Twilight Sparkle
********
I really have no idea how long we’ve been walking, either before or after we met Applejack, but my hooves are starting to feel sore and I really wish I had something to eat. Applejack. I glance over at her, but she keeps looking ahead while she leads us. I really didn’t expect to end up practically kidnapping somepony as part of all of this. If I ever get a chance to clear things up with Nightmare Moon, I’ll make it up to her. Somehow.
I let out a sigh. If only.
“So where exactly are you taking us?” Rainbow Dash asks.
“There’s a clearin’ not too many ponies know about near here. I reckon we can figure out what in Equestria we’re gonna do next there. And maybe eat some grass or somethin’,” Applejack answers.
“So we’ll have to go deeper into the woods?” I ask.
“Yeah, but not far. We shouldn’t need to worry about monsters there,” she says.
Then, I think I hear something rustling through the forest in our direction. “Did you hear that?” I ask, staring into the trees.
“H-hear what? Did it s-sound d-dangerous?” Fluttershy asks.
“I don’t know. I hope not,” I reply, continuing my search and beginning to weave a spell just in case. And then I see them. Ponies,
Rainbow Dash lands in front of me, facing them in a crouch while Spike gasps.
“I must admit that I’m slightly disappointed,” Captain Nightstrike says as he steps forward, flanked by an unfamiliar unicorn. “I had expected more from Nightmare Moon’s personal student.” He sighs. “Oh well. Arrest them!”
I release the spell I had been preparing, throwing the first guards to respond to his orders backwards. “Run!” I shout and start to gallop in the opposite direction. As I pick up speed, Spike wraps his claws in my mane to keep himself from being thrown off.
A spell flies past me, and Applejack lets out a yelp as it misses her by a hair’s breadth.
I look behind me and send my own magical bolt hurling toward the unicorn. I don’t stop to see if it hits or not. I’m barely even aware of Applejack and Rainbow Dash ahead of me and Fluttershy beside me. All I can do is think about running faster than I’ve ever run before.
I’m breathing heaving now, and my heart is pounding. Pain shoots through my side from a stitch that’s developed and my legs ache. Just one hoof in front of the other.
As the scenery around us begins to change, the forest and farmlands behind us and more buildings coming into view, another part of me insists that that’s a mistake. Come on, think! We’re clearly getting closer to town. Why haven’t they caught us yet? Surely the guards are faster than me! And most of them can fly!
A glance behind me confirms my suspicions. Most of our pursuers are moving at a relaxed pace, with some off to our sides running faster, ready to flank us. We’re being herded.
I don’t know the area around here well enough to teleport any real distance, and that didn’t keep them from finding us the first time anyway. As we reach Ponyville proper, I prepare another spell, one that will hopefully buy us a little bit of time.
Just as I expected, guards from the town are waiting for us. We’re surrounded.
My head starts to throb as I force more and more energy into my horn.
The guards behind us get closer.
My companions huddle around me.
“Twilight?” Spike asks. He sounds scared.
I bite my lip, sparks beginning to dance in front of my eyes from the strain. Come on, get closer.
“It’s over, Twilight Sparkle,” Captain Nightstrike says, motioning the guards forward. He continues, his voice magically amplified, “All of you are under arrest for treason!”
Finally! With a sound halfway between a shout and a sigh of relief, I unleash the spell. And, for the third time, I commit the crime of assaulting members of the Royal Guard. All around us, guards fall unconscious to the ground.
And then I feel my knees buckle and I collapse, my chest heaving. I taste blood. “I-I don’t know how… how long they’ll be out,” I wheeze.
“Come on, Sugarcube,” Applejack says, helping me back to my hooves.
Gratefully, I lean against her and look around. Other than us and the sleeping guards, the twon seems empty. Maybe all the residents were ordered to stay inside?
“That was awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaims, slapping my back. “But where are we going to go now?”
I take a moment to allow my breathing to return to something at least approximating normal. “I’m really not sure, but we can’t stay here. Maybe we can cut through town and then lay low in the countryside?”
“That’s as good a plan as any, I suppose,” Applejack says.
Before we’ve gone far, however, I hear a door open. I look toward it and pause. A white unicorn with a purple mane is waving frantically at us. “Um, Applejack, do you know who that is?”
Applejack blinks. “Uh, yeah, that’s Rarity.” She pauses. “I don’t rightly know what she wants.”
“Can we trust her?” Rainbow Dash glares at the mare, who is still trying to wave us over.
Applejack shrugs helplessly.
“If she just saw us overpower the entire town guard, then I doubt she’s planning to try to subdue us,” I say.
“Yeah, but she could want to keep us distracted until the guards wake up,” Rainbow Dash hisses. “Wait, Fluttershy, where are you going?”
The yellow mare, who had started to trot toward Rarity, turns around. “We have to trust in the kindness of others, Dashie. Not everypony is out to hurt us.” With that, she continues on her way.
Muttering under her breath, Rainbow Dash flies after her.
“I suppose we can at least see what it is that she wants,” I say hesitantly.
Applejack sighs, and we follow the others over to Rarity.
“Inside, hurry!” she whispers as we draw near. “You’ve wasted enough time as it is. Somepony is bound to see you if they haven’t already.”
I nod and enter the building, which seems to be a shop for clothing, based on the ponyquins lining the walls. Some of them seem to be studded with gems, and Spike hops off my back and runs over to investigate.
Rarity shuts the door behind us, and I hear a lock click into place. “My name is –”
“It’s Rarity,” Rainbow Dash interrupts. “Applejack told us.”
“And the rest of you are?”
“Why should we tell you?”
“I’m Fluttershy, and she’s Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy says.
“And my name is Twilight Sparkle.” Not much to be gained from trying to hide that now, I suppose.
“Thank you.” Rarity nods. “Now then, darlings, would one of you be so kind as to tell me just what kind of trouble I’ve gotten myself into?”
“First things first! Why would you want to help us?” Rainbow Dash growls, stepping forward so that her muzzle is almost touching Rarity’s.
The unicorn sniffs. “Let us just say that I have had some less than pleasant interactions with the local guard. Besides, if Applejack is with you then, based on her reputation, I doubt anything you did before attacking the entire Ponyville guard was that serious, if you did anything at all. So the least I can do is give you a small bit of help.”
Applejack looks at the floor.
Rarity’s expression wavers slightly. “Am I wrong?”
Before she can answer, my stomach rumbles. Loudly.
“Oh my! I’m being a terrible host. You can explain what’s going while we eat. Please, this way.” Rarity gestures toward the back of the building.
“Come on, Spike,” I say. “We’re going to get food.”
He glances over at me, and then back toward the dress he was looking at. “R-right.” He doesn’t move.
If Rarity is surprised that he can talk, she doesn’t show it. “Is something wrong, darling? Or are you simply transfixed by the beauty of my craft?”
I sigh. “Dragons eat gems.”
“Oh.” She frowns. “Well… Spike, was it? I have some gems I can give you if you come along with us now.”
“Rarity, you don’t have to do that. He can eat other food. Gems are just his favorite, and tI imagine that would be quite an expensive meal. We really don’t want to be a burden,” I say.
Spike shoots me a look of betrayal.
Applejack coughs, and I wince.
Rarity briefly raises an eyebrow before shaking her head. “No, no. I insist. It really won’t be a problem.”
Spike leaps up to give her a hug. “Thank you!”
“Ah, yes, of course.” She extracts herself from his grip and gives him a smile before turning around and leading us into a small dining room. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be back momentarily,” she says as we take our seats around the table.
“She’s being awfully generous, isn’t she?” Rainbow Dash grumbles after she leaves. “Do you guys really trust her?”
Fluttershy nods, and Rainbow Dash glowers at her.
“She seems wonderful!” Spike says.
“I really don’t know what to think.” Applejack sighs. “When I got outta bed, I was just expectin’ to go to work. I don’t know anythin’ about who I oughta trust when I’m a fugitive.” She pulls her hat over her face and leans back in her chair.
Rainbow Dash glares at me. “Don’t youthink this whole thing is suspicious?”
I clear my throat. “We just have to be careful and ready to act if she tries anything.”
Dash snorts and looks away. “Whatever.”
We sit in an uncomfortable silence until Rarity comes back, floating a bowl of gems for Spike and salads for the rest of us. She hums as she sets them before us before taking her seat.
“Are these poisoned?” Rainbow Dash asks suddenly. “Or drugged to put us to sleep? Is that it?”
Rarity rolls her eyes and levitates some of Rainbow’s food her plate. Looking the pegasus dead in the eye, she eats it. “Are you satisfied?”
“Okay, fine. But I’ve got my eye on you!”
“Noted. Now then, who would like to tell me what’s going on?”
I sigh. “Rainbow Dash was arrested up in Cloudsdale for something she didn’t do, and Spike and I were sent there to interrogate her. While she was there, Fluttershy was also arrested when she went to find her. I was told to get them to confess anyway even though everypony else also knew they were innocent, so I helped them escape. And then we, er, ran into Applejack.”
“That’s one way to put it,” the orange mare grumbles.
“Sorry,” I say.
“I take it that Applejack’s presence is not entirely voluntary?” Rarity asks.
“Look, nopony here is happy about that. But Twilight knows nothing about running from the law! She just keeps telling everypony we meet the story of our lives and our names! Which is why we had to get Applejack to come with us, okay?” Rainbow Dash yells. “And now you do, too, so I guess we’ll have to figure something out there as well.”
Rarity looks at the pegasus for a moment. “I am quite skilled at lying to the Royal Guard, thank you very much. My parents were also arrested and served five years in prison for something they didn’t do, you see. Since then, I have not found myself feeling very cooperate when it comes to dealing with them, which is more often than I would like, quite frankly.” She smiles. “So a little treason is something I can support.”
I frown. The sad thing is, she might be right about that. No! What am I thinking? There just has to be some terrible misunderstanding! Pushing those thoughts aside, I say, “We appreciate it, but the guards from Cloudsdale are led by a certain Captain Nightstrike, and I think he might be a little more difficult to handle than the ones you normally deal with.”
Rarity waves a hoof. “Please, let me deal with that, darling. But if you’ll pardon my saying so, I don’t think that that’s all that’s bothering you. Something to do with you being sent to Clousdale, perhaps?”
I tap my hooves together nervously before I answer. “Before all of this, Nightmare Moon was my teacher, but everything feels like it’s been turned upside down! I thought Equestria was a just place, but now I just don’t know…” I feel tears begin to fall.
“Oh, Twilight,” Fluttershy says as she comes over and pulls me into a hug, stroking my mane. “It’s okay. It’ll all be okay.”
Spike hurries over and also joins the hug, though he remains silent.
I bury my face in Fluttershy’s coat and sob while the she gently rocks me back and forth. For some inexplicable reason, I feel safe and think that she might be right that everything will somehow work out, just like I did when my parents or Shining Armor would comfort me when I was a filly. I don’t know how long I cry, but I eventually stop and pull back. I let out a final sniff, rub my eyes, and clear my throat. “Thank you,” I say thickly and look around.
Applejack gives me a look that is at once both sympathetic and slightly accusing, and Rainbow Dash gives me an awkward smile.
Rarity, however, looks slightly unnerved for the first time since we met. “You… you were Nightmare Moon’s student?”
I nod. “But that wasn’t an act, and this isn’t some way to entrap you because we know about your feelings. Everything we said is true.”
The unicorn shoots Applejack a questioning glance.
She sighs. “As far as I know, they’re bein’ honest. I this was some plan to get ya, it’s the most elaborate one I’ve ever heard of.”
Rarity nods.
And then we all hear a loud banging at the front door. “Royal Guard! Open up!”
Rarity
********
I stiffen at the sound and slowly rise to my hooves. “You can enter the basement from the kitchen, and from there, you can exit the building.” I turn my head toward the entrance as the banging continues. “One second, please!”
As the others scramble out of the room, I walk toward the door, a lump in my throat. Hesitantly, I take the final few steps, and my mind goes back to that fateful day when my parents were arrested.
Six years ago, I was really still a filly, albeit almost a mare. And then there had been a knock, just like this one, and my life had been torn apart. I am for once glad that my parents took Sweetie Belle back into their care when they were finally released. Even if she’s older now, she’s still a filly and I’m glad that she doesn’t have to see this again.
I take a deep breath to regain my composure and open the door.”How may I help you, sir?” I try to smile.
The guard at the door, one of those ponies with bat wings, sweeps past me, followed by several more and a unicorn, and I take an involuntary step back as his yellow eyes look me up and down. His grey coat looks silken and practically shines, verging on silver. Under any other circumstances, I would appreciate the fact that he obviously takes such good care of it. He’s large, especially for a pony that isn’t an Earth pony, but he carries himself with a catlike grace.
He’s a predator, and I’m prey.
“I’m Captain Nightstrike, and I’m leading a ponyhunt for one Twilight Sparkle and anypony who might be with her.” He smiles, showing off his unnervingly sharp teeth. “And we heard an interesting story, Miss Rarity,” he continues, his voice dripping with faux politeness. “One of your neighbors told us that it looked like you let the ponies we’re looking for into this fine establishment.” He circles behind me and leans in close, his breath tickling my ear. “What do you have to say about that?”
Part of me wants to break down and confess, to tell him exactly where I sent them. If I do, I might one day see somewhere other than the inside of a prison cell before I die. Or maybe avoid execution. Instead, I turn to face him and put on my most winning smile and bat my eyelashes. “Oh, well, I’m sure this is all just a little mistake. I certainly don’t know any, what was her name again?”
He grins at me, and I am once again reminded not so much of a bat as of a cat. “Then I’m sure you won’t mind if we take a look around.”
Without waiting for an answer, he abruptly pivots and makes his way toward the back.
I close my eyes briefly and then look behind me. No escape, I think glumly as I look at the guards blocking the door. So I follow Captain Nightstrike, who makes his way into the dining room.
“Interesting. Who else is here?” he asks, his gaze sweeping from the table to me.
“Nopony. I was, um, expecting company before this whole unpleasantness with these fugitives.”
He rubs his chin thoughtfully. “Really? It looks as though some of this has been eaten. From multiple plates.”
“I knew my plans would have to be canceled with all the guards around, and I was nervous. I was pacing while I ate, taking a bite here and a bite there.”
He nods, but I see in his eyes that he’s about to go for the kill. “And the gems? They seem to have bite marks as well, but ponies don’t eat gems.” He leans in close. “But dragons do. And the pony I’m looking for has a dragon as an assistant.”
Slowly, I back into the kitchen. “B-bite marks? No, no. Those are… they’re gems that were mined or cut improperly. I was sorting through my inventory, discarding the ones with those flaws.”
“I really must ask you to do one small thing for me,” he begins softly before suddenly raising his voice. “Stop lying, Rarity! I promise you that your life will be over before the end of the year if the next thing out of your mouth is anything but the complete truth!”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath.