Episode 64: Familiar Faces in Unexpected Places
Her new body felt as comfortable and natural to her as her original siren form, despite its smaller, more humanoid appearance. For the first time since being banished from Equestria Adagio had a profoundly potent sense of control and power that quite frankly even dwarfed the height of magic siphoning she and her sisters had achieved as sirens back in their homeworld. She felt like with every step she could crack the stone floor of Las Noches' vast corridors beneath her feet, or a simple sweep of her hand could level the hundred meter tall walls to piles of rubble. Adagio, being nobody’s fool, was aware that feelings didn’t equate to reality, but she was eager to test out if she was as strong as she actually felt at this moment.
She’d led her companions back to Las Noches as quickly as she dared allow the massive, but injured Gaw move, with Di Roy resting on Gaw’s broad back while Ember kept pace behind the group. Adagio could feel Ember’s eyes on her, and didn’t bother looking back to acknowledge her friend’s continued stare. There’d be time enough for that confrontation when Di Roy wasn’t bleeding from a hole in his stomach and Gaw wasn’t dripping her own blood like rain from a rooftop across the ground she trod over. Unfortunately Adagio’s evolution to the Vasto Lorde form had not come conveniently pre-equipped with healing powers.
At least she didn’t think that had been added to her bag of tricks. She thought of the vast, dark blue depths of the lake her transformation had brought forth into Hueco Mundo’s endless dry desert. A lake that had both been there, and hadn’t. Even Adagio wasn’t entirely certain what had happened down there in the Forest of Menos, when she’d put that fool Jester Face and his cronies to the slaughter and consumed their power.
Her siren gem had resonated with the power that saturated in that place. Not just her spiritual power as a Hollow, but the siren magic inherent in her gem. Her transformation had been a matter of Hollow evolution, but powerful Equestrian magic had awakened both inside her and inside that underground cavern. That lake wasn’t really a lake. Adagio couldn’t be certain, not yet, but she suspected it was-
“Hey, Adagio?” Ember’s voice cut through Adagio’s thoughts, and she turned her had to cast a look back at the Arrancar without breaking strike.
“Yes?” she replied with smooth calm, expecting to be questioned on the nature of her power over song and how it could manipulate others. There was no way Ember hadn’t considered what had happened to her during the Quincy raid.
To Adagio’s mild surprise Ember said, “I know you want to meet with my dad first, but I don’t think these two will last long enough for that. The horde doesn’t exactly have any healers among us, so either Gaw or Di Roy might bleed out if we chat up my old man first.”
Adagio didn’t need to give Gaw or Di Roy’s wounds any further inspection to agree with Ember’s assessment. She hadn’t been planning to call in on Torch for simple courtesy's sake, she’d been hoping the man either had a competent healer on hand, or could point her in the direction of one. More to the point, Ember and Garble had both been badly wounded in their fight during the attack on the Quincy, and had recovered quickly enough.
“How did you heal so fast after fighting Garble if your father’s horde lacks any healers?” Adagio asked, slowing her stride.
“That’s just good breeding.” Ember said with a shrug, “I pretty much inherited dad’s toughness and quick healing. Long as I’m still breathing I can eventually recover from almost anything on my own, no outside help needed. And Garble’s still down an arm, last I checked, so I wouldn’t say he healed quickly. He’s just too stubborn and stupid to know when to stay down.”
A problem that can be easily fixed, given the right timing and provocation, Adagio thought with a rueful grin. “Ah, well then what are our alternatives? Do you know anyone in this place who does have healing skills?”
She didn’t much like the look of uncertainty that bloomed like a shadow crossing the moon over Ember’s face. “Uh, only two, and both of them could be a problem.”
“Speaking as the guy whose intestines are trying to go on holiday, let me just say I think we can handle whatever problems crop up.” said Di Roy, half hanging off of Gaw’s back. Gaw, for her part, swished her long tail behind her and seemed to just be concentrating on remaining standing.
Adagio turned to Ember and leaned on her new trident, a weapon that seemed to smoothly fit into her hand as easily as if it was a part of her limb. “Go on, Ember, let’s hear it.”
“Well, the first one is Grogar-”
“No.” Adagio said.
“Not just no but Hell no!!” Di Roy agreed.
“Gaw.” said Gaw, rather noncommittally.
Ember sighed heavily, “He is one of the only people in all Las Noches who is an actual expert on Hollow biology. Don’t get me wrong, I understand he’s a sick old bastard and we can’t possibly trust him, but if we’re talking medical expertise...”
“There is no way in this hell or any other version of it that I’m letting that rotting waste of flesh touch any of my people!” Adagio said with the sharp intensity of a thunderclap that echoed through the massive entry corridor. Ember finished, but held Adagio’s gaze firmly.
“You think I like the idea either? But I’m mentioning him first because I don’t know if the second option is any better.”
“Any option is better than crawling to that filthy goat for any favors, especially considering I’m quite certain he’s not done trying to manipulate me.” Adagio said, gripping her trident tightly and wishing for a moment she did have Grogar here, just to see if she could ram the weapon through his throat. It was a passing fancy, as not only would that have drastically negative ramifications to her standing among the Arrancar, but she still desired to make his end prolonged and appropriately agonizing. Still, never hurt a girl to have fun fantasizing, so she contented herself with a few imagined throat stabbings... for fun.
“Besides, even if I was willing to seek his...ugh, ‘help’, we could never trust that he wouldn’t do something to either of their bodies besides just heal them. We could find one day he’d planted a bomb in one of them, or put a chip in their brain.” Adagio went on, recalling all that he’d done to her and not wishing that on those who were now sworn to her service.
“Not disagreeing with you Adagio, just pointing how limited our options actually are. Now about our second possibility, well...” Ember’s unease grew as she rubbed the back of her head and said, “How much do you know about the Fourth Espada?”
“Less than I’d prefer.” Adagio replied with interest, “Which is to say nothing at all. Do tell.”
“He’s the most recent addition to the ranks of the Espada, and from everything I’ve heard my father say of him he’s... moody.” Ember said with a distinct tension in her body that made her look like a wound up spring. Adagio sensed a flicker of anger in Ember in talking about the Fourth Espada, and the knowledge that this man was the most recent addition to the Arrancar’s top ten elite was interesting, given his high position among their number.
“Just how recently are we talking about?” Adagio asked.
“I dunno, five or six years ago, I think, is when he first showed up in Las Noches. Nobody knew where he came from, and at first he didn’t do anything.” Ember seemed unnerved by her own memories, “He just sort of wandered the fortress like some damned phantom. Butchered anyone that gave him trouble, but as long as you were smart enough to keep out of his way he’d just wander aimlessly. The Espadas ignored him at first, but then the old Sixth Espada, Ahuizotl, decided he’d had enough of this new upstart and decided to try teaching him a lesson.”
Her interested piqued, Adagio leaned forward, “And?”
“And nowadays Guto’s the Sixth Espada and Ahuizotl is slumming it as a Privaron out in some far flung region, minus a couple of limbs.” Ember stated frankly, hissing through her teeth in one part admiration, one part apprehension. “That’s what clued everyone into just how powerful this new guy was. Lord Tirek himself had to get involved at that point. Now when those two duked it out I could feel the whole fortress shake. It was the only time I’d ever seen dad look kind of... scared. Lord Tirek won, of course. He’s the First Espada. But he didn’t kill the new guy. Nope, Tirek was impressed enough to offer him a place among the Espada. Now normally, since he kicked Auiztol's ass, that would’ve meant he’d have become the new Sixth, but Lord Tirek had sussed out his power enough to decide he belonged higher than that. Kinda irked my dad, but it wasn’t like he could gainsay Lord Tirek on the matter.”
It was an impressive story of a rapid rise to power that Adagio appreciated, but she remembered something Ember had said earlier that didn’t seem to match this series of events.
“Wait, you said your father was the last Vasto Lorde to become an Arrancar, so how could this Forth Espada be younger still, and yet stronger?”
Ember’s lips pursed sourly, “He’s not stronger than my dad! Ugh, it’s... okay this is frustrating to admit, but nobody knows what class of Hollow the Fourth Espada was. He arrived here as an Arrancar, and his reiatsu is weird. He might have been a Vasto Lorde, but its hard to tell. And again, not as strong as my dad, but Lord Tirek put him ahead on the totem pole because according to rumor the Fourth has some kind of special ability that’s considered worthy enough of a higher ranking than his power alone would suggest. In terms of raw reiatsu, my dad is stronger, but because of... argh, reasons he’s been losing ground in the Espada rankings. First Grogar’s bullshit poison from a duel ages ago weakened dad from being the previous Fourth, then this new guy shows up and claims the spot, blocking dad from getting the position back! It’s frustrating!”
Adagio felt a strong stab of sympathy for Ember. The girl was clearly agitated and angry by just talking about this Fourth Espada. And as emboldening as it was to hear a story of a relative newcomer being able to rise so far so fast in the Arrancar’s ranks Adagio noted the story didn’t make this mysterious Espada sound like the most helpful sort. No doubt this, combined with the issue of her father’s lost rank, was why Ember considered going to the Fourth Espada to be a secondary option, but why was he even on the table to begin with?
“I understand your frustrations Ember. I can see why you might prefer Grogar over this other Espada. But how does this relate to our current issue of terminally bleeding colleagues?”
“I’m getting to that. Just needed you to understand that we’re dealing with a weirdo who has a lot of power and a history of killing people that cross his path, while also happening to be one of the biggest roadblocks to my dad regaining his old rank.”
“From the story you tell it sounds as if he only kills when provoked.”
“Provoked, or someone just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Fourth’s moods are strange, Adagio. Everyone says he’s touched in the head. You don’t have to actually do anything for one of his mood swings to suddenly decide you’re a threat and then-” she make a cutting gesture across her throat. “Shrrrk, decapitation. I’ve seen bodies left outside his tower, okay? He’s not stable.”
Ember sucked in a deep breath and held up a finger, “However, he’s got one of the few actual healers in Las Noches as one of his Fraccion.”
“Really?” Adagio tapped one of her long, elegant clawed fingers against the chin of her mask, “I’m surprised he even has Fraccions, if he’s as antisocial as you suggest.”
“There happens to be one big gap in that rule.” Ember said, pointing to herself, “You remember how I said I’m a natural born Arrancar?”
“Yes, something along the lines of a one in a million rarity, yes?”
“Weeeellll, kinda. You see, it’s true when two Arrancar get it on, the chances of a child resulting from that are extremely low.” Ember’s face briefly reddened as she coughed, and glanced at the floor. “But, well, you might have noticed that there isn’t really much to do around Las Noches except either spar, eat, or...”
Di Roy sniggered from up above, “Or enter the bone zone.”
Ember huffed out a growling sight and glared up at him. “I’m forbidding you from using the term ‘enter the bone zone’ from henceforth, on pain of groin stomping.”
“Agreed.” Adagio said flatly, and Gaw gave a grunt of agreement as well.
Di Roy scoffed, “I’m unappreciated in my time.”
With a sigh Adagio gave the bleeding man a rueful glare, then returned her attention to Ember. “So you’re saying natural born Arrancar are not that uncommon, despite low fertility rates, due to simple lack of Arrancar having nothing better to do with their time than fight or fornicate?”
“Pretty much. I don’t go in for the casual flings the way others do, but just trust me, you want to avoid certain parts of the Warrens if you have a... prudish temperament.”
Adagio didn’t, but that was neither here nor there. “So what does this have to do with the Fourth Espada’s Fraccions?”
“He’s got a soft spot for orphans.” Ember stated simply, a brief note of sadness entering her voice, “As it turns out, most Arrancar are shit parents. Or rather they’re not inclined to be parents at all. Most abandon their offspring not long after they’re born. Some have enough Hollow instinct to survive on their own. A lot... don’t. I’m one of the lucky ones who had a pair of parents that were worth a damn. But there were others who weren’t so lucky, and had to scrap by to survive any way they could.”
Understanding flashed in Adagio’s mind and despite herself she gave a knowing smile beneath her mask, “Ah, until the Fourth Espada came along.”
“Exactly. He started gathering up many of the abandoned Arrancar children in Las Noches. There weren’t many, mind you. I think maybe a couple dozen, tops. But he gathered them in his tower and raises them as his own. Now the two oldest among those children are his Fraccion, and from what I’ve heard one of them has pretty powerful healing abilities. Granted that’s just what I’ve heard, I got no proof of this, but if you really want to risk it we could try seeking an audience with the Fourth and see if he’d be willing to have his Fraccion heal our friends in exchange for... I don’t know, the negotiations will be up to you I guess.”
Ember didn’t sound like she was thrilled with this idea and Adagio could see why. If the Fourth Espada was as mentally unstable as the stories claimed he might react violently to being approached for a favor by complete strangers, especially ones who might not have anything of value to offer him. It wasn't as if Grogar was a better option, however, and Adagio was willing to take a chance with the Fourth Espada if it meant not having to deal with her former 'master.
"I'm not sure yet what I might offer him in exchange for his help, but perhaps at the very least he may have some respect for your father, given he seems to care about how natural born Arrancar are treated. Perhaps our connections to your father will at least encourage the Fourth to hear us out?"
Ember glowered at that, crossing her arms under her breasts, “Maybe. I... guess dad’s never actually said a word to badmouth the guy. Argh, I may have even heard dad say once or twice that he respected the Fourth’s attitude.”
“A cause for common ground, then.” Adagio said, her mind already working towards the meeting to come. She’d already decided she vastly preferred to take her chances dealing with this unusual Espada rather than go seek any favors from Grogar. “Where is his tower? And also does he have a name, or what? You just keep calling him the Fourth.”
Ember blinked, “Oh, right. Well his tower is easy to find. Northwest side of the inner fortress, big black thing with a cracked dome at the top. As for the name, far as I know he didn’t have one when he got here. Lord Tirek named him ‘Lament’ after raising him to the Espada ranks, but only he and the other Espada really ever use it. To everyone else he’s just ‘the Fourth’.”
Strange, but Adagio had heard stranger. With a shrug she turned back down the corridor that would eventually lead out into the vast interior area of Las Noches. “Very well, to the Fourth it is, then.”
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Twilight Velvet was about ready to rip the Silburn down brick by brick and raze every corner of its foundation until she found whoever was responsible for the attack on her little girl! Fury poured through her as she paced the meeting room, her husband watching her with concern from his seat at the table.
“Velvet, you’re going to ignite the carpet if you keep pacing like that.” Night Light said, and Velvet nearly exploded at him.
“How can you joke about this Night Light!? Somebody tried to murder our daughter! We ought to be dismantling the grounds searching for the culprit, not mildly awaiting His Majesty’s pleasure!”
Night Light folded his hands beneath his chin and observed his wife. She gave him a challenging glare. She loved the man dearly but he had always had a bad habit of keeping his emotions hidden, even from her, when he was upset. And she knew he was as upset as she was! He was just forcing himself into that stone faced mask to keep up appearances. She wasn’t in the mood for that.
“Don’t give me that look. You know we should both be out there with the investigation team.” Velvet’s hands clenched until she felt her nails scraping past the skin of her palms. “At the very least we should be by Twilight’s side until the culprit is found.”
“His Majesty is wise to keep us on standby, Velvet. We’re too close to this to be trusted to maintain a clear and objective mindset, which is what a proper investigation needs. Considering this has happened so close to a major operation we can’t rule out this being part of a larger sabotage plot against us. His Majesty is merely enforcing some caution.” Night Light said, voice strained but reasonable. Velvet just wanted to blast the meeting table he was sitting at apart, so he couldn’t lean on it with his chin propped on his hands like that.
“And why not let us see our daughter!? She must be shaken beyond belief by this, and with her... condition I’m more worried than ever about her safety.”
Velvet had hated the notion of Twilight delving into studies on the foreign magic that had infected her from that damned other dimension. Between the incident with Cadence the other day and what had happened just now with the assassination attempt, Velvet was seriously questioning the wisdom of the King to encourage Twilight to pursue studying the magic. It was clearly too dangerous!
“Right now Twilight needs to rest, my love.” Night Light said, rising from his seat and coming around the table towards her. Velvet still glared at him, but didn’t stop him from putting his arms around her. Damned man could look so dopey eyed and understanding when he wanted to. “She’s already asleep, right next to Spike, and I don’t imagine either will wake until the morning.”
Mention of Spike’s name did cause Velvet to relax somewhat and draw out a resigned sigh as she leaned into her husband. “That dog deserves a medal. And to think I thought it was foolish to let her have a pet, back then. Let it never be said I can’t admit when I’m wrong about something, we should get her a whole pack of dogs, if all of them could be as loyal and brave as that one.”
Spike’s injuries would have been severe in any situation where he’d have needed to rely on conventional medicine. The courageous canine would live to bark another day, although he’d need some extensive reishi infusions to help replenish and reconstruct fractured bones and cracks along his skull. A week or so of treatment would see him at Twilight’s side again. It would have been faster were he a Quincy and not a magic infused animal, but the doctor’s would work around his unusual physiology as best they could. Once he was awake Twilight Velvet hoped the dog might shed some clue on the identity of the one who attacked her daughter. A scent trail would be nice.
The door to the meeting room opened and both Velvet and Night Light turned to see two other Sternritter enter the room. One was an older man, perhaps five or six years senior over Night Light. Heavyset but with a build more like a boxer who’d gone a tad soft in the middle rather than being overweight, the man’s dark purple-blue skin worked well with his slicked back head of silver hair. Faded green eyes looked with sympathy at Night Light and Velvet as the man’s strong chinned face offered an apologetic smile of greeting.
“Velvet, Night, how you two holding up?” the man asked in a rich, faintly drawling accent.
Night Light returned the man’s faint smile with a wane one of his own, “Been better, Gladmane. Not every night someone takes a shot at one of my kids. Hoping somebody out there is busting their ass figuring out who it was. Any word on that yet?”
“Not as of yet, I’m afraid.” said the other Sternritter as she drew the door closed and went to lean a hip against the meeting table while eyeing the rest of the room as if faintly foul odor was hanging in it.
She was a tall willow of a woman, with pale, mint green skin. Dark blue eyes hung large and expressive behind a thin black, see through veil. Her hair, bleached to a stark white save for one deep purple band in the middle, hung in a voluminous ponytail that nearly reached down to her ankles. Even her Quincy uniform was a bit ostentatious, with silver rhinestones embedded along the sleeves and pant legs, with her jacket collar popped out, along with a deeper V-cut in front that showed off some of the woman’s not inconsiderable figure.
She looked at Velvet with a small but not disingenuous smile, “We’ll discover the responsible party in due time, Velvet, don’t fret.”
“Is that why you and Gladmane are here, Coloratura? To keep me and my husband reassured?” Velvet asked, somewhat pointed, and Gladmane stepped forward holding up a placating hand.
“Now, now, no need for that kind of tone. We’re not your keepers, we’re just here to keep you company while the others investigate.”
“In other words you’re to guard us in case one of us,” Night Light flicked his eyes towards Velvet, who rolled hers, “Decided to take matters into their own hands and started, I don’t know, tearing up the Silburn in a fit of parental rage.”
Coloratura’s smile turned thin as a sheet of black ice. “Company, dear Night Light. We’re just here to keep you company.”
“And never pay any mind to the fact that your Schrift just happens to be one of the only ones capable of counteracting my own.” Night Light said with a heavy nod, “Sure, I’ll buy that.”
Her dainty shoulders merely shrugged, her razor smile never faltering nor her voice being one shred less polite and friendly. “I suppose it is a strange coincidence my Octave can counter your Command, or that Gladmane’s Weight can effectively prevent Velvet from using her Vengeance. But we’re all friends here, so why dwell on that? His Majesty just wants to ensure the rest of the night proceeds with no further... drama. Your son and soon to be daughter-in-law would be here too if they weren’t already neck deep in final preparations in the Hueco Mundo side of the Silburn.”
Velvet’s mood turned volcanic once more, heating her skin as she took a step towards Coloratura. “Drama? Someone tried to murder my little girl!”
Coloratura nodded gravely, the strands of her lengthy ponytail bobbing with the motion. “And no one is more upset by the fact than you, understandably, but believe me Velvet when I say that His Majesty’s fury is nearly your equal in this matter. I have known the man somewhat longer than you and I know his moods.” The pale woman’s face grew grave, darkening with deep shadows. “It has been a long time since I’ve seen him quite this... incensed. Whoever thought targeting your child was a good idea, Velvet, I can assure you they’ve made a severe error in judgment and it is only a matter of time before they are found. Then I’m certain His Majesty will give you all the bloody vengeance your heart could desire.”
“And on the bright side, you could use this as an excuse to patch things up with your kid.” Gladmane said, and at the look both Velvet and Night Light gave him the broad shouldered man just cracked a welcoming grin, “Hey now, I’m just saying, everyone’s heard the rumors. You and your little tike have been having some friction, but you may as well use this as a chance to smooth all that over. Family bonding in times of danger, right?”
Velvet was ready to snap at him for bringing up something that wasn’t any of his business, but Night Light interjected first, with a much more even handed tone. “Thank you Gladmane for the advice. I was hoping before all this to ease my family’s tensions anyway, so as you say this may give us all the more reason to come together as a family.”
“What can I say, I’m a people person, and I just hate seeing people not getting along, especially family.” said Gladmane, smoothly walking over to one of the seats at the table to spin the chair around and sit down, leaning his bulk over the chair’s back. “So in the meantime, how we gonna pass the time before His Majesty gives the all clear? Anyone here like playing cards?”
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Sombra stood like an onyx sculpture in the hallway where the attack upon Twilight Sparkle had taken place, watching with eyes of hard flint as several of his Sternritter finished examining the area. He had already swept the area himself, but was not so arrogant as to assume his subordinates couldn’t see something he hadn’t. Still he wasn’t surprised when he saw Prim Hemline approach him with a sour look on her face. Small statured with short cut, faded pink hair and unremarkable gray skin the woman seemed positively plain compared to some of her compatriots, but Prim was one of the sharper among his Sternritter, with a fine eye for details.
“Report.” he commanded simply, and Prim gave a crisp salute.
“As you no doubt have seen for yourself already Your Majesty, the perpetrator left no trace of their reishi behind on the premise.” she began in a swift, simple tone that didn’t belie the frustration in her eyes. “We’ve checked all areas of the hall, Twilight Sparkle's room, and much of the area outside her window and along this entire wing of the Silburn. There are no trails of unusual reishi that don’t belong to people who already belonged in the area. The soldats I’ve dispatched to check the armory have reported back that no Seele Schneider's were missing from storage, either.”
Sombra wasn’t surprised. It’d have been incredibly sloppy of the assassin to use a Seele Schneider taken from the actual armory. It had to have been one the would be killer had constructed themselves, off the books. That didn’t narrow the list of suspects too terribly much, but it did largely eliminate any of Twilight’s fellow cadets as possible suspects. None of them should have the expertise necessary to build such a weapon on their own. Unless of course one of the cadets was receiving training beyond Spitfire’s Academy. Many of them had parents who were either high enough ranked soldats to know the use and construction of a Seele Schneider, or in a few cases were children of some of his Sternritter. An ambitious enough conspirator could use an easily influenced cadet as a tool for this attempted murder.
If indeed that was what it was, and the attack upon Twilight hadn't an intent besides her death. After all the attacker had fled before finishing the job. That might be due to the heroic arrival of cadets Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest, or it could have been due to the assassin having already achieved their objective.
Which was what? To sow chaos? To generate suspicion among his people before a critical battle? To frighten Twilight specifically?
King Sombra was not used to being put in the position of the one not in the know. He detested this situation for that almost as much as he did for the threat to Twilight Sparkle’s safety. Indeed he was a bit surprised at his own bubbling wrath. It reminded him of early days in the Germanic countryside, ravaging any enemy that dared to slight him and his budding kingdom. Right now a part of him desperately wanted to find the one who had spat upon the very sanctity of his home and put them to the torch. Perhaps quite literally.
The anger, he knew, was out of proportion to the level of threat to his resources. Twilight Sparkle was still just a cadet. An exceedingly promising one, with powers he wished to see come to proper bloom, but he shouldn't be this angry about an attempt on her life. It was a feeling altogether too personal for someone of his position to afford, and he knew the reason was because the girl reminded him of another from those early days...
For a moment he could see a similarly purple, youthful face, sporting a idealistic smile filled with life. So very much like Twilight’s.
Enough of that, his mind chided him sternly. You have more pressing concerns. Deal with this matter, and put girls long dead out of your mind. And currently living ones for that matter.
Sombra kept his face neutral, considering the situation. For all his people’s great fear of him, for all of his admittedly vast power, he was far from omnipotent, and not even remotely omniscient. Sometimes he thought it would be nice to be able to divine the future, as much of a headache as that would be, but among his many powers that was not one of them. As such he was ill suited to actually help in the investigation. Not unless he wished to strip every single Sternritter of their powers and enact the kind of tortures upon his people he hadn’t unleashed in generations, and Sombra was not willing to sink back to that level just yet.
Not that it wasn’t tempting.
Prim Hemline was patiently awaiting his command, and Sombra kept his darker thoughts clear from his voice as he said, “I want every Sternritter, 1st rank soldat, and Academy cadet to be questioned for established alibis. Search quarters for any materials that could be used for the construction of a Seele Schneider.”
“It shall be done, Your Majesty. Shall I interrupt Shining Armor and Cadence’s preparations as well?” Prim asked, referring to the fact that the engaged couple were working closely together on establishing the operations staging area in Hueco Mundo. Neither one of them would have been notified yet of the attack on Twilight. Sombra was nearly one hundred percent certain neither had anything to do with the attack, either.
“Send a message conveying what has transpired, but they are to remain on their tasks.” Sombra said, “Once you’ve done that, continue the investigation and keep me informed of any new developments.”
“And what of the girl herself, Your Majesty? She is currently being watched over by Soarin, but I’ve already been getting requests from some of her fellow cadets to visit her. Shall she remain isolated until the investigation concludes?”
Sombra harbored concerns that one of those cadets might be the culprit, yet he already knew that if he tried to keep Twilight Sparkle isolated that she’d resist it. Out of the members of his Sternritter who might be suspect, Soarin was near the bottom of the list. He was a loyal and straightforward warrior, his only weakness being his lack of personal initiative compared to his contemporaries like Spitfire and Lightning Dust. Sombra trusted Soarin to keep watch on Twilight, and it was doubtful the assassin would be foolish enough to try another direct attack.
“If they wish to see her, they may.” he said, “But not until the morning after she’s had a chance to rest.”
“As you will, Your Majesty.”
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Adagio sensed they were drawing attention to themselves. Gaw couldn’t really help it, being the hundred foot tall dinosaur Hollow that she was. The bleeding likely didn’t help, spreading a scent across the air of Las Noches’ miles wide interior that could likely be smelled in every corner of the fortress.
As Gaw had stomped along the flat sands, Adagio walking ahead of the group and Ember just a step or so behind, it was impossible not to notice the way several flitting shapes kept pace with them at a distance.
“I don’t suppose you know who our new friends are?” Adagio asked Ember, her eyes watching and catching the occasional glimpse of an Arrancar’s shape darting between the small dunes.
Ember’s nose twitched as she sniffed the air, “Hmm, with that musky scent I’d saw we’re dealing with some of Guto’s people.”
“The Sixth Espada, right?” Adagio asked, and Ember confirmed with a nod. “What are his servants doing tailing us?”
“I’m surprised we don’t have more following us by now.” Ember said, glancing at Adagio, “It's not everyday a new Vasto Lorde shows up in Las Noches. Guto’s horde probably caught Gaw’s blood scent and were coming to hunt fresh meat, but now that they sense you they’re keeping their distance and watching what we’re doing. We’re probably a confusing sight for anybody checking us out.”
“Ah, that would make sense. We’re an odd group, and we’ve clearly been through a fight. I suppose anyone seeing us would be curious and cautious.” Adagio said.
“I wouldn’t count on it lasting.” said Ember, “Give it enough time and they might take a crack at us, just for the fun of it. My dad’s protection doesn’t extend too far from his territory. Luckily once we’re in the Fourth’s area they’ll hold off for fear of him.”
“Speaking of which, is that not his tower?” Adagio pointed with her trident.
They were on the left side of Las Noches’ giant central tower, the one that pierced all the way up to the interior’s sky-like ceiling. It was almost directly to their right now, and an interior wall curved across the sandy expanse like a barrier, with multiple gatehouses built within. Past that, however, Adagio could clearly make out a tall, thin spire of black stone. not as tall as some of the towers dotting Las Noches’ interior, but still quite large, with a rounded dome top that was cracked down the center.
“That’s it.” Ember said, “Once we’re past the wall it should be a short walk to the tower itself. Doubt those tailing us will want to go past the wall, but they’ll probably be waiting for us once we come back the other way.”
“Hmm, well we’ll see about that when the time comes.” Adagio said, flexing one of her clawed hands, “I really do need to take this new body for a spin. Break it in properly.”
She was eager to flex her newfound powers and test just what her newly evolved state could do. It might be unfortunate to make an enemy of Guto by thrashing some of his people, but if he was going to set them on her anyway then that was hardly her fault. Besides, perhaps he had something of Torch’s attitude and would appreciate the demonstration of power more than for any injury his servants suffered.
Regardless, the opportunity didn’t present itself by the time they reached the separation wall that portioned off this quarter of Las Noches. The Arrancar following them kept a maddeningly safe distance, and didn’t do anything to reveal themselves more clearly besides one glimpse Adagio caught of one of them. A girl with dusky brown skin who looked no older than Ember, but with a wild head of short, tomboyish white hair, tipped purple. The only other detail Adagio caught was that the girl’s eyes were yellow, with a distinct avian quality to them.
Their stalkers didn’t follow Adagio’s and through the wall, the gatehouse of which stood open and empty. On the other side Adagio felt the air become almost immediately more chilled, and even the sand beneath her feet seemed to darken under the shadow of that looming black tower. No other buildings or towers were anywhere to be seen in this quarter of the fortress interior, the single black spire looking more and more like a gravestone the closer Adagio and her party got to it.
“Okay, this ain’t freakin’ ominous at all...” muttered Di Roy past painfully clenched teeth. “If I wasn’t bleeding out, I’d say we really shouldn’t be here.”
Gaw gave an unimpressed bark, glaring at the tower as if daring it to attack.
Up close the tower was perhaps thirty meters wide and easily three times that in height. The entrance was immediately obvious to see in the shape of a grand archway that reminded Adagio of the entrance to a cathedral, with several wide stone steps leading to two thick iron doors beneath a steepled arch. Perhaps the entrance to a tomb would’ve been more apt, given the cold atmosphere.
“So how do you plan to play this?” Ember asked, licking her lips.
Adagio stepped forward, “I’ll go in and... be very polite.”
“Alone?”
“If something goes wrong I’d prefer none of you be any closer to ground zero than necessary.” Adagio said, glancing at her companions with a imperious but equally soothing look. “Remain here and await my return.”
There was no ‘if I don’t’ scenario to add to that sentence. Adagio intended to come back, one way or another. This was just meant to be a simple negotiation, not a fight. Ember half raised her hand as if to offer some gesture of encouragement, but she faltered, eyes clouded with unease and doubts as she simply nodded to Adagio.
“Remember what I told you, and don’t get cocky. You might be a Vasto Lorde, but that’s not the same as being invincible.”
“The advice is appreciated.” Adagio said.
“Good luck, boss lady.” called down Di Roy, his words fading into a fit of pained coughing.
Gaw simply sat down on her haunches and snorted in a gesture that could have been encouragement or complete indifference. Oftentimes it was hard to tell with that one.
Adagio put all distractions from her mind as she walked up the steps and approached the doors. Large iron rings set at head height could be either knockers or used to perhaps pull the tall doors open. For politeness’ sake Adagio raised a claw to grip one of the rings and gave it a firm knock, the clang of metal on metal echoing over the still air.
At first nothing happened, but Adagio then heard a faint brush of motion as one of the doors opened with a disturbing lack of noise, just wide enough for her to slip into the dark interior beyond. Taking a deep breath Adagio took the seeming invitation and moved through the opening. The door closed just as silently behind her.
She found herself standing in a dimly lit, circular chamber that clearly took up the entire base diameter of the tower. The ceiling was perhaps twenty feet up, with several iron chandeliers providing faint light from flickering candle flame. Pillars rose in a circle around the edge of the chamber, and at the far end of the room two sets of stone stairs rose to meet each other at an apex where another set of doors waited. Adagio took several steps into the center of the room, looking left and right. She knew she was being watched. She could feel the eyes on her.
“Why have you come here?” asked a voice from the shadows. It was a woman’s voice, mature and calm.
“Better make it good, otherwise you won’t be taking another step in here.” said another voice, this one also belonging to a female, but far younger and brasher sounding. And also strangely familiar, in a grating sort of way.
Adagio couldn’t quite pinpoint where the voices were coming from, but reaching out with her Pesquisa she could sense that there were multiple reiatsus inside the chamber with her. The whole area was saturated with a thick miasma of something cold and heavy, like a fog drifting in from a stagnant sea, and that made it hard to determine specifics. She thought there were two reiatsu of some strength nearby, and a number of much weaker ones hiding near the edges of the room. She only saw a few shadows here and there, however. With a sigh she decided to stick to her plan of politeness, but to put a bit of her own... personal touch on it.
“While I appreciate a certain level of theatrics, I prefer to speak to people face to face.” she said, “Would you not at least do me the honor of showing yourselves to me before we parley?”
“We don’t have to-” began the brash, younger girl’s voice, but she was interrupted by the older one.
“That is acceptable. Fenice, let us greet our guest.”
“...Fine.”
From behind the pillars closest to the stairs two forms emerged. Both wore thick white garb that consisted of voluminous cloaks and hoods that obscured their other clothes and figures to the point where seeing more than a hint of the bottoms of their faces was impossible. Both were armed, however, one with a long but thin dagger, and the other with a massive and broad bladed greatsword nearly as tall as she was.
The woman with the dagger swept one arm across her chest and bowed courteously. “I am Roka. This is my sister, Fenice. We serve our Father as his eldest children and Fraccion. Now, Miss Adagio, what has brought you to our Father’s hall?”
Out of the corner of her eye Adagio saw several small shadows clutching to the edges of the other pillars of the room, poking little heads out to peer at her curiously with wide eyes. They were all cloaked in heavy white clothing, but she could tell they were children. However while they all had a look of curiosity, some of them looked at her with undisguised hunger as well. Adagio wondered what their ‘Father’ usually fed them. Well, Hollows usually had a very... one track diet.
Knowing well not to show any weakness she placed one hand confidently on her hip while tapping the end of her trident on the floor with just enough power to make it echo loudly through the chamber.
“You know my name? I’m honored. I hadn’t expected to quite be on the Fourth Espada’s radar yet.”
The girl with the greatsword made a scoffing noise, and something in that brash, insolent tone really tickled at Adagio’s brain. Where had she heard this girl’s voice before?
“You were barely worth Father’s attention, but me and Roka keep tabs on anyone who might be a threat to the children, and that especially includes your master.”
Adagio’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “Watch yourself. I no longer call that goat faced freak anything of the sort. I serve as an ally to Lord Torch now.”
“Sure you do.” spat the brash girl, and Adagio caught just a hint of flame orange hair beneath the hood, causing Adagio’s brow to shoot up behind her Hollow mask. It couldn’t be...?
Roka took a step forward, “You must understand Miss Adagio, Grogar is no friend to our Father, and we are all to familiar with his deceptive methods and manipulative nature. Given how long you’ve been his... pet, we can’t just take anything you say at face value, no matter how much you’ve apparently grown in power.”
Adagio’s grip on her trident tightened with an audible strain of clenching muscles. “I’ve been obtaining this power for the purpose of gaining freedom from that wretch, and exacting a proper vengeance on him in due time. I do not serve his ends, willingly or otherwise. Now I am here because I have vassals whose service to me has been loyal and dear, and they have taken grievous injuries while in my service. I have been told one among you is skilled in the healing arts, a rare gift among Hollow-kind. I wish to negotiate for those services.”
Fenice laughed, and that laugh more than anything confirmed what Adagio already suspected, but she said nothing while the girl made a dismissive gesture. “Oh please, what do you have to offer that would make us want to help you? Even if you weren’t probably still working for the old goat, you still don’t have anything Father would want.”
“How will you, or he for that matter, know unless you’re willing to hear me out?” Adagio asked simply, “Surely it costs you nothing to allow me to speak with him and make my offer?”
“Make your offer to us, Miss Adagio, and we will determine if it is good enough for Father’s ears.” Roka said.
“I think not.” was Adagio’s swift reply, “I didn’t come here to be rejected by the door greeters. I came to see the Fourth Espada. He can either accept or reject my offer, but I will see him before I go.”
It was a risk, but a calculated one. She knew that if she tried to negotiate solely with these two that they could stonewall her for as long as they wanted, and ultimately leave her and her allies hanging out to dry regardless of what kind of offer she made. Since the Fourth Espada was the only real authority here, his was the only opinion she really needed to affect, which she couldn’t do if she didn’t see him. Besides, she was getting tired of the attitude of this pair. She was seeing the Fourth Espada, one way or another.
Fenice spat to the side, one of her hands going to the protruding hilt of the greatsword over her right shoulder. “We could always toss your skinny, fish fillet butt right back out the door if you want to do this the hard way.”
“Are you truly willing to risk your life for your vassals in such a manner?” asked Roka, not going for her own weapon but instead remaining calmly still.
“I’ll do what I must for those who have sworn themselves to me. A leader cannot afford to do any less. Now will you allow me to see the Fourth or not?” Adagio demanded.
In answer Fenice drew forth her humongous blade with one hand, as if it weighed next to nothing. Without warning the girl sprang forward, and Adagio felt a moment of surprise when she realized the girl wasn’t using Sonido to move at such speed but some other power, one that produced a flicker of faint green light around her feet.
The girl came straight for Adagio, her greatsword swinging in a air splitting overhand chop. Not fearful, confident in her own newfound strength, Adagio raised her trident one handed to meet the attack, catching the blade between the left two prongs. There was a titanic crash of noise and blast of air from where the two weapons connected, the stone beneath them cracking from the blow. Adagio held firm, her one arm only straining slightly against the massive blade the girl was driving down with both arms.
“Urgh, tough one, aren’t you?”
“Be careful Fenice, she is a Vasto Lorde. I would not underestimate her.” said Roka, clearly not intending to join in the fight as she remained where she was, observing.
Up close Adagio could see more details about this girl’s weapon. The greatsword’s metal had a folded, wave-like pattern to it, forming ripples all up and down the blade’s length like blood veins. Its crossguard was a wide slab of red hued metal with either end shaped like a grasping bird’s claw. The handle was wide and thick cylinder of carved stone, the end of which was capped in a jutting spike. Feeling the weapon’s reiatsu, Adagio could tell this was no Arrancar Zanpaktou. It felt faintly of Hollow power, but this energy was something different.
It was much more akin to what Sunset’s friends wielded. What had they called it? Fullbring?
“Is this all you have?” Adagio asked casually as she held the girl’s weapon at bay, and underneath the girl’s hood she saw her opponent smirk in a way that was entirely too familiar. Adagio had only ever known one girl who smirked like that. But what was going on here!?
“Girl, I haven’t even started yet!” Fenice twisted on the handle of her sword, and suddenly the blade turned smoking red as unbelievable heat built up in the metal. The ripples in the sword pulsed with a flow of lava-like light, as if they truly were veins, carrying forth volcanic heat.
Adagio jumped back as multiple, curving claws of liquid crimson metal emerged from the greatsword and tried to rip into her. Adagio’s body moved with much faster reaction speed than her old one did, and she evaded the attack easily enough, but was still impressed by the way the living molten metal consumed parts of the ground in bubbling pools of melting rock. It was if Fenice’s sword was blossoming with live lava, dripping from the sword in a sizzling hiss.
The girl didn’t give Adagio a moment to breathe, laughing as she jumped in with another burst of emerald light and spun her oversized blade in a massive arc. Molten liquid boiled around the blade, coating it as swung. Adagio, not interested in dragging this affair out, raised her trident and drew forth her own power.
She felt herself connected all the way back to the lake in the deserts beyond Las Noches. She felt that cold, deep dark place and the power residing within. She drew it out, drew it through herself, and felt the heat of the flames dissipate around her as the air grew cold and wet.
Water, brackish and dark, formed into a tight, compact sphere at the tip of her trident and Adagio unleashed it in a thin beam of highly pressurized liquid. The water struck Fenice’s sword and the water hissed and bubbled against the trails of magma flowing from the blade while the sheer water pressure halted Fenice’s swing in mid-air.
The girl let out a surprised shout, but Adagio was already moving. She flew above Fenice and waved her trident. More water formed, this time in a wide wave that she then sent crashing down towards her foe. Fenice saw the wave coming and Adagio saw her smirk turn into a snarl.
“Piss off with your waterworks! This ain’t SeaWorld!”
She slashed with her blade, which now blazed from edge to tip like a solid shard of magma, and cleaved the water wave in half, but Adagio just gestured with her trident and the water flowed around the girl like a living snake, circling her and then compacting into a sphere that engulfed her.
“I’ll try not to drown your sister, but I do hope you can calm her down so we can resolve this waste of time.” Adagio told Roka, but the woman just smiled and shook her head.
“I wouldn’t underestimate Fenice, either, Miss Adagio. Her sword is not so easily quenched, and the more angry she becomes-”
Adagio’s sphere of water began to bubble and steam, until a crimson light shone through it and then exploded in a pillar of blood red fire and geysering lava.
“-the more potently her power erupts.”
Fenice was wreathed in a cloak of pure red fire and dripping molten metal. Neither her flesh nor clothes were touched by the flames, but they clung to her like a second cloak. Her blade was similarly covered in a roaring inferno of the deep red flames, the edge of the greatsword bleeding with droplets of liquid fire that boiled the ground beneath her feet.
Beneath the hood of her cloak, Fenice’s eyes flared their rage at Adagio.
“Let’s see your stupid squirt gun handle this!” Fenice said in a seething hiss as she inverted her greatsword in front of her and stabbed the lava coated tip into the floor.
Adagio wasn’t certain what the girl was planning, but she didn’t let her guard down and carefully watched for the attack to come. When it did happen, it came from behind Adagio, slightly to the left of her back where one of the pillars suddenly boiled red and a jet of lava shot out of the stone like a bullet. Adagio turned swiftly and deflected the attack with her trident, wreathing it in a tight coil of water that steamed on contact with the red hot liquid.
More spots on other pillars began to turn molten red, and more along the ceiling and floor, all apparently under Fenice’s direction as more small jets of lava started to fire at Adagio from all sides. She bent and twirled through the assault, moving with sensual grace to narrowly avoid what blasts she could while using her trident to deflect the ones she couldn’t.
“I’m growing tired of this.” she muttered, and with a burst of power she pushed her aura outward. A compact and powerful sphere of jet black water formed around her body, and acted as a shield against the incoming lava jets. She floated there for several moments, letting Fenice’s barrage wash itself over her shield of swirling water as she gazed down at the girl with a challenging smirk.
“Tch, fine, we’ll play it your way.” Fenice said and hefted her sword, leaping up into the air and thrusting its molten tip straight into the sphere of water. Adagio’s trident intercepted the sword, and the water boiled around her and then burst from the heat, but Adagio herself remained largely unharmed as she held the sword at bay.
“Any more cards to play, little firebrand, or are we reaching the end of this dance?” Adagio asked. She could feel Fenice’s reiatsu pressing against her own. The girl was hardly weak. If Adagio was a betting woman she’d have laid money down on this not being Fenice’s full strength. As angry as the girl was she was clearly holding back to keep from causing too much damage to her Father’s home. Still, Adagio couldn’t help but taunt her. It was just... fun, considering who this girl continued to remind her of.
Fenice just snarled in response and pushed back with her blade, green light sparking off the soles of her feet as she skidded across the air. Then crimson fire and bubbling bursts of lava flowed over her sword as she charged right back in at Adagio at full speed, throwing an unsubtle but devastatingly strong overhead chop. Adagio grinned and flew forward to meet the attack, trident thrusting.
Trident and greatsword clashed in the air above the chamber, spitting flames and steam downward. The two women broke off and clashed again, each time stalemating in the air as one tried to find a weakness in the other’s guard. Adagio found one first, spotting the way Fenice was starting to overextend her swings as she tried to put more power into them. With a well timed Sonido she evaded rather than parried the girl’s latest swing and spun around behind her, delivering a powerful, sweeping strike with her tail.
The thick tail cracked like a whip, hitting Fenice squarely in the back and sent her spinning to the floor with a hefty impact. Adagio landed on the ground before the girl, trident at the ready.
“Ugh, freakin’ cheap shot.” Fenice growled, standing back up and hefting her sword like it was a baseball bat. “I’m going to chop that smug head of your’s clean off!”
Adagio, unable to help herself, raised her other hand and made a ‘come hither’ gesture with one finger, “Do come try, little firebrand...”
Fenice growled and a massive sphere of compacted flame and molten metal formed at the tip of her sword. Feeling the strength behind the blow Adagio gathered her own power, her body glowing with an aura of deep blue light as she drew deep into her newfound power as a Vasto Lorde.
With a concussive shock wave Fenice fired her sphere of empowered lava like a miniature sun. Adagio’s power snapped through her and she called forth a great geyser of black water, a barrier that intercepted the molten sphere. The two clashed in a burst of steam, and then the sphere broke apart, pieces of crimson flame flying around the room like shrapnel.
Adagio’s eyes went wide as she saw one of those flame pieces fly right for one of the child-like shadows that had been hiding around the pillars, watching the fight in awe.
Without a moment of hesitance she used Sonido to put herself between the figure and the piece of stray flame, using her free arm to block the fire. The flames burned hotter than any normal fire could and even her freshly strengthened body still felt a scorch of pain from the fire burning her white armored flesh. Still she was left with little more than a slight burn, and she could see the child was unharmed.
It was strange seeing an Arrancar child. Small, wearing little more than a floppy white robe, the child had big, green doe eyes and a rather adorable half-skull resting across the side of her face like something out of a Halloween store. The little girl stared at Adagio for a moment, then with a frightened squeak went and hid further behind the pillar where several other children huddled.
Adagio sighed, then turned her attention back to Fenice, who was staring at her openly, not attacking. Her sword was held limply at her side, as if the fight had gone out of her.
Roka stepped forward, “I think we’ve seen enough. Fenice, you shouldn't let yourself get that worked up.”
The flames vanished around Fenice and her sword and Adagio heard the girl’s self-deprecation as she muttered, “Sorry sis, I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s alright, it’s as much my fault for letting the fight escalate without stopping it sooner.” Roka said and turned to Adagio, “My apologize, Miss Adagio. I wanted to see your resolve, and allowed my sister to be a test of sorts.”
“A strange test.” Adagio said, brushing herself off, “What did it tell you?”
“For one, you’re no mere slave to Grogar’s whims. None of his servants would have risked their lives in a battle they could just run away from. For another thing, you just put yourself in harms way for one of our many siblings, and that alone has earned you our Father’s ear. And finally, your power has been sufficiently demonstrated that I can accept you may have something of worth to offer Father for his time.”
Roka raised one of her long fingered hands to her hood and drew it down. She was a plain looking woman under the hood, perhaps nineteen or twenty in terms of how she looked, with pale white skin and straight black hair. Half of her face was covered in a near full skull mask, while the rest was exposed, with one dark brown eye looking at Adagio with open respect.
“Allow me to more formally welcome you to the home of the Fourth Espada. Fenice, greet our guest properly now.”
The other girl let out a deep sigh, “Okay, okay, fine.”
She drew off her own hood, and what Adagio already knew was confirmed, yet some part of her still couldn’t believe it.
Orange skin around a youthful, energetic face, with the same pert and somehow devilishly charming features framed around two light blue eyes. Her hair was the same orange and yellow streaked flame as usual, through cut shorter, in a more tomboyish fashion around her shoulders. But there was no mistaking Sunset Shimmer’s face as she gave Adagio a challenging look of begrudging respect and held out a hand.
“Like my sis has said, my name’s Fenice. Don’t get the wrong idea, you can talk to Father but you’d better be on your best behavior, or he’ll put you down way faster than I could.”
Adagio took the offered hand, feeling its warm grip while her mind raced. So this was Sunset Shimmer, but there was no chance it was the one she was familiar with. The immediate and logical conclusion was that this was her human counterpart. Looking over Sunset... Fenice’s features, she saw no hint of a Hollow mask’s remnants. Sniffing the air she could all but taste the girl’s blood.
“...You’re human. A living human.”
Fenice scowled, pulling her hand away, “Yeah, what of it!? I’m as good as any of you Hollows!”
Roka approached and put a calming hand on Fenice’s shoulder, “Easy there, sister. I’m certain Miss Adagio was merely expressing her surprise. Yes, Fenice is human, but she’s one of our family and well adapted to life here in Hueco Mundo. Please treat her as you would any other Hollow.”
Adagio nodded, but couldn’t help but look at Fenice with unabashed curiosity, “Of course, but how did you get here, of all places?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” Fenice said, eyeing Adagio suspiciously as her free hand went and scratched at her neck in a nervous gesture. To Adagio’s surprise she noticed that around the base of Fenice’s neck there was an ugly coil of scar tissue, as if the flesh had once been burned. It didn’t go far up her neck, but Adagio couldn’t tell how far down the scar went either, or how much of it might cover the girl’s body beneath those robes.
“My sister’s history is not a pleasant, nor relevant topic of discussion.” Roka said with quiet resolve, nodding towards the stairs leading upward to the next floor, “If you wish to speak with Father, follow me.”
Adagio would have liked to press for more information, but it was clear Fenice wasn’t keen to talk about her past, nor was Roka interested in encouraging the line of questioning. Furthermore Gaw and Di Roy were still in desperate need of treatment and Adagio had wasted enough time just getting an audience in the first place. She had to move this along.
“Very well, lead on.” Adagio said, and allowed herself to be led up the stairs by Roka, although she did spare a final glance back at Fenice as the girl started to gather up the other children in the room.
Sunset’s human counterpart. Adagio never would have expected to encounter her in Las Noches of all places. Even as she was led up the tower to her fateful meeting with the Fourth Espada, Adagio’s mind was distractedly turned towards how she might use this latest development to her advantage.
----------
Twilight sat in a chair beside a short, child-sized medical bed where Spike lay sleeping. She’d been told he wasn’t likely to wake up for some hours yet, and that even then he wasn’t to be moving around on his own for at least a week. All she could do in the meantime was remain close by and watch over him. She wasn’t fearful of another assassination attempt. In fact she’d almost welcome it, as it would give her another chance to catch the person responsible for putting her best friend in this hospital bed!
She was being guarded, of course. Soarin remained in the room like a statue, silently doing his best not to be obtrusive while standing against the wall in one corner of the room. He’d attempted a few moments of small talk, but Twilight hadn’t been in the mood and the Sternritter had thankfully taken the hint quickly and left her to her thoughts.
Twilight still couldn’t believe this had happened. Why would somebody want to hurt her, let alone kill her? She was having a hard time conceiving of a motivation beyond petty jealousy for the fact that she’d been perhaps taking too many liberties with her interactions with King Sombra.
Sombra... could he have something to do with this? It seemed improbable, yet she couldn’t rule out the chance this was all some sort of test on his part. Yet she somehow doubted the thought, even as it panned across her mind. If he was going to test her she somehow imagined it would be more harrowing than even this attack had been.
Could it be one of her fellow cadets? Some of them seemed uneasy about her rapid progress in her Quincy training. Still she couldn’t imagine any of them actively trying to harm her. Perhaps that was naive on her part, but she just couldn’t bring herself to suspect the people she’d been training with and in a few cases started to make friends with.
So who did that leave? A high ranked Quincy, to be sure. The assailant had been too skilled to be just a regular soldat. Yet not that skilled, either. Surely not a Sternritter, right? If Twilight had been facing a Sternritter she likely wouldn’t have survived the first few moments, even with Spike’s warning. Unless the Sternritter was holding back for some reason, but why bother? Why attack Twilight at all if they weren’t intending to go all out and finish the job? Could it be they’d been limiting their power to avoid being detected, but had simply underestimated Twilight’s abilities and had reduced their power too much to make a quick enough kill?
Even assuming that was the case it still left a large question of motivation. Who had anything to gain by her death? An enemy of her family? Did her family even have enemies among the Quincy? Was that kind of infighthing possible, or allowed? She’d have to ask her parents, or Shining, when the chance arose. From what Soarin had explained to her Shining Armor was indisposed at the moment, along with Cadence, and her parents were being kept aside for the moment until things settled down.
With a frustrated sigh she leaned back in her chair, eyes closing in exhaustion. She hadn’t slept all night. She’d been working too hard on studying the Sanrei Glove, and then all this madness with the assassin had happened. The adrenaline was long gone and now she just had a bone deep weariness to contend with. Yet she didn’t want to sleep. If anything she wanted to go back to her quarters and resume work on the Sanrei Glove. The next time she faced that kind of danger she needed to be stronger, so those dear to her didn’t have to risk so much just to keep her safe. Next time she wouldn’t be such easy prey.
That’s right, a deceptively encouraging voice spoke within the recesses of her mind, Never let others take anything from you.
She opened her eyes, glancing around the room for a moment. That voice almost sounded like it hadn’t been her own dour thoughts...
When the voice returned, this time with a coldly amused laugh that echoed off the room’s walls, Twilight knew it wasn’t just her own thoughts and jumped up from her chair. She turned towards Soarin, but only to find the Sternritter suddenly wasn’t present in the room anymore. Whirling to the bed, she saw Spike was now abruptly missing as well!
“Spike?” she breathed, fearful as that disturbingly familiar voice laughed again, the sound chilling her skin as she looked around the room. In a burst of speed she ran for the door, throwing it open-
Only to lurch at the void of space outside the open portal.
“W-what!?” she staggered back, but as she did so the floor beneath her feet crumbled away, and the room itself soon was torn asunder like paper mache, leaving Twilight floating in a vast, dark void twinkling with distant starlight.
”Look at you, helpless at a little dreamscape play. Pull yourself together, Twilight, you’re embarrassing me.”
At first only a spark of pale, teal flame appeared in the vast, black starfield. The flames writhed like the pulse of a heartbeat, growing in size with each deep thump through the void. Soon the flames expanded, growing long, slim legs and arms. A curved, feminine body took shape, wrapped in dark violet wisps of clothing that clung to her slightly lighter shaded purple skin. Her equally dark violet hair flowed like an eldritch river, streaked with the same line of pink Twilight’s had. The woman’s eyes blazed solid teal light, the same as the flames that wreathed her eyes like a flaming mask, and mimicked the color of the jagged horn of energy that protruded from her brow. Twin wings, dark and feathered like a raven’s, spread widely from her back in graceful curves. The woman practically radiated with confidence, power, and a certain self-assured sultriness that was as different from Twilight as night and day, despite their clear resemblance to each other.
The woman looked at Twilight like someone hungering for their favorite treat, and she walked across the void to a slowly backing up Twilight with all the confidence of a cat cornering a mouse. Unable to outpace the woman, Twilight found herself standing stock still as her double reached out and cupped her chin between two slim fingers.
Midnight Sparkle smiled like a glacier.
”Long time no see, Twilight. We need to talk.”