//------------------------------// // Cloak and Dagger // Story: Truth of the Heart // by Rose Quill //------------------------------// Sunset snuck a look outside the door of her cell, seeing more bodies crumpled against the walls or spread across the floor. She looked upward at her companion, fighting down the feeling of fear the Fury stoked. “So, are they all dead, or did you just walk by?” Alecto sneered and strode forward, unaffected by the carnage around her. “These fools will recover, Sunset Shimmer,” she grated. “They only followed orders without knowledge of the evil of their deeds. I am only interested in the ones in charge.” Sunset looked back, seeing the form of Iron sitting still, eyes sightless as his mouth moved in silent words. “Right,” she muttered as she went to catch up with her terrifying escort. She had been sure that when the sword appeared either she or her captor would be bisected soon. Instead, her bindings had been seared off of her - along with some of her coat that had been close to the pass of the blade - and Iron had collapsed, babbling to himself. “I will lead you to a place of safety, and then leave you,” Alecto said, striding down the corridor as though it was her own home hallway. “Should things go well, we shall not lay eyes upon each other again.” “Celestia willing,” Sunset agreed. “I need to find Twilight. She’s in trouble, and I’m worried it’s my fault.” Alecto made a sound that sounded like a mix of a sigh and a growl. “Don’t even give me that,” the pony spat. “If you really saw anything in any of these ponies minds, you’d know that none of this is by my design.” “And yet, you place the blame for this squarely on your shoulders,” Alecto said. “Not even considering that others may have passed the issue along to fall at your hooves.” They turned a corner to find a large hole in the wall, bricks and bits of paneling littered across the floor.  Sunset looked off to the side and saw a door on the same wall. She looked back at the Fury. “It was locked,” she said simply, stepping back through her improvised entryway. Sunset rolled her eyes as she stepped out as well. She was still in Manehattan, the signs and brightly lit streets were unmistakable. Alecto pointed down the street. “This way.” “How can I trust you?” Sunset asked. “Last time we met you dragged me into Tartarus and tormented me.” “Because, as I said, I am not after you. Your friend Twilight Sparkle convinced my sisters to that fact. However, there are still those that willfully do their evil deeds without hesitation. Those are the ones that I hunt.” “I doubt they appreciate being punished by you.”  “I have… tempered my actions. I merely force them to view the evil they commit until they repent. Many recover on their own. The others are found and cared for by your authorities.” Sunset sidestepped a puddle in the sidewalk as she followed along. They were heading towards the residential areas. Despite the obvious lateness of the night, the streets were still packed as pedestrians headed to and from stores and eateries. None gave either Sunset or her companion a second look. “I knew things were odd in some cities,” Sunset muttered. “But they should be at least doing a double take seeing you.” “I can mask my presence. It wouldn’t do well for news of me to get out and put me at odds with the authorities of this world.” Sunset nodded as they walked, but saw Alecto come to a stop before a large brownstone. “You’ll find aid here.” Alecto said. Sunset stepped forward and peered at the doorway. There was no indication of who lived here, just a brass plate that declared the street address. “Who’s here?” she asked, turning around.  Alecto was gone, no sign that she had ever been there. Sunset shivered, then stepped up and knocked on the door. After a few minutes, the door opened and revealed a young mare. “Yes, how can I… Sunset?” “Bon-Bon?” The other mare ushered Sunset inside and shut the door hurriedly.  “What are you doing here?” Bon-Bon hissed. “You’re supposed to be in Tall Lake!” “It wasn’t exactly my plan,” the amber mare sighed. “There was a rather insistent invitation…” “Who was at the door?” a voice asked from another room just down the hall. Sunset froze at the voice, and her heart petrified as the pony stepped out. “Dad?” Her whole life was agony, borne out in silence. Starlight Glimmer wanted to scream. She would have given anything to give herself that release, but she couldn’t. She had screamed her voice raw long ago. After she sagged against the bindings, silently sobbing, Abacus Cinch leaned forward. “So, how long, my dear?” she asked, reaching out and tilting the other mare’s head up. “How long has Red had you working for him?” “Leave her alone!” Twilight screamed. “You know she can’t answer after what you’ve put her through!” “Oh, I know very well,” Cinch replied, letting Starlight’s head fall. “And frankly, I couldn’t care less if she tells me or not. She never really had access to the deeper workings and therefore couldn’t pass along anything but what I wanted Red to know.” Twilight tried again to force the shackle from her horn only to grunt as feedback surged down into her head, giving her the equivalent of a headache.  “So I’ve thought that I’d distract him a bit by taking his daughter away. He would give anything to protect her. It’s been his failing for years.” Twilight shook the haze out of her head before replying.  “You’re wrong,” she wheezed. “Her father left her when she was a filly. He doesn’t care.” “Oh, you poor, sweet, deluded little filly,” Cinch said, stepping forward to run her hoof along Twilight's face. “He didn’t leave because he didn’t care. He left because he found out that I knew he had children. “He left because the last thing he wanted was for his precious fillies to be used against him.” She turned away and untied Starlight’s bonds, motioning for one of the guards to take her away. “I swear, by everything I hold dear,” Twilight spat. “When I get out of this, you’ll pay for all your crimes.” “That’s the beauty of it all, Princess,” Cinch said, wiping a bit of invisible dust from her lapel. “If you do get out, then it means that I’ve already paid the price. This isn’t just for pocket change, after all. I’m playing for what could literally be the soul of mana.” As the door swung shut behind her, Twilight sagged back down on the lumpy mattress that was her main accommodation. Just a few hours ago she had told off her father. It felt longer than that. The moon shown in through the window set high in the wall. It gave no comfort to the Princess. *** High above that window, a lone figure stared downward, almost invisible with her plum colored coat. She touched a crystalline stone fitted into her collar. “This is Fizzle,” she whispered. “I found the Princess. Requesting backup.” In her ear, a twin to the crystal at her neck crackled to life. Acknowledged. Forwarding the request to HQ, stand by for orders. Fizzlepop lowered herself down, creating an even smaller shadow as she kept an eye on what little she could see through the tiny window. All she could do now was wait.