Midnight’s interview with Twilight was about as painful as she had been expecting. Six months ago, she would’ve imagined fury or terror for anypony who discovered what she was—and her expectation had often been accurate. But Ponyville was different. How much of that was just being honest to them from the beginning? How much of my life before was the shock of ponies discovering I wasn’t what I claimed?
Those questions were not likely to be answered anytime soon, unfortunately. I can’t think about it now. Helping Nightfall is more important than worrying about ponies I’ll probably never meet again. All she had to do was make it through the rest of Twilight’s questions, and she could go back to Nightfall and Sapphire. Apparently there would be dinner waiting.
As they spoke, Midnight was aware in the back of her mind as other ponies began shuffling into the library. None of them looked terribly interesting, and they mostly kept their distance. But in only a few minutes, there were more ponies in the library then she’d ever seen before. Almost a dozen of them in all, and not one of them looked like ponies she’d seen wandering Ponyville before.
Something is wrong. They were already sitting near the back, on a bench near a mostly-empty set of shelves, so they weren’t in the way of the various patrons. It wouldn’t take a dozen ponies to spy on us. Why would anyone even bother? Kirin aren’t a secret, they’re just rare.
Midnight’s instincts had been carefully honed by a lifetime of living as a fugitive, and her instincts told her that she needed to move carefully. How has Twilight not noticed this isn’t right?
“And your horn hasn’t worked your whole life?” Twilight was asking, sounding as though she didn’t even see the strangers milling about through the doorway into the library. But she does live here. Maybe she’s just used to having them around. “There are some conflicting accounts… are you sure you didn’t suffer some kind of injury? Maybe when you were—”
“No, pretty sure it’s never worked. I don’t know any others, but my father…” Midnight trailed off, lowering her voice. “Twilight, when does the library usually close? It’s almost dark outside.”
“Oh, right.” Twilight rose, settling her notebook down on the seat where she’d been sitting. “If you would just wait one moment, Midnight. I’ll send these ponies out on their—”
“No,” Midnight pulled on her with a wing. “Twilight, I… think we should go. Right now.” The doorway into the kitchen was just past them. Maybe they could slip backward and out the door. If this many ponies had showed up to rob the library, then there wasn’t anything the two of them could do to stop them. But considering everything else that had happened in Ponyville lately, Midnight had her doubts that was why.
“Why?” Twilight wasn’t whispering. “I know these questions might be routine for you, Midnight, but a promise is a promise. It’s not polite to try and get out before we finish.”
Midnight wanted to smack herself in the face with a hoof. Twilight obviously hadn’t caught the hint, but everypony out in the hallway sure had. Watching the doorway, she could see four separate ponies all focus on them, completely abandoning the pretense of searching for books.
Twilight frowned, her face getting worried. “Spike! Could you go check on the quills for me?” Her horn sparkled with a few bits of purple, and she backed a little distance away from the rest of the library.
Midnight recognized the way her limbs were shaking. This was a pony who had suffered something recently, and was being overwhelmed by it. “Why in Equestria are you asking about your—”
Something banged behind them—the backdoor.
“I think the dragon might be running. Stop him, now!” Shouted someone from the library.
Twilight’s horn flashed again, like a spell she’d almost managed to conjure. But whatever she had been trying to do, it hadn’t worked.
Ponies poured in around them, like they’d been waiting patiently for this moment. Midnight raised her tail, baring the blade at them and stepping out in front of Twilight. Maybe the pony was afraid of these intruders—she wasn’t.
“You ponies back off!” Twilight called, her voice cracking once. “I don’t think you know who I am! One of the most powerful sorcerers in Equestria, personal student of…”
Another pony strode inside, an elderly stallion with a pale coat and slightly shriveled features. Midnight didn’t recognize him, but Twilight did.
Her expression relaxed at once, her horn going out, and she strode confidently past Midnight, crossing the distance between them. The other ponies had surrounded them by now, blocking off every exit. There was no window back here either, not that there would’ve been a window big enough for Midnight.
I never thought I’d have to use this against a pony. Midnight kept her body tense, ready to spring if these ponies attacked. There were a few unicorns here who would probably stay out of reach, but most weren’t. If they wanted to try anything, they’d have to get close first.
“Thank Celestia, Spell Nexus!” Twilight’s voice cracked. “We need to get out of here! I already tried to teleport out, but I can’t. I think there might be a—”
“Spatial anchor,” the elderly stallion finished. He had a sad smile on his face. “Yes, I believe there is. But I can get us out. I brought something. Quick, look—” He reached into his saddlebags, making to draw something out for her.
“Twilight, wait—” But Midnight’s warning came too late. The unicorn took a face full of something pale, and collapsed limply to the ground.
“Terribly sorry, Twilight. But the longer you remained awake, the more dangerous you were.” He gestured with a hoof, and two of the ponies lurking near one wall approached, one carrying a rope in her teeth.
“Don’t even bucking think about it.” Midnight stepped to one side, brandishing her tail. It had the desired effect, causing the stallion to retreat and several other ponies to back away as well. The crowd contracted around her as a whole, but she swung her tail around in a wide ark. “I don’t have a clue who you ponies are, but you’re leaving. Except for you, creep. You’re probably going to jail for that.”
Twilight had called him Spell Nexus, which was probably what that cutie mark represented. Midnight wouldn’t forget it now. So long as I get away from this, I can tell Sapphire that name and get the guard on him. They shouldn’t have shown their faces.
There was another disturbing possibly that suggested, though. What if they don’t care because they don’t intend to let either of us live?
Spell Nexus seemed less frightened of her than the others, though he did keep out of reach of her tail. His horn glowed pale blue, and Midnight could feel the energy there. Probably a defense spell. Her constitution was stronger than a regular pony’s. Whatever chemical he’d used to stun Twilight wouldn’t have worked well on her. But this unicorn didn’t look like the sort who would use a simple stun.
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with,” said a pony from behind her. A mare, with venom in her voice. “You can’t stop the return of Equestria’s true queen.”
Well thanks for letting me know who you’re all working for. Crazy cult, check.
“The time of her ascension has arrived,” said another pony, this one from Midnight’s other side. “Every creature will submit to her will.”
“Not this one!” Midnight slashed through the air again—this time, between two of the cultists. She hadn’t been aiming at them, but at the empty bookshelf. She cut easily through most of the supports, showering the ground with a dramatic explosion of wood. It had the desired effect on the crowd, which continued to back away.
Everypony except for Spell Nexus. “Kirin,” he said, his voice so commanding that all the other ponies around them fell silent. “I believe our interests align more than you suspect. Twilight Sparkle is apprentice to the wrong princess, but she will not be harmed by this process. If there was more time, I would prefer to convince her of the virtue of our cause. I know she understands the history better than most of Equestria’s ignorant masses. The process will not be lethal.”
“You want to hurt ponies I care about,” Midnight snapped, stepping over the unconscious unicorn. If they’re going for Twilight right now, Nightfall is probably next. Unless there’s another group of foal nappers already there.
She wanted to break her way through a wall and fly straight there. But to escape she’d have to attack these ponies—given the weapons she had, it was likely she’d have to inflict some serious harm to do that. Midnight Storm hesitated. She wasn’t ready to kill today. “I’m giving you one last chance to leave us alone. Leave Ponyville, don’t come back. You leave mine alone, and I’ll let you go.”
The cultists around her laughed. The cruel-sounding female who was guarding the kitchen door grunted in annoyance. “Come on, Nexus. Only a few hours until midnight. Just strike her down and we’ll go.”
“No,” Spell Nexus said. “Look at her. Our queen would not think us loyal servants if we tossed useful tools away.” His eyes began to glow.
Time to go! Midnight swung her tail at the bare wall near the destroyed shelves, intending to cut straight through. It stopped in mid swing, a split second before the rest of her body froze too. There were at least three other unicorns spread around the circle, and all of them were focused on her.
Midnight struggled, fighting against their magic with all her strength. She could hear them grunt and struggle. “Master…” a younger stallion croaked from behind Spell Nexus. “We can’t… for long…”
Something horrible was happening to the elderly stallion’s eyes. Midnight wanted to look away, but found she couldn’t. At first they went dark, with glowing slits a little like a dragon’s. Then something transparent seemed to rip its way out. A dark tentacle spread from within, reaching for her.
She screamed, fighting with all her might. One of the unicorns collapsed from the magical strain, his horn smoking. But it was too late for Midnight Storm.
The thing grabbed onto her head, and agony spread from where it touched. She stopped fighting the unicorns, and had to struggle just to stay conscious. Stars above, somepony, anypony, help…
No one came. The circle of cultists dissolved into vague suggestions as the thing crawled its way through her. She shook, drooled, tried to keep fighting.
The battle is over, Midnight Storm, said a voice in her ear, and she obeyed. Pain had turned the whole world into a drifting starfield, the shapes of the cultists each like a constellation. The unicorn spells holding her vanished, and Midnight collapsed.
No. I can’t… can’t let you… can’t let you hurt her. She struggled to her hooves, then practically tripped over herself. Her tail sunk into the floor with a thump.
No one will hurt her. Nightfall is in chains, and we’re going to set her free.
Just like that, the pain faded from around her. Strange stars solidified into the shapes of the cultist ponies.
“We welcome our new sister,” said Spell Nexus, and Midnight felt compelled to listen. She didn’t try to run, didn’t even try to lift her tail out of the floor. “Introduce yourself, Kirin.”
Buck you, she thought, and prepared to charge.
No, commanded the voice in her mind, and her limbs felt suddenly numb. You will obey him. Spell Nexus only wants to help her.
Midnight straightened, lowered her head respectfully to the elderly stallion. “Midnight Storm,” she said.
“We welcome Midnight,” echoed the cultists from around her.
“May you serve Equestria’s true queen faithfully, sister.”
“I will,” she found herself saying, though the words felt like poison on her tongue. I have to fight! I have to warn Sapphire, I have to do something!
“Moondust, Dandelion, deal with her.” Spell Nexus pointed at where Twilight had fallen. “You know where to meet us. The rest of you, with us. It will be dark soon—our queen is waiting for us.”