Chapter Seven
Castle of Dawn Ruins
Eastern Prison Block
Awareness didn’t immediately come back to me- the first thing I could tell wasn’t a dream, was myself being walked down a narrow hall. I couldn’t make out many details, save for what I assumed were the others being brought forward with me, and the dull lights of the torches on the walls.
The next thing I could recognize was lying on the floor, in a small-ish stone room without much decoration. My vision was still hazy, but I could see out into the hallway, though only in a square the size of the wall. Could be bars, too thin to make out like this. Makes sense. So, we’re in a cell...?
I saw a pair of legs walking up from behind, and I heard my name. AJ? With effort, I pushed myself up from the ground, and after the blood got flowing again and my vision stopped swimming, I was able to see more clearly. We were in a cell, and Applejack was talking to me, though I had to focus more than usual to get anything out of it. “... woke up! We were startin' to get worried. Boy, you seem like you took a lot of beatin'- Let’s get you off the ground.”
I took her outstretched hand and let her pull me to my feet, and I could feel my senses returning. My ears stopped ringing, though there was nothing else to hear, and I was able to discern more details of the room. Along with the two of us, Rarity and Fluttershy were also in the cell, both still out cold. Rarity’s expensive armor and weapon- and indeed all of ours- had been taken, unsurprisingly.
“Wait... We’re missing two.” I pointed out.
“Yeah. Can’t say what happened to ‘em. Twilight, I could see her being pulled off to the side, but I can’t think of a reason they’d do the same for Pinkie... Maybe they escaped?”
“Maybe.” I became aware that, while still paining me, all our wounds had been bandaged and the blood staunched. “Hey, they patched us up... Why’d they do that?”
“Gosh, gimmie a question I can answer, why don’t you... Only thing I can think of is she might want us alive for somethin'.”
I thought about that for a while. It’s not like we have completely unique skills here. If she really needed them, she could get someone else easily enough. Sure, Fluttershy’s singing is new, but I can’t see Luna having a need for that. The only thing left is... We’re collateral. The town has something she wants, and she’ll try to trade us for it. But... what?
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EverFree Forest
Forgotten Stream
As the rough bundle of driftwood made its way down the river, the moss began to recede from the towering rock walls- which began to become shorter themselves. Soon the stone was clear, then it was behind them, with only green fields on the sides. Night still hung heavy on the land, though the sun would begin its ascent within the hour.
While Pinkie kept herself alert, the blood flow stopped with a bit of cloth and washed off in the river, Twilight began to tire, and was soon asleep on the shabby craft. Her companion didn’t make a move to keep her awake, instead maneuvering the raft homeward in solitude.
Time passed uneventfully. No-one pursued the duo, and they made their way quietly, though far from peacefully, forward. As the sun began to rise, the irregular outlines of town became visible on the horizon. Pinkie stabbed her spear into the earth, holding fast and bringing the raft to a halt.
“Halfway there.” She muttered. She looked to Twilight, who was still fast asleep. Sympathetically, she pulled her over her back, docked the raft, gripped her spear in her right hand, and set off.
The walk back to town went by uneventfully as well, and before long they had reached the outer edges. A watch seemed to have been established, as various armed townspeople were visible patrolling around the borders. Two caught sight of the pair, and they made no attempt to run as the guards caught up to them and escorted them back.
After conferring with a few others, Pinkie gathered Twilight had been staying in a back room of the town library, and brought her there. As she entered the room, she was spun around from behind, thrown to the ground, and relieved of her companion. When she jumped to her feet, she saw that it had been Twilight’s guardian.
He had brought her over to her bed, and was scanning her for wounds. Sheepishly, Pinkie explained the situation- that the six of them had travelled into the forest to retrieve the Elements, the trials they had passed, and their final battle. “I patched up her bigger wounds as best I could, but it couldn’t hurt to get someone who knows what they're doing to take a look.”
He sat at the edge of the bed, rubbing his chin. “The others, then. They’re still there?”
“Yeah. Way I see it, she’ll keep them alive. She’ll need something to trade for this.” She showed him the Element, which she had kept in her pack and out of sight before. “She can’t destroy any of them without having them all first, and I’d guess she wants to destroy them.”
“Then we’ve got time. I think it goes without saying we’re not trading anything. We’re breaking them out and dealing with Luna ourselves.”
She nodded. “I know a few people around here. We’ll get reinforcements, and she won’t stand a chance.”
“Right. I’d better stay here, make sure Twilight doesn’t do anything else shortsighted like that. But when we march, you’ve got my support. The name’s Spike, by the way.”
Pinkie made her way through the halls of the library, but as she opened the door to leave, she was stopped by a large figure, though he was unarmed. He wore simple clothes- just jeans and a white shirt- and had long blond hair tied in a ponytail behind him.
“What happened?” He asked simply.
“Oh, Mac. I was just about to try and find you.” She said. She proceeded to explain things to him as well. “We’re trying to get reinforcements to storm the ruins, and take the others back. And I figured this was the kind of thing you’d be interested in doing.”
He thought before answering. “I swore years ago that I wouldn’t lift a weapon again unless it was to protect the ones I care about. And my sister is still in there. Yeah, this counts. I’ll go nab my weapon, and whichever of my cousins can fight. Meet here?”
“Sure.” He took off for the ranch near the edge of town, and Pinkie in the opposite direction.
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Over the course of the day, Rarity and Fluttershy both came to, and we began discussing in hushed tones what could be done in our current situation. Our options were pretty abysmal- most consisted of waiting until Luna made the first move.
Now that Twilight’s out of the picture for a while, maybe I can try talking to her again. She didn’t seem to even have interest in taking over afterwards. She just wants Celestia to fall. If that’s really it...
“There is another option, but...” Applejack started, looking out the window, blocked off by three vertical bars.
“What is it? If it could get us out of here quicker, it’s worth a try.” Rarity said.
“How deep into the wall d’you suppose the iron goes? How far from the window would we have to get to get solid stone?” She stepped up to the window, testing the bars.
“Actually, I might have a spell for that. Let me see...” Rarity stepped up as well, muttered a few words, then held her hand, which now emitted a dull radiance, up to the wall below the window. She thought for a moment, then tested the top and sides.
“It’s not very deep.” She said at last. “No more than half a foot, if that.”
“We can work with that. Dash, I’ll need you to get in on this too.”
I nodded, then she dug under one of the bunks and retrieved two hand-sized stones, and tossed me one. Seeing the coast was clear, she set to work, using the stone to chip away below where the bars ended. Carving our way out? The brickwork is pretty old, so I guess it won’t be impossible... I went over and, hovering to stay out of Applejack’s way, set to work on the top.
It was slow work, but soon the wall began to chip.
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Back at town, a new team had begun to take shape. In addition to Spike and Mac, Rarity’s companion Opal had joined in, as well as Angel- a creature going specifically to break out Fluttershy. It was bipedal and could speak decently, but otherwise was rabbit-like. He brought with him a scythe twice his size, but seemed able to use it skillfully enough.
Within the hour Mac had returned to the square adjoining the library with two relatives, one with a sword and one an axe. Mac himself had brought what could only be called his weapon. It was gigantic- easily two stories in length, blood red, and had three different blades total. It was a cursed weapon- it gave him the ability to use it effortlessly, but drove him to near total insanity while he used it, and for a time afterwards. Rare was the occasion he used it.
Pinkie had also managed to round up a few town soldiers not wrapped up in guarding the town, and convinced the mayor to pay off a few local mercenaries to join. All in all, when Twilight awoke, their numbers would be up to fifteen. However, Twilight had remained asleep since they had returned to town.
Pinkie re-entered the library, and saw Spike leaning outside the door, eyes closed. He stirred when she approached. “Hey, when you went in, were there any odd spells cast? One’s that might not have done anything at first?”
She racked her brain for something of the sort, but came up blank. “Twilight’s been getting worse. It seems like she’s sick, but she was fine right up until she went asleep, right?”
“Yeah, she was up and running just before.”
“Then I think something got her, a curse or something. But you’re just fine. I can’t help but wonder if any of the others are like this...”