Moon Dancer’s horn flickers. The cloud of darkness fades away.
But the light does not shine in its place.
Her legs refuse to move, though she is not asking for it.
Her head remains still, though she is not demanding it to do so.
Is that what she wants? Is this what she is supposed to want?
Are these her thoughts, or is it all fabricated?
How does one simply react to her current situation?
The guard snaps her out of her philosophical musings.
“You are going to step out of the vault. And don’t get any ideas with your magical hocus-pocus. The moment I see a spark from your horn is the moment you’ll regret waking up this morning.”
He prods Moon Dancer with his spear - lightly so as to not injure but to shock the mare in taking a few steps forwards. That is, towards a metallic door inscribed with the Princesses’ symbols. Towards the outside, where a dozen guards will be more than willing to arrest her. Where Celestia and Luna will surely be waiting, ready to punish her severely for the crime she has committed.
What are the consequences for such a trespassing - accidental or otherwise? Nopony had ever broken into the vault and lived to be dealt a sentence. Moon Dancer couldn’t decide which is worse, knowing she will be reprimanded for a crime she did not wilfully commit or that her fate is now precariously left in the mercy of two alicorns.
She breathes in short bursts as the gravity of the situation finally sinks in through dissipating layers of adrenaline. Her eyes widen, her heart constricts and her hooves stumble across the marbled floor as Moon Dancer judges on what awaits her the moment she steps out of the vault.
The guard pays no attention to her however; his helmet fixated on the door, shadowing his narrowed eyes as he determines how somepony had managed to bypass through the sheer number of magical defenses and fortifications. Most of which had been created by the Royal Princesses themselves.
“I don’t know how you got here, or what dark magic you used to bypass the lethal defenses, but I’m sure the princesses will be more than happy to ask you personally.”
He gazes at the trespasser, noticing her quiet demeanour - though her the slight trembling of her body seems to suggest otherwise. Giving it no further thought, he switches his attention to the looming door ahead.
The guard runs through the specific sequence to unlock the magical combination in his mind. To most ponies, alicorn magic is necessary to traverse through the vault door. In fact, that assumption is not technically wrong.
Technically.
A few key ponies - and while he may not be in a full suit of shining armor, he is respectable enough himself to earn the knowledge - know of the true mechanisms behind Celestia’s seal. Quite ingenious for the ponies as well, for the lock has a contingency to fall on in case of a sudden absence of an alicorn to dismantle it.
Though in the time he has been a royal guard, he had learned to improvise his methods.
The horn, the feather and the hoof - to which he answers: the beak, the feather and the talon.
What am I doing?
Moon Dancer runs this single thought through her mind, again and again, repeating in a cycle without a limit on its end. As if somepony has shoved her into a Mandeltrot set-based maze to find a way out.
What are you doing?
Her horn sparks.
But no matter which how she tries, the logic which had served its mistress for so many years is losing the battle against the fear and dread - crawling through the cobweb-laden corridors of her mind with nothing but flickering lights giving off a false impression of hope. She attempts to get her hooves steady on the ground, but somehow the whispers in her mind urge her anxiousness to wash over her. To drown her in dread and fear. Trapped within her own mind.
Own mind?
Moon Dancer splutters, shaking her head, trying to rid herself of the voice in her mind, ignoring the guard fiddling with the metallic door.
Out! Out, damned voice! Out, I say! Once, twice; why is now the time to present yourself? I charge at your presence yet you haunt me still. To what peril do you stay? Why do you not leave me alone?
...
Alright, Moon Dancer, what am I doing arguing with myself? The first step to madness most ponies say, despite the studies against such misconceptions. And yet I still keep doing it, thinking about it. Where is the logic and rationality - I need to get out of here -
But what is this… spirit that curses me? I see clearly the world surrounding me, yet a dim fog slumbers over my eyes deep within the far reaches of my mind-
What hell-borne monstrous being has possessed me for me to start monologuing my thoughts?
...
It’s me, obviously.
Her horn glows brighter.
A click - and then an aha! - wrenches her head forward; something, anything to distract her. The guard steps back, a grin fixing itself on a grim face.
The vault door open swings open in a shimmer of magic, the patterns etched on its surface swirling in multitudes of colours.
“Door’s open. Now, if you’ll just step outside...”
Well, we cannot let that happen now, can we?
Moon Dancer freezes. She screams at every muscle within her body to move, to run, to get away. But they refuse. Of shock... or something else entirely.
The guard frowns, repeating himself, “That wasn’t a request; move, pony.”
Faced with a frozen popsicle from the criminal, the guard prods her with his spear again. It doesn’t faze her, aside from her face scrunching up in pain.
Her horn splutters and crackles with magic.
He narrows his eyes.
“What on Tartarus is wrong with you? I said, move!”
Yet again, the mare’s body remains stubbornly still, though sweat drips off her forehead.
The guard growls, twirling the spear as he takes a few steps across the marble, past her line of vision.
What is he doing? Where is he? What am I doing? Oh sweet Celestia, I need to get out of here. Yes, out of this madhouse. Out of this scene. Away from this cursed, wicked place of desolate despair. Out, out, out!
Her vision dims and flickers, breathing laboured, hooves slipping on the floor. She closes her eyes, away with the outside world. A headache pounds her mind, threatening to burst in a torrent of magic.
Calm, Moon Dancer, there’s anoth-
The guard raps her flank with the shaft end of the spear.
And the room envelopes in a burning light once again.
Explosions cannot be said to be exciting when one is caught within the blast. Sunset attests to this fact; all she feels is pain spreading through her body in ebbs and flows, pulsing through her veins, building to excruciating crescendos, and then dropping off in sharp staccatos.
Sunset curls into the foetal position, drowning out the blossoming orchestra of pain in her mind. She dares not open her eyes despite the shouts and screams adding to the cacophonous symphony of agony at its pure unadulterated core.
Something hits her on the side of her head.
“Get up.”
Sunset opens her eye to the sight of a rolled up newspaper swinging in a gold aura. She shifts her gaze past to see hooves of aquamarine. Turning her head upwards, Sunset finds a unicorn mare; a green unicorn mare. Mane to tail, with the exception of a few white highlights here and there, the unicorn is completely dressed in sea green.
“Hang on, I think you are still suffering from shock. Give me a moment.”
Still mystified by the sheer green in front of her, Sunset can only lay there as the pony tilts her head in concentration. Her horn lights up in shifting auras, from the gold surrounding the newspaper to orange and then cyan.
Twilight would find that interesting.
The magic fills Sunset’s vision as the noises of the world tune out to a fine whir. It feels warm, comforting, healing. Her eyelids droop for a moment.
But then it disappears. And the world rushes back to greet her in a thunderous crash.
Sunset groans, pulling herself up off the smoky, cracked marble floor. The mare peers at her. With so many questions raising their placards within her mind, Sunset simply asks, “Are there other ponies hurt?”
The unicorn cocks her head.
“No, nopony is hurt except for you. Unless you count that griffon who happened to be only a few feet away from the blast. Don’t worry, he’s only suffering from ruptured lungs, severe internal bleeding, loss of a few limbs here and there-”
She looks out of the shattered windows to snatch some more symptoms from the skies above.
“‘-cardiac arrest, third-degree burns, fractured skull…”
Sunset slowly lets her jaw drop as the pony continues listing out illnesses.
“...systemic air embolism, pulmonary contusion, hypovolemia-”
Sunset’s eyes widen in disbelief as if she has just been condemned to a thousand hours of remedial friendship lessons.
“-oh, and I’ve almost forgot! He’s deaf now as well!”
Sunset draws herself steady, arching her back, rotating her head, stretching her legs out. She grunts as the clicks, ticks, clocks and tocks of her joints cracking into their places resonate in a smooth harmonious conclusion.
“Nah, I’m just pulling your leg with that one. Don’t worry, I used a handy spell to teleport him out of the way of the blast, so he’ll be fine provided he doesn’t end up stuck inside a potted plant. Now that would be quite the shameful way to die.”
She stares at the unicorn, and the unicorn stares back at her.
She blinks, and the unicorn keeps staring at her.
“Listen, I have honestly no clue who you are, what is going on, or why there aren’t any guards around whatsoever to deal with the… explosion?”
The wall dividing the room and the hallway is non-existent; Sunset could see rubble and shards littered haphazardly on the scorched rugs outside.
Hallway. Outside.
A question raises itself in her mind.
Where am I?
She is in the castle - no doubt about that. Yet attempting to be more specific than that and Sunset’s a lost cause.
Gain bearings. Find Twilight. Get help.
The green mare interrupts her before she can act on the predicament.
“I know, right? Moon Dancer really blew that one out of the park!”
Ignoring her, Sunset trots towards the shattered windows. The sun continues its path towards the horizon, spilling streaks of red and yellow and orange throughout the sky. A hint of a smile appears on her face as Sunset languishes within the warmth of her…
Her smile wavers.
...the solar princess.
Sunset brings her hoof up to read the time on her watch. She puts it down however, noticing that the mirror hadn’t brought it along with her.
So instead, she turns around to see the green mare walking through a doorframe amid the rubble. An intact doorframe, she might add, standing in solitude when its walled brethren had crumbled under the blast. The newspaper follows behind, the aura surrounding it still shifting between an assortment of colours.
“Well- hey! Where are you going?”
The unicorn doesn’t respond. Rather, she jogs across the hallway to another room. Another room, which appears to be free of any debris. Indeed, were it not for the singed carpet with a thin layer of dust on the floor, Sunset would have been befuddled to see such a dramatic contrast into pristine conditions.
Sunset follows after her.
Passing across the hallway, she glances at coloured windows lined on either side. Sunset pauses in her tracks. Despite the carnage around her, they are still standing, still shining with nary a scratch on them.
Sunset warily looks over at the mare, making sure she doesn’t wander too far away. Fortunately, the unicorn appears to be inspecting a pedestal, intently. Sunset turns back and walks down the hallway.
Each stained glass panel is, in fact, an artwork. Some she recognises - Last Day of Discord, Luna’s Banishment, Defeat of Tirek - and some she doesn’t. But with this fact Sunset surmises her whereabouts - in the Hallway of Memories. Though, that would place the explosion…
Her eyes widen.
Sunset gallops towards the green mare. Still observing the pedestals- no, wait; handling something on top. She tries to make out the sparkling object.
Sunset notices the inscriptions on the plinths - symbols of the sun, the moon and the stars. Raising her head, she identifies three crown. The Princesses’ crowns. Twilight's element.
Being stolen.
“What on Equestria do you think you’re doing!” Sunset’s horn glows.
“Just making sure these beauties are-”
The unicorn turns around and faces an oncoming beam of magic. Frowning, she teleports out of the way. The spell misses the crowns by a hair’s breadth.
Another blast of light aims for her. Though this time she brings up her newspaper, unfolded. The energy strikes violently, but the paper doesn’t react. She yawns as the magic dissipates in the air after contact.
Sunset leaps over the rubble into the vault room. Despite hearing shouts and screams around her, there are no guards galloping in to control the situation.
Where are they?
The question answers for itself as a deafening rumble rocks the castle. Sunset stares at the green mare, who had returned to the central raised platform. She grits her teeth.
Up to me.
The last few rays of sunlight stream through broken windows. Sunset narrows her eyes. She tugs at the light, willing it to bend around her magic. It complies and the energy burns through her veins, adding to her strength as she fires off another set of spells.
The mare brings up the newspaper once again. Sunset’s magic incinerates it. She curses, bringing up another weapon to attack-
A lyre. Sunset stops in the midst of blasting the pony senseless, dumbstruck at the sight of a musical instrument produced from thin air.
“Who are you?”
The unicorn ponders the question, lowering the lyre behind her.
“Oh, It’s L- hmm...”
She caresses her chin philosophically.
“What is my name indeed! Well, what would you suggest, Sunset?”
A question to which Sunset replies with a blank stare.
“Aryl? Too obvious. Lina? Too weird. Beatrice? No, that’s just plain disgusting.”
She looks to the stars above, painted in the ceiling.
“Minty… minty... yes, that is the name.”
Sunset blinks, and the mare looks down upon her.
“My name is Minty! Now, could you stop with your spellcasting for a moment so I can explain myself?”
Seeing a slack-jawed expression, she continues.
“Alright. This here is the element of Magic.” Minty holds up the respective object.
“Firstly, it’s not supposed to be here. Secondly, Moon Dancer tried to take it. Thirdly, I saved your life back there. Any questions?”
Sunset shakes her head, taking a few steps closer to the mare.
“Within the next minute or so, I need to try and find Moon Dancer, and make sure she doesn’t blow up like half the castle or something. Though, I suggest you do the same too.”
Her horn lights up in a gold aura, along with the element.
“You know what? Here’s a word of warning: take care of yourself. There are others in this world who are watching your every move, calculating your every step. If I were you, I wouldn’t be so brash and reckless."
Sunset notices a flicker and immediately leaps towards her. She tackles Minty by the shoulder, disrupting the connection to the crown, breaking the aura surrounding it.
Minty disappears in a flash of light. The element stays behind.
She had stopped the mare in stealing the crown.
At the price of being teleported along with her.
Moon Dancer reappears behind a potted plant.
Though nauseated, she attempts to orientate herself.
Her groggy eyes prove counterproductive to the task. The world around her is a blur of colours. A headache hammers away at the side of her head.
She groans.
A half-stringed process establishes itself in her mind.
Op-operation... Restart lower - no - higher thoughting, thinking processes.
In-inititiatate backup logic values/fields.
...
Logic reestablished.
Open eyes.
No, don’t do that. Close eyes. Sensory overload.
Determine functionality of magic.
Perform summoning spell. Set position at a metre above the head.
Ouch.
Apples successfully summoned.
Potential for arcanics to kickstart a cold engine?
Research thaumic knowledge. Yes, it is possible.
Perform spell in 3...2...1…
Ouch.
Experiment with visual field.
It’s bearable, to say the least.
Results indicate some viability.
Go again?
3...2...1…
Ouch.
Attempt motor control.
Good news: Limbs are responsive, no broken bones.
Caveat: Acting like a drunken pony.
Oh well.
Moon Dancer looks around the… corridor?
Marbled floors, glass windows. She is still in the Canterlot Castle.
Moon Dancer shuffles towards a window. The sun isn’t visible here, and the streaks of orange, red and yellow start to fade further out in the sky.
She wanders down the corridor, occasionally tripping over her own hooves. While in a past life she would have confidently described her exact location, current revelations have shattered her knowledge of the castle layout.
The nightly breeze kicks up - earlier than expected - and Moon Dancer shivers as it flows through open windows. Definitely not prepared for that; she had left her woollen coat at home. Her jumper, while sufficing for normal day-to-day use, just doesn’t cut it right now.
Before she can amend the temperature discrepancy, the sound of cantering hooves reach her ears.
Moon Dancer frowns.
A group of armored ponies gallop around the corner, rushing past her in blurs of steel. A pegasus guard however, stops in front of her.
“Ma’am, this is an extremely dangerous area. You should evacuate the castle right now. We have unstable criminals on the loose, and civilians should not be caught in the crossfire if it comes down to such.”
Moon Dancer replies, “I’m sorry? Who are these criminals?”
“Why, one of them caused the explosion at the side of the castle.”- he lifts a feather to the window -” You see the carnage out there? This group has the power to cause damage like that, and then they use it as a distraction.”
Moon Dancer looks away, breathing faster, tapping her hoof on the floor. A scream reaches her ear. Followed by a deafening rumble. She looks back down the hallway, and then raises her head. The pegasus grimaces.
“It looks like another has activated a trap card of his. Damn that bat to Tartarus.”
Moon Dancer faces him, curiosity overtaking her turbulent emotions.
“Bat?”
“Yes, a couple of our scouts reported sightings of a thestral hanging out near the Royal Vault. Listen, you need to get out of here. It’s just not safe with these dangerous ponies around. You know your way out right?” She nods.
“Alright, I’d escort you outside myself, but the guards are stretched thin as it is. Just, take care of yourself.” He flies off.
Moon Dancer breathes slowly. Now that things are calm and controlled, she can finally go home.
Dammit, she can’t go home. The stallion is still somewhere out there. Maybe the farmer has found him already. Maybe not.
If he is inside the castle, who else can find him except for Moon Dancer herself?
Sure, the guards, incompetent as they are, can do a wonderful job of rescuing ponies. Let’s just pray to Celestia that they don’t mistake him for a violent criminal then.
She continues down the hallway.
Moon Dancer slows her pace as she approaches the corner. She stops, testing the air for vibrations - a subtle magical technique to identify motion. Satisfied with nothing being out of the ordinary, she juts her head out.
A dark thestral’s bright eyes greet her with enthusiasm. An unnatural smile presents on its face; fangs glinting in the last dregs of light flowing from the windows outside.
“Boo!”