from a song you’ll never listen to.

In one of the guest bedrooms of Celestia’s castle, a certain dragon paced back and forth out of boredom. “Sheesh, why did Twilight have to drag me to the castle for some dumb ole meeting? I could’ve just stayed in Ponyville, and—” BOOM! An explosion from the hallway shook both the ground and the thoughts from his head. Thinking quickly, Spike jumped under the bed in the room, quivering out of fear. Moments later, he heard hoofbeats and voices emanating from the hallway, and he shrunk back further under the bed, listening intently.

“What are we looking for, Betrayal?”

“The master has expressed her desire, for a little purple dragon that breathes green fire.”

“A dragon? Trix— I mean, Curse has only seen one up close; he belonged to that infernal Twilight Sparkle.”

“Perhaps he and our target are one and the same, so keep open your eyes; he may hiding in sight that is plain.”

Spike heard the pair enter the room he was hiding in and clasped his claws over his mouth, lest he make a sound alerting them to his position. He took note that it was rather dusty under the bed.

“How do you rhyme so consistently like that, Betrayal?”

“Surely, you may not know it, but the one who constructed our spoken language was a poet.”

“Curse finds this fascinating, and she would like to—”

"ACHOO!" Spike sneezed, and if that wasn’t enough to blow his his cover, he’d released some flames while he was at it, leaving a nice little trail of scorch marks on the floor.

“What was that?” Curse inquired.

“I believe it is undeniably clear, that our quarry is very near,” Betrayal gestured towards the scorch mark on the floor.

Spike began inching his way further back. This is not good, I need get out of here before—

The pony, who he gathered was this “Curse” he’d been listening to, was now lying down and searching under the bed. It wasn’t long before he recognized her as the “Great and Powerful” Trixie, and it took a moment longer before she noticed him and smirked before standing up.

Okay, so they know where I am, but that doesn’t mean I can’t escape still... what’s that? Almost immediately after Trixie stood up, a purple smoking ball rolled under the bed, spreading fumes that caused Spike to gag and grow slowly dizzy. He felt a tugging sensation on his tail, and before he knew it, he was being dragged out from under the bed and lifted into the air to meet the grinning faces of Trixie, and one other he recognized as Zecora.

“Sleep now, my little dragon friend; after five hours we shall see each other again,” spoke Zecora, who held a small burlap sack underneath Spike. As he was lowered gently into it, the smoke began taking effect, causing him to nod in and out of consciousness before finally allowing sleep to claim him.

“I think now it would be wise, if we went back to our hideout to escape prying eyes,” Zecora suggested while tying the sack around her neck.

“Trix— er, Curse agrees.” The two trotted into the hallway only to be met by three of the elements of Harmony, and two interlopers.

“Hold it right there!” Rainbow Dash shouted while readying her hoof-pistol.

“Yagh, holw it reigh dere!” Pinkie shouted, the stun baton in her mouth causing her to slur her words.

“This situation looks rather grim, although your chances of capturing us are very slim,” Zecora claimed while backing up towards the other end of the hallway, looking behind her shoulder to gauge how fast she would have to gallop to outrun the law enforcement ponies before her.

Detective Zaca spoke up next. “Zecora, our king has placed you under arrest, to surrender now is the course of action that is best. You will pay for your crimes of treason from long ago; besides, there is nowhere left for you to go.” Zaca gestured around the hallway which only had two exits: the one behind the law enforcement ponies, and the one Zecora would never reach in time even if she had a head start.

Zecora had to stall for time. “I’m glad to see your memory serves you well, but it will not help you in the bowels of hell. You may wish to give up this pursuit, or else you may find yourself as audience to the piper’s flute*.”

“Ah reckon it’s y’all who’d best give up Zecora: you’re surrounded and outnumbered!” Applejack shouted.

“While there is truth in the things you say, I promise things will not stay this way. There is one in this room to whom I must give thanks: our own seed of deceit stands among your ranks.”

Rainbow Dash took a moment to process what she just heard. “One of your own? But who—”

“Gahhh!” A cry from behind prompted the attention of the three elements, and as they turned around they found their traitor: Prince Blueblood had stabbed Detective Zaca with the saber he procured from the throne room. After he withdrew the blade, he began charging his horn with magic that enveloped is whole body. Shortly after a loud crack and a flash of light, he stood beside Zecora and Trixie.

“Allow me to reintroduce myself, I am the Agent of Deceit: Prince Blueblood,” the traitor said with a bow.

“You... Ah shoulda bucked in your smug oily face the minute I saw ya!” Applejack spat through gritted teeth. Blueblood only grinned proudly in response.

Trixie choked out a laugh at Applejack’s statement. “And yet you didn’t, little hayseed. Truly pitiable how restraint makes somepony weak isn’t it? It was that same lack of resolve that kept Trixie alive at the mansion seven moths ago. Trixie should thank you for your weakness, little Hayseed.”

“Lack of resolve?” Rainbow Dash laughed at that statement. “It wasn’t a lack of resolve that kept AJ from ending your life at the mansion. I watched that whole fight, and I can honestly say it was Twilight and her belief that reform is better than execution that kept AJ from stomping in your throat. In my opinion, all of the flank kissing we had to do to keep your sorry rump from getting executed was in vain. Don’t worry, though,” Rainbow Dash aimed her hoof-pistol at Trixie’s head, “this time we’ll just skip all of the paperwork, and I'll send you to the ferry-stallion* without coins or delay.”

Zecora stepped in front of Trixie whose horn began to glow as Zecora spoke. “It would be wise if that shot you were to delay, it wouldn’t help either faction if a bullet should go astray.” Zecora turned to display the sack on her back. “Unless it is the dragon’s life you wish to end, I advise you put away the weapon, friend.”

Rainbow Dash hesitated for moment, hoping that spike wasn’t within that bag, but a glance at the empty room to her left told her there might have been some credibility to Zecora’s claim. With a scowl, she lowered the firearm, and in that moment Trixie’s horn erupted with a cloud of blue smoke that was followed by the sound of hoof beats rapidly heading towards the other end of the hallway.

“Rainbow, are ya just gonna let em’ get away? We’ve gotta get after em!” Applejack shouted.

“Reagh! com on bohth!” Res ged em!” Pinkie shouted, the baton still obscuring her speech.

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes while taking a deep breath, and time began slowing down for her. This was a trick she used to steel her nerves and focus before flight exhibitions. Using this sense of calm, she analyzed the situation at hoof. I’ve got one wounded, three high priority targets on the run, and they’ve got a hostage. She turned look at Applejack and Pinkie Pie. AJ would probably be the best choice for getting aid for Detective Zaca, and Pinkie would easily be able to keep up with those other three.

Rainbow Dash turned to her friends and began barking out orders. “Applejack, get Detective Zaca to the castle’s infirmary and report what just happened to Twilight and the Princesses.” Applejack nodded and moved over to Zaca, struggling to place the zebra on her back as she struggled to the door. “Pinkie Pie, you’re with me, and remember what I said about that cow-colt crap?”

Pinkie Pie nodded in affirmation.

“Buck it, all I want right now is that baby dragon safe and sound and those three in a cell, so do whatever you have to help me bring them down without hurting Spike.” Rainbow Dash crouched low before flying down the hallway in pursuit of the dragon-nappers, Pinkie Pie hot on her hooves.

They reached the door at end of the hallway in seconds and took note that it led to a red-carpeted spiral staircase. The faint sound of voices a few levels lower could be heard from where Rainbow Dash and Pinkie stood, meaning their quarry hadn’t gotten particularly far. Rainbow Dash didn’t hesitate to jet down the spiral-staircase as fast as her wings would carry her, galloping on the outer walls to assist her rapid descent, and Pinkie Pie lacking wings to move any faster settled for hauling flank down the staircase. The voices disappeared as they reached the lower level, but in their places another resounding explosion broke the silence.

Galloping into the foyer, the pair took note that a green dust cloud lingered among the room and various guard pegasi were sprawled across the ground, coughing and bleeding among the rubble. “Hey, the ones who did this to you, which way did they go?” Rainbow Dash inquired from the nearest guard to her.

The guard weakly pointed a hoof towards the main entrance, to which Rainbow Dash nodded and took off in towards the door. Upon opening it, she saw Zecora, Trixie and Blueblood galloping away through the castle garden. “Pinkie, you follow them, and I’ll go around to cut them off, got it?”

Pinkie Pie saluted in compliance and galloped after her targets while Rainbow Dash flew straight up and began tracking them from overhead. She spotted them heading for a gate leading towards the streets of Canterlot, and Pinkie Pie was closing the distance rapidly. Rainbow Dash altered her flight stance, descending rapidly towards the opposite side of the gate, a mach-cone forming around her.

Come on wings, just a little more... The adrenaline was pumping in her veins, the mach cone became sharper and thinner, but the ground was coming up at a uncomfortably fast rate. I’ve only got one shot at this, better make it count.

The mach cone was officially at its structural threshold and electricity began to surge through the slowly tearing air. Having executed this trick in practice multiple times before, she knew that these were the precursors to a Sonic Rainboom, but this would be her first time ever performing one during a field operation, according to higher ups it wouldn’t be “professional or efficient” to utilize such an unorthodox tactic during pursuit, but right now it was do or die.

She picked up another burst of speed by angling her head lower, but in the process of doing so she realized she was horribly off target. Bucking tears, I overshot it! She couldn’t control it or stop at this rate, and she was headed towards the streets and away from the gate. With the rainboom imminent and nigh unavoidable, a singular thought broke through in her adrenaline filled mind: It’s time to improvise.

The pegasus flapped her wings one last time for good measure before clasping them tautly to her sides, allowing gravity to take control. Spreading all four of her legs in an “X” shape to slow herself, the absurd falling momentum slowly decreased as she continued to fall, tears welling in her eyes from the wind whipping her face at such an incredible rate.

Come on, come on, do it... The mach cone ceased its stretching and stopped Rainbow Dash midair. This is perfect! Rainbow Dash took advantage of the split second where she was trapped unmoving in the mach-cone and fixed her eyes on the gate as her targets came galloping through. As the mach cone began pushing her back out, she spread her wings wide to change her trajectory, and allowed physics take control of the situation.

She shot out of the cone, traveling twice as fast towards her targets, flapping her wings even harder to maintain and exceed her momentum than when she descended as another mach-cone began to form around her and began to spark and stretch. Just as she could see the whites of her prey’s eyes, the air around her erupted in a flash of color, sound, and pressure that doubled her flying speed and enveloped her in a blanket of color.

Prince Blueblood galloped behind Trixie and Zecora, constantly glancing over his shoulder to make sure there was a decent amount of distance between his group and that persistent pink pony. I could have sworn she had a partner or two though, perhaps they took care of that zebra from earlier. He cast another glance backwards and contemplated disposing of the pink pony himself, but a ripping sound from in front of him commandeered his attention, and he turned just in time as a sudden ear-splitting CRACK tore through the air, followed by a pressure wave outlined in a rainbow that knocked him clean off his hooves, and assaulted his ears with a horrible ringing.

As he flew backwards, he saw Zecora and Trixie fly over his head, as well as a rainbow-colored streak that zipped past his head and landed deeper in the garden with a horrendous crashing sound. This was all Blueblood could register as he hit the ground with a dull thud, and his vision faded to black.

Ughhh... my head... Did that work? Rainbow Dash recovered from the crash quicker than she expected, shaking her head, and while she couldn't recall exactly when she lost control of the maneuver, she knew it worked. A little too well. Rainbow Dash turned her head and began surveying the area behind her. She glanced around, taking a bit of sheepish pride in the aftermath of her stunt: a trail of rainbow colored fire scorched the ground that led back to her, several plants became uprooted including a tree, there were three fallen statues, and a small crater littered with colorful silhouettes remained from the spot where the actual Rainboom took place.

With a flap of her wings she hovered over to the silhouettes, and while her lips curled into a smug grin at the sight of Trixie and her companions sprawled out and unmoving on the ground, her stomach turned as her eyes fell on the sack Zecora was holding. She'd gotten so caught up in the moment that she forgot Spike was in there, and she'd released the Rainboom at point-blank range anyways. Rainbow Dash landed amongst the rubble, and upon spotting the light blue fur of the currently incapacitated and helpless Trixie next to Zecora, she galloped towards the pair searching for he sack the dragon was stashed in.

Oh no, please be okay, Spike, please be okay. I don’t know if I could face Twilight again if you were hurt because of me... there it is! “Spike! Spike! Are you all right?” she called out as she neared the bag. She breathed out a sigh of relief as her fears were put at ease as she noticed a small lump that stirred slightly, and silhouetted the shape of the sarcastic baby dragon she’d come to love like a cousin. Thank goodness you’re all right Spike, now where’s Pinkie P— Her thought was cut short by the sensation of cold sharp steel on the base of her neck. She grit her teeth as the snide voice of Prince Blueblood broke the silence from behind her.

“That was impressive, pegasus. I’m certain you’ve permanently damaged my hearing, but I’m afraid this is as they say the end of the lin— WAUUUGHHH!!! BUCKKHNGG SH—!!!” Rainbow dash turned around to see Prince Blueblood spasming violently on the ground as though he was suddenly struck by a conveniently timed seizure.

Turning her gaze upwards, she saw a huffing and out of breath Pinkie Pie covered in dirt and bruises standing behind the Prince, her stun baton still crackling with electricity. Pinkie Pie spat the baton on the ground and addressed the gibbering, flailing prince before her. “Well, that was quite a shocker, wasn’t it?”

Rainbow Dash face-hoofed at this awful line, and Pinkie Pie took notice immediately. “Sorry, Dashie, I’ll try again: It’s just been revoked...”

“Pinkie Pie, just... just stop...”

“Pfft... fine. Anyway, guess what this means?” Pinkie asked with a playful smile curling across her lips.

“Ugh... what does it mean, Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, already aware of what was to come after having had her flank saved by the pink pony on so many missions before.

Pinkie Pie began hopping up and down and singing “Da-shie owes me! Da-shie owes me, and if I’m really lucky, than she might blow—” A sky blue hoof shot inside of Pinkie’s open mouth successfully halting the rest of that verse.

Staring directly into Pinkie’s eyes, Rainbow Dash began to explain to her subordinate exactly what was wrong with that song. “Pinkie, we’ve talked about that song, right?” Pinkie Pie nodded slowly. "We’ve talked about why it’s not appropriate to sing about that kind of— ” Rainbow Dash noticed Pinkie Pie’s eyes were fixed on something behind the pegasus’ head. Rainbow Dash turned her head to see for herself what had captivated Pinkie’s attention, and her eyes were immediately drawn towards a figure who stood with the sun directly to their back, casting a shadow and making it impossible to discern any distinguishing features save for a unicorn horn and wide spread wings. The figure trotted up to the pair, and Rainbow Dash immediately snapped a salute, while Pinkie Pie hesitated for a moment before doing likewise.

“Very good my little ponies—” The figure coughed and cleared her throat before continuing. “Oh dear, my voice has been cracking lately, but I digress. Good work both of you, but I’m afraid it’s time for you to join the others and sleep now, don’t worry though, we’ll see each other again in a few hours. For now, I must take charge of Avarice and the rest of the agents”

“Princess, what do you mean by... that...” The figure’s horn began to glow a vibrant golden color. Rainbow Dash’s eyelids became too heavy to support themselves and she fell forward, crossing from a waking reality towards the world of dreams with a soft thud.

Chapter 13 End

Foot notes: Piper’s flute-- Reference to the Pied Piper of Hammelin, who is viewed as symbol of death in some interpretations.

Ferry Stallion-- reference to Charon of Greek mythology, he is the ferryman who transports souls between the world of the living and the realm of Hades. Typically when one died, they would have coins placed on their eyes to pay Charon for the trip.

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