Twist

by pinklover12

10. Escape from the Mines

“Well, you don’t have to be so rude about it…”

Rainbow muttered as one of the officials roughly fastened a mining belt around her midsection.

“I can’t believe they took away my jacket…” 2-20 muttered as her belt was fasted as well.

“I can’t believe they took my cape!”

Both mares were currently at the entrance to what was apparently the Diane rock mine. It seemed to be a huge place, with ponies bustling everywhere, though most of the expanse was covered by the enormous and severely damaged rocky cliff that hung over the mining facility like a huge approaching stormcloud. There were several buildings, most pumping out smoke from multiple chimneys, clogging up the air with thick dark smog. The air was also clogged with sound. Very much sound. The screech of metal, banging of tools against stone, and the screams of anguished ponies, of grief and despair.

“It seems like a pretty nice place…” Rainbow optimistically squeaked, as one of the mining officials began to whip a small foal, forcing him to pull a huge load of heavy rock.

“Ah. These must be the new recruits.” A stocky mare spoke calmly as she briskly strolled up to Rainbow and the agent.

The strange mare’s mane was chopped short, even shorter than Agent 2-20’s. It was a deep shade of dark red, streaked with dyed strands of darkest black. Her coat was a horrible mess, and Rainbow seemed to be appalled by it. It wasn’t that bad, but it was so stained and clogged by dirt and gravel and dust and age, the original color was nearly unidentifiable. It seemed to be the same shade of red as the pony’s mane, but it could have been anything at all, even the same hue as the dirt and dust that covered it.
Of all the pony’s features, her eyes must have been the strangest. Her entire form was coated by grime and oppression, but her eyes shone bright. They were a clear and sparkling shade of bright crystalline blue.

She didn’t say much. The mare scanned the crowd of ponies kidnapped from the train, and simply nodded. She whipped her clipped mane around as she turned away, speaking only a few words as she passed, seemingly to Agent 2-20 in particular.

“My name’s Diane, by the way.”

So this was Diane. She must have been the owner of the mine.

Strange how it didn’t all fit together quite right. The harsh and vicious mining facility, the calm and silent mare, and that serene and crystal name. Diane. It didn’t sound harsh or cold, it sounded sweet.

So why did she choose that name…? Agent 2-20 wondered as Diane disappeared into a huge stone building, blood-red mane swinging behind her, only a shadow of those crystal blue eyes.

“You shall be assigned into four quadrants,” the bulky stallion spoke loudly as he strode up and down the line of ponies.
“The Earth Ponies, the Pegasi, the Unicorns, and the others.”
The stallion went on in some boring speech, but Agent 2-20 turned her attention away.

How dare they take me here? Do they even know who I am?!? 2-20, Agent 2-20 thought. She was one of Celestia’s secret agents, the most elite of spies, on the most critical of missions! How dare they kidnap her and thrust her into the ranks of coal miners?!?

Agent 2-20 narrowed her eyes and growled slightly, the way she always did when she was angry. The agent turned to Rainbow by her side, to see if she shared the same concerns.

The young mare looked calm and aloof, if a bit concerned. Moreover, Agent 2-20 was even more ticked off to discover that she still didn’t know a single thing about Rainbow.
Where did she come from? Who was she really?
“It’s a hay of a long name…”
That’s what Rainbow had said after 2-20 asked what her name was. Who was this strange mare really?
Agent 2-20 turned to examining her more closely, and nearly began fuming with rage at the injustice of it all.

Rainbow’s vast and tangled multicolor mane hid almost her entire head, much less the space where there might have been a horn. Her mining belt hid the space there might have been wings, (though not very well. They must have been very small wings, or else severely injured, to be covered by the small scrap of cloth that was the belt.) and more than that, the belt hid her cutie mark! Everything that was this pony’s very identity was hidden, first by a cape, and now by this belt.

Agent 2-20 gave up her anger and sighed. It wasn’t right to be frustrated at Rainbow like this. Who was she to condemn hiding one’s identity – she, who wore dark shades and a heavy black jacket whenever out in public, she who chopped and dyed her mane and let her coat fade to white, she who joined the ranks of the secretive and the deadly, she who bravely shied away from all affection and interaction, she who fled from her name, her family, and her life, so many years ago…

If 2-20 could manage to be so angry at a mare like Rainbow, then she might as well give up her title as Agent.

2-20’s ears perked and her eyes lit up. Agent! She was an agent who had just been taken hostage on a critical mission!

I have to find a way out…

Bored, angry, angrier, even angrier, sad, sadder, surprised, mischievous… Rainbow thought, closely tracking Agent 2-20’s emotions.

Those shafts don’t look very sturdy… I bet if I could fashion some of these pickaxes into a grappling hook… The cliff looks a bit crumbly but there are nice footholds here…
Agent 2-20 thought, brainstorming an escape plan.

“Flash Eagle to Sunset Owl!” Agent 2-20 winced as a harsh voice yelled into her ear from thin air.

“I repeat: Sentry Hawk to Sunset Owl!” 2-20’s annoyed face suddenly shifted to realization. It must be her ear chip! All the agents had received them about a year ago; it was a device carefully fitted into a pony’s ear used for communication between the base and agents in the field.

“I told you not to use the code names! I’m 2-20 and you’re my captain!” Agent 2-20 harshly whispered under her breath.

“Yes, sir! I mean yes, ma’am! I mean… wait, I don’t answer to you!” fumbled the captian. “Sunset Owl, state your whereabouts immediately!”

Agent 2-20 sighed. “We – I am currently being held hostage at a place called the Diane Rock mine. It is located somewhere south-west of the train route from Manehattan to Ponyville, and seems to be some kind of… slave camp… of a sorts…”
The words were alien to the agent’s tongue. A slave camp? In Equestria?
Equestria was a land of peace and happiness, no discontent or pain to be found anywhere in the entire country, and not in the least at the hooves of its own ponies!
In fact, Agent 2-20’s own task force was dedicated to enforcing Equestria’s pristine image, to paint a portrait of paradise over the canvas of poverty at all costs.

“Captain, I believe we have a problem.” Agent 2-20 whispered into her ear chip microphone.

“What is it, Sunset Owl?”

“We seem to have a code… 2-C.” the agent delicately stated, remembering the protocol for this type of infraction, and smiling just a bit.

I love being back in the field…

“Sentry Eagle to Sunset Owl! I repeat: where is the nearest escape route located?”

“I already told you! It’s right next to the bunker!”

“Wait, where’s that?”

“Nevermind! The point is…” Agent 2-20 hurried her speech and lowered her voice so as not to attract the attention of the mine employee drawing closer and closer as he drawled on to the line of ponies about diamonds.

“The point is that it’s close enough for me to make a break for it and not get caught! That is, if I time it right…” Agent 2-20 thought, assessing the vicinity of the mine shaft entrance in question. As she was being led with the other prisoners, she’d spotted its exit – it led away from the mine and was far enough for nopony to catch her.

“And you’re sure you’ll use just the right amount? It has to be enough to distract any guards, as well as show up on our monitors! We have to be able to pinpoint the location as well as get you home safely.” the captain advised.

“Yes, I’m perfectly sure!” 2-20 whispered in an even lower voice, the mine stallion drawing nearer and nearer.

“Alright then. Unleash in three…”

Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up… 2-20 thought.

“Two…”

Pray to Celestia…

“One…”

“NOW!”

Agent 2-20 screamed into the air as she unleashed the perfect storm.

Bolts of bright purple lightning shot out of the mare’s horn, streaming into the sky higher and higher, and descending into a thick lavender mist on the scarred earth. Each molecule of the storm sparkled and sparked, bursting with the very essence of pure magic that it was.

In the confused haze, Agent 2-20 made a run for it. She bolted for the mineshaft opening, unfazed by the shimmering lavender air.

“Wait!” a clear voice cut through the fog, yelling to Agent 2-20 herself.

A figure emerged from the mist a few feet from the agent, stumbling, disoriented from the magical storm.

“Take me with you…”
It was Rainbow. Her clear blue eyes called for help with a silent cry, pleading for the help of the surprised unicorn in front of her.

“Wha – Rainbow? You can’t follow me! I have to –“

“There they are!” More voices yelled through the thickening fog, quickly approaching the two mares.

“No, no, no, no, no!” 2-20 lamented the complete ruining of her plan, the voices and hoofsteps still closing in.

“Get them!” a large stallion commanded to the other guards behind him, as he emerged from the mist, galloping up to the two mares as they fled.

“Run!” Rainbow screamed. (Quite redundantly.)

“Gah!” 2-20 yelled in agony as one of the guards forcefully brought a heavy hoof down on the side of the agent’s skull.

Voices… so many voices…

Agent 2-20’s head swam as she fell to the ground. She was strong, but the hit had taken her by surprise and almost knocked her out.

Colors…

A bright white blob surfaced at the edge of her vision, rimmed with polychromal light. The specter threw itself at the siloughettes of the guards, and began to shine with brilliant blue light.

Agent 2-20 blinked. When her eyes opened, the guards were gone.

“Hello?” a voice pierced through the fog, both mental and actual, surrounding the agent.

“Excuse me? Agent two or whatever your name is?”

“Wha…” the mare spoke, head still swimming.

“Snap out of it!”

A hoof was slapped across the face of the disoriented agent, as a unicorn magical spell seemed to wake up her dazy mind.

“Gah! Ugh, sorry!” Agent 2-20 spoke, her head clear once more.

“Great, you’re awake now!” Rainbow said in relief, revealing herself as the pony in question.

“What happened to the guards?” asked the agent, stumbling to her feet again.

“I took care of them. But there’s more on the way! We have to get out of here, and fast!” Rainbow said quickly.

“Rainbow, quiet.” 2-20 commanded. Something was off. She placed her hoof on one ear and spoke. “Captain? Captain, are you-“

A flurry of purple sparks flew out of the agent’s ear chip, resulting in quite a painful experience, and some very bad news.

Ugh, the storm must have messed it up! Thought 2-20. But how? The technology was built to resist the strongest of magical occurrences. Unless… the punch from the guard! The hit must have brought down the defenses on such a small piece of technology, and the chip had gone haywire.

“Agent! Agent two, come on!” Rainbow shoved 2-20 to bring back her attention.

“Ugh… alright, alright…” spoke Agent 2-20, head still throbbing. She’d have to deal with the chip later. “There’s a mineshaft just by here, if we can find it in this fog, it leads to-“

“No! They’ll find us there! We have to use magic to escape!” whispered Rainbow. The two mares could now hear hoofsteps heading towards them in the lavender mist.

“Wha – Rainbow, I was in charge of that magical storm! My reserves are completely drained. For me to survive a spell like that, it must use up-“

“They’re right here!”

“Where?”

“I said here!”

“Where’s ‘here’?”

“Oh no! They’re after us!” Rainbow squealed.

Out of the lavender mist emerged four guards, three stallions and a mare, all very muscular-looking, and all very angry.

“RUN!” screamed Rainbow, galloping away with 2-20 close on her tail.

“Get them!” yelled one of the guards, all four in hot pursuit.

“Well, how in Tartarus - *huff* - are we going to get out of this?” asked Agent 2-20, galloping for her life beside Rainbow.

“Easy.” Rainbow said mysteriously.

“Stop right there!” one of the guards yelled from just a few inches behind the two fleeing mares.

Agent 2-20 closed her eyes. She had nearly given up, and she prayed to Celestia for a miracle to happen.

And then one did.

The agent’s weary and aching hooves felt some weight lift off of them, and then felt themselves lift off the ground.

2-20 was stunned with such a new sensation. There was a strong new mass at her back, and strong wind blew across her face.

A quick glance and Agent 2-20 realized that Rainbow was still at her side, she too flying as the two mares lifted out of the purple-hued magical storm, and climbed higher and higher into the clear blue sky.

Author's Note:

Hi everyone! Sorry about the long wait. I've been busy and this was a pretty long chapter.
Anyway, I hope you liked it and that nothing was too confusing.

Good Readin'
Pinklover12