//------------------------------// // A Descent into Darkness // Story: A Disparate Bond // by the7Saviors //------------------------------// The three foals lost track of time as they traversed through the crystal lit caverns. Firebrand seemed to be done with his eager description of his home, and the rest of the trip so far had been replaced with contemplative silence from all three. Without any banter to distract her, Twilight's mind once again returned to the manticore and what she had allowed to happen when her fear and panic took over. She rolled the event around in her mind trying to make sense of it, and found the answer with a rather distressing ease. It was Dark Magic, and it was her affinity. In desperation, her magic had acted more or less of its own accord and flared to the surface as Dark Magic due to that affinity. She was certain it hadn't been a magic surge, which only left the explanation of what Starlight called a magic miracle. At least, as far as Twilight knew. She tried to rationalize it, like she would've done with any other problem that was way over her head. It was something she'd done more than once back in Canterlot, and that always seemed to help calm her down, but she wasn't having a panic attack here. No, in this instance, she was simply... conflicted. She tried to rationalize that the manticore had attacked first. She told herself she hadn't been in control—that Tenebris would've eventually caught and killed both her and Starlight had she not acted when she did. Knowing that she had managed to save both hers and Starlight's life did alleviate some of the stress she was feeling, but the majority of it was still there. No matter what angle she came from, the fact remained the same. She had killed a living creature with Dark Magic, and it had felt good to do so. This, above everything else, is what kept the lavender filly in a constant state of emotional turmoil. Had it not been for the horribly satisfying sensation of killing the thing that threatened her and her friend conflicting with her own sense of right and wrong, this wouldn't have been a problem. As it stood however, she couldn't help but dwell on the event. Twilight's continued melancholy hadn't gone entirely unnoticed. Starlight, who'd been trotting ahead of Twilight and had seen her falling further behind as she remained lost in her thoughts, slowed her own pace so that she fell in step with the other filly. "Still thinking about that manticore, huh?" she asked in a near whisper, "you do realize it was gonna kill us, right? Frankly I'm glad the thing is gone. It just means we get to live a little longer, and I kinda like living, y'know?" Starlight gave her despondent friend a halfhearted smile, but it fell quickly when she saw Twilight wasn't even looking in her direction. The other filly hung her head, her ears drooping and her face a mask of misery. Starlight knitted her brow in thought for a few moments before her ears perked up and she broke into a small smile. "Hey, Firebrand?" she called out, turning to the thestral colt, who'd been lost in his own thoughts, "I got a question." It took him a second, but he finally registered that he'd been spoken to and turned around to face Starlight with an expectant look. Starlight nudged Twilight before hurrying off to catch up with Firebrand. Twilight was left to trot after her, a frown full of both annoyance and curiosity. "So," Starlight began innocently, "how old is this place anyway? How long has this cave been down here below the Fortress?" "Huh?" Fireband asked, blinking in surprise. His eyes widened a moment later and he gave Starlight a wide grin, "oh! Right, the Starlight Cave!" in his eagerness to explain, he turned and started trotting backwards in order to face the pale pink filly, "so get this, the Starlight Cave, and Nightshade, have both been here way longer than the Fortress." "Oh, really?" Starlight asked in mock awe as she cast an inconspicuous glance in Twilight's direction, who's eyebrows had risen slightly as she came up behind her, "and how long ago was that exactly?" "Well, the Fortress and the entirety of the Grey Asylum was built over the Starlight Cave," Firebrand continued, "according to the Elders, us thestrals were the ones that built the Fortress and founded the city about three hundred years ago." "You all used to live above ground?" Twilight asked, her own curiosity overtaking her sullen mood, "and you've all been surviving out here in the desert for three hundred years?" "Yeah!" Firebrand replied, puffing out his chest. He deflated a moment later as he spoke again, "though it wasn't easy. Apparently there were a lot more of us back then, but with all the deadly monsters and demons attacking, our numbers kinda... dwindled." "I can imagine," Starlight replied with a grimace, "so with all that going on, how did you manage to even build a city like that?" Firebrand pursed his lips and furrowed his brow in thought. He gave a contemplative flap of his leathery wings and sighed in frustration a few seconds later. "I honestly can't remember how we did it," he replied with an irritated frown, "I think my grandpa told me once, but I can't remember what he said. Maybe I can ask him once we get to the town," his smile faltered, "...if he doesn't decide to banish me along with the other Elders that is." "I'm sure it'll all be fine," Twilight replied with a reassuring, if slightly weak, smile. Her smile became a bit more genuine at her next words, "so how did you all get here? Or wait, are thestrals native to the desert? What made you all move underground—no, that's a stupid question given all the monsters. Did you—" "Twilight," Starlight interjected, shoving a hoof in her mouth, "give the colt a minute to speak, would you?" "Right, sorry," Twilight said, giving Firebrand an apologetic smile once Starlight had pulled her hoof away, "I just... got a bit excited is all. I didn't know thestrals even existed until now, and I, well..." Starlight listened to Twilight fumble over her own words and allowed herself a small smirk of satisfaction. She'd successfully been able to once again distract Twilight from her own worries, and, while it was by no means a permanent solution, it felt good to see the other filly smiling again. Firebrand on the other hoof, continued to annoy Starlight. She had no idea what it was exactly, but something about the colt just rubbed her the wrong way. Now that she'd gotten used to his appearance, the fact that he was a thestral didn't bother her in the slightest. No, if Starlight had to guess, it was probably his somewhat reedy voice and his meek disposition. His overall appearance and tone just seemed to scream 'doormat' to Starlight, and she didn't like it for some reason. Another thing Starlight noticed, and that did nothing to endear the colt to her, was that he certainly did like to go on about how amazing thestrals were. To Starlight, it was an odd trait for somepony so meek, and she found it rather grating. Maybe that's just the way all thestrals are? "The way my grandpa tells it," Firebrand was saying to an attentive Twilight, "we thestrals came from a small country that was basically on the opposite side of Equestria from where we are now, and... oh, um..." Firebrand suddenly looked uncomfortable, and to both Twilight's and Starlight's confusion, the colt suddenly whipped back around to face the path ahead of him. "W-Well, a lot of... stuff happened, and... uh..." he paused a moment before continuing in a smaller, more reluctant tone, "we all... migrated to the Land Beyond the Barrier," he turned and gave both fillies a very unconvincing smile, "so now we live here in the desert. We tried to make a living above ground when we built the city, but things... didn't exactly work out." Twilight and Starlight exchanged a look, both clearly aware that there was a lot more to the story than Firebrand was letting on. Starlight wondered at the sudden hesitation and Twilight was about to pry further when Firebrand froze up ahead. The two startled fillies scrambled to a stop behind him, but Firebrand paid no attention. He stood rigid, his ears twitching about as though listening for something Twilight and Starlight couldn't hear. "F-Firebrand?" Twilight whispered worriedly, "what's—" Firebrand shushed the lavender filly before taking a slow step back. Almost subconsciously, the other two mirrored his movement, wondering what they were in for next. "We're almost there," Firebrand muttered ominously, "the lift is just up ahead, and that means..." He trailed off and the cavern went silent. Twilight swallowed and took a step forward. Firebrand didn't look back, instead hanging his head and looking much like Twilight had earlier with his ears hanging low. "T-That means... what?" she asked, before her eyes widened in realization. She turned back to Starlight and saw that the pale pink filly had come to the same realization, "wait, if we're near the lift, then doesn't that mean the guards—" Twilight never got a chance to finish as she found herself pinned roughly to the ground. A pained cry escaped her lips, followed by the same from Starlight next to her as something heavy, and clearly living, pressed them down into the hard stone that made up the cavern floor. Almost on instinct, Twilight's horn flared to life, only to be quickly and agonizingly snuffed out by a sharp blow. Judging from the loud squeak of pain coming from her right, Starlight had attempted the same thing and failed. "What are you doing!" came Starlight's furious and terrified voice, "Firebrand, do something! Why are you just standing—gah!" "Quiet!" At Starlight's outburst and the following masculine, gravelly voiced command, Twilight, who had shut her eyes reflexively pried one open. She moved her head as much as she could and saw a dark grey hoof pressed against Starlight's head, pushing her cheek into the ground, but she paid no attention to that. Starlight's eyes were on something else ahead of her, and her eyes were blazing with indignant anger—her teeth grit in a furious snarl. Twilight, feeling another hoof atop her own head just above her horn, managed to turn her head just enough to see Firebrand in the distance. The colt stood back, his posture slumped, his head turned away, and his eyes full of shame, guilt, and fear. Twilight's own eyes widened as she realized what was happening, and she renewed her struggle to escape from the ones that had pinned her and Starlight down. It was a short lived struggle. In a quick blur of motion, Twilight and Starlight found themselves forced to their hooves, their small frames aching from the rough treatment, their vision blinded by rough cloth, and the horribly familiar weight of a cold metal ring wrapped around their horns. It had all happened in a matter of seconds, and somewhere deep in the analytical part of Twilight's mind, she couldn't help notice just how prepared their assailants were for this attack. Neither Twilight nor Starlight had any time to recover as they were shoved forward with matching yelps of surprise. "Move, now," came a gruff feminine voice from somewhere behind Starlight, "and you..." Twilight couldn't see what was happening, but by the terrified squeak coming from up ahead, she surmised the feminine voice was directed towards Firebrand. "I hope you have a really good explanation for the Council," the voice hissed, "don't think Elder Dying Flame is gonna be able to protect you from this one, Firebrand." There was a small whimper, followed by another command to move forward, and both Twilight and Starlight began trotting ahead blindly, only occasionally bumping into one another. "I bucking knew it," Twilight heard Starlight growl under her breath, "I knew this was gonna happen... bucking coward. I bet he knew—" Twilight heard a soft whump followed by another pained cry from Starlight. "I said shut it!" growled the masculine voice, "buck, this is why I can't stand foals..." Starlight fell silent, but even blindfolded, Twilight could practically feel the rage wafting from her friend in waves, and she had no doubt it was all directed at Firebrand. Twilight herself was more concerned than anything. Compared to what they'd been through running from the manticore, this was hardly a terrifying experience, especially since they'd been captured once before. Then again, that had apparently been some kind of test set up by Aeon. At that thought, Twilight began to wonder just where their supposed mentor had gone. The filly was convinced Aeon had a way to track them both, and wondered why she was allowing this to happen at all. Unfortunately she didn't have too much longer to dwell on the matter, as she felt the cold, hard stone beneath her hooves give way to sturdy wood and was forced to a stop by a rough hoof. "Congratulations, fillies," came the feminine voice in a mock tone of geniality, "you're about to be two of the only ponies to ever set hoof in the beautiful town of Nightshade in over one hundred and forty-six years—not counting our savior of course." "Be grateful, brats," rumbled the masculine voice nastily, "and if you're lucky, who knows? Maybe the Council will only have your horns removed before sending you on your way." Twilight's eyes widened in horror behind her blindfold, and her heart began to race. Starlight yelled something in her outrage, but Twilight ignored it as she focused on the words she'd just heard. Have our horns removed... our horns... It invoked a primal fear in her, and Starlight no doubt. It most likely would've invoked a deep seated fear in all unicorns, and Twilight visibly shook at the thought. She heard stories of unicorns who'd lost their horns. As far as punishments went, it was an archaic practice, mostly due to the fact that de-horning a unicorn was seen as cruel and inequine. It also didn't stop the flow of mana from attempting to reach the conduit that was the horn. What happened instead was that there was no conduit to regulate and focus the mana being used to cast a spell. If a unicorn tried to cast a spell with just a cracked horn, not only would the pain alone be enough to render one unconscious, but the spell would go out of control and whatever happened next would be out of anypony's hooves. Trying to cast magic with a fully, or even partially removed horn was suicide. It was said that attempting to push mana through a broken or severed horn was akin to setting fire to the brain, and would be just as fatal. It made Twilight shiver that much more violently. The male, most likely a thestral stallion, hit Starlight once more, but this time the filly would not be silenced and continued to shout with equal parts anger and terror... but Twilight ignored that. She didn't know what Firebrand was doing, but she too paid no mind to the colt. She heard the mechanical click of something being activated and felt the wooden platform beneath her jerked slightly. She heard the lift whir to life and felt the platform vibrate as it sent them down below. They descended quickly, and Twilight shut everything out as her whole world was reduced to one single thought. I don't wanna die.