It was raining in the Crystal Empire. Pouring like crazy, really. Tiny rivers of water cascaded from rooftops and spilled into crystal city streets, pooling into puddles that glistened like gold to passersby. The rain echoed harmlessly along the Crystal Towers of the Crystal Castle. The differing shards of material had all been shaped and crafted into the roof which made an impressive melody when the rain splattered onto the shingles. A calming, soothing, spiritual chime that seemed to sculpt itself around the little purple unicorn who had been sound asleep before the rainstorm had woken her up.
The very night Twilight had arrived in the Crystal Kingdom was the night Twilight wanted to leave. She wanted this mystery over and done with and she'd tried to head right to the library and get to work. Her friends could be in danger, and she didn't have time to waste, after all. She did, however, require access to the castle's private library, which meant a brief, if not cheerful reunion with Cadence.
Regardless of Twilight's pleas, however, the Alicorn refused the little unicorn access to the library until morning, stoically reminding Twilight of the time it was when she arrived.
"You look exhausted, and you can't be planning to spend all night pouring through old tomes! I insist you get to bed, and get a fresh start in the morning!" Cadence echoed in Twilight's memory. Twilight gave a helplessly relaxed sigh and closed her eyes. Cadance had a point. She was tired. Exhausted, even, and this? This was paradise. The large four corner poster bed in the guest suite had been enchanted with a "Liquid relaxation spell." The high stock, top shelf sort of spells only Canterlot nobles and ponies with far to much money could afford. The material was like silk, drifting and pouring over her body like liquid. Like a silvery blanket and sheets that contorted themselves to your frame with every movement. Even sitting in the bed felt like floating in a pool. The blankets and sheets shifted with her movements, firming when she drew them up to her body, and floating back into it's weird pooled shape when she let go.
The rain lazily cast runny squiggles and complex designs on the semi- transparent skylight in the middle of the room. Muted from the outside, Twilight could faintly hear the jingling chime of the rain itself as it splashed over the roof. She had to admit- she needed this. Badly. Just a day to get away from the drama and the kidnappings, the crazy sex fiends and mad plots by secret groups bent on destruction. She needed this, if she wanted to combat the creeping threat that was Sombra's Circle of Sorrow.
Shifting her frame gently underneath the blankets, Twilight gave a wide yawn and sluggishly scratched at an itch. A good night's sleep was in short supply, these days. What, with the kidnappings, Luna's weird dream magic, and the rampant sex. It was almost so much that Twilight didn't even realize how badly she craved just a regular night of sleep. The pouring rain was just a reminder how important it was that she recognize she was safe. She was miles and miles away from Ponyville, and the changelings, and whatever wanted to hurt her. She was, for the moment, safe and secure, and well protected.
The was almost enough to put the unicorn right back to sleep, and with another delicate yawn, Twilight closed her eyes, and slid under the liquid warmth of her comforter.
Twilight jolted awake in surprise when something velvet slithered past her privates. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, peering around quietly, and doing her best to swallow a rising panic in her throat. There was no stopping it, though. It crept in ruthlessly as she gazed around. The room was cold and metallic. Steel walls with segmented plates and bolts. Fluorescent lights above that illuminated bunsen burners and beakers. The lemony scent of recently applied cleansers. No!! NO!! Impossible!!
No. Improbable. Not impossible, because here she was once again. Trapped and held down in a metallic, perfectly sterilized room. A laboratory. She was positioned, sitting up with her arms firmly strapped in gear over head. She didn't even have to try to cast a spell to feel the magic inhibitor wrapped snugly around her horn. This time it a chair she was set upon, and an uncomfortable one at that. Not that her comfort mattered, she was sure. And in front of her- a large, silver metallic box, adjusted so it rested directly between her legs. How was she here again?! How did they capture her a second time?! Wasn't Shining Armor and the guards protecting her?! She was in a castle, miles and miles away from Ponyville! How was this even possible?!
The box didn't seem to care about Twilight's panic. It gave a hiss, jutting out a burst of steam from its backside, and Twilight felt something caress past her sex once again. They were using the tongue machine again. The one that got such positive results from her... The mage groaned and arched her back, glancing around the room, her brain instantly attempting to souse out whatever information she could about her predicament. The lights had helped her before. One...Two...Three... A steel-plated square.
Another slurp
Ok. They had placed her in another room. A new one. Was this a different laboratory than the previous one? Some new place the changelings hollowed out just to steal her private juices.
Another slurp
No no no! Fight it! Figure out what you missed! How are they tracking you?! How did they know you went to the Crystal Empire?! HOW?!
Slurp slurp sluuuuuuurp
Twilight couldn't help herself and threw her head back in a squealing moan. It felt good. It felt so so so so good. Like they'd slathered her privates in some sort of sensitivity spray or something. Her sex was exceedingly more responsive than it'd ever been, and it made the little unicorn girl moan in pleasure. She was fighting a losing battle and she knew it.
The machine was getting eager; caressing the little tight entrance of her pussy with more and more frequent licks and laps, kissing at her privates like some sex starved lover, back from a trip around the globe.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus what little attention she had left on clues to this new mystery. There really shouldn't have been any way they could have found her. The only pony who knew where she was going was...
Twilight's legs gave a quiver when the machine managed to find that sensitive little pink button between her legs. Oh, Gods above, it was heavenly! She never wanted it to stop! She needed this! She had been craving another session with the machine ever since they'd stopped kidnapping her. She didn't want to admit to it, but this was everything she'd ever wanted. This cruel, terrible device was pleasuring her in ways she never thought possible, and all of it was designed to take her mind off of the situation at hoof. She was well aware of this. She knew exactly what they were doing. But they knew exactly what they were doing, too. They knew her body inside and out, and now they were playing her like a fiddle.
"There! R-Right there!" Twilight cried out. She'd lost it again. Helpless to the blinding pleasure of this blissful invention. No, no, focus, you had something, You know Rainbow Dash knows-
Sluuuuuurp
"OH, Celestia! NNNgghhhh! MORE!" Twilight screamed, thrusting her pelvis helplessly towards the device. Another fierce burst of steam exited the invention and the tongue's feverish, violent pace suddenly slowed to a crawl. The tongue was still there, oh yes, but now instead of slurping at the unicorn's needy little opening, it simply vibrated gently- wedged in nice and deep. Stimulating her, but not pleasuring her. Still, it ushered Twilight right towards a sweet, achingly delicious climax
"Haaa Oooooooo...Don't...Don't stop..." she sputtered, squeezing her eyes closed and tilting her head back. The machine did not care. It did not increase nor decrease its vibrations, leaving Twilight gasping in growing need.
"H-Hey...Hello?" the purple pony called out. She was expecting an answer, and received none in turn. Her ears perked, and she opened an eye, glancing around the room. Nothing new. Nothing different. Same room, same machine humming away. But the pace had changed. She should have been done by now- climaxed and left to fall asleep, but instead the machine pulled itself into some weird sort of humming mode. Some strange setting that wasn't meant to pleasure the poor unicorn but leave her wanting and needy. Perhaps some sort of flaw? Some error in its design? Maybe it thought she already climaxed and just stopped for the night.
"Hello?!" Twilight called again, thrusting her hips forward, trying to get the faux tongue deeper into her tunnel. Gods, how she needed this. The building pressure was making her want to cum so badly, but the machine refused to grant her wish. Wasn't this what they wanted? Wasn't this the entire purpose of kidnapping her? To steal her awesome sauce?! To pleasure her in the most perverted of ways and take what was rightfully hers by force?
"I...I'm still here!" Twilight whined. Maybe they made a mistake. Maybe someone had switched the machine off by accident and didn't notice Twilight was still pre-orgasm. Maybe they'd left for the night?! No, no no that was silly. They wouldn't kidnap her only to forget about her. This was obviously a ploy to make her as aroused as possible before 'harvest.' That was the line of logic that made the most sense. If they were searching for quality not quantity, then she could be here for hours, pressed against the brink, teased until she'd been driven completely insane with arousal and need. Not that they needed to wait much longer...
"NNNGHHH, PLEASE!" Twilight begged, thrusting her hips lewdly forward. She was trying to grind against the machine like the way she used to when she was just a filly. Teasing herself against the various stuffed animals in her room. Humping against soft fabric and faux fur like some poor horny, sex crazed little girl. The memory of that soft material grinding up against her little demure sex was enough to make Twilight shudder. Gods she wanted to cum! They were getting to her. They were inside her head and all of this was designed to distract her from figuring out what was going on. How they captured her again. How they snuck into the castle. What they wanted with her girl juice.
No, no no. None of that mattered! "MILK ME!" Twilight cried out, as she shifted her buns back and forth against the seat and tried in vain to arch forward into the machine. Please! She was rapidly losing control here! It was like her libido had shot through the roof. More gas? Had they somehow found a way to drug her while she was sleeping in the tower? That would make sense. that would explain why she wanted to masturbate so badly. To have this machine milk her for all she was worth, and then some. Why she wanted to- no, needed to climax.
The poor little unicorn could feel her personal juices trickling down her inner thighs. She was absolutely soaking wet. She struggled in her binding- feeling the mechanical locks holding her prisoner sway with her movements. She wasn't going to break free anytime soon. But they were watching her, right? Maybe she could convince one of them to come into the room and finish the job. Touch her in all the right places. Lay back and let him-
"They'll gas you when you cum." a voice inside of her head spit out. There was still some small facet of her mind that was logically trying to combat the desires of her libido. Gas her. Yes, force her to sleep. Possibly cast a memory spell on her to make her forget. Was the tower warded for magic? Crystals are naturally magic resilient, and the tower was more or less completely constructed of them. Not to mention Rainbow Dash. She needed to get a message to-
SLUUUUURP
The machine was functional again. Wildly pressing into her sex and lewdly plunging in and out as deep as it could go. The sudden forceful pleasure shocked Twilight out of her thoughts and elected a squeal from the mage. They weren't going to stop this time, and she knew it.
As the 'tongue' slurped its way back and forth, she could feel something else, much smaller, being pressed into her dewy sex as well. Whatever it was that they were using to milk her, she guessed. Some hose, or tube or something. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Twilight's world turned into an explosion of euphoria, and her eyes crossed as her climax slammed into her like the hoof of an angry Celestia. Again and again and again and again, her body throbbed with pleasure. Wave after wave of pure, unfiltered bliss swept through her mind, and her body slumped forward. She had to admit; they were very, very, very good at what they did. Relaxation and fatigue washed over her, and as her ears perked to the gentle hissing sound filling the room, Twilight realized that nowhere in Equestria would be safe.
It was just a dream. Wasn't it? She stared at the ceiling, counting the different shapes the sculptured surface crafted in her mind. Triangle. Parallelogram. Obtuse Triangle. Square. Every time Twilight glanced up at the ceiling from her bed, her mind seemed to pick out more and more shapes in the crystal roofing. It was a neat trick, which served her well in her procrastination. She had no particular desire to bring up the potential security issue in the castle. To start raving about Changelings so soon after the incident at the wedding. They'd think she'd developed some sort of phobia. Not that Chrysalis and her changelings weren't scary in their own right.
Twilight gave a miserable sigh, resting her hooves on her belly and gazing up at the soaked crystal above her head. Her mind began to unravel, like she knew that it would. Tossing everything else aside, only to tighten around the core of the puzzle like wrapping paper on a present.
Problem: Kidnapped in the middle of the night for non-consensual unsolicited intimacy. Why her? She's an Element of Harmony. Why Rainbow Dash and none of the others? Don't know. Potential theory: Rainbow Dash was chosen at random. Occam's Razor. But the real question, was why they wanted her ejaculate? Still a dead end there. Who were the members of the Circle of Sorrow? Where would they find the spell to bring Sombra back to life?
IF the Circle of Sorrow was actually behind this. IF they weren't stopped back in Ponyville and Twilight was wasting her time, worrying about a situation that wouldn't happen IF there really was such a spell to bring Sombra back from the dead.
She gave a groan. Having unclear hypotheses around a potentially lethal mystery did not do her any favors for relaxing. Twilight had woken in the middle of the night, gasping on the brink of an orgasm. Her sheets were soaked and her fur was matted with sweat. For the better half of an hour, Twilight rolled and wrestled with the idea that it was just a dream. A very very realistic dream, that sent her very good feelings, but a dream none the less. Logically, them attacking her in the castle, in the capital of the empire, was a statistical impossibility. That gave way to her worrying about what they were chasing her for. Why her cum? Was it somehow magical? The idea of Twilight's personal girl honey being a source of magical energy made the little unicorn squirm shyly on the bed. This whole fiasco had Twilight questioning things that never popped into her head before hoof, it was almost like she'd never gotten to solidly learn these facets about her own sexuality. She had to hoof it to them, they were masterminds using sexuality the way they had. It was something that was often the source of true confusion and suffering in ponies. Choosing to weaponize it was a brilliant move from a military stand point. On a moral, or ethical level, it was a nightmare. Twilight gave another groan. This was exactly the situation she didn't want to be in. Lost to thinking about the mystery and letting her mind wander away and encounter various dead ends, rather than focus on the information she currently had.
Scooting herself back onto the bed, until she were hunched over with her knees pressing up against her chest, she levitated a candle stick from a nearby holster. She knew full well she wasn't getting back to sleep until her little magic maker was satisfied. She'd had enough dreams and dealings with this mystery to know that for a fact. Blushing faintly at the idea of doing this so far from home sent a shiver through Twilight's frame.
"You dirty little filly..." She whispered quietly to herself, slowly plucking the candle stick from its holster and pressing the angular end towards the dewy little junction between her legs. With a shudder, Twilight slide the candle stick into her depths, giving a soft gasp at the sensation. With a wiggle, she arched her back and started to thrust the makeshift toy into her slowly. Each inch electing a quiet tremble from Twilight. She needed this. Ever since this entire ordeal began, Twilight had her buttons pushed and toyed with, pressed down and held more than she'd ever experience. Of course, a great deal with that came from the aphrodisiacs they'd pumped her full of. She wondered, idly if there was some sort of lingering residual effect. If her need to tease her sensitive little flower was all just some biological agent.The need to touch herself had never been so strong before, but now it was a clawing need she felt almost every night.
In and out, she rolled her hips with a growing passion against the bed. Her magic scooped itself around the candle stick and fed it greedily into her slot. It wasn't terribly thick, but it was nice and long and with Twilight's feverish thrusts, she figured she'd get the job done just fine with it. Her magic gripped it tighter, slid it in deeper, pressed it in harder. She was starting to pant.
She listened to the bed squeak underneath her as she found her rhythm, a soothing melody of mounting arousal, all rushing to a shining crescendo of a climax! She moaned as she got closer and closer. Her impending orgasm was hanging right in front of her. Right at the tips of her hooves. Just one more, perfect thrust- She squealed, throwing her head back as her plump little sex gushed. Her juices splashed around the candle stick, now hanging lewdly from Twilight's privates like some sort of flagpole. She tugged it out with a shudder and rolled onto her side, panting softly. It wasn't some bizarre machine with a perfectly wonderful tongue but it got the job done.
A job that needed to be done, judging by the copious amounts of honey she'd left on the bed. She blushed darkly and bit at her lower lip. Had that all come from her?! She must have been far more riled up than she thought. She peered at the candle stick, and then the bed thoughtfully. Great, a new mystery to solve. She wondered if Rainbow Dash was experiencing abnormal amounts of 'Awesome Sauce' when she masturbated. Twilight blushed and shivered when an image of Rainbow Dash doing just that flickered past her thoughts. A knock ripped those same thoughts to shreds and she quietly turned towards the door.
"Hello?" Cooed a voice from the hall. Twilight's ears perked and a smile gently flickered over her features.
"Cadence? Come in." Twilight called out quietly, and gave a sigh when Cadence poked her head into the room.
"Are you alright? I thought I heard something." She said softly. Twilight blushed violently in the dark and shook her head as innocently as she could.
"Uh, nope. Just...just me, by myself. " Twilight explained, suddenly feeling like she were fourteen again. The princess nodded her head, and turned to leave, only to turn around at Twilight's request.
The words were on her lips. The question was dancing about the tip of her tongue, and as much she wanted to blurt out everything she was holding in, she didn't. She stared quietly at the smoldering cup of tea on the plate that Cadence had made. Cadance herself was quiet, sitting patiently next to her and idly sipping at the tea she'd brewed for them both.
The little purple unicorn drew in a heavy sigh and released it through her teeth. They'd been sitting in the parlor for maybe five minutes in awkward silence. Twilight didn't know why she'd begged Cadence to stay up with her, but it managed to make her feel better, even if the solution to her problems weren't an easy thing to find. Cadence, to her credit, never seemed pushy or upset. She took her time, sipping her tea, and silently taking in the architectural design of the castle she'd inherited. She never forced Twilight to explain why they were sitting up at three am, drinking tea, and for that, Twilight was eternally grateful.
"Is love..."Twilight finally found herself asking, stalling only to work the rest of the sentence out in her head. "Is love always real?" The words descended onto the conversation and like candy stuck to her teeth, each took more than a little effort to spit out. Cadence stared into space for a moment, and her gaze fell back to Twilight.
"No. I'm afraid it's not always real, Twilight. It may start off that way. The spark, if you will, is real. But sometimes the flames just don't last. Sometimes they aren't even there at all. " She said with a heavy sigh. Twilight buried her face in her hooves and groaned in defeat.
"Then how am I supposed to know if what I'm feeling real?! I mean...what if it's fake? What if someone is making me love Rai-love somepony else?!" She sobbed in despair.
Cadence gently reached out and brushed a lock of Twilight's mane out of her face. She sat back and gave a dreamy, tired sigh and peered at Twilight with a faded smile on her lips.
"I'm sorry, I dunno sweetie-pie. But listen to me, Twilight. Whatever it is that's going on, you can tell me." Cadence whispered, pulling Twilight into a crushing hug. For a moment, only a brief moment, Twilight wanted to resist telling Cadence anything. She had to pick and choose her words carefully when changelings could be about. But the contact and the hug was something she'd badly needed and was in short supply of and the statistical likey-hood of Cadance being a Changeling again was nigh improbable. She sighed. She was tired. She was so tired. So hopelessly exhausted from carrying this ordeal with her. So exhausted from looking over her shoulder constantly, worrying about Rainbow Dash, worrying about Spike, worrying about her own sexuality and everypony and everything! She didn't know when she'd started crying, but she found herself in Cadence's arms, sobbing like a foal. She sniffled, hiccuped and rubbed her nose after a few moments. She needed someone she could trust. Anyone. Just something stable. Please, just give her that!!
"I..."Twilight sputtered but stopped short. Cadence pulled her close, stroking the girl's mane with her hooves lovingly. She cooed into Twilight's ear and rubbed her hooves along her back to soothe her.
"You're nervous, and scared." she hummed in a motherly manner, tugging the younger unicorn against her frame while she spoke. "Don't be. I'm here for you." Cadence whispered, and that was all it took to wash away the last of Twilight's resistance. The unicorn melted against her quietly and started sobbing again at that reassuring hug. She just needed somepony so badly to ground her while the world went insane. If she could have that, she could power through anything! She closed her eyes, and before she could stop herself and the entire horrifying saga came out in sputtered bursts and lengthy sobs. She repeated it all as vividly as she could remember. In the end, Cadence sat there, wide-eyed and horrified by the events she'd been told. She'd scooped Twilight up and held her as tightly in her arms as possible, tears streaming from her cheeks as she rocked the poor girl.
"My darling little pony...Look at me." Cadence whispered softly and cupped Twilight's cheeks in her hooves.
"You are safe here." She cooed as reassuringly as possible. Twilight sniffled and rubbed her eyes and gave a shuddered sigh. Gently, Cadence began to hum a gentle lullaby and delicately rubbed her hooves along Twilight's back. Sleep had already overtaken her long before Twilight realized Cadence's lullaby was actually a spell. It was far too late to counter it though. Her delicate smile was the last image Twilight saw, and her whispered words were the last Twilight heard.
"Just a little something to help you relax, sweetie. Go to sleep."
And then she was out like a light.
************************
The laboratory hadn't changed. It still had the bunsen burners, the unused chairs, and the clean scent of fresh sterilization. But it was different somehow in a way Twilight couldn't put her hooves on. But she was back in the one place she hated most of all. Immediately, her eyes flickered upwards at the ceiling. Two lights and one square. She'd been in this room before. She knew what this room was, and as much as she hated to admit it; she could feel a tingle of anticipation between her legs.
This was the room with the box.
Her favorite box. It sat silently between her legs, shiny and chrome and black with a little slot on the front for that mechanical tongue to slide out and mmmmmm. She was strapped to the table again with her legs lewdly stretched out in front of her. Twilight shivered and bit her lower lip. She was already getting damp. They were already in her head and they hadn't even started yet! Was she going to become aroused every time they kidnapped her from now on? Was this another part of the conditioning? Her body was reacting on its own and there was nothing she could do about it!
Did she want to do anything about it? This was all so confusing and frustrating. She didn't want this. She didn't want to be taken against her will, no. But they were changing her will. They were making it consensual. They were making her yearn for more! Was that their plan all along?!
The pit in Twilight's stomach dropped out, and she felt like throwing up. They were getting to her and for all her intelligence, magic, and cunning, there was nothing she could do about it. She wanted to be in here. She loved the little black box in front of her. She loved its mechanical tongue and lewd intrusions. It was robotic; it couldn't hurt her even if it wanted to. It was without mercy but without malice also. The sort of thing Twilight wouldn't mind having on those lonely afternoons where she spent the day sorting books or sitting at her desk doing the library's paperwork. Oh, yes, that would be heavenly!! She wondered if she could find blueprints...
The machine betwixt her legs rattled to life, extending its metallic tongue out and forcefully into her depths. She drew in a sharp hiss of pleasure and closed her eyes. Yessss, it was starting! It gave her a soft, spiraling slurp and Twilight frowned. For some reason, it didn't feel as intense as it had before. Was that because she was getting used to it? Maybe they'd done something different this time? She didn't like it. No, she wanted it to- HAAAAA! The tongue began to thrash wildly, swirling and probing her depths. As if by Twilight's command. YES!
The little purple unicorn gave a helpless shudder and tried to relax, but something was nagging at her. Something was creeping around the dark corners of her consciousness, staying just out of sight. Some important clue that was staring her in the face, but she couldn't quite grasp it. Something important was happening. She knew that, but she didn't quite know what it was!
Think Twilight. Ignore the machine. This is important. This is significant! But why? Something was different about this whole scenario. Something that stood out far more than the others. Was it the lights? The machine? The table she was strapped to? No no no, those were all the same. The room smelled the same, and the room looked the same, everything was the same. The tongue gave another loving slurp, and Twilight sighed.
Were they going slower this time? Was that the difference? Was it a different time of the day? No. None of that would have made much of a difference, but the difference was there, staring at her right in the face. What in Equestria was going on?! Why did she have so many questions this time? Why couldn't she just lay back and enjoy it? Pleasure her until she couldn't think straight, send her home and-
Twilight's eyes widened in surprise.
She could think.
Her thoughts weren't muddled through drugs! Everything was clear and concepts were simple enough to wrap around. Had they forgotten? No no no! This didn't make any sense! Why make things different this time? Why not drug her? Why not keep her in the dark. They couldn't have messed up. This isn't the sort of operation you could accidentally 'forget' to drug your victim! Now her mind was racing. The machine that hummed between her legs was easily enough to forget about, now that she had something solid to hang on to.
Ok. Inconsistency. She could think straight. There weren't any drugs in her system. Why? They didn't forget. Cross that off the list right now. A new experiment maybe? No. The machine didn't have nearly the hypnotic effect it had on her before. She was not drugged to sleep and filled with aphrodisiacs. But why not? The simplest answer was that they had run out. No. That wasn't the simplest of answers. The simple answer was they couldn't!
OK Twilight! You're onto something! Hang on to it! Why couldn't they drug her?! Didn't they have the means to do so? ...No. They didn't. They couldn't!! What was the difference?! She was in the Crystal Empire! Okokokok! The location is a big deal. It was only happening in Ponyville! It could not happen when she was somewhere else! A weakness! That was a flaw in the design!! Something she could exploit!! YES! She had to get a message to Rainbow Dash as soon as she was returned to the castle! Wait...
But if it could only happen in Ponyville, why was she back in the laboratory again? The same laboratory. How could that be a thing? That laboratory was in the Everyfree Forest. If she'd been teleported, she'd feel the residual effects, not to mention that place had been cleared out.
The idea that a separate facility was created made sense, but the exact same facility? In the Crystal Empire? No. The Crystal Empire was a wild card. There was no way they could have predicted Twilight would head there. She didn't tell anypony about her plans, except for Rainbow Dash. But Rainbow Dash was the element of Loyalty. That was a solid, unchangeable fact. That made her an ally no matter what was happening. No, it wasn't Rainbow Dash. She knew that without a doubt. So, how? How did they track her to the Empire? How did they kidnap her again with guards and protection and crystal warding?!
Twilight's eyes widened again. Bigger this time, and her mouth dropped open. Now she was excited. No. They couldn't have kidnapped her again. That didn't make logical sense. But, then again, she hadn't been moved from Canterlot Castle, and she ended up in Midnight Castle. ...Wait a minute...
Quietly, Twilight peered at the laboratory around her. The machine was still slurping away, but she ignored it. Another clue...She was on the verge of something. She could feel it! A breakthrough of some sort! If she could just fit the pieces together, if she could just grasp that one final piece! She admitted it was much easier now that she'd learned to ignore the device 'torturing' her. Why had she not been able to do so before? Because of the drugs. The only thing that was different in this room was Twilight Sparkle. She hadn't been drugged like before and that was making all the difference! But it was more than that!! She hadn't just woken up, like every other time before. This time, she just sort of appeared. Like she'd been teleported against her will and manifested in the laboratory. But she knew that was impossible. At that distance? Through a solid wall of crystal? Unless the rules of magic had been completely rewritten while she was asleep, she was left with one probable conclusion. That was it! Her heart raced in her chest as she mind formed around a plan.
She drew in a deep breath, swallowed, and hocked up a loogie.
It was absolutely disgusting but she needed to 'create' something in the room aside from herself, and with her horn sealed, it didn't seem like there were any more options. The glob of phlegm landed on the floor with a gross splat in front of her, but Twilight didn't care. She stared at her saliva, doing her absolute best to focus on it and only it. It slowly melted into the floor, oozing into a detestable little puddle. A puddle that quietly crept along the floor.
Twilight couldn't help herself but to grin, watching that hunk of spit make its way across the laboratory floor under its own power. It was utterly impossible, of course, for a burst of phlegm to move on its own, and that's exactly what she was hoping for. The second time she looked down the tongue machine in front of her was gone. And the third time she glanced up, the bindings on the table had been undone, and she dropped to the ground, landing on her hooves.
The only way it could have been possible for Twilight to have been brought back to the laboratory- THIS particular laboratory, was if she were teleported across the country back to her town (impossible) ...or...if she were dreaming.
Maybe it was some sort of residual effect from Luna's dream walking, or perhaps it had something to do with Zecora's potion. Maybe a combination of the two, but it didn't matter! She as lucid, and still asleep! She had to gather as much information as she could before she woke up! The room was almost an exact replica of the laboratory she'd been in before! With all the things that have happened to her, or could happen to her, this was too linear for a common dream. This had all the signs of a designed dream, and it was designed for her. As little as she knew about Dream Magic, she knew it was possible to craft and force dreams upon others. She also knew it was an extremely difficult school of magic to learn. She also knew a pony extremely proficient in the craft.
Before she could move on with her investigation, the room began to fade to white, and the white faded into her guest room in the Crystal Empire. The dream was gone, but she was still grinning like an idiot. She'd just unraveled a major clue, and the enemy didn't mean to give it to her, but they did, and she was going to capitalize on it! Oh, now she was far to excited to go back to sleep!! She leapt from her bed to the guest room desk, and grabbed the quill. She found parchment inside thankfully. She had to get it all down on paper before she forgot anything!
1:I had an extremely linear dream. Changelings are following me. They must be, it's the only explanation for such a well designed linear dream that I would have in the Crystal Empire. Either that, or I've been enchanted to keep having these dreams, and I'm quite sure that I am not enchanted. 2: They don't have the means to collect from me while I'm in the Crystal Empire. The operation is set up specifically in Ponyville. 3: They're trying to confuse me. Giving me dreams that are reminiscent to the actual kidnapping. With the drugs, it's easy to confuse the two. 4: I'm SURE Princess Luna is keeping something from me. (Us) She may even be in league with the changelings, she should be talked to with extreme caution and avoided if possible. Also avoid her protege(?) I think her name is Dizzy Dance? Something like that. I have the distinct feeling she's been watching us, and relating our actions to Luna. 5: If the CoS is still active and in Ponyville, You, Rainbow Dash and Zecora may be in extreme danger. The three of you should head to the library and only trust each other. Spike, try and discern if Pinkie, Fluttershy are acting strange. Tell Rainbow to scope out Applejack and Rarity (Sorry Spike, I'm a little paranoid right now, and you being lovestruck with Rarity is the last thing I want to have happen. Nothing personal, you understand. ;) ) If they ARE acting strange, (Like changelings or something else weird) do NOT let them into the library! Ask Zecora for some sort of dream-blocking potion. I think it would be safer for us all to avoid dreaming for a little while, until we can tell who's on whose side. 6: I should return by tomorrow, pending any more crises that is. Sorry that this is a really rushed letter. I still think it's safer to send you my findings, than keeping them with me. Mind you everything above is speculation, but there is something going on for certain, and it isn't over yet. Keep safe, don't take any risks. I love you guys and I'll be back as soon as I can. As far as I can tell, the goal is still to collect the elements of harmony, but I don't entirely understand why our 'awesome sauce'. Consider yourselves all in danger for the time being. Will write later. ~T.S.
Twilight slapped her hoof onto the table, and watched in silence as the paper vanished in a purple burst of smoke. Straight to Spike. She knew it was early in the morning, but this was far to important to ignore! She glanced behind her at the warm bed she'd left and shuddered. She wasn't going back to sleep. Not after all of that. She needed to focus on something more solid than theories for a while, which meant her next destination was to the library.
It was early afternoon when Twilight finally pulled herself away from the elephantine stack of books she'd been reading. She'd spent all morning trying to research the Circle of Sorrow, but she didn't come up with a single shred of information. Mostly due to the fact that any of the books that might have contained anything helpful were missing.
According to the library's records, nearly a year ago, they'd been officially sent to the Canterlot Library. Twilight gave a stiff groan of frustration. Transferring books was a common occurrence between kingdoms. She'd overseen several transfers in the past and expected to see several more in the future. But her timing couldn't have been any worse. They were all gone. All the books she was hoping for that could shed some light on this mystery were all back in her hometown. It was almost funny in a sickening sort of way. If her friends weren't all in danger, or she wasn't being repeatedly raped. The entire trip had would have been a waste of time, if not for some of the clues she stumbled across last night. Unfortunately, discovering the operation was based around Ponyville, meant her friends were in danger, and she was somewhat safe. Safer at least. There was still Cadence and her weird behavior and... No. That was paranoia. That's what they wanted. Twilight shook the thought from her mind. She was put to sleep, and Cadence was right to do so. That was all that happened. She'd been insanely tired, and her mind just wouldn't stop turning and tumbling. She almost felt like she owed Cadence for the spell, even if it was against her will.
She casually flipped a page in the book she was reading, already going over departure times, in her head. If she left early enough, she could get back to Ponyville by nightfall. She'd meet up with Rainbow Dash and discuss what they'd learned. Preoccupied as she was, Twilight didn't miss the little folded piece of paper that was tucked in between the pages. A note somepony had left behind. She giggled to herself. If anypony were to look through the books at the Canterlot Library, they'd find dozens of little folded notes like that. She had a habit of writing things down and accidently forgetting the note card in the book she was reading.
The paper, however, simply contained a list of names:
Rainy Days DarkStep Wing Clipper Razzler Strike Silent Flash Fire
All of which had been crossed out. For some reason, it was the hoof-writing that caught Twilight's attention, not the list. It was terribly familiar, and it nagged at her conscious. She knew that hoof-writing from somewhere. But her attention was pulled away from the paper by the sight of guards walking past the door. It only took a second before Twilight realized what she was looking at, and her heart leapt into her throat. Those weren't Crystal Guards patrolling the halls. Those were batwinged ponies, it was the Lunar guard!
Even if she didn't know quite why, Twilight's better judgment directed her to duck underneath the table. They hadn't seen her ( she didn't think) and she wanted to keep it that way. She was getting a bad feeling about this, and it got even worse when she overheard the conversation outside in the hall.
"Ahhh, Prince Shinin' Armor! Just the pony ta help me out with something,'" came the first voice. A scrappy, squeaky little voice she'd heard before. The same voice that she'd heard from Midnight Castle. Princess Luna's servant girl.
"Oh, joy. It's you. What does Luna want?" A second voice called out. A voice Twilight loved more than any other right now. Shining Armor. Prince of the Crystal Kingdom, and her big brother. No matter what happened, she was sure she could count on him- and that was quickly turning into a blessing.
"I'll make this short. As you know, I'm Luna's courier and she sent a message, which is more or less a warrant for one miss Twilight Sparkle. Train records say this was her destination, and she ain't in Canterlot or Ponyville. So Princess Luna sent us over here to find her and return with her. Hand her over," the first voice snapped. There was a sound of shuffling paper, and then a grunt of annoyance.
"Wanted for questioning huh? That's a little vague for a warrant. And you think you'll just walk in here and we'll hand her over? Cute. What does Princess Celestia think about all of this?" Shining Armor growled.
Twilight had crept as quickly as she could to the door, and braced herself up against the wall. There were eight armored bat ponies standing in a smallish circle in the center of the room. Shining Armor stood on one side, and Luna's minion was on the other, obscured by a standing pillar, but still loud enough so that Twilight could tell she was standing there. Shining Armor was frowning, and glaring quietly at a piece of parchment under his hooves.
"Celestia is in Saddle Arabia dealin' with oil issues or somethin', so that means Luna's in charge, and Luna says she wants Twilight Sparkle. Now. I don't care if she's your sister or not, what Luna wants, Luna gets, capiche? Where is she?!" The voice snapped. Twilight frowned. Now she knew something was wrong. Celestia wasn't in Saddle Arabia. She'd just talked with her the other night! Celestia wouldn't just abandon her in a time of crisis for some sort of oil meeting.
Shining Armor read and re-read the warrant and sighed. He quickly glanced up, and for a brief, ghost of a second, he made eye contact with Twilight. There was no way he could have known she was there. She hadn't even talked to him since she arrived (on her to-do list for today) Twilight ducked back behind the door and held her breath, waiting for Shining Armor's response.
"Haven't seen her. You, honey?" Shining Armor asked someone out of view. The voice of Cadence picked up next.
"I haven't seen her. She arrived in town late last night, said something about the mines and then took off, I haven't seen her since. She probably went there," said a flippant voice. Twilight loved her family. So, so, so very much.
"Cute. Alright. Okay. Sure. We'll play your game. Thats fine. Just remember: what Princess Luna wants, Princess Luna gets. Personally, I wouldn't wanna be the pony gittin' in the way of that," the voice retorted. Twilight held her breath, wincing at the silence that filled the room. She didn't dare peek out around the corner. She had no idea where the Lunar guard was positioned. She couldn't take the risk to peek out, and didn't want to attract attention. She was snapped out of her thoughts by a sudden, very boisterous laugh from Cadence.
"You know, the Crystal Empire is somewhat short on funding. We've been gone for one thousand years. As a representative of Luna, I'm sure we can come to an agreement. After all, Luna gets what Luna wants, right? Come right this way, and we'll negotiate terms. I mean, really, how much is one unicorn worth? " Cadence cooed quietly. There was another shuffling sound. "I mean, you wouldn't want Princess Luna to know you had the chance to bargain for information on Twilight Sparkle, and you let it slip through your hooves, right?"
"Uh...W-Wait, what? I'm just here to find Twilight! I'm not, uh, I mean I ain't so good with numbers, and-"
"Surely Princess Luna trusts you to make massive financial decisions, I mean, you're her personal courier, right? It's up to you to accept messages and bargains on her behalf!!"
"W-Wait, no! I mean, yes, I am, but that's not what I'm here for. Uh, P-Princess Luna has advisors and accounts for that sort of thing, I just deliver the messages!" the voice plead. Twilight had to stuff her hooves into her mouth to keep from giggling.
"Oh, that's just because you're not used to crystal customs!! Oh, Shiny, I don't know why we haven't been treating Luna's esteemed guest the way we should! We'll fix that right now, come come, there are proper traditions and customs to be held!!" Cadence called in a sing-song tone that echoed through the room. There were more shuffling sounds and thick thumping hooves, along with the whine of a servant in way to deep over her head. The room was empty.
Twilight slipped out of the library and peered around. The library was adjacent to the throne room, and one of the giant, standing, crystal pillars acted at as her only cover. She was about to make a mad dash for the front doors when something wrapped around her head and wrapped something around her mouth to keep her from crying out.
Twilight had thought the hall was empty! She hadn't seen anyone when she ducked out of the library, but she managed to miss a guard standing right in the open. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid! She should have known better than to let panic drown out the voice and logic and reason. She should have waited until the hall was completely barren before trying to make an escape!
To her credit, the hall did seem empty. The Lunar Guard had been taken off somewhere else in the castle, and it most certainly looked like there wasn't anypony in the vicinity. And yet, now she struggled against strong arms that wrapped around her frame. In half a second, her mind had slipped into full-fledged panic mode. Problem: Captured! Possible solutions: Paralysis spell? Inadvisable. High probability of affecting self with misplaced shot in close quarters. Struggle? Inadvisable. Hold is unbreakable. Arms are...familiar. Irrelevant! Focus! Scream for help? Inadvisable. Most probable result: Captured by the Lunar Guard. Turn and fight? Inadvisable. Overpowered. Opponent is larger. Stronger. Faster, and smells...familiar... Focus Twilight! Bribe? Maybe. Probability of success: Negligible. Note to self: look into martial arts classes. Smells like...wait...big brother!?
"Fancy meeting you here, Twily." A voice said as strong arms spun her around and clutched her to a barrel of a chest. She relaxed immediately with a sigh of relief, pressing herself into Shining's forelegs.
"Shiny!! I'm so glad to see you!!" Twilight whispered as Shining Armor pulled the two of them around the corner, and deeper into the castle.
"Likewise! Whats goin' on?! Why are you wanted for questioning? Why is the Lunar Guard after you?!" Shining hissed, ducking down one hallway and peering down another. Empty. Perfect. Twilight followed quietly,
"Ok, short version? I'm mixed up in an insane cult of rapist Sombra worshipers, who apparently use machines to steal female ejaculate from unwilling sources. I don't know why but I think Luna is involved and trying to cover it up with the Lunar Guard, and she's using changelings to keep herself out of the public's eye. They're after the elements of harmony to use it to power some insane plan to resurrect Sombra. And, And I think they might have followed me here, and, and Cadence is acting weird, and I, I think, it's...Ugh, It's a really long story." She sighed in defeat and disgust. The whole thing made her feel slimy inside and she gave a quiet shudder. Shining Armor, for the most part, seemed quiet and stoic, nodding his head with a glazed look in his eyes. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, as if he were about to ask a question, and then grunted and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a hoof. He finally shook his head, and beckoned Twilight to follow behind him as he made his way through the castle. Eventually, she followed him into what looked like a large store room in the castle halls. He shut the door behind them and leaned up against the wall with a groan.
"Ok. Who hurt you? Just give me a name, a species, and a mane color, I'm gonna ram my horn into somepony's eye socket." The big brother pony grumbled. Twilight chuckled dryly and reached up to pat him on the shoulder.
"As sweet and simultaneously horrifying it is to hear that, we don't have time for revenge. Princess Luna may be going after my friends, so I've got to get to Celestia!" Twilight whimpered. Her brother chuckled quietly and trotted over to an empty adjacent wall. The little storage closet was covered in shelves and stored foodstuffs. He reached up to grab at an opened bag of carrots and pulled at one of them. He tugged at a carrot that was ever so slightly apart from the others and pulled it from left to right. To her amazement, the quiet sound of turning gears filled the room, and the shelf to her left opened up to reveal a hidden door. Shining Armor squealed in glee.
"I've always wanted to use this!" He squeaked, beaming brightly like a colt with a new toy. She smiled warmly at her dorky brother and peered into the newly opened room. It was a long staircase that traveled down to a forked hallway.
"Classy! Where does this lead?" She asked, gazing into the dark revealed staircase in front of her. Shining Armor stepped in next to her, and pointed down the stairs.
"Under the castle and out. Follow the path down until you reach the fork. The left will take you out near the train yards. The right will put you out near the border to the far north. You'll end up in the crystal mines if you go far enough that way. We'll stall the Lunar Guard up here as long as we can, But Twilight...You know going to Canterlot to find Celestia...well, you don't have to be captain of the guard to see you're walking into a trap." He winced. Twilight gave him a relaxed smile and playfully punched his arm.
"I know. By the time I reach Canterlot, it will be night, but that's exactly what I'm counting on. They'll never expect for me to move during the time of her domain. The guard will be strong, but not quite as tight. They'll be spread out looking for us. All I have to do is get to Canterlot Castle and get to Celestia. I'm putting together a theory and a lot of my plans hinge on information only at the castle. If I get caught...well... the guards can't ALL have been corrupted. They'll hold me until I can speak with Celestia. We'll call that my "Fall Back" plan. My Fall Back-Fall Back" plan If anything goes wrong, is my big brother best friend forever heh." She chuckled nervously. Shining Armor threw out his barrel of a chest and nodded his head.
"Darn tootin'! Look, give me twenty-four hours, and I'll take the crystal guard to Ponyville. None of us will be changelings. Hoof picked soldiers you can trust to help sort this thing out." Shining exclaimed. Twilight winced and quietly shook her head.
"Thaaaaaaaaaat might qualify as an act of war. Besides, if Luna is really that far gone It might turn ugly. The Crystal Empire is just getting stable again. We can't throw it into a sex scandal! Luna could even be planning some sort of war on the kingdom itself, and that would play right into her hooves. I don't think we should involve the Crystal Guard until absolutely necessary. On that note, er about Cadance..." Twilight explained and bit at her lower lip.
"She's a changeling? We know. It showed up at the same time you did. I've been doing guard sweeps, and trying to pinpoint exactly who it is, but it keeps evading me. After the 'Battle at Canterlot', we've beefed up security around here. I'm sorry I'm only getting to talk to you about it now, but we've been kinda busy trying to figure out if another invasion is taking place." He said with a gloomy sigh. Twilight reached out and rested an arm against his shoulder and flashed him a gentle smile before her ears perked at his last comment and she gave a quiet giggle.
"I knew it! IknewitIknewitIknewit! She put me to sleep last night. She made me dream about ...well it doesn't matter. It's dream manipulation magic! Luna's craft! I studied up on it in Canterlot before the 'Nightmare Moon Incident.' I borrowed so many books about it! Now I'm sure I was dreaming! They can't collect from me, but they still want to blur the lines between dreams and reality! Another psychological assault! Wait...how do you know the difference between her and the changeling?" Twilight asked puzzled. Shining Armor blushed furiously and rubbed the back of his head.
"Ah...heh...Ca-Cadence got really really mad when I couldn't tell the difference between her and Chrysalis, so, we uh...worked out a....system." He stammered, chewing up each of his words as they tumbled from his mouth. Twilight wanted to press for more information! Anything to help keep her safe from the sneaky creatures that seemed to surround her. But the way Shining Armor was blushing, gave her pause. Still, the idea that two lovers would have a special way of acknowledging each other was very sweet. Anything for the one you love. It reminded her of a little bit of the story Princess Luna had told her the other night.
For some reason, that stuck out in her mind. She'd glanced over it before hoof, but now there was something different about it. A different point of view. For a second, she wondered what the Princess in Luna's story would have given up to be with Sombra. Who was the princess? A question she'd never asked, but seemed all too clear now.
Luna.
Luna was behind the whole thing. Everything she'd told them in the story came back to her in wild bursts of memory. Memory over-flowing overtop memory! One after another after another! One stuck out the most though.
The way to bring him back: “There is a spell...forbidden...and horrid. It is never to be spoken, or learned or even written down. But it exists in the old texts. A life, for a life...and it would require an incredible source of magical energy,”
Of course the Lunar guard were after them, it was the only way to collect the Elements of Harmony! Luna would ponynap all of them and force them to use the elements to bring Sombra back to life. The pony she was so mad about when Rainbow Dash brought up the fact they had slain him. The pony that still held her heart. It all made sense now. Luna and Sombra! Two sides of the same coin!! She shuddered at the horrifying concept of Nightmare moon and Sombra's forces combined. Sombra had given up everything in his blind attempt to win over Princess Luna. He sought to become king and an alicorn of immense power. Perhaps Luna loved him still. Perhaps Luna loved him enough to attempt his resurrection. Love was a two-way street, after all. Love knew no boarders or bounderies. Could a love like Luna and Sombra's be as powerful as Shining's and Cadance? Could love really find a way to reunite them? What was the true strength of this love? How far was Luna willing to go? It all made sense, except for one thing...How did the rape machines fit in? Why steal thier juices? Shining Armor canted his head towards her, and snapped her free of her thoughts. What had they been talking about...?
"Trust me, I can tell the difference. The Cadence I left with the Lunar guard was the 'Real Cadence,' but since I've been gone, I'll have to scan them all over again. I'll use it as a cover to put the castle on lock down, and keep the Lunar Guard busy, They won't be able to chase you until it's lifted. Now listen up! This is a secret passed through royal families. You're in an elite club, lil sis! Under the train yards in the tunnels, you'll find a large red chalk outline. It blends in with the rust down there and the ruby crystals, but it's visible if you look for it. On the third horn of the train departing from the station, stand in that chalk outline, and teleport yourself up twenty feet. With perfect timing you'll end up in one of the rear cars." He explained, poking his head out of the door frame to scan the hallways. Coast was still clear... When he glanced back at her, she had the biggest ear to ear grin across her muzzle he'd ever seen. Like the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. He couldn't help but to smile in return and he squeezed his arms around her with a bone crushing hug.
"Why do we always gotta meet up when one of us is in trouble, huh?" He chuckled. She grinned and rolled her eyes, starting to trot down the stairs.
"It's your turn, by the way! I'll be saving you from ghosts, or zombies or mutants or something! Just you wait!" She called back as her trot turned into a gallop.
"You WISH you'd be able to save me from zomponies! I've spent large parts of my life preparing for a Zompony Apocalypse!" He screamed. She was just about out of audible range, dashing down the tunnel the way she was, but Shining Armor was absolutely positive he heard her. The giggling chime of his sister's voice in the distance. It was only one word, but it made him chuckle fondly.
"NEEEEEEEEEEERD!"
He grinned to himself. Siblings. As nice as it was to see his little sister, now he had a great deal of work to do and putting together an undercover anti-changeling mission had jumped to the top of the list.
Twilight has a bad dream, Comforted by Cadence who turns out to be a changeling. She was sent to keep an eye on Twilight, but they don't -need- her anymore. Its codename is 'Bug' (The changeling from the first series) and it is following Twilight around, screwing with her on behest of Moon Dancer. We'll get to her in a bit.
Meanwhile, the Circle of Sorrow is actually defunct and destroyed. Moon Dancer is the librarian in Canterlot Castle, now, and she's running the show and pulling the strings under Celestia's nose. She's as clever as Twilight and is harvesting the elements of Harmony to clone them. She requires the power of the Elements of Harmony, but can't force the bearers to use them. She plans to clone them, and one of the components for the spell is the girl's 'awesome sauce' Unfortunately, the cloning spell isn't perfected. Moon Dancer needs lots of components to get it right.
She wants the power of resurrection to restore her father, an archeologist who died in an accident at a dig site while climbing the Crystal Mountains. She has the spell, but needs a power source. She decides she needs Sombra to help recover her father's body and bring him back. Moon Dancer completely lost it to grief and is willing to follow the instructions she has to resurrect Sombra. From Canterlot, she can keep an eye on Ponyville, has access to spells of all shapes and sizes, and knows Twilight forward and back. She spends her time in Twilight's room at Canterlot Library. She hired changelings to throw ponys off her trail and help her kidnap the elements of harmony. She uses Twilight's juices to clone her and hopefully help kidnap the rest of the six. With the juices taken from Twilight, She finally clones the purple mage and has complete control over her.
Meanwhile, Luna has discovered something is up. She sends her servants to find Twilight and tell her to 'stay put' In the empire, where she knows Twilight will be safe. Twilight doesn't believe Luna is on her side, and flees the Empire and heads to Canterlot, where guards are on watch for her. Luna is trying desperately to keep Twilight safe. She knows the Circle of Sorrow is active again, and they're after Twilight for some reason but she doesn't know why. It is safer for Twilight to be under her watch and guard.
Twilight flees the guards and everyone she knows and goes into hiding. She tries to get a message to Dashie, but Dashie is busy keeping tabs on everypony and has been run ragged trying to keep a watch on the town at night. Twilight is captured by the lunar guard.
Moon Dancer sends the Clone to Ponyville to help the kidnappings along. She needs the other 4. She went after Twilight first- the strongest of the 6 and weakened her with sexuality, and confusion and paranoia. Dashie suspects the clone might be a changeling, but surprise, surprise, they scan her and discover she is not in fact, a changeling. >=3
They trust her, of course, and Twilight leads them into various traps. Dashie and AJ manage to escape. Zecora flees into the mountains after Clone appears and attacks her. The others are captured.
Applejack becomes priority one- the last sample they need. Clone tries to trick her, but AJ deduces the clone isn't the real deal and flees with Dashie. Moon Dancer is furious, and decides to go after Apple Bloom and succeed in catching her as bait for AJ.
Applejack won't stand for her kin to be hurt, and submits to Moon Dancer's Demands. They hold Applebloom and Spike hostage.
Meanwhile, Twilight has been captured by Luna, who is trying to explain how deep this shit goes, and that she's actually trying to HELP Twilight. The circle will stop at nothing to get what they want, and if they want Twilight, it's best not to let them have her. Now understanding why she's prisoner, Twilight doesn't -care- and figures out a way to escape anyway. She goes to Ponyville and can't find her friends. She runs into the clone in the library, and they face off. Clone Twilight wins and drags Twilight back to Canterlot. With all of the elements of harmony captured, Moon Dancer starts the ritual to bring him back, killing Clone Twilight. A life for a life.
Moon Dancer succeeds in restoring Sombra to life, who is now a terrible pervert. All the forced collections have tainted the components of the spell. Moon Dancer doesn't understand what she did wrong, but it doesn't matter. She asks Sombra to resurrect her father, And Sombra promises he will after fucking Moon Dancer, who is taken by him willingly. Obsessed with the idea of restoring her father, Moon Dancer allies herself with Sombra.
Applebloom is placed in one of the machines to 'keep her quiet' but she manages to escape, and frees the rest of the mane six; they unite to hit Sombra with the Rainbow Beam, stopping him before he can regain too much power. Luna arrives to see her boyfriend slain yet again and reluctantly offers Twilight a bid of thanks, and leaves without a word. Twilight is cleared of all charges, of course, and tries to relax at home. Rainbow Dash comes over and asks if they can still be... Something. And Twilight invites her in for dinner. Later on, Twilight asks her if Rainbow wants to work on a project with her: She's found interesting blueprints for a machine...
Bug returns to Chrysalis and explains the situation. Moon Dancer failed, and Chrysalis is disappointed, but has 'new' ideas after what Moon Dancer has done. She begins to plan for a new assault...
