“I'm afraid you're stuck there. I'll see if there's not some way to rescue you, but... I don't think there will be. You're in the hooves of your brother, now.” Astilbe's words echoed in Applejack's head. The worst part was, she was seperated from her friends, and one of them – maybe even two – might be dead.
Crimson Fire's words only infected the injury to her spirit. “Somepony powerful knows you're back. You can't so much as poke your head outside or who knows what'll happen! If you so much as open that front door you could get this entire family killed!”
She sighed as she laid back on the bed they'd brought to the basement for her. She could only take so much of reading the propaganda books her brother had brought her before she'd rather do nothing at all than read another word of the nonsense.
So she laid on top of the covers, in clothes like they demanded ponies always wear. At least pajamas were loose and comfortable.
She stared at the ceiling with its weird bluish lights, trying to think of a way out.
Twilight's always so clever with comin' up with stuff. I'm sure she'd be able to think her way outta this. Though maybe it'd involve using magic, which – well, I don't see how bein' good at growin' stuff is gonna help me, here.
They don't got some beanstalk seeds, do they? She joked quietly to herself with a slight edge of bitterness.
I don't like bein' helpless. Not one bit. But I saw what happened to Pinkie. I know better than to go stirrin' up those guards again. I really, really don't wanna think of what would've happened if Twi weren't around... She saw her again in her mind's eye. Shaking, and in bloody agony. Her peppy, cute little optimistic friend who lived to make ponies smile. Now bedridden.
So she's bedridden, an' I'm here. I gotta find a way out, I gotta! If not for me, then for them! For Astilbe'n Scarlet'n Crimson – nevermind for Pinkie'n Twi'n an' – and I refuse to believe Rarity's dead! That had to be a doppleganger'a some sort! Didn't Astilbe say something about dopplegangers gettin' killed in place of unicorns?
She sighed at the sad realization. Well, doesn't change the fact that somepony died. Is it okay that I'm glad somepony else died? I mean, Even if it wasn't Rarity, it was still a pony with dreams an' ambition and feelings an' everything, just like'er – maybe even a little sister, too...
Maybe that explains why Twi was so adamant this ain't real. Who wants to believe this is real?
She felt the seed of doubt in her mind. She shook it off with a slight shake of her head. Nah, I can talk to'em an' everything – Scarlet, Crimson, Astilbe – they're all real! They gotta be! An' I'm gonna get'em out!...
Somehow.
She jumped in bed when she heard a knock on the door. “Yeah, am' dressed. Come on in!” she called out.
She sat up to see Scarlet opening the door at the top of the stairs. “Scarlet!” she greeted. “Wait – is Crimson not home?” she asked.
Scarlet shook her head. “Nn-nn.”
The thought flashed across her mind; the door is unlocked, then, an' Crimson's not here! I could easily get right past her an' try to find my way back to the theater!
But then what? Some mad pony-hunt for me by Crimson, possibly bein' captured an' killed – an' worse, getting them captured an' killed? No! I ain't puttin' their lives at risk for my own! That's not how this family does it!
I could'a just bucked the door down at any time if I were that desperate.
By the time she'd finished considering the pyrrhic escape, Scarlet had walked to the bottom of the stairs.
“What brings ya?” AJ asked.
“Well, Crimson didn't want me talking to you without him around, but... I just wanted to talk to you a bit again. You know, like we used to. Just sister to sister.”
It was still a bit jarring to not hear the slightest lick of accent in her voice, but the way she moved, talked and thought – it was distinctly Applebloom, still, even if it was another world and another name.
Applejack sat up and patted the bed next to her, “come on over. Whaddya wanna talk about, sugarcube?”
Applebloom seemed a bit reluctant for a moment, then she overcame her hesitation and sat next to her older sister.
“Well?” AJ gently coaxed her to speak.
“I just... Crimson says your mind is broken. But you didn't seem broken when I talked to you earlier. You actually seemed less broken than him.”
She felt her eyebrows raise slightly in surprise. “Oh?” she asked.
“Yeah, I mean... We just had this little school play recently, and it was so, so silly. But everypony seems kind of odd when they're acting. Like I guess it reminds me of when I used to play make-believe a lot more. And... Well, this whole unicorn business just seems like everypony is playing make-believe.”
“What do ya mean by that?” her surprise turned to some modest confusion.
“Well, unicorns can't be that bad, can they? But everypony is so scared of them like some big boogeypony. But I don't know anypony who's ever even seen one, except at the executions. It kinda makes it seem like it's all some big game of make-believe, or like a big play. It just... it's weird.”
“A big play, huh?” she asked, looking at her little sister, thinking about it.
Applebloom nodded. “Mhm.”
The thought stood out to her. No matter whether it was Rarity or not, somepony died terribly. Those guardsponies just shot Pinkie while she was runin', not hurtin' nopony. Then Astilbe made it sound like ponies killin' eachother here is just a regular thing.
Why would they do that?
She turned her thoughts back to Applebloom's doubt. "You know, lil' sis, it kinda seems like ya to wonder about that. Ya know... I was once in a town - or - yeah, just like I'm like Gold Will, I had a lil' sister like you, named Applebloom. Everyone in town was terrified'a this zebra who lived in the Everfree forest - this scary forest outside of town -"
"A forest!?" she excitedly piped.
"Heheh, yeah." AJ couldn't help but appreciate her enthusiasm.
"Forests can't really be as scary and bad as they say they were - were they?"
"Ya'know, that's just like you to say, too. And you found out that zebra weren't so bad. We all got to know her because of you. But I wouldn't recommend you go sayin' anything like that to the ponies here. If they... did that to Gold Will just for sayin' what she did..."
"Yeah..." the filly solemnly agreed. "Well, you're back, right? I mean, maybe your memories are all different, but You're still the pony I can talk to. I love you, Goldie!" She hugged her.
She returned the hug. "I love ya too, Scarlet."
They returned to their spots, lying next to each other in bed for a silent minute.
"Hey, Goldie?"
"Yeah, surgarcube?"
“If it's all like a big play, you think we'll all get to step out of these acting roles and take a bow, afterward? And stop being so afraid of each other. And stop being so bad to each other?” she asked.
Applejack thought for a moment before answering, “yeah, that'd sure be nice, wouldn't it? It is odd, ain't it? Why don't y'all just do that now?”
"I dunno... but everypony wants to be the good guy that stops the bad guy. That's what, like, every play is about. I've never really seen a 'bad guy', though."
"I... think I've seen a few," AJ said. "Some who weren't really bad ponies, others who were, an' really wanted nothin' but to rule over ponies."
"Really? Think they'll step out on the stage and take a bow when it's all over?"
"I dunno, sugarcube..."
It was biting cold, and the thin, coarse, simple clothes given to the prisoners was hardly enough for sitting on the icy metal of the small brig's interior. Sunfeather wondered how Brighteyes had survived the place for as long as she had.
Was she in here the whole time? She has to have been here since we boarded the train at Delphi, at least.
However she'd survived before, now they had each other. They sat close, keeping each other warm.
Then they heard and explosion, and the train shook, kicking them both awake, both of their heads popping up.
They looked at each other, afraid, their ears folding back.
Brighteyes reached in and gave Sunfeather a hug. “At least if they kill us, we'll finally be free,” she said.
Alarms rang in the barracks car behind them.
She just looked at the battered, light grey pegasus hugging her with fear. “They-they can't...”
They heard hoofsteps rush to their cell.
The viewport to their cell slid open, two eyes looking inside.
“I'm – I'm the governor's property!” Sunfeather cried.
They heard a pistol load with a mechanical slide and click.
A bang of a metal door being kicked open echoed down the hall, immediately followed by a scream, “Battlestations, shitwit!”
Before the second word even sounded, the eyes vanished as they heard steps gallop down the car.
A moment later, they heard the same metal door down the hall slam shut, and the entire train was filled with the horrible, metallic screeching sound of the brakes being engaged.
The two shaken prisoners just looked at each other again.
Brighteyes started, “Whenever there's an alarm, they usually kill all the prisoners.”
“No – I'll – I'm the governor's friend! She'll look out for me! And Nightgale will protect her! He's on the train, and she can trust him! He'll save her from whatever's going on” - she returned Brighteye's hug with a squeeze - “and the governor will save us – I'll make sure she saves you, as well as me! Maybe the guards didn't listen when I told them that I belong to the governor... but they'll have to listen to her! He'll save her, and she'll save us!”
“Are you sure?” Brighteyes asked reluctantly. “No-nopony seemed to really like having me around... I... There's nothing left that I'm good for...”
“That's what I thought, but the governor saved me when I couldn't work as hard as my taskmaster demanded. She's a good pony and she'll save you, too! All I have to do is tell her about you and how badly I want you to be safe.”
“R-really? You promise?” she asked, her hope crystalizing into something strong.
“I promise!” she squeezed her battered friend again.
“Th-thank you!” She started sobbing. “Thank you so much! I – I can't remember the last time – the last time I felt like I was going to be okay!”
Sunfeather's eyes weren't dry, either. And to think I almost lashed out at her...
A piercing, crushing headache was the first thing Twilight was aware of. She fought to keep from groaning under it, but something kept her too scared to make the noise. Her mind raced to grasp what was happening. Train! I'm on a train – with Rainbow! Rainbow is in trouble – it's an alternate copy of her. She's forgotten who she is! She was going to… She knew, but she refused to even think of it. I need to help her!
She wasn't sure if her eyes weren't open or if it was completely dark. But, where am I? The feeling of being in thick winter clothing and wrapped in warm blankets came over her, along with the sensation of being carried. She was very hot – she could feel sweat on her brow.
There was bang – everything shook, and – a trainwreck! Caused by an explosion – a bomb? And I'm wrapped in blankets again, being carried...
She sighed internally. Another stranger, who I'm completely helpless to. These must be the ponies the governor was afraid of.
No. I'm not going to make this easy for them this time. Not after – not after all this mess!
First, I can't let them know I'm conscious. If they think I'm still out they'll be less prepared. She winced as her head throbbed again. She bit her tongue to keep from groaning under the pain. Stop it, head!
Okay, last I remember, there was... She told me about how some brigadier general over a garrison made her look bad – because she refused to fire on her own ponies en masse to stop a unicorn – that was Rarity. And – and so she's trying to kill the governor?
I just need to escape from whoever's carrying me. As her mind and senses came around, she noticed the particular swaying feeling was distinct. Oh no. I think I'm airborne. Okay, I have no idea how high I am. If I'm high enough I can break free, throw the blankets off and fly away. If I'm low enough I can land safely. Anywhere between, and I'll hit the ground before I get these blankets off. Well, what about teleporting? If I can just-
Her train of thought stopped abruptly as a fresh wave of sharp pain reminded her what happened to her horn. Right. I won't be teleporting out of this one...
She felt her eyes immediately become wet, her breathing a bit harder. Keep it together! If they hear me crying they'll know I'm awake! I just – I need to focus on rescuing Rainbow!
Maybe I've lost – so – so much, and I've failed Rarity, and – and - … But I need to focus on what I can do now or it's going to get even worse!
She tried to blink away her tears. It didn't work very well, but she refocused again, anyways. I need more information. But I don't know what they're doing with me or what's going on, so I need to act fast. She listened intently for a few moments. She quickly made out flapping wings, confirming her airborne fears. But then she heard something encouraging – wind and hoofsteps.
Hoofsteps! I'm low enough to hear hoofsteps on... dirt? No, sounds more like, hard and crunchy snow? These must be some really warm blankets, then. But I can hear the steps over the wind, so I'm very low. I'll just...
She ran through every possibility in her head. Fortunately, they hadn't tied her up, either because they thought I wouldn't wake up, or they were certain they didn't need to, perhaps... She shivered at the thought.
They might just shoot me the moment I try to escape...
Even under all the blankets, she could feel her ears flop down. Well I'm probably too low to throw off the blankets before I hit the ground. So what am I going to do, then? Just – just sit here and -
“You be awake?” came a quiet whisper, in a strange accent, from the stallion carrying her.
I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN!
She writhed in the hooves carrying her, struggling to break free, her wings trying to flip open with the force of a solid kick.
“Woah, woah!” came his voice again, still hushed. “We – we help! We help!” The strange accent was even heavier.
Then a sweet, familiar, female voice called out to her.
“Twilight!” The voice was hushed like the pegasus' was.
Moments ago she cried knowing she'd failed her friend.
She tried to stop from feeling too much – in case it was just some odd coincidence and somehow some other pony only sounded exactly like her – but she knows my name, so she has to be – is – but how – is she!?
The governor said she ran outside the dome and died in fumes – but – how could she have escaped!? Who's body was that on the gallows, then?
How much of what the governor told me is even true?
She immediately stopped struggling and listened.
Hoofsteps approached her, and the warm, gentle feeling of magic came near her face again as blankets were folded away, letting in an icy wave of cold air.
It was so terribly dark she could barely make out anything – but the gentle glow from Rarity's horn was enough to make out her distinct face and eyes as blue as her magic. Her entire body was covered in winter gear, but a scarf wrap was pulled down so she could see her face under a thick hood.
“Twilight, it – it is you, isn't it?”
“R-... Rarity?” she finally made herself ask. She felt the hooves of the pegasus put her down on her hooves, the blankets still piled on top of her. He let out a sigh of relief on letting off her weight, but otherwise remained silent.
The cold air wafted in, flushing out all the hot air – and in a moment she went from being too hot and sweaty to shivering in the biting cold. The biting air immediately stabbed through her winter clothes and the nightgown underneath – but she hardly noticed.
The white unicorn nodded.
Just as her reservations were about to spill out, she realized not far ahead, Governor Spectrum's eyes were looking back under a thick jacket's hood that matched her own – and had a rope around her neck, the other end of which one of the other ponies in winter gear was holding. The other pony's gear matched Rarity's.
She didn't know why everypony was being so quiet, but she took the hint and hushed her own voice as she turned back to the pony who looked like Rarity. “As in – you, from Equestria? What's the name of your boutique? Who was your sister that died? What was your second boutique location? What was your boutique's motto? Where are we? What's going on? What are they doing to Rainb-Governor Spectrum?” she asked, glancing all around her, at the pegasus who carried her, the tied up governor, and her dear friend – all the while her heart throbbed in her ears as intensely as her pounding headache, and she shivered as the constant cold breeze met the sweat under her clothes.
“Yes, me, from Equestria,” Rarity replied, her own voice cold – or numb from shock, “Carousel Boutique, Sweetie Belle, Canterlot Carousel, 'Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique.'...”
She could only remember hearing it in a cheery, beautiful sing-song tone of her personal artistic touch mixed with professional confidence. Now she cited it like echoing a distant memory.
Rarity started walking towards her. “I don't know where we are, darling, or what's going on, really, only that they've taken this other 'not-Rainbow Dash' prisoner...”
Twilight took a startled step back, legs tense, wings shaky and edging to flare out and take off.
“Twilight?” was all Rarity asked.
“Y-yes? What is it?” she asked, afraid, her confidence still weak given the strange world and lookalikes she'd already met. “Do you want me to tell you something only I'd know-” She felt hooves wrap around her, and Rarity's head lean on her shoulder next to her own.
Rarity started crying.
Twilight couldn't hold back her own tears – all at once it came out, and she was sure.
Rarity's alive!
And she returned the hug, squeezing hard, matching her friend's passion.
She didn't have her magic, but she felt a fresh wave of tears as she realized – this is better than having my horn. This is the magic of friendship.
I'm not alone.
I'm not alone anymore.
I'm with another Equestrian again.
I've finally found her,
and she is alive!
“I – but – how? I thought you died – I held your body! At city square! What did you do? Was that not you? Spectrum said it wasn't, but I didn't know if she was telling the truth – how could she, I saw your body! But how'd you get here?” she asked, still holding the hug tight.
“I don't know what horrid things you saw in that awful city, but these ponies rescued me – they saved me, and they'll save you, too, if you just trust them. I'm just – I'm so happy to see a face from home. I almost began to wonder... if it was some false memory...”
She was lost in the comfort of the embrace for what felt like a long minute that was far too short, before Rarity finally broke the silence, “You-you didn't come here after me, did you?”
“I did.”
“I – I'm so sorry!” she answered, pulling out of the hug, horrified. “I – I shouldn't have come here-”
“No, I shouldn't have left the book where it was – I could've hidden the book better, and I knew I should've moved it, but I didn't! I was the one who decided to let you read it.”
“And I was the one who read it. Twilight Sparkle,” she relished saying the name of her friend from home, “– I just – let's not bother on that – let's just get home. I – I just want to forget all of this.”
“I do, too. I really do, too.” Memories of the shackles on her hooves echoed back. She fought them by putting her hoof on her friend's shoulder. “I don't know how to get home. I especially don't know how to do it without my... - we'll figure something out. Let's just get somewhere safe, first... And warm.” She shivered again.
A gruff voice sounded from one of the ponies in the group who wore matching gear. He spoke with a heavy and strange accent she didn't recognize, “Okay, this is in good, but has been too long. We need to be in moving! Twilight, we will explain when we are in a rest. We need to be moving and keep quietness! We are being hunted! Bad ones will put us in very bad death! Flying machines! We go!”
She gave Rarity a confused look. “Do you understand them better?”
“Yes. They gave me an enchanted necklace to help with that. We have to go, quickly, and be absolutely quiet – not a single word. They have these terrible, roaring flying machines, and they follow after them in teams of pegasi. So we have to be completely silent, and we must be quick.”
“Okay, let's go,” Twilight finished to Rarity. “But where are we going? Applejack and Pinkie Pie came with me, too, and they're back in the city-”
“What!?” Rarity snapped, barely keeping her voice hushed.
“They're mostly safe for now. They're hiding with friends, but we have to find a-”
“MOVE!” the gruff voice hissed.
“Twilight...” Rarity used her magic to turn the blankets that wrapped Twilight into an extra layer of warm clothing – including a hood and a scarf wrapped around her face. The cold air stopped biting so hard. “Follow me.” She started walking after the group.
Twilight followed.
Rarity spoke in a hushed tone over her shoulder back at Twilight. Her voice carried more fear and grim certainty than she'd ever heard from her fashioniesta friend, “They'll take us somewhere safe. Maybe we can figure out how to undo this whole book, or rescue our friends from there. But I have no idea how to navigate this darkness – I don't even know how they do it. And the railroad will be a death trap. If our friends are safe for now – then I can't bear to see you end up like Snowglade almost did.”
“Wow, Rarity, you... I don't think I've ever...” That's... thoroughly analyzed for you. And who's 'Snowglade'?
“Twilight?”
“Yes?”
“I am sorry, but we really must be quiet now.” There was a heavy sadness in her serious voice. It was obvious that she may have adapted, for now, but she wasn't happy about it. “We can talk when we've set up our tent... And I look forward to it.” There was a hint of excitement in her last words.
“Okay.” Twilight nodded. “Me, too.” Her voice broke on her last words. She followed her friend into the dark, icy abyss.
Only now did she start to notice Rarity was limping, and one of the ponies in the team was carrying a smaller pony in another set of matching gear on their back. Despite her ever-growing questions, she kept quiet, heeding her friend's warning.