//------------------------------// // 20. The Escape // Story: The Symbiote // by SpyroForLife //------------------------------// Twilight was ready to go as soon as school let out for the day. She wrapped up her work and then checked in on Starlight to make sure there was nothing else she needed to do. Starlight had nothing for her, though she did let her know that she made a lot of progress talking to Pyro earlier. “Glad to hear it,” Twilight replied. “I'm heading out to Canterlot to see Celestia, I'll see you tomorrow.” “Sounds good, have a nice afternoon.” “Haha, of course!” Twilight waved goodbye and left the school. She dropped some stuff off at home, had a quick snack (did Venom ever shut up about food?), and then headed for Canterlot. She elected to teleport to save some time, and met with Celestia once she arrived. “Good to see you,” Celestia said. “So, you want to talk to Blazing?” “Yes, and I’d like if you came with me.” “Of course. Follow me.” Celestia led the way to the stairs, and as they walked, she told Twilight that she had some investigators gathering information on the Baltimare science museum right now, and she had also sent an agent ahead to do a more in depth search of the building. “His name is Light Touch, he’s a unicorn that specializes in stealth,” she explained. “In fact I first met him as he was sneaking into my private library. Not really to steal anything, he was just challenging himself. I was impressed, so I offered him a job.” “Really? Wow, that’s pretty funny.” “Indeed. He’s done excellent work for us. If the symbiotes are being kept in Baltimare, he’ll find them.” They entered the dungeons, and a guard led them to the back, unlocking the thick metal door and opening it. They stepped into the high-security area, where a second guard greeted them. “Good afternoon, Princesses,” he said, bowing his head. “What can I do for you?” “We’re here to talk to Blazing Aura,” Celestia replied. “Of course, he’s right over here.” The guard showed them to the cell and they thanked him. He returned to guarding the door and the two addressed Blazing. “We need to talk to you,” Twilight said, tapping the bars. The stallion just smiled at her from where he was stretched out on his bed reading a book. “What, I don’t even get a good afternoon?” “Good afternoon,” Twilight said dryly. “And to you as well! Always nice to get visitors. So nice of you to allow me that courtesy, even with all the accusations against me.” Blazing closed the book and walked over to the bars. “What can I do for you?” “I want you to tell us the truth,” Twilight said. “You’re hiding the symbiotes somewhere and you need to tell us where, before we take the information by force.” She leaned in, whispering, “You know I have one of them. Venom and I won’t hesitate to do to you what we did to your security.” “Threats, Princess?” he replied, appalled. “I’m certainly not going to tell you now. You don’t understand, these creatures can advance life as we know it. You’re ruining everything I’ve worked for!” Twilight shook her head. “If advancement comes at the cost of torturing ponies, I want nothing to do with it.” “That’s cute coming from somepony that slaughtered nearly two dozen gang members in pursuit of a better world.” Twilight froze, and Celestia said, “Twilight?” Blazing waved the day’s print of the Fillydelphia newspaper. “This has your hoofprints all over it.” Twilight’s heart sank, even as Venom gave a very proud purr inside her mind. She couldn’t meet Celestia’s eyes. “I um… yesterday, I was in Fillydelphia and stopped a gang member from harassing a store clerk. The gang ended up catching me and were going to hurt me, so I… attacked them. Venom and I did. And we lost control.” Celestia frowned, and gently stroked between Twilight’s withers. “I won’t say I’m happy about you killing so many ponies, but I know you, and I know you only would have done it if you thought you had to. I’m not mad at you. We can talk about it later, but right now let’s focus on the matter at hoof.” Twilight nodded. “Right.” She looked at Blazing. “Talk. Tell us where the symbiotes are.” He just stared at her. “No.” “She’s not bluffing, she will use force if she needs to,” Celestia said sternly. “She has my permission.” Blazing shook his head. There was something unsettling in his eyes. Twilight ignored the chill it sent down her spine and called the guard over. “Could you step out for a few minutes, please?” “Are you sure?” he asked. “He’s a high-security prisoner.” “We’re sure,” Twilight replied. “Just keep an ear out, we’ll call you if we need you.” He nodded and headed out. Once they were alone with Blazing, Twilight turned back to the bars. “Alright. We warned you.” She silently asked Venom to do what he needed to. Finally, something interesting. He waited for Twilight to seize Blazing with her magic and pull him closer to the bars, then shot a tendril out and into Blazing’s forehead. Blazing jerked, squeezing his eyes shut. Twilight tried to see what Venom did, but there was only dark silence in Blazing's mind. He was puzzled for a moment, then quickly grew alarmed as a familiar sensation swirled around where he had connected. Venom yanked himself away, and before Twilight even had time to ask him what that was, a silvery mass exploded from Blazing’s body and slammed into them. They grunted, flying across the room before managing to reach tendrils out and stop themselves, inches from hitting the wall. Venom lowered Twilight to the ground, and she stared at Blazing’s cell, seeing what seemed to be a silver liquid flowing along his body. But the way it moved was all too familiar. It was deliberate, living, aware. “You recognized me, didn’t you?” Blazing asked. It was still his voice, but it seemed distorted somehow. Deeper, as alien flesh surrounded his throat. He smirked. “Venom.” Venom manifested his head and neck, staring at the other. Trepidation flowed through his link to Twilight, making her nervously scuff at the floor with a hoof. “Riot,” Venom replied. Twilight returned to the cell, on edge now. Celestia trained her horn on Blazing, a bright aura surrounding it as she stared him down. “Stand down,” she ordered. Blazing sighed with irritation, and Riot pushed his head out of his body. He looked similar to Venom, but his eyes were sharper, his features more rugged. It was hard to pinpoint how she knew, but Twilight could just see how much older he was. “Shut up,” Riot growled at her, and he whipped a tentacle through the bars. It moved lightning fast, striking Celestia across the head before she could react. She immediately dropped, and Twilight gasped when she realized it had knocked her unconscious. She rounded on Riot and fired a blast of magic at him. A shield of flesh slid in front of him, harmlessly absorbing it. Riot lowered the shield. “So this is what has become of you, Venom,” he said, voice dripping with derision. “Helping these pathetic little equines. You always were weak. Too emotional, too sympathetic to lesser races. I should have known you’d betray me the second one of these creatures showed you kindness.” “Kindness is not weak,” Venom growled back. “I’m stronger thanks to my bond with Twilight!” “Bullshit!” Riot pounded the bars, making them bow out slightly. “Stop with this nonsense! You are going to let me out of here, and you are going to do your job and continue our invasion plans!” “No,” Venom replied, Twilight echoing him. Riot snarled, covering Blazing entirely and lifting them up high. Riot’s form was incredibly muscular, and he formed claws over his forehooves, ripping the cover from Blazing’s horn and charging it with magic. Venom covered Twilight in a second and dove aside, the energy glancing past them. They turned back to the cell in time to see Riot grab two bars and pull them apart. The metal groaned, scraping the rock where it connected, before snapping free. Riot tossed the metal down and shoved through the gap, stepping toward them. They gulped, and Twilight asked, We can beat him, right? She saw brief flashes of Venom’s memories of Riot, information about the other’s strength and age, then Venom replied, Unlikely. He has got shit you wouldn’t believe. What does that mean? Riot reared onto his hind legs, towering over them and holding out his forelegs as they transformed into huge, double-edged axes. Venom’s ears flattened. Like that. Riot flung one of the axes at them. They leaped out of the way. He swung the other, and they rolled aside. “Come on, we know you can hit harder than that!” Venom shouted. What are you doing? Venom asked Twilight in thought. Her response came in the form of an image, and their mouth curled into a smile as Venom understood. They taunted Riot, dodging his attacks. Though Riot was strong, Venom was faster. They led him around the room, jumping away from each of his swings, making him put more and more force into it as he tried to land a hit. Finally he swung so hard that one of his axes stuck firmly into the rock and he wasn't able to immediately retrieve it. He paused, struggling with it for a moment. Only a moment, but it was the opening Venom needed. They launched forward, slamming their horn into him and pinning him to the wall. He cried out in pain, and the room rattled from the force of the impact. The door opened and the guard from earlier looked in. “Princesses, are you- what the?!” Venom spun to look at him, seeing him raise his spear. Venom pulled part of his face out of the way so Twilight’s was visible. “Guard, Celestia is hurt!” Twilight shouted, pointing at her. “Don’t worry about me, get her to safety! Quickly!” The guard was very confused and concerned, but he listened, sprinting in and lifting Celestia onto his back. Riot tried to grab him, but Venom tackled him, ramming him against the wall again. Riot punched them, and they rolled across the floor, both growling and swinging at each other. Venom grew out long claws to grapple with the other, and Riot responded with his own dagger-like claws. As they wrestled, Twilight tried to reason with him. “Riot, please! You don’t need to invade Equestria! We can be friends, just stop this!” “I don’t need friends!” Riot roared. “What I need are all your useful little bodies as our hosts!” “And some of us would let you! But we deserve the right to choose whether or not we're hosts, not just be forced into it!” “Too bad!” Riot punched them in the mouth. They jerked back, and he grasped their jaws, tugging them open as though trying to snap them apart. Pain flooded their skull and Venom struggled, wings flapping and claws scrambling for purchase. Then they got their back hooves up against Riot’s chest and kicked as hard as they could. It threw him back, and they rubbed their jaw as they stood. Riot growled, but then paused, as Blazing took just enough control to address him out loud. “Wait, I thought we had a deal! You would work with us, help us with our research and we would share control!” “I lied,” Riot said bluntly. “You creatures are so trusting, it’s disgusting. You’re so stupid you deserve to be our slaves.” “Well I won’t release your fellow symbiotes unless you follow my terms.” “It doesn’t matter what you want! I know exactly where you took us, I'll release them myself!” Riot seized control back, and Venom watched his body shudder as the two mentally fought, but it was only seconds before Riot was advancing on them again. His will is strong, Venom said to Twilight. He can make Blazing do whatever he wants. We need to take him down. “Venom!” Riot shouted. “I will tell you one more time! Get over here and help me conquer this miserable ball of dirt or I’ll kill you!” Venom just lowered their head, pounding a hoof against the ground. “Fuck you,” they replied with a savage grin. With a fearsome snarl, Riot charged toward them. Venom waited until he was right in front of them, then uncovered Twilight’s horn, so she could safely blast him with an intense fire spell. Riot immediately reeled backward, tripping over himself in his haste to get away. The flames rolled across his back, making his skin bubble and peel away from Blazing’s, and he screamed in pain. Venom chased after him, hitting him again. He swung a foreleg around, knocking them over, and hurled himself at the door. He had it torn off the hinges and was galloping toward the exit by the time they got up. They followed, launching fireballs at him as they tried to slow him down. He dodged most of them, though the ones that did hit had him shouting angrily and stumbling. He slashed at the guards who tried to stop him, throwing them aside, but he was in too much of a hurry to kill any of them. Venom ran faster, horn lighting as they attempted to grab him, but his own magic surged through his body and threw off the spell. They tried lunging at his ankles instead, but he slipped through their claws and kept going. As soon as Riot reached ground level, he turned and slammed into the wall, tearing it down and taking off through the streets of Canterlot. Ponies cried out in alarm and dove out of his way, and Venom began hesitating, as Twilight’s reluctance to shoot magic in the crowd distracted him. Riot immediately picked up on their hesitation and spun around, scoffing at them. “You’ve grown soft, Venom. And do you know what I do to Klyntar who grow soft?” He reached out a clawed hoof and grabbed the nearest pony, yanking her over. Venom’s eyes widened as the unicorn mare struggled, screaming for help. “I rip them apart,” Riot continued, opening his maw wide over the mare’s head. Twilight took control, bounding forward. “Wait!” She had Venom pull back from her head, so she could plead with her own voice. “Riot, please, don’t! Let her go!” “See how weak this kindness makes you?” Riot replied. “You have me on the run, injured, and yet you stop and beg for me to let this one, insignificant waste of flesh go.” “Just put her down, and you can go,” Twilight said, slowly walking toward him. Venom snapped, “What are you doing? We can’t just let him go-” “If you don’t, I’ll kill her!” Riot threatened, giving the mare a vicious shake. She struggled, pounding at his hoof with her own, but he didn’t let go. Twilight’s ears drooped. She swallowed, and despite Venom yelling no in her ear, she said, “Okay.” She stepped back, all of Venom’s skin receding from her body as she gave up. “Go.” We can catch him later, we just need to let him get out of Canterlot so he doesn’t hurt anypony. What! Why the fuck would we... I thought you were smart, but this is probably the stupidest thing you’ve done since I- Riot opened his mouth again, cramming the mare right inside and snapping his jaws shut with a sickening crunch. Twilight screamed and scrambled backward, and several of the other ponies panicked and ran. She stared with horror at the other, who just snarled at her, blood dripping from between his teeth. “Weak,” he repeated, before spinning and running away. Twilight was too shocked to move. All the noise around her faded into a drone as she just stared at his rapidly shrinking form. Even Venom yelling at her couldn’t move her from her spot. Her breathing grew ragged, her vision swirling. Venom’s tone went from furious to concerned. “Twilight?” She blinked. Took a numb step forward… and then blacked out.