Magic Paint Brushes 2: A New Canvas To Paint On

by Ugly-Duckling123

Chap 8

Sarah was just waking up, feeling cold and a tad sick. Slowly she opened her eyes to see nothing around her but darkness.
Walking forward a bit, she was pulled back by the cuffs on her wrists the chains of which led to the wall behind her.

Stepping over them, Sarah looked around her eyes now getting used to the dark.

"He... Hello? Is anyone there?" she called out getting nothing but an echo back increasing her fear factor. "Ok... No idea where I am, Cuffed and chained to the wall, In a dark cold setting, And remember Sombra from last night." she said listing the problems. "Conclusion: HELP!" she screamed pulling on the chains trying to get them off stopping when she heard someone laughing a shill laugh at the situation she was in.

"Nice to see you're finally awake child," the voice said, one of the walls lighting up to reveal a black seaweed maned crooked horned mare. "Oh don't stop, please you're the most fun prisoner I have." she said smiling.

"Where am I?" Sarah asked to the mare trying to be brave.

"The caves beneath Canterlot of course. Once owned by greedy Unicorns who wanted the gems found inside. And now..." she said vanishing and popping up right next to Sarah. "Your prison. Oh and don't think on calling for help. No one will hear you, and no one will think to look for you either."

"What... What do you mean by that?" Sarah asked "Once my friends see I'm missing they'll come and find me. You'll see!" she said rattling her chains in anger.

"Have you learnt nothing since you came to Equestria my dear?" the pony said moving to a rock above Sarah making it seem that she was looking down on her. "A Changeling can change their form into any living thing it wants."

"My friends wont be dumb enough to fall for your charade." Sarah said getting really ticked off by this pony.

"We'll see." she said as a form of farewell leaving Sarah in the dark again.

After a few more minutes of chain pulling and rattling later getting nothing but burnt wrists Sarah fell to her knees as tears started to escape from her eyes.

---

In the Forest, everyone was just getting ready to leave saying to the others in the hall that they'll be careful.

"Just like back home hay cuz?" a tiny Jack asked sitting on Sarah's shoulder. "The grown ups say 'Be careful', we say 'We will' then Emma nearly falls through the thin ice on the lake."

"If I remember it was you're idea to go skating Jack," Sarah said letting him continue to sit there as she watched the others get ready. "I was going to make sure you didn't do anything stupid."

Thinking to himself Jack zapped off of Sarah's shoulder and popped up next to Eric.

"Hey Eric, got a minute?" he asked in all seriousness.

"Sure..." Eric said confused as they slipped into the hallway for privacy. "What wrong."

"First of Pinkie-Promise you'll hear me out, and not react in any loud way when I'm done." Jack said.

Sighing Eric did the motions and recited the rhyme, knowing that a Pinkie-Promise was sacred in Equestria and cannot be broken.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

After nodding in agreement. Jack held out his hands and made Sarah's bracelet appear.

"You called me over to show me you got Sarah's bracelet again?" Eric asked crossing his arms.

"That Sarah is not the one we came here with." Jack said barely above a whisper. "And this is not hers. Go on look and see she wearing it right at this moment." he ordered.

Shrugging Eric looked back into the room and saw on Sarah's wrist was the exact golden charm bracelet Jack was holding in his hands right now.

"Well how do you know that that's not a copy?" Eric said turning back.

"I tested her with a memory from when we were kids, about my little sister." Jack said looking away.

"I didn't know you had a sister," Eric said surprised.

"Because we lost her one year we went skating," Jack said gripping the bracelet tightly. "If you... If you know what I mean."

"I'm sorry," Eric said understanding where Jack was going. "But what does that have to do with Sarah?"

"Because, it effected Sarah the most." Jack said "I was on there with them, and they were both about to go in," Jack said not being able to look his friend in the eyes anymore. "I managed to rescue Sarah, and slide her to the bank, but as I went to get Emma the... She..." Jack said struggling to get the words out.

After a pause he continued.

"When our parents came to see what was going on, Sarah ran right into Uncle Bill and froze his shirt with her tears and kept saying she was sorry to my mum and dad, thinking it was her fault since she said everything would be alright."

"How do you know she hasn't just blocked that day from her memory?" Eric asked thinking the news over.

"Emma was three years old. It was her birthday which is why we went out. And even though we were only six, a memory as bad as that... A young one dieing on her birthday because her big brother didn't check the ice of the lake they were skating on... That's a kind of memory that's always there in the back of your mind." Jack finished gripping the bracelet again.

"So what do we do?" Eric asked looking out at the group saying their goodbyes as they were about to leave.

"We need to keep her from knowing we know she's not the she she says she is." Jack said the fun returning to his voice and face as he made the bracelet disappear. "Bet you can't repeat that five times fast." he said as he and Eric walked back into the hall.

"There you two are," Rainbow said spotting them as they came over. "Now lets go already. Equestria won't save it's self from these bugs."

"Why are you always in a rush Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked catching her friend in her light blue aura causing the Pegasus to stop and be dragged back.

"Besides we have to make sure we all know the plan first," Twilight said trying to get her wings under control regretting solving that old spell.

"Oh I know Twilight!" Jack said hand in the air waving it trying to get her attention, "Me! Me! Pick me!"

"Yes Jack," Twilight said after face hoofing herself.

"We get in, find Cadence and whoever else they might have," he began shooting a quick look over at Sarah "Get them out to safety, and then kick those two bullies off the thrones and destroy them. Do I get a sticker?" he said smiling at the laughter he got for that quick remark.

"No. But yes that's the plan." Twilight said to the others. "So lets go."

Getting nods from everyone they left for the door Applejack coming up to Sarah who had been a bit too quiet.
"You alright this morning Sugarcube?" she asked straight out.

"I'm fine Applejack," Sarah said after playing with her bracelet and holding back the pain of a headache again.

"Wasn't your bracelet on your other wrist last night Sarah?" Applejack asked looking at her hands.

"I just felt like it was time for a change, that's all." Sarah said shrugging the Changeling kicking herself that she didn't pay attention to the girl she was impersonating more closely.

Sensing a lie, but not finding what it was, Applejack dropped the subject and stood outside with the others waiting for Twilight to transport them all to Canterlot.

Comments

[Ezio the Assassin]

Nice call backs.