//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: Spyra // by angelofrombelow //------------------------------// "Are you sure you're up to this, Noteworthy? You've only been in hospital for two days, after all," said Carrot Top. The blue-coated stallion didn't respond straight away but the determination on his face was enough to make his intentions clear. "Thank you for your concern," he said, "But you need my help if we're going to find out who did this to me." She was still uncertain. It was true that her conversation with Zecora yesterday hadn't done much to move their investigation on – the zebra had told her that none of her species were capable of the magic used in the attack of Noteworthy. Their skills were based entirely on potions and remedies. They had been told about Celestia's treatment of Twilight last night and this had also given them cause for concern. For the first time, they found themselves beginning to question the princess's behaviour. Nurse Redheart brought in a wheelchair, with Dr Whooves following her into the room. She parked it up next to Noteworthy's bed. "Can you pass them over?" the blue earth pony asked Carrot Top. She picked up the metal hands he had invented and gave them to him. There was a click as he inserted one of his front hooves into the glove's opening, with internal clasps automatically wrapping themselves tightly and securely around his leg. "Are you sure you want to leave already?" asked Dr Whooves, "There's no demand for beds and you should be taking things easy." Noteworthy looked at him. "Your surgeons have operated on me as much as they can, have they not? There's little else that can be done for me now, apart from waiting to see how well I heal up over time." "That's true," he said, "But I'm not exactly comfortable with you leaving us so early." "I have contacts in Canterlot whom I wish to speak to. We need to find out who dropped that piano on me in order to keep everypony in Ponyville safe. Anything I can do to speed up the royal guards' investigation should be welcomed, no?" Whooves conceded his point. Noteworthy put on the other hand, then – with a little help from Redheart – used his enhanced grip to pull himself out of bed and into the wheelchair. She strapped him in, securing his body so there was no risk of him falling out. He grabbed the wheels and rolled himself forward a few yards, testing his capabilities. "Well, they work. I'm impressed. Earth ponies normally need some help to operate a wheelchair," said Whooves. "He's going to get help, whether he wants it or not," said Carrot Top, "I'm not leaving him to fend for himself." Noteworthy smiled in gratitude. "Thank you for everything, doctor. If it wasn't for you and your team, then I…" Whooves waved dismissively. "Just doing my job. And don't think too hard about what might have been – focus on what you've got now and don't forget to take it easy." With that, the two earth ponies bid him farewell and left the hospital, heading for Noteworthy's home. "Thank you so much for all your help, Carrot Top," he said, "You've shown me nothing but kindness." "You are more than welcome. But please, call me Golden Harvest. I prefer it." He frowned, pausing a while before continuing to roll the wheels. "You prefer your spy name? Why?" "Carrot Top is the name my parents gave me but I've always disliked it. It's too common for a mare from a Canterlot background – the foals in my class used to bully me over it. When I came to Ponyville I saw it as a chance to put that right. Golden Harvest has a much more majestic sound to it, don't you agree?" "Perhaps, but it's not as unique as Carrot Top. I've never met a mare with that name, whereas you could easily find another Golden Harvest if you wandered through Canterlot for long enough," he said, "I like Carrot Top. It describes you well – it matches both your profession and your mane. You shouldn't let childhood bullies get to you." She quietly pondered what he'd said. She wasn't going to drop her adopted name on a whim but his words had given her food for thought. "That's very nice of you to say so," she said warmly, "I don't think anypony's ever complimented me on my name before." The pair of them moved on in happy silence until they reached Noteworthy's front door. The stallion hesitated, facing a quandary. There was something he needed to do inside – it was the reason why he had sought to get out of the hospital so quickly. But he wasn't willing to let Carrot Top find out what it was. The pair of them had been getting on very well since his injury and he was convinced that romance could be on the cards. If it did happen, it wouldn't be like any relationship he had had before. She wasn't just some pretty pony he had picked up at a bar – this was somepony he was genuinely beginning to care about. He couldn't do anything to jeopardise what he had here. If she discovered what he had been up to, her high opinion of him would be shattered. He couldn't let her inside. "Thank you for the escort, but that short journey's tired me out. I think I'll take a quick rest before we get to business," he said. "I told you it was too early for you to be up and about. Oh well, what's done is done. I can start writing letters to your contacts while you recuperate." Noteworthy struggled to come up with an excuse without appearing to be rude. "I, I hope you don't mind but I think I'd prefer to be alone. That hospital was so crowded with ponies that I barely had space to think. A couple of hours by myself would do me the world of good. To aid my recovery, you understand." Carrot Top couldn't hide her disappointment. "You don't want me to come inside?" "I'll come round and speak to you later. Once I'm feeling one hundred per cent." She pawed the ground with her front hoof, looking down sadly. "But it's so lonely in my house at the moment, what with Noi being in Manehattan. I could really use the company." Noteworthy felt a pang of regret. What he was doing couldn't be construed as anything other than a rejection, but there was no other way. If he let her in on his secret, she'd probably end up hating him. "I'll come around later, okay?" he said. There was a moment of nervous hesitation on his part, then he leaned forward and nuzzled against her in a show of affection. It was an awkward gesture due to his restricted position, but it was all she needed. "Make it sooner rather than later," Carrot Top said, "Very well. I'll check on how Lyra and Berry Punch are getting on with their investigation. Take care." She took a step back, smiled, then walked away. Noteworthy watched her go, before heading inside his home and bolting the door behind him. His wheelchair was going to make this difficult, but not impossible. He looked around for a suitable implement and settled upon the hooked pole that he used to open his skylight. Picking it up, he rolled over to the rug and pulled it up to reveal a metal ring attached to the wooden floor. He hooked it with the pole and lifted it, opening a hidden door. The rug curved over on itself – Noteworthy had glued it in place so he could pull the door shut after himself by using a chain on its underside, and the floor decoration would fall back into place. He paused at the opening, looking down into his basement. Thankfully he had chosen to build a slope, rather than steps, for access to his laboratory. That didn't mean this was going to be easy. He inched forward slowly, making abundant use of the brake as he went over the edge. Soon he was on the slope itself and, with his brakes fully on, was in no danger of slipping. He flicked on the basement lights and shut the door behind him. It was time to get to work. **** Every step that Twilight took was difficult but she pushed on, each one taking her closer to her ultimate fate. She had walked these corridors in Canterlot castle many times before and she was mentally ticking off familiar sights as she went, an ever-decreasing number of milestones that would end in Princess Celestia's throne room. Rarity had done her best to make her look as presentable as possible but it had been no easy task. Twilight had not had a wink of sleep last night and was suffering for it. The tracks of her tears had been washed away by her morning shower and her mane had been carefully brushed so there was not a single hair out of place. Careful use of make-up went some way to disguise the bags under her eyes. There was little that could be done to hide how tired Twilight was. The only thing greater than her fatigue was the sick feeling in her stomach, which reached as far as her throat and was making it difficult to swallow. She passed by a painting of Celestia and looked ahead to see the two guards posted outside the throne room. This was it. Her voice was so quiet that the two stallions could barely hear it, but they had been told to expect her. They let her past. The room was vast, as high as it was wide. Ornate columns lined the walls, which were covered with stained glass windows that depicted past events of Equestrian history. A lush red carpet lined the route to the golden throne, where Princess Celestia waited for her student. As Twilight came closer, she noticed that the princess seemed a little tired herself. There was a slight darkness under her eyes, perhaps indicating that she also had a poor night's sleep. This sparked the tiniest flicker of hope, which the purple unicorn clung onto with all her will. Celestia rose from her throne and slowly, majestically walked down the steps to meet Twilight. The unicorn bowed in greeting, lowering herself to the ground in submission. There was silence. "How long have you been my student, Twilight Sparkle?" asked Celestia rhetorically. She let the question hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "In the time you have spent under my tutelage, I have taught you the intricacies of magic, the methods of science and the lessons of history. "You too have taught yourself many things – your appetite for reading and knowledge is unlike many unicorns of your age. Many scholars start out thinking they know it all and do not realise their mistake until they reach maturity, even old age. "But your studies have come at great cost. Your social skills are lacking, Twilight Sparkle, and your dependence on my approval is an unpleasant facet of your character. Although your time in Ponyville has done much to integrate you into the real world, as opposed to the fantasy land your books allowed you to hide in, you still have a lot of growing up to do. "If you are to truly make it in this world and realise your full potential, you are going to have to stand up on your own four hooves and learn to depend on yourself. To this end, Twilight, I am cutting you loose." She drew herself up to her full height and looked the young librarian in the eye. "From this point on, you are no longer my student." Twilight took a sharp intake of breath, the sound of her gasp crackling as air rushed past the saliva in her throat. Her eyes became wet, as her tiredness made it harder for her to hide her emotions. "Princess, I," she began, her voice stumbling. "Princess, I'm sorry! I can do better! Please, just give me another chance." Celestia snorted in annoyance. "Have you not listened to a word I said? Your ties to me are holding you back, Twilight. Believe me, this is for the best." She smiled slyly. "But rest assured, though you are no longer my student, I have grander things in mind for you." Her ex-pupil remained quiet, bracing herself for what she feared would be an unpleasant assignment. "My sister also made an error of judgement recently," said Celestia, "On a mission of peace to the Griffin Kingdom, she conceded to give them reparations for what happened during Discord's escape. I have tasked her and your brother with going back and reasserting our authority. I believe you would benefit greatly if you went along with them." "To the Griffin Kingdom?" Twilight said, "But isn't that place dangerous?" Celestia raised her voice, not in anger but just enough to assert her authority. "You will be with my sister and a small contingent of guards. You will be safe. This shall be a perfect test of your character, not to mention a chance for you to see life outside Equestria and learn about diplomacy." Twilight squirmed, trying her utmost to contain her discomfort. She held her tongue for fear of upsetting the princess further, her protests dying on her lips and coming out as nothing more than a pained squeak. "You will also get to see your brother again. I know your separate duties have made it difficult for you to talk to each other for some time," said the princess, "Do you accept your mission?" "Y-yes. I accept," she said, lacking the strength to argue. "Good, then. My sister and your brother are already fully prepared and will be leaving within the hour. You have a short time to get ready." "Leave now?" she said, aghast. "But what about my friends? I can't just go without telling them. I can't go without… without saying goodbye." The shock of her sudden upheaval hit her hard and she began to sniffle, despite her best efforts to control herself. Celestia sighed. "Ponyville is not far from here by chariot. You will have a brief opportunity to make your farewells on the way, before resuming your journey." The princess adopted a more informal disposition. "Now, Twilight, I must ask you to take your leave. I have other matters to attend to. Worry not – you will see, in time, that this was done with your best interests at heart." The unicorn bowed her head sadly, then turned to leave the chamber. It took some effort for her to maintain a walking pace – she wanted to run, to get as far away from the princess as possible. She had up to an hour before she would be forced to leave on the flight to the Griffin Kingdom. A lot of time to kill for somepony who had no idea what to do with herself. She didn't want to speak to anypony but she also couldn't bear to be alone. What she wanted most right now was to be with her friends. No, scratch that. What she wanted most right now was to curl up into a little ball and disappear. She couldn't stay in the castle. Too much going on, too many busy ponies. Instead, she headed out into Celestia's garden. It was peaceful there. She would have time to think. Her hooves rustled the lush, green grass as she put one hoof in front of the other, not paying any heed to where she was going. Her head was so full of misgivings and regrets that she found it impossible to settle on just one. She stopped when she reached the garden's hedge maze, then found herself too drained to bother changing direction. She lifted herself up onto the stone bench that sat beside it and took a rest. Emotionally shattered as she was, she was too tired to cry. There was nothing she could do about her situation. All she could do was let it unfold. At least she would get to see Shining Armour. She would also get an opportunity to speak with Princess Luna. There was some good that would come out of this. She looked out upon the courtyard and regarded the statues that stood within it. Various ponies in warlike or victorious poses, all immortalised in stone. She briefly pondered who they were and what they had achieved to deserve a statue in their honour. Then she saw the creature who was responsible for her predicament. The being whose actions had ultimately led to her current unhappiness. Discord. Still frozen in the position he had been in when he was blasted by the Elements of Harmony, his horrified face turned away as he tried in vain to escape his fate. Twilight felt the rage welling up within her. She jumped down from the bench and slowly walked over to the statue of her nemesis, then looked up at him in anger and contempt. "You," she whispered, "This is all your fault." She stood there for the longest time, staring at the now-benign god of chaos. Slowly, her anger dripped away and was replaced again by sadness. She bowed her head. "No," she said, "No, this is my fault. I'm the one who let things get on top of me. I'm the one who should have coped with my problems better. This is… this is…" She let out a cry of frustration and shook her head. Although he could no longer threaten Equestria, his ability to harm others remained. She cursed herself for allowing him to get into her head. It was then she remembered what he had said when he first accosted Celestia. The sentences that had caused her nightmares to intensify. "It's quite lonely being encased in stone but you wouldn't know that, would you? Because I don't turn ponies into stone!" She turned away from Discord, her eyes wide as she took in the statues within the courtyard. There were about half a dozen in all. They were all statues of ponies. Life-sized statues. No, she told herself. It wasn't possible. She wouldn't. Not Celestia, the kind-hearted alicorn who had ruled Equestria for centuries with a fair hoof. But these past two days, Twilight had seen another side to her former mentor. A side she hadn't known existed. She had learned, to her cost, that anypony who stepped out of line would be punished. "Stop it," she said, holding her hoof to her eyes. "You're being stupid. You're just sleep-deprived, that's all. Celestia wouldn't inflict that sort of torment on anypony." But she did to Discord, said a small voice of doubt at the back of her mind. Can I be so sure that was just a one-off thing? "I… I don't know," Twilight admitted. She stood stock still for a moment, a prickling sensation travelling down her back as she examined the statues. Then she remembered her recent late-night study session, in which she had learned a spell that could restore anypony that had been turned into stone back to normal. "I'll show you," she told the voice. "I'll prove it." She wandered up to the nearest statue, which depicted a muscular stallion rearing up on his hind legs. Her horn glowed as she cast her spell. Nothing happened. The stone did not peel back to reveal flesh, the unmoving artwork did not suddenly come to life. But Twilight could feel something as her magic touched upon the statue. A kind of resistance, as if there was a protective bubble around it that just needed a little push before it would give. Part of her told her to leave it there. Just walk away. But her innate curiosity told her to push it further. Like a moth to a flame, Twilight complied. She increased the power of her spell, concentrating as she focused her magical abilities on the statue. And the stallion's stone mane began to change, the first flickers of blood red hair beginning to show through. Twilight's mouth gaped open as more of the trapped pony's body began to reveal itself before her unblinking eyes. His mane uncovered, the magical aura rippled down across his face and revealed his white coat. His eyes grew soft and blinked in confusion, then he let out a groan as his mouth came free. The stallion tried to move but found he couldn't shift anything apart from his head. Not understanding at first, he looked around and realised where he was. Then he saw the rest of his body, still unchanged, still frozen in time, and his expression changed to one of horror. "No," he said, his voice as dark as a shadow across the Sun. "Celestia. Celestia, what have you done?!" Twilight fell onto her back, her eyes meeting his as he stared down on her. She twitched in panic and the magical aura faded from her horn as she lost control of her spell. The stallion's head began to solidify again. "No, please!" he cried, "You can't just – set me free, please, I…" He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. The spell reversed itself and he was frozen in place, his formerly victorious expression now locked in one of horror. Twilight suddenly realised she hadn't been breathing for the past minute and started taking short, percussive gasps, on the verge of hyperventilating. She could feel her heart thrumming in her chest, pulsing so fast it felt like one continuous beat. It was true. There was no denying it, not after what the stallion had said. Celestia was capable of turning ponies into stone. The princess, who Twilight had looked up to for her entire life, had no qualms about inflicting the most horrifically painful punishment that the young unicorn could conceive of. Her eyes began to stream as the tendrils of true, primordial fear spread through her being and seized her in their inescapable grasp. What if her nightmares had been more than that? Not night terrors, but premonitions? The stallion's fate could soon be her own. In his brief moments of freedom, he had altered his position. The proof of her transgression was there for all to see, it was undeniable. It wouldn't take long to realise who was responsible. She scrambled onto her hooves – an action that was made difficult because she was trembling so much. Her legs shook, her terror physically affecting her to the point where it was hard to stand. Without even realising it, she was chanting the word "no" over and over, a mantra of denial. She stumbled backwards, her hindquarters bumping into a statue stand behind her. Another one of Celestia's victims. The princess was already angry with her for her misdemeanour in Ponyville. She had already been the target of corrective action. She fought the urge to scream, now frightened beyond the capacity for reason. I'm doomed, said the small voice in the back of her mind. I'm finished. I'm done. Celestia's going to find out and I'm going to become another one of her statues, trapped here forever. Will my friends visit me? Will they… will they join me? "Shut up," she said, her voice trembling. "Shut up shut up shut up. I've got to get out of here. I've got to run. I can't, I can't let her do this to me!" An all-consuming need filled her being, a desire to be anywhere else other than here. She could hear the rushing of blood in her ears as a surge of magical power built up inside her. She closed her eyes shut, trying to block it out – when she opened them again they were glowing white with power. There was a purple flash and Twilight vanished. **** Spike hummed to himself as he busied himself by restacking the bookshelves again. He was doing anything he could to take his mind off his feelings of guilt. He was the one who had gotten Twilight into trouble. He was the one who had told Celestia her student was letting things get on top of her. If he had known how the princess would react, he would have tried to handle the situation by himself. Tried harder to talk Twilight into seeing reason. The unicorn had been awake all night, as had her friends. They stayed over to try to comfort her, which proved to be no easy task. In all that time, he had been unable to confess to anypony that he was responsible for her misery. He stopped humming and sat on his footstool, putting his head in his claws. The library was uncomfortably quiet. Spike didn't notice the sound for a few moments. It started as an imperceptible whine, which slowly increased in volume until it got to the point where he couldn't ignore it. He was just standing up to find out where it was coming from when it suddenly rose to a shriek. Purple sparks of magic crackled in the air, then there was a huge blast of energy that hit the room like a bomb. Spike was knocked off his feet and into the bookshelf behind him as anything that wasn't securely held down was sent flying. The little dragon groaned, then yelped as a falling book hit him on the head. He stood up, rubbing his temple, then gasped as he saw the cause of the sudden explosion. Twilight Sparkle was in the centre of the room, her head low to the ground as she took in huge gulps of air, trying to recover from her exertion. "Twilight?" he cried, "Did you… did you just teleport all the way from Canterlot? How did you do that?" He shook his head. "Why did you do that? What happened with Princess Celestia?" The sound of her former mentor's name reignited her panic. She went to move but was too exhausted to keep her balance – she slipped and fell heavily on her side. "Twilight!" he cried, rushing over. She shrugged off his efforts to help her onto her hooves, forcing herself to get up under her own steam. "I've got to get out of here," she said, her voice so hoarse it was barely recognisable. She stumbled into the kitchen, pulling open a cupboard door as she went. "Got to get supplies. Don't know how long I'm going to be…" She shook her head, which didn't ease her disorientation. "No! No time. Have to leave now." "Wait, slow down," said Spike, now genuinely frightened. "What happened, Twilight? What's wrong with you?" She looked away from him and felt herself starting to tear up. "I can't, I can't tell you," she said, an audible catch in her throat. "I can't put you in danger too. I have to… I have to go!" Spike put himself between her and the front door, trying to prevent her from escaping. She was so weak that she had difficulty pushing past him. "Stop! Just stop! Tell me what's wrong!" he said, grabbing onto one of her hind legs. "I've never seen you acting so irrationally." She pushed open the front door, dragging her dragon assistant behind her. She grunted in frustration and shook her leg, trying in vain to shake him off. "Will you let me go? Let me go!" she shouted, drawing the attention of the ponies outside. "I haven't got much time left before she comes for me. Don't you understand? Don't you get it? My life is in danger!" She kicked out with her hind legs, forcing Spike to release his grip. She took a few stumbling steps forward, gritting her teeth. Her vision was blurred with sweat, her flank ached and there was a painful pulsing sensation in her head – the result of a teleportation spell that had almost pushed her past her physical limits. Her outcry had attracted a few ponies, who were wondering what was going on and whether there was anything they could do to help. Among their number was a stallion who knew exactly what was happening. Whooves watched as Twilight gathered her strength and began to run, taking the path out of Ponyville. He had known this was coming. He had prepared himself for it. Twilight's fate was set and, on the face of it, this was the way it had to be. An innocent life to secure the future freedom of the planet. A sacrifice to protect the lives of everypony in Equestria. But knowing the future was entirely different to watching it unfold in front of him. He couldn't deny it – he was fond of the mare, and knowing what her future held was painful to him. Screw causality. He couldn't let this happen to her. The consequences, he could deal with later. "Twilight, stop!" he cried, running after her. The unicorn heard him and increased her speed, digging into her last reserves. He easily drew level with her and she turned her head away, still running at full tilt. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. "Whatever you think you saw, you're mistaken," he said, as they headed out of Ponyville. "You need to stop. Think it through. You're not seeing things straight right now." Twilight let out a high-pitched gasp of pain as her horn sparked – a failed attempt to cast another teleportation spell. Whooves kept pace with her as they neared the Everfree Forest. He came to a decision – he had to stop her by whatever means necessary. But before he could tackle her and bring her to the ground, something hit him hard in the face. The force of it knocked him off his hooves. It took him several seconds to recollect his wits – in truth, he had been lucky not to be severely injured – and by the time he was back on his hooves, Twilight was nowhere to be seen. He called her name several times but there was no reply. Whooves guessed correctly that she had stopped him with a magical barrier – not a strong one, given how weak she was, but substantial enough to make him feel like he had just run into a brick wall. He sighed sadly and ran into town to pull together a search party. He couldn't blame anypony for this but himself. There had been plenty of time for him to stop this yesterday, but his sense of duty to the rest of Equestria had been too strong. He couldn't help but think he had made a terrible mistake. In all likelihood, it was too late for anypony to help her now.