//------------------------------// // CHAPTER EIGHT: Disaster // Story: Bookends Part 4: Or Day Of Atonement // by Stormbringer //------------------------------// The train pulled into the station and an announcement was made that this was the end of the line. All passengers had to disembark now. Even if returning north, they had to wait off the train so it could go to the turntable to point the locomotive in the right direction. Twilight, Cheerilee, Rarity, AJ, Pinkie and Rainbow went into the station to have a quick meal. After eating, Rarity said she needed to go to the restroom. Applejack got up and went with her. It didn’t take long for them to return. As they approached, a group of ponies rushed them, trying to subdue them. “Pinkie!” said Twilight, “with me!” Rainbow went to leap up as well, but Cheerilee grabbed her hoof. “They can handle it,” said Cheerilee, “think of your baby!” Rainbow knew Cheerilee was right, if they needed help, they were right there. Twilight started to blast the strange ponies with her magic. The strangers started to flee. “AJ, Rarity, are you alright?” asked Twilight. “Yes,” said Applejack, “just shaken up a bit.” “I’d say more than just a bit Darling,” said Rarity. They turned to go back to the table and notice that nopony was there. “Cheeri?” said Twilight looking around but not seeing her wife. “CHEERI!” screamed Twilight as she ran to the last place her wife was waiting. “Twilight wait!” called out Pinkie. Twilight looked back, Pinkie was not with Applejack or Rarity. She was trying to hold off two Changelings. Twilight looked back at the empty table and then back to Pinkie. Tears poured from her eyes as she went on the attack. Bolts of purple struck out at the Changelings. They dodged and then both tackled Pinkie. There was a green flash and now on the floor were three Pinkie Pies! Twilight paused. “Don’t wait,” said one of the Pinkies, “kill us all!” There were two extremely bright bolts of purple fly from Twilight’s horn. Two of the Pinkies lay motionless. The other Pinkie stood up. “Is that you?” asked Twilight. “You can’t trust that I am.” “Nor I,” said Twilight. “Did you kill them?” asked Pinkie? “No,” said Twilight, “I couldn’t bring myself to do that. What if I’d chosen wrong?” The two ponies hugged and cried hard. The train station was deserted “What do we do?” asked Twilight. “Is there any other pony around?” asked Pinkie. Twilight couldn’t see anypony. Shook her head to show that there wasn’t. “Keep an eye out,” said Pinkie who, in a flash, turned to Phantasm. There was a green glow from her horn and eyes, a green aura shown around the fallen Changelings. Then it was gone. Another flash and Pinkie was there. “Did you?” “No, Twilight,” said Pinkie. “I couldn’t either.” “Let’s hide these,” said Twilight. “Perhaps it’ll give us a little edge.” Pinkie nodded and they dragged the comatose Changelings into the bathroom and closed them is a stall. Coming back into the train station lobby. They saw ponies starting to return. Twilight noticed that in spite of their friends being taken, their saddlebags were still at their table. Twilight found hers and looked into it. The Elements of Harmony were still there. Pinkie took the rest of the bags to the station master. She asked if they could store the rest of the bags there for a few days. ‘For when they came back for the return trip,’ Pinkie told him so there wasn’t any suspicions. Outside the station, Twilight and Pinkie looked around them. There were no other ponies hanging around. No ponies in the air, overhead either. “Now what,” said Pinkie. “We go on,” said Twilight. “It has to be where they’ve taken our friends and wives. And we all knew going into this, there could be losses. We do our jobs and deal with the loss at the end” Pinkie nodded and the two started down an old, in disrepair road to the south. In Canterlot… “Mommy!” yelled Celestia and Luna Sparkle together. They were eating breakfast with their aunts in the castle dining room. The princesses felt it too. “What’sgoingon?” asked Zap. “They’ve got our moms!” said Celestia Sparkle. “They ain’t got momma T,” said Little Luna. The princesses looked at each other. “Let’s get the children to safety,” said Luna, “I fear the worst is about to happen.” Celestia nodded. “Come on children,” said Princess Celestia, “we need to get you back to safety." “ButIain’tfinishedmycereal,” said Zap. “There’s fruit in the rooms along with some other veggies.” Said Princess Luna. “We have to go now!” said Princess Celestia. The princesses herded the children to the throne room. As they approached the throne room doors, the guard snapped to attention, but did not move aside. “I’m afraid you can’t go in there,” said a guard. “Changey-lings!” said little Luna. “Stand close,” shouted Princess Celestia. There was a golden glow in the form of a shield and expanded outward. It knocked the guards down. Then another golden glow and the five of them vanished. On the southbound road in southern Equestria… Twilight paused, her face looked pained. “Twilight,” asked Pinkie. “The children are under attack!” said Twilight as she took off at a gallop continuing south. Later, in The Hive… Trixie was starting to become concerned. She didn’t know how long she’d been locked away in the dark. It could’ve been days, it could’ve been weeks. She was able to get her horn to glow enough to cast a little light, but nothing else she could determine. The door to her cell burst open and four ponies were pushed in. Trixie stopped the glow and huddled in her corner and put the blanket over herself. “Keep your filthy hooves off me!” shouted a pony that looked and sounded like Rainbow. “Rainbow!” said a Cheerilee looking pony, “don’t give them any reason to do anything rash.” With that the door closed and locked. “Now what do we do Darlings,” said a Rarity voice. “I wish I knew,” said an Applejack sound alike. “Stay together, for now,” said the Cheerilee sounding pony. “No telling what might be in here with us.” “Who’s there,” asked a voice that sounded like Trixie. “Trixie?” said the Cheerilee. “Where are you.” “Don’t worry about that.” Said the Trixie voice, “how can I trust that you aren’t another Changeling trick. The first one didn’t work.” There was a joy in the hearts of the new comers at this. “You know you can’t,” said AJ. “How do we know that we can trust you Darling,” said Rarity. “You can’t,” said Trixie as she pulled the blanket off of herself and her horn glowed. “Trixie!” the newcomers shouted. They all rushed together and embraced. Trixie cried hard. “I’ve been so afraid,” said Trixie. “The dark and isolation was worse than them trying to trick me with a fake Pinkie.” “So they tried to trick you?” asked Rainbow. “Yes,” said Trixie. “But I was able to tell it wasn’t Pinkie.” “And you fed them information that allowed us to get as far as we did,” said Cheerilee. “Twilight was right about you.” “Speaking of Twilight,” said Trixie, “did Pinkie and Twilight get caught too?” “Not that we could tell, Darling,” said Rarity. “Well then there’s still hope.” Said Trixie, “Pinkie and Twilight will get through.” It was a bit later when Cheerilee felt it, just at the same time Twilight did. “No!” called out Cheerilee. “What?” asked AJ. “Rainbow!” said Cheerilee, “our children are under attack!” At that moment, the door opened and there stood Queen Chrysalis. “Why yes they are,” said the queen. “Chrysalis!” the group exclaimed. “That’s Queen Chrysalis to you Mono-Ponies.” “I didn’t vote fer ya,” said AJ. “Queens aren’t elected fool!” said the queen. Then realizing she was being baited, “you try to be funny. That shows spunk.” “Thank ya,” said AJ. “I HATE spunk,” said the queen, “don’t make me kill all of you… Yet. I want Twilight to watch, but if I have to, I could describe it for her.” “Good luck with that one.” Said Cheerilee. “I wouldn’t hold out too much hope,” said the queen. She turned and went out the door. It slammed and locked. “Darling,” said Rarity to AJ, “were you trying to get us all killed.” “No,” said AJ, “I just wanted to get her to tell us if they had Pinkie and Twilight. From what she said, they ain’t got ‘em yet.” “Thanks Applejack,” said Trixie, giving the Earth Pony a hug. “That makes me feel better.” “As it does me” said Cheerilee. Canterlot… The princesses and the foals appeared in a darkened room. Luna laughed a small laugh. “You have a sick sense of humor, Tia,” said Luna. “Where are we aunt Celestia?” asked Luna Sparkle. “This children, is probably the last place they’d think to look for us.” Said Celestia with a smile. There was a glow from the princess’ horn and torches on the wall lit. The walls had chains hanging from them. There were strange looking tables and iron items spread about. Even a large wheel with chains hanging off them as well. “Thisisascaryplace,” said Zap. “Yes it is,” said Princess Luna, “it is a leftover from days when ponies were less civilized, and prisoners were not treated as ponies.” “It’s a torture chamber!” exclaimed little Luna, “I read about them.” “You are your mother’s daughter,” said Princess Celestia, patting the filly on the head. In spite of the situation, little Luna smiled at this. “I’mstillhungrey,’ said Zap. Luna’s horn glowed and a basket of apples appeared. The Changeling Kingdom Boarder… The land around them was becoming desolate. The grass was gone and nothing but the occasional bramble bushes dotted the land. Pinkie and Twilight paused and took in the sight. “Nothing has changed,” said Pinkie. “Depressing,” said Twilight. “It’s how you look at it,” said Pinkie, “don’t laugh, but it speaks to me of home.” Twilight put a hoof to Pinkie’s withers. “I understand,” said Twilight. Pinkie wiped a tear away and smiled at her friend. “We better keep moving,” said Pinkie. They walked along quiet and cautious, they knew every step was taking them closer to danger. Just ahead, they saw a Changeling patrol. The two dashed behind some bushes. “Now what?” said Twilight. “I’ve an idea,” said Pinkie. “But you’re not going to like it. But I guarantee we will get where we want to be…” Twenty Minutes Later… Twilight and Pinkie were being escorted to The Hive with Changelings all around them. “This was your idea?” said Twilight quietly, “surrender?” “We’re on our way to The Hive, aren’t we?” answered Pinkie. “SILENCE!” commanded a Changeling guard.