The Sparkle household had grown quiet over the month since young Twilight’s disappearance, both literally and figuratively, with company becoming rarer and conversation between the occupants becoming less and less common. Couple that with the numerous defensive wards that littered the house and even the sound of the street was replaced by the nearly imperceivable hum of magic as well as the sound of silence.
Within that qyuet Twilight Velvet sat, one hoof tapping away at the table while the other held open a book she was reading with only mild interest. Her mind was elsewhere, occupied with the many questions she wished to ask and more fear than she cared to admit. The letter given to her by her husband weeks ago may have been long gone, but the anxiety it left behind was still very real.
Money, it always came down to money and with the subsequent firing of her position as editor of Haphazard House and the threat of Celestia’s assistance going away, Twilight Velvet was left in a poor position. She had managed to extract another few thousand bits from the royal treasury and safely funneled them away in a less conspicuous way, but the threat still stood and she needed this meeting to go well.
She glanced up at the clock and frowned when she noticed it was ten past three and Celestia’s aide had yet to appear. A scowl crawled across her face and she couldn't help but growl in annoyance. Of course, Celestia’s aide would be late, it wasn't like Velvet had many other things she had planned to do. Even now, several experiments were running in her attic laboratory and should be fine if left unattended though not for long. She had hoped at least one of them would help her understand what had happened to her little girl.
Her hooves tapped harder, faster and she put down the book entirely, acknowledging that she lacked the attention necessary to actually absorb anything. Using her magic, she tucked the book away on top of the shelf, away from any prying, judgemental eyes. With nothing to distract her, the mare sat at her kitchen table, staring at the front door with impatient fury.
Finally, after the fifth time she checked the clock, she felt a mental ping as her proximity ward alerted her to someone stepping onto her property. With a spark of magic, she activated the security spell and was instantly looking down at the street from the third story of her house. She peered down through the spell’s non-existent eyes and watched as a small brown and yellow mare walked down the steps of their walkway with an air of confidence and annoyance. Her gait was long and self-assured, almost becoming a strut, but her face was contorted into an expression of supreme displeasure. Her lips moved as if speaking to someone even though no pony else was around.
Twilight Velvet frowned, this did not bode well for her and she quickly scanned the rest of her yard, activating the rest of her security eye spells one by one in order to get a good look. Sure enough, the brown and yellow unicorn mare was the only pony there and yet she continued to mutter to herself. Velvet wondered if she was using some sort of spell to converse despite the distance. Either way, the elder mare didn't have time to think about that as the other pony had reached her door and raised her hoof to knock.
Velvet dismissed the sensory spell, returning to her body, and approached the door, knowing the mare’s attempts at knocking would be rendered useless due to all the reinforcement spells she had placed on the door. Twilight Velvet was feeling her age, but a burning determination welled within her and she took a long deep breath and banished the weariness that stuck to her bones. With courage burning bright in her breast, she reached to the door and undid the singular locking mechanism she had left engaged.
With a gentle spark of magic, the door opened and allowed her to get a good view of the other mare as she shook her smoking hoof. Twilight couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head at the sight, the wards were working well and it looked like another pony had ignored the sign directing them not to knock and instead use the buzzer.
“Yeah, I didn't put that sign up just for fun,” she remarked dryly.
The other mare grunted and put her hoof down, ignoring the smell of burnt hair. “Good to see Her Majesty’s bits are being spent where they are needed.”
Velvet rolled her eyes and opened the door wide enough to allow the mare entry. “Well, come in, let's get this over with.”
“My sentiments exactly,” the other mare replied simply while walking inside, and taking a seat at the table.
The older mare closed the door firmly and clicked the smallest of her locks in place. As she made her way to the other side of the table, she looked the other mare up and down, getting a good look at the aide for the first time.
Her dark yellow mane was short and done up into a small ponytail at the back of her head, allowing only a single group of hair to hang down beside her right eye. Her fur was the color of aged paper that had been out too long in the sun. Her posture was perfect, her facial expression the picture of calm and she lifted an eyebrow as Twilight Velvet finally sat.
“Done your inspection?” When no response came, the aide rolled her eyes. “Let's get down to business, shall we? I have wasted too much time with my last appointment already.”
Twilight Velvet pulled in her chair and steepled her forelegs, looking out over her uneven and unkept hooves.
“Yes, I agree that we should move quickly, but first I must ask you a few questions," Velvet began.
The other mare sighed and pressed a hoof against her forehoof.
“Are they all questions you have asked before? If so, please don't bother as I either still don't know, still am not authorized to tell you, or do not have the patience left to sit through any more of your rants," the aide muttered bitterly.
Velvet gritted her teeth and pressed her hooves together tightly.
“That is not what I had in mind. I merely wanted to know how the search for my daughter is going, what Celestia is doing to get her back and what demon she sold her to," Velvet stated.
The other mare sighed a long and weary sigh.
“One, the search is going as well as we can hope and I have been told that the mages have made great strides in the construction of their locator spell," the aide began. "Secondly, Celestia herself is aiding her top mages in its construction, and by the end of the month, they should be able to locate her no matter what plane of existence she is on. And lastly, really? You are still going on about this nonsense?”
Twilight Velvet’s eyes narrowed.
“When Twilight is safe in my hooves and my worries are put to rest, I will throw no accusations, until then, if the shoe fits…” Velvet remarked, letting the accusation hang for several seconds before shrugging.
The aide frowned, her nearly perfect mask of politeness beginning to crack.
“Alright, look, we know you have been spending bits outside of the agreed-upon parameters of food, mortgage, education, etc," the aide began again. "Now, initially, Her Highness was alright with a little misspending as she assumed such a thing would occur with you, but you crossed a line with your little acquisition through Maul and Company.”
The unicorn blinked, raising an eyebrow. She had purchased numerous expensive books of a questionable nature in the first week and had not heard a peep from Celestia and yet here her aide was, referencing not the other money she had spent, but this specific book. “What's so special about Maul and Company?”
The aide’s face grew tight.
“Maul and Company, although not a criminal organization themselves, have numerous ties to less than reputable sources,” the remarked, leaning in a little closer, staring directly into the older mare’s eyes. “The type of connections that make good ponies disappear.”
“I assure you it was just a single book,” Velvet remarked, trying to act flippantly.
“Yes, well, please heed this warning, lest you fall down a rabbit hole which you never emerge from,” the aide exclaimed.
She pushed herself back, resuming her more professional stance and neutral expression.
“Is that all?” Velvet asked.
“No, not in the slightest," the aide snorted. "The crown has decided to dial back support for your family. The maid will still be coming by every Wednesday and Her Highness has chosen to honor her commitment in allowing your family to keep the advanced spell books initially set aside for teaching your daughter, provided your son is actively using them.”
“Fine," Velvet conceded. "Shining has shown an interest in the books and though beyond his level, he is learning quickly.”
“This is something Her Highness commends," the aide exclaimed. "And to that end, she is giving him access to a tutor of the highest caliber. Provided he wants the help.”
“Why bother?" Velvet retorted. "Shining is good at magic already and hasn't his application to the guard already been approved?”
“It has, but Celestia has deemed his skill high enough that he may be eligible for the role of battle mage, should he desire to reach for it. This would allow him access to high-tier spells and war magic as well as a small stipend and access to advanced magical courses that would be held at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns," the aide explained.
Twilight blinked, her mind whirling with possibilities only to stutter to a stop and a glare to suddenly spread across her face.
“No," Velvet stated.
“What, why not?" Exclaimed the aide in shock. "It is a wonderful opportunity that any unicorn would be envious of.”
Velvet stood quickly, sending her chair clattering to the floor.
“I said, no!" Velvet shouted. "I will not let her take another of my children for her twisted designs!"
The paper-colored mare rolled her eyes.
“I assure you that your baseless paranoia is just that, baseless," the aide declared. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime, one that would see your son granted the best education in the guard and the opportunity for early officership and eventually perhaps even the chance to become an archmage.”
She shook her head and sighed.
“You should not let your wild accusations doom your son’s chances at achieving greatness," the aide warned.
“I don't care about your school, your opportunities, or your lies! Now get out of my house and don't you dare repeat a word of this to my husband or Shining Armor, I will not have them indoctrinated and taken from me,” Velvet shouted.
She crossed the table and approached the door, quickly unlocking it and throwing it open with enough force to send it crashing into the wall and rattling the picture frames that hung nearby.
The other pony slowly rose, shaking her head as she walked to the door, eventually meeting the older mare’s furious gaze with a reluctant look of disappointment.
“Look, Mrs Sparkle," the aide began, her voice low and respectful. "I know you’re going through a lot right now, but you cannot seriously believe that Celestia would stoop to the level of abducting foals. Stars above, she's the princess, do you really think she would go through all this just to steal away a single child? What could she possibly stand to gain from this madness?”
Velvet’s horn sparked and her jaw clenched.
“I don't know or care why she is doing this. Now get out of my house," Velvet demanded.
The aide turned, shaking her head and walking towards the door.
“Deep down you must understand just how ridiculous this sounds, right? She's the Princess of Equestria for crying out loud, why would she bother with some random foal?” The aide pointed out.
A vein bulged in the elder mare’s head and jabbed her hoof towards the street.
“Out! Now!” Velvet shouted.
The paper-colored mare shrugged and made her way out the door.
“What a nut job,” she mumbled to herself as she approached the bustling street.
Only to stop when she heard a bloodcurdling cry of rage a second before two hundred pounds of angry pony slammed into her back and knocked her to the ground. Her limbs splayed in every direction. Her magic fizzled, and for a single panicked second, the aide could hardly comprehend what was happening, allowing enough time for Twilight Velvet to begin raining punches across the back of the mare’s head.
Passersby stopped in their place, mouths agape as they watched an older mare furiously assault a random unicorn pony, her rage punctuated by a wordless scream of anger. Sense seemed to return to the aide and pushed her hooves up under her and bucked the mare off her back, using the few seconds of respite to begin running towards the street.
“Help! Guards! Anypony!” The aide shouted in a panic.
Twilight Velvet got to her hooves quickly and charged after the mare, too angry to even see straight. The aide’s steps were uncoordinated and wobbly due to the dozen or so blows she had received and it didn't take long for the white mare to tackle her to the ground once more. This time she flipped the mare over and sat on her chest before delivering a right-left combo across her opponent’s chin.
The aide could hardly put her hooves up in time before the still-screaming mare rained down a second flurry of blows, knocking aside her blocking limbs and punching away at her exposed face. A left knocked out one of the mare’s perfectly straight teeth, a right landed squarely on her eye and she lifted her left hoof to strike again only to hesitate and then suddenly find herself launched through the air, landing on her back.
The impact knocked the wind out of her and gave her assailant enough time to redouble the magic of his spell, holding her down under the crushing weight of a blue dome of force.
“Stop resisting and lay still! You are under arrest!” shouted a commanding male voice.
Twilight Velvet’s head swung around, glaring at the towering form of blue fur and gold steel standing over her.
“If I see so much as a spark of magic out of that horn I’m going to snap it off and use it as a tooth pick, understood?” demanded the guard.
Velvet lay still and the cry of rage finally died in her throat, giving way to crushing guilt and despair. She sighed and relaxed her hooves, letting them fall to the ground limply.
“Get on with it,” she mumbled weakly.
The guard eyed her carefully, but reluctantly nodded, releasing the shield he had been using to hold her down. Aiming his horn down, he channeled a surge of magic, and in a flash of blue light Twilight Velvet could feel the conjured magic wrap firmly around her forehooves before dulling into a pair of deep blue cuffs. The aetherial chain connecting them was thin but sturdy, being made of the same solid magic construct as the cuffs were. Another flash of magic and another binding was applied, this one wrapping firmly around her horn and cutting off any potential magic before it had a chance to be conjured. A small push of mana towards her horn confirmed this as the spell sputtered out, converting into a single spark that shot out of her bound horn.
“On your hooves, prisoner,” the guard commanded, roughly hoisting the mare to her hooves with the cold touch of his magic.
Velvet scowled but did as she was told, standing slowly and carefully before looking around. Everywhere she looked, ponies stared in a mix of disgust, fear, and confusion. The broken and bloody form of the aide was draped over the back of a second guard, one eye having closed completely. The rest of her face was a mish-mash of bruises and her mane was matted with blood, indicating Twilight Velvet’s hooves had done more damage to the mare’s scalp than the unicorn had thought.
She turned away, looking down with a sigh. A sudden tug brought her back to reality where the guard looked at her with disgust.
“Come on, prisoner, my shift is done in two hours and I'll be damned if some nutty noble is gonna make me waste my evening," he demanded.
A retort came quickly to the mare’s lips, but Velvet didn't give it voice, merely nodding once and following close behind. Her hooves were heavy and her steps odd, but it didn't take long for Twilight to get used to the weight and odd cadence forced upon her. Soon even the judging eyes of her neighbors and friends faded from sight, replaced by the endless cobblestones.
Time became meaningless as the mare became lost in her thoughts, forcing out the sound of the public. Their cries of justice, of revenge, and confusion fell away, leaving Twilight to her silent regret.
Why? Was all she could think. She remembered commanding the mare out, telling her to leave, then when she muttered her foul insult, everything went red and her mind only seemed to focus when their eyes connected briefly, her hoof cocked back and ready to deliver another blow.
She was angry, obviously, but she couldn't remember ever being so angry at someone who wasn't Celestia. Had it been the long hours? The days of stress that built and layered until she believed that was now her life? In the end, it didn't matter, it was all excuses, all of it was meaningless.
She sighed, her head finally lifting for the first time since her arrest. Gone was the pleasant architecture of the noble quarter, gone too were the judging stares and open hostility, replaced by glances of indifference or morbid curiosity. The buildings were tighter together and stretched much higher into the sky than the homes from her native part of the city. The solitary guard leading her had been joined by a second pony in armor, this one an earth pony mare that stood a few inches taller than him and wore much thicker, more durable armor. Her dull purple mane was cut incredibly short and done into a tight mohawk that stuck out of the top of her helmet, which matched her deep blue fur.
Their conversation seemed idle as they didn't even try to whisper, only glancing back every few seconds and ensuring their prisoner hadn't wandered off. It may have looked as though they were being lazy, but with her horn and hooves bound, Velvet would be hard-pressed to make it more than a few feet.
The large female snorted when she and Twilight’s eyes met.
“Finally stopped moping, eh?" The guard mare teased. "Good, you’re gonna wanna start paying attention soon cus we gotta read you your rights before we toss ya in the tank.”
She blinked. “The tank?” Twilight asked.
The stallion smirked. “What? You thought we'd just send ya out right away?” He retorted.
“No, I just-” Velvet began.
“Thought you would get your own nice and personal cell so you can sleep your night away?” The earth pony guard remarked, shaking his head.
“Nobles," he muttered.
The guard mare turned back, mumbling her own affirmation.
Twilight sighed and looked back to the pavement, staring off into space as she followed the pair of guards deeper into the city and eventually to the door of the station where the stallion turned back around and dispelled the shackles around her hooves.
“There are over fifty guard ponies on duty and numerous constructs in the building. I would not try anything if I were you," he warned.
Velvet nodded weakly, following the stallion inside the large, grey stone building that resembled a tiny castle more than a guard station. The interior was a blur and Twilight never once looked up from the dull, off-white tiled floor until her handler suddenly spoke up.
“Hey noble, eyes up," he demanded.
Twilight did as she was told, only now noticing she was standing before a table where an elderly bookish mare sat. She cleared her throat and looked down at the page in her hoof.
“As your crime has been observed by no more than fifteen passersby, the question of guilt is a foregone conclusion. As such you will be held until a judge can see you tomorrow or the day after that. At such point, a decision on your punishment will be reached," she explained, her tone flat and unfeeling. "Then you will have an opportunity to explain your side of the story and may argue for a lighter sentence. Now, do you have any objects to declare?”
Twilight shook her head slowly.
“No, I have nothing," Velvet murmured.
The other mare raised an eyebrow and shrugged before gesturing to the two guards standing on either side of her.
“Take her away,” she droned.
The guards nodded and the larger female guard gestured to her right and began walking towards a sloping staircase leading down. Twilight followed noiselessly, her eyes firmly latched on the guard in front of her. A few seconds later they were down the stairs and through a thick iron door. The second that heavy portal opened Twilight could hear the distant sound of somepony screaming, nearly drowning out the dozen or so conversations she could hear coming from all around her.
The iron bars of jail cells replaced the dull grey walls of the hallway. The mare spared only a passing glance to the random assortment of ponies that filled the cells.
“Keep moving,” the guard commanded.
Before she had a chance to do as ordered, she felt a magical field push her forward, causing her to stumble and nearly fall. Thankfully her reflexes were good enough to catch her and she trotted to catch up to the lead guard. As they walked down the long line of cells, numerous stallions and mares alike hooped and hollered at the sight of the noble mare. Twilight pushed their crude words from her mind, ignoring the jeers of her fellow prisoners.
Before long the lead guard stopped and a third guard approached, opening a large cell and extending her hoof towards the door.
“In ya go," he ordered.
Twilight stopped and turned towards the cell, sizing up the various other ponies already inside. A large heavy-set unicorn grumbled quietly to herself in the corner, her teeth gnashing occasionally as she rambled incoherently. A second mare sat on one of two benches on either side of the wall, her large wings spread wide and her forehooves crossed before her, a toothpick rolled from one side of her mouth to the other and she eyed Twilight with an almost predatory gaze. A wiry, young-looking stallion lay next to her, snoozing soundly, his horn locked by a different color of solid magic. A fourth stallion leaned heavily on the bars, a large black top hat resting firmly on his head and nearly obscuring the horn that poked out.
“I said in, you half-wit,” The guard growled, a millisecond before Twilight found herself airborne, tossed unceremoniously into the center of the cell where her jaw bounced off the stone floor.
She stood quickly, rubbing her bruised jaw and looking back at the chuckling guards with hate in her eyes.
“Next time listen so I don't hafta toss ya,” the large female guard remarked before joining her fellow guard and walking back towards the exit, disappearing from sight.
Twilight sighed and trotted over to the one more or less empty bench and plunked down, most of her fellow inmates ignoring her save for the pegasus who still eyed her lecherously. The older mare dropped her head into her hooves and sighed, staring down at the stone floor in silent contemplation.
She felt guilt, remorse, and several other emotions whirling inside her and she couldn't help but think back to the sheer amount of damage she had inflicted on the aide. She had been a bit of a jerk, but did she really deserve that? Twilight sighed deeper, pressing her hooves against her eyes, the answer flying to the forefront of her mind. Of course, she didn't deserve that, not for a single remark.
Her heart burned with shame and her mind searched for a scapegoat, the root cause for all her problems and it didn't take long for the image of Celestia’s face to come to mind. Instantly the guilt and shame washed from her mind and her muscles clenched. This was Celestia's fault, she had been the one to apply pressure on her family while it was still reeling from the loss, neigh, theft of her daughter. She just had to push and push, no doubt telling her aide to try and egg Twilight Velvet on, but to what end?
Shining Armor came to mind and suddenly the aide’s remarks on his potential schooling were illuminated in a different light. She did not doubt that with her out of the picture, her husband would agree to such a proposal, as he lacked Twilight’s true understanding of Celestia’s motives. Without her around Shining would be carried away to that dreaded school, only to disappear like her little Twilight.
Her jaw clenched and she ground her teeth together as her train of thought continued to travel down the track of anger and grief. Before long she was muttering curses under her breath and trying to concoct some manner of plan that would ensure Celestia would not achieve her foul goals.
It was in the middle of one of these half-muttered rants that the top hat-wearing stallion suddenly approached Velvet.
“Good afternoon, I couldn't help but overhear your distaste for our magnanimous leader and wondered what in Equestria happened for our fair lady to earn such distaste from one of her own," he offered.
The sheer weight of all the sarcasm dripping from his words brought a smile to the mare’s face and she looked up to the concerned look on the stallion’s features. She had hardly given him more than a passing glance and other than his top hat she didn't really commit any of his features to memory but now that he was up close she could tell this stallion was different from the other prisoners.
For one, he carried himself with an aloof, blase charm more fit for a child than a full-grown stallion. Every aspect of his person screamed presentation and professionalism. His teeth were a perfect pearly white, his burnt orange mane was cut short and combed to swirl out from front to back, barely poking out from under his hat. His grey fur was also immaculately kept, to the point that Twilight couldn't help but wonder just what kind of shampoo the stallion used to give it such a luster. Most poignant of his features were perhaps the piercing red of his eyes, which set Twilight on edge.
“Oh, my sincere apologies, madam, my grim countenance can be a bit perturbing, but I assure you I am no manner of creature but rather merely a poor sod with a strange family history,” the stallion remarked, smiling widely.
"My apologies," Velvet exclaimed. "I was merely trapped in my own head so to speak.”
The stallion chuckled heartily, his smile warming her heart and unconsciously drawing her closer.
“Not a problem, madam, not a problem at all. Please excuse my nosiness, but I must admit you piqued my interest during your mumblings and I couldn't help but wonder what one of Celestia’s chosen nobility is doing down here, cursing her oh-so-glorious name," he pressed.
Twilight Velvet chuckled, his flowery speech drawing a smile to her lips.
“I wouldn't mind telling you, but I have to ask my own question first," she began.
“Of course, of course, go ahead!” He offered, his smile growing wider.
“Why do you care?” Velvet demanded.
“I don't really, to be honest," he admitted with a shrug. "But one must pass the time somehow and I have a feeling yours is an interesting tale. One worth hearing.”
“I appreciate your frank honesty and I suppose it is a rather interesting tale in hindsight," Velvet remarked. “Well… where to start.”
The stallion sat snuggly beside the mare, flashing her a winning smile.
“From the beginning is usually a good idea," he offered.
“I suppose…” She sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping. “My daughter was… taken, by some sort of demonic entity during her entrance exam and I can't help but think Celestia had something to do with it. Between her timing, the timing of the supposed flare, and all the potential eyewitnesses being mysteriously turned to plants it all doesn't quite add up.”
The stallion nodded sagely.
“I heard about that, the flare that is. Blew up the south tower, eh?” He inquired.
“Yeah," Velvet replied. "And ever since then I’ve been trying to find my lost Twilight, but it's not easy. Celestia has said in no uncertain terms that I am to stay at home and wait, but what kind of mother would I be if I listened to such sage advice.”
The stallion nodded slowly.
“What an interesting bit of serendipity," he mused aloud.
She blinked, looking over to him. “What do you mean?”
“I was hoping to find someone who might confirm what happened," he began. "The magical community I’m a part of was quite interested in the readings gathered during that little event. Which ultimately led to my current predicament as I seem to have been caught up in some sort of unsavory dealings that my contact had dabbled in.”
He snorted and shook his head.
“The blasted fool," he muttered.
“What kind of magical community?” Velvet prompted, shifting a little closer to the male.
He winked, shooting her a wry smirk.
“Let's just say we are a group of studious individuals who wish to study all manner of strange phenomena but are for the most part blocked and blacklisted due to Celestia’s distaste for such fields of study," he replied, still smirking.
“That sounds pretty shady, pardon my frankness," Velvet retorted.
The stallion broke out into a chuckle, clutching his heart as he laughed.
“Not to worry, my dear, not to worry," he exclaimed. "I like to add a little ominousness to our club as telling people I’m with a group of researchers who all got kicked out of college for everything from scholarly misconduct to drunken behavior doesn't quite have that air of mystery and intrigue quite like my version does.”
“I suppose it doesn't," Velvet replied, giggling to herself.
The stallion drew himself up straight.
“Well, suffice it to say my little club is much intrigued by the events surrounding your daughter and may just be able to help, but I fear as though my time is up and my exit is about to arrive," He proclaimed.
The mare’s eyes went wide, the distinct sound of clacking armor coming down the hall.
“How do I contact you?” she asked desperately.
The stallion smirked, standing next to the jail cell door.
“Find the last worm in Canterlot and you will find the salvation you seek," he replied.
Then before she had a chance to even press her questions, the guard appeared.
“Mister Raff?” The guard asked.
The stallion nodded and the guard frowned.
“It seems like somepony paid your bail, you are free to go until your court date of next Tuesday at two o'clock," the guard declared.
The door swung open and admitted the stallion who gave a sweeping bow to the guard.
“Why, thank you my good stallion, you have my thanks. Please, lead the way," Mister Raff declared.
“Wait!” Twilight called. “What did you mean? What am I looking for?”
The stallion stopped and shot Twilight a wide confident smile.
“You are a smart mare," he remarked. "I’m sure you can figure it out, and when you do, we can have a drink, just you and me.”
With that he turned and left, the last thing Twilight Velvet saw of the stallion was his strange cutie mark of a black shield with a blood-red pike over it.