//------------------------------// // Chapter 36: Fall Guy // Story: Sisters of Willowbrook // by Starscribe //------------------------------// Charlie wasn't going to be the one to urge her friend to hurry up, not when she had just suffered through so much. It might be true that Lilac had been the one to cast the spells that put them in danger in the first place—but she'd also been the one to get them out again. That made them about even. Besides—Lilac Empathy's spells were the only way they would ever see their home again. The Lightless Star thought they were magical Alicorns from another time, eager to come back and change the world in their image. Their only return to Earth would be with throats cut and bodies offered to that awful scar in reality. Part of her was still roiling with embarrassment over what she had almost asked. Get themselves killed fighting monsters one minute, ask her to the Fetlock Fete the next? The stress was just getting to her, that was all. Deep breaths. You're not hideous, you're not crazy. It will get better. She ran one hoof through her mane again, straightening it as best she could. It was such a mess, beyond what even extensions could do. She'd need to rethink her entire style. It could've been a wing instead. The day could've stolen her ability to fly, trapping her on the ground. What would her life be like then? "I think ponies heard that," Risk said. He was always too quiet about it, wanting to spare Lilac's feelings. "That explosion was so loud. Might've made an earthquake too. We shouldn't let Willowbrook authorities find us here. If there's anything left of that thing... it will attract the tyrants to you." "Right." Lilac stood, making her way to the back of the bubble. It was barely holding up at this point, with sections large enough to fit a hoof through collapsed from the opening. She nudged at one near the back, peeling away a section of shield with visible effort.  Tough spell, even for the earth pony who made it. Lilac's magical talents really had been wasted on Earth. What could she even do back there, wave crystals around? Firefly couldn't even remember. That probably meant they weren't very impressive. Eventually she had a hole big enough for a pony to fit, and she clambered through the opening. In some ways, she was the broadest of the group, so there was no problem even for the stallion Risk to fit through. If it were possible, the smell in the room beyond was worse than when the monster was merely chasing them. First it was a little like a fish-market. Now it smelled like someone had dropped small explosives all over the market, scattered chunks of meat, and left them in the sun for a few days. Firefly covered her mouth, but there was nothing left inside to throw up. She had already lost it the first time she saw the horrifying thing. The two Equestrians didn't seem to mind it as much though. River turned green and Risk looked disgusted, but neither said anything. There could be no returning the way they'd come, the other end of the tunnel was completely collapsed along with most of the nearby structural supports. This misadventure had probably turned an entire wing of the mine into a structural nightmare. We have to come back here at least once. That won't be fun. But there was still a path back to the elevator. It took them over an hour of magical and physical probing to find, but eventually they came around to a corridor that took them back to the central shaft. The place was far enough away to be untouched by the explosion or the rampaging demon, thankfully. The elevator cage was still waiting for them, and the little power lights were still on. "That cage takes forever," Risk said, annoyed. "We have two flying ponies here, can you carry us out? Maybe you'll be useful after all." "I saved your bucking life," Firefly snapped, glaring back at him. "Go ahead and say that to my face, Mr. 'it's too scary to cast a fire spell'! Oh no, the monster's gonna eat me!" He puffed out his chest, advancing on her. Maybe he really would try to punch her. Just give me the bucking excuse. Earth ponies said that pegasai were lightweights because of their hollow bones. But unicorns were weaklings in their own way. You didn't have to train your muscles when a stupid magical boner solved all your problems. River rested one wing across her back, pushing her down. It wasn't very hard—but those graceful feathers were a reminder of the other pony here. She really hadn't belonged here. Risk might be a jerk when he said it, but he was right.  When River spoke, it was on the edge of exhaustion. "We aren't bats... that shaft is barely one wingspan across. It would take both of us lifting together without an updraft. That means we would have to do the flight twice, and need space that isn't there." "Unless you think you can teleport us," Firefly said. "You're a unicorn, right? If we're supposed to fly both of you, that should be even easier." "If you were a sack of oats, maybe," he said. "And if it was somewhere I knew really well, and had practiced for a few days. Here..." He dragged his hooves, moving reluctantly into the cage. Firefly followed, and soon the other two squeezed in. They slammed the metal across, then started rising again. Painfully slow. It took at least ten seconds for each floor they went, the cable grinding and whining with every second as they went up. "We could try walking up instead," Risk suggested, after a few minutes. "I know the Lightless Star don't use the elevator much. There are ladders and walkways through the mine, secret signs you can follow to cut up directly." "I don't know the signs, do you?" Lilac asked. He shook his head, ending that particular exploration.  So they had no choice but to sit still at the bottom of the cage, watching and waiting while the world dragged past them. The Cyan Mines were far enough from the center of Willowbrook. But that didn't mean that nopony would realize what was happening. The town had all kinds of strange things happen in and around it, but that wasn't the same as having earthquakes and explosions. "When we get to the top, here's the plan," Lilac Empathy said, as they finally neared the top of the elevator. "I have a map of the top floor in my saddlebags there. Take it, Risk." He dug it out of her bag, holding it in the faltering glow of his horn. "Found it. Is there another way out?" "Yeah. I don't think they'll be guarded. But it lets out near the new development. If we show up walking through their neighborhood, right after what happened... the authorities will find out. They'll be the first ones to report us to the constable." "If they're looking at all," River said. "Might not be yet. It must be dark out there—ponies might just wait for daytime." "The Lightless Star won’t," Firefly said. "They know what's down here, and they know how dangerous it is. If something got loose in Willowbrook, it would draw down the wrath of Equestria on every one of them." The others each fell silent. River might not know the first thing about the cult, but she trusted Firefly. That was enough. "I don't see lights up there. I don't think they're at the elevator yet. Might just be waiting at the entrance to see if anything comes out. Or maybe they're still gathering ponies on the mountain outside." Lilac leaned out the railing, looking upward. They could see the top of the lift overhead, only a few minutes away now. "They won't be able to punish Firefly and me the same as you two. Risk, River. Take that map. Me and Firefly will go straight out. We'll make noise and not try to run. If we make it to the Vale Estate, great. Probably we won't. We won't say a word about you two. It was just us who did this." Firefly nodded. Not that she liked the idea of suffering the cult's wrath, whatever it would be. But the thought of River suffering because of her was even worse. She had already gone through hell today. How much more could one pony go through? "We could all go the back way." River tapped her hoof against the map, insistent. "Maybe we won't get away. But we might. Maybe this is a mystery." "No," Firefly and Lilac said, in unison this time. But Firefly had more energy left after the night's events, so she spoke louder. "There's probably something we can tell the cultists to let us off. But you will be punished." Risk was the child of a prominent unicorn, in a high house. Maybe he would be spared. But River... who knew what they would do to her? "It won't be hard to fake," River grumbled. "I don't really remember anything that happened before the bubble. Some ugly... horrible monster was hiding? Did we let it find out we were there by mistake?" The two former-humans shared a look. Lilac eventually nodded. "More or less. If you don't remember anything else, then you can't be forced to answer questions. There are..." She shook her head again, disgusted. "Look. If they do find out about you, tell them that we forced you. It's basically true. We used you, without any regard for your safety. You had no idea what we were really doing." "I checked your spelling," Risk snapped. "If they truth me, they'll find that out. I knew we were bringing a scry, even if I didn't help you with it." His eyes grew distant, and he slumped onto his haunches. "We looked Beyond, Lilac. That kind of thing drives ponies insane. We're lucky nothing worse happened. If Celestia ever finds out." "Make sure she doesn't!" Lilac screamed, her voice echoing in the cavern. "Stop saying things, Risk! Just keep your bucking head down! Wait near the exit until midnight, then leave one at a time. River you fly. Risk if you're so good with magic, give yourself a shroud." They reached the top, the cable finally grinding to a halt. There was no waiting retinue of armed solar guards, with a princess ready to execute them. For that matter, the new moon princess and her stealthy bats weren't hiding in the cave either. They were alone, for now. "I can get us out," Firefly said, lingering near one shaft among many. They looked identical, but she could feel the open air calling to her. She already felt stronger with her wings this much closer to the sky. Once she could really spread them out, maybe then she would feel alive again. "Perfect, pegasus, right." Lilac set off down the tunnel, stopping just inside. Maybe because she didn't hear the sound of other hooves setting off in the other direction. "You sure?" Little Risk asked. "The Watcher will bring the gavel down on you for this." "We're sure! Now get moving! Cover your tracks away from the elevators. Once you're a few tunnels away, that should be enough that you don't have to worry about it. Just get out!" They left, finally. Firefly could sense her friend's exasperation without a word said between them. Almost nothing was said, all the way out. Only when they were nearly at the entrance, when they heard voices from up ahead. At least half a dozen different ponies, all gathered together, talking over something. Firefly couldn't make out their words—another time when having a bat around would be useful. Only a bat would've been sent off with Risk. He better make sure she gets out. But there was nothing she could do about that now. Her friend never should've been here, and now there was nothing she could do to help. "What do you think they'll do to us?" she whispered. They stopped together in the gloom. Lilac covered the glowing gemstone they were using for light with one hoof, cutting it off of direct line-of-sight with the exit. "I don't know," she admitted. "We need the same lie, so... tell them this. Something called me down here. I left my scrying notes down by the hole, so we can't lie about that. Something called me, one of the other gods. I asked for your help to come and talk to them. Everything else... the truth. We weren't supposed to be attacked, we had no idea it was possible. If they ask you anything, just lean on ignorance." "And leave all the weight on you?" she snapped. Her voice was probably a little too loud.  The distant muttering fell still, and she caught a single shout. "Something's in there." Lilac nodded weakly. "Well yeah. It was all my fault. You can't... you can't even imagine what happened. I don't know how to stop it from happening again. I'm completely out of my league, and it almost got us all killed." A beam of white light shot down a nearby hallway, shining towards them. Instead of trying to avoid it, Lilac stepped directly into it. She kept all four hooves down, stopping dead in her tracks. The pony equivalent of putting her hands up. "Hi." Looks like we're walking into this. Firefly joined her in the light, folding her wings stubbornly to her sides.