Book 3: Equestria Abides
Chapter 25
Twilight Sparkle stepped into the dimly lit room. Makeshift as it was, it still looked very much like a dungeon. She let the heavy oak door shut behind her, leaving the few candles scattered around the room as the only light. They cast odd triplicate shadows of Apollo and the prisoner, who were huddled together against the far wall of the room. They must have been talking in here for hours, Twilight knew, as she had stayed at the construction site for quite a while – until Gozwin got to talking with the pegasus mare she had been trying to console back there... somehow, the griffon had seemed much better than her at it, even getting the distraught pony to laugh a little.
Having seen her lonely charge into even better hooves (hands? claws?), she had decided to see how the interrogation was going. Apollo and the captured pony both looked up at her as she entered. “Twilight, this is Happy Heart – Happy Heart, Twilight Sparkle.” he said, gesturing at her. The pony shied away from Twilight at first, but soon seemed to warm up a little when Twilight showed no signs of hostility. “She's been through a lot lately, and she's pretty scared...” He turned to the other pony. “but she's safe now, right?” The battered mare made a barely perceptible nod.
“Have we found out anything useful?” Twilight asked. She was eager to make good on her promise to return those who were taken, and this was their only lead.
“Well,” Apollo responded, seeing as how the captive was still being very quiet, “That they came from Trottingham, and their leader is a stallion called 'Black Diamond'... but we knew that already.” He paused for a moment. “We did find out though, that he's a unicorn, that most of the ponies who work for him – even the slave drivers and raiders – don't really want to, but they're forced to at the end of a whip... but there's a core group that he controls somehow with magic.”
“Did we find out where he keeps the slaves? And where he is?”
“Some of them... and we think we know where he'll bring the new captives... but the problem is, we don't know where he will be. All we know is that he has some lair deep in the mines... and he hardly ever comes out.”
“In the mines? Is that where he makes most of the ponies work?” Twilight asked, a little confused... what would he do with the Trottingham mines' gold and gemstones these days anyway?
“She says only a few work in the mines.” Apollo confirmed her doubts. “Most of them are working the farm camps on the outskirts of the city... That makes it a little easier; they'll be less defended... but it also makes it harder, because they'll be scattered around... we can't just rescue one group and run.”
“You said he controls his core group with magic?” Twilight asked. “If I could get to him, I think I could break the spell.”
Apollo wore a look of concern. “He's supposed to be a really powerful unicorn, Twilight... what if he puts his spell on you?”
“Hm...” Twilight thought for a moment, before getting a look of glee on her face. “A contest of power, huh? Well, I could probably take him on my own...” At this, Apollo's face grew even more concerned. “but if it makes you feel better, I could maybe... bring Sunny Daze.” She said with an evil-looking smile.
That seemed to put Apollo's concerns to rest. He had seen Sunny's power for himself, and it was truly astounding... no mere unicorn could best her and Twilight. “But we still don't know exactly where to find him... I don't want to send anypony in to wander those mines blind.”
Twilight thought for a moment. “Okay... then we need a spy.” She looked hopefully at their captive.
The much-abused mare cringed away, trying to hide behind Apollo. “No! I can't go back! They'll find out about this... I just know it somehow... they'll know! And then... then...”
“We're not going to let him have you.” Apollo tried to reassure her... which was a little awkward, actually, with her trying to hide behind him at the same time.
Twilight could see that even if they convinced the mare somehow, she wouldn't make a good spy: she would crack under pressure easily. ... Besides, they probably needed somepony with magic, so they could send messages from the inside... but who? Who could they possibly send that would get this Black Diamond's trust other than this mare? She racked her brain, trying to come up with somepony, even going as far as to try and think of any non-pony allies they could call upon... he wouldn't trust the griffon he had already seen on the other side of a battle, would he?
After drawing a blank for a while, it hit her; the perfect plan, with the perfect spy. “Apollo,” she said, breaking the short silence, “I know where to find a spy.” He looked at her half hopefully and half confusedly... he must have been trying to solve the same problem... but he hadn't thought of her plan!
* * *
“Are you sure about this?” Apollo asked Twilight. They were approaching the old changeling lair, and the smell was beginning to get to him.
Twilight only looked confident. “I'm sure that we can find some sign of where they went... they didn't seem like the brightest bunch even when they had a queen to guide them... on their own, they should be easy to track down.”
“No... I meant... are you sure it's a good idea to go looking for them with only three ponies... even if one is an alicorn?”
“Oh, there was only a dozen or so, right?” Twilight said confidently. “They're not that tough; I've fought them before... and besides, I'm pretty sure Sunny here could take all of them herself, right?” She nudged the tall alicorn beside her.
“For Trigger? Sure... it's not that big a deal, really.” Sunny said... she didn't seem too proud of her power... which was probably a good thing.
“Still...” Apollo said as they slowly walked through the door, Twilight's light spell popping into existence. He never really finished the sentence, since he never really finished the thought. He knew he still had misgivings about seeking out the changelings... especially now that he found himself stepping in their long-dried... goo, but he just couldn't seem to put a name to any of his objections. Fear or no fear, he wanted Trigger and the other ponies back... and if this was the way to do it, so be it.
The building's basement reeked now, even more than it had when they first came. Apparently, that green slime the changelings made grew even more vile as it aged and decayed... it was still sticky, but now brittle and yellow, and still all over the walls and floor. There was nothing for it though; Twilight seemed sure she would find a clue to their current whereabouts in here, so there was no choice but to hold his nose and press forward.
* * *